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

November 25th Part Five: Once Upon a Christmastime
After Holiday Wishes, we moseyed around Main Street as the fireworks crowd dispersed.





Just a little snow on Main Street. No big deal. ;)

Walking through there with the lights on, Christmas music playing, and snow falling was such a magical moment. It was one of those moments where it’s impossible not to smile. Even the grumpiest of grumps would have big grins on their faces, I’d imagine.



Since people were already camping out, we decided to find a spot for the second Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime parade in Town Square. Holiday Wishes ended around 9:45, and the parade was scheduled to begin at 10:30. It started in Frontierland though, so we had some waiting to do.

I hate to say it but I got a little whiny while we were waiting. My lower back tightened up and I was sick of being cold. I missed my warm Florida summer nights. Being outside when the sun’s no longer beating down on you, yet you’re still enveloped in a big hug from your good friend Humidity is the best. I wanted that. The whole shivering thing was not cool. Well, it was cool, but not cool cool, y’know? Thankfully this was the only really cold night of the trip. It just stinks that it had to be our party night.

The whininess changed to equal parts amused and confused when the Kringle Crew performed. By “performed” I mean “held a dance party on Main Street for little kids.”

It was, um, a thing.

Look, I love a good dance party. This was…not a good dance party. Only a handful of kids participated. It didn't seem fun. The “What? Why is this happenening???” of it all cracked me up. They were doing the “Gangnam Style” dance in the middle of the street. Whyyyyy?

After that display, it was time for the parade.

Once Upon a Christmastime is the number one reason why I wanted to come to MVMCP.

I was ridiculously excited about it.

I know I’ve already mentioned this in my previous TRs, but I was obsessed with those Disney’s Sing Along Songs VHS tapes as a kid. Not the ones with cartoons or clips from the movies, but the ones with the physical costumed characters and actual people singing and dancing. There was a Christmas edition (obviously) which included a song called “Hip Hop Noel,” a “funky” take on the North Pole’s Christmas preparations. I’m assuming it’s an original because I’ve never heard it outside of this video, but it’s pretty much the greatest thing ever.

Just watch.

Did you watch it?

If you did, you probably noticed the dancing reindeer. Highlight of the video by far. Five-year-old me thought they were the funniest things. Their little “dum de dum de dum dumdumdum” still cracks me up. Well, those very same reindeer appear in the Once Upon a Christmastime parade. I needed to see them in person.

Before the reindeer, there was a lot of parade. Let’s cover that.

Our parade pics are kinda iffy quality-wise. Sorry. The lighting where we were sitting wasn’t great for photography, but it was much less crowded than the rest of Main Street. I don’t even think we had people behind us. If we did, I didn’t notice them. That’s a good thing. In the summer, I’d have six people breathing down my back. Ha.



Mickey, Minnie, and Santa Duffy. Minnie’s dress is fab.



Scrooge! They should open up a M&G/attraction hybrid where we can swim in piles of money with Scrooge. I feel like that's something people would stand in line to do.



Donald and Daisy get to ride in a romantic horse-drawn carriage. I was majorly jealous of their blanket. It looks oh-so-very soft and warm.



Look at Dale’s earmuffs! So precious.



Dwarf dance circle!



Snow and her prince ride in a gazebo straight outta your local park. They tried to fancy it up with some tassels but still. I guess they’re supposed to be the “relatable” ones since the rest of the royals ride in carriages/a shiny castle float.



I feel like now is a good time to mention how much the “Once upon a Christmastime at Chriiiiistmaaaaas” song makes me laugh. It’s so earnest in its redundancy. It’s like the writer sat down and said “Hmmm do you think they’ll know what we mean by ‘Christmastime’? Let’s add ‘at Christmas’ just to be sure.”



I hadn’t eaten since lunch, so the giant cupcakes on Clarabelle’s float only served to remind me how hungry I was. They should have people there to hand out cookies along the parade route. Or just let Clarabelle throw them at the crowd. Who wouldn’t want to get hit in the face with a nice Snickerdoodle?





The Toy Soldiers were AWESOME.



Except for the ones in the back. They were a little sloppy with their formations.



They don’t even have instruments. What are you doing, Toy Soldiers? Get your heads in the game!

After those guys, it was dancing reindeer time!!



I was excited. I was worried people would have to restrain me from running out into the street and giving one a hug, but my fear of getting banned from Disney for life was strong enough to keep me on the curb. I just sat there, smiled, and babbled incoherently like a baby meeting Mickey. If they’d gotten any closer, I probably would’ve done that reach-out-and-grab-the-nose thing babies are so fond of.



While they weren’t doing the running man, they still had some choreography. I think next year they should fire the Kringle Crew and let these boys do some “Hip Hop Noel” in the middle of the street. That’d get the crowd fired up.



At the risk of sounding like the weirdest person ever, this moment alone was worth the price of admission. It was five-year-old me’s dream come true.

The parade ends with Santa. This is crazy blurry but BOOM.



MUST BE SANTA! MUST BE SANTA! MUST BE SANTA CLAUS! :santa:

Post-parade, we headed to Cosmic Ray’s because I needed to eat. Mom and Dad had hot dogs while we were waiting for the parade, but I wasn't really in the mood for one. I had been craving a sandwich all night. I ordered a turkey sandwich with fries, but because I dove right in, I forgot to take a picture. I did that a lot this trip, you'll notice. Anyway, the sandwich definitely hit the spot. Yum yum.

After eating, we probably had time to squeeze in a ride on Space Mountain or something before the party ended at midnight, but we were satisfied with our party experience and ready to call it a night. Mpm and Dad didn't have the luxury of sleeping in the car all morning like I did, so they were pretty beat. I didn't want to push 'em. Remember, I implemented the laid-back approach for a reason.

Dad took one last photo of Mom and I on a snowy Main Street and we headed out to the buses.



When the POP bus arrived, we all piled on.

Just after Bus Voice Guy finished his spiel, something amazing happened.

“Macarena” started playing.

“Macarena” as in THE Macarena, the 90s dance craze.

Everyone on that bus turned to their travel companions and let out either an excited “No way!” or a disgruntled groan.

I (and several of my fellow bus riders) immediately started doing the dance. Quietly and sans clap, of course, so as not to wake up the sleeping children on board. Those darn sleeping kids just had to ruin it for everyone. :p Disney needs to introduce Adults Only buses so we can do fun things like have wild “Macarena” dance parties in the middle of the night.

Back at Pop Century, we went straight to bed. Well, straight to our room and then to bed. We didn't sleep at the bus stop.

My “to bed” part came a little later because I had to watch some Stacey. I hadn't watched her at all since we arrived and that just felt wrong. After a few seconds, I realized it was different. That meant I had to put off sleep so I could watch the whole thing from the beginning. Obviously.

As I was watching, I felt it was crucial to share this change with the masses, so I tweeted:
You guys, Stacey is different. They added in New Fantasyland, rewrote the narration for DTD, and threw in more random new/old footage.

And:
It's nothing to panic over. The classics are still there and they added some new greats, but it's different.

A few minutes later:
Wait. TEST TRACK BABY is gone. Let's riot.

Then I fell asleep.

PS: Because I never really summed up my thoughts/feelings about MVMCP, I enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s something every WDW fan should try to experience at least once. It’s a bit pricey for 5 (8 if you come early) hours of park time, but the special entertainment/character M&Gs/just being there make it a worthwhile expense IMO. I’m glad we did it and I highly recommend it!​
 
I SO would have part of the "No way!"/proceed to dance quietly in my seat camp when the Macarena began playing. I, too, was a child of the 90s after all! :rotfl:
 
SNOW ON MAIN STREET. OH MAN I LOVED THAT!! :love: You got some nice photos of it too.

I feel ya on the cold thing. My MVMCP had rain during the day, so the ground was damp and with the cool air... not so nice. And this is coming from someone who doesn't mind cold normally. Just not in Florida. :cold:

It's such a lovely parade. I gotta admit, I kinda love the toy soldiers.
Boo to You is still my fav, but this is certainly wonderful too.
Plus, so nice to see your dream fulfilled. That's kind of the point of Disney after all. :goodvibes
 


Omg, the snow falling on Main Street picture is absurdly magical.

Gangnam Style happening on Main Street would have turned my YAY I'M AT MVMCP smile into a frown FAST. I hate that dance. If that ish is allowed, you and I need to get our ROTCOMS on.

*Of course* you mentioned Hip Hop Noel in this TR. Oh my God. I have to admit, I was more of a "Disneyland Fun" fan as far as the live action Sing Along Song videos go, but I love the Christmas one too. I remember not seeing it for years and then popping it in as a teenager and DYING at Hip Hop Noel. Like, it's just such authentic hip hop. I was expecting Dr. Dre to make a cameo.

Not only do they play the Macarena on the Pop bus, but there's a really hilarious guy who leads a crowd of people in doing the dance in front of that big stage on the water at Downtown Disney. We. Were. Dying.
 
You are making me want Christmas! NOW. :laughing:

Unless you have one of those fancy cameras, getting good pictures of this parade is nearly impossible. I've seen pictures of it in the daylight and they look so much better! Basically the parade was made for the daylight. Your pics of this parade are at least better than mine! :rotfl:

AHH the toy soldiers are my favorite part! The reindeer are the second best as far as I'm concerned though, so there ya go. (I also have a soft spot for the gingerbread men but it's not really worth mentioning.) Glad you enjoyed MVMCP!!
 
Great TR! We are going to see the Christmas decor and MVMCP for the first time this December and I cannot wait!! :cheer2:
 


I SO would have part of the "No way!"/proceed to dance quietly in my seat camp when the Macarena began playing. I, too, was a child of the 90s after all! :rotfl:
High-five! Macarena-doers are the best. :thumbsup2
SNOW ON MAIN STREET. OH MAN I LOVED THAT!! :love: You got some nice photos of it too.

I feel ya on the cold thing. My MVMCP had rain during the day, so the ground was damp and with the cool air... not so nice. And this is coming from someone who doesn't mind cold normally. Just not in Florida. :cold:

It's such a lovely parade. I gotta admit, I kinda love the toy soldiers.
Boo to You is still my fav, but this is certainly wonderful too.
Plus, so nice to see your dream fulfilled. That's kind of the point of Disney after all. :goodvibes
Dampness + cool air? Yikes.

I liked Once Upon a Christmastime a lot, but I've never seen Boo to You in person, so I can't compare. It looks really cool in pictures/video. I've gotta plan a fall trip sometime soon.
Omg, the snow falling on Main Street picture is absurdly magical.

Gangnam Style happening on Main Street would have turned my YAY I'M AT MVMCP smile into a frown FAST. I hate that dance. If that ish is allowed, you and I need to get our ROTCOMS on.

*Of course* you mentioned Hip Hop Noel in this TR. Oh my God. I have to admit, I was more of a "Disneyland Fun" fan as far as the live action Sing Along Song videos go, but I love the Christmas one too. I remember not seeing it for years and then popping it in as a teenager and DYING at Hip Hop Noel. Like, it's just such authentic hip hop. I was expecting Dr. Dre to make a cameo.

Not only do they play the Macarena on the Pop bus, but there's a really hilarious guy who leads a crowd of people in doing the dance in front of that big stage on the water at Downtown Disney. We. Were. Dying.
We need to get our ROTCOMS on anyway, but yes. I probably should have run out into the street and made a citizens arrest. I think that dance counts as "disturbing the peace". It's disturbed my peace, that's for sure.

"Disneyland Fun" is flawless as well. I've never been to Disneyland, but I watched that video so many times as a kid that it feels like I have.

When Disney implements my adults only nighttime party buses back to POP, that guy can come lead the bus parties. It'll be great.
You are making me want Christmas! NOW. :laughing:

Unless you have one of those fancy cameras, getting good pictures of this parade is nearly impossible. I've seen pictures of it in the daylight and they look so much better! Basically the parade was made for the daylight. Your pics of this parade are at least better than mine! :rotfl:

AHH the toy soldiers are my favorite part! The reindeer are the second best as far as I'm concerned though, so there ya go. (I also have a soft spot for the gingerbread men but it's not really worth mentioning.) Glad you enjoyed MVMCP!!
Yeah, it's really hard to photograph. Plus, I was more concerned with seeing the parade with my own two eyes than messing around with settings and stuff. I like easy photography. I'm a point-and-shoot kinda gal. :rotfl:

I love the gingerbread men too! They're so cute!
 
November 26th Part One: A Messy Morning
Our second day in Disney got off to a bit of a rough start.

It all started because we slept later than I wanted to. This normally isn’t a big deal, but we made plans the night before to go to Hollywood Studios. Because of my Toy Story Mania obsession, l like to get there early (like really early) so we can be some of the first people into the park and I can ride it a few times in a row before the line gets ridiculous. For a regular 9AM opening, I like to be out the door of our hotel room by 8. Because we overslept, that didn’t happen.

We have a system for our mornings in Disney. When my sister is with us, we have four people in a room with one bathroom. A system is absolutely necessary. :laughing: My parents are earlier risers, so they're in charge of setting an alarm/making sure we're all up on time. Katie and I are both lucky in that we sleep right through alarms that aren't our own. This skill was a godsend when I shared a room with three other girls during my first year of college. Ha. On vacation, I don't set an alarm for myself because Mom wakes me up when she's done in the shower. We're both morning shower people. An AM shower is my coffee in Disney. I can't function without it.

This morning, it wasn’t the system that failed us. It was our communication issues. My parents didn’t realize we needed to be up so early and set their alarm for a later time. I, on the other hand, assumed that saying “Hey let’s go to the Studios tomorrow morning. Gotta get there early!” was enough. We’re usually on the same page with this stuff.

When Mom woke me up, I was all “YAY TOY STORY!” but then I looked at the clock and my heart sank. I rushed to get ready and then we drove over to DHS. There was no time to wait around for Disney transportation.



DHS’s Christmas tree!

Even with the oversleeping, we just barely made it in time for rope drop.

This is the part where you all “Really, Kara?” me.

Yes, I was upset even though we still made it to our park of choice before rope drop.

Last summer, both times we went to the Studios in the morning, we were some of the first people in line. This time, the lines at the turnstiles were backed up all the way to the ticket windows. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but, trust me, it makes a difference.

Here’s a picture I took of the decoration on the ticket booth we were standing by.



All of Hollywood’s decorations were super shiny. It was pretty.

While we were waiting, my parents and I got into a bit of a…what’s the normal-voiced equivalent of a shouting match? Because that’s what happened. I was mad at Mom and Dad for waking up late and disappointed the day wasn't going to go as I'd envisioned. They were mad at me for being mad at them when, in their opinion, I didn’t adequately communicate my desires to them. We expressed these feelings in a calm, rational way. OK, we might have been giving each other some attitude, but no shouting. I’m not a yeller. And we were in public. I didn’t want to come on the DIS and see a “Did anyone else witness the massive blowup outside of DHS on 11/26?” thread.

Our “discussion” was put on the backburner when the park opened. We rushed back to Toy Story, got a set of FastPasses (for almost forty minutes later than I would have wanted), and got in the standby line. There was already a twenty minute wait! Usually we get in at least one walk-on.

Anyway, it’s impossible to be angry in Andy’s room (and Mr. Potatohead wasn’t working so I couldn’t ask to borrow his angry eyes) so I let it go.



Last summer, my goal was to break 200,000 points. I accomplished it. Yay me! My new goal is to break 250,000. It’s gonna take some work. It’s really hard to learn all the tricks when you don't play it regularly.

When we got off, standby was already up to an hour. Sigh. We headed over to Starring Rolls for breakfast.

I got my usual, the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake.



So delicious.

After that, we decided to go to the Animation Academy.



We drew Sorcerer Mickey. I had already drawn him a few trips back, but it was cool to do it with a different instructor. They’re all so good at what they do.

Next, we headed back to Toy Story Mania to use our FastPasses.



This is not the best picture of them, but I really liked the tinsel stars hanging in Pixar Place. I think they could do more decoration-wise back there though. Put Santa hats on the Barrel of Monkeys monkeys or something.

We grabbed another set of FastPasses for later that night and then rode. I was on track for a great score, but my gun stopped working right before the last round. That’s when you pick up big points! At least that’s when *I* pick up big points. It was unfortunate. When Jessie yelled “Keep shootin’, buckaroos!” all I could do was say “I’m trying!” *sobs*

After that disappointment (boy were they just piling up) we walked over to Muppetvision via the Streets of America.



The Splash fountain.





A ton of bricks.





And finally Muppetvision!

As always, it was wonderful. Except for the fact that my 3D glasses were ridiculously bent. It’s bad enough that I have to wear them over my regular glasses. The last thing I need is to have the frame in my line of vision. I really need to start testing them before we go into the theater.

I had Mom take a picture after the movie to show how messed up these glasses were.



They were quite something.

After that, we wandered around a bit through the Muppet gift shop and surrounding area.





It’s A Wonderful Shop…For Holiday Gifts





At this point, all that unpleasantness I let go of earlier in Andy’s room came rushing back when I asked my parents what they wanted to do next.

Their response basically amounted to a grumbled whatever.

I was all “Great Movie Ride? Beauty and the Beast? Animation Academy again?”

And they were all “Grumble. Grumble. Grumble again.”

Then Mom said that she wanted to go to Downtown Disney. Dad agreed.

I snapped. The whole point of this trip was to see the Christmas stuff and to actually be in the parks all day. To take full advantage of the cooler weather. To do the things we don’t have time to do in the summer because it’s surface of the sun hot and they want to go back to the hotel and swim. Not to leave before noon and go to DTD. We agreed on that when we booked it. Or I thought we had.

Again, not being on the same page caused drama.

To avoid a full-blown argument, I suggested they go to DTD and drop me off at POP on the way. I could have stayed at DHS, I guess, but I feel like I'd get bored by myself and I've always been afraid it would feel like something's missing. Also, I wanted to go back to the hotel because frustration tends to breed anxiety for me and I was feeling mighty frustrated at the time. I needed to sit in a dark room by myself for an hour to calm down.

We headed out to the car.

Dad and I took pictures along the way to distract ourselves from the unpleasantness.











So we got in the car, started driving, and soon realized Dad was going to Downtown Disney. Evidently he wasn’t paying attention when I said I didn’t want to go. More communication issues. He got mad because he was convinced I never said I wanted to be dropped off at Pop Century. Mom heard me though so I was all “Obviously this is a you problem”. Dad didn’t like that so much. Cue more unpleasantness.

We finished driving to DTD since there’s really no place to turn around before that. I said, “Don’t worry. I’ll just take the bus back,” but Dad just turned around in the lot and took us all back to POP.

Mom and Dad wound up eating lunch at Everything Pop and then going to the pool because it was warm and sunny enough to swim. I sat in the room and watched Stacey/the other Disney channels while trying not to cry. I was so worried that this unpleasantness would continue all week. While I felt justified in being upset that we were all on different pages, I also felt guilty for getting mad when I was part of the problem. In reality, we were all at fault. We learned that we all needed to listen more carefully and to be more clear about what we wanted/our expectations going forward.

Plus I felt kind of ashamed that this drama happened in part because of a theme park ride. I was fortunate enough to be in WDW for the second time in six months and I was mad that I had to wait twenty minutes for a ride I’ve been on a lot. That's silly. But anger is an emotion and that means it's not always entirely rational. ;) And it's not like the Toy Story Mania stuff was the cause of the unpleasantness. Communication (or lack thereof) was the real problem. TSM just led us to "discuss" it.

After reflecting for a bit, I went to Everything Pop to get lunch. Mom joined me. She was in full conflict mediation mode and listened to me vent over my salad. Which I don’t have a picture of. It was really good though.

The most lovely cast member ever was working at the Make Your Own Salad station. She was a delight. So chatty and so kind. It was just what I needed to remind me that, much like sleeping and saving money, there’s no stewing in anger when you’re in Disney World. :p
 
Kara, I have to tell ya, I'm very proud of your updating skills lately! Very nice. :thumbsup2

I understand your disappointment. Toy Story mornings are a very big deal!

Sorry you didn't have the greatest morning. It happens, but it still sucks. Hopefully that was the end of it!
 
I can totally understand the Disney communication breakdown. We have it down to a science. There needs to be at least one hour of a trip where nobody is talking to anyone else for it to be a proper family vacation;).

I had to skip all the MVMCP photos though. We are going to the party for the first time this December and I want it all to be a surprise. You should see how fast I click away if I come upon a thread with pictures. I'm such a dork:rotfl:
 
AGGGH. I'm getting stressed just reading about this. Omg. I hate when the person I'm with is not on the same page, aka my page, aka OBVIOUSLY THE BEST PAGE. :cool2:

You should try being solo someday, you never know, you may like it! Although you may get lonely, trust me.. the last thing you will be is bored. And if you don't like it you could always just leave the park and go back to your family. :thumbsup2

I hope things perked up for you guys! At least you had Stacey and that cool CM at the salad bar.
 
Aww... sorry to hear about the disappointing morning! :sad1: It's no fun to have unpleasantness any time, but it's especially upsetting at the Happiest Place on Earth!!! I totally get the early morning thing though. A few years back I traveled with a friend who dilly-dallied around every single morning and refused to put it into high gear. I'm like Um... don't you know rides are waiting to be ridden? Mickey premium bars are waiting to be eaten? Life is waiting to HAPPEN!??!?!! It was beyond frustrating. So I totally get the need for an appropriately timed arrival! ;) I hope that was the last of the unpleasantness though and happy to see that things were all patched up! :goodvibes
 
I'm with ya Kara. You gotta be in front of the line. If you're not in front you may as well come at noon! Why do people not get that!? :confused3

Congrats on breaking 200K. I still haven't done it. Ugh.

Oh gawd that pic with the glasses is seriously hysterical. You had the perfect facial expression.

I completely feel your pain on communication issues and not being on the same page. I think everybody has a similar story and it can be so frustrating.
Not that I would ever tell anyone what to do, but maybe try a solo period on a future trip. Not necessarily a whole trip, but just some solo time see how it feels. :thumbsup2

Also, Stacey is a cure for everything.
 
Kara, I have to tell ya, I'm very proud of your updating skills lately! Very nice. :thumbsup2

I understand your disappointment. Toy Story mornings are a very big deal!

Sorry you didn't have the greatest morning. It happens, but it still sucks. Hopefully that was the end of it!
Hahaha I've had a lot free time lately.

Yep, it does suck. Thankfully we were able to put it behind bus.
I can totally understand the Disney communication breakdown. We have it down to a science. There needs to be at least one hour of a trip where nobody is talking to anyone else for it to be a proper family vacation;).

I had to skip all the MVMCP photos though. We are going to the party for the first time this December and I want it all to be a surprise. You should see how fast I click away if I come upon a thread with pictures. I'm such a dork:rotfl:
Hahahahahahahaha

Not a dork. I'm impressed. I wish I had that much restraint. I can't help but spoil myself for, well, just about everything. :)
AGGGH. I'm getting stressed just reading about this. Omg. I hate when the person I'm with is not on the same page, aka my page, aka OBVIOUSLY THE BEST PAGE. :cool2:

You should try being solo someday, you never know, you may like it! Although you may get lonely, trust me.. the last thing you will be is bored. And if you don't like it you could always just leave the park and go back to your family. :thumbsup2

I hope things perked up for you guys! At least you had Stacey and that cool CM at the salad bar.
You're right, of course. I guess I've just always felt that a solo trip would feel different in a not-so-good way because my favorite Disney memories are all so closely tied to the people I shared them with. But different isn't always bad. And, like you said, it's not like I have to spend hundreds of dollars to go down there and try one. I can just escape from my family for a few hours. :rotfl:
Aww... sorry to hear about the disappointing morning! :sad1: It's no fun to have unpleasantness any time, but it's especially upsetting at the Happiest Place on Earth!!! I totally get the early morning thing though. A few years back I traveled with a friend who dilly-dallied around every single morning and refused to put it into high gear. I'm like Um... don't you know rides are waiting to be ridden? Mickey premium bars are waiting to be eaten? Life is waiting to HAPPEN!??!?!! It was beyond frustrating. So I totally get the need for an appropriately timed arrival! ;) I hope that was the last of the unpleasantness though and happy to see that things were all patched up! :goodvibes
Yeah, there's no time for dilly-dallying in the morning at Disney. That's definitely frustrating. Hopefully it wasn't too bad.

And yep, we were able to put the unpleasantness behind us. For the most part. ;)
Great update! :)
Thanks!!
I'm with ya Kara. You gotta be in front of the line. If you're not in front you may as well come at noon! Why do people not get that!? :confused3

Congrats on breaking 200K. I still haven't done it. Ugh.

Oh gawd that pic with the glasses is seriously hysterical. You had the perfect facial expression.

I completely feel your pain on communication issues and not being on the same page. I think everybody has a similar story and it can be so frustrating.
Not that I would ever tell anyone what to do, but maybe try a solo period on a future trip. Not necessarily a whole trip, but just some solo time see how it feels. :thumbsup2

Also, Stacey is a cure for everything.
Thank you. I don't get that either. I mean, I guess not everyone is as Toy Story Mania obsessed, but every second counts when it comes to that ride.

You're right. I should give solo time a chance. Definitely not an entire trip, but we'll see how a few hours goes...

Stacey is a cure for everything. That is so true. :thumbsup2
 
November 26th Part Two: The Osborne Lights
After we calmed down, we put all of that morning’s unpleasantness behind us and headed back to Hollywood Studios for the evening. It was a fresh start.





We took our time checking out the decorations on Hollywood Boulevard.





They’re subtle but festive.



It was weird to be thinking Christmas when there were palm trees everywhere.





That’s hard to read, but I really like the “Not a place on the map, but a state of mind” line.





An American Idol show was about to begin, so we decided to go.



I know most people are pretty negative about The American Idol Experience, but we’ve always enjoyed it. It’s not like it’s my favorite thing ever or that I’m going to protest when they inevitably change it, but it’s something to do. The actors who play the judges always make me laugh.

This time, the woman sitting next to Mom got really into it. She took her American Idol seriously. She had strong feelings about each performer and she made them known. Her level of dedication was impressive. I, on the other hand, voted for a girl because I liked her glasses. I mean, her voice wasn’t bad, but mostly I felt like supporting a fellow glasses-wearer. We have to stick together.

After Idol, we stopped to watch the Jedi Training Academy. I know very little about Star Wars, but this is the cutest thing!



When it was time to fight Darth Vader, the Jedi Master inquired all dramatically, “Who will be the first to face Darth Vader?” A tiny little girl who had obviously been to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique earlier in the day immediately threw her hand in the air. To which the Jedi Master said, “Ah, the princess. Braver than all the boys.” She went out and did her thing and it made my day. You rock, Princess Jedi-In-Training!



We headed back to the Streets of America next for the Osborne Lights! We wanted to be there right when they turned them on for the night, so we were a little early. We didn’t mind the wait. Unlike the previous night’s freezefest, the weather was great. I didn’t even have to change into pants!

When it’s time, they start the “snow” and there’s a little ceremony where someone flips the switch and the whole street lights up. It is such a cool moment. I had goosebumps.

Are you ready for an onslaught of Osborne Lights photos?

To give credit where credit’s due, almost all of these are from Dad’s camera. I was more concerned with moving out from behind the ipads people stuck in the air than I was with taking pictures. There is no need to record video on your ipad, people. At least not when you’re holding it up above your head. Stick it up and take a picture if you must, but don’t leave it up there for twenty minutes in the middle of a crowd. Go stand off to the side. You’re blocking the view.

Anyway…HERE WE GO!













Some of the buildings’ windows were actually screens showing animated Christmas-related scenes. It was neat.















That’s the only picture of the lights we have mid-dance. That’s when they’re at their coolest, but it is not easy to photograph. Those lights switch on and off so fast I'm surprised they don't like break and start smoking. If life were a family Christmas comedy, they would.​
 

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