Before we got too far away from home, we stopped in Cleveland. Here's Addy with her new Elmo blanket we took her.
We're finally here!!!!
After driving all day and all night, the first night at Disney we stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort so we didn't have to set up camp right away.
The Dig Site Pool
That night we had a good meal at The Wave (the healthy alternative restaurant), at the Contemporary Resort.
This is a wreath on the outside of the Contemporary Resort. It has 25 pieces, is assembled in a warehouse, then transported on a semi truck to the resort. The head is 25 feet high and the ears are 18 feet high. It takes about 10 days to take it apart and transport it back to the warehouse and put it away
After a good meal and a good nights sleep, we headed over to Fort Wilderness Campground to set up camp.
The Outpost
Our campsite
The Meadows Pool
A monorail coming into the Transportation and Ticket Center 
The next day we were off to the parks. We went to Disney Hollywood Studios, then Magic Kingdom, back to Hollywood Studios, then finished off back at the Magic Kingdom. The 65 foot icon tree at Disney Hollywood Studios.
Each park has an icon tree. These trees are all artificial, stored in sections, decorated before they transport them, the assembled at the site. It takes about 6 1/2 hours to assemble one tree.
Inside the Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Mania, the newest and coolest ride/attraction/game at Disney Hollywood Studios
A monorail coming into the Transportation and Ticket Center 
The ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom
The Polynesian Resort
The Grand Floridian Resort
The Wedding Pavilion
Approaching the Magic Kingdom
Some of the Christmas decorations at the Magic Kingdom
Sights around Magic Kingdom
Cinderella's Castle
Splash Mountain
Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade
Tom Sawyer Island
Tiana's Showboat Jubilee
Space shuttle launch
Mickey's House
Minnie's House
Donald's boat, the Miss Daisy
We went back to Disney Hollywood Studios to see the christmas lights there.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
As the story goes, Arkansas resident Jennings Osborne and his family were very big on the Holidays. In 1986, Jennings asked his youngest daughter Breezy what her Christmas wish was. She replied that she would like to see their whole house covered in lights. They had quite a large house but Jennings was determined to make his daughter's Christmas dream come true. That first year the Osborne family covered their home with a modest 1000 red lights. With each passing year, the family wanted to do more. The Osbornes eventually purchased property adjacent to their own in order to expand on their newfound hobby.The display grew to millions of lights. There were flashing lights, multi-colored lights, custom-made light sculptures and a 75 foot Christmas tree adorned by lights. This drew onlookers from all over Arkansas. Displeased by the resulting traffic jams, the local residents asked that the Osborne family stop the annual display. Legal intervention was sought, and the case was taken to the Arkansas Supreme Court. They ruled against the Jennings family. Just as it appeared that the Osborne's beloved tradition was about to come to an end, Mickey Mouse got word of this. He offered a venue where the Osborne lights could be shared with visitors from around the globe.
In 1995, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and has run ever since, every year expanding.
The over 60 angels flying in the square were from the actual display in Little Rock, the globe was in the backyard, the spinning carousels were on either end of the circular driveway, and the 75 foot tree was on the roof of the house.
In 1995, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and has run ever since, every year expanding.
The over 60 angels flying in the square were from the actual display in Little Rock, the globe was in the backyard, the spinning carousels were on either end of the circular driveway, and the 75 foot tree was on the roof of the house.
All of the lights are put up by hand and are in strands of 50 or 100 lights, just like we would buy in the store. The lights are timed to "dance" to music. There are over 5 million lights and it takes 30 people more than 20,000 hours to set up the display. They start in August and finish in November. This year was the first year they were totally LED lights, which cut the cost by more than half.
What an amazing thing to see.
The Magic Kingdom after hours. That night we closed the park. We were all alone on the tram to the parking lot. There were only 3 cars left in the entire parking lot by that time, including ours.
Cinderella's Castle
Cinderella's Castle covered in ice. What a beautiful sight.
Cinderella was asked how she would like her castle decorated for Christmas. She said she would like her castle to shimmer and shine like her glass slipper, her most prized possession. She asks the Fairy Godmother and the Godmother says they’ll need some help. She stands on the balcony and brings the castle to life one section at a time, by waving her magic wand.
The castle is divided into 105 different circles in order to decorate. There are 74 large LED spotlights in many colors, more than your eye can actually see. There are 200,000 white LED lights on the castle overlay, all laced through fishing net, and 500 strobe lights. It takes 60 people 3 weeks to get the castle ready.
The castle is divided into 105 different circles in order to decorate. There are 74 large LED spotlights in many colors, more than your eye can actually see. There are 200,000 white LED lights on the castle overlay, all laced through fishing net, and 500 strobe lights. It takes 60 people 3 weeks to get the castle ready.
This is a crystal replica of Cinderella's Castle for sale at the Magic Kingdom. It stands about 3 feet high, and sold for a total of $25,000, plus tax of course.
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