Tag Archives: Disney Travel Tips

This Disney World Souvenir – Something to Treasure

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IMG_2328It’s maybe a bit old fashioned and I haven’t heard any of my Disney friends talk about it in a while, but one of the most special treasures you can bring home as a memento of your Disney vacation is also one of the least expensive…a hand-cut silhouette of your child.

Think about it – lots of souvenirs are pretty generic.  Toys get broken or worn out, children’s clothing gets outgrown.  Disney pins are great souvenirs, but are pretty small.  Pictures are excellent, too – but what about something different and unique?  For about $8 (unframed) and roughly double that framed in a black plastic oval, you can capture your child’s (or your own) profile – preserved by an extremely talented, scissor-wielding artist – in just a few minute’s time.

If you find yourself in Magic Kingdom with a some time on your hands and you’re child is able sit still for just a little while (or is asleep in their stroller), I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.  On Main Street (halfway down on the right) and in Liberty Square (near the Hall of Presidents) you’ll find silhouette artists waiting.  There are also silhouette carts in the France pavilion in Epcot and in Downtown Disney, but I find the Magic Kingdom locations easy to visit while moving from one land to another and the wait is very short (or nonexistent).  Disney Ear Hats and other costume pieces can make your silhouette more Disneyfied if you like.

IMG_2324You should know:  The artists are outside vendors and cannot charge your new masterpiece to your room – be prepared with cash or a credit card.  Also – the silhouettes cannot be sent to your resort, you’ll have to carry them with you or pick them up on your way out.

And if you want to, you can trade some pins commemorating Disney silhouettes too.

 

Tweet Disney Wisdom

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IMG_5229“Do all you can to take in all the subtle details and anticipate unexpected surprises on your Walt Disney World trips.” –  Tweeted by Curtis Stone @GeekinOnWDW,  12/11/13

No truer words were ever tweeted!  Right after I re-tweeted and favorited Curtis’s sentiment, I thought about the number of times I have been awed, surprised, amazed, astounded (get the idea?) by the very special and sometimes extremely tiny (yet no less amazing) details that one can find literally everywhere at Disney World!

As an illustration, I’ll list just ten incredible Disney details here (in no particular order) – Go to Disney World and find some of your own! – there are thousands of breathtaking, magical pixie-dusted surprises waiting for you.

1.  Hidden Mickeys – you’ve heard me mention them before, but you will find them in the mostIMG_3022 unexpected places – woven into the design in carpets, on bedspreads, in bathrooms – seek and you shall find!

2.  Look at the windows on Main Street – look UP!  The names etched on those windows are tributes to some of the most amazing and creative people that have ever lived – imagineers responsible for all the amazing details Curtis was tweeting about.

3.  If I had a nickel for every special moment we’ve experienced with a Disney character, I could retire early!  Not just after waiting in line, either – my story about Donald is one example, IMG_4880but there have been so many times – even during parades when a character singles you out for one special moment of interaction – magical, surprising, SO precious – what Disney is all about!

4. The license plates on the limos in Rock’n’ Roller Coaster – a tiny detail we would never miss if those plates weren’t there, but WOW!  Cool, clever, and funny!  Check them out when you go.

5. Sound effects!  I’ll give one example – the outdoor sounds on the grounds at the Port Orleans Riverside resort.  You hear crickets and frogs while you walk among the landscaping between the resort’s buildings – those are sound effects!

6.  The smell on Main Street (baking cookies!) and other smells manufactured for your IMG_2069enjoyment – want to know more?  Go here.

7.  DON’T PULL THE ROPE!  Look for it near the Indiana Jones area in Disney’s Hollywood Studios – then PULL THE ROPE!  See what happens – fantastic!

8.  The Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom.  Just LOOK at it.  Artificial 145 foot-tall tree – looks amazingly real from a distance – then upon closer inspection, the details of every single artistic image depicted on the tree’s trunk and roots will amaze you.  I could look at its 325 carved figures all day.  Oh, and Disney’s ability to add magical touches to photographs is a nice bit of magic too.

9.  Look Down!  Details on the ground are everywhere.  One example is the imprints in the cement walkways in the Storybook Circus area of IMG_0874Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom (circus animal footprints and peanut shells) but there are lots of surprises like this all over Disney World – great fun for little ones to find!

10.  This one you might not be able to duplicate, but I experienced this bit of Disney magic once upon a time as I entered the queue for the Tower of Terror.  The solemn, gray-uniformed bellhop welcoming me, called me “Miss” and as if that wasn’t magical enough, I commented on how nobody had called me “miss” in many a year – he held out his hand to me and, on that oh-so-hot-and-humid summer day in Florida, when I placed my hand in his – his grip was ICE COLD!

What Disney details and surprises make your vacation magical?  

Follow Curtis on Twitter:  @GeekinOnWDW, follow his blog here.

You can find me on Twitter @life_of_green.

 

MY Favorite Disney Ride – Expedition Everest

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Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain!

I saved the best for last.  I told you all about the favorite rides of the rest of The Fam, but my favorite ride really is the very best, most exciting, most fun ride experience Disney World has to offer.  Expedition Everest has something for everyone – or at least everyone over 44″ tall.  As one of the newest thrill rides at Disney World, it has the best theming, best story line, best standby line – although Tower of Terror would be a very close second.  Located in the Asia section at Animal Kingdom, you’ll easily spot the ride’s famed mountain long before you reach it.

Way back in 2006, we were lucky enough to visit Disney World during Expedition Everest’s softEE Queue opening.  We rode it seven times!  Yes, we can say we are among the fortunate few who experienced The Yeti in its original, fully functioning, arm-swiping glory.  Jealous?  You know you are.  Sadly, Betty (as we super-fans call the mountain’s guardian) is broken.  Most EE fans agree – She may never be fixed, never restored to her original scary self.  All you get now is a mere shadow of her former brilliant Yeti-ness (albeit a strobe-lit disco one).  Originally (yes, I am an actual authentic eye witness), the Yeti was a highly visible, hunch-backed, dread-lock-sporting giant whose long, simian arm would take a swipe at you mid-ride – VERY cool and frightening.  However, early on, the rumors say, the foundation supporting the gargantuan beast cracked (reports about the actual problem vary).  But here’s a fact:  Betty the Yeti is broken and cannot be repaired without tearing up (or down) the entire mountain.  Searching the internet will uncover the many different theories about poor Betty but all seem to agree:  The repairs would be very costly and take a long time during which EE would be non-operational.

So why is this still my favorite ride?

IMG_1907For one thing, the queue for this attraction is SO fantastic – you’ll actually miss some of the best things about the Expedition Everest experience if you have a fast pass.  Long before you enter the actual queue, you’ll notice an abundance of detail.  The mountain itself with its snowy peak, the worn colored flags strung through the air, the statues, the trinkets and tributes – and that’s just outside.  Step into the Yeti museum and the expedition outfitters supply store!  Amazing!  So much to look at, you’ll forget you’re in line for the best ride at Disney World!

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IMG_1912Once you make it to the ride platform (where you’ll find still more details to enjoy), hop aboard a tea train for what at first is a delightful little ride past some pretty landscaping – then the climb begins that will take you into the forbidden mountain (check out the great view on the way up).  Once you reach the top?   Hang on!  There is SO much action on this steel coaster which reaches 50 mph during the ride’s nearly 3 minute duration.  There are plenty of surprises, so keep those eyes open!  Even the post-ride exit through the gift shop is fun.  This ride has it all!  If you haven’t yet had the pleasure and are headed to Disney World, put this at the tippy top of your “must do” list.

Anybody else love EE as much as I do?

 

The Vacation Initiative – Saving Money For Disney Trips

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IMG_3278A Disney vacation is an investment.  It’s an investment of both time and money and, I like to think, an investment in creating family memories that last much longer than things (like the latest video game or the trendiest jeans).  Oh, there are plenty of ways to save money on your Disney vacation (a post on that at a later date), but I want to talk about saving money FOR a Disney vacation.  If you are the kind of Disney fans we are – saving for that all important dose of Disney becomes a way of life.  It doesn’t feel like “doing without” or “making sacrifices” it’s just doing what needs to be done to get where you want to be.  

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Cruising in the Caribbean

I wish I could say I’ve joined the extreme couponing bandwagon and get all our household goods virtually free.  Yeah……no.  Our methods of saving are not of the “extreme” variety but save money they do and here’s a list of a few that come to mind today:

I take my lunch to work everyday – usually leftovers.  No eating out at lunch unless it’s a special occasion.  Raymond works close to home, so he spends his lunch hour at the house – eating leftovers and taking Junior out for a mid-day run around the yard.  If you think about eating lunch on a workday at a modest $5 a lunch for 50 weeks of the year for the two of us, we’re saving about $2,500 a year!!!

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The Mediterranean in the south of France

We rarely eat out in general.  Before launching the Vacation Initiative, we ate at a sit-down restaurant at least once a week (usually every Saturday) – now it’s more like once a month (if that).  I’m not counting our standing Friday night carry-out pizza from the only pizza joint nearby with a drive-through window – it’s Junior’s big night out, going with us to pick up that pie, and I wouldn’t dream of denying him the pleasure.  I enjoy cooking very much and cook enough hearty meals that there are some pretty tasty leftovers to take care of lunches all week long.

We grow our own herbs and vegetables.  I don’t consider myself a “living off the land” kindaIMG_1667 girl (hello…I was raised in the city!), but living in Louisiana, married to a dreamy guy who knows agriculture – planting a kitchen garden is so easy, it’d be silly not to do it.  I grow parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (are you singing along?) and also basil, mint, and oregano.  Raymond takes care of the spring and summer supply of things like peppers, mixed salad greens, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, eggplant, and butternut squash.  I don’t do canning, but I do freeze veggies and am so appreciative of being able to reach in my freezer and make butternut squash soup during the winter – it’s great!

IMG_1003I learned to groom the dog.  Go ahead – I laugh when I think about it too, but the investment in some electric clippers and dog shampoo sure paid off in spades when Junior grew to 60 lbs and it cost $100 per grooming visit.  Because he’s part standard poodle, our little guy must be clipped regularly or he becomes a huge, shaggy, matted mess!  Just today he got a haircut and he looks pretty cute if I do say so myself.  I’d say I’m saving conservatively $600/year.

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Holidays at Disney World

Finally – as you’ve seen if you’ve visited my little Disney blog before – I make my own Disney Christmas ornaments and decorations.  And, as I’ve mentioned, I do not buy craft supplies at regular price EVER.  I also like to make scrapbooks of our Disney trips…not super fancy ones like those incredible scrapbook artists make, but simple ones that allow Megan and Joseph to look back at those good times and remember.  Remember how we were as a family through the years, remember the incredible things we saw and the adventures we had and hopefully, dream about the day they can share those happy times with their own children.

Share your tips for saving for Disney vacations!