Trip Report LIVE-ish TR: The One With Holiday Cheer 🎅...and Plantar Fasciitis

Hey there!

Well at long last, the day has come - in a few short hours, we’re heading down to WDW

I am doing this on my phone and I can’t get GIFs to work unless I’m on my Mac, so alas, for now it shall be texts and emoji

If we haven’t met, Hi , I’m Diana, a 39-year old marketing consultant. I’m flying from Buffalo to Orlando with my crew:

Todd (45) - My awesome husband
Brandon (15) - My “I hope he’s not too cool to geek out now” stepson (he hasn’t been to WDW in 3 years, so we’re nervous he’ll be all teenager-y )
B (1.999) - She’s turning two the first week of January, so I can’t quite say 2 yet! Also, I shared Todd and Brandon’s names and pictures here almost 6 years ago so I’m rolling with their names. I’m trying to give my daughter a little privacy though

We are staying at CBR (Pirate room) with the dining plan. For the full itinerary, check out my PTR .

We are getting up at 2:45AM for a 5:30 flight. Wish us luck

I did splurge today and book a Minnie Van from the airport. I think my daughter might sleep, and after our luggage being “lost” for 8+ hours last year, I like the thought of picking up our bags and leaving them at bell services so we arent at the mercy of DME.

I am calling this “live-ish” because I’ve really enjoyed the live TRs from folks lately, and I thought that live might capture some holiday vibes. But, they’ll be sporadic when I have some downtime. I’ll do full write ups here when I get home (and before I go back to work on 12/30 so I don’t drag this out like my wedding TR! ).

 

[jsweatte]

I was also wondering the same thing.

Leuko tape P is very very strong, you can't stretch it, and it STICKS tenaciously. The manufacturers site instructs you to use it with 'cover roll stretch' tape. The cover roll tape is supposed to go on your foot first but it is flimsy and I had no luck getting it on right so I skipped it. I didn't realize that leuko tape can pull your skin off so I ignored the manufacturers instructions. After I pulled the leuko tape off for the first time, with some skin, I started using coban (https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...lf-Adherent-Wrap/?N=5002385+3293321980&rt=rud) in place of the cover roll tape, then applied the leuko tape over the coban.

Here is a link to the manufacturers site that recommends using the cover roll stretch tape (https://www.bsnmedical.us/products/...herapy/leukotaper-p-rigid-strapping-tape.html). You don't have to use the coban/cover roll tape to get the benefit of the wrap but I would suggest you use it.

I left my foot taped for several days, I don't think that is recommended, as it was such a pain to get the wrap right. You can shower with it on your foot and it won't loosen, though it does absorb water. If you opt to use the tape and do the low-dye wrap I'd suggest you use the wrap before you get to WDW as it takes a bit of getting used to and getting the low-dye technique right takes some practice. Be careful not to wrap too tightly, the leuko tape does not stretch.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Hey - one more quick post before I dig in. I'm just waiting on my husband so he can share all his pictures with me. He took a bunch that aren't on my phone! I promise, this one won't drag on for 5 years like my wedding TR

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Here we go!

Day 1 - Tuesday, December 17

This was the day I had waited for and planned for months! Getting up at 3am with an almost-2 year old is sure to be a breeze, right?

Right?!

Well, not so much. I had packed for myself, Todd and B the day prior, and Brandon's mom dropped him off around dinnertime so that he could pack, so that was all set, at least.

I just had to wake up my poor baby at 3:30 in the morning

She was surprisingly okay with it, though. We bundled her up and hit the road for the 15-minute drive to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (Todd had already loaded the luggage so B could get as much sleep as possible).

First, we waited in line at the Southwest counter for B's boarding pass (last time she flew for free, lol) and to check our bags. Then, we went through the TSA Precheck line at security (Goodness, that was some of the best money I have ever spent!).

On the way to our gate, B had a BLAST playing with this guy -- she actually has the pilot figure at home, along with a plane toy. Fisher-Price is headquartered nearby, so they had a few of these play areas at the airport.

We actually lucked out and landed A boarding passes without paying for EarlyBird Checkin, so we didn't have to board between A and B - score!

We basically had time to get to the gate, sit down, change B's diaper in the nearby restroom and get in line before boarding, though. I didn't want to get up too early,. especially since TSA Precheck doesn't open until 4, but it was a bit rushed with a toddler. Lesson learned!

Todd took this picture before takeoff. My goodness, I look tired. B adores her brother, and of course wanted to be on his lap. He has four brothers at his mom and stepdad's, so he is a trouper when it comes to his sister.

So, a little about me -- I was a passholder between 2004 and 2016. I used to take solo trips quite a bit, then trips with Todd and eventually the three of us for and after our wedding trip. I have a travel "style" that is minimalist and low-key to avoid unnecessary stress.

But then I had my own child (by birth). So yeah, that has changed Last summer, we learned that traveling with a baby really slows you down. But, she was pretty darn chill the entire time.

Um, so toddlerhood brings its own set of lessons! B didn't sleep (darn), and watched some of the Minnie's Bow-toons I had loaded up on my iPhone. But she is almost 2, and she didn't appreciate being on our laps for just about 3 hours (including de-icing, ugh). I can't blame her. She was fussy. Not screaming, but whiny for sure. And so tired. Poor kid. SUPER bad planning on Mommy's part, and lesson learned for sure.

This SAINT of an older woman behind us stopped me as we were about to deplane and told me she couldn't believe how good B did on the flight. I knew she was lying through her teeth, but wow, did I appreciate her kindness

This is getting a bit wordy, so let's get to the good stuff already

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 1 - December 17 (continued)

We had stopped after deplaning to change B's diaper. And I of course had to get Brandon's picture in front of the "fonorail" wrap:

The day prior, I decided to splurge and book a Minnie Van pickup from the airport. OH MY GOODNESS WAS THIS MONEY WELL SPENT!

I hate checking bags and usually only take carryons, but figured we'd have to use them here. Having Bren (Brandy, but her badge said "Bren," so I'm guessing that's what she goes by) there to help us with bags was so wonderful. Plus Brandon -- this is a recurring theme, but my stepson is the BEST kid in the world. I know I'm biased, and he had plenty of "teenager" moments, but he was just such an amazing helper in so many ways, without ever complaining

Even though Todd is the car guy, I convinced him to let me ride shotgun Bren met us at baggage claim and we were in our 2019 Suburban (I think?) within about 10 minutes from coming down the escalator.

She took a few minutes to set up a forward-facing car seat for B, and we were on our way.

First of all, Bren had sparkling water, bottled water and I believe snacks back there -- I took the sparkling water, since I was totally parched. Todd and Brandon enjoyed some drinks in the back. Bren also pointed out that there was a wireless charging pad on the console, so I hooked up my iPhone

Bren put on Disney cartoons for B on the TV (so cool!) and she was out within minutes. Todd and Brandon were in the third row and keeping to themselves apparently, because chatty moi was chatting it up with Bren - I am my mother's daughter!

Here was Todd and Brandon's view:

While chatting with Bren, I found out that she traveled the world with my brother's good friend (he met while they were CPs) as friends of Mickey and Minnie. It truly is a small world!

Soon enough, we arrived at Caribbean Beach. I had already received a text that our room wasn't ready, so we left our bags at bell services and got some breakfast before heading to MK.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it in this thread, but Todd and I (and B) are plant based. Todd had a 99% blocked artery when he was 41, and we made the switch. His heart disease has thankfully reversed, and we love eating plant based in WDW -- we ate like a king and queen for sure!

To start, here was the Plant Based Harvest Breakfast (vegan and GF Mickey waffle, Beyond sausage, breakfast potatoes and Just Egg):

B was slightly refreshed after her nap, and ate a little bit (we had pouches and B-friendly snacks to be sure she had something when she decided to be picky):

Oh another thing I am so grateful for -- disposable bibs and placemats! I ordered them on Amazon a week or two before the trip, and they really came in handy. I hate being wasteful, but life with a toddler necessitates disposal stuff sometimes.

On the way out, we waited while the boys freshened up a bit. B was in LOVE with this Christmas tree by the bathrooms We had been working on "look, don't touch" with our tree at home, and she did very well. People kept passing by and saying how amusing it was that a toddler could be so infatuated with a tree

From there, we left Old Port Royale and waited for a bus to MK.

And waited...
And waited...

Apparently we just missed one, and the board didn't show when the next one was coming (that happened a lot this trip). Ah well. It did finally come, at least!

I felt bad that B was so cooped up, so we let her roam a little. Did you know that little holes in concrete that have sitting water in them are FASCINATING?! Well, you do now!!

Coming up -- yes, we do eventually visit a theme park today!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 1 - December 17 (continued)

Todd took this picture of B and I on the MK bus. am running on pure, Disney adrenaline at this point

Oh, and it's worth mentioning that it was an unseasonably-warm 85 degrees this day! We were dressed for the rest of the trip - 50s and 60s into the low 70s, so it was a little uncomfortable that first day B gets flushed super easily (like her Mommy) but don't worry, she was fully hydrated and cooled the entire time!

FINALLY!

We had FPs for BTMRR, so we had to hightail it past the tree in order to make it. We weren't spending a lot of time in the park today, and I didn't want Brandon to get stuck with just kid stuff -- this one was for him.

I did try to snap some pics of the decorations on the way, though -- it's a good thing I did (oooh, foreshadowing...)

We made it within a few minutes of our FP time, and used rider swap so that Todd and I could each ride with Brandon (he made out so well with thrill rides on this trip because of his sister!). Todd and Brandon went first, so B and I hung out on a bench. It was SO hot and humid. It did not feel like December in Central Florida, for sure!

Within about 15 minutes, it was time for Brandon and I to experience the wildest ride in the wilderness!

I do not take flattering selfies. I always end up looking like Buzz's girlfriend from Home Alone

From there, we made our way over to our next FP, for Storytime with Belle. This one was definitely for B!

I coined this pose/angle the "Mitchell Family Selfie" (so incredibly original, I know), since we did this a LOT during the trip! Brandon looks miserable, but he wasn't angry...just apparently not smiley

B was too young to participate, but she was really into the story and was super excited when Belle came out (she has a Belle Little Person figure she loves, along with the other princesses). The CMs were awesome and asked us if B would like to meet Belle after, to which we of course said yes!

We look sweaty and exhausted, but here you go (B can't keep her eyes off Belle, lol)

Next, we had to cross MK to stop for lunch at the Crystal Palace. B loves Pooh, so I was especially excited for this one.

Brandon kept B entertained while we waited on a bench:

We waited about 20 minutes or so, and then were finally seated - yay!

I requested soy milk for B and water for myself (it was so hot and I didn't want any booze yet), then went to load up my plate for B.

I wish I could remember what this lentil shephard's pie thing was called, but it was AMAZING. B loves green beans and broccoli, and mostly ate those, but did eat some of the loaf. She also loved the house-made pickles. Everything on the menu that was plant based (no meat, dairy, eggs or honey) was clearly marked with a leaf symbol, so it was super easy). Here is B's plate:

She's in a picky eating phase, but she ate surprisingly well!

Soon, Pooh came over. B was SO excited when she saw him coming, then....nothing This was pretty much par for the course this trip. Pooh really gave it the ole college try, though

I went back and got a plate for myself with mostly the same foods, although they had some tasty rolls too. Then, we ordered dessert. Todd had the vegan ice cream, and I had the plant based spice cakes -- they were pretty tasty! When the chef brought them out, she asked us how we liked the plant based options and we provided her with some positive feedback. Whenever we met a chef, they went out of their way to ask us how we enjoyed our meal - it was so nice!

Ice cream (my hands seem to be holding my phone very awkwardly in the mirror ):

Coming up -- the end of a short day!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 1 - December 17 (continued)

Oh, and here were my spice cakes - they really were good! Although I couldn't figure out how to get the wrapper off...I thought they were like cupcakes? Finally. I gave up and just ate with a fork out of the tiny wrapper. It was strange (or I'm strange...or both!)

From there, we had one more appropriately-planned FP -- Pooh!

Oh wait -- I forgot more characters at CP! I love B's expression with Tigger:

I can't find the Eeyore pic, and even though we were there forever (it took awhile for the desserts to come out), we never met Piglet. Is he still there?

Anyway, to Pooh!

Todd and I switched off riding with B, and Todd said I could ride with her for Pooh, while he and Brandon sat in the back. Apparently, he took pictures --

Wow, those heffalumps are TRIPPY:

As we were getting out of the ride vehicle, B started to cry. Yes, she liked that ride -- this would be another recurring theme. We knew she liked something if she cried when it was over!

On the way out, we had to buy her a Pooh plush (I think the heat and lack of sleep were catching up to us by this point ):

We were exhausted and the park was closing in a few hours for the party anyway, so we headed back to CBR after a carefully-designed short day.

Coming up -- a look inside the pirate-themed room and life far, far away from anything at CBR

 

[Tuvalu]

You aren’t cupcake challenged....most of the smaller Disney cupcakes (like those at BOG) cannot be unwrapped. You need to plunge in with a fork or a spoon to eat them!

And Piglet was at Crystal Palace on Christmas Eve.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

You aren’t cupcake challenged....most of the smaller Disney cupcakes (like those at BOG) cannot be unwrapped. You need to plunge in with a fork or a spoon to eat them!

And Piglet was at Crystal Palace on Christmas Eve.

View attachment 438065

I feel so much better about the cupcakes -- just...why?!

And what the heck about Piglet?! We were there almost 90 minutes, I asked my husband to be sure I was remembering it correctly. One of us was always at the table, and we never even saw Piglet. I wonder why!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 1 - December 17 (conclusion)

Oh hey I found Eeyore!

At this point, we had been up over 12 hours and were extremely eager to get to our room. I had to meet the delivery person for the toddler bed, so I hopped off the bus at Old Port Royale while Todd and Brandon stayed on until our room. Pickup for the bed was easy, and I asked a bell services CM to help me to our room with our bags, the bed, and our groceries. He had everything loaded up before I even picked up the bed (despite me telling him it was no rush).

I didn't realize that there were no elevators at CBR -- that poor CM! It was nice, though, he drove me along with the stuff to the room in a van, and brought everything up to the room quickly (I should have followed him, I didn't see the staircase and walked about 3x further than I needed to ). I tipped him $20 for being so amazing

I came back to a room where B had pretty much taken ownership and moved in, while Todd and Brandon sprayed everything down with Lysol (I have trained them well ). The boys were very impressed with the theming:

B especially enjoyed the new digs!

Once we were settled, I ordered some food using Mobile Order from Centertown Market, and the boys went to pick up the food. We didn't do this again -- they waited for a bus instead of walking, and it took them 20+ minutes to get there. They walked back, which took 15 minutes. It was just too much of a pain to do anything at the resort (although it was a bit more reasonable to the Skyliner).

I had Curried Garbanzo Bean sandwich, Todd had the basic Beyond Burger, Brandon had a pizza and B had plant based tacos. Other than Brandon enjoying his pizza (because, well, pizza!), none of us was impressed at all with the food.

Todd and I did have these, though, which saved the meal:

Specialty Frozen Tropical Colada
Plantation Original Dark Rum blended with Mango Purée and flavors of Coconut and Pineapple



It was a long, hot day and yes, only about 5:30ish by this point, but we were zonked and the drink was refreshing and tasty

After that, we called it quits and got ready for bed. By the time we were unpacked and organized, it was about 8. B fell asleep pretty well in her toddler bed, but woke up around midnight (I couldn't sleep anyway, lol). She seemed to panic she was in a strange place. We had requested bed rails on our reservation and they weren't there when we checked in, but Todd and I made an executive decision to try and bring her in the bed with us, since she was so scared and wouldn't go back to sleep. She is SUCH a good sleeper, and we've never had her in the bed with us, we figured we'd give it a try. She slept...well.

I on the other hand, shared the bed with now TWO bed hogs At one point, she was completely horizontal (mind you, these are only FULL size beds!), and I was holding myself up (hanging off halfway) by the bed frame, and one hand braced on the headboard.

That is love, People. And motherhood, in a nutshell I slept about 3 hours, combined. But at least B slept like a log. Poor kid.

Lessons I learned on Day 1:

- The pirate rooms look neat, I guess ( Brandon had a big Pirates phase when he was about 10 and dug the theming), but they are super run down (and not thematically), and not up to the standard of other moderates, IMHO. They are also extremely far from Old Port Royale, and internal bus transportation was majorly inefficient. Spoiler alert: Although it was fine enough, we are definitely not staying at CBR again.
- I will never, ever book an early morning flight again. At least until B is a teenager . From now on, we'll fly in the afternoon and have a low key night so we can start our trip rested.

Coming up -- Let's head to the land of walls...

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 19
EPCOT

This morning, it was time to experience the primary reason we booked CBR - the Skyliner! I am not a fan of heights -- roller coasters are fine, ToT is fine, but ferris wheels are a BIG no for me. So I was a little apprehensive. Todd and Brandon have been excited about it for months, hence giving CBR a shot.

We took the internal bus to the Skyliner station (waiting about 10 minutes, then it was only 2 stops -- pretty much the only efficiency of the trip. We'd soon discover that it was around a 10-minute walk to the Skyliner station, which I opted for despite my foot pain).

Speaking of foot pain. It held steady at about a 7 or 8 on Day 1, with 25k+ steps. In other words, bearable, but barely I didn't want to be a drag on my family, though, so I hobbled and tried not to wince too much!

The Skyliner station is, I think, very pretty. It's also super well organized. Everything moved swiftly (no pun intended -- I mean the lines!), and was just so efficient! We waited about 90 seconds before boarding.

It was COLD today. From 85 to, I kid you not, the 50s! It was also super windy -- great time for a first ride on the Skyliner

We took lots of pictures, but apparently none of them shows which wrap we had -- oh well! This is also the only time we had to share a Skyliner cabin with another person. She got off at Riviera.

We stopped for about a minute on this ride. The only time we stopped during the trip as well (we took, I believe, 7 trips on the Skyliner). With the wind...let's just say it was interesting

But what was really interesting is that I was completely fine, while the two boys were a little freaked out. Seriously?!? Not scared or anything, but unsettled by the wind. When we arrived at Epcot, we all were a little wobbly, except B.

The line to enter at International Gateway was definitely more congested than when we've stayed at BW, but it was only a few minutes. We were all hungry, so we decided to head to The Land for breakfast. There really weren't many options for a plant based breakfast, and this was vacation, darn it, so Todd and I had...

This amazing cupcake!

You wouldn't miss the dairy or eggs, trust me. It was amazing. I didn't think it was fair for us to have cupcakes and force Brandon to have eggs or something, so he had a cinnamon roll. He asked if he could have a cookie later, and I told him to get one now -- it was exactly 9am Parent of the Year

Here's the thing -- I was 5 on my first trip to WDW. I vividly remember waiting outside in line for JII (the original, of course -- and yes, a line outside, this was 1986!). It was so hot (July), and my parents asked us if we wanted ice cream. It was still morning. We couldn't believe it -- ice cream for breakfast?! My mom and dad smiled and said, "In Disney World, we can have ice cream for breakfast."

So I wanted to spread a little bit of that magic.

Plus, I was exhausted from "sleep" with a bed-hogging toddler and needed the sugar

The boys had FPs for M:S (I didn't want to do a rider swap for this one), so they headed that way while B and I decided to stop by the temporary (and now gone, I believe) character spot.

While we were in line, she kept pointing to everyone and yelling "See, see!" She was so excited

Then, we actually got up there Actually, though, these were some of the best shots of her with characters on the trip!

There were only about 3 families in line ahead of us, but it took over 15 minutes before we got up there. B was surprisingly patient. By that point, when we walked over to M:S, the boys were just arriving in the gift shop. Good timing!

I asked Brandon if he wanted to ride T:T in the single rider line, and he was game (let me reiterate how awesome it is that he had no problems with the single rider line ). I told him we may end up in the same car anyway, and we did (except you can hardly tell with his hood up -- it really was cold!). Oh, and yes, I'm THAT annoying person apparently, who waves for pictures

Brandon loves Corvettes, so we grabbed this picture on the way out:

Next: More Epcot!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 18 (continued)
EPCOT

I'm not sure if I've mentioned, but Todd is a "car guy." He has owned several classic Mustangs and an 80s Trans Am (That he modified to look like the Knight Rider evil version of KITT, KARR -- he even had Fred Frees, son of Paul Frees, record some bits for it to play. Paul Frees was the voice of KARR in his second appearance on Knight Rider. Sorry for the nerd alert there )

As we were heading into the main post show, I asked Brandon where he thought Todd might be. We both knew he'd be looking at cars. I snapped this before he knew we were there. Showing B the finer points of a Silverado (I think).

I asked Todd if he wanted to do the single rider line with Brandon and get in a ride now, even though we had FPs at night for Friday. He passed.

Oops, just found this shot from Todd of him and Brandon on M:S:

Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, TT. For someone with plantar fasciitis, I was doing a LOT of crisscrossing parks so far. So unlike me, but traveling with a toddler changes so much! We wanted to head over to Nemo before it got busy. The line was only about 10 minutes.

B rode with Mommy on this one, and loved it. She has board books of Dory and Nemo, and while I pointed out Dory and she gabbed and pointed the entire time, I'm not entirely sure she got the connection. Either way, she loved it

Now, it was time to head over to a sentimental favorite -- JII. Poor B's hair had massive static most of the trip

B rode with Daddy on this one and didn't show much emotion during it. I wasn't sure what she thought...

Until she cried when it ended. Yup, she loved it!

Brandon looks so serious here, lol:

Which of course meant we couldn't leave without one of these...

I am completely secure in acknowledging that, while B loves her stuffed animals, Todd and I were more excited to buy them He was mad they didn't have Figment in his yellow sweater, though.

When B would get frustrated or was overtired the rest of the trip, Mommy had to sing "One Little Spark" with Figment to make her happy again. I think I mentioned that we had been listening to the WDW Official Album for months leading up to the trip. It was so fun to watch her realize that Figment on screen (and now her stuffed animal) was the Figment she heard singing the song. Those little moments, and connections, are so amazing to watch as a parent. Especially a Disney nerd parent

We had one more FP before nap time today. B has Little People figures and toys from Frozen, so I hoped she'd love this one.

Surprise - she did It was so sweet - when she saw Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, she waved frantically. It was adorable.

Oh, but I do have to share the picture from this one. For some reason, I always worry that part of this ride is going to hurt B's neck. When we rode this last year, I looked like I was kidnapping her in the picture --

August 2018 (my sister is in this one - with the ears, as is my brother in law -- the tall guy with the Woody/Mickey shirt that says "Daddy", lol). It's okay to laugh, it's bizarre

And behold, December 2019. I swear to you, I did not do this deliberately :

I will add that, again, Brandon looks serious (it may not have been his favorite, but that kid was OBSESSED with Frozen on our wedding trip 5 years ago, lol). And Todd looks strange as well. But I do win the award for weirdest Frozen picture, second year in a row

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 18 (continued)
EPCOT

On the way out, we were pretty hungry, so we split a pretzel in Germany:

Todd and I have an unnatural obsession with soft pretzels B enjoyed her piece too!

We also tried one of these AMAZING cookies from the L'Chaim festival booth (the only dairy- and egg-free option this year, but it was outstanding - we ended up getting one, I think, three times!):

And I forced a picture of the boys on the way out as a good mom will do It was freezing and drizzly, but we were surviving - it was in the teens at home when I checked the weather, so I did not complain!

I am amused at Figment hanging out of Todd's sweatshirt Todd was still cold, even with his other sweatshirt, this morning, so he bought that in the TT gift shop:

We walked right onto a Skyliner cabin heading back. This one didn't have a wrap -- the views are SO much better. It is such a smooth, enjoyable ride Check out my creepy reflection

We waited for an internal bus back to our room, and it took a bit but we finally got B to fall asleep for her nap.

Oh, did I mention our popcorn bucket? We bought one yesterday in MK and were dutifully filling it. We didn't enjoy the Maple popcorn though - it had a weird, burnt taste to us, which Todd and I also observed when we tried it in 2018. This one is a firm pass from us moving forward.

Coming up -- Nighttime at Epcot.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

1. B is adorable. Love her reaction and non reaction pics.

2. Yay for Brandon being a great bro. I have also found that teenage boys are often great with little kids.

My youngest brother was 13 when our nephew was born. He has been an awesome uncle from day one and I’ve been impressed with how nice his friends have been to our nephew too.

3. That almost disembodied Skyliner reflection-

 

[ELeigh]

Spoiler alert: Although it was fine enough, we are definitely not staying at CBR again.

I was considering a night at CBR in the pirate rooms for pan extra day on our next trip for my son‘s birthday and now I am glad I decided against it.

listening to the WDW Official Album for months leading up to the trip

Our last visit to WDW was in May, and in July I bought the album for a car trip and we listened To it every day until Frozen 2 came out and I bought that album. My kids have now found out about so many things they have never done in the parks from the songs, Journey into the Imagination being one of them...oops.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

1. B is adorable. Love her reaction and non reaction pics.

Thanks -- she is at such a fun age. It's hard to believe my baby is turning 2 tomorrow!

2. Yay for Brandon being a great bro. I have also found that teenage boys are often great with little kids.

My youngest brother was 13 when our nephew was born. He has been an awesome uncle from day one and I’ve been impressed with how nice his friends have been to our nephew too.

It's pretty impressive how today's teenagers (wow, I sound like an old lady ) step up when they need to. How cool for your brother (and your nephew to have such a great uncle!).

3. That almost disembodied Skyliner reflection-

I didn't even realize it until I was posting it here

I was considering a night at CBR in the pirate rooms for pan extra day on our next trip for my son‘s birthday and now I am glad I decided against it.

Our last visit to WDW was in May, and in July I bought the album for a car trip and we listened To it every day until Frozen 2 came out and I bought that album. My kids have now found out about so many things they have never done in the parks from the songs, Journey into the Imagination being one of them...oops.

Did I mention the whole sewage smell thing here yet? That was enough to turn us off to the resort moving forward, but the hassles of the internal bus and the quality of the rooms overall was just a turnoff. I'm pretty easy to please, but it just wasn't for us. We prefer deluxe resorts when we can, but we've also stayed at POP several times -- I'd honestly choose POP over CBR.

How fun about the official album! We have both Googlle Home devices and now a HomePod, and the album is available through Apple Music and Google Play, so it was a natural in our house. I mean, how many kids are going to recognize Swisskapolka? We didn't get on the treehouse this trip, but we definitely will next time -- and I'm sure she'll recognize it!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 18 (continued)
EPCOT

Back to EPCOT we go! Now that B was somewhat rested, it was time to head back to EPCOT for some rides and dinner. Todd was especially excited for this meal.

With the Skyliner, it was really nice not to have to worry about getting out the door 90 minutes or more ahead of time to allow for delays. We knew that the Skyliner would be moving quickly, and that it would drop us off at IG, which was SO convenient. Our dinner was at the Rose & Crown, so we definitely didn't want to miss it

I loved this tea-themed Christmas decoration in the UK. Interestingly, I buy Twining tea at home now solely because of the UK pavilion. That's probably the only product I buy regularly where I can say a WDW trip influenced me. Back in 2007, I went to WDW with my mom, grandma and aunt (my grandma and aunt nurtured my love of tea), and we actually met Mr. Twining, as he was in town for F&W. He signed my tin of tea! He was actually a very nice man, and very happy to be in WDW.

After we checked in at the Rose & Crown, the CM told us to take the pager and go shopping anywhere in the pavilion, since it would be awhile. I decided to pick up a Christmas gift for the aforementioned aunt to save some time.

Except while I was in the store (maybe 5 minutes after checking in), the pager went off Oh well!

We were seated right next to the little gate thing that goes into the bar. It was a little annoying that the bathroom was in the bar - I guess I never used the bathroom in my previous visit there (which was solo). I'm no prude, but it was JAMMED with people, most of whom were extremely drunk already (and our ADR was at 5:30). It took me a good 5 minutes to get across the bar to the bathroom because no one would move for me to get through We're talking SUPER loud, to the point where we had to yell to talk to each other at our table. It didn't ruin our meal, but we did mention that next time, we'll ask to be seated away from the bar area, where it's a little quieter.

When we eat in WS, I try to ask the servers what they recommend. I'm not an expert in beer, wine or anything alcohol, even though I enjoy them I haven't been steered wrong yet!

I wish I could remember our server's name. I want to say I thought it was Bethany, so I kept calling her that. Only to realize as we were leaving that it wasn't Bethany. That annoyed me, since I go out of my way to remember and use server's names as a courtesy. Let's go with Bethany for the purposes of this TR, though

Hello there

B loved coloring -- this was the only restaurant that had one of these (or at least gave one to her) and she loved it.

I asked Bethany what she recommended, and she said to go with (I saved this in my Notes app on my iPhone so I wouldn't forget -- I should have done this more often!) a Snakebite and Black? It was some sort of beer mixed with a currant cider, or something like that. I typically don't like ciders, but I trusted my BFF Bethany and went with it.

Todd decided to go with this concoction:

The Welsh Dragon -- Peach schnapps, melon liqueur, creme de menthe, orange juice and pineapple juice.

I tasted his and thought it was just OK. He liked it, though. We both agreed that my drink was superior, though. Good call, Bethany!

For dinner, Brandon ordered their burger (but plain, since he's picky!), while Todd ordered the meal he was so excited for: Vegan fish and chips. This comes with vegan tartar sauce, but he doesn't care for tartar sauce anyway so he skipped it (I didn't. but had to wait a bit since they were making more). We also got a kid's size of the meal for B, which we paid for separately since it was off the dining plan.

It's honestly VERY good, and tastes exactly like I remember fried fish from my omnivore days. And oddly enough, although I don't care for peas, I LOVE the mushy peas. Todd skipped them altogether so he could save room for dessert, though This meal is extremely filling, especially with their delicious fries. I am not ashamed to admit I stuffed my face

B, though, mostly just ate french fries and the side of fruit that came with her dinner (that was a trend throughout the trip -- it was a challenge to get calories in her, since she mostly just wanted to eat fruit and veggies!). Bethany said they didn't have Silk there (which is surprising, since every TS restaurant on property is supposed to have it), so B just drank water in her cute Ariel glass here).

But to dessert -- Todd was SO excited about this after I shared my feedback after a quick solo trip last spring. Rice pudding! It's made with coconut milk, and has a delicious fruit topping. It is SOOO good, and was definitely a crowd pleaser

Sorry that my food photography skills are lacking!

After dinner, we waddled through World Showcase and made our way to a ride we wanted B to experience, especially since she loves dancing to the song when we play the Official Album.

Fuera a Mexico! (my elementary level Spanish isn't great, so my apologies if I didn't get that quite right!!)

Patented family selfie alert, lol:

B was really into this ride:

And cried again when it ended. It was so sweet!

From there, we stopped at the Baby Care Center to change B's diaper. I've mostly been skipping over this exciting stop on the trip so far The Baby Care Center at EPCOT is SO nice, though!

Then, Todd asked me to take his picture in front of the TT sign. It is his favorite attraction in all of WDW (followed closely by HM). He was so excited for our FP coming up on Friday.

Then, we did a little shopping at Mouse Gear. Despite his sweatshirt, Brandon was still freezing, and wanted to use some of his spending money on a long-sleeved shirt to wear underneath it. Brandon asked for Disney gift cards for Christmas, and had a $25 card saved from his birthday last year. In total, he had $220 to spend -- lucky kid! To make it easier, I told him I would just track what he spent, and we would keep his gift cards, just paying off the balance charged to the room.

I also wanted some festive gear, so I bought a hat and one of those light-up necklaces (you'll see in a bit). Brandon found a shirt he liked, and I didn't look at the tag. "How much is it?" I asked. "$60" was his reply. I confirmed he wanted to drop $60 + tax on a shirt, and he said yes.

Of course, then I got back to the hotel and saw on the receipt that it was $65 + tax. Missed a little there, kid. We ended up buying him two things outside of this budget anyway (calling them birthday gifts since his birthday is in March), but I totally added the extra $5 to his budget. We're trying to reinforce lessons here! I'm not mean, trust me -- this kid got a lightsaber AND a droid for Christmas. I'm just sayin

Still just a bit more EPCOT to come for this day

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 18 (conclusion)
EPCOT

I found this picture in Todd's pics of Brandon in his new shirt back at the hotel -- do you think that's wroth $70 with tax?

Oh, you can see my festive hat in the background too

He really does love the shirt and didn't just wear it there, so I suppose value is in the eye of the beholder and he's happy with his purchase!

Anywho, after doing some shopping, we headed over to my second favorite ride in all of WDW (after the Peoplemover, of course). But first, we HAD to stop at the popcorn cart in front of the Electric Umbrella for a refill We made such good use out of that bucket!

I was hoping to ride this at least 2 or 3 times on this trip, since it will be closing soon and who knows what they're doing to it...

Oh how I love SSE. I prefer the Irons version, but this one will always have a special place in my heart

Todd insisted B ride with me here. I was a little nervous that she would get fussy on such a long ride, but she was captivated by it (and LOVED the touch screen, of course). She didn't cry at the end so it apparently wasn't one of her favorites, but it was definitely a win for B and Mommy, since we enjoyed it together. SPOILER ALERT: This was the only time I got to ride it this trip (there just wasn't time for me to get back on it), so I'm really glad that my final time riding this version was with B, and that she enjoyed it. My first time riding this version was with my mom, who passed away in 2011, so there's something really emotional about that fact for me

Had to get a selfie on the way out. B was pretty tired by this point, so we didn't take her out of her stroller and just got the 3 of us in this one:

Since we were at the front of the park and my foot was really horrendous, we decided to just take the bus back to CBR (we knew they were still running buses to DHS and EPCOT since we saw them come repeatedly throughout the trip). We waited about 10 minutes for a bus and were back to the resort soon enough.

We needed to be back early, since Brandon and I had an early morning tomorrow. It is time for us to ride RotR!

 

[Tuvalu]

I found this picture in Todd's pics of Brandon in his new shirt back at the hotel -- do you think that's wroth $70 with tax?
View attachment 438804

YES!!
Spirit Jerseys are amazingly comfy, well made and worth every dollar.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19
DHS

I'm just going to go ahead and give a spoiler here -- we ended up spending the most time at DHS (I think, pretty close to EPCOT) than anywhere else this trip. I would not have guessed this for a million dollars. We loved the Christmas decorations, just the entire vibe here, and we LOVED LOVED LOVED Galaxy's Edge. I'll get into that more later, but wow, I am still so surprised how much fun we had in this park.

Thankfully, I had been watching the RotR opening thread since December 5 so that I knew what to do when it was time for DHS. I'm SO glad I checked it on the trip, since I discovered that they had JUST changed it so that the boarding groups wouldn't open until 7 no matter what. We were originally going to get up at 3:30 again, in order to get to the park by 4:30. Instead, we got up at 5:30, rolled out of bed and got dressed quietly while Todd and B slept and were out the door by 5:45. The plan was to catch an Uber to get there by 6, but while we were waiting for our Uber, a DHS bus came. We canceled the Uber and paid the $5 fine, hopping on the DHS bus.

We were the only people on the bus, so she skipped the rest of the stops and just took us right to DHS. We got in line at, I believe, 5:56 (because I posted in the Rise opening thread about it, lol). It worked out SO well!

This is an awkward angle, but we're jammed with people and I made it work We were just past the ticket booths. Soon after we arrived, the CMs were announcing to not stand in a "line," but to fill in all the space, so we shifted right with the crowd and filled in.

There were a bunch of families around us. The mom behind me and I were talking about all the preventative measures we were taking to not get sick on the trip (Lysol? Check. Clorox wipes? Check. Purell? Check. Elderberry syrup. You got it ). This was especially important since the Dad of the Year was walking his kid out of the crowd while he was throwing up into a bag - UGH. The kid was probably 10 or 11, and this dad dragged him out in the early morning? If Brandon had been sick, there is no way I would have insisted he come out in the morning like that.

And yes, you guessed it, 15 minutes later, he was walking him back in line. DUDE, really?!

Anyway, I'm glad that me and the overzealous mom behind us were prepared We all emerged unscathed from the trip (YAY - I was especially worried about B because she touches everything), and I hope her family did as well!

The time waiting outside really flew by. Our immediate area was filled with people sharing tips. I shared what I had read here about turning off wifi and quitting out of the app beforehand so it loads "clean." It was a very "we're all in this together" vibe, and it was really nice. Before week knew it, 6:30 came and it was time to head inside the park. Everyone cheered - it was so fun. It took about 7 or 8 minutes for us to make it inside the park, and I had to grab this picture. It was so weird being in the park at dark, but it was morning instead of night!

I knew that Brandon was so excited -- so was I, and I'm not even a huge Star Wars fan! We were up by Sunset Blvd, but to the left, as we waited. A bunch of us were saying we wanted popcorn for breakfast since we were right by a cart that was already pumping out the smell

I helped a family in front of us devise their plan of where to head first for a ride, and around 6:55, there was a literal "hush" in the crowd. It was funny, really Around 6:58, I kept quitting and reloading the app in case it popped in early. But right at 7, it worked. That "hush" turned into a roar among the crowd as people got their boarding groups. It was honestly the coolest thing. Such a feeling of solidarity among us all, lol. It's hard to explain, but I'll say this -- remember 20ish years ago (very rarely now, but sometimes), how if you saw a movie on opening weekend, there was this feeling in the crowd that we were all experiencing this big new movie together? Maybe I'm just weird, but there are definitely big movies over the years where I have gotten that vibe. Anyway. that's kind of what it was like at DHS that morning. It was really, really cool to be a part of.

What BG did we get?

Yay! I was hoping for an early group so that we'd be off the ride before Todd and B came to meet us The sun was starting to come up by this point, so we followed the masses into Galaxy's Edge. Unfortunately. my foot was already horrible by this point. And I found that the uneven ground in Galaxy's Edge aggravated it even more. I was hobbling badly by 7am! I kept apologizing to Brandon for being slow, and he was so sweet and apologizing to me. No kid, that's not how it works. But I really did appreciate him (and DO appreciate him!).

By the time we were in Galaxy's Edge, it was pretty bright. We decided to walk around a bit and explore while we waited for our group to board.

I made Brandon stop for photos It wasn't hard to convince him, especially here!

Then, we stumbled upon Chewie working on a ship. The sound and visual effects here were so cool. It just felt so REAL!

People were hollering at Chewie to come over, so he came over, gave a little wave, then brushed everyone off. It was so funny

I took one more selfie with Chewie in the background...

Because - our BG was called!

7:18 in the morning -- not too shabby. We had time to stop by the bathroom, walk into Galaxy's Edge and take a few pictures before our BG. It was a very efficient morning!

Coming up -- I'll put pics of RotR in as a spoiler so anyone who wants to avoid them won't have it ruined. Then, Todd and B come so we can have more adventures at DHS

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

YES!!
Spirit Jerseys are amazingly comfy, well made and worth every dollar.

He's with us again this weekend, so I will share your vote of support. He really does love the shirt. I think I'm getting cheap in my old age