How can this year possibly get better? LET'S GO TO WDW!!- A 10-Day November 2021 TR- Updated 9/26/23!

[VAtink]

Can't believe I missed you started a new TR! Your TRs are great, can't wait to read more!

 

[Mollydolly334]

That view is amazing!

We loved it so much!! Perfect to come back to after a long day!

What a view !!!

I actually found melon Fanta on Amazon but it is crazy expensive for soda.

I’ve never understood how people can afford to get that obnoxiously drunk at Epcot. The drinks are so pricey and usually not very strong pours IMO. I would have to spend hundreds to be so drunk I lose all sense and get that annoying. Lol

Ugh, bummer that it's so expensive! I really don't understand drunk people at Disney either!! When I'm in Disney, I want to be 100% in control of my body and emotions and take everything in!! That DOES NOT happen when I'm drunk, haha!

I loved Harmonious also! Like you said, I appreciated them having the songs in both English and the languages native to the country they're set in. We didn't end up staying in MK for Enchantment so I haven't seen it yet.

The view from your room is amazing!

Harmonious is way better than Enchantment- 100%!! We loved the view so much and were so glad we paid a little bit extra!

Love your report so far!

Thanks so much

Following along! Love that view!

Thank you for reading!!

OMG, I'm loving your TR! Can't wait to keep reading! I just booked BWV for August and I'm SO EXCITED!

Thank you!! AHH how exciting- You'll love it! I always like to read TRs for resorts on my upcoming trips as well

We made the mistake of going on a Friday night and experienced the same thing. Sure sign we are getting old (well I'm old already you have a ways to go) but pretty sure Friday and Saturday nights in Epcot are off my list for good


I didn't love it at first but its growing on me. Especially in contract to the disappointment that is Enchantment


That view is amazing! Hope you got to enjoy lots of balcony time. We've stayed at BW a few times but haven't been lucky enough to get a view


We stayed here last month and I couldn't agree more. It looked like they hadn't refurbed them since the 90's. I don't think they are on the schedule to get redone either which seems long over due

Haha, I felt like such a fuddy-duddy but I DO NOT like sloppy drunk people, especially when I'm sober, haha! The dirtiness was also just so un-Disney!

We got lots of balcony time in luckily. Especially for a long trip, it seemed like a perfect time to have a nice balcony! I'm glad you felt the same way!! The location and outside of the resort is top-notch, but the inside felt more on par with a moderate (it was a studio villa so that didn't help either)!

Can't believe I missed you started a new TR! Your TRs are great, can't wait to read more!

Hi girl!! Thanks so much for following along!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Real Life Update- Mini Vegas TR!


Hi friends! I thought I’d share a fun real-life update for you all Last week, Jake and I spent 5 nights in Las Vegas!

We were gone from 1/12 to 1/17. Jake’s 29th birthday was on New Year’s Day, and since we went to Miami for my birthday, I wanted to return the favor and take him somewhere fun as well! Jake is a huge fan of Vegas, so I thought that it was the perfect birthday destination! We decided to go a few weeks after his birthday due to insane prices on the actual holiday, and we have been planning this trip since August. It is also our one-year dating anniversary on January 26th, so we wanted to celebrate that too Time flies when you're having fun!

Since we flew out of Midway, we spent Tuesday night in a hotel in Chicago and were on our flight to Las Vegas by 7:00 AM on Wednesday! We arrived at 8:30 AM Nevada time, woohoo!

Originally, I had booked the trip for just 4 nights (1/13-1/17). However, flight prices were insanely expensive for the 13th, so it was actually cheaper to leave the 12th and add on an extra night in Vegas! Don’t mind if we do Since prices were so reasonable, we decided to go all out and get a room at the Wynn-Encore resort for our first night!





Check out our amazing room! (It’s a video, click to play )

Jake and I are not super into gambling, and we didn’t feel comfortable going to clubs due to COVID. So, the focus on this trip was good food and entertainment!

Our first night, I managed to score a reservation at the brand new Delilah supper club at the Wynn resort. The worker at the front desk was shocked when I told him that I booked this dinner a month in advance. Um, hello, I’m a Disney World fan… this ain't my first rodeo!



For the rest of the 4 nights, we stayed at the Bellagio resort. This was our first time staying at either resort, and we were so impressed with both of them. So clean and fancy! Where do you all usually stay when you go to Vegas?





We had the most incredible view of the fountains from our room!



Jake and I packed in a ton of fun things this week!





Minus 5 Ice Bar at the Venetian!



Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden at the Mirage!



Titanic Museum at the Luxor!



Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay!

We also had incredible meals at…



Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesar’s Palace (we were so excited for this- we are both huge fans of the show Vanderpump Rules!)



Beauty and Essex at the Cosmopolitan!



Kumi at Mandalay Bay



And Lago at the Bellagio! This restaurant was my favorite. Check out the view from our table!



It’s a video… click to play

We also saw two Cirque du Soleil shows- “Ka” and “O.” We had never seen a Cirque show before, so we had no idea what to expect!





We saw “Ka” first at the MGM Grand and it was INCREDIBLE!! I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time and almost cried at the end! Well, naturally, after watching “Ka,” we wanted to see another show! It was our second to last night, so we only had Sunday night as an option. I REALLY wanted to see “Beatles: LOVE,” but Jake does not like the Beatles Shocking, right?? So we chose “O,” since it was right at our hotel and consistently got the best reviews.





Ugh. Can you say disappointed! We did not like “O” at all! “Ka" was dramatic, entertaining, and followed a breathtaking story! “O” was just disjointed and silly!! Have any of you guys seen any Cirque shows?? I always wanted to see "La Nouba" but didn’t see it in time before it closed!

Overall, it was an incredible and exhausting trip! This will be our last trip for a while since we have taken so many in the past year. I will say it over and over, but I am so thankful to have met Jake. He is the best travel buddy; we get along so well on vacation and love doing the same things!



Also, he reminds me of Howie Dorough (AKA, my favorite Backstreet Boy). Does anyone else see it?!

We are HOPING (fingers crossed) to maybe take a trip to Oahu and the Big Island in Hawaii in August/September. Jake lived in Hawaii for a year during his Au.D. externship from 2019-2020. He spent 4 months in Honolulu and 8 months in Kona, and loved every second of it. Since we started dating, he has been talking about going to Hawaii together someday, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! We haven’t made any set plans yet, but I’ll keep you all updated if we do decide to go!

I should have a TR update sometime in the next week Thanks for reading along!

​

 

[Neverland_Girl]

Your Vegas trip looks so fun!! My bf wants to do Vegas in March but we haven't booked anything yet because of Covid. Going to come back for food recs if we ever book the trip. And Happy Anniversary!!

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

I love Vegas!! I usually stay at the Flamingo- it still has that old school Vegas vibe to it but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been.

 

[Lilias]

I was wondering who your bf reminded me of, and it's indeed Howie D!! Also my favorite Backstreet Boy

 

[suse66]

Jake and I are not super into gambling, and we didn’t feel comfortable going to clubs due to COVID. So, the focus on this trip was good food and entertainment!

Your hotel rooms look stunning! We are not into gambling either and have never been to Vegas. I am always down for good food and entertainment though!

We also saw two Cirque du Soleil shows- “Ka” and “O.” We had never seen a Cirque show before, so we had no idea what to expect!

I have never seen a Cirque show either even though they are a Canadian company. I may go see "Drawn to Life" this summer on my solo trip.

Overall, it was an incredible and exhausting trip! This will be our last trip for a while since we have taken so many in the past year. I will say it over and over, but I am so thankful to have met Jake. He is the best travel buddy; we get along so well on vacation and love doing the same things!

You two are so well suited and and just so happy together! I love it!

We are HOPING (fingers crossed) to maybe take a trip to Oahu and the Big Island in Hawaii in August/September. Jake lived in Hawaii for a year during his Au.D. externship from 2019-2020. He spent 4 months in Honolulu and 8 months in Kona, and loved every second of it. Since we started dating, he has been talking about going to Hawaii together someday, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! We haven’t made any set plans yet, but I’ll keep you all updated if we do decide to go!

Hawaii would be spectacular! Definitely on my list too!

 

[jrmint427]

I'm joining in!

She huffed and walked right past us after we got off, only to go to our exact same baggage claim and wait just like the rest of us!

People can be so weird!!

Before we knew it, we arrived at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, home for the next 9 nights!!

I realllly want to stay at the Boardwalk on our next trip, excited to read more about it!

The show was so cute! I loved when the bell ringer came up on stage.

We ended up eating at Biergarten many years ago because it was the only Epcot restaurant with NYE reservations and we waited too long to book. We loved the food and experience so much! It was interesting to share a table with a family while we ate.

You could see and hear all of the sights and sounds of the Boardwalk and we were right in the middle of the action!

That is an amazing view! Were the sounds from the boardwalk ever too loud at night?

 

[Bama Mom]

We also saw two Cirque du Soleil shows- “Ka” and “O.” We had never seen a Cirque show before, so we had no idea what to expect!

We saw “Ka” first at the MGM Grand and it was INCREDIBLE!! I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time and almost cried at the end! Well, naturally, after watching “Ka,” we wanted to see another show! It was our second to last night, so we only had Sunday night as an option. I REALLY wanted to see “Beatles: LOVE,” but Jake does not like the Beatles Shocking, right?? So we chose “O,” since it was right at our hotel and consistently got the best reviews.

Ugh. Can you say disappointed! We did not like “O” at all! “Ka" was dramatic, entertaining, and followed a breathtaking story! “O” was just disjointed and silly!! Have any of you guys seen any Cirque shows?? I always wanted to see "La Nouba" but didn’t see it in time before it closed!
​

I've only been to Vegas once and it was definitely a once and done for me. While there we did see Ka. I love Cirque style shows and would have loved seeing more while there. When we chose Ka, we chose it because we were staying at MGM Grand so it was convenient. We almost chose O but after reading your review I'm glad we chose Ka.

As for the Disney trip, It sounds like a great start so far. Can't wait to read more.

 

[amazingact21]

Your view from the Boardwalk looked amazing! I can only imagine how fun it was to sit out on the balcony and take in those surroundings.

Sounds like your Vegas trip was a lot of fun!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Your Vegas trip looks so fun!! My bf wants to do Vegas in March but we haven't booked anything yet because of Covid. Going to come back for food recs if we ever book the trip. And Happy Anniversary!!

It was a lot of fun!! Yes, definitely hit me up if you need any recommendations- this was my third time in Vegas but really the first that I could control the plans since the first two times I was there, it was for Bachelorette parties! And thank you

I love Vegas!! I usually stay at the Flamingo- it still has that old school Vegas vibe to it but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been.

Ah I love the Flamingo! Definitely classic Vegas- I also love that everything is pink

I was wondering who your bf reminded me of, and it's indeed Howie D!! Also my favorite Backstreet Boy

Yayyyy a fellow Howie fan He just seems so sweet and sincere!! Jake is a big fan of the Backstreet Boys as well but his favorite is AJ (he loves the bad boys, haha)!

Your hotel rooms look stunning! We are not into gambling either and have never been to Vegas. I am always down for good food and entertainment though!
I have never seen a Cirque show either even though they are a Canadian company. I may go see "Drawn to Life" this summer on my solo trip.
You two are so well suited and and just so happy together! I love it!
Hawaii would be spectacular! Definitely on my list too!

Vegas is sort of like a raunchy Disney haha- themed hotels with lots of fun restaurants and sights to see! But instead of theme parks, it's casinos! You should definitely try to see Cirque- when done right, it was so unique and entertaining! I'm a huge fan of theatre too and it was right up my alley! I will say- it seems like I enjoyed the dramatic themes vs. comedic themes but everyone is different!

I'm joining in!



People can be so weird!!



I realllly want to stay at the Boardwalk on our next trip, excited to read more about it!



We ended up eating at Biergarten many years ago because it was the only Epcot restaurant with NYE reservations and we waited too long to book. We loved the food and experience so much! It was interesting to share a table with a family while we ate.



That is an amazing view! Were the sounds from the boardwalk ever too loud at night?

Thanks for joining in!! The Boardwalk is one of our favorites- the theming is very Disney-esque and the location is the best in Disney (in my opinion)! I was really surprised that the balcony wasn't noisier. That was a concern but once we closed the balcony door, the sounds were pretty drowned out. The only time I really noticed it was during a mid-day nap one day, but I'm so tired in Disney that I usually fall asleep within a few minutes. It was never a problem at night! Ahhh how fun, I feel like Biergarten would be a great NYE meal and could get rowdy

I've only been to Vegas once and it was definitely a once and done for me. While there we did see Ka. I love Cirque style shows and would have loved seeing more while there. When we chose Ka, we chose it because we were staying at MGM Grand so it was convenient. We almost chose O but after reading your review I'm glad we chose Ka.

As for the Disney trip, It sounds like a great start so far. Can't wait to read more.

I was so impressed with Ka! That was the one that Jake really wanted to see- it seemed like more of a "boy" show with lots of stage combat so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much!! Day 2 of Disney is coming up soon

Your view from the Boardwalk looked amazing! I can only imagine how fun it was to sit out on the balcony and take in those surroundings.

Sounds like your Vegas trip was a lot of fun!

It was such an amazing view! Sometimes I'd leave the curtain open and just watch the lights from my bed It was a great time- definitely a busy whirlwind but so fun!!

 

[footballmouse]

Thanks for posting what you did in Vegas other than gambling. My youngest turns 21 this year so we're all headed to Vegas later this year and we're not big gamblers so I loved the suggestions!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 2, Part 1- November 14th, 2021


Gooood morning!!

Mom and I woke up at 7:45 AM, ready for a fun day at Magic Kingdom!





Had to check out our sweet view during the daylight hours too

We decided to take a leisurely morning and didn’t rush to get to MK for opening. I loved having this freedom that comes with long trips! I had a super cute romper and cardigan combination planned for today, but after looking at the weather forecast, I decided to go for comfort and layers I definitely made the right decision! Today was going to be one of our coldest days all trip, with highs in the mid 70’s and the low at 50 degrees.



Boardwalk selfie!

We were out of the room at about 9:00, but decided to stop at Boardwalk Bakery for a vanilla iced coffee (me) and English breakfast tea (Mom). I had TOTALLY forgotten about the mobile-ordering system, so waiting for that added on a bit of time. D’oh! We were on a bus to Magic Kingdom at 9:30, and walking through those magical gates at 9:45 AM!





We were anticipating much higher crowds than our usual September trips, but we were prepared to be flexible and go-with-the flow! We took our time and meandered about the castle.







Then, we walked through the castle and headed to our first ride- It’s a Small World!

This was a great first ride choice and really got us into the Disney spirit! It was only about a 10-minute wait, then we were on!

We were both in agreement that the twins would LOVE this ride and be smiling away. My mom phrased it perfectly- we’d like to take the twins to Disney at this age for maybe like, 3 hours total The rest would be way too stressful! My sister says that she’d like to take them for their 3rd birthday. Of course, I’d be the master planner for that trip

While in line for It’s a Small World, we decided to take the plunge and purchase Genie + for the day. We were able to book a return time for Journey of the Little Mermaid that started almost immediately. So, that’s where we headed after!



Had to take a picture of Ursula for my sister Haley, that’s her favorite Disney character!

After our fun ride, we made a LL for Dumbo that started in about 45 minutes. We headed over to Storybook Circus, and knocked out Barnstormer on standby during our wait! My tummy was starting to rumble, so I also got a snack in Big Top Treats…



YUM! I love these soft cookies- both the sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are delicious. We checked our lightning lane on Dumbo and waltzed on in! There was a little boy going absolutely BALLISTIC about wearing a mask. I felt bad for him Working with neurodivergent children always makes me look at situations like this in a different light. It’s always important to be patient and have grace towards others, especially kids

After about 10 minutes, we were off in our purple Dumbo! I tried to FaceTime Jake, but he didn’t pick up! Boohoo!!



After our flight, we made a lightning lane reservation for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin for 12:30 PM (it was 11:45).

We headed into Tomorrowland and hopped in line for PeopleMover, since the wait was only about 15 minutes! I was soooo excited to ride this- I hadn’t ridden it since January of 2020!! Afterwards, we also looked in Mickey’s Star Traders and grabbed some waters before heading to Buzz.

Mom was talking a big game… she is usually the Buzz Lightyear champ!! But… I came out on top this time





My mom refused to let me take a picture of her score

The standby time for Space Mountain was only 30 minutes, so we dashed over there next! While in line, I made a Lightning Lane pass for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh for 1:15 PM. I used to hate Space Mountain and how rough it is, but I think I’ve gotten more used to it and know when to brace myself.

The little boy behind me didn’t want to sit in the front seat, so I got to take the front instead, score! He was so cute and asked the ride operator “Mister, am I ok?” before the ride took off. The ride operator was so nice, and said “You’re totally fine buddy. I wouldn’t send off the ride if you weren’t”. It was such a cute exchange! I asked him if he liked the ride after he got off, and he screamed “Noooo!”, haha!



Jake and I had been texting, and I mentioned that he never answered my FaceTime earlier. Well, turns out, he never got the notification! He demanded that I FaceTime him again on our next ride, which turned out to be Winnie the Pooh

No ride pictures since I was FaceTiming! It was so fun to “experience” the ride with Jake I have loved this ride ever since I was a kid!

It was 1:30 when we disembarked, so we headed over to Main Street in preparation for our lunch ADR at 2:05.



If you’re keeping track, this is what we’ve accomplished in MK since 9:45 AM:
​

1. It’s a Small World​
2. Journey of the Little Mermaid​
3. Goofy’s Barnstormer​
4. Dumbo the Flying Elephant​
5. People Mover​
6. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin​
7. Space Mountain​
8. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh​

We felt soooo accomplished!! Genie + was definitely a win today. At the end of the trip, I had mixed feelings about Genie +. You’ll find out why later ;)


​

 

[Mollydolly334]

Thanks for posting what you did in Vegas other than gambling. My youngest turns 21 this year so we're all headed to Vegas later this year and we're not big gamblers so I loved the suggestions!

Of course!! Many of our friends/family were surprised that we chose Vegas because we don't like to gamble, but there is so much more to do there than gamble! One thing that we really wanted to check out but didn't was the pool scene- it was just a little too chilly for that!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I'm loving your trip report. I just stumbled onto it and I definitely remember reading trip reports from you before. Ten days in Disney what a great trip! Spending time with your mom for the first half and boyfriend the second - that's a win, win! Looking forward to reading more.

 

[suse66]

We decided to take a leisurely morning and didn’t rush to get to MK for opening. I loved having this freedom that comes with long trips! I had a super cute romper and cardigan combination planned for today, but after looking at the weather forecast, I decided to go for comfort and layers I definitely made the right decision! Today was going to be one of our coldest days all trip, with highs in the mid 70’s and the low at 50 degrees.

This will be my plan for our March trip! I think you can experience three seasons in one day!

We were out of the room at about 9:00, but decided to stop at Boardwalk Bakery for a vanilla iced coffee (me) and English breakfast tea (Mom). I had TOTALLY forgotten about the mobile-ordering system, so waiting for that added on a bit of time. D’oh! We were on a bus to Magic Kingdom at 9:30, and walking through those magical gates at 9:45 AM!

Nothing better!

Then, we walked through the castle and headed to our first ride- It’s a Small World!

This was a great first ride choice and really got us into the Disney spirit! It was only about a 10-minute wait, then we were on!

We were both in agreement that the twins would LOVE this ride and be smiling away. My mom phrased it perfectly- we’d like to take the twins to Disney at this age for maybe like, 3 hours total The rest would be way too stressful! My sister says that she’d like to take them for their 3rd birthday. Of course, I’d be the master planner for that trip

How much fun will that be???

While in line for It’s a Small World, we decided to take the plunge and purchase Genie + for the day. We were able to book a return time for Journey of the Little Mermaid that started almost immediately. So, that’s where we headed after!

Sweet!

Working with neurodivergent children always makes me look at situations like this in a different light. It’s always important to be patient and have grace towards others, especially kids

So true! Some of our kindergarteners are just starting to wear a mask all school day and we are sure to give them lots of encouragement and support.

We headed into Tomorrowland and hopped in line for PeopleMover, since the wait was only about 15 minutes! I was soooo excited to ride this- I hadn’t ridden it since January of 2020!! Afterwards, we also looked in Mickey’s Star Traders and grabbed some waters before heading to Buzz.

Love the People Mover!

The little boy behind me didn’t want to sit in the front seat, so I got to take the front instead, score! He was so cute and asked the ride operator “Mister, am I ok?” before the ride took off. The ride operator was so nice, and said “You’re totally fine buddy. I wouldn’t send off the ride if you weren’t”. It was such a cute exchange! I asked him if he liked the ride after he got off, and he screamed “Noooo!”, haha!

My feeling about SM exactly!

No ride pictures since I was FaceTiming! It was so fun to “experience” the ride with Jake I have loved this ride ever since I was a kid!

It is a classic ride and so fun to share it with Jake.

We felt soooo accomplished!! Genie + was definitely a win today. At the end of the trip, I had mixed feelings about Genie +. You’ll find out why later ;)

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Genie. I think we are going to use it on our HS/MK day but not on our AK/EP day.

 

[Mollydolly334]

I'm loving your trip report. I just stumbled onto it and I definitely remember reading trip reports from you before. Ten days in Disney what a great trip! Spending time with your mom for the first half and boyfriend the second - that's a win, win! Looking forward to reading more.

Hello!! I definitely remember you commenting on my TRs before Welcome back and thanks for reading along!! It was such an awesome trip and almost felt like two trips in one!!

This will be my plan for our March trip! I think you can experience three seasons in one day!
Nothing better!
How much fun will that be???
Sweet!
So true! Some of our kindergarteners are just starting to wear a mask all school day and we are sure to give them lots of encouragement and support.
Love the People Mover!
My feeling about SM exactly!
It is a classic ride and so fun to share it with Jake.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Genie. I think we are going to use it on our HS/MK day but not on our AK/EP day.

It is amazing that you are a kindergarten teacher!! I work with tiny ones too but only 1:1- I can't imagine having a huge group of them to keep track of! You seem like such a sweet lady so that is definitely on brand for you

That is exactly what we did with Genie + as well! It worked out fabulously with MK but not so much DHS.... especially on the last day of our trip

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 2, Part 2- November 14th, 2021


After an accomplished morning at Magic Kingdom, Mom and I headed over to Main Street USA!





Castle shot! It was gorgeous outside- 75 degrees and barely a cloud in the sky!



We managed to catch the Magic Kingdom Cavalcade! I sent a picture of Tink to Jake with the caption “It’s me!” since my avatar is Tinkerbell in MDE I also managed to book a Splash Mountain LL for 4:15 PM.





We had about 30 minutes to kill before our lunch ADR at 2:05 PM, so we just browsed through Uptown Jewelers and the Art of Disney.

I have a Small World themed Dooney and Bourke bag that I absolutely love and use all the time! So, I was looking for another one. But, I didn’t really find anything that caught my eye, and if I’m buying a $200 bag, I need to ADORE the design

Mom and I also grabbed a few photopass shots!





Side note- this is one of the only times you’ll see me with ears on in the parks I always promise myself that I’ll actually wear them, cave and buy a cute pair, and then take them off after 10 minutes because they hurt my head!

After our photoshoot, it was lunch time! Luckily we didn’t have far to go- we were dining at The Plaza today!

I was really excited for this ADR since neither of us have eaten here before. I have always wanted to because of the fun food and amazing castle views, but this place eluded us. We tried to eat here on a walk-up for dinner in September 2019, but we couldn’t get in and ate at Tony’s Town Square instead (which we actually really liked as well despite it’s mixed reviews).

We were seated about 10 minutes later and had an AWESOME castle view!



(Click to play- it’s a video )

To start, we both decided on milkshakes. I got strawberry and Mom got chocolate!



These really hit the spot! For food, we chose to split the Plaza Loaded Fries (french fries with melted cheddar, bacon, and green onions) and the Monte Cristo Sandwich (deep fried in funnel cake batter with house-made bacon, roasted turkey, and provolone, sprinkled with EARidescent powdered sugar, with a side of strawberry jam) with green beans.



I was a little nervous about the sandwich, because I have a sensitive stomach and I usually don’t do well with too much fried food. But, it was the perfect amount and I’m so happy that we shared! It ended up being just what we needed- the fries in particular were delicious.

It was nice to sit inside and relax after our busy morning! We found that doing a table service mid-day really helped break up the commando touring days and helped us feel refreshed and invigorated.

Overall, we LOVED our lunch at the Plaza and we will definitely be back!

After lunch, we knew that we needed a “tummy rester” (slow ride), so we decided on my mom’s favorite- Haunted Mansion!

Had to grab a picture of Crystal Palace on our way to Liberty Square. This restaurant is so photogenic!



Standby wait time was 50 minutes and we waited just about that. Luckily, all of the special effects were working in line so that kept us busy!



Had to send this to Jake (The statue's name is "Uncle Jacob")



Mom could ride this ride over and over! We always find something new to look at. This time, we noticed light-up ghost footprints on the stairs!

After our ride, it was time to redeem our LL for Splash Mountain! We stopped at Pecos Bills to exchange my fuel rod (it is a godsend for long park days), then headed off to my favorite ride! In line, we booked another LL for Pirates of the Caribbean at 5:45 PM.



Now, I hate saying this about my beloved Splash, but it was REALLY looking worse for the wear. Some of the animatronics weren’t working, and a lot of the water effects were turned off. I have to cherish this ride while I can, because it will be replaced any day now! In a perfect world, we’d get Splash Mountain AND a new Princess and the Frog ride Ok, off my soapbox now!

After knocking out both my mom and I’s favorites, we stayed in Frontierland to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! Standby was super reasonable, around 35 minutes.





Love those frontierland sunsets!

After BTMM, Mom and I headed to Adventureland for Pirates of the Caribbean!



See us way in the back?

Pirates turned out to be our last LL of the night. We were EXTREMELY pleased with our experience with Genie + so far. The LL lines moved way quicker than FP and I was able to make selections easily as the day progressed. We had done everything we wanted to and more!

After Pirates, we took a spin on Magic Carpets of Aladdin since it was dark and we wanted to see all of the Christmas lights. Then, we walked over to Main Street to take a look at the castle!



Wow! These projections were so cute! However, I have to say, I prefer the dreamlights. When my college roommate, Morgan, and I visited Disney World for Christmas in 2019, we watched the castle lighting ceremony one night from Main Street. Both Morgan and I started bawling like babies as soon as those lights lit up the castle!!

It was 6:30 PM at this point, and the fireworks started at 8:00 tonight. We figured that we could get one more attraction in before scoping out a spot on Main Street. It was getting chilly, so we chose Philharmagic!

And let me tell you, we were SO happy we ended with that! We were able to walk right in for the show. I had heard that Philharmagic had been updated to add a new scene from Coco, so we were super excited to see it. What we weren’t prepared for was just how CLEAR the entire video had become! It was like watching a whole new movie! Mom and I couldn’t believe how crystal clear the animation was, considering how blurry it had been in the past. It added so much more to the experience. We also loved the new scene. We vowed to come back on our next MK day and watch it again!

We were definitely on a high after watching Philharmagic, so we were a little shocked when we hit the mob scene back on Main Street!



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[keh422]

Longtime lurker here. I just have to say hi, because I actually saw you on this trip. My husband and I were leaving the Magic Kingdom around 5pm on the 17th (to catch the magical express ), and we passed you and your mom on Main St. If we hadn't been in a hurry, I might have been brave enough to say hi. Also, how cool that Jake is an audiologist. My son and I have been wearing hearing aids for a few years now, and I am forever grateful to our audiologist. Oh, and my husband and I got engaged on January 26th. It's a fantastic day.

 

[jrmint427]

If you’re keeping track, this is what we’ve accomplished in MK since 9:45 AM:

You got so much done! This is really selling Genie+!

Pirates turned out to be our last LL of the night. We were EXTREMELY pleased with our experience with Genie + so far. The LL lines moved way quicker than FP and I was able to make selections easily as the day progressed. We had done everything we wanted to and more!

Curious at your hint about Genie+ later in the trip, it sounds like it was really great for this MK day.

I had heard that Philharmagic had been updated to add a new scene from Coco, so we were super excited to see it. What we weren’t prepared for was just how CLEAR the entire video had become!

I didn't know Philharmagic got a refresh! We love Coco, so excited to hear this!