Trip Report The One Where Elsa Followed Us To WDW

If I don't start this now... I never will!

When: December 3-11, 2024
Why: Our annual trip with our little family. We usually go late January/early February, but wanted a Christmas trip!
Where: Art of Animation Lion King family suite
Who: Me (Annie), my husband Ian, and my 2-year-old Nora (she turns 3 on NYE!)

I took SO SO many photos, I hope you are all ready LOL

Without further ado..

Our trip week kicked off with a rough start. On Sunday, we took Nora to see Moana 2. She did so well and LOVED it.

We got home and I proceeded to have the most violent food poisoning of my life for the next 30ish hours. SO AWFUL. I kept crying thinking it wouldn't be over in time for our trip. Somehow, I was okay on Tuesday morning when we got up to get ready to go to the airport but it was touch and go for a while there!!

Our flight was at noon out of Boston, so my dad picked us up around 8 to head from Maine to Boston.

We traveled in matching sweatshirts

We got into the city and through security pretty easily.

We checked two bags that weighed in at EXACTLY 50 pounds each. I guess this is the last trip we can get away with no suitcase for Nora!

Speaking of Nora, she was a huge fan of the escalators and moving walkways in the airport.

Once we found our gate and ensured it existed, we went to the play area to let her blow off some steam.

After running around like a chicken with her head cut off, it was time for some donuts from Dunkin.

We had more than enough time as things had been running very smoothly. We headed back to let Nora do some more playing before boarding.

We do not board early because I do not need MORE time with a toddler in a confined space lol

Ian got the carseat loaded up and soon we were taking off.

We do not do screens at home apart from family movies together, so the seatback TV kept Nora entertained the entire flight. I personally wished she would've napped, but she was an angel, and I was grateful lol

3 hours later we made it to MCO around 4 PM!

Nora was excited about the "monorail"

to be continued!

 

[annienevells]

WORTH IT THOUGH.

Nora went right up to him all by herself and first showed him that he was on her shirt.

Then right in for the hug

We walked out with tears in our eyes. Just the most special memories and amazing to watch the growth of Nora's confidence in real time.

We noticed that Pirates had a short wait so decided to head that way. Nora's first ever WDW ride was Pirates shortly after she turned 1!

Goofing in line.

We didn't wait in many non LL queues, but she did SO well for a not yet 3-year-old in the lines.

She mostly made it into the photo

Our only morning LL was for Dumbo, so we slowly trekked that way.

She loved it as usual and ran to take a picture afterward.

She requested one with mama too with "arms up!!"

 

[Swissmiss]

Elsa followed us there in January 2018 … after several days of layering what I had brought for the Disney portion of my trip, it suddenly dawned on me that I could open my packed suitcase and remove my winter coat

 

[annienevells]

I'm still here y'all I promise!!

Now that I'm back to work I honestly have more time than when Nora was home during the holiday break lol

Not only did we have a great Christmas, but she turned three on NYE (HOW?!)

Okay, time for a TR update - coming up next!

 

[annienevells]

After our ride on Dumbo, we grabbed a LL for Goofy because Nora had loved it last visit and we were right there anyway.

And what did she think this time around?

Oh my gosh - it was the CUTEST! She was scream laughing the whole time (all 30 seconds of it lol)

Worth it!

Ian needed a quick bathroom break, so Nora and I walked about and considered meeting Santa but the line was a bit long. We decided 15 minutes was just the right amount of time to wait for Goofy and Donald!

Ian made it back to us right before our turn.

Nora was a little shy with Goofy at first but agreed to the picture in my arms.

Donald was a different story; she was right into it! I think his height helped lol

At this point we decided to make our way out of the park for naptime.

Caught some fun on our way by.

And some tunes.

 

[annienevells]

Ian wanted to pose with the toy soldiers and asked Nora to join. She gave a REAL sassy no.

But agreed to a family selfie.

We headed to the bus and saw an AoA pull away as we approached BUT a Pop bus pulled right up so we decided to hop on that one instead.

Nora passed out on my shoulder within seconds. It had been a busy day!

I snagged a quick picture of the Pop tree on our way through.

Now that Nora was awake from her 5-minute nap, she was demanding pool time. We decided she could have a quick lunch and a short swim (mind you, it was 55 degrees out) before a real nap.

 

[annienevells]

It was around this time that we were notified that our Tiana LL was updated to a multi experience. The ride had not been operating all day, and it really did not look like that would change (and it didn't) BOOOO. I was SO disappointed.

Oh well, it meant we did not need to rush back as that was our first LL planned at 430.

Time for the pool!

The air was cold, but the pool was pretty warm and comfortable.

Nora was in heaven!

The coldest we got was when we were watching her play in the splash area and the wind was whipping us around. brrrrr!

We stayed for an hour or so before heading back for a nap.

Oh, to be almost 3, getting pushed around while eating cheese puffs.

Nora had a 2-hour nap, and before long we were headed back to Magic Kingdom. I believe we got back just before 5.

We were headed to our ILL - Mine Train! Nora had been waiting ALL DAY for this.

She insisted on riding with Dad.

Verdict? IN LOVE. She, of course, immediately wanted to ride again. I was so glad I had felt spendy when booking ILL/LLs because we had another one for our second MK day later in the week.

 

[annienevells]

I had fun too

Up next, Nora really wanted to do Speedway. Let's do it!

She was loving driving and kept yelling out for Ian (he was behind us) to watch her drive lol

It was around 630 at this point. We needed a little snack. Ian got in line at the snack cart near the castle while Nora and I took some pictures to kill time.

Ice cream time!

And pretzels with cheese for us, naturally.

We caught the Frozen stage show which Nora was pumped about.

 

[annienevells]

We had a LL for Haunted Mansion, our multi experience, and a Buzz LL stacked up. It was super busy being a non party night and this was our only chance to watch HEA so we didn't want to get too far away.

Buzz it was!

Nora LOVES Buzz currently, so this was a big win.

Ian requested Carousel of Progress next.

And one final ride on the People Mover before find a spot for HEA.

On our way back to the hub, Nora spotted this photo opp and insisted we partake. She loves Lilo and Stitch, so it was a must apparently.

Finding a spot was a nightmare. I knew it would be busy but WOW.

We managed to snag a spot on the walkway to the Tomorrowland Terrace. It ended up being pretty perfect because super loud noises aren't Nora's favorite and she also doesn't love headphones lol

 

[annienevells]

Time to fight the crowds to head out of the park.

I took about a million tree pictures on the way.

Ian wanted a picture with Nora in front of the tree.

Her thoughts on that request?

Toddlers gonna toddler.

We made it back to AoA pretty painlessly after that.

Once Nora had a bath and was down for the night, I went and got some dinner for me and Ian.

It was basic but hit the spot!

A GREAT first full day!

 

[annienevells]

Thursday, December 5th

Our Animal Kingdom day! This was originally intended to be our HS day, but prior to booking our LLMP selections, I wanted to be sure we could get Slinky Dog so we decided on doing HS on the Jollywood Nights day hoping for more availability (spoiler alert, it worked!)

On our way out, we told Nora that we would LOVE a picture of her in her Lion King outfit. Dad went first to try and convince her..

If looks could kill y'all SOS

It was another chilly morning, but we were all dressed in layers in preparation. We also were not in a rush because we had LLs for everything we really wanted to accomplish.

We arrived shortly after park opening.

We always go to Everest first for the grown ups to take turns while Nora eats some breakfast. On our way, she INSISTED on meeting Dug and Russell.

Not looking thrilled lol

Once at Everest, I went first and walked right onto the ride!

Such a great way to start the day.

 

[annienevells]

Ian was up next. Nora LOVED waiting for him to come down the hill and waving to him.

"THERE'S DADA!!! BE CAREFUL DADA!!"

Sufficiently exhilarated, we headed to our first LL for Safari.

This was possibly the BEST safari we have done. The animals were so active, and we had a great time.

 

[annienevells]

Nora lost her ever loving mind over the lions, it was SO CUTE.

After our very successful safari, it was time to head to Pandora for our next LL.

I am going to be so transparent with you all and let you know that I do not have many pictures during this time period because my toddler went FULL BLOWN TODDLER.. full on laying on the ground crying in the queue meltdown. I would've been fine leaving the line and saying oh well we tried, but nooooooo that was TERRIBLE IDEA MOMMY HOW COULD YOU?!

My anxiety eventually subsided, and we went on our weird little cruise, but I was a little shaken.

Y'all know that song "You're Gonna Miss This" - he was certainly not talking about THIS. It's like when I had a newborn who cried 20 hours a day for 3 months and people told me I'd miss it. Guess what? I have never for one second missed it BYE lol

ahem.. anyways

Our initial goal was to go to the Boneyard playground next to let Nora the Menace get some energy out so we headed that way.

Until she spotted a line to meet Moana and decided that was WAY more important.

She was so excited to meet her, but a little shy at first.

We took a picture all together to allow her to warm up.

But then she told us she wanted a picture just of her and Moana!

And this is how it ended!

After the rough hour or so prior, I fully started tearing up.

 

[RememberWhen]

Man the toddler times sure are a wild rollercoaster ride! Good thing they’re so stinking cute.

 

[k8einwdw]

Y'all know that song "You're Gonna Miss This" - he was certainly not talking about THIS. It's like when I had a newborn who cried 20 hours a day for 3 months and people told me I'd miss it. Guess what? I have never for one second missed it BYE lol

 

[annienevells]

After meeting Moana, it was time for our must do at AK - FOTLK!

I desperately needed popcorn first. I waited in my longest line ALL DAY for this popcorn.

and then this cool girl dropped half the box on the ground.......... nice. (INTERNAL SCREAMING)

Oh well, time for my favorite AK show!

Nora was loving it, dancing and singing. She also loved seeing our Magic Bands light up with the music.

After the show, we needed lunch. If you have read my reports before, you know there is one place and one place only for us.

Flame Tree BBQ! We are big fans of the pulled pork mac and cheese and get it every single time.

We were a little disappointed that they replaced the onion rings with crispy onion bits, but it was still very good.

After lunch, I suggested we head out for naptime but my husband and daughter were plotting against me to force me to do something I hadn't done in years and years... on one of the coldest trips I've ever been on...

 

[annienevells]

That's right. I was forced to ride Kali River Rapids. AHHHHH.

Yes, we all got SOAKED and it was so so cold.

But... it was worth it. Nora laughed SO HARD the entire ride. Even when she was getting soaked. She just couldn't control the giggles and somehow this ended up being top 5 memories of this trip.

Lots of photo evidence of the damage LOL

Okay, now it's really time to head out.

The bus took FOREVERRRRRRR

I was bribing my child with mini M&Ms

We got Nora down for a nap right when we got back, and I rushed to the pool to enjoy the last hour or so of sunlight and my book.

On my way back to our room, I decided to take a quick photo detour.

I headed to the Little Mermaid section.

 

[annienevells]

I would definitely need to come back with Nora, but it was nice to take some leisurely photos.

After Nora got up from her nap, we headed to the skyliner. We had a dinner reservation at HS! I had also booked a LL for Minnie and Mickeys RR. Secretly, I also booked two LLs for Epcot in hopes that Ian would be interested in a little solo time after dinner.

As soon as we walked out of our building, Nora insisted that she was NOW ready for her photo. Okay girl lol

She also stole my belt bag and kept calling it HER PURSE.

If it makes her happy, it can't be that baaaaaaad

I was excited to be heading to HS for the first time this trip!

 

[annienevells]

I LOVED the holiday decor in HS.

We made our way to MMRR

We parked our stroller and I accidentally bumped into an older woman speed walking behind me. I turned around and said sorry at the same time that she said "F*CK YOU" and sprinted off.

Ian turned to me with the most grave expression on his face and asked what she said. When I quietly repeated it he power walked after her to the LL entrance of MMRR and confronted her. I had no idea what was happening, ESPECIALLY my completely mild tempered and non-confrontational husband. A man who typically doesn't speak unless spoken to even around FAMILY.

He came back and was very flustered and I asked what happened. He said that it upset him greatly, especially in front of Nora, for that language to be used. Apparently, he said excuse me, I don't appreciate you using that language. And she acted completely affronted and the son and husband asked what she said and when Ian responded they kind of didn't look too surprised as he walked away.

I gave Ian a minute to cool off before we got into the LL ourselves. She was probably 20 people ahead of us and kept shooting looks of daggers at Ian. After about 10 minutes she was CRYING to her family. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes lady.

Anyways...

We had a fun ride, with Nora loving it just as much as she did when we went in March!

After our ride Ian asked if it was okay that he confronted her. I told him that it absolutely was. He said it really made him mad to see his family disrespected in that way and that there is no need for such language ESPECIALLY AT WDW!!!

Bless him.

We really needed dinner, so time to head that way.

I took lots of Muppets pictures

 

[annienevells]

Any guesses where dinner was going to be?

A hint - Nora had fun playing in the fake snow while waiting lol

Some light reading for Nora.

The area was PACKED. I had mobile checked into Mama Melrose (did you guess correctly?) but wanted to double check at the podium to be sure. I think it was a rough night, because the elderly hostess thanked me over and over for being kind and patient.

We were seated about 20 minutes after our reservation time.

Bread and dip, yummm

Ian and I both went with the steak and mac and cheese. seriously, so good.

Nora had the kid's pizza which looks unappetizing here but actually was really good. I even had a piece!

She got the meatball cupcake, which as you see in this picture she was a little confused by but eventually figured it out LOL

We were stuffed but on the meal plan so took our dessert to go, two cannolis each.

A great meal as always.

During dinner I had been trying to convince Ian to do some solo time at Epcot, especially to destress after the MMRR encounter. I had secured LLs for Soarin' and Spaceship Earth and with some gentle pushing he decided to go for it!

We all headed out of the park together.

 

[k8einwdw]

We parked our stroller and I accidentally bumped into an older woman speed walking behind me. I turned around and said sorry at the same time that she said "F*CK YOU" and sprinted off.

I’m with Ian, I would have been taking my earrings off.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes lady.

I’m glad Ian confronted her. Karens get away with being Karens because too few people are willing to confront them for their bad behavior (understandably so, confrontation is scary). Zero percent surprised she tried to make herself the victim.

People love to complain about being hit by strollers in the parks, but in my experience, the people being hit aren’t paying attention to where they’re going. You apologized, there was absolutely no need for her to use hostile language toward you, especially in front of your kid.