Jingle Bell Jingle BAM: A Christmas 2019 Trip Report

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Is April going slow and fast all at the same time for them? Just me? ok...

I think this post will wrap up this trip report! It is bitter sweet. I have been dying to share this day with everyone but it also means the trip is over. I do have one more trip I can share but we came back and all of the Covid stuff started slowly ramping up and I didn't do my post trip notes like I usually do. So, it would be fairly less detailed. Let me know if anyone is still interested. I am sure I can piece the report together with the 6 thousand pictures I take.

But let's get to finishing up this trip report! Oh! And if you are someone who is still trying to not be spoiled by the ride. STOP READING!!! @CStorm that's you!



Day Seven: Rise of Resistance (SPOILERS)

I left us off just about to get on the ride. Well the portion that I consider the question and the ride. Anyone who has ridden it, do you agree? Where do you consider the ride starting?

I think at this point we stopped paying attention to the time. But I believe it was about 10:55.

BB8
This is the first room, and it is basically your basically pre-show room. They send you in and BB8 starts moving around.

Rey
And then Ray shows up! And this hologram is amazing!

Rey
Ray and BB8 set the tone for the ride, and then you move on and leave the area.

Spaceship Outside
And you go outside! This was so surprising! And everyone in our group is just looking around everywhere. Not really sure where to look and also just trying to see everything.

Spaceship on the left

Our Transport
The CM lead you on to your transport. You can see the CM flagging us to walk over. I don't remember what they say but it's all in character. And this step, is really the first one that makes you feel like you are really in this world. Walking on to this space ship is amazing!

Once inside, you are allowed to stand where ever you want. It is kind of in 3 areas, a front, middle and back area. I personally think all 3 areas have views worth seeing.

Inside the Transport

Lutent Beck
This first time on the ride, I was completely absorbed with Luten Beck's animatronic. He is in the front of the ship in the center. And then there are 2 screens on either side that have some additional help trying to help us.

But I believe the screens are also in the back of the ship for folks back there to see. And if you end up in the back of the ride, you see space! and the tie fighters that are chasing us! Which once we realized this on a later ride, I thought was pretty cool.

Once they close the doors on this space ship, it does move a little. But not too much. If you are not great with balance, grab a spot by a railing. But it really isn't too bad. I feel like if you are in an ECV or wheelchair, you would still use that now. But I don't know.

After our scene here on the ship, the doors open and the CM at this point was AMAZING!!!! The lucky folks standing right by the doors when they opened up had a front and center performance!

We were escorted out of the space ship and back inside to this room! And this room along MAKES the ride!

Storm Troopers
Everyone on the transport was chatting and pointing things out. Just your usual talking. But the second that we walked into this room..... SILENCE! Everyone was soooo quiet. I don't know if anyone has had this expierence. But literally everyone was just in aye of this room.

Storm Troopers_OMG
I mean look at Gwen's face!

Storm Troopers
I seriously could spend hours in this room, soaking it all in!

Dark Side
But unfortantly we had to move on.

This leads you into a waiting area. And when we first got in this area, everyone was still so quiet. But then slowly everyone kind of took a breath and started just talking about how amazing it was so far.

Mid Point Waiting Room
This room really struck me as being in a hallway that Luke and Han would have been sneaking around trying to find Princess Lai.

Hallway
This is kind of the next and last time that you really stand in a line line. You wait here for a short amount to time. And if for some reason you want to chicken out, this is probably a good time to do so. You could probably still opt out right before the ride vehicle, but I could totally see you getting in the ride vehicle without realizing it was happening.

First Order Officer
THIS CM was AMAZING!!!! And fairly scary... He was in charge of dividing us up into what will be our ride vehicle. But they do such a good job staying in character.

First Order Officer
Once you are selected you are brought into this area.

Holding Area
And let me tell you, this area feels like you are in the movie and captured by the dark side.

Gwen was super excited still. Actually I am pretty sure this was her face the entire time.
Gwen Excitied

First Order Officer
This guy looked like he came right from the movie!

Hallway

They use this area to line everyone up. And the CM walk around and pick on some folks while you wait to move on. And I consider this the most "scary" part if you are picked. That being said, it really isn't but the CM did an amazing job!

They lead you into a small room.
Holding Cell
I don't have any more pictures of this room. But this room is a little un-nerving, it's small, red lighting. But also amazing.

From this room, you are "rushed" into the loading area and onto a ride vehicle!
Droid

OMG

Andy & Gwen
We were so excited! To get to this point, it was now 11:15. So, it was about 20 minutes already! We never really stopped too much and didn't wait too much anywhere.

And we were off! The ride was so amazing..

Interagation Droid!
Our ride vehicle was a perfect view of the Interagation Droid!

Interagation Droid

AT AT
These things are HUGE!!!!

AT AT
So, there is 2 views you can get of this area. And this (in my option) is the best view!

I really didn't get good pictures at this point. I didn't know what to expect (obviously) and at this point just totally immersed in the ride.

Huck & Kylo
This side is amazing for the view as well, as you get Kylo sporting you spying.

Kylo Wren
This can't be good!

Space
These pictures don't do justice to the ride potion. But all of the screens for space are amazing!!!

Escaping
Finally we escaped!

Beck

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

So, what did we think if the ride?
OMG

Mind Blown

Amazing

OMG

Can you tell that they all liked it!?!?!

We were on a high! It was amazing! I think the combined anticipation of whether we would get on or not and how amazing the ride was really added to the whole expierence.

We walked back out to the outside area and we were kind of milling around and a CM came over and asked Andy if he needed help with anything. And Andy replied, if the CM could pick up his jaw off the floor. The CM just laughed.

We soaked in a minute or two to finish processing the ride. And then we had to get moving! I was 11:20 when we got off the ride.

Remember we needed to get magical express at 12:15! We had less than an hour to get back. This is where being at a Skyliner resort PAID off BIG TIME!

We headed out, with no stops and made it to the Skyliner at 11:38.
Skyliner back

There was no wait to get on and we were headed back to Caribbean Beach. The skyline stop is kind of far from the main area of the resort. But we were back at the main area at 11:55!
Caribean Beach

We collected our bags from bell services and sat down to wait for the bus. We probably waited 2 or 3 minutes before the bus showed up.

Trip is Over
And at 12:12 we were on magical express ready to head home.

I texted this pictures to Miss L and she sent this picture back.
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She said they think they broke Little M! Ha! This kid is usually so energetic and crazy. And this is all he wanted to do!

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We made it to the airport with no issues, checked out bags and headed through security.

We grabbed some lunch in the airport and headed home.
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We were walking on the plane at 2:50. And in the air by 3:00-ish. I think.

Once home, the girls got to see all of the Elf stuff that I put out before we left.
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It was only 7:15 but they were punchy from the whole trip.

It was the end of our trip! And bitter sweet for sure. We had a great trip! And we were all exhausted! The girls asked if they HAD to go to school tomorrow. And we said yes, that they would have to suck it up! We had one more trip planned on our annual passes. Which meant more days out of school.

So, we all pretty much headed to bed!

Thanks to everyone for following along! We loved being in Disney at this time of year! And I hope to go again.

 

[DLo]

Thank you for taking the time to write this TR. What an exciting ending to the trip ! Hoping you will write about your last trip.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Loved following along. How exciting to ride Rise on opening day!
I think getting up so early was worth it for you all! You did so many rides with very little waiting!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Thanks for you trip report!
I skipped all the part about Rise but I loved your daughters’ reactions after! Looks like it was worth the effort!
I would love to hear about your February trip if you feel like doing a trip report

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Thank you for taking the time to write this TR. What an exciting ending to the trip ! Hoping you will write about your last trip.

Thanks for following along! I am thinking I will! I looked and I have done a trip report for all but 2 trips at this point. I feel like these are trip diaries, in a way! I need to find a way to capture them into books or something.

How exciting to ride Rise on opening day!
I think getting up so early was worth it for you all!

It was amazing to be able to do annual pass holder previews and this one trips we had already planned! WE def got our money worth on those bad boys!

I skipped all the part about Rise but I loved your daughters’ reactions after! Looks like it was worth the effort!
I would love to hear about your February trip if you feel like doing a trip report

I assume since you skipped the Rise parts, you haven't had a chance to ride it yet? I hope you do on your next trip, whenever that is! It was SO worth it! And so glad we went for it.

 

[kastoney]

We headed in and waited only a minute before it was our turn. As we walked up Miss L practically pushed Little L out of the way to meet Eda first. Which was hilarious!

Of course she is gone now but I had zero idea she even had a meet and greet

IMG_2189
And I have to say I really enjoyed it! I remember not liking it the first time. But did this time. I particularly liked it when Sweetums came out at the end. I always liked him as a kid for some reason.

I have a real soft spot for this ride. We went to MGM the first year it opened and there was next to nothing to do (I think they only had the Great Movie Ride and Backlot Tour) I was less than impressed with the park but when we returned a few years later they had put this in and I was hooked.

We love this! I highly recommend this! The plant based meatballs have alot of flavor and you would never know there weren't meat. And the hummus is well spiced as well. And who doesn't want warm Naan?

We had this the one time we ate here and it was so good. Who knew plant based meatballs could taste so good

IMG_2231
Andy and I had ordered the adult version of this on our adult only trip and it is really fun. And we knew the girls would like it.

I don't think I have ever seen these things. So weird. Though Casey would be in heaven.

IMG_2236
Gamorrean Ale - New Belgium Brewing Co.
Red Ale with Roasted Caramel, Hop Character, and Touch of Grapefruit | ABV 5.2% - IBU 22
I feel like I tried this but I don't really remember what it tasted like.

Yum! This sounds like my kinda beer

They did enjoy Oga's!! YEAH! When we left, they said they wanted to pay as a thanks for me planning everything for them. Which was nice, but not nessisary.

Woohoo!!!! Way to go trip planner extraordinaire

IMG_2295
Can you see the excitement on Morgan's face?

Oh yes. It's emanating right through the screen

IMG_6459
Pretty sure Gwen wanted to go with Andy just to make this face in the ride photo...

Are you sure this is the kid that doesn't like Haunted Mansion????

IMG_2314
This is an excellent beer, if you like lighter and more on the fruity side beers. This isn't super sweet but very tasty!

This is my go to at SciFi. I've never been able to find it up here but we really like it.

But then it felt like an eternity that it sat at boarding group 30. Time was ticking away, 9:30, 9:40, 9:50.... and then the dreaded 10:00 rolled around.

Go you guys getting up so early to get there. You really took it down to the wire but so glad you got on

I am going to stop here, if you are someone who still wants to skip ride spoilers, don't read the next post!

That's me! I still haven't seen much about it. Figure a Disney surprise is so rare I really don't want to know what to expect

So, what did we think if the ride?

Sorry to hear he didn't like it

Thanks to everyone for following along! We loved being in Disney at this time of year! And I hope to go again.

Thanks for bringing a little normalcy and Disney back into our lives!!! So happy you all had a (mostly) good time with your friends. The kids will def cherish those memories

 

[Isabelle12345]

I assume since you skipped the Rise parts, you haven't had a chance to ride it yet? I hope you do on your next trip, whenever that is! It was SO worth it! And so glad we went for it

Exactly!
It wasn’t on our radar in 2020 as my kids were too short to ride and we really were not into Star Wars, but since then my 6-year-old son has gotten into the Mandalorian and he is DYING to see Star Wars land!
I don’t want any spoilers so I have read nothing about it... but do you think it would it be ok for a 4-year-old girl or should we do Rider switch?
I will research it once we have a date for a possible trip... but I am curious to hear what you think!
Looks like your daughters loved it but they seem a lot more adventurous than my kids!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I don’t want any spoilers so I have read nothing about it... but do you think it would it be ok for a 4-year-old girl or should we do Rider switch?
I will research it once we have a date for a possible trip... but I am curious to hear what you think!

So, I would say it isn't a yes or no answer... First I would ask if you daughter watches any of the star wars movies? I think if she is ok with the movies, she will be ok with the ride. I assume she isn't watching The Mandalorian? How does she react when a movie is even on? Really, it comes down to 2 things in my mind. How she reacts to "the bad guys" and role playing. I don't think the ride is scary in itself but I think the immersion that happens can make it seem scarier than it is. If that makes sense.

That being said, there are a few places that you could jump out of line with her, if she isn't liking the que and some of the pre-show stuff. It will def be easier to get a boarding group if you select all when trying to get one. So, def get one for here. If you do rider swap, then you have an extra boarding pass for someone to go with the person swapping.

My other piece of advise, if you can, maybe ride the Falcon ride, see how she does on that. Or how she does with some of the characters walking around the area. I think those would help you gauge how she will do on the ride.

It wasn’t on our radar in 2020 as my kids were too short to ride and we really were not into Star Wars, but since then my 6-year-old son has gotten into the Mandalorian and he is DYING to see Star Wars land!

I am intrested to see how your son like Galaxy's Edge with him loving the Mandalorian first. Right now there isn't a ton of Mando stuff. But the land does feel like a place Mando would go. He might like the cartoon series The Rebels as well. My girls LOVED it when it came out. I believe it is on Disney Plus. And it eventually has Asoka in it.

Looks like your daughters loved it but they seem a lot more adventurous than my kids!

Well, they are older. Gwen isn't a huge fan of Haunted Mansion and some folks would agrue that the ride isn't that scary. (DH being one of them) Which is why it's hard to say how your daughter would do on Rise. And Rise is so hard, because nothing else is like it really... You can't say if she like x she will like it.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

The kids will def cherish those memories

Here's to getting us back together sometime to make some memories as well!

Sorry to hear he didn't like it

ha! I mean Andy is the Target audience. Hopefully Jason will like it as much as well!

That's me! I still haven't seen much about it. Figure a Disney surprise is so rare I really don't want to know what to expect

Hopefully you will get to see it in June! It is rate! I have been trying to only skim the Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway stuff. Which I think is easier, it doesn't have quiet the hype as Rise.

Go you guys getting up so early to get there. You really took it down to the wire but so glad you got on

It really was down to the wire. I would have been so disapointed if we hadn't gotten on. We were so close. I was envisioning us walking out of the park and our boarding group being called as soon as we were on the Skyliner or something.

Are you sure this is the kid that doesn't like Haunted Mansion????

I know, right!!!! I think she is getting over that, by the way. It's still not her favorite but I have made her ride it enough that she tollerates it.

Of course she is gone now but I had zero idea she even had a meet and greet

I think that is the problem. I imagine most folks never even go down that way.

 

[missjackiemcg]

What an amazing way to end your trip!!! We really love staying at a Skyliner resort, too, but WOW what a timesaver for you guys that day!

Thanks for sharing! And of course you KNOW I'd love to read about the other trip if you decide to write about it!!

 

[SEAGULL59]

Thanks for sharing this trip report! I love reading your family's adventures.

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm so glad you guys got to ride and that you loved it so much! And you even made it back in time for the magical express so it really did all work out!

Thanks for sharing, I loved following along! I hope you end up doing a TR for the last trip you took too!

 

[LiveLifeLoud]

I love everyone’s reactions to the ride. Sounds like you guys had an amazing trip!

 

[vamassey1]

Let me know if anyone is still interested. I am sure I can piece the report together with the 6 thousand pictures I take.

Me! I'm interested.

And then Ray shows up! And this hologram is amazing!

Yes it is!

And this room along MAKES the ride!

Yes it does!

THIS CM was AMAZING!!!! And fairly scary... He was in charge of dividing us up into what will be our ride vehicle. But they do such a good job staying in character.

The CMs really do make the ride.

So, what did we think if the ride?

It's a true experience.

This is where being at a Skyliner resort PAID off BIG TIME!

Such a time saver when it's not backed up.

We try to take a pouty picture before we leave too.

Once home, the girls got to see all of the Elf stuff that I put out before we left.

Now that's a nice surprise to come home to.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Hey Everyone!

I started the last trip report!!!! If you want to follow along, here is a link:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...-at-the-time-a-pre-covid-trip-report.3833155/

 

[Stasieki]

It's so crazy to me but your Rise story was almost step by step of our Rise story on our Feb 2020 trip where we met you. We had to race out of HS to make it to the airport. We actually had a little help from a CM who let us go through a special line to get on the ride faster so we could make it to the airport. We sat on those same rocks for one hour in anticipation if our group would be called in time. LOL. I need to find the pictures and post them. What a great trip you had!!!

 

[Paulaparm]

Yay! So glad you got to ride AND made it on the Tragical Express!

 

[Steppesister]

You made it with ZERO minutes to spare!! Phew!!! And I'm so glad you loved it so much! You really had some excellent ride mojo there the last couple of days and that was sure fun to read about.

 

[Tracy161]

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful trip with us! OMG I was getting so nervous when the clock was ticking down and you knew you'd have to either get on the ride NOW or have to give up. I was SO happy to see you got on and had a few minutes to spare even before your Magical Express bus arrived. Doesn't get better timed than that! Heading over to check out your next trip!