Time to Kill While Sitting in the Airport

So I'm going home for a little visit and figured since there is free wireless, I should be productive. (yes I started writing this ages ago but never posted it)



I left off on the cruise. DeAnna, Ashley and I had been looking at different prices for awhile and saw the perfect one so we worked on getting the time off. (Which I could only get because I have amazing managers) and then we booked it at like midnight one night. We left on November 17, first taking the E bus to Hollywood Studios where we walked over to the Swan resort, sat around in the lobby then got on the Disney Cruise Line bus!! This was really exciting because they show a video on the drive there with Mickey and the Gang getting ready to go on their own Disney Cruise. When we got to Cape Canaveral we left our luggage and went through security. Then we went up into the cruise line terminal to check in. The next stop was to get our keys and get a picture taken that is attached to the key. We had to use that key every time we got on and off the ship so that they could keep track that everyone was on board. After the picture we got onto the ship!! And went straight for our first buffet! It was so good! Then we found our room and explored the ship for a bit before the big deck party. Every night on the ship there was a show, they were all amazing! We also had amazing meals. Our wait staff was the same every night so they got to know what drink we would order and what kind of food we would like. If we were undecided about something they would offer to bring us both. I felt guilty if I didn’t order an appetizer, entree and dessert. We also sat with the same people every night. We were with a young couple who thought that we were all crazy. They also thought that we were all 18! On the first day of the cruise we met an older couple and had a good conversation with them. They were from New Jersey and the wife works at the Disney Store so we had lots to talk with them. We kept running into them so they asked our server (we had the same one) if they could just join our table for meals. On the second day of our cruise we went to Nassau, Bahamas. We wandered around a bit and did some shopping. There was a huge market there, with barely enough room to walk through. If we would stop to just look at something people we start telling us prices. It was a little intimidating, but there was lots of nice stuff to see. After walking around we decided to take a boat over to the Atlantis Resort. It was $6 I think both ways and the boats we took were the sketchiest boats I have ever been on. But walking around Atlantis was beautiful....much nicer then Nassau. After going to Atlantis we went back on the ship and lazied around. The next day we went to the Disney private island of Castaway Cay. It felt like a paradise, especially for me because there were so many little Disney things. We took the tram over to the adults only beach and of course ran into the couple from New Jersey. We talked to them for a bit, went in the ocean, ordered some daiquiris and then layed in the sun. After a little nap we wandered around the island. Ashley and DeAnna decided to go back to the ship so I wandered around a little more, had some lunch and then joined in a sand building thing. It was just me, a family and the cast member but it was still fun. Then I found a hammock and relaxed before going back on the ship to meet Ashley and DeAnna. The last day of the cruise was out at sea so we wandered around the ship a bit, watched a movie while laying on the top deck, went to the adult pool, and then went to a little class on how to build animals out of towels. That night there was a little goodbye show in the main lobby, then back to the room to pack. :( The next morning was early to have breakfast, go through customs, then get the bus back to Disney World. I had to work that afternoon which was hard because I was so tired from the cruise. But it was lots of fun. I would suggest that if anyone has a chance to go on a Disney Cruise they should go. I took a billion pictures on the cruise so have a look at those to help things make more sense. Day 1, continued. Day 2, continued. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5.

The rest of November and into December I did some fun things. There was a Thanksgiving event at Patterson. We put up our Christmas tree!! Candlelight Processional started. Candlelight is an event every year at Epcot. They have guest narrators come in to read the story of Christmas. Throughout the story there is a choir that sings Christmas songs. The choir is made up of both cast members and guest choirs from across the country. I saw John O’Hurley, Abigail Breslin and Whoopi Goldberg. I also saw Chita Rivera, but just as I walked by. Also in December there was a winter formal at the Contemporary Resort. They had different characters there so it was my goal to see them all. I also spent a few days going around to see the different Christmas decorations around. I went to Epcot with DeAnna, Ashley, Cassandra and later Manda one day. DeAnna, Ashley and I went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I spent two of my days off to see the decorations at the resorts. I finished off my second day by seeing the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. This is an actual family from Arkansas. The father starting putting lights up for his daughter and eventually put more and more up until neighbours complained. After a couple lawsuits Disney asked if he would like to move his lights to Florida. They are now on the streets of New York in Hollywood Studios. Every 10 minutes the lights “dance” to different Christmas carols. It is hard to imagine but I have a youtube account now so go look there at the different videos. I spend an hour there taking different pictures. It was freezing cold and my hands were numb but the only reason I left was because my camera battery died.