Trip Report ‘Tis The Season For More Disney! *COMPLETED*

Fa la la la la
la la la LA

But let’s be honest.
Which season isn’t the season for more Disney?
In 2017 I have been fortunate to experience winter, spring and summer in the world.
And now the holidays!
Since December is such a festive time of year at the parks, I think two trips are in order....don’t you?

Trip #1
Cast: Tuvalu and Em
When: December 1-4, 2017
Where: Port Orleans Riverside
Why: A Jingle BAM Birthday 2.0

Join us as we attend our first MVMCP, wander around World Showcase like a couple of newbies, meet a forum friend and intentionally watch LOTS of fireworks....did we get to Illuminations this year?

You’ll have to wait and see.

 

[AKemily]

As the literal rope was dropped, I heard myself whisper:
ON YOUR MARK.
GET SET.
GO!!!!!

Em and I were off! We were giddy with laughter as we quickly (but safely) power-walked through Future World. And we received the prize of being among the first guests here ~

And got a front row seat!

However I ended up not being happy with that location.

I got soaked by the ghosts of the Maelstrom trolls!

Seriously?

Em remained relatively dry and took great delight in my drenching. My mood improved when we went outside and saw that the line for FEA was now 40 minutes at 9:20 am. If I had waited that long only to get as wet as I did, I would not have been a happy camper.

The exact same thing happened on my last trip in October 2016! My friend and I also booked it to the ride at rope drop and somehow -**cough** trolls **cough** - a large wave made its way over the side of the boat and directly into my lap I guess not all Emilys can be so lucky! Someone thought it was hilarious, and that someone was not me.
Still, can't wait to ride it again next month!

 

[Tuvalu]

Since we’d spent a lot of adrenaline getting to and riding FEA, we sauntered back towards Mexico and stopped to appreciate many of the holiday details sans crowds.

I’ll let Em’s pictures be the commentary for this post.

 

[Tuvalu]

I thought the giant ribbon “bow” in the Odyssey windows was a neat touch.

The amount of holiday decorations is astounding.

Shirley was ready to host a meet and greet but there weren’t any fans.

(Oooh, maybe I shouldn’t have posted this picture. Is breaking and entering into a dedicated meet and greet area a cause for park expulsion?)

A rare sight ~ a Christmas tree with no people around it!

(Except for the lady in red who I did not notice until now!)

No longer rare....

(Yep, the shirt is still wet!)

 

[riverside]

You have the shirt too!! That's cool!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Em and I turned back towards Future World since we had a few FPs to use. We still had time before our first window opened so we thought we’d visit an old friend.

He was waiting for us!

I think we may have been the first guests in the attraction today. All the cast members fawned over us! (Perhaps they got a tip that Shirley was coming?)

“Pick any car you want!” the enthusiastic CM bellowed.

Afterwards we stopped to watch the jumping fountain. It’d been a very long time since we last did it. Woody and I used to have to drag the kids away.....

 

[wdwfamilynh]

Sunday, con’t

I am a power-walker. Em is a runner, which means she can keep a good power-walking pace. I also have the ability to navigate my way through a crowd quickly (likely due to my impatient nature!) I always leave my family in the dust. When my kids were little they’d complain, “Mom’s using her Disney feet again!”

In my defense it must be hereditary. Both of my parents had a fast stride and to this day my mother can outpace me when she’s determined to get someplace in a hurry.

Woody on the other hand......he’s a “stroller.” Never in a hurry to get anywhere, but not a sloth either. He considers his pace “normal.” When the two of us are walking together he often grabs my hand in order to slow me down. It’s a sweet gesture and reminder that the journey can be as pleasant as the destination.

But this morning the DESTINATION was of utmost importance.

And Em and I would not have to feel guilty leaving Woody in the dust.

As the literal rope was dropped, I heard myself whisper:
ON YOUR MARK.
GET SET.
GO!!!!!

Em and I were off! We were giddy with laughter as we quickly (but safely) power-walked through Future World. And we received the prize of being among the first guests here ~

View attachment 255742

And got a front row seat!
View attachment 255743

However I ended up not being happy with that location.

I got soaked by the ghosts of the Maelstrom trolls!
View attachment 255744
Seriously?

Em remained relatively dry and took great delight in my drenching. My mood improved when we went outside and saw that the line for FEA was now 40 minutes at 9:20 am. If I had waited that long only to get as wet as I did, I would not have been a happy camper.
View attachment 255745

View attachment 255746

Well, if I ever get to my TR, you’ll see how my attempt to RD FEA was an epic fail

 

[Tuvalu]

Where to next?

You can’t hide from us, Land pavilion!

First FP

Totally stole this pic.
Shirley is becoming quite the hoodlum.

Second FP

AKA “How the Farm Ride Does Christmas”

I kept poking Em and pointing, “Get a picture of that! Didja get that? Oh, look!”
I’m pretty sure I annoyed the heck out of her.
But she took some great shots.

A veggie wreath!

“The stockings were hung in the Biotech Lab.....”

 

[riverside]

Where to next?

View attachment 255819
You can’t hide from us, Land pavilion!

First FP
View attachment 255828
Totally stole this pic.
Shirley is becoming quite the hoodlum.

Second FP
View attachment 255820
AKA “How the Farm Ride Does Christmas”

View attachment 255821

View attachment 255822

I kept poking Em and pointing, “Get a picture of that! Didja get that? Oh, look!”
I’m pretty sure I annoyed the heck out of her.
But she took some great shots.

View attachment 255823

View attachment 255824View attachment 255826

A veggie wreath!
View attachment 255825

“The stockings were hung in the Biotech Lab.....”
View attachment 255827

Great pictures Em!!

 

[myhappyplace]

Those pictures of the Land made me just tell DH that whenever we go at Christmastime again, I have to ride this!

 

[Tuvalu]

Our nutritious breakfast muffins were not doing a good job of holding us off until lunch.
What to do?
Consume more sugar, of course.

Thankfully no one was in the immediate vicinity to witness the satisfying of our sweet tooth (teeth?)

We used the restroom next to Soarin’ before leaving the Land. I expected the next picture to be the first of many “Flowers in the Ladies Room” shots.

Why is the water running in the left sink?


Spoiler Alert ~ This was the only bathroom in Epcot with flowers that I was in. And I was in a lot of bathrooms!

 

[Tuvalu]

Those pictures of the Land made me just tell DH that whenever we go at Christmastime again, I have to ride this!

You DID NOT ride this on your last trip??

 

[myhappyplace]

You DID NOT ride this on your last trip??

Believe it or not, we didn't do anything in Future Word this last trip!

 

[MinnieM123]

(Oooh, maybe I shouldn’t have posted this picture. Is breaking and entering into a dedicated meet and greet area a cause for park expulsion?)

(Oooh, maybe I shouldn’t have posted this picture. Is breaking and entering into a dedicated meet and greet area a cause for park expulsion?)

Not for Shirley.

 

[fractal]

We posed by the tree and sent the pics to Woody.

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View attachment 255254

Our little detour had cut into our time to make it to MK in time for HEA.

No worries, though.

We merely went outside to the marina.

Ready to begin?
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View attachment 255257

There was a man behind us who, midway through the show, loudly asked: “They have a grand finale don’t they?” Then, when the show was over, he complained: “That’s it? The grand finale was pretty underwhelming.”

WHAT SHOW WAS HE WATCHING???

I had one last surprise for Birthday Girl.

I whipped out my phone and summoned an Uber, saving us a crowded bus ride back to POR. The driver took us right to our room. Birthday Girl was in bed asleep at 10 pm.

She couldn’t have asked for a better ending to her birthday.
Neither could her mom.

that is a great Birthday!

 

[fractal]

(Oooh, maybe I shouldn’t have posted this picture. Is breaking and entering into a dedicated meet and greet area a cause for park expulsion?)

Not for Shirley.

Beat me to it!

 

[Tuvalu]

Outside the Land we noticed an increase in the crowds. Additionally, temps were getting very warm. (I continue to comment on temperature this trip because there would be a drastic change on trip #2.)

As we walked through the Innoventions breezeway, we passed a dad (with his family) sporting a funny t-shirt.
MOST.
EXPENSIVE.
DAY.
EVER.

(Just wait until his daughter gets married! )

We wandered inside here to have a look-see.

Note the name of this store is Mouse GEAR......not Mouse Gears. For whatever reason it seems to take on a plural, much like “O’hanas” and “Bay Lake Towers”. (For the record it’s ‘Ohana (family) and Bay Lake Tower (there’s only one). As a perfectionist, incorrect names really bug me....to which several members of this forum can attest! )

There was a lot of interesting merchandise but we followed @epcotisbest protocol and kept our wallets closed.

FP #3

I have mixed feelings about Mission Space. I did not like that one of my favorite attractions ~ Horizons ~ was demolished to accommodate it. And that MS was a ride that messed up your equilibrium, rendering those of us with motion sensitivity unable to ride. But when it opened it was sponsored by the company that employed Woody, which meant our family had access to the super-secret lounge inside and that was cool! Over the years we took many lounge breaks, enjoying cold beverages, playing computer games and watching the guests below in the queue and post show area. One time the lounge CM we had befriended gave us an all-access pass to the other lounges in Future World and we spent a fun morning checking them out.

I rode Mission Space (Green Side) for the first time years after it opened due to peer pressure from a friend. Even though it was the “less intense” version, I had to close my eyes through most of it and left feeling woozy. One and done!

Until a “family-friendly” Earth mission was announced after a recent refurb. I went brain dead and booked FPs for Em and me.

The result?
Confirmation that I still can’t handle Mission Space, even the kiddie version.
Em enjoyed it though!

Buh-bye Universe of Energy. At least you didn’t make me sick. I’m pretty positive the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction will.

 

[Zipadeelady]

What a great couple of posts!!

Love the "land I love" shirt
@TrolleyFollower91 great pictures!
It drives me insane that my family can't seem to zig-zag through a crowd with me.
That vegetable wreath is adorable.
I'm with you regarding MS, I have to sit for a good 20 minutes afterwards. No more for me.

 

[krisri18]

Outside the Land we noticed an increase in the crowds. Additionally, temps were getting very warm. (I continue to comment on temperature this trip because there would be a drastic change on trip #2.)

As we walked through the Innoventions breezeway, we passed a dad (with his family) sporting a funny t-shirt.
MOST.
EXPENSIVE.
DAY.
EVER.

(Just wait until his daughter gets married! )

We wandered inside here to have a look-see.
View attachment 255895
Note the name of this store is Mouse GEAR......not Mouse Gears. For whatever reason it seems to take on a plural, much like “O’hanas” and “Bay Lake Towers”. (For the record it’s ‘Ohana (family) and Bay Lake Tower (there’s only one). As a perfectionist, incorrect names really bug me....to which several members of this forum can attest! )

There was a lot of interesting merchandise but we followed @epcotisbest protocol and kept our wallets closed.

FP #3
View attachment 255891

I have mixed feelings about Mission Space. I did not like that one of my favorite attractions ~ Horizons ~ was demolished to accommodate it. And that MS was a ride that messed up your equilibrium, rendering those of us with motion sensitivity unable to ride. But when it opened it was sponsored by the company that employed Woody, which meant our family had access to the super-secret lounge inside and that was cool! Over the years we took many lounge breaks, enjoying cold beverages, playing computer games and watching the guests below in the queue and post show area. One time the lounge CM we had befriended gave us an all-access pass to the other lounges in Future World and we spent a fun morning checking them out.

I rode Mission Space (Green Side) for the first time years after it opened due to peer pressure from a friend. Even though it was the “less intense” version, I had to close my eyes through most of it and left feeling woozy. One and done!

Until a “family-friendly” Earth mission was announced after a recent refurb. I went brain dead and booked FPs for Em and me.

View attachment 255892

View attachment 255893

The result?
Confirmation that I still can’t handle Mission Space, even the kiddie version.
Em enjoyed it though!

Buh-bye Universe of Energy. At least you didn’t make me sick. I’m pretty positive the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction will.
View attachment 255894

Ugh, not a mission space fan. Claustrophobia and nausea? No thanks!

 

[Tuvalu]

Birthday girl got to pick lunch yesterday.

Today it was my turn.

Unfortunately my choice required walking about 7.533 miles to get there.

But so, SO WORTH IT!!!

Chicken gyro and chicken sharwarma platter from the Tangierine Cafe.

Okay, so it’s really not that far from Mission Space to Morocco. But when you’re hot and hangry, it sure feels like it!

In fairness, I had told Em on the plane ride down that I really wanted to eat at Tangierine Cafe. While she likes the chicken gyro, TC would never be her first pick. After emerging in a less-than-stellar state from our Earth mission, I was tempted to pass on TC and dine at someplace closer. But my darling daughter knew I would regret that choice later and she encouraged me to stick with the plan.

We found an outdoor table with great people-watching vistas.

We hung out here for quite awhile. I called Woody and caught up on things at home. We intentionally rested our feet as we prepared to double-back through World Showcase and start our next activity.

Tuvalu and TrolleyFollower91 attempt The Amazing Race! (Sort of )

 

[12in12]

Good choice for lunch, their falafel platter is delicious as well.