We're Dreaming of a WL Christmas! DEC 2010 INTERACTIVE PTR NEW: 12/9 BYE-BYE!

[PopArtGal]

Christmas at Disney....enough said hehe

 

[BippityBoo]

Hi Everyone! On to Day 3!!

After a long day in Epcot eating at Le Cellier and seeing the Candlelight Processional, we are going to sleep in! We all plan on meeting in the lobby around 10 for a quick snack. After our bellies are full, we will take the boat to…

THE MAGIC KINGDOM!

OH I am SO excited for this day!

My MIL, SIL, DD (Abby) and I will head right to….


BIPPITY BOPPITY BOUTIQUE!

Abby is beyond excited to do this again. We had booked her for the package where you bring your own dress, but after talking about it, we decided to let her pick the dress there. It makes the experience so fun!

Meanwhile---my FIL, BIL, husband and DS (Aiden) will head to….


THE PIRATES LEAGUE!

He loves everything about pirates, so I know he will enjoy this experience. As I said before, we are going VERY light on the face makeup. He will only be 3, so I don't want it in his eyes. I am sure they will finish before us, so they will take a few spins through Pirates of the Carrabiean ride and visit the fun gift shop!

Soon we will be meeting for lunch. We will most likely pick between these two, depending on what we are in the mood for:

PECOS BILL

-OR-

COLUMBIA HARBOUR HOUSE

YUMMY! Next we will tour the Magic Kingdom in no particular order. I know my in-laws are excited to spend more time in Frontierland/Liberty Square, so we will make sure to see those areas.

Another must do for this relaxing day is shopping on Main Street (especially for fudge---YUMMMM) and for Christmas items in the gift shop.

At this point in the day, we will decide to either go nap at the WL, or stay at the MK for more touring!

Later that night, we have a wonderful ADR at one of our favorites…

OHANA!!

I can smell it now---just wonderful

After our delish meal, we are going to take the monorail to the GF to see the Christmas decorations and the gingerbread house! Can’t wait to take great family pictures here.

We stayed at the GF in 2008 and it is one of my favorites! Can’t wait to see it again!

That night, the MK has EMH! If we are feeling up to it, we will head back to the MK and play until 12:30am! Hopefully, my in-laws will watch the kids so we can make EMH adults only

So, that is Day 3 in a nutshell. I think it sounds so relaxing and FUN! Can’t wait!

We are also talking about adding an extra day to our vacation!!! I will have more details on my next post.

UP NEXT: The day we have been waiting for…MVMCP!!

 

[moparop]

What a great MK day! I am looking forward to do BBB with my daughter when she hits 3. It's so nice to have relaxing plans like that.

 

[MickeyisBeast]

Bippity Boppity Boutique... I wish I was younger and could do that. I totally would, I'd love getting dressed up like a princess
Yay for 'Ohana, I love it there! The meats are just so fabulous
The Grand Floridian at Christmas time, I so want to see it! It's on my "Must Do List"
The next day is MVMCP day?! That's my favorite Disney parade of all time! Snow on Main Street and drinking hot chocolate... couldn't ask for anything better

AND another day adding on to your trip, that's just so exciting!

 

[BippityBoo]

Sounds like such fun plans!
Oh, I want to go back to WDW during Christmas again soooo bad, during Christmas time WDW is just 100 times more magical

OH--I will have to pick your brain for advice!

Glad your planning meeting was a success! I had one for DF's family last year before we went... they looked at me like I was totally nuts when I got out guide books, draft itineraries.. and Disney snacks!
They had been to WDW before but not stayed on property... it was soo hard to explain it to them without giving far too much information .. for example, DF's mother suggested that we go off-site every morning to get breakfast.. like at Denny's or McDonalds .. luckily I managed to convince her there were plenty of places to get breakfast in the parks/resort!


That new restaurant at the Mexico pavillion, La Hacienda, should be opening next week... it is counter service during the days but will be table service after 4pm!

But... I think you will get access to a reserved area to watch Illuminations as part of your CLP package! we did last year... it was near the entrance to world showcase, between the two small shops the CM at Le Cellier will probably explain it to you.

And definitely take the 'long way' out of the park after the fireworks... I loved doing that last year (got the idea from Nikki!), we missed all the crowds and World Showcase was sooo peaceful!

not long til our trips now!

Emma x

I know!! It is so hard to explain to non-WDW people! I was reading more about La Hacienda. So, the CS closes after 4? Bummer!

SO glad the long way out of Epcot worked. I am so excited to try it out!!

Great day 2 plans. Glad you got the CP package for Le Cellier. We had lunch there and it was wonderful. I think deciding on getting the fastpass option instead of the free day is going to work out perfectly for you and your extended family. That way you don't have to rush to get anywhere.

Sounds like your meeting went well. I agree, you can't let your in-laws waste their dining plan meals

PHEW! Glad you enjoyed lunch! I agree, the fasptass can't be beat with so many of us there! We will make sure they wont waste this year! ha.

So glad your meeting went so well! It's soooo much fun to do things like that but can be such a downer if everyone is not interested.





Taking the long way around WS after Illuminations is the BEST!! The park empties out so quickly and once you pass the herds that are going in the opposite direction, all you see are happy CMs cleaning while listening to the "after Illuminations" music. Sometimes we just pick a bench and sit. By the time we leave Epcot, the bus stops are pretty much empty. One time, we even had a CM just ask us where we were going, directed us to the first bus that was waiting and we got a private ride back to our hotel! We stayed close to an hour pas closing that time!

I am so glad I got this idea from you!! Private ride back? I'm in!

Sounds like a great day! Awesome that your GAD fastpasses will help you avoid having to worry about rope drops and getting fastpasses!

I KNOW!! I am sooo excited about that. We will be very rested that way!

I'm so glad to hear that your meeting went well! I'm sure the DDP could be confusing to someone who knows very little about it - if confused me way back when I first started looking into it too! I know planning for such a big group is stressful, but I don't think you have anything to worry about! They are going to have such a wonderful time with the itinerary you're creating! Your Day 2 sounds amazing - what a great way to start off with those GAD vouchers, CP and Illuminations!

And yay for getting the LC ADR! I know you are so excited about it!

We are so excited!! It is very hard to explain to those who do not understad. the GAD vouchers are awesome!!

Sounds like the perfect Epcot day!! I agree, having the break between lunch and the CLP will be nice!
Having a quiet WS will be the best! Great photo opportunities, without a thousand people around!

Thank you! Yup, got to give that big lunch time to digest. ha!

Sounds like a good plan! We were trying to decide between SCC or Whoopi for our CLP. Whoopi won which I'm really shocked about because my parents are always listening to contemporary christian music and enjoy him but I guess they thought Whoopi would be good too so we went with her. We always try and do Epcot for 2 days when we are there in Dec. My dad will usually stand in the back and watch the show again (with a diff narrator) while we shop or check out the pavillions so hopefully we made a good choice!

Last year, we were supposed to be at a show with Vanessa Williams but she canceled and we had Chita Rivera who was BY FAR THE BEST CLP narrator I've ever HEARD!! I saw 3 or 4 when I had lived/worked down there in 2008 and we were so blessed to get her as a replacement last Dec because she was amazing!! She's not on the list for this year but I know they have a ton of TBA's but they are all before we are getting there!

I must say too, I'm super jealous you are all at WL. I've tried for weeks to get in but should have known from last year when I booked it in June and had to make changes in Aug and everything there was already booked that I'd have a problem. We are going to be at AK-Savana with bunk bed but we will be wishing we were at WL!! I'm going to try and start my PTR for Dec as soon as I finish up the Aug TR which should be in a week or so!!

WOW! So glad you had such a nice CP experience! We would love to see Whoopi, but it doesnt work with our schedule. I would LOVE to stay at the AKL! The WL is an amazing resort! Cant wait for my inlaws to see it!

Your Day 2 plans sound great! I'm glad the meeting went well! Congrats on getting Le Cellier for your CLP!

Thanks!!! Really excited about the LC soup!

I'm glad your meeting went well!! My extended family has talked about doing a big trip before, but I know I'd end up planning most of it, and I don't know if I'd be OK with so many different adults trying to change plans. Major props to you for not going crazy!!

I'm glad you got the ADR you wanted, too! I think you'll have a great meal there whether it's lunch or dinner!!

I am not crazy yet! I am sure I will be more so when the date arrives. Good so far, everyone is just going along with the plans. I agree, lunch will be great. And I can walk it off afterwards. HA!

 

[999ghostslover]

What a great day. My 3 year old will be ding Pirate's League too. Can't wait to see how yours does.

 

[BippityBoo]

World Showcase will be such a fun place to explore with all the Christmas decorations and storytellers! Plus, the Candlelight Processional and Illuminations will be a great way to end the day. I believe the new Mexican CS is supposed to open this month, so you could definitely try to nab a spot there to watch the fireworks.

I know!! Getting so excited about it. I hope that the CS at Mexico stays open until night time. There is conflicting information!

Your plans look great!

I booked my friend's trip (they're traveling the same week as us) and I talked them into the dining plan. They're newbies at it. I'm sure I'm going to be a getting a million questions about it while we're down there.

I really want to go to Disney World during the holidays. Epcot always looked so interesting to me cause of the different Santas and how different cultures celebrate the holidays. Looking forward to hearing about it!

It is SO hard to explain to people. That is what I am most looking forward to. I love seeing how the diff. countries celebrate!

Glad your planning meeting went well. Your day 2 plans look wonderful. It makes for a more relaxing trip when you don't have to rush to get on your favorite rides. Touring WS and looking at the decorations sounds perfect about now. Congrats on getting LC for your CP.

Thank you!! VERY excited about the GAD vouchers! AND about LC--WOOHOO!

Yay! You got Le Cellier! I'm so excited for you!

We absolutely loved the CLP and all the Storytellers around World Showcase. I'd say UK, Norway, Italy and Germany were my favorites - make sure you catch those!

YAY! Can't WAIT! THe storytellers are very tip top of my must do list!

Your plans look great; so glad you got Le Cellier! I'm looking forward to hearing about these "changes" you mentioned...

Thank you!!! VEry excited about LC! Just updated about our "changes"/additions

I'm so jealous that you get to see Steven Curtis Chapman at CP. He is so amazing. He and his family are really close with my neighbor's family. He sung at her wedding and his daughter was a bridesmaid and my neighbor was her bridesmaid 2 years ago. They have all been though so much together with the death of his daughter. Sometimes "Cinderella" comes on in the grocery store and you can see all of the grown women just blubbering to that song. It is so pretty.

Cinderella is a sweet, yet SAD song! Can't wait to see him in person!!

That's great that you got Le Cellier for your CP package. We loved having the lunch meal and the first CP show. The sun goes down during the performance, and the candles start glowing brighter and brighter - it's really lovely.

One thing I would note is your timing. I don't know what time your ADR is, but we had a lunch seating at Garden Grill at 2:30 and we were pushing it to get to the CP in time. They start letting you in like 30-45 minutes prior to the show starting and they open it up to non-package people about 15 minutes prior.

Now, there are a few differences between our trip and yours - we were there Thanksgiving weekend so the crowds were heavier, we were a group of 16 - in otherwords...a HERD, and the Garden Grill is a bit further away than Le Cellier.
However, our meal was served family style and was probably a faster meal then Le Cellier. Our other mistake we made was we went the wrong way when we approached the WS figuring it was the same distance since the American pavillion is right in the middle. Well, the line for the package people goes towards Japan, so we were approaching the line from the wrong direction. Ugh - that was a LONG walk! We got to the theater after walking around the WS from the Mexico side, only to have to keep walking all the way to Japan where the line ended. You will be a lot closer coming from Canada, so that's good!!

Anyways, just keep it in mind that you MAY not have as much time in between lunch and lining up for the CP. You will however have your evening which will be SO nice. Plus they have that special Illuminations area for CP package holders.

Sara

Thank you, Sara!! I am not sure which ressie we will use. We actually got a 1:30 and a 3:30 (depending on how many ppl join us). Should be interesting. I am planning on taking the friendship boat across to America. What do you think?

Just got this e-mail update on the new restaurant in Mexico:



So, it looks like the plan changed and the new restaurant will just be TS, open for dinner and the old CS will be reopening for lunch and dinner. Still, it will be open when y'all are there so you should be able to get a seat for Illuminations!

YAY!! I am so excited about the CS staying open! There has been mixed info about that. We would love a little Mexican food, margarita and fireworks!

I am enjoying your PTR. We were at WDW last December and I just loved all of the Christmas decorations. Makes WDW even more magical, if that's possible! We were there last December because my dd10's cheer squad made it to the National Competition at WWoS. We are hoping to make it this year too, so we are already talking about another Christmas at Disney. If the squad makes it, we will be there Dec 5-10, just a little before you. We'll know the day after Thanksgiving whether we're going or not. Makes it crazy to try and get airfare. I wish we were only 9 hrs away like you guys- it is an 18 hour drive for us. Your ADR's look great. Congrats on getting LC. That is one place that I definitely want to try! If I can figure out how to tweet, I'm signing up as one of your followers!

OH I am so excited you loved it! So excited to try LC! Can't wait for my DD to cheer so that we may be able to go to WDW! That would be awesome. Good luck--I hope you make it in! Thanks for following me! I am new to twitter, but getting the hang of it!

A very nice and relaxed Epcot day!

Yay for pick-a-pearl!! The other day Alex's girlfriend came for a visit and I hid the carriages in a "safe place" so she wouldn't inadvertantly see them.... and I forgot where I hid them!! Luckily I found them a few days later -- hate it when I do that!

SO Excited about Pick A Pearl!! I am so glad you found them---I do the SAME thing---especially around Christmas-UGH! haha.

Christmas at Disney....enough said hehe

My thoughts exactly!!

 

[laashley]

Sounds like a great day 3!

Pictures in front of the tree at the GF, if you have time you could make it your family christmas card.

 

[PopArtGal]

By the way, are the tickets on sale for MVMCP?

 

[dismagiclover]

That sounds like a perfect day! Your boys will love the Pirate League (and of course the girls will love BBB). And then dinner at Ohana's. Such a great plan! Can't wait to hear about it! (Though I realize I'll have to wait a while).

 

[DrMomof3]

Your MK day sounds just great!!!
I'm dying to get Jessica "Boutiqued" but we haven't done it yet. I was thinking about doing it during our January trip but my mom got all weird about it so I'll take her another time when my mom isn't with us.

Amanda

 

[klacey1]

The "girl's time" in the morning sounds so fun! Does Abby know which princess dress she wants to pick out?
Oh, I hope your inlaws will watch the kids! MK at night is VERY romantic

 

[Dancegrl624]

What a fun day! I can't wait to surprise Madison with her trip to the BBB...we're going to the DTD location before MNSSHP!!!! My mom is currently finishing up her Jasmine costume...nothing like a costume that NO ONE else will have, right? I love that my mom knows how to sew..it's saving us a bunch of money.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, this does sound like a very fun day! Can't wait to see pictures of your children turned into a princess and a pirate! So cute!

Shopping for Christmas stuff and touring the Grand Floridian will be fun, too!

 

[Tinker_Tam]

What a great day you have planned!! I am loving ready all your plans. I have a few things jotted down to see if I can't add them into out trip...There is never enough time, is there?

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Day 3 sounds absolutely magical! I know Aiden and Abby are going to have so much fun at the PL and BBB. Both of your lunch options sound great! Those are my two favorite MK CS places.

We have the same plans for our meal after O'Hana in November! I definitely want to get over to GF to see the gingerbread house and I thought that would be the perfect time. I'm hoping we can make it over to the WL, too!

Can't wait to hear about this possible extra day!

 

[kaysmommie]

Yay on getting Le Cellier for your CP package! Also your Epcot day sounds great! I'm sure Abby will love the doing the whole experience at BBB. I wish I had down that for Kaylee when she was 7 but she has doe the middle package three different trips. I can't wait to see how Aiden liked the Pirates league. Your trip plans sounds wonderful

 

[exwdwcm]

day 2 and 3 look fantastic! i agree, you will have fun at your Le Cellier lunch- hopefully it won't be as hectic as dinner would have been and not as crowded. and yeah for the magical fast passes!

we love Ohana too- one of our faves- we are all booked there for one night too.

glad the meeting went okay- i hope they get the dining plan thing figured out- don't want to waste any credits, right?

 

[onelilspark]

I'm bumping up your thread since I saw you were going to post an update tonight on Twitter I can't wait to hear news!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

I'm bumping up your thread since I saw you were going to post an update tonight on Twitter I can't wait to hear news!