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.

 

[LadyBelle]

As a perfectionist, incorrect names really bug me....to which several members of this forum can attest! )

Guilty as charged. And I’m normally insane about things being correct.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Following along! This kinder teacher just caught up!! Yes, it would be so amazing to run into my students in DisneyWorld and ride a ride with them! They will remember that Space Mountain for the rest of their lives!!! My kids freak out when they see me at the grocery store!!

We love the MVMCP, too and the parade in it is AMAZING!!! Like you said, if you want to be in MK at night, you pretty much have to pay for a party. It's worth it to us, though and we're so glad you loved your experience of nighttime holiday magic!

Yay for getting Ryan at CG! I love Brian at Beaches and Cream!

Can't wait to hear how the rest of Epcot was! Mission Space is rough for me, too; but the family friendly part helps a bit. I'm still a little woozy, post-ride though, for about an hour.

On a spring break trip a couple years ago, Em met up with one of her students and rode Space Mountain with him. This year Em has Matt’s sister in her class....and it just so happened that Caitlin, Matt and their mom were at tonight’s MVMCP. As we left Jingle Cruise, Em received a text with their location and we headed over to meet them.

View attachment 252489

We stopped briefly to admire this beauty.

View attachment 252488

Did you guess we were going to Tomorrowland?

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If brother got to ride Space Mountain with teacher, it was imperative that sister did too!
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We Moms rode together.
View attachment 252486
(I decided against doing the Tuvalu pose.)

Caitlin was so excited to spend time with her teacher. It was truly adorable to watch. @blgauger, have you encountered any of your students in the parks? Kids don’t think of their teachers as having lives outside of school and their reaction to seeing their teacher unexpectedly can be priceless!

 

[MinnieM123]

Outside the Land we noticed an increase in the crowds. Additionally, temps were getting very warm.

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!

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

Knew it was coming, but it's disturbing to see UOE it blocked off like that. At least they could have covered up the blue globe. I'd rather they just tore the entire thing down some night, after park hours.

As for MS, I only go on the Green side. Years ago, before they had Green, I went on the regular side (now Orange) and I honestly believe it contributed to a case of vertigo I got two mornings later. Not a fan of Orange.

 

[Longers]

Just caught up - enjoying all the pictures - your a fab mum - I would love my mum to take me to Disney one day! Keep it coming,,,,,,

 

[LadyBelle]

As for MS, I only go on the Green side. Years ago, before they had Green, I went on the regular side (now Orange) and I honestly believe it contributed to a case of vertigo I got two mornings later. Not a fan of Orange

I rode the Orange side back in 2004. It shook my friend and I up so much, that we couldn’t do any other ride for the rest of the day. We hung out and waited for World Showcase to open. And I missed my one chance to ride Maelstrom due to MS. I will not go near MS.

 

[amjt660]

I notice you are no longer a river in Africa when it comes to stealing candy from a baby

( in de Nile)

Max

 

[amjt660]

Interesting
Putting an extra s on the end of a name pushes the button
But MPB or Farm ride is ok
How do you feels about the “ big golf ball” name?

Jk

Max

 

[amjt660]

7533 miles to TC?

If I told you once I have told you a million times to not exaggerate!

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

Following along! This kinder teacher just caught up!! Yes, it would be so amazing to run into my students in DisneyWorld and ride a ride with them! They will remember that Space Mountain for the rest of their lives!!! My kids freak out when they see me at the grocery store!!

We love the MVMCP, too and the parade in it is AMAZING!!! Like you said, if you want to be in MK at night, you pretty much have to pay for a party. It's worth it to us, though and we're so glad you loved your experience of nighttime holiday magic!

Yay for getting Ryan at CG! I love Brian at

Thanks for reading and commenting! I will have to look for Brian on our next visit to Beaches and Cream.

Knew it was coming, but it's disturbing to see UOE it blocked off like that. At least they could have covered up the blue globe. I'd rather they just tore the entire thing down some night, after park hours.

I wonder if they are keeping the outside “shell” and gutting the inside?

Just caught up - enjoying all the pictures - your a fab mum - I would love my mum to take me to Disney one day! Keep it coming,,,,,,

Still plenty more to come!

I rode the Orange side back in 2004. It shook my friend and I up so much, that we couldn’t do any other ride for the rest of the day. We hung out and waited for World Showcase to open. And I missed my one chance to ride Maelstrom due to MS. I will not go near MS.

Well this is a sad story....

Interesting
Putting an extra s on the end of a name pushes the button
But MPB or Farm ride is ok
How do you feels about the “ big golf ball” name?

Jk

Max

1. Yes
2. Love my hubby and he coined MPB. “Farm Ride” I use mockingly.
3. Big golf ball is ok when used by a child or family member of a child.

 

[Tuvalu]

7533 miles to TC?

If I told you once I have told you a million times to not exaggerate!

Max

You missed the decimal point.

 

[fractal]

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

I am guilty of "Ohanas", however I use it in the possessive tense; Ohana's. Like if I went to dinner at a friend's house. Going to Mark's for dinner. Going to Ohana's. I know - it doesn't make sense but I am trying to correct it. Lol!

Sometimes in the midst of writing quickly, I'll even change the Hawaiian word for family, to an Irish surname. "We went to O'hana's for dinner."

 

[Tuvalu]

I am guilty of "Ohanas", however I use it in the possessive tense; Ohana's. Like if I went to dinner at a friend's house. Going to Mark's for dinner. Going to Ohana's. I know - it doesn't make sense but I am trying to correct it. Lol!

Sometimes in the midst of writing quickly, I'll even change the Hawaiian word for family, to an Irish surname. "We went to O'hana's for dinner."

Understand where you’re coming from.....and the Irish version I see all the time.....have to admit that years ago I was guilty of the O’ mistake myself.

 

[Songbird76]

Understand where you’re coming from.....and the Irish version I see all the time.....have to admit that years ago I was guilty of the O’ mistake myself.

I did that at first because I couldn't remember where the apostrophe was supposed to go. Now I know better.

 

[LeighM]

I'm an extremely fast walker too lol. My husband - not so much! When I'm in a crowd like that I'll typically drag him behind me so we don't get separated as he still doesn't know where anything is in the parks

 

[Tuvalu]

Sunday, con’t

Before browsing in Mouse Gear earlier today, a sign in the central plaza caught Em’s eye.

“Oooh, let’s do this!” Em said.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s like the egg hunt that was here last Easter, only it’s ornaments.”
“Okay,” I replied though not exactly sure what I was agreeing to.

I handed over six dollars (after my AP discount) and received this ~

Em put it in her bag and said we’d do our hunting after lunch.

Now that we were finished at Tangierine Cafe it was game on!

We decided to begin at one end of World Showcase....either Canada or Mexico....and play consecutively. Since we were closer to Canada, we chose this as our starting point.

Even in winter the flowers here are simply gorgeous!

We are avid watchers of The Amazing Race. Those teams travel to places we will never see and partake of some fun cultural challenges. While each team is given the same clues, inevitably there are teams who get lost, miss obvious clues and walk around in frustration while other teams easily find what they are looking for and breeze through to the next task.

We were about to embark on our own version of TAR. But where’s Phil to send us off?

The map had no instructions other than “help Chip and Dale find ornaments for their Christmas tree.” Naturally we assumed we would be looking for an ornament in each country, highlighted by Chip and Dale. And remembering that the character Easter eggs had been huge (though not necessarily obvious) we began searching high and low for an oversized chipmunk ornament.

We saw nothing in the gardens area so moved on to the store.

We took our time, scruntinizing every inch inside the store. Once back outside, our eyes thoroughly checked each wreath and garland.

We even walked over to the falls to see if we could find the ornament there.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Forty minutes of our lives gone and we still didn’t know what the heck we were looking for.
I was secretly glad (in the midst of my frustration) that there wasn’t an audience at home mocking us for our ineptitude.

Brilliant daughter had an idea. “Let’s move on to the UK. Maybe we’ll see the ornament there which will reveal to us the size and shape of what we should be looking for in the other countries. Then, by process of elimination, we’ll be able to put the Canada sticker on our map even without actually finding the ornament.”

Cheat?

At this point I was willing to risk the 30 minute penalty.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Sunday, con’t

Before browsing in Mouse Gear earlier today, a sign in the central plaza caught Em’s eye.
View attachment 256883

“Oooh, let’s do this!” Em said.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s like the egg hunt that was here last Easter, only it’s ornaments.”
“Okay,” I replied though not exactly sure what I was agreeing to.

I handed over six dollars (after my AP discount) and received this ~
View attachment 256884

Em put it in her bag and said we’d do our hunting after lunch.

Now that we were finished at Tangierine Cafe it was game on!

We decided to begin at one end of World Showcase....either Canada or Mexico....and play consecutively. Since we were closer to Canada, we chose this as our starting point.
View attachment 256885
Even in winter the flowers here are simply gorgeous!

We are avid watchers of The Amazing Race. Those teams travel to places we will never see and partake of some fun cultural challenges. While each team is given the same clues, inevitably there are teams who get lost, miss obvious clues and walk around in frustration while other teams easily find what they are looking for and breeze through to the next task.

We were about to embark on our own version of TAR. But where’s Phil to send us off?
View attachment 256887

The map had no instructions other than “help Chip and Dale find ornaments for their Christmas tree.” Naturally we assumed we would be looking for an ornament in each country, highlighted by Chip and Dale. And remembering that the character Easter eggs had been huge (though not necessarily obvious) we began searching high and low for an oversized chipmunk ornament.

We saw nothing in the gardens area so moved on to the store.
View attachment 256888

We took our time, scruntinizing every inch inside the store. Once back outside, our eyes thoroughly checked each wreath and garland.

We even walked over to the falls to see if we could find the ornament there.
View attachment 256889

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Forty minutes of our lives gone and we still didn’t know what the heck we were looking for.
I was secretly glad (in the midst of my frustration) that there wasn’t an audience at home mocking us for our ineptitude.

Brilliant daughter had an idea. “Let’s move on to the UK. Maybe we’ll see the ornament there which will reveal to us the size and shape of what we should be looking for in the other countries. Then, by process of elimination, we’ll be able to put the Canada sticker on our map even without actually finding the ornament.”

Cheat?

At this point I was willing to risk the 30 minute penalty.

We googled before we went so we'd know what we were looking for. Even knowing what to expect, it wasn't easy to find ornaments. And a lot of them didn't precisely match their sticker either....

 

[Tuvalu]

Hello, UK. Please be kind to us. Canada wouldn’t give up her secret.

We began by checking all the lamp posts with garland. Glanced over the outdoor wreaths. Looked up high; looked down low.

What should have been a fun activity was becoming a chore.

One more reason I will never be a contestant on The Amazing Race.

Em is blessed with patience (an important teacher quality!) She ventured into one of the shops and shortly discovered this:

Chip and Dale IN a wreath! Holding an English cracker. That’s one of the stickers! Way to go, Em!

Moving on to France with some confidence. Thought we should check out the giant ornaments here in case a chipmunk was hiding out.

Did not see Chip nor Dale, but we made sure to inspect every outdoor wreath we came upon.

Turns out the one we wanted was in one of the stores.

Only Dale this time. But we could place another sticker on our map!

 

[Tuvalu]

Two countries and two chipmunk wreaths. We could now save ourselves the arduous task of searching every holiday decoration and focus only on wreaths.

In the outdoor market of Morocco:

Hiya, Chip!

(You do know how to tell the difference between Chip and Dale, don’t you?)

In Japan we hit the department store first. We had not been inside since the refurbishment. This place is huge.

We stopped wreath hunting to peruse the unique merchandise. I thought these were adorable and should have bought one for Tuvalette.

Without even trying we spied the next wreath.

It was becoming easier now!

 

[wdwfamilynh]

Their noses

 

[krause]

You do know how to tell the difference between Chip and Dale, don’t you?)

@wdwfamilynh beat me to it but I’ll add on - Chip has a black nose like a chocolate chip!