From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[glennbo123]

Wow! I loved the market pictures Magdalene! Thanks for posting them.

Katharina, you look great in your dirndl! Thank you!

 

[If U Had Wings]

I can't believe how far behind I had fallen! I'm glad to hear that you had a great holiday. I've really loved all your updates, and the pictures of Munich. Beautiful!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Magdelene, I loved the pictures of the Christkindlemarkt. We have one in Chicago. I wandered around for hours Christmas Eve while waiting for my daughter to finish dancing her part in the Nutcracker. I was amazed at how similar the one here was to yours. I enjoyed a Brat and some fried potatoes and thought of how much my dad would have enjoyed the atmosphere. Thank you for posting your pictures.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Did you ask your mother about the nativity? Are those common in the US? I think here most families have one, traditionally it would be placed underneath the Christmas tree.

I haven't asked my Mom - I'm going to shoot her an email now so I don't forget! I just assumed nativity scenes were common here...we always had one, and I was given one by my Grandma - but perhaps it stretches back to our German roots? Churches almost always have one set up either inside or out, but not sure about homes...

 

[Flossbolna]

Guten Tag Magdalene.Wie gehts?

Hallo Rosie, danke mir geht's gut!

I am impressed by your German!

I'm using the iPad and i am having trouble quoting, but I'm referring back to the Christmas prymarid. Thank you for the name.

My Moms is a little one too, but very cute. It is simple and just has four or five little people in it. Not sure if its supposed to represent anything? . I really likes yours being the nativity scene!

Your Moms is beautiful! I had no idea they sold such big ones! Very, very pretty.

I would love to see a picture of your Mom's! Perhaps Katharina and I would even know what kind of little people there are in it.

I love the marketplace pictures! They're wonderful! And I especially love the little plum dolls and wooden ornaments. If I were there, I'd bought dozens of things!

Katharina, you look so lovely in your dirndl dress. (Is it pronounced as it's written then?) Your tree is very adorable. I must have bad eyesight though since I can't see a hidden Mickey anywhere! Where is it? And I agree with Brook, the windows of your apartment are beautiful. Do they look down onto the street below? The building across is gorgeous!

Ok, I had no idea that it was called a Christmas pyramid. I've seen them before and have always wanted one! Your mother's is beautiful and the other one is amazing! It's so big, larger than any one I've ever seen!

Thank you both, ladies (or should I say sisters) for a glimpse into a German Christmas! I love it! Germany is on my list of places that I want to travel to!

And have a Happy New Year as well! Isn't it hard to believe that 2010 is nearly over?

I am glad that you found so much in the pictures what you would enjoy! The Mickey is a real christmas ornament hanging in the tree, a real figure, not the typical hidden Mickey!

Thanks for the Christmas pictures! I'm fascinated looking through all of them.

I am glad that you enjoyed them, it was fun walking around there and being a tourist in my hometown!

 

[Flossbolna]

Wow! I loved the market pictures Magdalene! Thanks for posting them.

Katharina, you look great in your dirndl! Thank you!

I am so happy that I got that update up before Christmas, it really would not make much sense now anymore...

I can't believe how far behind I had fallen! I'm glad to hear that you had a great holiday. I've really loved all your updates, and the pictures of Munich. Beautiful!

Thanks! I know what you mean about falling behind, I did just that in the weeks before Christmas as well!

Magdelene, I loved the pictures of the Christkindlemarkt. We have one in Chicago. I wandered around for hours Christmas Eve while waiting for my daughter to finish dancing her part in the Nutcracker. I was amazed at how similar the one here was to yours. I enjoyed a Brat and some fried potatoes and thought of how much my dad would have enjoyed the atmosphere. Thank you for posting your pictures.

Oh, you went to the Chicago market! It actually has a real partnership with the Nuremberg market and that's why they look so much alike! Even the Christkind (and angelic like figure, but the name means baby Jesus, more info here) from Nuremberg travels there to open the market in Chicago. Nuremberg is actually twinned with Atlanta, GA, but for some reason Chicago started this project and now has this market. The press here in Nuremberg reports about the Chicago market quite a bit, they are rather proud that their market is such a success abroad as well.

I haven't asked my Mom - I'm going to shoot her an email now so I don't forget! I just assumed nativity scenes were common here...we always had one, and I was given one by my Grandma - but perhaps it stretches back to our German roots? Churches almost always have one set up either inside or out, but not sure about homes...

Churches have nativities here as well!

 

[Flossbolna]

Happy New Year to everyone!!​

I know Christmas has been a long time ago, but I wanted to share one picture of my Christmas tree as well, it has three hidden Mickeys in it!

I really hope that I will finish this TR soon since it is about a trip that was LAST year!

But the next few days I will be away - in Berlin, visiting my sister Katharina and hopefully spend some time with her planning our DLP trip for March. WE have decided to stay with Newport Bay Club, we just love the decor so much more and will just keep our fingers crossed for a not too run down room!

Then, directly after Berlin I will meet Cynthia (eandesmom) in Nuremberg! This is the third DISmeet here in my hometown within less than half a year! I never expected to meet so many of you without travelling to WDW! It is a fantastic treat and I am really looking forward to the dinner we are planning to have together as well as with her family! She is coming to visit her brother and sister-in-law (who live close to Nuremberg) together with her parents for the christening of her niece and future god-child! I am very excited about this DISmeet!

But I am not longer going to keep you with these boring details, here comes the next real update!!

 

[Flossbolna]

After lunch we continued to tour DHS for a bit. We had to return to the Muppet gift shop for which we had not had any time before lunch. It really is a fun shop, there are so many funny props around.

However, we did not find any Muppet merchandise which was worth buying.

We then continued on to Star Tours. Star Tours used to be one of our most favourite Disney rides. At DL in 1992 we were just blown away by it and were a bit sad that at DLP it is in French. So while it is the same ride, we did not understand the jokes. I was really excited for Katharina to finally experience it in English again. Unfortunately it is showing is age... It is still a fun ride, but no longer has the same wow-factor. I am really looking forward to the new update!!

We kind of wandered around a bit:

Had a look inside Backlot Express and admired the theming there:

And then slowly made our way out of the park via this landmark:

And then of course had to meet the Photopass photographer before we left:

That was the picture he took my camera and then he continued with his:

And then got a bit more creative:

Even though that day was so wet, we really got some of the best pictures of the two of us on that day! Those umbrellas were great props for picture taking! And I think by then we had gotten into the mood of taking silly pictures!

We are still fans of the afternoon break and even though the park was not crowded, we wanted a break and we also had to change for dinner. So around 2 pm we left for some downtime at AKL and had really great bus karma.

Finally we had our original mousekeeper back! She was really lovely (I spoke to her on the hall a few times) and she was doing a very good job! Our room was ready and we had another towel “animal” - well, it isn't really an animal, but a tie...

But we used the time to check out the animals outside our balcony once more:

We got some drinks in our mugs and I went down for quick dip in the hot tub! It was still not really warm, but the hot tub was lovely. I was really glad that this was not affected by the pool closure, but it was rather strange to walk past the walled off pool...

Around 4:30 pm we returned to DHS, once again, the bus worked great. The only really odd thing about the DHS busses was that they stopped at Blizzard Beach even though that was closed for refurbishment while we were there. This always added a few minutes on every trip....

When we arrived at DHS the weather had finally cleared up again and it turned out to be a very nice evening!

You see we were in very celebratory mood!!

We watched some streetmosphere characters, the Hollywood Works guys. They are hilarious! These were the first ever streetmosphere characters I saw in 2004 and which made not want to leave the park for an afternoon break that day! They are the reason that DHS is sometimes my favourite park (it changes depending on my mood!).

Continued in Part 2

 

[Flossbolna]

This was around the time that Katharina realized that her pay-as-you-go phone was getting low. We had gotten SIM-cards from an US provider to use in our German phones to avoid high roaming fees and so far that had worked out very well, because Katharina could use it to talk to her DH wherever she was and did not have to be back in the hotel at certain times for him to call her on the landline. But since it was her birthday on the next day, she wanted to be prepared to be able to accept calls from her DH and our parents. So she decided to start the process, which included her DH ordering more credit via the internet....

This nearly spoiled our evening, which was partly my fault because I never planned on using the phone so much and therefor buying new credit. So neither me nor DH were prepared what to do. As this process is really easy in Germany and Czech Republic, where you can buy credit at nearly every shop, I didn't expect it to be so complicated...

We then ventured back into the Animation Building, I think we were thinking we might want to meet the characters from Up! But there line was just too long. There were so many people inside, but also millions of characters!! The Queen of Hearts was running around and was very unfriendly to everyone, nearly not letting people taking pictures with her! Since Katharina was on camera duty that afternoon, I approached her, curtsied and addressed her with “Her Royal Highness” - I got the impression that she was quite pleased with my manners and graciously agreed to have her picture taken with me:

We then walked over to the Streets of America in the sunshine:

We were quite amused by this bottle which was sending cold water out.

When we walked back towards Toy Story Mania, we came across this interesting wall:

And we finally realized why the line was so difficult to get into earlier in the day for the Monster Inc. Meet & Greet: This was the official entrance!! But of course nobody used it since it was pouring down outside while we were in there.

We also finally were able to meet Lightning McQueen and Mater:

Next it was finally time to use our last TSM fastpass and Katharina was very happy: She beat me this time!

After TSM Katharina got a text message on her mobile giving her instructions about how to activate her new credit. I think we did not understand that message because she ended up calling the help line of that phone company and than spoke to a lady which she couldn't understand – she passed the phone on to me and I have at least a bit more experience in talking to people in call centers, but this lady had a very strong accent! Not foreign, but I nearly did not understand her at all!! I am not really sure what the outcome was, but the whole thing made Katharina so agitated that she really did not want to go on any more rides. I am not sure wether we solved the issue, but I remember that Katharina was really sad that things went so wrong...

I don't remember all the details, but somewhow it was necessary in order to activate the credit to call from the number, it was credited to. But by that time I had no credit at all and couldn't call and then she said that in this case the owner of the credit card who paid for the credit has to call, but that of cours would have to be a male voice.... Well, somehow we managed it all, or better said, my DH managed it all somhow from Germany, I think by buying once more some credit for me and doing all the necessary steps by himself, quite late at night for him as well. This was a very sweet first birthday treat for me by him.

We did look at the shops a bit more and enjoyed the evening atmosphere at DHS. We also got one last photopass pic of the day:

And then it was time to take the bus to our dinner location.

Next: Chapter 29: I Really Love Buffalo

 

[glennbo123]

This chapter has your best Photopass pictures yet! I can't decide which one I like best...they're all good.

Sorry Katharina that you had such a hard time getting your phone credit activated. But I'm glad that the weather was much more kind to you during the evening than it had been during the day. It looks like you had a nice evening at DHS.

Up next: Chapter 29: I really love buffalo!

I didn't know you were so fond of New York state's second largest city.

 

[All7OfUs]

Yippee! An update!! You've been a busy DISer today- do you have the off, or is it slow at work?

I love your photos of the Streets of America. The one with the sun shining on the tops of the building was really nice. So, why did you not pose with #1?? She's one of my favorites!!

How utterly frustrating to have phone problems while there! And even MORE frustrating that the phone call center has people that were so hard for you to understand! Something that should be so easy, clearly was not. I"m so glad Remy was willing to go the extra mile to keep you able to keep in touch.

Isn't the umbrella shot fun?? You two are adorable in it! But I think I like the kiss blowing one more. Afterall, you 2 were stars while in DHS!

Your interaction with the Queen of Hearts was hilarious! Perfect for luring her into a photo- and a great one too.

I never noticed the name of that shop- It's a Wonderful Shop. cute!

 

[Flossbolna]

This chapter has your best Photopass pictures yet! I can't decide which one I like best...they're all good.

The next day has some pretty good ones as well! Katharina and I made copies of some for our parents for Christmas. I am not sure they are going to use them for anything (we aren't a family who has lots of pictures standing around), but I think they found them amusing!

Sorry Katharina that you had such a hard time getting your phone credit activated. But I'm glad that the weather was much more kind to you during the evening than it had been during the day. It looks like you had a nice evening at DHS.

The weather in the evening was starting to be really nice and also had a better outlook for the next days as well!

I didn't know you were so fond of New York state's second largest city.

You scared me there. So possibly the correct term might be bison, but according to Wiki this is the colloquial term and in this spelling!

Yippee! An update!! You've been a busy DISer today- do you have the off, or is it slow at work?

My boss had a bottle of sparkling wine today at work which my unit had after lunch... So from 2 to 4 there was not much sense in doing actual work... And now it is already a leisurely evening back home... But I really wanted this thread in good shape before I am away in Berlin. Even though I hopt to have access to the DIS via Katharina's computer if necessary.

I love your photos of the Streets of America. The one with the sun shining on the tops of the building was really nice. So, why did you not pose with #1?? She's one of my favorites!!

Who is #1?? I love DHS in the late evening sun! The colours look so beautiful everywhere. And it was still not crowded at all!

How utterly frustrating to have phone problems while there! And even MORE frustrating that the phone call center has people that were so hard for you to understand! Something that should be so easy, clearly was not. I"m so glad Remy was willing to go the extra mile to keep you able to keep in touch.

It was really quite annoying. It was so sad to see Katharina so upset! But everything turned out fine!

Isn't the umbrella shot fun?? You two are adorable in it! But I think I like the kiss blowing one more. Afterall, you 2 were stars while in DHS!

I love it when the PP photographers take the time and let you pose in different ways. Especially at DHS they seem to do a lot of the star poses!

Your interaction with the Queen of Hearts was hilarious! Perfect for luring her into a photo- and a great one too.

She was fun to watch, running around and treating people badly! I am sure that for the person who is a "friend" of her, it is a real treat to be the only person who acts Disneylike when she is unfriendly to the guests!

I think I got much more creative with my character interaction thanks to reading other TRs and what other people do and say. For example how sensitive Donald is about anything Mickey...

I never noticed the name of that shop- It's a Wonderful Shop. cute!

Oh, I think nothing in Disney has a name without a story!

 

[All7OfUs]

#1 is Roz's other name the CDA guys call her near the end of the movie.

 

[Poolrat]

When we walked back towards Toy Story Mania, we came across this interesting wall:

And we finally realized why the line was so difficult to get into earlier in the day for the Monster Inc. Meet & Greet: This was the official entrance!! But of course nobody used it since it was pouring down outside while we were in there.

I never that wall existed!!!!! Another perfect excuse for another trip.
When I find it I must have a picture with Roz.


How frustrating to have to deal with the phone. I hate when things that should be easy to do end up being a chore.


What a great way to interact with the Queen.

In the end it seemed like a nice end to what started out as a rainy day.

 

[Flossbolna]

#1 is Roz's other name the CDA guys call her near the end of the movie.

Yes, now I remember it! It never occured to me to take a pic with her, but you are right, that's a good photo op!

I never that wall existed!!!!! Another perfect excuse for another trip.
When I find it I must have a picture with Roz.


How frustrating to have to deal with the phone. I hate when things that should be easy to do end up being a chore.


What a great way to interact with the Queen.

In the end it seemed like a nice end to what started out as a rainy day.

Isn't it great when we find out about new things at WDW! I had never noticed that wall either before this trip.

The phone incident was not magical and I was really sorry for Katharina, but when I wrote this update I realized that for me this was one of my favourite days of the trip. It seemed like we finally had gotten into the vacation mood and were just enjoying being there! That's why I love my longer WDW trips, if we had done a 7 nights trip, this would have been our last park day!!

 

[PNO4TE]

I am enjoying all your updates, Katharina and Magdalene! Thanks for continuing with your TR.

 

[glennbo123]

You scared me there. So possibly the correct term might be bison, but according to Wiki this is the colloquial term and in this spelling!

No, you used it correctly. Especially being not capitalized, I knew what you meant. But growing up where I did, upon reading that sentence, the city jumps to mind as well as the animal (for me anyway).

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I have to agree with Glenn--the Photopass pictures are terrific! You two really packed a lot into this visit.

Love the little details in this report. Your approach to the Queen of Hearts is brilliant. And I've never, ever seen that door to the Monsters Inc greeting area. Amazing how you can find something new on every visit.

Sorry about your sister's struggles with the phone company. This clearly violates the First Law of Disney, which clearly states that the Real World must never intrude.

 

[If U Had Wings]

The two of you got some really great photopass pictures. I love just embracing the moment at Disney, and playing along with the silliness. So much fun!

 

[lovealldisney]

:




Did you notice that the lables are in English?

No I didn't!


They are hand carved that's why they are so expensive. I think many people start their nativity scene with just the essentials and then buy new figures every year to add to it. It is also something that is passed along from one generation to the next.

They were so beautiful! Now I wish I would have bought it! There is always next time!


Yes, I thought that this update might have such an effect! Did your daughter take any pictures at the Chicago market? Since it has a partnership with the Nuremberg market, it would be interesting to compare!

I was going to give her my camera to take pictures but she took her's and didn't take a single picture! She thought I wanted pictures of Chicago itself! Next year I'll plan on going!

Happy New Year to everyone!!​

I know Christmas has been a long time ago, but I wanted to share one picture of my Christmas tree as well, it has three hidden Mickeys in it!

I really hope that I will finish this TR soon since it is about a trip that was LAST year!

But the next few days I will be away - in Berlin, visiting my sister Katharina and hopefully spend some time with her planning our DLP trip for March. WE have decided to stay with Newport Bay Club, we just love the decor so much more and will just keep our fingers crossed for a not too run down room!

Then, directly after Berlin I will meet Cynthia (eandesmom) in Nuremberg! This is the third DISmeet here in my hometown within less than half a year! I never expected to meet so many of you without travelling to WDW! It is a fantastic treat and I am really looking forward to the dinner we are planning to have together as well as with her family! She is coming to visit her brother and sister-in-law (who live close to Nuremberg) together with her parents for the christening of her niece and future god-child! I am very excited about this DISmeet!

But I am not longer going to keep you with these boring details, here comes the next real update!!

I love your tree Magalene! It's so cute! Have fun in Berlin say hello to Katharina for me!

Ohhh another DIS meet in Nuremburg!!! How exciting! Please take pictures!! Where are you going to eat??

And how fustrating with the whole phone situtuation! You know we never got our phone working to call home while in Germany either. We just used Skype it work out well.

I love all the photo pass pictures of the two of you! Nice update!