Trip Report It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! *COMPLETED*

The soothing croon of Michael Bublé kept reverberating in my mind as I pondered starting yet another trip report. Like summer, the Christmas season makes me happy. Going to WDW during the Christmas season makes me VERY HAPPY. The joy of sharing my trips with my WDWMAGIC friends makes me happier still. Thank you for the encouragement to keep on writing!

Holiday Vacation #1
When: November 16-23, 2019
Where: Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Who: Tuvalu and Woody

Looky! I finally got a Magic Shot!

Okay, so it’s a bit creepy. But it leaves no doubt that this was a CHRISTMAS trip.

In mid-November.

But hey, we had Halloween in August!

And yours truly was very excited to experience Christmas decor at the resorts and in 3 of the 4 parks. (Epcot was still in full “Food and Wine” mode.) It wasn’t always this festive in November. We’ve been this same week in the past and outside of MK, there was very little decorating completed. I was so disappointed the year we stayed at WL (very close to turkey day) and missed out on the holiday stuff. I was worried the same thing would happen again. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Woody, on the other hand, is a “Let’s celebrate Thanksgiving before shifting our focus to Christmas” kind of guy. Growing up, his family did not put up their tree until CHRISTMAS EVE. (Can you imagine?!!) Over the years he has mellowed, thanks to my influence, and better tolerates the Christmas creep. Yet I was concerned that his inner Scrooge might reveal itself during this vacation.

I needn’t have worried. But I’m getting ahead of myself again.

Our week consisted of some new experiences and old experiences....some frustrations....some drama (of course!)....and a very magical meet.

Stay tuned.

 

[Loco_driver]

@Tuvalu is costing you money too!
That restaurant list of yours is getting pretty long
Put Dole Whip on it and step away from the dark side

Dole whip? Never(except sometimes from pineapple lanai)! Also a quick look at the menu suggests @Tuvalu will be costing me a significant amount less than you! Perhaps a TiW card is needed. Of course I could also quit reading people’s TRs before I’ve eaten anything!

 

[krisri18]

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Time to pick up where I left off. (Appreciate your patient inquiring mind, @Disney Loving Swede. )

Monday, con’t

Woody and I walked down the tunnel and entered The Wave. I must confess that any design symbolism with said tunnel is lost on me. Are we going unda the sea? This is not a seafood-centric restaurant. And it’s located inside the Contemporary Resort.....not Beach Club or Yacht Club or Boardwalk, where a water theme would be more appropriate. My best guess is the Imagineers were trying to be creative with the windowless space. (It formerly held the Fiesta Food and Fun Center, a huge arcade and snack bar with double glass doors to the outside providing the only natural light.)

We checked in at the front desk and were told to take a seat until our table was ready.

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The waiting area was very dark....except for the glowing blue lights from the alcove, which provides seating for lounge patrons. (The bar is directly behind the check in desk.)

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I don’t understand stand the protocol of giving your cell number to the host for a “table ready” text when the restaurant is not busy and there are few (or in our case, none) others waiting to be seated. This isn’t unique to The Wave; it happens at other Disney restaurants.

Anyway, less than three minutes after checking in my phone buzzed with the “table ready” text.

The dining area was not as dark as my photo portrays. I liked the wave formation on the chair backs.

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We perused the menu before our server arrived. As I posted earlier there were several dishes that interested us.

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I am kicking myself for not noting our server’s name. He was the pinnacle of professionalism ~ friendly but not chummy; knowledgeable but not snooty; properly attentive but not overbearing (and no “disappearing act.”) In a word, he was GREAT. He provided the kind of service one expects at a signature restaurant (and The Wave is not a sig.) Woody and I felt like royals.

Our meal started with multigrain bread which is baked fresh daily. It was soft and warm. The sea-salted butter spread easily and melted into the dough. We could have easily polished off the entire loaf but did not want to make the rookie mistake of filling up on bread.

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As we waited for our entreés we experienced the only blip of the evening.

The fire alarm went off.

Woody and I glanced around. I immediately had a flashback to our Gran Destino alarm last August. Oddly, no one in the restaurant moved.

“Should we get up?” I asked Woody. He just shrugged. (You may remember he was unperturbed by the Gran Destino incident. )

The alarm sounded for 15-20 seconds and then stopped. It was business as usual in the dining area. We figured our lives weren’t in jeopardy so we stayed put.

Shortly afterwards our food arrived. Woody had the pork tenderloin with smoked cheddar grits. I disdain grits, but I like smoky cheese and had to try a forkful.

Woody was lucky I left any on his plate. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

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The pork was tender and full of flavor too. It would be easy to say I regretted not ordering the pork and grits, but I LOVED my dinner too!

The pan-seared herbed chicken breast was moist and very tasty. The accompanying sauces for the chicken and potatoes were yum-o!

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Woody commented that both of our meals could easily be served at the California Grill (at twice the price) ~ they were THAT good.

As was our previously mentioned server.

Your accolades of The Wave @wdwfamilynh, @lindawdw and @slipperalwaysfits are spot-on.

We’ll be back.

We've only done the lounge at The Wave but we loved it! Our server was fantastic and got me hooked on Rekorderlig hard cider. Took me over a year to find it around here but totally worth it! Definitely going to have to try the Wave for dinner one day!

 

[Disney Loving Swede]

It was worth the wait to find out how your Wave experience was. Luckily I was distracted by an Asien Disney Christmas/New Year trip and came back to find you continued. We had a so-so experience there a few years ago and have been reluctant to go back but good to hear the positive experiences. This inquiring mind is satisfied! Happy New Year!

 

[Tuvalu]

Sounds yummy - I will have to give it a try when I am there in March.

We had no regrets, that’s for sure.

Do you think that entering the mobile number and getting the text "completes the cycle" of the reservation? Maybe that way they know that you showed up and actually used your reservation (and so you don't get charged for a 'no-show')? That might be why it happens everywhere, hey?

I've never been to The Wave... I may have to check it out in September.

Happy New Year!!

I liked your mobile number theory until our international friends disputed it.
The Wave is definitely worth a visit.
Happy New Year to you and Kevin!

We tried the Wave last Christmas trip. The best part, for me was the professional level of service.

Happy to hear you had great service too.

 

[Tuvalu]

Nope.... as if you have a non-US number they either give you a pager or skip it all together and just call you so I don’t think it can be used for that.

You were lucky - on my last trip two years ago one restaurant CM was very rude about me not having a US number and when I asked about a pager was told they no longer used them and it was basically “my problem” for not having a US number!

Wow, that’s awful!
We didn’t have any issues with either pagers or just being asked ( politely) to wait where we could hear our names called either on the trip we’ve just come back from or during our 2018 visit. They have so many international guests at WDW it cannot be an unusual occurrence!

Thanks for chiming in!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wow! Dinner at the Wave looked great. May have to give it another try.

We were glad we gave it another try. Don’t wait a decade like we did!

The Wave looked really nice inside. Nice atmosphere, and I'm glad that you two had a great meal with excellent service.

To Tuvalu and family (with a special New Year's Day shout-out to Tuvalette and Tuvaleen) --

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Awww, thanks @MinnieM123! And a Happy New Year to you and Mr. Minnie!

 

[Tuvalu]

I enjoyed my meal at The Wave in June, and most particularly--yes!! The grits are amazing!!! I was always so-so on grits, but these were so smooth and tasty! I would go there just for them...glad you enjoyed your meal!

I also would go back just for the grits!

Disdain grits? Are you even from the south?

I am the yankee who loves grits!

I may live in the south but grew up a yankee.
For the record I don’t do sweet tea either. Or collard greens.

Both of your dishes from the wave looked pretty great. I do like grits with cheese, I don’t care for them any other way. Looks like I should be putting The Wave on my list! Happy new year to you!

Put The Wave and a TiW card on your list for 2020.
Happy New Year to you and A!!

 

[Tuvalu]

We've only done the lounge at The Wave but we loved it! Our server was fantastic and got me hooked on Rekorderlig hard cider. Took me over a year to find it around here but totally worth it!

Did you sit in the blue-light alcove? Such a unique space.
Jealous that you were able to find the hard cider locally. Cannot find my fave McKenzie’s locally anymore.

It was worth the wait to find out how your Wave experience was. Luckily I was distracted by an Asien Disney Christmas/New Year trip and came back to find you continued. We had a so-so experience there a few years ago and have been reluctant to go back but good to hear the positive experiences. This inquiring mind is satisfied! Happy New Year!

Hope you enjoyed your Asian Disney holiday! And gott nytt år!

 

[Tuvalu]

Monday, con’t

After dinner Woody and I jumped on the monorail to visit the Basin store in the GF. My daughter in law is partial to the vanilla grapefruit scent, which is exclusive to the GF.

Upon entering, I was happily surprised to see the completed Gingerbread House!

No tree yet, but I was content to take pictures of the Gingerbread House.

Each year I continue to be impressed by the size and details of this yummy-smelling creation.

Woody and I heard live music start and turned to discover the new location for the band....

....directly under the Basin store!

We headed into Basin, made a purchase and jumped back on the monorail for our final destination of the night.

 

[Tuvalu]

We’d had no room for dessert at The Wave but now we were ready for something sweet.

The Contempo Cafe is always a good bet for a treat (and a fun spot to watch the monorail glide by!)

@Loco_driver I was so hoping for another Chewbacca cake....but alas, the selections had changed from August.

The dirt cake was pretty tasty though.

(Confidential to @PeoplemoverTTA ~ the paper wouldn’t come off this cake so we dug in with our spoons.)

It was nearing fireworks time so we made our way towards the 4th floor observation deck. It was night #3 of our vacation and I still hadn’t seen any fireworks.

Artists were putting on the finishing touches to the gingerbread display.

The castle theme has been the same the past couple years but I think there were more details this year.

The view from the observation deck was just okay. The best viewing was roped off for a private party, so we had to stand further away....and closer to the hotel smoking area. The soundtrack was piped in which was a nice touch.

Bonus view of the monorail beam!

While not an optimal location, it was convenient and hassle-free.

We returned to Pop for our last night. Check in at Wilderness Lodge tomorrow!!

 

[Loco_driver]

@Loco_driver I was so hoping for another Chewbacca cake....but alas, the selections had changed from August.

I never did try and check for the Chewbacca cake during our trip. My one visit to the contemporary was spent visiting with @Nunu. Time well spent!

 

[Tiggerish]

I may live in the south but grew up a yankee.
For the record I don’t do sweet tea either. Or collard greens.

Well, now I know why I like you so much!

Except that I do like collard greens.

Did you sit in the blue-light alcove? Such a unique space.
Jealous that you were able to find the hard cider locally. Cannot find my fave McKenzie’s locally anymore.

You will recall, I'm sure, that McKenzie's is a New York product. I would be happy to ship to you.

 

[krisri18]

Did you sit in the blue-light alcove? Such a unique space.
Jealous that you were able to find the hard cider locally. Cannot find my fave McKenzie’s locally anymore.

We sat in an alcove, it was comfy and empty! Pretty sure everyone else was at the bar. We were looking for someplace to get a drink, a savory snack, and relax after the dessert party at MK. The Wave was perfect! Not only did I find the cider, I found multiple flavors! Which McKenzie's is your favorite?

 

[Tuvalu]

We sat in an alcove, it was comfy and empty! Pretty sure everyone else was at the bar. We were looking for someplace to get a drink, a savory snack, and relax after the dessert party at MK. The Wave was perfect! Not only did I find the cider, I found multiple flavors! Which McKenzie's is your favorite?

Black Cherry.

 

[krisri18]

Black Cherry.

Excellent choice! I'm with @Tiggerish , we can start shipping it down to you in a box of bubble wrap!

 

[Rista1313]

I may live in the south but grew up a yankee.
For the record I don’t do sweet tea either. Or collard greens.

Where are you originally from? I assumed you were a southern gal! You know what they say about assuming....

I used to like sweet tea... and then hubby and I read something about the sugar content or something of the like and decided we would no longer drink the stuff! I don't like greens either... eyuk!

 

[Tuvalu]

Where are you originally from?

New England.

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuesday, November 19

Two of my most favorite memories of today:
1. The pretty sunshine all day long
2. A magical dinner with special Magicians

We had no plans until the afternoon. It was moving day to Wilderness Lodge and we decided last night not to be in a hurry, just take our time and “be.” As such, I was hoping to sleep in but my internal excitement clock wouldn’t let me. So I quietly read until Woody awakened around 8 am. We got ourselves ready and headed to the food court for breakfast.

Our room in Building 10 faced this area. Couldn’t even escape Disney walls at our resort!

We rounded the corner and the pretty blue sky complimented Goofy’s blue “ocean.”

It was too cold to enjoy the Hippy Dippy pool this visit, but I will say it is my favorite value resort pool.

Does anyone know what this construction is for? I believe it is/was the location for Resort Airline Check In.

Brekkie time!

No excuses for holding up the lines, people, when all you need to know is clearly posted....

....although lines weren’t much of an issue this morning.

The beverage stations were decked out in holiday finery.

The chow. Water and muffin for me, breakfast platter and coffee for Woody.

 

[Rista1313]

You are correct, it was airline check-in... they were working on it back in September as well, from what I was told they are just improving the airline check in area and making it more functional.

 

[Katiekitten]

I might win the award for been the last to the party! But I am all caught up now and I can't wait to see what the rest off the trip had in store for you.