Do they even have a 12-step program for Disney addicts?

Our next Disney vacation isn't until June 2011 - unless of course some miracle occurs and I win the lottery and can finally buy into the Disney Vacation Club, at which time we will be at Walt Disney World ASAP.

Anyway, back here in the 'real world'....

As I said, the next time the party of 10 will be embarking on another Disney adventure is in about 22 months.

So, I'm already planning for that trip. That's not too early, right?

I say it's never too early to plan for your next Disney trip. Heck, I was thinking about what we'd do "next time" while we were still in the parks way back in April!

I already have my spiral bound notebook ready and waiting... and it's quickly filling with notes for that next trip - where we should eat, how many 'table service' meals we should do in one day (uh, that would be ONE per day!), the pros and cons of various deluxe resorts - which brings me to this post. Sort of.

My mom stopped by today and as I sat down at my computer to respond to a tweet, she said "What are you doing?"

"I'm tweeting one of my Disney peeps on Twitter."

"You need a 12-step program," mom said.

"Why? I'm not on Twitter all day." (Nope, not all day.)

"Not for Twitter. You need an intervention because you're addicted to Disney," mom said.

Addicted to Disney? As if that's a bad thing!

I will be the first to admit that I am in all likelihood addicted to all things Disney. [And isn't admitting your 'problem' the first step? haha]. But it's a good thing.

To me, Disney is pure magic. It's a place where you can go and forget all your problems and smile and laugh and wear your Mickey ears proudly and just be happy.

I've been visiting Walt Disney World since I was a toddler (and that was a LONG time ago!). I've spent time at WDW in the middle of the summer with all the crowds, during October when you practically had the park to yourself (this was pre-free dining!), on New Year's Eve (and I vow to never again attempt the Magic Kingdom on New Year's Eve!), and in the late spring (after the Easter week crowds have gone home).

Now that I have my own kids I want to share the Disney magic with them as often as our budget will allow. My husband says "there are other places to visit besides Disney" .... which I'm sure is true and we will make it those places...someday.

For now, I will proudly admit my Disney addiction and will continue to plan our next family trip! [And I will also continue to wish upon a star for that lottery win so that I can buy my DVC membership!]

[If you want a better idea of my love for Disney, I suggest reading this blog post . Mike Scopa, a feature writer for AllEars.net says it best. And while I might not shed Mouse Tears at the same things, I could come up with my own top 10 list!]

*I've always loved Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. One of my favorite things when I was younger was this Cinderella wristwatch that my parents (or maybe my grandparents) bought me - it had three different bands (white, pink and blue) that you can change to match your outfits, and I loved that watch. I wish I knew what happened to it. I'd love to let Olivia wear it.

**Check out that photo ... don't you just LOVE it when a rainbow appears over the Magic Kingdom!?!

Get to the Point - Part 2

OK, so in the previous post the day-long rainstorm had FINALLY ended (yeah, thanks local weathermen for the original 30% chance of rain predication...guess you missed the mark on that one, eh?) -- and now we were headed back to the park.

Cedar Point isn't the type of park where you need a "gameplan" in order to make your day enjoyable - you either go there to stand in line (a lot) to ride the world famous coasters or you go to wander around and let the little ones ride the kiddie rides. That's about it.

But, I still have a few thoughts about how to make your trip more enjoyable for everyone in your party.

TLC's Top 10 Tips

1. If you have small kids, pack snacks. And sippy cups. There is NO reason to spend a ton of money on amusement park 'snacks' when it's just as easy to pack a tote bag or backpack and fill it with individual bags of Cheez Its, Goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, etc. [OK sure, the brochure says 'no outside food' but honestly, NO ONE checks your bag as you enter the park. And I've never seen the 'food police' walking around confiscating Cheez Its].

2. If you are staying at the Hotel Breakers (or any other resort), pack food for breakfast. At the Breakers your breakfast choices are VERY limited - you can either pay an arm and a leg for some Krispy Kreme donuts and Starbucks coffee ... or ... you can pay and arm and a leg for a breakfast buffet. We've done both unfortunately and I would seriously recommend bringing your own donuts or cereal and milk (especially if you get a room with a 'fridge)! I would also recommend bring some pop and/or bottled water to keep in the 'fridge too. Even if you're only staying one night.

3. Eat the 'world famous' french fries! Seriously. You must do this. Head to the back of the park, near the Gemini roller coaster and buy some fries. With cheese. And vinegar. You can thank me later.

4. If you are a coaster enthusiast...be prepared to stand in line. There is no FASTPASS option at Cedar Point. You will wait. Sometimes for hours.

5. If you go this summer, be sure to stay until 'twilight' so that you can see the new "Starlight Experience" on the Frontier Trail. The CP Web site describes it this way: "Immerse yourself in a canopy of light! Walk the Frontier Trail for a multi-sensory experience, featuring lighted displays, music, splashes of light and over one million LED lights." We made it a point to stay until dark and it was worth it. A nice addition to my favorite part of CP (the Frontier Trail).

6. Visit Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy -- if you have kids. Several years ago, Snoopy and friends showed up at CP. These two areas are great for the little ones -- they are full of rides for kids of all ages (and most of the rides are "parent friendly" too). And, if you're lucky, you just might run into Snoopy, Charlie Brown or Linus while in Camp Snoopy. [Camp Snoopy is located near the Gemini, while Planet Snoopy is located off the Midway].

7. Ride the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad. Round trip. It's a nice 15-20 minute train ride. A good way to rest your tired feet.

8. If you're staying at the Hotel Breakers, take some time to play in the sand. Or at least let the kids play. It might not be the Florida coast...but the Lake Erie shoreline is pretty (and the water is clean)..so pack those beach toys and chill out in the sand for a while.

9. If your budget can handle it, I would recommend buying a two-day Ride and Slide ticket. We bought ours at the hotel for $63.99 per adult (junior tickets were cheaper). With these tickets you can visit Cedar Point and Soak City (the water park) over the course of two days. For example: we spent Saturday at Cedar Point and upon leaving we had our hands stamped with a waterproof (but NOT sunscreen proof) stamp. We were able to return to the park after the rain stopped and only had to show our hand stamp. The next day we went to Soak City in the morning and then headed back to CP in the afternoon.

10. Look for bargains when it comes to eating. One of the best deals we found was Saturday night when we were wandering around trying to figure out "what's for dinner?!?" Near the Midway we found a Johnsonville Brats stand and for $5 you could get a bratwurst, chips and pop. That is a good deal! Oh, and there are NO lids available when you buy a pop at any food stand. I find this odd and a bit irritating...but maybe that's just me. If you're looking for somewhere to sit and grab a bite to eat with the kids, try the Joe Cool Cafe - located across from Planet Snoopy. You can order Pizza Hut pizza (yum!) and THEY HAVE BEER (parents, I know you will appreciate this!). It's not really a "bargain" but it's better than grabbing more 'amusement park' food! [I should also mention - there is a certain sub sandwich place right outside Soak City and you will pay $7 for a 6-inch sub and $14 for a footlong sub. There is no $5 footlong at Cedar Point.]

OK...that's all. So, keep your hands and arms inside the ride at all times and enjoy your day at Cedar Point!

(Cedar Point is open until until November 1 this year. Halloweekends start September 18.)

Get to the Point - Part 1

Growing up in Northwest Ohio, the start of summer was always marked by the seasonal opening of Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

And, as a child, we always spent one hot and humid day at Cedar Point - riding the rides, eating the world famous french fries and ending the night with a purchase of saltwater taffy (which would never really get eaten!).

Last summer, we decided to introduce our kids to Cedar Point and, of course, they loved it! We went again last fall for the "Halloweekends" - where the park is decorated for Halloween and there is "fun scary" and "scary scary" stuff for kids of all ages.

Well, this summer we decided to make a mini "staycation" out of our trip to CP - and so, the "party of 10" [from our Disney adventure] headed east toward Sandusky a few weeks ago.

We had reservations at the Hotel Breakers - which is the 'flagship' resort for Cedar Point. It was built in 1905 and well, let's just say it's showing its age. My husband and I had stayed at the Breakers last summer - but obviously we had a room in the "newer" section in 2008 because our room this year was nothing to brag about. It was old. That's all I can say about it.

(The hallway of the Bon Air section of the hotel - where we stayed this year - reminded me of the hallway from The Shining. All that was missing were ghostly children on tricycles calling out "Redrum! Redrum!")

OK, sorry...I digress. All in all, the Hotel Breakers is NOT that bad. It's old, yes, But that gives it a little bit of charm too. The lobby is nice and it IS right on the beach....so it has that going for it. My recommendation if you are going to stay at the Breakers would be to REQUEST a room in the newer sections of the hotel and stay OUT of the older sections.

For the price they charge (a one night stay with park tickets for 4 people in a non-lakeview room with 2 queen beds = $403, according to the CP reservation site) you need to be in a MODERN room. (That price quoted IS in the Breakers tower or the Breakers East section - both of which I believe are newer and include a dorm size refrigerator). [As it was, our rooms were NOT in the newer section and they still cost about $220 a night! That being said, my parents have vowed to NEVER return to the Hotel Breakers.]

A few positives of staying 'on site' at the Breakers -- we were able to get into Cedar Point an hour before the park opened (this is more of a 'good' thing if you're one of the avid coaster riders that swarm to the park every summer). For us, it just meant we could take the kids to 'Planet Snoopy' an hour early. We were also able to buy our two-day "Ride and Slide" tickets at a discounted price as resort guests.

Another 'plus' to staying on site was this -- we could go back to our hotel for a while and rest. This was a saving grace for us on this trip because it RAINED. A lot. I'm talking epic rain here people. My dad spent about $70 on ponchos for the group because it was the ONLY way we could even walk through the park to get to the few attractions that were open during the deluge.

Finally, by 2 p.m. we were tired of being rained on and so we headed back to the hotel to dry off and watch The Weather Channel. Thankfully, by 4 p.m. the rain was gone and the sun was out and we were back in the park!

[As an aside, when it rains at Disney World you can just put on your ponchos and still have enough to do to make the rain seem not so bad. This is NOT the case at Cedar Point.]

Coming up....what to do and what not to do on your trip to Cedar Point.

Animal Kingdom, glass slippers and "Wishes"

Friday, April 30

Our last day at Walt Disney World. I still had a ton of things that I wanted to do and see, but there was no way we'd fit it all in today! I kept saying "just give me a few more days here and I'll be happy!" - the rest of our group thought I was insane. My parents claimed they were "Disney'd out" (really, is that even possible? I think not!).

We decided to get up early, eat breakfast at the resort and head back to the Animal Kingdom. I have no idea why...but it took forever to get a bus to the AK and once we did it was PACKED! I knew this was an indication that the park was going to be packed too.

And it was. I am guessing here...but I think Fridays are not a good day to visit the AK. I will keep this in mind for our next trip.

Once we were in the park, Kevin and Emma headed to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride to grab a FASTPASS (I really wanted to ride it again. Silly me....you'll read why soon!). Olivia and I headed back to Camp Minnie Mickey to see if we could find any characters. It was still early (the park had just opened when we arrived) so no characters were out. But then, as we started to leave the 'meet-and-greet' area, Pocahontas appeared!

This made Olivia's morning, I think. She had been wanting to meet Pocahontas since our trip in 2007 -- and to make the moment THAT much better....we were the only people there to greet her!

The other 'person' Olivia wanted to find was DiVine. She had seen her photo in one of my tour books and finding Divine had become a mission. So, I asked a friendly cast member if he knew where we could find Divine and (looking very confused) he walked over to another cast member who proceeded to tell him (1) who DiVine was and (2) where she would be.

We walked over to the area between Asia and Africa and suddenly ... there she was! DiVine walked out of the bushes right in front of us! If you weren't paying attention you would walk right past her. Olivia was thrilled!!!

We then headed over to the Safari ride to get in the FASTPASS line (love that!!!). A mere 5 minutes later we were in our safari vehicle, headed out. And then it happened...right past the elephants we stopped. I mean completely stopped. At first our driver said there was an animal in the road up ahead and we'd be on our way soon. Ten minutes later he told us another vehicle had broken down and they were sending in a tow truck.

At this point, I should mention that the land for the safari ride is equal in size to the ENTIRE MAGIC KINGDOM! More than 40 acres. Yeah. Not exactly a short trip for the rescue truck. This was going to take a while.

After about 15-20 minutes we were FINALLY on our way. At least we didn't get stuck near the lions.

Mom and dad met us at the AK -- my sister and her family decided to hang out at the pool for the day. We wandered around a little more (and totally missed the tigers in Asia - I have NO idea how this happened). Around lunchtime we decided to try the Flame Tree Barbecue. We had passed up this counter service restaurant earlier in the week because we thought there was no seating. Ha! We were wrong - I had done a little research and discovered the seating area was a bit "off the beaten path."

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (it came with baked beans and cole slaw) and key lime pie for dessert. Let me put this out there: this is by far one of the BEST counter service meals at all of WDW! And the seating....let me give you a tip: Head down the path to the left of the restaurant until you see a covered area right on the water. Sit there. It's quiet. And lovely. And you have a perfect view of Expedition Everest. (Check out this blog - a great post about the Flame Tree Barbecue!)

After lunch we wandered a bit more (darn this park! I will conquer you....don't underestimate me!) and decided we wanted to get an up close view of the Tree of Life. Here's a tip - to get access to the trail that wraps around the Tree, head toward the line for "It's Tough to be a Bug", and presto! you're suddenly walking around the trunk of the tree.

This tree is amazing! The trunk is covered with hundreds of carved animals. And the tree itself is huge. This is a not-to-be-missed experience.

Later in the evening we were headed to 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort for Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner (with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine and the evil stepsisters). For months I had been planning on ordering the Glass Slipper Dessert -- and three hours before dinner I realized I had forgotten to order it!!! See, the 'rule' is you're supposed to order it 24 hours in advance (this dessert can only be ordered at the Grand Floridian or Cinderella's Royal Table at the castle).

So, in a slight panic, I called the bakery and essentially told them we were coming to dinner at 6 p.m. and I had forgotten to pre-order the Glass Slipper Dessert and was there anything they could do -- and to my surprise, the voice on the other end of the phone said "yes" (after talking to the head bakery person, of course). And so, I put in my order for two glass slippers and made a little magic for Olivia, Emma and Madysen.

[The glass slipper is this: a white chocolate slipper filled with mousse and served with fruit and berries. The cost was $15 and it was so worth it....just to see the look on the girls' faces when it was served!]

OK...so before dinner we headed to the Magic Kingdom for a little while. We rode the train (round trip, of course) and did a little shopping on Main Street.

Then we boarded the Monorail and headed to the Grand Floridian. And let me tell you, that resort is GRAND. Wow. That's all I could say when we walked in. Wow. Wow. Wow.

1900 Park Fare was a perfect, magical way to end our trip. We had a group photo taken outside the main dining room and then, after we were seated we met Prince Charming, Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella. The step-sisters were a HOOT! Our table was smack-dab in the middle of the dining room -- which ended up being the perfect location.

About halfway through the meal, Cinderella and Prince Charming started to waltz right next to our table and the next thing we knew, the three girls (Olivia, Emma and Madysen) were dancing with them! It was the most magical moment -- to see these three little girls who LOVE Cinderella holding her hands and dancing with her...well it was just incredible. Amazing. True Disney magic at its best!

After our magical dinner, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom to squeeze in a few more rides and watch "Wishes".

We rode it's a small world, the Haunted Mansion, and Cinderella's Carousel before it was time to find our spot for Wishes.

I have to say, Wishes is my absolute favorite fireworks display at WDW. The song makes me cry every single time. But to see the fireworks behind the castle....it's just amazing. As with any fireworks/parade at WDW, it would be in your best interest to find your "spot" at least 45 minutes before the show starts.

Earlier in the week we had watched Wishes in front of the castle - this time we sat on the side of the castle (on the walkway/bridge to Fantasyland). A good spot...but I still prefer to sit in the hub area in front of the castle.

And then, Wishes was over. And so was our magical vacation.

We took the boat back to the Wilderness Lodge and did some last minute packing. The next day, after a somewhat crazy busy breakfast at the Roarking Fork Cafe, we checked our bags, boarded our bus to the airport and started planning the next trip.

May 2011. Disney World here we come. Chaos, party of 10.

Overall thoughts:
- for some reason, the Animal Kingdom is very busy on Fridays
- while in the Animal Kingdom, look for DiVine

TIPS
- if you will be eating at the Grand Floridian or Cinderella's Royal Table, you really should pre-order the Glass Slipper Dessert -- it's so worth it
- don't wait until the last minute as I did -- you might not be able to order it
- ride the WDW train round trip -- it's a nice 20 minute way to relax

Breakfast with JoJo and Dinner with Remy

Thursday, April 30

We were up and at 'em early again today! We had 8:30 a.m. ADRs for Play 'n Dine at Hollywood & Vine (or as I like to call it...Breakfast with JoJo). The first time we did this breakfast in 2007, the place was PACKED - every table was full. This time, it was empty - which seems odd to me, considering the popularity of character meals at WDW. More than half of the tables were empty -- even when we left at 9:30 it had yet to fill up. The cast of characters includes JoJo & Goliath and Leo & June from Little Einsteins -- and the breakfast itself is a buffet. JoJo is no longer on Playhouse Disney - so perhaps that is one reason why the crowd was so small. I'd be interested in hearing about any other experiences people had at Hollywood & Vine.

After breakfast we grabbed a FastPass for Toy Story Midway Mania -- which I recommend for anyone who wants to ride this particular ride. The stand-by line was more than an hour wait. [I really recommend taking advantage of the FastPasses -- you can avoid waiting in line for too long and can instead enjoy more of the parks and then head back to the ride at your FastPass time]. With our FastPasses in hand, we headed back to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show.

For anyone who loves the story of Ariel and Prince Eric, this show is a must. I like to call it a "Cliff's Notes" version of The Little Mermaid - the whole story takes about 17 minutes to tell - with brief scenes from the movie shown between the live performances. [Note: you get sprayed with a gentle mist and light breeze during the show...it all lends to the magic of the show].

After Ariel, we headed back down Mickey Avenue to the "Journey into Narnia" attraction. Earlier in the week, Olivia and I had tried to meet Prince Caspian but the attraction had closed for the evening and the Prince had headed home to Narnia. So, I had promised Olivia that we would meet him today! [And yes, this was all Olivia...a few months ago she came home from preschool insisting that we watch 'The Chronicles of Narnia' and then 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'. When she found out that the Prince would be at the Studios...meeting him became a mission!]

We arrived at Journey into Narnia right at 10 a.m. -- the scheduled time that Prince Caspain was supposed to be there. But he wasn't. A cast member told us that he'd be there in about 30 or 40 minutes. Around this time, cast member Shawn (from South Carolina) walked over to us and told us that Prince Caspian was having travel issues from Narnia but was doing his best to get there in time. We decided to hang out and wait - Olivia was NOT going to miss Caspian.

So, we took a seat on a bench in the shade and waited. And waited. And waited. Cast Member Shawn checked in with us every now and again, letting us know that Caspian was still trying to get to the Studios from Narnia. At one point he told Olivia that Caspian knew she was waiting to meet him (I loved that!). Then our friendly cast member left ... only to return a few minutes later with a box of popcorn for Olivia (her treat for waiting so patiently, he said -- Disney magic at it's best!).

Finally....Prince Caspian arrived! We were escorted to the front of the 'meet and greet' line and then the real magic happened. Olivia walked into the forest 'meet and greet' area and there stood Prince Caspian! He kneeled down and told "Princess Olivia" that he had been waiting to meet her and how happy he was that she had waited to see him. Needless to say, Olivia was over the moon with this royal treatment! [And it brought tears to her mommy's eyes...I will admit!]. We took some photos and Olivia had Caspian sign her autograph book and that was how Olivia met Prince Caspian!

From a prince we decided to vistit a princess...and headed over to the Beauty and the Beast show. This is a great, great show! I think I might like it better than Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It is another shortened version of a Disney movie...but the performance is great. And then, it was time to ride Toy Story Midway Mania.

Oh my gosh. What a fun ride! Walking into the ride you're surrounded by GIANT versions of childhood games (which is so cool). Riders grab 3-D glasses and board their ride vehicles and are instantly transported into a world of arcade games where you aim at the boards with your own 'shooters'. I think I ended up with a score of close to 115,000 and Olivia scored about 82,000 (not bad for a 5 year old!). This ride was so much fun! Get that FastPass and get on it!

After grabbing lunch and riding The Great Movie Ride one more time...we headed back to the resort to regroup and rest.

Later that evening, we had dinner reservations at Chefs de France. If you are headed to Epcot, you should eat at Chefs de France and look for Remy, the star rat from Ratatouille who appears four times a day to entertain guests. The food was wonderful (onion soup, beef short ribs and creme brulee for dessert)...but seeing Remy under the dome of the silver tray was the BEST part of the meal! He is adorable and really interacts with guests. Just a little more Disney magic at work!

Overall thoughts:
- Use FASTPASS!
- Disney cast members really do go out of their way to create the magic
- I am left wondering if the low crowds at Play 'n Dine were just a fluke or if it's not a popular character meal anymore

TIPS
- Use FASTPASS
- Make sure you see Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast at the Studios
- Yes, kids CAN eat in France -- Chefs de France is family-friendly

Adventures at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot

Wednesday, April 29

One very important tip I have for your trip to Walt Disney World trip is this: make sure you take one day during your stay to just RELAX. Or at least try to relax. I should learn to follow my own tip...but I'd rather be at the parks. You, on the other hand, might be one of those 'non obsessed' people who actually get tired of the parks - and if that's the case...then by all means please follow my tip and have a relaxing day at the resort pool!

OK, moving on...

Today, my dad and Kevin were headed to the Palm golf course at WDW. They had a 10 o'clock a.m. tee time and so the girls and I were on our own for a while. My sister and her husband had decided they were going to relax poolside (see, they follow my tips) and my mom was going to join them (they did go to the pool...but then decided to shop and eat in Downtown Disney).

Olivia had decided the night before that she wanted to head back to the Magic Kingdom and that was FINE with me! (I should note here that I could spend every single day of my trip at the Magic Kingdom. It is my laughing place.)

And so, after a quick breakfast at the resort, I packed up the diaper bag and the kids and loaded all of us onto the bus headed to the Magic Kingdom. I wasn't sure how this excursion was going to be....I mean, I was going alone - without my spouse or any other responsible adult, with two kids in tow. Could I handle it?

You betcha! We made it through the bag check line and the ticket line without incident and as soon as we walked into the MK we saw Snow White! We lucked out and the cast member who was 'in charge' of line control let us in -- we were the last people allowed in line! [That has got to be a not-so-fun job -- this poor guy had to keep repeating "The line is closed. Snow White will be back out at 9:45. Thank you."]

Anyway, after meeting Snow White we walked down Main Street toward the castle and happened upon a performance of "Dream Along with Mickey". I love this show! Mickey and friends sing and dance along with other Disney favorites including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Peter Pan and Wendy, Capt. Hook and more. A great way to spend 20 minutes of your visit, if you ask me.

After the performance, Olivia decided she wanted to ride it's a small world again. So we did. And then we headed over to the Haunted Mansion (which was quickly becoming Olivia's new favorite ride!). We wandered through the MK for a little while until the girls decided they wanted to head back to the Wilderness Lodge for lunch and some pool time. As we were walking out of the MK, we had a chance to see the "Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!" parade as it was going down Main Street. That was rather cool, since I didn't get the chance to see the "Celebrate a Dream Come True" parade this time (I'm still bummed about that!).

Lunch at the hotel. Then we went swimming!!!! The pool at the Wilderness Lodge is really nice. There is a baby/wading pool for the wee ones (but even Olivia had fun in there). And then there's the 'big kids' pool, completed with a water slide! For your small ones who might not be able to swim alone yet, the resort provides life vests. Head down to the beach area at the WL and at the rental shack you can sign out a vest for each child and keep the vests for the duration of your stay. Very, very convenient.

Once Kevin returned from his golf adventure, we decided to head over to Epcot for dinner. My parents were eating dinner at Artist Point at the resort and my sister and her family were going to the Studios to eat at Toy Story Pizza Planet.

If I had to rank the parks, I would definitely put the Magic Kingdom as my absolute favorite. Epcot would be second and the Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom would have to duke it out for 3rd and 4th place. And right now, Epcot is looking gorgeous, thanks to the Flower & Garden Festival!

The girls still had some countries to visit to get the passport stamped and work on their Kidcot masks, so we started in Canada (EH!) and worked our way through the World Showcase. In England we ran into Winnie the Pooh and friends at the toy shoppe/bookstore. And let me just say, I could seriously eat my way through the World Showcase if it wouldn't cause me to gain 20 lbs. The fish and chips in England smelled divine!

Kevin and I decided to eat in Morocco at the Tangierine Cafe. The food here is amazing! We ordered the Chicken and Lamb combo and the Vegetable combo (and you get Baklava for dessert!!!). The food was so delish. I highly recommend this counter service. After pigging out at dinner we kept walking through the Showcase, stopping at various Kidcot fun spots so the girls could have some fun.

At some point near Italy we decided to head out of Epcot and take the Monorail back to the MK for the Wishes fireworks show. My sister and her family and my parents were still at the Studios, thinking about seeing "Fantasmic" -- however, you need to get a seat for that show about 45 minutes prior to showtime, so they gave up that plan and rode some rides instead.

We arrived at the MK just in time to find a good spot for Wishes. We planted ourselves in front of the castle, near the Hub (right by the popcorn cart that is on the Hub). It ended up being a perfect spot to watch Wishes.

I love Wishes. It is a great fireworks show. And yes, you should see it from in front of the castle. The last time we were at WDW in 2007, we watched it from behind the castle and it just wasn't the same. Hint: Watch for Tinker Bell's very magical entrance at the beginning of the fireworks.

Wishes granted, we headed back to the hotel, knowing we had to be up bright and early on Thursday for our breakfast with Jo-Jo!

Overall thoughts:
- Taking the girls to the MK by myself was so easy!
- Someday maybe I'll "eat and drink" my way through the World Showcase!

TIPS:
- Make sure you find the time to see 'Dream Along with Mickey' and the parades at the MK
- At some point in your trip, take the Monorail from the MK to Epcot or vice versa...it's so fun to ride!
- Passports and Kidcot fun spots are a great thing for the kids
- Take time to have some fun at the pool

Sleeping in, Spaceship Earth and Flowers

Tuesday, April 28

For the first time during the trip we were able to "sleep in" -- until 7 a.m. We didn't have any character breakfasts or appointments this morning, so we decided to eat breakfast at the Roaring Fork and then head over to Epcot.

I have to say this: definitely take advantage of the quick service restaurant at your resort. They have a good variety of foods -- and it's the one place where you can get your refillable mugs filled!

[What is a refillable mug, you ask? It's just that - a plastic mug that you purchase at your resort for about $12.99 and you can fill it as often as you want with pop and/or coffee. It's a great value. We filled ours each morning with coffee and then every afternoon and evening we filled it with pop. You cannot fill these mugs at any of the theme parks. But for the money, it's a great value!]

My favorite thing at the Roaring Fork -- the 'pick a mix' cereal bar. Every morning they had several types of cereal (Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, etc.) and you could get them mixed together. My choice: a mix of corn flakes and frosted flakes - yum! Of course, there are hot food selections and a yogurt/granola/fresh berry mix too. And, you can use your Disney Dining Plan here too - food items are considered either snacks or quick service.

From now until May 31, the International Flower and Garden Festival is happening at Epcot. The whole park is decorated with nearly 30 million flowers. And topiaries! The photo up top is of the "Cinderellabration" topiary. All the princesses were represented in this display. I could go on and on about the flowers, but I'll sum it up this way: if you ever have the chance to see the Flower & Garden Festival... DO IT!

The crowds at Epcot never seem as huge as they do at say the Magic Kingdom, and this day was no different. We waited a total of maybe 5 minutes for Spaceship Earth. I had not been on this ride since I was a teenager and I have to say the updates added in the 2007 renovation (including a narration by Dame Judi Dench) are really cool. The descent of the ride adds some fun for riders -- you get to essentially create your own "Welcome to the Future" video which you can e-mail home after you disembark the ride. Very, very cool! (Olivia LOVED this part!)

We also waited a mere 5 minutes for "The Seas with Nemo and Friends". Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to experience Turtle Talk with Crush -- but it is on 'to do' list for 2011.

At 11 a.m. we headed over to the World Showcase for lunch. I love eating lunch in Mexico at the Cantina de San Angel. The seating is right on the water and it's so relaxing...and the food is really good too! [A must for Mexcio -- get a margarita! They are so worth the nearly $9 price tag!]. My favorite part of most meals is dessert and at the Cantina my personal favorite is the churro! Fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. Oh my.

After lunch we rode the Gran Fiesta Tour inside the Mexico pavilion pyramid. It's a fun, relaxing boat ride. And the atmosphere inside the pyramid is just downright cool. Then we headed over to China - the kids were looking for Mulan. [A good tip to remember - Epcot is chock full of characters! Mulan in China, Donald Duck in Mexico, Belle and The Beast in France, Snow White in Germany, Alice and Winnie the Pooh in England, Jasmine and Aladdin in Morocco...and the list goes on!]

When we arrived in China we were told that Mulan would be out soon. So Kevin and I decided to let the girls start their Kidcot masks. Let me explain Kidcot -- there are fun stops in all the World Showcase countries and a few Future World pavilions. In the countries, at each stop your kids can get their masks stamped and have a tag added. We started in China where Olivia and Emma each got their names written in Chinese and then started the coloring of the masks (with markers supplied by Sharpie). This is a great way to get the kids interested in "boring" things like countries.

[Buying a passport for the kids is another way to make the World Showcase more fun. You can find the passports in most of the showcase gift shops. They resemble a "real" passport and in each country your child can take his/her passport to the Kidcot funstop and get a country stamp and a "welcome message" written in that country's native language. I think I had as much fun with this as my girls did!]

OK, back to China. After waiting patiently, the girls finally saw Mulan walking through the pavilion, making her way to her designated spot. Mulan spotted the girls too (they were hard to miss - dressed as Snow White and Tinker Bell)...and she stopped and asked Olivia, Emma and Madysen (my niece) if they would walk with her! Olivia and Mady were able to hold Mulan's hands and WALK WITH HER! What a princess dream come true!!!! Just another example of pure Disney magic. You just never know when you'll get sprinkled with pixie dust!

Later that afternoon....

We had a dinner reservation at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. This character meal is a MUST DO meal. Where else are you going to meet the "top 5" -- Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. The food is good - it's a buffet. But as with most character meals, it's all about who you meet. We had a great table -- right near the buffet -- so we were usually the first stop for Mickey, Minnie and pals. We even got two visits by Donald!

[Note: there are not buses that run from resort to resort, so if you are not a Contemporary guest getting there takes a little bit of travel. For us, we took our resort's bus to the Magic Kingdom and then hopped on the Monorail to the Contemporary. We also could have taken the boat right from our hotel to the Contemporary, but we noticed a long wait for that boat on another night. Ask your resort concierge about the quickest route to this resort.]

After dinner we decided to Monorail back to Epcot for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. This might sound silly to some, but if you want a good seat for the show you best pick it out at least 45 minutes before the show begins. We were too busy walking around the World Showcase and as it got closer to showtime we realized 'oh no, all the good spots are taken!" We ended up watching the show in a spot near China, but our view was partially obstructed by trees. But it was still a good show!

My least favorite thing about leaving any of the parks (aside from the actual LEAVING part) is when closing time is at the same time as the end of the fireworks, parade, etc. It just creates mass chaos and one would think that the great minds at Disney would eventually say "gosh, maybe we should always make closing time 1 hour after the end of any fireworks, parade, etc. We managed to get a jump start on the 'exiting' crowd on this night - but only because we left before Illuminations was over. It was still mild chaos. But we did it. And we didn't wait long for a bus.

And all in all, it was a good day.

Tomorrow....a trip to the Magic Kingdom on my own (just me and my girls)...could I do it without losing a kid or getting lost myself? Tune in and find out.

Overall thoughts:
- Chef Mickey's is a must do character meal!
- The flower and garden festival is amazing
- I didn't get to ride Soarin'...and I'm still bummed about that

TIPS
- If you have kids, you really should do the Kidcot funspots (and try out the new Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. We wanted to do it but didn't have time...but it looks FUN!)
- Get your kids a passport for the World Showcase
- There are characters at Epcot - take your autograph books!

Princesses and the 50s Prime Time Cafe

April 27, 2009

We arrived at the MK a little after 8 a.m. -- Olivia and her cousin Madysen had 8:40 a.m. appointments at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This relatively new experience is a beauty salon where your little one can be transformed into a real princess! Fairy godmothers in training style the girl's hair and makeup - Olivia and Mady both chose the "coach package" that included hair styling and makeup (style includes a crown and 'Mickey' barrette and a BB Boutique sash).

This was such a cool experience! The girls are treated like royalty...and they are absolutely adorable (beautiful!) when the fairy godmothers are finished. And there is so much hair product used that the style stays all day -- and probably longer.

After the BBB, we had a few minutes to spare before the ropes were dropped and the park was "officially" opened. In that time I watched a small group of very, um, "dedicated" parents line up behind the rope as if they were running a race...and once the rope dropped these parents literally RAN to Dumbo the Flying Elephant. And, I mean they RAN. It was amazing (and somewhat scary) to witness. Yes, Dumbo is a cool ride...but really, do you have to run?

We chose to not ride Dumbo and instead WALKED to Ariel's Grotto, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive mermaid. And we were in LUCK! We were first in line and Ariel was ready to greet her guests! [Anyone who has tried - in vain - to meet Ariel only to be faced with an hour long wait -- or longer -- can understand how lucky we were!]. The girls all met Ariel and had their autograph books signed and all was well with the world again.

Now, it was time for breakfast in the castle. Getting a reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast, lunch or dinner is probably one of the most difficult things to achieve when planning your WDW vacation. I called on the very first day I was able to make Advance Dining Reservations -- actually, I started calling at 6:58 a.m., 2 minutes before the ADR lines open. As soon as I had a live person on the line I said "Hi. I need breakfast at the castle on any day during the week of April 26-May 2!" [Yes, that's really how you have to do it if you want to eat at the castle. Really.]

Dining at the castle is so amazingly cool. I mean, YOU'RE IN THE CASTLE! WITH PRINCESSES! It doesn't get much cooler than that. When you walk in you are greeted by Cinderella herself, as she is holding court in the lobby. You get photos taken by the Photopass photographer (these photos - one 8x10 and four 4x6 photos are 'included' in the price of the meal. If you use the Disney Dining Plan, it will cost you 2 table services. I recommend paying cash for this meal in order to save your DDP credits. Know however, that breakfast is $34.99 per adult and $23.99 for kids ages 3-9. It is pricey!]

After meeting 'Rella, you walk up the spiral staircase to the dining room - which looks out over Fantasyland, specifically Cinderella's Golden Carousel. This is a plated meal and the food is quite good - stuffed french toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breads. And, of course, there are princesses in attendance. The princesses vary each time - our princesses were Ariel (as a human), Belle (in her blue 'civilian' dress), Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine. [The last time we ate at the castle, the Fairy Godmother was in attendance].

All I can say about the castle is - YOU MUST DO THIS MEAL.

After breakfast we decided to ride some more rides - 1/2 the family stayed in Fantasyland to ride Dumbo. We decided to head over to Adventureland and ride The Jungle Cruise (we waited about 15 minutes) and then Pirates of the Caribbean (only a 5 minute wait!!!).

A stroller tip here: When you park your strollers around any of the WDW theme parks, you should know that a cast member might move the stroller. You can usually find a designated "stroller parking area", but sometimes you just put your stroller with a bunch of other strollers - along a wall, etc. We did that before ride the Jungle Cruise, only to get off the ride and have NO idea where our stroller was. We searched (along with many other families) for about 10 minutes before we found it, parked in a designated area close to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Whew!

Since Olivia's was a princess that day we didn't swim during the afternoon at the hotel. Instead, we decided to head over to Disney's Hollywood Studios early - we had dinner reservations at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.

Let me put it this way: it is a good thing we decided to go early because our bus ride took an HOUR. Yes, one hour. It was the WORST bus trip we had during the entire trip.

Buses at WDW. Yes, let's talk about this for a minute. Usually the buses run smoothly and while you might have a short wait at your resort (or a theme park), it tends to be an OK operation. Not so much on this day. We waited at the Wilderness Lodge for 30 minutes before a DHS bus even arrived. Then, we had to stop at Fort Wilderness - which added a good 15 minutes since there was a bus line up there. Finally, an hour after the "trip" started we arrived at DHS. It was not a good way to start our evening.

Dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe - this is not a character meal. Basically you're getting homestyle food (just like mom used to make) in a setting straight out of a 1950's kitchen. It's a fun place to dine. The food was pretty good too -- fried chicken, pot roast, meatloaf. I had the pot roast and it was delish. However, I have to say, I remember the wait staff being more fun. Our waitress was rather low-key. Perhaps our chaotic party of 10 scared her?

Dessert at PT was oh-my-goodness good. I ordered 'Dad's Brownie Sundae'...and this is what I got: vanilla ice cream on a chocolate brownie topped with M&Ms, Cracker Jack, whipped cream and a cherry. So good.

It was also Extra Magic Hours this night at the Studios (the park stays open a few hours past 'official closing' for resort guests). To me, it wasn't really worth it. It seemed very dark (compared to say Epcot or the MK) and there wasn't much to do. We rode The Great Movie Ride and that was about it.

When we arrived back at the WL, it was almost time for the Electric Water Pageant. This is a nightly display on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake -- so if you are a guest - or even a visitor from another resort - at any of the resorts on these bodies of water (WL, Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian) you can enjoy the show. I headed down to the beach with Olivia and my parents and waited for the show. It started at 9:35 p.m. (at the WL)...and was so neat to see. The best description is from allears.net: The pageant consists of two strings of seven barges, each carrying a 25-foot-tall screen of lights. The pageant features King Triton and creatures from under the sea -- turtles, whales, seahorses, even a sea monster! -- in an aquatic parade set to Disney (including "Under the Sea," and the crocodile's theme song from the film Peter Pan) and other music.

And then, it was 10 p.m. and everyone was ready to dream about our day and look forward to our next Disney adventure!

Overall thoughts:
- You must eat at Cinderella's Royal Table
- Sometimes bus rides can be horrible
- Whoever thought of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was a GENIUS! And clearly had daughters.
- The Electric Water Pageant was very, very cool

TIPS
- Make sure you park your stroller in a designated area - or run the risk of having to search for it later
- If you are on the dining plan and have reservations for CRT - pay cash for that meal. Save two table service credits for another meal. It's worth it.
- If you want to meet Ariel, head to the Grotto as soon as the gates open at MK. Otherwise, you will wait up to an hour or more

Scrambled eggs and a safari adventure

April 26, 2009

Let me preface this post with this statement: While WDW is the happiest place on Earth, at times you will run into rude, ignorant people who think the "World" revolves around them. I was unlucky enough to run into someone like that on Sunday morning at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

OK, on to the AK. First and foremost, the AK is NOT, I repeat, NOT a zoo. It is a theme park that just happens to have live animals in residence. It is also a huge, hot, steamy park. Everytime I go to the AK, it seems hotter than at any other park. I have yet to figure this out - except for the fact that it is a jungle setting. Like the MK, the AK is comprised of 'lands', including Africa, Asia, Dinoland U.S.A., and Camp Minnie Mickey.

Having never done a character meal at the AK, I made us reservations for Donald's Safari Breakfast at The Tusker House. This is a buffet breakfast. And this is where the scrambled egg 'incident' occurred.

The buffet here is one of those 'free flowing' buffets - the staff even tells you that you don't have to stand in one line, you can just jump in wherever you want and get your food. Clearly on this morning, some people did not hear these directions! I 'jumped' in line to get some scrambled eggs for my daughters and was immediately bombarded with shouts and dirty looks from other guests. Choosing to ignore them, I moved on. And then, it happened - this man totally lost his mind and started yelling at me (in the middle of the buffet area!!!!) "It's not like we weren't waiting for scrambled eggs too!!!!!!!!!" Really? You're going to yell at me about EGGS?

In hindsight I should have piled a plate full of eggs and taken them to his table (but in reality, it just upset me and I cried. At WDW. That is not supposed to happen).

Moving on.

After the egg incident we waited a mere 10 minutes for the Kilamanjaro Safari -- this is a MUST DO ride at the AK! As always, it did not disappoint. We wandered through Asia (my brother-in-law rode Expedition Everest) and we ended up seeing Finding Nemo: The Musical. It was a cute show - certainly see it if you can.

Then, it was off to Dinoland USA where we spent a little time. We didn't make it to Camp Minnie Mickey on this day ... but that is where you want to head if you're looking to meet some characters and see The Festival of the Lion King (which we missed this time around!).

Later in the day....

After an afternoon break at the resort (naps, pool time, etc), we headed back to the MK for dinner at The Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends. This is - in my opinion - maybe the best buffet (food wise) at WDW. Add to that the fun atmosphere and the characters (Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet) and you've got a winner for all ages! If you can get advanced reservations, you MUST eat at The Crystal Palace. You will not be disappointed.

A word about character meals: this was the first time I had done TWO character meals in one day. I'm not sure I'd do that again. Character meals are somewhat time consuming (you have to wait for the characters to 'make the rounds' and once they arrive at your table it's time for autographs and photos and suddenly you realize that you've forgotten to eat). That being said, I do highly recommend character meals if you have younger kids (or if you have older kids -- I'll be doing them forever -- even after my kids think it's "not cool"). So, you should factor in at least an hour (or 90 minutes) per character meal -- therefore, doing 2 in 1 day might have been a bit much.

After dinner we were able to essentially walk on Haunted Mansion (which quickly became Olivia's favorite ride) and It's a Small World. The Spectromagic Parade was on the schedule this night...and let me just say this: you really MUST get a spot to view the parade at least 45 minutes before it starts. Otherwise, it's just total chaos.

Overall thoughts:
- Scrambled eggs are so not worth losing your temper over

TIPS
- think about how much time you want to spend on character meals in 1 day - scheduling two on the same day might be too much

Chaos, party of 10

April 25, 2009

We started our first day of our Disney adventure at the Detroit Metro Airport -- bright and early. We were going through security at 6:45 a.m. (with a party of 10 that includes 4 kids, that was a must -- even if our flight wasn't until 9:10 a.m.).

Security was a breeze.

Oh, and I must add this: I love the Northwest terminal (McNamara terminal) at DTW because they have a Westin hotel right there IN the terminal! We stayed there Friday night (they have a great 'stay and park' package -- we paid about $180 + tax for one night at the hotel and 8 days of valet parking). This is a great deal because normally you pay about $32 a day for valet parking at DTW. I recommend this choice for anyone who is (1) flying Northwest (soon to be Delta) and (2) who is in the NW Ohio/SE Michigan area.

Boarding the plane was ridiculous, as usual. Everyone lines up (as if they aren't going to get on the plane) and then we have to squeeze through the aisles with kids and bags in tow. Emma REFUSED to sit in her seat until we were actually taking off.

Then, we arrived in Orlando! Finally....let the fun begin. But wait.

First we had to lug ourselves downstairs to the Magical Express check-in desk and then stand in line for about 25 minutes waiting for the Magical Express.

Let me explain this: When you are a resort guest at a Walt Disney World resort you have the option of using the Magical Express. Basically, Disney picks up your luggage at the airport (ONLY at Orlando International Airport) and delivers it to your resort. Meanwhile, you take a ME bus to your resort. No rental cars, no waiting for your bags. The Mouse does all the work so you can play! For more details about the Magical Express, go here.

After a short bus ride, we were FINALLY at Disney's Wilderness Lodge! (See photo above). Oh. My. Goodness. What a gorgeous resort! The lobby is amazing! Wow. Just wow. Check-in was so easy (no line at all!). Our party all got rooms on the 2nd floor (which was so nice because it was really the "main" floor where the lobby was located). We had courtyard view rooms (get them if you can -- they are worth the extra $$) -- our room (2155) looked out over the pool. All rooms have a balcony -- oh how nice it was to sit out there and RELAX!

After lunch at the Roaring Fork (the quick service restaurant at the resort), we decided to take the boat to the Magic Kingdom. (From the WL you can take either a boat or bus to the MK, and a bus to the other parks. The monorail does NOT go to the Lodge).

The castle! I tell you what, seeing Cinderella's castle is absolutely the BEST sight. You just have to smile every time you see it!

The crowds at the MK were average - not too high, but not low by any means. We waited 10 minutes for the following rides: Snow White, Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Other rides (Peter Pan and Dumbo) were longer waits (45 minutes and 1/2 an hour respectively).

Dinner - hot dogs at Casey's Corner! Oh my. Love that place. It's "just" hot dogs...but they're good. And it's a fun place to eat.

A strange thing happened on our way out of the MK that night - around 7:30 p.m. when we were leaving (after being awake since 4:30 am!) there were huge numbers of people POURING into the park. I found this odd, since there were no Extra Magic Hours that night.

Overall thoughts:
- stay overnight @ DTW every time!
- always use the Magical Express - it's so much easier when you're traveling with kids!
- once you get to your resort, just go with the flow - let your kids explore, buy autograph books (these are a MUST HAVE item!), head to a park (if you've got a 7 day park hopper like we did, it only makes sense to hit a park)

TIPS:
1. Buy an autograph book and a big pen - the kids are going to meet many characters during the course of your trip. And characters = autographs. Know this however - some characters can't sign (a few come to mind: Goliath from JoJo's Circus and King Louie from Jungle Book)

2. Whatever park you go to first, get your photo taken inside the park by a Disney Photopass Photographer and get your Photopass card. Keep this card with you at all times! Each time a Disney photographer snaps a photo they will scan the card and then once you get home you can view all the photos online (and you can order copies).
a. Our resort also had a Photopass desk which was nice - I was able to view and order some
photos while still on vacation.
b. Take advantage of the Disney Photopass pre-arrival CD offer here. For $99.95 you can
pre-order your photopass CD and then after your trip you can add all your Photopass pictures
and get the CD with a copyright release so you can take the CD to Target for example and
print out your photos. A GREAT deal!

Next stop: Disney's Animal Kingdom

We're back!

A short report:

Disney World was wonderful.

The Wilderness Lodge resort was AMAZING!!!!

Crowd levels were 'average' ... we didn't experience any HUGE waits. We actually walked on Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion all week. Waited 15 mins for the Jungle Cruise. Used a Fastpass for Peter Pan. Walked on the Safari ride at Animal Kingdom (about a 5 minute wait), then used a Fastpass on Friday (higher crowd level).

I will be posting a daily 'journal' in the next few days -- I have many stories to tell and a few tips to pass along.

Today's the day!

The bags are packed. The boarding passes are printed. And we are ready to GO!

Disney World, here we come!!!

In a mere 24 hours from now we will be landing at Orlando International Airport and stepping on to our Magical Express bus, heading toward Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

I've got a notebook primed and ready -- I'll have many reports to post upon my return!

Happy trails!!!

Dinner with Mickey Mouse? Oh yes!

One of the many memories I have of trips to the Magic Kingdom as a child is this: riding the Monorail through Disney's Contemporary Resort and seeing Mickey Mouse walking around talking to people as they ate breakfast. At the time, I probably just thought "wow...those kids are so lucky, they're having a meal with Mickey!" Little did I know they were eating at Chef Mickey's - one of the many locations where you can enjoy a 'character meal.'

Until a few years ago, I didn't know much about character meals at Walt Disney World. Sure, I had seen Chef Mickey's and The Crystal Palace...but I had no idea what happened inside! My first character meal experience was March 2006 at The Crystal Palace. My husband and I had spent the day at the MK with our 2-year-old daughter -- and had dinner at the CP. My daughter was so excited to see Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet as they stopped by our table for photos. Oh, and the food is really good too!

So, here's a few of my tips for successful character dining at WDW.

1. YOU MUST MAKE RESERVATIONS 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE! No, really. You MUST. Advance dining reservations (also known as ADRs) are a necessity if you want to have any sort of character meal at any of the WDW parks/resorts. You must call the ADR phone number (407-WDW-DINE) at 7 a.m. EST on your specific day. To figure out what day to call, visit this site -- the Planning Strategy Calculator is amazing. For tips on getting the ADRs you want, go here.

2. If you have little girls who LOVE the princesses, try to get a reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table! This is probably the most difficult reservation to get -- and you really must call 90 days before. I have been lucky enough to dine here twice (both for breakfast) and...wow....all I can say is WOW. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at CRT ... but as far as I know, the princesses only make an appearance at breakfast and lunch. At dinner, only the Fairy Godmother visits the dining room. Cinderella herself does not visit the dining room -- instead you meet her downstairs and have a photo taken. Dining at CRT will cost you two table service credits on the Disney Dining Plan (when we go next week, we are actually paying cash for the meal instead of using 2 credits).

3. If you are unable to get CRT....try to get reservations at the Akerhaus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway (in Epcot). You can dine with the princesses at the Princess Storybook Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner.

4. Character meals at WDW are served several ways: traditional buffet, family style or pre-plated. Examples: Chef Mickey's and the Crystal Palace are buffets; CRT is a pre-plated meal, and Chip and Dale's Harvest Feast dinner at The Garden Grill (in the Land Pavilion in Epcot) is served family style.

5. I would absolutely recommend the Disney Dining Plan to everyone. There are several different dining plans from which to choose, including: the original Dining Plan, the Deluxe Dining Plan and new in 2009, the Quick Service Dining Plan. The plans vary in price based on what types of meals they include. Personally I like the "Magic Your Way plus Dining" plan -- for each night of your stay in a Disney resort you receive 1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal and 1 snack. [Character meals normally count as 1 table service -- except for CRT].

For our trip next week we have these meals planned:
1. Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House (Animal Kingdom)
2. Crystal Palace - dinner with Winnie the Pooh & friends
3. Cinderella's Royal Table - breakfast
4. 50's Prime Time Cafe - dinner
5. Chef Mickey's - dinner
6. Hollywood & Vine - character breakfast w/ JoJo and the Little Einsteins
7. Les Chefs de France
8. 1900 Park Fare - character dinner w/ Cinderella

I'll be sure to report on all of them after we return home.

Happy planning!

Visions of Mickey Mouse

Planning your WDW trip...without losing your mind or breaking the bank.

Let's tackle this in a few easy steps, shall we?

1. Don't panic. It's just Disney.
2. Start your planning early. And by early, I mean at least six months in advance.
3. Don't panic.

OK, now that we have that out of the way, let me give you some of my tips on planning your vacation to the happiest place on earth. (And let me repeat...these are just MY tips -- things I've done while planning two Disney vacations in the past 1 1/2 years).

At least six months before your trip:
First and foremost -- buy some travel planning books/guides. You cannot travel down the Disney planning path without some help. You will get lost and frustrated. A few of my favorite books include: The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, Passporter's Walt Disney World, and Birnbaum's Walt Disney World. (For your kids, I would buy the Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids book -- my daughter loves hers!)

Read these books. They are full of useful and helpful information that will help you plan a great Disney trip. While I recommend those three books...there are others out there. Your local bookstore should have a good section on Disney planning guides.

In addition to the books, you should also look at some of the unofficial Disney Web sites. I am a regular visitor to allears.net, TouringPlans.com, and MousePlanet, and others! These sites are full of information, tips and resources for planning your trip. You can find reviews of resort hotels, menus from the WDW restuarants and calendars.

And then....
Visit the Walt Disney World site and spend some time looking around. Check out the resorts, the monthly calendars for the parks, the special vacation packages, etc. Specifically, check this out.

When do you want to visit?
If you have school age kids, this is a serious consideration - do you want to take the kids out of school or visit during the summer months? When I was a child, we would visit my grandparents in Tampa just about every summer and we usually made a trek over to the Magic Kingdom for a day (at that time, it was JUST the Magic Kingdom -- now you have FOUR parks to contend with in addition to two water parks!). I don't remember the crowds...but then again, I wasn't really too concerned about crowd levels.

As an adult, I think about crowd levels a lot. This site has a great tool if you're worried about crowds. I can tell you this, the crowds last week (the week before Easter) were OUTRAGEOUS. See here. In 2007, we took our daughters to WDW for a week at the end of September. It was lovely. The crowds OK, the waits weren't long at all (we walked on 'it's a small world' over and over and over again...and then some). The bonus for that trip? It was also during the time the MK presents "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party."

This year, we're going next week (April 25th-May 2nd). I'm expecting crowds to be 'average'....but then again, WDW has been offering their 'buy 4, get 3 free' deal so they might be a bit bigger than normal. I'll report back on the actual crowd levels after May 3rd.

Speaking of DEALS...thanks to the recession (thank you, recession!), WDW has been offering some sweet deals lately. Right now, the special offer is "Free Dining" -- with a 5-night/6-day package at select resorts you get Disney Dining FREE! In my humble opinion...this is a GREAT offer. We did this in 2007 and saved enough money that we were able to go for 7 days with a park hopper option on our ticket. Go here for more info. And don't forget, you can get into the parks FREE this year on your birthday.

Also consider these special events: Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and going on right now, the Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival. For info, go here.

How much do you want to spend?
Being budget-conscious (no, really...I am!), I would recommend looking at the value resorts first. They are just enough room for a family of 4 (although there are some family suites now too), and are reasonably priced. We have stayed at the All-Star Movies resort twice and I'd go back there in a heartbeat. The All-Star resorts are themed after movies, music and sports (and don't forget the Pop Century resort too).

This time around...we're staying at the Wilderness Lodge -- a deluxe resort. I fear that I may get spoiled and will never look back! In addition, WDW has moderate priced resorts. I've heard good things about several of these resorts, but have not been lucky enough to stay at one. A friend of mine swears by the Port Orleans resort -- she and her family stay there every time.

And, if you stay on property, I would recommend adding the Disney Dining Plan into your package. I could go on and on about this...but instead, visit here.

So, now what!?!
OK....so, you've read the books and surfed the Web sites and decided when you want to visit. Now what? Well, book that trip. I won't tell you who to book through -- there are sites listed in my travel resources, you could book through WDW, or AAA, or your own travel agent. There are perks to each, I'm sure.

Should you fly or drive? Again...that's up to you. We're flying. The nice thing about flying...well, aside from it only takes 2 1/2 hours from Detroit Metro airport (instead of 2 days of car travel from Ohio!)...you can utilize the Magical Express! What's that, you ask? Simply put: once you arrive at Orlando International Airport, you go downstairs to the Disney desk, do a preliminary check-in, catch a bus to your resort and (here's the magical part) -- your luggage arrives a couple hours later! You don't have to get your bags at the airport! Genius!!! That Mouse thinks of everything!

And now, you have you've booked your room, your tickets (I prefer to add a Park Hopper to mine), your dining plan, your flight...what to do now?

1. Figure out what character meals you want to reserve.
2. Decide what to pack and what to ship.
3. Start your countdown!

Next up...character dining...

After an 8-month hiatus...

...I am back.

OK, so when I thought about starting this blog I didn't factor in the rest of what I had to accomplish. You know...work, kids, cooking, laundry, work, kids..things like that.

However...I am back. And I promise to keep this updated. As much as humanly possible.

I don't know how much travel we'll be doing this year (darn you, recession!)...but even little trips to the zoo or art musuem might lead to some useful tips and tricks.

As it is, we are leaving in NINE DAYS for a 7-day trip to Walt Disney World!

Our travel group includes: me, husband, two kids (ages 5 and 2), my parents (ages 58), my sister, her husband and their two kids (ages 3 and 1). Yes, that's right...a party of 10!

I have been the 'lead planner' (or "Disney Dork", as my sister likes to call me) for this trip. We started planning this trip last spring and now with a little more than a week to go...it's all coming together.

Our plans so far:
- We'll be staying at the Wilderness Lodge, one of Disney's Deluxe Resorts
- We have a 7-day park hopper ticket (the only way to go!)
- And we've added the Disney Dining Plan to our package -- and we have many character meals planned, including my favorites breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table and dinner at The Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends!

I'm almost completely packed...which is good since I started packing three weeks ago! The girls are each taking five princess costumes (a MUST if you've got little girls!!!). Me, well I've packed my Minnie Mouse ears in my carry-on so I can wear them as soon as we land in Orlando!

So, I'm going to try and write a few posts about planning this trip before we leave. And then, when we return I'll have some more posts about how to survive Disney with four kids, two grandparents and four very tired parents. (I'm thinking that many margaritas will be involved in that survival plan!)

Soak City

We took the kids (ages 4 1/2 and 1 1/2) to Soak City on Friday.

This is what I came away with:

1. Get to the park when it opens. Check online for dates and times. We were able to get 3 beach chairs in the children's area and in the shade. Had we waited to arrive later -- say 11 or 11:30 a.m., well, we wouldn't have been so lucky.

2. Take your own beach towels. The park does not provide towels. You can buy them...but really, who wants to spend upwards of $10 on a towel?

3. Pack your lunch. Keep it in the car in a cooler [no coolers are allowed inside Soak City]. While there is a "snack bar" in the park, the food choices are a bit limited and the prices aren't cheap. [Examples: $4.49 for a hot dog w/ fries, close to $8.50 for a chicken sandwich and fries]. We made the mistake of not packing a lunch. Ooops.

4. We saw many families getting their arms/hands stamped as they left the park and then they set up their picnics in the grassy area outside the front gates of Soak City. We are definitely doing that next year!

5. The hand stamps - while I'm not sure if the same rule applies for Soak City...when we were at Cedar Point last month they told us to make sure we didn't get any lotion or sunscreen on the "blacklight stamps" or they would disappear. Good to know.

6. The areas for the kids are great. There is Adventure Cove, Choo-Choo Lagoon, Toddler River and Tadpole Town. So those of you with little wee ones....there is enough to do.

7. Take a waterproof camera. You know, one of those disposable types. While we took our "regular" digital...I didn't want to risk getting splashed while holding it (or worse, dropping it in the lazy river). The waterproof camera was great and it took great shots.

8. For those of you looking for the traditional "Cedar Point Boardwalk Fries"...have no fear! There was a cart selling boardwalk fries near the ChooChoo Lagoon. And the prices there were reasonable.

OK...that's all for now on Soak City. I'll have another post on Cedar Point coming up. And many posts on Disney World.

Pack your bags! Let's go!

Well here we are.

Now what?

I had the idea for this blog the other night as I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep.

I tend to give out a lot of travel advice - my sister told me "you missed your calling, you should have been a travel agent."

I'm the "family travel agent" -- right now I'm in charge (sort of) of planning our family's vacation to Walt Disney World next spring.

I must be organized. For our Disney trip I currently have a folder full of notes and other planning things.

I think in order to travel successfully with kids you MUST be organized. Even for a short trip. You can't just leave home and hope to have a good time without just a little bit of planning.

And so, with this blog I am going to share my tips, secrets, and adventures with anyone out there willing to read about it.

Let's go!