Trip Report COMPLETED Once Upon a Christmas Time...A Very Merry Trip Report

krisri18 · Jan 18, 2018

Kudos to you for wearing the pixie dust in your hair! I bet your girls thought it was great!

Matt and Kelly · Jan 18, 2018

krisri18 said:
Kudos to you for wearing the pixie dust in your hair! I bet your girls thought it was great!

If it weren't for them, and Susan suggesting it I guess, there's no chance I would have requested that myself! All in good fun though...Ella and Lennon thought it was hilarious.

Matt and Kelly · Jan 23, 2018

Ok finally back at it again. But before I dive into our next day in Disney...LET'S GO PATS!!!!!!!

l

Alright, that's outta the system for now. Let's get back to it.

December 10 - EPCOT

Even after a late night at MK and a very suspect cheesesteak before bed, I was up and at it a little after 7 am as we prepared for a day at EPCOT. Since we were literally only a 5-minute walk from the World Showcase entrance and with the park not opening until 9, I decided to go for a jog around the Boardwalk. It was gloriously sunny but a tad windy and pretty chilly. Still, a pretty perfect morning to go for a rip.

I wasn't the only one out on the trail, did the old head nod to a number of different joggers as I made my way around the loop a couple times. From door to door after two loops it was exactly 3KM. Really nice start to the morning and I was feeling no ill effects of the "cheesesteak"! I returned to meet the girls eating their breakfast so I joined them in a bowl of fruity pebbles before getting ready for the park.

Before long we were ready to go and make the quick trip over the bridge towards the EPCOT entrance.

IMG_1490 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We flew through security and ended up waiting about 10 or 15 minutes just outside of England for the park to open. Beautiful sunshine soaked the World Showcase.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The plan before the rope dropped was to head over towards Test Track and grab a return time before making it over to the new and improved Mission:Space for our first FP+ of the morning. Along the way, with no crowds in sight, we enjoyed some of the holiday decoration throughout the park.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After a leisurely stroll, we arrived at Test Track. Standby was already up around 30 minutes so Kelly asked the cast member for a return time before we reported for our mission.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We were told to come back in 25 minutes and we were good to go! Off to MS we went. Kelly and I have not been on this ride in the last three trips we've taken to WDW and while it's definitely not one of her favourites, I was looking forward to taking a spin. This was the first space experience for the girls as well and they weren't overly sure what to expect. Ella seemed ready for it but Lennon was a little hesitant. We forged ahead towards the green side.

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We were the only people in the green queue so it didn't take long for us to be next for launch. Only thing I really noticed in the pre-show was the absence of Gary Sinise. At any rate, we went through our briefing, received our crew assignments and loaded our ship.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The excitement they started with didn't last throughout the ride, well at least with Lennon. Ella took her role seriously and enjoyed the ride but Lennon was freaked out by the confined space and didn't seem to enjoy it all that much. Green is definitely nowhere near as intense as Orange, which I missed, but it was fund to get back on the ride. Even if it would be the only time we completed the mission, at least we did it once.

We left the ride and the excitement returned as we made the short walk back to Test Track for our return time. Both girls were pumped to for a little speed. Ella and I designed a car together while Kelly and Lennon designed their set of wheels. We felt pretty good that our model would come out on top after all the testing was completed.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23HXrz2]

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We made our way through the rest of the queue and hopped in our ride vehicle. Still really enjoy the updates to the ride compared to the original version. Ella is a huge fan of Radiator Springs Racers in Disneyland so she was happy to have a close equivalent to ride here is WDW. The open road speed test seemed even faster than I remember from the 2016 trip. Maybe because it was still earlier and we weren't quite fully awake yet. So much fun! Even the single rider we were paid with seemed to enjoy how much Lennon was digging the ride.

EPCOT_DPIRIDESYSGMTT_20171210_8140731663 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

As we left Test Track the girls really wanted to ride Nemo again. This ride has become the EPCOT version of Dumbo, one they can ride over and over and over for whatever reason. That was fine by us, we planned to spend most of the day at EPCOT so we figured we might as well get it done right off the bat. Here we come, big blue!

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After the ride, we hung around the seas to check out some of the aquariums. With as many WDW trips as we've made in our time, we have never actually looked at the second floor of the building. I had no idea how much was around up there. So naive on my part. It was really cool to see the manatees, dolphins, sharks and other sea creatures swimming around.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Before moving on to our next stop we continued our theme of doing something that we've never done before. Kelly had put a little research into the World Showcase passports for kids to get stamped at each pavilion, again something I didn't even know about, and since most of our pavilion experience in the past has either been checking in at a specific restaurant or grabbing a drink at a kiosk, we've never really spent a ton of time looking around. We figured this was a great way to do that so before heading back towards the World Showcase we made sure to pick up passports for the girls.

First stop was Mexico. We entered into the ruins and took our very first look around. The KidCot spot was just as we entered the building and as the kids met with the CM to stamp their passport, I took some time to look around at the Coco exhibit that was currently on display. At the time I had not seen the movie (I have since and it was fantastic) so I wasn't exactly sure how it related to the film but it was pretty cool nonetheless.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Once the kids were done we walked deeper into the pavilion. I was truly blown away by the Mexican market. I was kicking myself for never taking the time to actually look around these places during previous trips.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

There was no line at all for the Grand Fiesta Tour so we jumped in line to ride it for the first time. Again, not having been on it before I had no clue what it was about but we all really enjoyed the ride. It was super cool and I'm definitely all for anything Donald is incorporated into! I read somewhere that there may be initial discussions around a Coco overlay to this ride similar to what was done with Frozen. Not sure if that has legs or not but if so, I'm glad we had the chance to experience this ride as we were missing out not having done it before.

The morning was well underway and we had plenty left to enjoy. Norway was next on our tour which meant some quality time in Arendelle!

fractal · Jan 24, 2018

Matty30 said:
Ok finally back at it again. But before I dive into our next day in Disney...LET'S GO PATS!!!!!!!
l

Alright, that's outta the system for now. Let's get back to it.

December 10 - EPCOT

Even after a late night at MK and a very suspect cheesesteak before bed, I was up and at it a little after 7 am as we prepared for a day at EPCOT. Since we were literally only a 5-minute walk from the World Showcase entrance and with the park not opening until 9, I decided to go for a jog around the Boardwalk. It was gloriously sunny but a tad windy and pretty chilly. Still, a pretty perfect morning to go for a rip.

I wasn't the only one out on the trail, did the old head nod to a number of different joggers as I made my way around the loop a couple times. From door to door after two loops it was exactly 3KM. Really nice start to the morning and I was feeling no ill effects of the "cheesesteak"! I returned to meet the girls eating their breakfast so I joined them in a bowl of fruity pebbles before getting ready for the park.

Before long we were ready to go and make the quick trip over the bridge towards the EPCOT entrance.
IMG_1490 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We flew through security and ended up waiting about 10 or 15 minutes just outside of England for the park to open. Beautiful sunshine soaked the World Showcase.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The plan before the rope dropped was to head over towards Test Track and grab a return time before making it over to the new and improved Mission:Space for our first FP+ of the morning. Along the way, with no crowds in sight, we enjoyed some of the holiday decoration throughout the park.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After a leisurely stroll, we arrived at Test Track. Standby was already up around 30 minutes so Kelly asked the cast member for a return time before we reported for our mission.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We were told to come back in 25 minutes and we were good to go! Off to MS we went. Kelly and I have not been on this ride in the last three trips we've taken to WDW and while it's definitely not one of her favourites, I was looking forward to taking a spin. This was the first space experience for the girls as well and they weren't overly sure what to expect. Ella seemed ready for it but Lennon was a little hesitant. We forged ahead towards the green side.
Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We were the only people in the green queue so it didn't take long for us to be next for launch. Only thing I really noticed in the pre-show was the absence of Gary Sinise. At any rate, we went through our briefing, received our crew assignments and loaded our ship.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The excitement they started with didn't last throughout the ride, well at least with Lennon. Ella took her role seriously and enjoyed the ride but Lennon was freaked out by the confined space and didn't seem to enjoy it all that much. Green is definitely nowhere near as intense as Orange, which I missed, but it was fund to get back on the ride. Even if it would be the only time we completed the mission, at least we did it once.

We left the ride and the excitement returned as we made the short walk back to Test Track for our return time. Both girls were pumped to for a little speed. Ella and I designed a car together while Kelly and Lennon designed their set of wheels. We felt pretty good that our model would come out on top after all the testing was completed.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We made our way through the rest of the queue and hopped in our ride vehicle. Still really enjoy the updates to the ride compared to the original version. Ella is a huge fan of Radiator Springs Racers in Disneyland so she was happy to have a close equivalent to ride here is WDW. The open road speed test seemed even faster than I remember from the 2016 trip. Maybe because it was still earlier and we weren't quite fully awake yet. So much fun! Even the single rider we were paid with seemed to enjoy how much Lennon was digging the ride.

EPCOT_DPIRIDESYSGMTT_20171210_8140731663 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

As we left Test Track the girls really wanted to ride Nemo again. This ride has become the EPCOT version of Dumbo, one they can ride over and over and over for whatever reason. That was fine by us, we planned to spend most of the day at EPCOT so we figured we might as well get it done right off the bat. Here we come, big blue!

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After the ride, we hung around the seas to check out some of the aquariums. With as many WDW trips as we've made in our time, we have never actually looked at the second floor of the building. I had no idea how much was around up there. So naive on my part. It was really cool to see the manatees, dolphins, sharks and other sea creatures swimming around.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Before moving on to our next stop we continued our theme of doing something that we've never done before. Kelly had put a little research into the World Showcase passports for kids to get stamped at each pavilion, again something I didn't even know about, and since most of our pavilion experience in the past has either been checking in at a specific restaurant or grabbing a drink at a kiosk, we've never really spent a ton of time looking around. We figured this was a great way to do that so before heading back towards the World Showcase we made sure to pick up passports for the girls.

First stop was Mexico. We entered into the ruins and took our very first look around. The KidCot spot was just as we entered the building and as the kids met with the CM to stamp their passport, I took some time to look around at the Coco exhibit that was currently on display. At the time I had not seen the movie (I have since and it was fantastic) so I wasn't exactly sure how it related to the film but it was pretty cool nonetheless.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Once the kids were done we walked deeper into the pavilion. I was truly blown away by the Mexican market. I was kicking myself for never taking the time to actually look around these places during previous trips.
Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

There was no line at all for the Grand Fiesta Tour so we jumped in line to ride it for the first time. Again, not having been on it before I had no clue what it was about but we all really enjoyed the ride. It was super cool and I'm definitely all for anything Donald is incorporated into! I read somewhere that there may be initial discussions around a Coco overlay to this ride similar to what was done with Frozen. Not sure if that has legs or not but if so, I'm glad we had the chance to experience this ride as we were missing out not having done it before.

The morning was well underway and we had plenty left to enjoy. Norway was next on our tour which meant some quality time in Arendelle!

As an EAGLES fan I cannot "like" this post, however I'm glad you went upstairs in The SEAS - We never spend enough time there on our trips.

Matt and Kelly · Jan 24, 2018

fractal said:
As an EAGLES fan I cannot "like" this post, however I'm glad you went upstairs in The SEAS - We never spend enough time there on our trips.

Congrats to your Eagles! I'm hoping the game turns out very much like the last Super Bowl these teams played.

As for the Seas, now that we've actually seen what else is around in that area, there's no doubt we will spend more time there next trip. Very cool set up.

Matt and Kelly · Jan 24, 2018

With a Frozen FP+ approaching, we made our way to Norway to see if we might be able to meet Elsa and Anna before jumping on the ride. Surprisingly the wait time for the sisters was relatively short, only about 30 minutes, so we decided to park the stroller and head into the queue.

I know we walked through this queue during our last trip but I didn't remember any of the detail throughout the line which was quite well done. Much of it kept the girls' attention while we slowly moved throughout the line.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FzXBBE]

IMG_1498 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FzXAwo]

IMG_1500 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL] [url=https://flic.kr/p/23F3GVw]

IMG_1499 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Wait time was pretty true to form and after about 30 minutes we were next in line to meet Elsa and Anna. Kelly was most excited to find out what they might say about her autograph books! To her delight, they were very complimentary. All the time she took preparing them before the trip was definitely worth it. I may have taken a jab or two at her along the way about how I thought there’d be no way she’d get them done, but she did it and did a great job.

The girls were pretty stoked to meet the Royals
[url=https://flic.kr/p/E4Pp4B]

EPCOT_FROZENCHARC1_20171210_407040874568 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/E4PpbR]

EPCOT_FROZENCHARC1_20171210_407040874570 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23HVeyx]

EPCOT_FROZENCHARC2_20171210_407040876376 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23HVf6z]

EPCOT_FROZENCHARC2_20171210_407040876381 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We waved goodbye and said thank you to them both before carrying on. A quick photo with the girls before making our way to Frozen Ever After.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23F3HJ5]

IMG_1497 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Then it was ride time
[url=https://flic.kr/p/JM1Fze]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We have yet to go through the standby line for this ride but we’re always impressed with how quickly the FP line moves. The girls love this ride and so do we but both Kelly and I were a tad critical of how this ride just felt like it was slapped together as quickly as possible without the true Disney “touch” that was clearly evident in a place like Pandora. The blank walls on have the ride felt extremely out of place and while there are some cool show scenes with great detail, other parts seemed lacking. Still an enjoyable ride but could be better. Nonetheless, the backward portion and the drop are fun and makes this a must ride for Ella and Lennon.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23HV2Yt]

EPCOT_FROZENRIDE_20171210_8140800591 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After Frozen we continued to roll through the World Showcase stopping in at a few of the pavilions for the Passport stamps and for some refreshments here and there. While not part of the Dining Plan, a beer and giant pretzel was definitely on my must-have list leading into the trip. It didn’t disappoint.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23HVAot]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Again, such great placement of the holiday decorations throughout the parks.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22Da8n7]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Kelly was getting hungry and she had put a lot of research into QS options around World Showcase. Tops on her list was the Croque Monsieur from Les Halles Boulangerie with a Macron for dessert. It looked darn tasty and she was very pleased we made our way through France to find it.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21AkZc3]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The girls weren’t too hungry yet but the plan for them was to head back to the hotel for lunch in the room and some pool time. Before we did that we made our way to the Land for a quick pick me up before jumping on Living with the Land for our final FP+ of the day.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22mt8Rk]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Certainly not the most thrilling ride or anything like that but Living with the Land is very cool to see how Disney is using these resources to feed folks around the parks and develop some healthier, sustainable food and plant sources that are homegrown.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2jpEe]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23F4FeJ]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FBPH]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

From there we were ready to head back and relax for a bit after a busy morning. We walked back towards the World Showcase exit to head back to the BC. Kelly and I decided to stop for a quick PhotoPass picture. Likely the closest we will ever come to the Eiffel Tower.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FzY7XJ]

EPCOT_IGFRLOWBRIDGEICON_20171210_407042886568 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We made the quick walk back to the room and got the girls some lunch. Uncrustable PB and J sandwiches, some fruit and yogurt. They wanted to make the trip down to the marketplace alone to fill up their resort mugs because, of course they did. I let them get a head start without me but I quickly followed to ensure they were safe and able to actually get their mugs filled to bring down to the pool with us. Admittedly, I used my mug to conceal a tasty Blue Moon.

We went back to the room to change before heading down to the DVC pool. It was still quite chilly so the pool was all ours. Kelly stayed back in the room to rest so it was just me and the kids. I settled into the hot tub, as did they for a bit until they decided to teach each other swimming lessons in the shallow end of the pool.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FBpp]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22CdVdJ]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Not a bad way to relax in the afternoon.

Matt and Kelly · Jan 26, 2018

After enjoying a nice soak while the kids somehow managed to really enjoy themselves in the pool, even with the chilly temps, we made our way back to the room to get ready for the evening. Originally we had plans to eat dinner at Ohana before the Christmas party we were to attend later in the trip but since we really didn’t want to miss much of the party we had to cancel the reservation.

I was crushed as it Ohana became an instant favourite after our first visit in 2016 and I was very much looking forward to that great spread again. It looked as if we’d have to give it up this trip but just before we left on the trip we put in a request on Touring Plans and we ended up securing a new dinner reservation for December 10th. I was jacked!

Now out of the pool, showered and ready for some good eats, we left the hotel around 4 to walk through Epcot and grab the monorail back to the TTC for our 515 reservation. We ended up making a quick stop in MouseGears to do a little shopping. We all seemed to find something we liked but one thing that caught my eye was this Mickey themed ugly Christmas sweater. Sadly they didn’t have my size so finding that sweater, hopefully in time for the Christmas Party, became my goal over the next few days.

Alas, we made our way to the monorail, hopped aboard and before long we were walking towards the Great Ceremonial House to check in at Ohana. The lobby was packed full of parties waiting for their tables. We checked in and were handed a beeper. We decided to kill a little time by exploring the gift shop and taking a few photos.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21A1y95]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/HJaDF2]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Surprisingly we only waited about 5 or 10 minutes before the beeper buzzed and we were escorted to our table. With the sun setting the view we had was pretty spectacular. Hard to see it but we were overlooking Seven Seas and the Magic Kingdom.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FwXt]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We all admired the great view, which got even better as it grew darker and the castle started lighting up, but now it was time for the true main event…the food! Kelly and I were very much looking forward to all the menu items that come along with the family style meal but the girls opted for mac and cheese instead. Good decision by them, which left even more for us!

The pineapple coconut bread and the mixed green salad to start were on point. So much so that Kelly was inspired to find the recipe for the salad dressing for our own use at home. She recently made it and it was just as good as what we had in the restaurant…nice work, babe!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22CdJ9E]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21AkV7j]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The noodles, veggies, pork dumplings and wings were next. Kelly skipped over the veggies, which is no surprise, but I decided a few greens wouldn’t be a bad thing. The wings might be the best thing in the entire meal but the rest was just as terrific.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21k8GSK]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Then came the meat. Kelly is not a seafood eater so she passed on the shrimp and stuck to the chicken and the steak. I sampled it all. We both agreed the steak was hands down the best meat choice. So juicy and flavourful. The chicken was very tasty, as was the shrimp, but the steak was the big winner.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/HJaxSZ]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we were stuffing our faces the girls ended up participating in the coconut races around the restaurant which they really seemed to enjoy. Places like this and Whispering Canyon that really go out of their way to include the kids in something memorable just add to what was already a great dining experience.

When they were finished having a little extra fun, they arrived back at the table just in time for dessert. Mini rice krispie treats for them and the unreal banana caramel bread pudding for us. At this point we were so full but there was no way we could resist at least a taste. That taste turned into a few more bites all while saying “last one”. Wouldn’t you know it, “last one” didn’t actually happen until the plate was empty. Poor self-control or not, I regret nothing.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FvG2]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

It took us a little while to pick ourselves up and start moving on with the rest of our night but eventually, we peeled ourselves off the chairs and made our way out of the restuarant.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FBkr]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We walked back towards the TTC and another monorail trip back to Epcot to finish off our day. I loved walking through the grounds of the Poly. Brought back many great memories of our stay there during the last trip.

After a quick ride back we scanned our bands and were back inside the park. A prime PhotoPass opportunity awaited us as we arrived and Kelly was not going to let us pass it up.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22mvppk]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22mvpnM]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After we finished up with the pictures we made the short walk to jump in line at Spaceship Earth. For whatever reason this is another ride the girls love. I think it’s cool but I’m pretty sure Kelly could take it or leave it. Standby wasn’t crazy, maybe 15 minutes but it was still windy and cool which made it seem longer. It was nice to warm up on the ride though and that smell of Rome burning made it seem even toastier.

After SSE it was back towards the Seas to once more ride Nemo. Ella really wanted to ride Soarin’, though Lenny did not. She was not happy that too many scenes would scare her, like the whale jumping out of the water or a bird flying close to the screen. She now found the ride too intense for some reason…drama queen!

I ran into the Land quickly to grab a return time for Ella while the girls waited for me at Nemo.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21jWeFn]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We met up and dove in once more. This now being our third trip into the big blue world, I couldn’t help but realize that Mr. Ray is terribly irresponsible. Even when the kids bring up that Nemo isn’t there yet he has no issues brushing it off by saying something to the effect of “bah…he’ll catch up eventually”.

After the ride Kelly and Lennon were going to go to Turtle Talk while Ella and I went back to Soarin. We planned to meet up with them at some point afterward and figure out what’s next. Ella was pumped to ride. She really wanted to sit in the front row and she was more than willing to speak up to the CM and ask when we reached the loading area. She’s very persuasive as that’s exactly where we ended up. The new version of Soarin’ Around the World is pretty great but I still miss the old version, mostly because I loved the score that went along with it. Can’t really complain either way though.

When we were done Kelly and Len were waiting outside for us and the kids wanted to check out Figment before calling it a night. Sadly, when we arrived we found the attraction was closed so I guess our night was ending just a little earlier than we thought. We hoofed it back towards World Showcase to head towards the exit. We spent a little extra time looking around Canada and snapping a few pics.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21AkV4d]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22EU31a]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We sauntered through the park exit, back to our hotel and settled in for the night. With the girls down in their bed, Kelly and I turned on the TV to find Christmas Vacation only about 15 minutes in. It’s an annual tradition for us to watch that movie during the holidays and it was made even better by doing so in Disney!

The next day we were starting our morning with breakfast at Cape May followed by our first visit to Hollywood Studios!

fractal · Jan 29, 2018

You got a great table at Ohana!

Glad you could keep your "Christmas Vacation" tradition going.

MeeskaMooska0714 · Jan 30, 2018

Ohana was on my list to do this trip, but unfortunately, we couldn't find a reservation that fit into our plans (even with the help of Touring Plans).
I agree about Soarin'....I miss the old version!

Matt and Kelly · Jan 30, 2018

fractal said:
You got a great table at Ohana!

Glad you could keep your "Christmas Vacation" tradition going.

It seemed we had a trend of getting pretty lucky with many things on this trip. the table included! I'm glad we had the chance to keep the tradition alive. When we returned home it felt like such a blur from the 17th through the 25th that we likely wouldn't have had a chance to watch it. Can't pass up a good old-fashioned Griswold Family Christmas!

MeeskaMooska0714 said:
Ohana was on my list to do this trip, but unfortunately, we couldn't find a reservation that fit into our plans (even with the help of Touring Plans).
I agree about Soarin'....I miss the old version!

I was so bummed about potentially missing out on it. We didn't even know about touring plans until the suggestion came from @blgauger (thanks so much, by the way). We got fortunate to find an alternate reservation. Sorry to hear you weren't as fortunate.

I'm glad I'm not alone in missing the old version!

Matt and Kelly · Jan 30, 2018

December 11 – Hollywood Studios and an Evening in Pandora

As is pretty much the custom for us on any Disney visit, sleep is a little more limited and morning alarms tend to come very quickly. Today pretty much stuck to that script as we were up early for breakfast reservations at Cape May Café.

This was another new dining experience for us and it hit two important categories, it was a character meal (which Kelly was all for booking as many as possible thanks to the dining plan) and it was super convenient being in the lobby of the Beach Club.

It didn’t take too long to get up and running before we made the quick walk from the villas to the lobby to check into for our 8am reservation. We had enough time for a few photos along the way. Not sure how they were so chipper already but thankfully the kids were in a good mood to start the day!

IMG_1512 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We checked in and were given a beeper to wait for our table to be ready. It seemed like a popular spot as many families and hungry guests were either checking in at the same time or waiting to be escorted to their seats just as we were.

IMG_1513 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After about five minutes we were whisked inside and it was time for breakfast. Seating wasn’t quite as prime as we had at ‘Ohana but the buffet was only a few short steps away so nothing to complain about. First food, then characters.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The buffet spread was pretty solid. Lots of options for all tastes. We all sampled a variety of different items but no matter how good the spread, I’ll never pass up a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning.

Goofy was first to stop by to say hello.

IMG_1514 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1516 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Followed by the true #1, Donald Duck.

IMG_1521 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1526 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1528 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

And finally, the host herself, Minnie, popped by the table for pictures and autographs.

IMG_1534 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1540 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1537 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

All in all, this was a very good meal even though only three characters are involved. For whatever reason, we had it in our minds that Mickey was also a part of the breakfast but we were clearly wrong. Nevertheless the interaction with the characters was terrific and the CM’s that were serving us and walking with the characters were more than willing to take photos and make the experience that much better. Not sure that I would go back again unless we were staying at or around the Beach Club but truly nothing to complain about.

Once we settled up we went back to the room to retrieve our stroller to make the walk from the hotel to Hollywood Studios. What do you know, Ella got ahold of the camera again while we were packing up. She's actually getting pretty good!

IMG_1564 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The fact that you had the option to walk to both Epcot and DHS makes the BC location very attractive to me along with all the other perks of being around the Boardwalk areas. It’s very picturesque pretty much anywhere you go.

IMG_1569 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1574 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

After walking for about 25 minutes or so we had arrived at the gates to DHS. Unlike the last couple days the weather was very pleasant. Made the walk that much more enjoyable and we were looking forward to another fun day.

IMG_1575 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Once inside we ran into Donald and Daisy. Since we just met Donald at breakfast we figured we had no choice but to visit with Daisy as well!

IMG_1579 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1582 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

From there it was off to explore the park. This was our last park to visit on the trip and like the rest, the holiday decoration and theming was outstanding. It was easy for us to get caught up on the main drag checking out the windows of the shops and the garland overhead.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

IMG_1584 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

As we slowly moved down towards the theatre we decided that I’d grab a return time for Toy Story and meet up with girls at the Frozen sing-along. What better way to start a day at the park than belting out tunes that I’ve heard so often that I could probably perform, albeit horribly, in the show?!

Matt and Kelly · Jan 31, 2018

So we set off and went our separate ways once we reached the hub near the theatre. Unpopular opinion but I still kinda miss the old sorcerers’ hat…Kelly and the kids went towards the First Time in Forever and I made the walk over to Toy Story for a return time. Exciting to see all the construction going on near the Toy Story building. Very much looking forward to seeing the new additions when the new land opens up.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22EU1Hk]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The line for midway mania was filling up quick, over an hour standby time already. I spoke with the CM and received a return time before hustling back to meet up with the family. They were already in the queue waiting to enter the theatre for the show. For whatever reason, the wait took forever before they finally opened up the doors to let the next group of people in. There were a lot of CM’s coming and going through doors outside the theatre. We figured there had to be some type of issue with the production that caused the delay between shows. At any rate, we finally entered the theatre along with a solid hoard of others and found ourselves some pretty prime seats to enjoy the show.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/D2FqGx]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
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Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The show was quite good, as it typically is, and since none of us had seen the new Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, some of the songs that were now included we a bit of a surprise for us. It made much more sense when we returned home and actually watched the new animated short on TV a few days later. The show was cool but the snowy ending is always the big hit for the girls.

Upon exiting the theatre we decided to check out how long the wait to meet Olaf was but the kids balked pretty quickly when we told them it was 45 minutes. We continued on towards the SciFi Diner for a quick glimpse and the new Baseline Tap House. I went inside for a quick look and it’s definitely a place I would frequent on future trips, though we didn’t take a break there as we ended up in line to meet Chip and Dale instead. Good call!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22QBcfj]

STUDIO_COMMLANE_20171211_407065129719 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22QB9Xd]

STUDIO_COMMLANE_20171211_407065129739 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After Chip and Dale it was time for Toy Story. I have no shame in admitting I am the family’s undefeated Midway Mania champion of the world and I had no plans of relinquishing that title on this trip. Yes, I know half of my competition is 7 or younger but that doesn’t matter…a win is a win!

Anyway, we made it back to find the standby line was no longer accepting guests, only FP. Apparently one of the tracks had shut down so there were some load time issues. The line, which is usually quite speedy for FP, did take a little longer and it was very odd to see the rest of the queue completely empty.

Any guesses?
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21k8xFZ]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we arrived at the CM direction groups to the stairs, we were handed four additional FP’s valid for any other ride at DHS which was a cool surprise.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ExhxSy]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

From there loading was pretty quick. I jumped on with Lennon while Kelly and Ella rode together. Once Lenny was all settled in it was game time!

Easily in the top five of my favourite rides, we all had a fun first trip through the midway and I’m happy to say my streak continued…for the time being at least. I was actually quite surprised with how well Lennon scored.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21k8xde]

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we left we ran into Cruz Ramirez. The girls were huge fans of Cars 3 so we were definitely stopping for a quick shot before heading towards the Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23Vn6C4]

STUDIO_PIXARAVECHAR_20171211_407065064025 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We watched the stage show and then decided it was time to head towards Sunset Blvd. as we planned on using the FP’s we just received on Rockin Roller Coaster.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22ETSKM]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Ella was tall enough to ride but she had no interest in riding so I went solo while Kelly and the kids jumped in line to meet Santa who was set up in the Carthay Circle gift shop area. I was hoping I might be able to get back in time to join them but wasn’t holding my breath.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22ETYXB]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I set off and jumped in the FP line at RRC. I was directed right into the Aerosmith pre-show room as that film had already begun. Shortly after I was on the ride with another fellow single and we were racing through the streets of LA. I so wish Ella was brave enough to just try it but I know she would be freaking out through the whole thing.

My seatmate was definitely into the ride!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FMwCnL]

STUDIO_ROCKNRCOASTERRIDE_20171211_8141341825 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Once we finished up I quickly made my way back towards Santa and found the girls in line. They were two groups from the front…perfect timing! This was easily one of the best Santa visits we’ve ever seen. Even with the world’s largest mall back home, this set up blew it away!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/21k8wcM]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FMwEvJ]

STUDIO_ONCEUPONATIMECHAR_20171211_407067068677 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/JYtLZ2]

STUDIO_ONCEUPONATIMECHAR_20171211_407067068687 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we said goodbye to Santa’s and his elves, we crossed the street over to grab a bite for the girls at Fairfax Fare. Ella had a power pack, Lennon had chicken fingers and fries and I enjoyed a Bud Light while Kelly took her spin on the Roller Coaster.

When she returned we figured it was time to head back and relax for a bit. But before we really got rolling, we had to get another family picture.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22QB4qG]

STUDIO_SUNSET2_20171211_407068876899 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we exited, I grabbed a Mickey Pretzel with cheese to fuel my walk back. Kelly was pumped that snack credits were accepted at Starbucks so she stopped in to get drinks for her and the girls before we left the park.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22BSDQE]

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Before heading back down the walking path we ended up waiting for another PhotoPass picture. Kelly was on a rampage to get as many as we could.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22QB1Fo]

STUDIO_SUNSET2_20171211_407069671280 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

It was gorgeous at this point and we decided to walk around the Boardwalk before heading to the room. Even with the pretzel and beer, Kelly somehow convinced me to stop in at Ample Hills for an ice cream sampler.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ExCiPo]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I’m glad she did, it was unreal! She picked three flavours and I filled in the remaining three. I don’t recall exactly which flavours they were but the coffee ice cream was my favourite. Highly recommend this tasty treat to anyone visiting the Boardwalk.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ExCjTY]

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We finished up and still had some time to head back to the room for to get off our feet for a bit. Our evening plans included another new dining experience at Sanaa and our first nighttime visit to Pandora!

krause · Jan 31, 2018

Matty30 said:
Unpopular opinion but I still kinda miss the old sorcerers’ hat

Me too!! It was there on our first trip and so I never realized that it didn’t “belong” there, and was sad when they took it away!

Matt and Kelly · Jan 31, 2018

krause said:
Me too!! It was there on our first trip and so I never realized that it didn’t “belong” there, and was sad when they took it away!

Happy to hear others are in the same boat! I never really understood the hate it seemed to get. The theatre is a great landmark too, but I thought the hat was pretty cool.

Lyssa · Jan 31, 2018

Matty30 said:
The pineapple coconut bread and the mixed green salad to start were on point. So much so that Kelly was inspired to find the recipe for the salad dressing for our own use at home. She recently made it and it was just as good as what we had in the restaurant…nice work, babe!

Care to share the recipe? I've been looking for one ever since we got back

Matt and Kelly · Jan 31, 2018

Lyssa said:
Care to share the recipe? I've been looking for one ever since we got back

Absolutely! Kelly’s going to dig it up tomorrow and I’ll post it for you.

Lyssa · Feb 1, 2018

Matty30 said:
Absolutely! Kelly’s going to dig it up tomorrow and I’ll post it for you.

Thank you so much

I've literally been dreaming about that salad dressing since we ate at Ohanas LOL

Matt and Kelly · Feb 1, 2018

Time to finish up the day. After our leisurely stroll around the Boardwalk and a stop for ice cream, we went back to the room to relax for a little bit before heading to AKL. We didn't have a ton of time to take it easy, maybe an hour or so, but the girls enjoyed being back in the room with some time to play with the new toys they somehow kept accumulating on the trip.

When it was time to get ready to go, Kelly and I were debating on how to get to AKL in time for our Sanaa reservation. We decided to call for an Uber as opposed to try another Minnie Van. We made our way to the lobby for pick up which took less than five minutes once we put in the request. We have Uber in Edmonton but don't often have the need to use the service so it was pretty cool getting more experience with just how convenient it is. Who knows, depending on how Super Bowl Sunday turns out it may be a good option for me when it comes to getting home fro the party I'm going to.

Our friendly driver had us loaded up and on our way quickly. I was looking forward to checking out AKL for the first time. Originally, we had booked our first night for this trip at AKL but moved to the Grand once that came available. Didn't take long until we were pulling through the main gates.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Soon after we hopped out of the car at the main entrance and were on our way inside. The lobby was gorgeous and it smelled fantastic. I should have been more with it and actually taken some photos but we just kinda got lost looking around and checking out how amazingly detailed everything is. Just based on that short interaction I would most definitely stay at AKL on a future trip.

After some wandering around we found our way to the restaurant to check in.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The great theming of the Lodge continues throughout the restaurant. Really cool spot to eat and we lucked out again with our table. We were placed right beside a window that allowed us to check out some wildlife before the sunset.

IMG_6218 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Kelly had been going on about people raving about the bread service and I know she really wanted to try it. I, on the other hand, was still really quite full from the plethora of snacking we had done in the late afternoon so I was fine with skipping it. That thought didn't last long however as our server was quick to convince me to give it a go. He made it pretty clear that the bread service is one of the absolute highlights for most guests and I'd be pretty sorry if we didn't give it a try. Twist my rubber arm I guess...I caved and we ordered the service along with our drinks. Bud Light for me and a Lava Colada for Kelly.

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Soon after out came the bread...

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I won't lie, it was delicious. I was so, so, so full but just kept eating. Already looking forward to trying it again when we return.

For mains, the kids both ordered cheese pizza while Kelly and I both ordered the exact same dish, butter chicken, braised beef paneer tikka and basmati rice. Again, so much food but so delicious.

IMG_6223 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We really ate way too much and we couldn't quite clear our massive plates but we all left more than satisfied. We were tempted to try something for dessert but we just couldn't stomach any more. For our first Sanaa experience, we had a blast. Between the setting, the service, and the food, we are most definitely coming back on a future trip. Even if just for the bread.

IMG_4997 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

When we finally got moving we had to hustle to catch the bus to get to Animal Kingdom. We had an FP+ for Flights of Passage that Ella was definitely not going to let us miss. The park was closing at 8pm that evening and it was already about 645 so we knew our time was limited when we arrived.

Because Lennon had no interest in riding FoP again Kelly's plan was to take her to Dinosaur while Ella and I tamed our Banshee's. We all decided to walk to Pandora to check it out at night before splitting up. Lenny really wanted to see if we could get a return time for the River Journey, which we were able to snap up before going our separate ways. Kelly and Len left Pandora while I took Ella over to FoP, all while admiring how magnificent Pandora is at night. Truly special place, both in the daytime and in the darkness. I know these are nowhere near the level of @fractal or many others but I had to capture some of the essence, even if just on my iPhone.

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Ella and I slowly made our way through the FP line. It was much busier tonight than it was when we were here a few days ago. Lots of people trying to get a final ride before park closing. It took quite a bit longer for us to finally load into the first scene room but we made it and we were ready.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Disney World - 2017 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Meanwhile, Kelly and Lennon were in Dinoland enjoying their travel back in time. I do have a ride photo that I'll add later but Lennon wasn't going to pass up the chance to take a picture with a dinosaur.

IMG_4998 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22Qc1be]

AK_DINOSAURRIDE_20171212_8141602871 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

While on FoP I received a couple of texts from Kelly letting me know they were waiting and that time was running out for us to get back to the River Journey before park closing. Even so, Ella and I thoroughly enjoyed another flight before really having to move quickly to meet up with the others.

We got off the ride at 755pm and essentially ran to meet up with Kelly and Len. Just making it before 8pm and loading straight onto a boat as one of the last riders of the day. Killer way to finish up the evening.

When the ride was over there were still people milling about Pandora, taking photos and checking things out. We were no different. Only thing Kelly was disappointed by was no PhotoPass opportunities but we still enjoyed roaming around, taking pictures and enjoying the atmosphere.

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Untitled by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

One last photo before we would say goodbye to Pandora for the trip and make our way back to the bus stop to head home.

IMG_6235 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

From there we slowly walked through the park towards the exit along with a steady stream of people. We were all pretty tired at this point and were kinda happy to beading back to the room a little earlier, even though we probably didn't walk in the door until just after 9pm. We knew we had a really busy day ahead of us. Magic Kingdom was on tap including enjoying our first Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! We really needed to rest up for a long day.

Figment Forever · Feb 1, 2018

Thanks for the pictures and feedback for Sanaa. I hope to get to there on our next trip since "Irma" cancelled our plans from our last trip. lol I have a question about the kids meals. You said the girls both got the kids pizza. Was it the same regular kids Disney Pizza that you can get anywhere or was it on their special bread?

LeighM · Feb 1, 2018

My husband and I love Sanaa's dinner. I looked at their menu for our upcoming trip and realized they removed my favorite dessert. It was the best tapioca pudding I've ever had! We aren't going this year because we're traveling with others but may have to go towards the end of the trip when it's just us two and get the bread service. It's one of our favorite things at WDW. The first time we went we were on the dining plan and also ordered the bread service. We had eaten so much food that it was almost impossible to make our way back to the bus stop LOL.

Trip Report *COMPLETED* Once Upon a Christmas Time...A Very Merry Trip Report

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Trip Report COMPLETED Once Upon a Christmas Time...A Very Merry Trip Report