Monthly Archives: July 2014

I Don’t Hate Disney’s Frozen – Really!

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Snow White at Walt Disney WorldIt all started back in June when I wrote this blog post about how burned up I was over Snow White and Aurora getting kicked out of Princess Fairytale Hall – evicted to make room for Frozen’s Anna and Elsa.  Then I got busted by one of the hosts of the WDW NE Podcast (a podcast I happen to love and listen to regularly) tweeting about the Frozen takeover a few weeks back – I’d mentioned in a tweet that I had 10 ideas for how Walt Disney World could have incorporated Frozen into the World without pushing classic princesses out into the street.  So Paulie (@YoPaulieNJ) asked me to provide him with said 10 ideas for his perusal.

Next thing I know, in Episode 11 of the WDW NE Podcast, all four hosts (Mike, Sal, Dean, and Paulie) were debating the merits of each one of those 10 ideas.  (Be sure to listen to this show!!!)  Much strong language and hilarious discussion ensued.  As a result of all this – pretty much created by my own actions then carried on a wave of social media – I may have developed a teeny bit of a reputation for not liking Frozen as much as most other folks.

I’d like to dispel that rumor once and for all.  I do like Frozen (the movie) very much!  I can belt Festival of Fantasy Parade Frozenout every word of Let it Go to the car stereo as enthusiastically as the next person (even if my ability to actually hit those high notes is questionable).  I think Olaf and Sven are adorable side-kicks and Anna and Kristoff do indeed make the most darling couple!  I loathe Hans to the appropriate extent for being so mean and villainous.  Shoot!  I’m even taking a Disney cruise through the fjords of Norway next June knowing it will be full to the brim with Frozen tie-ins, merchandise, and superfans.  Yes, I do own the DVD and have enjoyed watching it on several occassions.  See?  I’m good, right?

I’m glad we could clear up that little misunderstanding.  While you’re here, I’d like to also share with you five very important life lessons I believe can be learned from Frozen and its beloved characters.  Here goes:

1.  If you accidentally injure your sibling while playing, you should be separated from that sibling for the foreseeable future…for everyone’s protection.  Does this only count in cases of magical power gone awry?  Because that one time when Megan dropped her baby brother headfirst onto the stacking donut toy did not result in any type of forced separation.  Does that make us bad parents?

2. If you’re orphaned at a young age and raised by the domestic help, you do not develop the ability to recognize unscrupulous men who want a relationship with you purely to steal your Disney's Frozen - Olaf Pinkingdom.  Good to know.

3. If you, as a young adult, go off to find yourself, it’s perfectly fine to have created a really great sidekick and then forget about/ignore them completely.  Seriously, I was a tad traumatized by Olaf being left out there on his own (nose-less, I might add) for an undisclosed amount of time.  I think there should be laws against that.  Is no one else bothered by this at all?!!?!?!?  I suppose the fact that he’s the most loving, selfless character in the movie means there was no harm caused by Elsa’s seemingly callous behavior.  But do we really know for sure?

4. Parents who discourage unique talents in their children by forcing them to hide their gifts cause a LOT of problems!  Especially if those parents go off and die instead of finding a magical tutor (a member of the Troll community perhaps?) to help the gifted child grow and develop their individuality in a healthy and productive way that does not involve shaming.  Just sayin’.

5. Trolls, maligned in both folklore and mainstream media, are actually very loving, nurturing, and caring creatures who are capable of raising a human child (my, there seem to be a lot of orphans in Scandinavia, no?) into a pretty decent adult…attachments to reindeer notwithstanding.

Don’t forget to listen to the WDW NE Podcast (available in all your favorite podcast-downloading locations).  Especially episode 11…which is pretty darned special, if I do say so myself.

How about YOU?  What were your important takeaways from Frozen?  What lessons did you learn from this delightful tale?  

Walt Disney World’s Memory Maker Reviewed

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Character Meet-and-Greet with SullyPlease note: The advance purchase price for Memory Maker has increased to $169 (from $149) since this post was originally published.

We (I should really say I ) decided to fork over the $149 advance-purchase price for the Memory Maker photo package for our recent trip to Walt Disney World.  (You can check here for what really prompted the purchase.)  I believed we would absolutely get $149-worth of happy vacation photos and would have plenty of time to take advantage of those awesome Disney photographers situated throughout the parks.  Well, as it turned out, not so much.  What went wrong?  I’ll tell you – it wasn’t Disney’s fault!  We didn’tMemory Maker Photo in Disney's Hollywood Studios make the most of a great opportunity and I wouldn’t want you to make the same mistakes we did.  Here’s a complete recap of our experience, where we went wrong, and how you (and we) can make Memory Maker a good investment in the future.

Click here for details about what is included in the price of Memory Maker.

Okay – about OUR Memory Maker experience:

We started having pictures snapped on our arrival day.  We were at WDW for a full 5-and-a-half days, so you’d think we would have ended up with a huge bunch of pictures, right?  No.  Here’s where we went wrong – we passed up great opportunities early in the day when we Test Track Ride Photostill looked pretty fresh and well-rested.  Why did we not stop for pictures?  We would have had to wait in line behind at least one, but usually two or three other families.  I had never noticed much of a wait for pictures before, but as with many things in life, as soon as you want something, it’s not as readily available as you thought it would be.  See, we didn’t want to wait – we wanted to make the most of those early morning Extra Magic Hours, so we passed up loads of photo ops.  That was mistake #1 in a series of poor Memory Maker decisions that resulted in a less-that-optimal use of our vacation dollars.The Fam on Rock'n' Roller Coaster

Here’s what we ended up with and our Do’s and Don’ts for the future.  I hope this helps you avoid making the same errors we made and end up with a lot more great pictures.

Our Memory Maker efforts netted us a total of 43 pictures.  Of those 43, 11 were ride photos.  So, there were 32 “other” pictures to choose from in 7 different settings.  Of those, about 18 were likeable enough to possibly want to have them printed.  Ride photos are tricky!  If Memory Maker Photo at 1900 Park Farewe weren’t all in the same vehicle, we’d end up with only two of us in the picture with complete strangers.  We did not get all of our ride photos – even after a call to the PhotoPass people for help.  They did manage to recover some of them and Disney’s rumored use of the MagicBands’ RFID capabilities for linking on-ride photos to My Disney Experience may help with that in the future.  Details here.

Tips for Using Memory Maker:

1.  Get photos early and often.  If we had just stopped two times each day, we’d have ended up with 12 different settings with pictures to choose from (instead of our measly 7, not including ride photos).

2. Break up the group – yes, it’s nice to have all of you together, but we should have had just the kids in some pictures and just Raymond and I in others – or even father/daughter, father/son, and so forth – which we did not do!Family Picture in front of Sorerer's Hat in Disney's Hollywood Studios

3. Check your clothing!  My shirt rode up on one side from carrying a backpack and nobody told me to pull it down – made me HATE a bunch of pictures.  Don’t let this happen to you!

4. Wait in line when necessary or go off the beaten path if you want a good many pictures to choose from.  There are photographers available in more places than just Main Street U.S.A, Hollywood Blvd., in front of Space Ship Earth, etc.  They’ll be on hand for most character meet-and-greets as well.

5. Ask if any “magic” pictures are available.  The addition of Tinker Bell or Baby Simba (among other magical add-ons) to your group (or solo) shots may make you happy!  In our case, we think the Animal Kingdom Magic Picture with Tinker Bellphotographer may have thought our children were a couple (not sister and brother) and added Baby Simba in Megan’s arms – we found this awkward.

6.  The photographers will be happy to take pictures with your camera!  Be sure to have them do this!!!  That way you’ll have different photo types/quality to choose from.  Also – you can post those all that much sooner to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you’re so inclined.  We should have done this at 1900 Park Fare – every one of those pictures came out too saturated with color in a weird way.

7. Make it fun.  Be silly – take the time to shake it up a bit.  We were too boring and in a hurry to make the most of our chances for some fun pictures – don’t make the same mistakes we did!

8.  Be sure everyone is linked in My Disney Experience – that way if your group splits up, you’ll get all the pictures taken of everyone, even if you weren’t there.  After the pictures are taken, the photographer just needs to scan one person’s MagicBand – that’s it!Family Picture in Fantasyland

There you go – that’s the best advice I can give you.  If you part with $149 for Memory Maker, hopefully this review and tips will help you get the most from your investment.  Got pics?  I’d love to see pictures from your Disney vacation!  Please hop on over to Living a Disney Life on Facebook and share a picture with us there.

 

 

 

 

 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Maharajah Jungle Trek

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Details along the Maharajah Jungle TrekA visit to Animal Kingdom just wouldn’t be complete for me without a walk along both of the two fantastic animal trails there.  These trails boast a wide array of exhibits that allow guests unforgettable opportunities for some close-up animal viewing in gorgeous, highly detailed settings.  The trail in Animal Kingdom’s Africa section is the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.  The trail in Asia is called the Maharajah Jungle Trek – that’s the one I want to talk about today.

The trail’s backstory sets the mood and an impressive (spectacular, unbelievable, insert favorite-adjective-of-wonder here) number of amazing Disney details make a visit to the Maharajah’s jungle into a mysterious, magical experience.  As I tend to like to do, allow me to give you…Komodo Dragon at Animal Kingdom

Five Great Things about the Maharajah Jungle Trek

From  the Walt Disney World web site, “Venture into the mystical Anandapur Royal Forest, a tropical paradise of trees, ruins and wild animals. Legend has it the area was at one time the hunting ground of wealthy maharajahs; today, it exists as a preserve that you can explore.”

1.  Komodo Dragon – Yep, a giant lizard!  What else do you need?  Seeing this guy is like looking at a living dinosaur and Komodo Dragons are the Animal Kingdom - Bats on the Maharajah Jungle Treklargest living lizards on earth.  As he sits there with his tongue darting in and out to “smell” the air while basking in the sun, it’s incredible to think about the fact that Komodo Dragons are venomous and capable of taking down large prey.  An adult Komodo Dragon can consume up to 80% of its own body weight in a single meal!  Go here for some other cool Komodo Dragon fun facts.

2. Rodrigues Fruit Bats and Malayan Flying Foxes – The way this section of the trail is designed is genius!  The bats are on display (sleepily hanging around) in a wide-open viewing area – which makes it seem as if there is absolutely nothing separating you from the bats!  Those Flying Foxes are enormous and so cool!  (Read all about them here.) I like to Asian Tiger - Maharajah Jungle Trekimagine what it would be like if the sun set and they got to go free all night – Those huge bats with their leathery wings flying overhead would be quite a scary sight!  Hands down, this is one of my all time favorite exhibits.

3. Asian Tigers – Usually we get here too late to see the tigers doing anything besides napping, but they’re huge and beautiful to see – even if they are asleep.  Because windows are used in this area instead of bars, it seems as if you could practically reach out and pet one of these big cats!  Even snoozing, they’re amazing.

4. The Aviary and Birdhouses – I never know which gets more of my attention in the aviary – tBird in Animal Kingdomhe colorful and unusual birds- or the equally beautiful bird houses.  Spotting guides help visitors identify a variety of different bird species and the Asian bird houses located every few feet throughout the aviary are as beautiful as the  Birds House in the Aviary in Asia / Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Asian Aviary Bird Spotting Guidebirds!  If you’re afraid of birds, this probably isn’t the best place for you…especially since they’re kind of friendly and will walk right up to you sometimes when you’re not paying attention and make you jump.  Not that I’d know from personal experience or anything.  I’m not afraid of birds at all.

5.  The Ruins – I know, weird that I’m such an animal lover and I’ve named decaying walls as one of the five best things about the Maharajah’s jungle, but it’s true.  And I make it a point to be honest with you here at the Living a Disney Life blog.  So….in all honesty – you won’t find a better example of the wonder and genius, the unique artestry of Disney imagineering than among the ruins of Anandapur.

Because of the location of the Maharajah Jungle Trek, this trail is almost always less crowded than the Pangani Forest trail.  There are also plenty of Hidden Mickey’s to find along the way!  We try to hit this trail in the morning before the day heats up too much.  Our touring plan at Animal Kingdom usually starts with Expedition Everest, then Kilimanjaro Safari, then the Pangani Forest Nature Trail, and finally the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Do you enjoy the trails at Animal Kingdom?  Which is your favorite?  What animals do you find the most fascinating?

The Road to runDisney Begins With a Single Step

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A Woman and her DogIn the following post, I share more personal information than usual (or ever).  If you’re here for one of my normal discussions about Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disney recipes, crafts, movies, or collectibles, come back tomorrow for our regularly scheduled program.  Please excuse the interruption.

As many of you know, I’m about to turn 50 – and I’m not all that broken up about it.  Many people get sad or mad or depressed or, God forbid, go into midlife-crisis mode – not me, though, not my style.  I haven’t yet reached an age that has triggered any unhappy feelings.  I’d be a lot happier if gravity would go pick on somebody else for a change, but I feel good, in general, and I have many blessings to count each day.  I do sometimes feel that life’s going by faster and faster all the time.  Then I get to thinking:  Maybe I should knock some stuff off my to-do list before more time gets away from me.

I am not athletic.  I’m a bit of a girly girl with tough guy tendencies and I didn’t grow up playing My Haunted Mansion-themed Running Shoessports – there’s absolutely NO eye-hand coordination in the end of the gene pool from whence I sprang.  I never aspired to be athletic – I mostly wanted to have fun, eat good food, and pursue happiness.  Happiness that did not involve sweating or getting dirty or making my body do anything uncomfortable.  I’m not tall, I have a long torso and short limbs.  I’m what I describe as sturdy with some buoyancy that makes swimming my best athletic endeavor.  Get the picture?

For most of my life, I felt blissfully uninspired to become one with my inner athlete (if she even existed!) – even after losing my father to heart disease when I was 19.  I was able to maintain this mindset all the way until almost three years after I had my second (and final) child at age 30.  The baby weight was not going to fall off on its own.  I was not going to spring back to looking like I did in my 20’s.  Eating, drinking and making merry were not good lifestyle choices – and that was becoming more obvious by the day!  But HOW do you change that?  I’m sure the answer to that question is different for every person, but for me, changing what I didn’t like about my physical condition   (and my attitude towards Triathlon Picturehealthy food choices) meant taking a single step.  Literally – just getting up, forcing myself to make time for ME and my physical condition (for which I accepted complete responsibility) and taking one step forward.

I think the moment your foot makes that single step forward is no sooner than the exact time you are really and truly ready to do it.  I imagine it’s like people who stop smoking, stop overeating, or stop working at a job they hate – it will only happen when they’re ready.  It can’t be for anyone else, for a class reunion, for an upcoming wedding – it has to be at a time that may feel like a monumentally selfish moment…but it’s not.  It’s a very simple fact that in order to be lovable, you have to love yourself.  In order for you to be the best person you can offer your spouse, your children, your boss, your parents, your friends, your pet – you have to love yourself enough to put yourself first – at least with regard to doing what it takes to love who you are.  For me that meant taking a step off the couch, away from the table, and out onto a lonely country road.IMG_4160

I chose mornings to carve out some time for my project – the project of making me the best I could be.  I started long before the current walk/run training craze with, oddly enough, that exact training technique – it was all I was capable of!  I walked with some short jogging thrown in.  It was hard.  I had to buy new shoes, some decent shorts and a sports bra, and have my ankles taped daily due to shin splints (thanks, Raymond).  That felt selfish, but I did it anyway.  In March, 1998, I ran my first mile without stopping.  In January of 1999, I ran my first marathon and never looked back.  All the things I’d hated about myself my whole life – bulky, short legs, 5′ 4″ height, square shape – suddenly looked completely different to my own eyes.  I’d lost weight and, short legs notwithstanding, ran continuously for 26.2 miles in 4 hours and 20  minutes – I was proud of me – and that was an amazing feeling.  All because I got up a little earlier one morning and took that first step.  Don’t get me wrong – I could never EVER have accomplished my goals without the support and sacrifice of my family – They have always been and continue to be my biggest fans and my gratitude cannot be expressed in words.Post-5K shoe picture

So, here I am now with two full marathons, four half-marathons, over 30 triathlons (turns out riding a bicycle does not require all that much coordination!), and countless 5k races behind me.  16 years have flown by and that brings me back to the original point of all this disclosure.  I’ve wanted to participate in a runDisney event for quite some time now.  In spite of my passion for Disney and all the events I’ve participated in before – I’ve been honestly intimidated by those princesses, those younger people, those tall, willowy runners they show on the runDisney web site – the perky ones with the cute costumes and happy smiles.  I got up this morning, looked in the mirror and reminded myself of a really important lesson – I just needed to take a single step forward.

As of 11:01 Central Standard Time today, I am officially registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge next February (2015) at Walt Disney World.  I will run the Disney Enchanted 10K on Saturday, the 21st and The Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday the 22nd.  I will be 50 years old by then – I’m not a princess, not young, and most certainly not willowy, but I will be there…knocking something else off my to-do list before any more time gets away from me.

If you’re planning to be there, too, I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading….Lisa