Trip Report *COMPLETED* The More the Merrier - November/December 2020

Hello friends!

We have been back from our most recent trip to WDW for over two months, but I have just wrapped up my September trip report, so I am a little delayed in starting this one. Nevertheless, I am excited to share this trip report with you, and hope you all enjoy following along! Let's get down to the nitty gritty!

When: Sunday, November 29th - Saturday, December 5th. Six nights! That's a long one for us.

Where: The Cabins at Fort Wilderness! If you read my trip report from September 2019, you may recall that we absolutely fell in love with Ft. Wilderness when we stayed there, and we were itching to go back! When I found a great deal on the cabins for our favorite week to go during the holidays, it was a no brainer!

Who: By this point, many of you already know me (Katie), and my husband Jason:

We also had another passenger along for the trip, which brings me to the reason for the title:

We are expecting! I am due with a baby boy in June! Due date right now is the 10th, but he's measuring a little big, so I'm hoping they'll move that up, because I'm not trying to give birth to a 10-pounder! . Some of you know that we struggled with infertility for a few years, so we are over the moon to finally be welcoming our firstborn. I was around 12/13 weeks pregnant while we were on this trip, so an alternate title for the TR could be "The One with All the HoRmOnEs."

And because I have made you wait so long for this TR, here's a bonus pic of Little Man. He does have a name, but we won't be sharing it until after he's born. And I'm not 100% decided on whether I want to share it on this platform...we'll see.

Doing Disney while pregnant was a totally different experience, and I hope that this trip report can shed some light on what that is like, in case any of you are planning future pregnancies, or traveling with a pregnant woman in the future.

I hope you all enjoy following along on our trip, and make plenty of popcorn, because this is going to be a long one!

 

[Katiekitten]

Congratulations!!

 

[k8einwdw]

So so excited for both of you!!! I was hoping the delays you hinted at in your last report were going to be this!!

Thank you! Seems like you weren’t the only one making that guess!

Glad you finally mentioned your good news! Super excited for you guys!

I know, those of you that follow me on Instagram have known for months! Hope you guys are staying warm!

Congratulations!!!! June seems perfect. You won’t have to be all hot and miserable all summer. Also following along.

Thank you! And I’m glad to be due at the beginning of summer, I have a friend that lives in Orlando that’s due in September, and I know she’s going to be in misery all summer!

was hoping this was going to be the news you alluded to in your other TR. Very happy for you

Thank you! Seems like a lot of people were hoping the same thing, I am so thankful to have the support I do here.

Woo hoo!!! So pumped for you two Also, as others have said June is great for a birthday, speaking as someone with a January baby who will never get a fun pool party

Thank you! Speaking as a July baby myself, summer birthdays are pretty great!

So, so happy for you! I can't wait for you to experience all the wonderful joys of parenting.

Thank you! And bring it on!

Congratulations!!

Thank you!

 

[cgersic]

June 10th is an awesome date! Ask my youngest!!!

Very happy for you both!

My oldest sister is June 10th! More good company on that date! Congratulations to you both and I can't wait to follow along on this adventure into the Wilderness!!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

YAY!! A new little Mouseketeer!! Congrats!!!

 

[Bullseye1967]

Congrats!!

 

[k8einwdw]

My oldest sister is June 10th! More good company on that date! Congratulations to you both and I can't wait to follow along on this adventure into the Wilderness!!

YAY!! A new little Mouseketeer!! Congrats!!!

Congrats!!

Thank you all for the well wishes!

 

[fractal]

Congrats!

 

[k8einwdw]

Congrats!

Thank you!

 

[k8einwdw]

Sunday, November 29th - Check-In Day

We woke up bright and early this morning, as we always do for our Disney trips. We drive down to WDW from the Atlanta area, and it's about a seven-hour drive, so we try to leave our house around 5:00 am to make it into the bubble around lunchtime. We did not have a super restful night of sleep the night before, which always makes it difficult to wake up. Jason had purchased a timer for our outdoor Christmas decorations, and set it up the night before we left for WDW, so that it wouldn't be too obvious that we weren't home for six nights. He set it to keep everything on for six hours, starting at dusk, and when I woke up to potty at 1:00 am, the lights were still on. He fiddled with it for a few minutes before coming back to bed, but by that point we were both already freaking out that our decorations were going to stay on 24/7 while we were out of town. With all that said, 4:00 came pretty dang early, and we hit snooze a couple times before we finally dragged ourselves out of bed.

We stopped for breakfast in Perry, GA, although it wasn't our usual Chick-Fil-A, since it was a Sunday. We also stopped for gas at our usual stop in Jasper, FL, just over the GA-FL line. Once we got to the Florida Turnpike, we saw an absolutely insane amount of traffic headed away from WDW. We could only assume that everyone was headed home from their Thanksgiving week vacations! As we were nearing WDW property, we got that exciting text that you always hope to get - our room was ready early! We had requested 12:00 check-in, and the room was ready at 11:40!

Soon enough, we were back in the Disney bubble, and made it to one of our favorite places in the world!

Once we were on Ft. Wilderness property, it was pretty easy to find our cabin - we were one loop down from where we were in September 2019! The 2800 loop is super close to the bus stop, which is great for when you're headed anywhere but Magic Kingdom. It is a haul to get to the Magic Kingdom boat launch from this loop though.

As soon as we made it into the cabin, I snapped some room pics before we moved our entire house in for the week.

Oh yeah, I brought the pregnancy pillow. That was fun trying to fit both of us and the pillow into the "queen" bed at the cabin!

Up next: More room pics!

 

[k8einwdw]

And here are the rest of the room pics!

We also brought a little Christmas tree from home to make the cabin a little more festive. Looking back, I wish we would have brought some ornaments to hang on it. It did look cute all lit up in the window at night though!

Up next: Lunch, Golf Cart Rental, and Resort Hopping!

 

[Swissmiss]

I’m jealous of your FW Cabin stay; I keep trying to stay at the DLP equivalent but it never works out. It’s the only DLP hotel that doesn’t have transportation to the parks so you have to have a car (which is kind of stupid when I think about it, as it is also the only one not close enough to walk to the parks) and I usually go to DLP by train.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I really like the cabins and I'm sure being in that woodsy environment gave it a nice holiday feel. At some point, I'm going to have to work a stay into one of our trips.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

OK, you've just made me want to stay in a cabin! They look so cute and cozy!! My mom LOVES camping so she would certainly love this!! The Christmas tree you put up is SUPER cute!!

 

[tommcp516]

Congrats on your great news--how exciting for you both!!

And those cabins look fantastic!!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Thats the same loop we were on!! I'm glad we could walk to the main bus stop since we couldn't get a golf cart

 

[k8einwdw]

I’m jealous of your FW Cabin stay; I keep trying to stay at the DLP equivalent but it never works out. It’s the only DLP hotel that doesn’t have transportation to the parks so you have to have a car (which is kind of stupid when I think about it, as it is also the only one not close enough to walk to the parks) and I usually go to DLP by train.

That's so bizarre that they wouldn't have transportation to the parks!

I really like the cabins and I'm sure being in that woodsy environment gave it a nice holiday feel. At some point, I'm going to have to work a stay into one of our trips.

Do it!! We love Ft. Wilderness!

OK, you've just made me want to stay in a cabin! They look so cute and cozy!! My mom LOVES camping so she would certainly love this!! The Christmas tree you put up is SUPER cute!!

I highly recommend staying at Ft. Wilderness at least once! The cabins are the perfect mix of outdoorsy and modern utilities. My husband and I actually enjoy camping and have a pop-up camper, but we could never camp at WDW - I need my indoor plumbing and A/C on our Disney trips!

Congrats on your great news--how exciting for you both!!

And those cabins look fantastic!!

Thank you so much! We love the cabins and can't wait to stay there with our son one day!

Thats the same loop we were on!! I'm glad we could walk to the main bus stop since we couldn't get a golf cart

Yikes! How did you get to MK?

 

[k8einwdw]

Sunday, November 29th - Check-In Day - Continued

After we checked out the cabin and moved our entire house in for the week, we drove the car back up to the front of the resort to pick up the golf cart we had reserved for our stay. Little did we know, they had changed it to where pickup started at 1:00 pm, and we arrived around 12:50 to a VERY long line. When we saw the line, Jason dropped me off and went to go find a parking spot, so we didn't have to wait behind that many more people. Thankfully, they had a cast member coming to each party in line to make sure they had a reservation, and have them go ahead and sign the paperwork, so that once we got to the front of the line, we could just get our keys and go. We ended up waiting behind several parties that needed a six-seater golf cart, which you can't reserve ahead of time. When we left, there was only one six-seater left, so I felt bad for anyone behind us in line that was waiting for one. So, just know, if you're planning to stay at Ft. Wilderness with a party of 5+ people, you'll want to get to the Golf Cart rental stand before they open, to increase your chances of getting a cart. If you're staying with 4 or fewer people, I recommend renting your golf cart in advance. There's a number that you call (on WDW's website), and you just give them your information and they charge your card the morning of the day you'll be checking out your cart. You can reserve up to a year in advance, and they do sell out during busier seasons.

After we got our cart, we drove both the cart and my car back to the cabin. By this point, we were starving, so we decided to hit up P&J's Southern Takeout for lunch. Aside from the bar, P&J's was (and I believe still is) the only restaurant open at Ft. Wilderness. They don't have a ton of options, but the options they do have are great! We placed our mobile order while we were at the cabin, and pressed "I'm Here" when we were about halfway to P&J's. Rookie mistake. We should have pressed "I'm Here" while we were still at the cabin, because we ended up having to wait a good 10-15 minutes after we got there for our food to be ready. We used that time to check out the resort's Christmas tree, and walk out to the boat launch to see if they were running boats to Wilderness Lodge (they're not).

We loved the Christmas tree, and loved how they played on the horse theme, since the stables where all of Disney's horses stay are on property at Ft. Wilderness. Soon enough, our food was ready, so we picked it up, threw it in the golf cart, and headed back to the cabin to eat lunch. I should note that there is no seating at P&J's. You would think it would be automatically inferred from the name, P&J's Southern Takeout, but we've seen our fair share of people confused as to why they can't eat inside. You take your food to go and either eat it at your cabin/campsite, or you can find a spot on property to have a picnic. Once we got to the cabin, we inhaled our food - we both got the fried chicken, I got mine with fries and mac 'n cheese, and Jason got his with BBQ beans and mac 'n cheese. We both ended up saving our mac 'n cheese for later. I have to admit, we were both a little disappointed with the cornbread. They normally give you a much bigger piece, and it's the same cornbread that they serve at Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Maybe we just got a bad batch, but this stuff was cold and dry.

After our lunch, we grabbed our supplies and headed outside to decorate our golf cart. This is something we had been super excited for ever since we booked our cabin. We enjoyed decorating our golf cart for Halloween during our September 2019 trip, and we were even more pumped to decorate it for Christmas. We put a red, green, and silver tinsel garland along the top of the cart, and then strung some battery-powered lights around the back. It doesn't look like much here, but the lights have different settings, and it was so fun to turn them on when we came back from the parks at night. I highly recommend decorating your golf cart if you stay at Ft. Wilderness and rent a cart, because it makes it so much easier to find your cart in the crowded golf cart parking lots. Plus, it's just so much fun to admire everyone's decorations! If you do decorate your cart, make sure to use materials that can be removed easily so that you don't get charged for damages.

Up next: Resort hopping to see the holiday decorations!

 

[Katiekitten]

I love the golf cart, what a fun idea to decorate it!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Sunday, November 29th - Check-In Day - Continued

After we checked out the cabin and moved our entire house in for the week, we drove the car back up to the front of the resort to pick up the golf cart we had reserved for our stay. Little did we know, they had changed it to where pickup started at 1:00 pm, and we arrived around 12:50 to a VERY long line. When we saw the line, Jason dropped me off and went to go find a parking spot, so we didn't have to wait behind that many more people. Thankfully, they had a cast member coming to each party in line to make sure they had a reservation, and have them go ahead and sign the paperwork, so that once we got to the front of the line, we could just get our keys and go. We ended up waiting behind several parties that needed a six-seater golf cart, which you can't reserve ahead of time. When we left, there was only one six-seater left, so I felt bad for anyone behind us in line that was waiting for one. So, just know, if you're planning to stay at Ft. Wilderness with a party of 5+ people, you'll want to get to the Golf Cart rental stand before they open, to increase your chances of getting a cart. If you're staying with 4 or fewer people, I recommend renting your golf cart in advance. There's a number that you call (on WDW's website), and you just give them your information and they charge your card the morning of the day you'll be checking out your cart. You can reserve up to a year in advance, and they do sell out during busier seasons.

After we got our cart, we drove both the cart and my car back to the cabin. By this point, we were starving, so we decided to hit up P&J's Southern Takeout for lunch. Aside from the bar, P&J's was (and I believe still is) the only restaurant open at Ft. Wilderness. They don't have a ton of options, but the options they do have are great! We placed our mobile order while we were at the cabin, and pressed "I'm Here" when we were about halfway to P&J's. Rookie mistake. We should have pressed "I'm Here" while we were still at the cabin, because we ended up having to wait a good 10-15 minutes after we got there for our food to be ready. We used that time to check out the resort's Christmas tree, and walk out to the boat launch to see if they were running boats to Wilderness Lodge (they're not).

View attachment 534590

We loved the Christmas tree, and loved how they played on the horse theme, since the stables where all of Disney's horses stay are on property at Ft. Wilderness. Soon enough, our food was ready, so we picked it up, threw it in the golf cart, and headed back to the cabin to eat lunch. I should note that there is no seating at P&J's. You would think it would be automatically inferred from the name, P&J's Southern Takeout, but we've seen our fair share of people confused as to why they can't eat inside. You take your food to go and either eat it at your cabin/campsite, or you can find a spot on property to have a picnic. Once we got to the cabin, we inhaled our food - we both got the fried chicken, I got mine with fries and mac 'n cheese, and Jason got his with BBQ beans and mac 'n cheese. We both ended up saving our mac 'n cheese for later. I have to admit, we were both a little disappointed with the cornbread. They normally give you a much bigger piece, and it's the same cornbread that they serve at Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Maybe we just got a bad batch, but this stuff was cold and dry.

View attachment 534591

After our lunch, we grabbed our supplies and headed outside to decorate our golf cart. This is something we had been super excited for ever since we booked our cabin. We enjoyed decorating our golf cart for Halloween during our September 2019 trip, and we were even more pumped to decorate it for Christmas. We put a red, green, and silver tinsel garland along the top of the cart, and then strung some battery-powered lights around the back. It doesn't look like much here, but the lights have different settings, and it was so fun to turn them on when we came back from the parks at night. I highly recommend decorating your golf cart if you stay at Ft. Wilderness and rent a cart, because it makes it so much easier to find your cart in the crowded golf cart parking lots. Plus, it's just so much fun to admire everyone's decorations! If you do decorate your cart, make sure to use materials that can be removed easily so that you don't get charged for damages.

View attachment 534592

Up next: Resort hopping to see the holiday decorations!

Decorating my cart and cabin is another key reason I want to stay at the Fort some time around a holiday. Your cart is nice and festive!

 

[k8einwdw]

I love the golf cart, what a fun idea to decorate it!

Thank you! It's a lot of fun to make it your own, even if it's only yours for a few days!

Decorating my cart and cabin is another key reason I want to stay at the Fort some time around a holiday. Your cart is nice and festive!

It is so much fun seeing how everyone decorates their carts. I wish I had thought to snap some pics of some of the more creative carts we saw.