Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Food

Lee and I remember the food in Disney being truly spectacular (when we visited as children) but what we don't know is if we thought that because we were children or because it truly was.  In any event, the food was generally very good, but we were not blown away.  The girls enjoyed having their Mickey waffles (almost) every morning and we all really enjoyed the dinners.  Because we were on the meal plan, we ate a ton of food - I honestly think that a week in Disney did more damage to my body than running a marathon!
A plate of food at the Spirit of Aloha Luau. 
Elizabeth loves ribs!
Mickey waffles for breakfast almost every day! 
Where else but Disney can you buy a turkey leg for a snack? 
Ice Cream! 
Funnel cake in America in Epcot. 
Mickey shaped ice cream sandwiches. 
Dinner in Japan in Epcot. 

Emily was really good with the chopsticks. 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Candy Cane Hill 2011

A couple of weekends ago, we made our twelfth annual trek to Jones Tree Farm to pick out the perfect Christmas tree.  When it comes to Christmas trees, our family is neatly divided: Emily and Lee would like to just cut down the first tree they lays eyes on, while Elizabeth and I are constantly in search of the tallest, fattest tree that we think will fit in our house.  While we didn't quite get a small tree this year, it is not biggest tree that we've had, not by a long shot.  Elizabeth was so disapppointed that she cried when she saw it in the stand.
Heading for the South Pole, the very outer limits of Jones Tree Farm. 
You know that you've reached the South Pole when you see the giant penguin. 
Our tree. 
Over the years, we've become wise and instead of carrying the tree to the baler, we drag it on a tarp. 
The girls with Frosty. 
Elizabeth is Santa and Emily is the elf. 
The mostly-decorated tree. 
I'm trying to start a tradition where either the family - or each of us individually - get a special tree each year.  This year, I picked out a family ornament.
The annual pewter ornament from Jones - we have 12 of these now. 
We buy an ornament whenever we take a trip or go someplace unusual - this is our Disney ornament. 
The lack of snow makes the rest of our decorating seem ordinary, but I really love the way the dining room looks, especially the hutch.

The Rides

Our girls are really not big on rides, but once we were able to convince them that "ride" did not equal "roller coaster," they decided to try out a few....and never looked back!  I was able to convince Elizabeth to ride Space Mountain with me - I used to love that roller coaster when I was a kid but it seemed to have lost some of its charm over the years.  Perhaps the fact that there was a terrified 7 year old right behind me screaming "I'm going to die" over and over put a damper on things....
Emily and Lee on the Tea Cups. 
Elizabeth and me on her very first ride - It's a Small World. 


We must have gone on this ride more than ten times - they just loved it! 

I actually remember this Norway ride from 20+ years ago, which is hard to believe. 
They actually loved Spaceship Earth more than Small World. 

The Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom. 
Tea Cups again. 
The People Mover. 
Time Trial. 



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Shows

We saw two shows while were in Disney.  The Spirit of Aloha Luau at the Polynesian Resort was planned well in advance of our trip.  Lee and I both remembered going to the Luau when we were children and were excited to bring the girls.  They really loved it, although Elizabeth has an incredible fear of fire so she was very freaked out during the fire dancing.  The other show we saw was recommended by a cast member in Animal Kingdom and was called the Festival of the Lion King.  We had no idea what to expect, but we really loved it.
Festival of the Lion King. 
This was one of four huge floats. 



Fire dancing. 

Near the end.
At the Polynesian.
One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip. 
Waiting for the luau to begin. 
They called all of the kids up to learn the hula to Mele Kalikimaka; Elizabeth refused to do it but Emily loved it!



Hawaiian dancers. 


Emily loved it when this guy made these faces!


The fire dancing was amazing.