Lots of Completed Trip Reports....Nov 2009 - April 2014

[tksbaskets]

Can't wait till we are getting our BBQ on! Love the barrel pictures

 

[Sherry E]

Are you still using Picasa for your editing? I hope you are not spending all that extra time editing them just for our benefit. The results are lovely, but you do know that your photos would be just as lovely without Picasa, don't you? I just don't want you to feel like you have to take even more time and energy (when you are not feeling up to par) to get through the TR when your public awaits!

Anyway, I am having a bit of trouble loading the TR pages with huge photos because they lock up my PC (which is what was happening with Bret's TR until he made the pictures smaller), so I may not be as verbal as I have been in the past if I can't get in here to comment, but as usual, you gave us a great batch o' photos!

I think the snowman thingy (maybe the 11th or 12th picture down from the top) is new from last year. I don't recall seeing it in 2010.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I love how each reindeer has their own special food. How cute is that?

Very cute!

Great pictures from Santa's Reindeer Round-Up.

Thanks Bret.

Can't wait till we are getting our BBQ on! Love the barrel pictures

I liked the lights on the barrels. They were shining pretty brightly even in the daytime.

Are you still using Picasa for your editing? I hope you are not spending all that extra time editing them just for our benefit. The results are lovely, but you do know that your photos would be just as lovely without Picasa, don't you? I just don't want you to feel like you have to take even more time and energy (when you are not feeling up to par) to get through the TR when your public awaits!

Anyway, I am having a bit of trouble loading the TR pages with huge photos because they lock up my PC (which is what was happening with Bret's TR until he made the pictures smaller), so I may not be as verbal as I have been in the past if I can't get in here to comment, but as usual, you gave us a great batch o' photos!

I think the snowman thingy (maybe the 11th or 12th picture down from the top) is new from last year. I don't recall seeing it in 2010.

I am still using Picasa. I print out most of my pics and put them in a photo album...thus the editing. I don't know how to make them smaller. Is that something you have to do before you load them? Or can you change the size after you load them? I'll have to look into that.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Thank you for posting your TR! I was needing a dose of DL, and wanting to see some Disney Christmas, and your pics just filled that spot!
We are moving to Phoenix next year and looking forward to AP's and lots of weekend trips there!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Thank you for posting your TR! I was needing a dose of DL, and wanting to see some Disney Christmas, and your pics just filled that spot!
We are moving to Phoenix next year and looking forward to AP's and lots of weekend trips there!

You're welcome! And thank you!

How fun to be getting APs with lots of trips ahead for you. I hope you enjoy them.

More Christmas Cheer coming right up!

 

[tksbaskets]

I'm getting mighty hungry for BBQ pics here

 

[deejdigsdis]

So...time to get our BBQ on!

Here's the dessert menu. I was pretty sure we wouldn't be getting dessert. The cookie thing sounded really good, but both times I've eaten here I stuff myself way too full and leave no room for dessert. We're talking waddling slowly side-to-side-as-we-walk-out kind of full. With a little loosening of the pants involved.

Anyway...dessert menu:

One more picture while we were waiting for our food to come.

Lunch is served...

I'm not usually a fan of coleslaw, but the coleslaw here is mouth-watering good. It's vinegar-based instead of mayonnaise-based. I know I ate at least 1 bowl by myself. I'm not a cornbread-eating person, but I grabbed a piece for the picture and then returned it to the basket.

I just can't say enough good things about the food here. (Well, I guess I can't say anything good about the cornbread.) I always avoid eating meat off the bone, but I eat both the chicken and ribs willingly here. So so good!

The place began to fill up and eventually the entertainment crew came out. They didn't perform very long. One of the guys is someone who I have seen as part of the Pirate band in NOS during previous trips.

I didn't get any closer than this for a picture of the performance.

But when they were done performing I went up closer and took this picture.

Standing up was a bit interesting. The seats didn't seem wet when we sat down, but when we stood up to leave we could both feel the wetness that had settled in from the big rain the day before.

We ate and ate and ate...followed by taking a few last pictures as we waddled out, feeling slightly like we had wet our pants.

Here is a tree from the women's restroom area back there. A restroom which I had never visited before.

One last picture of the reindeer who were locked together by the antlers. I guess it happens a lot? Just looks like business as usual for the attending CM!

Now...where to go when you are so full that you can barely move??? Space Mountain? Indy? POTC? (I wish. It was still down while we were there.) It had to be something involving little to no noticeable movement. Back with that later...

 

[deejdigsdis]

I'm getting mighty hungry for BBQ pics here

I'm anxious to hear your review of this place TK. I hope you enjoy it! I could really go for a plate of this food right now. Mmmm!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Got in a good nap while we were watching a Christmas movie earlier, and now I can't sleep. Time for another update...

So. We were in need of very little movement for our first ride/attraction after our huge lunch. Here's where we headed:

I can't even tell you how excited I was to ride this! It had been AT LEAST 15 years since my last sail. I've been wanting to do it during recent trips but for one reason or another I was unable to.

I'll let the pictures do the talking. Suffice it to say it was a relaxing sail around ROA. Time well spent with my husband.

One of my favorites...

Hello old friend.

Another favorite...

Remnant of a canoe group.

Looking very fall-like.

OK. I was honestly shocked when I was looking at these pictures of the general crowds from the Columbia. In my mind at the time the crowds were thick as peanut butter (if you're Team Yukon Cornelius) or thick as pea soup (if you're Team Hermey). {And speaking of Hermey...for years I thought they were saying Herby!}

Back to the pictures. If I didn't know better...I would say these pictures were not taken when I was there. They do not represent my memories of how crowded it was at all. So crazy.

OK, looks like I'm tired now. More later.

 

[tksbaskets]

Shall I hazard a guess as to which Christmas movie you were watching when you fell asleep?? I always knew it was Hermie but I didn't care that bumbles bounced, he freaked me out! "Tell me when it's over"

LOVE that you placed a piece of cornbread on your plate so you could get a complete picture for your TR. Now that's dedication to detail!

Still laughing about the post-Round-up meal walk.... Will have to remember to wear loose clothing when we have our meal there.

We've never taken the boat ride on the ROA. Doubt it will happen this time either so it was nice to see your pics.

TK

 

[kaoden39]

Oh my goodness!! I think I may be making us ADRs for the bbq today. I am going to show my husband the picture of your food. He has been so iffy about where he wants to eat that he is driving me nuts.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Great photos Deej from BTR BBQ and from the Columbia.

I need to go on the Columbia one day, but I would prefer to ride the Mark Twain any day.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Shall I hazard a guess as to which Christmas movie you were watching when you fell asleep?? I always knew it was Hermie but I didn't care that bumbles bounced, he freaked me out! "Tell me when it's over"

LOVE that you placed a piece of cornbread on your plate so you could get a complete picture for your TR. Now that's dedication to detail!

Still laughing about the post-Round-up meal walk.... Will have to remember to wear loose clothing when we have our meal there.

We've never taken the boat ride on the ROA. Doubt it will happen this time either so it was nice to see your pics.

TK

Yes, wear pants that you would wear to a Thanksgiving meal. Or make sure your shirt/coat can cover your unbuttoned pants!

Oh my goodness!! I think I may be making us ADRs for the bbq today. I am going to show my husband the picture of your food. He has been so iffy about where he wants to eat that he is driving me nuts.

Have you eaten here before Michele? It really is good. I hope you get the meal thing figured out! Your trip will be here before you know it!

Great photos Deej from BTR BBQ and from the Columbia.

I need to go on the Columbia one day, but I would prefer to ride the Mark Twain any day.

So are you saying you've never ridden the Columbia before Bret? I've tried to ride up top in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain but it's never worked out. I just finished your DLR TR and am looking forward to moving on to your WDW TR.

 

[deejdigsdis]

After we sailed the ROA on the Columbia, I was off to pick up BTMR FPs and Indy FPs. Indy was down earlier when we tried to get FPs. Snagging both FPs was a success and we headed off to Critter Country to use our Splash FPs.

Of course I had to get a picture of this sadness on the way.

It sure was weird to not be able to ride my favorite while we were there.

I believe it was scheduled to re-open on Thanksgiving Day, so I held out hope that it just might re-open our last day -- the day before Thanksgiving.

Another sight we passed on our way to Critter Country:

So we reach Splash Mountain. The standby wait time was well over an hour. Our wait with FPs? 3 minutes. I never cease to be baffled as we zip past people in the standby lines for Space, Splash and Indy in particular. I wonder...Do these people know about FP? Do they enjoy standing in line? (I know some people who really do enjoy standing in long lines of over an hour. No, really.) Anyway, all sorts of questions go through my mind. I remember one time -- the last time my husband and I went alone -- a man who was solo who didn't know about FP. I could tell from afar that my husband was telling him about FP -- and the Single Rider line, as we were on Splash -- as the man just stood there shaking his head, commenting on how he had waited for well over an hour in line by himself. It would be difficult to go back to the 80s scene of standing in lines for 1 1/2 hours as the norm. As much as I loved the 80s...I'd be OK not re-visiting that part. (I guess sometimes I DO miss not winding around the POTC and HM cues as was the norm for my family back in the 80s.)

Enough about that. Here we are at Splash Mountain.

I see the numbers are different after the refurb.

I forgot to take a picture of the little "bridge" that goes over the flow of logs. It looks a lot nicer now.

As you can see, we ended up in seats 1 and 2. The seats that I was hoping to NOT get. My husband said multiple times, "It's winter...they won't have the water setting the same as the summer setting..." Boy, was he ever wrong. We got SOAKED in seats 1 and 2. Well, I knew there was no way I'd last until midnight in my soaked clothes, so I knew a hotel break was on the horizon.

I had a couple of things I wanted to do first, though. Ride the train around full circle. Had to skip that little tradition when we entered the park that morning since I wanted to grab some FPs ASAP and then we needed to head over to BTR BBQ to make our lunch reservation.

So we headed over to hop on the train at the NOS station. I was surprised that the wait was less than 5 minutes. We rode the train full circle. A few pics:

One other thing I needed to do before our break was to watch the Billy Hill show. Today would be our only day to see it. After getting off the train in NOS we headed over to the Golden Horseshoe and grabbed one of two tables available. It was 2:30 by this time and the show didn't start until 3:15. J stayed at the table while I took a few pics of the Golden Horseshoe decorations.

Not quite the look I was going for, but I guess I like the effect of the lights.

Then I stayed at the table while J moseyed down to browse in the Pioneer Mercantile for a while.

The Billy Hill Christmas show was different from the one we saw 2 years ago. Here are a few pics:

We thought it was interesting that there were 2 interpreters (on the left). It would make sense if they were trading off, taking turns the whole time. But they weren't. They would both be up, signing away, EXTREMELY into it. It was fun to watch!

The "bow up the nose" joke that my kids enjoyed so much 2 years ago!

So we left the Golden Horseshoe and made our way toward Main Street so we could go back to the hotel, take our bags up to our room, change into dry clothes, and take a rest. Getting up at 3:30am was really catching up to us!

I was on the lookout for a Mickey Gingerbread to munch on. I am not a fan of gingerbread at all, but these Mickey ones look so cute that I was sure they MUST taste better than all the gingerbread that I don't like. I finally found one -- the last one on display.

So cute...but that's about it. I guess a Mickey-shaped Gingerbread Man doesn't taste better than a normal gingerbread man after all. Oh how I wish I liked Gingerbread Men! They are so cute...fun to decorate...just so festive! I ate the whole thing...maybe gave 1 bite to J. It was dry, but I think that about all gingerbread.

We loved the short trek back to Ramada Maingate and got settled into our room...for what would turn into a 3 hour break! So not me! But it was needed, what with the early rising that day and my sickness if we were going to make it to midnight.

 

[mvf-m11c]

So are you saying you've never ridden the Columbia before Bret? I've tried to ride up top in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain but it's never worked out. I just finished your DLR TR and am looking forward to moving on to your WDW TR.

I have ridden the Columbia before, but I haven't done it in a long time. I believe it was about in the 90s since I have ridden on the Columbia around the ROA. I just like the old fashion steam boat then the wind ship. It would be nice to ride on top of the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain, but you got to be there early and asked a CM if it is possible.


Another good update on your TR and great pictures.

I remember the old days back in the 80s and 90s when they didn't have FP and you have to plan out what you want to ride. I just couldn't stand being in those long lines during the old days. Now with FPs, it makes it easier to go on a ride without waiting in a long line. Some people don't even know about FP and how to use them. I also have no problem waiting to get on a ride with about an hour wait, but I won't wait more then that on any ride. I will do it for the shows, but not for the rides. That's why you go on the most popular rides in the morning and do the less wait time rides during the afternoon and night.

I like the Hill Billy Christmas Show at the Golden Horseshoe.

 

[tksbaskets]

Great installment! We've never been to the Hilly Billy show either... We'll have lots try to to on our trip.

I absolutely love your ornament/tree pics (after the artsy lights one)

No way I'm getting my DH on Splash. He hates to get wet on rides unless we are at a water park.

As for the gingerbread....I think I'm going to get the cookie cutter (that is posted in Bret's last post - for lurkers the link to Bret's holiday DL trip report is in his sig...) and make sugar cookies out of it. YUMMO.

The garland photos by what I believe is the train station are great too.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I have ridden the Columbia before, but I haven't done it in a long time. I believe it was about in the 90s since I have ridden on the Columbia around the ROA. I just like the old fashion steam boat then the wind ship. It would be nice to ride on top of the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain, but you got to be there early and asked a CM if it is possible.


Another good update on your TR and great pictures.

I remember the old days back in the 80s and 90s when they didn't have FP and you have to plan out what you want to ride. I just couldn't stand being in those long lines during the old days. Now with FPs, it makes it easier to go on a ride without waiting in a long line. Some people don't even know about FP and how to use them. I also have no problem waiting to get on a ride with about an hour wait, but I won't wait more then that on any ride. I will do it for the shows, but not for the rides. That's why you go on the most popular rides in the morning and do the less wait time rides during the afternoon and night.

I like the Hill Billy Christmas Show at the Golden Horseshoe.

Thanks Bret. Yep, I think it would be hard to go back to the old way. There is SO much we didn't do this trip because we didn't want to wait in long lines. We pretty much stuck to FP rides. We really missed out on a lot.

Great installment! We've never been to the Hilly Billy show either... We'll have lots try to to on our trip.

I absolutely love your ornament/tree pics (after the artsy lights one)

No way I'm getting my DH on Splash. He hates to get wet on rides unless we are at a water park.

As for the gingerbread....I think I'm going to get the cookie cutter (that is posted in Bret's last post - for lurkers the link to Bret's holiday DL trip report is in his sig...) and make sugar cookies out of it. YUMMO.

The garland photos by what I believe is the train station are great too.

I remember your DH doesn't do Splash or GRR! They are so fun. Splash Mountain is a favorite for sure.

Good idea about using the cookie cutter for sugar cookies. It is a cute one.

 

[deejdigsdis]

This is a test run. Trying to get the pics smaller so the TR doesn't give Sherry's computer so much grief!

 

[deejdigsdis]

That was smaller, but might still be too big. Here we go again.

 

[deejdigsdis]

OK. We took a 3 hour break. We planned for 2 but it turned into 3 due to J's phone alarm not going off. Or him not setting it correctly on purpose so he could have a longer break.

We got up from our nap and dressed as warmly as we could. It was cold out! I remember it being 48 degrees at one point that night in Disneyland. Donning my red scarf -- which I STILL can't believe I forgot to wave wildly for Sherry's sake -- we headed back to Disneyland. Dinner was first on our list. I think it was around 7pm. At the recommendation of my sister, as well as Bret, we decided to try the Steak Gumbo Bread Bowls at Royal Street Veranda in NOS.

A little pricey, I thought, even by Disneyland standards. Apparently J thought so too. (I was reminded of a time when we were first married and J and I were at the grocery store. We had been used to paying something like $1.00 for a loaf of bread, but this particular trip they didn't have our usual bread. We had to get "nicer" bread but there was no price listed so we didn't find out how much more it cost until we were checking out. I can still remember J saying, "$2.59 --or whatever it was-- for a loaf of bread! I'm not paying that!" We were on a college student budget. I remember being embarrassed and kind of sidling away from him. ) Anyway, here we are in line for our bread bowls and it's just about our turn and J notices the price. "$9.29 for a bread bowl?!?" It wasn't nearly as loud as his supermarket escapade. Only I could hear him this time. And that's as far as the complaint went. He's a huge bread fan but I'm not, so he was getting 2 bread bowls out of the deal. So really it should have been me saying, "$9.29 for a few bites of soup?!?" because I always pass the bread bowl off to J. By the way, D where are you? I imagine you'd have something to say about J and his love affair with bread!

So we got our bread bowls without making a scene, and went over to River Bell Terrace to find a seat. Well, there were none to be had. Now what? Oh look! Someone's about to leave! We need to hover without being noticeable and annoying. Somehow we manage to get the table and we park ourselves to enjoy our piping hot steak gumbo. Which was delish!