Naveen Ain't Playin: My Glitteriest, Princessiest TR Ever! (FINISHED 4/13)

[PlutosRHM55]

OMG, I can't believe you non-stop'd it right after you left the repass. Geez, bless you and your family for making the decision to do that. And mini-Ariel is so cute, I hope we get a little more adventures before things got too too busy (I know how it is). Can't wait to hear how your first night in the most magical place on Earth went!

 

[Newsies]

'Cause This Here's the Prettiest Resort in the WILDERNESS!

(NOTE: This is my third update today. I don't usually post this often on my TRs, but I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I go off to school. I figured, I was watching Tinkerbell and not doing anything tonight, so I might as well update again. Yay!)

So it was now 3:00, and we had just arrived at the Wilderness Lodge!

GEESE HEDGES!

Welcome home!

So my parents got the car parked, a lovely bellhop took our bags, and we headed inside. My jaw DROPPED. It was so pretty that I forgot to take a few pictures.

We were greeted by the sweetest check-in girl ever. She helped us start the check-in process on her nifty little iPad, and noticed that Grace and I were celebrating. So she got us "I'm Celebrating!" buttons, and wrote our names on them. As if that wasn't sweet enough, she put tape over the buttons so that it wouldn't come off in the parks. She was the best!

We checked in and our room, #3168, was ready. We headed up.

Yay! BEDS!

Yay! Bird carvings on THE BEDS!

Yay! A TV! With my favorite station!

YAY!!! A CLEAN BATHROOM!!!

YAY!!!! A SHOWER!!!

I contemplated hopping straight into the shower. After all, I had just spent 26 hours in a sweaty car and my hair was a trainwreck. I had two problems that needed to be addressed: I needed a shower, and I needed FOOD! I hadn't eaten anything since early that morning. But my dad said he was getting into the shower, so I decided to fix the latter problem first.

I rushed downstairs.

For those of you who don't know the story of Humphrey the Bear: he sits at the bottom of the totem pole in front of Mickey Mercantile. If you rub his nose, it brings you good luck on your trip.

I mean, I GUESS my hotel was pretty...

I stopped to look at the pin stand along the way, but decided against buying a pin. I had to pace myself this week, and make what little souvenir funds I had last for 8 whole days.

I got to Roaring Fork to use my first snack credit and claim my mug. I put Powerade in the mug, and guess what I used my first snack credit on?

YES! A magic cookie bar! I'm pretty sure I've wanted one since before my last trip. I mean, I had heard about it online and it was calling my name. I love cookie bars like that. It was pretty good! It was a little sweet and sticky on the bottom, but pretty good. Still, it didn't quite hit the spot. I really wanted a hot meal. Alas, dinner was in about three hours. I missed my lunch window. Whomp-whomp.

After that, I went back upstairs to unpack. My family announced that they were going downstairs, so I took a very quick shower before rejoining them. When I got back down to the lobby, I discovered that they were looking around the Mickey Mercantile. I decided to take a look inside too, and that's when I found these babies:

MY BABIES!

They were all out of stock last year! And I was SO looking forward to getting my hands on the Ariel one! Alas, I still waited to buy one... but I made a note that I would try my hardest to get one before the trip was over...

So after that, we decided to get on a boat to Ft. Wilderness. Here are some pics from along the way.

I'm not sure why I took this one. Cool trash can though.

THE WALKWAY TO THE BOATS IS SO PRETTY! Like a fairy forest! Sadly, I never encountered Tinkerbell in here.

Our first of many, many boats this trip.

Grace and I took a selfie to commemorate this occasion

And eventually...

WE MADE IT!

(Click here to continue!)
​

 

[Newsies]

OMG, I can't believe you non-stop'd it right after you left the repass. Geez, bless you and your family for making the decision to do that. And mini-Ariel is so cute, I hope we get a little more adventures before things got too too busy (I know how it is). Can't wait to hear how your first night in the most magical place on Earth went!

RIGHT? My parents are amazing for that. We didn't even plan on non-stopping it, it just kind of... happened... but anyway, they're awesome for being able to do that and still have a great time on our first day.

Sadly, that was my last photo with mini-ari I just never had enough time to pull her out and snap some photos! It felt like I was always rushing somewhere on this trip. Meh. At least I got a lot accomplished.

My first night went... unexpectedly but hey! You'll find out about it soon enough!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

YAAASSS WILDERNESS LODGE!!! So pretty. And I want that bathroom tiling in my future house. Seriously though, if I don't get to stay there on my next vacation back to WDW, I'm definitely staycationing there on my DCP.... after the Poly, of course.

Mmmmmm, that Magic Cookie Bar looks delish! I need to get on that one.

Can't wait to hear about your Fort Wilderness adventures!

 

[LanaBear-ox]

I wondered when you were starting your TR! Can't wait to hear lots more!

 

[oceanmarina]

Nothing is as exciting as checking in, knowing you trip is just starting! I had no idea about rubbing Humphrey's nose. We are staying there on our tip next week, i'll be sure to do it! Looking forward to reading more of your trip.

 

[missangelalexis]

A fellow NJ girl joining in!

I'm sorry to hear about the sad circumstances surrounding your trip But glad you guys still had a good time!

Wow, driving straight through to FL, that's bold!

Look forward to hearing more

 

[Newsies]

YAAASSS WILDERNESS LODGE!!! So pretty. And I want that bathroom tiling in my future house. Seriously though, if I don't get to stay there on my next vacation back to WDW, I'm definitely staycationing there on my DCP.... after the Poly, of course.

Mmmmmm, that Magic Cookie Bar looks delish! I need to get on that one.

Can't wait to hear about your Fort Wilderness adventures!

It's gorgeous. And YES! I want to DCP just to staycation a night at my favorite resorts. One day off, no parks, just the lava pool, Moana Mercantile, a dinner at Ohana's, and a nice bed at the Poly

I loved the Magic Cookie Bar! It was a little sweet, but I mean... it's full of chocolate and coconut and goodies like that, so I can't really say anything about it

Coming up shortly!

I wondered when you were starting your TR! Can't wait to hear lots more!

Yay!!! Welcome aboard!!!

Nothing is as exciting as checking in, knowing you trip is just starting! I had no idea about rubbing Humphrey's nose. We are staying there on our tip next week, i'll be sure to do it! Looking forward to reading more of your trip.

It's so exciting. It's one of the best parts about vacation!

Humphrey is tons of fun. He's a cute photo op, too!

Welcome aboard! Looking forward to sharing!

A fellow NJ girl joining in!

I'm sorry to hear about the sad circumstances surrounding your trip But glad you guys still had a good time!

Wow, driving straight through to FL, that's bold!

Look forward to hearing more

Yaaaay! NJ girls for life!

Thank you so much we really did have a fantastic time on this trip, there was tons of pixie dust and I can't wait to share the story.

It was a bold move, for sure! But at the time it was not that big to my parents... they were just kind of like "eh, I can drive for two more hours." and then three hours later they'd be like "eh, I can drive for another hour and a half" and they'd repeat that process and then suddenly the sun was up and we were in Georgia and they were like... "well..."

New update coming up shortly!

 

[Newsies]

The Chapter Where I Profess My Love For Dogs and Then Have Dinner at Trail's End Buffet

We were pretty hungry, even though we had arrived an hour early to Ft. Wilderness.

Yeah, we sort of overestimated how long it would take to get to Ft. Wilderness...

But in my defense, I hadn't taken a boat launch to Ft. Wilderness before and it was threatening to thunderstorm again, which means the water taxi service would stop and we'd have to take a bus to Ft. Wilderness. Which we didn't want to do, because we didn't know where that bus would stop but we knew that the boat launch would take us right to the front of Trail's End.

So we started walking down the trail when all of a sudden, we heard my mother go "Awww!". I turned my head and this beautiful pony was standing there.

... And this is the point of the night where I realized just how truly exhausted I was.

Because when my family sees an animal, we just start talking about it most of the time. My mom started romanticizing on the idea of taking a carriage ride before dinner. My dad started ranting about how cool Clydesdale horses are. Grace was talking about how cute the pony was.

And I just said, "yeah, oh my gosh I love dogs".



Grace was the only one who heard it, we just laughed it off and continued. Mom and dad wanted to know what we were laughing at, but unless they lurk these boards, the'll never know.

Then, with nothing to do, my mom decided to walk up to the podium and see if we could get into our dinner ADR an hour early. Cause, you know. That usually always happens at Disney World. Luckily, this time they were able to!

I made a mental note to hoola-hoop after dinner

I really like the sippy cup photobomb

We were seated in less than five minutes. Our waitress was very sweet, and as soon as she took our drink orders, I went up to get my first plate of food.

I can't lie to you, I was very unimpressed with Trail's End this evening. The baked potato bar was gone (although I can't really blame anyone for that, since I haven't actually seen reports of the baked potato bar since early 2015 at the latest), and the options seemed very limited from what I had read online.

The fried chicken was outstanding, naturally. But that was the only stand out on my plate. The ribs were just okay, and the corn tasted canned and gross. The cornbread was standard. The mac and cheese was okay in theory, but it was pretty cold. I did appreciate the gold fish crackers and breadcrumbs, though.

I didn't go back for a second plate of dinner, but I did get some dessert.

Dessert was also just "okay". The strawberry shortcake was phenomenal, though! The ice cream bar was pretty good too, I guess, but the snickerdoodle was hard as a rock.

No matter! We had plenty of delicious Disney meals that night that would make up for one that was just "okay".

I did like the buffalo over our table quite a bit, though. I wonder if he's got a name.

We got outside and sat down on the rocking chairs on the porch for a few minutes, and wondered what we would do with the rest of the night. It was only around 6:30. I casually reminded everyone that it would only be $10.65 a person if we wanted to upgrade our park hoppers a day and play at MK for a little bit, but nobody was with me. We originally wanted to go to the Chip and Dale campfire sing-a-long, but that was two hours away and Grace didn't want to stay that long. We just decided to walk around for a little bit. I made a pressed penny!

Don't ask me which one I made because honestly, I couldn't tell you.

That idea lasted for a good three minutes. Grace was tired and had a headache, so after browsing a total of two outdoor vendors, we just decided to take the boat back to the Wilderness Lodge.

I do love me a good pic of the CR

And a good pic of the WL peeking behind some trees and a log cabin shed.

This is where I took one of my favorite scenery photos the whole trip:

When we got back up to the room, dad professed that he was "done" for the evening and turned on the TV. Grace concurred and hopped into the shower.

But mom and I still had some energy left in us, and were deciding what we could do. We entertained the thought of visiting Downtown Disney. The TV station with all the park hours informed us that DTD would be open until 11:00, but it was 7:15 now and we didn't know what time DisneyQuest closed (we had free vouchers for it). We decided ultimately that DTD was just not worth the traffic/stress that always comes with taking a bus to and from DTD. So we decided to grab our daybags and head down to the lobby anyway, in hopes that we could do some window shopping and figure out how to spend the evening while we were down stairs.

So we got downstairs and walked into the Mickey Mercantile.

She saw a T-Shirt with the castle on it, and just kind of stared at it for a second.

Then she asked, "... are you sure it's only going to cost $10 to go to Magic Kingdom tonight?"

(Click here to continue!)​

 

[oceanmarina]

Glad you were able to grab an earlier dinner. Hope you & your Mom had a nice night out

 

[Bubbenstein]

Joining in! We just stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in June and LOVED it! Reading your trip report is bringing back that wonderful lobby smell!

 

[Newsies]

Glad you were able to grab an earlier dinner. Hope you & your Mom had a nice night out

We definitely got lucky that night!

I'll try to post all about our mom/daughter night out later

Joining in! We just stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in June and LOVED it! Reading your trip report is bringing back that wonderful lobby smell!

Welcome aboard!

Oh, stop! Now I miss that lovely lobby smell! One of my favorites

 

[missangelalexis]

Yay for being able to get into dinner early! I'm sorry it didn't hit the spot though.

Ohhh I am so curious to know if you guys ventured to MK!!

 

[kde175]

We'll be at the VWL in 31 short days, so I'm going to be following along with you to tide me over until then!

 

[ForeverDance]

And this is the point of the night where I realized just how truly exhausted I was

It's amazing how you can be so tired and not realize just how tired you are. Our drive is about 24 hours from home and we have done it a few times straight. It is exhausting. That first day is always a write-off for me.

This is where I took one of my favorite scenery photos the whole trip

All of the wilderness lodge photos are amazing. That place is so beautiful. It's on my "one day" list. But DH just doesn't have any interest so I'm not sure it's going to happen.

Then she asked, "... are you sure it's only going to cost $10 to go to Magic Kingdom tonight?"

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

I mean, I GUESS my hotel was pretty...

Oh my ghosh! I didn't know that WL had a water feature in the lobby!! I love a water feature in the lobby! Its so purdy!

Reminds me of the old Poly lobby...RIP Poly waterfall!

MY BABIES!

They are so cute! I'm surprised they aren't all Frozen themed though

Because when my family sees an animal, we just start talking about it most of the time. My mom started romanticizing on the idea of taking a carriage ride before dinner. My dad started ranting about how cool Clydesdale horses are. Grace was talking about how cute the pony was.

And I just said, "yeah, oh my gosh I love dogs".

I love dogs too! Especially the pony shaped ones! You remind me of me!

I really like the sippy cup photobomb

#Nailedit!

Oooooooooo! So pretty! I really am a sucker for a water feature!

Then she asked, "... are you sure it's only going to cost $10 to go to Magic Kingdom tonight?"

She sounds mighty tempted! Cant wait to hear more!

 

[I_Luv_Stitch]

Yay you've arrived! Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful resort! You're very lucky to be staying there
That's ashame that Trails End wasn't the best!
I love how you threw the MK idea out there and now your mum is being tempted! How could you say no to $10 more to go for the evening!!
Looking forward to seeing if your mum does cave!!

 

[xlsm]

Making me homesick for the Lodge. I don't even know how i'm going to handle staying somewhere else next time. Darn DVC construction!

And I should not have read this until AFTER dinner, because disappointing or not, the mac and cheese picture made me HUNGRY.

We never start our day without visiting Humphrey! He's the reason for all of our vacation magic, I'm convinced!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

LOL @ your comment while your family is going insane about the horse. Literally what I do when my family gets distracted by something I don't care to ponder.

I'm sorry to hear that Trail's End wasn't that great. At least you found some worthwhile items and it wasn't a total loss. BUT like you said, you have many more chances for an amazing Disney meal.

OMG, your mom mentioned MK. Does that mean this will be an MK night? OMGOMGOMG

 

[Newsies]

Yay for being able to get into dinner early! I'm sorry it didn't hit the spot though.

Ohhh I am so curious to know if you guys ventured to MK!!

It's fine, we had MANY more great meals this trip

Curiousity kills the cat... but satisfaction will bring it back! Soon

We'll be at the VWL in 31 short days, so I'm going to be following along with you to tide me over until then!

Yay! Welcome aboard!

It's amazing how you can be so tired and not realize just how tired you are. Our drive is about 24 hours from home and we have done it a few times straight. It is exhausting. That first day is always a write-off for me.


All of the wilderness lodge photos are amazing. That place is so beautiful. It's on my "one day" list. But DH just doesn't have any interest so I'm not sure it's going to happen.

Right? Later on in the trip my dad made a comment about how exhausted I looked and I didn't even realize I was tired until he pointed it out. It's crazy.

WL is very pretty. Even if DH has no interest in staying, there's always a reason to visit it at least once every trip- tons of great restaurants and fun things to do

Oh my ghosh! I didn't know that WL had a water feature in the lobby!! I love a water feature in the lobby! Its so purdy!

Reminds me of the old Poly lobby...RIP Poly waterfall!



They are so cute! I'm surprised they aren't all Frozen themed though



I love dogs too! Especially the pony shaped ones! You remind me of me!



#Nailedit!



Oooooooooo! So pretty! I really am a sucker for a water feature!



She sounds mighty tempted! Cant wait to hear more!

I agree! I love when lobbies have big water fountains and such, especially when they're creative fixtures that really fit into the theme. I miss the Poly waterfall, too!

They don't even have Anna and Elsa mugs in that style, which I'm surprised at.

PONY SHAPED DOGS ARE AWESOME!

You'll find out all about whether or not we gave into the temptation of a $10 ticket to MK later on

Yay you've arrived! Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful resort! You're very lucky to be staying there
That's ashame that Trails End wasn't the best!
I love how you threw the MK idea out there and now your mum is being tempted! How could you say no to $10 more to go for the evening!!
Looking forward to seeing if your mum does cave!!

Wilderness Lodge is one of the prettiest resorts I've stayed at. I'd rank it alongside Grand Floridian.

Eh, you win some, you lose some! I didn't lose any sleep over the dinner, I was too busy dreaming of breakfast the next day

Right? It's so hard to say no at $10!

We'll get there soon enough

Making me homesick for the Lodge. I don't even know how i'm going to handle staying somewhere else next time. Darn DVC construction!

And I should not have read this until AFTER dinner, because disappointing or not, the mac and cheese picture made me HUNGRY.

We never start our day without visiting Humphrey! He's the reason for all of our vacation magic, I'm convinced!

I'm homesick for the lodge, too! Although, I may have visited other resorts this trip that I'd love to try first before heading back to WL... maybe...

LOL! It was mac and cheese night at my house, too. But it was Stouffers and didn't come with goldfish on top, sadly.

Humphrey HAS to be magical. He just has to be. There was too much pixie dust this vacation that I couldn't explain.

LOL @ your comment while your family is going insane about the horse. Literally what I do when my family gets distracted by something I don't care to ponder.

I'm sorry to hear that Trail's End wasn't that great. At least you found some worthwhile items and it wasn't a total loss. BUT like you said, you have many more chances for an amazing Disney meal.

OMG, your mom mentioned MK. Does that mean this will be an MK night? OMGOMGOMG

Omg that was the single moment I realized how tired I was. I do love horses and the pony was really pretty but when I'm so out of it that I call a horse a dog, that's when I know I need a nap. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

Yeah, it was an OK meal, I mean, you can't win them all. And it was definitely redeemed throughout the week, so I brushed it right off!

MAYBE!!! OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG