Now I know how those frozen Mickey ice cream bars feel… A December 2010 TR!

Welcome to my long overdue December 2010 Trip Report! Click on the link below to check out my pre-trip report and see how well we stuck to our proposed schedule…

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=542663

First off, let me explain my title. The average temperature for Orlando, FL in December is 62.1 degrees. The average temperature for the week we were there was in the 40’s and it was so windy, it seemed WAY colder than that! We literally froze our rear ends off, but we still had a great time even in spite of the frost bite!

The Trip Details:
When: December 3-11, 2010
Where: Fort Wilderness Campground
Who: Here is the cast…

My sister-in-law (Brooke), me (Jon) and my wife (Brittany)

My father-in-law (Scott) and mother-in-law (Pam)

Friday December 3, 2010

We departed the great state of North Carolina Friday afternoon and drove down to St. Augustine, FL where we stopped for the night at this lovely little campground.

Saturday December 4, 2010

We were up bright and early and on the road. We would be at Walt Disney World in just a couple of hours! Before we knew it we saw this beautiful sight…

We’re there!!
Oh, what a feeling to be in Disney World! We proceeded to drive over toward the Fort Wilderness area to check in!

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Tuesday December 7, 2010

Like I said in my last post, we had an extremely early get up today! We had ADR's at our favorite character breakfast at 7:00am! Let this be a lesson to all of us to make our ADR's at the 180 day mark, so we don't ever get stuck with a breakfast this early ever again! Ok, so, we got up at like 6:00am so everyone would have time to get ready and so we would have time to drive over to the location of our breakfast since the buses don't run until an hour before park opening. We all hopped in the truck and headed over to Disney's Contemporary Resort for breakfast at...

Chef Mickey's!

We always make time for a trip to Chef Mickey's for breakfast on every trip to Disney. We love the food, the atmosphere and the fun! Here are a few shots from breakfast...

Me and Goofy holding it down.

Brittany and I with Donald.

Pam with the head honcho himself, Mickey Mouse!

Chef Mickey's is so much fun! We ate and ate until we couldn't eat anymore. We were stuffed and after all the characters made their rounds, we decided it was time to head back to the camper to bundle up for our day in the parks. Now, I know by my trip title you are probably thinking, "I thought it was supposed to be cold." The first day at Animal Kingdom, we were able to wear short sleeves... well, that was the only day. I wasn't sure if we were in Florida or the North Pole! As were exiting the Contemporary, I snapped this shot...

When we got back to the camper, we bundled, because baby, it was cold outside! When I say we bundled, I wasn't kidding. We looked like we were about to hit the slopes...

We had our layers on so we headed toward the bus stop. Soon the bus came for our park for the day. The buses were such a welcome sight during this week because they meant WARMTH!! After a short drive, we arrived at...

Hollywood Studios!

I love Hollywood Studios! It is probably my favorite park at Walt Disney World other than the Magic Kingdom, of course. It has two of my top three attractions in WDW, not to mention great shows, food and details. I don't even mind the hat... I really like the old signs and billboards at DHS; they really make you think you went back in time to old Hollywood. We saw this one as we made our way into the park...

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Tuesday December 7 continued...

We had just entered Disney's Hollywood Studios (I actually like this name better than MGM Studios), and we were heading toward the park's icon while checking out the scenery...

Now, in the past when entering Hollywood Studios, we would always head straight toward the Tower of Terror and the Rock'n' Roller Coaster... but this time, we had other plans. There was a new attraction that had been added to DHS since our last visit in 2008 and we wanted to give it a try. Plus, we had heard about the outrageous wait times and how quick the Fast Passes run out for this particular attraction, so we wanted to get there first! I bet you can't guess where we were headed...

Pixar Studios, but more specifically...

Toy Story Midway Mania!

When we got to the queue entrance, there was a 45 minute wait! So, we grabbed a couple of these (pictured below) for later and headed into the attraction!

The queue for Toy Story Midway Mania is awesome! Lots and lots of great detail and oversized toys. Makes you feel like you just stepped into the movie! As we made our way through the line, we saw this familiar face...

After we listened to Mr. Potato Head for a little bit, it was time to board the ride! I was excited because of all the hype I had heard about this attraction leading up to our trip; but I was also a little skeptical because I kept thinking to myself - how good can this really be? Well, the time for speculation was over. It was time to board the ride!

Wow! I was impressed with this attraction! It was like Buzz Lightyear on steroids! VERY fun and addictive! As soon as you get off, you're ready to go again! I couldn't wait to get back on so I could try to beat my score. How do you think I did for my first time?

Not too shabby, huh? Haha. Oh and in case you were wondering about that Player 1 score, yes, I rode by myself - Brittany rode with her dad - hence the score of 0 for Player 1...
Anyway, with Fast Passes in hand, we headed out of Pixar Studios to explore some more of the park.

 

[erstwo]

AHHH! We were at DHS on Tuesday the 7th too! What time do you think you got there?

I looked for us in the picture of the Pixar entrance, but I don't think we are in there. I think we were at the ToT by then.

Here's a link to my TR of that day:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=664099&page=4

If you saw 3 little girls all wearing the same outfit, with red hairbows, that was us!

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

AHHH! We were at DHS on Tuesday the 7th too! What time do you think you got there?

If you saw 3 little girls all wearing the same outfit, with red hairbows, that was us!

We got there right at 9:30 - not quite at rope drop but the freezing weather has us less than motivated...

 

[mickeysshoes]

Awesome TR.....love all the pictures!!!

 

[JoeSpence]

This is a great Trip report so far. I look forward to the future installments. You guys are lucky you remembered to bring warm clothes. I went in dec. of 2000 and it was so cold the stores sold out of gloves, so we had to buy socks to put on our hands...:lol:

 

[Saoirse1916]

I'm a bit late to this party but I wanted to say that my family and I left the day you got to WDW -- we ate at the Hoop De Doo they day before you were too. Anyway, great report, great pictures -- it's bringing back memories for me!

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

This is a great Trip report so far. I look forward to the future installments. You guys are lucky you remembered to bring warm clothes. I went in dec. of 2000 and it was so cold the stores sold out of gloves, so we had to buy socks to put on our hands...:lol:

We were lucky, but we were prepared to a certain extent as well. I was checking the weather like crazy the week leading up to our trip, so I knew it was going to be chilly. I had no idea that it would be THAT cold though... The scarf that I have wrapped around my head in the "skiing" picture, I bought that at Sea World. Wonder how many scarves Sea World sells throughout the year?? Probably not too many. Haha.

 

[disneygirl1]

Great update! We were at AK on 12/5 too!!! I looked to see if I could see my group in any of your pics, but no such luck! How nice and warm was it that day? Man it's amazing how cold it got in a days time! We were freezing out behinds off at MK on Monday 12/6!

 

[Disneygal1]

Great trip report! I am pretty sure we have the same camper or it is very similar. And I love you're pictures!

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Great update! We were at AK on 12/5 too!!! I looked to see if I could see my group in any of your pics, but no such luck! How nice and warm was it that day? Man it's amazing how cold it got in a days time! We were freezing out behinds off at MK on Monday 12/6!

Yeah, the cold ALMOST made us not enjoy our trip. We still had a great time, but the freezing temps definitely put a damper on things. Next time, we are going during a warm month!
I'll try to post a couple more updates tonight...

 

[oommggitskait]

Loving your trip report!! Can't wait for the next update.

 

[R W B]

Very good TR so far. Best one I have seen yet. Makes me wish mid May would get here even faster, lol. I also cant wait until I can finally make it there in December. I think the cold weather would be great and add to the Christmas time effect in Disney.

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Tuesday December 7 continued...

I had just finished doing work on Toy Story Midway Mania and we were headed out to explore the rest of Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was a clear, sunny day but my oh my was it cold and windy! We left the Pixar Studios and we were freezing. We came to the next attraction and quickly headed into the queue not even thinking that most of this attraction takes place outdoors...

Now I know that the Backlot Tour takes a lot of heat on this and other Disney message boards, but I still like it. Something about it just reminds me that I am in Walt Disney World! I guess because I remember it from when I was a kid. I love seeing the props and other things you just can't see (at least up close) unless you are on the Backlot Tour...

After the Backlot Tour, Scott checked the show times guide and saw that one of our favorite shows was about to start! This show has been around forever, but I still love it! People were already starting to file in, so we headed into the show so we would get a good seat...

The Indiana Jones movies were always favorites of mine growing up, so I make a point to see this show every time I'm at Hollywood Studios! One day, maybe I'll get up the courage to volunteer to be in the show... knowing my luck, they wouldn't pick me though. Haha.
After the show was over, we came across another favorite attraction of mine, but unfortunately it was closed for refurbishment... It was a bitter sweet feeling though because I knew when it finally opens back up, it's going to be better than ever! See you next time, Star Tours...

After grabbing some lunch at Pizza Planet, we decided to give Muppet Vision 3D a try. I hadn't done this show in a long time, so I didn't remember much about it. I know a lot of people love this show, but it's definitely not something I will do every trip. It does make for some good photo opportunities though...

After Muppet Vision, it was time for another one of our favorite shows at Walt Disney World...

Lights, Motors, Action!

This show is always so much fun to watch! So much action and the stunt driving is awesome! We waited for all the people to file out of the stadium and then we made our way back out into the park. Which way would we head next?? Stay tuned to find out...

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Tuesday December 7 continued...

We just finished watching the Lights, Motors, Action extreme stunt show and we headed out of the stadium toward our next attraction. On the way out, I got this cool shot of the top of some of Hollywood Studios' most famous landmarks all together over the set of the LMA stunt show...

Finally, we were headed toward my favorite section of Disney's Hollywood Studios. The area of the park where my two favorite attractions at DHS and two of the top 3 in all of WDW sit practically next door to each other. I think it was pretty clear where we were headed...

But first, we had one more show to see...

The Beauty and the Beast stage show is yet another favorite of ours and one that we never miss while at Walt Disney World. It is a bit of a change of pace from the other shows in Hollywood Studios. Here are a couple of shots from the show...

The Beauty and the Beast show was great, but I was ready for some thrills! There were two attractions that could provide that and we were heading there next! First up was my favorite in all of Walt Disney World...

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!

In my opinion, this is the best attraction in WDW! It is so freakin awesome! If you've never done it, please do. I promise, you will not regret it! Check out my Tower of Terror video on my youtube channel by clicking the link at the bottom of each of my posts...

After Tower of Terror, we were ready for another favorite and one of my top 3 attractions in all of WDW...

The Rock'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith!

We absolutely love this ride! I don't know if it is the zero to sixty in less than five seconds, the loops, the loud music or a combination of all of those things that make this ride a can't miss attraction EVERY time we step foot in Disney's Hollywood Studios!
After we rode TOT and RNRC a couple more times each, it was starting to get dark out and we had big plans for later... What could those plans be? Where were we headed next? Stay tuned to find out...

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Excellent trip report - I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

 

[accord99cutie]

I am enjoying your report!!! Can't wait for more!

 

[disneygirl1]

Yeah, the cold ALMOST made us not enjoy our trip. We still had a great time, but the freezing temps definitely put a damper on things. Next time, we are going during a warm month!
I'll try to post a couple more updates tonight...

I felt the same exact way!!! We are booked for the end of Aug/Sept this year, I don't think COLD weather will be an issue then! :lol:

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

I felt the same exact way!!! We are booked for the end of Aug/Sept this year, I don't think COLD weather will be an issue then! :lol:

Brittany and I are going back this September too for our Anniversary! Great minds think alike!

 

[MEyeSeeKayEY]

Tuesday December 7 continued…

We were almost ready to leave Disney's Hollywood Studios - not because we weren't having a great time - but because we had a prior engagement. What on earth could pull us away from continuing an awesome day at the Studios? You'll have to wait just a little bit longer to find out… Here are a few of my favorite shots from that evening at DHS…

Even though this picture turned out blurry, I love it.

Now, Hollywood Studios is tied for, if not my favorite park in Walt Disney World… so there could only be one thing that could pull me away from there considering the park hadn't closed yet. That reason was that we had a date at the most magical of all the Disney parks, the Magic Kingdom! But this just wasn't any normal night at the Magic Kingdom. Tonight, we had tickets for a very special event...

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!

The Magic Kingdom was all lit up and it was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. My words can't explain it and my pictures don't do it justice either. We hung out just inside the entrance and along Main Street USA for a while just taking it all in. We got a good spot for the parade and once it was over, we headed down Main Street toward the castle. After staring in awe at the castle for what seemed like hours (it was probably only 10 minutes or so), we headed toward Tomorrowland to get some refreshments. Cookies and hot chocolate were being served. The hot chocolate was perfect on such a cold night and it set the mood perfectly as we waited for Christmas Wishes to begin. Here are a few shots from our night at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom…

It was snowing on Main Street, USA!

After Christmas Wishes, we made our way around the Magic Kingdom and did a few attractions, and by the time we made our way from Tomorrowland to Adventureland (moving counter clockwise) we were completely pooped from such a long day. Here is one last shot from our night at the Magic Kingdom...

Whew! What a day! We had started at 6:00am at Chef Mickey's, went on to Hollywood Studios from there and finished up the day at the Magic Kingdom with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I still get tired just thinking about that day! As we walked back down Main Street, heading toward the exit, I glanced at my iPhone and saw the time go from 11:59pm to 12:00am. The day was over, but what a day it had been! We boarded the boat back to Fort Wilderness and if you've never been on the boats on Bay Lake at night, you HAVE to. It is such a peaceful time because everyone is so tired and quiet; you can just enjoy the ride and reflect on your day and the memories that were made…
We arrived at the Fort Wilderness dock and we were in the bed by 12:35am. We had another full day planned for the next day, so it was time to get some shut eye...