Bret --
I got caught up and now have some comments!
The HMH photos were great (especially the singing pumpkin heads inside the ride)!
I didn't realize it at first (back in September, during Halloween Time), but now I see that the purple and green zombies that appeared in front of DAW at the end of HMH were what the Limited Time Magic "Spooky Kooky" cookies (zombie cookies) were based on! For some reason it didn't hit me until now. I bought one of the cookies on September 13th and it was delicious, but when I looked at it I didn't realize that those zombies appeared at the end of the ride. The frosting was melting off of the cookies, so the zombies didn't hold up too well to heat.
One of my favorite details of the Autopia ride is not only the Mouse Crossing sign, with the silhouette of Mickey, but also the tiny mouse-sized tunnel on the left side curb. So clever and cute!
I don't know if I missed it somewhere, but what did Cousin C eat that landed him in the hospital? I know that something got stuck in his throat, but what was it? I'm glad he was okay, but how scary!
I think you're right -- there are some areas of Goofy's Kitchen that seem a little cramped (though not all areas) and there are some areas of Plaza Inn that seem cramped (though not all areas). When I ate outdoors at PI for lunch last December it did not feel too cramped, but when I ate inside at one of the indoor tables there it felt cramped.
I am both happy and annoyed that more decorations were added into Jingle Cruise between November and December. When I rode JC in November I didn't even get to see the upstairs queue because the line was so short, so I missed those decorations. The decorations on the boats were very minimal. Had I known that so many more holiday details would be added in along the course of the ride I would have made a point to ride it again in December!
Don't even get me started on that darn peppermint ice cream fiasco from last year
-- it was there at DLR; then it disappeared and was not due to ever come back; then it suddenly appeared again for Christmas week; then it disappeared again.
Did you notice that the nighttime Winter Castle -- while still beautiful -- did not have as many icicle lights on it (or they were less visible) last year? I noticed it right away in November and I was reminded by seeing your picture of the Castle at night during December. The icicle lights were thinned out in some spots, leaving more of the Castle's color to be exposed. In 2012 the Castle was brighter and more shimmery at night because there were more icicle lights. Look at one of your photos of the Castle from 2012 and then compare it with your photo from 2013 and tell me if you see the difference.
Good ol' DLR -- they add cool stuff for the holidays that we like, but then they always end up skimping in some other area, though it is not necessarily in areas that people will notice a difference. If they thin out the lights on the Castle they probably assume it won't make a big enough impact to really bother anyone.
The lights on the GCH tree were different in 2013 as opposed to 2012 and years prior, as well!
Now I am curious -- which interesting restaurant from
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives did DAW want to try (that you guys didn't have time for)?
About the USH holiday decorations -- You know, I think that Whoville looks really cute and I like the look of the decorations at dusk, as you all were making your way out of the park. Other than that, I like that they have Grinchmas -- I think it's a fun idea for those who are fans of the Grinch -- and the wacky trees are clever. However...it wasn't as colorful and whimsical as I thought it would be! The colors seemed rather flat for the holiday season, and not terribly bright.
Or maybe I am just spoiled by
Disneyland!