~A XMAS STORY~decorations, crowds, pixies..AND A BLOODY NOSE~ACTUAL UPDATE 11/9 p190

[punkin413]

I want to go back to Atlanta this summer--see a Braves game maybe But I love the Atlanta area so much--would also love to go to Six Flags. We stopped at the Wendy's right across from the park--I've got pics

i haven't been to a braves game since around 2003, i think. they're fun but whenever i go it's always so hot! i love six flags but after going to disney i've come to realize that you go to six flags for the rides only - NOT for the atmosphere, customer service or food! it just doesn't even hold a candle to disney. now the rides are good if you like thrill rides. my new favorite is goliath - so much fun! you feel like you're coming out of your seat over all those humps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8CmcCK5hFI

superman is cool too! you are horizontal to the ground and it's really neat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJCdGFZm2QU

I did notice the little Canadian flag.

You'll make a very good Auntie!

Brothers/men in general can make lots of foolish mistakes. We just have to try to support them anyway.

thanks! yes, they certainly can. smart boys are few and far between. no offense, guys!

Thanks Dawn... I will show Hannah the fantasmic on that report. What did Luke think of Illuminations- and what do you think about it- you really did not say?

i loved it! it's not my favorite nighttime show but i just love them all. the music is great. luke liked it but made anna cover his ears during the fireworks.

We must have been posting at the same time.

I love the Illuminations fireworks pics, that new setting is very cool.

Anna's pic is awesome!

Luke's green alien eyes.... , scary but cute at the same time.

The Boardwalk looks so beautiful at night.

thanks! yeah, luke didn't realize he had green alien eyes! he saw it later and thought it was cool.

Hi-just read through your trip report and it looks like y'all had a great time-and your pictures are great! I'm also in the Atlanta area-we're in Dacula.

thanks for joining in! i'm not far from dacula - my office is in winder! but i live north of there.

Awesome update!!!!

I really loved the video. Especially the extra christmas part.

I was wondering too if you like illuminations? I love the music. Is it worth seeing?

Cant wait for the next day

thanks! wasn't that christmas part so pretty? yes, i loved it! it's not my fav but like i said, i just love all the nighttime shows. it's definitely worth seeing if you can manage.

great update and pics.

I love Illuminations.

Seems like you had a good time in Atlanta.

P.S. That Aladdin video was hysterical, she had a blue baby.

thanks! glad you enjoyed the aladdin video. i thought it was so funny!

Awesome photos! What was the setting you found, do you remember? Our camera is a bit of a disaster with night shots.

Sounds like a fun night! Those photos of Luke with the glow cube crack me up.

thanks! i think the setting is called "twilight." i have a sony cybershot camera. that's a great setting for night shots but it's VERY sensitive so you almost have to have a tripod. i have a mini tripod that i usually sit on the top of a trash can to get fireworks pics.

Looks like you had fun at the weekend, we saw Cirque at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday it was very good!

Love love love your Illuminations photos, what setting did you use as they turned out great

cool that you saw cirque there! i want to see it one day. i think the setting i used was called "twilight" on my camera (sony cybershot).

Look at the guy checking you two out!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE illuminations. You got some wonderful pics and I love Anna's funky pic!

that guy is old enough to be my dad! yuck!

thanks! yeah, i loved anna's funky pic too.

 

[punkin413]

What gorgeous pictures of Illuminations! If I had to say what my number one thing to do on this next trip is going to be, I would have to say Illuminations. We have never seen it and it is going to be the one thing I insist that we do -- no matter what!

thanks! i'm sure you guys will love illumations. staying at the beach club, you will probably be seeing the full show at least once and parts of the show a few times. i hear you can see the higher fireworks from there.

So.........what's your opinion of Illuminations? Does it rank up there with "Wishes"? I just love that extra holiday part - "Let There Be Peace on Earth" - makes me cry every time! Great pix, btw! LOVE the BW shots! Can't believe we'll be back there in less than three weeks!

This reminded me of a thread that was on here a while ago when people were trying to figure out what Disney's new promotional theme was going to be this year. Someone posted: It was "Year of a Million Dreams"; next it should be: "Year of a Million Guests Who Didn't Win Squat!"

i loved illuminations but i think i like wishes better. there's just something about that show that "gets" me and i will cry when they do away with it.

i TOTALLY should join that thread! i can't believe in 5 trips i didn't win anything. and they say it doesn't matter if you have kids or not - I CRY FOUL! but i'm not bitter or anything.

I think it's cool, too, that standing all around that lake watching it with you are families and friends from all over the world - all right there in that one area.

Dawn, thanks for all the Illuminations and other videos. They add so much to a report. I have watched that one Jill put up of Brooklynn dancing, if you can call it that, about twenty times. I wish we had done a lot more. We'll really have to make a more concerted effort in the future to do more video.

good point about standing around the lagoon. you're welcome! ray is really good about taking video. i was so stressed about doing it during my trip with erica - i missed my camera guy!

I enjoyed your videos and pics. Illuminations isn't my favorite, so I can go without it, but my kids have never seen it. I'm sure that we'll see it in June.

thanks! it's not my favorite either but i really do think it's beautiful!

Whoa, those pics from Illuminations are great! And isn't the Boardwalk so pretty at night?

thanks! yes, it is! i love it at night. i want to eat at flying fish and just hang out on the boardwalk on our next trip in 1 year, 10 months and 14 days. but who's counting.

PHEW! I am finally caught up! Glad to see that your arm is healing nicely. I can remember a few falls I have had that resulted in some "fun" bumps, bruises and pained bones!

The Illuminations videos are great. I loved all the beautiful pictures of them,too. DS(2) is now becoming as obsessed with Disney as I am. I showed him the fireworks(far-woks in his language ) and all he could do was say Disssey Word! I see far-woks! I go Disssey Word NOW!

Thanks for such a fun TR. DS and I are looking forward to more!

thanks! so cute about your DS! i can't wait to share that with my child.

I can't believe that was all your first day, you got so much done! Isn't the end of your first day the BEST? You're finally able to leave the real world behind, you're fully immersed in the magic, and you still have your whole vacation ahead of you LOVE IT! Great pics of Illuminations, I love that show so much. Its definitely my favorite

yes, ma'am - that all was one day! i'm just very detailed so i can't leave anything out! and i agree about the end of the day feeling...

All caught up again. Great updates! I wish we had an Ikea close by. We have to drive to Chicago, prolly 3 hours away.

thanks! the ikea was really cool but i have to go back when i'm i the right state of mind!

Wow, I can't believe that was all in your first Day!

yep! like i told melissa, i'm just very detailed so i can't leave anything out! otherwise i couldn't made my installments less-detailed and shorter and gotten done with the first day earlier. if i'm gonna stretch this thing over the next two years until my next trip i'm gonna have to slow down!

Fantastic pictures! Hannah enjoyed watching the videos.

thanks! glad you guys enjoyed the videos.

Those are some amazing Illuminations pictures--I'm hoping to get some decent firework pictures but I still need time to play around with some of the settings. I really like Anna's funky picture, too!

thanks! just play with your camera and see what you come up with. the best piece of advice i can give you with fireworks pictures is to get a small tripod. you can get one at best buy for under $20, i think. mine is a 12-inch collapsable one that i can easily fit at the bottom of my backpack. it's impossible to hold your hand steady enough to get the really good shots so a tripod is a must!

 

[tinkgurl]

=i want to eat at flying fish and just hang out on the boardwalk on our next trip in 1 year, 10 months and 14 days. but who's counting.

Hey, I promise to try and make the year go by at least a little faster with my PTR and TR.

 

[timandlesley]

GREAT update Dawn, LOVED all the pics and videos of Illuminations . Can't believe you guys got all of this in on your first day. Luke is a real trooper! I can't believe you guys haven't won a dream yet, here's hoping you will get SOMETHING this trip!!! You so deserve it. Can't wait for more!
Lesley

 

[IggyLans]

Dawn, awesome pics and videos of the Illuminations! Can't wait for more TR!

 

[englishrose47]

All can say Dawn is WOW!! Just awesome pix !!!

 

[xoktenox]

Wowwww those Illuminations pictures and videos are great! I like the holiday addition to Illuminations and its definitely my favorite nighttime show at WDW. And you got to see some of Wishes, a 2 for 1 deal! Love it

 

[End_User-X]

ray took some video as we were walking. i think this is cute! he loves that night vision feature.

Luke, always dancing around.

smart boys are few and far between. no offense, guys!

As a guy, when I first saw the guy comment before, I was like heeeyyy but then I have to agree...most guys are neanderthal knuckle-draggers.

Any idea where those horizontal laser lights come from? When I saw Illuminations, those lights actually painted a green line on SE. I was like whoa.

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

You guys had a very full first day. When John and I went for our 2nd anniversary wegot to see Illuminations from our hotel (Caribbean Beach). They did their regular finale and ten al the sudden the sky lit up in lots of red and green for the holiday portion and it was awesome. Brooklynn will love watching the videos tomight when we get home. That has become our nighttime ritual since we got the internet - a video from Disney before bed last night we watched the Jammin Jungle Parade.

 

[DisneyLaura]

Hi Dawn - I read this the other but had to leave for the kids to go to school so I couldn't comment. Loved Illuminations. I can't wait to see it again, the last time we saw that was 2001 (2004 was a no go for fireworks with my 5 year old). This year I think everyone will love it.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Wow! I love the new feature you found on your camera too! And you say the Wishes pictures are better?

Isn't exiting through the International Gateway after Illuminations just the best? An entire sea of humanity going to the front and you just stroll through the back door. Love it!!

Florida or Alaska? Ain't that the truth!

 

[DisneyLaura]

Dawn I forgot to add in my comment before about your tripod, can you tell me again which one you have, I'd like to get one for our trip.

 

[disneygirl1972]

This is getting me very excited for our trip in December this year!!

 

[punkin413]

i *may* try to do an update tonight to get a break in my typing. business is horrible lately and i had to borrow some typing work for my boss and i'm trying to get that done before the end of the month, so i've been doing nothing but typing lately and i'm needing a distraction! just depends on how much i get done today.

TOMORROW NIGHT I'M GOING TO SEE THE KILLERS!!!!!! i'm so excited about this show! i've never seen them live and i've been such a huge fan for awhile now. they're the one band that i've never seen that i'm just dying to. i'm sure i will have pictures and video!

if you don't know who the killers are and are the least bit interested, go watch this. it's "mr. brightside" probably their most popular song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzqHGVMm2a0

i remember my sister saw them in birmingham in 2005 when she was doing a summer internship at UAB and she called me at like 1:00 in the morning from the show when they were playing that song. once i woke up and realized what i was listening to, i quietly got out of bed and then went in the kitchen and put the phone on speaker and danced around in my pajamas.

Hey, I promise to try and make the year go by at least a little faster with my PTR and TR.

thanks!

GREAT update Dawn, LOVED all the pics and videos of Illuminations . Can't believe you guys got all of this in on your first day. Luke is a real trooper! I can't believe you guys haven't won a dream yet, here's hoping you will get SOMETHING this trip!!! You so deserve it. Can't wait for more!
Lesley

thanks! yep, we only had 4 days this trip so each day was packed. luke ended up napping either in anna's lap or in the stroller every day.

Dawn, awesome pics and videos of the Illuminations! Can't wait for more TR!

thanks!

All can say Dawn is WOW!! Just awesome pix !!!

thanks!

Wowwww those Illuminations pictures and videos are great! I like the holiday addition to Illuminations and its definitely my favorite nighttime show at WDW. And you got to see some of Wishes, a 2 for 1 deal! Love it

thanks! i love illuminations but wishes still remains my favorite.

Luke, always dancing around.

As a guy, when I first saw the guy comment before, I was like heeeyyy but then I have to agree...most guys are neanderthal knuckle-draggers.

Any idea where those horizontal laser lights come from? When I saw Illuminations, those lights actually painted a green line on SE. I was like whoa.

yep, luke is ALWAYS dancing or jumping or something. he never just WALKS.

i hope i didn't offend with the guy comment. i'm not saying all guys - just most.

i don't know where they come from but ray loved them! they look really cool with the smoke from the fireworks.

You guys had a very full first day. When John and I went for our 2nd anniversary wegot to see Illuminations from our hotel (Caribbean Beach). They did their regular finale and ten al the sudden the sky lit up in lots of red and green for the holiday portion and it was awesome. Brooklynn will love watching the videos tomight when we get home. That has become our nighttime ritual since we got the internet - a video from Disney before bed last night we watched the Jammin Jungle Parade.

yes, we did! and every day after that just gets fuller! we only had 4 days this trip so every day was packed full. cool that you got to see illuminations from CBR! i didn't know you could see it from there. so cool that you and brooklynn watch disney videos every night. how sweet!

Hi Dawn - I read this the other but had to leave for the kids to go to school so I couldn't comment. Loved Illuminations. I can't wait to see it again, the last time we saw that was 2001 (2004 was a no go for fireworks with my 5 year old). This year I think everyone will love it.

thanks! i can't wait for you to see it too!

Wow! I love the new feature you found on your camera too! And you say the Wishes pictures are better?

Isn't exiting through the International Gateway after Illuminations just the best? An entire sea of humanity going to the front and you just stroll through the back door. Love it!!

Florida or Alaska? Ain't that the truth!

actually it was holiday wishes from MVMCP and yes, they're better! i love the international gateway - so convenient!

Dawn I forgot to add in my comment before about your tripod, can you tell me again which one you have, I'd like to get one for our trip.

i got it at best buy. i'll PM you the link.

This is getting me very excited for our trip in December this year!!

cool! thanks. i'm glad it's making you look forward to your trip!

 

[tinkgurl]

Aw I'm jealous, you're going to the Killers! Have fun!

 

[troobabiee7]

AHhhhhhh have fun at the show! I love, love, LOVE the Killers! We saw them at SNL rehearsals a few months ago and they were amazing live and really nice guys. TAKE VIDEO FOR US!!!!

 

[rentayenta]

Love The Killers! Have a blast!

 

[MeMom]

That video reminds me of what our hallways and cafeteria are like all week, so my concert of choice for a Friday night would be more like something in the lullaby category.

But you have fun with all of that jumpin' around and rockin' out! I hope you have a great time!

As for Disney stuff - one year, ten months, and some days and counting! Do you have enough stickers for all those days? I might have to buy you some to contribute to the effort.

 

[Happy Elf]

Have a great time at the concert! Sounds like fun!

 

[Charleston Princess]

You are going to have so much fun!!!