A Tree Full of Disney Memories

Happy Holiday Greetings!  Like many of you, our home has now been decorated for the holiday season with the focal point being the Christmas tree in our living room.

One of the things we collect on each trip—Disney or not—is an ornament for our tree—click here to read more about what we collect.

Each year, when we decorate our Christmas tree, we are reminded of the many adventures we have taken as a family.

So, it came as no surprise when our tree was full of Disney ornaments!  Each one represents a special Disney memory.  When we get home, I write the dates of our vacation somewhere on the ornament using a permanent marker.

Let me share some of them with you. . .

Ornaments from two different cruises are above.  Our first Disney Cruise in 2007 and our most recent, July 2011--on the left.  If you look closely, you can see the Aqua Duck on the ornament on the left.

Mickey shaped bells from our trip in November 2010 and a visit to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Ah, Castaway Cay!  An ornament from our Disney Cruise December 2009.

A four parks, one world ornament from our November 2009 trip.

March 2009 was the origination of the above ornament.

The above ornament came home with us from our trip, March 2010.

This was our first ornament from our first trip, November 2006.

The ornament above is from our Mexican Riviera itinerary on the Disney Magic in July of 2008.  It represents all the ports of call.  Since DCL no longer makes a stop at Mazatlan, it is somewhat of a collector's item!

Our EPCOT ornament is a reminder of the time we were the Family of the Day at EPCOT.  Click here to read more.

This ornament was from a trip to the World in September of 2008.

The ornament on the left is from our trip to Walt Disney World in July of 2011--it commemorates our first time seeing "The Magic, the Memories, and You" castle light show.  It is also a 40th anniversary ornament.  The ornament on the right is from our cruise on the Disney Magic in July of 2008 and is signed by Captain Tom on the back.  Click here to read more about the Captain's Signing Event.

It is a pleasure to decorate for the holidays when it brings back so many memories of time spent together as a family.

From the Williams Family to your family, wishing you Happy Holidays and many happy adventures for the future!

What We Collect

A reader comment about coming home from vacations empty handed and being inspired by Todd's pins (click here to read more about Todd's pins) prompted me to write about what we collect.

In addition to memories and experiences, one thing we collect, no matter the type of vacation or time of year, is Christmas Tree ornaments. We have ornaments from NASA, Cancun, the Grand Canyon, and Disney. . . the world and the ship. Using a Sharpie, I write the dates of our trip somewhere on the ornament so when we decorate our tree it brings back memories of our times together. Sometimes, ornaments can be difficult to find, depending on the time of year you travel, so we have substituted key chains. They, too, can be hung on a tree! We have key chain ornaments from Cuernava, Mexico, Sea World, and Aquatica Water Park.

Another thing we collect is photos. I know, dah. Besides the typical family vacation photos, we collect Splash Mountain photos from the Magic Kingdom. We call these photos our evidence of torturing our child, as you can see his pained expression while going down Slippin' Falls. We have started to challenge ourselves to display a particular pose for the photo, but the force and anticipation of the drop sort of take that cognitive control away. The husband did manage a 2 thumbs up for our latest photo as you can see below. (You can purchase Splash Mountain photos on your way out of the attraction. About $20 for an 8x10.)

Note: We aren't really torturing the child. He loves this ride and will tell you it is one of his favorites. The last time we rode, he wanted to ride by himself.

Another type of photo we collect are fireworks photos at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. We have 4 fireworks photos, one with the boy looking back at the fireworks. Not only are these photos unique, but they can be a challenge to get. I am a bit of a goal oriented person. . . I am waiting for the laughter to subside before I go on. . . so getting this photo becomes a goal.

Here's how you can get it: When you arrive at the Magic Kingdom, check the Times Guide for the Dream Along With Mickey performances on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle. If you want to know the schedule before you arrive, click here for the latest schedule of live entertainment at the Walt Disney World Resort. Then, plan to arrive near the hub or on Main Street about 20 minutes into the performance. Snag a PhotoPass photographer and ask them if they can capture the fireworks at the end of the show. If they say yes, you are in. Just wait for them to position you, time the shots, and smile. They typically take 4-5 photos as there is more than one "firing" of the fireworks. Give them your PhotoPass Card to scan or get a new card. You can then view your photos at any PhotoPass site or on-line when you get home.

Another thing we collect, is Disney art. We have a piece of Disney art from each of our Disney trips, land and sea. Nothing overly expensive and hardly original Disney cels, just a piece of artwork that speaks to us and reminds us of our adventure. We try to use a Disney frame to display the artwork.

Our art collection.

The last photo shows the other things we collect. One is character autographs in our custom made autograph book. It is a family affair to get as many autographs as possible. (Click here to read more about autographs.) The other, is my set of pins. While Todd buys, trades, and collects pins, I just collect. Each pin has a significance and commemorates an event. There are the pins from Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the Pirate and Princess Party, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party that are only available for purchase at these ticketed events. There are the two different pins from two different years at the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival held each spring. There are the 3 Disney Cruise Line pins to commemorate each of our cruises, and Adventures by Disney pin only given to those traveling via Adventures by Disney, and 2 Toy Story Mania! pins because it is an awesome attraction. (Click here to read about Toy Story Mania!) I am often approached to trade and I point them in the direction of the husband.

We definitely don't come home empty handed from a family vacation. Besides our trinkets, we have tons of memories and priceless time together!