Disney Character Close-up – Lady Tremaine and The Steps

Posted on February 1, 2014 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

If you’re taking little ones to Walt Disney World, you will, of course, want to take them to see their favorite characters. The Fab Five, Princesses, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet too! Character autographs, character meals, character meet and greets – opportunities abound.

Again – I want to point out (I’m not trying to make you sad, I promise) – your kiddos won’t stay little forever. The importance of character interaction will wane a bit as you find yourself with tweens, teens and young adults. This may surprise you, but meeting characters becomes a whole lot more interesting when your children get a little older!

Enter the more “sophisticated” characters. Characters that can be intimidating or downright terrifying to small children are absolutely wonderful for interacting with older kids and adults. Examples include the likes of Captain Hook, Jafar, and – to me, truly the very best characters for older children, Lady Tremaine and the Step Sisters.

We first ran into Lady Tremaine and the Steps unexpectedly near Cinderella’s Wishing Well in the Magic Kingdom – we laughed hysterically at their antics. Lady Tremaine is dead serious in her unflappable adoration of her beloved offspring. Anastasia and Drizella are pretty amazing in the level of selfishness and conceit they display! At that time, Megan and Joseph could appreciate the humor, but weren’t quite ready to be a part of the “show”.

We next ran into Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella during our magical VIP parade seating. Joseph was old enough to really interact with the Steps and knew just what to do. He showed them some attention and, as expected, that was all it took before one of the girls, Drizella, screamed, “MOTHER! I want this ONE!”

Later that night during the Main Street Electrical Parade, Joseph saw Drizella and Anastasia again on a parade float and blew a kiss – Drizella immediately focused all her attention on Joseph as the float went by. As it moved along the route, Joseph stood with one arm longingly (and dramatically!) outstretched towards his now favorite character as she reached towards him with equally passionate dismay. C’mon – that’s hilarious! Priceless Disney magic….character interaction for big kids is every bit as fantastic as it was with little ones.

On our upcoming Walt Disney World vacation, I’ve booked a character meal at 1900 Park Fare (buffet at the Grand Floridian). Oh, seeing Cinderella and The Prince will be nice, but I can’t WAIT to see Lady Tremaine and the Step Sisters again.

Need to tell them apart? Drizella is the oldest and wears blue / green. Anastasia is the younger sister in Pink.

It’s your turn: Who do you think are the best characters for older children? Who are your favorite characters to interact with?

Disney’s Tutto Gusto Wine Bar in Epcot’s Italy

Posted on January 31, 2014 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

“Tutto Gusto Wine Bar in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion is a wonderful treasure, a charming, cozy and relaxing nook tucked away from Walt Disney World’s hustle and bustle. I recommend it as a great place for adults to enjoy a snack or light meal and an excellent glass of wine.” – Me, channeling my inner restaurant critic.

I am mostly German with some British and Native American tossed in the mix. I can trace my ancestry back to 17^th century Germany on my mother’s side and on my dad’s side, we are direct descendants of Daniel Boone. There is not, anywhere I can find (no matter how hard I search), even the tiniest drop of Italian blood in my veins. In my heart, though, I’m Italian. The language, the food, the wines, the Italian flare for style – all appeal to me in an indescribable way. I’m certain this is why eating in Epcot’s Italy always gets my vote. I love the Cast Members and I’ve never EVER had a bad meal.

You may recall from a previous post (about a certain chocolate croissant) that Raymond and I had a couple of hours alone in Epcot last time we visited Disney World. One of the things I wanted to try, as it was brand new at the time, was Tutto Gusto. We had ADRs for later that evening at Le Cellier, so a light lunch was in order and Tutto Gusto’s small-plates menu, which I had checked out online, would be perfect. Raymond loves Italian food (and wine) every bit as much as I do, so he was on board with the plan.

We were pleasantly surprised to find Tutto Gusto nearly empty when we arrived (it had just opened for business earlier in the month, so perhaps it was still unknown to most guests). We immediately loved the cozy feel of the restaurant – a quiet, relaxing escape from the rest of Epcot. The restaurant seats fewer than 100 people – when we sat down, there were maybe a dozen patrons, including us. The server was excellent – attentive without being overbearing. We ordered glasses of red wine (can’t tell you what it was, but we liked it) – after letting our server pick for us based on our description of what we like in a wine. We then took our time perusing the menu for a few minutes before ordering.

Raymond ordered a (small, single) Panini that came with an equally small side salad – not surprising if you know what a fan he is of these Italian toasted sandwiches – I have a Panini maker at home and know how to use it! I opted for the Insalata Di Mare Trapanese (Shrimp, squid, octopus, lemon, extra virgin olive oil). Both of us were happy with our choices and felt our meals were light enough to be topped off with dessert! Mocha Tiramisu all around.

Final words about our lunch – YES, I was influenced by all I had read online about Tutto Gusto and HAD to try it – What that curiosity yielded: We had a lovely, quiet (romantic even) Italian getaway right in the middle of Epcot’s World Showcase.

What-If Wednesday – Changing Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Posted on January 29, 2014 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Ladies and Gentlemen! It’s time for…….What-If Wednesday! The game show where we use our imagination to bring about Disney change. Contestants from Twitter and Facebook go head to head and compete to invent the most popular (pretend) changes. Get ready to let your imagination run wild! And as Drew Carey would say, this is “the show where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.” Let’s GO!

This week’s episode – Changing Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Okay, now that you’ve got the idea – Here’s how this really works. A couple of weeks ago I posed the question – If you had Superpowers, but only at Walt Disney World, what would they be? That question was SO much fun and the answers so imaginative, I decided to give it another go. This week’s question was: If you had the power to change THREE things at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, what would they be?

Here is what participants had to say:

Get busy on adding Star Wars Land (Bill Maguire @wfmaguire, Mrs. Mouseward Bound @MousewardBound, Jordan Duncan @JordanGhastly, Stephanie via Facebook ). See, the worst thing about Star Warsland is that Disney spoke of it. Teased us – led us on, if you will. Now we want them to fork over the goods! Will the expense of MyMagic+ be the demise of what would have been a very needed, very popular addition for the Studios?

Update The Great Movie Ride! (Bill Maguire @wfmaguire, Mrs. Mouseward Bound @MousewardBound ). I’m old enough that I still get a kick out of The Great Movie Ride as is, but you young whippersnappers probably find it a bit out of date. There are SO many great movies, it would be very cool indeed to see this ride revamped from time to time to include a few newer, yet no less important, classics.

Make it less of a “Half-Day Park” (Waltdisneyworldwords @WDWords) by adding more rides! I couldn’t agree more with this suggestion. While we can make it a full day park, it can sometimes be a challenge. Perhaps that’s been because after you’ve hit Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, and Rock’n’ Roller Coaster – everything else seems a bit tame. My theory is FastPass+ will actually help this – you’ll get more opportunity to spread the big three out over the course of a day and add things like Star Tours, Muppets, Indiana Jones, and the Great Movie Ride in between. Anybody else think so?

Add a Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster (Bill Maguire @wfmaguire ). Ah, Bill. If only. Think about how innovative and exciting this would be! Totally different from anything already at Walt Disney World but a perfect (and much-needed) addition for Pixar Place. The effects they could use for this would make it an e-ticket ride for sure.

Close Backlot Tour (BRGUEST @Florida407wdw) (Forever?) – Backlot Tour IS currently non-operational. Maybe that’s a good sign. If the nice Disney people have no intention of restoring this attraction to some semblance of its former enjoyable-ness, they need to raze it all and put something fabulous in its place. I adored the original Backlot Tour, but it had become a mere shadow of what it once was and for me, too depressing to contemplate riding (good thing it’s closed then, huh.)

Revise Muppets (BRGUEST @Florida407wdw) – Now that the Muppets have returned to the big screen in a big way, it is time to revamp the Muppet Vision 3D movie experience and throw a little cash and TLC over that way in the Studios. Much of what’s there is fantastic – it just needs modernized so the younger fans feel like “their” Muppets (Walter!) are well represented.

Build a Hollywood Tower of Terror Resort (Jackie Psarianos @JackiePsarianos) – Jackie! This would be sensational. Think of the possibilities! Restored to it’s 1930’s glory, the Hollywood Tower Hotel would be one of (if not THE) most sought-after resort properties at Walt Disney World. Just imagine – The dining, the gardens, the pools, the rooms! Yeah…sigh…good idea.

Destroy the American Idol Experience (Mrs. Mouseward Bound @MousewardBound). Yes. ‘Nuff said. (How about a big round of applause!)

Add a Super Hero section (Stephanie via Facebook) – this idea was seconded by Anna (Facebook) who is ready to see Marvel at Disney World (hey – I gave everyone the power to make changes, that power would certainly overcome any legal obstacles involved, right?). When you think about all the incredible things Disney Imagineers could come up with involving the Marvel franchise, it boggles the mind! Sadly, Disneyland (and non-US Disney properties) will be the recipient of anything Marvel-ous for the foreseeable future.

Add an Indiana Jones ride (Jordan Duncan @JordanGhastly). I would love this. Indiana Jones was one of those movies that just got to me when I first saw it and made me a fan for life. There is an Indie ride at Disneyland – I’m sure something like that in the Studios would be an immediate crowd favorite!

Lose Aerosmith on Rock’n’ Roller Coaster and replace them with a better band (Jordan Duncan @JordanGhastly) – WHAT?! I challenged Jordan on this since I’m a huge Aerosmith fan, but I couldn’t help liking his Beetles and Rolling Stones ideas! Joseph (on Facebook and member of The Fam) suggested making RnRC longer, which would give music lovers a chance to enjoy more tunes as well.

Add more rides for younger kids like a Disney Jr. area with a giant Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to play in! (Stephanie via Facebook) – Not having little ones anymore myself, I don’t have a good perspective about what’s lacking at the Studios for the curtain-climber set. I can see that if the Studios had more attractions for the under-8 folks, it could probably go head to head with Magic Kingdom for popularity.

Toy Story Midway Mania drew some suggestions of its own: The first change would be to how they do FP for this attraction. (Waltdisneyworldwords @WDWords) – I checked and this suggestion had to do with changing the ratio between standby and FastPass guests so the standby line would move a bit better (or at all!) and second change would be to improve the stand-by line experience for Toy Story Midway Mania – Joseph suggested this one – he is his mother’s son after all.

Wow! That was FUN! Thanks for playing, everyone! What were your favorite ideas?

Any suggestions for next week’s What-if Wednesday?

Tim and Bob – The Men Behind the Resortloop Podcast

Posted on January 27, 2014 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Once again, I’m thrilled to share with you another interview with the hosts of one of my favorite Disney podcasts! Hop aboard the Resortloop Podcast – Gateway to the Magic. I discovered this little gem a few months ago and these two guys from Ohio have taken up a little corner of my Disney heart.

“Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas.” – Disney’s Monorail Announcer.

Meet Tim Scott and Bob Coller – two great, genuinely likable Disney fans who, in February, 2013, began their own Disney podcast. Easy listening meets heartfelt Disney enthusiasm as these two, and an occasional guest, discuss ways to make the most of every Walt Disney World visit. 93 Episodes to date (in under a year!), each lasting about a half an hour, there are lots of reasons to tune in. Personally, I like their perspectives – especially Bob’s since we’re the same age – and how they interact with each other. One thing about the show I particularly appreciate is that, unlike almost ALL the Disney podcasts in my lineup, they did NOT take a holiday hiatus – there were new episodes to listen to every day from December 23rd to December 31st. One other thing I need to mention before I get to the interview is how consistent each episode is – Tim and Bob are the same guys today as they were in the first episode – there was no need for them to develop their style over time or find their podcast’s “voice” – they’ve been themselves from day one because it works!

On to the interview:

1. What unexpected surprises (good and/or bad) has podcasting brought you?

Tim – I have been surprised and overwhelmed by the graciousness and kindness of our listeners. I never thought that we would have an audience as large and as quickly as we did! Our audience has taken on an identity that we feel is unique in the Disney Podcast Community. When Listener (and friend) Joe Quattrocchi coined the term “Looper” for listeners of the show, it immediately was a hit! It has since spurned numerous hashtags: #Looper, #SuperLooper, #NewLooper, #LooperNation! It continues to be an awesome experience!

Bob – I am truly amazed at the incredible group of people that make up the Disney Community, and not just the sheer numbers of people, but the amazing quality of the people. I feel that if I were to break down on mile marker xxx, on I-77, on my way to WDW, and tweeted about it, someone from the Disney Community would be there in minutes to help. I am proud to be in this “fraternity”!

2. Who are the top three guests you’d be most thrilled to have on your show?

Tim – If only it were possible to interview Walt or Roy (but I’m sure I’m not alone in that)! Bob Iger would pretty cool too!

Bob –

Walt Disney – For obvious reasons
Ube Iwerks – To find out more about the early years of the Walt Disney Company
Diane Disney Miller – To hear “Dad” stories and learn about the “real” man. As a father myself, no one can tell the real story of a man better than his kids.

3. What’s your Disney lucky charm – or most favorite, treasured Disney item?

Tim – I think for me, my favorite lucky charm would have to be my key chain. It’s an Epcot key chain that I bought the year it opened I bought it before I had a license and have had it with my car keys ever since. It’s worn and beat up a little now but has lots of character! I also bought another one a year later as a backup, which is around here somewhere. Wow, I just realized its 30 years old!

Bob – A Mickey Golf windbreaker I got on the very first trip with my daughter.

4. The one thing you each love most about Disney parks?

Tim – The escapism the parks provide. It’s not only true from park to park but also from “land to land” or “country to country” within each park.

Bob – The feeling when you are there! It cannot be explained, it can only be felt.

5. Best advice about podcasting you’ve ever received? if nothing – What have you learned about life from podcasting?

Tim – I never actually sought out any specific advice about podcasting. It has taught me to try some new things. Put yourself out there, share your thoughts, be yourself, and have fun while doing it, and people might listen!

Bob – Best advice I received was from my co-host Tim, who said, “Alright, we’re just going to start and see what happens.”

6. Best advice about vacationing at a Disney park you’ve ever received – and you think everyone should know?

Tim – I’m a huge advocate of getting out of the parks in the heat of the day during the summer. Always enjoy the nap and/or swimming! I also always tell people who are going on their first trip that there is no way you will do it all! Plan well and enjoy what you do get to do!

Bob – “Look Up!” I took that to mean, look around, don’t rush to the next ride, enjoy what is around you. It has made every trip much more enjoyable.

7. How did you first learn about Disney podcasts? Was that your inspiration for starting one of your own?

Tim – I had to find the time frame on this. It was 2005, I was searching the internet looking for the old audio track that was played on AM radio as you entered WDW property. I never found it but one of the results was “Inside the Magic” I don’t remember the exact episode that was out but it was in the single digits! As far as inspiration for starting a podcast, never thought I would. Bob and I would always have in-depth Disney conversations and I would quote Seinfeld and say “This could be a show”! I bought some equipment told Bob we were starting a podcast and the rest is (recent) history!

Bob – Again, my co-host Tim! He got me listening to a few and the rest as they say is…well…”Please Stand Clear of The Doors”!