The ABCs of a Very Merry Christmastime Land and Sea Adventure- M is for: Making the Most of a Morning Safari!

[Steppesister]

Yay for your trip! I’m here to join in all the fun! I only saw like 5 trees this year at DS!
I’m excited to hear all about it!

Hi Caroline!! I'm glad you're here!! I think unless you were intentionally looking for those trees, especially at night, they were kinda hard to find. I think I actually may have missed one entirely, at least I can't find my photo of it.

 

[Steppesister]

The sunrise is beautiful. We always take the "sunrise" flight out of Chicago-Midway but seldom see the sunrise. Most people keep the shades down. It is my biggest gripe since I almost always have a middle seat and no control over the window shades.

That's actually illegal and you have every right to ask for them to be up for take off and landing! It's a safety thing as well as polite travel etiquette!

https://www.travelandleisure.com/wi...ndow shade during,.com tells Travel + Leisure.

You managed to do the impossible, especially since you had checked luggage.

I was so glad it worked out, and you're right!! I was cutting it WAY too close. That was not the only time there'd be a close call!

The rideshare drop-off is near the boat dock, so we have experienced that long walk when staying at POR. You must have been moving pretty fast to make it to the Summerhouse on time.

There are actually 2. I was dropped at the one by the Cirque du Soleil which I didn't even know about. Either way, since they're both at extreme ends of the Springs, you're walking a LONG way! This one IS closer to the Summerhouse though.

I had lunch at the Summerhouse with my sister last November. I love the openness of it. I had a great view of the rainstorm that blew through while we were eating.

Oh! I can imagine it'd be a PERFECT spot for watching a Florida storm roll through! Especially at the bar that faces out.

I love fish tacos. I'm happy to know that they are good.

I was pleased with the food for sure!

 

[Malia78]

I was sad to have missed that! I ended up riding the boat 3 times over the course of my trip, both day and night so did get to see it in all of its Greenhous-y glory!

I'm sure you will post some lovely pics when you get to that part of your report...here is a teaser then of what I captured on the tour.

 

[pkondz]

The sacrifice is a solid one as it buys you a whole extra day without the need for a Disney-priced hotel. And if it's hot out you can use that arrival day for a half pool day while you wait for your room

Both good reasons. I seldom... (never) arrive early. Flights from YWG arrive MCO in the afternoon or evening.

There were some intense moments of contemplation.

I believe you.

My sister that lives in the DC area stayed on for the week and the one who lives locally moved in with Mom until got back. That made it "less hard".

Nice that you had family to support each other.

I'm fairly certain the color was not accidental.

Yeah, this one was the odd duck out. Very weird. Then again, it was by Cirque so maybe it was trying to reflect the show a bit?

Maybe? Still weird.

Hmmm, true. But it was mostly ocean fish- tuna, shrimp, etc....

Salt water lake...

Yeah, I'm not buying it either.

I did, however, find a few occasions to pig out later in the trip!

Disney does that to ya.

 

[pkondz]

here is a teaser then of what I captured on the tour.

Thanks, Kari!

Lovely photo of you. How much did you want to open that huge present??

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm pretty zippy! I always try to hit the potty BEFORE landing then head straight to the fake-o-rail. They announced which baggage claim my stuff would be on so headed straight to that next and positioned myself near the end where it dumps out so I don't have to wait for it to go all the way around. I called for a ride share as soon as I got it and bee-lined it for the pick up area. Luckily, it's not a far walk at all AND there was one available within 3 minutes this time. I've only used the "Add stop" feature a couple of other times but it sure came in handy this time so I didn't have to wait for a 2nd one to get to The Springs. Voila!

Hmm sounds like it might be hard to replicate for a first timer Having said that, I've just realised that we're actually flying into Tampa, so it's more departures from MCO that I'll be looking for all the hot tips for!

The other cool thing, that I didn't mention, is that on about half of them you can use your Magic Band+ to make them "do stuff".

Still not sure if we'll bother with Magic Bands. I totally would have if we could have purchased them in advance but not sure if it's something I want to bother with once we get there.

If you want unique, fun, and quirky head straight for Jock Lindsay's. There is a TON of themed stuff in there from Indiana Jones and the legendary SEA/ Jungle Cruise back stories. Plus they have a themed menu and fun cocktails.

Now that sounds right up our alley

Here's another from the same artist that I didn't post:

Beautiful

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

My sister that lives in the DC area stayed on for the week and the one who lives locally moved in with Mom until got back. That made it "less hard".

It’s so good to have family support. I’m glad your sisters were able to ease the burden for you
I’m glad you were able to make your trip happen and feel it’s what your dad would’ve wanted for you. All we ever want is for our children to be happy regardless of age

I'm sure you will post some lovely pics when you get to that part of your report...here is a teaser then of what I captured on the tour.

All the festive photos have strengthened my resolve to visit WDW during December sometime.

 

[Wood Nymph]

That's actually illegal and you have every right to ask for them to be up for take off and landing! It's a safety thing as well as polite travel etiquette!

Wow! I didn't know that. I wish SWA would announce that rule so I could see what is going on.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm sure you will post some lovely pics when you get to that part of your report...here is a teaser then of what I captured on the tour.

Gonna be a while before I get to that. I remember that plant from when I did the regular tour(s). Dramatic!

I remember that tree and it totally inspires me to do a "natural tree" next year like my Grandma did when I was little- apples, nuts, popcorn, citrus.... It was so pretty!

 

[Steppesister]

Both good reasons. I seldom... (never) arrive early. Flights from YWG arrive MCO in the afternoon or evening.

Yes, sadly you lose a whole day for travel.

Maybe? Still weird.

Certainly out of the box!

Salt water lake...

Yeah, I'm not buying it either.

Fish aside, I'd go back, but before I went back, I'd go back to Jaleo, Terralina, and WBG again first.

Disney does that to ya.

It can. Also has a way of making one blind to any budgetary concerns.

 

[Steppesister]

Hmm sounds like it might be hard to replicate for a first timer Having said that, I've just realised that we're actually flying into Tampa, so it's more departures from MCO that I'll be looking for all the hot tips for!

I feel like MCO is very easy. I have TSA pre-check so rarely wait in line and I LOVE that there are TONS of really good food options in every gate area! PLUS, there are NICE chairs WITH chargers before security in case you want to eat food and charge up before you head through.

Still not sure if we'll bother with Magic Bands. I totally would have if we could have purchased them in advance but not sure if it's something I want to bother with once we get there.

They make it pretty easy if you change your mind. Every gift shop has them, so you can pick them up when you get breakfast if you want. I think it only takes them a couple minutes to get them set up.

Now that sounds right up our alley

There ya go!!

 

[pkondz]

Yes, sadly you lose a whole day for travel.

Unfortunately. Unavoidable, I'm afraid.

Certainly out of the box!

Well, they can put that one back in the box.

Fish aside, I'd go back, but before I went back, I'd go back to Jaleo, Terralina, and WBG again first.

Ah yes... Wolf Bang Guck...
That's always the way I read that acronym. I have to stop and physically think "W...Wolf... Waa... Wii... Wine Bar George!"

It can. Also has a way of making one blind to any budgetary concerns.

 

[Steppesister]

It’s so good to have family support. I’m glad your sisters were able to ease the burden for you
I’m glad you were able to make your trip happen and feel it’s what your dad would’ve wanted for you. All we ever want is for our children to be happy regardless of age

Things are getting done, and mom is still very teary but we are taking one day at a time. I am glad I went as well, might not get to go back for a bit as I start a new job.

All the festive photos have strengthened my resolve to visit WDW during December sometime.

It really is so so pretty. Especially DHS! And the EPCOT shows are really well done!

 

[Steppesister]

Wow! I didn't know that. I wish SWA would announce that rule so I could see what is going on.

I've heard it announced before, but not on SWA. I think Delta does for sure and definitely all the airlines in Europe did and they even came through and enforced it.

 

[Steppesister]

Unfortunately. Unavoidable, I'm afraid.

Unless, you go the night before...

Well, they can put that one back in the box.

LOL!! Wasted storage space!

Ah yes... Wolf Bang Guck...
That's always the way I read that acronym. I have to stop and physically think "W...Wolf... Waa... Wii... Wine Bar George!"

LOL!! At first when I was reading that I was like.... no!!! Not WGP!! I LOVED WBG every time I've been.

 

[pkondz]

Unless, you go the night before...

Um... Well, using that logic, if I leave a week ahead of time, I can get 6 extra days!

LOL!! At first when I was reading that I was like.... no!!! Not WGP!! I LOVED WBG every time I've been.

Been often, I take it. I think I've only been once? Maybe twice.

 

[Steppesister]

B is for: Being Jolly at a Jingle Bell BAM!​

After a spin around The Springs, our next order of business was to pick up the rental car that I’d reserved through Budget/Expedia. When my dad had the stroke, I had to amend the pick up date, but then it all worked out that we’d keep our Jollywood Night, so I got it changed back again to our original pick up- after our lunch at Summerhouse. Budget was SO nice about all the changes and were completely understanding. They were equally efficient and nice when we picked up the car just a couple miles away from The Springs. It was incredibly convenient and if needed, I’d rent this way again in a heartbeat!

After getting our quite nice Nissan, we headed back to the fields. Huh? The fields? Why yes, the sports fields of our All-Star Resort. Kari had gotten us a really nice room (she had already been there a night before I got there) in the football-themed, “Touchdown” building. This would be #2 of the All Stars Trifecta for me.

(The rooms may be boring, but the outdoor theming with hardscaping is still pretty cool!)​

They’ve really dumbed down the All-Star rooms across the board and the décor and layout were identical to the All Stars Music room I’d have after the cruise. Boooooooring. Literally the only thing that was remotely themed to anything having to do with sports was the mural behind the murphy bed. So sad to see the rooms so bland in terms of theming. I will say, however, that the room itself was exceptionally clean and well laid out. It did have a coffee machine, mini fridge, sliding door to block off the bathroom area, a legit bathtub, and the same H2O products.

*Mini rant*: I really hate that the bath products are halfway up the wall. If you want a bath, you’ve got to stand up to get your gel- not a fan! Luckily, they still provide a bar of soap, and you can use that without interrupting a luxurious soak. *Rant over*

​

Settled in, I did indeed take a nice soak which felt so good after such an early morning and long day of travel. We both got ourselves ready in our party gear which included much warmer clothes for what would be a very chilly evening. We decided to make use of our rented car since parking is now free again for on-site guests. It’d get us home a little bit faster than the bus. And let’s face it… not many of us like to stand around in the cold for a bus after a few hours of walking around a Disney Park. I can neither confirm nor deny that we’d breezed through the DHS parking lot earlier when we picked up the car due to a navigational error.

At right about 5:00 we were parked and headed into the event queue here:

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By the time they let the party-goers in at 5:30, the line was pretty long and I was happy we’d gotten there on the early side so we didn’t have to wait long to get our “official” Jollywood Nights photos and the event brochure:

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Okay, first impressions: This is THE premier park for all things Disney Christmas. Seriously, the glitz, the neon, the tinsel, the retro-y goodness that is splashed all over the park is nothing short of perfection. The background music is magical at dispelling any bah-humbug and it’s hard not to be-bop a bit as you make your way up Sunset or Hollywood Blvd. Like other after-hours parties, you get a wristband then are funneled to the right and backstage for a bit. On the way in, since we got an early start, we hopped in the short line and came away with these beauties:

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Our main goals for the evening were to see as many of the specialty shows as possible and to try a few of the party-exclusive snacks. I think we did fairly well at getting almost everything we’d wanted to done. Once we were in, and while TOT was still saying 13 minutes, I opted to take a chance on the service elevator. While it was closer to 20 minutes, I’d still gotten one of my favorite rides out of my system; it’d be only one of two attractions enjoyed that evening.

(I'd never noticed this tea trolley!)


(More on the backstory of this ride in a future chapter!)


(I'll always hunt for little details!)​

The Hotel was all lit up in its holiday finery and the stars lining Sunset brought a magical, festive atmosphere to the area. It was great just taking in the general sights around the front of the park while we waited for the first showing of “What's This? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along at the Hyperion Theater” at 7:30.

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While making our way over to the Echo Lake area we made sure to visit the "creepy dolls". In actuality, I remember these very well from my own childhood. My great aunts and Grandparents had these up in their homes during the holidays, along with plenty of tree tinsel, and they were always in the window displays in Glendale and Pasadena.

And a cute little reindeer for good measure!


​

Echo Lake vibes:

(We weren't exactly sure what Gertie was smoking, but it must've been good... yah, mahn)

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The first order of business though was to find something to eat. There were several things I had my eye on, but the one we came across first (which is usually how I end up tackling Festival Goodies) is the one I ended up with- Spicy Korean Chicken Funnel Cake: Spicy fried Korean chicken with a pickled slaw served on a mini funnel cake for like $7 or something? Meh… it was okay. The portion was certainly big enough; I tossed one whole piece of the chicken and about 1/3 of the funnel cake. There was absolutely nothing spicy about it and it was a bit on the salty side. Ah well…. It met the need of a quick dinner.

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I also got the Warm Spiced Chai Cocktail: Twinings Chai Tea, RumChata Cream Liqueur, vanilla syrup, and cinnamon for $9.00. As with 95% of Disney “cocktails”, 1) It was miniscule for the exorbitant price and 2) They wave the bottle of spirit over the drink mimicking Tink with her wand hoping that a dribble left on the side of it will somehow make its way into the cup so they can say it “contains alcohol”. The concept of this cocktail is phenomenal, but I could not taste one hint of what they say was in it aside from the chai tea and cinnamon. Nice try, but I would not pay $4 for this in the future. It was okay, but not what they advertised, and the warmth of it did feel nice on such a COLD evening!

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With still a bit of time until our first show at 7:30, and feeling a bit peckish yet (Kari hadn’t eaten anything yet) we made our way to ABC Commissary for the Chicken Empanadas with Street Corn: Chicken empanadas served with a side of street corn salad topped with chili peppers, lime, and cotija cheese. I think these were a little over $6. I thought the empanadas were pretty good, but in relation to those, the cup of street corn was overly much. We agreed they should have given us 3 of those and less corn, and charged the same. The empanadas were really small (about half the size of the ones at La Choza in Mexico, if you’re familiar with that) which was a bit disappointing. Tasty for sure, but the portion size left us wanting.

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After saying hi to Gertie and leaving Echo Lake, we made our way to the Hyperion Theater for the first showing of What’s This? Such a fun show! It was completely packed with no empty seats when the show started. I really loved this production especially the giant Jack puppet and stage set. Yes, there was plenty of snoap. Yes, it was heavy on projection media. But there were a couple of live actors as well and who doesn’t love Kidnap the Sandy Claws?! I’m really glad we made this show a priority!

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Continued in next post...

 

[Steppesister]

B is for: Being Jolly at a Jingle Bell BAM!
​

Our next stop was at the Theater of the Stars (where Beauty and the Beast is) for the showing of Holidays in Hollywood featuring Miss Piggy, Kermit, and a really, really talented Broadway cast. Disney always seems to knock it out of the park(s) with their productions and this one didn’t disappoint! I LOVED seeing Miss Piggy in all of her glorious vanity and the humble Kermit trying to gently guide her into better understandings of Christmas. Mickey, Minnie, Belle, Tiana, and a couple of other leads also add to the fun storyline. Best yet, the show uses a LIVE BAND!! There is little better here on Earth than live music and that alone made me love this show!

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Since we were right next to TOT we made our way to The Tip-Top Club for a Twilight Soiree. In the ride's exit courtyard, a special ‘30’s-style party is all set up complete with a live Jazz Band and costumed dancers who mix and mingle with the crowd encouraging everyone to join in the fun on the dancefloor. This was so reminiscent of the OG Streetmosphere that the misguided decision-makers of DHS did away with. Shame on them. Eh hem… where was I? Oh! Lost in 1938 tapping my feet to very good band. Had I unlimited money and more faith in Festival Cocktails, I’d have tried one as there were several available at this location for the party.

(A bench on Sunset Blvd. SO clever!)​

Moving on, it was time to see the “Ice” Skating show. It’d be tough to maintain an outdoor ice rink in the middle of Florida, so a synthetic skating surface is used. By now, I’d put on my gloves and hat, and it sure felt like a bona fide ice rink would actually work that night. Unfortunately, we’d gotten there a bit too late for a good view so only got glimpses of the skaters who could perform a fairly good repertoire on such a small area. I didn’t bother to take any photos as they’d all have been obscured by a sea of random heads and shoulders.

Just before it ended, we beelined it for MMRR and enjoyed a perfect picnic with our pals Mickey and Minnie while Goofy took us on a wild ride on the Runnamuck Railroad through Runnamuck Park. There was only a 15 or so minute wait which wasn’t bad at all. This ride has really grown on me, and yet…

(Hidden Mickeys never disappoint!)​

Our last show, of course, was Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam!- the projection and firework show for this party. It has a cute storyline of the elves rescuing Santa from Mr. Oogie just in time for Christmas.

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And with that, nothing could stop us now… from heading home; our 6:00AM alarm the next morning would feel gross. I’d been up all night the day before, so this was going on 48 hours of no sleep for me; I was tired to say the least. It was time to march our freezing selves to the front of the park and I had a hard time telling whether the white stuff floating down all over Hollywood Blvd. was not indeed the real deal. Brrrr!

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We each got a little box of champagne marshmallows on the way out and before long we were back at our room with dreams of the DREAM dancing in our heads.

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And now for the BONUS ABC's feature!!

For the past many trips I've designed an alphabetical scavenger hunt of sorts. I've done Colors Around the World, Attractions, Signage, etc... This year, I chose to find Things Associated with the Holidays Around the (WD) World. It was FAR harder than you'd think!

I forgot to kick off my ABC Scavenger Hunt with my "A" Chapter, so today you get a Two-fer!

A is for: Angels!


(Sorry! Terrible photo; they do get better!)

B is for: Bells and Bows!!




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[Steppesister]

Um... Well, using that logic, if I leave a week ahead of time, I can get 6 extra days!

Yes, yes you could!

Been often, I take it. I think I've only been once? Maybe twice.

Thrice as I remember? Once with Caroline, and her sister, once with my daughter, Mikki and once with another friend at some point.

 

[Malia78]

I remember that plant from when I did the regular tour(s).

It was already past its bedtime during our tour so we quietly tiptoed by so as not disturb the sleepyhead.

I can neither confirm nor deny that we’d breezed through the DHS parking lot earlier when we picked up the car due to a navigational error.

As passenger I can only plead the fifth.

while TOT was still saying 13 minutes, I opted to take a chance on the service elevator.

Unbeknownst to Liesa, I helped myself to a Christmas treat while loitering on Sunset...a yummy but could have benefited from some thawing, coquito cupcake.

Enjoyed the tower projections while nibbling on my treat--looked unsuccessfully for Liesa's head popping out of those elevator doors.

Echo Lake vibes:

Can never have too many holiday vibes...