The Disney Grump & Family Take on the World-Our '09 Christmas w/ the Mouse, COMPLETE

[ladybugmom]

Great update, Michelle!! I just love seeing the MK all decorated for Christmas!! And that opening show--wouldn't miss it!! It really sets the mood for the day! Sorry you weren't too impressed with SM. It was closed last year and I haven't ridden it since '94!! I'm excited to hear about the Epcot storytellers!! And pee pee on the monorail--yuck!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

All caught up! You take remarkable pictures Michelle!
Can't believe that you had to walk off the people mover.
Even with the Grump along you all seem to be having a great time....

 

[SoonerGirl]

I would love to just take a bite out of that popcorn garland. It looks like it would taste really good!

I'm excited to eventually go to DLR in hmm, let's say within the next 15 years! I know that people enjoy POTC there better, and I would also love to see "it's a small world" with all the Disney characters in the scenes! It's nice that both parks have different things to offer.

Wow, I can't imagine the TTA stopping! Did it come to a sudden stop or did it just slow down before stopping?

Oh no! Your next installment title doesn't sound good ...

I saw an HGTV Disney Christmas special on how they made that giant popcorn garland - it was pretty interesting!

Definitely try to make it out to DLR at some point, it is Walt's original after all! We didn't get to go on small world when we were there, it was closed for refurbishments (in fact, I think that was when they were adding the characters), but DL Pirates & Space Mtn are worth the trip out west all by themselves!

I don't remember the stops on the TTA being sudden, so we must have slowed down before stopping.

Great report so far

Thank you!

Ugh.....
How does this happen?
I suddenly get unsubscribed!

I'm six pages behind and catching up.
Yes, the Liberty Minnies were the deal of the century! How could I not snatch them up?
I wish I had snatched them ALL up!
I left you off snoring away on your first night, going back to read.....

There you are - you keep disappearing on me!

Great update, Michelle!! I just love seeing the MK all decorated for Christmas!! And that opening show--wouldn't miss it!! It really sets the mood for the day! Sorry you weren't too impressed with SM. It was closed last year and I haven't ridden it since '94!! I'm excited to hear about the Epcot storytellers!! And pee pee on the monorail--yuck!

Space Mtn is still fun, I enjoyed it before and I still liked it - I guess I was just hoping for something a little closer to DLs version.

The storytellers were a point of emphasis for me, I didn't know when or if I would get back to WDW at Christmastime, so I wanted to be sure and do all of the things that are only there during the holidays. We saw almost all of them - only missed Kwanzaa & Hanukkah

All caught up! You take remarkable pictures Michelle!
Can't believe that you had to walk off the people mover.
Even with the Grump along you all seem to be having a great time....

Thanks for the compliment on my pictures!

Yeah, we really hadn't planned on our quick trip on the people mover to take 45 minutes, but it did....

Grumpy actually wasn't too bad on this trip. One of my 'things to do' in the countdown was to say what your biggest wish was for the trip. Mine was that Don would keep Grumpy put away and allow us to have a wonderful trip, I think he took that to heart and tried really hard to make it happen. He was a bit quiet the first couple of days and I was starting to think it was going to be a long trip, but he came around (really starting this day he came out of his shell a bit) and then he was great for the rest of the trip, until the very end - then I could tell he was just done and ready to go.

 

[kcandbella]

Great updates! I love your pics. Goofy sounds really funny!!! I'm intrigued to hear the next installment...

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

OHH Michelle I can so relate to your situation with a Disney Grump my husband is the same exact way ... How can you not love Disney??????? I just told him maybe Michelle and I should hook up and go while you hook up with your husband and they go off and do whatever ....lol great trip report my husband actually agreed to go 2011 at Xmas time ... Ohh my heart....lol

 

[stace208]

Yay! Magic Kingdom at Christmas! I loved all your pictures-they are very good!

Sounds like a fun day so far. I have heard others say the same thing about the Space Mountain refurb-or lack thereof really.

Looking forward to your Epcot update!

 

[Charleston Princess]

I never even thought about the fact that the opening show would have the performers in Christmas costumes. Was there anything different with the songs they sang?

What a bummer about the TTA stopping and the crowd at CHH! I don't blame you for bailing out of the MK and heading to Epcot. However, I am a little worried by the title of your next installment!

 

[MHTeacher]

NYE week at Disney did something kinda funny to me - when you mention a 40 minute wait I now think..."not bad".

Gotta agree Brookelizabeth! Being there during NYE just kind-of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

Up Next: The Monorail Pee Pee Incident!

Joined in and all caught up...loving your pictures, but I'm not sure I want to know what the monorail pee pee incident is all about!!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

The two times we were in MK too last month, the morning Space Mountain line was ridiculously long. We did like you all and grabbed FPs! I wasn't that impressed with it either. I think it is my least favorite thrilled ride in all of WDW. Isn't the popcorn there the very best? We always get the buckets and it makes for a cheap souvenier! Great update!

 

[exwdwcm]

just found you and enjoying your report. We left on 12/20 in the early am, and that saturday, 12/19 was starting to get so crowded, so I am curious how the crowds were during your trip. can't wait to read more and hope your PP Cd comes soon. I just ordered mine as well!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I'm glad Don really tried to have a good time! Who know, maybe he did? Sometimes the joy for them is seeing us in the place we love...
I can't wait for the pee pee installment!
It sounds like a good one!

 

[BippityBoo]

All caught up!! Great TR! I love the pics of POR. We live by New Orleans, so we eat beniets almost every Sunday. Your kids just get covered in the white sugar!!! I am so interested to hear about the monorail pee thing. Ewwww! We ate at CHH on our trip. I had the shrimp. You are right, it is really oily but GOOD

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great updates! I love your pics. Goofy sounds really funny!!! I'm intrigued to hear the next installment...

Goofy was alot of fun, I always enjoy it when the characters want to play around a little. The boys were cracking up, as were many of the people waiting in line!

OHH Michelle I can so relate to your situation with a Disney Grump my husband is the same exact way ... How can you not love Disney??????? I just told him maybe Michelle and I should hook up and go while you hook up with your husband and they go off and do whatever ....lol great trip report my husband actually agreed to go 2011 at Xmas time ... Ohh my heart....lol

Congrats on getting your DH to agree to a Christmas trip! WDW is so very magical at Christmastime, you'll have a fantastic time

Yay! Magic Kingdom at Christmas! I loved all your pictures-they are very good!

Sounds like a fun day so far. I have heard others say the same thing about the Space Mountain refurb-or lack thereof really.

Looking forward to your Epcot update!

Magic Kingdom is beautiful at Christmas, definitely a sight to see.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was surprised at how little the actual ride changed with the refurb. There must have been some big changes that weren't apparent because it was sure down for a long time!

I never even thought about the fact that the opening show would have the performers in Christmas costumes. Was there anything different with the songs they sang?

What a bummer about the TTA stopping and the crowd at CHH! I don't blame you for bailing out of the MK and heading to Epcot. However, I am a little worried by the title of your next installment!

You know, I didn't notice if the opening songs were different or not. We usually arrive just after rope drop instead of just before so I've only actually seen the opening once before this trip, and that was long enough ago that my aging brain can't remember much about it!

Gotta agree Brookelizabeth! Being there during NYE just kind-of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?



Joined in and all caught up...loving your pictures, but I'm not sure I want to know what the monorail pee pee incident is all about!!

Hi there! I know I've seen you around quite a bit, we must subscribe to a lot of the same TRs! Thanks for coming over!

 

[SoonerGirl]

The two times we were in MK too last month, the morning Space Mountain line was ridiculously long. We did like you all and grabbed FPs! I wasn't that impressed with it either. I think it is my least favorite thrilled ride in all of WDW. Isn't the popcorn there the very best? We always get the buckets and it makes for a cheap souvenier! Great update!

Space Mtn is still fun, but I agree, there are quite a few rides that I put before it on my 'must do' list!

The popcorn is so good! I've got one bucket from our first trip with the boys. I actually found that I don't use it all that often, so I've never gotten another one - they are really cute though!

just found you and enjoying your report. We left on 12/20 in the early am, and that saturday, 12/19 was starting to get so crowded, so I am curious how the crowds were during your trip. can't wait to read more and hope your PP Cd comes soon. I just ordered mine as well!!

Hello & welcome to my TR!! I was prepared for crowded, but even with well layed plans the crowds can wear on you after awhile. It really wasn't too bad early in the week, reminded me of summertime, but towards the end it was worse.

I contacted Disney about the PP CD and they told me they wouldn't check into it until it had been 14 business days since it shipped, so I've got to wait until the end of the week

I'm glad Don really tried to have a good time! Who know, maybe he did? Sometimes the joy for them is seeing us in the place we love...
I can't wait for the pee pee installment!
It sounds like a good one!

I do think he had a good time, he isn't ready to head back anytime soon though!

The pee pee incident was interesting......

All caught up!! Great TR! I love the pics of POR. We live by New Orleans, so we eat beniets almost every Sunday. Your kids just get covered in the white sugar!!! I am so interested to hear about the monorail pee thing. Ewwww! We ate at CHH on our trip. I had the shrimp. You are right, it is really oily but GOOD

Hey there!! Glad you made it over

Oh, Jared would be in heaven if he could eat beignets every day! And, yes, he would be a mess too!

I thought about getting the shrimp @ CHH, but went with the tuna sandwich instead. Glad to know the shrimp is good maybe I'll try it next time!

 

[Happydog]

Great update and great photos! I just love that popcorn garland too! So cool, and I saw the same HGTV special!!!

You have great photos! Some great details! I need to take more of the stuff around me... I get to distracted!!!!

Seems like you had a fun start to the day, and I am sorry your boys dismissed Fantasy Land.... RATS. That means my day is coming

Oh well, they gotta grow up eventually I guess...

I agree that popcorn IS better....

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

[MaryAz]

Fun update, I was also hoping that SM would be more like the DL one-especially the seating. But no go. I just remember it being really jerky.
Oh boy pee pee

 

[brookelizabeth]

What a great morning at the MK! You guys were able to do a lot! I love the pic of the boys trying to be cool in their glasses at Mickey's Philharmagic.

That stinks about the TTA breaking down! But a big score on the FPs! That is a nice little bonus when it's so busy in the parks.

I noticed you commented about how you saw the garland for the tree being made! Do you remember any details?

And "pee pee on the monorail" Ooooh, boy...

And that actually reminds me of something we saw on our trip...

I've just got the kit lens and the one zoom lens, but yeah it is alot more to carry than what I had before. The lack of ease of use has been the biggest thing for me to get used to going to a DSLR from a point & shoot, but the DSLR can do so much more - if I'd only learn how to use it! Even just using the most basic settings though, the pictures are so nice!


That's the one I have!

We use the basic settings most often, and I LOVE that they take such good pictures! Makes it easy.

I'm glad that is your lens! I am pretty sure this is the one that Joe is set on...and now I have seen its results....and I like them!

 

[disneydusted]

I like the photo you have of the street lamp with the decorations "under" it... very pretty!
So you had to be evacuated off of the TTA, where were the stairs that they took you down? Nice that they gave you some FP's!
I am with everyone else... not too sure about the next update!! Sounds like you were in for a surprise!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great update and great photos! I just love that popcorn garland too! So cool, and I saw the same HGTV special!!!

You have great photos! Some great details! I need to take more of the stuff around me... I get to distracted!!!!

Seems like you had a fun start to the day, and I am sorry your boys dismissed Fantasy Land.... RATS. That means my day is coming

Oh well, they gotta grow up eventually I guess...

I agree that popcorn IS better....

Looking forward to the next installment!

Wasn't that HGTV special awesome! If it couldn't get you excited about visiting Disney at Christmas nothing could!

Thanks for the compliment about my pictures. I tend to get distracted at times too, I used to be really bad about it, but seeing other people's fantastic photos here on the DIS made me slow down a little and snap away. I love having all the pictures to look back on!

Yeah, I'm afraid the days of being able to hang out in Fantasyland are coming to an end for me. The boys like the teacups & Philharmagic, but that's about it. They go on Peter Pan because it's one of my favorites and I have to ride it every trip!

Fun update, I was also hoping that SM would be more like the DL one-especially the seating. But no go. I just remember it being really jerky.
Oh boy pee pee

Isn't the DL SM great? It really spoiled me, such a smooth fun ride!

What a great morning at the MK! You guys were able to do a lot! I love the pic of the boys trying to be cool in their glasses at Mickey's Philharmagic.

That stinks about the TTA breaking down! But a big score on the FPs! That is a nice little bonus when it's so busy in the parks.

I noticed you commented about how you saw the garland for the tree being made! Do you remember any details?

We did have a good morning. Our days were really pretty productive, I guess that's a benefit of having been several times and knowing what we like and don't like. And knowing exactly where you are going without having to stop and look at a park map all the time helps too!

The HGTV Disney Christmas special was awesome! The popcorn was all made in individual moulds of several different shapes, I think they said there were 600 pieces of popcorn total. Then it was painted and airbrushed to look like real popcorn, holes were drilled into them to make them easier to string. After they were strung they were hung on the different sections of the tree. The trees are actually stored fully decorated in pieces. The pieces are put on flatbed trailers and delivered to the parks where they are assembled using a crane. It's a pretty amazing operation!

We use the basic settings most often, and I LOVE that they take such good pictures! Makes it easy.

I'm glad that is your lens! I am pretty sure this is the one that Joe is set on...and now I have seen its results....and I like them!

I'm sure you like the lens! I used it a couple more times this trip so you'll get to see a few more results from it

I like the photo you have of the street lamp with the decorations "under" it... very pretty!
So you had to be evacuated off of the TTA, where were the stairs that they took you down? Nice that they gave you some FP's!
I am with everyone else... not too sure about the next update!! Sounds like you were in for a surprise!

The stairs actually weren't too far from where we stalled. I can't remember for certain, but it seems like we had just exited SM when we stopped, so the stairs we took were probably by SM.

Update coming right up!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

So, we left off with Don and Jared going back to the room for a break and Justin & I going over to Epcot. We got onto the monorail, and there was one other family in our car, a man & a woman with a young boy who appeared to be maybe two. We were about halfway between the MK and the TTC when the little boy jumped down off the seat and ran towards the monorail door screaming ‘pee pee’! ‘pee pee’! The mom starts digging in the stroller looking for something, all while the boy is dancing around yelling 'pee pee' over and over again. She finally pulls out a Disney shopping bag; dumps everything out of it and proceeds to have the little boy pee in the bag! I looked over at Justin and it was all he could do to keep from busting out laughing. I had to look away from him or I was going to start laughing too! When we got to the TTC the lady calmly walked off the monorail and tossed her bag of pee into the trashcan – ewwwww! Having him pee in the bag was much better than having pee all over the monorail floor, but I sure feel sorry for the guy who had to empty that trashcan full of pee!

Incident behind us, we boarded the monorail to Epcot. I love how the monorail to Epcot goes through the park on the way into the station - it's a great way to get a glimpse of the park before you walk through those gates! Soon we were inside and heading towards World Showcase. We had no intension of riding anything this afternoon, but just out of curiosity we checked the wait times on the board by the fountain. Soarin’ was listed at 2 ½ hours and Test Track at 3 hours! WOW!!

We stopped for a photopass pic by the tree, then looked over the times guide and determined our plan of attack for the Storytellers. We decided to go to the United Kingdom first.

I loved Father Christmas – he was great! My favorite part of his story was when he was describing the tradition of the mistletoe, we had a newlywed couple in the audience that was more than happy to demonstrate exactly what you are supposed to do under the mistletoe! They were so cute and you could tell just how much the groom adored his new bride.

Some pictures of Father Christmas

We had some time to kill before the next Storyteller, so we walked around and took a few pictures. A couple in the UK

Then on to Canada

While we were waiting we got to talking to a CM and another lady there with her daughter. They both told us to be sure and not miss the Storyteller in Norway, so we made the decision to go over there next. But, first we had

Walking over to Norway – I think these signs are cute!

Now for that mischievous little gnome, Julenissen!

This was probably our favorite of all the storytellers – he was so funny. The lady storyteller couldn’t see the little gnome and he kept 'freezing' her and playing tricks on her, it was very entertaining! If you are going to WDW at Christmastime, take some time to see this Storyteller, you won’t be disappointed.

Continued in the next post