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

[Sherry E]

Somehow I didn't realize there were new messages here (apparently dating back to 4 days ago)! I didn't get any e-mail alerts until Linda/azdisneylover posted! What's funny is that I was even in the TR section, commenting on other folks' trip reports, a couple of days ago and still didn't see that I had new messages in my own thread. I just assumed that there wasn't any new activity. I think that when a thread drops down past the #10 spot on the page (because the forum is hoppin' and many people are doing reports), I just assume that there are no new posts in it (and we can't always rely on the e-mail alerts).

Anyway, I still have one final Wrap-Up post to put up, to complete the December 2012 trip report. I was trying to search for a couple of links to include in it and couldn't find them, but I got an additional piece of info yesterday that I will add in to one of the paragraphs.

Originally Posted by rentayenta

Nice update and how sweet of your friend to treat you to breakfast. I'm still here.

Thanks, Jenny!

I'm glad you posted because you reminded me that I have to include a link to your last DLR holiday TR (from November 2011) in the brand new Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread. We hit the page limit on the previous Superthread, and I had to begin a new one. In the new thread, on Page 1, have a separate post just for links to holiday trip reports, both the in-progress reports and the completed ones. I put a bunch of them in, but I knew I was leaving out some specific ones that I wanted to include and I couldn't recall whose I had omitted. When I saw your post with the "Strike Yer Colors..." title, I realized yours was one I had intended to add to the list of links!

Yes, DizNee Luver/Laurie was very kind to treat me to Surf's Up. I felt guilty about it because it was not necessary! We were at separate tables, after all. Plus, she had also treated me to Goofy's Kitchen back in December 2011.

Originally Posted by lsulindy

Finally made it over here to check out your mask photos. Gorgeous photos! And gorgeous masks. I hope my crew will allow me a few moments to appreciate them! My mom used to have some hanging in our entryway when I was a kid and they really creeped me out! (She also had a huge painting of two owls in the living room. It was dark brown owls in a tree with dark brown/black leaves. The only color was the yellow/orange eyes of the owls. When you got up during the night, there were just these eyes looking at you. I don't know what she was trying to do to us!) Anyway, thanks so much for sharing. I'm glad they'll still be up for the Mardi Gras festivities during our trip.

Hopefully I can catch up with the rest of your report soon!

lsulindy -

Welcome! I'm so glad you made it over here, and I wish that I had seen that you posted before now! (I don't know why I didn't get an e-mail alert.)

Thank you! I knew the mask photos would be of particular interest to you, as you are a Mardi Gras attendee and a New Orleans resident. I definitely wanted to make sure that you saw the photos before your trip, as some of the masks are more 'out of the way' than others and not necessarily as noticeable. (Even Laurie/DizNee Luver didn't notice many of them!)

I am pretty sure that all of the masks will still be up during Disneyland's Mardi Gras celebration - I can't really see why any of them would be taken down. At first I thought that maybe the decorations/enhancement team might take down the masks that looked too Christmas-y and just leave the rest of them up. But the cool thing about those masks is that none of them - not even the red one - look too Christmas-y so they should all be able to stay up into March.

Many of the masks you will see if you kind of walk along the outskirts of New Orleans Square, parallel to the Rivers of America. There is a series of masks adorning the lampposts right along the pathway between NOS and RoA. And there are masks on both sides of those posts (which are not identical, but are the same theme and color). Those are the easier ones to spot.

Then, when you walk into the alleys and side streets of NOS you will spot more masks (like the red one and the white/gold one). There is one post with a mask located in the Cafe Orleans seating area (so I had to wait for people to finish eating before I could get to it!). There is a double-sided post/mask (the really cool one with the red & blue coloring) that is located sort of on the edge of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue. And then, of course, there are masks hanging from some of the balconies or ironwork.

Okay, I was about the painting of the owls! I must agree - that would have totally creeped me out to see those yellow eyes in the middle of the night. I think that anything that has a face of some sort - a painting or a sculpture or a mask - would start to unnerve me after a while because I've probably seen way too many TV shows or movies where paintings some to life, or dolls come to life, or whatever it is. Whenever something with a 'face' comes to life in TV or films, it's never a good thing!

Also - and I can't recall if I read this in your own Pre-TR or in another TR, as I read bits and pieces of many reports but don't always have time to pop in and comment - but I know you were saying that people have an idea about Mardi Gras in New Orleans as being this wild event all of the time, when it actually is quite family-friendly. I think you're right - the image that most folks (who don't live in NOLA) have is that Mardi Gras is one long debauchery-filled sort of celebration, and that it doesn't come across as necessarily family-friendly.

One of my (former) friends is from New Orleans and he has always talked about Mardi Gras as though it is as big of a 'holiday' as Christmas. He and his family always attend the festivities every year, including the young kids. He has never mentioned anything inappropriate happening at the parades or the daytime events.

I hope you get a chance to catch up on this TR but I totally understand the lack of time to do that, especially when you're preparing for your trip and working on your own Pre-TR!

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

Just got back a few days ago from my DLR trip and see that you have posted a new one. I will tell you a lot about the experience at GK during my visit which everyone in my party really liked it a lot. Thank you Sherry for the tips at GK.

Very nice photos from your room that morning. A little cloudy that night which is typical in SoCal.

Nice to see that you had breakfast at PCH Grill Surf's Up that morning with Liza and Laurie. I might have to try that character breakfast one day at the PPH. That was very nice of Liza and Laurie to treat you and take you home later that day. It was nice of you to write up about the PCH Grill Surf's Up breakfast and compare it with GK which you have eaten at a lot in your past trips.

I like all of your photos with the characters and it was neat that you were able to see Stitch that morning for breakfast.

Bret -

Thank you.

As I mentioned to you in your TR, I'm so glad that Goofy's Kitchen was a success - for the most part. Of course, it's not good that the 2 Princesses in the restaurant never made it to your table to meet DD2 since she loves Princesses. But at least the other characters came over and the selection of food was appealing.

I thought the clouds moving in made for more dramatic pictures that morning. The clouds added an extra layer to the sunrise photos that wouldn't have otherwise been there on a clear day.

It was very nice of Laurie to treat at Surf's Up, and for Liza to drive me home. I treated Liza to breakfast, so it got a little confusing for the server because he had to put my meal on Laurie's tab and then apply my AP discount to my bill for Liza's meal. But it all worked out okay!

Of course, we only saw Stitch. He didn't pose for any photos with us.

The main reasons I like Surf's Up are because Mickey is there, and Daisy Duck is there. It's good to have a character meal with Mickey, and I'm actually shocked that Surf's Up is not much busier than it is for exactly that reason - people want to meet Mickey. I guess that a lot of folks don't want to walk across the street to get to the PPH. I would bet that if Surf's Up were located in the DLH or in one of the parks, it would be much busier all of the time.

All in all, though, I'm a Goofy's Kitchen gal through and through and it would be hard for any other character meal to impress me soooo much that I put it above Goofy's.

Originally Posted by lsulindy

Where can I find your GK tips? We'll be doing that and Minnie & Friends. I don't know why but I tend to get flustered and frazzled at character meals, so any tips are appreciated!

lsulindy -

I don't know if I gave Bret/mvf-m11c any specific tips for Goofy's other than just sharing my experiences there. He knows that I've been going there a long time.

I've been eating at GK on just about every single DLR trip (with the exception of 2 or 3 visits) since 1992, and I've gone to DLR a lot since 1992. Goofy's Kitchen is definitely one of my few areas of Disneyland resort 'expertise,' I guess you could say (along with the holiday season, Halloween Time and the Paradise Pier Hotel) - especially the GK breakfast/brunch. So I just relate my experiences eating there after each trip, in this thread - except for that my usual GK companion stood me up on this past December 2012 trip so I skipped GK for the first time in a while.

Originally Posted by mvf-m11c

You can also find tips on the Character Meals Super Thread!! which will tell you everything about the character meals at the DLR.

Bret -

Thanks for posting the link to Laurie's thread. I'm sure Laurie appreciates it too!

Originally Posted by wiigirl

I love that lightning Mickey shirt!

wiigirl -

Welcome!

I'm glad someone else likes that shirt! I knew that most people would like the glasses ("HIP") shirt, but the lightning shirt seems to be hit or miss. I like it because I think it is a creative design, but also it can be worn during the Halloween Time season and make sense within that theme!

There was also a really cute DJ Mickey shirt that I wanted to get, but I had to limit my shirt-buying to 2 shirts.

Originally Posted by azdisneylover

Finally got caught up while everyone is asleep! DH will be getting up in a couple of hours to head out of town to work. (4 days out, home for 3, makes life interesting to say the least). Great trip report. Absolutely love all the photos, especially of the flowers. The yellow daisies during winter. Cool. I can't believe you only went on 3 rides the whole time you were there. I am glad you had a better trip than the one prior.

Hi, Linda!

I wondered where you had disappeared to and why you hadn't popped in to comment! I'm glad you made it back before the thread is closed (at Page 250, which will be soon). I figured you would have had some interesting observations about the awkwardly amusing 'table sharing incident' when I was eating my peppermint ice cream, but I think some readers skipped over that part.

Yes, the yellow flowers during Christmas time were quite funny. My favorite flowers were the vibrant red, white and green ones at the Candlelight Processional stage - which I couldn't even see at night, during the actual ceremony. They were only visible in the daytime.

Which Mardi Gras mask was your favorite? Which Adventureland mask did you like? I kind of think I like the 'teeth' mask that TK mentioned a while back!

The trip was better than the one in December 2011, but my friend still stood me up/blew me off...so that part didn't make me happy!

[PlutoRocks]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

Thank you, Dawn!

I really appreciate that you're still here (along with TK & PHXscuba). So many other former followers have vanished!

There were probably a good 4 or 5 black Mickey t-shirts in World of Disney that I liked enough to buy, but I wanted to limit it to 2. The lightning one (I agree - I like the coloring of it) sort of said "Halloween Time" to me, and the "HIP" shirt with the glasses was something I wanted since last June.

I'm sure that Surf's Up isn't always quite so fast-paced and hectic. There are probably other days I could go there and have a chance to get settled in. But that was not the day.

And I totally, completely know what you mean - I get grouchy and also don't adjust well if I feel rushed or pushed into changing gears before I'm ready! I like to do things at my own pace. I am so used to having that 'settling in time' at Goofy's Kitchen (and even at the Critter Breakfast) that I wasn't expecting Surf's Up to be a go, go, go type of situation because I'd always heard that it was less busy than Goofy's.

Here is the real issue - the core issue - that bugs me about my friend not showing up (and totally blowing me off, ignoring my messages): inconsistency. Yes, it is disrespectful and inconsiderate to totally ignore messages and to have no regard for the time it took me to contact her. And yes, it is sad that she didn't show up and that our tradition of a Goofy's Kitchen visit was tossed out the window.

BUT, the thing that really, really bugs me underneath everything else is when people behave inconsistently within a short time frame. When people act a certain way or say they will do certain things, and then just a few weeks later they suddenly act as though they never said those things or never made those plans, it frustrates me beyond belief. It's like certain people don't even want to acknowledge that they ever said X, Y or Z. It would be so easy to just say, "I know I said I would come and meet you, but [fill in the blank] came up and I can't." My friend would still be backing out on the plan, but at least she would be acknowledging that she did say she would come to see me at one point - instead of just not communicating at all and leaving me to figure everything out for myself.

So that is my main gripe - when people behave inconsistently in a short period of time and act like they don't even remember certain conversations/decisions/plans from before.

The Wrap-Up is coming soon - I was initially going to post a photo highlight reel/recap of what I did on the trip. Then I thought I might post a photo highlight reel of my favorite parts of the trip (which could vary slightly from the photos of what I did). Then I thought I might just post my favorite photos (since I said before I started this TR that I wasn't going to reveal which photos were my favorites at that point). So my brain locked up in trying to decide!

I would not mind the low 20's that you all are having in Phoenix at night if I could get some snow with that too! We have definitely dropped below freezing on some nights, and had many other nights of 35 or 38-degree weather. But there is no snow in my specific area of SoCal. There is snow (and even colder weather) in many other SoCal cities, but not in my neck of the woods. We had a wee bit of frost in the morning over this past weekend, but no snow here in the heart of L.A. Just once I would love to see some natural snow falling in L.A. I don't care what time of night it is - if I ever see snow falling in my neighborhood, I will bundle up and run outside!

However...although I would love to have your 20-degree temperatures (I'll just bundle up in every piece of clothing I have), you can have your extremely hot weather in the Summer and Fall! I do not want any of that heat!

Hi Sherry! Thank you for the thoughtful reply - sorry it took me so long to get back here. Good grief!

The inconsistency thing drives me a bit crazy too - just acknowledge that you initially said one thing and are now doing another. I understand things change and people change their mind but just acknowledge it.

I'll be off work all next week so I don't know when/if i'll have internet access. I'm going to the Phoenix Open (golf tournament) next week and my mom is having surgery so it is going to be a busy week.

Take care!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by PlutoRocks

Hi Sherry! Thank you for the thoughtful reply - sorry it took me so long to get back here. Good grief!

The inconsistency thing drives me a bit crazy too - just acknowledge that you initially said one thing and are now doing another. I understand things change and people change their mind but just acknowledge it.

I'll be off work all next week so I don't know when/if i'll have internet access. I'm going to the Phoenix Open (golf tournament) next week and my mom is having surgery so it is going to be a busy week.

Take care!

Hi, Dawn!

I appreciate that you took the time to pop in and comment, especially with limited Internet access and so much going on.

The inconsistency thing is really always at the core of most of my issues with friends (when there are issues, that is). People say or do one thing and then suddenly make a 180-degree turn and behave as though they never said/did that thing. People can change their minds or things can "come up," of course, but in the case of my friend Shawn she lives 5 minutes away from Disneyland and there would be little to no reason that she couldn't show up just to see me for a few hours. There wouldn't really be much of an excuse short of a family emergency or a serious illness. So I think that's why she got quiet and stopped communicating. She knew that any excuse she made would sound weak and so she opted to stay silent and not say anything rather than contacting me and discussing it. It's not a real "friend"-ly thing to do.

Have fun at the golf tournament! And good luck to your mom - I hope all goes well with the surgery!

[lsulindy]

I haven't had time to write the response that I want to write. I usually pop over to the DIS in 2-3 minute increments. But, I haven't forgotten and am not trying to be rude!

[guineapiggie]

Sherry, glad to see that your thread is still active. I actually thought about you today when I went to HK Disneyland. Yes, I am currently in HK until Thurs. Made it out to Disneyland today. Although, being a Tues, it was still very crowded with tourists.

Since HK Disneyland caters more to Chinese culture, you find a mix of Disney stuff and Asian culture. Chinese New Year is in less than 2 weeks, so you find lots of Chinese decorations mixed in with the Disney stuff (from window displays, to souvenirs, to foodstuff). I took a bunch of pics of window decorations since they are different than the ones at Disneyland. More of an Asian touch. I even bought some red lucky envelopes (Chinese people put money in these envelopes and give them to relatives for luck). The red envelopes have Disney characters on them with Chinese words for "luck". When I get back to the States I plan to do a TR and post some of my pics up.

[Sherry E]

This is 'one of those days,' as the saying goes. Big spills in the kitchen...cable mysteriously going out on 75% of my channels, and cable company has no clue why because on their end it looks as though I'm getting a signal...Internet browser crashing when I'm just about to post something...sigh... Fun fun fun.

Originally Posted by lsulindy

I haven't had time to write the response that I want to write. I usually pop over to the DIS in 2-3 minute increments. But, I haven't forgotten and am not trying to be rude!

lsulindy -

Oh, it's no problem at all! Believe me, I totally understand. It takes a lot of time to keep up with your own TR or Pre-TR and follow a couple of others regularly, let alone try to add in new ones to the repertoire.

I understand about the short increments too - I'm like that on Facebook. Sometimes I don't sign onto Facebook for a week or two, and if I do it is for a quick second (maybe to change my profile pic and "like" something that is right there on my News Feed) and then I sign right off. I suppose I do that here on the DIS as well.

I appreciate that you popped in again to let me know you're still there!

Originally Posted by guineapiggie

Sherry, glad to see that your thread is still active. I actually thought about you today when I went to HK Disneyland. Yes, I am currently in HK until Thurs. Made it out to Disneyland today. Although, being a Tues, it was still very crowded with tourists.

Since HK Disneyland caters more to Chinese culture, you find a mix of Disney stuff and Asian culture. Chinese New Year is in less than 2 weeks, so you find lots of Chinese decorations mixed in with the Disney stuff (from window displays, to souvenirs, to foodstuff). I took a bunch of pics of window decorations since they are different than the ones at Disneyland. More of an Asian touch. I even bought some red lucky envelopes (Chinese people put money in these envelopes and give them to relatives for luck). The red envelopes have Disney characters on them with Chinese words for "luck". When I get back to the States I plan to do a TR and post some of my pics up.

guineapiggie -

I appreciate that you thought to check in from Hong Kong! How exciting that you're there now!

I love the idea of the special Chinese New Year decorations/displays, as well as the red envelopes with characters! I would imagine that many of the decorations are different even outside of the Chinese New Year celebration because the culture is so different.

The TR should be great - I know that I (and whoever is following my TR silently out there) would probably be very eager to see all of your photos from Hong Kong Disneyland. I think there is some sort of forum for the international trip reports around here, isn't there? It seems like I've seen a forum. Is it the Global Neighbors forum? I can't recall. I'll check and see!

Have a great time!

[kaoden39]

I want a link when the Hong Kong trip report starts. I would love to see it.


Signed,
A Sometimes Lurker Named Michele

[tksbaskets]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I want a link when the Hong Kong trip report starts. I would love to see it.


Signed,
A Sometimes Lurker Named Michele

Ditto!

[PHXscuba]

OK Sherry, I'm ready for the wrap-up. I want to see which photos ended up being your favorites!

PHXscuba

[DizNee Luver]

Well I finally made it back over to see the end of your trip report!! Nice pics of Gavin's backside..... You should have just backed up like you were getting a picture of the whole area but then zoom in on him.....he would have never known.

I'm so glad you told me about the nutcrackers!! I just love my Mickey Santa one & might have to add to my collection.......

As for the character meal.....I still feel horrible that we forgot to wait....it would have been awesome having you both sitting with us. I'm usually so organized........ As for the treating you......consider it a Christmas Gift!!! It was my pleasure!!

I think you're probably right regarding Minnie & Friends.......We were probably at Minnie's 30 minutes before Mike & I were able to go up and get our food. The characters came one right after another. Great for pics & interaction.....but not always easy to actually eat the meal. Sounds like you got "jumped" right when you got to your table at Surf's Up......we usually have a few minutes before that happens, but it might depend on where the characters are in their rotation.

I do enjoy the different options and always avoid the scrambled eggs!!! lol I'm glad you're willing to try it again in the future!!

Goofy's Kitchen was really good for us this past December!! So it's back on my good list when it comes to our family. In 2010.....not so hot!! Always love the food there....so many choices!!! (our visit in Dec 11 was also a good experience).

Love the shirts!!! I've also noticed the shirts quality going down. I have a couple shirts I got years ago that are still in good shape, but one's I bought 2 yrs ago are full of holes. Derek says the thin tees are called California Tees and he said they were great for when he was in Florida......but for me to buy that style for Oregon wouldn't make much sense. Besides, I like knowing I have a good quality material! Especially for the prices they charge!

GREAT REPORT FILLED WITH AWESOME PICTURES!!!! Thank You!!!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I want a link when the Hong Kong trip report starts. I would love to see it.

Signed,
A Sometimes Lurker Named Michele

Sometimes Lurker Named Michele -

I agree. I am especially interested in seeing photos of things I haven't seen and places I will probably never go (especially if it involves Disney parks). In the Christmas Superthread, NewbieMouse was mentioning that she and her family are headed to Europe for 6 weeks (!!!!!) - which would be the trip of a lifetime in anyone's eyes, really, seeing that they are visiting Italy, England, France, Germany and other countries. They are just going to get in a car and drive around Europe. That sounds amazing! BUT they are also adding a day trip to Disneyland Paris while they're there!! I can't wait to hear about it and hopefully see photos!

Originally Posted by tksbaskets

Ditto!

TK -

So that makes 3 of us (you, Michele and I) ready to see some Hong Kong Disneyland photos from guineapiggie!

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

OK Sherry, I'm ready for the wrap-up. I want to see which photos ended up being your favorites!

PHXscuba

PHX -

I have not forgotten! After going back and forth about whether I wanted to post photos of the trip highlights, or post my favorite pictures, or post the highlights from both November and December, and also searching for some links to something I wanted to add into the Wrap-Up...I had to temporarily shift my focus.

First of all, my PC has been acting up soooooo much, on and off the Internet, and it will literally just freeze up for 20, 30, 45 minutes as a time (which it has been doing as I type this reply!). So I could be 90% done with something I am typing, and it freezes up before I can add in that last 10%. I just can't deal with it. Some threads I can post in without much difficulty and others I can't (like this one - probably because there are so many pictures in the entire thread and it's too much for the PC to load).

When the PC stepped up its rebellion against me in the last few weeks, I started to get nervous that it would give out on me before I was able to complete my overhaul of the new Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread (which I had to start in December when we hit the page limit on the old Superthread). I am revamping the first 7 or 8 posts on Page 1 of the new thread to include a lot of stuff (blog links and things) and different categories that I didn't have in the previous thread. I was afraid my PC was going to die before I finished that project. So I shifted focus to try to go about collecting various links and info that will eventually all be put somewhere on Page 1 of the Superthread. Some of the links have already been added, but there is still much more to do, as well as adding in thumbnails to certain posts, etc. Now is the best time to get it done - while the Christmas planning is rather quiet and the Superthread has been quiet.



Also, there are at least 3 people interested in going to Catalina for one day this year, based on seeing my Catalina TR and/or my "Free Catalina Express Birthday Boat Ride" thread, so I have been answering questions and dispensing info about Catalina in the California and SoCal forums.

So everything here had to be put on the back burner - fortunately, I at least posted the actual last installment of the trip itself (with the Surf's Up recap), so even if I didn't get to the Wrap-Up for another few weeks, at least the trip itself was concluded and not left hanging.

Originally Posted by DizNee Luver

Well I finally made it back over to see the end of your trip report!! Nice pics of Gavin's backside..... You should have just backed up like you were getting a picture of the whole area but then zoom in on him.....he would have never known.

I'm so glad you told me about the nutcrackers!! I just love my Mickey Santa one & might have to add to my collection.......

As for the character meal.....I still feel horrible that we forgot to wait....it would have been awesome having you both sitting with us. I'm usually so organized........ As for the treating you......consider it a Christmas Gift!!! It was my pleasure!!

I think you're probably right regarding Minnie & Friends.......We were probably at Minnie's 30 minutes before Mike & I were able to go up and get our food. The characters came one right after another. Great for pics & interaction.....but not always easy to actually eat the meal. Sounds like you got "jumped" right when you got to your table at Surf's Up......we usually have a few minutes before that happens, but it might depend on where the characters are in their rotation.

I do enjoy the different options and always avoid the scrambled eggs!!! lol I'm glad you're willing to try it again in the future!!

Goofy's Kitchen was really good for us this past December!! So it's back on my good list when it comes to our family. In 2010.....not so hot!! Always love the food there....so many choices!!! (our visit in Dec 11 was also a good experience).

Love the shirts!!! I've also noticed the shirts quality going down. I have a couple shirts I got years ago that are still in good shape, but one's I bought 2 yrs ago are full of holes. Derek says the thin tees are called California Tees and he said they were great for when he was in Florida......but for me to buy that style for Oregon wouldn't make much sense. Besides, I like knowing I have a good quality material! Especially for the prices they charge!

GREAT REPORT FILLED WITH AWESOME PICTURES!!!! Thank You!!!

Laurie -

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.

I just couldn't bring myself to snap a photo of Gavin when he looked right at me. He was standing next to Oswald's, but it was off to the side enough that I would have had to turn towards him to get the picture and he would have caught on to what I was doing.

The pictures that Mike got of Gwen and Kingston - especially that one shot, in particular - were so great, though. That one photo was so close-up and clear (and so obviously Gwen - there was no question about who it was) that I could easily envision it being posted in US or People, or some magazine like that. (Mike could have probably made a few bucks if he had submitted that specific picture to one of the magazines...)

Here is something I wondered about... Sometimes we all see those (obviously pre-planned) photos of celebrities with characters in the Disney Parks, like Will Ferrell and whichever character, or Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell and whoever, etc. They're always in front of the Castle or in some sort of PhotoPass location. Those pics usually pop up on the Disney Parks Blog. They are obviously not spontaneous shots, where a CM just happened to spot whomever it was roaming the parks. The photo ops were clearly set up.

So what I wonder is if, in exchange for getting 'lifetime free entry' to the Disney parks for certain celebrities, the celebrities have to do certain things like pose for the occasional set-up photo sessions in the parks (with the Plaids closely guarding them, of course). I would bet that something like that happens or is arranged, because you know that some (if not all) of these A-Listers are getting in free and Disney benefits from getting professional promo photos of the celebs in their parks.

I've also seen set-up photos of Sheryl Crow and her son in Cars Land, and Gwen/Gavin/their kids in the teacup photo spot in Fantasyland.

About the Nutcrackers - I'm so glad that you (and Liza) were able to get them. Disney cannot be trusted to sell those every year so you never know what will happen! I think you should definitely buy another one to give Santa Mickey a little friend! Besides, I would bet that Disney will add in new ones with different themes for the 2013 season.

You know, when I was researching and hunting down link after link after link to add to the Christmas Superthread, I stumbled upon a Blog about the Santa Mickey Nutcrackers. Apparently (from what it appears) the Santa nutcrackers first appeared in WDW in 2011, but just Santa Mickey. No others. Based on their popularity the Merchandise folks decided to add more varieties of the Nutcracker to the collection for 2012. And 2012 was also the first year that any of the Nutcrackers were sold at Disneyland Resort - so it was probably a direct result of the popularity of that one Santa Mickey sold at WDW in 2011!

As for Surf's Up - thank you again for treating. It was really, really nice of you - especially since I wasn't even at your table. If you and I ever happen to be at DLR at the same time again (for the holidays or for Halloween or whenever), I have to treat YOU to something. And don't worry about forgetting us! As soon as I spotted you in the restaurant and saw that you were all smiling and laughing and having a great time, I certainly didn't want to barge in on the fun. So I figured that Liza and I would quietly slip into the restaurant and wait for you to eventually notice us, or wait for a moment when it looked like we could go up without bothering you guys! We wouldn't have let you get out of there - and we wouldn't have left - without saying hello!

It was great to see you again. If I could get down to DLR for a day while you're there with the Divas, I would definitely meet up with you ...but it doesn't look like that will happen.

I will definitely try Surf's Up again. (I wish they would do a character dinner too - even just for only a couple of nights a week or something.) I didn't have a bad time there at all - in fact, I love the unique character selection (I can't believe with Mickey, Daisy and Stitch there that it is not busier than it is all the time!) and I think the interaction is fun. It looks like a great meal for kids because the characters are so 'present.' Also, I know that scrambled eggs at these buffets are hit or miss - so the next time I eat them they could be fantastic! I just wish I had more time to get settled and get situated, take in my surroundings, etc., before the onslaught of characters descended upon us. But that's just me - for other people, they want the immediate character attention so it would be perfect.

You know, I'd like to try Minnie & Friends once, anyway, even though I know the frenzied, frantic pace of it all would drive me nuts. I like the number of characters there and I would just like to be able to have that extra experience. I think I would just have to go there on a partially full stomach, knowing that if I wanted to get pictures taken with every character who came by I might have to give up the buffet! I would have to go in knowing that it was going to be all about the characters, and that eating food would be a bonus.

I saw your photos and read your recap of Goofy's when you first posted the pics in your TR - I was so glad and relieved to see that it went well for you this time and that it was a great visit. It looked as though the characters really went above and beyond what they normally do in terms of attention. They should be that way with every table, but I guess it's hard to devote that kind of time to every table so they sometimes don't deliver the goods to certain groups of people.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who has noticed the T-shirt material being thinner, and that you and TK have also noticed it! I'm not going crazy after all! Even as recently as 4-5 years ago I could still get a shirt that was made of thicker material. My blue & pink "paint splattered Mickey" shirt (which I got in 2008) is made of a better material than these recent shirts I got in December.

You make an excellent point about the shirts - the thinness of the material (a.k.a. cheapness) is great for a trip to WDW...or maybe to Las Vegas...or to Arizona...and even a trip to California. But it doesn't make much sense in Oregon...or New York...or anywhere on the East Coast...

And you are absolutely correct - the prices of those Disney shirts are not cheap, unless you happen to get a good one on markdown from the Disney Store online or something (I think I got a shirt marked down to $6.00 online a few years ago, and it was thin material - but for $6.00 I can live with it). With those price tags should come good quality and not just cute designs! Even with the 20% discount that the AP got me at World of Disney, and even though I used the $50 gift card that I got from Disney Vacation Club to pay for them, still...all tolled, at the end of the transaction, I ended up paying roughly $43 for only two THIN shirts that will probably develop holes in another couple of years. $43 is not cheap for two THIN T-shirts! It's a good thing the designs are clever - otherwise, I think I would be giving up my black T-shirt habit forever and ever!

[lsulindy]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

lsulindy -

Welcome! I'm so glad you made it over here, and I wish that I had seen that you posted before now! (I don't know why I didn't get an e-mail alert.)

Thank you! I knew the mask photos would be of particular interest to you, as you are a Mardi Gras attendee and a New Orleans resident. I definitely wanted to make sure that you saw the photos before your trip, as some of the masks are more 'out of the way' than others and not necessarily as noticeable. (Even Laurie/DizNee Luver didn't notice many of them!)

I am pretty sure that all of the masks will still be up during Disneyland's Mardi Gras celebration - I can't really see why any of them would be taken down. At first I thought that maybe the decorations/enhancement team might take down the masks that looked too Christmas-y and just leave the rest of them up. But the cool thing about those masks is that none of them - not even the red one - look too Christmas-y so they should all be able to stay up into March.

Many of the masks you will see if you kind of walk along the outskirts of New Orleans Square, parallel to the Rivers of America. There is a series of masks adorning the lampposts right along the pathway between NOS and RoA. And there are masks on both sides of those posts (which are not identical, but are the same theme and color). Those are the easier ones to spot.

Then, when you walk into the alleys and side streets of NOS you will spot more masks (like the red one and the white/gold one). There is one post with a mask located in the Cafe Orleans seating area (so I had to wait for people to finish eating before I could get to it!). There is a double-sided post/mask (the really cool one with the red & blue coloring) that is located sort of on the edge of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue. And then, of course, there are masks hanging from some of the balconies or ironwork.

Okay, I was about the painting of the owls! I must agree - that would have totally creeped me out to see those yellow eyes in the middle of the night. I think that anything that has a face of some sort - a painting or a sculpture or a mask - would start to unnerve me after a while because I've probably seen way too many TV shows or movies where paintings some to life, or dolls come to life, or whatever it is. Whenever something with a 'face' comes to life in TV or films, it's never a good thing!

Also - and I can't recall if I read this in your own Pre-TR or in another TR, as I read bits and pieces of many reports but don't always have time to pop in and comment - but I know you were saying that people have an idea about Mardi Gras in New Orleans as being this wild event all of the time, when it actually is quite family-friendly. I think you're right - the image that most folks (who don't live in NOLA) have is that Mardi Gras is one long debauchery-filled sort of celebration, and that it doesn't come across as necessarily family-friendly.

One of my (former) friends is from New Orleans and he has always talked about Mardi Gras as though it is as big of a 'holiday' as Christmas. He and his family always attend the festivities every year, including the young kids. He has never mentioned anything inappropriate happening at the parades or the daytime events.

I hope you get a chance to catch up on this TR but I totally understand the lack of time to do that, especially when you're preparing for your trip and working on your own Pre-TR!

My parents still have the owl painting in the garage. I need to take a picture of it. Sometimes I think that maybe I'm exaggerating my memory of it. And, then I see it again, and realize it's even creepier than I remember!! My son has started waking a lot at night. Maybe if I hang some big orange eyes on the wall, he'll be too scared to get out of bed!

Mardi Gras really is a family event. I'd never take my kids down on Bourbon Street, but away from Bourbon and Canal Street it's mostly families. One problem with the perception of Mardi Gras is that the family friendly stuff doesn't make good TV. But, also, the family friendly areas are not located near the hotels. And, with street closures and our already limited public transportation being closed, it is very very hard for a tourist to get down to the family friendly areas even if they wanted to. You'd have to take a taxi and with the crowds, I don't know how you'd ever get one to get back to your hotel at the end of the night. Tourists also don't have the "equipment" or ability to parade the way we do. For the big Mardi Gras weekend parades, a group of guys from our crew go out there in the middle of the night and camp out to save spots. They bring chairs and step stools and ladders to save our spot. Most people have seats installed on top of their ladders for the kids to sit in and wheels to pull them to the trucks to transport them. We meet up with them in the morning with ice chests full of drinks, snacks, and picnic lunches. We stay out there all day and the kids have fun running around playing, dancing, napping on blankets while we wait for the night parades.

That's just for the big "super crews." For the parades in the weeks leading up to that, it's far more laid back and we can just walk up to a spot right before the parade. But, Mardi Gras weekend with the "super crews" is when most tourists come into town, so that also adds to tourists having a different idea of things.

I've been on Canal Street and Bourbon Street one time for Endymion when I was in college. Never ever again. That is not MY Mardi Gras. Not just the debauchery, but the crowds. Miserable. If I were a tourist, and that was my only experience, I would think I hate it.

We went to a parade last night and came home with my husband's truck bed full of loot. Tons of beads, all different kinds of toys, light up toys, around 2 dozen footballs, finger puppets, glow necklaces and bracelets, 6 hula hoops and a ton of stuffed animals (some cheapo ones, but some REALLY nice quality. My son caught a nice Elmo that would probably cost at least $10. probably more at Wal-Mart and dd caught a nice penguin that was hugging a thick fleece blanket.) As a kid, I always thought that Mardi Gras was a holiday designed for children, and my kids feel the same way. I had no idea of the other, famous side of Mardi Gras.

Sadly, I really think the only way for a tourist to experience OUR Mardi Gras is if they know and stay with a local. And, that always makes me sad. Because people really are missing out. Well, the people wanting Girls Gone Wild aren't missing out. But, the clean fun is really fun!

My brother in law's family is from out of state and came down last Mardi Gras. After it was all over, my brother in law's brother in law said "I knew we were going with you and your kids, and I knew you said it was family oriented, but I can't believe I was here a week and I'm going home and didn't see a single ____ No one back home is going to believe me." I think his family was ready to call CPS when they found out they were bringing their baby down here for Mardi Gras. From what I hear, his family was none too pleased! He'll probably never convince them that it wasn't what they think it was!

[PlutoRocks]

Hi Sherry

Just wanted to stop in and say Hi...

Not much happening here - I had a great time at the golf tournament. My favorite guy won - which always increases the enjoyment factor, right?! It was a long couple of days with a LOT of walking and sunshine. I even got a bit of a sunburn but that's to be expected I guess when you spend 7-8 hours walking/sitting in the sun

My Mom's surgery went well - her recovery is up and down but she is making progress so that is good. Thank you for the well wishes - they were very much appreciated.

Take care! I'm going to go back and re-read the November posts and look at the pictures again...

[Markie Mouse]

Awesome TR!!! Again. Now I see what you mean by doing something unusual. Great I idea with the Mask pics. I would also like to thank you for the Goofy's Kitchen recommendation. I am doing 2 character meals on the next trip and was wondering which would be great but now I know, Goofy's kitchen for breakfast and Ariels grotto for lunch/dinner for my 2 leading ladies.

[jessinabox]

Late to the party! I've finally finished reading (ok...lurking) over your trip report and just thought I'd chime in before the thread was closed. Your pictures are great and have such detail. Some of my favorite pictures were those you took over at the pacific wharf area. You're right that it is commonly overlooked and you've given me a new appreciation! It's really opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of DLR that I'll be sure to pay attention to on my upcoming trip. You've also definitely sold me on a holiday trip! I've already told DH we have to go next Christmas!!