A Very Angelic Christmas

[ANGEL]

Day 10

…..and the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day!

OK so I’m such a big kid! As usual at this time of year, no matter where I am in the world…..I’m awake at 2.20, 3.20, and then 4 am. There is now a Japanese family next door to us and the little girl is also awake early as I can just hear her shrieks of joy this morning.

In the night I managed to do my ‘Father Christmas’ impression and have snuck Becky’s stocking onto her bed, along with a gift bag I’ve filled with other pressies. I’ve also wrapped Vinces little presents up and used a Disney gift box for them. (Don’t forget he did have his Dolphin Encounter). I managed to get some tiny little gingerbread men, some lovely wrapped chocolates and some shredded tissue paper to pack in the boxes, so it all looks very Christamssy, especially with the crackers I ‘ve got balanced on the top.

By 6.30 I’ve managed to wake up Becky and Vince, which is compulsory on Christmas morning. They WILL enjoy themselves! By 7 am I am swigging back the remainder of the champagne from last night…ok, so it’s a bit flat but who cares? So, when my sister phones there I am, in bed watching cartoons on TV, munching M&Ms (chocolate is also compulsory on Xmas morning) and drinking flattish champagne…….now, go on, tell me I don’t know how to live!!!

Talking to my sister, calling out Christmas Greetings to her children, then talking to my parents on the phone, brings a lump to my throat, and I do miss them. It’ll be the first Christmas ever we haven’t all spent together. Having said all that, I still would n’t have missed this for the world! Perhaps next time they’ll all be able to come (except my brother who won’t fly!)

We exchange our presents and Becky is very happy with all the little gifts we got her. When we were at IoA yesterday I’d seen a big box of beads that you make bracelets etc from so I’d sneakily bought that and she spends the next half hour threading beads quite happily…….see, that’s when she only seems 13 again!

You’ll be glad to know, I’m sure, that I did have presents to unwrap. Please don’t think I’m being horrid when I say that I wish they hadn’t been all bought very rushed and last minute from the Disney shop…..anyway, at least I did appreciate the Cd of Cirque du Soleil, and my WDW ‘Memories’ photo album! Not quite the CDs I’d asked for, or the tickets to see Bryan Adams, but better than pickled pigs trotters eh? Anyway we pulled our crackers, laughing as Becky almost fell off the bed with the force (sorry Becky) and with hardly any nagging we all got ready.

Our plan today was to spend the day at EPCOT, Becky wanted Chinese for lunch, then catch the first Candlelight procession, then nip off to the Polynesian Hotel for our dinner at O’Hanas at 7pm. This was scuppered a little by one look at the weather outside! Very grey and a threat of rain….oh, great it followed across the Atlantic!

Breakfast, for a treat, was in the hotel. It was the busiest we’d seen all holiday, and as lovely as usual. The chef cooked omelettes on request and cooked me some fresh pancakes which were absolutely delicious. I could get used to this. It was a lovely start to the day and we all felt nicely full by the time we trooped out to the car with our change of clothes for the evening.

Arrived at EPCOT and it was really chilly. So disappointed, as it would have been lovely to have spent a sunny warm Christmas day there. Test track was our first stop but it had broken down (now there’s a familiar story) and they weren’t issuing any FPs. Vince decided he was freezing so went back to the car to fetch his long trousers (I did warn him about the shorts) and fleece. We spent a long while in Innoventions which is all inside thank goodness and around the shops, where we just had to buy some gifts for friends;) Then World Showcase opened so we walked through Canada, unfortunately bypassing the Beavers Tails as we were so full (never did get back there) although we did have to buy some Cadburys chocolate each in ‘UK’. Christmas = Chocolate in our house! Becky and I noticed a really funny thing in the gardens in the UK. They have ‘chrysalis boxes’ on show which apparently, ‘are found all over England’……anyone ever seen that? I didn’t have a clue anyway!

We carried on round to Italy and really wanted a nice hot cappuchino but of course there are very few places to sit inside and just have a drink and it was way too chilly for outside. Everyone was obviously thinking the same as it was deserted, or else they were all at MK today! Serves us right really, as looking back we really were n’t dressed for the cold. So we got the little boat back across the lake and had a coffee and pretzel in The Electric Umbrella, which was packed as everyone tried to shelter from the chill, and the rain (yes it rained too). By 2pm we were in danger of becoming miserable and there was no way I was allowing that on Christmas day in Florida, so an executive decision was made to ditch our plans and go somewhere else a little warmer for the rest of the day.

We’d promised Becky her Chinese so we thought we could remember there being a Chinese concession in the food court at ASMovies on our last trip. We didn’t want to eat much in case we spoiled our dinner, so off we went. It was a trip down memory lane as we normally stayed at All Stars. I was amazed that there was only one other family in the food court when we arrived, although I suppose they all had much better places to spend Christmas day! Shock horror though, no Chinese at lunch times, only in the evenings! Boo! Becky was starving so said she’d settle for pizza instead. Never mind Becky, you’ll have your Chinese eventually! Wished we’d brought our AllStar mugs with us after all!

Sat and discussed our next move. I’m not good when my plans go awry, and could n’t decide where to go. In the end we let Becky choose, so off we went to Downtown Disney to the Virgin shop for a good browse, then the cinema. Well, we’ve never done that on Xmas Day either! Spent ages in Virgin, I was allowed to sit on a sofa and read the new Jonathan Kellerman thriller (very good, managed almost 70 pages!!!) while DD & DH browsed the CDs to their heart’s content…well, each to his/her own eh? Becky bought the 2 ‘Manga’ cartoon books she’d been looking for so she was pleased. Heated discussion over which film to see. We’d seen LoR and Harry Potter, Monsters Inc was full (boo) so we ended up in ‘Ocean’s 11’ which is a remake of a ‘Rat pack’ film. Great film, and it did star Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia and George Clooney, so I was well happy! It even kept Becky entertained, so it must be ok.

We left the cinema and it was still raining and quite cold by now as the day had gone on. We’d tarted ourselves up at the cinema so we were all ready for our Christmas Dinner experience at O Hana’s.

Our first view of the Poly didn’t disappoint us. I’d remembered it from Shaun & Alison’s report last year, and it was as beautiful as they described it. From the waterfalls in the foyer to the lovely beach outside and view of MK from the windows. One small glitch as we went to book in and found they had no record of our booking. Just a small glitch though, as we realised they’d got the ps down as Scott Vincent, not Vincent Scott (duh!). Phew! We only waited 10 minutes, during which time we had a look around, it all looked very comfortable, but was very busy, being Xmas day etc.

Then we were shown to our table, which was good one, fairly near the cooking area (but not too close to feel the heat from the bbq!) in the main area, but near to the windows so we could look out across the lagoon to MK…how lovely!

What can I say about the food? It had cost, I think, about $20 each for the ‘set’ menu and was worth every cent and more! We had the first courses brought up and put on the revolving plate, won tons, crispy chicken wings, stir fried vegetables, rice, and some lovely sauces to accompany them, peanut, pineapple & banana….what lovely flavours! What to drink, I chose the Lapu Lapu (I think it was called) which arrived in a giant fresh pineapple, with extra to refill it. I can’t remember what was in it (come to that I can’t remember much after I’d drunk it!!!) but it was absolutely delicious and very strong!! Vince had a pint of real bitter which he was inordinately pleased about, his Xmas treat! We ate our way through the starters, and then I remembered I’d brought crackers with us, well it was Xmas! Our server was intrigued and we managed to persuade her to pull one with Vince (I think she was very worried that it would explode in her face!!), so then we all had to wear our silly hats….see, we must have some traditions!

Then it was time for those skewers of meat…wow!!! Massive long sticks of pork, beef (lumps of steak), chicken (or was it turkey) and giant shrimp. OMG they were wonderful!!! They just kept appearing on our plates, and our starters were replenished too, so you can imagine how full we all were! After a decent pause to watch the coconut races (no we didn’t join in, we looked more like coconuts ourselves after that lot!) we had the fresh pineapple in caramel, although I found the sauce much too sweet for me. Becky’s not a lover of pineapple so she decided to have the chocolate mousse, which we all tried of course…yum!! Dark and white chocolate and very delicious!

So, stuffed full of lots of goodies we waddled out to the car, me weaving around after the effects of the Lapu Lapu, Becky & fell asleep on the way home and we arrived at the hotel tied but happy bunnies. A different Christmas day than we planned but we all enjoyed it, and our dinner was scrumptious.

It was only as I fell asleep that night that I suddenly remembered the Electrical Water Pageant that we were planning to have seen from the Poly…..can you believe that? That drink must have been REALLY strong!!! Oh well, next time then!

Snore…………

[Guest]

Magical  .