Disney: Hotel Discount for Teachers

/
If you are planning to visit Walt Disney World and you are a Kindergarten-College Teacher or Support Staff located in the U.S. or Canada, you can take advantage of special “Teachers Appreciation Rates” at seven official Walt Disney World hotels. Just head over here, click on the Check Availability button below each of the participating hotels, and choose your dates to view the rates. 

 

Disney Free Wedding Freebies

/

Did you know that if you send Mickey and Minnie Mouse an invitation to your wedding they’ll send you back an autographed photo and a ‘Just Married’ button? Also, if you send Cinderella and Prince Charming an invitation, you’ll get an autographed congratulatory certificate.

Here are the addresses:

Micky & Minnie / The Walt Disney Company / 500 South Buena Vista Street / Burbank, California 91521 

Cinderella and Prince Charming / P.O. Box 1000 / Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

Disney: Must-Experience at Disney

/

Here are some Disney time-saving tips and ideas for your first (or 50th!) Disney vacation.

1. There is a fastpass+ in Beta for the “you can’t get a reservation for the next 8 months” Be Our Guest restaurant. Check out this secret squirrel beta testing link to fastpass+ for Be Our Guest Reservations. The food is great and reasonably priced and the décor is gorgeous.

2. Take advantage of “Magic hours”. If you are staying on Disney World grounds, you can qualify for extra magic hours which means the park is open an hour earlier or a couple hours later depending on the day and the park. I suggest using this tool when planning your stay. 

3. Schedule your trip ahead of time using your MyDisneyExperience.com. 

4. Download the Walt Disney World app. With this app, you will be able to make reservations and check availability. You will be able change fast passes.

5. Schedule down time! It can get very hot. We would take a break at the pool or in our air-conditioned room every afternoon.

6. Make sure to see the new for 2014 3 pm Disney Festival of Fantasy parade at the Magic Kingdom. It has all the princesses and princes and is sure to delight children of all ages. 

7. Go to the Kilamanjaro Safari at the Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning. The animals will not be as active later in the day when the sun is high in the sky and beating down on them. This is one of our favorites.

8. Make sure to see Spectro Magic, highly recommend!

9. Soarin' is awesome, a must experience! You will feel like you are flying!

10. Get the Memory Maker. Spend $150 for the Memory Maker and you get to digitally download all of those photos.

11. Food we recommend: Pineapple Dole Whips (sold at the Dole stand in Magic Kingdom), a turkey leg or a funnel cake from the funnel cake cart at the Boardwalk. Rice Krispie treats dipped in chocolate from Magic Kingdom. French pastries at Epcot. I could go on and on!

12. Spend an evening at the Boardwalk. It is old-fashioned fun. You can take a bike ride, get a family charicature portrait sketched and watch the street performers. Plus be sure to check out the Boardwalk bakery.

13. Highly recommend spending the day at Downtown Disney too. They have movies, bowling and more. We enjoyed really delicious sweet potato fries and burgers at House of Blues. 

14. We have stayed at Coronado Springs Resort several times and it is so beautiful. There are several pools near every hotel and the cafeteria and restaurant are really nice.

15. For the Star Wars fans, Star Wars weekend (this year May 16 to June 15, 2014) is an epically awesome time. We were there for Star Wars weekend a few years ago and my son Cam had the most amazing time, fighting Darth Vader and enjoying the rides.

 

20 Unique Disney World Photo Ideas

/

My husband is a Disney World fanatic. I asked him where some of his favorite photo spots are located. Everyone needs the classic shot standing in front of Cinderella's Castle, but here's his list of some of the more unique photo opportunities.

Magic Kingdom

  • Next to the statue of Goofy in front Cinderella's Castle
  • Along the "Rivers of America" with the Liberty Square Riverboat in the background
  • Pose with one of the many street performers on Main Street U.S.A., such as the Dapper Dans.
  • Take a seat, and a photo, in one of the rocking chairs on Tom Sawyer Island
  • On the front porch of the Crystal Palace

Epcot

  • In front of the Imagination! Pavilion
  • Playing the African drums at The Outpost, between China and Germany.
  • In front of the torii in Japan
  • The gardens along the pathway adjacent to the Imagination! Pavilion
  • On one of the Friendship Boats, as it sails on the World Showcase Lagoon.

Hollywood Studios

  • Instead of filing out with the crowd after the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, walk down to the front and grab a photo with Indiana Jones' stunt double.
  • Take a seat on the speeder bike replica from Return of the Jedi, outside of Star Tours.
  • Have your kids put their hands inside the famous handprints outside the Great Movie Ride.
  • In front of Miss Piggy's Ms. Liberty fountain, outside Muppet*Vision 3D
  • With Gertie The Dinosaur!

Animal Kingdom

  • Pose next to the insect-themed movie posters before entering the theatre to see It's Tough to be a Bug.
  • Stop at the Oasis exhibits and grab a photo with a macaw or anteater.
  • There are many opportunities near Expedition Everest, such as the prayer flags or the Yeti posters.
  • In front of the tigers on the Maharajah Jungle Trek
  • Snap a photo with the cute stuffed dinosaur you'll be sure to win at Disney's Fossil Fun midway games.

30+ Amazing Disney Freebies

/

After the planning is done and you are at the park, here are some FREE souvenirs to pick up!

And before leaving be sure to order your FREE Disney dvd set, click below-

Disney Cruise Line

Disney

Free Souvenirs and More at Walt Disney World

  • Resort newsletters.
  • Free Disney postcard
  • Park maps
  • Soaps & Shampoos from WDW Resorts
  • Countdown to Disney Free Printable
  • Some resorts have free resort postcards
  • Walt Disney World Resort pens
  • Email postcards at Innoventions
  • Free souvenir pin when you take the Undiscovered Future World Tour at Epcot
  • 'Clean Plate Club' sticker from 50's Prime Time Cafe
  • Character autographs
  • Leis from the Polynesian Luau
  • Free Disney Autographed Photo
  • Birthday button (from park guest services on your birthday)
  • Stickers, sometimes given in shops, ask when you're paying
  • Children's menus that have coloring pages on the back
  • Drinks coasters from resorts
  • Perspex Mickey ornament, character costume fabric swatch & badge, given to each person who takes the Backstage Magic Tour
  • Resort ID cards
  • Disney wedding freebies
  • Things kids make at Epcot Kidcot stations
  • Free family photo from MVMCP or MNSSHP
  • Some drinks are served in souvenir glasses
  • You get a free pin when you take the backlot tour at the Animal Kingdom
  • The glow in the dark frisbees from the kids meals at the Sci Fi Dine-in Theater restaurant at MGM
  • Video postcard from Innoventions, send one to yourself and you have a great memory.

Be sure to check out our Disney Pinterest board too!

 

Free Things to do at Walt Disney World

  • Visit the different resorts, walk around & take in the details and atmosphere.
  • Go to Downtown Disney, you don't have to go in any of the shops, just sit back & take in the atmosphere, look at the lego sculptures, people watch, let the kids play in the fountains...
  • Go to the Fort Wilderness campfire. Take your own marshmallows to roast over the fire, & a blanket to sit on while you watch the film.
  • Go to one of the Magic Kingdom resorts & watch the electric water pageant from the beach.
  • Spend time on the beach at one of the MK resorts, paddle your feet in the lake or relax in a hammock.
  • Take the free tour at the Wilderness Lodge, or ask for the list of hidden Mickeys, & go on a hidden Mickey hunt.
  • Visit the petting farm at Fort Wilderness.
  • Take a boat ride from one of the resorts - Wilderness Lodge to MK; Boardwalk to Epcot or MGM; Dixie Landings to Downtown Disney, etc.
  • Take the free garden tour at the Yacht & Beach Club Resort, or the free tour of the Grand Floridian.
  • Visit the BoardWalk in the evening to watch the entertainment & take in the atmosphere.
  • Watch the MK fireworks from outside the California Grill on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort.
  • Walk along by the Sassagoula River from Port Orleans Riverside to French Quarter.
  • Go on the nature walk at Fort Wilderness.
  • Free souvenirs from Disney. At Innoventions East, guests can send a 10-second, video e-mail message to friends back home (Video D-Mail booth located at the Innoventions Internet Zone). At Innoventions West, guests can send a picture postcard of themselves by e-mail, provided by IBM's Networked Living Exhibit.
  • Disney’s Electric Water Pageant.  Every night, in the Magic Kingdom area, Disney sends out a parade of floats lit up in Disney magic.  These float along the Bay Lake Area, around 9PM nightly, and you can see them from the boat dock at the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian beach.  Those are the two best viewing spots for this. The Electric Water Pageant lasts for about an hour.  Even if you are not residing at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts during your stay, you can still visit them and enjoy the Electric Water Pageant.
  • Disney’s Boardwalk Area.  Located in the EPCOT area of Walt Disney World Resort, the Boardwalk is one of the most entertaining areas outside the Disney parks.  Themed after the Northeast coast, particularly Cape May, your whole family will enjoy this area.  Walk along the beach, enjoy the fireworks portion of Illuminations from the bridge on the Boardwalk.  There are street performers. fun house mirrors to enjoy, and so much more.  Sometimes, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts will host movies on the beach area, as well as a campfire-all for free!
  • Magical Disney Fireworks.  If you are in the Bay Lake Area for the Electric Water Pageant, you can even take in Wishes from that same area!  Find a spot on the beach at the Polynesian Resort, or take a spot on the boat dock at the Grand Floridian for Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.  They even pipe the soundtrack for Wishes to these areas, so you get the extra magic of Jiminy Cricket and the wonderful Disney music that goes along with Wishes.
  • LEGO Store at Downtown Disney.  The LEGO store at Downtown Disney is a must for any family.  You can play inside and outside the LEGO store and enjoy some down time from the parks.  The gigantic LEGO sculptures outside the LEGO store make for great photo ops.  And, inside, there are play and build areas set up to get your LEGO building fix-all for free.  They have a 3000 square foot store outdoor play center for plenty of building fun!
  • Explore Disney’s Value Resorts.  Of course, you can explore all the Disney resorts.  But the Values offer extra fun theming, and are so much fun for families to explore.  The enormous icons of Buzz Lightyear and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are perfect fun for your family!  Just tell the attendant that you are there to explore the resort, and they will give you a parking pass that is good for a few hours.
  • Ride the monorail.  A visit to Walt Disney World is not complete without a ride on the monorail.  You can board it at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, or the Transportation and Ticket Center and ride either the parks loop or the resort loop.  This will give your family a fun, classic monorail ride.  While enjoying views of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, as well as going through some of Disney’s most beautiful resorts.  Feel free to stop at the resorts on the monorail loop-to explore them or eat at their restaurants as well.  You’ll get to enjoy Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian along the monorail.
  • Chip and Dale’s Campfire Sing a Long at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground.  Want to join in with two of the cutest chipmunks ever?  Then take your family to the Fort Wilderness Campground for some campfire fun-and even s’mores!  The s’mores aren’t free, but you can also bring your own ingredients for s’mores.  Following the campfire sing a long, you can stay and enjoy a Disney movie under the stars!
  • A Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the most beautiful resorts on Disney property.  And you can get fabulous views of animals in the Arusha Savanna from this resort.  When you arrive at Animal Kingdom Lodge, walk thorough the lobby to the Arusha Savanna.  There will be a cultural guide there who will help you look for the animals.  It is best to visit this at dawn or dusk, when the animals are more active.  If you have binoculars, it is a good idea to bring them.  Plus, you can wander Animal Kingdom Lodge and enjoy the animals from other viewing spots as well.
  • Hunt for Hidden Mickey’s.  Walt Disney World Imagineers have worked Mickey heads into the landscape, decor, walkways, just about anywhere you look!  But sometimes you have to really hunt for them.  Take some time while exploring the resorts to find the Hidden Mickeys. Some resorts will even give you a list of the Hidden Mickey’s to find during your self-guided tour.
  • Take a boat ride.  Just like the monorail, Disney has several areas where you can enjoy water rides for free!  You can take a boat from Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter Resorts, and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort to the Downtown Disney area.  Often times, the drivers will narrate as they are taking you from one place to the next.  Take a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort.  This is the longest boat ride, and you can even get a seat on the upper level of the boat.  This gives you fabulous views of the Magic Kingdom and the Bay Lake Area.
  • Watch Disney movies under the stars.  Most, if not all the Disney Resorts have movies under the stars.  My personal favorite for this is Disney’s Beach Club Resort.  You don’t have to be a guest at that resort, and you can still enjoy the movies.  At the Beach Club, the movie screen is literally on the beach, just off the Boardwalk area.  You can’t miss it!  To find out the movie times, stop at the Concierge Desk at the Beach Club, or ask at the front desk of your Disney Resort.
  • Art classes at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.  Being the most animated resort on property, Art of Animation offers free animation classes at various times.  These are free, and open to everyone!  What a fun way to spend the afternoon, out of the Florida heat and enjoying a free animation class!

Be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter!

Disney Dole Whip Recipe

/
Here is how to make a yummy Dole Whip @ Home!

Ingredients

  1. 2 20 ounce cans Dole crushed pineapple with juice
  2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  3. 2 tablespoons lime juice
  4. 1/3 cup sugar
  5. 1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

Instructions

  1. Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tablespoons juice. Set aside.
  2. Place pineapple, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and reserved pineapple juice in blender or food processor container; cover and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour into two 1-quart freezer zipped bags and store bags flat in freezer.
  4. Freeze 1-1/2 hours or until slushy.
  5. Stir pineapple slush gently into whipped cream until slightly blended, in large bowl.
  6. Return to freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour.

Free Disney Postcard

/

Did you know that you can write a letter to a Disney character and get a postcard in return? There are 2 addresses that you can send your letters to.

Disney World will send you an autographed postcard when you write a letter to the following address:

Walt Disney World Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

Disneyland will send you an autographed postcard when you write a letter to the following address:

Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

The picture will arrive with 4-6 weeks.

My Top 5 Summer Getaways

/

There are several summer getaways I would recommend!

First, I recommend Cedar Point Amusement Park. It has a special, old-fashioned charm and is very family-friendly. Since my son Cam was a baby, a few weeks old, he has been to Cedar Point. He has grown up there and I highly recommend it for everyone. Whether your family lives in the Midwest or is traveling out here, it’s worth the trip! There are also lots of great rollercoasters and rides for teens and adults, along with live shows, and the classic carnival-type games, shopping and more.

Second, the Florida Keys. We were down there recently and it was such an amazing experience. It has such a quiet, natural calm to it. Being surrounded by water, there are so many fun things to do there, like swimming, exploring Key West, fishing, snorkeling off the coral reef. Key West may have the reputation as a party town but during the day, there were lots of kid friendly museums and parks. We especially liked the Pirate Museum and riding the trolley around the island, listening to the tour guide tell us stories about Key West.

Third, Mall of America in Minnesota. We went there a few years ago and it has a lot of family-friendly adventures, including Nickelodeon Park (inside the mall), Valley Fair Amusement park, LEGO store and Rainforest Café. We made it a cheap trip by using airline miles for free tickets, buying an Entertainment book and saving on meals, and using hotel points for a free hotel stay. We also got a free coupon booklet from Mall of America, because we were out of town guests.

Fourth, Disney World in Florida. Disney does not have to be as expensive as people say it is. There are ways to make it affordable, including driving there (though from OH it is 20+ hours!), staying on an off-site hotel (there are lots of deals around the Disney property), limiting eating out and using coupons and getting a park hopper pass.

And finally, I recommend checking out local places! For example, we have several great travel destinations, right here in Ohio, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, Kelly’s Island, many museums, parks and more. We also love traveling down to Columbus and visit Easton Town Center, which has a Container Store and many other shops that Cleveland doesn’t have.

Happy traveling!



10 Tips for a Budget-Friendly Vacation

/

Here are some tips to get that vacation you need and still balance your budget:

Tip 1: Include Extended Family

Vacationing with family can save you hundreds on the hotel room, gas, tolls, etc. Plus, they also get a have a break and you’ll have fun! To avoid arguments, be sure to sit down with them beforehand and map out what you want to do and include everyone’s wants and needs.

Tip 2: Sign up for AAA

If you don’t already have a membership, AAA offers lots of discounts. Check here to see all the discounts they offer. For example, they offer 10% off Hard Rock Café, discounts on Disney tickets and more. And of course, most hotels give discounts, when you show your AAA card.
 
Tip 3: Pick the Right Hotel

Especially when traveling with a family, choose hotels based on whether they have value-added freebies, such as free breakfast, free local phone calls, free Internet access, free cribs, etc.

Tip 4: Save Those Gift Cards

Even with time being short, check your wallet and drawers for unused gift cards. Gift cards, especially ones for restaurants, will save you money and help you budget. If you belong to point programs and have enough points, cash them in for gift cards. Two programs to check out: Swagbucks.com and Mypoints.com.

Tip 5: Spare Change Adds Up

I’ve found an easy way to do this is. For example, when your total at the local fast food place comes to $9.03, give them $10.00 and pocket the change. Store it in a jar and right before your trip, cash it in. Most grocery stores have Coinstar machines or you can count and roll it yourself.

Tip 6: Pick Up the Entertainment Book

The Entertainment book is packed full of coupons for restaurants, hotels, and much more. Buy a copy at their web site and have it delivered a few weeks before your trip. Take some time to go through it (it’s a thick book!) and rip out the coupons you want to use and store them in a folder or envelope.

Tip 7: Pack a Cooler of Food and Drinks

Hotels charge a fortune for cans of soda, bottled water, etc. Fill a cooler with cans of soda, snacks, paper plates and cups and anything else you might need.

Tip 8: Find More Cash

Besides saving your change, you can find more cash for your trip by eating what’s in your pantry. A few months before your trip, cut down on going to the grocery store and eating out. For example, if you budget $300 a month for food, but you use a third of that, you’ll have $200 towards your trip. Also, cut back on recreational shopping trips. Only buy what you need. Also, to raise more money, consider selling books and other unwanted items on ebay.com and half.com.

Tip 9: Pick the Right Restaurants and Attractions

If you have young children, pick restaurants that offer free children’s meals and parks with free admission. If older relatives are traveling with you, many restaurants and parks offer senior discounts.

Tip 10: Consider traveling close to home

Go online and see what attractions are nearby, like museums, art exhibits and more. For example, even though we live 30 min. from the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, we've never been there! Sticking closer to home is a great way to save cash and see your town.

 

Disney Vacation: April 2005

/

Our family went to Disney for a few days during April. It was during the Epcot Flower festival and the flowers were amazing!

Cam loved the safari at Animal Kingdom, look at the baby elephant with his mama!

Our son Cam was now going on 4 years old and better able to handle the park, unlike the previous year. He was able to walk around but we got a stroller for him, for those times he got tired.

At this age, Cam loves Playhouse Disney and the preschool tv shows.

He was a little scared to meet some of the characters, like JoJo from JoJo's circus, but he enjoyed the shows and rides more than the previous year.

So he had a lot of fun going to the Playhouse Disney show:

And of course we had to stop and enjoy the famous Disney food. This is at the American cafe at Epcot:

Here is Cam with Nana, looking at some souveniers:

 

 

Cam's First Trip to Disney- March 2004

/

My husband Walt and I have been big fans of Disney for many years. When our son Cameron came along in 2002, we were so excited to take him on his first Disney trip!

We decided to drive down, which we took 2 days to do that. It was a long trip but we made sure to pack all kinds of toys and treats to keep Cam busy!

We stayed at the All Star hotel, which was really fun. I loved the theming and the easy access to all the Disney Parks. We had park hopper passes and enjoyed visiting all the parks. With Cam being so young though, he did have melt-downs a few times waiting in line. We learned to not go to the park during naptime or during mealtime.

Here is Cam getting ready to enjoy the pool! So cute!

 

Here is Cam enjoying the water:

And of course, we had to meet as many Disney characters as we could. Cam was so cute meeting Eeyore:

And here is one of my fave photos of Walt and Cam, outside of Animal Kingdom: