Our Pink Christmas Trip Updated 4/23 About This Page:

[Cam22]

What a great day with dinner PTC, seeing Fantasmic and even Buzz and Woody!

[chezp]

Great meal at the 50s Prime Time Cafe! I love your photos of Fantasmic! You got such good close up shots.

[KMB733]

Glad you had a great meal at PT 50's. I the S'Mores Great pictures from Fantasmic! And of the kids with Buzz and Woody!!

[brandy_mel]

Originally Posted by DisneyKYFan

Wonderful day! Do they make a DVD of Duffy? William sounds like he might really enjoy that at home too.

Oh, how I wish they had a Duffy DVD. The bedtime story is available on YouTube, so we did watch it on my ipod for bedtime after we got home. And what's funny is that now William calls my ipod, "Duffy movie." Whenever he wants it, which is frequent, I hear, "I want Duffy movie." And he doesn't want to watch the Duffy movie, now he's moved on to playing all the games.

[brandy_mel]

Day 8
Wednesday, December 7th
Part 1

Tonight we were going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP), so this was going to be a non-park morning. I didn’t want to use a day of our park hopper passes for just half a day, although when you buy them in the 6,7,8 day range, it really doesn’t cost that much more to add another day. However, when I was originally making my plans, I thought we could use a more relaxing morning before our late night.

We didn’t set the alarm, but the kids were still up around 7:00. We were going to be going to DtD this morning for some shopping and lunch. But after William’s many meltdowns, Shane opted to stay back at the resort with William and just bum around. So Bethany and I had a girls’ shopping day. And everyone was happy with the arrangement.

I love staying at either Port Orleans resort because you can take the boat to Downtown Disney. However, the boats don’t start running until 11:00, and DtD opens at 10:00. Us women needed to maximize our shopping time, so we left the room about 9:30 and caught a bus to DtD.

We arrived right around opening and hit the Christmas Store first. I love this shop. No matter what time of year I visit WDW, I feel the need to visit this store. I’m not sure what it is, but I just love to see all the many ornaments so neatly arranged. I’m not sure if the saleswoman, shopper, or just the person who enjoys organization, but this store makes me happy. I wanted to pick up an ornament with the year on it, as a souvenir.

The hunt began, and I saw so many cute ornaments.



Bethany loves to shop too.

And she loves to touch even more.

I finally found an ornament with the year on it. I didn’t love it, but it would do. I could have picked out any ornament and had it personalized, but we were leaving in just a few days. So I didn’t know if it would be done in time.

We continued our browsing and found a really cute snowman ornament for my DM for Christmas. My mom loves snowmen. It was just the head and it was wearing Mickey ears. I thought it would be a great souvenir for her to remember the trip with us.

Then I spotted a really cool silver Mickey shape ornament. It had a spot in the middle to have engraved with whatever you wanted, but they had a few already made with the year. Score! I put back the other one, and scooped this one up.


Here it is hanging on our tree this past Christmas. The rings all spin around. It’s pretty cool, and I didn’t have to worry about little fingers breaking it as easily as a glass one.

We also picked up some small glass Mickey heads for the tree. It was looking just a little sparse after we decorated, but I knew that would be easily fixed after our trip to WDW. Bethany picked out the set with different shades of blue since blue is her favorite color. Very Christmasy, huh?

Next up, we went to Goofy’s Candy Company to drool over everything in there.


We had some snack credits to use up, so we each picked a treat.


Bethany had a chocolate covered pretzel stick rolled in crushed peppermints.

I chose something like a katydid: chocolate, caramel, and cashews. I wasn’t hungry so I saved it for later. I’m pretty sure that was one of the many things we brought home, but it was really good even being a couple of days old.

We went to Pin Traders next. We picked out one pin for each kid. I wanted to get a pin that represented something they absolutely loved about this trip. So Bethany got a Big Thunder Mountain pin and William got . . . a Duffy pin. What else? I was also looking for a pin for me with the year on it, but was really striking out. All I was finding was 2012 pins. So I decided to pick out a Mickey snowman since this was our first trip at Christmas time.

Next up was the World of Disney, it was super busy. It was 11:00 on a Wednesday in December. When is the magic hour to visit? It was the busiest I had ever seen it, but I suppose I’ve never really seen anything since I haven’t visited during the insanely busy times of year. I always think I’m going to enjoy shopping here more than I actually do. I always get disoriented and then feel like I’ve missed a section of the store. What if that one gem that I’ve always wanted but didn’t know existed is the unexplored section?

I’m glad I had the stroller for Bethany, because I would not wanted to have tried to make sure she was following me around. Despite the busy-ness, we were able to get some Christmas shopping done. We picked up a four pack of hot chocolate and a four pack of coffee that we split up and gave out as presents. I got a cute Mickey coffee scoop for my MiL who is a big coffee drinker. We also got a 2011 picture frame for DF so he could put in a picture from this trip. We picked up some corn on the cob holders for ourselves. We seem to have lost our since our move. And I thought that little touch of Disney would be nice, especially since both kids really like corn on the cob. It’s the only way we can get Bethany to eat a real vegetable.

I let Bethany pick out a plush princess doll for each of my nieces. Snow White for one and Cinderella for the other. And I managed to sneak in a little Stitch doll that Bethany had admired. At least I thought she hadn’t seen it, but after we done shopping, she asked me who that was for. I told her that this wasn’t the time of year to ask questions and it was a surprise. She was very excited to open it on Christmas morning. I made sure that the present came from us and wasn’t one from Santa. I didn’t want to blow that one.

It’s one of her favorite things, and she even took it to school as her favorite toy when she was the star of the week. Her teachers even told me during our parent/teacher conference that she talks about her tiny Stitch doll a lot. So maybe being in on the “surprise” makes it extra special.

We waited for a while before we checked out, and I had the stuff sent back to the resort. That was really nice because it was a pretty big bag.

We didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to shop, since I wanted to make sure we got Bethany back in time for a nap. With MVMCP tonight, it was super important for her to take a nap. The plan was for her and I to stay for as long as she would last.

So we went to explore the newly remodeled Lego store. But first, we had to take some pictures.



One of these things is not like the other . . .


I really wanted to get the kids some Lego duplos for Christmas, and I really wanted to get the Toy Story ones since William really likes Woody and Buzz. I found them quickly enough in the store, but as I sat there looking at them I realized that: 1. How was I going to get this purchased without Bethany noticing? 2. I’m pretty sure there’s not enough room left in the suitcase to bring this box or boxes home. So I just nixed that plan and figured I could pick up a set at home.

I did get several sets from Toys R Us, but I will say the selection in the Lego store was much better, as is to be expected. Nevertheless, the kids really like the ones they got.

I wish we could have had more time to explore the store. It looked really fun. If you have a kid who likes Legos, you could spend some serious time in here.

Our tummies were grumbling, so we made our way into the Earl of Sandwich. This was another busy place. We got in line, and I tried to decide what to get. I knew I wanted to get the Hawaiian BBQ - roasted ham, grilled chicken, Hawaiian BBQ sauce, Aged Swiss cheese and fresh pineapple, except I got mine without the cheese. I’m not a big fan of meat and cheese together on my sandwiches. And I ordered the kids’ grilled cheese for Bethany. With all the time we had spent in line, I should have known exactly what we were getting, but I still didn’t know what I would get for our drink or dessert options. I was trying to figure out how the ordering process worked here, and the guy taking sandwich orders was very quick and businesslike. So I felt like I needed to know exactly what I was doing or I was going to slow the whole thing down. I found out, you place your sandwich orders at the first counter, and then get your sides, desserts, and drinks at the end counter. Since I was flustered, I just grabbed up two desserts. A cupcake coronet and what I think was a brownie sandwich. I don’t see that on Allears, but I think it was more than just a regular brownie.

There were absolutely no tables available anywhere, so we just found a place on a half wall for me to sit on, and Bethany stayed in her stroller. My sandwich was really good, and Bethany enjoyed her grilled cheese. We were both full and had one more store to hit, so we tucked the desserts away for later. We did eat them both later. The cupcake coronet was okay, but the brownie thing was amazing. I must remember that for future visits. As well as how the whole ordering thing goes.

The last store on the list was Mickey’s Pantry. I knew we would find some good Christmas gifts here, and boy did we ever. My mom is a big tea drinker, and they have all sorts of tea here to choose from. They had huge jars filled with every kind of tea for you to sniff and get an idea of the flavor. Bethany loved this part. She smelled many different kinds and we settled on a few for my DM and my MiL. The next section had flavored sugars. I was so intrigued with this. Bethany loved smelling these even more. We picked up a coconut sugar for my DM and a lime sugar for my DSis. And then they had a three pack with coconut sugar, onion sugar, and one other kind, which I thought would make a fun gift for my MiL. They had suggestions on the bag of how to use them. I wouldn’t have known what to do with them. For instance, they said the lime sugar went well with chicken.

After the sugar section, is a section with spices. My dad really likes to grill, so I wanted to pick out a few for him. But before we did that, I saw they had a popcorn seasoning mix. I had recently gotten into popping our own popcorn on the stove, and thought this would be really good. Bethany asked for the jar, and since she had just come from all the sweet smelling sugar, took a big, giant sniff in the jar. She scrunched up her nose, and quickly handed the jar back. Then she told me we shouldn’t get it. I laughed and tried to explain, that when you sprinkle just a little bit on popcorn, it will be good. It’s not meant to be ate a handful at a time or anything. We found two spice rubs for my DF and called it a day.

We went to the boat dock and waited for a little bit for a boat to take us back to POR. While we were waiting, the sun was really beating down on us. I could really feel that little bit of a sunburn I gotten the day before at the pool during our trivia contest. Luckily, our boat pulled up and we got on board. I was really glad that William wasn’t with us. The end of the boat dock has absolutely no railing. I just had a nightmarish vision of William throwing a fit and running right off the end.

I took a few pictures as we pulled away from DtD.


We enjoyed our boat ride and played a thrilling game of I Spy on the way.

I’m pretty sure this flag was an “I spy something yellow” during our game.

We first arrived at POFQ. When we had seen it from the bus, the first day we checked into POR, I felt a little sad, because I really wanted to stay at POFQ. But when we saw it from the boat, I felt fine. I think it was then I realized how much POR had really grown on me, and I how I really love them both equally.

We arrived back at POR and the CM working at the boat dock asked Bethany if she had gotten any beads. She hadn’t, so the CM gave her just a cheap beaded necklace, but Bethany loved it. Just another one of the great Disney touches.

We crossed the bridge back towards our building.


And then we saw our boat head back down river to pick up some more passengers.


On our way back to the room we caught up with Shane and William. They were just going back to the room after some time spent wandering around. Shane said they had spent a lot of time on the playground, and they were both in good spirits. We went back to the room and got the kids tucked in for naps. It took a while for them to settle down. We eventually had to throw the bed comforter over the pack n play, to calm William down. But they both managed to fall asleep.

I took my book and headed out to the quiet pool to do a little reading. I enjoyed my quiet time, but I was starting to get a little chilled by the pool. I should have realized there was a change in the weather coming, but I just figured I was in the shade, so that’s why I was so cold. I made my way back to the room and snagged a picture of our building from the back side. Or maybe it’s the front. It’s the side that faces the parking lot.


I really loved this resort, and I just felt relaxed being on the grounds.

We got the kids up and ready to head out for our night at the MK.

[Colexis Mom]

What a great time at DTD! I always try to get to WoD right when it opens at 9:30 as it's fairly empty! All that stuff from the candy store looks so good! I think I'm going to have to make a run to the Pantry shop next week - sounds like they have some great stuff in there! Great pics!

[chezp]

Great shopping time and I am so with you about the Christmas shop - one of my favourites year round!

And as for finding World of Disney quiet - I know.... we were in there at opening time (9:30 am I seem to recall) on a Monday morning in April last year (almost a year to the day... ) and it was deserted. It was heaven, so that's the time to go - at opening!

[KMB733]

Sounds like a wonderful day of shopping!! Can't wait to hear about the party!!

[PrincessSharon]

What a great day! Love your purchases! And all the cute pics, too!

[DawnK]

What a nice day with just the girls!! I was reading this and when you got to the part about the pins...I was thinking "it is 2012. why wouldn't she get a pin with the date on it?" and then I said out loud....ohhhh, duh!!

You two went to all my favorite places...the Christmas store is the best.

[m.mouse]

What a great shopping trip with just the girls!! Love the ornaments, I have to get one every time I am in WDW no matter what time of year it is!

[Cam22]

Awesome shopping day!

[MayraLR]

Awesome shopping day! I love shopping! Looking foward to doing my fair share this summer.

[brandy_mel]

Day 8
Wednesday, December 7th
Part 2

We were on the bus on our way to our first ever Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I was admiring everyone’s Christmas-wear on our bus when I noticed the bus driver had his windshield wipers on. Uh oh! Rain! I guess I hadn’t really checked the forecast for a couple of days. It looked pretty cloudy out, and I was hoping our party wouldn’t be a wash out. The guy across from us what checking his phone and Shane asked him what the radar looked like. He said that it looked like a just little storm and would quickly pass over. That made me feel better.

When we got off the bus, the rain was a little heavier than a sprinkle. We tried to get the kids squared away in their strollers and put the shades down as far as they would go. William wasn’t too happy about being forces the ride, but once we took off at a pretty good clip, he calmed down. We hurried towards the turnstiles. I noticed that the rain had also brought some colder weather with it, and my thin shirt and jacket wasn’t quite enough warmth. So moving quickly was good.

We quickly got in and got our wristbands and then just tried to get indoors to some warmth. We made a break for the Emporium. As we were jogging there, I noticed that the beautiful tall Christmas tree was now up right as you came through the train station, and the wreath swags were now in place across Main St. I had no time to stop and take a picture, though. We were dodging rain drops.

We took our time walking through the Emporium, and by the time we came out by Casey’s the rain was not much more than a sprinkle. I thought this would be a good time to meet the Fairies since it was inside, so off we went.

Bethany and I got in line, and William wandered around the area with Shane following behind. We had about a twenty minute wait, but we were dry and warm, so it wasn’t bad at all. As we were getting close to the door, the CM working there was teasing the kids. When they tried to peek in, he would yell out “NO PEEKING AT THE FAIRIES!” It sounded very drill sergeant-like. And then after he would see the scared reaction on their faces, he would tell them he was just kidding. Most kids thought it was funny, but when it happened to Bethany she just pulled into her shell and acted very shy. She did not find it funny at all. So when it was our turn to meet the fairies, she was even more quiet than usual, which I didn’t think was possible.

First up was a fairy that I could not remember her name for the life of me. I should explain that Bethany isn’t super fairy crazy or anything. She enjoys watching the movies every now and then, but not as much as the others. She doesn’t even know all their names. We were trying to name them in line. And I should also explain that I haven’t always really like Tinkerbell, so I didn’t really encourage her to develop a fondness for them. Let’s face it, Tinkerbell tried to kill Wendy. And I don’t think that type of behavior should be rewarded. However, I think she’s repented of her ways, and in the new Tinkerbell movies, she is much more likeable. So I’m softening towards her.

Luckily, the fairy whose name we couldn’t remember signed an autograph and we were good. It was Rosetta!


Look how sad Bethany looks in the picture. That CM really scared her.

So even though Bethany wasn’t talking, Rosetta did a very good job at carrying the conversation. She was talking all about her surroundings the funny grass they put in her area. Then I figured out that she was a gardening fairy. It was some pretty good character interaction considering. Bethany mustered up enough energy for a picture.


So in the meantime, William was long gone. He had crawled through Shane’s legs and discovered Tinkerbell.


After saying hi to Tinkerbell, he had to explore her table.


Tinkerbell was great!! She was talking a mile a minute about how another fairy came along and played a trick on her and stuck some sticky stuff to her tools and now they wouldn’t come off the table. She had some clever name for the adults. She was so in character and probably one of the top 5 characters we visited. I was so amused by her, that I want to go back and see her again. Forget what the kids want. I guess she truly did win me over.



And William got one last hug as we were leaving.


It was such a great character interaction and one where we had to tear ourselves away because the people behind us were waiting for their turn. It had started off a little rocky, but we left having had a lot of fun.

With the rain and cooler the weather the park emptied out some and we went to get in as many rides as we could. First up, iasw. It was a walk on, and it was a hit just like last time. Then we went and rode the carrousel. We looked again for Cinderella’s horse and couldn’t find it. Then I remembered that the carrousel had undergone a little renovation and they had changed the name. Maybe they got rid of Cinderella’s horse. Does anybody know? I think William really enjoyed it. As I was taking him down off the horse, he leaned down and gave me a big kiss. That is not something he normally does. He likes to cuddle, but he doesn’t freely give kisses. I think it was his way of saying, “Thanks mom for taking me on this again.” He might even get in another ride with behavior like that.

Since the lines were completely non-existent, it seemed like the perfect time to ride Pooh again. We were trying to do all the rides the kids had really enjoyed. So no Peter Pan, or Snow White, or Mickey’s Philharmagic as they both hadn’t really liked them. Too dark and too 3-D. As we were walking down to Pooh, we really noticed how chilly it was. The wind was blowing just enough to really make you want to snuggle in a big fluffy sweatshirt. We hadn’t brought any kind of jacket for Bethany since we hadn’t needed one for hardly any of the evenings we had been there. All she had on was a long sleeved t-shirt and she was really chilly. Shane valiantly gave his sweat shirt to her, but we knew we were going to have to be one of those people who paid the $40 for a sweat shirt because of lack of planning. But there are worse things that could happen, so no big deal.

When we were approaching Pooh, I noticed a huge group of pre-teen kids coming from the other direction, heading right for Pooh too. So I picked up our pace a little bit and we squeezed into line right before them. It saved us some line waiting time, that’s for sure. No stopping to play with toys in line this time, I didn’t want to get passed up. But we finally figured out the honey screens this time. You are supposed to use your hands to wipe them and reveal the character. I think the last time we rode this, I noticed someone else doing that after we had gone by. We just thought you were supposed to draw in them or something.

After a very pleasant ride with Pooh and all of his friends, we went to Pinnochio’s to grab some supper. This isn’t my first choice of CS places in the MK, but it’s what we were closest too, so that’s where we went. It was nice and warm in there and we found a table without any problems. It was so refreshing to be in the MK with very little people around.

I ordered the Pepperoni pizza to share with Bethany. Shane had the adult’s chicken nuggets, and we got the kid’s pasta for William. The food was decent, but not spectacular. I think Pinocchio’s already gets a negative mark in my book because they took away the Figaro Fries. Oh man, were those ever good. Fries, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and ranch dressing. At least I think that’s what was in them. The last time I had them was in 2006, and my mouth still waters just thinking about them. They were that good!

We had warmed up, and wanted to get a few more rides in before the official start of the party. It was still a little before 7:00 at this point. The first order of business was getting Bethany a sweatshirt. We went into Castle Couture and found a very cute and very warm pullover sweatshirt with the princesses on it. 42 dollars and 55 cents later, she was all set for the night, and much warmer.

We went to get another ride on Dumbo. Fantasyland was so deserted. It was incredible. There were a few other families around so it wasn’t so completely empty that it was creepy. But we were practically walking on to every ride. I think the rain and cooler weather was working out in our favor. So far I was loving MVMCP and it hadn’t even started yet. Here’s a very blurry picture I took while riding Dumbo, but it gives you an idea of the crowd level.


After a cool spin on Dumbo, we decided to split up. I had said something about riding Snow White, but then quickly said we wouldn’t because Bethany hadn’t liked it. Sales 101: Offer something, and then take away. You’ll get the sale. She claimed she wasn’t that scared and wanted to ride it. William had been restless on it before, so Shane decided to take him for another spin on the carrousel and the girls went to SW.

We were in a Happy mine car, and Bethany seemed to enjoy it much more this time. I think the first time it was a fear of the unknown. But this time she knew it ended well, so she wasn’t as worried when the evil queen showed up. And she really liked Dopey at the end.


That was probably the last time we get to ride SW, but I’m okay with that. I’m really looking forward to the new mine cart ride.

We met back up with the boys and I mentioned something about how the party should be starting soon. Shane told me it already had. They had come over the sound system and made a grand announcement. I’m not sure how I missed that. He said it was before we had gotten on SW. So since the party had started, I thought we should go look for some characters. In my original plan for the party, I thought we should spend most of our time on the party specific stuff like the characters, dance parties, parade, and fireworks. The way I figured it, the rides were there all the time. However, I did adapt the plan as the evening went on.

We walked towards Frontierland to check out the line for Snow White and the seven dwarfs. On the way, we saw some CM’s in a temporary meet and greet spot set up in the stroller parking area across from Peter Pan. I asked them who was going to be there and they said Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, and the step sisters. That sounded like it would be worth checking out at some point. We walked all the way over to Splash Mountain and saw the line for SW and the 7D coming out under the train station and almost back to BTMRR. While I wanted to see the special character encounters, I did not want my kids to spend the entire party waiting in line. I knew they didn’t really care which characters they would see, as long as they were having fun. So we tossed away the idea of seeing SW and the 7D. Just another thing for a different trip.

Woody had a dance party going on in Frontierland, so off we went. William loves to dance and loves Woody. What could be better? It wasn’t crowded at all, and once they loosened up a bit, the kids had fun dancing.



It was getting pretty warm in there and more crowded, so we headed out.


Since the crowds were so low, we let William walk as much as he wanted, and he was loving it.


He was taking his time, and Bethany was enjoying the life of leisure and being pushed in the stroller. So Shane took her up ahead and went to get in line for Cinderella and her entourage.

While William and I were taking in the sights, a PhotoPass photographer walked by and took some random pictures of William. I guess it was evident to everyone that he was really enjoying his freedom. It does hurt that he’s pretty stinkin’ cute too. (I may be a tad biased.)


We joined Shane and Bethany in line and the kids were really well behaved while we were waiting. And even though William could see the characters, he didn’t run over right away for a hug. He waited his turn. We were making progress that week!

When it was our turn, he ran over and gave hugs to everyone. Anastasia and Drizella were just eating him up.


Cinderella needed her hug.


And he couldn’t leave out Prince Charming. At first, he kind of looked like he didn’t know what to do. I guess not that many little boys want to give the Prince a hug. But he eventually knelt down and gave William a hug.


When he came to Lady Tremaine, she made it pretty clear that he wasn’t getting a hug. She just looked at him and patted his head. He waited around a bit, and then went back to other side of the line and started giving hugs to the stepsisters again. They were going on and on asking him if he was available. And then William started counting, and Anastasia said, “Oh look, he’s counting his wealth.” Shane and I came over to get a picture and I called William by his name. That just set them off even more because he even had a princely name. We all posed and smiled.


William collected hugs from everyone again, even Prince Charming. But there was still no love from Lady Tremaine. She stayed in character very well. It was a really fun meet and greet. It was just pictures and hugs, though, no autographs. I suppose that keeps the line moving faster, but that doesn’t make much difference for us when William has to hug every character twice.

It was 7:30 and I was thinking the parade started at 8:00, so I wanted to go get a spot. It didn’t really start until 8:30 or maybe it was 8:15. Anyway, we had a front row spot. We found a good spot back by Woody’s dance party. Shane and kids got situated and I went back to the Columbia Harbor House to get some free hot chocolate and cookies. If Disney gives something away for free, than I’m there. I stuffed the cookies and apple slices into my pockets and carried two cups of hot chocolate back. Shane didn’t want any. I don’t think he understood that this was how we were making our the price of ticket back: drinking our weight in hot chocolate.

After those were delivered, I made the short trip back to the popcorn stand. This had been such a hit with the kids and I was hoping it would keep William busy for a while. While I was waiting there, I heard a lady talking about how she used to tour WDW. She said she would take the park map, and go down the list and check everything off the list. She wasn’t done until she had ridden everything. She then said she had mellowed some. I didn’t see anything wrong with that touring plan. That’s how I love to tour. I get such a sense of accomplishment when we do everything on the list. However, after we got home, I realized that some of the things I enjoyed most on this trip, were things that were new for me. So maybe we don’t have to see and do it all every trip. I need to leave some things for new experiences. And it’s really not practical to try to squeeze so much in when the kids are little. I can only hope that they turn out like me. What am I going to do if they turn out more like Shane and want to (gasp) sleep in while on vacation?!!

Bethany had made a new friend while we were waiting for the parade. Her and another little girl were showing each other their autograph books. William had a blast checking out the area.


But he was doing better and never wandered too far. I don’t remember having to chase him any.

We had a performance from the Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob.


They were really fun and entertained the crowds with some Christmas songs. I loved their decked out instruments.

Eventually as it got closer to the start of the parade, the crowd picked up some more. William went back in the stroller and feasted on some popcorn. We started talking with a family next to us from Southern Florida. They had a little girl with them about William’s age and made some comment to the little girl about how she should act more like William. That cracked up Shane and I, and we were very quick to set them straight. If they only knew how many temper tantrums we had experienced, right?

Finally, it was time for the parade.


Sorry this pic is blurry, but it’s the best one I got of this float. We pointed out Mickey and Minnie to the kids and were super surprised to see Duffy with them. Of course William knew exactly who he was even though we had yet to see him in person.


Donald and Daisy came by. And then Chip and Dale, who were doing some ice skating.


Cinderella had the ponies out tonight.



When Goofy came by, I smelled candy in the air. Then I remembered that was something I had read about the parade. The floats are accompanied by scents. It was so cool.

William had a great view, and he had a new hat too.



The toy soldiers came by. Whenever I had heard about them, I didn’t think I would be too impressed. Who cares about people dressed up like barely moving soldiers? But it was really neat. I was impressed with those who could actually play an instrument, (at least I think they were actually playing. If they weren’t, they sure made it convincing.) And the way they were all in synch was impressive too. I think it was my favorite thing in the whole parade. Shane said he really liked them too.

And then came Santa ending the parade.


William had done really well, but we weren’t going to press our luck at all. Shane and William left for the night, while Bethany and I were going to stay until she was too worn out to go on.

Up next: How much longer will Bethany last?

[brandy_mel]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

What a great time at DTD! I always try to get to WoD right when it opens at 9:30 as it's fairly empty!

Originally Posted by chezp

And as for finding World of Disney quiet - I know.... we were in there at opening time (9:30 am I seem to recall) on a Monday morning in April last year (almost a year to the day... ) and it was deserted. It was heaven, so that's the time to go - at opening!

Well, I guess if I would have thought about it, that does make sense. It's just like the parks. Next time we go to DtD, World of Disney will be the 1st stop.

Originally Posted by DawnK

What a nice day with just the girls!! I was reading this and when you got to the part about the pins...I was thinking "it is 2012. why wouldn't she get a pin with the date on it?" and then I said out loud....ohhhh, duh!!

That just shows how long it's taking me to finish this TR. But I am determined to finish.