A BC Disney World

You Can’t Control the Weather

2010-04-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve had two ‘bad’ trips to Disney World. One in September a few years ago when the temperature was consistently in the 90’s with 90 % humidity. The other was this past January when the temperature struggled to get into the 40’s most days. Although I say these were ‘bad’ trips, I don’t mean to infer that we didn’t still have a great time. However, bad weather does create its own challenges.

Too much heat and humidity is not normal September weather for Lake Buena Vista. It’s usually in the 80’s with some humidity and a daily rain shower that time of year. We usually carry ponchos with us to get through the afternoon showers. On this trip I looked forward to the rain and let myself get soaked just to cool off. I was probably dry again within 15 minutes of the rain stopping. This time it was just a period of record highs that everyone who lived there commented on as totally unusual. We spent a lot of time going into buildings just to cool off, which worked for about 5 seconds and then the stifling, sweaty heat overcame the inefficient air conditioning and there really wasn’t much relief. You will notice that all of the doors to all of the shops in Disney parks remain open, thus the inefficiency of the air conditioning. Thankfully the rides are air conditioned and did offer some relief but it was a struggle each day to remain hydrated and to not let the discomfort ruin your good time.

This past January we had the complete opposite problem. The totally bizarre experience of wearing a winter coat and gloves at Disney World hit me over and over again during our stay there. I have a cute picture of my granddaughter with Tinker Bell marred only by the fact that she is wearing her winter coat in the picture, to forever remind me of that strange trip. I still clearly recall standing outside of the Magic Kingdom waiting for it to open with my fingers going numb even though I was wearing gloves. I kept telling myself that it was below zero in Minnesota and that I should be happy to be in 30 degree weather. The difference is that in Minnesota, I’m in and out of a car and in and out of buildings, not standing around for 15 minutes to wait for something to open and then spending the whole day outside. Also, the Florida cold is a very penetrating icy cold. I was amused to hear on the local news that cars were not starting because of the overnight 20 degree weather.

Riding on Soarin with a coat on because there really wasn’t any place to put it while on the ride was uncomfortable but didn’t diminish the ever amazing feeling that you are really Soarin over mountain and stream. Seeing carts selling hot chocolate in souvenir mugs rather than ice cream treats seemed other worldly to me. It was a world gone mad! Cast members waited on you in the stores with their coats on because as I mentioned before, the doors stand open so any heat flowing into the buildings was mingled with the cold air coming in the doors.

Friends of mine who spent 7 days there at the same time we were there were so disappointed. They planned this trip for a year and to have it take place under such dire conditions could be nothing but a disappointment, but who do you complain to? Even Disney cannot control the weather.

So be prepared for the weather on you next trip to DW. Extreme heat, extreme cold, Hurricanes etc. it can all happen in the magic world of Disney.

Disaster Mouse!

2010-01-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good.” is something I once read in a book. Well, actually it was every night for about two months (sometimes twice) to my daughter until I told her the book didn’t work anymore and needed a rest. It’s hard to write an article without the existence of the article hinging on “this economy”, so I’m trying something different.

Officially, my story is that I did this all on purpose to test just how badly prepared someone could be and still have fun at Disney World. As long as you have a sense of humor and think happy thoughts. I’m pretty sure my experience had nothing to do with me not making my usual list of things to pack and starting the list a couple weeks ahead of time. In fact, the experiment was a double blind, so that not even I knew what it was I had (purposely, I insist) forgot. That way I could have the same sinking feeling as everyone else.

So, my feelings were quite realistic when I realized that the stroller for the four-year-old on medication in which a side effect is tiredness was at home in the car trunk. And my feelings were exactly as you might expect when I went to put on my zip-up hoodie in 20 degree Florida weather and it wasn’t there. (It was supposed to be in the 60s!) Of course, being the Disney World expert that I am, I had calculated exactly what would be the absolute worse things to leave at home. And, for the record, the absolute worse things to leave in a resort room are your keycard/park tickets. Which I did not almost do and remember just as the door was closing.

Add onto that, a large number of smaller unlucky incidents of the kind which normally makes for a horrible, rotten, no good day. (Like the hand sanitizer leaking, seeping into the lip balm and then the fire of stinging as it’s applied to chapped lips.) The trip could very easily go downhill from there. It’s pretty easy. All the people seen in the Parks, yelling, crying, screaming…things didn’t go perfectly. Maybe even they went very badly.

So, how does someone still have fun in the face of adversity? Try to see it as funny. Anyone can have the perfect Cinderella dream vacation. They sort of meld into each other, though. It’s the ones that have something truly memorable happen that sear a vision forever in your brain.

I certainly know I will never forget running through Hollywood Studios carrying a freezing, strollerless child in the throes of a potty emergency while passing a cascading fountain that causes the child to scream in terror and panic just as a long line to the restrooms loom into view. I’m still laughing about the scream as the first splash of cascading water reached our ears. And hey, the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage performance was pretty good. It all ended well. The guests in line rushed us to the front. Sure, Gertie the Dinosaur’s Ice Cream of Extinction being closed almost eclipsed this tremendous show of good will. But then we got to see Darth Vader beating up on some little kids.

Really, any vacation is going to go badly if there is a preconceived notion of setting up “special moments“. Disney World, of all places, is one of unforeseen moments. Sometimes sipping free hot chocolate next to a giant water wheel listening to piped-in jazz music can be one. Sitting back and just letting things happen can make all the difference between a bad trip and a good one. If it’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s forget the Picture Spots or trying to get a big family photo in front of the Castle. Stop walking through the Parks with a camcorder in front of you. Don’t plan every moment and every meal for every day that you are there. At the very least you’ll burn out, even if all goes well.

Of course…this was just Day One of the experiment…

Quote taken from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Doctor Seuss

Tower Drop Ride

2009-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

A faint mist fills the air as you pass through a wrought iron gate, following a twisting path towards an old hotel. The mist seems to bring the strains of music. Big band music from another era, familiar and yet the old recordings are eerily tinny sounding. A completely different dimension of sound from current music.

The landscaping is overgrown, broken. It looks like no one has come this way for seventy years. Reaching what should have been a fountain and pool, you find it dry and filled with dead leaves. The music is a bit stronger here and it’s near the pastel pink stucco of the building.

This is the building you’ve come to see. An old 1920s, abandoned Spanish-Renaissance styled hotel. Each step closer to the lobby entrance brings more anxiety, more anticipation. The lobby is cool, yet dark. A thick layer of dust covers everything. A mah-jongg game half-played. Empty glasses, luggage, coats. It seems people left this place in a hurry, never returning for their belongings. Stopping in the midst of their cocktails. Outside it’s hot, inside here it is cool. Preternaturally cold.

The bellhop leads you to a large library. Once inside the library, your situation has become clear. This is not reality, you unlocked a door with the key of imagination. You’ve entered a different dimension. You’ve traveled directly to…The Twilight Zone.

With this pronouncement still ringing in your head, you enter a basement. Towards a freight elevator, which is the only way to get out of here. The hum of boilers accompanies you. Another bellhop directs you to a seat with the freight elevator. Did the bellhop just wish you good luck? Or say that if you had any questions it was now too late? That disembodied voice just said that people long ago had also stepped through an elevator door and into a nightmare.

Slowly the elevator moves up. Here’s your stop. A mere hotel hallway. But what are those phantasmagorical figures waving at you to join them? What was that you just saw? Did you really see what happened after the apparitions disappeared? The doors close and you move up again. When they open, this is no hotel hallway. Your elevator car moves out and forward. That’s right! It moved forward! Past a large blinking eye, E=MC2, into the deepest darkest corner of the imagination.

Then you fall. And fall. Raising up, windows open to give you a view of the outside. You fall again. The rising and falling doesn’t seem to show any sign of stopping as it does it again and again!

Then as quickly as it started you blink in the soft glow of electric light. You’re on the ground, being warned to be more aware the next time of exactly what sort of place you are checking into. Everyone in the elevator staggers out into the light, many walking as if slightly drunk. Big band music heralds your return into the living dimension. Vera Lynne ominously crooning out how you’ll meet again.

Beats standing on plain asphalt ground in a cordoned off queue for a tower drop ride staring out over more asphalt with your legs hanging out of a harness, doesn’t it?

Storybook Love

2009-02-28T12:22:00.001-08:00

One of the cheaper and easier to book alternatives to Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom is the Princess Storybook meal in Epcot at the World Showcase. For a Princess fan, this one is highly recommended. There are three options all with appearances by four Princesses, which are breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is the cheapest, so if you want to get in to see Princesses with the least amount of money possible, this is the choice for you.

Many reviews online are rather critical of the Princess character meal, treating the Storybook meal like the ugly stepsister of Cinderella’s Royal Table. This meal lacks the thrill of actually eating inside Cinderella’s Castle, instead being inside Norway’s Akershus restaurant. Although, really, once you are inside the décor around you won’t make that much of a difference. Although, I will admit that I tend to take the easy way out. I preferred getting a spot, in fact, a choice of days and times, than to have to fight for any spot at any time by getting up at 5:30am or earlier depending on the time zone.

The big difference between the Epcot and Magic Kingdom experiences are the Princesses you are likely to meet. Cinderella’s Royal Table will always have Cinderella in attendance and part of the photo package. (Both include a photo package with the price you pay.) Norway’s photo princess is Belle. The Princesses tend to vary at the Storybook meal with a rotating cast that could include Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Mulan, Snow White and sometimes Mary Poppins and Ariel. An appearance by Cinderella isn’t entirely unheard of at the Epcot meal. This meal is definitely the one with more diverse Princesses.

Another complaint about the meal is the amount of time Princesses spend at each table. They do have a large room to work through and every Princess has to try to see every table before their meal is done. This does put a limit on the amount of time a Princess will spend with each family. Don’t expect one to sit down and chat for 10-15 minutes. However, I did time them ranging between three minutes and five, depending on the level of interaction from the little ones at the table. Obviously, the more into a Princess your child (or you…admit it) is, the longer one will stay.

As for food, breakfast is pretty standard. Eggs, cheesy hash browns, bacon, sausage and a cold buffet with a selection of pastries, breads and fruit. Lunch and dinner here is more exotic than at the Castle, featuring Norwegian inspired dishes to choose from. Picky eaters may want to check out the menus at allears.net to see if there is something that appeals to them.

Far from being Cindy’s ugly stepsister, the truth is, this character meal is a wonderful experience and should be given the same chance to try on the glass slipper as any scullery maid.

Sign Here Please

2009-02-21T20:04:00.001-08:00

One of the dangers of Disney World, especially with kids, is the merchandise. It’s everywhere. Main Street is lined with stores. Every on-site resort has a shop. Most attractions lead out into a shop themed for that ride. Sometimes, in places like the World Showcase and Downtown Disney, the attractions are the shops and the whole reason for visiting. I’ve written articles here on souvenirs before and the best places for them. However, what about a souvenir that doesn’t cost much, can be more satisfying and stave off a large credit card bill?

That’s where autographs come in. First timers may find the concept funny, but almost all kids and even some adults love getting the autographs of various Disney characters. It becomes a game to find as many different characters as possible to collect the autographs. Books are sold cheaply in the shops along with thick pens that are easy for the gloved hands of characters to handle. However, many people do bring their own collection books and pens from home. Just make sure that the books can lay flat and that the pens are big enough for the characters to manipulate. Some people like to have an autograph on one page and a photo with that character on the facing page.

There are some interesting facts about autograph collecting. One, is that no matter where you meet the character, you can expect the same signature. If you meet Belle in Epcot and then the next day in Magic Kingdom, it will look the same. If you meet Belle five years from now and get her autograph again, it will match the previous autograph. Sometimes I suspect some adults like to collect the autographs just to test this out. (The others are trying to get as many characters as possible. Some characters are quite rare, it’s like bird watching or Pokemon collecting.)

Even more impressive, is that some characters, due to the nature of the costumes (like Goofy and Pluto) are signing blind. Try signing a signature that isn’t your own, but due it by holding your hands above your head and that’s basically what they do.

Just remember if you do decide to do autographs that the books should be open to a blank page before approaching the character and the pen should be uncapped/clicked and ready. This is just common courtesy to all others in line behind you and helps the characters, since most of them aren’t going to be able to turn pages easily.

At the end of the trip, the autograph book will be filled with different signatures all in the style of the character who wrote them and like a photo will last longer than that giant lollipop. Those lollipops almost always are broken anyway. I haven’t bought an intact one yet.

Big Groups and World Wars 2

2009-01-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Unless every member of the large party has memorized every detail regarding Disney World along with having years of park-going experience, eventually one member will get stuck somewhere. I did say that splitting up was the answer to a lot of the problems inherent in large groups with an agreed upon meeting place. However, a line may be longer than normal or a group may find themselves further away than they intended to be from the meeting spot causing missed meeting or general confusion in the massive crowds.

Using some form of communication may seem to be advisable at this point. Such as a cell phone, with at least one person in each separate group having one. This can work very well. However, Disney is known for a continual soundtrack in addition to the noise created by the guests visiting. It won’t be heard. If it is heard, it will be because it’s in a place where having a ring go off would be rude. A vibrate feature may help here, if the phone carrier isn’t on a ride that might mask the vibrations, such as Star Tours.

That isn’t to say that phones won’t work as an option for coordination. Especially if a text feature is used.

One of the better ways to solve the missed meeting problem is to make sure the meeting place isn’t time sensitive. Depending on the others in the party, a dinner reservation usually isn’t the best choice without a lot of time padding. A large icon or easily found shop is usually a better choice with a time range rather than asking that everyone get there on the dot.

The sorcerer’s hat between 1-1:30 is the sort of meeting arrangements that should be made. Usually, a central area rather than one on either extreme side of the park is best. However, when it comes to exactly where at the sorcerer’s hat, be as specific as possible. Agree on a specific side or particular bench. I know from personal experience that it can be easy to pass the person waiting for the rest of the group for up to an hour because the meeting place was too vague.

Lastly, when splitting up, try to be conscientious to the rest of the party and get to the agreed upon place in a timely manner.

Big Groups and World Wars I

2009-01-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Disney World is huge, so huge in fact that it has no problem accommodating large groups. It even encourages them with their Grand Gatherings for groups of eight or more. Large groups, however can end up falling apart and leading to disgruntled and crabby members of the group if not planned carefully.

While a small group can get away with the bare minimal planning, big groups by their nature are already sheer chaos. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the extent of mapping out all possible logistics for your vacation. Just keep a few tips in mind each day as you set out.

There will disagreements. There will be attractions some can’t go on because of size restrictions or because they don’t want to go on them. These are the members to take into consideration first. It’s no fun at all if a couple people have to spend all day every day just waiting for people to get off a ride. Forcing a young child not ready for the Tower of Terror to go on it so that someone doesn’t have to miss out staying with the child is not a solution. Waiting on a bench for an hour while everyone else is having fun isn’t the best solution either.

Sometimes the best solution is to agree to split up. While this may sound like it defeats the whole point of family togetherness or will make things chaotic, it actually won’t. It will most likely foster family togetherness by avoiding grumpiness, irritability and the desire to kill each other. That isn’t to say that there aren’t moments for bonding at Disney World. They are every where, if the party is in the proper mood and spirit of things.

So talk about the attractions before you go and then again over breakfast the morning you are visiting the Park. Then, set a time and place to meet back up after splitting up. Lunches are a good one for this. Also, make sure to be fair to everyone. No one person should be stuck on toddler duty the whole entire trip. Likewise, only responsible teens should be allowed to go on their own without an adult.

If you chose for a time not to split up, then make sure to use the child swap to your advantage. Go up to a Castmember and say you’d like to do a child swap. They will give out passes for the person who will stay with the kid who can’t ride and a few extras. Once the rest of the group returns, you hand off the child and get to skip most of the line to take a turn. The extra passes are for any one else in your party to accompany you so that you don’t have to ride along and feel like the odd one out. This is a good chance for anyone who went on it the first time to go again very quickly if they liked the ride.

I cannot emphasize enough that the one thing that will ruin a vacation at Disney World are temper flare-ups. Despite what commercials show, the size and nature of the World cultivates flare-ups very easily. If you think a bit of advice will avoid these clashes, then do not hesitate to use it.

Uncle Scrooge Would Be Proud

2009-01-01T20:50:00.001-08:00

I appreciate it when the Travel Channel does their Season of Disney shows, especially when they show new ones. I was recently watching Disney on a Dime and couldn't help feeling that they missed a few things that would really have made the trip cheaper for the families.

Don't eat breakfast at the food court or restaurants if you are staying on-site. Character meals are the exception of course, but those get pricey and aren't conducive to being cheap at the parks. You'll save about $10 per person per day to bring breakfast items such as bagels or rolls with you. You can easily pack these items in your check-in luggage or if you are not using Disney's Magical Express pick them up en route to your resort.

Of course, you can't avoid eating in the parks or at your resort all the time and you may even want to splurge on a meal. Food is probably almost a third of the cost of a trip to Disney World. You may even be able to better afford your splurge if you cut costs during lunch and dinner. Portions are big. You can split them. The moderate and value resorts all have a whole pizza option in the food courts. For $16 you can feed up to five people, sometimes even six if some of them are kids with one of those pizzas. Which works out to be much cheaper than $11-$13 per person for a dinner in your resort's food court.

The refillable mug. A very big subject to broach on the Internet. You do so at your own risk. However, the gist of the refillable mug is that you buy it once for $12.99 (currently) and you get as many free refills at your resort for your length of stay. This is not only soft drinks, but includes tea, coffee and hot chocolate. At about $2 per drink purchased singly , this pays for itself and then some if you merely use it just twice during a three day-four night stay. The cups also become souvenirs that prove to be useful at home as they are very good insulated travel mugs. I also like to bring mine into the Parks themselves and fill them up with cold water at the drinking fountains. It saves me having to buy bottled water or having to suffer heat stroke plus dehydration at the same time.

Let's face it, if you are passed out from the heat or slowed down, you really aren't getting your admission's worth of the Park are you? The admission alone is another third of the cost and the one Disney doesn't usually discount. You want to try to milk that for all it's worth. Being ill is not the way to do it.

What About Parades?

2008-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Walt loved parades. That's why there is a parade in every park, except Epcot currently. It all goes back to the small boyhood town of Marceline, Missouri that Walt grew up in as a kid. Main Street USA is based on that small town and the parade is yet another added detail. The parades change from time to time in each park to keep up interest. Unless the situation is pretty bad, those parades are performed every day all year.

Yet, with as many times as I've been to Disney World, I have yet to see all the parades, the whole of the parades or seen them very often at all.

For one thing, seeing the parade means fighting for a good spot and then waiting. And waiting some more. Because you have to get there early for one of the prime viewing positions, otherwise you aren't going to see much of the parade at all. Usually, I end up catching the tail end once the parade has started to clear or is in a spot that wasn't considered ideal because there were no curbs to sit at or it turned there. Once I saw the Magic Kingdom Parade through the windows of the Main Street Confectionary and once I didn't see it at all, but my daughter saw at least the top half of it from my husband's shoulders.

There are things I'd much rather take advantage of at Parade Time. Since everyone is crowding the parade route, they certainly aren't crowding the rides and this is the best time to jump onto usually crowded favorites. In addition, many people end the day with the parade, so the park starts to empty out and I would rather be in prime position to take advantage of that, not to mention being away from the surge of people exiting.

Parades are usually at 3 in all parks. This is when my daughter awakes from a nap in her stroller and is ready to go again. Every other little tyke is waiting behind a rope barricade at this time to see Mickey in the parade, so Fantasyland is free and clear!

This is the real reason I like the parades at Disney World. Others may have different views, but I'm rather an opportunistic Guest, it takes the stress out of things. However, I have a tip to impart before I go. Remember how I said that the parades are at 3 o'clock? Yet, the most common question a Castmember gets is "When is the 3 o'clock parade?" Just don't. Not even to be funny, because after decades, it isn't funny. It's at 3, okay?

So-so, But Cool

2008-11-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Each Park has them. Attractions that aren't thrill rides or may not be your sort of thing at all. You will end up going on them any way, because they get you out of the weather and most likely sitting down. There will be some entertainment and it won't be a total loss. All the same the main reason for the attraction is a well deserved break...and perhaps the urging of a toddler girl if you have one.

The Hall of Presidents. This is the definite go to ride in the Magic Kingdom when you want to sit down and rest. It does have some entertainment and educational value, but I'd never list it as an absolute must-see. However, it's indoors, cool and usually not very crowded. Some people also use the Haunted Mansion for this purpose, but that ride has such a following it can't be labeled as one of the so-so ones.

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Playhouse Disney Live. These are two that you might go to at the urge of a toddler. Although, Playhouse Disney Live requires that you sit on the floor. Both make a nice hide-away from the heat. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid gives you a tiny taste of the Nemo the Musical puppetry style, but it always disappoints me in that it's lip-synced to lines taken from the movie rather than being a real performance. Little kids love these though.

Spaceship Earth, Living With the Land, any 360 movie in the World Showcase. Spaceship Earth is usually a must-see due to it being inside the giant geosphere in Epcot. However, the ride inside really isn't worth waiting in a huge long line for and it's best avoided until later in the day. People tend to gravitate towards it immediately since it's at the entrance. The other attractions are interesting the first time around, but mostly they offer a break from the sun and walking. For the 360 movies, however, you will have to stand. But there are railings to lean on.

As for Animal Kingdom, the truth is, this one is the grueling to go through on a hot day. There are few attractions to break up being in the hot sun and the water fountains and rest spots just aren't as frequent as in the other Parks. However, it has improved a bit over the first time I went and Animal Kingdom is still a park in progress that is being refined and added to.

One of the best tips for going to the Parks and surviving is knowing when to take a break, get out of the sun and just relax rather than going all day full tilt. It will improve your mood and relieve your muscles immensely.

Websites

2008-11-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Writing about recommended websites is doomed to become an outdated article with broken links. However, in this case I would hope the websites I'm about to mention never disappear because that would be far too traumatic for me. Especially the first one.

www.disneyworld.com
This website is a given and probably safe to always recommend. It's a basic starting point for any trip. It's here that you can get price quotes, book your trip and an overview of attractions and resorts. The design on this page changes constantly. I preferred the generation before the current Year of a Million Dreams incarnation, but it's still better than some past versions. One of the features I like is that you can mark attractions as favorites here to keep track of them. You can also request some large specialized maps of each park for free! The maps are very nicely printed and will mark all of the attractions you like on it. You can also choose to add a certain theme to it, such as Magical Moments for toddlers and it will also mark several attractions toddler might enjoy on the map. It's a good way to become familiar with the park layout as well as build up some excitement for the upcoming trip.

www.allears.net
Allears.net has been around for as long as the World Wide Web has been able to display images and not just text. It's a very stable stalwart for the online community. Even ten years ago when I was planning my first trip the very first advice I was given was "Go check out Deb Wills' site." I give the same advice to everyone who requests information from me.

The site is a lot larger, more detailed and complex than when I first accessed it ten years ago. Although, it's also very simply designed in an old school web format making it extremely fast. It's fun to get lost in it. However, if you are a newbie to Disney World I suggest instead that at first you look for specific things you are interested in so that you don't get overwhelmed. One of the reasons I prefer this one over Disney's own site is that is that there are photos of the resorts. Always very useful when considering a new resort or just curious about what the one you've chosen will look like. Some old timers may refer to the website as WDWIG or "The Information Guide" out of habit, just like we still call Hollywood Studios "MGM."

www.wdwmagic.com
WDW Magic is also an old website, having been around for ten years. Trust me, that's ancient in world wide web years. It's very useful for return visitors, especially since it keeps up to date with what will be happening in the future not just what exists now. It also has a high traffic forum. The forum can be hit or miss depending on the poster, but if there's a specific question in mind, the chances are it'll have been expertly answered sometime in the past and easily found with the search feature. If not, feel free to ask. My post count there isn't very high due to always finding my answers in past posts. Many posters there work for Disney, so sometimes the information you get is especially enlightening.

Disney World fans are easy to find and a large presence online. Take advantage of others' experience and knowledge.

One Day, Which Park?

2008-10-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

I once got an email from a friend of mine saying that she had extended her convention trip by one day to spend time at Disney World. So which Park should she visit? This was a very difficult question, which had to be looked at objectively. Everyone has their favorite Park, but even if you know someone it's hard to gauge which one they are going to like. My brother isn't an animal person, he's into movies, yet he surprised me by declaring Animal Kingdom to be his favorite. My favorite is probably Epcot which on some days gets tied with Hollywood Studios.

So how should you decide if you only have one day? It depends on the experience you want. A lot of people go to just the Magic Kingdom and leave it at that. In fact, some don't even know the other three Parks exist. It certainly wouldn't be a bad choice since it is the iconic Disney experience with the Castle and many classic rides. It's an especially good choice if you have kids with you. Although, I have to admit that it's the first Park I hit on my first trip just because it is iconic. It can also be much more crowded than the other Parks because everyone goes there and you may end up feeling like you didn't get much done there.

Hollywood Studios is good if you don't have little kids with you. It's size can be easily navigated in a day even in crowded times. The only reason not to choose Hollywood Studios would be that it's a little less Disney and depends on your love of classic Hollywood. There's less for children who are scared or under 40 inches tall here. If you aren't a thrill ride seeker you would miss out on two of the main attractions lessening your enjoyment quite a bit.

For those who aren't thrill junkies the choice is Epcot. This has the advantage of having Spaceship Earth, the giant geoglobe which is nearly as iconic as Cinderella's Castle. The Park is also able to handle crowds nicely without ever feeling crowded except during events such as the Wine and Food Festival. There's also enough here to satisfy kids and good opportunities to see characters. However, many people also find the Park boring due to it trying to deliver it's edu-tainment. It's also huge and may take more than one day.

Lastly, there is Animal Kingdom, which is usually much loved by kids. It is actually the biggest Park, with most of the acreage devoted to the animals. The places where human can roam make this more of a half-day Park. Usually, I suggest having a Park Hopper on this day (if you are without small children) and getting at least a little taste of one of the other three Parks in addition to Animal Kingdom.

In the end, I couldn't answer her question outright without asking her about what attractions she was most interested in and making a list of pros and cons. In the end, she still didn't decide and ended up doing an amazing marathon visit of three all in one day. I don't recommend this unless you are traveling alone as she was during a very low attendance period.

I guess my real answer would be to try to go at least three days if possible. If you can't, whatever you will still pretty much find yourself in a win-win situation whatever you choose.

KidCot

2008-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

The World Showcase in Epcot is probably the most adult orientated place in the Parks other than Pleasure Island. Not only does every country pavilion serve alcohol sampled from each country, the Showcase is mostly shopping and culture with rides being scarce and mild. That doesn't mean that taking kids there is a wasted effort.

There are live performances such as the Chinese acrobats, which kids enjoy. If your little one wants to meet princesses this is the place I'd recommend. Even Mickey and Co can be found in different costumes with shorter lines than anywhere else in the Parks. There's a model railroad in Germany and a pond of koi in Japan. Still, a very small child or toddler will quickly get bored with the World Showcase once you've hit all of these things.

That's where the Kidcot stations come in handy. There is a station at every country were kids are given masks on a stick, a stamp and something representative of the country to hang off the mask. The kids can color the masks themselves. This is not a babysitting service, though. An older person is expected to be with the child while they are at the station. Usually the stations are located in such a place that after making a stop, parents can have a look around a store while the child is still preoccupied with the mask they just made.

It's cheap, free and could be done at home without the $60 admission price, so of course this makes it one of the most popular activities for the little kids. However, I'm going to give my readers a piece of advice I wish I had known before approaching a table. The Kidcot stations are sponsored by Sharpie. Therefore those aren't washable Crayolas in the marker baskets, but very permanent marker. It may not matter if the clothes they are wearing are just your typical vacation and living out of a suitcase sort. But if your child is wearing that $14.99 Mickey shirt purchased at a gift shop yesterday, you may want to detour around the station before the markers are spotted or stand over the child like a domineering and micro-managing overlord.

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away!

2008-09-14T19:36:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week I woke up to a dreary, gray day where it had rained early morning and clearly wasn't done, just taking a quick break. Instead of being dismayed I immediately prepared to take my daughter to the big zoo. The zoo is as close as I get to the Parks in my state since it reminds me of Animal Kingdom. However, my love for visiting places most people shun during the rain can be traced back to my first trip to Disney World in 1998 at the end of September. It rained. Constantly. Heavily. It was great!

The thing I like about a rainy day at Disney World is that this is when most people decide to stay in their resorts for the day and relax. The locals stay home. Only a few lucky people actually go out into the storm. These few practically have the parks to themselves without a diminished experience...mostly. During one rainy day at Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest was closed for safety reasons, but this has been the only time I've ever had an actual adverse experience.

For those who want to give Rainy Florida a try, here's what you need to know to nudge you into venturing out:

Ponchos. You can buy disposable ones cheaply before your trip or you can buy the cute Mickey ones during the trip. Ponchos also work well as stroller covers. Even if you have a sunny day, you can use them on the Kali River or Splash Mountain rides. I never leave without them, although at this point I no longer have to buy them, just carry them over from the last trip.

3:00 pm. For some reason in the rainy season, you can pretty much count on it raining late afternoon, usually around 3 pm. If it's been drizzly all day it will be pouring at 3. This is when you should plan to be inside waiting in a queue, seeing a performance, or looking at the shops. My favorite places on a rainy day are The Living Seas with Nemo, most of the World Showcase (both at Epcot); The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Tattoine Traders, the Commissary (Hollywood Studios); Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Main Street USA (Magic Kingdom); and Harambe Village (Animal Kingdom).

Extreme flexibility. Sometimes a ride will be closed. Sometimes there's a downpour earlier than 3 pm or it's just plain drizzly.

Extra socks. Always, always take at least two pairs more than days you are staying.

You will get a bit wet, but it's so worth it if you want to have short lines and lots of space to walk around in. Of course, I love the atmosphere of rain to begin with, so it may just be my imagination when I think that it gives a little extra to the Parks. The humidity of Florida seems to imbue everything with an enchanting mist. In fact, I've endured the Parks so many times in rainy weather that now I have a Pavlovian response to rainy days anywhere, even here in the cold north. It means Disney World.

50’s Prime Time Café

2008-09-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

If you would like a really fun experience and good food as well, try the 50’s Prime Time Café. This is located at Disney Hollywood Studios, between Echo lake and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Reservations (Priority Seating in Disney parlance) are recommended.

On my first trip to Disney World, we ate lunch here. You walk in the door and are immediately transported back to the 50’s. The décor is impeccably 1950’s right down to the small black and white T.V.s constantly playing I love Lucy, or December Bride. If you were alive in the 50’s, this will bring back memories. We didn’t have reservations and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The waiting area is like a living room or family room with furniture of the time. When they called us for our table, they called the ‘Reyer Kids‘. The waitstaff are either Moms, Grandmas, Aunts, or cousins. We had an Aunt. It is hilarious to watch the people at the other tables. Grown men with children of their own instantly become petulant children. We watched one man tell ‘Grandma’ he didn’t want to eat his green beans. Grandma made him stand up and sing ‘I’m a little teapot’ as she announced to the whole room that he wouldn’t finish his vegetables. I was told sternly to take my elbows off the table and my daughter was called out for not cleaning her plate.

The food is excellent with many ‘comfort’ food choices, meatloaf, roast beef, fried chicken etc. It is really hard to clean your plate because the food is plentiful and you get filled up fast. If you do clean your plate, you become a member of the ‘Clean Plate Club’ and you get a sticker.

This restaurant is great fun for adults and kids love watching their parents become little kids again for a short time. If you are shy, or do not like attention drawn to yourself, this isn’t the place for you. If you like getting into the spirit of things, you’ll have a great time!

Accidental Magic

2008-08-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

One key to enjoying a trip to Disney World is to be flexible and sometimes to let all your plans to be laid aside. True, the trip is easier if you make at least a rudimentary plan. Certainly, the plans found in guidebooks make sure you experience the maximum number of attractions in the shortest amount of time. However, there is something to be said for going with the flow and letting an attraction or a plan go.

During my last trip, the plan was to see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, then hop over to Playhouse Disney Live on Stage, see Handy Manny at a character meet and greet and then move on to a less toddler orientated stage of the overall Plan.

What happened instead was that by the time we got out of Voyage, Playhouse Disney had cut off their line for allowing people in, forcing us to wait for about 30 minutes for the next showing. Handy Manny's handler took him in for a break. Randomly, a Castmember came by sweeping the courtyard and mentioned that Mickey was seeing people in the Art of Animation. We must have looked like we were at a loss for what to do. So off we went to check out Mickey.

Mickey's line was short, even when he took a break. As we left we went where we thought was the way out and instead entered a room filled with row upon row of animation light table desks and no crowd. We had walked right into a room where we could be allowed to be animators and given a lesson on drawing a Disney character! Even those in our party who claimed they couldn't draw ended up with a respectable Goofy and it was quite fun using an animator's desk with my scribble happy daughter. When we exited we were right in time for walking right into the next Playhouse Disney Live performance.

Sure all other plans for the day were bumped by about forty minutes and we never saw Handy Manny, but it was well worth it. Sometimes the best part of a vacation isn't special treatment by a Castmember or getting picked to participate in an attraction or parade, but finding something unexpected and unplanned that turns out to be just as entertaining as what was originally on the schedule. It happens to me at least once every trip and I have never regretted the missed attraction or rescheduled plan.

So don't wear yourself rushing from here to there with your fast passes and ADRs. Just go with the flow and remember you're on vacation. Flexibility is essential in order to avoid being those people you see who look cross and irritated, snapping at each other and rude to the Castmembers because their day isn't going as planned or they've become overwhelmed. Not only will you be able to ride out any snags with a cheerfulness that won't diminish your trip, you will often discover something even better.

Come Inside, It's Fun Inside!

2008-08-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Being twenty-three years old when I managed my very first trip to Disney World, I bypassed character meals. They are obviously for children, right? Secretly though, I wanted to try them and having a child, even one too young to actually appreciate them, gave me the perfect excuse. I could retain what grown-up dignity I had left remaining to me-which, since this was Disney World where the adult me stays home wasn't much.

Now, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that anyone who can afford it and has the ability to leave their adult side at the airport to try one. Any one. Except maybe this one; The Play n' Dine at Hollywood and Vine in Disney's Hollywood Studios. This particular character meal is all about the children. The smallest of them at all.

You won't find Mickey or Princesses here. In fact, unless you have the Disney Channel and a little one to watch it, you may not even know who the heck these characters are. That's because this is a Playhouse Disney themed meal. Playhouse Disney is the Disney Channel's champion against the toddler programming juggernaut of Nickelodeon Jr. And they fare very well against their rivals.

The characters here are from Jojo's Circus and Little Einsteins. Jojo's Circus is not marketed on the channel as much any more and little kids may be only passingly familiar with it. However, the Little Einsteins are currently highly popular with the toddler set and likely to garner as much excitement as a meeting with Mickey and Cinderella themselves.

As an adult, the draw of this meal is watching how much fun your preschooler is having dancing around and singing along to the Playhouse Disney line-up's songs and themes. The breakfast buffet is the usual fare, so there are no problems finding food to please everyone. But sitting there enjoying your breakfast quiche, coffee and ooey-gooey cinnamon roll while groups of toddlers bounce off the walls around you with their heroes may make you realize that you brought a lot more grown-up with you than you thought.

This one is excellent if you have small children. The photo-ops are unforgettable and shear childhood delight permeate the air, making it very worth it. If you are without children, you are better off skipping over to the 50s Primetime where you can really be made to feel like a child again and choose another character breakfast for yourself.

The Original Smoking Area

2008-08-16T11:49:00.001-07:00

While true, that this isn't a character breakfast, the San Angel Inn at Mexico in Epcot is cool. Or hot...at the very least it's smokin'. A reality mind bending look at Mexico, anyway. You go inside away from blazing heat and sun only to be made to feel that you're once again outside at night and the air is cool. You go inside to be outside. Trippy.

There in the background is a sizzling volcano and outdoor dining by a river. Except-it's still really indoors. The river is El Rio del Tiempo-The River of Time, which used to take you on a tour of Mexico's history from Aztecs to modern tourists in dated 80s hair and bikinis. It was a much milder version of the Maelstrom over in Norway. Since then it has been changed to El Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.

This means it went from being mildly the "Mexican Small World" to the "Mexican Small World with Donald Duck." Still, if the line is short, it's air conditioned, a place to sit for awhile and it entertains small children.

Now, the San Angel Inn, however, that's more for adults. The atmosphere would be really lost on a kid and the darkness if it doesn't inspire a bit of fear, may at least inspire mischief. I can't say that I've ever seen many families eat there. My memory may also be inventing things due to the overall mood of the pavilion, but it's never really all that noisy either. The food itself is fine. Mexican food being rather common means you'll pretty much know what you're getting. So this isn't for those looking for an adventurous exotic meal. Some of the menu items such as the Tacos Al Carbon are no different than what is served outside at the Cantina.

If you are looking to get away from the crowd for a bit and perhaps from kids, this may be the place to do it easily. Sure, lots of people like Le Cellier and Chefs de France. Any restaurant with French in it seems to evoke romantic, quiet dinner get-aways from kids. However, San Angel Inn is easier to get into. It also has that volcano in the background. Nothing says a good time like a threatening volcano.

Disney World with Diabetes

2008-08-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

I am a type 2 diabetic and have to really watch the carbs. Since I’m not on insulin I have to control my disease with diet, exercise, and oral medication. Disney World can be a challenge as it offers quite a lot of tempting treats and meals that may not be appropriate for a diabetic. There is an excellent article on All Ears Net that relates to Type 1 diabetics. There are many tips for the insulin dependent and some of them work for the non-insulin dependent as well. Here is the url: http://allears.net/pl/diabetes.htm#9 It is an often amusing and informative article.

I will give you a few tips that are not included in the article that I’ve garnered over my many trips to Disney World.

Most of the quick service restaurants now offer a no sugar added dessert with their combo meals. At the ABC Commissary at Hollywood Studios, they have a tasty no sugar added Strawberry Parfait. At the Electric Umbrella in Epcot, they have no sugar added chocolate brownie and I have seen this available at other sites as well from time to time. The bakery at Norway in the World Showcase has a delicious no sugar added Chocolate Mousse. The bakery on the Boardwalk offers no sugar added cheesecake. All of these are delicious! You can find sandwiches made with multi grain or whole wheat bread pretty much anywhere. There are candy shops that sell sugar free peanut butter cups and a few select sugar free candy options. They are expensive, but the peanut butter cup is big enough that you don’t even eat the whole thing in one sitting. At least I don’t. I have also bought sugar free gummy bears. There are also sugar free Mickey chocolate candy bars available in the resort gift shops. You have to of course be careful of the sugar free candy because it contains mailtol or other sugar alcohols which can have a laxative effect if eaten in abundance.

In addition to the specific items above, you can always ask at any restaurant if they have a sugar free or no sugar added option for dessert. I have also heard that you can ask the people at the ice cream carts if they have sugar free ice cream and if they don’t have it with them, they will send for some. I prefer to get a little cup of ice cream at Gertie’s, the dinosaur shaped concession at Hollywood Studios.

All in all, due to careful choices and lots and lots of walking around at the parks, I have not had any problems with diabetic control at Disney World. Actually, while some people complain that they gain weight at DW due to all the food choices, I usually maintain and sometimes lose a little weight while there because I’m basically exercising all day long and very careful of what I am eating.

Cape May I, Please?

2008-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

My brother teases me that I can't be satisfied with the regular and mundane, that I always seek out the different and exotic. That was in regard to the Japanese snack of Pocky. While I won't say no to the original chocolate version, I will shout in triumph when I find a pumpkin, blueberry or chocolate banana flavor.

It works with characters too. Everyone else is narrowly focused on Mickey and I delight in spotting a rare character or in running up to less popular characters. Which brings me to Cape May at the Beach Club Resort. The Cape May character breakfast has neither Mickey nor Cinderella, the rulers of the character meals. It has Minnie. A mouse only sought out when she's paired with Mickey or when Mickey's line is too long and the Castmember has closed it off. And Goofy. A character who never has a line at all. Chip N' Dale are there too, but they are everywhere, so no one is ever really interested in seeing them much either. All in beach attire.

Compared to other themes and decor, some might be put off by the rather plain looking butcher paper table cloths used at Cape May. It has a purpose. Each table is provided with crayons and invited to draw all over the table until the time comes to go up to the buffet or while waiting for a character to visit. Each table cloth is replaced after a party leaves. It's a brilliant idea that's tailored for kiddie clientele, but it's not so bad as a way for an adult to pass the time either.

The characters spend a decent amount of time with each party, even coloring on the table cloth with the kids. The buffet is one of the better ones. The selection is as extensive as the more crowded Donald meal in Animal Kingdom, but everything is much quieter and less crowded here.

One of the best parts of the meal, is that when it's all over you can just take a leisurely walk over to Epcot and enter through the International Gateway rather than the more crowded front of the park. That puts you straight into the World Showcase, which is perfect if you plan your breakfast to be at around 9:30 and get to the World Showcase when it opens at 11 am. Everyone else will have to traverse the length of Epcot to get there, and in the meantime you can stroll around relatively free of crowds going the contrary counter-clockwise direction. Guidebooks say to start with Mexico and go clockwise, but that's always been the more crowded way in my experience. Then, once World Showcase has filled up, you'll be able to go see Future World and get any Fastpasses you want for late afternoon crowd free. This is the time to ride Space Ship Earth (aka Giant Golf Ball) without much of a line.

All thanks to Minnie, the mouse who gets less love than even the sewing Cinderella mice in the hierarchy of Disney characters. Perhaps you just May broaden your own character hunting horizons beyond the mundane and regular as well.

Fare Thee Well My Fair Feast Fare

2008-07-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

I intended to talk about character dining. A hotbed of bullets and buffets on the Internet, especially if you mention Cinderella's Royal Table. I'll dodge that bazooka of a subject this time though and talk about a less volatile meal. The Garden Grill lunch. Ignore my tears of sorrow.

I didn't go to a character meal until kids became involved. Really, it's a much preferred way to have encounters with certain big ticket characters than standing in a long line in Florida. Of the ones I've been to so far, my favorite has been the Garden Grill lunch in The Land at Epcot.

First, it revolves! It gets points for that alone. The turning is really very slow, though. I hardly noticed it until I looked up and the diorama was suddenly different or Mickey had appeared. Which is another plus. Because it's a revolving restaurant, the time you get with a character is far more personal. There's absolutely no way someone from the neighboring table can jump up and horn in on your character time. And with such blinders on, it seemed the characters often didn't hurry to the next table. It's probably best if they didn't hurry, seeing as they have bulky feet, limited vision and well...there's rotation.

The characters are Farmer Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. The food is served family style with a variety of dishes that hits the beef, poultry, fish and vegetarian categories. You can eat as much of each dish as you like and ask for more of whatever is preferred. They bring mac and cheese for the kids too, but the kids can try for the catfish as well.

I found, even despite the Free Dining Plan going on at the time, that the restaurant wasn't very crowded. It satisfied my natural hermit tendencies. Perhaps that was the problem. Perhaps not everyone was as childishly thrilled by a rotating restaurant as me. Because it has been announced that as of October 6, 2008 lunch will no longer be served at Garden Grill. There will still be dinner. However, I preferred lunch since it was timed perfectly. I got to tour Future World's attractions early before the crowds hit. During the hottest part of the day, I was rotating around outside of Soarin' in perfect air conditioned coolness. When we got out of lunch, the World Showcase was opened and the initial rush of its opening was past. The price was also slightly cheaper. Because I'm also a cheap hermit-even when I'm on the Free Dining Plan or the basic paid Dining Plan that makes going to character meals possible without putting me into debt.

So, of course, they close down my favorite, least crowded character meal. The meal where my toddler first really recognized, met and was physically able to hug the Big Mouse for the first time. And without another kid trying to run over her while doing so.

A moment for the lunch, please. No need to remove your hat. Farmer Mickey doesn't.

Defend the Commissary! Find Lost Fish!

2008-07-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Out of all the counter-service places in the four Parks, the ABC Commissary probably earns the greatest amount of hate. It's theming isn't that Disney. Just a great big ad for ABC shows. Some don't like the food. There isn't much very Disney about it, except that Disney owns the network.

So why do I like it? For one, it's tucked in the back of Hollywood Studios and easy to overlook. Unlike Rosie's and the Backlot, it's indoors. That means cool, cool air conditioning. It's pretty quiet, making it once again an oasis from chaos. This seems to be a theme in what I like. I liked a bit of calm before having a toddler, now I appreciate it even more.

The food here does seem to change pretty often. It's different every time I go. Recently, I saw they got rid of their Asian noodle dish and have an Asian salad instead. It's almost as if it doesn't know how to theme its food, which is one of the complaints against it. For me, I always welcome the change it provides me from the usual burgers and chicken. I walk in thinking, "What will there be this time?"

They do have a burger, called The Ugly Betty Burger. Which just proves my point, for the first time since I've been there, the food all had ABC names! I very nearly ordered the Cuban sandwich based on it's Dancing With the Stars name alone. Who wouldn't want Lost fish? Desperate Housewives mousse? And I have no idea why the no sugar-added parfait has been paired with All My Children. I ordered the new The Extreme Home Makeover Asian Salad, last time. I felt like a new house when I was done...I think.

Unlike the other three parks, Hollywood Studios lacks counter-service places. Between finding a seat, having a lot of room and the quiet, the Commissary is always one of our stops. It's saved us more than once when staying at an All-Stars resort with it's insanely crowded food court. It's the only place in the Studios that serves breakfast without having to have a priority seating reservation or being restricted to pastries.

Unfortunately, the hatred for the Commissary and it's lack of traffic are also it's undoing. Breakfast used to consist of actual plates of eggs and sausages. Now those have been cancelled and only the bagel sandwich, like a reality show during a writer's strike remains.

I hate it when networks cancel the good shows!

A Hermit's Lunch in the Magic Kingdom

2008-06-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Confession: I hate crowds. I hate waiting. I go out of my way to have few crowds and as little waiting as possible. Which in many ways, may be why Magic Kingdom is my least favorite park. In most people's mind it is what comprises Disney World and everything else is unknown or ignored. It's the most attended park of the four. So I feverishly pore over the Extra Magic Hour schedule trying to figure out which day will have the least attendance for Magic Kingdom. I used to go clock-wise around the park, starting with Adventureland and the practically empty Pirates of the Caribbean. Thanks to Johnny, this is no longer to be.

Which is why I love Columbia Harbor House so much. Oh, isn't this the place with no changing table in the restroom? Yes, yes it is. But, compared to Pecos Bill, my formerly beloved but now besieged El Pirata y El Perico in Adventureland or Cosmic Ray's; Columbia Harbor House is a relative oasis of calm.

There isn't much room for a long line at the counters here, but so far, I haven't experienced a terribly long one. Of course, as with everything else in the pursuit of aloneness, I don't do lunch at noon, but either a bit earlier or later. The Harbour House is two stories and I've always easily found seating up the upper level. I've had good luck getting a window which allows for one of those little moments not mentioned in a guidebook: getting to see the street from above. I also feel inspired when leaving to make a nautically themed room in my house. Although, that may be because I want people to think I'm actually saying "naughty" room instead of "nautical" room so they can wonder about me.

There are no hamburgers to be had here, which is usually the number one complaint in online reviews. You can get hamburgers everywhere else though, so that's not really a loss. Here, you can get fish and chips, chicken nuggets or salads. They have a delicious Anchors Aweigh Sandwich which is tuna. I enjoyed the BLT salad as did my toddler. There is also vegetarian chili and clam chowder to be had. If you are tired of beef, this is the place to go.

If you are tired of crowds, this is the place to go....or Epcot. Epcot's big enough to never be insanely crowded. We like Epcot, we do...

A Quick Trip

2008-06-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

It’s nice to visit Disney World for a leisurely 5 to 7 days but you can get a lot in on a quick 3 day trip as well. My family and I (two daughters, one son-in-law, two grandkids, ages 2 and 5) took a short trip to DW from May 5 - 8. The first week in May seems to be a good time to go. The ‘spring break crowds’ are done and the ‘schools out for the summer’ rush hasn’t yet begun, so not too crowded. The Lawn and Garden Show is on and it’s beautiful. Amazing topiaries and flower arrangements all around but especially at Epcot. The weather was perfect! Mid-80’s with no humidity and no rain the whole time we were there.

We got in late on Monday night, so no parks that day. We were not leaving until late on Thursday night so still had 3 full days at the parks. The first day was Hollywood Studios where we enjoyed a delightful character breakfast at Play N Dine at Hollywood and Vine. The Little Einsteins and Jojo and Goliath thrilled the kids and there was much dancing in the aisles. We loved it! We got in a quick ride on the Tower of Terror and my 5 yr. old grandson was very proud of himself for going on it this time. We hit all the usual rides, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, Rock N Rollercoaster etc. The family enjoyed the Playhouse Disney Show and met several characters by the ‘hat’. Chip or Dale tried to walk away with our 2 year old. It was fun.

The second day we hit Epcot. Beautiful as mentioned before and again all our favorites were seen. We went on the Nemo ride at The Seas and saw Turtle Talk with Crush, rode Soarin, Figment, Test Track, and the Three Caballeros at Mexico and went through a lot of countries. Some had fish n chips for lunch, others had sushi. We walked over to the Boardwalk and ate dinner at the ESPN Club. Another full and fun day.

Our last day was supposed to be part Animal Kingdom and part Magic Kingdom. We ended up going to just Magic Kingdom. This was the park that was the most crowded and most difficult to get through. We waited on-line for about 30 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean. All the rides had 50 or 60 minute waits. We split up and my daughter and her husband waited in line for the Haunted Mansion, while my other daughter and I took the kids over to Tomorrow Land and she and my grandson went on Buzz Light Year. My grandson had to go on the Tomorrow Land Transit twice and then his favorite ride, the Monorail. We took that to the Polynesian Resort and caught a bus to Downtown Disney where last minute souvenirs were purchased. Then it was back to the resort to gather our luggage and head for the airport.

As for the stroller dilemma, I purchased a wonderful Maclaren Volo which looks just like an umbrella stroller folded up but folds out to a perfect fit for a 43 lb. 5 yr. old. It’s very lightweight and even has a strap to sling it over your shoulder. The 2 yr. old used her small fold-up stroller and all worked out fine.

Souviners Revisited: Toys, Toys, Toys!

2008-05-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Souvenir choices will vary from place to place. Sometimes you have to be careful. If it's something you can buy at Target, Wal-mart, Toys R Us or even the Disney Store, you can figure that buying it at Disney World includes a $5-$10 mark-up. So it's best to stick with the ones you can't buy anywhere else or at least aren't able to buy easily.

The Japanese store in EPCOT, Mitsukoshi, is full of examples of this. Many of the toys you can find at Toys R Us or similar places. With the exception of the Pokemon section. This is actually a mini-version of the now defunct Pokemon Center stores and has things that could only be bought at Pokemon Centers or online. In the last six months, however, this section has been cut drastically since even the Pokemon Center website has closed down.

DVDs are better purchased off-site, although there are a few Disney World specific ones that can’t be found outside of Disney World.

Then we come to the best place to buy toys, where most of the toys are not available anywhere else and the prices are actually reasonable, normal prices. There is just one catch: You must like Star Wars.

Tattoine Traders outside of the Star Tours ride, is a small shop for the crowd it generates. Even more so since they added the “Build Your Own Lightsaber” station a few months ago. It’s actually a reasonably priced souvenir since it costs the same as buying one of the Electronic Light Sabers at any store that sells toys, except each lightsaber is uniquely made by the buyer. There are instructions for making the specific lightsabers of various characters, including Darth Maul, or you can get creative and come up with an entirely new one. A Tattoine Traders Castmember is always on hand to aid in building the lightsaber so that it will light up and make sounds properly.

Although, the regular Darth Tater Mr. Potatoheads are marked up, the special Star Tours only ones, such as Luke Frywalker, aren’t unreasonably priced. The same goes for the action figures of Disney characters as Star Wars characters, stuffed Ewoks and Wookies, toy blasters unavailable anywhere else and of course, the Star Tours vehicle toy.

If you are a Star Wars fan, or know one, this is definitely the store to check out and it has the most value for your dollar of any store in all the Parks!

Toddler Blockbuster Hits: MGM...sigh...Hollywood Studios

2008-05-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Before I start this post, I really have to just face it. It's Hollywood Studios, not MGM and it's not going to change back. That won't stop me from calling it MGM in my head, but it's certainly going to be as confusing to newbies as using Dixie Landings to talk about Port Orleans Riverside, if I do it here. I can't be held responsible if an MGM accidentally types itself out on my keyboard though.

Hollywood Studios looks like it's all for teens, tweens and threens. There are screams coming from Sunset Boulevard. High School Musical performances in front of the Sorcerer's Hat and gun shots near Echo Lake. Yet, there are quite a few things toddlers can enjoy here.

Playhouse Disney Live has updated itself recently to showcase the new Playhouse line-up with a performance that includes Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Be warned, that there is no seating for this. Rather...there are no seats, you have to sit on the floor with your kids. Many of the Playhouse characters can be met outside.

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is nicely air conditioned show, although some parts are dark and the Sea Witch can be frightening. If your toddler can handle it, it's worth going to. The Great Movie Ride can be hit or miss. I'm not sure some adults can deal with the Alien popping out at them, even if they get to follow the Yellow Brick Road at the end.

Hollywood and Vine has a nicely uncrowded character breakfast and lunch with Playhouse Disney characters who spend a lot of time with each kid. MGM is also a good place for characters without long lines. You'll usually run into them in front of the Hat or at the Crossroads after the Entrance. It's also a good Park for finding Pixar characters.

But then, there are the non-ride hits for toddlers. Such as the giant dinosaur Gertie at Echo Lake which is actually an ice cream shop. Or Sweet Spells, the candy shop which goes a long way in distracting toddlers scared by the screams from the Tower of Terror. It's also a good place to take them if you are the designated wrangler while others go on the Tower or Rock N' Roller Coaster. I currently have a Megablok version of the Tower of Terror and Sweet Spells on my dining room floor, it's that appealing to toddlers. Sometimes, for toddlers, the best part of a Disney World Park is just being there.

Toddler Hits-Epcot, Sharpie Look Out!

2008-05-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Epcot is the "educational" park. Most of this is lost on the toddlers and preschoolers. It also has very few rides that a toddler can go on. In fact, the one thing that toddlers like the most about Epcot won't happen until night when they are too tired to take advantage of it and those are the light-up sparkley sidewalks.

Still, it's possible to have fun here with a little one. This is one of the best places to meet characters without a long line. Characters always pop out unexpectedly in the World Showcase, related to the countries. Belle is in France, Snow White is in Germany, Mulan is in China, Donald is in Mexico. If you are looking for Mickey, you can find him in America and sometimes dressed as a Musketeer in France.

Disney does try to help out with the lack of small child friendly activities with their Kidcot stations. I discovered, though, that these are all sponsored by Sharpie. You know, the permanent-never coming out of clothes or off the skin for weeks-marker. You can always spot a Kidcot station by the number of nervous parents hovering over their kids trying to keep the Sharpie tips a safe distance from the clothes of the kids and others.

So many times you find yourself with a problem. Maelstrom? Has scary trolls. Journey into Imagination? Scary invisible train noises and that loud boom and rush of air at the end. The stores? So many breakable objects they can't touch! But then there is Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival in May with the Neverland Playground and Minnie's Butterfly Garden, which Disney should consider having year-round.

You may just decide that Epcot isn't worth going to at all until...

Nemo. Nemo, that ever popular little clownfish who has taken over what used to be called just The Living Seas. From the moment you pass the seagull animatronics shouting, "Mine, mine mine!" you realize you may be there for quite some time. There is not one thing in the building that does not appeal to toddlers from the aquarium of dolphins to the extremely popular Turtle Talk with Crush. Next door is the Imagination Pavilion with it's impossible reversed fountains and the Imageworks play area, all taking up time until the World Showcase is open and you can try out El Gran Fiesta at Mexico. (Careful, though, most of the merchandise sold in Mexico is breakable and at toddler level.)

The Newly redone Spaceship Earth is not as toddler friendly as it once was. A section of the ride at the end is devoted to the touch screen in the car with you. While it may help to let the toddler do all the touching to distract them from the fact that they are moving backwards at a sort of scary angle, they won't get much out of it. It is air conditioned though, and that may be reason enough to go on the ride!

Should you skip Epcot with a toddler? It depends on your toddler. The Living Seas really makes it worth while to go and may just make your child more manageable for the rest of the park. Even if they do say "dude" the rest of the day as Crush will instruct them to do.

More Toddler Hits: Animal Kingdom-"It's Nahtazu!", But it Sort of is

2008-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Animal Kingdom for toddlers is an easy one. While Disney would prefer to promote it as more than a zoo in order to appeal to an older audience with things like Expedition Everest, when it comes to toddlers and preschoolers it is pretty much exactly like a mega zoo with dinosaurs.

It's unfortunate, that most toddlers go through a dinosaur stage between 2-6 and yet, the most potentially appealing attraction for such kids in Animal Kingdom is off limits to them. Dinosaur has a height requirement of 40" and even then, you may want to think twice. Only the most dinosaur loving and fearless preschooler is going to be able to handle the intensity and darkness. The Primeval Whirl over in Dinoland is also a no-go as it has a height requirement of 48". This leaves the Triceratops Spin, which is a clone of Dumbo and the midway carnival games, as well as The Boneyard playground.

However, pretty much everything in Camp Minnie-Mickey is tailor-made for little kids. As is the Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is basically a petting zoo, but requires a steam train ride to get to it for extra fun. Anything with animals in it, is sure to be a hit. The various animals along the trails, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and of course, the Kilimanjaro Safari offers the most exciting non-zoo like view of the animals. The Jammin' Jungle Parade is also usually fun for toddlers.

The Baby Center at Animal Kingdom is also the nicest looking due to it being the newest.

Then, just to top it off, Disney has brought out their big ammo by using their biggest success n the 2000s with the current generation with Finding Nemo: The Musical in the Asia area.

Some toddlers might enjoy It's Tough to Be a Bug, but the 3D effects and the darkness that occurs may also alarm them. Along with the "bug attack" that happens in the movie.

There is a bit of a down-side to the plethora of toddler-friendly attractions and entertainment. The uneven ground of Animal Kingdom, the lack of places to take an air conditioned break in and lack of water fountains, in a rare designing mistake of the Imagineers. Therefore, I usually recommend Animal Kingdom as a half-day Park.

Strollers

2008-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

My daughters and I have deliberated on the stroller situation. It’s convenient to rent a stroller at each park, but a bit expensive. Our problem is that we have a 2yr. old and 5 yr. old to accommodate. The 2 yr. old is no problem. She is not yet 30 lbs. The 5 yr. old is 43 lbs. and 44” tall. Too tall and heavy for the traditional umbrella stroller that is the easiest to take on and off the buses.

We have a ‘Joovy” which is a very sturdy stroller that offers a traditional seat on the front and a sit or stand platform on the back. The back portion is perfect for an older child, but a bit crunched for room for a 44” boy. The 2 yr. old does like to sit back there, but with the 5 yr. old in the seat, it becomes a bit hard to push. It does have a weight capacity of 45 lbs. in each section and is easy to steer. It folds up easily and becomes fairly compact but is really long (tall) when folded and does not easily fit in our cars (Aveo sedan and hatchback). We used this a couple of years ago when the kids were 6 wks. And 3 yrs. old. It worked out fine except it was a little bulky to take on the buses. My nephew-in-law was with us on that trip and didn’t seem to have much trouble handling it on the buses.

I’d prefer to use the easier to handle umbrella strollers but fear one wouldn’t hold up to my grandson’s size and weight. Granted, he may want to walk a lot, but then again, if his cousin is in a stroller, he tends to want that too. Thus the dilemma; umbrella strollers, rental at the park, Joovy.

The problem with the rental strollers is that you leave them at the park and I’m not sure that after a long day at the park, the kids will be willing or able to make the long walk to the buses and from the buses to the room at the resort. This means possibly having to carry them.

Murray Hill transportation used to have a nice sturdy stroller that folded up nicely for the buses but no longer offers that option. Bummer!

We have decided to go with the Joovy. My son-in-law will be in charge of hoisting it onto and off of the buses. I will let you know how that worked out next week.

We’re Going to Disney World!

2008-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I’ve been away from the blog for about a month now, helping my brother move to a new apartment and getting settled in.

I did have time to book a trip to Disney World! We are leaving May 5 and returning May 8. A short but hopefully fun filled trip.

Our party will include four adults and two children, ages 2 and 5. We are staying on-site of course, Port Orleans Riverside. We have already booked a Character breakfast at Play ‘N’ Dine at Hollywood and Vine at the Hollywood Studios Park. We haven’t experienced this one before and it should be fun. There will be Jojo and Goliath as well as Leo and June from the Little Einsteins show. The kids love them and apparently they pull the kids into a song and dance routine. I can’t wait to see that!

My dilemma has been whether to try the Magical Express, the free Disney transportation option, or to stick with Murray-Hill Transportation, which I have used numerous times in the past. I have weighed the pros and cons of both. I have also done my research and checked the reviews of Disney travelers who have used the Magical Express. Some think it’s great and it worked out quite well for them. Others have complained about long lines to check in at the airport before getting on the bus, some complained about having to stop at three different resorts before getting to theirs, and many complained about having to wait much more than the 3 or 4 hours they advertise for getting their luggage. The return trip to the airport is also scheduled more than two hours before the flight. If you happen to miss that bus, you are on your own to get to the airport. I don’t like sitting at the airport with kids for more than two hours before we board the plane. But hey; it’s free!

I have decided to use the tried and true MH Transportation again for this trip and here is why: They offer a 30 minute grocery store stop. This is important to us because my 2 yr. old granddaughter is lactose intolerant and we need to buy Lactaid milk for her. I haven’t seen that sold at the resorts or parks. It is always nice to pick up a few snack items as well. I also like the convenience of arriving directly to my resort without a lot of stops in between. Apparently the bus to Port Orleans Riverside stops at 3 different resorts prior to arriving at Port Orleans. We are arriving at 8:00 at night and I don’t want my luggage delivered at midnight or even in the wee hours of the morning like some people have complained about. We could pick up our own luggage to take on the bus, but that defeats the purpose of the Magic Express picking it up for you. I’m also leery of arriving there with multiple other families all trying to check in at the same time. Now granted, we could be the only people on the bus since we are coming in so late in the day, some people have had that experience. However, I don’t want to leave things up to chance. I guess I like to be more in control. They will pick us up two hours before our flight leaves which gets us to the airport at least an hour and a half early so by the time we check our luggage and make our way to the gate, we only have about ½ hour or 45 minutes to wait. Plus, our plane leaves at 8:50 p.m., so we can get a full day in at the park before they pick us up.

We had also planned to rent a double stroller at the parks for the two kids for three days. They have recently drastically increased the price of the strollers (from about $18 per day to $31) so now I’m also considering just getting a stroller from Murray Hill for $10 for the whole stay. More on that later.

Toddler Rides: Magic Kingdom

2008-04-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

WARNING: By taking a toddler on any of the rides below, you do have a significant risk of discovering the true meaning of the phrase "To Infinity and Beyond!" As it is a proven fact that toddlers are quite capable of reaching infinity before snack time and long after they have exhausted all of your energy reserves.

The vast majority of toddlers love the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, although one with a fear of the dark may dislike it when it goes through Space Mountain. They also will enjoy the Disney World Railroad-be warned, strollers can be a tricky issue for this ride. It may be a bit slow for you, but I suggest just doing a whole circuit in the train for fun rather than using it as a way to get around Magic Kingdom. Cinderella's Golden Carousel is another hit.

But then, we come to the "dark rides". Dark rides are those which are enclosed within a building such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Despite not being all that dark, Small World is also a dark ride and a very good one for toddlers at that. The song is really not as much of an earworm in the ride as people like to say. The earworm ride prize goes to the Carousel of Progress, which toddlers enjoy during the singing, but the rest is lost on them. However, it's always nicely air conditioned. And...I just cursed myself into having that song in my head for the rest of the night.

Dumbo, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Triceratops Spin are all basically the same rides, which toddlers enjoy. Dark rides, however are not created equal. The Maelstrom in Epcot, although mild on the thrills, has trolls that make it best avoided. While the arcade dark ride Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom is not only a fun dark ride for teens and adults, there are buttons for toddlers to push! Going on this one with a toddler is tons more fun than actually racking up a high score..

The new additions to the Pirates of the Caribbean can be a bit scary to a toddler and the constant darkness in Haunted Mansion can be tough for some. It depends on the age. A younger toddler of 22-23 months may actually handle these better than even the most thrill-seaking two and a half year old who has reached an important cognitive developmental stage that makes them rather more sensitive. If they seem okay with those two rides, then you can give Peter Pan's Flight or Snow White's Scary Adventures a try.

An older toddler or a preschooler will likely enjoy the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Since it's on tracks they can even steer it themselves while an adult controls the gas pedal. The wait for this one can get pretty long and tiring, though. The Jungle Cruise varies depending on the toddler, as does the Enchanted Tiki Room, which can actually be alarming for them.

Of course, toddlers wouldn't be toddlers if they didn't prefer things like a box instead of the toy that came in it. You may find the best toddler attraction of all isn't even in Magic Kingdom; The Monorail. If you aren't in a rush to get back to your resort, try going around on this once, or twice, or to the toddlerth power. (The field of mathematics doesn't recognize this as a legitimate exponent, but only because the combined mind power of the whole field throughout all of history and the future is unable to calculate a number that goes that high. However, it can easily be reached by all toddlers merely by using the word "again!")

Waste Not, Bored Not

2008-04-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I was in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom while everyone else in my party went on Splash Mountain. My twenty-two month old daughter was far too little to ride. Everyone had sort of meandered over, leaving me at a spot at stroller parking. It was meltingly hot. It would take about half an hour for my family to return.

This will happen sometimes, you don't want to or can't go on a certain attraction that everyone else is going on. Then you wait, twiddling your thumbs, for everyone to return. In my situation above, I'd had enough of that after ten minutes. It was hot, it was boring. My daughter wanted to be occupied. But most of all, I was wasting a half hour doing nothing! This is fine if you're at the point where you just want to sit for awhile and people watch. However, this was a spot with no seating available and it was early, I wanted to do something!

Even though we had made the fatal mistake of not arranging for a meeting place before the rest of the group broke off, all was not lost. I figured they would be coming back for their stroller sometime. So my daughter and I made use of the time by sharing a Mickey ice cream bar. That in turn required that I use some of the time doing melted chocolate clean-up duty and I might as well get a diaper change out of the way rather than at a more inconvenient time. We also wandered around in Splash Mountain's gift shop briefly. Then my daughter happily watched the deadly storks that like to attack people for their food. (Remember: Do NOT feed the birds, unless you like that Tippi Hedren look.)

This happened again at the Tower of Terror while doing the child swap. However, this time I right away started to make use of my time browsing the shops nearby. This strategy only backfires if your party returns wanting to browse the shops. In which case I merely told them to meet me at Sweet Spells further on down the street.

As long as it's clear that the whole party doesn't have to do absolutely everything together, this works well at making sure that there isn't one person in the group constantly shorted on fun and always waiting. So take a look around before the party splits up at anything else close that you can do. Take advantage of roaming characters, so that when everyone comes back beaming at how much fun something was, you can beam right back that you met Figment. No one gets tired or grumpy, toddlers can be occupied and everyone vacations happily ever after.

BYOF

2008-04-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

There are three parts to the cost of Disney World, that people consider when planning a trip. Getting there, staying there and going through the gates. Once through the gates as noon approaches is when guests are reminded of that hidden fourth cost of Disney World. Food. Oh, and you're trapped inside the gates.

Unless you are staying off site, spending some money to eat in one of the Parks is inevitable and in some cases even desirable. (I'm thinking of you Gertie's ice cream! You too, sugar-free Kringla Bakeri og Cafe chocolate mousse!) Everyone has their favorite treat or place to eat at Disney World.

But it costs. It costs dearly. It will drain whatever money you brought along. That's why it's advisable to try to minimize the costs by bringing some food of your own. You can pack it in your suitcase if it's non-perishable or use a 30 minute shopping stop on your way from the airport to the World.

Breakfast items are especially handy, since this will save you having to fight the crowds of the resort food courts in the morning. It's also nearly a necessity when traveling with small children. The moderate resorts all have small refrigerators in the room. The value resorts offer them for rent, which isn't that great of a deal. Hauling a small cooler along may be a wiser option. In addition, most food courts have microwaves.

This is also the only way to accommodate some special dietary needs at Disney World. They do try to be very accommodating, but it doesn't always work out. My daughter is lactose intolerant, so bringing our own container of Lactaid milk is essential, even if we plan on eating breakfast in the food court. The results of letting her have lactose just once isn't something I want to have to deal with on my vacation. Many people who prefer Pepsi over Coke will find that they will need to bring their own 12-pack.

But most of all, just having one meal in your room each day will probably save an average of $8-10 per person.

Take Time Out

2008-03-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

Most touring strategies espoused by guidebooks mean having to descend upon the Parks like a special-ops commando. This is a very tempting strategy after you've just spent all your life savings to get to Disney World. It's also very exhausting, which is why you often find the guidebooks recommending an afternoon nap.

I'm not much of a napper, although my daughter is. And it's perfectly possible to enjoy a whole day at a Park without wearing yourself out. The way to do that is to tell yourself that it's okay not to see everything. To be flexible. The true magic to Disney is not in going on as many attractions as you can. It's about a vacation, not a chore.

If you are so intent on getting on the Kali River Rapids after the Safari and fitting in Expedition Everest as well, you'll rush along to Asia in Animal Kingdom. But then you'll miss DiVine, a performer who looks and acts like a living vine wrapped around a tree. You have to be sharp eyed to see her and her performance is beautiful. Many kids love seeing DiVine and taking pictures with her. But it may be that if you stay too long, you'll miss out on Kali.

Or perhaps you want to make sure you get on both the Tower of Terror, the Rock N' Rollercoaster and see the Extreme Stunt Show in time so that you can be sure to also return to your room for a nap and then see the parade when you come back. But then you miss the ambience of New York Street and triggering the umbrella that showers water down while "Singin' in the Rain" plays. If you are over in New York, you may miss your fastpass time for Rock N' Rollercoaster!

The truth is, if you don't have a list of attractions you didn't get to, you're working too hard and there are a lot of things you missed out on that would have refreshed you and given you a time to rest and be on a vacation. I find my best Disney moments have been when I was forced to stop while my daughter slept in her stroller preventing me from going on an attraction. There's something to be said for merely watching the Fountain of Nations' choreographed water sprays instead of waiting in line to see characters at the Character Connection or trying to get onto Test Track.

If my mom and I had been intent on seeing Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and making sure to head back over in time for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, it could have easily been accomplished. My nephew would have missed out on discussing which Ninja Turtle was better with the Talking Trash Can in Tomorrowland. Which is going to be the longer lasting memory?

Transportation

2008-03-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

At Disney World you’ll experience all kinds of transportation, buses, ferries, trams, monorails, trains etc. There are two different aspects to transportation. One is getting to and from Disney from the airport. The other is getting around Disney World.

We prefer to use Murray-Hill Transportation to and from the airport. This is a very customer service oriented company that fits right in with the Disney magic. They meet you at the airport, help with your luggage and comfortably transport you to Disney World. We usually take advantage of their 30 minute stop at the grocery store to pick-up supplies that we may not want to pack into our suitcases. They also offer group photos at the main gate and helicopter tours. They are less expensive than taking a taxi and we’ve used them for parties of two to parties of nine. They provide one free infant or child booster seat and charge $5 for addition ones. The last time we went, we rented a perfectly adequate stroller from them for $10 for the whole stay. The drivers are always friendly and helpful. They will pick you up at your resort for the return to the airport at a designated time so you don’t have to worry about calling anyone on the day of departure. I love Murray-Hill!

You can also use Disney’s Magical Express. This is a free bus transport to the resorts. They will pick-up your luggage and deliver it to your room. I hear that it takes about 4 hours to get your luggage delivered, which may be inconvenient if you need anything that is packed away before that time elapses. This is one of the cons, as well as arriving at the resort with a bunch of other vacationers, causing you to all try to check in at the same time. However, it is a quick, easy and free way to get to and from the airport.

As for getting to and from the parks, the bus system is great! The buses pick you up at the resort and take you to whatever park you want to go to. There is a separate bus for each park. They arrive every 15 minutes or so. The first time we went to Disney World, I rented a car. The parking lots are huge and you take a tram from the lot to the entrance of the park. Leaving at the end of the day can be quite a hassle as everyone tries to leave at the same time. You may have to wait for the tram as they fill up and then deal with the traffic leaving the parks. I prefer leaving the driving to them.

At Magic Kingdom you can take a train ride around the park and get off wherever you want to. There are several ferries as well that will take you to certain resorts, or back to the transportation center where the parking lots are. You also have access to the monorail, also going to specific resorts or to connecting monorails going to Epcot.

There are ferries at Epcot that can take you to different points in the World Showcase, or to the Boardwalk or Hollywood Studios. Some resorts have ferries that take you to Downtown Disney (Port Orleans and Old Key West for sure, possibly also Saratoga Springs although I’ve never stayed there).

All in all, including the plane ride to Florida, you and your family can experience just about every form of transportation that there is by visiting Disney World and that doesn’t even include the rides.

Meet and Greets!

2008-03-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

A mission for many Park goers with and without children are to meet the characters. Some look to find as many as they can. Others look for specific ones and yet others keep an eye out for the rarest characters. Some may only be seen in a parade, while others can be seen during character dining or at Meet and' Greets.

Meet and Greets are opportunities where the characters will take photos with guests and sign autographs. Unlike what's seen in the commercials, they usually don't wander around, instead they stand in one place. And there are lines. Very long lines.

But how do you find them? Most Meet and Greets are marked with Mickey's glove on the Park maps. However, characters often show up in areas not marked as a Meet and Greet. For instance, you will likely find Captains Hook and Jack Sparrow near Pirates of the Caribbean. The UK Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase is a likely spot to meet Mary Poppins, Alice and the Pooh gang. Animal Kingdom is good for a lot of Jungle Book and Lion King characters.

Some characters are not so easy to find, nor are their locations an obvious place to look. You will run into Lightning McQueen and Mater at Hollywood Studios in the New York area. Many Pixar characters, oddly enough, can be seen at Hollywood Studios' Animation Courtyard, a place dedicated to the art of traditional 2-D animation.

There is no guarantee a specific character will show up. The Flying Carpets of Aladdin is a good bet for finding Aladdin and Jasmine. You might however just as likely find Jafar instead.

Some characters have specific areas, such as in ToonTown in the Magic Kingdom where they meet people inside. Usually, the lines are long, but have the advantage of being air conditioned inside. These Meet and Greets are the most obvious. Because of course you will meet Ariel if you visit Ariel's grotto.

If you remain alert, you may even discover some rarely seen characters such as Kim Possible and Clara Cluck! In my experience I've always found the rarer characters at Hollywood Studios most often. And your rare character may be common for someone else. Grandma B was once chased around the Animation Courtyard by Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame. I haven't seen him since.

The characters that aren't as popular are the easiest to get to with the shortest wait. They are also the most likely to find you. So while Mickey may not just walk up to you on Main Street, Hook probably will walk up to you while you shop at the Pirates gift shop and probably threaten you with his hook. I actually find encounters like these far more fun then waiting in line for The Big Mouse! So don't sell the unpopular characters short!

Disney Cast Members

2008-03-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

As I’ve mentioned before, my youngest daughter was a Disney Cast Member for 9 mos. about 8 years ago. Disney trains their employees well. In fact their training program is so successful that other corporations have taken their ideas to apply to their own companies. My daughter got a job at US Bank when she came back from Florida, and one of the reasons she was hired was that she was trained in customer service by Disney.

Disney staff , who are referred to as Cast Members, are extraordinarily friendly and helpful. The customer is always right (no matter how unfriendly, ornery, or exasperating they may be). If they can’t help you they will always try to find someone who can. Here are some facts about cast members. This information was accurate as of 8 years ago, but I doubt that much has changed.

Employees go through two weeks of intensive training when first hired, followed by one week of training at their work site. Disney standards are almost military. Men are not allowed to have beards. Make-up and nail polish must be neutral, no facial piercing, no strange hair colors etc.

Customers are referred to as guests.

It is drilled into the Cast Members that there is only one Mickey.

They never point with their index finger alone. If you ever ask one of them where something is, they will point with two fingers, the index and middle finger, pressed together or with their hand, four fingers pressed together with their thumb tucked under.

Their uniforms are referred to as their ‘costumes’.

Magic Kingdom is built upon a series of tunnels that the cast members use to traverse the park.

There are Cast Member nights at Pleasure Island (Mondays and Thursdays) and at the House of Blues (Wednesdays) where it is likely celebrities will show up.

When a Cast Member quits, there is a profile done on them that indicates whether or not they are eligible to be hired back should they desire that. A negative profile is a very bad thing.

Cast Members do not make much but they get paid weekly, can purchase affordable health/dental/vision insurance as full time employees, and have limited plans available as part-time employees. Full-timers get vacation and sick leave, annual pay increases and a stock purchase program. They also get other perks like discounts and free admission and parking at the parks.

The Cast Members are a big reason why a trip to Disney World is so enjoyable.

OH NO! IT'S POOH! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

2008-03-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I've known a few characters in my time. I mean it in both senses of the word, but I really want to talk about the people who play the Characters in the Parks. In fact, I've had conversations with people who were two of the most popular characters at Disney World. Mickey and Tigger.

That resulted in a very interesting revelation. The Castmembers who work inside those costumes generally prefer the adults who approach them. Part of it is that the adults usually play along with the act. They get a kick out of seeing grown people get as excited to see them as the kids. In a good-natured way.

Another part of that is that adults don't cry or scream in fear when they see them. Unfortunately, many children, especially very young children, do. Sometimes not shattering the illusion of fantasy has a dark side. And that is, that suddenly the safe little cartoon characters your toddler was happily watching when at home are now extremely huge, with unnatural proportions and very oddly silent.

My own daughter doesn't like any of the characters she isn't familiar with. She accepted Mickey and the gang, but didn't want to have anything to do with Chip N' Dale or Meeko from Pocahontas the last time we went. Her experience up to then had been Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel and old Mickey cartoons. I've since remedied that situation by exposing her to more films, especially the characters that are most commonly encountered. She still won't have anything to do with costumed characters outside of Disney World, however. And these are just the good guys! Keep in mind that a child could have a huge freak out if they actually see a villian. In my daughter's case it would be Maleficent or the Hag from Snow White.

There are some ways to ease this situation, however before you book that character meal. Let them see the live action Disney Sing-along DVDs set at the Parks, where they can see real kids interacting with the characters. This gives them a sense of scale and what to expect. Also, during other parts of the year you can test them out with Santa and the Easter Bunny closer to home. Chances are they will react the same way at Disney World.

If you want to show them the character ahead of time, here is a list of the characters that seem to pop up the most frequently and usually also have short lines compared to the long ones to see Mickey (And he's always a special case). All others appear only in certain areas at certain times or require a long wait in line inside a building. They aren't as unexpectedly and frequently encountered as the following:

Chip N' Dale
Pluto
Goofy
Tigger
Rafiki (The Lion King)
Louie (Jungle Book)
Baloo (Jungle Book)
Mr. Fox (Pinocchio)
Cinderella's Mice
Meeko

Still, your child may act in ways you don't expect in such a different environment than they are used to. So be sure to back off and don't force them to see characters if they don't want to.

Jambo! It's Animal Kingdom!

2008-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Animal Kingdom is touted as the largest park of the four at Disney World. This is true as far as acreage is concerned because they need a lot of that for all the animals. As far as walking around the park, we’ve never spent more than half a day there. It really seems like the smallest park. The terrain is a bit rough, lots of up and downhill slopes. I think it tires you out more.

Our strategy for this park again involves walking straight back to the furthest part of the park. Our ritual used to include breakfast at Tusker House. They had the best cinnamon rolls there. It was closed for refurbishment the last time we went and was due to re-open as a Character meal buffet style restaurant, so we haven’t checked that out yet. I think you can still get the rolls at Kusafiri Coffee and Bakery.

Next is the Kilimanjaro Safari. This where you can experience a lot of the acreage that is Animal Kingdom as you take a safari through the wildlife preserve and see everything from Flamingos to the King of Beasts, the Lion. This area of the park is where you can also visit the Conservation Station, better known as Rafiki’s Planet Watch. A nice little train ride with lots of educational information and a petting zoo at the end. We also always visit Mombasa Marketplace/Ziwani Traders where we often find great clearance items. I have several t-shirts that I bought there at half price.

We next head over through Asia where you can ride the Kali River Rapids (if you don’t mind getting really wet) and experience the best new roller coaster at Disney World, Expedition Everest. Watch out for the Yeti! There’s a new restaurant there called the Yak and Yeti. Can’t wait to try it.

Then it’s on to Dinoland USA. There are great rides here for the little ones and the more intense 'Dinosaur' for the more adventurous. Donald’s Breakfastasaurus is located here as well and contains a pretty good Character Breakfast, although I don’t know if they will continue with the New Tusker House opening.

On your way out of the park, stop at the Tree of Life and experience the ‘It’s a Bug’s Life’ show. It’s surprising and enjoyable.

There are many little shops and stores along the way, so be sure to check them out as well. We are usually on our way by noon, heading over to Epcot or Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day.

George Lucas Doesn't Always Mean Fun Times

2008-03-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

I read several descriptions of the old attraction Alien ExtraTERRORestial Encounter before my first trip to Disney World. Each one described it matter-of-factly and made it sound like something I'd like to try. George Lucas had a hand in creating it. I'd experience an exciting encounter with an escaped alien. Just like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was described as sailing the Spanish Main with some wild pirates. Nowhere did a guidebook ever say, "Pins you down with a harness and uses psychology to SCARE the BEJEEBUS out of you and SCAR YOU FOR LIFE!" Even after reading descriptions, reviews and ratings of an attraction, it might still be difficult to figure out what it's really like. Thanks a lot, George.

Since then I've gotten a lot warier when it comes to ride descriptions. But also a lot braver when it comes to the rides themselves. I look forward to the unexpected now that I've gotten over my initial shock of my first visit. However, others may not be as adventurous as me. It's also not always obvious what might scare a kid. My nephew loves the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, except for the part where it rolls through the complete darkness of Space Mountain. Even at the age of nearly five he still freaked out at the Davy Jones spray in Pirates of the Caribbean and the cannon fire.

This is where the Internet comes in handy. In recent years, many people have filmed the rides as they went through them. While the quality will vary depending on the camcorder and person holding it, this can at least give you an idea of what to expect. This comes in handy if you are skittish or if you want to preview a ride before allowing a little kid on it. It can also convince you to go on a ride you might have otherwise passed up. The Haunted Mansion isn't as scary as it sounds, it's actually silly and fun.

Although, I am not one to spoil the ride experiences for people, I think it would have helped in the Pirates ride to have at least prepared my nephew for what was coming up. The videos are never complete enough to give you the full experience of a ride. So this may be an option to see what a ride is really like before you decide to drag some poor unfortunate soul, even yourself, onto it. Better to be spoiled than sorry when someone starts screaming.

There are several resources you can use. Youtube often has many of the ride-throughs posted. You can also go to google's video search. A web search will yield even better, higher quality videos for the ride you are looking for. Some rides have a whole website devoted to them.

As for Alien Encounter. It's been replaced by the friendlier, non-scary Stitch's Great Escape attraction. But you don't have to take my word for it.

Navigating Epcot

2008-03-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Epcot is huge and there’s lots to see. The World Showcase opens later than Future World. Future World usually opens at about 8 or 9 a.m. and the Showcase opens at 11 a.m. If you arrive early, you can experience many rides at Future World and then move on to the Showcase.

We usually head straight for Figment’s Imagination. This is a cute ride and the kids love it. From there we cut over to the opposite end of that section of the park to The Land of the Seas and the Nemo ride. Don’t forget to stop and see Turtle Talk with Crush. This is an enjoyable show with an animated Crush who floats in an aquarium and talks to the kids. He answers individual questions and it’s awesome!

Next it’s The Land and Soarin which is an amazing ride. One of my new favorites. They have a great Character lunch at the Garden Grill here. Food served family style with visits from Farmer Mickey, and Chip n Dale.

You can also stop in at Innovations East and West and test out all the little displays they have. Very educational! There is also a Character meet and greet inside which is nice on those hot and humid days.

By this time we are usually ready to head over to the World Showcase. We usually breeze through Canada and our first stop is the United Kingdom. We love the little shops and sometimes you can catch Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Eyeore inside the building to your right as you face the courtyard. They have a ‘British Invasion’ show in the courtyard that includes a Beatles cover band. Very entertaining. If it’s lunch time we may have fish n chips from the stand just outside the Rose and Crown restaurant.

We make our way around the World stopping in Japan (we can cruise the shop there for at least an hour), China, Norway, and finally Mexico. There is a quick service stand just outside the Mexican Pavilion that serves great Mexican food and a kiosk on the way that serves different flavors of Marguerites. If you want a sit-down restaurant, San Angelo’s in the Mexican Pavilion is beautiful and the food is great. There is also a nice boat ride through the history of Mexico accompanied by the Three Caballeros.

After the world, we head back over to Future World and experience Test Track. Another awesome ride and when you get out of the ride area you find yourself in a world of real full size automobiles and concept cars followed by a car lovers dream of a gift shop.

If you are in the mood for another thrill ride, you can take a trip to Mars on Mission Space. This is a very realistic trip through outer space. So realistic that the first and only time I rode this, I actually got motion sickness and I have never gotten that before on a ride. I haven’t ridden that since, but understand they have a more toned down version of the ride for those who are a little squeamish and the full out version for those who are brave.

The shops at Future World are great, with all kinds of toys, clothes, and souvenirs. You could wander through them for hours, and we do. On our way out of the park we usually go on Spaceship Earth. The old version was a nice easy ride through the history of mankind followed by interesting inventions and future technology sponsored by AT&T. After they pulled out, there was nothing at the end of the ride. Now a new version has been created that is sponsored by Siemens and I am anxious to check this out at my next visit.

If the kids aren’t too tired and cranky, we may stay until 9:00 p.m. to see the Illuminations fireworks and laser show. You’ve got to see this at least once in your life. It’s beautiful, but pretty loud and my 5 year old grandson has only recently been able to get past the loud booms and enjoy the light show.

Next time: Animal Kingdom

Views on Shoes

2008-03-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people boggle my mind. I have seen people attempt Disney World wearing pumps, heels, flip-flops, sandals and all manner of odd footwear. Odd to me that is. Perhaps people really are comfortable with them and it works out well. I should start asking the next time I'm there. But I would never dare to try it myself.

I have never in ten years of going to the Parks had a blister, sore feet the next day or even really tired feet at the end of the day. So my views aren't exactly coming out of thin air. I'd like to pretend that it is my commitment to physical fitness and stamina. It isn't. I realized that during the last trip. My workout routines have become lax with a toddler and I'm no longer 23. Yet, while my shoulders were stiff from pushing a stroller, my feet and more importantly, my knees, felt no pain. Perhaps a little stiffness when I woke up, but that quickly disappeared by the time I was dressed.

This is due to my shoes. Sure, someone may feel okay the day they are at the park, but they will pay for it the next day. Arch support and cushioning are vital for escaping the hurt that the Parks tries to confer onto you. That damage is cumulative. A local going for a one day trip can get away with it...maybe. An out-of-stater like me with several days in a row cannot.

Here's the secret: quality walking shoes. Currently, I have some Reebox DMX walking shoes. They are excellent. New Balance and Nike also make some fine walking shoes. It's important that they are walking versions and not "dress sneakers", running shoes or gym shoes. I've felt the difference. They also must be properly broken in. Plan on starting six months in advance of your trip if you already walk for exercise. A year if you don't. However, two year old shoes for a frequent walker are probably too beaten down at that point to give you much help and should be replaced. Also bring new or newish socks that haven't started thinning.

I still recommend bringing along some first aid items such as ibuprofen/acetaminophen, band-aids and moleskin. However, I've always given those out to other people in my party and never used them much myself.

There's a reason the armed forces emphasizes foot care while on long marches carrying 40lb packs. A trip to Disney World isn't really any different in it's physical demands. You can expect to walk 5-10 miles at all of the Parks, except Epcot where you will walk 11-15 miles in a day. This is while carrying anything you brought in t the park, anything you purchased as well as standing for long periods of time. If you want to survive the vacation, take care of yourself, soldier!

Disney $ouvenirs

2008-02-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Once you get past the Park tickets, the lodgings and just getting to Orlando, next comes the multitudes of shops packed into as many square feet of Park as possible. While it's impossible to rate every single item in a continuous cycling of merchandise, there are some products which have been around for a few years and some which will always be offered.

Mickey ears are a classic souvenir and not exorbitantly priced in the scheme of things. In addition to the classic black cap of the Mickey Mouse Club, there are pink caps, blue caps and even multi-colored caps in children's sizes. There are the special ears for whatever promotion is currently being run. Currently, these are the rather pricey blue and silver light-up ears for A Year of a Million Dreams campaign. There are also groom and bride ears, Minnie Mouse ears and pirate themed ears. Basically, they have ears coming out of their ears. Name embroidery used to be free in the Magic Kingdom, but that is no longer true.

However, I've found that the best souvenirs are found in one of three places. Mouse Gear in Future World in Epcot, Mombasa Marketplace in Africa in Animal Kingdom and World of Disney in Downtown Disney. Especially, if you go during the fall off-season.

Mouse Gear and Mombasa Marketplace for whatever reason often have the coveted clearance items. These are marked with red price tags. Mostly these are products that are being phased out for newer ones. In the case of Mombasa Marketplace, I've often gotten shirts there at half price because the color or design didn't test well with park guests. That's not to say they are terrible shirts. Disney merely tested two shirt colors and planned on producing more of whatever color was preferred. Five to eight dollar shirts, however, test really well with me. Khaki can come home with me any time at that price. Occasionally, the Tomorrowland Arcade connected to Space Mountain, the Celebrity 5 and 10 at Hollywood Studios and the resort gift shops also have red tagged merchandise.

The World of Disney may not necessarily have a lot of clearance merchandise, but it does provide a good overview of nearly everything available in the Parks. It's a good place if you are the type that decides to wait and see what else there may be and then decide that you want to get an item after all. I usually wait just so I can use the 10% discount I get with my Disney Visa. But sometimes, it's a madhouse in there. You'd almost think people were being paid to take out the merchandise. It does have the largest selection of baby and toddler clothes.

The important thing about souvenirs to remember is that whatever you buy; you somehow have to bring it back home. So keep the size of your suitcases in mind, if you don't want to pay Disney to ship it home for you.

Navigating Disney Hollywood (MGM) Studios

2008-02-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite park by far. I’m not happy about the renaming of this park, it will always and forever be MGM Studios to me. My strategy for navigating this park has nothing to do with crowd control and I do not follow the same pattern as I do at other parks. This one is strictly based on my favorites.

Upon entering this park we head straight for the Tower of Terror. If there is a long line, we’ll get a fast pass for later and head over to Rock ‘n Rollercoaster. I have to say that I don’t have a whole lot of experience in waiting in long lines for rides because the majority of my visits to WDW have been during off peak seasons and the lines are not usually a big problem. The first time I rode this ride was the year it opened and also my first trip to Disney World. It was during Spring Break, a very busy time and I stood in line for this ride for 45 minutes. I’ve never done that again at any park on any ride. It was worth it in this case. I’m not a big rollercoaster fanatic, I can ‘take them or leave them’ but this one was exceptional. 0-60 in about 2 seconds, what a rush!

Assuming we have been able to ride my favorite ride, The Tower of Terror, and maybe the Rock ‘n Rollercoaster, we then head back to the opposite corner of the park to the Star Tours ride, my grandson’s favorite. We love wandering through the gift shop there looking for the latest Star Wars games, toys, and memorabilia. They can take pictures of your face on a character’s body. I have a treasured one of my grandson’s face on Anakin Skywalker’s body. It’s awesome.

We then backtrack to The Great Movie Ride, followed by the Animation Courtyard where the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is always a great treat for the little ones, and a respite from the heat on a hot day.

We might eat lunch at the ABC Commissary or at the Backlot Express. If you have the money or are on the Dining Plan, you should definitely check out The Brown Derby at least once in your life. My daughter and I had an early supper there one year, and it was memorable. The original Cobb Salad was excellent as was the Filet Mignon.

After lunch we may go on the Backlot Tour , wander through the many glorious stores, watch the street actors perform in their 40’s and 50’s style costumes, and late in the afternoon, its ‘Lights Motors Action‘. This show is very loud, but very exciting, especially for little car enthusiasts.

At times there a lots of Characters lined up all along the center of the park near the big Hat outside Animation Studios and near the lagoon. Just about every character you can imagine is there for pictures and autographs.

We like to take an afternoon break around the lagoon and grab an ice cream at Gertie’s, the giant dinosaur that resides in the lagoon. The best soft serve ever!

The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is a good show but I only go once every few years. My grandson was quite afraid of the loud explosions and only finally agreed to see the show this past September.

If you want to stay for the evening spectacular ‘Fantasmic’ you are in for a treat. A great light and laser show that is very entertaining and crammed full of Disney Characters and of course Wizard Mickey. It can be a little intense for smaller children and is very crowded no matter what time of year you go. A lot of locals come for this event alone. You should get there early , which can be kind of boring while your are waiting for darkness to fall and the show to begin and it is a really crowded walk back out of the arena, but also something you should see at least once.

Next time- the different worlds of Epcot.

'The Plan' for Magic Kingdom

2008-02-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

We definitely have a plan for visiting the parks. A lot of people who go with children get up early, hit the parks at opening time, and head back to the resort for naps by mid-day then head back to the parks in the evening. We prefer a different plan. We are what you would call ‘Park Commandos’.

We don’t necessarily hit the parks at opening time but shortly afterwards. There is a strategy to avoid the biggest crowds. For instance, when we go to Magic Kingdom, upon entering the park we take the train over to Adventure Land. The train’s first stop is near Splash Mountain. We walk back to Pirates of the Caribbean and usually the lines are very short or even non-existent. Sometimes we work our way forward to the Aladdin Ride and check out the Bazaars and then cut over to Frontier Land and the Haunted Mansion. If we want to ride Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Railroad, we’ll head back that way. Sometimes we take the opposite route and head back to the Splash Mountain area after Pirates then over to Haunted Mansion. By this time it’s usually time for lunch and we have tried Pecos Bill’s and Columbia Harbor House, both good options but usually very crowded.

We then cut through the passageway near Haunted Mansion into Fantasyland where the children can enjoy the Flight of Peter Pan, Small World, the Carousel, Dumbo, Tea Cups etc. Then it’s on to Tomorrow Land where those who want to ride Space Mountain get fast passes and then we all go on Buzz Lightyear where even if it’s a long line, seems to move very fast. My grandchildren love the Tomorrow Land Transit Authority, a pretty tame train ride around Tomorrow Land. I usually take them on that while the Space Mountain enthusiasts take that ride. I don’t have anything against Space Mountain, I’ve ridden it several times, it’s just not a ‘must do’ for me. We saw the Carousel of Progress the last time we were there for the first time.
We haven’t seen the Monster’s Inc. Comedy Club yet, but we like to do something new at each park at each visit so we’ll probably get that done the next trip.

If we haven’t eaten lunch yet, we will go to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.

Then we head back to Main Street to wander through the stores and make our way out of the park to head back to the resort for some relaxation and supper. The grandkids still ride in strollers and if they want to, they take naps while we are at the parks. Sometimes they don’t and that’s okay as long as they don’t get too cranky. They are usually so fascinated by the people, the attractions and the music that they stay pretty happy. We take plenty of breaks as there are lot’s of benches and seating along our route if we want to just sit for a few minutes and plan our next move. We also visit many stores and Characters on our way.

The point is, head to the back of the park first and work your way back to the front. Most people use the opposite strategy so by the time we get to the front of the park, it’s not quite as crowded as it is at opening.

Next time I’ll lay out our plan for my favorite park Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Changes IV: Animal Kingdom

2008-02-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

The great thing about Animal Kingdom restrooms is that they are visually very interesting to babies and toddlers. I was trying to remember any particular time when I had to change my daughter and she was fussy about it, but I can't. The walls themselves in most of the facilities provide a lot of entertainment and distraction. I have never needed reinforcements and therefore never had to use a Companion Assisted Restroom in this park

The restrooms tend to be less conveniently placed compared to Hollywood Studios, but many of them are larger. Located in the Safari Village in Africa, the Baby Care Center is a bit of a pain to get to from the rest of the park. Mostly because, even though the distance is short, the uneven grounds and hills of Animal Kingdom make it more difficult to push a stroller around than in the three flatter parks. And unlike Magic Kingdom, there are fewer avenues to each section of the park, so many times there's no way to get to the other side of the park, except the long way around.

The best place to change, if the Baby Care Center is too far, is right before the entrance to Dinoland USA. The changing area there is in a quiet isolated alcove and the restroom is generously sized. Which is lucky, because Dinoland is as far from the Africa part of the park as you can get. There is a Companion Assisted Restroom located there should you end up needing it. The rest of the CARs are located at the Affection Section, the Mombasa Marketplace, Dinosaur Treasures, inside and close to the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

The restrooms in Animal Kingdom do tend to be crowded despite the lower attendance in the park. That's due to this park having fewer air conditioned indoor areas and rides compared to other parks. Many people tend to go into one during the hot Florida days just for some respite from the heat. A good idea if you have a little one.

Just be warned: one feature of many of the Animal Kingdom restrooms are the super strong power dryers in them. They are extremely loud, powerful machines that may initially startle even an adult. Which is what makes any isolated changing areas such as at the Dinoland USA entrance a must. Unfortunately, most baby change stations are located close to the sinks and the dryers. If at all possible, try to go to a less crowded facility in order to decrease the number of times a dryer will be used during the changing. Finding the butterflies scattered across the tiles will only go so far in baby distraction.

Deluxe and Vacation Club Resorts

2008-02-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

I’ll admit that my experience at these resorts are limited to The Beach Club Resort and Old Key West respectively. They are more expensive and if it wasn’t for special deals, I couldn’t really afford them.

In the case of the Beach Club Resort, it was the one year I had bought an annual pass and there was a special rate for annual pass holders. I stayed there in December and they have the most amazing Christmas decorations that include a chocolate carousel. The rooms are again slightly larger than the moderates, we had a balcony and you can get room service. The drinking glasses and coffee cups are glass and ceramic vs. plastic and foam. What I really like about the Beach Club Resort is that it is a short walk to Epcot. If you have small children in strollers you can really cut down on the number of buses you have to take. In addition to walking to Epcot, you can take a ferry to Hollywood Studios, or even walk if you want. To get to Magic Kingdom you can go through Epcot (if you have the park hopper option on your park ticket) and take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom. You only have to take the bus to Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney. Cape May restaurant has a great Character Breakfast. The gift shop has an area for limited food choices, no food court. You are close to the Boardwalk which has a great bakery, ESPN restaurant and lots of other choices as well as food vendors on the boardwalk.

Old Key West is a Vacation Club Resort and I afforded that by taking lots of people with me. We had a party of nine and stayed in a two bedroom villa. There were three families to make it affordable. The master bedroom included a bathroom with whirlpool tub. The second bedroom is similar to a moderate resort room with two beds, table and chairs, and bathroom. There was a full kitchen, living room with Queen size sofa bed, patio, and laundry room with washer and dryer. We were close to the registration building, restaurant, pool, and counter service. No food court here. We were the first stop for the bus so if we missed one we could take a short walk over to the registration building which was the last stop. There was more than enough room for the nine of us. It was nice having a full sized refrigerator, microwave, stove with oven. They supply dishes, silverware, dishwasher etc. Housekeeping came everyday and loaded and ran the dishwasher. How nice!

All in all, anyone would prefer to stay at these resorts and I highly recommend both of them if you can afford the higher price. It is definitely worth it and I hope to stay at either one again some day.

Changes III: Hollywood Studios

2008-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hollywood Studios will always be "MGM" in my mind and I will love it either way. Oddly, my first exposure to MGM...er Hollywood Studios (perhaps MGMeHS?) was with the restrooms outside of the park. They are close to the buses and serve as the first introduction to the 50s art deco style that will soon dominate the scenery. They help you acclimate to the theme of the park without even using them.

The unfortunate part to this is that they are also the best restrooms in the park, but are outside of it. Big, roomy and always nearly empty. It does have it's uses before getting on the bus with a toddler, although the extremely posh Baby Care Center near the entrance of the park is by far better.

Hollywood Studios also has the worst changing area in all the parks. The changing counter in the Tower of Terror restrooms is a very small one. So much so, that I think only the youngest of infants could actually fit on it. Toddlers will have to be changed standing up, which can get tricky in certain situations. It is also a busy restroom, because, well, it's outside of the Tower of Terror and people seem to need it after the ride.

There is a Companion Assisted Restroom among the Tower's offerings with a full sized counter, but once again, use it with discretion. It's better to trek over to the Rock N' Roller Coaster, which is bigger and quieter. Quiet is important. While some of us may feel a happy thrill of anticipation when hearing the screams of those who have just entered a land of shadow and substance, many babies and toddlers find them distressing. The remaining CARs are located at the Rock n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, on Mickey Avenue, at the Fantasmic! amphitheater and near the Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.

It seems there are nothing but negatives to Hollywood Studios in this area, but that's not so. The Studios has the most well placed facilities of all the parks. It's enough to make you wish the park planners would hire out to local malls, zoos and state fairs. The rest of the restrooms are decently functional so that a parent shouldn't have any problem not only finding one very close by, but it'll be well designed. Nothing awkward like some in Epcot. This could be the reason why there aren't any of the huge mega-restrooms of the other parks. There just isn't a need.

Changes II: Magic Kingdom

2008-01-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Disney World Magic Kingdom was the first of the Florida Parks to be built. It was planned to correct some of the problems that cropped up with Disney Land in California. Since then, the other Disney Parks have been designed using what was learned from the planning of the previous two Magic Kingdoms. Out of the four Parks, I think that the Magic Kingdom has been the worse for changing diapers. This being Disney, however, their worse is still above and beyond everyone else's best.

But...consider this dismaying observation. There are no changing tables near the Haunted Mansion. The closest restroom is in the Columbia Harbour House. You will sense a disquieting dread when you walk in, finding no baby change area, when of course, you will really desperately need to change a diaper.

The handy Companion Assisted Restrooms in the Magic Kingdom are more spread out and due to this Park's much higher attendance, tend to be in higher demand than elsewhere. So use discretion when deciding to use one of these. One is located outside of the Park at the Transportation and Ticket Center. The ones inside are located at the Caribe del Sol gift shop, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Toontown and in the Castle.

The busiest bathrooms are the one outside of Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland (which also has a very narrow space between the stalls and sinks) and the ones that lie between Frontierland and Adventureland. I tend to avoid these. However, inside Cosmic Ray's the facilities are very roomy with a large changing area, it’s well worth having to endure the loud animatronics in order to get there.

Inside the Castle, the restroom is small, but wonderfully themed to keep a toddler distracted enough to make changing fast. Next to Pinocchio Village Haus is one of the biggest, easiest to navigate restrooms in the World. Pirates apparently love quiet, as the one located at the Caribe del Sol gift shop outside of Pirates of the Caribbean and the one inside the dining area of the usually closed El Pirata y el Perico are very calm. Luckily, the dining area is connected to Pecos Bills making this a nice little haven away from the chaos.

If you are on Main Street nothing beats the Baby Care Center, so just head there. I cannot stress how wonderful the Baby Care Centers are in general and they have saved my sanity on more than one occasion.

As for the chilling challenge of the Haunted Mansion problem...there’s always my way... Go to the point where Liberty Square and Fantasyland meet. You’ll see an interesting metamorphosis as the two lands change into the other...and you’ll find a restroom with a decent changing area.

Moderate Resorts

2008-01-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort and the Port Orleans Riverside resort multiple times. I really like them both.

Moderates have slightly larger rooms than the Value Resorts but still have the basic layout. You have a large room with two Queen size beds, a table and chairs, an armoire with a T.V. in it and drawers for your clothes. The bathroom consists of the tub/shower and toilet with the two sinks and vanities in the area just outside the bathroom. There is a coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, a safe etc. It’s my understanding that all moderates now have small refrigerators in them as well.

I have always found these resorts to be rather quiet and convenient. They both boast multiple bus stops around the resort, themed food courts, and ‘quiet pools’. Quiet pools are close to the buildings and are less crowded than the main pool at each resort. In addition, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter have a ferry boat that takes you to and from Downtown Disney. It’s a nice scenic ride and a good change from traveling by bus.

Caribbean Beach has a series of buildings with names like Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, Trinidad North and South. They are painted different pastel colors and each have a bus stop near by. The Old Port Royale houses the gift shop and food court and a sit-down restaurant called Shutters at Old Port Royale. I have found the food court menus to be pretty much the same whether it is a value or moderate resort. The moderate’s food courts can get crowded at times and Caribbean Beach is usually the home to the Cheerleader contestants and can be pretty noisy and crowded at that time of year.

Riverside has two sections; Alligator Bayou , which are rustic log cabin like buildings, and Magnolia Bend, which is reminiscent of the old plantation mansions. I prefer the latter although I have never tried the Bayou. Maybe I feel like I’m just a mansion type person. They also have a nice sit-down restaurant called Boatwright’s Dining Hall. Like Caribbean Beach they have multiple bus stops close to the various buildings.

I like these moderates. It always feels like I’ve come home whenever I’ve stayed there. The buses can still get crowded at times with SRO, but not as often as I experienced at the value resort. The cost is only slightly higher than the value and well worth the extra money.

You can get more detailed information including pictures on both of these resorts by going to wdwig.com and clicking on Accommodations.

Changes I: Epcot

2008-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

This isn't about how Epcot no longer has Captain EO or how Nemo was added to the Living Seas. When it comes to traveling with infants and toddlers, it's all about the diapers.

The most obvious choice when it comes to diaper changing is the Baby Care Center located in the Odyssey building of Future World, a hop away from Test Track. A glorious place furnished with large padded changing tables, towels and lots of quiet. You can almost hear a soft angel chorus as you enter this air conditioned haven of peace and your own Hallelujahs will join them.

But then sometimes you'll be in the center of the World Showcase, literally miles away from the Baby Care Center.

It's unfortunate that most changing areas in restrooms in the rest of the park are lacking. Oh, they exist, but they are hard counter tops that even the most laid back baby hates. But...they are easy to clean. A plus, since you'll need to wipe it down after a screaming struggling infant, who hates the counter, thrashes their way all around it. Doubly so when the counter hater is a toddler. They can also be in the way of people entering and exiting.

That's why when I sense there is going to be a struggle, the second best place to perform the quick-change is with someone else's help in a Companion Assisted Restroom. My husband and I double team the changing. The changing area is always the bigger full sized kind and a smaller sized room reduces the amount of echo a screech produces. These restrooms are also good for little kids who are too young to go alone, but don't want to go into the restroom of the opposite sex.

Apparently, Vikings were all about restroom comfort as the World Showcase Companion Assisted Restroom that I favor is in Norway, opposite the Viking ship. Spaceship Earth's are predictably as spacious as Earth. Test Track has a CAR as well as cars. But if you're that close, you might as well go to the Baby Care Center. In Future World West, you'll find one across from The Land. For the World Showcase, there's also Morocco, Germany and slightly before Canada.

When going it alone, the United Kingdom restroom is large and the changing table is nicely out of the way. The regular restroom in Norway is smaller, but the changing table is out of the way similarly to the UK. While the restroom in Mexico is small and strollers aren't allowed in the Pavilion. Forget about using the one in Canada even for just yourself. For Future World, the one near the Electric Umbrella places the changing station right in front of the incoming traffic and the handicap accessible stalls. However, to the left of Spaceship Earth you'll find a very large changing table and lots of maneuvering room.

Most of the men's restrooms also have changing areas, which I imagine are similar in size and layout to their female counterparts. However, usually my husband prefers to take our daughter into a Companion restroom. So I sit back and let him. It seems to come out okay...figuratively speaking.

On site or off site, where to stay at Disney World.

2008-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

I’ve stayed off site as you found out in my first entry to this blog. My next visit to Disney World, I stayed on site and have done so ever since. The convenience of walking out your door, getting on a bus, and going to any park you want to without dealing with traffic and parking is well worth it to me. You always have the option of easily returning to your room at any time during the day and going back to the parks later. If you drive to DW you have your car to take you any other place around Orlando that you want to go, or if that is your style and you flew in, you can rent a car and still have that convenience. For my part, once I get to the resort I don’t want to leave the land of Disney.

I have stayed at All Star Music a couple of times, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside multiple times, the Beach Club resort once, and Old Key West once. So I have experienced everything from a value resort to a deluxe resort and a Vacation Club resort.

This time I’ll talk about the All Star Music resort. Like every Disney resort the themes are extraordinary. You have the Rock and Roll building, the Jazz building, the Country and Western building etc. The rooms are slightly smaller than the moderate resorts but the layout is very similar in both the building design and the room design. The problems I had with the value resort were these:
There is one bus stop for all of the residents of the resort. You usually have to stand in line to board the bus and most times it was SRO on the bus both going to and coming back from the parks. Not a big deal if there are all adults in the party, but more of a hassle if you have small children with you. I remember standing in line to board the bus at the close of Animal Kingdom one evening, holding my 10 mo. old grandson while he slept. We had to wait while 4 buses came and went before we were able to board. This chewed up close to an hour and my arms were killing me before we finally sat down.
The food court is always extremely crowded with long lines to pay for your food, and get a drink at the drink station. It’s very noisy as well.
The pools are very crowded and very noisy and I recall nights when I could clearly hear kids running around, slamming doors, hooping and hollering until midnight outside my room.

Other than that the value resorts are an inexpensive way to visit Disney World and usually you don’t spend that much time in your room anyway, right?

Next time I’ll discuss the moderate resorts.

It's Not a Small World

2008-01-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

Disney World is bigger than some cities and at least big enough to qualify for its own McDonald's. You'd think that McDonald's would be called Mickey D's, but alas, it isn't.

People actually run marathons in a very small part of Disney World. There are four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. There are also water parks, over twenty resort hotels, golf courses, Downtown Disney, Pleasure Island and its own fire department. There are nearly one hundred restuarants. If you've only been to the "one with the castle" you are actually missing out on the majority of what the World offers.

I always perk up when someone mentions they went to Disney World. I start asking questions. Did they go on the Tower of Terror? What country did they like in the World Showcase? Sometimes I'm met with blank stares and confusion. They went only to the Magic Kingdom Park and most people think that the two names are synonymous.

The size of Disney World doesn't really aid anyone with clearing up the confusion. In other words, to sum up:

Magic Kingdom-the one with the castle. It's part of Disney World, not the whole World.

The Giant Golf Ball-its a ride called Space Ship Earth and it's in Epcot.

Daffy Duck-is actually called Donald.

Shrek-isn't here. Neither are Anastasia, Happy Feet, Alex from Madagascar, surfing penguins, Spider-Man, Harry Potter or Shamu.

Cinderella's Castle-not the final resting place of Walt's cryogenically frozen head (according to official documents at least).

How I Became Obsessed with Disneyworld

2008-01-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

Disney World is definitely not just for kids. It’s a great adult experience. When I was a child growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, my dream was to go to Disneyland. I saw Cinderella’s castle every Sunday night as I watched the Wonderful World of Disney (yes, that show has been on that long!) and dreamed of a fun filled trip to California. Alas, my family was not ‘rich’ enough at the time to make that journey and I resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to achieve that experience.

I became an adult, had four beautiful children, and unfortunately as a family we were also not ‘rich’ enough to make the journey. I no longer thought of it as being a fun time for me, but as a fun time for my kids. Eventually my kids grew into wonderful adults and I figured it was too late to enjoy that experience.

In September of 1998 my eldest daughter and her ’long distance’ boyfriend decided to meet in Orlando and go to Disneyworld. He had been there as a child and although he remembered that he had fun, didn’t remember much detail. She of course had never been there. I still don’t know why they decided to go except she has been a life long Disney fan and an aspiring Disney animator. They stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort and she came back with glorious stories about the great themes at the resort and the rides. It peaked my interest. Two young adults went to Disneyworld and had a great time? How odd!

In August of 1999, my youngest daughter decided to move to Orlando Florida. I wish I could say it was because of her own love of all things Disney, but it was for her love of all things Backstreet Boys (yes, she eventually tracked down Kevin and met him, she has the picture to prove it). She ended up getting a job with Disneyworld at the ESPN restaurant on the Boardwalk. She made new friends, went to the parks almost every day, and aside from struggling to survive financially, enjoyed her new life.

In March of 2000 I decided to take a trip to Orlando myself, along with my oldest daughter, her boyfriend, and my youngest son. I figured since my daughter was down there and worked for Disney it was a chance of a lifetime. We found cheap airfares ($113 round trip from Minneapolis- try finding that today!) and we stayed at a motel in Kissimmee a few blocks from where my daughter lived. I rented a car and she directed me in how to get to the various parks. Financially it was an extremely affordable trip. As a Disney employee she was able to get us free parking and free admission to the parks. She was a good guide and directed us to her favorite and not so favorite rides.

One day we were at MGM and she kept telling me I had to go on the Tower of Terror. I was a bit resistant since my impression of it was that it was just one of those rides where they take you up high and then drop you. She insisted I would love it, so I begrudgingly followed her on to the ride. Thus my love affair with the Tower of Terror began. It is by far my most favorite ride ever, anywhere! The whole hotel theme, the Twilight Zone effects, the ride itself, was fantastic. It doesn’t just drop you once, you go up and down several times before it sadly ends. I’ve been on it dozens of times now and I never get tired of it.

I’ve always been a movie buff so of course the MGM studios became my favorite of the four parks. I never thought as a 51 year old adult that I would enjoy going on rides as much as I did there. The Great Movie Ride, The Back Lot Tour, the Star Tours etc. I just loved it! The Aerosmith Rocking Roller Coaster had just opened up a few months earlier. We stood in line for 45 minutes to ride it and it was worth it. Going from 0 to 60 in a few seconds was mind boggling.

There were street actors pulling you into their skits. Old 40’s and 50’s era cars lined the streets. It truly was magic!

This was the start of what has become my obsession with Disneyworld. I have been there a dozen times over the last 7 years. That translates into twice a year in some years. I’ve experienced the trip with all adults and over the last few years with my grandchildren. It is two different experiences.

In future blogs I will talk about my ensuing trips, places to stay, rides to try and the differences in going with adults and with small children. It’s all good! We have found ways to avoid the crowds and places to take advantage of unexpected encounters with characters. Stay tuned!

Mugford for Sehlinger

2008-01-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

When I first read this Star Tribune article by John Mugford, I was initially panicked. I don't like it when Disney World secrets are given out. Ever since the now defunct Disney magazine printed my tip regarding watching Illuminations from the steps above Mitsukoshi at Epcot's Japanese pavilion, I haven't been able to get a space there since!

I needn't have worried. Because Mugford isn't telling anyone anything that thousands and thousands of Disney newbies aren't already doing. He is merely hawking The Unofficial Guide to Disney World by Bob Sehlinger. While, I do advocate consulting guide books initially, I've never used them slavishly. Mostly because everyone else does. That's the real key to the crowds and grumpiness. Don't do what everyone else does!

Most guides and resources advocate getting up at dawn. I didn't do that when it was just me and I can't with a toddler now. I don't like the push of a rushing crowd for the rope drop anyway. Plus, with the incentives and the Internet, there is no longer such a thing as a better day to visit a park. It used to be you could plan to visit certain parks on less crowded days. That no longer holds true, especially with the addition of Extra Magic Hours in the evening. In fact, the days to avoid a park is now the day that it has any Extra Magic Hours!

As for the tours in the guide, the best thing is to consult them and then do the opposite. But, yes do use FastPasses. As this web log grows and articles are added, my strategies for the parks will become clearer to you. In no time at all you'll be way ahead of everyone, waiting in very few lines and able to make it up as you go from experience alone.

You also won't have to wake a small child before they are ready. Because if there's one thing you will hate more than waiting in line, it's dealing with a sleep deprived tantrum factory.