Nothing to See Here...

[Sherry E]

Please tell me that, eventually, we'll see a picture of the PPH tree!

Hello, and welcome, pixleyyy!

I was just about to sign off for a bit, and saw that this message had come in.

I will reply to Deej, Molly, Chereya, Michele and Bret a bit later.

Yes, there will be a few pictures of the PPH tree coming up (and I have some scattered throughout my December 2010 TR, which is in this same thread, starting on Page 83/Post #1244) as well - but the beauty of the tree never translates well in photos at all. It totally loses that 'warm, glowy' quality that is so present in person, which is something that Laurie/DizNee Luver mentioned to me as well.

So when you see the pictures, you may think, "It doesn't look all that great!"

 

[kmedina]

From what I have seen of your photos so far in your TR, they are not terrible at all. I thought they were quite good!

Oh gosh - your photos being burned in a fire is horrible! Short of lives and homes being lost, as far as possessions I think I would die if my old photos, photo CDs or ancient negatives were lost forever. That's terrible!

It is not worth much money, to be honest, but it means the world to me!)

At this point, even though I signed the photo release, I'm not sure if my photos will make it in the book if the book will ever see the light of day!!

Yes, I was crying on a bench in DCA!

If you saw photos you liked, they were probably Crap's. He takes decent photos.

Being the 5th child, I did not have very many solo pictures either. My older siblings got to most of them before I had a chance as well. Prior to age 13 when I bought my own 110 camera, I have almost no pictures at all. My siblings have some floating around from my 8-13 years but very few exist prior to age 8.

I think that is an awesome momento. How many people have a platinum album!

I hope your photos get published Kathy. That would be awesome. With everything that has gone on in his life, his book will sell a lot. You will be a published photographer!!

I am so sorry about that. Hopefully, you had more ups then downs.





You do get excellent pictures when you arrive early. I really want to see Disneyland dressed up for Christmas time. The last time I saw it was when I was really little. Thus, I cannot remember it. The tree sounds awesome. I love the lobby at GCH too. One day, I want to stay there. We got the welcome home packet on our recent stay at the Disneyland Hotel too. If I had the money, I would join DVC. It is smart to hand them out though, because it gets people thinking and/or talking about it.

 

[Sherry E]

What a crazy morning to get to the PPH Sherry. At least you got to the DLR safely early in the morning. A very nice conversation with the driver on the way to the hotel. Interesting to hear that he went the longer way to the hotel as well as driving in the carpool lane.

I can't wait for your next update to your TR.

Bret -

Yes, a crazy morning getting to the PPH, indeed!

After reading all that you just posted, I feel even sadder that you felt so cruddy during the December trip.

I agree. Whenever I think of having to leave the condo for a fire or whatever, I cannot stop my brain from thinking "and then I'll grab the wedding album and box of digital storage media on the way out". Of course I wouldn't, but my brain sure thinks I should!

And the only reason I have the disc and rights to our wedding photos is b/c the photographer had a fire at his warehouse 5 years after our wedding, and lost HIS wedding photos and negatives in it. Client photos were stored elsewhere, but his stuff was at his office. He got scared and contacted clients that they could now buy the discs and rights, b/c he didn't want that responsibility anymore.

Molly -

That was kind of why I did the 3-part Background/Intro Pre-TR...not so that people would feel sadder, but so that when we get to the 'end' of this TR it will all make more sense as to why the events of the trip affected me the way they did at the time (of course, now - 7 months later - I am not affected in the same way because the moment has passed). It will be a more complete picture.

The building I live in is quite old, and the walls are so thin that I really wonder how solid the whole structure is. It seems rather flimsy to me. And with old buildings you generally get old electrical wiring that has had very little maintenance over the decades. I am constantly thinking, "What if there were a fire? What would I grab?" I have many, many, many old photo albums and negatives (pre-memory cards, of course), and still have many, many photos that have not been scanned and saved online anywhere (like Photobucket). There's no way - even if I thought about it in a panic - that I would be able to tote everything outside in an emergency.

Ahhh...the flowers make me happy! Especially these ones. I have no idea what they are really called, but my mom used to grow these in our yard when I was younger. She always referred to them as "Disneyland Flowers."

I'm sorry about your foot. When you mentioned stepping off a curb I imagined that pesky Main Street garbage can had somehow maneuvered itself to get in your way!

I hear you on the heat. I don't have the same physical problems as you do, resulting from the heat, but I'm still not a fan. It just zaps me energy-wise and all I want to do is rest.

I loved the 4th of July look that the Main Street lampposts had! That picture with the Coca-Cola sign in the corner...very Americana looking. I loved it.

About an Exit Sign Quest...I tried to take pics of ride exit signs during a trip last year and I think I only remembered to do it 3 times. I would love to see someone else succeed.

I loved the old-fashioned look of the candy displays in the Candy Palace...what a clever exit sign as well! Are chocolate-covered pineapple spears a new thing? I've never seen them before. I wonder if they are any good.

I wish I had more time to comment! I am looking forward to cozying up with your Christmas Time TR. I will pop in every chance I get!

Deej -

You know, the chocolate-covered pineapple spears are totally new to me! I don't know if they just showed up in 2012 for the first time, or if there has been a secret underground world of chocolate-covered pineapples at DLR all along, and I was just oblivious! I have to admit - I don't know if I am 100% on board with the idea. I like chocolate. And I love pineapple - especially if it is fresh and juicy! But the idea of the two together doesn't seem to really beckon to me. I think I would rather eat them separately.

When I stumbled and tripped off of the curb in DCA, I must admit that I had to look around and see if there were any random trash cans that had worked themselves into my path, but no... I am just a klutz! No way around it.

I confess that I still greatly prefer the look of the Halloween & Christmas time lampposts over than the patriotic versions (does that make me un-American?), but it was nice to see something different from what I am used to seeing - in lampposts, window displays and flowers! Different seasons, different colors and decorations!

Now that you mention it, I think I vaguely recall your short-lived Exit Sign Quest! You know...I just don't think it's going to be a quest I take on. I thought the candy-wrapper Exit in Candy Palace was interesting, but are there really that many of them that are interesting?

I don't even pursue the light fixtures, for the most part. (You're the pro at that one!) Every now and then, as you know, I will snap a random light fixture picture if I just happen to look up and see one and I'm in the mood, but I don't always look out for them, and it's not at the top of my list to get photos of - and yet, when you post photos, or Molly/bumbershoot posts photos, or Bret posts photos, or Mariezp posts photos of lights, I am constantly thinking, "Wow! I love those light fixtures!"

I would, however, one day day like to see a thread or some sort of photo blog that features as many of the light fixture photos around DLR as possible, all in one place! Nothing but back-to-back light fixture photos! I think it is one of those things that many, many, many people overlook in DLR - and they don't realize that beneath the initial layer of things they see and enjoy about DLR, there are many sub-layers of details that go into creating the whole experience! Or maybe they have noticed one or two light fixtures in the past, but they didn't realize how many different themes ones there are to discover. But when we package photos together in different ways, for different seasons or themes, then it presents the subjects to people in a whole new light!

WHOA! What happened here? ^^^

ETA: Well, I guess we flipped pages and these ^^^ don't show what I was referring to. My quote is in your quote box. When I went to log in a while back -- maybe 6 weeks ago or so -- I was apparently already logged in as "8timesblessed." I think that was her name. I PMed her to let her know, but it was very strange. Anyway, this recent strangeness reminded me of that.

Deej -

I fixed it for you!

You would not be the first one to say that weird things have been happening since the servers switched a while back. I have heard of other events similar to what you described with 8timesblessed!

Sherry, thank you for posting so many personal details about your life. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your TR! And I think you are a great writer - you are giving the rest of us snapshots of your life using words!

Chereya -

Thank you so much, again, for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I hope you're enjoying the TR, even though I have jumped from Summer back to Christmas in one swoop!

I think that it helps - after you've been on the DIS and doing TR's for a while - to let people in a little bit, and outline your back story a little bit more so they can get to know you. We all know we are here because of our common love for Disney, but everyone has a story that's deeper than that. Everyone has things that go wrong when planning trips. Everyone has reasons why they want these trips to happen. Everyone came to discover Disney in a different way, or at a different time in life.

Writing is one of those things that I can do well - only IF I am inspired and in the mood to write. If I am not inspired and not in the mood, or preoccupied with other things, I am not very proficient at making it interesting. In fact, it stresses me out (whereas taking pictures seems to relax me a bit). I admire people who write for a living - meaning every single day, for newspapers or books or magazines or whatever - and are able to constantly keep it interesting and fresh!

I was chuckling over the shuttle ride. I am like the shuttle driver in the sense that I get in the habit of going a certain way and no matter what going that way. I do it all the time.

Michele -

Yes, my driver was determined to get on the 605, I guess. It just made no sense about the carpool lane because he and I had just been talking about how empty the freeways would be at that time of the morning! I think, as you said, it was just his habit and he was going to do it that way, even if it was not the most direct path and even if we did not need the carpool lane.

Please tell me that, eventually, we'll see a picture of the PPH tree!

pixleyyy -

You know, the funny thing is that after I replied to you last night, I looked over the next few groups of photos I will include in this TR, and the full-sized photo of the PPH tree was missing! I have a few close-up photos of the ornaments on the tree, but the one or two full-length photos that I took with my camera don't seem to be there. Now I am wondering if they accidentally got deleted along with a couple of other recently deleted photos. Maybe they will pop up somewhere later. Some odd things have been happening with my pictures lately. This is just the latest thing to happen!

Oh well. In any case, if the missing PPH tree pics don't pop up I will still post the ornament photos, and I have PPH tree photos from December 2010 (the tree was exactly the same in 2011 as it had been in 2010) that I can show you.

If you saw photos you liked, they were probably Crap's. He takes decent photos.

Being the 5th child, I did not have very many solo pictures either. My older siblings got to most of them before I had a chance as well. Prior to age 13 when I bought my own 110 camera, I have almost no pictures at all. My siblings have some floating around from my 8-13 years but very few exist prior to age 8.

I think that is an awesome momento. How many people have a platinum album!

I hope your photos get published Kathy. That would be awesome. With everything that has gone on in his life, his book will sell a lot. You will be a published photographer!!

I am so sorry about that. Hopefully, you had more ups then downs.


You do get excellent pictures when you arrive early. I really want to see Disneyland dressed up for Christmas time. The last time I saw it was when I was really little. Thus, I cannot remember it. The tree sounds awesome. I love the lobby at GCH too. One day, I want to stay there. We got the welcome home packet on our recent stay at the Disneyland Hotel too. If I had the money, I would join DVC. It is smart to hand them out though, because it gets people thinking and/or talking about it.

Kim -

Thank you again for the kind comments, and for following along!

I remember those 110 cameras!

My old Poison photos were taken on a combo of awful Disc cameras with Disc negatives (that are now obsolete), and a 35 mm camera. The 1 - 3 photos that Bret's manager wanted to use for his book - when he was actually writing the book - were crappy Disc pictures, so the quality is horrible. But, because they were vintage photos taken in the old warehouse where Bret, Rikki and Bobby (as well as their old road crew guys) used to live, I guess they would have been okay to put in the book under "The Early Years" or some such thing.

In any case, who knows if that book will ever see the light of day? They may start from scratch, and the release form that I signed to allow them to include my photos may have been thrown away. Or...that stupid jerk who stole over 200 of my photos 2 years ago may try to submit them to Bret's people and pass them off as his own.

Who is Kathy?

I hope you're able to get to DLR someday soon during the holiday season! It is so much more detailed than it used to be back in the old days. There's so much more to see. Halloween Time is great, too, but the holiday season is really thorough and all-encompassing.

 

[kmedina]

Who is Kathy?

I was just reading another thread were Kathy said her husband had pneumonia. I had her on my mind the whole time I was reading last night. Sorry. I know you are Sherry.

 

[Sherry E]

I was just reading another thread were Kathy said her husband had pneumonia. I had her on my mind the whole time I was reading last night. Sorry. I know you are Sherry.

It's okay! I knew it was a mistake, obviously. I didn't know who Kathy was/is, but I figured she was someone you had just been talking to or something like that, and that the name was fresh on your mind. That happens to all of us, I think!

 

[mvf-m11c]

You did tell me during your 2010 trip that you got a great deal at PPH which was a great price.

Very nice pics of the GCH outside as well as the lobby.

I really do missed seeing the GCH Christmas tree in the lobby. Maybe I need to go back after Thanksgiving week to see the Christmas tree. But going before Thanksgiving week is really great to see the Christmas decorations early instead of waiting later on.

 

[Sherry E]

Aunt Betty's Weepy, Wacky, Wonderful Christmas Trip to Disneyland

(12/4/11 - 12/8/11)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 4, 2011 - Part 3​

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!






In my last installment I wrote that I had just left the Paradise Pier Hotel lobby after stifling my inner Julie Andrews and Michael Flatley, and walked through the Grand Californian Hotel lobby (one of my favorite places during the holiday season).

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to wait in Downtown Disney for my friends to show up instead of staying in the PPH lobby to take tree pictures. I assumed everyone would park in the Mickey & Friends lot, I suppose, and just enter one of the parks from the Esplanade.

I continued on my way through Downtown Disney, waiting for the text or phone call from Shawn to tell me she was ready to come over, or from Jackie to let me know when we’d be seeing her.

The morning was still pretty peaceful. What few people I did see were bundled up in assorted wintry articles of clothing, while I was braving the cold like a warrior.

I left my coat back at the Bell desk at PPH. I waited for months and months and months for the temperatures to drop down to even a reasonable level, like 50 degrees! Since Mother Nature was merciful and benevolent enough to gift me with such a wonderful, 35-degree morning, who was I to not fully embrace it? Never mind that my hands were frozen. It was the holiday season! The holiday season is required to have a few nippy days along the way. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s not like I would get sick or anything, right? Right? Right?

Marceline’s Confectionery had some festive treats on display!

Stupid glare/reflection on the glass! Boo!

​

I finally got the text from Shawn, and she was actually planning to park back at the Paradise Pier! I should have stayed there. So I turned around and walked back to the Paradise Pier.


I literally had just about enough time to snap these 3 photos of the PPH tree’s ornaments and Shawn was already there! In fact, she walked up behind me as I was snapping these ornament pictures! (She lives nearby so it just takes a few minutes to pop over.)

Not long after Shawn arrived I received a text message from the Paradise Pier folks, letting me know that my room was ready…and then a follow-up phone call from the Disneyland Special Activities office (which was responsible for my great rate at the PPH!) to be sure I had gotten the text with the room number! Lol. They are certainly attentive. No one ever said “We’ve upgraded you to a theme park view room,” as they had in 2010, so I just assumed I was getting a standard view room.

Shawn and I were already on our way to the Grand Californian so I wasn’t going to go back to the PPH and put my bags in my room. I would just deal with that later in the day.



Jackie used to call me on the phone before showing up to meet us at DLR in any other year, but I think she had just discovered text messaging that day and was doing a lot of it! I am not a big text messager unless I am at DLR and have to meet up with someone (for example, it came in handy on my recent Cars Land/Buena Vista Street preview trip, to meet up with Jessica/Belle Ella and Liza/funatdisney).

With all of the back and forth via text messaging going on (what on Earth did Disneyland guests do to meet up with other people back when text messages didn’t exist?), Shawn and I still were not sure exactly where we would be meeting up with Jackie and her husband, Bob. So we kind of hung around the area just past the security checkpoint and before the gates of Disneyland, because we knew we would catch them that way. And we did. We just stood there quietly, waiting for Jackie & Bob to see us. They almost walked right by but eventually everyone saw everyone and we were one big happy, lively group.

Jackie, Bob, Shawn and I always have a lot of fun together. It seems to be one non-stop laugh-fest. There is usually a running joke-of-the-day of some kind – some silly bit of nonsense that we latch onto and work into every conversation for the rest of the day - often an R-rated bit of nonsense. I remember one time when we were all coming home from “M’s” wedding many years ago, and we were in hysterics about the DJ and an elderly guest – like gut-hurting, face-contorting laughter. That’s how we can get. If something funny comes up out of nowhere, you can bet we will be milking it for all its worth all day long, and erupting into fits of laughter at random moments.

This time was no different. There was a running joke. We did use it frequently, all day long at DLR, in any conversation. We did laugh about it, constantly. And it is nothing that I can repeat here on the DIS! I would have liked to use the running joke as a trip report title, but I couldn’t.

For some reason I am blanking out on where our giggling group went first (this is the problem with waiting 7 months to do a holiday trip report) – even when looking at the photos as a guideline. The order of the photos in Photobucket is not making sense. I did not take more than a few photos – that’s the problem. If I had taken more pictures it would be easier to determine where we went, and in which order!

I know we went into both parks. In some order, we rode Pirates, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Buzz Lightyear and It’s a Small World Holiday in Disneyland, and we rode Toy Story & Monsters Inc. in California Adventure. We never made it on Soarin,’ sadly – and I never made it on Soarin’ the rest of the trip, either.

I just can’t recall if we went to Disneyland first, then to California Adventure, then back to Disneyland.

Here are Shawn, Jackie and Bob in the Toy Story line, as Mr. Potato Head singled out Jackie to interact with…laying the "spud rap" on her...

I love this picture.

Here is the version that I edited with the Disney Parks effects on Photobucket a while back…

After riding the Monsters, Inc. ride, Bob asked us if we wanted to get in a picture with Sulley. I said yes without hesitation, as this is the only picture I have ever taken with Sulley!

This is Jackie’s picture, taken with her camera, of the 3 of us girls, and I think it was inside the Pirates building…

We decided to eat lunch at Storytellers Café. We almost went to the PCH Grill, but we stopped to look at the Storytellers lunch menu and we all found something on it that we liked. Secretly I was delighted because – if any of you recall – I was all over the delicious spaghetti & meat sauce at Storytellers in December 2010. I couldn’t wait to eat it again, and I could only hope it would be just as scrumptious as it had been one year earlier.

In the entrance area of the restaurant, the holiday gingerbread house had returned! Some of you may remember the mystery of the vanishing gingerbread house in December 2010. My 2010 waiter had explained that he saw the house sitting at the front of the restaurant one day, and then when he came back to work later it was gone and no one had ever even heard of it! It was like it had never been there.

But the house was back and on display. The smell of fresh gingerbread filled the air – and I am not joking! This decadent delight gave off such a magnificent gingerbread-y aroma as we passed it by to go to our table. A nearby CM confirmed that it was, indeed, fresh (and every bit real!). She also confirmed that there had, indeed, been a house on display for a nanosecond in 2010, just like my waiter had said, and that it disappeared in the blink of an eye - perhaps because of possible licensing issues (it had been a Haunted Mansion Holiday-themed gingerbread house, apparently).

So this year there was a much more generic house on display – nothing that could get anyone in legal trouble with Tim Burton, I suppose.

And this is the version I edited, using Photobucket’s holiday effects!

Coming up next, in Part 4 of Day 1…Would I be a safety hazard to anyone with yet another “evil chair”? Were my yummy Storytellers Café spaghetti and garlic bread just as yummy for the second year in a row? Did I even take any pictures of the food at all? Would Bob force himself to go on It’s a Small World Holiday? And what does the Paradise Pier Hotel tree look like in a lousy cell phone picture?

Find out the answers to all these burning questions and more, as we say goodbye to Jackie, Bob and Shawn for the day and I begin to prepare for my big reunion with “M’!!

 

[Sherry E]

You did tell me during your 2010 trip that you got a great deal at PPH which was a great price.

Very nice pics of the GCH outside as well as the lobby.

I really do missed seeing the GCH Christmas tree in the lobby. Maybe I need to go back after Thanksgiving week to see the Christmas tree. But going before Thanksgiving week is really great to see the Christmas decorations early instead of waiting later on.

Bret -

Thank you!

Yes, after the Paradise Pier Hotel goofed up the way they handled my billing on the December 2010 trip (which they admitted to), the Guest Communications department hooked me up with the Special Activities department, and that's how I got the one totally free night and $99 for each additional night at the PPH in December 2011!

You really, really should change up your holiday plan one of these years and go to DLR after Thanksgiving, when all 3 hotels are in full decorative mode! It would add a lot to your 'holiday photo repertoire' and give you some new things to take pictures of. You could really get some great shots of the various decorations around each hotel - and there so many more trees to discover!

That's why I always do my "main Disneyland trip" after everything - hotels included - is in full swing. I want the complete experience. I may try to go on the first day of the season just to see if anything is new for me to report about in my Christmas thread, but if I can't make it on 11/12/12, I will be fine going in early December. I would much rather have one full day or a few days when everything is decorated than to go on the first day of the season - IF I have to make that choice.

Heck, a large percentage of the Christmasy photos that I took in my December 2010 picture bonanza came from the hotels. On this past trip in 12/2011, I didn't spend much time taking photos in the hotels because there wasn't much time to spare. There was too much going on involving friends and there was not enough time left for myself. But that's okay. I don't think I have to do a 'photo bonanza' every single holiday season. It's okay to mix it up a bit. I can do a bonanza one year; then I can scale it back and take fewer photos the next year. The year after that I can do a bonanza again!

In any case, the hotels were a big source of photo ideas for me in December 2010.

 

[kmedina]

Sounds like your morning was off to a great start. I would not have been able to see all of that candy without buying at least half of it. Memories fade, so I always rely on my pictures to tell the story. Therefore, I know what you mean about not remembering the order.

The spaghetti you described sounds fantastic. I laughed about the disappearing gingerbread house. How did no one no where it went or that it was even there in the first place? I am glad it returned this year even if it was not as grand.

You're so right about the way it smells too. It filled the air of every hotel it was decorating at WDW last year. They had one on the ship too, and it was heavenly to walk past.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

Thank you!

Yes, after the Paradise Pier Hotel goofed up the way they handled my billing on the December 2010 trip (which they admitted to), the Guest Communications department hooked me up with the Special Activities department, and that's how I got the one totally free night and $99 for each additional night at the PPH in December 2011!

You really, really should change up your holiday plan one of these years and go to DLR after Thanksgiving, when all 3 hotels are in full decorative mode! It would add a lot to your 'holiday photo repertoire' and give you some new things to take pictures of. You could really get some great shots of the various decorations around each hotel - and there so many more trees to discover!

That's why I always do my "main Disneyland trip" after everything - hotels included - is in full swing. I want the complete experience. I may try to go on the first day of the season just to see if anything is new for me to report about in my Christmas thread, but if I can't make it on 11/12/12, I will be fine going in early December. I would much rather have one full day or a few days when everything is decorated than to go on the first day of the season - IF I have to make that choice.

Heck, a large percentage of the Christmasy photos that I took in my December 2010 picture bonanza came from the hotels. On this past trip in 12/2011, I didn't spend much time taking photos in the hotels because there wasn't much time to spare. There was too much going on involving friends and there was not enough time left for myself. But that's okay. I don't think I have to do a 'photo bonanza' every single holiday season. It's okay to mix it up a bit. I can do a bonanza one year; then I can scale it back and take fewer photos the next year. The year after that I can do a bonanza again!

In any case, the hotels were a big source of photo ideas for me in December 2010.

You know I was very excited for you when you got the Paradise pier Hotel discount at 99 dollars a night and a free night due to the handling of your billing back during your 2010 trip. I would easily stayed at PPH if I got that kind of discount.

As you know from my previous trip reports that I did go in December to DL during my holiday trips with my DA. But the last two years after going to Walt Disney World during the holiday season, I just don't have the time to put it a trip to DL in December. I was about to go back to DL during the Holiday season in December, but I got basketball season that starts at the end of November and I cant missed too many games after last year when I went to WDW. So the only way I could go during the holiday season at DL is by going In mid November which is turning to be great due to less crowds in November and I cant wait for another month to go. I know that I am not able to see the DLR hotels decorated with the holiday decorations which I like to see. I will go back to the DLR one day when the DLR hotels get the holiday decorations. I can't do it this year and it will be the third year in a row that I am missing my birthday trip to DL in December.

I completely agree with you Sherry that I like going to DL in December when the everything at the DLR is all decorated for the holiday season. but it is also fun to go on the opening week of the holiday season to see what is new for the decorations as well as what is different from the past years. We like to see what is different and hope that Disney is not trying to be cheap after what happen last year with the holiday decorations at MTT.

Last year you had all those people with you during your trip. I do understand why you didn't take a lot of pics last year. At least you had a great time with your friends which is something that you can't do too much. When you go to DL this year, you can go to back to the photo bonanza person I know. I might be the same and not taking too many pictures when I go back to Anaheim next month when my DB and his GF are with me for a quick trip. I can live with not too any pics on my next trip if we do have a great time. Just like when you had a great time with Liza.

I will stay at the DLR hotels one day during the holiday season. But it is not the right time yet. Maybe I will being going to back to DL in December next year.

Thank you for your input and I will be looking forward to more from your TR.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Sherry E]

Aunt Betty's Weepy, Wacky, Wonderful Christmas Trip to Disneyland

(12/4/11 - 12/8/11)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 4, 2011 - Part 4 ​

…The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.








(I probably shouldn’t point it out and should just let you all discover it, but I have been putting little snippets of different Christmas songs/poems at the beginning of each Trip Report installment ^^^ – the words may or may not indirectly relate to whatever I am talking about in some vague way – and will continue to do it throughout the whole TR. Not only does it help to kind of put me in a holiday mood, but it has also been my plan to do it that way since December! I’ve known since December how I wanted to set this whole TR up, and I didn’t want to settle for less and do a half-hearted job of it. It may have taken a long time to get it going, but hopefully it will be worth the wait for my readers!

I just didn’t want anyone to think I was using the same verse in every installment [which people might think if they weren’t really looking closely]! Lol.)







I can’t think of a better time to continue working on my holiday 2011 Trip Report than now, when there is a surprise Hallmark Channel Christmas movie marathon on TV in the background!! It helps to get me in the spirit of the season (even though it’s Summer), lend inspiration and channel my inner festive-ness to put together this TR.

The funny thing is, I never watched the Hallmark Channel for any conceivable reason until Fall of last year – when I discovered that they were running a Christmas movie marathon every single weekend, starting on the first weekend in November and ending right after New Year’s! Every single weekend!

I suddenly became an instant Hallmark Channel fan because I thought, “These people love Christmas like I do! They are really embracing the season and reveling in the holiday spirit rather than dreading it, and they are jumping into it full-throttle.”

And now a marathon in the middle of July, too! Jackpot!

If the Hallmark Channel were one of your neighbors, it would be the house on the block with the most elaborate Christmas lights and decorations that puts all the other neighbors’ houses to shame, and it would be decorated even before Halloween ended! Lol.

These days, it’s sad to see so many people becoming disenchanted with the holiday season because they only see the stress and the panic associated with it. They only see the gifts they have to buy for 50 different people, the food that has to be prepared, how much of a pain it is for them to decorate, and how much money they need to cover it all! They have to figure out whose relatives are visiting whose houses. They only know that if they aren’t spending the holiday with friends or family, then they will feel miserable and alone. They have totally lost touch with how to actually enjoy what the season has to offer and have fun because there is so much other ‘stuff’ attached to it! They have lost sight of the beauty and the magic of the season, both in the visual way but also on a deeper level.

As I explained in Part 3 of the Pre-TR/Background/Intro to this Trip Report, in a way it is very liberating for me to not have that same stress that other people have over Christmas. In the past I have absolutely loved giving gifts and things, but I can be happy just soaking in the seasonal atmosphere and not letting it overwhelm me – because I don’t have to let it overwhelm me. There will come a time when I can again give presents and bring baked goods to someone’s house and do all that fun stuff that I used to do. I’m sure of it. But for right now, I can enjoy Christmas in my own way!








Anyway, now where was I in the Trip Report? Oh yes, I remembered that there was something else I meant to say in yesterday’s installment.

At times, when I am with several friends (in the case of Day 1 of the December 2011 DLR trip, they were Jackie, Bob and Shawn), I find that I kind of have to go with the flow and do what the majority wants to do, even if it’s not my preference.

Maybe we could call it, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one” or whatever that well-known saying is.

I’m all for being fair, but I haven’t quite established how I feel about this in certain circumstances.

For example, in Disneyland, after we all finished our Buzz Lightyear ride, I wanted to stop at the kiosks to e-mail my ride photo to myself – which is what I always do. My friends slowed down for maybe about 2 beats, looked over yonder at the lines building, said something like “It’s not worth it”…and just kept walking. They sped up to the exit and headed into Tomorrowland, so I felt I had to miss out on my own photo to catch up to them. True, I could have said something, but at that point two scenarios ran through my head and there was really no time to think of another one:

1. Either yell “Wait” and cause all 3 of them to stop and wait on me, when they clearly did not want to wait (which is why they kept walking), and they may not have even heard me anyway; or

2. Arrange to meet up with them somewhere else in the park, which seemed silly since I only wanted to e-mail the photo. It’s not like I wanted to go off and do my own thing. I wanted to be with my friends.​

In any case, I gave up getting my Buzz Lightyear ride photo to stay with the group. I had to think on the spot because they were about to disappear into a sea of people in Tomorrowland, so that’s what I did.



A second example of this sort of situation was Soarin’ over California in California Adventure. Personally, I really enjoy the ride. I know that many folks have grown tired of it but I still like it. When we all walked over to Condor Flats to get on it as our last ride in DCA for the day, we saw that the line was long and the Fast Pass wait was long as well. Instantly I could see that none of the 3 of my friends cared about riding it, and they pretty much said as much.

What was I going to do? I only see these people once – maybe twice – a year. I didn’t want to split from them during the limited time I had with them to go off and ride Soarin’ myself – and besides, I actually prefer going on rides with people. I can be myself in the parks all day long, doing other things, but when it comes to rides I like to be with friends.

So I didn’t press the issue and try to sway the majority to my way of thinking. I just figured that I would ride Soarin’ with “M” in a couple of days anyway, so it was okay if I missed it on this particular day. I had been telling M for years, after all, that I thought she would love Soarin’ and how much I couldn’t wait to go on it with her. I wanted to be the one to take her on her first Soarin’ ride and point out the hidden Mickey on the flying golf ball and all of that.

By the way – store that last little tidbit away in your memory banks, because it will be relevant after a while.

Again - let me repeat...I gave up trying to fight for a Soarin’ ride with Jackie, Bob and Shawn because I would be riding Soarin’ with M in a couple of days.



And the last example that I can muster of the ‘go with the flow’ scenario is when it came time to eat lunch. Now I like to eat at table service places as much as the next person. But because I had just spent $130 on Super Shuttle, I was tipping the Bell guys at PPH and the housekeeping people as well, and because I knew that I had 4 more days at DLR with very limited funds, I was personally okay with counter service – somewhere that I didn’t have to spend extra money in tips. I had just eaten at Plaza Inn and River Belle Terrace last year in September and October, respectively, and would have been okay eating at either of those places again.

But Shawn and Jackie didn’t want counter service. They wanted “to be served.” That’s how we ended up at Storytellers. I was going to suggest Plaza Inn, but when they said they wanted to be served I steered them to Storytellers. I enjoy Storytellers – don’t get me wrong – but I had an idea of how much lunch would cost and it was more than I wanted to spend. NOT TO MENTION the fact that we (annoyingly) had to bother the waiter to split our bill up into 3 different checks because we were all paying in different ways. No one had cash on them. Everyone only had plastic. And Jackie and I wanted to use our AP discounts, of course. So we had to get one bill for Jackie & Bob, one bill for Shawn and one bill for me, which the waiter was not thrilled with. If we had eaten at a counter service place we would have avoided that entire situation.

But, again, I went with what the majority wanted because I didn’t really feel like making a fuss. I didn’t want to stop everyone from eating in the kind of place they wanted to eat just because I was running low on funds!

So I guess I am just mentioning all of this because I am not sure how others would realistically handle these situations when they come up if they were in my shoes, but I did what I felt was the best choice each time, even though it wasn’t what I wanted. I think everyone says, “I would do THIS or THAT,” but when you’re actually in the situation it doesn’t seem as easy!

And believe me – I AM the sort of person who will speak up if I am displeased about something. It just didn’t seem worthwhile for the Buzz Lightyear/Soarin’/lunchtime situations.





So we all made our way past the aromatic gingerbread house and to our table at Storytellers. Unlike 2010, I was not seated in a chair this time – we were in a booth – so I could not inadvertently make any small children cry when they inevitably rammed themselves into the back of said chair!

A couple more gingerbread house pictures…

Fresh, warm bread was brought out to us, and I ordered my favorite spaghetti with meat sauce, fresh garlic and herbs, fresh grated parmesan cheese and heavenly garlic bread.

I neglected to get any photos of it this time around, so I will have to use my photos from December 2010’s trip for reference.

You know, the actual flavor of this spaghetti is still delicious – I think I’ve had this dish maybe 4 times total over the last 4 years, and the taste is always great. I am a big garlic fan, so if I see chunks of it in any kind of compatible food item I am happy!

But, sadly, the food took a while to get to our table and I suspect that my spaghetti had been sitting out. It was probably ready before anyone else’s meal was ready. And it was merely lukewarm by the time it reached me.

I’ve read that, in Italy, often times the food is served lukewarm or at room temperature. The Italians don’t believe in really hot food, for some reason. Clearly this method must work for them, as people love the food in Italy. Heck, people love Italian food in the U.S.! I’m not sure if Storytellers Café was now doing things in authentic Italian-style, but I like my food to be somewhat hot – not scalding, but hot. If I want cold food I’ll eat ice cream!

The other issue was that suddenly the heavenly garlic bread – which also used to have chunks of garlic on it – now had a thick layer of mozzarella cheese on top. This had never been the case on any other occasion when I’d ordered this dish. So the garlic bread you see on the plate in 2010’s photos is not the same garlic bread that I got in 2011. Just picture that same garlic bread – but with cheese on it!

I like mozzarella cheese – I love it on meatball sandwiches, for example, and I adore it on a pizza! But I am one of those weird people who doesn’t like mozzarella cheese on my garlic bread – I like to be able to taste the flavor of the garlic butter, which was sooooo mouth-watering in 2010 and in 2008 (the first time I ate it). That bread was so good that I even ordered a second helping of it in 2010. But I can’t taste the garlic butter when there is cheese on it.

I could have spoken up, but I was in a ‘pick your battles’ kind of mood that day, I suppose. I just didn’t feel like complaining. It was fine. I dealt with it. I was in a good mood and happy to be there. Next time I order the spaghetti, however, I am going to ask for the garlic bread without cheese!



After a nice lunch and even more silly laughter, we made our way into Disneyland – that much I remember. The Candlelight Processional crowds were slowly – very slowly – starting to build, but it was not bad yet. I had heard that the previous day was packed with CP attendees, but so far this Sunday was not too bad. The CP is something I would eventually love to see and Gary Sinise – a great actor - was the narrator, but it’s not as readily accessible to guests at Disneyland as it is at Disney World.

I said I wanted to go on It’s a Small World Holiday – a ride I never miss during the season. I wasn’t going to allow any time for the rest of my group to hem and haw and say they didn’t want to go on it. I said I wanted to ride it and so off we went. Bob, however, decided to skip it and instead do Star Tours (which he really enjoyed). He is really not a fan of the dolls, even when they are singing “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells.”

Jackie, Shawn and I made our way to the IASWH area and got on the ride after a reasonably short wait in line. This time I couldn’t smell the peppermint in the spot where I normally smell it, which is in the candy factory scene.

After IASWH, I took the girls back to Toon Town to see the hideous plastic Christmas tree that replaced the “good tree.” (Bret/mvf-m11c knows the tree to which I am referring!) I didn’t get any photos of the new tree – there was no time, really – but it was not good. It was a bad tree, compared to what I was used to seeing there for years. I have no clue what Disney was thinking by getting rid of one of the best, most whimsical and colorful trees in Disneyland to put in that plastic monstrosity, but that’s what they did. Not one of their better decisions. Ick.

By the time we started towards Main Street to meet up with Bob, the crowds were getting heavier. By the time we got to Town Square we noticed that Bob wasn’t even there yet. He got stuck in Tomorrowland crowds.

I could tell that my companions were beginning to get tired and wanted to call it a day. I needed to get back to the hotel and collect my things from the Bell desk, and I knew I would be seeing Jackie, Bob and Shawn the next night – when we were all scheduled to convene for a big Goofy’s Kitchen reunion dinner with M!

Shawn and I left Jackie and Bob at the Tram stop in Downtown Disney, and said we’d be back in touch the following afternoon, after M and family arrived at DLR. Shawn and I walked back to the PPH so she could get her truck and go home.

I went to the Bell desk, retrieved my bags and coat – which the Bell guy was going to bring up to the room for me but I said I could handle it, even though I tipped him anyway – and hopped an elevator to the 11th floor. Room 1132, to be exact.

I was exhausted. After getting no sleep the night before, starting my morning so early and walking around DCA and DL for the better part of the day, I just wanted to collapse for a while. Ideally, I hoped that maybe I could rest or nap for a bit and then wake up, refreshed, to be able to hit the parks after dark and take some cool nighttime pictures, which I am sorely lacking. That was my plan, but I was going to play it by ear.

I unlocked the door, hung up my coat, splashed some water on my face, threw a couple of random items on the bathroom counter and took a look at the H20 Spa bath products that are now included in the PPH rooms. It used to be that only the Grand Californian Hotel had H20 toiletries, but Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier eventually got rid of their cute Mickey ears bottles and replaced them with H20. I am a sucker for bath products (I love places like The Body Shop, Basin, Lush and Bath & Body Works), but I missed seeing the telltale ears bottles (which I will show you a picture of in one of the upcoming installments).

I remembered that I had to look out the window and see what kind of view they gave me. Remember, I was booked in a standard room with no view, and no one said anything about an upgrade. But it was a theme park view for the second year in a row, thankfully, and I was pleased. (You will see the view soon.)

I then looked closely at the new décor of the PPH room – it had changed since I was last there. Normally I would be taking extensive photos of the room, but as I’ve said before, I skipped over a lot of photo-taking opportunities on this trip that I had done in 2010.

Look very, very, very closely at the details of this comforter, or whatever it is…do you see what I see?

…A festive beach ball pillow on the bed! (And if you decide that you love this pillow more than words can express and then try to take it home from PPH –and I don’t know why you would – it will cost you something like $60 or $65, billed to your credit card! Does anyone actually try to take home these pillows?)

You know that feeling of just taking off your shoes and collapsing on a bed? It’s one of the greatest feelings. I had to get used to all the new bedding and the new pillows and find my comfort zone, but once I did that I grabbed a bottle of water (I always bring many bottles of water with me to DLR and stash them in the mini-fridge) and the remote control and began surfing the TV channels (which are minimal). I think I ended up watching news and then Piers Morgan on CNN.

After a couple of hours of watching TV I got up and wandered down to the PPH lobby with the intention of getting an extra tree photo or two with my cell phone – just to see how it would turn out. There were people all around the tree and I was too impatient and tired to wait for them to leave.

I kind of poked my head outside, looked towards the GCH across the street and tried to determine if I had the energy to actually go back up to the PPH room, put on a sweater and coat, grab my camera and bag, and walk over to either DL or DCA. Or perhaps I could go and sit in the GCH lobby and enjoy the Dickens carolers by the giant tree; maybe visit with Santa?

I decided I did not have the energy for any of it. Lol. I knew I would regret it later – I wanted to attempt to hone my nighttime picture skills (which are terrible) and enjoy all the gorgeous lights in the parks - but I knew that I needed to rest. I was worn out and I needed a good night’s sleep so I would be bright eyed and bushy-tailed for M’s arrival the next day. I needed to take advantage of the golden sleeping opportunity in the room while I was alone – I have a hard time getting to sleep when other people are in the room, too, and I wake up a lot. This would be my one good shot at possibly sleeping through the whole night. After all, this would be the only night I would have all to myself in this PPH room – the next night M would be with me, and then Molly & Laurie were coming in for 2 nights after that.

I took my pictures….

A couple of lousy cell phone shots of the Paradise Pier Hotel

…And I went right back to the hotel room!


I slept for hours and hours, while visions of sugar plums indeed danced in my head, and woke up really early – when World of Color was being tested in the wee hours, as I recall. It felt great to be rested and to have had a good night’s sleep!

I think these are the ‘testing World of Color’ pictures, and the testing is done when DCA is closed. I don’t remember taking any photos from the room when DCA was still open – I was too tired. There would be more lights turned on than this if it had been open. These are very bad, dark pictures of DCA from my window, but you can see a bit of blue-toned water off to the right-hand side…

In the morning I drank some of the in-room coffee, which is not great but it’ll do in a pinch, hopped in the shower and got myself ready for the day, which would be Monday, December 5, 2011.

But first, I am not one to pass up a prime photo opportunity when it presents itself to me in the shadows on the wall, cast by the morning sunlight…

I love these!

And finally, what an excellent view to start a new day with!

This, presumably, was going to be a great day, as I would be reuniting with my friend after 10 long years and having a wonderful dinner later that evening with several great friends!








Coming up next, in Part 1 of Day 2, I set out on foot on a wildly blustery day to take some photos before M and family come a-rollin’ in to rock the Disneyland Resort! Stay tuned for my “hair-raising” adventures!

 

[kmedina]

I had noticed your songs and/or poems in the trip reports. Even as I was reading your The Night Before Christmas poem, I thought I already know how this turns out, why am I reading it all? There is something magical about Christmas lyrics. You have to read them all once you’ve spotted them. The Hallmark channel is Clark Griswald’s house! I’ve never actually watched it myself, but I may have to check it out. I know exactly what you mean about being stuck in a group and not being able to do what you want to do. That happened to us recently until I ditched the group not once, but twice.

How awesome that you got upgraded to a theme park view! I love getting that but would never shell out the extra $$$$ for it. Even with your cell phone, the tree pictures look lovely. Those H2O products caused Connor to break out with eczema (when I used them, not him) on the Disney Dream, so I was not thrilled to see them at the Disneyland Hotel. I do like that beach ball pillow, but I would not like it in my bedroom. It does not seem like many people would take it home. If I was going to pay full price for one though, it better be brand new. Hope most of the day with M went well, because I am not looking forward to reading about you crying on a bench.

 

[mariezp]

Okie dokie Sherry…. I’ve got some comments to add for you but I have to admit that I was taking notes and probably got things mixed up. So here goes…. in no particular order…..

Hope your foot is better.

Congrats on the $25 gift card! I never win anything. Sounds like you have been doing really well on the surveys and test products lately.

Hot diggity! That Catalina trip is fast approaching! Hope your plans on that are coming together without a hitch. I’ll be with you in spirit.

My son and I loved reading the Disneyland Encyclopedia but we definitely need to get a new updated version…. which is now currently on the way. You really should get yourself one too. The old version was great but I can hardly wait to see what they have added to this new addition.

I don’t remember hearing about chocolate-covered pineapple spears until recently either. And, I totally agree that I am not sure if I think they would be appealing or not. Chocolate dipped strawberries…. Oh yeah! but chocolate dipped pineapple…. I just don’t know.

I’ve not been going to the parks for 40 years but I can still say that Disneyland will always be my favorite park. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy CA and know that I am going to appreciate each and every improvement that has been made. BUT there’s just something extra, extra special about Disneyland.

The "Strike It Rich" sundae sounds amazing! Looks like you helped me make up my mind on what to order! Speaking of ice cream…. Dibs are expensive but every bit worth it.

As always, I am loving your plethora of photos. Never can get too many park photos! Boy are the early summer flowers pretty! Always nice to see photos of Disers meeting up. Nice to be able to put a face with a name. And, also love to see the group shots of you with your long time friends. Love the giant gingerbread house at Storytellers although it did make me have a sudden craving for some warm fresh gingerbread! Your photos of Marceline’s treats reminds me that I really need to stop in there more often.
Speaking of picture taking… just think of all the new light fixtures some of us will have to take photos of in Carsland and BVS! Love, love, love the view from your room!

Bummer that you had to miss sending your Buzz photo to yourself. Personally, I always love to do that too so I agree that I would have been disappointed too. And, super bummer about having to miss Soarin! That is my all time favorite ride in CA. So, if we ever happen to be in the park at the same time again you can count on me to make a special effort with you to be sure and get in AT LEAST one ride…. no matter how long that darn line might be! Not sure what I would have done on the dining choice. I am sure that your friends know you were dealing with limited funds so I would think it might have been nice if they had took that into consideration or even better yet, offered to buy your meal since they were the ones intent on “being served”. Glad you did not make any children cry this time around.

Loving your report…. It so puts me in the mood to be there!.... but I do agree with kmedina. I am not at all looking forward to thinking about you crying on a bench. Darn that M! I do hope that getting to spend some time with Shawn, Jackie and Bob helped make at least one highlight in your trip.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Nice to hear that you were able to eat at Storyteller's Cafe and got a nice pic of the gingerbread house at the front entrance to Storyteller's Cafe. Good thing that Storyteller's Cafe doesn't get too many people in the afternoon then the morning or night which are really popular and the busiest.

Amazing that you were able to get another park view room at PPH just like on the last trip.

Very nice pics of the shadows of the lamp.

I saw that you were talking about the ugly Christmas trees in Toontown. For what Sherry is talking about that in the past they had actual trees at TT that are decorated. Last year TT had plastic trees that were actually from Mickey's Toontown Fair at the MK. They were kind of cartoonish, but they were realyl ugly.

Here are pics of the trees at MTT from last year. I thought it would be okay Sherry if I show everyone the trees from MTT last year.

 

[mariezp]

YIKES! Those trees were just so wrong! If anyone at Disney happens to read this thread PLEASE, PLEASE bring back the pretty trees!

 

[kmedina]

Thanks for sharing the tree pictures, Bret. I have not been around the holidays, since I was very young. Therefore, these are the only trees I've seen there.

YIKES! Those trees were just so wrong! If anyone at Disney happens to read this thread PLEASE, PLEASE bring back the pretty trees!

 

[Sherry E]

Sounds like your morning was off to a great start. I would not have been able to see all of that candy without buying at least half of it. Memories fade, so I always rely on my pictures to tell the story. Therefore, I know what you mean about not remembering the order.

The spaghetti you described sounds fantastic. I laughed about the disappearing gingerbread house. How did no one no where it went or that it was even there in the first place? I am glad it returned this year even if it was not as grand.

You're so right about the way it smells too. It filled the air of every hotel it was decorating at WDW last year. They had one on the ship too, and it was heavenly to walk past.

Kim -

Fortunately, Marceline's Confectionery in Downtown Disney was not open at the time I took those treat pictures, I think, so there was no way to buy it!

The gingerbread house mystery in 2010 was one of the oddest things. I asked my Storytellers waiter why the restaurant is not decorated, because it would look so nice with a Christmas tree. He said that he saw the gingerbread house in the restaurant that year - he told me that it was a really cool Haunted Mansion-themed house - and that when he came back to work for his next shift, the house was totally gone and he had no idea what happened to it!

So I then asked (in 2010) another couple of people what happened to the house. I asked at the front check-in desk. Everyone gave me a blank stare and acted like they had never seen nor heard of this house, and that they had no idea what I was talking about. How could a big gingerbread house just disappear into thin air? It's not like it can be stolen without someone noticing! And if it had been there, why was everyone lying and saying they hadn't seen it (because you know that SOMEONE saw that house other than my waiter)? It's just a gingerbread house disappearance, after all - it's not like we're talking about the mob or something.

I began thinking that I had totally imagined the conversation with the waiter and that he never said anything about a house!

So this past December 2011 I felt relieved to hear that there was, indeed, a gingerbread house in 2010 and that people did remember seeing it, and that it was Haunted Mansion Holiday-themed. They acknowledged that the house was only there for a minute and then quickly taken down, and they hinted that it may have been due to legal/licensing issues. At the time it was taken down, the season was already underway so I guess they couldn't just order up a new, generic house! But they got a nice, fresh, wonderful-smelling generic gingerbread house for 2011! No legal or licensing issues there!

Those elaborate 'edible' holiday displays at the WDW hotels are like 50% of the reason I want to be able to one day go to WDW for the season. I love that they are there, and that they're so detailed and wonderful, from what I've seen on TV and in photos. Not just the giant gingerbread house/shop in the Grand Floridian, but all of the smaller displays at the various hotels. I wish we had those at DLR! We only have that one little generic gingerbread house in Storytellers Cafe and that's it. There's nothing like those displays in the Disneyland Hotel or in Paradise Pier.

You know I was very excited for you when you got the Paradise pier Hotel discount at 99 dollars a night and a free night due to the handling of your billing back during your 2010 trip. I would easily stayed at PPH if I got that kind of discount.

As you know from my previous trip reports that I did go in December to DL during my holiday trips with my DA. But the last two years after going to Walt Disney World during the holiday season, I just don't have the time to put it a trip to DL in December. I was about to go back to DL during the Holiday season in December, but I got basketball season that starts at the end of November and I cant missed too many games after last year when I went to WDW. So the only way I could go during the holiday season at DL is by going In mid November which is turning to be great due to less crowds in November and I cant wait for another month to go. I know that I am not able to see the DLR hotels decorated with the holiday decorations which I like to see. I will go back to the DLR one day when the DLR hotels get the holiday decorations. I can't do it this year and it will be the third year in a row that I am missing my birthday trip to DL in December.

I completely agree with you Sherry that I like going to DL in December when the everything at the DLR is all decorated for the holiday season. but it is also fun to go on the opening week of the holiday season to see what is new for the decorations as well as what is different from the past years. We like to see what is different and hope that Disney is not trying to be cheap after what happen last year with the holiday decorations at MTT.

Last year you had all those people with you during your trip. I do understand why you didn't take a lot of pics last year. At least you had a great time with your friends which is something that you can't do too much. When you go to DL this year, you can go to back to the photo bonanza person I know. I might be the same and not taking too many pictures when I go back to Anaheim next month when my DB and his GF are with me for a quick trip. I can live with not too any pics on my next trip if we do have a great time. Just like when you had a great time with Liza.

I will stay at the DLR hotels one day during the holiday season. But it is not the right time yet. Maybe I will being going to back to DL in December next year.

Thank you for your input and I will be looking forward to more from your TR.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Bret -

Oh, that's right - I forgot about your basketball season! I knew there had to be a reason why you were skipping going to DLR when it's in full 100% decoration mode (aside from making your WDW trips). Hopefully next year you'll be able to do it. But being able to experience both Disneyland during the season (even without the hotels being decorated) and WDW during the season is amazing - and you've been super-lucky to have been able to do that.

Yes - we definitely always have to keep an eye on which decorations at DLR are suddenly disappearing (coughcoughNewOrleansSquarecoughcough) or being replaced with newer, hideous versions because DLR is being cheap! That's why I don't trust them this year, with the 2 new lands in DCA. Although they may not go all out with decorating Cars Land in its first year, I can still see DLR taking some decorations away from other areas around Disneyland and putting them on BVS, or maybe sticking a wreath or two in Cars Land. Those little piddly decorations on the Little Mermaid building last year, and some of the wreaths around DCA, came from somewhere in DL at some point, I think.

In the old, old days, there were Mickey-shaped wreaths on all the lampposts lining Main Street. I loved it. And then, at some point or another, Disney took most of them them down, sticking some of them in Toon Town as part of their new Toon Town holiday decor. And now Toon Town doesn't even have the Mickey-shaped wreaths anymore, last time I checked! Are there any Mickey-shaped lamppost wreaths left in the parks (not counting the ones that hang overhead on Main Street)?

Stop the madness, Disney! Stop stealing decorations from one area of the park (or from another park altogether) to decorate another area! We're on to you - we see what you are doing! You have enough money to buy new decorations for all the areas that need them!

I had noticed your songs and/or poems in the trip reports. Even as I was reading your The Night Before Christmas poem, I thought I already know how this turns out, why am I reading it all? There is something magical about Christmas lyrics. You have to read them all once you’ve spotted them. The Hallmark channel is Clark Griswald’s house! I’ve never actually watched it myself, but I may have to check it out. I know exactly what you mean about being stuck in a group and not being able to do what you want to do. That happened to us recently until I ditched the group not once, but twice.

How awesome that you got upgraded to a theme park view! I love getting that but would never shell out the extra $$$$ for it. Even with your cell phone, the tree pictures look lovely. Those H2O products caused Connor to break out with eczema (when I used them, not him) on the Disney Dream, so I was not thrilled to see them at the Disneyland Hotel. I do like that beach ball pillow, but I would not like it in my bedroom. It does not seem like many people would take it home. If I was going to pay full price for one though, it better be brand new. Hope most of the day with M went well, because I am not looking forward to reading about you crying on a bench.

Kim -

Clark Griswald! I had to chuckle at that. Yes - the Hallmark Channel is the over-the-top "Christmas Vacation" house of all the TV channels. I love their enthusiasm for the holidays - it's what made me a fan of their network. Otherwise, before their Christmas marathons, I had no interest in their channel. And their movies are mostly nice, romantic comedy-type tales - like a stressed out businesswoman goes to a small town for whatever reason, she hates Christmas or hates the small town, ends up meeting a guy and falls in love with him and with the holiday! There are a bunch of movies just like that - and I love them all!

I would rather have the cute Mickey ears bath products than H20 at a Disney hotel, to be honest. Eczema? Wow! Poor Connor. It's so weird how certain people's skin reacts to certain products, while others don't have that same reaction.

And I would never steal the beach ball from the room - ick! It's cute as an accent in the room to add to the theme, but I don't know that I love it that much that I'd want to pay over $60 for it.

I am trying to select the lyrics or words from Christmas songs/poems that somehow correlate to something in each part of the TR, so it's a tricky process. I couldn't just choose the first verse of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" because it didn't pertain to anything, so I had to choose the "snug in their beds" segment because I was talking about collapsing and falling asleep. I can't just start off with the first verse of "Jingle Bells" ("Dashing through the snow...on a one-horse open sleigh...") if it doesn't have any relevance - even a very vague connection - to what I am explaining. It may not always work - there are some cases in which I won't be able to find anything that relates, so I will end up just sticking any old Christmasy thing in there to keep it going!

So, on that note, I don't know which lyrics I am selecting - I am picking them out as I go along, when I kind of establish what I am going to talk about. I know EXACTLY what I am going to use for one future segment of this TR, but that's the only one I have selected in advance. The others are spur of the moment choices. I'm interested to see what I come up with!

Okie dokie Sherry…. I’ve got some comments to add for you but I have to admit that I was taking notes and probably got things mixed up. So here goes…. in no particular order…..

Hope your foot is better.

Congrats on the $25 gift card! I never win anything. Sounds like you have been doing really well on the surveys and test products lately.

Hot diggity! That Catalina trip is fast approaching! Hope your plans on that are coming together without a hitch. I’ll be with you in spirit.

My son and I loved reading the Disneyland Encyclopedia but we definitely need to get a new updated version…. which is now currently on the way. You really should get yourself one too. The old version was great but I can hardly wait to see what they have added to this new addition.

I don’t remember hearing about chocolate-covered pineapple spears until recently either. And, I totally agree that I am not sure if I think they would be appealing or not. Chocolate dipped strawberries…. Oh yeah! but chocolate dipped pineapple…. I just don’t know.

I’ve not been going to the parks for 40 years but I can still say that Disneyland will always be my favorite park. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy CA and know that I am going to appreciate each and every improvement that has been made. BUT there’s just something extra, extra special about Disneyland.

The "Strike It Rich" sundae sounds amazing! Looks like you helped me make up my mind on what to order! Speaking of ice cream…. Dibs are expensive but every bit worth it.

As always, I am loving your plethora of photos. Never can get too many park photos! Boy are the early summer flowers pretty! Always nice to see photos of Disers meeting up. Nice to be able to put a face with a name. And, also love to see the group shots of you with your long time friends. Love the giant gingerbread house at Storytellers although it did make me have a sudden craving for some warm fresh gingerbread! Your photos of Marceline’s treats reminds me that I really need to stop in there more often.
Speaking of picture taking… just think of all the new light fixtures some of us will have to take photos of in Carsland and BVS! Love, love, love the view from your room!

Bummer that you had to miss sending your Buzz photo to yourself. Personally, I always love to do that too so I agree that I would have been disappointed too. And, super bummer about having to miss Soarin! That is my all time favorite ride in CA. So, if we ever happen to be in the park at the same time again you can count on me to make a special effort with you to be sure and get in AT LEAST one ride…. no matter how long that darn line might be! Not sure what I would have done on the dining choice. I am sure that your friends know you were dealing with limited funds so I would think it might have been nice if they had took that into consideration or even better yet, offered to buy your meal since they were the ones intent on “being served”. Glad you did not make any children cry this time around.

Loving your report…. It so puts me in the mood to be there!.... but I do agree with kmedina. I am not at all looking forward to thinking about you crying on a bench. Darn that M! I do hope that getting to spend some time with Shawn, Jackie and Bob helped make at least one highlight in your trip.

Marie -

Hello there!

Of course, as soon as I get to your portion of this multi-quoted reply - literally, the very second I got to it - my computer starts locking up and acting crazy. To be honest, I think it's the 'script' on the page. Some websites have certain 'script' or hidden codes or whatever that my browser cannot handle - because the browsers just don't behave well on an old operating system, with a bad hard drive, on an old PC.

Anyway, I am paranoid about typing more and then having everything lock up to where I lose all of what I typed.

I don't know what I'm going to do about Catalina at this point. If I fractured my foot - and I have no way of knowing for sure, but it seems a likely possibility - or if I have a contusion or whatever, I have a feeling it's going to be a bad idea to be walking around all day on it. And I don't want to go through the trouble to get down to Long Beach and back if I can't do what I want to do, which involves a lot of walking.

Also, after my experience with getting sick for half of the day following the recent Cars Land preview, I am a bit leery of being out in 80-degree heat, with next to no shade, in Avalon. That Cars Land episode was not the first time I've gotten sick from the heat - it's happened before over the years, which is why I am always avoiding going out during this time of year. I know the effects of doing it, and what could happen.

So the question is, do I really want to go out on this adventure, possibly risking making my foot much worse and knowing that I will most likely make myself nauseous and headache-y from the heat...before I have to get on a boat at night, in choppy water? I mean, obviously I want to go but I also have to be sensible. Hmm....I'm going to give it until about Wednesday and make my final decision on Catalina.

Yes, chocolate-covered strawberries are yummy (I especially love white chocolate-covered berries). Chocolate-covered pineapple? Eh...not so sure about that one! I think I want to keep my chocolate world and my pineapple world separate - and not force 2 worlds to collide!

I'm glad to have won the $25 Amazon card, although I wish it had been a $25 Visa or something that could be used at other places. With this, I am forced to buy from Amazon, but there are tons of things I could get. I just don't know if I will go the practical route, i.e., getting new memory cards and or batteries for my camera, or the fun route (getting a book like the "Disneyland Encyclopedia" or the Disney Parks poster art hard cover book that costs about $25).

On the one hand I wish I had taken more photos in Disneyland on the recent Cars Land preview visit - because I'm never there at that time of year and those flowers are really pretty - but at the same time I needed to get out the sun!

I saw several interesting light fixtures in Cars Land and in a couple of the Buena Vista Street shops, but I am sure I missed a lot of the new ones because I did not go into every single shop, and I wasn't really looking for light fixtures. That's just something I may take a photo of here or there if I am in the mood, but otherwise I don't.

That's where you and Deejdigsdis will have to really get to work! Between the two of you, you should have all of the light fixtures in both new lands covered.

I really think we need to start a 'light fixture thread', sharing photos of all the ones we have found - or mainly that YOU guys have found. There are sooooo many cool ones, and it would be great to see them all in one thread!

I know exactly what the thread should be called, too! It can't be called "Light Fixture Thread," as that will send everyone running to their beds to fall asleep. I have a great title. The thing is...I don't have enough light fixture photos to get the thread started, and I don't really plan to have a lot of them, so it would largely be supported by the photos that you, Deejdigsdis, Bret/mvf-m11c and anyone else who wants to contribute have taken - in which case, someone else should start the thread!

Does someone here want to start the light fixture thread? If so, you can use the name I came up with for the title, if you like it (obviously, if you don't like it, use something else)! We just have to make sure that our light fixture photo enthusiasts actually post in the thread! If we start it and the actual people who have taken these photos don't post, it will be a dud!

Yep - I didn't make any small children cry this time by merely sitting in my chair and minding my own business! I still remember the look on the lady's face who came to shuffle her little angel away in 2010. Must have been the grandmother. She didn't see what happened, and only heard the cries, but the way she looked at me you'd guess that she was assuming that I proactively did something to bother the girl. I don't think she realized that I was literally just sitting there, not moving, not bothering anyone!

Thank you so much for the kind words, Marie! I'm glad you're still here, following along and enjoying the adventure (before it all goes downhill and I end up crying on the bench, of course)!

Nice to hear that you were able to eat at Storyteller's Cafe and got a nice pic of the gingerbread house at the front entrance to Storyteller's Cafe. Good thing that Storyteller's Cafe doesn't get too many people in the afternoon then the morning or night which are really popular and the busiest.

Amazing that you were able to get another park view room at PPH just like on the last trip.

Very nice pics of the shadows of the lamp.

I saw that you were talking about the ugly Christmas trees in Toontown. For what Sherry is talking about that in the past they had actual trees at TT that are decorated. Last year TT had plastic trees that were actually from Mickey's Toontown Fair at the MK. They were kind of cartoonish, but they were realyl ugly.

Here are pics of the trees at MTT from last year. I thought it would be okay Sherry if I show everyone the trees from MTT last year.

Bret -

Thank you! I love the shadow Mickey pictures because it's something different - a different kind of picture that I don't see every day. The sun just happened to be in the right position at the right time, and it created the fun shadow on the wall.

I don't mind at all that you posted your Toon Town 'hideous tree' photos! In fact, I really appreciate that you did because it helps me to illustrate that part of my story. I took so few photos this time in comparison to 2010, that there will be a lot of areas in the TR where people will want to see photos and I will either have to pull up something from 2010 to show for an example, or use no photos at all.

So your Toon Town ugly tree photos really, really helped! Thank you! And I agree with Marie - YIKES! I'm glad I didn't stay in Toon Town and look at them for too long - I just took my friends back there quickly to point out the new (reused from WDW) tree and then we high-tailed it out of there.

YIKES! Those trees were just so wrong! If anyone at Disney happens to read this thread PLEASE, PLEASE bring back the pretty trees!

Marie -

Ditto. There is just no earthly reason for those trees. I mean, yes, I can see where we are supposed to get the 'cartoonish' feel, like they were drawn or painted into the landscape - which would have been fine if those had been the very first trees to ever appear in Toon Town and had been part of the original Christmas design of that land. But the fact is that we had all gotten used to the other trees for years, and these "new" ones are sad replacements,

Thanks for sharing the tree pictures, Bret. I have not been around the holidays, since I was very young. Therefore, these are the only trees I've seen there.

Kim -

The photos below are of the bright, colorful Toon Town trees we had all become used to, that were viciously ripped from us in 2011.

Just to mirror Bret's photo sequence above, here are the 2010 (and prior) versions of the ToonTown tree - this is the way the trees are supposed to look:


Main Toon Town city tree:

Minnie Mouse's tree:

Mickey's tree:

​

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

Oh, that's right - I forgot about your basketball season! I knew there had to be a reason why you were skipping going to DLR when it's in full 100% decoration mode (aside from making your WDW trips). Hopefully next year you'll be able to do it. But being able to experience both Disneyland during the season (even without the hotels being decorated) and WDW during the season is amazing - and you've been super-lucky to have been able to do that.

Yes - we definitely always have to keep an eye on which decorations at DLR are suddenly disappearing (coughcoughNewOrleansSquarecoughcough) or being replaced with newer, hideous versions because DLR is being cheap! That's why I don't trust them this year, with the 2 new lands in DCA. Although they may not go all out with decorating Cars Land in its first year, I can still see DLR taking some decorations away from other areas around Disneyland and putting them on BVS, or maybe sticking a wreath or two in Cars Land. Those little piddly decorations on the Little Mermaid building last year, and some of the wreaths around DCA, came from somewhere in DL at some point, I think.

In the old, old days, there were Mickey-shaped wreaths on all the lampposts lining Main Street. I loved it. And then, at some point or another, Disney took most of them them down, sticking some of them in Toon Town as part of their new Toon Town holiday decor. And now Toon Town doesn't even have the Mickey-shaped wreaths anymore, last time I checked! Are there any Mickey-shaped lamppost wreaths left in the parks (not counting the ones that hang overhead on Main Street)?

Stop the madness, Disney! Stop stealing decorations from one area of the park (or from another park altogether) to decorate another area! We're on to you - we see what you are doing! You have enough money to buy new decorations for all the areas that need them!

If I didn't have basketball season, I would easily go back to DL in December. Because of that, I had to go with November as my backup plan. I can't imagine myself not being able to go to DL during the Holiday season just like you. It was difficult of not being able to see the whole DLR all decorated for the Holiday season. These last two years in November were great with low crowds and I also go to see filming for the Holiday season and radio station booths at the Hub. It was amazing to experience both Holiday season at DL and WDW. Hopefully next year my DA and I will be able to go back to DL in December which we usually do. But these this year and the last two years in November will be awesome. DL will always be my favorite no matter what WDW puts up.

I completely agree with you 100%. We don't know what kind of decorations DL will be getting this year, the last few years they have been getting cheaper with unimpressed decorations just like the Christmas trees at TT. We did talk about that it is highly likely that BVS will get some Christmas decorations. But how much will they put in BVS since DCA is finally finished? We all hope that the DLR doesn't take too much of the decorations from DL and put them over to DCA. With the price increase on tickets and AP, they should be able to have the funds to add more decorations for the Halloween and Christmas season. I can see CL getting wreaths on the buildings. The LM ride and some parts of DCA didn't have impressive decorations last year. Hopefully this is the year that they will change it and go all out decorations at both lands.

Those were great times at DL during the Holiday season with all those nice decorations around MS. The last couple of years, we haven't seen the Mickey's shape wreaths on MS. I believe all the Mickey shape wreaths are at the MK at WDW. I know that they had them up on the lamp poles on MS during the Holiday season.

Here is a pic of the Mickey shape wreath at the MK last year.

No kidding. With the price increase, they should have enough money to go all out with decorations for the Halloween season and Christmas season this year. If they don't, we will all be disappointed.

Bret -

Thank you! I love the shadow Mickey pictures because it's something different - a different kind of picture that I don't see every day. The sun just happened to be in the right position at the right time, and it created the fun shadow on the wall.

I don't mind at all that you posted your Toon Town 'hideous tree' photos! In fact, I really appreciate that you did because it helps me to illustrate that part of my story. I took so few photos this time in comparison to 2010, that there will be a lot of areas in the TR where people will want to see photos and I will either have to pull up something from 2010 to show for an example, or use no photos at all.

So your Toon Town ugly tree photos really, really helped! Thank you! And I agree with Marie - YIKES! I'm glad I didn't stay in Toon Town and look at them for too long - I just took my friends back there quickly to point out the new (reused from WDW) tree and then we high-tailed it out of there.

A different kind of picture that we barely see on the trip report threads. You got good timing of shadow.

Your welcome. Any pictures that you need help with your trip just ask me and I will be happy to help you out and look for them on flickr where i have over 15,000 pics over the last four years.

 

[tksbaskets]

WOW I go camping for 4 days and come home to so many wonderful installments!!

Where to start?? I love the Christmas Carols at the start of your installments. You had a VERY full day starting at 6 am. Your room looks great. We've never stayed at PPH but if we weren't at the GCH we'd stay there after looking at your pics. A room with a view indeed!

Looks like you had fun with your pals. I too am reluctant to not 'go with the flow' when in a group. Storytellers is nice (when the food is hot - bummer) but it is $$. I would have sucked it up like you did. You are so right about being hard to go against the collective.

Now as for riding Soarin' again I'm thinking we'd be ideal touring partners. I'd snag us a couple of Soarin' FPs and then we'd ride it as our last ride of the day. we did that our last holiday trip. It always makes me smile especially when the fireworks are exploding over the Christmas Parade in DL at night. Sigh.... I'm glad they went with you on TSMM! That is a tough one to stand in line without pals.

OK, I'm forgetting to comment on a million things but I do want you to know I appreciate the time you take for your trip report. I read it all and at times bust out laughing - like your being in a booth and unable to plow into unsuspecting children at Storytellers!

Can't wait for more!

 

[Sherry E]

If I didn't have basketball season, I would easily go back to DL in December. Because of that, I had to go with November as my backup plan. I can't imagine myself not being able to go to DL during the Holiday season just like you. It was difficult of not being able to see the whole DLR all decorated for the Holiday season. These last two years in November were great with low crowds and I also go to see filming for the Holiday season and radio station booths at the Hub. It was amazing to experience both Holiday season at DL and WDW. Hopefully next year my DA and I will be able to go back to DL in December which we usually do. But these this year and the last two years in November will be awesome. DL will always be my favorite no matter what WDW puts up.

I completely agree with you 100%. We don't know what kind of decorations DL will be getting this year, the last few years they have been getting cheaper with unimpressed decorations just like the Christmas trees at TT. We did talk about that it is highly likely that BVS will get some Christmas decorations. But how much will they put in BVS since DCA is finally finished? We all hope that the DLR doesn't take too much of the decorations from DL and put them over to DCA. With the price increase on tickets and AP, they should be able to have the funds to add more decorations for the Halloween and Christmas season. I can see CL getting wreaths on the buildings. The LM ride and some parts of DCA didn't have impressive decorations last year. Hopefully this is the year that they will change it and go all out decorations at both lands.

Those were great times at DL during the Holiday season with all those nice decorations around MS. The last couple of years, we haven't seen the Mickey's shape wreaths on MS. I believe all the Mickey shape wreaths are at the MK at WDW. I know that they had them up on the lamp poles on MS during the Holiday season.

Here is a pic of the Mickey shape wreath at the MK last year.

No kidding. With the price increase, they should have enough money to go all out with decorations for the Halloween season and Christmas season this year. If they don't, we will all be disappointed.


A different kind of picture that we barely see on the trip report threads. You got good timing of shadow.

Your welcome. Any pictures that you need help with your trip just ask me and I will be happy to help you out and look for them on flickr where i have over 15,000 pics over the last four years.

Bret -

Thank you!

It's always nice when we, as TR-writers and photo-takers, can come up with at least one unique, rarely seen, interesting sort of image to include in our TR's - something that no one else has noticed or been able to capture! I know you know the feeling!

At least MK at WDW uses totally different-looking Mickey-shaped wreaths than what Disneyland used to have on Main Street and in Toon Town, so they are distinctively different and not just recycled.

The Mickey-shaped wreaths were part of what first stood out to me at DLR during when DLR started making a much bigger deal out of the holiday season in the late '80s and early '90s and going all-out with the decorations.

I thought it was such a clever way of showing that it was the Christmas season at a Disney park. It clearly said Christmas, and it clearly said Disney.

Maybe the DLR decorating team decided that it was overkill to have too many wreaths like that on Main Street and up to the Hub so they moved a few of them (or made some brand new ones) to Toon Town, where they thought the whimsical style would be more fitting (although the ones in Toon Town were not identical).

At least the idea of the Mickey-shaped wreath was still alive and kicking in ToonTown, even if the wreaths didn't look exactly the same as the ones on Main Street.

Bret, maybe you'll remember because I'm not 100% sure. The last time I saw one of the Mickey-shaped wreaths in ToonTown was maybe in 2007 or 2008 - is that correct? They were definitely not there in 2010, unless I completely walked past them. But seeing that I was all over Toon Town on a photo spree in 2010, I don't know how I would have overlooked such a thing but it could have happened!


Anyway, now, unless I am forgetting something, I think the Mickey-shaped lamppost wreaths are gone completely - and it makes me wonder if Disney moved them to one of their other parks (not in Florida, but one of the international parks).

WOW I go camping for 4 days and come home to so many wonderful installments!!

Where to start?? I love the Christmas Carols at the start of your installments. You had a VERY full day starting at 6 am. Your room looks great. We've never stayed at PPH but if we weren't at the GCH we'd stay there after looking at your pics. A room with a view indeed!

Looks like you had fun with your pals. I too am reluctant to not 'go with the flow' when in a group. Storytellers is nice (when the food is hot - bummer) but it is $$. I would have sucked it up like you did. You are so right about being hard to go against the collective.

Now as for riding Soarin' again I'm thinking we'd be ideal touring partners. I'd snag us a couple of Soarin' FPs and then we'd ride it as our last ride of the day. we did that our last holiday trip. It always makes me smile especially when the fireworks are exploding over the Christmas Parade in DL at night. Sigh.... I'm glad they went with you on TSMM! That is a tough one to stand in line without pals.

OK, I'm forgetting to comment on a million things but I do want you to know I appreciate the time you take for your trip report. I read it all and at times bust out laughing - like your being in a booth and unable to plow into unsuspecting children at Storytellers!

Can't wait for more!

Helllllloooooooo, TK!

I had a feeling you had been super busy over the last several days, or else you would have popped up much sooner to see that I had ended the Cars Land TR and instantly started in with Christmas! I was thinking, "She will have quite a bit to catch up on when she comes back!"

I hope your camping trip was fun - did you go to a lake or to the mountains or somewhere like that? I have never been on a full-fledged camping trip, believe it or not, but as long as it's somewhere cool like near water (a river, a lake, a stream or whatever), I'd love to do it. I need scenery, If it's just in the middle of the dense woods somewhere with nothing pretty to look at, I think I'd be bored...and worried that the Blair Witch was going to get me. Then again, rivers are not safe, either. Have you seen "Deliverance"? But, as a general rule, give me some scenery and s'mores and a nice lake to look at and I'll be all over it!

Yes, I had a very full day starting at 6 a.m. (on Sunday-Day 1 of the December trip), but my day started before that, with the shuttle and not getting any sleep the entire and all of that. I was worn out mostly from the lack of sleep. If I had been able to keep a normal schedule of some kind and hadn't been sleep-deprived, I might have been able to get away with just going back to my PPH room and resting for a bit, then getting a second wind and venturing out at night. But, the way things worked out, I knew I had better just stay at the hotel and get a good night's sleep before M and her family, Laurie and Molly showed up over the next couple of days.

I definitely had fun with my pals - and I'm glad that I had that day at the beginning of the trip, to get everything started off on the right foot....because things kind of just went downhill from there, to a large degree! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who would just go with what the majority wanted.

I mean, I didn't want to skip Soarin' at all. I wanted to get my Buzz Lightyear ride photo. Those are not things that I really wanted to give up. But I thought that I would have another chance to ride Soarin' with M and family in a couple of days, and that I would have a second chance to get a Buzz Lightyear ride photo at that point too. So I didn't press the issue about these things on my first day because I knew there would be other chances.

Fortunately, everyone in my group loves TSMM, so I didn't have to coax or cajole anyone into riding it. But at some point it may be that they get tired of it and no longer want to stand in the line for it. That has happened with Haunted Mansion Holiday - even though we went on it in December, there have been other times when everyone wanted to skip it so they didn't have to deal with the lines/crowds.

Thank you for the kind words, TK! I'm glad the Christmas lyrcs/words are working well. I have fun picking them out as I go along.

I'm glad that I have at least a couple of people laughing too! I must admit that sometimes I make myself giggle a little bit, if I am typing out something particularly silly (like the bits about the shuttle ride and the forest and Sound of Music/Lord of the Dance and all of that) that just pops into my head out of nowhere - something unplanned. But other times, if I am hitting a writer's block and not able to come up with anything to say where there needs to be some explanation, I get frustrated.

Not every single post/installment of the TR will require a lot of narrative. There may be a few posts that will be mostly photos - that's when you will be able to tell that I reached a point in the trip where I could knock off a bunch of pictures in one swoop. But seeing that my photo count is extremely low for this trip compared to what it was for December 2010 - or even for my recent Cars Land visit - and seeing that everything got more chaotic and frustrating after the first day, you know that there will have to be some explanations here and there!

This is why I couldn't just speed through the TR and do a half-hearted job, skipping over lots of stuff. The way the events of the trip played out, I knew that a 'story' would be required, and that I'd have to explain certain things before it ever started (which I did, in the Pre-TR section of it) to put these events in perspective for the readers. The Pre-TR/Background sets up the emotional tone for this particular, specific TR - and it will make the end result have more meaning and clarity for everyone, I hope.

I'd rather do the TR the right way - even if it's 7 months late - than to not do it at all, or to only tell 10% of the story! Of course, I didn't intend to get it going quite this late in the game - but there were too many other factors that made things difficult and got in the way of being able to get it started!

​

By the way, I am trying to stick with a pattern of taking time in the morning to reply to people who are kind enough to comment, and then working on at least one installment of the TR per day to have ready by nighttime - and then somewhere in the middle of it all, finding time for all the other non-DIS stuff that I have to do. (Real-life stuff!)

Yesterday I couldn't work on a TR installment, so I got behind. There may be days when I have to just power through the TR installments if I am on a roll and get them posted, and skip the replies to people. Or there may be days when I can only reply very quickly. Or there may be days - like yesterday - where I am able to reply thoroughly, but can't do a TR installment. There may be days when I can neither reply nor post an installment!

I read all of the comments, though, so even if I don't reply to them right away - or if I somehow end up skipping them from commentary, please know that I do read and appreciate all the replies and kind words, and I appreciate that anyone is paying attention at all!

What can I say? Given the enormous technical hurdles I face on a regular basis, I am doing the best I can!


I have to decide within the next couple of days if I am going to brave Catalina this Saturday. It is supposed to be 79 degrees with a "Feels Like" assessment of "87 degrees." Okay, just so you all know..."Feeling Like" 87 degrees - even if the thermostat says 79 degrees - is like hell on earth for me. That will not be good for me at all. So I am keeping an eagle eye on Accuweather's Avalon forecast tomorrow and Wednesday, and if the "Feels Like" doesn't drop down to a lower number, I may have to skip it...which is probably better off for my injured foot anyway.