Candlelight & Cannonballs! (MANY MARDI GRAS MASK PICS!) Dec. 2012- Start Pg.235/#3524

[PHXscuba]

(I screwed up the coding for the quote )

3. I munched on gingerbread cookies from the Market House, a Peppermint Bark Dazzler from Haagen Dazs, peppermint ice cream in a sprinkle-covered cone from Gibson Girl, peppermint bark from Ghirardelli and several sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich. You will hear about and see photos of all of those!;

Yes!! Food first (can you use your pull with the DIS to get us a drooling smiley? I would use it!

5. You will see a few photos from Surf’s Up with Mickey and Friends – it was my first time trying it, and I’m glad I tried it (though I still miss Goofy’s Kitchen). This is where fellow DIS’er Liza/funatdisney joined me and we met up with Laurie/DizNee Luver and her family;

Good! I am considering Surf's Up for DS7's birthday and I'd love to hear your take on it.

Anyone who has stayed at the Paradise Pier probably knows the “short cut” from the PPH to the Grand Californian Hotel. It’s just a quick jaunt across Disneyland drive to the other side of the street…







Thanks for the visual ... I have read descriptions of this but it's nice to see where I will be going from the PPH into the parks.

The GCH’s presents by the tree have remained the same! They are not sit-able presents, like the ones at the PPH! Lol!



Ummmm.... I guess I am in big trouble because I sat on those (picture is even in my PTR recently )

*****

Wow, only your first TR post and I have already learned something ... and I have a lot to look forward to. Don't leave us in suspense until October again!!!

PHXscuba

[mvf-m11c]

A very nice start to your day during your December trip to the DLR.

Nice pictures of the Christmas tree at PPH. Your pictures of the Christmas tree at PPH is getting better and better every year. It is very colorful and had a lot of different decorations. The colors matches the theme of the hotel.

The GCH Christmas tree is great like always every year.

Great update Sherry.

[Sherry E]

I'm going to have four TR installments to post (Parts 2, 3, 4 & 5) - back to back - after I reply to the last few comments here! I just have to open them up and be sure I am posting them in the correct order (in other words, I don't want to accidentally post Part 4 before Part 2 or something.

I told you all that I was going to try to crank several installments out at a time, to try to speed this TR along! With any luck, maybe I can even finish it before the year ends.

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

You're off to a great start! I'll have you know I don't multitask when I'm reading your TR. They are too full of fun

Love the picture of the shortcut across the street through the GCH. Many good memories there.

That PP tree is stunning! You captured it well

Looking forward to more

Thank you, TK!

I was trying to get at least several installments posted before you head to WDW, which is coming right up! So you will get 4 more installments coming up after this post!

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

(I screwed up the coding for the quote )

Yes!! Food first (can you use your pull with the DIS to get us a drooling smiley? I would use it!


Good! I am considering Surf's Up for DS7's birthday and I'd love to hear your take on it.

Thanks for the visual ... I have read descriptions of this but it's nice to see where I will be going from the PPH into the parks.

Ummmm.... I guess I am in big trouble because I sat on those (picture is even in my PTR recently )

Wow, only your first TR post and I have already learned something ... and I have a lot to look forward to. Don't leave us in suspense until October again!!!

PHXscuba

PHX -

I could have sworn I saw a drooling smiley somewhere not long ago. Maybe it wasn't here, but I think that one exists out there in cyberspace.

I'll get more into what I thought of Surf's Up later in the TR, of course (from a newbie-without-a-child's perspective), but I think your DS7 would really enjoy it.

For me, personally, I would still prefer to stick with Goofy's Kitchen. I've just been eating there way, way too long - it is permanently etched into my Disneyland trip repertoire. It's a tradition for me. But I'd also like to try Surf's Up once more down the road.

However, for kids I think Surf's Up seems to be a great choice because the characters are really interactive, fun and playful. The food selection at the buffet is not anywhere near as vast as what Goofy's Kitchen offers, but if having a wide variety of options is not your main priority then I think you should definitely try Surf's Up. It mostly gets rave reviews - I've only seen a few not-so-great reviews. And some folks who used to be Goofy's Kitchen fans have moved Surf's Up to the top of the list, above Goofy's. So it's worth a try for your family, especially since you'll be staying at the hotel!

The short cut is really easy. I don't know that it necessarily cuts the walking time down all that much from what it would be if you followed the signs on the PPH property to get to the parks, but I think it's a better, more direct, less circuitous walk to cross the street and go through the GCH, then head to DCA or to Downtown Disney. Plus, it's just nice to 'have to' walk through the Grand Californian Hotel every day. Even if I am not staying at the GCH, I love walking through the lobby during my stays.

I'm sure a lot of other folks try to sit on the presents by the GCH tree too! Maybe the GCH hasn't had any presents get ruined or damaged or anything, and hasn't need to replace them with sturdier models thus far! The PPH presents used to be made of the same sort of material as the ones under the GCH tree, but they were not really tall enough for sitting, and little kids seemed to want to grab at them. So I guess the PPH decided that the new versions of the presents work better for all concerned. Kids won't try to steal them and they are easy to sit on.

You'll get 4 more TR installments coming up after I post these replies!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

A very nice start to your day during your December trip to the DLR.

Nice pictures of the Christmas tree at PPH. Your pictures of the Christmas tree at PPH is getting better and better every year. It is very colorful and had a lot of different decorations. The colors matches the theme of the hotel.

The GCH Christmas tree is great like always every year.

Great update Sherry.

Thank you, Bret!

And thank you for taking the time to comment/post here. I know you've got two different TR's going on at the same time, from November at DLR and from October at WDW, and it takes a lot of time and effort to put those together. Sometimes there is no time left to do anything else on the DIS, like comment on other people's TR's. So I appreciate it!

You know, it's interesting that you mentioned the PPH tree pictures getting better. I noticed that the tree looked a little better in my pictures this year than in previous years. I'm not sure why, though. I don't think I did anything different. The lighting in the PPH lobby seems to be the same. But the blue lights seem to be standing out more in the pictures this year than they did last year.

Maybe some of the bulbs were replaced and they look more colorful? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was still kind of dark outside and wasn't daylight yet? I don't know. But I don't think it had anything to do with me! The tree looks better in the pictures and it probably has something to do with the actual lights.

[Sherry E]

Here is the first installment for today!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty's Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 2

Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancing merrily
In the new old-fashioned way.






When last I left you in this TR I had arrived safely at the Paradise Pier Hotel before sunrise on Sunday, December 9, 2012 (after a quick ride on the freeway and no sleep the night before), and gone through the pre-check-in process. I stopped to admire the beautiful PPH Christmas tree and then made my way across the street to the Grand Californian Hotel to admire its tree too.



While the Paradise Pier Hotel and the Grand Californian Hotel have two totally different themes and styles, each hotel's towering tree is perfect in its setting and context. The PPH tree may be brighter and more colorful, but the GCH tree is elegant and understated.

I always seem to get at least one of these types of photos every year - a close-up of the lantern ornaments on the GCH tree.

That shot above ^^^ is a bit trickier than it looks to get (anyone who has taken photos of any tree's ornaments knows what I mean, but the GCH tree is a special case). Because the whole area in the GCH lobby is so dimly lit, you don't want to use a flash to wash it out and remove the whole moody vibe of it - but the dimness makes photo-taking a little harder. And because you might have to zoom in on the tree's ornaments to get the details, the potential for a blurry image is much greater. The idea is to try to catch the glow of the little yellow lights without turning them into fuzzy blobs! Lol. You want to capture the essence of the tree, and the kind of subdued beauty of it, as it is - without enhancement.

The above photo was actually my second attempt at it on that morning, because the first image turned out a bit blurry. The second one was an improvement! Generally, if I have taken a picture that came out too blurry, IF I have the time I will stand there (or wherever I am) and keep taking photos until I get one that is not as blurry. I don't always have the time to do that, but usually I will keep trying and trying until I get that one photo right...or at least better!

It's a present-palooza!






Santa's chair (he used to have a different chair at the GCH several years back, as I recall)















I decided to zoom in and try it again!







By the way - for anyone who has a Facebook account, close-up photos of ornaments or vivid holiday patterns make good Timeline cover pictures!

I left the Grand Californian Hotel lobby and headed to Storytellers Café - not to eat, but to specifically inspect this year's freshly made gingerbread house!

And there it was!

The first thing I noticed - or did not notice, as the case may be - was the aroma. In 2011 (on December 4th) the smell of the fresh gingerbread filled the air and wafted all around Storytellers Café's entrance. It must have literally just come out of the pastry chef's kitchen in the immediate days prior.

However, the 2012 version of the gingerbread house (on December 9th) didn't seem to have an aroma at all. It was fun to look at, but I was wondering how long it had been sitting around before it went on display at the restaurant. (For all I know, maybe it had been made 6 months in advance.)

As I was closely examining the craftsmanship of this culinary holiday masterpiece, the hostess saw me and asked if I wanted to get in a picture next to/with the house. I was wearing a big, bulky windbreaker-type jacket and didn't feel photo-ready, but I'm a good sport for pictures so I took her up on her offer.

But I look awkward, like my hands are tied behind my back! Lol!

Interestingly, from afar I think I like the look of the December 2011 gingerbread house better. It looks a bit cleaner and neater.

To refresh your memory, this was the Storytellers gingerbread house from December 2011








However, the 2012 model had so many more adorable mini-figures and little candy touches to it. So I think I like the details of the latest house better than the 2011 house.





I mean, just look at the details and artistry! Amazing!












Look at how cute this little guy is! He was sitting on the snow-covered roof! The 2011 house didn't have all of these cute little figures - not as many, anyway








I love the flowers (red and white) off to the right side

Which house do you all like better - the 2011 version or the 2012 version?






The Storytellers Café hostess tipped me off to the fact that White Water Snacks had its own gingerbread house this year! I wonder if there was one last year or in 2010 and I overlooked it!?!

Needless to say, that was all I needed to hear and I high-tailed it over to WWS!

The WWS tree - I love the ornaments that fit the theme (they didn't appear to have changed much since I took a couple of pictures of this tree back in 2010)









The White Water Snacks gingerbread house was more of a mini-gingerbread neighborhood and not just a house!






Seriously, this was soooooo cute! Look at the little Santa down at the bottom! Look at the Santa on the roof! Look at the little snowman and the gingerbread man!

Up next, in Part 3 of Day 1 - more gingerbread fun at White Water Snacks and other photo-taking excitement!!

[Sherry E]

Here is the second installment for today…

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 3

Frosty the snowman
Is a fairy tale, they say;
He was made of snow,
But the children know
How he came to life one day…






In the previous installment of this TR I attempted to perfect my Grand Californian Hotel Christmas tree close-up ornament photos, and I visited the two gingerbread houses on the GCH property – the larger house at Storytellers Café and the mini-gingerbread neighborhood at White Water Snacks…

Back at White Water Snacks, I continued to admire the gingerbread artistry…look at the adorable little reindeer dudes around the tree!






Here is Santa on the roof of one of the little houses…






And here is Santa on the roof of the other little house…
























Bye bye for this year, White Water Snacks!

I decided to take advantage of my Extra Magic Hour (or Early Entry…or Magic Morning…or whatever it is called now), which was in California Adventure. This was a Sunday, which used to be a Magic Morning day for Disneyland. Gone are the days when the ‘S’ days of the week allow early entry to Disneyland for hotel guests. Now I can’t keep track of which days are assigned to which parks!

I used the special GCH entrance to get to DCA. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea…






By the time you get through the turnstiles you have wasted a good portion of your Extra Magic Hour…







I don’t know why I chose this to be the first in-park photo that I took for this trip, but this sign amuses me for some reason. I don’t know why they don’t change it during the holidays to “Reindeer Crossing”…







I love the oars in the wreath!








And this sign amuses me too…






So does this one…

Now…here is an example of a ‘do-over picture’ to fit in with my ‘do-over trip.’ If you recall, in December 2011 – shortly before encountering Twilight Zone Lady for the second year in a row – I took this photo:

As you can see, I accidentally got my thumb (or finger) in the photo – which usually does not happen to me – and then I took a do-over picture a minute or two later. The trouble was, I deleted what I thought was the picture with the thumb in it from my camera, only to find out later that I actually deleted the do-over photo that I took right after it! Lol.

So this is the 2012 do-over version, sans thumb! I just had to try it again!









And then I also took this one last year…







Here is the 2012 version…

Okay, is it my imagination or is the color of the Eureka building a lot brighter this year than it was in 2011? It has been painted or spruced up!



Anyway, time to move on…

Where would I go next?

Up next, in Part 4 of Day 1… I mosey around Paradise Pier on a crowd-free morning!

[Sherry E]

Here is the third installment for today!!!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 4

Santa’s gone surfing, even on Christmas Day.
(Surfin’ Santa, surfin’ Santa)
He’s cruisin’ with his buddies, got his board in the back of his sleigh.
(Surfin’ Santa, surfin’ Santa)
Surf’s Up Santa! It’s time to hit some radical waves!






In the last segment of this TR I continued to admire the fine craftsmanship of the cute gingerbread house at White Water Snacks, and then I took advantage of what was left of my Extra Magic Hour in California Adventure.

I wandered through the Paradise Pier area of DCA. It was nice to get a closer look at some of the details in the area without swarms of people rushing past me…

A very nice Cast Member who was working the Little Mermaid ride approached me and asked if I wanted my picture taken. Just as in the case of the nice hostess who asked me the same thing in Storytellers Café, I didn’t feel photo-ready (I was too tired and sluggish, I think, and I had that darn bulky windbreaker-ish jacket on). But I agreed because it was nice of her to offer. I guess it’s good to have some sort of proof that I was actually there!

I chatted with that particular Cast Member for a while (mainly about gingerbread houses around DCA, Cars Land and the Candlelight Processional) – no one was really going on the Little Mermaid ride at that point, so she was free - and then continued on my photographic journey.

The former Santa photo spot on Paradise Pier is now just a character photo spot – but none of the characters were there yet…








I love the sea/nautical-themed ornaments in these wreaths and garland…














Oh Christmas tree!

Up next, in Part 5 of Day 1, I continue my photo spree in California Adventure…

[Sherry E]

Here is the FOURTH installment for today!!! Woo hoo!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 5

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way;
Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!






In the last segment of this TR I roamed around Paradise Pier in California Adventure. That’s it. No more, no less! Lol.

And up they go…up, up, up…







And upside down they go!







This was about as close as I got to the Toy Story Midway Mania ride on the entire trip…











Whoosh! Whoosh!







Whoosh again!









Hello, Fun Wheel of Terror!







Whoosh!







Hello, Pacific Wharf!












I had a craving for something, and it was calling my name. Who doesn’t love a free sample of peppermint bark?







Interesting flowers…











Hello, duckies!









Apparently I then walked over to Cars Land, although I really don’t remember doing that! Lol. I already got photos of these things on November 12th. I’m not sure why I took these photos again.








Oh, I see! I went into Cars Land to get the Radiator Winter sign (with the snow) – because it had either not gone up yet when I was there on 11/12/12, or I somehow missed seeing it.









I saw many people walking around both DL and DCA that looked familiar during my trip – like they had been on TV at some point but were not hugely famous. This blonde lady was one of them, though you can’t see her face in this shot. I knew I’d seen her somewhere.







And I strolled around Buena Vista Street a bit.

Up next, in Part 6 of Day 1…I check on the status of my hotel room and spend a bit more time on Buena Vista Street before moving on…

[bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

I didn't know that Sandra & Melissa (Sandra who? Bullock? Bernhard? And Melissa who? Etheridge? Gilbert? D'Arabian?), Heidi Klum and Jessica Alba were in the parks last week! I saw a lot of people that I recognized "from somewhere" - I knew that they were all probably TV actors whose names escaped m

Sorry for the confusion. Wait, other people don't study TMZ like they are being quizzed on it?

Sandra Bullock and her son, and Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids were there, together, last week or the week before. Apparently they are buddies. I'd like to hang out with them...they are probably hilarious together.

Heidi, her kids, and her new boyfriend were there before jetting off to some island, and Jessica A and her kids were pictured there as well, though not *with* Ms Klum as far as I could tell.




And yes, the mind-blowing, eye-boggling YELLORANGE (combo word for a combo color) Grizzly building has definitely been repainted.


I big huge puffy heart LOVE the picture of the PPH tree through the doors! It's sooooooo pretty! Yay!



PHXscuba, the important thing when going from PPH to the Grand is to completely ignore the signage PPH has for getting to the parks. Go out the *front* doors.

[DizNee Luver]

Great start and wonderful pics!! I look at your pictures and go.....why didn't we take close ups on the gingerbread house or get pics of some of the wreaths in DCA. We were hit and miss on decorations there. We hit the biggies (Buena Vista St, Pier tree, BugsLand and CarsLand.....but kinda missed all the other ones. Oh well........I will just have to enjoy yours!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by bumbershoot

Sorry for the confusion. Wait, other people don't study TMZ like they are being quizzed on it?

Sandra Bullock and her son, and Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids were there, together, last week or the week before. Apparently they are buddies. I'd like to hang out with them...they are probably hilarious together.

Heidi, her kids, and her new boyfriend were there before jetting off to some island, and Jessica A and her kids were pictured there as well, though not *with* Ms Klum as far as I could tell.

And yes, the mind-blowing, eye-boggling YELLORANGE (combo word for a combo color) Grizzly building has definitely been repainted.


I big huge puffy heart LOVE the picture of the PPH tree through the doors! It's sooooooo pretty! Yay!



PHXscuba, the important thing when going from PPH to the Grand is to completely ignore the signage PPH has for getting to the parks. Go out the *front* doors.

Molly -

Yes - very true (your advice to PHX). The signage on the PPH property to direct guests to the parks is useless, really. It's too roundabout of a way to go to the parks.

I love seeing the PPH tree through the doors before entering the lobby - that is an effect we don't get at the GCH. You have to actually go into the GCH to see the tree. Same thing with the DLH (even though the DLH's trees are pretty underwhelming, comparatively).

Anyway, in that picture I was somehow trying to capture that exciting feeling of getting the first glimpse of the tree from the loading area in front of the PPH. That's how I really first personally 'noticed' how pretty the tree was - when my friend Shawn and I pulled up in front of the PPH two years ago and caught sight of the tree from the car. I didn't stay at the PPH in 2009, and IF I recall correctly I think the PPH tree was not quite AS pretty in 2008 as it became in later years, though I could be mistaken. So the 2010 sighting was really what stuck out in my mind.

However, I do remember that you took some photos of the PPH tree maybe back in 2008 or so (maybe before then) and commented in your TR on how nice it was. So maybe it WAS this gorgeous all along?!

"YELLORANGE" is the perfect word for it! At least I know I'm not losing my marbles in thinking that the color looks totally different from what it was just a year ago! I suppose it was repainted and spruced up with the completion of the "re-imagining" (a.k.a. billion dollar makeover) of DCA this year?

I had no clue that Sandra and Melissa were friends. (Did you know that Melissa is the cousin of Jenny McCarthy?) The funny thing is that I DO watch TMZ Live - the 1-hour show that basically reports on all the breaking entertainment news (Lindsay Lohan's latest legal woes, etc.) - but I never go on the TMZ site, and I don't even really watch the 30-minute TMZ show that focuses on celebrity sightings around town...which is probably where I could have learned about Sandra and Melissa, Heidi and Jessica being at Disneyland!

I only wish that Bradley Cooper would decide to visit Disneyland on one of these days when I'm there! He doesn't have kids, though, so he'd probably be on a date if he were there.

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

Great start and wonderful pics!! I look at your pictures and go.....why didn't we take close ups on the gingerbread house or get pics of some of the wreaths in DCA. We were hit and miss on decorations there. We hit the biggies (Buena Vista St, Pier tree, BugsLand and CarsLand.....but kinda missed all the other ones. Oh well........I will just have to enjoy yours!

Laurie -

Thank you!

You know, I think I've come to the conclusion that no matter how much time we have at DLR, we will never have time to get pictures of everything we would want to get. The way things flow during the course of trips, we do what we can but then other things get our attention and we change direction. Marie (Mariezp) usually goes to DLR with her family every year for two whole weeks, and still they probably miss out on certain pictures or certain activities!

At least you got a lot of PhotoPass pictures! I got none at all - it wasn't worth it to me to just get a whole CD of photos of myself - so I will enjoy yours! There are some great new PhotoPass spots on BVS and in CL, and I know you must have taken advantage of them (hopefully)!

If I had not gone to DLR in November for that one day and cranked out the holiday pictures of Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and the Jingle Jangle Jamboree, I would have had to work those 3 things into this recent December trip...which would have meant that I'd have to eliminate something else from this recent trip because there would not have been enough time to get to it. I really needed that extra day that I got in November.

Also, I'm sure that my TR readers don't necessarily want to see photos of all the same things every single year, so I suppose it's good if I skip some things and focus on different areas every once in a while.

I think I was asking you this on the previous page, but did you notice that there seemed to be a lot of sick people all over DLR (at the hotels, too)? Everywhere I went I heard lots of coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing. I was only there for 3 nights and 3-1/4 days and I still got a cold from it (just a basic one, though - nothing horrible).

You were at DLR - either in the parks or around the hotels - for a full 7-night week. Did your whole family come home healthy or did anyone get sick?

[DizNee Luver]

I guess I didn't pay attention to all the sniffling, since that's the normal sound around my house this time of year......lol We all made it home healthy!! Anthony got sick our first night at the PPH and then on our last night....but I think it wasn't illness but excitement that caused it.

[tksbaskets]

What a treat to sign on and see MULTIPLE installments this evening

Where to start - LOVE the first photo close up of the GCH tree. It is a tough venue to get a picture. I love the glowing lamp and the little lights are just great.

I like the 2012 gingerbread - perhaps because you highlighted all the details. I don't recall WWS having a gingerbread neighborhood or house last year. Those tiny Santas and the reindeer are just too great!

I like that the castmembers took your picture. How else would I have seen your great black Mickey shirt?

The GRR building is a different color than last year. I don't care for the nautical curtains at the PP former-Santa spot. I guess it screams 'Duffy' to me and I haven't embraced him...

You only saw TSMM from afar?? GASP I always laugh when I see MFWOD. I rely on Bret for pictures from there.

It looks like you are having a fine morning strolling and snapping photographs. Heaven

You've got me humming the carols you've highlighted and wanting more! You're firing me up for our trip. We leave in two days. That calls for one of these

I fear I will be doing a version of your Tasmanian Devil packing....

[bumbershoot]

I think I did know that about Melissa, but I had forgotten. It's funny, when I think about it, they have similar styles of humor, but I like it from Melissa better. I have nothing against Jenny whatsoever, and liked the sitcom she was on, but still, I like Melissa a bit more.

I read the TMZ site but can't bring myself to watch the show or their live stuff on the site. But wow their site takes some serious computing resources! Slows the computer down big time.



Love all those flower-in-front-of-things pictures. Pretty pretty pretty!

And you definitely captured the excitement of arriving at PPH.

Oh, also, your gingerbread house pictures inspired E and I to get to work making OUR gingerbread house! This year we bought the kit from Trader Joes and it went together very simply and quickly, unlike the Wilton ones. It's already done (with safe candy substituted this year so we can, if we want to, eat it without worrying about anything but calories!), and I have YOU to thank for it!

[mvf-m11c]

A nice day where you enter the GCH and get to see the giant Christmas tree in the Lobby where you got a lot of different pictures of the tree.

Nice pictures of the Gingerbread house at Storyteller's Cafe and White Water Snacks. The details of the Gingerbread house were just decorated with the figures and the lights.

Nice that you went to DCA during EMH and get a head start during your day. It did look busy at the GCH entrance to DCA.

Great pictures from DCA that morning and it was nice that the CM right by the LM ride was able to take a picture of you.

Very nice update at DCA.

[Sherry E]

Well, the world is apparently ending today but I'm not prepared. So here I am, in my TR!

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

I guess I didn't pay attention to all the sniffling, since that's the normal sound around my house this time of year......lol We all made it home healthy!! Anthony got sick our first night at the PPH and then on our last night....but I think it wasn't illness but excitement that caused it.

Laurie -

I suppose that's very, very true for you! Considering all of the kids you have and how active you have had to be as their mome, you have probably seen your fair share of illness pass through the house over the years! Even though you (yourself) do get sick from time to time, you have probably built up somewhat of an immunity to a lot of things.

I think that living alone and not going outside and dealing with people on a daily basis works against me because my system doesn't build up its defenses against average, everyday viruses and things. I don't want to become the Girl in the Plastic Bubble!

I remember reading an update you posted about Anthony being sick on the first night - but he got sick on the last night too? Poor thing. At least he wasn't sick in the middle of the trip! Better to be sick on the first/last days, I think.

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

What a treat to sign on and see MULTIPLE installments this evening

Where to start - LOVE the first photo close up of the GCH tree. It is a tough venue to get a picture. I love the glowing lamp and the little lights are just great.

I like the 2012 gingerbread - perhaps because you highlighted all the details. I don't recall WWS having a gingerbread neighborhood or house last year. Those tiny Santas and the reindeer are just too great!

I like that the castmembers took your picture. How else would I have seen your great black Mickey shirt?

The GRR building is a different color than last year. I don't care for the nautical curtains at the PP former-Santa spot. I guess it screams 'Duffy' to me and I haven't embraced him...

You only saw TSMM from afar?? GASP I always laugh when I see MFWOD. I rely on Bret for pictures from there.

It looks like you are having a fine morning strolling and snapping photographs. Heaven

You've got me humming the carols you've highlighted and wanting more! You're firing me up for our trip. We leave in two days. That calls for one of these

I fear I will be doing a version of your Tasmanian Devil packing....

TK -

Thank you so much! I was really trying for a halfway decent shot of the close-up GCH tree ornaments because I felt I could do better than my previous attempts.

It's funny you mentioned the black t-shirt! You will hear more about black Mickey t-shirts (and you know how I love me a black Mickey tee!) at the end of this TR. They don't quite make 'em like they used to - I will say that much for now.

If you don't recall seeing a gingerbread house or neighborhood in White Water Snacks on your DLR holiday trip last season, then maybe they had either retired it for the season by that time or they just didn't have one at all. I didn't go into WWS in 2011 at all, and in 2010 I went in only to take pictures of the tree, which was in the front of the restaurant (as you know). The gingerbread neighborhood this year was not visible from the entrance of WWS. I couldn't see it until I went inside and towards the back, so if they had one in 2010 I could have easily missed it.

Speaking of gingerbread-y things, I thought I'd heard that the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe (a.k.a. Starbucks) on Buena Vista Street was going to have a gingerbread house this year, but anytime I went in to try to look for it there were tons of people in the queue and I couldn't see a thing. So if there was a gingerbread house in there, I totally missed it.

Also, I did not go into Carthay Circle to see their "Snow White's Cottage" gingerbread house, though I heard about how wonderful it was. I didn't have a reservation there so I wasn't going to barge in to look at the house!

I never went on TSMM for the entire trip and I missed it terribly, just as I missed Goofy's Kitchen. I never went on POTC, either. TSMM and POTC are 2 of my favorite rides. I didn't go on the Little Mermaid ride either and there was no one in line (the novelty of that new ride wore off quickly, didn't it?)! I only went on 3 rides for the entire trip.

I was having a fine morning on my first day, strolling and taking photos, but believe it or not I was not really in my 'photo groove' just yet. I was not fully in The Zone. I was soooo tired - and also bummed out because my friend Shawn was not coming to see me for the day - that all I wanted to do was take a nap! So, I didn't really get my photo groove back until Day 2, even though it may seem like I was doing okay! Day 2 was when I stayed in The Zone! You'll see when you get back from WDW and get caught up - I got in The Zone!

I will even have an amusing anecdote for you to read when you return - about sharing a table with total strangers. It's a simple story - nothing too elaborate - but it was one of those amusingly awkward moments that I love to tell in my TR's!

I have taken photos with Duffy (last year; not this year), but I am still not 100% on the Duffy bandwagon either. He's cute enough, but he still seems like an outsider to me!



I hope you have a wonderful time at WDW. Supposedly they do have the gingerbread cookies with mouse ears now (at the very least they have them at Goofy's Candy Co., but probably other places too), so I hope you're able to find them.

By the way, I'm going to be switching us ("us" being those of us in the Christmas Superthread) to a new thread in the next day or two, as we are just about at our 250-page limit. I'm also going to be revamping the first page and reorganizing/re-categorizing the information I already have in the thread (as well as updating, of course), though this will be done over time and not all at once. I was hoping to stretch the current Superthread just far enough to make it through the very end of the 2012 holiday season before switching to a new one - because that makes sense, so we don't have a big disruption in the thread in the middle of people planning their trips and discussing the current season - but I don't think I will be able to stretch it for another two weeks (and 2 days), or even just 4 more days to Christmas. We're so close to the end of the season, though. It would be perfect timing if we could just keep the current thread going until Jan. 6 and then close it, starting fresh for 2013.

In any case, when you get back from your WDW adventure, be sure to subscribe to the new Christmas/Holiday Superthread! The Theme Week Countdown of 2013 is going to be a lot of fun because there is so much new material, and there are so many new participants to join in the countdown! I'm even planning to start the countdown earlier than I would normally start it - maybe instead of the last Monday in August I can start it in the middle of the month, or early in August.

Originally Posted by bumbershoot

I think I did know that about Melissa, but I had forgotten. It's funny, when I think about it, they have similar styles of humor, but I like it from Melissa better. I have nothing against Jenny whatsoever, and liked the sitcom she was on, but still, I like Melissa a bit more.

I read the TMZ site but can't bring myself to watch the show or their live stuff on the site. But wow their site takes some serious computing resources! Slows the computer down big time.

Love all those flower-in-front-of-things pictures. Pretty pretty pretty!

And you definitely captured the excitement of arriving at PPH.

Oh, also, your gingerbread house pictures inspired E and I to get to work making OUR gingerbread house! This year we bought the kit from Trader Joes and it went together very simply and quickly, unlike the Wilton ones. It's already done (with safe candy substituted this year so we can, if we want to, eat it without worrying about anything but calories!), and I have YOU to thank for it!

Molly -

I know what you mean. Jenny and Melissa have similar styles of humor, but I find that there is something slightly annoying about it coming from Jenny, in a way. I think it almost seems too forced. It's largely about making stupid facial expressions and acting really over-the-top (maybe Jenny and Jim Carrey didn't work out as a couple because their humor was too much alike?). I kind of like Jenny better when she is just being a regular person with a witty personality, and not pushing it so much (trying to be outrageous).

Melissa's humor seems more natural and much less forced.

Than you for warning me about the TMZ site - there is no way this prehistoric computer could handle it. It would freeze up on the spot. I shall not go on there!

Oooh! I'd love to see a picture of the gingerbread house that you and E made (since I feel partially responsible for it!). I love gingerbread houses. I am not good at making them, but I love seeing them as decorations. I didn't know that Trader Joe's sold kits! There is a new TJ's that opened up in my area (across the street from Whole Foods, basically) and I have yet to go into it.

Then again, there is also a Dylan's Candy Bar that opened up at Farmers Market this year, and a Sprinkles Cupcakes that opened up at The Grove (See's Candies is coming in 2013!) last month - and I have successfully avoided both of those new places as well, which is a good thing!

I chuckled at the "flower-in-front-of-things pictures" description, because it is so basic, and yet so fitting!

I must confess that - although I was not going to reveal which pictures are my favorites just yet - the "flower-in-front-of-things" photos are something that I have been fine tuning and practicing for quite a while now, so I am very glad that someone (you) mentioned them and noticed them!

I've taken a lot of flower pictures in my neighborhood over the years, but have only begun to try to master the whole depth of field aspect this year. I like to practice with flower photos because flowers are colorful subjects, and they often sway in the breeze which can be tricky when you want to get a clear shot. Some flower photos are hits and some are misses. It's not so easy to really perfect the depth of field with a point and shoot because there is only so much you can do with a point and shoot, but to give any photos (of flowers or otherwise) more dimension and personality it is a helpful thing to try to do. With a DSLR you can have more control over your photos by adjusting settings.



So, just to kind of stray from the December-TR-in-progress for a moment and indulge in some "Totally Amateur Photography 101" stuff, I will say that I have had some success and failure with practicing the "flower-in-front-of-things pictures."

This picture from Disneyland, October 2011, was pretty successful as far as dimension, although I could have picked a much better backdrop for these flowers to be "in front of"!







This photo from Catalina Island, July 2012, was perfect in terms of what I wanted to accomplish - good dimension and decent depth; the background is exactly what I was going for, with the iconic Casino peeking through in the distance; the swaying, wispy flowers kind of mimicked and blended in with the swaying, wispy palm trees:






This one (from my neighborhood - taken in May of 2012) is perfect for what I wanted - good depth and rich color:







And this one from my holiday DLR trip just last week is actually pretty good in terms of the depth/dimension, and the contrast of the red against the pale blue of the fountain, the yellow and the green of the trees is interesting:

On the flip side, these flower efforts below were not as successful - sure, they are all very pretty, but as you can see there is no dimension or depth.

May 2012 - my neighborhood:








La Brea Tar Pits/LACMA (in March or April of 2012, if I recall correctly):












This one from the December 2012 DLR trip has very little dimension:

So forgive my wandering off of the beaten path there, but when Molly mentioned the "flower-in-front-of-things" photos, I was glad she noticed - because they are actually quite a bit more complex to pull off (successfully) than they may appear to be, and quite a bit of thought can go into them!

In case anyone thinks that the folks with the DSLR cameras are the only ones taking good photos or trying to take really good photos, please know that there are many of us out there on the DIS, with regular old point & shoots, who are trying to do the same thing - and sometimes we pull it off! I have seen tons of amazing P&S pictures from my DIS friends and from others (whose Trip Reports I have peeked in on)!

Of course, you can't beat the DSLR cameras for fireworks (like Bret's fantastic shots) and crisp, clear night scenes, so my hat's off to Bret, KCmike, I'm mikey and the other DSLR users out there for giving us so many of those wonderful shots too!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

A nice day where you enter the GCH and get to see the giant Christmas tree in the Lobby where you got a lot of different pictures of the tree.

Nice pictures of the Gingerbread house at Storyteller's Cafe and White Water Snacks. The details of the Gingerbread house were just decorated with the figures and the lights.

Nice that you went to DCA during EMH and get a head start during your day. It did look busy at the GCH entrance to DCA.

Great pictures from DCA that morning and it was nice that the CM right by the LM ride was able to take a picture of you.

Very nice update at DCA.

Thank you, Bret!

The Little Mermaid queue looked so empty!

I wish I had been able to get a better look inside Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe to check for a gingerbread house. I think they had one - just not sure where.

It was a pretty good day on Day 1 even though I was so tired and wanted a nap.

The GCH entrance to DCA was very crowded - by the time you get into the park you have wasted time in the EMH.