Monday and Tuesday, I visited Hollywood Studios. I didn’t intend to visit two days in a row, it just sort of happened like that. Monday I went in the morning with a friend from work (we went solely for the Tower of Terror; we rode it eight times. Might have left some of ourselves in the Twilight Zone…). Tuesday my best friend dragged me, mostly to see the shows.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived on Tuesday was the park had been decorated overnight. I had come from the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties…and I was standing in Hollywood decorated for Christmas. There was greenery and lights attached to the lamp posts; snowflakes adorning the trash cans, and Christmas trees everywhere. The New York set had lights everywhere; and even though they wouldn’t be lit up for a few days you could still tell they would be amazing. (I had to laugh at the light-up elves running down the subway steps). A snowman waved cheerfully from a street corner, oblivious to the fact that there was no sign of snow anywhere.
What threw me off was how Christmas had landed right in the middle of the Hollywood setting, in the middle of Florida, with its palm trees and still-warm weather. I’m from Michigan; when I see Christmas decorations it’s usually freezing cold and overcast, if there isn’t snow already.
Also, in my opinion, it’s too early for Christmas. I understand that it’s a big commercial holiday, and you need to start shopping early, but in my mind, the Christmas holiday doesn’t start until Thanksgiving. Chalk it up to my childish mentality of Santa coming to town starting Christmas. And everybody knows he comes to town in the Thanksgiving parade…
So the Christmas setting threw me off. I don’t know why I was surprised, since Christmas had been creeping up on me since mid-October, when Uptown Jewelers started stocking Christmas ornaments. I got over it, though…until I got to work today. The scarecrows and pumpkins that lined Town Square and Main Street had been replaced with more greenery, along with giant candy canes and toy soldiers. Exposition Hall had been decorated with large strands of garlands and wreaths, and the Chapeau’s usual supply of sun hats had been replaced with festive holiday hats.
I was down. I love Halloween, and even though Magic Kingdom had been decorated since mid-September, it felt like a very short span of time. And Christmas seemed to be determined to attack me. I haven’t started shopping yet!
It’s going to be all right, though. I’m a fan of the Victorian Christmas theme. And this is Main Street, USA. You can’t find a more Victorian setting then that! I’ll be here for the winter holidays. It doesn’t get cooler.
Besides, I hear it snows during the Christmas parties.
Zoey Delmaire Writes 