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

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Thank you Sherry. Good thing that the DL restaurants have these AP discounts while WDW have a few selected places that have the AP without the Tables in Wonderland card. You have the option of paying $100 just to get the Tables in Wonderland card for the sit down which is crazy.

That is nice to hear about the food at Earl of Sandwich. For that price and size, the food must be really good.

I know that Earl of Sandwich is not owned by the Disney Company and is an independent company that is renting space at DTD. I was wondering why the DL AP website hasn't been updated with the new restaurant. I always thought that Disney would update everything that is new to the resort. At least they have the 10% discount so the AP holders can save some money.

My DA that goes with me to DL a lot is not coming with me for this upcoming trip. It is my dad sister who came with me and my DB to WDW in October/November. I did mention her in my WDW trip report which is taking awhile to complete. I know that they don't like sports so we won't be eating at the ESPN Zone during this trip.

I looked at my pictures from my 2010 trip and there were masks on the light poles at NOS. I didn't get blow up pictures of them but I know that there were some in 2010. There weren't that many masks up at NOS during that year while in some areas had them. There were barely any masks up until last year where they added a lot of masks in NOS.

Here is a picture from 2010 and you can barely see it that there were some masks on the light poles.


NOS during the Holiday season hasn't been the same since they took the light canopy down and replaced it with string of lights which doesn't make it more Holiday.


Great pictures of the flowers around Main Street Town Square and the Hub.

Interesting to hear that you got your ice cream early that day during your trip. I thought that you would get it at night since it is fun to have ice cream at night than during the day.

Nice pictures of the masks at NOS. I will be looking forward to your pictures of the Holiday decorations at NOS.

Thank you, Bret!

I'm about to post another 3 installments. I was on a roll, but I had to stop because stupid Photobucket was acting up (I give my theory on why it is acting up in the third installment of the three posts I am about to put up) and because I have to do some other things. I hope to be able to get back to the TR tonight and at least finish up with NOS, if nothing else!

They have definitely added in some extra NOS masks since 2010. These masks may have been there in 2011 and I just didn't see them because I didn't look for them last year. But there has been a definite increase in masks between 2010 and now. I know I skipped over some masks when I was taking pictures of them in 2010, but I didn't skip that many. Maybe when they took away the light canopy they spent more of the decorating budget on masks! I just hope that they don't take the masks away too!

Really? You can't get too many dining discounts with the AP at WDW? I didn't know that! I've heard of Tables in Wonderland, but I don't think I ever realized that the AP discounts were minimal.

The merchandise discounts are going to be taken away from our DLR AP's soon, aren't they (or am I wrong on that?)? I know that the 20% merchandise discount for PAP holders is going away, but aren't they going to remove all merchandise discounts eventually too? That is just crazy - charging as much as they do for Premium or Premier AP's, only to not be able to get merchandise discounts! They cannot possibly keep raising the AP prices as much as they have been each year. No one will be able to buy them at all. Maybe Disney figures that if they only raise the price $10 or $20 each year, they have to remove one of the perks - discounts on merchandise.

Oh, I see - I got your aunts mixed up! I forgot that it is a different one going with you next month.

I hadn't checked the AP site to see if they have updated their discount list and mentioned Earl of Sandwich, but I definitely got a 10% discount. Do they list Haagen Dazs on there, because you can get a 10% discount there as well. Maybe they just don't list all of the places, for whatever reason.

[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 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 3

You'll see
A dixieland Santa Claus
Leading the band
To a good old Creole beat
And golly what a spirit
You can only hear it
Down on Basin Street…






In my last TR post, I had an uncomfortable peppermint ice cream break as I shared a table with three strangers, and I headed down to New Orleans Square to begin Mask-a-Palooza!





Before I get back to New Orleans Square, let me give the price breakdown of that peppermint ice cream cone (shown in the previous TR installment/Day 2-Part 2) that I bought at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, as I neglected to do that at the time I explained my awkward table situation:

Two scoops ice cream in a holiday sprinkle cone - $5.49
Tax - $.43

TOTAL = $5.92

(Remember, Gibson Girl does not take the Annual Pass for discounts.)




By the way, while I’m on the subject – what would you all have done in that same table situation? Would you have stayed at the table even though you felt uncomfortable, or would you have gotten up right away and let the other people have the table to themselves – even though your ice cream was dripping down your hands – and tried to find some other place to sit (which may not have been possible)?







Back to the Big Easy!

As I mentioned previously, I was determined to get better mask photos than what I got in 2010. I had apparently skipped over a lot of the wonderful, dramatic, moody Mardi Gras masks when I was taking photos of them in 2010, but I also think that the Enhancement team added in even more masks since 2010 and possibly moved them to more visible locations (which Bret/mvf-m11c seems to agree with). I recall that Jessica/Belle Ella took a lot of mask pictures a couple of years back, but I still don’t think that there were quite as many masks as that point – or they were not all in exactly the same locations that they are now.

I showed you one musical, mystical mask so far, in the previous installment (the purple one) – that was the very first mask that caught my eye.





When I’m done posting all of the mask photos (which will not be for a while, so sit tight), I’d love to know which ones are your favorites!

A little musical entertainment as I hunted masks…












The second mask I saw was this one…the standard shot…







And a little more detailed…












And more masks…














































The brilliant colors of this particular mask, splashed against the blue of the sky, were just awesome! Now I KNOW that this mask could not have been in NOS in 2010. I would not have passed this one by – the colors would have grabbed me right away!

Up next, in Part 4 of Day 2…masks, masks and more masks!

[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 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 4

Your cares will disappear
When you hear
Hallelujah old St. Nicholas is here
When it's Christmas time
In New Orleans.






In the last TR installment, I continued Mask-a-Palooza in New Orleans Square!

I just love the colors!




























































I feel like this jester mask was looking right at me in some pictures! Lol.

Up next, in Part 5 of Day 2…Mask-a-Palooza rages on!

[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 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 5

Magnolia trees at night
Sparkling bright
Fields of cotton look wintry white
When it's Christmas time
In New Orleans






In the last installment, I continued on with Mask-a-Palooza in New Orleans Square!

This is actually the other side of the jester mask lamppost – most of the masks had two sides, and sometimes the sides were not identical. Their differences may have been only slight, but there were differences to most of the double-sided masks. In most cases I was able to access both sides of the masks (with one or two exceptions, because they were just in a spot I couldn’t get to).

Also, often times the lighting and shading were totally different on the opposite side.




















Notice that all of the masks have faux jewels hanging off of them as well…












I don’t remember taking this random flower picture in the middle of Mask-a-Palooza, but here it is!







This is very much like the mask photos I would have taken in 2010 – a very basic, run of the mill photo…















I briefly interrupted Mask-a-Palooza to walk around New Orleans Square. But don’t worry – we’re not done with the masks yet! There are more! It won’t be long before you see more!








See? I told you it wouldn’t be long before you saw more masks.

Now…I know what many of you many be thinking or wondering. You are probably wondering why I am posting several photos of each mask – why not just one or two shots of each, right? That is very understandable, and it would have been faster for me to do it that way.

Well, here is the thing…our Trip Reports are for us to report on what we did on our trips. What you do on your DLR trip will likely be very different from what I do on mine…but what I do on mine will often involve taking a lot of photos while I am enjoying golden solo time. That WAS the majority of this trip for me – trying to take good photos. Not going on rides. Not shopping. Not posing with characters. It was all about the photos. I may not be roaming around DLR with a DSLR camera (and given how klutzy I am I’m not sure it would be wise for me to do that anyway), but I take the whole thing very seriously – which is why I can never do this sort of thing when I am with people!

In the past (in previous TR’s) I have mentioned that photography is very cathartic for me, and oddly meditative in a way…while still helping me hone in on something with laser focus. I also mentioned earlier in this TR that I was bound and determined to get better photos of certain subjects than what I had gotten in the past. It’s all about improving over time, isn’t it?

So, by my posting all of these photos I am bringing you into my trip with me and into my mindset! This IS what I was doing – taking many shots of the same subjects to try to perfect the photos, or get the best ones I could. To do that, I needed to try multiple angles, multiple vantage points, different cropping/framing, zooming in or out, etc. Often times you have to go through many attempts before even coming up with one or two really good pictures, and that’s what I was doing. I was on a mission…a journey…an odyssey. I was intensely determined and could not be stopped!




BUT I will give you a break from the mask photos for the moment, as I must go do some other things today!! Also, Photobucket has been acting crazy on and off – I think it has to do with the large number of people loading and editing their Christmas photos, to be honest. A major holiday like Christmas will surely yield millions of photos loaded to Photobucket in the days following 12/25. So their site ends up acting glitchy and buggy!

Plus, I would bet that a lot of the angry Webshots customers (hello, Mariezp!), who have suddenly had to download alllllllllll of their photos back to their computers because Webshots is discontinuing its service, have defected over to Photobucket! This is likely causing some extra traffic on the site.





Up next, in Part 6 of Day 2…more ‘unmasking’ of the masks in New Orleans Square!

[Sherry E]

Here is the FOURTH and final post for today (Saturday) – I had already started this one earlier, so I figured I’d better get it finished before shutting the PC down for the night and going to sleep. Zzzzzzzzz. I hope that anyone who has been silently following along out there has enjoyed today’s installments!

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

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 6

See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la






In the last installment, I continued on with my Mardi Gras/Christmas mask adventure in New Orleans Square (and in case anyone didn’t know, these masks stay up from the holiday season through the Mardi Gras celebration in Disneyland, which usually ends in early March)!

More from New Orleans Square…Mask-a-Palooza continues!











A balcony mask!
























This is one of my favorite masks (both this year and back in 2010)!




































The New Orleans Square Christmas tree…

Up next, in Part 7 of Day 2…I linger a little longer in New Orleans Square…

[DizNee Luver]

Your pictures of the masks are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

I love those masks!! I didn't take any pictures of them this time...not sure why either. I think I was more focused on the twins and how they were doing that I didn't pick up my camera like I normally would do. I love all the different angles on each one. You've really got a knack for picture taking!!

As for the ice cream~table sharing~rude younger gal, etc. I would have been so weirded out having them basically take over "my space"! I would have sat there until I was done.....but it wouldn't have come soon enough!! The younger gal.....yet another sad example of people having the sense of entitlement.......just annoys me to no end. She doesn't own the park, she doesn't own the ice cream parlor, she doesn't own the table or chairs.......so she can just get over herself and at least be polite!

Depending on my mood.....I either would have left quietly or would have made some snarky comment like "well now you can have MY entire table to yourself!" (and then think to myself .... you ungrateful witch!)

[mvf-m11c]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Thank you, Bret!

I'm about to post another 3 installments. I was on a roll, but I had to stop because stupid Photobucket was acting up (I give my theory on why it is acting up in the third installment of the three posts I am about to put up) and because I have to do some other things. I hope to be able to get back to the TR tonight and at least finish up with NOS, if nothing else!

They have definitely added in some extra NOS masks since 2010. These masks may have been there in 2011 and I just didn't see them because I didn't look for them last year. But there has been a definite increase in masks between 2010 and now. I know I skipped over some masks when I was taking pictures of them in 2010, but I didn't skip that many. Maybe when they took away the light canopy they spent more of the decorating budget on masks! I just hope that they don't take the masks away too!

Really? You can't get too many dining discounts with the AP at WDW? I didn't know that! I've heard of Tables in Wonderland, but I don't think I ever realized that the AP discounts were minimal.

The merchandise discounts are going to be taken away from our DLR AP's soon, aren't they (or am I wrong on that?)? I know that the 20% merchandise discount for PAP holders is going away, but aren't they going to remove all merchandise discounts eventually too? That is just crazy - charging as much as they do for Premium or Premier AP's, only to not be able to get merchandise discounts! They cannot possibly keep raising the AP prices as much as they have been each year. No one will be able to buy them at all. Maybe Disney figures that if they only raise the price $10 or $20 each year, they have to remove one of the perks - discounts on merchandise.

Oh, I see - I got your aunts mixed up! I forgot that it is a different one going with you next month.

I hadn't checked the AP site to see if they have updated their discount list and mentioned Earl of Sandwich, but I definitely got a 10% discount. Do they list Haagen Dazs on there, because you can get a 10% discount there as well. Maybe they just don't list all of the places, for whatever reason.

I just got in from my basketball game tonight and get to see your latest updates of the Holiday Masks at NOS. Awesome pictures of the masks during your time at NOS.

NOS barely had any masks before 2010 and the last two years they added more. We are hoping that Disney doesn't take the masks away just like they have done with the light canopy in 2010.

Yup. When I looked at the AP discounts for the restaurants they have only a few selected at each parks, resorts and DTD. They don't take the AP discount for the quick counter restaurants like we have at the DLR and only selected sit down restaurants. In order to get the discount for the sit down restaurants without the Tables in Wonderland card, you have to be there at a specific time to get the discount which is ridiculous. For paying so much money for an AP and don't get discounts at the quick counters and sit downs at WDW is disappointing where I do spend a lot of money on food at the quick counter restaurants. If you want discounts, you have to buy the TiW card for another $100 is crazy. That's why when I am at the DLR with my AP I am so glad that the DLR has a lot of AP discounts with the restaurants.

I have read that WDW and the DLR aren't renewing the AP discounts for the merchandise. So we are going back to the 10% discount unless Disney announced it shortly until we get to 2013 that they will have the merchandise discounts for the AP holders. This year just have been crazy with the AP price increase and now they are going to take away the discounts for the merchandise. They should have made this permanent with the AP merchandise discount since there are a lot of AP holders like me that will buy during our visits. When DL does the next price increase for the tickets and AP, we all hope that they won't increase it too dramatically where there is no way we will be paying that much for an AP. The PAP which was raised from $150 in June was ridiculous and it will be more ludicrous if they raised it just like this year.

My dad's sister is looking forward to going to the DLR since she hasn't been there since the 80s. So it has been a long time for her to be at the DLR and see all the new additions. My aunt, her BF and her DD2 is looking forward to this trip and seeing what is different back from the 80s. Good thing that IASWH will be up and running during our trip in a couple of weeks.

They do have Haagen-Dazs discount on the AP website. Also on the AP discount website, it shows most of the restaurants and stores that get the AP discount and Earl of Sandwich is still not updated yet.

[PHXscuba]

Loved the mask photos. I also like that blue and red one you were gaga over. .

I think they have gotten more elaborate since I saw them in 2010 -- and maybe swapped out a few. I took a picture of this one in 2010, but didn't see it in your pix.



Enjoying the TR despite my off-and-on commenting.

PHXscuba

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

Your pictures of the masks are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

I love those masks!! I didn't take any pictures of them this time...not sure why either. I think I was more focused on the twins and how they were doing that I didn't pick up my camera like I normally would do. I love all the different angles on each one. You've really got a knack for picture taking!!

As for the ice cream~table sharing~rude younger gal, etc. I would have been so weirded out having them basically take over "my space"! I would have sat there until I was done.....but it wouldn't have come soon enough!! The younger gal.....yet another sad example of people having the sense of entitlement.......just annoys me to no end. She doesn't own the park, she doesn't own the ice cream parlor, she doesn't own the table or chairs.......so she can just get over herself and at least be polite!

Depending on my mood.....I either would have left quietly or would have made some snarky comment like "well now you can have MY entire table to yourself!" (and then think to myself .... you ungrateful witch!)

Laurie -

Thank you so much for the nice comments and kind words about the mask pictures. I appreciate it. I tried many shots of each one, just trying to get one or two pictures that I really liked. Even then, some of the ones that I thought were really good at first didn't turn out to be as good when I finally looked at them on Photobucket.

As I've said to you before, I'm always shocked and amazed that you're able to get anything else done when you have so much on your plate because I know you are very focused on the family and making sure they are having fun, that they are fed, comfortable, rested, happy, etc.! So, believe me, it shocks me when you have time to get any pictures at all, let alone a lot of them! Of course there will be occasions when you can only have time to take pictures of certain things and not others. Some years I think we all zero in on some things and then the next year we zero in on other things.

Okay, I'm soooooo relieved to know that I am not the only one who thinks the whole peppermint ice cream-table situation was weird! Yes, it did feel like they were taking over my space! Even though the original lady who asked about the chairs was very nice, I still didn't expect that I'd have 3 strangers at my table while I was trying to wipe ice cream off of my face, hands and pants and eat it quickly at the same time! I really thought they were going to take the chairs and bring them to another table.

And It's not like the seating was the kind of set-up like the benches at Earl of Sandwich, where you can share the general table with strangers but it doesn't feel like you are necessarily 'together' and forced to communicate. This was a regular table, so we were all facing each other in close proximity. I was kind of thinking that the younger woman was perhaps annoyed at the older lady (maybe she was her mom?) for sitting with a stranger. She may have even thought that the older lady was intruding upon my space - but whatever she thought, she was making me uncomfortable, like I should leave my own table.

You are correct - the end of my ice cream cone did not some soon enough! I darted out of there.

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

I just got in from my basketball game tonight and get to see your latest updates of the Holiday Masks at NOS. Awesome pictures of the masks during your time at NOS.

NOS barely had any masks before 2010 and the last two years they added more. We are hoping that Disney doesn't take the masks away just like they have done with the light canopy in 2010.

Yup. When I looked at the AP discounts for the restaurants they have only a few selected at each parks, resorts and DTD. They don't take the AP discount for the quick counter restaurants like we have at the DLR and only selected sit down restaurants. In order to get the discount for the sit down restaurants without the Tables in Wonderland card, you have to be there at a specific time to get the discount which is ridiculous. For paying so much money for an AP and don't get discounts at the quick counters and sit downs at WDW is disappointing where I do spend a lot of money on food at the quick counter restaurants. If you want discounts, you have to buy the TiW card for another $100 is crazy. That's why when I am at the DLR with my AP I am so glad that the DLR has a lot of AP discounts with the restaurants.

I have read that WDW and the DLR aren't renewing the AP discounts for the merchandise. So we are going back to the 10% discount unless Disney announced it shortly until we get to 2013 that they will have the merchandise discounts for the AP holders. This year just have been crazy with the AP price increase and now they are going to take away the discounts for the merchandise. They should have made this permanent with the AP merchandise discount since there are a lot of AP holders like me that will buy during our visits. When DL does the next price increase for the tickets and AP, we all hope that they won't increase it too dramatically where there is no way we will be paying that much for an AP. The PAP which was raised from $150 in June was ridiculous and it will be more ludicrous if they raised it just like this year.

My dad's sister is looking forward to going to the DLR since she hasn't been there since the 80s. So it has been a long time for her to be at the DLR and see all the new additions. My aunt, her BF and her DD2 is looking forward to this trip and seeing what is different back from the 80s. Good thing that IASWH will be up and running during our trip in a couple of weeks.

They do have Haagen-Dazs discount on the AP website. Also on the AP discount website, it shows most of the restaurants and stores that get the AP discount and Earl of Sandwich is still not updated yet.

Bret -

Thank you for the compliment, Bret. I appreciate it. I'm glad the mask pictures are going over well.

I wonder if Earl of Sandwich will stop taking the AP discount. Maybe that's why it hasn't been listed on the AP site yet - perhaps they are going to stop taking it.

I don't know about that Tables in Wonderland card for $100. That doesn't sound like it would work for every situation - only for some.

So, let me get this straight - if you want to use your AP at WDW for table service restaurants, you have to eat at certain times to get the discounts? You can't just go and eat at any old time of the day to be able to use it? And only some of the table service restaurants accept the AP discount? You can't use your AP on the counter service places at all? Interesting (but not in a good way)! That whole set-up almost makes DLR's AP a bargain!

When the DLR Premium AP went up $150 this year, my first thought was that Disney would do the biggest price increase then, right before Cars Land opened, and then do much smaller increases over the next couple of years. For example, they used to raise the DAP and PAP by maybe $30-$50 a year. The $150 increase on the PAP was massive, so I am guessing that the next couple of increases will be much smaller. They could have broken it up so that instead of $150 at once, it was $50 each year for the next couple of years. They wanted more money up front, to get back a little of what they spent on CL and BVS. I think that Disney would be absolutely out of their minds if they tried another $150 increase on the PAP this year.

Aside from the AP prices, Laurie/DizNee Luver and I have discussed how Disney has also gone crazy with their hotel prices. Yes, all of the onsite hotels are expensive, but in the case of the PPH they have gotten ahead of themselves. Laurie and I both love the PPH, whereas a lot of people had no interest in staying there for years.

Now that the PPH is starting to get many more bookings, the prices have gone way, way up per night. Even an AP doesn't get you anything more than a 10% discount now - all of the good AP discounts seem to be gone. But the problem is that even though the PPH is a nice place to stay, it is in no way worth what Disney is charging for it. The DLH and GCH are big properties with grounds to explore - they are more like real resort hotels. The PPH does not have that kind of property. It is much smaller and there isn't really much to it, so the prices that Disney charges for the PPH per night without discounts ($300+) are totally outrageous because it is not a $300 per night hotel!

I wonder what direction Disney will take (in terms of prices) with this whole "fiscal cliff" situation that we are dealing with in America. It is sounding like a lot of people may be taking big pay cuts and/or getting huge tax increases, and more jobs will be lost, etc. If this happens, I really think there will be a drop in attendance at DLR. I know that it may be cheaper to go there than it is to go other places for a weekend, but I think that if millions of Americans suddenly get hit with those cuts and increases, Disney parks will suffer for a while.

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

Loved the mask photos. I also like that blue and red one you were gaga over. .

I think they have gotten more elaborate since I saw them in 2010 -- and maybe swapped out a few. I took a picture of this one in 2010, but didn't see it in your pix.



Enjoying the TR despite my off-and-on commenting.

PHXscuba

Hi, PHX!

Thank you! I wasn't sure if anyone would like the mask pics, but I was going to take them and post them one way or the other!

Most of my people are on-and-off commenters and on/off visitors!

I'm down to basically the last 10 pages of this thread and then it will be time to close/lock it. Most of those pages are going to zoom by with the remainder of this current December TR. So now is the time for any friendly lurkers to come out of hiding, say hello and join in, because we are in the home stretch of this thread and I don't know if I will be doing another TR thread after this one! It's a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time, and I've been working on this thread for 4 years! It's taken a while to build it up. I don't think I have it in me to start another TR thread.

Yes, the whole array o' masks has gotten more elaborate in the last 2 years. They're much more striking than they were. I think I got pictures of maybe 7 or 8 masks in 2010, and I knew that I had skipped over a few...but not THAT many! I wouldn't have skipped all of those masks. Coincidentally, the one you posted the picture of above was one of the 7 or 8 that I got a picture of in 2010 too!

And even though I have not quite finished posting the mask photos yet (I'm almost done with them), I believe you are correct - the one you showed did not pop up in NOS during my Mask-a-Palooza! That one seems to have disappeared and been replaced by other mask friends!

I am just about to put up another TR installment...

[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 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 7

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.






In the last TR installment, I stumbled upon even more musical, mysterious Mardi Gras-influenced masks around New Orleans Square and admired the sparkly, lovely, blue-toned Christmas tree in the Court of Angels.




It seemed that every time I thought I had discovered all of the masks I would find yet another one! None of them were the same – they were all different. In fact, I am still a bit hard pressed to decide which ones were my favorites. Some masks I preferred because of the overall mix of colors, and sometimes I would appreciate a mask because of the type of mask that it was (such as the jester mask). I tended to like the ones that had one basic color scheme – like all red, all green, all white, all purple, etc. Those seemed to be the most striking to me. But they are all so beautiful and eye-catching that it’s hard to narrow down any true favorites.

Is it weird that I want to take all of the masks home with me and hang them on the walls? Lol. On second thought, it might be a little creepy to see all of those faces with vacant expressions and dead eyes staring at me on a daily basis. Lol.

Anyway, back to New Orleans Square and its own special Christmas decorations, Mardi Gras style!

The coloring and ornaments on the NOS tree are quite stunning…








Could it be? Why, yes, it could. It’s another mask!

It’s funny – I was taking pictures of this mask and another one nearby it. I was doing what I usually do – snapping multiple pictures at different angles just to try to determine what looked best. Another girl walked up to get some pictures of the mask too.

There was a man sitting on a bench, apparently watching us as we took pictures. At some point the man got up from his bench and came around to look at the mask. With a puzzled look on his face he mumbled, “Why is everyone taking pictures of this?” It’s as if he wanted to see for himself what it was to be sure he wasn’t missing out on anything exciting. Lol. He looked at the mask for about 3 seconds and then sat down, still appearing to be confused.

This kind of reaction from strangers is not unfamiliar to me. I have experienced the baffled expressions and comments in the past, as I took pictures of plants, of window displays, of Christmas trees, of sacks of grain and barrels, whatever. It’s usually men who don’t seem to ‘get it.’ I think they usually just wonder, “Who is this crazy woman taking pictures of inanimate objects?” Clearly they do not belong to this particular discussion board, because if they did they would ‘know’ that details are appreciated around here!

Back to the masks!





























































There are lots of jester-ish faces and figures hiding on balconies around New Orleans Square…

Up next, in Part 8 of Day 2, I continue exploring New Orleans Square – but Mask-a-Palooza is going to come to an end soon.

[mvf-m11c]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Bret -

I wonder if Earl of Sandwich will stop taking the AP discount. Maybe that's why it hasn't been listed on the AP site yet - perhaps they are going to stop taking it.

I don't know about that Tables in Wonderland card for $100. That doesn't sound like it would work for every situation - only for some.

So, let me get this straight - if you want to use your AP at WDW for table service restaurants, you have to eat at certain times to get the discounts? You can't just go and eat at any old time of the day to be able to use it? And only some of the table service restaurants accept the AP discount? You can't use your AP on the counter service places at all? Interesting (but not in a good way)! That whole set-up almost makes DLR's AP a bargain!

When the DLR Premium AP went up $150 this year, my first thought was that Disney would do the biggest price increase then, right before Cars Land opened, and then do much smaller increases over the next couple of years. For example, they used to raise the DAP and PAP by maybe $30-$50 a year. The $150 increase on the PAP was massive, so I am guessing that the next couple of increases will be much smaller. They could have broken it up so that instead of $150 at once, it was $50 each year for the next couple of years. They wanted more money up front, to get back a little of what they spent on CL and BVS. I think that Disney would be absolutely out of their minds if they tried another $150 increase on the PAP this year.

Aside from the AP prices, Laurie/DizNee Luver and I have discussed how Disney has also gone crazy with their hotel prices. Yes, all of the onsite hotels are expensive, but in the case of the PPH they have gotten ahead of themselves. Laurie and I both love the PPH, whereas a lot of people had no interest in staying there for years.

Now that the PPH is starting to get many more bookings, the prices have gone way, way up per night. Even an AP doesn't get you anything more than a 10% discount now - all of the good AP discounts seem to be gone. But the problem is that even though the PPH is a nice place to stay, it is in no way worth what Disney is charging for it. The DLH and GCH are big properties with grounds to explore - they are more like real resort hotels. The PPH does not have that kind of property. It is much smaller and there isn't really much to it, so the prices that Disney charges for the PPH per night without discounts ($300+) are totally outrageous because it is not a $300 per night hotel!

I wonder what direction Disney will take (in terms of prices) with this whole "fiscal cliff" situation that we are dealing with in America. It is sounding like a lot of people may be taking big pay cuts and/or getting huge tax increases, and more jobs will be lost, etc. If this happens, I really think there will be a drop in attendance at DLR. I know that it may be cheaper to go there than it is to go other places for a weekend, but I think that is millions of Americans suddenly get hit with those cuts and increases, Disney parks will suffer for a while.

That will be very disappointing if Disney doesn't continue the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich since it is only a couple of months since it opened. I'll find out if they still have the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich.

The Tables in Wonderland card is an option for buying if you are an AP holder, DVC members and Florida residents so you can save 20% off at participating sit down restaurants at WDW. If you are eating at a lot of sit down restaurants at WDW then it is worth purchasing it since you can 20%.

That is correct of what it says on the AP discounts for the sit down restaurants. If you just have the AP discount and don't have the TiW card, there are specific times that you can get the discount. Here is an example: If I am eating at Teppan Edo restaurant at the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT and the only way I can get 10% off the regular price of food and beverages (excluding alcohol/tax/gratuity) during lunch from Monday through Friday. There are some restaurants without the TiW card you can get the discount. While most of the restaurants at WDW accept the TiW, there are some that don't accept the TiW card. I don't know which ones that don't accept them but just like at Napa Rose where they don't accept the AP. That is correct that you can't use your AP for the quick counter restaurants which seems ridiculous. DL AP is a real bargain where you can get discounts at the quick counter and sit down restaurants.

There was no question that the Premium AP went up to $150 is for the new Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. I would expect the same thing when Disney increases the prices of the tickets and AP middle of next year. Hopefully next year prices won't be that much.

The DLR hotel prices have gone up so dramatically the last couple of years where staying at PPH is over $200 during the slow season. I know that you love staying at PPH and people do have preference of where they like to stay. I love to stay at the GCH and would want to stay there again one day. It have been nice of staying off site so I can save some money and go back to Anaheim in the future.

There is no question that PPH prices are way to high and not even worth the price. It is disappointing that the prices at PPH is high and maybe one day they will cut down on staying at PPH.

With the economy going on today, I wouldn't be surprise to see attendance at the DLR go down next year.


Very nice pictures of the masks and instruments on the light poles around the alley of NOS. They did add a lot of masks around the alley of NOS the last couple of years and it does match the theme of the Holiday season at NOS.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

That will be very disappointing if Disney doesn't continue the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich since it is only a couple of months since it opened. I'll find out if they still have the AP discount for Earl of Sandwich.

The Tables in Wonderland card is an option for buying if you are an AP holder, DVC members and Florida residents so you can save 20% off at participating sit down restaurants at WDW. If you are eating at a lot of sit down restaurants at WDW then it is worth purchasing it since you can 20%.

That is correct of what it says on the AP discounts for the sit down restaurants. If you just have the AP discount and don't have the TiW card, there are specific times that you can get the discount. Here is an example: If I am eating at Teppan Edo restaurant at the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT and the only way I can get 10% off the regular price of food and beverages (excluding alcohol/tax/gratuity) during lunch from Monday through Friday. There are some restaurants without the TiW card you can get the discount. While most of the restaurants at WDW accept the TiW, there are some that don't accept the TiW card. I don't know which ones that don't accept them but just like at Napa Rose where they don't accept the AP. That is correct that you can't use your AP for the quick counter restaurants which seems ridiculous. DL AP is a real bargain where you can get discounts at the quick counter and sit down restaurants.

There was no question that the Premium AP went up to $150 is for the new Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. I would expect the same thing when Disney increases the prices of the tickets and AP middle of next year. Hopefully next year prices won't be that much.

The DLR hotel prices have gone up so dramatically the last couple of years where staying at PPH is over $200 during the slow season. I know that you love staying at PPH and people do have preference of where they like to stay. I love to stay at the GCH and would want to stay there again one day. It have been nice of staying off site so I can save some money and go back to Anaheim in the future.

There is no question that PPH prices are way to high and not even worth the price. It is disappointing that the prices at PPH is high and maybe one day they will cut down on staying at PPH.

With the economy going on today, I wouldn't be surprise to see attendance at the DLR go down next year.


Very nice pictures of the masks and instruments on the light poles around the alley of NOS. They did add a lot of masks around the alley of NOS the last couple of years and it does match the theme of the Holiday season at NOS.

Bret -

Thank you. Yes, there were a lot of masks in NOS! I figured I may as well get photos of all of them because, as you know, Disney will probably take away some of them or switch them for different masks in the next year or two. Just looking at PHXscuba's photo above reminds me that that particular mask was in NOS in 2010 but is not there now.

I have basically one more post of mask stuff, for the most part (although I do go back to NOS briefly later in the trip) and that's it.

That's very interesting, the way the whole TiW/Ap thing works at WDW. That whole dining situation in WDW sounds like too much work and too much to think about! I don't want to think about which day of the week or which time of day I can use my AP to get a discount, and I don't want to have to pay the $100 for TiW when I may want to eat counter service food.

I definitely think that if this "fiscal cliff" situation is not avoided and drastic things start happening with people's money, there will be no choice but for folks to stop going to Disney Parks for a while...and Disney will have to respond to the economical climate in America (like they did for a while with the recent economical problems that started in 2008 or so) by offering big discounts and/or not raising prices for a year or two.


Next post is coming right up...

[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 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 8

Good King Wenceslas looked out
on the feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night,
though the frost was cruel,
when a poor man came in sight,
gathering winter fuel.






In the last TR installment, I continued my Million Mask March around New Orleans Square on a very productive and photo-intensive Day 2 of my DLR holiday trip! You can understand now what I meant when I mentioned early on that I didn’t get into my “photo groove” until Day 2!!

Aha! More out-of-the-way, balcony-hanging masks! They can’t hide from me, though!




































This little creepy guy was just hangin’ around on a lamppost…



























Here’s another one! As I said in my last post, just when I would think I had found all of the masks…up would pop another one!






















Judging by the vantage point from which these photos were taken, it looks like this mask was one of the ones I had a hard time reaching (there must have been obstacles in the way)…

Up next, in Part 9 of Day 2, I bid farewell to the masks and finish up in New Orleans Square for the day; then mosey off to Critter Country – where there are no masks to be found! - for a change of scenery (and theme)!!

[sarahk0204]

Thank you, Sherry, for all of the beautiful mask photos. I especially like their liberal use of French Horns. As a French Horn player, I tend to notice that sort of thing. Looking forward to more.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by sarahk0204

Thank you, Sherry, for all of the beautiful mask photos. I especially like their liberal use of French Horns. As a French Horn player, I tend to notice that sort of thing. Looking forward to more.

sarahk0204 -

Happy New Year!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for saying something and letting me know I wasn't completely alone out here! I haven't seen you around here in a while so I am glad you popped in to comment.

Thank you, also, for the kind words. I am usually a pretty harsh critic of myself, but I thought that some of the photos (mask and otherwise) turned out to be pretty good.

Yes, they do use that French Horn quite liberally in the masks, don't they? Perfect for the Mardi Gras theme. The masks are really quite ornate and elaborate, as you can see. I was greatly enjoying getting up close and kind of looking at the details - they are all made up of the same sorts of elements such as beads, faux jewels, feathers, ribbons, lace, etc., but yet they are all so different in color and theme. Some of them are more dramatic than others; some are more whimsical; some are more mysterious; some are more glamorous.

When I was done with the masks I kept thinking there must be more somewhere that I was missing! I couldn't accept that I had found the last mask. I just knew that there must be some spot that I overlooked, around some corner, where there would be even more masks! A hotbed o' masks! I was a little sad when I looked all over and didn't see anymore. I even waited for people to finish eating and vacate a table outside of Cafe Orleans so I could get to one specific mask!

Without looking at what's next in my albums, if I recall correctly I think the next stop in the trip is Critter Country, and then Adventureland is not far after that. I never really spend any time in Adventureland taking pictures (there are no Christmas decorations of any kind in that land), so I wanted to take a few photos around the area just to have something...anything.

And then later in that same day (Day 2) there will be Candlelight Ceremony/Processional photos, nighttime It's a Small World Holiday photos and nighttime Winter Castle photos...PLUS another trip to Earl of Sandwich (visit #2)!

But I do make another quick visit to New Orleans Square on Day 3! Stay tuned!!