Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Merry Christmastime, guys! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, fun and food, whether you celebrated early or late like I did (due to having to work on Thanksgiving day), or whether you were able to celebrate on Thursday!

(Running the 5k during Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend- the 5k was Thanksgiving-themed this year)

Our highly-anticipated November trip was spectacular! We spent three nights at Caribbean Beach Resort while I ran the Wine and Dine 5k and 10k, and then switched over to a 2-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs Resort, which we shared with my parents and my mom’s sister for 6 nights. I had run the 2016 and 2017 Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend races, so I was excited to experience a new race weekend- and the Wine and Dine did not disappoint! I may cover these races in a future blog post, but for the time being, let me just say that the two races I ran were phenomenal!

(Posing with Chef Mickey and Minnie after the Wine and Dine 10k)

We also did a family photography session with a Disney Fine Art Photographer at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and it exceeded my expectations- again, I will cover this session and share some of our gorgeous photos in a future blog post. I also treated my husband to a ‘Gentleman’s Retreat’ 4-hour package at Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which he said he really enjoyed. This was his second time visiting the Spa at Saratoga- I am thinking that at some point, I may have him write a guest blog post about his experience, so be on the look-out for that in the future!

(During our photography session at the Grand Floridian, we had two gender reveal photographs taken- this was the photo we posted on social media, as we are having a boy!)

The thing that I may have been looking forward to most about this trip, however, was Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I LOVE Christmas (my tree has already been up for well over a week), and of course I love Disney. The combination of Disney and Christmas just equal perfection in my world! Please come with me as I share with you our Christmas Party experience!

(Walking down Main Street USA with my hubby!)

I had told my family WEEKS in advance that we needed to be at the bus stop waiting for a Magic Kingdom bus on the day of the party by 3:15pm, no exceptions. I’m usually pretty lenient on time, but I wanted to get every second of party time that I could! The official party time is actually 7pm-12am, but you are allowed in at 4pm. We were at the front gates at 3:55pm, and so we only had to wait 5 minutes for cast members to begin giving us our party wristbands. Once we were inside the Magic Kingdom, we took a few minutes to enjoy the decorations on Main Street USA. There is a special area for party-goers where you can get family photographs taken, but we did not have the Memory Maker photography package, so we skipped this area. If you do have Memory Maker, or simply would like some nice family photos, I would definitely recommend entering this area- it is to the right before you begin your stroll down Main Street USA- there is a big sign that says Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you can’t miss it!

(I bought tickets the week they became available, as I knew that the first Christmas Party of the year would likely sell out- I was correct!)

I had heard conflicting information regarding obtaining Fast Passes for the two hours that the park was open before the party’s official opening time, and so I didn’t know if we’d actually be able to use the Fast Passes that I had gotten- one from 4pm-5pm, and one from 5pm-6pm, but they did indeed work! Our first Fast Pass was for Pirates of the Caribbean, a family favorite, and so we headed off toward Adventureland, stopping to watch some of the afternoon Castle Stage Show on the way. After we used our Fast Passes for Pirates, we headed toward Aloha Isle for Dole Whip Floats- pineapple soft serve surrounded by Dole pineapple juice- these are my absolute favorite Walt Disney World treat! After we enjoyed our cool treat, we headed over to the Frontierland Railroad Station, as we had heard that the railroad would stop service at 5:30pm tonight. My son Camden LOVES trains, and we did not want to miss out on riding this! We took a complete loop around, then got off at Fantasyland to use our second Fast Pass, which was for Peter Pan’s Flight (one of my favorites- it’s such a Disney classic!). After flying through Never Land, my family debated what to do for a few minutes, and ultimately decided that my husband and son would go ride the Tomorrowland Speedway- my son’s absolute FAVORITE Walt Disney World attraction- and my parents, aunt and I (I am just about 20 weeks pregnant and so I had to sit out the Speedway this year) would take a boat ride through another Disney classic- It’s A Small World. After we rode It’s A Small World, we realized it was after 6pm, and the park was now officially closed to everyone except party-goers. My son Camden, husband Jeff, and eventually my dad rode the Speedway 3 or 4 times total before we headed off to experience some more rides before the party got into full-swing. On our way further into Tomorrowland, we discovered that the refreshment stations were already open! We decided to treat ourselves to some snickerdoodle cookies and hot cocoa (which are complimentary!) before heading off to ride Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. On our way over to the Frozen Castle Lighting Show, we stopped for our next (complimentary) treat- Santa Claus cookies and snow cones!

(Happy to be at the Magic Kingdom for the party!)

(Riding the Walt Disney World Railroad with my little man)

(My son's absolute favorite ride- the Tomorrowland Speedway)

(Such a festive atmosphere- it even snowed on Main Street USA!)

(Handing out Santa Claus cookies)

I believe that the Castle Lighting show was at 8:15pm- so we had ridden 6 rides, plus enjoyed the afternoon Castle Stage show, multiple snacks, and were now waiting for another show- all in 4 hours! My son had actually ridden closer to 10 rides already, since he rode the Tomorrowland Speedway multiple times (I want to say he rode 4 times). The Frozen Castle Lighting Show- called ‘A Frozen Holiday Wish’- was spectacular! I got goosebumps watching! I have included a video at the end of this post which includes various clips throughout our night at the party, and I have included part of this show!

(In line for more treats!)

(What a beautiful sight!)

(My sweet little family after the Castle Lighting Show)

(Enjoying the party with my parents)

(This event truly did not disappoint!)

Dinnertime was now calling our name, but our original plan of Columbia Harbour House closed at 8pm, so we decided to go to our old standby, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. I believe Jeff took Camden for a spin on Mad Tea Party while I waited in line for our dinner (this is typically our plan- Jeff takes Camden on a nearby ride while I wait in line for dinner, and by the time I am through in line and have our food, they typically are just returning). Club Tinsel was in full swing in Cosmic Ray’s, and so we were treated to Christmas tunes being played by a DJ, as well as Christmas characters dancing with the crowd. After dinner, we headed to Dumbo, one of Camden’s favorites. I was really enjoying hearing the Christmas music throughout the park tonight! We headed to the next refreshment spot, which was serving up Nestle chocolate milk and gingerbread cookies. We had quite the stockpile of cookies already, as most of the stations were giving each person multiple cookies! My favorite so far was the gingerbread cookie, as these cookies were soft and just delicious. Before we headed towards the Castle to find a spot to watch the fireworks, we stopped for sparkling apple cider and Dove chocolates- yum!

(My son enjoying his dinner at Cosmic Ray's)

(Enjoying Club Tinsel)

(On my way to get a treat in New Fantasyland, I saw the 7 Dwarfs on their way to take a break from meeting guests)

(Sparkling apple cider)

This fireworks show was phenomenal- probably the best fireworks show I have ever seen! I have included a few clips of the show in the video at the end of this post. After the show, we found it interesting that we had to wait for the cast members to ‘clear’ the area near the Carousel- due to the fireworks, they have to make sure that the area is safe! After the Carousel, my mom and I noticed that there was another treat spot set up that hadn’t been advertised in our event guide, inside of Pinocchio’s Village Haus. Our curiosity got the best of us, and although our bellies were already full of treats, we decided to head in- we discovered that every cookie given out during the event was given out here in a bundle! We each happily took a bundle to add to our growing cookie collections. Our last ride before we went to find a spot for the 11pm parade was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which Camden loved. Unfortunately, the night got the best of him, and he fell asleep in the stroller right before the parade began- we’ll just have to go again, because I know he would have loved it! The parade music was catchy (wait until you watch my video- you won’t be able to get the song out of your head!), the characters were fun, and of course, Santa Claus himself made an appearance!

(The Christmas fireworks show- called Holiday Wishes- did not disappoint!)

(That giant candy cane pole in the back signifies that there are complimentary treats located here!)

(The 'bonus' treat stop at Pinocchio's Village Haus)

(Enjoying The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

(Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade)

(Jolly old St. Nick!)

We did not catch several of the events offered during this party, including Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration castle show, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas stage show, VoicePlay music in Tomorrowland, and the multiple rare character meets located throughout the park (my son does not enjoy meeting characters)- however, rides with little-to-no-wait were a big priority for us, as were the events that we did enjoy, plus the complimentary treats! Here is the order of our favorites from the night, ranked from favorite to not our favorite (but which we still loved):

     

     1) Holiday Wishes fireworks show

     2) A Frozen Holiday Wish castle lighting ceremony

     3) Once Upon A Christmastime Parade

     4) Short lines for rides and attractions (the longest wait was probably 10 minutes)

     5) The complementary treat locations

     6) Club Tinsel at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe

The atmosphere at this event was just amazing. I love Christmas music, and it was playing all throughout the park. Most of the cast members were wearing special holiday attire, which added to the festivity. The castle lit up with Christmas lights was truly breathtaking. This was such a special event, and I am so happy and grateful that I was able to experience it with my family.

(There is no better sight than Cinderella Castle lit up for the Holidays)

(Main Street USA, looking toward the train station)

We ended the night with a boat ride aboard the Jungle Cruise, yet another Disney classic, which was re themed for the holidays into the Jingle Cruise. I really enjoyed the holiday jokes and decorations worked into this ride for Christmas. Since we boarded our boat at about 11:58pm, the party was officially over when our cruise ended, and it was time to make our way back to Main Street USA. We had already split up from my parents and my aunt, and so we took our time, taking some photos and videos on the way out, before heading to our bus back to Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

(Enjoying our last ride of the night- a midnight boat ride aboard the Jingle Cruise)

(Main Street USA was still packed with folks at 12:30am)

(Good night, Magic Kingdom!)

I hope that you enjoy some of my video clips from the party, located HERE.


Please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney questions. Thank you for reading, happy travels, and Merry Christmastime!

Port Orleans Riverside Overview

Hello, and happy October! Even though fall is not my favorite season (spring is!), I have been enjoying pumpkin everything- pumpkin candles, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin patches, and pumpkin decorations for my home! At the beginning of the month, the weather had been quite unseasonable here in Indiana, with temperatures reaching the upper 80’s! I really enjoyed the last of the ‘summer weather’ before our cold weather began to hit us this week. Luckily, we have booked a mid-winter getaway to our favorite destination! We were originally booked to stay at our favorite resort, Port Orleans Riverside. However, because January and February are two of the best times to travel in terms of price due to Disney almost always offering some significant discounts during these months, we decided to upgrade from this moderate resort to Animal Kingdom Lodge, a deluxe resort. Our son’s birthday is in January, and we have made it an annual family tradition to celebrate his birthday at Walt Disney World. We think he'll love waking up and seeing the animals out on the savanna at this resort. But we will sure miss our family favorite Port Orleans Riverside!

(The beautiful Port Orleans Riverside resort at Walt Disney World)

(Looking over to the lobby of Port Orleans Riverside)

(Disney theming at its finest)

The two resorts that I’ve mentioned above- Port Orleans Riverside and Animal Kingdom Lodge- both have HUGE fan followings, and I decided that I’d like to cover each of these resorts and all that they’ve got to offer. Early next year, I will write a post on our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but this month, I would like to cover Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort.

(Overlooking the Sassagoula River)

Port Orleans Riverside was the first resort that my husband and I stayed at together, and for this reason alone, this resort is sentimental to me. This was also the resort we chose to stay at on my son’s first trip to Walt Disney World when he was 8 months old. We have stayed here three times together as a family, and both my husband and I had stayed here back in the 90’s multiple times with our families during our childhoods.

(My son and nephew enjoying their stay- and the pool- at Port Orleans Riverside)

(Checking out the selection of 'ears' at the Port Orleans Riverside gift shop)

Disney classifies their resorts into one of three categories based on price and amenities- value, moderate, and deluxe. Value resorts are the least expensive, and offer a food court and several large swimming pools. Resorts are fun and colorful, and are set up ‘motel-style’, with the doors to the rooms in exterior hallways (this means that your door opens straight to the outside). 

(Most Disney resorts offer a New Balance running trail- ideal for those active vacationers)

Moderate resorts, such as Port Orleans Riverside, offer food courts, at least one sit-down restaurant, swimming pools with waterslides, and are also set up ‘motel-style’, with exterior doors. These rooms are a bit bigger than value resorts, and to me, the theming is more refined. While value resorts focus on sports, music, movies/ animation and pop culture, moderate resort theming includes the Caribbean, the antebellum south, New Orleans Mardi Gras, and the southwest U.S. and Mexico. 

(My family enjoying one of the multiple quiet pools offered at Port Orleans Riverside)

(The feature pool at Port Orleans Riverside offers a waterslide and plenty of watery fun for everyone!)

(Muddy Rivers, the pool bar that my family often visits on our vacation!)

Deluxe resorts, the most expensive resorts, offer multiple sit-down restaurants, at least one quick-service location, pools with grand theming, and some offer alternate modes of transportation (monorails, boats, and walking paths) to the theme parks. These resorts are truly gorgeous, and in true Disney style, all have absolutely beautiful theming.

(The water taxi service at Port Orleans Riverside over to Disney Springs shopping and entertainment district)

The theme of Port Orleans Riverside is the antebellum south along the Mississippi River. The river running through this resort is called the Sassagoula River, which is the Native American word for Mississippi. This resort, along with its sister resort Port Orleans French Quarter next door, features water taxi transportation to Disney Springs entertainment district. This is one of my family’s favorite features of Port Orleans resort!

(The sign at the water taxi entrance)

(Carriage rides are often offered in the evenings at Port Orleans Riverside)

Another one of our Port Orleans Riverside favorites is YeHaa Bob Jackson at River Roost Lounge. YeHaa Bob performs a fun, interactive piano show which is fun for the whole family, on most Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 8:30pm-11:45pm. Even though we are not staying at Port Orleans Riverside on our next trip, we are making a trip over to Port Orleans Riverside one night specifically for this show (yes it’s that much fun!). You can check Bob’s schedule at yehaabob.com to verify that he will be performing when you plan to visit!

(My family enjoying some late-night fun checking out YeHaa Bob Jackson!)

Port Orleans Riverside features Royal Guest Rooms, which are truly fit for a Princess. While we have never stayed in a Royal Room, I have always enjoyed seeing photos of the LED fireworks display on the headboards, the Magic Carpet (from Aladdin) rug in the room, the letter from Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) on the table, and more! Check out the Walt Disney World website for more information on these beautiful rooms!

(Photo from www.disneyworld.com- Royal Guest room at Port Orleans Riverside)

Truly, for my family, and countless other families, Port Orleans Riverside is the ideal Walt Disney World resort. It boasts our favorite theming of any Moderate Resort at Disney, it features a food court with delicious food that satisfies everyone, from my picky mother (sorry mom!) to my wildly-adventurous, will-try-anything-once husband, and everyone in between! Everywhere you look, you see beauty, and there are photo opportunities EVERYWHERE! The sit-down restaurant, Boatwright’s, features plenty of Cajun favorites including Jambalaya. And the piano man YeHaa Bob puts on a show that cannot be missed!

(Port Orleans Riverside offers Royal Guest rooms, Mansion rooms, and Alligator Bayou rooms- this is a room in one of the mansion buildings)

(A room in Alligator Bayou)

(The beautiful outdoors at Port Orleans Riverside)

(The bayou at Port Orleans Riverside)

(Looking over at the mansion buildings at Port Orleans Riverside)

If you are still looking for a great resort to stay at when you visit Walt Disney World, do not hesitate to book Port Orleans Riverside! And as always, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney travel questions. Happy Travels!