Photo Friday: Icing Art

 

Time again for another Photo Friday!

As we wrap up the holiday season, I thought I'd share one final holiday-related photo.  This is from the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian resort.  What I find most amazing about this photo is that it's drawn with icing.  That's right -- this is edible art!  I have a hard enough time trying to write "happy birthday" in icing so that it's legible to say nothing about drawing early versions of Mickey and Minnie sledding in a snow scene.

Yet another Disney detail -- it's what makes a visit to Walt Disney World during the holidays, or anytime, such a memorable experience!

Thank you so much for enjoying the blog in 2012 and I look forward to sharing more of my thoughts about Walt Disney World with you in 2013!

This just in... Santa's flight plan revealed!

 

The investigators here at DisneyDaddy have discovered some evidence to support how Santa manages to deliver all those presents to good children around the world.  We found this FAA flight plan for Santa's annual global trek on display at the Swan and Dolphin Resort at Walt Disney World.  As you can see, Santa's flight plan takes a winding course around the globe, mostly moving from east to west.

Incidentally, I have read before that Santa has special FAA clearance that was approved personally by the President.  This is according to former President Bush. 

In any case -- the big guy is on his way!!!

Merry Christmas to you!!!

Photo Friday: Christmas at lightspeed

 

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

As we anxiously await Santa's big flight -- I thought this shot from the Osborne Lights might give you a feeling of Christmas at lightspeed, which is what I suspect Santa must be able to travel at in order to deliver all those gifts to all the children of the world in a single night...

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Tip Tuesday: Holiday crowds and park closures

It's time for another Tip Tuesday!

As we approach what is, without a shred of doubt, the busiest time of year at Walt Disney World, I'm often asked about how to deal with the gigantic crowds at the parks.

While it's true that the parks are crowded during this time of year, it's also generally true that they're not insanely busy for every single second that the parks are open.

DisneyDaddy veterans will know what I'm about to say (and will probably say it with me):  Get there early!

I can't stress enough how important it is to get to the park well before park opening (no less than 30 minutes).  These days with many of the parks no longer having a formal opening ceremony (Magic Kingdom excepted), cast members often open the turnstiles several minutes before the official opening time. 

What you get by arriving early is a few hours of relatively low crowds.  If you examine crowd levels by the hour, you'll notice that the crowd amounts start to sharply increase around 10 a.m. and become insane before Noon, so those few hours become critical.  This is the time to get initial rides in on those attractions you or your family are most interested in experiencing.

After those golden hours are gone - what do you do next?

You've got some decisions to make and a bit of a roll of the dice as well.  Given that these are the most crowded days of the year, the parks often do (for a time) reach capacity and close to guests in phases.  While Disney won't officially say how they decide to institute a park closure,  it's suspected that when crowd levels get to the point when overall guest safety and enjoyment is becoming affected, Disney begins to limit the number of people coming into the park.  This goes in a series of phases, from 1-4.  The phases are believed to be implemented in the following ways (source:  Touringplans.com):

Phase 1 Closure
Casual visitors are turned away at the automobile toll plazas. This means that people without tickets, those with one-day, single-park tickets, and those intending to use cast member passes will not be allowed to park.  The following types of guests may enter:

• Those with multi-day or multi-park tickets
• Those staying at a Disney Resort
• Annual Passholders
• Those re-entering the park that day.
• Those "hopping" from another park.
• Those with in-park reservations or appointments.
• Those arriving via Disney transportation

Phase 2 Closure
Those included in Phase 1,The following guests are allowed through the turnstiles and into the parking lots:

• Those staying at a Disney Resort
• Annual Passholders
• Those re-entering the park that day.
• Those "hopping" from another park.
• Those with in-park reservations or appointments.
• Those arriving via Disney transportation

Phase 3 Closure
The following guests are allowed through the turnstiles and into the parking lots:
Those staying at a Disney Resort

• Annual Passholders
• Those with in-park reservations or appointments.

Phase 4 Closure
The park and parking lot are closed to all arriving guests.

It's important to stress here that while a park may (and often does during busy times of the year) go all the way to a phase 4 closure, such a closure doesn't automatically last all day.  It's possible that later in the day and into the evening, the crowd levels may have diminished to the point where Disney will decide to scale back the closure level or lift the closure completely.

So as you can see, depending on which criteria you meet on the list above, you could be impacted by even a phase 1 closure.  So if you decide to leave the park once the crowds get high, you very well may not be able to get back into the park, at least for a while.  This is where the roll of the dice comes into play.  If you decide to head back to your hotel/resort for a while or go off-property for a bit, will you be able to later enter the same or another park?  That's a tough call.  I can tell you that if you want to be in the Magic Kingdom for those incredible New Year's Eve fireworks, you'd better be at the Magic Kingdom in the morning and plan to be there all day long.  If you leave, you're not getting back in.

If you do end up getting shut out of one park, don't assume that all the parks are closed.  It's quite possible that you can get into another park.  Even if you can't get into a park, you can always find a lot to do at the various resorts or Downtown Disney (keep in mind that parking might be limited, so be prepared for a bit of a walk).

Also keep in mind that you don't have to be at the Magic Kingdom to see the fireworks.  There are great viewing locations along the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, especially at the Polynesian Resort.

No matter how you decide to handle the crowds, please be calm and courteous to your fellow guests.  There may be a lot of people who are tired and grumpy, but there's no need for anyone to be rude or mean to each other.  You're in the happiest place on Earth - try to keep it that way!

Photo Friday - different view of the Castle Dream Lights

 

Time for another Photo Friday!

On Tuesday, I talked about ways to successfully photograph the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights.  I intentionally left off one angle I wanted to save for today -- the front shot, but not just any front shot, THE front shot.

Now you may think the photo above is easy to get.  You'd be wrong.  It's hard to tell from the photo above, but I'm just about laying down on the ground to get this angle.  Also, this is a vantage point that's hard to get to because normally it's not accessible due to the various performances going on in the evening.  I managed to get this angle after Wishes on a night when the Magic Kingdom was open fairly late. 

Surprisingly there weren't many people here even though this spot provides some different vantage points for other items, but that's for another Tip Tuesday.

So I hope you enjoy this close-up view of the Castle Dream Lights!

Tip Tuesday: Photographing the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights

It's time again for another Tip Tuesday!

We'll we're in the swing of things for the holiday season and there's one thing at Walt Disney World that I absolutely have to see every holiday I'm at WDW - the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights.

I wrote about the castle lighting ceremony in a post last December, so I won't re-hash the information in that tip - be sure to check it out.  What I am talking about today is some good ways to take photos of the Castle Dream Lights.

 

For those of you with point-and-shoot cameras, this shot may work best for you.  First, it's not too dark, so the shutter exposure will still be fairly quick.  Second, you have some good resources to use to steady the camera to avoid motion blur.  For this shot, I was standing along the bridge between Fantasyland and the hub near Cosmic Ray's.  The rail is nice and wide so you can (carefully!!) set your camera on the rail to take a steady shot.  You may want to wait for the sun set so you can capture those pretty evening colors as the light fades.

 

Later in the evening, you can use the same place to get a nice shot with the lights reflecting in the water.

Also remember that there are more angles of the castle than the traditional front angle.  Take this shot for instance:

 

This shot was taken from the East side towards the back of the castle.  What makes this different is the lamp in the foreground and the steep angle enhancing the forced perspective of the castle.  If you have a point-and-shoot camera, this might be a bit tough. Digital SLR cameras will have a better chance of capturing this image without blur.

So there you go -- a few different ideas for how you can get those great shots of the Castle Dream Lights -- and be sure to watch for this week's Photo Friday when I'll post another shot of the Dream Lights from a different perspective.

Photo Friday: Ga-Ga's House

 

It's time for Photo Friday.

This week, I'm sharing a photo that has quite a bit of personal meaning, most especially today, Dec. 7, 2012.  Today, we lay to rest my grandmother of 96 years.  I knew her as Ga-Ga.  When I saw this sign in 2010 during a visit to the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights I knew I needed to take a few shots. 

Every time I see this shot, I smile and remember the woman who (at least to me) inspired this sign.  I spent many a day at Ga-Ga's house and those fond memories will stay with me forever.

So today, this photo is dedicated to Ga-Ga.  We love you and will miss you.  Go say hi to Walt for me.

Tip Tuesday: Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade Spots

 

It's time (finally) for another Tip Tuesday!!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's time to focus on the holidays at Walt Disney World, personally my favorite time of year to visit Walt Disney World.  This week, let's head over to Animal Kingdom to enjoy Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade.

If you've seen Mickey's Jungle Jammin' Parade, this holiday overlay version will look quite familiar.  Many of the same pieces are used in this holiday version of the parade.  The Imagineers have added a few new surprises including the Minnie Mouse float which sprays out the scent of hot chocolate.  Also see if you can spot Donald Duck's name on both the nice and naughty lists. 

 

One thing to bear in mind is that the sun will be lower in the western sky during December.  So unless you want to spend your time shading your eyes, you'll want to find a spot that will be up-sun (West) of the parade route.  On the map above, I noted a few key locations that I think are good spots.  Thes also are good locations for photography where the lighting should be better.  These are some prime spots, so you'll want to find your location at least 30 minutes before the parade starts (check your daily times guide for parade start times).  This is especially true for the two locations on the inside of Discovery Island near "It's Tough to Be a Bug."  Once you're in place, you're committed because you really can't get out. 

While Animal Kingdom might not be the first park that comes to mind when you think of the holidays at Walt Disney World, it still is a great park to visit for some holiday merriment. 

Photo Friday: Merry Christmas in July

Well it's time again for another Photo Friday!

I thought I'd continue with the "Christmas in July" theme this week with a shot from my favorite holiday event at Walt Disney World - the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios. 

This shot was taken on the final night of the Osborne Lights for the 2011/2012 Holiday season, during marathon weekend.  I decided to play a bit with zoomed exposures to create Tron-like light trails.  Above is just one of a few shots that came out.

Enjoy!!!  Christmas is only 149 days away!

Photo Friday: Hark the Herald Angel

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

Well, it's the final week before Christmas, so it's time to present what may be my best Christmas-related photo (thus far).  I took this shot in December 2008.  There was a full moon so I managed to position my photography position to get the full moon into the frame. 

I hope you enjoy this shot and I hope you and your family have a very happy and safe Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Tip Tuesday: Holidays Around the World

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

With Christmas just days away, I wanted to share a special holiday event at Epcot that my family and I enjoy whenever we're at the parks during the holidays.  In most of the World Showcase pavilions, Disney presents a holiday story complete with the traditions of that host country.  For example, at the Mexico pavilion, the Los Tres Reyos Magos (pictured above) present the story of the three wise men who go to visit the baby Jesus in the manger.

In China, we meet the Monkey King and hear his tale of how he got into trouble and his redemption with a monk.  In Germany, we meet Helga to learn about the different Christmas traditions, including the tradition of the Christmas Tree pickle.  In Italy, we meet Le Befana the Christmas Witch and about the Epiphany celebrations in Italy, while in England we meet Father Christmas, and in France we meet Pierre Noel.  Papa Noel is in Canada.

Perhaps my most favorite holiday story is that of Julenissen, the Norwegian Holiday Elf and his "assistant" Sigrid.  They two tell a wonderful story of the holidays in Norway and Julenissen's love of porridge.

If you're thinking of seeing these different storytellers, you'll want to arrive at each location about 15 minutes early in order to get a good view, perhaps even 30 minutes early during the busy post-Christmas week.  Check the daily times guide for presentation times.  Be sure to have a camera ready because most of the storytellers will stick around for photos after their presentation.

Next week, we're getting ready for the marathon.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Photo Friday: A "Magic"al Christmas Tree

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

With just over a week to go until Christmas, I think it's time to start enjoying some Christmas trees!  Here is a nice view of the Magic Kingdom Christmas tree from the 2nd floor balcony of the Main Street Railroad Station.  There's nothing so magical and wonderful like a huge Christmas tree full of lights...

Oh, and if you like Christmas trees, just wait until you see the shot I've been saving for the final Friday before Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Photo Friday: MK entrance at the holidays

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

We're another week closer to Christmas.  This week, I thought I'd share a shot from Dec. 2008 showing the entrance to the Magic Kingdom all decked out for the holidays.  I especially like the rich blue sky in this shot.

Enjoy!

Tip Tuesday: Seeing the castle lighting

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

As we continue to celebrate the holidays, I wanted to share a few tips about another magical event that takes place nightly at the Cinderella Forecourt Stage in the Magic Kingdom, and that's the lighting of Cinderella Castle. 

If you're never seen the Cinderella Castle "Dreamlights" (as they're called), then you must try to see this in person.  Like the Osborne Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios, photos and/or videos just don't do it justice.  It is truly a spectacle to behold.

Now the lights don't just come one once it gets dark.  This is Disney, which means we have to have some fanfare and a little bit of magic. 

 

Each night around dusk, Mickey, Minnie and the gang come out to enjoy the evening and notice how everything's decorated for the holidays... everything but the castle that is.  After a bit of discussion about how the castle should the decorated, the Fairy Godmother intervenes and asks Cinderella how she would like her castle decorated.  Naturally, Cinderella wants her castle to shine with ice and snow (even in Florida).

Remember what I said about magic?  Well the Fairy Godmother (with a little help from the audience) magically adds shimmering ice to decorate the castle for the holidays.

Disney's Imagineers really outdid themselves on this effort.  When we all heard the Imagineers were thinking of "plussing" up the castle for the holidays, visions of pink birthday cake danced (more like exploded) in our heads.  Instead, the Imagineers took one of the most photographed building in the world and made it even better.  In all, more than 250,000 LED lights adorn the castle.  What's really impressive is that the Imagineers wove the lights into specially dyed fishing nets, so there's no tangling and, with the dyed net, the lights are nearly invisible except when viewed close up.  From the hub, you have a hard time even seeing them.

Ok, so now that I've got you dying to see this wondrous sight... just where's the best place to see it?

You can stand anywhere around the hub and if you're really interested in the stage show, you may want to plan to stand close up.  I personally like being farther back so I can take in the entire vista.  I recommend standing along the railing in front of the Crystal Palace.  You won't have anyone in front of you and it's a great vantage point.  The railing in front of the Plaza Restaurant also is a good spot.

Be sure to find a spot about 15-30 minutes before the show starts! 

See you next week!

Tip Tuesday: Better night photos at the Osborne Lights

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, I wanted to give some tips specifically related to the holiday season.

It's no surprise that my most favorite holiday event at Walt Disney World is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios.  There's nothing like it in the world!  If you're looking to get some good photos, however, you might find that's much harder that you think.  Mostly, it's because the event takes place at night and you're using a standard point-and-shoot camera, you're probably going to have to shoot your pictures using a small flash which tends to wash out the background.

If only you had better equipment to use... but you do!

Disney has several PhotoPass photographers station at various locations throughout the Osborne lights area.  Each photographer has a professional-grade Nikon camera with lights and (most importantly) a good steady tripod.  This means they can take those longer exposure shots that allow the background lights to be much more vivid in the final photo (see above).

If you take advantage of these and other PhotoPass opportunities, you can later purchase a digital download of the photo or (better yet) a CD of every shot.  You'll really appreciate the kind of pictures you'll get -- far better than what you (or anyone else) could take with a standard point-and-shoot camera, or even a decent SLR.

So be sure to take advantage of the top quality provided by PhotoPass - it really will help you best capture all those holiday memories at Walt Disney World!

Photo Friday: Castle Dreamlights at dusk

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

Now that the holidays are officially here, it's time to start sharing some of my many holiday photos from Walt Disney World.  Where better to start that at Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.  I absolutely love the Castle Dreamlights that were added in 2007.  This is a shot at dusk when the lights were on before the lighting ceremony.  I especially like this shot because there is enough light to still see the moat, trees and the fading sky, yet the lights are prominent.

I hope you enjoy this first of several holiday photos!

Tip Tuesday: Holidays at the WDW resorts

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

In this final installment of tips for the holidays at Walt Disney World, I wanted to take you not to any park, but to some of the different resorts around Walt Disney World.

While the parks do have wonderful and amazing holiday decorations and events, the resorts also deck their halls with some incredible displays, including edible art!

No visit to Walt Disney World at the holidays would be complete without spending at least some time seeing the different displays at the resorts, so let's start with the monorail resorts.

At the Grand Floridian, be sure to stop by the life-size gingerbread house. That's right, it's life-size!! Where else can you find a recipe that calls for more than 1,000 pounds of honey, 140 pints of egg whites, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 700 pounds of chocolate, 800 pounds of flour, 35 pounds of spices, tons of creativity and a pinch of Disney magic and pixie dust!

In addition to the huge gingerbread house, be sure to take a moment to listen to the live music being played up on the balcony by a small orchestra. Also, be sure to bring your PhotoPass card, because Disney's photographers set up a mini portrait studio in front of the huge tree in the lobby each evening. You can get top-quailty portrait photos taken with no sitting fee. They'll go right onto your PhotoPass account (yet another reason why PhotoPass is such a great idea!).

Continuing around the monorail loop, we come to the Contemporary and Polynesian resorts. Each resort also displays their own confectionary creations. The Contemporary has different gingerbread displays each year (this year, it's a gingerbread tree and characters inspired by Mary Blair), while the Polynesian displays holiday decorations with a distinct polynesian flair.

While we're in the Magic Kingdom area, you must take a quick boat ride over to Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Here you will find a massive tree filled with different rustic decorations. As you walk into the lobby, you are immersed into the sensation of the holidays in the great northwest. It's as if the snow is falling outside and you're snug inside by the fire. It's well worth the trip just to see this lobby.

As we leave the Magic Kingdom area resorts, we travel down the monorail, through Epcot and the International Gateway and on to Disney's Beach and Yacht Club resorts. These resorts host two more wonderful edible holiday displays. At the Beach Club, be sure to see the working gingerbread carousel (pictured above). Yes, I said it's working -- it acutally moves. Like all the other gingerbread displays, there are plenty of hidden mickey's abound, so keep a sharp eye out!

At the Yacht Club you'll find a wonderful train set featuring many Disney Department 56 houses.

Continuing around Crescent Lake, we take a quick stop at the Dolphin Resort where there is a huge tree made entirely of white poinsettias.

Next up is the Boardwalk resort, where we find another gingerbread creation - a gazebo with a model train set running around it. Again, more hidden mickeys are all over the place. While at the boardwalk, be sure to see some of the beautiful garland strung throughout the lobby.

Finally, we make our way over to Disney's Animal Kingdom resort for what might be the most interesting holiday display, simply because it's so different from the rest. Another huge tree greets us as we enter the lobby. This tree is covered with African-inspired ornaments. Like the Wilderness Lodge, it's worth a visit just to see these decorations.

The holidays are one of the best times to visit Walt Disney World and I hope these series of tips will help you enjoy your holiday visit to the happiest and merriest place on Earth!

Tip Tuesday: Holidays at Epcot

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

In my continuing series about the holidays at Walt Disney World, I wanted to take you to Epcot to experience all the holiday happenings there.

Epcot (my favorite park, especially for the holidays), offers so many holiday-related opportunities that it's hard to fit it all into a single day. That being said, anyone planning to experience some of Epcot's holiday events would do well with a little bit of preparation beforehand. Most holiday events begin the Friday after Thanksgiving and conclude December 30.

So without further adieu, let's go!

The Candlelight Processional
This is Epcot's holiday "main event" featuring a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir consisting of the Voices of Liberty, honor choirs from local high schools and guest choirs from high schools across the nation. Each night there are three performances (5:00, 6:15, and 8:00 p.m.). In addition, special celebrity narrators tell the Christmas story in conjunction with the choir. This year's narrators include Whoopi Goldberg, Anika Noni Rose (voice of Princess Tiana), John O'Hurley, Vanessa Williams, Andy Garcia and more.

The Candlelight Processional is, by far, Epcot's most popular holiday event. If you're planning to see one of these shows, you'll want to keep the following tips in mind.

1. There are two ways to get a seat. The first is to purchase a Candlelight Dinner Package. This package includes dinner at one of the restaurants in Epcot's World Showcase, guaranteed seating in the America Gardens Pavilion and reserved viewing location for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (and holiday tag). This is a popular option and a lot of people book these dinner packages.

If you want to make sure you get a decent seat - you'll want to give this option serious consideration. Prices run from $32.99 (lunch, tier 1) to $59.99 (dinner, tier 3) per person. The prices vary depending on what show time you reserve and where you dine. Those booking a Candlelight Dinner Package should check-in at the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package booth near the America Gardens Pavilion no later than 15 minutes before the show. I would recommend checking in no later than 40-minutes in advance, especially if you want a seat towards the front. I've seen the dinner package line run from the pavilion all the way to Morocco. That's a lot of people!!!

2. If you don't want to book a dinner package, you can roll the dice and try the standby line. This line forms on the Italy side of the America Gardens Pavilion. Once all the guests from the dinner packages have been seated, the standby line opens. If you get a seat, it will most likely be toward the back of the pavilion, and there is no guarantee of getting a seat. Your best chance for getting a standby seat is try to attend a show in the middle of the week and before about December 20th when crowds begin to swell. The closer to Christmas, the more crowded the parks (and Epcot) will become.

3. If you're standing anyway - how about standing room only? This is the option I've used when I've watched the Candlelight Processional and, as you can see from the photo above, you get a decent view. This option, as well, requires some advance work. I like to stand on the rope line behind the left side of the pavilion, near the center. If you can get on the rope, you'll have an near un-impeded view of the show (since you're standing and everyone else is sitting). You also get a wonderful (and, depending on where you're standing) close-up view of the choirs processional into the pavilion. Your feet will be tired, so be sure to wear good shoes (you should be anyway -- you're at a park!).

4. If you don't care about seeing the show and just hearing it, try to find a table outside the Liberty Inn. The show's plenty loud, so you'll hear everything just fine. Best of all, you might be able to make it a real "dinner" show, with a bite from the Liberty Inn.

The Candlelight Processional is awe-inspiring and highly recommended. This is a DisneyDaddy must do!

Holidays Storytellers Around The World
Now for another DisneyDaddy must do -- the Holiday Storytellers. At every World Showcase pavilions, Disney puts on a brief show feature a holiday figure from that host country. For instance, in China, the Monkey King tells the story about the Chinese New Year, while in Norway, Sigrid tells the story of the mischievous Julenissen, the Christmas Gnome (see photo above). The America Adventure pavilion actually features three storytellers, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Santa and Mrs. Claus.

These performances happen several times during the afternoon and evening. If you're interested, be sure to check the daily times guide when you enter Epcot.

These storytellers are absolutely wonderful and I highly recommend seeing every one. There are thirteen presentations in all. It's pretty tough to see them all in one day, so I suggest devoting two afternoons to seeing all the storytellers.

Unlike the Candlelight Processional, you don't need to show up quite as early. If you want an up front viewpoint (there are no seats, this are out on the promenade), you'll want to be in place about 10 minutes early (15-minutes early closer to Christmas when the crowds are heavier).

Parents: These are wonderful photo opportunities as each storyteller will allow some time for photos after the performance. Have your camera ready as PhotoPass photographers aren't usually on hand (though they can be).

Joyful
New this year is a gospel group performing at Innoventions Plaza in a show called "Joyful," featuring the talents of D'Vine Voices. Joyful is performed four times from 1:15 to 4:15 p.m. each day and blends gospel and inspirational music with jazz, soul and R&B. This is another wonderful show with music you can't help but sing along with.

There are so many wonderful holiday events at Epcot that guests really have to make a choice: holiday events or attractions. You just can't do it all in a day (or even two). For my family, we always choose the holiday events. What better way to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year in the most wonderful place on Earth!

WDW at the Holidays: The Resorts

Well we've gone to each of the four parks to see a sample of the holiday-related events. Now it's time to visit one more place (OK, several more places, but it's all the same concept). I'm talking about the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels.

If you think you go all out for the holidays, you probably are nothing compared to what some of these resorts go to (unless you happen to be another Osborne family, but we won't go there).

So let's take a quick tour of some of the deluxe Disney resorts to see how they deck the halls for the holidays.

Any WDW resort tour has to start with the grandaddy of them all -- the Grand Floridian.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved.)

The resort lobby, stylized after the Victorian era, already is a spectacular sight anytime of the year. Add in the holiday decorations and it truly is a sight I can't wait to see. As the photo above shows, each year the Imagineers manage to construct a near life-size gingerbread house in the middle of the Grand Floridian lobby. Yes, folks, that's REAL gingerbread there - so please don't eat the house, even if looks delicious. A cast member can be found selling gingerbread cookies inside. It takes the Imagineers more than two months to make this gingerbread house, complete with more than 5,000 gingerbread "shingles." For more on the Grand Floridian gingerbread house, check out a post on the Orlando Attractions Magazine blog.

Next up, we travel across the Seven Seas Lagoon and into Bay Lake to view the tree at the Wilderness Lodge.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved.)

Like the Grand Floridian, the Wilderness Lodge is beautiful anytime of the year. At the holidays, it gets even better. As soon as you enter your eye goes right to the enormous tree right in the middle of the lobby. With more than 60,000 lights adorning the 60 foot tree, it's worth taking a trip just to see the rustic holiday decorations.

Alright, we're taking the boat back to the Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the TTC and the the monorail again to Epcot. After a quick walk through the park enjoying some of the decorations there (see my previous post about the holidays at Epcot), we walk through the international gateway and over to the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved)

At the Beach Club Resort, we find another gingerbread creation. This time the Imagineers are thinking more of an attraction (these are folks that know how to make good rides after all), so why not a gingerbread carousel? How in the world they create these things, I may never know. While the photo may not show it, this thing really does move. And somewhere on there is a full-body 3-D hidden Mickey. It's in a different place each year. I know my kids can't wait to see this one. Anyone going to Mousefest will be sure to stop and check this out as the Mega Mouse meet takes place at the Beach Club on Dec. 13.

While we're at the Beach Club, let's take a quick walk over to the Yacht Club. There we'll find another holiday sight.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved)

Here we'll find a winter wonderland train model. I don't know much about this particular holiday decoration, but I found the picture and had to add it. It looks cool, so I'll be seeking this out as well.

Our final stop requires a quick bus ride to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved)

Another resort with an amazing lobby throughout the year, the tree here towers over you just like at the Wilderness Lodge. Unless you happen to be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, it's a bit out of the way to see this resort, but I have a feeling it is well worth the effort. I'm going to really try to find the time to bring the family to the AK Lodge to see these decorations. Like I said, this is another one of those hotels you just have to see in person.

Also worth checking out, (though I don't have photos) are the Contemporary, Polynesian and Boardwalk resorts. The moderate and value resorts also have some holiday decorations, so be sure to appreciate the work Disney puts into decking the halls no matter where you happen to stay.

Well that's going to do it for my preview of the holidays at WDW. I hope you've enjoyed my forward look at what I'm looking forward to seeing in a few days.

I will be at Mousefest for the Mega Mouse Meet. I don't have a booth, I'll just be walking around. Be sure to stop me and say hi!

WDW at the Holidays: Animal Kingdom

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved.

In the next installment of my thoughts on Walt Disney World at the Holidays, we travel to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Here the holidays are in full swing as well, albeit with a bit of a jungle theme (no surprise).

Probably the highlight of the holiday-related events at Animal Kingdom would be Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade, which is very similar to the regular parade, just with a holiday overlay. Some things I'll be looking for are the stockings for the various characters and the naughty and nice list -- apparently Donald Duck has found his way onto both lists -- a neat trick. Another hidden treasure is Minnie's hot chocolate float -- the Imagineers have actually put a scent box on the float pumping out hot chocolate scents. This is just another example of the immense detail Disney puts into everything they do.

Also, I'm told the Animal Kingdom tree is something to behold. It is very African in nature and gives a very different take on holiday decorations. As a big fan of Christmas, I'm looking forward to these kinds of new experiences for the holidays.

This wraps up the holidays at the four parks -- up next will the a review of some of the resort-based holiday events.