Christmas Lights

Good Morning!  Or maybe I should say Merry Morning!  Yes, it is that time in the Morris Household where I have put up the Christmas Tree.  No, you haven’t misread the calendar!  We have only barely passed the first week of November, but since we will be traveling almost two weeks during December, I want to enjoy my tree as long as I can! Of course, that meant a much SMALLER tree and an artificial tree at that!

And even though I am not able to put up the customary tree in my office again this year, I am not letting the Grinch steal my Christmas spirit!  Instead, I plan on facing the Grinch head-on and letting him know in person that I plan on having a marvelous Christmas!  Yes, I will be visiting the famous Grinch himself during the holiday season and can’t wait to get some pictures of him! ​

​While this will be not much more than a long weekend trip, it will be a much more laid-back trip than normal for us.  It will just be the three of us with no real plan at all.  (and for those who know me know, that is a full-on torture!) I have a short list of people I want to grab a picture of/with (and that includes you, Grinch!), a few rides we want to experience, but mainly I want to enjoy the atmosphere of what has quickly become one of my favorite Christmas spots!  Universal!

Streets of London from across the Lagoon dressed in Christmas Lights!

While Disney still has the Fantasy of Christmas, Universal has the Christmas Magic!  It has that spark I missed once the Osborne Lights were taken down, without the seizure-causing blinkediness.  (yes, that is a word…I just made it up! And anyone who had seen the Osborne Lights know what I mean!)  You can’t walk around Universal Studios at night, without getting that Christmasy feeling.  ​

​And let’s not forget the sights from Seuses High in the Sky Trolley at night!  Universal’s Islands of Adventure is no slouch when it comes to lights either!  (Probably would be a good view from VelociCoaster if I kept my eyes open!)

​We are also going to try a long weekend at a new Christmas spot for us, Dollywood.  I’ve only been there twice.  Both were years apart and the last one was over 6 years ago, and NEVER at Christmas time!  I’m told I am in for a treat.  The hours are a little different than I am accustomed to for a theme park in the winter.  I am used to early closing times, but while we are there, Dollywood will open at 11 am and close at 9 pm.  Since darkness will occur around the 5:30 time frame, half the day will be in darkness!   I can’t wait to see the lights!

​I bet you can’t tell that lights are my favorite part of Christmas!  Even more than gifts! This is why, on our final trip, a very short one-nighter to Jacksonville trip to visit Mayo Clinic, we will take a trip to the beach to see the Christmas lights around the entertainment district!  They are spectacular!  We discovered them by accident last year, and it will be the highlight of our short visit this year!

As we move into my favorite time of year, I want to take this time to Thank each and every one of you who are reading this blog.  Whether you have reached out to me to have me help you plan a trip or not.  Whether we know each other or not.  If you are here because you want to know more about Disney, Universal, Cruising, Accessible Travel, or just my crazy family; Thank you! ​