Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR

Congratulations on a (better!) job! It's amazing how timing works sometimes!
 
Congratulations on the new bank job!

That is one regret I have had switching from banking to healthcare. The pay and bennies were amazing at the banks I worked for. Oh, and the golden rule was easy to follow; "return on shareholder investment". In healthcare the rule is" "do stupid meaningless things so the minister gets reelected". Man that sounds bitter, maybe I should be the one out job hunting...
 
Hey, that's awesome! I think retail hours would be awfully difficult for me as well. This new opportunity sounds perfect
 
I'm so glad you found something that suited your needs much better. I was a bit skeptical about the retail job. It's good for high school and college kids but really not good as far as flexibility, which I know is something you wanted. :) On to bigger and better things. I hope you can stick it out the two weeks but if you can't then don't feel guilty about leaving. I mean you've only been there for about two weeks, right?
 
though I was feeling painfully out of place.....if the fact that I was more than twice as old as more than half of the employees didn't make me feel awkward enough, all the customers exclaiming "OMG, that accent! You're from Canada, aren't you? Why on earth are you working in Michigan?" was woefully tiring. So much for quietly and seamlessly fitting in :rolleyes1
I can imagine that would get irritating! Are you far from the Canadian border? We're so close here that even though I can tell if someone has a Canadian accent, its heard so frequently its not surprising. And I couldn't imagine commenting on it even if it was.

I despised the retail hours. After more than two decades of 8:30 to 4, working weekends to 11 pm was beyond awful.
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They stink. Just think how bad it would have been if you stuck it out through Christmas :faint:

I was offered a part time position at one of the local banks here......which is MUCH more suited for me in SO many ways. After working for 18.5 years in the financial industry in Canada, a position in the bank is very much more in line with my interest and experience. Plus, the schedule is superb: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, with rotational Saturdays (but the bank is only open until 1 pm on Saturdays, and only the drive thru portion: so on the odd Saturdays that I will have to work, its only for half a day and its the EARLY part :thumbsup2).
Awesome!! :thumbsup2

So, as I transition out of the retail job.....they have asked me to stay for the next two weeks, and I agreed as I don't start my training for the bank until June 26th....I move on to a new and exciting (and financially favourable) challenge.
Congrats!! :hug:
 
It all seems to be falling into to place for you. Just took a slight detour into retail then back on course with your financial background. Congratulations on the new job! :thumbsup2
 
Great news on the new job. They are great hours. Just don't go robbing it to pay for your WDW addiction :rotfl:
 
Monday, December 19th (continued) :santa:

By the time we were done at Santa’s Fireside Feast, darkness had completely descended and the park was transformed into a twinkling, glowing, magical Christmas wonderland.

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Lights adorned every building, every tree, and in many cases were even draped over the walkways. The sounds of Christmas greeted our ears as music was streamed from the overhead speakers, and guests were merrily strolling about with cups of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream clasped in their hands.

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The awesome holiday festivities were all well underway .

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Our final “must do” on this activity-packed day was to check out the much-anticipated Rudolph’s Christmastown: this attraction was all-new for 2016 and we were excited to be part of its inaugural year. We had been quite dismayed to hear that our beloved Polar Express was not returning for another holiday season :sad1:…..we adored that attraction and had been looking forward to the experience once again…..but we’d give Rudolph a fair shake before questioning SeaWorld’s decision. We had great faith that they had something fun and wonderful in store .

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As we entered Christmastown, we noted with some warm and fuzzy nostalgia that the walkways were dotted with scenes and displays from the Christmas TV classic, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Being a movie that we have watched year after year for our entire lives (originally released in 1964, the movie was already 7 years old when Steve was born and 9 years old when I entered the world) we were excited to see SeaWorld’s beautiful tributes to the film.

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The balance of Christmastown was dedicated to meet-and-greets: new-to-SeaWorld characters Rudolph, Clarice, the Bumble, and Yukon Cornelius were all said to be featured in this section of the park. Since crowds seemed very low and lines were surprisingly short (a bit unexpected, considering it was less than 7 days to Christmas) we decided to start first with the most famous reindeer (couple) of all :

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Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose, and an even more winning personality. As the sound of Burl Ives’ famous song wove its way softly around the area, we quickly worked our way through the short line and were soon the next group to meet these cutie pies......

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And oh, what fun it was!


Rudolph and Clarice were nothing short of adorable, and their interaction with park-goers was the perfect mix of sweetness and fun. Both characters took their time with each of us, making sure there was a full round hugs (and even a shy kiss on the cheek for Steve from Clarice!) before posing for the Photokey photographer who was stationed at the meet-and-greet to help capture the memories.

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David, my Christmas season soulmate (we can both be found listening to holiday music in July, when the festive mood hits us), was wide-eyed and completely captivated by the opportunity to meet his cartoon heroes-come-to-life. We were all touched by the tenderness and attention that they devoted to David: while Rudolph and Clarice showered us all with kindness and excitement, they saved an extra helping for David. I think he would have been completely content to spend the rest of the night in that exact spot.

Eventually bidding Rudolph and Clarice adieu (squeezing in one extra hug for good measure!) we moved onward to meet Steve’s most anticipated character of the night: the loveable Bumble.

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(Ignore the date on Steve's pic: the photo was missing on our Photokey account, so we had to go back to the park the following day to get it added....and of course, that meant the date that was populated was incorrect and couldn't be amended. More on that later.)

This character turned Steve from a grown man into a small boy: sometimes, these Orlando trips are a true reminder that no matter how old we get, there’s still a child living deep inside of each of us. The Bumble was equally as fun and equally as interactive as the two reindeer, and shockingly enough……there was literally no line. It was virtually a walk-up. Yep, we were gob-smacked.

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Photokey staff were also on hand at the Bumble’s station, which we were so thrilled about. Not only do they take great pictures (especially in the low light conditions) but being able to add the great borders is a touch we appreciate ::yes::.

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Moving onward through Christmastown, our last character to find was Yukon Cornelius: while he didn’t have a dedicated meeting area, we were advised by event staff to keep our eyes peeled, as he was generally milling about in one location or another. Just as they predicted, I heard Steve call out from the darkness: “Gina! Over here! Come look who I found!”.

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And there he was: Yukon Cornelius, tucked away in a quiet corner of Christmastown. No one else in sight, so we had this moment all to ourselves. No Photokey staff (so we needed to rely on our own cameras and phones for pictures) but that was quite okay: it was just cool to have this peaceful, uninterrupted moment with a rare character and not have to share it with anyone but ourselves.

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As we headed back to the Christsmas Pathway, we did share the “secret” of where to find Yukon Cornelius to a few other guests whom we overhead wondering aloud where he might be. They appreciated the heads up, and immediately made haste in that direction. I just hope that they, too, spread the word to a few others after they had their magic moment with Yukon, too.

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We meandered a bit down the Christmas pathway, taking in the sights and sounds of all the holiday fun that wound its way down that long section of the park. Special booths that featured a variety of festive entrees, sweet Christmas treats and special holiday drinks (both alcoholic and non) were interspersed with Christmas games (which offered special prizes like stuffed SeaWorld Christmas Celebration penguins), event merchandise carts, and holiday games and entertainment. Our favourite display was the amazingly detailed miniature village and model train: it was so beautiful as the village lights sparkled in the darkness.

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And the backdrop to it all? The Sea of Trees. Perhaps my most beloved holiday display in all of Orlando: at scheduled intervals throughout the night, the lights on the trees which adorn the huge lagoon would change colour and “dance” to a perfectly choreographed selection of instrumental Christmas favourites. It’s simply stunning, and pictures simply don’t do it justice.

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With an hour or so left to spare before the park closed for the night, we headed to Shamu’s Happy Harbor to devote the final time available to us to David: after all, we had promised him that....and we wouldn't go back on a promise, no matter what.

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The rest of the night was completely at David’s bidding: we let him pick every ride and every attraction. For the most part, he and Steve were the riders while Kerry and I watched contentedly from the sidelines: there was no way we were getting on that rocking, swinging boat (or else you’d see our turkey dinners from the Feast come roaring back on us quickly), but that was okay anyway. Steve and David were basking in each other’s company, which left Kerry and I some quiet moments to enjoy together too. Two pairs of good friends just soaking up the rare and special opportunity to be together.

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As we made our way around Happy Harbor, thunder began to roll in the distance: quiet at first, but louder (and accompanied by lightening) as time rolled on. We feared we’d get rained out before we made our way around to David’s beloved train ride, but luck was with us and we made it to the train both before the clock struck 9 *and* before the storm hit in earnest. The smile on David’s face as we chugged along the small track was brighter than all the lights at SeaWorld combined. It was the perfect way to end the night :goodvibes.

With the storm threatening to unleash, we decided to make our way toward the entrance of the park and out to our rental which was parked in the lot.

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With weary legs beginning to ache…….after all, we opened the park earlier that morning and were now closing it down too: a long and amazing day for all! …….we were grateful that our parking spot was just steps away from the entrance. Getting there early was advantageous in more ways than one.

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We had just got buckled in and pulled out of our parking space when the first drops of rain hit the windshield. By the time we reached the street, it was raining heavily and the torrents continued all the way to Portofino Bay. We dropped Kerry and Robert off at the door, and sloshed our way back down I-Drive to Marriott Grande Vista. While it made for a sloppy commute after our long day at the park, we marveled at how perfectly timed the onslaught of the storm had been: we literally didn’t get a single drop of rain on us. Had we left five minutes later, or dilly-dallied any longer on the way out, we’d have been soaked to the skin. Luck was definitely on our side.

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Back at the resort, we slept like rocks: our full day of festivities and fun had taken their toll. Tomorrow was scheduled to be equally as exciting, and would be topped off by a very special event: dinner at Beaches & Cream followed by a private Illuminations Cruise from the Beach & Yacht Clubs. We should have been too excited to sleep, but the truth was…..at that moment, we were too tired to be excited.


Our Tuesday adventures are next .
 
I'm really glad that the right job has come along before the wrong job took up any more of your time. Best of luck with the new position!

Thank you! I am both excited AND nervous!

Congratulations on a (better!) job! It's amazing how timing works sometimes!

Everything seems to work out as it is supposed to. I'm guilty of lacking the right amount of "patience", though. I'm a work in progress.

Congratulations on the new bank job!

That is one regret I have had switching from banking to healthcare. The pay and bennies were amazing at the banks I worked for. Oh, and the golden rule was easy to follow; "return on shareholder investment". In healthcare the rule is" "do stupid meaningless things so the minister gets reelected". Man that sounds bitter, maybe I should be the one out job hunting...

Thank you!!

So far, we've seen a lot of differences in the personal banking system here in the USA versus Canada. It will be interesting to see it from the "other" side.

How long has it been since you've worked in banking? I had no idea you were in heathcare now.

Hey, that's awesome! I think retail hours would be awfully difficult for me as well. This new opportunity sounds perfect

That's what scares me LOL....it sounds "too" perfect. But, hopefully its just "the" job that I was meant to have....like its all part of the overall "Grand Plan".

I'm so glad you found something that suited your needs much better. I was a bit skeptical about the retail job. It's good for high school and college kids but really not good as far as flexibility, which I know is something you wanted. :) On to bigger and better things. I hope you can stick it out the two weeks but if you can't then don't feel guilty about leaving. I mean you've only been there for about two weeks, right?

I feel badly about quitting so soon, so I'll do everything in my power to hang in there until after next Thursday (which is the last shift I said I would work). I want to leave on good terms if at all possible. I'm a firm believer in burning no bridges.

I can imagine that would get irritating! Are you far from the Canadian border? We're so close here that even though I can tell if someone has a Canadian accent, its heard so frequently its not surprising. And I couldn't imagine commenting on it even if it was.

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They stink. Just think how bad it would have been if you stuck it out through Christmas :faint:


Awesome!! :thumbsup2


Congrats!! :hug:

Thanks for the congrats! And we're indeed pretty close to the border.....maybe 30-40 minutes from the Ambassador Bridge. I never realized we Canadians even had an accent, but apparently we do :blush:. One person was quite amusing.....he pointed out that he knew I was Canadian because I "spoke proper English". So while I might be outed for being a legal alien, the grammar police are apparently quite proud of me :rotfl:.

I am so excited for you - totally think the new shoes won them over!

I think you'll be okay! :thumbsup2
Yes, it was definitely the shoes! ::yes:: And the new shirt ;). And the new pants :o . You are a bad influence, Ms Ruthie! :rotfl2: I'm blaming you when the credit card bill comes in :teeth:.

I'm not too worried about the fingerprint or drug screening requirements. If I can pass Homeland Security's strict standards, I figure the bank will have no problems with me either ;).

It all seems to be falling into to place for you. Just took a slight detour into retail then back on course with your financial background. Congratulations on the new job! :thumbsup2

Thank you! :goodvibes

Great news on the new job. They are great hours. Just don't go robbing it to pay for your WDW addiction :rotfl:

Oh heavens, bite your tongue :p. One of the things I was actually worried about when I applied for the job were bank robberies. I think I need to stop watching the Detroit news in the morning :rolleyes1.

I am looking forward to a nice little supplementary income. I will have 40 hours each week for the two full weeks of my training before I start my Tues/Wed/Thurs regular schedule, and to ease the pain of working two full weeks in a row (First World Problems, I know!) I was thinking of splurging for MNSSHP tickets with some of the extra cash :scratchin. Still undecided but keeping it as an option.
 
What a great day at Seaworld, the pictures are great. I too love the trees and spent a lovely hour sat listening to the music and watching the lake at the outdoor seating near the Spice Mill Restaurant while my 2 went on a few rides.

I could quite happily just go on the rides at Shamus Harbour, shame my daughter is now 17! Perhaps David wants a new ride partner?

I worked in banking for 25 years and never had an incident so take heart and put it down to watching too much TV. I like the sound of the drive through bank, "do you want fries with that" :goodvibes
 
A new job already!?!? Glad you found something better suited for you! (I totally understand being faaaaar older than your coworkers at the moment)

And maybe this year I'll actually get to see Christmas Town....maybe.
 
I want to go at Christmas! I want to go at Christmas! I really want to go at Christmas

Congratulations on the new job! It will be interesting to see all the differences. I too changed jobs quite quickly, when going back to Erik I started back as an investment specialist but within a week was offered a National Office job that I couldn't turn down. I'm enjoying being out of the branch now.

And I still really want yo go at Christmas....we are however planning to go in Feb during family day week
 
OMG, the park looks beautiful all decked out for Christmas!! Rudolph is one of my favorite Christmas stories.
 
I did that too late year for my daughters last recital. I cried at my sons last Nutcracker (as a child) with the National Ballet (although I am happy to get my Christmas back for awhile)
Is she going to a school with a dance team? At least then you can watch again. Me, even though she is at the National Ballet school, I never get to see her dance...it is sad
From what friends have said every uni has a dance team and it's a BIG deal. However, she is going to be getting her BFA in dance education and may add on the extension with the National's teacher training program for a fifth year. I'm sure you know which school that places her at. They do not look favourably on the uni dance team thing there. Not sure why. She has just announced that she would like to do a bit of a victory lap and just compete a solo next year. Problem there is that she has been offered a job with a competition for next season at all their events. The way I see it she can't do both and the job takes priority.

She still has nationals at the end of this month so I get to see her once more.
 
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What a GORGEOUS photo. You must be so proud of that beautiful girl. Make no apologies for those tears, momma. Sometimes your heart gets so full of joy it just fills up your entire body, and if it doesn't leak out of our eyes, our heads would surely burst. Of course, I'm a crier by nature :o so I probably take the term "emotional" to a whole new level anyway.
Thank you. I suppose I might be a tiny bit proud of her. I've turned into a crier and have no idea how I dodged being a blubbering mess at the show.

Where did you get that picture of my girl?
 
I was offered a part time position at one of the local banks here
Nearly missed this little detail......sounds much better than a retail job.

This morning I am off to a neighbouring town to get fingerprinted and drug tested as part of the final application stages for the bank job
If this one doesn't work out...we will all know why :smokin:
 
In healthcare the rule is" "do stupid meaningless things so the minister gets reelected". Man that sounds bitter, maybe I should be the one out job hunting...
Also working in gov/healthcare I completely understand. I'm a contractor so not exactly the same but it's all around me. On daily basis I'm shaking my head at the stupid things that happen. I've got reports to complete( several forms) where I'm asked for the same information but in different orders....IT ALL GOES TO THE SAME OFFICE.
 
Congrats on the new job! It sounds like it'll be a much better fit. You also lasted much longer in retail than I did in college. I had orientation and maybe a tiny bit of a training at Old Navy while getting my 2nd bachelors and that was enough. I called and quit. What got me the most was the push to get people to sign up for their credit card, this was back in 2004 when everywhere did it. If you didn't meet your quota for card sign ups you would get fired. As a college student with debt that had worked full time for over a year before going back to school, I couldn't with a good conscious ask people or work someone that forced you to do it. I don't notice places, even Old Navy, asking this much any more.
 
































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