Goodbye :(

A lovely last night

Found him!

Who doesn't love Beverly soda?

The Atrium Club Level

So we splurged on this trip and went for the club level in the Contemporary. The two biggest benefits of this would be our own personal Concierge service (who got us a room upgrade to a Magic Kingdom view, pictures to come later of that), and a fully stocked lounge.

The lounge has many tables and comfy chairs as well as food and drinks at all times of the day. Here is some pictures of our breakfast offerings. Be sure to take a look at the coffee machine in the third picture. It gives us free lattes at all times of the day. Simply awesome.

Animal Kingdom

The stereotypical pictures

Good Morning Disney

The tower of Terror

I love the attention to detail on this ride.

Scrabble anyone?

It is a small annoying world

Dan at first and then at the end

It is the little things...

Arriving at the Contemporary

We opted for the Atrium club in the Contemporary. Upon our arrival, we were accompanied by a cast member to the 12th floor to check in. We helped ourselves to some lattes and cookies and then got our keys to the world and are now in the room. It is lovely to feel so pampered.

And we are on our way

I love Southwest.

Technology and the Planning

My vacation fast approaches and I am getting straight up giddy about it.  I've got our ADRs and flights booked, travel to and from the airport set up...soooo....now what.  So much excitement but nowhere to channel it?!

With a recent gift of an iPhone, I now know exactly where to channel my abounding Disney love:  making preparations now so I won't have to worry in the parks.  I'm talking about setting up reminders in advance for things to happen while I'm there.  The days of a "clipboard of fun" are behind us, we're moving into the digital age!  There are countless Disney apps out there, but I just want to detail the things that you can do with the software you already have.

(Disclaimer:  You don't have to have an iPhone in order to do this, any smart phone would probably be able to do the trick.  I am going to stick to mostly iPhone phrasing, just because it is with what I am more familiar.)




1.  Advanced Dining Reservations and Parades

 Put all of your ADRs into your calendar with alerts of about 15 - 30 minutes.  If you have any extra details you would like to know about dinner (i.e. hidden mickeys to find, whether you are using a dining credit, activities immediately to follow, etc.).

You will get a little sound when it's time to head to your dinner and best of all, you won't have to check your watch all day, worried that you'll miss it!

You can do the same with all of the parades (whether you want to see them or avoid them).

2.  Park Hours

It is well known that in order to get the most out of your time in the 'World, you've gotta utilize those Extra Magic Hours.  Using your calendar application for these is perfect, but I suggest making an "all day" event that has all the hours listed in it, rather than timed calendar events.  It will help simplify your calendar and therefore make it easier each day (between ADRs and Parades, the calendar will fill up fast).

I made an all day calendar event for each day that details the hours of all the parks.  Don't forget that Future World (labeled FW) and the World Showcase (labeled WS) have different hours.

3.  Notes about individual parks

So you've been browsing all kinds of websites and have found all kinds of awesome information and sights that you want to see in each park and resort, but how to keep track of them?  When it comes to the iPhone, you can set location-based reminders so that you can get a message when you get to a specific place.  You could put these in as reminders on specific days at specific times if you know where you will be each day.  Personally, I like to have some freedom on my vacation, so the location reminders are perfect.

In order to do this, you will need the addresses of each park and you will need to make address book entries with those addresses for each.  Once you've done that, simply go into the "Reminders" application, add the things that you want to do, and then set it to a location reminder of "when you arrive".  It sounds far more complicated than it actually is and now you won't be bound by a strict schedule or huge list while you are exploring WDW.


It may seem daunting, but your technology can free up your days in the parks by keeping you off your watch and/or clipboard of fun and enjoying your vacation!

Pixar love

I am an unabashed Pixar fan.  I love every single one of their movies (yes, even A Bug's Life).


It is my true wish to someday work there and be a part of their seemingly oh-so-fun culture.  If you want a glimpse into what it's like to be a part of this amazing company (and be at the top), Walt Disney Studios New Zealand's YouTube channel has a full day in the life of John Lasseter.  You get to see his home theatre (which made both me and DF drool), the ups and downs with film production and legos.  What's not to love?

Click here to watch this awesome glimpse into the life of a Pixar/Disney exec.

Money-saving Tips for visiting WDW

I am cheap.  I was raised in a frugal house and spending money is something that I do not do easily.  Due to this, I've searched the intertubes and found some of the best ways to save money while planning a trip to Walt Disney World.  Here are the basics:

1.  Be Flexible

Okay, maybe not that kind of flexible...
Picking dates and being set on them is the worst thing you can possibly do when planning a vacation on a budget.  Peak times to travel by air are on holidays and weekends, so try to switch your trip to leave in the middle of the week.  The cheapest day to buy airfare is Tuesdays at 3PM (seriously, that's what every article I have read has said).

When it comes to WDW, resort prices are more expensive on the weekends, as well as during peak seasons (see the WDW season calendars on MouseSavers, click here for 2011 and here for 2012).  Also the added benefit of going during a non-peak season is that the parks will typically be less crowded.

2.  Buy your park tickets according to when you'll be in the parks

     Yes, I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but a good way to cut money off of your trip cost is to avoid purchasing park tickets for your first and/or last day at Disney.  There are lots of things to do that don't require a park pass and on your arrival/departure days, it's not like you'll have much time to really enjoy the parks anyway.  Now this won't necessarily save you a lot of money, unless you are participating in the Disney Dining Plan.  The dining plan is linked to your park passes and cutting some days off of that will make a big dent in the final cost.

3.  Watch for deals

     For 2012, Disney recently announced their free dining plan deal on their website.  Keep an eye out for these specials throughout the year and don't be afraid to call Disney and rebook your trip.  It could save you a lot of money.  (click here for Disney's special offers page)

4.  Use a travel agent

     There are many Disney-themed travel agencies and subsidiaries and a lot of them do not cost a dime extra on your trip.  Your agent will watch for those Disney deals for you and will be able to book or rebook the trip for you.  It's like the mice in Cinderella, they didn't cost her a dime but they were always in her corner. (I can't guarantee that your agent will be as cute as Gus-Gus.)

5.  Plan your food

     If you decide to go with the Disney Dining Plan, then set up your reservations in advance for any sit down meals and be sure to use up as much of that dining plan as possible.  Since you pay in advance for that food, make the most of it.  If you are taking the non-dining plan route, including the cost of food in your budget.  The websites for each of the Disney restaurants tells you the average cost of eating there.  Estimate to the highest for each person and plan on that.  

6.  Bring the little things with you

     It's tempting to just pack some clothes and go off on your adventure, but you can save a lot of money by bringing some things with you, rather than buying additional things when you get there.  You can bring food and drinks (non-alcoholic unfortunately) into the parks, so think about refillable water bottles (there are plenty of water fountains in every park) instead of buying water or buying a box of granola bars and snacking for cheap.  Also think about smaller things that you may need while in the park.  On the Disboards, I got the best tidbit of bringing dollar store ponchos from home in case of inclement weather.  Medicines (ibuprofen, allergy meds, etc.), are going to be cheaper (if not free out of your medicine cabinet) if you bring them with you, too.

7.  Avoid souvenirs

     Again, another no-brainer, but if you are someone with kids, then this will not be an easy task.  One thing I read from some parents is that they buy Disney merchandise before they go, and then bring it out at different times during the trip.  Then the kids get their stuffed animal fix without the adults having to deal with the souvenir stores.

Those are some really basic rules to Disney on a budget.  If there's any others that you know of that you'd like to share, please comment and help your fellow penny pinchers.  :)

An attraction that I certainly do not miss...

Recently on Walt Disney World for Grownups, I had the pleasure of reliving an Epcot attraction that I had blissfully forgotten all these years:  Kitchen Kabaret.  My mom loved this show and it was a "must do" when we visited (typically before we had a revolving dinner at The Garden Grill).


Even as a child, I felt like the entire experience was creepy.  Foods singing to me, encouraging me to eat them to be healthy...it threw a wrench into the little gears of my little mind.  It was like visiting a farm and hearing a cow invite you to try its rump roast.

It didn't help that the animatronics for the show were comparatively sub par by the time I got to see it.

The interwebs are full of people reminiscing about how cute and lovely this attraction was, so maybe I am in the minority on this one.  Even still, I invite you all to have a taste of the Kitchen Kabaret and judge for yourself:  cute show about eating right or an array of sadistic, singing, oversized groceries?

Video games on vacation...without quarters!

I am, of course, referring to Disney Quest, one of my favorite places to visit in WDW.  The price of Disney Quest is not included in your park ticket, but it completely and totally worth the money for a day.  Inside of this "indoor theme park" in Downtown Disney are hundreds of games, from arcade shoot outs to virtual reality to Dance Dance Revolution to a tabletop Ms. Pacman.  You can play all the games you want (provided everyone plays nice and takes turns) and you will never need quarters.  During a previous family trip, my mom and I stole my cousin (who was visiting Disney with his wife and very excited/rambunctious/typical 3-year-old son), for a much needed time of tuning out and letting off some steam.  It broke up the monotony of the trip for him and I beat him at one of the target shooting games, and he's a police officer.  I rule!  Disney Quest is unique because although it still has the mouse, it's not overly cutesy so it would be a great place to send a grumpy teenager for the day, too.

If you or your family are gamers, then Disney Quest is the place to visit.

Technology and Walt Disney World

Throughout my planning process, I have been doing a lot of research (not to be confused with alot).  I am going through a travel agent to book my trip (go MouseFanTravel! and Coleen, who has had much patience with me through this journey), but I still have found loads of information on when to visit, what to visit, what to eat, etc. and let me tell you, it is not an easy task to keep it all organized.  Because it's one thing to write it all into a document, or jot it down in a notebook, it's another to be able to organize your information and make it useful and portable for when we actually go on our trip.

Here are some planning applications and websites that I have been successfully utilizing.

Evernote:  This little elephant doesn't forget anything.  Evernote is a downloadable program that you can put on your computer (for free!) that allows you to do what scissors and scrapbooks did before.  You can clip webpages with the click of a button and "tag" them for use later.  Example:  I find a tip on DisneyDaddy about Miyuki, the candy maker in Epcot.  I click my little elephant button and like magic, it is copied to my notebook along with a link.  Now I put in tags so that it will pop up when I'm in Epcot (tag of 'epcot'), and when I'm looking for some tasty foods (tag of 'food').  It's very much an ingenious way of keeping track of things, like having an address book that can search by any way you choose (name, address, phone number, hair color, etc.).  And later, while we are on the vacation, I can take my Evernote with me on my phone or iPad, and since the data is "cloud-based" (meaning it is stored on the internets), I will have all of my information with me at all times.

Southwest Airlines Ding! Alerts:  In the quest to get the cheapest airline tickets possible, I've been keeping tabs on all the major airlines through various trackers (Cheapoair and Kayak), which work great on the large scale, but when it comes to our specific trip, Southwest Airlines is the way to go.  If you sign up for their fare alerts (another freebie), you can be notified any time there is discounted pricing on flights.  When it comes to regional airlines, they typically do not pop up on the big search sites, and you have to go straight to the source to get your pricing.  Southwest Ding! also has apps for your mobile devices, so you can check it constantly.

Walt Disney World Website:  It sounds pretty lame to bring up this site, but here is something that I am quite happy I was able to find on the site.  You can actually find out the operating hours of every single park from now until the end of February (at least as of this date).  From here you can find out where the Extra Magic Hours are happening and plan around them.  I noted on many blogs that the best time to visit each park is when they do not have Extra Magic Hours.  So I was able to book our dining reservations at the parks that will (hopefully) be less crowded, or so that we can watch some fireworks as we eat.  I feel like planning around all of that will really add to the magic of the trip.


So those have been the major things that I have used while planning our amazing trip.  Has anyone had success with other programs during their planning process?  I'm always looking for some new resources!