"Kurt Russell Read Us the Story of Christmas!" Dec 2017 Xmas & Bday TR-Completed 3/17

[Raeven]

We're back from our 6th Disney trip! (To avoid confusion I'm going to count the long weekend we did in September as the 5th even though we were only at Disney for a couple hours). If you want to read more about our planning process the link is here: PTR

Introductions:

My name is Raeven. I'm 25 years old, and I'm the planner, photographer, & TR writer for our trips. I love bread pudding, Nick Wilde, wearing fluffy ears and corgi leggings, taking pictures of every Christmas tree I come across, eating all the Disney foods, MVMCP, HS Christmas decorations finally getting the appreciation they deserve, and Photopass pictures: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I also feel most in the Christmas spirit when there's no snow on the ground. This is our second (and coldest! ) December trip where we celebrated Christmas and Josh's birthday.
I also renewed my annual pass for another year!

Favorite ride: Haunted Mansion, 7DMT
Favorite princesses: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Elsa, Belle, & Mulan
Favorite park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite character: Nick Wilde, Pua, Mater, Hitchhiking ghosts, & Baby Groot
Favorite Disney Movie: Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, & Tangled
Favorite Pixar Movie: Monsters Inc & Ratatouille
Favorite Marvel Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Favorite Snack (this trip): Poutine from The Daily Poutine
Favorite parade & fireworks: Boo to You & HEA
Favorite restaurant: Shulas & Homecomin'
Favorite Resort: AKL, YC

My trip partner is my boyfriend of 4 years, Josh. Who is also the birthday boy!

He just turned 32, loves wearing his Indiana Jones hat all the time on vacation, has a smolder to rival Flynn Rider, and the title of the TR comes from something he's bragged about to everyone who asks about our vacation.

Favorite ride: Expedition Everest, Safari
Favorite princesses: Mulan
Favorite park: Animal Kingdom
Favorite character: Roger Rabbit, Jack Skellington
Favorite Disney Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Jungle Book Live Action, Wreck it Ralph
Favorite Pixar Movie: Monsters Inc
Favorite Marvel Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Favorite Snack (every trip): Erin Mckennas
Favorite restaurant: Jiko, Shulas
Favorite Resort: Poly, AKL

This trip happened because we had to reschedule our September trip due to the hurricane, and it was pretty successful because there were no blisters, no one got sick (well until right before coming home but not while we were at Disney), and there was only minor bruising (There's a story there, I promise).

We stayed at Pop Century the first night, and Coronado Springs the rest of the trip, before moving to the Royal Pacific for the Universal portion. I think for this TR I'm going to do something a little different and completely finish the Disney TR, before starting on the Universal portion so the vlogs will in sync with what I'm typing.

Stay tuned if you want to see:

• • A look/review of Pop Century & CSR & a comparison to when we stayed there last​
  • Christmas trees of every kind​
  • Food reviews (Dining report link will be up soon)​
  • Kurt Russell read us the story of Christmas aka the Candlelight Processional​
  • The best meet and greet ever​
  • How to survive when it's cold in Florida​
  • MVMCP​
  • Unconventional spots to watch fireworks from​
  • Ridiculous Photopass pics #ThanksPhotopass​
  • & a few surprises!​

And you want to know the answer to these:​

• What hilarious movie do we go see? ​
• Did we get to do more than we did at last year's MVMCP? ​
• Do we get to try all the free snacks at MVMCP? ​
• Did our Touringplans room requests really work? ​
• How was the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam dessert party? ​
• What new rides did we try on this trip? ​
• How did we like CP, MVMCP, and JBJB? ​

We also vlogged the whole trip & got tons of footage! Currently I'm working on editing the 2-3 part MVMCP vlog and our CP vlog first because I want to post those before Christmas, but then I'll go in order of the posts. I also started a DTR, and that will take us through the entire trip even the Universal portion food-wise.

Table of Contents

Day 1, Part 1-The Day of Delays
Day 1, Part 2-"I Can't Help You I'm In Florida!"

Day 2, Part 1-Pop Century Tour + YC/BC Decorations
Day 2, Part 2-That Fish Is Poison...Poison!
Day 2, Part 3-"Stop Trying to Make Dr Facilier Happen, It's Not Going to Happen!"
Day 2, Part 4-"Kurt Russell Read Us the Story of Christmas!" aka The Tale of the Candlelight Processional
Day 2, Part 5-Sushi Socks for Sale

Day 3, Part 1-Selfies on Safari
Day 3, Part 2-Pandora & Lifetime Movies
Day 3, Part 3-"Oh, Hai Mark"

Day 4, Part 1-“I’m Christmas Shopping in My Shirt Sleeves!”
Day 4, Part 2-Christmas Tree Trail Pt. 1
Day 4, Part 3-Christmas Tree Trail Pt.2
Day 4, Part 4-Christmas Tree Trail Pt. 3
Day 4, Part 5-Fireworks From Fantasyland

Day 5, Part 1-The Landstravaganza
Day 5, Part 2-A Wilde Time at MVMCP
Day 5, Part 3-Holiday Wishes & New Rides

Day 6, Part 1-For the First Time In Forever
Day 6, Part 2-Stinky Pete Who?
Day 6, Part 3-Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!
Day 6, Part 4-VIP @ Sunset Season's Greetings

Vlogs

Day 1: Long Travel Day & Homecomin' Review

Day 2: Festival of the Holidays & Les Chefs De France Review

Day 3: Safari, Yak & Yeti, & Disney Springs QS

Day 4: Christmas Tree Trail @ DS

Day 5: MVMCP Part 1
MVMCP Part 2

Day 6: Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (Holiday Edition)
Hollywood Studios & Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam Dessert Party
Sunset Season's Greetings

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Yay! First!

 

[thumper*]

Yay looking forward to your TR. Love the introduction. I'm going to have to go back and change mine up some. Reading yours makes me realize I left out a lot of details.

 

[Raeven]

Yay! First!

Yes!

Yay looking forward to your TR. Love the introduction. I'm going to have to go back and change mine up some. Reading yours makes me realize I left out a lot of details.

Thanks for following along! ​

 

[paradesintherain]

I'm in!

HS Christmas decorations finally getting the appreciation they deserve

They're the best (think we agreed about this on instagram). I've always thought DHS felt the most like Christmas.

What hilarious movie do we go see?

My guess is Thor: Ragnarok

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Hi Raeven! I'm looking forward to reading another one of your reports!!!! The pics you already posted are adorable!!!! It looks like you and Josh had a blast!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Yay! Looking forward to another trip report with you and Josh!

and Photopass pictures: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Such truth in this statement!

it was pretty successful because there were no blisters, no one got sick (well until right before coming home but not while we were at Disney), and there was only minor bruising (There's a story there, I promise).

Oh this sounds promising...mostly...

I think for this TR I'm going to do something a little different and completely finish the Disney TR, before starting on the Universal portion so the vlogs will in sync with what I'm typing.

Cool! I like this idea!

 

[missangelalexis]

Joining in!!

 

[AV007]

Can't wait to hear about it!!

 

[fallonkendra]

Jumping in! Guaranteed I'll fall crazy far behind, then come back and binge-read pages worth of posts in one day - but I will read this all eventually

 

[Raeven]

I'm in!

Yay Thanks for following!

They're the best (think we agreed about this on instagram). I've always thought DHS felt the most like Christmas.

Yes! Last year I really felt like it was the most Christmassey park, but this year they have even more decorations and Christmas things.

Hi Raeven! I'm looking forward to reading another one of your reports!!!! The pics you already posted are adorable!!!! It looks like you and Josh had a blast!

Thanks for following along! Thank you, we did!

Yay! Looking forward to another trip report with you and Josh!

Thanks for following!

Such truth in this statement!

Right? There's no in between with PP it's either wonderful or they take the worst picture possible

Oh this sounds promising...mostly...

Cool! I like this idea!

very good! Because it's too hard to keep track of 2 at once with the vlogs.

Joining in!!

Thanks for following!

Can't wait to hear about it!!

Thanks for following along!

Jumping in! Guaranteed I'll fall crazy far behind, then come back and binge-read pages worth of posts in one day - but I will read this all eventually

totally reasonable after all you have a wedding coming up! I'm trying to stretch this one till close to our next trip so you'll have time! ​

 

[Raeven]

I haven't written any of this TR yet, but since I'm trying to post the Christmas event vlogs before the holidays here's the first part of our MVMCP vlog!

This includes the best meet and greet ever! Also for the castle lighting I only put in the end because the guy in front of me was super tall so there wasn't really much you could see of the little show beforehand.

@paradesintherain I'm sorry Josh is so anti Porg I'm not sure why but he really didn't like them

@xlsm I got lots of Country Bear footage for you​

 

[paradesintherain]

I'm sorry Josh is so anti Porg I'm not sure why but he really didn't like them

You'll have to convert him to the Dark Side!

 

[MamaCoop]

Following along again!!!!

I loved the video as usual! You guys were cracking me up! I have never seen the lighting I love how they did it! That definitely was a special meet! Thank you!!!

 

[Chris B.]

I'm in and Kurt Russell read the Story of Christmas to me as well. Small world. LOL

 

[Raeven]

Following along again!!!!

I loved the video as usual! You guys were cracking me up! I have never seen the lighting I love how they did it! That definitely was a special meet! Thank you!!!

Thanks for following!

Thank you! We hadn’t seen it before either last year we didn’t really get to see the full party.

I'm in and Kurt Russell read the Story of Christmas to me as well. Small world. LOL

Thanks for following along! What day did you go? We went on Sat and it was crazy finding good seats even though we showed up over an hour early. Everyone seemed to be saving all the seats for huge groups ​

 

[Chris B.]

We went on Monday night. We did have the Dinner Package from Rose and Crown but yes we had trouble finding seats for the 4 of us to sit together. Even though it was still a great show.

 

[Raeven]

We went on Monday night. We did have the Dinner Package from Rose and Crown but yes we had trouble finding seats for the 4 of us to sit together. Even though it was still a great show.

Yeah we did a breakfast package through Ale and Compass. It was a good show though, but very cold out ​

 

[Chris B.]

VERY COLD!!!! At least for us it warmed up after Monday. More Florida like.

 

[Raeven]

VERY COLD!!!! At least for us it warmed up after Monday. More Florida like.

Yeah we were there through Sat, it got a bit warmer some of the days. And it really started warming up around the end of the week. ​