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[Colexis Mom]

More great updates as usual Cheryl And great pictures too Shame on Mark for causing the tantrum

More please

[LizardCop]

Great Updates!!! Love the pictures!!!

More Please!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pooh1219]

Loving your trip report, Cheryl. I know you once described a veiled maiden, but could you do so once again? Sounds yummy!

[chezp]

[ QUOTE ]
Loving your trip report, Cheryl. I know you once described a veiled maiden, but could you do so once again? Sounds yummy!

[/ QUOTE ]

Here you go, taken from earlier on in my trip report:

"I ended up having a Veiled Maiden, which is a combination of whipped cream and apple sauce, while Mark had an apple Danish."

[chezp]

Friday 24 December – part one: “you don’t know me, but I know you”

Original plans:
Morning – Yuletide Fantasy tour, which leaves from Epcot at 8.45 and returns at lunchtime.
Lunch – Mama Melrose’s, 2.00 p.m.
We have no specific plans for the afternoon, although we’re thinking of heading to Celebration to see the snow on Market Street, if we haven’t made it there already during the vacation.

We were woken up by Stitch, again telling us “no more sleeping” at 7.00, as we were booked on the Yuletide Fantasy tour, which was due to leave Epcot at 8.45. We decided, after the incident with my ankle yesterday, to drive over to the main Epcot parking lot, rather than walking through International Gateway, as we wanted to try and rest my ankle as much as possible. It’s unusual for us to go in through the main entrance, so I had to grab a photo of the entrance, but as you can see, it was quite misty already – a theme of the day:



We found our group quickly enough, something to do with the fact that everyone waiting for guest services was also there for the tour, so it was a case of “follow those people”! As we were waiting, I noticed someone with a PassPorter pouch, but as usual, I was too shy (honestly! ) to go up and say anything to them. As I was looking at them and wondering if they posted on the boards, someone else walked up to us and said “you don’t know me, but I know you”. I think, to begin with, Mark and I thought “yeah right, you’ve mistaken us for someone else”, but then the person, who had the name tag of Tammie, introduced herself as being from Birmingham, Alabama and explained that she’d read my last trip report and said she remembered all about the insect bites. So, Tammie, if you’re reading this - She did tell me she doesn’t post very often, which is a great shame, so please – a bit more posting now you’ve been mentioned in a Chezp trip report! And I hope that I do the tour justice – please feel free to jump in and say if I didn’t!

When our guide arrived, we found out that there were due to be 39 of us, but we would be split into two groups. The same comment came time and time again, as more people turned up “this still doesn’t look like 39 people…” and indeed, by the time we left, there were still four people missing who never showed up. Their loss, as this was good fun, but not really what I’d expected. I thought it would focus on all the amazing Christmas decorations at Disney and how they put them together, looking at the creative process, how they get them up in one night, that sort of thing. But that ended up only being a very small part of the tour.

We set off at 9.10, after waiting in vain for the final four people to show up. We walked past Spaceship Earth, then turned right and headed straight into a backstage area, where a Disney Cruise Line bus was waiting to take us to our next stop. We drove past lots of backstage areas and it was amazing how quickly you get disorientated when you’re behind Epcot.

It was interesting to get a close up view of a lot of the places that we had seen from the balcony of our one bedroom villa at the Beach Club Villas. This included a view of the new Soarin’ building, which is huge. I can not wait to try this, as it looks impressive already from the outside and I’ve heard so many good things about the Disneyland version.

We stopped by Germany, which is apparently also the Candlelight Processional rehearsal area, according to the signs we saw. As we got out of the bus, we could see food waste bins (nice! ) and then we were onstage. There were no doors to go through, they were already open, as World Showcase wasn’t yet open and they were working outside, cleaning the pavement.

Here, we learnt how Germany started many of the Christmas traditions we all know and love today:

1. The Christmas tree, originally an evergreen to highlight the story of Adam and Eve, as it was alive all year round. They were originally put in the centre of towns, but then they got moved inside, after people were banned from celebrating in the town squares.

2. Christmas decorations – these originally came from glass blowers, who would see how big they could blow a glass ball. These were then suspended from the ceilings, but eventually they moved on to smaller items that could then be hung on trees and made 500 moulds for things like fruit and birdcages, both of which were originally hung on trees before the glass ornaments arrived.

3. Carols We learnt about Silent Night and how that was written by a church organist, who wasn’t actually credited with writing it until a couple of years ago and it was found that original sheet music showed he had written it.

4. St. Nicholas We heard how the legend of St. Nicholas started with a man who gave presents to those who couldn’t afford to buy any. He tried to give presents to a father that couldn’t afford a dowry for his daughter, but he wouldn’t accept it. So the story goes that St. Nicholas hurled gold coins through an open window, which rebounded off the fireplace and into stockings by the fireplace and that’s how we get the idea of putting presents in stockings by the fireplace. How much of that is embellishment (like leaving windows open in the midst of winter! ) is another matter, but it’s a nice story.

We were allowed to take some photos during the tour, but not of any “backstage” work taking place in World Showcase. It was nice just to get some shots of the countries which they were empty:



Note all the Christmas decorations in the square!

Next: how can it get colder as the morning goes on?

[BritDisFan]

The tour sounds great , I can't wait to read more.

Karen

[jakenjess]

Sounds like a wonderful tour! Looking forward to hearing more about it!

[Tara O'Hara]

Cheryl, that sounds like a terrific tour!! I didn't know any of that stuff!

[mousestruck]

I'm catching up again, Cheryl! Great updates! I was laughing so hard at the chocolate temper tantrum episode... admittedly empathizing more with the poor Dad since I can relate so well! Of course the outburst was not Mark's fault at all. If it hadn't been the chocolate it would have been something else. Toddlers in need of naps are like ticking time bombs!

The tour sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing all those tidbits! Looking forward to your next installment!

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Cheryl!! The pictures are great and the tour sounds very interesting so far!

[TroianRae]

Wonderful pictures!
Excited to read more...........

[Caldercup]

Can't wait for more!
Eileen

[BabieeMelly]

Great update All the XMas info is so interesting - I can't wait to hear more!

[LizardCop]

Tammie, you're famous now

Great Update Cheryl, and still loving the pictures!!!

[The General1]

Well now that I have made it into a Chezp trip report, I will have to post more often. I thought Cheryl and Mark were going to think I was crazy (and maybe they did) but I did not want to pass up meeting them after reading Cheryl's trip reports.

Tammie