"IF I HEAR SLEIGH RIDE ONE MORE TIME" - A Nov 2012 Holiday Extravaganza UPDATED 10/18

November 26th Part Three: More Osborne Lights
We spent over an hour wandering around and taking everything in.











Minnie Mouse!



In the top righthand corner, there’s a Once Upon a Time billboard. That meant I was able to get in my requisite Stare at Josh Dallas/Prince Charming’s Face time while enjoying the Osborne Lights. Multitasking is the best.



Mom and I made it into that picture. Ha.









That bright white light is the moon. I think. Maybe it’s just a giant blob.

I feel like I should have a lot to say about the Osborne Lights because they are totally awesome, but, as I sit here staring at my laptop, I’m having a hard time putting the experience into words. I think it’s just one of those things that is meant to be experienced. Not talked about. Not written about. Even the most descriptive words don’t do it justice. It’s all about the visual.

Once we had our fill of dancing light goodness, we headed over to Pixar Place to use the Toy Story Mania FastPasses we’d picked up earlier.



I got my highest score ever! Mom didn’t really try.

After that, we took the bus back to POP and got the car.

The path to the 70s parking lot passes by Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead.



So fun. Pop Century is great.

To fully put the unpleasantness behind us, we drove over to Downtown Disney for dinner. We actually made it to a parking spot this time. :rotfl:



I love that fountain.

We dined at Wolfgang Puck Express. Duh.

Mom had the Four Cheese Macaroni, Dad had the Meatloaf, and I had the Four Cheese Pesto Pizza.



It was very good. All of WPE’s food tastes so fresh and it was great combination of flavors.

We browsed through the Christmas store and then swung by Goofy’s Candy Co. after dinner. I got my usual – a Mickey Rice Krispy Treat dipped in white chocolate, rolled in peanut butter chips, and drizzled with milk chocolate. It’s delicious.

As we were walking back to the car, “Call Me Maybe” was playing somewhere. I, of course, felt the need to sing along. I was in a great mood because we had a wonderful evening, the bad stuff was behind us, and the trip wasn’t totally ruined! Singing along and dancing to a cheesy pop song in the parking lot felt like the right thing to do. I had that song stuck in my head for the rest of the week, but it was worth it.​
 
It's such a double edged sword...you want to go WITH people but they aren't always on the same page as you with plans. Like...AHH...ENJOY YOURSELF WITH ME DOING EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!!! IS THAT SO HARD?! :lmao: Jk.

I am reluctant to attempt solo adventures too. I mean, I guess I have before and it really did turn out FANTASTICALLY but...it would've been so much better if I had someone to share it with.

And to conclude...in all honesty...

I have a dream! I have a dream! I just want to see those dancing lights just gleam!!
 
The decorations on Hollywood Boulevard are the cutest. I especially enjoy the Minnie Mouse kick-line that happens in one of the store windows. SO CUTE!

I completely agree about the Osborne Lights. You really can't describe them in a way that will ever do them justice! They're amazing. That's basically all you can say. :laughing:

So glad you had a great end to your day!
 
Not a huge Idol fan myself, but one thing it does have going for it is it's different every time since it's park guests performing. Still not a must see for me but certainly ok if I do.

Ugh, definitely another iPad hater over here. Not the unit itself, but what you described. I just don't get holding it up to record video, and I will never get that. I particularly hate it during Wishes. :furious:

I completely agree on your assessment of the Osborne Lights. They need to be seen by everyone in person. Amazing! I'm glad you got to see them when they first turn on. That is truly mind blowing!
 


You're completely right, there just are not words that can describe that awesomeness that is the Osborne Lights. It's been many years since I last saw them and I'll never forget how incredible they were. Someday... I'll have to go back during the Christmas season! :santa:
 
I've never seen the lights, YEEET! However I shall, & I can only hope that I can also see a billboard containing the cast from my favorite show of all time, is there much better in life than that? Hmm.. I'll think about it, but I think NOT!

Great updates! Love, love, love!
 
OMG that Jedi princess volunteer sounds so cute.

I loved the Osborne Lights so much that I swear the next time I go during the holidays I am going straight to Hollywood and sitting on the street until they light up. It was seriously just like getting caught in a cloud of Christmas magic.

Did you find the purple cat? I looked for it in your pictures but I didn't see it. Didn't really expect to though, it's not something most people capture when they aren't trying to.

What flawless choices at Wolfgang Puck's! All my favorites.
 


It's such a double edged sword...you want to go WITH people but they aren't always on the same page as you with plans. Like...AHH...ENJOY YOURSELF WITH ME DOING EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!!! IS THAT SO HARD?! :lmao: Jk.

I am reluctant to attempt solo adventures too. I mean, I guess I have before and it really did turn out FANTASTICALLY but...it would've been so much better if I had someone to share it with.

And to conclude...in all honesty...

I have a dream! I have a dream! I just want to see those dancing lights just gleam!!
Exactly! I want people to do exactly what I want to do all the time. Boo compromise! :rotfl:
The decorations on Hollywood Boulevard are the cutest. I especially enjoy the Minnie Mouse kick-line that happens in one of the store windows. SO CUTE!

I completely agree about the Osborne Lights. You really can't describe them in a way that will ever do them justice! They're amazing. That's basically all you can say. :laughing:

So glad you had a great end to your day!
The Minnie Mouse kick-line is adorable! I can't believe I forgot to mention it since I stood there freaking out about it for a while. :laughing:
Not a huge Idol fan myself, but one thing it does have going for it is it's different every time since it's park guests performing. Still not a must see for me but certainly ok if I do.

Ugh, definitely another iPad hater over here. Not the unit itself, but what you described. I just don't get holding it up to record video, and I will never get that. I particularly hate it during Wishes. :furious:

I completely agree on your assessment of the Osborne Lights. They need to be seen by everyone in person. Amazing! I'm glad you got to see them when they first turn on. That is truly mind blowing!
Yeah, I don't know about this ipad-as-a-video-recording-device craze. Is it really more convenient for people to carry that around instead of a camera? I mean, I just don't get it.
You're completely right, there just are not words that can describe that awesomeness that is the Osborne Lights. It's been many years since I last saw them and I'll never forget how incredible they were. Someday... I'll have to go back during the Christmas season! :santa:
They are incredible. I hope you get back to Disney during Christmas soon!
 
I've never seen the lights, YEEET! However I shall, & I can only hope that I can also see a billboard containing the cast from my favorite show of all time, is there much better in life than that? Hmm.. I'll think about it, but I think NOT!

Great updates! Love, love, love!
Aw, fingers crossed the billboard will still be up when you finally see the lights! :thumbsup2
OMG that Jedi princess volunteer sounds so cute.

I loved the Osborne Lights so much that I swear the next time I go during the holidays I am going straight to Hollywood and sitting on the street until they light up. It was seriously just like getting caught in a cloud of Christmas magic.

Did you find the purple cat? I looked for it in your pictures but I didn't see it. Didn't really expect to though, it's not something most people capture when they aren't trying to.

What flawless choices at Wolfgang Puck's! All my favorites.
"Just like getting caught in a cloud of Christmas magic" is a perfect description! Disney should really hire you to describe things for them.

I did find the cat! It wasn't hidden very well. Or maybe I'm just that awesome at finding things. That's probably it. ::yes::
 
November 27th Part One: Enchanted Tales
Day Three was a Magic Kingdom day. Well, partially. Our day began at the Magic Kingdom.

We took the bus over and arrived right as the Welcome Show was finishing.



That wet cement prevented me from walking right down the middle of Main Street USA. I probably should have asked for my money back.











This was the first day where I really noticed/felt the lower crowds.



I’m so used to seeing a river of people flowing toward Space Mountain, but there was only, like, a handful of people in sight. Wild.





We headed deeper into the emptiness and decided to do Buzz Lightyear.



I’m pretty terrible at this ride. I can never tell what I’m shooting at. I pretty much just hold the trigger down and wave the gun around in the general vicinity of the targets. It has a very low success rate. :laughing: HOWEVER…I must have hit something good this time because I got a really high score. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replicate it for many reasons. Number one being that I don’t even know what it was that I hit. Ha.

After Buzz, I realized that I had once again completely forgotten that New Fantasyland exists now.

We ran over there. Or, y’know, leisurely walked. It’s vacation.



I love these walls. A lot. Is that weird? They just feel right. Like, even though they’re new, it felt as if they’d been there forever.



Enchanted Tales with Belle already had a 30 minute wait. Well, a posted 30 minute wait. We figured it would be shorter. We were right.



A cast member handed me the wait-time-determining red card as we entered the line. You know the famous Kanye West tweet about how much he hates waking up on a flight with a water bottle next to him and thus having to be responsible for said water bottle?

That’s how I felt about that card.

It’s not bad when all you’re doing is quickly walking onto the ride, but I was stuck with this thing for 20 minutes. I don't like being responsible for things! The card is on a lanyard, but did I wear it? No. I just stuck it on my wrist with my camera and dropped it every time I moved my arm. My brain doesn't often fail me, but, when it does, it results in some spectacular displays of zero common sense.

Anyway…

Dad and I took a lot of pictures of the queue. It’s really pretty.













One of the great things about New Fantasyland is the view of Old Fantasyland it provides.

Is Old Fantasyland what we’re calling it?

How about Original Recipe Fantasyland?

Cinderella’s Backyard?

Fantasyland I? That sounds appropriately regal.

Regardless, the view of Cinderella Castle through the trees is tops.





 
November 27th Part Two: Be Our Guest
We continued through the queue.



The Beast’s Castle!!





It kind of looks like a doll house, but, like, a really cool doll house that you’d have to pay thousands of dollars for.





It’s a good thing they put in a drinking fountain because it is gonna get HOT out there in the summer. An almost entirely outdoor queue with very little shade doesn’t seem like the greatest idea. It’s gorgeous but I was getting sweaty and it was only November. Come 3PM in late July, people are going to be melting out there. Or getting drenched during the afternoon downpour. Either way, I hope Disney put in a good drainage system.



Soooo, that’s the queue. It’s an aesthetically pleasing place to wait. They play instrumental versions of the songs from Beauty and the Beast so that’s fun. The sun/heat will be a problem, but maybe it’ll be nature’s way of keeping the line shorter. Most people wouldn’t be willing to stand out there for very long, right?

Moving on to the actual show/attraction/whatever you want to call it, I really enjoyed it. Sure, it’s aimed at kids, but the Lumiere animatronic is neat and the magic portal is just plain cool, even for us grown-ups. The ooohs and ahhhs it elicits from the crowd are genuine and not forced like the ones on the Jungle Cruise. Which…I will never understand people who don’t find the backside of water genuinely awe-inspiring, but that is a complaint for another time.

I realize these “Let’s watch other people’s kids put on a play” type things aren’t for everyone but I happen to think this one is well-done. I actually cried while the little boy who was playing the Beast danced with Belle. He was adorable and it was adorable and omg I was sitting in the library and everything got to me and the tears started falling. Basically if you’re ever at Enchanted Tales and you hear some freak in the back openly weeping, that’s me.



That picture’s making me miss Belle’s old dress. The lace on the sleeves of her new one fills me with so much anger. Movie!Belle’s dress does not have that. I get that they wanted to “update” the look, but that sleeve lace came outta nowhere.



After Enchanted Tales, we got in line for lunch at Be Our Guest.







We joined the line a few minutes before the restaurant opened for the day which meant we didn’t have to wait very long before they let us inside. From my understanding, people line up a lot earlier now, but we were probably the 10th group in line in November.

















I'm sure you already know the details of Be Our Guest’s ordering system, so I won’t bore you with them. Having your food brought to you is a lot more convenient than having to juggle trays as you weave between tables while trying not to trip over small children.

Because we were part of the first wave of diners, we had our pick of dining location. After much contemplation, I chose the West Wing. It’s the coolest, I think. I mean, the rose is in there!



Sure, it’s dark, but being able to see the people you’re dining with is overrated anyway.

Kidding. It’s not that dark.

For lunch, Mom ordered the Vegetable Quiche and a bowl of French Onion Soup while Dad and I both opted for the Braised Pork.



I also got a Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake because reasons.

I thought the Braised Pork was delicious. It was really tender. The green beans had the perfect amount of crunch. The mashed potatoes were a bit chunkier than I prefer but still tasted good. The cupcake was yummy. It was an all-around enjoyable meal. Really hearty, too. It left me feeling quite full.

After eating, we quickly checked out the rest of the restaurant. I felt weird wandering around where people were eating, but I guess that’s what happens in such a well themed place. Everyone was doing it. We had plenty of visitors in the West Wing. All the camera flashes added to the ambiance. Or something.







Tale as old as time…

PS: I got an iphone over the weekend which means I've been messing around on the My Disney Experience app. My new favorite thing is its description of Ellen's Energy Adventure: Be entertained and enlightened on this zany 45-minute multimedia romp through time and Ellen DeGeneres's subconscious.

Zany. Multimedia romp. How does that ride not have 120 minute waits all the time? ;)
 
Is Old Fantasyland what we’re calling it?

How about Original Recipe Fantasyland?

Cinderella’s Backyard?

Fantasyland I? That sounds appropriately regal.

HAHAHAHAHHAA! Kara, you must submit these options to corporate immediately - they'll want to update the park maps to reflect their pick ;)
 
Wet paint on Main Street?... Vacation Ruined!:lmao: But still the prettiest "Wet Paint" display ever.

Oh wow, I'm glad you said that about the walls because I feel the same way. They've always been there.

However, I do feel completely opposite about the wait time card (although I get what you're saying). BUT I LOVE THAT THING! It makes me feel like a Disney Cast Member (although sadly unpaid but that's ok).

"Cinderella's Backyard" seriously cracked me up. OMG you have no idea. :rotfl:

Eventually I figure there will be a summit meeting with all the Fantasyland residents to hash out a deal to break down the walls (figuratively) and have just one big Fantasyland again.
So many options in the interim though... "Fantasyland" and "Fantasyland - The Sequel"; "Fantasyland Part Une" and "Fantasy Part Deux" (because French just sounds fancy), and many more.
 
YAY FOR UPDATES! WOO.


I absolutely love those walls, I completely agree that they were just meant to be there, like when I first saw them I was like, 'Wait... have those always been here?' then of course I got some of my brain back & realized that I'm an idiot, :)

I was so upset that I didn't get to do Enchanted Tales, because of the sole reason of the heat!
If we would've had to stand their for even 10 minutes I'm sure I would've died & my melted body would be just sitting there in the queue ruining people's day & I knew I couldn't do that to other, less sweaty, Disney guests.

I was wondering about the Old Fantasyland name, cause I just call it Fantasyland, & then New Fantasyland, but I feel as if that's just not enough, I think Fantasyland I was a good idea, send that on to Disney! pronto!

Yay for the West Wing! gotta love that rose,
& yeah, no one really needs to see your company, food, silverware, or anything else involved in eating, as long as I can see that rose!
 
HAHAHAHAHHAA! Kara, you must submit these options to corporate immediately - they'll want to update the park maps to reflect their pick ;)
Will do. :thumbsup2
Awesome update! :)
Thanks!! :goodvibes
Wet paint on Main Street?... Vacation Ruined!:lmao: But still the prettiest "Wet Paint" display ever.

Oh wow, I'm glad you said that about the walls because I feel the same way. They've always been there.

However, I do feel completely opposite about the wait time card (although I get what you're saying). BUT I LOVE THAT THING! It makes me feel like a Disney Cast Member (although sadly unpaid but that's ok).

"Cinderella's Backyard" seriously cracked me up. OMG you have no idea. :rotfl:

Eventually I figure there will be a summit meeting with all the Fantasyland residents to hash out a deal to break down the walls (figuratively) and have just one big Fantasyland again.
So many options in the interim though... "Fantasyland" and "Fantasyland - The Sequel"; "Fantasyland Part Une" and "Fantasy Part Deux" (because French just sounds fancy), and many more.
So true. There's just nothing like Disney's wet paint. ;)

Yeah, I understand the "feel like a CM" sentiment, I just hate having to unexpectedly be responsible for something.

Oooo those are some good ideas too.
Enjoying your review.
Thank you!! :)
YAY FOR UPDATES! WOO.


I absolutely love those walls, I completely agree that they were just meant to be there, like when I first saw them I was like, 'Wait... have those always been here?' then of course I got some of my brain back & realized that I'm an idiot, :)

I was so upset that I didn't get to do Enchanted Tales, because of the sole reason of the heat!
If we would've had to stand their for even 10 minutes I'm sure I would've died & my melted body would be just sitting there in the queue ruining people's day & I knew I couldn't do that to other, less sweaty, Disney guests.

I was wondering about the Old Fantasyland name, cause I just call it Fantasyland, & then New Fantasyland, but I feel as if that's just not enough, I think Fantasyland I was a good idea, send that on to Disney! pronto!

Yay for the West Wing! gotta love that rose,
& yeah, no one really needs to see your company, food, silverware, or anything else involved in eating, as long as I can see that rose!
Aww I'm sorry you didn't get to do Enchanted Tales. Darn FL heat.

I'm liking Fantasyland I too. :upsidedow
 
There's a lot of Beauty and the Beast in your MK morning and that makes me happy!

I love how diverse the quick service dining options are! It drives me crazy when people complain about how park food is just burgers and hot dogs. I'm like NO DO YOU SEE THE BRAISED PORK? That looks delicious! Although, amazing Disney food does ruin all other park food for me. My fiancé and I went to Kings Island in May and we were so disappointed, we wound up leaving the park for dinner!
 
PS: I got an iphone over the weekend which means I've been messing around on the My Disney Experience app. My new favorite thing is its description of Ellen's Energy Adventure: Be entertained and enlightened on this zany 45-minute multimedia romp through time and Ellen DeGeneres's subconscious.

Zany. Multimedia romp. How does that ride not have 120 minute waits all the time? ;)

:rotfl2:
Boggles the mind doesn't it?
 
IMPORTANT NEWS!!

Hello People Who Read My TR!

I haven't been around much lately (life, man) but I just wanted to swing by and say that I'm in WDW RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW. :yay:

That's right. I'm posting this live from our room at POFQ. We arrived this afternoon, hit the pool, and now we're stuck in here for a bit because of rain/storms/general sogginess.

If you want to follow along with my adventures, I'm on Twitter (lilmisscynic) and Instagram (LittleMissCynic). I'm here 'til Saturday so there are plenty of fun times ahead.

Well, that's all for now. There are Must-Dos to be must-done. Regular updates to this old thing will (hopefully) resume when I'm home. It'll help combat the Post Disney Depression. :)
 

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