We WEREN'T the "Castle Family", we DIDN'T get to be GRAND MARSHALLS,...

[RachelTori]

I'm loving your report--don't stop now!

She likes to keep us beggin' fer more!

 

[pooksma]

and don'tcha just love how she posts and you get all excited thinking its an update. Or am I the only one still falling for that?

Seriously-where's my update?

 

[RachelTori]

and don'tcha just love how she posts and you get all excited thinking its an update. Or am I the only one still falling for that?

Seriously-where's my update?

Nope! You're not the only one! And "for the record" I think she delights in taunting us!


We luv ya anyway Kimmar!

 

[kimmar067]

Nope! You're not the only one! And "for the record" I think she delights in taunting us!


We luv ya anyway Kimmar!

...sorry guys, I WAS gonna post the next installment, but my 'puter froze....I'll try later......

 

[tubachick]

...sorry guys, I WAS gonna post the next installment, but my 'puter froze....I'll try later......

yeah right

waiting nicely with my popcorn

 

[blueeyesrnc]

Kimmar, love your pics. I'm glad to see a good report about Sci Fi, as I've read many horrible ones. I still have ressies, though, if only for the themeing. I mean really, how bad could burgers, fries, and shakes be?

I never considered flight delays when I made ressies for Hoop Dee Do on my arrival day. Yikes, I hope I haven't made a big mistake.

Funny, I thought the same thing about the Osborne lights when I first read about it many moons ago.
And I wonder how many more have thought the same but won't admit it.

 

[willis37862]

Nope! You're not the only one! And "for the record" I think she delights in taunting us!


We luv ya anyway Kimmar!

Yep she definitely gets a cheap thrill ( her favorite kind ) out of keeping us hanging.

Kimmar, love your pics. I'm glad to see a good report about Sci Fi, as I've read many horrible ones. I still have ressies, though, if only for the themeing. I mean really, how bad could burgers, fries, and shakes be?

We have dined at the Sci-fi drive-in once each time on our last two trips and we thought it was pretty good. I love the atmosphere We will be eating there again this trip.

LMA- Lights, Motor, Action

Thanks I'm not crazy about it either but DH likes it.

 

[kimmar067]

Thanks I'm not crazy about it either but DH likes it.

.... must be a 'guy' thing....

 

[SingingMom]

.... must be a 'guy' thing....

DH loved it, too. I, on the other hand, felt like I was a frying egg in an aluminum pan.... must those metal bleachers be in the DIRECT SUN?!

 

[miller2470]

Great trip report, I can feel your pain, Wow, what a nightmare in the airport , but hey, you made it to WDW, WOOHOO. It would definitely be a test of my patience, but I think that my "Disney Buzz" would have to get me through that.

 

[kimmar067]

Great trip report, I can feel your pain, Wow, what a nightmare in the airport , but hey, you made it to WDW, WOOHOO. It would definitely be a test of my patience, but I think that my "Disney Buzz" would have to get me through that.

.....that incident alone would probably be enough to deter even the staunchest WDW lovers - you must realize that my DFam practically has to have their collective arms twisted before they'd consider going back, so we were going to WDW on the pretense that THEY wanted to go.....me, on the other hand.....

 

[kimmar067]

"..in the words of Stephanie Tanner, "How ru-u-u-u-u-ude!" "

We decided to return to the Dolphin, not so much for my sake, but because my DS was bugging me that he and David wanted to play a bit of X-Box.....you are on vacation in GORGEOUS 79-degree weather at the 'Happiest Place on Earth', and you wanna play X-Box??!?!

Well, I had wanted to keep the peace, so off we went.....besides, we DID have only 4 hours sleep the night before, so I didn't put up too much of a fuss. I reminded my group that we needed to return to MGM at a reasonable time, so as to get seats for Fantasmic! that evening, but, as you will later find out, that was to no avail....

It seemed that I had a fire under my seat - I was very restless and quite anxious to get back, but I didn't want to show my enthusiasm too much, so I meandered downstairs to the shop to browse...

....I lost track of time, realizing that we had a little bit more than an hour before 'showtime', so I headed back to the room to retrieve that rest of the crew, only to find THEM waiting for ME - talk about an ironic twist!

Once again on the 'friendship', we didn't quite enjoy the ride since we were running quite late, although I did manage to capture one decent shot of the scenery, as we headed back to MGM...

The crowds began to get quite unmanageable as we navigated through the 'streets' in the direction of ToT. Just as we had feared people were leaving the Fantasmic! arena, since, indeed there was not a seat to be found. Undaunted, my DH trailblazed a narrow path through the multitude of Disney visitors, towards the far left section of the amphitheatre...

Well, we had guessed correctly - there wasn't even the tiniest seat to be had anywhere, so we were herded like cattle into the far left corner of the amphitheatre. The CM's continued to keep the path clear for those folks who were returning to their seats and for the 'wheelchair assessible' patrons. However, they were not very good at doing their job with tact or courtesy. Although the crowd was a bit unnerving, it did NOT give them an excuse to be rude to the guests, not to mention the several groups of visitors who feigned a lack of understanding of the English language. You see, located in the corner is a 'standing room only' section, about 40' by 20', which is one short step higher than 'standing height' and slightly sloped, so, that if you were one of the 'unfortunates', you could still see the show, albeit from a distance. Tempers flared to the point of near shoving matches! "Hey, guys, there's room for everyone to enjoy the show...can't we just relax and get along?", I thought to myself, as my DS whined in the background, "This stinks! I don't wanna stand for the whole time! My legs hurt! Yada, yada, yada..." I guess it didn't help that we've seen Fantasmic! 4 or 5 times already - every time, front-and-center, so this was definitely a major set-back....too bad most of the guests had forgotten that it was Christmas Eve....

With the show now over, the crowds meandered down the main path towards ToT, which was my next intended destination. It had been a while since we had 'done' ToT at night, so I was hoping this would be the opportune moment. It wasn't meant to be, though, what with no Fastpasses and a 45-minute Stand-By wait. However, all was not lost because we did manage to work our way back to the New York City street to 'pay homage' to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. This is definitely something everyone must experience for themselves! Previously, it had been set up along the Backlot Tour street, but, more recently moved to its newest location. Boy, was I 'blown away' ! Talk about 'newer and improved' and it certainly DID put us back into the 'Christmas Spirit' - pictures simply cannot do it justice:

[...yes, he WAS checking for snow...]

"Peace on Earth" indeed....

...seeing the Nativity scene at the end of the street certainly brought me back to reality that, wow, we are spending Christmas at WDW...

Our lack of sleep was finally catching up to us so, after spending time taking in the lights and the accompanying music, mh DH suggested that we leave, but not before visiting The Great Movie Ride...

....I couldn't believe, as we left the dock at MGM, that it was already past 10PM and we had, but a mere 4 hours sleep in over two days...as we turned off the lamp while we were comfortably snuggled up in our heavenly beds, my DH whispered to me, "Let's just let the kids sleep and NOT go to the Contemporary for Christmas mass...". It was a hard decision to make, but exhaustion and logic ruled. Besides, we would be in the midst of the Candlelight Procession, which promised to be something wonderful and spiritual.....visions of sugar plums would NOT be dancing in MY head, but rather, "Mickey-Claus"......

[...next installment - Post #165]

 

[pooksma]

Woohoo an update!

My DS is only 7 and he takes his Nintendo DS everywhere. The need to play X-Box doesn't surprise me. Was there anything cute in the Daisy shop?

 

[mdrob214]

OK, now that is almost cruel to leave us hanging like that! (I like it!)

 

[jaycns]

Great pictures in your last update! I especially liked the picture of the BW across the water. That shot was way more then decent. It looks like a Disney pamphlet shot for sure!!

I am so hard and feeling sorry for myself already...XBOX at WDW!! I am sure raising four boys I have that or something similarly tragic in my own future.

Keep up the great trip report Kimmar!

PS I got a chuckle out of your airport fiasco...but somewhere under that evil grin, I was feelin' sorry for you!

 

[blueeyesrnc]

X Box!!!

You are a woman of great restraint. It must be the teacher in you.

 

[SingingMom]

The Christmas lights are gorgeous!

That line for Fantasmic gave me a major anxiety attack last June. I didn't enjoy most of the show, because I was eyeing the nearest exit route, so as not to get in that mob scene again. ::shudder::

THIS June, we are doing the Fantasmic dinner package to see if we can avoid some of that MOB and maybe I will enjoy the entire show.

 

[kimmar067]

The Christmas lights are gorgeous!

...thanks, although that first one IS a bit blurry....

...That line for Fantasmic gave me a major anxiety attack last June. I didn't enjoy most of the show, because I was eyeing the nearest exit route, so as not to get in that mob scene again. ::shudder::

THIS June, we are doing the Fantasmic dinner package to see if we can avoid some of that MOB and maybe I will enjoy the entire show.

...good thinking - we did that a few years ago.....

 

[kimmar067]

X Box!!!

You are a woman of great restraint. It must be the teacher in you.

.....

 

[kimmar067]

Woohoo an update!

My DS is only 7 and he takes his Nintendo DS everywhere. The need to play X-Box doesn't surprise me. Was there anything cute in the Daisy shop?

....yes, but not really any "S/D" stuff..