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

[mariezp]

Oh yeah... and I forgot to add.... the I Family really needs to understand that they are not the only ones they are affecting by their actions. After reading ddwlms post (#2246) and thinking about how some of the rest of us are having to come to Sherry's defense they should just be ashamed! It is just simply tragic! If they keep this up they could wreak total havoc all over the DIS!

[Sherry E]

My friend is trying to use the ol' "This trip is just about my son, and I have to think of him" tactic, and that's supposed to somehow explain why they had months to tell me that the dates I picked were not good, but didn't? The truth is, they decided to make the plan (which I initially invited them along on) about them and their schedule, and they didn't consider me.

Now that they have decided they don't like the dates, they expect I can just snap my fingers and change my reservation at the drop of a hat, not to mention anyone else who might be chipping in with me too!! The trouble is, I don't think I can change the dates. I don't think they will be available - this is not like a normal reservation. I don't even have one of those e-mailed reservation confirmation things that you would normally get when you stay onsite. It's all handled very personally and individually by the Disney people in this particular office. I was told by the Special Activities office months ago that the really discounted room rate like what I am getting goes very fast for the holiday season, understandably. I doubt that the following week is available at this rate now. It's too close to the holidays.

I told my friends back in May that I would not have much leeway to be able to change dates - the most I would probably be able to do was cut off dates. Somehow, it just dawned on them recently that they would be required to travel over Thanksgiving weekend to get to SoCal, and they didn't think of this before, when I was first trying to talk to them about the plan.

Sigh. Oh well, I am fine going solo or with whomever else, if that's how it works out. I just hate sudden confusion and chaos where there should not be any - all of this stuff could have been worked out before, to a different conclusion, and it wasn't. That's the part that bugs me - having to deal with this now, when it could have been worked out ages ago! As far as I am concerned, my friends can go to DLR or not go to DLR, but all of this stuff should have been ironed out before! (They are the ones who are missing out on my $99 per night rate and the perks that come with it, like the VIP viewing/seating!)



I appreciate all the support from my DIS friends!!

[tksbaskets]

How can the most organized planner I know (you ) have such disorganized pals? If it's 'all about my son' wouldn't they want one of the best tour guide in DL?? (again - you!)

You're right - you'll have a blast with our without company on your holiday trip. Their loss that they won't have VIP viewing....for Aladdin too?

Hang in there

[WDWJonasGirl]

Sorry to hear about your friends not going. I'm glad your still going.

[Belle Ella]

[Sherry E]

Hello, all.

I don't know where the time has gone!! It seems like the week has just zoomed by, and I have fallen behind in various things even though I have been busy non-stop. I was super busy yesterday and didn't even have a chance to get on the DIS at all - not even just to peek around for a second and make sure no one was causing trouble! It's always weird not being on the DIS for a day or more (especially when you're a mod). I kind of don't know what to expect to find when I return! It's like I expect a whole new assortment of people to be on the forum or all kinds of big news to have been broken that I missed out on!

Anyway, I have to get the last couple of posts up from the Halloween Time 9/16 trip up because Mickey's Halloween Party is coming up on Monday and that will surely require more TR installments.

I also do a 'weekly theme' with the Monday countdown in the Christmas Superthread, and I have to begin rounding up photos & writing the text for this coming Monday's theme so I can be ready to post it before heading off to DLR and the MHP with funatdisney/Liza.

At long last, Jessica (the famous Belle Ella) and I will be in Disneyland at the same time on Monday, for the party - normally her DLR trips and my trips do not coincide or overlap - so with any luck we will be able to meet up amid the assorted pumpkins, scarecrows, candy, costumes and overall Halloween merriment. We have met before, early this year, but this will be the first get-together on Disney property! Plus, add to that the fact that she will be with Paula (smile4stamps) and I will be with Liza (funatdisney), and it will be a regular DISboards summit! It will be like a Mt. Rushmore of DIS'ers!!

Oh - by the way, for those who were following along in the latest saga of my upcoming DLR holiday trip, my frustrating friends and their sudden switcheroo of the dates of the holiday trip (which have been booked and set for over 4 months!!!)....

I told you all here that I was going to check with the Special Activities office at DLR, just to see if, by any chance, I would be able to switch dates a little if I wanted to. I actually preferred slightly later trip dates for myself (like all December dates and not a November/December crossover), but I just did not choose them originally because I thought I was picking dates that would be better for my out of town friends. They waited 4 - 5 months to let me know that the dates were not good for them, and then expected me to just be able to change my dates this late in the game, even though the PPH reservation that I have is not like a normal Disney hotel reservation and it is being handled very differently. It's not as easy to change things around.

So I called the Special Activities office, just to see what they would say, and the girl who was originally 'assigned' to my file and my reservation has left. The next girl in command, who was supposed to step in and take over for her, has transferred to a different office at DLR. Now the SA office has to assign a new person to my file, and whoever that person is was not in the office when I called. Whoever it was that I did speak with (a totally different person) reminded me that their office does not typically make the reservations, so everything is done a little differently, which I already knew. It's all very informal.

Upon checking the DLR reservations system, this CM I spoke with in SA said that it appeared that "so far," there is still availability for the "type of room" I am getting at the PPH, if I wanted to move my reservation over by a few days. For example, if I wanted to switch it from 11/28-12/5 to 11/30-12/7 or to 12/2-12/9, it would be possible at this point. In another week or two, it may not be possible. There are very few rooms allocated to Special Activities, and the rooms they do have mostly go to celebrities/VIP's or people who have had previous complaints about their onsite stays. The one good thing is that the majority of the people they deal with probably get rooms at the GCH (the high-level VIP's and the celebs) first. The Paradise Pier rooms - like what I am getting - are probably the last ones to be booked through Special Activities. So that's most likely why there is still some leeway to move my dates a little if I choose to.

The thing is, do I want to move my dates over a few days or not? I want to be there on the Candlelight Processional weekend (12/3 and 12/4), in the event I am able to see it and maybe score some seats. It looks like a beautiful ceremony and a great Christmas-y thing to do. Plus, it has been rumored to possibly be relocating to DCA in the future, and I would like to see it in DL while it's still there.

So I could easily move my dates over a few days and still be there for the Candlelight Processional. I kind of have to just decide which scenario will work best for me, because even though my friends are currently claiming they will be in the parks for 3 days (presumably, 12/6, 12/7 and 12/8), there's no telling if I will even hook up with them at this point. They could easily flake or change dates again - they seem to have just branched off from OUR original plan of going together, to making their own DLR trip which may or may not coincide with MY DLR trip. It's like the suddenly started thinking of me as a non-entity in this situation. Or, they may be too busy with their other friends and we may just wave at each other as we pass by in Downtown Disney or something!

So I can't plan anything around them. I'd like to move the dates by just a few days - not even a full week - but I just don't know if it will be too much of a hassle at this stage of the game. It may be more trouble than it's worth (I have to call the SA office back and figure out who the heck is handling my reservation!), although I wish I had picked the later dates when I first made my reservations.

One festive holiday thing I noticed is that the various ice cream manufacturers are already churning out their holiday blends. Dreyer's has had their pumpkin ice cream out for a while, but I think they have already trotted out the peppermint too (this is the same peppermint you will find at Gibson Girl in Disneyland, home of the infamous Peppermint Cone of Death)....because, you know, for peppermint ice cream freaks such as myself, the peppermint holiday goodness cannot hit the shelves soon enough. Waiting until November is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Peppermint ice cream needs to be on the shelf before Halloween comes 'round...and preferably before Summer ends!

Starbucks is not far behind, with their peppermint mocha ice cream and whatever their version of "hot cocoa" ice cream is - I got an e-mail telling me it is out already!

The holidays have arrived...in late September!!

Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the October-November-December holidays, and the Fall/Winter seasons in general?? Of course I have mentioned it...but I am mentioning it again! Most "normal" folks get excited for Spring and Summer, and then slip into a funk when the weather changes and the cooler months roll around.

Not I!!! I am miserable and cranky all during Summer (and Spring, too, if it dares to be warmer than 70 degrees). Fall and Halloween Time are when I really start to perk up, and by the time I hear that first Christmas song playing on TV or in a store, and see my first Rankin-Bass clay puppet special of the season, I am like a kid again! I'm giddy with holiday cheer!

Anyway, let me rush through some replies here - forgive me if I am not giving detailed answers. I wanted to acknowledge everyone - and I have definitely read all of the posts - but have run out of time to do much else, so I have to speed this along!!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

I enjoyed seeing all your halloween photos from the window displays. Most of the windows displays were the same as the ones that you took. I did take some pics of the window displays, but I didn't get very close pics of the displays like you did. I liked all the photos of the merchandise that you took.

When I post more of the pics on my TR, I will shrink them down so you can see them with no problem. I didn't know that you had a problem viewing my TR, so the next post will be for you so you can view them.

Bret -

Thank you! Last time I popped in on your TR, the photos were still large. That's okay - I don't want you to change how you do your TR's just for my benefit. Please, do what you're used to doing!

But, yes, as long as I am on this horrible computer, I have trouble getting into anyone's TR that has extra-large photos (including deejdigsdis' TR and the earlier pages of my own TR). The pages just don't load well for me, and the PC often locks up. I can still view the photos through the links in the e-mail notification, though! SO I am still getting to see your wonderful photos, but I may not be able to comment on them IN your actual trip report.

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

I absolutely LOVE the comparison pictures of the window displays. It's the little details that keep you in amazement of the level of commitment Disney has to the total experience.

If I lived closer you bet I'd be there more often just to enjoy the change of seasons or different parades or shows.

Often our non-Disney friends (alas, we do have some) ask why we keep going to WDW or DL. What a silly question! From reading trip reports like your (and my other favs) I find out just how much of DL we haven't explored yet.

YIKES I can't even imagine not being able to comment on Bret's TR. Must be like having a virtual muzzle.

I hear you with computer issues. My hard drive with ALL my pictures died. I have disk back-ups (over a hundred) but now have to load them all up and re-organize in my photoshop elements program. I hope I get to start on my cruise trip report in the same calendar year....

Oh well, in the mean time bring on Halloween!!

TK

TK -

Ugh. I hate computer issues.

I know what you mean - I see so many things in others' TR's that I haven't seen for myself at DLR yet. I always start out with a to-do list, and I never end up doing very much of it!!

I think the window display comparisons are fun! Ideally, I would love to visit DLR once for all the 'fun' holidays in a year - meaning the ones with some color, like Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and then Halloween and Christmas, of course - and check in on the same window displays, observing how the different 'cakes' and 'cupcakes' change...as well as that ever-present sewing machine!!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Well I think that it is Thanksgiving. We have a nice size family and we all get together. It's us and any friends that we may invite. I cook a huge spread, I try to throw in a new recipe or two. My stuffing is never the same and it is always one that is strictly Michele dish.


My mom has always been huge about holidays. When I was a little girl my mom would make a huge deal about every holiday. It never mattered how big the holiday. She carried that on for my kids.


Now to go back and read the latest!!

Michele -

Thanksgiving is your second favorite holiday, after Halloween?

That is one holiday that is definitely very family-oriented. It's hard to enjoy it unless you have a family or somewhere to go every year to chow down. (With Christmas or New Year's Eve, it is possible to enjoy them even without family.) I never minded Thanksgiving - I don't dislike it, by any means - but I think, because I never enjoyed being around big groups of people at one time, I was always a bit uncomfortable at Thanksgiving time, and I was relieved when I got to the age where I was no longer required to have to attend Thanksgiving events.

Of course, now I have no family so it's easy to dodge Thanksgiving for me!! I guess Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where I could really get into it if it were the right time, the right year, with the right group of people - but it's not something I greatly look forward to every year. It's just kind of the 'bridge' between my two favorite holidays, Halloween and Christmas!!

My grandmother was like your mom is about holidays. She would always give me little presents, stuffed animals or Hallmark cards for every holiday, the big "fun" ones being Valentine's Day, St, Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. She loved putting together Easter baskets and I loved hunting them down (they were always hidden well). She put together the best stockings for Christmas, full of wonderful stuff! I think I definitely picked up my love of holidays and my love of doing fun things and decorating for holidays from my grandmother! When I had money, I used to go crazy with buying gifts for friends - I loved it! It was so much fun for me to do that! I even followed my grandmother's tradition of sending out cards to friends for every single holiday, as well as putting together little Easter baskets and extensive Valentine's Day packages for boyfriends, etc. So much fun!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I have to agree about Tinkerbell on the Fantasyland pumpkin. I must admit to feeling a strong disappointment when I saw Tink on there. I love Tink in her Pixie Hollow, I think she is adorable. I would have loved to see a Dumbo pumpkin or something along those lines. I thought the other lands were good but Fantasyland didn't give me that smile the others did.

I love the Christmas decorations in those shops and I will admit to having spent more time in the stores this last trip than I ever have. There are so many cute things in there that if I bought everything that I fell in love with I would owe the national debt.

Michele -

Yep - Tinkerbell as the mascot for the Fantasyland pumpkin was a letdown! I agree - she belongs in Pixie Hollow. But Fantasyland should have something different on its pumpkin!

The merchandise at DLR is way too cute! I definitely thought of you when I saw the Halloween antenna toppers! I don't really buy much of anything these days - not because I don't want it, but because I just can't buy it. I used to buy TONS of stuff back in the '90s, though. Way too much stuff.

Originally Posted by WDWJonasGirl

They sure did. I went yesterday. Why do they have the Christmas stuff out already I thought they don''t have it until November.

Kaitlin -

Which stores did you go into? I saw Christmas stuff in the China Closet on Main Street - but they have a section of the store for Christmas stuff all year long. I just assumed that was their regular year-round section. Did you see Christmas stuff in more than one place?

Originally Posted by mariezp

No, no, no, Sherry! You have NOT been abandoned! I’ve been reading along here and there but my days have been filled with way too many appointments and migraines. I've been hoping all day that I would get to read through today and get a post in so you will know that you still do have another of your loyal followers still reading along. Here goes…..

I am glad to know I am not the only one who still enjoys a not so scary Halloween atmosphere. I totally agree! No hatchet wielding maniacs for me either! Reading through some of the e-mail updates I get is enough for me some days. And, I better make sure there are no little eyes peeping over my shoulder so as to not give my DD nightmares. We are a bunch of wimps when it comes to SCARY! I don't even do very well to watch the evening news.

It IS very easy to wear you wrist out on TSMM but it sure is fun! What is always unfortunate for me is that just about the time I finally start getting in my groove... it's time for the ride to be over. I guess we will just have to hope that all of us get a chance at another of those 10 minute waits... sometime in our lifetime!

We will have to be sure to take notes on the Little Mermaid and compare them to yours. Maybe it is one of those that really grows on you even more the more times you ride it. I can't wait to see if the building is as beautiful at night as some of the pictures I have seen.

Interesting that Duffy’s meet and greet is one of the few places in DCA to receive any Halloween treatment. They are really pushing him, aren’t they!??? Guess he’s cute enough but IMHO I think Disney was doing okay without him. Everybody’s got a bear! LOL! Anyway, good find on his hidden Mickey pumpkin.

I thought this pumpkin was rather unique. I think I like the more orangy ones better but I do like the scrolly doo-dads. Kinda give it a victorian look. Anyway, your photo hunt paid off well in bringing some of us things that we might not see otherwise.

Also gotta say that I love those sewing machines too… along with the pumpkin with the stitching, button eyes and spool nose.

Emma thinks this one is sure an odd looking critter!

Thanks for the close up of the Dia de los Muertos display. We took the opportunity to read up and learn about this cultural celebration. Was interesting and gave us a much better understanding of how the skeleton guys and gals fit into the decorations in Frontierland.

I do believe this is my favorite of the carvings in Big Thunder Ranch. Those artists are so talented! Funny to imagine the Scare-Dy-Crow Shack one day…. then a few days down the road it is so splendidly transformed into Santa’s cozy cottage. Disney is amazing!

This one made me smile. Ain’t he sweet!

Pocohantas really is a purty donkey. I wouldn’t worry about her being too lonely. I imagine she gets plenty of attention from all the people passing by. And, honestly, as long as they keep her fed she is probably quite content in her own pen.

You have so many other good photos but I will try to refrain from reposting all my favorites. You are doing an amazing job with you camera! Now if only stray people would pay attention to what’s going on around them and stay out of the way!

AHHHHH! Do you have any idea how badly you have made me want a gingerbread cookie now???? I was tempted to lick my screen! I have a feeling that will be one of our first stops when we get there. DH became quite a fan of them last year and did a good job of eating way more than I did. I am a little more selective. I only want the ones with chocolate ears.

Speaking of seasonal goodies, I also agree that fall makes pumpkin anything seem more appealing. I am not a huge pumpkin fan either but once a year it seems almost proper to have a little something “traditional” like a slice of pumpkin pie. At the very least it makes for a good excuse to indulge in a sweet treat you might not usually grab.

And, lastly... I'd have to agree that fall is also probably my favorite time of year too. Spring is good but with it comes lots of outside work. Fall on the other hand brings cooler weather and VACATION TIME! What’s not to like about that?

deejdigsdis, I am so sorry that both of your parents are having such difficulties. Sending prayers your way that they both return to good health... and another one to keep you in good health as well as you go through the stress of dealing with so much all at once. Glad you are able to find a little distraction browsing the threads here on the DIS.

Hi, Marie!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to type out a detailed reply, given all the migraines and other fun stuff going on (not to mention the planning for your upcoming bonanza of a trip!). I'm glad to know you are still out there - and yes, I sometimes just follow the e-mail subscription alerts as well, rather than actually logging onto the DIS. It can be easier to do it that way at times!

I'm glad you're enjoying all the photos! I don't know if I'm doing a good job with the camera or not, but it is not going to waste so at least I am getting some good use out of it!

I have heard a rumor that those gingerbread cookies with mouse ears are sold year-round, BUT I am wondering if the DIS'ers who reported this were confusing them with the shortbread cookies that are made with the same cutter/mold as the gingerbread ones. I know there are shortbread, "fake" gingerbread cookies sold earlier in the year, and they have icing on their ears and all that - they have the exact same shape that the gingerbread cookies have, except they are made of shortbread and with yellow, blue and pink icing.

I am wondering if the actual gingerbread cookies are sold year-round - I am kind of hoping they are NOT. To me, gingerbread by its very nature is something that is synonymous with Fall and Winter - October-November-December. It's a flavor, an aroma, that can be anticipated for a certain time of year. If DLR is selling those darn cookies all year - the actual gingerbread ones, not the ones shaped to look like gingerbread cookies - that takes away some of the 'specialness' of them, I think. Do you agree? It takes away the novelty of them. And heck - if DLR does not sell strawberry shortcake year round, they shouldn't sell gingerbread year-round, either!

Originally Posted by JH87

I only did the Villain m&g one time and got to meet the Sheriff of Nottingham and Gideon! I was super excited about the Sheriff! Other times when I walked by I saw the typical ones: Cruella, Queen of Hearts, Hook, and also I saw Honest John. I would have loved a photo with him but it was 2 against one so we skipped out on that.

Also Rabbit has been making a lot of appearances lately at the Pooh and Friends m&g! Again, I would have LOVED a photo with him but majority ruled.

I really didn't take many pics at all. I have some up on FB but I don't think I have you as a friend on there? (You can add me if you want! ) But I might post a few up in the Halloween thread.

Jillian -

Didn't the Pooh meet & greet get moved out of its usual spot in Critter Country? It seems like I just read on the DIS that the usual Pooh photo spot was taken down and the Pooh characters were relocated to another spot. It's too bad because I liked that specific spot - and it was cute during the holidays when they put a little tree in there!

I don't have any photos with the Sheriff or with Honest John, so I would love for them to be there on Monday when I hit the MHP!

I will definitely friend you on Facebook! I've seen you pop up as being a mutual friend of a lot of DIS'ers on my friend list on FB in the past, but I didn't want to bother you with a friend request!

Originally Posted by mommaU4

Hi Michele! I love stuffing!! You don't mind one more, do you?

Hi Sherry! I am finally spending some time on the TR section of the DIS, and had to pop in. OMG, I love, love, love your photos. I need to slow down and just enjoy the park more instead of rushing from here to there. So many details.
Anyway, I am going to try to keep popping in here. I can't wait to see more!

Beth!

I was so shocked and delighted to see you here! I thought of you a couple of weeks ago and was going to post something on your FB page/Wall about Halloween (whenever I see anything scary on TV that is specifically Halloween-related, I think of you!), and then got distracted and forgot to do it! So imagine my surprise to see a post from you in my TR!

Thank you for the compliment on the photos! I'm so glad you like them. You know, it is very hard to slow down and take in all the details at DLR, during any season. On past Halloween Time trips I definitely could not slow down and notice a lot of details because being with other friends makes it hard to do that. I literally have to take an entirely different approach to it and either go to DLR totally solo or split up from whoever I am with and venture off on my own so I can get in the zone! The Halloween Round-Up and the window displays are probably my favorite things about the Halloween season at DLR (well, those and the treats!), and I knew I had to at least force myself to pay closer attention to them!

I have about 2 (or maybe 3) more posts with photos to go from the 9/16 trip, and then I have to see what I can muster up on Monday at the MHP...but I don't think my camera will be too reliable for night shots. Jessica and Liza (funatdisney) will have to handle nighttime MHP camera duties!!

Originally Posted by mariezp

Well, Sherry, I am sorry that your day has not been better. Me thinks you have some pretty inconsiderate friends who don't really deserve to spend any time with you. I think you are on the right track to just keep going with your own plans and if they have a change of heart then they can approach you about how to fit into YOUR schedule. Good friends should NOT be that much of a headache to make plans with! Not to mention... just think of the quality time you will be able to spend alone snapping all the photos you want.... or meeting up with DIS buddies who really share your love of the park and "get it" and who won't end up wasting your precious time absorbed mainly in just their own little universe.

Marie -

Yep - all I can do is plan for myself! Funny thing is, I think my friend is annoyed with me and is assuming I don't want to see her because I cannot just change my dates willy nilly! They totally ventured off on their own to plan a trip and almost forgot I was involved. This was always going to be my trip - whether they went or not. In other words, I was always going to go, and they would either show up or not show up. However, they tried to turn it into their trip that I was suddenly being included in, and if I can't show up on their dates, then I am seen as being the problem! Ha! All they had to do was communicate with me from the beginning, rather than ignoring all my attempts to get things squared away!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Well now that is soooooo wrong. It really irritates me and if I say what I would lie to say I will get some real points and well to do it on a mods thread well no.

Hi Beth!!

Well sure I always make tons!!


I couldn't agree more Marie.

Michele -

I'm sure whatever you would like to say is what I was thinking, anyway! So I'm sure we are of the same mindset!

Originally Posted by ddwlms

ok, lurker here, speaking up for the second time in a week. (ok, maybe it has been two weeks.)

I'm very selfishly unhappy with your inconsiderate friends. How, you might ask, do they have anything to do with me? me, who doesn't even know their names? Well, this is the deal. November is a very busy month for me work wise. I'm talking 80 hour weeks. Seriously. And then we leave for DLR on the Nov 27th. So..... seeing as how I foresee being way to busy to plan things properly, and seeing how you have this wonderful TR thread in which you have a history of starting each trip report with planning details, and seeing how your travel starts one day after mine, (there's a lot of seeing going on), I came up with the wonderful idea of "borrowing" all of your planning details. I mean, what could be more perfect? I shouldn't even have to think for myself. Just turn on the computer and find out what Sherry is doing and copy her.

And so, I take it as a personal affront that they are putting a damper on my,-I mean your, plans. (would someone who actually knows their names, please tell them how they are indirectly making life difficult for me)

ddwlms -

I am so glad you spoke up a second time! I couldn't help but laugh! I know! The nerve of my friends to inconvenience you too! It's bad enough that they are disrupting my own plans!

I don't know if it's a good idea to follow my planning details, as my plans always seem to go horribly awry in some way or the other! Perhaps I should be following your planning details!

In any case, I am glad you're following along, whether things go awry or not!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Sherry, seriously? I want to take a deep breath and count now.

You know I hope you can get the days you want. I got a PIN last week so they may still be available.

Michele -

I think I have counted - and breathed slowly - enough for all of us! I wish it made me less annoyed.

Originally Posted by mariezp

Glad to hear that those flaky friends of yours do seem to have at least a little bit of conscience. After defending you for the inconsiderate way they had been treating you about the whole trip I was originally going to suggest that you might try to see if Disney might be able to switch your dates.... BUT do it only if it is what YOU really want. If the new dates do by chance happen to be available, given said friends history of unreliability, I would only make the changes IF it did not create any additional hardship on you. IF it happens to work out to offer the opportunity to spend time with the I Family then that might be nice but I would by no means be counting on them too much. Either way... you just gotta have fun.... but they sure could make things easier on you!

Marie -

We'll see what happens about the dates and whether I switch. I somehow think it will be too much hassle, given the way things are handled over in this Special Activities office. If I were to move the dates, it would only be by a few days (not a full week), but that may be enough to rule out the possibility of any other folks coming along and chipping in on the PPH room with me.

It would have been sooooo much better if I had just known that my friends preferred different dates from the start, so I could book my PPH room for the dates that coincided with their trip. Because, right now, all that's happened is that my friend is annoyed with me and I am annoyed with her, and if she pulls Shawn and Jackie into her plan, that means Shawn and Jackie will not be able to take the time to come and join me one week earlier at DLR (Shawn won't take two separate days off to join them in the parks and join me). So their stupid trip is going to interfere with mine in some way, even if it happens a week later!

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

How can the most organized planner I know (you ) have such disorganized pals? If it's 'all about my son' wouldn't they want one of the best tour guide in DL?? (again - you!)

You're right - you'll have a blast with our without company on your holiday trip. Their loss that they won't have VIP viewing....for Aladdin too?

Hang in there

TK -

They've always been a bit disorganized. My friend is not a big planner, and doesn't want to be bothered with the planning process, especially if it hits a hurdle. She just shuts down and stops communicating, rather than trying to work around the hurdle.

They have not been to DLR in 10 years and they could not have a better friend/companion than yours truly to show them (and their young son) all that is new to DLR in the last 10 years, as well as show them special little gems and details that their son would love. Having me with them would only serve to improve their trip and their son's trip...but they planned their DLR trip outside of the range of mine.

Even though my friends seemed to expect me to be able to change dates on a dime, I almost get the feeling that on a subconscious level, they didn't really want me there. I mean, they are getting into town on 12/2. I am due to be at DLR through 12/5. Why is it that they are not coming to DLR until 12/6, or even trying to meet me there a day early? Why not 12/3, 12/4 or even 12/5? It makes no sense. I feel like they are almost subconsciously trying to avoid me...and yet my friend is offended and accusing me of not wanting to see her! Ha!!

Originally Posted by WDWJonasGirl

Sorry to hear about your friends not going. I'm glad your still going.

Thanks, Kaitlin!!

They will probably still be going, and I will still be going - but we just may not be going at the same time!

Originally Posted by Belle Ella

Hi, Jessica!!

You may want to look away/hide your eyes soon, as I will have a couple of more photo posts to put up before I am done with this TR (even though I don't think I have photos of anything that you didn't see during your Halloween trip last year - it all looks to be the standard Halloween fare). I guess I will see you on Monday at some point!

[kaoden39]

Sherry,

You are the queen of quotes!!



That sure sounds like a laid back office, kind of not like the normal Disney office.

[mvf-m11c]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Bret -

Thank you! Last time I popped in on your TR, the photos were still large. That's okay - I don't want you to change how you do your TR's just for my benefit. Please, do what you're used to doing!

But, yes, as long as I am on this horrible computer, I have trouble getting into anyone's TR that has extra-large photos (including deejdigsdis' TR and the earlier pages of my own TR). The pages just don't load well for me, and the PC often locks up. I can still view the photos through the links in the e-mail notification, though! SO I am still getting to see your wonderful photos, but I may not be able to comment on them IN your actual trip report.

It's no problem, on the next TR I will shrink them down just for you. Some of the details could use the bigger picture, but a lot of the pictures are fine at the medium size.

[WDWJonasGirl]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Kaitlin -

Which stores did you go into? I saw Christmas stuff in the China Closet on Main Street - but they have a section of the store for Christmas stuff all year long. I just assumed that was their regular year-round section. Did you see Christmas stuff in more than one place?

I went in to World Of Disney and Emporium. I also went to a few more.

[AmericanItGirl]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

I have heard a rumor that those gingerbread cookies with mouse ears are sold year-round, BUT I am wondering if the DIS'ers who reported this were confusing them with the shortbread cookies that are made with the same cutter/mold as the gingerbread ones. I know there are shortbread, "fake" gingerbread cookies sold earlier in the year, and they have icing on their ears and all that - they have the exact same shape that the gingerbread cookies have, except they are made of shortbread and with yellow, blue and pink icing.

I am wondering if the actual gingerbread cookies are sold year-round - I am kind of hoping they are NOT. To me, gingerbread by its very nature is something that is synonymous with Fall and Winter - October-November-December. It's a flavor, an aroma, that can be anticipated for a certain time of year. If DLR is selling those darn cookies all year - the actual gingerbread ones, not the ones shaped to look like gingerbread cookies - that takes away some of the 'specialness' of them, I think. Do you agree? It takes away the novelty of them. And heck - if DLR does not sell strawberry shortcake year round, they shouldn't sell gingerbread year-round, either!

I'm almost 100% certain that the shortbread version is the only kind available during the spring and summer seasons. I spent an absurd amount (absurd for the average, non-Disney-obsessed person...I blame the swing dancing on Wednesday nights and Trader Sam's ) of time hanging around DLR this past summer and the only kind I saw were the shortbread (they are just as adorable as the gingerbread, imo).

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Sherry,

You are the queen of quotes!!

That sure sounds like a laid back office, kind of not like the normal Disney office.

Michele -

It always bothers me if I am unable to get on and reply to people who are kind enough to post here about the trip(s) in question. Sometimes I haven't been able to do it - there's just not enough time, or I'm having too many computer issues, etc. Even if I read everything, I have not always been able to comment - and by the time I was able to, it all seemed like it was outdated information and the subject had switched to something different. So when I am able to reply, I often go quote-crazy! I become a quotin' machine! I am trying to overcompensate for all the times I haven't been able to reply!

Yes, the Special Activities office is different. There are very friendly, helpful CM's in that office, but they simply do not handle making reservations on a regular basis like the people in the Reservations office do. They will do it for those celebrities or VIP's, but it is still not on a frequent basis. So it's not like I can just call and give my name or a confirmation number and make changes by talking to any old random person. I have to find the one who is assigned to me. And while I enjoy the personalized attention, the whole reservation process is handled a bit differently and it is not as easy to make changes as it would be if I were going through the normal route. I can't even make a toll free call to the SA office!

So, even if I am able to shift my holiday dates over by a few days - and I am still on the fence about that - I don't know if it will be worth the hassle. I would have loved the all-December dates if I had booked those to begin with, but now that I have chosen what I chose, I wonder if it's better to just stick with what I have. I basically have to weigh all the options and do what's best for me in the long run - whichever scenario works best for me.

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

It's no problem, on the next TR I will shrink them down just for you. Some of the details could use the bigger picture, but a lot of the pictures are fine at the medium size.

Bret -

Well, the good thing is that at least I can still view all of your photos by clicking on the links in the e-mail alerts. It's just something about loading the actual pages of the TR that gives me trouble.

You're absolutely right - the big pictures are great for showing colors and details! I think most people prefer looking at big, colorful shots!

Originally Posted by WDWJonasGirl

I went in to World Of Disney and Emporium. I also went to a few more.

Kaitlin -

That makes sense, then. I did not go into WoD or into the Emporium like I normally would have because I didn't have enough time. So I didn't see all the other Christmas stuff - only the regular Christmas section on China Closet.

When I was a child, I remember watching one of the Peanuts/Charlie Brown TV specials, and some of the Peanuts kids were walking through a store and commenting on how they couldn't believe there was already Christmas merchandise out, even though it was not even Halloween yet (or maybe it was right after Halloween? Can't recall!).

At that time - many, many, many years ago - it was actually very surprising to see anything Christmas-oriented show up on the shelves so early, which is why it was a funny joke on the Peanuts special. That kind of thing did not happen very often at all back then. There was more of a 'separation' of the holiday seasons, where you could clearly tell when it was Halloween, when it was Thanksgiving and when it was Christmas. They didn't all blend together like they seem to do now.

Somewhere along the line, Christmas stuff began appearing in early September or before. Valentine's Day stuff began appearing in December. Halloween stuff began appearing in August. Now it almost seems like the seasons and holidays are blurred and have all become one.

In a way, I don't mind it because I love the Fall and Winter holidays and the sooner they come around, the better. On the other hand, I definitely think there should be more of that separation like there used to be when I was a kid, when the Christmas stuff didn't hit the shelves until after Thanksgiving ended!! I think it helps to build anticipation for each holiday a little better if they are kept more separate, and it lets each holiday kind of stand on its own.

I'm not counting myself in this because I love all things Christmas, but for the average person...when they see snowmen and reindeer hit the shelves in late August/early September, it's hard to get excited for the holiday when it finally comes around in December!

Originally Posted by AmericanItGirl

I'm almost 100% certain that the shortbread version is the only kind available during the spring and summer seasons. I spent an absurd amount (absurd for the average, non-Disney-obsessed person...I blame the swing dancing on Wednesday nights and Trader Sam's ) of time hanging around DLR this past summer and the only kind I saw were the shortbread (they are just as adorable as the gingerbread, imo).

Welcome back, AmericanItGirl! You haven't posted in this TR in ages!

Thank you so much for speaking up about the cookie mystery! I was very befuddled about that and I needed confirmation! (Because I don't have anything more important to worry about, clearly!)

I can't recall which DIS'er it was, but someone claimed that the gingerbread cookies with mouse ears had been spotted in May and at other times of year. Actually, I think more than one person said it on the DIS. I know DLR tends to roll out their holiday stuff as soon as the previous season has ended - so it wouldn't be too much of a shock to see actual gingerbread cookies pop up in late August, after their Summer season ends, for example, because they transition right into the Halloween/Fall treats.

But seeing real gingerbread cookies anytime after early January and before late August sounded very peculiar to me because that flavor is so season-specific. So when I saw photos of the adorable shortbread 'faux' gingerbread cookies with the colored ears and colored buttons (and you're right - they are just as cute with their little pastel ears!), I began to think, "Hmmm...I wonder if people are confusing these with the actual gingerbread cookies." Another DIS'er, MattsPrincess, must have been thinking the same thing I was because she spoke up and said these cookies with colored ears looked like sugar cookies or something else that was not gingerbread.

I think it is just the shape of these darn cookies that confuses people - because they are made from the same mold to look like the gingerbread cookies but are not made of gingerbread, it throws people off!

[Belle Ella]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Hi, Jessica!!

You may want to look away/hide your eyes soon, as I will have a couple of more photo posts to put up before I am done with this TR (even though I don't think I have photos of anything that you didn't see during your Halloween trip last year - it all looks to be the standard Halloween fare). I guess I will see you on Monday at some point!

I have been sneaky, If it looks like photos are going to start loading I close the thread. I got lucky, lol. I don't have to hold out much longer, I leave in less than 24 hours. Guess I'll be seeing you on Monday! And I wont take no for an answer.

[ddwlms]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

ddwlms -

I am so glad you spoke up a second time! I couldn't help but laugh! I know! The nerve of my friends to inconvenience you too! It's bad enough that they are disrupting my own plans!

I don't know if it's a good idea to follow my planning details, as my plans always seem to go horribly awry in some way or the other! Perhaps I should be following your planning details!

In any case, I am glad you're following along, whether things go awry or not!

Ohhhh, if your plans go awry that would not be good. I'm the one that is supposed to be the "expert" disney planner and we have friends following my planning, (your planning) so I'm really rooting that all your plans go SMOOOOOOTHLY this time!

(I have to laugh at what my totally amateur friends believe is an expert. I know so little compared to you real disney experts.)

So, I suspect you've already explained and I've just missed it, but how is it that you came to have these VIP type reservations through the Special Activities office?

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by Belle Ella

I have been sneaky, If it looks like photos are going to start loading I close the thread. I got lucky, lol. I don't have to hold out much longer, I leave in less than 24 hours. Guess I'll be seeing you on Monday! And I wont take no for an answer.

Okey dokey! If you still have my cell number, give me a call sometime on Monday. I don't foresee that we'll be out of the parking lot and in the parks any earlier than 11:30 a.m.

Originally Posted by ddwlms

Ohhhh, if your plans go awry that would not be good. I'm the one that is supposed to be the "expert" disney planner and we have friends following my planning, (your planning) so I'm really rooting that all your plans go SMOOOOOOTHLY this time!

(I have to laugh at what my totally amateur friends believe is an expert. I know so little compared to you real disney experts.)

So, I suspect you've already explained and I've just missed it, but how is it that you came to have these VIP type reservations through the Special Activities office?

You mention planning - it's funny because my friends who have been going to DLR for years and years (like since we were kids) can't even conceive of the planning that goes on in this day and age. If they used to live in SoCal and visit DLR once or twice a year, every year, they don't understand - decades later - that the whole resort has changed now, and it's not the same place that it was back in the '70s, '80s and '90s. For example, this friend who is now giving me all the difficulty about the dates for the holiday trip used to live in SoCal and go to DL every year. She has not been to DL in 10 years, and she now lives out of state...BUT I think she still can't wrap her mind around the fact that there is more to do now, and more planning required.

The crazy reservation I have for the PPH - which must be handled through the Special Activities office - came about after a billing goof that occurred during my PPH stay this past December. I had paid in full for my room when I checked in, but because a few different wacky things, somehow the PPH's computer system automatically blocked almost $300 on my card...and I was unaware of it. I went merrily along my way, putting charges on this particular card (like meals at Storytellers - Yum! Love that spaghetti!), not realizing that the funds were not technically available because of this hold they had put on my money. The PPH didn't tell me this was going to happen. They didn't ask me which card was okay to use. Their system just picked a card on file and applied the hold.

I didn't become aware of this madness until I returned home. By that time, the transactions I initiated during my DLR trip were about to post before the PPH released the hold on my money...meaning overdraft fees and non-sufficient funds and all that.

I called the PPH and wrote a letter to Guest Communications, complaining about what happened. Everyone I spoke to agreed they had goofed, and that it was definitely their mistake. So, to make it up to me - which I was NOT expecting at all - and to invite me back to the PPH, they gave me this sweet deal of one totally free night at the PPH, $99 each additional night, free parking and VIP seating/viewing for at least a couple of shows (which would include the parade, World of Color, Aladdin, etc.), pending availability. It was above and beyond the call - I truly didn't expect anything other than having them compensate me for the overdraft fees, if it had come to that. The PPH offer was a surprise!!

I have read a couple of other accounts from DIS'ers who have had a less than favorable trip, and DLR ended up not only giving them multiple free park hoppers but also multiple free nights at one of the Disney hotels!! To me, that is mind-blowing! That is a LOT of value!!

My trip last December was wonderful - no complaint there! It was just the billing mishap that was the problem. Otherwise, it was a fantastic time! So I feel very fortunate to have this awesome PPH deal to use for the holidays this year - although it means that I have to go through that Special Activities office, which is not accustomed to having to make lots of reservations for guests. And I can only use this PPH deal in 2011 - I can't wait until next year to use it.

[ddwlms]

Kudos to DLR for making things right by you. ("right" and then some. yay you!)

Planning to me is half the fun. Planning, and counting down the days. --which this trip, I'm afraid I'm going to miss out on half of that just 'cause my life is so busy at the moment. And will be right up till the moment we leave. I'm actully resigned to just giving up Thanksgiving this year all together. -I've already had 46 in my life, I can afford to give up one. I'm just swamped. (software conversion at work. accounting software, and I'm the accounting manager.)

But I've tried to make up for it by starting my count down much earlier. I may be oblivious when we're down to 7 days, but I REMEMBER pretrip day 223, and 157, and breaking the triple digit mark!

(57 more days and I'll be "walking right down the middle of main street, USA.....")