DH 50th Birthday WDW Xmas Trip 12/13 Day 7

[Twentyyears]

DH 50th Birthday WDW Xmas Trip 12/13 Day 7

Well sorry guys, life has just taken over in the last month with work, sick child, hopefully not glandular fever (awaiting test results) and decorating. I have to also admit I have been doing a lot of planning re the next trip on the Dibb and in booking final rips en route etc.

So I have taken half an hour out and will now crack on with this and try and finish the last few days so I can do the pre trippie for the next hols.

Day 7 2nd Jan, AK and California Grill

This was an early day so we could fit in a couple of Everst rides before the park got too busy. So we didn’t have brekkie and just got on over to the park. This wasn’t intended to be a long day, when is AK TBH , as we just wanted to see the Xmas decs and the last day for Mickey’s Jingle Jammin parade.

The decorations didn’t disappoint, they are so detailed here and where else do you get Dinosaurs with tinsel, only at Disney; prepare for photo overload!















So we got on Everest as our first ride and then held with tradition and got FP for the first FP slot. This gives us time to do our usual; go to the rest rooms, get great coffees and danishes/muffins/donnuts from Annapur Tea Company kiosk. I have had to look this up as I never know what it is called and oh my I cannot even find it on the map but it is there on the walkway just opposite Yak and Yeti but almost set back and behind some trees; not even sure if the name is correct but it has been there for over four years...!

Anyhow we walk back towards Everest a bit and have our brekkie in the little table and seating area just past Everest by the lake . It means doubling back after getting the breakfast but it is one of the places to get good Coffee in Disney and the Bear Claws and donuts are huge, can also recommend the cinnamon swirls and muffins. Soooooo yummy.



Consumption unit:



This is one of our must dos at AK and the sun always seems to shine on us when we do this. It was lovely to be doing this in December and the day was turning into one of the warmest we had so we REALLY enjoyed this memory when we got back to cold Blighty and what seemed like the longest winter ever, I am with Isobel (Kate) on that one!

So we rode Everest again and then I ran over and got Safari FP and we then went back to Dinoland to do the rides over there, no queues really, strange with levels of 10 predicted. Rode Dinosaur ad Primeval Whirl twice.

We then walked over to KS and saw loads of animals despite it being midday. We have now found that we have seen more animals later in the day on our last few trips, the old advice to go early doesn’t seem to hold for us. I haven’t put many animal pics on here as the photo emphasis is on Xmas, my trip report, so there!

We really just wandered around looking at all the decs and taking silly hat pictures.




DS was enamored with this cuddly toy, Perry from Phineas and Ferb and later on DH was getting his “third trimester grouch on” so bought it for him to apologise.

So what is the third trimester grouch on? Well, DH always gets a blue day about two thirds into the holiday when he realises we are nearer going home than arriving. I do a bit too but it is but mine is usually the day before the last full day. However this time, as it was an extra holiday this year so I didn’t feel it. We had been on a great trip to Washington and North Carolina in August with our Stateside friends and had our big West Coast trip booked and planned for this August (endowment came out in January, we are not that rich, really!) So I realised when he started getting snappy with the DS that the “grouch on” was taking hold. So I reminded him quietly of the last trip and the great one to come and how bloody lucky he was, three trips in a year, present and all that and he became suitably embarrassed. We decided to avail our selves of another 20% off till receipt voucher and bought some more baubles and “ Perry” to cheer us up; I got a nice sundress too, guilt trip overgenerous hubby! Bet you can’t wait for those bauble pics at the end of the report, NOT!

The weather was warm so we decided to let the parade have a miss, apparently the floats are the same ones with tinsel on a CM said. We went back to Scopa Towers (cryptic puzzle in there, who can give me the definition of what that is?) and had a swim. We had a very funny lady bus driver who had around 15 grandchildren, if you ever see her ask her about them! Lots of funny stories, jokes and trivia questions, Connie.



We relaxed until the evening as we had an ADR for the California Grill and we were excited as we had never been there.

The tree at the Contemporay looked lovely at night;



and had the biggest baubles.



So we registered at the posh desk and were taken up to the Grill by the escort in the lift. I have to say from there on in we were a little disappointed. The lighting was bright, we waited over 40 minutes for our table, They let lots of people in to the waiting bar area to just drink and snack and customers were moving tables around a lot. They did sit us by the window for a castle view and that was nice but the glare on the windows from the lighting was not. It was so busy and loud and the tables seemed very close together for a fine dining experience.

The viewing deck was a nice spot but nothing special here, concrete and not very attractive. The view was to the side of the Castle and I watched a bit of the Fireworks there later but you just saw the castle and the fireworks separately to the left. It was the same at the table and so many people ignored Wishes when the lights dimmed and the music piped in it was so spoilt; they just kept chatting and hardly looked round at all.

We did play find the cheapest wine;




I knew the menu was expensive and we were prepared for that and what we wanted to order but I have to say, for the money, the steak was good but not fabulous and the salad we had for starter had hardly any dressing. The two flatbreads DS had were lovely but were the same as the ones we got in Fantasy Land at Pinocchio Village Haus! Our bill was massive, around $190, and we felt like we hadn't really had the experience to go with it.

The zoom view was good though;




Sorry to all the CG fans but we were really disappointed with the view, ambiance and the food from a value point of view. Le Celier beat this hands down. The Mahi Mahi sandwich I had had in the counter service downstairs was also much nicer!

The one lovely thing that happened was a proposal just near us and the CM really helped and made it special with a silver dome and champagne, very nice to be a witness to that.



So we headed on home after a look in the Contemporary shops, Xmas trees and had another bauble purchase!

[mick]

Shame you didn't enjoy your CG experience, we have never been but lots of people seem to like it.

[Twentyyears]

Originally Posted by mick

Shame you didn't enjoy your CG experience, we have never been but lots of people seem to like it.

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TBH it was shame, we are glad we did it and mybe we would consider it again after the refurb but we wouldn't have such high expectations. Maybe it was just overbusy 'cos it was Xmas?
Thanks for reading.