Trip Report So I guess Disney thinks Canadians do not celebrate Christmas?? A Max Trip Report- COMPLETED

A big hello to all my Disney friends:

As the title suggest this is a trip report regarding our recent Christmas adventure at Walt Disney World

Why the title you ask? I will keep you guessing on that one for a few days at least

Details leading up to the departure can be found here:

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads...-max-the-girls-and-the-boys-do-disney.951075/

This is my 6th trip report on these boards so hopefully you have read at least one before

The reason I say that is that my style might not suit all - I can probably sum it up as

1) Shoot from the hip
2) Do not pull punches
3) Definitely not PC
4) Not always PG
5) As much Seinfeld references as @Tuvalu can handle
6) Not too heavy or too light on the Pixie dust -keep it real and call it as I see it

Quick introduction will come from:

Day 1 - Travel Day towards the US but not quite beyond the comfort of home:
Friday Dec 21, 2018

The original plan was to drive from our home in Waterloo Ont Canada to Buffalo NY on Sat Dec 22.
With a 10:35 am fight a same day drive could have worked.

We switched it up to a drive on the day before and booked a hotel in Niagara Falls Canada

(our B&B in Buffalo backed out on us - @Doc Disney can try to explain how she let us down!!!)

So here we are at the Embassy Suites on Friday enjoying our homemade Mickey cookies

Me (Max, Andrew, Clarence) and Tricia

My younger daughter Cassie and Shane (BF)

and my older daughter Stephanie and her fiancé Jordan

and this is all of us at the Falls ( selfies are harder with six people!!!)

This report will chronicle Disney trip 28 for me and lucky(?) 13 to WDW.
It is also 13 to WDW for Tricia
The girls celebrate 10 trips to the world
Trip 2 for Shane (though his memory of the first is limited)

And - 1ST TIME FOR JORDAN!!!!!!

More Day 1 to follow and then off to Buffalo the next day!!!

Welcome aboard, ashore and wherever we are!!!

Max

 

[LadyBelle]

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Welcome!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Hi Cassie!

 

[stephmax975]

Now, Max, I know Tuvalu has already gotten on you about your grammar, but spelling your own daughter's name incorrectly really is going a bit too far, don't you think? (I can be snarky, too.)

No one said there’d be spelling.

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Yay! Another Max family member! Welcome

 

[littleroo]

Welcome @MiniMax!! Maybe you and steph can be Canadian, snark interpreters!

 

[amjt660]

Max, love your hat! And so jealous! Trying to talk my family into what I am calling the Asian tour. Disney Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. No takers as of yet.
Welcome to Stephanie, and looking forward to reading more of your family's adventures!

Thank you for noticing - no one noticed (or said anything) when I was in Florida
My day 2 hat is the Mikey through the ages hat but it is actually from HKDL - none of the pics show that very well though
I would love to take my family on the Asian tour but it is not in the cards right now.

FINALLY, family willing to travel at Christmas

Switzerland and DLP for Christmas sounds like fun

Wait...so you were supposed to have 1 suite that was basically 3 bedrooms, and you got there and they had put you in 3 separate rooms all over the resort? Oh I'd be ticked!!!

Hi Stephanie! Looking forward to your contributions to the report.

Now, Max, I know Tuvalu has already gotten on you about your grammar, but spelling your own daughter's name incorrectly really is going a bit too far, don't you think? (I can be snarky, too.)

Do you feel at all like you're in some weird TV sitcom where the main character goes to some sort of support group and introduces herself and everyone says "Hi, Stephanie!" in unison?

I think it's actually a reference to the episode where Ted brings a new girlfriend to Lily's birthday party and they go through the photo album of all the special events with a different girl in them who Ted can't even name anymore.

1) Yes the room situation was far from ideal
2) Spelling error and typing errors are two different things
This one was a result of phone input rather than standard keyboard
3) WDWMagic is basically a 12 step program
4) Cassie address this one in a later post - 2 episodes do have a cropping out theme to them

Score! I think that Barnstormer is one of the most fun attractions in the park -- it's short, but packs a really enjoyable ride. (I just wish it was longer in duration.)

It is a cute ride - and a good starter coaster to start the build up
Jordan is a first timer so we wanted to pace the little fella !!

Yes!

Cassie took this on later

Welcome to the boards!

Such a welcoming group we have here!!

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Well said - I watched it when it originally aired but do not have total recall on all episodes
Still do not like the way they ended the series

I love your username! Welcome to the boards. Love your dad’s reports!

She got that nickname from a Grade 7 French teacher and it has stuck ever since

Welcome Cassie!

Welcome!! I'm glad to see we should be getting even more snark around here!

If you like the way I caption picture just wait until Cassie gets into it .....

Boy isn't that the truth

The never ending exit....

Welcome to the forums!

Hi Cassie! This is great -- another member of Max's family is joining in on the fun here! Welcome.

Welcome!

Hi Cassie!

Real friendly around here
and Tricia/Jordan/Shane are reading along but I do not know if they will post
Depends on how much I stir it up I guess!

No one said there’d be spelling.

This is the first true welcome to the boards and the spelling/grammer police!!

Yay! Another Max family member! Welcome

Welcome @MiniMax!! Maybe you and steph can be Canadian, snark interpreters!

Snark is fairly universal but at times it does need some interpretation

Max

 

[LeighM]

Sure, cuz everyone likes to spend vacation with their family in different rooms, on different floors, in completely different wings.

I totally love that when I'm traveling with my in laws Once, I even ended up in a completely different hotel LOL.

 

[WDisneyW]

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Welcome!

 

[krisri18]

I totally love that when I'm traveling with my in laws Once, I even ended up in a completely different hotel LOL.

Ha! Best way to travel in that situation! Lol

 

[fractal]

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Welcome aboard!

 

[amjt660]

Day 3 cont’d
On our way out of FL we decided to cruise the world and pass on PP (it was over 40 min already)

Special greetings!

Quick restroom stop ( and trying to explain why a great movie like tangled only rates this)

HM was a walk-in at this point so we took advantage

Love the puns !!

Max

 

[amjt660]

After HM we walked over to BTMRR
The sign said 20 min
We got in line - stalled and bailed when it jumped to 40
We had a FP for it later

So we headed toward this

Action shot of my family walking

Wait - this is not Cassie!!!

Oh there she is

Rode the JC with one of our multi use FP

We received 3 Multi Use FP for each guest because of the IT issues I had near FP booking day
We switched out our regular tickets for Canadian Resident (save $485 US) but could not get the tickets to link properly
After 3 calls of over 30 min each we finally sorted it out
And they gave us the extra FP for our trouble

Best joke you ask?
The jungle cruise is brought to you by the makers of animal crackers
Teaching children around the world that all animals taste the same
DELICIOUS!!

Note: Steph the vegaterian laughed the loudest at this one!!

Photo pass pick on the way out of Adventureland

This guy was the best of the trip
He knew enough to re-position us so that all of our faces were visible ( not all PP have that ”skill” apparently)

Walking over toward Tomorrowland we grabbed a quick selfie

Max

 

[Tiggertoo56]

Hi. I’m Max’s other daughter Cassie and might be joining in every once in a while !
Referring to this HIMYM conversation, this one is definitely correct. There is also an episode with Barney, it was the one that I thought of initially, where he crops Robin out of their couple photos so that Quinn doesn’t find out that they dated

Welcome - looking forward to your comments too.

 

[amjt660]

Now that I am home I have a couple PP pics to insert

First is by far the most non value added ride photo at WDW

Followed by this beauty

Now what you may ask is so special about this one??

It is the start of the Max Photo Pass Challenge
It started back in 2016 at WDW at Christmas

What is the Max Photo Pass Challenge??

Try to get as many Photo Pass taken without the whole family - basically try to sneak one onto the download
At first it was innocent but it got hard core later in the trip

Is it good for family bonding? Heck no - but it is fun

Let the games begin!!!

Max

 

[Tuvalu]

It is the start of the Max Photo Pass Challenge
It started back in 2016 at WDW at Christmas

What is the Max Photo Pass Challenge??

Try to get as many Photo Pass taken without the whole family - basically try to sneak one onto the download
At first it was innocent but it got hard core later in the trip

Is it good for family bonding? Heck no - but it is fun

Let the games begin!!!

Max

What a fun game! Looking forward to all the PP pics!

 

[Swissmiss]

Sorry about your non value added Pirates picture ... maybe it is time to plan that trip to DLP

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I am late, but all caught up now! Loved your pics from Niagara Falls.
Those plane crackers were so cute. Even us adults enjoy food better when they are cut into fun tiny shapes.
Totally stinks about the hotel screw up, but the comps were pretty good.
So far it looks like the family is having a really good time and that you are dealing with the 2 newbies pretty well. Kudos to you for being a cool dad.
Welcome to the pixie dusted part of the boards @stephmax975 and @MiniMax ! So the snark has been passed on, but are you as "punny" as your dad?

 

[amjt660]

I totally love that when I'm traveling with my in laws Once, I even ended up in a completely different hotel LOL.

Yes but in this case we actually wanted to be close together!!!

Ha! Best way to travel in that situation! Lol

I agree if you do not want to be too close to each other

Welcome aboard!

Aye aye Captain!

Welcome - looking forward to your comments too.

She is a little shy at times and will need encouragement

What a fun game! Looking forward to all the PP pics!

They get really good in World Showcase

Sorry about your non value added Pirates picture ... maybe it is time to plan that trip to DLP

OK so what time of year and time of day did you get to have the entire boat to yourself!!
Thanks for sharing this one - I did ride it once in 2011 but I want to go back for it and the Rat

I am late, but all caught up now! Loved your pics from Niagara Falls.
Those plane crackers were so cute. Even us adults enjoy food better when they are cut into fun tiny shapes.
Totally stinks about the hotel screw up, but the comps were pretty good.
So far it looks like the family is having a really good time and that you are dealing with the 2 newbies pretty well. Kudos to you for being a cool dad.
Welcome to the pixie dusted part of the boards @stephmax975 and @MiniMax ! So the snark has been passed on, but are you as "punny" as your dad?

Plane crackers - loved it
The comps did dull the pain a bit
We had a great time - and thank you - I try to be cool!!

Are they punny?? Challenge accepted girls???
Lets see if they rise to this challenge

Max

 

[Swissmiss]

OK so what time of year and time of day did you get to have the entire boat to yourself!!
Thanks for sharing this one - I did ride it once in 2011 but I want to go back for it and the Rat
Max

It was a Friday morning in September (the weekend of the DLP Half Marathon). The funny thing is, although it wasn't crowded, it certainly wasn't as empty as the photo makes it seem. As I came around the corner towards the turnstiles I saw that everyone was going to the right so at first I thought maybe they were only using one side but as I arrived at the turnstiles I saw that both sides were open so I took the left side. I assumed the people behind me would follow, but nope. I have to admit, it was almost creepy - you hear a lot more of the ride when you are alone which is fun, but kind of creepy. The next morning I went back around 11ish (park opens at 10) and the posted wait time was more than 45 minutes and I decided I already had the best Pirates ride that I could have that weekend so I went somewhere else. It was also my first solo trip so I love the photo all the more as it evokes all the memories of a "first" trip. Looking forward to my next solo trip in September again for the DLP Half Marathon.

We (my DD and I) were just there after Christmas (26-28) and the posted wait time was over an hour (luckily in the end it was only about 35-40 mins).

Something to know about Rat: don't wait in the regular line if you don't have a FP, do single rider instead. The rats are designed for 6 people (two rows of 3) and they always split up parties of 4 as 2+2, leaving 1 seat open in each row, so my DD and I are more often than not on the same ride vehicle, just one behind the other instead of side by side.

 

[FlaggNL]

So finally some tome to check out this site again Great report! Thanks for the share!