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

[kaoden39]

How fun changing your dates!

The gingerbread pudding was soooooo good!

[DizNee Luver]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

[B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Red"]


So, this means that my trip will overlap with the first few days of Laurie/DizNee Luver's trip - and she is staying at the PPH as well (though she is there for much longer than I will be there)! I will not be shocked if I run into her (and her family) in the elevator...or crossing the street from the GCH to the PPH and vice versa...or around our favorite Paradise Pier Hotel Christmas tree!

Can't you just picture it? I can see it now...I'll come down the elevator in the morning and stand on one side of the gorgeous, glowing blue-green tree, taking close-up ornament photos - only to spot Laurie on the other side of the tree, also taking close-up ornament photos!

WOO HOO I'm so glad I put that thought in your head a few weeks ago......lol I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to see the CP (I didn't win either) but YAY for me getting to see you!!!!

I'm meeting up with Escape2Disney at Trader Sam's on Tuesday the 11th at 9pm.......maybe you can pencil us in!!! Let me know!

Peek a boo.....I see you in the reflection of that ornament........lol I can truly see that happening....... Of course, I'll be looking for Santa too (hope its the same guy.....he was awesome last year and I told him I'd bring the twins to come see him and I am!!!!!)

Still loving all these pics and am on my 10 day countdown now until we leave.......See you at the PPH in 12 days!!!

[tksbaskets]

Hi Sherry,
Family issues so I wasn't on line for a bit....

Is your back better? I think although a bummer that you didn't get a seat at the CP it is great that you will be able to push your trip to the next week.

More time to feel better and I think more fun to have more time between trips.

Can't wait for more updates/pictures. I'm loving it!

[Sherry E]

In between my usual computer problems and my stupid Internet going out off and on (stupid Time Warner), the cyberspace angels are not looking out for me and letting me finish this darned TR - which doesn't have much longer to go!

Originally Posted by Carolwoodpr

Sherry,

I am so happy you were able to change your dates! That really gives you time for the constant pain you are in to get a little better before you go, and I pray that it does indeed get better.

Now, since we are not going to be there during the CP I have not paid any attention to how to get tickets and such. So while this may seem like a stupid question, I am going to apologize in advance. Since you switched your dates, can you get selected NOW to go to a Lou Diamond Philips night? Or are all of the selections done, so your only change of seeing it is standing room only? In either case, I wish you the best of luck in getting to see that beautiful show.

Thank you.

It's not a stupid question - this year, the way the CP is being handled is new to everyone, so I'm sure that people have a lot of questions.

No - since I was already rejected for the Kurt Russell CP nights, I cannot re-enter for a Lou Diamond Phillips night. We were all only allowed one entry per person - but we were allowed to maximize our chances of being picked by choosing more than one night or time slot. So, because I did not pick an LDP night when I first entered (because I didn't know if I'd be able to switch to a later stay at the PPH), I cannot win a seat. It would be standing room only.

However, this does not mean that some seats won't open up at some point. It is very possible (likely, in fact) that a lot of people won't show up for the seats they won (since these seats are free, it's not like the no-shows would lose any money), and Cast Members standing nearby could very possibly allow people standing around to sit in those extra seats. I'd imagine that I'd have to get there early enough to be chosen, though - and I just don't know if I will feel like standing around. So I will have to play it by ear and see how I feel when I get there.

I think that Lou Diamond Phillips and Edward James Olmos are fine actors and will do a great job - I just wanted to see someone with a bit of Disney heritage narrating.

Originally Posted by kaoden39

How fun changing your dates!

The gingerbread pudding was soooooo good!

I'll bet it was! This was the pudding mix in a box, correct? In other words, not the pudding in the refrigerated case at the store? I might have to mosey on down the pudding/baking supplies aisle the next time I am at Ralphs and see what they have. Jell-O is generally not expensive, so it wouldn't hurt to grab a box or two.

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

WOO HOO I'm so glad I put that thought in your head a few weeks ago......lol I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to see the CP (I didn't win either) but YAY for me getting to see you!!!!

I'm meeting up with Escape2Disney at Trader Sam's on Tuesday the 11th at 9pm.......maybe you can pencil us in!!! Let me know!

Peek a boo.....I see you in the reflection of that ornament........lol I can truly see that happening....... Of course, I'll be looking for Santa too (hope its the same guy.....he was awesome last year and I told him I'd bring the twins to come see him and I am!!!!!)

Still loving all these pics and am on my 10 day countdown now until we leave.......See you at the PPH in 12 days!!!

I had to go with the 12/9 arrival date for several reasons - mainly I was concerned about my back at the moment and having to pack and lift heavy bags in just a few days. But, also, there are a few other solid reasons too (one of which is that 12/9 is better for one of my Orange County pals). I would have chosen a week even later than 12/9 if I could get the same PPH rates, but as the month of December progresses...the rates get higher! (Of course!) So the rate for a 12/16 arrival date would not have been the same as the 12/2 or 12/9 arrival date, from what I remember. I had been considering the 12/9 arrival date all along - but I just wanted to see what happened with the Kurt Russell CP before I tried to change anything.

I told Escape2Disney that I can't say for sure if I will be able to meet you guys on 12/11 until I get to DLR and get into whatever I'm doing. That is the night before I check out, and I don't know yet if I am going to attempt to do the Early Entry into DCA on 12/12.

So I may have to get to sleep early on 12/11, or I may be packing so that I can leave early on 12/12 and get to DCA...OR I may want to spend my last night relaxing somewhere in the GCH lobby, watching carolers and enjoying the atmosphere. I just don't know yet, and I won't know until the last minute.

I told Escape2Disney that if I had one extra night (like the same number of nights that I had last year, except without getting sick and without the friend who messed everything up), it would make a difference. As it stands now, I should be busy on 12/9. On 12/10 I should be attempting to get some halfway decent night shots in Disneyland.

But...refresh my memory. Where are you all eating lunch and dinner on 12/10 and 12/11? And just in case I stay for a while on 12/12 before I go home, where are you eating then? Maybe I can join you for a bite somewhere, sometime. We'll see.

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

Hi Sherry,
Family issues so I wasn't on line for a bit....

Is your back better? I think although a bummer that you didn't get a seat at the CP it is great that you will be able to push your trip to the next week.

More time to feel better and I think more fun to have more time between trips.

Can't wait for more updates/pictures. I'm loving it!

Thank you, TK. I hope you enjoyed the 'dusk falls on Radiator Springs' pictures.

The pain in my hip/back is slowly lessening a bit. It is not as sharp as it was a couple of days ago. It still hurts a bit to stand up and sit down, but I think it is getting a little bit better as long as I don't do anything crazy to make it worse.

I just wasn't prepared at all to head to DLR in 4 days. An extra week helps a lot. Plus, in light of this back/hip issue I think it's a wise choice to delay everything. There were several indicators that I should switch dates - I'm just glad that there was still availability at the PPH so I could make the switch - but I did not want to do anything to make the pain worse and suddenly not be able to move at all (which has happened to me before)!

I'm going to try to round up another bunch o' photos to post!

[DizNee Luver]

So the meals planned for Monday is:
Breakfast at Carnation Cafe
Dinner at Big Thunder BBQ

Tuesday meals are:
Breakfast in the Concierge Lounge
Lunch at Jolly Holiday
Dinner at Cafe Orleans

Wednesday we are starting our day at Surf's Up at 7:20am (and you know I would be thrilled if you could join us.....my treat!!) But you would have to miss out on the EE. So give it some thought and let me know.

[kaoden39]

Yes, it is the powdered pudding mix. I happened to get it on sale for a dollar a box. I loaded up on it.

[Carolwoodpr]

Thanks for answering my CP question. I am sorry you can't enter now for the new dates you are going. That sucks.

Sherry and Laurie, I sure hope the two of you can meet up again. That would be so cool.

I wish I could meet up with you on my trip ladies but neither of you will be there, it has been years Laurie and I miss you. And Sherry it feels like it has been years from reading your report. I would love to meet you one day.

You mentioned your horrible computer issues, which my son can complete relate to by the way - he has a dinosaur for a computer and it is so slow and painful to use. But you didn't mention your back that I saw. Is it feeling better? I sure hope so.

I can't wait until the next installment of your trip report. I am loving the pictures.

[6Smiles]

Loving all of your photos and it is great that you were able to change your dates. I will miss you by 2 days, but will also be meeting up with Laurie at some point. These trips are coming up faster than I can wrap my head around it just does not seem real yet.

[tksbaskets]

I loved the dusk at RS shots!

DizNee has me hungry now - three of my fav. eateries on her agenda!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

So the meals planned for Monday is:
Breakfast at Carnation Cafe
Dinner at Big Thunder BBQ

Tuesday meals are:
Breakfast in the Concierge Lounge
Lunch at Jolly Holiday
Dinner at Cafe Orleans

Wednesday we are starting our day at Surf's Up at 7:20am (and you know I would be thrilled if you could join us.....my treat!!) But you would have to miss out on the EE. So give it some thought and let me know.

Hmmm. The BBQ looks enticing. I'll think it through. I may not know what I'm doing until I actually get to DLR and see how things are rolling along and how much I am getting accomplished from my checklist of things to do.

Thank you for offering to treat for Surf's Up. That's very sweet. I may very well take you up on it and skip EE, but I'll figure it out when I'm there.

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Yes, it is the powdered pudding mix. I happened to get it on sale for a dollar a box. I loaded up on it.

I'll look for it sometime before the season ends.

Originally Posted by Carolwoodpr

Thanks for answering my CP question. I am sorry you can't enter now for the new dates you are going. That sucks.

Sherry and Laurie, I sure hope the two of you can meet up again. That would be so cool.

I wish I could meet up with you on my trip ladies but neither of you will be there, it has been years Laurie and I miss you. And Sherry it feels like it has been years from reading your report. I would love to meet you one day.

You mentioned your horrible computer issues, which my son can complete relate to by the way - he has a dinosaur for a computer and it is so slow and painful to use. But you didn't mention your back that I saw. Is it feeling better? I sure hope so.

I can't wait until the next installment of your trip report. I am loving the pictures.

Thank you. I answered the back question yesterday (in my above reply to TK).

This computer that I have is beyond simply being slow. It totally freezes up. Sometimes a single web page will not load for 30 or 45 minutes, for example, because the browser cannot function properly and process all the 'script' on the page. No one could actually work on this computer on a daily basis. The kind of work I used to do sometimes involved producing documents for people with a speedy turnaround - meaning that sometimes they'd need something done within the hour or sooner - and doing a lot of things online (such as forwarding e-mails to people before they left the office, etc.).

That kind of time-based work cannot be done on this PC because it constantly freezes up or malfunctions. A client doesn't want to hear that I can't forward an e-mail on his behalf - in the next 5 minutes - to one of his clients because my computer froze up, or that I can't type a letter for him in the next half-hour because my MS Word is acting crazy.

You'd know what I meant if you actually saw what this PC does in person. All of the software, browsers and applications are damaged and 'buggy'; there's a bad sector in the hard drive; the operating system cannot be replaced/updated; the Flash keeps crashing, etc.

As for Laurie and I meeting up - Laurie and I will run into each other at DLR, I'm sure. We've met in person so we will recognize each other - plus, I'd recognize her family from the photos I've seen. I don't know yet what I'm going to be doing beyond my first day at DLR. I have things I want to accomplish, but I kind of want to wing it and just roam freely, playing it all by ear.

At this point, I just want to actually get there - get to DLR and get settled in - and then worry about everything else later.

What's funny is that, even though I joke about running into Laurie by the Christmas tree at the PPH - because that would be the most obvious place to run into each other, since we're both staying there - what will probably end up happening is that we won't see each other in the most obvious spot, just because that would be too easy. We will probably bump into each other in a totally unexpected place, like, say, in a gift shop in the middle of Frontierland or something.

Originally Posted by 6Smiles

Loving all of your photos and it is great that you were able to change your dates. I will miss you by 2 days, but will also be meeting up with Laurie at some point. These trips are coming up faster than I can wrap my head around it just does not seem real yet.

Thank you, Kris!

Laurie is going to be at DLR long enough to where she will probably be meeting up with people every day! She should just set up a location - like Santa's photo spots at the hotels - and let people come to her!

I agree - these trips are coming up very fast. I was not prepared in any way to go to DLR in just a few days. It seemed to creep up very quickly. I don't really feel prepared to go there in 10 days either, now that I've switched dates, but at least I can try to get in the right frame of mind.

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

I loved the dusk at RS shots!

DizNee has me hungry now - three of my fav. eateries on her agenda!

TK -

Thank you!

I've never even tried the BBQ (or Surf's Up, for that matter). That is something I'd like to do at some point.

Sometimes I think I'm going to be hungrier than I am, and I don't end up eating too much at all. Other times I go too long at DLR without eating anything substantial (I'm not counting the peppermint ice cream!) and finally I have to eat something. Sometimes I just want something small, like a hot dog or a simple sandwich with no sides - not a full meal - but then I see the prices and think, "I don't want to pay $8 for a hot dog. I may as well just get a meal."

I keep telling myself that I'd like to try Flo's in Cars Land - despite reading only mediocre-to-poor reviews of the food there. I don't know if this will be the trip for that, though.

My time at DLR is really going to fly by, and I also want to do things like eat the yummy spaghetti at Storytellers again because I already know I enjoy it. Seeing that I don't eat all that much when I'm at DLR to begin with (I won't eat more than one meal a day if I am by myself), I have to choose my very few meals wisely.

[Sherry E]

In the last post I left off in Cars Land (11-12-12), as dusk fell on Radiator Springs. The striking, craggy red rocks nestled against the backdrop of the fading clear blue sky provided a dramatic contrast.

Anyone out there who is interested in photography (be it amateur or professional picture-taking) should try to arrange to be near those red rocks of Cars Land just before it gets dark, for some prime photo-taking opportunities.

Continuing on...

I left Cars Land (temporarily). But don't worry - I made sure to get back there a bit later for more attempts at nighttime photos...

I made my way back to Buena Vista Street.

Here is where I will freely admit that I could not get one single decent photo of the Storytellers statue during this entire day trip (and it will be one of my goals on my upcoming holiday trip in 10 days).

Why is that, you wonder? Well, in the daytime there were always too many people around the Storytellers statue and I could never get a clear shot of it without them in it so I gave up and figured I would revisit the statue later.

When I went back to the Storytellers statue at night, again there were lots of people around it and next to it. I had to literally snap the shutter super-fast in between people posing with Walt & Mickey, just to be able to get anything.

BUT because the lighting had changed and it was now almost nighttime, this would require some experimenting with my camera's settings to try to get a decent picture that was well-lit enough to showcase the features on the faces of Walt and Mickey, but without looking washed out.

I was not successful because I just didn't take the time to fiddle with the settings as all of the people walked around, next to, in front of and behind the statue. This is one of those situations in which I will have to practice and practice and have patience, waiting for all of the people to move away. I just did not have the patience at that moment so I ended up with garbage.

An experiment in terror, if you will...photographically speaking.


These are the reasons why I need to go back, have some patience and wait for people to leave so I can play with the camera and get something halfway decent.

As I've always said, I will show you my good photos and my not-so-great photos (if the not-so-great photos are relevant in any way to what I am describing). I usually do not edit my pictures for my TR's unless it is an extreme circumstance.

So this was the unedited version of the Storytellers photo - which is horrible, as you can see...










This is the "auto-fixed" version of the same picture - which is weird and unnatural-looking. It almost looks like it was taken at 2:00 in the afternoon!











This slightly edited version (via Photobucket) is only a wee bit better than the unedited version...










And then I tried to take a version with a flash - just to see how it would look! Yikes! The horror of it all! Eek! It is truly, deeply awful...and for this I apologize and ask you to show mercy...









So the moral of the story is to either use a DSLR camera at this Storytellers location after dark - or in any spot where there is not a lot of light - or get a PhotoPass picture.

...OR have patience and take the time to find the right setting on your point & shoot camera to get the best possible picture your P&S camera is capable of taking! I just didn't have the patience to wait for all of the people to clear out.








I had much better luck with the Buena Vista Street Christmas tree! I kind of like the way these photos came out - the dark blue of the sky sort of complemented the blue tones in the tree, in a way (or vice versa)...










...Except for that this one is a little blurry...









But these are good! Now I'm getting my photo groove back after being defeated by a statue!











I stopped in Elias & Co. to see the (very bright) Santa photo spot...which is reminiscent of the old department store Santa set-ups that I used to visit as a wee tot in Los Angeles (though not in the 1930's! Let's not get crazy now...I'm not quite that old!)...








...Not sure what I was going for with this picture. I don't even remember taking it! It could have been an accidental picture!

















Okay, as much as I love Buena Vista Street I must admit that the old Golden Gate Bridge made a much bigger impact during the holidays than this Glendale Hyperion Bridge makes...










...And Main Street really makes more of a nighttime impact during the holidays than Buena Vista Street makes. But Trolley Treats is pretty festive...












You all know how much I love me some holiday window displays and little houses & trees made of cookies and candy! Trolley Treats did not disappoint!

Coming up next, as I continue on with pictures from my holiday visit to DLR on 11-12-12...looking at the sequence of photos, apparently I started taking more shots of merchandise, which must have been when I left California Adventure to head to Downtown Disney and "the Christmas Village" at the ice rink. So I will be back with those pictures!

[Sherry E]

Second post for today. Continuing on at DLR - 11/12/12...

After giving up on the statue pictures I decided to head to Downtown Disney, with the intention of seeing if the "Christmas Village" with holiday treats and treasures had miraculously appeared at the ice rink since I had been there in the morning, and to see if the lines were too long at Earl of Sandwich for me to get a Cannonball meatball sandwich...

I stopped in World of Disney. I really like this "Lightning Mickey" design!

More from Downtown Disney (11-12-12) coming up!

[Carolwoodpr]

Sherry, I know you said you didn't like the Walt and Mickey pictures but I have to say that I loved all of them. Having never seen this statue, your pictures gave me a picture in my head of what I have to look forward to seeing.

I have to agree with you on the color of the sky in the Christmas Tree pictures on BVS. Amazing pictures of that tree. How did you get them without so many people? I would expect people to always be at the base, so I am quite impressed with those pictures too.

And what can I say about the food porn at Trolly Treats. I can't wait to go into that store to see what else they offer and to get me some of that candy in the window. I LOVE your window shots.

Alex is lucky, he has two computers. So sorry yours is so bad. That is how Alex's desk top computer is. He is lucky though he got daddy's old laptop so uses that for almost everything now. He has to keep it plugged in because it won't hold a charge, but that is no big deal. I had problems uploading a cd to iTunes the other day. One CD took 45 minutes to upload and I was going crazy. I couldn't imagine having to wait that long every time I tried to do something. You must have the patience of a saint.

I know we have got to be getting close to the end of the trip report but we have something to look forward too. Your next trip report. That trip is only 2 weeks away. I can't wait for you to get back to your home hotel and have a blast.

[Sherry E]

Third post for today. Woo hoo! Continuing on in Downtown Disney - 11/12/12...

I love this cute stocking that World of Disney was selling...









Forgive these blurry ornament photos below. This was another case in which there were so many people walking in front of me, around me, behind me and trying to get past me that I just snapped quickly and didn't really steady my hand to get clear shots! I didn't have the patience to deal with it because I seemed to be in everyone's way as they tried to get by me.

But...blurry or not, you can see that this is a really cute ornament!









Well, this photo isn't too bad...






This one is bad...
















There was a fantastic display of these resin 'ear hat' ornaments - with lots and lots and lots of different Disney designs painted on the ears. I only took pictures of a couple of different ones, but there were many, in all sorts of Disney themes. You could get 3 of them for $50, which is a lot of money but they are sturdy and can work as figurines to display when not serving as ornaments.

This was one of my favorite designs for the ears ornaments...










Love love love the Evil Queen-themed ear hats!















The annual World of Disney "Nightmare Before Christmas" tree..










To everyone who uses Facebook out there, I thought these two shirts were adorable...








It's complicated, to say the least!







Over at Build-A-Bear, the wonders of Rankin-Bass were being celebrated once again, with many Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer-inspired displays and toys...













Now! Let's check out that magical "Christmas Village" that was so looking forward to. It was pretty anticlimactic in the daylight. What about at night? Did the "Village" come alive?

You be the judge.























Exciting stuff, huh? That was it for the "Christmas Village" when I was there. Maybe it's more exciting now that November is almost over and December is upon us. Maybe it will feel more Christmas-y and Village-y to me when I am there in 10 days.


Earl of Sandwich was too crowded for me to deal with getting a sandwich, so I headed back towards DCA.



...With a stop at Marceline's Confectionery first...

More from Marceline's Confectionery in Downtown Disney (11-12-12) coming up!

[mvf-m11c]

Nice pictures Sherry.

The Christmas Village that I saw during my trip wasn't that all great as I have read. Just regular stands selling Christmas merchandise and not too many different activities that night.

Excited that you will be back at the DLR during the Holiday season in 10 days.