Annie&Hallie'sMom
<font color=deeppink>Things turn out best for peop
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2001
- Messages
- 3,054
Starring:
Me: Most folks call me Beth, some call me Liz and when I¡¦m in serious trouble I¡¦m Elizabeth. Disney-holic. Been planning this trip for what seems like eons.
SDS: Dearest husband and best friend. Disney-holic.
Co-Starring:
M&A: Good friends from the other side of the pond. DVC owners at the OKW Resort. If they had not invited us to stay with them, this trip would not be happening.
December 5th dawns with overcast skies ¡V and not as warm as I would have liked. This is Florida ¡V when am I going to get my tan? Ah well, at least there¡¦s no snow like I hear we were getting back home.
Juggling the bathroom with 4 people in the morning is no easy feat. I admit that morning preparations take me a while, so I try to always be the first one up and in. I also was the appointed coffee maker. Before our arrival I had shipped a pound of freshly ground coffee (along with a few holiday gifts for M&A and some laundry detergent and 2 Bounce sheets. As an aside, do you know that a large sports bottle makes an excellent laundry detergent container? I was able to put more than enough in for 3 loads and it was easy to pour out too!). After the 4 of us have gotten ready and had our coffee, M&A head to the MK while SDS & I head for what is probably my favorite park, Epcot (ok, it¡¦s a toss up between MK & Epcot. I love them both, but Epcot has a slight edge since it is larger and there are usually less people there. The fools don¡¦t know what they are missing. But their foolishness only means more Epcot for me!).
We arrive just as the park opens. SDS has to head to guest relations, so while he¡¦s there I make a snap decision to visit Gateway Gifts to purchase postcards and a pen big enough for Mickey Mouse to use. You see I have this plan to get Mickey to autograph a postcard and then send it to a co-worker¡¦s son. (See http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=477553 for the whole story). I spend about $5 and make it over to the pin station where the characters are. Surprisingly there isn¡¦t too long of a line for Mickey who signs the card for me. I head over to a nearby garbage can to use as a ¡§desk¡¨. I put my address label on it and add my own ¡§See Ya Real Soon.¡¨ While I continue to wait for SDS, I quickly write out 2 other postcards. I am barely finished when he arrives.
Before we head out to enjoy the park, I do a quick pin trade (hey what else can you do when you are so close to a pin station) and then we decide to head for The Land (ummm¡Kthe yummy smells as well as the great music). We do all the attractions in the Land ¡V Circle of Life movie (where I cry, as always), Food Rocks (I still think it¡¦s cute and will miss it when it¡¦s gone ¡V I¡¦m just sorry that Neil Moussaka doesn¡¦t make it into the finale!
) and Living With The Land (the woman who did our tour was excellent. Loved how the fish are being ¡§refurbed¡¨ and was impressed with the 250 lb pumpkin that they are growing. Living With The Land is always changing and one of these years I will do the Behind The Seeds Tour).
When we finished with The Land we headed over to Imagination. We have yet to see the latest version of Journey Into Imagination. I think the addition of Figment has definitely improved the attraction and made it much less scary for the little ones (particularly the ¡§train¡¨ scene ¡V it was a bit overwhelming before, but with Figment it¡¦s much lighter). I also was pleased to see a door marked ¡§Dean Finder¡¨ ¡V an obvious tribute to the original ride.
Leaving the ride, we can¡¦t resist visiting one of the kiosks and sending emails home to let family and friends know we have safely arrived.
It¡¦s just about 11, so we head over to the World Showcase. We start in Canada and just wander around, taking in all the sights and sounds. I really wanted to see the ¡§Santas of Many Nations¡¨ (or holiday storytellers as they are more properly known), but the schedule wasn¡¦t working with me today. We had made it all the way over to Italy when we caught our first street performance ¡V the Masquarade/Pantomine. Very strange. And some of those ¡§characters¡¨ are a bit scary looking!
We continue onward. I did notice that there seemed to be less holiday decoration. Something that the average person wouldn¡¦t notice. But I know that during our holiday trek in 2000 there was a large nativity scene in Italy that was no longer there and it just seemed like there were some ¡§bare patches¡¨ that cried out for something.
We reach Norway shortly before our lunch PS. So we ride Maelstrom which was a joy because several people on our boat had obviously not done the ride before as they were surprised when the trolls send us ¡§back, back, over the falls¡¨. I really enjoy Maelstrom (although it could be longer. But then again any ride that I enjoy could be longer). We did skip the movie (and I noticed they kept the doors open to the theatre during the film which they had not done in the past). We probably should have stayed as it would have let out just as Restaurant Akershus opened. As it was we had to wait a bit before the restaurant opened and we could be seated.
We were seated on the left side of the restaurant in an area where I could see what was going on in the kitchen when the door opened. Most people might not like this, but as I have food allergy concerns, I liked being close to the ¡§action¡¨. Our server brought out Chef Mary. Together we went through the cold buffet. I pointed out what I would like to try and she arranged to have it brought out to me (buffets are wonderful, but cross contamination is always an issue ¡V it¡¦s so easy for a pair of tongs from one dish to end up in another which could be enough to send me to the hospital). SDS went up and got a FULL plate of goodies, while I waited for Chef Mary. Our drinks were served (SDS could not pass up a Rignes beer) and Mary came over with a plate of various treats for me (I like herring ¡V so shoot me! º ). For the hot part of the meal, I had the lamb, which was delicious. I love lamb, but it¡¦s not something you can just make for 2 people. It was so good that I had too plates of it! What a joy to be able to eat out and enjoy!
After a delicious meal, we stroll over to Mexico and enjoy a ride down El Rio Del Tiempo. (So is anyone else disturbed by the fact that at one point you see these children running down the beach and into the surf and they are never seen again? At least not until the next time you journey down the river¡Kwhere are these children¡¦s parents???
). It was then time to head over to my favorite shop ¡V Mouse Gears. Enjoyed browsing through all the goodies, but managed to resist temptation once again (Ok, so it was my plan to scope out everything I wanted and then try to buy as much of it at the World Of Disney where an AP can get you a 10% discount. If the 15% CP discount had been in effect this year as it had been the last time we visited, I would have done some serious damage ¡V all in the name of ¡§saving¡¨ money. Disney missed a big opportunity here for me to fork over serious cash).
SDS was getting a bit tired, and we had yet to do THE classic of Epcot. So we headed over to Spaceship Earth. I can never get tired of this one. Although I was disappointed with the beginning of the ride with all the warnings and such (I understand why they have them since ¡§Lets Sue Disney¡¨ seems to be the motto of way too many people without any common sense). Ah, the scent of Rome burning. Brings a smile to my lips just thinking about it.
Refreshed, we head back to the World Showcase, stopping briefly at Ice Station Cool. Still only like the Krest Ginger Ale. None of the other drinks appeal to me (especially the Beverly ¡V once was enough).
We wander around the UK (British Invasion is playing and there¡¦s quite a crowd). We take another break and sit down by the water alongside the Fish And Chips Shop. There are plenty of gulls there begging for food (¡§Mine, Mine, Mine.¡¨). Just sat there for a bit and soaked up all the atmosphere (and there is so much to soak up in Epcot).
Moving on, we head over to France. Impressiones De France is scheduled to start in a few minutes so we go in. Cast Member Stephanie ushers us in and soon we are caught up in the beauty of the country carried away by the music of Debussy.
After the movie, we wander outside. Pere Noel is scheduled to make an appearance, so we wait and listen to him tell his tale of Christmas in France (and hear him dis La Bofana ¡V in a friendly way though). Being a kid at heart (who isn¡¦t¡¦), I make SDS get on line with a whole bunch of kids. Pere Noel doesn¡¦t mind. He likes big kids too.
Its nearly 4 PM and we need to head to the American Pavilion to line up for the Candlelight Processional (even if you have bought the dinner package, you need to get in line early to get good seats). We stop briefly to check out Mo Rockin in Morocco before we join the line that has already started. SDS goes to see if M&A have arrived already, but they haven¡¦t. So we take our place in line. SDS went to check out things at the gift shop by the American Experience while I waited. He came back empty handed (shocker!) Shortly thereafter we were joined by M&A and then the line began to move and we were inside.
We had our pick of seats, and ended up taking front row slightly off to the left side. In hindsight, it probably would have been better if we sat a few rows back so that we could get a better view of Rita Moreno. However, we were right at the orchestra¡¦s feet. I was amazed by the female percussionist (there were 2 ¡V she was closer to the edge of the stage). She was this tiny little thing and she¡¦d pick up those cymbals and ¡§WHAM!¡¨ She had so much energy. And she and her ¡§partner¡¨ would have to switch back and forth between cymbals, kettle drums, bells¡KI really appreciated her talent (and her strength!). On another strange note, the woman who was the first cello (end of the first row on the right) looked EXACTLY like the actress Holland Taylor (character actress ¡V she was the boss in Bosom Buddies and I think she was a judge on The Practice.). I mean if I had passed her on the street I would have thought it was her. And because I was struck by the resemblance, I ended up watching her ¡V she seemed to have a good time ¡V she even sang along.
But then again everyone sang along, including Rita Moreno, who was radiant. She was very dramatic with her presentation and a very beautiful woman with beautiful white hair. I think this was her first show and she seemed to really be soaking it up. At the end when she says ¡§Hallelujah¡¨ it came off in exactly the same way she used to say ¡§Hey You Guys!¡¨ on The Electric Company. She also took a moment at the end of the show to remind us that it was Walt Disney¡¦s birthday and to remember that we were all here because of a mouse.
It is impossible NOT to be moved by the Candlelight Processional. The singing is fantastic, the music moving, and the readings magnificent. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to see it again (we had seen it in 2000 with Ben Vereen who was as equally enthralling). And at the very end of the show, it snows. (If I recall correctly it used to snow earlier in the show when they sang ¡§Silent Night¡¨ and it works so much better at the end). The CP alone is enough reason to visit WDW during the holidays.
We slowly made our way out after the CP. SDS & I had to wander back to guest relations, so we made an arrangement to meet M&A by the sign for Le Cellier at 7 PM (we had a 7:20 PS).
We checked in at Le Cellier around 7 and they said that we should expect a wait of about 20 minutes PAST our PS time. This did not surprise me at all. I know how crowded the restaurants can get during the CP dinner package. And as more and more people ¡§discover¡¨ Le Cellier the wait time gets longer and longer. (Way back when Le Cellier had not been so popular and it used to be easy to just walk in). We got our pager and wandered around Canada (the pager does not work in the film, or we would have checked out ¡§O Canada¡¨).
Unfortunately, Friday night was not as warm as I would have liked it to be. I had a sweatshirt, but was still wearing shorts and was wishing I had longer pants and wondering where the warm Florida weather had gotten to.
Our beeper finally went off around quarter to eight. And I have to say that it was very much worth the wait. Chef Karen came out to speak with me about my food allergies. Again, we were situated at a table so I could peek in to the kitchen and see what was going on. I had the beefsteak tomato starter (which was good, but my dad grows beefsteaks here in NJ and these tomatoes just didn¡¦t compare) while SDS had the Caesar Salad (he was torn between that and the cheese soup which he loves, but claimed his body was crying out for greens). SDS also had his requisite Molson while M&A shared a bottle of wine. Still somewhat cautious, I stuck to ginger ale. Main course was a Filet Mignon that you didn¡¦t need a knife for. Yummy. Although I have noticed that the chefs at Le Cellier use a lot of pepper! (My glimpse into the kitchen also allowed me to see that one of the chefs was not wearing the requisite baseball style cap, but instead had on a Tigger Santa hat!).
While the rest of the crew went for yummy desserts, Karen made me a special bowl of berries (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) since even the sorbet had egg in it. But the best way to end a meal at Le Cellier is with a cup of coffee topped with Bailey¡¦s Ice Cream. Now that kept me warm! (And SDS was nervy enough to ask for a ¡§doggie¡¨ bag of pretzel bread which he would eat every morning for breakfast before we headed out).
When we came out of Le Cellier, Illuminations had already begun, but we walked over to the railing and got a pretty good view of the rest of the show. And as I wrote that evening in my notes, ¡§holding hands with SDS watching it was the best.¡¨ (just call me a romantic
).
We slowly made our way out of the parks. M&A went ahead of us as the coffee was catching up with me and I had to make several pit stops. Plus I love just slowly walking out underneath the arch of lights. And we did have to make a stop in the Art of Disney where SDS found the poster he had to purchase for this trip (The Monorail). Although he did not buy it then, I knew we would be purchasing one before the trip was through.
Hopped on a bus back to the OKW and hit the hay after another long day. Now if I could only find those postcard stamps that I brought with me¡K
Me: Most folks call me Beth, some call me Liz and when I¡¦m in serious trouble I¡¦m Elizabeth. Disney-holic. Been planning this trip for what seems like eons.
SDS: Dearest husband and best friend. Disney-holic.
Co-Starring:
M&A: Good friends from the other side of the pond. DVC owners at the OKW Resort. If they had not invited us to stay with them, this trip would not be happening.
December 5th dawns with overcast skies ¡V and not as warm as I would have liked. This is Florida ¡V when am I going to get my tan? Ah well, at least there¡¦s no snow like I hear we were getting back home.
Juggling the bathroom with 4 people in the morning is no easy feat. I admit that morning preparations take me a while, so I try to always be the first one up and in. I also was the appointed coffee maker. Before our arrival I had shipped a pound of freshly ground coffee (along with a few holiday gifts for M&A and some laundry detergent and 2 Bounce sheets. As an aside, do you know that a large sports bottle makes an excellent laundry detergent container? I was able to put more than enough in for 3 loads and it was easy to pour out too!). After the 4 of us have gotten ready and had our coffee, M&A head to the MK while SDS & I head for what is probably my favorite park, Epcot (ok, it¡¦s a toss up between MK & Epcot. I love them both, but Epcot has a slight edge since it is larger and there are usually less people there. The fools don¡¦t know what they are missing. But their foolishness only means more Epcot for me!).
We arrive just as the park opens. SDS has to head to guest relations, so while he¡¦s there I make a snap decision to visit Gateway Gifts to purchase postcards and a pen big enough for Mickey Mouse to use. You see I have this plan to get Mickey to autograph a postcard and then send it to a co-worker¡¦s son. (See http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=477553 for the whole story). I spend about $5 and make it over to the pin station where the characters are. Surprisingly there isn¡¦t too long of a line for Mickey who signs the card for me. I head over to a nearby garbage can to use as a ¡§desk¡¨. I put my address label on it and add my own ¡§See Ya Real Soon.¡¨ While I continue to wait for SDS, I quickly write out 2 other postcards. I am barely finished when he arrives.
Before we head out to enjoy the park, I do a quick pin trade (hey what else can you do when you are so close to a pin station) and then we decide to head for The Land (ummm¡Kthe yummy smells as well as the great music). We do all the attractions in the Land ¡V Circle of Life movie (where I cry, as always), Food Rocks (I still think it¡¦s cute and will miss it when it¡¦s gone ¡V I¡¦m just sorry that Neil Moussaka doesn¡¦t make it into the finale!

When we finished with The Land we headed over to Imagination. We have yet to see the latest version of Journey Into Imagination. I think the addition of Figment has definitely improved the attraction and made it much less scary for the little ones (particularly the ¡§train¡¨ scene ¡V it was a bit overwhelming before, but with Figment it¡¦s much lighter). I also was pleased to see a door marked ¡§Dean Finder¡¨ ¡V an obvious tribute to the original ride.
Leaving the ride, we can¡¦t resist visiting one of the kiosks and sending emails home to let family and friends know we have safely arrived.
It¡¦s just about 11, so we head over to the World Showcase. We start in Canada and just wander around, taking in all the sights and sounds. I really wanted to see the ¡§Santas of Many Nations¡¨ (or holiday storytellers as they are more properly known), but the schedule wasn¡¦t working with me today. We had made it all the way over to Italy when we caught our first street performance ¡V the Masquarade/Pantomine. Very strange. And some of those ¡§characters¡¨ are a bit scary looking!
We continue onward. I did notice that there seemed to be less holiday decoration. Something that the average person wouldn¡¦t notice. But I know that during our holiday trek in 2000 there was a large nativity scene in Italy that was no longer there and it just seemed like there were some ¡§bare patches¡¨ that cried out for something.
We reach Norway shortly before our lunch PS. So we ride Maelstrom which was a joy because several people on our boat had obviously not done the ride before as they were surprised when the trolls send us ¡§back, back, over the falls¡¨. I really enjoy Maelstrom (although it could be longer. But then again any ride that I enjoy could be longer). We did skip the movie (and I noticed they kept the doors open to the theatre during the film which they had not done in the past). We probably should have stayed as it would have let out just as Restaurant Akershus opened. As it was we had to wait a bit before the restaurant opened and we could be seated.
We were seated on the left side of the restaurant in an area where I could see what was going on in the kitchen when the door opened. Most people might not like this, but as I have food allergy concerns, I liked being close to the ¡§action¡¨. Our server brought out Chef Mary. Together we went through the cold buffet. I pointed out what I would like to try and she arranged to have it brought out to me (buffets are wonderful, but cross contamination is always an issue ¡V it¡¦s so easy for a pair of tongs from one dish to end up in another which could be enough to send me to the hospital). SDS went up and got a FULL plate of goodies, while I waited for Chef Mary. Our drinks were served (SDS could not pass up a Rignes beer) and Mary came over with a plate of various treats for me (I like herring ¡V so shoot me! º ). For the hot part of the meal, I had the lamb, which was delicious. I love lamb, but it¡¦s not something you can just make for 2 people. It was so good that I had too plates of it! What a joy to be able to eat out and enjoy!
After a delicious meal, we stroll over to Mexico and enjoy a ride down El Rio Del Tiempo. (So is anyone else disturbed by the fact that at one point you see these children running down the beach and into the surf and they are never seen again? At least not until the next time you journey down the river¡Kwhere are these children¡¦s parents???

SDS was getting a bit tired, and we had yet to do THE classic of Epcot. So we headed over to Spaceship Earth. I can never get tired of this one. Although I was disappointed with the beginning of the ride with all the warnings and such (I understand why they have them since ¡§Lets Sue Disney¡¨ seems to be the motto of way too many people without any common sense). Ah, the scent of Rome burning. Brings a smile to my lips just thinking about it.
Refreshed, we head back to the World Showcase, stopping briefly at Ice Station Cool. Still only like the Krest Ginger Ale. None of the other drinks appeal to me (especially the Beverly ¡V once was enough).
We wander around the UK (British Invasion is playing and there¡¦s quite a crowd). We take another break and sit down by the water alongside the Fish And Chips Shop. There are plenty of gulls there begging for food (¡§Mine, Mine, Mine.¡¨). Just sat there for a bit and soaked up all the atmosphere (and there is so much to soak up in Epcot).
Moving on, we head over to France. Impressiones De France is scheduled to start in a few minutes so we go in. Cast Member Stephanie ushers us in and soon we are caught up in the beauty of the country carried away by the music of Debussy.
After the movie, we wander outside. Pere Noel is scheduled to make an appearance, so we wait and listen to him tell his tale of Christmas in France (and hear him dis La Bofana ¡V in a friendly way though). Being a kid at heart (who isn¡¦t¡¦), I make SDS get on line with a whole bunch of kids. Pere Noel doesn¡¦t mind. He likes big kids too.
Its nearly 4 PM and we need to head to the American Pavilion to line up for the Candlelight Processional (even if you have bought the dinner package, you need to get in line early to get good seats). We stop briefly to check out Mo Rockin in Morocco before we join the line that has already started. SDS goes to see if M&A have arrived already, but they haven¡¦t. So we take our place in line. SDS went to check out things at the gift shop by the American Experience while I waited. He came back empty handed (shocker!) Shortly thereafter we were joined by M&A and then the line began to move and we were inside.
We had our pick of seats, and ended up taking front row slightly off to the left side. In hindsight, it probably would have been better if we sat a few rows back so that we could get a better view of Rita Moreno. However, we were right at the orchestra¡¦s feet. I was amazed by the female percussionist (there were 2 ¡V she was closer to the edge of the stage). She was this tiny little thing and she¡¦d pick up those cymbals and ¡§WHAM!¡¨ She had so much energy. And she and her ¡§partner¡¨ would have to switch back and forth between cymbals, kettle drums, bells¡KI really appreciated her talent (and her strength!). On another strange note, the woman who was the first cello (end of the first row on the right) looked EXACTLY like the actress Holland Taylor (character actress ¡V she was the boss in Bosom Buddies and I think she was a judge on The Practice.). I mean if I had passed her on the street I would have thought it was her. And because I was struck by the resemblance, I ended up watching her ¡V she seemed to have a good time ¡V she even sang along.
But then again everyone sang along, including Rita Moreno, who was radiant. She was very dramatic with her presentation and a very beautiful woman with beautiful white hair. I think this was her first show and she seemed to really be soaking it up. At the end when she says ¡§Hallelujah¡¨ it came off in exactly the same way she used to say ¡§Hey You Guys!¡¨ on The Electric Company. She also took a moment at the end of the show to remind us that it was Walt Disney¡¦s birthday and to remember that we were all here because of a mouse.
It is impossible NOT to be moved by the Candlelight Processional. The singing is fantastic, the music moving, and the readings magnificent. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to see it again (we had seen it in 2000 with Ben Vereen who was as equally enthralling). And at the very end of the show, it snows. (If I recall correctly it used to snow earlier in the show when they sang ¡§Silent Night¡¨ and it works so much better at the end). The CP alone is enough reason to visit WDW during the holidays.
We slowly made our way out after the CP. SDS & I had to wander back to guest relations, so we made an arrangement to meet M&A by the sign for Le Cellier at 7 PM (we had a 7:20 PS).
We checked in at Le Cellier around 7 and they said that we should expect a wait of about 20 minutes PAST our PS time. This did not surprise me at all. I know how crowded the restaurants can get during the CP dinner package. And as more and more people ¡§discover¡¨ Le Cellier the wait time gets longer and longer. (Way back when Le Cellier had not been so popular and it used to be easy to just walk in). We got our pager and wandered around Canada (the pager does not work in the film, or we would have checked out ¡§O Canada¡¨).
Unfortunately, Friday night was not as warm as I would have liked it to be. I had a sweatshirt, but was still wearing shorts and was wishing I had longer pants and wondering where the warm Florida weather had gotten to.
Our beeper finally went off around quarter to eight. And I have to say that it was very much worth the wait. Chef Karen came out to speak with me about my food allergies. Again, we were situated at a table so I could peek in to the kitchen and see what was going on. I had the beefsteak tomato starter (which was good, but my dad grows beefsteaks here in NJ and these tomatoes just didn¡¦t compare) while SDS had the Caesar Salad (he was torn between that and the cheese soup which he loves, but claimed his body was crying out for greens). SDS also had his requisite Molson while M&A shared a bottle of wine. Still somewhat cautious, I stuck to ginger ale. Main course was a Filet Mignon that you didn¡¦t need a knife for. Yummy. Although I have noticed that the chefs at Le Cellier use a lot of pepper! (My glimpse into the kitchen also allowed me to see that one of the chefs was not wearing the requisite baseball style cap, but instead had on a Tigger Santa hat!).
While the rest of the crew went for yummy desserts, Karen made me a special bowl of berries (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) since even the sorbet had egg in it. But the best way to end a meal at Le Cellier is with a cup of coffee topped with Bailey¡¦s Ice Cream. Now that kept me warm! (And SDS was nervy enough to ask for a ¡§doggie¡¨ bag of pretzel bread which he would eat every morning for breakfast before we headed out).
When we came out of Le Cellier, Illuminations had already begun, but we walked over to the railing and got a pretty good view of the rest of the show. And as I wrote that evening in my notes, ¡§holding hands with SDS watching it was the best.¡¨ (just call me a romantic


We slowly made our way out of the parks. M&A went ahead of us as the coffee was catching up with me and I had to make several pit stops. Plus I love just slowly walking out underneath the arch of lights. And we did have to make a stop in the Art of Disney where SDS found the poster he had to purchase for this trip (The Monorail). Although he did not buy it then, I knew we would be purchasing one before the trip was through.
Hopped on a bus back to the OKW and hit the hay after another long day. Now if I could only find those postcard stamps that I brought with me¡K
