Trip Report It's a Jolly Holiday! *COMPLETED*

I am often asked, "What is your favorite time of year to go to Disney World?"

I used to answer late spring ~ warm but not miserable, little to no rain, manageable crowds. Then in 2009, I discovered the splendor of Disney of Christmastime ~ and have made an annual visit since. Now those of you who read the countdown thread might be thinking, "Hey, didn't you go last February?" Well, yes. "April?" Spring Break, of course. "June?" Had to celebrate the start of summer. "August?" Had to celebrate the end of summer. "September?" When your adult son asks you to go with him, you go! "November?" Quick getaway to celebrate DH's milestone birthday.

Which brings us back to....December!

(In case you think my frequency borders on lunacy, let me say I have fine company with @lostpro9het, @b33b33, @Doc Disney, @samantha788 and @gwhb75, among others .)

I have a love/hate relationship with going to WDW in December. While I LOVE being there, I HATE having one less week at home to decorate, shop, wrap presents, send Christmas cards, bake cookies, etc. And since this year we were due to arrive home on Christmas Eve, I needed to have everything ready for Christmas dinner too. Why don't I just eliminate a few things? Can't. Won't. I am under the curse of perfectionism! So I rush around like a mad woman for 3 weeks in order to have BOTH a perfect vacation AND a perfect Christmas!

This is probably a good time to confess that my Christmas tree is NOT perfect. You see, two summers ago we adopted an adorable kitten named Poly (yes, we named her after our favorite resort .) She is strictly an indoor cat. Having had cats before, we were surprised to discover that our new addition enjoyed climbing both our Christmas trees. Multiple times per day. Now last year this was merely a minor inconvenience, since Poly was still a kitten and didn't weigh much (read: she didn't cause much damage.) This year? Completely different story!! Bent branches, broken ornaments...on any given day, we didn't know what was going to end up as collateral damage next.

Can you spot her? For reference, we have 9 foot ceilings.

And here she is in the living room tree:

Anyhoo, I was able to complete all my Christmas and Disney preparations by December 16...the next morning we would start our Jolly Holiday!

 

[MinnieM123]

Wilderness Lodge's lobby looked gorgeous! It would be a dream of mine to be able to stay there during the Christmas season. I really liked how you had the two trees (Wilderness versus Poly) for comparison. I agree that the Wilderness Lodge tree was spectacular, and the Poly's one was meh next to it.

What a pretty spot you found for your lunch at BOG. I've never been in there. Some day, I'll ask a CM at the desk, if I can just take a quick look inside. (I never do the ADR thing, and have to keep a tight budget on food when I go to WDW, so I usually end up at the QS places only. Not sure if BOG is totally sit-down, or if they have some take-out. Any time I've walked by that area, it just looked so crowded that I didn't venture inside; but I've wanted to see what it looks like.)

 

[joshsprincess921]

Loving your report! Looking forward to more! The WL looks gorgeous!

 

[Tuvalu]

What a pretty spot you found for your lunch at BOG. I've never been in there. Some day, I'll ask a CM at the desk, if I can just take a quick look inside. (I never do the ADR thing, and have to keep a tight budget on food when I go to WDW, so I usually end up at the QS places only. Not sure if BOG is totally sit-down, or if they have some take-out. Any time I've walked by that area, it just looked so crowded that I didn't venture inside; but I've wanted to see what it looks like.)

Before BOG began serving breakfast, they would allow guests to have a "peek" inside the Ballroom before lunch service began at 10:30 a.m. Not sure if they still do this, but you can always ask. Take-out is not an option, but BOG is essentially a QS location for breakfast and lunch ~ the prices are comparable to the other QS in MK. And you could just order a bowl of soup (or a dessert) to keep your budget in line .

Loving your report! Looking forward to more! The WL looks gorgeous!

Thank you!

 

[MinnieM123]

Before BOG began serving breakfast, they would allow guests to have a "peek" inside the Ballroom before lunch service began at 10:30 a.m. Not sure if they still do this, but you can always ask. Take-out is not an option, but BOG is essentially a QS location for breakfast and lunch ~ the prices are comparable to the other QS in MK. And you could just order a bowl of soup (or a dessert) to keep your budget in line .

Thank you. That's helpful information to know. (I'm taking the day off from work today, and reading the forums. Learning all kinds of good stuff during the weekday, daytime hours here! )

 

[Tuvalu]

Friday (con't)
On our way out of BOG, I made Woody stop for a picture:

We were glad to see that the rain had stopped, and though it remained a dreary afternoon at least we didn't get wet! The crowds weren't bad either ~ we figured everyone who had tickets to the final MVMCP of 2015 were waiting until after 4 p.m. for some MK fun. For our first attraction of this trip, we went on this sentimental favorite:

Moving on to Haunted Mansion to use our first FP:

We have a friend whose son's name is Asher, so I just had to take this shot!

This is such a well-done gift store, always fun to browse:

We continued on through Liberty Square into Frontierland and to another favorite:

True confession: I know ALL the words to every song. And I ALWAYS sing along. Consider yourselves warned should you ever see me waiting for the next show.

 

[Tuvalu]

Up next was a former favorite which, sadly, has been dropped from our usual Must-Do list. Since the recent refurb, it is no longer a Pirate's life for me . Or Woody. We simply do not enjoy a thorough soaking on a ride where you used to stay dry. When we sat in the first row, we got hit by a wall of water at the bottom of the drop that rivaled Kali River Rapids (no exaggeration.) Sitting in rows 2 or 3 was only slightly better. We managed to fare okay in the last row, so we decided to request row 6 when it was our turn to board the boat.

Our request was granted...but when the boat pulled up, there was at least 2-3 inches of water covering the bottom of the entire boat. We had to ride with our feet elevated to avoid the puddle.

PLEASE, DISNEY, FIX THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was time for our next FP:

This overlay has gotten even better than last year! There were more decorations and the jokes were even cornier:
"Come aboard and stuff the boat like a stocking!"
"Feeling Itchy? It's Fleas Navidad!"
"Piranhaca ~ The Festival of Bites!"
"I do all my holiday shopping on the Amazon!"

Our timing had worked out that when we exited Jingle Cruise it was time for our final FP at Big Thunder Mountain. And then we went from riding a runaway train to a regular train, also known in our family as a "moving park bench" (Woody's terminology.) While on the train I received a text that our room was ready.

Pic from the train:

We disembarked at the Main Street Station and took the bus back to WL.

See you tomorrow, Magic Kingdom!

 

[Longers]

Glad you said the same thing about Pirates - I thought maybe we were going mad as I hadn't seen others comment but we got soaked in the front row last year (as evidenced in my TR photos) - it took ages to dry out - in fact our socks didn't so we had to go back to our room to dry them.
Let's hope Disney fix this!
Wish I could go to Disney as much as you
Following along

 

[Goofnut1980]

good stuff!!!!!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Glad to have you both along @Longers and @Goofnut1980!

 

[LisaBelle]

Glad you mentioned getting soaked on Pirates. We love that ride so it is disappointing to know we have to skip it or be prepared for soggy feet at the very least .

 

[Tuvalu]

I am not a fan of the DVC additions at the monorail resorts. I miss the North Garden Wing at the Contemporary and the open space between the Poly and GF. But what I miss most is Sunset Point and a bungalow-free beach at the Poly. It's been hard for me to accept this change. So I absolutely understand the pain WL fans are going through now, with the clear-cutting of trees and removal of the Hidden Springs pool, in preparation for more DVC units.

But remember I am a fireworks junkie. And a lover of Cinderella Castle draped icicle lights. So I was not exactly sad when we entered room 6018 and had this view:

At night, the illuminated castle was gorgeous! Unfortunately, it just looked like a glowing blob in the pictures I took. You will have to take my word for it!

This note and small gift was on the dresser:

How cute are these pins??!!!

Woody and I had an early dinner ADR at Whispering Canyon. Remember my "We won't be eating BBQ at Disney" comment from lunch yesterday? I neglected to mention that Cape May had delicious BBQ ribs on the buffet that we had to partake of, despite having eaten pulled pork earlier in the day. Additionally, I completely flaked out on the fact that Whispering Canyon serves up some mighty tasty 'cue. Neither of us was in the mood for the all-u-can-eat skillet, but I was able to savor WC's smoky goodness in the smoked chicken quesadilla:

This is on the appetizer menu but I had it for my entree. It was perfectly filling! I paired it with one of my fave Disney libations:

The Magical Star Cocktail! The ice cube constantly changes color. Woody's Moosehead beer was boring by comparison . He enjoyed a NY strip with a side of veggies as his entree.

We played along with our server Chante (she was very funny!) because that is an important part of the Whispering Canyon experience. Over the years guests have become party-poopers in regards to the antics, so these are now on the tables:

Our coaster was always green!

For dessert we shared Whispering Canyon's version of Ooey Gooey Cake ~ basically an undercooked chocolate brownie with chocolate chips and marshmallows, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. YUM!

The picture does not do it justice!

 

[catmom46]

Glad you said the same thing about Pirates - I thought maybe we were going mad as I hadn't seen others comment but we got soaked in the front row last year (as evidenced in my TR photos) - it took ages to dry out - in fact our socks didn't so we had to go back to our room to dry them.
Let's hope Disney fix this!
Wish I could go to Disney as much as you
Following along

We all wish we could go to Disney as much as Tuvalu!

 

[MinnieM123]

Up next was a former favorite which, sadly, has been dropped from our usual Must-Do list. Since the recent refurb, it is no longer a Pirate's life for me . Or Woody. We simply do not enjoy a thorough soaking on a ride where you used to stay dry. When we sat in the first row, we got hit by a wall of water at the bottom of the drop that rivaled Kali River Rapids (no exaggeration.) Sitting in rows 2 or 3 was only slightly better. We managed to fare okay in the last row, so we decided to request row 6 when it was our turn to board the boat.

Our request was granted...but when the boat pulled up, there was at least 2-3 inches of water covering the bottom of the entire boat. We had to ride with our feet elevated to avoid the puddle.

PLEASE, DISNEY, FIX THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't been on Pirates for about 3 years. Didn't have a clue about the soaking part. I vaguely recall a small amount of water at the bottom of the boat, but I just assumed it was a bit of splash-over. At least I didn't get wet on the ride. I rode Pirates for years prior to last time as well, and don't recall any water issues--so something is definitely wrong now with the ride. I feel bad for people who wait in very long queues for that ride, only to get soaked, if they're in front seats of the boat. Just crazy!! (It's not supposed to be Splash Mountain or Kali, where people "expect" to get wet.)

 

[Tuvalu]

We all wish we could go to Disney as much as Tuvalu!

Wish you guys could too! And yes, @LisaBelle and @MinnieM123, the amount of water on Pirates now is ridiculous!!

 

[gwhb75]

I am often asked, "What is your favorite time of year to go to Disney World?"

I used to answer late spring ~ warm but not miserable, little to no rain, manageable crowds. Then in 2009, I discovered the splendor of Disney of Christmastime ~ and have made an annual visit since. Now those of you who read the countdown thread might be thinking, "Hey, didn't you go last February?" Well, yes. "April?" Spring Break, of course. "June?" Had to celebrate the start of summer. "August?" Had to celebrate the end of summer. "September?" When your adult son asks you to go with him, you go! "November?" Quick getaway to celebrate DH's milestone birthday.

Which brings us back to....December!

(In case you think my frequency borders on lunacy, let me say I have fine company with @lostpro9het, @b33b33, @Doc Disney, @samantha788 and @gwhb75, among others .)

I have a love/hate relationship with going to WDW in December. While I LOVE being there, I HATE having one less week at home to decorate, shop, wrap presents, send Christmas cards, bake cookies, etc. And since this year we were due to arrive home on Christmas Eve, I needed to have everything ready for Christmas dinner too. Why don't I just eliminate a few things? Can't. Won't. I am under the curse of perfectionism! So I rush around like a mad woman for 3 weeks in order to have BOTH a perfect vacation AND a perfect Christmas!

This is probably a good time to confess that my Christmas tree is NOT perfect. You see, two summers ago we adopted an adorable kitten named Poly (yes, we named her after our favorite resort .) She is strictly an indoor cat. Having had cats before, we were surprised to discover that our new addition enjoyed climbing both our Christmas trees. Multiple times per day. Now last year this was merely a minor inconvenience, since Poly was still a kitten and didn't weigh much (read: she didn't cause much damage.) This year? Completely different story!! Bent branches, broken ornaments...on any given day, we didn't know what was going to end up as collateral damage next.

Can you spot her? For reference, we have 9 foot ceilings.
View attachment 129080

View attachment 129082

And here she is in the living room tree:
View attachment 129083

Anyhoo, I was able to complete all my Christmas and Disney preparations by December 16...the next morning we would start our Jolly Holiday!

At first I was like "cool, I got mentioned in someone else's trip report" then I was like "oh wait.... I'm being used as an example of how she isn't the only crazy one on these forums". Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions.

Love the cat pictures. We have two ourselves but they've never climbed the tree before.

 

[Doc Disney]

I am very happy to be included in the list of people who frequent Disney too much haha Everyone here understands it...everyone here at home (aside from my family)...not so much Oh well, not everyone can enjoy Disney as much as we do I guess! Loving your report so far!

 

[Tuvalu]

At first I was like "cool, I got mentioned in someone else's trip report" then I was like "oh wait.... I'm being used as an example of how she isn't the only crazy one on these forums". Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions.

Love the cat pictures. We have two ourselves but they've never climbed the tree before.

This made me laugh out loud!!

I am very happy to be included in the list of people who frequent Disney too much haha Everyone here understands it...everyone here at home (aside from my family)...not so much Oh well, not everyone can enjoy Disney as much as we do I guess! Loving your report so far!

There are definitely more that don't "get it"...but that's ok, the parks are crowded enough as it is. We want those who are just "meh" on Disney to stay home . Thanks for reading!

 

[Tuvalu]

All the tables at Whispering Canyon were full and there was a line waiting to check in when Woody and I left the restaurant. We spent some time absorbing the grandeur of the lobby, the beautiful decor, and the joy of other guests around us.

Meanwhile, Em was finally on board a Magical Express bus after having waited for over a half hour for the Poly/GF/WL/CR bus to arrive. Her patience had already been tested earlier in the day by bad Atlanta traffic on the way to the airport and a LONG security line. And despite being in Boarding Group A on her Southwest flight, the only open seats were middles.

Now some of you may be aghast that her parents did not offer to pick her up at MCO. But unlike most parents today, we always made our children RIDE THE BUS. And that includes Disney's Magical Express .

She arrived at WL at 8:45 p.m. and we went to Roaring Fork so she could get something to eat. We were back in our room in time to watch Holiday Wishes from our balcony...and that brought a smile to her face .

Fireworks count: 4 shows, 2 nights

 

[Tuvalu]

Saturday, December 19
I awakened wide-eyed at 5 a.m. Now at first I did not know what time it was, since there are no longer clocks in resort rooms!!! Call me old-fashioned, but I LIKE clocks. I like being able to glance at a nightstand clock and immediately know what time it is. I don't want to sleep with my phone next to me and drowsily fumble for the on button in order to check the time.

(Know what else? I wear a watch. There ~ I said it. I am a Baby Boomer who wears a watch. Who's with me??! Reminds me of a funny story a Boomer friend shared with me. She happened to be browsing in an Apple Store a couple of days after the launch of the Apple Watch. One of the sales techies (or whatever they call themselves) approached her and began to wax poetic about all the things the watch could do. Excitedly he added, "And it even tells time!" Imagine that ~ a watch that tells the time .)

MK had EMH that began at 7 a.m., but Em had said she did not want to get up that early to see the Welcome Show. So I let her and Woody sleep while I got ready. I waited to go to Roaring Fork until close to 7, when they begin to serve hot breakfast. And I brought back:

Because who doesn't like Mickey waffles with strawberries and cream?!

We did manage to leave our room at 8 a.m. (and Em and I would not return until 8:45 p.m.!) It was a beautiful sunny morning but cold...50 degrees! (The temperature was supposed to reach 68, but a cool breeze blew all day making it feel closer to 60.) We opted to take the bus to MK, rather than wait on the cold dock for the boat. As we disembarked the bus, we saw the wooden toy soldiers marching towards the Ferryboat landing. We watched mesmerized (none of us thinking to grab a camera) as they stopped at the dock, horns raised, ready to greet the ferry.

These are the soldiers I'm talking about:

Clearly, MK was expecting large crowds today, since additional staffed security tables (and metal detectors) were added to the area by Guest Relations. This made it very convenient for guests arriving by bus, since we did not have to make the roundabout downhill walk to the center gate. There wasn't much of a wait either .

Fortunately for us, the crowds didn't begin to show up until lunchtime. We were able to experience 7 attractions ~ Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Small World, 7DMT (FP), TTA Peoplemover, Big Thunder (FP) and the MPB ("moving park bench") ~ all before our 11:30 a.m. ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern.

This was our first visit to LTT since its 6-month-long refurb. We are frequent LTT diners and missed it when it was closed. The first thing we noticed was a new lift for wheelchairs/ECVs:

The menu remained unchanged and we all had our usuals:

And [Cheesburger pic] (You see it, don't you?)

Naturally no lunch at LTT is complete without one of these:

We actually had 2. Don't judge...we could have ordered 3!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake, yum!! That Whispering Canyon dessert looks and sounds delicious also!! And those Mickey waffles with strawberries and cream! Think I'm a little hungry at the moment? I'm with you on the clocks and the watch. I feel lost if I forget to put my watch on in the morning! Can't wait to read more!