The Disney Grump & Family Take on the World-Our '09 Christmas w/ the Mouse, COMPLETE

[disneydusted]

Wow! So many pictures! I like that you take them of the surroundings, good memories! You guys look like you having such a good time.....

 

[gellybean]

I'm all caught up.... AGAIN!

Y'all look like you guys had a great trip!! Seems like you got to look at a bunch of new things, which is what makes Disney so great. Can go 100 times and see new things and yet repeat old faves each time. I can't believe all the snow you guys got! We had like a flurry and that was it. I thought about you guys during that storm when we heard that OK was getting hit!

Can I just say it pains me to look at all those pictures full of OU garb?!

And a Boomer Sooner in a Disney parade!?? Say it ain't so?!??








Can't wait to hear what you thought of the Candelight Processional. That's one I haven't done yet!

 

[BippityBoo]

Great update!!! I can not WAIT to read about the CP! We were going to do the package as well...curious to see what kind of seats they give you

GREAT pics of China!! We have never been able to spend too much time there....looks like we missed a lot! I love, love, love the Cinderella Castle! That would look great in my living room

Also, what an amazing magical moment with the CM! I love how your boys are trying to play it cool. Too cute

 

[marsa1969]

Christmas Eve at Epcot must have been wonderful! I know the crowds were bad, but I'm sure that the Christmas spirit was alive and well. Hopefully no rude people!

 

[klacey1]

Beautiful pictures, especially of China! I took the same exact picture of the Cinderella castle's price tag when we went in August!! I wonder if they've ever sold one??

 

[RachelNinja]

What a nice CM! Those antlers are so cute! It reminds me of one of the hats you could get for your avatar on Virtual Magic Kingdom, so I felt a twinge of sadness too.

I didn't know you could walk through that building in Norway either! I distinctly remember standing in front of it with my mom wondering, "Is that just a fake door?"

Wow, even itty-bitty Jaq costs so much!

 

[MHTeacher]

What an amazing evening so far....Christmas Eve at Disney

 

[ladybugmom]

What a great CM!! The boys look so cute in their reindeer ears!! Glad you enjoyed your dinner! How nice of your waiter to bring the boys something else for dessert when they didn't like their first choice!! Now that's some good service!! Can't wait to read about CP!!!

 

[MaryAz]

What a fun night so far. The antlers were very cute! Nine Dragons looks yummy.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I'll just bet we crossed paths several times Christmas Eve.....
Enjoying your update!

 

[Charleston Princess]

What a super nice CM to give your boys reindeer antlers!!! I can see the excitement bubbling underneath!

Haven't ever heard much about Nine Dragons -- glad you enjoyed your meal there. Too bad about the ice cream, but what a great waiter to bring different flavors.

Love all the strolling shots -- I do think World Showcase is so photogenic!

 

[kcandbella]

Great update! The boys look so cute in the antlers!

Looking forward to your next installment!!! CP sounds so beautiful, I hope you have a lot of pics to share!

 

[sherylcin]

Caught up again! Loved the pictures! We love Epcot and always spend quite a bit of time in the countries exploring so I really enjoyed reading about your Christmas Eve adventure. Can't wait for the Candlelight Processional!

 

[KathyRN137]

Here they are, antlers on, with the wonderful CM who gave them to them.

Love that extra bit of pixiedust!

We've never walked through Stave Church, I actually didn't even realize that there was anything in there until I read about it in another trip report!

Me too!



We've never made it to Nine Dragons... it always gets such a bad rap! It was good to see a positive review! Fantastic that you caught the acrobats... they are so much fun to watch!

Ceiling inside the temple

That is so pretty!
The China Pavilion is so much fun to photograph!

Next on our list to explore was Germany. The kids and I found the candy shop and had to buy some gummies! I spent two months in Germany with my dad when I was a kid and the gummies brought back fond memories.

Well, how can you not visit Germany at Christmastime?! What a nice memory it conjured up. The decorations are gorgeous!

Looking forward to reading about the CP!


Kathy

 

[SoonerGirl]

Wow! So many pictures! I like that you take them of the surroundings, good memories! You guys look like you having such a good time.....

I do take alot of pictures - drives my family nuts, but I love having them after we get home.

I'm all caught up.... AGAIN!

Y'all look like you guys had a great trip!! Seems like you got to look at a bunch of new things, which is what makes Disney so great. Can go 100 times and see new things and yet repeat old faves each time.

It's amazing how you can see new things everytime you go isn't it? I know I must have walked past that mermaid statue in DHS many times in the past, but this was the first trip that I actually 'saw' it, know what I mean??

I can't believe all the snow you guys got! We had like a flurry and that was it. I thought about you guys during that storm when we heard that OK was getting hit!

We have had the craziest winter! More snow than I can ever remember and it's just so stinkin' cold! I HATE the cold!

Can I just say it pains me to look at all those pictures full of OU garb?!

And a Boomer Sooner in a Disney parade!?? Say it ain't so?!??

I knew you would appreciate that! We're everywhere, gelly, everywhere........there is no escape!

Great update!!! I can not WAIT to read about the CP! We were going to do the package as well...curious to see what kind of seats they give you

GREAT pics of China!! We have never been able to spend too much time there....looks like we missed a lot! I love, love, love the Cinderella Castle! That would look great in my living room

Also, what an amazing magical moment with the CM! I love how your boys are trying to play it cool. Too cute

The seating for the CP is open, they give you a sticker with your reserved time on it, everyone in your party has to wear the sticker. Then there are two lines, the one to the right of the theater is for standby guests, the one to the left is for those with the dinner package. They seat the people with the dinner package first, then they start to let in those people waiting in the standby line. You don't want to get to the theater too late, because they will start seating standby as soon as the reserved line is empty, so if you wait until the last minute you may not get a seat. Our waiter suggested that we arrive at least 30 minutes early. The earlier you get there, the better seats you will get - hope that helps!

This was the first trip that we actually spent some time in the WS instead of just walking through and going in there for dinner. I love all the detail in all the countries! I'd like to have that castle for my house as well, they had lots of really cool stuff in there, with lots of high price tags!

Christmas Eve at Epcot must have been wonderful! I know the crowds were bad, but I'm sure that the Christmas spirit was alive and well. Hopefully no rude people!

We did have a good Christmas Eve at Epcot, and yes, there were crowds but Epcot is large enough to handle them well. We ran into a few rude and crabby people during the week, but it wasn't too terrible.

Beautiful pictures, especially of China! I took the same exact picture of the Cinderella castle's price tag when we went in August!! I wonder if they've ever sold one??

Isn't the price on that castle crazy! I'd be curious to see if they've ever sold one as well, I'd also like to see the person that could drop $37,000 on something like that!

What a nice CM! Those antlers are so cute! It reminds me of one of the hats you could get for your avatar on Virtual Magic Kingdom, so I felt a twinge of sadness too.

I didn't know you could walk through that building in Norway either! I distinctly remember standing in front of it with my mom wondering, "Is that just a fake door?"

Wow, even itty-bitty Jaq costs so much!

I bet there are quite a few other doors that you can actually pass into throughout WS as well! There is a little museum in Stave Church in Norway - walk through there if you have a chance on your next trip!

I know - Jaq was tiny and he was over $100, they had lots of very pretty, but very pricey items in there!

What an amazing evening so far....Christmas Eve at Disney

Yep, Christmas at Disney was good!

 

[SoonerGirl]

What a great CM!! The boys look so cute in their reindeer ears!! Glad you enjoyed your dinner! How nice of your waiter to bring the boys something else for dessert when they didn't like their first choice!! Now that's some good service!! Can't wait to read about CP!!!

Most CMs at WDW are so wonderful. Disney really does know how to do service!

What a fun night so far. The antlers were very cute! Nine Dragons looks yummy.

I had to smile that night everytime I looked over at them in their antlers, they were pretty cute! I did make them take them off for the CP though, didn't figure the people behind us would want to watch it through horns

I'll just bet we crossed paths several times Christmas Eve.....
Enjoying your update!

I'm sure we did too

What a super nice CM to give your boys reindeer antlers!!! I can see the excitement bubbling underneath!

Haven't ever heard much about Nine Dragons -- glad you enjoyed your meal there. Too bad about the ice cream, but what a great waiter to bring different flavors.

Love all the strolling shots -- I do think World Showcase is so photogenic!

We really enjoyed Nine Dragons, I didn't read too many positive reviews about it before we went, but I try to form my own judgement on things. I'm glad we stuck with it. It wasn't the best meal we had all week, but it was good (well, it was good except for that nasty caramel ginger ice cream ).

I find myself taking so many pictures in WS, there is just so much to see!

Great update! The boys look so cute in the antlers!

Looking forward to your next installment!!! CP sounds so beautiful, I hope you have a lot of pics to share!

The CP was amazing, I have a few pics

Caught up again! Loved the pictures! We love Epcot and always spend quite a bit of time in the countries exploring so I really enjoyed reading about your Christmas Eve adventure. Can't wait for the Candlelight Processional!

This was the first trip that we really spent a lot of time exploring WS and I'm so glad we did - it has a lot more to offer than just restaurants!

Love that extra bit of pixiedust!

Disney is so good about spreading the magic, even if they aren't physically giving you something, they are providing you with a friendly face and a smile. You know they must have bad days with guest being rude to them, but most of them don't ever let you see their frustration.

We've never made it to Nine Dragons... it always gets such a bad rap! It was good to see a positive review! Fantastic that you caught the acrobats... they are so much fun to watch!

I know, I only read a handfull of positive reviews of Nine Dragons before we went, so I was really nervous going in. I was pleasently surprised! Now, we've had better chinese, but I don't think Nine Dragons deserves the bad rap most people give it.

The acrobats were a lot of fun to watch!

Well, how can you not visit Germany at Christmastime?! What a nice memory it conjured up. The decorations are gorgeous!

Kathy

Yep, you gotta go to the birthplace of the Christmas tree, right?!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Wow, I love that castle too!! Ah, how nice it would be to have $37k to drop on that baby. Very nice pictures and update! The food at Nine Dragons sounds yummy.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm fine with taking trips with just me and the boys. Problem is, Don's biggest hang up with it is the cost - that won't change much just minus one person. That is one disadvantage that I've found with not working, I don't feel as willing to push on what our money is spent on since he earns it all. That's stupid, I know......

Ah, it's the money. I understand completely! It's not stupid at all, I sometimes feel the same way. I'm making it my MISSION to save our way to Disney. I have a coin jar on the kitchen counter, I do all sorts of online programs to earn extra money or gift cards, etc. then I don't feel quite as guilty in nagging about it all. However, it's not so bad for me because I know Joe wants to go just as badly!

What a great evening in Epcot! I love the pic of your boys with the troll!

And this one made me laugh out loud! Love his expression!!!

Those acrobats look amazing! I'm going to mark that down as a "must do" for our future trip.

 

[SoonerGirl]

I have a few things to share here, all non trip related, so I hope you don't mind!

First, I just got off the phone with my brother and he told me that I am going to have a niece!! I'm sooooo excited, we have all boys in my family right now, so I'm pumped to have a little princess coming! I'm thinking that I'm going to be bringing back a lot of little girl stuff from WDW in May

Next, on a not so happy note - Justin brought home his school enrollment packet yesterday, for High School Seriously, how did he get to be so grown up already?! I walk every morning with one of my girlfriends, who also just happens to be the mom of one of Justin's best friends, and we both agreed that this is worse than kindergarten! I think it's all the information on college planning that was included in the packet - it just means he's that much closer to growing up and moving away - I'm getting all teary eyed just writing about it, I'm such a dork!

Ok, last thing - I know I have a few teachers reading my report (Michelle, Jackie, Anita, MeMom - probably more, I just can't recall right now!) Anyway, I need your opinions. Justin is in an advanced placement History class and he really has to work hard in there to keep his 'A'. Anyway, the other day they were taking a quiz and my son went brain dead for a minute while trying to figure out how to spell the answer, he inadvertantly said it out loud. Well, the teacher took his quiz away from him and gave him a zero. After class he went to talk to her about it and tried to explain what happened, that he wasn't trying to cheat, and she told him she didn't care and wouldn't even let him explain. Now, I do think he needs to pay the consequences for being stupid, but it seems to me that her punishment was a bit extreme. His grade went from a 95 to an 81 with that one zero and being that it is an AP class, he's going to have a very hard time getting that grade back up. I wanted to make an appointment to discuss it with his teacher, but Don says no. Justin messed up, he's going to have to live with it. I guess my question is, do you guys think a zero is warranted? Please feel free to be honest, you won't hurt my feelings! Thanks

 

[Charleston Princess]

First, I just got off the phone with my brother and he told me that I am going to have a niece!! I'm sooooo excited, we have all boys in my family right now, so I'm pumped to have a little princess coming! I'm thinking that I'm going to be bringing back a lot of little girl stuff from WDW in May

I know a little girl that is going to be spoiled rotten before she even arrives!

Next, on a not so happy note - Justin bought home his school enrollment packet yesterday, for High School Seriously, how did he get to be so grown up already?! I walk every morning with one of my girlfriends, who also just happens to be the mom of one of Justin's best friends, and we both agreed that this is worse than kindergarten! I think it's all the information on college planning that was included in the packet - it just means he's that much closer to growing up and moving away - I'm getting all teary eyed just writing about it, I'm such a dork!

My nephew is the same age as Justin, and I know exactly what you are going through! I am having a hard time imagining Will heading off to high school -- I swear it was only yesterday that we were headed down to Atlanta to the Olympics with him in a stroller. My SIL is having an even harder time dealing with it, and I have a sinking suspicion that I will be just as bad next year when it is Chelsea trying to figure out all this high school registration stuff.

Ok, last thing - I know I have a few teachers reading my report (Michelle, Jackie, Anita, MeMom - probably more, I just can't recall right now!) Anyway, I need your opinions. Justin is in an advanced placement History class and he really has to work hard in there to keep his 'A'. Anyway, the other day they were taking a quiz and my son went brain dead for a minute while trying to figure out how to spell the answer, he inadvertantly said it out loud. Well, the teacher took his quiz away from him and gave him a zero. After class he went to talk to her about it and tried to explain what happened, that he wasn't trying to cheat, and she told him she didn't care and wouldn't even let him explain. Now, I do think he needs to pay the consequences for being stupid, but it seems to me that her punishment was a bit extreme. His grade went from a 95 to an 81 with that one zero and being that it is an AP class, he's going to have a very hard time getting that grade back up. I wanted to make an appointment to discuss it with his teacher, but Don says no. Justin messed up, he's going to have to live with it. I guess my question is, do you guys think a zero is warranted? Please feel free to be honest, you won't hurt my feelings! Thanks

Oh, I can be totally honest here without hurting your feelings. I think the teacher is being completely unwarranted with her "punishment." Middle schoolers routinely go brain dead and do stupid things -- you would think she would be able to give the poor boy some leeway. I doubt Justin said, "The answer to # whatever is..." To the other students (if they even noticed he said anything which is iffy since middle schoolers seem to sometimes exist in their own little worlds), they probably wondered what in the world Justin was doing. Really, c'mon! If he was actually cheating, would he have said something out loud? When students cheat, they are much more subtle. Any teacher worth her salt should know this. Anyway, I would contact the teacher. Giving Justin a zero on the entire test is much too punitive, and I am not usually one to advocate this, but if she will not listen to reason, I would contact the principal and voice your concerns.