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...

 
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Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A few more shots from FoF that I just processed, so order is really out of whack...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Brave Scottish Performers 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Merida 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Merida 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Flynn Rider 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Coral Fish @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Lion Fish @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Seahorse @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Float @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Ariel @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Peter Pan & Wendy @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Peter Pan & Wendy @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

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

Festival of Fantasy Captain Hook @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Mickey & Minnie Air Balloon 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday, December 08 marked our last day at the parks. To cap off this great holiday vacation, we has reservations at Cinderella's Castle. Prior to our breakfast, Sue and I did a last walk around Fantasyland. Besides running into a couple of awesome medieval characters, we had the good luck of doing a Meet and Greet with Merida from Brave. I've seen quite a few Meridas on the net and in character, but this one was one of the best. She really got into the role and gave a great performance. When it was our turn to take pictures, I asked the photographer is he could take some shots with my camera too. He took one. One shot...hope it wasn't too much trouble... :sarcastic:

Fantasyland Lord @ Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Fantasyland Lady @ Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 08 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12/08/15 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Breakfast at Cinderella's was excellent. Food and service were top notch and all the princesses were friendly and accomodating for picture taking. None of the group wanted to pose (maybe feeling a bit conscientious since it was all adults), so it was mostly single character shots only...

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 06 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella's Royal Castle Interior 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella's Royal Castle Interior 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

French Toast @ Cinderella's Royal Table by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sue and I wanted to have dinner at Epcot one last time, so we chose the San Angel Inn. The service and food were disappointing, but it's hard to beat eating with a volcano and pyramid in the distance. We also rode (for the 1st time) the Gran Fiesta Tour. This felt more like a travelogue to me with a bit of Small World added. Sue tried on one last hat for our album and we called it a night. We did have hard tickets to MVMCP, but I had come down with a cold and felt under the weather. We decided to head back to Wilderness Lodge early and get a good night's rest for the long trip home tomorrow.

Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Faces of EPCOT-Monica of Mexico 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Faces of EPCOT-Maruca of Mexico by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr



San Angel Inn Restaurant 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Mad SueHatter 14 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wednesday morning had us packing and getting ready for the long journey home. It's always a bittersweet moment checking out of the hotel...half of me is ready to go home and see our girls...the other half is sadness at leaving this magical world behind. Sue and I had an early breakfast at Whispering Canyon where I had my first and only Mickey Waffle of the entire trip.

Whispering Canyon Coaster 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Mickey Waffles @ Disney's Whispering Canyon Cafe by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Since I had some positive responses to cast member photos, I'm going to post a few more here before I end this report. I thought it would only be of interest to me, but I'm glad others enjoy seeing these hard working and fantastic people...

Disney's Hollywood Tower of Terror Cast Member Sr-B:W by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Tower of Terror Cast Member Beth by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Animal Kingdom Cast Members-Paula & Friend by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Animal Kingdom Wilderness Explorer Cast Member by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Star Traders Cast Member Senses a Disturbance in the Cash Register by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cast Member Kourtney on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Thank you to everyone who followed me on our vacation adventure and for all your very kind comments! Thank you also to WDW Magic for their amazing site and for the opportunity to share our trips. If you are a glutton for punishment, you can click any of my photos and it should take you to my Flickr album. There you'll find more photos from WDW as well as my Universal Studios pictures. Now that I've finished, I'll really be able to sit back, read, and enjoy the other member's great reports. I'll be heading to Disneyland in July, and if its okay with the admins, I'll be back to share my thoughts and photos on Disneyland's 60th Birthday celebration. Until then, take care, enjoy your time at WDW, and God bless!

Train Station on Main Street 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sue & Len in Front of Cinderella's Castle by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr
 
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myhappyplace

myhappyplace

Crazy Cat Lady
I have really enjoyed checking in on this report daily and seeing your beautiful photos....all of which were gorgeous. In particular, though, the cast member photos. SO well done, and you can see the joy and dedication they have for making magic happen!! Thank you for thinking to do such a study!!
 
WDWDarling

WDWDarling

Well-Known Member
Just caught up on your report and so sad to be at the end :(. As mentioned by others, your photos are amazing! I keep going back through different days to try and live vicariously until my next trip. I think it's safe to say another trip report would be welcomed with open arms!!! At least by me anyway ;). It's really cool that you met The Brickers. Their blog was the first thing I ever came across when I started planning our trip this past August and it was also the first time I realized their were other awesome people out there that love Disney like I do. It's also what led me to this site! It seems like you guys had a lot of fun and I hope you have just as much if not more on your trip to DL in July! Thank you again for sharing :).
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
fractal said:
Sad this is over.

Terrific report and great photos! I love the idea of all the CM portraits. Very much enjoyed this and I know I'll be coming back and going over your pictures again.
Thanks for all the time and effort; and I certainly look forward to you DLR report!
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Thank you @fractal for your constant feedback and support! I am going to go full blast on CM portraits when I head to DLR in July (now that I have enough nerve to go up and ask), so get ready for a boatload full of pics...LOL!

myhappyplace said:
I have really enjoyed checking in on this report daily and seeing your beautiful photos....all of which were gorgeous. In particular, though, the cast member photos. SO well done, and you can see the joy and dedication they have for making magic happen!! Thank you for thinking to do such a study!!
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Thank you @myhappyplace for your kind thoughts! Yes, the cast member photos really turned out to be a surprise hit. It was almost an afterthought, but it ended up being my favorite photos to process too.

WDWDarling said:
Just caught up on your report and so sad to be at the end :(. As mentioned by others, your photos are amazing! I keep going back through different days to try and live vicariously until my next trip. I think it's safe to say another trip report would be welcomed with open arms!!! At least by me anyway ;). It's really cool that you met The Brickers. Their blog was the first thing I ever came across when I started planning our trip this past August and it was also the first time I realized their were other awesome people out there that love Disney like I do. It's also what led me to this site! It seems like you guys had a lot of fun and I hope you have just as much if not more on your trip to DL in July! Thank you again for sharing :).
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Hey @WDWDarling...thank you so much for the feedback! If I remember correctly, you're heading back to WDW in July? I'll be in DLR the same month too. Yes, meeting the Brickers was one of the highlights of our trip. It was his blog that inspired me to get out of auto mode and shoot in manual. We did have a lot of fun, but it was pretty exhausting too (think the age thing might have something to do with it).

Have to tell you something that made me smile reading your TR. You'll occasionally use "Y'all" and I can just hear that great southern accent
:)
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Thank you for such an excellent trip report with outstanding photographs. I really looked forward to seeing your updates.

I also really like how you acknowledged so many of the wonderful WDW cast members. Not everyone does that, and I think it added even more joy to your TR. Sad that the fun is over now, but thanks for brightening up our days here over the past few weeks! Take care, and I hope you get to enjoy WDW again real soon! :happy:
 
WDWDarling

WDWDarling

Well-Known Member
@Juneau Biscuits Yes! my DH and I are making a day trip over to Magic Kingdom while we're in Daytona for a week in July. Not the full blown trip I would like but it will give me a little bit of a fix until our land and sea anniversary trip in May 2017. I would LOVE to venture over to DLR but the DH is not big on planes and that, combined with having to pay for the airfare itself, tends to hold us back.

You guys definitely did fit in a lot doing your trip. Maybe this next one will be a little bit more relaxing:).

Haha, I'm a Georgia girl and it's hard not to give myself away. Thanks for reading!
 
Jae99

Jae99

Well-Known Member
Thank you for taking the time to show us your beautiful photos from your trip. It sounded like you both had an amazing time on your trip to WDW. I am looking forward to your trip report from Disneyland and being able to visit that park through your photos.
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MinnieM123 said:
Thank you for such an excellent trip report with outstanding photographs. I really looked forward to seeing your updates.

I also really like how you acknowledged so many of the wonderful WDW cast members. Not everyone does that, and I think it added even more joy to your TR. Sad that the fun is over now, but thanks for brightening up our days here over the past few weeks! Take care, and I hope you get to enjoy WDW again real soon! :happy:
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Thank you @MinnieM123 for your constant support and kindness! I'm glad you enjoyed the TR and appreciate your interest. Hopefully I'll be back in late July with a TR for DLR (hah, sounds like I work for a secret agency with all these acronyms). And God willing, maybe head back to WDW in a few years to check out the new additions to AK!

WDWDarling said:
@Juneau Biscuits Yes! my DH and I are making a day trip over to Magic Kingdom while we're in Daytona for a week in July. Not the full blown trip I would like but it will give me a little bit of a fix until our land and sea anniversary trip in May 2017. I would LOVE to venture over to DLR but the DH is not big on planes and that, combined with having to pay for the airfare itself, tends to hold us back.

You guys definitely did fit in a lot doing your trip. Maybe this next one will be a little bit more relaxing:).

Haha, I'm a Georgia girl and it's hard not to give myself away. Thanks for reading!
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Similar situation here @WDWDarling! Sue needs to attend a workshop in Las Vegas, so I was able to work in a 5 night stay at DLR before heading up to sin city. What you and your husband face is exactly like us, except it's flying to the east coast that hinders us due to time and cost.

I imagine this trip will be a lot easier since they're really only 2 parks I need to shoot (plus the Grand Californian). I'm also doing the Disney part first, so I should have more energy and stamina...:rolleyes:

I have some good friends in Tennessee, but Georgia is a place I hope to visit one day! See you in your thread....aloha!

Jae99 said:
Thank you for taking the time to show us your beautiful photos from your trip. It sounded like you both had an amazing time on your trip to WDW. I am looking forward to your trip report from Disneyland and being able to visit that park through your photos.
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Thank you @Jae99 for your interest and kind comments. It was a great trip and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity. I'll try to do a better job on the DLR report come summer!
 
prfctlyximprct

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
IT CANNOT BE OVER!!

Thank you so much for capturing the magic. The portraits of the Cast Members was such a great idea. The people that work at Disney truly help make your experience all the more memorable. The real world is so tough, and people can be so rude sometimes, especially when they are having a bad day at work. It's wonderful to see people who truly enjoy their jobs and make a difference, no matter how big or small, in someone's vacation. Throughout college, they constantly talked about Disney's superior customer service, whether it be in a textbook or a professor's lecture. The faces you capture seem to emphasize this quality. We all share a common love, Disney. :)
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
prfctlyximprct said:
IT CANNOT BE OVER!!

Thank you so much for capturing the magic. The portraits of the Cast Members was such a great idea. The people that work at Disney truly help make your experience all the more memorable. The real world is so tough, and people can be so rude sometimes, especially when they are having a bad day at work. It's wonderful to see people who truly enjoy their jobs and make a difference, no matter how big or small, in someone's vacation. Throughout college, they constantly talked about Disney's superior customer service, whether it be in a textbook or a professor's lecture. The faces you capture seem to emphasize this quality. We all share a common love, Disney. :)
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Thank you @prfctlyximprct for tagging along! I totally agree with your assessment of the cast members...they really don't get as much credit as they deserve for all their hard work and dedication. It's going to be weird not posting for a TR, but I have yours and other forum members TRs to look forward to (until I get to DL in July)!
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
blgauger said:
Say it ain't so. :bawling: Sad it's over, but thank you for sharing! I thoroughly enjoyed your TR and can't wait to read all about your DL trip! :)
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Thank you for your interest and kind words blgauger! I'm equally enjoying yours and other members trip reports now that I can really delve into them! As Ahnold would say "I'll be back...in July"!
 
Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid

Member
I post very infrequently, but I also wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed looking at your amazing photos and reading the commentary. The pictures are just exceptional. Particularly during shows, I find myself focusing my photos on the actors' individual facial expressions, so I'm happy to see another photographer doing some of the same thing! I will look forward to your next report--please make it very picture-heavy! :)
 
Juneau Biscuits

Juneau Biscuits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Little Mermaid said:
I post very infrequently, but I also wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed looking at your amazing photos and reading the commentary. The pictures are just exceptional. Particularly during shows, I find myself focusing my photos on the actors' individual facial expressions, so I'm happy to see another photographer doing some of the same thing! I will look forward to your next report--please make it very picture-heavy! :)
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Thank you so much for your comments @Little Mermaid! Agreed, the facial expressions on the actors are what really draws the lens of my camera. I think too, because the stage is at a distance for the most part, seeing up close images gives me a different (and much more intimate) perspective of the show.
 

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