TotallyAngelic
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2005
- Messages
- 6,687
Disney Christmas 2005 Day Two
The plan was to be up and at it bright and early DH set the alarm on his watch the night before so that we could get up in time to get to the Park at 8am and take advantage of our AP early entry! Big mistake was not taking DHs watch and putting it on my side of the bed, as when and if it went off, he didnt hear it and so nobody woke up! At about 8am I finally woke up, realised the time and went into major panic mode before realising that we would have already missed an early entry even if we turned into Buzz Lightyear and flew to the Park by lightspeed! So we decided to chill, take it easy and get up earlier tomorrow (and yes I would keep the watch!). As we hadnt prebooked breakfast we decided to eat in the Park, so we got showered and dressed ..and then we headed out to catch the shuttle bus, heavily disguised as Michelin men. At the hotel the kids had been saying that no way would they need fleeces AND coats, but it only took 5 minutes from getting off the bus for them to mention how cold it was ..its amazing how mothers can be right sometimes (especially when it comes to sub zero temperatures!!!)
We wandered slowly up Main Street, taking in all the Christmas decorations as we went. It looked really pretty and festive, and all the shop windows were really beautiful. Our first stop was the Cable Car Bake Shop, where we had 2 café au laits, two fizzy oranges for the kids (who wont have the orange juice as it has pulp / bits in it!), 2 pain au chocolat (me and DS), 1 christmas tree shaped apple Danish (DH) and one chocolate chip cookie (DD). I havent eaten in here before and it was really rather nice. Adequately refreshed we headed over to our first ride, which was to be BTMR. We noticed a crowd had gathered around the entrance where a CM was explaining that it was having techno problems. I asked when it was likely to be running, and the CM said, maybe 2 minutes, maybe 2 hours, maybe 2 days, maybe 2 months .aaaahh bless, he was trying to be funny in the face of adversity, so I smiled sweetly. No worries then, well get a fastpass and 4 fastpasses were duly acquired! The obvious next ride choice was Phantom Manor, and we headed up the spooky frosty stone steps to the front door, which opened promptly and allowed us into the warmth. I had told the kids to look up when the lightning flashes in the stretch room to see if anything was up there, and this they did! I wont spoil the surprise if there are people reading this who have never looked up at this point ..next time make sure you do!
The ride was as good as ever, and seemed to be darker. We only got interrupted once by the playful spooks and we noticed that as we left the graveyard scene at the end the phantom figure was missing his hat. The other thing we noticed for the first time were the spooks on the chandelier in the ballroom .funny how you always notice something for the first time on both this ride and Pirates!
Speaking of Pirates, this is where we headed next. Hardly any wait and we were boarding our boat. The first change since October was that the swinging pirate in the first scene had lost his swing! Other changes I noticed were the two sword fighting figures were back, and also the rum swilling skeleton pirate in the last scene was back. These three were all missing when we were there in October and it was good to see them back! After the ride we popped into the Blue Lagoon to make our reservations for the following evening!
We now had about a half hour wait before our fastpasses for BTMR were activated, so it seemed an ideal time to thaw out with four hot chocolates from the Fuente del Oro restaurant. There were only about 2 people ahead of us but the server was so unbelievably slow our fastpasses were activated before we got served, so we gave the hot chocs a miss and headed off for the more headier thrills of BTMR. The icy cold wind in your face on this ride nearly took my breath away, in fact it was easier not to try and breathe. The ride was as good as ever, but so much more pleasurable with the sun on your back and a warm breeze in your hair!
It was now time to wander over to Discoveryland, passing through Fantasyland which was by now heaving. On the way we bunped into an old friend!
The wait times for everything seemed to be over an hour so it was fastpass or nothing. We dont really wait in line for any Fantasyland ride any more, so instead we grabbed four fastpasses for Space Mountain, and went to get lunch in Videopolis. The lines for food were enormous, and we must have lined up for about 40 minutes, but a French show of Lion King was about to start so it was bad timing on our part. We ended up sitting right at the back on the top tier, in the gods so to speak, but as we had seen The Lion King in all its English glory from the front seats back in October we werent too put out by missing it this time. Food was ok, 2 grilled chicken sandwiches without mayonnaise (me and DS), one large burger (DH) and a portion of chicken nuggets (DD). We ended up with those set menus where you get a fromage frais which normally no-one ever eats but this time I did and it was ok. On the set menus it always works out that I have to ask for a number 2, which is quite embarrassing, but fortunately the significance of asking for this is lost on the French server. DH always manages a giggle, and gets the necessary elbow in the ribs as a result!
Now back to Space Mountain it has been a long Disney tradition within our family that DD and DS always say they will definitely go on a looping coaster NEXT TIME! So back in October, they had said that they would go on Space Mountain NEXT TIME, and all the time we were at home, they were definitely going on Space Mountain NEXT TIME! So now it was time for them to put their money where their mouths were so to speak, and we were waiting for the usual NEXT TIME routine. I had talked them through the ride so many times, where the loop was etc and how it was important to relax and breathe and everything, but I still expected them to bottle out. But they made it into the fastpass line, into the Space Mountain building, even past the on screen woman who tries to scare you witless with talk of 360 degree loops and fast drops etc. They were still with us. So we went down the final steps, and I was ready for them to ask for the chicken door, but no, they got into the car and pulled down the restraint, and suddenly it was too late for bottling out and we were off! DH and I were in the front 2 seats and I managed to talk them through it between the gap, and they seemed to be still breathing, which was a relief (I still have a very vivid memory of DD hyperventilating after the drop in Jurassic park River Adventure .one of those guilty mother theme park moments, when you realise that telling her that the drop was just like the one in pirates may not have been the best idea).
I so love the weightless bit with the stars, so I shouted through the gap for them to open their eyes for this bit, and they were still ok, so far so good. The ride ended too soon as always, but this time I wanted to check everyone was ok, and to my amazement they had enjoyed it (although not the corkscrew bit DD), and even went on it again during our trip! After all these years and all these missed opportunities, hey finally did a looping coaster and enjoyed it. It was a proud mother moment for sure!!!! DS admitted later that he had only done it because a girl in his class (who he has taken quite a shine to) had ridden it, and he didnt want to appear a wuss!
Here is a photo of DD and DS chuffed to bits after tackling Space Mountain!
I must mention here that I find the European approach to the fastpass system a bit bizarre .you arrive in the fastpass line at the designated time, only to find that the majority of those ahead of you in the line dont have active fastpasses, and some have half an hour to wait! These people then block the fastpass line for those who have active passes and cant get to the front to use them. HELLO! Fastpass is designed to eliminate waiting..will someone please point this out to them!
After this momentous achievement, we headed towards the hub to watch the Christmas Parade, but when we got there the crowds were about 10 deep, and it was too late to try and get anywhere better to watch it from, so we just watched the top of it and listened to the Christmas music! Once the Parade had passed we headed quickly for Noel de Mickey, which was an indoor show with Mickey, Minnie and friends and some dancers and some bears which seem to crop up in DLP shows but nowhere else, and I have no idea who they are (answers on a postcard please!), set in a living room on the night before Christmas. The show was quite sweet and quaint and very Christmassy.
From here we headed over to Frontierland as we were in time for the last showing of Mickeys Wonderland an ice skating show. Now this was really good and very festive, with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Chip and Dale and those 3 bears again plus 2 human performers and they were all skating on the ice, singing a selection of festive favourites .Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland etc. Really impressive!
After the ice show we were absolutely freezing, and I was very grateful for the thermal socks I had put on (and made everyone else put on) that morning. We headed into the Fuente del Oro for hot chocolate to thaw us out, and this time we got served!
Temporarily thawed we headed to the top end of Main Street to await Fantillusion. I have to mention how stunning the Castle looked all glittery and sparkly. The Parade was quite impressive with all the lights and floats but I think a lot of it was the same as the Halloween Night Parade only this time it was a lot longer.
Once the Parade had passed us we whizzed out of the Park, anticipating a long waiting time for Annettes Diner after the Parade.
As anticipated there was a very very long wait. The kids amused themselves watching the ice carver and the entertainment in the Village which consisted of people dressed as snowmen singing alongside a snow / foam machine. DH and I treated ourselves to a glass of hot red wine from one of the Bavarian style stalls as we waited, it tasted absolutely horrible and very medicinal and took your breath away but we were that cold we drank it anyway! Finally we made it into Annettes, for a very welcome meal, which was delicious as per usual. DH and I had the Chilli, and the kids had cheeseburgers. We were all too full for dessert!
After the meal we wandered about the Village shops for a while, bought a few pins etc, before heading back to the Holiday Inn for a well earned sleep.
The plan was to be up and at it bright and early DH set the alarm on his watch the night before so that we could get up in time to get to the Park at 8am and take advantage of our AP early entry! Big mistake was not taking DHs watch and putting it on my side of the bed, as when and if it went off, he didnt hear it and so nobody woke up! At about 8am I finally woke up, realised the time and went into major panic mode before realising that we would have already missed an early entry even if we turned into Buzz Lightyear and flew to the Park by lightspeed! So we decided to chill, take it easy and get up earlier tomorrow (and yes I would keep the watch!). As we hadnt prebooked breakfast we decided to eat in the Park, so we got showered and dressed ..and then we headed out to catch the shuttle bus, heavily disguised as Michelin men. At the hotel the kids had been saying that no way would they need fleeces AND coats, but it only took 5 minutes from getting off the bus for them to mention how cold it was ..its amazing how mothers can be right sometimes (especially when it comes to sub zero temperatures!!!)
We wandered slowly up Main Street, taking in all the Christmas decorations as we went. It looked really pretty and festive, and all the shop windows were really beautiful. Our first stop was the Cable Car Bake Shop, where we had 2 café au laits, two fizzy oranges for the kids (who wont have the orange juice as it has pulp / bits in it!), 2 pain au chocolat (me and DS), 1 christmas tree shaped apple Danish (DH) and one chocolate chip cookie (DD). I havent eaten in here before and it was really rather nice. Adequately refreshed we headed over to our first ride, which was to be BTMR. We noticed a crowd had gathered around the entrance where a CM was explaining that it was having techno problems. I asked when it was likely to be running, and the CM said, maybe 2 minutes, maybe 2 hours, maybe 2 days, maybe 2 months .aaaahh bless, he was trying to be funny in the face of adversity, so I smiled sweetly. No worries then, well get a fastpass and 4 fastpasses were duly acquired! The obvious next ride choice was Phantom Manor, and we headed up the spooky frosty stone steps to the front door, which opened promptly and allowed us into the warmth. I had told the kids to look up when the lightning flashes in the stretch room to see if anything was up there, and this they did! I wont spoil the surprise if there are people reading this who have never looked up at this point ..next time make sure you do!
The ride was as good as ever, and seemed to be darker. We only got interrupted once by the playful spooks and we noticed that as we left the graveyard scene at the end the phantom figure was missing his hat. The other thing we noticed for the first time were the spooks on the chandelier in the ballroom .funny how you always notice something for the first time on both this ride and Pirates!
Speaking of Pirates, this is where we headed next. Hardly any wait and we were boarding our boat. The first change since October was that the swinging pirate in the first scene had lost his swing! Other changes I noticed were the two sword fighting figures were back, and also the rum swilling skeleton pirate in the last scene was back. These three were all missing when we were there in October and it was good to see them back! After the ride we popped into the Blue Lagoon to make our reservations for the following evening!
We now had about a half hour wait before our fastpasses for BTMR were activated, so it seemed an ideal time to thaw out with four hot chocolates from the Fuente del Oro restaurant. There were only about 2 people ahead of us but the server was so unbelievably slow our fastpasses were activated before we got served, so we gave the hot chocs a miss and headed off for the more headier thrills of BTMR. The icy cold wind in your face on this ride nearly took my breath away, in fact it was easier not to try and breathe. The ride was as good as ever, but so much more pleasurable with the sun on your back and a warm breeze in your hair!
It was now time to wander over to Discoveryland, passing through Fantasyland which was by now heaving. On the way we bunped into an old friend!
The wait times for everything seemed to be over an hour so it was fastpass or nothing. We dont really wait in line for any Fantasyland ride any more, so instead we grabbed four fastpasses for Space Mountain, and went to get lunch in Videopolis. The lines for food were enormous, and we must have lined up for about 40 minutes, but a French show of Lion King was about to start so it was bad timing on our part. We ended up sitting right at the back on the top tier, in the gods so to speak, but as we had seen The Lion King in all its English glory from the front seats back in October we werent too put out by missing it this time. Food was ok, 2 grilled chicken sandwiches without mayonnaise (me and DS), one large burger (DH) and a portion of chicken nuggets (DD). We ended up with those set menus where you get a fromage frais which normally no-one ever eats but this time I did and it was ok. On the set menus it always works out that I have to ask for a number 2, which is quite embarrassing, but fortunately the significance of asking for this is lost on the French server. DH always manages a giggle, and gets the necessary elbow in the ribs as a result!
Now back to Space Mountain it has been a long Disney tradition within our family that DD and DS always say they will definitely go on a looping coaster NEXT TIME! So back in October, they had said that they would go on Space Mountain NEXT TIME, and all the time we were at home, they were definitely going on Space Mountain NEXT TIME! So now it was time for them to put their money where their mouths were so to speak, and we were waiting for the usual NEXT TIME routine. I had talked them through the ride so many times, where the loop was etc and how it was important to relax and breathe and everything, but I still expected them to bottle out. But they made it into the fastpass line, into the Space Mountain building, even past the on screen woman who tries to scare you witless with talk of 360 degree loops and fast drops etc. They were still with us. So we went down the final steps, and I was ready for them to ask for the chicken door, but no, they got into the car and pulled down the restraint, and suddenly it was too late for bottling out and we were off! DH and I were in the front 2 seats and I managed to talk them through it between the gap, and they seemed to be still breathing, which was a relief (I still have a very vivid memory of DD hyperventilating after the drop in Jurassic park River Adventure .one of those guilty mother theme park moments, when you realise that telling her that the drop was just like the one in pirates may not have been the best idea).
I so love the weightless bit with the stars, so I shouted through the gap for them to open their eyes for this bit, and they were still ok, so far so good. The ride ended too soon as always, but this time I wanted to check everyone was ok, and to my amazement they had enjoyed it (although not the corkscrew bit DD), and even went on it again during our trip! After all these years and all these missed opportunities, hey finally did a looping coaster and enjoyed it. It was a proud mother moment for sure!!!! DS admitted later that he had only done it because a girl in his class (who he has taken quite a shine to) had ridden it, and he didnt want to appear a wuss!
Here is a photo of DD and DS chuffed to bits after tackling Space Mountain!
I must mention here that I find the European approach to the fastpass system a bit bizarre .you arrive in the fastpass line at the designated time, only to find that the majority of those ahead of you in the line dont have active fastpasses, and some have half an hour to wait! These people then block the fastpass line for those who have active passes and cant get to the front to use them. HELLO! Fastpass is designed to eliminate waiting..will someone please point this out to them!
After this momentous achievement, we headed towards the hub to watch the Christmas Parade, but when we got there the crowds were about 10 deep, and it was too late to try and get anywhere better to watch it from, so we just watched the top of it and listened to the Christmas music! Once the Parade had passed we headed quickly for Noel de Mickey, which was an indoor show with Mickey, Minnie and friends and some dancers and some bears which seem to crop up in DLP shows but nowhere else, and I have no idea who they are (answers on a postcard please!), set in a living room on the night before Christmas. The show was quite sweet and quaint and very Christmassy.
From here we headed over to Frontierland as we were in time for the last showing of Mickeys Wonderland an ice skating show. Now this was really good and very festive, with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Chip and Dale and those 3 bears again plus 2 human performers and they were all skating on the ice, singing a selection of festive favourites .Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland etc. Really impressive!
After the ice show we were absolutely freezing, and I was very grateful for the thermal socks I had put on (and made everyone else put on) that morning. We headed into the Fuente del Oro for hot chocolate to thaw us out, and this time we got served!
Temporarily thawed we headed to the top end of Main Street to await Fantillusion. I have to mention how stunning the Castle looked all glittery and sparkly. The Parade was quite impressive with all the lights and floats but I think a lot of it was the same as the Halloween Night Parade only this time it was a lot longer.
Once the Parade had passed us we whizzed out of the Park, anticipating a long waiting time for Annettes Diner after the Parade.
As anticipated there was a very very long wait. The kids amused themselves watching the ice carver and the entertainment in the Village which consisted of people dressed as snowmen singing alongside a snow / foam machine. DH and I treated ourselves to a glass of hot red wine from one of the Bavarian style stalls as we waited, it tasted absolutely horrible and very medicinal and took your breath away but we were that cold we drank it anyway! Finally we made it into Annettes, for a very welcome meal, which was delicious as per usual. DH and I had the Chilli, and the kids had cheeseburgers. We were all too full for dessert!
After the meal we wandered about the Village shops for a while, bought a few pins etc, before heading back to the Holiday Inn for a well earned sleep.
Well done your DD and DS for finally doing Space Mountain. 
BTW would you say it's better to relax in your seat or brace yourself as you go round?!!!
day)! Would love to see pictures!
Well, that's it - I vote for you to accompany me on my first visit to DLRP this year just so that you can coax me onto Space Mountain!
one of my school chums is considered one of the most powerful businesswomen in Germany. She runs her family's Gluhwein company, which is one of the oldest in existence. I got the full tour years ago (and did come out smelling a little spicy...)
