There's a First Time for Everything! A Christmas In November TR

[englishrose47]

Subbing from Dawn's thread will catch up later !!! Had to laugh DGD also took a pix of Pop's Rug !!!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Subbing from Dawn's thread will catch up later !!! Had to laugh DGD also took a pix of Pop's Rug !!!

So glad you decided to join us! I don't know if I will keep you as entertained as Dawn can, but we will have fun nonetheless!

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who takes odd pictures! But you have to admit that the Pop rug is pretty inviting!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Alright, in the last episode of this saga, we were marching towards Norway to complete our next mission. We had high hopes that we would be able to finish this assignment without a narrator. But alas, it was not to be. We were sent into the gift shop as soon as we arrived and lo' and behold, there he was, again, standing there salivating at the thought of telling us what was going to happen before we could discover it for ourselves. What in the world were his parents thinking? And why out of all the families in Epcot had he chosen to share his all powerful Kim Possible knowledge with us? He just did not understand that he was ruining the experience for us even though we asked him several times NOT to tell us anything else.

So with much regret, our battle ended half way through Norway with us waving a large white flag of surrender. The kid had won. We could take no more.

We put our Kimmunicator in the drop-box labeled "Losers and Quitters" and agreed to try again another day when perhaps our enemy's Kung Fu was not so strong.

So you want the low down on the Kim Possible Adventure? Well here's my take. It is a very cute idea and it gives the kids something to do in the countries. I think it has one flaw though. It is WAY too wordy. There is a lot of "verbage" between tasks and we found ourselves wanting it to just hurry up and get to the point. If your kids loose focus easily, or aren't very patient, they may not like KP. And it goes without saying that it is imperative that no one tell you about the missions before you do them or it is absolutely NO FUN AT ALL. Therefore, I won't tell you any KP secrets so that you can enjoy it the way it was intended. Overall, if you have the right circumstances, your kids will probably love it.

All the logistics about KP can be found in the link I posted earlier. The best tip I found was to ask the CM when you check in if you can start in a certain country. That way you don't waste precious time doing a lot of walking. They will let you do that if it isn't too busy.

Now that the war had ended, we could enjoy our trip through Norway. We rode Maelstrom while we were there.

Up next was beautiful China! Somehow, we never explored China or Japan last year, so I was determined to spend quite a bit of time there.

Everyone plays with these, but does anyone ever buy one?

The pond in China is so pretty!

He was posing so pretty for me that I had to get a close-up.

Loved this!

"Strong warrior, why didn't you help us on our KP mission?"

Continued in next post..............

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

It was almost time for the Chinese acrobats to perform so we grabbed a seat on a bench and waited. A group of kids walked out in bright costumes and we all thought they were helpers. I had no idea that these children were the performers. I admit I was kind of disappointed when I figured this out, but boy did they prove me wrong! Those kids were amazing!

These guys were moving so fast that they were just a blur!

What a great show! We were all very impressed, especially my DD.

It was just starting to get dark as we continued our stroll into Germany.

Of all the pavilions, Germany is the most festive at Christmastime. They have everything decorated so beautifully. You really feel like you have stepped into a European Christmas village.

The Christmas shop has lots of blown glass ornaments.

Nutcrackers made from blown glass

I loved the store windows there.

Well, I had a few missions of my own for this World Showcase day. On our trip last year, I had attempted to get a gingerbread man from this same candy store in Germany. I say attempted because the CM at the register informed me that I could not use a snack credit for a gingerbread man. Well I knew he was wrong so I politely questioned him on it. He replied to everything I said in a stern German accent with, "That will not be possible!" After hearing that about three times, I finally gave up and told him to keep his gingerbread.

Funny thing was that there was a young Japanese girl behind me who also wanted a gingerbread man. Well he did the same thing to her. However, she informed him that she used to work in the Japanese pavilion and she knew you could get it with a snack credit because it was less than $4. Well once again he just says, "That will not be possible!", but she was a firecracker and the two of them got into it. I cannot tell you how funny it was to hear them arguing in broken English, with their native accents, all while he held the Gingerbread man up as if it were a hostage!!!! Hilarious! It made for good entertainment, but neither the Japanese girl, nor I left there with that cursed gingerbread!

Well that elusive Gingerbread man had been on my mind for a year now and it was time to see if finally he would be mine. I went to the register and looked at all the CMs carefully to make sure that same guy from last year wasn't there. Thankfully he wasn't, so I said in my very sweetest southern accent "Would it be possible for me to get one of the little brown fellows with chocolate ears?" So was I charming enough this time? Would I finally have the honor bestowed upon me of owning a German gingerbread man after all this time?













































Oh yes!!! What was impossible in 2008, was now made possible in 2009!

DD and I shared him, eating his chocolate ears first of'course!

More German countryside

Browsing in the shops

We really could have used this earlier in the day on the battlefield!

Continued in next post................

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

As we left Germany, we paused a moment and walked over to the water. It was just a beautiful night and we soaked up the atmosphere for a while. DD was in a snuggling, loving mood!

This is was our view.

We had time for one more country before dinner, and what a gorgeous country it is! Welcome to Italy!

It was such a beautiful night, and there were no crowds whatsoever. Honestly, the place was practically empty. DD was enjoying the Italian music and wanted to dance on the "stage". We were in no hurry and didn't have anywhere to get to just yet, so we watched her perform a magnificent ballet. We shouted a few bravos here and there and she was in heaven. Another little girl eventually joined in and they put on quite a show for everyone!

After about 20 minutes, it was time for curtain call! And although Italy was marvelous, dinner awaited us elsewhere in Europe. But no worries, there would be more music, dancing and fun to be had there as well.

Firsts tally: 45 (China Pavilion & Chinese Acrobats)

Up Next: Mama, did she just kill those oysters?

 

[micandminforever]

Wonderful update, I love the countries at Christmas time.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Beautiful pictures! I didn't get into the German pavillion, so it was nice to see what I missed!

What a stinker that boy was, ruining your KP mission! I would have been hard pressed not to drag him off to a CM and say keep him away from us!

I love the Italy pavilion too. So pretty.
Where is dinner tonight??

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

So sorry your friend ruined your KP adventure. I am not a fan of gingerbread but the little gingerbread man with his mouse ears is too cute.

 

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Well, I guess I did jump the gun when I said I was glad you got rid of your unwanted guest! Sorry that your mission got ruined! I will check out the link you provided to see if I think my kids would want to do the KP mission.

We love China! On our first trip we spent A LOT of time there. My oldest daughter went through a phase where she was minorly obsessed with all things Chinese.

I am glad you got your gingerbread man without having to pay ransome. I can't wait to see what country you visit next. My first guess for dinner was Germany-but then your title mentions oysters-and now I am confused.

 

[MaryAz]

Great updates and pics. I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or the little boy. Looks like a fun afternoon and evening. Yay for the cute gingerbread man.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Ugh, to the little guy ruining your KP mission! I agree that there is way too much verbiage to them! I know I was losing focus! Good to know we can request which country to start in if it isn't too busy. We will need to start in Mexico next time since we still need to do that country, China, and one other, I believe that must be over on that side -- Italy or Germany, maybe?

You captured some beautiful shots around World Showcase -- it does look so festive with all of the Christmas decorations! Woo hoo for nabbing a gingerbread man! I think those chocolate mouse ears make it taste a thousand times better! (I had one from Goofy's Candy Co. in 2008.)

 

[ladybugmom]

Oh my word!! I cannot believe you ran into that annoying boy AGAIN!!! The nerve of that kid!! I'm so sorry he ruined your KP Mission--uggh! The Chinese acrobats look incredible! I hope to catch that show in May!! Your story about trying to get the gingerbread man was cracking me up!! So glad you were able to acquire one this year--they are sooo cute!! And I'm loving all of your nighttime pics in the WS--everything is so pretty all lit up!

 

[MeMom]

Thanks for all the World Showcase pictures. As much as I go, I never feel like I get to spend enough time in each country. I'm glad you got to spend time in China. It is very cool, and the acrobats are amazing.

Brooklynn would have been dancing away with your daughter.

 

[DisneyJo]

So pleased you finally got your German gingerbread man and the conversation/argument between the 2 CM's last year sounds hilarious. But really what difference would it have made to the German to try and put it through

Oh no I can't believe the little boy found you again, you must have all looked especially friendly

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I laughed and laughed at your story about the poor little gingerbread man. The CM certainly was stubborn, eh? LOL! Crazy stuff! I can just picture him and the other CM going at it!

I just love your WS pictures. I never have taken the time to really just stroll along and take in the beauty. I'd like to take a day to really appreciate it all, like you did. It's such a beautiful place.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Wonderful update, I love the countries at Christmas time.

They are beautiful aren't they! Stay tuned. More to come.

Beautiful pictures! I didn't get into the German pavillion, so it was nice to see what I missed!

What a stinker that boy was, ruining your KP mission! I would have been hard pressed not to drag him off to a CM and say keep him away from us!

I love the Italy pavilion too. So pretty.
Where is dinner tonight??

Germany is gorgeous at Christmas. They really go all out!

That little boy was something. It was obvious that he was going to follow us as long as we kept playing. I just didn't have the heart to tell him to get lost so we surrendered.

Dinner for tonight will be posted momentarily!

So sorry your friend ruined your KP adventure. I am not a fan of gingerbread but the little gingerbread man with his mouse ears is too cute.

I feel for the kid b/c his parents are obviously nutty, but he was annoying nonetheless.

The Gingerbread man is a cutie for sure.

Well, I guess I did jump the gun when I said I was glad you got rid of your unwanted guest! Sorry that your mission got ruined! I will check out the link you provided to see if I think my kids would want to do the KP mission.

We love China! On our first trip we spent A LOT of time there. My oldest daughter went through a phase where she was minorly obsessed with all things Chinese.

I am glad you got your gingerbread man without having to pay ransome. I can't wait to see what country you visit next. My first guess for dinner was Germany-but then your title mentions oysters-and now I am confused.

Yeah the only way we could get rid of him was to give up the game!

China is gorgeous. I could have stayed there even longer. I want that pond in my backyard!

Very good guess! Our dinner mystery will be revealed in just a moment! But, I never said we were going to EAT the oysters.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Great updates and pics. I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or the little boy. Looks like a fun afternoon and evening. Yay for the cute gingerbread man.

I felt bad for him too b/c he had no business being out by himself like that. However, he did drive us crazy.

Very glad we finally got that gingerbread man!

Ugh, to the little guy ruining your KP mission! I agree that there is way too much verbiage to them! I know I was losing focus! Good to know we can request which country to start in if it isn't too busy. We will need to start in Mexico next time since we still need to do that country, China, and one other, I believe that must be over on that side -- Italy or Germany, maybe?

You captured some beautiful shots around World Showcase -- it does look so festive with all of the Christmas decorations! Woo hoo for nabbing a gingerbread man! I think those chocolate mouse ears make it taste a thousand times better! (I had one from Goofy's Candy Co. in 2008.)

Yes, it is hard to stay focused on it with all that chatter. And that little boy was just about to put my brain into overload!

I agree. I woldn't have even wanted the gingerbread man without the ears! WS is gorgeous at Christmas. I was so looking forward to seeing it again. Now I'm ready to be back there again. It never ends!

Oh my word!! I cannot believe you ran into that annoying boy AGAIN!!! The nerve of that kid!! I'm so sorry he ruined your KP Mission--uggh! The Chinese acrobats look incredible! I hope to catch that show in May!! Your story about trying to get the gingerbread man was cracking me up!! So glad you were able to acquire one this year--they are sooo cute!! And I'm loving all of your nighttime pics in the WS--everything is so pretty all lit up!

He was following us for sure. No way did we just keep running into him. I just couldn't take it anymore though. We had to bail out.

You really must see the acrobats. They were amazing. I never thought kids could be so talented.

That gingerbread man was quite a story. I can't believe it took me year to finally get one!

Nighttime in WS is the best. It is beautiful and it's not hot. I love to go at night.

Thanks for all the World Showcase pictures. As much as I go, I never feel like I get to spend enough time in each country. I'm glad you got to spend time in China. It is very cool, and the acrobats are amazing.

Brooklynn would have been dancing away with your daughter.

Same here. I always want to spend more time there than what I get. It's hard with kids though because they want to ride stuff.

Yes, they would have had a good time on the stage wouldn't they! That was a nice, "sit back and enjoy the moment" time. I was determined to have more of that this year and I did.

So pleased you finally got your German gingerbread man and the conversation/argument between the 2 CM's last year sounds hilarious. But really what difference would it have made to the German to try and put it through

Oh no I can't believe the little boy found you again, you must have all looked especially friendly

Yes, that elusive gingerbread man! I have no idea why that guy was so uptight. He needed to chill out!

Yes, that boy followed our every move. We had to give up b/c I didn't have the heart to tell him to beat it!

I laughed and laughed at your story about the poor little gingerbread man. The CM certainly was stubborn, eh? LOL! Crazy stuff! I can just picture him and the other CM going at it!

I just love your WS pictures. I never have taken the time to really just stroll along and take in the beauty. I'd like to take a day to really appreciate it all, like you did. It's such a beautiful place.

Yes, that CM last year needed to chill out. He was way too uptight! But the little Japanese girl held her own. I think she could have taken him if she had too!

I never get to spend enough time in WS either. It was much better this time but still hard with kids. I could spend a few days back there really.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Let's wrap this fantastic World Showcase night up, shall we! If you recall, it was a beautiful evening in Europe. The weather was perfect and the streets were almost empty. We had just finished watching a ballet starring two lovely princesses in Italy. As much as we wanted to stay, our hunger was telling us it was time to go. It had been about seven hours since our delicious lunch prepared at Remy's place and we were looking forward to another new adventure in dining! I always try to plan special things in our trip for everyone and this dinner had been reserved for my DH. We would be enjoying a meal and lively entertainment at Biergarten in Germany, which I was certain he would love!

The inside of the restaurant is very pretty. It looks just like you are eating outdoors in a German village at night. So neat!

We only waited a moment before being called back. We were seated with a family of five from Minnesota. I knew we would be sitting with strangers, but apparently the older lady in the other family did not. They were seated first and when the waiter tried to seat us at the end of their table, she was not happy. She said, "No, Sir it is just us together. They are not with us." He explained to her that this was an authentic Oktoberfest meal and therefore we would be sharing in celebration with new friends. Well, you could have knocked her over with a feather. She had no idea what to say. She sat down and grumbled a little, but we refused to let her be a grump. DH and I both started chatting with her and before too long she was going with the flow. By the end of the meal, we were like old friends!

So having made acquaintances with our tablemates, we headed for the buffet. Let me tell you, if you like potatoes, this is the place for you! Those Germans can fix potatoes a thousand different ways and they are all good! We loved the food here. DH and I sampled a lot of different things and 95% of it was delicious. This really was one of the best meals of our trip.

Around dessert time, the entertainment came out. These guys were so good and just put the icing on the cake for this wonderful dinner.

I was enjoying something chocolaty and coffeeish, so DH took DD out on the dance floor for a spin. They were seriously cutting some rug!! I couldn't even get a clear picture because they were all over the place. As you can see, they were just a blur!

The band took a break, so they headed back to the table and had a few deserts as well. DD thought she should check out the map so she could tell us where we needed to go next. She likes to be the little navigator.

So we left Germany full, happy and very entertained. Our time in Europe had been marvelous but we had to go back home. No, not Pop Century, America!

Across the water

Continued in next post.........................

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

DH and I really wanted to see The American Adventure, a 30 minute show, but DD was loosing patience with World Showcase, and I didn't think she would sit still that long. It's not a kid's paradise ya know. So I told him to go ahead and watch the show and I would take DD out for a little mother daughter time. I had a special surprise for her anyway and I couldn't wait any longer! So we left DH and told him we would meet back up at the Christmas tree in America in 30 minutes.

I had this little surprise planned months before our trip and DD didn't know anything about it. Anyone know what it might be? I'll give you a hint............... our surprise was waiting for us in this country.

We arrived in Japan and went straight for the gift shop. DD loved all the Hello Kitty merchandise. But come on, that's not what we're here for!

(I am so annoyed with myself because I left the nighttime setting on my camera by mistake when we got into the shop so all my pictures from this are not crisp!!)

Have you figured it out yet?

We were going to do the pick-a-pearl and make matching necklaces! DD was VERY excited!!!

I let DD pick both oysters from the tank. Here's the first one!

Prying the shell open..................... the suspense was killing DD!

Ohhhhh, I see something!

Look, there it is! A 7 1/2 MM pearl! AWESOME!!

Drum roll please! We have a winner!

The CM cleaned them up nicely and placed them inside the necklaces that I bought months ago.

I found cage pendants on eBay in the shape of Cinderella's carriage! I ordered one for both of us. The CM put the pearls inside the cages and we put them on. DD and I both LOVED them. What a WONDERFUL experience this was for us!

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed doing this with my DD. It was so nice to do something really special with just the two of us. We were so proud of our pretty pearls and she loved that we had matching jewelry. The CMs really make a big deal over the pick-a-pearl. They bang the drums and everyone in the store comes over to watch. It was so much fun!!

We had a wonderful time shopping but we had to get back to the tree to meet DH. On the way, I asked DD if she enjoyed doing the pick-a-pearl and she said , "Yes, but did that lady just kill those oysters?" I was on cloud nine after a very fun mother daughter moment at Disney and she was only thinking about being an animal rights activist for the oysters! Silly girl!

Cont. in next post......................

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We made it back to America and DH was just coming out of the show. He really enjoyed it. Maybe I will get to see it next time. We told him all about our fun and he ooohed and aaahed over our creations.

It was about 8:55 by that point so we were just in time for Illuminations. I looked along the fence at the edge of the water and there was no one there. I thought that was very odd at 5 minutes until showtime so I went and asked a CM at the drink stand in America if Illuminations was showing tonight. I thought maybe it had been cancelled because of cutbacks or something. She assured me that it was scheduled to go on, but I was still quite perplexed. Surely Epcot was not that empty. I mean, there wasn't anyone in sight. So I asked her if that was a bad viewing spot and she said we would be able to see fine there. I took her word and we got back to our spot. Seconds later the show began. I could not believe that we were standing there completely alone in Epcot watching those amazing fireworks! It was like we had a private showing! So awesome!

It was fantastic as always! The globe came out RIGHT in front of us!

We leisurely walked out of the park. World Showcase was completely empty. As we got up towards the front of the park, there were more people, but it was still amazing to see so few people in the park.

A few shots on the way out.

Another perfect day had ended. Two days in a row of pure bliss with no crowds at Disney. How in the world would I ever go back home and return to reality after this?

Firsts tally: 49 (Biergarten, American Adventure, Japanese Pavilion, Pick-A-Pearl)

Up Next: It's a small world after all!