Merry Snickerdoodle and Happy Dole Whip! A TR Full of Christmas Joy!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Loved this update!!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I agree with you about Wilderness Lodge, it's so pretty at Christmas time especially. The CP is awesome!

[kampfirekim 260]

Love the FW and WL decorations photos! Especially the great family shot in front of the WL tree!

Trace Adkins was a perfect choice for reading the Christmas Story! While I don't know many of his songs either, I do like him in interviews and such that I've seen him do. I would have been squawling right along with ya!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Holly-

LOVED the update!

True confession time . . .

The TCD gang has never attended the CP!

We have walked by it many times.

But never attended it.

I've gone to church my whole life- so have the girls- so no need to take the time out of a visit to Epcot to sit and listen to the Christmas story.

Well, based on your recommendation, that will change next year.

And we'll do the dinner package too. That definitely sounds like the way to go.

So, thanks for that!

And I have been wondering all this time whether your Maddie was a Madeline.

We have a Maddie/Madeline in the TCD gang!

I love that name!

TCD

[MicknMin...Holly 54]

Still loving your trip report. We've seen the CP several times and it gets me choked up every time. It's so beautiful!

Great pictures! Maddie looks like she is having a blast!

[HappyCamper...Deb 61]

Your photos of the CP bring me right back! I LOVE the Candlelight Processional!!! Something about being surrounded by people from all over the globe while absorbing the true meaning of the season.... ^-^

The absolute BEST is the moment when the orchestra and choir begin Silent Night and the audience of strangers is moved to sing along. AMAZING! One year, I could hear a couple from Germany softly singing Stille Nacht as we sang. Every year we have gone during Christmas break, I INSISTED on a dinner package - Biergarten and the CP - for Christmas Eve.

BEE-YOU-TEE-FULL!!!!

:hugs2:

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Thanks everyone!!!

Deb - you are so right about Silent Night. O Holy Night made the hair on my arms stand up. But close to the end when they did Halllelujah....I was DONE. :)

[wdwpoohbear...Jennifer 40]

The candlelight processional is definitely one of my must sees every year at Christmas time. I am so glad you enjoyed it!

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Alright.....I'm back.

To conclude Tues, 12/20, we stayed behind and watched the holiday version of Illuminations. These are Hubs favorite fireworks show. I think they are pretty incredible, but I prefer Wishes. He gets leaky headed during Illuminations. Don't ever tell him I told you that - there is a back story that maybe I'll share someday.

The holiday show was pretty freakin wonderful!!! Well worth the stay around the backside of World Showcase and the haul back to the front gate at the end.

Weds, 12/21

DO.NOTHING.DAY

We looked at the weather in the morning and decided that we wanted a rest day. I was finally coming out of the sickness and we were all pretty tired. Weatherman said it should hit 80 degrees so we ate breakfast, then lunch, then headed to the pool.

It never hit 80 degrees that day.

I think the highest it got was around 72.

It was overcast.

But we had a great day regardless. We even had lunch at Meadows, which we've never done before.

Here's some pics of Maddie having fun.

It was so great to chill, do what we wanted to do, and not feel like we were part of the rat race that day. I think we all just needed a break. I had been pretty clear from a planning perspective that we needed to hit the parks HARD the first 3-4 days then after Weds, start looking for other things to do to fill our time.

We started that a day early. :)

Next.....I finally got to see some of the amazing decorations at the Fort!!!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Relaxing at the Fort, it doesn't get any better than that!! I'll take 72 degrees, it will feel like a heatwave. :)

[kampfirekim 260]

aww.. what sweet photos of maddie at the kiddie pool. My boys still love it over there (even if they are getting too big )

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

My favorite days are the days we just chill, wait that's most all of them!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

:popcorn:

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

I know, I know, Dave......I'm a little behind.

[MicknMin...Holly 54]

Don't forget the trip report rule, Holly. You have to finish this trip report before you can go on your next trip. You only have 23 more days to finish, or no trip for you!

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Wow Holly great report!

Sorry I'm so late, but I'm all caught up now and ready for more.

There's too many great things for me to comment on at this point, but isn't Christmas at Disney the best!

Really enjoying your report!

WBI

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

Now I'm caught up too and waiting for the 'rest of the story'

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Holly, I'm on the road again. I need something to read. Let's go girl. :popcorn:

[SCTigerCock 171]

I'm not Holly but I will try:

Once upon a time there was a Doodle, who crossed into a Fiendom of loud obnoxious drunk souls. At first she said she was shy and might post every now and again; we think she lied. Now Doodle is known as DoodleBug, that craps glitter. Some say she evolved from the love bugs. But some say with the glitter squirts, she is probably like yellow flies. BUT regardless, she is loved and no one has a chance in hell of EVAH having a post count higher than hers.

Long LIVE DOODLEBUG!!!!!!

Red Solo Cup, you lift me up.......

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Proceed to Party

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Ok, Genia that's a good start. I would like to see the story evolve more. You might include my fiends who get into trouble with me. :heartsmiley:

[SCTigerCock 171]

Ok, Genia that's a good start. I would like to see the story evolve more. You might include my fiends who get into trouble with me. :heartsmiley:

Who would that be? I didn't know anyone really really loved ya, I thought we just told you that so you would glitter bomb us.

Trouble? I haven't heard of any arrests.

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Relaxing at the Fort, it doesn't get any better than that!! I'll take 72 degrees, it will feel like a heatwave. :)

Well, for me, Doodle....I don't like being in a pool when it's cool outside. 72 is NICE when you're trolling the parks, but it's not warm enough for the pool for me. But....the weather was so freakin spectacular the WHOLE time we were there that it was a shame to leave it behind.

aww.. what sweet photos of maddie at the kiddie pool. My boys still love it over there (even if they are getting too big )

Thanks Kim. She loves that kiddie pool and the water in that place should have icebergs. BURRRR!!!

My favorite days are the days we just chill, wait that's most all of them!

You know, Rita....normally when we go, we'll take one "down" day and do nothing - but nothing means no parks. Maddie and I normally hit DTD that day. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to have more than one day to just chill. I've always understood the beauty of FW, but it was so nice to experience it in a different way this time!

Don't forget the trip report rule, Holly. You have to finish this trip report before you can go on your next trip. You only have 23 more days to finish, or no trip for you!

OH ~ I didn't know that rule! UGH. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.

Work has been kicking my arse and the last thing I've wanted to do in the evenings or on the weekends is get on the computer....but I'm on it!

23 days?!?!?! WOO HOO!

Wow Holly great report!

Sorry I'm so late, but I'm all caught up now and ready for more.

There's too many great things for me to comment on at this point, but isn't Christmas at Disney the best!

Really enjoying your report!

WBI

Thanks WBI! Your TR has been AMAZING!!! It's keeping me motivated to keep going!

And this was our first Christmas at Disney/FW and there's just nothing like it!!

Now I'm caught up too and waiting for the 'rest of the story'

Coming right up!

Holly, I'm on the road again. I need something to read. Let's go girl. :popcorn:

I'm not Holly but I will try:

Once upon a time there was a Doodle, who crossed into a Fiendom of loud obnoxious drunk souls. At first she said she was shy and might post every now and again; we think she lied. Now Doodle is known as DoodleBug, that craps glitter. Some say she evolved from the love bugs. But some say with the glitter squirts, she is probably like yellow flies. BUT regardless, she is loved and no one has a chance in hell of EVAH having a post count higher than hers.

Long LIVE DOODLEBUG!!!!!!

Red Solo Cup, you lift me up.......

Ok......I've been hijacked! LOL.

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Ok.....closing out Weds, 12/21.

We grilled dinner and just relaxed for the evening. Then we decided to start touring some loops in the campground. I took my camera and took some pictures, unfortunately they mostly SUCK so for the real deal, please see TCD's report.

We were in the 500 loop, as you know....and we started our tour there. From there, we hit 300. Next was 400, then 100/200. We spent a TON of time at Fiesty's site. What an amazing set up she has. The security person there at the sidewalk beside her site and the Settlement was really enjoying talking to other guests about her set up.

From 500:

Other loops:

I believe this is the little diddy that was atop the golf cart that won the decorating contest:

I loved this wreath. It was on a camper just across from Fiesty's site.

Fiesty's site (I'm almost embarassed to show these as they don't do it justice at all).

And others:

Now, here's where it got cute.

We got back "home" and Maddie was feeling all kinds of inspired. She disappears back to her room in the camper and starts telling Hubs and I things that she wants. We go in and she asks us to plug some things in for her.

She decorated her room!

With rope lights we weren't using, a blue Christmas tree that was sitting on our dining table, my Mickey snowman, her dolls/stuffed animals, anything she could get her hands on...

What a fun, quiet, relaxing, re-energizing day!

We would certainly need it for EMH on Thursday.....7am at MK!!!

[FtWildernessFamily...Holly 25]

Thurs, 12/22

5:30am sucks pretty bad Monday through Friday at home. It doesn't suck at ALL at WDW. :)

We were waiting for the ferry at 6:30am. EMH started at MK at 7am. We've never been to a park that early. It was still dark outside when we were waiting to get in.

We ALWAYS to one EMH morning at MK. We all just love the rope drop ceremony. It is a must do for us.

We get in and make a bee-line for Space Mountain...and so does everyone else! We ride it and grab FP's for later in the day.

We ride the Peoplemover. What is it about this ride?? We have to do it every single time - and I am totally ok with that.

Paging Mr. Tom. Morrow...

We had not ridden the Speedway our past several visits, so we give it a whirl this time. Maddie drives. My life flashes before my eyes.

Next, Tea Cups! Hubs and Maddie LOVE this ride! I have never ridden it and never will. I choose not to intentionally puke while on vacation (well, there was the time last February when we took the grandparents and Hubs and I had a date night at Epcot....but that's a secret).

We also had not ridden Peter Pan our past several visits. So, at this point EMH was over and Hubs was running over to grab FPs for BTMRR. Maddie and I decide to ride Peter Pan.

Next, we rode IASM.

Then we did Mickey's Philharmagic. I don't mind telling ya, that is my FAVORITE attraction in all of the parks. I love that show. So much that I searched it on YouTube and watch it from time to time....play it on the radio in my car....LOVE IT!

Little update on Beast's castle:

Love, love, love this shot:

Now, I must say...at this point, I am JONESING for a Dole Whip. But it's only 9:30. Whoever's idea it was to not open Aloha Isle until 10am should be taken out back..... I mean, it's bad.

Flying carpets:

Next we rode POC and headed over to that Tortuga Tavern for lunch. We'd never eaten there before. I thought it was AWESOME.

We hung around Adventureland for quite some time. Maddie had a 12pm appointment at the Pirate's League and we were looking for time to kill.

Speaking of time, it was after 10am. FINALLY.

I haul a$$ back over to Aloha Isle....and on the way, Maddie declares that "it's not fair that we get a snack and I don't! I don't like that Dole Whip (What the......???) and I want a snack!" The kid had a point.

So I get her a bag of cotton candy. Disney makes the BEST cotton candy. I imagine that is what crack must be like.

There is a line out the WAZOO for the Dole Whip, but I don't care. We wait.....and we are rewarded.

And I am SORRY. NO PICTURES. Now you can take ME out back! See, I had not properly done my research and didn't realize that taking food pictures was a must. I'll do better next time, I promise.

So it's now 11:50 and we head over to the Pirate's League.

Hubs goes to that shady sitting area on the way left side of the entrance to POC, takes a nap and dreams of another Dole Whip.

Maddie was very disappointed in the selection for girls at PL. She was further disappointed by the fact that they didn't have ANY of the girl costumes in stock. So....she decides that she wants this shirt - it's actually kinda cute but it was a woman's small. I tied it up in the back and it actually made a cute dress on her.

Getting her pirate name. Meet Beth Goodwater!

Waiting patiently:

We meet her pirate makeover dude.

Painting her nails:

Working on the eyes:

Lipstick. (check out his mouth - we do we all do that when we apply??)

Getting her bling!

Getting her hair did.

Pirate bandana!

Taking her pirate oath

Part of it says "I promise to always be trusted...to never be trusted". LOL.

AAARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

Getting her sword and medallion:

This was her "cousin" - they are both Goodwaters.

And here is the Photopass picture that I bought. LOVE this.

So, we get wrapped up and back on our way around 1:45-2. Maddie wants to do the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse so her and Hubs tackle that. I decide to go to the Emporium to do some Christmas shopping.

We meet at Space Mountain to use our FP's then decide to head back to the camper. We are starting to get a bit tired. By this time, it's around 2:45 and the parade is getting ready to begin.

We pass by Town Square and I see that the wait for Mickey and Minnie is posted as 5 minutes. Not hardly. We walked right up to them and actually got to spend several minutes. They were quite impressed with the little pirate.This is my only picture of Maddie with Mickey on this trip....and she's dressed as a pirate!

We head out and get on the ferry. I take some pictures on the boat before we depart.

Now, something happens on the trip back that doesn't sit well with us. We are in the back of the boat, along with another family that had 4 kids. In the very back seat, to the right, a little girl is sitting by herself, she's probably 9 or 10. Her mom and siblings are sitting in the row directly in front of her. Hubs and I are sitting in the back row to the left, Maddie is sitting in the row in front of us, by herself (now mind you, if the boat had filled up we would have made her sit with us).

This man walks onto the back of the bus and starts chatting everyone up. Then, he looks at the girl in the row by herself next to us and says "I think I'll sit here". Of all of the open seats on the boat, he chose to sit beside a young girl. He has a camera. A couple of times he stands up and takes pictures of Bay Lake and other resorts. Then we hear him say "say cheese" and he's taking pictures of the little girl that he's sitting next to! The mom said something out loud about how weird it was that a complete stranger was taking pictures of kids.

Hubs and I kept a close eye on him, and kept Maddie kinda sheilded from him. He may have been completely innocent, but we had a strong feeling that he wasn't right and that he was using these pictures of kids for not so nice purposes.

When the boat docked, I was very firm with Maddie not to move. I moved up in the row she was in and kept myself between her and that man, and everyone else for that matter at that moment. He began chatting everyone up again and was doing so VERY nervously this time. The mom of the little girl ended up in the line to get off directly in front of Hubs and she made it a point to tell us that he wasn't right and that it was wrong for him to be taking pictures of a stranger's kid. As we were getting off, she stopped and spoke to the captain. If she hadn't done it, Hubs was going to. The captain made a phone call to security.....described the man, who walked off the boat and straight toward Pioneer Hall.

My heart was racing.

In that moment, I felt both VERY sad and VERY indignant. Had he even attempted to take ANY pictures of my child, there would have been a camera in the bottom of Bay Lake....and quite possibly a grown man.

I felt sad because it's just completely ridiculous that idiotic perverts like him ruin a magical experience for people. Again, he may have been completely innocent but he was just acting WAY too strange.

I wonder if security ever caught up with him and if they did, I wonder what they asked him.

I praised that woman for mentioning it to security.

We have to work together to protect our babies.

We head back to the camper, somewhat somber.....and chill for a bit. I think none of us wanted to just sit around and think.

Hubs looks at me and says "I want to see the Osborne lights again AND I want to see them flip the switch".

What else do you say to that other than "LET'S GO!"