As we proceed to make up for misplaced time after not touring in any respect as a household final 12 months, we arrive on the journey I’m most trying ahead to: Child Bricker’s first Christmas at Walt Disney World. We’ve been extremely lucky to do some wonderful issues in her first year-plus, however WDW remains to be the place we name “residence” and the vacation season is our favourite time of the 12 months in Florida.
We’ve got so many reminiscences collectively as a pair at Christmas from the final almost two-decades and now we can’t wait to include Child Bricker (Megatron) into these, creating recent traditions and forming new nostalgia that we’ll cherish for years to come back. It’s additionally a little bit of a homecoming for us, as Sarah and I’ve not been capable of take our conventional Christmas journey to Walt Disney World collectively for the final two consecutive years–and we beforehand had not missed a 12 months since 2007!
Suffice to say, I’m past able to be executed with the solo vacation season journeys and attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering as a household. To see Candlelight Processional collectively (in all probability from outdoors the amphitheater, but it surely nonetheless counts). To look at the Vacation Storytellers at EPCOT and Beacons of Magic. Even to attend Jollywood Nights–I’m actually curious to listen to Sarah’s opinion of the brand new social gathering. Actually, this checklist might be totally Christmas entries as a result of there are that many, however I’m going to combine it as much as maintain issues attention-grabbing. Let’s dig in!
Wilderness Lodge at Christmas – We’re huge on household traditions. We’re additionally huge on Christmas. So it in all probability checks out that we’re greatest of all on Christmas household traditions. We’ve began loads of these during the last couple years, absolutely realizing that not all of them will “stick” and that we’ll slim our focus to those that really develop into significant.
The Christmas custom we’d’ve favored to start out was staying Outdated Devoted Membership Degree at Wilderness Lodge yearly. Then we priced that out and, ahem, wow. Even for a break up keep or one evening, it was greater than we might abdomen. Suffice to say, we determined to downgrade…not simply to a typical room at Wilderness Lodge, however to Port Orleans French Quarter. It’s been an costly journey season for us and there’s “analysis” to be executed on the brand new rooms at POFQ, so it simply made sense.
Consequently, the Christmas custom we’ll truly be beginning is a dinner at Wilderness Lodge adopted by a household photoshoot (by me, not any professionals) throughout our favourite spots at Wilderness Lodge. Enjoyable pictures, and in addition ones we are able to repeat on every Christmas-time journey as an example how a lot Megatron has grown. (There are literally loads of areas round Wilderness Lodge which can be good for charting top!)
Breakfast at Crystal Palace – Winnie the Pooh is within the operating as considered one of Megatron’s favourite characters. Perhaps considered one of her favourite folks, interval. She sees Pooh & Pals typically at Disneyland as a result of they’re low stakes characters, has a Pooh plush that she likes to boop on the nostril, and reads their books.
Most of it is because I actually like Winnie the Pooh, which is one thing I “found” comparatively lately (pre-Megatron by just a few years). Changing into a fan of Pooh, a massively standard character who has been round some time, as an grownup can be an odd factor to shout from the rooftops, so I’ve solely talked about it in passing just a few occasions. However I actually do love Pooh’s humor, angle and attraction–his complete “deal.” To the extent one thing that’s extremely rated can nonetheless be underrated, I feel Pooh is.
Anyway, Megatron agrees. Presumably for various causes. However however, she loves seeing Winnie the Pooh and different characters from the Hundred Acre Wooden. She even loves booping Pooh on the nostril all through the pages scattering the queue in Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. (A line she likes greater than most rides!) Between her fondness for Winnie the Pooh and character meals, we are able to’t wait to see how she reacts to Crystal Palace.
Merry Menagerie (and Perhaps Actual Animals?!) – You’ve in all probability seen our effusive reward for Merry Menagerie at Animal Kingdom, which is arguably the spotlight of the vacation season at Walt Disney World. In case not, Merry Menagerie is animal puppets which can be majestic and awe-inspiring. These are some sturdy phrases for what you can dismiss as seen people shifting round animals. It’s actually not.
The Merry Menagerie puppeteers emote as they management the animals, and the road between performer and critter is blurs, as every takes on the persona and feelings of the opposite. It’s actually exceptional how efficient that is, and the way straightforward it’s for friends to droop disbelief. It’s a kind of ‘little issues’ at Walt Disney World we’ve been speaking about lately that’s the place the magic actually lives.
All of that’s true with adults. Unsurprisingly, it’s even simpler to get children to droop disbelief. Generally I can accomplish that with a Mickey Mouse or Winnie the Pooh plush and actually horrible voice over work. Level being, Megatron loves animals and loves puppets, so this ought to be an absolute slam dunk. I’m additionally hoping we get a correct do-over with DAK, and she or he takes an curiosity in animals different than simply random squirrels and such.
Nation Bear Musical Jamboree – This might be Megatron’s third model of Nation Bear Jamboree, and first that’s solely in English. Not that the language half actually issues…I feel she’s in it only for the lovely cats. (In our home, these bears are cats.)
I additionally don’t actually anticipate the extra acquainted Disney songbook at Nation Bear Musical Jamboree to maneuver the needle a technique or one other. Principally as a result of none of those songs are acquainted to her. The one Disney songs she actually is aware of and loves are “Grim Grinning Ghosts” (dad’s model) and “it’s a small world.”
Nonetheless, we love the Nation Bears and can take each alternative to indoctrinate her into the Bear Band’s ways in which we get.
Journey the Rail, Sky & Water – One factor we’ve already discovered is that lots of Megatron’s favourite sights are literally transportation rides. (Yep, she’s our daughter!) She likes to trip them and wave at folks from them, or wave at them.
Nowhere has as many modes of transportation as Walt Disney World. The railroad, monorail, and numerous boats will definitely be enjoyable–however I’m most trying ahead to taking her on the Skyliner. It didn’t actually register together with her the final time we did it, however rather a lot has modified since then and her fondness for transportation has actually blossomed in the previous couple of months.
Snow on Predominant Avenue – There’s one thing magical about seeing blizzard. That’s true whether or not it’s the primary time ever or first snow of the season. At the same time as a local Michigander who lived within the snow belt and commonly received dumped on by the lake impact snow machine, it nonetheless will get me.
Heck, even the pretend stuff will get me within the parks. There’s one thing equally magical about experiencing a simulated snowfall on Predominant Avenue–it truly is like being transported hundreds of miles away to a different time and place within the Midwest.
Megatron has but to expertise snow, actual or pretend, so we’re curious as to how she’ll react to it. Or if she’s going to in any respect! Both means, it’ll be memorable for her mother and father to witness her watching her first-ever snoapfall!
4 Steps in 4 Parks in 1 Day – Megatron’s sleep schedule is now on Japanese Time, identical to mine! This could make Child’s First Early Entry and Rope Drop at Walt Disney World a definite risk. I like the thought of heading to EPCOT very first thing, and having her stroll by means of World Showcase (and past) as we get photographs of her in our favourite place with out different friends round.
Then the wheels began turning. Why cease there? If we’re out the door by 7:30 am, we might simply knock out EPCOT by 10:30 am, take the Skyliner over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, boat again to Seaside Membership to see the Mickey’s Christmas Carol Carousel, bus to Animal Kingdom to see Merry Menagerie, and bus to Magic Kingdom to shut out the park! Kill like a half-dozen birds with one stone.
At the same time as I kind this, I understand it’s overly formidable and the wheels are certain to fall off by, like, step 3. Perhaps properly earlier than that if we aren’t capable of make it out the door of our resort room on-time, as is commonly the case these days. (It looks as if we’re perpetually in tardy mode.) So perhaps the objective ought to simply be “Child’s First Rope Drop.” Even that is perhaps overly optimistic as soon as the sensible realities come into play. Nah, let’s swing for the fences.
Say Goodbye to Rivers of America & Tom Sawyer Island – After I was initially arising with this checklist, it was simply Rivers of America. It didn’t seem to be we’d have an opportunity or must say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island, at the very least as a household.
Wow how shortly issues change with children. Megatron went from barely with the ability to stand with help to capably operating round and eager to discover on her personal, rejecting our arms, within the blink of an eye fixed. (I suppose she’s probably not Child Bricker anymore!) Now, we’re actually excited to take her over to the island, let her discover, and see how she reacts to the entire little nooks and crannies of Tom Sawyer Island. And take heaps and plenty of photographs, clearly.
Talking of photographs, Sarah and I’ve cherished the peaceable promenade alongside the Rivers of America and have made some extent of savoring this late at evening for the final ~15 years. We’ve got tons of photographs of us as a pair through the years (…which could make you marvel why I selected probably the most awkward pose–it’s the oldest one I might discover, from 2008!) and we’d love so as to add a brand new household photograph Megatron. Hopefully one with a pure pose, however that’s probably not our type.
Say Goodbye to the Boneyard – First we must always in all probability say whats up to it, I suppose. Whereas we’ve paid cursory visits to the Boneyard through the years “for analysis,” we’ve by no means absolutely explored or appreciated it. In contrast to Tom Sawyer Island, it feels much less conducive to adults-only visits, and we haven’t needed to be the awkward Childless Disney Millennials goofing round in a playground.
A part of me wonders if spending time within the Boneyard is a mistake. If that is one situation the place ignorance is bliss, and I’m higher off with my present “good riddance” angle in the direction of Dino-Rama (technically that is a part of Dinoland USA, and the entire of the world is healthier than simply Dino-Rama).
Anyway, just a few of our buddies with children love the Boneyard and rank it amongst Disney’s finest play areas in the entire world. If this weblog all of the sudden begins a grassroots marketing campaign to save lots of Dinoland USA in early 2025, I suppose you’ll know the place we stand on it. Even with out spending in depth time there, I already suppose it’s odd Disney isn’t retheming this to Indiana Jones. It’s a workable theme and the parks want extra areas for youths to discover, not fewer.
Figment Assembly Figment – That is far and away #1. As talked about in What Went Incorrect Throughout Child Bricker’s First Journey to Walt Disney World, we failed to fulfill Figment. On our subsequent, shorter household go to, we purposefully opted towards assembly him, saving it for Christmas.
Now, the celebrities have aligned and Megatron matches into her Figment costume and can, fingers crossed, get to put on that whereas strolling to fulfill Figment for the primary time. I’ve needed to remind myself to not get too excited or construct anticipation an excessive amount of, to keep away from a scenario the place the expectations and actuality don’t fairly match. As a result of though Megatron loves assembly characters, there are specific ones she loves greater than others.
The potential “drawback” with Figment is that he’s extra of an unknown. Whereas she’s properly acquainted with Mickey Mouse & Pals or Winnie the Pooh’s Posse, her solely familiarly with Figment is as soon as on the trip (which she cherished, however that was months in the past) and the large ‘statue’ of him subsequent to her crib (which she additionally loves). Fingers crossed that the statue quadrupling in measurement is thrilling as an alternative of terrifying!
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Your Ideas
What do you consider our checklist of issues we are able to’t wait to do with Megatron this Christmas at Walt Disney World? Some other future household traditions, photograph ops, significant milestones, or issues we must always have her expertise earlier than they go away? What would your picks be for your loved ones’s model of this checklist? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even whenever you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
