Disney World – Chosen for Extra Security Screening

Epcot in SummerYou may have heard about Walt Disney World’s new park security screening involving the use of walk-through metal detectors.  In December of 2015, Disney began to randomly screen guests entering Disney World’s four parks.  Initially, this screening is (was?) being conducted by a third party company until Disney is able to hire, train and implement their own in-house screening process.  Certainly for many Disney fans, this latest reminder of the outside reality of mass shootings and other acts of violence signaled a certain loss of innocence for Disney World and Disney park guests – an intrusion on the carefully crafted magic that makes a Disney vacation particularly special.  I have something to say about this based on recent experience.

I’ll admit it – when I first heard about metal detectors being installed near the bag-check areas of Disney World parks I was sad.  The units would detract from the beauty of the park entrances, the reminder of the real world would negatively impact my enjoyment of the Disney Bubble.  Heck, the lines would move slower and take much longer.  Nothing good would come of this…except safety and added peace of mind, that is.  This is the world we live in today.  How horrible would it be if our favorite vacation destination became tainted with tragedy?  I’m all for this new security screening and, after having experienced it myself, can tell you it is absolutely no big deal.Chosen-One-Pin

I was chosen for extra security screening.  Raymond and I came down the monorail ramp, making our way to the entrance for Epcot.  As is our custom, Raymond went on through the entrance for guests without bags while I headed for the bag-check area.  Once my bag had been inspected, I started forward looking for Raymond when I security guard addressed me by saying, “You’ve been chosen for extra security screening, Princess, please step this way.”  I was asked to place my bag on a table and step through a metal detector (with no wait).  I retrieved my bag and was on my way in mere seconds.  This was no major inconvenience – nor even a minor one.  It was a less than a minute of time and absolutely no big deal.  The screening personnel were professional yet friendly and being called “Princess” didn’t hurt my feelings either.Disney-World-Security-Screening

I’ve heard much feedback on social media about Disney’s newest security measures.  Many remarks involve mixed feelings and criticisms about the process.  I’m all for anything necessary to keep my family and our memories safe.  I hope Disney continues to develop and implement whatever screening processes are necessary in the volatile and complex world we’re living in today.

What are your thoughts on the new Disney World metal detectors?  Should Disney be doing more?  Is this newest protocol too much?  Please leave a comment.

 

Heimlich from A Bug’s Life

Happy Saturday, Disney Friends!  This week we’re taking a look at yet another amazing item from Nick’s collection.  I’ve always been a fan of A Bug’s Life and Heimlich in particular.  Enjoy!

Heimlich from A Bug’s Life

By Nick


Stuffed Heimlich. Is that a redundant statement?
(See, Heimlich eats a lot, until he’s, you know, stuffed!) Tap-tap, is this thing on?

Today, I share a couple of Heimlich’s from the Pixar film, “A Bug’s Life’, from my wife’s collection. The 1st one is a fairly large stuffed figure.

Obviously it’s from the Disney Store, but I have no other info, as my wife cut the tags off.

This next stuffed Heimlich is much smaller, and has a plastic face.

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Like the bigger figure, the tags have been removed, and there is no indication as to where it came from.

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What, you may ask, is a squishy Heimlich?

This is a squishy Heimlich:

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Heimlich is from Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” released in 1998. While it isn’t my favorite Pixar movie by far, it has a special place in my heart as it was the first movie my wife and I saw in a theater together.
Having this special place made me collect Bug’s Life everything. Heimlich, however, is from my wife’s collection.

What drew my wife to Heimlich the caterpillar? His accent, for one. And his love of food for the other. In fact here he is going in for the kill now!

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He is rubber, and filled with some sort of, well, squishy, material. Sadly, 14 years on, the squishy material has hardened into a ball inside of Heimlich’s belly, and he is not nearly as much fun to squeeze anymore.

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Made by 4 Kidz Inc. for Disney/Pixar.

Here is another squishy Heimlich. This is a keychain. I think. A REALLY big keychain. I have no idea who would need such a large key chain, but, as I don’t know what else the hook would be used for, I’m calling it a keychain.

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Alas, he suffers from the same fate as the larger figure, as he has lost his squishiness.

Also made by 4 Kidz.

To read more about Nick’s amazing Disneyana collection and all his Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow him on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about….well, I bet you can guess.

Headed to Walt Disney World in 2016 for the Princess Half Marathon? The Disney Exchange Podcast will be having a meet-up on Sunday, February 21st! Details will be available on The Disney Exchange’s Facebook Page and also on Twitter. We’d love to see you there!!!

Disney Planning – Disney Dream 4-Night Cruise

IMG_1069I am so stoked about our upcoming Disney Cruise.  Sure, I have a little weekend at Walt Disney World first during which I need to run 19.3 miles, but hey! Once that’s behind me, Raymond and I are off to Port Canaveral to catch our ride…uhm boat…I mean SHIP for our first cruise aboard the Disney Dream.

This will be our 7th Disney Cruise, but the first one sailing from Florida since 2010.  We’ve missed the Disney land-and-sea combo!  We’ve missed Castaway Cay!  I’m admittedly feeling a teeny bit apprehensive about sailing on one of Disney Cruise Lines newer, larger ships.  All of our previous cruises have been on either the Magic or the Wonder.  Will the Dream seem foreign?  Will I get lost?  Will I like it as well as our two favorite ships?  We shall see.  I am, however, really excited about our plans.  So today I’d like to share with you the five things I’m most looking forward to!

Disney Planning – Disney Dream 4-Night CruiseCastaway Cay's Mt. Rustmore

  1. Dining at Remy!  If you’ve read any of my previous cruise trip reports then you already know that we are HUGE fans of the adults-only dining aboard Disney Cruise Line.  We always have at least one meal at Palo (this cruise is no different).  Since this will be our first opportunity to check out Remy, we decided we should have both brunch and dinner there.  In the interest of research.  For you.  We are totally doing it for you. (Seems awesome now that we have Remy in our kitchen in the form of cruise art we purchased a few years back on another Disney Cruise.)RM-Remy-Print
  2. Nassau.  We are looking forward to this port of call because we are staying on the ship!  We have no excursion plans.  We are hoping all our fellow cruisers will get up and go…right off the ship so we can have the place to ourselves.  We’ve booked dining and spa treatments and personally, I’m planning to rest my feet with this in mind…Family Beach on Castaway Cay
  3. The Castaway Cay 5k.  I’m a little disappointed that there’s no runDisney, post-Glass Slipper Challenge, official Castaway Cay 5k the way there was last year.  It meant an extra medal and was a very cool deal.  In fact, if I remember correctly, Raymond thought we should book this very cruise just so I could take advantage of the opportunity should it again be offered.  Oh, well,  the regular 5k on Castaway Cay (Disney’s private tropical island paradise) should still be available and I bet Raymond will run it with me to keep me company…which will be excellent. (Love you, Honey!)View of Castaway Cay
  4. Senses Spa – We’re spoiled.  We love the Senses Spa and also the on-board exercise facility.  This cruise, we’ve once again booked a couples massage.  After the Glass Slipper Challenge and the Castaway Cay 5k, this will be such a welcome treat!IMG_1449
  5. All the rest – the special, unique, magical Disney Cruise components that keep us coming back for more.  The adults-only areas of the ship, the shows, the roomy stateroom, the rotational dining – all of it!  This will be our first cruise alone.  I know we’ll miss our kids – especially since we had such an incredible time last year on the Disney Magic as she made her inaugural trip through the fjords of Norway.  In contrast to that epic, action-packed, fun-filled, super busy vacation, this one will be more low-key, but with new and exciting elements for us to experience for the first time.
Have you sailed on the Disney Dream?  Any there tips or tricks we need to know?

Trader Sam’s or Jock Lindsey’s?

When there’s something new at Walt Disney World, be it restaurant, show, attraction, or lounge, we are anxious to check it out!  Recently we had the opportunity to stop in for refreshments at two new (to us) Disney pubs – Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto (Polynesian Village Resort) and Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar (Disney Springs).Trader-Sam's-Wall-Decor

Since we were staying at the Polynesian in the new DVC Villas, we hit Trader Sam’s first. Having heard it was small and filled up fast in the evenings, we decided to get there right at opening time (4:00 pm).  It is indeed very small – a hole in the wall almost literally.  It’s located behind an unassuming door near Captain Cook’s on the ground floor of the Great Ceremonial House.  Trader-Sam's-Volcano Trader-Sam's-Menu-PageTrader-Sam's-Interior Trader-Sam's-DetailsWe ducked inside and were immediately impressed by a million details and no small amount of ambient noise.  It’s dark inside and feels very closed-in due to the many artifacts and items used to create the theme.  The bar was wide open, so be bellied on up and took our seats.Trader-Sam's-Raymond Trader-Sam's-Tentacles

What to order?  The menu was large and contained a wide variety of drink choices as well as some delicious sounding snack options.  I wanted a specialty drink, but knew that some of them could be quite pricey, so I chose the relatively economical Polynesian Pearl.  Raymond ordered the Kona Beer Flight and we decided on the Pan-fried Dumplings with Soy-Sesame Dipping Sauce to snack on.Trader-Sam's-Kona-Beer-Flight Trader-Sam's-Dumplings

Like many of the signature drinks, the Polynesian Pearl was made with quite a bit of ceremony and flair (no spoilers here).  Raymond’s beer flight was delivered in the customary way.  Not a fan of mixed drinks, I wished I’d have ordered something with fewer ingredients than the Pearl, but I enjoyed the presentation if not the actual drink itself (I did keep the drink container, but consumed less than half the contents).Trader-Sam's-PearlTrader-Sam's-Drink-CeremonyThe dumplings were very delicious.  Our take-away?  Service:  Adequate, not overly friendly. Mixed drink: so-so.  Beer flight: thumbs-up. Snacks: A-OK!  Atmosphere:  Cave-like and noisy from both people and special effects.   (Read all about Trader Sam’s theme and backstory plus many more details here.)Jock-Lindsey's-Sign

We found Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar just opening for the day when we happened to have a few spare minutes before our lunch reservation at Morimoto Asia.  Upon entering, we found a bright, very well-themed lounge with soaring ceiling, smiling servers and plenty of seating.  Jock-Lindsey's-Interior Jock-Lindsey's-Shelves Jock-Lindsey's-Flight-JacketLike Trader Sam’s, the details are absolutely incredible.  We became totally immersed in the theme.  Also like at Sam’s, seats at the bar were open, so we sat on down and were immediately greeted by our very friendly server, “Howdy” (a nickname she was given due to being from Texas).  She was full of interesting facts about the bar and was ready with suggestions about what we should order to eat.  When we told her we’d just stopped in for a beer and were headed to lunch across the way at Morimoto Asia, she was happy to offer her recommendations on what we might like to eat there.Jock-Lindsey's-Howdy Jock-Lindsey's-Bar-Seating Jock-Lindsey's-Beers Jock-Lindsey's-Bar

The menu is an entertaining book full of clever add-ins along with the bar’s selection food and beverages.  We ordered Orlando IPAs and, since there was hardly anyone else there, I wandered around looking at all the neat stuff – and there are a LOT of cool artifacts.  Jock-Lindsey's-Menu-Cover Jock-Lindsey's-Menu-Page Jock-Lindsey's-MenuAgain, no spoilers – you really need to see this place and discover all the fantastic surprises for yourself!  It’s sort of a cross between a museum and a hoarder’s garage, but the combo definitely works!Jock-Lindsey's-Details Jock-Lindsey's-Cast-Member Jock-Lindsey's-Reggie's-Revenge Jock-Lindsey's-Swizzle-Sticks

Between the two…Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto or Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar…which one do we most want to visit again?  It’s Jock’s, absolutely.  The atmosphere, service, and overall experience trumped Trader Sam’s (our opinion).  While we enjoyed both locations and were pleased with how well-themed and kind of funkily (is that a word?) retro they both are.  Jock’s left us wanting more and we are even now planning how to squeeze in another stop there on our next Walt Disney World vacation (two weeks to go!).

Have you been to Trader Sam’s or Jock Lindsey’s?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!