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Sunday, April 29, 2012

My Top 5 Favorite Resorts!

Well gang, here we are!  Starting our brand new feature called "My Top 5 Favorites".  The are going to cover resorts, table service restaurants, quick service locations, attractions, and more!  This feature will be updates every Sunday.  So, be on the lookout next Sunday for a new addition.

We begin. 

My #5 pick for resorts, is a location I have never even stayed at, but is definitely on my "bucket list".  ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE.
I will be touring the resort when I am at WDW in October.  I want to be able to give my clients first hand, knowledgeable information.  This resort is so appealing to me.  I am so impressed with what I have read, and seen about the ambiance of ANIMAL KINGDOM that I just had to include it on my list.  Everyone I have talked to raves about the place.  The decor, the staff, the service, THE ANIMALS!  Disney has done this one up right, and who would ever doubt that.







#4 - PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE/ FRENCH QUARTER
This is another resort that I have not stayed at yet, but we will be staying there on our next trip in October.  The reason I chose it for the #4 spot, is the theme of this resort, in particular the Magnolia Bend area.  My favorite movie of all time, is Gone With the Wind.  These stately buildings remind me of the mansion of Ashley Wilks in the movie.  I have a love of history, especially for the Civil War era, and this is right up my alley.  I have a tie with PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER which I have stayed at and loved.  This resort actually brings back very fond memories for me, as it was the first resort I stayed at when my two sons (now 22 and 19) made their first trip back in 1994.  the older of the boys had a blast, and I remember one late afternoon coming back from one of the parks (and which one escapes this old brain...that was long ago!) the "mousekeeper" had made a "pool" on the bed with a blue plastic garbage bag for the water, towels twisted around to make the edge of the "pool", and all the stuffed animals we had been buying for the boys on the trip in the middle of the pool.  It was so very cute!





#3 - THE CONTEMPORARY RESORT
I place this grand resort at #3, simply for the fact that I think it ranks so high on the awesome scale.  I mean, come on....the resort has a monorail running right through the middle of it!   That alone gives it the "cool award" of the century! It contains such eateries at Chef Mickey's and California Grill.  What great views it has of Magic Kingdom park, and seeing the fireworks over Cinderella Castle, is one of those "aaahhhh moments".  One trip I was on back in 2001, we stayed there and even though it was spring break time we got upgraded to a MK view, and got to sit and watch the fireworks from our room.  It was breathtaking. 


#2 - THE POLYNESIAN
My heart is still there, even after over 2 years since my last trip.  My hubby and I spent our belated honeymoon there (we got married 5/16/2009-and didn't get to "honeymoon until February of 2010).  Beyond breathtaking still after all it's years in existence.   Seriously, since 1971??  Come on now, how many places outside of Disney could lay the claim that their structure and interiors are still as beautiful after all those years?  Not many I bet, not even after refurbishments.  The Polynesian is just a romantic place to spend your visit to "the World".  It will always hold a very special place in my heart.  I guess mainly because I was there with the most wonderful man I have ever known, and it was the last big thing we did before he got so ill.  Glad to report though, that he is doing great, and we will be returning to the Poly for a little visit while we are at WDW in the fall.  Have to go take a stroll around the grounds to reminisce.





#1- WILDERNESS LODGE

This ranking alone, coming from a woman who is NOT an "out-doorsy" kinda gal at all......is big.  I know, it is reminiscent of the grand lodges of the great northwest, which I more than likely will never go to.  But, the beauty and splendor of this resort is something that cannot be ignored.  The structure is so grand, and the lobby is just magnificent.  The "tee-pee" chandeliers, the massive totem poles, babbling brooks, the fabulous pool, the gorgeous fireplace, the "homey" atmosphere.  It all makes me put this resort at #1.  It also, like the Polynesian holds a very special place in my heart.  Again, I think back to a trip with my young sons.  My youngest, loved to watch Fire Rock Geyser erupt.  He called it the "geezer".  Makes me smile each and every time I remember that story.  The only reason we are not staying here on our next trip, is budget.  Since we are going on a cruise aboard the DREAM right after this visit, we had to cut back a bit, and go moderate this time. 


Well, there you have it.  My Top 5 Favorite Resorts at Walt Disney World.  Let me hear if you agree with any of my choices. 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Eat to the Beat Concert Series starting line-up!

Eat to the Beat Concerts

Get ready for eating, drinking, rockin’ & rollin’ at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

Throughout the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, popular bands from the 80s and 90s take the stage at the American Gardens Theater in the American Adventure Pavilion in Epcot to share some of their greatest hits with the crowds!
These concerts are free with Epcot admission, and take place three times per evening (5:15pm, 6:30pm, 7:45pm).

2012 Eat to the Beat Concert Line Up


9/28-9/30: Night Ranger
10/1-10/3: Sugar Ray
10/4- 10/7: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas
10/8-10/10: Boyz II Men
10/11-10/12: Smash Mouth
10/13-10/14: Javier Colon, winner of “The Voice”
10/15-10/17: Air Supply
10/18-10/19: Gin Blossoms
10/20-10/21: Survivor
10/22-10/23: Hanson
10/24-10/25: The Pointer Sisters
10/26-10/28: Sister Hazel
10/29-10/31: Billy Ocean
11/1-11/2: 38 Special
11/3-11/4: Howard Jones LIVE
11/5-11/6: Blues Traveler
11/7-11/8: Dennis DeYoung, original member of the group STYX
11/9-11/11: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Friday, April 27, 2012

Opening Dates Announced for Beast’s Castle, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & More


Opening Dates Announced for Beast’s Castle, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & More

posted on April 27th, 2012 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

Many of you have asked us – here on the Disney Parks Blog and on our @WaltDisneyWorld Twitter account – about opening dates for the attractions and restaurants planned for New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park. I’m thrilled that we finally have some news to share today!
“The
The next phase of Storybook Circus, which includes the second half of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction and the Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station, will open in July 2012.
“Under
And, it looks like we’ll have plenty to celebrate this holiday season, including the openings of Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Gaston’s Tavern, and Ariel’s Grotto.
“The
Additionally, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will debut in 2014.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

LOOKIE LOOKIE what I found in my pin collection!

As I posted last week, Orange Bird has now returned to Walt Disney World!  I just love the little bird, and it brings back great memories of past trips.  I was searching out a pin prize for our next Trivia Contest on my Walt Disney Maniacs page on Facebook, and ran across this little gem when I was searching through my pin stash!  SWEET!!!!!!!!!  This particular pin is #5 of a 5 series set.  Guess I will have to check into finding the other 4 now!!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

New feature starting this weekend!!

HI all! 
I have a new feature that I am going to be starting this weekend.  My top 5 favorites of different things at Walt Disney World.  First we are going to start with my top 5 Favorite Resorts, then we are going to shift to my Top 5 Favorite Table Service Restaurants, then on to Top 5 Favorite Quick Service eateries, then on to my Top 5 Favorite Attractions, etc.  I hope you are going to enjoy reading these, as much as I have enjoyed writing them! 

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Tower of Terror-Walt Disney World

 As we have been featuring Disney's Hollywood Studios on the Walt Disney Maniacs page on Facebook this past week, we are in the section for Tower of Terror. How many of you have been on this?  How many have not?  How many love it, and how many can't stand it?  How many are too chicken to go in it, like me?

This is a photo from the queue area on the bulletin board, the message has letters that mysteriously drop at certain times, to make a new message of their own.  "EVIL TOWER  U R DOOMED" is what is spells out!

 Featured today in our Facebook post:
The rooms and corridors of the Hollywood Tower Hotel are full of items from Hollywood auction houses. These are actual furnishings from the lavish estates of some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. One glance around the hotel at a chair, a table, a lamp, a set of brushes, gives one the feeling that the lost era of Hollywood lives on in this stately old hotel. Some items are particularly valuable: one set of leather chairs is an authentic Renaissance antique. Similar sets of these 400-year old chairs are in New York's Metropolitan Museum and London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Other chairs were originally from the exclusive Jonathan Club, a well-known Los Angeles landmark built in the 1920's. Numerous French bronzes are found throughout the hotel, some by the famous 19th century artist Moreau, whose work graced many of the best hotels of the period.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Looking forward to Chimpanzee tomorrow, 4/20/12!!

News & Features

Disneynature’s Chimpanzee Swings Into Theaters on April 20

04.17.12 – Disneynature’s Chimpanzee tells the amazing story of an orphan ape named Oscar and his unlikely foster parent.
"We had all fallen in love with little Oscar," Alastair Fothergill, the critically acclaimed director who brought us Disneynature's African Cats and Earth, says. "So it was incredibly painful to see him so alone and helpless."
Some laws are made to be broken, and one of them is the Law of the Jungle—as proven by the miraculous relationship that forms between Oscar, a young, vulnerable chimpanzee, and Freddy, a ruling alpha male, in Disneynature’s Chimpanzee, swinging into theaters on April 20.
Narrated by Tim Allen, the film begins with a light, playful romp in a visually stunning forest. But the “nature” part kicks in when a rival group of chimpanzees attacks, and Oscar is separated from his mother. It looks like curtains for the little chimp. “We had all fallen in love with little Oscar,” Alastair Fothergill, the critically acclaimed director who brought us Disneynature’s African Cats and Earth, says. “So it was incredibly painful to see him so alone and helpless. In the back of our minds, we were also thinking we might have to call Disney and say, ‘Thanks guys, we haven’t got a movie.’” And that’s when a guardian angel—in the form of a top-ranking male chimpanzee—takes Oscar under his wing.
"It was just amazing and very touching to see this big, normally gruff male pour his love and devotion into caring for Oscar," says Mark Linfield, who co-directed the film with Alastair Fothergill.
“It was just amazing and very touching to see this big, normally gruff male pour his love and devotion into caring for Oscar,” says Mark Linfield, who co-directed the film with Fothergill. Freddy lets Oscar climb aboard his back and the patriarch carries the young chimpanzee through the rainforest just as his mother had once done. “The adoption of an infant by an adult alpha male has never been filmed like this,” adds Dr. Jane Goodall, one of the world’s foremost conservationists and an authority on chimpanzee behavior.
The film follows Oscar as he learns the ropes of cracking nuts, grooming, and finding his place in the complex social scene of his chimpanzee group. “One of the big things is the sheer inaccessibility of the Taï Forest,” Fothergill says about the complexities of filming in such a remote location. “To get there you drive 10 hours from the nearest city on what’s still a tarmac road. Then you do another four hours on a dirt road that is sometimes impassable. And, if you make it that far, there’s an hour or more of walking along a very narrow path into the forest.”
Director Mark Linfield, principal photographer Bill Wallauer, and camera assistant Ed Anderson focus on the chimps.
Dr. Goodall is also impressed with the footage that Fothergill, Linfield, and their crew captured in the Taï Forest. “I thought the film was wonderful, especially knowing something about the conditions under which it was made,” she says. “I’m filled with admiration for the people who made it. It’s got drama, it’s got a story, it’s got sadness, and it’s got a lot of humor.”
For every moviegoer who sees Chimpanzee during the film’s opening week (April 20-26), Disneynature will make a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to protect chimpanzees today and tomorrow.

By D23′s Billy Stanek

Walt Disney World Upadtes on Refurbishments

Refurbishments

Theme Parks
Water Parks
Resort Hotels
Downtown Disney® Area
Golf Courses/Miniature Golf
Magic Kingdom® Park
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square Riverboat
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
01/09/12 - 05/27/12
04/16/12 - 05/20/12
06/27/12 - 06/29/12
Epcot®
Tutto Italia Ristorante
Innoventions: House of Innoventions exhibit
Test Track
01/08/12 - 04/27/12
12/04/11 - Late April 2012
04/16/12 - Fall 2012
Disney's Hollywood Studios®
Sounds Dangerous
Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Closed; Operates Seasonally
04/29/12 - 05/02/12
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
None
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Annual Refurbishment 12/04/11 - 03/17/12
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
None
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Beverage Cooler Installation - Installation will take place one floor at a time between 9am and 5pm. Guests will be notified via an in-room flier the day before the work is scheduled to take place.03/05/12 - 04/30/12
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
Beverage Cooler Installation - Installation will take place one floor at a time between 9am and 5pm. Guests will be notified via an in-room flier the day before the work is scheduled to take place.03/05/12 - 04/30/12
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Beverage Cooler Installation - Installation will take place one floor at a time between 9am and 5pm. Guests will be notified via an in-room flier the day before the work is scheduled to take place.03/05/12 - 04/30/12
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Pool slide at feature pool - The pool remains open.01/05/12 - 04/05/12
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Grand Floridian Spa - As part of some planned changes for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, there's currently construction going on near the Grand Floridian Spa. The spa will temporarily close on Sept. 19 and reopen in approximately 18 months. During this construction, the Fitness Center will remain open. Guests may be referred to The Spa at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort for spa services. 09/19/11 - Mid 2013
Disney's Old Key West
Guest room door lock replacement - Letters will be placed in the rooms advising Guests the door locks will be replaced. Guests will not need to get new keys as their existing Key to the World cards will work with the new lock.03/18/12 - 04/17/12
Pool near building 55 (leisure pool) - The feature pool and other leisure pools will remain open.05/21/12 - 05/25/12
Disney's Pop Century Resort
Beverage Cooler Installation - Installation will take place one floor at a time between 9am and 5pm. Guests will be notified via an in-room flier the day before the work is scheduled to take place.03/05/12 - 04/30/12
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Lobby/Atrium refurbishment04/09/12 - 05/25/12
Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
Pool slide and a portion of Stormalong Bay Pool - Guests may use pool and slide at BoardWalk in addition to the portion of Stormalong Bay that will not be closed and the three leisure pools located throughout Yacht & Beach Club Resorts during this time.04/09/12 - 04/20/12
Dunes Cove Spa (hot tub)04/16/12 - 04/19/12
Cape May Cafe07/09/12 - 08/03/12
Yachtsman Steakhouse08/27/12 - 09/14/12
Downtown Disney® Area
None
Golf Courses/Miniature Golf
Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course
Disney's Magnolia Golf Course
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course
Disney's Palm Golf Course
Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
Disney's Magnolia Golf Course
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course
Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course
Disney's Palm Golf Course
04/23/12 - 04/25/12
04/30/12 - 05/02/12
05/03/12 - 05/04/12
05/07/12 - 05/09/12
05/14/12 - 05/23/12
05/29/12 - 06/04/12
06/06/12 - 06/10/12
06/11/12 - 06/17/12
06/18/12 - 06/24/12

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

starting in May, Memorable Mondays!

HI folks!  I would like to start a weekly blog called "Memorable Mondays".  If you are interested in participating, please e-mail me a photo from a Disney trip you made, and give me a brief story about the picture.  What made it memorable for you? 
Send your submissions to :  Disneynut1958@gmail.com.

Thanks!!

ORANGE BIRD IS BACK!!!

Ok, who remember the Orange Bird??? 
Back when Walt Disney World was just one park in a big empty wilderness south of Orlando, there was a strange bird with a head shaped like an orange that bobbed about the Magic Kingdom.

The Orange Bird was actually a creation unique to the Florida theme park in conjunction with the Florida Citrus Growers' sponsorship of the original incarnation of the WDW-version of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, an attraction that existed in California's Disneyland.

Orange Bird merchandise has already been available at the park for some time, but today, D23 representatives announced that the live character would make its return to Adventureland.

According to the Disney Parks blog, the bird greeted families at Sunshine Tree Terrace, which also hocked citrus drinks and Orange Bird gifts. The Orange Bird was gone from Walt Disney World by 1981. Now more than 30 years later, the Orange Bird will return to the signage for the Sunshine Tree Terrace and also on "quirky drink cups."

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Great new Disney related web-site!!

http://www.d-cot.com

Check out this great new Disney Community Web-site I found!!!

EPCOT FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW CONTINUES

                                         Photo courtesy of Melissa James
EPCOT FLOWER AND GARDEN STILL GOING STRONG!!

Overview

Excitement is in bloom at Epcot theme park this spring with the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV!
Watch Disney spring to life with colorful flowers and gardens, dazzling Disney character topiaries, live music and fascinating programs. Held March 7, 2012 through May 20, 2012, this special event beckons you to be inspired by nature at its finest.

Festival Highlights

Behold brilliant botanicals, unique gardens and so much more at Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV. From March 7, 2012 through May 20, 2012, you can enjoy the following festival highlights:

Designer Presentations

See how green your thumb can be as some of the nation's top designers help you plan everything from planting your first garden to enhancing your home's curb appeal. With expert advice from HGTV and DIY designers and Epcot gardening experts, you're sure to be inspired!

Topiaries

You'll find more than 100 topiaries throughout Epcot theme park—including more than 75 Disney character topiaries! Highlights include character topiaries representing Buzz, Woody and Lotso from the Disney•Pixar film Toy Story 3, Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney•Pixar film Cars 2, and other classic favorites.

Flower Power Concert Series

Enjoy unforgettable live music from the 1960s and 1970s during the Flower Power Concert Series. You'll find a different artist every weekend during the festival at America Gardens Theatre. Show times are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Admission

Epcot theme park admission is required. Most Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival events are included with admission to Epcot theme park. Availability is limited for some events. Events may be rescheduled or cancelled at any time.
Whether you want to improve your gardening skills or simply savor colorful scenery, a spectacular array of experiences awaits you at Epcot theme park during this year's festival.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Tutto Gusto Wine Bar at Italy Pavilion opening soon!

With an opening set for early May, here’s a sneak peek at Tutto Gusto, the new wine bar adjacent to Tutto Italia Ristorante in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot that’s sure to be a new World Showcase hot spot.
“The
Gusto takes over the former lobby space of Tutto Italia and extends back toward Via Napoli. The 96-seat Tutto Gusto will be a more intimate space, with décor inspired by an Italian wine cellar with stone walls and floors, and vaulted ceilings and a fireplace in the dining room. Hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The chefs have created a small-plate menu that takes guests on a fabulous culinary tour of Italy. There are six sections and all sorts of wonderful tastes: Affettati (cured, sliced meats); Formaggi (Italian cheeses); Panini (sandwiches); Piccoli Piatti (small plates); Cavatappi (a type of pasta), and Dolci (sweets).
With more than two dozen small plates with everything from a taste of prosciutto de Parma to creamy burrata cheese and mussels with white wine, we can’t wait for a taste. The pasta dishes all are made with cavatappi, a corkscrew-shaped pasta, and include three versions: tomato and bufala mozzarella; shrimp, chilis, garlic and tomato; and arugula, potato, pancetta, tomatoes and asiago cheese. Classic Italian!
More than 200 Italian wines, including sparkling, reds and whites, and beers such as La Rossa, Moretti and Menabrea will be offered. Grappas – a distilled drink made from what remains of grapes after they have been pressed for winemaking – will be another specialty, or just sip an espresso or cappuccino.
Tutto Gusto is part of the Disney Dining Plan.

New additions to food and beverage at Aulani!

Crews are hard at work on a brand-new addition to the food and beverage options at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i. Mama's Snack Stop will open this summer!

Read more about it on the Disney Parks Blog: http://di.sn/tr

Once Upon A Time Soundtrack available May 1st!!

Once Upon A Time Soundtrack Out May 1st

Posted by Gareth on April 11, 2012 at 3:15 PM
Intrada is proud to announce the release of Mark Isham's score to the hit ABC TV series Once Upon a Time that premiered in the fall of 2011. Isham needed to come up with a score that spanned the entire spectrum of emotions–not only breathing life into quieter moments, but also being romantic, sweeping, and epic. The result was a score for the series that is both beautiful and heartfelt and has become integral to the fabric of the show.

For this release representing music from various episodes, Mark Isham has compiled over an hour of music carefully produced to provide listeners with a musical journey that captures the essence of the show. This release also features five different collectible covers, but the contents of all discs remain the same.

The show focuses on Emma Swan, whose life has been anything but a fairytale. A 28-year-old bail bondsperson, she's been taking care of herself since she was abandoned as a baby. But when Henry –the son she gave up 10 years ago–finds her, everything changes. Henry is desperate for his mom's help and thinks that Emma is actually the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Even stranger, Henry believes that Storybrooke, the sleepy New England town he calls home, is really part of a curse cast by the Evil Queen, freezing fairytale characters in the modern world with no memory of their former selves. Of course the seen-it-all Emma doesn't believe a word, but when she gets to Storybrooke, she can't help sensing that everything's not quite what it seems...



Track Listing

1. Once Upon A Time Orchestral Suite 4:13
2. Henry's Proposal 1:17
3. The Queen's Curse 2:46
4. Jiminy Cricket 3:11
5. Dealing With Rumplestiltskin 3:26
6. Belle's Story 2:37
7. Dwarves 2:45
8. The Huntsman 4:31
9. Things Are Changing In Storybrooke 1:47
10. Cinderella 1:44
11. Wedding Dance 1:21
12. Advising Ashley 2:26
13. If The Shoe Fits 1:35
14. Unhappy Endings 3:46
15. Emma And Henry 1:43
16. The Siren 5:07
17. The Man With The Wooden Box 1:11
18. Hope Will Return 1:48
19. Rumplestiltskin In Love 2:19
20. The Genie's Wishes 1:58
21. The Road To True Love 2:50
22. The Family Compass 2:00
23. Burn The Witch 2:34
24. What The Queen Loves Most 2:30
25. The Clock Moves 1:12

Total Album Time: 62:37

Monday, April 9, 2012

New Agency Logo!

Our new agency logo!  Great right??  You can contact me for helpful  information and bookings to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, Aulani, and Disney Cruise Line! 
kris@mickeytoday.com , or call my cell- (219) 201-0538 or my office line  (708) 418-5232.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Yes, we love our monorails!

Anyone else get super excited, just to ride the monorail?  I am really a Disney geek, right?  Oh, what the heck!  I am darn proud of it too!  On our last trip to Walt Disney World, we had originally made our reservations to stay at the Wilderness Lodge.   Which happens to be my very favorite place to stay in "the world".  About 3 weeks before we were ready to take our trip, my dear hubby (who had not been to WDW since 1975!), says to me .... "oh, you mean where we are staying is not a resort with the monorail?"  I said...... "no.....so, like what are you trying to say here??  This is something that you want now?"  So, I called to see if there was any way that I could change our reservations.  I opted for the Polynesian, as I had never stayed there before.  Since it was off season, the first week in February 2010 (not that anytime is ever really off season anymore), they actually were able to change our reservation.  He was so happy, just walking out of the building, and into these sleek forms of transportation.  What would have been better, is if he could have ridden up front, but they unfortunately don't allow that anymore.  So, again...I ask...anyone else get this excited about the monorail? 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Jammies at WalMart

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not a WalMart shopper.  I take issue with their business practices.  But, I am going to make an exception on this rare instance for the items below!  These are just too darn cute not to buy them!!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Disneyland e-brochure!

disneybrochures.com/8xpl

Walt Disney World e-brochure!!!

http://disneybrochures.com/ks6p

Oaxaca carvings in the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT

Animales Fantacticos, the colorful wooden figures being carved in the lobby of the pavilion, are an ancestral Sapotec art form in Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-HAH-ca), Mexico. Known as alebrijes, the magical creatures hold a special secret. Because the artist puts such intense efforts into the work, it is believed each piece carries a part of the carver's being forever. Thought you might enjoy seeing a short video about this very thing!!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

190 days and counting down!

190 days!!!
One of the things at Port Orleans Riverside that I am most looking forward to, are the boat rides to Downtown Disney Marketplace on the Sassagoula River!  Oh, how I loved the smell of the cypress trees along the banks!  Such a relaxing ride! 

Riverside Accommodation — Magnolia Bend

Come home to a splendid guest room in a sprawling Garden District mansion. Escape to an elegant retreat, brimming with unique decorative touches and Southern charm, all set amidst stately trees and fragrant blossoms. Magnolia Bend resembles the grand manor homes of southern plantations with their grand staircases and stately white columns surrounded by azaleas and magnolias.
Four three-story individually-styled mansion buildings — Acadian House, Magnolia Terrace, Oak Manor and Parterre Place — each contain 256 rooms, giving a total of 1,024 rooms in this section of the resort. Each building consists of a central three-story structure and four two-story wings. The elevators are located in the central part of the three-story sections, next to the main entrance.
Note: Oak Manor and Parterre Place are  completely converted to the new Royal Guest Room decor.  

We have chosen Magnolia Terrace for our weeks accommodations.  First, we were going to go with the new Royal rooms, but on second thought, I figured too many kids, so we opted for our choice above.