Hello Lesley! Sorry it's taken me awhile to catch up on your TR. But I felt after meeting you last week in your home park and hearing some of your stories as a first timer at WDW, I had to see what went down on this trip.
Y'all got SOOOOOO lucky with the crowds. Like September in general is usually so quiet, but add in a hurricane and y'all were destined to not deal with the crowds. I'm sorry though it kinda threw a bit of a curveball for your commando touring style since you expected more waiting around, but you have many many days to make up for that.
I have to say your assessment of AoA as a place for just families with kids is a bit off. I stayed there for my graduation trip when it was just me and one of my best friends. We stayed in The Little Mermaid section, which is the only section with standard rooms, and I loved it! I think AoA is so cute. Same with Pop, which I stayed at with my family when they came to visit. I do agree it is weird how Pop mixes Disney icons with era icons at Pop, but note AoA originally was going to be the pre-1950s years section of Pop until 9/11 came in and left it abandoned until the idea of AoA brewed. But to each his own, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as most did.
I have to back you up that Epcot really is in a state of disrepair. People focus on Studios because everything is shutting down and getting revamped, but Epcot does not hold the integrity it once had. The reason people loved it was it was such a far cry from Magic Kingdom and the other parks. It used to be none of the rides had any movie interlinks and now that's what every ride seems to be turning to. That's what was magical, but now it just seems like Disney execs don't know how to maintain that or don't care to especially considering how successful the Frozen Ever After revamp to Maelstrom went. Hopefully when you return, it will be as good as new (although you did come during a good time for F&W). I also highly recommend Via Napoli at the Italy pavilion if you're looking for another good WS eat since Le Cellier didn't work out for you.
I'm sorry to hear your Halloween party didn't turn out all that well for you. MNSSHP is my favorite event Disney has ever done so I'm sad when I see people not get their fill. September in general never really gets busy or crazy MNSSHPs, topped with that hurricane, you needn't have worried as much as you did, but I mean more reason to come back for another one. Also, Gaston really isn't as great as he used to be. I'm friends with a bit of Entertainment peeps in WDW and a lot of the friends of Gaston who made it in those online vids with him have had falling outs with Gaston if you catch my drift as they became a bit too in character and were rude to their attendants. I also think there might've been complaints because he used to get really in your face and close, particularly with women. I'm not sure. I caught him at DLR though and he seemed to be up to his usual shenanigans so idk
And you totally need to go back and watch the Muppets with JJ present! I'm curious though how they did the show without him because when I saw it, he opens it essentially. Like he's walking around 15 minutes before the show starts and sits and talks with people then he rings his bell (he's the town cryer) to announce the show is beginning. He's really cute (low key crush on him tbh) and adds a more human element to the show and some comic bits.
Well I definitely made a novel of a comment, but I guess that's what happens when you fell as far behind as I did. I loved all the DLR updates you sprinkled in (granted I already got to see IASW holiday (twice) and have just as many pics lol), making me miss it. I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip especially how you feel about the current state of DHS since we only talked in passing about it at
Disneyland.
Can't wait to read more!