At this point, I’ve wrapped 4 of the 10 vertical light tubes and one out of 4 (started to be 6 but I’ve scaled back) leaping arches. The bad news is I’ve run out of clear mini-lights, so I’m on hold for any more tubes or arches until the lights are available from Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart. That should be the later part of August. Also bad news is that I’ll have to pay the full retail price at that time. I may just push it and see how long I can hold out for the prices to go down.

For those reading my blog last year concerning the disaster with the LEDs, the 14,400 replacements have arrived and I’ve spent several hours unpacking and putting them on a control to test. So far, so good.

And for another bad news event, the PLUS2009 that was to be held in Louisville at the end of July has been canceled. The economy killed it for lack of enough participants and vendors. That was a real bummer. So three of us in the KC area, Tyson, Jim, and me, decided to host a Mini-PLUS. We’re calling it the Heart of American Mini-PLUS or for those who like acronyms, HAM-PLUS. We’ve even set up a website to disseminate information and have people enroll. We’ve got 25 who have said yes and another 12 who are on the fence. That’s the good news side of that equation.

So its on to sequencing. I’m working on the first song, Decorations, which is a parody of Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys and performed by Bob Rivers. And the clock at the upper left continues its march toward turning the lights on. Where does the time go?

A Z-Tree is made out of 3/4″ PVC pipe. At this point the basic structure has been built and looks like this:

Next steps are to paint it hunter green to hide the white pipe, wrap it in garland, add the lights and were ready to go. I’ll add the 3D star on the top again and finish it off with 50 strobes.

This finished product will look a little different than Mike’s in that instead of wrapping the lights horizontally, I’m going to wrap the lights vertically in sections. Hopefully it will look similar to the tree at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. Not nearly as big nor as many segments, but with a similar look. If you haven’t seen the Silver Dollar Christmas Tree, take a look at this YouTube video.

Another change has to do with the two large oak trees. Instead of wrapping them this year. I’m going to light them with vertical tubes of light. Each tube will have seven segments of clear mini-lights, and each segment will be controlled by a computer channel. So there will be five tubes on each tree and a total of 35 channels. The prototype put up yesterday looks like this, without the lights:

Do not try to adjust your monitor. The tubes are plumb, the tree is crooked.

The other changes this year will include lights outlining the roof and leaping arches. With the lighting of the roof, the elves will be moved down to the ground to a location to be determined. We’re also going to try something brand new for us this year, and that is the addition of a donation box. Many other Christmas light enthusiasts have been very successful in collecting donations for their favorite causes. The Lindsay brothers in Canada have collected over $55,000 the past six seasons. So we’ll be collecting for the Heartland Habitat for Humanity. Our church has contributed money to build Habitat houses for years, and I’ve been a regular Wednesday volunteer at the builds. We’ll see how the public reacts to this addition. 100% of the money collected will go directly to Heartland Habitat for Humanity.

We continue to move forward as time flies when you’re having fun, and traveling too. You can see the clock ticking down in the upper left corner of this page, which is a constant reminder to me of all that needs to be done this year to pull it off on time.

Airport Pickup
Our travel agent recommended using a private van vs. riding on the Disney bus for the nine of us to transfer from the Orlando airport to the ship and back. She made the arrangements with Lake County Shuttle, Inc.. When we got all of our luggage together, called Raphael, since drivers can’t hang out curb side, and he told us to walk across the street to the Dollar rental area. He was there when we arrive, packed up in our own 15-passenger van, and we were off.

Embarkation
Arrived about 2pm at the Disney Cruise Terminal in Port Canaveral, FL. Gave our luggage to be delivered on-board to porters and tipped them. Walked into the terminal about 100 yards from street and went through an airport type security. Took escalator up to check-in area and was immediately helped. They had about 12 open “windows” for check-in. Grandkids went to separate area for Kid’s Club sign-in (Tracy had pre-registered them) where they received wrist bands and parents received pagers. Once check-in, went to another area for room card and to have picture taken.

Boarded on level three of the Magic and they announced each family coming on board, followed by thunderous applause for us. Instead of someone taking us to our stateroom, they showed us to the elevator and gave us general directions on how to get there by ourselves. No biggie, just different from what we’ve experience with Princess and Celebrity, where someone escorts you to your room. Went to our room and then walked around to get acquainted with ship. They had tours, but we were adventurous. Also had buffet open. Took grandkids to Kid’s Club for a look-see. At 4:00 was lifeboat drill. Dawned life preservers in room, walked down two levels to designated area and were lined up by room, from tall in back to short in front. Took about 10 minutes. Then went to sail-away party on decks 9 & 10 and boat departed at 5pm. A great start.

Dining
For sit-down, there is a rotation process between the three dining rooms. Our rotation was PLAAAPLA. P = Parrots Cay (tropical look with tiki birds in ceiling), L=Lumiere’s (most upscale room), and A=Animator’s Palate where things start out in B&W and move towards color during the dining time. Food was excellent, even beef. Nice presentations and served at correct temperature. Good selection. Wait staff bent over backwards to make everyone happy, especially kids. Since the wait staff moves with the guests, it was a great experience. They knew our names after the first night, and as the waiter would take our order each night, he would stand beside each of us and say our name. Also they knew what drinks we wanted and had them ready without asking. Kids had their Shirley Temple’s waiting for them when we arrive each night, and also picked up on favorite items. Brooke liked strawberries, so they brought her strawberries each night without asking. Fisher wanted shrimp and got it. Probably the best wait staff we have encountered in all of our sails.

Topsider buffet was good too. Had four serving lines like a cafeteria, so no line cutting like in a “traditional” cruise buffet. One line was set up for kids, so the adult lines moved pretty fast.

They also had a pizza only set up (Pinocchio’s Pizzera), another for dogs and hamburgers (Pluto’s Dog House), and a third for fruit and panini sandwiches (Goofy’s Galley). And then an adults only at the Cafe Cove.

Breakfast and lunch also available in dining rooms. Tried Lumiere’s and Parrot Cay for breakfast and it was excellent. Did a superb eggs benedict.

Tried room service for breakfast once, but all cold foods. Rather have a hot breakfast.

Staterooms
We were in a category 6 and it was about the same size as a mini-suite on the Princess. It slept 4. One queen (twins shoved together), a couch that converted into a bed, and an upper bunk that was stored in the ceiling. This area also had a sit-down vanity. A curtain closed to divide the bunk area from our sleeping area so we could read after one of the kids (we had rotating guests) went to bed. Usual configuration for the veranda. The bath configuration was interesting. A toilet and lav in one, and a small bath/shower and lav in the other. Had a 20″ or so flat panel TV with a swing arm. The Report From the Bridge ships graphics were to die for. Everything we’d been looking for but never saw on Celebrity or Princess. Also a bridge cam 24/7. Plenty of storage. Rooms always clean and towels soft.

Shows
All the Broadway shows were performed in the Walt Disney Theater. All of them were great. Great performers and sets. Some times they would show movies in there too. The had the premier showing of Confessions of a Shopaholic on Friday at 12:01am. Also showed the 3D version of Bolt in there one afternoon. And then for the majority of the movies, which did include 3D and 2D versions, there is the Buena Vista Theater. A true movie theater with 7.1 surround sound and stadium theater seating. Not the thrown together movie venues we’ve had on all the other ships. They also had Ariel View on Deck 9, which is similar to a jumbotron. Great picture and sound there too. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean one night.

Kids Things
If you want to take a child on a cruise, start and stop at Disney. They really know how to do it. And Disney characters galore. Kid’s Club was great according to those who participated. And the paging system left the parents without a worry.

Casino
There is none. The kid’s club rooms occupy the space that would be used by a casino on other ships. But they did have bingo with a $10k jackpot.

Tender Service
We had to anchor off Grand Cayman and take a tender to shore. If we were taking a tour booked on the ship, which we weren’t, there were departure times and meeting points before proceeding to the tender. In our case, we had a tour scheduled that we booked on-line and were suppose to be on the dock by 8am. For everyone else not on a shore excursion, the process was to go to the Buena Vista Theater, secure a number and wait until it was called. For us, we walked into the Buena Vista Theater at 7:45am, got our ticket, but before we could sit down, we were ushered down two flights to a waiting tender. Disney doesn’t use their boats to ferry people, but hires them locally. There were about 25 people in our group, and as soon as the last one got on, we were headed to shore. No waiting until it was full. Our tender could probably hold 100 people. There were two other tenders, double deckers, that could probably hold 200-250 people. So the tender operation was the best we’ve seen.

Adults Only Area
On Deck 9 is an area for adults only. Nicely padded chairs and ottomans for reading, plus a bar and eating area. Pool too. You could certainly tell the change in “noise” when moving from the kids area to the adults area. Nice respite.

I’ve heard/read about adults who take a Disney Cruise without the children because they like that type of cruising experience. Disney did a superb job, but think I’ll stick to Celebrity/Princess, etc. when cruising without the kids.

Disembarkation
What a great experience, compared to the fiascoes experienced when getting off a Princess or Celebrity cruise . Our disembarkation instructions were that if we were scheduled to fly out of Orlando, they recommend we leave the ship by 8am. That was it. No going to a location to wait until our bag tag color was called. Just mosey off the ship when we felt like it, pick up our bags and go. It was all very orderly, and the process moved smoothly and quickly. It took 15 minutes for us to take the elevator down from 6 to 3, walk off the ship and have only one room card per stateroom swiped for final check-out. Down an escalator to pick up luggage, go through customs and be out on the street, ready to be picked up by our van. Why can’t that happen on other cruises?

Transfers
Susan, our travel agent, arranged the van service, which was excellent. When we got out to the curb and at position 5 as instructed, I called Raphael and told him we were in position. Before I could hang up the phone, he was at curbside. Can’t get better than that. Plus we paid $44 per person round trip, including the tip, and it was our personal conveyance. Disney charges $69 per person not including the tip, and you have to wait until the bus is full both ways before the driver will depart. Highly recommend Lake County Shuttle.

Swim With Stingrays
We did arrange for our own excursion that Mary located on-line. It was Stingray Sailing (www.stingraysailing.com). Good recommendations on CruiseCritic. They use a 43′ catamaran and there were about 24 people on our tour. Plenty of room. We took a bus to where the boat was moored and then headed out to a sandbar where the stingrays gather. The depth of the sandbar is 3-4′. But the day was very windy, so plenty of waves making it difficult to keep a sound footing. Lots of stingrays, many very large. 70+ pounds. Our 5 year old had a life jacket on, but the waves kept knocking her over and salt water in the mouth, so she wanted out quickly. The 8 and 10 year olds also had life jackets on, but no problem.

After swimming with the stingrays, we went to another area for snorkeling, with good equipment provided. None of our party tried it because of the wave action, but those on the tour that did reported great viewing.

The cost was significantly less than the Disney excursion. The mate who was taking payment at the end of the trip (we prepaid through PayPal) volunteered to give us a refund for Mary and the 5 year old because of the wave conditions. That was entirely unexpected and unnecessary in our minds.

We were asked to be dropped off at a beach before heading back to the ship. So many of those on the tour were let off at the Royal Palm beach. Pretty beach with food and liquids available. Also showers and nice facilities. The driver who dropped us off agreed to pick us up at 3 and charged us $3 per head for the ride back to the boat, instead of the customary $4 per head.

Would highly recommend this tour.

So that’s the short version . It was a great cruise for us, and all who went for their first cruise had a great time. Fisher (age didn’t want to leave. I certainly would recommend a Disney cruise for anyone taking kids/grandkids. Disney does it right. What other information would you like?

All the lights and accessories are now down and put away, thanks to our friend Jim, who came over from St. Louis to help, and son Brett, who was in town from Raleigh due to his grandmother’s serious illness.

For those who didn’t, or weren’t able to stop and see this year’s display, and those out-of-town, we have videos to share with you. In some you’ll notice that the HD is off. Click on that to see the video in a larger, HD, version. You can also see a larger version in SD by clicking on the video name directly below it. Here is the introduction by our three elves, Jingle, Jangle & Elf Judy:

2008 Christmas Lights Display – Introduction from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

That was followed by The Holidays Are Coming performed by Melanie Thornton. This may be a familiar song because it was used in the Coke commercials with modifications.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – The Holidays Are Coming from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

Jingle is excited about the holidays coming, and we move to Wonderful Christmas Time, with music performed by Sir Paul McCartney.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – Wonderful Christmas Time from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

Jangle asks Jingle the name of her favorite Christmas song. “Why Jingle Bells, of course” she replies. This comes from the Elf movie soundtrack and is sung by Jim Reeves.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – Jingle Bells from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

While Jangle likes Jingle Bells, his favorite Christmas song is Carol of the Bells. This is a mix of four different interpretations, performed by David Foster, Mannheim Steamroller, Johnny Mathis, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – Song Four from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

We get another joke from Jingle and Jangle,and then segue into We Need a Little Christmas performed by the Ray Conniff Singers.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – Need A Little Christmas from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

The boss, Santa Claus in this situation, joins the elves to sing White Christmas.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – White Christmas from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

We did a voice over that never made it to the light of day, but after the song, Jingle says, “We sounded pretty good, but he’s no Bing Crosby.” Which leads us to the last song of the night, We Wish you a Merry Christmas. We also get our last elf joke of the night before the elves wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

2008 Christmas Lights Display – We Wish You A Merry Christmas from Tim Dorr on Vimeo.

So that was our 2008 Christmas Lights Display. I hope those who stopped to see it enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed you all watching it live. Now it’s on to the 2009 Christmas Lights Display. Plans are well underway. We’ll have some new features, more lights, and the elves will be back. More on that later.

And one last item. Take a look in the upper left hand corner of the home page. A countdown to the lights going on Thanksgiving night at 6PM has been added. There is a lot to do between now and then on the Christmas display, let alone a first time Halloween sound and lights display.

Again, we’re sorry for any incovenience if you drove by last night and found a dark front yard. We’ve got to find out a way to minimize this problem, but not sure what the solution is at this point.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We also have been written up on another webpage, http://www.kansastravel.org/kansascitychristmasdisplays.htm, which lists known displays of significance in the Johnson County Kansas area.  Check it out and stop by the other displays with family and friends.

If you’re wondering about the heading, this year has been a real challenge to keep the lights on. The LEDs that I purchased for the mega tree and the two front oak trees were meant for a static display and not one that produces an animated show where the lights are on/off, and fade in and out. I bought them from the same source as the ones from last year, which worked very well, but the source used a new vendor in China. Evidently the QC wasn’t the best. The result is that I’ve replaced around 40 strings of lights, and that task is very difficult when working on the mega tree.  On top of that, its been very cold, and I find that I need the dexterity of bare hands to do the switch out. The good news is that I can turn all of the lights in for replacements with 2009 lights that, I’m assured, will have been thoroughly tested while being driven by animated light controllers.

So every night I cross my fingers that everything will be working properly. Especially the week of Christmas as it is anticipated that we will have a lot of people stopping to enjoy the show. I would be very disappointed to have people stop and they weren’t able to see the show as planned.

I’m also working on video of the show. I did some shooting last week, but cars kept getting in the way. So Friday morning, I was out front at 7:15am to shoot video. Unfortunately I didn’t time the sunrise properly because it got light early than anticipated. I’ve decided I need to be shooting at 6:30am instead. However, the temperature has been just above 0ºF the last couple of morning, so I’ve passed. Don’t want to turn into a popsicle  three days before Christmas. I’ll get it accomplished and uploaded as soon as everything comes together.

Sorry again for any inconvenience, but sometime it’s hard to fight mother nature.

If you came by the house Saturday night to see the Christmas Lights Display and you either saw the lights acting erratically, or off completely, we’re sorry that you weren’t able to see the show. When it rains, some of the connections get wet which trip the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) that powers all of the controllers and thus the lights. The whole purpose is to shut off power to an outlet when a wet condition is detected by the circuit, thus eliminating the possibility of someone getting a severe shock, or worse, electrocution.

This has happened the past two years and I’ve taken steps to reduce the possibility of a tripped GFCI, but somewhere in a couple of circuits, those steps weren’t enough. Thus the show shut down. I’ll work on it tomorrow and hopefully find the problem, fix it, and the show will be up and running again. But before you stop by, please check the website for updated information.

Again, I apologize for this happening, but it is better to have the GFCI trip than to have someone killed.

Then during the testing phase, some of the lights wouldn’t come on. Find out you actually need to plug them into the controller. Who would have thought?

So how about some statistics?

30,863 lights including 14,400 on the mega tree

When all the lights are on, the display draws 62 amps

5,000 feet of extension cords

Eleven 16-channel Light-O-Rama controllers

335 hours devoted to this year’s display, not including research on the Internet at the various Christmas websites, or running around town for supplies.

On Tuesday, November 25, we had our annual preview show for the neighbors. What a great night. Cool but calm. Our neighbors across the street, Sean and Ann Marie, had a firepit going, and after the show, the kids roasted marshmellows. Things went well, but I spotted some things that needed tweaking. I’ll probably see more things as the days roll by.
And last night, Thanksgiving night, the show kicked off for the rest of the world at 6pm. We had two cars there at 6 to see it. Here is a picture of the display with all lights on:

So for those in the KC area, we look forward to having you stop by.

7909 Fontana
Prairie Village, KS
6-10:30pm through New Year’s Eve

Tune your car radio to 91.1FM to “Listen To The Lights”

Thanks for everyone’s support, and we hope you enjoy this year’s Christmas LIghts Display. I’ll be posting video as soon as possible for those outside of the area.