12 Days of Disney: Our Very Merry Vow Renewal, Christmas, Alligators and more!

[missjackiemcg]

While we were enjoying our rest, the boys had finished up golfing and headed over for their “lunch date” I had made them! They both wanted to eat at Sci Fi, but Mom and I weren’t really interested, so this was the perfect way to give them what they wanted….without having to be involved!!

After their lunch, they went to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular….is that even what it’s called? I make it a point not to have to see it. They also did Star Tours before heading back to meet us at Pop for our evening plans—a night at Animal Kingdom.

Jimmy woke up and enjoyed some pizza in bed…a very late lunch/early dinner for him!

DSC06343 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We headed out to AK, while I did some rearranging of our FPs. We had originally planned to see Tough to be a Bug, but since we had seen it the other day, we were able to move things around and get a 4:15 FP to meet Mickey and Minnie.

When we pulled into the bus stop area, it was really cool to see the floating mountains of Pandora peeking out from behind the show building. I’m sort of surprised they didn’t have more of this area behind wraps or walls---we could see a lot of activity every time we pulled in or out of this area.

DSC06346 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

DSC06347 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

wdw2016361633602359_396698358572 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

After entering the park and heading to meet Mickey and Minnie, I had planned our next FP to be a ride back to the Cretaceous, which Jimmy started to freak out about before we were even lining up. I think I remembered the ride a little less…ok A LOT less…bouncy and shaky than it actually was. Poor Jimmy—he barely survived.

wdw2016361633624282_396698499667 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

After Dinosaur! I had to let him have some down time to chill in the bone yard, digging and sliding around to recover! Mom, Dad and I waited in line to meet Santa Goofy. There was a DJ and all the lights and holiday decorations made for a really fun atmosphere.

wdw2016361633649709_7904986040 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We grabbed Jimmy and Rob from the Boneyard and walked over to the Tree of Life to see the Awakenings I had heard so much about. It was really cool to see the projection from start to finish, but was definitely confusing when we walked up in the middle of one of them. We didn’t really “get it.” Once we saw the next animal transition from the tree to the moving animation it was truly incredible, and the music makes it seem extra surreal, like you really just saw something come to life in front of you. It’s hard to describe and the picture doesn’t really do it justice, but it was certainly worth stopping to take a look. They tape out the viewing areas on the sidewalk, which is helpful so people aren’t just stopping in the middle of the walkway to watch.

11324 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

Our final plan in AK for tonight was a FP for Festival of the Lion King. Our FP time was 6:30-6:45 for a 7 p.m. show. We got in line around 6:30 and really did wait until almost 7 before the doors were opened. It was SO stuffy and really a lot of pushy people in a big open area more so than an organized line. Once we got inside, people were rushing all over the place—I’m not sure I’d waste a FP on this again. I think I’d rather wait in an actual line than what we dealt with.

We ended up in the giraffe section (I’m still not sure I buy that “giraffe noise” they have us make, but what can you do? You can’t always be a lion!)

It seemed like a shorter performance than I remember seeing previously. Notably absent was the song, “He Lives in You,” which is one of my favs.

After the show, we wound our way through the walkways and out of the park back to our bus. It was really odd to be strolling through AK in the dark, and it really is still very dark, not much extra lighting. I wonder if they’ll change this as they start to have more evening hours going forward.

Up next: Marceline to the Magic Kingdom and Date Night!

 

[buzzrelly]

Oh my gosh, Jackie! I totally missed a bunch of updates! I don't know why sometimes I stop getting alerts?

Welp, I caught the ears….and lost the phone. Bloop. Right down the back end of my limo car. The guy behind me goes, “Oh, man. That went all the way down.”

O.M.G! That's terrible! I cannot believe they still haven't recovered it! You knew EXACTLY where you lost it…seems like they would have loved there for you? I'd be REALLY upset by that

We ended up heading back to Pop and having the nicest afternoon by the pool. Jimmy and I both crafted penguins poolside and enjoyed some fun in the pool. The best part was “Name That Tune” the Disney Edition! There were some very specific Disney Junior references and some Disney channel releases, too, but there were also a lot of Disney movie soundtracks represented. I had SO. MUCH. FUN. Doing this!!! There were lots of songs where no one seemed to know and I would have to scream from my sideline seat the name of the movie the song was from. Disney Trivia Hero, right here!! J

I love hanging out poolside and answering Disney Trivia! I'm pretty sure the CMs do it more for the moms since the kids never seem to know as much

Oh, what I wouldn't give to be right here right now......sigh......

I look back at our pics EVERY day

The fireworks show began and at first it was just perfect. I loved the view from our little balcony with the castle in the background and the carousel between us and the castle; however, as that lady had informed us, a lot of the fireworks were happening over our heads or behind where we were seated in the balcony of Pinocchio’s Village Haus. Honestly, having seen Holiday Wishes plenty of times, this view issue didn’t even bother me that much. Hearing the music and sitting on our private balcony with no kids on shoulders in front of me or people bumping into me felt pretty euphoric!

That looks like a great view, especially if you've seen it before from the right angle. Cool perspective and nice pics!

It’s a Small World we saw there was only a five minute wait……so what does one do!? Well, you hop in the line of course!

Of course!

Plus, Mom was wearing her IASW ears, so this ride was a must!!

Those are super cute Etsy??

Mom, Jimmy and I headed to Magic Kingdom for extra magic hour morning starting at 7! It was still dark when we headed out to the bus. Jimmy was excited because he had brought along his Cinderella today for our breakfast in the castle.

Cute

I was hoping for this incredibly magical moment for Jimmy, but sadly we had that same weird delay. “Where are you from, pal?” Jimmy says, “Chicago.” Loooong pause…. “Wow! I hear Buzz Lightyear needs some help defeating Emperor Zurg over in Tomorrowland!” It was just kind of weird, disjointed conversation. But the pictures were cute at least!

Awkward I met talking Mickey once and it was weird but I was by myself so I thought that was why it was weird. I'll have to make the kids go with me next time and see if it's any less weird.

that he had a cool lens in and wanted to try a black and white shot. Not the most flattering shots of me, but I loved the opportunity and the pics of Jimmy!

Those are REALLY cool! Love the black and white and the perspective!

I got a kick out of the Christmas countdown still being on display because now it was back to 364 days til Christmas!!

It's the little things

Jimmy woke up and enjoyed some pizza in bed…a very late lunch/early dinner for him!

That's the life!

After entering the park and heading to meet Mickey and Minnie, I had planned our next FP to be a ride back to the Cretaceous, which Jimmy started to freak out about before we were even lining up. I think I remembered the ride a little less…ok A LOT less…bouncy and shaky than it actually was. Poor Jimmy—he barely survived.

Yikes! Even I get a little scared on that ride

We grabbed Jimmy and Rob from the Boneyard and walked over to the Tree of Life to see the Awakenings I had heard so much about. It was really cool to see the projection from start to finish, but was definitely confusing when we walked up in the middle of one of them. We didn’t really “get it.” Once we saw the next animal transition from the tree to the moving animation it was truly incredible, and the music makes it seem extra surreal, like you really just saw something come to life in front of you. It’s hard to describe and the picture doesn’t really do it justice, but it was certainly worth stopping to take a look. They tape out the viewing areas on the sidewalk, which is helpful so people aren’t just stopping in the middle of the walkway to watch.

That looks AMAZING! I can't wait to see all the new AK stuff in November!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Oh my gosh, Jackie! I totally missed a bunch of updates! I don't know why sometimes I stop getting alerts?

That happens to me ALL the time!!!! I figured it was just me, but I'm glad to hear it happens to other people, too!!

Those are super cute Etsy??

Yep! I follow @modernmouseboutique on IG and they're from her shop. She just does the cutest things with ears!!!!

Awkward

I prefer my Mickey not to talk anymore...2 bizarre interactions is my limit, I think

 

[thumper*]

That happens to me ALL the time!!!! I figured it was just me, but I'm glad to hear it happens to other people, too!!

Me too

My Mom wasn’t really thrilled with me but I had already made our FP plans for our morning at DHS and decided to skip Mass. I always tell her that teaching in a Catholic school is my penance for life, so God will surely forgive me spending Christmas in my own “holy land.” Not sure she buys my logic though!!!

I agree AMEN

Boo on the phone loss.

BOILERUP

 

[missjackiemcg]

I agree AMEN


Boo on the phone loss.

BOILERUP

See, we've got our own Disney Congregation going here!!

Definitely! I keep waiting for R'nR to go down for a refurb so they might actually find the darn thing!!

BOILER UP! My cousin and his wife went to Purdue and we attended their wedding there. After my first visit to Harry's I was hooked, and now that we've attended our first Breakfast Club, we can't stop going back!

 

[Chicago Mo]

OMG was i behind! and it took me DAYS to get caught up.
Besides the crowds you had to endure this is just magical all the way around Jimmy is so sweet. even with his little tantrum he is just the sweetest i just adore that smile!
I can totally see the both of you in him!!!

Finally caught up and it's time for me to get OUT OF WORK! Ill be back!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I can totally see the both of you in him!!!

Finally caught up and it's time for me to get OUT OF WORK! Ill be back!

He is such a little chameleon! He really does look like both of us--just depends on the day!

Glad you're all caught up! I was starting to take it personally I waited for you to catch up before updating, so I guess I better get back to work

 

[Britbrie]

I'm joining in! Your vow renewal pics are stunning!! It looks like you guys had an AMAZING Christmas at the world! I can't wait to read more!

 

[CDolacki2003]

Loving the trip report. I may have to hint to the DH about vow renewal for our 20th. We have a few years. He occasionally mentions that he loved our wedding day so maybe I can use that to segway into a Disney vow renewal. Jimmy is too cute, I just love his goofy smiles.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm joining in! Your vow renewal pics are stunning!! It looks like you guys had an AMAZING Christmas at the world! I can't wait to read more!

Thanks so much!!! I need to get working on another update!! The end of the schol year has me wildly busy, but hoping to get one up soon!

Loving the trip report. I may have to hint to the DH about vow renewal for our 20th. We have a few years. He occasionally mentions that he loved our wedding day so maybe I can use that to segway into a Disney vow renewal. Jimmy is too cute, I just love his goofy smiles.

Thanks for reading along I had to work on my DH for a couple years to get him on board with the vow renewal, but he enjoyed this trip SO much! Gotta love the Disney difference!

 

[Chicago Mo]

He is such a little chameleon! He really does look like both of us--just depends on the day!

Glad you're all caught up! I was starting to take it personally I waited for you to catch up before updating, so I guess I better get back to work

I just <3 you!
I am here and will try my hardest to stay afloat! Im not even caught up on my own.. LOL!

 

[Whit64130]

Hi
Following along from my TR!
Glad to know it has been done converting a husband to a Disney lover! And just like yours my husband didn't give me a knee when he proposed. I've got to use your line "You owe me a knee!" The ceremony was beautiful! I loved all of the little Disney touches with the flowers too! I've enjoyed reading about the trip so far and can't wait to read more!

 

[MrsPMcD]

For some reason I stopped getting updates about your TR but glad I spotted it again! What a great Christmas! Some really cute photos - sorry about your phone that's such a shame! doesn't sound like it put too much of a dampener on your trip though. We have lost so many pairs of sunglasses at Disney and Universal it's unreal :/

 

[missjackiemcg]

I just <3 you!

You too, my friend!!

Hi

I've got to use your line "You owe me a knee!" The ceremony was beautiful! I loved all of the little Disney touches with the flowers too! I've enjoyed reading about the trip so far and can't wait to read more!

Well, hello there! That is one of my favorite lines I've ever used on him.....only took 10 years for him to get it right!!

For some reason I stopped getting updates about your TR but glad I spotted it again!

Welcome back!! Glad you found me again!

 

[Whit64130]

Well, hello there! That is one of my favorite lines I've ever used on him.....only took 10 years for him to get it right!!

Well we've only been married for 5 this fall so I guess I have to wait 5 more years.

 

[MeghanEmily]

I made it over here! Oh my goodness, your Jimmy is such a hoot! What a sweet boy you have.

Once I entered my log in information, I had 15 minutes to complete my registration for the 5K

You're doing the 5K! So are we! Maybe we'll see you there

I almost purchased these ears for our upcoming trips!

He cannot hula hoop, but that has never stopped him from trying and really enjoying it!!

Aww bless his heart! I've just started working singing at a 50s diner and we hula hoop. It's amazing how many kids are enthralled by the hoops and want to try...and then find it so impossible.

It turned out that when we met Aladdin, he DID tell Jimmy his favorite color was purple like the feather in his hat, so Jimmy started winking and waving like crazy at his new CM friend! She snuck over and handed him the marker. SO CUTE!

This is so cute! Those are the moments you remember

I saw that I had received one with details and information about our upcoming Wild Africa Trek this week—Jambo!! We can’t wait to see you.

So excited to hear about this! We're hoping to book it for our honeymoon.

my Mom read a short passage which is actually from the soundtrack to Illuminations (I definitely stole that idea from another DisBride, but it was such a beautiful message and a great way to include my Mom in our celebration).

Oh I've never heard of anyone doing this before! What passage did you use? I love this idea!

He took an oath to protect all the princesses and people of the Magic Kingdom—“I am brave! I am strong! I am a Royal Knight of the Magic Kingdom!”

How precious! And very brave of him!

The best part was “Name That Tune” the Disney Edition! There were some very specific Disney Junior references and some Disney channel releases, too, but there were also a lot of Disney movie soundtracks represented. I had SO. MUCH. FUN. Doing this!!! There were lots of songs where no one seemed to know and I would have to scream from my sideline seat the name of the movie the song was from. Disney Trivia Hero, right here!! J

This would absolutely be my jam. Fun!

Mom, Jimmy and I headed to Magic Kingdom for extra magic hour morning starting at 7! It was still dark when we headed out to the bus.

We did this in December too. Nathan wasn't sure how he felt when it seemed like I was dragging him out of bed in the middle of the night to magic hours.

When we got up to meet her, Jimmy was Mr. Shy Guy. She was chattering away about what a flitterific day we were going to have and how awesome it would be to take a pixie portrait together. Jimmy just kept looking at her and nodding…I think he was overwhelmed by her pep so early in the morning!

I totally understand this! I had the same experience recently with one of Tink's friends! I love character meets and had some things in mind to chat with her about (I'm still a child inside, obviously) but Tink just didn't even let me get a word in. She quite literally talked from the moment I got there to the moment she shoved me off after the picture. Overwhelming!

The Beast had his movie makeover with new bright blue eyes and fancy coat. (Spoiler alert: when we dined at BOG on NYE, he was just his regular Beastly self)

Ooh I wasn't aware of this! Fancy!

After entering the park and heading to meet Mickey and Minnie, I had planned our next FP to be a ride back to the Cretaceous, which Jimmy started to freak out about before we were even lining up. I think I remembered the ride a little less…ok A LOT less…bouncy and shaky than it actually was. Poor Jimmy—he barely survived.

I'm with Jimmy here. I can't handle Dinosaur!

Up next: Marceline to the Magic Kingdom

I'm interested to hear how you liked this tour! I'm thinking of surprising our group with it during our Marathon Weekend trip.


What a lovely TR so far! Your vow renewal pictures are beautiful and fun. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[missjackiemcg]

So excited to hear about this! We're hoping to book it for our honeymoon.

Welcome!!!! Glad you popped over here!! I am desperately in need of posting an update!! I keep saying it, and I really do mean it, I promise I'm coming back to it!! The Wild Africa Trek was INCREDIBLE!!! Though you did get a bit of a sneak peak of it on your private safari ride--that's like the second half of the WAT. It was really incredible to get "up close" to the hippo and crocodiles, walk over those dangly rope bridges and have our safari inspired snacks out on the savannah. As an animal lover, you will absolutely love it!!

Oh I've never heard of anyone doing this before! What passage did you use? I love this idea!

Here are the lyrics from the song, "Reflections of Earth." My Mom read this part:
Every evening brings an ending. Every day becomes a legacy.
Every sunset leads to morning with the promise of opportunity.
We can reach for the stars we find along the way, dreaming as we learn to love everyday.
Promise you will take my hand as tomorrow comes. We’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on, another thousand circles round the sun, we’ll go on.
There is music, if you listen, in the rhythm of each breath we take.
Destinations undiscovered, revelations from every choice we make.
And I know there are diamonds dancing in the sky. All we have to do is open our eyes.
Promise we’ll walk side by side as a new day dawns; we’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on another thousand circles round the sun.
And we live to keep the promise – we’ll go on.

I'm interested to hear how you liked this tour! I'm thinking of surprising our group with it during our Marathon Weekend trip.

I really had my heart set on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour or the Backstage Magic tours, but neither was available because we were there between Christmas and New Year's, so I was SO bummed!! I really enjoyed the Marceline to the Magic Kingdom tour though. There were a lot of little history tidbits that our tour guide shared which I already knew about Walt Disney, but she shared a lot of awesome stories and information that I hadn't heard before. We also kept our ear pieces in while she talked us through our rides on Haunted Mansion and Carousel of Progress. She gave lots of fun facts on both rides. The coolest part of all was going behind the scenes (we went behind the Rapunzel bathrooms, LOL) and seeing how they create the ghostly ballroom scene of Haunted Mansion. It's worth it for that alone!

 

[Verstehen]

Welcome!!!! Glad you popped over here!! I am desperately in need of posting an update!! I keep saying it, and I really do mean it, I promise I'm coming back to it!! The Wild Africa Trek was INCREDIBLE!!! Though you did get a bit of a sneak peak of it on your private safari ride--that's like the second half of the WAT. It was really incredible to get "up close" to the hippo and crocodiles, walk over those dangly rope bridges and have our safari inspired snacks out on the savannah. As an animal lover, you will absolutely love it!!



Here are the lyrics from the song, "Reflections of Earth." My Mom read this part:
Every evening brings an ending. Every day becomes a legacy.
Every sunset leads to morning with the promise of opportunity.
We can reach for the stars we find along the way, dreaming as we learn to love everyday.
Promise you will take my hand as tomorrow comes. We’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on, another thousand circles round the sun, we’ll go on.
There is music, if you listen, in the rhythm of each breath we take.
Destinations undiscovered, revelations from every choice we make.
And I know there are diamonds dancing in the sky. All we have to do is open our eyes.
Promise we’ll walk side by side as a new day dawns; we’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on another thousand circles round the sun.
And we live to keep the promise – we’ll go on.

No joke, this was the first dance song at my wedding! How gorgeous.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Tuesday, December 27th

Hello, all!! Sorry for the LOOOONG absence! Real life has been really hectic over the last four weeks. Trying to finish up the Kindergarten school year has really kept me tied up. Plus, Jimmy made his 1st Holy Communion and our nephew made his, as well. Next week, my class will graduate and on June 2nd I’ll say, “Goodbye!” to my classroom until August. Can you say SUMMER VACAY!?!?!!

Anyway, back to the reason we’re here. What’s up next?

Mom and I were up bright and early, grabbed our bagels and cream cheese to go and hopped in line for an MK bus while it was still dark outside. We had reservations for an 8 a.m. tour of Marceline to the Magic Kingdom.

wdw2016362633869653_7905283788 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We couldn’t check in til 7:45 a.m., so we found ourselves with a about 40 minutes of extra time to stroll down an almost empty Main Street and check out some of the shops I would never take my son through. We looked at crystal and popped into Uptown Jewelers to peek at the Pandora charms. Mom and I have both been thinking about starting bracelets for ourselves, but hadn’t pulled the trigger…..until today!

I happened to notice this teeny tiny sign in one display that showed a bangle with a Minnie or Mickey charm of your choice for $95. We were sold! She picked Mickey and I chose Minnie, and off we strolled happy as could be with our new bracelets on! (Spoiler alert: This was not our last stop at Uptown Jewelers. We may be addicted.)

As we exited the shop into the little hidden courtyard between shops I looked up and saw Elias Disney’s window. I knew it existed, but hadn’t ever sought it out. It was one of those special surreal Disney moments. The music and smells of the Magic Kingdom, a CM with a batch of balloons on Main Street seemed to be the only other person around. Such a cool moment.

DSC06349 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

It was almost time to check in, so we made our way back to the lobby of Tony’s. This is when I became furious! I had really wanted to book us on the Backstage Magic Tour, which is all day in all 4 parks. I was told that due to crowd levels, they don’t offer this tour during the holiday season. I understood that well enough. So, then I thought we’d try out the Keys to the Kingdom tour. They told me the same story, so we ended up deciding on Marceline to the Magic Kingdom.

When we checked in, all the nametags and headphone sets were on the counter sorted by groups/tour times. There were FOUR sets of KTTK nametags!!! I was calm at the counter when I said to the CM, I thought they weren’t offering this tour at this time of year. She didn’t really have any answer for me. I was so bummed!! BUT, we ended up really enjoying the tour we did, and hope to still do the other two tours someday! (Maybe this December we’ll get lucky!)

Our tour guide was Mary Elizabeth from Tennessee. She was sweet and bubbly and never stopped talking the entire tour! Even though I knew about or had heard similar stories to some of the ones she told, it was really fun to be walking through MK listening to her talk about Walt Disney’s life and inspiration for what we were seeing. The tour was about 3 hours of walking through the park, stopping to hear facts and stories, exploring the breezeway inside Cinderella Castle (particularly the mural), riding Haunted Mansion and Carousel of Progress, and going behind the scenes of HM.

DSC06351 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

DSC06353 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

DSC06354 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We weren’t allowed to take pictures in any backstage areas, and because I had lost my phone (still no luck!) I didn’t take too many pictures. Mary Elizabeth pointed out that some characters in the mural were detailed to look like some of the designers of MK attractions. I remember that one is Herb Ryman. The crest that you see on the back of the castle is said to be the Disney family crest as an honor to Walt Disney because he truly was the “King” of it all!

DSC06355 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

At the Haunted Mansion, we waited in part of the queue line and walked through the interactive part before stepping off to the side. There was a detail I never would’ve noticed on my own! We all know inside the ride there is a cemetery keeper and his dog; off to the side of the queue is a full size gate. At the bottom, there is a tiny doggy gate, footprints in the sidewalk and even a “discoloration” on the corner where Rover presumably marks his territory!! Disney truly does detail better than anyone!!! She also pointed out the “ring” in the sidewalk as we headed for the entrance.

On the ride, we kept our headphone speakers on while riding, which was cool because Mary Elizabeth talked and drew our attention to details we may otherwise have missed. She gave historical facts about the creation of the WDW version vs. the Disneyland version of the attractions, too.

DSC06350 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We took a break at the most beautiful bathrooms in the land! Then, we walked backstage through a door I never noticed off to the side of the bathrooms. We walked a little ways down what looked like an alleyway. M.E. said we were between It’s a Small World and the Haunted Mansion. In a fenced in area off to the side there were carousel horses and teacups, which we were told were either wrapped up and on their way out to be painted or had just been delivered after being repainted and just waiting to be reinstalled on their rides.

We entered the backstage area of Haunted Mansion and got to stand in the area that creates the ballroom scene on the ride!! It was so surreal to see it from this angle and to be able to hear the ride going on and the noises of the ride vehicles moving. Incredible!! The effect is really so simple, but SO amazing! There is a giant plate glass window separating the area we were in from the ballroom scene you actually see from the inside of the ride. M.E. said there is actually one huge replacement pane of glass stored in the same place since the attraction opened—just in case anything should ever break the original. BUT, she said they have no idea how they would get it in because of it’s size!!

Another funny thing she mentioned as we were watching the “ghosts” move around in the scene is that they don’t wear shoes for a reason. She said when the attraction originally opened, people would report this odd thumping sound now and then. It turned out that the laces on the shoes of the “ghosts” would come untied and that thumping sound was made when a shoe would fly off and hit the window!

The last thing M.E. pointed out as we were exiting the backstage area of HM was a hand-drawn map/blueprint of the whole attraction. It is framed on the wall, but no one knows who created it or how long it’s been there. It was really awesome to think about who may have drawn it and all the people who have seen it over the years!

While we walked with M.E. she talked about Walt’s fascination with creating what would become his audio-animatronics. She talked about the little antique bird Walt brought home from a trip to New Orleans and took apart to figure out how it worked. When the Tiki Room attraction was created, he didn’t like the way the feathers looked on the birds and kept calling for changes before one day he noticed the cashmere sweaters some of the men were wearing. They cut one apart and that created the feather look Walt was looking for on the birds. Outfitting all the birds of the Enchanted Tiki Room became one of the most expensive “costuming” endeavors at the time!

She also talked about how the Tiki Room was originally thought of for a dinner theater type show, and that there was one thing Walt really wanted but didn’t ever convince his team to follow through with. He walked through and remarked that no one would believe they were real birds because the floors were too clean!! He always wanted to PLUS things, go the extra mile, do the unexpected and create authenticity.

The last thing we did on our tour was head to Tomorrowland for the Carousel of Progress. M.E. pointed out that only two attractions at Walt Disney World bear Walt’s name—Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. The Tiki Room is an exact replica of the one in Disneyland and the CoP is the original. Walt stood on that very stage in those very scenes. After she said that, watching the video clip outside the entrance really hit home!! I love that attraction and it is a must for us on every trip; however, I had never thought about it that way! Walt may not have walked down Main Street here in Florida, but he did stand right here on this very stage.

We got stuck in the first scene THREE times, which gave M.E. lots of time to keep talking into our earpieces. She shared that the robin outside the window is actually from the movie Mary Poppins, which was another thing I got really excited to learn! She also talked about how the little girl is only visible in one scene where the rest of the family appears in every change of decades. Apparently, even Disney historians who have gone back through all available records, etc. have been unable to identify her “story.” She doesn’t even have a name!

In the final scene (which we all agreed might need a little updating!) M.E. pointed out that the Grandmother is created from the same mold as the rocking chair ghost in HM. The bulletin board has a note on it to pick up the Grandparents from flight 1964 arriving at 10:01, a nod to important dates in the history of CoP.

The last story M.E. shared was about the authenticity Walt wanted for all aspects of his theme park ventures and how that carried over into everything the Walt Disney Company endeavors to create even now. Walt had been the original voice of Mickey Mouse. When Frozen was released, there was a short before it called Get a Horse. When they were creating it, it was decided that they would use Mickey’s original voice, Walt Disney. I thought this was so awesome—what a fun surprise to know that I had heard Walt’s voice when I watched that short without even knowing it! But, it got better. She said they went back and poured over everything in the vault to pull out the words that Mickey needed to say. At one point in the cartoon, the scene shifts from black and white to color and Mickey utters the word, “RED!” It’s an important part of the story, and they found that over all the thousands of recorded words Walt had said as Mickey Mouse, he never said red. Now, they could have just used a stand-in, but in Walt’s mindset, they knew that wouldn’t be authentic enough. So, even though it added a significant cost they used the technology available to pull the sounds of r, e, and d from other words Walt had recorded as Mickey Mouse to create the brand new word, RED!

I would definitely recommend this tour!! Even though I had been a little disappointed at not being able to book the tour I wanted, and in spite of the fact that I had previously heard some of the stories that were shared, the experience itself and the backstage aspects were more than worth the slim (as Disney is concerned!!) price of $35 per person!

Following our tour, Mom and I headed back toward Main Street for our little lunch date at The Plaza! I love the small, cozy size of this place and looking out at the castle through the windows. It has a very quaint Victorian feel to it and has become one of our favorites! We enjoyed lunch and dessert before making our way out of the park (through Uptown Jewelers where Mom purchased a little Santa on his sleigh charm and I looked at some others I might come back to later. Spoiler again: I did!) Before heading out of the park, I popped into the non-existent line to say hello to the fairest one of all!

wdw2016362633876966_7905297601 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We met back up with our boys who had had a lazy morning and early afternoon hanging around Pop Century. We all headed down to the pool for a little swim before heading to Epcot for the evening.

We were running a little behind, but were able to get over to The Land pavilion to use our FP for Soarin’ that was good until 5 p.m. The only problem we faced was even with our FP the wait was about 15-20 minutes. When we got off, it was already 5:00 and we had reservations at Via Napoli (Rob, Jimmy and I) at 5:05 and Biergarten (Mom and Dad) at 5:15 p.m. The park was really crowded and we were dodging and running and diving through people trying to make it from The Land all the way around World Showcase. UGH. We were more than a little sweaty and definitely out of breath by the time we arrived at the check in stand in Italy. Thankfully they were more than accommodating and seated us with no wait at all!

DSC06356 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We enjoyed our food and drinks, while Mom and Dad had their own date in Germany!

DSC06357 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

After finishing up dinner, we met by the fountain in Germany. Jimmy had plans with Grandma and Grandpa for a “romantic” carriage ride at Port Orleans Riverside, followed up with an evening of video games at the hotel!

Rob and I had planned to tackle our Drink Around the World Showcase challenge; however, I had a little sad “I lost my phone and all of my pictures are gone forever” meltdown about three stops in, which sort of ruined the fun spirit of our night!!

We did stop in China for a Peach Snap (it was tooooo sweet and pretty gross), Strawberry Limoncello in Italy—delish!, and a good old aluminum pint of Miller Lite in the U.S.A. When we go on our next trip this December and have no little people to wake up early with, we will do a better job on our challenge!! No meltdowns allowed!

DSC06360 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

DSC06361 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

I was just feeling sappy and sorry for myself and not in the mood to celebrate our night like I thought I would. We slowly wandered through World Showcase and stopped to take a set of pics I ended up LOVING as we passed through France.

wdw2016363634540065_7906173442 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

We made our way out of the park and back before Jimmy was even asleep! We changed into comfy clothes and sat out on our “balcony” having a few drinks. It wasn’t the “party” night we had planned, but it was once again a perfect way to end a busy Disney day. Just listening to the outside sounds and enjoying the perfect weather being so thankful we were here together.

Up next: Chomp! Chomp! Let’s go to Gatorland!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Great to see you back for an update! I love your review of Marceline to the Magic Kingdom! I'm considering it for our January trip as a surprise so it's great to hear you enjoyed it. For the price, I figure we can't go wrong. Sorry to hear your around the world challenge didn't pan out like it was supposed to, but meltdowns happen, even for grown-ups. I kind of had one of those on our long weekend trip this month. :S Oops! Sounds like you really salvaged the night in a wonderful way