Morrigoon's 12/3 trip report: Meet and Candlelight (with pics!)

[Morrigoon]

I'll try to keep it brief, I know you want the pictures!

Thanks to a cancelled appointment that morning, I was able to get up to DL earlier than usual (which is to say, not only DURING, but PRIOR TO the meet, for a change!).

While waiting for noon, I wandered around and took some shots of the park all decked out:









Okay, I lie... just noticed chronologically on my camera that those were from the week before (so sue me). But isn't the park pretty?

I'll get to this last weekend's park pics in a sec, but first, this is the "Summer Rolls" appetizer at ESPN zone, served with a peanut sauce. They're awesome!


Okay, so back to 12/3...
Plaza Pavilion was all fenced off, and guess where the pianist was? Yup... behind the fence.


Walt and Mickey looking grand on a cold winter morning (fall technically...)


Okay, love these two... the castle, in all its glory




That being done, I decided I'd better fulfill Talon's request of letting him know what I'd like for Christmas by taking photos of some "droolables":

Very unusual and cool photo frame:


Christmas village style DL miniatures (larger than Olszewskis)


Hard to see, but some day this figurine of Philip and Aurora will be a cake topper. Some day....


Olszewskis... I want them ALL (except the hub... already have it! )





Some mini posters





Mini attraction posters


And MORE OLSZEWSKIS!





(it's an obsession...)

DL-themed big figs



Shopping over, I headed back to the hub for the meet. Good shots of the castle on the way there:




Of all days for the group to decide to go to one of my favorite places (Pizza Port), they pick the weekend when I'm dirt poor . But that's okay, because a few folks decided to go to my OTHER favorite place, Trattoria, where an in-the-red gal like myself can pick up a bowl of soup and all the breadsticks she can eat for $6. Okay, so I couldn't afford the marvelous sandwiches this time around... all in good time, all in good time (spent too much on Christmas shopping on Black Friday, if you must know...) Still Trattoria is awesome and worth a try if you haven't eaten there yet.

Then it was time to head back into DL and start preparing for Candlelight (read: camp out for a spot). So we left DCA.


And on the way across the esplanade, I saw this brick, which I simply HAD to photograph for Chernabog:


Met up with Purpledove, who had already staked out an awesome spot


But then realized that I ought to get a seat cushion, since I'd be sitting there till the 5:30 show. So I went to the parking garage. This amused me, I call it, "Pigeon: one, monster truck: zero"


Anyway, our spot for Candlelight was also a decent viewing area for the parade. And yeah, I believe that tinkertoy blade is broken. At least, it appears to be unintentional


Sound check for Candlelight




Some security CMs rehearsing a modified flag retreat, to deal with all the chairs in the way. about 15 minutes later, they did the actual retreat.


More photos in a minute...

[Morrigoon]

Okay, I have to credit Purpledove here, because she's the one who noticed that the sky was at that awesome shade where it sets off the Christmas lights really well. Otherwise I would not have noticed to take these photos:












And by this time, you could really see the lighting setup for Candlelight


Processional photos next!

[Morrigoon]

Every year I try this, and it never photographs well, because to get the full effect, you have to be at a distance, but there isn't enough light to capture the moment then... but here's my attempt:



Choir members proceeding in


The beginnings of the "living Christmas tree"


Sunday's narrator, actor Andy Garcia














Soloists singing






Time for Silent Night (best part of the program... when the audience is invited to join in. I only wish they'd thought to engage the snow machines for this...)




Oh look, Andy Garcia again


Living Christmas Tree


Conductor Nancy Sulahian leads the ensemble




After the show, because of the way they were directing traffic, I got this wonderful unimpeded shot of the train station out front


Look closely, you can see the trumpeters moving in the shadows


Not really Candlelight, but on my way out, I saw this couple wearing these awesome jackets in the tram area, had to get a picture:


And finally, this was probably my favorite picture of the bunch:

[Chernabog]

Nice photos, sorry I missed the meet that day!!! It was just one of those "too much" weekends.

LOL and hey, I wanna be part of the Bjork family!!! hee hee

[Alchimedes]

Thanks Morrigoon for the pictures. The scene that PurpleDove noticed looks pretty. Love that Club 33 jacket.

[paradigm4]

Very nice pics! Thanks

[mikeland]

Wonderful pics! Aren't the Olszewski miniatures amazing?

[BFJen]

So many great pictures! You did such a good job! I may actually have to attend this one year!

[~*~Aniko~*~]

awesome photos

[clara]

I can't believe I was only FEET from Andy Garcia. I was there that night to. *sigh*

Thanks for these!

[cpdisneyprincess]

Wow - thanks for your great pics! Someday I hope to get to a Candlelight - it sounds (and looks) soo neat!


(woo hoo my 600th post!!! )

[CrystalCastle]

Awesome pictures!! Thank you for sharing them!

[barfownz]

Yay for Marrigoon! Awesome photos.

[kelly]

loved the trip report and photos.. thanks so much for sharing

[superphred]

browse through the picks on this page, they have one with that same figure as a cake topper

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disn...ilWeddingsPage