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

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I thought that was yours!! I still can't remember if I saw it during the day. I must have because wasn't it near the LMA show? You'd know - you're my DHS expert!

Yep, it was clear at that end of the park. We were only at that end during the day. We didn't make it back up there at night.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I think we were close to you during the parade. If American Idol is to the left of the hat when looking at the hat, we were to the right of the hat. When you post your parade pictures, I will post mine to see if I can see your DD in the streets dancing. Everything up to there, we were complete opposite staying more on the Playhouse Disney/Beauty and the Beast/TOT side of the park. I missed key things this day that I had planned on like a good disser. I forgot to get Toy Story fastpasses when we first got there. The plan was to go back that night (we take afternoon breaks since our kids our small), but this was the night we did our Christmas party re-do so missed Osborne Lights. It was a fun day, but nothing like I had envisioned for us.

I'll be posting the parade pics soon. You might be in some of them because some were taken towards the direction you were standing. Should be interesting! Feel free to post yours too. I'd love to see them!

Don't feel bad about your plans not working out. That happens to all of us no matter how organized you are. Disney can be overwhelming to the mind! Our HS day didn't turn out as planned either.

You had a good morning at DHS. How funny why baby Jesus wasn't there! I would have never thought of that. What a small world for sure, seeing friends from home. Thankfully PP wasn't closed for you like it was before and then was for us this time!

I can't believe we saw someone we knew. Really, what are the chances of that?

Pizza Planet is a mystery. I have no idea why they close the food places down before the park. Very odd. Maybe they are trying to force people into the sit down restaurants.

I was all set to write this lovely response about how wonderful it would be for you to finally see the lights, but as I neared the end of your update, your next title scares me!!!

Looks like you had a great morning exploring and playing at DHS! Love the pics of DD and DH building a snowman, and all the pictures from the Toy Story meet and greet. Such fun!

Yes, scary indeed. That little mystery will be revealed shortly.

It was a great day. We love the Toy Story meet and greet line. Disney is so good about having some sort of entertainment while you wait.

It was DH's idea to build the snowman. He even pulled the hood over his head to give the feeling of it being cold! I think the shorts kind of ruined that though.

Awesome upate!! How fun to bump into someone from school!
I read in someone elses TR about the baby Jesus thing too. They had a picture of it without him too. But no reason as to why. I don't recall if I saw it in daytime, but I know when I saw it at night he was there!! I'll have to look back and see if I have any pictures of it in the daylight!

Yes the whole baby Jesus thing was very odd. I know I can't be the only person who stopped and wondered that day where he was. I'm just not sure their logic there makes a lot of sense to me.

Wow what a coincidence you saw your friend there. On our 2005 trip we bumped into 2 lots of different friends from the UK and we didn't even know they were going to be there

I love all the photos of your DD, the candle one is great and so are all the Toy Story ones

I hope you got to see the lights!!!

Really??? That is amazing that you would run into someone from England at WDW!!! That is just unreal!

The Toy Story line is a lot of fun! Great photo ops in there.

That was me! Remember we were all trying to figure it out? And now we know the answer!

I'm glad someone else thought it was odd. I wonder how many people have passed by there and wondered what was going on?????

Great installments! I'm glad I had finished my coffee when I got to your dd's comments about the mermaid. I would have spit all over the screen! Hilarious!

Where was the Toy Story meet-n-greet? We've never done that! Those pictures were adorable! Keep it comin'!

My DD is a nut sometimes!

The Toy Story characters are right across from Toy Story Mania. It is just a small door that we went through to get into where they are. You can see them greeting people through a glass wall though. Once you find that, just look for a door nearby to get in. It has lots of cute photo ops in the queue area.

I thought that was yours!! I still can't remember if I saw it during the day. I must have because wasn't it near the LMA show? You'd know - you're my DHS expert!

Yes, that's where it was.

 

[stace208]

Oooo, the Toy Story meet and greet looks like so much fun! I got a chuckle out of your DD's mermaid comment.

Can't wait to find out what your next installment brings...

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oooo, the Toy Story meet and greet looks like so much fun! I got a chuckle out of your DD's mermaid comment.

Can't wait to find out what your next installment brings...

We had quite a chuckle too. I'm always amazed at the things that come out of her mouth!

The Toy Story meet is very neat. Great photo ops in there.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

WARNING!!! I apologize upfront because this update is very long, but once I started the story, I had to finish it.


So we were having a lovely day at Hollywood Studios when we were together in the last episode. It was a perfect day for a parade, so we staked out a spot beside American Idol. We sat for quite a while before any action came our way, but we really wanted to be on the front row, so we waited patiently. They brought out parachutes to keep the kids (and the men) entertained until the caravan came around.

There was a severely mentally handicapped man in the audience wearing a birthday button. One of the CM's pulled him out into the street and we all sang Happy Birthday to him. It was a very sweet moment. You could tell that it meant so much to him to be recognized in front of everyone like that.

We had been sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, so DH and DD trekked across the street to see what was going on. We weren't sure if we had chosen a bad spot or what. Here they are making their way back to our spot with DD shouting, "I saw Jessie, Mama. I saw Jessie and she's heading this way!"

Are you in the mood for a party, because I see one coming?

Be forewarned............. I took a picture of EVERYTHING that passed in front of my lens! I couldn't help it. I got wrapped up in the moment!

DD shakin' her groove thang!

You see that guy wearing denim in the picture above............ well he came in after the parade started and thought he was going to stand IN FRONT OF US! I don't think so! What would possess a grown man to be so rude as to STAND in front of a woman and her child who have been sitting there waiting for the parade for almost an hour! Seriously people, come on! DD kept complaining that she couldn't see around him so I loudly told her to stand in front of "that man" because he was being rather rude. He took the hint and backed off. I noticed him later standing in front of a child in a wheelchair. What a jerk!

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Nothing like cutting some rug with a big, blue bug!

DD wasn't so sure about dancing with a seven foot tall stick insect.

It's Mike Wazowski, with one "I"!

This CM pulled DD up to teach her the Macarena. She was a little bashful at first, but she did it.

They went through it once and then she called all the kids up. So cute!

My hero! My idol! Elastigirl!

My dream guy! Mr. Incredible!

DD nabbed two of the balls at the end of the parade when they shot them out into the crowd. My sweet girl kept the green one and gave the other one to a little girl that didn't grab one in time.

Goodbye Block Party! It was a blast!

Wow! Such a great parade!

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

It was time to experience another new attraction, The Great Movie Ride. Come and go with us on a spectacular journey into the movies where thrills, chills, and romance abound!

This ride is full of surprises!

What a great ride! We loved it.

One of DH's favorite actors

It was mid afternoon, and it would be getting dark soon! You know what that means............ almost time for the Osborne Lights!!!! I was so ready for it to get dark! But we had a few more hours to go, so we took in the Little Mermaid show. The Ariel that we had this time was an amazing singer. She really belted it out!

Inspecting her dingle hopper

The show was great as always but we left there rather wet. I think someone needed to work on the rain effect because it was coming down way too heavy!

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Next stop was the Animation Academy. DD loves to draw so I thought she would love doing this. Sounds like fun, right? I thought so too.

I was really, really hoping that we would draw a simple character so that DD would be able to keep up. We sat down and this is what the instructor chose for our class.

I knew right then, this was not going to turn out like I'd hoped.

About halfway through, DD started to get very frustrated. I tried to help her but Ms. Independent wanted to do it on her own. By the end of the class she had tears streaming down her face. I felt so bad for taking her in there. The instructor was great though. She came over to our table and told DD how pretty her picture was. That made her feel better and she got over it soon enough. I really didn't think she did that bad for a five year old, but she wanted hers to look like the grown ups. Sometimes she can't grasp the concept that her abilities are limited by her age.

Here are our artistic creations. We were going for more of an abstract impression than a realistic one. Sounds like a good excuse anyway.

This is DD's.

And DH's

And mine

Joking aside, it was a very difficult character to draw.

Ok, I've been in the animation building long enough. It's got to be dark by now! We headed out and saw this!!!!!

Yes, the subject of that photograph is darkness! I couldn't have cared less about the Pixar sign. I was photographing the darkness! That meant it was finally time. I nearly mowed DH down with the stroller trying to get down the street. Old people, kids, it didn't matter.......... you had better get out of my way because I had an important event to get to NOW!!!

I floated on air down Mickey Avenue. The anticipation I felt could not have been more intense. Just a few more minutes, just a few more steps and I would FINALLY see the lights, and the snow, and hear the music, and spend a magical evening immersed in Christmassy goodness! Can you tell, I was excited?

We had timed it perfectly. It was almost time for the park to close, so Fantasmic! was about to begin. I was sure that most of the park visitors would be at the show and the Streets of America would be bare. I intended to have a totally uninhibited view and we would romp and play in the snow like little kids!

I rounded the corner and there they were! And was my theory on the crowds right? Yes, oh yes! The street was almost empty. I grabbed my camera and snapped the first shot.

"Peace on Earth" it said. Yes. I was feeling it. There was surely peace on earth tonight, in my world anyway!

Now you saw how many pictures I took during the parade. Any guesses on how carried away I got with these light? 30, 40, 50 pictures, you say. No. Not even close.

The very next shot looked like this.

And that was it. No more lights. No more pictures. No more warm fuzzy feeling. The darkness that had just given me such a thrill five minutes earlier was now making me sick to my stomach. I knew something was up. No way was it a power outage.

I looked to my right and CMs were putting up road blocks. Not a good sign. I held my breath, walked over and asked the CM what was going on. That's when those gut wrenching words came out of his mouth. "We're closing. There's a private event here tonight."

I just stood there like a deer in the headlights. How could this be happening to me? It was like there was an Osborne Lights conspiracy against me. I went into panic mode. I needed to get to my itinerary, but it was in the room. What was I going to do? I had to figure out how to rectify this situation. My mind was reeling.

DH convinced me to calm down and head on to our dinner reservation where we could sit down and try to figure something out. So I gave the dark street one last look and staggered off to dinner in defeat.

We were eating here.

I don’t think I said more than two words at dinner. My holiday spirit had folded underneath me like a cheap lawn chair, and I just couldn’t muster up any conversation.

But, I’m sure you’re interested in knowing more about Mama Melrose, so here’s the deal. It is a pretty restaurant, but we had mixed opinions on the food. DD and I shared the Chicken Pipette. Here's the menu description: "wood-grilled chicken tossed with Pipette pasta with artichokes, peas, roasted red peppers in a basil and four cheese cream sauce $17.99; substitute shrimp for $19.99". It was out of this world good! I think it was the best pasta dish I have ever had. It was so good that I asked the chef for the recipe!

DH on the other hand, ordered the Spaghetti Fra Diavolo and thought it was horrible. I tasted it and had to concur. I could taste nothing but black pepper. It really was awful. Here's the menu description for that: " spaghetti with clams, calamari, mussels and shrimp, tossed in a spicy Marinara sauce $19.99". Substitute the words "spicy Marinara sauce" with "gag me black pepper sauce" and you have an accurate description.

We paid out of pocket for this meal, which was about $40. We would definitely go back, but DH will order something else next time.

At this point, I was on fire to get back to the room. I needed to sit and ponder over my itinerary and figure out how I was going to see those lights. I just could not get back on that plane and head home without seeing them.

We had an empty park on the way out.

So were we able to avert disaster? Would we figure out a way to get back to Hollywood Studios without ruining all our other plans for the week? Decisions, decisions. What would we do?

Firsts tally: 59 (Block Party Bash, Great Movie Ride, Animation Academy, Osborne Lights (sort of), Mama Melrose)

Up Next: We’re off to Neverland!

 

[Tinkermom76]

Oh my God

I REALLY hope you got to see the lights cause I know I would have been really angry if that happened to me

 

[sharonW]

First of all, I LOVE the necklace, its really such a beautiful
setting!
I can feel your disappointment when you discovered no
osborn lights! YIKES....hope you did get to experience it.
Love all your picture!. They are totally gorgeous!!!
Hurry back!!!!

 

[englishrose47]

I would have cried too!!! I am so glad to hear that the CM made an MR person feel the Disney Magic !! I am applying to be a chaperone for the handicapped on vactions like this !! Loving Disney the way I do will I hope add to their trip!!

 

[debdebdebby13]

Awww! That stinks about the lights! I hope you managed to see them later in your trip :-(

 

[DaisyLynn]

I do hope you got to see those lights at some point. I've never seen them, so I need to live vicariously through this TR!

But, I’m sure you’re interested in knowing more about Mama Melrose, so here’s the deal. It is a pretty restaurant, but we had mixed opinions on the food. DD and I shared the Chicken Pipette. Here's the menu description: "wood-grilled chicken tossed with Pipette pasta with artichokes, peas, roasted red peppers in a basil and four cheese cream sauce $17.99; substitute shrimp for $19.99". It was out of this world good! I think it was the best pasta dish I have ever had. It was so good that I asked the chef for the recipe!

Oh. Em. Gee. This dish is FABULOUS! Did you get the recipe? Care to share? I've been craving this something fierce!

 

[lovegrumpy]

Thats awful. hope you got to see them again.

 

[ladybugmom]

Oh my!! I cannot believe they shut down the lights without any warning!! Not cool! And glad to hear you liked Mama Melrose! We're eating there in May!!

 

[stace208]

Goodness, drawing Carl at AA would be frustrating!! My DD loves going there but I'm not sure she'd be thrilled with drawing him!

I share your pain about the Osborne lights. We went in January of 2008 and all the Christmas stuff was still up so I asked if the OL were. The CM told me yes but neglected to tell me that they didn't turn them on anymore.

I hope you can juggle your plans and see the lights!!

 

[MeMom]

Great Block Party Bash pictures!
I know that was a fun time.

Good to hear good things about Mama Melrose. I'll keep in mind what you ordered when we finally get to eat there. We've put it on our list for two trips but then scratched it for other places. We will get there, though.

Your drawings are all awesome!

I hope to see the 30, 40, 50 light pictures coming up for us on another day.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

OMGosh! I am so sad for you. I would have absolutely been in tears if that happened. I sure do hope that you were able to make it back later in the week!

Other than that -- great update! Looks like your DD had such a fun time at the Block Party Bash. Except for the jerk who tried to stand in front of her. Unfortunately we ran into several jerks like that on our trip too. He was probably one of the ones who were reaching over my kids (and other kids) and pushing to get a free bag of cracker jacks at Casey's that Saturday.

We love the Great Movie Ride too!

We have been to Mama Melrose 2 times. The first time we really liked it. The second time was just okay. We'll probably go back sometime.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Great update! So sorry about the lights. I have never been at that time so never seen them lit, but always there during the application so I always catch them in varying levels of being put up. Hope you get there.
Why is it that some grown person always thinks it is OK to stand in front of a child (or short person)-and it is always a tall grown person! I mean, come on. They can easily stand behind and still see just fine. Shame on them!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

I don't know how I have missed your report, but I have found it now and I am loving it! I had to share with my hubby the picture of your poor sweetie after riding Dinosaur. He went on Dinosaur by himself in October and after seeing you daughter I am glad that we made that decision! Her comment about the mermaid made laugh. That sounds like something that would be said at my house! I am crossing my fingers that you made it back to see OL.

Heidi