BE's Never Ending TR -- That kind of ... Ended? Or did it?

[Belle Ella]

Mike says the next time we plan a trip, it will be during the holidays.......so whenever that is.......lol

Well, at least it's a start!!

 

[RedRosePrincess]

Your pictures from NOS are gorgeous! Can't wait to see more.

 

[Belle Ella]

Your pictures from NOS are gorgeous! Can't wait to see more.

Thank you!!

 

[Belle Ella]

Isn't Pluto just so adorable with his little reindeer antlers on? He's so festive. I did take another photo at Big Thunder Ranch since they had another PhotoPass opportunity right at the entrance (I think I'm a little too old for Santa photos -- that just would have been creepy) before going to the other side for some more photos. I think I ended up spending a good 10 minutes just debating about whether or not I should grab some food while I was there. I have been dying to try some of the BBQ from Big Thunder Ranch, but in the end I decided against it. That's what my next trip is for. When I don't have my DSLR in my hands. That would just be messy! One thing I did forget to photograph were these little placards they had posted with little reindeer facts. They were very cute!

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When I was satisfied with what photos I got for the time being I continued up the little side path towards Fantasyland so I could get photographs of the wreaths that decorate the plaza and promenade right in front of IASWH. While walking by on our way to IASWH I made a mental not to come back and photograph each and every one of them. They are all different, and some very clearly correlate to different Countries, parts of the world, etc. They fit in very well with the theme of IASW. There was a really big flaw in my plan to take these photos at this particular time: the sun was out and it was warming up fast! Let's just say I was regretting the decision to wear a long sleeved thermal for the day. Especially since the promenade area is all sun and hardly any shade at all. I got pretty warm!

good ol' u.s.a.









england









my guess would be china















... to be continued ...​

 

[kaoden39]

I love how the color schemes change as well as the designs. I sincerely hope Disney pays the designers well because they really deserve it.

 

[tdashgirl]

It's just a shame that we Northern California residents can't do the payment plan option as well as Southern California residents.

It really is Funny thing - I was on the Disneyland.com website today checking out the hopper prices (for DD15, and for her friend that she's bringing) and if you put a 3 day hopper in your shopping cart, a pop-up comes up that says "hey, did you know if you spend $143 more you can upgrade to Deluxe AP?" I thought that was funny.

 

[Belle Ella]

It really is Funny thing - I was on the Disneyland.com website today checking out the hopper prices (for DD15, and for her friend that she's bringing) and if you put a 3 day hopper in your shopping cart, a pop-up comes up that says "hey, did you know if you spend $143 more you can upgrade to Deluxe AP?" I thought that was funny.

I think they were trying to tell you something ... that you weren't spending enough money!!

I love how the color schemes change as well as the designs. I sincerely hope Disney pays the designers well because they really deserve it.

Everything is always so perfect! It's just like the schemes of each of the different parts of the world inside IASW. No two areas are exactly the same.

 

[Belle Ella]

Before we move on here are a few more of the wreaths decorating the promenade in front of IASW ...

hello canada!





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I don't always know exactly what is running through my mind when I decide where to go next. There is usual no other rhyme or reason than I felt like it, but since I was already in the area I grabbed the second best Disneyland snack according to me (churro) and veered to the left towards Tomorrowland. Actually, the whole reason behind this venture to my least-loved-Land was to keep an eye out for the penny machine located in the Little Green Men store. I am still on a pressed penny mission for my cousin who is using them to make jewelry and this one in particular had been out of commission during my last trip so I thought I would try again. Alas, no luck! It still wasn't working and at least this time they had some yellow tape covering the coin slot. I have a feeling I wont be very successful getting her entire list of pennies at this rate!

At that moment in time there wasn't anything to hold my interest in Tomorrowland so I just kept walking back towards the Castle. And you'll never guess who what duo I saw there! No really, I want you to guess, even though you'll probably see the photo before you even read this. I just like to give everyone an unfair advantage I guess, lol. But there must have been a magnetic pull on me toward Sleeping Beauty Castle because Snow White was out! The strange part, however, was who she was accompanied by. It's a shame I hadn't gotten there a few minutes earlier (darn my cousin's pressed penny quest!) so I could have gotten a photo before they left. But here she is, Snow White out and about with her stepmother, The Queen!

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That really brightened my day even more!

After seeing Snow White and The Queen out I was very much in the mood to get a couple of character photos. I ended up taking a route back to the lockers that took me through the shops so I could escape the sun (and keep an eye out for CM's with pin lanyards for trading) where I had to stop and take a photo of this tree and the adorable ornaments.

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I just loved it, and I especially loved that it matched the clothes that it was on display with as far as the color scheme went. But can you see why I photographed that particular ornament? It totally reminded me of the DIS!

Now I have no idea what I went to get from my locker, but I do know that my next stop was to see which characters were out in the winter finery! I remember how bummed I was back in September when I didn't get every one of Mickey and friends in their Halloween costumes and I really didn't want that to be the case again for Christmas. But if it were my goal would be to get photos with Mickey and Minnie for sure, even if it meant getting into the longest line imaginable! Luckily for me, this wasn't the case. The first character that I saw was a very tiny Minnie Mouse and her line was pretty short so I hopped in to say hello.

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Can you spot who is in the background? Of course it was Mickey Mouse! He had just popped back out from off stage and was moving with a purpose towards City Hall which meant he had no line yet! Talk about good timing, right? I was so excited. I hung around after I got my photo with Mickey to try and get some solo shots of him in between kids which can be a tricky thing to do since it technically looks like you're taking photos of other peoples children. Which I most definitely don't do, but it can be a tricky line to walk if you want solo character photos which I absolutely love to have. But I also don't want anyone to think I'm some creep or to get in trouble or anything. Is there any rule stated somewhere that you can't take a photo if your family isn't with the character, lol. One of the CM's spoke up and asked me if I was with the family who was running up to see Mickey while I took a couple of quick photos over their heads, which is what I told her I was doing. No harm no foul and if anyone ever does give me grief about it I have children-free photos to show if necessary. But I never want to be in the way so I left after that seeing as I got the photos that I wanted.

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After seeing Mickey and Minnie I was content with my character photos for the time being which meant it was time to get a few more rides in. I was still trying to keep out of the sun so I meandered through the shops along Main Street once more, stopping to take photos every now and again of particular trees that I really adored. Just like the decorations that vary throughout the different Lands, the decorations in these shops all varied as well and I thought they tied in nicely to whatever they sold.

Like these that adorned a tree at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor ...

i finally remembered to get a photo or two of "penny"

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And what would be more fitting than these from the tree at Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner ...

... to be continued ...​

 

[DisneyStitch626]

A five minute wait it definitely was not, but I suppose they can't fit the word "walk on" in that little wait time display, can they? I did learn something new about POTC, something that (a) I didn't know was completely possible and (b) I feel rather idiotic for not noticing before, but at the very end of the ride when the pirates are shooting at one another I did not realize that the very last guy who aims his gun at you shoots water! How it is possible in all my years of experiencing this ride I did not notice this little fact just boggles my mind. And it was something I would learn first hand more than once over this 3-day span.

I just have to comment on this before I get any further. When I first went to DL in '96, I know there was a pirate at the end that shoots water, cause I got hit in the face with it! Then this time I thought they had taken that away, cause we didn't see it once, and we went on that ride 6 or 7 times I think.

 

[Belle Ella]

I just have to comment on this before I get any further. When I first went to DL in '96, I know there was a pirate at the end that shoots water, cause I got hit in the face with it! Then this time I thought they had taken that away, cause we didn't see it once, and we went on that ride 6 or 7 times I think.

So you learned the same way I did!! He's still there, it's definitely not a new pirate but I just never knew he shot water before.

 

[DisneyStitch626]

I'm kind of excited to find he is still there, cause I waited for it every time, but nothing. It must be a rare thing to happen and we both just got lucky! Lol

 

[Belle Ella]

You and me ... we're special

 

[kaoden39]

I love the tree from the Gibson Girl. The old fashioned ornaments are so beautiful.

 

[Belle Ella]

Isn't it?! I loved the color pallete most of all. It really made me want ice cream, even if that would have been a horrible idea for me.

 

[kaoden39]

Isn't it?! I loved the color pallete most of all. It really made me want ice cream, even if that would have been a horrible idea for me.

I so understand it though. And the Coca Cola Corner all of the reds? I love Coca Cola Corner and their chili bread bowls. Yummy.

 

[Belle Ella]

I so understand it though. And the Coca Cola Corner all of the reds? I love Coca Cola Corner and their chili bread bowls. Yummy.

Oh those are so yummy! I was tempted to get one right when I was done taking that photo, but in my next update you'll see why I didn't. I love them even more now that I can get the bread and chili separate so even once the chili is long gone I can munch on the bread bowl and carry it around with me.

 

[kaoden39]

Oh those are so yummy! I was tempted to get one right when I was done taking that photo, but in my next update you'll see why I didn't. I love them even more now that I can get the bread and chili separate so even once the chili is long gone I can munch on the bread bowl and carry it around with me.

I didn't know you could get it separate. Oh that is the way to go for sure.

 

[Belle Ella]

I didn't know you could get it separate. Oh that is the way to go for sure.

I didn't either until someone mentioned doing that here on the DIS. So I asked back in September and they did it for me! I got a lot of comments while I was walking around with an empty bread bowl in my hands on my way out of the Park that day. It was nice to munch on for my walk back to the HOJO.

 

[kaoden39]

I can bet that you got a few funny looks over that one indeed. I will have mine that way next time. It would be great to have the bread to pick at later.

 

[Belle Ella]

It may have looked funny, but it was the smartest thing I did all day!