A Very Lurkyloo Christmas is FINISHED! New 3/16: Last Day of the Trip!

[lurkyloo]

So as I was about to upload pix for Day 7, I discovered I'd missed a bunch of pictures from Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! I had wondered why we so wholly neglected our documentarian duties that night... looks like we didn't!

Here are all the rest:

Some sorta stage show in Tomorrowland

Whoa… Mike Wazowski is looking a tad unwell!

Still trying to get that shot from the Peoplemover

Space Mountain with the lights on!

Ah, yes! Looks like we went back for more of these…

And how could I forget this? To make up for having to leave our vacation early, Patrick surprised me with a gift he'd picked up on his tour of the monorail resorts earlier that afternoon. Awwwwwwww!

OK, back to working on Day 7!

 

[lurkyloo]

How did I miss your last update? Oh well....all caught up now. Christmas has only been over for a month, but that update makes me want to go right to a Christmas party. What a fun last night together! I enjoyed all of Patricks pictures. One must come back down to reality after see the Roots pictures. It's nice to know Patrick is just a mere mortal with the camera, yet he still takes really fun and creative pictures!

Oh and get this—I just posted even MORE from that missed update—even *I* miss them sometimes! I'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Patrick.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hey Carrie,

I've lurked through several updates. Loving this particular TR even more than you previous ones! Patrick is really bringing his A game with his photo skillz. I'm impressed! And of course the Roots never fail to impress.

Hope you are both doing well!

I look forward to reading more. (Even if it is just in lurk mode.)

 

[Aburns8]

What a nice gift from Patrick! It looks like a good time, and thanks for the pics of Space Mountain with the lights on. That was really cool.

 

[lurkyloo]

Hey Carrie,

I've lurked through several updates. Loving this particular TR even more than you previous ones! Patrick is really bringing his A game with his photo skillz. I'm impressed! And of course the Roots never fail to impress.

Hope you are both doing well!

I look forward to reading more. (Even if it is just in lurk mode.)

Hey, I love it when you come out of lurkdom! I'm so glad you're enjoying this trip report. It certainly is way more epic than the previous ones—as I'm transferring old trip reports to my new web site, I can't believe I once was able to tell the story of a whole day in a single post!

What a nice gift from Patrick! It looks like a good time, and thanks for the pics of Space Mountain with the lights on. That was really cool.

It's always such a treat to ride through there on the Peoplemover when the work lights are on!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Carrie! Loved the cake for Jensey and Nate! (Natsey ) I would never know how to pull that off, but that's why you are the Passporter author! So fun you could surprise them like that!

The pics from the castle tour and MVMCP are awesome! Made me really want to be Cinderella!

 

[MEK]

Wow - Those are some beautiful pictures. forget what I said about Patrick being a mere mortal. He has definitely reached a new level with some of those pictures. I LOVE the tea cups - very, very cool picture. I am so glad you found them!

 

[burly]

day 7?
Can't wait. Nice additional pics, as always.

KIM

 

[beatlesblonde]

Yeah for finding more pictures. Patrick gets the best shots. If we end up at WDW at the same time again, I wanna spend some time with him learning how to use "our" camera better.

 

[PopArtGal]

Adventureland was deserted when we went during MVMCP.

It think it was a dream experience that party. I'll never be able to recreate it

 

[PopArtGal]

Ah how sweet he gave you a gift! You guys are such a great couple!

 

[norybell]

Finally caught up -- a girl goes to WDW for a few days, and it takes weeks to catch up on the missed TR stuff afterward.

Awesome update, as always. I would so love to see the Christmas decorations and stuff there someday! I think I'd probably have to stop working retail first, though...guess I'll have to stick to Octobers in the meantime!

And sure, it may have not been the Liberty Belle, but at least your prom wasn't in the school gym, like mine was! Way to class it up, Neenah High! (And hey, I'm class of '94, too!)

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi Carrie! Loved the cake for Jensey and Nate! (Natsey ) I would never know how to pull that off, but that's why you are the Passporter author! So fun you could surprise them like that!

The pics from the castle tour and MVMCP are awesome! Made me really want to be Cinderella!

Oh, if you ever need any help with a cake at WDW, I'm your (wo)man! I've made it my life's work to figure out the labyrinthian inner workings of Disney's cake-ordering process...

Wow - Those are some beautiful pictures. forget what I said about Patrick being a mere mortal. He has definitely reached a new level with some of those pictures. I LOVE the tea cups - very, very cool picture. I am so glad you found them!

I will be sure NOT to tell him you said this!

day 7?
Can't wait. Nice additional pics, as always.

KIM

Day 7 coming right up!

Yeah for finding more pictures. Patrick gets the best shots. If we end up at WDW at the same time again, I wanna spend some time with him learning how to use "our" camera better.

I won't tell him about that either!

Adventureland was deserted when we went during MVMCP.

It think it was a dream experience that party. I'll never be able to recreate it

Isn't it nice to have a part of the park all to yourself?

Finally caught up -- a girl goes to WDW for a few days, and it takes weeks to catch up on the missed TR stuff afterward.

Awesome update, as always. I would so love to see the Christmas decorations and stuff there someday! I think I'd probably have to stop working retail first, though...guess I'll have to stick to Octobers in the meantime!

And sure, it may have not been the Liberty Belle, but at least your prom wasn't in the school gym, like mine was! Way to class it up, Neenah High! (And hey, I'm class of '94, too!)

Also, I've never thought about that, but working in retail must be as seasonally restricting as working at a school! Still, I think October has lots to offer, what with F&W and MNSSHP and everything....

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, so I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get the next installment posted, but I have a really good excuse: Patrick and I went on a super-secret stealth trip to WDW for our anniversary! The "super-secret stealth" part was my gift to him b/c it prevented me from attempting to cram our days with DIS Boards meet-ups (and yet we still ran into DISer DisneyDMBnut — it's like I was subliminally orchestrating a meet-up! ).

Even better, at some point I'll have pictures and a report of our anniversary day, which included going on the new Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom (SO good!) and dinner on the terrace at Tower of Terror with the Roots!!

This iPhone pic is the only shot I have of our TOT party so far. My photographic equipment was lacking, but at least the shot was composed by a professional photographer!

And now, I give you.... DAY 7, Part 1!

 

[Aburns8]

I know I told you on FB, but Happy Anniversary! What a romantic trip! Can't wait to hear about it.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

if I had known you were on a super stealth mission...I wouldn't have run up to you screaming "PATRICK AND CARRIE!!!!!!"

Carrie was very Audrey Hepburn in her hat and glasses, but I recognized Patrick right away!!

 

[lurkyloo]

At 5:00 Monday morning, Patrick smooched me goodbye, stepped into the town car waiting in front of Bay Lake Tower, and headed for the airport, L.A., and three solid weeks of building puppets for Pee-wee Herman's comeback stage show at Club Nokia.


At 9:00 Monday morning, I got up and threw back the curtains to reveal my glorious Bay Lake view.

I didn't have to be anywhere til dinner and Candlelight Processional with the Roots, so I took a leisurely monorail ride to Epcot to photograph the recently added dessert party locations at Epcot. And also this:

I dunno… you never know when you might need a picture of the market at the Contemporary!

… or Marie the Cat!


My first stop was Canada Overlook, across from the Refreshment Port just inside World Showcase. Disney now crams private events of up to 50 people in here for lovely views of tree limbs during IllumiNations.

Then it was off to Canada Terrace, where they hold wedding ceremonies and receptions. I still wish they could somehow do ceremonies on the grass down in the pavilion's garden, but this is pretty cool too.

They say you can't see IllumiNations from this event space, but it sure seems like you can…

The next new event location Disney has carved out of Epcot's walkways is known as Parisian Point. This is one of three standing-room-only spots where they won't bring in chairs or tables.

Fortunately, the trees seen in this shot don't block your view of the show.

The new location in Morocco is on the Japan side of the stage and gift shop. At least it has benches! (The presence of which Disney can't guarantee, naturally…)

I think this one's to show you the view from Japan's event space, which is on the balcony of the tower

And now we interrupt this trip report for a photo tour!

Back when I was leaving Canada, I discovered the first of many empty storyteller stages. At Christmas, Epcot features each country's version of Santa Claus telling their native Christmas stories in every country around the World Showcase. Unfortunately, their presentations are not timed so that one can go from country to country hearing each story in succession, or even more than two stories per visit, it would seem from the confusingly random appearance schedule listed in the park guide. I had the distinction of missing every single storyteller in every single country, which inspired this photo tour:

Santas I Didn't See

Canada
"Hey, hosers! Where the heck is Santa, eh?"

United Kingdom
"I say! There seems to be rather a dearth of Father Christmas, wouldn't you agree?"

France
"Où est Père Noël? Inexplicably compelled to take yet another smoke break?"

Morocco
According to the Internets, Morocco's Santa is someone called "Black Peter." Yeah, Disney's pretty much not gonna go there…

Japan
"Doko desu ka Santa-san happy fun time?"

America
"Dude, where's my Santa?"

….Even the Kwanza hut was empty!

Continues below...

 

[lurkyloo]

Italy
"La Befana—you not-a here-a? What's a matta youse?"

Germany
"Ach, du lieber! Kristkindl's mule must be stuck in a keyhole!"

China
OK, guys, it IS a tree… and it DOES have lights… but it's just not screaming Christmas at me, know what I mean?

But wait – what's this? In the absence of even a vaguely Santa-like figure in Chinese culture, Disney has instead gone with the legend of…

The Monkey King!

The public's reaction to the Monkey King

Nice-looking souvenir stand

Norway
"Hvor er Julenisse?" Stuck in the film at the end of Maelstrom, of course!

And then it happened… a Christmas Miraculum… I actually saw the Santas in Mexico! Not only that, but there were THREE OF THEM!!! My Spanish is a little rusty, but it seemed like they went on and on about how wise they were and showed us all the stuff they'd bought in Epcot.

The Santa on the right has a Duffy Bear under his hat

Ever the completist, I waited for them to leave so I could have a full set of empty-stage photos for my series on Santas I Didn't See…

Then it was off to my lunch reservation at Le Cellier. Along the way, I got some beauty shots of the area where I wish they'd do ceremonies in Canada:

Here's what was on the menu in December 2009, in case you ever go at that time:

As usual, the place was totally booked according to Disney Dining but totally empty in real life. I'm always nerdily excited to get room shots without people in them—so excited, it seems, that my hands were shaking these shots out of focus!

Camera: "Muwahahahaha! Now that Patrick's gone, I get my OWN seat at the table!"

I am fascinated by the bathroom at Le Cellier—it's like a 1980s time capsule!

As you may know from my past trip reports, I am continually compelled to make reservations at Le Cellier just because it's so hard to score them. The food is good, but I have never had my socks knocked off by anything on the menu (pants, yes; socks, no) and I know I can get a better steak at numerous other places on property. Still, I book it because I can. In fact, as I was typing that last sentence, I was on the phone making a reservation for my upcoming Social Media Moms/DFTW Bridal Showcase trip (but my excuse this time is that I wanna see how they're changing the menu in March to justify becoming a 2-table-service-credit Signature Restaurant!).

Today's experience was pretty much just like every other:


I ordered the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup to start…

It's not, like, the best soup I've ever had, but I always have to get it

Lunch is always the mushroom filet mignon with cream-cheese mashed potatoes swapped in for whatever other starch they futilely try to pair with the filet. This time I didn't ask for the sauce on the side, and now I remember why I always do—cause I hate truffle oil!

Possibly THE most disgusting-looking meal at Walt Disney World. I'm telling you, it's the truffle butter that puts it over the edge!

 

[lurkyloo]

I think I must've skipped dessert thinking I'd get something at the bakery in France instead, cuz these shots turned up in the camera:

However, I always forget until I'm standing in front of the cases that, delectable as they appear, in reality those desserts always taste bland and slightly waxy. No dessert for me! And then… could it be…? Was I actually seeing…. a Santa I Didn't See?!

"Psst, kid! Got a light?!"

Then it was off to Japan for some cuteness…

…. And a candy chain!

In American Adventure Land I did something I've never done before: set foot in Liberty Inn, the counter-service restaurant. It's always seemed like such a wasted opportunity to me—I mean, you can get burgers and chicken strips at dozens of other places in Walt Disney World but *that's* what they're serving to represent America? How about some of our nation's indigenous cuisine, like Cajun food or Twinkies? Sheesh!

The reason I set not one but BOTH foots inside Liberty Inn was to see their gingerbread house…


Made entirely out of burgers

Pretty cool!


I dunno why I took this picture—do you guys know why I took this picture?

In Italy I stopped to get some gelato cuz it was dang hot out!

Cookies 'n' Cream + Chocolate

And some random cuckoo clock shots in Germany…

Kim Possible's singing beer steins—how's that for family friendly?!

Another of the newish small dessert party locations is near the African Outpost. I've been back a couple times and I still can't figure out how you can see the show from there…. Guess I'll need to bite the bullet and try it sometime!

Then it was around to China to discover adorable towel cakes that I almost accidentally ate because they looked so good.

Basket o' Cute!

Trying an arty shot like Patrick would take…

Best-looking bathroom!

Aw… (sniff!) these slack-jawed, dead-eyed puppets remind me of Patrick!

By that time I was hot and tired, so I headed for the monorail back to Bay Lake Tower.

Up Next: I go down the waterslide 12 times! And watch Candlelight Processional with the Roots!

 

[Aburns8]

It is really cool to see World Showcase with not many people in it. It is a great opportunity to take some great pics! We are eating at Le Cellier in May, and I can't wait to try it. I hope the food is better than my dinner at Coral Reef. I am hoping to spend a whole day in Epcot in may not riding the rides, but walking around World Showcase and checking out the stores! We always seem to forget that part.