LONE-STAR 370 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 LOVE the lights and Christmas decorations... especially the blow-up nativity, too cool. Did you take the bus from the lodge to the Fort? We've always taken the boat so I never even considered the bus...does it go directly from one to the other?Yes and it is faster then the boat. It is actually the only bus I use at Disney. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Was that the first time you ever went to the Lodge? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 LOVE the lights and Christmas decorations... especially the blow-up nativity, too cool. Did you take the bus from the lodge to the Fort? We've always taken the boat so I never even considered the bus...does it go directly from one to the other? We loved the decorations! Yes, we took the bus both ways. Yes and it is faster then the boat. It is actually the only bus I use at Disney. We depended on Disney transportation this trip, and it actually wasn't that bad. Was that the first time you ever went to the Lodge? Yep. Can you believe that? I've been a bad Fiend. But I can keep my Fiend card now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Yes and it is faster then the boat. It is actually the only bus I use at Disney. Really?? How could we not have known that?! Crazy. We go to the Lodge EVERY trip... which means around 10 times in the last 4 or 5 years alone. I feel so silly not knowing that you could take a bus and that it's faster Mercy. Where is the best place to catch the bus and do they have one that goes directly to/from the Fort and Lodge...is that why it's faster? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Yes, it's actually the Yellow bus. When it gets to Settlement, it becomes a Wilderness Lodge bus, so if you happen to be in 1600-1900, 1400, 1500, or 500/300, you can catch it right at the entrance of your loop :) Upon your return you can stay on the bus, and get off at your loop :) Another tip, if you are at the Lodge and want to get to the Outpost bus stop, hop on an Epcot or Studios bus, as they will both stop at the Fort and you can get off there :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BuckeyeFortMama 43 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Love that you finally made it to the Lodge! Z is going to love the shenanigans at the Whispering Canyon now that you know the way. I am hoping your weekend plans are just to put on updates!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Really?? How could we not have known that?! Crazy. We go to the Lodge EVERY trip... which means around 10 times in the last 4 or 5 years alone. I feel so silly not knowing that you could take a bus and that it's faster Mercy. Where is the best place to catch the bus and do they have one that goes directly to/from the Fort and Lodge...is that why it's faster? I learned that on FF.net. :) We caught it at the Settlement. I believe we went straight there ans straight back. Some details are already getting a bit fuzzy. We rode a lot of buses this trip. Yes, it's actually the Yellow bus. When it gets to Settlement, it becomes a Wilderness Lodge bus, so if you happen to be in 1600-1900, 1400, 1500, or 500/300, you can catch it right at the entrance of your loop :) Upon your return you can stay on the bus, and get off at your loop :) Another tip, if you are at the Lodge and want to get to the Outpost bus stop, hop on an Epcot or Studios bus, as they will both stop at the Fort and you can get off there :) Fort Fiends is full of good ideas! Love that you finally made it to the Lodge! Z is going to love the shenanigans at the Whispering Canyon now that you know the way. I am hoping your weekend plans are just to put on updates!!!! You know, we initially had a Whispering Canyon ADR on another day, but I cancelled it. We're not doing much this weekend (isn't that nice sometimes), so updates are likely. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Saturday, December 21st Because of our trip to the Lodge taking longer than anticipated, we changed our plan a bit for this day. Instead of waking up at 5:00 AM to hit a 7:00 AM EMH rope drop, we slept until 7:00 AM. This picture was taken a little before 8:00 AM. You can see that we got a good parking spot. Sunrise over a pretty empty cart parking lot And a boat was pulling up just in time! He’s more excited than he looks. We’re on the way. According to my timestamp, this picture was taken at about 8:15. I was expecting Main Street to be mobbed since we were arriving shortly after regular park opening. There were some people around the tree. But Main Street wasn’t all that bad. The vehicles were out. Look! You can see pavement! Since we had about an hour before our first FP+, and I was in my new relaxed Disney mindset, we did something we never do… we paused for pictures in front of the castle. But you’ll have to wait for my brothers Dave and Ray and sister Missy to finish editing their pictures before I can download them. We headed to the Haunted Mansion because it’s one of Z’s favorites, and we didn’t have FP+ for it. It said the wait was 15 minutes. But we walked right to the door. This is a good time to mention my new favorite ride time site/app. It’s a website, but I have a shortcut button on my screen that takes me straight there. You know who does it, right? My boyfriend, Josh! (*And just to clarify in case you are new or in case Josh somehow is reading this and now contemplating a restraining order, Josh isn’t really my boyfriend nor do I want him to be. He just gives good advice that I really like, so Lou started calling him that, and it caught on.) http://easywdw.com/waits I like it because it has posted and expected wait times. In this case, my Haunted Mansion expected wait was 5 minutes and more accurate than the posted wait. I also like it because it’s a fast load AKA not a battery hog like MDE. And the best part? It’s FREE! So Merry late Christmas! Bookmark that on your phone for your next trip. Tangled potties! After the HM, we still had some time to kill. Z saw It’s a Small World and wanted to ride. This isn’t usually something I’d waste valuable morning time on, but he wanted to, and we had FP+ lined up for much of the day, so we did. It said 10 minutes but was a walk-on. It’s a small world after all, right? You’re welcome! We still had a bit of time to kill before our FP+, and Jason and Z were hungry. I had some snacks in my bag but none appealed to them, so we headed out to find a snack. Look! There’s still pavement. Lots of it. The park had been open to resort guests for over 2 hours at this point, and it still wasn’t crowded. I had a moment that would make TCD proud… check out this family! Aren’t the kids cute? Someone made those costumes. Disney doesn’t make stuff like that for boys. However, did you notice the mom behind Belle? She’s dressed up too. In a blue dress. Is she Cinderella? She doesn’t seem to match the kids. And I thought adults can only dress up for parties? That’s clearly a costume; I just can’t figure it out. Jason and Z decided to split one of these. I tried a bite, and it was good, very rich though. After that, it was time for our first FP+ ride of the day. Initially, we had really crappy FP+ times that I had pieced together. We’d have to ride at 10PM, but then Disney opened up a bunch of times, so I was able get a time of 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Much better with a 5 year old. Z refused to participate in my selfie. That was Jason’s first time on the Mine Train, and he really enjoyed it. The back car is way better. You can really feel the swinging motion back there. Or have they increased the swing since it first opened? I’m not really sure. Well, I’m close to the photo limit, so I’ll stop there for now. Up next, we conquer 2 mountains. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Wow, lot's done for a "late" morning :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BuckeyeFortMama 43 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Hooray for an update! The pixie dust is all over this trip. You are having a beautiful morning AND you slept in. Awesome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I love the early morning at the WorldTo and I hate getting up early. Lol. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 The food at Territory Lounge looks great! Will put it on my next "to do" list. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 The little decoration on the top of the dessert, the Mad Hatter, was that edible? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 594 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Your sleeping in was an early morning for us. I think the earliest we got up over this break was 9:30am. That was Christmas morning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Yes, it's actually the Yellow bus. When it gets to Settlement, it becomes a Wilderness Lodge bus, so if you happen to be in 1600-1900, 1400, 1500, or 500/300, you can catch it right at the entrance of your loop :) Upon your return you can stay on the bus, and get off at your loop :) Another tip, if you are at the Lodge and want to get to the Outpost bus stop, hop on an Epcot or Studios bus, as they will both stop at the Fort and you can get off there :) Okay...too funny that we did not know this :) Definitely giving it a try on our next trip, which will thrill the kids as they love riding those silly buses. Kelly... you all had a great day at the MK! The picture of Z on the train ride cracked me up...he looks like he's sleeping through it, haha :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I am finally here.The pics of Z decorating the tree are awesome.The extras you received for being patient with the CM were also awesome.The fact that you were finally able to get to the lodge and also got to meet with Santa Goofy and Pluto is AMAZING.Ok. I threw that in bc Troll has been reading along.It is cool you guys were finally able to make it to the lodge though.That looked like a nice gathering of fiends on the porch too. That was a most excellent first day.I love the mornings in the MK before it gets crowded.In regards to the adult costumes, I think they just don't want kids getting confused if someone looks like a character and isn't playing the part. Let's be honest, the adult in your picture looked nothing like Cindy so no harm done.The Yeti thingy sounds pretty cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
disney4dan 68 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 You guys really scored some magical pixie dust on this trip! The look on Z's face in many of the photos is priceless. He is going to have some seriously great memories of these trips. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Wow, lot's done for a "late" morning :) I was really surprised by the low crowds. Hooray for an update! The pixie dust is all over this trip. You are having a beautiful morning AND you slept in. Awesome! This trip was awesome. Most things fell into place perfectly. I love the early morning at the WorldTo and I hate getting up early. Lol. . I'm with you... I hate getting up early, but the low crowds and freshness of early morning are nice. The food at Territory Lounge looks great! Will put it on my next "to do" list. It's really good. Apparently, you can also order off the Artist Point menu, but our waitress was really overwhelmed, so it might depend on how busy they are. The little decoration on the top of the dessert, the Mad Hatter, was that edible? It was, but Z tried it and said it didn't taste good. Your sleeping in was an early morning for us. I think the earliest we got up over this break was 9:30am. That was Christmas morning. That was our earliest morning of the trip; it just wasn't as early as planned. Z is and always has been a sleeper. Stay tuned to see what time he woke up on Christmas morning. Okay...too funny that we did not know this :) Definitely giving it a try on our next trip, which will thrill the kids as they love riding those silly buses. Kelly... you all had a great day at the MK! The picture of Z on the train ride cracked me up...he looks like he's sleeping through it, haha :) That little booger ruined my picture on purpose! I am finally here.The pics of Z decorating the tree are awesome.The extras you received for being patient with the CM were also awesome.The fact that you were finally able to get to the lodge and also got to meet with Santa Goofy and Pluto is AMAZING.Ok. I threw that in bc Troll has been reading along.It is cool you guys were finally able to make it to the lodge though.That looked like a nice gathering of fiends on the porch too.That was a most excellent first day.I love the mornings in the MK before it gets crowded.In regards to the adult costumes, I think they just don't want kids getting confused if someone looks like a character and isn't playing the part. Let's be honest, the adult in your picture looked nothing like Cindy so no harm done.The Yeti thingy sounds pretty cool. I've been waiting on you! Yes, this trip was AMAZING! Do you think that mom is Cindy for sure? I couldn't really tell. The soft-sided Yeti rocks. You guys really scored some magical pixie dust on this trip! The look on Z's face in many of the photos is priceless. He is going to have some seriously great memories of these trips. I still look at that picture every day and smile. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 We had a FP+ for Splash to cash in, so we headed that way. Still not crowded… You want to know something crazy? Jason had never ridden Splash! It seems to get refurbished a lot when we visit the MK. We needed to fix that. Also, Z has never been in a Splash picture. We decided we’d fix that too. Front row! There was a little crowd around Splash, but this area is always super congested. No turning back now! And Z made the picture. He looks terrified and excited at the same time. LOL I’ll post the better one soon. We had a few minutes to kill before our BTMRR FP+, and the line was long, so we decided it was a good time for an ice cream break. These were our free ice creams we’d been given yesterday. We ate our ice cream, and headed in. Glad we didn’t have to wait in that line! This time Z complied with my selfie request. He also decided that he’d be riding hands up the whole time. And he did. And yes, this is Z’s favorite ride. Up next, we had FP+ for the Jingle Cruise! What’s that? A 4th FP+? Oh yes my Fiends. And this is a trick I learned right here on this site by reading trip reports. See, let’s say you have some close friends or family that have APs but aren’t at Disney. And say your accounts are linked. You can make FP+ for them and use them yourselves. Winning! Take that FP+ system. Of course, that loophole will probably be closed at some point, but for now it works. And it’s a good thing we had them because the Jingle Cruise wait time was 45 minutes. Let’s check out the Jingle Cruise. The spider was even festive. We almost got to ride this boat. But we were the first on this boat instead. Our guide was pretty funny. I like the Christmas overlay. I wish they did more of this like they do in Disneyland. The idea is that the presents didn’t have the address on them, so they were delivered all over the jungle. At this point, I was hungry, and it was getting close to the time we needed to grab a parade spot. It was also getting hot, so we decided we’d grab a spot near Pecos Bill’s in the shade and have a little picnic there while we waited for the parade. This spot worked. Did you see that the girls in the picture were Disney-bounding as Anna and Elsa? I made the mistake of ordering the chicken sandwich. It pretty much had zero flavor. I swear the fries have improved though. Or was I just that hungry? It’s possible. Next up, we’ll see the Christmas parade, including the Cinderella coach from the new movie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Wow... the lines actually look pretty decent at this point! Oh...and to be wearing shorts and tshirts again. Man, that sounds good :) Cute Christmas decorations at the Jungle Cruise :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 We had the same boat driver on our Jungle Cruise ride, but I have a different opinion than you. I'd rather ride the Journey of the Mermaid SMB ride than Jungle Cruise, and that driver stunk for us. I think they should bulldoze that ride and build something interesting. On the other hand, I agree with you about Disney fries....they seem to have improved them across the board. In particular, the ones at Trails End are vastly better than they were a couple years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Extra FPs? Hmmm.....I wish i knew some people with APs. That's a good deal.Improved fries are a welcome change. Well, anything improved is a welcome change.I noticed on the splash photo screen that it said to touch your card to the reader. If you have memory maker and magic bands do you have to go through all that or do they just show up in your account? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Way to score extra FPs. Fries! I love fries! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I noticed on the splash photo screen that it said to touch your card to the reader. If you have memory maker and magic bands do you have to go through all that or do they just show up in your account?No you don't have to do anything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 No you don't have to do anything.Thank you sir Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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