Candlelight & Cannonballs! (MANY MARDI GRAS MASK PICS!) Dec. 2012- Start Pg.235/#3524

[funatdisney]

I have noticed just recently that the characters at Goofy's Kitchen interact with us more than in the past. I guess it is because we were are with our teenage daughters, which are not interested with taking pictures with any princesses or characters. Last time we ate at GK, Mulan spent some time with us talking about what Princess Ariel would use for transportation (she asked where were from and found out that we live in a city near the beach) and compared it to what she would use in China. The costumed characters would tease my DH, which drew a big laugh from my girls. The characters really get into it with DH and I since we are both good at reading what they are trying to say, and will go on and on with DH and me. All to the enjoyment of my girls. These interactions have really added to our experience.

[mvf-m11c]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Stay tuned, Jazz and Bret - more Mary and Bert coming! They were just getting started in their dancing when I took those first 2 photos. Turns out Mary really likes Christmas music. I like the Band too - they are a festive little ensemble!


Bret, thank you for the compliments! I really appreciate it. I certainly did zero in on the details this time around, didn't I? Well, as I've said, I don't know what I will do to top myself on my next holiday trip. I will have to either go more in-depth (if that's possible) or find a whole new focus or Quest to pursue. I've had all the Quests lined up in my mind for a couple of years (Sign Quest, Weather Vane Quest, Bathroom Sign Quest, Topiary Quest, etc.) and just haven't had time to get into them yet. But...I may have to on the next holiday trip.

Your DLR trip is right around the corner! I can't wait to see the Sign Quest in action!!

I think you did a good job on getting the small details with your camera. The pictures from the window displays on MS from the ornaments and deserts were really nice. There are a lot of Quest activities to do at the DLR. It is almost endless with the Quest games. At least you had those kind of ideas of what to do when you are at the DLR. I mostly go to DL just for the rides and nighttime events at the DLR. But since my last two Disney trips, I tried to do more pictures of the details of the buildings and the Holiday decorations.

Yup, just about two weeks left until my short trip to DL. I'm also planning on meeting Sara (Funball) at DL on Saturday. This will be really neat to meet her in person and meet a fellow DISer at the park. This is going to really hard to get as many pictures of the signs with only about one full day at the parks. I'm not planning on going on too many rides and just taking pictures of the signs around the resort and find most of them during my short visit.

[funatdisney]

i agree with amount of details you have provided with your photos. From your photos, I have realized that there is much that I missed that I look forward to Christmas time already! Keep them coming.

Also, I just love the Santa meet and greet area in DLH. It is so charming. It looks like you just can't go and take a picture there when Santa is on his break feeding the reindeer. It would be a great area to take a family photo one year.

[Disgram23kids]

Love the Goofy's Kitchen tree. We had reservations for breakfast at GK on the Saturday we were at the park but with a sick grandson, I ended up staying with him at the room all day so he could rest. My daughter and granddaugters still went for breakfast and said it was good. They talked about the tree and that it was so appropriate for Goofy. The TR is wonderful. Thanks for all the little details.

[bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Thank you, Jillian - as always! Wow, that Mary you encountered meant business! She had no intention of letting Bert stop!

She is never cross, but quite firm.

(it's possible I finally watched the movie last night...a lifelong dislike of Julie Andrews has now ended in..."hmm, she's really pretty and funny, too"...)

[amamax2]

Sherry,

I hope you didn't think I was saying I didn't want to see all the hotel and DTD details - I love them!!! And definitely want to keep seeing them. Like I said before, you have done such a thorough job of documenting DL on this trip, I feel like I am walking beside you.

My trip for the end of Jan got cancelled yesterday and I was just feeling so sad, seeing the pictures of DL made me feel better (or worse? not sure which ), so I guess that is why I reacted the way I did.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by amamax2

Sherry,

I hope you didn't think I was saying I didn't want to see all the hotel and DTD details - I love them!!! And definitely want to keep seeing them. Like I said before, you have done such a thorough job of documenting DL on this trip, I feel like I am walking beside you.

My trip for the end of Jan got cancelled yesterday and I was just feeling so sad, seeing the pictures of DL made me feel better (or worse? not sure which ), so I guess that is why I reacted the way I did.

Oh, don't worry - I totally understood what you meant! Disneyland itself IS, of course, where the bulk of the great, magical details and things are - and certainly where the best of the holiday decorations are (and we already know about Halloween and where those decorations are after seeing what happened in 2010). I truly think that the photo possibilities in DL are probably close to endless when you open up your mind (and eyes) to what's in front of you. (Of course, thanks to you, I found the cool window display with the candy houses and that led me to other window displays and pushing men out of the way to get my photos, etc.!! ) DL itself does feel more like 'home.' It's certainly the hub of most of the magic when you are looking for those little details and for that feeling of magic.

But, that said, and I wonder if you and everyone else feel the same way - I do have to take a break from DL (and even DCA, to a degree, if it's a madhouse) after a while and wander elsewhere on a multi-day trip. I think I would be better with it if it just were not so darn crowded all the time, but I don't think that problem will be lessening any time soon with all the coming changes to DLR. And I found myself in the unusual predicament of feeling like I had to stay in DL to get in the time (photos) before the CM parties happened, even though I wanted to go over to DCA. So I find myself having to venture into the hotels and around DTD during the non-DL hours in search of other stuff just to get a break from the park madness. (Seemingly all of the people who were pushed out of DL for the CM parties flocked over to DCA, which looked crazy!)

(By the way, do you agree that the 3 DLH towers' trees are the least interesting trees of the 3 hotels' main trees? I don't know what it is - they are just kind of lackluster compared to the GCH and the PPH, I think.)


However, things happen for a reason. So even though I was getting a bit of DL burnout for having to be in that park for long stretches of time, a few days in a row, when I would have preferred to break up the schedule a little differently, I'm glad it worked out that way. If it had not worked out that way, I might not have gotten some of the good pictures in DL that I got. I might not have been able to get thoroughly into the Round-Up and take some of the other photos that are coming up.


Let's see....I'm trying to think of what I have coming up in photos from Day 3 so you will have an idea of where we are going (and I feel like I am taking everyone with me, so we are all walking together on this journey!). I finally made it to Album #5 (out of 7 albums for this trip alone), so we are slowly winding down.

I know I have more with Bert and Mary. I've got ToonTown and NOS stuff. I've got stuff from the IASWH area. A few shots from somewhere over in Frontierland. All of those will probably be less interesting because they are places that are all more commonly photographed by everyone. I think I may have captured most of the 'unnoticed,' out-of-the-way details in the previous installments of this TR, unless I'm forgetting something. But we'll see, because I don't remember everything that remains.

I've also got a photo of what I ate on my first-ever solo Disneyland Resort table service meal! Woo hoo! Exciting!

I think I am pretty much done with the DLH and DTD stuff, unless I am overlooking something. I think I'm done with the GCH stuff too (I already got tons from there - not sure what I missed!).

And then there is, simply, Day 4, which won't be much. I have a small number of photos from DCA from that day, but I didn't really spend too much time there. I didn't get any photos of Liza/funatdisney, because she said she doesn't like to get in photos.

I should get the PhotoPass CD soon, but that's just standard PhotoPass fare, with some new borders.


So I think that's what's coming up. If not for how horrible Photobucket is, I actually kind of like scrolling from photo to photo when I copy the IMG codes for the TR because I've forgotten half of the photos I took! I get to some of them and say to myself, "I don't remember taking that!" Or I'll say, "Wow! That one looked much better on the camera's screen and looks much worse on the PC!" But, the further away I get from the trip, the more surprised I am.


amamax2 - why did you have to cancel your January trip? And more importantly, are you going to reschedule? I'm sorry you had to cancel. I know the sadness that can sets in when a trip is just not going to happen. But I know if you don't get in an extra DLR trip or two soon, you won't be going back until 2014. So you must get there! Stat! Wasn't a May trip an option for your family at some point or am I thinking of someone else?

[amamax2]

But, that said, and I wonder if you and everyone else feel the same way - I do have to take a break from DL (and even DCA, to a degree, if it's a madhouse) after a while and wander elsewhere on a multi-day trip. I think I would be better with it if it just were not so darn crowded all the time, but I don't think that problem will be lessening any time soon with all the coming changes to DLR. And I found myself in the unusual predicament of feeling like I had to stay in DL to get in the time (photos) before the CM parties happened, even though I wanted to go over to DCA. So I find myself having to venture into the hotels and around DTD during the non-DL hours in search of other stuff just to get a break from the park madness. (Seemingly all of the people who were pushed out of DL for the CM parties flocked over to DCA, which looked crazy!)

Yes, we definitely can get a bit of the burnout, especially when it is crowded. That makes a HUGE difference. We usually go mid-week off season (I have a whole methodology to picking our days for the absolute least amount of crowds, which is our number one criteria), so rarely have the crowds, but the couple of times when I either misjudged or didn't know (like on our last trip with the middle school bands), we definitely felt the need to escape to DTD (or twice, we actually just cut the trip short and came home). It's funny how just getting away from it recharges you!

(By the way, do you agree that the 3 DLH towers' trees are the least interesting trees of the 3 hotels' main trees? I don't know what it is - they are just kind of lackluster compared to the GCH and the PPH, I think.)

Oh my gosh - yes!! I was surprised to see that in your pictures. We only made it to the one tower (don't know what it's name is now, lol, with all the changes over the years), and thought the tree was "pretty", but I was more wowed by the hangy things (sorry for the technical terminology ) in the front of the hotel by that big Mickey. We didn't go to the other towers - I kept thinking on my "solo time" I would get back there, but didn't and was kicking myself...not so much anymore.

But...I do also have to agree that the Santa photo spot is gorgeous - my favorite of all three! And I do wish I had made it there. I can see why they rope it off in between, but it is a shame as it is so pretty and perfect for those holiday photos. Too bad they can't just have a CM "keep an eye on it" during the times Santa is not there so people could take pictures.

However, things happen for a reason. So even though I was getting a bit of DL burnout for having to be in that park for long stretches of time, a few days in a row, when I would have preferred to break up the schedule a little differently, I'm glad it worked out that way. If it had not worked out that way, I might not have gotten some of the good pictures in DL that I got. I might not have been able to get thoroughly into the Round-Up and take some of the other photos that are coming up.

After some of the cool things I saw (like the two Goofy's), I was literally afraid to move from the spot and miss something else.

I've also got a photo of what I ate on my first-ever solo Disneyland Resort table service meal! Woo hoo! Exciting!

Very brave - not sure I could do that! Can't wait to see where & what it was.

amamax2 - why did you have to cancel your January trip? And more importantly, are you going to reschedule? I'm sorry you had to cancel. I know the sadness that can sets in when a trip is just not going to happen. But I know if you don't get in an extra DLR trip or two soon, you won't be going back until 2014. So you must get there! Stat! Wasn't a May trip an option for your family at some point or am I thinking of someone else?

It's a sad tale of woe....and I didn't cancel it, it was rudely taken from me and thrown in the trash. Long story short...my husband sent out an email to people he works with at various different companies to say he would be gone that week. After receiving the email, someone decided that would be the perfect week to have a meeting in Colorado with a bunch of different companies involved in this one project. This same person two days before Christmas wanted to schedule this meeting for the week between Christmas and New Year's. Which of course was impossible. No movement has been made on it since, and we just know that it was receiving my DH's email that triggered this person's thought process to get the meeting scheduled. My DH doesn't have a choice - it is a client and he has to go.

It also wasn't just going to DL - we were also going to visit my DS's godparents and see some things on the Central Coast that will not be happening if/when we can reschedule...besides the craziness of two families with busy active teens, school, etc, trying to coordinate a visit.

I am looking into maybe going in March...but then we run into Spring Break crowds (and you know how I feel about them, lol), plus I've already checked hotels etc and they are waaaay more expensive (we had the cheapie AP rate at HOJOs and we had hoped to splurge for one night on our very last trip in May and stay at PPH, but won't be able to if we have to pay more now....). But we will definitely go in May before our APs expire if nothing else....

Really I am just being ridiculous. I cannot believe how sad it has made me and I keep telling myself to get over it...after all, we have been many times and are so lucky to go so often. Some people save for years and have much worse things happen to cancel it. Look at all the pitfalls that have been put in your way. We can break it up into two different trips; we can make a day trip to DL. So this is just stupid that it is affecting me this way. I feel like I am being the most spoiled brat ever. But I think it is the circumstances and the knowledge that we won't be back for a while after this Spring.

Ok Pity Party OVER!!!! But thanks, everyone, for indulging me...it feels good to just get it out.

Guess that wasn't so short, huh?

[Sherry E]

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Fourteen

So when last I left you in this TR (yesterday), I was in Fantasyland, by the Castle, enjoying the band’s renditions of Yuletide classics on the third day of my Christmas DLR trip.

Rather spontaneously, Mary Poppins and Bert came up to enjoy the music and then began dancing. They made a couple of requests (I think “Deck the Halls” was one of them but I cannot recall the other one). They soon involved the nearby children in their merriment.

I overheard a young woman next to me who was trying to gently coax her little girl to go up and dance with them (not being obnoxious about it all, just very encouraging), but the girl was not having any of it. In typical ‘Mom, you’re getting on my nerves’ little girl fashion, she snarled, “Mom! You never listen to me!” And then she pouted and grumbled.

As I’ve said before…I don’t know how you parents do it! LOL!

Anyway, it was a delightful, carefree, pure Disney moment (Mary and Bert dancing), and even though I was neither dancing nor encouraging random children to dance, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it:


































Mary and Bert eventually skipped off into the distance. And it was time for me to hurry and get to ToonTown so I could avoid the surly CM’s and the parade crowds.

[funatdisney]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

I didn't get any photos of Liza/funatdisney, because she said she doesn't like to get in photos.

I hope I don't disappoint you too much when I say this: I would have taken a picture with you if you really wanted to. (I say in a small hesitant voice so as not to upset you and make you feel bad) Usually I don't like my photo taken, but will because I think it is important to have them. I have lost more weight, so I am feeling more confident with taking my picture. So next time ask, and I will say "Yes".

[Sherry E]

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Fifteen

Of course, on my way to ToonTown, I took the time to revisit the wreaths and the surrounding area of It’s a Small World Holiday, which I had only gotten a couple of photos of two days earlier when Shawn and I did the Magic Morning hour. For some reason, in all my years of going on this ride (and I remember first riding this version of it back in 2000), I’ve gotten very few photos of the area around IASWH or even around regular ol’ non-holiday IASW, for that matter.

I wanted to remedy that this time and get alllll of the wreaths. Again, you never know when sneaky Disney is going to suddenly remove bits of their holiday décor (we’ve already seen little things here and there disappear). I could end up at DLR again later this year – in December – saying to myself, “What happened to all the wreaths?” I already told you guys somewhere earlier in this TR that, as far I know, I didn’t see any Mickey-shaped lamppost/signpost wreaths like in the past. I saw the ones hanging over Main Street, but I didn’t see the ones that are usually on the posts back in ToonTown (which used to be on Main Street). I have no clue where those wreaths have disappeared to, but I didn’t see them. They used to be very prominent.


















































Next stop – ToonTown (at last!)!!! Finally, my long-delayed chance to thoroughly get in and explore ToonTown’s holiday offerings (which was abruptly aborted in December 2008 when my ancient camera died!).

[funatdisney]

Originally Posted by amamax2

Really I am just being ridiculous. I cannot believe how sad it has made me and I keep telling myself to get over it...after all, we have been many times and are so lucky to go so often. Some people save for years and have much worse things happen to cancel it. Look at all the pitfalls that have been put in your way. We can break it up into two different trips; we can make a day trip to DL. So this is just stupid that it is affecting me this way. I feel like I am being the most spoiled brat ever. But I think it is the circumstances and the knowledge that we won't be back for a while after this Spring.

Ok Pity Party OVER!!!! But thanks, everyone, for indulging me...it feels good to just get it out.

Guess that wasn't so short, huh?

amamax2, it is great that you can put things into perspective, but when it comes to a Disneyland enthusiast and a canceled trip (for whatever the reason) to DLR, it can really wreck your day. You certainly have folks here that completely understand how you are feeling. Happy to be a sounding board for a fellow Disneyland admirer.

[kaoden39]

I love watching Bert and Mary. They always put a smile on my face. I can understand the surly CMs, I think I might be surly if I was a crown control CM.

[TheColtonsMom]

(By the way, do you agree that the 3 DLH towers' trees are the least interesting trees of the 3 hotels' main trees? I don't know what it is - they are just kind of lackluster compared to the GCH and the PPH, I think.)

I agree...you could find trees as nice in someones living room or a local storefront. I was disappointed in these too. My favorite tree was PPH those blue and green lights are beautiful in person! Like you I wish they photographed better. We have been searching after christmas sales for single color lights as I think next years home tree should be the blue & green light scheme. We found blue but not green.

But...I do also have to agree that the Santa photo spot is gorgeous - my favorite of all three! And I do wish I had made it there. I can see why they rope it off in between, but it is a shame as it is so pretty and perfect for those holiday photos. Too bad they can't just have a CM "keep an eye on it" during the times Santa is not there so people could take pictures.

For those that are local and can pop by the DLR the week after Christmas when Santa has gone for the season (I really think he should come back until the DL "holidays" are over so kids can say thank yous) the place he occupied is still there and we did get a couple of pics of Colton in that chair while waiting for Goofy's. Wish there had been a Photopass photographer there to snap a family pic though. I was obviously not the only one who wanted a pic or two there, as we did wait in line to take these photos.

AmamaX2 sorry about your trip don't you hate when clients "mess up" family plans? Because we own our own business this happens to us too. We have to work when the work is there. Our Christmas trip was pretty "safe" as this was our slow season but the October trip scares me a bit as it is near the busy summer season and we will schedule around our trip any small thing that comes up but if something big comes up it may be Colton & I going without Dad or cancelling it all together if we don't have enough staff to cover without me too.

Sherry I thouroughly enjoyed the Mary & Bert pics. I have had encounters with them throughout my life and they are always fun. I wish we had seen them this last trip as even though this is not a traditional "boy" movie it has been one of Colton's favorites since he was very small.

Also anybody who can answer this...in the first pic of the soldiers there are some sculpted trees in the background on the right. Does anyone know what these are "sculpted" into? The shapes are odd. Everyone in line with us when we rode IASWH on our recent trip was trying to figure it out. Also there is a series of bushes to the right of IASWH that are sculpted into a sea serpent which Colton loved! It was much too crowded for us to get pics of it and I kind of figured I would find a few on the boards that I might ask someone to "borrow" for Coltons vacation shadow box for his room, NOT ONE PIC of these can I find anywhere. Have you or anyone ever gotten a shot of this that you know of?

All said and done since our pics this trip were focused on family instead of surroundings much of the time, thanks for giving me a spot to stop by when I need to immerse myself in the the "place" again. Your pictures can always surround me with atmosphere when I need a pick me up or to put me in the right frame of mind before writing another episode on my trip report. Thanks for fighting photobucket every pic is worth it to me and I'm sure many others on the DIS.

[amamax2]

Originally Posted by funatdisney

amamax2, it is great that you can put things into perspective, but when it comes to a Disneyland enthusiast and a canceled trip (for whatever the reason) to DLR, it can really wreck your day. You certainly have folks here that completely understand how you are feeling. Happy to be a sounding board for a fellow Disneyland admirer.

Thanks Liza!!!

Sherry:

Those pictures with Mary and Bert are just so special!!! It is those kinds of Disney touches that just make a trip there so amazing - both because they are often spontaneous but also because they are lifetime memory making. Just thinking about if I had a little girl that loved Mary Poppins and was at the age to believe that was really her, and she got to dance with her is bringing tears to my eyes...it's so much better than "just" getting a picture with her.

Maybe it is just me, but I'm not sure I am digging those IASW wreaths. I like the concept, but I don't really like the result somehow. Maybe it is the underlying wreath.....I adore the NOS ones - I would have that up year-round just as decor - but these ones, meh.

I do like the rest of the decor there - still can't believe that we couldn't even get close enough to see the toy soldiers and sleigh and white trees - I had no idea that was there. And I can''t wait to see Toon Town - again an area I didn't get to - I just plum forgot! We never go to Toon Town, so it just wasn't even in my mind.