Nothing to See Here...

[Sherry E]

Here is the FIRST installment for today!!!

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

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 3 - Tuesday, December 11, 2012 – Part 7​

Angels we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight.






In the last TR installment I continued my photo-taking in Disneyland and ended up browsing some shops on Main Street.

More from the China Closet on Main Street…

Department 56 collectibles. Now that is one store that I was sad to see leave Downtown Disney. Department 56 was a great fit for DTD but they’ve been gone for a while.

People complain about Christmas merchandise coming out in October, or even in late September. My reasoning for it is that Christmas is a major, major holiday (the biggest of the entire year) so it makes sense to me that we see holiday things appear well in advance. People have gifts to buy, parties to plan for, decorating to do, etc. I’ve seen Halloween stuff pop up in August. Does that make much sense? Not really – it’s still summer - but because Halloween is becoming a bigger event that people plan and prepare for, I’ll deal with that. Plus, I love Halloween too so I don’t mind seeing traces of it pop up early.

But here is Duffy in his Valentine’s Day garb in the Disney Showcase store – on December 11th!! Valentine’s Day is not as major of a holiday as Christmas is, and it has taken back seat to Halloween as well, so does it really warrant merchandise hitting the shelves more than 2 months ahead of time? I don’t think so!

An in-store display (this display changes with the seasons)…

The Showcase store was the only place that still had some of the elusive Santa Mickey nutcrackers in stock. Both the China Closet and the gift shop in the Grand Californian had sold out of them.

I don’t really know where the time went. Compared to the previous day – Day 2 – I felt like I got virtually nothing accomplished. I kind of hit a ‘block’ in that I knew there were 150 things I should or could do while I still had time at DLR, but for one reason or another I didn’t feel like beginning most of them.

Does that ever happen to you? You kind of hit a point where you know you should finish doing all of those little things on your to-do list, but for whatever reason none of them seem appealing or feasible at that moment. It’s sort of the same thing as being so hungry that you get to a point where nothing sounds good to eat.

You see, this was the point – the third day in – at which, if I were going to be staying at DLR for another few nights, I probably would have taken the rest of the day and maybe even the next day to just hang out at the hotel and enjoy myself, and then reentered the parks a couple of days later with a second wind. I think I needed a bit of a break from the parks so that I could get inspired all over again to go back into DL or DCA and find interesting things to take photos of. There are a million things out there to take photos of, but if I hit that ‘block’ I can’t come up with any fresh ideas. That’s where a break from the parks comes in handy.

However, I didn’t have time to take a break. I would be checking out of the Paradise Pier the next day – Day 4 – and going home, and this was going to be my last night. It’s not good to hit a lull on your last night, when you know you have much more to accomplish.

I know I looked in a couple of other shops on Main Street and killed some time, but I can’t recall which shops I went into. That was the other thing – I kept asking myself if I wanted to use the $50 gift card from DVC right then, in the park, so I could tote whatever I bought back to my hotel room and pack it up or use it on my last day, right before going home.

At some point my brain just turned to mush. I was getting tired just thinking about what I should be doing or where I should be going and I couldn’t think anymore.

I sat down in a spot near City Hall that was close to where I had walked up and gotten my nifty Candlelight Ceremony/Processional seat the night before. I figured I’d hang out there for a while and try to decide what I was going to do, all the while keeping an eagle eye on the CP area to see if mobs of people suddenly swarmed into the roped sections to wait.

A couple of very nice ladies sat next to me, and they were eyeing the Candlelight Processional seating set-up as well. They were an unusual case in that at least one of them had an AP but had never heard of the CP before 2012. I began explaining what the CP was, who the narrators had been and were going to be, and how I got my seat on the previous night. I told them that I was certain if they waited around, they’d be able to get seats too because it was the same narrator again that night – Lou Diamond Phillips – and I couldn’t imagine that he would attract too many more people than he did on the previous night. They were both really big fans and lovers of Christmas in general, and they felt that they would enjoy the show if the seats were as easy to get as I explained they had been. (Of course, I was crossing my fingers and hoping I hadn’t led them astray and that they would be able to get seats!)

The two ladies and I talked for quite a while. I guess that somewhere along the way I must have unknowingly decided that I was going to see the Candlelight Ceremony/Processional one more time, as I didn’t know if this would be my last chance to see it for free, and quite so easily in the Town Square setting. I wasn’t sure if the CP would become part of a Christmas party in 2013 or possibly become a dinner package only-type of event. I wasn’t sure if the CP would relocate to DCA. Depending on what happens this upcoming holiday season, I may not be seeing the CP again.

Without ever really saying to myself “I guess I’ll watch Candlelight again,” just through the course of talking to the two nice ladies and encouraging them to wait for seats, I talked myself into seeing it one more time!

I also decided that I would complete my evening with one more stop at Earl of Sandwich on the way back to the Paradise Pier Hotel room. So I would end up spending the rest of my night – or my Day 3 – the same way I had spent the evening of Day 2….with Candlelight and Cannonballs! (See how I cleverly wove the title of this TR into the story?)



The two ladies – whose names I neglected to get, just as I neglected to get the names of the people I sat with on the previous night – and I walked to the exact same spot where I had stood the night before. Within a few minutes there were other people walking up to the same spot – younger people, older folks who came out only for this event, ladies in glitter and capes, etc. Again, just as it was on Monday night, everyone was in good spirits and happy to be there. No one was grumbling about the crowds or anything. Everyone was just happy to have a shot at seeing the CP when we all thought it would be so difficult in light of losing the AP lottery.

I observed that there were more seats being filled by the guests with actual wristbands, so, again, this backs up my realization that Tuesdays are a bit more crowded than Mondays in December.

But, in just a matter of maybe 10 minutes or so we were being escorted to seats. The CM asked me how many were in my party and I said “3,” to include the ladies with whom I’d been chatting. Even though I knew they would have been seated anyway, I wasn’t sure if the Cast Members would seat them in a section further back and possibly put me closer to the stage because I was only one person and it would probably be easy to find one empty seat to fill in the first few rows. So I wanted us all to end up with seats in the same place – I thought it was fair – which is why I said “3.” They thanked me for including them.

This time I was not 4th row center, but on the right-hand side of the seating area – maybe in row 6 or so. The seats were still good, but just from a different vantage point. I think the seat that I had on Day 2 was a little better, but this Day 3 seat was not bad at all. There were rows and rows of seats behind us that would eventually need to be filled, and some of those seats seemed quite far back. I was glad to not be in one of those back rows.

And the Candlelight Ceremony/Processional proceeded as usual…

LDP returns!

Up next, in Part 8 of Day 3 – the Candlelight Ceremony wraps up!

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the SECOND installment for today!!!

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

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 3 - Tuesday, December 11, 2012 – Part 8​

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go;
There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,
The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart.






In the last TR installment, after looking in some shops on Main Street I found myself chatting with a couple of people near the Candlelight Processional/Ceremony area, and talked myself into another night of Candlelight and Cannonballs!

The lights dimmed. LDP was chillin’ at the podium and mouthing the words to the songs as the choirs sang…

LDP was laughing when he mentioned that his wife and baby daughter were in the audience, but the daughter was asleep (as usual) during daddy’s performance.

Lou Diamond Phillips wrapped up the Ceremony in pretty much the say way he had on the previous evening. He mentioned the troops, the death of his friend Jenni Rivera, being kind to each other year-round, etc. And when he was walking off the stage down a short flight of steps, he tripped! Lol. He didn’t fall, but I saw him stumble over a step or two. I couldn’t help but giggle, as that’s probably what would have happened to me if I had walked down the steps!


I already gave my full review of the CP, my explanation about how I got seats and my thoughts on the CP possibly relocating to DCA this year, in my recap of it in Day 2 of this trip. So I won’t repeat myself except to say that it was just as lovely and wonderful the second time as it was the first time! The nice ladies I was chatting with also really loved it, so I felt good about sort of giving them that extra little ‘nudge’ to see it – because they had kind of been on the fence until I began explaining about it and explaining how easy it was to get a seat.

I was cold at this point – I was wearing a t-shirt and didn’t have a jacket with me, and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. I knew I wanted to head back to my Paradise Pier Hotel room with a meatball sandwich and start the slow, sad process of trying to repack my suitcase.

I knew that Laurie/DizNee Luver and Carrie/Escape2Disney were meeting at Trader Sam’s in the Disneyland Hotel at 9 p.m., and they’d asked me to join them. I would have probably done it if not for the fact that I knew I had to at least begin packing and try to get to sleep early that night. If I were not checking out the next day, it would not have been a problem to meet. But I just couldn’t do it.

So, back to Earl of Sandwich I went! The third visit to Earl on this trip!

This is the Bob-Dylan-meets-Axl-Rose of Downtown Disney…

The smell of Caramel Corn fills the air in Downtown Disney…

This is the Simon and Garfunkel of Downtown Disney (that reference may go over the heads of those of you out there who were not born during the Jurassic Period)…

Earl of Sandwich – my destination!

I ordered another Cannonballs! sandwich. When I got my order I told the girl behind the counter that they hadn’t put any mozzarella cheese on my sandwich the night before, and that they had given my friend a Mediterranean chicken wrap instead of a Chinese chicken wrap two nights earlier. I was met with a blank stare.

I said, “Well, I just wanted to let you know about these two things because you guys haven’t been here too long, and if mistakes were made on two of the nights I came in I can only imagine that mistakes have been made on other people’s orders too. Maybe you all can keep a close eye on whoever is preparing the orders.”

She replied, “Oh…I’m sorry about that,” and didn’t look all that concerned.

I took my Cannonballs! sandwich back to my room, chowed down, rested a bit and threw some things in a suitcase, with the rest of it left for the following morning. Day 3 had not been quite as productive as Day 2, but I needed to get to sleep anyway! I had to get up early the following morning.


(POST-TRIP UPDATE ON EARL OF SANDWICH: Since the girl behind the counter at Earl seemed kind of disinterested in what I was telling her about the mistakes that were being made, I sent an e-mail to Earl on their website quite a while after I got back home. I explained about the mistake they made on my order and my friend’s order. I told them that we both ate our sandwiches anyway but that I just wanted to let them know while the Anaheim location was still new so they could nip the problems in the bud before they continued.

To my utter shock, Earl of Sandwich mailed me some cards for FREE sandwiches! I was not expecting that at all – I told them very clearly that we ate the sandwiches in spite of the mistakes, but they wanted to make up for it!

So Earl of Sandwich is not only a pretty decent value at Disneyland Resort, and the food is pretty good, but they make up for their goofs! The employees in the actual restaurant may not care, but the management or whoever reads the e-mails does! Earl has scored big points with me because they did not have to send me those free cards at all, and I never would have thought that they would!)


Up next, in the one and only installment of Day 4 – another dramatic sunrise greets me. Then I meet up with fellow DIS’ers at Surf’s Up with Mickey. AND…the big reveal! I will show you what I bought with my $50 gift card from DVC (but it shouldn’t be too much of a shock!)!!!

After that one installment for Day 4, I will do a wrap-up post.

So we only have two more posts to go after this one and then we’re DONE!!

 

[rentayenta]

Good for Earl's for still giving good customer service.

Love the nutcracker Mickey's.

I think Lou Diamond is handsome.

 

[Sherry E]

Good for Earl's for still giving good customer service.

Love the nutcracker Mickey's.

I think Lou Diamond is handsome.

Jenny -

Lou is a nice looking man, for sure. He has held up pretty well. Of course he is older and it shows a bit, but he hasn't completely 'lost it.' He seems to have kept himself together. He appears to have a pretty upbeat attitude and disposition, which counts for a lot. We never hear crazy stories of Lou getting in drunken bar fights or getting arrested for drugs or whatever. He never even spoke negatively (that I know of) of his ex-wife, who left him for Melissa Etheridge oh-so-many years ago. He seems to be a decent, level-headed guy.

Plus, when LDP takes on these reality show challenges, i.e., "I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here" and "Rachael vs. Guy," he throws himself into them and wins! So he is clearly quite a capable, adept fellow at many things - it's surprising that he never became more famous than he did.

I adore the entire set of nutcracker Mickeys - the white soldiers and the sorcerers and the Santas - all of them. If I had the money I would have bought the set!

Yes, I was very impressed with Earl of Sandwich for sending those cards. That IS good customer service (even if it took place after the trip). I neither asked for nor expected any compensation. In fact, I complimented them and told them in the e-mail that they were a great addition to DTD in Anaheim, and that I would definitely be back to eat there.

My thinking was that, in a setting such as Disneyland Resort, while there will be a lot of people who sit down and eat at the restaurant, there will also be a lot of people who - like I did - take their sandwiches in the handy takeout bag back to their hotel rooms. And no one wants to get all the way back to their hotel rooms to discover that their order is botched up. So I figured that while Earl is still new in DTD Anaheim (they only just opened in early/mid-November), they can catch these mistakes and make sure the employees are doing a good job before they get too far along.

You just know that if there were two fairly substantial mistakes made in 2 out of my 3 visits to Earl on this past trip, they must have been making mistakes on other folks' orders as well.

 

[tksbaskets]

Two installments. This deserves a

I'm glad you decided to join the two other gals for the CP. What a great way to cap off your evening on day 3. That and a Cannonball!

I really appreciate good customer service. I'm sure EOS appreciated your feedback too.

Can't wait to hear what the DVC gift card was used for.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Finally able to catch up after being away for awhile.

Great pictures from that morning at the parks including the pictures of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

All the Holiday merchandise are very interesting and unique during the Holiday season which we have never seen in the past. They do sometimes reused Holiday merchandise from the past and it is nice to see some of the merchandise from last year where we could re-buy them.

A different angle from the CP that night than the other day but it was nice to hear that you had a great time at the CP with Lou Diamond Phillips as the narrator.

Very nice updates.

I still have a lot to do until my trip to DL in a couple of days.

 

[Sherry E]

Two installments. This deserves a

I'm glad you decided to join the two other gals for the CP. What a great way to cap off your evening on day 3. That and a Cannonball!

I really appreciate good customer service. I'm sure EOS appreciated your feedback too.

Can't wait to hear what the DVC gift card was used for.

TK -

The two ladies (whose names I should have gotten but didn't) were very nice. I'm so glad we did get seats! I would have felt like a fool if I had been going on about how easily I scored a CP seat on the previous night, only to not get any seats on this night!

I mainly just wanted to be sure that the ladies and I got the same seats. I had a feeling that if I told the CM I just needed one seat they might bring me up closer (to fill a random empty chair) and the other ladies with whom I had been chatting the entire time would end up a few rows back. I wouldn't have felt good about that, so just to level the playing field and make sure we all got the same seats I told the CM that the 3 of us were together.

Also, I should mention that there was a kind older gentleman (with his wife, I assume) who was brought up to that same 'standing area' by a CM and told to wait for a seat because he didn't have a wristband. He knew that I had been there longer than he was there (I wasn't there long, though), and when the CM's started letting all of us they were going to bring him in first, but he made sure to let them know that I was there first and to make sure I got a seat before he did.

So it was all good, and everyone was being courteous and considerate, I thought.

I think the service in the actual Earl of Sandwich restaurant could have probably used some work (some of the people taking orders were great, but others - like the one who didn't seem all that concerned when I told her about the mistakes - were not so great; and they obviously have to be sure that whoever is preparing the sandwiches gets the orders correct!), but the way they handled my e-mail after the fact went above and beyond what was necessary.

So I think the behind-the-scenes at EoS folks provided excellent customer service, and they probably did appreciate the feedback, as you said, TK - especially because the Anaheim/DTD location is so new. They need to know what is going on at this new location while it is still getting 'settled.' If there are mistakes being made early on they can catch them, find out who is making them, and make sure that he/she starts doing a better job.

I don't think you will be too surprised at the revelation of what I bought with my Disney gift card, but I will leave you in suspense until my Day 4 installment! Muahahahahahaha!

Finally able to catch up after being away for awhile.

Great pictures from that morning at the parks including the pictures of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

All the Holiday merchandise are very interesting and unique during the Holiday season which we have never seen in the past. They do sometimes reused Holiday merchandise from the past and it is nice to see some of the merchandise from last year where we could re-buy them.

A different angle from the CP that night than the other day but it was nice to hear that you had a great time at the CP with Lou Diamond Phillips as the narrator.

Very nice updates.

I still have a lot to do until my trip to DL in a couple of days.

Bret -

Thank you!

Disney is very sneaky with their holiday merchandise. They will put out certain things in one season - like a whole collection of 6 gingerbread cookie-themed items, for example (magnets, ornaments, snowglobes, etc.) - and then the following year/season they will bring back maybe only 3 out of the 6 pieces that sold the previous year...but not the entire set.

Or, they may sell something for a couple of years and then retire it altogether.

Or...they may sell certain things for several years (like the Toy Story-themed ornaments, with Rex wearing Mickey ears, and the Little Green Men putting on the sorcerer's hat, etc.), so it seems like you can get them any time.

The nutcracker Mickeys - the entire set of them - were brand new in 2012. The Santa Mickey nutcracker was an unexpected hot item and it was flying off the shelves. So I am guessing that for the holiday 2013 season, they will bring back Santa Mickey and order a whole bunch of them so they don't run out - BUT they will probably discontinue/retire one or two of the other nutcrackers in the set. Maybe they will replace those that they discontinue with brand new nutcrackers, or maybe they won't.

As the Cast Members always tell the customers, if you see something you like it's best to get it while you are there at DLR because you just never know if it will return the next year!

It was a different angle for the CP. I'm glad I at least got to see it twice, for free, in the Town Square setting - while being able to sit down. This year, who knows what will happen with the CP? It won't be the same vibe if it moves to the Hyperion, and I don't think I'd buy a dinner package for it.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[PHXscuba]

I'm seen Lou Diamond Phillips as a supporting character in a few cable TV shows in the last few years and I agree that he has held up well. He might not be a "popular" narrator but it sounds like he loves Christmas and the experience.

Can't wait to see what you bought with your gift card!

PHXscuba

 

[kaoden39]

Rule number one don't get the flu because when you do you don't go online. When you don't go online you don't read the threads that you normally do. While you are not moving along they are and then you have to catch up.....again. So, now I shall.

I finally think I figured out about the trees in Toontown. They have a cartoon look to them and that is what Toontown is.

I am sure the Nutcracker will be back next year because they didn't offer them for clearance on the Disney Store website.

Maybe the guards are afraid of screwing up? I bet Disney isn't really kind to anyone that jeopardizes their paycheck.

Maybe we take the sign for granted?

I love that flower arrangement!

Maybe the younger lady was just one of those grumpy people that don't get the magic.

I think they were overwhelmed because the decorating was more wide spread this year?

Wow!! You got a great seat!! Jay did right by you!!

I love the castle and the partners after dark. I think that the pictures are beautiful. It is not a look that you usually see.

Ah Small World with its Las Vegas lights. That is what it reminds me of. And I love it!! It just manages to give it more of a gingerbread sort of look to it.

That turkey sandwich looks wonderful! I love cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich with mayo and salt and pepper. Yummy!

Love the sunrise pictures! To me sunrise is such a beautiful time of day.

The net on the lampshade is a nice touch.

$7.42? For that? Seriously? That is highway robbery.

Sounds like his mama was a worrier.

I am devastated. I love the Market House. It is one of my favorite stops. The party line phone and the pot belly stove. Now it is Starbucks. Boo.

Oh wow I love the idea of the bell ringers.

The wig on Sally is a really good wig.

When we were there in February I thought the bridge railing by Snow White's Grotto and wishing well was really in need of some love. The paint was chipping and looked pretty awful.

I am amazed at how different the castle looks from day to night.

I love the Nutcracker displays. That is a fun look for sure.

Good for Earl of Sandwiches. I think that they have the right idea. A happy customer is the best advertisement there is.

So.....what did you get? Nosy old woman wants to know!!

 

[Sherry E]

I'm seen Lou Diamond Phillips as a supporting character in a few cable TV shows in the last few years and I agree that he has held up well. He might not be a "popular" narrator but it sounds like he loves Christmas and the experience.

Can't wait to see what you bought with your gift card!

PHXscuba

PHX -

I remember you telling me before that you'd seen LDP on some cable shows. Every so often I will see him pop up in something, like some cheesy horror film or something. (There was some hokey movie about a red river or sharks in the river or some kind of nonsense.)

I think that now that LDP has done the narration at Disneyland and people saw him do it, they'd be more likely to want to see him narrate again. I have to imagine that he would have been a more popular narrator choice than, say, Patricia Heaton.

I don't think the revelation of what I bought with the $50 gift card will be too thrilling or shocking. I wish I could say that I bought something totally frivolous, just for the fun of it. But I always think along more utilitarian lines than that - I feel like I have to get some practical use out of anything I spend money on, and I think I'd feel guilty if I just bought a knick knack for the sake of buying a knick knack. There were sooooooo many things I would have wanted to buy, but I had to look at it as what I would get the most use out of.

Rule number one don't get the flu because when you do you don't go online. When you don't go online you don't read the threads that you normally do. While you are not moving along they are and then you have to catch up.....again. So, now I shall.

I hope you're feeling better. I keep hearing on the news about what a bad flu season this is going to be. I know what you mean, though - it's hard to get caught up on threads when you fall behind for any reason - especially if the threads have advanced quite a bit since you last checked in! Fortunately, I only have two more TR posts to go (Day 4 and the Wrap-Up, which I think you may find interesting), so there won't be a whole lot to catch up on! I appreciate that you took the time to get caught up!


I finally think I figured out about the trees in Toontown. They have a cartoon look to them and that is what Toontown is.

Yes - that's exactly what it is. The trees (which were shipped over to DLR from WDW when their Toon Town closed down) are supposed to look like cartoon trees in a cartoon land full of Toons. And truthfully, as much as I complain about these ugly trees, if they had been part of Toon Town's decor from the beginning - way back when Toon Town first began getting holiday decorations in the '90s or whenever it was - I would be used to them and I would totally expect them. I would accept them as part of the TT decor. It's only because we had the other, better trees over the years before these cartoon trees moved in that I am particularly averse to them. I got used to those other trees, and they were so much more colorful, whimsical and fun.

I noticed that no one was really posing for photos with the cartoon trees in Toon Town, whereas in the past people were always posing next to the "good trees." So I suspect there are quite a few of us who don't like them.

I am sure the Nutcracker will be back next year because they didn't offer them for clearance on the Disney Store website.

Yes - I definitely think that at least some of those Nutcrackers will be back this coming holiday season because I don't think Disney anticipated that they'd be as popular (especially Santa Mickey), and they will want the chance to sell them again. I think it is possible that they could take one or two of them out of the collection and replace them with new ones, but I think that most of them will be back at least for November/December 2013.

Maybe the guards are afraid of screwing up? I bet Disney isn't really kind to anyone that jeopardizes their paycheck.

The security guards who check our bags? Probably so. Some of them are a little overly cautious!

Maybe we take the sign for granted?

I think I definitely took it for granted. As I've mentioned, I've seen pictures of it in deejdigsdis' reports and in other reports, but I never took the time to get even one photo of it until this last trip. Then I got to thinking that if something were to happen and I wasn't able to get back to DLR for a long, long, long time, I'd want to have as many reminders of what it looks like to enter Disneyland as possible - and that sign is part of the entrance!

I love that flower arrangement!

The red-green-white arrangement at the Candlelight Processional stage? It was gorgeous! And I wouldn't have seen how gorgeous it was unless I went right up to it to look closely. From afar in the daytime you can't really tell, and at night it is impossible to tell.

Maybe the younger lady was just one of those grumpy people that don't get the magic.

I think so too. Plus, I think she was just annoyed at the older lady (probably her mom or mother-in-law) for sitting with a stranger (me).

I think they were overwhelmed because the decorating was more wide spread this year?

You mean, in regards to the pitiful floral Mickey at the entrance to DL? That has to be it. They've never let that floral Mickey look so blah during the holidays before - not that I'm aware of, anyway. They absolutely did have to decorate more areas of DCA; they had to set up the whole Jingle Jangle Jamboree area; they had to have the CP for 20 nights at DL; they had that ice rink and "Christmas village" to set up in DTD - I'm sure a lot of the holiday budget went to more things than it has in many years and there probably wasn't enough time, manpower or holiday decoration funds to cover every aspect.

I will say this - I would much rather that Disney cuts back on the floral Mickey at the entrance and cuts back on things that we wouldn't really miss instead of cutting back on the themed decorations in any of the lands like New Orleans Square, Toon Town, A Bug's Land, Main Street, Frontierland, etc.

Wow!! You got a great seat!! Jay did right by you!!

I got very lucky with my seats both nights, but especially on that first night. Whoever Jay was, he did a good job!

I love the castle and the partners after dark. I think that the pictures are beautiful. It is not a look that you usually see.

Thank you, Michele. I didn't like them because the lighting was too dark and I just didn't want to take the time to fool with it at that point when I had other things to do. But I'm glad you liked them!

Ah Small World with its Las Vegas lights. That is what it reminds me of. And I love it!! It just manages to give it more of a gingerbread sort of look to it.

You know, now that you mention it I can see how the 'Vegas' association could be made! Those lights are so bright - and this past season they seemed more vibrant than ever. But it's not 'Vegas' in a bad, cheesy way. IASWH absolutely comes alive at night with all of those lights. It's like IASWH has a split personality - there is the safe, calm, quiet personality in the daytime, and the wild, fun, vivacious personality after dark!

That turkey sandwich looks wonderful! I love cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich with mayo and salt and pepper. Yummy!

It was a pretty good sandwich - I think I just have to be sure to eat it when it is fresh and warm to get the full effect, rather than trying to eat it cold. Of course, the PPH doesn't have microwaves in the rooms, which would have helped some.

Love the sunrise pictures! To me sunrise is such a beautiful time of day.

Yes, agreed. I just love sunrises and sunsets, and the different shades they take on from day to day. I have one more dramatic sunrise coming up on Day 4 - and these pictures will look a tad different than the previous 2 days of sunrises because there were clouds moving in, which gave the pictures a whole different look.

The net on the lampshade is a nice touch.

It was a nice touch - and I am not sure that I ever noticed that net in the past. If not for the fact that I saw the newspapers sitting there on the desk/table, I'm not sure I would have paid attention to the lampshade. It sounds like such a simple, silly thing for me to be impressed by the detail on a lampshade, but I appreciate it because it's all part of Disney's fantastic commitment to detail in their themes.

$7.42? For that? Seriously? That is highway robbery.

I thought I was the only one who thought that $7.42 was a crazy price for that Dazzler at Haagen-Dazs! Those of us who read the grocery store circulars, use coupons and hunt for bargains, trying to get the most bang/value for our buck - and those of us who comparison shop to get the lowest prices on items we buy all the time - will understand that $7.42 for that Peppermint Bark Dazzler is a CRAZY price when you consider the fact that you can get a whole carton of Dreyer's ice cream for less than $7.42 - and often times you can get 2 full cartons for less than $7.00! Madness! My Cannonballs! sandwich cost less than that Dazzler!

Sounds like his mama was a worrier.

Okay, this ^^ comment I was lost on! Without going back through my posts to see what you might have been commenting on, I wasn't sure whose mama was a worrier.

I am devastated. I love the Market House. It is one of my favorite stops. The party line phone and the pot belly stove. Now it is Starbucks. Boo.

The lady who was intently snapping photos of the Market House (while I was buying cookies on Day 1) was taking photos of that stove and of all the details around the store because she was worried that some of the decor would be lost when Starbucks moves in.

I've seen some folks comment that the Main Street Bakery in WDW did not suffer with Starbucks moving in and that it was no big deal, but I don't think that our DL Market House would be able to stay exactly as is. I'm sure that some of the layout of the Market House would have to change a bit to accommodate Starbucks things, seating, etc. Also, the CM's who worked at the Market House in December told me that they didn't think the AP discount would be accepted anymore - or it wouldn't be as good of a discount - and they were not sure that we'd still be able to come in and get free refills on coffee during the day.

So, some things will inevitably change a bit. And I know that everyone is always saying that they are in need of decent coffee inside the parks because they hate the existing coffee but, truthfully, I am a coffee drinker and I would still rather have the Market House stay exactly as it is forever over having a Starbucks in Disneyland.

Oh wow I love the idea of the bell ringers.

The Bell Ringers were very lively and fun!

The wig on Sally is a really good wig.

Okay, I got lost again. Sally? What am I forgetting? I'm old!

When we were there in February I thought the bridge railing by Snow White's Grotto and wishing well was really in need of some love. The paint was chipping and looked pretty awful.

I think that whole area needs some care. It's such a charming little spot but it needs to be spruced up. The water and sun have kind of taken their toll on the little statuettes too.

I am amazed at how different the castle looks from day to night.

Agreed. In the daytime, I don't particularly care for the way the snow looks on the Castle. It looks kind of cheap. And the icicle lights are completely boring. Again, just like with IASWH, at night the Castle comes alive and that glow it has from the icicles is just magnificent - up close and from afar. It has two personalities too - plain, quiet, calm Castle and vibrant, exciting, fun Castle!

I love the Nutcracker displays. That is a fun look for sure.

Yes, they were a lot of fun.

Good for Earl of Sandwiches. I think that they have the right idea. A happy customer is the best advertisement there is.

I was very impressed with EoS for sending me the free sandwich cards. I know that they must have made mistakes on other folks' orders too - they are a new location and are still getting their bearings, I suppose. But I wonder if anyone else took the time to write in and complain. It didn't appear that the people in the restaurant were too concerned so if anyone complained to them they might have been met with blank stares.

So.....what did you get? Nosy old woman wants to know!!

That (rather anti-climactic, non-surprising) revelation of what I got with the $50 gift card will come in the Day 4 installment! I don't think anyone else will find it all that exciting - but it was a perfect choice for me.

Michele -

I added all of my answers in red above (like I did last time!). Most of your replies I could figure out without seeing the original post you were responding to, but a couple of them I wasn't sure about!

 

[kaoden39]

The mama I was talking about was the one with the Buzz Lightyear boy. I understand worrying about your child approaching someone. Not all people react well to kids.

You had a picture of Jack and Sally and I noticed just how nice Sally's wig was. I think I am still not quite lucid.

Sherry, I hope I was able to clarify.

 

[Sherry E]

The mama I was talking about was the one with the Buzz Lightyear boy. I understand worrying about your child approaching someone. Not all people react well to kids.

You had a picture of Jack and Sally and I noticed just how nice Sally's wig was. I think I am still not quite lucid.

Sherry, I hope I was able to clarify.

Michele -

Yes, you clarified it perfectly! Now it makes sense. At first I was thinking, "Whose mama?" But now that I know you were talking about the little boy with the Buzz Lightyear toy, it all falls into place.

Yes, the mom (or whoever she was) was probably not comfortable with him approaching strangers because, as you said, not all people react well to kids (or they could just be plain creepy adults - one never knows). He could have approached the wrong person and been shooed away or snapped at.

Also, I assume that just being a mom you'd want to keep your eye on your little one in a gigantic store like World of Disney and not let him/her get out of your sight. It's easy to lose adults in that store, so I can't imagine how easy it could be to lose a child - the kids see all that fun stuff all over the store and could go running off at a moment's notice!


Ahhh yes, Sally! Again, now it makes sense! I forgot that I posted that picture of Sally and Jack from the back, as they were greeting guests.

 

[kaoden39]

I once had a daughter walk off on me in a store and I never knew she was gone. That is until I heard her screaming in a very hysterical manner. Poor thing. I found her quickly after that. Scary moment.

 

[Sherry E]

I once had a daughter walk off on me in a store and I never knew she was gone. That is until I heard her screaming in a very hysterical manner. Poor thing. I found her quickly after that. Scary moment.

Michele -

Thank goodness you heard her screaming and could locate her quickly!

It's a very scary thing, being a parent. I'm not even a parent and I can see that! Kids get so easily excited by things they see (especially at DLR) and they want to go explore. Kids are also so innocent, and some of them are very outgoing - they may just want to go up to strangers and say hello, totally unaware of how crazy the world is. I think I would be a nervous wreck if I were a parent, trying to bring my child into big stores and places where there are many people and many places to roam (like shopping malls and such).

​

I'm working on the last 2 installments of the TR - the Day 4 installment and the Wrap-Up. One good thing (I guess) is that this thread will probably not reach the exact 250-page point by the time I am done with this specific TR. So, even though there won't be enough pages left in the thread to do another trip report (not that I have another DLR trip planned), there will be enough 'room' left if I have any sudden updates on new trips. I can at least post and say if/when then there is a new trip in the works or if there is anything noteworthy to mention - which may not be until much later this year, but at least I can post it here if there is anything to announce.

 

[Sherry E]

I am just about to post Day 4 of the December 2012 trip (and the Wrap-Up/Final Thoughts will come in the next couple of days). I am test-posting right now because when I tried to post earlier something was acting askew!

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the ONLY installment for Day 4 and the next-to-last installment of this Trip Report!!! The Recap/Wrap-Up (with some extra stuff in it that I am going to include) will come in the next couple of days.

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

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 4 - Wednesday, December 12, 2012​

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.






In the last TR installment, I ended Day 3 of my trip with another round of Candlelight and Cannonballs!, then slowly and sadly began to wind down my final night at the Paradise Pier Hotel. If only I’d had another couple of nights, I might have been able to check a couple of extra items off of my list. Honestly, if not for the fact that I went to DLR on the first day of the holiday season in November in 2012 and spent money on a shuttle to get to and from the parks, I probably would have just added on an extra night to my PPH stay in December. For me, the more time, the better when it’s December at Disneyland!




Day 4 arrived and I was up extra early to do the rest of my packing and get ready to meet up with Liza/funatdisney (who was kindly going to take me home) for breakfast. We were actually scheduled to see Laurie/DizNee Luver at 7:20 a.m., at Surf’s Up with Mickey, downstairs at the Paradise Pier.

I happened to notice that there had been no final Paradise Pier bill slipped under my door! Usually – even when the hotel room is paid up in advance – there will be a final bill of some kind waiting for the guest on the carpet by the door when you wake up in the morning. Not this time. Of course, I knew the Paradise Pier couldn’t charge me for anything because I was all paid up and I hadn’t incurred any new charges, but I still thought that I would see some sort of acknowledgment – on paper – that it was my check-out day and that I had no further charges. I’ve always gotten some sort of ‘goodbye/thank you for staying with us’ statement or letter – because, if for no other reason, the PPH people want to remind you that it is your check-out day so you don’t forget and accidentally stay in the room past 11:00 a.m.

So I am not sure if the lack of a final bill/statement/goodbye letter is a new ‘thing’ that the hotels are doing to save paper and money, or if it was just an oversight. Whatever the case, I got nothing!








I had last seen Laurie on my fateful “Aunt Betty’s Weepy, Wacky, Wonderful…” December 2011 trip/fiasco, when she and Molly/bumbershoot shared my PPH room. We had also eaten breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen on the final day of that trip but I was either wrapped up with my “friends” or sick, so I didn’t hang out with Laurie before that.

On this recent holiday trip (December 2012) Laurie and her family were staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel for a full 7 nights (and they were in the parks for 5 days, if I’m not mistaken), but the first 3 nights of their stay coincided with my 3 nights. We checked in on the same day. I was certain that we would run into each other somewhere in the lobby, or going to/from the PPH via the “short cut” through the Grand Californian Hotel. Since she and I both love the PPH Christmas tree so much there was even a chance we could run into each other by the tree!

…And I never saw Laurie in the parks or in the hotel one time! Not once over the course of 3 days! We even both saw Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale at different times and in different places on the same day, but we never saw each other! Lol.

I had last seen Liza in June, when we went to the Cars Land/Buena Vista Street preview in California Adventure.





Somewhere in between packing and getting ready I glanced out my window to soak in one last sunrise over California Adventure. Rain was due later that day and the clouds were rolling in, which made for a breathtaking view! I stood there for a little while and watched the light and shade slowly change as the morning wore on.

​

I decided to leave my bags in the Paradise Pier Hotel room while I was downstairs at breakfast. I would come back up and retrieve them later, before it was time to officially “check out” (which, basically, just means leave the room – I didn’t have to go down to the front desk for any reason since I was all paid up).

Just before 7:20 a.m., I went down to the lobby and bumped right into Liza – perfect timing! We walked over to Surf’s Up and stood there for a minute, pondering where Laurie and her family could be. I knew Laurie would be on time for a character meal reservation so it was surprising to me that she wasn’t there.

All of a sudden, when I looked past the front desk and into the restaurant I spotted Laurie and her family, already sitting at a table against a wall in the back, near the buffet. From what I could see, Laurie was watching a character – can’t recall who, but it may have been Pluto – interacting with her kids, and she was laughing and having a great time. She had the biggest smile on her face. But she had totally forgotten that we were meeting her at the restaurant! Lol.

It was no big deal that we were forgotten. Lol. We really didn’t mind. It’s not like we had to go out of our way to get to the restaurant, and we were hungry, so it was totally fine. I figured we would just sit down at our own table, and when Laurie had time she could come join us or say hello.

This would be my first time trying Surf’s Up, and I was curious to experience this character meal because I had heard so many good reviews of the character interaction, food, low crowd level, etc. (Molly/bumbershoot even liked some of the food there – and she is not real big on character meal buffet food!)

Of course, whether I would end up liking or disliking Surf’s Up would not make up for the fact that I greatly missed going to Goofy’s Kitchen. It’s a longstanding tradition for me (and for my friend Shawn) and I was sad that I didn’t eat there this time around – especially when it would have been so easy for Shawn to just drive over to meet me for breakfast, and because I wasn’t sure why she had completely blown me off. (And I still have no clue, to be honest.)




At Goofy’s Kitchen you pay for your meal before ever being seated. I assumed this was what would happen at Surf’s Up too, but it wasn’t. It turns out that they bring the check to your table later (like a regular, non-character meal restaurant would do).

I must admit that I actually prefer paying for the character meal up front, before being seated. I like to have the money aspect out of the way so that I can just go in and think about the food and the characters. In a regular restaurant that does not host a character meal, obviously I expect the check to come later. But I would prefer to pay for the character dining experience up front and be done with it. So that is one reason why I prefer Goofy’s Kitchen over the Storytellers Café Critter Breakfast and Surf’s Up with Mickey.

I had to tell the CM manning the front door at Surf’s Up a few different times that Liza and I would sit at our own table. I told the CM that I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to actually join Laurie and her family or just meet up with them there, but that having our own table would be fine. The CM kept saying she could put us at their table, but since they were already seated and beginning their character experience I didn’t want to just show up at their table and sit down. It made more sense at that point to sit by ourselves. I knew Laurie would eventually see us so it wasn’t like we were going to totally miss each other.

Liza and I went inside to get our photo taken with Mickey…

Another difference between Goofy’s Kitchen and Surf’s Up (for me) is that usually, when I eat at Goofy’s Kitchen, I have a bit of time to get settled in at my table, get my camera out and ready, get up and get my food from the buffet, etc., all before characters start coming to the table. It is also like that at the Critter Breakfast, where you can get settled before the characters come by. I like to ‘ease into’ my character meals and not be thrust into them, full-throttle, if that makes sense.

This was not the case at Surf’s Up. Literally, as soon as Liza and I got to the table we were greeted by Minnie. I hadn’t even had time to pull my bag off of my neck and shoulders and get my camera set to go. So I had to hurriedly try to do that as Minnie patiently waited for me to get ready.

Minnie & Liza…

My turn with Minnie (and I still hadn’t had time to take my bag off, as you can see)…

And the characters pretty much just kept coming after that – before I ever made it to the buffet!

Blurry, but cute – Liza & Pluto…this is one of those cases in which the photo didn’t really look blurry in the camera window, so I was surprised when I saw it on a full-size screen at home…

This was pretty much all the interaction that we, personally, had with Stitch– he didn’t pose with us for any photos. He came by and Liza and I were talking about something, or looking at something. I saw him approaching, and was going to try to get my camera ready - but Stitch did not want to wait. He kind of shrugged as though we were not interested in him, and just walked away. (Fellow DIS’er Escape2Disney/Carrie later said something in her TR about her Surf’s Up experience in that Stitch wasn’t really interactive with her group either – so I was surprised to learn that we were not the only ones who happened to notice that Stitch was not as attentive as we thought he would be.)

Laurie finally spotted us (her table was in direct view of ours, and vice versa) and came over to say hello! She sat down and joined us for a short time, and we got to meet a few of her kids. We also met Laurie’s husband Mike, who got a nice photo of Laurie, Liza and me together (which is in Laurie’s trip report).

I wished that I’d been able to have more time to talk to Laurie and her family– I felt that I barely even got to say hello to Mike and the kids – but everything seemed to kind of be happening at the same time, and it was getting a little hectic for me. For example, a CM was coming by the table every so often. The characters were stopping by, one after the other. I wanted to get up and get some food at the buffet. There was conversation going on at the table in snippets here and there. Everything seemed to be happening at a different, faster pace than what I am used to at Goofy’s Kitchen. I felt like I never really had a moment to kind of settle in, take a breath and check out the surroundings, enjoy my food, etc.

Laurie was so apologetic about forgetting that we were supposed to meet her – and there was no reason to be, because we were fine and we knew we’d see her anyway. She very kindly wanted to treat me to my breakfast. I felt bad about this because she had treated me at Goofy’s Kitchen back in December 2011 and I thought that, if anything, I should be treating her! If we had been eating at a meal with just us, when it was a little less hectic, I would have insisted on treating her.

I think I barely even realized that Laurie had paid for my breakfast – and I know I didn’t thank her properly for it – when a CM brought over the bill for Liza’s breakfast. I had offered to treat Liza because she was going to be driving me home (which is out of her way and nowhere near where she lives). So we had Laurie talking to the server to get my meal put on her bill, and then I was giving the server my Annual Pass so he could apply the AP discount to the bill that I was paying for Liza’s meal! Lol. It was a little frenzied and confusing for a minute there! But I’m old – I get confused easily!

Anyway, Laurie, thank you, thank you, thank you for treating me! I realized (after Liza and I left DLR) that in all of the confusion I had forgotten to thank you properly! I thought I did, and then I realized I hadn’t.

So this was my breakfast from the Surf’s Up buffet – eggs, bacon and pineapple…

I will be honest – I did not like the eggs at all. My eggs had a weird, overly creamy texture to them. However, ‘buffet eggs’ never seem to really be all that good – and I think anyone will agree to that. But each character buffet seems to have its own special brand of weird eggs – not all weird buffet eggs are alike! Lol.

There have been times when I’ve eaten at Goofy’s Kitchen and the eggs were having an ‘off’ day – they were either weird in taste or in consistency. On the other hand, there have been times when Shawn and I have eaten at Goofy’s Kitchen when the eggs were so good that we actually went back to the buffet for seconds – just to get more eggs! I don’t know why there is such a huge difference from meal to meal, but it happens.

So I am assuming that there are days when Surf’s Up probably has really good eggs too. Not that day, though! Lol.

As for the bacon and the fruit? I am usually a big fan of the bacon and the fruit at character buffets. The bacon was just okay, and the pineapple was not juicy but it was edible. There was nothing I ate that really made me say, “Wow! That’s great,” but it was all passable. Nothing made me run screaming from the restaurant in horror either! Lol.

Now, admittedly, I never went back to the buffet a second time to try to find something else to eat. The buffet at Surf’s Up is closer to the size of the Critter Breakfast buffet, so there are not too many choices – not for me, anyway. That is a big reason why I love Goofy’s Kitchen – the size of the buffet. I like having a lot of choices and Goofy’s, by far, has the widest selection of dishes from which to choose.

Surf’s Up, however, has interesting items such as huevos rancheros and chilaquiles – foods that don’t really appeal to me, personally, but will appeal to many other people.

Pluto came back again!

Daisy Duck and Liza…

Daisy and me…

Laurie stopped by to visit, with a little angel in tow!

The button that we were given at breakfast…

Stitch stole Anthony’s cap (Anthony is one of Laurie’s sons)…

Adult buffet cost (for Liza’s meal) - $27.99
Minus Premium Annual Pass 15% discount - $4.20

Subtotal - $23.79
Gratuity - $4.20
Tax - $2.17

TOTAL DUE - $30.16







So, my final thoughts on Surf’s Up with Mickey are this:

1. First of all, because I am such a longtime fan of Goofy’s Kitchen (have been eating there for 2 decades and counting), it would take an endless string of mistakes on Goofy’s Kitchen’s part to turn me against them, and Surf’s Up with Mickey would have had to do something extraordinarily outstanding and way above my expectations to surpass Goofy’s as being my personal favorite. Once you’ve established something as a tradition and have made it part of every trip, it is hard to begin to favor another restaurant over the one that is tried and true. So, for right now, Goofy’s Kitchen is still my favorite;

2. I think I like Surf’s Up better than the Storytellers Critter Breakfast because of the character interaction and because you can meet Mickey. Plus, Daisy Duck is a bonus – you never see her anywhere, so it’s nice that she can be found at this meal;

3. Even though everything was a little hectic and fast-paced for my liking, and I didn’t really have a chance to feel settled in and comfortable, from what I saw the characters are great with kids and the interaction is fantastic. I had heard that the character interaction was excellent at Surf’s Up, and it appeared to be true. The characters were dancing and being playful, and the guests at each table looked like they were having a great time. It’s not that there were more characters at this meal than you would normally find at the Critter Breakfast or at Goofy’s, but they were very attentive and that’s what people want when they are paying so much money; and

4. As far as food – again, the selection is not as varied as what you will find at Goofy’s Kitchen, and all buffet food can be ‘hit or miss’ in quality, but the buffet has a couple of interesting ethnic items that a lot of people will like (which I mentioned previously).






I think I would like to try Surf’s Up one more time – hopefully at a less hectic moment – just to get a better sense of it and, hopefully, so I can enjoy it a bit more than I did. I sort of feel like the whole experience was a blur because so much was happening at one time and I was trying to keep up. But I would definitely recommend Surf’s Up to others looking for good character interaction.

(SIDE NOTE/OBSERVATION: Just given the speed at which the characters came to the table at Surf’s Up, leaving me little time to eat, I am more certain than ever that Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn – which has the most characters out of all of the meals – would not be for me. Sure, the characters themselves would be fun, but I can tell that I would find the whole Minnie & Friends atmosphere chaotic and frenzied, and I probably would never feel settled enough to get a bite of food and relax. I wanted to try Minnie & Friends at some point, but I just know that it would not be my ‘scene,’ as it were.)




Liza and I said our goodbyes to Laurie and we went our separate ways. I went back up to the Paradise Pier Hotel room, took one last look out the window at the great view and wheeled my bags out into the hallway, bidding a sad farewell to my room.

Liza had parked in Downtown Disney because she wasn’t certain that the Mickey & Friends lot would be open at the time she arrived in the morning – AND, when I had asked the hotel reservations people on the phone (prior to my arrival) if guests dining at the 3 Disney hotels’ restaurants could park for free I was told a definite no, so Liza did not park at the PPH.

I later found out from a PPH parking guy that I had been given incorrect info on the phone and that guests dining at the PCH Grill (where Surf’s Up is hosted) can, indeed, park for free in the PPH lot! The parking guy said that the reservations people often give out incorrect info, and this was yet another example of it. I thought it sounded awfully odd that people wanting to, for example, park at the Grand Californian Hotel to eat at Napa Rose would have to pay for parking too. Something didn’t seem right.

Lesson learned – don’t pay attention to what the hotel reservations folks tell you about guests not being able to park in the hotels’ lots for free if they are dining in one of the hotels’ restaurants! Now they may not be able to park there for free if they are simply going into the parks or if they are staying at the hotels as guests, but if they are just dining at the restaurants the parking should be free!


I waited outside the front of the Paradise Pier Hotel, and when Liza had retrieved her car from Downtown Disney she came around to pick me up so I could load my bags in the trunk and not have to deal with leaving them at the Bell desk.

We then drove to the Mickey & Friends parking lot (which was open by that time) and went into Disneyland for a short while (at my request).


This was when I got in my other two rides of the trip! Remember I mentioned at the beginning of this TR that I only went on 3 rides over the course of the entire visit? I went on Soarin’ on Day 1, with Jackie and Bob. That was the first one. And I knew I could not leave Disneyland Resort without going on Haunted Mansion Holiday and It’s a Small World Holiday, of course! Those two rides have special seasonal overlays, and a holiday trip would not be a holiday trip without a ride on both! Plus, as sneaky as Disney is, one never knows if one year the powers that be may decide to retire one of the overlays forever. Each year could be the last chance to experience either one of them – there have been rumors over the years about both HMH and IASWH coming to an end, and it has (thankfully) not yet happened. But who knows what will happen in the future? If Disney begins to add more and more things to their seasonal festivities, they may decide to send one or both of the overlays to WDW for Orlando visitors to enjoy!

So those were my other two rides – Haunted Mansion Holiday and It’s a Small World Holiday!

I didn’t get any photos on either ride. I’ve gotten a lot of IASWH photos in the past (in 2010), and I didn’t feel the need to try to get more on this trip. As I said a while back, I don’t like to repeat myself on each trip and keep getting the same photos of the same things over and over. So it’s okay to skip a year or two and not get photos of certain things. I will probably get more IASWH photos on my next holiday trip, whenever that is!

The crowds in Disneyland were low. Both HMH and IASWH had virtually no lines (or very short lines). The increasing clouds and threat of rain were scaring most folks away, I think. This would have actually been a good day to do a lot of rides, but Liza had to get home fairly early so we didn’t stay in the parks much longer.

Liza did stop in the Disney Showcase store on Main Street to buy one of the popular Santa Mickey nutcrackers – which were still in stock – since I’d told her that they were a hot ticket, flying off the shelves! She also got some pins at the Little Green Men store in Tomorrowland.






After that brief journey into Disneyland, we headed to our last stop – World of Disney – so that I could finally use that $50 gift card that I acquired on Day 2, when I met with Annmarie, the Disney Vacation Club Cast Member!

I knew exactly where the items I had my eye on were located in the store, as I had stopped in WoD for the last 2 days to look at them!

What I ended up buying should be no surprise to anyone who has paid attention to my previous trip reports (I know that tksbaskets will not be shocked!). I love me some black Mickey t-shirts!

I first saw this adorable black Mickey t-shirt back in June 2012, when I did the Cars Land/Buena Vista Street preview, and fell in love with it! The fact that it was still available 6 months later and not totally cleared out was kismet, and I knew it was meant to be mine!

And this black Mickey t-shirt I saw on my day trip to DLR in November 2012…

The black shirt with Mickey wearing glasses (which is perfect for me, since I wear glasses!) was hanging on an upper rack that I couldn’t reach, so I had to ask a CM to get it down for me. He took his sweet time doing so. He got the reacher/device that they use to get those items down, but before he brought it over to the rack from which my Mickey tee hung he stopped to help another CM hang some different shirts on a different rack…as I stood there, waiting for him to finish. It seemed like he could have told this other CM, “Wait one minute. Let me help this customer with the shirt she wants.” I thought it was odd that he stopped to hang shirts for the other CM when he had a customer waiting. What if I had been in a huge hurry?

Oh well. A minor inconvenience, at best. I mostly just thought it was funny the way it was handled. I wasn’t mad about it.




Up to the register I went to buy my two black t-shirts.

The shirt labeled “HIP” on the receipt (the one with the glasses) - $24.95
The shirt labeled “MMLGHTNG” (the lightning shirt) - $24.95

Minus Premium Annual Pass discount of 20% - $9.98
Subtotal - $39.92
Tax - $3.09

TOTAL DUE - $43.01






I had $6.99 left on the gift card. I could have easily, easily spent that on 5000 things. I could have bought a magnet. I could have gone to Marceline’s Confectionery and bought a gingerbread cookie for the road! I could have applied the $6.99 towards another item like a mug (I love the oversized mugs that are sold around DLR) or a book and paid the balance due with cash. But I knew that we had to leave soon, and I didn’t want to keep Liza from getting home. I would have had to put some thought into exactly how I was going to use that last $6.99 and it would have taken time. So I left it as is and didn’t buy anything else.


In examining the 2 black Mickey t-shirts, I noticed that the material they are made with is thinner than what the t-shirts used to be made of in the ‘black Mickey t-shirt heyday.’ The shirts seemed a little flimsier than they used to be. It figures. It’s probably a way of cutting costs on Disney’s end.


Liza and I got on the tram, found the car in the Mickey & Friends lot and headed to my neighborhood in L.A. Just as she was dropping me off at my building it was beginning to rain a little bit, so I guess the timing was perfect.

Day 4 had reached its conclusion, and the holiday do-over trip of 2012 (to make up for the holiday 2011 debacle) was OVER!

And, of course, the next day I started coming down with a cold and I was sick for a short time. At least it wasn’t a long-lasting illness like the one I had in early 2012!





Coming up in the final installment of this TR…a Photo Recap/Wrap-Up, some Final Thoughts – and a tribute of sorts!!!

 

[tksbaskets]

Hi Sherry. What a great last morning (at least from my perspective). Starting with your beautiful view.

I think the whole Surfs Up breakfast doesn't really seem like my cup of tea either. I agree that Daisy Duck is a bonus! Maybe because I'm old but that seems like a lot of money for some buffet eggs (I totally agree with the hit or missness of buffet scrambled eggs!). I'm with you about wanting to be settled and ready for photos which is why I pay $27 for breakfast. Very sweet of Laurie to treat you and that Liza could join you and drive you home.

Strange that Stitch couldn't pose for pictures. Well, he is a moody little character.

I think your picture with Mickey is adorable. I really like your blue sweater. Complements black nicely My next fav pic is Pluto with his ear over your face - I think because I remember a picture in the past of Pluto and you that makes me smile.

Speaking of black .... nope, not surprised with your choice of shirts. I too noticed the lack of weight on the new Disneyland/WDW T's. You have to make sure you coordinate your .... Well you get the idea when the material is so thin. I guess it's so we aren't hot at the park?

LOVE the 'hip' Mickey shirt!!

If you're only going to go on three rides in a trip you picked a great 3. HMH and IASWH are holiday treasures not to be missed.

 

[PHXscuba]

Love the T-shirts you picked out. Were they the women's (hourglass) cut? My black Animal Kingdom T-shirt is thinner than I would like.

Thanks for the honest review of Surf's Up. I think this is where we will be treating DS to his birthday breakfast when we are there, as he is a longtime Stitch fan. I think the character combo is one of the best and it's right where we're staying, so win-win.

Glad you at least got on the holiday rides! Did they smell like gingerbread this time around?

I hope you can scheme a way to get back to DLR before next fall, and I'm REALLY glad you got a much better do-over trip!

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

By the way, I haven't mentioned the weather in a while. As you know, back in August I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Fall. And when Fall arrived I was grumbling because it was still Summer-like hot. I think it wasn't until November that it finally began to feel sort of like Fall. Now, in January, it feels like Winter.

Well, this past week or two in Los Angeles we have had the weather that I wait for all year! This is what it should have been like in December but as I have mentioned before, we get delayed weather in L.A. It has been cold out here - dropping to the low 30's at night in my specific area, and often only in the low 50's in the daytime. It is brisk and chilly.

And when I tell you that I have been cold, you know that it has been cold! Last night I was walking around wearing 3 sweaters and 3 pairs of socks - I love bundling up to get warm! My hands are absolute blocks of ice. And yet, I don't mind it at all! I would much rather have ice block hands and wear layers of clothes than feel hot and miserable!

Hi Sherry. What a great last morning (at least from my perspective). Starting with your beautiful view.

I think the whole Surfs Up breakfast doesn't really seem like my cup of tea either. I agree that Daisy Duck is a bonus! Maybe because I'm old but that seems like a lot of money for some buffet eggs (I totally agree with the hit or missness of buffet scrambled eggs!). I'm with you about wanting to be settled and ready for photos which is why I pay $27 for breakfast. Very sweet of Laurie to treat you and that Liza could join you and drive you home.

Strange that Stitch couldn't pose for pictures. Well, he is a moody little character.

I think your picture with Mickey is adorable. I really like your blue sweater. Complements black nicely My next fav pic is Pluto with his ear over your face - I think because I remember a picture in the past of Pluto and you that makes me smile.

Speaking of black .... nope, not surprised with your choice of shirts. I too noticed the lack of weight on the new Disneyland/WDW T's. You have to make sure you coordinate your .... Well you get the idea when the material is so thin. I guess it's so we aren't hot at the park?

LOVE the 'hip' Mickey shirt!!

If you're only going to go on three rides in a trip you picked a great 3. HMH and IASWH are holiday treasures not to be missed.

TK -

The final morning was pretty good - except for that it meant the end of the trip!

I would like to give Surf's Up another try at some point in the future, just to see if it feels any less hectic to me and also to see if I like the food any better. I thought the characters were fun, but I just need to be able to get settled and eat my food without so much going on at one time. Then again, part of that had to do with the fact that the server brought the check over later in the meal. I would have preferred to pay up front (like at Goofy's) and get the money out of the way.

The funny thing is, even though many folks say that Goofy's is much busier than Surf's Up, I never, ever feel so frenzied at Goofy's. I always feel like I have time to get situated, get my food and relax in between character visits! And even at the Critter Breakfast, which I am not a big fan of, I had time to get settled and ease into the character visits.

Stitch seemed to be interactive with other tables and with kids, but I think he just didn't want to wait for me to get my camera ready.

Yes, it was very sweet (and unnecessary) for Laurie to treat me - especially since I wasn't even at her table - and for Liza to take me home. It saved me a bit of cash in shuttle fees.

Thank you - I'm glad you like the picture with Mickey - I thought that it was a cute picture of Liza but I couldn't tell if I liked my portion of the picture or not! I don't think I've gotten my picture taken with Mickey in years and years (unless I'm blanking out on something).

I purposely pulled Pluto's ear over my face to mimic a picture that I took with Goofy at Goofy's Kitchen back in 2007, I think (or was it 2008?). I figured I would just keep pulling characters' ears over my face as a running 'theme' in photos!

About that blue sweater - I should confess that in addition to black Mickey t-shirts, I also have a thing for crocheted sweaters! I have had a variety of them over the years in different colors and styles and most of them eventually fell apart or unraveled because they were delicate - or my big, heavy purses/bags wore them down on the sides or whatever. I like them because they are usually good to wear on sunny days to cover my arms and prevent sunburns, BUT because of the holes in the sweater I am kept well-ventilated! They can work for any season, really. BUT, I can't always find good crocheted sweaters. Either they are in styles I don't like, or they are way, way, way too expensive. Or I simply can't find any. So on the rare occasion when I find one somewhere and it is reasonably priced, I like to grab it if I can!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed that the t-shirts have gotten thinner! I used to buy a bunch of Mickey tees in the old days and I know that the material was not quite as thin.

But I guess I have to be glad that I was able to find any black Mickey t-shirts at all. For a while - as I think we discussed back in June or so - there was a shortage of black Mickey t-shirts for sale in the parks and at the Disney Store online. I had to resort to - gasp - dark blue in some cases! I'm glad to see a hearty return of black Mickey t-shirts with several different designs. There were even a couple of extra shirts at World of Disney that I could have bought but didn't. Chances are, Disney will go through another phase of no black t-shirts down the road, so I had to at least snap up a couple while they were there.

The HIP shirt (I don't know why it is called HIP on the receipt?) is my favorite, because I love Mickey wearing glasses. I thought the lightning shirt would be good to wear during Halloween Time, for that 'I want to attend the Halloween Party and seem somewhat Halloween-ish but not wear an actual costume' look!

I probably wouldn't have even ended up on Soarin' if Jackie and Bob hadn't brought it up. But yes, HMH and IASWH can't be missed during any holiday season. I would have gone on them eventually, even by myself if I had to, but I figured LIza would be up for a ride on both.

Love the T-shirts you picked out. Were they the women's (hourglass) cut? My black Animal Kingdom T-shirt is thinner than I would like.

Thanks for the honest review of Surf's Up. I think this is where we will be treating DS to his birthday breakfast when we are there, as he is a longtime Stitch fan. I think the character combo is one of the best and it's right where we're staying, so win-win.

Glad you at least got on the holiday rides! Did they smell like gingerbread this time around?

I hope you can scheme a way to get back to DLR before next fall, and I'm REALLY glad you got a much better do-over trip!

PHXscuba

PHX -

Those particular t-shirts that I bought didn't have the women's cut. I didn't see any versions of them with the hourglass shape. However, there are quite a few other shirts all around World of Disney and in many of the shops in both parks that have that cut. The Facebook shirts, for example (the ones that have Disney characters on them and say "Don't make me unfriend you" and "Relationship status: It's Complicated"), have women's cuts, and more feminine colors like pink, lavender, light blue, etc.

I wish the shirts were just a touch thicker. They feel flimsy.

I think the Surf's Up meal will be good for your family, especially because your son likes Stitch. I can see how the characters are a big hit with the guests. I tried to be fair and honest in my assessment of it. It wasn't my favorite, but I think there is a good possibility I could like it much more if I went there on a different day when there was less going on all at once. Maybe I'd have more time to examine the buffet and find something else I liked.

There was a gingerbread-y smell on Haunted Mansion Holiday, but because that gingerbread centerpiece in the ballroom had been sitting there since September I knew that the smell was being piped in from somewhere. It wasn't fresh. I'm sure it is usually piped in anyway, but the smell was a bit different than when you smell it at the beginning of Halloween Time.

There was a smell that was sort of peppermint-y during the candy scene in It's a Small World Holiday, but not quite peppermint-y enough.

Hopefully I can get back to DLR before September, but that wouldn't be my usual pattern. Last year was a fluke year in that I had the June Cars Land preview, the Catalina trip in July and the first-day-of-the-holiday-season trip in November - and yet I skipped Halloween Time. All of that would normally not be happening in a year for me. I don't know what Catalina Express is going to do, and if they are extending the free boat ride once again. They will probably announce it in March if they do. So that is up in the air.

Thank you, PHX. Yes, this do-over trip was, overall, a better trip than the 2011 fiasco, for sure, even though it started out kind of rocky and the 2011 trip started out great! Isn't it funny how that worked out? December 2011 started out great but went steadily downhill, and December 2012 started out a bit rocky but went uphill!

I still have no clue what the deal was with my friend and why she went from saying that she would come to see me when I was at DLR to totally ignoring me and blowing me off, and I suppose that at some point down the road I will have to deal with it to see if there is some kind of problem that I was not made aware of. But, that issue aside, it was a good trip in every other area!

Oh, and it was also good because I didn't have any major pain issues in my hip/leg/back on this past DLR trip, like I often do. When I think back to some of my more painful DLR trips (2010 was one, as was 2007), I cringe. Thankfully, I was spared any major pain episodes last month.

​

I will have the final installment - the Wrap-Up/Recap, etc. - in the next day or two, so stay tuned!!

 

[kaoden39]

I love your t-shirts!! I have a guess why it says HIP on the tag.....this is when having daughters that are teenaged or young adults come in handy. I bet that he is hipster Mickey!


Maybe Stitch figured you guys wanted to eat.