Spreading Magic

I have “met” some of the greatest people in the Disney community. Not only do they love the magic, just like me, but they generously share it with others! One family who was in the World last week was kind enough to leave me some holiday decorations for my resort window.

I can't wait to pay it forward. Happy holidays!

Note the hidden Mickey in the middle of the poinsetta. It was meant to be!

Saving for Disney

Let's face it, Disney vacations are not getting any cheaper. Ticket prices go up every year, dining plans get more expensive, and airfare can be unpredictable. Don't despair! Here are a few tricks I've collected to help save money on trips.

CHASE Disney Visa - Rewards
I've mentioned the perks of booking a trip using this card before. It's only 1% back in rewards, which can only be used towards Disney, so it's not the best rewards credit card out there by any means. However, it can be a great way to spread out No Interest payments towards a vacation and you save up the rewards points for souvenirs or meals when you get to the park. Some other perks include an exclusive Character Meet & Greet in Epcot with a free 5x7 printed photo (a $14.95 value). Other perks include a 10% discount on Disney purchases of $50 or more, including gift shops while you're in the World, Disney Stores and Outlets, DisneyStore.com and select restaurants. There are also various discounts on theme park tours, which are a great value.

Target RED Card
When you apply for a RED card, you can either get a credit card or get a RED card that debits from your checking account. We chose the debit card route and are routinely enjoying 5% savings on all purchases at Target. One step to save for Disney is to put the amount you saved each trip in a savings account and watch it grow. Another way to save on Disney trips is to purchase Disney gift cards at Target and get a 5% discount on the gift cards. 

Yet another way to save is to use the Target pharmacy with your RED card. For every 5 prescriptions, they give you a 5% off one-time coupon. You can stack the pharmacy discount with your RED card for a whopping 10% savings! Furthermore, I've learned that you don't actually have to pay with the RED card to enjoy the discount. You just need to swipe the card to watch the discount apply to your total, then simply select on the credit card terminal that you wish to pay with a different form of payment. You will need to hand the cashier your other form of paymen (read: a credit card with rewards, such as the Disney VISA) and starting earning money back. 

Here is an example of savings for a family purchasing $1,000 in Disney Gift Cards using the tips above:
     $1,000 * 5%(RED card) * 5% (pharmacy discount) = $900
     Use Disney VISA to pay for 1% rewards back = $9 in Disney Reward Dollars
     TOTAL SAVINGS: $109*

Airfare
With ever-fluctuating gas prices, airfare pricing can be hit or miss. My advice is to research fares early and sign up for email alerts from individual airlines to stay on top of specials. I've had the best luck purchase 3-6 months prior to travel. My new favorite website to track flight price changes is Yapta.com. Simply enter the flight number and either the price you already purchased at, or the price you would like to be notified of when it drops. 

The site emails you weekly updates (in my case, I had already bought my flights so my updates show me how much the price has gone up), or alerts if the price drops. The website also tells you which airlines offer credits if you've already purchased a flight and the price drops later. Some airlines, like AirTran or JetBlue, offer refunds for ANY price drop. Some airlines, like Delta or American Airlines, offer redunds or vouchers if the price drops more than $150. 

Historical Discounts
Another way to save on a Disney trip is to research when Disney has historically offered discounts for resorts, dining, packages, etc. Mousesavers.com tracks previous years offers to help you forecast a trip during a time where an offer might be made.  This site also has great tips on saving money when you're in the World, which is a post for another time.

Final Thought
With the right research and creativity, there is no reason to pay full price for a trip to Disney. Save those pennies, invest a little time, and enjoy your memories!!

*Only use your Disney VISA if you are prepared to pay off the balance each month. Savings disappear when you accrue interest.

Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge

With 24 resorts in Disney World, we like to use dining reservations as an excuse to visit them all. I am kicking myself for not having visited Animal Kingdom Lodge until this most recent trip. What was I waiting for?!? 

Resort Impressions
The lobby is grand and impressive, similar to the magnificent grandeur of the Grand Floridian's lobby, but with far more detail and culture in my opinion. The lodge is six stories tall and you enter on the 3rd floor. Looking above, the whole roof is thatched and there are foot bridges on the upper stories to cut across the lobby. There was an overlook to see a bar and Boma below. We grabbed a drink at the bar before our tour and dinner, where we enjoyed all the detailed décor.

Boma/Jiko Tour
Every day at 4pm there is a free tour, no need to even sign up in advance. Just show up at Boma's front desk and a native African leads a brief tour through the story behind Boma before the restaurant opens up for dinner. We got behind schedule and showed up a few minutes late, but were able to join in. Frankly, between the cooks in the kitchen bustling about, the African music playing in the background, the babbling fountain and the dozen or so guests standing between me and the tour guide, we missed out on hearing the stories about the decoration choices and significance. (All the more reason to stay at the resort and take this tour a few more times, right?). I'll let your read another review of the tour here. 

Where the tour lacked in volume, it more than made up for in taste! The group got to sample some of Boma's infamous soups and they even handed out recipes for those who wanted them. Another perk of this free tour was  tasting Animal Kingdom Lodge's iconic zebra domes.

The tour then moved to the signature restaurant Jiko, which was right next to Boma. (On this round, I muscled my way up front to hear the guide better). The Jiko tour guide was from South Africa and explained that Jiko has the largest selection of South African vintage wines in North America. The ceiling had drapes hanging to represent birds and there was a beautiful long wall said to represent a sunset. The wall was yellow because it was still early in the day, but as the evening goes on, orange and purple hues appear on the wall to portray the setting sun. In addition to providing each of us with a menu to take home, we got to sample some flat breads, hummus, and sauces. It was simply delicious and I've since added this restaurant to my bucket list.

Overall, I would rate this tour a 4 out of 5 as it was free, no hassle to join, and included free samples, recipes and menus. The next time I'll be sure to arrive earlier to get a spot closer to the guide and enjoy the details.

Boma Dinner
There were a great variety of meats, soups, salads, breads and hummuses, and desserts. Perhaps it was because we had just taken the tour, but the soups and desserts stood out the most. We each had another 2-3 bowls each of the delicious soups. Our favorites were the Coconut Curry Chicken Soup and the Carrot Ginger Soup. The other unique dish that stood out was the watermelon rind salad.

At the end, I just barely had enough room left over for a few bites of dessert and a fabulous African coffee. If I had to do it over again (and I most definitely WILL do it again), I wouldn't take the tour right before dinner. All in all, I highly recommend this dining experience as a feast for the senses.

Clockwise from the top: banana and butterscotch bread pudding, zebra dome, brownie, coffee tart, cinnamon chocolate mousse.

Yehaa Bob

If you're looking for some free entertainment outside of the parks, look no further than Yehaa Bob!  As we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter resort, we took a short boat ride (less than 10 minutes) to Port Orleans Riverside Resort to go see Bob play.

I'm glad we got there early as it was a Saturday night and I wanted to get a good seat - the bar filled up fast! And I have to say, Bob impressed me even before his show began. About 20 minutes prior to the show starting, he took time to visit each table (I counted roughly 20 tables) and get to know each person. He asked about names, hometowns and celebrations and, since he's played all over the country, was able to share stories about places he had played near your town.

I can't decide which part of Bob's show impressed me the most: 

• the amazingly talented boogie-woogie piano playing with the literally rocking piano
• the way he did all the parents a favor and wore out their kiddos by recruiting them to stand up, sit down, stomp their feet, sing along, hand jive, beat their chests while yelling like Tarzan, and parade around the bar in a conga line
• how Yehaa Bob memorized everyone's name, hometown and celebration in the room. Not only did he kick off the show by introducing everyone in the audience, but he called on people by name throughout the whole night and even memorized late-comers while he was playing songs!
• the way he got every person in the room to clap and sing along
• the passion and joy you can see in Bob's face as he performs
• the way Bob acts like the audience is the star of his show. Whereas most folks would ask to take a picture with Bob, Bob asks to get a picture with his audience and proudly posts hundreds of pictures on his stage

Here are a few videos to give you an idea. I apologize in advance about the poor sound quality from my cell phone (even on mute, the energy level shines through) and any shakiness (I couldn't help myself from dancing and toe-tapping!).

If you don't believe me about how much fun this was, just check out Yehaa Bob on Facebook to see his adoring fans.

As someone who visits Disney repeatedly, I am often asked the question about why we keep going back. I used to say it was the extraordinary customer service, but lately I've realized it's more than that. Disney goes out of their way to individualize experiences and make each guest feel special. I think Yehaa Bob's show completely encompasses the fun, the magic, the talent and the individual experience to make it a quintessential Disney experience.

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Today we got a sneak peek into this new attraction!
We waited in a queue outside Maurice's cottage. Once inside we admired the little details that proved this was Belle's childhood home. I especially liked the French book of Sleeping Beauty that was out.

Then we moved into Maurice's workshop. The room was filled with miscellaneous inventions and plans. Not fitting with the theme of the room was a large mirror with a beautiful golden frame. The guide explains that the Beast gave this mirror to Maurice so he could visit Belle at the castle whenever he wanted.

The group activated the mirror and magically we entered the castle....more to come....

Dreams really do come true! (FastPass+)

OK, full disclosure, we didn't actually dream about FastPass+ specifically, per se. That being said, we were pretty darn giddy to discover we had been invited to beta test the new FastPass+ technology for our upcoming trip.

What is Fastpass?
Per The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, Fastpass is a ride reservation system designed by Disney to moderate the high wait times at some of its most popular attractions. The current Fastpass system is available at select popular attractions that are prone to long wait times. You show up to the attraction, if the posted wait time is too long for you (for us, we usually won't wait more than 20-25 minutes), check to see if a Fastpass is available. You put your park ticket in a machine and it spits out a ticket to come back during a designated window of time and you skip waiting in lines. Unlike other theme parks that use this system, Disney Fastpasses are free. 

Fastpass+
I had heard rumors about the future of Fastpass in Disney World. Instead of traipsing across a park to get a Fastpass to be used at a future time that may or may not be convenient to you, you could schedule your ride before you even left for the airport! But here is our first-hand account so far.

1. Be part of a special test during your upcoming Disney World visit!
We got this email from Disney on Sept 4, 2012 (Bill insisted we note this date so we can tell our grandchildren about how technology changed the way we book our trips.) From what I can tell, this invitation was sent to a random selection of guests who will be in the World between 9/18 and 9/24 and who are using Disney transportation. 

Click on any photo to enlarge

2. Log into fastpassplus.disney.go.com with your reservation #. It appears that Disney provided us with a separate reservation # than our trip # for the purposes of this pilot. 

3. Pick the date.

4. Select up to 4 experiences. 

There are 2 groupings of rides, shows and experiences and I was invited to select 2 from each group. I haven't seen a pattern as to why they grouped these attractions the way they did but they break down as follows:

• Group 1 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Main Street Electrical Parade, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Town Square Theatre: Meet the Disney Princesses, Wishes Nighttime Spectacular
• Group 2 - Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Mickey's PhilharMagic, The Barnstormer, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Town Square Theatre: Meet Mickey & Minnie

There was even a button at the bottom called Fast Picks, which I assume randomly selects 4 attractions for you. Being a control freak, ahem, planner, I can't understand why anyone would use this option, but maybe some people like the option of the site planning for them.

5. Select from 4 options

The site then presents you 4 Options for using these passes. 

At this point we got a little nervous because we had a dinner reservation that overlapped with the times offered. Prepared to cancel the dinner reservation, we accepted the option that best fit the times we would be in the park. Fortunately, the next screen appeared!

6. Get more options around specific attraction times.

Although it gives you a final line up, you can select "Make Changes" for individual attractions and it gives you about half a dozen options for other available times for that specific attraction. Luckily, we were able to select a new time for the attraction that coincided with our dinner. (You see? We CAN do it all, dear!)

Final Thoughts

We look forward to receiving an RFID card to bring to the park to skip waiting in line. Anytime Disney stuff comes in the mail, it's a good day. I can't wait to see how this technology enhances the guest experience. I will be sure to report back the pros and cons.

Just think...years ago we used to just wander around and wait in line. Then we went to the attraction for a Fastpass, walked around some more and back tracked. Soon we'll just show up at the park and walk right onto attractions. Now that's progress! 

Sing with me now...

Planning for Disney

For me, planning a trip to Disney is half the fun! There are many different tools available to plan a Disney Vacation, but here is how I do it.

1. Figure out when I can take a vacation and check out crowd levels.

Typically, the slowest time of the year is in September when kids go back to school. Since we don't have kids yet, we use this to our advantage and reference this site's crowd calendar to pick the least crowded week in Sept. 

2. Look at special offers.

The most obvious thing to do is check the Disney Special Offers site to see if there are discounted rooms or free dining. As a Disney VISA cardholder, we are lucky to receive email offers with discounts or free dining which haven't been released to the public yet. The offers are eventually released, but this advance notice gives us an edge to book the resort we want before it fills up. 

3. Book the trip!

Book online or call in person. (I like to call just to hear the cast member wish me a magical day!) If you book a package, there is a $200 deposit due upon booking, with the remaining balance owed 45 days prior to check in. Another advantage of the Disney VISA is there is no interest on booking packages for 6 months. If you book far enough in advance, you can effectively spread out the payments across more than that, provided you pay in installments. 

For example, let's say I book a $2,200 vacation in January for an October arrival. For the sake of this example, let's say I can afford to pay off $200 per month. 

     1. I pay off the deposit right away in January. The remaining balance is $2,000.

     2. In February, I decide to charge half the remaining balance ($1000) to my Disney Visa. It takes me 5 months to pay this off.

     3. In August, the 45 day mark will arrive, and I can charge the remaining $1000 and pay if off     over the next 5 months - ALL INTEREST FREE*

Keep in mind that you may not need/want a park ticket for each day of your trip. Although park tickets become remarkably cheaper per day the more days you spend, it's worth it to make sure you will actually use them all. We never have time for parks on arrival and departure day, so we shave off a few dollars by not paying for tickets for those days.

4. Pick park days based on crowd levels, special events, EMH.

Now that I know how many days we will be there, I return to Touring Plans to look at the individual dates and related information. Based on our touring style (arrive at the parks before opening, mid-day break, stay at the parks late), I look for parks that have Extra Magic Hours. I also look for any special events that might cause a park to get crowded or close to the general public early. 

5. Make ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations)

Once I know which parks I am visiting on each day, I think about which sit-down restaurants I'd like to visit. Reservations can be made 180 days prior to your arrival, and I recommend calling on the 180 day mark to ensure you get the times and restaurants you really want. Some of the restaurants fill up fast!

6. Book special experiences

Some experiences cannot be booked 180 days in advance, such as tours or hard-ticket events. I research when these tickets can be purchased and call to order the day they are available.

7. (optional) Pick a Touring Plan for each park visit

We have gotten the hang of how to maximize our touring in the past few years, so we don't follow these religiously. That being said, we usually get to the parks at least 30-45 minutes before opening each morning and use the Lines app to help plan out the first 3-6 attractions we want to make sure we do that day.

8. Count down, obsess, rearrange plans to heart's content.

Lastly, the OCD Project Manager in me tracks all the details in a spreadsheet. I love to make notes of special things to do or taste, questions to ask characters, and special experiences. I make lists of Disney movies I want to watch before I go, what to pack, and use a countdown app on my phone. I also help the countdown go faster by staying up to date with tips, news, podcasts, and opinions from other Disney-lovers. Of course, I research and learn as much as humanly possible.

To me, life is always better with a countdown!

**I am not advocating for or against using credit cards. In our household, we pay any interest-accruing balance off each month. This is merely an example of how we stretch out our vacation payments to manage paying for trips without using interest.

Anniversary #4 (Part 4 - Photopass Review)

It only took us 5 trips to finally get around to pre-ordering a Photopass and we're not looking back!


What is Photopass?

• Basically Disney stations photographers all over the parks to take your pictures. They give you a card with a code and you hand over the card to any photographer you see. Log onto your account and view your photos. They will gladly take a picture with your camera as well.
• I highly recommend pre-ordering a CD before your trip for two reasons. One, you'll get a discount for ordering prior to the trip. Two, you have 90 days to change your mind and get a refund (although I don't see how you could possibly change your mind). 
• It's FUN!

Why we like it:

• It wasn't until I started this blog that I realized we only had 2, that's TWO pictures with both of us on our honeymoon. With Photopass, everyone gets to be in the picture together. 
• The photographers take lots of pictures, including spontaneous shots upon meeting the characters.
• Magic shots! Disney will photoshop in fun characters. Be sure to ask photographers for a Magic Shot. 
• You get all your images on a CD, including bonus stock pictures from around the World. Because we had taken photopass photos during the MNSSHP event, they threw in some great shots that we couldn't capture of the parade and characters dressed up.
• You can edit your images, create copies, add borders, get black/white/sepia copies as much as you want before you order the CD.

For the next trip, we will try out the PhotoPass Plus package, which includes photos from character meals and ride photos. What's your favorite PhotoPass shot?

Anniversary #4 (Part 3 - Repeat Restaurant Reviews)

If you're anything like me, you have every intention of trying new things but when it comes down to it, you just can't stray from your standby favorites! This post is dedicated to the restaurants Bill and I deem worthy of repeat visits.


Hollywood Brown Derby
You may remember from Anniversary #2 that we chose the Hollywood Brown Derby to indulge my mother's I Love Lucy fanaticism. We came for the schtick, but stayed for the Grapefruit Cake! On this particular trip it was our third time dining there. However, it was our first time booking the "Fantasmic! Dining Package". If you haven't been, "Fantasmic!" is the nighttime spectacular at Hollywood Studios. In my opinion, it is one of the best shows Disney puts on, but my love for "Fantasmic!" really deserves its own post. In the past, we have been willing to wait up to an hour in line just to get a good seat at this show. It was worth it, but this dining package changed how we "do the Studios".


When I made our reservation, I mentioned I would like to book the F! Dining Package. It did not cost anything extra, as we were on the Disney Dining Plan. The only stipulation was that they will only book this package if you agree to a late afternoon or early dinner reservation, so that you are assured to see the first showing of the nighttime spectacular. 


Upon being seated, our server educated us about the package. He gave us a pass to use a separate entrance to the ampitheatre and advised us to arrive 15-30 minutes before the show. I was thrilled because that bought us more fun time in the park. I was starting to think that this was a pretty good deal: I eat around 5pm instead of 7pm, and they essentially give us a fast pass to my favorite show.

Infomercial Voice: But wait! There's more! They even throw in a free appetizer with the package! 


Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! (That's a Lion King reference for those of you paying attention.) The food and service never disappoints at the HBD. We would eat there every trip anyway, but the free app and "fastpass" make this a must-do for us.


P.S. The pass worked like a charm. We showed up 20 minutes before the show and were seated in a roped off section to the side. Not many folks partook in the package that night, so we were fortunate to slide in and sat just off-center of the stage. 


P.P.S. I recently learned a bit of trivia about the Brown Derby. The original Brown Derby (in Hollywood, CA) was considered a place for celebrities to do business, as it was so close to the  studios. It was ahead of its time in that they installed phone jacks at every booth and the patrons could make and receive business phone calls. Apparently, the Brown Derby in Disney World also had phone jacks installed. On occasion they will bring a phone out to a table; usually to a table with children to surprise them with a personal phone call from Mickey or Goofy, etc... It's on my bucket list for the next trip to find the phone jacks and inquire about making a phone call!


The Wave
The Wave is a hidden, underrated gem tucked inside the Contemporary resort. A hop, skip and a jump away from the Magic Kingdom (that's Disney speak for about a 10 minute walk or 2 minutes by monorail), it is one of our favorite restaurants to sneak off to. Its modern decorations and cool, nightclub-like vibe make this a nice adult getaway. It never seems to be crowded and we've managed to walk up and get a table at peak dinner times. 


The food is decent, the presentation delightful, and we always look forward to the flight of bite-sized desserts. They change up their menu seasonally and offer a variety of American dishes. After 3 visits, we keep this restaurant in our back pocket just in case we need a break from the Magic Kingdom. I have also heard raving reviews about their breakfast buffet, which we'll have to make time for one of these trips. 


Honorable Mentions:

• Kona - We discovered Kona on the last trip and will definitely eat there again. 
• Earl of Sandwich - Located in Downtown Disney, the best sandwich and the best value on property, in our humble opinion. We often prefer to pay out of pocket because it's so reasonable and save our Counter Service credits for inside the parks. 

Anniversary #4 (Part 2 - Restaurant Reviews)

We are big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. The plan may or may not make sense for your family, it depends on your dining habits. For us, one of the best parts of vacationing is trying new restaurants. So below is my review of the new restaurants we tried on this trip. I will do a separate blog post on restaurants that we deem worthy of repeat visits.

Crystal Palace

This was our first character buffet together, so we weren't sure what to expect. As we visited on arrival day for MNSSHP, we entered the park at 4pm and were hungry from travel, so we were ready for an early all-you-care-to-eat dinner! 

When we made our reservations, we mentioned we were celebrating our anniversary. It was a pleasant surprise to see our table decorated to celebrate the event. Personally, I thought the buffet was just okay. They did have a nice variety, so it's a good choice if you have picky eaters. As we were starved from traveling all day, the food hit the spot but it wasn't a memorable meal.  

The lighting inside CP made it hard to get a good picture, but I love these pencil sketches because I feel like I'm part of the story. 

I'm not big on character meet and greets (I'm sure it that will change once we go with kids), but it's always fun to have a one-on-one moment with the characters. Crystal Palace has Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger. On the next trip, I've booked a breakfast reservation before the park opens (mainly to get a photo in front of the castle while the park is empty) and I've heard you can get a pretty funny reaction if you eat bacon in front of Piglet, wink, wink.

The staff was friendly and prompt. Our server even presented us with an anniversary card signed by all the characters. We'll be back as this is one of the few table service (read: air-conditioned meals) in the Magic Kingdom.

La Hacienda

This is a newer Mexican restaurant in Epcot, which we really enjoyed. There is some outdoor seating on a deck overlooking the lake. We got a decent seat indoors next to the window, which would have been prime if we had a later reservation to watch Illuminations. As we like to taste our way around the World Showcase, we opted to share some appetizers instead of eating large entrées. We did pay out of pocket for the apps.

We had some tasty chips and salsa. Our favorite was a bowl of sweet peppers and chorizo. It was the right amount of salty, sweet, and spicy! I highly recommend it and would definitely go back for that dish. It's just too bad that you can't get it To-Go to enjoy while strolling around the lake.

Kona

Kona quickly became our new favorite restaurant and we definitely plan on returning! Located inside of the Polynesian resort, the restaurant overlooks the lobby in all its island-décor splendor. 

To start with, the Hawaiian bread was simply fabulous! Soft, sweet and still warm from the oven; it won us over. It came with the most delicious honey and macadamia nut butter. I have never liked butter on my bread. Ever. Well, I was converted! I could easily have made a meal out of this alone. If I stayed at this resort, I would take advantage of this every day. It rivaled the fresh baguettes I enjoyed while living in France. 

As I recall, we were very hungry this particular day, so we ordered 2 appetizers. We must have been so hungry, we devoured the dish before it occurred to us to take pictures.

We each enjoyed a juicy steak. Bill ordered the New York Strip and I had the Rib Eye. They both came over a large stalk of steamed broccoli. It was hands down one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. 

Dessert did not disappoint, although we each took about one bite and had to call it quits. (Note to self: next time wear sweat pants to Kona.) Bill's all-time favorite fruit is pineapple, so despite the delicious menu options, he knew right away that the Pineapple Upside Down Cake was for him.










I'm a chocolate lover, so the warm brownie with chocolate sauce, topped with raspberries was the way to go for me. 


Full Disclosure: My mouth is watering as I write this post.














Citricos

We had heard many good things about Citricos, particularly that it was a romantic, adult location with a potential view of Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks show. We decided to pull out all the stops and dress up! Of course, the only photo I got was of Bill enjoying the jazz band playing in the lobby of the Grand Floridian. 








Personalized anniversary menus were waiting for us at our table. The server even let us take them home! The atmosphere was very peaceful and quiet; we enjoyed a view of the chefs preparing desserts. I had the Pork Two Ways and Bill had the Oak-Grilled Filet of Beef. Both were 5-star meals. 

The desserts were unforgettable! I had the warm, chocolate banana torte (left) and Bill enjoyed the fruit cobbler. As Citricos is a Signature Dining experience (and thus requires 2 table-service credits on the meal plan), I would probably just go back for desserts only and watch the fireworks. Although our table was not near the windows, we finished our dinner just before Wishes started and had a fabulous view from the restaurant lobby windows. If you're looking for a romantic experience, I definitely recommend a leisurely dinner here.


What's your favorite Disney restaurant?

Anniversary #4 (Part 1 - MNSSHP)

By the time Anniversary #4 rolled around, we were practically professional Disney vacationers. Of course, what makes Disney magical is the element of surprise, so we made sure we planned lots of new experiences this trip. I will try to fit it all in, but there is SO MUCH to share!

Day 1

Although we typically arrive on a weekend, we flew in on a Thursday afternoon and the Magical Express line was delightfully short. We took the bus to POP Century, our favorite value resort. After dropping off the bags in the room, we consecrated our arrival with a tie-dyed cheesecake. 

When we returned to the room shortly thereafter, I found this surprise waiting for me - have I mentioned I married my Prince Charming?

Bracelet, sparkly pink rose and a love note.What a way to start a magical trip!!

If you've read previous blog posts, you know that we always visit Downtown Disney on arrival day. This time we thought we'd shake things up a bit...

 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)

This is a holiday party at Magic Kingdom which requires a separate ticket for entry. With the hard ticket, party guests can enter the park at 4pm, even though the party doesn't technically start until 7pm. They give party guests wristbands and I was amazed at how quickly the Disney CMs cleared out park guests from earlier in the day. By 7:30 the crowd levels had dropped dramatically. 

One of my favorite things about this party is that all the villain characters come out and mingle with the guests. I'm not usually big on character meet and greets, but I loved it at the Halloween party because you don't have to wait in line and the villain interactions are far more entertaining to me. 

• When we met Gaston, I thought I would stroke his ego by commenting "My, your muscles are so LARGE!". He turned to Bill and said, "You've got yourself a keeper!".
• When we told Jafar that it was our anniversary, he twirled his finger in the air as if to say "Big Whoop". Halloween music played throughout the park and he just glared as I danced along to Thriller. Oh, that grumpy, evil magician!

Other MNSSHP highlights....

• The parade was great. The headless horseman majestically led up the beginning of the celebration. It was fun to see the villains get to take the stage along with the "good" characters dressing up in costumes. Another memorable moment was when the 2 evil stepsisters stood right behind us and watched the parade with us. 
• The music and show at the castle were fabulous. I bought the Boo to You soundtrack and listen to it year round. The fireworks show was great, too. I love the ghosts projections on the castle.
• Adults get to trick or treat! 

Since our anniversary is in October, I foresee enjoying this party for many years to come. Boo to YOU!

Design a Tee Review

By the time we hit our 3rd anniversary, we started to realize that celebrating at Disney was a bonafide annual tradition. So it seemed time to indulge in my wish to Design a Tee in Downtown Disney.


Designing the t-shirt was a memory itself. There are computers where you can pick out every aspect of the Tee, from the shirt's cut, color, icons, text, and font. It was a control freak's dream!

After reviewing all the possible options and much deliberation, it seemed fitting to settle on an anniversary theme for the t-shirt. ("I'll wear it on all the future anniversary trips", I reasoned with myself.) As the shop was slow, I think it only took about 20-30 minutes from submitting the final design to receiving the tee. We browsed nearby shops while we waited.  If I weren't so impatient, I could have had the shirt delivered to our resort room the following day. 


The price was reasonable and I was happy to wear it back in the World for Anniversary #4. I think this is point in my obsession where I officially started the Disney t-shirt collection, but that's a post for another time...


What is your favorite souvenir from the World?

Anniversary #3 (Part 3 - Universal Studios)

Universal Studios
Alright, it's not Disney, but as a Harry Potter fan I felt a sense of duty to see if Universal could measure up to the amazing world I've imagined. We got up early and took a Mears bus from Disney to Universal. (Planning tip: you can get a great deal on transportation if you purchase a bus/theme park ticket here). 

Forbidden Journey
Forbidden Journey was first on our list. It reminded me of doing Toy Story Mania in the morning. I'm always torn between the excitement of finally getting to ride the attraction and enjoying the queue. The queue for Forbidden Journey feels like it's a mile long, there are many large different rooms to walk through. There was a huge greenhouse room to represent the botany classes.  Indoor rooms included castle scenes with moving portraits, huge statues of the 4 houses, and rooms where hologram characters passed along messages to guests in the queue. There was even a pensieve.


Luckily, it wasn't nearly as crowded as it could have been and there was hardly a line. On the other hand, we ran right through queue so excited that I'm sure we missed some other great details.


The ride itself was nothing short of amazing. If I had to describe it (and that's difficult to do), I would say it's similar to the motion/flying effects of Soarin' with huge screens before you. We flew in and out of the castle, over the quidditch field, through dragon nests! However, it was not peaceful, like Soarin'. There were parts that were jerky and terrifying, reminding me of Dinosaur from Animal Kingdom. Spiders and dementors thrust themselves at the riders and chased them. I can't explain the thrill. Suffice to say, as soon as we exited the ride, we ran right back through the queue to ride it immediately again!

Hogsmead

After all the excitement of surviving the Forbidden Journey (twice!), we cooled off with some butterbeer. It was very sweet (not a problem for me, I've got a big sweet tooth), and tasted a bit like cream soda and butterscotch with a foamy marshmallow topping. (Last summer my girlfriend and I attempted to recreate an adult version here.). 

I was a little disappointed in the size of the village. It was not designed with large crowds, or even medium crowd levels, in mind. Despite the cute storefronts, many were just that: a front. There were only a few stores patrons could actually enter. And once inside there was very limited space to move around. Honeyduke's was visually pleasing and Zonko's joke shop was cute. We didn't dare attempt Ollivander's wand shop as the line was out the door and then some.

My brother and I rode each of the former "Dueling Dragons" while my mom and husband (not being rollercoaster fans) hung out at the Owlery. We had lunch at the 3 Broomsticks and the theming and food were good. I was a bit baffled that there was a well-decorated 2nd floor, but it was not available to guests. The restaurant sure could have used more seating up there. 

Overall, it was a good time. We don't go to Universal every year, but try to go every couple of Disney trips. 

Other Universal Notes

• Spiderman and the Hulk attractions did not disappoint!
• My mom, being a big "I Love Lucy" fan, was tickled pink to run into their "characters" at the park. One of my favorite moments is when Desi planted a big kiss on her. Unfortunately, we zoomed in too much on that photo and cut out Lucy looking shocked (think Home Alone).

Anniversary #3 (Part 2 - Typhoon Lagoon)

Typhoon Lagoon

This trip was the first time Bill and I had tried out a water park together.  Disney has 2 water parks: Blizzard Beach, where the theme is a freak snowstorm hit Florida so they opened a ski resort. Now that it's melted, what's left is a water park. The other water park is Typhoon Lagoon, which was also hit by a storm, hence the typhoon. What's left are shipwrecks and surf boards everywhere.  I had visited Typhoon Lagoon as a kid, but I think I was 8 years old at the time and all I remembered was they had an amazing wave pool. So, not having anything else to go on, we based our decision on the wave pool I had not seen in 17 years.

• Wave Pool It did not disappoint. The crowds were low and the curls were high! Bill got pushed down a few times and even lost our locker key in our own typhoon. Apparently, this happens a lot, so hang on!! I could easily spend an entire afternoon at this attraction alone.

• Shark Reef Although it wasn't expansive and won't completely compare to any ocean snorkeling, we were extremely impressed with the Shark Reef. It's a man made coral reef environment. They provide cleansed snorkel gear and life jackets so guests can swim from one end of this pool to the other while observing fish. There were beautiful fish, sting rays and even small sharks! It was about a leisurely 3 minute swim across. As the crowd levels were low, we were able to swim across and walk right back into line with the same snorkel gear without a wait. We got multiple swims in.

• Crush 'n' Gusher Once again, Disney amazed me. I love roller coasters but it never occurred to me to combine one with a water slide. It's a crazy ride on a tube. When you're not going down, you're going upwards in your tube on a conveyor belt for more drops. It was terrifying, thrilling, wet and wild! A definite must-do for adventure-seekers!

• The rest of the park We chillaxed on a lazy river, did a few water slides, tanned on the white sand "beach" under straw-thatched huts. There was a really nice balance of thrills and relaxation at this park. Overall rating: 2 thumbs way up!