PTR-Cheating on Mickey w/Harry!...OMG! Only a month to go!

[franandaj]

Sunday December 4th we attended the Candlelight Processional at Disneyland. I had never been to one before and had no idea what to expect. We had a dinner package and the paperwork said that we should pick up our tickets no later than 4PM and plan to arrive an hour early for seating.

Our first stop after picking up the tickets was at the Blue Sky Cellar. I sent a text to our friends that we were on property now and where we were heading. Before entering we took a moments to admire the progress of Carlsland before entering.

While we were watching the movie about Buena Vista Street, I noticed Suzie had sent me a text that they were on the tram and would meet us, I sent a text back and looked up to see them right there! We finished the movie and I really wanted to see some particular decoration in a Bug’s Land that I had seen on another’s TR. We found the spot immediately and took a couple pictures.

Even though it was two hours before the show we decided we better head over and find out what the situation was for disabled seating. They had the turnstiles all decked out for the holidays.

As soon as we went through the gates, we noticed that our section already had a HUGE line. The CMs were totally confused and said we couldn’t “line” up so we had to gather in a clump behind this one rope until the line up would begin. After about 20 minutes, they started us in the queue and had us go forward getting in somewhat of a line. We got separated from our friends. I kept trying to tell them just to come up in line, but they said they would just wait. Had they known we would have been standing in those spots for 45 minutes, they might have changed their minds! I had a nice view of City Hall.

At 4:30 they started seating people, and shortly before 5PM we were finally sitting down. They must have had some kind of data blocking service because no one could get online while we were waiting. Thank God for Spider Solitaire on the cell phones!

Not having been to one of these before I had no idea what to expect.

The sun began to set and soon the orchestra began to play.

Evidently the carolers come all the way from It’s a small world to reach Main street.

Once they filled the stage

The Herald Trumpeters came out.

They sang carols, some familiar, some not so much, and there were handbells and some soloists as well.

Inbetween each song Gary Sinise would read the narration.

For the Grand Finale, everyone was playing, singing, and making it a huge production.

So once the show was all over, it was time to head to dinner. But of course I have to stop and admire the castle.

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

We arrived at dinner a little bit early, but they seated us almost immediately. The place was all decorated for the holidays.

Our table was well appointed.

And I love that they always give you little gifts for attending!

I didn’t take a picture of the menu, but we had a six course feast, that I was completely unable to finish.

This was a King Crab Beignet accompanied by a Black Maple Streusel (you can just see a hint of it to the right of the green garnish), and a Celery Root Cappucino, not to mention that lovely crab claw peeking out of the cup. Boy he does good soups! This was accompanied by a Ruscak, Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley 2009.

Next up was a Christmas Lima Bean Salad, Mission Fig Baba Ganoush, Dehydrated Apple, Blood Orange Gelee. This was served with a Conundrum by Caymus, White Meritage, Rutherford, 2010

Throughout the evening these singers went around to the various tables taking requests. On their first time by they sang Carol of the Bells for us.

Our next course was a Cauliflower Crusted Sea Bass, Picholine Green Olives-Salsify Puree, Mackerel Bordelaise. It was served with a Chateau Montelena, Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2008. This was probably my least favorite course of the night. I don’t care for olives and I got a big bite of one. I ended up taking the crust off and just eating the fish itself, which was cooked to perfection. I also don’t really care for the winery either. On my first trip to Napa, this was first Winery we went to. Neither of us liked it and so after leaving the winery, we decided that our code words for “crappy wine” would be “pretty labels” since that was the only nice thing I could say about any of the wines we tasted!

OK, now this next course is pretty funny, "What is Chef Marcel doing serving us Chicken McNuggets?" was the reaction at our table when the plates were set down. Good thing they give us menus because the description on the menu had a us all really wanting these what turned out to be McNuggets.

Goose Fat Fried Chicken, Spicy Samphire, Mushroom Ragout Neufchatel served with a Joseph Faiveley, Pino Noir, Bourgogne, 2008. Best Darned Chicken McNugget I ever tasted! Too bad McDonald’s can’t go back to frying in lard! Oh yeah, and I sopped up every last drop of that mushroom sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmm tasty!

Now it was somewhere around this time that the singers had made it back around to our table. The room was pretty loud with all the wine that everyone had drunk so far. John was ready for them and we had already discussed a number of songs. So he asked them to sing Fum, Fum, Fum. They didn’t have an arrangement that everyone knew, so I piped in really quickly with Fran’s suggestion. How about “Grandma Got Runover By a Reindeer”? The main leader guy looked at me and said, “Oh no you di’in’t”. Immediately they broke out into 4 part harmony singing the song. The room slowly trickled to silence as everyone turned their heads to listen to the singers. After about two verses, the harmonies stopped and two of them broke out into a “Hip Hop” style beat, which is very hard to convey through words.

The man on the right in the picture above starts going on, “Yo Grandma. she met. wit dis Reindeer…” and so on. I don’t remember (partly because of the wine and partly because I was laughing too hard). Well the girl with the white hand muff, her jaw drops into this scandalous, “How DARE you?” look which she continues for about 10-15 seconds. Then the group went right back into the 4 part harmony to finish the song. That was the only song that got a rousing round of applause or even another table stopped what they were doing to listen to the singers. At the end the leader guy pointed to me and said, “It’s her fault”. And I got another round of applause.

So back to the food and here’s where I started to slow down big time. As much as I wanted to eat this, the four previous courses pretty much filled me up. But here is a Cabernet Poached Tenderloin of Beef, Rutabaga Popover, Pancetta Bacon Froth, served with a Simi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Landslide Vineyard, Alexander Valley.

And those of you Bacon lovers out there, I’m sure you didn’t miss the hairicot vert wrapped in BACON! I did eat all of THAT!

So the dessert was so rich, I took most of mine home as well as Fran’s. I will finish up the last of it tonight. I keep forgetting that it’s in the fridge! Valrhona Chocolate Terrine, Butternut Squash Chiboust, Blueberry Compote served with a Daou, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, 2008

I had given up. I drank plenty of wine, my belly was full, but I was all set for the walk out of the park and back to the car. Then Allister, one of the waiters, bless his heart, comes over to our table and says, here, enjoy! He hands everyone a demitasse of Hot Chocolate, so innocent so inviting, but oh so deadly! After that I just wanted to shut my eyes and go to sleep!

I was alert enough to take one more picture of the Castle on my way out of the park. But I’m pretty sure I slept the whole way home and the cats barely got their dinner before I passed out in bed!

Check out my Third Time’s a Charm PTR for our Holiday Trip to Las Vegas, and then I’ll be back over here to tell you all about our New Year’s Eve experience!

TTFN

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm envious. Gary Sinise, CP and that meal....all in one night.

Wonder if I can swim across the Pacific??

 

[rentayenta]

I got nothing. You just lived my dream. I was watching the Food Network earlier and Guy Fiere was at Disneyland (from 2009) and he was helping make candy canes. I seriously got tears in my eyes. Joshua thinks I'm batty but agreed that they are pretty neat.




Carolers while you dine? Way cool.

 

[ACDSNY]

What a lovely evening! I love the last pic of the castle, Christmas time is my favorite at DL.

 

[dgbg100106]

I'm envious. Gary Sinise, CP and that meal....all in one night.

Wonder if I can swim across the Pacific??

I agree completely What a wonderful evening....

 

[Pinkocto]

The meal looks absolutely divine! Let me ask you what you thought of the actual CP? I don't think I'll be going out of my way to go again.

 

[franandaj]

I'm envious. Gary Sinise, CP and that meal....all in one night.

Wonder if I can swim across the Pacific??

I think the meal trumped the performance!

I got nothing. You just lived my dream. I was watching the Food Network earlier and Guy Fiere was at Disneyland (from 2009) and he was helping make candy canes. I seriously got tears in my eyes. Joshua thinks I'm batty but agreed that they are pretty neat.

Carolers while you dine? Way cool.

Yeah the whole meal experience was quite intense!

What a lovely evening! I love the last pic of the castle, Christmas time is my favorite at DL.

I just love the Castle at Christmas, and I love our "little" Castle, it just looks so homey, I don't need that sprawling one, although we'll see it hopefully in two years, but ours is so intimate and cute, I can't help but love it!

I agree completely What a wonderful evening....

I know, we would go back just for the dinner!

The meal looks absolutely divine! Let me ask you what you thought of the actual CP? I don't think I'll be going out of my way to go again.

You know, being someone raised outside any organised religion, the whole ceremony seemed a little "churchy" for me. But I have to remember that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus so that's how the Christians suppose it to be. Otherwise, it was a nice concert and fabulous meal. We have to book in June for this, so I would suppose we would book it again and decide as it comes closer to the event if we keep the reservations. It's getting harder and harder to get it as one patron said.

The other thing is that we live only 25 minutes away, so the only time investment is waiting in line to be seated.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm suprised you didn't like the wine parings. Not even the Caymus Conumdrum, the most overhyped red blend because of its mention in Sideways?

 

[franandaj]

I'm suprised you didn't like the wine parings. Not even the Caymus Conumdrum, the most overhyped red blend because of its mention in Sideways?

Actually it was just the one that I didn't like, all the others were great and Conundrum has been one of my favorites, even before the movie. I didn't know there was a red blend of it.

The winery where that movie was shot...is one of the wine clubs that of which I'm a member, Sanford.

 

[franandaj]

skiingfast was kind enough to point out that I was on my 10K post before I did it somewhere stupid. It will be a while before details on this trip are finalized but since I had the whole thing set for last year before it had to he cancelled, I hope I can do it again for 2012.

 

[PrincessInOz]

skiingfast was kind enough to point out that I was on my 10K post before I did it somewhere stupid. It will be a while before details on this trip are finalized but since I had the whole thing set for last year before it had to he cancelled, I hope I can do it again for 2012.

Congratulations on 10K .

Here's the the next 10K.

 

[dgbg100106]

Yay for.10k. Maybe one of theae days i will get there.

 

[franandaj]

Congratulations on 10K .

Here's the the next 10K.

Yay for.10k. Maybe one of theae days i will get there.

Thanks! I forgot that I posted here! Shows you what a couple beers and shots will do for me!

 

[dgbg100106]

Thanks! I forgot that I posted here! Shows you what a couple beers and shots will do for me!

I have been known to post while drinking.

 

[rentayenta]

I have been known to post while drinking.

I Facebooked tipsy one night. Had to clear my wall.

 

[dgbg100106]

I Facebooked tipsy one night. Had to clear my wall.

At least most my peeps would understand but the moderater might not....

 

[franandaj]

I have been known to post while drinking.

I Facebooked tipsy one night. Had to clear my wall.

AND I was in Vegas!

 

[dgbg100106]

AND I was in Vegas!

Causing all kinds of trouble.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi Alison! I'm still around...just have been very busy with work (running that show I had told you about a while back)...but I am catching up here now that I'm off this week. Rehearsals will be in full swing starting next Tuesday, for a month until opening night on Feb. 3rd. Bracing myself, but having a lot of fun at the same time! It's a lot of hard work running a show, but I am having a blast doing it!

So anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say hello, hoping you had a very Merry Christmas, and all the best to you and Fran in the new year!