Trip Report Mele Kalikimaka WDW Adventure 2015-COMPLETED

Aloha! My name is Len and this is my first trip report here in a forum. I've been an avid Disney park fan for most of my life, but have never visited any of the locations during the Christmas season. My wife and I, along with some friends, were finally able to rectify that this past year. Come along as you take the journey with us from Hawaii to far off Orlando. I'll be stopping off for a bit at Universal Studios first to take a look at the Harry Potter attractions. If you stick with me, I promise we'll get to Walt Disney World in good time. Before I begin, I wanted to share with you one of my first photos from the Magic Kingdom after closing...

 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sunday, December 06th found us spending the day in Epcot with lunch reservations at Italy's Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria (say that three times fast!)! The wood fire pizzas there were delicious and the service top notch. The place was incredibly crowded, so I highly recommend making reservations for this restaurant. And hey, seeing those open mouth faces double as stoves is worth the price of admission alone!

Pizza @ Epcot Italy's Via Napoli 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Pizza @ Epcot Italy's Via Napoli 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria Kitchen @ EPCOT by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Dining Area @ Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavillion 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Dining Area @ Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavillion 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Beverage Dispensers @ Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavillion by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Decorative Bottles @ Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavillion by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Faces of EPCOT-Valentina of Italy by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sue and I left Epcot in the late afternoon to check into our final resort for our WDW trip...Disney's The Wilderness Lodge! Now, Disney always loves to use that catchphrase..."Welcome home" as part of their advertising slogan. While it's mostly hype, it does apply to the feelings we have when first entering the lobby of this deluxe hotel. The Imagineers pulled out all the stops on this one, leaving no stone unturned. From the magnificent totem poles to the massive stone fireplace, Wilderness Lodge is a stunning tribute to those great rustic lodges of the past. A funny anecdote...I remember watching an episode of Family Matters eons ago where Urkel won a state science competition and was being sent to Florida to compete in the nationals. The family is put up at, yup...the Wilderness Lodge. I still can see Urkel at the entrance staring up at the lobby in disbelief (I'm pretty sure I have that same look on my face) and yammering "Did I do thattttt?"... :laugh: I actually thought the hotel was a TV prop built for this particular episode (there was no such thing as internet access at the time) and only found out it was real during the end credits.

How much do we love this hotel! Sue and I kept our schedule clear for the evening so we could actually enjoy the room! We picked up dinner at Roaring Fork so we could sit in the room. I eventually did leave the room at 3:30 in the morning to shoot the lobby. I nearly cried when the alarm went off, but once I was downstairs, the weariness dissipated at the sight of an empty hotel ready to be photographed. Other than Coronado Springs, this was the only resort I took time to shoot properly with a tripod.

Two points of interest...we no longer found those cute animal shaped towels in our room...something that was a regular during our last trip in 2004. I read somewhere that it was discontinued at the value hotels, but looks like it's true for the deluxe levels too. Lots of construction going on while we were here and our window view was a loser. But I did score a set of free pins...which I don't really collect.

Okay, I'm posting a lot of pics of the lodge so bear with me or scroll on!

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby Alternate View by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby Fisheye 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 13 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 10 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby Bridge by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 12 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 09 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 11 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Wilderness Lodge Mercantile Totem by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Whispering Canyon Cafe Entrance by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Whispering Canyon Cafe Entrance Fisheye by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 06 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Whispering Canyon Cafe Dining Area by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Lobby 08 by Karla @ The Wilderness Lodge 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Haley @ the Territory Lounge in Disney's Wilderness Lodge by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Monday, December 07 brought us back to Hollywood Studios in the day. We wanted to scratch Rock 'N Rollercoaster off our list so that was our first ride of the day. I remember thinking back in 1996 that I wouldn't like this ride because Aerosmith and Disney seemed such a mismatch. But the entire ride and concept blew me away...from entering a recording studio session to grabbing a limo in a parking garage. The 0-60 acceleration at the beginning of the ride has yet to be topped by anything else in Disney.

Sue & Len @ Rock N' Rollercoaster Disney Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios Exterior 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios Exterior 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios Exterior 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aerosmith Rock 'N' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aerosmith Rock 'N' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 06 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aerosmith Recording Studio @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aerosmith Rock 'N' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aerosmith Rock 'N' Roller Coaster @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

After having our stomachs abused, we wanted to treat our tummies to something nice so it was off to Sci-Fi Dine In for lunch! Along with 50's Prime Time Cafe, HS has two of the best themed restaurants in all of WDW. There is nothing that disappoints about this restaurant, except for the food. I was unimpressed with our meal in 2004, the burgers were dry, fries stale, and shakes half melted. What a turn around on this trip! Juicy tasty burgers, hot crispy fries, and thick malts made this the perfect experience. And what can you say about the immersive theming? I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 08 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 06 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Milk Shakes @ Disney's 50's Prime Time Cafe by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Sci-Fi Dine In 07 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 
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Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After that amazing lunch, we headed back to the front of HS to do some shopping and pick up an afternoon coffee. I did more cast member picture taking as well (okay, Mary Tyler Moore is not really a cast member...or real for that matter)...

Mary Tyler Moore Bust from Hall of Fame by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Ron by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Brittney by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White & the Four Grumpies by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

DVC Cast Members @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Tommy by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Store Display @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Beverly Sunset Store Interior @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

We also took the time to head to the Streets of America again to do the tourist shot against the huge skyline background and say goodbye to Stitch...

Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Stich in a Tire @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
From there, we booked it over to the Magic Kingdom for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. I wanted to get a good spot to shoot, so we hung out mostly on Main Street. We did sneak in a Jingle River Cruise and Carousel of Progress too and stopped off for a bit in Tomorrowland (the most under represented land in my report)...

Cinderella's Castle on a Sunny Day @ Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Spitting Tiki @ Jingle Cruise by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Ginger, Smiley, & the Crocs from Magic Kingdom's Jingle Cruise 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress is a strong sentimental favorite of mine. I first remember seeing it at Disneyland, and was bummed when it moved to WDW. I am glad Disney found a home for it in Orlando, or it would have probably gone the way of the dodo...

Carousel of Progress 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 09 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 08 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sue tried on another hat for our album collection, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out what it's suppose to be? A Mickey Santa hat maybe? Very bizzare....

The Mad SueHatter 15 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

More shots from Main Street prior to the parade...Cotton Candy Making on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Freshly Baked Goods on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Shop Detail on Main Street Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cast Member Devin @ Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

If you think this rice krispie treat is huge, wait until you get a load of the price tag!!!

Super Size My Mickey Krispy Treat by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Baking Disney Style by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Prior to the start of the parade, I caught Snow White making her way back from a Meet & Greet, and she smiled for a quick candid. I also ended up taking quite a bit to one of the Photopass photographers who gave me the inside scoops on where the best spots are to see character appearances. I wish I could remember her name, but I laughed when a couple of young cast members walked by as she muttered "Newbs"!

Snow White Candid 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White Candid 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The marching band signaled the start of the parade...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The Festival of Fantasy is an amazing parade...one of the best I've seen in terms of overall look, colors, and floats. I like that the theme narrows the character choices to Disney movies from the more distant past and not just the latest hot flavor or Pixar movie. A good mix of golden age (Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty), silver age (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid), and contemporary (Tangled, Princess and the Frog, and of course Frozen) makes for a nice mix that showcases the Disney lineage. The photos are not necessarily in the order of parade appearance, so my apologies! This is another heavy photo installment, so bear with me or just scroll pass if it's not your cup of tea!

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Grand Marshall 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Pinocchio 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Pinocchio 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Cha Cha Girl @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Seven Dwarves 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Seven Dwarves 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Bubble Girl Dancers 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Bubble Girl Dancers 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Alice in Wonderland 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Alice in Wonderland 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Swan Court Dance Couples 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Olaf 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Anna & Elsa 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Anna & Elsa 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 14 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster

Tuvalu

Well-Known Member
Three comments:
Towel animals seem to really depend on the housekeeper. We had them at WL, Poly and POR within the last year.

I couldn't help but laugh at a few of the guests in your Sci-Fi pictures. Here they are sitting in a really cool, immersive restaurant with a movie running and what are they doing? Staring at their PHONES! :banghead:

The hat/ears Sue is wearing is GRUMPY :joyfull: (Look at the Grumpy pic in your FoF parade shots.)

As other have stated, your pictures are amazing and have been so fun to view! (I guess that's really four comments!)
 

cgersic

Well-Known Member
Sue tried on another hat for our album collection, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out what it's suppose to be? A Mickey Santa hat maybe? Very bizzare....

The Mad SueHatter 15 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

More shots from Main Street prior to the parade...Cotton Candy Making on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Freshly Baked Goods on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Shop Detail on Main Street Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cast Member Devin @ Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

If you think this rice krispie treat is huge, wait until you get a load of the price tag!!!

Super Size My Mickey Krispy Treat by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Baking Disney Style by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Prior to the start of the parade, I caught Snow White making her way back from a Meet & Greet, and she smiled for a quick candid. I also ended up taking quite a bit to one of the Photopass photographers who gave me the inside scoops on where the best spots are to see character appearances. I wish I could remember her name, but I laughed when a couple of young cast members walked by as she muttered "Newbs"!

Snow White Candid 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White Candid 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The marching band signaled the start of the parade...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
I think the hat is Doc? You are capturing so well one of my absolute favorite things about Disney and that is the cast members! I've said it already, but I'm saying it again. They make the whole vacation fun and the smiles on their faces in these photos say it all. I cannot wait until my 50th birthday solo trip in May because I miss these guys! Thank you for capturing it as many people don't really give them a glance at all.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Your superlative photos continue to amaze me!!!

By the way, I never knew they had a (head) sculpture of Mary Tyler Moore. I'm surprised at how many details I have missed during my visits to WDW!
 

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Great parade shots!

Thanks @fractal for being such a great supporter of my TR (hang on, it's nearing the end)!

Three comments:
Towel animals seem to really depend on the housekeeper. We had them at WL, Poly and POR within the last year.

I couldn't help but laugh at a few of the guests in your Sci-Fi pictures. Here they are sitting in a really cool, immersive restaurant with a movie running and what are they doing? Staring at their PHONES! :banghead:

The hat/ears Sue is wearing is GRUMPY :joyfull: (Look at the Grumpy pic in your FoF parade shots.)

As other have stated, your pictures are amazing and have been so fun to view! (I guess that's really four comments!)

Good to know that animal towels are still alive and well at the resorts! You would think staying at five different resorts, we would have at least spotted one...:(

Thanks for answering the Grumpy hat mystery @Tuvalu! I just realized that Sue is wearing it wrong? Isn't she suppose to put the beard under her chin?

Thank you for the nice words...I kind of worried it's been to photo heavy (that's what I get taking so many darn pictures).

I was so excited when I saw you were going to be posting FOF shots! You sure did not disappoint. :joyfull:

Thanks @blgauger...I'm glad they passed the mustard. I have a bunch more I'll be posting today or tomorrow just so I can cover characters I initially missed.

I think the hat is Doc? You are capturing so well one of my absolute favorite things about Disney and that is the cast members! I've said it already, but I'm saying it again. They make the whole vacation fun and the smiles on their faces in these photos say it all. I cannot wait until my 50th birthday solo trip in May because I miss these guys! Thank you for capturing it as many people don't really give them a glance at all.

It has to be one of the seven dwarves @cgersic! @Tuvalu mentioned it was Grumpy and someone else on another forum made the same observation, but at least we've narrowed it down to the right movie...:joyfull:

WOW!!! You parade photos are stunning! Love seeing them so close!

I have to tell you something about the close ups on the majority of the shots. I wanted to shoot the parade twice, once with a telephoto lens and the other with a wide angle. Unfortunately, I could only make it to one, so I opted for the zoom (which is why you don't see too many full float shots).

I have enjoyed your photos so much!!! Thank you for sharing!

Thank you so much @Kristy Meyer...I'm glad you enjoyed them! And welcome to the forums!

Awesome Trip Report and amazing pictures!

Very kind of you @C.FERNIE...thank you!

Your superlative photos continue to amaze me!!!

By the way, I never knew they had a (head) sculpture of Mary Tyler Moore. I'm surprised at how many details I have missed during my visits to WDW!

Thank you for being a great supporter of TR @MinnieM123! I had planned to shoot all of the busts there (Andy Griffith is my fave), but of course, Len is out there doing who knows what.....o_O
 

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