{"id":11350,"date":"2020-03-17T07:35:51","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T11:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/backtothemouse.com\/index.php\/?p=11350"},"modified":"2020-03-29T08:00:37","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T12:00:37","slug":"walt-disney-world-solo-trip-part-4-wilderness-lodge-and-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/backtothemouse.com\/index.php\/walt-disney-world-solo-trip-part-4-wilderness-lodge-and-mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Walt Disney World Solo Trip, Part 4: Wilderness Lodge and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After leaving Nomad Lounge, I decided I’d begin to make my way over toward Magic Kingdom (MK).  I had tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP), so I would be able to enter the park around 4:00.  It was only around 1:30 when I left AK, but since I was relying on Disney transportation, I wanted to give myself plenty of time.<\/div>\n
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\"Animal<\/a>
Animal Kingdom Bus Terminal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
I decided that I really wanted to go to MK by way of the Wilderness Lodge.  It’s my favorite WDW resort, and I especially love to visit during the holidays to see all of the beautiful decorations.  Unfortunately, I missed the Wilderness bus by about 2 minutes, and ended up waiting about 25-30 minutes for the next bus.  The wait did give me a chance to rest my legs and plug in my cell phone to ensure it would be charged for MVMCP pictures later on!<\/div>\n
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I’m always happy to arrive at Wilderness, and I’m sure I was grinning like crazy when I walked into the lobby.  To me, the lobby is spectacular any time of year, but at Christmas time I love the giant tree, the welcoming fireplace, the garland on the railings – it’s just an extra level of awesome.  Stitch and other characters (I think Pluto for one) were greeting guests around the tree, and there was a special display set up in the lobby selling holiday snacks and stocking stuffer type items.  I spent quite a few minutes browsing there as well as visiting the excellent gift shop.  I don’t always get tempted by resort-specific Disney merchandise, but Wilderness is totally my vibe.  I treated myself to a buffalo check, fleece-banded Mickey ear Christmas hat to wear for the holiday party.<\/div>\n
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\"Wilderness<\/a>
Wilderness Lodge Lobby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Gingerbread<\/a>
Gingerbread Cabin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Wilderness<\/a>
Wilderness Lodge Merchantile<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Having gotten my fill of the lobby, I decided to walk around the resort grounds a bit.  We hadn’t been to Wilderness since they added the Copper Creek Villas & Cabins and opened the new Geyser Point Bar and Grill close to the old Trout Pass Pool Bar location.  I didn’t have enough time to go see the cabins, but I did make time to stop at Geyser Point for a beer.  You know, research, and blog fodder.  I very much liked the vibe at Geyser Point, with its outdoor bar and more casual seating.  I decided not to get a snack since I was headed to the Christmas Party, but I would definitely be interested in getting food there another time.<\/div>\n
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\"Geyser<\/a>
Geyser Point Bar and Grill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With my beer in my belly and feeling content, I strolled over to the dock to catch the boat over to Magic Kingdom.  There was a line building of people headed to MVMCP, and I still had some time to kill, so I decided to take the “long way” – AKA the boat to the Contemporary by way of Fort Wilderness.  In addition to the Wilderness Lodge being very much my aesthetic and vibe, I find the boat to be such a relaxing and beautiful way to travel to MK.  I take loads of pictures and enjoy every minute of the trip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Contemporary<\/a>
Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Towers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since it was already 3:30 PM when I arrived at the Contemporary, so I decided to head straight to MK.  Walking from the Contemporary is the most direct, but I wasn’t sure what the security and bag check lines would be like.  Fortunately, I was through very quickly — and at the entrance turnstiles, cast members were already letting people with MVMCP tickets into the park.  I got my wristband and was ready to party!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Walkway<\/a>
Walkway to the Magic Kingdom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Magic<\/a>
Magic Kingdom Entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
I spent some time on Main Street just soaking up the holiday vibes and doing an initial walkthrough of the Emporium to admire the Christmas merchandise.  I splurged on a MVMCP exclusive holiday phone case for my fairly new iPhone.  I also picked up my special Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom spell card.  My girls used to play Sorcerers a lot when they were younger, and we still maintain a pack of spell cards. <\/div>\n
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\"New<\/a>
New Phone Case<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I walked over to Adventureland to try and ride Pirates, but it was closed with no estimated time to reopen, so I decided it would be a good time for a snack.  I love that the My Disney Experience app offers mobile ordering for many snacks and counter service restaurants at WDW. I use it whenever possible to reduce wait times.  After snacking on a pineapple upside down cake, I knocked out a couple of rides in the backside of the park (waited in line for the Flying Carpets and used a FastPass for my favorite, Big Thunder) then stopped to take a picture with holiday Chip and Dale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Flying<\/a>
Flying Carpets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Chip<\/a>
Chip and Dale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Around 6:15, I decided I would get in line to meet the Seven Dwarfs over in Fantasyland.  I know you can only meet them at the Christmas and Halloween parties, and I wasn’t as interested in meeting some of the other characters like Sandy Claws.  I knew I’d probably have to wait in line for a while, probably an hour or more — but after standing in a barely moving line for about 40 minutes, I decided I’d probably enjoy myself more if I was walking around and experiencing the park vs. waiting in Pete’s Silly Sideshow for a good part of the evening, so I bailed.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Seven<\/a>
Seven Dwarves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On my way out of Pete’s, I noticed the adjacent tent was hosting Magic Kingdom’s version of the Character Dance Party that we enjoy so much on our Disney Cruises.  I watched Vampirina and Fancy Nancy dance with kids while I enjoyed a snowman holiday pretzel (the first holiday party snack of the evening)<\/p>\n

Speaking of snacks, my next stop was Pinocchio’s to pick up hot chocolate, a snickerdoodle cookie, and a Rice Krispie treat.  Pinocchio’s is obviously a popular snack spot at the party, but the cast members were very organized and the line moved quickly.  Since I was already in Fantasyland, I decided I’d get in line to ride Peter Pan.  We usually do not ride unless we have a FastPass, so it was fun to spend time in the regular queue and notice all the details (the kids rooms, cabinets full of toys, etc.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Snacks\"<\/a>
Snacks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the things I realized as I was walking around the Magic Kingdom during MVMCP is that it just doesn’t seem the same without my family.  I definitely did not have a problem touring solo at Epcot or Animal Kingdom, but when I was at MK during the party, I was really missing Joe and the girls.  Given how I was feeling, and the fact that I was a little tired due to two days of nonstop walking, I decided I would find a good spot for the 9:00 parade and rest a bit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"New<\/a>
New Fantasyland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 I always enjoy the holiday parade, although I’d only seen it after Christmas in prior years.  I wanted to find a viewing spot where I would also experience the magical “snowfall” on Main Street.  It was about 8:00 when I started looking for a spot, and it was clear that it was already too late for the prime viewing spots on Main Street with a view of the castle.  During a prior visit, we’d caught the parade right near the Barbershop, where the parade exits Main Street into the backstage area, so I decided to try that spot again. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Main<\/a>
Main Street Snow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
We had great pre-parade entertainment from the peppy cast members who were encouraging us to play catch with inflatable snow balls and sing along to Christmas carols.  I noticed several cast members asking to see party wristbands to ensure everyone watching the parade had bought tickets to the event.  A couple of parties were asked to leave because they did not have the wristbands – fortunately, they headed for the exit without drama. <\/div>\n
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The parade itself was fabulous, as always.  It always puts me in the Christmas mood to see the princesses and characters in their holiday outfits, and I especially love the reindeer and the marching soldiers.  My one disappointment with the parade was that I didn’t get very good pictures.  I am still getting used to my new iPhone and how night mode works, so some of my pics are fuzzy.  But I enjoyed the parade tremendously as I watched it.   <\/div>\n
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\"Mickey<\/a>
Mickey and Minnie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Olaf\"<\/a>
Olaf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Gingerbread<\/a>
Gingerbread Men<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Toy<\/a>
Toy Soldiers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Santa\"<\/a>
Santa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
I had considered staying after the parade for the holiday fireworks, but I knew I’d have an early departure Friday morning to head to the airport and back to DC – so I decided to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom.  The last bit of Disney magic I enjoyed on the cab ride back to the B Hotel was a glimpse of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show as my cab drove away from the Contemporary.<\/div>\n
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\"Main<\/a>
Main Street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overall, I had a very great post-birthday trip to Walt Disney World.  Seeing Neil Patrick Harris perform was the highlight of my trip, as expected.  I enjoyed lots of delicious food and drink and got some time to enjoy the holiday decorations across the World.  I also was happy to experience MVMCP for the first time, though I probably didn’t maximize the experience to the extent I could have.  Next time I would have a more specific plan about what to ride and snack on, and what characters to meet. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Castle<\/a>
Castle Projections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’m already thinking ahead to when my next trip might be. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Travel<\/a> | Epcot<\/a> | Animal Kingdom<\/a> | Very Merry Christmas Party<\/a><\/div>\n
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