Pictures, pictures everywhere!

Happy New Year to everyone. Wow, I can't believe that another year has passed. Where or where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday we were planning our big family trip for October, and now it has been almost three months since we took that fun trip. All we are left with are the memories and tons and tons of pictures. I am still working my way through all of the pictures and will hopefully get them into my album in the next few weeks. Every trip I am amazed by the large amount of pictures we take. This year was even worse than normal since we had so many people in our party. I not only have the nearly 1000 pictures I took, but also those of my daughter, in-laws, and photo pass to sort through and filter down to a meager 200 total to fit into the photo album. Every year I purchase a dated photo album while I am in Disney to hold all of our treasured photos. I personally like the ones where I can journal on the side of each one and tell who is in the picture and what we were doing. This is not only for me, but for my daughter down the road. Disney is constantly changing and I am sure that by the time she is grown we will have pictures from attractions that are no longer around. I also keep a copy of each park map and put it inside the photo album. I want to be a scrapbooker, and have done it in the past, but with our busy life this is about as much as I can find time for.
Where do I get copies of all my pictures? I usually upload them to Snapfish, or some other online photo site. The prints are usually around .07 each, unless I have some kind of coupon code (which I usually do). I try to upload them as soon as I can after the trip so that I can take my time editing them and so they will be ready whenever a good deal is offered. If snapfish runs a 24 hour special for 100 free prints, they are out there and ready for me to order without a frantic rush on my end to get the pictures uploaded and ordered within that time. This year, I ordered around 250 total for both my photo album and my daughter's autograph book. Plus I made a photo book for my mother-in-law for Christmas with the same photos. It has been a fun way to relive my trip over and over again. Hopefully soon the Disney photo album will be filled, the journaling will be done, and my family will have one more way to treasure the memories of the wonderful trip. I just hope it is before the next trip in a few months! Then the fun begins again :) Happy 2011 to all!

Pop Century

I think I have mentioned this before, but Pop Century is definitely our resort of choice every time we go to Disney World. We realized a few years ago that we would rather stay at a Value Resort on property every time and be able to stay a few extra days instead of going to a Moderate or Deluxe and stay fewer days. Of course the extra days is a big factor for us, but also we realized that we just aren't at the hotel a whole lot. We get up early, eat a quick breakfast from home in the food court so that we can be to the park for rope drop, then stay all day at the park. We get in around 9:00 at night, swim for about 30-45 minutes, take showers, and head to bed. We are probably in the room a total of 9 hours total a day, and most of those hours are sleeping. As long as the bed is comfy, we are happy. So these are reasons we stay in a value resort, now let me tell you why we choose Pop Century time and again (we have stayed at All Star Music twice and All Star Movies once for comparison).

One of the best things about Pop Century is the staff. Every person I have ever encountered at Pop has been super friendly and has gone out of their way to make our stay wonderful. This usually begins at check in, includes food court staff, gift shop staff, mousekeepers, and everyone in between. One example of great service this time was the concierge worker who helped to make my angel's birthday so memorable this year. I realized the night before her birthday that I didn't have a card for her. I had remembered a few gifts, but didn't have a card. So, I stood in line to ask the front desk if they could help. I asked the friendly girl if she had a card or something I could use as one for my daughter's birthday the next day. She went in the back and after a few minutes came back to ask my room number. I told her and she then said they were taking care of it. I asked if they had a card and she said they would leave one for her in the room the next day. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but thought ok, I can make that work. I was just glad that they were going to save me :) The next day when we returned to our room on her birthday there was a card (a picture of retro Mickey and Minnie in front of our building at Pop) along with a Pop Century bucket filled with little pop culture gifts from the 60's to 90's. It was super cute and way more than I expected. My daughter loved it and I was thrilled. I made sure to tell the manager the next day how much we loved the basket and that is why we choose Pop every time.

Another favorite of mine at Pop Century is the food court. It is huge and has several different bays to choose from which all serve different kinds of food. There is pizza, sandwiches, pastas, even TV dinners (remember the pop theme). I can't imagine someone not being able to find something they like here. They also have some yummy foods at the bakery area that you can get as a dessert (tie dye cheesecake is yummy) and an ice cream area as well that allows you to get huge sundaes or hand spun milkshakes for a dessert or snack as well. There are so many options and I love to eat here. They used to offer frozen cokes and icee's in the drink stations which was a wonderful treat after a hot day in the park, but sadly they replaced them a few years ago for tea. I am hoping they will bring that back one day!!!!

Another bonus for Pop is the bus service. They have their own dedicated buses that take you straight to the parks. Also, they only have one bus stop at the resort so you don't have to waste precious park time riding around to multiple stops inside of the resort like many of the moderate resorts do. The other value resorts (All Star Sports, Music, and Movies) share buses going to the parks. This can be particularly annoying in the morning, especially if you are staying at Movies. The buses pick up at Sports first, then Music, and if there is any room left, they go to Movies. As you can imagine, it can take several buses before they realize that the line is half a mile long and send an empty bus to get the Movie guests. At night, each hotel does have their own dedicated bus, but they really need it in the morning as well. Pop Century doesn't have that problem. Since it doesn't share with anyone, once you get on the bus, you don't have to stop anywhere except the park or Pop. The only problem is that the bus stop is almost always at the very end of the row at each park, so you have to walk a little farther then some of the other resorts. To me, that is a small inconvenience and I would rather walk a few more steps than make a few more stops.

One final favorite thing about Pop is the pools. We love the main pool which is shaped like a flower with several flower fountains spraying into it around the sides. There are also two other small pools at the resort. We haven't been in the computer pool, but since we were in the 50's building this trip we spent most of our time in the bowling pin pool this time and really enjoyed it as well. One more bonus is that thereare two fun areas for little ones to play in as well. There is a set of goofy pop up fountains that spray intermittently that are fun to play in and the kiddie pool has some big fountains inside of it as well. My daughter loves playing in these, and they are great for those nights I just don't feel like getting in the pool with her, but she insists on swimming. A win win for both of us.

So, if you are considering staying in a Value resort, I would highly recommend Pop Century. For all of the reasons mentioned above, plus comfortable, very clean rooms, you can't get a better value for your money and still be on Disney property.

Bibbity Bobbity Boutique

We are fresh off of our latest trip to the World and I have lots of posts running through my head, but since I am still trying to get my head above water I am sticking to an easy subject for now. We tried a few new things this trip and I will review those later, but for now I will stick to describing the experience that my little Princess had at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB).

First, let me say that I have been wanting my daughter to do this for the last few trips, but she always adamantly said no. She is not one who likes to be the center of attention and does not like anyone making a big deal out of anything she does. She gets easily embarrassed and does not like to do anything "different". These characteristics are what has kept her from agreeing to the makeover in the past. So, needless to say, when I asked her this year when we first started planning this trip if she wanted to do the BBB, I was shocked when she very enthusiastically said yes. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I started working in my head how we would pay for it :) Since we were going to be there (as usual) over her birthday, her Dad and I agreed that we would allow her to do the biggest package they have as part of her gift if that is what she wanted. When we offered it to her, she jumped on it and grinned from ear to ear. That right then is when the magic started for me. So, when the 180 day mark came, I called and made a reservation for her in the castle. For the next six months I heard many details about which Princess she was going to become.

Fast forward 180 days and the magic jumped to a million different levels. Her reservation time was 1:00 and several times that morning she brought up to me that she was going to do the BBB that day. My baby girl was excited (and I must admit so was Mommy). So, when the time came, we walked into the castle ready to be transformed. We signed in and then went to the wardrobe to pick out her royal dress. After a little discussion she (we) decided to be Belle over Jasmine. She really liked the long gloves that you could add to the dress and they were out of the wand that went along with the Jasmine dress (and Mommy was a little concerned over the belly being shown with the Jasmine outfit). So, she let them know her decision and she went to the changing area. They said the magic words (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo) and her royal costume was magically waiting in the changing room for her. Once she was dressed in her gown and shoes, she waited for her turn in the chair. Her wonderful Fairy Godmother in training did a great job of giving her the royal princess hair do and putting on her makeup and nail polish. While all of this was being done she was kept facing away from the mirror until they sprinkled the magic dust in her hair and they did the big reveal. She was then grinning from ear to ear when she saw her reflection. She was thrilled and so was I. It was worth every penny (though Daddy joked that it was the Second Mortgage Package).

Once she was transformed, she left the castle and headed over to a nearby shop to have her picture taken. The photopass photographer was great. He showed her how to hold her dress like a true Princess and put her in some really sweet poses. So after her "photo shoot" we picked out our favorite three shots and took home her "portfolio". The photographer also suggested that we head to Toontown to meet the princesses and have them sign her portfolio. So, off we went through the park and I have to admit it was precious. She was holding her dress high to keep it off the ground and grinning from ear to ear through the whole walk. Then we met the Princesses and they were wonderful. They made such a big deal out of how pretty she was and Belle really got into it asking her if she had gotten into her closet that morning and borrowed her clothes. My daughter's face had to hurt from all of the smiling she did :)

The whole rest of the day she enjoyed all of the compliments she received from both employees and guests. Later, we went to the Grand Floridian resort and ate dinner at 1900 Park Fare with Cinderella and Prince Charming. It was so much fun to see her walking so proud in her beautiful dress. It was a wonderful backdrop for all of the pictures we took! This was a wonderful way to end such a magical day for my Princess. That night she went to sleep with a smile on her face. Again, it was worth every penny.

When she woke up the next day her hair was still mostly in place. It was starting to fall a little, but we were at Downtown Disney and one of the workers at the BBB location there fixed it a little and helped to make it last one more day. Since she still looked so cute, it was easy for her to talk Daddy into splitting the cost of the Jasmine costume and she was a Princess once again. So, for the price, plus a little more for a second costume, we got two days out of our investment. If I would have known this, I would have packed one of her costumes from home to wear day 2 and saved the extra purchase :)

So, would I do it again? If she really really wanted to I would let her do the hair and makeup portion and I would take my own costume from home. It was definitely worth doing the whole package once, but I think the same effect can be done with only doing the hair portion. The workers were wonderful in every aspect from check in, to hair, to pictures at the end. They made a wonderful memory for my daughter that I don't think she will ever forget. I also think she was at the perfect age to do this. I would think age 4-9 are probably the perfect ages. I say this only because if you are paying this much you want them to remember it, and much older than 8 or 9 they are probably going to think that they are too cool for Princesses. I believe that if your daughter is asking for it and you can swing the cost, you should definitely do it. They are only young once and "next time" they may be too old to get the magic out of this experience. Who knows when they will be "too cool to do something so silly?"

Disney Transportation

Disney transportation is a wonderful tool for getting around Disney property. Imagine, being immersed in a world where you can literally park your car on the day you arrive at your hotel, and never touch it again until you check out to drive home. Better yet, imagine parking your car at the airport near your house and not using a set of keys again until you land after your trip. This can all be done through the magic of Disney. It may take a little bit of planning, but it can be a relaxing tool to make your vacation stress free. Now to offer you a few tips to make it stress free.

If you are flying into MCO (Orlando) and staying on property, you get to take advantage of Disney's Magical Express. This is a wonderful service that will pick you up at the airport, bus you to your resort, and even pick up your luggage for you at baggage claim and magically make it appear in your hotel room. All you have to do is take your family, along with your carry ons, and check in at the magical express booth when you land. The rest is handled by Disney. My only suggestion is if you do take advantage of this service, pack a change of clothes in your carry on and any essential medications as it could be three or more hours before you get your luggage delivered to your room. We learned this the hard way the first time we used this service. Although it was August, some of us wore jeans for the flight thinking we would change when we got to the room. Since our luggage wasn't there yet and we wanted to go to the parks, we walked Magic Kingdom in jeans in 95 degree temperatures. Lesson learned and that mistake was not made next time :)

When you fly, unless you choose to rent a car after you arrive, you are forced to rely on Disney transportation. With a little planning, this can be a stress free way to go. Getting from your resort to any theme park is easy. You simply walk to the bus stops at your hotel, find the sign for the park you want to go to, and get in line. Once the bus comes, get on, ride to the park, and be deposited close to the main entrance. Easy peasie. My only recommendation is to allow plenty of travel time. If you are trying to get to a park for opening, chances are a lot of others are as well so the line will be long. There is a chance you may have to wait for a second bus if the line is too long. Disney is pretty good about sending buses in the mornings so you probably won't have to wait long for the next one, but if you are insistent on being there for opening, or if you have a breakfast reservation, allow an extra 10 to 20 minutes in to your travel time just in case. There is one other thing that can slow down the buses in the morning (or anytime). More and more people are using the motorized scooters to get around, which are great, but they can slow the bus loading procedures down. The bus driver gets off and helps the passenger load the scooter. No one else can be on the bus while this happens, so everyone else starts loading once the scooter passenger is loaded. It can add 5 to 10 minutes based on the experience of the bus driver, so another example of why you need to plan ahead if you need to be at the park at a certain time.

Getting back to the resort is pretty easy, and actually pretty relaxing at night. You walk to the bus stops at the park and find the one labeled for your resort. Then you get in line, wait for a bus, and collapse onto it while the driver worries about the traffic around you. There have been more times than I can count where this ride has been taken with my sweet angel sacked out in my lap. Those were the sweetest rides!

So getting to the parks is pretty easy. However, getting to another resort for a dining reservation can be a little trickier. The best thing to do is to find the closest resort to the hotel you are trying to get to for your meal. Then you ride the bus to that park and catch a bus (or ferry, or monorail) to the resort you are trying to get to. Reverse the process to get back to your home resort. A few examples. If you are trying to get to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, ride your home resort bus to Magic Kingdom and then either walk or catch the monorail to the Contemporary. If you are trying to get to Whispering Canyon, again ride to the Magic Kingdom and catch either a bus or the water ferry to the Wildnerness Lodge. If you are trying to get to Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, ride your bus to Animal Kingdom, then ride a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. For this one though, when you leave you will probably have to ride the bus to another park as Animal Kingdom park will probably be closed by the time you are done with dinner. The important thing to remember is that buses do not run from resort to resort so you have to find a theme park as a transfer point.

One final suggestion. If you do have a car and don't like the idea of using the bus system, you can park free at the theme parks when you stay on property. However, I would suggest using the bus system for your days at Magic Kingdom. When you drive to Magic Kingdom, you park in the lot, then everyone has to either take the ferry or monorail to the park entrance. This can really add time to your morning. However, if you take the Disney bus they will drop you off right outside the turnstiles and you only have to walk a short distance to the front gate. This can really save you time in the morning, and when you leave at night.

Warning.....closures ahead

As I have mentioned in the past, we always travel in the offseason. Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful time to visit Disney World. The crowds are light, the weather is usually pretty mild, and we get to experience the wonderful Halloween decorations. There is however, one downside to offseason touring. Disney often takes advantage of the lower crowds and uses this time of year to update or clean up their attractions. Of course it makes sense that they can't do this while people are enjoying the attractions, so they have to close them. Luckily it is usually only for a week or two, but since trips usually average a week, there is a good chance you will miss the ride entirely while they do their updates and will have to wait until the next trip to enjoy your favorite ride. Most years we get pretty lucky and only miss one or two of our favorites, but this year we have several of our favorites that we will unfortunately have to miss :( So, my advise to you is to check Disneyworld.com or mouseplanet.com (read the weekly Walt Disney World Resort update) before you leave for closure updates to prepare your kids just in case any of their favorite rides will be closed during your trip.

Let's start at Hollywood Studios. They are doing a major renovation of the Star Tours ride. They are closing it for months as they change the whole story line of the ride. Don't get me wrong, it will be awesome when it is done, but sadly we will not be able to experience it this year. One other small closure comes with the High School Musical pep rally. This isn't a huge deal, but we still enjoyed watching it last year. The really sad part for us is that they are starting a new show to replace High School Musical that is based on Disney Channel music. Why is that sad? Well, because it doesn't start until a week after we leave so we will miss the new show! We are so close to seeing it, but hopefully it will still be going next year.

As far as I know, there are not any significant closures at either Epcot or Animal Kingdom while we are there. YAY!!! However, the closures are Magic Kingdom are biggies (for our family). The first closure is it's a small world. This ride is one of our faves so it will be weird not to ride it this year. The second closure is one of my daughter's faves, The Mad Tea Party. The third closure is Storytime with Belle. Although we have never seen this show, we were hoping to catch it this year. However, the rumor is that it will resume in the new Beast Castle when the Fantasyland expansion is complete, so I am crossing my fingers for that one. They are going to start a new show (again a few weeks after we are there) based on the new movie Tangled (about Repunzel). I guess we will see that one next year as well. The final two closures are sad for us, as they will never return. As I mentioned they are in the middle of a huge expansion of Fantasyland. When it is done, it will be amazing. They are adding a new Beast Castle and an area that is based on the forest of Sleeping Beauty. These two areas alone are going to be great. However, in order to do this expansion, they are having to close some of the current attractions. Unfortunately, this means that they have already closed two faves, Ariels Grotto and Pooh's Playground. My daughter's favorite Princess is Ariel, and she always loves visiting the Grotto. It always seemed like you were being transformed to under the sea as you waited to meet Ariel. We loved it. The good news is that there is a new area to meet Ariel (and I think Prince Eric) in Magic Kingdom. However, she is in her dress, and not her fins so it won't be as fun for my daughter. Hopefully they will find a way to get her sea legs back on her when the expansion is finished. The final permanent closure is Poohs playground. They have saved the tree from the playground and moved it beside the Winnie the Pooh ride, but the playground itself is gone. Although my daughter is now almost seven and too big for the playground anyway, this playground has a special place in my heart. They opened it up during my daughter's first trip ever when she was almost two and she was able to play on it the very first day it opened. So to see this one go, it tears at my heart a little. Oh well, it will all be worth it in the end and we will find some new favorites when the new Fantasyland expansion is complete!!!

Here We Go....

To quote Peter Pan... "Here We Go!". Our annual trip is a few short weeks away and I am definitely getting over the top excited. I love the few weeks leading up to our trip. It is so much fun to plan what I need to pack and I love buying our snacks for the trip. I have already started pulling out a few things and putting them in my backpack that I will be carrying in the park. I made it easier on myself a few years ago and created a list on my computer of things I would need for the trip and I saved it on my desktop. Now every time we go I just print a copy of it and it helps to make my packing so much easier. This year I was excited to be able to mark a few things off the list....such as a stroller and snacks for my daughter to have in the parks. Maybe we can get by with only 5 bags for a family of three instead of 6. Though I am sure I will find something to fill that last bag before we go :) That is one advantage to driving instead of flying this year, though no matter how hard I try, I always manage to take way more than we need.

So, as I am getting ready to go, what kind of bags am I packing? I usually pack one suitcase per family member full of clothes. I always start with enough for one outfit per person, per day. I then take about 3 or 4 extra sundresses for my daughter since they don't take up much room, and 2 more shirts. Then I add 3 extra shirts each for my husband and myself since it always seems to be "hotter than normal temperatures" while we are there. Sometimes it gets very hot, even in October so it's nice to have a back up shirt. Besides, I am a girl after all and I like to have choices while I am there. So, this takes up four suitcases by the time I add the extra clothes. I know that I could save myself a bag by taking half the amount of clothes and do laundry while I am there. However, that will not ever happen. First of all, I am on vacation and therefore I refuse to work while I am there. That means I will not be doing laundry, or cooking any meals. I'd rather pack more suitcases and tie them on top of the car if I have to...anything to avoid work while on vacation. My other excuse for not doing laundry is that I don't want to be seen in my pictures later wearing the same outfit on different days. That would be tragic in my book :)

So what goes in the other bags? One bag I fill with breakfast food, toiletries, and snacks. This one only includes items that will not be coming back home with us (when my daughter was small we filled one whole bag with diapers and snacks for her alone). Then, when we get ready to pack up to come home, I have a whole empty suitcase that I can fill with souvenirs. This way my dear husband can't give me the excuse of not having room to bring something home. I can sweetly remind him that I have planned ahead and I have room for lots of T-shirts, knick knacks and whatever else I just have to have while I am there. He loves this trick of mine!

One small bags is packed full of shoes. This is not solely due to the fact that I am a girl I promise. Since we go for 10 days at a time, by the end of the trip my feet have walked a lot of miles. I have to switch out my shoes every day, and sometimes twice in one day if we take a break to the room. So, we each have at least one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of shoes to wear to the pool, and some flip flops. My husband has two pairs of flip flops while my daughter and I have, well, a few more than that. Again, we are girls after all and have to coordinate with our daily outfits :)

One other bag is packed for the parks. I have tried several different bags through the years, and I think I have finally found a style that works really well for me. It is called a cinch sack. I bought mine from a friend who sells Thirty One products, but there are many companies who make these. A cinch sack is a nylon bag with rope on the top and bottom that you put over your shoulders. I LOVED this bag last year for a few different reasons. First of all, it was super light, so no matter how much stuff I had in it, I truly often forgot I even had it on my back. The weight was somehow perfectly distributed across my back. There were a few times I would sit down on a ride only to realize I forgot to take it off my back. Which leads me to my other reason for loving this bag. It was super easy to slip off of one shoulder as I was boarding a ride and I was able to hold it in my lap on almost every ride. There were a few rides that I didn't quite trust myself to remember to hold on to the bag while we were riding (Expedition Everest, Big Thunder Mountain, etc). In this case, I would simply wrap the rope around the lap bar a few times and then lay it in my lap. It was extra insurance that it would not end up in the center of the ride with all of those other "loose articles" that they tell you to hold on to.

So, I have raved about my backpack for the parks. Now here is a quick overview of the items that I carry in it.
1. My camera of course
2. My id wallet (with my license, VISA rewards card, insurance card, photo pass card and room key only)
3. A bottle of hand sanitizer
4. Some Wet Ones travel wipes to clean up a messy face after someone eats a Mickey ice cream bar
5. A copy of my daily itinerary
6. Some ziploc bags for protecting valuables on a water ride or for taking along leftover fruit or cookies from lunch
7. Travel size sunscreen
8. A sundress for my daughter just in case of an emergency
9. Sunglasses for myself and my daughter
10. Travel poncho we purchased for $1.00 that we can throw away if we use it or that we can use to help save our spot while waiting for a parade

I think that about sums up what I am planning on taking with me this trip. One other thing we will take is birthday gifts and room decorations for my sweet baby girl who will once again be celebrating her birthday while we are on our trip. Happy almost seventh birthday to my sweet angel!

Disney traditions

As a little background about me, I am a major planner and I like to stick to a routine. Therefore, I do a lot of the same things over and over again and I don't do well when someone or something throws a wrench in my plans. That being said, I thought today I would share a few of the traditions that our family has when it comes to Disney World. We have a few things that we do every year to get ready for our trip, and a few things that we are always going to do while in the World.

First thing I do after booking my trip, is I get out a spiral notebook and folder and label it with all of our information (dates, confirmation #, hotel, etc). I then use this and note every phone call I make, every reservation I make, all park hours for our trip, and eventually our daily itinerary. This folder and notebook will then make the trip with me so that I have all of my notes in case there is an issue while we are on our trip. Next I purchase the newest copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and read a few pages of it every morning with my coffee.

About 200 days out from our trip I make a countdown calendar for my refrigerator. I also mark the weeks on my calendar so that I can look at it at any given time and see exactly how close (or far) we are to our next trip. About 100 days out, my daughter and I create a countdown chain using construction paper links that she uses to countdown to our trip. She loves this as she can visualize how much closer we are getting to our trip and she doesn't have to ask me daily, "When are we going to Disney World".

At exactly the two month mark, we change out the CD in our car to the official Disney World music. We bought the CD several years ago and it has songs from the various rides and shows in the parks. It is all we listen to until we hit the road for our big trip (I do have to admit that this year the song from Splash Mountain is getting played a little too much, but it is my daughter's favorite this year so I will continue to listen to it ten times a day just to be able to hear her quietly singing in the back seat).

Around the one month mark, give or take a week, my husband usually does some kind of countdown for us as well. The year before last he emailed us a different image from the park every day with a countdown number on it. Last year he made Mickey heads with the countdown number on it and hid them in a different place every day. On the last day he had a larger than life Mickey head printed up and covered the front of the car with it. It was an exciting image to see as we prepared to pack the car. This year he had a very large poster made with an image of Mickey and the castle, along with all of my daughter's favorite characters on it. He cut it down into 40 different puzzle pieces, which he has been hiding, with the countdown on it. We are about halfway through the poster right now, and it is so much fun to see the image come together. We are once again loving our countdown.

This year we also are doing one more thing to get ready for the trip. My husband has a big velvet "Mickey bag" that is full of about 80 pins for trading in the park. Each Saturday my daughter is able to reach into the bag and pull out one pin. The ones that are not chosen will stay in the bag until next year. It is the little things like this that help pass the time each year to help our annual trip get here just a little faster.

Once the trip gets here, there are a few things that we do every year in the parks. Now of course there are a lot of rides that we have to ride, or certain restaurants that we have to eat at, but that is not what I am talking about. Every year, we always try to start our trip at Magic Kingdom. A few years we got there midday and thought we would go to Hollywood Studios first. It was nice, but no where near as exciting as starting at Magic Kingdom. I think it is safe to say that won't happen again :) There are several places that we have to take our annual pictures while we are at the parks. In Magic Kingdom I always get a picture of my husband and daughter riding the TTA, and I used to get a picture of my daughter on Pooh's playground (she was there the day it opened so it was always a special place for us until they closed it this year). At Epcot we always get our picture with the characters in the VISA meet and greet area. At Animal Kingdom we always get a picture of my daughter with the dinosaur car at the entrance to Dinoland. In Hollywood Studios we always get a picture of my husband and daughter "riding" the star wars racer thingy (sorry honey I don't know the name) out in front of the Star Tours ride. Last year they had taken it out for a few weeks, so we missed that annual picture last trip. One other tradition is we always try to have Giordano's pizza at least one time during our trip. One year when we flew we had it delivered, but when we drive we try to make our way there at least once.

I am sure that there are other traditions as well, but right now I am drawing a blank and I have written enough. What are your traditions for either getting ready for the trip or while you are there? I would love to hear them.

Animal Kingdom Must Do List

This will probably be my shortest blog yet :) I am really not a big Animal Kingdom fan. Don't get me wrong, we go every trip, but there really is not a lot at this park that I just have to do. In fact, we are usually done at this park a little after lunch and have yet to even see the afternoon parade here because we can't find enough to do to keep us at the park until 3:45. We tried really hard to stay for the parade last year, but we just couldn't find anything else to do to keep us busy so we went back to the hotel for a swim instead. I am hoping that we can make it this year and will finally be able to see the Jammin' Jungle Parade....cross your fingers for us.

There are a few fun things at this park. I love love love Expedition Everest, and now that my daughter is able to enjoy it as well, this is our #1 must do first thing in the morning. After we watch the opening ceremony we head straight to Expedition Everest and ride several times in a row. Next we head to Dinoland and take our annual picture in front of the cut out Dinosaur car. After that we ride Triceratop Spin about 10 times with my daughter and maybe play a carnival game or two. This year, I am very much looking forward to taking my daughter on Primeval Whirl for the first time. I mean spinning in circles and roller coasters are two of my daughter's favorite types of rides so of course she should like it as much as I do (or at least I hope so anyway). After Dinoland we will head to either Kilimanjaro Safari to get a fast pass or to Kali River Rapids for a fast pass. Once we do these two rides, we will have ridden everything we care to ride at Animal Kingdom.

We will try to see a show or two if we can time them right. There are two fabulous shows at this park that I highly recommend seeing. One is Nemo, and the second is Legend of the Lion King. Both of these are phenomenal and very much worth seeing. So, if you have a few minutes and want to take a break from the Florida heat, these are both great shows!

We don't really have a favorite lunch spot at Animal Kingdom. We have eaten at Pizzafari several times and it is pretty good and last year my husband had some BBQ from Flame Tree BBQ which he liked pretty good as well. I would recommend either of these two as a decent option, especially if you are like us and don't like to eat anything too adventurous (like some of the food of Asia or Africa). Give us simple sandwiches or pizza and we are usually pretty happy. We did want to try the new picnic in the park option last year, but we chose not to since you couldn't special order the food. My husband wanted to try a sandwich, but didn't want the veggies on it, or the mayo based sauce. They wouldn't let him order it special, so we sadly passed and went a different way. I am hoping that they either have more options this year, or that they finally allow you to order the sandwich without the special sauce. If not, we will once again probably eat at Pizzafari :)

OK, my dear husband brought up a good point after reading this post. I must point out there is one ride that we usually avoid like the plague at Animal Kingdom. My husband and I used to enjoy Dinosaur until our little angel came along. We took her on it when she turned four because she was the required 40" and we had forgotten all the specifics of the ride. This was a BIG mistake. This ride terrified my baby girl. It was a combination of darkness, jerky movements, and big overly scary dinosaurs that are a little too real that did it for her. She will probably never ride this one again. So, as a public service announcement, I urge you to experience a ride first and look at it through the eyes of your child before having them ride it if you are at all unsure whether or not your little one will like it. Sometimes, just because they are tall enough, it doesn't mean they are old enough.

OOPS, forgot one of my favorite things at Hollywood Studios

I cannot believe that I totally forgot to mention the Block Party Bash at Hollywood Studios. It is absolutely, hands down, the best daytime parade I have seen at Disney since my first trip in 1986. This is a parade and dance party all in one and is so full of energy. As soon as I hear the first strains of the song Celebration, I start grinning from ear to ear and swaying from side to side. It is absolutely not possible for me to not sing and dance along....and even if I wanted to try not to, the characters in the parade will ensure you get involved. The parade is full of the most popular and well loved Pixar characters from movies such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, A Bug's Life, and Monsters Inc. If you do not see any other day parade while you are vacation I urge you to see this one. I promise, you won't forget it and your kids will LOVE it!


Now, read on to see what else makes Hollywood Studios one of my favorites :)

Hollywood Studios Must Dos

Hollywood Studios is my second favorite park on the Walt Disney World property. There are many people who would probably disagree with me, but there are so many fun things to do here. It is a totally different theme park experience than all of the other Disney parks. Although I wouldn't go so far as equating it to the classic Universal Studios, it is close. I have been to Universal a few times and absolutely love it because you really feel like you are being immersed in classic movies. We haven't been there in several years however because I don't feel like my daughter, who is almost seven, is old enough to really enjoy it yet. We will probably try it again soon, but if I had to choose either Universal of Hollywood Studios, I would probably choose Hollywood Studios nine times out of ten. The one thing that Hollywood Studios has going for it (other than the Disney magic of course), is that you really get a sense of how the movies are made. Universal has a lot of rides that are based on the actual movies, while Hollywood Studios has a lot of attractions that show how movies are actually made. Ever since I was a little girl I have always enjoyed seeing how things are made, so this is probably why I have a preference to this park.

So where does our family start? After the opening ceremony, we always head to Toy Story Midway Mania first. This ride will have an hour plus wait within 30 minutes of opening (even in the off season). What we do is send fast walking Daddy ahead of us with the front of the crowd while my daughter and I walk at a slower pace. Daddy goes straight to the fast pass machine and gets the three of us fast passes for about an hour later. By the time he is done, we have reached the line and the three of us ride this amazing ride. Then we walk down and experience The Voyage of The Little Mermaid. After we spend what seems like an eternity in the Princess shop at the exit to The Little Mermaid, we either head back to Toy Story if it is time for our fast pass or over to Sunset Boulevard. Once we get to Sunset Boulevard we ride (or get fast passes for) either Tower of Terror or Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, using the baby swap...or in our case the kid swap.

The baby swap is a great and wonderful concept that allows both parents to wait in line with the baby (or child) and when it comes time to board the ride, one parent is whisked away to a waiting area with the child while the other parent rides. After the first parent is done, they are led to the waiting area to relieve the other parent who is then led back to the front of the line to ride. It is so much easier than splitting up the family for a long period of time while both parents take turn waiting in two separate lines. I am very excited about our upcoming trip in October as my little angel with finally be big enough to ride the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. She loves roller coasters and most thrill rides so I am hoping that she will love this one as much as we do. Our rule in our family is that you have to try every ride at least once. This has worked wonderfully for us, and there are only two rides on Disney property that my child refuses to ride again. One is at Animal Kingdom (more details to come later) and the Tower of Terror. So, until we are able to coax her into riding it again, we will continue to use the baby swap for this one.

After these two rides, we plan the rest of our day around the show schedule. One important note about this park, it has a lot of amazing and fun shows, but you have to really plan your day around the show schedule to make it to all of them. There are two shows that we will not miss at this park. The first one is for our daughter (and myself too I must admit). It is the Beauty and the Beast show. I have heard the comparisons of this to Broadway and I would have to agree. The music and dancing is amazing and it tells the whole story of the movie in 25 minutes. Awesome!!! The other show we have to see is Indiana Jones. This is another amazing show that really emphasizes how stunts are done in action movies. It is so much fun and I have to say that my husband LOVES this show. He loves it so much that he has been a part of it two of the last three years. He loves doing whatever he can to get noticed to be a part of the show and has enjoyed every minute of it. It's great fun for all.

So, around these two shows we experience the rest of the park in whatever order we get to it. Since we go in the off season we are usually able to do everything we want in one day without much planning. A few of the other rides that we make sure not to miss are The Great Movie Ride (which is awesome to experience in the late afternoon when you can't take the heat anymore or your feet are killing you), The Backlot Tour, Muppet Vision 3D, and Star Tours (which will very sadly be closed during our October trip as they change out the ride for a whole new experience in 2011).

One other hidden gem that we discovered last year was the Magic of Disney Animation. We had always walked right by this before for some reason, but I can assure you it will be a must do on every trip from now on. This starts with a quick show that demonstrates how the artists bring a cartoon character to life on paper. Once you exit this show you are deposited right into a treasure trove of Disney Characters. We were in here for almost an hour meeting Sorcerer Mickey, Chip and Dale, the Characters from the movie Up, The Incredibles, Minnie Mouse, and Pluto. I think there were a few more, but can't remember who right now. The lines were SHORT, and I mean no more than 10 people at the longest!!! As if this wasn't fun enough, we saw a small waiting area and some doors in the corner just before we were about to walk out the door. We asked the worker what it was and she said it was a show where an animator teaches YOU how to draw a Disney character. We thought, why not? So, we waited for the show to start and were blown away with the fun we had. You are seated at a drawing desk with paper and pencil and the animator truly does teach you how to draw a character (and makes it seem easy). I was quite proud of my drawing, and absolutely loved seeing the one my daughter made. We all enjoyed it so much that we waited for the next show and did it again. We now have our pictures of Minnie Mouse and Tinkerbell as wonderful (free) souvenirs from our trip!!!

A few other quick notes about Hollywood Studios. We usually eat our quick service meal here at Pizza Planet, though the Backlot Express has some pretty yummy food as well. If you really want something fun and different, get a turkey leg at Toluca Turkey Legs on Sunset Boulevard. We aren't very keen on any of the table service restaurants here. We ate at Mama Melrose's last year and it was decent, but not memorable. We are eating at Sci-Fi Drive In for our second time this year. We ate there when my daughter was just shy of two and it was not the fun meal I had hoped for. The main reason for that though was the cramped car since she sat on the bench between us as the high chair didn't really reach the table of the car. I will let you know our review of this one this time.

If you want to see the amazing nighttime show Fantasmic, you will have to plan to be at the park on one of the few days during the week in which it is showing. Last year Disney decided to only show it two or three times a week which makes it really hard to catch. The two problems with the new schedule is that (1) you have to plan to be at the park on the selected days in which it is showing. (2) Everyone else is trying to see that show so the park is more crowded on those days and the lines to get into it are WAY too long for me. Nothing for me is worth having to wait in line 90 minutes, even if the show is wonderful and my daughter loves it. The crowds going in are way too crazy for a semi-claustrophobic person like me.

Is the Dining Plan Worth the Money?

First of all, what is the dining plan? Well, it is a very convenient program that Disney has created that allows guests to bundle all of their meals into one easy package. There are several different plans to choose from, but I would say that the two most common ones are the quick service plan and the basic dining plan. The quick service plan allows for each guest to have two counter service meals and two snacks per day, plus they get one free resort refillable mug per person on the plan (29.99 per adult and 8.99 per child). The basic dining plan allows for each guest to have one counter service meal, one table service meal, and one snack per day ($41.99 and $11.99 for most of year, though this price depends on the time of year you visit). I believe I saw that the prices are going up in 2011, but I don't know how much. If you get a counter service meal (walk up restaurant where you serve yourself) on the plan, each person gets a drink, entree and dessert (or one combo meal). If you get a table service meal (sit down restaurant where you order at a table or a character buffet) on the plan, each person gets an entree, drink, and dessert. One note, every person in the room has to be on the same plan.

So, now you now a few basics about the plans. Now back to my original question...is it worth it to buy a plan? This depends on your goal for being on the plan. Is your goal to save money or is to take a lot of hassle out of your trip and to add a little convenience?

If your goal is add some convenience to your trip I would suggest the dining plan for you. One of the main advantages to having the dining plan is that it is a great tool in helping you to budget before your trip. You know how much you are planning on spending for food before you even leave home. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of budgeting when you begin planning your trip. All that is left to budget for is souvenirs, a few bonus treats, and transportation costs. Plus, while you are on your trip, you simply show your Key to the Kingdom card (your room key and park pass) at the restaurant and you don't have to open your wallet. If you are on the basic dining plan and eat at a table service restaurant, you will have to pay gratuities (if there are six or more in your party, this will be automatically billed to you). There are two options for paying for gratuities. You can either pay out of pocket or if you set up charging privileges on your room key, you can charge the tips to your room.

If your goal is to save money on dining, I would not normally suggest the dining plan, unless your family is full of really big eaters. If you would normally get a dessert at every single meal (including counter service meals), then you will probably save some money on the dining plan. We have had the dining plan on our last four trips and have kept the receipts to see how much we were saving on the plan. When I first looked at the receipts I thought wow, we saved almost $200 by simply being on the dining plan. Then I looked at the receipts a little more closely and realized we probably only realistically barely broke even. The reason I say this is because I would not normally get a dessert at any meal. If I were to add an extra item to my entree, it would be an appetizer. Also, the entrees are so huge, I can never finish them (and seeing as we always head back into the parks, taking a doggie bag with me isn't feasible). Also, since it seems like we are always eating while we are there, I have a hard time spending all of my snacks. Because of the fact that I don't really eat the snacks or desserts, when I took those items out of the equation, we barely broke even.

Now, for the last four years, plus our upcoming trip in October, we have been really lucky to get the dining plan for free. So, obviously, that makes it worth it for sure. We usually stay at Pop Century, which means that had we not booked our upcoming trip on a bounce back offer, we would have to pay $10 per adult and $2 for our child to upgrade from the free quick service plan to the basic dining. For $22 a day, I still would have jumped at that opportunity. I would probably never choose to have the quick service plan (even if it is free), but will definitely pay to upgrade to the basic dining plan. We love having the opportunity to enjoy some table service and character meals every day. That being said, we will have to continue to work the numbers each trip to see if it is worth it to purchase the dining plan for our family. Of course, I will always cross my fingers that Disney continues their tradition of offering free dining during our fall break and then the decision will be an easy one for me :)

One special note, if you decide to go with the basic dining plan, I cannot suggest strongly enough the importance of making your dining reservations for your table service meals as soon as possible. Reservations can be made 180 days out from your check in date. I know a lot of people detest trying to plan when and where they want to eat in six months, but if you don't make your reservations and get the restaurants you want, then the dining plan is not going to be worth it for you.

For additional information on the various plans, check out one of my favorite websites (touringplans) here http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=94. Also, check out the Disney World website here http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ to see the different restaurant options or to book a reservation. Happy dining :)

Magic Kingdom Must Do List

Let me start by saying that Magic Kingdom is by far my favorite park (and probably the favorite for most others as well). For me, the Magic Kingdom is the most magical park of all and it encompasses what Disney is all about. There is truly something for everyone of all ages there, and it makes me feel like a kid again from the minute I walk through the front gates. Speaking of walking through the front gates, I am always one of the ones wiping my eyes during the opening show. I don't know what it is, but every year I cry on my first day and last day at Magic Kingdom. When we get there, I cry because I am so excited to be there. On the day we leave, I cry because I am so sad to leave and I hate the thought of waiting another year to experience the magic. Now don't get me wrong, I am not sobbing by any means, but I have the few stray tears running down my face. I can usually cover them up with my sunglasses, but every now and then my husband looks at me and smiles because he can tell I am doing it again. I am getting caught up in the moment and mentally preparing for my trip down Main Street.

Now, once you enter the Magic Kingdom and pick up the map at the train station, where do you go? There are so many attractions to choose from, how do you know where to start? Hopefully you have already done your research and you know what shows and rides your family has on their must do list. Every family has a different list. Some include spending the majority of their time in Fantasyland, while others want to check off experiencing all of the different mountains. Our list is a little bit of a both of these. We usually start off in Fantasyland (we arrive at opening so that we can experience these rides with little wait). After we do everything in Fantasyland we head over to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. We usually go in October when the crowds are lighter so we don't have to wait too long for these two rides. We will check out the wait times for both and get a fastpass for the longer wait, then head to the other one to wait in line (usually only about 20 minutes at this time of day in October). Once we experience the first ride, we head to the one we had fastpasses for. If we are lucky and our fastpass return time is ready, we ride the ride, if not, we head to Pirates of the Caribbean since it is close and ride it while we wait for our fastpass time to arrive. The rest of the day we just take our time wandering through the park and riding rides that have short waits or we pick up more fastpasses as needed. Again, the time of year we go allows for a lot more of a leisure pace for touring and we usually get to experience everything we want in one day, including watching all of the parades. Here is a list of our family's must do list for Magic Kingdom. These are the rides and shows that we won't leave the park without experiencing at least once. Hope they help you in your planning.

1. Dumbo (my six year old still loves this ride)
2. it's a small world
3. Peter Pan's Flight
4. Winnie the Pooh
5. Mickey's Philharmagic
6. Mad Tea Party
7. Haunted Mansion
8. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
9. Splash Mountain
10. Pirate's of the Caribbean
11. Buzz Lightyear
12. Space Mountain
13. Afternoon parade (is currently Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade)
    
14. Spectromagic light parade (is currently Main Street Electrical Parade)

A note, when we were there last year they were doing the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party and that was a blast. We did that every day we were in the park and the whole family really got into the music and dancing. As long as they do this, this will be a must do on my list!

Anyone want to trade ?

We love pin trading in our house. My daughter really really gets into it and has a blast doing it. For anyone who may not know what pin trading is, every cast member has a collection of pins that they wear that they will trade with anyone who asks. In any given day, you will see hundreds of guests (of all ages) walking up to cast members and asking to see their pins. It is a great past time and provides a fun and memorable souvenir from every trip.

There are a few rules to pin trading. First of all, you must have a genuine Disney pin to trade. These usually have a rubber mickey mouse shaped head for a back and say pin trading on the back of the pin. Second of all, if a cast member has a green colored lanyard (this is the necklace or square piece that the pins are attached to) then only kids can trade with that particular cast member. As far as I know, these are the main "rules" that apply to pin trading.

Pin trading has saved our sanity many times while standing in long lines. Just when my daughter starts to get antsy and start asking how much longer we have to wait, we often reach a cast member who has pins. My daughter passes the time by looking at their pins and making the hard decision of whether or not to trade. It's actually often pretty easy for her. She usually knows exactly what she wants....first choice is Ariel, second choice is most any Princess. If there are not any of these available, she often moves on. Every once in a while she sees a fun one that is not a Princess, but that is a not the norm :) She also enjoys looking at pins that the other guests have. Although you can most certainly trade with other guests, my daughter doesn't like to do this. I guess it is more fun for her to stick to the cast members.

So where do you get these pins? You can buy them at Disney for a price of anywhere from $5.95 upwards to $15.95. They sell pins individually, or in "starter sets" that include four pins and a lanyard to put them on for around $24.95. These are great options for people who don't know about this past time before the trip and get pulled into the fun while there. We however take a different route. We buy our pins in bulk before our trip and trade them while we are there. We go to EBAY several months before our trip and look for sellers who allow you to pick your "lot" size and get pins for around $1.00 a pin. This summer we bought a few for $1.15 each and chose 20 of them. A few weeks later we won an auction that allowed us to get 100 for around $65 shipping and all. When you combine the amount we paid and the number of pins we received in both shipments, it averaged to $.80 a pin. That is a WHOLE lot better than the average price we would have paid at Disney. The great thing about ordering them the way we do is that we get a huge bunch of pins that my daughter doesn't like. This makes it super easy for her to trade these "ugly" ones for the beautiful Princess pins that she so covets during our trips.

This year, since we have so many pins, we are allowing our daughter to pull a pin from the "Mickey bag" each week leading up to our trip. It gives her something to look forward to each week, and is helping the time to pass a little quicker leading up to October. We have her lanyard bought (for $1.00 at Party City) and are getting ready for another fun round of pin trading. It is always so much fun to return from a trip and see all of the pins she comes home with. We often remember how and where she acquired each pin and it brings back fun memories of our amazing trips. I can't wait to see what pins, and memories, we bring home this year!

Why Disney World ?

I have so many people ask me about my obsession with Disney World. Most people just don't understand how I can go every year and not get tired of the place. When I tell people I am excitedly planning a trip to the World, many look at me and say, "but didn't you just go? How can you be so excited about going again? Aren't you tired of it"? To those people I just laugh and say "No way"! Every year is a brand new trip and we experience things in whole new ways, or find new things that we have never done in trips past. I have a dear friend who tells me over again that she doesn't get it. She does not enjoy Disney (gasp) and only goes for her kids. She would rather go to the beach and relax for vacation. As a matter of fact she usually goes to the beach for a week, then will squeeze Disney into one day during her trip. I have challenged her to give it one more try, but next time to go in the offseason (or at least not during Spring Break week) and to go for several days so that she can tour at a more leisurely pace. I am not giving up on her and hope to convert her yet. I just don't get how anyone can not enjoy Disney. I don't know exactly when my obsession grew so deep, but I think it mostly started on our honeymoon in 1998. That was such a fun and magical trip and as soon as we got home I was ready to go again. Our next trip was in 2000, then we didn't go again until 2005 (my first trip with my daughter who was almost two at the time). That was when I fell head over heals in love with Disney World. Seeing the magic of Disney through the eyes of a child is amazing and our trips ever since have been so wonderful. We have been blessed to return every year since she turned three and I hope that the tradition continues. Disney World is the one place that our family can go together and have the time of our lives. We can literally forget about everything else and immerse ourselves in the magic.

The excitement I get calling Walt Disney World every year to book the trip never grows old. This is probably the only place I call that I look forward to being put on hold. Something about hearing that ding ding ding that I think is supposed to represent fairy dust and then listening to official Disney World music while I wait for a cast member to help me is just amazing. I still get chills calling them every year. Sometimes I look for excuses just to call them so that I can experience being put on hold (yes I know I need help).

Once I book my trip, I start a countdown calendar for my fridge. It has the total days and weeks until the trip that I get to cross off every day and watch my trip grow closer and closer. Once we hit the 100 day mark, my daughter and I make a chain link countdown that she uses to visually track the days until our trip. She loves to get up every morning and pull a link off. This helps her so much being almost seven years old. She can see each day how many days we have left and her excitement grows as the chain shrinks. It is fun for all!

I then spend my days visiting my favorite websites (see links to the right of this page) and get a little dose of Disney news each day, or look at menus, hotels, deals, etc. It is a nice break and it helps me with my planning. By the time my trip comes, I have planned my days in the parks, made my dining reservations, and have my daily itineraries. I sometimes drive my husband crazy with all the info, but for the most part he also really enjoys the daily Disney discussions that we have. My daughter is turning into quite the planner herself, and could probably help most adults plan their trips. She makes Mommy proud :)

Favorite Quick Service Restaurants

Today I look at my favorite quick service restaurants in each park. For those of you may not be familiar with the term quick service, it is a walk up restaurant where you order fast food type food and seat yourself. If you happen to get one of the Disney dining plans, chances are very good that you will be spending a lot of time in this type of restaurant. For the most part, the food is pretty good, but there are certain foods (i.e. hamburgers and wraps) that seem to be on most of the menus throughout the World. We sometimes have to look a little harder towards the end of our trips to find something different. Luckily, these types of foods to exist, you just have to look for them. It is a little harder to find things other than pizza and chicken nuggets however for the little ones. Luckily for us, our child can live off of this for 10 days straight and not complain (too much anyway). So let's get to the list.

Epcot
Hands down my favorite place to eat here is in the Sunshine Seasons food court in the Land pavilion. Not only is there so much variety here, it is probably the best bang for your buck. Although we are usually on the dining plan, we still try to find places where we can really get a lot of food for our credits. This place definitely fits the bill. You can choose from a whole rotisserie chicken at one window, Chinese meals with more food than I could possibly eat, or huge sandwiches that even those of us with huge mouths have a hard time biting into. After I literally fill my tray with enough food for the whole family (while only using one entitlement on the dining plan) I head to the dessert bar. The dining plan allows each person to get one entree, one drink, and one dessert per meal. The desserts at this place are freshly baked, enormous, and the options are plentiful. You can choose butterfinger cake, strawberry shortcake, cookies, or mickey rice krispy treats to only name a few. One more plus for this restaurant is that they let you refill your drinks. This is a very nice plus on a really hot day. This is a must do for the entire family. We all get what we want and walk away stuffed every time.

Hollywood Studios
We love going to Toy Story Pizza Planet here. This is a fun place to eat, and the pizza is pretty good. The individual pizzas are pretty big here and also pretty tasty for being theme park fare. If you are on the dining plan, you get to choose either a salad or chips to go with your pizza as well. Once you choose your food you carry it into the arcade and choose a table among the noise. My daughter loves it since it has several arcade games to play and it is decorated like the pizza planet in the movie. It is a nice cool break from our fast and furious park touring and it allows my little girl a chance to play and let off some steam.
Animal Kingdom
This was a hard choice for me. Not because I love so many of the options here, but because nothing really stands out to me. We have eaten at Pizzafari several times and it isn't horrible. The pizzas are decent and one time I had a meatball sub that was pretty good, but I definitely would be ok if I went my whole trip without eating here. Last year we really wanted to try the new picnic in the park option. It is a pretty neat concept and supposedly the food is really good and plentiful. I have heard several people say that food for two could easily feed at least three so it sounds like a good option. Upon hearing this I immediately wanted to try it. So, upon arrival to the park, we headed over to the booth where you order your meal for a particular time later in the day. My husband and I looked at the menu and found a sandwich that looked pretty good to both of us (everyone in the group had to order the same thing). When we tried to place the order, we found out that you can't special order the sandwich. My husband and daughter are both pretty picky and just don't like mayonnaise based sauces and tomatoes. Most things can be picked off, but not sauces. So, since a rotisserie chicken didn't sound good to me that day, we passed. I am crossing my fingers that they have made some changes to your options this year and that we can give this a try this year. Until then, I guess we will stick with Pizzafari.

Magic Kingdom
I am having a really hard time picking my favorite here as well, but for totally different reasons than the ones I gave for Animal Kingdom. A few years ago I would have said Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland is the best place to eat. They have three different windows to choose from that have foods such as wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and ribs. My husband loves to get the chicken and ribs combo here, and always feels like he got a great value for the dining plan entitlement. Once you order your food, you can go to the toppings bar and smother your plate with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, etc. You could almost make a mini salad if you wanted to. It is yummy and our whole family can easily fill ourselves up. Last year, we found Pecos Bills. I had heard about it for several years, but in the back of my mind I thought there was no way it could match Cosmic Rays. I admit that I was wrong. It is just as good, and maybe a little bit better. Here you can order burgers, wraps, or taco salads. It too has a big fixings bar, but this one may be a little better. I loved the sauteed mushrooms and cheese sauce for my french fries, along with all the lettuce, tomatoes, etc. The only downside of this restaurant is that although it has a lot of seating, it is easy to get turned around and separated due to all of the rooms. Also, the bar gets very congested during heavy times. I still think it is worth it though, and will probably be a must do for future trips.

Honorable Mention
I also love the food court at Pop Century resort. There are so many options here I couldn't even begin to list them all. I truly believe that even the pickiest eater could find something here at least once. A bonus here is that they have a tie dyed cheesecake that is super yummy as a dessert option, or you can get something from the ice cream bar. Just tell the cashier that you want a milkshake or sundae for your dessert and they will stamp your receipt so that you can redeem it when you finish your meal. We are usually in the parks from the time they open until closing so we don't always get a chance to eat here, but when we do I really really enjoy it.

Free Maps

Did you know that you can order free customizable maps for your trip to Disney World? These are so much fun to do and my daughter and I have a lot of fun doing this each year. Every summer we pick a day and log in to My Disney Vacation on the Disneyworld.com website. Once you create an account and log in, there is a tab where you can choose to customize your park maps. We go to each park and I ask my daughter to choose her favorite rides, shows and restaurants in each park. It is a lot of fun to go down the list and talk about each attraction with her, and hear why she either likes or dislikes each one. The list has changed just a little bit each year and some of the things that she used to love are sadly no longer on the list for one reason or another. Some things she has outgrown, like Playhouse Disney at Hollywood Studios. Other things that she used to love, like Pooh's playground or Ariel's grotto are no longer there due to the ever changing and expanding World. In case you don't know, Magic Kingdom is in the middle of a very big expansion project right now to make room for a bigger and better Fantasyland. This will be awesome when this is complete, but sadly we are saying goodbye to some of our family's favorite attractions. This is another reason why we like to order the maps every year. It is fun to see how things have changed since our baby's first trip in 2005. I highly recommend ordering these maps before you go. It gives you something to do before the trip and allows little ones to see what they have to look forward to. Plus, when you get them in the mail they are so much fun to open. They arrive in true Disney style with super cute packaging and are so much fun to look at and open. You can't help but get excited about the upcoming trip when they arrive.

Tips for a successful trip

Many people ask me what are some tips for successfully enjoying a trip to the World and still maintaining your sanity. I often laugh and say how much time do you have? There are so many ways have fun at Disney, but it is so easy to get overwhelmed, especially for first time travelers. The parks are so big and there are so many things to do that I can easily see why many people say they just don't know where to start. So, here are a few of my tips for those of you who may be feeling a little overwhelmed on where to start.

First of all, decide how long you will be there, and how many days you want to spend in each park. Know before you go that you probably are not going to be able to see everything. We were there for 11 days last year and still did not experience every attraction (though truthfully there are actually a few rides and shows on property that we really don't care to see). This leads to the second part of this tip. Sit down with everyone in your group and make a list of everyone's must dos. Maybe know the top three things in each park that each person feels like they would be disappointed if they missed experiencing. Then make a plan for the day to hit those attractions first. Do the big headliners early in the day, then go to the others once these are knocked off. Once you check all of the must dos off your list, start enjoying the other rides that you may not have thought of.

Second of all, get to the parks early. I have heard many people say, "I am on vacation, I don't want to get up early". To all of you, I say thank you. You make it possible for my family to experience all of the headliners in each park before the lines get long. You make it possible for my family to experience all of Fantasyland in the morning with no lines so we can walk on and off the rides over and over again. For those of you do get up with us, I strongly suggest getting to the parks before rope drop and enjoying the opening shows. These are so cute and really set the tone for the day. Each park has a different show, but they all include characters and some singing. My daughter loves these shows and we all look forward to seeing them each trip.

Finally, plan your days, but don't try to plan every minute. As soon as you know you are going to Disney World, plan what restaurants you want to eat at and what parks you want to visit. Call 407-WDW-DINE or go online and make your reservations 180 days out if possible. As you wait for your trip to arrive look through books and visit websites to see what attractions you want to see. Make your list with the group to find the must dos and plan your days accordingly. BUT, leave time to experience the true magic of Disney. There are so many fun things that pop up that you could never plan. Your kids may enjoy spending hours in the fountains, or decide they want to drop pennies in the wishing well by the castle, or may even find out that the performances in World Showcase in the different countries are hidden gems of entertainment. Don't plan every minute so that you have time to experience these small things. They may very well turn out to be the best memories you take home with you.

Top five sit down choices of a six year old Princess

Now, as promised, here are the top choices of my Princess for restaurants in the World. While my choices were based heavily on the food itself, these are based mostly on the fun factor. My daughter also is a creature of habit, so we often have to eat at the same restaurants over and over again.

1. Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. This was of course one of my choices as well, but she loves it for some different reasons. She loves to go to the kids section (a buffet that is a little lower for kids to reach themselves) and load her plate with mickey shaped ravioli, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese. She likes some of the big people food as well, but there is not the fun factor of having it at your own level. When dinner is over she heads to the sundae bar and fills a bowl with ice cream which she proceeds to cover with m&m's and other candy. Then she goes to the dessert table and gets the yummy oreos dipped in chocolate with mickey mouse ears on top. Oh yeah, in the middle of all her serving herself she gets to meet some of her favorite characters and swing her napkin in the air when they do the birthday celebrations. For all of these reasons, and many many more this will be one of those restaurants we have to go to every time for many visits to come.

2. Tony's Town Square at Magic Kingdom. Many people probably don't even realize that this restaurant exists (I myself walked by it for years before I knew it was there). It is an Italian restaurant that is decorated in motif from the movie Lady and the Tramp. There are pictures all over the walls, a fountain in the middle of the restaurant of the two stars, and the bathrooms have a picture of either Lady or the Tramp instead of being labeled as men or women. For some reason I cannot fathom, my child LOVES this place. I don't know if it is the decorations or the fact that every time we eat there we all have to recreate the famous spaghetti scene from the movie. She takes turns "slurping" a spaghetti noodle with both me and her Daddy. It is too cute and something she randomly started making us do on our first visit there. It is now one of our "must dos" for our trips. The food isn't bad, but I definitely would not classify it as the best Italian I have ever had. I always get the chicken parmesean and she always gets plain noodles with a meatball on the side. It is always one of the highlights of our trip.

3. 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. This is another fun buffet with really good food. The potatoes and prime rib are especially yummy, as well as a strawberry soup that I highly recommend. This of course is not why my daughter likes this one. She loves the characters that are there for dinner. It it Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Drizella, and Anastasia. When Cinderella makes her grand entrance it is announced and Prince Charming comes from wherever he is and waltzes with her. Then they go back to visiting all the tables and signing autographs. The step sisters and step mother are what make this dinner so much fun though. They are always cutting up and bickering or complaining about Cinderella. I dare someone to try to get Lady Tremaine to smile. We always try, but she is very much in character. Also, watch out, she may get on to you for making a mess or saving food for later (my husband had a crumb on his lip and she asked him if he was saving it for later and told him to be careful). It is a blast. I strongly suggest that if you do this dinner, make a reservation for as early as possible. We had a 6:30 reservation and waited well over an hour. Luckily my daughter was entranced by the grand piano player in the lobby of the hotel and made a friend to keep her company while we waited. Eat as early as you can!!!

4. Akershus Princess Dining in Epcot. This will never be my first choice for a meal, nor will it rank anywhere near the top. However, we will be eating there again this year for dinner simply because it is only one of two places on property where you can eat with several princesses at one time. The only other option is the Castle at Magic Kingdom and it is a hard meal to score, and costs two dining plan entitlements. Therefore, I will take one for the team and make one of those parent sacrifices so that my daughter can meet her favorite princesses. I tell myself that one day very soon she will be too old for the princesses and we will again get to have more say in the dinner choices. It's not that the food is horrible, it is just that it is food from Norway and not part of my normal palette. Breakfast is traditional American fare, and lunch and dinner are authentic Norway fare. We are not big breakfast people, so we go for dinner and enjoy the picture package that is now included in the price of your meal. When you first enter you get your picture taken with one princess (one 5x7 and four 4x6) then three to four more princesses visit you at your table during dinner. That experience is fun and the smile on my daughter's face as she meets her favorite people makes the dinner worth every penny.

5. Garden Grill at Epcot. Ok, so this one isn't really on my daughter's list. The true last choice would probably be the Castle or Whispering Canyon, but I have already written about those in my post. So, I tried to think of another character meal that she might choose if she had the choice. The last time my daughter ate here she was almost two, and this year when we eat there she will be turning seven so I don't think she really remembers this one. It is one of the most relaxing character meals on Disney property and the food is super yummy. It is located in the Land pavilion and is on a platform that rotates very very slowly during your meal which adds a little fun to the meal (though it turns so slowly you wouldn't even know you were rotating if you didn't happen to notice the scenery had changed from a few minutes ago). The salad is especially yummy as it is made from veggies grown fresh in the land every day at Epcot. The restaurant is relatively quiet for a character meal and a great place to unwind after a full day of walking around the biggest park on Disney property. The characters were Chip, Dale, Mickey and Pluto the last time we were there. I am very much looking forward to visiting this restaurant this year and truly hope it is one that my daughter will easily had to her list,

Top Five Restaurant Choices

I thought I would share my top five favorite sit down restaurants. When I first thought of this post I thought this would be a quick and easy list. Then I started really thinking about how to rank my faves and realized I didn't know where to start with the ranking. My main reason for this roadblock is due to the fact that there are only a few restaurants at Disney World that I just don't like. Another problem is that we have eaten at several many times each, but each time is a totally different experience. It is truly dependent on the servers we get each time on how much "fun" we have. So, taking all of this into account, I am going to do my best to choose my top five. Hopefully this will offer some helpful tips if you are trying to decide where you want to eat while visiting the World.

My top five favorites are:

1. Cinderella's Royal Table. There are a lot of people who would question this choice (my husband included). Yes, it is very expensive and it takes two meal ticket credits if you are on the dining plan. Yes, it is very Fru Fru and the selection is limited. Yes, you wait in a cramped lobby to have your picture taken with Cinderella before finally being taken upstairs to your table. BUT, there is nothing more magical than eating in Cinderella's Castle. Just stepping in and having them give you your "Royal Invitation" is an amazing feeling that I could never begin to explain. Also, you do get the portrait package included in your dinner which includes a picture of the castle, and one 5x7 and four 4x6 prints of you with one of the biggest Princesses known, the wonderful Cinderella herself. Plus, all three meals now include visits in the dining room from other Princesses. So all that being said, yes it is worth getting up at the crack of dawn 180 days out from your vacation to try to score this meal (in my opinion anyway).

2. Chef Mickey's. I don't know who loves this one more, me or my daughter. This buffet has wonderful food, including a kid's buffet and ice cream sundae bar that allows me to walk away from here stuffed every single time. Plus after dinner you can go upstairs and hop on the monorail and ride it around the loop to let your dinner wear off before hitting more rides in the park. The best part of the meal is meeting the characters. While they won't guarantee which characters you will see, I have always seen Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto. We even saw Daisy Duck one time as well. They are all wearing chef's gear so it makes for special pics you can't get in the parks. Plus they all come to your table, so you don't have to stand in line for hours at the park to get their autographs and pictures. More time on the rides is always good in my book.

3. Whispering Canyon Cafe. This is a very loud restaurant, but most people can't help themselves from being part of the noise factor. The food choices are yummy and with the all you care to eat skillet, I dare anyone to try to walk away hungry. The BBQ ribs and chicken are delicious and the milkshakes that you can get as your drink makes it easy to put this one on my list. Plus, there are lots of activities for the kids all during dinner that keep me laughing the whole time. If you go, just make sure you ask for ketchup. After all, everything tastes better with ketchup, right?

4. Le Cellier. I have never ever had steak like this. I am not exaggerating when I say that the steak literally melted in my mouth. Supposedly the cheddar cheese soup here is amazing as well, though we did not try it. We were too busy devouring the pretzel bread that came before the steaks. I also recommend the mouse dessert here as well. It is too cute and very very tasty. The only downfall with this choice is that it is very hard to score a reservation here. In fact the one time we ate here we got lucky as a walk up for lunch right when they opened. I had tried calling many times, including the crack of dawn on the first day I could 180 days out and they never had an opening. I do know friends who have gotten them, but usually it is when they tried to schedule the meal for a day late in their trips.

5. Teppan Edo. This is by far one of my most enjoyable meals I have had at Disney World. We ate here for the first time last year, and now I wish we hadn't waited so long to try it. This is a hibachi type restaurant where the chef cooks the meal on the grill in front of you. I was nervous about sitting at a table with strangers, but it was a lot of fun. We had a sweet retired couple next to us and they were really fun to talk to. The chef was funny and entertaining and the three of us all loved it. Oh yeah, the food was good as well! At the end of our meal, they sang Happy Birthday to my daughter and brought her a tall paper chef hat that my husband enjoyed wearing around Epcot (much to our mine and my daughter's embarrassment). This will definitely be a place we return to often in the future.

Now these are my top five. Stay tuned for a list of my daughter's top five!

Where do I start?

So you have decided to go to Disney. What should you do first? Buy a copy of the best book in the World....The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. This book will quickly become your best friend. It has the best information of any book I have ever read about Disney World. Even though a lot of the information is the same from year to year, I still buy the newest copy every year. I love sitting down with a hot cup of coffee every morning and reading a small section every day. It is so informative and also entertaining. It truly is a great read. I recommend buying it off the web as it is so much cheaper. Use pricegrabber.com or bizrate.com and search for the lowest price. I don't remember ever paying over $14.00 for it, shipping and all. The website for this book (touringplans.com) is a good planning tool as well. It has planning information on it that you can access for free, such as restaurant reviews, hotel reviews, blog posts, etc. They also have a premium subscription you can purchase for $10.95 that will allow you access to a crowd calendar that tells you the best days to visit each park, detailed touring plans to help you plan your days, and access to their mobile system called lines that will allow you to check wait times for attractions in the parks while you are on vacation. If you buy the book, you get a discount on this subscription rate. So buy the book, then check out the website for more assistance.

The next step is to decide when you are going to go. We have become very big fans of traveling in the fall. If it is at all possible to go during the off season, I highly recommend it. We are blessed that our little girl gets a two week break in the fall, two weeks at Christmas, and two weeks in the Spring. Of those breaks, her fall break is the only time that falls into off season touring so it is a no brainer for us. The temps are great, the crowds are low, and we love the Halloween party and decorations.

The next thing to do is decide where you are going to stay. You have two options you have to decide on first....on property or off. This is a hard decision for many, though not for our family. We always stay on property. My husband and I both used to stay off property when we took our trips with family before we were married...but then we stayed on property for our honeymoon and will not go back! For us, it is amazing being totally immersed in the magic of Disney. I will write a new post on this topic at a later date.

Once you know when you are going and where you want to stay, go ahead and book your stay (especially if you are staying on Disney property). If you book a package (room plus park tickets) through Disney, you pay a $200 deposit which is fully refundable up until 45 days out from your trip. If you change 5 to 44 days out you get all but $100 back. If you only book the room portion and no park tickets, your deposit is only the cost of one night, and you have until I think 5 days out to cancel for your full money back. The great thing about booking early is that you are guaranteed the resort that you want. Disney is wonderful in that they will allow you to change your reservation up until I think 45 days out if a better deal comes out. Disney always seems to be running some kind of special so chances are good that you will get some kind of discount during your trip. I will post later about this as well.

I think I have rattled enough for now. My mind is racing with all the information I want to post so I will save that for another date. For now, get the book and enjoy all it has to offer. Happy planning!

Taking the plunge

I can't believe I have done it, but I finally took the plunge. I have been toying with starting a blog for a long time, but didn't know if I would have enough to blog about. I mean, who wants to read about my boring life, right? Then the last few months I have found myself helping several fellow Mom's plan their trips to Disney World. I have answered questions ranging from the best time to visit to how to book online dining reservations. I finally decided that I might have a little more to write about than I originally thought. So therein lies my goal for this blog. I hope to post information here that will help others plan their magical trips whether they are planning their first trip to the World, or their tenth. I am by far not an expert, but do have a lot of experience and knowledge based on my own trips and self education. I am a self proclaimed Disney addict and love talking all things Disney. So if you share my love of Disney or are thinking about planning your own Disney vacation, stay tuned for more (hopefully) helpful hints.