Your ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE to Disney World at Christmas Time! UPDATE x2 10/21

[JessicaFaye508]

Ahhh I am so happy you got to reschedule your Disneyland trip!
This just give you more time to plan and daydream about it, which we all know is half the fun
And Hooray for Preston and Hilton Head! I love when everything works out, even if it's not the original plan.

Thank you! I'm really excited! And yes, exactly! It'll be wonderful!
Me too! I'm leaving on Saturday for Georgia already! So that's pretty crazy!​

Good work father for committing to the early morning TSM dash! So proud!
Those pictures of the early morning sky and fog are STUNNING!!!
Disney you are too freaking perfect!
I always take 10 million photos of sunrises and sunsets at Disney because they always manage to be beyond picture perfect!
Something about those Florida skies, they know what it's all about.

Hahaha good thing I had a partner in crime!
Thank you! I know... Disney is AMAZING! Especially when there's a naturally beautiful background!​

Yes cupcakes and all sweet pastries are perfectly acceptable breakfast foods at Disney!
End of story.

Amen, girl!​

I like that you are so disgusted with the FP return time. Rightly so. Eww all the way! Don't they know you're trying to get your ride count up?

Hahaha not even the fact that I couldn't get back on... just the idea of the fastpass being for 9 HOURS ahead of time! It's ridiculous.​

Your jumper is so freaking cute!! And so clever! and you say its comfy?
Triple threat! Hope it's there my next trip

Which one are you referring to? I can't remember what I was wearing ​

Ahhh perfectly timed buses are my favourite! That AND driving through the gates for the first time- best feeling everrrrrr!

I agree!

Speaking based on my experiences, the first week of December is the least crowded. Have been there for many years during that time, for example, Dec 3-10, or Dec 1-8, Dec. 10-17 (okay, it's not the first week, but it has been LESS crowded than Christmas). I wouldn't go at any other time.

Yup that is true!

Agreed. That is the time of year we usually go. All the decorations are up and the crowds are low. Just double check when Pop Warner Championships are (this year is 11/30-12/8 ) but we have gone during that time and crowds were still low

Yeah it's a pretty good bet to go first week of December no matter what!

Oh what a beautiful morning for a TSMM mad dash! You got some really nice picturesque mornings/sunrises on this trip! I love the fog rising off the water, so pretty. These are the reasons why I need a nice DSLR camera like you so I can get such pretty pictures lol to getting early enough TSM FPs and getting in a nice ride too. I can now see why you loved this ride so much this trip.

Yeah it was! Thank you! Yeah we really did! And yeah, TSM became my obsession!​

Mmmm, that Apple Danish looks good! I know now where I'm going to go for a sugar infused breakfast: Starring Rolls! to another cool pin, I'm sure, but I'm sorry to hear you got such a late FP. Oh well, at least you have one since it sounds like those crowds were NOT letting up And that bus ride you had does not sound pleasant. Ugh, this is a reason why in Disney they use their own buses for the most part. ECK!

Starring Rolls is definitely the place to go! Don't apologize, I wanted to get a late fastpass so I could go back later in the day! And yeah, they can't help it though. There were SO many people... hiring out was all they could do. It's one week out of the year, I think we could all make a sacrifice for the good of the company. ​

Awww, no fun being sick in Disney, but at least you felt okay enough to take a nap. I probably would feel too guilty about it since, like Kristen, I stick by my rules: No sleeping in Disney! YAY FOR MICKEY WAFFLES!!!

I know. I just had this dwelling cold throughout the whole thing. And yeah... but no being sick in Disney is my bigger rule, so sleep was a must!​

Oh gosh, first you taunt me with the ways of the Schoolbread, the Starring Rolls... EVERYTHING! And now you show me EoS. Oh, it looks so good! I really hope they have one in DLR, if the trip goes through (*still crossing fingers*). Oh and that cookie! I miss Ghirardelli so much, especially since I never got to have any of their ice cream or their allegedly scrumptious cookies.

As far as I know, they don't have an EoS in Disneyland. But they have a Ghiradelli now!​

Forgetting to shop?! UN-ACCEPTABLE JESS! Well, at least you made up for it in one trip. I love the sweatshirt especially since I see some Haunted Mansion recognition on it <3 And that's awesome how you got all your friends Christmas gifts there. Maybe that's what I'll have to do when I have money lol to getting three new pins especially one being of the Imaginative kind Sorry though you got stuck in another long wait. Don't people know there is a girl sick in Disney!

I was trying to save my money, can ya blame me? I would overspend if I bought stuff every day. Heck, I still overspend! Thanks! ​

Can't wait to read about the rest of your day!

Thank you!

-No problem
-I know right! I'm going to do the same thing
-DTD is amazing <3

I agree!​

 

[JessicaFaye508]

Chapter 84: Whispering Canyon Café
December 29th, 2011

Once we got back to the room, I did some serious pin organizing. I also took pictures so I could show you guys what I collected so far.

MY MAELSTROM FASTPASS PIN! My most prized possession. This is going into a vault and it will never be traded.

Deer, Sweedish Chef, Beaker, Figment, Gonzo, and Dalmations!

40th Anniversary Pluto pin!

Also, I tweeted this VERY SERIOUS warning to everyone:
Just stowed away the rest of my ghiradelli cookie in my sock drawer. NOBODY EAT IT!

Don’t touch my cookie!!! I love it too much. NOM.

Once we regrouped, we walked over to Magic Kingdom. As if we didn’t just eat enough food, we had a dinner reservation to get to!

We got to the boat dock and our boat was pulling away. Sadness. Thankfully a new one was there in about 5-10 minutes!

I took a few pictures of our home on the way there:

We rode the boat to WILDERNESS LODGE!

We had a reservation at Whispering Canyon! We checked in at 6:20 pm for our 6:15 pm ADR.

While we waited to be seated, I had to get some photographs in this GLORIOUS lobby. That place is absolutely breathtaking.

In my opinion, it is one of the best-decorated resorts for Christmas! The "lodge" theme just reminds me of sitting in front of a warm fireplace in the middle of winter.

THERE'S DEER HERE TOO!

I made this reservation specifically so I could make a trip to this resort. It’s one that you wouldn’t want to miss – the decorations are so extravagant and beautiful!

Christmas Tip #46: Make dining reservations at the Deluxe Resorts during Christmas week so you have an excuse to go over and see the decorations! Plus, these restaurants are much less hectic than the ones in the parks!

Close-up of the tree:

We were seated within a few minutes and we were at a table in the back left corner. I am pretty sure I sat there before. Whispering Canyon had always been a family favorite so it was great to be back!

I wanted my Mom to take my picture so I could show you all MY DEER SWEATSHIRT - courtesy of Forever 21! They just know me so well.

Our waitress’ name was Debbie. It took her a while to get to our table, but once she did she picked up the pace!

I ordered a Vanilla Milkshake because Kristen’s family RAVED about how good the milkshakes were at Whispering Canyon! I only ever get milkshakes if they’re supposedly REALLY good, so this was a big deal! It was very thick but it was yummy! It had a lot of flavor!

Mom had a classy glass of wine for her drink. She was going all out at the ol’ Whispering Canyon!

The salad came out first. It had an apple vinaigrette dressing which is REALLY good! It’s sweet but it was SO delicious!

For dinner, Mom got the Quinola Cakes which she said were excellent! They had a little kick to them that she really liked. She ate the entire thing!

I ended up getting the skillet, of course! Would it be a meal at Whispering Canyon without it?! Some of the meat was fatty and it was WAY too much for one person, but it is a classic dish. Of course I loved it! The ribs, the pulled pork, and the corn were my favorites!

Sadly, the cornbread was as hard as a rock on the outside. The inside tasted good, but I barely ate any of it.

I’m going to apologize to you right now… but I was TOO FULL FOR DESSERT. I am SO SO sorry… but I just couldn’t do it! I hit a food wall. A late lunch + the milkshake + the skillet = no room for s’mores cheesecake. ): And that was a big reason I booked this dinner! Oh well, just another reason to go back I suppose.

Whispering Canyon was good! No crazy antics happened to us on that night, which I was fine with because I was still feeling a little under the weather. I’m glad I got to go over there, stuff myself with comfort food, see all of the decorations, and visit a familiar setting. It was a great meal!

Overview of Whispering Canyon:
Waitress: Debbie
Service: Very slow getting to the table, but was decently efficient for the rest of the meal. It was a very “chill” experience for Whispering Canyon. It got the job done. I would rate it, overall, as a “just okay.” 3/5
Atmosphere: Very fun! We did the hokey pokey and heard everyone calling out for ketchup. We also saw all of the little kids doing to pony race! But as I said, we had a relatively relaxing experience. 3.5/5
Food: Good but not the best. I did like it, though! It was very filling. 3.5/5

Continued in Next Post
​

 

[emmysmommy]

Wow Jess! That skillet would defeat me! But heck, I would likely make myself sick trying to eat it all. I can completely understand skipping dessert when you have hit that wall but gosh darn it I am a dessert fiend so I would have told them box it up please, it's going with me!!

Such a lovely tree and decorated lobby at WL - and DEER too!!!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

Wow Jess! That skillet would defeat me! But heck, I would likely make myself sick trying to eat it all. I can completely understand skipping dessert when you have hit that wall but gosh darn it I am a dessert fiend so I would have told them box it up please, it's going with me!!

Such a lovely tree and decorated lobby at WL - and DEER too!!!

Hahaha I can literally eat as much as a 300 pound man... so I tried my absolute best! I was surprised I couldn't eat that dessert! A serious wall was hit. Boxing it up would have been such a good idea, darn. We probably didn't though because we had places to go after dinner.

I agree... it was beautiful!​

 

[michael's mom]

WL is stunning at Christmas! I've never stayed there. DH and I almost stayed there for our honeymoon, but ended up elsewhere. We ate at WCC 3 years ago for my birthday and I probably would have rated it as "okay" as well. However, I think I had hyped it up so much that my expectations were too high. OH well, we can always try again. Maybe sooner than later too...we finally booked our next trip! I'm so excited to have a ticker again!!!!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your night!

 

[mermaid764]

The wilderness lodge is so gorgeous...I would love to stay here during the holiday season one year. I agree that it seems the perfect resort to want to curl up in front of the fireplace

We ate at WCC on our last trip and it wasn't my fave but I loved the milkshakes and wish you could go there just for that lol.

I love your sweater...it's adorable and so you!

I can't wait to hear more

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous enough during the rest of the year, but its Christmas decorations are phenomenal. Along with GF and AKL, it's one of my favorite resorts during the holiday season. What a great idea to book a dinner there so you could eat and enjoy the decorations simultaneously - your sweatshirt is perfect for the surroundings!

I've never been to WCC, but that place is definitely known for its antics, milkshakes, and meat. Who would've thought that the vegetarian dish would be so good? Those quinoa cakes look excellent.

 

[Aussiesalad]

Which one are you referring to? I can't remember what I was wearing

haha I meant the one you got with all the letters from all the signs on it!
LOVE IT!

Oh my gosh!! I am dying over your Maelstrom fastpass pin!!!! Dying!
Vault that bad boy immediately!

Everyone needs a good cookie stashing place- it's just essential these days.
Sock drawers are always a winner...

Ahhh that Disney sky is making me crazy again
Perfection! It just looks so amazing all the time! Your wonderful camera skills also help my dear.

WL just looks so freaking cosy, exactly how a lodge should look at Christmas.
I need to go back at Christmas and explore more!

Good work forever 21- they really know whats up.
Who wouldn't want deer on their sweatshirt?
I really miss that store- silly australia hasn't caught on.

That food looks so gooood! But I'm shocked, too full for dessert?!?!?

Oh my gosh you are leaving so soon! You are going to have such a blast!!

 

[LifeIsDis]

THE WILDERNESS LODGE <3 <3 We are staying there for a few nights at Thanksgiving and I am SO excited to see all of the Christmas decorations.

Your deer sweater is just perfect for you. Forever 21 is just great.

I can’t believe the cornbread was hard as a rock. That’s really disappointing. Usually, it’s fantastic!

 

[petals]

Love the decorations at WL

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Ohhh the Wilderness Lodge <3 What a beautiful resort... especially at Christmas!

You look too cute in your deer sweater. It's PERFECT on you!

I'm glad you tried a milkshake. I had a caramel one there last summer and it was delicious!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Wow! Wilderness Lodge is so BEAUTIFUL decorated from Christmas. I do believe this is my favorite decorated Deluxe so far from your report...it just looks so warm and cozy!

 

[Goofin]

Hey Jess, have you seen these?

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/07/freshening-the-air-with-disney-parks/

I bet you have, but just in case I thought I would share. I know you have mentioned the smells of WDW.

 

[princess_momma]

Oh I love the Wilderness Lodge!! And WCC is so good!! I had a caramel milkshake last year, it was so good that my son kept stealing it! Luckily the waitress brought him one of his own for free!! (I was on the DP and he was only 2 so he wasn't on it.)

 

[katt789]

WCC looks so so good, it's yet another place that's on my list to eat. The added bonus of getting to see the Wilderness lodge is awesome too, I love the whole feeling that it gives off, just great!

 

[LilMommyBug]

Random question - what product do you use in your hair? It's so cute! I'm trying to find one that works better in my hair :/

 

[JessicaFaye508]

WL is stunning at Christmas! I've never stayed there. DH and I almost stayed there for our honeymoon, but ended up elsewhere. We ate at WCC 3 years ago for my birthday and I probably would have rated it as "okay" as well. However, I think I had hyped it up so much that my expectations were too high. OH well, we can always try again. Maybe sooner than later too...we finally booked our next trip! I'm so excited to have a ticker again!!!!

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your night!

I agree! Aww where did you end up staying? I hope you get to stay at WL one day! I think that the experience of WCC can be really good if you get a good server and are with a good group of people. It just depends! Even if it's only "okay" it's still a fun time! YAY for having a new trip! I hope it's magical!

Thank you!

The wilderness lodge is so gorgeous...I would love to stay here during the holiday season one year. I agree that it seems the perfect resort to want to curl up in front of the fireplace

We ate at WCC on our last trip and it wasn't my fave but I loved the milkshakes and wish you could go there just for that lol.

I love your sweater...it's adorable and so you!

I can't wait to hear more

I agree! I would too. When we booked POFQ for those few days at the beginning of the trip, I was wishing so bad that we could stay at WL. It's just way too expensive to pay OOP though

Thank you so much!

Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous enough during the rest of the year, but its Christmas decorations are phenomenal. Along with GF and AKL, it's one of my favorite resorts during the holiday season. What a great idea to book a dinner there so you could eat and enjoy the decorations simultaneously - your sweatshirt is perfect for the surroundings!

I've never been to WCC, but that place is definitely known for its antics, milkshakes, and meat. Who would've thought that the vegetarian dish would be so good? Those quinoa cakes look excellent.

I know, it's incredible! Yes, that's why we did a lot of resort dining on this trip! It planned out a specific chunk of time for us to see everything! Thank you!

Haha it is very fun! Yes, my Mom said it was awesome!

haha I meant the one you got with all the letters from all the signs on it!
LOVE IT!

Oh! When you said "jumper" I thought you were referring to a dress, because that's what I used to call them when I was little. LOL USA and Australia differences. But thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!​

Oh my gosh!! I am dying over your Maelstrom fastpass pin!!!! Dying!
Vault that bad boy immediately!

Hahaha IT'S PERFECT!​

Everyone needs a good cookie stashing place- it's just essential these days.
Sock drawers are always a winner...

I agree. Those cookies are so good... ALL MINE! ​

Ahhh that Disney sky is making me crazy again
Perfection! It just looks so amazing all the time! Your wonderful camera skills also help my dear.

It was so beautiful! Thank you!​

WL just looks so freaking cosy, exactly how a lodge should look at Christmas.
I need to go back at Christmas and explore more!

I know. I could just curl up on one of the couches in the lobby and not move for days.​

Good work forever 21- they really know whats up.
Who wouldn't want deer on their sweatshirt?
I really miss that store- silly australia hasn't caught on.

They really do! It's my favorite store!
I think everyone needs a deer sweatshirt!
And aww really!? Come on Australia, get with it! It's such a good store!​

That food looks so gooood! But I'm shocked, too full for dessert?!?!?

Oh my gosh you are leaving so soon! You are going to have such a blast!!

I know! I'm leaving for Georgia on Saturday! That's crazy!

THE WILDERNESS LODGE <3 <3 We are staying there for a few nights at Thanksgiving and I am SO excited to see all of the Christmas decorations.

Your deer sweater is just perfect for you. Forever 21 is just great.

I can’t believe the cornbread was hard as a rock. That’s really disappointing. Usually, it’s fantastic!

Love the decorations at WL

Are you really!? How lucky! I haven't stayed there since Middle School and I miss it SO much!

Thank you! I agree.

I know, I was so sad!

Ohhh the Wilderness Lodge <3 What a beautiful resort... especially at Christmas!

You look too cute in your deer sweater. It's PERFECT on you!

I'm glad you tried a milkshake. I had a caramel one there last summer and it was delicious!

I agree! So wonderful!

Haha thank you!

A carmel milkshake!? Why didn't I order that?! I bet it was amazing!

Wow! Wilderness Lodge is so BEAUTIFUL decorated from Christmas. I do believe this is my favorite decorated Deluxe so far from your report...it just looks so warm and cozy!

It really is! I'm so glad I got to go over there! Haha yeah, it's one of my favorites too!

Hey Jess, have you seen these?

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/07/freshening-the-air-with-disney-parks/

I bet you have, but just in case I thought I would share. I know you have mentioned the smells of WDW.

YES! Thank you! I need to remember to buy some of those!

Oh I love the Wilderness Lodge!! And WCC is so good!! I had a caramel milkshake last year, it was so good that my son kept stealing it! Luckily the waitress brought him one of his own for free!! (I was on the DP and he was only 2 so he wasn't on it.)

Me too! Wow, that's the second caramel milkshake that was mentioned now! I guess I have to go back and just so I can try it! That's nice that the waitress brought your son one! How cute!

WCC looks so so good, it's yet another place that's on my list to eat. The added bonus of getting to see the Wilderness lodge is awesome too, I love the whole feeling that it gives off, just great!

It was - I loved it! I know, it really was perfect!

Random question - what product do you use in your hair? It's so cute! I'm trying to find one that works better in my hair :/

I use Curls Rock by Catwalk. My hair is naturally curly, but I put that product in and I scrunch my hair.. and it usually comes out pretty good! I hope you can find it! I highly recommend that product! I've been using it for like.. 4 or 5 years now! ​

 

[marDgreen88]

SPEAKING OF THE WILDERNESS LODGE!!! Oh wow. It's so lovely. If I ever go back in December I basically NEED to stay there.

Oh man, that stinks that the cornbread was hard. That's never good... cornbread (and basically all bread... ever) must be soft! I guess you were too full for it anyway though, haahha.

The meal looks pretty good though! Would you recommend splitting it??

 

[princess_momma]

Me too! Wow, that's the second caramel milkshake that was mentioned now! I guess I have to go back and just so I can try it! That's nice that the waitress brought your son one! How cute!
​

lol Lauren_elizabeth and I actually got the caramel milkshakes together!! So that's why you heard it mentioned twice!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

SPEAKING OF THE WILDERNESS LODGE!!! Oh wow. It's so lovely. If I ever go back in December I basically NEED to stay there.

Oh man, that stinks that the cornbread was hard. That's never good... cornbread (and basically all bread... ever) must be soft! I guess you were too full for it anyway though, haahha.

The meal looks pretty good though! Would you recommend splitting it??

Haha I love that place! I know, I wish I could have!
I know! Bread needs to be soft and perfect considering it's so many carbs.
It was really good! You actually can't technically "split" the skillet because it's the family style option of Whispering Canyon. Typically, multiple people in the group order the skillet, so that's why it's served in such a big dish. You'd have to pay the meal price for everyone who wanted to eat it. I hope that makes sense!

lol Lauren_elizabeth and I actually got the caramel milkshakes together!! So that's why you heard it mentioned twice!

Hahaha well that could be why! ​