Stop and Smell the Roses But Watch Out for the Bees! July '12 It's a Wrap Folks! 2.23

[TinksThree]

The Pool Area:

And the lobby...

And a few shots of the various buildings at night!!

After we had relaxed a bit in the room we tried to decide what to get for supper. We finally decided the food court was good enough. We had been traveling and had to be at the conference center at 7am the following morning! After all this really was a WORK TRIP…..

Once in the food court we began the chore of choosing what to eat. Two hamburgers, turkey/dressing combo and I got the Flank Steak (or London Broil), mashed potatoes and cauliflower. I only got a picture of mine since I didn’t want to freak them out too much. Plus I am the boss and I don’t want them to think I have lost my mental capabilities!

Here is mine!

Everyone was very happy with their food choices!! Mine was delicious and not what you would expect on a paper plate and using plastic utensils! It was very filling. This was my first time to get something other than typical food court food at one of the resorts. After we ate two of us decided to get ice cream. I got a waffle cone with cookie dough ice cream. Since it is Edy’s it was very good. Well, most ice cream is good but knowing the brand name insures you will like it. Well, okay, unless it is Blue Bunny which I do not like….but it is all about personal preferences…right? Well, this ice cream was delicious and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

We headed back to our rooms and got ready for the next day which as I said began with a 7am session! (Oh yeah and a little Christmas Party, too!!!)

 

[amandaw]

How fun that you got to stay at Disney for a conference!

I don't know that we'll ever do values again. We've done it once and didn't really enjoy the experience. Ed and I have finally admitted that we're resort snobs.

The dinner does look good though! And cookie ice cream...YUM!!!

 

[TinksThree]

How fun that you got to stay at Disney for a conference!

I don't know that we'll ever do values again. We've done it once and didn't really enjoy the experience. Ed and I have finally admitted that we're resort snobs.

The dinner does look good though! And cookie ice cream...YUM!!!

I am pretty sure value resorts will be a last resort for me now...two within a 6 week period was plenty!!!

The food really was good!!

 

[TinksThree]

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

We had full days at our conferences. And I mean FULL!! It was so much going on in my poor brain! I of course will not bore you with that so I have two days to report on that are Disney oriented. That would be “today” and then Thursday night. Since the conference meetings ended by 4pm for the most part, that gave us the evenings to do as we pleased!

The sessions we attended were left up to us to schedule so on this day we were done by 3:30pm. We had grand plans for the evening: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my first time to go during the holidays so this is as much a thrill for me as any first timer! I really didn’t plan much. I knew of some things to be sure to cover and then I let the others make whatever decisions and led them about their way.

Since you can begin arriving at 4pm, we got back to the resort, freshened up, headed to the buses (which we had direct, no sharing with the other All-stars. I liked that!), and we were soon arriving!!!

Once we got there, we got our wrist bands and I snapped a quick picture of the train station:

Then we headed to Main Street USA!! Many pictures in this area!!

Then we began to make our way down the street. I thought about something I wanted to purchase and we went into the Emporium. Then I realized it was party specific and wouldn’t be put on the floor to sell until 7pm. So, this meant time to find something else to do! I knew right where to take them!

We headed in the direction of the Haunted Mansion! I took them through the interactive queue and that was a huge hit!

The wait was practically nothing so we were soon picking up some hitchhiking ghosts! They loved this!!!! (I need to add that it was just three of this on this night and later in the evening we met up with the fourth that goes to WDW all of the time.) I knew they would really enjoy it!

Then we decided to find food. By this time it was around 5:45pm. We headed to Columbia Harbour house but it was already closed. So we decided to move on down the pathway towards Big Thunder Mountain. We got there and the wait was 40 minutes. Our time was way too precious so we headed off past a closed Splash Mountain and wound up at another quintessential MK ride: Pirates of the Caribbean. We head in and go to the right. We followed the line going to the right and wound our way around when suddenly we ran into a very long line from the left. I made a comment about how odd it was we were just merging in like that. I had never experienced that before.

A few minutes later, a woman makes a snide to us comment about us coming from that direction. “ Why would you be coming from that direction? The line is over here? You are coming from the exit.” I (nicely) responded back that the rope was down and people were filing that way past a CM. I Ieft it at that but I think that if there was an issue with the way we went 1) the rope would have been blocking the way and 2) the CM would have redirected those going that way. I can’t help it that she chose to go in the line that was longer. Anyhow, we loaded into our boats and we were soon off chasing those mean ol’ pirates!

The new mermaid portion that was just added (although not a great picture)

And a few more pictures. I didn’t take a lot of ride photos since this was my fourth time just this year!

We finish up with POTC and decide food is greatly needed!


Continued in the following post....

 

[TinksThree]

So I decide that Cosmic Rays is where we will go. We begin making our way to Tomorrowland. First, though, the lights on the castle have been lit so it was mandatory to snap a picture or two here!

We get into an extremely crowded Tomorrowland and find Cosmic Rays. We planned to eat and then ride Space Mountain but as we were eating and they looked over the map/times other things caught their eye so we don’t hit too many rides after this!

We all ordered the grilled chicken sandwich w/ fries. I went to the toppings bar and got grilled onions and mushrooms. This was okay but definitely not great. I really wish I had gotten the rotisserie chicken but oh well, that is neither here nor there! But I doubt I go that route again! At least it filled me up. The fries were good though!

We finish eating and head towards the castle for the show they do. Along the way we stopped for a few more castle pictures.

Then we get there just before the show starts. We manage to get pretty close to the stage area.

The show looked like it would be very cute but about 4 minutes in the show suddenly stopped and announced that the presentation was cancelled.

Well, that was disappointing but we decided to hang around and wait for the parade.

So next up is the Castle show and the Christmas parade!!!!

 

[amandaw]

Your Christmas pics are making me so excited to go back during that time this year.

Sounds like y'all were off to a good start for the night!

I love all the castle light pictures but my favorite is the one with the Mickey head balloons in front of the castle.

So odd that show got cancelled. Wonder what happened?!?

 

[Angies1274]

I really enjoyed reading about your July trip!! It was so much fun to compare notes since we were there at the same time! Thanks for sharing!!

Yay for a mini-trip report! How exciting to go back during the holidays!! We still haven't made it yet...hopefully someday! In the meantime, I'm enjoying your pictures from MVMCP! Your castle pictures are just beautiful!

 

[TinksThree]

I would like to apologize for it being almost a month for me to respond....so rude!!

Your Christmas pics are making me so excited to go back during that time this year.

Sounds like y'all were off to a good start for the night!

I love all the castle light pictures but my favorite is the one with the Mickey head balloons in front of the castle.

So odd that show got cancelled. Wonder what happened?!?

I really want to go back during that time on our next trip to really soak it all in plus I want to go to Epcot too! How lucky you guys are!! I took a not too good picture with the balloons photo bombing and almost tried an angle leaving them out but as I focused in it looked kind of cool so I took it...glad you liked it!! The show didn't seem to have anything wrong and then it stopped. It must have been behind the scenes but it was odd.

I really enjoyed reading about your July trip!! It was so much fun to compare notes since we were there at the same time! Thanks for sharing!!

Yay for a mini-trip report! How exciting to go back during the holidays!! We still haven't made it yet...hopefully someday! In the meantime, I'm enjoying your pictures from MVMCP! Your castle pictures are just beautiful!

It was fun following along with you on your July trip too! It is neat to see how others spend the same time in WDW!

Glad you enjoyed the mini-trip! It was really neat being there during Christmas. I love taking those castle pictures so thanks!!

 

[TinksThree]

To anyone still sticking with me...I am going to wrap this thing up so this may include a whole lot of posts!! I apologize for the delays but things in life just get so hectic sometimes. I am thankful mine isn't due to anything bad since I know a lot of people are dealing with a lot of difficulties. My only excuse is my job has been kicking my tail and taking care of my family on top of it means I don't have time nor feel like being on the computer in the evenings. So please accept my apologies!! I believe most of my readers have "left" this TR or else in the same situation as me!

Back to MVMCP where we have been waiting for the parade after the cancelled show....

It was about a 20 minute wait. We were right in the hub and actually found good spots to view.

Soon the parade was coming and oh my goodness!! I loved it!! It was so much fun!! And the smells!!! Heavenly!!!!

It began with a whole gang of characters and very festive music!!

Then Mickey and Mickey appeared!!

And then Mr. Scrooge (at least I am pretty sure! )

Followed by Daisy and Donald!!

And then Chip and Dale!!!

Soon the Princesses began to arrive to the party!

First here is one of the Seven Dwarfs:

Snow White and the Prince:

Cinderella and Prince Charming:

Continued in the following post.....

 

[TinksThree]

Then my favorite parts began rolling through!!!

Goofy and his float full of the smells of candy!!

Then the "one that smells like cookies"!!!

And I was super excited to see Toy Story make an appearance!!!

Toy Soldiers come marching through!!

Followed by reindeer and Santa!!!

After the parade we decide to hang out for the fireworks. While we wait, we get a volunteer to go find the cookies and hot chocolate. That hot chocolate was some of the best!! The cookies were okay but that hot chocolate—YUMMY!!!!

While we wait, more castle pictures....

We see the new castle laser show but really the hub right in front of the castle is way too close! It doesn’t have the same effect. I did get a few pictures though…

Continued in the following post.....

 

[TinksThree]

Then we get a call from our fourth person that she was in the park. We leave to go find her and then the fireworks begin. We had a terrible location in front of the Crystal Palace but the others were so amazed by the firework show that even the bad spot did not keep them from enjoying the show! I guess what you don’t know…..

On our way into Adventureland, we see this band playing Christmas music!!

We find our co-worker at POTC but since we had already rode that we chose to skip it and made a night run on BTMRR! That ride is so much fun at night and again they LOVED it!! We almost rode again since there was no wait but we were getting tired and I still wanted to see the new Fantasyland.

We skip it’s a small world which I wanted to take them on since they had never been but we were really feeling that 5:30am wake-up call!

We make our way to Fantasyland and soon we are entering the new area. I snap a few pictures but it is dark. And the Little Mermaid Ride is down so I leave slightly disappointed. But there will always be next time!!

Before we leave we decide to do one more thing: Mickey’s Philharmagic!! This is one of my all-time favorites and again it does not disappoint!!! I tell them they will really enjoy it and again I am correct!!

On our way out we stop to view the murals at the castle:

And snow on Main Street!!!

We head out but first a stop at the Emporium for a little souvenir shopping! Then it is farewell until next time!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Nothing Disney related on this day but I did want to mention an off-site restaurant: Maggiano’s. It is located on International Blvd. This is a chain restaurant and I have heard of it and it was recommended, however, I have never been near one to try. This place is so good!! We did the family style meal. For the four of us we had three appetizers, 4 entrees and two desserts. We couldn’t even fathom finishing a minor portion of this food! It was so good and I highly recommend this place!!


Thursday, November 29, 2012

We spent this evening touring a few resorts. Mainly I wanted to see the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian. We started out at the Contemporary since we were on the monorail. We looked around a bit but nothing spectacular here. I did go into a gift shop. I wind up at five or six before I find what I am looking for. I will come to that at the end of tonight.

But this is what I found at the Contemporary!!

Continued in the following post....

 

[TinksThree]

That is one big mixer!!

Then we head off to the Polynesian. We stay here, go to the beach area and back to the monorail.

Then the Grand is in our sights!

This resort is just a little too much for me but if I ever stay here it will be at Christmastime! This place was beautiful and they had an orchestra playing Christmas carols. The tree was huge and lovely and the gingerbread house was way too cute!!! So a few pictures!

Continued in the following post...

 

[TinksThree]

We make it back to the Magic Kingdom and the bus area as the sun is setting...

We can’t decide what to eat and decide to head to Downtown Disney. Once there we have a hard time finding a place not super crowded! We go into a few stores. I am still looking for one item that alluded me. I did make other purchases though!

We decide to leave and try to find a place to eat off-site but then we smell something good….fried chicken. We stop at Pallo Camparos and decide to give it a try. This was actually very, very good!! And so affordable! I got the fried chicken and fried plantains. I also added a spicy chicken empanada. All of it was delish!!! Definitely give this place a try. They have other options than fried chicken including grilled chicken and chicken strips. I wanted the chicken strips but I was going to have to wait since they had a run just before we got there. I didn’t feel like waiting…

Oh and a thought…there is a toppings bar and it also has tortillas. If you get strips, a great way to make a wrap!

We exit Downtown Disney and I head to POP. Why? Well, back in October, Keith had purchased a hoodie (he is so super picky on this one!) but he got his regular size which was too small. We learned that trip to buy a size up because 1) I got a hoodie for myself that Chris now has, 2) I tried on a hoodie for myself and had to go up a size from my normal and 3) Keith bought a hoodie in his size and needed to go up a size and now I own this hoodie as well! Lesson learned!!

Well, I told him I would get one to replace the one I now have. I went to 6-7 stores over the time we were there and could not find one. We had bought Keith’s at POP so as a last ditch effort I go by there. Can you believe that in Everything POP they had 1 hoodie left and it was the one size he needed!!!!! Score!!! So now he is the proud owner of a black hoodie with Mickey Mouse on the front! Yes I said Mickey Mouse!!

The other funny thing about this is that in 2009 when the kids and I went alone, I bought him a t-shirt identical print wise but in blue. He refused to wear it because of Mickey and at the time he “hated” Disney. I am not bringing that fact up to him. He chose what he refused to wear just a few years ago!!

So that was my added bonus trip to Disney!! I can’t wait to book a holiday trip!! I am already planning it out and I am crossing my fingers it will be next year!

Here are a few of the things I purchased on this little trip!!

A shirt for me!

A the elusive hoodie I searched all over for!

And this is how some of those items were utilized once home!!

Friday, November 30,2012

We attended a few more sessions and flew home. But since that time I have to share (no new trips planned) that Keith has had us spend the weekend watching Toy Story…all 3. He also made me sit on a bench at the local outside shopping mall during some Christmas shopping. He told me to close my eyes and listen. The music sounded so much like Hollywood Studios and it brings back memories…awwwww, maybe I am winning him over! Maybe a trip will be in the nearer future than 2-3 years!!

 

[TinksThree]

So wrapping up this whole trip, there were a few things I learned on this July 2012 trip!

Things to take away:

• Going in the summer months requires a slower pace with afternoon breaks. If you do not do this, you will get tired and irritable! I think we didn’t think it was extremely hot coming from the south and live in humidity that you have to cut with a knife, however, it still requires rest and lots of water!!

• As so eloquently spoken in The Waterboy, “Tour Groups are the Devil!!!" I had heard and read about Tour Groups for the last few years. After experiencing them I now know why people are always complaining. I will say that at least we never ran into any rude (well once in a restroom), loud (okay at Epcot during Illuminations), or “we are better than you because we are in a tour group (well, at Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom bag check) youth. In retrospect it really could have been a lot worse and more annoying. At least I was aware of the tour groups and knew to either run to the ride to jump ahead of them or go in the opposite direction. The few times we were unable to accomplish this…well, that was when the frustration was experienced!

• Park Hoppers!!!! Now that Keith has experienced Park Hoppers and the luxury they offer, we may never go without getting them added on! I had always decided to save the expense but since it was built into our military tickets we used them and used them well!!

• Try new things! Again with add-ons but the waterparks and more feature was more than worth it and I wish we had added it on Monday! But next time we will know to plan for it!

• Don’t be afraid to split up once in a while. This is especially true when you have someone that doesn’t care for a certain park or experience. I know we are lucky with teens and can do this a lot more easily but it is still valuable information!

• Stop and Smell the Roses once in a while! This is a valuable lesson we learned. We made so many memories by not being afraid to change our plans on a whim or to just stop and observe. Any of you reading my October TR will see that we took this lesson to heart. Sometimes it is invaluable to simply slow down, take it in and not rush to the “next big thing”!

Can I have a “do-over”?

• Being sick on Tuesday was no fun! I am just glad I overcame it and did not have any major issues from it!

• Being stung by the bee was no fun and the brief anxiety over not knowing if I am allergic or not was no fun…but again I overcame and we still had lots of fun!

• Our final full day with the disgruntled attitudes was definitely a downer! Thankfully we managed to smooth the ruffled feathers and accomplish going to all four parks!

• The rain on our Typhoon Lagoon day was disappointing. Going to our less favorite Blizzard Beach and not making it back to Typhoon Lagoon. TL will be our goal next time we do the waterparks!

• Our meal at Kona Café. That was not a satisfying experience. I know (I hope) that it was a reflection of our entrée choices!

• Missing out on a few of my favorites: Mickey’s Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress, Festival of the Lion King. Plus not getting to try a few new things I wanted to experience: Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Fantasmic, Flight of Wonder, Tom Sawyer Island and the Tiki bird thing at MK.

Favorite Moments:

• Starting our trip at Cape May and a lovely evening on the beach at the Beach Club resort.

• Eating lunch at Via Napoli. Even though we had planned on dinner later in the week, the sudden change was exciting and totally worth it!

• Eating at Ohana was amazing and quickly became one of our favorite places.

• Hoop Dee Doo…need I say more?? (see a food trend here??)

• Eating at Yorkshire County Fish Shop: very good and affordable. I highly recommend!

• Having Park Hoppers and adding on the water parks and more feature. This added so much to our vacation!

• A wonderful night at 50’s Primetime Café and a little Pixie Dust added in for good measure!

• Being chosen to “perform” with the World Showcase Actors in England.

• Accomplishing Four Park in One Day!!

• Favorite rides/attractions this trip: Tower of Terror (of course!!); friendly competition at Toy Story Mania, revisiting Madison’s childhood rides (Dumbo and The Barnstormer/Great Goofini) and discovering Streetmosphere at DHS

• And most of all safe travels that were uneventful to and from Orlando plus making wonderful memories that can never be replaced!

A Final Ranking of the Table Service Meals:

I always rank our favorite restaurants from least favorite to favorite but this time I am going to do it slightly different and just give a ranking from 1 to 10 with ten being best. This ranking is not compared to the other restaurants and is based on this particular trip’s visit and not anything past or future.

RANK:

7 Cape May (Saturday Supper):

• This was our first visit
• Food was very good but something seemed to be missing. Looking back 5 months later nothing stands out…at all except the beef tips.
• The service was great.
• The desserts were very good!

10 Via Napoli (Sunday Lunch):

• We only had pizza but it was amazing!!! And the Sangria was very good as well! Probably one of the best I have ever had!
• I love the atmosphere of this restaurant.
• The service was wonderful and we even got a visit from the chef who was fun to speak to.
• This experience was great and this restaurant has made our top 10 of favorites!

9 Ohana (Sunday Supper):

• The food was extremely good although my steak was way too done. I now know I can request it rarer. The shrimp was divine! The dipping sauces were delicious also. The salad, bread, wings, pot stickers, noodles and broccoli were wonderful compliments. Then top it all off with the bread pudding! I just gained 10 lbs typing this!
• The service was good but our table location wasn’t great. We missed the entertainment part and just being able to hear and not see wasn’t very entertaining! This fact is what ranks this as a 9 and not a 10.
• Another restaurant to make our Top 10 list!

10 Hoop Dee Doo (Monday Supper):

• Do I really need to expound? Anyone who has read this TR or previous ones knows our feelings! This Dinner Show is worth every penny we paid out-of-pocket!
• Fried chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, cornbread and strawberry shortcake…really, can you complain?!
• Entertainment that is over the top funny! We laugh the whole time and just thoroughly enjoy this from beginning to end.
8 Sci-Fi Drive In (Tuesday Lunch)
• Great hamburgers and fries. Delicious milkshakes. Yummy onion rings. That is what I recommend here.
• Cool, relaxing, dark environment to escape from the crowds and hot heat of Hollywood Studios.
• Good service and fairly prompt.
• Good lunch option for us and the cost is relatively inexpensive for a table service meal.
10 Garden Grill (Tuesday Supper)
• Our first time here and we loved it! This is probably one of the best character meals there is at Disney!
• Very, very good service!!
• Food was plentiful but you do have to ask for more since it comes out in small portions. I do have to say it makes me feel better than knowing all of the food that gets tossed at Ohana!
• The restaurant itself is unique and since we love Living with the Land it adds up to a very enjoyable experience.
• It isn’t loud and full of commotion as other character meals are!
• The characters visited our table several times and spent a good amount of quality time with us.
• Definitely one we will be returning to and maybe on the Top 10 list!

8 T-Rex (Wednesday Supper):

• We have gone every visit and the restaurant is just fun, although loud. We love the meteor showers!
• The service was awesome this time around.
• The food was okay. For some reason we noticed the food more this time around but I loved my special! And the burgers are huge!

10 50’s Primetime Café (Thursday Supper):

• This was an amazing dinner!
• The server was hilarious and fun and everything a server at 50’s PTC should be! Plus he gave me a light-up Tinkerbell!
• The food is pure comfort food and has never disappointed!

5 Kona Café (Friday Supper):

• Food was nothing special.
• Service was pretty good . No complaints in that category.
• Overall, this was the most disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high. That may be a hazard of reading reviews! I am sure we will attempt Kona again for dinner but order differently. I definitely want to hit this place up for breakfast, though!!

Well, folks, that is it! Thank you so much for reading along. Thanks for bearing with me during the many delays and interruptions! I really enjoyed reliving the memories and I hope you enjoyed reading about them. Of course I still have some adventures still to tell about so come on over to “And a Very Happy Birthday to ME!” if you aren’t reading already!! Until the next chapter begins…so long!!

 

[amandaw]

Good to see you back! I understand about being too busy to DIS!

Sounds like y'all had a nice time at the Christmas party! I agree with you - the cookies are ok but the hot chocolate is really yummy!

I love your pics of the resort tour! And Yay! for finding the hoodie!

Thank you for sharing your trips with us! I've truly enjoyed getting to follow along and relive your memories with you.

 

[TinksThree]

Good to see you back! I understand about being too busy to DIS!

Sounds like y'all had a nice time at the Christmas party! I agree with you - the cookies are ok but the hot chocolate is really yummy!

I love your pics of the resort tour! And Yay! for finding the hoodie!

Thank you for sharing your trips with us! I've truly enjoyed getting to follow along and relive your memories with you.

I have really felt guilty for being such a slacker but it just can't be helped sometimes! The party was so fun and 110% worth the additional costs! The resort tour was fun and I probably would have gone to more if my colleagues weren't tired from the day! The GF is amazing at Christmas!

I am so glad you enjoyed the report and hung with me! Now I need to get back to yours!!

 

[sherylcin]

So glad I got the latest update e-mail. I actually was in WDW when you posted your final trip update and your mini trip report (how cool!!). Since then, like you, life has just been too busy to DIS much. Anyway, the end of your trip sounded typically sad (to be leaving) but full of great memories and experiences. We were there two weeks in January and after all the planning those two weeks zoom by in a blink it seems like.

Love the mini-trip report. I think I'm going to get the chance to experience Christmas at Disney this year if everything works out. So I loved seeing all your pics, especially MVMCP. Isn't the castle just gorgeous with all those lights. Love it!! Glad you accomplished your "mission" to find the hoodie for Keith. I totally get that. I would have gone to POP too and what luck that they had ONE! Great job!! (I can't rest until I've exhausted every possibility when I have a "mission")

I'm going to head over to your Fall trip report and catch up with it as soon as I can.

Thanks for taking us along. It's very fun to see how everyone spends their Disney time!

See you around the DISBOARDS!!

 

[saintstickets]

Nice wrap-up Tinks. DW and I resort hopped during our December, 2010 trip to see all the Christmas decorations. Each resort has something unique but GF tops them all! It is such a beautiful resort all year but extra magic is added at Christmas!

It sounds like Keith is slowly succumbing to the allure of Disney. I think I see DVC in the future!

 

[TinksThree]

So glad I got the latest update e-mail. I actually was in WDW when you posted your final trip update and your mini trip report (how cool!!). Since then, like you, life has just been too busy to DIS much. Anyway, the end of your trip sounded typically sad (to be leaving) but full of great memories and experiences. We were there two weeks in January and after all the planning those two weeks zoom by in a blink it seems like.

Why do those trips seem to take so long to arrive and then they fly by!

Love the mini-trip report. I think I'm going to get the chance to experience Christmas at Disney this year if everything works out. So I loved seeing all your pics, especially MVMCP. Isn't the castle just gorgeous with all those lights. Love it!! Glad you accomplished your "mission" to find the hoodie for Keith. I totally get that. I would have gone to POP too and what luck that they had ONE! Great job!! (I can't rest until I've exhausted every possibility when I have a "mission")

I am so glad you enjoyed my little addition! I loved the MVMCP! I can't wait to go at Christmas and be on an actual vacation! I the castle!! So pretty!! I was getting worried about finding that hoodie!

I'm going to head over to your Fall trip report and catch up with it as soon as I can.

Thanks for taking us along. It's very fun to see how everyone spends their Disney time!

See you around the DISBOARDS!!

I am going to try and update the fall report....I think you may find you haven't missed much!

Nice wrap-up Tinks. DW and I resort hopped during our December, 2010 trip to see all the Christmas decorations. Each resort has something unique but GF tops them all! It is such a beautiful resort all year but extra magic is added at Christmas!

It sounds like Keith is slowly succumbing to the allure of Disney. I think I see DVC in the future!

Thank you!!! GF definitely topped the resorts I saw! It was so gorgeous!! I think he is succumbing!!!