The Yuletide Hypothesis // Let the Pixie Dust Fall Where It May **UPDATE 5/28**

[PryncessChrysty]

Hiya, folks! :wave2:

This is the story of our wonderful holiday adventure to Walt Disney World this past December. For DH & I, it was our first trip to the World during this time of year. Aside from being plagued with a major cold throughout the duration of the trip, we had the opportunity to attend some pretty neat events, and we had an absolutely amazing time. I hope you’ll join me as I re-live our most memorable moments.


Trip Details:

Dates: December 6 – 18, 2011

Where we stayed: Old Key West, Wilderness Lodge & Boardwalk Villas

Special events: D23’s Magic & Merriment, MVMCP, DAP @ WWoHP, an Illuminations Dessert Party, and the Wishes Dessert Party


Who’s Who:

Me - Chrysty, 33: A genetically predisposed Disney nerd (on my mom’s side)

DH – Daniel, 36: Happily allows me to drag him all around the World

DM – Kelley, 52: She is a true Disney princess at heart and loves to be immersed in the magic

DSF – David, 45: Happily allows DM to drag him all around the World

DB – Jason, 24: This was his first time at WDW, he was only able to tag along for a few days


About Us:
DH & I are Disneyland locals and hit the parks as often as we can. We took a trip to Walt Disney World in 2008 (his 1st, my 2nd) and we’ve been hooked on the WDW Kool-Aid ever since. I’m a lover of (mostly) all things Disney, and I’m completely addicted to planning trips to WDW. When we first met, DH was indifferent to Disney in general, but has found a love & appreciation through all of the amazing experiences we’ve had over the years. I’m so lucky to have a hubby that “gets” it, or at least understands why I get it. We love anything that has to do with the history of the parks, and anything behind-the-scenes. You might have noticed by the title of our TR that we're also huge fans of "The Big Bang Theory". :3dglasses

DM, DSF & DB all grew up in southern California and moved to Colorado a little over 15 years ago. My mom has loved all things Disney her entire life, and my step-father has found a love for it through her. They took their first trip to WDW for their honeymoon in 1995, and have been addicted to the World ever since. They took us along for our first family trip in 2008, and now pretty much the only way we see each other is when we meet at the World. :laughing:

My brother has never been a big fan of Disney; at least that’s what he’ll tell you. However, if you ever find yourself playing Disney Trivial Pursuit with him, he just might kick your butt. I’m certain he had way more fun on this trip than he’ll ever admit.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/358-2.jpg
From L to R: DH, Me, DSF, DM, DB





* * *Chapter Links* * *


Day 1
Chapter 1: Away We Go! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44024186&postcount=4)
Chapter 2: Battered & Fried Pt. 1 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44172317&postcount=8)
Chapter 2: Battered & Fried Pt. 2 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44172326&postcount=9)
Chapter 2: Battered & Fried Pt. 3 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44172329&postcount=10)


Day 2
Chapter 3: The Best Laid Plans... (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44217407&postcount=17)
Chapter 4: Rockin' the Studios Pt. 1 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44236506&postcount=24)
Chapter 4: Rockin' the Studios Pt. 2 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44236572&postcount=25)
Chapter 5: Family, Food and……Freezing? (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44487937&postcount=37)


**TR Detour**
TR Detour: Our "Staycation" - Pt. 1 (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44814581&postcount=47)
TR Detour: Our "Staycation" - Pt. 2 (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44814583&postcount=48)
TR Detour: Our "Staycation" - Pt. 3 (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44814584&postcount=49)


Day 3
Heading into the Wilderness (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44877303&postcount=57)
Let the Pixie Dust Fall Where It May (http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=45008816&postcount=66) **UPDATED 5/28**

[Disneysnel]

:lmao: So far so good - and maybe NEXT trip you can tell me when my glasses are crooked? huh? :thumbsup2
Ready for more popcorn::
:love:

[PryncessChrysty]

:lmao: So far so good - and maybe NEXT trip you can tell me when my glasses are crooked? huh? :thumbsup2
Ready for more popcorn::
:love:

I totally don't see it - not even now. I think it's just cuz your head is tilted in the pic. :laughing:

[PryncessChrysty]

It never fails; in the weeks leading up to a trip, I start to have dreams where we’re on the plane headed for WDW, wearing our PJ's, with NO luggage, and NO itinerary. Oh, the horror. :eek:

In reality, it seems that no matter how much I prep & plan before our trips, I’m always rushing at the last minute to get it all done & ready. This trip was no exception, meaning there wasn’t much sleep happening the night before we left. We had to leave the house at 3:30 in the morning and my sweet dad drove us to Ontario (California, not Canada) airport at dark-thirty for our 6am flight. Just in case you were wondering, yes we were wearing regular clothes, had our luggage all packed & our itinerary ready to go! ;)

We had an easy check-in with Southwest, then stopped by Starbucks & paid $247 for a bottle of water & some muffins to snack on during the flight (OK maybe I'm exaggerating, but airport prices are seriously insane). From there we just sat & people-watched until it was time to board, where I'm convinced we saw the "Octomom" (sans brood) also waiting for a flight.

By the time we boarded, I had been awake for 24+ hours and was really starting to feel it. As soon as the plane left the ground I knocked out, so I don't remember much other than the take-off & landing. We had a short layover in Phoenix where we changed planes. We tried to get some sleep on the 2nd leg to MCO, but DH has a hard time sleeping in planes and I was just too excited. We passed the time doing word searches together & playing multi-player Boggle on our iPad. How exciting are we? At 4:25pm, we arrived at MCO right on time.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/46b05846.jpg


My sleepy hubby in Phoenix, waiting for our connecting flight. Apparently the thinking man was also on his way to Disney
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/742e484d.jpg

Aside from the dreams/nightmares leading up to our trips, I also have a tendency to become ever-so-slightly paranoid about getting sick. A month before we leave, we increase our vitamin C intake and add Echinacea to our daily routine. Inevitably, a few days before we're set to leave, I’m certain that I’m getting a sore throat. DH just rolls his eyes because, luckily, I’ve been wrong every time. (Gees, I really sound nutty don’t I? ::yes:: ) This time was different, though. This time I felt it coming and didn’t say anything, hoping it would just pass and that I was wrong like I had been EVERY other time. When we got off the plane in Orlando, my ears were completely full of fluid and I couldn’t even hear myself talk. But I'm sure they just needed to pop, right? :sad2:

We took the infamous MCO monorail ride and followed the herd toward baggage claim. Is it just me, or does it seem like it always take the bags an hour to get to the carousel? I'm sure it’s just because we’re so excited to get on the road to Disney, but it seriously feels like forever.

After all of our pieces were located safe & sound, we headed toward the Alamo car rental counter. We got a great deal with our Costco discount at $185 total for a full size car for the entire trip (13 days)! Oh, how I love a bargain. After breezing through check-in (IOW, dodging all of their extra services - insurance, GPS, pre-paid gas, etc), we headed out to the garage to pick out our car, something I love about Alamo. There were about 15 cars in our aisle, but there were only 3 different models to choose from: a Nissan Altima, a Chevy Impala, and a Crown Victoria. The Altima seemed too small for all of our luggage (and my curvy bottom). We skipped the Crown Vic because we didn’t want to have the theme song to “Cops” stuck in our heads the entire trip (you're welcome if it's now stuck in your head ;) ), so we plopped our stuff in a snazzy dark grey Impala and headed for the exit. I’ll show you a picture of our car later in the report, but look how cute this Muppets movie advertisement was hanging from the mirror! Our trip was already off to a good start. Well, aside from the whole plugged up ear thing.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/3833043b.jpg

We were on the road by about 5:30pm and our first stop was Super Target off 192. This is our routine every trip. We usually buy most of our toiletries when we get to Target, and we also get lots of Cherry Coke Zero, water & snacks for the room. Why specifically Cherry Coke Zero, you ask? While it is something we can get at home in CA, we first stumbled upon it at this Target on our very first trip back in '08, so it's become a tradition for us & we save it for WDW. Kinda weird, I s’pose, but it’s just something we do. Since my ears hadn't popped yet, we picked up some DayQuil, you know, just in case, and off we went.


Next stop: Old Key West, with lots of photos!

[PryncessChrysty]

Happy Valentine's Day, DISers! :lovestruc

I hope everyone is having a fantastic love filled day! :goodvibes

[Disneysnel]

:rotfl: OMG it sounds so good I wish I was there! :love:
What I think is the funniest, is the dreams of PJ's, no luggage or itinerary - probably most people's equivalent of showing up to work naked!


You have never shared one DROP of that cherry coke with me either BTW - it must be good :thumbsup2

Keep 'em coming please :flower3:
I hope you didn't get sick!

[PryncessChrysty]

:rotfl: OMG it sounds so good I wish I was there! :love:
What I think is the funniest, is the dreams of PJ's, no luggage or itinerary - probably most people's equivalent of showing up to work naked!

You have never shared one DROP of that cherry coke with me either BTW - it must be good :thumbsup2

Keep 'em coming please :flower3:
I hope you didn't get sick!

LOL - It totally is! They're super vivid, too, so if really feels real. It's awful. :rotfl::rotfl:

[PryncessChrysty]

As we made our way into the World, I was driving & forgot to ask Daniel to snap a picture of the welcome sign. So just imagine that it’s dark outside, Mickey & Minnie are all lit up and waving hello to you as the Disney bubble happily seals around you once you pass under the sign. *POP*

About a month before our trip, we decided to add on a couple of nights, moving our arrival date from the 8th to the 6th. A good friend of ours had some DVC points available for us to rent, but since we were booking at the last minute our resort choices were pretty limited. We decided on a studio at Old Key West because 1) the price was right, 2) we had never stayed there before, and 3) they recently renovated their rooms. We were really looking forward to trying it out.

We pulled into Old Key West around 7:00ish and we were happy to find that the lobby wasn’t very busy. I did online check-in before we arrived, so overall the process was quick. That is until I inquired about where our room was located. It was a bottom floor over-looking a roadway, so I asked if they had anything available on a higher floor with a water view. If not, it wasn't a big deal, but since it's what we wanted, I wanted to at least make an effort to get it. After about 10 minutes, they were able to get us a room on the 2nd floor, overlooking a waterway in the Turtle Pond area. Yay!

We drove over to our building and lugged our mass of luggage up to the room. This is one bummer about OKW - no elevators. I get why they don’t have them, and I know that to avoid it we could’ve just stayed on the bottom floor, but I’d rather stay on the higher floor and complain about hauling our junk up & down the stairs. :rolleyes1


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/026.jpg

Once we got everything into the room, I made Daniel wait to do ANYTHING so that I could take a bazillion photos of the room in its pristine condition.

While I never saw the old rooms in person, I’m sure that I’m grateful for the new color scheme. It was really calming.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/011.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/015.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/018.jpg


I really liked the French doors that open out to the balcony
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/014.jpg

In writing this TR, we just noticed the lizard up there!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/019.jpg


It's kind of hard to make out in the dark, but here's a shot of our water view
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/022.jpg


Looking into the room from the balcony, featuring one patient hubby
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/021.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/012.jpg


Closet closed
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/007.jpg


Closet opened (oooooh….ahhhhh)
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/008.jpg


Potty shots
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/002.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/005.jpg


Kitchenette
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/006.jpg

[PryncessChrysty]

After I sufficiently filled up my memory card with photos of the room, I unpacked just what we would need for our short stay here and got the room organized. Then we freshened up & drove back down to the lobby area to take the boat to Downtown Disney and grab some dinner.

On our way down, we decked out our rental car full of holiday cheer. Sadly, it was too dark to get a photo of it all dressed up, but here’s a taste of what’s to come…

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/025.jpg

Once we drove over to the lobby, we meandered through the Conch Flats General store and snapped some photos of the area.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/032.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/156.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/150.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/042.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/047.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/107.jpg


The view of DTD from our boat
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/072.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/073.jpg


Normally on our first night we trek over to Earl of Sandwich, but since the boat from OKW takes you to the dock by Pleasure Island, we decided to try Cookes of Dublin. I looked at the menu (http://allears.net/menu/men_cook.htm) before we left and I really wanted to try the battered burger. We were starving by the time we got there since all we had to eat up to this point were the snacks we picked up at Starbucks early that morning, and the crackers & nuts given to us during our flights. This is something to keep in mind as I show you the pics of ALL that we ordered. Just as a disclaimer, we shared everything between the two of us and didn't completely finish anything.

Daniel waiting for our food at Fried-Fest 2011
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/082.jpg

Mini Battered Sausages $8.95
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/087.jpg


Battered Burger and Chips - hand-battered beef burger topped with garlic mayonnaise, tomato chutney and mixed greens $10.95
(We added cheese)
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/086.jpg

Chicken and Field Mushroom – flaky pastry crust, filled with chicken breast, mushroom and leeks in a rich wine cream sauce $10.95
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/089.jpg

Side of Garlic Mayo $3.00
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/091.jpg

"Doh-Bars" Fried Candy Bar - $3.50
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/085.jpg


We’ve never been to Raglan Road, but the battered sausages have been something I’ve wanted to try for a long time so I was excited to find them on the menu here. These were overly peppered, and aside from that, surprisingly bland. This was a common theme with everything we tried here, even the garlic mayo - it was all bland. The burger was heavy & tasteless and the chicken pie was dry and, yep, tasteless. The D’oh bar was a fried Payday, which isn’t something that I particularly enjoy, and we weren’t given a choice of what kind of candy bar we could have. There wasn’t anything that we really loved here, or even finished. We walked away feeling heavy and blah.

[PryncessChrysty]

After dinner, we walked around the West Side a bit to try to walk off our heavy meal. We usually spend most of our DTD time over on the Marketplace side, so it was kind of fun to spend some time over here.

Decorations around Pleasure Island
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/078.jpg


Westside holiday goodness – they had singers performing here at various times. This, obviously, was not one of those times.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/099.jpg


I prefer Goofy’s Candy Co. to the Candy Cauldron, this store is so tiny and their selection is really limited
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/100.jpg


We spent most of our time in D Street – I just love this shop. While I don’t collect all of the vinylmations, I do collect more than I should…
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/102.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/103.jpg


I loved how they made holiday lights out of the old clear series
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/104.jpg


If they offered apples for free, I would be scared to partake. Eek!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/093.jpg


Cool old cash register on display
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/096.jpg


I wonder how they come up with the ideas for their decor
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/098.jpg


Looks like those clear vinyls weren’t very popular
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/097.jpg


We were pretty tired, so we decided to head back to the room. On our boat ride back, we had a nice view of the MK fireworks. We were enjoying the show, so I only thought to snap one photo:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/075.jpg


We spotted this room at OKW from our boat - so cute!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/120-1.jpg


The CM driving our boat asked the passengers on board a bunch of WDW trivia questions. I was in nerd heaven.


The view of our hotel as the boat pulled into the dock
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/131.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/136.jpg


We peeked into the pool area:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/140.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%201/139.jpg



We drove back to our room and sacked out! The plan was to get up at 7:30am to meet my family at DHS in the morning for rope drop. We’ll find out how that panned out in the next installment. ;)

[CarolynK]

I came over here after seeing the title of your trip report in you signature. We are huge BBT fans in our house (check out my signature), and I had a hunch the title was related to it.;)
Nice report so far, great pictures!! That battered burger looks scary! We tried a deep-fried Snickers there, but it was also disappointing. I prefer the plain kind!

[PryncessChrysty]

I came over here after seeing the title of your trip report in you signature. We are huge BBT fans in our house (check out my signature), and I had a hunch the title was related to it.;)
Nice report so far, great pictures!! That battered burger looks scary! We tried a deep-fried Snickers there, but it was also disappointing. I prefer the plain kind!

Hi Carolyn! Thanks so much for jumping in! Things have been kinda quiet over here. lol :flower3:

I love it that you named your pets after BBT! (we're even watching re-runs as I type this....:rolleyes1) Howard & Sheldon are definitely our two favorite characters. :lovestruc

[saintstickets]

I hope you enjoyed OKW as much as we do. It is so laid back and relaxing. It truly is a resort and not a hotel. Were you able to try Olivia's restaurant? It is one of the best kept restaurant secrets in WDW. Looking forward to the rest of your TR.

This is one bummer about OKW - no elevators.
BTW, there are elevators in buildings 62, 63 & 64 but only those three.

[ForeverDance]

:wave2: Thought I'd let you know that I'm really enjoying your TR so far. We are also BBT fans in our house. I have to admit I thought all that fried goodness looked tasty. I'm sad to hear that it wasn't very tasty after all.

[PixieMama]

Joining!

I've been to WDW a few times... but never during the holidays. (It's on my Bucket List! And maybe, just maybe... I'll get to go this year!) So I'm really excited to hear all about your trip and hoping to see lots of pics!

[PryncessChrysty]

I hope you enjoyed OKW as much as we do. It is so laid back and relaxing. It truly is a resort and not a hotel. Were you able to try Olivia's restaurant? It is one of the best kept restaurant secrets in WDW. Looking forward to the rest of your TR.


BTW, there are elevators in buildings 62, 63 & 64 but only those three.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it over to Olivia's but we definitely want to give it a try on a future trip. We really liked that whole area.

Thanks for the heads up on the elevators, I thought there weren't any at all. :upsidedow


:wave2: Thought I'd let you know that I'm really enjoying your TR so far. We are also BBT fans in our house. I have to admit I thought all that fried goodness looked tasty. I'm sad to hear that it wasn't very tasty after all.

Hi! Thanks so much for the kind words. :flower3:

We were so bummed about Cookes of Dublin. After reading the menu we were really looking forward to it being as tasty as it sounded (and looked), but it was such a disappointment. Not even the fries were good - they were dry & mealy. :rolleyes:

Joining!

I've been to WDW a few times... but never during the holidays. (It's on my Bucket List! And maybe, just maybe... I'll get to go this year!) So I'm really excited to hear all about your trip and hoping to see lots of pics!

Hi there! :wave2: Thanks for following along! You've come to the right place cuz I do have a LOT of pics to share! :cool1:

I hope you're able to make it out there for the holidays! We loved it so much that we're planning our next trip for the same time again this year! :lovestruc

[PryncessChrysty]

In the months leading up to our Disney trips, my mom and I spend countless hours creating the “perfect” itinerary together. For us, this process is almost as fun as the trip itself. Some people may think we’re nutty, but we totally love it….and something tells me we’re probably not alone, especially here on the DIS. :rolleyes1

Here’s a snapshot of our itinerary for this day. Anything in a blue font meant we would be with my family:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/WDWDay2.png

For as strict as the plans may appear, we’re usually pretty flexible and are open to changing things up as needed. There have been several instances where the itinerary has acted as nothing more than just a reference guide for our ADR’s. :laughing: That flexibility was something that proved to be more important than ever on this trip, and today, our first full day, was no exception.

As you can see, our intention was to wake up early and get to the Studios in time for rope drop to meet my family. My looming cold, however, had its own plan. Both Daniel & I slept right through the alarm and didn’t wake up until almost 9:30! :eek: I went into a panic at the realization of how late it was and immediately called my mom. As soon as she answered, I found that my voice had completely vanished overnight. :sad2:

She was totally understanding, and after hearing my struggle to speak she was really just concerned about how I was feeling. For the most part, I didn’t actually feel *that* bad. My ears were still plugged up and my voice had disappeared, but aside from that I just had a touch of congestion. It turned out they were running a bit behind too, so we decided to meet up later in time for lunch at Starring Rolls. This meant Daniel & I didn’t have to rush to get over there…whew!

After we hung up & the panic settled, I went out onto the balcony to check out our view in the daylight. Pretty!

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/157.jpg

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/160.jpg

Daniel went back to sleep for a little bit while I ate a banana & some Pop-Tarts (breakfast o’champions) so that I could take some DayQuil. When I went to open that orange box I realized it was actually DayQuil Sinex! The symptoms it promised to help weren’t at all what I was feeling. Boo.

The word “Sinex” was printed WAY bigger than anything else on the box so I really don’t know how I overlooked it. It was all I had though, so I took it in hopes that it would at least give some me some relief, even if just a little.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/1b7071c4.jpg

I started to get ready then woke up Daniel so he could hop in the shower. I found that my voice was starting to make a comeback, it was super crackly but at least it was audible. Once we were all neat & pretty, we hopped in the car and drove to DHS.

On all of our trips, we always bring along an auxillary cord (http://www.amazon.com/Monster-iCable-Player-Auxiliary-Input/dp/B002AR5XIK) so we can play Disney tunes in the rental car. For this trip, I added our favorite Christmas songs to the playlist so that we could be immersed in both Disney & Christmas goodness the whole trip. :goodvibes:

We pulled into the parking lot at about 11:00am and I was SUPER excited to be there! You might remember from the “Introduction” post that this was the first time DH & I were at the World during the holidays, and I couldn’t wait to see everything all decorated. Two of the things I love most in the world are Disney and Christmas, so when they come together I’m pretty much the happiest girl on the planet.

On our way in we stopped for a self-portrait ala iPhone in front of the DHS Christmas tree
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/4b24c606.jpg

Not a bad shot for a phone pic!
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We breezed through bag check then pulled out the real camera so I could start snapping away
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As soon as I saw these adorable trees up on the lamp posts I was in love!
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Even though I was completely entranced by the splendor of it all, I didn’t want to lollygag too much cuz my family was a-waitin’! They flew into town a day before us on 12/5, and were staying at AKV. The last time we saw them was at our wedding almost 14 months prior, so I was really itchin’ to catch up to them. Before I called them, though, we needed to stop by Guest Services and renew our Tables in Wonderland card.

When we walked in there were only a few people in line ahead of us, so I assumed it wouldn’t take very long. Boy was I wrong. We ended up being there for almost 30 minutes! :headache: It seemed like there were a lot of new CM’s on duty, something we encountered a lot during this trip. Not that I have an issue with new CM’s, they just should’ve had more seasoned CM’s on hand to offer assistance and to keep the lines moving. While waiting to be helped, we overheard an older couple asking the seemingly new CM about a “must-do tour” they heard about from their friends. “Backstage something or other” they called it and wanted to know how much it cost and how to reserve it. The CM told them there were no behind-the-scenes tours offered at the Studios and that their friends must have meant the Backlot Tour attraction. They even pulled out a park map to show the guests where the “tour” attraction was. Oh, brother. I wanted to chime in and tell them their friends must have been talking about the Backstage Magic Tour (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/backstage-magic/), but they were gone by the time we were finally done. I hope someone was eventually able to point them in the right direction. :sad2:

As soon as we were done and had our shiny new TIW card in hand, I called my mom to let her know we were ready for lunch, but I wasn’t able to get a hold of her. I sent her a text and she responded back that they just left Starring Rolls and were heading into Muppets 3D. She said to go on ahead to lunch and we’d meet up afterward. It turned out she had accidentally set her clock an hour too far ahead and thought they were way further behind schedule than they actually were. Oops! :laughing:

DH & I decided to grab FP’s for Rock n’ Roller Coaster in hopes that we could all ride it together later, so Daniel headed toward the FP machines and I went into Starring Rolls to buy our lunch. We had only ever had desserts from there so I was looking forward to trying out the sandwiches. Since they offer two different kinds, I ordered 1 of each and we shared them both (you’ll see that DH & I do this a lot). Here’s what we had:

Black Forest Ham Sandwich - with chips or fresh fruit $9.19
Turkey Focaccia - with chips or fresh fruit $9.19
Red Velvet Cupcake $3.99
Eclair $2.79
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Because the sandwiches are piled so high, I was a little worried they might be dry, and well, maybe too meaty for me. Instead we found that the bread was super fresh, they had just enough dressing, and the meat wasn’t too heavy at all. Each one was really tasty, but DH & I both preferred the turkey over the ham. The turkey had roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella topped with a yummy pesto mayo, giving it the edge over the ham’s Dijon mustard.

As good as the sandwiches were, though, I was only using them to get to the sweet stuff. I had dessert on the brain! This was our first time trying the éclair, and I think I can safely say that it will also be our last. The pastry was incredibly dry, there wasn’t much crème filling, and the chocolate topping was overly bitter. On the other hand, the red velvet cupcake was deeeeelicious! The cake was moist and dense with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. It was also covered in crushed up Heath bars, which just happens to be my favorite candy. I was seriously tempted to go in and buy a 2nd one so we could each have our own, but we were just too stuffed from the sandwiches.

While we were finishing up our dessert, I heard a commotion building near us. I looked up and saw that the Streetmosphere characters were getting set up to do their Glee club performance in front of the Villains in Vogue shop. This was something on my must-do list, but I had no idea what time they were scheduled to perform. As soon as I realized what was happening I bolted. Well, I did grab my stuff and blurted some type of gibberish to Daniel so he knew where I was going. He was right behind me without skipping a beat! I couldn’t believe our luck that we happened to catch the show, and just at the right moment! These are my favorite types of Disney moments.

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They sang a few holiday standards and then selected people from the audience to join them in singing the 12 Days of Christmas. It was absolutely hilarious! I was crying from laughing so hard, especially during the finale. I don’t normally take a lot of video, but when they started the last round something inside told me to record it. I’m SO happy I listened to the little voice – it still cracks me up when I watch it.

Leading up to this, #9 (who is one of our favorite Streetmosphere characters) was hitting on #8 the entire time and she gave a different response each round, and always directed at him. His line was always “8 golf clubs” or something like that, so listen for what he says this time. DH & I laughed about it the rest of the trip. Also, #5 started out really super quiet and shy. His first response was a meek “5 turkey legs” and with each round he got a little louder and his responses grew longer. So his 2nd round his response was “5 turkey legs with mashed potatoes and gravy”, and then it was “5 turkey legs with mashed potatoes and gravy and yams with little marshmallows”, etc. Watching his final response in the clip, you can see why it was so funny.

Here's the link to the video on YouTube (http://youtu.be/hIcFI5eX2fM). I recorded it with my phone, so I’m sorry that it’s not the best quality.


I texted my mom to see where they were, and she responded that they were getting onto the tram at the Backlot Tour. As soon as the Glee Club was finished, we headed in that direction to meet them at the exit.

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I called her as we made our way over there and she said they were waiting by the giant misting Coke bottles. Daniel spotted them as soon as we passed TSMM, but I didn’t see them. Then I saw this:

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That’s my mama!!! How stinkin’ cute is she?!? The second she spotted us, she ditched my brother & step-dad and came running toward us! :rotfl:


Next up: Our adventure through the Studios!

[PixieMama]

I don't think you can be a true DISer if you don't plan, plan, plan! ;)

I've had the Red Velvet Cupcake from Starry Rolls... I agree with you, it's deee-lish! I really want to try their Chocolate Peanut Butter one. That's on the "must try" list for a future trip!

[ForeverDance]

Yep I'm pretty sure it is a requirement of DIS to be a plan-aholic. Although, I will admit that I do not go to the lengths of planning a detailed daily itinerary... mostly because my family would kill me :lmao:

Oh and the picture of you mom running towards you is too cute!!

[Disneysnel]

That stinkin' cold! That was like the longest day we had there, maybe setting my watch wrong had something to do with that :blush:

Well done and can't wait for more :love::surfweb:

[PryncessChrysty]

I don't think you can be a true DISer if you don't plan, plan, plan! ;)

I've had the Red Velvet Cupcake from Starry Rolls... I agree with you, it's deee-lish! I really want to try their Chocolate Peanut Butter one. That's on the "must try" list for a future trip!

Mmmmm.....chocolate peanut butter cupcake. :tongue:


Yep I'm pretty sure it is a requirement of DIS to be a plan-aholic. Although, I will admit that I do not go to the lengths of planning a detailed daily itinerary... mostly because my family would kill me :lmao:

Oh and the picture of you mom running towards you is too cute!!

LOL - I totally get it. The hour-by-hour plan isn't for everyone, I think some people feel too tied down. For us, it really just gives us an excuse to think Disney 24/7 months beforehand. :rotfl: :rotfl:

That stinkin' cold! That was like the longest day we had there, maybe setting my watch wrong had something to do with that :blush:

Well done and can't wait for more :love::surfweb:


:lmao: That was seriously hilarious!!

Thanks, Mama! :cutie:

[lauren_elizabeth]

Yaaaaay! I am LOVING this trip report so far!

Disney World & Christmas are my favorites, too :love::santa::love: So spending that season at Disney is just pure magic.

We stayed at OKW last June and fell in love with it. I can only imagine how cute it was in December.

Boooo for being sick on your trip! I hope you started feeling better fast!

[PryncessChrysty]

Yaaaaay! I am LOVING this trip report so far!

Disney World & Christmas are my favorites, too :love::santa::love: So spending that season at Disney is just pure magic.

We stayed at OKW last June and fell in love with it. I can only imagine how cute it was in December.

Boooo for being sick on your trip! I hope you started feeling better fast!

Hi there! Thanks for joining in! :goodvibes

Pure magic - that's a great way to put it! :wizard:

[PryncessChrysty]

After lots & lots of hugs and hellos, we decided to ride Toy Story Midway Mania. Not surprisingly, all of the FP’s were already gone, but the stand-by line was only about 40 minutes long (not bad in the world of TSM) so we waited it out.


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We chatted & chatted (well, I more crackled than chatted) while in line and before we knew it, it was time to board. Since this was my brother's first time on the ride, he & I we went together so I could show him some of the tricks and DH rode by himself.


DISCLAIMER: Any of the fuzzy pics came from my phone. :blush:



My baby brother & I in line.
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So if you know any of the secrets to TSMM, you know that it really takes two people to open up the higher point targets. That is, unless you’re my hubby. He not only got the best score out of all 4 vehicles, he got the best of the hour! Go, Honey!! I s'pose my brother probably should've gone with him... :laughing:


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Afterward, we decided to pick up FP’s for Tower of Terror, stopping in the shops along the way.


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I loved this window display!
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FP’s in hand and window shopping done, we headed over to the Great Movie Ride.


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I was hoping to finally get the cowboy scene, but alas we got the gangster yet again. :rolleyes:
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For our anniversary in October, DH bought me a 50mm lens and I couldn’t wait to play with it on this trip! The GMR was the perfect place to try it out, so I took lots of photos here. I'm still very much a novice when it comes to my DSLR, but I’m having a lot of fun learning how to use it.


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Representin’
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Right about the time we got off the ride, Mulch, Sweat & Shears were scheduled to perform on the Streets of America. None of us had ever seen them before, but I’ve read so many rave reviews that I really wanted to catch them this time.

On our way there we passed by Star Tours and it was practically a walk on, so we decided to hop in line.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/237.jpg


I was SO glad we did! DH & I have been on it several times since the refurb at both WDW & DL, but we’ve never been able to catch the Naboo scene. Well, this time we got it!! I’m not a die-hard Star Wars fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I was so excited! We all loved it.


Silly boys in silly glasses
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[PryncessChrysty]

When we came out of Star Tours, we could hear Mulch, Sweat & Shears performing. We hadn’t missed the show! Yay!! We simply followed the sound of the music until we saw this…

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/240.jpg


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Enjoying the show!
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One of the singers came into the crowd and asked us some questions
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/243.jpg


It was a FANTASTIC show and we all loved it! They played a mix of classic rock & holiday songs, and they were high-larious to boot! This will definitely be a must-do for us on future trips, Christmas time or not.

On the way out of the area, I spotted this balcony. For some reason, it made me super excited for our upcoming visit to the Osborne Family Lights planned for later that week.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/244.jpg


By this time, the bright blue skies of the morning had turned into a cloudy shade of gray, and as soon as the show was over it started to rain. The timing actually worked out well for us cuz my brother needed some food, so we ducked into the ABC Commissary. Daniel & I wanted a carrot cake cookie, so he & I went into the Writer’s Stop to pick up one for us & another for my DM & DSD to share. We met back up with them in the Commissary and just relaxed & chitchatted for awhile, waiting for the rain to subside. Just in case you were wondering, the cookie was delicious as usual!


Apparently I turn into a pirate when enjoying a yummy treat
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/245.jpg


Not quite sure what DH turns into…
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/246.jpg


Ham.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/247.jpg


After about 30 minutes, the rain had turned into a light drizzle, so we made our way toward Sunset Blvd to use our RnR & ToT Fastpasses.



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My family picked up FP’s for RnR earlier that day too, so we were able to ride it together. Woohoo! As soon as we got into the FP line, a HUGE tour group came up behind us. Talk about timing! I wish I had taken a pic to share with you, but there were at least 75 people.

My mom sat this one out, so we met up with her at the exit then made our way to Tower of Terror. It’s always fun to ride Disney’s thrill rides with my mama. She loves them, but DH & I love to put our arms up and she HATES that we do it. This provides lots of opportunities for me to give her a hard time, as any good daughter would. ;)

This is a TERRIBLE picture, but I have to share it. You’ll notice DH & I have our arms up high in the sky, but my mom has a death grip on my other arm. Nothing unusual for a ride on ToT, really. But on this trip, she NEEDED to hold my arm extra tight because I kept coming OUT of my seat. It was so crazy! I thought my seatbelt was tight enough, but when we the zero gravity would hit, I would go STRAIGHT UP out of my seat. I’ve been on this ride TONS of times, and it’s never been that drastic before. Since my mom was holding on to me so tightly, she was being pulled up too. Both she & Daniel were trying to pull me down. It made an already thrilling ride that much more exciting. :laughing:


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Once we were all safely back on our two feet, we parted ways to rest a bit at our resorts before meeting back up again later that night for dinner.


DH & I took our time leaving so that I could take some pictures of Hollywood Blvd. Normally, dusk is a great time to take photos at DHS and being that it was decorated so fabulously, I couldn't wait to snap away! Too bad the clouds didn't get the memo that I was there. lol


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When we walked out to our car, there was a family in front of us ogling at an adorably decorated car in the parking lot. Guess who’s car they were ogling at?!?


Yep! It was OURS!! :love:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/283.jpg


Isn’t it cute? It really added an extra touch of magic throughout the entire trip.


Next up: Our waiter decides Daniel needs a bath.

[CarolynK]

Really nice pictures! Especially with the gray sky in the background, the colors of the Christmas decorations really pop!

[ForeverDance]

I often find I fly up in the air on ToT. Maybe I don't ever put the belt tight enough. I think it just adds to the fun anyway.

[PryncessChrysty]

Really nice pictures! Especially with the gray sky in the background, the colors of the Christmas decorations really pop!

Thank you!! :flower3: I was actually bummed about the sky because it was such a nice bright blue in the morning, but now that you say it, I think you're right. The gray does help the lights pop a little more. :goodvibes

I often find I fly up in the air on ToT. Maybe I don't ever put the belt tight enough. I think it just adds to the fun anyway.

Oh yeah, I usually do lift out of my seat when I ride it cuz of the zero gravity - and you're right, it definitely adds to the fun of it! It was just that this time, my head was almost touching the ceiling. Like, my booty was next to my hubby's head, and he's 6'4" & all torso. I've never experienced anything quite like that before! :scared1: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[PixieMama]

Love all your pics!

Your story of your Mom on ToT reminds me of one about my mom during my family's first trip to WDW (this was waaaaay back in 1988!) Mom doesn't like heights at all, but we somehow talked her into going on BTMR. My brother and I were in one car, and Mom, Dad and Sis were in the car behind us. Bro and I spent the entire ride "Woohoo!"-ing and with our arms in the air... Mom spent the entire ride yelling at us to shut up and hold on! :rotfl:

[PixieMama]

Next up: Our waiter decides Daniel needs a bath.

Uh oh!

[ForeverDance]

Oh yeah, I usually do lift out of my seat when I ride it cuz of the zero gravity - and you're right, it definitely adds to the fun of it! It was just that this time, my head was almost touching the ceiling. Like, my booty was next to my hubby's head, and he's 6'4" & all torso. I've never experienced anything quite like that before! :scared1: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Okay that is definitely a lot higher than I've ever gotten. That is a little crazy... I think I'd really enjoy it, though it would give my DH a heart attack... if I could even get him on it :lmao:

[PryncessChrysty]

Love all your pics!

Your story of your Mom on ToT reminds me of one about my mom during my family's first trip to WDW (this was waaaaay back in 1988!) Mom doesn't like heights at all, but we somehow talked her into going on BTMR. My brother and I were in one car, and Mom, Dad and Sis were in the car behind us. Bro and I spent the entire ride "Woohoo!"-ing and with our arms in the air... Mom spent the entire ride yelling at us to shut up and hold on! :rotfl:

:lmao: That's hilarious! I think our moms are two peas in a pod! :rotfl:

Okay that is definitely a lot higher than I've ever gotten. That is a little crazy... I think I'd really enjoy it, though it would give my DH a heart attack... if I could even get him on it :lmao:

It was....crazy...and fun! :rotfl:

It's always more fun with hubby, I hope you can get him on with you next time!

[MrsDrewsky]

I'm kind of late to the party, but I am subscribing.

I love the pics so far, DHS looks amazing during Christmas time.

I was super bummed to read your review of Cookes, it's one of our favorites, but honestly we usually just stick with the scallops.

[PryncessChrysty]

I'm kind of late to the party, but I am subscribing.

I love the pics so far, DHS looks amazing during Christmas time.

I was super bummed to read your review of Cookes, it's one of our favorites, but honestly we usually just stick with the scallops.

Not late at all! Thanks for joining in! :welcome:

DHS really is beautiful at Christmas time! :lovestruc

Maybe Cookes was just a fluke for us. We were incredibly tired, and we were there later in the day.

[PryncessChrysty]

Hi everyone! March has proven to be a C-R-A-Z-Y month for us, I'm sorry for my recent lack in updates. I'm hoping to post something new this week, so I hope you'll stay tuned. :flower3:

[Disneysnel]

:faint: ZZZZzzzzz

[PryncessChrysty]

We left the Studios around 4:45 and the plan was to go back to our room and relax a bit before meeting up with the family again for dinner. Note the operative word here is PLAN. :rolleyes:

I don’t know what it is, but whenever we stay in the DTD resort area, I have a tendency to get lost at least once on the way to our hotel. This was that time. What should’ve taken about 10 minutes ended up taking an HOUR because not only did I make not one, but TWO wrong turns, albeit in the general area of our resort, there was a MAJOR traffic jam. We finally got into our room a little before 6pm, which gave us enough time to sit down for a quick minute, change our clothes & freshen up. We were out the door by 6:30 to make our way over to the Poly.

After we parked, we made a mad dash for the 2nd floor to check-in for our 6:50 reservation at O’hana. When we got up there, though, I couldn’t find the check-in stand. I remember it being in the area between the Tambu Lounge and Kona Café, but there wasn’t anything there. It turned out they moved the check-in near the elevators and we had passed right by it when we first got up there. I clearly needed to slow down at this point. :rolleyes1

When we found the line, my brother was already in it and almost to the front. :worship: My mom & step-dad were parking their car, so we waited for them over at the Tambu lounge. A few minutes later my parents came in, and our table was ready almost right away. Yay!

The host took us around to our table where it seemed we were going to have a perfect castle view. Until we actually sat down and found that the view was completely obstructed. It wasn’t a big deal, but it was just kind of weird to me – the restaurant has such great real estate, but it seemed like quite a few of the castle-facing tables would have an obstructed view.

My mom & step-dad have been to O’hana several times and consider it a favorite, but Daniel and I had never been. So every time we take a family trip, my mom always has it on her must-do list, but we’ve just never been able to make it work. When planning this trip, I was finally able to score an ADR for a date/time that worked with our schedule and even better, it was when all of us would be together. O’hana with the o’hana….it was kismet!

I’ve read/heard a lot of mixed reviews over the years and it seems that most people either love it or hate it, so I tried to disregard the hype and go in with an open mind. I will say that DH & I enjoyed it much more than we expected to, but that was solely because of the food. Our waiter was very nice, but he was MIA most of the night and we were left without drinks throughout the majority of our meal. When he finally did bring out our beverages, he spilled a glass of ice water down DH’s back! Eek! I understand that accidents happen, but his first reaction was to dry off the chair and didn’t even offer DH a towel! Daniel finally had to ask the guy for a towel so he could try to dry himself off and I had to point out to him that the fabric chair was a lost cause and to just change it out. While he was never rude or anything, he was so oblivious that it was almost frustrating. We did joke about the mishap for the rest of the night though, so at least it gave us some comic relief. lol

Overall, even with DH’s impromptu bath, we really enjoyed the meal itself and it was so great to sit down to have a family dinner. I honestly can’t remember how many years it’s been since we’ve been able to do that. I don’t have a lot of pictures from this night because we were really just focused on being with the family, but here are a couple from my phone…

Jason & I with our cocktails! Pina Colava for me and a Lapu Lapu for him.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/88b67e0a.jpg



The only food photo I grabbed this meal, and I have NO idea why the noodles & veggies were what I decided to take a photo of... :confused3

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/001a620c.jpg



After dinner we toured the lobby for a bit and then went outside to grab some beach chairs and watch the Electrical Water Pageant & Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party fireworks.


We LOVE the EWP, classic Disney at its best!

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/296.jpg


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It was absolutely FREEZING this night - something we have never experienced at Disney. With the windchill it was 43 degrees and there was a big breeze coming off of Seven Seas Lagoon. We felt like popsicles, but we were determined to watch the fireworks from the beach and this would be my brother’s only opportunity to see them. We tried to huddle close together on our chairs to keep each other warm, and when the fireworks finally started, I think we all forgot about the cold. The Poly beach offers such a great vantage point, especially for the perimeter fireworks that go off during the MNSSHP & MVMCP shows.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/331.jpg


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The quality isn’t so great on these shots below because they’re from my phone, but I just LOVE those perimeter fireworks…and in Christmas colors to boot!

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/c90da1f1.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/57038e8e.jpg


As soon as the show was over we BOLTED back into the lobby for warmth. It seems so weird even to say that, we’re usually in search of AC! :laughing: We shopped in the BouTiki and found these guys...

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/5edb11b0.jpg


I was excited to show them the decorations on our car and DH wanted to check out their rental so we headed out to the parking lot. They got a great deal on a “premium” with Alamo and picked a Taurus with all kinds of bells & whistles. After chatting for a little while longer, we finally said good night and headed back to our rooms. We were all moving resorts the next morning and needed to get packin’.


Our last trip through the OKW gate…

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%202/88c85e63.jpg



Next Up: We’re headed into the Wilderness…

[ForeverDance]

I've always wanted to watch the fireworks from the

poly beach but I've just never managed it. Your pictures make me more determined to do this on a future trip!

[Disneysnel]

That was a very fun night - a bit cold, especially for Daniel but still fun! Great trip addition and looking forward to the next!:flower3:

[PryncessChrysty]

I've always wanted to watch the fireworks from the

poly beach but I've just never managed it. Your pictures make me more determined to do this on a future trip!

If you're able to squeeze it into your plans, I highly recommend it! It can make for a very magical evening, minus the crowds of Main St.! A little tip - try to grab a chair closer to the concierge lounge of the Hawaii building so that you're really able to hear the audio track. :wizard:


That was a very fun night - a bit cold, especially for Daniel but still fun! Great trip addition and looking forward to the next!:flower3:

A "bit cold"?!? Oh yeah, YOU had a jacket!!! :rolleyes: :rotfl:

It was a super fun night! :cloud9:

[annmarieda]

When you posted on my TR, I noticed your sig... and had to come over here!!!

I can see this is going to be fun to read along. You and I are a lot alike!

Crazy dreams before a trip? Yup...

Try desperately to NOT get sick before a trip? Yup. Although, I have failed a couple times :rolleyes: sorry that this was your time :sad2:

Detailed planner, but flexible? Yup.. In fact, your statement could have totally come from my own lips! Sometimes on my December trip, my planner only was used to tell me when and where to eat. :rotfl:

Your pictures are so wonderful. The BLT ones :worship::worship: Hollywood BLV :worship::worship: EWP :worship::worship: And Wishes :worship::worship: LOVE THEM!!!

can't wait to read more. :thumbsup2

[PixieMama]

You're right about the tables at 'Ohana... it seems they'd have a great view, but sadly, don't. I had dinner there for the 1st time last summer and out of our party of 3, my seat was the only one with a view of the Castle and fireworks. Lucky me, huh? :goodvibes

And I loved the food! I thought it was all very yummy.

So the Electrical Water Pageant goes on every night, even when there is a MNSSHP or MVMCP going on? If so, that's great! Have never seen the pageant, and DH and I are going to do the luau dinner show on our October trip. We're going to try for the early seating, then after dinner walk around and explore the Poly. I've only been there for our 'Ohana dinner, but I'd like to (possibly) stay there on our next family trip. I thought DH and I could check out the resort, then maybe head to the beach to watch that night's fireworks. It'd be great to watch the EWP, too!

[PryncessChrysty]

When you posted on my TR, I noticed your sig... and had to come over here!!!

I can see this is going to be fun to read along. You and I are a lot alike!

Crazy dreams before a trip? Yup...

Try desperately to NOT get sick before a trip? Yup. Although, I have failed a couple times :rolleyes: sorry that this was your time :sad2:

Detailed planner, but flexible? Yup.. In fact, your statement could have totally come from my own lips! Sometimes on my December trip, my planner only was used to tell me when and where to eat. :rotfl:

Your pictures are so wonderful. The BLT ones :worship::worship: Hollywood BLV :worship::worship: EWP :worship::worship: And Wishes :worship::worship: LOVE THEM!!!

can't wait to read more. :thumbsup2

:yay::yay::yay:
Thank you for coming over to my TR!
I completely agree - as I read through your report, there was SO much that I was able to relate to. :3dglasses
Your daughter is completely adorable, BTW! :cutie:

Thank you so much for the kind words about the photos! :flower3: I still have a LOT to learn about photography, but I'm having so much fun in the process!

You're right about the tables at 'Ohana... it seems they'd have a great view, but sadly, don't. I had dinner there for the 1st time last summer and out of our party of 3, my seat was the only one with a view of the Castle and fireworks. Lucky me, huh? :goodvibes

And I loved the food! I thought it was all very yummy.

So the Electrical Water Pageant goes on every night, even when there is a MNSSHP or MVMCP going on? If so, that's great! Have never seen the pageant, and DH and I are going to do the luau dinner show on our October trip. We're going to try for the early seating, then after dinner walk around and explore the Poly. I've only been there for our 'Ohana dinner, but I'd like to (possibly) stay there on our next family trip. I thought DH and I could check out the resort, then maybe head to the beach to watch that night's fireworks. It'd be great to watch the EWP, too!

You did get lucky! Cuz those seats are just far & few between in there! So strange.

The EWP is a nightly thing and goes around to all of the MK area resorts. It's nothing I would rearrange my schedule to see, but if you're able to work it in, then I say it's a must-see. It's nothing spectacular, it's just classic Disney - literally since it's been at WDW since opening day! lol

The Luau sounds like fun - I can't wait to read about what you thought of it. We stayed there on our honeymoon, the Poly was our "dream" resort. While we liked it, more for the proximity than anything else, we never really felt the wow factor we were hoping for, though. Maybe because we had built it up to be something bigger than it was, I don't know, BUT....that said, I think its a GREAT option for families. The rooms are huge, and there is a ton of stuff on property to keep kids entertained. So if you do end up going with your children, I think they'll have a great time. The pool is a lot of fun - especially if it's warm enough to swim during the fireworks (we did that during our honeymoon, too!).

DH & I just decided to head back for our anniversary in October and I think we're actually going to be there over the same dates as you & your hubby. I'm hoping to get caught up on your PTR tonight, I was only able to take a quick glance at it (gotta bet back to work for now... :rolleyes: ).

We're also planning a trip with my family again for this December, so I was thinking about starting a combined PTR for both trips. Might be kinda fun, I just don't know where I'd find the time....:laughing:

[jwgm2012]

Really late to this party... but I'm here for the best part it seems... Love your pics and can completely relate to the "it's-a-day-before-a-big-trip-will-catch-a-cold" feeling...

And not trip related at all, but have to say - you have a very handsome bro! :cool2:

Can't wait to read more and find out if you ever started feeling better...

gina

[PixieMama]

The main reason the Poly is on our list of potential resorts for our next trip is because we've invited my mom to come with us... and she's always dreamed of staying there. But... the other day I showed my youngest DD a video on the new Art of Animation resort. She is ALL OVER staying in one of the Lion King rooms! I have to say, that is one thing I actually like about the Value Resorts... that they are so IN-YOUR-FACE DISNEY. Yes, the Mod and Deluxe resorts are themed to the hilt, but the rooms just look like hotel rooms (if that makes sense) Soooo... it gets me thinking, "You know, she's only going to be a kid once... we can stay at a more "grown up" resort when she's older..." But I'm glad to hear your opinions that kids would like the Poly! Swimming while the fireworks are on sounds like fun!

Yay for an October trip! This will make my 3rd trip during October... I think it's a perfect time to visit.

[PryncessChrysty]

Really late to this party... but I'm here for the best part it seems... Love your pics and can completely relate to the "it's-a-day-before-a-big-trip-will-catch-a-cold" feeling...

And not trip related at all, but have to say - you have a very handsome bro! :cool2:

Can't wait to read more and find out if you ever started feeling better...

gina

Hi there! Not late at all, we're just getting started! Thanks for joining in. :wave2:

LOL about my brother - I may not share your comments with him just to save his head from growing a few more sizes. :rolleyes: :rotfl:

The main reason the Poly is on our list of potential resorts for our next trip is because we've invited my mom to come with us... and she's always dreamed of staying there. But... the other day I showed my youngest DD a video on the new Art of Animation resort. She is ALL OVER staying in one of the Lion King rooms! I have to say, that is one thing I actually like about the Value Resorts... that they are so IN-YOUR-FACE DISNEY. Yes, the Mod and Deluxe resorts are themed to the hilt, but the rooms just look like hotel rooms (if that makes sense) Soooo... it gets me thinking, "You know, she's only going to be a kid once... we can stay at a more "grown up" resort when she's older..." But I'm glad to hear your opinions that kids would like the Poly! Swimming while the fireworks are on sounds like fun!

Yay for an October trip! This will make my 3rd trip during October... I think it's a perfect time to visit.

We've stayed at all caliber of resorts at WDW and like you said, some are more subtle with their Disney touch than others. I can see what you mean with regard to the value resorts, and I can definitely see the attraction for kids. Especially with the bright & vivid colors. DH & I don't have any kids just yet, so we actually prefer the more laid back pace of the mods & deluxes, but we may be giving AoA a shot for our anniversary trip in October.

October is definitely our favorite time of year to go. Seeing it all decked out for the holidays in December is pretty amazing, but come on, it's pretty hard to top Food & Wine. :p

[PryncessChrysty]

Hi everyone! I'm sorry for my lack in updates over this past month. April turned out to be quite the busy month, ending with a week-long visit from my mom & step-dad. They came into town from CO and we were livin' it up! We spent a few days at DLR, did a tour of the Walt Disney Studios (followed by a fab lunch at the Tam o'Shanter (http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/02/27/walt-disney-ate-here-the-tam-o-shanter/)), went to Knott's Berry Farm and ventured down south to San Diego to see the Titanic artifact exhibit at the Nat (http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/titanic-the-artifact-exhibition/). Not quite in that order. Here are some highlights & photos from our adventure filled week!


Our vacation started last Friday when DH & I attended D23's Fanniversary (http://d23.disney.go.com/events/2012/03/01/d23s-disney-fanniversary-celebration/) event at the Studios lot. In celebration of D23's 3rd anniversary, they gave a 2 hour presentation highlighting various Disney movies, music, theme parks and attractions that are all celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. No photos were allowed during the presentation, but I grabbed a couple with my phone on our way into the theater:

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/b894fafb.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/60a16646.jpg


The next morning, all 4 of us were scheduled to take a tour of the Walt Disney Studios. This was another D23 event and the timing just happened to work out perfectly with their trip, which was awesome! DH & I did the tour last year and loved it, so we were happy to tag along with them for a second go-round.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/079.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/080.jpg


Where (most of) the magic happened….
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http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/099.jpg


A peek inside the props building
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Disney Legend Dave Smith (http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/history/legends/dave-smith) giving us a tour of the Walt Disney Archives
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/124.jpg


Hey! What is my uniform doing on the wall?!?
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/135.jpg


This is the actual snowglobe used in the Feed the Birds sequence of Mary Poppins. A janitor found it in the trash and picked it out because he thought it was pretty, completely unaware of its significance. Dave Smith, who was friends with the janitor, spotted it in his closet one day and asked if he could have it. Pretty neat.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/137.jpg


Some original drawings by Walt. It’s crazy to think that these are almost 100 years old!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/151.jpg


Dave thanking the academy - that’s a real Oscar!
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With the original Partners status in Legends Plaza
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Daniel sizing himself up to Thurl Ravenscroft
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Director Mickey!
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Walking the lot
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Outside the Tam o’Shanter – ready for lunch!
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DH & I ordered the tri-tip & prime rib sandwiches and shared them. The tri-tip was the winner, hands down. We can’t wait to go back and try it for dinner.

The tri-tip sandwich on an onion roll
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/234.jpg


Prime rib sandwich on an onion roll
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/235.jpg

[PryncessChrysty]

On Monday, we went down to San Diego to check out the Titanic artifact exhibit at the Natural History Museum. My dad joined us and we met some of my step-dad’s family down there. I’ve never been to the Prado area and I was in total awe. It’s gorgeous. DH & I are planning to head back on another day when we have more time to spend there.
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My dad being silly and blending into the pole.
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This was the ONLY photo I was able to take of the exhibit. Boo.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/082.jpg

It was such a neat experience. I wouldn’t say that I’d go out of my way to see it, especially at $27/person, but I am glad we were able to see it.

Knowing that we were spending the day in San Diego, I did some online investigating beforehand in search of a really good burger in the area. During my research, a place called Hodad's (http://hodadies.com/home/) in Ocean Beach kept popping up. It looked funky & fun, so that is where we headed. It was a dive, for sure and the music was rockin’ & LOUD. I felt bad since Dave’s mom & step-dad were with us, but they were great sports and enjoyed the atmosphere.

DH & I both ordered a single bacon cheeseburger, but check out the size of this thing, it looks like a quadruple! It looks like it was made to give you a heart attack, but it was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten! I only had my phone with me to take pics so they’re kind of grainy, but I just have to share them.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/95b94dec.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/9690c4ff.jpg


There is a table inside the VW van where the dash would be!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/ef3e2edf.jpg


After lunch, we were incredibly full (shocking, I know), so we walked around the area to try and burn some of it off. Most of the shops ended up being closed, but most of the spaces in the area were just other food spot. We were only a block away from the beach and there was a pier close by, but when we got there the area didn’t look too safe. There were groups of people doing drugs right there in broad daylight. Ummm…whoops! Thankfully, Dennis (my step-dad’s step-dad…did ya get that?! lol ) knew that Old Towne San Diego (”http://www.oldtownsandiego.org/") wasn’t too far away, so we all hopped in our cars and headed that-a-way.

This place was much more our speed with lots of shops, historic buildings & little museums all around. This was where we spent the rest of the day before heading home.

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We went into a candy shop and they had candy cigarettes! Daniel & I both used to get these all the time as kids, and they hard to come by today (for obvious reasons). DH had fun channeling his inner cowboy after we picked up a box (they were totally gross, by the way…lol).
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On Friday, we went to Knott’s Berry Farm. As a kid growing up in Orange County, we went to Knott’s a LOT; probably more so than Disneyland just because it was more affordable. Clearly the history and “magic” of it didn’t quite stick with me because I haven’t been back since I was about 16 or 17, which was 17 years ago. Since then, it’s been taken over by a major corporation (Cedar Fair) and it is literally a ghost town of what it used to be.

It’s no secret that “little” is not a word I would use to describe myself, so for me, the thrill rides were out. They just aren’t as accommodating as Disney seems to be. Even my DH, who isn’t pooh-sized himself, but is quite tall at 6’4”, wouldn’t be able to fit in most of the ride vehicles. We ended up doing 1 ride (the unintentionally creepy Calico Mine Train), meandered through the swap-meet style shops in Ghost Town, and visited with family before breaking out early to head (RUN) “home” to DL. I didn’t even bother to bring my DSLR into Knott’s with me, so all of our photos were taken with my phone.


By the look on his face, I’m guessing he’ll choose “Knott” to dance…
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/01ce9171.jpg


Death by vacation. What was even funnier is that neither one of those bags are his or mine! Haha
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/d1fd71fd.jpg


Seriously?!? Maybe they were there to learn what NOT to do
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/de416e26.jpg


At one point, we were sitting on a bench taking a break when 2 security guards and a park manager were escorting a not-so-nice looking teenager through the park telling him what the options for punishment were. 1 of which was to call the police and have him arrested. This is SO not something we would see at Disney. I’m sure stuff like that happens, but they take it out of sight rather than deal with it in public.

Another thing that surprised me was how expensive everything was. Granted, we only paid $37/person to get in because they were having a special (it’s normally $56.99), but the food & drinks were quite a bit more expensive than they are over at DL. There are also a lot of every day restaurants within the park, like Panda Express & Johnny Rockets! No thanks.

I don’t mean to come off as snobby. This experience just made DH & I both appreciate Disney all that much more. Not that we really needed a reminder, it just reaffirmed everything we feel about Disney. It’s not just a theme park, it is truly so much more than that. With that, this picture pretty much sums up our experience:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/0f543a15.jpg

[PryncessChrysty]

We spent quite a bit of time at DLR over various days during their visit. Here are some highlights, in no particular order:


DH & I aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/27e69adb.jpg


Have ears, will travel!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/c66d4c17.jpg


This hat looks like it was made for him!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/196.jpg


A rare sight, especially after 12pm. This area is usually quite busy!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/83198141.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/563c9a3a.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/edb7a35c.jpg


I may or may not be responsible for getting my DSD hooked on Vinylmation. I’m pleading the 5th here.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/194.jpg


When in DL, remember to always look up!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/180.jpg


Our Peter Pan wins. No question.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/175.jpg


No creepy faux AA figures here. Thank goodness!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/139.jpg


Smooches!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/004.jpg


Yummy Monte Cristo from Café Orleans
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/011.jpg


Cruisin’ around the world
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/5a2ea653.jpg


Nothing beats a late night Dumbo ride
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/d0ead45a.jpg


Ready to take flight
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/211.jpg


Ariel has a new look!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/31f7dc30.jpg


Check out them thar hooks!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/101.jpg


Mmmmm…..Pina Colava from Trader Sam’s.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/99504292.jpg


We ordered this just for the awesome tiki glass! I loved the way they made it look like a glowing volcano!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/13de3b72.jpg


So sad to see this area closed off.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/158.jpg


Gearing up for the competition
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/203.jpg


How completely awesome is this wallpaper?!?
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/040d8e9e.jpg


Cindy making her way across the bridge
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/167-1.jpg


DM & DSD heading into Fantasyland!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Moms%20DL%20Trip%20%20April%202012/166.jpg


Thanks for tagging along on this not-so-quick detour. On the next post, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming!

[MrsDrewsky]

Another fabulous update! Your updates always makes me hungry. I can't remember the last time I had a monte christo, but now I might have to hunt one down this week.

Your mom's ears are fantastic. Does she make them? Is there some sort of couture minnie ear shop I am unaware of? ;)

[PixieMama]

Love the "staycation" updates! And I understand what you're saying about how other amusement parks are not like WDW. It always gets me when someone scoffs and asks "why do you want to keep vacationing at an amusement park?!"... um, no. There are amusement parks... and then there is Disney!

[PryncessChrysty]

Another fabulous update! Your updates always makes me hungry. I can't remember the last time I had a monte christo, but now I might have to hunt one down this week.

Your mom's ears are fantastic. Does she make them? Is there some sort of couture minnie ear shop I am unaware of? ;)

LOL - they make me hungry too when I'm writing them! :rotfl: :rotfl:

Disney has a whole new line of "fancy" ears. There are TONS to choose from. I'll have to take some pics in the shops to share with everyone. I actually bought myself a pair a couple of months ago, but they're so cute that I can't bring myself to wear them. It even has a Minnie cameo on it! Minnie cameo, people!!! :hyper:


Love the "staycation" updates! And I understand what you're saying about how other amusement parks are not like WDW. It always gets me when someone scoffs and asks "why do you want to keep vacationing at an amusement park?!"... um, no. There are amusement parks... and then there is Disney!

Exactly!!! :thumbsup2

[Disneysnel]

I loved this update almost as much as I loved the trip! Highlights for me were, the new Mermaid ride, World of Color, how beautifully landscaped Disneyland is again. Your Pirates and Peter definitely win over WDW but you also win for crowds. party:
I loved everything though and I think need EVERY pair of the new Minnie ears, hint hint :rolleyes1
Both of those restaurants were great and we really loved Claim Jumper, too!

Now, I need to rest up before the next one :snail:

[MrsDrewsky]

LOL - they make me hungry too when I'm writing them! :rotfl: :rotfl:

Disney has a whole new line of "fancy" ears. There are TONS to choose from. I'll have to take some pics in the shops to share with everyone. I actually bought myself a pair a couple of months ago, but they're so cute that I can't bring myself to wear them. It even has a Minnie cameo on it! Minnie cameo, people!!! :hyper:



So in three more weeks I too can have a "fancy" set of minnie ears? :faint:

Why did I promise DH I would set a souvenier budget..... :headache:

[annmarieda]

Love the detour! I have never been to Knottsberry... but it reminds me of a local amusement park we have here...and yes, not tooo bad to get in...but food is horrid and expensive. Makes me want to take a trip to DL!

[PryncessChrysty]

I loved this update almost as much as I loved the trip! Highlights for me were, the new Mermaid ride, World of Color, how beautifully landscaped Disneyland is again. Your Pirates and Peter definitely win over WDW but you also win for crowds. party:
I loved everything though and I think need EVERY pair of the new Minnie ears, hint hint :rolleyes1
Both of those restaurants were great and we really loved Claim Jumper, too!

Now, I need to rest up before the next one :snail:

Oh yes, we do definitely win for crowds. :crowded:

Claim Jumper was fun (and YUMMY!) - especially since we seemed to have the whole place to ourselves!

I swear I'm not sure what you mean about the landscaping, though. I don't ever remember it not being that way. Hmmm....

I can't wait for the next one! WDW here we come!!! :moped:


So in three more weeks I too can have a "fancy" set of minnie ears? :faint:

Why did I promise DH I would set a souvenier budget..... :headache:

You sure can!! When he sees how adorable you look in them, there's no way he'll be able to say no to you! They have some really super cute ones! :cutie:

Love the detour! I have never been to Knottsberry... but it reminds me of a local amusement park we have here...and yes, not tooo bad to get in...but food is horrid and expensive. Makes me want to take a trip to DL!


I had sticker shock from the prices! And the corndog we had tasted like rubber. It was really gross. :headache: But I have to say, in the end, I'm glad we tried it, because all it did was reaffirm our love for Disney. lol ;)


You totally should make a trek out here! If you've ever been to DCA, with all the changes it's almost unrecognizeable. It's on it's way to being a truly stunning park. I cannot wait for Buena Vista Street! (Carsland, too - but BVS has already stolen my heart!).

[PryncessChrysty]

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day. :flower3:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Day 3:

Today started with an early wake-up call, but after a little hustle-bustle in the morning the rest was set to be a fairly easy-breezy day. We had to get up & get packing cuz we were checking out of Old Key West and into Wilderness Lodge for the next 3 nights!

While we were getting ready, I went out onto the balcony to soak up the scenery for a bit because we really didn’t get to spend much time enjoying the resort during our stay. After a minute or two I noticed this little guy:


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/343.jpg


Can you see him? I don’t know why, but he cracked me up. He was just chillin’ out there and I never saw any movements so he must’ve been out there the whole time. After a little while he ran down the tree, and it was time to get back my bee-hind back in gear.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/345.jpg


This was our first stay at OKW and we really enjoyed the laid-back pace of the resort. The grounds were a lot more impressive in person than what I saw in pictures leading up to our stay there, and the whole place had a very calming feeling to it. Even for all of those great qualities, it seemed to be missing a spark for us. We would definitely stay here again, especially for the great value it can be when renting DVC points (which we did), but it wouldn’t be our first choice. The subtle theming was a nice change of pace, but Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Boardwalk are still at the top of our list.


Once we had everything all packed & ready to go, we loaded up the car and headed for the Wilderness! Let’s see if the Lodge will make its way to the top of our list. ;)


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/832.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/834.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/836.jpg



The guard at the gate was super sweet and loved our holiday-mobile. :goodvibes: He gave us our new parking slip and sent us on our merry way.


We parked & headed inside to check-in. We were greeted outside the door by a cheerful CM who escorted us into the lobby and handed us off to another CM working at the desk. We did online check-in from home so we were done in no time. Before they gave us our Keys to the World, the CM disappeared for a minute and came back out with a backpack full of goodies for us. It was a gift from our travel agent!

The service at check-in was absolutely superb – even better than the one time we stayed concierge over at the Poly during our honeymoon. To our surprise, the room was ready (it was only 10:15am!), but instead of hauling our stuff to the room, we decided to relax in the lobby for a bit and search through our bag of goodies. My family was meeting us for breakfast at Whispering Canyon Café and they were due any minute.

Our view as we waited:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/348.jpg


This was our first time using a TA, and while it had its ups & downs, in the end, the savings and the freebies were totally worth it. We booked through a TA that was sponsoring both the Reunion & Allears’ December to Remember Events and they were offering an amazing group rate. We paid about $210/night for a woods view; the rack rate is about $335/night so we saved over 35%. Not too shabby! Also with our reservation, we were invited to a free Illuminations dessert party. Something I’ve always wanted to do!

Sadly, I didn’t think to take pics of our welcome bag. It included a medium sized backpack, an aluminum water bottle from Touring Plans, a travel lanyard, some snacks and our credentials for the Illuminations dessert party. It was a really nice and unexpected treat!

Our ADR was for 10:30 and the time was quickly passing by, so I called my mom to see if they were close. They were running late because they were also busy packing up that morning. They were checking out of AKV and moving over to the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal for the next few days. Since our ADR was at the tail end of breakfast, I was worried we’d lose our spot. I explained the situation to the CM at the check-in counter and they agreed to hold a table for us. Yay! My family arrived a few minutes later and we were seated right away.

There were only about 5 other tables in use so we received a LOT of attention from the CM’s as they prepped for lunch. One waiter in particular, who wasn’t even working our table, decided my mom could use a little help with her hair. Check out the results. Ain’t it purdy??

WARNING: Grainy Phone Pics

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/16bee33e.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/0b629cb5.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/1dfc6f04.jpg




My DSD ordered a Coke and he was finished with it almost as soon as they brought it out. Apparently he was quite thirsty! lol This is what they brought him for a refill!


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/8e0324c2.jpg

He was in sugar heaven!

We ordered the All-You-Care-To-Eat Canyon Skillet for the 5 of us to share. It includes: scrambled eggs, roasted red potatoes, bacon, sausage, waffles, buttermilk biscuits, and sausage gravy. It was deeeeeelish! Everything was hot & fresh. The server was attentive in that he'd ask if we needed anything, but he was super slow to bring it out. That was the only downside.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/357.jpg



I ordered a pecan sticky bun on the side to share with DH. I was worried it might be dry, but it was SOOO good!! It wasn’t dry at all and not too sweet. I want another one right this minute, please!



http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/355.jpg


This was our second time trying breakfast here and I have to say that this experience far surpassed our first one. We first tried this breakfast in October of 2009 and most of the food was dry and tasteless, and the service was painfully slow. We only gave it another chance because we were staying at WL and wanted to experience it again. It certainly redeemed itself! The food was MUCH better this time around and the service was much better. Not great, but much better.


After breakfast, DH and I had tickets to one of the Allears’ events and my family was heading to AK for a few hours.

Next up: Plans, shmans….

[MrsDrewsky]

I love your pictures of WL during Christmas. Just beautiful! Mmm... that skillet looks so good. ::yes::

I agree that OKW is missing something. When we stayed there on our honeymoon we hardly saw any kids, even at the main pool, which is odd. :confused3

[PryncessChrysty]

I love your pictures of WL during Christmas. Just beautiful! Mmm... that skillet looks so good. ::yes::

I agree that OKW is missing something. When we stayed there on our honeymoon we hardly saw any kids, even at the main pool, which is odd. :confused3


Thanks for the photo love! :blush: I have a bunch more to share from around the resort later in the report.

You're right, there really weren't a lot of kids running around. With the room layouts, especially in the studios, I was surprised we didn't see more families around.

[annmarieda]

Breakfast looks yummy! I had thought about eating there when we stayed in December... but never did. Now I regret that.. :confused3

Love the pics! makes me want to go back NOW!

[PryncessChrysty]

Breakfast looks yummy! I had thought about eating there when we stayed in December... but never did. Now I regret that.. :confused3

Love the pics! makes me want to go back NOW!

No regrets, just reason to go back! ;)

[PixieMama]

I've been out of town for the last few days, but am now caught up on your TR! :yay:

I've been to the WL once... and that was to have dinner at WCC. Love love love the look of that resort. I think I'd like to stay there one day!

[annmarieda]

No regrets, just reason to go back! ;)

:thumbsup2 good point!

[heaven2dc]

I can't believe I just found your TR! I am having a blast reading all about it :) I love your pics esp of HS and ToT :love:

I am hoping to move down to the LA area this summer with my 2 youngest sons (I had applied to several internships for Disney but so far haven't been accepted) and we are excited to see DL and take some tours. Just today my oldest son said they were moving out here to Oregon so now I'm not so sure we will still move to CA. I really enjoyed seeing your pics of some of the sights down near Disneyland (it's been 29 years since we last visited DL). Thanks for sharing!

Your family looks like so much fun to travel with :banana:

[PryncessChrysty]

I've been out of town for the last few days, but am now caught up on your TR! :yay:

I've been to the WL once... and that was to have dinner at WCC. Love love love the look of that resort. I think I'd like to stay there one day!

It's definitely worth a stay! :goodvibes


I can't believe I just found your TR! I am having a blast reading all about it :) I love your pics esp of HS and ToT :love:

I am hoping to move down to the LA area this summer with my 2 youngest sons (I had applied to several internships for Disney but so far haven't been accepted) and we are excited to see DL and take some tours. Just today my oldest son said they were moving out here to Oregon so now I'm not so sure we will still move to CA. I really enjoyed seeing your pics of some of the sights down near Disneyland (it's been 29 years since we last visited DL). Thanks for sharing!

Your family looks like so much fun to travel with :banana:

Thanks for following along! :wave2:

Even if you aren't able to move out here, I hope you're able to make it out to DL in the near future. There are so many new things to see and do, especially after this summer!

[PryncessChrysty]

After breakfast, DH & I had tickets to one of the Allears.net’s December to Remember events, and my family was heading over to AK before checking into the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal. Since this was my brother’s last day at WDW, we all decided that we’d rather spend more time together instead of splitting up, so we opted to take the boat over to MK. First, they helped us lug our bags to our room.

In planning for the trip, I read that certain rooms have an ever-so-slight possibility of being able to see the MK fireworks from the balcony, and an even slighter chance of having a view of Cinderella Castle - all at the price of a woods view! Normally I like to leave the possibility of a great view up to those that dole out the pixie dust, but this was too good to pass up. I decided to try and take control of our fate and asked our TA to request a room with a king bed, on a high floor, overlooking Otter Pond. I reminded myself not to expect that any of the requests would actually be granted, but seriously, how awesome would that be?!?

What we were given was a room with a king bed, on the first floor, overlooking the DVC pool, which is on the opposite side of the resort. Maybe by requesting Otter Pond, they just thought we wanted a water view? lol

Truthfully, neither one of us really cared all that much about having the king bed, we have a queen at home and it’s perfectly fine. I’m not even sure why I ever request it if the other option is a queen. The floor/location wasn’t a shock since the CM showed us where our room was on the map at check-in, and even though I was prepared to not have our requests granted, I was bummed that the room was on the first floor. When we walked inside, we found that it was a handicap accessible room. Something I didn’t discover in all my research beforehand was that most of the king bed rooms at WL are HA rooms. We had one at Pop on a previous trip and the tub-less shower made for a big mess in the bathroom, which made it difficult when getting ready. I certainly understand why they’re set up that way, and by no means do I mean to come across as insensitive to those that need it. I’m also not crazy about being in one of the HA rooms because I feel like we could be taking it away from someone that needs it. I’m sure Disney is careful about this when assigning rooms, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty.


Since the room had 2 strikes against it, everyone agreed that I should call the front desk and see if they could move us to another room. An hour and a few confused-but-helpful CM’s later, we ended up in a room on the 4th floor with 2 queen beds and the same view of the DVC pool. We were much happier with this room. Next time, I’ll leave the view up to fate.


Looking straight out of our balcony to the DVC Pool.

Are there any otters in that pond?
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/863-1.jpg


Out to the right. That cement cover in the grass is right outside the patio of the room we had on the 1st floor.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/868.jpg



We could kinda see Bay Lake looking out to the left.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/867-1.jpg


Some shots of our room (if you notice that it’s dark outside, it’s because I took these later that night):


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/417.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/406.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/411.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/415.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/396.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/401.jpg


Lots of cute hidden Mickey details in the comforter:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/421.jpg


Now that we were happy with our room, we all walked out to the dock and hopped on the boat to the Magic Kingdom. When we passed the Contemporary, I was explaining some of the things we learned about the resort at D23’s Destination D event earlier that year. Like how the rooms were constructed the same as they would be for a cruise ship; all built individually and fully furnished (even down to the colored toiled paper!), then stacked in one-by-one with a crane. There was a CM on board who overheard me and chimed in telling us all sorts of things. Like how the water bridge we were crossing, which goes over a roadway, is 1 of 3 like it on property. I never even noticed we were floating OVER cars until he mentioned it. So neat.

Here’s a photo from Destination D of them lowering the first room into the Contemporary, presented by Disney Legend Dave Smith.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/083.jpg

As soon as we passed through the gates, we decided to take a train ride around the park and then exited back at Main St. station. We saw a Photopass photographer and asked him to take our picture. We set our bags at our feet and lined up in front of the tree, to which the CM promptly responded “I’m not going to be able to get the whole tree in the shot”. Well, I kinda figured that considering the tree is about 65 feet tall and we’re standing right in front of it. Poor guy, he was just trying to be nice, but it cracked me up. What really didn’t make sense to me though, was that he made sure to get all of our feet and our bags in the shot. Had he not captured our feet and the road, he couldve fit more of the tree in the shot.

Thank goodness I’ll be able to remember what shoes I wore that day…
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/358.jpg


Much better
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/358-1.jpg


Now with the castle (feet already cut out, for your enjoyment)
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/359-1.jpg


My mom had a HORRIBLE blister right in the middle of her foot, so she and I decided to hang out on Main St. for a bit and sent the boys off to hit the rides. While they made a bee-line for Space Mountain, we meandered through the shops. She wanted a pair of the pink sequin Minnie ears, so we hopped into the Chapeau.

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/365.jpg


I loved the decorations in this shop!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/363.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/361.jpg


When we came out, we spotted Mary Poppins and she wasn’t hearing her Jolly Holiday dress! While I do love that dress, I was so excited to see her in this outfit. Her line was already closed so I was only able to snap a pic in passing. Apparently, the dude on the right was confused as to why I was taking a picture of random people.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/364.jpg


Score! We found the ears.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/ca736505.jpg


We stopped in the Main St. Bakery to share a treat. Check out that cupcake in the back!!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/370.jpg


We didn’t end up trying one of the mile-high Christmas tree cupcakes, and decided on a banana bread pudding. We weren’t really paying attention to the time, so it was a nice surprise when the 3:00 parade made its way down Main St., especially since we had a nice view from our table inside the bakery. Afterward, we shopped a bit more and stopped by the Confectionary so my mom could use up the rest of their snack credits.


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/373.jpg


http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/376.jpg


Now THIS is a turkey leg I would actually eat!
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/aa1837c4.jpg


At this point, my mom’s poor foot was getting worse, so we decided to head back to WL and wait for the guys who were still running around the park.


Getting off the boat, we spotted this mama duck and her babies. So cute.
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/377.jpg


We found a couple of rocking chairs in the lobby to relax in.

Our view while we waited:
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y304/PenelopePeach/Dec%20TR%20-%20Day%203/380.jpg


By the time the guys showed up, they had to hit the road to get checked into HRH, and DH & I needed to take the boat over to Ft. Wilderness for our 7pm dinner ressie at Trails End. We said our goodbyes since we wouldn’t be seeing my brother again on the trip, and we wouldn’t see my parents again until later in the week.


Next up: I thought the Festival of Dancing Lights was at DHS….

[Disneysnel]

What a nice relaxing day! I am Freecycling ALL my Crocs today - they have ruined my last 3 trips, funny how in denial I was :confused:

It all worked out for the best though because I loved having the time with just the 2 of us, enjoying the bakery, parade and Main Street.

Great report and pics :thumbsup2
Can't WAIT to do it all again :yay:

[Grumpy's Wife]

I just started reading but wanted to stop by and say hi :wave: before I get all caught up.

[PryncessChrysty]

What a nice relaxing day! I am Freecycling ALL my Crocs today - they have ruined my last 3 trips, funny how in denial I was :confused:

It all worked out for the best though because I loved having the time with just the 2 of us, enjoying the bakery, parade and Main Street.

Great report and pics :thumbsup2
Can't WAIT to do it all again :yay:

Thank goodness! Your poor feeties! :sick:

It did all work out nicely, it was a really nice afternoon. :cloud9:

I can't wait either!!! :banana:

I just started reading but wanted to stop by and say hi :wave: before I get all caught up.

Thanks so much for joining in! :yay: