Christmas In The World...Dec 18, 2015 - Jan 4, 2016

[tyandskyesmom]

And back at our room at Caribbean Beach...

That was our corner!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

At California Grill day #1...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Grand Floridian Christmas Tree day #3...

UGH! Those pics look right side up in photobucket but when I copy them here they are sideways!!!!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Ok...his pics are going to drive me crazy! Anyway, let's get back on track...shall we???

So we arrived at Hollywood Studios at about 8:50am and were let right in. We were each handed Star Wars pins upon entrance!

And we headed back to Pixar land.

The sign for stand-by for Toy Story Mania said 75 minutes but it did not look like it was that long so we went in.

We ended up waiting only 40 minutes, which is more than I usually like to wait but it is what it is. And it's a great ride. Car ended up best in car by less than 1000 (which is unbelievable because he is so totally anti video game type things!) but I had the best accuracy at 49%...ya, don't worry, we don't own guns! LOL

Then we headed over to Launch Bay to check it out.

Cary was all geeked out!

We did go through the movie side. It is very cool. It's kind of a making - of...a documentary. Then you walk through the rest. There are video games, props, costumes, pictures, etc. There is a space bar scene set up. There were no wandering characters inside, only Darth Vader and Chewbacca meeting inside. It was a very cool walk through. I assume something like this will be moved over to Star Wars Land when it's done because it seems completely out of place in Animation Courtyard but what do I know?

After hanging out there for a while, we had 11:20am - 11:35am return time for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. But we were here now and there was a show going in that wasn't full so we decided to go for it!

I love this show. We ended up with really close seats which is better than end seats but still not as good a a bit further back but it was still a great show...seems the theater needs a paint job though.

It was a great show as always! The effects in here are awesome. Cary thought he was going into a girly show but came out thinking it was great.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We had stopped earlier in Animation Courtyard for a bottle of water, Coke, and a Sprite...total was $9.25 or three snack credits.


After our Mermaid viewing (at about 11:15am) we stopped at Starring Rolls for a snack.

We got a Cinnamon Bun...

And a Butterfinger Cupcake...

And a bottle of water.

The total was approximately $12.50 or three snack credits.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After eating our snacks we headed around window shopping...well, not window shopping per se, we did go in and look around but we weren't buying.

And we walked into a soon to start Beauty And The Beast show.

That's a show right up our alley...especially this year. And while Skyler's baby ballet class was not anywhere near as good doing Beauty And The Beast, they were entertaining to say the least! Even the boys loved the show. By the time we got there I'd say at least the front half of the seats were taken but we had good seats none the less.

After the show, we headed back around to Toy Story Mania to use our 12:25pm - 1:25 fast passes.

We walked in and got up to where you grab your glasses and were stopped. There was no one on the stairs at all. In a few minutes, without telling us why we were waiting, we were sent in and were on the ride within five minutes. I am guessing that they held up back to clear the stair area and then sent us through when it was clear so it would feel like less of a wait. It worked.

Another fun ride was had by all! Tyler won this time and I was second.

We then headed to Star Tours.

The stand-by sign said 35 minutes but we entered at 1:17pm and were off by 1:47 so ride and all was only 30 minutes. Tyler loves this ride! But we got the same tour we had before. He wants to get different places like the advertise.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Then we headed to see Muppetvision 3-D.

On our wait to get in we stood in line in places we have never had to stand in line. Usually we walk right into the building...not this time. But being in places we have never been we discovered new things...

We had fun "looking up"!

We finally arrived in the pre-show room.

Then the theater.

Love the show! Again, Cary being a newbee, didn't know what he was getting himself into but ended up loving it!

We headed into the Muppet dump shop.

Skyler and Chichi love this sign!

At that point, we headed towards lunch...

I love this little section back here and I am afraid we are going to lose it in all the construction going on in the future.

 

[longlostprincess]

We arrive July 15th and leave the 22nd...only a week...boo...no dining plan...boo...

wait, that's so funny! my family and i are going literally the same dates - arriving on the 15th of july and heading home the night of the 22nd

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We arrived at Mama Melrose at 2:35pm for our 2:45pm ADR and were told they were running about ten minutes behind.

We were seated at 2:48pm. We were seated in the back section where we have always been seated.

Our server was Ronald. He brought our rolls and olive oil for dipping.

The kids don't use the oil but the rolls were really good alone. They were soft and warm with a slightly crunchy outside. He took our drink orders and brought our Fantasmic voucher.

For an appetizer, Cary ordered the Vegetarian Minestrone - with ditalini pasta...which for some reason I cannt find the pic of...if I do I'll edit. He said it was a very good soup.

I had the Carne D' Italia Flatbread - with pepperoni, house-made sausage, pancetta, and spicy marinara sauce...

It was really good and not as spicy as I feared! Cary shared it with me.

Bot the kids each had Carne D' Italia Flatbread - with pepperoni, house-made sausage, pancetta, and spicy marinara sauce with just pepperoni.

They were devoured so I expect the liked it. Tyler ate his and some of Skyler's!

For an entrée Cary had Spaghetti or Penne Pasta ... with choice of meatballs or chicken and choice of marinara or four-cheese sauce, garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley that he chose spaghetti

with chicken and marinara.

He was happy with it!

I had Charred Strip Steak...with five-cheese baked macaroni with pancetta, aged balsamic-shallot butter, and Chianti Wine Reduction

It was really good. Everything compliments each other and while you can tell it's not the same cut of beef you get at California Grill, it is a good meal!

Tyler had his favorite...and it must be considering it isn't a steak...Oven Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana - Breaded chicken breast with marinara sauce topped with melted mozzarella over spaghetti.

And, of course, he licked the plate clean!

Skyler went with Spaghetti or Penne Pasta ... with choice of meatballs or chicken and choice of marinara or four-cheese sauce, garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley that she chose penne with chicken (on the side) and four cheese sauce.

She ate all the pasta and most of the chicken, dipped in the sauce...but they couldn't come out that way??? She's weird!

For dessert they now bring out a sampler platter for Fantasmic package diners. We asked if that was mandatory as we don't like tiramisu. She said "Nope, what would you like?". So I had Traditional Cannoli - house-made creamy cannoli filling with a hint of citrus and dusted with cocoa powder

Yummy!

Skyler and Cary got the Cheesecake - no sugar added cheesecake with strawberry sauce topped with whipped cream.

Which they loved.

And Tyler got something I though was the Amarettini cheesecake but I don't see it on the menu so I am not sure?

And that did not go to waste either!

We actually spent a long time eating here too. It was 5:03pm when we left. Our drinks were filled the whole time we were there. We were given the option of changing things without a blink of an eye. And we had out Fantasmic tickets in hand. We were leaving there very happy. We have only ever had one bad meal here and that was on our first trip when Tyler was 2 and my mother was with me and his father. So, it could have been that my mother was there???It was a rough trip to tell you the truth! LOL...but since then we have come to Mama Melrose every time and love it. It is our go-to for Fantasmic. We enjoy it more than Brown Derby

TOTAL = $191.66 ... TOTAL FOOD = $3062.73
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 71 MEAL CREDITS

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I finally finished reading your trip report all the way through. I absolutely love all the Christmas pictures. Of course I love Disney any time but it's especially festive during the holidays. Okay, now on to the food. It all looks so delicious but oh my goodness there's so much food. I've done the regular dining plan before and thought that was a lot but never the deluxe plan. I love seeing all the food porn and I'm drooling over it. When did the parks get really crowded? I've always wanted to do a Christmas trip but I'm afraid of the masses and hearing that some parks are full to capacity. I'm really looking forward to the next installment as I'm truly enjoying reading along.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

I think it started to get crowded gradually. Probably starting as of the Monday before Christmas (Dec. 21st) but very gradually. There were very little times we noticed it though. However, we did not pick to be at the "IT" park for Christmas Eve or Day. So maybe we planned well. But busses were not ever much of a problem, I've been there at slower times and have had longer transportation waits.

We went into it thinking we'd be crowded out of our minds but we were happily not too bad. Maybe we were just so prepared for it that it did not phase us?

The lines for ride are sometimes long...like we never did ride Small World because it was always over a 35 minute wait. That's something we're used to walking right on. But I am not completely convinced that sort of this is due to the time of the year or if it's due to the newer Fast Pass +...I think that really affects the lines of all the rides.

And being that we had the deluxe dining plan, we were not counting on eating somewhere we had to stand in a long line to order and wait for food. So we didn't see the crowds in that respect either.

That being said, I don't know that I'd say this week was my favorite time to visit but I am glad we have done it and if faced with that week again as my best option, I would not hesitate!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I assume something like this will be moved over to Star Wars Land when it's done because it seems completely out of place in Animation Courtyard but what do I know?

I hope Launch Bay eventually gets moved out. I do appreciate Star Wars, but I agree with you that it is out of place in Animation Courtyard. I would love to see them bring back Animation Academy some time. My family only did that once but we really enjoyed it.

I had Charred Strip Steak...with five-cheese baked macaroni with pancetta, aged balsamic-shallot butter, and Chianti Wine Reduction

I had the same thing on my last trip. I was a bit nervous about Mama Melrose because I read mixed reviews, but it was great. We all enjoyed it and I thought the steak was awesome!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after our late lunch, we headed used our fast passes for Star Tours (return time 4:40pm - 5:40pm) and then headed over to...

...to wait stand-by for a Frozen Sing Along that was going to start going in in a few minutes. Skyler was so excited! She can sing the whole movie without the movie! I even caught Tyler singing towards the end...I know he tried so hard to be cool but he just couldn't hold out any longer...LOL!

Now we were cutting it pretty close for our Fantasmic return time of 6:25pm - 6:45pm so headed over there quickly and right into the seating where we were pretty dead center. Now, when the fiasco evolved where all the people who had Fantasmic dining packages freaked out because they added the 7:00pm show, I was not freaked. It actually worked out better for us. And I am very pleased that they moved the dinner package seats to the middle...after all, if you pay for the package, you usually end up paying slightly more that if you went out of pocket. And while you can see from anywhere, if you're too close to the ends you can see a little backstage and that ruins your illusion. Plus you miss things on the other side. Like in the Pocahontas and John Smith part. I didn't know they were both out on either side of the cliff until we actually got the middle one trip when we went without a dining package. So middle is better. This is probably the kid's and my favorite night time show...we just love it! It has characters, lasers, pictures on water, fire, fireworks, and MICKEY SAVES THE DAY! What's not to love??? And Cary was in awe. Our one downfall was the lady behind us a few rows who apparently thought her taping the show with the huge external lighting on her camera lit during most of the show. Many people asked her to turn it off. Many people gave her dirty looks when she didn't. Many people grumbled under their breath when she continued to think she was more important that everyone else. Many people put their hands up in front of her camera often. She finally turned it off near the end. And I hope her video came out horrible since she found it necessary to harm everyone else's experience by being selfish.

When it was over we got up and headed out quickly, but calmly. We didn't have to be anywhere for a while but that did not mean I wanted to stand in line to get out any longer than necessary.

We snapped more pictures along the way to nowhere...

We Stopped by...

...for a ride through the movies and then headed over to Launch Bay again.

We bypassed the movie this time and walked straight in to see Chewbacca. The sign said 15 minutes but we waited about 8.

And then we headed next door to see Darth Vader. His stand by sign said 30 minutes but it was actually about 15.

Darth tried to recruit Cary but Cary said he couldn't. He told him to come back when he was ready to ruel with him. This might have been Cary's favorite part of the trip! We were not rushed through and Darthpent a lot of time taking pictures.

While waiting in line there is a lot to look at...weapon form various characters throughout the movies. I could see it getting crowded in there but when we were there it was perfect.

We stopped at the bar on the way out and they had blue milk.

And we watched the Jawa look at people's belongings and make trades.

Until I scared him with my camera flash and he left. Sorry Jawa...I wasn't thinking! He was really entertaining and we had fun watching him for a while.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After our fun at Launch Bay the kids headed to the Dance Party.

While Cary and I went over to check the lines for Rockin' Roller Coaster. The line was 60 minutes still and there were not running a single rider line (which I found odd!) sso we turned around and went back to find the kids. The kids had fun watching the party and taking pictures (I had left the camera with them).

After a bit we headed up to the front.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

On our way up, we stopped for pictures and window shopping.

We headed to the bus stop for the Polynesian and walked right on a bus.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We arrived at the Poly at 8:34pm.

Our dinner ADR for Ohana was at 9:35pm. We were early. So we hung out.

Then we went to see Santa!!!!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

At 9:23pm we checked in for our dinner at Ohana...so close to an hour after arriving at the Poly. We were not allowed to check in any earlier. We were told they were running about 30 minutes behind...but a woman with a 9:10pm ADR was told it would be at least another 10 minutes for her so I wasn't holding out much hope. The seating area was all packed...no where to sit. No where to stand. So we went down stairs.

We were getting tired but it would not have been bad if we were not waiting for our ADR well past it. I know, I know, I was warned by everyone here about a late ADR at Ohana. And I didn't listen. I should have. We had never been to Ohana for dinner and we were all really excited but that was dwindling away quickly.

At 10:01 we were seated. Our Cousin was Cathy. She was very nice, busy, and apologetic. She brought our drinks and told us they had no bread...WHAT!?!?!? Oh well. No bread for us.

She did bring the Mixed Greens Salad - with a Lilikoi dressing with our drinks and sauces.

Cary and I liked the salad but the Tyler doesn't eat dressed salads and Skyler has recently graduated to dressed salads but is cautious of them. I believe she picked on it a little but not enough to say she ate any.

And our Pork Dumplings...tossed in a garlic ginger sauce, Honey Coriander Chicken Wings, Noodles...Tossed in a Teriyaki Sauce, and Stir Fried Vegetables. This plate was probably the one I liked the best! Ty and Cary dug the wings. Skye and I, the dumplings. Skyler the broccoli. I enjoyed the whole plate.

I don't have any pictures of the meats brought around. We all had a couple of "chunks" of Szechuan Sirloin Steak - Prepared over an oak fire, served on skewers, a piece of Sweet and Sour Chicken, and a couple of Spicy Grilled Peel and Eat Shrimp on the first go round. That was the only time we saw anyone around with skewers. None of our other food was even offered to be replenished...and we couldn't even ask because no one came around until Cathy brought dessert and a birthday surprise.

Ohaha Bread Pudding...served a la mode with Bananas, vanilla ice cream and Caramel Sauce. Which everyone grabbed some ice cream but I had most of it to myself...again no more was offered.

One for Cary and one for Tyler. They was almost brownie like with a buttercream frosting with M&Ms on top. They were tasty. Cary dipped his in the caramel from the bread pudding. They also did a celebration song and made them get up and go to where the entertainment was (which we were no where near so couldn't see) to be recognized.

Cathy was nice enough but very busy and we hardly saw her. The food was good, not great warrenting the praise Ohana gets on here. Service was just plain non existant. Things were dropped off in short succession and then nothing. I don't even thing we had drink refills...maybe once.

We were done by 11pm. D-O-N-E! We finally flagged someone down to get Cathy and our check so we could leave. Would we return??? HHHmmm...maybe. But with some very tough stipulations. First, I would only book one of the first seatings. Second, it would be on a non-special day. I am chalking this first bad experience to a couple of things...the time of our ADR, the day of our ADR, being tired, waiting over an hour to be seated, busy staff, eh seating...a lot of small issues adding up to a bad experience. Was it the worst? Nope! Was the food we were able to get good? Yep. Was the service friendly? Yep. Efficient? Nope. And I do think since they notoriously, historically, and on a regular basis run very behind the later it gets, they need more lobby seating because that was a PITA! And we definitely did not get our money's worth of food!

So someday, we will probably venture back to Ohana. At this point neither breakfast nor dinner is on my short list to run to...but I can see us giving it another try in the future.


TOTAL = $170.36 ... TOTAL FOOD = $3233.09
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 75 MEAL CREDITS

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after dinner we walked out to a waiting monorail to Magic Kingdom.

And this is where it gets bad.

So it's approximately 11:15pm on Christmas Eve. We've had a great day at Hollywood Studios. We did a lot. We were full and tired. Maybe too tired.

We get off the monorail and down from the platform. As we are walking over the legacy tiles towards the bus stops...this tile to be exact...

Catastrophe hit! Actually, it was me hitting something...the ground. The tile was sticking up and wobbly and I tripped over it and went down, fast and hard jamming my camera that was around my neck into the tip of my sternum and smashing my lens...my regular lens that I use all the time. I was immediately in tears. Cary and Tyler were ahead of Skye and I so they didn't actually see it happen but Skyler did and to people behind me. They stopped to help and Skye called to the boys. At the same time the Cast Member manning the walk way came over to assist. I sat there a minute not being able to catch my breath and in immense pain and shock! When I could finally roll up and sit and catch my breath Cary was there. Skye was upset. Cary was upset. Tyler was confused and worried. Eventually there were CMs all over me and the tile was removed easily and rope put up around it. They also were looking around it for other loose ones. One of the CMs said they know these tiles are loose and are trying to come up with a solution without removing them. They wanted me to go to the ER but I did not want to. So they insisted that Reedy Creek Ambulance come and check me out. I tried to refuse but they said they would check my vitals at least and make sure I didn't cause any additional damage. My right palm, tip of my sternum, and right ribs were painful but I knew even if there were breaks, which I did not believe there was because while it hurt I was able to move and get up by myself without additional pain, there really isn't anything they could do for broken ribs. I was, at this point up and sitting on a bench...with EVERYONE STARING AT ME and my entourage while walking by. I finally agreed to the ambulance and while waiting for them I had to repeat what happened about five times. Then some little guy in a fancy outfit came by and as "consolation" for losing my regular lens (meaning loss of a lot of pictures for just over another week of vacation) he kept saying he'd comp me a photo pass. I kept telling him I have an annual pass so I already have that and unless he's getting me a photo pass photographer to follow us around for the next week or so and film everything we do, photo pass is not a substitute for my personal camera. But it didn't appear he heard me the multiple times I said it. He also provided me with my claim info and said they would replace my lens. Sounded fair to me (although I now get a call from my adjustor about every two months who leaves a message then I have to call back and leave a message) so I'm not holding out hope. My family and anyone else who I told said I should have gotten my trip paid for. I don't think it was that drastic...but my camera and all the pictures I lost in the following week would have been sufficient...would be nice to have a new lens before July! Eventually Reedy Creek arrived and basically told me if I refuse to go the hospital there was nothing they can do for me. I told them the CMs said they'd check vitals and such and he said nope. So I signed the release and they left. In the mean time they had called for a van to come take up home. The big wigs (as big as they get working at almost midnight on Christmas Eve) left and one girl waited with us to make sure the van got us ok. The van was driven by an older lady who was very nice. We climbed in, and that was difficult! Skyler sat next to me and started crying. I staryed crying. Cary started getting mad...cause that's what he does. And Tyler was quiet. Everyone was very helpful. For the most part, I hurt. But it was not the end of the world. The worst part was the camera! I knew I'd heal and I promised if it got worse I'd call the front desk and be taken to the ER by a Disney vehicle. I didn't want me recovering or sitting in an ER all night to hinder our vacation we had all waited for for so long. I was very thankful for the van though. A ride on a bus that I might have had to stand and be jarred around on didn't sound like fun. She got us back to Caribbean Beach quickly but gently. She was nice and tried to talk and take the edge off. She got Skye laughing. She pulled right up to our sidewalk and got the step stool out for me. Everyone carried all the stuff we had with us and the kids ran ahead to ge the door open for me. I was slow moving and knew it would feel worse by morning. When we got upstairs we found this...

Do you know how hard those pics were to get with a telephoto lens???? That was all I had left. The camera is find but the lens is shattered. No, I didn't take those pics, Skye did.

She also got pics of our window from the inside...it is Christmas morning by now after all!

I went to take a cool shower. It has been a long day, a hot day with two of three meals disappointing and a huge fall. I needed a shower. Problem was, it hurt to move in the way I needed to to undress. Once I figured it out, the shower felt great. I got out and crawled cautiously into bed. Tyler had gone to get a zip lock baggie (never leave home without them, they are so handy, in ways you never think you're going to need!) of ice and Cary has plugged in my heating pad (which luckily I had brought along) so I could sleep alternating heat and cold. I downed a bunch of Ibuprofen. It took a bit to find a comfortable position but once I did I was asleep hard!

How's that for an exciting Christmas Eve!?!?!?

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Christmas Day, December 25, 2015 dawned later than it needed to...but for good reasons. I was sore. Not horrible so but I was sore. The kids got up and brought the gifts to the bed to open.

And we all got ready to go. I discovered I was sore and bruised all over! I had a bruise in the shape of a camera lens on my upper ribs, a big dark bruise on my hip and just below my knee that I did not even remember hitting on anything, multiple scrapes and cuts on my right hand and wrist, and my sternum hurt when I breathed in deeply. But other than that, I was good!

We had an ADR as Akershus at 8am...we didn't get to the bus stop until 7:28am...without Tyler who was putzing around in the shower! So we told him to hurry and meet us there. We arrived at Epcot at 7:58am and still had to walk through the whole park to get to Norway! I sent Skye and Cary ahead. As I was near Innoventions Tyler texted that he was on a bus and was almost there. I told him to hurry. Cary and Skyler checked in at Akershus at 8:24 and she said no worries, check back in when Tyler and I arrived. I was moving slowly but walking didn't hurt, it was a jarring movement that hurt, any quick movements.

So while waiting for Tyler wee took pictures with my big lens...gotta get used to using it I guess!

Tyler showed up and we were seated at 8:40am. It was surprisingly empty there...I guess if you're not at Magic Kingdom early you're in bed still.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So Cary and Skyler had arrived to check into Akershus for our 8am ADR at 8:24am and were told to come back when Tyler arrived and we'd be seated. I slowly, painfully arrived a bit later and the Tyler. We were taken in around 8:40am. First we saw Belle!

And then we were seated. We were in a half booth along the wall/windows that look out into the courtyard.

We started getting food and were well on our way before the princesses started coming around. Getting up and down hurt and I was afraid of being bumped so I was cautious when going to the cold bar.

Princess Aurora/Briar Rose/Sleeping beauty was the first to come around.

Then Cinderella...

Then Scareiel...I mean Ariel...

Who let her leave the dressing room with her make-up like that!?!?!?

And our waitress took a pic of us together...

I don't have any food pictures...We were still getting used to not having a camera that could take close up pictures. There was the cold bar with yogurt, fruit, muenster cheese, smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese, muffins, cinnamon rolls, danishes, etc. Then they bring around a family style platter of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and biscuits. It was all really good and plenty. Our server, Sara, was very good and came by multiple times to see if we needed more of anything. It was not crowded in or around Akershus. We were here for about 50 minutes.


Akershus is someplace we have been for all meals. I know a lot of people are afraid of it because the menu seems odd for meals other than breakfast. We have found they are actually not that scary. We were never here before it was a princess meal and when they were more of a traditional restaurant not set up the way it is now. On the dining plan, we always seem to make it here...usually for breakfast because there are other places we prefer but if the star aligned and we decided this fit our lives at the time, we wouldn't hesitate. On our out of pocket list, I don't know that it would make the cut but not because it isn't a beautiful building with princesses in it with good food, just because there are so many other places that are a better value that we prefer out of pocket.

TOTAL = $191.66 ... TOTAL FOOD = $3424.75
USED 4 CREDITS ... USED 79 MEAL CREDITS