WDW Twourists

Downtown Disney's version of Black Friday

2009-12-10T14:11:00.004-05:00

I survived! :)

Leaving a little later than we planned, my Disney-Sis & I left about 4am to head up to Disney's version of Black Friday. Arriving just before 5:30am, the line was crazy! The line wrapped around the building! Standing in line across from Arribas & Basin, we waited patiently. A CM walked around the line about 6am, announcing that wristbands would be given out to the 1st 1000 in line. Once they ran out, that was it. At about 6:15, I got my wristband! YAY!!

At 6:30, they did promptly open the doors, but we did not get inside until close to 6:45. That was when we saw the true length of the line. The line was still wrapping around the building as we went in the doors. CMs were so nice..handing out shopping baskets/bags as we entered the store.

We ran all over the store to see what the door-buster sales were. There were quite a few...PotC figurines, Disney pj's, stuffed animals, clocks, watches..there were deals in every room. CM's were right on top of things...keeping doorbusters organized..helping people find things...even making sure that we knew exactly what was on sale! Most organized of all was the free giveaway line!

Believe it or not, this was the most organized give-away I have seen. The free give-away was stationed at The Bippity Boppity Boutique. A line was snaked around the room. As you approached the Boutique, a CM cut the wristband off your arm & another CM handed you a Vinylmation Doll. And that was it! Very organized & quickly done. Kudos, WoD on that one!!

The lines & the crowds were another story. I think we shopped an extra hour just so we didn't have to stand in the monstrous lines. In walking around that extra hour, we did spy Santa Goofy & WDW Moms Panel Mom, Erin Foster (@MomsPanelErin).

All in all, the experience was good. Would definately do it again. As a matter of fact, Disney did add an additional 2 more Saturdays of Passholder & DVC Members Appreciation Days (12/12 & 12/19) from 8-10 am. This time, the sales have been extended to other stores in DtD...Once Upon A Toy, Disney's Pin Traders, Team Mickey, Tren-D, Disney Days of Christmas, Pooh's Corner, Mickey's Mart & Goofy's Candy Company. The flier announces up to 50% off select merchandise, special doorbusters, surprise markdowns, purchase with purchase offers. A complimentary gift to the first 1,000 at World of Disney will be held again on both Saturdays. You do have to have a Gov't issued ID along with your pass in order to enter the store & shop (they do check them!)

Anyhow, looks like I will be heading to bed early again the next couple Fridays! If you happen to go to the sale, look for me in line or in the store & say hi!

Maria Elkin is one of the fabulous members of the Disney Dream Depot . You can also follow her on twitter @heavensent30

Twitter Poll #3: Best Spots to Relax

2009-11-30T15:10:00.003-05:00

For some people, a WDW vacation is all about touring the parks until they drop. Most Disney fans, though, realize that the beauty of the world's vacation kingdom is in the details. The more you slow down and enjoy the quiet moments, the better your time in the World will be. WDW Twourists understand and they've shared their favourite spots to relax with us.

We asked:

What is your favourite spot to relax in WDW?

And the winner is,

with 17.5% of the vote . . .

Resort Beaches

(especially the Polynesian Resort Beach)

@BeOurGuestMike said: "Definitely the beach at The Poly!!"

Number 2, with 12.5% of the vote . . .

Tomorrowland Transit Authority

@duckyislost said: "The peoplemover, it's like a moving park bench."

And number 3, with 10% of the vote . . .

Chairs

(including loungers at water parks and

various rocking chairs around the Magic Kingdom)

@MarkerMouse said: "Favorite spot to relax-Rocking chairs at Aunt Polly's on Tom Sawyer Island, I could sit there all day."

Honorable mentions to the following relaxing spots, each with 7.5% of the vote:

Around Cinderella's Castle

Epcot's World Showcase

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Resort Pools & Hot Tubs

Wilderness Lodge

Didn't get a chance to enter the poll? Leave your response to the question below in the comments.

We'd love to hear from you!

Win with Mickey!

2009-11-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

This is a list of WDW-related contests that you might be interested in entering. If you win, be sure to let us know...and share your prize with us, of course! :o)

Celebrate the Magic Sweepstakes

Prize: Disney Parks Vacation Package
Company: Pier 1 Imports
Open to: U.S. Residents Only

How often can I enter? unknown
Ends: November 30, 2009
Other Details: By entering, you are automatically put on the company's mailing list.

Disney Princess Contest

Prize: Disney Princesses Prize Pack (jewelry, makeup, games, craft supplies, bedding, doll, etc.)
Company: Playhouse Disney Canada
Open to: Canadian Residents Only Excluding Quebec
How often can I enter? Daily
Ends: November 30, 2009 at 5 pm
Other Details: Required to play an online matching game to enter.

Save, Play & Celebrate Sweepstakes

Prize: Walt Disney World Vacation Package
Company: Georgia Pacific
Open to: U.S. Residents Only

How often can I enter? Daily
Ends: November 30, 2009
Other Details: None

Walt Disney Signature Margarita Glasses Sweepstakes

Prize: Set of 6 Glasses from Zak Designs featuring Bambi and Sleeping Beauty
Company: Pointclickhome.Com
Open to: U.S. Residents Only
How often can I enter? Daily
Ends: December 7, 2009 at noon
Other Details: None

Playhouse Disney Live Contest

Prize: Tickets to see Playhouse Disney Live in one of several Canadian cities
Company: Playhouse Disney Canada
Open to: Canadian Residents Only Excluding Quebec

How often can I enter? Daily
Ends: December 27, 2009
Other Details: Required to tell them your favourite Playhouse Disney character to enter.

Celebrate in Comfort Sweepstakes

Prize: Walt Disney World Vacation for 20 People
Company: Hanes
Open to: Canadian Residents Only
How Often Can I Enter? Daily
Ends: January 7, 2010

Other Details: Secondary prizes can also be won.

2009-11-22T07:29:00.005-05:00

Tyra Banks has officially befriended Princess Tiana, who makes her silver screen debut Thanksgiving week in Disney's latest animated film, The Princess and the Frog.

Supermodel and Emmy Award-winning talk show host Tyra Banks made three little girls' dreams come true this week with a free trip to Walt Disney World, where Banks joined the little princesses and Princess Tiana for a royal tea party, according to the official Disney Parks Blog.

Banks will feature her visit to Disney World on The Tyra Show on Wednesday, November 25, the same day The Princess and the Frog opens at select theatres across the United States. The show will run a second time on December 11, the date the film opens nationwide.

Disney World and Disneyland have released a new line of Princess Tiana merchandise, including the Tiana gown featured in the photo at top left (photo (c) 2009 Disney Media), Tiana wigs and tiaras, princess handbags, shoes, and more. More information on Disney's new Princess Tiana merchandise is available here.

Peggy Macdonald is a WDW Twourist who writes about Disney daily for Examiner.com.

Tiny Twourists - Favorite Rides/Shows for preschoolers

2009-11-18T02:08:00.000-05:00

What are the can't miss rides/shows for your Tiny Twourists?

My daughter will be 4 in January. Her first trip to Walt Disney World was at 18 months old. At 23 months, we visited Disneyland. We returned to Walt Disney World 2 months before her third birthday (for Halloween) and 2 months after her third birthday.

Currently, my daughter's park preference is Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

At Magic Kingdom, her favorite rides are: "it's a small world" and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. At 18 months, Cinderella's Golden Carousel was her favorite. She asked to go on it repeatedly. She also enjoys Dumbo, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Peter Pan's Flight, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, and Tomorrowland Speedway (also known as Speed Racer to my daughter), and the Walt Disney World Railway. We have taken her on Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority which she will ride, but all have parts that she does not like (she is not a fan of the dark). The first time we took her to the Tiki Room she enjoyed it, but the last time we took her she did not like it. She really did not like Snow White's Scary Adventure. We tried Mickey's PhilharMagic with her, but the initial scene with the swirling wind spooked her and she did not watch the rest of the show. On Goofy's Barnstormer, we made the mistake of sitting in the first car at just shy of 3. The ride was a bit too much for her, and she would not ride it 4 months later. I think she would like it now since she rode a roller coaster over the summer and had a great time. On our last trip, she was still under the 40" height requirement, so was not able to enjoy rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain.

At Disney's Hollywood Studio, she likes Playhouse Disney: Live on Stage and Toy Story Mania!. She also enjoyed the Great Movie Ride especially the Wizard of Oz section. My husband is a huge Star Wars fan, so while she is too short for Star Tours, she does enjoy watching the Jedi Training Academy. We have had mixed success with taking her through the line and bypassing the ride with Grandma. Our first trip when she was 18 months old was between Star Wars weekends so she was able to meet a Storm Trooper in the queue. Other times, we have been told that she could not even enter the line because she was too short to ride. We did not even try the Sounds Dangerous attraction due to the darkness. For some reason, she really did not enjoy the Voyage of the Little Mermaid Show. She refused to see it on our most recent trip. I think it was due to the darkness in a few scenes.

At Epcot, she likes The Seas with Nemo and Friends. She loves running around the aquarium after the ride. There is a KidCot Fun Stop inside. She also enjoys The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros in the Mexico Pavilion. Journey into Imagination has always been one of my favorites and she likes it too. The newly renovated Spaceship Earth is worth a ride, and she enjoys riding it. We have done the Maelstrom ride in Norway, but there are a few areas that are dark that she does not like but she will ride it. There is lots of interactive fun for little ones at Epcot with Innoventions and the ImageWorks lab in the Imagination Pavilion and all of the KidCot fun stops. We did the Honey I Shrunk the Audience show and she was okay for the beginning of the show however when the theater moves towards the end, she was not happy.

At Animal Kingdom, she likes the Kilimanjaro Safari, and we are starting to time it better. The first two times we took her on it, she fell asleep from the motion because it was near nap time. We saw Finding Nemo: The Musical on our last trip and she really enjoyed that. She enjoyed the Wildlife Express Train ride to Conservation Station, but we found many of the activities there were a bit over her head. We rode the TriceraTop Spin on our daughter's first trip but have not been on since. On our last trip, my daughter spent about an hour in the playground which ate into our time to do other activities.

What are your Tiny Twourists Favorite Rides/Shows in the parks?

Your Photo Pass to the American Adventure

2009-11-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

Each Monday, Marc Lorenzo shares his beautiful photos to transport us to Walt Disney World. This week we take you to American Adventure in Epcot. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the very patriotic show!

The American Adventure is the host pavilion of Epcot's World Showcase. It is also the name of the main attraction housed within the pavilion. If you enjoy the masterful audio-animatronics that Disney has to offer, then this stage show of American history might just be for you!

First, you make your way to the Colonial-style building that houses the entire pavilion. Along with the show, you will find the Hall of Flags exhibit, the Liberty Inn quick service restaurant, the Heritage Manor Gifts shop, and the eight-member a capella group known as the Voices of Liberty. It's all very red, white and blue.

Once you find yourself in the American Adventure theatre, you can look around at the beautiful statues that surround the large number of spectator seats. When the show begins, you will take a trip through the country's past, with the help of a couple of important narrators - Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin. The story progresses from the Revolutionary War period through the Civil War through American industrialization to the Great Depression. All the while, sets and characters rise out of the stage. The grand final is a film montage set to music depicting famous people and moment in the post-World War II era.

Over the years, there have been few changes to the show, other than some sprucing up here and there. Two major changes did happen. In 1993, a new version of the theme song "Golden Dream" by Bob Moline was recorded and in 2007, footage was added to the finale to update it, which included a scene of the police and fire rescue crews after the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11.

New mobile apps make life easier for Disney fanatics

2009-11-15T09:43:00.010-05:00

In a post-FASTPASS world, Disney World fanatics are not only unwilling to wait in line for rides; they also want to spend much of their time at the parks sifting through the most updated ride and attraction information with smart phone mobile apps.

Disney's Mobile Magic application debuted this week, offering park guests continuously updated information on wait times, precise GPS directions and park maps, FASTPASS information, character greeting times and locations, and much more.

All of which begs the question: How much is too much technology when you're on vacation? What will come next? Perhaps future apps will feature accurate information on monorail service wait times, shortest quick service restaurant and restroom lines, least crowded lands in the Magic Kingdom, open parade viewing spots, and fastest ticket and gift shop queues.

Curiously, while new mobile apps are a dime a dozen, public wireless access is severely lacking at the Disney parks and resort hotels. Even Disney's newest resort hotel, Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, requires guests to connect to the Internet through an ethernet cable, although nearby Holiday Inns and even McDonald's offer Wi-Fi access. Moreover, Disney blocks access to its internal wireless infrastructure at most of its resort hotels and theme parks. Why Disney would install an outdated Internet connection service at its most contemporary resort hotel boggles the mind, especially since some Disney hotels (including Disney's Beach Club Resort) offer complimentary Wi-Fi service inside lobbies, restaurants, and poolside.

The pace of technological change has already made Disney's Internet infrastructure obsolete. While it is commendable to release new mobile apps for cell phones, it would be a great boon to improve Wi-Fi access throughout the Walt Disney World resort.

Peggy Macdonald is a WDW Twourist who writes about Walt Disney World daily for Examiner.com.

A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers

2009-11-14T20:11:00.001-05:00

The following is a press release from BeyondTheAttractions.com.

NEW JERSEY October 1, 2009 – Lisa M. Battista unveils all the child-focused information, tips, and insights readers need to plan an unforgettable, fun-filled Walt Disney World vacation with their small children, ages 2-5, in Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers in a new, 2010 edition (BookSurge, October 2009, ISBN: 1-4392-5757-4).

Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2010) was written by a parent for parents who want to share the magic of Walt Disney World with their preschoolers. Walt Disney World Resort offers a unique vacation experience in a self-contained, easy-to-travel-to destination. However, with four theme parks, a myriad of on-site lodging, dozens of restaurants, and many recreational activities, planning a Walt Disney World trip with young children can be overwhelming. Battista saves parents hours of research by placing all the specialized information right at their fingertips.

Battista knows what parents care about and need to know when planning a Walt Disney World vacation with toddlers and preschoolers including lodging preferences for budget, location, theming, and amenities; attractions including must-dos and which to avoid; hidden activities that are perfect for kids, ages 2-5; dining options; transportation; parades and character greetings; recreation for small children; playgrounds and pools; safety; and seasonal events. Family-friendly features such as strollers, Baby Care Centers and child care options, which make vacationing with preschoolers more relaxed and convenient, haven’t been overlooked.

A parent of young children and frequent Walt Disney World visitor, Battista is continually searching for new ways to enhance the magic of Walt Disney World trips with preschoolers.

This product can be currently preordered on Amazon.com.

Photos from a Big Blue World: Finding Nemo - The Musical

2009-11-11T20:40:00.002-05:00

In 2003, Walt Disney Pictures teamed up with Pixar Animation Studios to produce the amazing film Finding Nemo. The beauty of the film was captured in a musical stage show in 2007 and placed in Disney's Animal Kingdom in the Theater of the Wild space, formerlly occupied by Tarzan Rocks! According to many guests, the cute little clown fish, the totally rad turtles, and the lovable-yet-forgetful Dory provide the best show ever available in any Walt Disney World theme park.

This attraction offers the feel of a serious Broadway show

and is nothing less than visually stunning with its creative master puppetry. Featuring numbers

like "Big Blue World," "Fish Are Friends, Not Food," "Just Keep Swimming," and "Go With the Flow," Finding Nemo - The Musical was honoured with a Thea award earlier this year for Best Live Show.

If you haven't experienced this forty-minute show, you simply must include it in your next WDW vacation.

The world is indeed dangerous and beautiful but, as Marc Lorenzo shows us through the photos in this post, it is mostly beautiful.

Marc Lorenzo shares his beautiful photos with WDW Twourists every Monday.

The Holidays at the Happiest Place on Earth! Part 1

2009-11-08T23:35:00.008-05:00

It's hard to find a person that doesn't enjoy the Winter Holidays at least a little bit. It's even harder to find a Disney fanatic, like all of us, that doesn't enjoy this special time of year to really let our Disney creative and planning juices to flow. I know for me, the day after Thanksgiving is the day that my mother, brother, sister, and I transform our house from ordinary into a Disney Winter Wonderland full of ornaments, trains, and tons of pixie dust(pictures of this year's decorations will be up as soon as they are up). Amanda Tinney(@amandatinney) of Disney Every Day says that she has a plethora of Disney Storybook ornaments and has an all Disney Christmas Tree, which sounds like my kinda tree! Lynette Perez(@MistressLynnie) watches Disney Christmas specials and for the first time since 1998, will be going to WDW for her Holiday celebrations!

But the Holidays at WDW, from a first-hand experience is something that any WDW fan can never miss in their life, no exaggerations. It is a breath-taking, beautiful sight of light, hope, and “snow.” Though it can get crowded at some points during the Winter, it all worth it for the Holiday spirit, which any person can love and enjoy. Within the coming weeks, I want to be able to bring a little Disney Holiday cheer throughout this blog post. There's so much going on at WDW during the holidays that I find it impossible to put it all in one blog!

WDW is full of great holiday food, decorations, and activities. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is just one example of the many things to look forward to this Holiday season. When you first walk into the Magic Kingdom for this party, starting at 7pm, Cinderella's Castle is at it's best, shimmering with beautiful lights that make you stop in the middle of Main Street. But we can't forget Main Street itself! Adorned with garland, wreaths, lights, and “snow,” Main Street glows with a brightness that is only shown once a year.

One of the great things Mickey's Very Merry includes with your ticket, ranges from $55-62 Adult and $45-56 children, is the complimentary Hot Chocolate and cookies. Now, I have yet to attend this event, but I'm pretty sure that it being Disney and all, these snacks have got to hit the spot with the perfect setting. With so many people attending, guests feel that the amount of people just adds to the fun and splendor of the season.

Of course, Disney never fails to awes their guests with their spectacular parades and tear-jerking fireworks. This event does not disappoint. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a fun, magical, Christmas filled parade with a surprise guest at the end: Santa Claus himself! And of course, the Holiday Wishes is an unforgettable show that is not to be missed.

I'd love to hear about what you guys have done for Christmas at WDW. And if you haven't gone, what would you like to do? What would you like to learn about? Let me know in the comments below or follow me on Twitter @DisneySoprano.

Until next time!! I shall hopefully be covering Thanksgiving at WDW. Have a Magical day! :)

Disney World takes steps to prevent spread of swine flu (H1N1 virus)

2009-11-07T09:51:00.003-05:00

When the swine flu pandemic first reared its ugly head last spring, Disney World did little to change its daily operations. As the H1N1 virus continues to spread throughout Florida and the rest of the nation, Disney is beginning to implement new measures designed to protect the health of the millions of guests who visit the Disney World theme parks each year.

In a post-swine flu world, Disney's practice of requiring guests to place their index finger on a touch pad scanner that matches fingerprints to individual tickets is simply a bad idea. Thousands of guests touch the scanner daily, and it is not cleaned between each use.

Several months after the onslaught of the swine flu scare, Disney is preparing to erect bulk hand sanitizer stations at the entrance to each theme park, which will ostensibly provide guests with the chance to clean their hands after touching the finger scanner. A simpler practice would be to stop requiring guests to touch the scanner at all, which would reduce the chances of spreading H1N1 virus or other communicable diseases. Guests can decline to have their fingers scanned if they produce a valid photo I.D. that links them to their Disney World ticket or pass, but Disney does not make this option clear at the gate.

According to the official Disney Parks Blog, guests can expect to see the new hand sanitizing stations at the Disney Parks in the coming weeks. This is a welcome addition, but it does not go far enough to secure the health and safety of Disney World guests. It will be interesting to follow future developments at the Disney Parks.

Peggy Macdonald is a WDW Twourist who writes about Disney World daily for Examiner.com.

Disney Parks Musical Extravaganza - Part One

2009-11-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow... It's a world of laughter, it's a world of tears... In the tiki, tiki, tiki room... Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me... Grim grinning ghosts, come out to socialize!

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first part of the Disney Parks Musical Extravaganza! Starting today, tune in every Friday for the next 2 weeks you will be able to read, right here on WDW Twourists, posts all about the music that you can hear on the Disney Parks. But before we even talk about the music, I'll go ahead and start some "instructions" for enjoyment of the posts. We'll start telling you what the posts will be about, then introduce you to the categories the music of the parks divide into. Know what? In the end of all posts, you will get a Disney Parks tune that you can download and listen anywhere you want- isn't that a great idea? I planned it that way, I really did.

POST NUMBER ONE: The boarding instructions for our ride through the Disney Parks music history. Well, its the post that youre reading right now. In this post I'll tell you all about the categories, and how the other posts will work.

POST NUMBER TWO: EPCOT. The second park on the Walt Disney World resort, he can say thanks to the music for his fame. Why? You'll see, and you'll also get a Disney tune!

POST NUMBER THREE: The magic of music. Sure, it sounds strange, but we will answer how can a music bring back a guest to the parks.

Get ready everyone! Head back, face forward, and hang on, we are just starting our extravaganza!

Disney Parks Music Categories

BGM or BACKGROUND MUSIC: Do you know that music that plays when you're walking right next to Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean? Well, they are the background music- generally they keep looping and looping and sometimes they set the theme for the attraction that you're about. Here's some trivia: Some of the background music loops of nothing but sound effects- example? Pirates of the Caribbean (pre-2006).

THEME SONG: Come on, this is obvious, I'll give some examples: It's a world of laughter, it's a world of tears-you probably got it. Theme songs are the songs that belong to a certain attraction and it's either used in the finale (Splash Mountain), the whole ride (Carousel of Progress) and in the beginning (Original Journey into Imagination).

AUDIO LOOP: Quick and short- this kind of music keeps repeating itself over and over. Want an example, again? It's a Small World. It is an audio loop AND a theme song, but it just keeps repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating, repeating...

Liked our short tour? We hope you did. Tune in next Friday to more Disney Parks Musical Extravaganza. Do I forget something? Oh! Here's your Disney tune- it's the Now is the Time theme song from the 1974 version of the Carousel of Progress. Want more? Head over to Mousebits.com (registration required), and tell them that Strat sent ya! Thanks for them for allowing me to use their tunes.

Have a great day, and see ya- real soon!

Lucky Kid!

2009-11-04T21:50:00.013-05:00

For all intents and purposes I was a very lucky kid! I was one of those kids who always got picked to do stuff and participate. But getting hand-picked at Disney World was a dream come true!

I was also lucky that I had a family who supported me from the get-go. I was only four going on five at the time I was asked to perform. I was quite young but being around all adults had given me a maturity at a very young age. My first cousin didn't come along until I was seven. So, for most of the time, I was around only adults. I was poised and very polite! My family wasn't the "stage mom" type of family. They made sure that even though I was backstage, underground and onstage doing a job that the Disney magic didn't ever fade in my eyes. I knew that Mickey and Minnie were people in costumes but I still believed in the story of them, kind of like Santa. You know he isn't real (Oops! Sorry!) but believing in the story makes the season that much more special! I always was treated like a kid, which I think was a good thing for me! I was never forced to do things that I didn't want to do. Yes, if I threw a tantrum and didn't want to go on I was told I had to but that held me accountable for the commitments that I have made! I think that was a very important lesson that I was taught from the beginning!

On the days when I wasn't singing and smiling, we would spend the day in the park, enjoying the rides and the food, enjoying the shows and parades, just like anyone else. That was very important!

The above photo is one of my personal favorites. I am in the last row in the first section and I am riding with my grandfather! Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road was his favorite ride!!! Him riding with me is one of my most focal memories over the years!

I guess what I am trying to get across is that I was a normal kid who did normal things with normal friends. I just got to do something really fun a few times a year but my family never let that go to my head. I had chores, received an allowance, and was grounded a whole lot as a teenager. "Normal" was the only way I could describe my life - lucky and normal!!

SIDE NOTE: My poor mother is in New Hampshire preparing for winter and trying to find all my pictures to mail to me so I am so sorry for the quality and lack of pictures! Because she is 1200 miles away, I can't really stay on her to make finding my pictures her number one priority but I promise I will have some soon!! Thanks for hanging in there with me!!!

Disney Celebrates YOU!

2009-11-04T13:55:00.012-05:00

"Its the time of your life...You don't want to miss out..on the here & now...there's so many reason why.." Celebrate You by Corbin Bleu

2009 marks the year Disney "Celebrates Today". Disney parks have been encouraging people from all over to celebrate. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, vacations...you name it! From decorating the monorails & buses with Mickey balloon window stickers to hanging banners on your car at the Tommorrowland Speedway, hanging "Celebrate Today" banners to offering free tickets on your birthday...the Disney parks are busting with people celebrating! A new interactive street show has even been incorporated into the Magic Kingdom to help get people in the mood.

The "Move It..Shake It..Celebrate It.. Street Party" is performed at the castle hub several times a day. This is definitely not a show to miss. It has everything...hip music, characters, large colorful floats, dancers, streamers...and more importantly, it includes you! There are portions of this street party that encourage you to get out in the street & dance with your favorite Disney characters. They will have you shaking your tail feathers in no time!

Each of the floats are large, colorful presents. Characters are on the floats & and the floats circle the hub of the castle before stopping. The main float, the one with Mickey & Donald of course, has the DJ on the top. This guy is amazing! His energy & personalization of each show keeps the crowds pumped & ready to celebrate.

This party has become the newest Disney tradition for our family. We make it a point, no matter what we are doing, to see that show every time we are in the Magic Kingdom. We get out in the street & dance. We laugh & enjoy each other. We celebrate the magic. We celebrate our moment in time together.

With the holidays approaching, many family gatherings will take place at the World. Be sure to take a moment & celebrate yourself & your family in front of the castle with this party. Times for this event are posted on the back of the Time Schedules located underneath the Train Station as you enter the park. Just remember...

"In everything you do....Celebrate YOU!" Celebrate You by Corbin Bleu

All photos by Dave Olmsted.

Tiny Twourists - Theme Park Play Areas

2009-11-03T02:13:00.001-05:00

One of my daughter's favorite activities at the parks are the play areas. There are several of these scattered through the parks. Some are water play areas, some are more like playgrounds. Since it is cooler weather, I will focus on the dry play areas.

The Magic Kingdom has Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland. Pooh's Playful Spot has a miniature tree house, logs to crawl through, and a slide area. For warmer days there is a water area. She loved ringing the bell on the house (as seen in the picture), running through the house, and using the slide. There is one entrance to the play area which is a nice safety feature. There are benches right outside of the play area if you (or part of your party) wants to sit and wait while the children play. We visited this play area at least twice on our trip.

In February of this year, we also found a play area in ToonTown but I cannot find it on the map. I don't know if it is still there. We did not get a lot of time to play there so I do not remember many details. I do seem to recall that it was covered. I think it may have been called Chip and Dale's Park and was near the ToonTown train station.

Animal Kingdom has a huge playground with bridges, slides, ramps, and a large sandy area to dig for dinosaur bones. When we were there, my daughter was still in a phase of hating sand so we did not venture into the actual dig area. She absolutely loved this play area. I liked that I could stand on a ramp and survey the entire play area to keep an eye on her. There are several large slides including one that is about 2 stories tall that my 3 year old went down on her own two or three times. There is also a smaller slide, a jeep, some rocks, and dinosaur fossils that the kids can climb around on. Now that she likes sand, I cannot wait to take her back to the dig area. When we were at Animal Kingdom in June of 2007, there was a waterfall area over a cave entrance that she loved running through (at 1.5 yrs old). In February of 2009, there was no water running. Like Pooh's Playful Spot, there is a single entrance and exit to this play area.

Disney's Hollywood Studios has a Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. It was one of the reasons that she selected to return to Hollywood Studios on our final half day instead of going to the Nemo ride in Epcot. While the concept is dated, my daughter had a ton of fun. Ironically, one of our daughter's favorite areas of this playground was the film slide, yet she has never seen an actual roll of film. This play area is highly themed and is not very open. It is very easy to lose track of your child in it. At different times both my husband and I were alone with her in the playground and lost track of her and had to search her out. For instance, there is an area where they go up the stairs and there is one of 4 tube slides that they can select to come down. There was no place for one adult to stand where you could see all 4 slide exits. Fortunately, there is only one exit and entrance to the play area and there was generally a cast member posted to prevent a child from leaving alone. The tops of the slides are shielded so you cannot see what is going on when your child is at the top. So, I have no idea whether she was getting pushed aside, or was doing the pushing.

Unfortunately, we did not find any play areas in Epcot (although she did love running around the paths following the train in the German train exhibit). There are a few areas of Epcot with water play areas available.

On our trip we spent several hours in these play areas. As a parent, I had to fight my feelings that we were wasting time on a playground when we could be on rides. The play areas were one of my daughters favorite activities in each park. She loved the break to run around in less crowded areas and interact with other young children much like she does on the playgrounds at home. I think it provided the opportunity both to burn off energy before waiting in line and also a break from some of the rides which can be overwhelming for a preschooler especially on a first trip.

The next time that you are at Walt Disney World with your young child, do not forget to spend some time at the play areas.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

2009-11-02T21:43:00.018-05:00

My boyfriend's sister, ASHLEY, and my sister, SAMANTHA, walking down Main Street.

Though I have been to WDW a countless amount of times since I was only a few months old, and now being 20-years-old, I had never attended Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. I love the holiday of Halloween but had never found a way to celebrate it in a way that I will always remember, it being an amazing time with family and friends. This party was exactly what I had been looking for.

JON and I on Big Thunder Mountain before the Party

The group included myself, my boyfriend and his younger sister, Ashley, my younger sister Samantha, and brother Ryan. This trip was the first of us spending time together since our boyfriend and I have been together and also, without parents. But we were all excited and curious for this amazing event I have heard about for so many years through my Disney podcasts, i.e. Inside the Magic and the unforgettable Mousetunes(with Lou Mongello of WDWRadio and Nathan Rose of MagicalMountain.net)

With the MNSSHP ticket, you are able to enter MK as early as 4:00 pm, and since our vacation only consisted of one night and leaving the next day, we took full advantage of this bonus. I have NEVER, in my years of going to WDW, seen the park so empty! We were able to breathe, see and take in all of the gorgeous decorations, interact with cast members more than usual, and go on rides as many times as we wanted to without fast passes or waiting more than 20 minutes. We finally got to ride my boyfriend's favorite ride, Peter Pan's Flight, which as we all know is usually the same wait time as Soarin over California, which in my opinion is ridiculous. Once we got out of PPF, the party had officially started at 7, cast members checking that we had on the wristbands, which I found great. Once the party started, the music changed from the normal park loops to Disney and non-Disney Halloween music, getting everyone in the mood. It got a crowded, obviously, with Halloween night being the only night that the event was sold out. But it was nowhere near the monstrosity of people that attend MK on a normal day.

Going around the parks, riding the rides, experiencing attractions, AND trick-or-treating is a genius idea and I wish I could shake the hand of the person who came up with it. I wouldn't expect any less from Disney. Nevertheless, the Boo-to-You Parade is, as my boyfriend and I agreed, the best parade in the park. Our favorite float/dancing was the Haunted Mansion floats. As a dancer and performer, I thought the choreography and movement for the gravediggers and the waltzing was amazing, very well put-together, and clever. Unfortunately, because of my late Chef Mickey's reservations, I was not able to see the Hallowishes fireworks. But I, as well as everyone else, enjoyed this event so much it is definitely not the last time I will be attending. The entire experience is very family-friendly and I think is something that kids would get the most kick out of. Seeing all of their favorite characters in costumes and being able to interact with them more than you can anywhere else is a huge plus. I wasn't able to participate, but the two dances going on in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland looked like a ton of fun for people of all ages.

Eeyore and Pooh all dressed up meeting Guests.

Now to some of the cons: the trick-or-treats spots, in my opinion, could be better managed. The lines were TOO long for something as simple as giving out a handful of candy. For the other parties that were, I'm sure, a lot less crowded, how they had the spots set up was extremely successful. But with the crowd as big as it was, I think it might have been a little wiser to maybe have more than 2 CMs at each spot to give out the candy, not to mention a CM to be able to MONITOR what happened in the lines. There were families cutting in line, children running a muck(yes, I made a Hocus Pocus reference on purpose), and strollers that were out of control. I expected Disney to also be giving out some better quality candy. Some of it looked like candy I could get out of a dollar store. We weren't expecting it to all be brand names, just candy that was recognizable to the general public instead of weird candy people are going to automatically throw away like we did later the next day. The trick-or-treating spots were the only con.

Seeing all the guests and CMs alike enjoying the night, having fun was such a great thing to see amongst the park. That's what Disney is all about--no matter how old you are or what holiday you're spending or where you're from, it's all about having a great time at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Tips for anyone planning or pondering about going next year:

*BE CREATIVE with your costume; I can't tell you how many people I saw wearing my exact same costume. It was disturbing and I'm the kind of person that likes to be different from the norm. There's obviously no costume contest, but if you're anything like me, you'll want to stand out in a good way for your own creative juices. Like the people in this picture: three lovely ladies dressed up as the three good fairies from Sleeping Beauty

Look closely for the Three Good Fairies! :)

*BE PREPARED You're going to want to take a plethora of pictures and videos at this event,

so make sure that you have all the digital memory on your cameras in order to capture all of

those special moments that if you're like me, you're sure to forget a week later.

*KEEP A LOOKOUT There's tons of merch everywhere for this event. For example, at the HM

kiosk, there was a Limited Edition pin of Constance's portrait. If I didn't take a closer look to this

kiosk, I would have missed out on a great pin! Whatever you find at MK at this event, never

assume that like other items, they will be at World of Disney. Trust me on this one.

*BE COMFORTABLE This was a big personal problem with my group. I thought that my

Tinkerbell costume would be comfortable enough to deal with being at MK for hours, but I soon

realized that it was itchy and my wings hurt my arms. Not to mention my shoes started giving me

blisters. My sister had some costume problems too. Make sure that you and/or your child have

purchased or made costumes that you will be able to be comfortable in riding rides, eating, and

walking around in a crowded and humid environment.

I highly recommend this event to anyone who loves Halloween and Disney. It's definitely something any

WDW Twourist shouldn't miss out on in their lifetime! :)

From L to R: My little brother, RYAN my boyfriend, JON, me, ASHLEY, and SAMANTHA

P.S. If you are my friend on Facebook, there are a ton more pictures you can check out from my entire trip! :)

U2's Bono makes a special appearance at Downtown Disney's Raglan Road Isrish Pub

2009-11-01T15:10:00.003-05:00

Downtown Disney's Raglan Road Irish Pub coupled its Halloween spirit with Celtic pride this weekend, featuring an expertly carved Bono jack-o-lantern in the restaurant's lobby.

Raglan Road and Downtown Disney's other themed restaurants were filled to capacity during Disney's annual Happy Haunting celebration Friday and Saturday. The trick-or-treat stations located throughout Downtown Disney's Marketplace, West Side, and Pleasure Island offered generous portions of assorted candies to costumed Disneyphiles. In fact, some of the trick-or-treaters looked rather seasoned, including childless adults in their forties who rushed in front of children to get free candy.

Unlike Disney World's theme parks, which require guests to refrain from smoking outside of designated outdoor smoking sections, trick-or-treaters had to dodge guests bearing lighted cigarettes and clouds of tobacco smoke throughout Downtown Disney. Moreover, there were no designated lines at the trick-or-treat stations, which led some guests to cut in line.

Nonetheless, Happy Haunting remains one of Disney World's most generous holiday offerings, and it is free. The entertainment alone made the trip worthwhile. Spooky stilt walkers mingled with the crowd, and storytellers and magicians entertained guests. A family-friendly deejay worked the crowd from a smoke-filled stage, and a Dixieland band surprised guests near the Fulton's Crab House Riverboat.

Disney World's next free holiday celebration, Festival of the Seasons, starts soon. The stilt walkers will return, this time in the form of larger-than-life toy soldiers. Traditional Christmas carols, magical holiday lights and decorations, and Santa Claus himself will provide holiday merriment for all. Downtown Disney's complimentary holiday entertainment attracts large crowds, and the parking lots fill up quickly at night. Be sure to make Advance Dining Reservations by calling 1-407-DINE or online at the official Walt Disney World Web site.

Peggy Macdonald is a WDW Twourist and writes about Walt Disney World daily for Examiner.com.

Happy Hallowishes!

2009-10-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd post some photos of my recent visit to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Enjoy and Happy Halloween :)

Welcome to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Cinderella's Castle looks spooky in the distance!

Happy Hallowishes Everyone!

The Headless Horseman rides tonight!

Boo To You!!

Gravediggers ignite the night

It's a rockin' ghoul time!

Madame Carlotta...hysterical!!

And we bid you good night...

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is not to be missed! Not only is the decor phenomenal, but you can walk on almost every attraction, which is worth its weight in gold!

A real Journey Into YOUR Imagination

2009-10-30T13:18:00.003-04:00

The year was 1999. You were just a little boy and girl anxious for your visit to Epcot. And, guess what? You have to check out Figment, and his buddy the Dreamfinder, because your mom kept telling you every year before your trip how cool Journey into Imagination was when she first went. Guess again.

Instead of Figment, Dreamfinder and the original ride, you get Eric Idle . . .I mean . . . Dr.Nigel Channing and the Imagination Institute. After you end, you start to complain- where's "One Little Spark"? And Figment? This is a Journey into YOUR Lack Of Imagination. Now, hang on, bud, let me show you the other side of the coin.

The real deal is that attraction is 100% original. Before I continue, I must explain what I mean by "original". When something is original, it doesn't uses characters, settings, or even the story from an already created franchise This includes books, movies, games, and theme parks attractions. So Journey into YOUR Imagination is 100% original. (Well, 90% because the theme started on Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.)

But that doesn't changes the fact that Journey into YOUR Imagination was bad, right? Wrong. Let me remind you that Disney is always known for cute little things, for nice movies, for great characters and for . . . a mouse. So when Disney decides to create something totally different, the public reactions are not really good. That happened with Alien Encounter, and it happened with Journey into YOUR Imagination too. Let's be frank: Some people only complained because Figment wasn't there, and that's Disney's fault. After all, they promoted their character SO much, that it soon became one of the icons of EPCOT!

That was the real problem with Journey into YOUR Imagination, and if you understood what I just said, understand this: That was the problem of EPCOT Center. Think about this. Since 1955, Disney has been known for making theme parks with attractions based on their famous characters, and often, one time or another, making original attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. Some of them don't have a story, but they are a great experience! Then, suddenly, in 1982, Disney throws that "cute-theme park" past out of the way and open EPCOT Center, a new experience. Everything is educational. Universe of Energy? Educational. World of Motion? Educational. Living Seas? Educational. And think about it, they were educational, but they were fun!

That was 27 years ago. The parks are now filled with characters. When something new opens at the parks, its either based on a Pixar/Disney character, or its just a show. Some people say that Disney Parks such as EPCOT failed because they were against what Disney did in the past. What happened to all the originality? That's why I love, and always will, the old EPCOT Center. I can clearly say that, when talking about parks, Disney is on a Journey into YOUR Lack Of Imagination.

Oh well, maybe Star Tours 2 will be fun.

Honeymooning at WDW

2009-10-29T10:15:00.004-04:00

Early in our engagement, it was evident that a WDW wedding was out of the question. Our families are too big and there was a lot of protest about having a smaller destination wedding. So what is the next best thing…a WDW honeymoon obviously! Now I’ve been to WDW more times than I have fingers and toes, but my new husband is a relative newbie. I took him on his first trip 2 years ago and as a surprise to both of us, he loved it! Well, how could you not? So since I didn’t get the WDW wedding of my dreams, we decided to splurge for our “Disneymoon.” We stayed concierge at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) and upgraded the free dining offer to the Deluxe Dining Plan (DDP). You only get one honeymoon, right? Well hopefully just one. I’m an event planner by trade, so I meticulously began my trip planning 9 months in advance. I wanted to make sure we had the right balance of fun, relaxation and food…but mainly food.

From the moment we arrived at the Jambo House, we felt like a prince and princess. When we were brought in to the concierge desk for check-in, the woman at the desk exclaimed “We’ve been waiting for you! Congratulations!” What a warm welcome after a 17-hour drive from NJ. We were whisked upstairs to the 6^th floor concierge lounge to continue with check-in and I was pleased to find that all of our dining reservations were set, along with the various tours we booked. We grabbed a glass of wine and some snacks and headed to check out the Savannah. Waiting for us in the room was a small gift of perfumes, a note congratulating us on our marriage and our “Just Married” buttons. All I can say is, if you're on your honeymoon, wear these everywhere you go! Everyone we saw were saying congratulations and were so happy for us. Cast members would clap and sing songs to us and twice we were surprised with a phone call from Mickey & Minnie! We were so impressed by the extra effort all of the cast members went to to make us feel special on our honeymoon.

Since we arrived in the late afternoon on our first day, we opted to just have dinner and relax instead of running to get in the last few hours at a park. We went to Artist’s Point and got a bit adventurous with our meal. I ordered the Wild Boar and my husband ordered the Buffalo. Both very delicious and just the beginning of the many fabulous meals we had on our trip. Since we were on the DDP we mostly had table service meals, many of which were Signature restaurants. Each restaurant deserves it’s own review (future posts), but some of our favorites were Boma for breakfast, the Cape May Café character breakfast, Yak & Yeti, Hollywood Brown Derby, and our all time favorite California Grill. Our dining experience culminated with a memorable dinner at Victoria & Albert’s, which was probably the best meal of our life. Overall, I can’t say enough about the quality of the meals we had…amazing! I’m not sure we would get the DDP again because we found it to be too much food. We enjoyed eating at many of the Signature restaurants, but felt that if we didn’t have the free dining offer originally to upgrade from, the DDP wouldn’t be worth the money.

We wanted to try new things during this trip and decided to step outside of the normal long days of park touring. First, we did the Keys to the Kingdom tour, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. My husband was a bit hesitant, since he’s not the Disney geek that I am, but he found it fascinating. We were taken backstage numerous times, down in the utilidors and through back entrances for Jungle Cruise, Pirate of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. We were also filled in insider secrets of WDW and learned a lot of new trivia. I highly recommend this tour to everyone, but be warned you may see some “unmagical” things while backstage. We then did the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure Segway Tour. This was by far one of the best things I’ve ever done at WDW. After a short introduction and practice on the Segway X2s, we were off for our tour of the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. We were given wireless headsets so we could hear our guide while we were zipping around the resort. He was filled with corny jokes and fun Disney trivia. I haven’t been to Fort Wilderness for probably 20 years and I forgot how beautiful it is. We were taken on some back trails that provides spectacular views of Bay Lake and the contemporary resort. The only problem is that you look incredibly dorky riding them! But nonetheless, what a great way to start the day! This is something we would definitely do again! Because we were staying concierge at the AKL, we were able to partake in the Sunrise Safari, which is an hour long guided tour on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Our guide was the curator of the AKL and as we went through the savannah, he stopped along the way and explained how they take care of each of the animals and the conservation efforts put forth by Disney. This tour was the reason why we decided to stay concierge at AKL and it was well worth it! Such an amazing opportunity to learn more about the amazing animals at the Animal Kingdom park. It was followed by a delicious buffet breakfast at Pizzafari. Lastly, we tried Characters in Flight. This took a lot of coaxing from my hubby to get me to do this, but I reluctantly agreed. For those of you who don’t know what Characters in Flight is, it’s a HUGE helium balloon that takes up to 30 passengers 400 feet in the air. That’s right, I said 400 feet. From the second I stepped foot on in the basket, my legs were shaking. We slowly ascended and reached our top height in just a few minutes. The views were amazing even though it was at night and it would've been incredibly romantic if my heart wasn't beating out of my chest from fear! I’m very glad I experienced this, but I’m not sure I would do it again :)

In addition, we were fortunate to experience many of the special events that were happening while we were there, such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Food & Wine Festival. We also toured the parks, hit the spa and did our fair share of relaxing. We went all out for our Disneymoon and took advantage of a lot of the extras that WDW has to offer. This was a once in a lifetime trip for us that will never be replicated. Even though I didn’t get my dream Disney wedding, I spent the most magical eight days a girl could ask for with her new husband in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Share your Disneymoon stories with us…we’d love to hear all about the magic you created!

Cinderella's Castle: The Centrepiece of the Magic Kingdom

2009-10-29T10:09:00.001-04:00

No symbol has ever represented Walt Disney World in the way that Cinderella's Castle has in the Magic Kingdom park. The minute you enter those gates, you find yourself in the shadow of this magical structure. Measuring in at 189 feet tall, the 18 month construction of Cinderella's Castle was completed in July 1971. The Castle has made an appearance in every visitor's vacation photo collection ever since.

Surrounded by a moat and containing real gold and gold leaf, this castle was inspired by several French palaces. Neuschwanstein Castle was the original inspiration for the castle in the animated film Cinderella.

The beautiful pics that follow were taken by Marc J. Lorenzo.

Cinderella's Castle in Light

Taken with a Nikon D90

December 2008 during Mousefest

Cinderella's Castle in Darkness

Taken on an iPhone at the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

December 2008 during Mousefest

Cinderella's Castle Through the Trees

Taken with a Nikon D90

December 2008 during Mousefest

Tiny Twourists - Bringing the Parks Home

2009-10-27T18:23:00.002-04:00

To prepare my daughter for her first trip to Disney World, my parents (who are DVC members) began bringing her gifts from their trips when she was a few months old. The first two purchases were personalized pink Minnie ears and a Disney Parks Music CD. She wears her ears around the house all the time. On our last Walt Disney World trip, the ears did not leave her head except to sleep. The CD is often in the car, however she prefers compilations of Disney's Greatest Hits. I have some from the mid-90s that she listens to, and we also check out more recent versions from our library. She prefers the greatest hits to the Parks CDs because they contain less instrumental tracks.

At a year old, my parents bought her a Disney Sing Along DVD that we let her watch before our trip when she was 18 months. There are several DVDs in the series, some of which show kids in the park interacting with the costumed characters. The characters can be either a big hit or a big miss with young kids. I think this DVD helped her be familiar with the costumed characters as opposed to just cartoon characters. There are two downsides to this DVD. While the DVD packaging is for Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005, the movie was originally released in 1990. Secondly, the movie takes place in Disneyland, not the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Our library also has this DVD as well as others in the series that she regularly checks out. Other Sing Along Songs DVDs cover Animal Kingdom, Fort Wilderness, and a Beach Party.

A great free souvenir is a park map. Be sure to pick one up from each park. You may want to pick up several as they do wear out with frequent use at home. My daughter loves to look at it and pick out her favorite rides. She also loves to look at the pictures of our trips.

However, as of this weekend we can experience part of a ride at home. The Toy Story Mania game for Wii is based on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In the ride, Andy's toys have set up a series of carnival games that you proceed through. On the ride, you will be stopped in front of a giant screen where you will pull the string of a launcher to simulate launching darts, rings, or balls at targets on the screen. In the Wii version, you use the A button on your Wii controller to shoot at the targets. The ride is a 3D experience. You can play certain portions of the Wii game in 3D. However, we found the 3D to be of poor quality especially in regards to the color. There is no requirement to play in 3D, so we are going to hide the glasses and hope our daughter forgets about that option. Aside from the 3D, the game is a nice recreation of the ride. The Wii game has additional games which do not appear on the ride.

You can play the game in a "story" mode which automatically proceeds from game to game. Each game has two goals. The first goal is easier to reach and allows you to proceed to the next game in Story mode. The second goal is harder to achieve and unlocks the game for the Free Play mode where you can select which game you want to play at any point. We have played it a few times and I have one major complaint about the story mode. You start at the beginning each time and have to proceed through the games that you already beat before you can get to new games and unlock them. Each game is timed so that there is no way to proceed through the story faster. I also found the instruction booklet to be woefully lacking in details.

Aside from those two flaws we really liked the game. The game is very similar to the ride. Since this is a new ride, and has a relatively slow throughput, it is really nice to be able to play it more often. Now that I have played the Wii game, I am interested to go on the ride again and see if any of the goals for the Wii game give you bonus points on the ride (for example popping all of the apple tree balloons in Bo Peep's Balloon pop game).

How do you bring the Disney Parks home?

Twitter Poll #2: Favourite WDW Website

2009-10-26T21:52:00.003-04:00

From time to time, we will be running polls about Walt Disney World things. Polls remain open for 1 hour. To get in on the voting action, follow @wdwtweets on Twitter. You never know - your comments may appear here on WDW Twourits.

Our second poll asked Followers:

"What is your favourite #WDW-related website?"

(All responses will appear in our links bar on the side. Check it out!)

And the winner is:

AllEars.Net

THE RESULTS

Total Number of Votes = 32

1 - AllEars.Net 14 votes

@ResourcefulMom says: "AllEars by @allearsdeb will always be my favorite non-disney owned site..."

2 [tie] - Be Our Guest Podcast & The Dis - 4 votes each

@jillybeaner21 says: "def Be Our Guest Podcast!! they're my disney family!"

@FarfsGirl says: "...also really like the calendar feature at wdwinfo.com [The Dis] for parades and fireworks, etc."

3 - Disney Food Blog - 2 votes

@DisneyfotoBlog says: "@disneyfoodblog .com 'food IS a theme park' :)"

4 [tie] - Disfriends Disney Foto Blog DVC Members The Official Walt Disney World Website Sorcerer Radio Touring Plans Twitter & WDW Magic - 1 vote each

@oakmanner says: "DVC Members.com for me!"

@zannaland says: "...nothing beats the magical feelings when I hear the music at disneyworld.com"

@khelmstetter says: "touringplans.com... of course"

@disneykymie says: "Does Twitter count ;~)"

@RikkiNibs says: "Be Our Guest Podcast (or course) and WDWMagic"

If you didn't get to respond to the POLL in time,
we'd still love to hear from you!

Leave your choice in the comment box below.

Top Picks from Epcot's Food & Wine Festival 2009

2009-10-26T08:56:00.006-04:00

This year marks the third year in a row that I've attended Epcot's Food & Wine Festival. When I started going to the Festival, anything that wasn't Mac & Cheese was considered "ethnic" food and a little too adventurous for my pallet. It's now 2009 and I look forward to visiting the Tangierene Cafe (in Morocco, when not visiting the Kiosks obviously!) and introducing my boyfriend to one of my perennial favorites, escargot. Things have definitely changed, and now I bring you my top picks of Food & Wine 2009!

I'll start with what was easily our favorite dish of the Festival. Seen in the image on the right are the items we tried from the Paris, France kiosk. On the left is Escargot en Brioche , while on the right is Cabernet Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes. The item I want to talk about is the short ribs. They poured a warm Cabernet sauce on top of this concoction that made the entire dish pop. It was comfort food, plain and simple. Like a warm hug on a cold day, except it was terribly hot out! We seriously could have sat on this bench all day and just kept eating them, they were that good. The meat was tender and the mashed potatoes were just the right consistency, not gummy how some massed produced potatoes can get. Both my boyfriend and I agreed that this was by far our favorite dish of the Festival.

We'll go now to a second beef dish from Cape Town, South Africa. Seen on the left is the Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Puree, and Mango Barbecue Sauce. I must admit a few things here; 1) I'm fairly picky about my meat, I like it medium rare, which is hard to do in a mass setting 2) I'm not a fan of Sweet Potatoes and 3) I'm also not a fan of mango. All signs point to me just not enjoying this dish. But in the spirit of the Festival, I gave it a try. While the meat was overcooked (at least by my standards!) it was still tender enough to cut with a plastic knife, so that gets a pass. When you took a bite of each ingredient together, it was like a party in your mouth. The mango wasn't overwhelming and complimented the sweetness of the potatoes nicely. The sweet potatoes in return helped to calm down the tangy taste of the barbecue sauce. All which went wonderfully with the beef. All in all, we were impressed with the dish and it made it on the short list.

The desserts this year ranked high on my list. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I had a ton of them on my list to try going down, but just wasn't able to get around to all of them. Really, any of the desserts I tried I would recommend highly and for different reasons. We had the Strawberry Shortcake which was just loaded with strawberries and fresh whipped cream from the Desserts & Champagne booth. From the same booth we picked up the Grand Marnier Parfait. It was frozen, and it's consistency was like Orange sherbet. On a hot day it was perfect. What made it especially great was the orange coulis on top, just a phenomenal flavor, bright & citrusy...exactly how it was supposed to be! We tried the Warm Chocolate Lave Cake with Bailey's Ganache from Cork, Ireland. A small portion, but it was so rich, we were almost glad it wasn't larger! From Santiago, Chile we tried the Alfajores which are Dulche de Leche cookies. Basically a butter cookie with dulche de leche in the center. They had them chilled, so they were cold when you got them. Another great choice on a hot day! They were sweet without being overpowering and since they were our last snack for a while, were a great option to cap off a segment of snacking. Finally, probably my favorite of all the desserts was the Praline Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Caramel Sauce from New Orleans, Lousiana. As I mentioned previously, one of my favorite things about the Festival is trying new things. Because of this festival, I learned that I love bread pudding! (I've ordered it twice at restaurants since I've gotten home, they've been good, but not as good as this one!) It was warm and soft, and each bite just melted in your mouth. I was in heaven.

Some observations from the festival as a whole... I was very impressed this year. The quality of the food was amazing. There was really only one item that we didn't like. And honestly, it was more that we didn't care for it than that it was bad. Others around us loved it! (The Fisherman's Pie from Cork, Ireland in case you're wondering!) Just wasn't for us. There was also a time that I was handed a plate of food, and in doing so, touched the gloved hand of a Cast Member. That Cast Member imediately changed gloves. The next person wouldn't have known whether or not he did that, but the commitment he showed to food safety wow'd me.

This was the first year I've ever checked out an event besides just the kiosks and I had a blast. Also headed over to the festival center, got a glass of champagne and port in some air conditioning while we listened to a free speaker. It was a nice way to cool off. I highly suggest planning out some of the events ahead of time as this year some of the usually free events were $8 and there were some unhappy people being turned away. All in all, Food & Wine is still a hit, and I'm already making plans for my pilgrimmage next year!

Tips, Tricks and Hints for Dining in WDW with Dietary Restrictions

2009-10-25T13:19:00.002-04:00

When my husband and I decided that we were going to go to Walt Disney World for our honeymoon, one of the first thoughts that popped into our heads was “when are we going to go?” The second thought was, “what on earth are we going to eat?” My husband and I are both vegans, meaning we choose not to consume animal protein or any animal products. Meat, dairy and eggs were all out of the question, and on top of our lifestyle choice I have a sensitivity to dairy products.

Normally this would make us sweat bullets, as most places in our area cannot accommodate veganism. We eat 98% of our meals at home which definitely helps us save money, but we would like to go on vacation too! Fortunately, there are lots of people out there just like us and Walt Disney World has proven time and time again just how accommodating they are to guests with dietary restrictions. The first thing I did was get in touch with Disney via their Dietary Request Hotline. That number is 407-824-5967.
I cannot stress enough how important it is get in touch with Disney ahead of time. Give yourself an absolute minimum of two weeks to get in touch with them for better results. When I called the number, I was greeted by a friendly automated female voice instructing me to leave a detailed message for them, and they would get back to me via e-mail. The automated message also explained that if I was already in the park and needed to make a request that I could just proceed to the restaurant podium and speak to a chef, as most requests could be fulfilled.

While this sounded fine, I didn’t want to take any chances and left a message detailing that my husband and I were both vegans, and that we weren’t sure about how to go about getting the food we needed while on our trip. Within 24 hours my inbox was graced by a friendly message from the Special Diets department with a dietary request form attached. Before filling out the form (which is short and easy to fill out, promise!), you should make your advanced dining reservations as soon as possible. Once you have gone ahead and done that, filling out your dietary request form is a snap! Just send it back to the Special Diets Department either by fax (they provide the number in an e-mail) or by e-mail.
Within a few days of sending in my form, I received another e-mail in my inbox stating that they received the form and that they had called each restaurant to let them know about our restrictions. A couple vegan friends of mine have had varying degrees of success with this service, but they did not leave Walt Disney World disappointed. Here are a couple simple tips for ensuring success on your trip:

1. Research menus for each restaurant you are interested in. If the rest of your party wishes to dine at a restaurant you think you may have a problem with, don’t worry! As long as you call ahead or ask to speak with a chef, you will most likely be accommodated.

2. Be insistent with your requests, but remember to always be polite. Remember, this is YOUR body so don’t let anyone make you feel as though you have to eat something you can’t or are not willing to.

3. Fill out the dietary request form as soon as you can. If the restaurant you are visiting is located within one of the parks (such as Hollywood Studios), make sure you go to the restaurant to confirm your dietary requests again as soon as you arrive. Once you are being seated at the restaurant, ask to speak with a chef.

4. If you aren’t the type that enjoys extra planning, many quick-service stands can be very accommodating to guests! Ask for a burger with a gluten-free bun, or ask if someone is made with peanut oil. When in doubt, ask questions. Don’t worry about being annoying, remember – it’s your health!

5. Make some phone calls. Ask for the executive chef or the food and beverages managers if you have questions about the food. The numbers for each park are as follows:

Magic Kingdom Park: 407-824-5967

Epcot: 407-560-7292

Disney-MGM Studios: 407-560-1347

Disney's Animal Kingdom: 407-939-7536

Based from a friend's recent dining experience, here are a couple restaurants that went above and beyond the call of duty for them during their visit:

The Tusker House (located within the Animal Kingdom Park) - This buffet features a large assortment of foods that will please almost anybody. They told their server about their restrictions, and the very friendly Tusker House chef escorted them around the buffet and offered to cook them food in separate pans to ensure it met their needs. They said the server was also very helpful, and the food was excellent.

'Ohana - Getting into 'Ohana with a reservation can be tricky, but dining in the Polynesian Resort proves to be a treat for everyone! Whether you are vegan, a raw foodist or allergic to several ingredients, Chef TJ will make sure that you are well taken care of. Best known for amazing creations with those with restrictions, Chef TJ will put a smile on your face and definitely won't leave you going home hungry. Note: Last time I checked, which was within the last month, Chef TJ does not work on Fridays or Saturdays. Plan accordingly!

Experiences may vary depending on who is working that evening, but these two places have been very consistent with the pixie dust. Remember to relax and enjoy your vacation...you’re at Walt Disney World! Be sure to check back next month in late November for my follow-up post to see how my husband and I made out in the parks!

Disney as therapy: Holiday trips to Walt Disney World help abused children recover and move forward

2009-10-24T09:32:00.006-04:00

For children who have been victims of abuse, the holidays can be a troubling time. Each Christmas, a little talked about form of therapy for abused children takes place quietly among the crowds at the Walt Disney World resort in Florida.

As a young college graduate, one of my first jobs was as a live-in staff member at a home for abused children. During the recruitment process, nobody had discussed the details of the children's abuse with me. As it turned out, all of the children I worked with had been sexually abused by their parents, whose parental rights had since been terminated. To these seven to fourteen-year-olds, all adults were suspect, and Mommy and Daddy were in jail.

The ultimate goal of the full-time, residential treatment facility was to place the abused children in its care with adoptive parents. Before this could happen, the children had to learn that it was not normal for adults to have sex with children. The adult staff members were responsible for modeling "normal" adult-child interactions at the group home. Based upon their past relationships with abusive parents, however, most of the children did not feel safe around adults.

Children were instructed to refer to all staff members as "staff." This practice was intended to prevent the children from forming strong attachments with staff members, since they would ultimately be parted when an adoptive family took the children into their home. In reality, many of the children would remain wards of the state until they reached adulthood.

Working and living with these children twenty-four hours a day, for weeks at a time, produced strong maternal feelings within me for the first time in my life. I turned twenty-three years old at the group home, but because we were discouraged from sharing our personal lives with the children, nobody knew it was my birthday that day. It was a worthwhile trade-off, however, because working the Thanksgiving "shift" (which extended to fourteen days inside the group home, without relief) reduced the chances of being assigned to the Christmas "shift" with the children, which traditionally took place at Walt Disney World. Working that holiday would have meant missing my last Christmas with my grandfather, who suffered a fatal heart attack the following spring.

For most children, spending the Christmas holiday at Disney World would be a dream come true. For children who have been legally separated from their abusive parents, however, being surrounded by thousands of children making happy memories with their loving, non-abusive parents was excruciatingly painful. It was also highly therapeutic.

The group home sent several van loads of children and staff to Disney World each year. Although the children exhibited profound behavior problems as a result of their abuse--behaviors chosen to stave off potential acts of abuse, at least for a short period of time--these problems rarely surfaced at the parks, where the children spent hours observing healthy family behavior, in addition to enjoying the rides and attractions.

Staff members were prohibited from showing affection--physical or emotional--toward the children. Their role was to help the children in their care cope with the intense emotions they felt while watching whole families interact with each other at the "Happiest Place On Earth." The children's own parents had committed unspeakable acts of abuse against their offspring.

During therapy sessions at the group home, children challenged staff members who attempted to explain to them that a parent's job is to love and protect a child in a selfless way. On one occasion, after a male staff member had just told the group that most parents are kind and caring, a nine-year-old girl responded, "My Daddy is evil." At Disney World, aside from the occasional squabble or temper tantrum, families are typically full of smiles, hugs, and giggles. For abused children, Disney provides living proof that most families are supportive and nurturing.

After the holidays, the children boarded the vans for the long drive back to the group home, exhausted but slightly more optimistic that one day, they would be able to visit Disney World with a family of their own.

Peggy Macdonald is a freelance writer, doctoral student and WDW Twourist. She writes about Disney daily for Examiner.com.

Tiny Twourists - Breakfasts

2009-10-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

Hi All! I'm a new Twourist contributor to the blog. I will be writing regularly on advice for families, especially those with young children. I will label the posts as "Tiny Twourists" to help you locate them. I want your feedback and your suggestions! So if you have a question about Disney with children or want to share your own experience please do.

I have a 3.5 year old who has been to Walt Disney World three times and Disneyland once. She has another trip to WDW planned with just the grandparents and we have a family trip to Disneyland planned as well (thanks to a conference at the Anaheim Convention Center).

Since breakfast starts the day, I'd like to start the blog off talking about breakfasts.

I love to start the trip off with breakfast at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom on the first day of our trip. You can book the breakfast up to an hour before the park opens. Only those with ADR are admitted to the park and you get to walk down a virtually deserted Main Street. This is definitely a great way to start the magic, especially on your child's first trip. Give yourself extra time to take some shots of your group with the castle on your way. The Crystal Palace has Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet. The characters do a parade with children through the restaurant about every 20-30 minutes before switching sides of the restaurant (two characters will typically be on each side). The meal is a buffet and the French toast is truly exceptional. If you ask at the omelette station they will make you pancakes with chocolate chips and I think blueberries. I have great memories from having breakfast eons ago at Ft Wilderness Hoop-De-Do and having Chip serve me my chocolate chip pancakes. Crystal Palace is also one of the less expensive buffets, so we have paid cash for it even while on the meal plan if we want to have extra sit-down meals. (Note Crystal Palace will be closed for rehab from Jan 1- Feb 13)

Last year we had breakfast at the Playhouse Disney Play 'N Dine at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. We also booked this one before the park opened. They suggested having one of us leave at park opening time to run and get FastPasses for Toy Story Midway Mania (awesome ride BTW and its FastPasses typically go early in the day). However, we found the food to be mediocre. We also found the characters outdated. My 3.5 yr old had no idea who Jo-Jo and Goliath were. And Little Einsteins has had severely decreased air time recently, so younger children may not be familiar with the characters. Even though my daughter loves watching Little Einsteins, the oversized heads were a bit intimidating to her in person (although I will give Leo credit for trying). It would be great to see this upgraded to include Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, or any of the other new Playhouse Disney characters.

I have also found that you can make breakfast reservations to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours. Plan to attend Extra Magic Hours in the morning and then have breakfast around 10a. In addition to the park restaurants with buffets, you can consider booking reservations at a nearby resort breakfast. We have done this with breakfast at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club (near Epcot, not too far from Hollywood Studios) and with breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. The Polynesian and Grand Floridian are also adjacent to parks and have character breakfasts.

We have not done 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian in many years, but it used to be a favorite of ours. It now has Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter. We have also not yet had the opportunity to do the breakfast at Ohana with Lilo & Stitch, Pluto, & Mickey or Akershus in Norway with Ariel. My daughter was slated to go to some of these in September with my parents, but emergency surgery cancelled that trip. They are now rebooked for January when my sister runs in the half marathon and have some of these reservations.

On our last trip, we were staying in a studio at the Boardwalk Vacation Club Villas so we had a kitchenette. We were at WDW 4 mornings. We had two breakfasts booked (Crystal Palace on our first morning & Cape May Cafe on our last). For the other mornings, we bought a box of Eggo waffles, syrup, and juice from the Boardwalk store. These purchases totaled $10, but we found it was a better value than using snack or quick service credits for breakfast (and there is not really a good quick service breakfast option at the Boardwalk). On our previous trip, we stayed at Old Key West and found a decent quick service breakfast. We are not huge breakfast eaters and were actually able to share breakfasts to maximize our credits.

So, what are your favorite breakfasts? What strategies have you used to maximize park time and crowd balance?

The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

2009-10-22T22:03:00.021-04:00

Naturally, any girl, no matter what age, longs to be a Princess--though in this society, it is often looked down upon should one make a life-long choice to forever to stay in touch with the child in them.I am never ashamed to show my dreams and hopes, acting as though I was still about 5 or 10-years-old at times, dancing around, singing Disney tunes. Especially when I am at one of us Twourtists' favorite places, the Happiest Place on Earth.

This past May, I celebrated my 20th birthday at WDW with my boyfriend and one of my best friends. Their passion for Disney is as grand as all of yours and mine, which is one of the reasons why this trip was so enjoyable. On our 4-day trip, hitting each park each day, we decided to endeavor the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway residing in EPCOT.

I have always been extremely curious about this restaurant since I was a little girl; the lure of it being a "Storybook Princess Dining Experience." Since it was MY birthday, and I wanted to truly feel like a princess this year, I decided, "Hey, why not?" So we went at 5:45pm for our reservation. Checking in and waiting for our table took much longer than expected. There were a ton of people with reservations waiting outside the restaurant, and being in the hot Florida humidity, as the sun was setting, making the heat even more unbearable, it wasn't exactly a pleasant waiting experience.

Nonetheless, we got inside, and before being seated, we were to take a picture with a Princess, this particular night it being Belle. The three of us were ecstatic, but honestly more anxious to sit down and rest, not to mention eat. But the picture was great, and copies of the picture were given to us complimentary once we were taken to our table. I have one on my refrigerator actually, with my sun burn and all. (Sorry, no digital copy to show on here.)

We ordered our drinks, and I was extremely excited to get the chance to meet my favorite princess of all, Princess Aurora, or Sleeping Beauty. As I see the princesses slowly come into the restaurant and interacting one by one, I started getting fidgety, not really wanting to eat. My focus was on seeing the princess I longed to meet the most. You would think that at 20-years-old, I wouldn't anticipating the audience of someone merely acting as the princess on the screen that I've loved since a child--but this is just one mere example of the kind of young woman I am. Our food was ordered, none of us not knowing really what to expect as we have never tasted Norwegian food before, but nevertheless excited to try something new. As we waited, I had yet to see Aurora, I started to feel hopeless and upset, as lovely as the other princesses were. Well...actually..eh, that's another story. But then the big moment came. I saw that beautiful pink dress and the long, blonde hair topped with a golden tiara and, no exaggerations, I started to cry. She walked towards our table and I was crying. I told her it was my birthday and how excited I was to see her, and she was very sweet. We took pictures and conversed, but of course, she needed to go make other little girl's dreams come true. I was beyond happy, and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my meal. My best friend got just as excited with her favorite princess, Erin, which was great to see. :)

Though the food was somewhat bland, at least for my taste, it was rather good. I had the Sauteed Chicken Breast, which honestly after reading that there was bacon involved, there was no question that out of all the selections, that was the one I would enjoy most. Then, as my server, who was by the way extremely sweet though unfortunately I cannot remember her name, knew it was my birthday, she brought out a large plate giving a sample of all the selections of dessert with a candle in the middle. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me, and to top it all off, our server gave me a birthday card with ALL of the princesses autographs, as well as a sweet note from my server. Not to mention the desserts were absolutely DELICIOUS. I couldn't have been happier.

The restaurant has a great theme, it's very castle-like, Baroque-esque with obviously Norwegian details. With all of the princesses walking around, it's a great experience for any fan of the Disney princesses young and old. In all honesty though, I would say this is a great option should you had originally wanted to dine at Cinderella's Royal Table but couldn't get a reservation. The menu offers some great kid-friendly options and it's less expensive, though still in my opinion pretty pricey, than CRT.

I shall never forget this experience of meeting my favorite princess, or of my boyfriend getting hit on by a Hispanic-looking Cinderella at this great restaurant. Haha. Great times, endless memories, a great birthday dinner.

Twitter Poll #1: Best Resort Lobby

2009-10-22T12:20:00.002-04:00

"Which #WDW resort lobby do you think is the best?"

And the winner is:

Wilderness Lodge

THE RESULTS

Total Number of Votes = 27

1 - Wilderness Lodge - 9

@druntia says: "[H]ands down the Wilderness Lodge lobby is amazing. I always catch my breath no matter how many times we stay there."

2 - Animal Kingdom Lodge - 8

@superedo says: "Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Jambo House lobbies are spectacular!"

3 - Grand Floridian - 6

@theJackal24 says: "The Grand Floridian lobby especially on the nights when the band plays. I could sit and relax and people watch for hours."

4 - Polynesian - 4

@dclfan says: "Polynesian -- Nothing comes close"

Dreams of a Child

2009-10-20T20:40:00.014-04:00

My First trip to Walt Disney World in 1983 was a milestone in many ways. It was my first time out of New England, my first plane ride, my first trip to Disney and my first job offer!!
I was one of those children who never met a stranger! I would always be the one participating in dances and games. I never thought bad about anyone! I was animated and fun and above all else.... adorable!

While dancing around with a group of children on Main Street USA one day before the Afternoon Parade my Aunt was approached by a CM and asked if I had any acting/dance/singing experience. I had had a few dance classes but nothing too extravagant. She was asked to bring me to a dance studio in Kissimmee the next day so they could take a look at me. So away we went the next day and I was asked to dance along to Rockin' Robin and Sing a few bars of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... let's remember... I was 4 and a halfish... my repertoire wasn't that big!!! After that I went into another studio with a bunch of kids and we played for a while.. dress up and house and things of that nature. As an adult I now realize that they were probably watching us but I had no idea then. I was just playing with friends! I wish that I had all sorts of details for you on how it all worked out in the end but I wasn't privy to all that info as a kiddo. All I know is that after those two weeks, every major holiday, Christmas, New Years, Easter and for 7 weeks in the Summer I was singing and dancing in Stage Shows and Parades at Walt Disney World! From ages 4 until I was 13.

My series of Blogs will be talking about the Magic that I experienced as a Kid Of The Kingdom and then later as an Adult Employee! I also will be talking about other experiences outside the World that I have had and comparing them to what Disney has!

Welcome to our show!

2009-10-20T11:58:00.004-04:00

They've been doing this show for 300 years, and since they allowed us, "honorary bugs", to see their show, lots of people got out of the Tree of Life Theater either laughing - or running away.

It's Tough to Be a Bug is a great 3D show that has been presented on WDW's Animal Kingdom and Disneyland's California Adventure. And it has been considered by some "one of the best 3D shows that Disney ever made, because it uses something that we humans always had - the fear of bugs".

What do they mean by "the fear of bugs"? You gotta admit, the first time you got stinged by those hornets, the first thing you must have thought would be "I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE WHERE'S MY MOMMY?!" That's the scarefactor of the show. Since the dawn of time, humanity was feared the unknown thing. Bugs were (and still are) one of these unknown things, because we didn't knew how they lived, how they thought, how they acted - that's why there was a mass of horror movies about giant bugs destroying our planet.

Then the Disney Imagineers had a great idea - why don't we use this fear and create a show around it? It's tough to be a bug was born. The aim of the bugs during the show is not to present their survival techniques. Is to show that they are as... normal... as us! And when Hopper attacks us, that scarefactor comes to action, as he tries to get revenge against the humans for "humilliating" the bugs so much. He then orders his bugs minions to attack, and suddenly, hornets are stinging you, spiders are flying over you and screams can be heard. Cause everyone was afraid that the bugs would attack you, and suddenly, they did!

Now that's the good thing about the show: instead of being just a normal 3D movie with fancy music (Philharmagic), good characters (MuppetVision3D) or just an outdated 3D movie (Honey, I Shrunk the Audience), It's Tough to Be a Bug dared to bring us, humans, to the world of the animals that we so much fear - bugs, by making us small as a bug! Instead of just having nice 3D or 4D effects, it dared to use our fears against us. And that's why in my next visit I'm going to that theater, and I'm going to be stinged, and I'm going to be squashed. After all -It's really tough to be a bug.

It's A Small World After All

2009-10-19T22:22:00.007-04:00

A Little Twistory

It is indeed a small world after all and Twitter is making it even smaller. While it is true that Twitter has revolutionized social networking in general, it especially true that it has completely changed the online community of Disney fans. For years now, fans have been gathering on message boards, other websites, e-mail groups, and in other ways to express their love of the Mouse and, when not physically immersed in Disney, we are virtually a part of the magic. Twitter has bridged the gap between physically being there and virtually being there. On Twitter, users can hear the news literally as it unfolds. (We certainly saw that happen with the recent D23 convention.) They can get up-to-the-minute tweets from the World and the Land. They can experience the sights, the sounds, and the smells as they happen. It is truly an amazing tool!

I'm WDW Tweets (@wdwtweets). I started using Twitter to feed my Disney hunger back in April 2009. At first, I posted the typical WDW-related news bites as they became available to me. However, I quickly realized that I could help spread pixie dust to Disney fans everywhere by simply keeping my eyes peeled and "spotting" people in Walt Disney World. It was a pretty easy task really. I just looked out for those who were tweeting about their adventures from the World. With a little wit, I let my few followers know who was doing what. People enjoyed being SPOTTED and others enjoyed knowing about their whereabouts and whatdoings. Before I knew it, I had a whole lot of followers! To date, I've got 1324 without any self-promotion. This amazes and overwhelms me. It just goes to show, though, that this is the type of stuff that Disney fans crave.

Twourists

One of my followers called me a "Twourist." I fell in love with that term and started to recognize many more twourists in my midst, who were dying to share their knowledge, insight and love of Disney with anyone who would listen. Enter this blog. I thought that it would be great to have a place where everyone and anyone could post about Disney things that interested them. Twitter and Disney are what bind us together.

The hope is that each day there will be a different post about Walt Disney World and occassionally other parts of Disney too. Likely, there will be a great variety of topics from many different perspectives. I am excited to see where this will go and open to many possibilities. This is a place where all of us WDW Twourists can meet.

So I hope you will join us in making the online Disney community an even smaller world. Feel free to read and comment. Subscribe if you'd like. Visit the links on the side. And if you would like to contribute to our blog, just send us a note and we will draw you into our circle. wdwtweets@gmail.com