<<Introduction>>

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening...in the lane snow, is glistening...A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight ... reading the INTERCOT Insider! With the Christmas season upon us, the Insider is getting into the festive sprit and is brining you this special Christmas edition filled to the brim with Holiday cheer. In this edition we check out a cool way to save big on a winter trip, find out how to cook some festive Disney confectionaries at home, learn about a great to place to stay with a large group, and count-down where to stay and what to see at Disney World during Christmastime.  Hang on to them hat's and glasses, cause this here's the most informative ride on the Internet!

<<Wonderful Winter Savings>  

with Magical Journeys Travel Agency

Guests can save big on vacation packages in the New Year.  From January 1 through February 11, 2010 Guests can save 30% or more on select Disney Value Resorts, all the way up to 45% savings on select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. There are even special rates/codes for Club Level Rooms. These can be combined with packages to include the Disney Dining Plan. This discount must be booked by December 31, 2009, so contact Magical Journeys for a quote today!

>> Magical Journeys

<< Disney Recipes for the Holidays >>

It’s the time of year for friends to gather and share the warmth and cheer of the Holiday Season. As an alternative to the typical foods of the Season, INTERCOTees can share a piece of Disney World at their Holiday Parties. The Walt Disney World resort has these festive recipes to share for some totally tasty treats.

Need a fun dessert sure to put a twinkle in your guests’ eyes? The Twinkle Tiramisu from Disney’s Pop Century Resort aims to do just that.

Want to present a piece of Christmas past? Then try the Chocolate-Coconut Confection Bars, a classic treat of yesteryear currently available at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

Having a black tie affair this Holiday Season?  Then Boma's black and white Zebra Domes are sure to be a hit both in theme and taste!

You can build tasty snow men or other Christmas sculptures with the Peanut Butter Playdough from the Coral Reef.

Looking for an alternative to the typical fruit pies of the Season? Then take a look at the Apple-Cranberry Pie from Epcot.

Want to celebrate paradise style? Then the Chocolate-Crusted Key Lime Tart from the Grand Floridian Cafe would be a great choice.

Tired of Eggnog? Celebrate like yesteryear with a corner soda shop favorite Walt's Favorite Chocolate Soda from The Plaza Restaraunt.

How about a treat as colorful as Christmas lights? The Tie-Dyed Cheesecake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort will serve up just that.

These are just a handful of the festive desserts in INTERCOT’s treasure trove of Walt Disney World Resort recipes, so before planning any Holiday party be sure to check out the full list.

>> INTERCOT Disney Recipe Section

<< Unwrapping a New Home Away from Home >>

with ALL STAR Vacation Homes

ALL STAR Vacation Homes is pleased to introduce Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa - our newest Disney area condominium rental resort. The port of call for your Orlando vacation, Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa features exciting resort amenities, including a full service European style spa, an on-site deli, swimming pools, a fitness center, game and billiard rooms, a movie theatre, Internet café, meeting space and more! Enjoy upscale two to four bedroom condo rentals with fully equipped kitchens, wireless Internet access and spacious covered patios - all just four miles from Disney!

>> All Star Vacation Rental Homes

<< INTERCOTee Top 5 … Christmas Sights & Stays>>

While Christmas is already in full swing at the Walt Disney Resort hotels, it's a great time of year to get in the mood for planning a Christmas trip next year or to grab some last minute info before heading down to the World in the nick of time for Christmas.  Here's a couple of Christmas countdowns to help you plan where to stay and what sights to seek out to get a full dose of Disney Christmas magic.

--Sights--

Coming in at number 5 … Santa's Gingerbread Bake Shop

Santa's Gingerbread Bake Shop at Liberty Inn (at the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot) enchants guests of all ages. Guests peer inside the life-sized gingerbread house at goodies galore. The giant structure, made entirely of gingerbread, cookies and icing, features more than 800 pounds of sugar and more than 1,000 eggs. Inside the bake shop, Christmas cookies and hot and cold beverages, as well as souvenir gingerbread recipe cards, may be purchased.

Coming in at number 4 … The 4 Christmas Trees 

Not just any four evergreens, but the Christmas Trees that embody each of the 4 theme parks.  These uniquely decorated and gigantic trees can be found in Town Square at the Magic Kingdom, the World Showplace at Epcot, the Entrance Courtyard at Disney's Hollywood Studios and the Entrance Courtyard at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  Be sure to take note of the different ornaments and garlands on each tree and how they capture the personality of their park.

Coming in at number 3 … Holidays Around the World Storytellers
 

World Showcase comes alive with these special, spirited renditions of Christmas and other Winter Holiday lore.  From international incarnations of Santa Claus to other December cultural traditions, this Epcot entertainment is both a favorite of many and something easily overlooked.  Make sure to look for the scroll signs at each pavilion noting the specific times for these shows.  They are typically timed so that you can walk from one pavilion to the next, leisurely, and catch each show in succession. 

Coming in at number 2 … Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Amped up in recent years, this small town spectacle has gone from the quaint houses of Residential Street to the stunning skyline of the Streets of America.  If that transition wasn't enough for this tradition, the display has also added the extra touch of "dancing" to the music intermittently through-out the night.  If you haven't seen this display for a few year, it is definitely worth re-visiting as classic entertainment has become something extraordinary.

And coming in at number 1 … Cinderella Castle DreamLights

The newest of the festive feats, Cinderella Castle is now nightly transformed into a magical sculpture of ice.  Sparkling turrets and stunning towers of illumination glow against the night sky in a truly breathtaking sight to behold.  For a bit of extra magic, be sure to catch the lighting ceramony where Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother magically transform the Castle into this wonderful, wintry state.

--Stays--

Coming in at number 5 … Disney's Contemporary Resort 

The largest wreath on property and an artsy twist on a Christmas treat are two reasons this season to stay at the Contemporary.  Disney’s Contemporary Resort features a new display of Mary Blair inspired Gingerbread creations.  Aptly appointed, this new Christmas treat can be found front and center of the Grand Canyon Concourse mosaic by Mary Blair herself.  The resort has also unveiled a large Mickey Mouse shaped Christmas wreath adorning one of the glass walls of the Grand Concourse.

Coming in at number 4 … Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort

It’s a Country Christmas for Guests of the Wilderness Lodge. The lodge lobby is decked out with wreaths, garlands, and a sequoia sized Christmas Tree. Everywhere you look around this red wood resort you’ll find rustic charms of Christmas.

Coming in at number 3 … Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

The Ships come sailing in on Christmas Day with a stay at Disney’s Yacht Club resort. Among the Nautical undertone wreaths and garlands, the lobby showcases sugary mountain and village. This mammoth sugar mountain is intricately detailed and completely made of confectionary construction.

Coming in at number 2 … Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Celebrating the Season Seaside, Disney’s Beach Club resort immerse Guests in all the Wonders of a Christmas confectionaries. Amidst glittering Christmas Trees, the Beach Club lobby showcases a A life-size, completely edible carousel -- made with gingerbread, chocolate and sugar paste.

And coming in at number 1 … Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Christmas is a Grand Ole Time when staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian resort. Guests encounter a Victorian Christmas in every nook and cranny of this resort from the grand decoration in the lobby, to the Seasonal sculptures subtlety placed about the sprawling grounds.  Awestriking Guests annually is a gingerbread house so large that it doubles as a real bake shop. Located in the Grand Floridian Resort’s lobby, the house features gingerbread using a classic Austrian recipe. The bake shop offers freshly baked items such as cookies and gingerbread ornaments. Other homemade items for sale include Stollen Bread, chocolate peppermint bark, lollipops and special Grand Floridian logo boxes filled with truffles. Demonstrations of how to decorate a gingerbread house take place in front of the Gingerbread House six days a week.  
 

<<Conclusion>>

The staff of INTERCOT would like to wish the best to you and yours this Christmas and Holiday Season. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank each and every one of you for the more than 16,000 subscriptions to INTERCOT Insider. We’ll be back just before the New Year with a brief look ahead at the year to come. See ya real soon!
 

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