Happy Merry Hallo-mas!!!!!!

We set or trip up for Halloween because we thought it'd be fun to do the MNSSHP on actual Halloween and because we'd never been to Disney on my birthday before and this year it fell on a convenient Monday. We enjoy the Halloween decor and love the party, so we are fans of Disney in the fall. It didn't occur to us until well after booking that we might get to see a bit a Christmas on the same four and a half day trip, but we did!

These guys greet you as soon as you enter the park.

And if you're lucky, you catch a #WonderFALL song and dance number!

We Stiteses love the jack-o-lanterns on Main Street.

And the view up Main Street towards the castle is always a winner.

 So what changed between Monday night and Thursday morning? Plenty!

 The Christmas Spirit hits you as soon as you arrive outside the main gate!

I was speaking to another guest on our way in and she told me most of the Christmas stuff was up the day before (Wednesday), but not the big tree in Town Square. She was hoping it was installed Wednesday night. She was not disappointed!

The Pumpkin People left to make room for Toy Soldiers.

And the Mickey #WonderFALL wreathes were replaced with Christmas Mickey wreathes!

And there are also more traditional, less Mickey-fied wreathes.

Even at the Cinderella Castle!

And the Christmas decor overflowed into Tomorrowland!

I'm usually one to not want my Christmas season rushed. I'm usually in the "let's get Thanksgiving behind us first" camp. But I have to admit, this little burst of Yuletide has kick started my Christmas Spirit. I'm ready to dive right in!

Merry Christmas!

29 Days: Bringing Dead Men To Life

A rumor shared by the WDW News Today suggests the revamped Fantasmic show in Disneyland will replace the Peter Pan segment with Pirates of the Caribbean.

That's cool and all, but get this. They plan to use "projection mapping" technology, the same technique used on Cinderella Castle during Wishes and the Chinese Theatre during the Galactic Spectacular, to transform the sailing ship Columbia on the Rivers of America into the Black Pearl. The projections would be able to follow the ship as she moves during the show. Cool, huh?

Ok, but that's not the coolest part. The same technology is going to be used, according to this rumor, to change actors from living pirates to skeleton pirates and back again. Apparently they can install an RFID chip, like in your MagicBand, in a costume and them program the projector to follow the chip and change the actor's appearance back and forth according to timing and location on the set. He steps into "moonlight" and, BAM, skeleton. He steps out and BAM, back to flesh and blood. Just like in the movie.

This would be incredible, but, given pieces of this technology are already in operation, it is something I think Imagineering can make happen. They would really "just" be stitching together existing tech. But man oh man would I love to see it in action!

61 Days: Mainstreet Electrical Parade LiveStream

I've been a huge fan of the Disney Parks Blog's LiveStream segments. Lisa and I watched the Fourth of July fireworks and I saw the Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire show on the Cinderella Castle forecourt stage. Both were the same format, introduced by a host who would talk to a guest or two with some connection to the upcoming show, then show the event, then the host came back on to say goodbye. But last night's was different.

First, a positive. While the past LiveStreams were only viewable during the live broadcast, this one is still up and watchable on YouTube. Here it is, for now. I understand it won't last forever.

Now for the downside. This wasn't nearly as well done a show. It began well enough, with the usual intro. Sure it was a bit longer than the past introductions, but that didn't bother me. The problem came about halfway through the parade when they went to an "on the street reporter" to interview a family of spectators. The a bit more parade and then back to the host for an interview. After that it was a mess, with a bit of parade then more spectators. What the heck?

I have no idea what they were thinking here. This was my, and many other people's, last chance to see this parade before it moves to Disneyland. I kind of feel cheated. I guess the first couple LiveStreams spoiled me.

Another plus, though, was watching this while on Skype with the crew of the upcoming (really, I promise) MouseLife podcast. I had hoped to record a practice show and a live viewing of the MSEP LiveStream, but the recording software wasn't cooperating. But even so, we had a ball watching together. It's a fun group. This bodes well :-)

Refuting The Top 14 Reasons Not To Go To Disney, Part 7

So I'm happily looking at my Facebook newsfeed the other day and one of those "Sponsored" things is up there. It's from a site called Viral Travel (which sounds like a bad idea on the face of it) and is entitled 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney. Of course I bite. Sue me. So its about what I expect, the same things we Disney fans expect from you non-Disney fans-- crowds, expense, capitalism, yadda yadda yadda. The thing is, many of these criticisms are true to a large extent, but avoidable. I hate to see people get spoiled on the Disney I love because they go about the whole experience unprepared logistically or mentally for the realities of the place. I figured just for kicks to take the 13 reasons one by one (or two by two) and try to explain why they don't keep ME from the Magic. This part four, part one is here, two here, three here, four here, five here, and six here.

4. The Nightly Parades Shut Everything Down

 Every night, the Disney crew puts on a very special parade complete with floats, music and lots of dancing. There are other parades that are held in different areas during the day, but they are relatively small and fairly easy to get around.

Just try to get to the other side of the park for that one last ride during the nightly parades, and you will be shocked at how much of the park instantly becomes essentially inaccessible. Even better, the nightly parades are the same thing over and over. Everyone stands and watches the first one they see, but by the second night you start to realize it is just the same boring thing as before.

The parade route is patrolled by the most overzealous Disney employees ever, and they do their best job to mimic the behaviors of a rabid junkyard dog as they tell everyone they cannot walk through a pathway well before the parade has even started.

Because of these lovely employees, if you don’t get to the area of the park where you want to stay until the parade is over, you will be stuck where you are until the ridiculous nightly procession finally ends.

Uh, no. No they don't.  You may have to walk around the lines or go the long way round rather than through the hub in front of the Cinderella Castle, but the nightly parade, nor the multiple daytime parades, shuts nothing down. If you see a Disney cast member acting like "a rabid junkyard dog" at ANY time, let me know. Yes, they try to keep you from being run down by Elliot, but they are ridiculously nice about it.

Elliot. Don't fling yourself in front of him.

We love watching the parades, but the writer is correct in that they are pretty much the same each time. This isn't a bad thing at all, though, as the parade draws such a crowd that parade time is a great time to visit the attractions. Getting around can be tricky, but the parade times and routes are well advertised. You are best to avoid Main Street at Electrical parade time, for example. But you CAN do as Lisa and I did once and ride Splash Mountain a few times until the parade is going by while you are on the ride and you get to watch the Electrical Parade from the top of the big drop.

I want to see THIS parade. Lots of times.

Refuting The Top 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney, Part 2

So I'm happily looking at my Facebook newsfeed the other day and one of those "Sponsored" things is up there. It's from a site called Viral Travel (which sounds like a bad idea on the face of it) and is entitled 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney. Of course I bite. Sue me. So its about what I expect, the same things we Disney fans fans from you non-Disney fans-- crowds,expense, capitalism, yadda yadda yadda. The thing is, many of these criticisms are true to a large extent, but avoidable. I hate to see people get spoiled on the Disney I love because they go about the whole experience unprepared logistically or mentally for the realities of the place. I figured just for kicks to take the 13 reasons one by one (or two by two) and try to explain why they don't keep ME from the Magic. This part two, part one is here.


12. There Is Constant Construction

You might see this as a positive, but Disney is always under construction. If you see a ride that looks way cool but it’s not complete, that means the kiddos will be bugging you to death to go back so you can endure even more Disney in the near future. Joy.

7. Rides Are Shut Down All The Time

Disney is careful about maintaining rides and keeping them safe, but the flip side is that your favorite ride might not even be open the whole time you’re at the park. Some rides seem to be especially prone to breaking, or always shut down when there’s even the slightest hint of rain. Of course this means you can go back again and hope the ride is open, or you could just go to the beach.

I've bundled these two complaints into one becuase they go hand-in-hand, I think. First off, the writer admits that new construction is really a good thing. I mean if a place that makes you wat to return is a bad thing, maybe stay-cations are more your cup of tea. The second issue, number seven on his list, is also true. In part. Let's look at construction and refurbishment in Disney Parks realistically.

Some "construction" is really upkeep or even seasonal decorating, like in the photo of the Cinderella Castle below being fixed up with Christmas lights during our last trip. Most decorating is done at night out of public view, but the castle is a big job and each year there will be times when it has cranes around it. While you may be disappointed you can't get the "perfect" castle photo on your trip during these times, there's always Photoshop, and besides, as my friend pointed out to me it's kinda cool to have photos of the decorations going up, not everyone gets to see that process.

Hanging Christmas Lights on The Castle

Upkeep is also a constant and closes some attractions and restaurants throughout the year. This can cause hassles if you're ill-prepared. Luckily, there are plenty of on-line resources to keep you up to date on what is going to be closed and when. The Walt Disney World site itself is the last word, but fan sites often have the info just as current and much easier to find all in one place. It's important to check this out, there WILL be rides you can't go on and/or shows you can't see due to refurbishment. Knowing before you go will save you much worse disappointment later, especially with little ones. The writer's contention that "some rides seem to be especially prone to breaking, or always shut down when there’s even the slightest hint of rain" is exaggerated at best. Do the attractions break down and have to close for short periods sometimes, sure, but it's far from common. And besides, there is SO MUCH to do at the Disney parks, that no one attraction is a game-breaker for us.

Actual new construction is also always going on. It's a GOOD thing, even a great thing. Every time you visit Disney there will be something you've never seen before, and often it will something spectacular. During our last visit, Disney was in the process of building a huge expansion of Fantasyland called, rather stupidly, New Fantasyland. I wonder if the creative team was on vacation when they dreamed that one up. Anyhow, it's kinda a big deal and while some of it was open when we were there, we had a ball peeking over and around barricades and walls to catch a glimpse of the Beast's Castle and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. One of the big reasons I planned to get at least half a day in the Magic Kingdom during our upcoming weekend trip was to get a chance to check out the completed New Fantasyland.

New Fantasyland Under Construction

We don't sweat the refurbs, honestly, because we've been enough to see most everything and there's plenty else to do. We actually enjoy the construction both because it means new things on the way and simply for it's own sake. We like watching the Magic being created. We are such Disney Geeks we even took pictures of all the little Walt Disney quotes hanging on the construction barricades. Take some time to read them yourself when you visit, he is the reason this place is magic.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Disney Weenies!!!

Check out all the Weenie pics at Focused On The Magic

Wanna know what a Weenie is (if you don't know and can't figure it out from these pictures)? Ask me tomorrow when it's not Wordless anymore ;-)

Wordless Wednesday....Pinterest Pictures

I have no idea what happens on Pinterest, so I'm posting castle pics. Be sure to check out Focused On the Magic's Wordless Wednesday Page for more from people who have a clue :)

Wordless Wednesday.... Disney Time

Be sure to save TIME for all the other picture posts over at Focused on the Magic :)

Wordless Wednesday.....Mickey Mouse

I'll keep it wordless in case my favorite blog/Facebook policewoman is watching ;)

Today's subject is Mickey Mouse, in honor of his birthday this week. Be sure to check out the other Mickey pics at Focused on the Magic's Wordless Wednesday page.

Wordless Wednesday--Disney Letter "G"

Today's Wordless Wednesday is all about the letter "G". I'll not label my pictures in the interest of "Wordlessness", but they're all "G" pics. Somehow ;)

Check out all the other submissions on Focused on the Magic's Wordless Wednesday page.