Drizzly, Rainy, Chilly Day in the Magic Kingdom

Monday December 8, 2014
Disney World

 

Yesterday it was overcast and cloudy at Animal Kingdom but today it is down right gloomy and rainy.  Even the campground holiday displays are droopy.  It rains all morning long as you will soon see.

 

We take the boat over to the magic kingdom where we see the flowered mouse eared entrance with the mist on the train station in the back ground. 

Someone yesterday commented that it looked like we’d come at a good time since there weren’t many crowds.  That’s what we were led to believe.  The first week in December was marked as a good time to come.  But clearly the Disney folks have found ways to remedy that.  They seem to be giving special prices to large school groups and opening the park to the TV and movie people which requires blocking off areas that you can not be in.  But more about that later.

If the crowds looked light it was only at Animal Kingdom.  Everyone is at the Magic Kingdom.  They have even apparently taken their children out of school to come before Christmas.   So, there aren’t many photos without other folks heads arms etc as part of them.   I’m sure I will say this again but in my opinion, skip December in Disney World.  I had thought it might be fun to spend Christmas here one year but after these few days in early December I’d be afraid to spend the money to find out if that could be even worse.

 

 

I’ll hand it to Disney though.  The wait at security to get your bags looked through and then again to get your passes or wrist bands verified is not lengthy.

 

 

Inside we find Christmas decorations galore.  This is the fun part of December at Disney.  Main Street is filled with people and many are inappropriately dressed for this weather.  I foresee brisk sales of heavier shirts, jackets, hats and even gloves.   All of which are definitely for sale in the shops that line all the streets in every kingdom.

 

 

 

We think part of the problem today may be that they are filming some sort of special about the new film Frozen which I suppose you all have seen but I have not.   The entire area around the castle is blocked off so we have to go out and around.  No seeing the Castle today.  The crowd fathered is huge and they are being taken through a simulated program where they are told when to clap and cheer and scream.  The real star isn’t here of course.  Not sure how that works and I’m so out of it, I have no idea who she is and don’t remember the name. 

All these folks are here in hopes, I guess, of being on TV.  I was amazed at the people who spent their day standing around doing this.  It is seriously not warm out here and some of them are getting wet in short sleeves and t shirts.   I do enjoy their head gear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walk the other way in our raincoats in the drizzle and got a nice distant shot of the side of the castle.  All the hoop de doo is going on in the front.

 

 

We walk through Fantasyland stopping to go inside to get out of the weather and see the 3D show Mickey’s Philharmagic.  Great fun! 

 

 

The place really is magical.  Look at the detail for the surroundings of the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train.  Folks are riding it and yelling at the top of their lungs even in the rain.  I think I’m an old fuddy duddy.

 

 

 

And they are posing with the character actors at “meet and greets” everywhere you look.  And I don’t mean just the little kids with Cinderella or Belle or that cute little kitty.  This of course is Prince Charming.  You just have to laugh don’t you?   Wonder what they pay him to do this.

 

 

I haven’t seen the Little Mermaid film, I’m afraid I’m very far behind on the latest Disney features.  But we stop in to the Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid.  Hey if it has star fish, I’m all for it.   I even get to ride in a clam shell.  Now that’s a treat.

 

 

Can’t take a selfie with a flash.

 

This is clearly the villainness.

 

But, as we all know, things always turn out happily ever after and it’s some prince type person who makes that happen.

Isn’t that the way your life is?

 

 

Here are some more ways to keep out of the rain in Disney World.  Tired of walking in the rain? Ride the great railroad from Fantasyland back to Main Street.

 

 

 

Then run over and take the monorail to the three resort hotels and see what’s going on in each of them.  They aren’t open air.

 

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First stop, the Contemporary Resort.  It’s a huge high rise that seems to have mostly shops on the main floor.  At this time of year however they also have a Gingerbread house.

 

Now this Gingerbread House looks more like a Castle to me and seems to have the characters from Frozen in it.  I don’t know this story at all but it’s the big push around here right now so I’m beginning to recognize the characters which are two sisters, the boyfriend and a snow man.

This castle/house was created by the Contemporary Resort Bakery Team and has 311 LBS of honey, 514 LBS of flour, 212 eggs, 67 LBS of spices, 35 LBS of sugar syrup, 222 LBS of icing, 423 LBS of chocolate, and more than 1500 gingerbread shingles

 

 

The characters are all decorated with icing.  I’ve never cared for gingerbread so I’ve never quite understood the gingerbread house thing.

 

Back on the monorail to the Polynesian Resort.  We could find nothing really to see here other than nice lounge areas with wreaths and Christmas trees.  The view outside would be lovely if you could see it through the rain and clouds.

 

 

 

Our last resort stop is at the Grand Floridian and this one takes my breath away.   We walk in on the second floor from the monorail and this is what we see.  Sorry for the reflection.  It’s the wax on the exquisite tile floor.

 

 

Looking over the balcony we can see the rest of the giant 3 story tall tree.

 

Photo op for sure.

 

 

The trees flanking the pillars have delicate ornaments and lovely ribbon bows.

 

We walk all around the balcony observing the main floor from every angle.  From here we can see the elevator

 

From here we can see the life size Gingerbread House.   Time to go closer and take a look.

 

 

I assume there are rooms off of the upper balconies.  We take the staircase down and agree to take the wonderful elevator back up when we return to the monorail.

 

 

 

 

 

The main floor is as stunning up close as it is from above.

 

The tree is so tall you cannot get a close up picture of it.  But looking to the top shows me the beautiful sky lights in the ceiling.

 

 

 

The ornaments are enormous as befits the tree.  This one is larger than a baseball.

 

 

You could put a robin in this bird cage.

 

 

As we come around to the Gingerbread House we see there is a demonstration going on.  So we stay to watch for a while. 

 

 

 

 

The house actually has a gingerbread shop inside and folks are  lined up to buy treats.  The detail here is amazing.

 

 

 

We had thought we came down a very elegant staircase until we come around to this one and see wedding photos in progress.

 

We go out onto the veranda and walk around to see the grounds.  No need to go out in the rain to see them.  Given how wonderful this hotel looks on a gray and ugly day, I can only imagine how it would look in some of that sunshine this state is supposed to have in abundance.

 

 

Even the pool is cool.  We are walking by when the mad hatters hat spills its water – whooosh.  Bet the kids would love to be under that on a hot summer day

 

Another part of the pool has a waterfall.

 

 

Eventually we make our way around to the front entrance and then back onto the monorail to return to the Magic Kingdom.

 

On the way I take this misty photo of the Grand Floridian and its island wedding chapel, the round building in the foreground.  I can only imagine how much it must cost to get married here.  I did a quick google search to see if I could get a ball park figure and struck out.   With more time I suppose I could.

 

 

We’ve kept pretty dry and warm enough all morning.  Sure hope the sun at least peeks out for the afternoon although that’s not what’s predicted.  More tomorrow on our long drizzly, rainy, chilly day in the Magic Kingdom.