Trip Report **Completed** The Wine and Dine Half Marathon and we are never changing hotels again!

Hello everyone! I have been (sadly) back for over a week now so I suppose its time to start my TR. I have been in a moderate Disney depression since I have been back, so hopefully this cheers me up. Its probably the freezing cold weather here in Buffalo, but I am longing for Disney and sunny weather (I know its only like 55 there right now, but its 25 here ). I suppose this is the true sign of a Disney addict! Anyway, on with the TR!

Who?:
From left to right:
My Dad (Jeff), Me (Megan), Mickey , My sister Betta (her name is Elizabeth, we call her Betta), my nephew Max, my Mom (Mary) my sister Jill and Betta's friend Deanna

Deanna came with my sister to help with Max She has been to Disney before, but not for several years. This is Max's first trip! The rest of us have been to Disney (several times...)

When?
My Mom and I: November 3 - 12
My Dad and Jill: Nov 5 -12
Betta, Deanna and Max Nov 7 - 12

Where?
We moved hotels 3 times, I will introduce them as we go

Why?
Jill and I really wanted to run the Wine and Dine Half Marathon so we planned a trip around it! Plus, Betta wanted to bring Max to Disney the first time!

The Title?
Well, its pretty obvious! We ran the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Also, we were not keen on moving hotels during the trip. It is incredibly disruptive and takes up a decent amount of free time. I will comment more as we go.

T-5 days
As my Mom and I were driving to help my sister and Max pack for the trip we were getting a little bit Disney crazy and really did not want to stay at All Star Sports. We have nothing against people who like the values (or can only afford them), but we really don't enjoy them. When I was a kid we only stayed at values and we loved them, but we definitely have gotten spoiled lately. Knowing we booked All Stars to save us money I did not think a hotel move would be possible. However, the huge AP discount was still a thing so we started looking into other hotels. While at my sister's house I kept trying to change the hotel, but it was not working. Eventually I gave up and finally called Disney. I had the sweetest CM ever on the phone and we chatted for quite a bit about all sorts of things. In the end I decided on moving to the Wilderness Lodge because we love it so much! The CM also added a bit of magic and upgraded us to Concierge level for free. Woohoo!!! The only downside is this would mean we would have to pick up our luggage in the airport for Magical Express. Annoying, but no big deal overall

November 3, 2016
We got up around 5 am and got ready to go to the airport. It was a gross and rainy day in Buffalo so we were happy to be heading to sunny Florida! While my Mom and I were finishing up last minute things and taking pictures my Dad started grabbing our suitcases and bringing them to the car. Only, we weren't done with them yet so he had to bring them back in. Because it was rainy he really looked the part of a grumpy airport worker

We had a quick ride to the airport and we got there by 6 am. We had the same Southwest worker check us in that we had in October. Thats when you know you travel too much? haha
We both had TSA pre-check and for once I did not set off the metal detector! We were through security by 6:08 am. You have got to love TSA pre-check
For breakfast we had some bagels and water

Petey and Drake were ready

Since we had a crazy amount of time to kill we sat down at our gate and I already started working on my notes haha

Then we took some selfies...

Finally it was time to get on the plane. We ended up in row 4! I love sitting in the front, takes less time to get off the plane!
Magic Bands ready

Purple Magic Bands for the win! The woman sitting next to me also had a purple Magic Band

Next up: Arriving in MCO!

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 6 continued

I am one of Wishes biggest fans, but there is something just a little bit more magical about the Holiday Wishes I'm sure its the Christmas music followed by the fake snow, but I just love it! Jill really enjoyed it - it was her first time seeing it And of course my Mom loved it too. I think the rest of my family would have liked it too, but totally get them leaving.
After the fireworks we slowly made our way down Main Street through the snow

We can't seem to leave a party without getting a picture first....

LOL this one makes me laugh

We made our way to the bus after this and it was magically there so we made it back to the hotel fast! I wasn't even tired, I probably could have stayed longer but I knew everyone else would like to get back
We had such a great time at the party. This was a stark difference to last year, but I think its because now I semi-know how to navigate parties. Last year we struggled with figuring out the lines and spent a lot of time waiting around for things instead of taking advantage of the short ride lines and things. The highlight was definitely Sandy Claws....but overall it was a great party!! I was nervous that Betta and my Dad wouldn't like it too much but they both really enjoyed it as well

Next up: HOLLYYYYYWOOODDDD

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7
Today was finally Hollywood Studios day!
We got up around 7 am. My sister told us who the president was and we all were a little bit shocked. I was so in the Disney bubble the night before I didn't even think about it! Well, we wouldn't let it disturb the rest of our trip so on we trucked on. My Mom and I went down to the fake food court, but the line was so long that we ditched it. We checked out the gift shop to see if we could find something to eat but it was closed so we headed back to the room the come up with a plan.
Max was busy playing with Petey and Drake

When everyone was ready we headed back down to the gift shop and it was open so we grabbed some cookies to tide us over. It was still fall at POFQ

We headed to the bus stop after this
I saw a new MK saying bus

Max and I were both wearing Star Wars shirts so we attempted to get a picture with a rolly polly baby

We ended up waiting 45 minutes for a bus
When we did get on the bus my Dad and I had the stroller so we stood in the back doorway. About halfway through the ride I noticed this sign

Oops! Suppose we should stop leaning
We finally made it to Hollywood Studios

Since we didn't eat breakfast we split up because Jill and Deanna wanted to go to Starbucks and my parents and I had our sights set on Starring Rolls
Cupcakes for breakfast? No problem
My Mom got a red velvet cupcake

And I got a Darth Vader cupcake (chocolate and peanut butter)

These were both so good! But so rich! I could only eat like half of it
My Dad had a boring bagel
After this we headed to the Great Movie Ride. Max was sleeping and Deanna and Betta were going to stay off, but since I hate this ride I offered to stay off and everyone else went on. Betta took my camera for some pictures

Next up: Hollywood continued

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
Betta took like 100 pictures on the ride, but unfortunately they were blurry . I will leave you with a few of them anyway.

Meanwhile, I sat with Max outside in the sunshine and noticed that Goofy came out to meet people. Max was sleeping, but I hopped in line anyway

Goofy was so sweet with Max being asleep

I feel like the CMs thought I was nutso, but still went along with it. They said Max was doing a great job smiling

Goofy noticed that Max had a Mickey toy so played with him and then took one more picture

In a previous life I probably would have been so embarrassed about this and would not have done it, but I don't care what people think of me now . I love Disney so much and I love meeting characters so whatever
My family was in the GMR line too long and we almost missed our first FP. Luckily they came out with like 10 minutes to spare so we sprinted down Sunset BLVD, ran to the bathroom and made it with a minute to spare.
Our FP was for T of T!

Deanna was riding with my Mom, Dad and I. Jill and Betta opted out. Deanna wanted to opt out but I wouldn't let her

Next up: T of T continued

 

[DonnaOnTheRocks]

I love your swimsuit!

I was just thinking the same thing! Where did you get it??

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I personally don't run unless I'm being chased

Ha! That is my exact motto!!

 

[DimpledDevil18]

I love your bathing suit as well! I also love all of your Christmas Party outfits. Very cute!

How could you hate the Great Movie Ride though? Well... I guess it is pretty outdated, but its still one of my faves!

 

[DonnaOnTheRocks]

Just caught up and saw your answer about the bathing suit

 

[Big Hair]

Doc, I am enjoying your trip report. I like the way people come in to the picture and the sharing of the magic. Your attention to detail is neat. You have given me a new idea for an integrated vacation. I enjoy moving to different resorts during a trip. Spending time with different guests throughout is a way to give more opportunity for others to come share the magic. A marathon is not in the picture for me though. Kudos to you and yours for experience. I look forward to more of your report.

 

[Doc Disney]

I was just thinking the same thing! Where did you get it??

Just caught up and saw your answer about the bathing suit

Its sold by cocoship if that helps! I love it so much I will probably get another

 

[Doc Disney]

I love your bathing suit as well! I also love all of your Christmas Party outfits. Very cute!

How could you hate the Great Movie Ride though? Well... I guess it is pretty outdated, but its still one of my faves!

Thank you so much! I don't know why I hate it so much, I feel like I would like it better without the cowboy/gangster stuff. For some reason that annoys me. Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies so I do like that part

 

[Doc Disney]

Doc, I am enjoying your trip report. I like the way people come in to the picture and the sharing of the magic. Your attention to detail is neat. You have given me a new idea for an integrated vacation. I enjoy moving to different resorts during a trip. Spending time with different guests throughout is a way to give more opportunity for others to come share the magic. A marathon is not in the picture for me though. Kudos to you and yours for experience. I look forward to more of your report.

Thank you, thats very kind of you to say I did like the experience of different resorts but I still missed unpacking my things and staying at one resort the whole time! I do love talking to other guests and learning about where they come from and sharing stories. I am incredibly shy, but something about Disney really makes me open up!

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
I mean Deanna was really freaking out going on the ride and I kept assuring her it wasn't that bad. Strangely the whole experience made me realize I am not afraid of it anymore so I really enjoyed my ride. I made sure to tell Deanna when we would start and when it was officially over. In the end she said she almost passed out and I laughed but I think she was serious

I took this picture of my Dad after and it looks like a ghost followed him home (like from Haunted Mansion!)

We survived!

We met up with Betta and Jill after this and Max was awake so we got some pictures! Max got spoiled with another plush. We now had little Mickey and little Pluto

Hello Christmas!

We had a FP for Toy Story so we headed there

The line inside was ways shorter than 55 minutes, thats for sure!

Next up: Toy Story continued

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
Max wasn't sure how he was going to feel about this ride (Insert comments about how I hate how blurry my pictures are...)

I love how the ceiling looks like a circus tent

Jill and I rode together

Usually Betta wins Toy Story, but I won this time! Was it because Max hated all the turns in the ride and was squirming around? Possibly. But hey, a win is a win!
After this we tried to get a picture of Max with a barrel of monkeys

After this we split up and we took Max so Betta and Deanna could go on Star Tours
My Mom let Max pick out a toy in the Toy Story shop and he picked Lotso
He was not pleased with all his toys in his stroller. I have no idea what was up with this picture and its weird lighting

We were planning on heading out, but the Star Wars stage show was going to start soon so we stopped to see that before we left

Next up: stage show continued

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued

Last time we watched this show I could not see BB8 at all so I was happy to see him this time! If any of you remember my TR from May I bought a BB8 cup and took pictures of it everywhere

And then the finale with all the peeps together

We were about to leave, but saw Donald Duck with no line so we headed up to see him
Max was like no way jose

Maybe this picture was foreshadowing of Jills engagement

One last picture of Hollywood Studios before we headed out

Next up: relaxing afternoon

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
Oh, but wait. We found more pictures to take on the way out
Max was so pleased about it...not!

He did better with Grammy and Grampy

When we got to to the bus stop the bus pulled up. Yay! Only it was our first time with the stroller by ourselves and we didn't realize how hard it was to fold it up with the diaper bag under it...nor could we get the diaper bag out . In the end it worked out because the bus drivers were changing so we has some extra time. After this encounter Betta stopped carrying the huge diaper bag
When we got back to the hotel we decided to grab some lunch at the fake cafe
My Dad had a Caesar salad

Jill got some beignets. They were good, just not Cafe du Monde good

Don't worry she also got some Mac and cheese too and so did my Mom and I (and Max)

For whatever reason that Mac and Cheese was amazing!!!!! We only ordered kids meals because we were saving room for our dinner later
After eating Betta and Deanna came back and took Max back to the room for a nap because he looked like this

Lotso makes a nice pillow
We headed to the pool. It was pretty chilly with the wind so we just sat and relaxed in the sun. My Mom fell asleep so naturally I took a picture because I'm mean I was going to post it but she will probably kill me so on second thought I won't
We did end up spending some time in the hot tub and heading back to the room
Totally lied and said we did this the day before, but it was this day that our room wasn't ready/they were actively cleaning it and we played some of the games they have out in the gardens

The worth was wait it because Petey and Drake ended up with a swing

Next up: Our night at Hollywood Studios

 

[sheriffwoody]

Ok I got WAY behind! I stopped getting notifications for your report for some reason . Sounds like you guys had such a great time! I was going to make camera suggestions, then I saw you got one. What did you go with?

Also, congrats to your sister on her engagement! It's that time of year...I'm seeing rings on social media everywhere I look. So much excitement! I feel like there were other things I wanted to say as I went, and now I've forgotten them all... oh well. Must not have been too important

 

[Doc Disney]

Ok I got WAY behind! I stopped getting notifications for your report for some reason . Sounds like you guys had such a great time! I was going to make camera suggestions, then I saw you got one. What did you go with?
Also, congrats to your sister on her engagement! It's that time of year...I'm seeing rings on social media everywhere I look. So much excitement! I feel like there were other things I wanted to say as I went, and now I've forgotten them all... oh well. Must not have been too important

I ended up with the Nikon D3400 with 2 lenses (one big one small). Hope thats a good one because it sure cost me a ton of money
It is the time of year for engagements thats for sure. I too have been seeing a ton of them! I am excited for Jills wedding though. I think she secretly wants to get married in Disney but knows thats my thing

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
I wrote that it took us 30 minutes to get back to Hollywood Studios, but I have no recollection so no matter
When we were going through security the one CM said something to me along the lines of "ugh Christmas." I was like what?! And she said they made it Christmas overnight and she's already sick of Christmas music. I totally get it, but as a guest I enjoy the Christmas
Jill and I dressed in clothing that we felt like matched old timey Hollywood. Why? No clue...haha

While I was taking this picture some woman offered to take a picture of the three of us. My Dad was like half behind me and she didn't realize he was with us and we didn't want to make it awkward so its just the three of us

In most trips I almost always do my hair and for no reason since the heat usually gets to me and I put it up. This trip I got lazy and stopped even doing my hair. Hence my hat in ALL my pictures
Anyway, its time for Photopass pictures I busted out my medal again!

We walked towards the old Streets of America and noticed the new PizzeRizzo spot

I know its open now, but it was neat to get a sneak peak of it.
Our final destination was Mama Melroses so we checked in and I said hello to an old friend

Hello sir!
It was packed in Mama Melroses, but our wait was short and soon we were seated
I hope you are prepared for a bunch of pictures of light fixtures. This is where Jill stole my camera and took all these. Then she insisted I post them

Next up: more Mama Melroses...and lights

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
More lights

Who knew Mama Melroses had so many lights!
To drink Jill and I ordered Bellinis

My Dad ordered a beer

Bread!

For dinner it should come as no surprise as to what I ordered @Tuvalu @prfctlyximprct and @LisaBelle know what!
Jill ordered it as well. I was paying for dinner so I told her to treat herself since I knew she was hesitant about spending the money on it
Charred Strip Steak with 4 cheese macaroni

SO GOOOOOOODDDDD!!! I want some now!!!
My dad ordered pork shank...it was a special I think. Sounds gross but he really liked it

Next up: Mama Melroses

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 7 continued
My Mom ordered lasagna

She enjoyed it as well.
We were all pretty full, but still ordered dessert. Even my Dad got into it and ordered a cafe mocha

I ordered the chocolate and cherry tort

Yum!
Jill ordered the cannolis

My Mom ordered the cheesecake

Yum! All of these were so good! We all really enjoyed our meals It was Jill's first visit to Mama Melroses and I am happy she liked it. I still don't get why this restaurant gets such a bad rap
After eating we did some serious shopping in the Christmas and Muppet stores. I needed to find a birthday present for my best friend and I knew I wanted to find something with Kermit on it for her so this was perfect shopping.
Outside the Christmas store

We did some damage in the stores where I got some ornaments, pins and the Christmas bag you could buy with a purchase. Jill bought me an ornament of the ornament ladies who kick their legs in the windows of Hollywood Studios (Please someone tell me they know what I mean....).
WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO THE WATER IN THE FOUNTAIN?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!??! PLANTS?!?!?!?!?!?!

But seriously, I miss the fountain!
We had a FP after this for Star Tours

Next up:HS continued