Put On Your Sunday Clothes, There's Disney World Out There! - Wilderness Lodge

[Sailormoon2]

Awesome park days!!! I love how you are able to pack so much in, while still making it seem really chill
How long was your DVC tour? And how did those 3 extra fast passes work? Could you actually hold 6 fast passes in one day?

 

[pkondz]

Now there's an idea. If someone stays club level can we all just come visit their room and have them bring us snacks and goodies?!

Haha well this is what I normally look like being from a cold country! (although we're in a nightmare heatwave right now, GAH)

Enjoy it. It'll be winter all too soon.

Haha, didn't they used to do stuff like that on the lake?!

Hmm... waterskiing? Not sure.
Certainly not anymore.


Stupid parasites.

He thinks I look like that pirate because we share the same chubby cheeks

Oh I know, we went to Pecos Bill later in the trip and I thought it was meh. I remember everyone raving about the burgers, hopefully they'll bring them back.

I think I heard they moved it to Cosmic Rays?

It's so strange! But I like being in the parks when it's dark

It's soooo yummy!! You must get over this and try one

No.

 

[pkondz]

Today is the day we get to see Pandora for the first time ever!

Woot!

Gorgeous shot!

Luckily there was a bus waiting for us at the stop!

Score! Day off to a great start!

On the ride I asked what Jamie’s maximum wait time was for Flight of Passage.
He said he didn’t know, but it should be fine because we were getting there early…
LOL OK DEAR.

Oh, boy...
So innocent...

And there was a cast member there saying the wait time was…
3 HOURS.

yep.... insane.

We moseyed around and took some photos of this beautiful new land!

Isn't it something?

We had a look at the menu at Satu’li canteen and it looked very interesting, so we decided to come back a bit later on.

Not sure on this place, but...

The wait was posted at 10 minutes but we walked straight on!

This is a bit mind boggling.
I guess everyone else in the park is in line for FoP.

The time before last we had Janet, who for some reason we called Jambo Janet.
Then last time we had Jambo Jason.
And now we have Jambo Jenny!
They always begin with J!

This is a truism. You can't work there unless your name starts with J. Some people have legally had their names changed just so they can work there.

I think we all know what Jamie’s next job should be

Proceed with caution please Jambo Jenny.
These devil cows are quite harrowing.

We saw all three lions, yay!

Meh. You see one animatronic critter, you've seen 'em all.

Those fish are cool!

The baby was SO CUTE!
He got up, sat in a bucket, then fell out of it backwards

Awww...

A cast member showed us the Banshees that are up for adoption.
I thought they were fun but a bit.. underwhelming?!
Particularly for the price!
Do these sell well?

I saw several people with them....
No idea why. I mean... are you going to wear them around the house? At the office?
I can spend my money on other things... for a lot less.

Very nice shot!!

I didn’t get many good photos, the video clips are better!

I'm at work. I'll look later.

That being said, there is no way I would wait in the 75-90 minute line that we saw this at all day.
It’s a very short kiddie ride.

Agreed. I like it, but.... I'm not standing in line for more that a few minutes for it.

Calling this “brunch” makes it a bit more acceptable, right?

I got the beef with rice and black bean vinegarette.
A totally normal brunch item.

And Jamie got the beef with salad and chimichurri!

...so after seeing these photos, I've changed my mind. I think I need to try this some day.

Jamie used the bathroom just before, and ran away from me when he came out...

Unfortunately Jamie’s eyesight isn’t great, particularly in the dark.
That, coupled with the attention span of a goldfish, meant that he COMPLETELY MISSED the carnotaurus at the end!!!

How???

After Dinosaur we spontaneously decided to ride Primeval Whirl for the first time!
It was… nasty.

Ugh. No.
I rode it once.


Once.

That was more than enough.

Prim-evil hurl.

Wow! What a terrific shot!

We spotted our names on the interactive posters in the queue!

Cool!

He felt a bit emasculated by this.

I think he brought it on himself, actually.

(Yes, he doesn’t notice the GIANT yeti.. he is a goldfish )

Katie's too cool for skool.

Jamie hugged me and said, “it’s OK, I have another cow right here”

And you let him live??????

On the bus an adorable kid was walking around asking for everyone’s autographs in his autograph book!
It was precious.

Awww.

Oh dear.

You can't take him anywhere, can you?

If Jamie ever becomes a musician, this should be his album cover.

Don't jump!.... wait... he called you a cow...

Jump!

I love the idea of taking our friends to stay in a one/two bedroom with the living space and dining table etc.
It would be so much fun!

I'm in!

For some reason I only took one picture, and it was of the bathroom

Well, that tub is pretty deep.

as well as a $100 gift card and 3 extra anytime fastpasses as a “thank you” for our time!

Yuss!

Let me know your thoughts on DVC!

I'm going with.... no.
I just think there's too much else to see in the world. I don't want to be forced to go to Disney all the time.
It'd feel like that to me, anyway.

We saw it for the first time last year and both absolutely LOVED it.

I remember that!

She told us that her and her husband were from Michigan, and they own an RV that they keep in storage down here in Orlando.
So they just fly down here 4 or 5 times a year and park up their RV at Fort Wilderness!
What a great plan.

That is a great plan! I like it!

She was also excited that we were from England because she loved the royal family!

You should have told her you call them up all the time.

Last year we were sat on the very front row RIGHT next to the pianist.
I wonder where they’ll seat us this time…

But... good for you!

You get fried chicken, ribs, mash, beans and corn, and it’s all-you-can-eat!

Our waiter also did this to Jamie!

Here’s the strawberry Shortcake dessert!

Oh, Lord.... I need to save room for that?!?!?!?

How?

Jamie had previously mocked me for dropping beans all over the table, but when he served himself some shortcake this was the result

Glad you took the photo.

Maybe it’s the all-you-can-drink beer and sangria that’s constantly flowing.

Like, if you think about how many times they’ve performed this show, for them to actually laugh means they’re enjoying this performance, and everyone is genuinely in a great mood

WE LOVE WASHBOARDS.

So it would seem!

OH and my favourite part!!
Our waiter made a napkin into a bow/hat thing and was shaking my head around

Love that!

I HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE BEHIND ME.
I find that the most hilarious photo ever.
I look ridiculous just dancing around with a napkin on my head.
Completely oblivious that Dolly and Flora were posing behind me!
AMAZING!

Okay, that's just great! Glad you guys had so much fun!

 

[happenin2you]

My husband and I have been DVC owners since 2011. We did the tour for the first time on our honeymoon in 2008, but we were not yet ready for the purchase and it was something we needed to look into more and to think about. In 2011 we were on an anniversary trip at DLR and spur of the moment did the tour to see the Aulani room models. Animal Kingdom Villas was still available for sale, so we bought. We had honeymooned at AKL, so it was really special to us. We only bought 100 points. We used those to do an Alaskan cruise and to bring my husband's sister with us on a trip (Boardwalk and AKV). In 2016 we got an add-on offer for the Polynesian Villas, so we bought 110 more points. Since then we have gone with my husband's parents and sister (AKV, Poly, & Beach Club), and my friend and her family (AKV). We are booked for our first trip to Aulani in November and still have enough points left to do another trip in the spring, maybe Hilton Head, or I can bank them for next year. I think when the Riviera Resort goes on sale, we plan to buy more points. We usually stay in studio rooms, but have done the 2 bedrooms for a few nights when traveling with others before moving to studios for each family. I think our goal is to have enough points to always get 1 bedroom or larger. For us, it has been a great investment. We have also attended some other time share presentations and when they find out that we own at Disney, they stop trying to sell us. Apparently DVC is among the most superior time share products. That is good because it holds its value well should you decide you no longer want it and sell it. That's my DVC info.

Now I have a question for you. My husband just bought tickets for us to go to Paris for the week of Christmas to celebrate my completing my master's degree. I notice you typically fly out of Manchester and on Virgin Atlantic, but do you have any info or suggestions for British Airways and/ or Heathrow? We will have 5 hours in Heathrow between flights. I don't really think that is enough time to leave the airport and come back, so I'm thinking we will find a nice restaurant and have some cocktails, if that is an option. Also, we plan to visit Parcs Disney. Do you know anything about what the crowds are like around Christmas? Do you have restaurant recommendations? I noticed in you TR you did a lot of quick service. Any suggestions for table service? We will only visit Disney for one day, I think, concentrating our visit in Paris. Any help, info, or suggestions you can give about anything will be greatly appreciated!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Your love for Disney AND Hoop Dee Do comes through in your posts. Loved the update!

Ugh I love it so much, it's so much fun!

Wonderful updates! I love Primeval Whirl - it's one of my favorite rides at AK!

I've never been to Hoop Dee Do but really want to now! Maybe I can convince my family to go during our January trip next year!

EW why is Primeval Whirl one of your favourites?! It felt like a death trap

I love your trip reports LittleKatie! Looks like y’all were having so much fun.

Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

We're doing it in Dec again and I'm so excited we booked Cat 1 so we'll be a lot closer than when we did it the first time.

I love the interaction you get with category 1, I hope you get super close!

What a great photo from the top of Everest!

I need to do Hoop De Doo...its one of those things I have yet to do at WDW!

You must do Hoop Dee Doo immediately!! It's so much fun, and the food is sooo good

 

[Dentam]

EW why is Primeval Whirl one of your favourites?! It felt like a death trap

I don't know really, I guess because whenever we go on it we can't stop laughing, which makes it so much fun!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

We go 1-4 times a year. Wish we could do more, but it's $$$.

You're going to LOVE the Disneyland resort. It's compact, but TONS to do! We've done a couple of staycations at the Grand Californian Hotel and it's so beautiful (very similar feel to Wilderness Lodge!). Do you know where you want to stay?

BTM and Space Mountain are both much better at Disneyland, IMHO. You're going to have a blast!

Amazing! We don't really have any solid plans yet but hopefully somewhere on property! I love the look of the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian but I bet they're very expensive

My ADR date is coming up and I keep thinking about HDDR and just couldn't make a decision on it and then I click on your report to read the last update and it's all about HDDR! I think it's fate and you made it look like so so much fun!

YAY did you book it?!?!

Empty Disney busses are the best!

When they're sat there waiting for you to arrive at the bus stop it's like the full VIP treatment!

Oh Hymie...

Yes!! I definitely still bring it up on Youtube from time to time...or pull up the soundtrack while I'm on the treadmill, etc., etc.

Ohh mee toooo I have a "past Disney" playlist wish Wishes on it (also SpectroMagic, Celebrate a Dream Come True, Dream Along with Mickey etc etc) and it's one of my favourites to listen to

I thought the same thing. I really can't imagine spending that much money on a plastic tiny banshee. But my husband the geek informs me that apparently "shoulder dragons" (I had to google it...) are a big thing for comic-convention-goers, so maybe it's playing off this?

Ohh yes maybe there's a bigger fandom that I'm not aware of. I just imagine it being one of those things kids buy and forget about after a day..!

Right!? Super weird! It seems to be this way for anyone international. US licenses are apparently okay, but our Canadian ones weren't enough. When we were booking our Disney wedding, our planner told me to make that really clear to our guests so they weren't disappointed. So strange

So strange, I don't feel comfortable carrying my passport out and about with me in case it gets lost at least you can show a scan of it if you have your license too.

This is fabulous!

HA it's one of my favourite photos ever!

I guess I can understand this - when we did it, we had no line, so my eyes still hadn't adjusted from being in the brightness to suddenly being in the dark!

That's understandable and reassuring!

But I CANNOT understand this! How does he miss a huge Yeti?

hhahahah I DON'T KNOW

I think it's both! I think they assign tables in the order you book - we booked right away too so I'm excited to see if we're in the first row in December!

Ooh I have my fingers crossed for you!! It sounds like you'll be very close

What a fun night at Hoop De Doo! Looks like you got yourself a new tradition now.

I can't imagine standing in line for 3 hours for anything. I don't have a Disney trip in the works so it will be a couple of years before I'm back. I hope all the Pandora crazy lines will die down before I return.

We love Hoop Dee Doo, I definitely think it's worth using two dining credits on Yes hopefully Pandora won't be as crazy when you're next there, although all of the 50th anniversary plans might make the parks very busy! Probably worth it though, I am so excited for Tron!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

That view doesn't get old!

I knowww! We seem to get such good views everywhere we stay!

Completely unfazed

Just chillin in a heap on the floor

She really is! The projected faces are kind of neat technology but nothing like the shaman.

Yeah I think the projections are kinda cool but I MUCH prefer the shaman!

I'M SO JEALOUS! They were never awake or very visible for me, and now they're big and old

Awww they were so cute and playful! There always seems to be baby animals somewhere at Animal Kingdom

I think it's because you're an eager beaver! Pretty sure earlier bookings get the better seats.

This would make sense, I always call up right away because I'm so paranoid they'll get booked up

That's so silly, but glad it worked out in the end! The pitchers of beer really help make the cost more palatable

Definitely! "All-you-can-drink" is a very good selling point

Fellow Brit signing up!

I do not understand how you can take photos on EE!! I hang on to the bars for dear life!!!!

YAY hello fellow Brit, and hahaha I'm a hands-up kind of person on roller coasters so I'm good for taking photos! I always have the little strap around my wrist just in case I let go though!

Another fun trip report, your pictures are great!! We're DVC members and would gladly share our thoughts, but I don't want to bore everyone here. Private message if you'd like to discuss a bit.

Great thanks!

I loved all of your last update, but especially THAT! How hilarious! And if they're laughing themselves, you KNOW they love what they do. #notjustajob

That's it, it made it sooo funny! They were clearly enjoying their evening as much as we were

Love reading your updates! So much fun!
DVC members since 2003-have been very happy with our membership. We live on the east coast so have also stayed at the beach resorts in Vero Beach and Hilton Head.
I believe costs are much less if you buy through a resale company. For an idea check David’s Rentals.

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it Ooh thank you, I will check that out!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Awesome park days!!! I love how you are able to pack so much in, while still making it seem really chill
How long was your DVC tour? And how did those 3 extra fast passes work? Could you actually hold 6 fast passes in one day?

The DVC tour was probably a little over an hour, the majority was a presentation and going through all of the info, then you get to look around their model villas Yes absolutely you can use 6 fastpasses in one day!! There were only a couple of limitations on rides, eg. I don't think you could use them on Flight of Passage. And you had to use them within like 10 days I think? I think the tour was well worth it for the fastpasses and the gift card!

Enjoy it. It'll be winter all too soon.

It's just cooled down over the last couple of days after a 2 month heatwave and it's GREAT. I never thought I'd be so glad for it to be cold and rainy again

Hmm... waterskiing? Not sure.
Certainly not anymore.


Stupid parasites.

Disney are such killjoys. It's just a few brain-eating parasites! Lighten up Disney.

I think I heard they moved it to Cosmic Rays?

You may be correct!

No.

Oww the magical cookie bars are SO GOOD.

Oh, boy...
So innocent...

Haha he is so naive...

Isn't it something?

It's incredible!

This is a truism. You can't work there unless your name starts with J. Some people have legally had their names changed just so they can work there.

Meh. You see one animatronic critter, you've seen 'em all.

CONSPIRACY!!! All the animals at AK are animatronics

I saw several people with them....
No idea why. I mean... are you going to wear them around the house? At the office?
I can spend my money on other things... for a lot less.

Imagining the looks we'd get turning up to the office with a dragon on our shoulders is making me laugh

Prim-evil hurl.

YOU NAILED IT.

Don't jump!.... wait... he called you a cow...

Jump!

Hahahah I'll give him a helping hand!

I'm going with.... no.
I just think there's too much else to see in the world. I don't want to be forced to go to Disney all the time.
It'd feel like that to me, anyway.

That's a very good point, thanks Pedro it is a verrrry long commitment, and you do still have to pay dues each year..

Okay, that's just great! Glad you guys had so much fun!

My husband and I have been DVC owners since 2011. We did the tour for the first time on our honeymoon in 2008, but we were not yet ready for the purchase and it was something we needed to look into more and to think about. In 2011 we were on an anniversary trip at DLR and spur of the moment did the tour to see the Aulani room models. Animal Kingdom Villas was still available for sale, so we bought. We had honeymooned at AKL, so it was really special to us. We only bought 100 points. We used those to do an Alaskan cruise and to bring my husband's sister with us on a trip (Boardwalk and AKV). In 2016 we got an add-on offer for the Polynesian Villas, so we bought 110 more points. Since then we have gone with my husband's parents and sister (AKV, Poly, & Beach Club), and my friend and her family (AKV). We are booked for our first trip to Aulani in November and still have enough points left to do another trip in the spring, maybe Hilton Head, or I can bank them for next year. I think when the Riviera Resort goes on sale, we plan to buy more points. We usually stay in studio rooms, but have done the 2 bedrooms for a few nights when traveling with others before moving to studios for each family. I think our goal is to have enough points to always get 1 bedroom or larger. For us, it has been a great investment. We have also attended some other time share presentations and when they find out that we own at Disney, they stop trying to sell us. Apparently DVC is among the most superior time share products. That is good because it holds its value well should you decide you no longer want it and sell it. That's my DVC info.

Now I have a question for you. My husband just bought tickets for us to go to Paris for the week of Christmas to celebrate my completing my master's degree. I notice you typically fly out of Manchester and on Virgin Atlantic, but do you have any info or suggestions for British Airways and/ or Heathrow? We will have 5 hours in Heathrow between flights. I don't really think that is enough time to leave the airport and come back, so I'm thinking we will find a nice restaurant and have some cocktails, if that is an option. Also, we plan to visit Parcs Disney. Do you know anything about what the crowds are like around Christmas? Do you have restaurant recommendations? I noticed in you TR you did a lot of quick service. Any suggestions for table service? We will only visit Disney for one day, I think, concentrating our visit in Paris. Any help, info, or suggestions you can give about anything will be greatly appreciated!

That's great info, thanks so much for sharing! So if you're already a member and you want to buy more points when Riviera opens, do you get any deals or discounts? And if half of your points are at AKL and half are at the Poly, at the 11 month mark do you have to split your stay up like that, or can you use all of your points to book at the Poly 11 months out?

Woooo congratulations on your masters! I've flown from Heathrow a few times and it's ginormous, there are loads of shops and places to eat, so I'm sure you can easily kill 5 hours (depending on where you can go - I don't really know how connecting flights work!) I think DLP is similar to WDW, I think the week of Christmas and New Years will be busy, however I was there in mid-April this year which was supposed to be a crazy busy time for Paris school holidays, but it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be! So maybe if you expect it to be very busy, you might be pleasantly surprised In April my friend and I ate at the Inventions character buffet, Blue Lagoon (I think this name has changed to Captain Jack's.. either way, it's the restaurant overlooking pirates of the Caribbean), and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show - I loved all of these and would recommend them all! If you have kids maybe Inventions, but if you're looking for a quieter more chilled setting I definitely recommend Captain Jack's let me know if there's anything else you want to know!

I don't know really, I guess because whenever we go on it we can't stop laughing, which makes it so much fun!

That sounds fun, I'm glad someone is able to enjoy it!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 4
Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Part 1 - Hollywood Studios (1)


Good morning!
We didn’t set an alarm for this morning so we woke up naturally and felt very refreshed!
I actually woke up thinking it was about 11am, but it was only 8am!
I guess I was still on UK time.
But I felt fresh nonetheless!

We had a slow morning and eventually went down to the bus stop a little after 11am.
We were going to Hollywood Studios today!

We arrived at about 11:45am.
HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!

The temperature hit 85F today!
It was very hot for January.

There was a lot of closures and construction work going on at Hollywood Studios at this time.
Even though there’s not a whole lot to do, it’s exciting to see it all coming along!
Up ahead in the photo below is where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is currently being built!

Since we’d skipped breakfast this morning, we went straight for an early lunch.
Last year we stuffed ourselves full of SO MUCH FOOD with the dining plan, so this time we were determined to be hungry for all of our dinner reservations.
So early lunches were a good plan.

I’m a big fan of The Muppets, so we went to Pizzerizzo!
This was pretty new at this point.

We got a meat lovers pizza (pepperoni and sausage), and a meatball sub, and had half each.
They came with Caesar salads, which was nice.
I like getting vegetables and salads with quick service meals at Disney.
I don’t like overloading on salty fries!

I’d heard bad things about Pizzerizzo because obviously the pizza isn’t like fine Italian cuisine or whatever.
But this really hit the spot for me!
The pizza was a bit oily, but very tomato-y which I like.

My main complaint about this place wasn’t actually the food, but more the fact that I was really excited to see a Muppets themed restaurant, however there really isn’t any theming at all?
I don’t know if I’m missing something?
There was no Muppets theming inside or out, it was a bit disappointing.
I think they could’ve done something really fun with this restaurant but oh well.

Movin’ right along!

Jamie used the “Gonzo’s Royal Flush” bathroom

When he was done he power-walked right past me without even acknowledging me, which apparently is his new favourite game.
Like he did yesterday.
And several other times during this trip.
This is the best clip I got of him doing it from a few days later, so you have an idea:

It was just like that today, except much faster away from me, and he did the most ridiculous MARCH with high knees and elbows swinging
To everyone else he looked like he was marching around alone like a crazy person.
He is so embarrassing.


I finally grabbed him and marched him over to our fastpass at Star Tours!

This is me sat in the vehicle, after 5 trips/6 years of riding Star Tours and NOT being the rebel spy.

And surprise surprise, today was not the day.
But we had a fun ride with scenes from the new movies.
The first scene is still the one from The Force Awakens, and the second scene is a new one from The Last Jedi with the ATATs.

Then we headed over to the Star Wars Launch Bay!

Jamie enjoyed some of the models, but he was telling me how he is not keen on the new movies.
He thinks there’s no plan for the overall story, and it seems like they’re just making it up as they go along.
He also said there’s a bunch of illogical stuff that just makes the film look dumb and sloppy, such as bombs being dropped in space, where there is no gravity

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate what Darth Maul looked like as a baby..

These lights are very cool for an entertainment room!

OK enough Star Wars.
A little after 1pm we went to use our fastpass at Tower of Terror!
This is probably my second favourite ride, after Splash Mountain.

We stopped for a photopass along the way!

We had a look in some shops down Sunset Boulevard and they have all been taken over with Star Wars stuff UGH.
Star Wars is the new Frozen in my opinion.
I like the original 3 films and appreciate the fandom it has.
But… more original Disney, less Star Wars please.

We waited on the wall for our fastpass time to come around!

We witnessed an amusing interaction while we were waiting.
There was a grandma sat by us waiting for her family to come off Tower.
Mom came out first and said to Grandma,
“One of them loved it, one of them hated it, and one of them got really nauseous, guess which is which?”
Grandma guessed:
Dad loved it
Young daughter hated it
And the older son felt nauseous.

The tiny daughter then came running up to them and yelled,
“THAT WAS AWESOME!”
Her older brother was behind looking terrified, followed by dad, who looked sick as a dog
Grandma got all of them wrong

Time to ride!

We were sat on the front row!

Our ride photo came out funny because Jamie and the man next to him look really similar, and the man’s daughter and I are clinging on to them in exactly the same way

Click for next post!​

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 4
Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Part 2 - Hollywood Studios (2)


After returning from the twilight zone we went through One Man’s Dream and watched the movie.
I love seeing video footage of Walt.
His mannerisms seem completely different from what comes across in photos.

I like watching how the multiplane camera works!
It’s very interesting, you can see how sophisticated it was for the time.

As well as historical stuff and the story of Walt’s life, there’s a preview section at the back for new projects.

YAY FOR ONE MAN’S DREAM
(I say, as I grit my teeth waiting for them to announce they’re bulldozing it…)

Next we had a fastpass for Toy Story Mania!

They were currently re-routing the queues for Toy Story Land so it was kinda chaotic, but we didn’t wait too long.
Jamie was outraged when I told him that last year I had tested out some hints and tips for high scores without telling him
I promised that I was pretty certain they didn’t pay off for me, but he kept trying to read cheats on his phone while we were in line!
And I was trying to stop him!
I mean, it’s different looking up cheats right before you play.
I don’t know how, but it is.
It’s definitely not allowed.

The game was tight!
After the first round we were dead even with 15,100 each!
Then Jamie was up.
Then I was up.
Then Jamie was up.
And eventually he took the win, AND got best in car.
So he was pretty smug about that.

We were going to ride again with one of our anytime fastpasses we got from our DVC tour yesterday, but our arms were too sore!
We are out of practice, at Toy Story Mania, and strength training.
#NoGymAtChristmas


It was now 3:30pm so we headed out of the park.
It felt like we weren’t there long, but there’s just not that much to do right now!
I’m looking forward to Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and the new Mickey Mouse ride.

We got back to the Wilderness Lodge very quickly and had some time to chill before dinner.
I filled up our mugs with Diet Coke for Jamie and coffee for me.
Then I sat on the balcony and wrote trip notes while Jamie caught up on some internet inside.
Well, he sat inside until he realised he wasn’t getting enough attention…

I got some entertainment sat out on the balcony tonight because there was a boat captain on the Wilderness, Contemporary, Fort Wilderness route who was singing “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” SUPER loud.
Every 15 minutes I heard faint singing, looked up, and his boat was approaching
By the time he got to the Wilderness dock I could hear him so loud and clearly, just absolutely belting it.
It was so funny

I LOVE THIS BALCONY.

Click for next post!

​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Mom came out first and said to Grandma,
“One of them loved it, one of them hated it, and one of them got really nauseous, guess which is which?”
Grandma guessed:
Dad loved it
Young daughter hated it
And the older son felt nauseous.

The tiny daughter then came running up to them and yelled,
“THAT WAS AWESOME!”
Her older brother was behind looking terrified, followed by dad, who looked sick as a dog
Grandma got all of them wrong

That is too funny. I love getting a peek at things like that.

Star Wars is the new Frozen in my opinion.
I like the original 3 films and appreciate the fandom it has.

We love Star Wars but I totally agree, I don,t want everything to be Star Wars.there needs to be a balance.

It was just like that today, except much faster away from me, and he did the most ridiculous MARCH with high knees and elbows swinging
To everyone else he looked like he was marching around alone like a crazy person.
He is so embarrassing.

Ha! I love that he did it enough that you could get a video of it.

I’d heard bad things about Pizzerizzo because obviously the pizza isn’t like fine Italian cuisine or whatever.
But this really hit the spot for me!
The pizza was a bit oily, but very tomato-y which I like.

We haven’t been there yet. But we did go when it was Pizza Planet, and I think the biggest complaint is that it is literally the same food from before.

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 4
Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Part 3 – Le Cellier and Epcot


At 6pm we were waiting for a bus to take us to Epcot for dinner!
The sky looked amazing tonight!
I got this photo with a little birdie flying past!

And then Jamie accidentally stuck his arms out in my shot

The bus came quickly, however, we were driving around for like 10 minutes when I heard an announcement start,
“Ladies and Gentlemen…”
So I thought, “Oh good, we’re at Epcot.”
But then the announcement continued,
“This is Fort Wilderness resort”
LOL
Whyyy does it take so long to get from the Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness?
Weird.

Anyway, we arrived at Epcot at 6:30pm!
As frequent September travellers, it’s hard to believe that it’s ever this dark at 6:30pm!
January was throwing us off, but I enjoyed it a lot, I like being in the parks at night.

It was also our first Festival of the Arts!
But we weren’t going to eat around the festival booths just yet.
We had a dinner reservation at Le Cellier!
We haven’t been here since 2012!
I was very much looking forward to it.

We were seated and brought some yummy Canadian bread.
Our server was very knowledgeable and told us all about each type and where they originated from!

We both ordered the filet mignon with mushroom risotto!
We asked for them medium-rare and they were cooked perfectly.

We also substituted one dining plan dessert for a side of cheddar cheese soup (yes you can do that, who knew!)
AND we ordered a side of lobster mac and cheese
I don’t know why we ordered so much, but we didn’t finish it all.

Jamie clearly has no regrets about ordering so much food

We used our remaining dessert to share a chocolate mousse moose from the kids menu
What a fantastic decision.

This was nice and light after a huge meal.

We had a great time at Le Cellier!
We left the restaurant at 8:30pm feeling VERY full.

Jamie was visibly uncomfortable
So we took a gentle stroll around World Showcase.

We looked in the Canada shop which I LOVE.
I bought some great pyjama shorts from there in 2014, which are still my favourites

Then we browsed the UK pavilion.

I like this egg lady.

Old stove.

They have such basic stuff in the UK pavilion, it always amuses us.
Like, in the UK you can find the finest quality chocolatiers, fudge, Scottish shortbread etc etc.
Yet they sell PENGUIN AND CLUB BARS, which I can buy for £1 at the shop down the road

I’m oddly proud that these are the items we’re showcasing at World Showcase

We continued around and saw some really cool art booths!
The Disney Fine Art one was really neat.

Then we went into Mitsukoshi in the Japan pavilion just as IllumiNations was starting, so it was very quiet.

Jamie loves this store.
He likes these masks, but I don’t think he needs one.

And I loved this balloon bunny guy!
So cute, and so so soft!
But he was too big for my luggage though I think

We spent about 20 minutes in Mitsukoshi, we always have fun in there

When we left the store IllumiNations had ended, and Tapestry of Nations was playing owww my favourite track.

Jamie was sharing his World Showcase knowledge...

We stopped by the Germany pavilion.

I’ve decided I need a Christmas tree full of food items from the Germany Pavilion.
Obviously you have the famous pickle tree.

But look at all these other food treats you can hang from your tree.
It’s all so necessary.

One day I will have a food tree.
Dare to dream.

Next we called in at Mexico!
We’d just seen Coco a couple of days before our trip so I really appreciated this!

After browsing through Mexico we left the park at about 10pm.
A bus arrived right away and we got back to the Wilderness Lodge at 10:15pm.

As we were walking up, Jamie was doing these stretches..
Arms together..

And arms out…

But it was so funny because the man walking up ahead of us started doing THE EXACT SAME THING, IN SYNC WITH JAMIE.
Jamie was like “I’M THE PUPPET MASTER”

He still talks about that moment when he’s doing that stretch

When we got back to the room we could hear the Electric Water Pageant going by!

We got ready for bed, and hit the hay at around 11pm.


Goodnight!

Click for next post!

​

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

Just found and read your whole TR!

Love it!!!

 

[pkondz]

It's just cooled down over the last couple of days after a 2 month heatwave and it's GREAT. I never thought I'd be so glad for it to be cold and rainy again

Bite your tongue!!!!

Disney are such killjoys. It's just a few brain-eating parasites! Lighten up Disney.

Yeah. Besides, the alligators probably ate most of them anyways.

Oww the magical cookie bars are SO GOOD.

coconut = not good

Imagining the looks we'd get turning up to the office with a dragon on our shoulders is making me laugh

I can imagine.
"What the?... What is that? Huh... How much are they? What?? Are you insane?"

That's a very good point, thanks Pedro it is a verrrry long commitment, and you do still have to pay dues each year..

Although... I know of at least one DISer who will tell you the exact opposite.

 

[pkondz]

We didn’t set an alarm for this morning so we woke up naturally and felt very refreshed!

Waking up unnaturally, is the worst. Especially if you have body parts in the wrong spots.

The temperature hit 85F today!
It was very hot for January.

Nice.

Last year we stuffed ourselves full of SO MUCH FOOD with the dining plan, so this time we were determined to be hungry for all of our dinner reservations.
So early lunches were a good plan.

So don't eat less.... just eat earlier. Got it!

I’m a big fan of The Muppets, so we went to Pizzerizzo!
This was pretty new at this point.

Never heard of it. But it's in the same place as the old pizza spot, I think. Pizza Planet, I believe.

That sub looks good! How was it?

there really isn’t any theming at all?
I don’t know if I’m missing something?

Unfortunate.

Jamie used the “Gonzo’s Royal Flush” bathroom

This is the best clip I got of him doing it from a few days later, so you have an idea:

And yet... I notice he's keeping you in sight out of the corner of his eye. And love the ending.

he did the most ridiculous MARCH with high knees and elbows swinging

He's a keeper.



Maybe.

To everyone else he looked like he was marching around alone like a crazy person.
He is so embarrassing.

Yep. A keeper.


from a distance.

This is me sat in the vehicle, after 5 trips/6 years of riding Star Tours and NOT being the rebel spy.

Some day this must happen!

Jamie enjoyed some of the models, but he was telling me how he is not keen on the new movies.
He thinks there’s no plan for the overall story, and it seems like they’re just making it up as they go along.

Hmm... I don't know. Maybe he's right.

He also said there’s a bunch of illogical stuff that just makes the film look dumb and sloppy, such as bombs being dropped in space, where there is no gravity

There is gravity in space. Micro-gravity yes, but it's there.
Nevertheless, perhaps the bombs are guided? I'm not really a huge SW fan so don't remember that scene.

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate what Darth Maul looked like as a baby..

What the heck is that!?!?!?!?

Tower of Terror!
This is probably my second favourite ride, after Splash Mountain.

You could do worse for a second fave!

We had a look in some shops down Sunset Boulevard and they have all been taken over with Star Wars stuff UGH.

Ugh, is right. Really?
I miss when you could find unique items in the shops.

But… more original Disney, less Star Wars please.

Agreed.

Grandma guessed:
Dad loved it
Young daughter hated it
And the older son felt nauseous.

The tiny daughter then came running up to them and yelled,
“THAT WAS AWESOME!”
Her older brother was behind looking terrified, followed by dad, who looked sick as a dog

Our ride photo came out funny because Jamie and the man next to him look really similar, and the man’s daughter and I are clinging on to them in exactly the same way

Twinsies!

I love seeing video footage of Walt.

I remember watching him on TV (black and white, no less) when I was a kid. I was devastated when I found out he had died years earlier. I thought it was live.

I like watching how the multiplane camera works!
It’s very interesting, you can see how sophisticated it was for the time.

Saw a gif of that recently. Pretty interesting.

Jamie was outraged when I told him that last year I had tested out some hints and tips for high scores without telling him

Why did you tell him!?!?!?

I mean, it’s different looking up cheats right before you play.
I don’t know how, but it is.
It’s definitely not allowed.

Absolutely. That's underhanded and unfair. Doing it earlier is research.

We are out of practice, at Toy Story Mania, and strength training.
#NoGymAtChristmas

It felt like we weren’t there long, but there’s just not that much to do right now!

Nope. Soon... but not then. Maybe now with Toy Story land open?

Well, he sat inside until he realised he wasn’t getting enough attention…

The boy's a nut!

I got some entertainment sat out on the balcony tonight because there was a boat captain on the Wilderness, Contemporary, Fort Wilderness route who was singing “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” SUPER loud.
Every 15 minutes I heard faint singing, looked up, and his boat was approaching
By the time he got to the Wilderness dock I could hear him so loud and clearly, just absolutely belting it.
It was so funny

I don't know if that's funny.... or just completely cool!

I got this photo with a little birdie flying past!

<phew!> I thought it was some kind of giant bug.

And then Jamie accidentally stuck his arms out in my shot

"The most dramatic sunset video ever"

Whyyy does it take so long to get from the Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness?
Weird.

Because it's a fort. You have to go through the defenses.

I like being in the parks at night.

That's the best!

We were seated and brought some yummy Canadian bread.

I loooove that pretzel bread.

We both ordered the filet mignon with mushroom risotto!

I should hope so!

We also substituted one dining plan dessert for a side of cheddar cheese soup (yes you can do that, who knew!)

Huh. Had no idea.

I don’t know why we ordered so much, but we didn’t finish it all.

Didn't arrive quite hungry enough, apparently.

We looked in the Canada shop which I LOVE.

You do? I think it's terrible. We have so much more to offer than.... Beaver Butt soap.

I like this egg lady.

I've never seen that before!

They have such basic stuff in the UK pavilion

And I love looking around there.

Huh.

He likes these masks, but I don’t think he needs one.

The similarity is striking.

But look at all these other food treats you can hang from your tree.
It’s all so necessary.

This obviously has to happen.

We’d just seen Coco a couple of days before our trip so I really appreciated this!

After browsing through Mexico we left the park at about 10pm.
A bus arrived right away and we got back to the Wilderness Lodge at 10:15pm.

Nice! Score.

But it was so funny because the man walking up ahead of us started doing THE EXACT SAME THING, IN SYNC WITH JAMIE.
Jamie was like “I’M THE PUPPET MASTER”

No way!

 

[happenin2you]

That's great info, thanks so much for sharing! So if you're already a member and you want to buy more points when Riviera opens, do you get any deals or discounts? And if half of your points are at AKL and half are at the Poly, at the 11 month mark do you have to split your stay up like that, or can you use all of your points to book at the Poly 11 months out?

Thank you for the great tips about Paris and Heathrow!

DVC is pretty good about offering deals to members to get them to add on more points. When we added on at Poly we got 110 points for the price of 100, plus we got an extra year's allotment of points up front to be used that year. As far as booking, it can be a bit frustrating owning at two resorts because when booking at the 11 month window, we can only book AKV with AKV points and Poly with Poly points. We haven't had any trouble switching to other resorts that aren't our home at the 11 month window, though. Just the Grand Californian, but they're so small, it's super hard to book there. At this point, we're a fan of split stays because of transportation so the two contracts suit us; that's actually why we want to add on at Riviera when it becomes available so we have an EPCOT resort.

 

[paradesintherain]

My favorite bathrooms in DHS!

This is me sat in the vehicle, after 5 trips/6 years of riding Star Tours and NOT being the rebel spy.

OMG me too! It's never going to happen.

A little after 1pm we went to use our fastpass at Tower of Terror!
This is probably my second favourite ride, after Splash Mountain.

Same favorites as me! Except I can't choose between Splash and Tower.

Our ride photo came out funny because Jamie and the man next to him look really similar, and the man’s daughter and I are clinging on to them in exactly the same way

This is seriously great!

YAY FOR ONE MAN’S DREAM
(I say, as I grit my teeth waiting for them to announce they’re bulldozing it…)

It does seem inevitable..

Oh I miss this entrance!

Lovely photo!

Then we went into Mitsukoshi in the Japan pavilion just as IllumiNations was starting, so it was very quiet.

Wow I've never seen it that empty!

 

[Raeven]

Our ride photo came out funny because Jamie and the man next to him look really similar, and the man’s daughter and I are clinging on to them in exactly the same way

It looks like you planned it

We used our remaining dessert to share a chocolate mousse moose from the kids menu
What a fantastic decision.

I love it

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Sounds like a great evening in EPCOT!