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Post by disneyteach on Dec 13, 2023 22:06:36 GMT -5
It has been nearly a year and a half since our last Disney trip, and I'm pretty certain I was going through withdrawals! We let our annual passes lapse (knowing full well we might not get them back), and decided to take a 2-week road trip out west this summer. That trip was amazing. We visited 5 National Parks and several National Historic Sites and Memorials. Well, as soon as APs went back on sale again, I purchased new and they will be activated on Saturday! We have been DVC members since 2016 and this will be our 15th trip since becoming members. As soon as I realized we had an extra-long winter break, I decided this Christmas trip must happen. Our last Christmas trip was in 2016 and we went similar dates and it wasn't too terribly crowded until the end of the trip (closer to Christmas). I'm hoping for a repeat, but preparing for the worse. This was a surprise for our kids (DS14 & DD9) until this past Sunday. At least, the Disney part was. The real surprise is that we are also headed to Universal. They will not find out until the day we go. The real real surprise is that we are Universal annual passholders! When planning this trip, I ran several different scenarios cost-wise including booking a UO resort to get the express pass, purchasing tickets with express passes, and purchasing UOAPs. DH and I decided to just go for the UOAPs. It was also more cost-effective. Since we are already DVC members and have a "free" hotel room, it just made more sense to stay DVC and drive to Universal each day.
So...here's the plan:
Friday - depart Columbus at 6:00 pm. We have early dismissal fro school and we should have plenty of time to finish packing and make it to the airport. Stay in a HIExpress near Disney Springs for the evening.
Saturday - MK and check-in at BLT - our home resort - in a Lake View Studio. Tight quarters, but we rented most of our 2023 points this year to cover dues.
Sunday - Epcot & Festival of the Holidays. I think my DS will totally be into it this year (he's my food buddy during festivals and we like to try everything and share.) DD will enjoy doing Olaf's Scavenger Hunt. We may go to MK in the evening, but the weather Sat & Sun looks awful so not sure what we will end up doing.
Monday - AK in the morning. We might go back to Epcot, or perhaps head to Universal to activate APs. Not sure yet. Depends on when we want to tell the kids.
Tuesday - Check in at Old Key West. The OG DVC resort that we've never stayed at. This is the last day at Disney before our passes black out. The plan is to head to Hollywood Studios for the day, but we may decide to head to Universal instead. Or back to Epcot, depending on previous experiences this week. We do have dinner reservations at Woody's Roundup BBQ (newly opened since our last trip). DH watched a video with DD and he's not sure about the dinner. Anyone been and have thoughts?
Wednesday - Grinch & friends breakfast at Universal. I've read mixed reviews, but a friend went recently and highly recommended it. I think DD will really enjoy it. Spend the day at Universal. Ollivander's for sure to get DD's wand. She & I just finished the Harry Potter series this week. Any thoughts on how to hint to DS to get out/find his wand without giving away where we are going??
Thursday - Universal in the morning and then I get my Christmas present. The only thing I asked for (and will likely be getting this year) is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! I've been to Disney at Christmas multiple times, but never to the party. This is another surprise for the kids (but, really, truly my Christmas present!)
Friday - Universal in the AM. Fly home to Columbus
This trip is much-needed after a stressful first half to the school year. I'm looking forward to vacation, but also hoping not to overload ourselves and just enjoy it. The next day and a half cannot come soon enough!
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dlwdwdvc
One Bedroom
Posts: 349
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Post by dlwdwdvc on Dec 14, 2023 3:27:33 GMT -5
I assume the wand has a battery… Ask him to check for corrosion because somebody mentioned this online , and replace the battery ,
and then sneak it into a suitcase for trip .
I hope you plan to watch the Grinch Wholidays Stage Show. Plan to go to the first show is my very best suggestion !
Annd theBlues Brothers street performance on stage in Universal too! They have a holiday theme too!
I think Universal is more fun than WDW for holiday fun .
Hope you have a great trip this holiday season .
My family is counting down to one day arriving tomorrow YAY
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 14, 2023 5:50:07 GMT -5
I assume the wand has a battery… Ask him to check for corrosion because somebody mentioned this online , and replace the battery , and then sneak it into a suitcase for trip . I hope you plan to watch the Grinch Wholidays Stage Show. Plan to go to the first show is my very best suggestion ! Annd theBlues Brothers street performance on stage in Universal too! They have a holiday theme too! I think Universal is more fun than WDW for holiday fun . Hope you have a great trip this holiday season . My family is counting down to one day arriving tomorrow YAY Thanks for all the Universal advice! I'll take as much as I can get. We haven't been to Universal since June 2016 and it was quite literally a one-day trip with hopper and express pass. TBH, that was enough for me (with a 6 & 2 year old), but I'm really looking forward to this trip now that the kids are older. |
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Post by tomandrobin on Dec 14, 2023 6:40:39 GMT -5
Have a great trip!
We just got back from a quick WDW weekend trip. The Parks look great, not as good as pre-covid, but its getting better over the first couple of post covid Christmas decorations.
Make sure you check the MVMCP and Jollywood and weekend (local) closing/crowds.
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Post by alwaysdreamingdisney on Dec 14, 2023 9:08:03 GMT -5
If you’re driving to Universal from Disney resorts you will need to pay for parking! The parking is free AFTER passes have been started they don’t accept the confirmation that you have the UOAP at the parking kiosk.
Parking is free after 6PM in the evenings though….so you may want to make a trip over in the evening to activate the APs. Saves you about $40-50 parking fee.
Id also recommend the Grinch show. We saw it last year and it was both cute and followed the story line of the book very well. And Max was absolutely adorable!!!
Have fun!
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lola
One Bedroom
Posts: 225
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Post by lola on Dec 14, 2023 14:10:33 GMT -5
Tuesday - Check in at Old Key West. The OG DVC resort that we've never stayed at. This is the last day at Disney before our passes black out. The plan is to head to Hollywood Studios for the day, but we may decide to head to Universal instead. Or back to Epcot, depending on previous experiences this week. We do have dinner reservations at Woody's Roundup BBQ (newly opened since our last trip). DH watched a video with DD and he's not sure about the dinner. Anyone been and have thoughts? Hi! We did Woody's in October this year. The food was surprisingly good! But the cocktails are premade and there is not a full bar, if this matters to you. We found the atmosphere to be a bit underwhelming and quite loud. The servers are "toys" and everyone must freeze when someone approaches Andy's room. It was cute a couple of times, then kind of got old. The restaurant is just a big box with Toy Story themed decor. The decor is well done, but there are no special effects except for some flashing lighting. I wish they had done more, like the Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex. We are glad to have done it, but likely won't go again. Enjoy your trip! Lola |
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Post by MinnieMom on Dec 14, 2023 16:43:10 GMT -5
All the parks are looking nice for the holidays this year! Sounds like a fun trip.
Universal Christmas thought - get as close to the giant Christmas tree as you can for the parade. The best spots will be reserved for tour packages, but there just down a bit would be a good spot for photos/video with the tree in the background.
Also, frozen butterbeer is an internationally recognized Christmas treat. And if it not yet, I'm sure that will be coming soon! Having one in hand while watching the Hogwarts Christmas light show is a good time.
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 14, 2023 20:00:43 GMT -5
If you’re driving to Universal from Disney resorts you will need to pay for parking! The parking is free AFTER passes have been started they don’t accept the confirmation that you have the UOAP at the parking kiosk. Parking is free after 6PM in the evenings though….so you may want to make a trip over in the evening to activate the APs. Saves you about $40-50 parking fee. Id also recommend the Grinch show. We saw it last year and it was both cute and followed the story line of the book very well. And Max was absolutely adorable!!! Have fun! EXCELLENT advice about the parking! Thank you! |
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 14, 2023 20:03:22 GMT -5
Tuesday - Check in at Old Key West. The OG DVC resort that we've never stayed at. This is the last day at Disney before our passes black out. The plan is to head to Hollywood Studios for the day, but we may decide to head to Universal instead. Or back to Epcot, depending on previous experiences this week. We do have dinner reservations at Woody's Roundup BBQ (newly opened since our last trip). DH watched a video with DD and he's not sure about the dinner. Anyone been and have thoughts? Hi! We did Woody's in October this year. The food was surprisingly good! But the cocktails are premade and there is not a full bar, if this matters to you. We found the atmosphere to be a bit underwhelming and quite loud. The servers are "toys" and everyone must freeze when someone approaches Andy's room. It was cute a couple of times, then kind of got old. The restaurant is just a big box with Toy Story themed decor. The decor is well done, but there are no special effects except for some flashing lighting. I wish they had done more, like the Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex. We are glad to have done it, but likely won't go again. Enjoy your trip! Lola Interesting thoughts. I think I'll keep the ressie and it may just be a one-and-done. I'm ok with trying something at least once! All the parks are looking nice for the holidays this year! Sounds like a fun trip. Universal Christmas thought - get as close to the giant Christmas tree as you can for the parade. The best spots will be reserved for tour packages, but there just down a bit would be a good spot for photos/video with the tree in the background. Also, frozen butterbeer is an internationally recognized Christmas treat. And if it not yet, I'm sure that will be coming soon! Having one in hand while watching the Hogwarts Christmas light show is a good time. I've been following along on your TR! Yes to the frozen butterbeer! |
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Post by Brian5581 on Dec 14, 2023 22:23:32 GMT -5
Sounds great. Enjoy!
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Post by jedimom3 on Dec 15, 2023 7:50:22 GMT -5
Have a wonderful, wonderful trip!!
I love frozen butterbeer. My new thing is to get an extra, and take it home in an insulated cup. But I must add, as delicious as frozen butter beer is, hot butterbeer is even better!! So perfect for the holidays. Universal really does the decorations so well. And how fun to be going right after finishing HP. It'll be so extra special now.
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 16, 2023 19:56:15 GMT -5
Have a wonderful, wonderful trip!! I love frozen butterbeer. My new thing is to get an extra, and take it home in an insulated cup. But I must add, as delicious as frozen butter beer is, hot butterbeer is even better!! So perfect for the holidays. Universal really does the decorations so well. And how fun to be going right after finishing HP. It'll be so extra special now. I’ve never had a hot butter beer! It is supposed to be on the cooler side on one of our days, so I might have to try it! |
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 19, 2023 11:10:33 GMT -5
Checking in as I sit in Galaxy’s Edge while the kids play the bounty hunter game.
12/15 & 12/16 - Arrived at MCO just before 8:30 and headed to pick up the rental car at Hertz. DH has president’s circle, which is awesome because we book the lowest class vehicle then pick out an SUV. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express close to Palm Parkway for the evening. Not sure what I was thinking when I booked the trip but I didn’t have a DVC night booked for the first night. The HIE was perfectly fine and everything you would expect. The only disappointing thing was the pancake machine was broken and DH said the eggs weren’t worth waiting for, so we headed out and stopped at the Dunkin on our way. We don’t have any Dunkin’s near where we live so it’s always a Florida treat. We took the back way into the MK area and totally missed the welcome gates, but it’s ok! We stopped in BLT to let them know we were there and I’m glad I did because I bought the kids new Magic Band+ and I forgot to link them up. We purchased new APs for this trip and I’ve heard mixed reviews on whether they need to be activated at guest services so once we got to MK, I decided to stop just in case. Again, I’m glad I did because DH & I were fine but both of the kids’ passes needed activated.
Once through the gates, we decided to head straight to Space Mountain which only had a posted 20 min wait, and turned out to be 25. From there we went to the People Mover and it was just starting to drizzle. That was just a preview of the rain to come! Luckily we were prepared. We rode Ariel, got a cinnamon roll and Le Fou Brew at Gaston’s, then rode Haunted Mansion. Somewhere in there we rode Pirate’s (which we still haven’t received the ride picture for) then got lunch at the spring roll stand (pepperoni pizza & cheeseburger this time). At this point the tropical storm seemed that it was here to stay and we wore ponchos the rest of the day. Luckily it wasn’t too cold (by our Ohioan standard) so the rain was just bothersome. At 1pm, I tried for the Tron boarding group (totally forgot at 7am) and got 106. They didn’t give us an estimated callback, but we were guessing around 3:30. Around that same time we got a room ready text but DH didn’t want to leave because he was worried once we got dry we wouldn’t want to go back out. We shopped for a bit, rode Small World, played with the golden statues with the MB+ and I think that was it. It was about 4:15 when our Tron group was called. Such a great ride! Biggest complaint amongst my group is that it is too short-which I’ve read is a complaint from just about everyone. It was still completely pouring down rain so we called it a night. DD and I rode the train to the Main Street station while DH and DS walked. We met up at our room at BLT and DH & DS had already carried our bags up. After unpacking, we mobile ordered food. As much as I like Bay Lake tower I’ve always complained about the food offerings. The Contempo café has a new menu and everything sounds really great! DH and I both order the Italian beef sandwich, DS got the grilled cheese and tomato soup, and DD got the pasta marinara for kids. While I liked the Italian beef sandwich, It was still just so-so. The tomato soup was delicious. We discussed taking a ride around on the monorail but the line was insane - wrapped around the downstairs. I attributed that to the rain and people not wanting to be out & about in the parks. I read on Facebook that Disney canceled the Jollywood party for this night too. DH and I headed down to the bar at Steakhouse 71 for a drink, as the Outer Rim was crazy-crowded too.
We eventually called it and early night and headed back to our studio. It’s been a year and a half since we’ve been to Disney , but this is our 10th stay at our home at BLT. After staying in a 1-bedroom one time, we quickly added on points because we knew as the kids got older we would want the space. I rented out a good majority of our points this year and we pieced together this trip with whatever we had left-in studios. I honestly wish we would’ve just skipped the BLT studio. It’s just too small now. At least I’ll have more points for our summer trip!
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 28, 2023 18:51:05 GMT -5
12/17 - We woke up early to get to Epcot's early hours. I think we got there about 10 minutes before everyone else could get in. We were between Soarin' or Test Track first, but TT ended up being down so Soarin' it was. I had forgotten that it's Soarin' Over California and was excited for DD to experience it for the first time! We were pretty hungry so we stopped and ate at Sunshine Seasons (their breakfast sandwich is actually pretty good!) then hopped on The Land. I knew they had a holiday overlay but didn't know it was so much. I wanted to go back during the nighttime, but we never made it. I also got a Cosmic Rewind boarding group at 7am. Can't remember now what # our group was, but we didn't get called till late afternoon. DD was so excited to see the new Moana water attraction. I love the Moana movie, but didn't really know what to expect. We all really enjoyed the attraction! I'm not sure why people didn't think it fit in Epcot because it is actually very educational. It was so neat and interactive. DD insisted we go back at night as well. After riding Nemo & Figment with walk-on wait times, it was about time to go to World Showcase for Festival of the Holidays. Oh! I almost forgot! We did the Figment meet & greet after taking a journey into imagination, which was fun.
We started at Bubbles & Brine and got the crab claw and the shrimp cocktail. It was pretty expensive for how little you got. Next we stopped to get the Olaf scavenger hunt for DD. We went towards Mexico and got one of everything there. The tostada was my favorite. We also got the horchata margarita and DH went to get in line at the margarita stand and get regular margaritas for us as well. I was feeling pretty good by the time we got to Norway! Geir Ness (creator of Laila perfume) was in Norway signing bottles so DH got himself & DS a bottle of the men's cologne. For whatever reason he didn't ask DD if she wanted a bottle of Laila. At some point we started the cookie stroll as well. DD and I got the noodle soup bowl in China that was delicious. DD can be somewhat picky sometimes and not eat the best while we are on vacation, but this was the year that she decided she wanted to try all the festival booths. I was so proud! We didn't get any food this time in Germany (the line was way too long) but DH did stop for a beer. We did get the schnitzel and cheese fondue the next day, I believe. While they were in Germany, DD and I moved on to the Tuscany kitchen. We got the Montonara, which again was delicious. We sat at a table in Italy for a while to eat and take a rest. Next up was America, where DS got both the turkey & the catfish and we all shared the gingerbread cookie. We skipped Japan and Morocco (I still miss Tangerine Cafe) then went to L'Chaim for pastrami, latkes, and the black & white cookie (my favorite of all of them!). At this point I was completely stuffed and ready to go back to the resort for a rest. I got outvoted by DH & DS who insisted we would just have to turn around and come back to ride Guardians. Midday breaks are a must when we go during the summer, but the weather was too cool and too nice to argue. We stopped in Canada, where we ordered one of everything again, including the snickerdoodle cookie. That was my least favorite. I also got a glass of ice wine. We finished up the Olaf scavenger hunt and got our prize.
It was about the time that we knew our BG was getting ready to be called so we started heading over to ride Cosmic Rewind. DH & DS were following the Browns game and decided to sit down to watch the end (which was a great ending with a Browns win!) and then we got called. We waited quite a while in line (I want to say about 30+ minutes, which we weren't expecting). The ride was fantastic, as always. So fun! At this point it was starting to get dark so we stopped for some pictures, including the new dreamer's statue (I think that's what it's called? the one with Walt). I was so tired at this point, it was after 6 and I was just ready to go. As much as I wanted to watch the new show, I just didn't want to wait around. We headed out and back to BLT.
DH suggested we take a monorail ride and visit the other resorts so that's what we ended up doing. The monorail line was, once again, ridiculously long. In all our years at BLT, I've never seen the line like this. The night before I was attributing it to the rain, this time, I got nothing. After waiting about 30+ minutes, we finally got on and headed to Poly. We were going to have a drink in the lounge, but it was packed. I ordered the kids food from Captain Cook's and we waited around for it to be ready and ate in the lobby (because of course the restaurant itself was packed). After they ate, we hopped back on the monorail (no line here -- is it possible people were walking from MK to the Contemporary to get on the monorail? If so, that is weird). I suggested we go to the Enchanted Rose at the Grand Floridian, so after the obligatory photo in front of the gingerbread house, we headed up there. This was our first time here and it is just beautiful. It's way bigger than I thought and there was no wait for a spot. We ordered the jerky, crab dip, and truffle fries as well as two old fashioneds. Everything was delicious. The kids both got some fancy non-alcholic drink as well. After settling the check, we hopped back on the monorail again and got back to our room right as the water pageant was coming through. DD enjoyed watching that and then we were ready to turn in for the night.
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Post by disneyteach on Dec 28, 2023 19:15:06 GMT -5
12/18 - We woke up early again to go to AK's early hours. At this point, DH decided this is no longer a vacation, but on these Christmas trips, early hours are a must! We headed straight to Pandora for Flight of Passage. Even though we were in early, we still waited over an hour. We didn't have much we wanted to do at AK besides FOP, Everest, and eating at Satul'i Canteen, so that was fine with me. After FOP, we got Night Blossoms and a pineapple cream cheese thingy and decided to head to Everest. We waited about 35 minutes for Everest. While waiting, we pre-ordered our Satul'i and set the time for after our ride. That was a lot of walking between the two, but like I said, it was the only thing we really wanted to do. I would've liked to take the Safari, but nobody wanted to wait 60+ minutes so we skipped it and headed out. We stopped for shopping and pictures on our way out. It was around this time that it really registered with me that the Disney100 stuff was 30% off plus another 20% for our DVC discount. I got DD the cutest spirit jersey (I really wanted one too, but couldn't find it in any adult sizes) and I got myself some of the cutest purple Disney100 crocs! They were only like $35 after the discount, which is a great price for crocs, especially Disney crocs!
We headed back to BLT for a quick nap, with the full intention of going back to Epcot for their extended evening hours. On our way out, we saw the character van and Chip & Dale getting out of it between BLT & the Contemporary. We walked right into them & Daisy right as we exited. DD and I ran over for some quick pictures. It was a perfect magical moment. When we got to Epcot, we were parked soooo far away. I really thought we were late enough to get the closer parking, but apparently not. After a trek to the entrance, we stopped at the Odyssey for the peppermint pinwheel cookie, apple crumble cake (DELICIOUS!) and the frozen caramel hot chocolate. DH also got the beer flight, which he was excited to see had a BrewDog beer, as they have a US location only about 10 minutes from where we live. We stopped in Mexico for the tostado and margaritas again then stopped in Norway to hear the storyteller. Unfortunately this was the only one we got to see the whole trip, but the story of the barn santa was so good and the performers were fantastic! Next stop was Germany for the schnitzel and cheese fondue, then on to Japan. I have been wanting to do the pick-a-pearl with DD for years, but it went away for awhile due to Covid. We stopped in and I asked if she wanted to do it and she excitedly said yes. The pearl she got was 7.25 and I don't know what I was thinking but I was envisioning getting a pretty necklace for the pearl that she could, I don't know, wear on her wedding day or something, but...she just wanted to pixie dust jar to keep it in LOL. Oh well. Maybe somewhere down the line she'll want a piece of jewelry for it. We finished up the cookie stroll and got our prize, then DD wanted to go back to the Moana attraction to see it at night. It was really pretty at night as well. I wanted to ride The Land, but the wait time was over 40 minutes. We didn't even go in the pavilion, so it may have been shorter but I don't know. Although we got a BG for guardians for the extra evening hours, we all decided we were ready to go. We wanted to try to hit up HS for early hours and wanted to get a good night's sleep.
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