Christmas - Done Differently

[blessedmom4]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

Yes, we are very blessed to have Disney as our playground!
That is MY goal!
I hope you get to see them some year soon!
Me too!
Appreciate the prayer. He is doing great. Grumpy is sick and spent most of the day in bed.
Praying Grumpy gets better. I am not well myself, taking my Elderberry to knock it out I hope!

Originally Posted by lovethattink

Merry Christmas! Thank you!

Can you believe that about Buzz? I will be back another day to report. I was shocked when I heard the rucous. Dh saw the fists fly.

Sadly I do believe it. When the boys were younger we witnessed a fight between two women at the Teacups including pulling hair, shoving children and calling security. It was unreal and shook us up.

You can never have too many Christmas Wishes!

[kaoden39]

Originally Posted by blessedmom4

Sadly I do believe it. When the boys were younger we witnessed a fight between two women at the Teacups including pulling hair, shoving children and calling security. It was unreal and shook us up.

You can never have too many Christmas Wishes!

I will never understand why people feel the need to be like that. I believe that life is too short and precious to wasted it being like that.

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by blessedmom4

Sadly I do believe it. When the boys were younger we witnessed a fight between two women at the Teacups including pulling hair, shoving children and calling security. It was unreal and shook us up.

You can never have too many Christmas Wishes!

Wait! Was it THE FAMOUS fight at the tea cups? I don't understand how people can be like that. I'll never understand that.


Merry Christmas! Thanks for the wishes!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

I will never understand why people feel the need to be like that. I believe that life is too short and precious to wasted it being like that.

Me either.

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Well, I am here and have spent my time reading your trip report, and looking at your wonderful pictures.

Anakin looks so cute dancing. I would have gone home too if I was Goofy. Anakin's hat is so cute!

Apple pie cupcakes? Hmm..... That is one cute gongerbread cookie. I love it's M&M eyes. What a great looking Santa. What a great Gators hat!!

Kacy would love that bag. It is so cute. Anakin and the birthday boy are so cute. They look like they had a lot of fun.

Wow they gave you a lot of towels didn't they? They opened a Earl of Sandwich in DTD. I am anxious to try it next time we go to Disneyland. The trees are so pretty!

Lovely a battery eater. It never fails that is the toy they like the most. What a nasty CM, she obviously does not have the magic. Wow the whole set up sounds less than ideal. That is not good. Your fireworks pictures are so good.

I really enjoy the castle pictures with the carousel in front of it or is it behind?

The story teller looks so cool. It's great way for kids to learn things that they may never have the chance. I love that Anakin gets so immursed into the stories. I love the jugglers pants.

I cannot even imagine the hours and people that it takes to make that gingerbread house. My blod sugar went up just looking at the pictures.

I love watching the glassblowers in Disneyland. I have been known to stand in the store watching them. I haven't done it for years but they are truly artists. I love the nutcrackers and the storyteller from Germany's outfit. So very cute.

Norway is cute! Too funny about Anakin letting the cat out of the bag. How funny! Anakin really looks like he was a having a ball.

I love the nativity. But, the lights! Wow! I think you could spend hours looking at the lights and never notice everything. It is rather overwhelming isn't it? Love the car! Now that is a fan!

Originally Posted by kaoden39

Merry Christmas! Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope your leg is feeling better and you were able to prop it up.

We've really been enjoying the Christmas festivities at WDW.

[kaoden39]

Originally Posted by lovethattink

Wait! Was it THE FAMOUS fight at the tea cups? I don't understand how people can be like that. I'll never understand that.


Merry Christmas! Thanks for the wishes!



Me either.





Merry Christmas! Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope your leg is feeling better and you were able to prop it up.

We've really been enjoying the Christmas festivities at WDW.

I can understand why. It is just beautiful!

[lovethattink]

Saturday December 22

This day was cold. We had an ADR for 3:10 at The Plaza Restaurant. Besides that, we had nothing else planned. I had hoped to meet up with a DIS friend, but that didn't work out. Hopefully there will be another time.

We arrived at the TTC and got a great parking spot! We could tell the park would be full. The parking lot was filled, yet when we arrived they were just starting to park cars in the AAA diamond parking area. We hit it lucky!

Anakin was proudly sporting his big brother's old Flyer's jacket. (Oh how we wish there was hockey!) As soon as he got out of the car he wanted to go home. He didn't like the cold air touching his eyes again. You can tell it was cold, Disney had their plants protected.



Right away he pulled his hat over his eyes just like he did at Epcot. And said he'd like to go home.



Captain Bob came up to him and tried to make some conversation. Anakin got distracted by the baggie of trading cards that the Captain took out of his pocket.



He gave him a few of the boat cards! We had never seen the boat cards. He has a few monorail cards and was very excited about the boat cards and forgot about the cold air.

Once we got into the MK we had some time to spare before our ADR. I went over to the Santa Claus M&G to see when Santa would be back. There was a cm there who told me 2:20pm. The Move It, Shake It parade was just starting so we had some time. We went over to the fire station to get some SotMK cards. We were on a mission to find the 4 cards that Anakin's friend does not have. We got one of the 4!

They were testing out the new shirts when we got there. Somehow if you wear the shirt while playing, it powers up your card to the highest level.



We went back to the Santa M&G to wait. There was nothing marked to let us know where to wait. So we just assumed the queue would be at the same place it was when we saw Snow White there after Anakin's VEEG.



Another family arrived at the same time as us. They had asked a cm what time Santa would be there. That cm told them a different time than what we were told. And he told them to wait at another spot. To be safe, we kept Anakin where he was parked and I got in line behind those people. The cm who told them where to stand left the area. "Our" cm returned. She redirected everyone to form a queue where we had Anakin parked.

She and Anakin really hit it off. She found him entertaining and he really liked her candy cane basket.



Santa arrived at the time "our" cm said he would. The other family complained that he was 10 minutes late. I don't think the cm who answered them ever worked at the Santa M&G and just guessed at answers. He was wearing a different costume than the people at the M&G.

Santa came out to everyone in line and greeted everyone. Then he took Anakin by the hand and escorted him to the M&G.







At the exit was "our" cm! She told Anakin he was her favorite guest and she gave him extra candy canes. He was so happy! He told her this is the best day ever.



We still had time to spare before our ADR. We walked around some stores and checked out the menu at Tomorrowland Terrace.

I saw this Harvey bag I hadn't seen before.



A skywriter was up in the air. From where I stood in Tomorrowland, this was all I could see.



The Tomorrowland Terrace Menu











We contemplated skipping our ADR and eating here. We were hungry. Instead we arrived early for our ADR and gave our name. We were given a buzzer and sat on little wall and watched the castle show until our buzzer went off.

We were very happy to see Chef Ken working! We have eaten there several times when he wasn't working and usually saw Chef Connie. It was great to see Chef Ken. He asked how Grumpy was doing and pulled up a chair and sat down with us for a minute. He told our server that we are his family and that even though there are no allergies he was going to be taking care of us. He remembered what Anakin orders and that he loves grapes.



He was happy to hear that Grumpy was in culinary school. He and Grumpy had many conversations over the years. When Grumpy was in 7th grade and diagnosed with food allergies he thought his dream of becoming a chef was shattered. It was Chef Ken who encouraged his dream and said that the allergies could give him an advantage because he already knew about cross contamination and substitutes.

Continued...

[lovethattink]

As dessert came out, the parade started. Much to my surprise, it was the Christmas parade and we had the best seats in the house!!

















After lunch we went to Buzz Lightyear. The fast pass line was no where near the fast pass entrance. A cm held a sign and was trying to keep the queue in order. Once we figured it out, we were good to go. Once inside the building, the family in front of us was acting up. The dad had the daughter in a headlock and they were thrashing to and fro. We gave them plenty of space because they came close to crashing into us a couple times. I was so busy keeping and eye on them, that I missed what was happening in the stand-by queue. I heard someone say a disgusted, "REALLY!?" Then I heard shuffling. Dh said fists were flying a two adults were slinging it out. A very small cm, not much taller than me and nice and thin, politely came through our line toget to the standby line. Another cm was keeping our line moving. When I looked back again the cm and the people swinging it out were gone.

After the ride, we heard music and went to check it out. Surprise #2, it was a Christmas show with characters!















The crowds were pretty thick. Anakin was a bit anxious. We decided to walk to the Contemporary and check out their gingerbread display.











When we arrived at the MK we noticed the NBC popcorn coffin. My niece has a huge NBC collection. I knew I had to get her one.







Continued...

[WDWRids]

Hi! Merry late Christmas!! Hope you all had a great holiday. Great report......cm's were awesome again..loved Santa and the chef! That bag is fantastic! Ive got to have one! Do you think they have online? Ill check in the morning. Amazing location for the parade.

Cant believe the fight.......some people!

[blessedmom4]

WONDERFUL day Tink or as JJ would say Best day EVER! Well, except for the juvenile fight at Buzz I can't stand things like that. LOVE how good the CM's are with JJ and he looks so happy with the Candy Canes. His hat fits him perfectly and is perfect for hiding his eyes and staying warm. I am with him, I like it warm (not hot either). Thank you for sharing such awesome pics/memories with us! AWESOME spot to see the parade and then a show as well! yes, Best Day EVER!!!

Okay you asked if it was THE famous fight at the Tea Cups we witnessed...what was the famous fight, this one was pretty bad....and scary....

Give JJ a hug from his long haired girls! Keep one for you. I wish I was in Florida (but NOT at Disney with all of the crowds).

[mommy2mrb]

what a magical day you had! so awesome Captain Bob took the time with Anakin and bonus getting the boat cards!
yay for being first to see Santa and another wonderful CM!
so great Chef Ken remembers you all and takes the time to visit!
nice photos of the parade and party...love Mike in the santa hat!
so awful about the fighting in line, people are so rude! hope they were banned from the park!

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by WDWRids

Hi! Merry late Christmas!! Hope you all had a great holiday. Great report......cm's were awesome again..loved Santa and the chef! That bag is fantastic! Ive got to have one! Do you think they have online? Ill check in the morning. Amazing location for the parade.

Cant believe the fight.......some people!

Merry late Christmas right back at you!

The cm's really are wonderful. It's a big part of what keeps us going to Disney over the other central FL parks.

They are Harvey's bags. I think they should be available online. They are rediculously expensive and made out of seatbelts. I have a red one and it very quickly got dirty. I can only imagine how easy the white one would show dirt.

The location for the parade was at our table inside The Plaza Restaurant! Best seat in the house for sure!

Originally Posted by blessedmom4

WONDERFUL day Tink or as JJ would say Best day EVER! Well, except for the juvenile fight at Buzz I can't stand things like that. LOVE how good the CM's are with JJ and he looks so happy with the Candy Canes. His hat fits him perfectly and is perfect for hiding his eyes and staying warm. I am with him, I like it warm (not hot either). Thank you for sharing such awesome pics/memories with us! AWESOME spot to see the parade and then a show as well! yes, Best Day EVER!!!

Okay you asked if it was THE famous fight at the Tea Cups we witnessed...what was the famous fight, this one was pretty bad....and scary....

Give JJ a hug from his long haired girls! Keep one for you. I wish I was in Florida (but NOT at Disney with all of the crowds).

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,340229,00.html this was the famous tea cup case.

It was true pixie dusting getting that location at the restaurant. It was perfect for parade viewing.

Originally Posted by mommy2mrb

what a magical day you had! so awesome Captain Bob took the time with Anakin and bonus getting the boat cards!
yay for being first to see Santa and another wonderful CM!
so great Chef Ken remembers you all and takes the time to visit!
nice photos of the parade and party...love Mike in the santa hat!
so awful about the fighting in line, people are so rude! hope they were banned from the park!

Thanks. I just love the hand in hand with Santa. Reminds me of the Mickey commercials.

There are 3 Chef Kens, perhaps more. We have run into a different one at the Coral Reef and another I hear works at V&A's.

Mike and Stitch were dressed for Christmas, but I didn't catch anything on Buzz?

We heard alot of hot tempers at Disney and we were only there a couple hours that day. It's peak season. I don't think most people really understand what peak season means? I think it was in the Unofficial Guide to Disney that I once read something about being able to jump in the air and just have the crowd transport you, lol. That's almost sums it up. It's busy, lines are long, and it's whatever you chose to make out of it. We chose a slow, relaxing pace. Santa, lunch while watching the parade, Buzz and the show in Tomorrowland, before heading over to the Contemporary. We really did have a best day ever.

[mommy2mrb]

oh my on the tea cups fight! people are just crazy!

I've already told Megan not to expect to ride everything next year...the trip will be about seeing the decorations, storytellers, parties, lights and just taking in all of the christmas magic!

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by mommy2mrb

oh my on the tea cups fight! people are just crazy!

I've already told Megan not to expect to ride everything next year...the trip will be about seeing the decorations, storytellers, parties, lights and just taking in all of the christmas magic!

If you get to a park at RD, the queues aren't bad. But there is just so much extra to do from Thanksgiving through New Year's. You'll be amazed at how many extra food and snack carts they add. People watching can be fun too.

[lovethattink]

Leaving the MK we saw the new rfid entrance.







I've often wondered why the trash cans at the Contemporary are so plain and the ones at the Yacht and Beach Club are so pretty?



It has been years since we've been to the Contemporary. Years ago, we use to go every other Friday night for pin trading. So lots of memories came back. Back then Grumpy had to cast members who looked for him, Dottie and Barbara. Sadly Dottie has passed and Barbara has retired. Grumpy use to draw pictures for them, bring them goodies, etc.

It was nice to see Bay Lake Tower up close.



And the Contemporary





Inside the Contemporary, 1st floor





The elevator





4th Floor




























[/IMG]

[mommy2mrb]

can't wait to see all the decorations! know it will be so magical!

sorry your pin trading buddies are no longer there, what great memories though!

[lovethattink]

Originally Posted by mommy2mrb

can't wait to see all the decorations! know it will be so magical!

sorry your pin trading buddies are no longer there, what great memories though!

I'm sure you'll just love all the decorations!

They were very special to Grumpy when he was young. They ran the kid's trading board.