A Disney Christmas Fix - four days of fun! 1/28 Summer/Cruising PTR started!!

[Native NYer]

I am DEFINITELY going to look into a cruise. I'm thinking President's Week 2012. Time to research!

And I will definitely be in contact the next time I'm in Maryland

[MeMom]

Originally Posted by Happydog

The Jan/Feb/March time and the fall are good times for the value -- b/c the weather is iffy-er... In the fall, possible rain, hurricane stuff... but that is only possible, of course. We went on a 7 day Dis cruise several years ago in October and it was fabulous. I think the weather is not as risky in October. Like in FL in general.. the Feb cruise we went on last year was great. Nice weather. Warm, but not summer warm. However, a far cry from what we have here, and last year, the snow!!!

I am excited to go next month! six weeks away!!

Any kind of warm is sounding good right now. It snowed here today, and I think we are spposed to be back to our increasingly common 17 degrees tonight.

I hope your six weeks goes very quickly, because our seven weeks is right on its heels.

[Happydog]

Originally Posted by Native NYer

I am DEFINITELY going to look into a cruise. I'm thinking President's Week 2012. Time to research!

And I will definitely be in contact the next time I'm in Maryland

Perhaps the best thing about the Disney cruises for us, anyhow, when we are with kids, will be the kids club and activities! Free kid care, basically! To me that is huge! Because then they get to do what they want to do with kids their age -- play, have activities, make friends, etc. -- be social! And we, we get to sit at the adult pool and be anti-social. Well, not exactly


All the photos of the cruise ship, I am getting SOOOOOOOO excited!
Just six weeks away.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by Happydog

Perhaps the best thing about the Disney cruises for us, anyhow, when we are with kids, will be the kids club and activities! Free kid care, basically! To me that is huge! Because then they get to do what they want to do with kids their age -- play, have activities, make friends, etc. -- be social! And we, we get to sit at the adult pool and be anti-social. Well, not exactly


All the photos of the cruise ship, I am getting SOOOOOOOO excited!
Just six weeks away.

I have to say, I am VERY excited about that part!

Though likely it won't be pool time...too cold...

[Happydog]

Originally Posted by MeMom

Any kind of warm is sounding good right now. It snowed here today, and I think we are spposed to be back to our increasingly common 17 degrees tonight.

I hope your six weeks goes very quickly, because our seven weeks is right on its heels.

YAY! That is true! How fun! I wondered when you would be coming in and such, we get there on the 19th for one night at BLT before the Cruise, I am looking forward to seeing WDW for 24 hours!!

Originally Posted by eandesmom

I have to say, I am VERY excited about that part!

Though likely it won't be pool time...too cold...

NO I don't think you'd want the pool, but the Adult cafe and outlook bar are AWESOME... so I am sure you'll enjoy that too! How exciting for you! Alaska on a Disney cruise!!! I told DH about this itinerary but he wasn't too thrilled about Alaska -- he likes the Mexican Riviera cruise... but I think Alaska would be amazing!

[wigdoutdismom]

Just found you! I have 7 pages of catching up to do....
Just have to say love the Disney tree! The cookies look delicious and the little boy wearing all those silly banz is just adorable!

I'll get to reading when I get up, it's really late.

[Charleston Princess]

Originally Posted by wigdoutdismom

Just found you! I have 7 pages of catching up to do....
Just have to say love the Disney tree! The cookies look delicious and the little boy wearing all those silly banz is just adorable!

I'll get to reading when I get up, it's really late.

Wigd! I can't believe how late you are up! You outlasted me! I was up until 2:00 fuming because Chelsea broke ANOTHER cell phone charger. I don't even know where to get one of those -- do they sell them just anywhere? Grrrr.

[Happydog]

Originally Posted by wigdoutdismom

Just found you! I have 7 pages of catching up to do....
Just have to say love the Disney tree! The cookies look delicious and the little boy wearing all those silly banz is just adorable!

I'll get to reading when I get up, it's really late.

Oh Anita!!! I was wondering when WigD would resurface!!!! I am so glad to have you here. Well that little boy has you to thank for them all!!! He had quite a few Mr. Potato Heads lined up there!!!! I have not taken my Disney Tree down yet, I have to confess.... I always take down the decorations this weekend, the weekend after New Year's Day, b/c I can't bear to do it any earlier, but I just finished all the house stuff, now the big tree today, and it may be I don't get to my Disney tree downstairs until sometime this week... Hey, it makes me smile .

Originally Posted by Charleston Princess

Wigd! I can't believe how late you are up! You outlasted me! I was up until 2:00 fuming because Chelsea broke ANOTHER cell phone charger. I don't even know where to get one of those -- do they sell them just anywhere? Grrrr.

Oh are you kidding??!! Well, I would say Best Buy.. do you have one of those? OR a cell phone provider store... you can get them generically... you can also get them online (for pretty reasonable) they have generic ones. I lost one and had to buy a new one... How does one BREAK a phone charger?!! Sorry... Kids!!

[Happydog]

It is imminent!! I told myself I needed to tackle all of my Christmas take down this weekend, and so my update is 90% done! Lots to share, so I should be able to get it posted this afternoon sometime! I have taken to listening to the Disney podcast while I fold laundry, so that is also on the agenda! I hit the grocery store yesterday, had to take my car in to the dealer for a scheduled brake job, and try to deal with the decorations.... it has been a busy weekend! I am looking forward to some DIS time later on!!! Just catching up on Subscriptions right now!! Hoping for snow Tuesday.... enough to cancel school... SORRY Jackie, but we'll keep it above the VA state line!!!

[Charleston Princess]

Originally Posted by Happydog

Oh are you kidding??!! Well, I would say Best Buy.. do you have one of those? OR a cell phone provider store... you can get them generically... you can also get them online (for pretty reasonable) they have generic ones. I lost one and had to buy a new one... How does one BREAK a phone charger?!! Sorry... Kids!!

Yes, we do have a Best Buy -- I may try that or look online. I am not in any rush since she brought this on herself, and she won't die without her cell phone.

Chelsea is infamous for plugging in her phone to charge and then texting on it -- this is the second time she has ruined the little silver piece by bending it in unnatural ways. The first time, we were due for an upgrade anyway, so I didn't have to deal with finding a new charger.

Yeay for an update coming soon! I don't blame you for keeping up that tree as long as possible.

Really, at this point, I could deal with a snowstorm -- after all, it is hard to resist the temptation of wanting a day off.

[Native NYer]

Originally Posted by Happydog

It is imminent!! I told myself I needed to tackle all of my Christmas take down this weekend, and so my update is 90% done! Lots to share, so I should be able to get it posted this afternoon sometime! I have taken to listening to the Disney podcast while I fold laundry, so that is also on the agenda! I hit the grocery store yesterday, had to take my car in to the dealer for a scheduled brake job, and try to deal with the decorations.... it has been a busy weekend! I am looking forward to some DIS time later on!!! Just catching up on Subscriptions right now!! Hoping for snow Tuesday.... enough to cancel school... SORRY Jackie, but we'll keep it above the VA state line!!!

Can't wait for the next update

I hope we get a snow day in NYC. I really could use a day off

[2xcited2sleep]

Looking forward to an update! Hope those of you praying for a snow day get what you are wishing for. In CT the snow has come perfectly timed for the weekend.

[Happydog]

So if you remember from my last post, we had finished a late breakfast at the Grand Floridian, and had headed back to Kidani to enjoy some fun in the sun -- with the temps nearing 80, it was a no brainer to spend this afternoon poolside!!! It was again the nicest day weather wise, and I was really looking forward to spending the day enjoying the fabulous sun before it all went away! Even at WDW it was due to get cold, for a cold snap came through and lasted for the next few days.

We lingered at the pool until around 3:30pm. Our last round of drinks in hand, we headed back to the room to shower and get ready for MVMCP!

We got to the gates somewhere around 5:30pm, and collected our wristbands. I wanted to get there earlier, but again being at the pool won out.... The sign as you come into the park....



The front entrance!!!!





We first meandered around Mainstreet, and went into all the stores we normally couldn’t go into with our kids. You know, namely the stores with anything breakable!!! I had never seen the glass blower demonstration, or the art shops. It was fun!!! I took photos, and we saw the parade come through... These are just my random snaps, a few blury ones I am sorry to say!















And I also wanted to see the fabulous window display, which I was DELIGHTED to see was entirely different from last year! Last year they had the princess scenes I think it was, which were beautiful, but these were Mickey's Christmas Carol.. SO neat! I tried to get photos, realizing that the pictures were a bit of a glare, but here are the best I could get…















So of course what I was really waiting to see, was this…



I know I took this just after it had gotten dark enough, b/c it is in order of the shots in my camera, but we missed the "official" castle lighting...

Now I had seen the castle from Cali Grill our first night. It was beautiful, of course, but standing there on main street, gazing at it then and there, I realized that this view was the real reason why I was so excited to be back at Disneyworld over the holidays. It just made my night. It really reminded me how much I love the Holiday season, and I just got giddy like a kid. Well, who am I kidding, I was giddy from the moment we got to WDW three days earlier, and I was walking on air as soon as we walked into the Magic Kingdom, but I cant say enough how much I love that castle when it is lit up for the Holidays...

More in the next post!!!!

[gallmcduck]

The castle looks amazing wow would love to go in december and see it like that

[Happydog]

We decided that tonight would be one big snack fest!!! I think we both agreed that eating junk food in the Magic Kingdom would be a fun night, so it was a pretty easy decision to bag dinner, and just snack around the kingdom!!!

So we started with corn dog nuggets… now I am not a “food porn” taker…. But to really get the effect here, I have to include photos, so all the food photos here are borrowed from other DISers and picture takers braver than I! Except one I did take…



Really, I realized that I could totally have asked Lady Lallie to help me with some of these, b/c I know two of my snacks are her favorites, the nuggets AND the cream cheese pretzel! I know she has pics of those!!!!

So after we walked out of Casey’s we started towards Tomorrowland and Space Mountain… somewhere right around this point DH tells me not to eat too many sweets… I was thinking “huh”? What is the problem with “sweet”? But then again, he was already walking towards tomorrow land for Space Mountain and a cream cheese pretzel, so I couldn’t imagine WHY he was saying “no more sweets”!!



The requisite cream cheese pretzel in hand, we looked at the shops, and then headed onto Space. NEXT up I FINALLY went on the Carousel of Progress, which was all decked out for the Holidays!!!! After we left the“2th” century… we meandered back across the wagon wheel to Adventureland and Agrabah Bazaar … I was looking for the tiger pillow pet! It was starting to get dark, now, and they had started the announcements that the park was closing for the event… the castle was lit up and beautiful. At the shop , they only had the panda and the giraffe so I consoled myself with a orange juice slushie, which we split, and we went to see Johnny Depp on POC… I couldn't find a photo of the slushie...

We continued over to Frontierland, where DH got his prized turkey leg… and we walked over to Sleepy Hollow snacks where I got my Capucino float!



Here is a GREAT black mail picture of my DH.... I told him stick your stomach out as far as you can and give me a good profile.. here you go!



We were being TOTAL oikners at this point, but hey, this was dinner!!!!! We then sat on the rail, examining the map for MVMCP, and watched the parade goers gather and grow for the first parade that evening.

This was the photo spot for Princess Tiana I suspect… it looked very New Orleans!!! They had the photo op spots everywhere. I just couldn't keep up with the feast for the eyes that this event was! I fell short with pictures I think, but I know two DISers who have plenty to share!!! I think I took this one because my hands were temporarily relieved of my float!!!



We had the plan to see the evening show, so we headed back towards Frontierland, where we rode Splash Mountain AND promptly got seriously wet! To “dry” off we rode BTMRR… The sun down now, and the park officially closed to day guests, the cookies and hot chocolate stands were coming to life. We sampled three different stations! One was at the Golden Horse Shoe, and check out this dance party!





Woody was really pulling out the moves, dancing with a bunch of ladies, it was HIGHlarious!!!

Again, DH reminded me, don’t eat too many of those cookies… I was more interested in the hot chocolate to be honest, but again I didn’t get what he was all about with the “sweets”!

I realize I didn't share what that was like, so here is one of the balloons signaling the masses to come collect cookies and cocoa!!! "YO! Yeah You, get your treats HERE!!"



Here the CMs are giving it away (I liked the station near the Dole Whip place best, but this was one picture I found... ) I bet Marc and Anita have TONS of great MVMCP picks!!! fun to see the CMs in their party outfits!!!



And the cookies and treats themselves... way good!



I found some great Disney food blogs and other blogs in my search for these random food pics!!!

Well, after walking through Fantasyland, and riding It’s a Small World, and Peter Pan, DH told me we should go to the Laugh Floor. But he insisted that we walk back through the hub vs. around through to Tomorrowland. It was at this point it became clear we had a destination.

Namely....



The Dessert Party!


This was just a little surprise he came up with, thinking it would be fun to enjoy the fireworks from that spot while have fun sampling all the desserts they had. He liked the idea of seeing the fireworks with elbow room! So that was where we were, a table was reserved for us, right out front, front and center, and though he said we would have to get up to see the fireworks, it was nice to sit at that table and enjoy the view! And of course the goodies!!!

The table that they reserved for us had castle confetti all over it and a table tag with our name on it. That was fun. The desserts, well, some were decent, some not so much, but there were plenty to choose from and plenty to go back for! Someone may have put a handful of chocolate chip cookies in her purse since she preferred those over the sugar cookies they had for the MVMCP…. Needless to say we ate those the next few days.

Anyhow, here is my photo of our table,





Fireworks coming up NEXT!!!!!