My Disney Birthday Wish Came True! – June 2025 Trip Report (RL Update 7/23!)

There is a painting class held in Martha's Vineyard at the Beach Club.
Yeah, but it's not considered a signature activity like at all the other deluxe resorts. All the other deluxe resorts besides YC/BC/BW have signature activities on top of the general art stuff, it's weird.
And there is a mosaic class at POR.
Oh yeah, there are more at the non-deluxe too, I only listed the deluxe resorts.
I think there are more families in the summer months, when the kids are out of school. The kids can create a lot of chaos. :)
Yeah, we figured it was due to more families being there. We've just never seen a line of 15-20 people long to get food at any club level before so it was a bit surprising!
 
What?! that's crazy! No notice or anything?
Right? No notice or anything. It seemed like it was a bit of a surprise, no one knew how long it would be out for.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
I know!! I did let the CM know after I saw the girl lick her fingers then touch all the utensils that they may want to change those out. Just so gross!
 
Arrggg. I probably would have said something about those boys to the CL host. Because honestly, they are old enough to know better.
 
Arrggg. I probably would have said something about those boys to the CL host. Because honestly, they are old enough to know better.
As annoying as they were, I did kinda feel bad, they were in that super awkward phase and clearly had no idea what to do. Don't blame them as much as the parents, they should have at least shown them the ropes before letting the kids loose! I did however tell the CM about the girl who licked her fingers then touched all the utensils, that was too much for me to overlook!
 

Day 3, Part 7: Ft. Wilderness!

We last left off enjoying some pre-dinner snacks at the lounge. After finishing up we headed back to the room to rest a bit before our next adventure.

At 6:45 we made our way down to the boat dock and arrived just before the blue flag boat did! Perfect timing!

We all got on, then enjoyed the trip over to the Contemporary, then finally over to Ft. Wilderness.

This evening, we were going to Hoop Dee Doo!

I had wanted to get there a bit early to explore a bit, and I had wanted to go see the horses, but we ended up booking the last show so by the time we got there, the barn was closed.

We got a quick picture of the sign after we got off the boat.

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We then headed over to make sure we knew where the check-in was and see if they were doing check-in yet. They weren’t, it was pretty early at this point, like 7:15 and the show wasn’t until 8:30.

Since we had time, we made our way over to the store for some retail therapy.

Now a few weeks before the trip my mom and I were talking about how we wanted to do matching costumes for MNSSHP again next year, and we decided to be Chip and Dale. So I’ve been searching for the perfect costume.

Well, we’re in the store and I turn the corner and see these:

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HOW PERFECT! :rotfl2:

So I insisted we get them for our costume! I also picked up a cute Hoop dee doo shirt and some socks.

Purchases in hand we made our way back to Pioneer Hall to wait on the benches out front. It was pretty steamy out at that point, so I ran to the window at Crockett’s Tavern to grab some ice water for my mom and I, then we settled in to wait for the check-in to open.

While waiting we started to hear thunder and got worried. There’s not a lot of places there to find cover!

Fortunately, it was still pretty far away, so we hoped we’d make it indoors before the storm hit.

Around 7:40 a line started to form to check-in, so I went to get in line leaving mom on the bench so she could rest her foot. They opened for check-in right at 8:00, and I quickly got our table ticket, then headed back to collect mom and get into the line that had already started to form to get in.

Meanwhile the storm was getting closer and closer and we were starting to see lightning too, uh oh!

Around 8:20 it started to drizzle a bit…nooooo!!!!! Thankfully it was super light, so we didn’t get drenched, but we were all getting anxious to get indoors.

The let us in a minute or two after 8:30, and somehow we managed to JUST miss the storm! PHEW!

Next up: Hoop-Dee-Doo!
 

Day 3, Part 7: Ft. Wilderness!

We last left off enjoying some pre-dinner snacks at the lounge. After finishing up we headed back to the room to rest a bit before our next adventure.

At 6:45 we made our way down to the boat dock and arrived just before the blue flag boat did! Perfect timing!

We all got on, then enjoyed the trip over to the Contemporary, then finally over to Ft. Wilderness.

This evening, we were going to Hoop Dee Doo!

I had wanted to get there a bit early to explore a bit, and I had wanted to go see the horses, but we ended up booking the last show so by the time we got there, the barn was closed.

We got a quick picture of the sign after we got off the boat.


View attachment 982718

View attachment 982719

We then headed over to make sure we knew where the check-in was and see if they were doing check-in yet. They weren’t, it was pretty early at this point, like 7:15 and the show wasn’t until 8:30.

Since we had time, we made our way over to the store for some retail therapy.

Now a few weeks before the trip my mom and I were talking about how we wanted to do matching costumes for MNSSHP again next year, and we decided to be Chip and Dale. So I’ve been searching for the perfect costume.

Well, we’re in the store and I turn the corner and see these:


View attachment 982720

HOW PERFECT! :rotfl2:

So I insisted we get them for our costume! I also picked up a cute Hoop dee doo shirt and some socks.

Purchases in hand we made our way back to Pioneer Hall to wait on the benches out front. It was pretty steamy out at that point, so I ran to the window at Crockett’s Tavern to grab some ice water for my mom and I, then we settled in to wait for the check-in to open.

While waiting we started to hear thunder and got worried. There’s not a lot of places there to find cover!

Fortunately, it was still pretty far away, so we hoped we’d make it indoors before the storm hit.

Around 7:40 a line started to form to check-in, so I went to get in line leaving mom on the bench so she could rest her foot. They opened for check-in right at 8:00, and I quickly got our table ticket, then headed back to collect mom and get into the line that had already started to form to get in.

Meanwhile the storm was getting closer and closer and we were starting to see lightning too, uh oh!

Around 8:20 it started to drizzle a bit…nooooo!!!!! Thankfully it was super light, so we didn’t get drenched, but we were all getting anxious to get indoors.

The let us in a minute or two after 8:30, and somehow we managed to JUST miss the storm! PHEW!


Next up: Hoop-Dee-Doo!
Good thing you were able to escape Madame Leota’s pop up thunderstorm.
 
I love your trip reports. You and your Mom seem to have a wonderful time together. Your Chip & Dale hats are so cute. The shops at Ft. Wilderness have such unique items. Too bad the barn was closed. I miss the old location. If you have a chance take the Ichabod Crain carriage rides in October. My kids were so scared, begging the driver to take them back. They loved the ending, though.

Looking forward to your Hoop Dee Doo review!
 
/
Now a few weeks before the trip my mom and I were talking about how we wanted to do matching costumes for MNSSHP again next year, and we decided to be Chip and Dale. So I’ve been searching for the perfect costume.
Those hats are adorable. That was a lucky find.
The let us in a minute or two after 8:30, and somehow we managed to JUST miss the storm! PHEW!
Nothing like waiting until the last minute to let you into the restaurant. :)
 
Wow great. Your Disney birthday trip sounds absolutely magical! There’s nothing quite like celebrating a special day in the happiest place on Earth. I remember my last visit, and the excitement of meeting characters and enjoying the rides was unforgettable. Plus, when you get back, you can relive those moments on Disney Plus ! Streaming all those classic movies and shows really brings back the nostalgia. It’s like a little piece of Disney magic at home! Can’t wait to hear more about your adventures and what highlights made your trip extra special. Cheers to making wonderful memories!
 
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OMG - you both are going to be so cute as Chip and Dale! I can't wait for those pictures to come out.
 
I love your trip reports. You and your Mom seem to have a wonderful time together. Your Chip & Dale hats are so cute. The shops at Ft. Wilderness have such unique items. Too bad the barn was closed. I miss the old location. If you have a chance take the Ichabod Crain carriage rides in October. My kids were so scared, begging the driver to take them back. They loved the ending, though.

Looking forward to your Hoop Dee Doo review!
Thank you!! I was really impressed with the merch at Ft. Wilderness, probably some of the more unique merchandise I've seen in a while. We had a lot of fun checking that all out.

I'm sad the barn was closed, I really wanted to check it out. I don't believe we ever saw the old location, but I may be wrong, there was a lot from our earlier trips that I don't remember!

I have not heard to the Ichabod Crain carriage rides, is that something you need to book in advance? That sounds so fun!
 
Those hats are adorable. That was a lucky find.
Thanks! Yeah I'm so excited for this costume, now I just need to find some chipmunk shirts to go with the hats!
Nothing like waiting until the last minute to let you into the restaurant. :)
Right? That was a suspenseful wait to get in, I'm just glad we made it before the storm really hit!
 
OMG - you both are going to be so cute as Chip and Dale! I can't wait for those pictures to come out.
Thanks! I can't wait to finish putting the costumes together. Still need to find shirts and maybe chipmunk tails? I'm not sure, it's still very much a work in progress!
 
Those boards came out so cute and look like such fun to make! we'll definitely be looking to try this soon!

Also, this day a new family checked in with two teen/preteen boys, who every time we saw them in the lounge, which was every single breakfast and hors d'oeuvres service the rest of the week, would cut in front of other guests, use their hands instead of the utensils to pick up some items, and when they actually did use the utensils, instead of putting them back on the dish in front of the food, they put them fully in the food so the handle would be covered in sauce. I wish their parents would have joined them in the food area since the kids clearly didn't have a clue how to dish out food or wait in line. Although a few days later I saw a teen girl lick food off her fingers then touch all the serving utensils immediately after, so that was worse. Maybe Disney should have a rule that if you’re under 18 you cannot get food on your own? Although some adults are probably even worse so that may not help!
Ew, so gross. This is why I'm so glad DCL has gone to a more controlled buffet, with crew member doing most of the serving.
 

Day 3, Part 8: Hoop-Dee-Doo!

We last left off getting into Hoop Dee Doo!

Our table this evening was amazing. We were in the front row, right next to the piano, which for my mom was the most perfect place to sit. She LOVES music, and musicians.

Our server told us that we’d be sitting next to Michael, the pianist, so I had to ask if it was the same Michael from Jellyrolls, and our server confirmed it was! He was like “the one with the hair?” which is hilarious because that is probably the best description of Michael. :rotfl2:

So this got my mom so ridiculously excited, she loves Michael! Back in January when we were at Jellyrolls, he was the one she ran into in the back hall and asked her what she wanted to hear, so she asked him to play Pretty Woman, and sure enough shortly after he came back on stage, he played that for her!

Anyways, we couldn’t have been happier with our table assignment.

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Shortly after settling in, our waiter reappeared, and this time with Michael in tow and was like “is this the guy?” HA!!!!!

We chatted a bit with Michael, and my mom told him the story about our trip in January to Jellyrolls, and shockingly, he remembered us. Not because we’re especially memorable or anything, but because that was the only time he played Pretty Woman there!

He ended up interacting with us a lot during the show, he is such a nice guy.

Anyways, shortly after we got settled the food started coming out. (sorry for the bad pic, we dished out the food before getting pictures!)

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It started with the salad, slaw, and corn bread. Everything was delicious! I don’t know what they put on their salads there, but that dressing was amazing! We also got white sangrias for our drinks.

The show started soon after and it was so fun! During the opening number more food was brought out. They had ribs, fried chicken, mac n cheese, baked beans, and mashed potatoes.

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Everything was great!

When they got to the portion of the show where they ask where people are from and then make a rhyme with it, “Jim” stopped by our table and asked us, I ended telling him Virginia, and I completely forgot what the rhyme was he made. Oops! But hey, we made it into the show! :cool1:

A little bit later in the show when they got to the birthday shout outs, they had those with birthdays raise their hands. I had already had the spotlight on me once that night so didn’t need it again, so I raised my hand, just not very high.

Well, Michael was having none of that, he wouldn’t let me off without being called on again! He kept telling me to raise my hand higher, which I did, but the performers didn’t notice, so he ended up getting the attention of “Flora” who came rushing over to get my name and age.

I told her my name, and said I wasn’t sure I wanted to give my age since everyone who had been called on at that point was like 15, 22, much younger! She was like “you don’t want to or you don’t know? Just make up an age!” HA! So I told her I was 40 something, so when it came to her turn to announce me, she goes “This is Debbie, and she has no idea how old she is!” :rotfl:

HA!

Before leaving she asked where in VA I was from (which wow, great memory), and it turns out she’s from the town right next to mine! Small world!

We really really enjoyed the show, it was so much fun!

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Towards the end when they bring the washboards out to play, my server gave one to me since I was the birthday girl.

Finally, the dessert came out, and ours even had a birthday candle!

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Who knew wearing a birthday button would get you so much attention! :rotfl2:

At the end of the show, before Michael left he asked us how we liked it and we told him how much we loved it. He then got a picture with my mom!

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Seriously, he is the nicest guy. I can’t believe how lucky we were to get that table!

The show ended later than I thought it would, it didn’t wrap up until 10:30!

We had planned on taking the boat home, but our boat driver from earlier confirmed they stop running at 10:30, so by the time we made it out of Pioneer Hall it was after 10:30 so no boat for us.

We followed the masses towards the buses and asked a CM there where to go since we hadn’t planned to not take the boat. Fail on our part.

He was super nice and asked us where we were going, so we told him Wilderness Lodge. So he told us the bus currently there was going to the main parking lot, and had a huge line, but the next bus was going to the Wilderness Lodge.

So we waited for the first bus to fill up, it was packed! Once that bus left, ours pulled in (it had been there, just waiting to move up), and unlike the bus to the parking lot, our bus was empty! It was only us and one other family! Score!

It was a quick drive back over to the WL, and soon we were back in our room enjoying some wine to wind down before going to bed.

Next Up: Getting a NASCAR Driver to Animal Kingdom!
 
I haven't done Hoop since I was a kid, which was a VERY long time ago. I'd love to revisit but I would absolutely NOT want to be in the spotlight or called on. Do you think I'd be "safe" if I booked a category 2 or 3 balcony? I'm sure the cast are really good about "reading the room" and not approaching people who don't want to be part of the show, but I don't want to spend the whole meal with anxiety that I could be picked (I know that's silly but...). The food looks great! I'd actually love to do a whole stay at Fort Wilderness in the new cabins. I might even bring my dog! How cool that you guys have developed a friendship with Michael. I heard a rumor Jellyrolls may be announcing their new location soon.
 
I haven't done Hoop since I was a kid, which was a VERY long time ago. I'd love to revisit but I would absolutely NOT want to be in the spotlight or called on. Do you think I'd be "safe" if I booked a category 2 or 3 balcony? I'm sure the cast are really good about "reading the room" and not approaching people who don't want to be part of the show, but I don't want to spend the whole meal with anxiety that I could be picked (I know that's silly but...). The food looks great! I'd actually love to do a whole stay at Fort Wilderness in the new cabins. I might even bring my dog! How cool that you guys have developed a friendship with Michael. I heard a rumor Jellyrolls may be announcing their new location soon.
So most of the people called on were on the lower level, but there were two people called on up on the balcony for the where are you from bit. It seemed most people though were in tier 1 that were called on. For almost every (maybe every) audience interaction the cast would talk to the people a bit before the spotlight was on them, so I would bet if you told them you didn't want to participate they would move on to someone else. It was a really fun show so I do hope you make it back!

I really want to stay in the cabins sometime, they look really nice! I think it would be a more low key trip and more resort time and less park time, but sometimes those are the best trips!

Oh I had not heard that about Jellyrolls but that is so exciting! I was starting to worry they lied about moving and were gone for good! It is so funny that Michael remembered us, he is such a great performer and such a nice guy. I don't know if he'd be back to the new Jellyrolls, he did mention that he preferred working Hoop since it was a lot easier on his voice (since he doesn't sing at all), but who knows.
 
So most of the people called on were on the lower level, but there were two people called on up on the balcony for the where are you from bit. It seemed most people though were in tier 1 that were called on. For almost every (maybe every) audience interaction the cast would talk to the people a bit before the spotlight was on them, so I would bet if you told them you didn't want to participate they would move on to someone else. It was a really fun show so I do hope you make it back!
Thank you! This is very helpful!!
 

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