Category Archives: Disney Travel Tips

Meet My Friend Nick from Disney Musings

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RM-Nick-and-Lisa-at-EpcotIf you happened to catch this post about how much I enjoy meeting new and not-so-new friends at Walt Disney World, then you’ve heard me mention my buddy Nick and his wife, Barbie.  Nick and I both are contributing writers at Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos, which is how we met.  Nick and Barbie live in New Jersey and have their own blog called Disney Musings.

One of the things I like about Nick and Disney Musings is that he and I are often of differing opinions on Walt Disney World restaurants and attractions.  It makes for fun debates and good-natured ribbing.  For example, Nick and Barbie consider the Hollywood Brown Derby one of their all-time favorite Disney World restaurants, me?  Not so much.  It’s also great to know, after meeting them, that Barbie and Nick are as kind and fun in person as they seem to be on Disney Musings.  It’s fun reading other Disney fans’ views on various aspects of Disney travel and entertainment.  Disney Musings also has a RM-Barbie-Nick-Lisafew other contributing writers who offer many different perspectives on a huge variety of Disney travel topics – including Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line.

Nick and Barbie have some incredible Disney collectibles and amazing Disney Christmas decorations I’d love to show you.  And I will!  Show you, I mean.  Starting next Saturday, I’ll share one of Disney Musings’ blog posts here for you to read each week.  I know you’ll enjoy following along with Nick and Barbie on some of their Disney adventures as much as I do.  Wait until you see some of their awesome Disney Halloween and Pirate Night costumes!

Check back on Saturdays for some extra Disney fun!  If you want to get a jump on exploring all the goings on at Disney Musings, click here.

Like Disney Musings on Facebook here.

Follow Disney Musings on Twitter here and Instagram here.

 

 

5 Reasons to Pamper Yourself at Disney World

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RM-Grand-Floridian-SignWe didn’t know what we’d been missing!  Raymond and I, in our bid to make the most of our 25th wedding anniversary celebration trip to Walt Disney World, decided to splurge on a few extras.  When you’re only covering travel expenses for two, it seems easier to justify dropping a few more dollars here and there.  One of the special treats we decided on was a massage for two at the Senses Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian.  Expensive?  Yes, for us $275 for a 50 minute spa treatment caused a moment’s pause while we considered what else we could buy with that money!  Then we thought of all the reasons it was a perfect use for our hard-earned cash – and we were right!  It was worth every penny.

They don’t call it the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for nothing.  There is an actual spa and it is fabulous!  Now that I’ve personally experienced it, here are my Top 5 Reasons to visit the Senses Spa (or pamper yourself at Walt Disney World in some special way):RM-Grand-Floridian-Walkway

1. Great for Any Time!  Want to kick off your vacation with some relaxation outside the busy parks?  What about mid-trip when you’re feeling tired from all that walking?  Or maybe, wouldn’t it be great to get a relaxing spa treatment right before you have to go back to the real world?  Anytime’s a great time for a little pampering!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Entrance

2. The Robe and Slippers!  And the spiced iced tea, and the aroma therapy, and all the extra little touches.  The spa is one awesome facility. Everything is designed to promote feelings of relaxation.  Because we were getting massages, we were supplied with super fluffy robes and comfortable slippers (in our actual shoe sizes!).  Those robes were really something!  So cozy.  RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Robe-and-Slippers

3. The Welcome!  I couldn’t help but notice how warm and welcoming the Cast Members were!  You’re offered a glass of tea upon arrival and then shown around the spa. The locker rooms are roomy and have everything you need to clean up and get ready for whatever else your day may hold.  There’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair gel, hair spray, and even deodorant if you need it!  If I’d known how well-supplied I’d be there, I would have packed a change of clothes and some makeup to save me a trip back to our resort.  The lockers have electronic locks that are easy to use so you can store all your personal items worry-free.  Everything is luxurious and intended to make you feel like the most special guest there – worked for me!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Vanity

4. Screaming Children!  They do seem to be almost everywhere at Walt Disney World…but they are NOT in the Senses Spa!  It’s blissfully peaceful and the tranquility is further enhanced by the use of aroma therapy and soft music.  The fragrance used during our massage was frankincense which I found to be pleasant and soothing.  The complete and total escape from the rest of the World is what I loved most about my visit to Senses.RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Counter-Sink-Area

5. You Deserve It!  We were spending an entire week at Walt Disney World alone for the first time in 25 years.  We were footloose and fancy free.  We could have spent the money on tours, or fine dining.  Instead we spent that money and time on a unforgettalbe experience.  We didn’t have to think, move, listen, plan, or hurry.  For 50 minutes, we were quiet and relaxed while two very kind and knowledgable Cast Members worked to free us from stress and muscle tension.  We loved it so much, we’re going back again in February!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Shower-Area-Entrance

When our time at Senses was over, we were hungry!  After catching a delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Island Grill, we hopped on the monorail for a quick stop back at Bay Lake Tower to change clothes.  Then were ready to head over to Epcot for our French Regional Lunch.  A visit to the Senses Spa was the perfect way to begin the last day of a wonderful vacation.

Here’s a complete list of all the treatments offered at the Senses Spa.  Would you spend the money on a splurge like that?  If not, what would you do instead?

Walt Disney World’s Memory Maker Review Round Two

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STUDIO_TOWEROFTERRORBRIDE_7071419898Please note:  The advance purchase price for Memory Maker has increased to $169 (from $149) since this post was originally published.

If you read my first review, you already know that our initial experience with Memory Maker was not a good one and it was entirely our own fault.  Raymond and I decided to have a do-over, a Memory Maker Mulligan, if you will.  Perhaps it seems silly to spend $149 (advance purchase price) to have Disney photographs of just the two of us, but hey!  We are not the type to ask a bunch of strangers to take our pictures AND we aren’t the best at selfies (perhaps our advanced ages are a disadvantage?).  No matter the reason, we took this most recent trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and I wanted pictures to commemorate the occasion.

So, how did we do with round two of Memory Maker?  I’m proud to say much, much better!  MM-Animal Kingdom EverestWe got 105 pictures from many different settings in each park.  We absolutely love the new ride videos included with our Memory Maker purchase!  We are completely happy with our investment this time around.

What we did differently:

  • We deliberately located a photographer immediately after park entrance every day and waited (if the line was short) when necessary.
  • We took advantage of photographers a little off the beaten path.  (One we found near Epcot’s Italy Pavilion was especially great.)
  • When we saw a character with a short line, we jumped in it.  Our pictures with Duffy are priceless (we sent one to our children right away since they are most decidedly NOT Duffy fans!).  Our pictures with Chip and Dale in Frontierland are hilarious because we were still soaking wet from Splash Mountain!
  • MM-Magic-Kingdom-Hat-KissWe didn’t just stand side-by-side.  When Raymond kissed me behind his hat in the middle of Main Street U.S.A., a nearby snack vendor started calling out tips which in turn got the crowd involved.  “Kiss her again!” “Without the hat!” “Ma’am!  You’ve got to pop the foot!” – which meant we got even more cute pictures!
  • We asked if “Magic Shots” were available and ended up with Olaf in one picture and Anna and Elsa in another.  The ghost driver of the hearse in front of Haunted Mansion during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was our favorite.

Note:  You can view your photos almost immediately by logging on to My Disney PhotoPass.  Even if you make sure everyone is linked, you still may not be able to see all the pictures.  This happened to us – when Raymond’s Magic Band was scanned after pictures were taken, I couldn’t see them.  A quick stop at (of all places) a FastPass+ Kiosk in Epcot got the situation resolved.  A very helpful Cast Member named Jennifer was able to quickly fix the problem.Magic Shot at MNSSHP

Tip:  If any of your pictures are missing, call (407) 560-4300 (Monday – Saturday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm) and see if they can be located.  The Cast Members are excellent and will do all they can to find your missing photos.

Have you used Memory Maker?  How was your experience?  Where were your favorite pictures taken?  How many pictures did you get?

  • Expedition Everest Ride Photo

The Por Favor Podcast Anti-Weasel Guide to Walt Disney World

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Por Favor Hosts Mike and GaryThe Por Favor Podcast Anti-Weasel Guide to Walt Disney World

Hi folks! We’re Gary and Mike, the co-hosts of the Por Favor Podcast. If you’ve heard us you know that we don’t take things too seriously (except beer, and food, and Disney, and sports, and well…never mind).

Anyway, Lisa has asked us to write an article for her blog while she jet-sets across the globe. She said it’d be a great way to cross-promote our podcast, but I have a feeling she’s just trying to get some free labor out of the deal.

One of the things that we frequently talk about on our podcast, is our love/hate relationship (ok, mostly hate) with the Walt Disney World Weasels. In case you don’t know what a Walt Disney World Weasel is, we can define it for you:

  1. Any person under the age of 16 who runs roughshod throughout a Disney Park
  2. The parent/guardian of any such person listed in definition #1No Weasels
  3. Someone who tries to game the Disney system (i.e. line cutting)
  4. Someone who stops, without notice, in the middle of a crowded walkway
  5. Someone who uses their darned iPad to take photos/video of the parades and fireworks!

Let’s be clear here, we understand these things happen on a trip to Walt Disney World, and someone can be a Walt Disney World Weasel and still be a good person, but if you frequently fall into one of these categories, then you probably want to stop reading this post! Here is the Official Por Favor Podcast Guide to Avoiding Walt Disney World Weasels©.

Step 1:

If you want to avoid the Walt Disney World Weasels, one of the easiest ways to do so is by avoiding the parks entirely. This piece of advice is not great. We love the parks. So let’s amend this step and say, go late and stay late. If you show up to the park at 11am and stay until 6pm, you are in weasel central. After the little ones are all tuckered out, it’s your chance to have your Por Favor Gary and Gastonrun of the place. Plan on staying until (after) closing and take advantage of the weaning weasel hours.

Step 2:

Avoid character meals like the plague. If you are looking for Walt Disney World Weasel central, look no further than a character meal. This is the time where the group in definition 1 and 2 are most prominent. Little weasels running around a crowded restaurant like they just free-based pixie sticks and their weasel parents sitting back with a cocktail updating their Facebook status so their friends back home can be jealous. Let’s be clear, if you want a picture with Chef Mickey, there will be weasel blood on your hands to do so. Fair warning!

Step 3:

Stay at Coronado Springs Resort. This resort has been certified by the Por Favor Podcast as the least likely resort on property to encounter a weasel. It has everything going for it to repel weaseldom. It is sprawling, it is not overly Disney-fied and it is relatively far from all of the parks. Plus, if you are looking for a resort with some very comfy beds and beautiful scenery and landscaping, this resort is for you!

Step 4:

Hang out in World Showcase as much as possible. We know EPCOT Center is not the most kid-friendly park (so they say) so in general, the weasel ratio is much lower here as is. Plus, it’s huge, lots of open spaces to avoid the weasel parents texting while operating a stroller. But, World Showcase is the place to be. Not only do you have the advantage of the best food options in any park, but you have the ever-famous drinking-around-the-world to partake in (note: you run the risk of becoming a weasel if you aren’t careful in your drink consumption). We say get to World Showcase at 11am when it opens and take your time looking in all the countries. Grab a snack, meal or drink in each country and really spend some time in the least weasel-friendly locations like; Morocco, Canada, Germany and China. Editors note: Step 4 will become null and void once Frozen takes over Norway (yuck).

Step 5:

Resort hop. This is a great way to see parts of the Walt Disney World property that you probably haven’t experienced before. Instead of rushing right into the Magic Kingdom, take a resort launch to the Wilderness Lodge and check out their amazing lobby. Hop on the monorail and walk around the impeccable grounds of the Grand Floridian. Before heading into World Showcase, use the back exit and walk along the Boardwalk, an homage to a seaside resort town. Take the bus to Animal Kingdom lodge and soak in the atmosphere at one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see! Don’t be afraid to explore each resort and see what they have to offer. The benefits are two-fold, while you are expanding your resort horizons, all the weasels are in line to meet Ana and Elsa, so they’ll be out of your hair and you might even find a new resort to call home!

So there you have it folks. Five easy steps to avoid the dreaded Walt Disney World Weasels. If you follow these simple steps you should easily lower your weasel encounter-counter for your next trip to Walt Disney World! Thanks!

Gary Arruda & Mike Hurley

www.porfavorpodcast.com

@PorFavorPodcast on Twitter.com

facebook.com/PorFavorPodcast