Our Free Welcome Home Trip!

[Prince John Robin Hood]

We (Me, DW, DS-8 and DD-4) took our first DVC trip since becoming members from Dec 16-23. We were able to use our 2020 points we received when we bought AKV direct so I'm calling it a free trip . We were able to book BRV since it was our Welcome Home Trip. I booked everything back in June and we were so excited to be able to stay at Wilderness Lodge for Christmas as it was our first time doing a Christmas trip.

We are Canadian so things were a bit stressful in the weeks leading up to the trip with rule changes but we were able to get our Covid tests done the day before leaving and all tested negative .

December 16th

We had a late afternoon flight and arrived at the airport almost 3 hours early as we were nervous of delays in the airport (Toronto). Everything went really smooth and we cleared security and customs super quick. We used all the free time to eat and relax before our flight. The kids hadn't been on a plane in almost 2 years so they were very excited. Our flight landed on time at MCO and we were able to collect our bags and head to Magical Express quickly. ME got us on a bus right away but there were a number of stops before ours. We ended up getting to WL around 10:30 due to this but the lobby was quiet and allowed for some great photos. Our room at BRV was as far from the lobby as possible but I didn't find the distance too bad. The room was definitely dated but it was in way better shape then I was expecting. My only issue with it was that all the electrical outlets seemed beat up and when trying to charge our phones the plug would sometimes slide out. I wish they would've had USB slots but those will be added in the refurb I'm sure.













December 17th

We got up bright and early to head to HS. We ended up just missing the first bus of the day and got on the next one about 15 minutes later. We arrived at HS and got in line for MMRR, as this was high on the kids list after seeing it on Youtube. The ride was great and we were able to do TSM as well before park opening. We had never visited SWGE before and I thought ROTR was incredible. Lunch was at Pizzerizzo's and everyone enjoyed the food. We were able to knock out quite a few rides and the crowds weren't too bad. For dinner we headed back to WL and ate at Roaring Fork (QS) before heading over to Magic Kingdom. It was a party night but we wanted to do a few rides and checkout the decorations. DD had made it clear that Dumbo was #1 on her list of rides to do so we did Dumbo, Tea Cups and the Carousel before jumping in line for SDMT prior to the early close. The wait was posted at like 75 minutes but the actual wait was 10-15 minutes. We were able to checkout the shops briefly but there were so many people in the stores we quickly gave up and left. The kids wanted a plush but there wasn't much selection beyond blanket babies.






December 18th

We were heading back to MK but weren't in a rush and took the boat from WL. Upon arriving at MK we were greeted by Pooh and friends which was a lovely surprise.



The wait times for rides weren't too bad overall and we were able to get on a lot of the mid-tier rides without too much of a wait. Lunch was at Jungle Skipper Canteen and it was our first time dining there, but it will not be the last. We were seated in the S.E.A. room and the theming was fantastic. The food was definitely more adventurous than other WDW restaurants I've been too but I thought the food was great. DW and I split the Cachapas for an appetizer which was amazing. For entree's I had the Swordfish and she had the steak, both of which were very good. The kids had chicken and steak and liked it but complained about the volcano cake dessert. I assure you that they are not reliable food critics though. After lunch we saw Anastasia and Drizella around the castle. Speaking with them turned out to be a mistake as Anastasia thoroughly enjoyed lecturing me in front of DW and the kids which they loved. It turns out I've been doing my kids a terrible disservice all these years by only telling them Cinderella's side of the story .
Prior to dinner we went aboard the Jingle Cruise and it did not disappoint. I thought the kids would be too young still for the humour but DS picked up on some of the puns and they both enjoyed themselves. Dinner was at Liberty Tree Tavern which we always enjoy. The food was excellent as always but the dessert was absolutely fantastic. After dinner we did more rides and took advantage of the shorter wait times during the fireworks before heading back to our resort.

 

[dominickolas]

Great Pics! My kids love Pooh so I bet that was special for your too. I love the Castle decked out.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

December 19th

The alarm went off at 6:50 for one reason and one reason only.......Remy. It was worth it as DW snagged boarding group 21! We were able to go back to sleep for an hour or so before heading over to Epcot. Our first ride was Test Track which we brought DD on. We weren't sure how she would react but it ended up being her favourite ride at Epcot! We went for lunch at La Creperie De Paris. The food was excellent but unfortunately it took way too long. We ended up waiting an hour for our food and saw tables that came in well after us get served their meals. After lunch the time had come for Remy!


This ended up being one of our favourite rides and was so much fun! After Remy we were able to ride Frozen, Soarin and visited the DVC lounge. The kids were getting tired so we headed back to WL for a swim. We went to the main pool as DS wanted to use the slide. Both pools are great but the view from the main pool cannot be beat!


Dinner was at Whispering Canyon Cafe. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the food was great. There wasn't a ton of hijinks but our server was fun and took great care of us.


December 20th


Our one and only visit to Animal Kingdom this trip.



This was the first day where I really noticed the crowds. Moving around was difficult at times and the wait times got quite long as the day progressed. We had Tusker House booked for lunch which is another one of our favourites. Even with family style dining and social distancing of characters it did not disappoint. The food was great and the characters got reasonably close and interacted with the kids a bit.
We looked for a Simba popcorn bucket as DS is a big Simba fan but premium popcorn buckets were sold out at all parks during our visit unfortunately. We were able to get on most of the rides and the kids collected some of the Wilderness Explorers stickers around the park. It started to rain in the afternoon so we headed back to WL to hit the pools again and take a well deserved nap.

After resting up we took a bus to HS just so that we could hop on the Skyliner to Epcot. The Skyliner was fun and very efficient. Dinner was QS fish and chips which everyone agreed was excellent. It started raining harder than we had anticipated so we bought some ponchos and watched Harmonious. Everyone loved it and we will definitely try and catch it again in the future.

Extended evening hours started a little while after Harmonious and we were able to quickly get on Remy. We opted to leave after that due to it being quite cold and everyone being wet although we rode Spaceship Earth on the way out. There was a bit of bad luck to end the evening as we just missed our bus. We waited about 15 minutes and then we were on our way back home to BRV.

 

[franandaj]

Nice pictures of the WL. I love it there at Christmas!

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

December 21st

This day started out a bit rough unfortunately. As Canadians we needed a negative PCR covid test within 72 hours of our flight on the 23rd. I had booked an appointment with a company called BeeperMD back in October but they phoned that morning to inform me they were too busy to come out and do our tests. Luckily I was prepared for this and we headed out in an Uber to our backup option at a clinic a local friend had arranged. They took great care of us at the clinic and we hustled back to BRV to get our stroller and park bag before grabbing the bus to HS.

It had been raining pretty hard all morning and was still raining a bit as we arrived at HS. We had to head straight to a meal that I was very excited about and was a surprise for the kids. Minnie's Holiday Dine at Hollywood and Vine. I noticed at this restaurant more than any other the spacing of tables. It seemed the tables were very spread out here. The characters came around fairly frequently and posed for pictures. The kids had to stay at the table but could stand up unmasked for photos with the characters in the background. I was really happy as the kids absolutely loved it and say it was their favourite meal of the whole trip. My wife and I weren't wowed by our meals but the kids really really loved it so we'll likely return in the future.



After lunch we went on MMRR which we had started our trip with. I didn't enjoy it as much the 2nd time but it's still a fun ride and the kids loved it. DD and DS both like the Disney Jr. characters so we went to the Disney Jr. dance party after MMRR. DD loved it and afterwards got some photos with the Disney Jr. characters while I went to RnRC and TOT with DS. DW was able to do a rider switch for TOT as we both love that one but DD isn't quite ready for it. We decided to do QS for dinner and picked Catalina Eddy's and Rosie's as DS had been asking for a hot dog the past few days. Everyone wanted different things so we ended up ordering items from both which are right next to each other. I found the food to be okay and was happy with how quick we got our food.

Dinner timed up perfectly to then watch the Sunset Seasons Greetings projections on the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The kids loved it but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again in the future.



The wait times were dropping but we only did Alien Swirling Saucers and Star Tours as we focused more on taking photos and wanted to leave to checkout a few resorts. We grabbed a bus that took us to one of our favourite resorts, The Polynesian. The Christmas decorations don't compare to some of the other resorts but we still love it there and spent some time walking around and I headed over to Trader Sam's . I wasn't sure what the rules were but had read that getting in was tough these days. The hostess was very nice and let me know that I could get a drink out back and bring my receipt to her after to pickup my collectible mug if I wanted. I was very happy with that and quickly had a HippopotoMai-Tai and souvenir mug in hand. We then headed via monorail to the beautiful Grand Floridian. When it comes to Christmas decorations the Grand Floridian does not disappoint.



After checking out the beautiful Gingerbread house we wandered around for a bit and checked out the stores. DD and DS received a bit of pixie dust and it really made DS's day. We had been checking out the QS locations at the resorts for the Happy Holidays refillable mugs with no success. We asked at GF even though we didn't see any out and the cast member was able to find 2 in the back for the kids. They were so thrilled as they recognize the artwork from a Mickey Mouse show they watch. Merchandise options weren't great for the kids in the parks compared to years past so it was nice to see them so excited over something I know they'll use for a long time.
It was starting to get a bit late but we were enjoying GF way too much to leave just yet, so we grabbed a table at the Enchanted Rose to hang out a bit longer. We shared the Truffle Fries which did not disappoint and I enjoyed a glass of wine from their incredible wine menu. After that it was unfortunately time to go so we took the Monorail to MK and a bus to BRV. Both were quick and easy luckily, as it had been a long day.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

December 22nd

We slept in and then headed to Roaring Fork for breakfast. Mickey Waffles were the #1 choice for everyone and they really hit the spot. For our last park day we had reserved Magic Kingdom and had a few prime dining reservations lined up.

Upon arriving at MK it was very evident that it would be a busier day. Main Steet was packed and it took some time to get to our first ride of the day, Jingle Cruise! I was excited to do this one again as we previously did it at night and had a lot of fun. Luckily we got the same skipper as our last ride and he was fantastic again.







After Jingle Cruise I noticed on MDE that Splash Mountain was only like a 15 minute wait . It was cool out but I couldn't pass up such a short wait for one of my favourite rides. DS and I headed over while DW and DD stuck around for some Flying Carpets.


After Splash Mountain we all headed over for lunch at Be Our Guest. We were looking forward to this ADR and it is DW's favourite WDW restaurant. We were seated within about 5 minutes of checking in and were seated in the Rose Gallery. Beast came around a few times but was fairly far from us. DW and I each had the Filet Mignon and it was cooked perfectly. For dessert the kids were given white chocolate 'Chip' teacups that they could paint with food colouring along with Grey Stuff and a Macaroon. They loved painting and eating their dessert.


After a great lunch we were heading over to SDMT when I spotted Belle outside. DD was thrilled to see her and waved to her from the fence. After seeing Belle we were able to do SDMT, Dumbo, Tea Cups and Space Mountain. After Space Mountain the kids saw something they'd been drawn to all trip, Pins. We ended up heading to Frontierland where they were able to get lanyards and starter packs. Pins are new to me so we didn't do any trading but we will on our next trip. It was time for dinner so we headed to our ADR at Cinderella's Royal Table. DD was beyond excited and none of us had been before. I checked in and then found out they were running about 45 minutes behind. We made the best of it by riding the carousel and meeting Cinderella. Going inside the castle was a real thrill for the kids and we were incredibly lucky to be seated at the window. Our server was lovely and seemed relieved when we told her that we were in no rush. Some families wanted to get out prior to the fireworks but with a seat by the window we were thrilled to stay and enjoy the show from inside. The meal was very good but not as good as Be Our Guest. The kids dessert was cupcakes that they could decorate and they were a big hit. I didn't care for my dessert but I was also stuffed after another full service meal.





After Dinner we headed to the front of the castle to grab a spot for the Christmas stage show which was playing that night and is the same from the after hours party I believe. Getting a spot was really easy and we were very close to the stage. A cast member next to us told us some cool trivia and helped keep the kids entertained until the show started. The show was great and was a huge hit with the kids.



After the stage show we decided we would check out the stores and then get going. There was some snow falling on main street which was a lovely way to end the evening.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

December 23rd

We decided not to visit any parks on our last day as we needed to get on ME after lunch and the kids preferred to go swimming anyway. We went for breakfast at Roaring Fork again as the kids can never get enough of the Mickey Waffles. After breakfast I dropped our luggage at Bell Services and the kids jumped in the pool.



DS and DD were having a blast in the pool and we were having a hard time getting them out. Luckily the daily entertainment/pool games started so they came out to dry off and participate. When leaving the CM gave them each a small rubber duck which was nice. We took a couple quick last minute photos and hopped on the ME which was right on time. I was nervous that the airport would be insanely busy but we checked our bags almost immediately and had lots of time to checkout the Disney and Universal stores. Passing through security was quick and easy as well and before we knew it we were on our way home. I thought for sure the airport in Toronto would be busy but we waited less than 10 minutes for our bags. Wilderness Lodge was really an incredible resort to stay at during the Christmas season and hopefully we will make it back one day. I could even see us booking Boulder Ridge next summer as I'm sure the rooms will be fantastic once they've been renovated.

 

[Cabius]

Thanks for the great trip report and all the wonderful photos! I'm glad that you had a good time.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

Thanks for the great trip report and all the wonderful photos! I'm glad that you had a good time.

Thank you

 

[hhisc16]

We stayed at BRV on 12/21 and loved it!
The decorations at WL for Christmas were amazing!