Snow to 80 in 8 days–A spoonful of Holiday Cheer (2/5 update Ch 36 - Final Thoughts)

Well poopy:headache:! I guessed that you and Alison scored seats for the CP.

It looks incredible though, even if you had to stand!:thumbsup2 Marlee Matlin did look like she was having a great time too. I always think of that Seinfeld episode when I hear her name though!:laughing:

Ugh, I can't stand people who are completely oblivious in social situations like that! How is it humanly possible to NOT know that talking in your normal voice on your cell phone disturbs those around trying to watch a program??:headache: Glad you didn't let it ruin it for you though. Did you give any dirty, annoyed looks? Sometimes a well placed look of disgust helps rectify the situation!:laughing:

It must have been so amazing to hear the Christmas story while in your favorite place (Disney of course!). I'd love to experience that myself!

That Christmas tree is gorgeous! But I love this pic in particular, looks like a postcard.
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Geat update Marv! And notice, I completely behaved myself, not one snide or sarcastic remark.:angel:
 
Marv, that's a quality job of playing it by ear and getting a spot to see the CP! Looks like a really neat show. It's a shame that you almost have to pay the freight for the dinner package in order to see it.

Don't get me started on loud obnoxious people with cell phones + a selfish sense of entitlement + no consideration for others. Grrr. :mad:
 
sure marv screw up my guess, you had to eat dinner didnt you.

you couldnt have skipped it and gotten in line to get seats in the top left corner like i said.
:sad2:


we did not know how popular the CP was before our christmas trip and missed seats for it, and did not feel like standing behind a row of about 5 people deep at the top for our trip so we listened to the music as we walked by and saw more countries.
 


Candlelight Processional looks so magical. I haven't seen it yet, since it wouldn't be fun with two squirmy boys, but someday, I will. Standing is probably worth it to avoid the wait. :thumbsup2
 
The CP was something I really debated doing but I didn't know if Juliana would sit through it and I also couldn't fit it into our schedule. I guess this is a good reason to go back during the holidays sometime. :santa:

So sorry you had to deal with a few distractions. It seems like you guys had a great view from where you were standing.

I wonder what resorts you visited. :confused3
Yep, time to start planning a trip where you are more in control of the schedule and how long you have to tour the parks.

Hope to have the resort update up soon!
Morning Marv !!!!!!I agree ( this is getting scarey) I willing will allow a child infront of me and have done so many times asking my GKs to scoot over and a paerson in a wheelchair Oh Yea!!!
In October with my escortees .. my jiggly man was as much an attraction asthe Parade !!:rotfl2:
Simple case of being polite and thinking about others beside yourself! Something you do every day Rosie! :thumbsup2 Jiggly man may have been a major attraction, but I'm sure Rosie had her share of the spotlight! :lmao:
Darn! I think I'm 0/3. I'm glad you got to see CP as it gets pretty busy sometimes. I can't wait to see all the hotel decorations :goodvibes
It was quite packed. I'm guessing a lot of people were trying to catch those last few showings. I thought it might slow down later, but I guess the fact that different groups make up the choir for different shows brings family and friends from all over to keep the crowd levels high. :confused3 Lots of Resort Christmas decoration pictures coming.
Well poopy:headache:! I guessed that you and Alison scored seats for the CP. You weren't the only one.

It looks incredible though, even if you had to stand!:thumbsup2 Marlee Matlin did look like she was having a great time too. I always think of that Seinfeld episode when I hear her name though!:laughing: She looked like she really enjoys being a part of this. And she is very expressive.

Ugh, I can't stand people who are completely oblivious in social situations like that! How is it humanly possible to NOT know that talking in your normal voice on your cell phone disturbs those around trying to watch a program??:headache: Glad you didn't let it ruin it for you though. Did you give any dirty, annoyed looks? Sometimes a well placed look of disgust helps rectify the situation!:laughing: Me and a few others. I can be quite expressive with my looks when I want to be! :rolleyes1

It must have been so amazing to hear the Christmas story while in your favorite place (Disney of course!). I'd love to experience that myself! It was a very special treat, even standing in the back. Enjoying where we were, and the time of year was a big part of this trip. We got to enjoy it completely this time around! :goodvibes

That Christmas tree is gorgeous! But I love this pic in particular, looks like a postcard.
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Thanks! It is easy to get some really great pictures at Disney! They give you a lot of really cool stuff to work with!

Geat update Marv! And notice, I completely behaved myself, not one snide or sarcastic remark.:angel:
Glad I have been such a positive influence on you! ;)
 
Marv, that's a quality job of playing it by ear and getting a spot to see the CP! Looks like a really neat show. It's a shame that you almost have to pay the freight for the dinner package in order to see it. Yeah, the dinner package is quite expensive, especially if you start thinking of doing it for five people!:eek:

Don't get me started on loud obnoxious people with cell phones + a selfish sense of entitlement + no consideration for others. Grrr. :mad:
I hear you brother!
sure marv screw up my guess, you had to eat dinner didnt you.

you couldnt have skipped it and gotten in line to get seats in the top left corner like i said.
:sad2: Well, I fell in line behind the choir, but they stopped me at the ropes.......but that was where I wanted to be anyway!:thumbsup2

we did not know how popular the CP was before our christmas trip and missed seats for it, and did not feel like standing behind a row of about 5 people deep at the top for our trip so we listened to the music as we walked by and saw more countries.
We started out on the right side and there was quite a crowd there. I never really saw it ease off on that side, but we didn't have to fight too many people for standing space in the middle. Go figure! :confused3
Great update! But, you were supposed to be too drunk to see it!
:lmao: Yeah, you must think I am quite the drinker!!! :sad2:
Candlelight Processional looks so magical. I haven't seen it yet, since it wouldn't be fun with two squirmy boys, but someday, I will. Standing is probably worth it to avoid the wait. :thumbsup2
It is still a very good show, even standing in the back. It is very easy to get all caught up in it! :cloud9:
 


There were a number of Disney Resort Hotels on my must-see list for their popularity for Christmas decorations. But what should we do first? Two nights later we had a dinner ADR for Cape May Café in the Beach Club Resort as I mentioned in my PTR, so we could tour the Epcot resorts when we went there. The best plan seemed to be to take the Monorail from Epcot to the TTC, hop on the Resort Monorail and visit those resorts. Then when we were finished we could just get off at the MK stop and catch a bus from there back to Kidani. :cool1:

While we were on the monorail I got a text from the boys wanting to know the plans for the next day. I told them that we were going to the MK and I wanted to make rope drop so we could collect FPs and try to ride Space Mountain early since it was closed the last time we were there. I told them what time we needed to plan to leave Kidani the next morning so not to stay out too late if they planned to head out early with me.

Thinking about the early morning I figured we needed to get back to the room soon, so I decided to skip the Contemporary and stop at the two Monorail Resorts that get the most attention; the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian. It was a fairly easy decision since we would have to pass the MK stop to get back to the Contemporary. I'm sure the Contemporary has a lot of nice decorations, but I haven't heard a lot about it here on the DIS and didn't figure it was worth the extra time on the monorail.

Here are some of the sights we saw when we toured the Poly......

Upstairs area near O'hana
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The Christmas tree you see when you enter the lobby near check-in
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More of the Decorations in the main lobby
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Wreath inside the Gift Shop
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After walking around and exploring the shops a little, we headed back to the Monorail for our short ride over to the Grand Floridian. One of the things I wanted to see here that I had heard so much about was the Gingerbread House in the lobby. We got off the monorail and entered on the second floor, overlooking the lobby. We had never visited the Grand Floridian before. It is known for its elegance and style and is very impressive from the moment you step inside with the huge open lobby reaching up to all the floors of the hotel above.

There were lots of decorations and Christmas trees everywhere you turned. Here is one of the two trees you see as you enter the hotel from the monorail.
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I never could get a really good picture of the entire main Christmas tree in the lobby with the zoom lens I had on the camera, but I wanted to include this blurry picture to show how tall it is, and how expansive the lobby is.
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Here is the top of the main tree that shows more of the resort detail and decorations
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The Orchestra was preparing to perform and add a little music and ambiance to the occasion. Obviously they knew I had arrived and wanted me to have this special treat.
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The Gingerbread House from the Mezzanine above
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Even the stairwells are beautifully decorated as you walk down to the main floor of the lobby below.
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One of many large wreaths in the lobby
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The Gingerbread house is very large and impressive. It even has a gift shop inside where you can purchase a lot of baked goods, including gingerbread. It takes a lot to make a Gingerbread house this size. :eek:
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There is a lot of detail all around the Gingerbread house
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After completing our tour of the Grand Floridian we headed back to the monorail and quickly rode the rest of the way to the Magic Kingdom where we caught a bus directly to Kidani. But our resort tour wasn't quite over yet as this would be our first time experiencing all of the lights and decorations in our home resort. As we walked towards the main entrance to the lobby from the bus stop we were greeted by this sight.
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Here is the main Christmas tree in the lobby
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Disney always does a fantastic job with theming, and the Christmas trees are no exception.
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Including a Hidden Mickey
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It was time to get some sleep and be ready for our first full park day.

Coming Up - Chapter 15 Off to the Magical Kingdom



Okay now that our first Epcot day is done, I have one additional Contest Question. This question is in honor of my DISfriend Glenn and his wonderful wife, who is such a good sport letting us all play the "Where's Judy-do" game on Glenn's thread.

For now at least, this is the one planned episode of "Where's Ali-do?" Unlike the game on Glenn's TR thread, everyone can possibly win a point in this one. Send your best guesses to me in a PM so everyone has a chance.

So here is the question.....How many Ali's can you spot (in whole or in part) in all of the chapters for our first Epcot day (TR Chapters 9-14) and which pictures did you find her in? (So I know you weren't just guessing like some people tend to do in Glenn's game.....) :rolleyes1 Good Luck!
 
Great update, Marv. The decorations are breathtaking. I really like the ones at the AKL the best I have to say.
 
Awesome decorations, even though I guessed everything wrong. :sad2:

I keep saying this on everyone's threads, but I need to get down there for Christmas sometime. It looks amazing. One good thing about Disney--it may be expensive, but you know they're spending an awful lot of that money to make it special for you.
 
DOH! Not only did I guess the wrong amount of resorts, but i went th the wrong way too!! Shoot!

Regardless, your pictures are very lovely! I think I'd have to go with the more unique and ecclectic Poly decorations as my favorites over the GF, but of course, the gingerbread would have to take a prize- each resort is so specialized it's hard to say, I like this one more or that one more, isn't it??
 
Incredible pics Marv! I love Christmas and Disney so it just sounds like the perfect pairing, to visit at Christmas time. The decorations are gorgeous! Ok, stupid question alert...were any of those trees real? And how nice of the GF band to play just because they knew you were coming!:laughing: Were they playing Christmas songs?

Ooooh, another contest! Going back to count of the Ali's.:thumbsup2
 
I don't even try to guess, but I really enjoyed your resort tour. I think the trees at the Poly are especially pretty. I really need to visit the resorts over Christmas. there is just so much to see and do. The gingerbread house - WOW! The ingredients???? Who actually measures that stuff???? 35lbs of spices? :confused3
 
dude, i had the number of resorts right on what you toured after epcot,

but i think i should get bonus points for saying you would tour your own with decorations.

did anyone else say that?
:confused3
 
Great update, Marv. The decorations are breathtaking. I really like the ones at the AKL the best I have to say.
I love those too! They all have their unique qualities that make them great though! Disney puts a lot of thought and care into all of them!
Awesome decorations, even though I guessed everything wrong. :sad2:

I keep saying this on everyone's threads, but I need to get down there for Christmas sometime. It looks amazing. One good thing about Disney--it may be expensive, but you know they're spending an awful lot of that money to make it special for you.
So true about Disney.....and I think everyone should try to visit once at Christmas. It is a very special time to be there, and they do so much to make it even more magical!!!
DOH! Not only did I guess the wrong amount of resorts, but i went th the wrong way too!! Shoot!

Regardless, your pictures are very lovely! I think I'd have to go with the more unique and ecclectic Poly decorations as my favorites over the GF, but of course, the gingerbread would have to take a prize- each resort is so specialized it's hard to say, I like this one more or that one more, isn't it??
Thanks and yes you are so right! Disney makes every one of them special in their own unique way! There is something to really enjoy at all of them! It is just a wonderful and beautiful time of year to be at Disney for sure!

As for your guesses I started to tell you to take another look at your answer right after you posted it to see if you thought it made sense, but decided against it. You are after all a well renowned Post Host and Disney veteran. The thing that I thought you would be maddest about is the fact you put me on the monorail leaving Epcot, but sent me to the Epcot resorts even though the monorail doesn't go that direction......... :rolleyes1 :confused3
Incredible pics Marv! I love Christmas and Disney so it just sounds like the perfect pairing, to visit at Christmas time. The decorations are gorgeous! Ok, stupid question alert...were any of those trees real? And how nice of the GF band to play just because they knew you were coming!:laughing: Were they playing Christmas songs?

Ooooh, another contest! Going back to count of the Ali's.:thumbsup2
Thanks Molly! It is a very special time of year at Disney! I don't believe there are any live Christmas trees at Disney, but don't know for sure. I'm guessing they are up way too long for that! I know that most of the resort and park trees at least are created and moved at night, and typically are removed and wrapped to be used again the next Christmas without having to redecorate each year.

The orchestra may have played some Christmas music but the song that jumped out at me that I remember hearing was one of the ones the ensemble played on deck in the movie Titanic when it was crippled in the water, trying to keep the passengers from panicking..... :goodvibes
 
I don't even try to guess, but I really enjoyed your resort tour. I think the trees at the Poly are especially pretty. I really need to visit the resorts over Christmas. there is just so much to see and do. The gingerbread house - WOW! The ingredients???? Who actually measures that stuff???? 35lbs of spices? :confused3
I'm betting they don't add them a pinch at a time....... :lmao:
[/I]
sounds like bonus points for me, for thinking on the same brain wave as you.
:banana:
dude, i had the number of resorts right on what you toured after epcot,

but i think i should get bonus points for saying you would tour your own with decorations.

did anyone else say that?
:confused3
Contest answers have been graded for a while now, along with assigned bonus points. Will have the results posted a little later today! ;)
 

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