And all at once, everything was different. Literally. *WDW NYE 2019 TR* Updated 4/11x2*COMPLETE*

Behind again - sorry!! But it's spring break week so my goal is to finish the whole report this week. Let's see if that actually happens!!
I started my March report while on Spring Break and I think I got 3 entries done over Spring Break even though I had wanted to finish it. Now who knows how long it will take.

DH and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary
Congrats!

My big gift from him was awesome, but my little gift was my favorite (shh...don't tell him that :rotfl: )



I love It's a Small World, and I have almost bought myself this limited edition magic band about ten times. It's probably still in my ShopDisney cart in all honesty, so I was very excited! The coffee mug was just a bonus.
I love it! Though I am wondering what the big gift was. :scratchin

I also ordered some wax melts and air freshener circles from Magic Candle Co.



If you can't see the labels on the melts, I got Flying Over Africa, African Lodge, Banshee Flight, and Yacht Resort. Flying Over Africa actually smells like the part in Soarin' that I wanted it to. Very fresh cut grass-ish. My favorite of all of them by far. Banshee Flight is the same scent as the island scene in Soarin' in addition to FOP. It's ok. Yacht Club is the green clover and aloe scent used at many of the resorts, and is pleasant. African Lodge doesn't smell anything like AKL to me. It's very sweet and perfumey and gives me a little bit of a headache. A complaint I have is that the wax is very, very soft. Like, it will smush in your hand. That also makes it a royal pain to get out of your warmers once solidified. I like to pop my solid melted wax out rather than use the cotton ball method on melted wax, so what's probably a minor annoyance to some is a big deal to me.
I got some from Main Street Candle Company and they are very mushy too. But I do like the smells.

The scent circles are Norway, Haunted, Tiki Terrace and Polynesian. I have Haunted in my jeep, and initially it smelled like musty butterscotch. I know that sounds weird, but it's all I could think of. After the first day it mellowed and it smells ok now, but nothing like I'd imagine a Haunted Mansion smelling like. Maybe Haunted Karamel Kuche is more accurate?? DH has Tiki Terrace in his truck and I like it. Very lightly tropical.
We haven't opened the other two yet, but Norway is supposed to smell like Laila (I hope!) and Polynesian is supposed to be tropical. We shall see I guess!
I'd love some scent circle for the car. I use B&BW scents but I'd much prefer Disney scents.

Again with no good chapter name. I think I've officially given up!
I just go with Day _ Part _. So original, right??:rotfl:

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Love it! :rotfl2:

One thing I need to mention, because it's what this first post covering this day is going to be about - it was EMH day, but they were scanning everyone's bands at the tapstiles. There was no designated lanes open for EMH/breakfast, none of the CMs were asking, "are you here for a tour/breakfast/EMH" like they usually do, and there was a lot of confusion, and management CMs on walkies making their way toward the scanners, and just a buzz of something "oops" in the air, do you know what I mean? Like, you could just tell some kind of something was going on. My initial thought was that they just didn't have a land cleared or something, and we needed to be prepared for delay.
Sounds ominous.....

But I started noticing something that was a little concerning...no one was entering Fantasyland or Tomorrowland like normal. Just a few small groups at a time. And big, huge, lines were forming. What the heck was going on??
Uh oh....

The CMs were rescanning ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE'S MAGIC BANDS before letting them into the park. We got almost up to the CMs when one a manager came over and said, "Just let them in, it doesn't matter if they're not resort guests, EMH will be over before we get them all scanned at this point", and it was like an insane free for all flood of humanity. It was also about 15 minutes into EMH at this point.
Oh geez. So annoying.

We got to Buzz Lightyear and the line looked like this:





During Extra Magic Hours :faint: Normally this ride is walk on at this point during regular hours, let alone EMH.
That totally stinks!
 
We are doing a few add ons, more than we would ordinarily do. Oops. Not sure how that happened :rolleyes1
It some how adds up! We did that with Morgan's Birthday trip! Can't wait! You guys will have fun.



I kept the Jungle Cruise boat but since I already had Space Mountain, I set it aside to use as a trader (you'll see what I ended up with later on in the report).
These are so cute, the girls wanted to do these once, but they wanted something specific and I wouldn't let them buy the boxes cause they would have been soo disapointed when they didn't get that one...



Sometimes you just need a Disney flatbread :confused3 (or maybe I just needed to soak up the pool booze??)
Either is fine...

We started to head on in, but before we got to the tapstiles, I noticed some special friends over to the side. I ALWAYS miss out on characterpaloozas and character trainings b/c of timing (it's the only reason i pay for Kenny the Pirate and I STILL miss it every time, or get turned away b/c they're finishing up), so I was very, very excited to actually make one this time. Can you tell I'm happy??

Weird that they are outside of the park...

they both have an annoying habit of zooming in as far as possible and handing the camera back with grainy mega close ups of our faces. They think it's hilarious.
Kids are great, aren't they?

I love this, I want to sing All By Myself.



I noticed Gonzo dangling from the clock...have I missed this in the past?? Or is this one of those things that I see every time, forget it, and then it becomes new the next trip?? Anyone else have things like that?? :rotfl:
I never noticed him!


Cool pic.




Why don't we just call it art?? Onion Rings In The Dark.
Got to love the Sci-Fi food pictures...

We had hitchhikers in the back of our car, and they were on the dining plan but not quite sure how to use it. Our server's approach was to speak very loudly and slowly to them :rolleyes:
Oye.

The lights in TSL were so pretty!!

I can't wait to see Toy Storyland at night! Great photo.



I was a little shocked by how much damage was already done at several points in the TSMM line.
I know! It's practically brand new. And really how does that happen?!?!
 
We ended up making it into one of the first groups of the day for Haunted Mansion.
Wahoo!

Our disappointment was short lived because look at this gloriously empty walkway!!!!!

Wow, look at that!

Afterward the boys had to keep tradition alive and engage in a little gift shop sword fighting

My three (yes DH included) love to do this after our Pirates rides, too!

Even though we go to the parks fairly frequently, it is always our goal to do something new each trip. This time, I was determined to go through the Swiss Family Tree House!!
I love it!

What a view, right? I could handle seeing that out my window every morning ::yes::
Try it at night. AH-MAZING!

After the floats were finished, we took the magical Adventureland-to-Frontierland-Restroom-Tunnel (trademark, LOL) to do one of our Very Favorite Activities: The Country Bear Jamboree!!
One of our faves as well. We love all the classics. DH even has CB socks.

Because we are Country Bear Whisperers, we caught my best pal Big Al out and about
I am envious!

The Peter Pan Float! Cute right?? But sooo gross. We ended up throwing them away and getting waters from The Friar's Nook. Now, I'm guessing it was just poorly mixed lime stuff, b/c normally we love sherbet/sprite mixed together. But this softserve left a waxy film on our teeth that coated our mouths and was just horrible. It was bitter and just :crazy2:
Must've been a bad batch because ours in October were great.

Fortunately the loaded tots we got from Friar's Nook was a huge hit with all of us.
DH and I had the Loaded Fiesta Tots:
I tried these in October and was not a huge fan. Part of the issue though is I was the only one who got them so then we had to make our way to Cosmic Ray's for everyone else's food and I think my tots got soggy in the process. Because the idea of this is just heaven to me.
 
I have been working a little bit on the plan for the trip DH and I are taking in June, though!! Fast Pass day for that is Wednesday :dogdance::dogdance:
We got everything we wanted!

We are doing a few add ons, more than we would ordinarily do. Oops. Not sure how that happened :rolleyes1
We have Rivers of Light Dessert Party, Backstage Magic Tour, and After Hours at DHS.
If I finish this report I *might* start a PTR for that one, we'll see.
We are doing Pirates & Pals and the Star Wars Dessert Party (for the 2nd time). I seriously thought about the MK Villains After Hours but we don't really need to with 9 park days and it would require rearranging at this point plus $400 for all of us, so I ix-nayed it. But don;t think I don't "wonder if..."

This thing is awesome. It's literally a tiny replica of a doombuggy from the Haunted Mansion, and when you press the button the ghosts show up "in" the doombuggy and it says quotes from the ride. I wanted it, DH wanted it, so it came home with us. We don't decorate with a lot of Disney in the house (except a few subtle things here and there) but I was willing to leave this out on the coffee table or something. Well, DH ended up taking it to work and put it on his desk :sad2: I think I might need to pick up another one on our next visit!!
I've heard it is a hot commodity and sells out so I hope you can find another.

I know I just said we don't decorate with a lot of Disney, but we do have several prints. Some hang in our closet (it's pretty big), but we plan to move them out into the rest of the house at some point. Obviously this artwork is based on the exterior of the DLR Haunted Mansion, but we are equal opportunity HM lovers around here, so bring on the bi-coastal love! I think the art style is adorable and am eyeing a few different walls for its permanent place in our home.
Very nice print.

I never drink this much on vacation, but there was just something about the Polynesian that said, "drink all the drinks!!"...and I listened!! :rotfl::rotfl:
As you should have!
 


I could see how the Polynesian would promote feelings of relaxing and drinking. And for what it's worth, that first drink sounds delicious!
Good to know that you enjoyed (oh I'm not even going to attempt to spell it) your longhouse this trip more than CL. I've stayed in (again, not going to attempt the spelling) a longhouse and have wondered if CL was better. Think I'll stick with our tried and true house.

The night I'm writing about was a little stormy and spooky so I feel the Scream gif is fitting. It's also one of my favorite movies so :confused3

When I saw your gif I became really excited! "Someone used a Scream gif! That's fantastic!" It's one of my favorite movies, as well, so you just made my morning. :laughing:


Whoa, those poor palm trees in your photo! You weren't kidding about how windy it was that evening.


It's so awkward when you get behind someone blowing up at a Cast Member. You feel terrible for that CM but you also just want to scoot on by and act like that wasn't dampening your Disney mood.


I love that you initiated the boys into Disney coasters with RNRC and TOT.:rotfl2: I think my son would have loved that introduction, but my daughter...she'd probably refuse to return to WDW. :laughing:
 
Oh! I would love those shoes!

I regret not buying them the first time I saw them a few years ago. I haven't seen them in the store in a long time, but I always look. I want them so much!

dinner at V&A's, etc etc.

Have you been to V&A's before? The owner of DH's company who got the VIP guide for us has offered to get V&A reservations for us in June. We're torn about accepting.
 
I see Kingdom of Cute everywhere and never knew it had a name to it. I didn't even know there were pins, WOW. I might need some prints for my future home.

A trip that involves a need for one to try every drink at the bar is a trip going very VERY well.

Ugh, Scream is THE BEST. Up there in my top faves. Wes Craven's best. I def need to go see Pet Sematary and Us asap. I never saw Get Out in theaters and I love the original Pet Sematary (though I doubt this one will compete since it looks like they cut out having a cute little demon Gage).

So glad to hear you caught a Fant meet. AND WITH PLUTO AND MINNIE? That's like Disneyland level randomness wow

I'm sorry to hear it was so rainy. That's no fun, but it def probably helped with emptying out the park.

Lol your first rides at WDW were ToT and RnRC... so glad you weren't my mother or I probably would've hated Disney lol #formerridechicken

MuppetVision looks so sad with so much theming being removed. I know the balloon on the tower has been gone awhile but it still makes me sad. Never noticed Gonzo before up there though. Interesting.

Yas for rebel spies in spirit! (One day though, ONE DAY.)

Omg, that's wild that crack in the paint and wall at TSMM... what are people doing in those queues? Yikes. This is why we can't have nice things.

So sad it's your last night. Truly is bittersweet, but they always end on the bus notes, don't they?

Before i respond to the quote, I have to share my disappointment b/c you'll understand based on previous posts we've made on my TR - Alyssa Edwards is going to be coming to an event here called Glitterville during pride week, and it's during our June WDW trip. I was so sad when I saw the date, I'd have totally gone to meet her otherwise!!

Anyway...

Kingdom of Cute is my FA-VOR-ITE!

haha, yes, if drinks were an indication of trip fun level, we were definitely having a good time!!

So, Scream came out when I was a freshman in high school. My hometown is small, but had the only movie theater within a half an hour drive. The owner was my elementary school bus driver, and I was good friends with his stepson. My two best friends and I went to see it, but since it was rated R, the owner made us call one of our sets of parents for permission. The hilarious thing was, he never actually SPOKE to my best friend's mom, just took our word for it that we'd actually called her and not just some random person when he handed her the phone :rotfl2: That same friend is still to this day terrified of the ghost face mask, so I send her pictures of it from time to time, LOL!! It's still one of my all time favorites, I have it memorized!

I didn't see Get Out in the theater either, but Us is one I plan to watch a few more times. The original Pet Sematary was frightening with the authenticity of Gage being the one, but Ellie is CREEEEPY in the new version. The movie starts a little slow and then goes full tilt. Lots of changes from the book, but not as distracting as I was afraid it would be.

My biggest meet and greet disappointment was when we were turned away from Jasmine/Aladdin/Genie a couple of years ago. I was devastated! Minnie and Pluto made up for it, and they were so energetic and fun!!

The rain definitely helped clear people out so when it turned into more of a drizzle, we felt like we were winning!!

My poor kids, LOL!! I had been to WDW before we brought the kids for their first visit, but yes, on our arrival day, after grabbing some food at our resort, we went to DHS and our first two rides were Tower and RnR :rotfl::rotfl: We had made a deal before going that they would try everything once, and if they hated it they didn't have to repeat anything. X will occasionally sit out Everest if he's not feeling well, but they ride anything now without much hesitation. X complained about me forcing him on California Screamin' at California Adventure, but then it ended up being his favorite ride

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OMG, don't even get me started on what's happening in the Muppet Courtyard :sad::sad: It looks sadder and sadder every time.

If I have to tape my picture over the rebel spy screen, as god as my witness I WILL be rebel spy one day :rotfl::rotfl: Until then, we know in our hearts we are truly rebel spies!!!!

There were a lot of walls with damage in that particular queue, and some was up high. I was so confused!! Are the kids-on-shoulders invading lines and destroying more than just fireworks views?? I was sad to see all of the peeled paint, dings and dents.

Yes, the good ol' Disney resort bus, taking us back to reality :sad1:

We stayed in Rarotonga at The Poly and loved it. It was just a stones throw away from the Ceremonial House, very nice. Your last night looks so fun!

I love ToT and Sci-Fi! We had a great ride this past trip, the poor little girl with her parents by us did not! She was screaming a guttural noise that was quite creepy.

Some people at the FP line, ugh! I see so many just try to walk on or get mad at the CM’s when told they don’t have a FP! The poor CM’s!

Our room was right next to the elevator closest to the ceremonial house, so we literally just took the elevator down (or the stairs - the elevator was down one day), exited Rarotonga and walked right across the sidewalk to the lobby. So perfect!

I think the only person i remember being on ToT with that had a horrible time was an adult!! There was a woman screaming how much she hated her travel companions one time as the elevator dropped, LOL!!

Love that Haunted Mansion print! And of course you know I love the Kingdom of Cute series too :)

Yay Pluto & Minnie- such a cute pic!

Woo those skies look ominous!!

I really want to ride SDD at night!

Kingdom of Cute is the BEST! We are kindred spirits!!

Luckily we were under cover for the worst of the rain, and we were able to quickly dash through some of it, but the wind was something else!
Slinky at night was so fun, it felt faster and the lights were so pretty

Have to say I've never noticed Gonzo up there :rotfl:


Love seeing TSL all lit up at night! So pretty! And SDD at night is very cool

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who missed Gonzo in the past! I wonder if it's a newer addition??
 


I started my March report while on Spring Break and I think I got 3 entries done over Spring Break even though I had wanted to finish it. Now who knows how long it will take.

I relate to this on every level!! I usually start out so determined and then life gets in the way. Next year my schedule is slashed, so I am curious to see if I can deal with all the extra time on my hands...and if I can get my TRs done quicker, LOL

I love it! Though I am wondering what the big gift was. :scratchin

It was a Frye handbag I'd had my eye on for a long time.

I'd love some scent circle for the car. I use B&BW scents but I'd much prefer Disney scents.

I just put the Norway scent circle in the jeep Monday...it smells nothing like Laila or the Norway pavilion. Xavier reminded me of what it DOES smell like - "fresh air" scented trash bags :rotfl::rotfl: Now it's all I can think of. I feel like it's going to get tossed pretty quickly. The last one I have is Polynesian, so hopefully it's better. The Haunted one grew on me the longer it was in my car.

Wow, look at that!

quite a departure from the craziness everywhere else so far that morning

Must've been a bad batch because ours in October were great.

Ugh, that's what several people have said. I may have to give it another shot

I tried these in October and was not a huge fan. Part of the issue though is I was the only one who got them so then we had to make our way to Cosmic Ray's for everyone else's food and I think my tots got soggy in the process. Because the idea of this is just heaven to me.

I can see how them getting cold and soggy would make them not as good. We all ate at the same time and they were crispy and the meat and everything on top hadn't had the chance to soak in and make them turn gloppy. All four of us put them on the "to eat again" list, although they change Friar's Nook around so much that they'll probably be gone :sad: I'm still disappointed I never got to try the pot roast mac and cheese there.
 
I meant to include these with the last post, oops!

We got everything we wanted!

Yay!! We did too aside from timing on our first park day (Epcot). I'll play with that day a little more over the coming weeks, and hopefully will make it work better.

I've heard it is a hot commodity and sells out so I hope you can find another.

I didn't realize that, oh no! I hadn't seen anyone else with one, boo!! DH is changing offices soon, so I may just tell him that one might need to find its way back to our house, LOL
 
These are so cute, the girls wanted to do these once, but they wanted something specific and I wouldn't let them buy the boxes cause they would have been soo disapointed when they didn't get that one...

When I first started with this particular set, I just wanted Space Mountain and the Dole Whip. I somehow managed to get both of them in the first box I bought. I was so excited!! I don't think that kind of luck will ever strike me again.

Weird that they are outside of the park...

They meet over to the side to the right of the entrance by the big wooden gate - we usually see them a couple of hours before Fantasmic

I never noticed him!

I'm glad it isn't just me! Others have said the same, so I wonder if it's a recent addition, or if all of us really just didn't notice him??

Got to love the Sci-Fi food pictures...

They're always terrible, LOL

I can't wait to see Toy Storyland at night! Great photo.

It's so pretty at night!

I know! It's practically brand new. And really how does that happen?!?!

It made me angry, b/c there was so much damage considering the newness. And I wondered why it was in TSL specifically...I guess b/c so many guests were coming through, more than normal with additions of EMM and AH??
 
I could see how the Polynesian would promote feelings of relaxing and drinking. And for what it's worth, that first drink sounds delicious!
Good to know that you enjoyed (oh I'm not even going to attempt to spell it) your longhouse this trip more than CL. I've stayed in (again, not going to attempt the spelling) a longhouse and have wondered if CL was better. Think I'll stick with our tried and true house.



When I saw your gif I became really excited! "Someone used a Scream gif! That's fantastic!" It's one of my favorite movies, as well, so you just made my morning. :laughing:


Whoa, those poor palm trees in your photo! You weren't kidding about how windy it was that evening.


It's so awkward when you get behind someone blowing up at a Cast Member. You feel terrible for that CM but you also just want to scoot on by and act like that wasn't dampening your Disney mood.


I love that you initiated the boys into Disney coasters with RNRC and TOT.:rotfl2: I think my son would have loved that introduction, but my daughter...she'd probably refuse to return to WDW. :laughing:

It was a very relaxing resort. I didn't feel that way during my first stay there, so I'm glad it was better this time. The first drink, the pago pago painkiller, was probably my favorite of all the ones I had from the Oasis Bar. Yum!!

Haha, yay!! I know Scream by heart...maybe I have inspired myself to use more Scream gifs, maybe make it a theme :scratchin

The wind was crazy!!

Ugh, it was soo awkward. The guy was really tearing into him. WHY do people do that?? Like it was really this EXACT cm's fault that he didn't have FPs?? I used to be a secretary at an elementary school and OMG the things people would yell at ME for, b/c I happened to be the one who answered the phone.

We made a deal before that first trip, that they had to try everything at least once, and then could sit things out if they wanted to. Luckily it went my way, LOL
 
Before i respond to the quote, I have to share my disappointment b/c you'll understand based on previous posts we've made on my TR - Alyssa Edwards is going to be coming to an event here called Glitterville during pride week, and it's during our June WDW trip. I was so sad when I saw the date, I'd have totally gone to meet her otherwise!!

Oh no, that's too bad! Maybe you'll catch some Orlando queens (Naomi Smalls, Ginger Minj, Roxxxy Andrews, etc.) in the parks since Pride will be happening in and around Orlando at that time too. I definitely know I'm going to try to catch one of their shows during that month *fingers crossed*

So, Scream came out when I was a freshman in high school. My hometown is small, but had the only movie theater within a half an hour drive. The owner was my elementary school bus driver, and I was good friends with his stepson. My two best friends and I went to see it, but since it was rated R, the owner made us call one of our sets of parents for permission. The hilarious thing was, he never actually SPOKE to my best friend's mom, just took our word for it that we'd actually called her and not just some random person when he handed her the phone :rotfl2: That same friend is still to this day terrified of the ghost face mask, so I send her pictures of it from time to time, LOL!! It's still one of my all time favorites, I have it memorized!

Omg, that's amazing! Also, the fact that it was a phone call with some mystery person that got you into the show, that's one creepy coincidence. I haven't watched it enough to memorize it but I totally quote it when I can. It's just one of those movies.

I didn't see Get Out in the theater either, but Us is one I plan to watch a few more times. The original Pet Sematary was frightening with the authenticity of Gage being the one, but Ellie is CREEEEPY in the new version. The movie starts a little slow and then goes full tilt. Lots of changes from the book, but not as distracting as I was afraid it would be.

Ooooo, that's reassuring. I'll definitely be trying to go see both of those with my fam.

My biggest meet and greet disappointment was when we were turned away from Jasmine/Aladdin/Genie a couple of years ago. I was devastated! Minnie and Pluto made up for it, and they were so energetic and fun!!

Those three are IMPOSSIBLE to actually catch unless you walk in as they are coming out. I've caught Al and Genie, which was even just a slight easier. So glad you caught Minnie and Pluto to make up for that. :thumbsup2

If I have to tape my picture over the rebel spy screen, as god as my witness I WILL be rebel spy one day :rotfl::rotfl: Until then, we know in our hearts we are truly rebel spies!!!!

Ok, I'm actually thinking about doing this. Catch my photo on your nearest Rebel Spy screen, very soon.
 
I know it might be weird that I preferred our regular room in Rarotonga to the Hawaii building CL experience in 2017, but for me, location is everything. And you could not beat our room location. It was perfect for us, and it changed my opinion on "never" wanting to stay at the Polynesian. Now it's a favorite, and I'm kind of sad we're not going to be there in June.

I think that was the building we stayed in while we were there (but I can't remember because I definitely couldn't pronounce the name), were you closeish to the poly main building but also pretty close to the beach area and GF? I remember we could see the GF out the window and walked there one day and it was really close.


Young Matthew Lillard! (I guess that's all I have to say about that :rotfl:) Also now I kind of want to watch Thirteen Ghosts again :laughing:

X said the other day he thinks it's b/c it's one of the first rides we ever went on as a family. (if you haven't read my first TR, the first rides I took the kids on on their first trip was RnR and ToT :rotfl2: - show no mercy!!)

Our first Disney ride was Journey Into the Imagination for some reason:rotfl:

I didn't see Get Out in the theater either, but Us is one I plan to watch a few more times.

I didn't see Get Out in theaters either, but I watched it this weekend! I liked it, but I liked Us better (but it also terrified me).
 
Ok, I'm actually thinking about doing this. Catch my photo on your nearest Rebel Spy screen, very soon.

Sometimes we just have to take matters into our own hands!

I think that was the building we stayed in while we were there (but I can't remember because I definitely couldn't pronounce the name), were you closeish to the poly main building but also pretty close to the beach area and GF? I remember we could see the GF out the window and walked there one day and it was really close.

No, I think that one is Aotearoa. Rarotonga is right by the grand ceremonial house, but on the other side.

Young Matthew Lillard! (I guess that's all I have to say about that :rotfl:)

Haha, my friends and i looooooooved him in this movie (but I was more a Skeet Ulrich girl, lol)
 
Good morning!!

Well, we've made it to the end of the report. This will be the final chapter, and it will go up in two parts because I think I have just a few too many pictures for one post.


Chapter Nine: Departure Day

The day we all dread :sad:

Our plan was to sleep in (for us that means anything after 7:00am :confused3 ), but DH is always up ridiculously early, so while we stayed in bed longer than normal, it was still fairly early. At least he went to get me coffee, right??

I had to show off my cup quotes

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

and yes, I brought my own cup cozy. Thanks to an instagram post from @coloredimage last year, I fell down a cozy rabbit hole and bought a few from different etsy shops, LOL!!

We slowly got ready, finished packing, and all that good "we're leaving the room for the last time did we forget anything" stuff, and eventually began hauling our suitcases over to the Grand Ceremonial Hall. To illustrate how close we were to the GCH:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

This door brings you in on the side, so you'd be looking across to the side where Boutiki is, with the back door to the lava pool forward and to the right, and the check in desk to the left.

We took our checked bags to RAC and left our carry ons with bell services, and then went up the stairs to take the lazy monorail way to our brunch destination

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

Ordinarily I'd have just had us walk over to the Grand Floridian, but we were right under the monorail when checking our bags, so might as well, right??

Soon we were at the G.Flo and admiring the beautiful lobby

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

and the beautiful ceiling

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

and all the special little touches that make the Grand so...well, grand!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89161658@N04/

Remember how I had designated two of my Kingdom of Cute pins as traders the previous day? I made my first trade in the Grand Floridian lobby and got this:

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This is a tiki bird from the Adventureland Tsum Tsum pin set, and I was excited to find her!!

We were just a little early for our reservation at the Grand Floridian Cafe. This has become one of my favorite breakfast/brunch restaurants on property. I have been here a few times, and L has been with me once (on the December 2016 trip when DH had to take X to urgent care), but DH and X had never eaten here before. I'd talked it up quite a bit, so I was hoping I didn't hype it too much!

Even though it's not my personal style, and I'd never decorate my own home this way, I love the Victorian holiday decorations here:

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If you are unfamiliar with the menu at the G.Flo Cafe, breakfast and lunch share a menu, so it's kind of perpetual brunch until dinner takes over.

I started with the Grand Mimosa:
Champagne, Orange Juice, and a Splash of Grand Marnier

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this was really good! I mean, usually a mimosa is a mimosa, but this is one of the best I've had.

I've had mixed service here, and this was no different. It wasn't BAD, but it wasn't any kind of exceptional either, you know? One of those experiences that's fine, but you still feel like it could have been better.

Both boys ordered steak and eggs. X with scrambled and L with over medium:
Sirloin Steak, Cheesy-Hash Brown Casserole, Two Eggs, and House-made Steak Sauce

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These were fine, if a little boring. The kids ate all of it, but were kind of underwhelmed.

Every time I've been here, I order the same thing: Lobster benedict. But today I was determined to branch out, and I found one of my FAVORITE DISNEY FOODS!!!

I ordered the Lobster Thermidore Burger:
Artisanal 7-oz Burger Patty and Lobster-Parmesan Thermidor Sauce on a Seared Brioche Bun served with Cafe Signature Seasoned French Fries

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I don't generally order burgers much at WDW, b/c they're usually the pre-made patties, and I feel like I can do better most of the time. This burger was NOT one of those pre-made things. It was real, actual ground beef. It tasted fresh and was juicy and perfect. The lobster was so tender and buttery, the sauce was incredible...it was just the perfect combination.

DH took my suggestion of the lobster benedict, but then went one step further and chose the Benedict Flight: A tasting of Grand Floridian Cafes' Three-signature Benedicts (classic, lobster, spicy chorizo) served with Marinated Tomato Salad

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He enjoyed this, but I think he was jealous of my burger. It was just hard to beat that burger, it was perfect!

Next post coming right up!!
 
Chapter Nine Part Two

After brunch, we admired the Grand Floridian tree one more time

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before going upstairs and doing a little shopping. I didn't buy anything at Basin b/c I had already checked my luggage and couldn't put the things I wanted in my carry on. At the regular gift shop I did pick up a package of fun ball point pens that look like pens you'd get at an insurance agency or hotel or something. They say things like Madame Leota Psychic Medium and Seadog Bail Bonds, like they're advertising for a company. They make me happy when I use them!!

We went out on one of the upstairs patios and sat for awhile enjoying the view

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After awhile, we knew it was time to make our way back to the Poly. We decided to take the boat, and regretted it just a little b/c it was soooo windy and a little cold

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Cold or not, once we got back to the Polynesian, everyone decided we needed a farewell Dole Whip

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I laughed when I saw this picture - the lights above the sign are glaring and make it look like some angelic glow shining down from the heavens upon the delicious frosty pineapple goodness :rotfl:

Speaking of pictures that make me laugh, I'm not sure what's going on here, but it's funny:

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But here is the real star of the show:

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A vanilla pineapple swirl will always be my favorite Dole Whip!!

After eating, we went in and claimed a seating area with a charger in the lamp base, and just sort of chilled out while waiting to go on out to the (not so) Magical Express.

I did make my second pin trade at some point, and ended up with a Dale pin to go with my tiki bird ( I had the Chip one at home - always fun to complete a pair!)

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I made the trade from the board inside Boutiki after I picked up my traditional resort pin (we try to get resort pins and/or magnets each time. sometimes we don't but I'd say 90% of the time we do)

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A glance at my watch told me it was time to go outside to the bus bench. Boo!! I tried to soak up as much more Polynesian goodness as I could on the way out

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Behold, the Bench of Shame, hiding all the sad faces from the happy ones arriving on the OTHER Magical Express

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If you have to bus back to reality, at least it's a REALLY PRETTY bus, right??

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The airport process was easy, and before we knew it we were heading to Atlanta for our layover. This ended up being one of my favorite pictures of the trip:

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The layers of color :lovestruc:lovestruc

Once in Atlanta, we had time to get dinner, and settled on Popeyes (hey, it's ok to love it! Even my imaginary boyfriend Anthony Bourdain ( :sad: ) liked Popeyes!). Have you ever seen so many fries for one person??

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No, I did not eat all of those. They do not skimp on portions at Popeyes, no sir!

At some point I needed something to balance out the greasy fried goodness and picked up this generic smoothie (that I felt the need to photograph?? Why?)

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That's what I'm leaving you with. A picture of a smoothie cup.

The smoothie went onto the plane with me as we headed home. We landed. It was cold. We went home. The end.

Yep, the end. We made it!! It only took like four months to write :confused3

I will come back with one last wrap up post, and then that's all folks!!
 
Haha, my friends and i looooooooved him in this movie (but I was more a Skeet Ulrich girl, lol)

Definitely more of a Skeet Ulrich girl myself too, I just miss Matthew Lillars in horror movies.




The airport process was easy, and before we knew it we were heading to Atlanta for our layover. This ended up being one of my favorite pictures of the trip:



The layers of color :lovestruc:lovestruc



I love it! So pretty!


At some point I needed something to balance out the greasy fried goodness and picked up this generic smoothie (that I felt the need to photograph?? Why?)


Because you’re a very thorough trip reporter? :thumbsup2
 
Thank you to everyone for following along with me again!!

In 2016 we took our first Christmas/holiday season trip to Walt Disney World. We were there the week before Christmas, and I thought it would be our only holiday trip ever. Fast forward to now, and we've gone three holiday seasons in a row!!

This was also the first trip the kids had taken since that December 2016 trip (2017 was a big Disney year for me, not so much for everyone else), and I was so happy for all of us to be together on this trip.

I am no longer afraid of New Year's Eve at WDW, it is completely manageable. We learned so much after last year, and this year could not have gone better on the actual NYE holiday.

So what did you think of the Polynesian this time?

Ok, so this was a big concern for me leading up to the trip. I did not care for my October 2017 stay. This time our experience was completely different, and now I think the Polynesian is tied for second place with Animal Kingdom Lodge as favorite resort. Wilderness Lodge will always and forever be #1. The location of the Poly is perfect. You can't beat the transportation options (being able to walk to the TTC for Epcot is so convenient, and easier than going upstairs to wait and then transfer when you get to the TTC) and I really felt transported to a tropical paradise.

What were your favorite things on this trip?

I feel like we did a lot of new things!

Surprisingly, one of my favorite new activities was going through the Swiss Family Treehouse. One day I want to try @PlutosRHM55 's tip about watching the fireworks from up there!!

Mama Melrose deserves a mention for restaurants. I don't know if I'd call it a favorite, but definitely a solid choice. I was so, so pleasantly surprised by how good our food was here.

Tower of Terror is going to remain our favorite ride (followed closely by HM and Pirates, of course), but we all thought Slinky Dog Dash was very fun. Toy Story Land definitely charmed us all.

VIP guide!! I can't leave him out, can I? How amazing was it to get this experience, and for free?? (well, we tipped him, but the major cost was covered)
It started out so awkwardly, but ended with us feeling like we'd gained a new friend.

Rhino tour - :dogdance::dogdance:
Our first disney tour was so amazing!! Anything animal related is going to win me over, so I figured even a mediocre experience would be fine, but this exceeded expectations.

Disney World has been my happiest of happy places since my first visit in 2001. There's a reason it's called the Most Magical Place on Earth. For me that rings absolutely true. I fully admit a lot of it is pure escapism. There is nowhere else I feel so unconcerned with the outside world, and can really ignore reality and just BE. You know?

Thanks again for following along with me...more adventures are coming soon!!

Have a magical day , and I'll see ya real soon pixiedust:
 
Definitely more of a Skeet Ulrich girl myself too, I just miss Matthew Lillars in horror movies.




I love it! So pretty!



Because you’re a very thorough trip reporter? :thumbsup2

And Skeet Ulrich aged better too. I watch Good Girls, and Matthew Lillard just doesn't have the same hot dad factor as FP Jones!!

I loved the colors!!

Haha, yes!! Like the time I documented the entire laundry room at AKL :rotfl::rotfl:
 
Oh how sad to see this report come to an end :( But I know you have some more fun trips lined up!

Your last day sounds good. I love the GF pics! And of course you needed one more dole whip before you left!!

That pic on the plane home is gorgeous!! Such a pretty sky!
 

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