Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[MissMaryQC]

Man, you guys sure know how to have a relaxing, uneventful vacation!

Sorry dinner wasn't so good as you remember. I hate it when that happens. You get all excited and ready for something and then it's only ok. Never fun.

I'd say you did pretty well for an evening in MK. I haven't been during the winter holidays in many years, but I remember it being extra magical! Glad to hear DD wasn't disappointed by awful in the Frozen portion of the show.

I always liked seeing backstage, but it stinks the reroute caused you to miss part of the projection show. Then again, maybe that little detour allowed you to experience the thrill that was your boat ride home!

 

[Dugette]

Yes, the Wilderness Lodge during the holidays is a must-see! I haven't eaten at WCC yet, but it's on the "someday" list - sounds fun and decent food. I didn't know that WL was getting a splash pad - another plus for that place!

Glad you got to see all the nighttime MK shows. Another beautiful castle picture too!

And WOW. That is quite the story to go with your TR title! How crazy that he crashed the boat like that! Sounds like there were CMs on standby to respond quickly, though. Glad everyone was okay and it didn't delay your night too much. And you probably thought the only booms and crashes you were going to hear that night were from fireworks!

 

[shan23877]

Oh no! We finally book a reservation at WCC and now the food's not that good???? The President of the WCC fan club says so?

I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't as good as you remember. I hear that a lot-about a lot of WDW restaurants. Disappointing for sure.

Yay Awful! He's the best. It does seem a bit weird that Elsa is lighting the castle, but she does a fabulous job.

20 minutes for Pirates? With FP. Yuck. I've been in your shoes pointing out the funny things. The dog was always popular...

Love Wishes. It's hands down my favorite. I tear up every time.

HOLY COW! He crashed into the boat dock-- that's crazy! I suspect that guy may have gotten reassigned shortly after that happened.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm still getting used to the new DISboards, but being able to pull quotes directly from the post sure does make responding to TR chapters a lot easier!

We love visiting WL. We stayed there in 2011 and it is still my favorite resort. AoA is a close second now, but I just love WL. We always make it a point to visit there, especially around Christmas time to see the big tree.

I would LOVE to see WL at Christmas time. I go back and forth between this and AKL being my favorite resorts. Having those animals right of the balcony is pretty magical.

We all had the skillet with the bottomless milkshake for our drink under the dining plan. It was good, but the food wasn’t quite as good as on our previous trips.

All in all, I love WCC, and we’ll definitely be back. We’ve always had exceptional service there, this time included. But the food wasn’t as good as past visits. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite as good as what we’re used to having.

That stinks. I think it might not necessarily be a drop in the quality, but it's just a danger that is present with the family-style dinners. Sometimes you get the portion that was on the burner a little longer at the tail end of the batch.

So I sat with a folded double stroller in my lap.

Yay! Glad you didn't hit the dock on that leg of the journey.

I have to say, that while it seems odd that Elsa lights Cinderella’s castle instead of the Fairy Godmother, I think this show was very well done and amazing to see. I loved how they integrated the projections and the lights to give the castle the effect of being frozen.

Even on YouTube, it's really cool!

FP+ has not been kind to this ride, that is for certain.

Not good to hear. Pirates was always one of the fastest-loading rides. I always felt like I could count on that one.

We were basically told to just go that way anyway and then we could head back up Main Street from Town Square… so we ventured backstage for the first time ever. Definitely kills a little bit of the magic, but oh well.

I'd still probably be saying, "Cool...we're backstage..."

I’m not sure there’s enough room, but the guy driving this boat is a pro, right???

Surely you can't be serious.

2 men who looked to be fairly important were running down the dock towards the boat.

Was one of them Fed? I wouldn't be surprised.

So, now you have the TR title story. I’m sorry to disappoint some of you.

Disappoint me? No, this is very entertaining!

The 2 who came on the boat, ushered Skipper off and a new captain came on board to take us safely to WL with no more problems.

We later heard reports that Skipper is now managing a Disney Store in Fargo, ND.

 

[franandaj]

I always try to type my updates in word so I can save and modify them. Then I just copy and paste them here. I had all the format codes saved to my word document so I just have to update the text and picture links when I do a new update. Everything I did before translated over to the new format fine except the "center" code around the pictures, so it was really fairly painless. I expected more problems than I had.

I do this too. It allows me to collect my thoughts better and it cuts down on the "DIS ate my post" momemts.

 

[kastoney]

Quite the humdrum vacation you all are having, when is it going to get exciting ; ).

Glad u all got to experiences Xmas in the lodge. On my disney bucket list. Just steer clear of those skipping and sipping. I'm guessing that guy had to do a lot more than pee in a cup.

 

[RGirl]

Hi Andy!

I’m so glad to read that you enjoyed Garden Grill! We tried it for the first time on our last trip, and it immediately became one of our favorite character meals (and, in case you don’t know, we have some significant familiarity with character meals ). I hate the idea of having to eat at 3:00 though - that’s unfortunate.

The pic of your DD high-fiving Tigger is precious. She may not have been ready to be totally into the furry characters, but she sure was brave.

So glad you enjoyed the Candlelight Processional - it always looks and sounds amazing. Obviously though, they should probably supply fruit snacks!

I’m with you on the new ride at Norway. I know a lot of people loved Maelstrom, and I certainly enjoyed it. But I think it will be fun to have something new!

Hmm, I’m thinking this is one positive for FP+ - missing RP but still being able to hit the newest and therefore most popular ride in the park? Pretty cool! Willow is super-excited to do 7DMT for the first time this summer - I have a feeling that she thinks it’s a LOT more of a big roller coaster than it is.

Definitely sounds like it was a blessing in disguise that DS wasn’t tall enough the second time. I cannot imagine riding SPACE if I was afraid of the dark - I mean, that is one DARK ride.

Loved reading about your time at WL. Willow and I fell in love with WL too on our last trip - the first time we had visited it. I never really thought much about it because I am from and currently live in the Pacific Northwest. It didn’t seem like it would be that exciting to me. Obviously, we were blown away and can’t wait to stay there this summer!

Very cool to read about the Frozen Holiday Wish - I have not read anything about it before except that it happened.

So Pirates. Having recently made it to DL, what did you think??? Does the DL version not put the MK one to shame?

Great parade pics - love Goofy stuffed into the little car. This is a parade we have never managed to see (it is very hard to get my traveling companion to stop and wait for such things when there are RIDES, RIDES, I tell you!).

OMG! The boat! What in the WORLD?????? Love your comment though - I was very curious from whence that TR title hailed!

 

[natebenma]

Great update!!!

I have yet to step foot in the Wilderness Lodge, but I would love to look around. Such a gorgeous place.

Bummer about a meal that wasn't quite as good as in the past. That seems to be theme I have been seeing lately.

Fun times at MK!!! So magical at night! Glad you got to see the shows and parade.

That's too bad about the wait time on Pirates- both for standby and FP. As others have said, this ride always seemed to be a sure thing to get on quickly.

Wow! That was quite a story about the boat crashing into the dock. Great exposition for the TR title. So not the way I thought that one was going. I'm really glad to hear that nobody was hurt.

 

[momabbate]

Wow what a day!! I agree I need to do rope drop. Our first trip we knew it took place, but had no idea how much energy it gives. We only caught some of the end. Next trip was just me and DD. We saw it 3 times in 5 days. Oh my on that boat ride. Glad everyone was ok. It did give you a great title for your report. Even my hubby asked me a couple weeks ago what was with the title. Sounds like everyone is having a great trip.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Great update. We didn't see the Electric Parade this time but did enjoy wishes and the Electric Water Parade on Bay lake. We saw it from California Grill.
That sounds like a scary boat ride to WL. I wouldn't have wanted to be that boat Captain.

 

[MEK]

OK - I totally didn't see that coming as the origin of your TR title. Wow - I wonder what was going on with that skipper. Crazy. And scary. I'm glad everyone was OK. yikes!

Dinner sounds fun, although I, like you, have noticed a decline in food quality. It really is one of my pet peeves right now. It's not like the food is bad, it's just not good like I once remember.

Glad you got over to MK in one piece and got to see the parade, castle show, and the fireworks. And glad you got back to WL in one piece. Sheesh!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm behind by 2 updates.

We're a rope drop family. It makes me nervous if we're not at the park for rope drop. I keep thinking of all the people getting ahead of me and all the time I'm wasting. You really can get a lot done early before the crowds get there.

I can't wait to ride 7DMT for the first time. We love BTMR so I know we'll like this too. Glad your son like them too. That was the right call for SM. I personally don't ride it anymore due to the jerkiness. I'm sure the darkness would have given him a scare. I think it's great that you got son Daddy-daughter time on Tea Cups.

We ate at WCC and really had a great time. We had a great waiter and enjoyed the food just fine. I've been trying to get DH there.

 

[afwdwfan]

Love WL especially at Christmas! MK decorated for Christmas is one of my favorite sights. That is a crazy story about the boat! Glad no one was hurt and I think you were right about someone peeing in a cup!

I do love the Christmas decorations around MK and the resorts. I'm going to miss them... I'm not sure when I'll get to see everything decorated for Christmas again.

That's always a good thing!

It certainly helps... and it relieves my stress.

I've never done WCC, but one day I want to go just to watch the server/guest interactions (I would definitely want the server who doesn't get into too much, though)/

It really is a great place to eat. I've found that the servers, for the most part, are responsive to how crazy you want the experience to be. Every time we've been there our server has been great.

Sorry to hear the food wasn't good, but glad you enjoyed!

It was good enough... just not quite up to their past standards.

But the corn bread was still amazing. I could have made a meal out of just the corn bread.

Yay! More Awful!

Hmm ... when I did it with FP+ there was no line (and we went out in a half-empty boat, but that's a different story). I'm thinking the earlier closure may have been at least a partial reason.

Yeah, I assumed that probably played a role in the FP+ line being so backed up. But I definitely noticed the standby line always seemed to be a little inflated compared to the past.

I love watching MSEP from Fronteirland - I think it's a little less crowded than Main Street and even though the parade gets there later, it's still a great place to sit and watch (unless you have a bunch of high school kids sitting behind you constantly repeating "Red Robin ... yum" - that happened to me once). You got some great pictures from the parade!

Ok, that's funny. Maybe not if you were the one sitting there listening to it. But really, yeah, Frontierland is a great place to see the parade. I've watched it there several times and I always enjoy the fact that you don't have to camp out quite as early to still get a great view.

Huh. I was assuming drunk, but I guess that's also a possibility. Either way, definitely seems like he was either impaired or had no idea how to drive the boat.

Drunk, drugs, tired, major screw up. Whatever the case was, I'm sure he was going to be taking some drug tests and doing some paperwork.

Nice fringe benefit of the boat crash ... I guess that's the silver lining here!

That's one way to look at it.

Yeah ... I'm guessing he wasn't getting any bonuses for that shift's work.

Sounds like a good end to the night - and I love that late night AoA picture!

It was a good end to the night. Frankly, the boat incident might have added to it. I mean it didn't significantly delay us and it gave us a heck of a story and something we'll never forget!

You accomplished a lot of things at MK. Your picture of the castle at night is beautiful. I am glad everyone on the boat was okay. I work at a Marian and you would be surprised at the number of people who run into and on top of docks.

We really did get a lot done. We were really just hoping to see Wishes and MSEP, but it was nice to catch the Frozen show so we wouldn't have to do it at the party.

I can only imagine the things you might see from amateur boaters...

You all had a great evening...and how many people can say they crashed into the Magic Kingdom boat dock?!! Glad you made it back safely though. Can't wait for more!

I know! We accomplished everything we wanted to do in the parks and got a heck of story to tell in the process.

 

[afwdwfan]

Better you than me!
(My turn will come soon enough! )

It's getting easier every time.

I definitely like the new multi quote method where you just highlight the quote that you want. Much faster and easier.

Give it up man. You'll give yourself an ulcer!

Dole Whip floats!
Frozen meet and greet!
Bungee jump off the castle!

All would have been preferable.

Hadn't heard that it was short. At least now I'll be informed vs disappointed.

It isn't that it is just a super short ride. I mean it is definitely well worth riding, but I guess I expected quite a bit more "dark ride" type scenes than it actually had.

Oh. Ah well, I've never been on a swinging coaster before, so I won't miss what I've never had, right?

True.

Hmmmm..... that seems rather convenient, no?
"I'm not sure if I want to ride this... Oh, darn! I must've shrunk!"

Yeah, I assume that played a role in it.

Disney is not for the timid, or the weak, mister!!

True dat.

Lots of people need diapers changed when they see the Splash drop, so I totally get it.

Good to know, thanks.

Splash and Pirates closed?
That bites.

Yeah... If you want to get in a boat that goes down a hill, clearly this was not your day.

I'm sorry to hear that. I feel your pain.

Just like the Tea Cups... can't walk past it without at least one request to ride it.

I wonder what she would've said if you'd apologized and then told her to go ahead.
"I can't we're waiting for someone."
"Ah." You would say. "But we are not, buh bye."

They all got there as we were approaching the Entrance... so I guess even that wouldn't have been a valid argument at that time. It was really just absurd though. I mean it is the Swiss Family Tree House, for crying out loud.

The ironic thing is, they had a little girl with them who kept stopping that we kept getting stuck behind.

Yes. Yes I can.

Atta boy. (With hands placed firmly over kidlets' ears.)

And that's a big part of why I just kept my mouth shut and let them go.

Before muttering under my breath.

Have to be a good example.

At least that's what DW tells me when I'm not.

Plus stress plus Disney plus....
Yeah. Not surprised.

When you put it that way...

Woot! Great place to take kids!

Great place for the adults too.

Oooo... Colour me envious!

I loved staying there. I hope we can go back sometime!

I was going to say, "too bad", but since you were fine with just watching, it's all good.

Yeah, we just enjoy sitting back, enjoying our food and watching the mayhem unfold around us.

Didn't know about that.

I didn't either until I saw it. We walked on the boardwalk between the hot tubs and the geyser. It is right next to the hot tubs. Looked like they were finishing the splash area and doing some deck work around the hot tubs when we were there.

It certainly looks impressive, though.

It was very well done!

You're probably right.

I certainly hope that's the case. If that is normal for FP+, then there's something really wrong with that.

Huh. I think I might've heard about this, but you're the first person I know that it's actually happened to.

It wasn't bad... I mean if we wanted to leave the park, it would have been awesome to cut through there and avoid the traffic. But being that we wanted to go to MS, it really sucked that we had to go that way.

Holy smokes!

That's the PC way of saying it.

So that's where the title's from!

Not at all! That's funny!

Well, I thought so too when I made that the title. Then I think there seemed to be some expectation that someone was going to literally pee in a cup, so I was afraid I set everyone up for a letdown.

Perhaps they keel hauled him?
Ever been told what that actually was?
Not pleasant.
Thanks for the update(s)!

that would be extremely unpleasant.

For the record Skipper seemed to be a very kind, older gentleman. He just couldn't drive a boat to save his own life.

Sorry that WCC wasn't all it used to be. Seems like a lot of that is going around. We're having breakfast there Ina couple months, first time dining there.

Yeah, this won't be the last restaurant that we noticed a decline in.

Sounds like a jam packed night at MK, but that boat crash sounds crazy! I totally relate to the TR title, kind of like the time we got stuck in a Disney elevator, you never think about the last time you went unless all of a sudden you have no options!

It was a fun night, and it was definitely memorable.

And yeah, I totally get where you're coming from. Sometimes the urge to go hits at the worst times. In this case, though, I was referring to Skipper taking a drug test.

Nice you finally made it home and not too late.

Yes, it was a relief to get back when we did. I'm glad they didn't delay us any longer than necessary after the incident.

I type most of my updates in Word too, but there were some conversion issues (apparently) with punctuation that came over from Word, so some of my posts are pretty messed-up looking. Either a bunch of characters instead of an apostrophe or no punctuation at all (and some are fine ). There is a thread on the tech support board about it, so I'm hopeful that they can fix it. If you look at my last post on my PTR from before the conversion, you'll see what I mean. That is smart to save the format codes in Word. I never did that, but I could also format my posts in my sleep after all these TRs in the same exact font.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I always had to kind of preview and reformat as needed. I'm kind of the same way with the codes I use the most. I can type them right in if necessary. But I always use the same text size, color, etc. so I just leave that all formatted and ready to go for the next update.

 

[glaserjm]

You're right about the skipper getting to pee in the cup! Sorry you had to experience that bit of "non magic" but at least you got a TR title out of it!

I too love WL...we haven't stayed there yet (it's hard to pull ourselves away from OKW) but we always seem to find a reason to visit while we're there.

 

[afwdwfan]

Man, you guys sure know how to have a relaxing, uneventful vacation!

I know, right? Usually our trips really are uneventful, for the most part. But our Disney World and Disneyland trips this time around were anything but uneventful.

Sorry dinner wasn't so good as you remember. I hate it when that happens. You get all excited and ready for something and then it's only ok. Never fun.

I know! WCC is still going to be in frequent rotation among our dining plans for future trips, but the food quality definitely wasn't what I'd experienced in the past. The milkshake and cornbread were both still as awesome as ever though!

I'd say you did pretty well for an evening in MK. I haven't been during the winter holidays in many years, but I remember it being extra magical! Glad to hear DD wasn't disappointed by awful in the Frozen portion of the show.

It really is a magical time to be there. I'm going to miss going during the holidays!

I always liked seeing backstage, but it stinks the reroute caused you to miss part of the projection show. Then again, maybe that little detour allowed you to experience the thrill that was your boat ride home!

Yeah, I'd have probably enjoyed the backstage portion if it was a situation where we were trying to actually leave the park. I'd have slowed down and looked around some. But we really just wanted to get back out on Main Street, so we were speed walking by everything and everyone trying to get back to the park!

Yes, the Wilderness Lodge during the holidays is a must-see! I haven't eaten at WCC yet, but it's on the "someday" list - sounds fun and decent food. I didn't know that WL was getting a splash pad - another plus for that place!

It was a good meal. The food was good, even if down from the past. The cornbread alone is worth going there. The splash pad, I think, will be a great addition there. The pool area just isn't all that kid friendly, but this will be a nice improvement.

Glad you got to see all the nighttime MK shows. Another beautiful castle picture too!

Thanks! We really lucked out on being able to accomplish all our goals for the evening and then some.

And WOW. That is quite the story to go with your TR title! How crazy that he crashed the boat like that! Sounds like there were CMs on standby to respond quickly, though. Glad everyone was okay and it didn't delay your night too much. And you probably thought the only booms and crashes you were going to hear that night were from fireworks!

Yeah, no kidding! They were quick to respond to the accident, that is for sure. But it really had to have drawn their attention that something was going wrong when we were slowly floating towards the wall at the edge of the lake so I'm sure they were en route before we ever came close to the dock.

Oh no! We finally book a reservation at WCC and now the food's not that good???? The President of the WCC fan club says so?

It was still good. The cornbread was phenomenal, as always. The milkshake was excellent. The meats were good... but not necessarily cooked properly. I guess that's the nice way of saying it.

If I were to use shan23877 dining review standards...

Service: 4.5. Our server was aware of our needs, she brought us extra corn bread and we were well cared for. Nothing extra special to warrant a 5, but there is nothing to complain about at all.

Food: 2.5. Not bad, but not up to the usual standards. The Ribs, which are my usual favorite there, were overcooked and tough. The other meats were fine, but slightly overcooked and dry seemed to be the chef's specialty. The cornbread, as always, was fantastic. Seriously, I could just sit and eat that stuff.

Will we return? Heck yeah. The food wasn't "bad," but it just didn't live up to our standards for the place. I'll attribute it to an off night until they prove otherwise.

I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't as good as you remember. I hear that a lot-about a lot of WDW restaurants. Disappointing for sure.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only case of a restaurant taking a step back on this trip. And it was far from being the biggest letdown.

Yay Awful! He's the best. It does seem a bit weird that Elsa is lighting the castle, but she does a fabulous job.

Somewhat out of place, but she definitely puts on a heck of a show!

20 minutes for Pirates? With FP. Yuck. I've been in your shoes pointing out the funny things. The dog was always popular...

Oh yeah... we talked the dog up big time. The whole ride we talked about that dog. He was at least excited when we got to that scene.

Love Wishes. It's hands down my favorite. I tear up every time.

HOLY COW! He crashed into the boat dock-- that's crazy! I suspect that guy may have gotten reassigned shortly after that happened.

Yeah, I think reassigned might have been best case scenario.

I really couldn't believe it. As we were in no mans land between the wall and the dock, I was wondering if this guy had ever driven a boat before. He seemed to struggle with subtlety on the throttle. It was either wide open or nothing.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm still getting used to the new DISboards, but being able to pull quotes directly from the post sure does make responding to TR chapters a lot easier!

would LOVE to see WL at Christmas time. I go back and forth between this and AKL being my favorite resorts. Having those animals right of the balcony is pretty magical.

I don't think I could argue with that, at all. As someone who really values park time though, I love the boat launch to MK. Well, most of the time...

That stinks. I think it might not necessarily be a drop in the quality, but it's just a danger that is present with the family-style dinners. Sometimes you get the portion that was on the burner a little longer at the tail end of the batch.

I might be able to buy that, however, we were there for the first dinner seating of the evening and we were among the first seated and served in the restaurant. It would be a reasonable explanation for the "overcooked" state of the meats.

Yay! Glad you didn't hit the dock on that leg of the journey.

We can't make everything a thrill ride.

Even on YouTube, it's really cool!

Not good to hear. Pirates was always one of the fastest-loading rides. I always felt like I could count on that one.

I know. This is the drawback of FP+. We usually ride Pirates 2 or 3 times, just because we enjoy it and will walk by and see a 5 minute posted wait, basically all the time. That was never the case on this trip. FP+ really seemed to be hurting Pirates and Haunted Mansion in particular.

I'd still probably be saying, "Cool...we're backstage..."

I definitely would have had that attitude about it if it weren't for the fact that we wanted to get to MS and see the projections.

Surely you can't be serious.

I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

Was one of them Fed? I wouldn't be surprised.

Well, nobody fell in the water...

Disappoint me? No, this is very entertaining!

Well, I was afraid that there would be unrest among the readers when it turned out that nobody actually peed in a cup.

We later heard reports that Skipper is now managing a Disney Store in Fargo, ND.

Managing or cleaning toilets?

I do this too. It allows me to collect my thoughts better and it cuts down on the "DIS ate my post" momemts.

Yeah, the first time the DIS ate one of my TR updates is when I adopted that practice.

Quite the humdrum vacation you all are having, when is it going to get exciting ; ).

Yeah, pretty low key.

I swear this stuff usually never happens to us. This Disney World and then our Disneyland trip were definitely exceptions.

Glad u all got to experiences Xmas in the lodge. On my disney bucket list. Just steer clear of those skipping and sipping. I'm guessing that guy had to do a lot more than pee in a cup.

I can't think that this was good for his career at Disney World.

I absolutely love the Lodge. Christmas or otherwise, but that tree is just stunning.

 

[afwdwfan]

I’m so glad to read that you enjoyed Garden Grill! We tried it for the first time on our last trip, and it immediately became one of our favorite character meals (and, in case you don’t know, we have some significant familiarity with character meals ). I hate the idea of having to eat at 3:00 though - that’s unfortunate.

Yeah, I wasn't crazy about the time, but the restaurant and the meal were both very good.

The pic of your DD high-fiving Tigger is precious. She may not have been ready to be totally into the furry characters, but she sure was brave.

And she would continue to get a bit braver.

So glad you enjoyed the Candlelight Processional - it always looks and sounds amazing. Obviously though, they should probably supply fruit snacks!

They should have vendors walking the aisles like at a ball game.

I’m with you on the new ride at Norway. I know a lot of people loved Maelstrom, and I certainly enjoyed it. But I think it will be fun to have something new!

Hmm, I’m thinking this is one positive for FP+ - missing RP but still being able to hit the newest and therefore most popular ride in the park? Pretty cool! Willow is super-excited to do 7DMT for the first time this summer - I have a feeling that she thinks it’s a LOT more of a big roller coaster than it is

That is THE benefit of FP+, IMO. 7DMT is a fantastic ride, but I hope you can convince her to temper her expectations of it as a thrill ride.

Definitely sounds like it was a blessing in disguise that DS wasn’t tall enough the second time. I cannot imagine riding SPACE if I was afraid of the dark - I mean, that is one DARK ride.

Yeah. I think he'd have been fine, but he probably wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Loved reading about your time at WL. Willow and I fell in love with WL too on our last trip - the first time we had visited it. I never really thought much about it because I am from and currently live in the Pacific Northwest. It didn’t seem like it would be that exciting to me. Obviously, we were blown away and can’t wait to stay there this summer!

It is just a beautiful resort, and the proximity to MK is just a feather in its hat.

I'll say more about this when I get to Disneyland, but having just stayed at GCH, I couldn't help but compare them to each other. And frankly, I like WL better.

Very cool to read about the Frozen Holiday Wish - I have not read anything about it before except that it happened.

It was really a cool show. Check it out on Youtube!

So Pirates. Having recently made it to DL, what did you think??? Does the DL version not put the MK one to shame?

Um... wow. Yeah. It will still be a must ride at MK, but the DL version is incredible!

Great parade pics - love Goofy stuffed into the little car. This is a parade we have never managed to see (it is very hard to get my traveling companion to stop and wait for such things when there are RIDES, RIDES, I tell you!).

I totally understand that. Up until the past few trips, I always saw parades as an ally. They'd draw crowds away from the rides so I could experience a shorter line.

OMG! The boat! What in the WORLD?????? Love your comment though - I was very curious from whence that TR title hailed!

I'm telling you, this is an evening we'll never forget.

Great update!!!

Thanks!

I have yet to step foot in the Wilderness Lodge, but I would love to look around. Such a gorgeous place.

It really is beautiful. And relaxing. I love staying there, but sometimes just walking around is just as good.

Bummer about a meal that wasn't quite as good as in the past. That seems to be theme I have been seeing lately.

We noticed that at a couple of other places as well.

Fun times at MK!!! So magical at night! Glad you got to see the shows and parade.

It was a great night. Always fun to see Wishes and we did everything we wanted to do.

That's too bad about the wait time on Pirates- both for standby and FP. As others have said, this ride always seemed to be a sure thing to get on quickly.

Yeah, I really hope that this adjusts somehow going forward. I remember in 2012, the queue area inside the building was used for stroller parking. Now, it is being used for actual queue lines.

Wow! That was quite a story about the boat crashing into the dock. Great exposition for the TR title. So not the way I thought that one was going. I'm really glad to hear that nobody was hurt.

It certainly made for an evening that we will never forget!

Wow what a day!! I agree I need to do rope drop. Our first trip we knew it took place, but had no idea how much energy it gives. We only caught some of the end. Next trip was just me and DD. We saw it 3 times in 5 days. Oh my on that boat ride. Glad everyone was ok. It did give you a great title for your report. Even my hubby asked me a couple weeks ago what was with the title. Sounds like everyone is having a great trip.

Rope Drop is great! And yeah, that music just sets a great town and gets in your head as you walk down Main Street.

The boat ride certainly gave us a night to remember and a story to tell.

 

[franandaj]

In this case, though, I was referring to Skipper taking a drug test.

Doh! I TOTALLY missed that one!

 

[afwdwfan]

Great update. We didn't see the Electric Parade this time but did enjoy wishes and the Electric Water Parade on Bay lake. We saw it from California Grill.
That sounds like a scary boat ride to WL. I wouldn't have wanted to be that boat Captain.

I don't think you could go wrong with seeing the water parade from California Grill. I'd imagine that was probably a pretty nice evening for you.

I'm guessing the boat captain's job security probably got a little bit shaky.

OK - I totally didn't see that coming as the origin of your TR title. Wow - I wonder what was going on with that skipper. Crazy. And scary. I'm glad everyone was OK. yikes!

It was certainly an interesting turn of events to say the least.

Dinner sounds fun, although I, like you, have noticed a decline in food quality. It really is one of my pet peeves right now. It's not like the food is bad, it's just not good like I once remember.

Exactly! I felt that way about a few of our meals. Not that it was bad, but just disappointing.

Glad you got over to MK in one piece and got to see the parade, castle show, and the fireworks. And glad you got back to WL in one piece. Sheesh!

Well, no boats sank, so all in all, I'll take that as a win.

We're a rope drop family. It makes me nervous if we're not at the park for rope drop. I keep thinking of all the people getting ahead of me and all the time I'm wasting. You really can get a lot done early before the crowds get there.

That's exactly how I feel too. That's all I was thinking about when we stood in line waiting for a bus.

I can't wait to ride 7DMT for the first time. We love BTMR so I know we'll like this too. Glad your son like them too. That was the right call for SM. I personally don't ride it anymore due to the jerkiness. I'm sure the darkness would have given him a scare. I think it's great that you got son Daddy-daughter time on Tea Cups.

7DMT is a fun ride. Tamer than BTMRR, but still a lot of fun.

I don't blame you about SM. It really is jerky. I'm just dumb enough to go ahead and ride it anyway and then just hope I don't tweak my back.

We ate at WCC and really had a great time. We had a great waiter and enjoyed the food just fine. I've been trying to get DH there.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I don't want to discourage anyone from eating there, because it is still one of my favorites. But if I'm going to write about the meal, I might as well be honest about it. Typically the ribs there are great. Point out all the meat options on the skillet... which are all you can eat. There aren't many guys who can resist that.

You're right about the skipper getting to pee in the cup! Sorry you had to experience that bit of "non magic" but at least you got a TR title out of it!

A TR title, a story to tell and an evening we'll never forget. it is the gift that keeps on giving.

I too love WL...we haven't stayed there yet (it's hard to pull ourselves away from OKW) but we always seem to find a reason to visit while we're there.

I love WL. I don't have a personal attachment to anywhere in particular. We try to stay in different resorts and try them out. But if I were to return to a resort I've stayed at before, it would be WL or AoA. And I wouldn't hesitate to book either one.

Doh! I TOTALLY missed that one!