"You'd Never Let the Darkness Get the Best of You. I'm Sure of That," a Christmas 2023 Disney Trip Report from an Old Friend. - UPDATE Oct. 18, 2024

[KaSe]

In other-but-related news, I have secured a series of appointments at the Mayo Clinic for later this summer in hopes of getting more information about my health and my recent challenges. My mom and I will be travelling there soon and I'll be undergoing some testing and participating in lots of consults. The feelings are mixed on this. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity, nervous for the travel and the uncomfortable medical experiences, and already trying to mitigate my anticipated-disappointment if I don't receive the answers I hope for.​

First off, hope all goes well at Mayo! My sister-in-law went to medical school at the Mayo Clinic (yeah, she's brilliant & that's as impressive as it sounds LOL!) -- they are definitely top notch. Loads of pixie dust & happy thoughts things go well for you!!

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​

Cute family pics!

We strolled along Main Street, taking our time. I'm pretty sure a bathroom visit was in order. Amazing how many more times someone has to go pee when you travel with a larger group! I think we also did some shopping. I seem to remember that there was something specific I wanted at The Emporium that required assistance from a couple of CMs, but now I have no idea what it was or why. I do have photographic evidence of one of the purchases I made though. It was this outlandish, bright, absolutely joyful bucket hat!

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It's reversible!

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I love it.​

Um, I was there at Christmas but I totally missed this hat. I love everything about this hat!!!! So freaking cute!!!!

I grabbed a quick selfie with The Most Beautiful Castle on Earth:

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To be fair, the other castles also seem beautiful, and I've only seen two of them in person before, so this may not be a fair statement. On that note...reader engagement time!

1. What other Disney castle do you think I've seen IRL before?
2. What's your personal favourite Disney castle (or other Disney "weenie" if you'd rather)? ​

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland, maybe? Alas, this is the only one I've seen. I absolutely want to get to DL sometime, but I know this one will still be my favorite. LOL!

I also love the character interactions here. Pooh and friends were so sweet, and it was extra fun to enjoy some character meets with a young kiddo in our party. I usually have great character interactions even when I meet characters on my own, or just with N, but I found there was a little extra energy and magic when they had B to play off as well.

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Continued below due to photo limit...

Adorable selfies! My mom loved Crystal Palace because she was a huge Winnie the Pooh fan, so it has a sentimental place in my heart, for sure.

 

[pkondz]

(Sorry for the delay, but I suppose this shouldn't be surprising for you all. You were warned that this TR could always go sideways.)

No worries. You have to take care of you, first.

Nathan and I have been working away to make our yard our own little oasis to our own tastes.

That's great! Good for you (two).

that means I have about 9 school days left to go!

You're practically done! Bring on summer break!

In other-but-related news, I have secured a series of appointments at the Mayo Clinic for later this summer in hopes of getting more information about my health and my recent challenges.

Glad to hear that.

The feelings are mixed on this. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity, nervous for the travel and the uncomfortable medical experiences, and already trying to mitigate my anticipated-disappointment if I don't receive the answers I hope for.

I completely understand the mixed emotions. I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

[I'm guessing that] we were up and moving early.

Of course you were. It's Disney! No sleeping in allowed! Things to do!

The first picture I have from the day is from the ferry on our way over to the MK...

You both look pretty excited.

I seem to recall that they were just a bit behind us? Or ahead of us? Or on the monorail? Definitely not on our boat. I would have remembered that.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they were in the same State.

While we were getting in to the MK, I noticed that I'd also missed a call from my nurse pracitioner's office (my primary care provider.) I'd been fighting to try to get them to put some referrals in for some additional testing, and there had been a lot of confusion and miscommunication, so I was frustrated to have missed the call.

Must have been very frustrating.

I managed to get them back on the phone and clarified that the referrals would be put in before the NP went on vacation, and that they would be back in office after Jan. 1. (Spoiler alert: they were not back in office after Jan. 1. My nurse practitioner ended up going on an unexpected-to-me leave of absence, and so my care continued to be even more disjointed

Amazing how many more times someone has to go pee when you travel with a larger group!

It was this outlandish, bright, absolutely joyful bucket hat!

It's reversible!

Two hats for the price of one!

I love it.

I grabbed a quick selfie with The Most Beautiful Castle on Earth:

Nothing better than being back, isn't it?

1. What other Disney castle do you think I've seen IRL before?

hmmm...
I think the easy answer would be DL... but I'm going to go with Paris.

2. What's your personal favourite Disney castle (or other Disney "weenie" if you'd rather)?

MK. Too much nostalgia for it to be any other. Plus I too have only seen one other.

I never would have let her do it, but it looks cute in the picture.

Meh. She looks pretty safe there, given her age. And too young for anyone to worry about an adult up there.

I found there was a little extra energy and magic when they had B to play off as well.

Makes sense.

B is getting to an age where she still enjoys the characters but is starting to ask questions.

Like their height? Age?
No idea what you could be referring to.

So it means a lot to me that we got to share that with her.

Definitely a special time.

I know you said no filter, but... you look great.

Oops! Unexpected photopass photo caught G off-guard?

I like all the expressions.

I didn't bother asking her why she was on her phone on the Haunted Mansion. I hope it was for a good reason, or to try to book another LL, etc., because if it was because she was bored or didn't like it I won't be able to forgive that!

I'll go with she's making a video of the ride.

Just stick around for the next update? Please?

But of course.

 

[fallonkendra]

Hi! I also haven't been on in here....*checks calendar*....YEARS?! Holy moly... I guess it's been years... But this was also a daily thing for me way back when, and I have been missing it here lately.

So - I'm jumping in and can hopefully stick around long enough to actually catch up on some trip reports (can I count these towards my Goodreads goal for the year???)

Missed you and you reports!

PS: We've been trying to figure out when we can get back to your part/my OG part of the country... I'll keep you updated on when we set something in stone (one of my besties lives a few minutes from you, just a town or two over).

 

[vamassey1]

Great choice What do you think of the recent facelift and updated colours? I like it!

I like it too, but I do miss the old white and blue too.

Of all places, Disney is the best place to get to do a little of that!

Yes, Disney is the perfect place to spoil a child. Ice cream for breakfast!

 

[fallonkendra]

This is a great photo of you two!

I also don't want to admit to how long it took me to remember how to quote things from your post....the downfall of a 3 year break from here...

 

[fallonkendra]

Dec. 21 — Part 5

After our ride, we wandered toward the World Showcase for a stroll toward the Japan pavilion. We had a new-to-us dinner reservation at Shiki Sai, and N and I were both anxious to try it. I like sushi, and had been interested in some of the gluten free offerings at this restaurant when I was doing my dining research. Plus I always just like when we get to have new experiences at Disney. N was especially excited to try Shiki Sai as he’s really interested in all things Japan: food, culture, language, anime/media, etc. He can be a little picky about certain food things sometimes, like spicy food, but I’m pretty sure if I told him something was a Japanese delicacy, he’d eat it no matter what it was and say it was pretty cool.

We were seated in good time and had an attentive server who didn’t hover but made sure we had what we needed. Of the two of us, I generally have more social anxiety, but N has his particular hang-ups. One thing that’s hard for him is not getting shy, uncomfortable, or indecisive ordering something new at a restaurant, or looking like he doesn’t know what he’s doing or what to order. Because I know this, and because I knew he was really invested in this restaurant experience, I asked our server for some recommendations for him from the menu. (And N appreciated this.) She made a few suggestions and gave a variety of options depending on his tastes and what he was feeling like eating. N ended up ordering Grilled Wagyu Gyoza (3 pc, Pan fried dumplings filled with smoky A5 Japanese wagyu beef,) and something else recommended by our server that I believe was quite possibly Kaisen Don (chef's choice fish served over rice):

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He loved this meal and is already thinking about going back on a future trip to try other things. He thought the fish, and the food in general, was some of the best he’s had, but without feeling pretentious or unrelaxed due to the gastropub atmosphere.

I ordered the Japanese Potato Salad (with crispy bacon, smoked daikon and sweet red bean paste,) and went simple, as I often do, with a Snow Crab California Roll.

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Both were delicious, and I was happy with my order. The potato salad with the sweet bean paste was really unique, but without being too adventurous for me. While simple, it’s a treat when I can have a California roll since they’re often made with [gluten-containing] imitation crab at a lot of our sushi places around home, and the real snow crab was delish. Eating something also had me feeling a bit better again, and gave me the confidence to get through our nighttime show plans. As a part of my mysterious medical symptoms leading up to the trip, I’d been having some difficulty with swallowing. Feeling like rice was stuck in my throat was a small price to pay to have tried this meal. Along with enjoying our food, I also thought the theming of the restaurant was really neat with the animated “window” scenes.

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On our way out of the restaurant, I asked the hostess about their stamp card as we hadn’t been provided with one. She got one and stamped the winter season for us. I doubt we’ll ever get all four seasons stamped, especially since my school breaks don’t allow for travel in the autumn, and we rarely travel in the spring anymore. I don’t even know what the prize is for dining all four seasons, but it was a nice souvenir nonetheless.

After our dinner there was still lots of time before Luminous: The Symphony of Us. I’m gonna guess that it was a little over an hour away? (I could try to look it up and estimate, but I’m not going to.) I was starting to feel the fatigue of our first full touring day after a long and late travel day, so N and I decided to just find a place to park ourselves and wait for the show. We wandered for a bit, and noticed that the longer we wandered the more people were starting to claim front-row viewing. To be expected, I guess. We eventually found a secluded little place with a decent view of the lagoon tucked back along a wall that hadn’t started filling up yet. I’m trying to picture exactly where we were, and blanking. I want to say maybe it was tucked behind the Yorkshire County Fish Shop/Rose and Crown area before the International Gateway, but I can’t seem to remember whether a little wall-nook exists there or not. (You’d think I’d know the park inside and out with all the times we’ve visited, but apparently not.) And, ya know, no notes.

Wherever it was, it was a great spot for ground-sitting and back-again-wall-resting, and aside from the occasional butt-falling-asleep situation, we were quite comfortable there for the remainder of our wait.

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I watched The Santa Clause 2 on my phone, and N scrolled social media and maybe worked on editing a video reel to upload to one of his artist social media pages.

Finally, Luminous began. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, so I hadn’t watched any recordings and didn’t know what to expect.

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And the verdict? We liked it!

I quiiite liked it. While it relied on a bit more recycled Disney music than I might typically like, I thought their choices of songs were good, and I really liked a lot of the new songs/soundtrack. I also didn’t realize that “You’ll Be In My Heart” would be in the soundtrack, and N and I felt as if this was a special little moment just for us when it came up. This was the first real night of our trip, in EPCOT together, and it was the song I walked down the aisle to years ago at our EPCOT wedding. And while I still hold on to the nostalgic feelings I have for past Disney nighttime shows, Illuminations included, overall I felt Luminous was a win in my book.

Feet dragging, eyelids drooping, we shuffled out of the park and across the parking lot. N drove us back to the timeshare, and it was time to turn in. We had a busy day planned for tomorrow, and it would be our last opportunity to tour with the full crew before S, B, and G flew back to be home for Christmas.

I suspect there were other rides we did this day, and likely lots of shopping, but since I have no notes, this is what you get! Tune in next time for another questionably-accurate, likely-incomplete day of trip reporting where I’ll detail (hah!) our visit to the Magic Kingdom!​

I'm so out of the Disney-know that I've never even heard of this restaurant (hides face in shame) - but glad you guys enjoyed it!

I'm sorry you were feeling yucky on this trip - as someone with an auto-immune disease, I totally understand not having great days, and it's always difficult when it hits on a Disney day.

 

[MeghanEmily]

First off, hope all goes well at Mayo! My sister-in-law went to medical school at the Mayo Clinic (yeah, she's brilliant & that's as impressive as it sounds LOL!) -- they are definitely top notch. Loads of pixie dust & happy thoughts things go well for you!!

Thanks so much! I leave in a couple of days now. Wow! Your sister-in-law must be a MAJOR smartypants! That's so impressive. It really does seem like a super reputable place.

Um, I was there at Christmas but I totally missed this hat. I love everything about this hat!!!! So freaking cute!!!!

It's a GREAT hat. It's comfy, bright, joyful, REVERSIBLE! The best of all hats.

 

[MeghanEmily]

No worries. You have to take care of you, first.

Thanks! I'm trying

I completely understand the mixed emotions. I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Thanks! Yeah, definitely mixed, but crossing my fingers and toes for some answers and a plan. I leave in just a few days now!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they were in the same State.

Possibly! (But I have no notes and a faulty short-term memory, so no guarantees!)

Nothing better than being back, isn't it?

It's a GREAT feeling

MK. Too much nostalgia for it to be any other. Plus I too have only seen one other.

Makes sense! I think I'm the same way and probably will be even if I add more castles to my list.

I know you said no filter, but... you look great.

Thanks! Authentic

I'll go with she's making a video of the ride.

I thought about this after making my post, and I'm thinking [hoping!] you're right! It was her first trip and she probably wanted to memorialize it

 

[MeghanEmily]

Hi! I also haven't been on in here....*checks calendar*....YEARS?! Holy moly... I guess it's been years... But this was also a daily thing for me way back when, and I have been missing it here lately.

Hi!! Welcome back, Fallon! I know, it's wild to think how much has changed since the days when I used to be on here all the time. I'm still not as consistent as I was hoping to be, but glad to be back in whatever capacity makes sense for me now.

actually catch up on some trip reports (can I count these towards my Goodreads goal for the year???)

It SHOULD count!

Missed you and you reports!

Back at'cha!

PS: We've been trying to figure out when we can get back to your part/my OG part of the country... I'll keep you updated on when we set something in stone (one of my besties lives a few minutes from you, just a town or two over).

Yes, please keep me posted!

I'm so out of the Disney-know that I've never even heard of this restaurant (hides face in shame) - but glad you guys enjoyed it!

lol

It was good! I think I saw a Tiktok video about it maybe? I haven't been keeping up on Disney stuff like I used to either.

I'm sorry you were feeling yucky on this trip - as someone with an auto-immune disease, I totally understand not having great days, and it's always difficult when it hits on a Disney day.

Thanks. I figured you'd get what this is like more than most! I don't know yet what's been causing my issues, but I've been suspicious of something auto-immune-y. There are soo many auto-immune diseases out there! A friend from work had a similar situation years ago, a few similar symptoms and a few different, and it took them years to finally accurately diagnose her with an auto-immune disease that requires her to now do weekly low-dose chemotherapy to manage her illness.

 

[pkondz]

Thanks! Yeah, definitely mixed, but crossing my fingers and toes for some answers and a plan. I leave in just a few days now!

Good luck!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Dec. 22 — Part 2

We left off with the rest of the family enjoying some attractions at the Magic Kingdom while N and I went back for a rest.

Before I continue on....after our last update you placed your guesses about which other Disney castle I'd seen, as the kids say [used to say?] IRL.
​

Disneyland?

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland, maybe? Alas, this is the only one I've seen. I absolutely want to get to DL sometime, but I know this one will still be my favorite. LOL!

I think the easy answer would be DL... but I'm going to go with Paris.

And the answer?



Hong Kong Disneyland!

I wish I had photographic evidence for this, but I couldn't find the old photos to scan. (I think they're all printed...there may have been digital files at one point.) When I was 13, one of my aunts on my mom's side was teaching ESL in China, and we took a family trip to visit her in the summer. We toured Beijing, Shenzhen, and then Hong Kong, where we decided to make a quick trip to Hong Kong Disneyland for the day. I only wish I'd known and appreciated at the time how cool and awesome this would be to me as an adult. Maybe I would have taken more notes and pictures, if I'd known! I remember thinking that Space Mountain at Hong Kong was cooler than WDW, but otherwise I don't have many memories of the day.

There's my little blast from the past, and the answer I'm sure you've all been waiting for.

Back in WDW, it was time for N and I to get back on the road to return to the MK. We met up with S, G, and B, and N joined G and B in the LL for Tron -- a first for all of them! B was a little nervous in the queue line, but her mother was nervous-er. (Not a word? ) N reportedly kept the mood light and excited to try to ensure that there were no chicken-exits that day. Everyone made it on (despite my lack of photo evidence for N) and came back with wide smiles! B loved Tron. She's got a serious need for speed. She wanted to ride again, and we had to break the news to her that it was a no-go with the current virtual queue system. She was disappointed, but very happy to have ridden once.



Not only was this our last park-touring night as a large group, but it was also our MVMCP night! N and I visited with the group for a bit, and then everyone went their separate ways to accomplish their party priorities. N and I noticed a reasonable wait time for someone we'd always hoped to meet, and decided to sneak in a character M&G...






We had such fun with Jack (er...I mean...Sandy) and Sally! They were so animated and fun to chat with and perfectly in character.

Then, on our way through to check out the little welcome trail area of the party, we noticed it was snope-ing! And we came across another photo opportunity along the way with some of my favourite MVMCP celebrities!!




Like meeting someone famous!! *blush*

We wandered around....and I'm sure did some....other stuff?? No notes! No notes! I've got no notes!

I was still not feeling fabulous, despite my rest, but was really hoping to at least stay for enough of the party to enjoy the parade. We grabbed a bite to eat, and I was dealing with some swallowing issues at the time and was feeling like something a little more slimy, so I went for this gluten free kids mac'n'cheese at Cosmic Ray's.



It was the same kind of frozen mac I buy at the grocery store at home, even the same brand. Nothing to write home about. But was still a nice option for the mood I was in. N and I also split the fries and apple slices that came with the kids meal.

Not feeling my best, we decided we might as well just stake out a good spot for the parade and sit and wait. There was still a little over an hour to go, but I wasn't really feeling like riding or walking around, so we were able to get a nice spot front-row-Main-Street and rest our feet for a while.



Shortly before the parade, a family snuck in to the small empty spot beside us, and they all looked and sounded like the had the bubonic plague. I have always been anxious about germs and illness, and even more so these last few years for what are likely obvious reasons. I was glad to be outside in open air, but still concerned that N and I were going to catch whatever these mucusy droopy folks had and it would impact the rest of our trip. We considered picking up and trying to find another spot, but since we'd waited for so long in our great viewing spot, we figured that it was possible to end up sick at Disney World at any time and we might as well take the risk. Spoiler alert: we made it through the trip without catching this plague or any others!

The parade was about to begin, so the balloon sellers and then hype-up crew were out and about...photos continued in the next update...​

 

[MeghanEmily]

...photos continued from previous update...




This young woman was so animated and sweet! She started passing a big bouncy ball back and forth with the tiny sweet toddler sitting to our left, and the little one was just lighting up like a Christmas tree!




And then it was parade time! I love the Christmas parade. I would say that the Halloween parade is an objectively better parade, but the Christmas parade is more special to me. I love the toy soldiers, and I LOVE the reindeer! Enjoy some photos of our experience continued below...









...continued in next post...​

 

[MeghanEmily]

...continued from previous post...









When the parade was done, so was I. I was feeling rough and ready to head out. That said....when we were on our way out and noticed that Mickey's M&G wait time was reasonable, I managed to gather up enough energy for one last party experience! I can never say no to this guy.




Tune in next time for our next park touring day, just the two of us. Thanks for reading!​

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Great parade pics!

 

[pkondz]

Hong Kong Disneyland!

Huh! Was my last guess.

we took a family trip to visit her in the summer. We toured Beijing, Shenzhen, and then Hong Kong,

Wow! Great trip!

We met up with S, G, and B, and N joined G and B in the LL

M.O.U.S.E!

her mother was nervous-er. (Not a word? )

B loved Tron. She's got a serious need for speed.

Good for her!

Now that is one happy kid!

Nice!
I met them during MNSSHP... fun.

Great shot with his hand over your head.

we noticed it was snope-ing!

That's nope-ing for me. I get enough of that at home, thankyouverymuch.

Didn't know you could do pics with them. Nice.

Love this shot!

We wandered around....and I'm sure did some....other stuff?? No notes! No notes! I've got no notes!

Not feeling well, but still smiling.

Shortly before the parade, a family snuck in to the small empty spot beside us, and they all looked and sounded like the had the bubonic plague.

Ew...

Spoiler alert: we made it through the trip without catching this plague or any others!

Phew! Good.

This young woman was so animated and sweet! She started passing a big bouncy ball back and forth with the tiny sweet toddler sitting to our left, and the little one was just lighting up like a Christmas tree!

Awww... Love when thinks like that happen.

I love the Christmas parade. I would say that the Halloween parade is an objectively better parade, but the Christmas parade is more special to me.

I'm all in on the Halloween parade... but I've always liked Halloween more than Christmas, so...

Been several years but... this surprised me. Real horses!

When the parade was done, so was I.

 

[vamassey1]

I would never has guessed Hong Kong Disneyland. What a cool experience.

We really enjoyed Tron too. It' so much better at night.

Love your character interactions. So happy you got to enjoy the parade too.

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry you weren't feeling well on the party night. That had to be a tough situation. You wanted to stay and get your money's worth out of the special ticketed event, but you also knew rest was what was needed. For what it's worth, I think you made a good compromise. The Christmas parade is the best part of MVMCP. I definitely laughed at your description of meeting the toy soldiers. They really are Disney celebrities!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Huh! Was my last guess.

Wow! Great trip!

I figured it would be an unexpected one! It was a great trip, probably a once-in-a-lifetime one.

M.O.U.S.E!

Hah! Good joke. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Now that is one happy kid!

Her face was awesome! Great photo, and some serious excitement when she came off the ride just bouncing.

That's nope-ing for me. I get enough of that at home, thankyouverymuch.

I like the snope, I think because it's not cold! (And it doesn't stick on the roads.)

I'm all in on the Halloween parade... but I've always liked Halloween more than Christmas, so...

N would agree with you. He's also a Halloween fan and prefers the Halloween parade.

Been several years but... this surprised me. Real horses!

Yes! (With real poop. It would be quite a job for the person who's responsible for that...imagine, you finally get your big break in a WDW parade and it's shovelling horse manure.... )

 

[MeghanEmily]

I would never has guessed Hong Kong Disneyland. What a cool experience.

It's an unexpected answer for sure! A very cool trip. I thank my aunt for the opportunity to go!

We really enjoyed Tron too. It' so much better at night.

It looks soo fast!

Love your character interactions. So happy you got to enjoy the parade too.

Thanks! I'm so glad we stuck it out that long. Love the parade!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Sorry you weren't feeling well on the party night. That had to be a tough situation. You wanted to stay and get your money's worth out of the special ticketed event, but you also knew rest was what was needed. For what it's worth, I think you made a good compromise. The Christmas parade is the best part of MVMCP. I definitely laughed at your description of meeting the toy soldiers. They really are Disney celebrities!

It really was a difficult decision to stay or to go, but I'm so glad I made it as long as the parade! It's my favourite part of any party, Halloween or Christmas.

I fangirl so hard for the toy soldiers! What special guys.