The Do's and Don'ts of my Disney Deluxe December!

[stephielela]

I am finally getting started on our "biggest" day of the trip

This day was our looooong day. We had a (supposedly) before the park opened ADR at Crystal Palace at 8:05 am, a full day at MK, and then dinner at CRT and the Wishes Dessert Party during the MVMCP.

We got up bright and early and put on our designated Christmas tshirts. Jack wore his new sweatshirt since it was a bit chilly out, but we didn’t wear heavy coats.

We got to MK (via monorail) around 7:30. The park wasn’t supposed to open until 9 am, but it was suspiciously crowded at the gates so I asked at bag check. It took the guys a few minutes to come to a consesus, but they said, yes, the park is opening at 8 am We briefly discussed it and determined we were NOT keeping our ADR. This was our only solid MK day, and we really couldn't afford to lose that much time. I stepped into the little gift shop outside the train station underpass thingie and called Disney Dining to see if we could get a lunch ADR instead and cancel our breakfast one. As she's checking I am glancing around the shop and BAM- I see it. The WDW train set!!!!

Side note: Jack asked for 2 things for Christmas. A train set and socks. In September he had seen the train set and said he wanted it and I obviously wasn't going to spend $70 on a whim so I told him no. Then a couple months later he was still asking about it, and when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he said the train and some socks (he loves socks). So the day after Thanksgiving I get online and it's sold out. Hmmmmm that's unfortunate. So then I look online and no one else has it except some guy on Ebay selling it for almost twice the price. I decide I can't part with that much money, and I called merchandising. A very unhelpful CM informs me that they are sold out and probably won't get anymore till "next year". I was crushed. This was the ONLY thing my 2 year old really wanted and I couldn't get it for him. I ended up buying him another one and wrapping it so it would be ready for Christmas, and then I would get him the WDW for his birthday. I still decided to keep my eye out for though, luckily!

So I see the train set, the CM on the phone is telling me they have nothing available, and the rope drop ceremony is starting. I take the train set up to the cashier and cannot contain my excitement. I am almost in tears. I ask and he tells me they just got a new shipment in. It was one of the MOST magical moments of the trip for sure. He is a bit slow getting things processed, but I finally get it paid for and they are sending it to the resort for me. I make it back to my family right as everyone is heading in and we went right to Dumbo! ( I practically skipped there).

Because of the last minute change in plans, our touring plans were completely screwed. We basically just did what we were close to etc. with no firm plans. We were on the first circuit of Dumbo, and we also rode the carrousel, Peter Pan and the tea cups. We tried to ride the newly renovated Winnie the Pooh ride, but Jack threw a fit so we missed out on that. Another fit was thrown at Phil-har-magic.

We headed to Main Street for some breakfast and ended up at the Main St. Bakery. We got a couple breakfast croissant sandwiches, a couple cinnimon rolls and some coffee and juice. Jack was still being difficult so I asked him what he wanted, which ended up being chips and an orange. He didn't eat the chips, but did start taking the turkey out of the croissants and wrapping it around orange slices.

He also wanted some coffee, but that coffee stayed hot for a LONG time, so he didn't get any.

After breakfast we went over to Tommorrowland and rode Buzz and TTA. We also did Space. I am a bit fuzzy as to which order things were, and I know we ventured into Toon Town to ride Barnstormer.

Yes I was tweeting in this picture

Jack also got to meet Buzz and Chip and Dale, and we purchased on e of the adorable snowman popcorn buckets.

After a while we were getting hungry and Jack was still being difficult. We decided to head out to DTD to get something to eat and then head to the hotel for a rest before we returned for the evening. I had promised Jack a balloon, so we stopped and dropped $10 on one of those on our way out.

 

[mom2rtk]

We were in the MK that day too. We had scheduled a return trip to CRT that morning, as it was our last park day, with a late afternoon return flight home. Once I saw the park was opening at 8 we ditch that plan. I wanted early park entry, and an empty Main Street and that wasn't happening.

Wasn't that a gray ugly morning? Or maybe it had something to do with us leaving later!

I'm curious to hear how that last party went. I hope you had fun!

 

[DisneyFirefly]

I'm so glad you found the train set! I hope he was happy when he unwrapped it!

 

[Sunshine1987]

I am enjoying your trip report! We will be going Dec 15-21 this year so it is helpful to hear your trip report for planning our trip! I especially love the Do's and Don'ts!

I was glad to hear someone enjoyed Tusker House as much as we did!!! I always here such negative things about it but we loved the food and had great character interaction there!

Your son is adorable! He is a very adventurous eater for a 2 year old!

I look forward to hearing more updates!

 

[jenseib]

Turkey wrapped around an orange? EWWW!

Sometimes kids just don't want to follow your plans, do they?

I love the train set. We have one too. Got it in 2008. Sadly I can't get it to run anymore. But it could be my error. I pulled it out awhile back and can't remember how to get it going. I changed teh batteries and it still won't go, but I might have it hooked wrong.

 

[stephielela]

We were in the MK that day too. We had scheduled a return trip to CRT that morning, as it was our last park day, with a late afternoon return flight home. Once I saw the park was opening at 8 we ditch that plan. I wanted early park entry, and an empty Main Street and that wasn't happening.

Wasn't that a gray ugly morning? Or maybe it had something to do with us leaving later!

I'm curious to hear how that last party went. I hope you had fun!

Just out of curiousity, when did you find out about the change in hours? I swear everywhere I looked still had it opening at 9 am! But I suppose it's possible that in the craziness I might have overlooked something...

It was a pretty gross morning, but it at least didn't rain! I have noticed days are uglier when you are leaving

Party review coming up tomorrow!!! ( I PROMISE)

I'm so glad you found the train set! I hope he was happy when he unwrapped it!

I was so happy when I found it! He did get very excited when we opened it, but naturally I hadn't bought batteries so it was a few days before he got to actually play with it

I am enjoying your trip report! We will be going Dec 15-21 this year so it is helpful to hear your trip report for planning our trip! I especially love the Do's and Don'ts!

I was glad to hear someone enjoyed Tusker House as much as we did!!! I always here such negative things about it but we loved the food and had great character interaction there!

Your son is adorable! He is a very adventurous eater for a 2 year old!

I look forward to hearing more updates!

Thanks and Welcome!!! Jack is a good eater, which is really helpful since it means we can share meals etc. We all loved Tusker House. I wish I could recreate that juice!

The biggest thing I noticed about the dates we went was it got more crowded every day. The same was true of our 2007 trip which was the 13th-20th of Dec. The closer it gets to Christmas, the more people show up. As long as you know that and plan accordingly, it's still a good time to go!

Turkey wrapped around an orange? EWWW!

Sometimes kids just don't want to follow your plans, do they?

I love the train set. We have one too. Got it in 2008. Sadly I can't get it to run anymore. But it could be my error. I pulled it out awhile back and can't remember how to get it going. I changed teh batteries and it still won't go, but I might have it hooked wrong.

I know, he eats the wierdest things. He really isn't much of a carb eater though, lucky him.

Kids seem to like to make plans of their own... and if you don't follow them it really hits the fan!

Jack loves the train set! I can send you a copy of the instructions if you need! The coal car has to be plugged into the engine car. That part was tricky for me.

 

[mom2rtk]

Just out of curiousity, when did you find out about the change in hours? I swear everywhere I looked still had it opening at 9 am! But I suppose it's possible that in the craziness I might have overlooked something...

It was a pretty gross morning, but it at least didn't rain! I have noticed days are uglier when you are leaving

Party review coming up tomorrow!!! ( I PROMISE)

I knew about it quite some time before we left. I had been back and forth on keeping that ADR, but had a hunch I'd let it go since it would cost us the first park hour of touring. I think I had seen a thread here on the DIS that summarized park hour changes to the December schedule. Some very kind and thorough soul had listed every single change in a nice overview. So I never looked at the Disney web site to see if it ever did catch up there. I'd certainly have been frustrated to have that come up as a last minute surprise though, so I feel for you.

While it was really gray that morning, 2 of our other MK mornings had been bitter cold, so it wasn't as bad as it might have been.

Can't wait to hear about the party. I hope you had fun in spite of the packed house. We were there Tues the 14th and Thurs the 16th. Tuesday was a light crowd because of the bitter cold. Thursday was a mess of humanity, as I later found out they were giving people replacement tickets if they complained about the cancelled shows and such. We already had tickets for both nights, so it never crossed my mind.

 

[jenseib]

Jack loves the train set! I can send you a copy of the instructions if you need! The coal car has to be plugged into the engine car. That part was tricky for me.

Yes! That would be great. I know ours are gone, and maybe if I look at them again I can see what I am doing wrong...or maybe it just no longer works.

 

[stephielela]

Yes! That would be great. I know ours are gone, and maybe if I look at them again I can see what I am doing wrong...or maybe it just no longer works.

I will dig them out and scan them in for you tomorrow when I'm at home!

 

[Mrs. Gumdrop]

Thanks for the great TR!

Subbing!

 

[stephielela]

Thanks for the great TR!

Subbing!

Thanks for the great compliment! Welcome!!

 

[stephielela]

When I left off, we had decided to escape the crowds and head to DTD for a bit of shopping and lunch before our nap. Big mistake. We circled the parking lot at DTD for probably 20 minutes before getting a spot near Raglan Road. We then walked towards World of Disney etc, stopping outside the Lego store to take a picture that is a bit of a tradition for us.

At this point we decide to split up, my parents and sister head to WoD and I go to Once Upon a Toy with Jack to get our much anticipated “Tatohead” pieces. For those of you who read my September TR, you might recall this was tricky because Jack was unaware he could get more than one thing at a time, so whenever he saw something he wanted, he would put whatever he was holding back. That wasn’t a problem this time. We looked at all the pieces, I made sure to grab the holiday ones, and then we just got whatever appealed to us. I had decided to buy him a second “body” so that if he was playing with a friend (or my dad) they could each have their own. I asked Jack if he wanted to buy pieces for a Mrs. Tatohead and he was not interested. Once we were done filling up our box (btw a nice CM came up to help us ensure that we fit as many pieces as possible) we browsed a bit more, but Jack was getting grumpy so I got him a stick of gummies, and paid for everything so we could leave. The CM checking us out told me she didn’t charge me for the “body”! Does anyone know if this is normal? I started wondering if maybe they aren’t really for sale, since there wasn’t a price tag, so I felt bad, but she didn’t say anything else about it…

Jack and I went outside, and found EoS which is where we were planning on eating lunch. I called my dad and he met us there. I asked him to keep an eye on Jack while they waited for my mom and sister to meet us so I could stand in the ridiculously long line at the bathroom. Warning, here’s where things take a turn for the snarky… When I get back from the bathroom, I discover that not only is my dad not in line at EoS, they have decided that we are not going to wait, we are just heading back to the resort. I was pretty irritated that we had taken out this huge chunk of time driving and parking for 30 minutes of shopping and not eating. No one else seemed to get why I was irritated, which just frustrated me more. We went back to the hotel and Jack and I went to the room to get ready for nap while the others went to pick up lunch stuff. I asked for the kids chicken nugget bucket and a small pizza for me and Jack. When they FINALLY got back with the food my dad hadn’t thought to grab any ketchup or anything. More irritation. I decided it would be best if we just hurried and ate and got to bed so we could get a decent nap and hopefully things would be better when I woke up.

When I woke up I was determined to have a great evening, so I let go of all the irritation and annoyance and got packed for the MVMCP and our fabulous MK evening! We had bought light up necklaces online, and I made sure everyone had a Santa had and Christmassy tshirt.

We headed back into the park and got our wristbands. We were cutting it close, but we made it to CRT right on time! We got checked in and went inside for pictures. We left our many layers of coats etc outside with the strollers. Jack was still kind of punky from being woken up (that boy sleeps A LOT) and was in no mood to have his picture taken with Cinderella. For some reason we were told we could have 2 poses. I know that a party of 5 usually qualifies, but we weren’t paying for Jack so I was surprised. We did one shot with me and my sister and one with just my sister, since Cinderella is her favorite princess. Let me add that I think it’s incredibly classy that they give you the pictures for free here (UNLIKE Tusker House, lol). I’m sure even if they didn’t they could still charge an arm and a leg for the meal, so it’s nice not being ripped off (more than usual anyways!)

Onto the meal itself- I know it’s a lot of money, OOP and it is 2 TS credits, but I have to say, the food wasn’t bad, and the experience was great. Our server was AWESOME (I am going to attempt to find receipts so I can add names in) and so attentive, but not annoying. He gave suggestions and provided me with plenty of options (for free) for Jack. The way the princesses were announced (and paced) was pretty good, and the wishing ceremony was adorable, and they went all out to include everyone. All 5 of us were presented with either a wand or a sword, even though I think technically only the kids are supposed to get stuff. It was very fun. For the appetizer my mom and I had the salad, my sister had the cheese board, and my dad had the rock shrimp cocktail. For entrees the 3 of us girls all had the roast beef tenderloin (I think you can kinda see it in some of the pictures) and my dad had the fried chicken. The mac and cheese that came with his was great! We already knew we were doing the dessert party, so we weren’t too concerned with what we got for dessert so I got the dessert trio, my dad got the crème caramel and my mom and sister got the chocolate mousse. All of it was good, plus our server brought Jack some ice cream and various toppings just for him. All of us enjoyed this meal, and the experience.

Jack got really serious when he heard he'd be meeting more princesses...

Jack LOVES asparagus

There has been son discussion abotu how creepy Ariel looks...

The wishing ceremony

Jack was shy around the princesses at first, but opened up a bit. I don’t know when we will eat there next, it definitely is more exciting for little girls I’m sure, and with the new castle restaurant opening during the Fantasyland refurb, I know we will want to try that, but if anyone is on the fence about CRT, I say go for it!! And believe me, if Jack ever has a little sister, we will be back there every trip I’m sure!


After dinner we had plenty of time to kill before our dessert party. We went into Fantasyland and rode It’s a Small World. Jack seemed really enthralled by this ride. We hadn’t ridden it in September because it was being refurbed. ISAW is NOT a favorite of mine, but it is obligatory.
There were some girls up on the balcony waving to Jack... he is quite popular...

I got a lot of compliment on my hat, I bought it at the MVMCP in 2007

Here I am tweeting abotu how much I dislike this ride, I'm sure.

After that we decided to split up. My mom took Jack to Barnstormer and the rest of us went to Haunted Mansion and Pirates, since Jack was still saying (and had been since he saw the video on the Magical Express) that he did NOT want to ride “the pirate ride”. When we were done we met back up and headed to the Tommorowland Terrace Noodle Station.
We got in line for the dessert party, and took turns going to the bathroom. When we got seated we were right by the entrance at the front table. Our view was perfect! It makes me wonder if they assign tables based on booking date because we booked very early. I have heard others suggest this is the case, and our experience definitely supports this theory. My mom wasn’t feeling great so she didn’t eat much, but the rest of us stuffed ourselves.
Jack enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries...

This was our view for the fireworks

I LOVE this experience. We had done this in August of 2009 after it was first introduced and loved it then, but my mom wasn’t there and she really wanted to experience it, so it was a bummer she wasn’t feeling good. I didn’t remember them having milk and coffee the last time, but this time they did. I still stuck with water, but it was nice to have more options. We got some photopass pictures taken, and waited for the fireworks to start. We could see parts of the parade, but not enough to keep from watching it later. When the fireworks started this was our second viewing of holiday wishes (the ones from CG were also holiday ones) and it was nice to see a different perspective. I know some people think this dessert party is pricey, and while it’s not something I would do every trip, I definitely think it’s worth doing at least once. It’s nice to not have to wait on Main St. for a prime fireworks spot.

 

[stephielela]

After our fabulous dessert party we head towards frontierland to ride Big Thunder Mountain. My mom and sister and I ride first, the wait is probably less than 5 minutes and I hear all 3 of my FAVORITE Christmas songs while we are walking/waiting! Afterwards my dad and sister ride and my mom and Jack and I head towards the parade route. We score a spot, not as great as I would like, but not bad, near the dance party with Jessie and Woody. Once my dad and sister catch up, I take Jack to the dance party since we have about 10 minutes before the parade. This was about the exact same time we came to the dance party in September during MNSSHP. Just like in September it was almost empty (and Bullseye was missing) and Jack got a lot of one on one time with both characters. I was cursing myself for not bringing in my camera when my lovely sister materialized out of nowhere with it!

Jack had a really good time, but it was getting close to the parade and I was trying to find a way to detach him. Finally I just scooped him up and said we had to hurry to see the parade. Jack sat on my dad’s shoulders to watch the parade and I took pictures of the parade (my sister took pictures of Jack’s reactions).

I think my dad was getting tired by this point, Jack's not great at sitting still...

This was an awesome parade. I still like the Boo to You parade better, but this was a darn good show! There was a scary moment when one of the horses pulling Cinderella collapsed and they had to stop. The horse was already wearing a brace, so it was clear it was already injured, so it broke my heart to see it limping around after it got up. I was kind of mad that the people in charge would make this poor horse be in the parade, and I sincerely hope that since it was the last party of the season that they gave him some time off!
Once the parade was over we joined the crush of people heading out of the park. I wouldn’t have minded staying a bit longer, but with Jack being so grumpy in the mornings and another early morning ahead, it was for the best.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Do eat at CRT if you have ever wanted to try it. Even though the food isn’t as good as Le Cellier, the atmosphere and the interactions are well worth it, at least once!

Do book a Wishes Dessert Party if you have never tried it. The desserts are amazing so Don’t fill up before you go!!

Do give MVMCP a chance. Even though our party was sold out, we still got plenty done and would’ve gotten even more done if we hadn’t had a dinner ADR and the dessert party. It’s fun to see all the hard to find characters and the dance parties are great! Don’t expect to do everything in one party. There are so many things to do and see it’s impossible to fit it all into 5 hours.

If you want any MVMCP merchandise Do go to an earlier party or look for it right when the party starts. We didn’t really search, but we also never saw any.

Don’t try and get a spot for the first parade! Tons of people leave after Wishes so the second parade is ALWAYS less crowded which means less waiting for a better view!

Do spend $10 on a balloon that your kid will love, even if they will only enjoy it for a few days. It’s part of the magic

Do buy any glo/light up items elsewhere. Disney’s upcharge is CRAZY.

If your child is into Toy Story, DO invest in a box of Mr. Potato Head pieces! They are a great souvenir that will actually get played with, and a reasonable price ($20 for a box you fill).

Don’t go along with plans that don’t work for you. If I had thought things through more carefully, the DTD fiasco wouldn’t have happened. It’s ok to not spend every minute with your family on vacation. It will actually make vacation more enjoyable if you aren’t always annoying each other. More on that later!

 

[stephielela]

Here's the thing. In September Jack and I had a few pictures taken with Photopass. Then they disappeared after however many days, as expected. Then I preordered the CD for December. When I went to look at our December pictures, the September ones were back! I ended up being able to add them to the CD as well. So this leads me to believe I can go on our upcoming September trip. If I make use of Photopass, I can come home, "preorder" the CD and THEN view my pictures and add them. I just am hesitant to spend $100 on a CD and then end up not getting very many pictures taken. Jack and I didn't really utilize the photographers last September, and I plan on using them more this time, but if I don't I don't want to be stuck with a CD credit I can't use. Does anyone know when they expire? Confusing, I know...

 

[mom2rtk]

Here's the thing. In September Jack and I had a few pictures taken with Photopass. Then they disappeared after however many days, as expected. Then I preordered the CD for December. When I went to look at our December pictures, the September ones were back! I ended up being able to add them to the CD as well. So this leads me to believe I can go on our upcoming September trip. If I make use of Photopass, I can come home, "preorder" the CD and THEN view my pictures and add them. I just am hesitant to spend $100 on a CD and then end up not getting very many pictures taken. Jack and I didn't really utilize the photographers last September, and I plan on using them more this time, but if I don't I don't want to be stuck with a CD credit I can't use. Does anyone know when they expire? Confusing, I know...

Sounds like you guys really enjoyed CRT and that last MVMCP. We also love doing CRT right before the hard ticketed parties. Isn't it a magical way to start the evening?

On the photopass thing, I wouldn't take a chance on it. I just read a thread about this issue. Someone tried not loading their photos, then buying the pre-order CD,then loading their photos. Some of their photos were missing when they got their CD and when they called, they were told it's because they were taken after the purchase. So.... while it might be hit and miss, it's not something I'd take a chance with.

FWIW..... you can buy the pre-order CD, then request a refund if you don't like the photos you get on your trip.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I'm all caught up with your trip. I love your do's and don'ts and Jack is such a cutie.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

I seem to remember reading something about how the photos for the CD had to be taken AFTER the purchase of the credit... So I don't think that would work I also seem to remember something about it not having an expiration date, but I'm sure you can call Disney and ask about that for a clarification

 

[jenseib]

What a nice evening. Looks a bit cold though
If you want the CD or are thinking about it, preorder it. You can't after you get back. I have also read that. Keep in mind the photos from your past trip MIGHT not be on the CD when you get it.

If you decide after the next trip not to get it, just ask for a refund.

 

[therussells08]

I'm all caught up! Great updates!

I am so excited you were able to get the train set for Jack! What an awesome surprise!

I love the pictures with the princesses! I definitely feel like Ariel get's the short end of the stick...her hair color is never quite right!

Oh no! I can't believe the poor horse collapsed! That is so sad! I hope it was okay!

 

[onescgirl]

Great TR!!!!!
Awesome that you found the WDW train set!!!!! It's such a great feeling when you find that special item for your child that you've been searching for.

I LOVE his Mickey sweatshirt & snoopy shirt. And, your Mickey Santa hat is adorable too!

Love reading all the Do's & Don'ts!