Our 20th...for our 20th...on WDW's 50th... An Anniversary Trip Report.

[mickeyfan0805]

I finally got around to getting started on our trip report from the beginning of the month. As I did last time, I will post a day at a time, each day, and I will break things up a bit to keep any individual post from becoming unruly. It was not a Fort trip, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. This was a trip for just DW and me, and you'll learn more along the way. So, here we go...

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Intro…





Twenty years ago, this past August, I married my best friend, the best partner one could ask for, and the love of my life. In the two decades since, we’ve known great joys and deep sorrow. We’ve lived in 4 homes in 3 different states, raised 3 children (still raising, in fact), buried two parents, and nurtured 3 dogs, 3 hamsters, 2 Guinea pigs, and more than one’s fair share of fish! And, in the midst of it all, grew our love affair with all things Disney!







With the exception of 36 hours as part of college concert band tour in 1996, I’d never truly visited Walt Disney World prior to our marriage (DW had been twice – once as a child with her family and another with a friend around the same time I’d been there in 1996). It wasn’t long after our first visit in 2007, however, for things to take off. A few days as part of a wider FL trip in 2007 led to a return trip for DW and I that fall, which led to our purchase of our DVC points the next summer, and things unfolded from there. By the time we reached this most recent trip, we’d been to Walt Disney World 19 times, Disneyland 3 times, and on 2 Disney cruises. So, what better way to celebrate our 20 years of wedded joy than by embarking on our 20th WDW trip (and 25th Disney trip overall) in the midst of WDW’s 50th celebration?





So, our 20th at WDW’s 50th began…

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 1, Part 1 – Settling in…

A night at the airport hotel near O’Hare allowed for an easy trip into the airport on the morning of day 1. My one notable surprise for DW on the trip was that I had managed to swing two first-class seats for the trip down. A first-ever experience for me (second for DW), it was something we could quickly get used to. Lots of comfy room next to each other on the plane…



A decent spread for an early lunch…



And DW just loved the little salt and pepper packs…



Anyway, the flight was smooth, easy, and early. We did have to wait quite a bit for our luggage to come through, but walked straight to our ready rental and hit the road. After landing around 2pm, we had stopped at a grocery store and were pulling into the bubble well before 4pm…



Our room ready text had already come through, so it was straight to our ground floor corner studio in the Grandstand area (thank you DVC for coming through on our requests!). People have different takes on the remodel, but we really thought a lot of it. As SSR owners, this was great to see. DW was quickly snapping shots to send home to DD in advance of their trip next month…













A light lunch on the plane only goes so far, so we were ready for our early dinner at Chef Art’s. Kicking off an anniversary trip the right way, drinks came first…





Mine was a Stella. Can’t remember what DW’s was, but she liked it! DW had the traditional chicken, and I the chicken and doughnuts. We both very much enjoyed it, and then it was time to head over to MK for the evening.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 1, Part 2 – Making the Most of Genie+

We met a nice couple who used to work as greeters at the MK gates prior to Covid and were hoping to soon return. Anyway, they offered to take our picture in front of the birthday cake as we first entered the park…





Entering MK for the first time this trip, this is a good place to make a quick note about Genie+. There are a lot of different thoughts about G+. None of us love that we now have to pay for something little different than that which was once free, and it certainly appears that G+ will have some enormous limitations on the truly heavy park days. With that said, I will say that we managed to use G+ very much to our advantage for this trip.

In general, for most days, a rope drop approach to park touring would still work quite well and would allow many to be content without using the paid service. For us, as those who don’t get down too often, and who had multiple late nights planned (and thus didn’t want to be up that early every day), G+ allowed for a different kind of touring. In general, we used more of a late-day strategy than a rope-drop one. Utilizing the day to stack up G+ selections allows you to enjoy a lot of rides with very minimal waits in a very short period of time. We did this recurrently during our visit, and you will see how it played out a few different times in this report.

Having purchased G+ that morning while still in Chicago, I was able to make selections as they progressed to the right timing throughout the day. To be sure, this is a slightly more ‘advanced’ strategy than a typical guest might use, as you have to have a decent sense of which rides tend to run through their G+ times throughout the day, but by the time we entered the park at 7pm, we had G+ selections for Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan…all of which (in addition to IASW), we were able to ride in the 2 hours from 7-9pm.

It all started with the Jingle Cruise – our first ride of the trip…









The queue was worth noting. Take a look at the standby queues as we boarded…







This was posted as a 70 minute wait! No question, that 70 minutes is likely notably inflated, but what we consistently saw was that G+ lines were full and yet consistently loading, while standby lines would get very few through at any given time. Most standby lines seemed to be inflated by 15-20 minutes from our experience, but the truth is that a short line could still be a long wait due to the overwhelming priority of loading G+ guests.

Anyway, I tried (and failed) to get a few pics of the Christmas lights on the Jingle Cruise on this first round, but it was off to the other rides from there. By the time we got to IASW, it was fireworks time and the park was soon to close, so we road with nearly no one in sight…

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 1, Part 3 – Extended Evening Hours are a YES!...

The park was now closed to most guests, and we were into Extended Evening Hours – what a great opportunity! If you have the opportunity, go! We made our way from Adventureland towards Tomorrowland, but stopped for a bit of an opening night picture-fest along the way.

I’m not generally a huge fan of how projection mapping has become such a big part of the fireworks shows, but the anniversary and Christmas projections on the castle throughout the evening are absolutely spectacular!








I was particularly proud of this one…





DW makes the cutest faces when she starts giggling…




(More on that in a bit.)


Daisy is DW’s favorite. Lighting isn’t the best, but we found the golden statue for the matching pose!





After our photo-fest, it was off to Space Mountain, where we encountered quite the daunting crowd…





I’ll say it again. If you have the opportunity to enjoy EEH on a trip – go!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 1, Part 4 – Enjoying the Atmosphere…

Having enjoyed so much in just 4 hours, it was time to begin to make our way back to the room for the night. Not a lot to say, but we took a slow stroll and grabbed a few more pictures on the way out…

We roamed near the castle and visited Mickey and Minnie’s golden statues…







And then took in the Christmas sights on Main Street as we exited…










We stopped with a Photopass photographer on the way out, and she took a magic shot…





She then told us to put our noses together, which DW couldn’t do with a straight face. Remember what I said about her cute faces when she starts giggling…







A quick bus ride back to the Grandstand and we were in for the night.

Tomorrow is another day…

 

[Teamubr]

Looks like a great start to the trip.

j

 

[friendofeeyore]

Enjoyed all the fun on your 1st day. Arnold (Grumpy Aggie) had that same shirt you have on. One of the Granddaughters has it now. Waiting patiently for day 2!

 

[2goofycampers]

Awesome TR and pics. This would get more visibility on the main camping board. If you'd like I can move it.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Awesome TR and pics. This would get more visibility on the main camping board. If you'd like I can move it.

Hey Denise - entirely up to you. Since it wasn't a trip at the Fort, I was uncertain as to protocol. Thought that posting on the camping board might be too far off-topic. If it is still ok to put it there, that's fine! Thanks!

I'm about to do my day 2 upload now.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 1 – Epcot Early Entry…

With EEH on night 1, and the Merriest After Hours lined up for night 2, we decided to plan for a later morning. With Epcot not opening until 11, the early entry was 10:30, which was easy to make.

For those who might take advantage of early entry at Epcot, take special caution of where you should enter. We arrived at Epcot at 10am (30 minutes prior to early entry) and used the clearly marked Passholder entrance. What we did not realize was that this entrance puts you into a corral with those waiting for regular opening at 11am. Had we not noticed people going a different way, we might have found ourselves missing out. We located a CM, who let us through a line dividing the two areas and we made our way to the west, which is where the early entry was being staged.

We had already grabbed a G+ for Test Track, as well as both a VQ and an ILL for Remy (we’ll come back to that), so our early entry was to hit Soarin’ and to see the Christmas overlay at Living with the Land. We were on and off Soarin’ quite quickly, and then made our way to see the overlay.





I didn’t know anything about it, so we weren’t aware that the overlay is quite as light-dependent as it is. Definitely would be different at night, but there were some cute displays…











Cute, but we’d want to see it at night. Good thing we’d be back the next evening!

So, on to see Figment in his Christmas sweater…





And then we were a bit hungry, so we went up to France to get a treat…




OK – confession time. This was our 20th trip to WDW, and in those trips we’ve probably entered Epcot some 50 times or more. In all those visits, we’ve never visited the bakery in France! Oh…what we’ve been missing. I had a croissant breakfast sandwich (which was EGGcellent), DW had some sort of sweet (can’t recall), and we purchased a baguette to nibble on throughout the afternoon. We are excited to bring the kids here when we return!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 2 – A Few Stops around the World…


After a snack, we made our way back through towards Test Track, stopping for a few additional photos along the way. One of the large ornaments in France…





The light post in Canada…





And the Canada garden…





The light got in DW’s eyes…





So here comes that cute laughing face again…





We love Christmas, so there were a number of Christmas Tree shots…







Then DW got to try to mimic Figment’s 50th pose…

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 3 – Remy Time Two…


We made a pit-stop at Test Track for our G+. I will say, here, that one thing I noted in G+ is how quickly the queues moved. While this is clearly a reflection of the boarding priority I identified on day 1, the impact is real. With the exception of one visit on Soarin’ when they had technical issues, we never waited more than a couple of minutes to get on a ride. For the most part, we basically walked through the LL queue and were on the ride in a matter of seconds!

After Test Track, it was time to make our way out to our new ride for the trip, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. I had successfully gotten a VQ for the ride that morning, but I wasn’t sure how long the VQ wait would be, and I also know that we often like to ride new rides multiple times. So, we purchased the ILL passes and booked them for around the same time that we expected the VQ to come around. It worked perfectly.

We arrived just as our VQ was being called, and enjoyed some of the scenery. The fountain is really well done…





And then it was time to ride…




We spent about 25 minutes in the VQ line. Initially, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the queue. It got better as we got further in, but the initial portion of the wait seemed little different than what you’d get at a 20 year-old ride at Six Flags. I really thought they could have done more with the extended portion of the queue and the first hallways into which you enter. Once through that initial point, however, things get better quickly, and the animated Gusteau is a really nice touch…







I know Remy gets mixed reviews, but it was a positive for us. It is another usage of the same tech of MMRR and RotR, but it has its own character. The story is cute, and we very much enjoyed it. Once getting off, our ILL was ready to go, so we jumped right back in line and did it again. Worth it for us!

For those who worry about motion sickness, I can tell you that, on Dramamine, it wasn’t an issue for me. I have had a history of problems on Star Tours, Flight of Passage, and other rides. With Dramamine, I am able to ride all of those rides with no troubles, and Remy was no different! We had a great time, and are looking forward to sharing it with the kids.

Moving along, we got another Christmas Tree shot…





And then it was off to Italy for a midday meal at Via Napoli.


The juggler was quite fun to view for a few minutes…





DW enjoyed her sangria and I my Peroni…





Then the pizza came. DW was ready to dig in…





And that, of course, set off the cute laughter face again…





Seriously though, another place that was new to us! We’d read plenty, but never been there. We very much enjoyed it, and the slices were huge and absolutely coated in toppings…





It was a very filling lunch at a nice location at a reasonable price. Another new spot to bring the kids next time!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 4…


After lunch, it was time to head out to begin preparing for our evening at the Merriest After Hours.

We took a few minutes to visit with the PhotoPass photographer by the tree right at the north end of the World Showcase. We don’t get many shots of the two of us, so this was a nice opportunity throughout our trip.







Including a special Magic Shot that I’m pretty happy with…





On our way out, we stopped for our first visit to the Creation Shop. It is really well done. The murals on the walls are adorable and I really like how open it feels. It is an entirely different (and I suggest better) atmosphere than MouseGear. I see this as a definite improvement…







Then, as we departed, we saw them lined up for one of those unique shots they near the park entry. We didn’t do the one that looks like it’s from a satellite, but we did the other one that includes Spaceship Earth. Honestly, I find the perspective odd and off-putting, but I include it so that others might see what it looks like…





I don’t think we’d likely do that one again.

All of that, in a matter of about 5 hours, and we were headed back to the room to prepare for the night.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 5 – A Very Merriest Evening…


The Merriest After Hours party was, no question, expensive! It was also, however, absolutely worth it to us. Our goal was to really enjoy the party as much as possible and worry less about rides, which is a goal we achieved through G+ and EEH. We had already done a lot by means of G+ and EEH on day one, and on day 2 we used much of the day to collect G+ selections for the early evening before the party. We arrived at the park around 7, enjoyed a number of rides during the next two hours, and then dove right in with snacks, treats and fun as the party got underway…

Stitch was on the dance floor…





And Monsters Inc had a special holiday edition of their show…







I think Roz won the ugly sweater contest…





We had learned that there was a special viewing spot available for DVC members during the party. Bonus! We registered in advance (which is required) and entered through gate on the east side of the garden where a CM was checking names.

We arrived about 30m prior to the fireworks, just in time to watch the stage show. We claimed a spot on the front fence and settled in. The view was decent, but a bit far, for the stage show…





But, boy was it a great spot for the fireworks…







While most of the front fence spots were taken about 30m before the fireworks, there was plenty of room to roam around the grassy areas to find a good view…





There was even an ice cream cart right in the garden for just the DVC guests (drinks and popcorn had to be obtained elsewhere). All in all, it was a nice little bonus as a DVC member.

I have to say that the fireworks were excellent. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t love how integral the castle has become to many nighttime shows (especially since it’s hard to get a good view of the castle amidst the crowds), but for this one it really worked. Instead of telling stories in the projection (that you might miss if you can’t see), the projections served as an enhancement to the fireworks and music, which was a much more fitting approach. DW and I both thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 2, Part 6 – The Evening Comes to a Close…


From the fireworks, we made our way over to Frontierland to get a very comfy spot on a wall to sit and watch the parade. We knew that snow would be flying on Main Street, but we chose the lesser crowded area of Frontierland to enjoy the view. Which we did…





Olaf came by…





We named our dog after Goofy’s son, so we were thrilled to see Max…







Goofy is my favorite, and there he was…





Of course, there were the toy soldiers…





And Santa’s Reindeer…





And, of course, the only person in the world that would take priority over Mickey in a Disney parade…





Post-parade, we jumped on a couple late rides (because we could) and headed out. Arriving back at the hotel at about 2am, we were ready to sleep in advance of another special day tomorrow!

 

[bama_ed]

Oops. Sorry I am .....

I got some reading to do above.

Bama Ed

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Oops. Sorry I am .....

I got some reading to do above.

Bama Ed

Not at all - just got started yesterday. I just write a LOT! All in, I think I'm at 149 pics and 7,300 words for the 5 day report!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 3, Part 1 – A Veritable Zootopia…


Day 3 was another easy start. Being well after 2am when we got to bed the night before, an early rise was not on the menu! So, this is a good time to share some reflections on the 7am G+/ILL process. For me, there are two sides of the argument. On the one hand, having to be up at 6:58am, on vacation, is not our preference. If you are rope dropping, it likely works fine. If you are not, it is unpleasant to have to be up that early. On the flip side, something later into the morning would harder to go back to sleep after doing what needs to be done, which is what I did each day. So, we made it work as is – and, in truth, while it was annoyance, it was not a huge deal.

Like most days, I was up at 6:58, grabbed an ILL for FoP and waited a few minutes to get the Safari to the late morning time I was looking for, and that was that. By 7:10 I was going back to sleep…



Animal Kingdom has always been a half-day park for us. We enjoy it, but it simply doesn’t eat up more than a few hours. We took a few shots on the way in…







Saw Timon and Pumba’s 50th statues…





After an early lunch at Flame Tree, we then headed off for Flight of Passage, the Safari, both animal walks, and towards Everest. As we entered Asia, it was right on time to check out Kite Tails. I’d received an email a few weeks earlier about a passholder seating are for the show, but it didn’t seem to be operating when we arrived. So, we grabbed some seats.

All in all, it was ok at best. Seeing a few of the big kites was interesting, but there was little to truly grab your attention, it was very slow, and the music/story was not very engaging at all. We had lots of time, and the weather was beautiful, so it was enjoyable enough. On a hot or time-crunched day, however, this is not something that would ever be on our priority list. Nonetheless, a few pictures of the more interesting parts…









We capped off our visit with a ride on Expedition Everest…





Then, after a very quick but event-filled few hours, we headed home to get ready for our evening at Epcot.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Day 3, Part 2 – Dinner Before the Show…


Friday evening was centered around the Processional Dining Package we had set for Rose and Crown. I had gathered a few G+ selections throughout the day to add a few rides to the evening, which was a nice bonus, but things started with dinner.

I didn’t take as many pictures as I should have, but it is worth noting that the Processional Dining Package, at the non-buffet restaurants, included three courses plus a non-alcoholic beverage. I started with the soup, and DW the United Kingdom Cheese Platter – which was quite the spread! We enjoyed both. The main course was the fish and chips for me and the burger for DW. I think we both found these to be mediocre. Not bad, but not great. Really the fish was a bit flavorless – which surprised me. It wasn’t bad, but I thought it would be a bit tastier.





Dessert, on the other hand was a big hit. DW had the trifle, and I had the Sticky Toffee Pudding. I’m not a big fan of rum sauce, so I got it on the side, but the pudding and cake were delicious. We both enjoyed this very much…







In the end, we paid $63 for the processional package. The food we received would have cost us roughly $50 each, on a cash basis. Granted, on a ‘normal’ occasion we would not have ordered that much food, but we got a nice dinner and paid a $13 premium for the processional seating. This seemed reasonable at the time, but we will come back to that later.

After enjoying dinner, we went to make use of a few of the G+ selections I had pulled for the evening. A second round on Soarin’ was followed by our opportunity to ride Living with the Land in the evening with the lights. While I didn’t know how important the lights were to the overlay when we rode the day before, it seems that many were ‘in the know.’ The crowd was unusually high for the ride…





I was glad we had nabbed a G+ slot to avoid the rush. The lights were cute, and worth the second round…















Now it was time to make our way to the Candlelight Processional.