***The VWL Groupies & Trivia Thread*** Chapter 2!

[eliza61]

Morning groupies,
Cheer, thanks for the beautiful pictures. It's rainy and dreary on the east coast so that was a great pick me up.
LisaS, did you hit many parks? How are the crowds.

Thanks for the kitty pictures every one. We're dog people here but I keep campaigning for a cat. **sighs***

Happy Wednesday

 

[cheer4bison]

So, we didn't get to check in until 2 am Thursday morning as our flight out of Newark was delayed 2.5 hours. Although that was a bit of a disappointment, it gave us the opportunity to discover that MCO is pretty delightful at night when it is empty. Getting our rental car was a breeze and following the Greeneway to the Lodge was very easy. Driving under the DisneyWorld welcome arch and then up Timberline Drive is a treat no matter what time of day or night it occurs.

The lobby of the lodge was empty, quiet, and beautifully lit. What a nice time of day to run around and take photographs! Here's one of DS and me. We both look pretty tired, but content.

The big tree in the main lobby was gorgeous! I love to camp out in the comfy adirondack-style chairs at the base of the tree. Here is a somewhat-blurry attempt at a photo from that perspective. (Next time I need to bring I tripod. )

After almost an hour of soaking up the ambience of this gorgeous place, we headed back to our studio. Here DS shows you exactly where room 1502 is on the map. (He can be a very helpful 8-year-old. )

I'll have more pictures later. Can't wait to share the one of our mini-groupie meet with JT!

 

[Granny]

Thanks for sharing the great photos of VWL and WL. It really is a special place at Christmas time, isn't it!!

Great to hear from our Groupies returning from the World. Sounds like every trip was magical.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Glad everyone enjoyed my kitty and puppy pictures....as I also enjoyed all of yours. The "hugging" Siamese are just too precious blossomz...

Cheer 4 Bison...love your photos of the WL/VWl. I agree, the tree on the Villas side is just as beautiful as the main Lodge. Is the display with the bears in the main lobby new ? I don't recall that from my visit there in 2006. I was in WDW in Dec 2007 as well but never made it to the Lodge that year But I love it....great photos and thanks for sharing. Looking forward to seeing more especially of your meet with JT !

 

[blossomz]

Thanks Maria...The 2 boys are twins! I just had to get them both! They are really very close! They are always hugging and kissing! Too funny!
Tink kind of runs everything!

Those photos of the Lodge decorations are so wonderful! I just can almost "feel" the atmosphere! Hmmmmm....THanks all!

 

[cheer4bison]

Because of our late-arriving flight and our busy park schedule, we very nearly missed meeting up with the JimmyTammy family this trip. However, we were wonderfully lucky to cross paths with half of the JimmyTammy clan on their check-out day as they were loading their car.

My DH and DS finally got a chance to meet them as well. Such nice people, indeed. Can't believe how lucky we were to see them twice this year at our mutual home. Looking forward to many more years of groupie meets!

 

[jimmytammy]

As yall can tell, Jill and her family are very nice folks also. It was great to see yall and to meet the rest of your family. Wish it could have been for longer.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Love the pic of the cheer4bison and Jimmytammy family You guys look great.
Jill...have to add....love the Phillies hoodie your son is wearing

 

[eliza61]

Great picture Cheer, you guys look great!!

Granny, DLI
How are you guys doing, I thought I heard the middle of the country is getting a bit of bad weather (snow )
It's looking like a white Christmas.
Drive safely.

 

[mickeymorse]

Cool, a groupie meet. Nice pic. Thanks for sharing your trip pics Jill.

Nice photos of all the 4 legged family members. This from a dog lover.

35 days to go. It can't come too soon since we are supposed to get between 6-12" of snow starting after midnite. Oh well, time to break out the sleds.

 

[Laxmom]

Granny, ad another trip for us. VWL July 11 - 18th! Whoo hooo!! I was able to talk Laxdad into a trade in before the switch to RCI.

 

[eliza61]

Cool, a groupie meet. Nice pic. Thanks for sharing your trip pics Jill.

Nice photos of all the 4 legged family members. This from a dog lover.

35 days to go. It can't come too soon since we are supposed to get between 6-12" of snow starting after midnite. Oh well, time to break out the sleds.

Hey MM,
No fair cutting out on the cold. I think the cold front from Canada is supposed to bring snow this weekend to NJ also. Oh well you have to send us pictures while I'm hip deep in it.

 

[cheer4bison]

Love the pic of the cheer4bison and Jimmytammy family You guys look great.
Jill...have to add....love the Phillies hoodie your son is wearing

Glad you like the Phillies hoodie! Did you notice it even has a 2008 World Series patch on the sleeve? Does a long-suffering Phillies fan's heart good to see, doesn't it?

 

[MiaSRN62]

Did you notice it even has a 2008 World Series patch on the sleeve? Does a long-suffering Phillies fan's heart good to see, doesn't it?

You know it Jill

 

[tea pot]

Hi All..... Welcome Home to all of you just returning from our Happy Place
and thanks so much for all of the wonderful pics and trip reports.

Maria what a wonderful Momma you are. I wonder what is it about this time of the year. Our second kitty, Sprinkles was a rescue kitty from last Nov.
The mother of my DD's friend was planning to take her 7 month old kitty when she moved but changed her mind and just left the cat in the empty house. My DD found out 2 days later and went over to get her. I just don't understand how someone can do something like that.

Blossomz Si and Am are just too much and Tink could be a twin to our Simba.

How does that saying go..... You can tell alot about someone by how they treat animals and children.

Well GET READY FOR WINTER. We're expecting two storms this weekend starting tomorrow. 1-2 inches an hour starting around noon.
and more on Sunday..... A White Christmas

Stay Safe everyone and Enjoy the Christmas Magic

 

[tea pot]

Hey Horselover
Hope all is well. Wondering if you were hit hard by the ice storm last week
So many people out in western Mass and southern NH are Still without power.
Or maybe I should check Granny's list to see if you're in Sunny Florida!

Granny thanks for the update to my vacation and I hope to add Dec.09 to it soon.

 

[Granny]

Granny, DLI
How are you guys doing, I thought I heard the middle of the country is getting a bit of bad weather (snow )
It's looking like a white Christmas.
Drive safely.

Thanks for the thoughts, Eliza. We've had a little snow, and some ice. But actually today was a little warmer so we might not have that white Christmas after all. Not sure what Iowa is getting though. Hope all is well in Groupie's home towns across the world.

Granny, ad another trip for us. VWL July 11 - 18th! Whoo hooo!! I was able to talk Laxdad into a trade in before the switch to RCI.

Congratulations on your persuasiveness! Looks like we'll be at VWL at the same time...can you say mini-meet? I've added your vacation to the list.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Getting snow and ice in Lansdale today.......
Not sure what other local Groupies are getting ? Cheer4bison and eliza may be far enough south to get mostly rain ? I'm about 1 hour north of the Philly airport and they are saying 1-3 inches of snow with ice. And we just got slammed with ice the other day. The burbs usually get hit harder than the city. Allentown area is supposed to get the brunt of this storm. Another similar storm coming Sunday as well............dreaming of Disney World..........

 

[bobbiwoz]

Rain here, and the high temperature is predicted to be in the 40's, so it's been awhile since we've had temperatures this mild. Perhaps this weather will be heading east to you!

Bobbi

 

[horselover]

Hey Horselover
Hope all is well. Wondering if you were hit hard by the ice storm last week
So many people out in western Mass and souther NH are Still without power.
Or maybe I should check Granny's list to see if your in Sunny Florida!

Granny thanks for the update to my vacation and I hope to add Dec.09 to it soon.

No, I'm not in FLA unfortunately, but I will be in 29 days! We didn't get any damage from the ice storm. We only got rain. We're just on the line of being western mass. We're in Middlesex county so we got very lucky. My physical therapist lives a little further north & she lost power from Fri. until Mon. morning. My soon to be nephew in-law works for Verizon & he said they've been working non-stop. He's been working 12 hr. days, 6 days/wk. Just bracing for the big storm today. Oh the joys of living in N.E.! Our town was the only one in our area that hasn't already announced an early school dismissal. I hope the kids make it home ok. I can't go pick them up driving in the snow with one arm. I think that would be a bad idea.

I admit I've been a lurker lately. I've been loving looking at all the pics! It still bothers my shoulder to do too much typing & I've been a little more sore again since starting PT. But I see that goal of being better by 1/17 for the Lodge so I'm doing the best I can. It's been 2 wks. today & it's slowly getting better every day, but still a ways to go.

Anyone have any holiday traditions they'd like to share? I feel like such a slouch this year. I'm usually baking like crazy, but can't do it this year. A lot of our traditions revolve around food so it's making things difficult. One thing we do every year on Christmas Eve is drive around the neighborhood & look at all the holiday decorations, then we come home & open one gift. A few years ago we we're out driving & a big deer ran across the street right in front of our car. We told the boys it was one of Santa's reindeer so he must be close by. It was perfect.

Stay safe all & have a good weekend.