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

MissViv · Feb 18, 2020

O goody, another trip!! Which resort did you pick?

Tuvalu · Feb 18, 2020

Nunu said:
I wonder if a different table can be requested in situations like these, given that you walked past available tables? Were all those tables taken when you finished your meal? If not, I just don't get the reasoning behind this.

myhappyplace said:
My friend and I were once seated back there, after I had told her of the fun shenanigans that go on. We were both very disappointed, though this was back in the day when they served a dish I believe to be called Western Chicken Pasta, that was amazing, and I miss it.

In hindsight I should have requested a table change. There were still open tables in the main dining area when we left the restaurant. The alcove is a good location for those who don’t want to partake in the lively atmosphere and want a quieter meal ~ but that’s not us. Perhaps it was our server’s “turn” to be assigned a table? She only worked in our section.

@myhappyplace Em loved that chicken pasta dish too.

MissViv said:
O goody, another trip!! Which resort did you pick?

WL ❤

93boomer · Feb 18, 2020

Tuvalu said:
More campsites.

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Only an Ebenezer Scrooge could wander the campground and not be filled with wonder and joy. Some displays had music; in the last picture above, colored lights were choreographed to holiday tunes.

The constant drizzle prevented us from remaining longer. But we had big smiles on our faces upon returning to the dock.

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Fireworks weren’t for a couple hours. But there were very few ways to pass the time that didn’t include rain.

A Tuvalu and Em vacation without fireworks??! As unbelievable as that sounds, that’s exactly what happened. We Ubered back to POFQ and booked a bounce back for summer ~ when we hope to remedy our fireworks deficit.

Awww those displays at the campground are really pretty. We've never been over there to see them.

lindawdw · Feb 18, 2020

Seeing the WL is a must do for us also when we visit WDW at the Holidays. Walking into that lobby with the massive Christmas Tree and the big hearth with the fire just warms your heart! I love when the choir sings there too! The new gingerbread house in that lobby is just so adorable too! It's too bad that the hostess sat you in the back away from all the fun at WCC.

I usually ask if they could possible seat us at another table if I'm not happy with the location when at Disney as all they can say is that they can't accommodate you. With the constant rain, I understand why you opted to head back to PORFQ without seeing the fireworks. So nice that you booked your next trip for the summer together so that you have something to look forward to!

Tuvalu · Feb 18, 2020

93boomer said:
Awww those displays at the campground are really pretty. We've never been over there to see them.

The campground can be hit or miss with decorations since it’s the campers who provide the items. We’ve found that the week before Christmas is ideal with earlier in December more of a “miss”. There were no campsites decorated when Woody and I were there in November.

lindawdw said:
With the constant rain, I understand why you opted to head back to PORFQ without seeing the fireworks. So nice that you booked your next trip for the summer together so that you have something to look forward to!

I had hoped that Em could see the great Christmas fireworks but it wasn’t meant to be. We did see fireworks on our trip this month and do have more opportunities to look forward to!

k8einwdw · Feb 18, 2020

Tuvalu said:
The siren song of a sweet dessert beckoned us as we walked by the food court. We yielded to temptation and shared a mini chocolate Bundt cake.

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“Ohhhhh, it’s a CAKE!” My Big Fat Greek Wedding is quoted by at least one member of my family at every cake-eating occasion!

slipperalwaysfits · Feb 18, 2020

Sorry about your bummer dinner, I'd probably have requested a different seat, too.

Tuvalu said:
But the gingerbread cabin smelled like Christmas and Em enjoyed noticing the details on this new creation.

Making magic!

Tuvalu said:
Fireworks weren’t for a couple hours. But there were very few ways to pass the time that didn’t include rain.

A Tuvalu and Em vacation without fireworks??! As unbelievable as that sounds, that’s exactly what happened

UNBELIEVABLE that you didn't see fireworks. Next time, and hopefully it will be drier!

Gurt · Feb 19, 2020

I am all 38 pages caught up, my work emails may need a little more of my attention but you know priorities!

Minnesota disney fan · Feb 19, 2020

Wilderness Lodge is so beautiful! I'm glad you guys were able to enjoy Disney, even with that darn constant rain! It's hard not to have a good time just being there! 5 more days on count down! I left everything til this last week, and now I am panicking. But I will finish, tired, and wishing I had started earlier. Oh well...…. Your reports make waiting easier

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

Gurt said:
I am all 38 pages caught up, my work emails may need a little more of my attention but you know priorities!

Minnesota disney fan said:
Wilderness Lodge is so beautiful! I'm glad you guys were able to enjoy Disney, even with that darn constant rain! It's hard not to have a good time just being there! 5 more days on count down! I left everything til this last week, and now I am panicking. But I will finish, tired, and wishing I had started earlier. Oh well...…. Your reports make waiting easier

Neither wind, nor rain, nor heat, nor cold........can prevent Disney fun!!
I am always in the late-packer club. Always.
Have a terrific trip @Minnesota disney fan! :happy:

MissViv · Feb 20, 2020

Just wondering …. what kind of shoes did you wear during all that rain? It looks like it is going to rain at least a couple of days for our upcoming trip. I have tennis shoes but they are not waterproof. I also have my sandals but that may be too cold for my feet.

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

Tuesday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve

Many people fantasize about waking up in WDW on Christmas Day. We are not those people. However there is something strangely magical for us to be in the MK the day before Christmas. We get the excitement of being in our favorite place thisclose to our favorite holiday, yet still have the joy of waking up at home on Christmas morning. Today was the third time that Em and I have been in the world on December 24th. And as usual, our day started very early.

How early? We vacated our room with all our belongings at 6 am. We stopped first at the Resort Airline Check In desk. Though Em and I both had suitcases that fit in overhead bins, I suggested checking our bags so we wouldn’t have to be bothered lugging them around during our travels later.

(Foreshadowing: the inconvenience of keeping our suitcases with us would have been far less hassle than what we ultimately endured.)

The lobby was pretty quiet.

We were the last to board the MK bus and had to stand for the ride. The forecast did not call for rain today, but there was a constant, heavy mist all morning. And it was COLD!

The park had EMH from 7-8 am with regular opening at 8 am. It was apparent that heavy crowds were expected since CMs were scanning MagicBands before allowing guests to proceed to the tapstiles, where we had to scan in again. Great care was being utilized to make sure ONLY resort guests were allowed to tap in at this time.

All of us were held outside the train tunnel until exactly 7am.

Waiting for rope drop with Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Once through the tunnel, we made a mandatory stop. (No, not the restroom. That was our second stop!)

Remember this picture from page 19?

Told ya you’d get to see the countdown number get really low!

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

Hello, gorgeous!

Once it hit me that the castle lights were still ON (and Callan was nowhere in sight) I made Em stop for a PP photo. I was FINALLY successful in getting the illuminated castle in the background of some PP pics!

One of us didn’t follow directions here. I’ll let you choose which one. (Em and I disagree.)

Time not only stands still at the MK, it goes in reverse!

(Someone should really fix this clock.)

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

For those unaware, the only lands open during MK EMH are Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. When we reached the hub, we noticed the entrance to every land was roped off except for Tomorrowland. CMs with iPads were standing right before the bridge and were scanning bands before letting guests pass.

This was likely a continued crowd control measure, as anyone wanting to go to Fantasyland (for 7DMT) would be dispersed through Tomorrowland first. It was kind of a pain for us, but I understand the reason for the protocol during the busiest time of the year.

Since we weren’t joining the 7DMT queue, we had Fantasyland practically to ourselves!

Em got to pick our first attraction. It will surprise no one.

We enjoyed seeing the interactive standby queue again but were very bummed not to get sprinkled by pixie dust before boarding our pirate ship. How would we fly?

Thankfully the CM waved some dust to make the safety bar go down, and we were able to fly after all.

93boomer · Feb 20, 2020

Tuvalu said:
For those unaware, the only lands open during MK EMH are Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. When we reached the hub, we noticed the entrance to every land was roped off except for Tomorrowland. CMs with iPads were standing right before the bridge and were scanning bands before letting guests pass.

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This was likely a continued crowd control measure, as anyone wanting to go to Fantasyland (for 7DMT) would be dispersed through Tomorrowland first. It was kind of a pain for us, but I understand the reason for the protocol during the busiest time of the year.

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Since we weren’t joining the 7DMT queue, we had Fantasyland practically to ourselves!

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Em got to pick our first attraction. It will surprise no one.

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We enjoyed seeing the interactive standby queue again but were very bummed not to get sprinkled by pixie dust before boarding our pirate ship. How would we fly?

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Thankfully the CM waved some dust to make the safety bar go down, and we were able to fly after all.

Love that picture of Em! The castle looks gorgeous!

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

I got to choose our second attraction. It too will surprise no one.

Seated behind us in the honeypot was a father and his 10-ish son. Dad successfully mortified his boy by making loud, goofy comments and dramatically overreacting at each scene.
“Oh no! Roo’s getting blown away by the WIND!”
“I’m ready to bounce with you, Tigger!”
“Heffalumps and Woozles are SCARY! Aren’t you scared?!!”

Em and I were CRACKING UP!! Had it been our first experience on Pooh, I’m sure the running commentary would have annoyed us....but it made ride #1,437 FRESH!

Em’s turn to pick again.

Surprised? :hilarious:

The CM let us enter via the FP lane, thank goodness. That regular queue is soooo long!

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

Since we were alternating, ride #4 was my choice.

#ShirleyStatus (someone must have known we were coming!)

Em zipped up for our blustery Peoplemover ride!

We wished we’d had a blanket for our legs!

We could have remained on for another loop around the galaxy, but we had someplace else to be.

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

The yucky weather may have kept early risers away from EMH. Em and I were quite surprised by our productivity....4 attractions in under 45 minutes. As we headed for our destination, the park was officially opening for all guests.

There was a brief reprieve from the drizzle. But it was still cold.

We’d been up-and-at-‘em for nearly three hours and hadn’t eaten yet. More shockingly, Em hadn’t had her coffee fix. We were more than ready for breakfast!

I check us in at the podium for Crystal Palace and we were instructed to wait on the porch until our name was called.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

....since Christmastime is here!

We were only on the porch for a few moments before being ushered inside.

Too cute for words!

93boomer · Feb 20, 2020

Tuvalu said:
The yucky weather may have kept early risers away from EMH. Em and I were quite surprised by our productivity....4 attractions in under 45 minutes. As we headed for our destination, the park was officially opening for all guests.

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There was a brief reprieve from the drizzle. But it was still cold.

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We’d been up-and-at-‘em for nearly three hours and hadn’t eaten yet. More shockingly, Em hadn’t had her coffee fix. We were more than ready for breakfast!

I check us in at the podium for Crystal Palace and we were instructed to wait on the porch until our name was called.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

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....since Christmastime is here!

We were only on the porch for a few moments before being ushered inside.

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Too cute for words!

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Ohhh those are sooo cute!!! I love Piglet!

Tuvalu · Feb 20, 2020

We were escorted to a table in the middle of the dining room on the right. Below is our server assisting another guest, before greeting us with orange juice. I always forget Crystal Palace does not serve POG juice and I am always disappointed. However the freshly-squeezed OJ is a fair substitute.

Our waiter was a little too chummy and made odd comments throughout the course of our breakfast which made us uncomfortable. We tried to be polite with his “boundaries breach” but it made our meal awkward. (It was especially awkward when I tried to hand him my Tables in Wonderland card and he shooed it away with a condescending tone, “No discounts today.”)

Piglet and Tigger were in the vicinity so we decided to stay put before going to the buffet. Piglet had a couple tables to visit before ours, but he must have forgotten the order of his rotation as he was headed our way.

“Piglet’s gone rogue!” Em whispered.

Our interaction with Tigger was fun.

Then it was our turn to hit the buffet.

One of our family traditions is to have a cookie with breakfast on Christmas Eve. Em was certain there would be cookies on the buffet. There weren’t. When I saw her disappointment I felt like I’d failed as a mother....I should have planned ahead and had cookies in my purse (purse cookies!) just in case. But Em reassured me she was perfectly fine without a cookie, rendering my “mom guilt” temporary.

Besides there were so many GOOD EATS on the buffet, we wouldn’t have had room for cookies. Steak and egg casserole, cheesy potatoes, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, pastries....and so much more!

The highlight (which I’ve highlighted) being Pooh’s Puffed Toast. :hungry:

(@Matt and Kelly can vouch for it!)

Em and I each made two trips to the buffet (and likely would have made a third if not for fear of a stomach explosion!

) When I mentioned that it was our most expensive Disney breakfast ever, Em declared without hesitation, “Worth it!”

After we’d finished eating, the last two friends arrived.

We had 3 FPs to use in the next 90 minutes. Could it be done before we needed to leave to catch the Tragical?
Wait and see.

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

MissViv

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Tuvalu

93boomer

lindawdw

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Tuvalu

k8einwdw

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slipperalwaysfits

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Gurt

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Minnesota disney fan

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Tuvalu

MissViv

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

93boomer

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu

93boomer

Tuvalu

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

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