Nothing to See Here...

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

I wonder if Earl of Sandwich will stop taking the AP discount. Maybe that's why it hasn't been listed on the AP site yet - perhaps they are going to stop taking it.

I don't know about that Tables in Wonderland card for $100. That doesn't sound like it would work for every situation - only for some.

So, let me get this straight - if you want to use your AP at WDW for table service restaurants, you have to eat at certain times to get the discounts? You can't just go and eat at any old time of the day to be able to use it? And only some of the table service restaurants accept the AP discount? You can't use your AP on the counter service places at all? Interesting (but not in a good way)! That whole set-up almost makes DLR's AP a bargain!

When the DLR Premium AP went up $150 this year, my first thought was that Disney would do the biggest price increase then, right before Cars Land opened, and then do much smaller increases over the next couple of years. For example, they used to raise the DAP and PAP by maybe $30-$50 a year. The $150 increase on the PAP was massive, so I am guessing that the next couple of increases will be much smaller. They could have broken it up so that instead of $150 at once, it was $50 each year for the next couple of years. They wanted more money up front, to get back a little of what they spent on CL and BVS. I think that Disney would be absolutely out of their minds if they tried another $150 increase on the PAP this year.

Aside from the AP prices, Laurie/DizNee Luver and I have discussed how Disney has also gone crazy with their hotel prices. Yes, all of the onsite hotels are expensive, but in the case of the PPH they have gotten ahead of themselves. Laurie and I both love the PPH, whereas a lot of people had no interest in staying there for years.

Now that the PPH is starting to get many more bookings, the prices have gone way, way up per night. Even an AP doesn't get you anything more than a 10% discount now - all of the good AP discounts seem to be gone. But the problem is that even though the PPH is a nice place to stay, it is in no way worth what Disney is charging for it. The DLH and GCH are big properties with grounds to explore - they are more like real resort hotels. The PPH does not have that kind of property. It is much smaller and there isn't really much to it, so the prices that Disney charges for the PPH per night without discounts ($300+) are totally outrageous because it is not a $300 per night hotel!

I wonder what direction Disney will take (in terms of prices) with this whole "fiscal cliff" situation that we are dealing with in America. It is sounding like a lot of people may be taking big pay cuts and/or getting huge tax increases, and more jobs will be lost, etc. If this happens, I really think there will be a drop in attendance at DLR. I know that it may be cheaper to go there than it is to go other places for a weekend, but I think that is millions of Americans suddenly get hit with those cuts and increases, Disney parks will suffer for a while.

That will be very disappointing if Disney doesn't continue the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich since it is only a couple of months since it opened. I'll find out if they still have the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich.

The Tables in Wonderland card is an option for buying if you are an AP holder, DVC members and Florida residents so you can save 20% off at participating sit down restaurants at WDW. If you are eating at a lot of sit down restaurants at WDW then it is worth purchasing it since you can 20%.

That is correct of what it says on the AP discounts for the sit down restaurants. If you just have the AP discount and don't have the TiW card, there are specific times that you can get the discount. Here is an example: If I am eating at Teppan Edo restaurant at the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT and the only way I can get 10% off the regular price of food and beverages (excluding alcohol/tax/gratuity) during lunch from Monday through Friday. There are some restaurants without the TiW card you can get the discount. While most of the restaurants at WDW accept the TiW, there are some that don't accept the TiW card. I don't know which ones that don't accept them but just like at Napa Rose where they don't accept the AP. That is correct that you can't use your AP for the quick counter restaurants which seems ridiculous. DL AP is a real bargain where you can get discounts at the quick counter and sit down restaurants.

There was no question that the Premium AP went up to $150 is for the new Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. I would expect the same thing when Disney increases the prices of the tickets and AP middle of next year. Hopefully next year prices won't be that much.

The DLR hotel prices have gone up so dramatically the last couple of years where staying at PPH is over $200 during the slow season. I know that you love staying at PPH and people do have preference of where they like to stay. I love to stay at the GCH and would want to stay there again one day. It have been nice of staying off site so I can save some money and go back to Anaheim in the future.

There is no question that PPH prices are way to high and not even worth the price. It is disappointing that the prices at PPH is high and maybe one day they will cut down on staying at PPH.

With the economy going on today, I wouldn't be surprise to see attendance at the DLR go down next year.


Very nice pictures of the masks and instruments on the light poles around the alley of NOS. They did add a lot of masks around the alley of NOS the last couple of years and it does match the theme of the Holiday season at NOS.

 

[Sherry E]

That will be very disappointing if Disney doesn't continue the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich since it is only a couple of months since it opened. I'll find out if they still have the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich.

The Tables in Wonderland card is an option for buying if you are an AP holder, DVC members and Florida residents so you can save 20% off at participating sit down restaurants at WDW. If you are eating at a lot of sit down restaurants at WDW then it is worth purchasing it since you can 20%.

That is correct of what it says on the AP discounts for the sit down restaurants. If you just have the AP discount and don't have the TiW card, there are specific times that you can get the discount. Here is an example: If I am eating at Teppan Edo restaurant at the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT and the only way I can get 10% off the regular price of food and beverages (excluding alcohol/tax/gratuity) during lunch from Monday through Friday. There are some restaurants without the TiW card you can get the discount. While most of the restaurants at WDW accept the TiW, there are some that don't accept the TiW card. I don't know which ones that don't accept them but just like at Napa Rose where they don't accept the AP. That is correct that you can't use your AP for the quick counter restaurants which seems ridiculous. DL AP is a real bargain where you can get discounts at the quick counter and sit down restaurants.

There was no question that the Premium AP went up to $150 is for the new Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. I would expect the same thing when Disney increases the prices of the tickets and AP middle of next year. Hopefully next year prices won't be that much.

The DLR hotel prices have gone up so dramatically the last couple of years where staying at PPH is over $200 during the slow season. I know that you love staying at PPH and people do have preference of where they like to stay. I love to stay at the GCH and would want to stay there again one day. It have been nice of staying off site so I can save some money and go back to Anaheim in the future.

There is no question that PPH prices are way to high and not even worth the price. It is disappointing that the prices at PPH is high and maybe one day they will cut down on staying at PPH.

With the economy going on today, I wouldn't be surprise to see attendance at the DLR go down next year.


Very nice pictures of the masks and instruments on the light poles around the alley of NOS. They did add a lot of masks around the alley of NOS the last couple of years and it does match the theme of the Holiday season at NOS.

Bret -

Thank you. Yes, there were a lot of masks in NOS! I figured I may as well get photos of all of them because, as you know, Disney will probably take away some of them or switch them for different masks in the next year or two. Just looking at PHXscuba's photo above reminds me that that particular mask was in NOS in 2010 but is not there now.

I have basically one more post of mask stuff, for the most part (although I do go back to NOS briefly later in the trip) and that's it.

That's very interesting, the way the whole TiW/Ap thing works at WDW. That whole dining situation in WDW sounds like too much work and too much to think about! I don't want to think about which day of the week or which time of day I can use my AP to get a discount, and I don't want to have to pay the $100 for TiW when I may want to eat counter service food.

I definitely think that if this "fiscal cliff" situation is not avoided and drastic things start happening with people's money, there will be no choice but for folks to stop going to Disney Parks for a while...and Disney will have to respond to the economical climate in America (like they did for a while with the recent economical problems that started in 2008 or so) by offering big discounts and/or not raising prices for a year or two.


Next post is coming right up...

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the SECOND installment for today…!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 8​

Good King Wenceslas looked out
on the feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night,
though the frost was cruel,
when a poor man came in sight,
gathering winter fuel.






In the last TR installment, I continued my Million Mask March around New Orleans Square on a very productive and photo-intensive Day 2 of my DLR holiday trip! You can understand now what I meant when I mentioned early on that I didn’t get into my “photo groove” until Day 2!!

Aha! More out-of-the-way, balcony-hanging masks! They can’t hide from me, though!

This little creepy guy was just hangin’ around on a lamppost…

Here’s another one! As I said in my last post, just when I would think I had found all of the masks…up would pop another one!

Judging by the vantage point from which these photos were taken, it looks like this mask was one of the ones I had a hard time reaching (there must have been obstacles in the way)…

​

Up next, in Part 9 of Day 2, I bid farewell to the masks and finish up in New Orleans Square for the day; then mosey off to Critter Country – where there are no masks to be found! - for a change of scenery (and theme)!!

 

[sarahk0204]

Thank you, Sherry, for all of the beautiful mask photos. I especially like their liberal use of French Horns. As a French Horn player, I tend to notice that sort of thing. Looking forward to more.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you, Sherry, for all of the beautiful mask photos. I especially like their liberal use of French Horns. As a French Horn player, I tend to notice that sort of thing. Looking forward to more.

sarahk0204 -

Happy New Year!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for saying something and letting me know I wasn't completely alone out here! I haven't seen you around here in a while so I am glad you popped in to comment.

Thank you, also, for the kind words. I am usually a pretty harsh critic of myself, but I thought that some of the photos (mask and otherwise) turned out to be pretty good.

Yes, they do use that French Horn quite liberally in the masks, don't they? Perfect for the Mardi Gras theme. The masks are really quite ornate and elaborate, as you can see. I was greatly enjoying getting up close and kind of looking at the details - they are all made up of the same sorts of elements such as beads, faux jewels, feathers, ribbons, lace, etc., but yet they are all so different in color and theme. Some of them are more dramatic than others; some are more whimsical; some are more mysterious; some are more glamorous.

When I was done with the masks I kept thinking there must be more somewhere that I was missing! I couldn't accept that I had found the last mask. I just knew that there must be some spot that I overlooked, around some corner, where there would be even more masks! A hotbed o' masks! I was a little sad when I looked all over and didn't see anymore. I even waited for people to finish eating and vacate a table outside of Cafe Orleans so I could get to one specific mask!

Without looking at what's next in my albums, if I recall correctly I think the next stop in the trip is Critter Country, and then Adventureland is not far after that. I never really spend any time in Adventureland taking pictures (there are no Christmas decorations of any kind in that land), so I wanted to take a few photos around the area just to have something...anything.

And then later in that same day (Day 2) there will be Candlelight Ceremony/Processional photos, nighttime It's a Small World Holiday photos and nighttime Winter Castle photos...PLUS another trip to Earl of Sandwich (visit #2)!

But I do make another quick visit to New Orleans Square on Day 3! Stay tuned!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

As much as I love the masks.....I didn't realize there were so many different ones!! I obviously overlooked many of them the last 2 trips! If I recall, a lot of these masks will be there still for Mardi Gras (or do they put up different ones??) I will have to hunt them down on the Diva trip.

I think the red, green and even the purple ones really "POP". Just love them!!

 

[Sherry E]

As much as I love the masks.....I didn't realize there were so many different ones!! I obviously overlooked many of them the last 2 trips! If I recall, a lot of these masks will be there still for Mardi Gras (or do they put up different ones??) I will have to hunt them down on the Diva trip.

I think the red, green and even the purple ones really "POP". Just love them!!

Happy New Year, Laurie!

(I swear, just as I was typing that out I almost accidentally typed "Happy Birthday"!)

Just as a side note - New Year's Eve has changed so much from when I was a kid and teen (back in the 15th century). Of course I no longer have the need to go out on NYE - in fact, staying home is quite fine. But I can't even stay awake until midnight most of the time.

So...for all of the old, tired folks on the West Coast who cannot keep their eyes open to watch the ball drop at midnight (such as myself), we can now find the East Coast coverage of the ball dropping in Times Square on cable TV - so we can watch it at 9 p.m. and feel like we rang in the New Year, and then hit the sack before midnight! Who would have thought way back when that we could eventually watch East Coast coverage and have a fake midnight celebration 3 hours early?

I must admit - it will be weird to not see Dick Clark in Times Square this year (even before midnight, in the early evening Rockin' Eve coverage).

Yes, I agree about the masks - I tend to prefer the masks that are all one main color scheme - all red, all green, all purple, and even the all white one (with gold touches, because it looks so elegant).

Remember that many of the masks - or maybe a little more than half of them - are double-sided. Disney's decorations people were very clever in making sure that anywhere they hung a mask that was in an area with traffic coming and going both ways, the mask had 2 sides so that people could see it from each direction.

BUT, if they put a mask close to a wall, or where its back was close to a wall and where no one would be walking behind it - like in the case of the red mask - there was only one side to it! Very smart!

The masks that have 2 sides are interesting because both sides are very similar but not 100% identical. The sides are slightly different - not mirror images of each other.

Yes, masks will be up on the Diva trip. Since there are so many masks I'm not sure if all of them will be up for the DLR Mardi Gras festivities, or if only some of them are up. Heck, at this rate there may even be more of them up than there are now! But I would have to assume that Disney will keep up the whole array of them all the way through Mardi Gras.

It's okay to not take pictures of some things on certain trips! I know you probably think to yourself (like Bret/mvf-m11c does), "I should have gotten pictures of X, Y and Z on the last trips." We're all different people, with different ideas of what we want to accomplish. Also, different things catch our eyes.

I specifically went for the masks because I knew I could get some good photos of them this time around. I knew I could do a better job than what I did in 2010. So it was a personal goal of mine - a mission! I must have spent hours - literally - in NOS on that day, just trying to perfect the mask pictures and get a few good ones out of hundreds!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Happy New Year, Laurie!

(I swear, just as I was typing that out I almost accidentally typed "Happy Birthday"!)

Just as a side note - New Year's Eve has changed so much from when I was a kid and teen (back in the 15th century). Of course I no longer have the need to go out on NYE - in fact, staying home is quite fine. But I can't even stay awake until midnight most of the time.

So...for all of the old, tired folks on the West Coast who cannot keep their eyes open to watch the ball drop at midnight (such as myself), we can now find the East Coast coverage of the ball dropping in Times Square on cable TV - so we can watch it at 9 p.m. and feel like we rang in the New Year, and then hit the sack before midnight! Who would have thought way back when that we could eventually watch East Coast coverage and have a fake midnight celebration 3 hours early?

I must admit - it will be weird to not see Dick Clark in Times Square this year (even before midnight, in the early evening Rockin' Eve coverage).

Yes, I agree about the masks - I tend to prefer the masks that are all one main color scheme - all red, all green, all purple, and even the all white one (with gold touches, because it looks so elegant).

Remember that many of the masks - or maybe a little more than half of them - are double-sided. Disney's decorations people were very clever in making sure that anywhere they hung a mask that was in an area with traffic coming and going both ways, the mask had 2 sides so that people could see it from each direction.

BUT, if they put a mask close to a wall, or where its back was close to a wall and where no one would be walking behind it - like in the case of the red mask - there was only one side to it! Very smart!

The masks that have 2 sides are interesting because both sides are very similar but not 100% identical. The sides are slightly different - not mirror images of each other.

Yes, masks will be up on the Diva trip. Since there are so many masks I'm not sure if all of them will be up for the DLR Mardi Gras festivities, or if only some of them are up. Heck, at this rate there may even be more of them up than there are now! But I would have to assume that Disney will keep up the whole array of them all the way through Mardi Gras.

It's okay to not take pictures of some things on certain trips! I know you probably think to yourself (like Bret/mvf-m11c does), "I should have gotten pictures of X, Y and Z on the last trips." We're all different people, with different ideas of what we want to accomplish. Also, different things catch our eyes.

I specifically went for the masks because I knew I could get some good photos of them this time around. I knew I could do a better job than what I did in 2010. So it was a personal goal of mine - a mission! I must have spent hours - literally - in NOS on that day, just trying to perfect the mask pictures and get a few good ones out of hundreds!

Happy New Years to you Sherry! I agree......the older I get, the more the East Coast feed looks good to me!!! I type that as I'm yawning and getting ready to go to bed......bah humbug on celebrating......lol Mike & I haven't ever been big on going out for NYE. Mostly because of the idiots that get behind the wheel. (and we're not drunkards......) We used to play boardgames with the boys and go outside to see what the neighbors were doing or setting off at midnight. Now I'm lucky to make it to 10pm before I drop from exhaustion.

I guess I didn't realize that masks were two-sided......I've always been drawn to them....but obviously I haven't really looked closely at them to figure that out.

Well I appreciate that you took the time to capture all those pictures.....they were wonderful!!

 

[tksbaskets]

Happy New Year Sherry!

I love all the detailed mask pictures. The theming at DL is so intense and beautiful.

I am still drooling at your gingerbread breakfast. YUM! Not a gingerbread to be found on my trip to WDW. It may have been because I was sick as a dog for most of the trip and not eating or having the energy to seek out snacks.

I'm having a blast looking at your pics!

TK

 

[Sherry E]

Happy New Years to you Sherry! I agree......the older I get, the more the East Coast feed looks good to me!!! I type that as I'm yawning and getting ready to go to bed......bah humbug on celebrating......lol Mike & I haven't ever been big on going out for NYE. Mostly because of the idiots that get behind the wheel. (and we're not drunkards......) We used to play boardgames with the boys and go outside to see what the neighbors were doing or setting off at midnight. Now I'm lucky to make it to 10pm before I drop from exhaustion.

I guess I didn't realize that masks were two-sided......I've always been drawn to them....but obviously I haven't really looked closely at them to figure that out.

Well I appreciate that you took the time to capture all those pictures.....they were wonderful!!

Thank you, Laurie!

You never know - now that the holiday season is over, and because Disneyland usually observes Mardi Gras from February into early March, they may suddenly bring out even more masks to hang up in addition to the ones they've already got (if that is humanly possible)! It's Mask Mania!

I know what you mean about the idiots who go out on NYE. It seems like people use any excuse to get crazy and act ridiculous, and never mind the consequences. NYE is one of those times when they feel like they have an excuse - and so many people are not responsible enough to know that they shouldn't drink and drive, or to even just know their own limits. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to go out (even if you could stay awake!). It's really not safe, which is sad to say.

Somewhere controlled (no vehicles for people to drive) like Disneyland is good for safe NYE's celebrations, and yet the crowds are so heavy that it is daunting (although Jessica didn't think the crowds were too awful when she did NYE a couple of years ago).

Happy New Year Sherry!

I love all the detailed mask pictures. The theming at DL is so intense and beautiful.

I am still drooling at your gingerbread breakfast. YUM! Not a gingerbread to be found on my trip to WDW. It may have been because I was sick as a dog for most of the trip and not eating or having the energy to seek out snacks.

I'm having a blast looking at your pics!

TK

Happy New Year to you, TK!

I'm so glad to see you back here - I couldn't remember when your WDW trip was supposed to end but I thought you should be back fairly soon.

I'm glad you liked the mask photos! I didn't think I would find quite so many masks, but I did! Do you know which mask was your favorite? Any color favorite?

I had the gingerbread cookie breakfast on Day 1, but I had the peppermint ice cream breakfast (with the awkward table-sharing situation) on Day 2 - clearly, I have my nutritional priorities in order!

Did you go into Goofy's Candy Company (or whatever it is called) in WDW? I had heard that the cookies are there, but maybe not.

Nooooooo! Don't tell me you were sick on your trip! Here you had a holiday trip and got to see the new Fantasyland, and illness ruined it? I hope not. I hope it was not all ruined because you were sick, but I know how hard it is to get in the spirit or mood to do anything at even the first sign of illness, let alone being sick the entire trip!

Illness should never happen while on a Disney trip. It should always wait to happen when people get home from their Disney trips! I hope you're feeling better now!

 

[tksbaskets]

A banana and pixie dust for the New Year!!

I'm still not feeling well. Lingering cough, stuffed up head. The first three days of the week I felt like complete crud: No voice, temperature, head stuffed up beyond compare. I even went back to the room by about 4 each of those days and was asleep by 8. By the last part of the week I was trending up but no where near 100%. It put a damper on my trip but my DH and our sons had a good time so I guess I sucked it up pretty well for their sakes. DH knew I was feeling really bad when I didn't even want to look in the gift shops. I think I jinxed myself by pre-purchasing the Photopass Plus package.

Yes, illness should not be allowed at Disney!

I really liked the blue masks. I love the way that beads/feathers spill out of the horns. Amazing!

 

[Sherry E]

A banana and pixie dust for the New Year!!

I'm still not feeling well. Lingering cough, stuffed up head. The first three days of the week I felt like complete crud: No voice, temperature, head stuffed up beyond compare. I even went back to the room by about 4 each of those days and was asleep by 8. By the last part of the week I was trending up but no where near 100%. It put a damper on my trip but my DH and our sons had a good time so I guess I sucked it up pretty well for their sakes. DH knew I was feeling really bad when I didn't even want to look in the gift shops. I think I jinxed myself by pre-purchasing the Photopass Plus package.

Yes, illness should not be allowed at Disney!

I really liked the blue masks. I love the way that beads/feathers spill out of the horns. Amazing!

TK -

Oh no! I hope that your DH and sons took some PhotoPass pictures while you were resting in the room? I hope it wasn't a complete waste of money for you to buy that, but I know what you mean. That's exactly the same sort of thing that probably would have happened to me - I'd buy something in advance like PhotoPass Plus (I'm glad I did not buy it for this last trip) and then end up terribly ill.

And I also totally know what you mean about not wanting to look in shops. Once you get sick and you feel cruddy - even if it is at a Disney resort - you don't want to do anything but rest. The shops and the merchandise lose all of their appeal! Food is no longer desirable. Nothing outweighs the need to rest at that point. Having a stuffed up head is no fun - I absolutely detest that feeling of not being able to breathe!

Well, despite feeling awful for the bulk of your trip, I hope that you were somehow able to enjoy the new Fantasyland. From all that I've seen and heard, it appears to be amazing. Someone in the Christmas Superthread said that her original plan was to head to DLR for the 2012 holiday season, but the lure of the new Fantasyland at WDW won out!


I've got a TR installment coming up in the next post! I finally tear myself away from the Masks!

 

[PHXscuba]

Here is the SECOND installment for today…!

In the last TR installment, I continued my Million Mask March around New Orleans Square on a very productive and photo-intensive Day 2 of my DLR holiday trip! You can understand now what I meant when I mentioned early on that I didn’t get into my “photo groove” until Day 2!!

Love the Million Mask March reference. As much as you loved them, I'm sure you got to a point where you felt compelled to get Every. Last. One.

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the FIRST installment for today, and the first installment of the NEW YEAR!!!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 9​

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!






In the last TR installment, Mask Mania came to a sad end when I found what I believed to be the final mask.



I had discovered many more masks than I expected to find on my mission to get better mask pictures than what I took in 2010, but I think I had discovered so many that it was hard to accept that there were no more! I kept looking around NOS, thinking, “There have to be more! This can’t be all of them! Where are they hiding?” Lol.

It was to the point where I had spent so much time looking at masks that I fully expected to see them in other lands too. Why NOT stick some Mardi Gras masks in the middle of Cars Land, Tomorrowland, Critter Country or Adventureland, I say?! Disney can make them fit into the décor somehow! Lol.

I would have to accept the reality of the situation and move on.

Goodbye, brass instruments!

Goodbye, creepy faces with vacant stares!

And with that, it was time to ease on down the road…down the road to a place where Critters dwell, where “hunny” flows freely, where the Hundred Acre Woods gang mingles with a “Brer” or two…

Notice the hunny-covered ornaments…gotta love those details!

Notice the tiny bees…

Here is a random field of very summer-y flowers…

…that clearly shout out “Merry Christmas”…

…and, in one single moment, we go from fake bees to a real bee! Buzzzzzzzzzzz! Hello, Mr. Bee! I wasn’t worried about being stung because it was a Disney bee…and Disney bees don’t sting, of course! Lol.

I went inside Pooh Corner (a gift shop/sweet goods shop in Critter Country), which I hadn’t really taken any photos of since 2009! (Clearly, I’ve been slacking off in the photo department since then! Lol.)…

This picture is blurry, unfortunately, but do you notice how even the little springs are hunny-covered? The intricate details just astound me – and yet, I think that so many people who travel to Disney parks just take them for granted or overlook them completely!

Some fetching holiday cupcakes…

And some regular, non-holiday cupcakes…

And some apples…

And some Crispy treats…

I looked at some of the merchandise (remember, I had that $50 gift card from DVC burning a hole in my wallet) and actually found a couple of books I wanted, but I felt like I wanted to look in a couple of other shops later that day or the next day so I wouldn’t make any hasty decisions about what to buy.

There are, literally, thousands of things I could buy in the shops around DLR (which is why it is beyond my comprehension that my friends have let their birthday Disney gift cards/Fun Cards go unused since 2009!), and I could easily spend a $50 gift card in 2 minutes, without even a second thought. I love books. I love figurines. I love snow globes. I love watches. I love pins. I love collectible houses. I love giant mugs. I love holiday-specific ornaments. I love bags – like tote bags and purses and that sort of thing. I love t-shirts. I love the mini-tree that comes in the canister for mailing. I love those Mickey nutcrackers! And there is so much more.

But I wanted to make sure that I didn’t just buy the first item I spotted. I wanted to make a wise choice.



For some reason, I didn’t feel like staying in Critter Country at that moment. I wasn’t in the mood to thoroughly comb through the land, taking detailed pictures (although the decorations are quite cute). It’s odd how that works for me – sometimes I totally fixate on one area/land and want to take pictures of everything, while other times I am just in the mood to drop in for a minute and then leave. What interests me changes each year, or from trip to trip. For example, in June I was interested in taking pictures of Pixie Hollow. On this December trip, I wasn’t interested in going into Pixie Hollow at all.

One thing I definitely remember is that, in the old days, there used to be a banner of sorts that hung above a pathway into Critter Country – it said “Merry Critters and Happy Pooh Year”! However, that banner has been gone for a long time (since at least 2008) . I’m not sure why it was removed when it was so clever!

Although I hadn’t taken any pictures in Critter Country since December 2009, I wanted to move on to a different area.


Up next, in Part 10 of Day 2, I leave the Critters and go off in search of some “adventure”…

 

[Sherry E]

Love the Million Mask March reference. As much as you loved them, I'm sure you got to a point where you felt compelled to get Every. Last. One.

PHXscuba

PHX -

I didn't realize that you had posted above (I was preparing the TR installment that I just put up while you were posting, I guess). I just happened to mention in the TR post that after I had found the last mask I kept looking for more, wondering where they were hiding!

Fortunately, I didn't get tired of the masks. I greatly enjoyed looking for the masks and wanted to find them all - that was my mission on this trip (I just didn't realize how many there would actually be). I liked peeking around corners and looking up to the balconies and ornate railings to try to find more. It was like a scavenger hunt of sorts, except with only masks!

Plus, when I can tell that I am getting some good photos of a particular thing, I don't like to break my streak. I like to see if I can keep improving.

Also, I like 'collections' of things that are all a little different, but that fit a certain theme. For example, I love the 'collection' of wreaths in front of It's a Small World Holiday (and I did get photos of every single one of those back in 2010, leaving no wreath unturned!). I like the 'collection' of Christmas trees around DLR - again, they are all a little different, but they are all Christmas trees. I started Tree Quest in the Christmas thread for the purpose of trying to locate as many trees as I could manage.

I like to hunt for things in a group and find as many of them as I can find. It keeps me entertained and amused!

 

[PHXscuba]

Sherry, I think they call you a "completist," someone who has to collect all of a certain set -- photos, souvenirs, etc. Good for you seeing it through. How soon did you have to recharge your battery that day after all those masks?

And my vote is YES to masks, NO to jesters. They are creepy.

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, I think they call you a "completist," someone who has to collect all of a certain set -- photos, souvenirs, etc. Good for you seeing it through. How soon did you have to recharge your battery that day after all those masks?

And my vote is YES to masks, NO to jesters. They are creepy.

PHXscuba

PHX -

I think the jesters are creepy too! Of course they totally fit the theme of a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, but they are creepy nonetheless!

You know, I am now trying to think back on what my camera battery was doing that day. I remember that my battery lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. For some reason, in November the battery just wanted to die in a couple of hours. On this December trip I went through a lot of photos for hours and hours and it didn't die for a long, long time. I replaced it with the back-up sometime at night, if I recall correctly. The next day - Day 3 - I don't think it died the entire day! Weird!

Yes, you're right about being a completist (as well as liking the challenge of hunting for things)! In the olden days of yore, I used to collect certain things that Disney put out, like this "Attraction Collection" series of die cast figures. They were all die cast versions of DLR rides - they were not too expensive, compared to usual Disney prices - and there was usually a character or two in each of the rides. For example, Mickey and Minnie might be riding Dumbo, or Huey, Dewie and Louie would be riding in a Teacup. That sort of thing. There was a whole line of them for almost every notable ride. At some point the name of the series changed to "The Theme Park Collection," but it was still fantastic!

I remember getting every single die cast ride figure that I wanted in the entire collection - even some from the WDW rides! - except for the Jungle Cruise boat with Mickey in it. I never got it, but it occasionally pops up on eBay! I always felt 'incomplete' because I didn't have that one piece of the collection! I just loved those little die cast things. Now, of course, I can't collect anything because the funds are not there. It was fun while it lasted, though! Part of the fun was tracking down all of the figures in the collection!

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the SECOND installment for today!!!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 10​

Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow.
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.






In the last TR installment, I moseyed down to Critter Country but decided that I didn’t feel much like hanging out there and wanted to roam.

Where would I go? Where had I not spent much time on previous trips?

I like the ‘paws’ that are pointing the way…again, gotta love those details!!!

As I wandered, trying to figure out my next destination, look who I bumped into again! Lol.

Actually, truth be told, I wanted to take another photo of the above mask because the color of the sky had changed. If you recall, in my previous photos the colors from the mask were a great complement to the striking blue of the sky. I wanted to see if the mask appeared to be any less dramatic now that it was becoming a bit overcast.

Yep – it was less dramatic.

Because that particular mask was situated on the edge of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue, I could only get a photo of one side of it. If I wanted to get a shot of the other side of it I would have to get in the queue and on the POTC ride – which would normally not be an issue as that is one of my favorite rides. However, getting on a ride was not on my agenda that day. I know that sounds bizarre to anyone reading, but I can go for days on end in the parks without getting on rides at all!

So this was my pitiful attempt to try to get a shot of the opposite side of that mask! You can’t even see the face!

I leaned over and twisted at a certain angle…trying…trying…to get that other side… I zoomed in. It’s a blurry shot, but there IS a face in there somewhere… Can you see it?

In any case, that was the best I could do without getting in the POTC queue.

I decided to go where I normally do not go with my camera – Adventureland! When have you ever seen any photos that I’ve taken in Adventureland? You haven’t! There haven’t been any!

I can always find flowers – wherever I go! No matter which land it is, there are flowers!

I think I was having mask withdrawals, and these were the next best things! Lol.

Up next, in Part 11 of Day 2, as the sun begins to slowly set, I end my time in Adventureland and head towards the Toons!

 

[kaoden39]

It's been so long since I commented. I think I wasn't over losing my trip yet.

I love the Mickey Mouse nut crackers! They are so cute. What a fun decoration that is.

I was thinking about and your scarf torture when you were talking about the guard. You managed to tease yourself so I won't.

I have never taken a picture of the sign. When my son went in November he did. I kind of got a giggle out of that.

That that flower arrangement is gorgeous!! Wow! The colors are so beautiful and vibrant.

Okay, the table and the people sitting down with you was a bit uncomfortable for me. The younger woman just was a nasty sort wasn't she? You were at the table first right? Wow!

Funny but we had the same thought about the snap dragons. I think that is some of what the flower beds looked like for our Valentines trip. :/

Oh that purple and silver decoration is so beautiful! I love the combination of instruments and masks. I would hang them in my bedroom at any time of the year.

I wouldn't have left. If they were uncomfortable they could have left. They were the interlopers not you. If I were not replying as I read along I would put a mad face here.

I had to look at the next arrangement a few times before I could spot the masks. I think maybe this one I might not hang up. lol

The colors they use in New Orleans Square are so wonderful. They are non traditional and they don't need to b traditional.

Wow it seems to me that they had a bunch of new ones this year didn't they?

I would love some of these masks! They are just beautiful! Some are a bit dramatic for me but for the most part I am intrigued.

Peacock feathers even? The creative is just great!

First off, I LOVE all of the mask photos and I feel that at least this way I am getting to see them. Thank you! Now is that a treble cleft on that one mask with the gold peacock feathers?

That white and gold one is so beautiful! It screams Christmas to me!

The red and gold mask is beautiful! I rather like the next one too.

I love the tree and the garland. Our tree is never traditional so I really like this.

This latest mask arrangement goes well with the tree I think.

Like Laurie I love your mask photos. Seeing them this way helps me to feel at least like I got to see them.

I think that the masks are a great bunch of art. I have 4 that I hang in my bedroom but I would definitely like to add more. I have seen them at the hobby store ready to be painted and decorated I think I may study your photos and use then as examples of how to make some new ones to hang in here.

How cute and homey the decorations are in Critter Country! I love the homespun look. The flowers are beautiful! It has been so cold here that the flowers make me feel a little more springy.

Oh my gosh the tree is so cute! I love a cute tree. The fancy ones are pretty but not as much fun for me as the cute ones. I love the ornaments with the honey on them.

I never noticed those were paws! lol

I love the Adventureland photos and I admit I am like you and don't normally stop to take photos there. I think it is because it is so bleeping busy in that area!

 

[Sherry E]

Michele!

Welcome back! I had literally just finished my last TR installment for tonight - which I am just about to post - and was going to go to sleep and warm up these blocks of ice that I call hands! As I was closing out my e-mail I saw that there was an alert that you had commented. I was shocked!

I kind of didn't expect that you would be around for a while. I totally figured that you: (A) had been busy with family stuff and holiday stuff; (B) had gotten a case of TR burnout, in which you just didn't feel like really reading any TR's for a while (which happens to all of us); and (C) didn't want to be reminded of DLR trips too much since your holiday trip didn't happen.

I really, really appreciate your taking the time to go through everything and offer commentary! I know it's not a quick process. I want to be able to go back through your comments to see which ones I was going to respond to, but I will admit my eyes are half-open. I should have gone to sleep an hour ago instead of trying to finish this one installment, but I was trying to speed the TR along so I can be done with it faster.

I will put up this last TR post for today now and hit the hay. Zzzzzzzz. And then I will come back and re-read your post/comments tomorrow, for sure, and answer whatever I was going to answer! I just know I would probably type something nonsensical if I tried to do it now, while I am half asleep!

So I will come back tomorrow!