Monthly Archives: December 2015

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom – A Feast for the Senses

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Welcome Show at Magic KingdomWhen I daydream about being at Walt Disney World – which I do often and for extended periods of time (Don’t you?) – Magic Kingdom is one of my favorite places to bring to mind.  It’s easy, thanks to my memories of those incredible, magical Disney details, to recall certain sounds, sights, smells, flavors and feelings.  What makes my family passionate about our favorite vacation destination is how easy it is to re-live (in our memories) our happiest Disney moments!

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom – A Feast for the Senses

Take all those favorite moments and add them together.  It’s easy to imagine myself in each of my favorite Magic Kingdom locations.  Here’s what’s going on in my mind:

The cool, humid air inside the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean – Often a welcome respite from the Florida sun, the smooth feel of the plastic seat when I board the boat, the smell (OH, that smell!) of the water as the deep, eerie voice warns, “Dead men tell no tales“.   Then I can see, perfectly in my mind, all the best (to me) moments of that attraction!  The dog with the jail key and the pirates behind bars whistling and coaxing him, the pirate on the bridge with his dirty food and hairy leg, so many great details!  “We wants the redhead!”IMG_4466

See how easy it is?  Engage all your senses in your memories and it’s the next best thing to being there!  Let me get you going with a few more iconic Magic Kingdom moments, categorized by sense involved!RM-Magic-Kingdom-Autumn

Sight – Main Street U.S.A.’s colors, signs, window decorations…the motion of the crowd and the Main Street Vehicles against the backdrop of Cinderella Castle.  Imagine the glint of light reflecting off the castle’s turrets or the details that are lit up in the queue for Space Mountain – oh, wait! How about Space Mountain itself – the exterior is an awesome sight.  As is the sheer magic of Big Thunder Mountain!!!RM-Space-Mountain-Sign

Sound – The Dapper Dans, Casey’s Corner piano player, the screams and booming whoosh of the Splash Mountain logs plunging into the briar patch!  Do you know that weird clicking sound in the first part of Haunted Mansion?  I love that sound!  How about the radio voice in the queue for Jungle Cruise?  Wonderful!  Doesn’t Jiminy Cricket’s voice make you SO happy during Wishes?  I also adore (beyond a reasonable amount) the prospector’s voice on Big Thunder – “…hang onto them hats and glasses, cause this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!” The Red Rock of Big Thunder Mountain

Touch – My kids have always made fun of me for my need to touch store merchandise as I shop.  I can’t help it – how things feel is part of the experience!  Take the seats on The PeopleMover – not only are they a beautiful blue, they feel great!  I also love the smoothness of those clam mobiles in Under the Sea – Voyage of the Little Mermaid in Fantasyland.  Have you ever noticed the contrast between the felt part and the ears on a classic Earhat?  Part of what makes a churro a great snack is the crunch when you bite into it!  Same with the outside of a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar.RM-Churro

Taste – Doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Magic Kingdom popcorn, Dole Whip, Citrus Swirl, churro, ice cream, turkey leg, Mickey pretzel or hotdog – everyone has their favorite Disney foods and Magic Kingdom offers plenty of the good stuff!  Personal favorite – the sweet and spicy chicken waffle at Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square.RM-Sweet-&-Spicy-Chicken-Waffle-Sandwich

Smell – I’ve already mentioned the water smell in Pirates, but how about that delicious smell on Main Street? The exhaust from the Tomorrowland Speedway? The pies in Mickey’s PhilharMagic?  What are your favorite scents in Magic Kingdom?

Hopefully by now you’ve got the hang of this total Magic-Kingdom-memory-by-senses thing and are completely immersed in happy memories!  Now it’s your turn!  What special things make your pixie-dusted vacation memories special?   

 

 

 

Fitbit Review – Getting Ready for WDW!

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I’ve had a Fitbit Charge HR for about three weeks now.  I’d wanted one for a long time, but was hesitant about spending the money – I want to lose a few pounds and keep track of my diet and exercise, but I was certain I could rely on free diet and fitness apps to get the job done.  I was wrong.Fitbit App

Fitbit Review – Getting Ready for WDW!

After packing on the pounds stress eating this year, I was down to some pretty slim pickings in my closet.  I do NOT want to buy bigger clothes.  I know when I’m at a certain weight I feel great and am comfortable in both my own skin and all the clothes in my closet.  I was ready to be that weight again, but lacked the right motivation to get there.  We’re also getting ready for a Walt Disney World vacation right after Christmas – I want to be prepared for all the walking involved!  Enter the Fitbit Charge HR.Fitbit Charge HR

As a birthday gift, it might not sound very exciting, but Raymond knows me well and he knows when I’m not happy with myself, I’m like Alice in Wonderland and I lose my “muchness”.  Ramping up my exercise and dropping the extra pounds is the solution for what’s dragging me down.  The best thing about a Fitbit is that it’s very much a one-stop shop for tracking activity, sleep, heartrate, calories in and out, and even water intake.Fitbit-App-Tracking

So, a few weeks in and I’ve been very diligent about utilizing all the features to the fullest extent.  I let the app know my weigh loss goals and it automatically determines my calorie goal each day – which differs based on my activity.  I pay more attention to the amount and quality of sleep I’m getting – how this device knows exactly how many minutes I’m sleeping along with the number of times I wake up or am restless is mysterious and COOL to me!  I added friends within the app who also use Fitbit to see how my daily steps compare to theirs.  The app even awards badges when certain mileage or flights-of-stairs milestones are reached.  I’m just a bit competitive, so these features are perfect for me!Fitbit Badges

The result?  My daily running mileage is up – which is great since I’ve got the Glass Slipper Challenge ahead of me in February.  I’ve lost 8 pounds so far, which is about 1/3 of my goal and I feel like my willpower has gotten a much-needed injection of strength.  It’s early days yet,  but the features and benefits of my Fitbit have been worth what Raymond paid for it.

Do I feel like I can keep going? Absolutely!  I’ll let you know when I’ve reached my goal.

Do you have a Fitbit? How’s it been working for you?

Disney Gifts For Dad

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RM-Maharajah-Jungle-StopGot a dad?  Is he a Disney fan?  GREAT!  You’ve come to the right place.  I’m married to an awesome Dad who happens to love all things Disney and I’ve had a few years-worth of gift buying practice.  Here are a few gift suggestions for the Disney dad in your life…

(Merchandise pictures are courtesy of the Disney Store.)

Disney Gifts For Dad

For his closet – The coolest new Disney clothing items are all part of the Twenty Eight & Main collection.  Retro, laid-back, and perfect for Dad!  These duds are for cool dudes.  One of my favorites is this Rocketeer tee ($32.95).    Rocketeer-TeeSeriously, this collection is wonderful.

For his office – This Disney Parks Attraction Poster calendar ($21.95) is the gift that keeps on giving – save the pictures and have them framed. Disney-Parks-Attraction-Poster-Calendar-2016 What dad would not love this rosewood pen ($21.00)  The Disney Parks Products, stationery and office selection is full of classy choices for everydad.Disney-World-Rosewood-Pen-Arribas

For his castle – Two things come to mind.  First, a little Mansion merch for his gadget drawer in the form of this awesome Haunted Mansion bottle stopper ($19.95).  Haunted-Mansion-Bottle-StopperI own one of these myself and am a huge fan!  Second, a new coffee mug – pick one that’s microwave and dishwasher safe like this Magic Kingdom map mug for $12.95.Magic-Kingdom-Map-Mug

For his next Disney vacation – If your favorite dad deserves a little extra TLC or some extra rest and relaxation, treat him to something extra special on your next trip to Walt Disney World.  RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-SignThe Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian offers excellent massages sure to make dad feel pampered and relaxed.  If that’s not your Dad’s cup of tea, you can always treat him to a round of golf, a movie, bowling, a Segway tour or a Dessert Party.

For his love – Help Dad keep the magical memories close at hand.  Turn his favorite vacation photos into unique gifts.  Bundle up your favorite Disney vacation pics into a Disney photo book.  For $79.95, this gorgeous, personalized reminder of your family’s vacation memories is easy to make with your own pictures and/or your Disney PhotoPass pictures.  We made one a few years back and I cannot count the number of times we’ve paged through it and relived those precious moments.  Disney Photo Book Disney Photo Book2Also available are smart phone cases, magnets, mousepads, ornaments, and more.

Are you shopping for a Disney-loving Dad? What are your best gift ideas?

Are you a Disney Dad? What are your favorite kinds of Disney gifts?

Animal Kingdom Happy Meal Toys: Part 2

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Animal Kingdom Happy Meal Toys: Part 2

By Nick

In last Saturday’s post, I shared 6 of a set of 12 Animal Kingdom McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys from 1998. If you missed it, please feel free to check it out here. I’ll wait.

Back? Good!

So, let’s take a look at the remaining toys.

First, we have a dragon! Why a dragon? There aren’t any dragons at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Well, back when the park first opened, there was a planned area called Beastly Kingdom, which would have featured mythical creatures, such as unicorns, and, of course, dragons. In fact, the original logo for the park prominently features a dragon.

This toy’s wings flap when you press in the button on his chest. I assume this is supposed to be a push and release feature, but, as I mentioned in my last post, these toys were a little the worse for wear when I received them, and the button sticks on mine.

Next up, we have a couple of clip on type toys.
First this Crocodile:
And this Lemur.

Then we have a couple of pull and release toys.

The Rhino does not work unfortunately, so, no charging.

The Cheetah does leap into action however. Well, he actually stays crouched and lunges, but at least he works, so I’m not complaining!

Last, but not least, we have a squirt gun Elephant.

Just put water in the hole on the back of his neck.

This works amazingly well, shooting water at least 15 feet!

Doing a little more digging, I discovered there is actually an exclusive Tortoise toy that was available at Walmart McDonald’s locations. If I come upon it, you will be among the first to know!

For more Disney awesomeness, be sure to follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.  You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about…well, you can probably guess.

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