CJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2001
- Messages
- 7,595
Day One
Background Info: DH and I have been very lucky this year as we got to go to WDW twice!! This trip, however, was our first Christmas trip. We had heard about how beautiful WDW is decorated and how fun all the Christmas festivities were at Christmas time, that we quickly discovered that our annual passes were burning a hole in our pockets!! The annual passes were just begging to be used again. Who were we to say no!!What the heck! We booked a mini 5 day trip for the end of Nov./beginning of December. We booked the All Star Sports Resort. Next came the waiting game. How was I going to get through 6 weeks of waiting??
Through the DIS boards of course!
Nov. 28th we had a 10:00am flight out of Pearson airport. Check in went very smoothly and the next thing we knew we're in sunny, COLD? Orlando! Yup! I was suddenly glad I hadn't worn shorts on the plane like I was tempted to do. It was a little cool but hey, I was on my way to Disney! We picked up our car at Hertz and decided to have lunch in Shoney's before venturing to WDW. It was the American Thanksgiving so we thought we may not get in, but sure enough we were seated immediately. For $9.99 we had all you can eat turkey, stuffing, potatoes and all the fixings you could ever want. What a great way to start the holiday!
We decided to forget about checking in for now and just go to MGM! What an absolute thrill being able to go to the parks on the day of arrival. Until this year, we had never had annual passes so this was a real treat! The tree in front of the park was beautiful! Little did I know that this was just the beginning of our "oohing and awing" over Christmas decorations!
We were expecting big crowds so we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to get into some shows and rides! We just missed the last showing of Beauty and the Beast (we love the preshow - Four For a Dollar) so we got a fast pass for rockin' rollercoaster and basically walked right on the movie ride. We really like this ride but agree that it could do with a little upgrading. We got the gangster side as always. Our guide was really getting into it. Next stop was the 3D muppet show. It's dh's favourite 3D show in Disney. I like it too but that preshow makes me laugh even more than the actual show itself!
We thought we'd try Tower of Terror and was pleasantly surprised with just a 30 minute wait. Part of the appeal of the ride is the reaction of your fellow riders. We sat next to a young couple in their twenties riding it for the first time. The woman couldn't stop screaming the whole time. It was priceless! At the end of the ride she said she was glad she did it, but she wouldn't do it again! The guy went to get a fast pass........for only himself.
The Osborne lights had officially started earlier this week so we were going to be able to see them tonight. I wondered if we could do Fantasmic and Osborne lights on the same night but CM's all said that we could. Yeah! We had a little more time before Osborne lights started, so we went to Sounds Dangerous. I guess we were starting to get tired from our travels of the day because we had difficulty staying awake for the show! That darkness is brutal when you're tired! After Drew Carey saved the day yet again, it was time for the Osborne lights! I had heard about the lights before we left, but seeing it is a completely different experience. WOW! The detail, the angels, the snow, the music........absolutely phenomenal! I wouldn't want my neighbourhood looking like that, but it was sure fun walking around WDW all lit up for Christmas. There were quite a few hidden mickey's (and a hidden minnie) in the big light display so we had lots of fun trying to find them. Dh thinks he found more than me.......but I think he may have had a little too much cocoa! I could have walked around longer but it was time to line up for Fantasmic. If you ever get a chance to go to MGM around Christmas time, I highly recommend it! It sure gets you into the Christmas spirit.
We quickly went on rockin' rollercoaster with our fast pass. That take-off still blows me away. My favourite Aerosmith song is, "Dude looks like a lady" so when that's blaring in your ear while you ride, all you see is a goofy grin on my face. Dh wants to videotape me all through the ride sometime and show it to our family and friends. I still think he's making it up - I'm sure I look quite dignified on the ride. There were two showings of Fantasmic today so we opted for the second one. We only waited for 20 minutes before the show! I couldn't believe it. Even by the time the show started, the theatre was only 3/4 full at best. I was very glad we opted for the second showing! How funny it was to sit in the theatre with our mittens and coats on. Just last September, we were soooo hot that we couldn't be outside for very long. What a difference a few months make! Fantasmic was terrific as always. For once we actually liked feeling the heat from the fire in the show!
By the end of the show, dh and I were wiped. We quickly left for the hotel and checked in with no problems. Tomorrow was early entry at Animal Kingdom and I was determined to make it! Dh had other ideas..... Who won? Stay tuned!
Background Info: DH and I have been very lucky this year as we got to go to WDW twice!! This trip, however, was our first Christmas trip. We had heard about how beautiful WDW is decorated and how fun all the Christmas festivities were at Christmas time, that we quickly discovered that our annual passes were burning a hole in our pockets!! The annual passes were just begging to be used again. Who were we to say no!!What the heck! We booked a mini 5 day trip for the end of Nov./beginning of December. We booked the All Star Sports Resort. Next came the waiting game. How was I going to get through 6 weeks of waiting??
Through the DIS boards of course!Nov. 28th we had a 10:00am flight out of Pearson airport. Check in went very smoothly and the next thing we knew we're in sunny, COLD? Orlando! Yup! I was suddenly glad I hadn't worn shorts on the plane like I was tempted to do. It was a little cool but hey, I was on my way to Disney! We picked up our car at Hertz and decided to have lunch in Shoney's before venturing to WDW. It was the American Thanksgiving so we thought we may not get in, but sure enough we were seated immediately. For $9.99 we had all you can eat turkey, stuffing, potatoes and all the fixings you could ever want. What a great way to start the holiday!
We decided to forget about checking in for now and just go to MGM! What an absolute thrill being able to go to the parks on the day of arrival. Until this year, we had never had annual passes so this was a real treat! The tree in front of the park was beautiful! Little did I know that this was just the beginning of our "oohing and awing" over Christmas decorations!
We were expecting big crowds so we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to get into some shows and rides! We just missed the last showing of Beauty and the Beast (we love the preshow - Four For a Dollar) so we got a fast pass for rockin' rollercoaster and basically walked right on the movie ride. We really like this ride but agree that it could do with a little upgrading. We got the gangster side as always. Our guide was really getting into it. Next stop was the 3D muppet show. It's dh's favourite 3D show in Disney. I like it too but that preshow makes me laugh even more than the actual show itself!
We thought we'd try Tower of Terror and was pleasantly surprised with just a 30 minute wait. Part of the appeal of the ride is the reaction of your fellow riders. We sat next to a young couple in their twenties riding it for the first time. The woman couldn't stop screaming the whole time. It was priceless! At the end of the ride she said she was glad she did it, but she wouldn't do it again! The guy went to get a fast pass........for only himself.
The Osborne lights had officially started earlier this week so we were going to be able to see them tonight. I wondered if we could do Fantasmic and Osborne lights on the same night but CM's all said that we could. Yeah! We had a little more time before Osborne lights started, so we went to Sounds Dangerous. I guess we were starting to get tired from our travels of the day because we had difficulty staying awake for the show! That darkness is brutal when you're tired! After Drew Carey saved the day yet again, it was time for the Osborne lights! I had heard about the lights before we left, but seeing it is a completely different experience. WOW! The detail, the angels, the snow, the music........absolutely phenomenal! I wouldn't want my neighbourhood looking like that, but it was sure fun walking around WDW all lit up for Christmas. There were quite a few hidden mickey's (and a hidden minnie) in the big light display so we had lots of fun trying to find them. Dh thinks he found more than me.......but I think he may have had a little too much cocoa!
I could have walked around longer but it was time to line up for Fantasmic. If you ever get a chance to go to MGM around Christmas time, I highly recommend it! It sure gets you into the Christmas spirit.We quickly went on rockin' rollercoaster with our fast pass. That take-off still blows me away. My favourite Aerosmith song is, "Dude looks like a lady" so when that's blaring in your ear while you ride, all you see is a goofy grin on my face. Dh wants to videotape me all through the ride sometime and show it to our family and friends. I still think he's making it up - I'm sure I look quite dignified on the ride.
There were two showings of Fantasmic today so we opted for the second one. We only waited for 20 minutes before the show! I couldn't believe it. Even by the time the show started, the theatre was only 3/4 full at best. I was very glad we opted for the second showing! How funny it was to sit in the theatre with our mittens and coats on. Just last September, we were soooo hot that we couldn't be outside for very long. What a difference a few months make! Fantasmic was terrific as always. For once we actually liked feeling the heat from the fire in the show! By the end of the show, dh and I were wiped. We quickly left for the hotel and checked in with no problems. Tomorrow was early entry at Animal Kingdom and I was determined to make it! Dh had other ideas..... Who won? Stay tuned!
Enjoying your report! Can't wait to read more.
