Trip Report We're going to Disney and this old lady is gonna party!

Hi all, I have the unexpected joy of being able to write (my second ever), (pre)trip report because I'm getting old!

I wrote my first report from our August trip when we got to preview GE as AP before it opened to the public. I thought it would be the only report I got to write till November of 2020 when my husband wants to go back and have a big family trip with all in attendance.

Well I woke up this morning and realized I will be 60 in 2 weeks and had no plans for the big day!
So after only about 5 minutes of badgering, my husband agreed a quick, down and dirty trip to celebrate my birthday was in order!

Who will be going?
Just the 3 of us from August-(yes it was Halloween in August).
Youngest kid Seth, myself Cindy and husband Gary.

Not attending my birthday blowout is my daughter Aleisha and new son-in-law Julio, as they just got back from honeymooning in France 3 days ago!
Sorry blurry pic of them in their wedding finery, and what I call my (grandthing) Queen Hera!

When-we will be there Nov 20-Nov 22 (quick blitz for sure)! But, still very excited!

What I have so far is our room, we will be staying at the Boulder Ridge Villas, as that was the only thing available at late notice for us to use our DVC points. But, I was super excited today when initially I looked, I could only find a room for each night at 2 different resorts, and then an hour later, 2 consecutive nights opened up. We love Wilderness Lodge so that worked out great!

More details to come, hopefully, with some dining and FP bookings, wish me luck!

 

[MickeyCB]

I am! I’m about 20 minutes from Sarris!

Same with us, the fine metropolis of Cecil/McDonald!

 

[MickeyCB]

I grew up about an hour north of Pittsburgh - but we prefer our local chocolate from Jameson’s! So yum!

Isn't it great to have a chocolate place wherever you are from?!!

 

[MickeyCB]

We ventured on into the MK, but before we headed up Main Street a super nice CM took our picture for us in front of the tree.

Now, please don't pull out the pitchforks, but I like the view up Main Street much better without the tree there. We were here for the holidays several years ago and didn't realize they wait to put up the tree till after the TV Christmas special is taped. This is a photo from then.

My absolute favorite is the toy soldiers!!

The afternoon parade was getting ready to start and the street was a mad house. So we swung through the Emporium and I saw this beauty! (I may or may not have bought waaaayyy too much Christmas Mickey stuff with the gift card my mother gave me for my birthday)!
This year for some reason they had a ton of really fun merchandise. And as I had a huge garage sale this summer trying to get rid of a bunch of junk, I need my head examined for buying so much stuff this trip!
But, the little headlights light up and in the cab too, how can you resist!? In my defense I did hold out getting this till I was in the resort store where the evil cast member reminded me of my DVC discount and that it could be shipped!

I thought these were cute too. I ended up getting the little snowman on the bottom before the end of the trip.

We made our way out of the north end of the Emporium and they were letting people cross over to Tomorrowland. There was a PP photographer there who took some pics for us, and added a fun magic shot.

We were early for our first FP so we headed to one of my favorite rides, the people mover!
But first, I had been coveting this treat for weeks since I saw it on one of the blogs. We found it at the popcorn
cart right before Tomorrowland. (And it lights up too)!

Sorry, Mickey's turned around in this pic, the one below is better.

Up next, the PM and SM!!

 

[MegRuss626]

Same with us, the fine metropolis of Cecil/McDonald!

Avella here! Spent plenty of time in your area though!

 

[Loco_driver]

Glad to see your TR started! Looking forward to seeing more! Praying everything goes well with your husband’s treatments, and for comfort to you as well. I know it can be extremely hard hard on the family as well. Glad to see he’s able to travel and be active!

 

[MickeyCB]

Avella here! Spent plenty of time in your area though!

My daughter took dance in Avella back in the day. Pretty farms out your way!

 

[MickeyCB]

Glad to see your TR started! Looking forward to seeing more! Praying everything goes well with your husband’s treatments, and for comfort to you as well. I know it can be extremely hard hard on the family as well. Glad to see he’s able to travel and be active!

Thanks for reading!
And thanks for the well wishes. I think he actually does better when I encourage (nag) him to do stuff!

 

[Loco_driver]

Thanks for reading!
And thanks for the well wishes. I think he actually does better when I encourage (nag) him to do stuff!

Don’t we all!

 

[MickeyCB]

After we got my popcorn bucket we headed over to Tomorrowland for the PM. It wasn't super crowded, maybe a 10 minute wait.
(But before the ride photo I have a question I forgot to ask). I would like people's opinion. I think it doesn't matter who owns the popcorn bucket, I think if a certain someone(s) eats all of the popcorn they should have to carry it around after. Do you all agree?
There was a difference of opinion regarding this issue.

Anyway, onto the ride. The Speedway didn't seem to be very crowded. I haven't ridden that in probably 10 years. I wish they would go a little greener with this ride. @amjt660 (Max), if you're following, you seem like the guy for this question. If I could ask you, is it possible/feasible etc. to update this ride to a cleaner version? (Anyone else know this answer please chime in).

The Tron construction photo. I have such a hard time picturing this becoming the ride I have watched online from Shanghai.
Does anyone know if it is going to have the same cool covering over it?

Our first FP! As we approached the ride, you can't see it in the pic, but the standby time that had been 85 minutes switched to 105 minutes!

And then when we went in, this was the FP line in front of us. Don't know what happened but we probably waited 20-30 minutes to ride.

This ride has gone from fun to scaring the bejesus out of me! I feel bad for my son riding by himself so I ride, but holy macaroni, as the blue guy says, "you'll get such a crick in your neck"! (Not quite the correct quote, but you get it).
And I have read people on here comparing the 2 different tracks and didn't know what they were talking about as I realized till this time I have always gone to the right side track. This time we were directed to the left and maybe it was my imagination, but I thought it was a much crazier ride. I have learned to ask for the front car and get far less whipping around.

We were getting hungry and had a reservation for The Plaza but it wasn't for maybe 40 minutes. I checked and there was a reservation for 10 minutes sooner, not much, but took it. We wandered over and when we got there the CM wouldn't let us check in. She said come back when you are 15 minutes from your reservation time. Ok. We were directed to chairs outside and got to see some Disney ducks @DisneyGigi. Boy they were squawking for some reason! This lady beside us was yelling at them, not at all sure what she hoped to accomplish.

This isn't the best picture in the world, but it was so gorgeous sitting there. The sun was out, it was around 70 degrees and I was lovin it!
If you ignore the hungry part, we didn't mind spending a few minutes relaxing in the MK!

Next up, food!

 

[Swissmiss]

I don’t think it matters if a certain someone finished all the popcorn or not. A certain someone should have carried the bucket because it wasn’t THEIR birthday weekend

 

[Tuvalu]

I have to interrupt this TR to ask, @Tuvalu where were you?! I was hoping to run into you.
I brought this candy bar from our hometown chocolate company, Sarris's to give you if we had the pleasure of meeting. Greetings from Pittsburgh!
Ask @riverside , best chocolate this side of the Mississippi! (I couldn't remember if you were pro chocolate or not, but figured someone in your family might enjoy it if not).

I was thinking about trying to leave it at the front desk, but my son said it was stalker-ish, and he frowned upon the whole meeting people from the internet.
(I find it hilarious to see the lessons we teach them coming back to bite me). "Mom, you know it's not safe meeting strangers from the internet"!! Now he listens.

Anyway, sorry we didn't get to run into you, would have loved a Tuvalu card.
But, I hope you enjoyed your trip!
View attachment 428760

I am so bummed after reading this!

When I read your PTR plans, I knew there was no way we’d encounter each other in a park because our schedules were polar opposites. But I was hopeful our paths might cross in the gorgeous lobby (which, indeed, never gets old!!) or at the bus stop/boat dock.

Pro-chocolate? But of course! Who isn’t?? And I have had the pleasure of tasting Sarris chocolate. A few years ago when I met @riverside for the first time, she sweetly gave Em a Sarris candy bar for her birthday ~ and I had to practically beg for a piece! Had you and I met, I would have needed to bring back some of your candy bar for Em (she’s a huge pb & c fan).....assuming Woody (another huge pb & c fan) didn’t get his hands on it first!

I had to laugh about training our children “too well”....your son’s concerns would be valid in most arenas except for WDW, where I’ve discovered the most amazing set of internet friends. I hope he “allows” you to be a stalker should our dates align in the future! I will keep a Tuvalu card ready for you.

Congrats on celebrating a milestone birthday in your favorite place with your family. Your husband sounds like a real fighter who will beat his disease. Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones!

 

[MickeyCB]

I don’t think it matters if a certain someone finished all the popcorn or not. A certain someone should have carried the bucket because it wasn’t THEIR birthday weekend

THIS!!!!!!

 

[MickeyCB]

I am so bummed after reading this!

When I read your PTR plans, I knew there was no way we’d encounter each other in a park because our schedules were polar opposites. But I was hopeful our paths might cross in the gorgeous lobby (which, indeed, never gets old!!) or at the bus stop/boat dock.

Pro-chocolate? But of course! Who isn’t?? And I have had the pleasure of tasting Sarris chocolate. A few years ago when I met @riverside for the first time, she sweetly gave Em a Sarris candy bar for her birthday ~ and I had to practically beg for a piece! Had you and I met, I would have needed to bring back some of your candy bar for Em (she’s a huge pb & c fan).....assuming Woody (another huge pb & c fan) didn’t get his hands on it first!

I had to laugh about training our children “too well”....your son’s concerns would be valid in most arenas except for WDW, where I’ve discovered the most amazing set of internet friends. I hope he “allows” you to be a stalker should our dates align in the future! I will keep a Tuvalu card ready for you.

Congrats on celebrating a milestone birthday in your favorite place with your family. Your husband sounds like a real fighter who will beat his disease. Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones!

I looked for you in the lobby etc. But again my son with the, "mom there's no way you are going to see her"..blah blah blah. Anyway, it would have been fun and then I could have told him to stuff it. (Honestly I love my son), maybe.

Woody and Em are right on with the peanut butter/choc thing. Delicious! If any chance of a meet up in the future I will make sure to bring them both one.

Can't wait to get a card!! And another hilarious son moment (I do hope he grows up soon, I have been reassured that he will by other boy mom's), he didn't understand the card thing at all. And I realized I don't think he even knows what paper is! If it isn't digital it doesn't exist.

And last, thanks for the birthday congrats, it was great fun. And if orneriness is a barometer for success, Gary will do great!

 

[MickeyCB]

Another time out from the trip report to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I found these pics searching for something to do with turkey day. These are on Thanksgiving day 2013. And what is hilarious, is I didn't realize till just now, that this is the same exact day of the pic I used previously showing no tree up yet on Main Street!
10,000 Disney photos and I find 2 from the same day!
Hard to believe that's 6 years ago already!!
It was a magnificent feast and a very fun thing to do at Disney on Thanksgiving day!

And since I was checking out photos from that trip I thought I would throw this one out there. People keep telling me that you know
who (Seth I'm lookin at you), will grow up. I'm wondering. Because the only difference I see up to this point, is we now call him the bearded wonder!

And, we didn't get arrested for this. I think Disney security said something like, "carry on"....

Anyway, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

 

[MickeyCB]

Back to 2019!
We got our table ready txt and were seated promptly.
Our waitress was Leah and she was excellent.
I got one of the vanilla milkshakes that was so-so. But, since it came out way before our food and I was starving it became excellent!
Sorry drank some before I remembered to take a pic. And PS, a milkshake with a paper straw, blah!!

Based on a lot of reviews on the board I ordered the fried green tomato sandwich and thought it was very good.

Gary had the honey-barbecued beef brisket burger and changed his fries to "loaded" fries for a small up charge. As earlier in the report, loaded fries was his one request for food this trip.
For anyone interested I just looked at the receipt out of curiosity, the added cheese was 49 cents, and the bacon 79 cents.

@krisri18 you were correct on the fries, pretty good but not super special.

Seth had the baked honey-barbecued brisket, I didn't get a picture but he said it was ok.
All in all, an ok meal, but not sure would wrestle trying to obtain a reservation in the future.

After dinner we headed for our next fast pass. The sun was starting to set and it looked beautiful hitting the castle.

Not sure what this chick was doing, but hey, it's Disney.

Seth and I tried to do something funny, we failed, then tried to dress it up with spiders (or something), and it looks like it
should be in the Pinterest Fail hall of fame. It's his fault cause as we were getting on the ride I asked what we were going to do, "I'm not doing anything mom", then at the last second he said to pull our hoodies over our head. You can see how that worked out.

Gary said he was not looking angry, he was trying to look scared. Really?

Anyway, after that great photo shoot, as we were exiting a young lady offered to take our pic and we took her and her friends. The sun was going down and it was great lighting even with an Iphone.

The reason I put 2 of almost the same pic in here is, do you see the 2 green dots on my face and brick?
Well they didn't go away on the next pic. My theory is one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts came on out with us!

After this we hobbled (literally) off to BTMR.

 

[Zipadeelady]

The chick at the HM exit is doing the "Whoo Hoo, I'm at Disney stretch". I tend to do it at the end of rides and when entering a park. Actually I do it multiple times throughout the day. My children and husband have gotten used to it.

I love that fried green to tomato sandwich! I'd be drooling if I wasn't so stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner.

 

[MickeyCB]

For some reason Gary's legs and feet really started hurting him around this time. And we really don't know why, because the next day we did almost double the steps and he did fine.
As we were ambling over to ride BTMR we got a pretty but slightly blurry photo of the castle from Frontierland.
The more I look at it, it's blurry and there is a crane in it! Not the best photo. Sorry.

Gary made it up the ramp and was able to enjoy the ride. (I don't have any photos of this). He sat in front of us and it was
very fun to watch him throw his arms up and yell. (This is a guy who repeatedly says, "I don't like roller coasters)"!

I wanted to take a pic but Seth was sure I would lose my phone, and I actually couldn't argue with him on that one.

So we're in the back of the park, and I think might be the longest distance from the front gate? And here's where "the judge won't convict me" stuff comes in. Do you think that guy would let me go see if there were any wheelchairs available? Heck no! So we ambled out of the park verrryyy slowly. Think sloth walking.
But, on the flip side, I saw all kinds of cool details on buildings etc. that I never take the time to look at when I'm barreling through the parks commando style.
This is approaching Main Street near The Crystal Palace.

Self explanatory.

My attempt at artsy.

Gary's attempt at artsy. I think he wins!

We made our way down Main Street headed out of the park enjoying the decorations, lights and atmosphere.

How pretty is this?!

We opted to take the boat back to WL.
And this is one of my most favorite photos of the trip....
Blurry but beautiful! Love the lights reflecting off of the water.
On my phone was able to edit the boat rails off, looked even better then. Not sure why won't stick here.

When we got back we took a few minutes to admire the new gingerbread house. And again, please don't pitchfork me, but I found it a
tiny bit underwhelming. The lights don't even turn on that the bear is holding.

And one last thing before we turn in for the night. If you leaned way out over the balcony railing, you could catch some fireworks!

It was a wonderful first day at Disney!
Day 2 coming up, and guess what day it is?! (Nope. not hump day). It's my birthday!!!!

 

[MickeyCB]

The chick at the HM exit is doing the "Whoo Hoo, I'm at Disney stretch". I tend to do it at the end of rides and when entering a park. Actually I do it multiple times throughout the day. My children and husband have gotten used to it.

I love that fried green to tomato sandwich! I'd be drooling if I wasn't so stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner.

Disney stretch! Got it!
It was very good!

 

[Tuvalu]

What is the time stamp on your gingerbread cabin pic? Woody and I were in the WL lobby at 8:20 pm that night.

 

[MickeyCB]

What is the time stamp on your gingerbread cabin pic? Woody and I were in the WL lobby at 8:20 pm that night.

How about 7:21 pm! Darn it. We were probably still shopping in the mercantile store!