Very Merry D23 Holidaze Dec 2009 TR - 7 magical park days! updt 7/1

[MyMuse]

Nice update! Can't wait to hear all about the weekend!

As I was reading this post Dale walked in and wanted to know whose TR I was reading because he liked the photos. When I told him yours he said to say "hi"

Hi Dale!

I was planning to make updates on the weekend during my weekend, but all kinds of dumb things got in the way.

The processional looks great. I didn't even try to get in while I was there. We just listened as we walked around. I can't wait to hear about the D23 weekend!

This was the first time, I experienced the Candlelight Processional this way. I hope to do it again sometime. It really was a nice way to soak it all in.


Peeps - I have added a video of Yeehaw Bob above. Enjoy!

 

[MyMuse]

December 12, Saturday

Up at 6:30am, out to bus around 7:45-50am-ish. Bus rounded the corner into resort as I was walking up to bus stop. Neat! Jumped aboard, but it made all the stops around resort.

Walked right onto an Epcot bus! Whoo! ...but it's doing all the stops. Guess it's not busy this morning?
8:02 AM Dec 12th

We arrived at Epcot and I head for Guest Relations to check-in for Magic & Merriment (hereafter known as M&M) and rec’d a small packet with letter and park tickets. I was early enough to still be waiting for the park to open and to see rope drop.

picked up my packet for d23 m&m & now waiting for epcot to open. maybe i can catch rope drop ceremony?
8:34 AM Dec 12th

waiting....

Not much to speak of in terms of Rope Drop, but still fun.

Segway!

I started walking to Odyssey as that were M&M will begin, but decided I had enough time to get a Fastpass for Soarin’, so I changed direction and went with the hordes of people into The Land. I grabbed an FP, time for 9:54am and went back to the Odyssey. This turned out to be a dumb move on my part for several reasons. Reason #1 was that the long was uber-long to check-in, but I was able to chat with some other people and all the while I was looking around for the survey marker. I still didn’t find it.

got fp for soarin & now heading to MAGIC & MERRIMENT!
9:11 AM Dec 12th

So, I check-in at Odyssey & receive a larger packet with a neck badge, book (apparently, a left over from a previous D23 event) and opportunity to buy a quarterly case for the D23 magazines. The person I was chatting with and I picked a time to visit together for the Cinderella suite for tomorrow.

nice pic of the quarterly case; I did buy it

After this check-in, I grabbed a coffee & a seat while juggling the big ol’ packet & book they gave us. The presentations were set to begin at 10am. It began with a slide presentation of the holiday decorations, then the chefs from Grand Floridian & Beach/Yacht Club about their gingerbread creations. Let me tell you, they were hysterical! They need to go on the road, they made it fun to listen to, constantly joking and even poking fun at themselves with their German & Austrian accents. one would talk, while the other would work on the gingerbread house.

In between, there was a couple of introductions & speeches and the real surprise was all the pixie dust/Santa presents! All together we got a Santa Hat with ears, huge packet of Fastpasses and of course, the gingerbread cookie. We also got to take our pic with Santa Stitch! I also tried to meet the chefs, but their line was always so long and as a solo, it was difficult to get a pic taken with them.

close as I got to the chefs

Many more pics - this was just a sample! - and vids to come.

Tweets:


we just got santa mickey ears at d23 magic & merriment!!
10:15 AM Dec 12th

we just got a packet of fastpasses for the parks!!
10:39 AM Dec 12th

the chef's are hysterical at d23 m&m presentation!
10:57 AM Dec 12th

stitch is here in his santa outfit! what a morning at d23 m&m event!!
11:11 AM Dec 12th

 

[dawnbu40]

Sounds like m&m was off to a great start!

 

[disneychic]

All I can say is....WOW!!! What an absolutely fantastic Trip Report!!!! I am SOOOOOO enjoying reading it!! I started reading this while at work and just had to catch up with the rest when I got home! I can't wait to read the rest

 

[If U Had Wings]

What a great time at M&M! Looks like you really enjoyed yourself. Can't wait to hear about the suite!

 

[MyMuse]

Sounds like m&m was off to a great start!

Yes! It was awesome!

I dread to think how much it will cost this year. I did talk to quite a few D23 castmembers during the First Anniversary event.

All I can say is....WOW!!! What an absolutely fantastic Trip Report!!!! I am SOOOOOO enjoying reading it!! I started reading this while at work and just had to catch up with the rest when I got home! I can't wait to read the rest

Thank you!

What a great time at M&M! Looks like you really enjoyed yourself. Can't wait to hear about the suite!

The Cinderella Suite tour is the next day. It was FABULOUS. And it is very very tiny. Seriously tiny.

 

[MyMuse]

Here are more pictures & videos of the morning presenations....

Becky Cline giving away Santa ears hat

Presentation on Holiday Decor..

Presentation from chefs on gingerbread baking; some additional pics

Videos of the Presentations!
Becky Cline


The Chefs 1


The Chefs 2

 

[MyMuse]

Inside the Odyessy and the decor

wall mural

Santa Stitch waiting for me

hehe - really wish there was a Photopass CM there!

D23 cast members & attendees

Just D23 cast members

 

[disneychic]

More please!!!!

 

[MyMuse]

More please!!!!

Okay!

 

[MyMuse]

So, the presentations are over, the chefs & Santa Stitch are wrapping up. It was fun and enjoyable.

I also got to speak with a few D23 cast members and found them all to be very nice & helpful. One even fixed my santa hat so my ears showed. LOL!!! She got a CM thank you.

Non-D23 cast membersalso helped me find the survey marker I was looking for! He walked me all the way around and wanted to find it too, in case anyone else asked for it. He got one of my “CM thank yous”. I did go back into the Odyssey to try to see about the chefs line, but they were already gone gone.

I decided to head to The Land to use D23 FP for Soarin'. I did a slight detour on the way to take some pics.

Character Connection peeks & decor

On the way to Land, did you ever check these out?

I didn’t actually use my FP from that morning (dumb Reason #2), since it printed upside down, which I thought was cool. As I gave the CM my Fastpass, she gave me a red card! How cool was that?! I didn't even realize they give out red cards for FP lines. I was able to sit in Row A, which I loved.

I then decided to eat at Sunshine Season & got a caesar salad at 12:25pm for $8.59, no drink necessary since I had a coke from the hospitality suite at the Odyssey. I also got another 20% off coupon.

Decor at Sunshine Seasons

having some lunch at Sunshine Seasons before Living with the Land boat ride. No wait with our cool FPs from D23 M&M event!
12:30 PM Dec 12th

Afterwards, I did Living with the Land without the D23 FP, since there was only a 5 minute wait. I was able to take pics of all the sayings on the wall. This really is a great touch for this ride and probably looked over quite a bit. I like this ride a lot.

Actual Living with the Land next!

 

[KatGarcia]

All caught up. The event looked like a lot of fun! The pic with Stitch and you is really cute!!!!

 

[dawnbu40]

I love the pics of all the quotes from the Land! Nice idea

 

[MyMuse]

All caught up. The event looked like a lot of fun! The pic with Stitch and you is really cute!!!!

Thank you!

I really liked the event and so glad I went. I have a feeling that it will not be the same this year (if I'm able to go).

Stitch was a hoot!

I love the pics of all the quotes from the Land! Nice idea

Thanks! I was wlaking along the queue line and started reading. It was such great quotes! The CM were looking at me funny though, ie: "what is she doing?!"

 

[MyMuse]

Continuing on with Living with the Land...

This is such a nice, cool, relaxing ride after the hectic-ness of Soarin'

you barely notice it, but that Garden Grill above your head!

HM going-to-be

like the christmas decor? lol!

Hmm, I may have gone overboard on picture taking on this ride...

 

[MyMuse]

Yes, more Living with the Land! I really got to get a hold on myself!

Very cool HM!!

For my March 2010 TR, I did find a couple more HMs on this ride!

Forgot to add in some images before I went on the ride; I was a little too eager, I guess. LOL

gingerbread cookie

more christmas decor in Sunshine Seasons, this was tucked in a far corner

After LwtL, some inside shots of The Land Pavilion

some outside shots

ever notice the fab outside wall mural?

forgotten tweet: in response to a friend of mine asking if I got a pic with Santa stitch
i actually did! i asked a cast member to take a pic. quite fwd for me. didn't have enough guts to do same with the chefs.
12:35 PM Dec 12th

So, now I have finished my tour of The Land Pavilion, so I head off to...????

 

[dawnbu40]

Great pics of Living with the Land The HM with the test tubes is really cool! I also like how they decorated part of it

 

[MyMuse]

Great pics of Living with the Land The HM with the test tubes is really cool! I also like how they decorated part of it

Thanks!

It does make it festive when they add a little touch of holiday decor in there.

 

[MyMuse]

The last I left off, was finishing up with The Land pavilion. So, now I was off to...yup, you guessed it! The Seas pavilion. LOL!

I took some outside pics before heading in...

..and hanging out with Crush's pals first...

....ahhh, now it's time for Turtle Talk with Crush!

..waiting...did you ever notice the mic they ahve on screen?

...he's coming...

HERE!

Videos of Turtle Talk with Crush








Still cute, still good. It really depends on the audience and I really like that. For some reason, I didn't hang around The Seas this time aorund.

Afterward leaving The Seas, I stopped for a minute to listen to Joyful Voices, a gospel group set up outside of Club Cool by the fountains.

..and another pic of the monorail; I guess I have another obession forming! taking pics of all the different monorail colors

Off to World Showcase I go!!!

 

[MyMuse]

I'm off to World Showcase, starting with Canada. As you may remember, from the first days of my trip, I was a bit cold & met up with my friend Mary and then sort of abandoned my World Showcase trek....

I wandered around Victoria Gardens, saw all the holiday décor, located a HM, caught Canadian Santa!

I like this one best - it's like a postcard!

holiday decor

Store
how cute are these?

..and in the store..can you see the HM?

Canadian Santa! for some reason, no video

For some reason, I didn't tweet during this time frame (or it didn't go through?). There was also another HM on the tiki pole, but I could not see it at all!