Christmas Around The World Showcase

I left off with the fish extenders.  That was pre-trip.

Let’s move on, shall we?

The first leg of our trip included three nights at Walt Disney World.  This was somewhat of a milestone trip for us, in that it marked the first time we’d ever stayed off-site.  Because Meghan and her husband were rooming in with us, we needed more spacious accommodations that what we could afford on Disney property.  Time constraints prevented me from doing extensive research, but in the end it turned out just fine.  We decided on a stay at a Sheraton property located mere miles from WDW.  Upon checking in, we were thrilled with the accommodations.  Our villa featured two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and laundry facilities just off the kitchen.  It was clean, modern, and spacious (plenty of room for all eight of us) and I wouldn’t hesitate to book another stay there.

The fun stuff came the next day, though, when we ventured to Epcot.  We donned our homemade “Christmas Around the World Showcase” shirts and set off for a day of international (sort of) fun and storytelling.  After picking up fastpasses for Soarin’, we made our way to the World Showcase, stopping for lunch at Mexico’s counter service location.  From there, we wandered around the World Showcase, pausing briefly in each pavilion to shop, explore, take goofy pictures, and listen to holiday stories told by seasonal entertainers.

After we’d completed our world tour, we backtracked to the America Gardens Theater to wait in line for that night’s showing of the Candlelight Processional.  The Candlelight Processional, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is one of the most popular holiday events at Walt Disney World.  It is a retelling of the Christmas story–read straight from the Bible by a celebrity narrator.  Also featured is a 50-piece orchestra and a mass choir.  This was my second time to attend and it was every bit as beautiful seeing it the second time around as it was the first.  We were in luck because an actor (Thomas Gibson) from one of our favorite tv shows–Criminal Minds–was that night’s celebrity narrator.  And we had great seats!

After the show, we ventured off-site for a healthy dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.  But our fun at Walt Disney World was far from over.  After we filled our bellies, we headed back to Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort to enjoy a fun and festive piano performance courtesy of YeeHa Bob.  He’s Jayce’s favorite. :) He provides nightly entertainment at Port Orleans.  His set features a wide variety of American favorites, like American Pie, YMCA, and Hokey Pokey.  He’s nothing if not family friendly, not to mention loads of fun.

Our holiday festivities at WDW had only just begun.  We’ll pick up here tomorrow…