Tag Archives: Disney Trip Planning

These Disney Fans – What’s Next?

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For those of us who cannot resist our love for all things Disney, planning what we’ll do next (Disney-wise) tends to absorb much of our free time…or maybe it’s just me.  It might be crafts, Disney holiday decorations, upcoming Disney movies on our to-watch list, whipping up a Disney recipe at home, anxiously awaiting the newest episode of The Muppets or our favorite Disney podcast, booking ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) or FastPass+ attractions for our next Walt Disney World vacation…no matter, we just love the anticipation and the planning!  I’m not going to lie…the planning, for me, is almost half the fun.

So what about our family (a.k.a. The Fam)?  What are we cooking up, planning for, and looking forward to in our Disney lives?  I’ll tell you!

These Disney Fans – What’s Next?RM-Megan-and-Grant-Sci-Fi

Now that Megan and Grant (our daughter and son-in-law) are happily married and back from their Disney honeymoon, we can return to our regularly scheduled Disney planning.  Personally, I’ve got a lot on my mind.  It’s October – one of my most favorite months of the year.  I’m working on our Halloween decorations and Junior’s costume (yes, my friends, in the absence of children at home, I still buy Disney Halloween costumes…for our dog.).  My countdown calendar for our next Disney vacation is dutifully ticking off the days and as the weather gets (slightly) cooler, I’m daydreaming about my Disney future.RM-Junior-Captain-America

  1.  Our annual Thanksgiving Day Disney movie will be postponed this year.  Raymond, Megan, Joseph and I have gone to see a Disney movie on Thanksgiving Day for as long as Megan and Joseph have been alive.  This year, embracing our empty-nest status, Raymond and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my sister’s house in Tennessee with my family…without our kids.  Everyone’s okay with this, but the movie thing is bothering me more than eating turkey and dressing apart from my offspring.  Luckily, we’ll make arrangements to see The Good Dinosaur (Pixar; premiers on November 25th) the next weekend.  Star Wars:  The Force Awakens premiers on December 18th – that one we’ll see right before Christmas.  I, for one, am very excited!Christmastime at Walt Disney World
  2. Last Call for Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  Again with the parental independence, we’re leaving the kids behind on December 26th.  Raymond and I are taking a few days at Walt Disney World to relax, take in those awesome Disney holiday decorations, and bid farewell to the Osborne Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Will they appear somewhere else in the future?  Nobody seems to know.  Better safe than sorry, we’ll at least get to see them in their current location one last time.Flying Fish Dinner at the Boardwalk
  3. Disney Food!  We may be weird (okay, I’m pretty sure we ARE weird), but we plan our Disney vacations mostly around our dining reservations.  Does anyone else do this?  I mean, we always book Disney dining reservations at the earliest possible time (180 days in advance) then mostly plan our park days so our restaurant choices won’t be a major inconvenience transportation-wise.  Planning meals so far in advance gives us lots of time to look forward to the deliciousness.  The Flying Fish Cafe / Walt Disney World BoardwalkOur December plans include Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge), 50’s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Todd English’s bluezoo (WDW Dolphin Hotel), Shula’s Steak House (also the Dolphin), Biergarten (World Showcase in Epcot), Flying Fish Café (Disney’s Boardwalk), Whispering Canyon Café (Wilderness Lodge), and Narcoossee’s (Grand Floridian).  Don’t ask me what we were thinking booking all of that for a 5-day stay, but we’re going to give it our best shot.  Especially since quite a few of those will be new to us and a couple will be repeats from a LONG time ago.  Check back for reviews – I love doing restaurant reviews!RM-Raglan-Road-Dancers
  4. Disney Springs – I realize that a bunch of Disney fans are sad about the Downtown Disney transformation.  We’re not those folks.  Our favorite things are still there and a number of new shops and restaurants have been added since our last visit (February, 2015).  I’ll be so stoked to see the final form of this corner of the World since it’s been under construction forever! RM-Running-Shoes
  5. The Disney Exchange meet-up and Princess Half-Marathon Weekend, 2016 – Sure, I’ve got to run a bunch of miles between now and then to get ready for the Glass Slipper Challenge, but it’ll totally be worth it!  Nick, Dave and I will spend three days bickering discussing our love for Disney in person!  We’ll be having Disney Exchange meet-ups, posting to Facebook, Tweeting live, sharing Periscope and Blab broadcasts, and creating general mayhem as we do what we always do – argue, debate, give each other a hard time, and laugh hysterically.  I cannot WAIT!

Are you making Disney plans?  What are you most looking forward to?

 

At Disney World – Do NOT be THAT Mom!

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Vacations cause stress.  Seems in direct opposition to what’s actually supposed to occur when you have time off from work and school to escape for some fun and relaxation, but there you have it.  There are a lot of moving parts to a vacation – a lot can go wrong…and therein lies the problem.  In theory, we’re supposed to be happy, carefree, and fully enjoying the experience purchased by our investment of time and hard-earned money.  HA!  Right.  If you’re a mom, that’s a nice thought, but virtually impossible to pull off.  Why?  Why do we make this so hard on ourselves?  Why do we make it even worse by going on vacation and letting things get to us and make us less than our best (to put it nicely).  Not that I’d know from experience or anything.IMG_2475

If you’ve ever had an episode on vacation, ever lost your cool, ever blown up or melted down, ever wished you’d just stayed home where you could be your own worst enemy in the peace (and privacy) of your own home, this post is for you!  These tips may or may not be derived from my own experience as a mom – I can neither confirm nor deny any allegations.LADL Computer pic

You can’t do it all.  You can try, but you’ll be exhausted for vacation.  Even if doing for others brings you immense gratification, you can not do it all on your own.  Here’s one idea:  Make a packing list and distribute it to everyone in the family.  Let each person pack their own suitcase to the extent their age allows.  My kids started packing on their own as soon as they could read the list – they’d bring everything to a central location and we’d check off everything as it went in the suitcase.  As they got older, less double checking was required.  By high school, they were self-sufficient vacation preppers.  I still make the list, but I only ever have to worry about packing my own suitcase.FastPass+ Mailer Envelope

Sweat some of the small stuff.  It would be ridiculous for me to suggest you go cold turkey on sweating all the small stuff.  It’s what we moms do!  You’ll be worried about a million tiny details.  It’s important to take some time to prioritize what’s really important among those tiny details and focus on just a few bits of minutiae.  Let the rest go!  I’ve cautioned a million times the perils of over-planning.  Please, I’m begging you – don’t worry about things you cannot control, like the weather, ride breakdowns, character fears, and picky eaters.  Focus on being ready to go with the flow, having a flexible schedule, and not allowing unexpected obstacles like meltdowns, rain, or longer-than-expected lines keep you from enjoying all the wonderful, magical details that Disney vacations have to offer.Dad checks his watch at the Grand Floridian

Enlist help.  Shared responsibility means shared control.  Do your best to embrace this as much as you can.  We control freaks super organized vacation planners like to do things our own way.  We pretend we’re flexible, but secretly know that if we want something done right, we have to do it ourselves.  This is a lonely existence during vacation prep – loosen up a little!  Get input on dining, FastPass selections, character meet-and-greet choices, etc.  Best of all – let someone else take over some of the vacation planning completely.  I know, it’s scary to think about, but do your best.Disney-Travel-Suitcase

Use Pinterest sparingly.  You’ll never be able to pull off all those fantastic Disney vacation preparation ideas.  The fancy DIY countdown calendars, tie-died Mickey shirts, picture frames, character autograph ideas, photo suggestions, Disney-bounding outfits, and so much more!  Narrow down those hundreds of amazing choices to a couple of things to try that are within your abilities and budget.  Then stop looking.IMG_2157

Remember whose vacation it is.  If you want it to be all about you, go on vacation alone.  If you take your children with you, the term “family vacation” applies and that means you need to let them feel like they have choices, time to burn off steam, at least a little time to do what they want to do (not what you think they should be doing).  There’s no vacation from parenting when your children are with you.  We actually got mad at Megan when she was five for wanting to leave Magic Kingdom and go back to our resort to go swimming – not our finest moment as parents.  She was hot, rarely got to swim, and sincerely thought the pool was more fun than rides and attractions.  It was her vacation too.  We still feel bad about how we reacted.Disney Character Autographs - Mickey

I’ve seen moms at Disney World yell, scream, taunt, berate, and even cry.  Please, please, for the sake of your family’s vacation happiness (and memories) do NOT be THAT mom!

Have you had a bad mom moment on a Disney vacation?  Tell me about it…we’re all friends here.

 

Resort Review: Disney’s Art of Animation

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Hello Weekend!  It’s time for another installment of Saturdays With Nick and this week I’ve got another awesome resort review from Disney Musings with loads of great pictures.  You may recall a couple of months ago, I shared this post about the Cars Suites at Art of Animation.  Today is Nick’s overview of the entire resort.  Whether you’re considering a stay at Art of Animation or you’ve already made it one of your favorite resorts, I know you’re going to love this post.

Resort Review: Disney’s Art of Animation

On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World we stayed at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and, well, this is now a very strong contender for our favorite resort.

It is certainly the most Disneyesque of all the WDW resorts, featuring sections based on Cars, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and The Lion King.

The homage to Disney/Pixar animation begins in the fabulous lobby, Animation Hall, which features a very colorful check in area.

Animation sketches from the movies represented in the different sections of the resort adorn the walls.

Even the chandelier features sketch art.

Buses to the parks are located just outside of the Hall. We thought the bus service was fine, perhaps better than at Pop Century.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opened in phases through 2012, starting with the Finding Nemo family suites, which are located directly behind Animation Hall.

Family suites include a bedroom with one queen-size bed, one double-size convertible TableBed, one double-size sleeper sofa, living room, 2 bathrooms and a kitchenette.

There are large character sculptures located throughout each area, similar to the Pop and All Star resorts.

This is also where you’ll find the main pool. We loved this pool, which has underwater speakers. You can actually hear the fun soundtrack, which features appropriately aquatic themed music, which can be heard better while submerged! There is also an interactive water play area for kids.

There is also a bridge connecting Art of Animation to the Pop Century resort at the back of this section.

The building exteriors also feature animation art from the film being represented in that section.

There are also trivia and fun facts strewn throughout the resort.

The next section that opened was Cars family suites, which is where we stayed. I’ll have a full report in a future post, but I will say they are fantastic.

Each building in each area has a theme. This building is themed around Tow Maters towing and salvage yard, for instance.

There is a quite pool themed around the Cozy Cone located here, with cones as cabanas.

There are sketchbooks at the ends of buildings, adding to the already wonderful theming.

Next to open were The Lion King family suites. This is the only area not to have a pool of it’s own.

Finally, The Little Mermaid standard rooms opened in late 2012.

The pool is called the Flippin’ Fins Pool, featuring the “Under the Sea Orchestra” conducted by Sebastian.

Back at Animation Hall is where you can find the excellent counter service restaurant, Landscape of Flavors…

…and the Ink and Paint gift shop.

In addition to the aforementioned review of the Cars suites, I’ll have a review of Ink and Paint and Animation Hall, as well as a video walk through of the Cars and Nemo areas in the future, so please stop back.

Geekin’ on Disney Trip Planning

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Meeting TiggerPlease join me in welcoming back another one of my favorite Disney podcast hosts, Curtis Stone.  Curt and his daughter, Lindsay, (and a bunch of special guests) can be found (I should really say heard) weekly on the Geekin’ on WDW Podcast.  If you haven’t yet listened to an episode of this show, you really need to give it a try – it’s another great podcast to keep you going between Disney vacations.  You can also follow the Geekin’ on WDW on Facebook and you can follow Curt on Twitter.

Geekin’ On Disney Trip Planning – By Curtis Stone

I’m excited again to make a trip down to Disney World. I think I’m on number 20. I’ll have to get back to you on that. When I tell people at work that I’ll be “Out of Office” next week, they say, “What are you going to Disney?” I excitingly say “Yes” and proceed to tell them a small pre-trip report. For you guys, I’m giving you a full pre-trip and I hope you can sense my excitement once again for my trip “Home”.

Purpose

This trip has a bit of a purpose to start. My wife and I will be flying with my youngest (19) to Ft. Lauderdale. He’s attending a college level baseball training program for the next two months. I’ve never been to either coast of Florida. It will be fun to check out the baseball facilities and see the Atlantic Ocean from the deep South. We’ll just stay one night there, rent a car and drive up on Monday morning to Disney World.

Curtis on Splash MountainSecond, purpose of trip is to spend some time with our daughter Lindsay who’s been participating in the Disney College Program since February. The three of us are the total Disney Geeks of the family and we always have a great time. Smiles never leave our faces as we enjoy all aspects of the resorts and parks.

Must Do’s

I like to build a list of Must Do’s for every trip I take to the World. One of the great things about hosting a Disney World Podcast is that I get lots of great ideas from my guests and friends I’ve made. It’s amazing to me that I continually get new suggestions of things to try. Plus, Disney World has been creating new things on such a rapid pace, there will be new things since my last trip in February of this year.

The List In No Particular Order

Polynesian DVC

We bought DVC at Bay Lake Tower about 5 years ago. Love it!

RM-Polynesian-SignLove it so much, I seem to always be in a deficit when it comes to points. Our use year is June and our 2016 points become available on June 1st this year. We love the Polynesian and it was the first deluxe resort our family ever stayed at when the kids were young. We always dreamed of the day they would expand to include DVC rooms. I can’t wait for our 3 night stay in one of the new deluxe studios. I promise to do some live trip recordings for the podcast describing the entire resort. We could only get 3 nights so we’ll spend one night at Bay Lake Tower.

Hoop De Doo

Hoop-Dee-Doo-Musical-ReviewI can’t believe we’ve never attended the Hoop De Doo Revue. I’ve begged my wife and she’s never caved until this trip. We’ve had so many friends talk about this dinner show over the years. I can’t wait to check this out.

German ChallengeGermany-Pavilion-Beer

This one comes from a podcast episode where Erika Murphy suggested to me but didn’t tell me what it was. I still don’t know what it is but I have to believe it has something to do with beer. My intention is to walk up to the Beer attendant in the German Epcot pavilion and ask them to surprise me.

Scotch Flight

RM-Rose&Crown-Scotch-Flight2This one is inspired by our host blogger, Lisa. I’ve had every intention of trying this out on my last trip but was denied. It’s a big priority for my next World Showcase adventure.

After Hours at Epcot

I listed this one because we did it last year in Italy and really enjoyed it. It was a drink flight and cheese platter after Illuminations. It now appears they won’t be doing this again this year. In it’s place, we’ve booked a dessert party with drinks during Illuminations. They rope off a prime spot for viewing Illuminations and we can have a little relaxing party. Cool!

Splitsville

I keep hearing great things about the food at Splitsville. I’d like to check it out as well as take a long walk to see all the things happening at Downtown Disney.

Tonga Toast

My wife had Tonga Toast at the Kona Cafe back in the day. I wished I’d tried it then. I’m thinking I can get one or two over at Captain Cooks on one of my early morning strolls through the resort for my coffee. This is one of my favorite times of the day. It will be fun and relaxing to sip my coffee and enjoy my first Tonga Toast outside on the Captain Cooks patio with all the beautiful surroundings.

Lava Pool

We received a letter from Disney explaining some of the continued construction at the resort which includes the “quiet” pool still under construction during our stay. The good news is that the main Lava pool is complete. I can’t wait to check out the new pool. I’m hoping I get some down time on this trip.

Pork Nachos

A recent guest on our podcast, David Castro, raved about the Pork Nachos at Capt Cooks at the Polynesian. Nachos and Pork separated are two of my main food groups. Putting them together intrigues me. David assures me I won’t be disappointed. He describes the spice and deliciousness so intently. Yum…

American Music Machine

The American Adventure / Epcot / Walt Disney WorldI’m a little disappointed I’ll be too late for the Flower and Garden Festival and too early for the Summer Concert Series music acts. I really love the music shows over at the American Pavilion in Epcot. Luckily, Epcot has added this new music group. I’ll get a fresh American beer and relax to the Summer breeze and cool music.

Star Wars Lounge

My daughter Lindsay recently tried out the Star Wars lounge at Hollywood Studios that is there for Star Wars weekends. It’s one of the main goals for me while I’m over there. I heard our friend Nick Maglio had some fun with friends, drinks and characters.

Mickey Pants Sundae

My wife and I were really disappointed when we were last in Disney World and the entire resort ran out of the Mickey Pants Sundae. We love ice cream and we both need to score this treat this time.

Avocado Margarita

Anyone who’s listened to a few of our podcast shows knows how much we love the Margarita stand in the Mexican pavilion of World Showcase. Simply the best in all the World and always an 11am must do for us. It’s just our thing, baby. We also like to get retrained on how to drink tequila shots in the bar inside of Mexico. It’s fun to interact with the bartenders there. I’ve had samples of the Avocado Margaritas but never a full drink. I must rectify this issue.

Yak and Yeti Quick Serve

RM-Yak-&-Yeti-Menu-BlueAlthough I’m a huge BBQ guy and the Flame Tree BBQ restaurant should be reopened, I’m excited to finally try the quick service at Yak and Yeti. I was on my way there for lunch on my last trip when we were interrupted by Lindsay to have lunch somewhere else. Denied again. I must try this one out this trip.

Trader Sam’s Grotto

Let me finish with my biggest one. We are really excited to check out this new lounge at the Polynesian. It sounds like fun with great drinks and atmosphere. Our kind of place. My intention is to copy a trick from Lisa, Dave and Nick’s recent podcast on resort loop hopping. We’ll start at Trader Sam’s for food and drinks and then do the same at Grand Floridian and Contemporary with a finish at the Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian. I’ll add a cheese plate or two also.

I may come up with more but this is a pretty good start of fun stuff to explore on this upcoming trip. We’ve not booked too many restaurants or fast passes. We do have Boma one night and Hoop De Doo. I’m hoping this is a bit relaxing instead of the usual commando style we’re accustomed too. It’s a bit shorter than a full week and it’s sure to go fast. Check out our podcast in June if you’d like to hear my live trip reporting where I’ll describe my trip everyday as it happens.

If you have more suggestions, please leave them in the comments. I’m always ready to hear more advice to add more fun to my trip.