Trip Report Let's do Disney, again!

2016 was defintely the "Year of Disney" for my small family. Typically we experience something Disney related every 2-5 years, however this year was a bit different. Between our cruise on the Disney Dream in January, and our WDW trip from 11/27 - 12/2, we got our fill. No worries, though... I can definitely do more.

This is my second trip report, and the characters are all the same. My wife, Amy. My daughter (4), Payton. And myself, Aaron.

Originally deciding to leave out Saturday morning around 4am from our Kentucky home, things got changed around a bit when my wife learned that her work schedule would allow her to get home early Friday. So we drove out around 6pm Friday night (day after Thanksgiving), and made it to Macon, GA. We picked up the next day and went down to Citrus Springs, FL to visit our old neighbors, whom moved a year before to sunny Florida. I'm definitely jealous of them. Very jealous. Such a lovely area and they are 15 minutes from the Gulf Coast. What a life!

We got to catch up with them, and spent the night. The next day we were on our way to Orlando. Our room at Pop Century wouldn't be ready until 3pm or so, so we stopped by Universal and hung out at Citywalk. I'm a pretty big fan of Citywalk itself. I'm a parrot head, so I always run by Margaritaville... However this time we didn't eat there. Instead we hopped on a boat to Portofino Bay and ate some Pizza. We've stayed at PB a few times in the past and it's by far our favorite property at Universal. It's beautiful and has some amazing restaurants on site.

I got a text from Disney stating that our room was ready, so we cut out and drove to Pop Century. I definitely liked the online check in system. How amazing is it we live in a day and age where we don't have to stop at the main lobby to check in? We've got a wrist band that acts as a key, and an automated system that notifies us of our room number. Amazing.

We spent the rest of the afteroon resting up and establishing ourselves at PC. That night we took the bus to Disney Springs. This would be my first time since they've completed construction. It's quite impressive. A lot of nice shops, but still had the original Downtown Disney that we loved. We did some shopping at our favorite store, "World of Disney", and then had supper at the Rainforest Cafe. We ate at the bar (no wait), and we were treated to the drone show while we enjoyed our meal. After a little more wondering after dinner, we hopped back on the bus and went back to PC.

We sat our alarm for 6:30am Monday morning. In all the years we've been to Disney, I've never opened Magic Kingdom. So we got up and drove to MK parking. Unfortunately, the monorail was closed the entire trip for refurbishment, so we settled for the Ferryboat. First time we've ridden the ferry, and it wasn't bad. There is just something about the monorail that gives you that Disney feel. We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 8:20am, so we just hung out and chatted with a nice couple until the opening ceremony started. Afterwards we darted off to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (along with the rest of the park). We were able to get right on, which was nice.

Now I'd like to give you a back story. My wife doesn't ride thrill rides. NONE. I tricked her to ride Space Mountain in 2007 and she nearly killed me afterwards. However, my daughter loves it when we're out driving and we hit a dip that "gets her belly". So I decided that I'd try her on 7DMT and see how she liked it. If it was too much, we'd leave her and my wife to the smaller rides and I'd take care of the bigger ones myself. Now I can go through and give you the play by play, but I'll let this picture do the talking.

So, believe it or not, she didn't hate it. She actually enjoyed it up until the drop out of the tunnel. I think the side to side movements were a little too much. Regardless, I asked her after the ride if she like it. Her response was "Oh yeah, that was fun!" Me: Really? You want to go again? Her: "No, I'm good.". LOL, ok.

After 7D, we took her to the carousel. That's a tradition we started last trip. She loves riding the carousel in Fantasyland. Afterwards, we went towards Pirates of the Caribbean for our first fast pass. Enjoyed POC, then I HAD to hope on the Carousel of Progress. COP is probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite ride at WDW, so I make a point to ride it several times. Other activites of the day included Dole Whip Floats and enjoying parades, Frozen light up the castle, Wishes, and merely walking around enjoying the Christmas decorations.

It was a great way to start off the vacation. We closed MK, and went back to PC. Next day we were on our way to EPCOT.

 

[A W Reezy]

EPCOT is probably my favorite park in all of Disney World. Most folks leave that distinction for Magic Kingdom, but I love the laid back feel of EPCOT... Especially in World Showcase. As soon as we entered the park, we went straight for Spaceship Earth. Now SSE is my favorite ride all time at WDW. I don't know if it's the unique smell that I long for or what, but I am obsessed with that ride. I pretty much have the Dame Judi Dench's script memorize, so I spent our first ride mumbling the ride audio as we were going throughout it, annoying my dear wife. Bless her heart.

After Spaceship Earth, we went over towards Nemo. We didn't have a fast pass, but the queue line said it was a 25 minute wait, and we figured Payton would enjoy it. 25 minutes isn't that bad, so we hop in line. WRONG! When it was all said and done, we waited an hour for Nemo. Which was incredibly too long for that ride, but Payton did like it, so it was worth it in the end. We checked out the aquarium on the way out and then made our way to the World Showcase and our dining reservation at Biergarten.

Biergarten is typically my favorite restaurant at Disney, but I have to admit I am getting a tad burnt out. The meal was good nonetheless, and we really enjoy it at Christmas time watching the performers.

After Biergarten, Amy and Payton decided to head back to the room and rest up before coming back that night. I had made the decision to stay at the parks open to close, so I stuck around and went towards the "American Adventure". Believe it or not, it was my first time there. I don't know why I hadn't taken the time in previous trips to visit the attraction, but regardless I enjoyed it (anything with a history lesson in it I like). I strolled along World Showcase and made my way back to Future World and hit the single rider line for Test Track. Line was probably 5 - 10 minutes, so I rode 3 times back to back. Went across the way to Living with the Land (another one of my favorites) and enjoyed it.

We usually hit EPCOT twice during a week long vacation, so I had made the decision to do the "Behind the Seeds" tour on Thursday when we came back. Living with the Land is a true treasure of EPCOT. if you haven't taken the time to ride it, I highly recommend it. It's more educational and "thrilling", but again, those are the type of rides I enjoy. Plus it's neat to get a look at the agriculture and how it's grown at the Disney parks. After LWTL, I pretty much leisurely strolled the park and rode SSE a few more times before Amy and Payton made their return.

Now, one thing we did do differently this time, is we added the Memory Maker to our Disney package. So we made sure if we saw a photographer, that we waited and got our picture taken. I'm extremely happy we did, but we got some pretty great shots of our small family. Especially some with just Payton!

I recommend the Memory Maker anytime of the year. But especially during Christmas time. We got some great shots with Christmas trees and decorations. Christmas cards will be Disney related this year!

That night we ate dinner, and bascially just did the usual strolling and rode a few rides. We did have a fast pass for Frozen. I was fairly impressed with it and thought it was well done. After Frozen, we hung around the Norway/Mexico area and settled down for Illumnations. Again, I know I'm usually in the minority, but Illuminations is probably my favorite night time entertainment. I love Wishes, and Jingle BAM, but there is something about Illumnations that always tugs at my heart. Especially with the holiday tag added during the holidays. We met a nice couple from Canada that we enjoyed talking with, so that helped pass time. Illuminations didn't dissapoint, and the holiday tag was incredible as usual. The holiday tag has a finale that will be hard to beat no matter where you're at. As we were walking out the park, you could hear the first timers express how incredible it was and how they were not expecting explosion of fireworks. I smile and move along... I was that person once before!

We head back to the hotel and get ready for Hollywood Studios on Wednesday!

 

[A W Reezy]

Hollywood Studios morning started off a little different. Amy and Payton wanted to sleep in a little longer than the previous two days, so I quietly got myself ready and drove out to HS for opening. I went towards Rock N Roller Coaster and hopped on after a short wait. I was able to get a couple of rides in, which I enjoyed. Then I went over towards Tower of Terror. Now, I could sit here and explain my deep love for The Twilight Zone, but I'll spare you the boring details. I will say, I own all episodes on DVD, and i still catch the New Years Day and 4th of July marathons. ToT is one of my top 3 favorite rides at Disney, due to the theming itself. From the moment you enter the queue up until you exit the gift shop, it's perfect. I try to purchase one "Hollywood Tower Hotel" item a trip, so this time I grabbed a mug. This is the second year in the row I came dangerously close to buying the HTH bath robe, but I still couldn't justify spending $75 on a bath robe. Maybe next time.

I had a fast pass for Star Tours coming up so I made my way toward the ride. I still had five minutes or so until my fastpass would be ready, so I took that time and watched a little Star Wars skit that was going on. It was pretty neat. Had a bunch of children doing jedi training, where eventually they would take on Darth Vader and Kylo Ren.

After Star Tours, I got a message from Amy saying they were on the bus almost at the park. So I met up with them at the front of the park and we decided to hit up the Great Movie Ride. GMR is one of Amy's favorite rides at WDW and I had told Amy that rumors were going around that it could be closing soon, so we had better get as many rides on it as we could. After GMR, we had fast passes for Toy Story Mania (always fun) and Disney JR LIVE. This was our first time doing DisJr, and I'll admit I enjoyed it. I've watched enough Sofia, Mickey, and Doc over the last four years to be entertained.

I only wish that they would incorporate some of their newer programs into the area. I went to the Dis Jr shop to find something PJ Masks related (my daughter is a huge Owlette fan), but couldn't find anything. It is possible I didn't look hard enough.

After DisJr, we went over to the Star Wars Bay to visit Kylo Ren. It was a pretty cool experience, and even Amy was intimidated by his presence. Very cool. One of my favorite things of this trip were two Storm Troopers that constantly patroled the park picking on unsuspecting guests. I didn't think I would enjoy such a heavy Star Wars inhabitance in the park, but it really made the day pretty neat. Typically HS studios is a half day park for me, but we ended up staying till close.

I stopped by and toured "Walt Disney: One Man's Dream", and absolutely LOVED it. The only thing that disappointing me, was they didn't have the "One Man's Dream" documentary available in the theater. Instead, they showed a 15 minute preview of Moana. I just assume they were showing the preview and then the documentary would start afterwards. Nope... After the preview they opened the exit doors and let us out. I just sat their like "What!?" LOL! It was all good though. Amy and Payton were waiting for me. They were going to find "Wondering Oaken's trading post". Payton really enjoyed playing in there last time we were in HS. Turns out, it was only a temporary deal in '14. So they just turned around and waited for me to get out. Poor things have my luck. LOL

I had made dinner reservations at the 50's Primetime Cafe for that evening. I had eaten there in 2014, but sat at the bar so I didn't get the full experience. We got right in and ordered. I got the Sweet Tea, and believe me. It was SUPER SWEET. I ended up asking for a water. I had the Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans, and they were fantastic. My wife got the Roast Beef and Potatoes. Out of all the meals we ate that week, this was her favorite. She's all about some homestyle cooking, so this was right up her ally.

So, after we leave 50's prime time, we decide it's probably best that we get a spot for Jingle Bells Jingle BAM. We find a nice centralized spot and sit down for a few moments. After about 5 minutes this nice lady comes up to us and explains they had been up since 2AM (went to Mickey's Christmas Party) and they need to get back to their hotel room and get some rest. Only problem is they had bought tickets to the Jingle BAM dessert party. Since they were a family of three, and we were a family of three, she offered us her tickets. What a nice lady and a nice thing to do! Believe it or not, this was the second time this had happened to Amy and I. In 2010, we were offered tickets to the Illuminations dessert party. We gladly accepted and thanked her. We were able to get our bracelets and entered the Dis Jr. building. We enjoyed a small meal and got to meet Santa Goofy. It was really neat! After the party was over, they escorted us to a special location just for party goers to watch Jingle BAM. It was a terrific experience, and we'll forever be grateful for the nice family that allowed us to take their spot!

After Jingle BAM, we drove back to Pop Century where Amy and Payton got ready for bed. I had decided to drive over to EPCOT and catch Illuminations. I had promised my sister earlier that I would Facetime her the show (she's a huge Disney fan as well). I had a few minutes to kill before Illuminations started, so I caught "O Canada" the 360 experience. It was nice (I had never done it before), and it passed just enough time for Illuminations to begin. After Illuminations, I went back to Pop Century, and got ready for bed. We were heading back to EPCOT for Thursday!

 

[A W Reezy]

The original plan for Thursday was to get up and head over to EPCOT for opening. Amy and Payton were sleeping in again, so I got ready and got in the car. Right before I pulled out fo the parking lot, I had a change of heart and got an urge to hit up Expedition Everest. We hadn't scheduled Animal Kingdom into this trip, but Thursday and Friday were going to be more laid back so our plans could change without really interuppting anything. I texted Amy to let her know and then made my way over to Animal Kingdom. Park wasn't terribly crowded. I made my way over to EE and it was empty. I was able to get 5 or 6 rides in a row. I never mention EE in my "favorite ride at DIsney" lists, but I'll have to admit it's pretty darn fun.

Amy texted me back asking what the wait for Kilimanjaro was, which ended being 60 minutes. Apparently, everyone in the park intended on riding it. She decided they'd skip out and meet me at EPCOT when they head out. After Expedition Everest, I went towards Dinosaur, but it was down. Dinosaur is fun, but not something I'd wait all day for. So I made my way towards the exit and drove over to EPCOT.

Fast passes for the day included Living with the Land, and Frozen Ever After. I got my daily ride on SSE, and then had lunch at the Electric Umbrella. After lunch, I went ahead and hopped on LWTL. As I mentioned before, I really enjoy this ride. One thing I have never done before, is the "Behind the Seeds" tour. After the ride, I checked at the counter to see how much it would cost to take the tour. It was only $17 (I'm a Disney Visa holder), so I went ahead and purchased a ticket.

The Behind the Seeds tour was probably one of my favorite things about this trip. We even got to feed the fish! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys agriculture or horticulture. Our tour guide, Becky was great. Very informative and taught us several tricks that we could take home with us. This actually has inspiried me to grow my own garden. Hopefully that motivation will hang with me until Spring!

After enjoying the BTS tour, Amy had texted me that they were near the park. So I met up with them, and got another ride on SSE. Payton claims this is one of her favorite rides as well, which made me really happy. We ended up making our way into World Showcase and I showed Amy the Mexican pavillion. She'd never been in there, so I had to share with her it's beauty. We also got a ride on the Gran Fiesta tour. We got our second ride in on Frozen Ever After, and then went to Via Napoli for our Dining reservation. We got a large pizza with Pepperoni, Chicken Sausage, and Cherry Tomatoes. It was amazing! First time there, and certainly won't be the last.

We ended out the night with one last trip on SSE, and Illuminations. Sad to say we only had more day left, and we were going to end our trip at Magic Kingdom.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Nice report so far!

 

[A W Reezy]

Ahh... Day 5. The last day of our trip. I woke up slightly depressed, which was probably a bad thing since we still had a whole day in front of us. But I probably don't have to explain to you all how I felt, because I'm sure most of you understand. We got up and drove straight to the Magic Kingdom transportation center. The monorail had been down all week, and today was no different. So we lined up for the Ferryboat. Bless the CM's heart that have to work crowd control there. If you've never taken a ferry to MK, there are two boats. They separate one huge crowd by rope and the folks didn't make it inside the rope get taken to the second ferry. Well, way down in front (right in front of the dock of a boat about to come in) I saw a woman grab her kid by the hand and try to run from one ferryboat line to the other. The CM working ran down to her and advised her to stay in line and that he assured her that if she stayed where she was that she would make it to MK before the other group. She threw a fit! I couldn't hear much because we were kind of far away, but I saw hand flailing, and the CM calmly try to explain to the woman that to keep order, she must stay put. I felt so bad for him... There is no telling what that poor boy's blood pressure is whenever he leaves work... But it must be pretty high.

Anyways, we get to the park and head straight to Be Our Guest for our breakfast reservation. This was our first time eating at BOG and it was terrific. Unfortunately, we couldn't get lunch or dinner reservations, so we settled for breakfast. Which was quite alright as I enjoy a good breakfast. After ordering we found the nearest table and sat down. I decided while we wait to look around. What a neat area!

I ended up getting a dish of meats and cheese, which I thought as unusual for breakfast, but nonetheless sounded good and it was. We enjoyed Breakfast and made our way to "Winnie The Pooh" for our first fast pass of the day. After WTP (which Payton loved BTW), we made our way to the Haunted Mansion. HM had been down all week for refurbishment, but luckily opened up on Friday. This made me super happy as Haunted Mansion is one of our favorite rides at Disney. We made it at the right time, because it only had a 30 minute way. Now, I don't know what happened, but as we got to the gate where you turn off into the cemetery (where the organ and statues are), a CM opened the gate right in front of us and hurried us along. So basically, we only waited about 15 minutes instead of the predicted 30. I don't know what the deal was, but I certainly wasn't going to argue.

We loitered around after HM (we were going to get on again, but the line had extended past the canopy), and we eventually ended up back in Fantasyland. Payton saw the Tea Cups and wanted to ride them, so I took her on.

Payton and Amy went back to the hotel for a few hours to rest up for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, but as typical I stuck around in the park. I got my last rides on Carousel of Progress in, as well the last showing of "The Hall of Presidents" with President Obama.

When Amy and Payton came back, we went ahead and grabbed our wristbands for the Christmas party, and then grabbed supper at Cosmic Ray's. Payton was mesmerized by Sonny Eclipse, she boogied away. When the Christmas party started, we made our way towards the castle. We actually found a great spot in front of the castle, so we hunkered down and waited a few moments for Elsa to light up the castle and for Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration show to begin.

This was our first time doing the Christmas party, and it was a BLAST! Between Panchito rocking out during Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration, and the Christmas parade, I couldn't think of a better way to end our trip. In fact, we didn't even ride anything during the Christmas Party. Shows and events were so close together, we decided to keep our spot and just enjoy the night. We had a long day of driving the next day, so we decided to go ahead and leave right after "Holiday Wishes".

We had a GREAT trip, and I've had the "Disney Blues" ever since. Thank you for reading my trip report, and hopefully I'll be able to fill out another some time in the near future!

 

[A W Reezy]

Nice report so far!

Thank you! I typically will do a trip report on my computer so in the years coming our daughter can look back and see what we did. Thanks for reading!

 

[MinnieM123]

Thank you for sharing a very enjoyable TR. Your daughter is adorable. It must be so much fun for you and your wife to see her reactions to everything, and you're making happy memories for her to cherish.

 

[A W Reezy]

Thank you for sharing a very enjoyable TR. Your daughter is adorable. It must be so much fun for you and your wife to see her reactions to everything, and you're making happy memories for her to cherish.

Oh yes, seeing her reaction to everything was terrific! Thanks for reading!