2025 November Trip

Sunday November 2nd We planned to get away today at about 11:00 a.m. and get to the FlyingJ Truck Stop at New Milford, in northern Pennsylvania, before sunset. We headed out to the RV early in the morning and moved it out of the driveway and onto the street so I could finish the last of my chores . . . hooking up the tow-car. When I went back inside at 8:30 Carol surprised me! She had the dogs dressed in their harnesses and all ready to go! That put me under a lot of pressure! I dashed to the shower, freshened up and we boarded the beast at 8:55. Our pre-flight check was completed in no time flat and we pulled out at 9:00 a.m.
Traffic was very light on Sunday morning.	We approached the US border at 9:25
This bridge is on the Canadian side of the border.	This identical bridge is on the US side.
We sailed along in light traffic all morning and we arrived at the Pennsylvania truck stop, our planned destination, at lunch time. We decided to carry on and head to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre so we picked up a quick bite at the McDonalds beside the FlyingJ and continued southbound! We sailed past Wilkes-Barre at about 3:00 p.m. and carried on to the Cracker Barrel at Harrisburg PA where we pulled in at 4:30. We had planned to travel 221 miles but because of our early start we were able to cover 377 miles. Fantastic! Once we were parked in the RV area behind the restaurant Carol headed to the back of the coach to start getting us set up for the night. When she got to the hall, near the bathroom and the pantry, the screaming started! We had experienced an environmental disaster! The toilet had overflowed and everything between the entry door behind the chairs we both ride in, and the back end of the bus was soaking wet! Every area rug on the floor was soaked! Let me clarify . . . it was all nice clean water . . . all of the nasty stuff from the toilet was safely stowed down below in a holding tank . . . but is was a wet mess nonetheless! The RV has a marine-style toilet that flushes with a foot pedal. The pedal opens a trap door to allow the waste to flush away, and at the same time it opens a valve to let clean water into the bowl to push the waste down and clean the bowl. Unfortunately, the valve had stuck in the open position for some reason. and it pumped the entire contents of our fresh water tank into the bowl AND out onto the floor. Approximately 60 gallons of water! Yuk! Carol tossed the area rugs outside and I hung them up while she used towels, and paper towels to mop and bail everything inside. I knew enough to stay well out of her way! It wasn't the happy ending we wanted for the day! It also meant that our fresh water tank was of no use. No water to drink, no water to shower or wash with! Fortunately we had brought a case of bottled water so we were able to survive! After the environmental clean-up, we headed into the Cracker Barrel, had a sponge bath in the restroom and enjoyed dinner! Bed time came early!

Monday November 3rd Because we had no water, we had to change our plans again. We needed to fill the tank and that meant we had to stop at a campground rather than 'boon dock' another night. So we booked a site at the KOA Campground in Wytheville Virginia and pulled out of Harrisburg at 7:00 a.m.
	This is the part of the trip where we see four states in just under an hour!

	At the Virginia state line we stopped to gas up at the FlyingJ.
Our second day on Interstate 81 took us through the Shenandoah Valley.	You can clearly see why they are called the Blue Ridge Mountains!

We pulled into the KOA in Wytheville VA at 3:35 after a trip of 355 miles. After we stretched our legs and gave the dogs a walk, we quickly got set up for the night. Carol made the inside into a home while I worked outside connecting the utilities and filling up that fresh water tank. I had a spare toilet valve, so I replaced the sticky one (not easy for a big guy to do in a teensy toilet). Then we all settled in for a well earned nap! Dinner was Chinese, we discovered the Peking Restaurant in Wytheville almost 20 years ago and it's a regular stop. Unfortunately, their homemade egg rolls aren't as good as they used to be. They used to have a nice crispy wrapper but the last few times we've found them a bit 'doughy'! We made quick grocery stop to pick up some supplies for lunches on the road, then headed back to the campground for another quiet night!

Tuesday November 4th We knew we had a shorter driving day ahead of us, so we didn't plan to rush, but we still got away before 8:00 a.m. After two full days on Interstate 81 we left it behind and headed south on Interstate 77. We spent about 40 minutes climbing the northern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of my favourite parts of the trip. Then we got to the part Carol dreads every time! It's a steep 7-mile plunge down the southern side of the Blue Ridge Chain, into North Carolina. The hill features a 3,100 foot descent, three runaway truck ramps and some seriously white knuckles. Today Carol was on her best behaviour! She only screamed 'Slow down!' once.

I just love this view!	Carol just hates this view!

We passed Columbia South Carolina about noon and turned onto eastbound Interstate 26. Lunch was a quick stop at a rest area near Orangeburg SC and then it wasn't long before we turned onto southbound Interstate 95. We pulled into New Green Acres Campground at Walterboro SC at about 2:45 after a 320 mile drive. We had a lazy afternoon with the dogs, enjoyed dinner at home and had a quiet night!

Wednesday November 5th This was another day when we didn't have to get away early, we were heading to North Beach Camp Resort, just a few miles north of St. Augustine Florida. A short drive, only 244 miles. We hoped to sleep in for a change. Unfortunately that didn't work out! We were wide awake much too early and pulled onto the highway at 8:07. Sheesh!	We crossed the Savannah River and left South Carolina behind at 9:10 a.m.
On the south side of the Savannah River is Georgia!	We pulled off at Brunswick GA and gassed up at FlyingJ then got the RV washed.
Carol whipped up sandwiches which we ate while we waited in line at Blue Beacon. Jasper didn't like the truck wash! All those guys spraying and brushing freaked him out!
Florida came into view at 12:45 p.m.	The Free State of Florida. What does that even mean?
The GPS routed us around Jacksonville.	We crossed the magnificent Dames Point Bridge.
At the end of the bridge we crossed the St. John's River.	There must have been a slowdown or a crash on Interstate 95 because our GPS took us down Highway A1A through Ponte Vedra and directly to our campground. There was a bit of traffic congestion in the town of Ponte Vedra, but otherwise it was a nice scenic drive. Before long Carol said, 'I planned to take the dogs out at that rest area on I-95.' so we started looking for a place to pull off. With the car hooked on the back, the rig is almost 70 feet long and we cannot back up, so we need plenty of room to turn. Soon a big gas station came into view with a nice grassy area at the back. Jake is a trooper, he can do his business anywhere. Jasper is a different story! Conditions have to be perfect and he has to focus on the chore. The tennis courts next door were a real distraction! A man playing tennis yelled to Carol, 'I like your dogs.' and she replied, 'This one is very distracted by your tennis balls!' He lobbed a ball over the fence . . . who knew that Jasper could poop perfectly while strutting around with a brand new tennis ball in his mouth? He couldn't wait to get back in the RV to show me his brand new green poop trophy!
Parts of the highway were canopied with old oak trees and lined with magnificent beach houses! It was a very pretty drive!	Dunes and the Atlantic on the left. Dunes and the Intracoastal Waterway on the right.
North Beach Resort is on A1A, about 3 miles north of downtown St. Augustine.	Even our campground is canopied with oak trees.
Our campsite is spectacular!	Sand, shade and the sound of the surf!
Sunlight glinting through the oaks!	We went to O'Steen's for dinner. It's been a favourite of ours for almost 20 years.
No reservations, no credit cards, no fancy decor, just great food.	Their fried shrimp is amazing. Alas, the lady who made their coconut cream pies has retired. Damn!
This 'Beaver Moon' was reflecting on the Atlantic Ocean as we went home! These pictures are shot from the beach directly in front of our campground. Wow, it was pretty!

Thursday November 6th It's time to head to Fort Wilderness and we're only 129 miles away!	We pulled out of the campsite at 8:30.
We stood by that gate last night to watch the Beaver Moon!	The gate is directly across A1A from the campground office.
	We crossed the Intracoastal Waterway at St. Augustine.
Early morning traffic on I-95 was light.	At 9:45 our turn onto I-4 came into view.
Traffic moved well on I-4 and we whisked through Orlando.	By 10:50 we had arrived at Walt Disney World.

A text message arrived before we pulled in confirming our campsite, #1720.	We bypassed the check-in lanes and drove directly to our site.
	We stopped quickly to unhook the tow-car then Carol drove the car to our site while I followed in the coach. She directed as I backed the beast into position, then we got busy setting up. Our first priority, after connecting the utilities and walking the dogs, was pulling everything we need out of the basement storage compartments. That chore is much easier to do before the slides are out! Then we started setting up, patio mat, tables, chairs, barbecue and all the other necessities. At about 12:30 we took a break for lunch, then Carol started fine-tuning the interior while I went out and pulled the two folded e-bikes out of the back seat of the car and made them roadworthy. Later I put up our Mickey Mouse lamp post and did a bit of wiring so that Carol could start placing the inflatables and outdoor decorations where she wanted them.
When 3:00 p.m. rolled around we were both pooped so we invited the dogs to join us for a nap. When Jake and I woke, an hour later, Carol and Jasper were long gone. They were outside and Carol had most of the decorations up. It's looking good! Later, in the early evening, our friend Curtis arrived to pick up the Canadian groceries we brought for him. For the past several years he has sent a shopping list. Things that he misses and cannot get here in Florida! We visited with Curtis for a while and then dashed off for a quick bite to eat and some grocery shopping. We were home by 8:30 and had a quiet night with the dogs.

Friday November 7th We spent a few quiet hours at the campground this morning. Carol did some more outdoor work while I fussed on the computer getting our US Customs & Immigration paperwork done. The new requirements for a form I-94 if you stay more than 30 days are really quite tedious. It took a few hours to complete the online applications for Carol and I. Then it was time to head to EPCOT to sample some of the wares at the Food & Wine Festival.

	We stopped in Mexico for the Gran Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros!

A band was playing as we left Mexico.
	In China we enjoyed the Chicken Dumplings.
At Flavors From Fire we sampled the Smoked Corned Beef and the Grilled Beef Skewer. Both were good!
	Carol stopped for a special PhotoPass on her way out of the park!
We were back home by 2:00 p.m. and did a bit more work outside, setting up rope lights, a lighted wreath in a tree, etc. By 3:00 we were bushed! The 86º heat had worn us out! It was nap time! We hadn't been up long when our friends Tom & Krista, from New Brunswick dropped by. We had a nice visit with them, then it was time to head out to dinner. We ate at City Works in Disney Springs. Carol was there in September when she came to the D23 event but it was a first for me. We both had terrific meals!
This pair were playing outside Splitsville as we headed back to the car. They did a great rendition of a Billy Joel tune!	Carol picked us up some dessert at Everglazed before we left!

Saturday November 8th Today was set aside for a trek to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We left the campground at 8:30 and entered the theme park just before 9:00. Carol spotted this bee between the parking lot and the park entrance!
These giant Christmas trees arrive overnight and suddenly it's Christmas!
There is a new show in the Tree of Life Theatre.	The queue hasn't changed.
The show is totally revamped . . . not an improvement in our opinion!
We have been looking forward to seeing the baby tiger, Bakso, who was born about a year ago, so we headed directly to the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
A Komodo Dragon basking in the sun.	A ferocious Kingston Dragon hiding in the weeds!
	This is the mother tiger, Sohni. They were separated today for the first time.
This is the 150lb baby - Bakso who is missing his mommy!
	Bakso
Bakso	Bakso


	It was a hot morning - a great time for Mickey bars!
We sat down behind Yak & Yeti and enjoyed an early lunch of egg rolls from the quick service counter, then Carol browsed a few shops while I took a few pictures.

	Disney artist Rob Kaz was working at the Island Mercantile shop.
Carol bought one of his prints and he signed it for her.
Kevin.	We were back home by 1:00 p.m.
	Carol laid back in her recliner under the tall pines, with Jasper close by, while I went off to the Outpost to register our rental golf cart. When I got back everyone was overheated so we went indoors for a nap.
Dinner was at Olivia's in Disney's Old Key West Resort.	Naturally there was some browsing to be done!

When we got home it was time to do some 'looping'.	The dogs just love touring the campground on the golf cart after it gets dark..
It's only a week after Halloween but the Christmas decorations are popping up.	This was our favourite so far! Animated Goofy, Mickey and Minnie!

Sunday November 9th We had no park plans today so we spent the entire day relaxing at Fort Wilderness. We've been on the go non-stop for a week and we both needed a slow day! The first thing in the morning we strung a few strings of lights in the trees and put up a few decorative Christmas signs. Now the decorations are complete! Just after 10:00 a.m. we loaded the boys in the golf cart and took them to the off-leash dog park. They needed a work-out and they ran and romped on their own for a while, then Jo-Jo and Ollie, from Texas, came to join them. A lot of sniffing took place . Texas dogs must smell funny!


	Carol whipped up some sandwiches for lunch and we ate outside, enjoying the weather. It's 84º with 82% humidity (feels like 88º) but that's better than the snow that's falling at home. There's a low front coming in; the high tomorrow is forecast to be 63º. We can live with that!
After lunch the heat drove us indoors. Carol grabbed the laundry basket and hopped on the golf cart. She headed out to the comfort station to do a couple of loads. While the wash was agitating and spinning Carol did a bit of browsing at the Settlement Trading Post. When she got back, thunder was beginning to rumble in the distance. Within minutes the rain was teeming down. What a perfect time for a nap!
When we got up, I checked the security camera on our garage at home. Yuk!	A blurry shot of deer on the roadside as we zoomed past!
Dinner at Boatwrights in the nearby Port Orleans Riverside resort..	The shop, Fultons, has some great Disney decor.
Looks like Goofy is having trouble with the stove!
The restaurant is themed around boatbuilding.	Carol ordered the 'Sampler' platter and could only finish half!

Monday November 10th We were up bright and early and caught the boat to the Magic Kingdom at 8:15. It was a quiet morning at the park and we managed to get a lot done since it wasn't crowded!


We posed for several PhotoPass shots and rode Peter Pan, It's a Small World and Haunted Mansion before we left at 11:30.









We even met some bears in Adventureland!
	A pineapple float for me and pineapple upside-down cake for Carol!
Carol browsed through The Emporium while I took a few pictures along Main Street.

	The Christmas tree is 70' tall!
We were back home at 11:45 and took the boys to the dog park.	They both had a good run!


Today's weather forecast had a very strange warning!	We arrived at EPCOT at 5:25.
The setting sun was lighting up the Eiffel Tower as we approached France.	Our dinner reservation at Les Chefs de France was for 6:00 p.m.
We shared French Onion Soup then Carol had Boeuf Bourguignon.	I enjoyed Poulet Cordon Bleu.
Carol had Swan Profiterole for dessert. I ate the wings! After dinner we headed to The Land to ride Soarin' and Living With The Land.	We expected the greenhouses to be lit up for Christmas. Alas . . . not yet!


Spaceship Earth was sparkling as we left.	We were back home with the dogs by 9:10 p.m. It was a nippy 48º but there was no sign of plummeting iguanas!

Tuesday November 11th We were up bright and early this morning. Carol headed off on her own at about 7:30, heading to The Magic Kingdom to pick up some new pins that were being released today. I stayed home with the dogs and examined our recliner chair. It's been sticking when we try to recline in it so some repairs are needed. Carol got home about 10:30 and was absolutely frozen. She said she had never been that cold even when she was skiing! She took a piping hot shower to warm up! Once she was back to 98.6º we hopped in the car and went out the Osceola Parkway to The Loop. Carol found a few 'must-have' things at Hobby Lobby and then I stopped at Lowes to pick up the parts I need to repair the recliner. We were home by about 1:00 p.m. and had a light lunch followed by a long winter's nap! The dogs enjoyed an early dinner before Carol and I left at about 4:30 for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! We didn't ride any rides or attractions during the party, we simply enjoyed the special party decor and ambience. The cookies, hot chocolate, cider and egg nog were nice too!	Rapunzel's tower in the morning.
The party entrance was to the right, behind Main Street.
There were street performers, like this DJ . . .	. . . and this stilt walker.
We shared a BLT Club and onion rings for dinner at The Plaza Restaurant!
The inflated candy canes (on the right) marked the treat stations.
We watched the special parade in Liberty Square.







	Then we went to Main Street to watch the fireworks at The Hub.







	The amazing fireworks display added some warmth to a bitterly cold night!
	We were back home with the pups by 11:30. Thankfully we were not injured by falling iguanas!

Wednesday November 12th After a late night we slept in a bit today and took it slow and easy for a few hours. Then it was time to head out to Hollywood Studios. We've been here for a week, it's high time we got to the fourth theme park!	We arrived at 10:00 a.m.
Carol browsed through the shops along the right side of Hollywood Boulevard while I took a few pictures.


	We checked out the new Villains show behind Rock 'N Roller Coaster.

It's a lively mix of animation and live action. Three actors appear as Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent, It's an engaging and entertaining story.

	A new show (for us) - The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure
It's another blend of animation and live action.



Carol browsed along the other side of Hollywood Boulevard . . .	. . . while I captured some more pictures.
She's not a very efficient shopper - she went home empty-handed!
We were home at 1:00 p.m.	Jake and Jasper had a good romp in the dog park!


	We headed to Disney Springs where we met our friends from New Brunswick, Tom & Krista and their daughter Lauren. It was our first time eating at The Polite Pig and we really enjoyed it!
I tried the Smoked Turkey BLT with a side of potato salad.	Carol had Layla's ribs and a side of BBQ Cauliflower. We have no idea who Layla is!
We'll be going back to The Polite Pig! Yum!

More browsing . . .	. . . no purchases! What's the point?
We stopped in the Co-op Shop and had a few special PhotoPass pictures taken.



Thursday November 13th This morning Carol slept until after 7:00 a.m. That's very rare! We had no park plans for the day and hoped to have a restful day at home . . . but sometimes . . . the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley! Jake has been having some diarrhoea and gastrointestinal issues. We changed his diet before leaving home and we've been monitoring him closely ever since. This morning we took him to the Veterinary Clinic in Lake Wales for a check-up. All's well with Jake, but the trip ate up a chunk of our 'quiet time'. We did a bit of shopping on the way home, and managed to squeeze in a nap before it was time to feed the dogs and head off to EPCOT for dinner!	We arrived at 5:30 p.m.

Spaceship Earth was sparkling as we approached Japan at 6:00 p.m.
Our chef was Marina from Osaka Japan.	She did a great job!
The two boys at our table really enjoyed the show!	Yes, she landed the pot in her hat!


	We were home by 8:00, loaded the dogs on the golf cart, and went looping.


	It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Friday November 14th We were up bright and early this morning and headed out to Animal Kingdom, hoping to ride the safari before the park got too busy. Mission accomplished! We arrived at the park at 8:35 and after a brief stop at the Otter Grotto we joined the line for Kilimanjaro Safaris. It was almost a walk-on, not more than ten minutes! And it was a good morning for animals too. Lots of sightings!
Otters.	A crowned crane.
	A female greater kudu.



	What's more fun than a cheetah?
Two cheetahs!	The lion was a bit antisocial today!
The female lion was almost as high as she could get!	White rhinos.

An okapi hiding behind a tree!









	The puppets were wandering on Discovery Island.
	The puppets danced to fiddle music.


	The seal is named Oliver!
	A steel drum joined the fiddler!
We left to go home at 12:05 p.m.	After a quick lunch in the RV, we took the boys to the dog park.
Jasper decided he wanted to play with the other dogs!
This little lady said goodbye as we left for dinner at Olive Garden!

Saturday November 15th It was a 'do-nothing day' today . . . and we did it exceptionally well! We left the campground at about 9:30 and I dropped Carol off at the Holiday Inn on Hotel Plaza Boulevard. She spent the morning swapping Disney pins with friends and strangers! I went to Ace Hardware on Route 192 and picked up a few more shiny metal bits to finish up the repairs on the recliner chair. I came back home and finished up the chair. Carol called at 11:45 to let me know she was all swapped-out! I went back to pick her up and we spent the afternoon at home with the dogs.
	After lunch in the RV we took the boys to the park.
'I'm going to catch this ball!'	'I just love to run!'
On the way home we stopped at The Settlement for a Mickey Bar!	Pioneer Hall isn't looking too remote these days. Maybe Fort Wilderness should be renamed Fort Condominium!
Our last stop was in the 1800 loop where we enjoyed a short visit with friends Tom & Krista from New Brunswick. Jasper and Jake visited with their dog Briar. Their daughter Lauren flew out this morning on her way home. When we got home, we all settled in for a long winter's nap! After the dogs were fed we hopped in the car and headed to Disney Springs for dinner at Earl of Sandwich. We've been here for 10 days . . . how have we not been to Earl's yet? Along the way to the restaurant we spotted a few of the special 'Christmas Tree Stroll' trees! There's a contest, identify all of the Disney themed trees and win a prize!
The Encanto tree	The Frozen tree
The Haunted Mansion tree

A Tuna Melt for Carol, a Festive Special for me!	A roving DJ on a self-propelled sleigh.
	The Princess And The Frog tree
Carol felt like ice cream . . .	. . . she forced me to have one too!
We were back home with the boys by 8:30.

Sunday November 16th We planned another quiet day today. The parks are busy on weekends so we usually give them a pass and wait for slower times. In the morning Carol took the dogs for a walk around the 1700 loop of campsites and happened upon a flock of turkeys. The dogs must be getting used to turkeys; they paid very little attention.
	It was a beautiful sunny morning!
We left at about 10:00 a.m. to watch a special screening of Home Alone which was released on this day 35 years ago. It was a special ticketed event presented by the D23 Fan Club. Every attendee got a goody bag which contained some special movie related mementos. Friends Curtis and Alek joined us in line and we all enjoyed the morning together.	D23 cast members started things off by giving us some insider information about the movie's production!
There was a spirited suitcase packing contest . . .	. . . and a children's massed kazoo band played 'Hark The Herald Angels Sing'.
The movie itself was great fun! We were surrounded by some die-hard fans, many of whom knew the dialogue by heart and spoke the lines right along with the actors. We all had interactive bracelets in our goody bags. They flashed and changed colours in unison, based on actions in the movie. People slapped their knees to provide drum rolls for key dramatic events . . . it all added to the humour and drama of the movie	There were movie backdrops and banners for photo-ops.

	The bathroom where Kevin applied deodorant and aftershave!
After the movie we stopped at Splitsville for a bite of lunch and had enough left over to take home for dinner. Then we headed back to Fort Wilderness to spend a relaxing afternoon with the dogs.
This pileated woodpecker made a racket directly above Carol as she relaxed in her zero gravity chair.
	It was Grey Cup Sunday in Canada, the Canadian Football League Championship. The Eastern Division champion Montreal Alouettes played the Western Division champion Saskatchewan Rough Riders at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg Manitoba in the 112th Grey Cup Game. The Saskatchewan Rough Riders won 25 - 17.
The coveted trophy!

Monday November 17th We left Fort Wilderness at 8:10 a.m. on our way to Animal Kingdom for another Kilimanjaro Safari . . . but we quickly diverted! We headed south to Lake Wales instead and had a quick meeting with Jake's drug dealer. It was a very quick trip down and back, we arrived at Animal Kingdom at 10:30. Alas, the line for the Safari had gone from 25 minutes to 65 minutes. We reconsidered and headed toward The Tree of Life to see the new Zootopia show again.	This doe was stationed near the Fort Wilderness exit and wished us 'safe travels'.

The puppets were out on Discovery Island so we mingled a bit. That's the first eight-string ukulele I've ever seen!	This fellow's name is Hound.

	Our last time at Zootopia we sat in the back row and couldn't really hear the dialogue. We didn't understand the story. Today we sat close to the front and it was much better. We really enjoyed it!
The queue hasn't changed . . .	. . . but the Zootopia story seems to fit the old theme just fine!


This plaque honours Dr. Jane Goodall.
We stopped for a light lunch at the Yak & Yeti quick service and the siamangs (the largest type of gibbon) were hooting loudly while we ate. We went to see them when we finished lunch.
	This big fellow put on quite a show for us!


Kevin was entertaining the crowd near the park entrance as we left.	I'm not sure whether this youngster was ecstatic or terrified!
We were back to Fort Wilderness at 12:45 and spent some quiet time with the dogs.	The boys had their dinner a bit early and we struck off at 4:45 to have dinner at EPCOT.

Dinner was at Nine Dragons in China.	Spring Rolls.
Fried Rice and Honey Sesame Chicken	After dinner we joined the line for a free concert in the America Gardens Theatre
The Eat to the Beat Concert Series runs throughout the Food & Wine Festival	Appearing this year for the first time were The Beach Boys. The line for the concert stretched from the theatre through Italy, Germany, Norway and China.
Mike Love and special guest, John Stamos.	Mike Love (age 84) is the only original Beach Boy still touring with the band.
It was a great show!	Good Good Good Good Vibrations!
Most of the musicians in the band had not been born when the original Beach Boys recorded their classic tunes!	Bruce Johnston (age 83) on the far left. He joined the band in 1965. What a treat to see these old codgers we've been singing along with since the 1960's!
We were back home at 9:20 and took Jake and Jasper out 'looping'..	They really enjoy night-time golf cart rides!

Tuesday November 18th Carol was on a mission this morning. She sprang out of bed, fed the dogs, got dressed and dashed off on the golf cart at 7:10 a.m. It was amazing! Carol is not a 'morning person' and she normally approaches the day at a slow and cautious pace. But there were some new pins being released today at the Magic Kingdom and she didn't want to miss the action! The boat was just pulling in at the Fort Wilderness Marina when she got there, and she docked at the Magic Kingdom at 7:40. I was planning to meet her at the park later, after her pin sale was over.	These beautiful critters were near the dog park as Carol went past.
The water was like glass near Discovery Island.	Pin Traders lined up on the bridge at Liberty Square.
I wasn't so lucky. The boat was just leaving when I got to the marina.	This was Carol's view as I waited for the next boat!
When the store opened and Carol was buying her pins . . .	. . . I was on the boat crossing Bay Lake.
She sent me a text - 'Meet me at the Jingle Cruise'.

Our skipper Hannah did a great job!


	It was a quiet morning and lines were short. We got a lot done!
















	We shared a foot-long hot dog for lunch at Casey's Corner.





Carol went ahead on a launch while I waited for a cruiser to return to the campground. My ECV won't fit on the smaller boats!	This guy was waiting on the dock when I arrived at 12:45.
	We all enjoyed a nice nap, then went to the dog park where the boys had a good run!

After the boys were fed we headed off for dinner at Cheddar's.	I enjoyed my Monte Cristo sandwich, Carol was disappointed with her sampler plate.
Jake and Jasper insisted that we needed to go 'looping' again!
	It was a good day!

Wednesday November 19th We had no park plans until later in the day so we ran a few errands in the morning, and spent the afternoon at Fort Wilderness. We fed the puppies a bit early and at 4:30 we hopped in the car and headed to Hollywood Studios for dinner at 50's Prime Time Café.	The dogs had a good run in the dog park after lunch!

	Cloudless skies and 84º - perfect! We sat outside for a while, counting squirrels. There are a lot of them!
	We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 5:00 p.m. and took a spin on Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.



Then we took in the displays in the Walt Disney Presents theatre.
The costumes the Muppets wore in the 1992 'Muppets Christmas Carol' movie.	Costumes from the 2019 movie 'Noelle'

	Echo Lake was beautifully illuminated!

We had a nice dinner at 50's Prime Time Café.	The decor is 1950's and so are all the TV shows!
	In Toy Story Land we took a ride on Midway Mania.

Gary won tonight!

	The 'Sunset Seasons Greetings' show. It's amazing how music, projected light and some lasers can change the Tower of Terror! We stopped and watched the show for about 10 minutes on our way to the exit.


	We were home with the dogs by 9:00 p.m.

Thursday November 20th Today got off to an unexpected start. When I rolled over to get out of bed, Carol yelled from the living room, 'Be careful, there's dog puke in the bed!' Yup - not the best way to start your day! This generated a flurry of activity, we stripped the bed, Carol grabbed the towels and tossed them and the bed linens into the almost-full laundry basket and we boarded the golf cart. We dashed to the comfort station where Carol filled three washing machines in the Laundromat area. Our early day at Magic Kingdom was delayed a little while, but we still had a great morning there! We got to the marina just in time to see the boat cast off and sail away, but the next boat came along quickly and we were at the theme park by 9:45. The crowd was very light and we were able to get a lot done before heading back home to the puppies! They were happy to see us when we pulled in at 1:15.	On a trash bin while Carol walked the dogs this morning.
We arrived at the dock at 9:10 - our boat was just disappearing in the distance!	Another one pulled in ten minutes later!

A very light crowd at 9:45 this morning.
	The Dapper Dans singing on the Main Street Trolley.





We took a spin on the People Mover!

Sticky bubble bread and a pretzel at The Lunching Pad.




We went Under The Sea with Ariel.
	'You want thing-a-ma-bobs? I got twenty!'



We were home with the boys at 1:15 and enjoyed a quiet afternoon.	Dinner was at the Trail's End, beside Pioneer Hall.
After dinner we loaded up Jake & Jasper and went 'looping'.	They are now insisting on their nightly golf cart rides!



Friday November 21st This was another day when plans changed. We were planning to meet friends for lunch at The Boathouse in Disney Springs but they let us know early this morning that they weren't feeling up to snuff, and had to cancel. Carol did a quick reset of plans, cancelled the lunch reservation and we caught a boat to The Magic Kingdom. It was another quiet day at the park and we were able to get a lot done in the morning!	We arrived at the dock at 8:45 and watched the boat sail away. No problem, there's another boat approaching!
	By 9:00 a.m. we were approaching the theme park.
We stopped for a PhotoPass at the park entrance.
Another PhotoPass at The Hub.	And yet another one on the bridge to Tomorrowland.
	It's time for a spin on the Mine Train!
We joined the standby line at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.



	It was our first stop at Mickey's PhilharMagic in a couple of years!
We encountered some bears in Frontierland.	Romeo
Big Al	The floats and pineapple upside-down cake were melting as Carol brought them to the table!
	Our last ride was Pirates of the Caribbean.


	The Shoe Tree, in Bay Lake near the campground, is not looking healthy!
We had a light lunch in the RV, went to Home Depot to pick up a couple of things, then spent a quiet afternoon with the dogs. We had dinner at the nearby Miler's Ale House. The first time there in several years. The food was OK, but we won't be hurrying back. There re so many spots we like better. Naturally, when we got home the boys insisted that we go out 'looping'!	That's a mighty big nutcracker!
Two of these inflatables had motion - Jasper growled at them!	Biggest reindeer we've ever seen!

Saturday November 22nd The weekend and another day with no park plans. Later we will take a Starlight Safari at the Animal Kingdom Kidani Resort. So we planned a restful day at the campground. About 10:00 a.m. Carol said, 'I need a Danish, take me to the settlement!', so we loaded the dogs on the golf cart and went on an adventure!
	The new 'Disney Lakeshore Lodge" resort seems to be dwarfing Pioneer Hall. Disney owns 57 square miles of land here, surely they could have moved this resort 300 or 400 yards to the west . . . it would certainly have been better!
	The boys enjoyed a run at the Waggin' Trails dog park!
	We stopped at the Bike Barn.
Chip & Dale hang out there.	It's behind the Meadow Trading Post, beside the pool.
You can rent bikes, canoes, kayaks and fishing gear at the Bike Barn.	We had lunch in the RV and enjoyed a quiet afternoon with the dogs. We decided to skip our dinner at Boma, the buffet at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We've been eating very well lately and it was time for some lighter fare! So Carol cancelled our reservation and we had hot dogs at home. We left at 7:15 p.m. and drove to Kidani Village where we were booked for a Starlight Safari! What a treat! There were twelve of us on a safari truck and we toured the Sunset Savannah surrounding Animal Kingdom Lodge and the adjacent Kidani Village Resort. Each of us had a night-vision monocular, but most of the animals were quite visible without the assistance, and we stopped often to take pictures. It was an awesome experience!
The main lobby at Kidani Village.
It's filled with African art!	The exterior is African themed too.
Time to board the safari truck!	Carol's testing and focusing her monocular!
Our safari leader was Sarah and our driver was Emily.	An addax antelope.


	Animal Kingdom Lodge
A deer in the headlights!
	She was right beside us . . . but wouldn't show her face!
We were back home with Jake and Jasper by 10:00 p.m. The Starlight Safari was a wonderful experience. If you have chance to do it, we highly recommend it. The night-vision monocular was fun to play with . . . but we really didn't need it. In most cases the animals were near enough that we could see them clearly and photograph them easily.

Sunday November 23rd We don't usually go to the parks on the weekend but today we made an exception. We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 9:15. We left Hollywood Studios at 9:45. It was a madhouse! The park had been open for 15 minutes and all of the biometric ticket scanning stations were open at the entrance. The line at each station stretched out beyond the same-day ticket booths. There had to be 75 or more people waiting in each line! This is why we avoid weekends! We had hoped to ride The Tower of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash and Rise of the Resistance so the first thing Carol did was check wait times. Tower of Terror was 35 minutes, Slinky Dog was 120 minutes and Rise of the Resistance was 80 minutes. We headed toward The Tower of Terror and stopped for a quick PhotoPass along Sunset Boulevard. When we arrived at the Tower a cast member said, 'Only half of the elevators are working so the wait is going to be a bit longer.' The sign was now showing an 80 minute wait! Bye Bye Studios . . . we're outta here! There were still throngs of people entering the park as we left!
	Our single PhotoPass!

By 10:30 we had the dogs loaded on the golf cart and we spent the morning puttering around the campground looking for clues in a scavenger hunt. One of the scavenger hunt questions took us to the dog park so the boys enjoyed a romp while we were there! Carol had the clues all done and written down by noon so we headed to The Bike Barn where she cashed in her entry ballot for the grand prize . . . a sticker! Aahhh, the joy of victory!
	We had sandwiches for lunch in the motor home then enjoyed another quiet afternoon home with the boys. Later, once the dogs were fed, we had pizza from Trail's End for dinner while we waited for friends Scott and Merrie to arrive. They are from the Syracuse NY area but have moved to Florida within the last year, after Scott's retirement. Scott and Merrie arrived about 6:30 and we visited for a while before boarding the golf cart for a 'photo-tour' of the loops. I estimate that Scott took 200 or more pictures of the Christmas decorations! It was nice to spend some time chatting with them both!
	Have you ever seen Santa on an elephant? Or wearing bunny slippers?

Mickey and Minnie are motion activated. They sing and dance! The Goofy on the right is part of the same set. Very cute!
Scott is an accomplished photographer and later he shared some of his pictures with us. These are just a few! They're terrific!	The front of our RV.







Monday November 24th This morning Carol said, 'Let's go to The Magic Kingdom.' Moments later she said, 'Let's go to Disney Springs, have breakfast at Earl's, then finish the Christmas Tree Stroll.' Is it any wonder I'm normally confused? So off we went to Disney Springs! We marked off a few of the Disney themed trees before we got to the restaurant.
The Nightmare Before Christmas	We had a nice breakfast, as usual, at Earl's!
Once Upon A Toy	The Princess And The Frog
It's mesmerizing to watch the glassblower working his magic!	There are some really interesting PhotoPass opportunities in the Co-Op Store!


	Frozen
Coco


By noon the cold I've been fighting had won the battle. We headed back to the campground where Jake and I headed off to bed. We slept the afternoon away! Carol took Jasper off to the dog park for a solo session.
At the dog park there was an impromptu sniff-a-thon! They rotated clockwise in an end-to-end revolving sniff. It was amazing!	Jasper tried hard to coax this little hound to run . . . but no luck!
After the dogs were fed we headed to EPCOT to see the Christmas decorations in the Living With The Land greenhouses.	Spaceship Earth was gleaming with lights when we arrived at 6:00 p.m.

The greenhouses look amazing at Christmas!





	We had a light dinner at Connections, then made a quick refreshment stop at Club Cool.
Carol likes the Viva but I prefer the Royal. No one likes the Beverly!


	We were home with dogs just a little past 8:00.

Tuesday November 25th Tuesday was another 'Pin Release' day at The Magic Kingdom so Carol was up before dawn. She had the dogs fed and walked before she left at 6:45 a.m. This is a really big deal because Carol is definitely not a morning person! I stayed home with the pups while she stood in line waiting for the pin store to open at 8:00 a.m. There were at least 100 crazy people already in line at Liberty Square when she got there at 7:15. They wait in Liberty Square and then just before opening some cast members lead them to Frontierland.
Cast members display the new pins while they are lined up.	By 8:30 Carol had bought her pins and I was at Fort Wilderness waiting for a boat.
My boat pulled in at 8:40, exactly the same time Carol was enjoying a corn dog for breakfast!
She had some PhotoPass pictures taken on her way to Town Square where we were meeting!
	I stopped for a PhotoPass at the park entrance. Peter Pan joined me!
	The Dapper Dans were singing when we met in Town Square.

Carol stopped to sit and have a chat with Roy Disney and Minnie Mouse!	Then we boarded the train and rode to Mickey's Storybook Circus.
There's a lot of construction around the park so part of the rail line is closed and much of the open part is camouflaged so you cannot see the construction, There wasn't much to photograph so we took a few shots of the rail car we were in!	A ceiling lamp in the train car.
The Walt Disney World Railroad logo.	Space Mountain.
We left The Magic Kingdom and took a ride on the monorail. We wanted to tour the three resorts along the monorail line to see the special holiday decorations.
	Our first stop was the Contemporary Resort Hotel where Carol posed with the giant gingerbread house and browsed through a few shops.
If you want to build a giant gingerbread house, here s the recipe!
	Our next stop was the Polynesian Village Resort. The flowers there, and the Christmas Tree were phenomenal, but I didn't get to see them. When we were getting off the monorail at the Polynesian Station my ECV scooter quit. Carol took some pictures and browsed the shops while I tried to troubleshoot the problem. We left the ECV with the Bell Captain and headed back by monorail and boat to the campground. Carol stayed with the pups while I drove to the Polynesian and picked up the scooter. Turns out, all it needed was a battery charge!
	Lots of orchids everywhere at the Polynesian!
	More orchids!
There are lots of critters at the campground. This is one Carol spotted neat the Trading Post. A northern curly-tailed lizard. He's about eight inches long and very shy!	We went out to pick up a few groceries and stopped to see the campground office. It has just reopened after renovations and the decorations went up a couple of days ago.

	When we got back from shopping Carol took Jasper out for a run while I took Jake for a nap. My cold is still dragging me down! Jasper tried to coax a couple of Dalmatians into running and playing but they weren't interested. There were a couple of young boys to play with, so he still had a good time!
'Hey guys, can I play with you?	We had dinner at home and spent a quiet night with the boys!

Wednesday November 26th Today we decided to cancel our plans for Hollywood Studios and instead we relaxed and spent the whole day at Fort Wilderness. The resort was just decorated for Christmas a few days ago, so we went to The Settlement to have a closer look. Very nice! The dogs enjoyed a nice, long golf cart ride as we toured several camping loops, dropping some Pixie Dust into many of the Christmas stockings hung in front of campsites. Then they joined the crowd at the dog park for a romp! It was a good morning for Jake and Jasper!	The veranda at Trail's End is festooned!
In the corner of the Trail's End veranda, near the rocking chairs.	The decorations are rustic but elegant!
	Between Trail's End and the Trading Post is a much larger tree.
It's so pretty that the boys insisted we take their picture in front of it!	Merry Christmas!

Some very creative western-themed decorating ideas!	A reindeer with pitch-fork horns!
Even the Trading Post was all gussied up!
	It was very hot day. The dogs stayed in the shade!

	It was a good 'sniffing day'! There were thirteen dogs in the park while we were there.
We were back home by noon and enjoyed a light lunch and a short nap. Gary had an online Zoom meeting in the afternoon, he may be selected as a juror for a Coroner's Inquest back home. We're hoping he isn't selected, but if he is, it will all be done virtually so we won't have to go home. After the dogs were fed we headed off the The Grand Floridian Resort for dinner at The Grand Floridian Café. We always enjoy the salmon there!	As we left some neighbours were just setting up this animated Darth Vader.
The Grand Floridian is beautifully decorated!
	Two trees at the entrance and a giant tree in the atrium behind Carol.
There are swans everywhere you look!
Isn't it huge?
I listened to the piano player while Carol browsed the shop on the second floor. She shot the picture on the right from up there!
She had a couple of PhotoPass pictures taken up there!	Look, more swans! (and some chipmunks)

Dinner was great! We shared French onion soup and each ordered salmon.	When we got home we loaded the boys on the golf cart and went looping. A storm trooper had joined Darth Vader!
There are new decorations arriving every day!	These folks just arrived today and were busy putting out inflatables!
	The windows in this coach are loaded with Christmas neon!

Thursday November 27th Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year at Walt Disney World so we decided to skip the parks in the morning. Later in the day we have a reservation for dinner at The Diamond Horseshoe in The Magic Kingdom. It was an overcast morning, and cooler than the past week so we took the boys to the dog park where they had a good workout! We were both still feeling sluggish with colds so we took turns napping with the dogs!

Jasper knows exactly where to go when he gets thirsty!	At 4:45 we caught a boat to the Magic Kingdom.
It wasn't as crowded as we had expected.
We had dinner at The Diamond Horseshoe, beside the Liberty Tree Tavern.
A sunset lit up the sky as we waited for our table.

	After dinner we found a good spot to see the Disney Starlight Parade.
	It's bright and beautiful!







	Then we found a spot in The Hub to watch the 'Happily Ever After' fireworks at 9:00.


No one does fireworks better than Disney!	We were home with the puppies by 10:15.

Friday November 28th The annual Festival of the Holidays opened today at EPCOT so we were up bright and early to enjoy some of it before we leave Fort Wilderness on Monday. Some of the countries around World Showcase has a small outdoor stage where a fully costumed character appears to explain the holiday traditions in their country. Of course, there are also kiosks set up to allow guests a taste of typical holiday food and drink! We started our international journey with a stop at the Festival Centre in the Communicore Centre. They have a huge replica of the geodesic dome most people refer to as 'the big ball' but true Disney fans know as Spaceship Earth. The model is made entirely of gingerbread!	This is Spaceship Earth which has a diameter of 165 feet.
The 340 pound gingerbread model has a diameter of 8 feet.	Like it's big brother, the model has a light show synchronized to music!
Children were dancing at the end of the live Encanto show.

There are large poinsettia trees everywhere!




We timed our walk around World Showcase so that we could see Père Noël at the French Pavilion. The scroll to the right (and close-up below) describe Christmas traditions in France.
	The stage reserved for Père Noël.
Belle passed by and waved as we waited for the jolly French elf!	And moments later the jolly old soul arrived!
He told a story about Babette and her brother Francois to help us understand Christmas in France!
	Even Japan has a poinsettia tree!
	We stopped at the American pavilion to sample some Christmas fare!
	Somehow, the Blackened Catfish just didn't sound all that 'Christmas-y' so we tried the Slow-roasted Turkey. It was good!

The model train station in Germany had their Festival of the Holidays pennants on display but there was no sign of Christmas decorations yet!	As we headed to the exit we ran across a member of the pest control team. He seemed to have his eye on some prey!
The Fort Wilderness sign and the guard house are nicely decorated!	The dogs were wagging their tails when we pulled in just after 1 o'clock. We spent a quiet afternoon with them and had dinner at home. Yes, really!
The dogs are becoming quite assertive!	When we were done dinner, they wanted to go looping!

	It was a good day!

Saturday November 29th We spent the morning at Animal Kingdom where we enjoyed two rides on Kilimanjaro Safaris! There were plenty of animals to see and the line was surprisingly short. It must have been the cool weather! Later in the day we took the dogs for a run in the dog park, then went to EPCOT for dinner at Germany's Biergarten.
	Our first safari set off at 9:15 a.m.
Male and female Kudu, known as the ghost of the forest.	Happy Happy Hippos! Warm sun on a cool day.
Baby giraffe with mom. Dad is coming to join.	It's lunch time on the savannah!

He's just a baby!
A male lion below and female on sentry duty!
Crowned Cranes from Africa.	At 10:05 we started our second safari!
A pair of Okapi, cousins of the giraffe.	Saddle billed storks sitting. Notice their knees bent backwards. All birds knees work that way!
Swimming hippos.	Sunbathing hippos.
	Ankole cattle.

This giraffe was trespassing in the elephant compound. That's a no-no!
A cheetah at rest.	Another female lion on sentry duty.
Now the male is up top.	The crowd was unusually light today.
	We met Russell and Dug behind the Tree of Life.
There were five otters frolicking as we headed toward the park exit.	The puppets were out so Carol had to stop and pet one!
	The dogs were happy to see us, and happier to go for a run!
Jake barked a lot.	Jasper made a few new friends. When we got home we packed away some of the outdoor stuff, sadly we're moving on in a couple of days!
We got to EPCOT at 5:00 p.m.	There is some interesting decor around the park.
We enjoy the German buffet dinner at Biergarten.
The entertainment is good too!
They're playing Alpenhorns.	This instrument is similar to a xylophone but entirely made of wood.
He played a medley of Christmas Carols on hand bells.	We stopped in Mexico for a Gran Fiesta Tour.


Spaceship Earth was sparkling again!

We were home with the puppies by 9:00 p.m.	The view from the parking lot, under the monorail track!

Sunday November 30th Sunday was a 'work day' at Fort Wilderness. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, then Carol did a few loads of laundry while I worked a bit on the trip report. Once those chores were done we both went outside and spent a few hours taking down almost all the remaining camping gear and Christmas decorations. Carol started pulling up solar lights, extension cords, inflatable decorations, seasonal flags and signs while I folded up the e-bikes and stowed them in the back seat of the Ford Focus we tow. It's a job I dread! They come our relatively easily but getting them in is a tough chore. By noon we were done! There's nothing left out now but a pair of lawn chairs to sit in and the Mickey lamp to give us some light tonight. Tomorrow that will all be stowed in the car; I'll unhook the utilities and we'll pull out on our way to Canopy Oaks near Lake Wales. It's a short drive, about an hour or so so we don't need to rush tomorrow. We had a bite of lunch and a nap before taking the boys to the dog park.	The campsite looks a bit 'naked' now!
	This will be their last trip to this dog park for a while!
Jasper is in hot pursuit.	Jake is in full flight.
There was a mass exodus of campers today as the Thanksgiving holiday week ended. These folks, and many others, have just arrived and are setting up. We'll go back to see it after dark!
Some talented chalk artists live here!
After the dogs were fed we headed to Disney Springs and had dinner at The Polite Pig. Very tasty! When we got home the dogs wanted to go looping again!
	The giant snowman with the top hat, and the big elf, were both on the roof of a big RV!
	The nutcracker is about 15 feet tall!
This is the site we saw setting up this afternoon.
	A reclining gingerbread man.
That chalk artist lives here!	A surfing Santa and a Christmas octopus. Hmmm?

Rudolph is about 25 feet tall!	Some udderly delightful cows dancing with Olaf and Santa!
A couple of sites had a Star Wars theme. Nice!	Lovely hand crafted Christmas trees to finish our tour!

Monday December 1st It was time to leave Disney behind and head to The Resort at Canopy Oaks where we'll be spending the next four months. There was no need to rush, we only had 62 miles to drive. There was a logistical issue dropping off the golf cart we rented, but it was soon resolved and we pulled out of Fort Wilderness at 10:45 on our way to our next resort. Our route took us west on I-4 then south on SR27 before we turned east on SR60 at Lake Wales. Canopy Oaks is about 15 miles east of Lake Wales. We pulled into the campground at about 12:45, and started to settle in. It was a great time at Disney, we're already looking forward to heading back for a few days at Christmas!	Hooking up the tow-car at the Hitch-Unhitch area.
All was quiet at the reception office.
Bye Bye Mickey!	A familiar sight at Lake Wales. A truckload of fresh-picked oranges!
Arriving at Canopy Oaks.
Our home for the next four months.	The basement is unloaded!
The nightly sunset was enhanced by a blue heron across from our campsite!	Heading to Frost Bites for dinner.
The dogs remembered what comes after dinner!	Pup cups!
	Scooping gets tougher when you're near the bottom!