Christmas Celebration to Remember 2013
Posted: Dec Sat 21, 2013 6:15 pm
So begins my trip report! As many of you know, this trip was all about my mom. She is winning her fight against cancer and this was her Christmas wish, to see Disney at Christmas with her family. Disney is a place my parents have been taking me since I was 3, and is where my mom has only happy memories! There are no worries in Disney, just happy!!!
Dec. 2-10th
Day 1:We left out of Midway, the security lines were insane, we ended up back outside where the line started! We didn't realize leaving the Mon. after Turkey Day, we'd still catch that traffic, duh! Once past security the wait at our gate went quickly. We always fly Southwest, outbound flight happened to be run by Air Tran. The plane seats were absolutely awful and Bdude swears the Wright Brothers flew our plane!
Upon arrival at the Orlando airport we made a sprint for the ME! This was the first time we got to try out our new MB's! No line and we got right on the bus, we were off to a Magical start! We were disappointed with the new video they play on the bus. I know the old one was getting tired, but we rather liked it. No biggie! We pulled up to the Boardwalk and when we stepped off the ME it just seemed surreal! The warmth felt so good and the smells were lovely, greenery! We were greeted by a CM and taken up to the Innkeeper's Club. This is where things really got surreal! We were being checked in at the desk in the lounge since the other CM was busy at the door. Bdude and I took the liberty of checking the fam in, we let my mom take a comfortable seat and get some snacks. She was being an absolute trooper, the mornings and travel are really hard on her. While checking in there seemd to be some confusion...the CM told us we still owed on our stay, which was not the case, we had paid our balance in full upon the due date back in Oct. He was showing we owed a combined balance of $18,680! I almost fell off my chair! 
He had to make a call...after what seemed like an eternity, he hung up and apologized for the confusion, he said there was in fact no balance on our account and we would be staying in the Sonora Suite! I said "excuse me"?! He said, we had been upgraded to the Vice Presidential Suite, I hope you don't mind we combined your reservations! We kept quiet and decided to surprise my mom who had heard none of the converstaion! Meanwhile, Bdude and I were wanting to do cartwheels down the hallway! We headed to our suite and my mom was asking questions like "where are the rooms, are you guys next to us, what were the room numbers"? We arrived at our suite:
My mom was speechless for over an hour and upon first entering she was so confused, she thought we were in another lobby!
The Sonora Suite blew us away! This is way beyond our budget! When I made our reservations, Disney asked if we were celebrating anything, I told them my mom was winning her fight with cancer, the CM said God Bless her and she would pass the word to sprinkle some "Pixie Dust" they weren't kidding this time! Everyone throughout the parks was so kind too, CM's and people in general. She wore her "I'm Celebrating" button and I wrote on it "Winning my Fight". It just made her feel good and renewed her spirits.
Here are some views from our balcony:
The Sonora Suite spans 5 rooms, it's a 2 bedroom suite (1 room is like a standard room, the other is a master suite with an incredible bathroom) complete with an entry way with columns, powder room, kitchenette area and even a doorbell! We were pumped to also find we had our own Christmas tree! The views were spectacular, especially at night! Every morning we were shocked it was all still there, it was really hard to believe! We always book standard rooms, Disney went above and beyond, and it was much appreciated!
After some of the shock wore off, we had to regroup and decide what we were going to do! We went with our original plan, DHS and Osborne Lights!!!
We loved using our MB's! My mom would have trouble now and again scanning her finger due to her Scleroderma, but otherwise, we loved them, no issues! No more digging for your room key! We decided to grab a bite at Pizza Planet (this has become part of our first day tradition). There was no wait for Muppets 3D and this is one of my mom's favs! Then we decided to wait for the lights to turn on! This never gets old! I truly hope Disney does not get rid of these, so amazing! After spending a good amount of time dancing around with the lights, we strolled down Sunset Blvd. my ToT awaited me! Only a 10 min. wait, Bdude and I could not resist! After that, we headed back to the Boardwalk. My mom's most favorite thing is to see what desserts are offered in the lounge each evening! We've nicknamed her the "Dessert Bandit". We had planned to watch Illuminations from the lounge balcony! My parent's have never seen the "Let there be peace on Earth" Christmas finale. They were stunned, loved it! Long day, time to turn in but so good to be home for the holidays!
Day 2: When we woke up...the suite was still there!
What a glorious day, the clouds were so beauitful! The entire trip the weather cooperated with us, the entire country was in a freeze but FL! Talk about some strong Pixie Dust! God smiled on us, for sure! We started our morning by bringing our breakfast from the lounge to our suite, why not, the table could seat 12! The suite was beautiful we wanted to enjoy it as much as possible! We loved having our morning coffee on the balcony!
Bdude: contemplating how to conquer the parks this day!
I liked this shot of the seagull:
Mine? Mine? Mine?
Say what?
We started our day off with DHS! This was the most rides on a trip we got on TSM due to the new FP system! The entire family loves this ride! We had time prior to our FP's so we went to Art of Animation, my dad loves to do drawings! We had a bit of a wait so we go our picture with Sorcerer Mickey!
After our drawings (Buzz Lightyear) we decided it was time for a Mickey ice cream bar break! Bdude and I had FP's for RnR (my parents pass on this one). We met up afterward and browsed some of the shops. Then it was time for TSM! Bdude had the high score, as usual.
We watched some of the street performers then headed back to the BW. We grabbed a light snack on the BW and sat by the water, the ducks were very entertaining! We had a short break and had to pack our stuff up for DIVE QUEST! My dad claimed this to be his favorite "ride" and wished there was a FP for this (I am in total agreement)! We saw some familiar faces with the Dive Quest team and they remembered us as well! We love the behind the scenes tour, we always learn something new. This was my 10th dive in the tank! I suggested a multi dive card, they thought it was funny! We had a relatively small group, 10 divers. My mom stayed behind to rest and we would meet up with her post dive. The DQ team was kind enough to find me a child's size 14 long suit instead of the 2 ml shorty they supply. I get so cold and the dive becomes no fun when you're shivering! Tank is way to cold for a shorty, in my opinion! Dive was awesome, as always! It's sooo much fun to entertain the little kids and people in the Coral Reef, then I can turn around and be inches away from sand tiger sharks! They also go some new occupants! I truly wish they would make this experience longer, 40 mins. seems like 4! After the dive, my mom met us by the WS tree! We went to Sunshine Seasons for a bite. Then we had planned to transfer via Monorail to the TTC and walk over to the Poly for DOLE WHIPS, water pageant and fireworks on the beach! We were very disappointed to see that the construction has started for the DVC villas on the water. It is ruining the feel for me. It obstructs views on the beach as well, and they have alot of the walking path blocked off, no more sunset point either. Not so Magical! I have no issues with DVC at the Poly, but they are ruining the feel and this is an original resort, some things are better left alone. (O.k. I am done complaining) However, the Dole Whips were fantastic and it was a gorgeous night to be at the Polynesian with my family! We got to see Christmas Wishes which are stunning from the beach at the Poly! No good fireworks shots on this night. Boo! I should've taken my other lens. One of the water pageant and the Poly tree:
We were walking around the Great Ceremonial house after the fireworks and we saw Ashley Judd! I noticed the fresh lei she was wearing and Bdude noticed who she was! She had 3 CM's with her! Later, we found out from the Innkeeper's Club CM's that she was supposed to stay at the BW since she was narrating for the Candlelight Processional, but changed over to the Poly at the last minute. We cabbed it back to the BW, we were all tired and not in the mood for the bus! Cab was much easier on my mom. When we got back we sat out on our balcony for a spell, the night was so calm, the water was like glass! So beautiful! We enjoyed desserts the "Bandit" had comedeered the night before!
Good Night World!
Dec. 2-10th
Day 1:We left out of Midway, the security lines were insane, we ended up back outside where the line started! We didn't realize leaving the Mon. after Turkey Day, we'd still catch that traffic, duh! Once past security the wait at our gate went quickly. We always fly Southwest, outbound flight happened to be run by Air Tran. The plane seats were absolutely awful and Bdude swears the Wright Brothers flew our plane!
Upon arrival at the Orlando airport we made a sprint for the ME! This was the first time we got to try out our new MB's! No line and we got right on the bus, we were off to a Magical start! We were disappointed with the new video they play on the bus. I know the old one was getting tired, but we rather liked it. No biggie! We pulled up to the Boardwalk and when we stepped off the ME it just seemed surreal! The warmth felt so good and the smells were lovely, greenery! We were greeted by a CM and taken up to the Innkeeper's Club. This is where things really got surreal! We were being checked in at the desk in the lounge since the other CM was busy at the door. Bdude and I took the liberty of checking the fam in, we let my mom take a comfortable seat and get some snacks. She was being an absolute trooper, the mornings and travel are really hard on her. While checking in there seemd to be some confusion...the CM told us we still owed on our stay, which was not the case, we had paid our balance in full upon the due date back in Oct. He was showing we owed a combined balance of $18,680! I almost fell off my chair! He had to make a call...after what seemed like an eternity, he hung up and apologized for the confusion, he said there was in fact no balance on our account and we would be staying in the Sonora Suite! I said "excuse me"?! He said, we had been upgraded to the Vice Presidential Suite, I hope you don't mind we combined your reservations! We kept quiet and decided to surprise my mom who had heard none of the converstaion! Meanwhile, Bdude and I were wanting to do cartwheels down the hallway! We headed to our suite and my mom was asking questions like "where are the rooms, are you guys next to us, what were the room numbers"? We arrived at our suite:
My mom was speechless for over an hour and upon first entering she was so confused, she thought we were in another lobby!
The Sonora Suite blew us away! This is way beyond our budget! When I made our reservations, Disney asked if we were celebrating anything, I told them my mom was winning her fight with cancer, the CM said God Bless her and she would pass the word to sprinkle some "Pixie Dust" they weren't kidding this time! Everyone throughout the parks was so kind too, CM's and people in general. She wore her "I'm Celebrating" button and I wrote on it "Winning my Fight". It just made her feel good and renewed her spirits.
Here are some views from our balcony:
The Sonora Suite spans 5 rooms, it's a 2 bedroom suite (1 room is like a standard room, the other is a master suite with an incredible bathroom) complete with an entry way with columns, powder room, kitchenette area and even a doorbell! We were pumped to also find we had our own Christmas tree! The views were spectacular, especially at night! Every morning we were shocked it was all still there, it was really hard to believe! We always book standard rooms, Disney went above and beyond, and it was much appreciated!
After some of the shock wore off, we had to regroup and decide what we were going to do! We went with our original plan, DHS and Osborne Lights!!!
We loved using our MB's! My mom would have trouble now and again scanning her finger due to her Scleroderma, but otherwise, we loved them, no issues! No more digging for your room key! We decided to grab a bite at Pizza Planet (this has become part of our first day tradition). There was no wait for Muppets 3D and this is one of my mom's favs! Then we decided to wait for the lights to turn on! This never gets old! I truly hope Disney does not get rid of these, so amazing! After spending a good amount of time dancing around with the lights, we strolled down Sunset Blvd. my ToT awaited me! Only a 10 min. wait, Bdude and I could not resist! After that, we headed back to the Boardwalk. My mom's most favorite thing is to see what desserts are offered in the lounge each evening! We've nicknamed her the "Dessert Bandit". We had planned to watch Illuminations from the lounge balcony! My parent's have never seen the "Let there be peace on Earth" Christmas finale. They were stunned, loved it! Long day, time to turn in but so good to be home for the holidays!
Day 2: When we woke up...the suite was still there!
What a glorious day, the clouds were so beauitful! The entire trip the weather cooperated with us, the entire country was in a freeze but FL! Talk about some strong Pixie Dust! God smiled on us, for sure! We started our morning by bringing our breakfast from the lounge to our suite, why not, the table could seat 12! The suite was beautiful we wanted to enjoy it as much as possible! We loved having our morning coffee on the balcony!Bdude: contemplating how to conquer the parks this day!
I liked this shot of the seagull:
Mine? Mine? Mine?
Say what?
We started our day off with DHS! This was the most rides on a trip we got on TSM due to the new FP system! The entire family loves this ride! We had time prior to our FP's so we went to Art of Animation, my dad loves to do drawings! We had a bit of a wait so we go our picture with Sorcerer Mickey!
After our drawings (Buzz Lightyear) we decided it was time for a Mickey ice cream bar break! Bdude and I had FP's for RnR (my parents pass on this one). We met up afterward and browsed some of the shops. Then it was time for TSM! Bdude had the high score, as usual.
We watched some of the street performers then headed back to the BW. We grabbed a light snack on the BW and sat by the water, the ducks were very entertaining! We had a short break and had to pack our stuff up for DIVE QUEST! My dad claimed this to be his favorite "ride" and wished there was a FP for this (I am in total agreement)!
We saw some familiar faces with the Dive Quest team and they remembered us as well! We love the behind the scenes tour, we always learn something new. This was my 10th dive in the tank! I suggested a multi dive card, they thought it was funny! We had a relatively small group, 10 divers. My mom stayed behind to rest and we would meet up with her post dive. The DQ team was kind enough to find me a child's size 14 long suit instead of the 2 ml shorty they supply. I get so cold and the dive becomes no fun when you're shivering! Tank is way to cold for a shorty, in my opinion! Dive was awesome, as always! It's sooo much fun to entertain the little kids and people in the Coral Reef, then I can turn around and be inches away from sand tiger sharks! They also go some new occupants! I truly wish they would make this experience longer, 40 mins. seems like 4! After the dive, my mom met us by the WS tree! We went to Sunshine Seasons for a bite. Then we had planned to transfer via Monorail to the TTC and walk over to the Poly for DOLE WHIPS, water pageant and fireworks on the beach! We were very disappointed to see that the construction has started for the DVC villas on the water. It is ruining the feel for me. It obstructs views on the beach as well, and they have alot of the walking path blocked off, no more sunset point either. Not so Magical! I have no issues with DVC at the Poly, but they are ruining the feel and this is an original resort, some things are better left alone. (O.k. I am done complaining) However, the Dole Whips were fantastic and it was a gorgeous night to be at the Polynesian with my family! We got to see Christmas Wishes which are stunning from the beach at the Poly! No good fireworks shots on this night. Boo! I should've taken my other lens. One of the water pageant and the Poly tree:
We were walking around the Great Ceremonial house after the fireworks and we saw Ashley Judd! I noticed the fresh lei she was wearing and Bdude noticed who she was! She had 3 CM's with her! Later, we found out from the Innkeeper's Club CM's that she was supposed to stay at the BW since she was narrating for the Candlelight Processional, but changed over to the Poly at the last minute. We cabbed it back to the BW, we were all tired and not in the mood for the bus! Cab was much easier on my mom. When we got back we sat out on our balcony for a spell, the night was so calm, the water was like glass! So beautiful! We enjoyed desserts the "Bandit" had comedeered the night before!
Good Night World!
. Ran a slow 3 1/2 not only was it hot/humid but my hamstring was very cranky! I still love to run at Disney! We went down the path to DHS, around the big Christmas tree, back and around the BW twice! I paid for this run later, but it was worth it! 
We noticed there was no wait for the Character Spot, so we went through there. I was a little disappointed to see that now it is only Mickey, Minnie and Goofy. I remember the old Character Spot having more! But, fun, nonetheless! It was time to head to Germany! We got the spot we wanted and waited for my parents. My mom and I split a caramel apple from Germany when they arrived (I highly recommend it). Illuminations was fantastic and the finale is impressive! My parents were crazy about it! My dad is a fireworks nut, he was thrilled! 
We headed down Main St. and had to make a stop in the new Starbucks!!! We got frapaccinos with some special artwork, this made our day! The CM stayed in character when we asked "who the artist was?" She smiled, shrugged and said "I don't know?!" 
However, I still have much to learn! Len was kind enough to help me out right before we left...I had sent him a few shots I had taken here at home at an arboritum, he noticed I had a spot showing up on my pictures! 
But B&C does make killer milkshakes.