Trip Report * Completed* The Food and Wine Christmas Time Last Minute Trip

Hey everyone!
We have been back for almost two weeks so its time to finally start my TR!
We had a great time, but the trip went by too fast

Who?
My Mom (Mary) and I (Megan). This is our second trip together with just the two of us...we traveled to Disneyland together in August.

When?
November 14th - November 21st

Where?
Art of Animation Lion King Suite. It was OK, I'm sure if we had kids with us we would have felt differently but it wasn't our cup of tea. I only booked it because I booked this trip semi-last minute and its the only hotel they had available

Why?
I was throwing around the idea of going to Disney by myself during my vacation and when I heard the Osborne Lights were going away I knew I had to go! My Dad and I convinced my mom to go with me and she agreed so off we went !

Day One Saturday November 14th
I surprisingly slept decently well which I never do before a trip but my clinic shift the day before was pretty brutal so I was tired I guess. By sleeping decently I mean I slept like six hours instead of three haha
I always look super great on trip mornings ...

Our flight was leaving at 7:50 so we got to sleep in a bit and not leave for the airport until 6ish. My Dad laughed at us for having four suitcases total and wished us luck to navigate with those Luckily for us the Southwest Counter is close and we didn't have too much of a struggle.

Check in was painless and we were on our way! No TSA pre-check this time though
We stopped at our usual spot to get some breakfast (bagels...so exciting!)

Off to Florida we go!

We put our Magic Bands on almost right away on the flight!

We killed time on the flight by watching the Lion King (seemed appropriate since we were staying in that suite). My mom had never seen the full movie so she enjoyed it (but made me fast forward through Mufasa's death). We arrived in Florida like 30 minutes early but our gate was broken so we taxied for a bit. I spied sunshine which we barely ever see here in Buffalo past September so I was pleased

We headed straight to the Magical Express...oh wait...no we didn't first we had to take pictures haha

When we stopped to take this picture we inadvertently caused a small child to have a fit because he wanted to stop and take a picture too and his mom said no...oops!
First ride!

When we got down to DME the lines were insane! Hence my face! I seriously have never seen it so crowded before!

Nevertheless despite all my whining we really didn't wait more than 20 minutes.
Sadly we got a yellow Mears bus

First thing's first its selfie time!

On our way to Disney I was so distracted by this plane that was at a standstill in the sky...probably waiting to land

Soon enough we were on Disney property! Yay!
Worst picture ever...

I got this text on the way...gee thanks for telling me the room is NOT ready haha

Art of Animation was the first stop! Yay we were at our Disney home for the week!

Ah time to rush off to work...next post Food and Wine !

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I'm so glad to hear that! We will definitely be doing that next time!!! Is there a good time of day to go?

Well, considering it's drinking I wouldn't go too too early LOL. (Although you don't have to drink.) I think right at lunchtime or dinnertime is not so great, but a late lunch/early dinner works out well. We often end up just talking with other guests as well as the staff (and we are not the most outgoing people LOL.) Again, if the bar is full, don't despair, order a drink, and seats tend to open up fairly quickly because people want to go do other things. You can also order "real drinks" in to go cups.

 

[JTx3]

I'm really enjoying your trip report! It's upping my desire to book a last minute trip myself! .... Must.... behave!!!!

 

[Doc Disney]

Well, considering it's drinking I wouldn't go too too early LOL. (Although you don't have to drink.) I think right at lunchtime or dinnertime is not so great, but a late lunch/early dinner works out well. We often end up just talking with other guests as well as the staff (and we are not the most outgoing people LOL.) Again, if the bar is full, don't despair, order a drink, and seats tend to open up fairly quickly because people want to go do other things. You can also order "real drinks" in to go cups.

I was thinking between lunch and dinner would be good! Thanks for all the tips! I like the fact you can order to go cups!

I'm really enjoying your trip report! It's upping my desire to book a last minute trip myself! .... Must.... behave!!!!

Thanks for reading...I certainly did not behave this year in terms of trips...a last minute trip was fun!

 

[catmom46]

Thanks for reading...I certainly did not behave this year in terms of trips...a last minute trip was fun!

I'm hoping to misbehave this year, too, and go twice this summer! Thanks for setting a good example. You are my inspiration.

 

[Doc Disney]

Ah sorry for the delay!! I am back on a critical care rotation so its honestly going to be a bit intermittent for me for the next few weeks!

Day 5 continued
This would be the afternoon of disastrous transportation issues haha
So, after relaxing at the pool for a bit we decided to head back to the MK and take the monorail to the Grand Floridian because I really wanted to see the gingerbread house. The bus took an exceptionally long time coming to the hotel which I didn't think too much of since that is sometimes typical in the middle of the day. When the bus driver got off the bus he said it would take us a little longer to get to the MK due to traffic. OK...no big deal...except that by "a little longer" he meant at least 30 minutes longer. At this point we still had no idea why. We went this super backwards way to the MK and finally made it. We were planning on going on the monorail but that was closed...still no idea why. We decided: why not take the boats the the GF? We waited in a boat line for almost 20 minutes before decided against that too (no boat had come yet). Then we said: well why not take the bus over? So, we got on the GF/Poly/Contemp bus and stupidly got stuck right back in all the traffic of the other buses going to the MK. We had kind of had it at this point so we were just like whatever lets get off at the Poly and have a drink.

My mom had another Pina Colava (thats its name...not sure why haha)
I had a Moscow Mule

We enjoyed our drinks for a bit and while sitting there I was looking at the Facebook groups and noticed that there was indeed a reason for all the traffic....a monorail accident This was the day the monorail crashed into the tow monorail thing. Anyway, after our drinks we assumed the monorail would be back open...but it wasn't...
We went in search of the boat and ended up walking by Trader Sams. It was actually pretty dead. We considered briefly stopping in but we weren't too fond of it at Disneyland so kept moving
Anyway, we finally found the boats...

While we waited for the boat (which was another 45 minute ordeal) we got to see some of the cool things they do at the Polynesian like a drum dance type thing. Thankfully we got on the second boat and about 3 hours after we first arrived to the MK we finally made it into the park.
Our first stop was Thunder Mountain. We wanted to make sure we got on this since next trip it will be closed for refurb!
We had big plans after this...Carousel of Progress!

Because we didn't endure enough suffering we actually got stuck in a scene twice. I didn't mind because it was a nice break but the other people who were in our showing were none too happy, especially when they realized what this actually was. Never mind them.....I love the COP!

After this we headed over the Peoplemover. The next thing on our fake chest list we made up in our minds was riding twice without getting off and when we asked the guy he was like whatever haha no one else was on it. We ended up watching Celebrate the Magic and Wishes from the Peoplemover....it was pretty cool!
Peoplemover at night

After this Wishes was still going on so we decided to do something we have never done before...the Tomorrowland Speedway!
I look so happy to be driving...haha

This was cute...and actually quite long but why does the end have to be on a hill? I was so nervous I was going to roll back into the car behind me while we waited for people to load haha
Next up we took a night time ride on Dumbo then it was time for dinner....Be Our Guest!
I searched every single day before this trip for this reservation and got one like 2 weeks before we left. It pays to be persistent!
When we checked in we had a short wait and the woman who came to get us didn't know how to pronounce our last name so called out Megan hopeful we would answer haha
Last time we were here we were seated at a table for two...this time we got a nice table by the windows for four

We both ordered a glass of Moscato

We also both got the French Onion soup for an appetizer. We love this soup...we talk about it all the time!

For dinner my mom got the Pan Seared Chicken Breast with a White Bean Cassoulet and Arugula Salad

And I got the Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic-Herb Butter and Pommes Frites

Both were super yummy!
For dessert we split the Grey Stuff...of course!

Everything was so good we really enjoyed our meal again!

It was so nicely decorated for Christmas in there!

We of course had to say Hello to our host before we left!

Our dinner reservation was pretty late so we thought we would have no trouble with the bus on the way home...wrong
The line for the bus was in two different corals and we waited for at least 5 buses. It was miserable. We finally got on one of those big buses with the middle part in between and the people in that part were laughing so hard because they had to move with the poles every time the bus turned. They said they wanted a Fast Pass for it! Well, thankfully our disastrous transportation day had come to an end and it was time for sleep (much later than we had all trip!)

Next Up: Animal Kingdom!

 

[Doc Disney]

I'm hoping to misbehave this year, too, and go twice this summer! Thanks for setting a good example. You are my inspiration.

Haha you are very welcome! Glad I can assist

 

[Doc Disney]

Ok!!! Sorry again for the delay
Day 6
This morning we got up and ate our usual breakfast of waffles and breakfast sandwich Then it was finally time to head to ANIMAL KINGDOM!!! I personally love AK...my mom doesn't feel the same but she tolerates it
We made it to AK in time for rope drop and headed towards Everest! *well first we stopped for photopass..

Our eyes don't match up with Timon, Simba and Pumba hahaha

Anyway we made it to Everest but it was closed still so we decided to take some time and explore the Pangani Trail
***but first we stopped for more pictures

Oh we also passed the new Harambe marketplace thing along the way. Sadly it took us quite a bit of time to decide if this was new or not...

Anyway we finally made it to the trail
When we were observing the Okapi this is when my mom finally realized that the trail backed up to the Safari haha

I have an obsession with Jane Goodall so had to snap this pic!

I actually met her once when I was in college

Anyway...back to present life!

These guys were bleeding...I was super distracted by it..

After this is was time for our safari!

We enjoyed our safari as usual...but no hyenas They were supposed to be out but we didn't spot them in their little area

It was time to head over to Everest after this since it was finally open!

(camera in hand as always)

Everest is definitely one of my top rides..not just at Disney but of all places I've been! Its just so unique
We found this neat little photopass spot on our way to Dinosaur

I think this is supposed to be snow...we have enough snow here in Buffalo though...no thanks! haha

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 6 continued
On our way to Dinosaur we actually spotted Donald Duck! He was just randomly hidden with no line at all.
He had a cute little Christmas accent on his Safari hat

When waiting in line for Dinosaur it actually broke down for about 15 minutes...they kept saying "a dinosaur ran away." We were stuck in the movie room but fortunately they stopped it from playing over and over again.
I yet again hate/love this ride. I find it terrifying no matter how many times I ride it...everyone else seems to find it funny

After Dinosaur we took a spin on Primeval Whirl...I don't know why I never remember that this ride is not smooth haha
Cute little Christmas decorations were everywhere

We really wanted to see Lion King again so we headed over there!
We were seated in the Lion section again

The rest of my family has actually never seen this before so I can't wait for them to see it when we go back
We were actually planning on going to Rafiki's after this since we had never been there before...but we were hungry so we changed plans. We checked out Zuri's Sweets Shop and I got a cool plate for my living room (its African themed) and these cool gummies that look like bugs!

That store is super cool FYI! There is a ton of neat stuff in there that you can't find anywhere else
We actually ended up going to Rainforest Cafe to eat. I usually am not a big fan of this restaurant but we were hungry so decided to try it again.
On our way I tried to sneak a peak into the construction zone

One of my favorite pictures from a past trip is of us in front of this elephant so I made my mom do it haha

Anyway we went inside and sat at the bar instead of waiting for a table
We split Mozzarella Sticks and the Pita Quesadillas

Both were really good and we enjoyed our lunch!

We decided we were done with AK for the day (will save more of it for next trip) so we stopped for a picture before heading back to the hotel
Not sure why these guys were added...but they are cute! haha

Next up: I give myself a concussion...

 

[Doc Disney]

Here is the old elephant picture that I love so much..its super blurry but I think its funny

 

[samantha788]

love all the AK pictures! hope you were okay after a concussion!
Just saw the countdown to your next trip is 95 days, mine is 93! Maybe we'll cross paths

 

[LisaBelle]

So cool that you got to meet Jane Goodall! Love the pictures with the elephant. A concussion does not sound good! Hope you are okay!

 

[gsrjedi]

My mom had another Pina Colava (thats its name...not sure why haha)

When I was in Hawaii years ago I enjoyed a drink called the Lava Flow (a pina colada with strawberry syrup on top). I think Pina Colava is meant to be one of those.

Enjoying the TR so far!

 

[catmom46]

I love the lion pic - for some reason it made me think of the Jungle Book scene with the vultures (Whatcha wanna do?)

That's amazing you got to meet Jane Goodall, although what's your t-shirt all about?

 

[Doc Disney]

love all the AK pictures! hope you were okay after a concussion!
Just saw the countdown to your next trip is 95 days, mine is 93! Maybe we'll cross paths

Oh my gosh that would be so awesome if we did!!!! I can't believe my next trip is coming up so fast.

So cool that you got to meet Jane Goodall! Love the pictures with the elephant. A concussion does not sound good! Hope you are okay!

I'm OK now...it was a rough few days at Disney though haha

When I was in Hawaii years ago I enjoyed a drink called the Lava Flow (a pina colada with strawberry syrup on top). I think Pina Colava is meant to be one of those.

Enjoying the TR so far!

OHH!!! That definitely makes sense. Thanks for following

I love the lion pic - for some reason it made me think of the Jungle Book scene with the vultures (Whatcha wanna do?)

That's amazing you got to meet Jane Goodall, although what's your t-shirt all about?

LOL I should have explained that before. I met her like a week before our Relay For Life event at my college and I was chair of the event so I wore that event shirt like all week (I didn't think I would actually get to meet Jane...otherwise I would have changed). Anyway since Relay is an all night event thats where the shirt came from (it was college, college kids only buy stupid shirts like that haha).

 

[Doc Disney]

Sorry for the delay everyone! Snapfish is currently updating their site and I can't copy my pictures in the TR yet I just sent a message and they said they are working on it!

 

[Doc Disney]

Ok thankfully amazon prime is letting me upload pictures so I don't have to wait for snapfish !

Day 6 continued:

We went back to the hotel and relaxed at the pool and in the room. I had a migraine all morning so it was a nice break to relax in the hotel. It was finally starting to get better though! I actually get migraines quite a bit in Florida it must have something to do with the weather.
Here is me working on my trip report notes I'm so dedicated haha (truth be told I usually write them at night but never did it the day before). Also looking at this picture I'm kind of grossed out that my likely dirty feet are on my pillow haha

Before heading to Disney Springs we were filming some of the hotel and decided to head to the elephant graveyard section.

I decided to crawl through the graveyard and with the combination of being filmed, my hat and my migraine I managed to whack my head pretty good on one of the inside dips. This thing is obviously made for kids...haha. Oh well, my head hurt but I didn't think too much after that. After our transportation disaster the day prior we decided to head back to attempt to see the GF so we hopped on a MK bus (which had a woman on it sharing Disney "facts" that didn't seem to be too legit haha) and took the monorail to the GF.
While we were on the monorail we were with a family and the little girl kept licking the pole...ew Remind me to carry hand sanitizer more often!
When we got there we decided to first look around in some gift shops and found some cute ornaments to collect. What is it about going right before Christmas that makes you feel the need to buy every ornament? Then we decided to head down to see the house!It was so pretty! I have never seen it before in real life !

I didn't realize there was an actual shop inside! Thats so cool

I really wanted a gingerbread treat so I got in line and grabbed a gingerbread shingle and chocolate. It was so good! I only ate a few bites because I wanted to save room for dinner.

I actually brought some of this home and then proceeded to lose out. Turns out my Dad ate it haha
We had a reservation for dinner at Disney Springs so we took the bus from the GF. We didn't have to wait too long. By this point it was pouring rain!! Luckily, or unluckily, the bus ride was 40 minutes long so it stopped raining by the time we got there. We realized almost at the end of the bus ride that a lot of the people on the bus with us were from Buffalo too
We walked from the bus stop to our final destination .... Splitsville! So...like I said it was pouring all day and it was slippery at Disney Springs! I kept slipping with my particular type of flip flops so my mom and I had to walk supporting each other haha it was funny. We love the food here so we were happy to go back

We ordered the Loaded Fries to split since we weren't super hungry

Yum! These were amazing!
The trees in Disney Springs are so cool!

We decided to head to World of Disney and this is when I realized I probably gave myself a concussion when I hit my head. I could not focus on anything and with the rugs and all the lights of World of Disney (which is under construction FYI) I couldn't take it in there so I had to leave and sit down for a bit. We had plans to go to Ghirardelli but it was packed in there and my mom was worried about me so we decided to head to the Christmas store and call it an early night. I did get a cool partners statue ornament Yep, I collected another ornament.
The bus ride home was uneventful, just a couple of kids kicking my mom the whole ride home

Next up: Back to Hollywood.

 

[catmom46]

Ouch! Bummer about the migraine AND concussion - your poor head! I get migraines occasionally, so I know how so not fun they are.

 

[Doc Disney]

Ah! Now it looks like my pictures aren't showing up. Can anyone see them from my last post? What does everyone else use to upload pictures? I'm getting annoyed with snapfish haha

 

[C.FERNIE]

Awesome Trip Report, Thank you!

 

[Kiwiduck]

Ah! Now it looks like my pictures aren't showing up. Can anyone see them from my last post? What does everyone else use to upload pictures? I'm getting annoyed with snapfish haha

Your pictures were visible to me when you first posted but aren't visible any more.