There and Back Again: A Land and Sea Disney Christmas Tale! *DECEMBER TRIP - UPDATED 2/18*

[AMusicLifeForMe]

So much birthday magic! That was so nice of The Voices of Liberty to sing to you

Definitely the highlight of this trip!

 

[rteetz]

What a great birthday! I wasn't thrilled with BoG last time I had lunch there. So cool the VoL sang Happy Birthday to you. Flying Fish looks awesome. I really need to try that place soon.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

What a great birthday! I wasn't thrilled with BoG last time I had lunch there. So cool the VoL sang Happy Birthday to you. Flying Fish looks awesome. I really need to try that place soon.

- I understand not being thrilled with BoG. I've enjoyed it more times than not. I have definitely been enjoying it more lately.

- VoL singing Happy Birthday to me was definitely the highlight of my trip!

- The best meals I have had at WDW lately have been at the Flying Fish. I was a little disappointed one time before I ate here again, but I'm happy my favorite dish has returned!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 2: The Most Magical Birthday At Walt Disney World - Part 3!

I would arrive at the Magic Kingdom where I would quickly become filled with so much joy. That is because I would get to see the Christmas decorations with all of the lights on!





The Christmas tree is so beautiful!



My first view of Cinderella Castle with the lights on! This is when I really started to be filled with so much Disney joy!









Main Street is definitely beautiful during the Christmas season!



Cinderella Castle decorated for Christmas is just jaw-dropping.









I would have a fastpass for Splash Mountain that I would use. The wait took a little longer for this fastpass since Splash Mountain was having some difficulties.



I was then lucky to get a fastpass for Peter Pan’s Flight. That’s where I would head next!



It was then time for me to get ready for the evening firework show. So, I would make my way back to the Hub.





Happily Ever After would begin! This is an amazing show. The finale still gets to me every single time!

Here are some photos of the show:















The show would conclude and the projections are still stunning on Cinderella Castle after the show.





While I was in the Magic Kingdom, I realized that Disney extended the hours for the day by one hour. So, instead of the park closing right after Happily Ever After, I could have stayed in the park longer. However, I decided to leave the Magic Kingdom.



I would decide to head to Disney Springs to go on a little shopping spree for my Birthday, as well as, check out the new World of Disney design.





The new design is definitely interesting. I did enjoy the small Disney touches, but I felt lost in this store. I probably need to get used to it a little more. I did realize how open it felt which was nice. It didn’t feel crowded at all. I enjoyed the brick style, but I’m trying to figure out where this feels like a “Disney” store instead of just a normal store for me.









My final stop for the evening would be Starbucks so I can get my free Starbucks Birthday reward.



I would then make my way to the bus stop and head back to All-Star Movies!

This was definitely a fabulous Birthday! This was the best Birthday I have had in a very long time, and it will definitely be a Birthday that I will remember for a while.

More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEO: Happily Ever After Finale!

A great way to finish my Birthday was by watching Happily Ever After at the Magic Kingdom. Here is the final moments of the show.

Make sure you watch my video in HD.

Magic Kingdom - Happily Ever After Finale!

I hope that you enjoyed the video!

Stay tuned for more updates from my Walt Disney World vacation!

 

[buteraa]

Wow, how awesome that Voices Of Liberty sang to you! Your dinner looked amazing. So glad you had a wonderful birthday!!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Wow, how awesome that Voices Of Liberty sang to you! Your dinner looked amazing. So glad you had a wonderful birthday!!

Yep. Definitely the highlight of my trip! Flying Fish is awesome! I wish I could have that scallops dish all of the time! Definitely a great a day!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 3: A Morning In My Favorite Theme Park!

Hello everyone and welcome to Day 3 of my trip to Walt Disney World! My day would begin by going to my favorite Walt Disney World Theme Park. That is Disney’s Animal Kingdom!



I would head straight to Pandora and would rope drop Flight of Passage!

Disney would open Pandora about 30 minutes before the park opened for the day. This is for safety reasons and also getting the line for Flight of Passage organized.















After a ride on Flight of Passage, I would make my way to Africa!



I would walk right on to Kilimanjaro Safari!



This is when I would have one of the best safaris I have ever experienced! There was so much activity on the savannah.



I finally got to see Baby Augustus, and he was active and swimming around!







The Wild Africa Dogs were sleeping.



I would get to see another baby animal!



My kind of animals…The giraffes!!!





Baby giraffe!!!







I have never seen the male elephant this close!







The lions were out!





After a great safari, I would make my way to Expedition Everest!



I would conclude my morning at Animal Kingdom by riding Dinosaur!



It was difficult to get a picture of the Tree of Life this morning because Disney was getting ready to film for their Christmas Special at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!



I would actually leave Disney’s Animal Kingdom at this point, because I was heading to the Disney Car Center to pick up a rental car. I would be spending some time off-property the next couple days for a reason. Therefore, I would only be in the parks during the morning and the late-afternoon/evening.

More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 3: A Very Spontaneous Evening!

After a great afternoon off-property, I wasn’t ready for what was ahead of me. That is because I would not stick to my schedule at all. So, sit back and enjoy this spontaneous evening I would have.

I would head to EPCOT this afternoon and listen to a few performances of the Voices of Liberty.







After a few performances, I would decide to join a friend that I’ve met around the red circle at the Voices of Liberty during a few trips.

He was heading to the quick service in Italy so that’s where we went. I have never tried this place so I was intrigued to try it.





The pizza was a good size and was actually pretty good.



The Florida sunset this evening!



I really love the EPCOT fountain!



My friend was wanting to go to the Grand Floridian. However, as we were getting closer to the Ticket and Transportation Center, I would talk him into entering the Magic Kingdom and seeing the Castle Lighting.



We would enter the Magic Kingdom right when Elsa would begin to “freeze” the Castle.









I would get a picture with my new friend, the Toy Soldier!



We would then take a grand circle tour on the Walt Disney World Railroad at night.



It was then time to head to the Grand Floridian. We would take the boat over to the Grand Floridian.



My friend was wanting to listen to the piano player in the Grand Floridian which I haven’t done before. Being a piano player, I was actually intrigued to do this.

The Grand Floridian is an awesome hotel! Disney was also starting to set up the Gingerbread House!







The piano player is awesome. I requested “Santa Fe” from Newsies and he played it for me!



The Gingerbread House in the Grand Floridian was almost done. I would get a few pictures of it.







We would also listen to the Grand Floridian Jazz Orchestra! They are so good!!!



My original plan was to go see Illuminations this evening, but I was enjoying being at the Grand Floridian that I was ok with missing the show. I would still take the monorail back to EPCOT because that was where my rental car was.



I would then drive to All-Star Movies and get ready for another day at Walt Disney World the next day!

Stay tuned for more updates from my Walt Disney World vacation!

 

[wnwardii]

That is because I would not stick to my schedule at all.

YEAH!!!!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

We really enjoy the pianist at GF, he was playing “ Remember Me” from Coco and it was so good. It brought a tear to my eye!

We stayed at The GF our last trip and it was so nice having the evening entertainment.

Glad you had a good Safari, I still haven’t seen baby Augustus.

Nice to hear how wonderful your Birthday was.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

YEAH!!!!!

Oh my...I'm sure you were happy about that.

We really enjoy the pianist at GF, he was playing “ Remember Me” from Coco and it was so good. It brought a tear to my eye!

We stayed at The GF our last trip and it was so nice having the evening entertainment.

Glad you had a good Safari, I still haven’t seen baby Augustus.

Nice to hear how wonderful your Birthday was.

I guess I will have to request "Remember Me" next time I see him!

The Grand Floridian might be my favorite resort for evening entertainment now, but the Polynesian will remain my favorite resort for now.

I have been on several safaris since he was born, and I am finally happy I got to see him. I just wish I saw him when he was a little smaller.

It was definitely awesome getting to spend my Birthday at WDW!

 

[rteetz]

I did like how much more open World of Disney was and was more impressed with it in person but I think I still prefer the old version.

Love the morning fog in Pandora. That always adds an extra effect. Great safari! Augustus was kind of hidden during my safari.

I never got over to MK to see the lighting. It only started on the 4th so I really only had one day to do it. Looks like a great evening!

 

[Templemom]

Just caught up, love your reports and sad that I missed the live updates while they were happening "live".
Happy belated birthday! Sounds like a wonderful magical day.
Can't wait to read more.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

I did like how much more open World of Disney was and was more impressed with it in person but I think I still prefer the old version.

Love the morning fog in Pandora. That always adds an extra effect. Great safari! Augustus was kind of hidden during my safari.

I never got over to MK to see the lighting. It only started on the 4th so I really only had one day to do it. Looks like a great evening!

- I have to agree with your opinion of World of Disney.

- I always like how each morning can give you a different perspective of Pandora. I thought it was cool to see it with fog this morning.

- If you ever go during this time of year again, you definitely need to see the Castle Lighting!

Just caught up, love your reports and sad that I missed the live updates while they were happening "live".
Happy belated birthday! Sounds like a wonderful magical day.
Can't wait to read more.

- Thank you for joining in!

- Thank you! It definitely was!

- I'm looking forward to sharing more!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone reading my Trip Report! Thank you very much for following along on this Trip Report! I hope you have a great day with friends and/or family!



Just so everyone knows, today will be my only day not posting official updates from this Trip Report. I will be posting an official update everyday until next Friday. This is so I can finish my November Trip in time for live updates on my December Trip. So, stay tuned everyday for more updates!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I finally got to see Baby Augustus, and he was active and swimming around!

Such a cutie! I want to see him splashing around!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: Shrunk Down To A Toy!

Hello everyone from a location where it is a blizzard outside and getting about 5 inches of snow!

This is now Day 4 of my vacation to Walt Disney World!

I would have a very short time that I could spend in a park this morning. So, I decided to head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

On this day, Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened their new driving entrance and new pay toll area. This new process was very easy, and I actually liked how the theming of the entrance made its way to the toll plaza.



I would make it to the entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and it had been completely transformed to Christmas!!! It is really cool being in these parks and seeing the decorations come up throughout the week.







I would make my way to Toy Story Land where I would rope drop Slinky Dog Dash.





I love the reindeer ears on Rex!!!



I would get in line for Slinky Dog Dash and would wait about 45 minutes to get on the ride.



I think my favorite part of Slinky Dog Dash is the ending.



Hamm has been spotted in Toy Story Land with a Santa hat!



I would then have a fastpass for Toy Story Mania.



The detail in the queue is awesome!



Usually I would have a picture of my score for you to view. However, due to the last two scene glitching while on the ride, I was really annoyed. I was on pace to get the highest score I have ever gotten on Toy Story Mania, and the Cast Members were lucky that I calmed down by the time I reached them. I would tell the Cast Members what happened and they offered to let me ride again for letting them know. I said that it was fine, and I would make my way out of Toy Story Land.

It was time for me to leave Disney’s Hollywood Studios for an afternoon in the Orlando area.



More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEO: New Disney’s Hollywood Studios Driving Entrance - 1st Day!

Here is a video that I took of the new Disney’s Hollywood Studios driving entrance on its 1st day! This has definitely created a nice and easy way to get in and out of the Theme Park. I also like the expanded pay area. It will definitely help once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens.

Make sure you watch my video in HD!

New Disney’s Hollywood Studios Driving Entrance - 1st Day!

I hope that you enjoyed the video!

More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: A Relaxing Evening + California Grill!

After a nice afternoon in Orlando, I would make my way to one of my favorite smoothie places before heading back to property. If anyone follows my Disneyland Trip Reports, you know how much I love Jamba Juice!



I would then make my way to Walt Disney World property where I would make my way to EPCOT. While on the tram, I noticed that they started putting the walls on the Guardians of the Galaxy building.



I would finally make my way into EPCOT.





You probably guessed where I was going. I was on my way to the American Adventure to listen to the Voices of Liberty!







After a couple great concerts, I would make my way to the International Gateway entrance where I would say farewell to World Showcase for about 30 minutes.



I was on the hunt for a couple pins for another DISer. So, I would make my way to the Boardwalk Resort and the Beach Club Resort. I would take the Friendship Boat across the lagoon between my 2 resort stops.







I was running late to my dining reservation, but I was only a couple minutes behind schedule. That is because I had to make my way through EPCOT to get back to my rental car.



Well, my hope of getting to my dining reservation on-time quickly went away when I sat in 60-minute traffic on the newly constructed bridge by the Magic Kingdom toll booth. I literally only moved a couple feet for about 25 minutes and then it was bumper to bumper until I came up to the stoplight. I was so annoyed. I called Disney Dining and everything!



I would arrive to my Dining Reservation at California Grill 40 minutes late! I would give them a strong case why I was late, and I am thankful that the Cast Members said that I could still dine at California Grill.





Here is the menu for California Grill:



The table setting was really nice.



It was dark outside, and you could pretty much see the restaurant reflection. I would get a view facing EPCOT instead of Magic Kingdom.



California Grill is a really nice restaurant.





You get bread service with your meal.



I would order the Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons as my appetizer. These were delicious. Definitely had a strange consistency between the items on the plate. However, for me, I thought it was really good.



I would then order the salmon as my entree. This was definitely a great dish. One of the best salmons I have had at any Disney restaurant. I really liked the corn cake that was on the plate. I don’t know if it was a cake, but it is the one way that I could describe it.



For my dessert, I would order the pear creme brûlée. Absolutely amazing! I love this dessert so much!



My dinner at California Grill was amazing, and definitely a lot better than the first time I ate here a couple months ago.

After dinner, I would make my way downstairs to get another pin for a DISer. While I was down there, I would check out the gingerbread house! So cool!





I would make my way to my rental car to drop off the pin before making my way on the monorail loop. While I was out, I got to really enjoy the Contemporary Christmas Tree!



I would then make my way to the monorail.



I would make my way to the Grand Floridian to listen to a couple songs by the piano player.



After he was done, I would admire the gingerbread house since it was now complete!



I would then make my way back to the Contemporary to watch an amazing firework show!



Stay tuned for more updates from my Walt Disney World vacation!