Trip Report The “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket…or Two….or Three” Christmas Experience.**Completed**

So here we are again for another fun filled journey that is sure to include some poor spelling, beer, poor grammar, great food, beer, plenty of animals, a fourth wheel, park visits, beer, and judgement for said poor spelling and grammar. For those ignorant to the primer for this journey you may read all the funivities HERE. The Cliff’s Notes version is we’ve got five nights in the bubble at one of the most beautiful resorts on property and are accompanied by two teens that can watch each other so lets get this ball rolling!!!


Sunday December 17th


So yesterday after a viewing of The Last Jedi we made our way to the half way point, Tifton, for a night’s stay. Not being a complete barbarian, insensitive to his three female traveling companions, I offered to get up this morning at 04:45 to get breakfast for the tres muchachas while they get ready because, you know, ladies be taking forever to get ready in the AM. Hats off to the trio as they were downstairs by 05:30 and we were on our way to the bubble. A very uneventful three and a half hours and we hit the Super Target on 192 to pick up some cold staples before making our way home!
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After dropping our gear off with bell services I needed to head to the front desk to make sure the 4th wheel’s band and charging privileges would work, OH BOY, what an ordeal!!! What should have been simple ended up taking an hour with an overly confident CM, Jeff. At one point he had lost the 5-day hopper pass associated to her band and had to call IT to get it back! He instructed me that he had set 4thWheel’s limit at $400, corrected her band, and that all our bands were ready to use. A bonus of it taking so long was our room became available while we waited and it wasn’t even 11:00!!! During my interaction with Jeff I specifically asked that he verify that all bands would work. I even made mention that “I guarantee at least one of these bands will not open our door”. He thought all the issues he was having with charging and losing the ticket had me worried, I assured him it was experience that had me worried. So, with Jeff’s assurance we made for room 5130! Guess what? 3 of the 4 bands WOULD NOT open our door! So I told the ladies to head inside, call bell services, and I would take care of the bands. I made my way back down to see Jeff who was probably tired of seeing me by now and politely let him know. Jeff said one thing that really bothered me and that was “You have too many magic bands and that is why you can’t get into your room”. He followed that up with “You do know you can decline the bands, you don’t have to get one each time”. He then proceeded to count all the bands I had on my MDE account. I didn’t care for being blamed for Disney’s lack of foresight or design so I asked Jeff if Disney had a rule on the number of bands a guest may have associated with an MDE account to which he answered “no”. So then I pointed out that I was playing by the rules and the number of bands should have no bearing. So another 10 minutes and he assured me the bands where set and then asked where we were headed this evening. I told him HS and he gave us our first golden ticket of the day to ride RnR.
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So back up I went and thankfully the bands worked! Bell services had arrived and the teens were itching to get to MK so the DW and I said go! That’s when the 4th wheel informed us that her ticket was no longer showing up on her MDE account!!! Back to see Jeff! Another 15 minutes with Jeff and the ticket was back with further reassurances that it would work. This lead to our second golden ticket of the hour! Jeff gave the girls a golden ticket for 7DMT and they made their way to MK but not before being forced into taking one of the only picture we would get of them this trip
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Still to come: Room 5130, Sanaa, our third Golden Ticket, and I promise a lot fewer issues going forward.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Monday December 18th cont.

So feeling terribly patriotic after a HoP soft opening we made for our PP FP with a few minutes to spare!
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After PP we were against the clock to make our Wave ADR. We made the walk from MK towards The Contemporary. Along the way we had noticed that within the last 24 hours they had changed the bus wait time signage, it looked pretty and stood out.
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Soon we were basking in the wonderful aroma of The Contemporary! I ain’t gonna lie, when I walk into the CR I want to do this to get the smell all over me
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We made for The Wave and checked in.
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Soon we were seated and checking out the seasonal menu. We were looking over the menu when a ruckus happened behind the DW. Turns out The Wave was hosting some table side carolers! This freaked the DW out a little bit and to be honest, it was a little weird having some strangers walk around serenading you with Christmas tunes while you ate.
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We chose some drinks to start out with. DW went with a red blend that tasted pretty good and I opted for the Napa Smith Hopageddon. My Untappd notes gave the Hopageddon a 3.5/5 with the comment: “The ABV is on point but, that is a lot of hop! I was surprised this was my first ride with this beer”. FWIW, the ABV is 9.2%.
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We looked over the menu and decided to share the pork tenderloin and the cheese board. The food, as usual, was excellent. We were also treated to their bread service. The only detractor of The Wave is they probably have the most Floridaesque water of any restaurant in the bubble. I mean, we can go to any quick service in EC and taste better tap water than here. It doesn’t bother me, really, as some lime wedges mask it pretty well but the DW loathes it!
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After finishing off our meal it was time for some more MK fun.

Up next: Getting our mine train on, manatees doing the cutest thing ever, and some pool hopping.
 

Kiwiduck

Well-Known Member
Monday December 18th cont.

So feeling terribly patriotic after a HoP soft opening we made for our PP FP with a few minutes to spare!
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After PP we were against the clock to make our Wave ADR. We made the walk from MK towards The Contemporary. Along the way we had noticed that within the last 24 hours they had changed the bus wait time signage, it looked pretty and stood out.
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Soon we were basking in the wonderful aroma of The Contemporary! I ain’t gonna lie, when I walk into the CR I want to do this to get the smell all over me
Ha2wD19.gif


We made for The Wave and checked in.
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Soon we were seated and checking out the seasonal menu. We were looking over the menu when a ruckus happened behind the DW. Turns out The Wave was hosting some table side carolers! This freaked the DW out a little bit and to be honest, it was a little weird having some strangers walk around serenading you with Christmas tunes while you ate.
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We chose some drinks to start out with. DW went with a red blend that tasted pretty good and I opted for the Napa Smith Hopageddon. My Untappd notes gave the Hopageddon a 3.5/5 with the comment: “The ABV is on point but, that is a lot of hop! I was surprised this was my first ride with this beer”. FWIW, the ABV is 9.2%.
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We looked over the menu and decided to share the pork tenderloin and the cheese board. The food, as usual, was excellent. We were also treated to their bread service. The only detractor of The Wave is they probably have the most Floridaesque water of any restaurant in the bubble. I mean, we can go to any quick service in EC and taste better tap water than here. It doesn’t bother me, really, as some lime wedges mask it pretty well but the DW loathes it!
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After finishing off our meal it was time for some more MK fun.

Up next: Getting our mine train on, manatees doing the cutest thing ever, and some pool hopping.
The look on her face at the carolers is hilarious. Great moment to catch.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Monday December 18th cont.

Got a delayed opening at work today thanks to the Blizzard of ’18 so this means I can close out Monday!
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We decided to pass on dessert at The Wave as the DW had sweet itch that only MK could scratch. We basked in the CR’s aroma for a few moments more before making the walk towards MK. This would be our first time interacting with the security theater on the path between CR and MK. There were no crowds at this check point but there was one guest struggling with what she should and should not put in the tray before walking past the metal detector. The funniest part came when she was asked to pass through the detector and she immediately put her hands up. The CM said “ma’am, you don’t need to put your hands up”. She walked into the metal detector and just stood there with her hands up anyway when the CM said “ma’am, you can just walk through with your hands down”. I don’t know, it may have been my Hopageddon but I had a good chuckle at her interaction with security. We continued on to the main entrance and were quickly I the mix. The crowds were consistent with what they were when we left.
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Our mission now was to scratch that itch. This meant a trip towards Frontierland. It was churro time!
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We didn’t have much else planned for this evening outside of cashing in our 7DMT FP so we walked on to JotLM, did some window shopping, and got in our FP.
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With that, we cut out for the night. We have plans for rope dropping EC tomorrow and

Up next: Manatees doing the cutest thing ever, DVC lunging it, and pool hopping.
 
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lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday December 19th

Another rope drop morning and another display of ninja coffee skills while the teen monsters slept in the living room. The morning was shaping up to be another beautiful day!
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We opted to drive to EC this morning and the drive was quick and uneventful! It was a bit foggy this morning but that made for an interesting picture of SE.
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We passed through bag check quickly and came upon the hoard of folks waiting to enter. I waited in line while the DW went to see if they had the AP line open. I got the text from her that it was so I did my best "TWD hero walk" through the crowd to meet my bride.

Zombie hoard
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Salvation
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We took a quick second to selfie up before finding the rope.
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Despite stopping for the selfie we still found ourselves first in line at the rope! We were there about five minutes before our entertainment arrived and played their plungers out…
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Up next: The Soarin 1k, Manatee love, and pool hopping.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday December 19th cont:

So we finished the Soarin run with an acceptable time. We walked right on and soon were greeted by Puddy with instructions on what and was not allowed on our heads during flight.

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Soarin 2.0 is still less than Soarin 1.0 in my book. For whatever reason we opted to not walk onto LWTL, I cant explain it but we just decided “meh” and left The Land pavilion for The Seas. In retrospect, I am a little surprised we didn’t ride it as it is a DW staple of any EC trip. Oh well, on to The Seas.
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After our journey with Nemo and his friends we took some time to enjoy the aquatic wildlife. We started with the manatees when, probably, the cutest thing occurred. The manatee to the right swam over to the manatee on the left and gave a little kiss then extended its little fin and gave a manatee hug. The feels were overflowing from the manatee cuteness!

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Up next: More sea life, DVC lounge, and a sad Sig.
 

*Flynnderella*

Well-Known Member
Jambo used to have this great smoky, wood-burning fire scent. We loved it.

I have this great candle that smells exactly like the hallways of Kidani. I also have some that smell like Beach Club and the Contemporary. They are pretty spot on.

If you find a candle that smells like the Fiji section of Soarin’ please let me know!! I will be eternally grateful :)
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday December 19th cont:

After our Soarin trip we made for our TT FP. Along the way we noticed that the resident Muppet Lab technicians were making an appearance so we stopped and enjoyed for a bit.
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This still brings back memories of getting to “stay up late” to watch The Muppet Show as a little kid in the earlier 80’s, lots of good memories. Bunsen and Beaker were on point today, as the kids say, and collected a sizable crowd who were well entertained. Once the show was over we made for TT. Standby was already pushing 45+ minutes but we were quickly queued up trying to design the ugliest and least efficient vehicle imaginable.
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Somehow we managed to achieve highest efficiency in at least one of the categories. Beats me, we really tried to make a monster. As usual, we had fun with the photo op. No need for a room when we have a performance vehicle…
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After TT we wanted to check out the craft beer booth at Odyssey Center but for whatever reason they were not opening on time! No worries, we’d come back. We continued to Mexico for the briefest of moments to see that they ruin…I mean enhanced the area with coco artifacts. This reeks of a Frozenesque takeover. Sigh…
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We continued on not really stopping at any land as we were on a mission for some lunch and for whatever reason England was calling!
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Up next: Lunch, craft booze, and pool hopping.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday December 19th cont:

Last Christmas we had a great fish & chips experience at the pub and looked to duplicate that this year. I’m happy to report that this year was as good if not better than last year! We chose to pair our food with a Half and Half and a Black and Tan.
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After some decent pub grub we needed a little recharge and headed for the DVC lounge. As we approached the lounge we bore witness to something truly unbelievable. Nothing could have prepared us for the spectacle we were about to experience. We debated if it was a sign of the apocalypse or simply the product of a park that failed to provide adequate amusement to its guests. Folks….I give you… A LINE FOR FIGMENT!
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Now that you’ve picked yourself up off the floor, I know what you’re saying, “How can this be?!?!?” It’s simply unfathomable and something we are still considering therapy over today…

After our brush with destiny, or poor park management, we made for the DVC lounge. This might be one of the best daily perks that membership offers, one I wouldn’t mind being extended to the other parks as well. We were able to relax in some AC, enjoy some coffee and snacks, and recharge our phones for a bit as the lounge offers complimentary phone charges, beverages, and snacks!
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Caffeined up and phones charged we made our way back to the Odyssey to see what they had on tap! Thankfully they were open now and we were one of the few people inside, I guess they were all at Figment still… We went with a flight to sample the offerings and the DW had some sort of peppermint dessert concoction. My bewilderment over Figment prevented me from photographing her treat but I was strong enough to take a pic of the flight ;):D
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My Untappd notes of the flight are as follows (L to R)

Brew Hub Pumpkin-Spice Dunkelweiss: 3.5/5 A fun beer that only works during the holidays. Lots of spice, little pumpkin. No lie it seriously smells like a clean Disney bathroom.

Playalinda Brewing Company Sparkling Christmas Coffee Blonde: 2.5/5 Coffee aroma and bitter is there. Kind of harsh overall.

Central 28 Beer Company Joy From the World Holiday Dubble: 3.25/5 Definitely a holiday beer. Some nutmeg and cinnamon notes. Not bad but inly around Christmas will this work.


The Odyssey experience was another good one but midafternoon was upon us which meant one thing, pool time! We decided to head out of the park and make for home but not before getting our CM photog on!
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Up next: Pool hopping, balcony visitors, and a sad sig.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuesday December 19th cont:

The drive back to AKL was uneventful and we quickly made it to the room, grabbed some “supplies” and decided do some pool hopping….all the way to Kidani. New pool but same beer. DW went with a mixed drink. The weather, like the whole trip, was perfect! We relaxed for close to two hours and since our ADR was at AK we didn’t have to rush back to get ready.

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After a good while of pool time we decided to head back to clean up and get ready for dinner. When we returned to the room we were pleased to see the animals were back, and I aint talking about the teens. We sat out on the balcony for a bit watching the animals grazing. Seeing giraffe, deer, zebra, and other African animals from your room NEVER gets old. We didn’t want to leave the balcony but our ADR was approaching and we were a bit excited to be trying a new Sig.
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Up next: Meeting our Disney doppelgangers, paying homage to the kid, and a stroller food cart.
 

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
An update is coming soon. Work has been insane and we've been having a flurry of planning, unplanning, and "what the heck is wrong with our kid" moments this week. We've ebbed and flowed from trips that include cruises out of Port Canaveral, Miami, and New York as as well as WDW thanksgiving trips to New Years stays. All this to say that in the matter of 24-hours this happened:
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We've decided to take the leap and see how the other side lives. Still lots of planning and discussion to happen but the first big step is out of the way!
 

Kiwiduck

Well-Known Member
An update is coming soon. Work has been insane and we've been having a flurry of planning, unplanning, and "what the heck is wrong with our kid" moments this week. We've ebbed and flowed from trips that include cruises out of Port Canaveral, Miami, and New York as as well as WDW thanksgiving trips to New Years stays. All this to say that in the matter of 24-hours this happened:
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We've decided to take the leap and see how the other side lives. Still lots of planning and discussion to happen but the first big step is out of the way!
How exciting!!!!
 

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