"Jungle" All the Way! A Christmas TR (NEW 11/26) Good thing that tree is Swiss!

[txmomto1]

Great report. We are going this December, and it's getting me excited!

 

[VBsHustla]

So many great updates! First of all, I really just love those new Little Mermaid CM costumes. So dorky and amazing!

I find it so shocking to see the AK looking so cold! Never been there when it hasn't been about 105º! I can't even imagine having to wear a big coat there, but I suppose it made the Christmas theming all the more festive. I especially enjoy all of those character themed trees! Minnie's, Goofy's, and Pluto's are so cute and colorful, and The Lion King's is just so pretty! The lion photo from the safari is also really awesome.

Sounds like a terrifying Everest experience! (Although I certainly disagree hahah) How dare the Travel Channel deceive you and fail to mention the backward portion in their specials!

Btw, Pands saw an article about the Mermaid ride and asked me if you had been on it yet. When I told him no, he was so appalled! So you must take another tangential journey asap.

 

[Eight]

OMG when did you see them filming a S.B. special??? That's so awesome! I found 2 S.B. 'Season of Disney' episodes on iTunes but the Christmas one is not the one I saw on tv, which is called 'Disney Holiday Magic w/ S.B.' and was made in 2007. It hasn't aired in over a year though, which is ridiculous! I've had it on my DVR for like 2 yrs out of necessity!

January 2008. I think the special was called Samantha Brown's Disney Favorites, or something along those lines. At the very end, they show SpectroMagic, and there's this group of kids in the middle of Main Street. If the camera had been further out, you probably could have seen us. I've had that special on my DVR for three years!

I'm a little surprised that you didn't know that EE went backwards. I don't know, that's my favorite part of the ride, so I guess I assume everyone knows about. Your parents' reaction is hilarious though!

Side note: I was also obsessed with The Land Before Time as a child.

Love the picture of you guys on Dinosaur. More excellent reactions!

I'm looking forward to hearing about the Wishes Cruise! I'm hoping it didn't get rained out.

 

[magichusky]

Loving this TR so far! Your Dinosaur photo is so funny! Your Dad looks especially confused.

Why thank you! My parents turned out to be the stars of so many comedic moments this trip, which I found so surprising! Wish I could somehow get them back on EE for more great photo ops, but that's definitely not going to happen!

I've never been to the Jingle Jungle Parade before, but after seeing your photos I want to give it a shot. I love how you pointed out details, such as Goofy's hat, because I never would've noticed them if you hadn't.

I loved that parade SO much- a jungle/Christmas theme is such a random but perfect combo! There were def a bunch of details that I didn't notice until I inspected my photos more closely, weeks later!

I can't believe Col Joy fell asleep in FOTLK and KS! To me, FoTLK is too engaging to fall asleep to, and KS is too bumpy!!! I wish I had the ability to grab a quick nap during any situation.

Hahaha he's so strange! I guess that's a Marine for you. In April I actually fell asleep in the American Adventure, but a dark theater is at least a bit more reasonable than that insane safari bus!

Your poor family....EE can be overwhelming if you're not expecting it.

They're still complaining about that terrifying ride! I felt so guilty b/c my Mom hates fast coasters, but I had no idea that thing would be so crazy.

Great report. We are going this December, and it's getting me excited!

Thanks! After going to WDW in December and April, I found that the Christmas ambience was so much more special- plus I must say that I prefer 40 deg weather to 90 deg weather any day!

 

[magichusky]

So many great updates! First of all, I really just love those new Little Mermaid CM costumes. So dorky and amazing!

Aren't they simply fabulous??? If I were a CM I would of course demand to be stationed at Ariel's Adventure.

I find it so shocking to see the AK looking so cold! Never been there when it hasn't been about 105º!

Hahaha I found it shocking to be there when it was so hot! Just booked tix to go in September over Labor Day weekend so I'm just terrified that it'll be 100 deg and monsooning! I love how I found 32 deg weather to be perfect but a little humidity and I'm crank the cat.

Sounds like a terrifying Everest experience! (Although I certainly disagree hahah) How dare the Travel Channel deceive you and fail to mention the backward portion in their specials!

I knew it went backwards from the special but I had no clue that it sped in reverse so violently! I thought it just rolled backward for awhile and changed tracks!

Btw, Pands saw an article about the Mermaid ride and asked me if you had been on it yet. When I told him no, he was so appalled! So you must take another tangential journey asap.

Dude, it pains me so to think about that! I'm ridiculously curious about this thing- I love that Pands is curious as well! You need to hurry up and get out here so we can check it out- I'm sure Phil will race to DL during the All Star break!

If the camera had been further out, you probably could have seen us. I've had that special on my DVR for three years!

COOL!!! I've never seen that particular special but I think it's on iTunes- I shall certainly check it out!

I'm a little surprised that you didn't know that EE went backwards. I don't know, that's my favorite part of the ride, so I guess I assume everyone knows about. Your parents' reaction is hilarious though!

Yes, S.B. and Joe Rhode rode EE in the holiday special so I knew it went backwards but I thought it just sort of rolled back down the hill, switched tracks, and continued in the forward direction. I had no idea that such a substantial, twisty portion of the ride was entirely in reverse! Plus, I forgot to tell my family that it went backwards- haha!

Side note: I was also obsessed with The Land Before Time as a child.

OMG I'm so glad someone else understands! My original VHS copy had this completely amazing 80's/90's Pizza Hut commercial that I was also totally obsessed w/. Man, what a great film.

Love the picture of you guys on Dinosaur. More excellent reactions!

That really is such a classic photo! Each person has a totally different reaction. I still really have no idea what that dino at the end looks like; I was too busy screaming both times to really inspect him closely.

 

[magichusky]

An exciting new development...

Hey there! I should have the conclusion of DAY 2 ready to post tomorrow but I just had to share this rather wonderful bit of news: I'm going to WDW for Labor Day weekend!!!! The real goal is to visit the lonely DBF, but we both have WDW APs (I have the golden 'Premier Passport' which is an AP for both DL and WDW), plus SoG had special 'End of Summer' rates ($100 per night!) so it makes terrific sense to have a very Disney weekend. I've already drawn up an itinerary, park hours grid, acquired ADRs (including our new tradition: Coral Reef), booked my plane tix, and reserved our SoG room- I've apparently become so experienced in the Disney planning department that I pretty much whipped up a WDW vacation in about an hour this afternoon. SO EXCITED!!!!

 

[Eight]

You're going again?! That's awesome! I'm so excited for you!! Can't wait to hear more about it!

 

[VBsHustla]

That sounds brilliant! You must make the most of that AP after all! The crowds should be great toward the end of the weekend, so the only thing you'll have to contend with is the afternoon monsoons. In that case, just be sure to head into a three hour long patriotic production and the sun will be shining again before you know it!

 

[magichusky]

You're going again?! That's awesome! I'm so excited for you!! Can't wait to hear more about it!

Haha thanks!!! I've got like a million ADRs currently w/ 2 future trips in the works- it's crazy! I have no idea what to expect with regards to the weather though!

That sounds brilliant! You must make the most of that AP after all! The crowds should be great toward the end of the weekend, so the only thing you'll have to contend with is the afternoon monsoons. In that case, just be sure to head into a three hour long patriotic production and the sun will be shining again before you know it!

HAHA yes I'll have to take another refreshing nap in the American Adventure! I've also heard that Ellen's Energy Adventure is a great spot to slumber. I'm so very concerned about the insane September weather. Hopefully it won't be super hot or I'll be quite the miserable touring companion. Getting ADRs is like the easiest thing ever so I'm anticipating light crowds. Oh well- off to my 3am Gilmore Girls episode- Logan is looking as disgusting as ever.

 

[magichusky]

DAY 2.7: Disney Meltdown #1: The Dinner That Wouldn't

Hey howdy hey! Just got back from seeing 'Super 8' and having a super pig-out on pizza and sundaes (my Mom has to have a routine colonoscopy so can't eat anything tomorrow- boy, is she loading up today!). I would definitely recommend seeing it!

So as I was saying last time, after we got out of Dinosaur at ~6:15pm or so, my parents were for some reason becoming terribly anxious about hightailing it out of there and getting on a bus, any bus. This was the one night that we didn't have an ADR for dinner so they were getting stressed out. Plus we needed to have had dined and traveled to the Polynesian boat dock by 9pm for our Wishes Cruise.

We exited AK and approached the bus station. The SoG bus stop was adjacent to the monorail resorts' bus stop. While we were waiting for the SoG bus to arrive, the monorail resorts' bus pulled up. My parents became anxious and decided we should just get on this bus instead, get dropped off at the Poly, and walk back to SoG. This turned out to be a terrible mistake!

As we were boarding the bus, a couple in front of us were having a parental meltdown. They had 2 monster strollers for 2 tiny children and they could not for the life of them figure out the logistics of folding each stroller and escorting the children onto the bus. Like, they were just standing there, blinking at eachother. Somehow my Dad wound up carrying one of the fifty pound strollers onto the bus and the parents wordlessly sat in the back and just left my Dad w/ their second stroller. I remember being totally confused as to why we had somehow become responsible for this mystery stroller.

During the bus ride, my Mom, Heather, and I became highly entertained by another meltdown that was transpiring across from us. A little girl, probably about 8 or so, was for some reason refusing to sit down and wanted to stand. Her mother was demanding she sit down and the evil child refused and turned her back on her mother. The mother then suggested the child go sit w/ her 2 older sisters. The little girl eventually seated herself next to the sisters but after she did this she leaned forward and maliciously stuck out her tongue at her mother. The mother paused and you could see her blood start to boil; she got up, darted over to the girl, leaned in close, gave her a good stern talking to directly in her ear, and then returned to her seat. After a few minutes, the girl ran back crying to her mother b/c apparently one of the sisters had called her 'ugly.' She spent the rest of the bus ride taking refuge in her mother's lap and crying. The older sisters were cackling and giggling at the situation.

Anyway, we discovered that the Contemporary would be the first stop. I suggested we just get off and check to see if any restaurants were available; I knew that there was the California Grill, Chef Mickey's, The Wave, and the Contempo Cafe. My family didn't really want to but I said that I had seen bad dining reviews on the DIS for SoG so wasn't that enthused about eating there. We wound up getting off the bus and started searching the resort for all these places. My parents refused to go anywhere near Chef Mickey's (I was only curious since Jon & Kate Plus 8 had eaten there a few years ago and I found it highly amusing), we discovered that the Contempo Cafe only consisted of boxed sandwiches and things, and were told that there was an hour wait at The Wave. The hostess practically sneered at us when she found out we didn't have an ADR.

At this point, Col Joy was having an ABSOLUTE meltdown. He was straight up wandering around the resort and wailing in agony. My Mom started to get nervous b/c she was afraid he would soon completely explode (you don't want to see a full blown Col Joy explosion). Heather wasn't far behind and was snapping at everyone and pursing her lips in a rage. Hahaha OMG! I felt bad b/c I had suggested we go in the Contemporary in the first place. I didn't really know why they were having temper tantrums b/c we had just spent a great afternoon at AK and could easily hop on the monorail and speed to the Poly in minutes. Then, it was a 10 min walk to SoG. Really not that big of a deal, right?

We went upstairs to the monorail station and got in line. I was having a great time and when I spotted the glittering castle through the window, I became downright cheerful and started running my mouth about our special breakfast at CRT the next morning. This made my Dad and Heather even hungrier and subsequently even crankier than they were before!

While waiting, my Mom and I admired the fabulous giant Mickey Mouse 'wreath' that was hung in the Contemporary's huge window above the monorail tunnel:

After a few minutes our monorail arrived and we were whisked away to the Poly. On our way down the stairs and out to the SoG trail, I stopped by Kona to check if they had any tables available. The host was laughing at me and informed me that there was a 45 min wait. I became semi-annoyed at WDW for just a few seconds, but then retreated to SoG. If you think about it too much, it's really pretty nonsensical that you can't sit down to a nice dinner at WDW unless you scheduled it 6 months prior.

Everyone manically trooped in total silence from the Poly to SoG and we went straight to the room. My Dad was completely stressed out and needed to calm down w/ a drink in the room before dinner. Heather testily declared that she couldn't wait that long so my Mom sent Heather and me to an emergency dinner while she waited w/ my Dad (yes, complete chaos). Heather and I power walked to the lobby, again in silence, and came across 'Mangino's.' Here's Heather getting us a table:

We were seated in the back room of the restaurant which was deserted, with ESPN playing quietly in the background:

We quickly checked out the menu (I took pics for any of you SoG potentials out there):

Heather ordered the chicken alfredo:

And I just got a cheeseburger:

Heather liked her meal and ate the whole thing. She said it was very much like 'home-cooking' and was basically like something we would prepare at home. I didn't quite finish my burger b/c it tasted a little off- I couldn't put my finger on it but it was almost watery or something. The entrees were $13-$19, so it was a bit less expensive than most entrees served at Disney sit-down places.

After we finished our dinners we hit up the dessert menu:

We decided to split the 'Chocolate Mousse Dome':

Boy was this a keeper! I would go back to Mangino's just to order this thing! It was very light and rich.

If you're staying at SoG, then I'd recommend Mangino's for a quiet night's respite from Disney madness- however I'd probably order a pasta dish next time. The prices are pretty reasonable, the food is just reasonable but not bad certainly, and the restaurant is pretty calm so you can just chill out, eat some dinner, and watch ESPN. Heather and I were happy w/ our choice and it gave Heather a chance to de-stress and 'de-grumpify.'

Heather and I rolled back to the room and found that our parents were still eating dinner somewhere, so we hung out and waited for them to return so we could travel to the Poly for our Wishes Cruise!

NEXT TIME: the foggiest cruise that ever sailed...

 

[VBsHustla]

Logan is beautiful! A superb 3 am activity, though!

Oh no, not having an ADR or two (or three!) is never fun at dinner time. I've learned my lesson to always have a plan and a backup plan at various times to fully ensure that the breakdowns stay away! Especially when the CS locations withhold their grape supplies Disney dining is insane. Totally agreed that it's outrageous that I have to decide where I'll be and what I'll want to eat months in advance. So strange! That Mickey wreath at the Contemporary, however, is pretty spectacular.

 

[Eight]

I'm so torn about the dining situation at WDW. On the one hand, I like the logic puzzle that is putting together the perfect ADR schedule knowing you'll get a table, but it really doesn't allow for much spontaneity. And I like a little spntaneity on vacations. But with the system, what can you do?

Meltdowns are part of the reason I would be worried about traveling with more than one or two other people. There's almost always one whenever I travel, no matter where I am, and then you add in Walt Disney World with its constant overstimulation. I think it's hard to juggle everyone else's wants with your meticulously crafted plans at Disney World. Again, what can you do?

 

[magichusky]

Disney dining is insane. Totally agreed that it's outrageous that I have to decide where I'll be and what I'll want to eat months in advance. So strange! That Mickey wreath at the Contemporary, however, is pretty spectacular.

Hahaha it really is! It's also difficult b/c WDW seems to almost always extend their Christmas hours by quite a lot once November rolls around, but in June it's so conservative that it's hard to tell what's going to happen. We should've just eaten at the Rainforest Cafe next to AK or gone straight back to SoG!

And yes, the Contemporary had such interesting Christmas decorations! The wreath was the perfect touch.

I'm so torn about the dining situation at WDW. On the one hand, I like the logic puzzle that is putting together the perfect ADR schedule knowing you'll get a table, but it really doesn't allow for much spontaneity. And I like a little spntaneity on vacations. But with the system, what can you do?

I totally agree! It's exactly like a logic puzzle- putting together your itinerary is definitely a huge part of the WDW experience. That would be awesome if they had like a restaurant FP system or something.

Meltdowns are part of the reason I would be worried about traveling with more than one or two other people. There's almost always one whenever I travel, no matter where I am, and then you add in Walt Disney World with its constant overstimulation. I think it's hard to juggle everyone else's wants with your meticulously crafted plans at Disney World. Again, what can you do?

Ugh seriously! Plus my Dad and sister have the absolute lowest thresholds I've ever seen! I think a lot of parents just keep their little kids out way too late. What a great place!

 

[magichusky]

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful July 4th! Loki certainly did! I found this perfect 'Uncle Sam' chapeaux for him and we had a patriotic photo shoot in the backyard. He loved it! Of course, my Mom had to distract him w/ biscuits so he wouldn't rip off his hat and run away!

Keep reading for the next post, all about our crazy Wishes Cruise!

 

[magichusky]

DAY 2.8: Wishes Cruise; I Wish, I Wish I Could See Something!!

This will be a short update since I need to attend to school things rather desperately, but Loki's 4th of July photoshoot more than makes up for it!

Heather and I weren't waiting in the room long before Mom and Col Joy returned. They had apparently gone to the other SoG restaurant, 'Garden Gallery' (the buffet), for dinner so had missed us. Before long it was time to head out to the Poly for the much anticipated Wishes Cruise!

We arrived at the Polynesian dock at 9:30pm on the dot and checked in at the little hut on the other side of the volcano (it took us a minute or two to figure out where it was!). I had been worried all day that our Cruise would be canceled due to the rainy weather, but never received a call, so apparently it was still on!

Our captain was Kelly, and it was her very first time operating a Wishes Cruise! We had a bunch of sodas and bags of Disney brand potato chips available to us and Kelly had lined the seats w/ towels since it was misty outside and the mist had condensed on the cushions. We boarded our boat and pulled away from the Poly:

As you can see it was quite dreary and strange looking outside but thankfully not cloudy enough that we couldn't see anything. We traveled over the water bridge to Bay Lake and checked out the Wilderness Lodge and Kelly also told us about 'River Country,' the old Disney water park that had opened in 1976 but closed due to declining popularity after Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach opened. Apparently some of the park is still there, like a ghost town!

At this point the Electrical Water Pageant appeared! I became obsessed w/ it due to its excellent King Triton segment. We watched the whole thing; Kelly told us that the parade was the longest running parade at WDW- it originally appeared on 'Dedication Day,' October 25, 1971.

I filmed some of it and of course YouTubed it (the dancing dolphins are awesome!):

Disney World: Electrical Light Parade, foggy Wishes Cruise

Once the last segment came on and all of the floats turned into glowing patriotic flags, we could've sworn it was the 4th of July instead of a foggy December night!

After the water pageant, we traveled back over the water bridge and back into the Seven Seas Lagoon. The fog seemed to almost instantaneously descend upon us. We could barely see the Contemporary:

At this point it became completely dark and the Contemporary disappeared entirely about 30 seconds after I took that photo. Kelly cut the engine and we floated to a stop. I was confused. "Uhhh, is the MK supposed to be here?" I asked. Yes, apparently we were parked directly in front of the MK! I couldn't see the castle!!! I thought that at least once the fireworks started we'd be able to see those since how could it get so foggy that you couldn't see fireworks right in front of your face???

But alas, even Disney magic wasn't powerful enough to disperse the evil fog. This is what I filmed during Wishes (I YouTubed it just so you could see how ridiculous the situation was):

Disney World: Fogged out Wishes Cruise!!

Yes, pretty much pitch blackness! If you watch the video you can hear the fireworks exploding, can make out a dim red glow every once in awhile, and can hear us snickering in the background!

I was definitely disappointed, especially since the cruise was so expensive! Plus we had paid an extra $45 for a boat equipped w/ speakers so we could listen to the Wishes soundtrack but apparently that boat was malfunctioning so we had to take another boat that didn't have speakers. I was definitely gearing up to ask someone at least for a partial refund! Thankfully, I didn't have to be anywhere near as pushy as I had feared- upon returning to the Poly dock, we were directed back to the hut where we had checked in and this great guy told us we could schedule a 2nd Wishes Cruise any time we wanted! We rescheduled for Tuesday, since that was our Kennedy Space Center day and was the only day that we didn't have a Disney activity or ADR planned. Thank goodness!

Even though the fog was insane (Kelly said that she had never seen the lagoon so opaque before, ever!) we really enjoyed going out on the boat and toodling over the water bridge, getting to see the Electrical Water Pageant, and checking out all of the resorts. Our favorite part, however, was getting a 2nd Wishes Cruise for free! Better luck next time!

NEXT TIME: my first foray in the MK! Plus, a special CRT breakfast!

 

[Minniemini]

loved the TR ...awesome pictures.

 

[amazingact21]

That's a bummer that the first Wishes Cruise was fogged out. But hey, at least they gave you a 2nd chance! Hope that one went better!

 

[VBsHustla]

Loki looks so majestic in that third photo. What a great patriot!

How annoying about that fog! Of course it would have to be that particular night that the weather was ridiculous. Glad to hear they easily had a solution that worked out! The patriotic Electrical Water Pageant photo is divine. I love that parade! It's one of the weirdest things I've ever witnessed, so naturally it is my fav. The Contemporary looks rather disturbing amidst all of that fog. It looks like a scene from a Pirates film!

 

[Eight]

That's really too bad about the cruise. I'm so glad you guys were able to get a 2nd one though! I'm kind of surprised they didn't just cancel it in the first place.

River Country fascinates me. I never went there, but I remember reading about it my Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids when we went when I was in fourth grade, and thinking that was the water park I would want to go to if we went to one. Maybe you've seen this thread, but it has a bunch of pictures of it now. If I recall correctly, I think there's more pictures if you read through the pages.

I sent you an email, by the way. I used a different email than the one I originally gave you, but it has my username in the subject line so you know it's me.

 

[magichusky]

loved the TR ...awesome pictures.

Thanks so much!

That's a bummer that the first Wishes Cruise was fogged out. But hey, at least they gave you a 2nd chance! Hope that one went better!

Yeah totally- I definitely wasn't expecting a 2nd cruise for free! The 2nd one thankfully had great weather- can't wait to post the pics and video!

Loki looks so majestic in that third photo. What a great patriot!

HAHA! I will tell him you said that! He prefers wearing his Christmas antlers however. I'll have to keep my eye out for an appropriate Halloween chapeaux.

How annoying about that fog! Of course it would have to be that particular night that the weather was ridiculous.

Yes! Seriously the rest of our trip was perfect weather (if you don't count the crazy cold, but I discovered while in FL that I prefer 28 degree weather to 98 degree weather!)

The patriotic Electrical Water Pageant photo is divine. I love that parade! It's one of the weirdest things I've ever witnessed, so naturally it is my fav.

I totally agree! I had no idea it even existed. I aspire to watch it from the Poly beach one of these days but I'm usually sprinting through Norway or the MK at that prime hour!

The Contemporary looks rather disturbing amidst all of that fog. It looks like a scene from a Pirates film!

I find myself just mesmerized by the Contemporary! I can't wait until I get to reenact the Jon & Kate Chef Mickey's breakfast. Haha I don't know why I'm so obsessed w/ Chef Mickey's! It's probably so gross and just crawling w/ cranky toddlers, flinging breakfast pizza around and such.

That's really too bad about the cruise. I'm so glad you guys were able to get a 2nd one though! I'm kind of surprised they didn't just cancel it in the first place.

Me, too! I was checking my phone like a maniac all day b/c I was convinced they would cancel it. However, the 1st cruise was actually in some ways cooler than the 2nd one, b/c it was so foggy and mysterious! We also didn't go over the water bridge and check out River Country on the 2nd cruise, or see the Electrical Water Pageant.

River Country fascinates me. I never went there, but I remember reading about it my Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids when we went when I was in fourth grade, and thinking that was the water park I would want to go to if we went to one. Maybe you've seen this thread, but it has a bunch of pictures of it now. If I recall correctly, I think there's more pictures if you read through the pages.

OMG that was like the coolest thread ever!!! I can't believe that guy had the gumption to sneak over there! I adored seeing the pics of how the park looks today and then comparing them to pics of it when it was still open. It looked really cute! The "Whoop 'n' Holler" water slides reminded me of the "Hootin' and Hollerin' " slides at CA Adv in the Redwood Challenge Trail. It's pretty insane to see how quickly nature reclaimed it all.

I found this other link within the thread that I also loved- this crazy guy actually secretly SWAM to Discovery Island and took pics of the abandoned facilities:

The Photography of Shane Perez: Discovery Island

I sent you an email, by the way.

Got it! Replied yesterday- so excited for a very Disney Halloween! I don't know why I enjoy Halloween so much- I saw an ad for this great new film:

Disney's Spooky Buddies