Pre-Trip Planning: Danielle's 2008 WDW Christmas Adventure
- Thread starter joelp
- Start date
... and thanks for reading!!
I'm working on Day 3 now ... but I'm also trying to put some videos into the TR (I only shot about 6 hours worth!!
) - but Photobucket has a 100 MB limit on videos, so that makes it kinda tough ... so I just may have to stick to photos ...Actually - my DW has taken some umbrage with me posting the Welcoming Ceremony ... Why?? To paraphrase her:
It's special! If people want to see the Welcoming Ceremony, they need to wake up at 6 am and get their butts over to the Magic Kingdom!!
And frankly, I can't disagree with her too much ...
But - at the same time - I figure if I post at least snippets of the Welcoming Ceremony, it just may inspire a few of you to wake up at 6 am and get your butts over to the Magic Kingdom ...
... and spreading some
is what this little exercise is supposed to be about anyway ...So - I'll be working on putting something together ... (and I'm used to the DW's grumbling at this point ...
)P.S. I also taped ALL of Fantasmic! from a good center seat - but I haven't had a chance to see how the video came out ...
NYPDwife
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2008
Actually - my DW has taken some umbrage with me posting the Welcoming Ceremony ... Why?? To paraphrase her:
It's special! If people want to see the Welcoming Ceremony, they need to wake up at 6 am and get their butts over to the Magic Kingdom!!
And frankly, I can't disagree with her too much ...
But - at the same time - I figure if I post at least snippets of the Welcoming Ceremony, it just may inspire a few of you to wake up at 6 am and get your butts over to the Magic Kingdom ...
... and spreading some
So - I'll be working on putting something together ... (and I'm used to the DW's grumbling at this point ...
P.S. I also taped ALL of Fantasmic! from a good center seat - but I haven't had a chance to see how the video came out ...
Oh! I LOVE Fantasmic! We didn't get to see it this time around,
but that always gives me the excuse to go back!Isn't it a great show? I cried when I saw it!
Fantasmic! is ... amazing!! wonderful!! incredible!! and ...
... usually very
But we lucked out and got great seats right in the center ... (that kinda luck will probably end now that they've cut way back on the number of shows ...
)
Anyway, the DW figured out a way to load larger videos onto Photobucket and stay under the 100 MB limit ...
So I'm going to take a step back to Day #1 and dinner at Chef Mickey's:
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=minnie.flv
(Hope this works ... the resolution is not the best, but you'll get the idea ...)
Working on the MK "Welcoming Ceremony" ...
... usually very
But we lucked out and got great seats right in the center ... (that kinda luck will probably end now that they've cut way back on the number of shows ...
)Anyway, the DW figured out a way to load larger videos onto Photobucket and stay under the 100 MB limit ...
So I'm going to take a step back to Day #1 and dinner at Chef Mickey's:
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=minnie.flv
(Hope this works ... the resolution is not the best, but you'll get the idea ...)
Working on the MK "Welcoming Ceremony" ...
The 2009 Planning DVD arrived in the mail yesterday ...
... guess I better finish this TR so I can start on a new PTR ...
Day 3 is done - I just need to download, edit - and then upload about 45 seconds of video ...
But first things first:
Have a magical day!!
... guess I better finish this TR so I can start on a new PTR ...
Day 3 is done - I just need to download, edit - and then upload about 45 seconds of video ...
But first things first:
Have a magical day!!
Finally - it's time for:
Monday December 8 dawned clear and sunny and Vicki and I were psyched for a full day at Epcot, and Danielles first ride on Soarin!! But for some reason even though we were up at 6:00 am (!!) we dawdled in the hotel room and ended up grabbing muffins and juice at The Mara, rushing to the bus stop, and eating on the bus to Epcot. We made it to the rope drop at about 8:50 so we werent in the front of the line and I knew my goal of riding the first Soarin flight of the day wasnt gonna happen
The parade to Soarin is a lot of fun and a great way to start the day at Epcot
We got in line, and a few minutes later I hear I gotta go potty! (so we were definitely not gonna be on the first Soarin flight of the day !!)
Soooo Vicki takes Danielle in hand and heads back down the line (in the opposite direction were supposed to be going ) and I hold our spot and proceed towards our destination and end up waiting for them for about 15 minutes at the first Soarin checkpoint (cuz they just joined the end of the queue after taking care of business )
Danielle was a little trepidatious about Soarin but Vicki and I didnt care, because we figured if she can handle some of the roller coasters shes been on, Soarin would be a breeze and it was (literally and figuratively )
And according to plan - we grabbed Fastpasses to ride again
and then headed into the Circle of Life theatre (with only 2 minute wait for the film to start). I was a little concerned about Danielle seeing this movie it had the potential to freak her out (more than Space Mountain!!) about the future of our Planet Earth but she seemed to enjoy it and get the message without becoming paranoid.
We had a pretty solid touring plan for Epcot: we were going to focus on the right side of the park (Futureworld, and then World Showcase after 11:00 ) until our lunch ADR at The Coral Reef and after lunch we would hit The Living Seas Pavilion and (maybe) some other FW attractions, before an afternoon break at the AKL. Then back to the right side of the WS that evening, picking up where we left off, and grabbing dinner at a CS place somewhere in the WS
We figured Living with the Land would be a tad boring for our DD-5, so we headed over to the Imagination Pavilion for Journey Into Imagination with Figment which we had never seen before. We took our time, relaxing and enjoying the views and the fountains a bit but I was a little ahead of Vicki and Danielle as we got to the entrance
where I was met by a group of CMs who said
Hi were the Dream Squad!!
which of course are words Ive been wishing to hear for almost two years!! (Magical Moment #12!!)
Id read a bunch of stories about other people running into the Dream Squad, so I knew how the CMs would be dressed, and Id always figured Id respond in a WDW appropriate manner but I guess my conscious mind just did not register who they were and what was happening
So I was really surprised and numbly (but happily!!) accepted a Dream Fastpass from them and continued walking into the attraction and forgot to turn around, turn on the videocamera, and take pictures of Vicki and Danielle getting their Dream Fastpasses!! (basically my brain just about shut down when I saw that DFP in my hands!!)
However, after a minute-or-so of jumping up and down and doing the happy dance with the DW and DD, I did recover enough to capture the group of total strangers who followed us getting their Dream Fastpasses
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=dream_fastpass.flv
In hindsight and thinking back on how I approached the entrance to Journey Into Imagination - I think my subconscious mind took over my body about 100 feet from the entrance I remember seeing 2 or 3 CMs waiting by the doorway, dressed in the blue and grey Dream Squad vests, and with big smiles on their faces but it wasnt like I REALLY recognized them and I didnt turn back to Vicki and Danielle to let them know what I thought was about to happen But I seem to recall some part of me thinking Hey I gotta get to those CMs and fast!!
And we were on a DFP high for the rest of the day
Journey Into Imagination with Figment is definitely geared to the youngsters and the DD liked it. We exited and then let DD blow off some steam in the Image Works lab conducting music, making photos, etc. etc.
Serendipitously, there was a family of three also hanging out in the Image Works Lab who had never done Soarin (imagine that!!) so I gave them our 3 Fastpasses because we had Dream Fastpasses, baby!! ( and it felt good to spread some Pixie Dust ) They seemed to be a little bemused by my gift so I hoped they put the FPs to good use
We then hung out some more by the fountains with Danielle playing with some other kids and doing her best to get wet (short of wading right in )
We then put our DFPs (yea- baby!!) to use at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and walked in just before the show started. Not that we really needed to use them but it was just soooo cool to use them
And since we now had DFPs (have I mentioned that??) we realized that our touring plan for that evening was now out the window which also meant that we would have to change our touring plan when we returned to Epcot for a second visit in a few days But that didnt matter, because we had Dream Fastpasses (yea, baby!!) [BTW I dont even like those movies ]
After HISTA it was off to the World Showcase and Canada
The film had just started, so Danielle worked on her Kidcot mask which had a nice holiday motif to it and then we strolled around Canada a bit until eventually making our way back to the theatre. Since there were no seats, I had to hold Danielle for the show which wasnt all that easy as she was constantly squirming around to see all 360-degrees of the movie!! And thus my back and my right shoulder, too took a bit of a beating
Shes really into movies, and I think she enjoyed seeing Canada although she didnt get all of Martin Shorts jokes.
After the film it was off to see our first Holiday Storyteller
But as we were walking that way, our path crossed with a gentlemen with a grey beard, wire-rimmed glasses, red-checkered flannel shirt, suspendered jeans a bit of a pot belly and a red cap on his head and Danielle stopped dead in her tracks.
Daddy is that? she asked.
Could be I replied. You never know and we are in Disney World
The man gave her a smile and a knowing wink, and we went our separate ways but we would encounter him again soon
We got a good spot to see the Canada storyteller there werent that many people around and accompanied by the jingling of bells, we heard a voice exclaim Why good morning, brother!! and the storyteller started having a very funny and impromptu conversation with our Santa-look alike (if thats what he was ) from a few minutes earlier and you could just see the thoughts swirling in Danielles brain.
The Holiday Storytellers are very entertaining, a lot of fun and even educational!!
And for the first time in her young life, instead of having no desire whatsoever to meet Santa, Danielle actually approached and talked with Noel (i.e. Santa?) in Canada Im not sure she really believed this was Santa Claus, but she wasnt about to take any chances (and Ill call that Magical Moment #13 !!)
At this point, it was time to head back into Future World and lunch at The Coral Reef (another first for us ) so we hadnt gotten as nearly as far as I had hoped into visiting the WS
We started towards the front door of the Living Seas Pavilion but came up short when Danielle stopped to play a Clean the Beach game at a Kidcot station where we also discovered that the entrance to The Coral Reef is around the back of the pavilion
We had a short wait, and were then led to a booth in just about the very center of the room, and facing the aquarium a pretty good location. Not as good as being down in the very front but we had no trouble seeing the entire aquarium wall. Vicki and I liked the ambience and feel of the room, and the service was excellent. I had the tilapia salad, Vicki the Mahi mahi, and Danielle the pizza and we all enjoyed our lunch fare and the views of the aquarium (Well be back to the Coral Reef, but maybe not on our next trip )
After lunch we walked through the long and empty queue and rode the Living Seas with Nemo. I cant imagine waiting when the line for that attraction snakes out of the building!! This turned out to be another of Danielles favorites but unfortunately, we never got around to doing it again.
Then it was off to Turtle Talk with Crush, where after about a 10 minute wait, Danielle enthusiastically joined the other kids on the floor in front. This was in marked contrast to her attitude in May 2007 where she wanted absolutely nothing to do with Crush!!
Crush did his introductory banter thing and then asked for questions from the audience and a bunch of kids (including Danielle) raised their arms. Crush responded:
The little girl in front with the pink shell Whats your name?
Danielle our DD responded (yep we had the makings of Magical Moment #14 here!!).
Whats your question? the cool turtle dude asked.
And after a short moment Danielle shrugged and said I dont know
Which seemed to catch Crush off guard but he quickly recovered with Well I dont know either, little dude!! which got some laughs (but alas no Magical Moment #14 )
After talking with the turtle, it was time for our afternoon break On the way out, we checked the Living Seas with Nemo but there was now a fairly long line, so we passed it by
We were walking to the bus stop when we saw the AKL bus pull away but we only had a 5 minute wait for the next one, and about 10 minutes later we were back home at the AKL
We decided to explore a bit more, and Danielle had a second wind once she saw the playground
while Vicki and I took turns checking out the flamingos and Uzima Savannah from the adjacent overlook
After a rest in our room, and another 10 minute bus ride, we arrived back at Epcot on schedule around 6:00 pm And the first thing we did was put that Photopass card to use (check out those Dream Fastpasses!! I didnt see anyone else with them the whole day ):
It was then off to put those DFPs to use at Soarin and then into the World Showcase to find some dinner
Danielle is a fairly pick eater so we stopped at the Refreshment Port for some chicken nuggets but the CS meal there consists of about 10 nuggets, a large fry, a VERY large drink, and a dessert!! Since we were planning on heading over to Morocco to grab something for Vicki and myself I decided to spread some Pixie dust and asked the two boys behind me what kind of dessert they wanted and after their father said it was OK - they had big smiles on their faces when the CM passed a BIG McFlurry to me which I promptly handed off to them
Obviously, Danielle wasnt going to eat all those nuggets and she only wanted a few fries and her little tummy wasnt going to hold about a half gallon of Hi-C Orange drink so Vicki and I had to help her which of course killed our appetite Thus, there would be no dinner at the Tangerienne Café for us (on the bright side, we did save 2 CS Credits for use later in the week )
We walked to the United Kingdom as we ate, in search of Father Christmas who had some interesting tales to tell and even managed with the help of his mistletoe staff to get Vicki and I into his show
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=UK_father_xmas.flv
And Danielle with Christmas fast approaching took advantage off yet another opportunity to let Santa know what was on her mind
At this point, the Christmas Tree and lighted archway at the International Gateway beckoned
And with our DFPs hanging prominently around our necks we tossed our touring plan and headed back into Future World in the general direction of Test Track and Mission:Space.
Our first stop was the International Gateway which is simply a wonder of sight and sound. We put the Photopass card (and our cameras) to good use although the pictures and video certainly do not do justice to this Epcot holiday marvel:
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7323.flv
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7325.flv
We could have just found a nearby seat and watched the lights and listened to Christmas music but we had DFPs that demanded to be used so it was off to Test Track!!
As we approached the TT pavilion, it was obvious from the sights and sounds (screams!!) that this was going to be one cool ride even more so at night and I was psyched!! So we put our DFPs to use and got into line When after about two minutes an announcement was made that Due to technical difficulties
So we turned around and exited bummer
and headed over to Mission:Space.
Danielle was too small for this ride so Vicki headed in her DFP leading the way. I grabbed a rider switch-off voucher (basically a FP) and then took Danielle through the gift shop into the Space Base area where she worked off the chicken nuggets in a very cool playground.
Mission:Space was almost empty the poor CMs tried in vain to get players for the Space Race game but the few people who came off the ride werent interested. After about 15 minutes, Vicki arrived at the Space Base and it was my turn for Mission: Space Green version (yea I wimped out ) I walked into the building by myself there was no line whatsoever and joined a family and their kids for my first trip to Mars
What did I think of Mission:Space?
It was OK (certainly no Soarin!!) maybe the Orange version is better since you have more sensory inputs But, overall, I found the Green version to be nothing special
It was about 8:30 by the time we walked out of Mission:Space, and this area of Epcot was like a ghost town it was quiet and really weird!! There were like no people around except us everyone was getting their spots for Illuminations
So we headed back through the International Gateway (taking a few more Photopass pictures)
and found a decent viewing spot by Norway. I was starting to get hungry and went into the Kringla Bakeri and Café emerging with a chocolate covered sweet pretzel It was now about 9:25, very dark and the only way I spotted Vicki and Danielle was because of the flashing Minnie heart ears on Danielles head that we had bought for her earlier that evening
and Danielle was sitting in her stroller, sound asleep And she would stay that way all through Illuminations (which is amazing some of those fireworks are LOUD!!!) and all the way out of the park (including some short, and non-productive, shopping breaks at this point, Vickis sore feet had kicked in ) and all the way back to AKL
We plopped Danielle into her bed (have you noticed? were at Day 3 here, and Danielle has yet to wear any pajamas !) and I dragged my tired butt over to The Mara for some nice cold lemonade and butter which I used on the delicious bread we had saved from our lunch at The Coral Reef
And thus ended Day 3 of our WDW adventure
Next up: Day 4 Dec 9 - Mickeys Very Merry and Crowded!! Christmas Party
Day 3 Dec 8: Hi Were the Dream Squad
Monday December 8 dawned clear and sunny and Vicki and I were psyched for a full day at Epcot, and Danielles first ride on Soarin!! But for some reason even though we were up at 6:00 am (!!) we dawdled in the hotel room and ended up grabbing muffins and juice at The Mara, rushing to the bus stop, and eating on the bus to Epcot. We made it to the rope drop at about 8:50 so we werent in the front of the line and I knew my goal of riding the first Soarin flight of the day wasnt gonna happen
The parade to Soarin is a lot of fun and a great way to start the day at Epcot
We got in line, and a few minutes later I hear I gotta go potty! (so we were definitely not gonna be on the first Soarin flight of the day !!)
Soooo Vicki takes Danielle in hand and heads back down the line (in the opposite direction were supposed to be going ) and I hold our spot and proceed towards our destination and end up waiting for them for about 15 minutes at the first Soarin checkpoint (cuz they just joined the end of the queue after taking care of business )
Danielle was a little trepidatious about Soarin but Vicki and I didnt care, because we figured if she can handle some of the roller coasters shes been on, Soarin would be a breeze and it was (literally and figuratively )
And according to plan - we grabbed Fastpasses to ride again
and then headed into the Circle of Life theatre (with only 2 minute wait for the film to start). I was a little concerned about Danielle seeing this movie it had the potential to freak her out (more than Space Mountain!!) about the future of our Planet Earth but she seemed to enjoy it and get the message without becoming paranoid.
We had a pretty solid touring plan for Epcot: we were going to focus on the right side of the park (Futureworld, and then World Showcase after 11:00 ) until our lunch ADR at The Coral Reef and after lunch we would hit The Living Seas Pavilion and (maybe) some other FW attractions, before an afternoon break at the AKL. Then back to the right side of the WS that evening, picking up where we left off, and grabbing dinner at a CS place somewhere in the WS
We figured Living with the Land would be a tad boring for our DD-5, so we headed over to the Imagination Pavilion for Journey Into Imagination with Figment which we had never seen before. We took our time, relaxing and enjoying the views and the fountains a bit but I was a little ahead of Vicki and Danielle as we got to the entrance
where I was met by a group of CMs who said
Hi were the Dream Squad!!
which of course are words Ive been wishing to hear for almost two years!! (Magical Moment #12!!)
Id read a bunch of stories about other people running into the Dream Squad, so I knew how the CMs would be dressed, and Id always figured Id respond in a WDW appropriate manner but I guess my conscious mind just did not register who they were and what was happening
So I was really surprised and numbly (but happily!!) accepted a Dream Fastpass from them and continued walking into the attraction and forgot to turn around, turn on the videocamera, and take pictures of Vicki and Danielle getting their Dream Fastpasses!! (basically my brain just about shut down when I saw that DFP in my hands!!)
However, after a minute-or-so of jumping up and down and doing the happy dance with the DW and DD, I did recover enough to capture the group of total strangers who followed us getting their Dream Fastpasses
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=dream_fastpass.flv
In hindsight and thinking back on how I approached the entrance to Journey Into Imagination - I think my subconscious mind took over my body about 100 feet from the entrance I remember seeing 2 or 3 CMs waiting by the doorway, dressed in the blue and grey Dream Squad vests, and with big smiles on their faces but it wasnt like I REALLY recognized them and I didnt turn back to Vicki and Danielle to let them know what I thought was about to happen But I seem to recall some part of me thinking Hey I gotta get to those CMs and fast!!
And we were on a DFP high for the rest of the day
Journey Into Imagination with Figment is definitely geared to the youngsters and the DD liked it. We exited and then let DD blow off some steam in the Image Works lab conducting music, making photos, etc. etc.
Serendipitously, there was a family of three also hanging out in the Image Works Lab who had never done Soarin (imagine that!!) so I gave them our 3 Fastpasses because we had Dream Fastpasses, baby!! ( and it felt good to spread some Pixie Dust ) They seemed to be a little bemused by my gift so I hoped they put the FPs to good use
We then hung out some more by the fountains with Danielle playing with some other kids and doing her best to get wet (short of wading right in )
We then put our DFPs (yea- baby!!) to use at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and walked in just before the show started. Not that we really needed to use them but it was just soooo cool to use them
And since we now had DFPs (have I mentioned that??) we realized that our touring plan for that evening was now out the window which also meant that we would have to change our touring plan when we returned to Epcot for a second visit in a few days But that didnt matter, because we had Dream Fastpasses (yea, baby!!) [BTW I dont even like those movies ]
After HISTA it was off to the World Showcase and Canada
The film had just started, so Danielle worked on her Kidcot mask which had a nice holiday motif to it and then we strolled around Canada a bit until eventually making our way back to the theatre. Since there were no seats, I had to hold Danielle for the show which wasnt all that easy as she was constantly squirming around to see all 360-degrees of the movie!! And thus my back and my right shoulder, too took a bit of a beating
Shes really into movies, and I think she enjoyed seeing Canada although she didnt get all of Martin Shorts jokes.
After the film it was off to see our first Holiday Storyteller
But as we were walking that way, our path crossed with a gentlemen with a grey beard, wire-rimmed glasses, red-checkered flannel shirt, suspendered jeans a bit of a pot belly and a red cap on his head and Danielle stopped dead in her tracks.
Daddy is that? she asked.
Could be I replied. You never know and we are in Disney World
The man gave her a smile and a knowing wink, and we went our separate ways but we would encounter him again soon
We got a good spot to see the Canada storyteller there werent that many people around and accompanied by the jingling of bells, we heard a voice exclaim Why good morning, brother!! and the storyteller started having a very funny and impromptu conversation with our Santa-look alike (if thats what he was ) from a few minutes earlier and you could just see the thoughts swirling in Danielles brain.
The Holiday Storytellers are very entertaining, a lot of fun and even educational!!
And for the first time in her young life, instead of having no desire whatsoever to meet Santa, Danielle actually approached and talked with Noel (i.e. Santa?) in Canada Im not sure she really believed this was Santa Claus, but she wasnt about to take any chances (and Ill call that Magical Moment #13 !!)
At this point, it was time to head back into Future World and lunch at The Coral Reef (another first for us ) so we hadnt gotten as nearly as far as I had hoped into visiting the WS
We started towards the front door of the Living Seas Pavilion but came up short when Danielle stopped to play a Clean the Beach game at a Kidcot station where we also discovered that the entrance to The Coral Reef is around the back of the pavilion
We had a short wait, and were then led to a booth in just about the very center of the room, and facing the aquarium a pretty good location. Not as good as being down in the very front but we had no trouble seeing the entire aquarium wall. Vicki and I liked the ambience and feel of the room, and the service was excellent. I had the tilapia salad, Vicki the Mahi mahi, and Danielle the pizza and we all enjoyed our lunch fare and the views of the aquarium (Well be back to the Coral Reef, but maybe not on our next trip )
After lunch we walked through the long and empty queue and rode the Living Seas with Nemo. I cant imagine waiting when the line for that attraction snakes out of the building!! This turned out to be another of Danielles favorites but unfortunately, we never got around to doing it again.
Then it was off to Turtle Talk with Crush, where after about a 10 minute wait, Danielle enthusiastically joined the other kids on the floor in front. This was in marked contrast to her attitude in May 2007 where she wanted absolutely nothing to do with Crush!!
Crush did his introductory banter thing and then asked for questions from the audience and a bunch of kids (including Danielle) raised their arms. Crush responded:
The little girl in front with the pink shell Whats your name?
Danielle our DD responded (yep we had the makings of Magical Moment #14 here!!).
Whats your question? the cool turtle dude asked.
And after a short moment Danielle shrugged and said I dont know
Which seemed to catch Crush off guard but he quickly recovered with Well I dont know either, little dude!! which got some laughs (but alas no Magical Moment #14 )
After talking with the turtle, it was time for our afternoon break On the way out, we checked the Living Seas with Nemo but there was now a fairly long line, so we passed it by
We were walking to the bus stop when we saw the AKL bus pull away but we only had a 5 minute wait for the next one, and about 10 minutes later we were back home at the AKL
We decided to explore a bit more, and Danielle had a second wind once she saw the playground
while Vicki and I took turns checking out the flamingos and Uzima Savannah from the adjacent overlook
After a rest in our room, and another 10 minute bus ride, we arrived back at Epcot on schedule around 6:00 pm And the first thing we did was put that Photopass card to use (check out those Dream Fastpasses!! I didnt see anyone else with them the whole day ):
It was then off to put those DFPs to use at Soarin and then into the World Showcase to find some dinner
Danielle is a fairly pick eater so we stopped at the Refreshment Port for some chicken nuggets but the CS meal there consists of about 10 nuggets, a large fry, a VERY large drink, and a dessert!! Since we were planning on heading over to Morocco to grab something for Vicki and myself I decided to spread some Pixie dust and asked the two boys behind me what kind of dessert they wanted and after their father said it was OK - they had big smiles on their faces when the CM passed a BIG McFlurry to me which I promptly handed off to them
Obviously, Danielle wasnt going to eat all those nuggets and she only wanted a few fries and her little tummy wasnt going to hold about a half gallon of Hi-C Orange drink so Vicki and I had to help her which of course killed our appetite Thus, there would be no dinner at the Tangerienne Café for us (on the bright side, we did save 2 CS Credits for use later in the week )
We walked to the United Kingdom as we ate, in search of Father Christmas who had some interesting tales to tell and even managed with the help of his mistletoe staff to get Vicki and I into his show
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=UK_father_xmas.flv
And Danielle with Christmas fast approaching took advantage off yet another opportunity to let Santa know what was on her mind
At this point, the Christmas Tree and lighted archway at the International Gateway beckoned
And with our DFPs hanging prominently around our necks we tossed our touring plan and headed back into Future World in the general direction of Test Track and Mission:Space.
Our first stop was the International Gateway which is simply a wonder of sight and sound. We put the Photopass card (and our cameras) to good use although the pictures and video certainly do not do justice to this Epcot holiday marvel:
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7323.flv
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7325.flv
We could have just found a nearby seat and watched the lights and listened to Christmas music but we had DFPs that demanded to be used so it was off to Test Track!!
As we approached the TT pavilion, it was obvious from the sights and sounds (screams!!) that this was going to be one cool ride even more so at night and I was psyched!! So we put our DFPs to use and got into line When after about two minutes an announcement was made that Due to technical difficulties
So we turned around and exited bummer
and headed over to Mission:Space.
Danielle was too small for this ride so Vicki headed in her DFP leading the way. I grabbed a rider switch-off voucher (basically a FP) and then took Danielle through the gift shop into the Space Base area where she worked off the chicken nuggets in a very cool playground.
Mission:Space was almost empty the poor CMs tried in vain to get players for the Space Race game but the few people who came off the ride werent interested. After about 15 minutes, Vicki arrived at the Space Base and it was my turn for Mission: Space Green version (yea I wimped out ) I walked into the building by myself there was no line whatsoever and joined a family and their kids for my first trip to Mars
What did I think of Mission:Space?
It was OK (certainly no Soarin!!) maybe the Orange version is better since you have more sensory inputs But, overall, I found the Green version to be nothing special
It was about 8:30 by the time we walked out of Mission:Space, and this area of Epcot was like a ghost town it was quiet and really weird!! There were like no people around except us everyone was getting their spots for Illuminations
So we headed back through the International Gateway (taking a few more Photopass pictures)
and found a decent viewing spot by Norway. I was starting to get hungry and went into the Kringla Bakeri and Café emerging with a chocolate covered sweet pretzel It was now about 9:25, very dark and the only way I spotted Vicki and Danielle was because of the flashing Minnie heart ears on Danielles head that we had bought for her earlier that evening
and Danielle was sitting in her stroller, sound asleep And she would stay that way all through Illuminations (which is amazing some of those fireworks are LOUD!!!) and all the way out of the park (including some short, and non-productive, shopping breaks at this point, Vickis sore feet had kicked in ) and all the way back to AKL
We plopped Danielle into her bed (have you noticed? were at Day 3 here, and Danielle has yet to wear any pajamas !) and I dragged my tired butt over to The Mara for some nice cold lemonade and butter which I used on the delicious bread we had saved from our lunch at The Coral Reef
And thus ended Day 3 of our WDW adventure
Next up: Day 4 Dec 9 - Mickeys Very Merry and Crowded!! Christmas Party
And away we go ... !!
We actually slept in this morning!! A first (Im pretty sure) for us at WDW Why? because we were going to have a busy and late night starting with dinner at 1900 Park Fare, followed by Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party and ending at some point on December 10 [Plus its always a good idea to plan some vacation R-and-R time when at WDW to recharge those batteries and rest that aching back ]
Our plan for the day originally included the potential option to go shopping at DTD. But once we saw the AKL, its pool, the animals, and all the activities that are available at the resort, Vicki and I quickly tossed all thoughts of DTD We were going to spend the day taking advantage of all the great stuff that the AKL offers Plus, this was predicted to be the warmest/nicest day of the week sunny and 80 degrees which meant: pool time!!
After a leisurely breakfast at The Mara putting the outside tables to good use:
we took a leisurely stroll around the pool in the direction of the Uzima Savannah overlook, where Danielle would have the opportunity to acquire her first AKL Activity bead learning how flamingos and pelicans eat.
Nicole(?) and George were great and the kids were really interested and had a lot of fun (and I learned some stuff, too!). While Danielle and her new friends imitated birds, Vicki and I took turns watching them and checking out the animals on the Uzima Savannah.
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=AK_savannah.flv
After that, it was over to the Arusha Rock where George and Nicole taught the kids a little about radio-tracking animals (in this case, a stuffed Mickey Doll with a transmitter tucked inside ) - another AKL bead activity. We spent about an hour out there, watching the kids parade around, checking out the animals (unfortunately, at that time of day there werent that many out and about), and just having a gooood time (BTW those rocking chairs at the AKL are comfortable !!)
Danielle was itching to use the pool while I wanted to explore a bit more and rest before lunch so Vicki and the DD hit the water while I roamed about the AKL
About 1:00 I went to the pool and literally drug the two of them out of the water (after letting Danielle taking a few more trips down the slide and promising her I would take her swimming the next morning a promise I would somewhat regret to keep, as you will see )
It was now Vickis turn to rest so Danielle and I hit The Mara for lunch (mac n cheese for the DD [what else!?!] and the African stew for me tasty and a bit spicy )
I drug Danielle away from the TV in The Mara to do another AKL activity medallion rubbing in the AKL lobby. I didnt know what this involved but there are some 2-foot diameter medallions on the AKL lobby floor and the kids (and adults!!) are given sheets of paper and crayons They put the paper on parts of the medallions and rub the crayons over them, creating a negative picture of the medallion on their papers pretty cool
Danielle and I were the only participants it would have more fun with a few more kids. But there is definitely some skill and artistic ability needed to create a nice rubbing as you probably cant tell by the rubbing the CM made for Danielle (which also makes for a nice souvenir of the AKL )
After that at about 3:00 it was off to the pool area again for some kids activities a not-so-easy bean bag toss. While I was watching Danielle do her best, a woman joined us, looked at me and said Are you joelp? it was a fellow DISer who had been reading my pre-trip report. BKMETV!! She is from Ontario just up the road a bit from a research station where I had spent a summer during my college years over 20 years ago. It was very cool meeting another DISer, and we chatted for a bit while her DS and my DD tried and tried and tried (and failed ) to get a bean bag into one of the target holes
It was then time to get ready for dinner at 1900 Park Fare
Day 4 Dec 9: Part I Hangin at the AKL
We actually slept in this morning!! A first (Im pretty sure) for us at WDW Why? because we were going to have a busy and late night starting with dinner at 1900 Park Fare, followed by Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party and ending at some point on December 10 [Plus its always a good idea to plan some vacation R-and-R time when at WDW to recharge those batteries and rest that aching back ]
Our plan for the day originally included the potential option to go shopping at DTD. But once we saw the AKL, its pool, the animals, and all the activities that are available at the resort, Vicki and I quickly tossed all thoughts of DTD We were going to spend the day taking advantage of all the great stuff that the AKL offers Plus, this was predicted to be the warmest/nicest day of the week sunny and 80 degrees which meant: pool time!!
After a leisurely breakfast at The Mara putting the outside tables to good use:
we took a leisurely stroll around the pool in the direction of the Uzima Savannah overlook, where Danielle would have the opportunity to acquire her first AKL Activity bead learning how flamingos and pelicans eat.
Nicole(?) and George were great and the kids were really interested and had a lot of fun (and I learned some stuff, too!). While Danielle and her new friends imitated birds, Vicki and I took turns watching them and checking out the animals on the Uzima Savannah.
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=AK_savannah.flv
After that, it was over to the Arusha Rock where George and Nicole taught the kids a little about radio-tracking animals (in this case, a stuffed Mickey Doll with a transmitter tucked inside ) - another AKL bead activity. We spent about an hour out there, watching the kids parade around, checking out the animals (unfortunately, at that time of day there werent that many out and about), and just having a gooood time (BTW those rocking chairs at the AKL are comfortable !!)
Danielle was itching to use the pool while I wanted to explore a bit more and rest before lunch so Vicki and the DD hit the water while I roamed about the AKL
About 1:00 I went to the pool and literally drug the two of them out of the water (after letting Danielle taking a few more trips down the slide and promising her I would take her swimming the next morning a promise I would somewhat regret to keep, as you will see )
It was now Vickis turn to rest so Danielle and I hit The Mara for lunch (mac n cheese for the DD [what else!?!] and the African stew for me tasty and a bit spicy )
I drug Danielle away from the TV in The Mara to do another AKL activity medallion rubbing in the AKL lobby. I didnt know what this involved but there are some 2-foot diameter medallions on the AKL lobby floor and the kids (and adults!!) are given sheets of paper and crayons They put the paper on parts of the medallions and rub the crayons over them, creating a negative picture of the medallion on their papers pretty cool
Danielle and I were the only participants it would have more fun with a few more kids. But there is definitely some skill and artistic ability needed to create a nice rubbing as you probably cant tell by the rubbing the CM made for Danielle (which also makes for a nice souvenir of the AKL )
After that at about 3:00 it was off to the pool area again for some kids activities a not-so-easy bean bag toss. While I was watching Danielle do her best, a woman joined us, looked at me and said Are you joelp? it was a fellow DISer who had been reading my pre-trip report. BKMETV!! She is from Ontario just up the road a bit from a research station where I had spent a summer during my college years over 20 years ago. It was very cool meeting another DISer, and we chatted for a bit while her DS and my DD tried and tried and tried (and failed ) to get a bean bag into one of the target holes
It was then time to get ready for dinner at 1900 Park Fare
BKMETV
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2008
Hey Joel:
I have to say when I first saw you it kinda threw me...I knew that I knew you, but for the life for me couldn't figure out why...it was seeing Danielle that finally made it click.
It was great meeting you...love all the photos of AKL...didn't realize how many activities we missed out on while we were there. We transferred to Poly half way through our trip, and although it was convenient for MK, it was actually a disappointment after AKL. Really loved our time there.
I have to say when I first saw you it kinda threw me...I knew that I knew you, but for the life for me couldn't figure out why...it was seeing Danielle that finally made it click.
It was great meeting you...love all the photos of AKL...didn't realize how many activities we missed out on while we were there. We transferred to Poly half way through our trip, and although it was convenient for MK, it was actually a disappointment after AKL. Really loved our time there.
Great seeing you, too!!
We loved AKL!! The only problem is now my DW doesn't want to stay anywhere else!!
So I told her I'll see what I can do if we manage to get back down there this fall -
But with all the stuff you can do at the resort (and the cost ...) it's probably not worth it if we're only going for 4-5 days and spending most of the time in the parks ...
We loved AKL!! The only problem is now my DW doesn't want to stay anywhere else!!
So I told her I'll see what I can do if we manage to get back down there this fall -
But with all the stuff you can do at the resort (and the cost ...) it's probably not worth it if we're only going for 4-5 days and spending most of the time in the parks ...
As I was saying:
It was then time to get ready for dinner at 1900 Park Fare
While we were getting dressed, I showed Danielle the MVMCP tickets and because the kids ticket wasnt Tinker Bell (it was Mickey Mouse) she went into major cranky mode (aaaargghhh!!)
[In hindsight, I just should have said the Tinker Bell ticket was hers it didnt really matter ]
Thus, our evening after a great day was getting off to a rough start
So we headed to the bus stop, and waited for an MK bus and waited and waited
and decided, after about 20 minutes, that if we were ever going to make our ADR at the Grand Floridian, we would have to take a bus to Epcot and jump on the monorail
so thats what we did
Needless to say, I wasnt in a particularly good mood at this point with a cranky DD and a cranky AKL to MK bus system to deal with but I did actually enjoy the trip from Epcot to the TTC on the monorail - Id never done it before
And then we arrived at the Grand Floridian which is simply beautiful!!
After getting our bearings, taking in some of the sights in the lobby, and shooting some photos I hustled the DW and DD over to the restaurant we were already late for our ADR
But much to my relief, there was no problem and we were lead into the restaurant and then through the main seating area to a side room with about ten tables
Which was somewhat disconcerting, because I wanted to be where the action was! But as I was to find out and you will see this was actually a pretty good location!!
Danielle had caught a glimpse of Lady Tremaine and her daughters and putting my thinking cap to good use, I told my DD that if she didnt shake herself out of cranky mode and start enjoying all the wonders around her, we may just leave her with Lady Tremaine because she and her girls were looking for someone to replace Cinderella!!
Which of course worked beautifully and you could just see the wheels turn in Danielles mind
We had time for dinner before the Characters started to arrive and we all enjoyed the selections and quality of the food at 1900 Park Fare. And our waiter was excellent, a lot of fun, and gave us a bunch of tips on what to do, see, etc. Danielle ate while keeping her eye out for the approach of Cinderellas step-mother and step-sisters
First to arrive was Prince Charming (Danielles first ever meeting with a Prince!!):
As you can probably tell from Danielle's expression, she didn't really know how to deal with this guy!! After all - he hardly says a word in the movie!!
Then she appeared!! The stern, domineering, legendary stepmother of Cinderella Lady Tremaine!!! Danielle sat very quietly and timidly in her seat, while Vicki explained how she had not been our usual sweet, little girl. Lady Tremaine listened attentively, and in response asked:
Does she know how to do housework?
Danielle responded Nooooo!
Lucky you, Cinderellas stepmother said.
So although Danielle had managed to avoid being carried off by Lady Tremaine, she was still worried about her two daughters Anastasia and Druzilla!!
Next up was Anastasia who was a hoot and who Danielle said was nice and liked me!
Anastasia and Druzilla were busy mingling with their guests, but in the small confines of the room we were in, they couldnt help but bump into each other, which led to well, just click on the link and youll see!!
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7381.flv
After Anastasia - like a veritable breath of fresh air - came the wonderful, delightful, and ever-lovable Cinderella:
Followed last (and least ... ) by Druzilla who loved the fact that Danielle had a green marker ready to use for her to sign the DDs autograph book. I love the color green! Druzilla exclaimed.
Danielle was still a little worried but she came to the conclusion that Lady Tremaine and her daughters were not ALL that bad and she even came to like Anastasia
We finished a very nice and fun dinner at 1900 Park Fare and then toured the GF lobby a bit. First up was the magnificent gingerbread house!!
and of course, Danielle had to go potty And that was probably the most luxurious potty my little DD has ever put to good use!! Vicki had to literally drag her out of there!!
As we headed out of the GF lobby to catch the monorail to the MVMCP, a jazz band was playing Christmas tunes on the mezzanine
And after a stroll through some of the shops, we were to catch the monorail to the evenings big festivities!!
It was then time to get ready for dinner at 1900 Park Fare
Day 4 Dec 9: Part II Does She Know How to do Housework?
While we were getting dressed, I showed Danielle the MVMCP tickets and because the kids ticket wasnt Tinker Bell (it was Mickey Mouse) she went into major cranky mode (aaaargghhh!!)
[In hindsight, I just should have said the Tinker Bell ticket was hers it didnt really matter ]
Thus, our evening after a great day was getting off to a rough start
So we headed to the bus stop, and waited for an MK bus and waited and waited
and decided, after about 20 minutes, that if we were ever going to make our ADR at the Grand Floridian, we would have to take a bus to Epcot and jump on the monorail
so thats what we did
Needless to say, I wasnt in a particularly good mood at this point with a cranky DD and a cranky AKL to MK bus system to deal with but I did actually enjoy the trip from Epcot to the TTC on the monorail - Id never done it before
And then we arrived at the Grand Floridian which is simply beautiful!!
After getting our bearings, taking in some of the sights in the lobby, and shooting some photos I hustled the DW and DD over to the restaurant we were already late for our ADR
But much to my relief, there was no problem and we were lead into the restaurant and then through the main seating area to a side room with about ten tables
Which was somewhat disconcerting, because I wanted to be where the action was! But as I was to find out and you will see this was actually a pretty good location!!
Danielle had caught a glimpse of Lady Tremaine and her daughters and putting my thinking cap to good use, I told my DD that if she didnt shake herself out of cranky mode and start enjoying all the wonders around her, we may just leave her with Lady Tremaine because she and her girls were looking for someone to replace Cinderella!!
Which of course worked beautifully and you could just see the wheels turn in Danielles mind
We had time for dinner before the Characters started to arrive and we all enjoyed the selections and quality of the food at 1900 Park Fare. And our waiter was excellent, a lot of fun, and gave us a bunch of tips on what to do, see, etc. Danielle ate while keeping her eye out for the approach of Cinderellas step-mother and step-sisters
First to arrive was Prince Charming (Danielles first ever meeting with a Prince!!):
As you can probably tell from Danielle's expression, she didn't really know how to deal with this guy!! After all - he hardly says a word in the movie!!
Then she appeared!! The stern, domineering, legendary stepmother of Cinderella Lady Tremaine!!! Danielle sat very quietly and timidly in her seat, while Vicki explained how she had not been our usual sweet, little girl. Lady Tremaine listened attentively, and in response asked:
Does she know how to do housework?
Danielle responded Nooooo!
Lucky you, Cinderellas stepmother said.
So although Danielle had managed to avoid being carried off by Lady Tremaine, she was still worried about her two daughters Anastasia and Druzilla!!
Next up was Anastasia who was a hoot and who Danielle said was nice and liked me!
Anastasia and Druzilla were busy mingling with their guests, but in the small confines of the room we were in, they couldnt help but bump into each other, which led to well, just click on the link and youll see!!
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7381.flv
After Anastasia - like a veritable breath of fresh air - came the wonderful, delightful, and ever-lovable Cinderella:
Followed last (and least ...
) by Druzilla who loved the fact that Danielle had a green marker ready to use for her to sign the DDs autograph book. I love the color green! Druzilla exclaimed.
Danielle was still a little worried but she came to the conclusion that Lady Tremaine and her daughters were not ALL that bad and she even came to like Anastasia
We finished a very nice and fun dinner at 1900 Park Fare and then toured the GF lobby a bit. First up was the magnificent gingerbread house!!
and of course, Danielle had to go potty And that was probably the most luxurious potty my little DD has ever put to good use!! Vicki had to literally drag her out of there!!
As we headed out of the GF lobby to catch the monorail to the MVMCP, a jazz band was playing Christmas tunes on the mezzanine
And after a stroll through some of the shops, we were to catch the monorail to the evenings big festivities!!
Great update! 
Your DD with the Prince is a great picture! We where there that night too. Our ADR's where at 4:40pm and we where in the main dining room. My niece loved the Step-sisters and even danced with Druzilla. We even joked to my nephew(13) that Anastasia was his new girlfriend! Can't wait to read about your experience at MVMCP.....Yes, we where there that night too!
Your DD with the Prince is a great picture! We where there that night too. Our ADR's where at 4:40pm and we where in the main dining room. My niece loved the Step-sisters and even danced with Druzilla. We even joked to my nephew(13) that Anastasia was his new girlfriend! Can't wait to read about your experience at MVMCP.....Yes, we where there that night too!Great update!
We had a 4:50 ADR!!
I took some videos of the main dining room ... I may have you on tape!!
Where were you sitting? Anything distinguishing I can look for?
We where sitting in the main walk way at a round table. We where a group of ten (My DF and DM, Me and DH and two DS's, my DB and his DD and DS and my cousin) and my niece was waring a gold tiara they gave her for her birthday. I had on a green Grumpy shirt that says "Bah Humbug" on it. If you where there when Drizella was dancing with a bunch of little girls around her, that was right next to our table. That would be pretty funny if you got us on film!
We where sitting in the main walk way at a round table. We where a group of ten (My DF and DM, Me and DH and two DS's, my DB and his DD and DS and my cousin) and my niece was waring a gold tiara they gave her for her birthday. I had on a green Grumpy shirt that says "Bah Humbug" on it. If you where there when Drizella was dancing with a bunch of little girls around her, that was right next to our table. That would be pretty funny if you got us on film!
No luck ... I have Drizella dancing with a boy in our room ... and Cinderella dancing with a boy in the main room ... but not Drizella dancing with a bunch of girls in the main room ...
... and a girl with a gold tiara ... in our room ...
... but no one with a green Grumpy shirt ...
... maybe next time ...
Let's finish Day 4, shall we?
Day 4 Dec 9: Part III Mickeys Very Merry and Crowded!! Christmas Party
It was now time to head to the MK for our first Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party!! We were all looking forward to this, as we had seen wonderful reports describing this special, magical evening with snow on Main Street, USA!!
Also, we had a DISMeet scheduled for after the parade at 8:15 at the dance party at Ariels Grotto (where Danielle might meet up with Lady Tremaine and her two daughters again!!). So I was looking forward to finally meeting some of the folks I had been WDW planning with over the past few months
The train station was decorated and lit specially for the party it set the scene perfectly:
And as we walked into the park, Main Street was just incredible!!
AND CROWDED!!!
This had been my one concern because I knew the MVCMP had been sold out despite being a Tuesday night but I was hoping that sold out did not mean CROWDED!!!! (Oh, well )
I put Danielle on my shoulders, and we waded into the crowd, with my DD trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue and Vicki plowing through with the stroller and Christmas music playing in the background.
And it was obvious that despite CMs checking for wristbands many of the MK day visitors were hanging out and waiting for the parade
Our plan was to catch as many of the special shows, parades, etc. as possible and fit in rides (and a DISMeet!) where we could So I had analyzed the show schedule and had a pretty good idea of where we had to be and when we had to get there but I hadnt accounted for wall-to-wall people.
So we headed up Main Street towards Cinderellas Castle, with the goal of finding a good spot for the Christmas show and the parade which proved to be impossible!! Although the parade was still about an hour away, Main Street and the square were already 6-8 people deep!! We tried going around to the right to get to the front of the crowd by the stage but that didnt work. But I sensed an opening on the left side so we excuse me-ed and fought our way back and around and ended up with a good spot right in front of the stage where it was also amazingly not crowded (because most people were also getting spots for the parade )
The show was a lot of fun Danielle particularly liked the dancers who performed to various parts of The Nutcracker
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7408.flv
And Cinderellas castle was simply amazing! Incredible! Beautiful! Wonderful!!
Although we had a great spot for the show, we needed to move to a better location for the parade if we were going to see anything (did I mention IT WAS CROWDED?!!?). And Vicki and I agreed we would head into Frontierland and try to grab a spot by the Liberty Tree Tavern (where we had watched the regular parade on Sunday). So we slowly made our way through the barely parting crowd and away from the castle and eventually did manage to shuffle and nudge our way to the LTT - just in time for the parade
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7420.flv
I was thoroughly enjoying the parade, video camera going when about 5 minutes into it I heard those fateful words that would be repeated many times this trip: Daddy I gotta go potty!
Fortunately, there were rest rooms only about 100 feet away so off we went (so to speak ) [and it was actually kinda nice to get away from the crowds and have some peace and quiet for a few minutes ] I mean, the MK was REALLY CROWDED!!!
And we managed to make it back in time to see the Big Guy (but I missed at least half the parade, including the Toy Soldiers )
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=santaclaus.flv
We had about 10 minutes to make it to Ariels Grotto for the DISMeet, so we put Danielle into her stroller and joined the masses headed into Liberty Square and I looked down only to find that our DD was sound asleep!!
And fighting through the crowd we made it into Fantasyland. Vicki wanted to ride Peter Pan but there was a 60 minute wait for the Fastpass Line!! (Did I mention IT WAS CROWDED!!!) So we waded towards Ariels Grotto 10 minutes late for the DISMeet (yes it took us 20 minutes to get from LTT to the grotto!!). [Did I mention?? .]
The dance party looked to be a lot of fun but as you can see, Danielle was not up for dancing (although Vicki did a little boppin ):
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=mvmcpdanisleep.flv
We hung out for about 10 minutes but didnt see a single other DISer I assumed they had either arrived on time and left or more likely were stuck in THE CROWD and didnt feel like fighting their way to Fantasyland (as opposed to fighting their way to the next show or ride they wanted to do!!)
It was only about 8:30, but we needed a break from THE CROWD and there was only a short wait for Its a Small World So I picked up the sleeping Danielle (sore back and all ) and we went for a relatively peaceful boat ride with me holding her the whole time (it was a bit tricky getting out of the boat!!) And of course when we went to find our stroller after iasm it was not where we left it! But we managed to find it after about 5 minutes of hunting and searching with my sore back managing to hold Danielle the whole time
It was now time for Holiday Wishes, so we headed towards Main Street, with Danielle back in her stroller and we soon realized there was no way we were going to make it to the front of the castle because of THE CROWD So we ended up on the walkway off to the left of the castle, with a somewhat tree-blocked and not-so-great view of the fireworks and the sound wasnt that great either. Danielle woke up about halfway through the fireworks, so I had to pick her up if she was going to see anything (my back was really enjoying this party!! not!).
At this point we had two shows left to see and since Danielle was now fully awake after her nap (while most other kids we saw were drifting off or out cold), I thought we were in pretty good shape for a couple more hours of partying So it was off to Tomorrowland and the show at the Galaxy Palace Theatre
It was around 10:30 and a strange thing happened when we got into Tomorrowland: THE CROWD had disappeared!! It was amazing!! and wonderful!! and quiet with just the background Christmas music filling the night air
So taking advantage of this opportunity Vicki went off to Space Mountain with only a posted 10 minute wait!! while Danielle and I took a much more pleasant ride on the TTA.
And as Danielle and I were passing through Space Mountain on the TTA who do we see but Vicki, getting into her coaster!! (That was cool )
After another potty break, it was off to see the Mickeys Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Galaxy Palace Theatre where we managed to find a spot in the standing-room only crowd and where I had to hold Danielle again through the 20-minute show (and my back was just loving the party!!).
Another fun time especially with the live band - but I could have really used a seat at that point
It was about 11:30 so we headed back through Tomorrowland to the castle in an attempt to catch the last show we hadnt seen the Christmas edition of Storytime with Belle. But the garden was packed (of course!! what were we thinking?!?) so instead we made our way to the front of the castle and caught the last of the castle forecourt shows for a second time.
THE CROWD had thinned out by then, but it was after midnight and we were beat so after getting a few Photopass pictures taken, we headed down Main Street and into The Emporium where Danielle spotted a soft/stuffed Rosetta doll that she went crazy over (and we hadnt seen in any other store) so of course we had to buy it for her. They also had a very cute Rosetta costume but at $60, that was just a tad too pricey
So we headed to the bus stop with Danielle on cloud nine and hugging her Rosetta doll to death and then back to our nice and comfy beds at the AKL
So what did I think of the MCMCP?
First off Im glad we did it but Im not sure Id do it again!
Why? Because of THE CROWD!! Although not entirely unexpected, I had hoped to avoid THE CROWD by going on a Tuesday night but that didnt pan out.
For a hard ticket item, I was expecting that there would be fewer guests in the MK than there were a LOT fewer. It was by far the most crowded time we had ever spent in any of the WDW parks. It was literally a battle to move from one spot to another. And given the show schedule and the need to get a seat at least 20-30 minutes before show time it is just about impossible to see all the shows, parade, fireworks and do any rides/attractions.
So even though I REALLY want to go back to WDW around Christmastime in a few years I doubt we would do the MVMCP again (but who knows ???)
Next up: Day 5 Dec 10: Danielle Starts a Pin Trading Passion
Day 4 Dec 9: Part III Mickeys Very Merry and Crowded!! Christmas Party
It was now time to head to the MK for our first Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party!! We were all looking forward to this, as we had seen wonderful reports describing this special, magical evening with snow on Main Street, USA!!
Also, we had a DISMeet scheduled for after the parade at 8:15 at the dance party at Ariels Grotto (where Danielle might meet up with Lady Tremaine and her two daughters again!!). So I was looking forward to finally meeting some of the folks I had been WDW planning with over the past few months
The train station was decorated and lit specially for the party it set the scene perfectly:
And as we walked into the park, Main Street was just incredible!!
AND CROWDED!!!
This had been my one concern because I knew the MVCMP had been sold out despite being a Tuesday night but I was hoping that sold out did not mean CROWDED!!!! (Oh, well )
I put Danielle on my shoulders, and we waded into the crowd, with my DD trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue and Vicki plowing through with the stroller and Christmas music playing in the background.
And it was obvious that despite CMs checking for wristbands many of the MK day visitors were hanging out and waiting for the parade
Our plan was to catch as many of the special shows, parades, etc. as possible and fit in rides (and a DISMeet!) where we could So I had analyzed the show schedule and had a pretty good idea of where we had to be and when we had to get there but I hadnt accounted for wall-to-wall people.
So we headed up Main Street towards Cinderellas Castle, with the goal of finding a good spot for the Christmas show and the parade which proved to be impossible!! Although the parade was still about an hour away, Main Street and the square were already 6-8 people deep!! We tried going around to the right to get to the front of the crowd by the stage but that didnt work. But I sensed an opening on the left side so we excuse me-ed and fought our way back and around and ended up with a good spot right in front of the stage where it was also amazingly not crowded (because most people were also getting spots for the parade )
The show was a lot of fun Danielle particularly liked the dancers who performed to various parts of The Nutcracker
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7408.flv
And Cinderellas castle was simply amazing! Incredible! Beautiful! Wonderful!!
Although we had a great spot for the show, we needed to move to a better location for the parade if we were going to see anything (did I mention IT WAS CROWDED?!!?). And Vicki and I agreed we would head into Frontierland and try to grab a spot by the Liberty Tree Tavern (where we had watched the regular parade on Sunday). So we slowly made our way through the barely parting crowd and away from the castle and eventually did manage to shuffle and nudge our way to the LTT - just in time for the parade
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=MVI_7420.flv
I was thoroughly enjoying the parade, video camera going when about 5 minutes into it I heard those fateful words that would be repeated many times this trip: Daddy I gotta go potty!
Fortunately, there were rest rooms only about 100 feet away so off we went (so to speak ) [and it was actually kinda nice to get away from the crowds and have some peace and quiet for a few minutes ] I mean, the MK was REALLY CROWDED!!!
And we managed to make it back in time to see the Big Guy (but I missed at least half the parade, including the Toy Soldiers )
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=santaclaus.flv
We had about 10 minutes to make it to Ariels Grotto for the DISMeet, so we put Danielle into her stroller and joined the masses headed into Liberty Square and I looked down only to find that our DD was sound asleep!!
And fighting through the crowd we made it into Fantasyland. Vicki wanted to ride Peter Pan but there was a 60 minute wait for the Fastpass Line!! (Did I mention IT WAS CROWDED!!!) So we waded towards Ariels Grotto 10 minutes late for the DISMeet (yes it took us 20 minutes to get from LTT to the grotto!!). [Did I mention?? .]
The dance party looked to be a lot of fun but as you can see, Danielle was not up for dancing (although Vicki did a little boppin ):
http://s542.photobucket.com/albums/gg424/joelpwdw/?action=view¤t=mvmcpdanisleep.flv
We hung out for about 10 minutes but didnt see a single other DISer I assumed they had either arrived on time and left or more likely were stuck in THE CROWD and didnt feel like fighting their way to Fantasyland (as opposed to fighting their way to the next show or ride they wanted to do!!)
It was only about 8:30, but we needed a break from THE CROWD and there was only a short wait for Its a Small World So I picked up the sleeping Danielle (sore back and all ) and we went for a relatively peaceful boat ride with me holding her the whole time (it was a bit tricky getting out of the boat!!) And of course when we went to find our stroller after iasm it was not where we left it! But we managed to find it after about 5 minutes of hunting and searching with my sore back managing to hold Danielle the whole time
It was now time for Holiday Wishes, so we headed towards Main Street, with Danielle back in her stroller and we soon realized there was no way we were going to make it to the front of the castle because of THE CROWD So we ended up on the walkway off to the left of the castle, with a somewhat tree-blocked and not-so-great view of the fireworks and the sound wasnt that great either. Danielle woke up about halfway through the fireworks, so I had to pick her up if she was going to see anything (my back was really enjoying this party!! not!).
At this point we had two shows left to see and since Danielle was now fully awake after her nap (while most other kids we saw were drifting off or out cold), I thought we were in pretty good shape for a couple more hours of partying So it was off to Tomorrowland and the show at the Galaxy Palace Theatre
It was around 10:30 and a strange thing happened when we got into Tomorrowland: THE CROWD had disappeared!! It was amazing!! and wonderful!! and quiet with just the background Christmas music filling the night air
So taking advantage of this opportunity Vicki went off to Space Mountain with only a posted 10 minute wait!! while Danielle and I took a much more pleasant ride on the TTA.
And as Danielle and I were passing through Space Mountain on the TTA who do we see but Vicki, getting into her coaster!! (That was cool )
After another potty break, it was off to see the Mickeys Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Galaxy Palace Theatre where we managed to find a spot in the standing-room only crowd and where I had to hold Danielle again through the 20-minute show (and my back was just loving the party!!).
Another fun time especially with the live band - but I could have really used a seat at that point
It was about 11:30 so we headed back through Tomorrowland to the castle in an attempt to catch the last show we hadnt seen the Christmas edition of Storytime with Belle. But the garden was packed (of course!! what were we thinking?!?) so instead we made our way to the front of the castle and caught the last of the castle forecourt shows for a second time.
THE CROWD had thinned out by then, but it was after midnight and we were beat so after getting a few Photopass pictures taken, we headed down Main Street and into The Emporium where Danielle spotted a soft/stuffed Rosetta doll that she went crazy over (and we hadnt seen in any other store) so of course we had to buy it for her. They also had a very cute Rosetta costume but at $60, that was just a tad too pricey
So we headed to the bus stop with Danielle on cloud nine and hugging her Rosetta doll to death and then back to our nice and comfy beds at the AKL
So what did I think of the MCMCP?
First off Im glad we did it but Im not sure Id do it again!
Why? Because of THE CROWD!! Although not entirely unexpected, I had hoped to avoid THE CROWD by going on a Tuesday night but that didnt pan out.
For a hard ticket item, I was expecting that there would be fewer guests in the MK than there were a LOT fewer. It was by far the most crowded time we had ever spent in any of the WDW parks. It was literally a battle to move from one spot to another. And given the show schedule and the need to get a seat at least 20-30 minutes before show time it is just about impossible to see all the shows, parade, fireworks and do any rides/attractions.
So even though I REALLY want to go back to WDW around Christmastime in a few years I doubt we would do the MVMCP again (but who knows ???)
Next up: Day 5 Dec 10: Danielle Starts a Pin Trading Passion
BKMETV
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2008
Hey Joel:
Thanks for the pics from MVMCP...we went on the Thursday and kinda missed the parade & stuff.
I know that probably doesn't make sense, but we discovered at the start of the evening what you did when you did space mountain...everyone was on Main Street and the "lands" were empty...our kids walked onto every ride that night including Dumbo, Peter Pan, racetrack. Whenever I mentioned Christmas stuff they blew it off for more rides...so I never really saw any Christmas stuff except the snow on Main Street! We did watch wishes from the Poly beach though so I guess that counts.
Thanks for the pics from MVMCP...we went on the Thursday and kinda missed the parade & stuff.
I know that probably doesn't make sense, but we discovered at the start of the evening what you did when you did space mountain...everyone was on Main Street and the "lands" were empty...our kids walked onto every ride that night including Dumbo, Peter Pan, racetrack. Whenever I mentioned Christmas stuff they blew it off for more rides...so I never really saw any Christmas stuff except the snow on Main Street! We did watch wishes from the Poly beach though so I guess that counts.
princess&her4princes
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2008
Hi Joel!
I followed your link from my TR, you subbed to awhile ago, to see if we crossed paths at all, not yet, but looking forward to hearing the rest! Your DD is absolutely beautiful and looks like she really eats up the magic!!
Can't wait to hear more!!
Kristen
I followed your link from my TR, you subbed to awhile ago, to see if we crossed paths at all, not yet, but looking forward to hearing the rest! Your DD is absolutely beautiful and looks like she really eats up the magic!!
Can't wait to hear more!!Kristen
Share this page
-
First Look at Jumbeaux's Sweets Coming to the Disney Treasure
-
Wade & Ember from 'Elemental' Arrive at Disneyland for Pixar Fest
-
New Decor at Disneyland Resort for Pixar Fest
-
Photos of 'Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular' Fireworks
-
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration Pixar Fest Parade 2024
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
