Nothing to See Here...

[kaoden39]

 

[funatdisney]

Right there with you, kaoden39.

 

[kaoden39]

Right there with you, kaoden39.

It's where all the cool kids are!!

 

[funatdisney]

 

[TheColtonsMom]

we are all here huddled together waiting in anticipation

 

[amamax2]

we are all here huddled together waiting in anticipation

Yup, huddling...

(No pressure Sherry!!! )

 

[mvf-m11c]

Can't wait to read more of your TR.

 

[kaoden39]

we are all here huddled together waiting in anticipation

Yup, huddling...

(No pressure Sherry!!! )

Can't wait to read more of your TR.

We're getting quite a party going here.

 

[amamax2]

We're getting quite a party going here.

Pass the Peppermint Ice Cream, please.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Pass the Peppermint Ice Cream, please.

No peppermint ice cream at my house but I am drinking hot chocolate with a candy cane stir stick does that count?

 

[amamax2]

No peppermint ice cream at my house but I am drinking hot chocolate with a candy cane stir stick does that count?

Maybe I should have said please pass anything peppermint? I got peppermint hot chocolate for Christmas that I have yet to try.....

 

[bumbershoot]

I haven't checked this out, and I don't know if you like the products vs just liking the containers, but this is a post about a code for the H20 store....

 

[kaoden39]

I haven't checked this out, and I don't know if you like the products vs just liking the containers, but this is a post about a code for the H20 store....

Ooh thanks Molly.

 

[Sherry E]

Woo hoo! A party! I don't have any peppermint ice cream either, but that's okay!

Thanks, Molly, for that H20 code. I do like their stuff.


Have I said often enough how much I detest Photobucket and the slowness of it all? Arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh....

Anyway, I've got another FIVE installments for you!

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Nine​

So where did I leave off? I think I was wandering aimlessly around the Disneyland Hotel after spending some time at Downtown Disney.

And look who was just standing around in the DLH lobby, with no one to talk to! There were literally no people anywhere in sight, and Goofy was all by himself…a sight that is rarely seen anywhere in DLR, I assume.

Finally, a nice couple walked up and offered to take my photo with Goofy. I am a huge fan of his ‘cooking,’ after all!

But when I left Goofy, he was still alone. That was a moment where I wish I’d had a child with me, because it would have been a prime opportunity to have some quality time with a major character!

And then I ran into one of Goofy’s friends…just roaming around outside on the DLH property, by the Mickey topiary, but in a hurry to get somewhere… Much like Goofy, Pluto is another ‘dawg’ on the move!

This used to be more festively decorated for the holidays, with a bed of poinsettias around Mickey, but not anymore.

The Dreams tower doesn’t have a very exciting tree…

The DLH Santa Photo Op…but the Big Guy was missing! Even though I think the GCH is the nicest overall setting for a Santa photo (and with a PhotoPass person, too!), I actually think the backdrop at the DLH is better than the GCH or the PPH Santa backdrops. It’s much more detailed and interesting to look at.

 

[Sherry E]

I don't think I've ever cursed as much as I do when I use Photobucket! Well, maybe I have if I have stubbed a toe or something, but Photobucket really tests my patience and brings out the sailor in me! LOL!

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Ten​

Steakhouse 55:

And we all know where this is! My favorite DLR restaurant!!

They Goofy’s Kitchen tree is definitely one of my favorites of all the Disneyland Resort trees, because of the whimsical look of it. I love the colors and the wacky shape. Plus, it still looks good whether or not you use a flash when you take the photo – not all the DLR trees hold up as well under the flash/no flash scrutiny!!

 

[Sherry E]

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Eleven​

Love the various hidden Mickey umbrella designs:

So I decided to make my way to the Wonder tower. I lamented the loss of the beautiful waterfalls. I miss the familiar sound of the ‘falls that would carry through the air as I walked around the Disneyland Hotel. I miss seeing them from my hotel window (when I stayed at the DLH). I miss getting sprayed by the mist as I walked behind or through the ‘falls when I was younger. I don’t know what the new version of the DLH will look like in a year or two, but I still think it was a big, big mistake to get rid of the waterfalls. I think that was the best thing about the DLH property. And it was fun to watch the koi fish feeding, but they’re gone now too.

Then again, many newcomers to Disneyland may not even be aware that the Disneyland Hotel was a bona fide ‘resort hotel’ many years ago – there were lots of extra restaurants (which DLR is sorely lacking today) and lots more interesting shops. There was a marina with pedal boats. There were a couple of nightclub/lounge-ish places. The Monorail went right up to the Disneyland Hotel and not where it is now. During the holidays, they had Candy Cane Lane and even an ice skating rink. You could pretty much spend a whole day at the DLH and enjoy it as a resort hotel. When Downtown Disney and the Grand Californian Hotel were built to complement the resort with the addition of California Adventure, parking had to be reworked, then added, and a whole huge chunk of the DLH was hacked off to facilitate this. Goofy’s Kitchen was almost done away with, but thankfully they came to their senses and decided to keep it. GK was relocated to another area of the DLH.

But, even though they have robbed us of the waterfalls and the koi fish…at least they put up some cute retro signage on the construction walls!

Trash can alert!

And…the Wonder tower’s tree isn’t that exciting, either!! At least they put a Christmas tree in this tower, which is under major construction. Don’t get me wrong - all Christmas trees are pretty, especially all the trees at DLR. But if we are talking about the exceptional trees, the stunning, majestic trees, the really eye-catching trees, the trees you want to sit and gaze at for hours – the trees in the DLH towers are not my choice. That kind of surprises me. They used to do more Disney-fied trees in the old days. They were much more interesting to look at. I don’t know what happened over the years but the trees went downhill!

In any case, there was a construction worker near this tree and, of course, he gave me a second look as I tiptoed up to it to snap a photo!

 

[Sherry E]

Day 4 – December 14, 2010 – Part Twelve​

Since the Wonder tower was pretty much behind walls and there wasn’t much to see beyond that one tree, I was done with the DLH for now, and decided to make my way back to Disneyland. I had to hit ToonTown and New Orleans Square, after all!

Yes, I snapped another photo like this! I was so pleased with myself for getting the first version of it when I first walked through that I wanted another one on the way back!! LOL!

And into Downtown Disney we go again!

Can you see Mickey in the sign?

It’s Mickey Stop (red):

And Mickey Go (green):

I don’t like this one – it’s odd looking!

Finally…back into Disneyland!!

Random crowd shot (I guess she can’t keep her hands off of him! LOL!):

 

[Sherry E]

Day 3 – December 14, 2010 – Part Thirteen​

Shawn was fond of this window display and these Christmas items when we saw it on the day she was with me:

Back at Gibson Girl…but I wasn’t going to be crazy enough to get another Peppermint Cone of Death again after that debacle with the first one the day before…

I never got a photo of the actual Christmas tree in Gibson Girl because there were always people sitting right next to it, kind of in front of it, when I wanted to get the pictures. I’m not opposed to sneaking around someone when they have their backs to me, but these people were facing me. I’ve seen other people’s pictures of the GG tree, so that was good enough for me!


At Coke Corner…

There was no way I was going to get caught in that horrible parade crowd and be banished from ToonTown again, so I had to get a move on and head back there if I wanted to get some photos.

But…when I stumbled upon these guys playing Christmas songs by the Castle, I had to stop and listen.

And then a couple of familiar faces joined the audience to enjoy the Christmas music too:

But you just knew that Mary and Bert would have to join in the fun!

Okay, so that's the 5 installments I promised for the moment!

Coming up shortly, we will eventually get to ToonTown, with a stop at IASW Holiday first!

 

[amamax2]

As much as I loved all the DTD and hotel photos and details, as soon as you got back into DL, my heart just sighed and said, yes, this is where we need to be.

Peppermint Cone of Death

{Snicker} Love that name!

 

[Sherry E]

As much as I loved all the DTD and hotel photos and details, as soon as you got back into DL, my heart just sighed and said, yes, this is where we need to be.


{Snicker} Love that name!

It is an evil Peppermint Cone of Death!

That's kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to find some interesting stuff away from just DL - because everyone looks to DL for details and hidden gems. A lot of the stuff in the hotels and in DTD (like the red and green Mickey signs) probably gets overlooked.

I seemed to have more random character encounters out of the park, oddly, like the encounters with Goofy and Pluto just hanging around at the DLH (I think those ended up on the last page), and the earlier characters-plastered-against-the-glass-at-Surf's-Up encounter.

Also, I had to break things up by going into the hotels and wandering around DTD and exploring, or I would have burnt out on just DL. I only wish I hadn't felt compelled to stick to DL on Day 2 and Day 3, or else I could have made some good progress in DCA, finding any possible traces of holidays or interesting details hidden in that park! I might have skipped DL for a day, done DCA and then gone back to DL the next day, but there just wasn't time to spread everything out like that on this trip, seeing that the CM parties were happening. I took the ToonTown and NOS photos because I needed to get those on this camera, but I had to have a break from that park because it was so crowded. I didn't even want to eat inside Disneyland, really.

That's not to say that there isn't a ton of stuff that I have yet to do or take photos of at DL, because there is a lot that I didn't get to (like Critter Country). But I knew I needed a bit of a break.

I think that one Christmas scene with Mickey and Minnie and the stockings (you asked me where it was located earlier) must have been in DTD. I cannot recall where exactly, but it was before I turned onto the path to the GCH from DTD. It seems like it must have been around a corner or down a side path. I've totally blanked out!!