On our drive out of Missouri, we literally drove out of an oncoming winter front, including freezing rain. We were able to get out from under it after a couple hours of driving. However, it caught back up to us, and rained buckets when we were in IL and KY. (We’ve had a lot of rain on other drives to DW too, hmm.) Then on the drive home, there were crowds of football fans all heading home after the Florida bowl games! It was bumper-to-bumper until past Atlanta. We didn’t stay at a Disney hotel, nor did we eat on their dining plan. However, we thought it was great! Our room was bigger, with queen beds, and we ate better meals (at IHOP and Outback) than the counter services at Disney World.
The decorations were very pretty, especially the extra lights they had on Cinderella’s Castle! They even had fake snow (a sort of bubble bath) falling down Main Street. (Ashley and Brandon were trying to catch it on their tongues like real snow – yucky!) They also had hats and noisemakers for everyone. (Hats – Yes. Noisemakers – No.) But probably the nicest thing was the cooler weather. We’ve never been except in the heat of summer, and it was nice to be there and not always be sweating. We didn’t feel as tired as we do in the summer. However, since the kids have school, we’re stuck with the summer visits, (unless we take them out of school…hey, that’s an idea.)
The fireworks were truly incredible! They’re like the 4th of July in two regards: they both have the same show a day early, and the fireworks come up at the same time from all around you. We’ve seen both, and they’re spectacular! On the 30th there weren’t very many people, and we had a front-row view right in front of the Castle. On New Years Eve however, they were at maximum capacity by 11 am. We couldn’t even park there, and “had” to go to Epcot for most of the day. In the evening, we went to customer relations, and asked if Magic Kingdom was still full. They said no, and allowed us to transfer our tickets (and gave us Hopper privileges) and go there. When we arrived, the park was still full, full. (We witnessed a lot of family meltdowns that day.) However, since we know the system, we were still able to ride a fair amount of rides before midnight. Then, pushing both kids in the double stroller, and with Summer and Shawna as secondary blockers, we managed work our way “up-stream” through the crowd (since DW must leave walkways open for crowd control/emergencies, etc.) and arrive right in front of Cinderella’s Castle and Main Street just as the fireworks started! Sterling and Shawna just giggled about it, since people had stood in those places for many hours to get a good view. Brandon and Ashley even got out of the stroller to see the fireworks this time, although they kept their hands on their ears.
After the show, we went back to the rides, which were deserted. (Most everyone went straight for the exits – silly.) We rode a bunch of rides until just after 1 am, and decided the kids were getting tired. As we excited the park, there were still hordes of people waiting to board the ferry and monorails to leave. So we walked a short distance to the Contemporary hotel, boarded the next monorail, and left without any wait! I think our DW experiences are much different, and happier, than the average tourist, which is probably why we keep going back…
The fireworks were completely surrounding us! You can see the Christmas lights on Cinderella’s Castle.
Look we’re actually wearing jackets! It was beautiful weather! You can also see the fake snow (the white spots in the photo) falling around us. It was an artificial winter wonderland with my sweetie pie! 
Ashley and Brandon like the fireworks, but they don’t care for the noise. Summer helped out a lot, and we were very excited she was able to come with us this year.
Three beautiful girls, having a party and hanging out at the home of a Million Dreams. Depends on who you’re with, I’d say. My dreams have already come true!
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