I don't know how to react at the moment because the rest of us
did do a small wardrobe change here over the course of the past
five minutes and just threw a sweater on.
And then Santa Jeff sat down and I.
Merry Christmas everybody. You you look like you're doing a
remake of Bad Santa I. Don't even know what to think
either. And I didn't even think he was
going to change his shirt because he was busy.
And then he looked up and was like, oh, you guys all changed.
Hold on a second. And I thought, you know, a
sweater or shirt and then he comes out and like the full get
up. Santa.
Happy holidays everybody. Help happy.
Holidays. Just waiting for my Jingle Bell
dog to stop jangling. Hey everybody and welcome to
this week's episode, or I guess I should say, Happy holidays
everyone and welcome to this week's episode of the DVC Show.
I am your host, Paul Krieger, joined as always by my lovely
wife, Amy Krieger. We have Senior Sales associate
for the DVC Resale market, Derek de Boer with us.
Ho ho, hey now ho. Ho, hey.
Sorry, Derek, I didn't mean to interrupt you.
Can you show off your that is the the one that figment wears.
And even if I don't like figment, that is so cute.
Yeah. Thank.
You and then Santa himself. Ho ho ho.
Merry Christmas everybody. Jeff Haslam.
Jeff, I just, I feel the need to ask to get us started.
Why do you have that? Listen, I I can't give away
secrets, but I'm very busy this time of year.
No, I'm kidding. I saw it on Amazon once.
I thought it was a way nicer costume because I was going to
play a trick on my kids and it came.
And then it showed up and. I didn't.
All right, patreon.com/DVC fan for the real story.
Because I don't buy one. Look at that one.
I do have to tell you all though, that you may notice that
there's a tree behind us and wonder if I just set up a tree
randomly for this show, or that there's a Santa next to Amy on
the other side of Amy. And whether or not I just pulled
that out of storage on this show 'cause it is October 29th at
that. We are filming this show.
But it doesn't go up until what, November or something?
That is true, but what I can tell you in the bottom of my
heart is that I went and got a haircut yesterday and Christmas
vomited over my house while I was gone.
OK, let me let me explain. So First off we moved last year
in December. So normally Paul and I would put
up our Christmas stuff in like it used to be, It used to be
Thanksgiving weekend. And then it slowly crepts sooner
into November, 'cause we wanted more time to enjoy it, 'cause
we're always really busy and. And we and we go away for the.
Holidays, yeah. And we go away, especially now
we, you know, we spend the whole week, we drive with our dogs.
We go to West Virginia, we stay in a cabin with our dogs.
And so when we host Christmas for our family.
So we're gone the entire week of Christmas, actually a little
more because it takes a little time to drive.
And so last year we moved. So we were, we were selling our
house in October, we were closing in December, we moved
into a new house in December. So by the time we got our stuff
moved, we had the Polynesian tower opening and then we had to
go to Wheeling and we had no time.
We didn't get to put our trees up.
I love this. Barely got to decorate.
So that you've spent the past two minutes justifying this and
as if anything different will happen next year.
No, we are obsessed with Christmas.
Let's just put it that way. Whereas some of you love
Halloween and love spooky season.
When trick or treaters come to our house, they're going to get
hot cocoa and cookies and that's going to be there to scare them
away at the front door. I hope so.
We are going to be putting our Christmas tree up this week
before Halloween because we need to see if all the faults are.
Going. To make sure going to light it.
Doesn't apparently there's something at Home Depot called
the Grand Duchess that I have to purchase so.
I'm doing, Annie said that we're, we're doing ours the day
after Halloween. And it's for that exact same
reason that you guys are too, because for around Thanksgiving,
we go to Asheville to go visit my dad.
So then we're, we just want to enjoy it more.
And I feel like this year, I feel like Halloween's been going
on since like June. Yeah, it actually feel.
Like that more this year than any other year, yeah.
And I think it's because like Horror Nights down here in
Orlando starts like in like mid August.
So it's got like Halloween, like on the I swear to God, it feels
longer than the food and wine fest.
It's just so long. Yeah, the first Halloween party.
Help me out for. Disney was you.
Know in the comments and then you guys as my friends get Amy
Templeton involved with this. There is no Christmas allowed in
my house until Black Friday. No, that's too late.
That's way too late. The glow of a Christmas tree is
one of the most magical things that you can have in your
household. Why would you want to reduce
that to like a month? Some of my favorite.
Pictures an entire bin of Thanksgiving.
Things that have to go out before.
Thanksgiving, that's. Hold please, do you have a
Turkey costume? Stay tuned.
Why do not? Darn, yeah, I love the glisten
of my dogs eyes as they look up at the Christmas tree.
I have like a bunch of different photos like them of them.
Yeah. Anyhow, you guys could probably
judge us and say that we're crazy, but we love Christmas and
so and you know, Merry Christmas, happy Holidays
everyone. We're doing a Christmas show
early this year and we decided let's talk about our favorite
holiday traditions. So we we'll go around the room
tonight and do kind of a combination of some of our
favorite Disney and DVC holiday traditions that we've created
over the years, but also just kind of some fun like just
general holiday traditions, like what do you do around your
house? What is something that you know
you you you always do or you always think about and something
you celebrate with your family Before we get into it, this and
all of our content is brought to you by Key Holder Vacations and
our world of DVC companies. DVC Resale Market.
If you're looking to buy a contract for a loved one this
holiday season, you might be a little bit late to the game, but
I can tell you that a couple years ago, several, maybe 5 or
so, I was contacting Derek de Boer around this time of the
year to the prize, this one with a Grand Floridian contract.
So you can at least get that contract under contract, get
that contract under contract before the end of the year and
then you'll have something to wrap up under the tree.
I, I put a little sticker underneath the ornament for the
Grand Floridian, the points that I got you.
So that was a fun little Christmas gift.
So if you're thinking if you, if you need a gift, it's an
expensive one, I'll agree, But you know, it's an option.
If you're looking to sell a contract to purchase all of
those other toys and everything that you'll have Jeff deliver to
your kids this this Christmas, then the DVC resale market can
help with that. Also Monera Financial where you
can finance that DVC resale contract.
Purchase the DVC rental store where you can try before you
buy, rent some points. Book that vacation for your
family that they can under unwrap under the tree this year.
Or if you again need some extra cash to pay off that credit card
debt that you racked up from buying too many presents, you
can rent out some extra points. Don't forget annual dues are on
the horizon. And last but not least, unlocked
Magic unlocked magic.com/DVC fan for discounted Disney World and
Universal Orlando tickets. And I heard only because someone
emailed me earlier today asking for some Disneyland tickets that
those are on the horizon because many of you have been asking
when will we have Disneyland tickets?
So shows are coming soon. Could be out there by the time
this goes up. So go check it out.
magic.com/DVC fan. I don't know why I'm doing the
short thing, but I'm your Penguins.
I think you had you. You gave a perfect thing for all
parents out there with young kids.
If you want to get your kids on the best behaviors and have them
on the nice list, show them a picture of Santa.
If you want them on the naughty list, show them a picture of
Jeff and I swear you will. You will completely change their
behavior 100%. I don't know a better person to
kick off our holiday traditions with than Santa himself.
So Santa, give us one of your favorite.
We'll start things off with Disney or DVC related holiday
traditions. Give us one of your favorites.
Is it easy to deliver to kids in the DVC villas or is that a
little bit? Oh yeah, OK.
You've seen my show, The Santa Claus.
There's there's magic involved for sure.
You have a magic band that just gets you into every room.
Wouldn't that be great? I think one of my favorite
things is is to see the resorts at Christmas time, but
specifically I love, love, love the beach Club gingerbread merry
Go round because it's different every year.
It's a. Different theme every year.
I, I, it's just all the gingerbreads are cool, don't get
me wrong, but that one definitely changes every year.
And that's just kind of my, my favorite thing to do.
We always, always will always make a stop at the beach club
and see what creativity they've done.
My dog is wanting to play ball. If you can hear the thumping in
the background, sorry but. Your reindeer, you mean?
You what? Yeah.
My reindeer like last year it was.
What was it last year was? It the DuckTales one or?
Or maybe last year was Mickey's Christmas Carol, the year before
his DuckTales. I don't.
Remember, I remember the Princess one girl was.
Just so great. That's that's one of my
favorite. Things.
Yep. Right.
That's the show. We're looking at me.
Well, usually that means talk. I know, but you know, sometimes
it doesn't. You are the holliest, jolliest
person I know right now. So what is 1?
OK, this one you're going to think is stupid, but it's one of
my favorites. So every year at some point
between November 1st and before we have to leave for Christmas.
I always like to go holiday strolling.
I'd say holiday shopping, but I'm way too cheap to buy most
things there. Holiday strolling around Disney
Springs and I like to stop at Earl's Sandwich and I have to
have and they sell it all year round, but it's super special to
me during the holidays. The holiday Turkey sandwich at
Earl's Sandwich. It's like Turkey dinner and a
sandwich. It is.
It is like one of the best sandwiches ever so and then I
like to stroll around and see like the tree, the Christmas
trees at at Disney Springs and. The holiday bar at Jock.
Lindsay's holiday bar is always fun.
Yeah, there's all kinds of cool stuff.
There, and the great thing about Amy's too is is is it's the free
option. For.
For if you want Disney magic mixed with a little Christmas
time, Like it's free to park. It's free to just wander around,
Yeah. And a sandwich is like 8 bucks
at Earl's sandwich. She even talked him into a free
pasta salad one year. True source.
They did. The manager gave you a free
pasta salad, but it was because I it wasn't on the because.
She's a frequent customer, that's why.
Yeah, it's, you know, she doesn't make this up, folks.
She loves sandwiches just as much as you think she does.
So there you go, Derek the figment elf.
Give us one of your DVC or Disney holiday traditions.
I will. This was fun because I was
talking about it with my wife Annie, and the first thing that
we said is probably something that most people may not think
of when they associate with the holidays is it is our annual
tradition to go to wait for it, Disney's Vero Beach in December
before Christmas. We have our trip booked this
year. That's what I was looking for
when we're trying to figure out. So we're going, yeah, I don't
have the exact dates, but it's like 3 nights right before
Christmas. We're going to go the points for
an ocean view in the in room range anywhere from during the
week. It was 15 points because again,
it's before the holidays. So this falls into travel period
#2 on the weekend, I think we have one weekend night, then
it's like 19 points. And that is an ocean view in
room for those that haven't been.
And by the time we tape this, hopefully right now, Paul will
segue to a picture I'll send him of the tree at Vero Beach in the
lobby. That lobby is always beautiful
to begin with. But my God, during the holiday
season, that tree I think rivals anything on Walt Disney World
property. They've got cookies out.
They've got cocoa out. The tree has giant turtle
ornaments on them that are like this big all up and down, the
whole entire tree that goes from the bottom of the lobby all the
way to the very top. The weather, it may be a little
cold to go into the ocean, but it doesn't matter just because
the weather's beautiful. The pools are heated, The
holiday music they play is just fantastic.
And again, it's been a holiday tradition of me and my family
and now that we've been going for, my God, probably 15 plus
years, every single December, we always managed to meet some
great DVC fan folks when we're there as well.
But knowing that my kids have always associated, you know,
right before Christmas with going to Vero with mom and dad.
And now they're, you know, 20 years old and 17 years old.
And I'm more pumped about this year than I think ever before.
So Vero Beach before Christmas, if you go during that Christmas
week, your points then jump up to like 600 points per night.
So kind of insane. But right before Christmas,
travel period to Vero Beach, the favorite DVC resort of mine for
the holidays. And that's funny because that's
when a lot of people don't think of when they think of Christmas.
And every time I'm in that lobby at Vero Beach and we've never
been there for for the holidays. The closest we've come is
September. So we've been there, May,
August, September. Every time I'm in there, I think
about Derek saying, you know how beautiful it is in such a pretty
lobby. So I just can't imagine how
pretty that tree in the decor is.
So someday we're going to have to.
This is again like go back to the top of the show.
This is why we decorate early. This is why we get started
early. There are not enough days or
weeks to do the million things that we always want to do.
Many. Things and.
Especially in Orlando, there are so many different things, like
we've been talking about going to ice at the Gaylord Palms and
ever since we moved here. And this year will be the first
year that we're actually going to go because my mom's in town
and we were like, that will be a fun thing to do with my mom.
You know, it'll be it's not too super expensive.
And this year, near and dear to my heart, has always been
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Yeah, the the claymation version
of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.
Essentially, I have all of the Rudolph characters in stuffed
form sitting upstairs right now in our loft.
Yeah, so since you brought it up, I just, I do want to mention
it because if you're looking for something non expensive to do
very holiday theme, maybe you're you're staying at Dizzy, maybe
you don't have a park, you know, park Pass or whatever that day.
It's like 30 bucks a person or so.
It's called ice. It's at the Gaylord Palms Hotel
Convention Center. And every year they pick a
different like movie theme. It's usually it's a movie theme,
a Christmas theme. And they it's just this giant,
you know, and we'll know more after we go.
But it's just like all these really cool giant ice sculptures
and they have actual sled riding and just all kinds of really
cool things. So look it up in the past, some
they've done, you know, like Charlie Brown, Peanut Elf, Elf,
A Christmas Story, The Grinch. So they've had a lot of really
cool ones. But yeah, this year is Rudolph,
which is very, very special to Paul, so.
Well, if you yeah, if you see me on Facebook or Instagram this
time of year, you'll realize right away why.
I mean, I am. My profile picture changes to
the Bumble on November 1st. It has for the past 10 years and
it will continue to do so forever and.
Did. Speaking of, did you see the
giant bumble they have at Lowe's?
Yes, I saw the giant bumble. Here's my problem, Jeff.
It's not just the bumble, it's the entire you can you can get
like an entire scene. I think Cornelius is in there
and everything. And my issue is what do I do
with it after Christmas? Do I do I just keep it set up in
my garage? Actually it's not a terrible
idea. Maybe I could pay it mission and
then. Wait, wait, wait.
Are these inflatables or are these like?
No. No, these are animatronics.
These are. And.
Bumble himself is. He's taller than your garage
door for sure. That's so disturbing.
Yeah. OK.
This is why people in Florida have storages.
I'm yeah, I'm dying to go this year.
We're we're going to go as well. Why we're going with my mom, we.
Should all go. Tag along but just.
Give me a date. We'll be my mom's coming to town
too, so maybe it'll be a mom's trip.
Mom fence and they. And they and you get to wear
winter coats there too. Yeah, they give you like the big
like parkas that you got to you put on so you don't phrase.
Yeah. Can I just bring my own winter
coat? Do they make do they do they do
they pass them out? Because most Floridians don't
have those anymore. Yeah.
I don't, I don't know, find out. I know maybe maybe it's like
bowling shoes, like you have to get what they have there and you
can't bring. They spray it with that same
spray after everyone's used to they will.
Especially after that guy, when that guy takes off a coat,
they're going to like, burn it, I think.
My, my DVC at Disney holiday tradition that we've really
created since we came down here has been going around to all of
the different Disney Vacation Club resorts.
And I remember doing that actually before we ever moved,
we were down here for a trip in December and we did make it a
plan one day. We didn't have any parks planned
and we made it around to all of the different resorts and it it
just makes you fall in love with these properties even more, let
alone the fact that each one typically has its own special
treats that you can purchase. That's the one part.
It becomes a little bit of an expensive adventure tree.
Brownie on a stick. Decide to buy something at each
place now. I am saddened that we will not
be having the Gingerbread house this year at the Grand Floridian
that that will be sad because my favorite is always the bag of
mixed German assorted gingerbread treats that they
sell at the gingerbread house. But I hear that they might still
be selling some of. The treats.
In the stores there. So I'm excited to maybe still be
able to grab that. But even I know we talked about
Beach Club and Boardwalk. They have little gingerbread
setups and they always have a little place that's selling some
hot cocoa or some, you know, spiked specialty drinks and all
of these. Resorts always had something.
Riviera even has some specialty things in the cafe there that
they put out for the holiday season.
So it's just so fun to see how each resort celebrates.
And I know Amy talked about this and I I can't play it on this
show, but we did have a listener reach out to us recently and
sent me via e-mail a link to the holiday music at the Polynesian.
So that'll be playing throughout the Krieger household this year,
because I think we talked about that on a recent show and Amy
was forgetting what it was. So thank you they.
Play it so much. Thank you.
But each resort has its own kind of holiday theme music music.
So I think we're going to carve out a day this year to make sure
we go around and do that again. We previously did that.
I know Jeff joined us. We actually as part of our Give
back November campaign several years ago now we're calling that
Keys to kindness. We did like a resort marathon
kind of thing. But so Jeff, maybe we, we won't
do a resort marathon this year, but we, we might still do a
little video as we, as we go around the, around the resorts.
And since I mentioned it, keys to kindness that is head that is
going on throughout the entire month of November.
If you didn't catch our episode about the amazing ways where you
can buy a raffle ticket to join us for our group cruise, buy a
T-shirt or any of those things, head to
keyordervacations.com/kindness. Derek, give us something that's
not Disney or or DVC related. Maybe a tradition you started
with the kids or the family. But I was just ready to go
because I just thought of my next one that is Disney.
So can I do a Disney one because it's fresh in my head, Yeah.
Yeah, I'm not even going to ask you questions anymore.
I'm just going to say Derek, he. Doesn't call the rules.
Now I got a pivot. I'm too old to pivot.
Fine, we'll do another round. We'll do another another round
of the World of Disney DVC. OK, thank you.
So this was a new tradition and it's not even really ADVC one.
This is a new one that Annie and I discovered a couple of years
ago is we had in December. We had a dinner in like an early
afternoon dinner over at Tony's Town Square.
But the kicker is we sat outside on the patio and that has become
a tradition that we are doing every single year.
We're headed back to stay at the Wilderness Lodge, I think on
December 1st, and we we're going to pop over to the Magic Kingdom
and go eat at Tony's. However, the kicker is again, I
will refuse to eat inside at Tony's because I don't like it.
There's nothing nice about it whatsoever.
But outside during Christmas, you're lit right next to that
tree. You've got the holiday music.
You can get a glass of wine or you can get a beer.
The food tastes infinitely better than it does if you were
just five feet eating inside that restaurant.
Eating on the patio is so much better.
So, so if you haven't done it, go sit on the balcony or patio
there at Tony's, Don't go inside and wait for it.
It has become one of our favorite holiday traditions is
just eating there, looking at the trees, seeing the music and
then kind of just strolling around looking at at the
merchandise and then heading out.
So Tony's Town Square patio. Highly recommend it.
That's funny because I saw that book on My Disney Experience
because I'm connected to Annie. And I was like, I was like, oh,
there's Derek. He's probably going to sit on
the patio again. Like I I thought about that.
Yep. And, and the good thing is, you
know that Annie booked it because I don't know how to use
that. 100% she did, yeah. After Oktoberfest, you're no
longer trusted to do anything technologically.
I wish, I, I wish there was a viewer that was like standing
nearby as we all entered Epcot that day during Oktoberfest,
because it was like, you know, Amy was, it was Derek's mom
bringing him into the park. Something didn't work properly.
So she had to she. Had to pass ticket right here
and then they're like OK, well he needs a park pass.
Like, Oh yeah, I'm sorry, we didn't.
They got they, they took very good care of them.
And then and then we had to bring all of these plastic beer
steins in. And Derek was like, should I
come out and help you? And I'm like, by no means am I
letting you leave this park now that you're in it.
We're not dealing with that a second time.
Amy, what is another Disney or DVC tradition that you might
have? OK, so we'll, we'll say Disney.
I love going to the festival holidays, going around to Epcot.
I think, you know, everyone talks about the tree at Magic
Kingdom, but I actually like the tree at Epcot a little better.
And we have some really cool pictures that I had noticed that
when I was going through my phone camera of you and me with
with that tree. But I love going through the
festival holidays, the different countries.
I like how they have the different presentations, you
know, in in the different pavilions and, and I like just
all the little festival, the holiday foods.
I think what you'll notice from a lot of locals is that we love
both Festival of Holidays and the Arts festival the most
because the the it's. Cooler, yes, and that is that.
Makes the food that they serve at these events more accessible
because no part of me screams food and wine festival have some
udon noodle soup. And stand in line and this and
it's just the scorching sun. So do you like the cooler
festivals? That is accurate.
And then there's also the cookie stroll.
So you can essentially collect cookies along your way around
the world. That's fun.
We've also. It's just pretty, you know,
Epcot's always decorated. We've talked about going to beer
garden because Jeff's Amy wants to face off again in a beer
Stein drinking competition. And they decorate that.
But they, they decorate that for Christmas and they, they do a
couple extra little musical shows and numbers that are
Christmas themed. So those are all and.
You love the cookies, FSL the holidays.
I love all cookies. Let's just let's just preface
that unless, unless it's a pizzelle, I do not like a
pizzelle that has that black licorice.
Anise, yeah. I was going to not say it
because I feel like I was. That is the worst.
Other other terms, but that is the only.
That's what it tastes like. Only cookie.
Yeah, it does taste like the other word, but not a fan of
those. But I do enjoy any other cookie.
So if you're looking for, you know, if you got extra cookies
and you want to send them our way, you know just that.
OK, Speaking of traditions, I want to, I want to know.
So my mom makes like 20 kinds of cookies for Christmas.
And when I was a kid, I just thought that that was what
everybody did. I thought that was so normal.
It's like 20 types. And I'm not.
I don't even think I'm exaggerating, Paul.
You're not. And what's funny is that.
At least I think. She goes, I'm going to cut down
on the number of cookies that I'm making this year, but as the
season progresses, it's like, well, but so and so likes this
cookie and I always make that for them.
And and so I don't blame your mom for that.
I feel like she because she always gives these out as.
She does. She wants everyone to have like
their favorite cookie. As giving them as gifts, she's
making sure that that person that gets them has their
favorite cookie as part of them. And I get rewarded by care
packages sent in the mail to Florida with cookies or for the
fall. I had this this package that had
a jug full of Paul's Omnom Fall mix, I think it was called.
Writes on. It but it was like a trail mix.
And it's funny because she knows I don't like it, so she just
writes Paul's Omnum. And I omnum numbed it all the
way up so it's it's all omnum gone so.
Jackie, I like oatmeal Raisin and snickerdoodles.
She. Definitely makes that meal
Raisin. Oatmeal Raisin is already on the
list. I'm not sure.
I don't involve snickerdoodles are.
My my favorite cookies that she makes are she makes a lemon pie
bar and I like, I like the little strawberry cookies that
she makes. All the cake ones, yeah.
I always like spritz because they taste like almond extract.
Like 7. Layer 7 layer cookie is always a
good choice. He's just good.
He's gonna be this. Is gonna name all the cookie
from. Now on it's kind of like, but
during during Forrest Gump when they're talking about all the
different types of shrimp, I'm just going to start just the
rest of the show, I'm just going to not contribute.
Just name random cookies so. We're not hungry at all.
I know. And it's actually, yeah, it's
earlier than normal for us filming this film in this
episode. So, you know, we're we're going
to be eating earlier than normal for us.
You mentioned festival of the holidays.
I'm excited to for us to go back to some of the other parties
this year, but I will take this one and make it not Disney or
DVC related, but I'll keep us in the theme parks.
And I am wearing my Universal Studios Spirit jersey for the
holidays tonight for a reason. And there is nothing that
screams holiday season for me like going to the Universal
Orlando Resort, going to Universal Studios Orlando and
watching the Macy's parade, getting some of the holiday
treats that they have available. They have a couple different
food booths that they that they have.
And also going to the Holiday Tribute Store.
Yeah, seeing Earl the Squirrel. I don't know why, but the it's
the music. I think the music but the the
parade is really cool too. But it it is the music and it's
just it's almost like get your like emotions going.
And I feel the same way to me, like when I think about, oh,
having fun, enjoying the Christmas season, like part of
me is transported back there in front of that giant tree at
Universal, walking through the Tribute Store, you know,
listening to that music, watching that parade with, you
know, they do like a Macy parade with actual balloons.
Balloons. Yeah.
With the big balloons. Now, obviously not as huge as
the ones you see on Times Square, but they're pretty good
size. They're impressive.
They're impressive for, you know, for a theme park.
And they do that every single night.
So it's not just, you know, a one time deal.
They do right every night. Yeah.
For the for the season. Unless there's unless there's
wind. We did experience that one time.
Right. So what kind of music?
What? What kind of music?
Is it because you said you love the music?
Is it original music or is it? Like, yeah, so I've looked for
it in so many different capacities and it doesn't.
It exists. So like, the only way I can find
it is like finding a YouTube video where someone has filmed
the parade. But it's dumb.
I was. Like trying to hum it.
I was like Nope, I cannot hum it no matter how much I hear it in
my head. That was it.
He had it. If I get a copyright strike
because I just sang that song, I swear.
But yeah, so yeah, it's it's it's the it's an original theme.
Nope. So it feels, you know, it just
feels so magical. And Santa comes down, Santa Jeff
comes down and he lights the Christmas tree every night and,
and. You gotta find Earl the Squirrel
and. Find Earl the squirrel on the
tree. And Earl typically does have
meet, meet and meet opportunities.
But yeah, I don't know, like that is something I know that we
will go back and do it again this year.
I'm also thinking you're you're disappearing from me for a week
to go up north for Thanksgiving. And Jeff, I might call you up
and we just may go like where your where your Santa costume
and I'll wear my missus costume and missus we'll go.
We'll go to Universal together. That's cold.
Yeah. That really was a fun event.
You guys invited us to go last year.
I've never been to universal at Christmas time and it it is very
special it they, they do just a phenomenal job up there.
I spent way too much money. It's because you guys kept
making fun of my hoodie. But anyway.
And you still kept it. I did still have it.
Jeff, give us another DVC or Disney.
Amy kind of stole mine. I was going to say festival, the
holidays. I just love the treats.
I love the kitchens that they have, believe it or not.
And I said this last year and I think it's because I always
forget and I just looked to see if there was availability.
I've never been to the Candlelight Processional and
I've. Oh no.
Yeah, and I, I missed the opportunity.
Looks like most every day it's sold out.
So next year that's happening. But yeah, I love Epcot.
I like, you know, they make Spaceship Earth look peppermint
Y, you know, with the red and white, you know, candy cane Y,
whatever you want to call it. It's just, it's my favorite park
at Christmas. I do like Magic Kingdom as well,
but we're not doing the Christmas party this year.
We decided to skip it and do Jollywood.
So it's going to be a different Christmas for us at Disney
because we always, always, always do Mickey's very Merry
Christmas party. This will be the you know what's
even you know. What's even crazier to think
about is that before this video goes up, we will have been to
the opening night of no, not Jollywood, but Mickey's very
Merry Christmas party. I forgot.
We were going to that. Yeah, OK.
I was thinking, I was thinking that we were only going to
Jollywood, but I forgot about that.
And today I saw a list of all the cookies that they were
giving out. Like I looked at the active
flakes. They're.
Doing some different. And there's some unique ones.
And I said to myself today, oh man, I'm sad we're not going to
that. And I forgot that we were.
We are. So yeah, Amy and I at the
opening night of Mickey's very Merry Christmas party.
So we're bringing I'm. Super jealous.
I'm so mad that we didn't buy tickets.
We'll be bringing you all along so check out our DVC fan YouTube
channel where a lot of you are probably watching this show if
you want a little recap of our night at the the Christmas
party. But it's it's exciting that
that's so close now and then this Mötley Crüe is headed to
Jollywood Nights and that is, I think, the premiere party that
Disney really puts on. I'm.
So excited. I don't know.
Yeah, I bought. I bought a new dress for it.
I bought a new T-shirt for it. That's gonna be hilarious.
Oh my goodness, that's that's what that T-shirt was.
For it'll go under my blazer. So.
I will dress up a little bit, but.
Wait, am I supposed to be dressed up for this?
Yeah, totally. I have no idea.
I have no. Idea I just wear your
sweatshirt. That's fine.
Wear that sweater. Just wear it really.
You can be comfortable. I like to dress up because I
think that there's some really cool photo OPS.
So I actually do wear a dress. But some people it's it's very
mixed crowd. So you've got people that are in
the, you know, like Hollywood kind of dress.
Dressy. Glamoury.
Let's see glam. But then you've also got like
families wearing matching pajamas and you've got people
wearing, you know, comfortable stuff.
So so you won't be out of place no matter what you wear.
I bet your friends at Roosevelt's will find you a
wonderful. Yeah, Can you, can everybody
just make a promise right now? Because you know how much I love
these private events. Don't make me wait like 2 hours
in line for like some rare photo with some character from like
1927. Just don't make me do that.
I don't want to do hours long wait for any kind of, I will go
explore other stuff for you. But I think that there's like
super rare characters there. And I remember reading reports
someone's like, Oh yeah, the wait wasn't too bad.
It was like an hour and a half for like some character.
I don't want to do that. I, I will take you away and
we'll find a holiday drink or if holiday snack to go go try but
I'm pretty sure that that Jeff here on this call is going to
want a picture with a certain Chewbacca if.
Yeah. Yeah.
So what is it that Life Day Chewbacca will be doing?
Is that like meet and greet? There's not enough time on this.
Show it's like snuggle talk, only for Star Wars.
You know, yeah, basically, it's funny.
I think the last show Amy kind of acted like she knew more
about Star Wars than Jeff did. Now we're realizing anything.
Yeah. Realizing that wasn't really the
case. Oh, what reindeer is that that
you're now holding? Jeff Dash?
Is that a new? That sounds like a reindeer
name. Does sound like a reindeer name.
On dash? Sure, dash you.
Do he is nicknamed Dasher at Christmas time for sure.
Does he have little ears? He doesn't.
We should make that happen though.
I will. I can make that happen.
I'll find some ears for Dasher. Perfect.
We got three giant reindeer, but they don't fly.
They just lay in their beds and sleep most of the time.
But all right, let's, let's go back around the room here
another time and talk about kind of I just want a general holiday
tradition, something that you do with your family.
I'm glad you want to participate in this question now.
Derek, go ahead. Yeah.
Now I will because. I got.
The other one, yeah. So ours is not very, you know,
probably unique, but there's always a certain list of holiday
movies that you have to watch. That to me, nothing better,
especially as you get older and like, you know, you realize,
like, you know, maybe your kid is off to college and he's home
for the holidays, sitting around on the couch watching your
classic holiday movies that you feel like, you know, you can't
get through the season without. And for us, for me, and I've
said it on another show, you know, love, actually, I have to
watch that movie. That movie makes me so happy and
gets me in the perfect holiday spirit.
Of course you got Christmas vacation that I like, I don't
love, but I like it. But my kids love it, so I'll
watch it and It's a Wonderful Life.
Are those like that? I just love watching those.
You know, when you got like a fire going or you know, it's at
night time and you got your blankets and of course the tree
is decorated. You've got to have the tree.
So I don't even know how Jeff does it.
Waiting so long to how do you watch?
How do you watch holiday movies without your tree up?
That sounds so weird to me. But yeah, holiday movies, you
have to watch them. How do you do it, Sam?
I know it's not that I don't want to.
It's not. That's why.
You guys got a gang up on her because we also don't start
watching holiday movies until Christmas.
So we have to cram a lot in a very short period of time and
this year is gonna be worse cuz we're gonna be on a cruise for a
week. See, I've lived that though, and
I. Used to be like that.
When Amy was a teacher, we used to always Christmas could not
start until she went on holiday break, which no one else in the
world knows what that is because you're not a teacher.
If you're a teacher, you know what holiday break is.
It's that two week period between, you know, Christmas and
New Year's that you get. But we weren't allowed to do
anything until that point in time.
We weren't out. Like it was just there was no
festiveness whatsoever. And then it was just like trying
to cram it all in. Whereas like, yeah, we're going
to have the, you know, the trick or treaters are going to be
knocking on our door on Friday and and, you know, there's going
to be Christmas music playing and, and we're.
Not that crazy that is not happening.
It's happened before. We are there any of our outside
stuff out for that reason? I didn't want to seem crazy, no.
But this tree came in the mail today.
It is true we got two of those. And a free tip that we always
play this music anyway in our house is just go to YouTube and
don't do like a fire log. Like you can just put on like
background music for basically any season that there possibly
is. And especially for the holidays,
like you could have it play like old holiday music from the 1940s
or 1950s with like different scenes.
And it's just basically like that's our soundtrack that we
always have. So whenever you log into our
YouTube ads, then must be nothing but suggestions of
different like music channels that you.
Harkins back to your younger days, right?
In the 1940s, yeah. Jeff, when you're allowed to
celebrate Christmas and the holiday season because Amy
finally lets you, you know what, what, what's one of those things
that you guys are always doing? What are you doing?
I think the biggest 1. Derek stopped talking.
It's my turn. Santa's talking, Derek let him
talk. One of the biggest things that
we do is when we do get around to actually decorating and we do
the tree, we always try to do the tree as a family and we put
all the decorations up. Then Amy goes and fixes it and
makes sure that, you know, it's all symmetrical.
Whoa, while we're decorating the tree, sorry, I just dropped a
phone on my dog and the microphone went crazy.
It's time to call this a night. But no, we decorate the tree and
we always watch Christmas vacation while we decorate
that's and drink eggnog. That's just kind of like our
kickoff to the season for sure. But then we also have I have a
spreadsheet of our favorite Christmas movies and every night
we do a random like dice roll to see which movie we're going to
watch that night because we have so much to do in a short time.
Love Actually, Derek is 100% right.
That is, bar none, the best Christmas movie on the planet.
We don't watch it. We don't, no.
Come on, love. We don't watch Love Actually,
and we don't watch It's a Wonderful Life.
I I'm traumatized. I.
Haven't watched It's a Wonderful Life for a long, long time.
That's. I'm traumatized by it because in
high school I ran Sound and Lights for we did the musical
version of of It's a Wonderful Life.
And so I had to live it for basically like 3 months
straight. And so yeah, I feel like that
just I saw enough of it. I'm good, Amy, what is one of
your that one? Doesn't make our rotation
either, unfortunately. What is one of your favorite
movies that we watch one of? Our favorite movies, White
Christmas. Yeah, I love White Christmas.
Yeah. And then, oh, I forgot.
I meant to mention this last year when we were talking about
this and I, after the show was over, I was like, how did I
forget about that? Because it's newer.
But I love the movie Spirited and Paul and I, Apple TV both
love the soundtrack. So if you've never seen it, it
came out a couple years ago. I'm I'm probably going to get
some flock for this. I've never been a huge Will
Ferrell fan. I'm just, that's just not the
comedy that I usually go for. He is phenomenal in this movie.
It was one of his best. It was one of his.
Performances, I think best yes yes and it was filmed throughout
the pandemic So what they were dealing with when they filmed it
for for how great of a movie it is it's.
Amazing, Yes. It's such a good movie.
So that's one of my new, newer favorite movies.
But I've always loved like Charlie Brown Christmas and
Rudolph and White Christmas. I'm trying to talk Jeff Haslam
here, Jeff Santa Santa Jeff into our our work holiday party that
all of us are going to go to this year for key holder
vacations. The theme is White Christmas and
so I'm trying to get Jeff to maybe do one of the one of the
dance numbers with me while at the party and dress up in that.
You don't have to. Try very hard.
We just got to lock in and start rehearsing.
We can do this. Yeah, get you a little like
Flappy. How?
Many times have we sung in this show so far.
I feel like it's at least three or 4.
If you want to call it singing, I don't know about.
That don't know. Next year we should do a DVC
fan, start our own DVC fan Christmas tradition where we all
get together and it could be extended DVC fan like some of
the moderators, you know, Jeff and Dan, obviously.
But let's all bring our own recipe and we'll all have dinner
and make our own thing and sit around and watch whatever
Christmas movie we want. I love it.
Fun. Love.
It well, I mean, most of you are already coming to my house for
New Year's, so and Derek, you're now officially invited if you
have nothing to do on New Year's Eve.
So we're all going to sit around, have terrible drinks
that Jeff makes and. Happened one time.
I want to blow your mind this year with this drink.
I want to. I fully anticipate.
He's already, he's like enrolled in a mixology class.
He's like, I'll show them. We have so many small little
traditions that we do throughout the season and each one is is
kind of special. I will say one that for me has
emerged in recent years is we kind of every year we are going
up north to visit our family for the holiday season.
We stay in a cabin at at a resort.
We bring the dogs with us and the ability to celebrate the
holidays with our dogs. I think that is very, very
special to both of us. But on the same level, it's
equally special for me when we come back home after after doing
that trip to kind of have our own little Christmas Day here
and make sure the doggies, you know, wake up in their own house
and have have treats and toys in their stocking.
And even Amy gets a couple couple fun things in her
stocking also every year. So that's very special to me and
just the ability to sit around and, and you know, watch, watch
the movies and oh, the treats, the coffee I have, I bought my
holiday coffee two weeks ago because Harry and David started
selling it. They have a holiday blend that
Harry and David that I buy every year in the K-Cup form.
And so already enjoying that drinking out of, you know,
holiday themed mugs already so. What's that treat that Amy got
us all last year from Trader Joe?
Jingle Jangle. You're Amy Jingle jangle.
Yes, we we took. That stuff is crack, man.
We took that bin tin. It was like a tin that you guys
got us at Jingle Jangle 2 Wheeling with us and our
families was like so good. You got to bring this every
year. Yeah, so.
Good. And we've never, we've never
lived as as close as we do now to a Trader Joe's.
So like the fall season was extremely expensive and
dangerous and I can only imagine what the holiday season is about
to. Feel cannot wait.
Yeah, you got some. What is stuff?
What is Jingle jet? Is it like peppermint bark?
No. It's it's all chocolate you.
Know covered everything. Chocolate covered almonds,
Chocolate pretzels, Oreo small pieces of chocolate.
Bar. Yeah, this.
All kinds of things. Chocolate.
It's so good though.
We're hungry. Talk slow.
OK, I, I want to talk about a A1 just because I think that maybe
and I'm going to grab something that's behind me too that I
thought about because I think maybe the ruk community will
maybe know a little bit more about this.
But Paul and I for some reason. You talk, I'll grab.
OK, thank you. For some reason, I want to say,
Oh my gosh, it's probably been at least 10 years now.
We came across our first John Lewis Christmas advert.
So John Lewis, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, is like
more like a depart, a really popular department store in the
UK. And every year they put out what
I think is the most amazing Christmas commercial, their
holiday advert. And it's just always so good.
And every year we're always like, OK, what's the new John
Lewis, you know, Christmas ad? And if you've never seen them
before, let me tell you, like when you're done watching this
show, get on YouTube. And I'm going to tell you right
now, the top three, my top three, look up John Lewis,
Buster the boxer. That's that's probably my third
favorite John Lewis the bear and the hair.
Amazing. But the best one ever is called
Monty the Penguin. And that is the greatest
Christmas ad I've ever seen in my entire life.
And I fell in love with with this Christmas commercial, this
Christmas advert so much that year that Paul found this the
actual stuffed animals from from it and had them shipped here
from the UK. And this is Monty and Mabel from
Monty the Penguin. So if you have a chance, watch
those 3. Buster the boxer, the bear and
the hair will make you cry. And then Monty the Penguin will
make you cry even more. So those are all the most
amazing Christmas commercials. I can't wait to see what John
Lewis comes up with this year. But yeah, I want to know, like
people in the UK, do you guys love them as much as we have?
Always. We've been loving them for
years. They all pull at the
heartstrings. They they did a recent one too
that was Elton John related. Yeah, I remember that.
Was that the man on the moon one?
Yes. OK.
So but it is like I we always keep refreshing YouTube this
time of year waiting for that that.
Commercial. Then they're on with the dragon.
It was like in Scotland or something.
They're so cool. So watch them get on.
They're all on YouTube. If you're you're one of our UK
listeners. But then I want to know.
You got to report back. If you've never seen them, you
got to tell me what you thought. Yeah, then Jeff, Derek, you guys
got to go watch them right after the show and tell us how much
you cried so. OK, will do.
Perfect. Any other holiday traditions any
of you want to kind of throw out there before we wrap up
tonight's show? Go ahead, Jeff.
Go. No go.
Santa first. Always Santa first.
That's how you get on the good list, Derek.
Not something that you know a lot about like.
Mine is Disney and tradition related, but you know when we
had the kids and the grandkids once Christmas morning was over
and the initial flurry of wrapping paper and the kids went
off to play with their toys and whatever.
I don't think I've missed it in the last probably 15 years, but
I always turn on the Disney Christmas parade on ABC.
I haven't ever missed it. It's always just a nice way to
ease into the day. Back in Utah, once that initial
flurry of wrapping paper was over, we had to load up all the
gifts and it was a mad dash of grandparents and parents and we
just had to make the rounds. That's just what my family has
always done. So it was while everybody was
getting ready, I would just sit there with my, you know,
chocolate, my eggnog or whatever and watch that parade.
It's just it's, I know they film it in like August, but so.
That's a good one. That's a good because Jeff, I, I
feel the exact same way. I mean, this is way before the
Internet. So being like a Disney fan, I
would watch it not for the parade, not for the singing and
dancing or anything else. It's if they were going to show
something from upcoming attractions that were coming to
Walt Disney World, that would get me so excited.
To be able to see because. Again, it's before the days of,
you know, daily photos from bio reconstruct that's over at the
park and show you everything else.
It was like this was the time I get to see what's coming.
New to Disney and. That that takes me to a holiday
season tradition that Derek, to your point, as unfortunately it
has died and part of my soul has died with this on Thanksgiving
morning. My tradition for so many years
was to get up super early. 6 AMI would go to when we were in West
Virginia. It was like the local sheets and
I would get us coffee and drinks and something to eat for
breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.
And I would get every newspaper that they had in terms of like
if they had the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, I'd grab it.
I'd grab the local newspaper because each one was a metric
ton of ads and we would. Take we would.
Get back home. Amy would wake up, we'd We'd
drink our coffee, have our treats, read the ads and watch
the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Since I have moved to Florida, I
have tried to go to my local gas station, Wawa, you name it,
every morning. And I, we have unfortunately and
I think reached the point in which ads on Thanksgiving for
Black Friday are no longer they're.
All digital. They're all digital,
everything's online now, but wow, like.
You know, and then we would bring those newspapers to my
mom's house and everybody there would look at the ads together
and like, oh, look at this. Did you see that?
You had to map out your shopping like, because I used to go with
my stepmom every year because I was, I, I got divorced from my
first wife really early on. And so I was kind.
I wasn't a single dad, but when they were with me, I was the one
that did Christmas, you know, and, and so.
I think it's a Black Friday. And I mean, not to go on a
tangent, but I think it's a big miss that we went in that
direction because it got me to buy things that I never think I
would have bought. And it's, I'm not, it's not like
I'm going online trying to figure out what you got.
You know what, what that Black Friday deal is like one year
Kohl's had Jennifer Lopez sheets on sale and we went out on Black
Friday and bought the heck out of some Jennifer Lopez.
She got theirs. They were got the Jlo.
Sheets. The best sheets ever.
They don't make them anymore. Best sheets ever and yeah, we
rope dropped that stuff. I know, I thought, I thought
Paul was going to have to throw down for these sheets.
He. Wanted to throw that we were, we
were ready to get them. But like those are the type of
things that like you wouldn't like otherwise.
I'm not, I'm not looking online to try to find myself some
sheets. I'm just buying sheets when I
need sheets. Yeah, man, I I really miss that.
And I'm probably going to go out again on Thanksgiving morning to
Publix and see if they have a newspaper and be disappointed
yet again and come home and drink my coffee and eat my donut
and be sad. Yeah.
In Utah, you had to subscribe to the paper.
It what you couldn't go to the gas station and buy them.
It was a it was a thing that came in the paper they delivered
to your house. And so everybody in Utah would
subscribe to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News, like
November 1st to make sure that we got back and then.
Their subscription. November was the best month of
paper sales. Yeah, Yep.
Yeah. These papers are a dying, a
dying thing, So. But yeah, that was always
special. That was always like the kickoff
to the holiday season, and it was always fun.
Then we'd take them over to your mom's house later that night.
Yeah, we'd all look through them and get ideas for Christmas.
Yeah, I missed that. Yep.
You'd look at Walmart and go, do I really need an eighth TV?
No $100.00 so maybe. Just have that back up in the
garage just in case. TV Well, I think what what is
always fun for us with shows like this is hearing your
traditions, hearing how you celebrate the holidays, whether
it be Disney or DVC related or just that family tradition that
you celebrate every single year. Please let us know in the
comments of this video or in our DVC fan Facebook group because
it may spark one of us to try that and add it to our holiday
traditions. Or hopefully maybe one of the
things that we mentioned tonight sparks a new tradition that you
and your family start to celebrate the season.
But no matter how you do it, I know we're not done with the
year and I know we're not nearly at Christmas at this point, but
I'll wish you all a very, very early.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and we will see
you next Monday. What's wrong with the the stack
of that? It's like flap.