Trip Report **COMPLETED** A Grand Christmas Trip (in November!)

Hey all! We have been back for about a week now so I will slowly work on my Trip Report :) Not sure if anyone even knew I went on this trip aside from people who follow me on IG and snapchat :joyfull:

Who?
Who else...my Mom (Mary) and I (Megan)
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When?
November 16-19

Where?
The Grand Floridian :) First time stay for us....and won't be the last! We fell in love! :inlove:
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Why?
We wanted to see the Christmas decorations...and well, why not?

T-1 Day November 15, 2017
We had a very early morning flight so instead of making my Dad get up early to drive us we planned on staying at a hotel across the street from the airport the night before. For some reason this plan continued to morph and we decided we should eat at the Cracker Barrel before going to the hotel. I have no idea why but it felt like a thing people do before Disney trips and we had never been before so why not?
So, after a busy day at work I headed to my parents house and we packed up the car and drove off to dinner.
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My Mom and I both got the Southern Chicken biscuits
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We both got Mac and Cheese and she got fries while I got hashbrown casserole (which had a bit too much onion for my taste).
My Dad got the chicken fried chicken (with mashed potatoes and hashbrown casserole) just because it seemed like a thing people eat in the South/at Cracker Barrel. I don't know...we are very Northern :)
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Yum!!! I have no idea why it took us so long to eat at Cracker Barrel but we really enjoyed it! It was way too much food though, my Mom and I should have shared. My Dad ate the rest of it over 2 meals the next day :joyfull:
Is it a visit to Cracker Barrel without a rocking chair picture?
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Anyway, after dinner my Dad drove us to the hotel and dropped us off. The worker was like "where are you visiting from?!" and we sheepishly said we were from here and just staying over for an early flight :p
We dropped our stuff off in our room and headed to the bar for a drink but it was full of business men who were sitting every other seat and we didn't feel like asking someone to move over or having to make awkward/polite small talk so we went back to the room. :p I talk to people all day long...sometimes I just don't want to talk anymore!
This is the only picture I have of the room because I thought it was funny that the phone was extra old :)
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We watched some TV then went off to bed early.....only we didn't. We were on the first floor and could hear everything outside including cars parking, backing up beeping, etc etc. :banghead:

Day 1 November 16, 2017
After a very eventful night of minimal sleep we both got up around 3:30 to get ready. We have an early flight coming up in a few months and we, after some discussion, decided it was not worth staying at the hotel the night before again. Too hard to sleep. If I am going to have to get up early I would rather it be from my own bed (because yes I still have a bed at my parents house...because I'm the baby child aka the most important :joyfull:) :hilarious:
I know you guys think these pictures are weird but its our tradition!
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Next up: flight time
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Hey all! We have been back for about a week now so I will slowly work on my Trip Report :) Not sure if anyone even knew I went on this trip aside from people who follow me on IG and snapchat :joyfull:

Who?
Who else...my Mom (Mary) and I (Megan)
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When?
November 16-19

Where?
The Grand Floridian :) First time stay for us....and won't be the last! We fell in love! :inlove:
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Why?
We wanted to see the Christmas decorations...and well, why not?

T-1 Day November 15, 2017
We had a very early morning flight so instead of making my Dad get up early to drive us we planned on staying at a hotel across the street from the airport the night before. For some reason this plan continued to morph and we decided we should eat at the Cracker Barrel before going to the hotel. I have no idea why but it felt like a thing people do before Disney trips and we had never been before so why not?
So, after a busy day at work I headed to my parents house and we packed up the car and drove off to dinner.
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My Mom and I both got the Southern Chicken biscuits
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We both got Mac and Cheese and she got fries while I got hashbrown casserole (which had a bit too much onion for my taste).
My Dad got the chicken fried chicken (with mashed potatoes and hashbrown casserole) just because it seemed like a thing people eat in the South/at Cracker Barrel. I don't know...we are very Northern :)
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Yum!!! I have no idea why it took us so long to eat at Cracker Barrel but we really enjoyed it! It was way too much food though, my Mom and I should have shared. My Dad ate the rest of it over 2 meals the next day :joyfull:
Is it a visit to Cracker Barrel without a rocking chair picture?
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Anyway, after dinner my Dad drove us to the hotel and dropped us off. The worker was like "where are you visiting from?!" and we sheepishly said we were from here and just staying over for an early flight :p
We dropped our stuff off in our room and headed to the bar for a drink but it was full of business men who were sitting every other seat and we didn't feel like asking someone to move over or having to make awkward/polite small talk so we went back to the room. :p I talk to people all day long...sometimes I just don't want to talk anymore!
This is the only picture I have of the room because I thought it was funny that the phone was extra old :)
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We watched some TV then went off to bed early.....only we didn't. We were on the first floor and could hear everything outside including cars parking, backing up beeping, etc etc. :banghead:

Day 1 November 16, 2017
After a very eventful night of minimal sleep we both got up around 3:30 to get ready. We have an early flight coming up in a few months and we, after some discussion, decided it was not worth staying at the hotel the night before again. Too hard to sleep. If I am going to have to get up early I would rather it be from my own bed (because yes I still have a bed at my parents house...because I'm the baby child aka the most important :joyfull:) :hilarious:
I know you guys think these pictures are weird but its our tradition!
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Next up: flight time

I don’t know how I missed this report!!!.. catching up now. We were at the parks on the 17th.

Merry Christmas!
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Day 1 continued
Some Photopass pictures
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We had a FP for Winnie the Pooh so we headed there first. I wrote down that it was a long FP wait ...so I guess it was a long FP wait :p
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I picked up another FP for Ariel so we headed there next
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My sister Facetimed while we were on the ride so I answered so that my nephew could see the ride and he had the biggest smile on his face! I can't wait until his next trip!
Apparently we went on the teacups next...
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Finally we headed over to check into dinner at.... Be Our Guest!!!
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Why, Megan, didn't you guys say you were over Be Our Guest for awhile? Yes, yes we did. But, we remembered how lovely it is inside during Christmas time and really wanted to go there. Thank you Touring Plans because I got this reservation the Tuesday before we left :)

Next up: Be Our Guest

I love your dress!.. and your mom’s too!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I don’t know how I missed this report!!!.. catching up now. We were at the parks on the 17th.

Merry Christmas!

Oh you were? I read your report but didn't put the dates together I don't think! Merry Christmas to you guys as well :)

I love your dress!.. and your mom’s too!

Thank you ! I am not a fan of how it photographed but thats OK :)

No. Just no. I love football, but not that much. ;)

Honestly it didn't start snowing until like an hour before the game (and we had already been tailgating). Not sure if I would have dragged myself there had I not already been there :joyfull:
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Oh you were? I read your report but didn't put the dates together I don't think! Merry Christmas to you guys as well :)



Thank you ! I am not a fan of how it photographed but thats OK :)



Honestly it didn't start snowing until like an hour before the game (and we had already been tailgating). Not sure if I would have dragged myself there had I not already been there :joyfull:

I think the dress looks great in the photos!

I can’t remember the year.. sometime mid 2000s.. I was visiting Cincinnati over Christmas.. went to a Bengals/Steelers game the day of New Years Eve. It was soooooo cold. Beyond freezing.. even worse that I had been visiting from SoFla so anything felt cold to me.. but here’s how I know that I wasn’t imagining the brutality of the weather- I ordered a bottle of beer (which I rarely drink) the beer froze solid before the end of the 1st quarter.
It was hell.
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think the dress looks great in the photos!

I can’t remember the year.. sometime mid 2000s.. I was visiting Cincinnati over Christmas.. went to a Bengals/Steelers game the day of New Years Eve. It was soooooo cold. Beyond freezing.. even worse that I had been visiting from SoFla so anything felt cold to me.. but here’s how I know that I wasn’t imagining the brutality of the weather- I ordered a bottle of beer (which I rarely drink) the beer froze solid before the end of the 1st quarter.
It was hell.

OMG that is freezing!! Surprisingly my snowy game wasn't super cold, but the game the week after was frigid. Nothing a few layers can't fix
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3 continued
After the Jungle Cruise we headed out of the park and to the boats!
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We weren't heading to the Grand Floridian but instead to the Wilderness Lodge!
Hello new cabins
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Stunning lobby as usual :)
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Unfortunately the purpose of our visit was to see the Christmas tree....
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Yep, no tree. I guess I don't know why I thought the tree would even be up since the GF tree wasn't but I was SO bummed. Everyone always talks about how beautiful it is and I am so disappointed we missed it. Oh well, always a reason to go back :)
We did check out the new Roaring Fork which looked nice...especially the outside seating area. We headed back to the MK via the boat then to the GF via boat...it was a very boat filled day I guess!
After some pool time and packing :cry: we got ready for the evening....in our matching shirts....from the Christmas party :)
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We decided to complete a Disney bucket list item (for us) and order a Minnie Van to take us to our destination so we went down to the front desk so they could help us set it up. Our CM helping us was so awesome and nice! His name was Tommy and I think he may have been earning his ears but he was such a delight!
Soon enough we were outside waiting for our Minnie Van
Stalker like picture of Richard who I wanted to meet but there was a couple taking up all his time (they must stay at the GF a lot based on their conversation with him)
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Next up: Minnie Van!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3 continued
And now some more pictures of me :joyfull:
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Dreams...
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We didn't have a very long wait before our Minnie Van arrived! Eeeek ! It was so cute!
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Our driver's name was Marisol! She was awesome. We asked tons of questions about her history with the company and she was willing to answer everything. The ride almost seemed too short because very quickly we got to...Hollywooooooddddd
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Color me obsessed with the Hollywood Studios Christmas decorations. They were so cool and right up my alley! Loved the old school theme.
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We stopped for quite a few PP pictures
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Next up: more random pictures
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Day 2 continued
Back in our home, the quiet pool, we decided to get our own drinks instead of waiting for the waitress.
My Mom got a Pina Colava (@blgauger)
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And I got the Blueberry Lemonade
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Views
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I love that when you are spending downtime at your resort it doesn't feel like you are even at Disney sometimes. It is such a nice break from the chaos! This particular pool made it feel like we were in a whole different part of Florida.
I then turned into a basic girl and made my Mom take this picture of me at the pool for my IG :hilarious:
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Anyway, after some nice down time we headed back to the room to get ready for the Christmas Party.
**Warning - a million pictures of just us ahead**
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Next up: more photos of ...us

I love every single thing about every bit of this post!!!

I tried to get Tristan to take an IG photo of me in Belize. Unfortunately he is a great fan of zoom. Didn’t quite make it onto social media. Ha ha.
Your pose and photo is perfect. :)

Most of all.. I absolutely adore the matching outfits!!! Looks like such a fun trip!
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Day 2 continued
Some entrance decor
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I really love the new entrances to the party! They feel less chaotic and I like how you can get your photos done with right away (and how you get a treat right away too!)
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Anyway we did indeed have a FP so headed over towards Dumbo
My Mom got the red card!
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Next up: more party

I keep seeing so many people with photos of the frame and ornament.. we couldn’t find them :(
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love every single thing about every bit of this post!!!

I tried to get Tristan to take an IG photo of me in Belize. Unfortunately he is a great fan of zoom. Didn’t quite make it onto social media. Ha ha.
Your pose and photo is perfect. :)

Most of all.. I absolutely adore the matching outfits!!! Looks like such a fun trip!

Thank you!! We sadly always wear matching outfits and only half the time its on purpose :joyfull: My Mom is also a great fan of zoom....it took like 10 takes the get the picture I wanted :p

I keep seeing so many people with photos of the frame and ornament.. we couldn’t find them :(

They were on the side entrance. If you went to the party after the park already closed you may have just gone down Main Street and missed the actual entrance to the party
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3 continued
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Whoever thought to put the tree in the water is brilliant. It looked beautiful! Pictures do not do it justice!
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One last random decoration picture
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We had wandered around enough that it was time for our dinner reservation.
For several years multiple people have told us to try the Hollywood Brown Derby. We never did because the menu (and honestly the prices) didn't appeal to us. But, when we couldn't find a dinner reservation anywhere else we finally decided to book it and try it.
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We were very nervous because from the get go we didn't feel like we belonged inside (thanks to the CM that checked us in that seemed not too keen on us). I especially felt weird that I was wearing jeans even though everyone else was dressed casually as well.
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The restaurant is actually really cool inside. We were seated at a nice table for 2 along the side
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Next up: more Brown Derby
 
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Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3 continued
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We had quite a bit of a wait for our waitress to come over and the slow service would continue throughout the entire meal. Finally she came to our table (despite being at like everyone else tables several times before us) and we placed our order all at once. We decided to each get a salad and split an entree. The waitress was NOT thrilled that we were sharing :cautious:. Like my Mom said although its nice that we save money when we share we don't do it it for that reason...we do it because otherwise its a waste of food for us!
We did eventually get some bread
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It came with bone marrow butter that I had all to myself because it grossed my Mom out...it was delicious!
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For salads my Mom ordered the local greens salad with Champagne vinaigrette
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This was yummy!
I ordered the Cobb salad because it felt like the thing to do. I wasn't originally going to because I was worried I wouldn't like all the things combined together and I was worried the turkey and egg would gross me out (I'm a weird eater). However, I am SO glad I ordered this!!! It was soooooooo good!!!!! I could have eaten all of it but needed to save room for dinner!
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My Mom tried some of it and liked it too!
For an entree we split the charred filet of beef...only they essentially threw it down at us without asking if we needed anything and we did indeed need a fork and knife....to cut our steak....and eat our food (they took the utensils with the salads) :oops: We waited quite a bit and our waitress never showed up so my Mom literally chased down a hostess to ask for silverware who was put out because thats not her job :banghead:
Although it was fairly cold by the time we ate it it was still delicious!
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So overall food at the Hollywood Brown Derby A+ Service F
We will be back but aside from maybe the lounge I don't think we will go back anytime soon.
After dinner we walked around the front of the park some more, Facetimed my sister and took some random pictures. We considered waiting in line for a PP picture of the tree but the line was insane and we had places to be so we took our own pictures (with a nice speaker appearance :joyfull:)
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Next Up: it's a party!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Thank you!! We sadly always wear matching outfits and only half the time its on purpose :joyfull:
My DD loves to match outfits with me. But she's only 11, so that could change. She really wants to do a mother daughter trip someday like you and your mom and @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 . She also wants to be rich so that we can stay at the Poly. I think it's cute that you and your mom match.
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My DD loves to match outfits with me. But she's only 11, so that could change. She really wants to do a mother daughter trip someday like you and your mom and @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 . She also wants to be rich so that we can stay at the Poly. I think it's cute that you and your mom match.

Aww mother daughter trips are the best! Sometimes we accidentally match at home too bc we now own a lot of the same things :joyfull:
 

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