I love a good trip report. :-).
How wonderful to spend this time with your Mother! Great memories to keep.
Hello, Liners! So, apparently, it has been 322 days since this trip report. Good Lord. Let me apologize for the the ridiculously long delay in posting the rest of this. When I was in WDW, I was having too much fun to keep up with the posting. When I got home, I was too depressed by not being in WDW to write anything. And thenā¦well, I have no excuses for taking nearly a year to finish what I started! Better late than never though, right? So Iām here to finish my 2016 trip report before I leave for my 2017 trip in just 27 days. 
So hereās Part 1 of our MK/HS day! I hope you enjoy!
January 21, 2016
We were up and at āem early again for our first full day in WDW. Waking up early is not my favorite when Iām at home, but I love it when Iām in WDW. Early mornings are one of my favorite times at any of the parks. And I was especially excited about this early morning because itās our first ever pre-RD ADR! BoG here we come!
We made a quick stop at the food court to fill up our water bottles and get some hot tea. One of my favorite things we brought along on this trip was some disposable cups with lids for hot beverages. We found them at Target and every day we were able to make big cups of hot tea in the morning, a necessity for both my mom and I!
We headed out to the bus stop and didnāt have to wait too long for our private bus to MK. Donāt you love it when you get a bus all to yourselves?
We were quite early for our 8:20 ADR so we waited for a little while outside MK. It was a chilly morning, but the sunrise was beautiful!
Once we were let in, we strolled down Main Street USA, stopping for a couple selfies and one pic that ended up turning Walt into a unicorn. Whoops. Dang crane, always ruining my shots. Sorry, Mr. Disney.
After our time on Main Street, it was time for breakfast! We made it to BoG before than our ADR time, but had no problem getting in. We had preordered our food and it worked out perfectly. We managed to grab a table right next to the windows in the ballroom which was lovely. Weāve now eaten in all the rooms at BoG and, aside from the noise level, I think the ballroom is my new favorite.
Our food was delivered just a few minutes after we sat down and it was all really, really good! I loved the Croque Madame that I ordered. It was decadent and delicious start to the day. My mom had the Open-Faced Bacon and Egg Sandwich and she said it was awesome. We only ate a couple of the pastries since weāre not too big on sweets at breakfast. The chocolate croissant was our favorite of the ones we tried.
I would definitely do this breakfast again. Iām not big into character meals, so it was a great pre-RD option for us and the food was really tasty.
We finished up our breakfast before the park even opened and waited for the CMs to let us into the rest of the park. It was such a beautiful morning as it warmed up and certainly a welcome change from snowy Wisconsin!
When the CMs let us in, I headed straight over to 7DMT for my first ever ride. I thought the ride was a little short and kind of uncomfortable for a plus-size woman like me, but overall it was fun and I enjoyed it. We proceeded to walk on Peter Pan, ETWB, and UtS all in a row. Pre-RD really is amazing. I canāt wait to do it again next visit!
After our time in Fantasyland, we took a quick break at the Tangled Tower. Itās such a pretty area and I always end up taking a lot of pictures. Tangled is probably my favorite Disney movies. I love everything about it. I just wish Tangled got more love than a restroom area!
We headed over to HM and for the first time that I can remember we rode all the way through without stopping once! It seems like we always get stuck in the graveyard when we ride.
After HM, I rode BTTMR twice using my own and then my momās FPP. Itās always fun to spend some time on the wildest ride in the wilderness!
After BTTMR, we took the train back to the Main Street station. I love riding the train around the park. My grandfather always wanted to do the steam train tour but passed away before he had the chance. My mom and I are thinking of taking the tour next time weāre in the World.
We did a little bit of shopping (I needed some new ears!) and then went over to the Skipper Canteen for lunch. We had no wait at all to get seated, but our service was really terrible. There were two servers in our area. Our server was awful, but it looked like the other server was awesome. Luck of the draw I guess!
We started with the arepas which we both liked but didnāt love. I also had the Punchline Punch and got it with the spicy rim. Wow! That rim had a kick to it, but it was really tasty with the punch. For our meals, my mom ordered the Baladi Salad, which is an appetizer but was a HUGE portion. We both thought it was unique and very tasty. I had Dr. Fallsā Signature Grilled Steak and it was really very good. I love yuca and they were great. The steak was well prepared and I enjoyed it.
Overall, the Skipper Canteen was good, but I donāt know if Iāll be back. It was a little pricy for our tastes and the food wasnāt spectacular enough for the price in my opinion.
After lunch at the Canteen, we decided to take our Jungle Cruise. JC is one of my very favorite attractions at WDW and we had a great time as usual. Our skipper was delightfully droll and did an incredible job even when we got stuck in a 15-minute jungle traffic jam.
We were ready for a break so it was back to POFQ for us! After taking a quick cat nap and chilling in our room, we headed out to Hollywood Studios for the night. I was sporting my new ears which I love!
We headed straight over to the Star Wars Launch Bay. We watched the movie there and, being the Star Wars nerds that we are, we enjoyed it and were really excited to see the rest of the Launch Bay. Our first stop? Meeting everyoneās favorite Wookie! I was so excited! I donāt do a lot of character meets, but I absolutely had to meet Chewie. It was about a 20-minute wait and then:
It was so fun. Chewie gave us both hugs and patted my mom on the head as if to point out how short she is! Although, isnāt everyone kind of short compared to a Wookie? 
We spent some time in the Launch Bay and met some Jawas. I came prepared with some odds and ends to trade, but aside from showing a passing interest in my cardigan, the Jawas didnāt seem interested in trading with me.
After the Launch Bay, we took a ride through the movies at the Great Movie Ride. I would so love to see this attraction updated, but it has a certain cheesy nostalgia to it that I kind of love. We rode Star Tours next and watched the Paths of the Force at the Sounds Dangerous Theater.
It was almost time for the Star Wars fireworks at this point, so we found a spot in front of 50ās Prime Time near Echo Lake.
After a short while, the BEST FIREWORKS IāVE EVER SEEN started. Seriously, I absolutely loved this show. Iām hoping I like the new show as much as I liked this though Iām not sure anything could match up. I think I teared up watching this show because it was just so awesome. After the fireworks, we headed back to POFQ. It had been an awesome day at WDW!
Look for an update in the next couple days. I pinky swear, I will update this before another year goes by. 
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Thanks for returning to your report! I agree- I think those Star Wars fireworks were the best fireworks I have ever seen!
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January 22, 2016
This was our day to sleep in. Original plan was to hang out doing whatever and then head over to HS to use our FPPs. The day didnāt quite work out that way, but it was great day nonetheless.
We started our day with one of the best parts of POFQ: Beignets!
After our very tasty breakfast, we took the boat to DS to get some Starbucks. I absolutely love the boat between POFQ and DS. Itās so relaxing and it reminds me of riding in my grandpaās pontoon when I was a kid. We thought about wandering around DS, but the clouds started getting dark. Instead, we decided to spend some time at one of my favorite resorts, AKL. We did a little shopping in the gift shop, watched the rain fall on the savannah for a while and then met some wild animals in the lobby!
From AKL, we took the first bus that showed and went to EP. We walked over to take the monorail to the TTC. While we were in line for the monorail, I grabbed an ADR for Kona for lunch. I hadnāt been there for a few years, so I was interested to see how it would be.
As it turned out, Kona was hit or miss as it seems to be most of the time for us. We had the steamed buns appetizer which was just okay. I had the turkey sandwich and it was kind of awful. Dry and kind of tasteless. On the upside, the crab rangoon sushi my mom got was our best bites of the whole trip. We are definitely planning to get it again on our next trip!
After lunch, we had dessert on the beach. I still miss the orange Dole whips that you used to be able to get at MK, but pineapple is pretty okay too. And you canāt beat the view from the Poly Beach (even on a cloudy day).
From the Poly, we headed over to MK just to ride the PeopleMover. We walked down Main Street to find the crane was down!! Since we usually go in January, its rare I ever get to see the castle without the crane. I was understandably excited.
We headed back to POFQ for a little break and then it was back to MK again for the evening. On our way, I grabbed a FPP for BTMRR during Wishes. I was so excited about riding during the fireworks. Unfortunately, the line moved slower than I anticipated and Wishes ended just before I got on the train. Oh well! We rode the Jungle Cruise (one of my favorites at night!) and spent the rest of our time in MK people watching and soaking up the atmosphere. We found the hub grass totally empty and ended up with a perfect view for Celebrate the Magic. It was a really beautiful night. Cool and breezy and really low crowds-so basically my idea of perfection!
After MK, we took the boat over to WL for dinner. We went to Territory Lounge and got there just in time to get the mushroom bisque (they stop serving it when Artist Point closes). That soup is made of magic and dreams and mushrooms. We also tried the nachos they have there. Really yummy!
After that, it was back to POFQ for a good nightās sleep before AK for our last day in WDW!
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Great trip report! I especially love all your pictures 
And getting the low down on the restaurants and food. Keep going 
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January 23-24, 2016
Weāre up and at āem early for our last day in WDW. It was a windy and cold day, but we werenāt going to let that stop us from going to one of my favorite parks!
First up is a safari! I love Kilimanjaro Safari because itās never the same experience twice. After standing in a misleading line, we walked right onto our way on first safari of the day.
Our first safari was great! I loved seeing the painted dogs!
I love these cattle. I have so many pictures of them.
The lionesses were out lounging.
This adorable elephant was hanging out by the water.
Our safari left us chilled so we headed to Starbucks for a warmup and some breakfast. Bellies full of breakfast sandwiches and hot chocolate, we were ready for our second safari of the day (another walk-on!).
Our second safari wasnāt quite as good and for some reason we didnāt see giraffes during either trip, but we still had a great time and enjoyed our rides.
Our next stop was FotLK. Itās always so good! Itās one of the best shows in WDW in my opinion. We then headed to Asia for the FoW show. I love this show too! It always makes me laugh and I love seeing the variety of birds in the show. This guy was pretty cool!
It was time for lunch after that and we headed over to Flame Tree BBQ. We had the place to ourselves!
We sat by the water, which was kinda chilly, but I love looking out across the water at Expedition Everest - and the Rivers of Light construction that was going on. I optimistically thought weād be seeing the show this next trip, but no such luck. Something to look forward to on my next next trip.
After lunch, we were disappointed to find that the Maharaja Jungle Trek was closed. I really love the trails in AK. Itās fun to do something at a slower pace and just soak in the amazing atmosphere at AK.
So we headed over to face the yeti. Well, I faced the yeti. DM is not a rollercoaster fan. I absolute love the single rider line at EE. I never have to wait very long and itās always fun to be surprised by who you end up riding with. During this trip, I rode once with a big muscular guy who screamed like a banshee all through the ride and then couldnāt stop giggling when we were done. It was great!
The sun came out as we left AK and we said goodbye to the Tree of Life until next time. I canāt wait to see it all lit up at night soon!!
We took the bus over to Kidani for our mid afternoon snack at Sanna. We had an amazing server who was so nice and friendly and a Packer fan! Always a plus in our green-and-gold hearts.
Best snack (or meal) in WDW!
We headed back to POFQ for a little break and to get organized to leave in the morning! 
I had a little bit of a freakout because our DME papers never showed up. I called the front desk and was told not to worry and theyād show up tonight or in the morning. It made me a little anxious, but I tried to make like Elsa and let it go.
For our last night, we decided to see the amazing Star Wars fireworks one more time. We nabbed a spot near Echo Lake again and got some hot tea (it was a COLD night) and watched my favorite fireworks ever. Just amazing.
I wish this spot still worked for the new fireworks - I loved it!
After the fireworks, we more or less ran straight to the bus to MK. We were the first ones on the second bus to arrive. We got to MK just as Wishes was starting. I hightailed it to meet Anna and Elsa and had a wonderfully short wait. Iāve said before that Iām not big into character meets, but my niece was Frozen crazy last January. I got some video of her favorite characters saying hi to her and my niece loved it!
MK emptied out after Wishes. Our idea was to stay until midnight when the park closed, but we started getting tired and cold. We rode the PeopleMover one last time and watched the Incredibles Dance Party for a while. It was a fun and relaxing way to finish out the trip.
Full moon over the Magic Kingdom!
We headed back to POFQ to get some dinner and finish packing up. Unfortunately when we arrived, I was disappointed to find that our DME paperwork still hadnāt arrived. I called again and they said theyād arrive by morning. I went to bed with a knot in my stomach, but hoping the CM Iād talked to was right.
Sadly, our papers still hadnāt arrived when I woke up at 7:00 and I ended up having to go the desk to get our papers. This stressed me out a bit, but I had my papers so I figured that was the end of it. We wait outside POFQ for our DME bus and when arrived, they didnāt have room for us! After an incredibly stressful wait for the next bus, we finally made to MCO, checked our bags, and made to our gait about 10 minutes before boarding. Way to close for my comfort! The flight home was uneventful and soon we were back in the frozen north!
All in all, my mom and I had a great trip! The Star Wars fireworks were hands down our favorite part and Iām interested to see how the new show holds up in just 3 weeks! One of the best tips we picked up this trip was packing our own large cups and tea bags for the mornings. Those little cups in the room arenāt enough for us! We were also glad we had brought gloves along. Our morning in AK was freezing and it was nice to keep our hands nice and toasty! Both those items are going on our master packing list.
POFQ, as always, was a wonderful resort for us. Itās our favorite for a reason. Despite not getting the exact room weād requested, our room in Building 1 was really nice. The location was quiet and an easy walk to the main buildings. It was hard to say goodbye to our home away from home.
I hope you enjoyed following along with our trip! Iām going to try and keep better notes during our January trip for my next report! In the meantime, Iāll be sharing pics of our upcoming January trip (1/7-1/13) on my instagram, ajoyfulnerd.
Happy Holidays, Liner Friends, and thanks for following along!
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Thank you! Weāll be there in about a month and I love reading January reports. 
Looks like you guys had a fabulous trip!! Thank you for sharing!!
Welcome back! I hope your upcoming trip is fabulous!
Loved your trip report! One of my faves!
Thank you for the report!
Curious what area/path do you get access to to get to your pre-open ADR at BOG?