The Disney Christmas Vacation from Hell!!!

[Princess Susi]

Um.. is it just me.. or does Tink appear.. erm.. Unclothed?!

Nah, she is wearing a bikini...it is a pool after all... ;) :hysteria:
Her little green outfit doesn't have sleeves or a collar, but you're right, she looks nekked!

[Princess Susi]

Day 2 Friday, December 21st:
If Murphy's Laww was a travel agency, then that is who we booked through. Whatever could go wrong, did! You will ubderstand that as the trip unfolds.
This was the first full day at the resort. We got up at 5:00 AM and got ready for a Character Meal at Goofy's Kitchen. We first stopped by the Bell desk and rented a wheelchair. If you ever have to rent a wheelchair, make sure you get one that does not keep collapsing in on itself. I was constantly pushing the sides out to make it straight again.

We headed over to Goofy's Kitchen where we had a wonderful breakfast. The Manager had left notes to all CMs that when we came in for meals, we were to be seated across from the Buffet, because of the problem we had the night before. It was great to be able to only have to walk several feet to get food and not have to stand for very long. Since we had the first seating, (the place opens at 7AM), it was relatively quiet and calm. As the hour progressed more and more people came and then characters really got in the swing of things. If you have never had a character meal at Goofy's Kitchen, I highly recommend it. It is a fun mixture of pic opportunities and Goofy doing the Macarena and also bringing out toy dishes for kids to bang on and play with during a song with Goofy. It can get noisy, but a fun kind of noisy! :D:

[Princess Susi]

So here are some pics from a Goofy's Kitchen Character Breakfast:





Goofy doing the Macarena:

[Princess Susi]

Here are some of the requisite pictures with characters: :p:

Goofy showin some love!



Goofy showing Ralph some love: ;)



I love this picture of Ralph with Chip...



Then it was my turn to pose with Chip. I asked Chip where Dale was, if he was still sleeping. He shook his head no and pointed at the kitchen. So I said, "He's cooking our breakfast?" And Chip nodded. I said to tell Dale it was very delicious and Chip hugged me again! :) Gotta love Chipmunks that hug you!

[Princess Susi]

Baloo came by and posed with us! We love Baloo, he is a big cuddly bear! :)



Isn't Ralphie cute with Baloo. Ralphie LOVES bears and has a huge collection of Teddy Bears and Pooh collectibles. He really loves Pooh. Just wait til you see the pic of him with the silly ole' bear :)



Pluto was up front posing and we had our pic taken with him. We also bought the ones that their photographer took. Very cute!



I love this picture. Pluto wanted to take one with just me so he could hug me. It is amazing how the CMs treat people with disabilities. They really go the extra mile to do things for you, since you cannot get around very well. They try their hardest to make your stay at DL a great one when you are on wheels. I got such great treatment from every CM I came across. They went out of their way to help me find the easiest ways out through the crowds and to make sure they sat me at a close table so I would not have to walk so far! It made me feel well cared for.


I love the CMs. They MADE our trip absolutely WONDERFUL even with all the Murphy's Law incidents.

In some ways the pictures make me a little sad. I have NEVER had to be in a wheelchair before at DL. It was a humbling experience. I could walk very far, when I could walk and when my back was not bad. So it was weird to see the pics with me sitting down in all of them. I stood for a few, when I could. Still, a little strange to see me in a chair and later on a scooter.

[Whazzup]

Great pix, susi - especially the ones with you and Raffles and the characters. Don't you just love 'em? They really make you feel like a kid again.

I hope you're going to get those shots for your back. The series of 3 should really help you with the pain.

There is a huge warehouse near WDW where Disney sells stuff at great markdown prices. They auction a lot of the stuff on e-bay but you can also visit the warehouse and find some great deals. When they remodel the various resorts, all the furnishings, including bedpsreads, curtains, furniture, lamps & accessories, are sent there for sale. They also have all kinds of collectibles, artwork, posters, pins, etc. Here's a link, if you want to check it out when you come to WDW, or you can click on the auction link to see what kind of stuff they currently have to sell.

http://www.mousesurplus.com/index.html

Hope you're feeling better soon. Now on with the show!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Those are GREAT!! It looks like Raffles was doing a Fonzie thumbs up with Chip! You also made me realize that we should go there by ourselves!! that looks like a lot of fun!!

I wonder if they came up with the plastic stuff for the kids to bang on, after too many "regular" dishes getting broken? It looks like a riot!

[ktulu]

I think we'll have to book breakfast with Goofy next time!

Even though this is the trip from hell, it makes me want to go back...now...

[Princess Susi]

Great pix, susi - especially the ones with you and Raffles and the characters. Don't you just love 'em? They really make you feel like a kid again.

I hope you're going to get those shots for your back. The series of 3 should really help you with the pain.

There is a huge warehouse near WDW where Disney sells stuff at great markdown prices. They auction a lot of the stuff on e-bay but you can also visit the warehouse and find some great deals. When they remodel the various resorts, all the furnishings, including bedpsreads, curtains, furniture, lamps & accessories, are sent there for sale. They also have all kinds of collectibles, artwork, posters, pins, etc. Here's a link, if you want to check it out when you come to WDW, or you can click on the auction link to see what kind of stuff they currently have to sell.

http://www.mousesurplus.com/index.html

Hope you're feeling better soon. Now on with the show!

I have actually purchased some things from Mouse Surplus via eBay. They list all sorts of wonderful props and signage and great memorabilia. The unfortunate thing about Mouse Surplus is that they take a dozen or so people to the sale and buy up everything they can, leaving little for the rest of the shoppers. When we move to Florida, I definitely want to get to one of those sales and I WILL grab something out of a Surplussers hand if they already have 5-10 of the same item at the check out stand.

It really is not fair that they bring in so many people to haul away everything. And they get there early, so even if you get there early and are first in line, they have 10-12 people scouring the tables and displays while there is only one or two in your party and they grab everything while they spread out and snatch everything up, while you may have not even gotten to that display yet. By the time you get to it, everything is gone. They are trying to make LOTS of money off Disney collectors and it is a shame that they grab most of the items. I think Disney should limit the amount of pepole who can come in one party, so that lots of folks get a chance at some things. Then, if there is anything left over over from single shoppers, then let em haul away everything after that. One collector is going to buy possibly one item and there will be more left for the surplussers. I am not overly fond of Mouse Surplus, since they also charge a LOT for their items on eBay.

Those are GREAT!! It looks like Raffles was doing a Fonzie thumbs up with Chip! You also made me realize that we should go there by ourselves!! that looks like a lot of fun!!

I wonder if they came up with the plastic stuff for the kids to bang on, after too many "regular" dishes getting broken? It looks like a riot!

You HAVE to go to a Character Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen in the DL Hotel. You should stay at the DL Hotel, request the Dreams building with a view of Downtown Disney and you want an upper floor. If you can afford concierge, go for it. Get the 11th floor with the lounge and treats and a great view. If they don't have a room on the 11th floor, you can always try for the 10th or 9th and add concierge service for 100.00 a day. It is so worth it. You can get all your water there, so you won't have to buy it in the Park and you can have a great continental breakfast and snacks the rest of the day. It is a nice place to relax and sit and read the paper, that they supply. The New York Times, The L.A. Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as USA Today are all available. If you get the DtD side, you can watch the fireworks from your window, clear as a bell, if the fireworks are going off when you visit. The off season, the fireworks schedule changes and also because it is Winter, the chance of wind is high and that means cancellation if the winds are too high.

It is the only Hotel we will stay in and you better stay there soon, because they are going to be refurbing all the buildings, one at a time. They are going to be changing the hotel. I really hope they keep the original Disney theming and not ruin it by making it another upscale Hotel with no real theme to Disney. That is really the best part of it's charm, but it is old and badly in need of repair. You can see the age in the rooms. They NEED a facelift, but not at the expense of the theming and charm that is the original Disneyland Hotel. That is why I take so many pics of it. I don't know how they are going to change it and I want to remember it as it is now. :)

I truly hope they do not make it another fancy Disney Hotel on property with no Disney characters and decor. At around 2-3PM everyday, Goofy comes into the Lobby and hangs out with the guests and poses for pics and the like. He is cool. And they have the nicest decor in the lobby. I will be posting pics of all of it at the end of the trip report.

[Princess Susi]

On the way through the Hotel grounds there were some cool decorations...I stopped to take a picture of the wreath that hangs on the window to the main building. That is all glass around it and those are all reflections of what was behind me when I took the shot. You can see my wheels below the wreath! Kinda cool...