SOOZE's 12th Anniversary Yuletide Fun 2/6 LINK to NEW PTR!

[jordanyosh]

VoL makes me cry every time.

I've never seen the huge mariachi band either. I've seen like 4-5 guys before.

 

[belle8306]

I love VOL! Their winter outfits are so pretty! I really need to get one of their CD's next time.

 

[shannn]

I loved seeing VOL when we were there. Wasn't their Christmas music amazing? I wish I could have more time to just sit and listen to them. Maybe next time I'll send my hubby off with the kids and just sit and enjoy.

Soarin' is one of the few rides in any of the parks that I'd be willing to wait for. However, I've only discovered it on my last trip so I've never looked for hidden Mickeys. Next time, I'll have to get the low down before I go!!

 

[Sooze]

It was great you were able to enjoy four set of VoL, they really add to the Disney magic at Christmas.
My husband and I are planning eat at Mexico in June, so I glad you gave a review.

Mexico gets a lot of bad reviews, and I don't know why. Matt and I really enjoy eating there!

Can't believe that you sat through 4 sets of VOL, I really must go and listen to them on one of my trips. I am happy that you were able to meet Jordan, how sweet of her to give you those magical moment certificates and buttons. I really enjoyed reading her family's TRs, but I don't think Michelle is continuing to write them.
Looks like you had a beautiful day to be at Epcot. Can't wait to read about your dinner and processional experiences. Hope Matt dressed appropriately for the chilly FL weather.

We worry sometimes that the VoL think we might be stalking them on those days! They are always very nice to us and thank us for spending the day with them. Some of them actually recognize us now! Not sure if I'm honored or embarrassed!
I'm sad about Michelle not writing TRs anymore too... but I'm sure her hands are just too full right now! Meeting Jordan was great! I felt like I've known her forever!
Matt brought LOTS of layers... and said he kept every single one of them on for the whole race!

VoL makes me cry every time.

I've never seen the huge mariachi band either. I've seen like 4-5 guys before.

VOL= tears and goosebumps! For sure!
The Mariachi band was quite a surprise. They set such a neat atmosphere in Mexico that day!

I love VOL! Their winter outfits are so pretty! I really need to get one of their CD's next time.

Unfortunately, they do not have a Christmas CD out! Not sure why not.. I'll be first in line to buy it when they do. But they have a few other CDs.. you can buy them in the gift shop at the American Pavilion.

I loved seeing VOL when we were there. Wasn't their Christmas music amazing? I wish I could have more time to just sit and listen to them. Maybe next time I'll send my hubby off with the kids and just sit and enjoy.

Soarin' is one of the few rides in any of the parks that I'd be willing to wait for. However, I've only discovered it on my last trip so I've never looked for hidden Mickeys. Next time, I'll have to get the low down before I go!!

Yes! Absolutely amazing! And they did different songs in every set. We only heard the Chanukah song repeated... so we got to hear quite a bit of new stuff.

I'm glad you discovered Soarin'! Let me know if you want more info on the hidden Mickeys!

 

[PrincessV]

Matt just flew to Orlando this morning to participate in the Mini-Marathon on Saturday.

Oh SHUT UP! We were there, too - me, LL, T and Kate! Kate's DH was supposed to run the half, but had to withdraw due to an injury. We all still went to WDW. What a horrid morning for a race; I feel awful for poor Matt! How'd he do? Leo and I were waiting for a monorail into the MK post-race and saw many wet, shivering marathoners. 25* and sleeting is no way to enjoy WDW, lol!

Matt and I kept thinking about when we retire, and about our other DIS-obsessed friends, and how we will all come hang out at Disney together....

Next stop, was this new attraction:

Oh cool! I can't wait to try it. We almost did last weekend, but Leo's too short and was grumpy to boot. Next time.

People always ask me why we keep going back to WDW... haven't we done and seen everything? Why, NO, we haven't, thank you very much!

Exactly! I'm still finding news things, 20 years and 100's of trips later!

YAY! I met Jordan! She is SOOOO sweet and just seemed to fit PERFECTLY in at Epcot.

Jordan IS Epcot! It's been so nice to see her most times we head to WDW this year.

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

Hey Susie! Great update! (and not just because you got to the part about meeting Jordan.) Don't forget I use this DIS screen name now. BTW, now that you mention it, I'll have to look you up on facebook! I joined so I could keep tabs on Jordan while she was down in WDW.

You guys had such a great get-away... sigh... makes me want to plan another one for me & DH!

So, how did Matt do in the Marathon? It was so brutal out there.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

The Boardwalk was empty, the weather was beautiful, and we had a full day ahead of us. It was a great moment!

Now I know where I want to go for breakfast next time.

We were in line behind a group of 3 'older' couples. They all looked like they had been retired and that they had been friends for a while. Matt and I kept thinking about when we retire, and about our other DIS-obsessed friends, and how we will all come hang out at Disney together.... God willing, of course!

Now that’s a retirement plan. Forget the gated communities and an RV. Give me Disney.

Next stop, was this new attraction:

I saw an article a while back on this ride and it looked awesome!

We had to wait a good 30 minutes for it. One of the robotic arms was not working (They had 3 out of 4 going), plus... it's a kick-butt exhibit!! Who WOULDN'T want to do it?! [/QUOTE]I want to!

We took our card that the ride was loaded on, went to a simulator, hopped in, and rode the creation. IT WAS A BLAST!! Highly recommended!! I loved how you could see your ride partner on the little TV monitor inside your own monitor. That was really fun!

Sounds awesome!

That's right.. we headed to the American Pavillion... IT'S VOICES OF LIBERTY TIME!!! We were so ready to sit on the edge of that red circle and listen to several sets of our favorite performing group in all of Disney.

VoLwas one of the things on the list that we didn’t get to do.

Stay tuned for more food! And the Candlelight processional, too!

 

[Sooze]

Oh SHUT UP! We were there, too - me, LL, T and Kate! Kate's DH was supposed to run the half, but had to withdraw due to an injury. We all still went to WDW. What a horrid morning for a race; I feel awful for poor Matt! How'd he do? Leo and I were waiting for a monorail into the MK post-race and saw many wet, shivering marathoners. 25* and sleeting is no way to enjoy WDW, lol!

Fortunately, Matt was very prepared. He layered enough... and he bought the special package where he was able to be in a tent with food and warmth prior to the race. He said the worst part was waiting for the bus at BWV at 3:30 in the morning!! Brutally cold! I loved looking at his pics, because he, his brother, and his dad (who also ran the mini with him) were all bundled up in serious winter coats.. standing in front of the Epcot ball... just bizarre!!

Oh cool! I can't wait to try it. We almost did last weekend, but Leo's too short and was grumpy to boot. Next time.

How many more inches does he need to go?

Exactly! I'm still finding news things, 20 years and 100's of trips later!

And YOU are an inspiration to us all!!

Jordan IS Epcot! It's been so nice to see her most times we head to WDW this year.

Completely agree!!

Hey Susie! Great update! (and not just because you got to the part about meeting Jordan.) Don't forget I use this DIS screen name now. BTW, now that you mention it, I'll have to look you up on facebook! I joined so I could keep tabs on Jordan while she was down in WDW.

You guys had such a great get-away... sigh... makes me want to plan another one for me & DH!

So, how did Matt do in the Marathon? It was so brutal out there.

Michelle!! So good to see you again. I didn't realize you went back to your old screen name! Glad you found me on Facebook... it's so much fun to hear about our 'real' lives outside of the DIS, too!

Matt had a wonderful time in the marathon. He ran with his dad and his brother, so it was more about the experience this year than making a good 'time'. They all crossed the finish line together, and Matt's dad cried... which made it all so magical and memorable!! Then Matt got to show them around our WORLD... trying to rope in some more DIS fans!

Now I know where I want to go for breakfast next time.

Oh my goodness, GB.. it is a PERFECT place for breakfast! Highly recommended!!

Now that’s a retirement plan. Forget the gated communities and an RV. Give me Disney.

Matt and I are constantly talking about retiring to Orlando someday. He will work the night shift custodian job (so he can be in an empty park and not have to deal with guests! ) and I will be either working at 50's PTC, harassing guests... or working in a shop on Main Street! We are looking forward to it!

I saw an article a while back on this ride and it looked awesome!

It's a very neat concept. We can't wait for our 9-year-old to get his hands on it... he will LOVE it!!

VoLwas one of the things on the list that we didn’t get to do.

Oh, please try to catch them next time. They are SUCH a gem!!

Comin' right up!!

 

[Sooze]

Sadly, we were realizing that our last evening in Disney was upon us. We were good little DISers, though, and tried to make the most of it, instead of focusing on the fact that we'd be home tomorrow...

We headed to France for our first-ever dining experience here:

Luckily, we arrived 30 minutes early, because it took us 30 minutes just to make it to the host stand! For real!! LOOK!!!

Check out those faces. You can tell who the Disney pros are. They are the ones smiling, know that this is just all part of the experience. Then you have the 'others'. You know.. the ones who think you can just waltz in at your reservation time and be seated immediately! These are also the people who show up to parades 5 minutes before the start time and assume they can just stand in front of people who have been waiting 45 minutes to secure their spot. You know who I'm talking about, don't ya ?!?

After waiting 30 minutes just to check in, we waited another 15-20 to be called. The host who was seating people was a bald gentleman. He was awesome to watch! I just loved observing how he interacted with each family or couple he was seating. Not to mention I could listen to that French accent all day!

We were finally called, and boy, were we lucky we had to wait that long.. we had an AWESOME table right by the window!! Check out the view:

That made for some fun people-watching! As we were being seated, Remy was coming around on the cart. I kept hearing the lady who was pushing the cart saying, "Would you like to meet zee chef?!" But, as she came to our table, our waiter was there, getting our drink orders. She zipped past us and never came back. I probably would've said something if we had Ty and Shae with us, but since Matt and I got to observe Remy at other folks' tables, we were fine with it!

On to the FOOD!!! I ordered the French Onion Soup. Funny story, when they brought it out, it looked NOTHING like French Onion Soup... but I thought, "Well, maybe in France, it looks like this... " So I tasted it... It was that lobster or crab bisque NASTINESS!!! (I despise shell fish). I was able to get the REAL soup I wanted. And, look... it looks just like it does in America!

Matt ordered the cheese plate, which made me nervous because he is such a 'basic' eater... I didn't know if he'd like cheese that wasn't American, Cheddar, or Pepper Jack! But he ate it all and enjoyed it!

Sorry guys, but I didn't take pictures of the rest of the meal. Both Matt and I got steaks.. they were fabulous. The atmosphere was great, and our CM was just adorable!! He was somewhat new and his English was not the best... but he was.... ADORABLE!!

Here are Matt and me at our table:

And here is me with Mr. ADORABLE!!

They handed us big honkin' stickers with our Candlelight Processional time on it. These would get us in the 'reserved' line. Matt and I headed that way, because our time slot was quickly approaching. Man, oh man, was that 'reserved' line LOOOOONNNNGGG!! Imagine the outdoor amphitheater at the American Pavilion. Now imagine a line extending into Morocco!! We were shocked, but were assured we'd have a seat! We waited a good 30 minutes before they even started to let people in to sit.

Matt weaved in and out of benches and was able to secure us SWEET seats right in the middle. It was starting to get chilly out, so we got our sweatshirts on and enjoyed being able to sit!

Random Christmas tree shot:

Then, the show began! It's very hard to enjoy a symphonic show when you are sitting next to the most critical, nit-picking musician EVER!! The herald trumpets came out and started to play a fanfare. Every time a trumpet would get the slightest bit out of tune, Matt would have to cringe. I guess he was just expecting perfection. Come on, Dear... this is their THIRD show of the night.. their lips HAVE to be tired!

Oh well... we did end up having a wonderful time. The colors, sounds, songs, narration... just perfect...and completely put us in the Christmas spirit. John O'Hurly was a FABULOUS, FABULOUS narrator! His voice is like chocolate icing running down a warm cake!! Delicious!

Here are a few video clips from the show. Enjoy!




Part of the Candlelight package is some kind of priority viewing for Illuminations... but after seeing the line of people we had to wait in to get IN to the Processional.. we decided we'd avoid that crowd and head to our normal Illuminations viewing area next to the silver jewelry stand in Mexico. There was no one there! We THOROUGHLY enjoyed our last Illuminations of the trip, and got teary again at the amazing encore.

Check out this ending. Imagine being there LIVE... it was beautiful!


What a PERFECT day! Time to head back to SSR for our last night. I'll be wrapping this thing up with a very QUICK last day at Animal Kingdom, and an EARLY trip home.

Thanks for reading!!

 

[micandminforever]

A perfect ending. I love all the entertainment at EPCOT it is slowly becoming my favorite park.

 

[praisehisname]

Looks good! I've never eaten there, but will definitely try to next time!

.. and Kronk... I mean, Chief Flight Attendant Patrick, appeared to tell us about our flight:

He'll always be Puddy to me!

Can't wait to try this one, too!

She was singing when we saw them, too!

So pretty, and your meal sounded good, too!

 

[jordanyosh]

Can't believe that's your first time at Chefs....I think I've eaten there....7 or 8 times-always a good time. If you really let your mind go, you can really think that you are in France.

Okay....never been to Candlelight....looks neat and inspirational.

 

[belle8306]

I want to try Chef's someday. My DH is a pretty basic eater too so it is nice to know that he would be able to find some food he would enjoy. The Candlelight Processional sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[jwwi]

I can imagine that John O'Hurley had a great voice. Your soup looks fabulous, I just love the melted cheese and bread on the top.
Happy that Matt endured the cold temps for the marathon ok. My DDs are running the 1/2 princess marathon, I can't wait to see them in March, I hope it won't be so chilly. Although I heard that the check in time is like 4am. So even if it is warm during the day, I am not sure that it will be pleasant so early in the morning.

 

[ladybugmom]

Hi Susie!! I know I'm getting in on your TR a little late but I just wanted you to know that I've read every bit of it!! I was excited to read about your trip as we're planning a trip to WDW this December!!

 

[Sooze]

A perfect ending. I love all the entertainment at EPCOT it is slowly becoming my favorite park.

Epcot has been our favorite park for a long time! Glad you're enjoying it too!

Looks good! I've never eaten there, but will definitely try to next time!

It was perfect for a quick little breakfast with an amazing view of the Yacht and Beach Club. Hope you get to try it!

She was singing when we saw them, too!

She is there ALL the time! She is the wife of Derrick Johnson, the man who created VoL and does their arrangements.

Can't believe that's your first time at Chefs....I think I've eaten there....7 or 8 times-always a good time. If you really let your mind go, you can really think that you are in France.

Okay....never been to Candlelight....looks neat and inspirational.

I was always afraid that my 'basic' eating husband wouldn't be able to find something to eat. Then I started looking at menus and decided that is not a problem! This Spring Break we are doing Teppan Edo, Biergarten, and Le Cellier! It's time to get out and explore!!

I want to try Chef's someday. My DH is a pretty basic eater too so it is nice to know that he would be able to find some food he would enjoy. The Candlelight Processional sounds like a lot of fun.

I highly recommend both! Plenty to eat in France.. and the Processional was just wonderful and inspirational!

I can imagine that John O'Hurley had a great voice. Your soup looks fabulous, I just love the melted cheese and bread on the top.
Happy that Matt endured the cold temps for the marathon ok. My DDs are running the 1/2 princess marathon, I can't wait to see them in March, I hope it won't be so chilly. Although I heard that the check in time is like 4am. So even if it is warm during the day, I am not sure that it will be pleasant so early in the morning.

John O'Hurley's voice was GREAT! I was worried it might be cheesy, but it wasn't. He was a perfect host!

How neat that your DDs are running the 1/2 marathon. Have they done it before? I bet in March, the morning could be chilly, but not as bad as January!!

Hi Susie!! I know I'm getting in on your TR a little late but I just wanted you to know that I've read every bit of it!! I was excited to read about your trip as we're planning a trip to WDW this December!!

Glad you could find me and read along. I have one more update to go, then it's time to get a new TR started for our Spring Break trip!

 

[Sooze]

So, our last day was to be devoted to Animal Kingdom. We had two shows that we really wanted to see, then we would do a bit of Everest, then we would casually meander between Asia and Africa to try and catch DeVine, then we would peruse the shops... until it was time to hop in the car, return it to the rental company, and fly home.

Then... we saw the weather...

Change of plans...
A major storm squall was heading towards central FL and it was supposed to hit right when we were going to be flying out.. near 8:00 at night. Both Matt and I were feeling the itch to be with the kids again, and we decided we'd try to get on an earlier flight. After contacting the airlines, we learned there was a late afternoon flight that was wide open. We could fly standby and easily make it on with NO FEES for switching flights. BINGO!

Unfortunately, this change happened AFTER we slept in... so our time to hang out at AK was cut way short. Do you think we can still squeeze in both shows?!?

WE DID!! We hurried over to AK in time to catch FotLK. Immediately after, we hustled over to Nemo, and actually scored decent seats for the next show. We didn't have time to ride EE or search for DeVine... but, I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times... the beauty of being a DVC member is knowing we'll be back soon, so we don't have to stress about missing attractions or shows... we'll just catch them next time, right?

So that was it.. pretty lame, I know! But we were actually glad to get home earlier. We were able to spend time with the kids, unpack, and mentally prepare ourselves to head back to work the next day.. which wasn't too bad, considering we only had a 3 day work week left!

Before I go, I wanted to leave you with some Voices of Liberty clips. Enjoy!!

"Winter Wonderland"


"Joy to the World"


"Rudolph"


Thanks for reading along! Hope to see you all for my Spring Break TR... Return of the Band Geeks! I'll post a link as soon as I start it!

 

[jwwi]

Thanks for finishing up, I'm sure it was still fun to go see those great shows. I look forward to reading along on your next adventure.

My DD's have never done the 1/2 marathon. At WDW or anywhere. It should be fun to go see them. My Mom and I are leaving for FL tomorrow, after staying with my DD in S. FL for a few days we will head to WDW. We will be staying at VWL, a surprise for my Mom. We were planning POFQ, but then I found a great deal on some points. Wish I could purchase DVC, but DH thinks a trip to WDW every 10 or so years is just fine. Maybe when we have grandchildren he will change his mind. I think we will be staying at POR for the marathon, there is transportation to the run from that resort.

 

[micandminforever]

I enjoyed your Christmas report and look forward to Spring Break.

 

[jordanyosh]

Thanks for your TR Sooze!!!!! I'll be back for your next TR....