• The new WDWMAGIC iOS app is here!
    Stay up to date with the latest Disney news, photos, and discussions right from your iPhone. The app is free to download and gives you quick access to news articles, forums, photo galleries, park hours, weather and Lightning Lane pricing. Learn More
  • Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
    Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.

Trip Report The Redemption Tour

Good morning, everyone! It’s time for me to share another trip report 🥳

I was in Disney from 11/16-11/23 and had the best time!

A quick little refresher, my name is Jillian, I am married and have two girls, Sage is almost 15 and Aria is 10. My husband has tolerated many family Disney trips throughout the years but after our last family trip in March 2023, he decided he didn’t need to go anymore 👎🏼

Disney is my one true love so this was not an option for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take my kids alone, they have much different interests and just don’t get along that well. So I decided to take them separately.

Sage and I went last August. Overall the trip was good but Sage did not handle the heat & humidity well at all. She was overall very grouchy and whiny. We did attend the Halloween party while we were there and some of you may remember it was an absolute disaster. It down poured, thundered & lightning the entire night. So much was closed and cancelled and we were so disappointed. That was Sage’s first party experience and only my second.

My plan for 2025 was to take Aria in November so we could do the Christmas party. Unfortunately about a week before we were set to leave, we had to make a drastic decision. Aria has been having some very extreme behavior and mental health struggles lately. She’s been to many doctors, she’s been tested, she has a diagnosis but despite all our efforts, things have just been really really difficult. I did apply for DAS for her but was denied. So at the last minute, we just decided it was not a good time for her and I to travel alone together. I promised her I would take her at some point in the future when our situation had improved. My husband suggested I go alone (which I would have loved) but I ultimately decided to take Sage with me. First of all, I knew it would be easier on my husband to not be a personal Uber driver to two kids on his own. But also, I truly felt like Sage deserved another trip. She has grown up and matured quite a bit in the last year, she has a small part time job and she’s doing really well in school. I wanted her to know her actions were seen and being rewarded. And I also wanted Aria to realize that special things are a privilege and not a right.

So long story short, it was time for mom and Sage- The Redemption Tour 😎

Here’s a picture of us from our last trip in August 2024 ⬇️

IMG_7738.jpeg
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1- 11/16

Our flight departed at 5:30am. I am a huge fan of early flights. I love having the whole day ahead of me. Everything at the airport was smooth, the flight was great, no delays or issues at all. I purposely took the following photos for time stamp purposes.

8:15 am- landed
IMG_6095.jpeg



8:53 am- arrived at Mears Connect
IMG_6097.jpeg



9:24 am- driving under the best sign ever

IMG_6099.jpeg


9:27 am- arrived at Art of Animation
IMG_6105.jpeg



10:16 am- officially HOME ❤️
IMG_6111.jpeg
IMG_6115.jpeg
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We then made our way down to Tony’s for lunch. As I get older, I am a big fan of finding ways to avoid the crowding that happens during parades and nighttime shows. So the only reason I booked lunch at Tony’s was to hopefully sit outside as the parade was going by. Our reservation was at 1:35, the parade was at 2, and sadly when we arrived, all the outdoor tables were already full. They instead sat us inside, right at the window. The view was just ok and we really couldn’t hear the music well. But thankfully, the food was great! We got the fried mozzarella, garlic bread, Cesear salad and spaghetti with impossible meatballs. It was all honestly excellent. A little bummed about our view but very very happy with the food.
IMG_6223.jpeg
IMG_6226.jpeg
IMG_6230.jpeg
IMG_6234.jpeg
IMG_6238.jpeg
IMG_6240.jpeg
IMG_6242.jpeg
IMG_6245.jpeg
IMG_6248.jpeg
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After the parade, we stopped in The Confectionary to get some treats to go. Then we made our way back to Art of Animation to unpack and get settled.
Overall I really loved Art of Animation. Our room was great, I liked it much better than our room last year at Caribbean Beach. The resort is beautifully themed and maintained. My only small complaint is that the Little Mermaid rooms are a fairly long walk to the main building and transportation.
IMG_6259.jpeg
IMG_6260.jpeg
IMG_6266.jpeg
IMG_6267.jpeg
IMG_6268.jpeg
IMG_6277.jpeg
 

Wicked Sisters

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
After the parade, we stopped in The Confectionary to get some treats to go. Then we made our way back to Art of Animation to unpack and get settled.
Overall I really loved Art of Animation. Our room was great, I liked it much better than our room last year at Caribbean Beach. The resort is beautifully themed and maintained. My only small complaint is that the Little Mermaid rooms are a fairly long walk to the main building and transportation.
View attachment 894339View attachment 894340View attachment 894341View attachment 894342View attachment 894343View attachment 894344
I love the t. shirt you’re wearing. I didn’t see that this year or I would have bought one. Being a big cat fan I also like your daughter’s t shirt. Great start to your adventures.
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 2- 11/17

This was Epcot day one of two! I did purchase LL for this day so we were planning to focus as much we could on rides and getting the most use out of our (my) purchase.

This was BY FAR the busiest day of our trip. The crowds, wait times and sheer volume of the amount of people in the physical queues was not what I was expecting at all. I was so nervous all day that the entire week would be like that. But I found out, literally at the very end of the night, that it was the last day of Eat to the Beat AND The Beach Boys were performing AND John Stamos was there. Hence the crazy crowds 😂

Since we were entering through the International Gateway, we of course rope dropped Remy during early entry. I very much appreciate that most of the time you can now enter prior to early entry and line up at your desired first ride.

I think we waited 20/25 minutes. The ride is no longer 3D as I’m sure you know and I honestly don’t mind at all. I find 3D glasses and the screens themselves very distracting so I actually don’t mind the change.
IMG_6288.jpeg
IMG_6290.jpeg
IMG_6295.jpeg
IMG_6296.jpeg
IMG_6302.jpeg



After Remy, we started to make our way towards the front of the park but first I insisted on a small detour. I really wanted to meet Winnie the Pooh in Christopher Robin’s bedroom. The set up is just so cute!
IMG_6303.jpeg
IMG_6304.jpeg
IMG_6307.jpeg
IMG_6308.jpeg
IMG_6311.jpeg
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom