Mele Kalikimaka WDW Adventure 2015 - COMPLETED

After that amazing lunch, we headed back to the front of HS to do some shopping and pick up an afternoon coffee. I did more cast member picture taking as well (okay, Mary Tyler Moore is not really a cast member...or real for that matter)...

Mary Tyler Moore Bust from Hall of Fame by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Ron by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Brittney by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White & the Four Grumpies by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

DVC Cast Members @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Cast Members-Tommy by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Store Display @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Beverly Sunset Store Interior @ Disney's Hollywood Studios 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

We also took the time to head to the Streets of America again to do the tourist shot against the huge skyline background and say goodbye to Stitch...

Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Studios Backlot 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Stich in a Tire @ Disney's Hollywood Studios by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

From there, we booked it over to the Magic Kingdom for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. I wanted to get a good spot to shoot, so we hung out mostly on Main Street. We did sneak in a Jingle River Cruise and Carousel of Progress too and stopped off for a bit in Tomorrowland (the most under represented land in my report)...

Cinderella's Castle on a Sunny Day @ Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Spitting Tiki @ Jingle Cruise by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Ginger, Smiley, & the Crocs from Magic Kingdom's Jingle Cruise 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Jingle Cruise 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress is a strong sentimental favorite of mine. I first remember seeing it at Disneyland, and was bummed when it moved to WDW. I am glad Disney found a home for it in Orlando, or it would have probably gone the way of the dodo...

Carousel of Progress 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 09 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 08 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Carousel of Progress 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sue tried on another hat for our album collection, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out what it's suppose to be? A Mickey Santa hat maybe? Very bizzare....

The Mad SueHatter 15 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

More shots from Main Street prior to the parade...Cotton Candy Making on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Freshly Baked Goods on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Shop Detail on Main Street Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cast Member Devin @ Magic Kingdom by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

If you think this rice krispie treat is huge, wait until you get a load of the price tag!!!

Super Size My Mickey Krispy Treat by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Baking Disney Style by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Prior to the start of the parade, I caught Snow White making her way back from a Meet & Greet, and she smiled for a quick candid. I also ended up taking quite a bit to one of the Photopass photographers who gave me the inside scoops on where the best spots are to see character appearances. I wish I could remember her name, but I laughed when a couple of young cast members walked by as she muttered "Newbs"!

Snow White Candid 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White Candid 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The marching band signaled the start of the parade...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Main Street Parade 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Festival of Fantasy is an amazing parade...one of the best I've seen in terms of overall look, colors, and floats. I like that the theme narrows the character choices to Disney movies from the more distant past and not just the latest hot flavor or Pixar movie. A good mix of golden age (Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty), silver age (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid), and contemporary (Tangled, Princess and the Frog, and of course Frozen) makes for a nice mix that showcases the Disney lineage. The photos are not necessarily in the order of parade appearance, so my apologies! This is another heavy photo installment, so bear with me or just scroll pass if it's not your cup of tea!

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Grand Marshall 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Pinocchio 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Pinocchio 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Cha Cha Girl @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Seven Dwarves 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Seven Dwarves 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Bubble Girl Dancers 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Bubble Girl Dancers 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Alice in Wonderland 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Alice in Wonderland 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Swan Court Dance Couples 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Olaf 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Anna & Elsa 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Frozen Anna & Elsa 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 14 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Beauty & the Beast 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Thank you Kristen K...that means a lot coming from you! Thank you also for allowing me to share my overly long TR with this great forum (and eat up tons of bandwidth)!

More pictures from FoF...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Tiana 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Prince Naveen 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Prince Naveen & Princess Tiana 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Tinkerbell 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Cinderella & Prince Charming 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Cinderella & Prince Charming 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Cinderella & Prince Charming 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Cinderella & Prince Charming 07 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Rapunzel 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Flynn Rider 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Rapunzel of Tangled 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Flynn Rider 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Rapunzel of Tangled 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Merida 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Floral Maiden Dancers 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Floral Maiden Dancers 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Floral Maiden Dancers 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

FoF Finale...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-3 Good Fairies 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-3 Good Fairies 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-3 Good Fairies 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-3 Good Fairies 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Prince Phillip 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Prince Phillip 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Prince Phillip 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Maleficent Dragon 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Maleficent Dragon 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Daisy & Donald Duck 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Mickey & Minnie Air Balloon 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

I believe you are right Allie! That little hat on top of the cap through me off, but it's definitely Grumpy!

Wow, I was wondering if anyone would recognize any of these cast members! I didn't get to talk to the DVC person, but she seemed very friendly.

Glad you enjoyed the cartoon... If you're interested, message me your address and I'll mail you the first two issues!

A few more shots from FoF that I just processed, so order is really out of whack...

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Brave Scottish Performers 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Merida 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Princess Merida 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Flynn Rider 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Coral Fish @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Lion Fish @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Seahorse @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Float @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy The Little Mermaid Ariel @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Peter Pan & Wendy @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Peter Pan & Wendy @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Captain Hook @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Captain Hook @ Disney's Magic Kingdom 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Festival of Fantasy Parade-Mickey & Minnie Air Balloon 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Tuesday, December 08 marked our last day at the parks. To cap off this great holiday vacation, we has reservations at Cinderella's Castle. Prior to our breakfast, Sue and I did a last walk around Fantasyland. Besides running into a couple of awesome medieval characters, we had the good luck of doing a Meet and Greet with Merida from Brave. I've seen quite a few Meridas on the net and in character, but this one was one of the best. She really got into the role and gave a great performance. When it was our turn to take pictures, I asked the photographer is he could take some shots with my camera too. He took one. One shot...hope it wasn't too much trouble...

Fantasyland Lord @ Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Fantasyland Lady @ Magic Kingdom 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 08 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12:08:15 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Princess Merida Meet & Greet @ MK 12/08/15 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Breakfast at Cinderella's was excellent. Food and service were top notch and all the princesses were friendly and accomodating for picture taking. None of the group wanted to pose (maybe feeling a bit conscientious since it was all adults), so it was mostly single character shots only...

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 06 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella @ Cinderella's Royal Table 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella's Royal Castle Interior 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cinderella's Royal Castle Interior 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

French Toast @ Cinderella's Royal Table by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White @ Cinderella's Royal Table 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White & Sue @ Cinderella's Royal Table 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Snow White @ Cinderella's Royal Table 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sleeping Beauty @ Cinderella's Royal Table 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sleeping Beauty @ Cinderella's Royal Table 04 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Little Mermaid Ariel @ Cinderella's Royal Table 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Little Mermaid Ariel @ Cinderella's Royal Table 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aladdin Jasmine @ Cinderella's Royal Table 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Aladdin Jasmine @ Cinderella's Royal Table 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sue and I wanted to have dinner at Epcot one last time, so we chose the San Angel Inn. The service and food were disappointing, but it's hard to beat eating with a volcano and pyramid in the distance. We also rode (for the 1st time) the Gran Fiesta Tour. This felt more like a travelogue to me with a bit of Small World added. Sue tried on one last hat for our album and we called it a night. We did have hard tickets to MVMCP, but I had come down with a cold and felt under the weather. We decided to head back to Wilderness Lodge early and get a good night's rest for the long trip home tomorrow.

Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Faces of EPCOT-Monica of Mexico 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Faces of EPCOT-Maruca of Mexico by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

San Angel Inn Restaurant 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 03 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Gran Fiesta Tour @ Epcot's Mexico Pavillion 05 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

The Mad SueHatter 14 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Wednesday morning had us packing and getting ready for the long journey home. It's always a bittersweet moment checking out of the hotel...half of me is ready to go home and see our girls...the other half is sadness at leaving this magical world behind. Sue and I had an early breakfast at Whispering Canyon where I had my first and only Mickey Waffle of the entire trip.

Whispering Canyon Coaster 02 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Mickey Waffles @ Disney's Whispering Canyon Cafe by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Since I had some positive responses to cast member photos, I'm going to post a few more here before I end this report. I thought it would only be of interest to me, but I'm glad others enjoy seeing these hard working and fantastic people...

Disney's Hollywood Tower of Terror Cast Member Sr-B:W by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Hollywood Tower of Terror Cast Member Beth by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Animal Kingdom Cast Members-Paula & Friend by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Disney's Animal Kingdom Wilderness Explorer Cast Member by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Star Traders Cast Member Senses a Disturbance in the Cash Register by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Cast Member Kourtney on Main Street by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Thank you to everyone who followed me on our vacation adventure and for all your very kind comments! Thank you also to WDW for Grownups for their amazing site and for the opportunity to share our trips. If you are a glutton for punishment, you can click any of my photos and it should take you to my Flickr album. There you'll find more photos from WDW as well as my Universal Studios pictures. Now that I've finished, I'll really be able to sit back, read, and enjoy the other member's great reports. I'll be heading to Disneyland in July, and if its okay with the admins, I'll be back to share my thoughts and photos on Disneyland's 60th Birthday celebration. Until then, take care, enjoy your time at WDW, and God bless!

Train Station on Main Street 01 by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

Sue & Len in Front of Cinderella's Castle by Juneau Biscuits, on Flickr

..If that wig was in the store, Sue would have tried it!

Thanks for tagging along Jennifer! It will be weird not posting to a TR anymore, but going to take the time to enjoy other people's reports including yours!

Thanks JoAnn...thank you for checking it out. Hope to do a better job on the Disneyland TR and take some better shots (especially at night)!