Christmas in Disney

I am now only 16 days away from my Disney World trip! I am taking Addie this year and we are staying at the Yacht Club. I got a great travel agent deal so we will be staying on the concierge floor. We can't wait!! If I really get techie, I may try to post some pictures from my phone to this blog---but it's a long shot! :)

Anyway, I love going to Disney over Christmas time and I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite things! So for today, here is my FAVORITE Disney Christmas tradition....

The Candlelight Processional

What is this, you may ask? A Disney tradition now in its 39th year (2009), the Candlelight Processional is a presentation of the Christmas story in readings by a celebrity narrator and music by a mass choir and 50-piece orchestra. This event takes place in the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase in Epcot.

It begins November 27, 2009, and runs every evening until December 30. Shows are approximately 40 minutes. Each evening there are three shows -- 5, 6:45 and 8 p.m. That's the technical description anyway! This is a wonderful, musical presentation of the Christmas story. The entire thing is moving but when they close with the Hallelujah Chorus, well, it is truly awe inspiring.

So who will I be seeing this year?? Steven Curtis Chapman!!! In fact, I scheduled my flight for really, really early in the morning so I could make it for his last night of the Processional. I just can't wait to see him! I heard him do the Processional a few years ago and he is by far the best narrator I have heard!

Here's the list of who else will be narrating this year:

November 27-29 -- Isabella Rossellini

November 30, December 1-2 -- John O' Hurley

December 3-5 -- Steven Curtis Chapman

December 6-8 -- TBA

December 9-11 -- Andy Garcia

December 12-14 -- Vanessa Williams

December 15-17 -- Abigail Breslin

December 18-20 -- Whoopi Goldberg

December 21-23 -- Brian Dennehy

December 24-26 -- Edward James Olmos

December 27-30 -- Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance

If you ever have the opportunity to see the Candlelight Processional, do it! It is not to be missed in my opinion!

Steven Curtis, here I come!!

Disney Dream Ship Sets Sail in 2011

So, if you don't sit at your computer and wait for Disney podcasts (like some of us!) you may have missed the BIG annoucement Disney made this week. Beginning in January, 2011, Disney Cruise line will have THREE ships in it's fleet. The brand new Disney DREAM will set sail on January 26, 2011 and will take over the route that has been done by the WONDER for the past 10 years. It will alternate between 3 and 4 night cruises with a few 5 nighters thrown in during the summer of 2011. I am bummed that there won't be any longer cruises but I'll take what I can get! I will definitely be on the DREAM in 2011!! If you would like to join me, mark off October 16-20, 2011 and let's start planning!

Disney has only let some of the details out of the bag so far. But the ones we know about look amazing! Here are a few of my favorites!!

The AquaDuck!

Guests aboard the Disney Dream will get swept away on an exhilarating high-speed flume ride featuring twists, turns, drops, uphill acceleration and river rapids - all while traversing the upper decks of the ship.

AquaDuck stretches 765 feet in length - more than two and a half times the length of a football field - and spans four decks in height.
Guests slide 13 feet over the side of the ship in a translucent "swing out" loop allowing them to look down on the ocean 150 feet below. Guests experience coaster-like thrills as high-powered water jets push them upwards and forwards at 20 feet per second. AquaDuck continues through the forward funnel, encounters a 335 foot stretch of river rapids and splashes down to an end on Deck 12.

A Virtual Porthole for Inside Staterooms

Disney Cruise Line introduces another stateroom innovation with all inside staterooms on the Disney Dream featuring a Virtual Porthole that provides guests with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Virtual Porthole.As guests observe the impressive outside views, they may glimpse a magical surprise: animated characters such as Peach the starfish from the Disney-Pixar hit film Finding Nemo, or Mickey Mouse may pop by the Virtual Porthole.

New Kids Clubs

Only on a Disney Cruise Line ship can children become immersed in their favorite Disney stories with the help of caring counselors, beloved Disney characters and a sprinkling of pixie dust. The celebration of children's creativity rises to a new level on the Disney Dream with nearly an entire deck of youth spaces designed to inspire, entertain and unlock the imagination of children. There are two main spaces for children ages three to 10: Disney's Oceaneer Club, where children can play among larger-than-life characters from Disney-Pixar's Toy Story in Andy's Room; explore the Laugh Floor with lovable monsters Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc.; and dive under the sea with Nemo and friends or visit Tinker Bell's fairy forest.

Disney's Oceaneer Lab, where children feel as though they are embarking on a great seafaring adventure in a room filled with maps, maritime instruments and swashbuckling artifacts. Here, children can try their hand at animation, become a pop star or navigate ships through digital seas. Both venues offer magical interactions with the animated characters such as Crush, the sea turtle from the Disney-Pixar motion picture Finding Nemo and Stitch, the mischievous alien from Lilo and Stitch. The characters chat, play and joke with children in live, unrehearsed conversations from their digital undersea and intergalactic environments via 103-inch plasma screens.

Chill-Out Zones for Tweens and TeensLocated inside the forward funnel is Edge - the lounge just for tweens (ages 11 to 13). This tween pad is filled with a multitude of hi-tech entertainment including the ability to create and star in photo postcards and video karaoke using green-screen technology.Teens have their own exclusive club aboard the Disney Dream with Vibe - a trendy and inviting indoor/outdoor space created especially for guests ages 14 to 17. A "teen-only" swipe card provides access to the nearly 9,000-square-foot club. Teens can create and edit videos, play computer games, access the onboard social media application or try their hand at spinning and mixing dance tracks. Teens have their own private outdoor deck area with chaise lounges for sunbathing, two wading pools, misters and pop jets for cooling off, and deck games such as ping-pong and foosball.

New Restaurants

Personal Touches with Rotational DiningDisney Cruise Line continues its innovative rotational dining concept onboard the Disney Dream with elaborately themed restaurants, distinctly Disney touches, and world-class cuisine to create a magical dining experience. Throughout the cruise, guests "rotate" through three different restaurants for dinner - with their servers accompanying them, providing guests with friendly, familiar, personalized service each night. The rotational dining restaurants include:

Animator's Palate, a signature Disney Cruise Line restaurant that brings the magic of Disney animation into the dining room for a unique experience that will captivate the entire family.

Royal Palace, an elegant restaurant inspired by the classic Disney films Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.

Enchanted Garden, a whimsical, casual restaurant inspired by the gardens of Versailles and featuring a dining environment that magically transforms from day to night.

Oh and there is so much more! But these are just a few of the things that have me really exciting about the DREAM! I'll post more as information becomes available!!

Let's give this a try!

Here's my first attempt to get this blog going. Let's see if this 40 year old can do something techie!!

Here's a picture from my latest trip to Disney World. I'm not sure how I ended up being the only person in the photo! Kids, where are you??