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! ).

 

[Rista1313]

My husband is the worst about rounding down...it's like they only see the first number of whatever it is their buying!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (continued)
DHS

We eagerly made our way over to the Rise entrance, where CMs had a huge sign to show that the line started. They scanned our Magicbands and we were in the queue. Yay!! All my obsessive watching of the Rise opening thread and planning had paid off (well, part 1 -- Todd and Brandon were going back the next morning).

I'll put pictures inside the queue and a little bit of the attraction as a spoiler (I didn't want to take too many pictures so I could just enjoy the moment instead!).

Spoiler: Rise of the Resistance Photos

I pretty much just took Brandon's picture with everything

And I HAD to get a selfie, of course

We were backed up just a few minutes at this point - -Brandon took advantage of a built-in bench in the queue.

EVERYTHING in the queue and throughout this attraction was just incredible. I'm sorry. but this WAS ALL REAL!

After we were taken hostage by the First Order, THE scene they've shown in so many promotional spots came. And I'm sorry. but this was REAL. I was afraid I might do this, but I totally said "Oh YOU KNOW WHAT" a few times. Not loud, since there were some older kids. But at least I heard around 5 or 6 other adults saying the same thing

Even waiting for the next part was cool. The First Order CMs were incredible. No TJ (of ToT fame), but still great CMs all around.

The details were incredible:

And that does it for photos on this attraction - sorry I didn't take more!

My verdict, as someone who is at best a casual Star Wars fan? This was the most incredible attraction and experience I've ever had in a theme park. At several points, I really did feel like part of the Resistance. It was just incredible, and worth all the planning and getting up a little early. Just utterly amazing. I wish I had been able to go back and ride again, but that's okay. SO amazing!

After riding, we stopped at Ronto Roasters so Brandon could get some breakfast. Then, we both agreed we preferred doing single rider for the Millennium Falcon, since the wait time was 90 minutes. He appreciated the detail on his water from breakfast:

I was an engineer, and the little screen didn't work for my seat so I dont know what my score was. If I had ridden this first, maybe I'd feel differently, but I wasn't impressed at all. I know I missed out on the queue, which is arguably the best part of the ride, by doing single rider, so maybe that's part of it (I didn't get to see the chess table, AA, etc). But unless the wait is 30 minutes or less, I don't know that I'd ever ride this again.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (continued)
DHS

There wasn't anything I could eat at Ronto Roasters, so we headed into TSL at this point so I could get some tater tots for breakfast. I was STARVING by this point. I used mobile order, and they were ready really quickly:

I ate them on the go, since Todd said that he and B were getting onto a bus at this point (I don't know why they didn't do the Skyliner that morning) and we wanted to meet them. This was a tiny cup of tater tots, though, and I was still hungry, so I grabbed at pretzel on Hollywood Blvd while we waited.

Because I am a good wife, I split it with Todd (and gave some to B) when they arrived

Our FPs weren't up yet, so I asked Todd if he and Brandon wanted to ride RnRC in the meantime. Both guys were super excited for this -- they decided to do the single rider line, since standby was an hour at this point. They ended up waiting 30 minutes for single rider, but still saved some time

B and I waited on a bench by the entrance, where B enjoyed dancing to Christmas music. I had to snap a cute selfie first, though. It was still pretty cold today, btw!

B asked me to sing "One Little Spark" with her BFF Figment a dozen or so times, too

After awhile, we went over to the little merch cart to look at stuff and kill time. While we were over there, this little girl came RUNNING over to B like they were old friends. She put her hands on B's face (and of course I immediately think, "I hope this kid's not sick" ) and was speaking to her in what sounded like Portuguese.

Her mother quickly came over and apologized, explaining that she was talking to us in Portuguese and loved meeting other little kids. I told her there was no reason to apologize. It was SO sweet! B looked absolutely smitten, and they toddler talked for a bit (this little girl was probably late 2, while B was late 1 at this point, so she was a lot more advanced) before heading off. It was such a sweet moment!

In the meantime, my boys were on the streets of LA waiting for a ride:

Then, we moved over to the benches at the exit to RnRC. B danced more to the music and made friends with some other folks on the bench until Brandon came out. He was a train ahead of Todd. "Does your dad know you're out here?"

"Uh no."

I just knew Todd was in the store looking for Brandon, so I texted Todd and sure enough. he came out shortly thereafter. Sometimes I am such a mom

For some reason, Todd's picture on RnRC didn't add to our memory maker, but Brandon's did. His expression is amusing :

Now, it was time for our first FP -- Toy Story Mania. I planned on riding with B and not playing, but realized I could hold her AND play,. so I went for it. Every time I ride with Todd and Brandon, I get "best in vehicle." Not an impressive score by any means, but best in my family, so I'll take it

And how did I do?

Why yes, yes, that is me. While holding and reaching over a toddler, nonetheless

Somehow, by this point it was lunchtime. We were all starving, so we decided on lunch at Woody's Lunch Box. Even though I had the tots for breakfast, we got the vegan tots for lunch -- tater tots with vegan chili and cheese. We shared with B as well.

Somehow, we lucked out and got a table right away. I just happened to be walking through when someone was getting up. SCORE! I also saw something sweet after I sat down (and boy, did I need to sit down on my foot - ugh). A father and his daughter had sat at another table nearby a few minutes later, just in front of a mother and her daughter, who had on a boot for some sort of injury, had missed it. The father told them there was plenty of room, and invited them to sit down with them. It was so sweet!

I ordered our food on mobile and Todd went over to pick it up. By this point, the sun actually came out (FINALLY!), so Brandon rolled up his sleeves a little:

Here's the loaded tots -- they were a little skimpy on the chili so they were a bit dry, but still tasty:

Todd and I both had the Grown Up's Lemonade with our meals --

Grown-Up's Lemonade
Three Olives Cherry Vodka, odwalla® All-Natural Lemonade and Black Cherry Purée

It was actually very good

Coming up, an adorable encounter, and more exploration in Galaxy's Edge!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (continued)
DHS

Before it was time for B to head back for a nap (and Brandon and I to make a reservation), we went over to meet a good friend -- Darth Vader The app showed a 10-minute wait and we had never met Vader before, so we had to get over there.

A little intel -- B has a book called AB C3P0, which is an alphabet book that uses Star Wars characters, etc to help you learn the alphabet. Did I mention this already? Sorry if I'm being repetitive! Also, Brandon has shared one of his Darth Vader toys with B that does the Vader breathing - she loves it! He has Star Wars stickers on his door and she'll run up and point to Vader all the time. Once she started with the book (which was just two weeks or so before the trip) and realized that was the same Darth Vader (it's a bit cartoon-y but she figured it out), she was SO excited. So we were eager to see how she'd do with meeting Darth Vader, and whether she'd realize it was him.

Brandon asked me to take a picture of this mural -- he loves it because it includes the prequels, which he loves (sorry -- it's his generation!):

The line moved quickly, and we were soon meeting Darth Vader. Most not-even-2 year olds would, you would think, be terrified?

Mine? Oh she was ECSTATIC. It was adorable. She kept pointing to him and saying "SEE SEE!" I explained to Lord Vader that our daughter idolized him. He was spot on with his speech, saying that when she was ready, he would personally train her

Brandon looks so proud of his influence on his sister

Vader was very smitten. He kept walking up to her and talking more -- I'm sure he's not used to that sort of reception from kids that young He followed us to the door and held her hand for a second before we left. It was so sweet.

Even though it was a "box" taking the pictures, it did capture quite a few. I was pleasantly surprised (probably because the CM still pressed the button, though):

At this point, it was nap time for B. Brandon and I had a reservation at Oga's Cantina, so we headed there first before heading back to the hotel, though.

Stormtroopers were hassling guests waiting in line for Oga's:

It's funny, because while we were waiting, Brandon asked me what was behind some door. I asked the CM who was checking people in and she said, "What door? " I pointed it out, she very quickly said, "Nothing." I asked again, and she again said, "Nothing." Then she leaned in and whispered, "We have to be careful here, we're a lot of smugglers." LOL, I thought that was awesome that she was in character.

So Oga's -- not really for us. Brandon and I agreed it was nice to do it once, but not something we'd do again. I ordered the Bespin Fizz:

Bespin Fizz
Bacardí Superior Rum, Yuzu Purée, Pomegranate Juice, White Cranberry Juice, and a Cloud Swirl

Brandon had the Carbon Freeze:

Carbon Freeze
POWERADE® Lemon Lime, Wild Strawberry, Blueberry, and Green Apple Popping Pearls

Sorry, I didn't get a picture! It was cool how the green apple balls were popping, though.

The drink was just fine, but being crowded with some duds didn't help. Plus, my foot was SO bad, and standing made it worse. It was loud, and just not a place I'd want to hang out again.

It was cool being near DJ Rex, though. He said something that was an in-joke from Star Tours, but I can't remember what it was Brandon never rode the original Star Tours, so I had to explain the joke to him.

Fun to experience, but time to move on -- we quickly asked for our bill, paid, and left so someone else could have our spot.

Time to head back to CBR for a nap before dinner and nighttime fun at DHS

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

My husband is the worst about rounding down...it's like they only see the first number of whatever it is their buying!

Exactly - I knew he wasn't trying to be deceitful, but I'm like "Really?!"

 

[riverside]

So Oga's -- not really for us. Brandon and I agreed it was nice to do it once, but not something we'd do again.

I totally agree with you!! Also, it was a bit pricey!!

BTW-I was at the same table as you when I was there!!

 

[Oh bother!]

Your snake bite and black should be larger, apple cider and black current cordial. Can’t be sure they serve if that way in the Eose and

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.

View attachment 438791

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

View attachment 438802

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

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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.

View attachment 438792

Todd decided to go with this concoction:

View attachment 438793

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.

View attachment 438794

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

View attachment 438796

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:

View attachment 438797

B was really into this ride:

View attachment 438798

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.

View attachment 438799

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

Snake bite and black should be lager, apple cider and black current cordial. You can have it without the black as well.
Not sure if they do serve it that way or are “cheating” and using berry cider in the Rose and Crown but this is the what we all drank way to much of at university!

 

[Tiggertoo56]

Your snake bite and black should be larger, apple cider and black current cordial. Can’t be sure they serve if that way in the Eose and



Snake bite and black should be lager, apple cider and black current cordial. You can have it without the black as well.
Not sure if they do serve it that way or are “cheating” and using berry cider in the Rose and Crown but this is the what we all drank way to much of at university!

Agree, snakebite is half and half lager and apple cider with snakebite and black having blackcurrant cordial added. Dependent on the strength of the lager and hard cider some places wouldn't sell it in the UK when I was a student!!

 

[Oh bother!]

Agree, snakebite is half and half lager and apple cider with snakebite and black having blackcurrant cordial added. Dependent on the strength of the lager and hard cider some places wouldn't sell it in the UK when I was a student!!

Wow, Really?? Apparently my uni didn’t care
Although that’s too long ago for me to remember which brands and strength they were using!

 

[SharonD]

What a great morning in HS. You and Brandon looked like you were having so much fun getting to go on a RotR. Then B continues to be adorable, and her interaction with DV is priceless. Sorry about your foot, but what a trooper you are being, keeping up with everyone.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (continued)
DHS

Sorry this took so long! I've been super behind on work still since coming back, and B started with her speech therapist, so it's been a little hectic.

Back to DHS we go! After B and Todd napped, and Brandon and I came back to rest a bit, it was time to head back to DHS. Brandon and I had to head back a bit early, because he had an appointment to build a lightsaber The Skyliner had been down earlier when we went back to the hotel, so we had to take a bus. By the time we went back, though, it was working again -- this was the only time it was down and affected our trip.

We were really digging the holiday spirit at DHS:

I will put pictures from inside Savi's in a spoiler, but I'll give a bit of a rundown on the process. Brandon picked out his hilt from a selection of them (I want to say there were like 5 or 6). Then, I think he could customize and choose parts based on the hilt that he selected. Savi's is "disguised" as a scrap metal market to throw off the first order, so the CMs here ask "what kind of scrap metal do you want?" and otherwise stay in character - it's very cool!

Picking out the pieces:

Once Brandon had picked out the details of his hilt, we went into a little holding area to wait - we were in the next group.

While we were waiting, a First Order officer approached the CMs working.

"So, you say you're selling scrap metal?"

"That's right, Sir."

"Can you show me some of it?"

The CMs kept him busy while we all sat, nervously (because, folks, it's REAL).

Finally, he started approaching Guests.

"So, you're all here for scrap metal, you say?"

He engaged with a bunch of people, and it was honestly incredibly awesome. After he left, I was gushing about it to Brandon. He smiled at me and said, "We all play a role here."

I was just so touched at how into it he was, and how wise that sounded for a 15-year old. Darn tootin - we are all a part of this really cool place, and I'm glad that we're all playing along!

Finally, it was time to head inside! Time to head into spoilerville.

Spoiler: Inside Savi's Workshop

The room is actually very small and intimate, and I believe there were 12 of us (maybe 15 -- it was in groups of 3 guests to one CM assisting). The room is dark, and super well themed.

We took our place, and Brandon was SO ready. He had watched videos online, so he knew what to expect. I didn't.

Savi talked about the legacy of the jedi, and the importance of the lightsaber. While he spoke, the room interacted with him and really set the scene -- it was SO cool!

Then, Brandon picked out his kyber crystal. He went with purple

Looks cool!

Then, the assisting CM lays out all the pieces of the saber in front of you in order to assemble.

I took videos and won't spoil the rest, but let me tell you -- that was worth every penny of the $200. The lightsaber is awesome, and the show element was seriously incredible. Remember, "we all play a role here." In Savi's I believed it! The actual "activation" of the lightsabers honestly brought tears to my eyes. When Savi spoke (and there is a special "guest" as well), I was like "sign me up for the Resistance," I was so into it -- and I'm just a casual Star Wars fan

This moment legitimately gave me goosebumps at the end of the "show":

Brandon was surprised so many people went with purple, but I dont know enough about the purple crystal to remember why and he's at his mom's today so I'm sorry, the purple story shall remain a mystery

They give you a case to wear the saber as well, which was very convenient. I sprung for a belt clip that Brandon really wanted and told him it wouldn't come out of his spending money. It was only $18. Of course, it broke the next day. I should have brought it back. Oh well.

After Savi's and on our way out of Galaxy's Edge, Brandon asked me to take his picture:

He was SO excited -- and so was I!

Coming up, Todd and B meet us for dinner

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (continued)
DHS

Just a few minutes after we arrived and checked in at Hollywood & Vine, Todd and B met us. We sat and waited for almost half an hour - we were starving, but the view kept us occupied and B liked running around on the porch.

Soon enough, it was time to eat! At the holidays, it becomes Minnie's Holiday Dine, and we were super excited to meet Santa Goofy. He was waiting for us as we entered the restaurant (our first time ever at H&V):

Oh I forgot to mention, I bought B a Darth Vader stuffed animal in Galaxy's Edge before Savi's -- she LOVED (and loves here at home) him so much. You can see her gripping him in the picture

We walked over to our table and ordered drinks from our server, who came over pretty promptly. I wasn't in the mood for any alcohol this time around, so I just ordered water and some soy milk for B. Todd ordered the --

Magical Star Cocktail
X-Fusion organic Mango and Passion Fruit Liqueur, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice, and a souvenir multicolored Glow Cube

Brandon and I went over to the buffet while Todd set up B's bib and placemat. Brandon is an omnivore, so he went around to fill up his plate. I LOVED how all the plant based options had the new leaf symbol -- it is SO easy to find food I can enjoy!

First, I filled up mostly for B:

I was hoping I could get her to eat more than fruit. SPOILER ALERT: She pretty much just ate fruit She eats so well at home!

On this plate is some roasted acorn squash (the slices on the right), said fruit, the BEST Brussels sprouts I've ever eaten (I typically consider Brussels sprouts little balls of dirt but these were honestly incredible -- I ate two huge servings!), and this amazing quinoa thing whose name I can't remember. It was SO good, I had two servings of that too (I never ate lunch ).

B did pick at hers a bit, but mostly just ate the darn fruit. Todd started eating, but was so thirsty he made a huge mistake you wouldn't expect from a 45-year old -- he guzzled his drink! And unfortunately, it made him a bit queasy. He really didn't eat much dinner at all.

Our server sent out a chef to meet with us about dessert. We knew that 50s had great dessert options and that they shared a kitchen, so we were hopeful. The chef told us that they could do vegan chocolate or vanilla ice cream, or an allergy brownie (which also happened to be gluten free). I asked if I could have vanilla ice cream AND a brownie and she replied, "This is Disney World, you can have whatever you want!" and smiled at me.

And yes, yes I did have what I wanted. This brownie is deceivingly good -- super moist and chocolate-y!

Todd ordered ice cream, but wasn't feeling good enough to have it, unfortunately. Poor guy.

Of course, we chose this restaurant for the characters, so let's get to it! They all made their way around easily while we were eating, so that we didn't miss anyone this time around

I feel like Donald has "angry eyes" - is it just me (I think it's the angle on his fur!)?

Mickey tried everything to get B to smile, including the hot dog dance. Nope. She just shoved in fruit and stared Of course, before and after each character came over, she would get all excited and point, yelling "see, see!" But yup, the second they came over, zilch!

Minnie is B's favorite person in the entire world, and she tried EVERYTHING, including peekaboo. Nope It was a really sweet interaction, though, and I loved Minnie's outfit!

The decor in here isn't great, but I loved the food and the character interactions

After dinner, we had to hightail it back to Galaxy's Edge so Brandon could build his droid. Unlike the controlled atmosphere of Savi's, this was a bit of a cluster -- it was crowded and chaotic. Todd stayed with Brandon while B and I explored a bit. I bought a super cute BB8 trivet in the Droid Depot gift shop while we waited.

Actually, an interesting story about that trivet...

We were walking through the store when I spotted it. I asked a woman who was looking at it, "Oh, is that a trivet?" to which she replied that it was. I mentioned how cute it was, and picked one up to go check out.

Later, after Todd and Brandon were done building the droid, the woman saw me as she was coming out of DD and yelled (like literally yelled) "DID YOU GET YOUR TRIVET?!"

I smiled and said, "yup - it's so cute!" But it caught me off guard a bit

I'll put a spoiler around the pictures Todd took of Brandon building his droid, who he named BB-17 (17 is his favorite number).

Spoiler: Building a droid at Droid Depot

Picking out the right parts:

^^^ This is the first stop. You wait in a little line to pay, then head over to the conveyor belt to pick out the parts you want as they go by. Brandon knew what he wanted, and grabbed the red and white BB parts as they went by.

Then, you wait in another line to go over and assemble your droid:

The CMs come and go and are helping quite a few people at this point, so it's pretty hands off. They do give you the "guts" of the droid, though, and show you what to do before leaving. When you're done building the droid, you press a button to let the CM know that you're ready.

Then, they activate him or her:

It's pretty cool! I know so much because I ended up going back later in the trip and building one

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (conclusion)
DHS

By the time they were done with the droid, it was about 8 and we were pretty tired. It was time to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. On the way out, we stopped for a photopass picture:

Poor Todd's eyes are closed -- he is famous for that at home but usually forces them open to avoid this mishap on WDW trips

But, that's really not all. Because when I got home and looked at our pictures in MDE, I found this absolute GEM!!!

I promise you, I did NOT edit this photo

For starter's, B's expression is fantastic

But please look at Todd closely And tell me why they put Tinkerbell THERE, in THAT position?! She looks like she's doing obscene things to my husband

And the best part about the whole thing is that he has a goofy grin on his face and his eyes closed - LIKE HE KNOWS SHE'S THERE!

I kid you not, I cropped all of us out and have a closeup of Todd and his girlfriend Tink for his contact photo in my iPhone I know it's strange, but I just find that the terrible photos are the most fun and memorable -- including of me, I promise! I can't help it if my head tilt and smile are nearly perfect in all of these pictures

We rode the Skyliner back to DHS and settled in for the night. B fell in love with BB-17, and we had a hard time prying him away from her! But finally, we all got some sleep

 

[Darstarr]

Day 3 - Thursday, December 19 (conclusion)
DHS

By the time they were done with the droid, it was about 8 and we were pretty tired. It was time to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. On the way out, we stopped for a photopass picture:

View attachment 441092

Poor Todd's eyes are closed -- he is famous for that at home but usually forces them open to avoid this mishap on WDW trips

But, that's really not all. Because when I got home and looked at our pictures in MDE, I found this absolute GEM!!!

View attachment 441093

I promise you, I did NOT edit this photo

For starter's, B's expression is fantastic

But please look at Todd closely And tell me why they put Tinkerbell THERE, in THAT position?! She looks like she's doing obscene things to my husband

And the best part about the whole thing is that he has a goofy grin on his face and his eyes closed - LIKE HE KNOWS SHE'S THERE!

View attachment 441094

I kid you not, I cropped all of us out and have a closeup of Todd and his girlfriend Tink for his contact photo in my iPhone I know it's strange, but I just find that the terrible photos are the most fun and memorable -- including of me, I promise! I can't help it if my head tilt and smile are nearly perfect in all of these pictures

We rode the Skyliner back to DHS and settled in for the night. B fell in love with BB-17, and we had a hard time prying him away from her! But finally, we all got some sleep

That picture is a classic!!!!
Poor Todd!!!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Day 4 - Friday, December 20
Mishmash kind of day

AHHH wait, I knew we did something else! Apparently Todd took all the pictures! After building the droid, we went to see if B would sit through MuppetVision. B is in love with Kermit (Todd has a stuffed animal we bought in DHS while we were dating, and we have a little Kermit on the fridge that B plays with, plus my sister gave her a Piggy Muppet Babies stuffed animal), and we ALL love the muppets (I'm proud to admit I can recite almost the entire preshow and show...but I don't, because that would be rude, lol).

She was a little tired and grumpy by this point

B wouldn't keep on her 3D glasses, but we figured she wouldn't. We also planned on sitting in the front row so she could see the penguins and Sweetums well.

It looks like B is taking the selfie

I was so nervous she wouldn't sit through it and we'd have to leave and...

she LOVED it. She was enthralled the entire time, even without her glasses! In fact, she pointed and said "See" whenever Kermit or Piggy was on screen. She was so into it, I admit that I cried a little. She was also jabbering the entire time, so I knew she REALLY enjoyed it

Okay, to Friday!!

We planned Friday as a rest day, but it ended up being pretty busy. To start, Todd and Brandon were up at 5:30 so that they could do Rise of the Resistance together. They followed the same format Brandon and I used, and ended up with BG 12 In the meantime, B and I slept soundly. We woke up around 8:30 and had a slow morning waiting for the boys to come back.

Apparently as they were waiting outside to get in DHS, NASA launched a rocket! Todd said that the crowd was really into it and excited -- he grabbed this picture:

Since I went over our Rise experience yesterday, I'll just share one pic of Todd and Brandon from the queue (in a spoiler in case you don't want to see a single thing from the ride!).

Spoiler: Todd and Brandon in the Rise queue

They also each rode the Falcon using the single rider line and tried some blue milk before coming back to CBR. Todd liked the Falcon more than I did. I think I just need to wait in the queue and ride as a pilot to appreciate it. It seemed kind of pointless to me otherwise

Blue milk -- they both really liked it.

Once they made it back to CBR, we got our things together to head over to DS and do some shopping.

First, we stopped for some lunch at D-Luxe burger. I really enjoyed the vibe in here, and there was plenty of seating. Todd and I ordered the --

Plant-based Pacific Island Burger
Plant-based Patty, with Cabbage and Mushroom Compote, Mango Salsa, Lettuce, and Dill Pickles on Plant-based Parker House Roll

It was in my top 3 vegan burgers of all time. Absolutely delicious! We ordered some fries to split, and I had the curry ketchup for dipping. OMG -- do not pass up this ketchup if you go to D-Luxe. It was SO good. This was surprisingly one of my favorite meals of the trip!

I didn't get a picture, but Brandon had a standard cheeseburger and a root beer float for his drink, which he LOVED. This place was really great! I believe Todd had an Angry Orchard cider, and I had the --

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat - Chicago, IL
easy and refreshing with light notes of Citrus and Spice with low bitterness

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of them, though.

We strolled around Disney Springs for a bit -- this was Brandon's first time there since it was "finished" and he said he missed the old feeling of Downtown Disney (atta boy!), but he did seem to enjoy the shopping.

We were getting munchy, so we stopped at Erin McKenna's for some desserts. We stop here every trip and love it, since everything in the bakery is vegan (and gluten free if that matters to you). We've never had a bad experience here, and have always used our extra snack credits to stock up.

Well, we were super disappointed to hear that now, you can only basically use snack credits for cookies (which are by far the cheapest snacks at around $2), so we paid cash. Still, we were excited.

I had the eclair, and Todd had a mocha cupcake.

The eclair was honestly gross. It was mealy, and everything about it was weird -- apparently including the picture!

Todd said his cupcake was fine, but not great:

We were bummed to have a disappointing experience there for the first time. I'm not sure it'll make our "musts" for the next trip.

Brandon, though, had been wanting a churro the entire trip but it never seemed to work out for him to get one -- until now. We stopped at a cart, and he ordered a special red one (tastes the same!). Although he doesn't look it (teenagers), he's happy!

From there, Todd, Brandon and B went to the Lego store so Brandon could look, while I went to Starbucks to pick up a mobile order. I have Starbucks every day, and it was terrible that I hadn't had any yet!

The coffee was ready and I met everyone at the Lego store. Brandon was using almost all of his money on two sets -- one for The Mandalorian, and the other one I can't remember, darn it! He was REALLY happy with them, though, so we were happy.

Next, we went into World of Disney -- Brandon didn't like the new non-theme (atta boy again!), but we did pick up a few gifts, and a Tod stuffed animal from the Fox and the Hound for B.

Finally, we went into Basin to stock up on body butter (our hands get so dry in these stupid Buffalo winters). I just adore Basin. I first went to the one in Downtown Disney Anaheim back in 2002 when we went to Disneyland. I loved their products so much, I would order from them online (back then, their HQ was in the Mall of America, and they would send free samples with every order). I was SO excited when they opened in WDW! They switched owners a few years ago, but I still love their products and have to go there on every trip

The boys ran to the restroom while B and I waited on a bench between WoD and Basin for a few minutes. Unfortunately, it was starting to sprinkle a bit. We were having fun, though (but she looks so tired, poor kid):

My foot was also really bad at this point, and with the rain we just decided to order a Minnie Van. Pickup was right by us anyway, so it worked out well. We went back to CBR and got some rest. Tonight, we're headed to Epcot (and my absolute favorite meal and restaurant ever on any trip!).

 

[Loco_driver]

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on galaxy’s edge. The CMs really make that place great! Really stinks about your foot! Plantar fasciitis is no joke! Also that magic shot of tinker bell on Todd is just pure Disney magic!

 

[MinnieM123]

Really enjoying your family's TR. Pictures are fun, too. Have to admit, I burst out laughing when I saw Goofy dressed up in the Santa costume -- silly stuff like that always pushes me over the edge!

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

That picture is a classic!!!!
Poor Todd!!!

Thankfully, he’s a good sport and sees the humor in it. It helps that he loves me

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on galaxy’s edge. The CMs really make that place great! Really stinks about your foot! Plantar fasciitis is no joke! Also that magic shot of tinker bell on Todd is just pure Disney magic!

We LOVED it there! I was prepared to be very underwhelmed after reading so much negativity here (and I am far from a pixie duster ) on this site (sometimes staying on top of things can be a bad thing, I guess). We actually ended up going back one more time. So much fun!!

My foot is better for day to day but really not improving. I’m getting so frustrated.

Thank you for appreciating that amazing shot - I laugh literally every time I see it

Really enjoying your family's TR. Pictures are fun, too. Have to admit, I burst out laughing when I saw Goofy dressed up in the Santa costume -- silly stuff like that always pushes me over the edge!

I’m glad you’re having fun! Oh my gosh, I geek out over Santa Goofy - I am such a nerd!

 

[sheriffwoody]

B is just so stinkin cute! Y'all are such a sweet family, and I'm loving following along!

 

[mmnw]

I was also wondering the same thing.

You can buy rock tape. Amazon sells it. There is a line that stays on better. Not waterproof but that’s the idea. Lots of patterns and solids including “flesh colors.”