Tri-Circle-D

Oh, but I did get a Passholder magnet in the mail today! I added it to my magnet collection.
 

 
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The capybara did seem to roam around the island, but the other animals were in enclosures.
I am not sure if the one we saw was supposed to be out loose like it was.  Capybaras can swim, so I would think they should have been concerned about them leaving the island.  We only saw one loose the one time, so I always thought he was just an escapee.
It's too bad you never got to visit Discovery Island. It was very easy to access from Fort Wilderness.  There was a separate cost of admission, but you could buy those tickets at the old River Country ticket window.  The cost was reasonable, and there was a River Country/Discovery Island combo ticket.  I know we went a lot when the twins were under 3 because they got in for free.  There was a little quick serve restaurant on the island that served kids meals in plastic buckets that came with a shovel.  My kids were perfectly happy to spend time on the beach there digging in the sand using those plastic buckets.  Sadly, the twins turned three the year that Animal Kingdom opened, and Discovery Island closed.  They don't remember Discovery Island, and barely remember River Country, but my oldest daughter remembers both, especially the time she saw the giant squirrel with no tail.
TCD

I understand that.
It's a shame that Disney management is once again so short-sighted about this.  It would not be that hard to designate pet cabins and non-pet cabins, and enforce the rules.  But, once again, we see them taking the cheap and easy way out, and letting anything go.  Clearly, they don't care if they lose a segment of their business or loyal customers, because they're blinded by the easy money they can rake it by letting pets in the cabins.  They never think about the long-term costs.
TCD

Now that I am a passholder, Disney is tempting me right and left to run down and visit. Today’s temptation came in the form of an email.
 


Jingle All the Way
to Disney's Hollywood Studios[emoji768]
 
Come celebrate a Flurry of Fun featuring the brand-new Sunset Seasons Greetings!
 
And while you're here, pick up your complimentary Passholder holiday magnet December 1–17 at the following merchandise locations while supplies last:
 
Mickey's of Hollywood
Celebrity 5 & 10
Once Upon a Time
 
If you aren't able to participate in this offering, don't worry! We are excited to bring more great Passholder offerings next month with the Epcot[emoji768] International Festival of the Arts and more throughout the new year!
 
We look forward to providing a flurry of Passholder fun this holiday season!
Not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged magnets. One magnet per Passholder. Available while supplies last. Must visit one of these locations at Disney's Hollywood Studios[emoji768] to receive magnet. Must show your Annual Pass Card and valid photo ID to receive magnet.
 
 
Plus, take advantage of your 20% Passholder discount on your holiday shopping!
 
 
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You beat me to the post.
I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the passholder survey I got a month or so ago.
The majority of the questions revolved aaround how I felt about the value of my pass, if we got recognized enough and if they did enough for us.
You can probably guess what my answers were like.
 
So just maybe they listened to people that responded.... see the part above that I bolded

I envision a human sized frogger type game getting across I4. Think of the feeling of satisfaction for those that actually make it across.

Your mention of the red carpet reminded me that one of my daughters signed up to work the Cast Recognition Party back when she was doing her Disney College Program.  She was paid to stand along the red carpet and applaud.  LOL
TCD

This is a strange contest to win a chance for a tour of the Edison and its associated restaurants.  There's no mention of any food or anything, and it looks like they will be doing these tours for three full days, so a lot of people will "win" :
Exclusive Disney Springs New Restaurant Walk Through Tour
Sign up today for your chance to win an exclusive first-look into the latest additions to the Disney Springs dining scene with a behind the scenes tour of four of Central Florida’s most highly anticipated openings of 2017.
You and a guest will have the rare opportunity to experience a guided walking tour of Maria & Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway, Pizza Ponte and The Edison prior to their grand openings later this winter. Be one of the first to experience history in the making by signing up today.
More About this Contest:
Contest winners will be contacted by Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Preview tours will be scheduled for December 6, 7 and 8, 2017, from 9:30am – 6:00pm EST. Each tour will showcase all four venues and will take approximately 25 minutes to complete. Winners will need to arrive 20 minutes prior to their visit and have a valid photo ID that matches the name of the chosen participant.
https://patinatours.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpost
Good luck to anyone who enters.
I am sitting this one out.
TCD

The WDWMAGIC site is reporting that the Hall of Presidents will open before Christmas:
The long awaited reopening of the Magic Kingdom's Hall of Presidents will take place before Christmas according to sources familiar with the matter.
http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/hall-of-presidents/news/27nov2017-the-hall-of-presidents-to-reopen-before-christmas.htm
I haven't seen this news posted anywhere else.
TCD

I understand that.
It's a shame that Disney management is once again so short-sighted about this.  It would not be that hard to designate pet cabins and non-pet cabins, and enforce the rules.  But, once again, we see them taking the cheap and easy way out, and letting anything go.  Clearly, they don't care if they lose a segment of their business or loyal customers, because they're blinded by the easy money they can rake it by letting pets in the cabins.  They never think about the long-term costs.
TCD

Yep!  We had family staying with us this trip.  When we added them to the reservation (by phone) we did not give them charging privileges.  When they arrived they assumed that since they had cards on file from their last trip they were all set for charging. 
Um.... nope and nope.  All of their charges went to our account.  Luckily I noticed before they left and we sorted it out fairly easily, but we're still not sure what happened.  Possibly the person we talked to on the phone didn't check whatever magical box authorizes charging for people on your reservation correctly. 
So if you're traveling in a group, you should just confirm at check in who does/doesn't have charging privileges.
The good thing about the issue we ran into is that every charge showed not just what/where it was made, but which MB made it.  That made it easy for us to correct.
Also we wondered how, since you had to have a PIN to authorize a charge, family members were able to charge without our PIN.  Turns out that your PIN is tied to your MDE, not to the charging privileges on the reservation account.  So because they had valid PINs for their MDE accounts, the charges went through.
 

Thanks for the report, TCD!
That would be smart if it was intentional.
 
What Keith said.  Too much or a risk of a dog that resource guards food from another dog starting trouble.  We use treats as reinforcement for good behavior for our dogs, but I'm glad they're not allowed in the dog park.  The frisbee/ball is reward enough for them when we're there anyway.
We've run into mostly smart/considerate dog owners at the dog park over the past month.  But I really truly wish that parents that bring their kids in pay more attention and don't let them just run around chasing other people's dogs.  We've actually run into a couple of cases where the kids were in there without parents or a dog of their own, presumably to go play with other people's dogs?? (sigh)
On the plus side, we ran into a 6 and a 10 year old - both very polite - who turned out to have excellent frisbee throwing skills.  :)

The December, 2017,  Fort Wilderness Recreation Guide has been posted:
http://image.emails.disneydestinations.com/lib/fe9d15737d66047d71/m/8/PWR1FAKf.pdf
Copies:


TCD

I understand that.
It's a shame that Disney management is once again so short-sighted about this.  It would not be that hard to designate pet cabins and non-pet cabins, and enforce the rules.  But, once again, we see them taking the cheap and easy way out, and letting anything go.  Clearly, they don't care if they lose a segment of their business or loyal customers, because they're blinded by the easy money they can rake it by letting pets in the cabins.  They never think about the long-term costs.
TCD

I forgot to post the most important photo of all- Rocky enjoying the cabin porch:

Note that he is wearing his official $100 bandana.
TCD

I have a first-hand report about having a dog at the cabins.
The TCD gang made a quick two night visit over Thanksgiving.  Just Wednesday and Thursday nights.
I would have liked to stay longer, but we had to pay rack rates for the cabin, and they are expensive.  Plus, we did have to pay the $50 per night pet fee on top of that.
I checked in on Wednesday, November 22, at just before noon.
I did not do online check-in, but it was offered to me.  I wanted to check-in in person, so I would be sure to get the pet goodie bag that is part of the deal.
This is what the Disney Parks Blog says about that:
At check-in, Pluto’s Welcome Kit includes mat, bowls, a pet ID tag, courtesy plastic disposable bags, puppy pads and dog walking maps. Also included: a Pluto “Do Not Disturb” door hanger indicating to hotel staff that a pet is in the room.
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/10/dogs-welcome-at-select-walt-disney-world-hotels-starting-oct-15/
And this is what I got:

All of the stuff you see on the table was inside the yellow bag.  There was no pet ID tag, but there was a bandana.  There was one "puppy pad," and the bowls were suitable for a small dog.
As far as them keeping dogs on certain loops, I was assigned to the 2600 loop, and the CM told me that they did not have any open cabins on the two designated dog cabin loops. 
I was required to sign this pet agreement:

And they gave me this set of rules for the dog park:

This is the "Pluto" "Do Not Disturb" door hanger.  I don't see anything about Pluto on it:

As everyone here already predicted, there were dogs on all of the cabin loops.  There were dogs in the cabins on both side of our cabin. 
Fortunately, all of the dogs around us were well behaved, and we had no incidents.  One of the dogs next door barked at anything that walked by, but other than that, it was quiet.  I did hear some loud and constant barking coming from a neighboring loop, though.
For us, the experiment was a success.  It's way overpriced though, so I am not sure that we will be doing this very often.
TCD

I forgot to post the most important photo of all- Rocky enjoying the cabin porch:

Note that he is wearing his official $100 bandana.
TCD

The December, 2017,  Fort Wilderness Recreation Guide has been posted:
http://image.emails.disneydestinations.com/lib/fe9d15737d66047d71/m/8/PWR1FAKf.pdf
Copies:


TCD

I forgot to post the most important photo of all- Rocky enjoying the cabin porch:

Note that he is wearing his official $100 bandana.
TCD

I have a first-hand report about having a dog at the cabins.
The TCD gang made a quick two night visit over Thanksgiving.  Just Wednesday and Thursday nights.
I would have liked to stay longer, but we had to pay rack rates for the cabin, and they are expensive.  Plus, we did have to pay the $50 per night pet fee on top of that.
I checked in on Wednesday, November 22, at just before noon.
I did not do online check-in, but it was offered to me.  I wanted to check-in in person, so I would be sure to get the pet goodie bag that is part of the deal.
This is what the Disney Parks Blog says about that:
At check-in, Pluto’s Welcome Kit includes mat, bowls, a pet ID tag, courtesy plastic disposable bags, puppy pads and dog walking maps. Also included: a Pluto “Do Not Disturb” door hanger indicating to hotel staff that a pet is in the room.
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/10/dogs-welcome-at-select-walt-disney-world-hotels-starting-oct-15/
And this is what I got:

All of the stuff you see on the table was inside the yellow bag.  There was no pet ID tag, but there was a bandana.  There was one "puppy pad," and the bowls were suitable for a small dog.
As far as them keeping dogs on certain loops, I was assigned to the 2600 loop, and the CM told me that they did not have any open cabins on the two designated dog cabin loops. 
I was required to sign this pet agreement:

And they gave me this set of rules for the dog park:

This is the "Pluto" "Do Not Disturb" door hanger.  I don't see anything about Pluto on it:

As everyone here already predicted, there were dogs on all of the cabin loops.  There were dogs in the cabins on both side of our cabin. 
Fortunately, all of the dogs around us were well behaved, and we had no incidents.  One of the dogs next door barked at anything that walked by, but other than that, it was quiet.  I did hear some loud and constant barking coming from a neighboring loop, though.
For us, the experiment was a success.  It's way overpriced though, so I am not sure that we will be doing this very often.
TCD

Posts like this one don't normally stay up long, so take a look while you can.
This appears to be a video taken by a worker on the cell towers hidden neat the Hitch/Unhitch area of the Fort:
TCD

FYI the Fort is now fully decorated - big tree at Settlement went up a day or so ago.

Also the guy on 1600 with the massive display started setting up this week. It might be an even bigger setup than last time! More campers are starting to decorate as well. I didn't bring decorations this year (the camper was crammed full as this trip was longer than usual) but I did at least squeeze my little Disney tree in to setup inside.

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On my phone with iffy connection so apologies if this has already been posted. Just ran across this sign at Meadows Trading Post
 
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As expected, this is going to be a short little report.
This is the end of it.
After watching the parade for a second time, we made our way to the area in front of the castle for the final performance of the special stage show they perform for the Christmas parties. This show was revamped last year, and is called Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration.  We all love it- it uses unique characters and non-traditional songs, and it is very entertaining.
If you can stay awake, the 11:55 show is a great deal.  The party technically ends at midnight, but this show goes on for about 20 minutes, so you get a "free" extra 15 minutes in the park after the party.  And, it's easy to get a good viewing spot for this last show.
The show makes good use of the projection technology that Disney introduced a few years back- so it's good to be back far enough from the stage that you have a view of the castle as well as the stage:

One of the first songs is called "Text Me Merry Christmas."  Disney is trying to be hip.  Here we say Daisy with a cell phone:

There's a whole song and dance centered around this, and it's pretty funny:

There's a song that involves dancing reindeer and the song is sung by the kind of obscure Clarabelle Cow:

As I mentioned, this show was first performed last year, and one of the reindeer became kind of a viral sensation:
It's funny, and I do not think coincidental, that one of the reindeer in this costume is featured on this year's map for the party.
I think someone told the left reindeer to tone it down this year, as he was a lot calmer on the night we were there.
The Three Caballeros have a big part in the show where they come out and lead a song and dance number featuring Feliz Navidad:

There are a lot of costumed characters in the show, and some very good human singers and dancers- it's great:


What I like most about the show is that it's not a retread of classic songs and classic characters.  They stepped out of the box for this, and it works.
This show is one of the special things that makes the cost of this party worth it. 
When you have 20 minutes to spare, there's a video of the whole show on YouTube:
 
It was around 12:20 before that show was over, and we headed on out of the park then.
There were still a lot of guests in the park, but Main Street wasn't too crowded.  It's special to walk down toward the big Christmas tree with fake snow flurrying around.
And that is that.
Thanks for reading.
Maybe there will be a new TCD trip report coming after Thanksgiving. 
If the plan comes together.
TCD

I have some more.
It was time for our Private Dessert Party.
The lanyard told us that it was in the West Plaza Gardens.
But, where's that?
I figured that must be what they call the Hub Grass in front of Casey's Corner.
And, I figured right.
I think we were the last guests to get there, as all the spots around the stand-up tables were taken.
But, there were plenty of desserts:

As you can see, it was very dark.
So, if you want to see some better photos, look at the Parks Blog Instagram page:
In case that doesn't work for you, here's some screen captures of their photos.  Photo credit on these five photos goes to the Disney Parks Blog:
These are Mickey Cupcakes:

These are Mickey Peppermint Mousse Tarts:

These are Minnie Cupcakes:

These are Mickey Sugar Cookies:

These are Mickey Brownie Bon Bons:

I helped myself to a Minnie cupcake, one of the peppermint tarts, and a bon bon.  I thought I'd enjoy those, and then head back for some more.
Nope.
Everything was so good and so rich, that it was all I could do to finish the three items I selected.  The Brownie Bon Bon was my favorite.
They also had urns of coffee and hot water set up with hot cocoa packets, and ice water to drink.
At 10, Holiday Wishes started.
It's funny that we were in the Hub Grass- that used to be where we always watched Wishes, and the view from here was great:

After the fireworks, we headed out.
They were passing out gift bags to the guests on the way out.  That's when I noticed that my lanyard was a different color than my DD's.  Only the blog winner got the gift bag, not the guest.
We stopped at a table outside of Casey's Corner to see what was in the bag.  There was a big Mickey nutcracker boxed up in the bag:

If you want one, it looks like some ingrate already has his up on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DISNEY-SANTA-MICKEY-MOUSE-NUTCRACKER-14-COLLECTIBLE-/162758731933
There was also a small Mickey Mouse nutcracker poster rolled up in a tube in the gift bag.
Very nice.
So, now we had less than an hour and half left of party time.
We knew that we wanted to see the 11:55 show at the castle, and that we would need to get there a bit before to claim a good spot.
So, we decided that what we would do next is hit up all of the treat stops to see what they had at each one.
I had a ziplock bag in my backpack, so I wanted to go home with a collection of the cookies.
We headed back to Tortuga Tavern to start. We got some more pretzels there.  Then on to Liberty Square again.
Then up the walkway next to Sleepy Hollow that takes you behind the castle.
We were heading to Friars Nook, which is the little quick serve place across from the Mine Train ride.
But, as we headed there, I noticed one of the inflatable candy canes that marked the treat stops set up in front of Pinocchio's Village Haus.  And people were heading in there.
As we already saw, that's not a treat stop on the list:
 
And it's not marked as one on the map:

But, they sure were passing out cookies in there.  And not just one kind- they were handing out three cookies at a time- one of each of the cookies they had at the other cookie locations.  And they had hot cocoa too.  And, if you wanted to, you could sit at the tables in there and enjoy.
So, there's a secret tip for you- go to Pinocchio's Village Haus for your cookies, and save yourself a lot of walking.
They don't have the pretzels there, though.
This is the cookie assortment from the party:

Those are just the ones that I collected in our quick visit to each stop. The big Santa ones are passed out in the bypass behind Main Street at the start of the party.  There were also CM's passing those out along the parade route.
After our stop at Pinocchio's, we headed back to Story Book Circus. There was supposed to be a treat stop in Pete's Silly Sideshow, but they were set up outside.  I don't know if they had just moved out there, because we were in the last hour of the party, or if they had been out there all night.
As we were heading out of there, we saw this little person CM:


The reason I took his picture is that one of the twins had just been telling me about a friend of hers who works in Photopass who was telling her about this little person CM who works with the Seven Dwarfs on the party nights.  Apparently, this guy makes the whole thing about him, and has a joke routine that he goes through when he's working with the dwarfs.  It is apparently very cringeworthy.  I wanted to see if this was the same guy. It is.
Be on the lookout for him.
They have something they do called Club Tinsel in Cosmic Rays:

It's a crazy dance party with polar bears.
My girls might have liked this a lot ten years ago.
If you have some little ones, it might be a good place to blow off some steam.
And, they pass out cookies at all of the food windows.
After hitting all the treat stops, we took the bridge out of Tomorrowland toward the hub.
The 11:00 parade was just coming around the hub then, and we got to watch it from here.  Here are some photos of some of the floats that weren't in the last set of photos.  I like seeing the castle in the background:






Out of curiosity, I checked the ride wait times at 11:30, and this was what was showing:

I think some of those were inflated, too.
If you're wondering what was going on with the carousel, we later heard that a child was badly injured by a fall from one of the horses there.  Apparently, the child struck his or her head.  I haven't heard any follow up on this, and we probably won't.  I sure feel bad for that family.
A few more parade photos:




The end of the parade passed by here at 11:36 pm:

So, by the time it got all the way down Main Street, it would probably be 11:45.
We now had less than 30 minutes of party time.
We headed toward the castle to find a spot for the 11:55 castle show.
We will wrap this up in the next update with some photos from that.
TCD