dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
Good....I was worried!Good thing I live in New York!
No... just keep him awakeso it is OK before 7PM-I guess after 7 you have to kick him out?
Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR
- Thread starter Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
- Start date
Joanna71985
<marquee><font color=green>Characters are my frien
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2005
How in the heck did someone even come up with this law?
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
I suspect it is somewhere along the lines of warning labels. Everything was fine until some idiot did it.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
At long last.....and update!!! I will be back later tonight to respond to your other posts, but for now, a trip report entry......because heaven knows its LONG overdue 
.
Friday, December 23rd
On the original 'Grand Plan', today was supposed to be Kerry, Robert and David’s last day in Orlando. We had all decided to end off their final day with a host of special holiday events at Gaylord Palms, starting with breakfast with Charlie Brown and Friends at Villa de Flora. David loves the Peanuts characters so when it was announced that A Charlie Brown Christmas was the theme of this year’s ICE! Exhibit, we immediately concluded that we simply all just HAD to go
.
Of course, you all know what they say about the best laid plans
.
Since Kerry and company had all headed home the day prior to get David some much-needed care from his family physician, we lost our motivation to keep the reservation for our character meal. Given the chance for a more leisurely morning without the need to adhere to a specific breakfast commitment, we opted to call the day before and cancel our reservation without penalty. Villa de Flora at Gaylord Palms has an AMAZING breakfast (we have dined there on a previous trip for “Shrekfast” with Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots) but as we neared the end stages of our vacation, we yearned for a morning to sleep later and not have any requirement to dash out the door to meet a deadline for our morning meal. Laziness (and a substantial cost savings) won out over a character meal
.
Admission to ICE! is secured via a timed entry system, so our only time restraint was to be at Gaylord Palms shortly before 11:30 am, the time we had pre-selected for our ICE! tour at the time of purchase. Once we were up, showered and dressed, we decided to stop for a hearty brunch at Golden Corral en route to the day’s event. Since we had a substantial dinner planned for later that evening and a busy afternoon on deck at Gaylord Palms, we didn’t figured we would want or have time for a mid-day meal. We would be seated right away at Golden Corral, and could be on our way as soon as we were finished.
We somehow hit a nice quieter time at Golden Corral, so we were able to enjoy breakfast without the pandemonium that sometimes ensues at this specific buffet restaurant
. The food was fresh and hot (with every breakfast item under the sun, as well as a whole host of dinner items from fried chicken to pork chops), service was prompt and efficient, and the value was excellent with the coupon we had picked up earlier in the week.
The warm cinnamon buns here deserve to be highlighted before we move on: they were absolutely heavenly and easily my favourite item on the buffet
. It took all my willpower not to overindulge in their gooey, sweet, cinnamony awesomeness. I probably could have eaten the entire pan all on my own, but recognized that I’d spend the next 5 years trying to rid my hips of all those calories 
.
From Golden Corral, we headed straight to Gaylord Palms: we would likely be a tiny bit early, but knew there’d be lots to keep us busy while we waited for 11:30 to roll around. We easily found a space in their huge parking lot, parked the rental vehicle, and headed inside.
Gaylord Palms is a very elegant resort, and firmly remains on my “someday” list. It is elegant without being pretentious, which I really like. Lots of nice little touches without anything feeling overdone. And the atrium! It’s just out of this world
. But you’ll have to wait for later for those pictures 
. For now, you just get the tree that graced the side lobby as we entered from the parking area.
An abundance of signage skillfully leads visitors to the section of the resort that houses this major holiday event. We easily made our way from the doors to the convention halls. Let the festive fun begin
.
We had enough time before lining up for our exhibit entry to tour around the Christmas Marketplace that acts as a centerpiece to the various event attractions. The market features a host of event merchandise as well as Christmas ornaments, toys, and other novelties.
These ICE! bears were easily my favourite find, and I was sorely tempted to bring one home. Remind me never again to go on vacation right before we move. I hated having to say ‘no’ to so many fun souvenirs!!
(though once the packing and unpacking began in earnest, I was honestly glad I did)
In addition to the holiday market, there were several themed food kiosks at which visitors could purchase beverages and snacks. Snowy’s was easily the busiest of them all, with people lining up to purchase hot cups of cocoa to warm up frosty hands.
Gingy the Gingerbread Man also returned for 2016, and was quite a popular spot for young families. For an additional fee (which varied depending on the specific kit purchased), guests could create custom gingerbread cookies or houses and have the chance for photos and meet-and-greet with Gingy himself.
After touring around through the surprisingly large crowds, we noted that it was time to make our way over to the ICE! entry line
.
This visit was NOTHING like the two previous years we have attended ICE!
Lines were lengthy and unbelievably slow, and it took almost an hour to work our way through the queue just to get suited up in the complimentary long coats. This was also the first year that they had offered a skip-the-line upgrade, so I’m guessing that feature is what caused the crazy backlog 
. Thankfully, the huge screen in the coat queue room helped pass the time as we inched up a foot or two at a time: a rolling pre-event show included several different highlights, from a very interesting segment on the making of ICE!......
…..to some important reminders for all in attendance.
It always amazes me that certain things actually need to be said. But, apparently, common sense is not always a guarantee……and this slide was somehow deemed necessary
.
To quote Charlie Brown.....GOOD GRIEF!!
At long last, we FINALLY made to the coat pick-up room and suited up for the crisp temperatures that would greet us as we walked into the exhibit. They’re not exactly pretty, but they’re warm……..and having visited this attraction before, we knew that we’d happily trade fashion for function.
We also brought mittens to wear this time around. We had learned our lesson well on previous visits, and frozen fingers can really ruin the experience. It’s not just cold in there, it’s REALLY cold. Those with sensitive ears may also want to consider bringing or purchasing warm hats. They are readily available in the marketplace if you happen to forget to toss them into the suitcase while you’re packing.
A few more reminders lined the walkway to the entrance…….
…..and then the doors opened with a frosty blast of cold air. “Christmas Time is Here” played softly in the background ...
... as our eyes were drawn to the colourful sculptures depicting the beloved characters of our childhood. It was hard not to have your breath taken away…..not by the frigid air, but rather by the accuracy and intricacy of the stunning display that lay before us.
A full tour of ICE! is next.
.Friday, December 23rd
On the original 'Grand Plan', today was supposed to be Kerry, Robert and David’s last day in Orlando. We had all decided to end off their final day with a host of special holiday events at Gaylord Palms, starting with breakfast with Charlie Brown and Friends at Villa de Flora. David loves the Peanuts characters so when it was announced that A Charlie Brown Christmas was the theme of this year’s ICE! Exhibit, we immediately concluded that we simply all just HAD to go
.Of course, you all know what they say about the best laid plans
.Since Kerry and company had all headed home the day prior to get David some much-needed care from his family physician, we lost our motivation to keep the reservation for our character meal. Given the chance for a more leisurely morning without the need to adhere to a specific breakfast commitment, we opted to call the day before and cancel our reservation without penalty. Villa de Flora at Gaylord Palms has an AMAZING breakfast (we have dined there on a previous trip for “Shrekfast” with Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots) but as we neared the end stages of our vacation, we yearned for a morning to sleep later and not have any requirement to dash out the door to meet a deadline for our morning meal. Laziness (and a substantial cost savings) won out over a character meal
.Admission to ICE! is secured via a timed entry system, so our only time restraint was to be at Gaylord Palms shortly before 11:30 am, the time we had pre-selected for our ICE! tour at the time of purchase. Once we were up, showered and dressed, we decided to stop for a hearty brunch at Golden Corral en route to the day’s event. Since we had a substantial dinner planned for later that evening and a busy afternoon on deck at Gaylord Palms, we didn’t figured we would want or have time for a mid-day meal. We would be seated right away at Golden Corral, and could be on our way as soon as we were finished.
We somehow hit a nice quieter time at Golden Corral, so we were able to enjoy breakfast without the pandemonium that sometimes ensues at this specific buffet restaurant
. The food was fresh and hot (with every breakfast item under the sun, as well as a whole host of dinner items from fried chicken to pork chops), service was prompt and efficient, and the value was excellent with the coupon we had picked up earlier in the week.
The warm cinnamon buns here deserve to be highlighted before we move on: they were absolutely heavenly and easily my favourite item on the buffet
. It took all my willpower not to overindulge in their gooey, sweet, cinnamony awesomeness. I probably could have eaten the entire pan all on my own, but recognized that I’d spend the next 5 years trying to rid my hips of all those calories .
From Golden Corral, we headed straight to Gaylord Palms: we would likely be a tiny bit early, but knew there’d be lots to keep us busy while we waited for 11:30 to roll around. We easily found a space in their huge parking lot, parked the rental vehicle, and headed inside.
Gaylord Palms is a very elegant resort, and firmly remains on my “someday” list. It is elegant without being pretentious, which I really like. Lots of nice little touches without anything feeling overdone. And the atrium! It’s just out of this world
. But you’ll have to wait for later for those pictures . For now, you just get the tree that graced the side lobby as we entered from the parking area.
An abundance of signage skillfully leads visitors to the section of the resort that houses this major holiday event. We easily made our way from the doors to the convention halls. Let the festive fun begin
.
We had enough time before lining up for our exhibit entry to tour around the Christmas Marketplace that acts as a centerpiece to the various event attractions. The market features a host of event merchandise as well as Christmas ornaments, toys, and other novelties.
These ICE! bears were easily my favourite find, and I was sorely tempted to bring one home. Remind me never again to go on vacation right before we move. I hated having to say ‘no’ to so many fun souvenirs!!
(though once the packing and unpacking began in earnest, I was honestly glad I did)
In addition to the holiday market, there were several themed food kiosks at which visitors could purchase beverages and snacks. Snowy’s was easily the busiest of them all, with people lining up to purchase hot cups of cocoa to warm up frosty hands.
Gingy the Gingerbread Man also returned for 2016, and was quite a popular spot for young families. For an additional fee (which varied depending on the specific kit purchased), guests could create custom gingerbread cookies or houses and have the chance for photos and meet-and-greet with Gingy himself.
After touring around through the surprisingly large crowds, we noted that it was time to make our way over to the ICE! entry line
.
This visit was NOTHING like the two previous years we have attended ICE!
Lines were lengthy and unbelievably slow, and it took almost an hour to work our way through the queue just to get suited up in the complimentary long coats. This was also the first year that they had offered a skip-the-line upgrade, so I’m guessing that feature is what caused the crazy backlog . Thankfully, the huge screen in the coat queue room helped pass the time as we inched up a foot or two at a time: a rolling pre-event show included several different highlights, from a very interesting segment on the making of ICE!......
…..to some important reminders for all in attendance
.
It always amazes me that certain things actually need to be said. But, apparently, common sense is not always a guarantee……and this slide was somehow deemed necessary
.
To quote Charlie Brown.....GOOD GRIEF!!
At long last, we FINALLY made to the coat pick-up room and suited up for the crisp temperatures that would greet us as we walked into the exhibit. They’re not exactly pretty, but they’re warm……..and having visited this attraction before, we knew that we’d happily trade fashion for function.
We also brought mittens to wear this time around. We had learned our lesson well on previous visits, and frozen fingers can really ruin the experience. It’s not just cold in there, it’s REALLY cold. Those with sensitive ears may also want to consider bringing or purchasing warm hats. They are readily available in the marketplace if you happen to forget to toss them into the suitcase while you’re packing.
A few more reminders lined the walkway to the entrance…….
…..and then the doors opened with a frosty blast of cold air. “Christmas Time is Here” played softly in the background ...
... as our eyes were drawn to the colourful sculptures depicting the beloved characters of our childhood. It was hard not to have your breath taken away…..not by the frigid air, but rather by the accuracy and intricacy of the stunning display that lay before us
.
A full tour of ICE! is next.
Last edited:
Ruthie5671
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2009
Oh, I missed your laws/interesting facts. Just for @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina (since this is her report) - in Michigan a woman isn’t allowed to cut her own hair without her husband’s permission. So I hope Steve is ready for some quality bonding time in a beauty parlor the next time you get your hair done!!!
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
If I waited for Steve's "permission", my hair would be dragging on the floor. If he had his way, I'd look like Rapunzel
.Let's not share that little fun fact with the big guy, okay? We'll keep that just between us ladies
.
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
You're safe....the law is if you want to cut your own hair. Nothing said there about letting someone else cut it ie:your stylist.
If I waited for Steve's "permission", my hair would be dragging on the floor. If he had his way, I'd look like Rapunzel
Let's not share that little fun fact with the big guy, okay? We'll keep that just between us ladies
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
I was just filling in some time/space. From time to time mummy leaves me in charge so I was just taking some initiative.
Ruthie5671
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2009
I was just filling in some time/space. From time to time mummy leaves me in charge so I was just taking some initiative.
If I had known you were in charge, I would have brought some beverages. It's national tequila day!!!!!
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
The day is not over yetIf I had known you were in charge, I would have brought some beverages. It's national tequila day!!!!!
juniorbugman
<font color=blue>New car vs another cruise?? THAT
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2001
Well tomorrow July 25th is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day - go out and eat a sundae.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Hang in there Gina! Once you get your new routine established I am sure it will be a bit better. LOVE the floppy hats. Glad you got to see your baby (well grown kid but always your baby
We will be here when you are up to TR'ing. And your next trip is only 3 months away too...
I can't believe how quickly the October trip is sneaking up on us. Autumn trip always seem to, though.....summer is such a short season, it always feels like we go from the May long weekend to Labor Day in the blink of an eye.
Did I tell you guys that the Cleopatra and Pharaoh costumes fit us? (we ordered them online, so did the best we could at guessing sizes and then hoped for the best) I need to have mine shortened (it literally pools on the floor) but otherwise, we're golden. We just need to buy some fun accessories and we're good to go for MNSSHP!
I feel SO badly that this report has had so many stops and starts. I honestly can't believe you all stuck around this long.....now that's friendship!
Jake looks more like his dad with the matching beards! So glad you had a good family weekend together. The updates will wait, but I might forget what's going on....... just saying
Jake and Steve are like a pair of bookends. Size, shape, sense of humour.....they're two peas in a pod. The older Jake gets, the more they resemble each other!!
I haven't been back to the hill since the Cirillo shooting either. My last trips were chaperoning school trips with my kids classes. And BTW - if you ever want to show a primary school class how NOT to behave, let them watch a few minutes of Question Period from the gallery.
It seems though that most of the security tightening is outside now, the grounds are a fair bit harder to access, (impossible on Canada Day - the city is still buzzing about the 6+ hour lineups to get through security to get on the hill for the 150 celebrations), and security is much more visible. I haven't heard much about increased security inside parliament once you are on the grounds. You still need to go through a metal detector and leave all bags outside before entering the gallery, but it has been like that for years.
Gina, so glad to hear that training is going well! Good luck on week 2. Knock 'em dead!
I'm not sure I knocked anyone dead last week
..... by Friday, I was ready to pack it in. I even talked to my manager, and tried to quit (I am seriously doubting that I'm the right person for this job) but she begged me to reconsider. She thinks I'm being too hard on myself and expecting too much on my first week. I think I'm much better at keeping house and herding kittens. At any rate, I told her I'd give it a while longer, but the jury is out on whether or not its the right career. Finding my new place here in the USA is definitely turning out to be far more challenging than I expected.Thanks Lynne
. I have missed posting here on the boards....you guys are good for the soul. I am so glad my two full weeks are finally behind me, and I'm back on a less taxing schedule. At least I now have Mondays and Fridays off.Your pictures made me smile
It was the BEST feeling in the world. If I could have stopped time, I would have!
Man, you can say that again
. Tougher than I expected it to be. After having a job that I loved for almost 2 decades (and one that I was GOOD at), starting over is a painful and humbling process. Definitely not easy on the self-esteem.Ah yes, you know that feeling well too
. It's unbelievably hard to be away from family and friends. Hopefully I get better at coping with those partings as time goes on.I'm not a big baseball lover (I find the game to be SOOOOO slow) but watching a game live does bring back some happy memories. My dad would take us to Toronto as kids to watch his beloved Blue Jays play, and I treasured those fun moments with him. Tampa is a good stadium to go to since they have the domed roof.....at least you aren't roasting in the Florida sun while you watch!
I signed up for an acccount on easywdw about a week ago but I'm still not allowed to post messages on the forums. I sent a message to their admin to ask for help but didn't get a response.I did find a Facebook page for share groups and was able to join one that way. Now I'm excited that I'll be able to get some of the fun magic shots at MNSSHP, yay!
Glad the new job is going well! Too bad we can't say the same for the Jays performance lately...this season has been pretty dismal. Still, at least you got a fun family day to enjoy.
I am so sorry you're having such a tough time with the easywdw page!! Did you ever get it straightened out? Did the admin reply to you and offer you some assistance?
Thank goodness that's okay in Michigan, or in another 9 minutes we might have had a problem
.Give a bureaucrats enough free time and I can guarantee they will come up with something foolish
.I was just filling in some time/space. From time to time mummy leaves me in charge so I was just taking some initiative.
And thank goodness you took the reigns and kept this thread alive
. What would I do without you? I owe you a bottle of wine for your efforts.If I had known you were in charge, I would have brought some beverages. It's national tequila day!!!!!
Why doesn't anyone offer to bring me chocolate when *I* am in charge?!?!?
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Well tomorrow July 25th is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day - go out and eat a sundae.
View attachment 255780
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!
juniorbugman
<font color=blue>New car vs another cruise?? THAT
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2001
I plan on going to DQ for a sundae.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Friday, December 23rd (continued)
The initial part of the ICE! attraction focused solely on the theme of this year's event, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Every character was represented at least once throughout the exhibit, and several favourite scenes were so realistically recreated that you almost expected Charlie Brown or Linus to start speaking as guests stopped to admire each sculpture.
The sculptures were so incredible, I would have loved to linger at each a little longer than we actually did, but I can't stress enough that its COLD in ICE!
Crazy, bitter cold....even for us northerners. Had we taken all the time we would have LIKED to take, we would have been human popsicles by the time we exited.
My camera, as I expected, took a bit of time to adjust from the warmth of the resort's interior to the sharp chill inside ICE!, but eventually I was able to capture some photos without my lens fogging over. The sharp contrast in temperature is definitely tough on the electronics.
Part way through the exhibit, we came upon the infamous "ice slides": a highlight of ICE! for many young visitors.
Made entirely from clear frozen ice blocks, guests were welcome to take a slide down one of the four seperate runs: no sleds or carpets, just straight down on your bottom using the long coat as protection from the elements. Steve and I both decided we were already cold enough, thank you very much. but we did enjoy watching some of the little ones scoot down with expressions of sheer joy on their faces. I can only imagine how special of an opportunity this would be for southern families who rarely see real snow or ice.
Steve wanted to get his picture with the little red haired girl
, and I was happy to oblige:
Past the ice slides, we moved on to more Charlie Brown themed sculptures, including the famous tree scene:
My favourite of them all, though, was easily Linus' monologue about the true meaning of Christmas. The audio played on a monitor to the side, reciting the famous lines:
"Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please?
And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown".
As the Charlie Brown Christmas scenes concluded, we moved into the next area of the exhibit which featured one of the Chinese sculptors performing a live demonstration on their amazing art form. He is one of the dozens of ice artists from Harbin, China who make the trip to America each year to share their talents with thousands of US guests. He was completely oblivious to our presence as he focused intently on his current project.
Also in that immediate area were several Santa's Workshop-themed sculptures which depicted various traditional Christmas scenes.
The colours were so bright and vibrant, despite the low light of the exhibit. The detail on each display was incredible.
As incredible as the other scenes were, though, my favourite of the entire attraction were all located in the final room: this area featured a full representation of the biblical Christmas story all carefully sculpted from crystal clear ice.
This area featured a full nativity complete with Mary and Joseph nestling their newborn son into a tiny manger amidst the barnyard animals who called the stable home. The Wise Men stood stoically nearby, each carrying their individual gifts to the newborn king. Against a black backdrop and white lights, it was breathtakingly beautiful and unbelievably serene.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Much as we hated to arrive at the end of the exhibit, we welcomed the blast of warmth that hit our faces as the door opened to the convention center area. Tissues were skillfully placed just outside the door for the inevitable onset of nose drippings which are experienced post-ICE! by most visitors.
We returned our coats to the parka drop-off bins and headed back out into the main concourse. We still had much more to explore while here at Gaylord Palms!
The initial part of the ICE! attraction focused solely on the theme of this year's event, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Every character was represented at least once throughout the exhibit, and several favourite scenes were so realistically recreated that you almost expected Charlie Brown or Linus to start speaking as guests stopped to admire each sculpture.
The sculptures were so incredible, I would have loved to linger at each a little longer than we actually did, but I can't stress enough that its COLD in ICE!
Crazy, bitter cold....even for us northerners. Had we taken all the time we would have LIKED to take, we would have been human popsicles by the time we exited.
My camera, as I expected, took a bit of time to adjust from the warmth of the resort's interior to the sharp chill inside ICE!, but eventually I was able to capture some photos without my lens fogging over. The sharp contrast in temperature is definitely tough on the electronics
.
Part way through the exhibit, we came upon the infamous "ice slides": a highlight of ICE! for many young visitors.
Made entirely from clear frozen ice blocks, guests were welcome to take a slide down one of the four seperate runs: no sleds or carpets, just straight down on your bottom using the long coat as protection from the elements. Steve and I both decided we were already cold enough, thank you very much
. but we did enjoy watching some of the little ones scoot down with expressions of sheer joy on their faces. I can only imagine how special of an opportunity this would be for southern families who rarely see real snow or ice.Steve wanted to get his picture with the little red haired girl
, and I was happy to oblige:
Past the ice slides, we moved on to more Charlie Brown themed sculptures, including the famous tree scene:
My favourite of them all, though, was easily Linus' monologue about the true meaning of Christmas. The audio played on a monitor to the side, reciting the famous lines:
"Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please?
And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown".
As the Charlie Brown Christmas scenes concluded, we moved into the next area of the exhibit which featured one of the Chinese sculptors performing a live demonstration on their amazing art form. He is one of the dozens of ice artists from Harbin, China who make the trip to America each year to share their talents with thousands of US guests. He was completely oblivious to our presence as he focused intently on his current project.
Also in that immediate area were several Santa's Workshop-themed sculptures which depicted various traditional Christmas scenes.
The colours were so bright and vibrant, despite the low light of the exhibit. The detail on each display was incredible.
As incredible as the other scenes were, though, my favourite of the entire attraction were all located in the final room: this area featured a full representation of the biblical Christmas story all carefully sculpted from crystal clear ice.
This area featured a full nativity complete with Mary and Joseph nestling their newborn son into a tiny manger amidst the barnyard animals who called the stable home. The Wise Men stood stoically nearby, each carrying their individual gifts to the newborn king. Against a black backdrop and white lights, it was breathtakingly beautiful and unbelievably serene.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Much as we hated to arrive at the end of the exhibit, we welcomed the blast of warmth that hit our faces as the door opened to the convention center area. Tissues were skillfully placed just outside the door for the inevitable onset of nose drippings which are experienced post-ICE! by most visitors.
We returned our coats to the parka drop-off bins and headed back out into the main concourse. We still had much more to explore while here at Gaylord Palms!
afan
Honorary Bus Driver
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
ICE looks fun but cold. I love the Peanuts so the breakfast would have been fun to see but I can understand why you all skipped it.
As someone that has worked many temp jobs, some suck straight from the start because of the people or because it's mundane work. Others are ok because of the people and others because the work keeps you busy enough, your mind working enough and your skills going enough that it's tolerable. Then there's the jobs that you actually enjoy, which your last one was. Unfortunately we can't be that lucky all of the time or people would stay in jobs longer than they do. If you don't have to work and this turns out in a few weeks/month that it's not right leave, but I would give it at least that since the past two weeks have been training and sometimes it takes a bit to get into the groove. And as hard as it is to do, don't compare it to the old job.
I'm in the tolerable phase, a temp that turned perm. I know what I want to do but I can't find it or because of my "random" experience with job titles that don't really fit what I did, I feel like no matter how I word and format things it won't matter. So I continue looking, brainstorming ways to find what I want to do, create it or kick the person out of the job I want [I kid, kind of ] and just deal with where I'm at because I need the money. Oh and lotto tickets, there's always a lotto ticket once in awhile. I don't think they realize the good I could do with all that money. Anyway I'm rambling, but don't feel like you are stuck there because they want you to stay, but take the good that they picked you and took two weeks training you so they think you can do it
As someone that has worked many temp jobs, some suck straight from the start because of the people or because it's mundane work. Others are ok because of the people and others because the work keeps you busy enough, your mind working enough and your skills going enough that it's tolerable. Then there's the jobs that you actually enjoy, which your last one was. Unfortunately we can't be that lucky all of the time or people would stay in jobs longer than they do. If you don't have to work and this turns out in a few weeks/month that it's not right leave, but I would give it at least that since the past two weeks have been training and sometimes it takes a bit to get into the groove. And as hard as it is to do, don't compare it to the old job.
I'm in the tolerable phase, a temp that turned perm. I know what I want to do but I can't find it or because of my "random" experience with job titles that don't really fit what I did, I feel like no matter how I word and format things it won't matter. So I continue looking, brainstorming ways to find what I want to do, create it or kick the person out of the job I want [I kid, kind of
] and just deal with where I'm at because I need the money. Oh and lotto tickets, there's always a lotto ticket once in awhile. I don't think they realize the good I could do with all that money. Anyway I'm rambling, but don't feel like you are stuck there because they want you to stay, but take the good that they picked you and took two weeks training you so they think you can do it 
Joanna71985
<marquee><font color=green>Characters are my frien
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2005
ICE looks amazing!! I may need to splurge and go this year
Ruthie5671
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2009
Why doesn't anyone offer to bring me chocolate when *I* am in charge?!?!?
I think it's time to party!!!!!Share this page
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
