Trip Report I am Jack's raging excitement

Merry Christmas to all my WDW Magic friends! We just returned from a wonderful 9 days at Disney that was jam packed with fun, food, and of course....these little beauties,

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We truly had many wonderful experiences and of the many trips we have had at WDW , this was one of our most memorable ones. I was eager to get this reported started as soon as we got home, but shortly after our return I was in a pretty bad car accident which slowed me down a bit.

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Thankfully I am ok, aside from a mild/moderate concussion when my head slammed into the steering wheel. The drivers of the other cars were ok as well. But lets rewind to appx two weeks ago when my radiator was not lodged into my engine and C and I were heading off to the warmer temperatures of Orlando!

As usual, we left the house early in the am in an effort to beat Atlanta traffic. We left around 6 am and within minutes there was an update on the radio that the highway was completely shut down due to an accident. We took an alternate route, but so did everyone else who had exited the expressway.

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It normally takes us about 20 minutes to get to Atlanta once we got on the highway, but with the hwy shut down it took a little over an hour. But once we got passed the accident and got back on the expressway, we cruised the rest of the way. A few hours later were in Fla!

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We stopped out or favorite breakfast spot in Gainesville, Maple Street Biscuit, for a quick meal.

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We got our food to go so we would not loose to much time. I'll say this, an ooey-gooey chicken bacon gravy biscuit is even better when its served in a small bowl.

As we got in the car, we noticed this man walking around the parking lot for someone to flash?

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We think he was looking for Phyliss from "The Office", haha.

We like stopping at Gainesville not only for the amazing biscuits, but also because its a little under two hours from WDW so it helps make the last leg of the drive feel pretty short. We take the 429 toll to Apopka becuase there is an awesome Publix we stop at to grab stuff for the room.

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We always get some our our "go to" beers (New Belgium) and I also get an experimental brew as well. Last trip in July I tried the Bimini Row and I was not pleased. This trip I went with Funky Buddha "Top Gun". I shall report on it later...And please note the Vitamin Water. Those who read my last TR may remember my nocturnal IBS and I was not about to let it happen again, lol!!! And C always gets lots of healthy fruits and snacks too!

We also take the 429 so we can exit off Western Way and take the back entrance to WDW which spares us from driving through Orlando traffic and is a much more peaceful drive, IMO.

For the holidays, some prefer to to be beneath the mistletoe, but we prefer to be under these...

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Up next... checking in to our resort!
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
All I have to say is that for your trip so far (from a guest relations standpoint)

Kate >>>> Bartender
That bartender couldnt hold a candle to Kate:inlove::p

Joining in to follow along! Sounds like you guys had an amazing first night at the GF. I would love watching the monorails go by too :inlove:
It never got old. Best of all, it was a standard view so its less points and requesting that side of building would perhaps be pretty easy. C was really looking forward to a nice relaxing bath, especially after spending an hour in Basin deciding which bath bomb she wanted, but it all worked out in the end.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
day 2 cntd...


After lunch we went over to Epcot. I took a Hop Gun IPA for the walk.

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As we exited the lobby, C took a few minutes to check out the gingerbread and cider stand they had open.

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The lobby was definitely in full on Christmas mode with the Gingerbread Boardwalk and decorations.

Weather was great and its always a pleasant stroll to Epcot from BW. We made a left at International Gateway towards Spaceship Earth. We stopped by the tree for a picture.

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Thanks, guys!!!

Next it was time to get our AP magnets over at Mouse Gears. We took a detour through Electric Umbrella so I could check and make sure the talking trash can was still there. And it was..., yay!

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If youve never seen it, its pretty cool. When you push the flap open you can hear all sorts of crazy things. From what I understand, its the last talking trash can on property. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the small details in the parks.


W got to MG and looked around but could not locate exactly where to go for the magnets. I noticed two CM's standing there chatting with a lady (customer) and one of the CM's did not seem to be involved in the conversation and was basically standing there. I asked her where the magnets were and you would have thought I had just kicked a baby across the room judging by the look she gave me. She was apparently upset that I interrupted her from a conversation she was not that involved in. She offered little more than a rude stare and C stepped in and said lets just ask someone else. Soon after we found the magnets.

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A little (accidental) forced perspective in this photo since C held hers at an angle and it looks tiny.

After Mouse Gears we went to TT. We went with a monster truck design.

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And C continued with her theme of assaulting me during the ride photos.

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Up next...more Epcot
 

DisDadWoz

Well-Known Member
We went to MG to get our magnets then someone after us tried to get one from the CM who politely said "its for passholders" and they rudely complained about it. Really?? We had more rude guests while you seemed to have more rude CM's.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
Day 2 cntd...


After TT we trotted over to Norway to grab some beers. I went with the usual Einstock White Ale and C is now all about the Auss ale.

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She would probly be upset with me for posting this picture since her hair is all jacked up after the high speed winds of Test Track.

We were getting hungry so we backtracked to Mexico. We just wanted a good snack and we settled on the nachos from the San Angel Cantina. They were very good.

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I noticed the bubbles in my beer had formed a hidden mickey, sorta

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We had a nice seat by the water so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. After our food we rode Gran Fiesta but I only took a few videos that I posted on Instagram. After GFT we made our way around World Showcase to France Pavilion for some dessert. For anybody that has read my prior TR Im sure you already know what we were going for, lol.

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The macaroon ice cream sandwich! We went with chocolate and it was great. We strolled around fro a bit and then headed back to the room as we were both pretty tired.

Up next, Day 3!
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
Day 3

We had went to bed pretty early and got a good nights sleep. C was watching the grocery store show with Guy Fierry (or however you spell his name). There were several episodes on back to back and she got me hooked on that show. Its fun to watch all the challenges he throws at them.

We enjoyed some coffee on the patio while the Friendships sailed by.

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We headed to Epcot to start the day off.

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As we passed the gondola construction C asked which resorts would it be servicing that dropped off at International Gateway. When I said Pop Century, her eyes became filled with horror. She grabbed my hand and said, "the riff raff are gonna ruin this beautiful entrance". I almost peed my pants laughing so hard at the "riff raff" remark, haha. And please dont judge C. She isnt that snobby (mostly), shes just read too many internet stories of the shenanigans that occur from the value resorts. And its my fault for spoiling her, so if her riff raff remark offends anybody, you can blame me. And now back to the report.

C's magic band lights up purple when she taps it at the entrance to the parks because we are DVC, but mine does not. We have asked a bazillion CM's why mine doesnt and we get different answers each time. Several never even knew about it until they saw it, lol. She always rubs it in my face that hers can do it and mine cant. Heres what it looks like.



After we entered the park, C told me she was chilly and she should have worn pants instead of shorts. I told er we could back to the room but she said we could wait and see if it warmed up. We had a FP for Soarin so we made our towards FW. We stopped in England so she could find a piece to match her set of pot holders.

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On the way to Soarin, I snapped a picture of one of the most annoying things to me at WDW. People who take up the entire walkway and refuse to acknowledge another person trying to get past them. I dont mind if a group of people are enjoying their stroll, but when other people are clearly trying to go around you, just make some room. This group was moving sooooooo slow and was oblivious to us.

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It was still drizzling after we left Soarin and we made our over to the Helley Hansen shop in Norway. I urged C to just get a waterproof jacket so she would stay dry and be a bit more warm and plus she would be able to use much more back at home. After 20 minutes, she decided she would rather go back to the room and change:banghead:.

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Up next...back to the hotel
 

DisDadWoz

Well-Known Member
The guests who take up the entire walkway are annoying. I get you want to be able to talk with everyone in your group but there are other people around you. It's not hard to move over. Many of these same people also don't move when others are walking towards them as well. My Magic Band is the only one in our family that lights up purple. My daughters get so mad that theirs do not. It's quite funny. I was told more than once that the purple is for the main DVC contact. Not sure how accurate that is but it's possible. Was your day 3 a Wednesday?
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
C's magic band lights up purple when she taps it at the entrance to the parks because we are DVC, but mine does not. We have asked a bazillion CM's why mine doesnt and we get different answers each time. Several never even knew about it until they saw it, lol. She always rubs it in my face that hers can do it and mine cant. Heres what it looks like.

Like all of WDW IT, its inconsistent at best. I always go purple at MK and AK but at EC and HS its hit and miss. Also, that CM should have welcomed you home but that's just nitpicky .
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Day 2 cntd...


After RnR we were able to get FP's for ToT but they were not until 5 pm. I was able to use the refresh "hack" on MDE and get the time down to about 30 minutes, yay! We used the time to browse around the shops and C was looking for a certain pin.

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She really liked the Marie toy/scarf thingy. We also noticed the Christmas Train set.

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We had not seen this before and we really like it. We did not put a tree up for Christmas this year since we were travelling but next year we will and we also want to a Disney tree in the dining room. This train is definitely the front runner for the base. The monorail is old hat, lol.

Shortly after our shopping, it was time to check in at ToT.
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I should have bought the Marie scarf for C and perhaps she would not have strangled me.

After Tower, we checked the app and wait times in Toy Story Land were high so we headed back to the room for some lunch. We wanted to take a Friendship since the rerouted pathway was such a long walk but the line for the boats was insane. The weather was nice so we just walked back. We noticed a woman sitting on the opposite side of the lake and it looked like she was painting.
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We figured she was possibly painting the gondola platform that sits behind the pathway? But it was also a beautiful day and she could just be enjoying the location to paint. Back home in Atlanta it was raining and 40 degrees, but it was sunny and 65 in Fla!

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We stopped at Leaping Libations so C could get the mozzarella sandwich. They also serve Stiltsville Pilsner which is a favorite of hers so she ordered one, but as he was pouring it we noticed it was not the beer she ordered. The bartender said it was, but it had a new can. I noticed the beer was amber in color. Pilsner is not amber. I asked to see the can, and of course it was not Stiltsville. The bartender was very "New York-ish" in not only his accent but his attitude. He was not rude, just very slick in his manner of trying to convince C that she would like this beer even though she explained she does not like amber beer at all. He continued with "c'mon, try it, youll like it". I chuckled because C does not respond well to high pressure sales tactics. She is always polite, but will simply shut it down. She just gave him a long stare and said no thanks. He asks me if I want to try it and said he was gonna pour it out anyway. I said sure. Im not a huge fan of amber beer but it wasnt bad. So he hands C the bill and it had the beer on it. I thought he just gave it to us since he was gonna pour it out and I explained I wouldnt have tried if it he was gonna charge us. He said, well, if you didnt like it, I would have let you have it, but since you did, I figured you would pay for it. I just shook my head and paid him. It wasnt that serious but I didnt appreciate the slickness.

I wanted a cheeseburger from the stand on the Boardwalk so we headed overt there. It takes a few minutes for them to make it so we got some pics while we waited. Here is on of me with my amber beer,

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I got my burger and we headed to the room to eat.

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They changed the bun for the burger, or at least that day they were using a different one. It was still good, but it was a bit thick. Hopefully its not permanent. C's sandwich was as good as always.


up next.. Epcot
Wait....did they not have the Stiltsville then? That seems pretty poor customer service, to just decide that you know better than the person who ordered what they want. And then to make you pay for something you did not order because you insisted that's what they should have? Was he just trying to cover his mistake of pouring the wrong beer? Wow...I don't even know what to say to that.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
Day 3 cntd...


We got back to the room and C changed pretty quickly and we headed back to the park. A big reason we love the Boardwalk resorts is the ability to go back to the room from Epcot or even HS which are the two parks we are the most. Its always pleasant walk for us to or from either park. As we headed out, She stopped by the shop in the lobby to check their pin board.

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We took a moment to warm up by the fire with the "nanny chairs".

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And soon we were back at the park.

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I like the Tea Caddy / Twinning Tea little cottage. It just looks cozy. Especially with the Christmas decor.

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C wanted a snack so she grabbed this little number. She was much less fussy with warmer clothes and food. I cant remember what it was that she ordered so feel free to chime in if you know what it is. I, of course, grabbed a beer.

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C wanted a margarita to wash down her snack so theres only one place to go at Epcot for a good (but$15) margarita. The Cave!

They had a new margarita (or at least we hadnt seen it before) called the Diablo. C ordered it and I grabbed a beer. It was probly the last beer i get at La Cava. Not because it was bad, but it was $13 for a draft beer!!! And you can basically get the same beer at the outdoor cantina for $10. Not that $10 is some kind of deal, but i gotta draw the line somewhere. We tookour drinks and enjoyed them out in the marketplace.

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C really enjoyed the Diablo. Especially the spicy salt the put on the rim. She said it was pretty strong too.

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up next , more Epcot.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
Like all of WDW IT, its inconsistent at best. I always go purple at MK and AK but at EC and HS its hit and miss. Also, that CM should have welcomed you home but that's just nitpicky ****.
I think she has gotten the "welcome home" about two times out of the hundreds of entries into the parks. I usually just say it to her myself and then glance at the CM who failed to do so, in hopes they catch my snark.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
Wait....did they not have the Stiltsville then? That seems pretty poor customer service, to just decide that you know better than the person who ordered what they want. And then to make you pay for something you did not order because you insisted that's what they should have? Was he just trying to cover his mistake of pouring the wrong beer? Wow...I don't even know what to say to that.
Ya, it was a bit of a d-bag move on his part, but i was already a few beers deep so i just took it. I have swiped so many extra soaps, shampoos, Disney pens and paper pads from the maids carts each trip that I feel like Im still ahead of them. At least thats what I tell myself as I lay there in bed at 2 am feeling akward going back over that moment in my head and realizing how he got me.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
The guests who take up the entire walkway are annoying. I get you want to be able to talk with everyone in your group but there are other people around you. It's not hard to move over. Many of these same people also don't move when others are walking towards them as well. My Magic Band is the only one in our family that lights up purple. My daughters get so mad that theirs do not. It's quite funny. I was told more than once that the purple is for the main DVC contact. Not sure how accurate that is but it's possible. Was your day 3 a Wednesday?
We have been told that as well, in regards to the main contact having the purple lights. And I dont recall if it was a Wednesday. When Im at Disney, the only thing I am aware of is that its beer 0'clock!
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
I dont mind if a group of people are enjoying their stroll, but when other people are clearly trying to go around you, just make some room. This group was moving sooooooo slow and was oblivious to us.
I have no problem just saying "excuse me, can I squeeze by you guys?" in these situations. Or if I'm in a bad mood, I squeeze by without saying excuse me and instead say "way to take up the whole walkway" accompanied by a side-eye :hilarious:. This is probably my biggest pet peeve at the parks. If my husband and I can walk through most of the park one behind the other, you can too!
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Original Poster
I have no problem just saying "excuse me, can I squeeze by you guys?" in these situations. Or if I'm in a bad mood, I squeeze by without saying excuse me and instead say "way to take up the whole walkway" accompanied by a side-eye :hilarious:. This is probably my biggest pet peeve at the parks. If my husband and I can walk through most of the park one behind the other, you can too!
Exactly! C and I have a code word we use when one of us sees a need to go single file formation to either let people pass or make it easier to manuever through a crowd. Soooo many people will walk 8-wide in a crowd with no regard for space around them.

FYI, our code word is "Senna", as in Ayrton Senna, the Formula One driver who could manuever through anything on the race track. Top Gear did an AMAZING documentary about him. Worth a watch, even if you're not interested in racing, it's an awesome story.
 

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Exactly! C and I have a code word we use when one of us sees a need to go single file formation to either let people pass or make it easier to manuever through a crowd. Soooo many people will walk 8-wide in a crowd with no regard for space around them.

FYI, our code word is "Senna", as in Ayrton Senna, the Formula One driver who could manuever through anything on the race track. Top Gear did an AMAZING documentary about him. Worth a watch, even if you're not interested in racing, it's an awesome story.
hahaha love it...we might have to start using that.
 

Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Premium Member
Exactly! C and I have a code word we use when one of us sees a need to go single file formation to either let people pass or make it easier to manuever through a crowd. Soooo many people will walk 8-wide in a crowd with no regard for space around them.

FYI, our code word is "Senna", as in Ayrton Senna, the Formula One driver who could manuever through anything on the race track. Top Gear did an AMAZING documentary about him. Worth a watch, even if you're not interested in racing, it's an awesome story.

DH loves a good brisk walk. I like the idea of the code word to prevent DH from slowing down if he senses I am slowing down to go single file and doesn’t yet see the obstacle.

I think we’ll go with a different word though. My apologies to Mr. Senna but to me senna is a laxative.
 

Spash007

Well-Known Member
Ugh gotta hate those people just taking up the whole walkway. Especially when they’re in huge groups that “need” to spread straight across (I think the most we’ve seen was 7 or 8 people walking in a straight line across Frontierland :rolleyes:). Only falls behind people who abruptly stop and you have to swerve to avoid running right into them
 

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