Monthly Archives: December 2014

Day 90- Magic Kingdom

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Today is beautiful! It is hot in the sun and chilly in the shade. The breezes are perfect and the sun is shining! We are going to Magic Kingdom and it is so busy. We park near the end of a row and walk to the tram. It is absolutely packed! Just as that one tram loads and takes off, the next one is already pulling up. I hear the tram attendant say, “Stay behind the safety poles and behind the yellow line.” Soon, we are all boarded and waiting for the last stroller to be folded. We hear the safety message and see the next tram ready to pull in behind us. Now we are off to the Ticket and Transportation Center.

The walk up to the Monorail is not so crowded and we are soon heading for Magic Kingdom! It is so fun to see the kids looking for Cinderella’s Castle in the distance, and hearing their happy voices when they spot it. It is crowded, but soon we are in, and can hear the Festival of Fantasy Parade as we enter Main Street USA. People are stopped watching the parade all up and down the street. I think I will grab a coffee at Main Street Bakery and find a place to sit until the parade has passed. After we get our coffees, we find some sunshine and a table. The kids and I have so much fun talking and visiting as we watch the Dream Along with Mickey show.

Now, we are going to make our way to Fantasyland. We stop over to see Gaston as talks to the ladies. There is a grandma meeting him and it is her birthday, so Gaston says, “People, this lady is 29 today!” We all cheer! She is grinning from ear to ear!

As we head for Peter Pan’s Flight, we see the fireworks from the Dream Along with Mickey show; they are so pretty and glittery.

My favorite ride is Peter Pan’s Flight, and we have a FastPass+! We scan our MagicBands and are soon on the ride. When you get in your ship, the cast member sprinkles Pixie Dust on the safety bar to lower it, and soon you are lifting off to be transported to old England. It is so fun to look down on the streets of London. Then, you can see the moon with Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael’s silhouettes passing as shadows on its surface. This is a must-ride for me; it is a shorter ride, but the story and details are beautiful.

Cinderella’s Castle is so beautiful to walk through. The mosaic artwork is breathtaking as it sparkles and glitters.

The Move It! Shake It! Dance It! Play It! Street Party is setting up, and it traffic slows down from here, all the way down Main Street USA. But, it makes it nice for pin trading since we are moving at a slower pace. Twinkie finds a really great Mickey and Minnie pin to trade for.

I see that there are 12 more days until Christmas on the countdown calendar. I need to get a picture with Santa this year!

Until tomorrow! Goodnight!

(Pics coming soon!)

Day 89- Epcot

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Tonight is a very chilly, breezy evening, and our destination is Epcot. When the wind blows, the humidity makes the breeze a bit chillier. Instantly, we know we should have grabbed heavier coats… Whoops! We walk to the gates, get our bags checked, and our MagicBands scanned. It is very busy tonight. The fireworks are in about an hour and a half and people are just flooding into the front gates since Epcot has Extra Magic Hours tonight.

I love coming into Epcot and seeing the lights shine on Spaceship Earth, it is so beautiful. I also love all of the palm trees that are around as you walk. They are fabulous.

As we walk, we see the Art of Disney studio, and go in to see all of the artwork. There are sculptures, paintings, sketches, collectables, pins, ornaments, and I even saw a collection of art that kids have brought into the shop; Disney has put each creation into a binder. I looked through the binder and discovered that there are really talented kids who have submitted their creative work. It is so cool when you get to see their talent. How neat! Twinkie even found a pin to trade in the Art of Disney studio.

Then, the kids went off to pin trade and browse MouseGear, while I stopped in at Starbucks for something hot. The lines were so very long, but I waited and got a perfect soy chai tea latte. I sat outside in the breezy night, and soon the kids were back. We are going to make this a short evening and check for pins at a few more places before we call it a night.

We walk back out to the car, drive over to Magic Kingdom’s parking lot, and watch the Very Merry Christmas Party Fireworks. They are so spectacular! There are only a few more days to see these (they are only on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights). They are absolutely phenomenal!

(Pics coming soon!)

Day 88- Hollywood Studios and Sci-fi Diner (Picnic Burger!)

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What a sunny day! It is cold enough to wear our Mickey sweaters. It is very breezy and a fun day to go to Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is always so exciting to visit! You never know who you will see today; they have so many fun skits that go on down the streets of Hollywood Studios!

When we arrive, it is busy as we get our bags checked, but there is only a short line to scan our MagicBands. I love looking up and seeing the entrance, it is beautiful and there are so many things to see. The Stroller Rental is in a gas station on the right. Too cute!

Baymax is a must find today! Well, we are looking for several things, but the Baymax souvenir mug is at the top of our list. So, we are off to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and we find Baymax at the popcorn stand to the left of the giant hat! The kids stop to get one, and I go on to Sci-Fi to check-in. The line to check in at Sci-Fi is usually pretty long, so I wait in line until they can join me, just about the same time I step up to the check-in station. The attendant was very nice when he told us that allergies are of the utmost importance to the chefs and they will take great care to make sure you are taken care of. I like that he was so concerned and made sure that we were comfortable with eating here. It made me feel like they were truly looking out for us.

We check in and go to sit outside until our buzzer goes off. It is a beautiful day to sit with Baymax in hand. A girl came up to us and asked where we got our Baymax. We told her, and she was off to find him! Soon, she came back with her very own Baymax. Yay!

We are called to be seated, and we will be on the second row of cars in our very own 50s car. The waitress is quick to get our drinks and soon the Chef comes out to help us with our order. We are going to get burgers today! I am getting a gluten free cheeseburger, and Tooti and Twinkie are splitting the Picnic Burger.

The movies they play are vintage sci-fi clips, and I remember many of them from my childhood. We watch as we wait a few minutes… and our burgers arrive! OMGoodness, they are out of this world! The buns are toasted and the meat is seared nicely! The french fries are perfect and all of this is gluten free! We didn’t talk much at all as we totally enjoyed the burgers. The Picnic Burger includes the classic burger patty, sauerkraut, grilled onions, and even a hotdog. It is one of the most delicious burgers that the girls have ever had. The Picnic Burger definitely made it onto our favorite dishes list.

After our meal, we are looking for a particular Olaf pin, so we turn down Sunset Boulevard and we see one of the Citizens of Hollywood, hiding behind a map. Twinkie sneaks over and asks if she can take a picture with him. He agrees, so we snap a pic and say, “Thank you!” We check the shops for the pin and head back down Sunset Boulevard. I can hear the Citizens of Hollywood doing one of the street shows, singing the 12 days of Christmas. Paige Turner is singing, “8 handsome men [Lords a leaping], 8 men, oh, I want 8 men, I love men! (Giggle, giggle, snort, giggle!)” The crowd roars with laughter, it is so funny!

We turn the corner and step onto Hollywood Boulevard. I love the Art Deco buildings. Of course, we have to step into a few shops to look for pins on the way to the entrance. It is a beautiful day, a little chilly, but just warm enough with the beautiful sunshine! We are soon on the tram and on our way out to our car. What a wonderful day it has been, very relaxed and fun.

Day 87- Magic Kingdom and Meeting Scoop Sanderson

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Today we were going to have a quick trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. But, we were having so much fun that it turned into a much longer trip. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing. We park, ride the tram to the Ticket and Transportation Center, get to the Monorail and it is packed! After two Monorails come, fill up, and leave, we get to board and head to Magic Kingdom. It is beautiful today!

We arrive and there are so many people! We see that the ferryboat has arrived, just as our Monorail is unloading. Happily, there are so many security guards to check bags, that the lines only have about five people in each line. Really, it doesn’t take too long. We wait a bit to scan our Magic Bands, but the lines here move quickly too, and it isn’t bad at all.

As we step through the gates, we are near the Mickey Mouse in the front garden, in front of the Train Station. I get a picture of Tooti with the poinsettia Mickey and the train, just as it pulls into the station! As we enter Main Street USA, we see Hildegard Olivia Harding, one of the fabulous Citizens of Main Street! We are instantly translated to this era as she says, “We are so close, ladies, we are so close! Soon we’ll win the right to vote!” Oh my, I had forgotten that it hasn’t been that long since we women didn’t have the right to VOTE! It is the coolest feeling to see her fighting for our right to VOTE! Women, we need to appreciate those who have fought for our rights.

We run into the Uptown Jewelers shop to see if they have seen Scoop Sanderson. No, but they told us to look for (boy, do I feel like a kid right now!) the Dapper Dans, and Scoop should be near them. However, do be sure to give the Dapper Dans a proper greeting so they won’t be too let down that we are looking for Scoop and not for them. OK! We step back out to Main Street USA and search for Scoop Sanderson. Twinkie is the funniest thing when she is on a mission. She gets focused, waves, and hop-skips when she sees him! Oh, look! She finds him. He is very entertaining to get to meet and to visit with! We were laughing so much.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOP! What a character he is. We have a nice chat with Scoop who graciously lets us trade pins with him. Scoop is so nice! He’s one of the most fun characters to meet in Magic Kingdom, do be sure to look for him on your next visit!

Now, we are going for our coffee at Starbucks. It is very nice and not so busy right at this moment! We see another Citizen of Main Street! She is at the Main Street Bakery and browsing the pastries in the case. She is adorable to watch as we listen to her vintage speaking patterns. What a treat to get to see a Citizen in the Main Street Bakery! We get our coffees and are having lunch for breakfast. 😀 As we head back down Main Street USA, we get in front of Tony’s and The Chapeau. I take a moment to look at the green building on the end. As I do, I see the early 1900s Main Street USA, and off in the distance I see Space Mountain. It is like the past is right beside me, and in the distance is the futuristic Space Mountain. Walt Disney grew up in this era that Main Street USA is set in, and he dreamed about the future that we live in. Amazing.

We have reservations for Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. The dining room is so very cozy and beautiful to sit in. They have the best gluten free spaghetti and meatballs! We are seated quickly and our waiter is very nice. We have our drinks, and soon the Chef comes out to let us know what is gluten free, they can even do gluten free turkey meatballs! We will have two of the spaghetti and meatballs, and one chicken Caesar salad. We were totally surprised that our food came out so fast! Our waiter added the grated cheese, and we were ready to taste our first bite.

It was the most awesome spaghetti and meatballs that I have had in months! I could not believe how wonderfully awesome the flavors are. Our table got really quiet as we were savoring each bite. We are smiling and our faces say it all; it is so good! Definitely, this will be on our “best places to eat” list! The service was great.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is our next stop for a FastPass+. As we made out way to Tomorrowland, I noticed that I had never realized that the supports for the PeopleMover are shaped like spaceship legs that look like they could telescope up if the “spaceship” ever needed to take off. COOLEST thing ever!

The FastPass+ line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is very, very long. When we finally entered the building, the little girl in front of us was crying a little bit, and her parents were trying to cheer her up. She was about 10. I smiled at her mom and I asked the little girl, “Hey, do you want to beat your Dad’s points?” She said a soft, “What?” Her mom was listening, and she said that I asked if she would like to beat her dad. The girl gave a little smile and said, “Yes.” I looked at Twinkie as I said, “There are some targets that have high points.” Twinkie filled in the details. The girl was so happy and cheered up! I also said that she should hug her dad after she beats his score! She laughed and her mom was also laughing. Tooti got Galactic Hero and claimed her badge.

We walk around, through Tomorrowland and towards Fantasyland. We see the Fairy Godmother as we turn towards Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel. We step into Sir Mickey’s gift shop to check pins. Now, we make our way around Cinderella’s Castle. When the shows are going on in front of the castle, they close off the path through the castle. Never fear! There are paths on wither side of the castle that will take you around. It takes a little longer, but on our way down (facing the back of the castle, we went to the right) we could see Peter Pan running onto the stage. Smee and Captain Hook are hiding out on the bridge from the castle to the stage and Smee is waving at all of us as we pass down the path to the front of the castle. It is so cool!

We enjoy browsing the shops as we head back to the front entrance. I love seeing the Christmas decorations within each shop! I love Christmas at Disney! Well, time to go home for the day. It is a very sunny day, and it was a very pleasant day at Disney!

Day 86- Epcot: Chefs de France & LeVar Burton at the Candlelight Processional

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We are going to have a full day at Disney’s Epcot! I am so excited to get here early and enjoy looking around before it gets really busy. We arrive, park, and walk to the front gates. There are plenty of security guards to check our bags and a pretty good line to get our MagicBands scanned. It does move quickly, and soon, we are walking toward Spaceship Earth.

Oh, that mom looks like she might want to be in the picture with her kids! I ask and she is so happy. We stop and my kids take the picture. The mom is so thankful, and we are happy to help. I love seeing how happy people get just with a simple offer to take a picture. It is a future treasure to have the whole family in one picture. I know that, and it is important to me to get that treasure to them.

We do some pin trading at several shops. We make it out to the World Showcase Lagoon and then back to Starbucks for Twinkie’s coffee. I going to check the Port of Entry shop and as I get close, I hear Tooti say, “Would you like to be in the picture with your family?” I turn and have to take a moment to see her doing what we do best, helping someone have a wonderful Disney experience of kindness.

As we begin to make our way around the World Showcase, we spy Duffy in his Santa suit! Wow, the line is very short and we’re also in our Christmas attire! Picture? I think so! Along the line, there are cute open storybook-type displays telling the story of how Mickey went on a trip, and Minnie gave him a teddy bear, Duffy, so that Mickey wouldn’t be lonely on the trips; so sweet! Duffy is too cute and so fun to meet! He gives us hugs and complements our outfits. How fun to meet a teddy bear that hugs you back!

I am so excited to see the Candlelight Processional again tonight. LeVar Burton is there tonight, and I cannot wait to hear him read the Christmas story. So, we have chosen Chefs de France for our lunch reservations. This is one of our most favorite places to eat. The décor is so French, from the tin ceiling, to the windows framing the passersby; everything is so picturesque as you look out towards the World Showcase Lagoon.

The Chef is amazing and the food is served with excellence. We usually have gluten free French onion soup. But, today, we are going to enjoy a feast. Chefs de France has a wonderful selection that is gluten free. We are quickly served gluten free bread and butter with our tea and cappuccino. Next, I am having the goat cheese salad and the kids are having the cheese board. The salad is wonderful and the goat cheese that accompanies the salad is so delectable. The cheese board is amazing. Tooti and Twinkie are very pleased with the amazing assortment of cheeses. This is one of their absolute favorite cheese boards in Disney World. They are really smiling as they taste each cheese, and they love all of them!

Soon, we are served our beef ribs with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. Twinkie has the roasted chicken with the same sides. Oh my goodness. The beef ribs are cooked to perfection, boneless, and oh, so delicious. They even bring us a side of the specially prepared Cabernet sauce… it is especially scrumptious on the potatoes! Twinkie’s chicken is absolutely incredible, cooked to perfection, and even better than she remembered. Our waiter, Max, was wonderful, attentive, and courteous. Soon, it was time for dessert. What would we like? Crème brulee, please! The crème brulee comes out with perfectly caramelized sugar, and it is fantastic, the perfect ending to an incredible meal. We receive our passes for tonight’s Candlelight Processional, and then we are off!

We walk towards America and look at the shops there. Then, we decide that it is a little over 2 hours until the Candlelight Processional begins, so it’s probably a good time to get in line. We are there for a while and then a kind couple joins us. It is quite a while until others begin to get in line, but we have a wonderful chat with them until we are seated over an hour later. They are a very nice couple, and it was the wife’s birthday today. Happy Birthday!

We make our game plan as they are letting the wheel chairs and scooters enter the theater. I would love to be on the front row, right up close, and near the orchestra. We are so excited. We get the OK to be seated and are instructed to stay to the left until we get down near the front. Sure, we can do that! We walk in and it is so exciting to get to sit at the front. It was so worth the wait! I hear the delicate harp sounds and see the beautiful lady playing. We see the orchestra begin to filter in, and soon the orchestra plays the sounds of Christmas. The choirs are gathering and the trumpets are sounding. Then, LeVar Burton is there. Geordi LaForge in real life! He is amazing. He greets us and says that Walt Disney himself actually began this Candlelight Processional tradition, and this is LeVar’s favorite thing: to get to read the Christmas story. He begins reading, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…” I love hearing this story read. I have heard it my whole life, over 50 years now, and I still feel the excitement of this Christmas season well up inside of me. The entire Candlelight Processional is spectacular, and the ending of the Hallelujah chorus is magnificent.

Day 85- Magic Kingdom & Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge

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It is a pretty day and we are off to Magic Kingdom. It is really chilly, so we grab our hats and our heavier jackets before we board the tram. It has been really busy the closer we get to Christmas, and the tram is very full even now, later in the day.  The monorail is pretty busy, too!

We enter Magic Kingdom and it is lit with all of its beautiful Christmas lights and festive Christmas decorations. We walk down Main Street USA to enjoy all of the beautiful buildings and lights. Magic Kingdom is bustling with so many people. There are plans in the works to rework the “hub” to make it easier to go down Main Street USA, and I am looking forward to the new changes.

First, we are going to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. I love Pirates of the Caribbean; from the moment you walk up to the building, it is like you are stepping into an era that only the pirates know. As you scan your band and enter into the line, the arches on the stone structure set the stage. When you enter the building, there are chains that would hold the bridge. There are prisons where the skeletons of prisoners long ago once lived. If you like pirates and want to see how they rummaged towns back then, you will love this ride. Captain Jack Sparrow is hiding in various places as you travel through the waterways in your ship. There is even a fun waterfall drop that may get you lightly wet!

As we exit, we follow the walkway around through Frontierland to Fantasyland. A Frozen Holiday Wish is just about to begin as we come around Cinderella’s Castle. We knew there would be so many people in front of the castle, so we thought that we might watch it from the side if there were any benches still open. We walked down the path to the side of the castle and were able to sit as the lighting of Cinderella’s Castle began.

It is spectacular to see A Frozen Holiday Wish from a new angle. I love the lighting of the castle! It is so beautiful.

It is getting late and we decide that it is time for dinner. Wilderness Lodge is not far away, so we stop in to Roaring Forks quick service restaurant for roast beef sandwiches. We have experienced their amazing gluten free sandwiches. They are always amazing and delicious! The bread is perfectly toasted and the roast beef is wonderful. Yes, we have kept this on our favorite list!

It has been a wonderful day, and we must say goodbye to the fun… until tomorrow!

Day 84- Hollywood Studios & Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

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Happy Sunday Morning! We are heading for Hollywood Studios today. It was a warm afternoon, but it is cooling off really quickly as it nears 4pm. I am glad we brought warm jackets!

We have a FastPass+ for Toy Story Mania today. We arrive in plenty of time. We catch the tram as it fills up quickly and heads for the front gate. As we get close to the front gates our cast member says, “We’re taking you back to Hollywood, California!’” It is so nice to be in Hollywood, California! Yay! We are in Hollywood, California! We get our bags checked, scan our MagicBands, and step into the park.

Our first stop is the Stroller Rental to look at the pin trading board! Next is the Package Pickup pin trading board. OK, this is going to be a fun day for pin trading. Going down Hollywood Boulevard, it is very busy, but I can hear the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular as we turn towards Echo Lake. I love that show! It is great way to learn about how stunts in shows and movies work, which also makes it very educational. Plus, it’s super fun to watch!

We have fun walking and seeing the park. It is fun today. People are everywhere, but there is plenty of room to stroll. We decide we will find coffee and the Writer’s Stop is a possibility, but we decide to find a Joffrey’s Coffee Stand. So we walk down the Streets of America and around past the Frozen Sing-a-long just as they are roping it off. We just made it, and there is a coffee stand right up ahead. As Twinkie gets her coffee, I peek around the corner and see Mater and Lightning McQueen! I have to see them! I love Mater; he is my favorite.

I saw a place with hot chocolate in a Disney mug on the Streets of America, so we backtracked and Tooti and I got our hot chocolate. The cast member asked if we would like gingerbread, hazelnut, or her favorite, the toasted marshmallow. I said that I would love to have that one! Oh my goodness, it is so yummy! I suggest we find a place to sit and enjoy our hot drinks. I see a bench with a seat open and ask the ladies who were sitting on it if this spot was taken; they offered to scoot over for one of the kids. I thanked them and the kids said they were fine sitting on the curbside.

These ladies were so interesting and so much fun to visit with. I wasn’t going to sit very long, but we had a lot of fun talking and even chatted with another fun family close by. So, I sat with them for a while… suddenly, it begins to snow on the Streets of America, and then, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights begins. This nice lady’s friend was visiting and it was her friend’s first time to ever see them. I watched her friend’s face as the lights came on and then began to dance; she was beautiful with her big eyes aglow and her mouth dropped open. Oh, yes, this is overwhelming! She commented that she thought there were going to be a few lights, and she smiled to big as she tried to comment on how beautiful they are. I love these moments.

After the lights dance, we say goodbye and head for Toy Story Mania, but the third round of music began, so we found a spot to stand and watch them. They are so amazing, so beautiful, and so massively unique. This is a definite must see if you are here anytime during the holidays. Plan to spend at least several minutes watching, though if you can stay a long while, it is so worth it. There are so many different things to see on each building, it can take a while to see everything, including the many hidden Mickeys, and the annually hidden purple cat. It’s so much fun to try finding the cat!

Now, we work our way through the crowd and back around to Toy Story Mania. I love this ride. It’s one of my favorites! Yay! The FastPass+ line is moving quickly tonight.

After we get off of Toy Story Mania, we are done for the night. We have walked around most of the park and seen the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, which is incredible. So, we head for the entrance. It is a beautiful, chilly night in Hollywood Studios. It has been a wonderful Sunday evening, and as we get to our car in the parking lot, we can see the tops of the Fantasmic fireworks. What a wonderful ending to a wonderful day! I am thankful that Walt Disney dreamed this dream of building a wonderful place like Disney World. I am forever grateful.

Day 83- Animal Kingdom

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It is beautiful today. It actually feels like the sun is hot enough to get a sunburn. The temperature will have a high of 82 or 83 today, and it is hot. However, the breeze is wonderful and keeps us cool. We are going to Animal Kingdom today. As we enter the parking area, it looks really busy until we see the new changes. Yes, they have refinished one huge section of the parking lot and repainted the lines; it looks great!

We ride the tram to the entrance and the tram attendant is so funny. These cast members make Disney so much fun! Soon, we are at the entrance, our bags are checked, and our MagicBands are scanned. Now, off to check the pin stroller at the stroller rental, but once we get there, we find that it is out and about. Not a problem! So, we make our way up and around the Oasis, viewing the animals on our way up. Once we are almost at the top of the Oasis, we make a turn to the left, and step across the rope bridge! I love this bridge! It reminds me of my childhood, crossing rope bridges on vacations.

Now we cross the bridge to Discovery Island, passing the Wilderness Explorer sign up station. It is so cool to find the different animals and get reward stickers! It is a fun way to make your way around Animal Kingdom.

We are heading to Island Mercantile for pin trading. As we enter, we see so many different items in the shop that we haven’t seen before! As the girls are pin trading, I browse all of the cool gifts and hats. As we leave the shop, we make our way through Discovery Island and cross the bridge into Africa. As you are crossing over the bridge, look to your right and you can see Expedition Everest. We on the side of the bridge and enjoy the view for a few minutes. There is a really cool bird that hangs out on the riverbanks here, sometimes he spreads his wings; they are so beautiful and so massive! Today, he stretches one out and also stretches his foot out along his underside. It is just beautiful!

It is rather hot, so we stop at Harambe Popcorn to see what cold beverages they have. We see Jungle Juice Slush and grab one. It is so very good! It is a perfect beverage for a hot afternoon. We enjoy our fun and tasty drinks as we continue to walk toward Asia, then cross the bridge back to Discovery Island. As we walk, I have to chuckle as an ibis sits right above a couple, watching to see if they drop any food. I had not noticed that seat before, it looks like it was carved out of rock, but the ibis sitting above them made me notice. It is a funny picture.

We are finished with pin trading for the day, so off to the rope bridge, and around the Oasis. Out the front entrance, oh, let’s check the Outpost Shop for pins! Found one! Yay!

Now, off to the tram! We sit at the front of a car, and a whole family jumps on with us. I sat by the little oldest son. I asked him, “Are you the oldest?” He said, “Yes!” I said, “You are doing good.” His dad looked at him, then me, smiled really big, and nodded. He was helping with the other 3 siblings and I was impressed with his actions. He did do a good job. See you later, Animal Kingdom; it was a very good day!

Day 82- Holiday Macaron Treats at L’Artisan des Glaces & Walt Disney’s Birthday

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I am standing here, near the end of our day, on Walt Disney’s birthday, and I am overwhelmed with the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks. It is described as breathtaking, and it truly is. The music subsides, and I think that the show has ended at the finale, but the music continues past its normal ending, into a special addition for Christmas! It was so amazing, so bright, and so beautiful that I could not take it all in. The music was fabulous and the final song, “Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me,” is echoed in the delicate, then spectacular, powerful fireworks display. I am so in awe of this grand holiday finale that I cannot even put into words how absolutely beautiful the Christmas fireworks finale is. I will have to see this again, it is so incredibly beautiful. What a wonderful experience on Walt Disney’s birthday!

As we walked back toward the entrance, I looked at Spaceship Earth, and it looks like a snow globe. It is so pretty and I see the word “Goodbye” on it in English, then in every language of the countries around Epcot. It is so beautiful and so clever. What a magical touch! It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful evening of fireworks.

Our evening began in France, with a most wonderful gluten free Holiday Peppermint Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich at L’Artisan des Glaces. The cast members at L’Artisan des Glaces were wonderful working with us as we read the ingredients to make sure we could have the Macarons. Sounds perfect! I was given our three macarons and Tooti found us a table in the Courtyard of France. It is a beautiful night, and the moon glows bright overhead as we completely enjoy our tasty treats! They were so delicious!

Once we finished our Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches, we headed toward the America Gardens Theatre to see Whoopi Goldberg at the Candlelight Processional. We stood at the back and waited until she was announced. It is so cool to see her in person! It’s so fun to know how much those who are in the theatre are going to enjoy this Candlelight Processional.

We leave and head around the World Showcase Lagoon to Mexico. We stop at La Cantina de San Angel for a snack and place our order. As our order is ready, our cousins make it back to Mexico, so we get to see them before they head home. We suggest a couple of places to watch fireworks when they head out. We are finishing our food as the fireworks begin. Wow!

What a spectacular day! Happy Birthday, Walt Disney!

Day 81- Epcot & The Seas with Nemo and Friends

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Now this is funny: today is our 81st day and the temperature today is 81 degrees!  I love this double number day! Even with the temperature being 81, it is nice outside since there are clouds and a great breeze. I even heard a man walking near us on the way to the front gates say, “It actually feels kind of cool right now.” It’s amazing what clouds and a nice breeze can do to cool off a Disney park.

We are park at Epcot and head for the front gates. We arrive and are looking forward to the new Holidays Around the World. Each country has a presentation for their holiday celebration, explaining the holiday traditions for that country. We have been looking forward to seeing these, but first, we have a FastPass+ for The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

Today it is nice and the wait time for the Nemo standby line is just 10 minutes! I might want to go back through, since there is so much to see. We scan our MagicBands and enter the line queue. There is a short walk before we scan our MagicBands at the second station and go on through the maze of railings. We walk right up to the short line, step onto the moving sidewalk, and are seated in our “Clamshell” vehicle. I love shell rides! It makes me happy to have my own shell to sit in.

As we exit from the Nemo ride, it is beginning to rain. We are head for Starbucks to get out of the drizzle. As we order and wait for our drinks, we find that the rain has stopped. Yay! Let’s find a place to sit and drink our tea and coffees. I love sitting near the Christmas tree, and watching all of the beautiful ornaments sparkle in the sunshine, as the gray clouds float by. We have a nice visit as we watch people go in and out of the Port of Entry shop.

The park is busy, but quieter today. It seems like it was a perfect day for riding rides and seeing the countries, but we will need to make this a short day today! I love seeing how much joy and happy smiles happen when people get their picture taken with the Christmas tree in the background.

It is a good day, and a perfectly wonderful cool night! Happy Christmas month at Disney, where dreams come true! Thank you, Mickey Mouse.