The Making of Disney Dreams and Christmas Memories: A December 2008 Trip Report

HollyBelle · Dec 31, 2008

DisneyShe said:
Love the report so far- great pictures. Love the Donald pic outside Philharmagic! I also agree with you about Fulton's I was not that impressed either when we went last year. Can't wait to see the rest.

Thanks, DisneyShe. My current thoughts on Fulton's: we've checked it off the list... so now we don't have to go back!

disneyfamilyjd said:
Okay Holly, so I could seriously read and reread your trip reports all day. You write so beautifully and you really entice the reader and almost make it so I can actually picture myself on vacation with you. You should try writing a book about WDW from a true traveler/fan perspective...I know that I would definitley buy that guide!!

I hope I didn't give you a big head now...LOL!!!

Can't wait to hear more and more and more......

-Danielle:sohappy:

Thank you for such a wonderful compliment, Danielle. I enjoyed writing my first trip report back in September so much that I put all the writing installments and pictures into Microsoft Publisher and printed it as a type of journal for us to keep; I plan to do the same with this one. So I think that's why I'm including so much detail... I just can't see leaving any of it out! I'm really glad you're enjoying it!

HollyBelle · Dec 31, 2008

Day 3: Studios/Epcot

On Tuesday morning we hopped in the car and headed over to Port Orleans Riverside for what is, in my opinion, the best breakfast ever… French toast baguettes at Boatwright’s; my mouth waters just thinking about them. This deep fried French toast is probably the Disney food item Brett and I most crave when we’re away from the world. With Brett in the driver’s seat, he and I’s anticipation over breakfast might have matched that of Goofy and Pluto in the DVC van (I’ve always loved this sign… and Derek was able to zoom in and get a great shot of it when we were stopped at the light below):

Port Orleans is going to be the site of our next stay and I can’t wait because we haven’t stayed there yet, and I always hear such wonderful things (plus my French toast will be within walking distance!!!).

The tree in the Port Orleans Riverside lobby:

Boatwright’s signage:

After breakfast it was off to the Studios. We got there just before rope drop, which means when it was finally time to move forward into the park, we were among all the crazies speed walking to Toy Story Midway Mania. Brett grabbed fastpasses for everyone and then we hopped in the standby line and probably waited 20 minutes or so. We experienced the ride on our last trip and Derek had ridden the one in Disneyland already, so Kathy and Danny were the only newbies. I went single rider so the guys could have a battle royale and we were off to the midway. Love it!

Here we are at Sid’s Antiques and Curios, waiting for rope drop (the truck that is usually on the shops righthand side is curiously MIA):

They hadn’t opened up this part of the queue yet, so we were able to get a clear shot of the Candy Land board:

Walking through the queue:

The Hey Howdy Hey Takeaway (It just donned on me that it's across the street and the ride doesn't actually drop you off in it... shocking!):

And a larger than life Speak & Spell:

We wandered around Pixar Place for a few minutes before splitting up. I believe Derek and Kathy went to the Great Movie Ride, while Danny, Brett and I headed to Sunset Boulevard for the heavy hitters.

ClemsonTigger · Dec 31, 2008

Outstanding report Holly! Looking forward to additional enstallments. Agree with you about Fultons....although we have Rainforest on the same check-off list.

wannabeBelle · Dec 31, 2008

Great trip report!!!! Thanks for the pics and you guys make a great looking couple!!! Belle

HollyBelle · Dec 31, 2008

ClemsonTigger said:
Outstanding report Holly! Looking forward to additional enstallments. Agree with you about Fultons....although we have Rainforest on the same check-off list.

Thanks, ClemsonTigger! I can see how Rainforest makes that list, as I've always thought their menu is way overpriced for what you get (not surprisingly the T-Rex menu is the same way). However, when it's the two of us, Rainforest is one of our favorite places to go sit at the bar, have a few beers and share a pizza while catching up on sports... especially if the Tigers are playing

.

wannabeBelle said:
Great trip report!!!! Thanks for the pics and you guys make a great looking couple!!! Belle

Thank you, Belle!!

HollyBelle · Dec 31, 2008

The Hollywood Tower Hotel:

Hotel Flags:

After checking out of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, the three of us chose to maximize our time by utilizing the single rider line on Rock N Rollercoaster. While in line we laughed about how cruel (and ultimately funny) it would be to win fastpasses yet again on a ride that Derek and Kathy were bypassing. From my vantage point in the back (I got the last seat, my favorite!), I noticed that Danny and I had made the same limo train while Brett was up for the next one. The ride was exhilarating, as always, and as we pulled up to the “show” I saw two Dream Squad members checking their watches! Looks like we were a bit too early… maybe Brett would have better luck.

As Danny and I were waiting for Brett near the ride photo viewing area we saw his limo pull up next and the Dream Squad greeted a lady in the very back right-hand side seat. That was my seat!!! So it was… I was in the right seat, on the wrong train and Brett was on the right train, in the wrong seat! The interesting thing was that as we were leaving the shop we heard the lady turn down whatever it was being offered… crazy lady, what are you thinking!?!

Rock N Rollercoaster Guitar:

After Rock N Rollercoaster we split ways with Danny who was going in search of Kathy and Derek, while Brett and I headed to the Animation Academy at the Magic of Disney Animation. This is quite possibly my favorite thing at the Studios; I love to take time out from the big attractions to draw the characters. When the doors opened and we headed into the room, we saw the Dream Squad Member from RNR standing guard at the exit doors. We were nervously debating which seats to pick… one of them was obviously tagged as a winner!

After drawing a side profile view of Mickey Mouse with a Santa hat on we got up to leave and lo and behold… Brett had somehow picked the right seat. The Dream Squad member and a Guest Services gentleman walked with us through the store and out to the sidewalk over towards Playhouse Disney, all the while asking questions about where we were visiting from, how many people were in our party, if we were related to any Disney employees, if we had heard of the YOAMD, etc. After meeting whatever qualifications they were seeking they shared with us that Brett was in the right place at the right time and he and up to 5 guests had won a Lights Motors Action Tailgate Party Package. Okay, I’ll be honest, a little part of me was holding out hope for the castle, and later on Brett admitted to thinking the same thing. But that’s okay… we were deemed winners! I do find it ironic that Brett ended up winning the prize we so narrowly missed just 45 minutes before.

The location of our prize win, the Magic of Disney Animation:

An info sheet about the prize (a catered lunch at the backstage prop shop, VIP viewing of LMA, and a backstage tour of the set):

After accepting the prize, we walked to Guest Relations at the front of the park where we were escorted into a “VIP” room filled with clapping Dream Squad members and two other families. I spoke with someone about cancelling our lunch ADR’s for Mama Melrose and all was set. All the while Brett was trying to get in touch with his parents, who we found out later were enjoying Muppetvision 3D. They finally got the message and came to meet us just before Brett finished filling out the paperwork (the rest of us had to sign something as well).

Brett eagerly signing his life over to the Mouse:

And the red car we were to meet at before embarking on our adventure:

Coree · Dec 31, 2008

I'm thoroughly enjoying your report, Holly and will eagerly await the scrapbook pages to come later.

mouselvrmom · Dec 31, 2008

You were very lucky on your trip! I'm glad you all had such a great time!

A little surprised that I'm not seeing more character pictures. I'm sure I'll see them in scrapbook pages.

OKW looks great. We're thinking of staying there next time.

HollyBelle · Jan 1, 2009

Coree said:
I'm thoroughly enjoying your report, Holly and will eagerly await the scrapbook pages to come later.

Thanks, Coree! I haven't been able to work on those pages yet... probably because I'm spending all my free time with this report :dazzle: !

mouselvrmom said:
You were very lucky on your trip! I'm glad you all had such a great time!

A little surprised that I'm not seeing more character pictures. I'm sure I'll see them in scrapbook pages.

OKW looks great. We're thinking of staying there next time.

You're right Jenn, we were very lucky on our trip. Actually, we've been both lucky and thankful to win something on each of our last three trips, which is really crazy when you think about the odds.

And don't worry... I'll sneak those character pictures in before it's over with. I think I was having a little character withdrawal by day 5 and we more than made up for it then!

mousefan1972 · Jan 1, 2009

Great TR; love the pics. Glad you guys had such a great trip! :sohappy:

HollyBelle · Jan 1, 2009

Hands down, my favorite part of the LMA Dream package was lunch at the Prop Shop. We got to see some great props that used to be out in the various parks and it was cool because they were set up in a way that really showcased some of them. The four families were led to three large round tables in the center of the room and we were able to enjoy the lunch buffet almost as soon as we sat down. The food was really good and the selection included a little bit of everything with steak and chicken as the main entrees, and a whole dessert bar. After eating, we were able to wander around and take pictures of the props.

The Prop Shop:

Pumba from the “Legend of the Lion King” show that preceded Philharmagic:

Scar and one of his hyena henchmen, Ed, from the same show (it looks as if Scar’s debating whether or not it would be worth his while to devour Derek):

Ed, Shenzi, and Banzai guarding the beverage table:

Not to traumatize anyone, but it appears that Nala has lost her body:

We found Simba taking a little nap (with his teddy bear) behind the dessert bar:

Kathy accepting her larger than life Oscar:

A Tapestry of Nations Parade prop:

Roger Rabbit with another Tapestry of Nations prop and a drape from the Beauty and the Beast show hanging in the background:

This picture didn’t turn out so well but here’s the five of us with one of the broomsticks that used to be set up in Sorcerer Mickey’s meet and greet area:

HollyBelle · Jan 1, 2009

And a few more pictures from the Prop Shop before moving on.

The “Not the Mama” baby from the MGM parade showcasing that dreadful Dinosaur show:

Stitch’s wagon from his old meet and greet area near the Magic of Disney Animation:

Brett with Dim from A Bug’s Life (we’ve been trying to figure it out but still don’t have a clue what this prop was actually used for):

From the Prop Shop we were all escorted to the 1:20 viewing of LMA and only had to wait about 5 minutes for the show to begin. This was great in my opinion because while I think the show is really good, Brett and I tend to skip it most of the time because we don’t want to take such a large chunk of time out of our day to get in the stadium, wait 20-30 minutes for it to begin, watch the show and get through the crowds to exit. Because of this, we hadn’t seen the show since May of 2005 when it was first brought to the Studios from Paris, so I was really excited to watch it. The VIP viewing area was right in the center and above the technical booth where the show is called and what was even better was that there was plenty of room to spread out.

LMA panorama, which is actually four pictures stitched together:

Waiting for the show to begin:

Herbie distracting the crowd while they set up for the next chase scene:

The finale sequence (unfortunately, I took the picture a bit too early, or too late depending on how you look at it):

Jenna · Jan 1, 2009

Fantastic trip report! Glad you got to enjoy LMA after so long!

HollyBelle · Jan 1, 2009

Once the show ended we waited about 10 minutes for the stadium to clear out and the technical team to give our Dream Squad guides the go ahead to let us on the set. They took us right through the middle of the set and around to the back of the facades. The first thing we were shown was the burn cage where they “paint” the stunt guy’s uniform with the flammable gel that sets him on fire later! As soon as he steps out of the cage he gets on the aptly named “burn bike” and takes off. The timing is really important because if he’s painted too soon, the gel will dry and he won’t catch on fire, but if he’s painted too late he’ll miss his mark and the show will come to a jarring halt. I think they said he has something like 7 seconds to get out of the cage and on to the bike.

The burn bike with “stoppers” to help protect it from sliding (the oldest bikes on the set are always going to be burn bikes because they take such a beating):

Next we saw the ramp that the driver uses to burst through the doors in the finale scene. He has until the red line to stop if something is wrong, otherwise he’s going to bust through the doors and onto the set:

Then we were taken over to where the vehicles are parked and serviced between shows, and because I don’t understand car talk I really can’t share much more than that, so here are some pictures:

My favorite thing I saw backstage… probably the stunt guys playing a game of pickup! It appears that they blow off some steam between shows by rolling out the basketball hoop and playing a game of ball right on the pavement they were just recently chasing each other around:

After the tour, which lasted probably 20-25 minutes the Dream Squad offered each family a “no strings attached” fastpass for the ride of their choice! Before we could even mention it, they told us they weren’t allowed anywhere near TSMM, so we decided on the Rock N Rollercoaster.

The LMA Tailgate Party was fun and I’m really thankful for getting to experience this dream event. Mostly I want to thank Jenna, Patrick, Janson and the rest of the DHS Dream Squad for being so wonderful and accommodating the whole time. They are the ones who made this such a great experience.

mouselvrmom · Jan 1, 2009

Your tour sounds awesome, Holly!

I loved the not the baby prop! :lol:

ClemsonTigger · Jan 2, 2009

More, more!
Really fun report Holly, appreciate the time it takes to put it together!

OhioDisneyLover · Jan 2, 2009

I'm really enjoying your TR. Your pictures are great! I can't wait for more. :sohappy:

HollyBelle · Jan 2, 2009

*MAD4NADZ* said:
Fantastic trip report! Glad you got to enjoy LMA after so long!

Thank you! We, too, were excited to see the show again; it really was great.

mouselvrmom said:
Your tour sounds awesome, Holly!

I loved the not the baby prop! :lol:

Yeah, we kept laughing about how prominently the baby dino prop was displayed. I think it was the most random of them all. And very old, Brett looked up the parade... it was apparently the first MGM parade back in 1991 and it lasted a whole year!

ClemsonTigger said:
More, more!
Really fun report Holly, appreciate the time it takes to put it together!

OhioDisneyLover said:
I'm really enjoying your TR. Your pictures are great! I can't wait for more. :sohappy:

Thank you both!

HollyBelle · Jan 2, 2009

After the backstage tour we all went over to see Sully and Mike at the new Monsters, Inc. meet and greet area. The line was rather short, as per usual, and I think it’s because the monsters can’t actually sign autographs.

When we got to the front Brett asked Sully to help him scare me, and it was so funny because Mike jumped forward and turned his big eye on me; he obviously didn’t want to be left out:

And a Monster Family Portrait:

After meeting our favorite monsters we went over to cash in on our TSMM fastpass from that morning. Then we split ways… Kathy and Danny headed off for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Derek chose to go back to the resort and relax a bit before dinner and Brett and I went in search of Bolt. Luckily when we found him, Mittens and Rhino were in tow:

I was craving something sweet so we went to the Starring Rolls Café for a snack and they were closed! Apparently, they close at 4pm… this was news to me; I had no clue they did this. So we decided to get a little something at the Writer’s Stop instead and then meandered around the park for awhile. We met up with Danny and Kathy and all went to see Aerosmith at the Rock N Rollercoaster before heading over to the Streets of America to wait in anticipation of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The lights were at the top of Kathy’s must-see list for the trip and I always forget how great they are until I’m actually standing amid the wonder. It always surprises me how much I end up enjoying them.

We took a little break on the curb while waiting for the lights:

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights:

HollyBelle · Jan 2, 2009

Once we had ooohed and ahhhed to our hearts’ content we made our way back to the car and over to Epcot for dinner. Brett and I took some time to meet Eeyore, Pooh and Tigger in England before catching the last of Father Christmas’ story. Then we met up with Derek near the Lights of Winter and Epcot tree. I prefer the subtlety and coordination of these lights and their music over those at the Studios, although both are great. Unfortunately though, the Epcot tree was missing all the International packages that can usually be found under its branches and for that it lost the top spot on my park tree rankings.

Friends in England:

Father Christmas:

The Lights of Winter:

We had ADRs for the much sought after Le Cellier and made our way towards Canada to check-in. Dinner was delicious and wonderful, as to be expected. I love the intimate feel and ambience that is created by the décor and layout of this restaurant, and while admiring that I realized that the seating capacity is nowhere near that of other WS restaurants (another reason why reservations are so hard to come by I’m sure).

The boys waiting for dinner:

Le Cellier signage:

Winos:

And for your tastebuds... a filet with mushroom risotto (Kathy got the biggest kick out of my taking pictures of food-I think I humor her sometimes!):

And salmon with lentils (delicious):

The Making of Disney Dreams and Christmas Memories: A December 2008 Trip Report

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Naturally Grumpy

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Naturally Grumpy

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member