From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[Flossbolna]

I am glad you enjoyed your calendar!

I think it is so interesting to hear about American Christmas traditions - and I realize that there is quite a bit of German influence in it. I know a few people from the UK, I even had an English boyfriend for some time. So I got to know a lot about English Christmas traditions which are very different from ours. And I realize especially from Rosie's posts that the American Christmas is not just a "copy" of the English Christmas, but really has incorporated quite a few other influences as well. I guess this is one of the things where the "melting pot" really can be seen.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hello "A Sisters' Expedition" trip report readers. A little while ago I was fortunate enough to correctly guess the next resort that our intrepid travelers, Magdalene and Katharina, would visit on their trip and I earned a prize. Well, it arrived from Germany a few days ago and I thought that all of you would like to see what I received.

It's an Advent calendar (and Christmas card in one ), to count down the days leading up to Christmas eve.

That is really cool! Actually, just getting mail from people in Germany is cool.

 

[vamassey1]

Congrats on DVC again!

It makes all the difference when you become official and have your name in the database.

Wonderful Advent calander. I did this for my two older kids many years ago. Poor Danielle has never has one and now she's a bit old for it.

The USA is such a melting pot. You will even find different customs done in different areas of the country depending on where the people orginated from. I don't think anyone else has bonfires on Christams Eve like we do down in southern Louisiana. http://http://www.stjamesparish.com/local/localinfo/BONFIRES/Bonfir1.htm

 

[marvali]

Cool advent calendar! If I had known the prizes were so wonderful here, I would have put a little more time into making my guess! I think I spend too much time on the "Who's Line Is It Anyway" threads, where the points don't matter.........

 

[glennbo123]

Cool advent calendar! If I had known the prizes were so wonderful here, I would have put a little more time into making my guess! I think I spend too much time on the "Who's Line Is It Anyway" threads, where the points don't matter.........

And counting Judy's.

 

[Flossbolna]

Great news! I'll dance along to!

More reasons for dancing coming up soon!!

If I everstrayed from Pop POFQ would be where I'd go!!!!Does anyone know of you have to stay at AKL for the Tours ???

You don't have to stay at AKL to do any of the tours! Just show up at the time it starts, you can even call the AKL front desk to verify the time.

with you too!!!

One comment about your earlier DVC question, make sure you understand the holding account process if you go the wait list route. If you get inside 30 days (31 maybe) and stay on the wait list, and it doesn't come through, those points will go into holding and you can't bank them.....you will have to use them before the end of that use year. Just keep that in mind, since it is a little more difficult for you to make a return trip normally.

Agree, most of my initial time on here was in the DVC threads also. Lots of very helpful people there.

Thanks for dancing along! And thanks for the holding account warning. Fortunately it looks like no waitlist for me at the moment, more on that in a second. Just to understand that correctly: if I waitlist, will I have to use my points to do that? I thought they would just use the points I used to book my first vacation with to book the waitlist? For example, I have booked one week in a studio (let's say preferred view) at the BWV, but would rather want to have the same days but in a Boardwalk view studio. If I then waitlisted for the Boardwalk view, wouldn't they just transfer the points from my preferred view reservation over to this? Of course, if I waitlisted for a standard view which is less points, those points from my preferred view reservations which are not needed for the standard view would then go into the holding account if the waitlist came through within that 30 days window?

The DVC boards are really helpful to a new owner, I read a lot there which helps me understand the ins and outs of my club membership!

I am finally caught up again. Congrats on your DVC membership! We have become very spoiled with our membership, esp. having access to free laundry.

We took the culinary tour at AKL our last trip. I think it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Great to see you posting again! And thanks for the congratulations. Actually, the free laundry was quite a selling point for me as well. Especially for longer trips which just make much more sense for me due to costs of flights from Europe, this will come in very handy!

Hooray for DVC!!

Thanks!!

 

[Flossbolna]

OOOOOOOHHHHHH I love German avent calendars. I used to get one ( with chocolate) every year and I now get them for my kids who are outgrowing them but they humor me.

I used to search high and low and even order them on line but now our local grocery store carries them.

Congrats Glenn!!!!!

How interesting that the advent calendar seems a new fashion in the US. Here in Germany many people complain that our traditions become more and more "Americanized" due to the influence of movies and TV. So its interesting to hear that the globalization of traditions also works the other way around!

Oh, and I still got an advent calendar from my parents as every year. But I always got the kind without the chocolate... My mother did not approve of the chocolate ones...

I will banana dance DVC for you Magadalene

Thanks!

Thanks Glen! I won an Advent calendar too! Mine has pretty glitter on it and is now sitting on top of my fireplace mantel! Thank you again Magdalene!

You are welcome, Wendy! I think all three calendars had glitter on them... I guess it did not come out in the picture or it has lost all glitter in the mail??

Those are really, really cool!!! I will take a picture of the 2 Advent Calendars we have in our home(s) and post them. One is made by a Kyrgyz woman out of felt, and has little pockets for putting in little treats or candies or such for the kids to find on each of the 25 days. Another is one I crossstitched as the very first gift I made for my in-laws- even before we were married. I love them both, and think in general they are such a neat thing to use in reminding us of the season's anticipation.

Please, post a picture of both of them! Here in Germany lots of families also have the kind that can be refilled every year like yours!

My family actually also has an "advent house" which is a small house with 24windows which can be closed with window shutters. Behind the window shutters there are little pictures on see through paper and you can place a candle inside the little house. So every evening we would light the candles on the advent wreath, sing some advent songs and open another window on the advent house when Katharina and I were kids.

We never had the Advent Calendars in England but I did use to get them for Judy as a child and they were hard to find !!Now they are everywhere .. soo the custom is obviously popular!!I did not realise they were of German origin so again Thank you Magdalena !!

You see, my English friends in the 90s did not know about advent calendars either...

That is really cool! Actually, just getting mail from people in Germany is cool.

You just need to PM me your adress and I will happily send you a postcard!

Congrats on DVC again!

It makes all the difference when you become official and have your name in the database.

Wonderful Advent calander. I did this for my two older kids many years ago. Poor Danielle has never has one and now she's a bit old for it.

The USA is such a melting pot. You will even find different customs done in different areas of the country depending on where the people orginated from. I don't think anyone else has bonfires on Christams Eve like we do down in southern Louisiana. http://http://www.stjamesparish.com/local/localinfo/BONFIRES/Bonfir1.htm

Thanks for the congratulations! it even feels much more real now, I will soon post about this...

That's interesting about the bonfires. It reminds me that Christmas is right around the time of the winter solstice which used to be a big thing before Christianity. Here in Germany summer solstice is still celebrated as St John's day with bonfires.

Cool advent calendar! If I had known the prizes were so wonderful here, I would have put a little more time into making my guess! I think I spend too much time on the "Who's Line Is It Anyway" threads, where the points don't matter.........

To be honest, this was a competition which could not be won without a share of luck. I said that it was one of the resorts which we thought about staying at. And this was true about WL, CSR and POFQ. So it was just pure luck which one you picked...

And counting Judy's.

or researching letters, but I have the strong feeling that on Liesa's thread the points actually count!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Cool advent calendar! If I had known the prizes were so wonderful here, I would have put a little more time into making my guess! I think I spend too much time on the "Who's Line Is It Anyway" threads, where the points don't matter.........

I resemble that remark.

 

[nodnol]

There actually is a kind of movie reference in Magdalene's last post....

 

[Flossbolna]

After another hiccup, I was finally able to get my membership number and then proceeded to book my first trip "home"!

So the details of the new trip are:

October 26 to November 11 (16 nights!)
at the Boardwalk Villas in a Boardwalk View Studio

Katharina might come along for part of the trip, we are thinking about November 2-11 (9 nights), so we can celebrate my 40th birthday on November 6 together and then fly home together. But this still depends on how she will be able to take time off next year. Her job is a bit seasonal and she ought to take her vacation during the quiet time in the summer...

I am also thinking about spending that first week when I will be solo at a different resort, possibly AKV Jambo which I love, but I am also thinking about BLT (would be able to see Hallowishes from the Top of the World Lounge nearly daily!).

One thing I really want to do on that trip: attend the special parties at the MK. The way the trip is timed, I should be able to catch one of the last MNSSHP as well as one of the first MVMCP.

It still does not feel that official to me, mainly because I haven't booked a flight yet. I will most likely do that at some point soon. I really know that I want to fly Lufthansa again like last year and there isn't any point waiting around for a long time in the hope of paying slightly less, but being in danger of prices only going up and not down...

The good news is that I will be able to start a PTR once this TR is finished! I guess Katharina and my DLP trip will be part of that PTR then as well! BTW, another reason to celebrate: the DLP trip is only 101 days away now! Our Sleeping Beauty has already moved quite a bit in our ticker!!

 

[lovealldisney]

Yeah!!! Glad everything went through for you Magdalene! Oh I wish I could come and celebrate with you on your 40th! Can't wait for the PTR! And your DLP trip!!!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

How exciting you have your first DVC stay all booked! And such a nice long trip.

The Advent calendar is just like the ones we have always used - we had them growing up, then my children had them and this year we began the tradition for Sophia. It is getting more difficult to find the German ones here (perhaps because we no longer live in an international city), but I was able after some searching, to order one on line. Think I may go back and order a few more to have for the next few years to be safe.

I often bought the Advent Calendars in the Germany Pavilion at EPCOT, but could not find any this year. The Pavilion had changed so much since my last visit in 2008 - am not too fond of the new arrangement, but perhaps it is still in transition. Other than the caramel shop, the other shops had very little to offer. I could not find a M.I. Hummel angel - was going to buy a special one this year. Not a collector, but after my son died, I saw 2 angels at the convent of German nuns who are friends - Sisters of St. Rita were founded in Wuerzburg (Würzburg? Which is correct?) and still have the Motherhouse there. As always, I digress...sorry!

Looking forward to the new PTR!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Yeah!!! Glad everything went through for you Magdalene! Oh I wish I could come and celebrate with you on your 40th! Can't wait for the PTR! And your DLP trip!!!

Thanks Wendy!! Before the PTR there will still be some great stories to share of the 2010 trip! I hope to post the next update tonight or tomorrow...

How exciting you have your first DVC stay all booked! And such a nice long trip.

The Advent calendar is just like the ones we have always used - we had them growing up, then my children had them and this year we began the tradition for Sophia. It is getting more difficult to find the German ones here (perhaps because we no longer live in an international city), but I was able after some searching, to order one on line. Think I may go back and order a few more to have for the next few years to be safe.

I often bought the Advent Calendars in the Germany Pavilion at EPCOT, but could not find any this year. The Pavillion had changed so much since my last visit in 2008 - am not too fond of the new arrangement, but perhaps it is still in transition. Other than the caramel shop, the other shops had very little to offer. I could not find a M.I. Hummel angel - was going to buy a special one this year. Not a collector, but after my son died, I saw 2 angels at the convent of German nuns who are friends - Sisters of St. Rita were founded in Wuerzburg (Würzburg? Which is correct?) and still have the Motherhouse there. As always, I digress...sorry!

How interesting that you used to able to buy German advent calendars! I am a bit sad about the German pavillion as well, but the thing I don't like is the caramel shop. It has nearly nothing to do with Germany (only the fact that the sponsor, Werther, really is a well known German brand). All the treats you can get there, you won't be able to buy in Germany at all. Ask any German and they will tell you that these are things they associate with the US...

Sorry about the Hummel angel (btw, did you know that "Hummel" in this sense is a name, but it is also the German word for bumble bee?). I think I read something that the original manufacturer stopped making them because they aren't very popular anymore. But I think some new company bought the copyrights and started producing them again.

And Wuerzburg and Würzburg are both correct. It would be normally spelled Würzburg, but if you have a keyboard which does not have the ü-key, you can use ue instead of ü! I haven't heard of the convent, but Würzburg is a very catholic town, so I can well imagine that there is a motherhouse to a nun convent. Würzburg has a very fancy residence of the bishop, I think Wendy (lovealldisney) visited it during her trip to Germany.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

How interesting that you used to able to buy German advent calendars! I am a bit sad about the German pavilion as well, but the thing I don't like is the caramel shop. It has nearly nothing to do with Germany (only the fact that the sponsor, Werther, really is a well known German brand). All the treats you can get there, you won't be able to buy in Germany at all. Ask any German and they will tell you that these are things they associate with the US...

Sorry about the Hummel angel (btw, did you know that "Hummel" in this sense is a name, but it is also the German word for bumble bee?). I think I read something that the original manufacturer stopped making them because they aren't very popular anymore. But I think some new company bought the copyrights and started producing them again.

And Wuerzburg and Würzburg are both correct. It would be normally spelled Würzburg, but if you have a keyboard which does not have the ü-key, you can use ue instead of ü! I haven't heard of the convent, but Würzburg is a very catholic town, so I can well imagine that there is a motherhouse to a nun convent. Würzburg has a very fancy residence of the bishop, I think Wendy (lovealldisney) visited it during her trip to Germany.

I am relieved to read you were not fond of the caramel shop either - it seemed very American to me, so guess I was not far off in that judgement! Hoping the pavilions are not becoming Americanized.

How interesting! Hummel as a word is bumble bee!

Hope the Geobel Co was not sold. I did a quick search and could not find any information, but did read, "she left a collection of drawings that are still used to this very day by Goebel to produce new figurines. The Convent of Siessen works with the Goebel company to make sure that each new creation is kept true to Sister Hummel's original vision." It would be sad if this was lost.

Thank you for the explanation of Wuerzburg spelling - as you mentioned, we do not have the correct keyboard here, but I had remembered seeing Würzburg on maps.

Looking forward to some more stories!

 

[lovealldisney]

Thanks Wendy!! Before the PTR there will still be some great stories to share of the 2010 trip! I hope to post the next update tonight or tomorrow...

Yeah for an update!

And Wuerzburg and Würzburg are both correct. It would be normally spelled Würzburg, but if you have a keyboard which does not have the ü-key, you can use ue instead of ü! I haven't heard of the convent, but Würzburg is a very catholic town, so I can well imagine that there is a motherhouse to a nun convent. Würzburg has a very fancy residence of the bishop, I think Wendy (lovealldisney) visited it during her trip to Germany.

Yup we went to the Wurzburg Residence! It was gorgeous! Here are some pictures.

 

[marvali]

My family actually also has an "advent house" which is a small house with 24windows which can be closed with window shutters. Behind the window shutters there are little pictures on see through paper and you can place a candle inside the little house. So every evening we would light the candles on the advent wreath, sing some advent songs and open another window on the advent house when Katharina and I were kids.

What a cool tradition! We never had much involvement with Advent until recently. I wonder if it is more of a Catholic tradition???

So it was just pure luck which one you picked...

So bad luck in my case, dumb luck in Glenn's???

or researching letters, but I have the strong feeling that on Liesa's thread the points actually count!

Yes, but rewards from Liesa can sometimes be a risky proposition (whips, camel poo,.....)

I resemble that remark.

Jurassic Park....

After another hiccup, I was finally able to get my membership number and then proceeded to book my first trip "home"!

Hooray for booking your first DVC trip!!!

The good news is that I will be able to start a PTR once this TR is finished! I guess Katharina and my DLP trip will be part of that PTR then as well! BTW, another reason to celebrate: the DLP trip is only 101 days away now! Our Sleeping Beauty has already moved quite a bit in our ticker!!

Hooray for a new PTR AND being so close to the double digit dance!!!

 

[vamassey1]

Oh boy another trip booked! We'll have lots to read now. How exciting to be there for both the Halloween and Christmas celebrations. I'm sure you'll be there when lots of other Diser are there. Just think of all the meets.

 

[glennbo123]

Congratulations on your first DVC reservation! That is exciting! I'm glad that Katharina may be able to come along for part of the time.

To be honest, this was a competition which could not be won without a share of luck. I said that it was one of the resorts which we thought about staying at. And this was true about WL, CSR and POFQ. So it was just pure luck which one you picked...

I narrowed it down to these 3 based on your PTR comments, but I knew you had recently had dinner at Whispering Canyon, so eliminated that one. I was torn between CSR and POFQ, but luckily went with POFQ.

So bad luck in my case, dumb luck in Glenn's???

I'd call it an educated guess, having narrowed it down to only 2 resorts.

 

[podsnel]

I am soooo excited for you- the first DVC reservation is the BEST! But, I have to tell you, all the rest of them you will make will be exciting, too! I booked our Novemeber trip today as well, and I still am thrilled every time I call Member Services. Looking forward to seeing you across the lake- we'll be at BCV!

 

[jenbear123]

What exciting news!!! Such perfect dates too. As you mentioned, you'll be there for the end of Halloween and for the beginning of Christmas decorations. I would love that! When I was there this year in October, when we were leaving on the 28th, they were already bringing out the Christmas stuff. I was so sad we didn't get to see the castle lit up in all those pretty lights. But you will!