Trip Report Live Reporting Xmas Eve to New Year's

Welcome to the latest Brifraz live trip report. I'm sure there are many of you who have followed along with us in the past - this is our 10th WDW Trip Report (if you include the Aulani report, 11th). But, I am also sure that we have some new travelers along for the ride.

So...we are a team of 3. Our DD is now 11 years old and heading quickly for 12.

Most of the household activities revolve around music. I teach high school band and my daughter is fully immersed in it (she plays euphonium, tuba, and trombone in different bands at her school, plus piano at home and sings in school as well as a community chorus). Mrs. Brifraz is also a teacher, but she teaches English - we are in fact at rival high schools which makes things fun, and in a couple years our daughter will be at a third high school which considers both of ours to be rivals of a sort.

As a youth, I visited the World quite early on. My Great Aunt lived in Orlando as her first husband was a scientist with NASA and I got to visit DW quite early on. Sadly, those visits ended with my youth and it was not until I was out of college that I began to go back. In the 90s I did a number of trips with different friends until I took my girlfriend there in 1999 and to my great shock she has stayed with me ever since. We are approaching 15 years of marriage and this will be our 20th Disney trip together.

Usually, I give a full Pre-Trip report with lots of details of our plans, but this time, I'm going to let the surprises come with the live report that will be starting on 12/23.

But, I can't resist a little overview...coming up briefly...
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
Oh yeah, that picture of our team is from our recent trip to the UK. As a couple of teachers who are in a school system that has been in a salary freeze for the last 8 years, our income is a little tight at times, but travel is our family's favorite leisure activity and Disney is our favorite destination.

So, just an overview of some of our plans. Yes, it will be crowded. We know. Been there before. Most of our trips are during peak times - we've done Xmas before, Easter a few times, July 4th twice, and mid-summer a number of times. No worries. Although this 'last Osbourne' anarchy does have us a little concerned. Highlights of our plans are:
  • Dinner at The Wave followed by fireworks from Top of the World Lounge
  • Comedy Warehouse reunion/Xmas show at Studios
  • Open to Close one day at Animal Kingdom
  • Specialty Drink afternoon at Epcot (followed by Candlelight Processional)
  • Uber Park morning - 3 parks headliners in 4 hours
  • Trader Sam's and maybe Skipper's Canteen
  • NYE at Epcot AND Studios
  • Osbourne Lights Dinner Party
  • Quality time with Carl at Rose and Crown
Can't tell you how excited we are. If you have been with us before, you know that we are planners. Extensive planners. Perhaps crazy planners. And things NEVER follow our plans. And we like that. Because we have plans for those plans not working and we've studied things so much that we know what to do when everything falls apart - and we like that, too!

Questions? Comments? Go for it! I'm sure I'll post a little more before we actually hit the World. See you on the 24th.
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
Under a week away. 7 days from now we will be in Magic Kingdom...or more accurately, just leaving the park to go to dinner at The Wave.

I'm not sure whether we should be worried or delighted, but long range forecasts have the temperature every day in the mid to upper 80s with lows just below 70. Guess we'll need to pack more shorts and t-shirts and less everything else!
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
Trying now to get Comedy Warehouse at DHS fastpasses since they are now available. If anybody is reading this who has been during the past couple holidays can you let us know how crowded those shows are? Or how likely we are to get in standby?
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
It's 6am on Christmas Eve and here we are driving through Jacksonville after leaving our house at 3:30pm yesterday. Yes, we almost always drive - heck, with current gas prices our total drive cost is well under $100. @MeffysMom and I trade off driving every 2-3 hours and we usually take a couple hour sleep break at a rest area. But not this time! Other than dinner we've gone straight through trading off at each state. So even after losing an hour to traffic we should get in over an hour earlier than expected.

Plus, we did score the Comedy Warehouse FP+ for Boxing Day after they finally opened them up yesterday.

So, in a few short hours the live from the World action will begin!
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster


Jealous?

Yup, we are here and relaxing by the Old Key West pool. Nice to just stretch out after being in the car 15+ out of the last 17 hours.

We used to drive overnight and get here at 7am and hit a park opening. I'm gettin' too old for that. Our daughter is water sliding and we are relaxing and it really works. Hoping the room is ready soon, but regardless we will be heading to MK this afternoon and then the Contemporary for dinner tonight.

BTW, live update pics will just be from my phone. The daily wrap ups will have the shots from the good camera.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
brifraz said:
Jealous?.
Nope, but I hope you have a magical time! We are!
20151224_124621.jpg
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
Here we are in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Eve. Is it crowded? Yes. Unbearable? No.


That's at about 2:30 entering the Magic Kingdom. It is 5:30 now and we have done The Wedway Peoplemover (TTA), Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear (with FP+), some shopping and buying stuffed animals, Tomorrowland Speedway (with FP+), Monsters inc, and Space Mountain (well just the girls on Space and with FP+).

Not bad for 3 hours at Magic Kingdom during peak season. Our daughter even got a personal best on Buzz.


About to head to the Contemporary for dinner at the Wave and maybe a drink at Top of the World. Then back to OKW and into our room. I'll unpack while they get ready to sleep. Today being a short day, no wrap up tonight. Maybe some food pics from the Wave, though. See you soon.
 

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
Original Poster
Just a quick note before getting some well deserved and needed sleep.

We headed out of the Magic Kingdom right around 6pm and went to the Contemporary. On the way down to the wave, we checked out the Frozen/It's A Small World-inspired gingerbread display. Cute.


Our ADR was for 7:05pm, but they seated us as soon as we arrived (around 6:15pm). Dinner at the Wave was quite good. The girls split the Beef Tenderloin and I had a couple of the appetizers - the soup du jour (tomato bisque) and the fish tacos. I also had a flight of Orlando Brewing Company beers (decent, fairly uninspired, though) and @MeffysMom had a glass of wine, while our daughter enjoyed a mango smoothie.



After dinner, we crossed over to Bay Lake Tower and went up to the Top of the World Lounge for a piece of their infamous 7 layer cake (awesome stuff, and big enough for 2-3 easily) and to watch the Holiday Wishes fireworks. Didn't have the Nikon, so just one little picture from the phone for your enjoyment. The Top of the World is definitely a nice DVC perk as it is never too crowded and a great view.


Tomorrow - headed to Magic Kingdom at 6am and OUT BY NOON. That's when the masses will be descending and we don't want to get in their way.
 

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