Not A Creature Was Stirring, Except Mickey Mouse! Christmas 2016...**new updates 09/17/18 p.4**

[xlsm]

OK! Officially here and caught up! I will stay on top of things now!!

 

[Bethislucy]

following along

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Following along! Great First TR so far!

Welcome!! Thanks for joining in!!

Loving your TR so far!! DH & I are considering a trip at the same time of the year as your trip so we're really keen to see what you thought of crowd levels and wait times Can't wait to read more.

Thank you!! The crowd levels weren't too bad. Definitely not as slow of a time of year as it used to be - the traditional "slow" times don't seem to be quite as slow anymore. But it still wasn't nearly as bad as Christmas week, Spring Break, etc. The crowd levels were VERY manageable. And other than our last day at MK (which was insanely busy), it wasn't too bad! It's a great time of year to go...nothing beats Christmas in Disney!

HI Veronica!

Hi there!

Can't wait to hear all about it! We will e taking our first Christmastime trip this December!

You'll love it! There is nothing like Disney at Christmas...it's so special!

AGREED! I'm not a Texan, but I used to date one. The only thing I miss about that relationship is Whataburger.

haha that is awesome! I can understand why you miss it...the Whataburger, not the ex

That's awesome! Its always nice to start your first Disney day with a pleasant time at the airport.

Definitely! I've had some not so pleasant airport workers in the past so it was nice to start the trip off with a friendly face

Us too. Our last trip we didn't and we literally got the LAST two seats together on the plane. Since then we opt for EBCI.

Ugh yes, that's happened to me too. EBCI is definitely the way to go!

That's ok, its super classy looking and you can feel the "beach vibe" throughout the rest of the resort.

Agreed - I thought the rooms were beautiful. It was a much needed update!

I agree. You lose a whole dresser to make room for the little murphy bed.

Yeah, my son loved that little murphy bed but I wouldn't have minded sharing the bed with him if it meant having a dresser. It kinda stunk not being able to put stuff away!

Awe, cute!!

Thank you!

OK! Officially here and caught up! I will stay on top of things now!!

Hi friend! Thanks for joining in! I am going to stay caught up on yours too

following along

Thanks for joining in!!



Thanks for the replies ya'll! I am working on another update and should have it up soon!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Chapter 2
Part 1 - Breakfast at 'Ohana

We woke up bright and early on the morning of Dec 1st because we had a very big day ahead of us. First up, we'd be having breakfast with Stitch and his pals at 'Ohana! I have given Jacob the choice between this character breakfast or breakfast at Chef Mickey's so this one was his choice

We headed out and on the way I had Jacob stop for a picture with Ariel:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

We made our way towards the front of Beach Club...isn't it beautiful in the early morning? It was already getting muggy but it was still pretty!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

I had decided to call for an Uber this morning because our reservation at 'Ohana was for 7 am and I wasn't sure if there was a bus running that early (park didn't open till 9). Our driver arrived within a few minutes and pretty soon we were pulling up to the Polynesian. I just love this resort and it was so beautiful all decked out for the holidays!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Mele Kalikimaka indeed

We checked in for our breakfast reservation but we were pretty early and it wasn't even officially open yet. We were given a pager and we hung out for a few minutes in the sitting area outside of 'Ohana.
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
I see you Cinderella's Castle - we will be there soon!

After a few minutes of waiting the "cousins" at 'Ohana (AKA the waiters and waitresses) all did a little opening song that I wish I had recorded. It was really cute! It was basically just welcoming us to 'Ohana.
Soon we were lead to our table and our cousin (can't remember her name but she was awesome!) came and explained how breakfast worked. We'd be brought drinks and then served family style. It included Hawaiian sweet bread, fresh fruit, Mickey and Stitch waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits and home fries. As we ate, the characters would make their way around to us.
Here are some pictures:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
First Mickey waffle of the trip! Pretty sure Mickey waffles are a religious experience

Soon the characters started coming around...first up, Mickey! Doesn't he look adorable in his Hawaiian shirt?
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Then came one of my favorite pictures of this whole trip...Stitch came by and Jacob just lit up! He was so excited to see him! I had worried a little bit before our trip that Jacob might be getting too "cool" for the characters and may not be as excited to meet them. But I was happily proven wrong. He loved meeting all the characters and I loved seeing how excited he got! This picture makes my heart melt...the look of pure joy and excitement on his face! For those who think a WDW vacation isn't worth the money, I'd tell them to look at this picture. Priceless!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
There was a photopass photographer with Stitch and hers came out a little better:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Pluto stopped by for a hug too!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

And there's Lilo too! She loved our buttons too - I had ordered us a bunch from Parkbound buttons and these said "Ohana means family" which I knew would be perfect for our breakfast
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Jacob also participated in the little parade they have with the kids and the characters! He enjoyed that!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

We started to wrap up our breakfast around 8:15. I wanted to hop on the monorail and make it to MK for the opening show! We had an awesome cousin/waitress at 'Ohana. She always made sure our drinks were filled and that we had plenty to eat. She even suggested we sneak out some Mickey Waffles in my purse for a snack later The character interaction was wonderful, especially Stitch! The food was hot and delicious and plentiful. We would definitely eat here for breakfast again!

Next up...Magic Kingdom!!

​

 

[MeghanEmily]

First up, we'd be having breakfast with Stitch and his pals at 'Ohana!

Love this update because we're doing this breakfast for the first time in August and I'm really excited for it!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Chapter 2
Part 2
Magic Kingdom!!!

After we finished up breakfast at 'Ohana we headed to the monorail platform to wait for a monorail to make our way over to the Magic Kingdom. Luckily we didn't have to wait long, I think maybe just a few minutes before our ride showed up to take us on the highway in the sky!

Monorail selfies!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

I just love the MK resort area, it's so beautiful!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr


Before we knew it, we were FINALLY pulling up to the MK monorail station! We were so excited to start our first full day in Disney! And I was so excited when we got there (around 8:40 am) and the Welcome Show was JUST starting. Woohoo, what great luck! The Welcome Show is one of my favorite things about rope drop at MK!
We were standing in kind of a weird spot though so my pictures didn't come out that great
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Then the Magic Kingdom was open and it was time to head in!!!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
So happy to be back in my happy place!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr


You guys...I love everything about Disney World. But it just doesn't feel like I am "home" until I am standing in front of this beauty!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Alright, now it was time for some rides! Our FP+ didn't start for another couple hours so I asked Jacob what he wanted to do first. His request? Splash Mountain It was a super warm day so I wasn't worried about getting wet but here's the thing...in all my trips to WDW since the age of 4...even after working here for the Disney College program...I had NEVER ridden Splash Mountain!
Yes, I know that seems CRAZY. But I hate drops. And I was also too chicken to try it! But my son wanted to do it so I was going to face my fears!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
The consensus? We both loved it! I don't know why I waited so long to do this! I still hate drops but the big drop is over SO fast that it wasn't bad at all...and the rest of the ride is SO awesome. So yay for conquering fears!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

And since it was right next door, we hopped on BTMRR next with no wait! We did have FP for this later but I knew we'd want to ride again.
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
I didn't take too many pictures DURING the rides because I was scared of dropping my phone! My phone was my contact to the outside world AND my camera so I wasn't going to risk dropping or breaking it!

After we finished up on the wildest ride in the wilderness, Jacob wanted to get on POTC. It was still early and also a walk on
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
"We wants the red head!"


After Pirates, we hopped on the Magic Carpets of Aladdin! Jacob loves this, and Dumbo as well!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr


After the Magic Carpets, we started making our way towards Fantasyland. Jacob wanted to do the carousel so off we went! I had him stop for this picture:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

And this one!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

He loved the carousel!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After that, we decided to go for a ride on the happiest cruise that ever sailed! I know some people hate (or love to hate) It's a Small World, but I LOVE it. It is just one of those classic Walt Disney attractions and I will never turn down a ride on IASW
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr


So I think after Pirates, we had doubled back for our BTMRR FP. Not that we needed it, because it was still only like a 10 minute wait at that point. But we walked right on with FP.
So now it was time for our 2nd FP of the day, Space Mountain! Now this is going to sound completely crazy, but it was Jacob's first time riding and I was bit nervous. HE wasn't nervous, but I was! I had this irrational fear that he'd go flying out of the seat! He's my baby, don't judge me
You'll be happy to know, he did NOT in fact go flying off the seat to impending death but made it off just fine And took this celebratory picture after because he loved it!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

So we had officially conquered the mountains and it wasn't even noon yet! Woohoo!

After that CRAZY close call on Space Mountain ( ) we hopped on to the People Mover for a tour around Tomorrowland. The People Mover is one of those rides we could ride a million times and never get sick of! They better never get rid of it or I'll riot!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After our relaxing ride on the People Mover I decided we would grab some lunch. It was about 12:30 at this point and Jacob and I were both feeling a bit peckish. We honestly didn't eat THAT much at breakfast despite the "all you can eat" tag so it was time for some food!
We stopped in Cosmic Rays where we both had the kids mac n cheese. We had early dinner planned at 4:30 pm so I didn't want to eat too much!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Jacob deciding where to go next

Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
I took this because I love the Disney Christmas cups but it came out with the castle in the back so not too shabby! hahaha

Ok, after lunch it was time for our FP for Seven Dwarves Mine Train. And out of this ride came one of the GREATEST ride photos ever. Ladies and gentleman...behold my son on SDMT:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr



I laugh because the second he got off he said "THAT WAS AWESOME"...then I went to check Memory Maker later and saw that and just laughed my butt off! He looks terrified!!
I loved SDMT...this was our first time riding it as it was still being built when we were here last. It is such a fun, cool ride but like many of the rides in Disney...short. I would never wait longer than 30 minutes for this. Always get a FP if you can! We did love it though, especially when you're going up the hill at the end and the dwarves are singing "Heigh Ho." So fun!

After our fun (terrifying?) ride on SDMT we headed for a spin on Dumbo.
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
I don't know why I stick my tongue out in pictures

After Dumbo, we stopped in Big Top Treats for a...you guessed it...treat. In this case a slushy!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
That wasn't his hat (although he did end up getting one later on), he was just trying it on

The Main Street Philharmonic stopped by too! They were great!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

We must have also ridden The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at some point because Jacob conned me into buying that squishy little Pooh for him...he still loves stuffed animals and has wayyy too many. But I am a sucker so there ya go
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Squinty eyed photo with Pooh in front of the Partners statue

Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Pooh wanted to be in our castle selfie too

And another:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
I just love all these Christmas decorations!!!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After that, it was time to head to the ferry for Ft. Wilderness. We had an ADR to see Hoop Dee Doo!!!

Stay tuned!



​

 

[dnllmz]

I'm loving all these pictures. Brings me back to my trip & then I get excited for my next trip. So I'm glad you started your report late. O'Hana is such a fun breakfast & the food is good. The 7d picture is priceless. My daughter looks scared in her pic too but wanted to go right back on. It's such a fun ride too.

 

[xlsm]

I had Jacob stop for a picture with Ariel:

I love this Ariel statue!

it was so beautiful all decked out for the holidays!

I loved all the colorful flowers on the tree!

It included Hawaiian sweet bread, fresh fruit, Mickey and Stitch waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits and home fries.

That Hawaiian sweet bread is straight from heaven I think!!

There was a photopass photographer with Stitch and hers came out a little better:

That one is really great!!

She even suggested we sneak out some Mickey Waffles in my purse for a snack later

Haha!!!!!

You guys...I love everything about Disney World. But it just doesn't feel like I am "home" until I am standing in front of this beauty!

Agree! Last week was a huge reminder of that...MK was definitely the most home-like during my trip!

I had NEVER ridden Splash Mountain!

So yay for conquering fears!

Whaaattt??? I can't believe you'd never ridden before!! I'm glad you conquered your fear though. Splash is a definite favorite of mine!

He looks so triumphant!!

Ladies and gentleman...behold my son on SDMT:

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious! It's too bad you couldn't see his face during Space Mountain!! I'm glad he didn't fall out

he still loves stuffed animals and has wayyy too many.

My boys do too, and they don't care who knows it!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Our driver arrived within a few minutes and pretty soon we were pulling up to the Polynesian. I just love this resort and it was so beautiful all decked out for the holidays!

I absolutely LOVE this resort as well! Can't wait to stay there this December!!

It included Hawaiian sweet bread,

Delicious!!

This picture makes my heart melt...the look of pure joy and excitement on his face! For those who think a WDW vacation isn't worth the money, I'd tell them to look at this picture. Priceless!

so sweet!

Jacob also participated in the little parade they have with the kids and the characters! He enjoyed that!

I like this parade far more than the coconut races they have at dinner

Monorail selfies!

I love the Christmas ears!

You guys...I love everything about Disney World. But it just doesn't feel like I am "home" until I am standing in front of this beauty!

Agreed!

I had NEVER ridden Splash Mountain!

Blasphemy!

The consensus? We both loved it!

Everyone always does!

Now this is going to sound completely crazy, but it was Jacob's first time riding and I was bit nervous.

I would be too! Its a completely different ball gam when they have to sit by themselves and you can't have the Mama belt on them lol

Ladies and gentleman...behold my son on SDMT:

After that, it was time to head to the ferry for Ft. Wilderness. We had an ADR to see Hoop Dee Doo!!!

Cant wait!! I love HDDR!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I'm loving all these pictures. Brings me back to my trip & then I get excited for my next trip. So I'm glad you started your report late.

I'm glad you're enjoying it!!! I am having fun re-living it too, especially since I don't currently have any trips planned

O'Hana is such a fun breakfast & the food is good.

We loved it! I would definitely go again!

The 7d picture is priceless. My daughter looks scared in her pic too but wanted to go right back on. It's such a fun ride too.

I think this happens to a lot of kids! It's very entertaining to see the ride photos of them afterwards

I love this Ariel statue!

Me too! She's so cute!

I loved all the colorful flowers on the tree!

That tree was so pretty! I loved it!

That Hawaiian sweet bread is straight from heaven I think!!

It must be...I tried not to fill up to much on bread but #carbsaremyweakness so what can ya do

That one is really great!!

Thank you!

Agree! Last week was a huge reminder of that...MK was definitely the most home-like during my trip!

I think most die hard Disney fans feel that way about MK...there's just something so special about it. It just "feels" like home when you're there!

Whaaattt??? I can't believe you'd never ridden before!! I'm glad you conquered your fear though. Splash is a definite favorite of mine!

I know!!! I don't know why I was a chicken for so long! I was glad I did it AND ended up liking it! Talk about psyching myself out for so many years though. I thought my face was gonna do this when we went over that last hill:

But luckily I had sunglasses on so my face wasn't too horrible

He looks so triumphant!!

He was! When I told him he had "conquered all the mountains" he was so excited

h my gosh, that's hilarious! It's too bad you couldn't see his face during Space Mountain!! I'm glad he didn't fall out

It was a close call, but we survived

My boys do too, and they don't care who knows it!

I'm glad Jacob isn't the only one! He seriously sleeps with about 25 stuffies in his bed, it's slightly ridiculous

I absolutely LOVE this resort as well! Can't wait to stay there this December!!

We stayed there once at Christmas time when I was a kid but I didn't remember much. It was honestly BEAUTIFUL. I mean, I miss the old lobby too with the waterfalls ( #RIPPolylobby ) but it looked SO pretty all decked out in Christmas decorations! You'll love it!

Delicious!!

It really was!

I like this parade far more than the coconut races they have at dinner

It was much quieter than the cocounut races, that's for sure They played "Hawaiian Roller Coaster" as they went around the restaurant, it was very cute!

I love the Christmas ears!

Thank you! Girl you know I had rock the Christmas Minnie ears

Blasphemy!

I know, I know

I did end up loving it though!

I would be too! Its a completely different ball gam when they have to sit by themselves and you can't have the Mama belt on them lol

It really is! I felt like one of those ridiculous helicopter parents hahaha I am NOT usually super over protective but for some reason the thought of him riding in front of my on SM threw me! I had a hand on his shoulder the whole time which he tried repeatedly to shove off. He was like "Ugh mom, I'm fine! let go!"

That is definitely my kid

Cant wait!! I love HDDR!

Me too! It's a family tradition! I have been on every trip since I was 4 - I absolutely love it!

Love this update because we're doing this breakfast for the first time in August and I'm really excited for it!

Yay! I hope you love it! We really did...I preferred it over dinner


Thanks for all the comments and likes you guys! I will try to have the next update up by the end of the weekend! Hope everyone has a great Friday!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I started reading the other day, but wanted to officially join in!

You had such a productive first two days (and you're not even to the end of day two, yet!). I LOVE that your son loves thrill rides, and even more so that he got you onto Splash Mountain! I'm glad you liked it!

His facial expression on 7DMT is HYSTERICAL! It's a good thing he told you he liked it BEFORE you saw the Photopass picture!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I started reading the other day, but wanted to officially join in!

Thanks for joining in!! I started your solo TR and then I noticed you are working on another one from your sisters graduation - I need to catch up on that one too!

You had such a productive first two days (and you're not even to the end of day two, yet!). I LOVE that your son loves thrill rides, and even more so that he got you onto Splash Mountain! I'm glad you liked it!

We really did have a productive first couple of days!
And yes, he is so much braver than I ever was at that age. Or even now as evidenced by the fact that he's the one who had to get me on Splash Mountain

His facial expression on 7DMT is HYSTERICAL! It's a good thing he told you he liked it BEFORE you saw the Photopass picture!

Yes, I'm glad too - otherwise I may have worried that I traumatized him

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Hi everyone! Hope ya'll had a good weekend and a Happy Mother's Day with the mom's/kids in your lives
When we last left off, we were leaving the MK and headed to Fort Wilderness...

Chapter 2
Part 3 - Hoop Dee Doo Revue

We made our way out of the Magic Kingdom after surviving our THRILLING ride on Seven Dwarves Mine Train
On our way down Main Street we stopped for this picture in front of the castle...I love how this turned out!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After that we were headed to the ferry that would take us to Fort Wilderness for a VERY special dinner...Hoop Dee Doo Revue!!
For those of you who have never been, HDDR is the longest running dinner show on Disney property. It's at Pioneer Hall on Fort Wilderness and it is one of my favorite things to do in all of WDW. My family has been attending HDDR since our very first trip when I was 4...it's been a tradition for us since then!

There was a ferry pulling up right as we got to the dock and about 15 minutes later were were pulling out of Magic Kingdom and on our way to Fort Wilderness!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

I love the ferry ride between MK and Wilderness Lodge/Ft. Wilderness. It's so relaxing and I love the views of the different resorts from the water!

Once we arrived at Ft. Wilderness we still had about an hour before they were going to open the doors at Pioneer Hall. I went and picked up our tickets from will call and then I grabbed a beer from the little bar between Pioneer Hall and Trail's End...I think it's called Crockett's Tavern? I don't remember. But I did manage to throw back a couple of beers before they started checking us in for the show so that could be why I don't remember...oops
BTW, this is a judgement free zone and since I didn't have to drive anywhere it was fine
Jacob passed the time by playing at the playground that's right there by Trail's End. He made a buddy and they had fun playing. Fine with me because he'd hopefully exhaust himself and have no issues sitting quietly for the show

Pretty soon they announced that they would start checking us in for the show so I grabbed Jacob and we headed over to the check in line. Pretty soon they started letting us in for the show!
I always get Tier 1 seating which is usually the front half of the area around the stage which always ensures a good view
Sure enough, we were pretty close to the front and had an awesome view of the stage!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

For those of you who've never been - Hoop Dee Doo is a dinner show. It stars the "Pioneer Hall Players" and they put on a hilarious show. It's definitely corny humor but we love it! I never get tired of seeing this show and to me it's worth every penny. The food is really good too!
You're served family style and it's cornbread (the best ever), salad, fried chicken, ribs, baked beans, corn, and mashed potatoes. It's a LOT of food. Way too much for just the 2 of us! But very delicious
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Pretty soon the show began!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

I have a little crush on Six Bits Slocum. Six Bits is bae ...as the cool kids say!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Jacob loved it too!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

The washboards at the end are so fun!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
(There was a little conga line of washboard playing kids...he didn't decide to leave me for another family )

Oh hey there again Six Bits
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
(I swear I wasn't stalking him, he always just walked by my table!)

We both had an AWESOME time at Hoop Dee Doo, as always! It's a show that I can't recommend enough. We just love it!

We hopped on a bus back to Beach Club and had a little photo shoot with the Christmas decorations in the lobby area:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

The gingerbread carousel smells AMAZING...I loved that smell in the lobby area
Untitled by
Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After checking out the decorations we went in the Beach Club shop and looked at a bunch of pins and ornaments. I don't think I bought anything that evening though.

Then we headed back to our room and watched a little TV before bed.
We had another early day tomorrow!

Stay tuned!



​

 

[MeghanEmily]

On our way down Main Street we stopped for this picture in front of the castle...I love how this turned out!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

What a great picture of you both!

After that we were headed to the ferry that would take us to Fort Wilderness for a VERY special dinner...Hoop Dee Doo Revue!!
For those of you who have never been, HDDR is the longest running dinner show on Disney property. It's at Pioneer Hall on Fort Wilderness and it is one of my favorite things to do in all of WDW. My family has been attending HDDR since our very first trip when I was 4...it's been a tradition for us since then!

I'm always meaning to try this, but so far we never have. Looks like you had a great time and an awesome meal!

 

[vrajewski10513]

It's at Pioneer Hall on Fort Wilderness and it is one of my favorite things to do in all of WDW.

Mine too!

But I did manage to throw back a couple of beers before they started checking us in for the show so that could be why I don't remember...oops
BTW, this is a judgement free zone and since I didn't have to drive anywhere it was fine

No judgment here. Having some adult beverages is a key component to any and all of my vacations!!

It stars the "Pioneer Hall Players" and they put on a hilarious show. It's definitely corny humor but we love it! I never get tired of seeing this show and to me it's worth every penny. The food is really good too!

I'm in tears by the time we leave there every time. They're hysterical!! I also agree, the food is delicious!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

But I did manage to throw back a couple of beers before they started checking us in for the show so that could be why I don't remember...oops

I'm pretty sure this is why people love the free Disney transportation - no driving!

cornbread (the best ever)

YES!!! That cornbread is totally awesome - I don't know what they put in it, but it's tough to stop eating and make room for the rest of the food!

We both had an AWESOME time at Hoop Dee Doo, as always! It's a show that I can't recommend enough. We just love it!

I totally agree! Anika and I saw it for the first time during our 2015 trip, and Anika went from thinking I was nuts for booking a campy dinner show to proclaiming, "we need to do this EVERY trip!"

Everyone should give it a try at least once - you'll be hooked!

 

[Raeven]

I always pay for early bird check in which guarantees "A" boarding group. For those of you who aren't familiar with Southwest, they don't have assigned seating. So you are put into boarding groups and then just find a seat once you're on. If I was flying solo I probably wouldn't care but I wanted to make sure we were "A" so we'd have seats together. It's only $30 per person round trip so I think it's worth it!

I usually do this too!

Also I'm all caught up now and following along! We went in December too and it was a really nice time to go.

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Hi everyone! Hope you have all had a good week!
Work was super busy and we had a lot going on so I haven't been able to update. But I am going get one up right now because then I am leaving later today for my sister's bachelorette party. We are spending the weekend in Austin, TX and will be back Sunday. So I want to get an update up before I leave!
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! ​

What a great picture of you both!

Why thank you! I am pretty fond of it

I'm always meaning to try this, but so far we never have. Looks like you had a great time and an awesome meal!

You definitely should!! It's so awesome, we love it!

Mine too!

It's just the best!

No judgment here. Having some adult beverages is a key component to any and all of my vacations!!

So glad you get it

I'm in tears by the time we leave there every time. They're hysterical!! I also agree, the food is delicious!!

Meee tooo....they are so funny! Six Bits is my fave if you couldn't tell I took about a million pics of him Gotta love a guy who can make you crack up laughing!

I'm pretty sure this is why people love the free Disney transportation - no driving!

It totally is! That's the best part of a Disney vacation

YES!!! That cornbread is totally awesome - I don't know what they put in it, but it's tough to stop eating and make room for the rest of the food!

It's like crack! Crack cornbread

I totally agree! Anika and I saw it for the first time during our 2015 trip, and Anika went from thinking I was nuts for booking a campy dinner show to proclaiming, "we need to do this EVERY trip!"

Everyone should give it a try at least once - you'll be hooked!

Yes, we love it so much! It doesn't feel like a trip to WDW for me unless I do Hoop Dee Doo

I usually do this too!

Also I'm all caught up now and following along! We went in December too and it was a really nice time to go.

Thank you for following along!! I am caught up on yours as well, and determined to actually STAY caught up! lol

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Chapter 3
Part 1
"I can't believe there's no moose in Animal Kingdom!"


After our fun evening at the Hoop Dee Doo we got a good nights rest because we had another EARLY morning today. Are you sensing a theme here? I am definitely a "get a good nights sleep and then hit rope drop" kind of gal. I just feel like you get so much done at the parks by getting there early! Plus, we are used to early mornings anyway thanks to work and school so getting up early isn't too bad. I can't remember the last time I slept past 8 AM anyway. Being an adult is so lame

I was super happy when I stepped out onto our balcony this morning and it was nice and chilly!!! So far we had been having super HOT and humid weather...so the coolness was a welcome change! I think it was around 50 this morning and I was very pleased with that

Because we were headed to (in my personal opinion) the HOTTEST of all Disney parks...Animal Kingdom! Like man, it always feels so much hotter than any other park!

We got there before park opening via Disney bus - I think the park was set to open at 9 that day and it was about 8:15 when we arrived. We hung around for a while and then at about 8:40 there was a little opening where a bunch of birds (parrots I think) flew around all at the same time. It doesn't sound too exciting but it was cooler looking than it sounds!!

Pretty soon we were seeing THIS beauty:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Man, I just love the Tree of Life. It's so photogenic!! Animal Kingdom in general is just a beautiful park. It used to be my least favorite of the 4 parks but now I just love it. The older I get, the more I appreciate how beautiful it is and all the details and theming that go into it!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Jambo!!

We headed straight to Kilimanjaro Safari's after a couple of pictures. I have always found that the animals are more awake and active in the morning than later in the day so I wanted to get there first.
I did take lots of animal pictures but I think we have all seen pictures of animals on the safari a million times so I won't bore you with them...just use your imagination and conjure up some zebras, lions, elephants, giraffes, etc.
You get the picture
But while on safari Jacob did make the comment "where are the moose?" Uhhh, don't think there are moose in Africa kiddo! Which led him to say the title of this chapter - "I can't believe there's no moose in the Animal Kingdom!" Well not this one anyway, sorry to disappoint

After that we walked past Expedition Everest and although we didn't have a FP till later in the morning, we decided to get on because the wait was only posted at 10 minutes.
This was the first and only fail of the trip - Jacob loved every ride we did EXCEPT EE. He did NOT like it. He was brave and tried it and didn't cry or anything but as soon as we got off he turned to me with wide eyes and said "mama I do NOT want to get on that again."
Me: "um...ok buddy, that's fine."

I was so bummed he didn't like it because I love EE! I was hoping to ride it several times but that was not meant to be! But I knew I'd be able to ride it again once John got here and I was proud of him for at least trying it! He said it was the backwards part he didn't like. I mean I get it. It is definitely intense!
Our ride photo:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
He doesn't look too terrified but apparently looks can be deceiving

He did agree to a photo to commemorate his conquering Everest...even if he did hate it
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

After EE, Jacob REALLY wanted to go to Dinoland. I definitely agree that this section of the park is so out of place with the overall theme of DAK. But I do love the Dinosaur ride so oh well!
We took a spin on Triceratops Spin:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

And Jacob wanted a picture with this fella:
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

We then walked onto Dinosaur which we had a FP for. We didn't really need it, the wait was only 10 minutes but we walked right on with FP+.
I was so surprised when I saw our ride photo afterwards...I won't even bother posting it because you cannot see Jacob AT ALL. Because he was hiding This kid rode Dinosaur with NO issues at the age of 4. And he loved it! But this time apparently he felt the need to hide in fear
He rode this again later in the week with John and did fine AND came out in the picture so I'll post that one once I get there

Now that we had our run in with the Yeti, brought back a dino from the Cretaceous period, and seen lots of animals on safari it was time to get some pictures with Mickey and Minnie! I knew they had a M&G here with them in their adorable Christmas outfits and I NEEDED a picture with them!
The CM working the line said it would be about a 20 minute wait...it really ended up being closer to 40
But it was worth it! We had AMAZING meet with them! The friends of Mickey and Minnie were so sweet and interactive - we got LOTS of hugs and love from our favorite Disney couple
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
My Christmas ears matched Minnie's outfit and she LOVED that

After our awesome meet with the head mice, we wandered for a bit. I just love the atmosphere at DAK!
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

I know we stopped for lunch around noon at Tusker House because that's where I took that last photo. But no food pictures - sorry! I do remember I had the turkey sandwich with fruit and Jacob had the kids hot dog which he declared the "best hot dog ever!" We ended up back here with John a few days later because of that hot dog

We had decided to spend the afternoon at Hollywood Studios but I had another character meet I wanted to do before we left...
Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr
Baloo & King Louie! They were so fun! And also super cute with their Christmas scarves

After meeting with the Jungle VIP and discussing the bear necessities with Baloo we decided to hop a bus over to Hollywood Studios. We had some business with a wookie and some jawas!

Stay tuned!




​

 

[xlsm]

Hoop Dee Doo Revue!!

Fun fact...when I worked at the Disney Store, I had a co-worker who used to work at Hoop! She was in her 50s when we worked together, but when she had graduated high school, she decided she wanted to work at Disney World. Her brother lived/worked in the area, and she showed up on his doorstep one day, and went down to their hiring center EVERY DAY until she was hired as a server at Hoop de Doo! She worked her way up into the accounting department. She works for a theme park in my home state now (still accounting/insurance), but keeps working at the Disney Store to stay with the magic! I think she's almost to 40 years of service now

I love the ferry ride between MK and Wilderness Lodge/Ft. Wilderness. It's so relaxing and I love the views of the different resorts from the water!

Me too! I miss it so much after the last two trips. The ferries from Boardwalk weren't quite the same!

Untitled by Veronica Villarreal, on Flickr

Aw, he's having so much fun!! This is cute!

We hopped on a bus back to Beach Club and had a little photo shoot with the Christmas decorations in the lobby area:

I really liked their holiday decorations!

I just feel like you get so much done at the parks by getting there early!

the Dis needs praise hands emojis, because YES.

Our ride photo:

Oh, bless his heart!! At least he tried it and was a good sport!

it really ended up being closer to 40

Ugh, a 40 minute wait in that building doesn't sound fun. But the pictures turned out great!

Baloo & King Louie! They were so fun! And also super cute with their Christmas scarves

I love them in their scarves!!