From freezing to sweating, on a daily basis! A December Walt Disney World report

[scottny]

Great updates and pics.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Great updates!

I World Showcase.

 

[Disneylover99]

My kids love to dance at The Biergarten. What did you think of it?

 

[PrincePluto]

Great updates and pics.

Thanks!

Great updates!

I World Showcase.

Yeah, it's my favorite too.

My kids love to dance at The Biergarten. What did you think of it?

I've been to the Biergarten before, and it's a lot of fun, but our table wasn't in as good a location as I was at in the past, in terms of seeing the entertainment. One time in the past, I was there with my parents, we were at a table right at the bottom in front of the band, and my father dragged my mother right out to the dance floor and they danced. When I was there this time, I didn't see anybody make an effort to dance.

The food is delicious, and it's all you care to eat, but being I had been snacking on and off around the World Showcase, I didn't have room for a second plateful, only a little bit of dessert in addition to my first plateful of food.

 

[PrincePluto]

After dinner, I had some time before I had to get on line to the Candlelight Processional, so I decided to get in line and meet up with Snow White.

I then saw the German Christmas Traditions show:

I then took the walk over to where the line had started to form for the Dinner package for the Candlelight Processional. It was only 5:55, and the line was already back to the pagoda in Japan! We waited for the 40 minutes until they started letting people in, and it started getting darker and colder.

I ended up sitting in the 4th row, and I tried taking pictures with both my point-n-shoot camera, and my smartphone, and found the pictures my phone took, being you weren't allowed to use a flash, came out much better, so I am posting more phone pictures than camera pictures in the following section.
James Denton was the narrator for the Processional, reading from an amalgamation of the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew, about the Nativity of Jesus Christ. For those of you who don't recognize Mr. Denton's name, he was the plumber on Desperate Housewives, and for those of you who did not watch Desperate Housewives, he also played Mr. Lyle in the USA suspense drama The Pretender.

The percussionists were amazing, playing a variety of instruments, from chimes, to triangles, to cymbals, to kettle drums.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Oh I just love the way the wonderfully costumed Voices Of Liberty looked in the American Pavilion with the garland in the background. Now *that's* Christmas!

Love this report, and glad you've started posting again Prince Pluto!

 

[PrincePluto]

Oh I just love the way the wonderfully costumed Voices Of Liberty looked in the American Pavilion with the garland in the background. Now *that's* Christmas!

Did you notice that the Voices of Liberty were also in the Candlelight Processional, on the stage, in tuxes and evening gowns?

Love this report, and glad you've started posting again Prince Pluto!

Thanks! Even though I have been a member for over 6 years, I tended to be a lurker, posting occasionally, until I decided to do my first trip report, this time around.

 

[PrincePluto]

After the beautiful and moving Candlelight Processional had ended, I could have stayed and watched Illuminations from a location reserved for Candlelight Processional package members, but I had seen Illuminations before, I was feeling tired, and I wanted to avoid the crush of people leaving after Illuminations, so I decided to head out.

First, I took a few pictures of the Epcot Christmas tree all lit up:

I then took some pictures of Spaceship Earth with the Celebration stage in the foreground:

I then got a venti Caramel Brulee Latte from the Fountainview Cafe (there was a very short line, very different from what my experience on Thursday afternoon would be), and left the park. On my way back to my time share, I stopped at Chik-Fil-A on 192 and got my dinner, a crispy chicken sandwich and their delicious waffle fries. I then went back to the time share and ate my meal, watched some TV, called my folks, then went to bed to get ready for my next day, at Disney's Hollywood Studios (which I still think of as MGM).

 

[PrincePluto]

I woke up, got ready, had my daily breakfast of Corn Pops and toaster pastries, and drove to my park of the day, Disney's Hollywood Studios. I was really early, so I was able to park in the first row of cars after the handicapped row. I was the first person in line on my turnstile row.

I took some pictures of the tree on my way in:

I then took some pictures of the iconic ticket windows gateway:

Since I was so early, I had plenty of time to talk with the family next to me. They were a couple with three teenage kids, from South Africa. I think they told me their flight was something like 20 hours non-stop. The kids were all about roller coasters, so I felt the need to tell them that the only roller coaster in the park was Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, but that the Tower of Terror was also pretty thrilling, as, to a lesser degree, Star Tours is. They told me they were in the United States for two weeks, and in addition to Florida, they were going to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I then took a couple of pictures through the turnstiles:

The cast member in turquoise with his back to my camera in the photo immediately above, was in charge of activating the couple of turnstiles that I and the South African family were at. He did something with his device, and the turnstile turned white, and with a Pavlovian response, I was about to use my card on it, but he stopped me with an "Ahh, ahh, ahh!" and I apologized. Then, a couple of minutes later, the announcement came welcoming us to the park, the countdown took place, and the power walk to TSMM was on!

I got a fastpass for 9:30-10:30, then I got in the standby line. The sign said 20 minutes, but if it was 10 that was a lot.

I got a score that was around 250,000, but I didn't take a picture of my score so I don't know exactly what it was... I then had about 20 minutes until my FP window came due, and it was cold, so I got myself a Mocha at the Joffrey's coffee stand and sat on a bench to enjoy it.

I rode TSMM again, but only improved my score by about 2000 points, although the accuracy improved measurably.

I then headed to The Magic of Animation to meet with some more characters.

I then did "You're A Character" and this was my result:

Then it was time to get my character groove on! First I met with Sorcerer Mickey:

Then it was on to Minnie's dressing room, to meet with her:
First, the antechamber:

Then it was my turn to meet Minnie:

 

[SmallWorld71]

We sometimes play the game of "Which character in this movie are you most like?"
Anyway, when we get to Beauty and the Beast, DS14 is definitely Cogsworth.

 

[PrincePluto]

After meeting with Sorcerer Mickey and Minnie, I walked down the hallway past the posters for coming Disney and Pixar animation movies:

On the way to the animation show, I saw a case with artwork from the movie Frozen in it, and had to take some pictures:

I only took one picture in the animation show, before it started:

On my way out of Art of Animation, on my way across the Animation Courtyard, I stepped into The Studio Store to take some pictures:

I saw the Frozen banners in the Animation Courtyard, so I snapped them, as well:

The Hollywood Brown Derby:

I then headed down Sunset Boulevard, first stopping in Sweet Spells:

Continuing down Sunset Boulevard:

To the Hollywood Tower Hotel. I saw the wait for the standby line for Tower of Terror was listed as 90 minutes, and the fastpass window was only 20 minutes away, so I grabbed a fastpass.

I had 20 minutes to kill, so I took a bunch of pictures around Sunset Boulevard:

Next: My adventures on Hollywood Boulevard Continued

 

[PrincePluto]

Continuing along Hollywood Boulevard:

Rosie's All-American Cafe

Sunset Ranch Market:

I then went to Anaheim Produce and bought a hard cider:

My fastpass window came due, and I rode Tower of Terror!

I then went back to the Art of Animation, for some more character meets.

First, I met Mr. Incredible and Frozone from The Incredibles:

Then I met the characters from Wreck It Ralph:

I then walked across the park, and rode Star Tours. The line was so short, that I rode it three times! The third time, I was finally chosen as the Rebel Spy! Then I rode it a fourth time, and this time the wait was up to about 15 minutes, and that was the last time I rode it.

I stopped to get some lunch at the Backlot Express. I didn't take any pictures, it was just your typical fast food fare, chicken nuggets and a soda.

I then checked my character greet timetable, and saw that Phineas and Ferb were conducting a meet, and got in line. The line was pretty long, but they kept things moving, and before long I got a couple of photopass pictures taken, plus one with my own camera. I recently got my Photopass CD back, so I will start posting the Photopass pictures for the chapters of my report that I have already posted, soon.

I then headed over for a couple of other character meets, but first decided to take a picture of the Splash fountain.

I then went to the Monsters U greet, and met Mike and Sully:

I then got on line for Santa Goofy. I apologized to Goofy for not wearing the Goofy shirt I had brought with me (I wore it on my MK day), but his cast member handler said both Goofy and she (the handler) liked my Doctor Who 4th Doctor T-shirt.

Next: The Backlot Tour

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I had never actually thought about who he was until I read your question on the first page. Apparently he was a politician/land owner who owned a big chunk of land that was eventually sold to Disney.

Thanks for sharing your trip report!

 

[PrincePluto]

I had never actually thought about who he was until I read your question on the first page. Apparently he was a politician/land owner who owned a big chunk of land that was eventually sold to Disney.

Thanks for sharing your trip report!

Thanks for the information!

 

[scottny]

Great updates and pics.

You got some great character pics.

 

[PrincePluto]

Great updates and pics.

You got some great character pics.

I just figured, I had been to WDW 8 times before, and never had character meets (except for a couple of character breakfasts with my nieces and nephews, where I was more busy taking pictures than being in them) so I decided it was about time to get as many character greets in as possible.

 

[PrincePluto]

I then decided to go on the Backlot Tour. I think half the people in the Studios had the same idea, as the crowds in the Studios were not unbearably huge, yet there was a major line for the Backlot tour, larger than I have ever seen it, even larger than when I was here in July. I had time to take a picture of the entrance from the line, which I usually don't have time to do:

Two groups later, we were in the Water Effects (Pearl Harbor) show.

After that we went on the Backlot Tour.

Millinery (hats) team:

More outdoor Backlot Tour shots:

Walt Disney's private plane, which he used in his travels to central Florida to investigate where to build his second theme park (now used in a promotional effort for the movie "Planes):

Various pictures of the Lights, Motors, Action staging area and arena:

Does anybody else feel that the "Presented by Brawny" is an unneccessary bit of commercial sponsorship?

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Again...great pictures Prince Pluto...really enjoying this TR.

 

[scottny]

I just figured, I had been to WDW 8 times before, and never had character meets (except for a couple of character breakfasts with my nieces and nephews, where I was more busy taking pictures than being in them) so I decided it was about time to get as many character greets in as possible.

Great idea. I did that during the party I went to last month.

Great update and pics.

 

[PrincePluto]

After I got off the backlot tour tram, I walked through the AFI Museum area and took some pictures:

Gone With The Wind movie poster:

Indiana Jones's whip from "Raiders of the Lost Ark":

Gone With The Wind premiere ticket:

A lit-up mushroom used in the forest scene of E.T.:

I had time to kill before the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, so I decided to watch a performance of the Jedi Academy (OK, maybe that's not the exact name, but you know what I mean):

Then I went to stake out a piece of sidewalk for the Osborne Lights, and as I got there, at about 5:00 PM, Mulch, Sweat and Shears proceeded down to perform at the end of the street, to build up a crowd as it started to get darker.

It started to get darker, and the excitement was building up for the Osborne Lights:

Then the snow started to fall (admittedly, more like suds than snowflakes)

Then, the lights came on! And, oh, what lights!

While this was going on, I stopped at a booth, and got a cup of "spiked" eggnog. Boy, that was tasty!

I also took some video with my phone, and I uploaded it. The link is a few articles down...