The Most Magical Time of Year! December 2018 TR Completed 5/8 New TR link!

[missangelalexis]

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. That was a sweet memory you shared of him!

 

[kclark9830]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. What lovely memories ♡.

I'm enjoying your TR! We'll be driving on our next trip, which is out of the norm. I really hate the idea of being charged for parking. Maybe we'll get lucky.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandpa. I know how difficult that is.

 

[TakeMe2Disney13]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather's passing. Those sound like wonderful memories to cherish forever.

 

[Cloe Colton]

When I left off it was time to head to Disney Springs!




We made our way to the boats to get to Disney Springs, passing by the pool with all of my favorite childhood Disney memories! We used to go in at night and climb up the tongue of the slide and slide back down there was no water running on it and I’m not sure how well we slid but we still loved it. Always with supervision of course!


The slide looks like it could use a new paint job though!

I was worried that we might have to wait a while for a boat after our experience in the summer but as we were walking up a boat was pulling in so we had great timing!




I really love this boat ride and it was so relaxing at night. There was a great breeze and we just enjoyed our time floating down the river



Sidestory - So my parents honeymooned in Disney 30 years ago and when the airline they had originally booked with went under they were forced to find new flights which caused them to tack on one day to each end of their trip. And for one of the nights they were unable to get a room at the Contemporary (where they were staying for the rest of their trip) so they booked a room somewhere in Disney in a treehouse type room. My Mom swears it wasn’t the Saratoga Springs treehouse rooms but I feel like they probably just had a different name in 1989 which makes it different to her but that’s what I always think of as I roll down this river! Anyone know if there were any other treehouse type rooms back then? I think it would be fun to stay in them sometime!

The boat ride took around 20 minutes which was a longer ride than an uber but definitely more enjoyable! It was nice to just sit and chat, we mostly reminisced about our Disney cruise and all of the things we would like to do on our next one. I guess being on the water will do that to you!

We finally made it to Disney Springs!



Our first stop in Disney Springs was the Christmas tree trail. We got a bit turned around at first because the POFQ boat dock is closer to the exit of the trail but we found our way soon enough!

And it was SUPER busy lol like almost panic inducing. But once we were in it we figured we would just make our way through. However, due to how busy it was we really didn’t spend much time analyzing each tree, you honestly would have gotten pushed out of the way. I did get photos of my favorites though!

I really loved the park tree that was right when you walked in.




Can I get that Castle tree topper for my tree?

The Beauty and the Beast tree was cool, I loved the stained glass ornaments of Lumiere and Cogsworth! I’m surprised they didn’t have those for sale!




Another favorite of mine was the Mulan tree. It didn’t get much love from passersby but I just loved the cherry blossoms all over the tree. So pretty!



The coolest and most unique tree had to be the Haunted Mansion tree. I mean the Black Widow Bride was literally coming out of it!




I did manage to get someone to take a picture of Dan and I in the trail by offering to take one of their group. This method usually works pretty well because more often than not people usually try to reciprocate! And if not, it just puts good vibes out into the world!




One tree that I thought would be my favorite but actually kind of disappointed me was the Cinderella tree. The glass slipper tree topper was pretty but the rest just seemed lack luster




The Star Wars tree was pretty cool! Although, my brother has a death star tree topper that plays music and was honestly cooler than the light saber tree topper so I was slightly biased towards this tree!



My brother's tree - if you click on it you should be able to hear the music his tree topper plays!

Lastly was the Tangled tree, which you may remember Tangled is very special to me since DH and I danced to I See the Light as our first song at our wedding. So I had to stop for this tree! I thought it was cute how her hair wrapped through the tree like garland!



There were a lot of trees we just kind of glanced at but since it was just a free walking trail we didn’t feel super pressured to study each tree. I thought it was a nice addition to the Disney holiday offerings and nice that they weren’t charging to walk through it! I do wish that they still had the drone show in Disney Springs though, DH and I got to see that in 2016 and it was actually really cool!

After our Christmas tree trail we made our way over to Homecoming for dinner. I was pretty excited for this dinner since it would be our first time dining there! We had planned on eating here after our cruise in July but at that point in the trip we felt we just couldn't handle another large meal. I am so glad we waited so we could fully appreciate it!




I loved how even the restaurants were all decorated for the holidays! Disney doesn’t miss a beat!



We were seated right away; the décor of the restaurant was so beautiful!




I was so excited for this dinner. I had heard and read such great things I couldn’t wait!



To drink I had the moonshine mash. I was worried about not liking it since I had never tried moonshine before but since the moonshine was infused with watermelon it was super good! And I'm not even sure I could taste the moonshine but that's a sign of a good drink to me! This also really hit the spot after traveling and just getting to Disney!




For our appetizer we ordered the deviled eggs and for our meals I got the thigh high chicken biscuits with cheese added and ranch on the side and Dan got the fried chicken.






AND EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD! Like I have been dreaming of those thigh high chicken biscuits since that night because they were just that good! Granted, we could have split the chicken biscuits and the deviled eggs and still have been full but I don’t regret getting everything to at least try it all! I definitely want to try the hush puppies the next time we go. Too many delicious foods, not enough stomach space! lol

The only downer to our meal (and this was a minor, minor downer) was that the table next to us had this nice Mother and daughter who we actually talked to because they thought everything we ordered looked really delicious (and they were right!) and we were happy to help them out. But when the waitress came over to take their order, the Mom who had pulled out her phone to use the flashlight was a hands-moving talker which led to me getting a flashlight in my face more than a few times. We didn’t say anything and just ignored it but as a PSA to all the people out there who use flashlights in restaurants, if you aren’t currently using it just place it on the table! It’s like 2018’s version of people making phone calls in restaurants! ​

 

[Cloe Colton]

After dinner, we made our way over to the Edison for some drinks. One of our regrets during our summer trip was that we made the Edison our last stop and missed out on a lot of the entertainment and atmosphere and then I missed it all again in October because they were only doing entertainment on the weekends. So we made that a priority this night!





We got there around 11:30 and the dancers were doing their number which was the main one I wanted to see. Well Dan insisted we grab a drink first and well, by the time we got our drinks the dancers were done but I did get to see a little bit of their dance from where I was standing so at least I didn’t completely miss it! We thought they might come out again at some point but they never did.



We also had an interesting experience with the bartender here because we asked if we could use the Tables in Wonderland card and she said we could she would just need a manager to approve it. We agreed to wait and it was no problem and then after she poured the drinks she cashed us out. I assumed she must have just done it without the manager’s approval but then realized after we walked away she did it without the discount. It wasn’t a whole lot of money but this is the third time a bartender in Disney Springs has given me a hard time about the discount. And it gives them an automatic tip! So I don’t know why it’s always such a huge deal

We ended up grabbing a table in the upper level since the tables around the main floor were all taken but we actually really loved our spot! We hoped that we would get to see some cool acts but the only one we really got to see was a tap dancer in a Christmas sweater which was cool just wasn’t the one I was hoping to see!



After the tap dancer, they had a house band come out and sing some songs. After them, they had a DJ for the rest of the time we were there. We had a great time people watching and speculating how people knew each other/first dates/parents night out, it was a great time!



There was even a girl with zero rhythm who danced like Elaine from Seinfeld, it was fantastic!

And then a wedding party showed up which I thought that was a great idea for those who want to continue the party once your reception ends!



After about an hour of waiting for more acts to come out (whilst people watching - my favorite pastime) we decided it was probably just time to call it a night and head back to the hotel. At which point we realized it was pouring out and we had no umbrellas or ponchos or anything. Since it was the end of the night we decided just to have a fun walking through the rain back to the buses! (We had planned on ubering but the bus stops were definitely the closer walking option!)



Just a little bit wet! haha

We only waited about 10 minutes for a bus to show up and in no time we were back at our resort! It was such a fun first night in Disney!

​

 

[Cloe Colton]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. What lovely memories ♡.

I'm enjoying your TR! We'll be driving on our next trip, which is out of the norm. I really hate the idea of being charged for parking. Maybe we'll get lucky.

Thank you

I will keep my fingers crossed for you!!

I'm so sorry for the loss of your grandpa. I know how difficult that is.

Thank you

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather's passing. Those sound like wonderful memories to cherish forever.

Thank you They really are!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Ironically, he is one of the reasons that I love Christmas so much. When I was younger we would go to this fun little place called Santa Village and every year Grandpa would be with us. We would write letters to Santa, take a sleigh ride to the "North Pole", get to meet Santa and sing lots of Christmas carols. As my cousins and I grew older we stopped going (I actually think they stopped doing it) and then we would go every year to cut down a Christmas tree. It was so much fun and even though we're down to getting one tree now I think ten of us still go every year!

What beautiful memories!!

I really love this boat ride and it was so relaxing at night. There was a great breeze and we just enjoyed our time floating down the river

Ahh so peaceful

However, due to how busy it was we really didn’t spend much time analyzing each tree, you honestly would have gotten pushed out of the way

That doesn't sound like Christmas magic at all....

Tangled is very special to me since DH and I danced to I See the Light as our first song at our wedding

I didn't know that but that's so sweet! I love that song

We had planned on eating here after our cruise in July but at that point in the trip we felt we just couldn't handle another large meal

Oh girl I feel you. Cruise food is no joke.

Too many delicious foods, not enough stomach space!

Once again- I FEEL YOU.

We also had an interesting experience with the bartender here because we asked if we could use the Tables in Wonderland card and she said we could she would just need a manager to approve it. We agreed to wait and it was no problem and then after she poured the drinks she cashed us out. I assumed she must have just done it without the manager’s approval but then realized after we walked away she did it without the discount. It wasn’t a whole lot of money but this is the third time a bartender in Disney Springs has given me a hard time about the discount. And it gives them an automatic tip! So I don’t know why it’s always such a huge deal

That's weird! We had something along the same lines happen with us when I tried to get a DVC discount (because they don't have an AP discount). They needed to take my DVC card back to their manager but I only had the electronic version on my phone so I handed the waitress my phone and she took it back. But I realized that it was on low power mode so it most definitely locked before she was able to show it to her manager But we got the discount anyway. So weird.

Just a little bit wet! haha

 

[amberdc1987]

What s great night! Both of those places are on my list. Every time I see those chicken biscuits, they just look amazing. And the Edison looks like so much fun. I absolutely love your skirt, where did you get it from?

I was so sorry to hear about your grandfather. He sounded like a perfectly awesome man. Thank you for sharing that little bit about him.

 

[Cloe Colton]

What beautiful memories!!

Thank you

Ahh so peaceful

Definite advantage to those resorts!

That doesn't sound like Christmas magic at all....

Haha it was very hectic Although we walked by the next day and it seemed like they were making people wait to get in and staggering the crowds so I'm wondering if they meant to do that during the peak times and just forgot this night? lol

I didn't know that but that's so sweet! I love that song

I was hesitant to use a Disney song as first but I'm so glad we did! Especially now that its in Happily Ever After I'm basically guaranteed to tear up every time! lol

Oh girl I feel you. Cruise food is no joke.

Right?? The thought of a heavy meal that day was just not going to happen. I was upset we had to skip it but theres just no way I would have enjoyed the food!

Once again- I FEEL YOU.

My eyes are ALWAYS bigger than my stomach lol its a real problem

That's weird! We had something along the same lines happen with us when I tried to get a DVC discount (because they don't have an AP discount). They needed to take my DVC card back to their manager but I only had the electronic version on my phone so I handed the waitress my phone and she took it back. But I realized that it was on low power mode so it most definitely locked before she was able to show it to her manager But we got the discount anyway. So weird.

I just dont understand it! Especially with TIW where I had to pay to get the card to begin with and then I have to basically argue to use it lol

View attachment 385657

What s great night! Both of those places are on my list. Every time I see those chicken biscuits, they just look amazing. And the Edison looks like so much fun. I absolutely love your skirt, where did you get it from?

It was a great night!! You definitely need to check them out! It's so hard now that Disney Springs has so many amazing options. The nice thing is I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them! My skirt was from Francesca's! I was originally just going to wear something more casual to Disney Springs this night but then I found this skirt and it screamed The Edison to me so I had to get it and wear it!

I was so sorry to hear about your grandfather. He sounded like a perfectly awesome man. Thank you for sharing that little bit about him.

Thank you

 

[NJlauren]

Omg that food looks good!

You spotted me at the Edison! Just kidding but I swear I have zero rhythm, and while there is no thumb dancing quite like Elaine I strive to embarrass my children with my dance moves in the future!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I really loved the park tree that was right when you walked in.




Can I get that Castle tree topper for my tree?

I still think they missed a golden opportunity by making a garland of magicbands looped together!

I do wish that they still had the drone show in Disney Springs though, DH and I got to see that in 2016 and it was actually really cool!

I hope they bring out drones for the new Epcot shows! I never got to see it at DS, but it would be fun to see at Epcot!

I loved how even the restaurants were all decorated for the holidays! Disney doesn’t miss a beat!

I know! I love it all! And all the stores and everything!

We ended up grabbing a table in the upper level since the tables around the main floor were all taken but we actually really loved our spot! We hoped that we would get to see some cool acts but the only one we really got to see was a tap dancer in a Christmas sweater which was cool just wasn’t the one I was hoping to see!

I think that was the same table we had! Same view and everything!

 

[Araminta18]

AND EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD! Like I have been dreaming of those thigh high chicken biscuits since that night because they were just that good! Granted, we could have split the chicken biscuits and the deviled eggs and still have been full but I don’t regret getting everything to at least try it all! I definitely want to try the hush puppies the next time we go. Too many delicious foods, not enough stomach space! lol

I feel like this is Disney in a nutshell: too many delicious foods and not enough stomach space! Those eggs and biscuits look SO GOOD. And I just ate dinner so its not like I'm hungry...

We got there around 11:30 and the dancers were doing their number which was the main one I wanted to see. Well Dan insisted we grab a drink first and well, by the time we got our drinks the dancers were done but I did get to see a little bit of their dance from where I was standing so at least I didn’t completely miss it! We thought they might come out again at some point but they never did.

LOL at this point I find it a bit funny that you keep missing it! I feel like we all have that one thing at Disney that we keep missing. Oh well, you'll just have to go back.

After about an hour of waiting for more acts to come out (whilst people watching - my favorite pastime) we decided it was probably just time to call it a night and head back to the hotel. At which point we realized it was pouring out and we had no umbrellas or ponchos or anything. Since it was the end of the night we decided just to have a fun walking through the rain back to the buses! (We had planned on ubering but the bus stops were definitely the closer walking option!)

Ok so pet peeve that the uber pickup is so far from the bus stops--I know they do it on purpose, but in September I had to wait 30 minutes for a bus back and it would just be so much nicer if you didn't have to walk so far if you decide to bail and get an uber. I'm so glad you didn't have to wait very long for a bus!

 

[disneyAndi14]

What a fun evening at DS, we liked the tree trail, they added new trees. The HM tree was not there in 2017, very cool!

 

[SweetSerenity]

Thanks for sharing pictures of the trail! I was so disappointed when it was open on our last Disney Springs evening, but to CMs only. Barely missed it.

 

[annie170]

I'm sorry for your loss. Your grandfather sounded like a wonderful man with whom you have great memories. I love your story about the Christmas Carols.

I loved the Christmas Tree Trail also! Disney Springs blew me away as it was my first time there in about twenty years.

Your meal looked delicious at Homecomin! I really need to get there next trip.

Good for you to get out and enjoy your first night! I always say I can sleep when I get home and want to enjoy every second of Disney time.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

My grandfather passed away last week and I have been spending a lot of time with my family and honoring his memory.

So sorry to hear about the passing of your grandfather. It sounds like you have many wonderful memories to treasure.

Christmas tree trail

I love that they offer this, wish they had it when I was there a few years ago.


Your meal at Homecoming sounds delicious!

 

[Cloe Colton]

You spotted me at the Edison! Just kidding but I swear I have zero rhythm, and while there is no thumb dancing quite like Elaine I strive to embarrass my children with my dance moves in the future!

Haha I dont actually know if I've ever seen anyone with less rhythm than this girl! It was very entertaining lol she was having a good time though so thats all that mattered!

I still think they missed a golden opportunity by making a garland of magicbands looped together!

Oh my gosh they definitely did! Or at least a magicband wreath when you walk in!!

I hope they bring out drones for the new Epcot shows! I never got to see it at DS, but it would be fun to see at Epcot!

That would be cool!! The DS show was fun, I'm really surprised they haven't brought it back but I imagine it was probably super costly to maintain!

I know! I love it all! And all the stores and everything!

I feel like they have really stepped up their Christmas decoration since I went in 2016! I loved it!!

I think that was the same table we had! Same view and everything!

It really seems to be the best table for viewing the area below! The other tables on the second floor are almost a bit awkward to look down

I feel like this is Disney in a nutshell: too many delicious foods and not enough stomach space! Those eggs and biscuits look SO GOOD. And I just ate dinner so its not like I'm hungry...

Ugh it seriously is!!! My problem is that if I overeat I end up super nauseous so I really have to pay attention to not overeat in Disney. I seriously can't wait to eat these foods again!

LOL at this point I find it a bit funny that you keep missing it! I feel like we all have that one thing at Disney that we keep missing. Oh well, you'll just have to go back.

I really think its just not meant to be for me! Its going to be the one time that I don't plan to stop in there at all that I will probably see everything!

Ok so pet peeve that the uber pickup is so far from the bus stops--I know they do it on purpose, but in September I had to wait 30 minutes for a bus back and it would just be so much nicer if you didn't have to walk so far if you decide to bail and get an uber. I'm so glad you didn't have to wait very long for a bus!

Yes!! It is SO far out. While we were waiting I was definitely getting antsy waiting for the bus because I started worrying that we might have to wait that long for a bus and that would just not be fun!

What a fun evening at DS, we liked the tree trail, they added new trees. The HM tree was not there in 2017, very cool!

It was definitely fun to walk through!! I really loved the HM tree, it was so well done, too!

I'm sorry for your loss. Your grandfather sounded like a wonderful man with whom you have great memories. I love your story about the Christmas Carols.

Thank you

I loved the Christmas Tree Trail also! Disney Springs blew me away as it was my first time there in about twenty years.

Its definitely an amazing addition to Disney Springs for Christmas!!

Your meal looked delicious at Homecomin! I really need to get there next trip.

Omg it was so so good!

Good for you to get out and enjoy your first night! I always say I can sleep when I get home and want to enjoy every second of Disney time.

Exactly! We always try to do something the first night even if we do come in late! Even if its just grabbing pizza from the window at the Boardwalk. It's just so fun when you have the whole trip to look forward to!

So sorry to hear about the passing of your grandfather. It sounds like you have many wonderful memories to treasure.

Thank you

I love that they offer this, wish they had it when I was there a few years ago.

Me too! I'm happy that its free too

Your meal at Homecoming sounds delicious!

It was very good! Highly recommend!

 

[ariane37]

Those are lovely memories of your Grandfather, I'm so very sorry for your loss. I was extremely close to one of my Grandmother's growing up, it's a wonderful bond

Did you happen to go to Santa's Workshop in the "North Pole", NY? I think you're too far from that for it to be the one but just wondering lol. We went there every year as kids and then took our boys when they were younger!

I really love this boat ride and it was so relaxing at night. There was a great breeze and we just enjoyed our time floating down the river

I love taking all resort boats, especially the WL one, and enjoyed the boat last month when we stayed at POFQ. Very relaxing!

However, due to how busy it was we really didn’t spend much time analyzing each tree, you honestly would have gotten pushed out of the way. I did get photos of my favorites though!

Ugh it was packed over Thanksgiving when we were there, I could barely get pics of any trees, either. Some of them were pretty cool, too.

The coolest and most unique tree had to be the Haunted Mansion tree.

Yes this was my favorite! I think it was the first year they had it because I'd never heard mention of a HM tree!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Those are lovely memories of your Grandfather, I'm so very sorry for your loss. I was extremely close to one of my Grandmother's growing up, it's a wonderful bond

Thank you I'm very grateful for all of the memories I have with him!

Did you happen to go to Santa's Workshop in the "North Pole", NY? I think you're too far from that for it to be the one but just wondering lol. We went there every year as kids and then took our boys when they were younger!

It was at Chestnut Ridge, we did take a sleigh ride to the "North Pole" haha but I'm not sure if it was the same one! Santa would be there and then you'd get Voortman cookies and hot cocoa and sing Christmas carols haha it was fun!

I love taking all resort boats, especially the WL one, and enjoyed the boat last month when we stayed at POFQ. Very relaxing!

Me too! I really love the WL one!

Ugh it was packed over Thanksgiving when we were there, I could barely get pics of any trees, either. Some of them were pretty cool, too.

That was really my only complaint! I don't know if more space would help or limiting people would be the answer? I also don't want to have to wait a super long time to get in so I guess I'd take crowded over waiting

Yes this was my favorite! I think it was the first year they had it because I'd never heard mention of a HM tree!

I agree! It definitely seemed the most well done too!