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Thread: Mickey's Christmas vs. Studio's Osborne Lights

  1. #1

    Mickey's Christmas vs. Studio's Osborne Lights

    We'll be at WDW while the Christmas party is happening! We've been to it before and actually enjoy the Halloween Party much more.
    So we're thinking of skipping the Christmas Party and just doing MGM with the Osborne Dancing Lights...

    Thoughts? Am I missing something?

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  3. #2
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
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    Personally, if both were free events, I'd probably do the Party. But that party is NOT free. I have been to the parks during both the Halloween Party and the Christmas Party, and not attended whichever is going on. For what I enjoy of the parties, they seem to cut those back and back, and the value for me going every trip just isn't there. I even had someone offer to pay for my ticket at the Christmas Party last year, and I turned them down in part because of the value, in part because I'd had a stress-ful day traveling that morning and felt it was more prudent for me to get some sleep and be ready to roll in the morning (who'd have thought that a flight would be cancelled because of snow in New Orleans?)

    I feel I got plenty of "Christmas" that trip by seeing the Osborne Lights, the Lights of Winter in Epcot (not quite as elaborate, but still synchronized to music), and the storytellers in Epcot.

    Cathy

  4. #3

    We would probably go if it were free, but this year we'll be buying APs, so the extra expense is really just for the party rather than the park. I didn't know about the winter lights at epcot? Do you know of any good photo/video?

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    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
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    It's not THAT big of a thing - but if you google or search on youtube for Epcot Lights of Winter, I bet you'll find something - In the 'walkway' connecting FW and WS, they put up these big 'arches' that have lights on them, then they have like a dozen songs they play and synchornize the lights with hte music, and the fountain in Future World gets into it some. I just like it because a lot of people don't hardly notice it when they're walking under the arches!

    But aside from Candlelight, my favorite thing in Epcot at Christmas-time is the storytellers in each country - and of those, the one in Norway has NOT disappointed me yet - and I've seen multiple shows over multiple years.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that even without spending the extra money,there's PLENTY of holiday in WDW!

    Cathy

  6. #5

    I found quite a few really good videos on youtube. That is plenty of Christmas for me and at the perfect price point!

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  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Drince88 View Post
    But aside from Candlelight, my favorite thing in Epcot at Christmas-time is the storytellers in each country - and of those, the one in Norway has NOT disappointed me yet - and I've seen multiple shows over multiple years.
    Does the story telling happen in a 'loop' all day or is it an evening thing? I thought I had read every WDW travel guide going but I don't recall reading about this. Freckles (DD) will so love this, I'm happy, hapy, happy just picturing her face!
     

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    Quote Originally Posted by scoobydooby View Post
    Does the story telling happen in a 'loop' all day or is it an evening thing? I thought I had read every WDW travel guide going but I don't recall reading about this. Freckles (DD) will so love this, I'm happy, hapy, happy just picturing her face!

    The storytellers start when World Showcase opens. Each country has one (many people mistakenly call the storytellers "Santas" but in some countries - like China - it's not a Santa) and the times vary. It's difficult to see all the storytellers in one day as you can't simply walk from one country to the next and get them all. The presentation are informal, usually with the storyteller appearing near their sign at the appointed time. The presentation lasts about 15-20 minutes and the storytellers hang around after for pictures and autographs. It's a very nice simple addition to the Christmas festivities and you just might learn something without realizing it!

    The Lights of Winter has been mentioned in Epcot and that is my absolute favorite. I can stand there for almost an hour looking at the lights and listening to the music. It's not the Osbourne Lights my any stretch of the imagination but then again, there are no crowds whatsoever.

    Also at Epcot is the special ending to Illuminations that, for me, is a must see. You get the regular show and then a fantastic five minute ending that blows me away (almost literally).

    For me, the Christmas season does not begin until the day after Thanksgiving when I'm at Epcot. That's all I need - I don't need to pay extra $$$ for a party.

  9. #8
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by disnut8 View Post
    Also at Epcot is the special ending to Illuminations that, for me, is a must see. You get the regular show and then a fantastic five minute ending that blows me away (almost literally).
    Oh my, how could I forget that!

    Scoobydooby, your daughter (and probably your son, too) would really enjoy the storytellers. Like disnut8 said, each country has one (actually, the United States has 2 or 3 - Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and then Santa, but I'm not sure Santa does story telling or if it's just a 'tell him what you want' situation). Father Christmas (UK) and Pere Noel (France) I think are the only two 'Santas' - oh, and Canada, too.


    Warning
    SOME of you will appreciate this. The last two times I've gone in December it's been as part of MouseFest, which has all these meets and get togethers and tours and stuff planned. (They aren't doing it in 2010.) So the 'free' time I have to hit the storytellers is almost exclusively carved out between things I really want to do with other attendees. So the week before I go, I get on Steve Soares' site and grab the latest schedule of the storytellers. Then I map it onto an Excel worksheet (5 minute blocks for each column, each storyteller in their own row) and mark when they're talking. Then I try to see how I can schedule the most storytellers in the time I have available. It does involve backtracking, but for me, it is well worth the extra steps to get to see almost all of them in the limited time I had available.
    Cathy

  10. #9

    Spreadsheet sounds like just my kind of plan! I can't wait to take the children to do this.

     

    If no-one out there understands, start your own revolution and cut out the middle man (Billy Bragg)

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    A note on the storytellers and the schedule. I take what Drince does a step further. I bring all the storytellers and their times into Excel and then sort it by time first, then by storyteller. That way, as I'm walking around World Showcase, I can see if there's a presentation coming up soon. It also helps if you want to just keep walking and see how many storytellers you can see in one walk around.

    I usually will post the info this way if anyone wants it once the times are announced.


  12. #11

    Christmas is not complete in our neck of the woods without a trip to WDW to see it all decked out for the holidays. We have done the party at MK in years past but don't anymore. There is so much other stuff to see and do.

    I adore Epcot this time of year. I could spend days hear. All the stuff mentioned above is just so special.

    My children can't wait for the Osborn Lights every year. Don't forget to look for the purple cat. My kids get a huge kick out seeing who will be the first in our family to find it each year.

    We also try to spend at least one day resort hopping. All the resorts are decked out and beautiful. Last year we took a carraige ride through FT. Wilderness. Tons of people deck out their camp sites for the hoildays. It's such a fun filled festive treat to be at WDW in December.

    Mily


  13. #12

    I've only been to Osborne Lights once.. what is the Purple Cat thing?

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  14. #13
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bandontherun View Post
    I've only been to Osborne Lights once.. what is the Purple Cat thing?
    I thought it was a black cat - but.....
    There was one halloween decoration in the mix of stuff when the Osborne's donated the lights to WDW - so each year the imagineers doing the decorating put it in a different spot, and it's kind of like a Hidden Mickey that the family tries to find when they do their pre-opening walk through.
    Cathy

  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by disnut8 View Post
    Also at Epcot is the special ending to Illuminations that, for me, is a must see. You get the regular show and then a fantastic five minute ending that blows me away (almost literally).
    You probably haven't heard my story of watching the end of this show, totally enraptured, then feeling something hot on my forehead and finding that my hair was on fire. Talk about a little too close to getting blown away!!!
    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  16. #15

    The cat is purple at least when it is lit up. It was a Halloween decoration that somehow got mixed in with the Christmas decorations. It's now a tradition that the imagineers hide it every year in the Christmas light display. My children love to try and find it. In our family who ever finds it first gets to pick what Disney goodie we will buy to enjoy with our hot chocolate. It's silly but it makes for a fun family tradition that my kids look forward to every year.

    Mily


  17. #16
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by momof three View Post
    In our family who ever finds it first gets to pick what Disney goodie we will buy to enjoy with our hot chocolate. It's silly but it makes for a fun family tradition that my kids look forward to every year.
    I just had to edit that last bit. Sounds like a fantastic tradition, and it made me smile thinking about a family doing that! Those are the kinds of things they're likely to do with their kids when they have them (in the very very very far future! )
    Cathy

  18. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by momof three View Post
    My children love to try and find it. In our family who ever finds it first gets to pick what Disney goodie we will buy to enjoy with our hot chocolate. It's silly but it makes for a fun family tradition that my kids look forward to every year.

    Mily
    What a fun tradition! I hope I remember to steal borrow this idea when we go.

    Thanks for posting about it.
    See what my son made for me?

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