5 Types of Disney World Moms

Posted on June 10, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

People-watching is one of the activities I enjoy most at Walt Disney World. What a gathering place for the diversity that is the human population! All ages of folks from all over the world – all in one place where I can surreptitiously study them at will. A while back I talked about the different Disney Dads I see on vacation. Today it’s time for me to share some observations about the other half of the parenting pair.

5 Types of Disney World Moms

Crafty Mom – This one’s easy to spot! I like to imagine the Pinterest boards she’s accumulated prepping for the big family Disney trip. This mom’s family has matching tee-shirts or a coordinated Disney Bounding theme going on. Sometimes there are crafty visors, unique Earhats, homemade autograph books and little cloth backpacks. This mom is amazing! Her energy and attention to detail are enviable and those post-vacation scrapbooks will be absolutely fantastic! Deep down inside, I want to be this mom, but don’t have the patience it takes to complete all the projects. Or even one.

Super Mom – This is the mom who absolutely beams at her children’s happiness. She might like Disney in her own way, but positively loves the joy it brings her offspring. Super Mom eats on the run (usually leftovers from kids’ meals) and has mastered the art of multi-tasking. She’s there to catch the ice cream drips, hand out snacks, carry a giant backpack of supplies, and answer 347,639 questions with the patience of a saint. She derives fun from watching her kids have fun. There to make sure her family is comfortable and having the time of their lives, she’s in her element when she’s doing things for others. I don’t know how she does it, but Super Mom doesn’t even appear to sweat in the Florida heat. (Now, that would be a super power I could use!) My favorite Super Moms are the ones who are clearly adored and appreciated by their husband and children.

Sporty Mom – Sporty mom is fit and athletic. She and her kids love runDisney events and Sporty Mom can be spotted by her attire – she’ll be wearing an event shirt from a past race. Sporty mom enjoys the resorts with exercise rooms and running trails best because every day begins with a good workout. This mom serves and eats healthy food at home, but will splurge on a Disney vacation, knowing exactly how many steps she’s taken and how many calories have been burned.

Frazzled Mom – I always feel slightly sorry for this mom. Perpetually worried and not having as much fun as she could, Frazzled Mom is busy doling out sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, and “don’t go to far” followed by “stay where I can see you”. This mom in particular seems disconnected from the magic of Disney as if worry prevents active participation. I’m the biggest advocate in the world for minding your children, so in the early years, I was Frazzled Mom and am here to tell you there’s a sweet spot to be found between being cautious enough and over-the-top paranoid. This mom also tends to do too much scheduling because going with the flow isn’t in her DNA.

Kid-at-Heart Mom – This mom is having the time of her life with her family. She’s wearing her favorite character t-shirt and a full pin lanyard. She’s eating a Citrus Swirl or a Churro or has some chocolate spots on her shirt from a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar. Kid-at-Heart Mom is as swept up in the Disney magic as her kids are and she can be overheard talking excitedly about Tower of Terror or Expedition Everest. This mom knows how to relax and have fun while staying in the moment for her family.

Know a Disney mom? Are you one? Which type of Disney mom are you?

Disney World Favorite Random Details

Posted on June 9, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

You know that expression (attributed to Aristotle), “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”? To me, that saying is never more true than when applied Walt Disney World. There are incredible components from the tiniest magical detail (like peanut shell impressions in cement) to the enormity of a single attraction like Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom) or Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom) – add them together and the whole is more – so much more! That, I believe, is what makes Disney World infinitely more than a gathering of some hotels and theme parks – those millions of parts combine to make a destination like no other in the world.

Disney World Favorite Random Details

Let’s talk about a few of the parts that make up the wonderful whole of Disney World. Remember the other day when I talked about the things I think about while riding Spaceship Earth? This is sorta like that only these random favorites were chosen from the World at large based on my vacation history – small treasures gathered through the years that add to the happiest memories and keep our family coming back for more as often as we can!

Bouncy off-ramp – Have you ever noticed the exit ramp for Space Mountain’s extreme bounciness? No? Next time you leave the ride and you’re riding the conveyor belt, bounce a little bit on it. Seriously! It’s hilarious and fun and if you see me on those screens that show live video of guests leaving the ride, I’m the woman-of-a-certain-age jumping up and down. Every time.

Breaking plates – Is it just me or is the sound and feel of breaking plates on Toy Story Midway Mania ridiculously satisfying. Clearly this says something about my psyche, but that is what I love most about this attraction. So forbidden yet satisfying. Clearly I need help.

Yeti – it’s real! – Abominable snowmen…mythical creatures or not? Doesn’t matter! The queue for Expedition Everest has me 100% convinced the Yeti exists. I always wish there were a way I could take as much time as I wanted to see every single item in that Yeti museum and outfitter shop. If the line’s being held up by someone, it’s probably me! The footprint casts are my absolute favorite. If you’re too scared to ride this attraction – do not miss the queue!

Bathing beauties – I don’t get in line for Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom) thinking about those elephants in the water hole. The moment I see that one happy baby pachyderm though…instant happiness! He’s just the epitome of cute. Every time I see him, I wish I could buy him in lawn-ornament form to take home.

The first bite of a Mickey Bar – There are so many beloved snacks at Walt Disney World, but one stands out as my favorite for the thrill of the first bite. Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar – soft and creamy vanilla ice cream encased by a smooth, hard chocolate shell, shaped like Mickey Mouse. I peel the wrapper off carefully, clutch that thin wooden stick and savor the moment when cool chocolate gives way in an audible crunch and my teeth sink into that sweet ice cream. After that there’s no time to savor anything else since I’ve got to eat that puppy in record speed before it melts all over my hands and clothes!

Singing ‘Possums – You know the ones, don’t you? On Splash Mountain – there are so many animals and adorable details to take in, it’s hard to see everything. I look all around and enjoy the experience until our log floats us under those ‘possums, then I only have eyes for them and their extreme adorableness.

What about you? What random details are your favorites at Walt Disney World?

Disney World Stuff I’m Never Going to Like

Posted on June 1, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Being a serious Disney fan does not mean you have to automatically love each and every aspect of all things Disney. I can (and often do) wax poetic about Walt Disney World and why it’s my favorite vacation destination, but that doesn’t mean I’m unaware of the existence of some things I don’t care for. There aren’t many, really, only a handful. Some of you will be huge fans of some of the items on this list and most likely will find fault with some of my favorite things in return. For the sake of discussion, though, I invite you to consider what tops your own list of…

Disney World Stuff I’m Never Going to Like

Remember when I made this list of attractions I could live without? Well, consider this sort of an addendum to that first look at this other side of Disney World fandom.

Magic Bands should know more – I’m not going to lie here – I am crazy about the ease and convenience of Magic Bands when they work properly. Hello! Room key, park ticket, FastPass, charging feature – all are fabulous to me. Now I want them to know I’m all of the following: Annual Passholder, DVC member, and Tables in Wonderland user. How can this not be working already? I hate to think that Disney wouldn’t automatically want to apply appropriate discounts by maybe hoping we’ll forget we’re eligible? If attractions like It’s a Small World can know my name by my Magic Band, when I scan my band at a checkout counter, it should know I’m due a discount.

Mr. Toad is living on the West Coast – I finally forgave poor Winnie the Pooh for taking over the real estate and I refuse to be a perpetual whiner about this, but I will freely admit I miss Toad and his darkest of dark rides. I’m seriously working out a plan to visit him in California in the not too distant future.

I wanted to like Dole Whips but I don’t – Again, no secret here. Bazillions of people adore these pineappley (made that up) frozen treats. I wanted to belong…I wanted to be one of those uber-fans. Alas (if ever there were an opportunity to say “alas” this is it!), it was not meant to be. On the bright side, turns out I’m a Citrus Swirl Girl!!!! And that makes me happy.

Future World in 2016 – If you never knew what it once was, you could kinda overlook what it is today…but I do remember and I long for a much more meaningful, interactive, edutainment-filled Future World. WHY can we not have this again? Oh, I know…Disney’s spread thin right now with so many projects over in Animal Kingdom and the Studios. Which brings me to the next item on the list…

The Castle Crane and Construction Walls – The crane (affectionately referred to by many, including myself, as Frasier) is a necessary evil when the Christmas lights go on and come back off of Cinderella Castle. I’m always a little heartbroken for first-timers who cannot get a crane-free Castle photo. I know the why, but I don’t have to like it. Likewise with construction walls. They’re inevitable for progress to take place and sometimes, those clever Imagineers make the walls a bit entertaining…but they obstruct, impede, and diminish. I’m never going to like them, but accept their necessity and am excited by all the new attractions I’ll get to enjoy.

Reduction of Extra Magic Hours – If you haven’t noticed, there are fewer Extra Magic Hours than there used to be. We’ve always been fans of the morning variety (our kids love late night EMHs) and can’t help feeling a little bit gypped by this once so useful perk being reduced. Having been touted for many years as a real advantage of staying on property at Walt Disney World, the reduction in quantity of Extra Magic Hours strikes me as Extra Unfortunate for those of us who purchased our Disney Vacation Club memberships, in part, based on this early entry (or late night) advantage.

I know I’ve told readers not to whine at Walt Disney World, but I will be the first to give you permission to NOT love absolutely everything. What tops your list of things you’re never going to like?

Adventureland – Five Great Things

Posted on May 27, 2016 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

It’s been a while since we’ve featured a land here! Today’s tribute is to Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland – There’s lots to love about this particular area. In such a small, compact space, there’s so much to see, do, and taste. Today I’ll focus on the very best this land has to offer.

Adventureland – Five Great Things

Bordered by Main Street U.S.A. and Frontierland, Adventureland is a completely unique experience. Where Main Street takes you back to a simpler life in small town America and Frontierland brings guests the thrills and excitement of the untamed Wild West, Adventureland captures all that is incredible about exploring the exotic and undiscovered.

Ridiculous yet classically perfect puns – If you don’t absolutely love Jungle Cruise, at least you’ll admit that as far as “the lowest form of humor” goes, this attraction is amazingly entertaining! We’re a family of pun-loving people and Jungle Cruise never ceases to delight – especially when our skipper has excellent timing. It’s an art, people, and should be appreciated as such. This attraction is a must-do for no other reason than seeing the backside of water!
Skipper Canteen (officially The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen) – The spirit of this very new table service eatery is what makes it awesome. The premise of the Jungle Cruise Skippers having to make ends meet by waiting tables is clever, the atmosphere perfectly reflects the Adventureland setting, and the menu has heart even though rumor has it, the offerings are currently being overhauled for more main-stream appeal. Magic Kingdom needs more table service choices, so I’m really pulling for this place’s future success.
Background Music – Setting the mood with upbeat, perky tunes, the Adventureland soundtrack may often be overlooked, but is integral to making sure the land’s experience is fully immersive. Want to hear what I’m talking about? Check it out here.
We Wants the Redhead! So many small components make up the whole of Pirates of the Caribbean. Classic Disney meets modern movie magic and the combination is irresistible. Sure, purists grumble about the updates and recent changes, but this attraction is nothing short of the perfect example of the best of what Walt Disney World has to offer. Boat ride / dark ride, scene after scene, animatronics and special effects galore – if you can’t find something to love here, you should spend your vacation dollars elsewhere and leave more room for the rest of us.
Cold, Tropical Snacks – Aloha Isle and Sunshine Tree Terrace (recently these two switched places) are among the most popular snack stops in Magic Kingdom. Need a world-famous Dole Whip? Belly up to the counter at Aloha Isle and enjoy! Want a cool, refreshing Citrus Swirl? Stop by the Sunshine Tree Terrace (home of Orang Bird!). Two iconic Disney snacks – both in the heart of Adventureland!I know I said five, but I feel bad not even mentioning the Enchanted Tiki Room. Now that they’re back to their original form (no longer “under new management”), I love to try to fit them in our touring plans on hot, crowded afternoons. Kicking it old school, the birds, flowers, and Tiki guys are as much a part of Adventureland’s magic as anything else I’ve mentioned.