Yo Ho HO and the Jingle Cruise

Tuesday December 9, 2014
Fort Wilderness Campground
Walt Disney World

 

 

Today we take the boat again from the Fort Wilderness dock back to the Magic Kingdom.  We hope we’ll be able to see the players and skits on Main Street today as well as a couple of the shows that were rained out yesterday.

 

 

Yup we are the only people on board.  Wow this is looking very promising.  Of course we didn’t exactly get an early start.

 

 

Walt is there with Minnie to greet me so I’m thinking this day is going great.

 

BUT when we head toward Main Street we find that the entire thing is blocked off until 6pm.  Today it seems they are filming a parade for a special to be shown on Christmas Day and the crazy people are back.  We are told we’ll have to take the train somewhere else or walk around the back to Adventureland. 

I take a couple of pictures over the heads of those who want to be on TV and then I head over to City Hall to the Guest Relations department.  This is the second day my expensive tickets have been compromised and I wish to file a complaint.  No one told me about this when I bought the tickets or when I picked them up and there was nothing online prominently enough that I saw it.

 

 

 

 

 

Disney definitely aims to please.  The woman from Brazil who listened to my irritation told me how sorry she was and offered us both a free pass for another day.  Well that doesn’t help me on this birthday trip but perhaps we can figure out how to come back for a solo day when hopefully nothing will be blocked off and restricted.  That seems the best that can be done. 

So I accept and we sneak along the edges of the ‘you can’t go here’ section down to the castle.   W run into Walt again.  He’s still smiling.  This time he’s with Mickey. We swap photos with another tourist.

 

 

When I turn to look at the castle I just burst out laughing at these two girls who are in their pajamas.  I saw those pajamas yesterday in the Disney store when I was keeping out of the rain and the cold.

I yell “Hey Pajama Girls” and rotate my finger for them to turn around.  They do and grin.  So cute! Now they should be on TV.

 

 

Since we are now in Adventureland as directed, we decide to see the latest Jack Sparrow show.  The last time we were here the Jack Sparrow player was a look alike.  This time not so much although he’s still nice looking and it’s still a pretty good show. But in January of 2013 the guy who played Depp had obviously studied him and was great with the walk, the talk and the comments.   See the real looker here if you like.  He’s near the end of that post.  You can also see how much better the weather cooperated for David’s birthday than mine.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

 

 

This show is always fun since it is a pirate training school and takes kids out of the audience to teach them how to be pirates.

We thought these two were perfect candidates.  I wish the lighting were better so you could see his beard and moustache.

 

 

Sure enough………….Jack knows potential pirates when he sees them

 

 

 

 

After this of course we need to go on the Pirates of the Caribbean trip.   

 

We’re both singing “YO HO, YO HO A pirate’s life for me” as we enter into the depths.  That’s all well and good until we see some of what’s going on here.

 

 

This guy in front of us may be about to get his head blown off.  That guy’s got a musket.

 

At least some of them end up in jail.  But look who’s got the key as a fire rages outside.

 

 

So what do you think?   Look alikes??

 

 

 

This one is scarier looking don’t you think? 

 

After this, we decide to bag the Magic Kingdom and spend the afternoon at Epcot.  Good thing I added the extra charge for “Park Hopper” to our passes.  That seems a bit cheesy and cheap to me to charge extra if you want to spend half a day at one park and then go check out another or the day at one and the night at the other.

Of course in order to get to Epcot, we have to go back to Main Street where we find the “Christmas Day Parade” in full swing.  So here are some shots of it if you don’t happen to want to watch it on TV at 10am on Christmas Day we are reminded for the millionth time by loud speaker.

One of the many keep the streets clear people.  It’s a Frozen parade apparently.

 

Love those feet – on the horse of course.

 

I can’t keep my princesses and princes straight.  I’m sure you know which ones these two are in the carriage leading the parade.  Probably the frozen two right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rapunzel and the tamed Merida

 

 

 

Gumpy Sleep Dopey and the rest zig zag down the street.   They remind me of the 6 geese we had who would never go anywhere without exactly following the leader.

 

 

 

 

More princesses and princes.   Sheesh………  I think I’ve seen enough parades and I’ve only been here two days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s that green eyed dragon again.

 

 

At this point we have squandered our time on yet ANOTHER parade and we are starving.  No time to take the monorail to the the monorail to Epcot.  So we head BACK into Adventureland (we have surely gotten our 10,000 steps already).   We pick up a fast pack for the “Jingle Cruise” and have an excellent taco salad and a beef, black been and rice burrito at Tortuka Tavern.

 

 

  They give you the foundation and you can use their salad bar to heap on the lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese etc.  Not part of our usual menu plan but hey we’re on vacation!  LOL

 

 

 

After lunch we have a few minutes before our “Jingle Cruise” fast time and we find a group of girls involved in one of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Games which is an interactive role playing game where you use magic spell cards to defeat Disney Villains and save the Magic Kingdom.  Using Merlin’s mystical map, embark on missions throughout Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; Fantasyland; Frontierland and Liberty Square. Unlock Magic Portals using your Sorcerer Key card.  This is free with your admission and really looked like a lot of fun.  You can get everything you need at the Main Street Firehouse. 

We happened to be standing by this portal when the girls arrive. We have our hands on it trying to warm them up.  It isn’t raining today but it sure isn’t warm either.  When they use their spell card a pirate appears in the water and gives them clues for where to go next.

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier, we saw another one of these games connected to a Pirate treasure map you can get at Pirates of the Caribbean. Next time we come we will definitely do some of one or both of them.

 

 

We head over to the Jingle Cruise and notice that the wait time is 80 minutes.  Good move to pick up a fast pass.

We board Mistletoe Millie in anticipation of finding out how this “Jingle Cruise” differs from the usual Jungle Cruise. 

We determine that the jokes are oriented toward the holidays and there are presents scattered around but it wasn’t that different.

 

 

 

Still the same water hazards, head hunters, dangerous animals and other perils of the jungle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We do finally leave the Magic Kingdom and go to Epcot.  But that’s for another post.