Category Archives: Walt Disney World

More Disney Pin Ponderings

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Minnie Mouse Chalkboard PinYou don’t have to be a Disney pin trader or even a pin collector to appreciate what great souvenirs the right pins can be.  Commemorating a special milestone, a beloved ride or attraction, a favorite character – is easy and relatively economical with Disney pins!

We do like to pin trade – as entertainment versus serious hobby.  We love searching out pin boards and books at out of the way locations.  We also like meeting and visiting with Cast Members as we peruse their pin collections.  Mostly, more than anything, each of us loves to find a pin or two that we…gosh, “connect with” is such a weird choice of words here…find meaningful, I guess, would be more what I mean.Disney Pin - Mickey Mouse Animation

I can’t speak for the rest of The Fam, but I can browse rows and rows of pins in stores and spin those pin display racks for a long time and still walk away empty handed.  Then, once or twice during each Walt Disney World visit, I’ll see a pin that just grabs my interest!  Maybe it’s a particularly cute version of a classic character that I’ve never seen before.  Maybe it’s a double pin set (Doug and Mr. Fredrickson, for example) that is too cute to resist.  Maybe, pins with a certain year on them – seriously, I normally don’t care, but this year was an important year in MY life, so having a pin with the year on it meant more to me.  You get the idea.  I love it when I find a pin I’m sure Raymond, Megan, or Joseph would LOVE and I can buy it on the sly and surprise them with Disney's Hollywood Studios 25th Anniversary Pinit later – sometimes, on rare occasions, I can curb my enthusiasm enough to hold on to a pin until Christmas and slip it into someone’s stocking.

If you’ve never visited the Disney Pins Blog, it’s a really fun place to hang out – even for us casual pin traders/collectors.  I particularly love looking at the upcoming releases of Disney Cast Member pins – I formulate plans for how I may score one or two (or five) on an upcoming trip.

Pins come in singles, doubles, collections, mystery sets, and more.  Currently, though, according to the Disney Pins Blog, the color-coded pricing of general pin stock is as follows:

  • GREEN = $7.95
  • RED = $8.95
  • BLUE = $9.95
  • YELLOW = $11.95
  • PINK = $13.95

Think about it – if you’re looking for an easy to carry souvenir, a keepsake, a memento – for a maximum of $13.95, you can take home something durable – a lasting, timeless piece of your Walt Disney World vacation to remind you, in the years ahead, of a very happy and special time.

For my tips on getting started with pin trading, read this.  For an explanation of Chaser Pins, check here.  Want to make pin collecting into an adventure?  Read this.

Do YOU love Disney pins?  What’s your favorite pin?  What pin do you want to get next?

 

So It’s Not the Food & Whine Festival

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View of World ShowcaseI had a moment of panic today when I thought we might have a problem with our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  We might have erred, made a mistake, screwed up, taken a wrong turn.  We have certainly looked forward to this particular trip for years (and years!) – I realized today that our expectations could possibly be a tad too high – we might have set ourselves up to be disappointed.  Food & Wine rookie mistake?  Perhaps.

I’d been determined to use my existing knowledge of WDW vacation strategies along with some tips and suggestions from friends, websites, and podcasts to make sure we have a great time – regardless of the weather, the crowd levels, the price tags.  It is our 25th anniversary trip after all and we want it to be memorable – in a good way. Wine Wall in Epcot's Tutto Gusto

The source of my panic…

Do you know Safari Mike?  He and his buddy Dave McBride host the Radio Harambe Podcast – which is one of my absolute favorite, not-to-be-missed shows (no, it’s not your imagination, I do have a bunch of favorite Disney podcasts).  Anyway, on the latest episode of Radio Harambe, Mike said some rather negative things about the Food and Wine Festival – yes, the very event I’ve been waiting years and years to finally attend!  Imagine my horror – my lonely little self, driving along in the car on the way to work, happily enjoying the show and POW!  Waves of doubt came crashing over me!  What if the trip we’d used as a carrot to keep us going through our children’s teen years was not going to be the magical, epic, spectacular week (alone, at last!)  we were envisioning?

Epcot's World ShowcaseNever one to sit and brood, I went straight to the source and reached out to Safari Mike on Twitter.  I asked him for some details about the cause of his somewhat sour attitude toward the event at the heart of Raymond’s and my dream trip.  Mike cleared everything right up for me – it seems that if you go to Food & Wine several times, you become quite familiar with its pros and cons.  Mike offered some valuable tips I’ll share with you now.  I’ll be new to Food & Wine and don’t yet have any tricks and strategies of my own – but with Mike’s help, you and I can make sure that our first visit to Food & Wine doesn’t turn out to be food & whine.

Safari Mike’s Advice and Tips for Enjoying the Food & Wine Festival:  China Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase

1. Weekdays at lunchtime and early afternoon are great times to enjoy the festival – This is good news!  I’d prepared for this by planning to spend Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning/early afternoon at Epcot with no plans other than sampling good eats and drinks and soaking in the festival’s atmosphere.

2. Be prepared for crowds and pricey food – Not much we can do about the crowds except by trying to mostly follow tip #1, but we’re attempting to combat the prices by purchasing a bunch of discounted gift cards in advance.  We can buy $150-worth of cards at our local big box club for $143.  No, it’s not much, but if we set aside the money and stick with the cards for a budget, it’ll keep sticker shock at bay.

Germany Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase3. Expect a different World Showcase experience – the atmosphere of World Showcase is not as it usually is – don’t expect to enjoy it the same way as during other time of the year.  This is also good news for us since we had a wonderful time enjoying our favorite World Showcase pavilions, stores, and restaurants during our May visit.

4. Hit the most popular booths early – I’m pretty sure I know what these are, but a little extra research is in order.  I’ve read that there will be something like 66 different specialty food offerings available.  If I can narrow that list down to a dozen or so we’d really like to try, I think that’ll be doable.

5. The Food & Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party are two events every Walt Disney World fan should try.  That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.  Mike may have been the one to throw me into a bit of a panic, but he was also the one to calm me back down.  We are going to Food & Wine and Mickey’s Not So Scary and we are Walt Disney World fans.  I think we’ve got this.

Got any tips and tricks for Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival?  Please leave them in comments! 

Follow Safari Mike (@JamboEveryone) on Twitter.

Read Safari Mike’s blog.

Give Radio Harambe a listen!

Be sure to check out the Jambo Everyone blog, too.

5 Ways to Ruin Your Own Disney Vacation

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Epcot ViewRemember a while back (if you’re new here, just follow the link to catch up) when I gave a tutorial on the Five Best Ways to be Irritating at Walt Disney World?  Well – those were my tips for how you can ruin OTHER people’s vacations.  Today I’m going to share with you my tips on how you can ruin your own Disney vacation.  I want you to be aware of every possibility…an informed consumer, if you will.  Ready?  Here goes:

Five Ways to Ruin Your Own Disney Vacation:

1. Don’t plan – Don’t do any research.  Guide books and travel websites are for geeks.  If you Sign for Splash Mountain / Magic Kingdom book a room at Walt Disney World for a week and you just show up hoping for the best, here’s what you’ll get:  Lost, for one thing – which could be an adventure all on its own.  If you don’t at least look at a park map now and again, you’ll get to spend a good bit of your vacation time wandering.  You’ll also get to wait in line – a lot and for long periods of time – hey, that’s okay, right?  Disney’s done wonders with ride queues – embrace the experience.  Booking FastPass+ choices 60 days ahead of time would be ridiculous, right?  I mean who knows what rides and attractions will look good that far out?  You’ll also eat a lot of fast food or “counter service” they call it.  You wouldn’t want to sit down and enjoy a nice meal anyway – that would take booking a dining reservation as much as 180 days in advance at the really popular places – absolutely against the grain for non-planners.  Don’t do it.

2. Plan too much – Indeed, to really wreck a week at Walt Disney World, you should plan Dad checks his watch at the Grand Floridianevery minute.  Exhaustive research will pay off for you – you’ll have every second planned to ensure every single ride and attraction is strategically covered in “The Plan”.  Rope drop, extra magic hours, FastPass+ selections, utilize all the special perks of staying on property and keep going for 16-18 hours a day!  Smart phone ever at the ready, move your family along in military fashion for the entire duration of your stay.  Heaven forbid anything like bad weather or a ride break-down interfere.  They may not appreciate it at the time, but your family will surely thank you later, right?  They’ll really be looking forward to coming back…someday….maybe.

Queue for Star Tours / Disney's Hollywood Studios3. Constantly think ahead – this goes right along with the over-planning.  Do NOT allow yourself to be in the moment – do not stop and enjoy the little details…heck, just ignore those!  Don’t relax – there’s entirely too much to worry about!  Tired?  Aching feet?  Man up, soldier!  You’re spending thousands of dollars here – it’s mission critical for you to obsess over what will happen next.  Use those phone apps constantly to check everything from the weather to current attraction wait times.  Smelling the roses is for sissies!

4. Cling to unrealistic expectations – Those Disney commercials on TV?  Expect your children WDW Happiness / Mad Tea Partyto act just like that!  Faces aglow with awe, smiles every waking moment – wonder and amazement and appreciation overflowing!  You should expect exactly that!  They will be model citizens, there will be no whining or crying or meltdowns.  They certainly would never ever have the nerve to ask, “When are we going back to the hotel to go swimming?”  Swimming?  You’re in the Magic Kingdom!  Why would anyone want to go swimming?

Souvenir Shopping / Walt Disney World5. Bring on Buyer’s Remorse – If you are committed to this endeavor and absolutely want to ruin your trip, don’t look at the cost of anything at Walt Disney World before you arrive.  For sure, don’t check out any menu prices – ’cause that would ruin the surprise!  Be sure to shop for some souvenirs, drop by those convenient and numerous bars for adult beverages, and snack away – simply wave those MagicBands and worry about the consequences later!

All set?  Now, let’s get out there and have some fun!!!  Please, do let me know how it goes when you get back.

 

 

 

WDW Top 10 Attractions for the Whole Family

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Cinderella Castle in Magic KingdomTop 10 lists are fun!  This one in particular, for me, was cool to build – I’ve been going to Walt Disney World now for 24+ years.  The first time, married just five months, I was already in the family way, the next dozen visits were made with children from age 13 months on up to adulthood (I should say adult-ish).  I’ve been through the rider swap phase, the am-I-tall-enough stage, the oh-I’m-too-scared times, and finally to the (well-deserved, I might add) – everyone can and will ride everything!  There is absolutely nothing our family will not ride at Walt Disney World (okay, well, except Mission: Space, but I explained all that here).

I thought it would be fun to put together a few of our favorite rides (and attractions) that are suitable for just about every age.  I’m talking about the ones with no height requirements that aren’t too scary – the kinds of rides and activities Walt Disney was talking about when he said, “We believed in our idea – a family park where parents and children could have fun- together.”  These are some of our must-do’s, our favorite things we’ve enjoyed as a family from the very beginning and still love today.  No rush or anything, but someday (when I’m older), these are the first rides I’ll take my grandchildren on.

Walt Disney World Top 10 Attractions for the Whole Family:

Magic Kingdom

Dumbo (Storybook Circus / Fantasyland) – I KNOW, it’s just riding around in a circle – but you’re on a flying elephant!  The quintessential Disney experience and, unlike the Mad Tea Party’s tea cups, there’s little chance of motion sickness.  It’s okay for you to have fun on Sailing on WDW Jungle CruiseDumbo…even if you’re old.

Jungle Cruise (Adventureland) – There’s a lot to see, most of it of the cute and funny variety.  Even if the little ones can’t yet appreciate the Jungle Cruise skipper’s comedic genius, it’s not dark and more thrilling than actually scary.  C’mon – The BACKSIDE of water!  Never gets old.

Peter Pan’s Flight (Fantasyland) – Who doesn’t love a lost boy?  I’m always surprised by how much I love boarding my little pirate ship and flying over amazing scenes from Peter Pan.  From London to Never Land and back – all our favorite characters are there!

Mickey's PhilharMagic / Fantasyland / Magic KingdomMickey’s PhilharMagic (Fantasyland) – So much fun and happiness in one place.  The music, the special effects, the smell of pies and cakes floating by…yes!  This holds a very special place in our hearts.  So special, in fact, that our Megan’s been able to talk us into seeing this 3D movie experience 3 times in the same vacation.  Compared to It’s Tough to be a Bug over in Animal Kingdom, this one’s much less likely to induce a meltdown.

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel (Fantasyland) – Yes, I’m aware that there’s a carrousel in every mall in America.  There’s a reason for that – they are fun!  Prince Charming’s version is no exception.  You get to look out and see what’s happening in Fantasyland all around you or just watch the other guests enjoying their ride upon a fancy horse.  Good, old fashioned family fun.  Don’t miss it.Sign in The Seas With Nemo & Friends

Epcot

The Seas with Nemo & Friends (Future World) – Board a clam-mobile and watch your favorite characters from Finding Nemo as you drift along with the ocean current.  It’s bright and fun and a little silly, so everyone finds something to like about it.  Plus, it’s a great place to cool off on a hot day.  I love Bruce and Mr. Ray the best!

Malestrom (World Showcase) – Might be the scariest thing on this list, but the ride’s fun, the Malestrom / Norway Pavilion / World Showcasebig troll is cool, and, if we hurry, we can enjoy it as an educational tribute to the country of Norway.  ‘Cause that’s what the World Showcase is supposed to be all about – teaching us about other cultures around the world.  If the rumors are true and the Norway Pavilion changes to be completely overtaken with the Frozen theme, characters, and fictitious land of Arendelle…well, I’ll save that rant for later.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

MuppetVision 3D – We love everything about this show.  The waiting area with all it’s puns and sight gags, the pre-show, the fancy theater, Statler and Waldorf doing their thing.  Sweetums at the end – it’s all great!  Everyone’s favorite frog can never disappoint.  Fun for all ages.  And species.

Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safari / Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safari  – If you’ve been here before, you know how much I love the Safari!  Well, it’s perfect for our family because there’s so much to see!  Animals out on the savannah, in the wild (sort of) – doing their thing.  It’s always changing – so no two trips around are exactly the same.  We love mornings the best – the animals seem to be much more active than they are later in the day.

Festival of the Lion King – Audience interaction, aerial stunts, dancing, singing, OH! and don’t forget the Tumble Monkeys – This live tribute to all the best things about The Lion King is an absolute must do!  Seriously, it’s a lot of fun.  This show highlights some of the most talented performers at Walt Disney World.

Under the Sea - Journey of the Little MermaidHonorable Mention – this ride is brand new, but totally kid and adult friendly in the Fantasyland (Magic Kingdom)…I’m talking about Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.  It’s colorful, cute, non-scary (even the parts with Ursula are mild).  Everyone will like something about it.  Especially Little Mermaid fans.

What are your favorite rides and attractions for all ages?  What would you add (or subtract) from this list?