Trip Report Ringing in the New Year with 4 Yinzers

Finally ready to start my first trip report! For those who don't understand the title of the thread:

Yin-zer: One born and raised in Pittsburgh and very proud of it.

Who? Me - SHP, my DH, and our two kids R(8) and G(5)

When? Dec. 26, 2017 - Jan. 1, 2018 (yes, we were crazy enough to spend NYE in the World)

Where? Staying at AKL Jambo House - Savannah View

This TR will be text heavy as I'm no @fractal and I prefer not to flood the "interwebs" with pics of my kids. Don't worry, it will still be filled with snark, unsolicited advice to other park goers and brutal honesty about the ups, the downs, and everything in between during the busiest week at WDW.

Let's get started:

The Surprise:

I booked this trip just about a year ago knowing that the kids would (IMO) be at the perfect ages to finally enjoy all 4 parks. We visited MK two years ago for a quick two-day trip (also on NYE ), and stayed off property. That trip involved a rented double stroller and aggressive driving through insane crowds, but very memorable first rides and meet and greets for a 6 and 3 year old. However, I went all out for this trip, booking our first on property stay at a Deluxe Resort I've wanted to stay at since it opened, and 5 day park hoppers with dining plan and memory maker to get the most out of our winter break from school.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early after a late night of last minute preparations. I had wrapped up the kids' new lanyards, box of magic bands, a few tour books, autograph books and new trading pins in a large box that also had our "Welcome Yinzer Family" post card from Disney right on top. The kids were super excited, but a little dazed since they hadn't had much sleep and we still had a full day of family visits at three different houses with more gift giving and (over)eating.



Needless to say, this was the poorest planning of the trip on my part. Knowing that we wouldn't get home from visiting family until after 11 p.m., scheduling us on an early morning flight, and failing to do much packing in advance so as to not spoil the surprise, were all major fails. However, I make up for it ten-fold in my ADRs and FP+ selections later in the week. Stay tuned for Day 1.

 

[SHP]

Day 4: Hollywood Studios and Jedi Training

Sorry I had to abruptly finish the last section as my daughter's dance class was ending so I went back to make some edits and write the conclusion to Day 3.

HS - This was the morning R had been waiting for all week. Even so, I still had to become a mommy dictator coaxing, nagging and finally screaming at everyone to get ready quickly so we wouldn't miss the sign-ups. Not a very relaxing morning for vacation, but whatever, it worked. We were on the bus and at the entrance to HS by about 8:35. We walked around a few times before finally locating the sign for the Jedi Training signups. Heads up, the sign is about 2-3 feet high and sits in the middle of a sidewalk somewhat near Indiana Jones. There are so many other signs, lights, crowds, decorations, etc. that it is very easy to miss. There were easily 40 people already in line in front of us so I started to get nervous that we would not get a morning show. However, the line moved quickly and we were set for the 11:40 show, meaning that we had to return by 11. Amazingly, this worked out perfectly for our FPs booked two months ago.

I wanted to make the first showing of Disney Junior since G still watched many of the shows (and by extension so did R). The first show wasn't until 9:30 and no one had even started lining up yet so we went in to meet BB-8.



We left the area just as the standby line opened for Disney Junior so we got to be first in line. However, this is a FP attraction so those folks are led into the theater first. This would not have been a big deal except that we were FREEZING. We each had on long pants, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts/hoodies, but the line area is shaded and windy so it felt much colder than the low 50s. As this show is geared toward little kids, there was a lot of crying and shivering going on. FINALLY, the doors opened to the plebes and we went into a wonderfully heated open area. FYI - there are no seats in this theater, everyone is expected to sit on the floor. At this point, no one cared, they were just hoping that everyone would filter in quickly so they would close the doors to the cold.

Once the show started, R complained that this show was for babies and rolled his eyes. It only took about 10 minutes before he was standing up and dancing and signing along with the rest of the kids in the audience, LOL. At one point, the ceiling lets loose a ton of paper gold doubloons during the Jake and the Neverland Pirates performance, and R spent 10 minutes collecting as many as he could find and saving them in his lanyard/wallet. (This becomes important later).



No one wanted the show to end because it meant going back out into the cold, but at least we had a short reprieve and a nice long walk over to our first FP - TOT.

Next up: TOT and an early lunch.

 

[SHP]

Day 4 cont.

We literally ran over to ToT because it was so cold and we were trying to warm up. However, I slowed down enough to scout the location of Sweet Spells because there was a dessert I wanted to try there later.

As we approached the FP line, people were literally huddling together in the line to block the wind. Luckily the FP line moved us inside fairly quickly so the kids' attention was diverted from the cold to the spooky surroundings. I was pretty nervous as to how both kids would react to this ride, but I just kept acting like it was no big deal - just another ride so that they wouldn't psych themselves out. The line moved very quickly and we were on within like 10 minutes so there was really no time for them to dwell on the cobwebs and other scary distractions. We were seated in the front row and G and R were totally mesmerized by the story. All of a sudden, R shouted, wait... is this elevator going to drop? I smiled and nodded and before he had time to process, off we went.



Ok, so I admit the kids look terrified, but I swear they were all smiles when we exited and were SO PROUD that they had ridden such a scary ride! They've been talking about it ever since.

 

[SHP]

We next stopped for a VERY early lunch (about 10:35) at Sunset Ranch Market where the kids ordered chicken nuggets and fries and DH ordered a burger from Rosie's All American café. The food was hot and very good. The area also had the overhead heaters on so we were not alone in eating very early to take advantage of the warmth. It was too early for me to eat so I just grabbed a hot coffee and Mickey pretzel to tide me over. We ate quickly because the kids were so excited to head to Star Wars training that they couldn't stay seated, lol.

We made our way back to training area, but ran smack into the March of the First Order. We were pretty far back, so it was difficult to see but the music overwhelms you and put us in the mood for our visit to the Temple. Once we made it to the check in area, the kids were separated into two teams. (I would later learn that this determined whether they were on the upper level or lower level of the stage in front of the Temple and which dark side villain the kids would face). From what I could tell, they tried to keep siblings together. Next, the kids got fitted with their Jedi robes, which was surprisingly efficient.




Then we all practiced how we would walk to the Temple. Two of the smallest kids were recruited to hold a large parade type banner with our team leader. At least one parent needed to march along side their Jedi recruit. Then we practiced our rallying cry - the instructor would yell "Jedi Training" and we (and the kids) shouted "Here we Come." After our practice session, it was time to march through the park and announce our arrival.

OMG, this was so cute!!!! The kids were all very nervous, but LOVED the attention they got as we shouted and marched toward the Temple. Despite a crowded park everyone moved out of our way and bystanders started taking photographs as though we were celebrities posing for the paparazzi.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the CMs who "trained" our young Jedi. They were so full of enthusiasm and made every single child feel as if they were specially "chosen" for this experience. I was immediately in tears as were several other parents as the Disney magic just overwhelmed us. There were several photopass photographers on wheeled chairs zipping around and getting incredible shots of the training...



If you don't want to know anything else about this experience, scroll forward because I don't want to ruin the surprises of what comes next. I will try to figure out how to make it a "spoiler" section.

 

[SHP]

Now it was time to test our young Jedi skills. The instructors explained that the villains they were about to face were NOT real - they were only a product of our fear, but if they remembered their training and to always rely on The Force to guide them, they would easily defeat the Dark Side.

First up Kylo Ren emerged from the Temple. You should have seen the kids' faces - they ranged from hatred to sheer terror! This CM was incredible - he was perfectly intimidating and matched all of his motions with the voice over so it really felt like Kylo Ren was right in front of us.



Then we heard the iconic breathing that could only mean one thing - our next villain had arrived:

 

[SHP]

Our Jedi trainers were there to make sure that no one panicked, but then poor R was called on first to see if he could match his skills against Kylo Ren!!!! He steadied himself, took a deep breath and stepped forward with NO FEAR. I was such a proud mom in that moment. G was gaping at him, her jaw on the ground, but I could tell she was ready to jump in if he messed with her brother.



He did GREAT!!!!!! Ok, to be honest, all of the kids did great. Kylo Ren and Darth Vader kept egging the kids on, though. Taunting them that they should use their powers to join the Dark Side and destroy the Jedi. Of course, the kids kept screaming, "NO" and fighting harder.

Unfortunately, we never did find the pictures of G taking on Kylo Ren despite multiple trips to photopass kiosks throughout the rest of our trip. However, I can tell you that she was FIERCE!

The tension was getting thick between the trainees and Jedi trainers and these relentless dark lords. So much so that our trainer feared we were losing touch with the power of the Force. Once all of the kids had taken their chance with their opposing villain, she ordered the kids to stop and lay down their light sabers. Reluctantly, the kids obliged.

Now this is where Disney earned EVERY.SINGLE.PENNY that we spent on this trip. The CMs told the kids in their best Yoda lesson telling that they could not fight evil with hate - that such emotions would only lead them down the path of the Dark Side. Instead, the kids must let go of all fear and all hate and feel the power of the Force. One of the female trainers (who was just amazing) told the kids to search their hearts and find the power of the Force within them.

I'm not lying when I tell you that parents were literally sobbing because their kids (who believed this with all their hearts) were closing their eyes and slowly lifting their arms to repel the forces of evil.



And lo and behold, it WORKED! The Force repelled those evil Sith lords back into the depths of the Jedi Temple and the kids opened their eyes in sheer amazement at the power they just displayed. They could not believe it!!!! They cheered and high-fived each other and the CMs who helped them on the path to their destiny.

 

[SHP]

Each kid received a huge button proclaiming that they had passed Jedi Training - R and G were beaming from ear to ear. Oh, who am I kidding? DH and I were beaming too. This was by far and away the BEST experience we have ever had at Disney and we are so psyched for Star Wars land to open in a few years. Disney, take my money!

Once we calmed down from that emotional rollercoaster, destiny declared that our FP was now open right next door with Star Tours. It did not disappoint as we were all in from the Jedi Training high. We had several scenes from the new movies and were crushed when we saw the standby wait that we couldn't go on again. So off we headed to the Launch Pad to meet some more Star Wars characters and merchandise.

First up - who else but Kylo Ren?

As I was first to turn the corner and was wearing my Princess Leia "REBEL" shirt (thanks Target!), I came face to face and almost lost my breath - it was SO INTIMIDATING. Then, knowing that the kids were watching my reaction, I smiled and said slyly, "Hello, Ben."

R gasped, G's eyes got wide (and well, DH was kind of clueless since he has not really kept up with watching the movies as many times as the rest of us), but Kylo Ren actually GROWLED at me and told me to watch my step. It was AWESOME. He continued to leer at me and walk about me to see if he could scare me, but I stared him down in equal measure.



As we were leaving, we noted the line to meet Chewbacca was now close to 55 minutes, and I was starting to get hungry after all that emotion so we skipped it. As we left we heard that the Star Wars center stage show was about to begin so we ran to get a good spot behind several double strollers where we could see.

The show itself was a little dumb, it was just various characters dressed in full costume standing there like it was some kind of fashion show. However, the kids loved seeing everyone and shouting out their names. There were also a few pyrotechnic elements that made it worthwhile. It was over in about 15-20 minutes and we watched as Chewy and Rey were escorted off the stage by a fairly large entourage so no one would get close. However, one mom jumped out in front and then gently pushed her daughter forward. The little girl could not have been more than 3 and she was dressed head to toe exactly like Rey. For a split second, I thought the entourage might push right past them, but the CM who played Rey, stopped and bent down low and started whispering in the child's ear.

She grinned widely and then threw her arms around Rey. The whole crowd started cheering - it was so freaking adorable!

We started walking away from the stage when I finally was ready to get what I came for. The only thing I wanted to eat at HS was a carrot cake cookie - and luckily Sweet Spells had them. I was not prepared for how HUGE one cookie would be, though. No one else in my family was interested so I had it all to myself. It was SOOOOOOO delicious! As I left the shop chomping down, at least 3-4 people stopped me to ask me what I had got.

I could only manage to eat about half, though, because it was so sweet. I carefully wrapped it up for later, but unfortunately it ended up at the very bottom of our backpack and I didn't find it for a couple days. Do you think a crumpled, two day old cookie was going to end up in the trash, though? Hell no! I finished every bite. No shame.

 

[riverside]

I will admit that I have walked by the Jedi Training tons of times but have never stopped to watch. After reading this I will make it a point to watch it next time.

 

[SHP]

Day 4 cont.

We had one more FP to use at HS so we started making our way over to Toy Story Mania. However, we were immediately distracted by two storm trooper who were recruiting for the First Order. Oh man, these guys were hilarious. They pulled R up and asked him if he had declared his allegiance to the First Order. He had NO IDEA what to say. Their response? "Your ambivalence will not serve you well under this leadership." R didn't even know what that meant so he just laughed nervously and ran back to us. We watched a few other interactions, all of which were GREAT, and then we moved on.

So, the Toy Story area was very cramped, and even though we had a FP, I'd say it still took about 20-25 minutes for us to get on the ride. None of us knew what the heck we were doing but we put our glasses on and tried our best. We were absolutely terrible! I've never been much of a gamer, but the shooting devices were really unwieldy and it was so fast that I couldn't figure out where to shoot for higher points. It was still a really fun ride, but not great for those with competitive egos.

 

[SHP]

I will admit that I have walked by the Jedi Training tons of times but have never stopped to watch. After reading this I will make it a point to watch it next time.

Definitely watch! Even if you aren’t a SW fan, the sheer excitement and determination on each child’s face is so worth it!

 

[riverside]

Definitely watch! Even if you aren’t a SW fan, the sheer excitement and determination on each child’s face is so worth it!

The exact reason I've never stopped to watch it....I'm not a Star Wars fan
Let me redeem myself though by saying that I like Star Tours & on our last few trips my nephew(he's 2) started taking more & more notice of the different Star Wars things at HS & told us-2 trips ago-that he wanted to meet Chewbacca. We thought he would actually be scared when he met him but he loved him!! So much that when we were there a few weeks ago he wanted to meet him again. He might force me into acquiring a liking for it!!
I will watch it next time for sure!!

 

[SHP]

The exact reason I've never stopped to watch it....I'm not a Star Wars fan
Let me redeem myself though by saying that I like Star Tours & on our last few trips my nephew(he's 2) started taking more & more notice of the different Star Wars things at HS & told us-2 trips ago-that he wanted to meet Chewbacca. We thought he would actually be scared when he met him but he loved him!! So much that when we were there a few weeks ago he wanted to meet him again. He might force me into acquiring a liking for it!!
I will watch it next time for sure!!

You must nurture the Force in your young Padawan learner (nephew). It will be so worth it on a few years!

 

[SHP]

Day 4 cont.

I'm sorry it's taking so long to write this report! After Toy Story, we walked around a little bit admiring the merch across from the entrance. DH was adamant that he needed to find another hoodie and winter hat since he was so cold, but he couldn't find anything he liked. I did purchase two 2018 zip up hoodies for the kids (even though they were white- hello stains ).



It was about 2:30 and we decided that we should head back to AKL to shower and get ready for our dinner ADR - the Spirit of Aloha at the Polynesian. Since we would need to take a bus to MK and then the resort monorail, we needed to leave AKL by 4:30. Spoiler alert - that didn't happen.

As we were walking out of the park, a CM asked if we had seen the March of the First Order from Hollywood Blvd. We explained that we had seen it from afar earlier in the morning. She explained that if we really were SW fans and wanted the full experience to follow her. Of course there was no way R was leaving after that. We followed her to a small ramp in front of one of the shops (I can't remember the name - sorry!) so we waited for the 3:00 march.

All of a sudden the music started and a huge group of stormtroopers started marching right toward us. Captain Phasma stopped about three feet further up the street from us and ordered her troops to stop and inspect the citizens for signs of rebel spies. Of course, our rebel shirts stood out like a sore thumb and all we had three troopers stop right in front of us. His mask was only about an inch from my nose! He looked me up and down and sneered in disgust, pointing out my shirt to his neighbor. They were slightly less offended with R and G but made sure they got a lot of "attention." Again, this was such a cool experience to have a personalized interaction like this. I do fear that the expansion will reduce these special moments, but I am hopeful that Disney will only enhance the experience.

By now it was 3:15 and we still needed to catch a bus, return to the hotel, shower and head to dinner. Needless to say, we didn't even finish our showers until 5:15, the same time our Polynesian show was set to start. So what to do? Call our first Minnie van! The app was so incredibly easy to use. My only complaint was that you had to be very careful not to accidentally push the order button when refreshing to see how long before your ride arrived, otherwise it would cancel your order altogether.

We got a van around 5:30 and were rushed into the show at 5:45 - thirty minutes late. However, the performances hadn't started yet and everyone was still eating when we got there, so no harm no foul.

Up Next: Spirit of Aloha

 

[SHP]

So after carefully packing some tropical sundresses for me and G and Hawaiian shirts for DH and R, our plans for what to wear were boiled down to survival mode. DH had complained about the cold all day, couldn't find a hoodie he liked at the park and his miserable attitude continued when he found out dinner would be outside. For reference, this was what the kids were wearing after a long day at MK during the same week 2 years ago.



We showed up at dinner looking like a hot mess, basically wearing every piece of mismatched clothing we had packed, and it still wasn't enough - even with the outdoor heaters. DH wore several long sleeve shirts, a hoodie, a scarf and a hat and was still complaining about the cold. Each kid had two pairs of pants and several sweaters, hoodies, etc. along with their blankies to cover their laps.

Now, I really didn't have anything substantial for lunch so by the time we got there I was starving. I scarfed down the pulled pork, ribs and chicken wings, while DH and the kids picked at everything and continued to give me the side eye for scheduling this outdoor show. I have to say the salad and noodles were just ok, bordering on bad. I tried to make the best of it though and kept telling everyone to just hang in there, it would be worth it.

The price of the show includes unlimited wine and beer so I ordered a sangria. But since no one else was having fun I took a few sips and just gave up. The show was just ok, and I probably wouldn't recommend it for the price Disney charges. If you have actually been to Hawaii for an authentic luau, it paled in comparison. However, the kids were impressed during some of the dances, and of course loved the fire finale (photo courtesy of google images).



I enjoyed the pineapple cake served for dessert, but the kids didn't even touch their rice krispie treats. As soon as the show concluded, we made a beeline for the main lobby, and called another Minnie van. I wanted to enjoy the ambiance of the Polynesian but I was outvoted by three very cold, grumpy family members so I gave in. Maybe next trip.

Once back at AKL, the kids took another hot shower and put on their pjs and went right to bed (it was like 8:15). Since no one was talking to me at this point, I too went right to sleep hoping for a better tomorrow at Epcot.

Spoiler: Check out my face as we entered the gate the following morning:

 

[SHP]

Day 5 Epcot:

My notes for this day are not very good so this is going to be a short report (I think). Given our early bedtime, we were up early and lucky to arrive at Epcot very close to rope drop. I was annoyed that all my planning seemed to be going unappreciated and was still a little salty about the night before. But I was determined to soldier on, but with lower expectations. (Thank you @21stamps for your trip report detailing why low expectations with kids is so important). Since I love tooling around WS, I did not make any ADRs for this day and assumed we would spend the morning in future world, hit up Mexico for lunch, and make it as far as we could through the afternoon in WS for an early night back at AKL.

First a quick story about Mayor G. On the bus ride to Epcot, we met a very nice family while chatting about the unusually cold weather. They were a married couple with their sister-in-law, ranging in age from about 25-35. They asked the kids their ages and what grade they were in at school, which they shyly answered. We learned they are from Montreal, and try to visit Florida every winter, while SIL Christine is on winter break from her teaching job. Well, that was all G needed to hear (she wants to be a teacher when she grows up). So here goes my 5 year old who has known Christine for all of five minutes, and climbs right up onto her lap! She then asks Christine what she was going to ride this week and goes into a long winded explanation about ToT and how to be brave going on the ride. In retrospect, it was pretty funny, but I do think we as parents may need to have another talk with her about "stranger danger" outside of the bubble.

As soon as we made it into the park, we headed to Soarin' since I chose a FP for later in the morning for Test Track. We were on this ride in less than 15 minutes. As much as I loved the old version, I thought this version was just as good, if not better! I looked over at my family whose eyes were wide as saucers, and all my annoyance at the previous night disappeared.

After this, we went over the Living with the Land, which both kids declared to be the most BORING ride ever. Whatever. The adults liked it. Finally, we rounded our visit to the Land Pavilion with a visit to the Circle of Life as we are huge Lion King fans. We are also adamant about recycling at home and R has learned so much about Earth Day in elementary school that this short film had a lot of meaning for him. Plus, DH was happy that he could sit for 20 min in a warm theater, though thankfully, the weather was much warmer today and the sun was shining.

After our rest, we headed over toward Mission Space. I had a FP for this, but despite my best efforts, I could only get times later on in the evening. Since the green line only had a 25 min wait, we decided to do it next since we still had some time before our TT window opened. Holy warnings! I can't believe how many times and in how many ways they warn you that you probably shouldn't ride this attraction, lol. I understand the legal liability issues, but still, it was kinda freaking the kids out.

Once we got to our circles and learned our respective "jobs" on the flight, the kids snapped to attention. They were so worried that they would forget which buttons to push and when, so we reviewed it a few more times before and after we got into our seats. Overall, the experience was great - if not a little boring for me. I would have loved to use the FP myself later to choose the orange side, but no such luck.

At this point, everyone wanted a snack so DH got a turkey leg from a cart vendor in future world and the kids shared a Mickey pretzel.
And this is where we learned that we had 38 snack credits remaining on our account, and only 1.5 days left at Disney!!!! Um.... challenge accepted?

 

[SHP]

After our snack, we made our way over to Test Track. DH and I had ridden this many years ago before we had kids and had fond memories of the outdoor portion of the ride. The FP line moved fairly quickly and soon we were in the design room - which was completely new to us. I partnered with G and DH went with R. I have to be honest, G and I only really cared about the color of the car (which, admittedly, is one of the few things I really care about when buying a new real car). I have no idea what R and DH were working on and literally no idea if our car performed well.

We got on with two solo riders and had a great ride - even if it was cold and windy! I would attach our ride photo but both kids were hidden by the solo riders and, in all vanity, DH and I look terrible in it. Throughout this time, I tried to swap out our MS fast pass for the evening for something else (namely, FEA), but there was NOTHING else available until evening. Afterwards, the kids spent a ton of time in the play area outside the ride taking photos standing next to some car and driving some little models. Now this was BORING, but I tried to suck it up for everyone else.

Now, some of you may remember my grand plans to hit the extra late night EMH at MK from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. later that night so my plan was to saunter through WS, be back at the hotel relatively early (like 6) and put the kids to bed for a few hours before waking one or both of them up for MK at night. So I demanded that we skip the remainder of FW and get a move on in WS. BIG MISTAKE!

We started in Mexico where I grabbed some nachos since I didn't eat breakfast or participate in the pre-TT snack. No one else was into it, even though we went to Mexico for a wedding over the summer and the kids loved the authentic food at our resort.



Next, we went on the boat ride in Mexico (and even though they laughed at Donald in a few places), they once again the kids declared to be BORING.

So we then ushered them over to Norway to see how long the Frozen ride was. The posted time outside of the building was 55 minutes and the kids BEGGED us to ride it - we figured the line queue would be cute so we decided to grit our teeth and bear it ---- UGH.

Yeah, once inside the main room where the standby and FP lines merge, I realized there was no way this line could only be a 55 min. wait. I checked the app (and after we had already been waiting about 20-25 minutes in the "pre-room," MDE had a posted wait time of 105 minutes!!! We debated leaving, but considering that we didn't have anywhere else we HAD to be we just dealt with it.