You Get a Suite! You Get a Suite! Everybody Gets a Suite! December 2023 Trip Report! (Updated 5/2!)

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That is too funny! Sounds like some nice relaxing time at the pool and hot tub even if it was a chilly day.

We're still laughing about it! It was pretty hilarious. We had such a great relaxing day. We don't do those enough in Disney, we definitely need to try to do it more!

 

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I would have texted you if I couldn't find you.

See, that would have been the smart thing to do. My parents just went into immediate panic mode.

I've gone swimming when it was 64 degrees and sunny, but not windy. I think a windy day would be a deal breaker for me.

Yeah, if it wasn't windy it wouldn't have been too bad, still a bit cool, but that wind made it pretty uncomfortable!

 

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ooooh yum!

It was sooo good! I can't wait to get another!

that's hilarious!!!

It was so funny, we were all so confused!

 

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Brave of you guys to go in the pool! The hot tubs there looked nice when we visited the other day. Personally I feel like I wouldn't want to see the flamingo pool from the hot tub because it seems kind of gross? Like their water isn't very clear, haha, but it would be nice to have something to look at! It was weird that they were far from the pool so a parent couldn't really keep an eye on their kid from it. But maybe they are all like that, this is the only deluxe pool I've ever really looked around much!

Right? I wasn't super on board with swimming, but my mom really wanted to go, so I joined! I think she does better with the chill since she still lives up north and is used to hopping in a freezing cold ocean. I have acclimated to slightly warmer temps!

I never thought about the flamingo view being gross! I just thought it was cool to see animals while relaxing in the hot tub.

I feel like most of the Deluxe pools have hot tubs closer, or at least within the gates of the pool area. It really seems like they reconfigured it at some point at AKL since they were not located where I remembered from back in I believe 2001, but I could just be misremembering things!

 

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Day 5, Part 3: Jollywood, Part 1!

After the most relaxing day, we got ready to head out for the night.

Around 6:30 I called for a Minnie Van, and once again got one right away. I was having the most amazing luck with them this trip!

We headed down to the lobby to meet them, but when we got down there we saw a photopass photographer had set up in front of the tree in the lobby and had no line, so of course we got pictures!





The Minnie Van ended up being a bit of a ways out, so didn’t arrive until about 6:50, but it was a quick ride over to HS and we were heading in a bit before 7:10.

I had hoped arriving a few minutes after the party lines were let in it would be quick, but I was very very wrong. The lines just didn’t move, even though there were only a handful of groups ahead of us, it took over 30 minutes to get checked in and get our wristbands and lanyards.

Now, like many people, I had seen all the horror stories from the first night of this event, but was cautiously optimistic that Disney would have fixed things and it wouldn’t be a night of just waiting in line after line. So I was a bit worried when the check-in process took so long.

Once in we took some pictures!





My dad is one of three brothers, so growing up they called each other Huey, Dewey, and Louie, so I had to get a picture of him in front of their holiday display!



We ended up on Hollywood Blvd just in time to see the show on ToT, and the snoap!


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https://flic.kr/p/2pNMLkJ

We also got a few more photopass pictures while down that way.





While waiting in line for a picture, I noticed that they were already letting people into the merch shop to buy the shirt for the event, so after getting our picture we headed over there and picked up the shirt. There was no line, and it was still before 8, so I’m happy we were able to get it before the party even started!

After picking up our merch I checked the wait times and saw the wait for TSMM was super short so we started heading back that way.

On the way over the shows on the Chinese Theater were going on, so we stopped to watch. We found a fairly empty spot towards the back, there was no one within 20ft in front of us, and there were some people next to us, but also pretty far away. So we had a pretty decent view and didn’t have to deal with crowds!

Well, as we’re enjoying the show, this family comes up and stands right next to us, which whatever, that’s not a big deal, but odd since there was so much empty space there was no reason to stand so close. But then, after standing there for like 5 minutes, that family decides they need to move and stand directly in front of us. Instead of simply stepping forward to the empty space in front of them, they felt the need to shift and stand in the empty space in front of us.

Now at this point there was still about 20ft between us and the people in front of us, but this family moves from next to us, to about 1ft in front of us, they were practically touching us. Just why?!?! It seemed weirdly intentional, like they wanted to get a rise out of us.

To make matters worse, the guy was about 6’5” and stood directly in front of me! UGH. I hate people.

So we decided that two can play at that game, and we moved and stood directly in front of them, and since I’m tall I made a point to stand directly in front of the woman who was only about 5ft tall. Yes, petty, and totally passive aggressive, but whatever, they started it! (and yes, childish too ).

We ended up finishing up the shows on the theater, I was worried those jerks would try to step in front of us again, but they ended up leaving which was good.

Once the shows wrapped up we made our way over to TSL.

Had to take a picture of holiday Woody as we headed in…



There was hardly any wait for TSMM, and soon we were on! I rode with dad, and once again I beat him! And by a lot, and I got best in car, which made sense since it was just me and my parents in the car.

By the time we got off TSMM it was already after 8:30, so officially into the party time!

Next up: Jollywood Part 2!​