ºoº December 1, 2005, Thursday, MVMCP "Cinderella's Golden Carrousel" DIS/MF Meet

[RaySharpton]

Yes, great meet, Ray...and nice pics, John (except for the one of me - yuck!)!!

It was great seeing you, too, Nancy. And I think your picture is beautiful.

Do you have any pictures of the meet that I can post. If you just have the URL, I can put it in photopost.com.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi all! I'm back lol! It was nice to meet everyone! DD and I have some pics but need to download them, I have over 800 pics to deal with! I went kinda nutts!

This was my first ride on the carousel at WDW too !
We were on there for a LONG time ... remember they actually kicked us off it!!!!! We didn't get off it on our own people LOL!

Ray... nice meeting you too and thanks for the meet and for the passport! And thanks Jim D for hooking me up with it too!

Any BTW ladies... for those of you who went on Peter Pan after and saw me and DD... well you all went to wrong way after, we heard the CM yell last call for Small World and we got to go on that... you all disappeared!!

Hey we had so much fun that we bought another night of MVMCP, so we had two booked and got another... we went to 3 of them in 10 days LOL!! SOOOO much fun!

It was great seeing you, too, MissMissy. Do you have any pictures of the meet that I can post for next years meet. I don't have any of "twas the night before christmas" meet either. If you just have the URL, I can put it in photopost.com.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Hey you guys from 12/1 MVMCP....I got my group photo this week-end. It's amazing that we all fit in....it's a great shot.

I am not going to host that many meets next year and volunteer so much to help hand out schedules, so I sure would like to join you next year for the photo.

I love group photos.

Maybe we could do Splash Mountain group photo, too.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Not unless there is something that my mom and/or dad didn't tell me.

John is like a brother to me. He is always so kind and helpful to me.

We go way back to DISCON one.

I am so glad that he made the trip this year, and that I had my scooter to make all of the meets.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Just wanted to say HI! And say Ray.. I just listened to your interview on a Disney Podcast.. and I feel like I know a celebrity now!! LOL!! I am sorry I missed Mousefest!! Sounds like you all had a blast!

Kathy

Hi, Kathy. I haven't heard it yet. Lou of www.disneyworldtrivia.com and Nathan of www.MagicalMountain.com were walking around the MegaMouse Meet room talking to everyone, and all of a sudden, Lou walked up to me near the Tinkerbell lady and started asking me questions...lol.

No celebrity, here...just a kid at heart that loves everything disney and everyone that likes disney, too.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Yeah, I had to get off my horse, so other people could get on, then they never got on. Or was that the coach thing??

Great picture of you on the horse, Dan. I think that it was the bench thing on the carousel.

Do you have any pictures of the meet that I can post. If you just have the URL, I can put it in photopost.com.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[KayTX]

Hi Ray, it was so nice to see you again, and thanks so much for planning the "Night Before Christmas" meet and the Carrousel meet at MVMCP on Thurs. Dec. 1st. It was my first time to do both and it was alot of fun, especially with such fun people! And special thanks for the copy of PassPorter. Bye, and Merry Christmas! Kay

 

[miss missy]

Yep, they sure did, I didn't find out about it until that night at MVMCP, they also changed the "twas the night before christmas show" from 6:15 to 6:45 P.M., and I was surprised at that too.

It was great seeing you. Do you have any pictures of the meet that I can post. If you just have the URL, I can put it in photopost.com.

Sincerely, Ray

Nice seeing you too. Did you get back the next week like you planned? We ended up back that Tuesday too.
I have a couple pics and will get them to you asap.

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi Ray, it was so nice to see you again, and thanks so much for planning the "Night Before Christmas" meet and the Carrousel meet at MVMCP on Thurs. Dec. 1st. It was my first time to do both and it was alot of fun, especially with such fun people! And special thanks for the copy of PassPorter. Bye, and Merry Christmas! Kay

It was great to see you too, Kay. It was great that you got Dave Marx to sign your Passporter WDW book, too.

Merry Christmas.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Nice seeing you too. Did you get back the next week like you planned? We ended up back that Tuesday too.
I have a couple pics and will get them to you asap.

Hi, MissMissy. The first two weeks of December is my usual big vacation every year.

I love all of the christmas lights and music and decorations.

I checked out on Friday, December 17th, but I used my scooter to walk around the Boardwalk lake and just visit all of the resorts in the area again.

Then I decided to visit the Wilderness Lodge resort again to end my trip and catch a nap in the 3rd floor, lobby, small sitting area by the fireplace.

I just put my feet up and listened the hustle and bustle and laughter and ooohs and aaaahs and music, as I closed my eyes to catch a nap before driving home.

I got home, early Saturday morning, slept and when to work for the night.

I enjoyed seeing you and everyone.

Sincerely, Ray

 

[RaySharpton]

Wow!!! Have you read this week's Newsletter by AllEarsNet.COM tonight?

They included a post from our thread from John Hayes (Towncrier) about our 2005 MouseFest/DIS Cinderella's Golden Carrousel Meet.

Way to go John.

Here is the quote:

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel Meet: According to John Hayes of the DISBoards, "We arrived at Cinderella's Golden Carrousel at the appointed hour. The Fantasyland crowds had long since made their way down Main Street to queue up for bus, monorail, or ferry boat rides back home. All that remained were a rag-tag group of tired but otherwise happy adults wanting to glean just one more magic moment out of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. There were those of us in the party who simply hopped up onto their respective steeds, ready to take a magical ride on the carrousel. And there were those of us who, after struggling to get up onto their horses for the ride spent some time pondering just how they were going to get back down off their high horse. But that worry melted away as soon as the music started and the carrousel started to spin. For one brief moment, we were all children again, laughing and smiling as we rode round and round. When the ride came to a stop, we decided to stay put and ride again. For some of us, it was an easy decision. As there was nobody in the queue, the kind Cast Member let us ride the carrousel five times in a row. But all good things must come to an end and, as the clock struck midnight, we bid our trusty steeds adieu and joined the throngs slowly making their way down Main Street, pausing just long enough to enjoy the snowflakes."

That is so cool.

John, can I use your pictures and anyone else's photos of the meet to try and have them put them in the 2005 MouseFest Scrapbook?

I would like to include everyone's names, too.

What a great night that was.

Unfortunately, the Castle Forestage show changed times from midnight to 11:30 P.M., but we had a good showing of so many of my very dear friends that I have known for years on the DIS and some new friends made, too.

We were going to see the Castle Forestage show at midnight, so that must have changed some families and guests minds, and I completely understand. JamesD and his wonderful wife, Linda, came by to say that they had to miss the meet because they were tired. And you didn't have to do that James and Linda. I wish that I could have made your WWTBAM meet. Being a nighttime person because I work nights, it is hard for me to get enough rest, too.

It was also very cool that night, and a lot of people were tired, too. A long day for both adults and children.

Well, I had my scooter parked on the left side of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland Sword in the Stone attraction in front of the beautifully lit Cinderella's Golden Carrousel.

The ground was still wet behind the castle, leading up to the carrousel even after two hours of the special Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Wishes fireworks.

Plus it was a little humid and a very cool, nighttime jacket and glove weather time, even for me...lol.

Almost all of the crowds had gone from the Fantasyland area.

It was a late night, 11:30 P.M. meet, too.

But the Cinderella's Golden Carrousel was all lit up at night with sparkling, shiney surfaces from the misty or humid night and lights.

And the carrousel was almost empty, too.

I got there a little early, and I had a great big grin on my face as I saw the kids, both big and tiny try to climb up on their favorite golden horse or pony.

Those young children would raise their feet, sometimes as high as their own head, to put one foot in the pony's stirrup. And then they pulled themselves all of the way up on top of the pony's saddle with everyone else.

There were big, bright eyes and big grining smiles with their success of climbing their magical pony or horse.

They were all so proud and happy.

And then the merry-go-round started slowly turning with the classical, magical music playing and the shimmering horses rising and lowering and the children and kids at heart all smiling, or laughing, but most assuredly thinking what a magical moment they were all experiencing.

Little did I know that a bunch of my dear friends would show up at this late hour right before the midnight hour to do the exact same things.

As most of us climbed on board our shining, gleamering horses of gold and red and blue, Towncrier and myself, RaySharpton, climbed on our horses.

Well, I went to the inside ring to get the shortest horse that I could find...lol.

I carefully and with all the dignity and confidence that I could muster finally got my left foot in the stirrup. Thank goodness. And after a minute or two, I was able to pull the rest of my 345 pounds up on my horse...lol.

I felt just as proud as those young girls and boys did earlier before our meet. I had the biggest smile and I was so proud that I could get up on top of that horse.

John took this picture of the both of us with his outstretched hand. Great picture John. Do we look like brothers?

And then Dan Murphy was going to sit on the bench part of the carrousel, but later had to get on his own horse to make room for other guests.

We did ride around about five times in a row before being asked to get off. I think that we would have stayed on way after midnight if they would let us.

Doesn't Dan Murphy look great on his horse?

And then everyone else yelled hi, and came on in and got on their horses for a magical ride.

Aren't these pictures great. Diane (Goofy4Tink), Nancy (NancyIL), and Jen (Blueeyes101817) all look like the small kids laughing and smiling that I saw earlier ready to get going. Don't they look great?

And Jellyrolls Karen (TLinden16), Kathy (KathyTX/WebmasterKathy), Krista (KristaTX) were all so happy and laughing. Talk about feeling like a kid at heart. I love these pictures. These photos tell it all. The love of Disney, friendship, laughter and smiles just show though all of these photos.

And I had such a good time with AKQJ10 (Lou Mongello - Author of the Walt Disney World Trivia Book) at his Trivia meet earlier that day and this night. And when is Disney going to start selling his book in their park stores? It belongs beside Steve's Hidden Mickey book, too. Somebody tell the Disney people to get on that.

After we went around and around, I seemed to see everyone start to gleam and shine with pixie dust as the laughter, and music, and lights, and mirrors, and magic seem to all spin and blend into one very magical Disney moment.

Or was that just tears of joy in my eyes?

A truly magical night.

Then we followed some of the ladies to ride Peter Pan attraction since it was still accepting riders. We flew over the town with Peter Pan. It doesn't get much better than this

And then we all made our way down Magic Kingdom's Mainstreet. And yes, it was snowing after midnight as we slowly walked the near empty magical street watch the snow...looking down Mainstreet to the huge, beautifully lit christmas tree and beautifully decorated store fronts and lamp posts.

And did I say that it was snowing down Mainstreet?

And then we would turn around and look down Mainstreet at the beautifully lit Cinderella's Castle as lights changed colors and the christmas music filled the air.

And it was snowing down Mainstreet, too.

How magical. To be a child again. Only at Disney.

I believe...I really do believe.

Well, I am going to plan a Cinderella's Golden Carrousel Meet every year at Mousefest. And we will have to end it with a Peter Pan ride, too. And a walk down the snowy Mainstreet.

And you don't have to sign up if you don't want to, and you don't have to be on time, or early, or late, but you must not be to shy to step up and say, "Hi", and and come pick your horse or bench, or even just watch everyone or take photos, and be "Children at Heart" with all us on a "Magical" Golden Carrousel.

Thank you dear friends, both new and old for sharing the "Magic".

Does anyone have any photos of KayTX and MissMissy and her DD at our meet?

And does anyone have any photos of our meet at "Twas the Night Before Christmas"?

Most Sincerely, RaySharpton

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Ray--That was great--I had such a good time at the meet--i was afraid i was going to be shy, but i wasnt
I know someone took a picture of a group of us right before we split up to go to the buses--i wonder who has that picture?

 

[WebmasterKathy]

Ray, what a beautiful post. That was a magical and happy night. I'm glad we got to share it together.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Reading the posts makes me happy. It seems like it was such a fun event! Sorry that I missed it, but I am glad that you are all sharing the fun.

 

[KristaTX]

It was a wonderful night and a magical trip. I'm so glad I got to spend time with all of my friends again, and to also make new friends . But I did miss my DIS friends who were not able to be there this year .

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'll get some pictures up here soon, Ray. Great meet, great people, had a lot of fun that night. Really nice pictures, John.

 

[goofy4tink]

You absolutely caught the magic of the night Ray!!! Thanks for such a terrific posting. It was one of the most fun nights I've had at WDW. I'll be on my horse next year also....don't want to miss that fun.

 

[TLinden16]

Great pictures. That was a lot of fun. I'm glad I was peer pressured into going to the party by my evil friends

 

[goofy4tink]

Great pictures. That was a lot of fun. I'm glad I was peer pressured into going to the party by my evil friends

 

[TLinden16]

Hey, when did they get the Goof4Tink smilie?