My fourteen year old digital camera (ancient in terms of growth and changes in the field of cameras) finally needed to be replaced as the lens cap was broken, the lens had a couple of scratches and the camera itself was not meeting my wishes (noted by the fact that Ken's phone camera was taking better pictures than my digital camera). So armed with a brand new purchase we set off for Disney World and the fun of trying this new purchase out in a variety of settings.
It was a very grey day though relatively warm and we were treated to a short downpour that made it super humid but that helped to cut the number of visitors to the park in the afternoon which meant we weren't fighting the usual Christmas crowds. We LOVED that!!!
Just inside the park this topiary and decorative display welcomed us to a day of Christmas fun.
The flowers were gorgeous as were all of the special decorations. And Ken posed for me so I could experiment with focusing on both the fore and background.
Then, I just had fun capturing some of the colorful displays...
We had to quickly duck into one of the shops when a few drops of spit turned into a deluge. But what fun just looking at all the different things they've created for sale. In the Star Wars area, Ken check out this hat...
And I found this cute shirt that would have been perfect for our little guy in Texas but he wasn't with us so we just took a picture.
Once the rain let up, we hurried off to catch the old fashioned carolers show at the American pavilion, This group called the Voices of Liberty are some of the best acapella singers I've ever heard. They put on terrific shows every day at Epcot with special themes during holidays. And the dome above them provides wonderful acoustics.
We then checked the mariachi band in Mexico. There were suppose to be dancers too but that part was cancelled due to the very wet ground from the rain.
From there we traveled to Norway to learn more about the Christmas traditions of that country where Christmas Eve is the most important celebration time beginning with church (possibly at one of the remaining stave churches created around 1100 of cedar wood followed by a traditional dinner. The Fjosnisse who lives in a barn and likes to play tricks will visit and expect a large bowl of porridge. All of the gifts are opened after dinner. Then Christmas Day is a time for family and quiet. The following days then are filled with parties and visiting.
While working our way back to the huge stage next to the lake by the American pavillion, we passed this lovely snowman,
Just as we were passing Italy these people carrying traditional flags came marching out so we followed them and watched a neat program that included much flag waving to music as well as flag tossing.
This donkey and cart was part of the decorations in the "square".
The candlelight procession of robed singers was just beginning as we left Italy and approached the American area. They were headed to the stage for the 45 minute program of music sung as the Bible story of the birth of Christ is read (this night by Whoopi Goldberg).
By the time they were singing Joy to the World and the Hallelujah Chorus it was dark and mobs of people were all around us as we were standing outside of the sitting area. It is getting harder and harder to get seats for these things as we aren't willing to stand in lines that start forming three hours before the show. As we walked away, we passed an open area to the lake and saw this neat scene capturing some of the lighting.
Later we passed the tree that is to the right in this picture. It was gorgeous!
Our next stop in the international area was at Great Britain where we met Father Christmas who shared Christmas traditions in that country. He even took time to pose with me.
Our final stop was in Germany to hear a bit about some of the special traditions in that country including the story of the first Christmas tree (Martin Luther brought on into his home) and the lights on it (He used candles). Nutcrackers are also big in that country. During this talk a full size one appeared.
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