Walt Disney World Lagniappes

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Here in Louisiana, we’re very familiar with the concept of lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap).

At Oxford’s online dictionary, Lagniappe is defined as “something given as a bonus or extra gift.”.  ORIGIN:  Louisiana French, from Spanish la ñapa.

We like to think of it as anytime you unexpectedly receive a little something extra.

Disney World clearly understands and embraces the idea of lagniappe and I’ve created a short list of my favorites.

Walt Disney World Lagniappes

RM-Disney-Any-kind-Celebration-Button

Celebration Buttons and Surprises – When you book a reservation at a Walt Disney World resort or restaurant (by phone), you’ll be asked if you’ll be celebrating anything when you visit.  If the answer is YES, you’ll most likely receive a celebratory lagniappe!  Upon checking in at your resort, you may be presented with a complimentary celebration button (if not, just ask for one!).  In a restaurant, you’ll often receive an acknowledgement of some type that will make your dining experience even more magical!RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Dessert

Photos with your camera – While we’ve purchased Memory Maker a few times (before it came with our Annual Passes), we’ve always appreciated how willing Cast Members and Disney Photographers are to take our picture with our own camera or smartphone.  Some of these pictures have been among our favorites and It’s a great way to immediately share your happiness with friends and family on social media.Chewbacca-Meet-and-Greet

Electrical Water Pageant – If you’ve seen it and didn’t absolutely love this adorably cheerful nighttime spectacle, I’m afraid I simply don’t understand.  This nightly parade of floats on the Seven Seas Lagoon is awesome! The floats are made of dancing light effects and the music is perfectly peppy! Plus, you can watch the pageant from outside the parks – just visit the boat dock at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts at the appropriate time. (Get all the details about times and best viewing spots here.)  Since this is a free show with no park ticket required, it’s a perfect first day activity if you’re not going to a park. It may be only 15 minutes long, but this little show’s a gem – don’t miss it!electrical-water-pageant-serpent-2 electrical-water-pageant-fish

Random Character Interaction – Lately Disney news has been full of performer contracts being cancelled (Most recently Scoop Sanderson in Magic Kingdom), but there are still prime opportunities to happen upon some extra special Disney magic in the form of wandering or unexpected characters (like the Dapper Dans!). Keep your eyes peeled!RM-Dapper-Dans

Thank You Card – When you get home from your Walt Disney World stay, the surprises keep coming!  We’ve received a very nice thank you card after the last few visits that includes Disney artwork suitable for framing.disney-thank-you-minnie

What are your favorite Walt Disney World lagniappes?

Lazy Person’s Disney Countdown Calendar

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When my vacation countdown’s in the home stretch, I want a countdown calendar that’s more exciting than a number on a smartphone app. I may not have little ones at home anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want a cute way to note the passing of one less day between me and my Disney World vacation! Being a tad lazy, I’ve found a way to mark my countdown to Disney that takes little effort and results in my own ridiculous happiness.  I’ll share my secret with you now for my…

Lazy Person’s Disney Countdown Calendar

You can do this on the cheap or fancy it up a bit – your choice.  I’ve done it both ways, so I can show you how to do it low-budget or with a bit more of an investment – either way’s a piece of cake. Make this on your own or as a fun craft project with your kiddos.

Let’s get started. Here’s what you’ll need:disney-countdown-calendar-supplies

  • Straws
  • Paper Circles (can be made from construction paper, craft foam or pre-purchased “straw toppers”)
  • Stickers or Leftover Scrapbooking Decorations
  • Chalk pens or magic markers

Fancy Version:

Take an straw topper, add a Disney sticker, add a number (if you want to) for the countdown with a chalk pen.  disney-countdown-straw-topperKeep going until you have your countdown complete and TA-DAH!!! Boom BABY!  Store those straws in a cute holder and use one each day until it’s time to GO!disney-countdown-calendar-straw

Budget-Friendly Version:disneycountdown-homemade-straw-toppers

No need to break the bank on fancy straws and toppers – especially if you have a couple-few (as we say in these parts) kids that will each want their own collection of countdown straws.  Just buy those cheap economical straws at the grocery store and use some leftover craft foam (like I did – mine was left over from making Stateroom Door Décor) or construction paper even.  disney-countdown-calendar-tutorialMake your own straw toppers by cutting foam or paper into circles (trace around a juice glass) then cut slits at the top and bottom of each circle.  Decorate as desired and there you go!disney-countdown-calendar-easy

I’m enjoying milk and cookies as I count down the days until my next Disney vacation!

What’s your favorite way to count down to Disney?

Disney’s Mickey and Minnie – Plane Crazy Clock

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Welcome to the Weeeeeeekeeeeeend, Disney Friends!  This week’s Saturdays With Nick brings us another unique and adorable item from Nick’s endless Disney collection.  I did a little research and wanted to let you know that if you love this item, you can purchase one for yourself on eBay! (This one looks to be in excellent condition). Also, if you’re interested in seeing the 1928 cartoon, Plane Crazy, you can find it here.  It’s just 6 minutes long, but is a great classic Disney cartoon.  Happy Saturday, Everybody!

Disney’s Mickey and Minnie – Plane Crazy Clock

By Nick

This clock was just uncovered in my attic, portraying Mickey and Minnie from their true first cartoon, Plane Crazy.

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There is an alarm, which is turned on and off by pushing the horseshoe. It’s pretty primitive, but still works fine, with a new battery of course.

I believe this clock came from the Disney Channel, but am not 100% sure.
Back in the early 90′s, when I first got the Disney Channel, it was a pay channel. If I recall correctly, it was $10 a month, and worth every penny. It actually played Disney movies, and old cartoons, as well as shows such as “The Swamp Fox”, “The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh”, and Zorro.
Every month I got a channel listing guide, with articles, and a little catalog section, and I still have them somewhere waiting to be rediscovered.

When I do find them, I’ll share them here.

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and friends on all their Disney adventures:  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 all things Disney.

Disney World October 2016 To-Do’s

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Our next Walt Disney World vacation is nearly upon us!  Looking forward to some of our favorite rides, attractions, and restaurants isn’t the only thing we’re excited about.  This may be our third trip to Walt Disney World in 12 months, but there are still plenty of new things to try!  Some is the new stuff I mentioned here, but some things have been around for a while and we’ve never made time to check them out.  For sure, one of the new things I failed to mention in my previous posts is all the new dining offerings at Disney Springs.  So, I’m going for broke here.  I’m over-planning, I know, but I’m determined to do my best and if we don’t get to everything this trip, we’ll have another shot at it in December.  (I’m not mentioning the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in this post, but it IS the primary reason we’re going to Disney World this time.)Waiting in Line for Soarin'

Disney World October 2016 To-Do’s

Some people may be complaining about the number of closed attractions and underutilized space in Epcot, but I’m not one of them.  We still love Epcot and the first two things on our to-do list are there – Frozen ever After and the new Soarin’. FastPasses are officially booked for these and I will, of course, weigh in afterwards.The Boardwalk at Walt Disney World

If there’s a new lounge to try at Disney World, it’s going to make our to-do list.  We were very pleased with our visits to Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar in Disney Springs and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian when we tried those for the first time last December (2015).  This time another new lounge is on our radar…

AbracadaBar on the Boardwalk – For years we ignored Disney’s Boardwalk due to sheer ignorance of what can be found there.  Now that we’ve discovered the cool shops, restaurants, and entertainment to be had just a short walk from Epcot, we’re hooked.  Now that yet another new highly-themed spot has opened for the enjoyment of a vacation libation, count us in!RM-Magic-Kingdom-Autumn2

We’ll have a great mix of personalities and interests in our travel party of seven, so I think this may be the perfect time to try the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.  We’ll been in Magic Kingdom for at least two days, so I’m hoping we can add this activity to our plans and see what it’s all about!

Let’s talk about food!  I hope we never run out of new places to try.RM-Megan-and-Grant-Sci-Fi

Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater – I have no idea what’s taken us so long to get to this funky little restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but we have, since the restaurant opened in 1991, always passed it by.  Until this trip.  My only excuse is (not kidding) that I was traumatized by The Blob when I saw it on TV for the first time as a kid.  I’m not against all Sci-Fi movies, just the ones that remind me of The Blob.  Do you think a lot of the ones featured in Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater will bring back bad Blob memories?  On a bright note, I hear the shakes are great there!

Disney Springs New Counter Service Offerings – This one’s stressing me out a little.  We’re only planning on one afternoon/evening at Disney Springs.  Dinner has been booked at Raglan Road because we can’t NOT visit it on every trip.  This means I’ll have only one lunch from which to sample the new counter service restaurants.  With 7 people in our party, I’m hoping someone (or ones) will be willing to share some selections with me to maximize taste sampling!  Topping my to-try list here are:  B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Company, Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, The Daily Poutine, D-Luxe Burger, Morimoto Asia Street Food, and the YeSake snack kiosk  (if only for a sake-based slush).  I may not get to them all on this trip, but I aim to give it my best try!

One last thing!

Finally, call me crazy. I realize our schedule is packed, but I would absolutely love to find an evening to finally make our way to Port Orleans’ River Roost to see YeHaa Bob for the first time ever.  Bob Jackson’s been around for quite a while and he’s a beloved performer who, according to the majority of folks who see him, puts on quite a show.  I actually follow Yehaa Bob on Facebook, but have sadly, never seen him in person.  Yet.

Are my plans too aggressive? What would YOUR first priorities be at Walt Disney World in October?