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.

 

[Tuvalu]

Our Uber dropped us off outside the check-in area. I used the opportunity to inquire about keeping our same room for the next two nights. (We had two separate reservations due to different discounts.) While we waited our turn for a CM, I saw a real-size version of a Big Wheel on the wall and pointed it out to Woody.

Once we secured our room, we wandered into the lobby and marveled at the retro decor on the Pop tree.

Disney never misses a merchandising opportunity!

We got ready for bed upon returning to our room. It had been a long day and there was no temptation (for me) to stay up for fireworks.....couldn’t see any from this room!

 

[ToInfinity]

We just stayed at Pop too to try out the Skyliner! That is good information about the Boardwalk busses. We did not find that out during our stay. We were disappointed though one night when HS closed at 10 and the Skyliner from HS to CBR also stopped at 10! We walked up at about 10:15 and were too late

 

[Tiggerish]

Yacht Club tree looks just as I remember it from several years ago. There was no village then.

 

[Tuvalu]

Zut alors! (That's French for, "say what, now?" )

TiW restricted to lunch? The value just keeps plummeting. I'm disappointed (and that's putting it mildly)

It’s a Chefs de France thing.

The ponytail is brilliant.

Undeniably!

 

[Tiggerish]

It’s a Chefs de France thing

Something's rotten...oh no, that's Denmark.

 

[MickeyCB]

In spite of the motion sensitivity I had on the Skyliner, I was looking forward to riding it at night. Would I feel like Tinker Bell taking flight from the Castle?

Sadly, I didn’t get to find out. When we arrived at the Skyliner, it was closed. Perhaps the gusty winds were a factor?

What to do? We certainly did not want to walk back through Epcot all the way to the front exit and then hike to the Pop bus gate (the furthest gate from the exit, I might add.) Is that what Pop/AoA and CBR guests are supposed to do when the Skyliner is down? There was no signage explaining what to do.

“Uber from Beach Club!” I announced to Woody. A little money could solve the problem.

(We learned the next day that should the Epcot Skyliner be down, guests are to walk or ferry to the Boardwalk and go to the front of the resort where the bus stops are. Buses to Pop/AoA and CBR will be available to transport guests back to these resorts.)

As we entered Beach Club, I might have let loose a gleeful squeal. The gingerbread carousel was in the lobby, and this year’s theme was Peter Pan!

View attachment 430142

Wendy! (Love the ponytail!)
View attachment 430136

Tink!
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Smee!
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Pan!
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London skyline and moon
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Ok, that is awesome! But, I have to confess, until you explained it was Peter Pan I didn't see it!

 

[amjt660]

OK -so much to comment on I had to multi quote this one

Tuvalu not at WL or Poly???

I was fine with leaving stuff on the table. Woody was not. He is a rule follower so our table was kept clear for housekeeping!

Tu we all know that you are a

If you like pillows, this room is for you! There were 8 (count’em, 8!) pillows on the bed to choose from.

And were you able to find one that you liked?

I prefer glass shower doors over curtains too. It seems like you have more elbow room in the shower with doors.

Yes but when you bump your elbow against a curtain it hurts a lot less!

The cabins are very close to the water at this point.

It is a Disney Safety Feature - in the event of a fire your "cabin" will release and fall into the wall , hence extinguishing the flames!

Woody and I joined the other Riff Raff members and entered Epcot through the International Gateway. This time the naysayers were correct ~ the quiet, unhurried and serene IG entrance is no more.

I was not the first overall but I raised this point at Christmas last year when we stayed at the Dolphin

Animal Kingdom may be Nahtazu, but Epcot sure was!!

Well played Tu, you made me literally laugh out loud

In all honesty, this park is a MESS. Inside and outside.

loved that movie

But then the curtain went up ~ and we were treated to RUSHED: A CHEFS de FRANCE DINING EVENT.

And ….. this is why I never want to go back

I can't believe we paid that much for a 15 min meal!

Something's rotten...oh no, that's Denmark.

Me thinks she does (not) protest too much

Max

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Sorry about your bad dinner experience. I generally like Chef's De France.

There were so many details on the carousel that even with careful study, I’m sure I missed a few. I turned my attention to the beautiful lobby tree.

Holy Moly, that carousel is impressive!!! Not only are all those details spectacular but how do they get gingerbread to BEND like that (horse's knees?)))

 

[Swissmiss]

OK -so much to comment on I had to multi quote this one

Tuvalu not at WL or Poly???
View attachment 430277



Tu we all know that you are a
View attachment 430278


And were you able to find one that you liked?


Yes but when you bump your elbow against a curtain it hurts a lot less!


It is a Disney Safety Feature - in the event of a fire your "cabin" will release and fall into the wall , hence extinguishing the flames!


I was not the first overall but I raised this point at Christmas last year when we stayed at the Dolphin


Well played Tu, you made me literally laugh out loud


loved that movie
View attachment 430279

And ….. this is why I never want to go back

I can't believe we paid that much for a 15 min meal!
View attachment 430281


Me thinks she does (not) protest too much

Max

And Max is finally BACK (to his old self). . (I think it is safe to say we’ve all missed Max’s humor when he wasn't here)

 

[Pardonmypixiedust]

I'm late !!
I'm late !!
For a very important DATE!

@Big Hair just informed me of Tuvalu's holiday trip report! Time to sign back in and see the greatest Trip reporter of them all! Wonderful insight as usual. Will be " cherry picking " your TR for our trip dec 23-jan2. This gets me even more excited !

Magic magic magic !

 

[Longers]

I’m late again

Will be excited to read but sad at the same time as I should have been there to ride BTMRR together on my birthday!

So typical that you go in November (when I always go) and for the first time since 1999 I don’t go in November.

Anyhow I will enjoy reading and will be watching the pictures for the weather at it definitely looked like it was cooler than a normal Nov trip.

 

[krisri18]

For you Chick-fil-A fans...

Spark Hope

Spark hope and light the way

www.chick-fil-a.com

 

[DryerLintFan]

For you Chick-fil-A fans...

http://[URL]https://www.chick-fil-a.com/timeshop/

[/URL]

That's really cute. And I love the sample cards. When A is old enough to read this might be something cute to add to her noticing wall.

 

[Rista1313]

For you Chick-fil-A fans...

http://[URL]https://www.chick-fil-a.com/timeshop/

[/URL]

I watched it the other night... very cute... wish I could go to this pop up place in NYC!

 

[Tuvalu]

Gosh, I bet it was cold! Was it as cold this trip as the trip last November when we were both there? I almost froze to death those last two days it hit the 40s!
I hope Pop was quieter for you than it was us our last stay in 08 or 09- we had a colicky or sick baby right beside us.

I think it was colder last November.
Room noise comments coming soon.

But...

Count me in on the fun too!

NPH and Elmo?! Of course I forgive your tardiness! ❤

That’s interesting about signage asking you not to leave anything on the table in your room. When we stayed at POP last year, there wasn’t a sign (and we always left it down...with stuff on it, traveling with a baby — maybe it’s our fault!).

It’s funny you mention the cabins. My twin brother worked as a Skyway CM during his college program in spring 1999. He used to get very annoyed if someone called it a Skyway “bucket.”

“They’re CABINS,” he’d over-enunciate

To this day, he still gets funny about it!

I'll blame you, @PeoplemoverTTA, for the stern room sign!
And your brother's annoyance made me LOL ~ thanks for sharing that!

 

[KMP]

I can honestly state that the inside of the cabin WAS NOT HOT. The ventilation system used to keep air moving works very well when it is 50 degrees outside. We were freezing!

We stayed at CBR so we used the Skyliner quite often. I kept telling my niece that I had the opposite complaint from most people, it was too COLD in there!
Epcot on the 16th was the worst crowd we experienced on the trip. Hopefully it got better for you and Woody from that point!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

For you Chick-fil-A fans...

http://[URL][URL]https://www.chick-fil-a.com/timeshop/

[/URL][/URL]

The Time Shop CFA commercial totally made me cry on Thanksgiving. That and the E.T. commercial.

Sorry for going OT, but I am such a sap!

 

[SharonD]

Oh Boy, getting nervous about our trip next week. We will mostly be in the Epcot area, so will expect the construction chaos, and just make the best of it

 

[Sabrina1705]

Very late!
As always love reading your reports.
Thanks for taking the time to write them and help a little bit to make the year in between 2 trips go faster .

 

[Disney Loving Swede]

Very very late to the party but may I use the excuse I just got back from a last minute trip, although it wasn't a Disney trip we did see a bit of Disney in London I love reading your trip reports to get my Disney fix in between trips. Happily following along!