Top 11 of 2011: My Recap

Well now that we are officially in 2012, I thought I would take a moment to look back at my top 11 Disney experiences of 2011.

11.  News of a new race!  I have to say I was very excited to hear just this past month that 2012 will be the start of a new 10 mile race through Disney's Hollywood Studios.  The Tower of Terror 10 mile race sounds like so much fun!  It's taking place at the end of September, and it is another night-time race.  Now I don't know if I'll get the chance to run this one this year, but I'm hoping to try it out sometime in the near future.

10.  Having a Disney scavenger hunt with Payton:  This summer when I was off work, my son Payton and I tried to find some Disney related things we could do to keep the magic going from our end of May vacation.  So, we made up our own home-town Disney scavenger hunt.  I'm going to do a full post on it sometime this year so that maybe it will inspire you to go looking for Disney touches in your own home town.  Needless to say, we had a lot of fun, even if it was Animal Kingdom hot outside!!

9.  Booking another vacation:  Back in August I made Walt Disney World vacation plans with my mom to take my son, Payton, and my nephew, Ari, to Disney in March 2012.  You can only imagine how excited I was to make these reservations!  I've taken my mom to Disney before and we had an absolute blast.  And of course, my son is nearly as big of a Disney geek as I am (the brainwashing really is working!).  Now I get the opportunity to introduce my 7 year old nephew to Disney on his very first trip.  As my mom likes to say, "You've got fresh meat!!"  He is so excited, and so is his aunt Mendy.  We are going to be staying at Coronado Springs (my first time at this resort), and we are taking him to several character dining experiences.  I cannot wait to take this vacation, then to come back and share it with you all.

8.  Disney vacation presents:  So to go along with number 9, I had a great time Christmas shopping this year for my nephew, Ari.  Since we are taking this vacation in March, I bought him several park related items, including Disney jammies, a Mickey t-shirt, an autograph book, and a lanyard with trading pins.  From the minute he opened the box, he couldn't stop talking about the trips, mostly about getting character autographs.  Have I said I can't wait for this trip...well, I CAN'T!!!

7.  Pirates:  Something I had been looking forward to for a while was the release of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides.  Well, not only did I love the movie (I mean, who can possibly get enough of Captain Jack Sparrow?), but I got to see it on opening weekend....on the Disney Dream!  It was so neat to say I watched Pirates of the Caribbean while on a cruise ship. 

6.  Waking up in Africa:  As I've probably said many times on this blog, Animal Kingdom Lodge is my absolute favorite place on Walt Disney World property.  The resort just feels like home to me, cozy, warm, comfortable, while still being exotic.  We were privileged to stay here again this past May, and even though I'm not a coffee drinker, one of the best experiences I had this year had to be waking up early to sit out on the balcony, drinking my water, and watching giraffe's outside my window.  I can honestly say that I get a huge lump in my throat when it's time to check out of this amazing Lodge and head for home.  I would live there if I could.

5.  Star Wars Geeking:  There is no doubt that Star Wars Weekend was a definite highlight for me in 2011.  Thanks to my dad, I'm most definitely a sci fi fan.  I remember watching Star Wars movies with him at home.  So even though I said that we did this just for Payton, really it was a little bit for me too.  And imagine my delight when I got to meet R2D2 and C3PO...and they talked to me!  I mean these robots didn't just stand there for pictures, or even just move their heads and blink...they TALKED TO ME!!!!  C3PO carried on a full conversation with me.  He even remembered Payton from meeting him earlier.  It was crazy cool!

4.  The Magic, The Memories & You:  Seeing this new nighttime castle show for the first time was amazing.  So was the second time!  I was absolutely blown away by the incredible graphics and photos projected seamlessly onto the castle walls.  This show is such an emotional experience.  It was truly incredible, and I can't wait to see it again.

3.  AquaDuck!!:  For many years, I never imagined getting to go on a cruise.  Now add on to that a water slide that is high up in the air, over deck 12, that has a tube which takes you out over the ocean.  No way...not me...well maybe just once....I LOVED IT!  The Aqua Duck is quite a rush, and I loved listening to my little buddy giggle and scream when we rode it together.  So awesome!



1.  And my top moment of 2011....drum roll please....Going on Vacation anyway:  May of 2011 was a seriously tough month for me.  I lost my job at the beginning of the month.  Since our vacation was scheduled for the end of May, both Kendall and I had some doubts as to whether or not we should even still go.  Luckily, it was already paid for.  So, we took the advise of several others and decided to go ahead and go for it.  And I'm so glad that we did.  Overall, the vacation was amazing, but the best part was taking that first step and decided to go, and to not let circumstances outside of my control ruin my magical experience.  Believe it or not, I think that was the first step toward all the good that has happened in my life since then. 

My year has definitely had it's ups and downs, and I've been so blessed in so many ways.  Now I'm looking forward to an amazing 2012 and all of the Disney and non-Disney moments to come. 

Happy New Year!!!

Still Learning After All These Trips

If you've stuck it out with me over the summer, you've read an in-depth trip report from our Disney Dream Cruise and Star Wars Weekend vacation.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read the report.  It is my sincere hope that it entertained you and possibly even gave you some good ideas for your own future vacation.

That being said, I think it's time to wrap it up.  As I did with the cruise portion of the trip, I want to share some things that I learned from our time at Walt Disney World.

1.  Taking it slow really is the way to go!
Now I know that many might argue this one with me, but I have to say, even with the madness that was Star Wars Weekend, this had to be one of the most relaxing vacations in Walt Disney World that we have ever had.  Granted, we've visited many times, and we plan to visit many more.  So we didn't really feel the urgency to rush around and "see everything" as so many travelers do.  If you are able to visit WDW this way, then please take the time to do it.  Figure out one or two "must do" things in each park, then take your time.  Meander a little.  Enjoy the view, the atmosphere, the people around you.  Enjoy each moment.  Savor your lunch rather than snarfing it down and running to the next thing.  You'll be surprised how relaxing WDW can actually be.

2.  The Force was with us.
When we decided to go to Star Wars Weekend, I was excited but I was very nervous.  I knew that the crowds would be bad.  I knew it would be hot.  But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be so much fun!  If you are a Star Wars fan or have a Star Wars fan in your house, you need to do this at least once.  And though the crowds were pretty intense at times, and yes, we did encounter a few fans who probably needed a tranquilizer dart to the backside, overall everyone was having a great time and the energy was awesome!  We met some really cool people in lines waiting to meet characters.  And it was so much fun having the interactions with the Star Wars characters!  They really got into it.  And honestly, it didn't get stressful.  We utilized the divide and conquer strategy, enjoyed some relaxing meals, and made the best of a torrential downpour.  If we are able, we will definitely do it again.  And this time we will go to more of the shows!

3.  We love the dining plan!
So I know that there is much controversy out there right now about whether or not Disney's dining plans are worth the money.  I've heard many a person say that they could eat much cheaper than that or that the plan should go back to including appetizers and tips.  What I can tell you is this:  because we didn't have the dining plan this year, we might have saved a little bit of money, but the stress was not worth it.  We agonized over absolutely every dining decision.  When we finally got to to to Le Cellier, we ate burgers.  Not steak, burgers.  Now I love my burger, don't get me wrong, but it's a steakhouse.  I wanted steak.  But I couldn't bring myself to pay that much in cash, knowing that it was our first day at Disney and not knowing what we might need to spend that money on later.  We nickled and dimed ourselves to death on the food.  When we finally broke down near the end of the trip and went to Boma because we love it, I nearly cried after we payed for it.  For our family, having the assurance that our food is paid for before the vacation, and that with a very few exceptions, I can order absolutely whatever I want without concern of the cost, is worth it to me.  So bring on the dining plan for our next vacation.  I'm tired of worrying about food!

4.  Take time to swim.

Now for many, this might sound sacrilegious.  You are at Walt Disney World, you have four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, and a partridge in a pear tree.  Why on earth would you hang around at your resort?  Because it's magical, that's why!  If you stay on property especially, your resort can be just as magical sometimes as visiting a park (or at least as magical as Downtown Disney).  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Animal Kingdom Lodge this year, and spent far more time in the pool than we have on previous trips.  In fact, one night while we were in the pool, the staff brought out an inflatable movie screen to show "The Aristocats."  Now yes, we did stay at a deluxe resort, but honestly, every Disney resort has some fun and relaxing options for you.  Swimming pools with amazing themes, arcades, gift shops, activities for kids and adults, and the amazing atmosphere that Disney is known for.  And guess what's great...everyone else is at the parks!  Resort time during the daytime is quiet and relaxing.  And so worth it.

(borrowed from flickr & edited)

 5.  Revisit the classics.
I think probably one of my favorite things we did this trip is take Payton on some of the "classic" Walt Disney attractions.  When you visit WDW often, sometimes you tend to gravitate toward what's new.  But it was truly a joy to get back on The Jungle Cruise again (esp. at park closing, it was kinda creepy!) and to sit and enjoy the Carousel of Progress.  We cannot predict what Disney will keep long term and what they will decide to change, so be sure to take in some of the true Disney classics.  I can't wait to get back and see the original Enchanted Tiki Room now that it's been restored to it's truest form!

There are so many other things I could say, but many would be a recap from the trip reports so I'll just close with this:  no matter what your plans are when you visit Walt Disney World, don't let them get in the way of the magic.  Take a breath.  Hug your kids.  Hold hands with the one you love.  And let Walt's dream soak in through your skin.  Play, have fun, and keep the magic alive.

Downtown Disney & The Magic Kingdom: Trip Report pt 6

When Saturday rolled around, we decided it was time to slow things down a little bit and enjoy some time at Downtown Disney and our resort before heading to the Magic Kingdom.  So after sleeping in a bit, we decided that the best way to get the day started was with a swim in the pool!  We headed down after a quick bite of breakfast and enjoyed a nearly empty pool.  The water was nice and warm.  What was really fun was that we were actually in the pool when the lifeguards came to open the slide!  Payton and Kendall both took turns on the slide while I just enjoyed the water.  After a few hours in the pool, I headed up to the room to get ready and the boys followed a bit later.

 Once we were cleaned up, we made our way over to Downtown Disney.  Oddly enough, it's my son who's addicted to this place because he loves to shop!  He was asking right away to visit Once Upon a Toy and the World of Disney store.  I, on the other hand, had only one thing in mind...Babycakes!

We started our morning at the Marketplace side bus stop.  Since it was time for lunch, we stopped at our new favorite DTD eatery, the Earl of Sandwich.  No matter what time of day, this place always has a line, but I have to say, they are extremely efficient and before you know it, you have your food in hand and the hunt for a table begins.  We were able to sit outside in the shade and enjoy some amazing sandwiches.

Now Once Upon a Toy was within visual range while we ate, so that was our next natural stop.  Poor Payton, every time we go there he finds stuff to spend his money on, and every time, we tell him to wait because we will come back by on the way to the bus.  Up next, Team Mickey!  This is Kendall's favorite DTD store, with all the various ESPN and sports related items.  He found a great buy on two ESPN t-shirts, and somehow, my son came home with a San Diego Chargers mini football helmet!  I'm still not sure how that happened!  After the boys made their purchases, we headed on to the World of Disney store.  I love looking around in World of Disney because there is just so much to look at!  Any possible item with a Disney tie-in can be found in this massive store.  There were so many T-shirts that I wanted to buy, and office items, and purses, and I could go on and on...but needless to say, I walked away empty handed.

A quick walk past the Lego store and we had finally arrived at the Pollo Campero/Fresh-A-Peel/Babycakes complex.  I am so looking forward to eating a full meal here in the future.  All of their offerings looked amazing!  We made a beeline for the Babycakes counter and each chose a cupcake to try.  Kendall picked up a banana cupcake, Payton got a chocolate cupcake with mint icing, and I picked out a lemon cupcake.  These were the best things I think I've ever eaten at Disney...and the only things we ate so fast that I couldn't get a picture of them!  If you don't know much about Babycakes, please check out their website at http://www.babycakesnyc.com.  It's hard to imagine that such amazing cupcakes (and everything else in their bakery cabinets) could be gluten free, refined sugar free, wheat free, vegan, etc.  But they are!  It got to taste Payton's but Kendall wouldn't let me near his!!  So next time you are in Downtown Disney, be sure to follow your sweet tooth to Babycakes.  It's totally worth it!

After our sweet treats, we made our way back across Marketplace and back to Once Upon a Toy so that Payton could pick up his souvenirs.  He built another light saber this trip and got a really neat Star Tours 2 poster as a gift.  Then it was back to the bus and back to AKL to rest up a bit for our evening.

The Magic Kingdom was on our agenda for the evening, so we headed over around five-ish, and our first stop was to meet Mickey Mouse at his new location in the Main Street Theater.  I have to say, I LOVE this meet & greet location, far better than Toon Town.  The theming is very well done, and carries over into the exit store.  I hope this one stays for a long time!

Up next, Carousel of Progress.  It had been many years since I had been on this ride, and my son had never been, so it was important to me to share this original attraction with him.  Needless to say, it brought back many memories and created a few new ones (as Payton's new favorite song to sing to me is "there's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow...").  Next it was time for me to smoke the boys on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin...325,700 points!!!

Because we've been to Disney so many times now, we really tried to do some new things this trip, things we've just not taken the time for in the past.  So we made a bee line toward Liberty Square in hopes of going over to Tom Sawyer Island.  Unfortunately for us, they were shutting it down.  Something to look forward to on our next trip!  Backup plan was Big Thunder Mountain, but it was having some technical difficulties and they weren't sure when it would reopen.  So, since we didn't want to ride Splash Mountain, we decided to take this time and have a bite to eat, and headed on to Columbia Harbour House.  We absolutely love this quick service restaurant!  My guys like seafood, and their chicken is pretty good too, so it works out for all of us.  Plus they have a wonderful seating area upstairs that is generally not very crowded and gives nice views of the park.

After dinner, it was time to head to Fantasyland, since Payton couldn't be convinced to do the Haunted Mansion.  Although we ride all of these rides nearly every trip, I really wanted to see the new queue line at Winnie the Pooh.  A lot of work has been done here to make it more enjoyable for guests.  Unfortunately, that work was really targeted toward the under 5 guests, and we were pretty bored with it quickly.  Also, the noise level was raised significantly in the honey bee section.  The walls of honey were a neat addition (lcd screens that appear to have honey dripping down, and when rubbed, sometimes you find hidden characters) but after exploring them a bit, you suddenly become aware of all the germy, nasty hands that have been rubbing on it before you.  Eww...  Of course, the ride itself is still one of my favorites, but we'll just stick with fast pass next time!

Another attraction that has become a family favorite is Mickey's Philharmagic, so naturally we had to take in a show!  If you've never visited this attraction before, prepare to be amazed.  This has to be the best example of what 4D should be.  You will experience flawless 3D animation along with amazing sounds and smells that leave you feeling like you are a part of the show.  It is well worth the time to see Mickey's Philharmagic!
 

Following the show, we decided to head toward the front of the castle to take in "The Magic, The Memories and You", as well as Wishes.  We found a nice little nook near Cosmic Rays and the boys found a seat while I went to pick up popcorn and sodas.  Once the MM&Y show started, we realized quickly that it wasn't the best viewing location and decided to catch the second showing.  It was nice though to just sit and enjoy our snack!  We watched a little bit of Wishes from that spot, then moved around to the Rose Garden area.  Of course, once Wishes was over, we were caught in the mass exodus across the bridge.  At that point, we just held on to each other and took baby steps as the crowd would allow.  Once we reached the hub, we moved over toward the Adventureland bridge and set up camp there.  We had a fantastic spot to watch the second MM&Y show near the bridge and across from Crystal Palace.  My goal was to move up the the Liberty Square bridge for the second Main Street Electrical Parade, then back into Adventureland following the parade and ride a couple of rides while the remaining masses left the park.  Amazingly enough, that plan worked!  So many people leave the park after Wishes, so if you are able to stay up a little later, I would highly recommend waiting for the second parade and enjoying the park with far fewer people in it!

I have to say, "The Magic, The Memories, & You" is a phenomenal show!  The technology combined with the music and photos of actual families visiting the park makes for a beautiful and emotional experience.  Videos don't do it justice, and mine was not that good anyway, but I've found one to share with you from WDWRadio!

Now the last time I had seen the Main Street Electrical Parade was when I had visited the Magic Kingdom at age 12.  I was so excited to see it again and share it with my guys!  SpectroMagic is amazing, but this parade holds a special place in my heart.  Especially Elliot the Dragon!  We were in such a great spot.  Still in the hub where we had the castle in the background, but right near the bridge with a very close view of the floats.

As soon as the parade was over, we made our way back to the Adventureland bridge as planned and were able to ride Aladdin's Magic Carpets and The Jungle Cruise.  Our cruise into the jungle was just a tiny bit too long and we didn't make it to Pirates of the Caribbean before closing.  So we headed back toward the buses and back to Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Gotta get some rest, another big day of Star Wars Weekend tomorrow!

 Next post, our final day of Star Wars Weekend and the trip home.  Hope you've enjoyed the journey with us thus far.  Please post any comments or questions.  I love hearing from you!
 

Back on Dry Land: Trip Report pt. 4

So the cruise on the Disney Dream was wonderful, but boy was I ready to be back on dry land.  Mainly because I knew I was headed "home" to Animal Kingdom Lodge!  My family has been privileged to stay at the Lodge several times now and I can say without a doubt that it is our favorite resort at Walt Disney World.  I fell in love with AKL from the first moment I stepped inside and now it really does feel like home.  The drive from Cape Canaveral was very easy and we even had time to stop and pick up some McDonald's for breakfast.  We checked in around 9:30 a.m. and since our room wasn't ready, we headed to the buses and on to Epcot.


This trip we opted to take it easy on our WDW touring, since we've been so many times already, so the whole goal was to hit our absolute favorites and to try and do a few new things as well.  So of course, once inside Epcot, we headed over to the Land pavilion to pick up fast passes for Soarin' later that evening.  Then it was on to the Imagination pavilion, Payton's favorite.  A quick ride on Journey Into the Imagination with Figment, a stop in the gift shop and our traditional "imagination" green screen photo taken, then on to Captain EO.  Payton was determined to see this show again, as we've heard rumors that it won't be around much longer.  I have a feeling that he and I will both probably cry when the official news comes out that it's being replaced, especially if they put Honey I Shrunk the Audience back in!


Up next, time to travel around World Showcase.  We slowly made our way over to the Canada pavilion to enjoy the gardens and to see the Circle Vision showing of O' Canada (something we had never seen before, believe it or not).  The show and pavilion are beautiful.  We were early for our reservation, but decided to go ahead and check in at Le Cellier.  Again, this was our first time eating at this restaurant, and it was such an enjoyable experience.  Because we weren't on the dining plan this trip (I'll have more to say on this later), and we had just spent quite a bit on the cruise, we opted out of steaks and decided to try the Le Cellier House Burger.  I also tried a small bowl of the Cheddar Cheese soup, while Kendall ordered their onion rings.  It was honestly too hot for soup, but I am glad I tried it.  It is very good, not something I would order every time, but I enjoyed it.  The burger was the absolute best burger I have ever eaten.  If I wasn't getting steak, I'm glad I got this!  Another great part of lunch was the pretzel bread that was brought out as an appetizer.  Delicious!

Following our wonderful lunch, we lazily walked on into the France pavilion and decided to take in a showing of Impressions de France, which luckily for us, was air conditioned and had seats!  The film and the music were both beautiful, but it was hard to keep our eyes open!  Not only were we a little tired and very full, but I was still fighting off the motion sickness a bit, and this film didn't always help that.

Then it was on to Japan, Payton's favorite pavilion in World Showcase.  The whole reason for stopping in Japan?  Why to shop of course!  Believe it or not, my son found a Godzilla t-shirt in the shop and had to have it.  Thankfully we were able to slow him down after that, because he was drooling over all the Power Rangers toys!  By this time we were all getting very tired and very hot.  I had wanted to go on to the American pavilion to finally see The American Adventure, but I was out-voted, and so we caught the Friendship Boat at Moracco and headed back toward Future World.  Then it was on a bus back to AKL.

Thankfully our room was ready once we arrived back at the Lodge.  I had asked them to text me when it was ready, but had never received a message.  We were assigned room 5122 with an amazing view of the Sunset Savannah.  We hauled our luggage up from the van, with the help of bell services, then took a few hours to just rest and relax before heading back to Epcot for the evening.

Photos from AKL taken over course of stay.

Once we felt ready to go, it was back to the park and to the Land pavilion again for a ride on Soarin' and dinner at Sunshine Seasons.  This is one of our absolute favorite quick service options, as they have so many choices and everything is delicious.  The boys shared some chicken (well Payton got a kids meal, then ate some of his dad's too!) and I had a turkey sandwich.  They finished before I did, so they headed off to Mission Space while I finished up and then leisurely took photos of the pavilion and the park on my way to meet them.  Epcot is just as beautiful at night as it is during the day.  Once they finished riding Mission Space, we walked around a bit, enjoying the cool breeze, then found a spot for Illuminations.  That fireworks show is simply amazing and brings tears to my eyes every time.

Since we were in for a big day at Hollywood Studios the next morning, and we were close to Future World, we headed on to the buses right as Illuminations ended, and thankfully got back to the Lodge pretty quickly.  Then it was off to bed!

Up next, our first day at our first Star Wars Weekend!  If you have a favorite location in Epcot, share it with me!  Please leave comments or questions below.  I love to hear your thoughts on the best spots in the parks, or the best time of day to visit.