Monday, December 19th (continued)
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.
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.
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
![Title :sad1: :sad1:](http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/sad06.gif)
…..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.
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......
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.
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.
(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.
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
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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!”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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.
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.
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.
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
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