Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The hunt for Disney's Magical Express

We are safely in Orlando! Super tired after not getting much sleep last night or on the plane, but definitely on the Disney high!

The monorail-shuttle told us to proceed to baggage claim A, and instead of checking my travel binder we just followed the directions & crowd like good little lemmings... Of course we then found out we had to be on the opposite side of the airport! Oops!

Luckily, we are both in vacation mode and didnt get upset! Just laughed and turned around to head back.

Got to the Magical Express line eventually to be greeted by the best smiling faces! Only waited a few minutes before getting on the bus, and sounds like we are about ready to get on our way to Coronado Springs in just a few.

The music from the Electrical Parade was playing when we boarded and I most definitely hummed along with it! Bob looked at me like I was loosing it... Ha!

Well, bus driver Tito says its time to roll... So away we go!!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

First live check in!

Its the night before our trip and everything is set and ready to go! Well, except that Bob has yet to pack (only 8 1/2 hours before we leave, buddy!).
Aside from packing and dealing with all this excitement, I had to create our "flat pidge" to make the trip with us. Look for a photo below of the cute little guy!

I will try to check in with photos and such during the next 9 days... Pretty excited about it!
Feel free to ask questions or suggest "flat pidge" photo ideas in the comments below!

Have a magical night! °o°


Friday, May 6, 2011

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The big list!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately - been busy getting ready for the upcoming trip! Only five more days until we arrive in the Mouse's House!


Previously, I mentioned a photo scavenger hunt idea for our upcoming trip. I've been really excited about this project! First of all, its helped kill some time before we leave. It's also set us up for great photos and some silly memories that we'll remember forever!
As promised, here is the full list of items we are hunting for. We still have a few blank pages in our book, so throw some ideas out and they'll be added!


  • Find a Cast member from Chicago
  • Find another couple celebrating their anniversary
  • High-five 5 different cast members
  • Find someone with a first visit button
  • Find someone with a birthday button
  • Take THREE in-ride photos at Magic Kingdom*
  • Find FIFTEEN hidden Mickeys in Magic Kingdom
  • Make a wish at the Castle wishing well
  • Try to remove Sword in the Stone
  • Silly hat photo in each of the 6 lands in Magic Kingdom
  • Take THREE in-ride photos at Epcot*
  • Find TEN hidden Mickeys in Epcot
  • Take a photo with a Flag in each country of World Showcase
  • Find the Pickle Tree in Epcot
  • Take THREE in-ride photos at Animal Kingdom*
  • Find TWELVE hidden Mickeys in Animal Kingdom
  • Take THREE in-ride photos at Hollywood Studios*
  • Find TEN hidden Mickey's in Hollywood Studios
  • Find Spock's handprints outside the theater
  • Sing in the Rain @ Hollywood Studios
  • Show off drawings from Animation Academy
  • Climb on a Giant Bug @ Hollywood Studios
  • Pull the rope in the well by Indiana Jones Show
  • Dance with any Character
  • Minnie & Mickey's Autographs
  • Dance with a Princess
  • Spot the Tron-o-Rail (TRON themed Monorail)
  • Take a picture with a Friendship Boat Captain
  • Be alone on a Disney Bus
  • Take a picture with Disney Bus Driver
  • Find anything with HOCKEY on it
  • Find FIVE hidden Mickeys at Coronado Springs
  • Alphabet game! Find an item/sign/etc that starts with each letter of the alphabet
*All in-ride photos must follow posted rules! Take the photo on outdoor rides, or without the flash!

As you can see, we're seriously lacking in Animal Kingdom photo ideas!! Hopefully someone can help us out with that. Either way, super excited to see what pictures result from these ideas. I'm not expecting ALL of them to be completed, but hopefully we have fun and get into it!

What do you do to shake things up on your vacations?

Friday, April 29, 2011

Oops!

Shopaholics & Mouseaholics will be posted a day late this week! So sorry! :)
Check back with us later tonight for more great Mickey merchandise.


On a more serious note...
My thoughts and prayers go out to those in the Southern states that were hit by the tornadoes. I truly hope that those impacted are surrounded by family and friends at this time to help them cope with everything that has happened. I hope some pixie dust is able to find its way to the South to spread some magic and miracles.
<3

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Magical Crafting - Tie Dye Shirts

Good evening, Disney fans!

Tonight I would like to share a super fun, easy, family-friendly craft with you! When in Disney Parks, its almost expected that you wear a shirt with our favorite mouse! Unfortunately, Mickey shirts can be quite expensive...
but thanks to the DISBoards, I was able to come across this great idea for tie dying Mickey shirts!

I'll give you the quick rundown, but for full detailed instructions please visit this post on the DISBoards.

Here's what you'll need to start:

  • Tshirts - 100% cotton will work best!
  • Stencil of Mickey Head
  • Dental floss & a Sewing Needle
  • Soda Ash (find this near the tie dye kits)
  • Tie Dye
  • Rubberbands
  • Plastic Bags
  • Bleach Pen (FYI - Tide-to-go does not contain Bleach and will not work)
(sorry I don't have photos of each step... I didn't think to document the whole process)
Step 1: Trace Mickey shape on the Tshirt with a washable marker (I used crayola and it washed out great)
Step 2: Baste Stitch around the shape of Mickey with the Dental Floss - make your stitches small and close together for the best results.
Step 3: Pull both ends of the floss as tight as you can. The Mickey head will be scrunched and bunched:


Step 4: Wrap 2 rubberbands around the floss line - This will prevent dye from getting to the Mickey outline!
Step 5: Soak in Soda Ash as directed in your product's instructions - usually about 20 minutes. Ring out excess water as much as possible
Step 6: Holding onto the puckered Mickey head in the middle of your shirt, start spinning until the entire shirt is wound up into a wheel shape. Wrap rubberbands around the wheel shape (it will look like pizza slices). Be sure to pull your Mickey head up and out of the spiral before continuing.
Step 7: Squirt your desired dye color onto only the Mickey head. Be sure to fully saturate your Mickey shape or you'll end up missing an ear! Also try to not get this color on the rest of the shirt. Then, wrap only the Mickey head in plastic
Step 8: Squirt the desired colors of dyes on the rest of the shirt in the pattern you want. Again, be sure to fully saturate the shirt and squirt into all the nooks and crannies. Then, wrap the shirts in plastic bags and let them sit as directed on your tie dye instructions (I let ours sit overnight)


Step 9: Unwrap the shirts and remove rubberbands. Rinse the dye out in a sink until the water runs clear - similar to when you dye your hair! Keep rinsing and ringing the shirts out until you feel like you've gotten most of the dye out. Then throw them in the washer with just a small bit of detergent. Let the shirts dry completely before moving on.

 

You may notice that the Mickey Heads aren't super clearly defined here. If that is the case with your shirts, continue on to the optional next step. If your Mickeys are surrounded by a nice clear un-dyed outline, then you are done! :)

Step 10: Slide a piece of plastic or cardboard inside the shirt. Using the bleach pen, outline the Mickey Heads with a thin line - the bleach will spread. Let the bleach dry, then wash the shirts again and ta-da! You have finished, custom Mickey shirts for a fraction of the cost - plus tons of fun memories from making them!



I'm actually hoping to make a few more of these for our upcoming trip (2 weeks from tomorrow!) but we've already made a pact to not wear them on the same day as each other. Matching shirts are cute when you have little kiddos, but its just too cutesy and matchy-matchy for us ;)

Please share any fun Disney crafts you and your family like to do - whether its leading up to a trip or just because!

Have a Magical Day today!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Have a Magical Easter!

Happy Easter!
(and if you don't celebrate Easter, have a FABULOUS weekend!)


Have a Magical day!
°o°

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Shopaholics & Mouseaholics - Bookworm Edition

Welcome to this weeks installment of Shopaholics & Mouseaholics! This week we are focusing on some wonderful books about Disney World. As always, if you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

When it comes to books about Disney, it is really necessary to break them down into categories. This week we will feature four categories: Vacation Planning, History, Fiction and Personal Accounts. They're all pretty self-explanatory, so lets just jump right in to some good readin'!

Vacation Planning
Everyone has their own favorites here - and we all seem to be quite loyal to our favorite Guide to the Disney book! My personal favorite is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
2011 Edition - Unofficial Guide
This series is a compilation from several different authors - a whole team, in fact! Every year they update as needed and release a new version. I'm actually still working off my well-loved 2009 edition. The book includes everything a Disney newbie or veteran may need to know during the planning stages, as well as what to do once you GET to the World.
They offer: Dining Reviews, Resort Reviews, Attraction Ratings & Descriptions, Touring Plans (tear out and bring to the park with you), Maps, Pricing, Reader Comments and SO much more. Not to mention suggestions of things to do off Disney property. 
I like this book because the authors tell it like it is - if something sucks, they tell you - but keep in mind, its only their opinion. They even share readers' opinions that differ from theirs to offer both sides of the story. There is a companion site to go along with the book, as well for even more updated information.

History
While this book isn't strictly "history", it has a lot of background information about various attractions and details throughout Disney World. The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom is a great collection of trivia and fun facts. 
Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World
A quick read, but jam packed with fun information. It'll highlight where Imagineers put their "signature" within attractions, explain the placement of certain details and put you in awe of the excruciating attention to detail that goes into a Disney Park. For example... the entrance and Oasis of Animal Kingdom is slightly uphill, to force guests to slow down and take in their surroundings without them even realizing it!

Fiction
Obviously, when one thinks of Disney World fiction only one series comes to mind:
Kingdom Keepers!
Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

Taking place INSIDE the Magic Kingdom at night, a group of young teens must defend the park from the evil "Overtakers" (the classic Disney villains come to life!). This series is popular with young adults and adults alike and offers a fun, different view of the Disney Parks. 
Ridley Pearson just released the fourth book in the series with a special event in Downtown Disney earlier this month!
Kindgom Keepers IV: Power Play
Personal Account
Is there anything better than reading about someone else's experiences with Disney World? Especially if that someone is from another country and takes the daring step to move to America to work in Disney World for an entire year! Mousetrapped: A Year and A Bit in Orlando, Florida is a wonderful account of one Cast Member who braves it all for a year with the Mouse!
Mousetrapped!
Catherine Ryan Howard writes about her year-long journey to find herself by working in Disney World. She has a rough time getting situated, but takes everything in stride and comes out a better, stronger person for her experiences. This is a quick read full of hilarious wit and misadventures!


Thanks for stopping by for another edition of Shopaholics & Mouseaholics! Don't forget to leave your favorite Disney books in the comments below.

Have a Magical Day today!
°o°

Pixar Weekend - Disney Update!

The Disney Parks Blog officially announced Pixar Weekend this morning!

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Honors Pixar May 13-15


The more I hear about this... the more excited I get! :)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mickey Mail! °o°

As if planning a trip to Disney World weren't exciting enough, the folks at Disney know how to help you build even more excitement leading up to your trip. They do this with...
Mickey Mail!

At about 30 days out from your trip (basically, once Disney has your full vacation payment safely deposited) you start to receive these wonderfully colorful THICK envelopes packed with information about your upcoming trip!

The first pack you receive contains all of your Disney's Magical Express information if you are partaking in this service (which we are!).
The next envelope is all of your reservation details and luggage tags. There are also a few pages of coupons for restaurants and activities in Downtown Disney and other places around the Disney area (water sports, mini golf, etc).

Today we received our third (and fourth) piece of Mickey Mail:
So exciting! I love all the silly characters riding the monorail - Stitch just cracks me up! :)
The top (monorail-themed) envelope gives us ideas to help enhance our celebration - which happens to be our 4th Anniversary for this trip! There are suggestions from the Disney Florists for in-room celebrations, as well as ideas of where to eat dinner (even though all of our dining reservations have been made for WEEKS)!

The bottom, red envelope is our customized maps. I order these before every trip, partially because I just like getting the big envelope of them in the mail. We never USE the customized maps, and they end up in the "Disney Vacation Memories" box in the closet... but I still order them.
I'm very disappointed in the maps this time around, though. They still include Mickey's ToonTown Faire, even though it has been closed and demolished for quite some time now! C'mon Disney, keep up with yourself, will ya?

Three weeks from today our magical Anniversary Celebration kicks off, and it certainly can't get here soon enough!
Don't forget to help us plan our Photo Scavenger Hunt here! Any suggestions WILL make it into the hunt, and those photos will be shared - the sillier the better ;)

Have a Magical day, today!
°o°

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Pixar Weekend May 13-15 2011

Just announced in early April, Epcot will be hosting the first ever Pixar Weekend during the Flower and Garden Festival this year!
The topiaries that are scattered throughout the park already have a heavy Pixar theme and Pixar is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year - so all signs certainly point to a great event.

Stitch Kingdom announces Pixar Weekend
Attractions Magazine offers details on Pixar Weekend

It seems as though there will be characters abound throughout the final weekend of Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival this year. Guests coming to the park May 13th - 15th will be greeted by Green Army Men and handed a special event map. The map is said to show where all of the special character meet and greets will be taking place! Here is a rundown of where meet & greets are expected to take place, according to Stitch Kingdom and Attractions Magazine:

  • UP - Carl, Russell and Dug @ Fountain of Nations Stage
  • Monsters, Inc. - Mike Wazowski, Sully, Boo and friends @ Universe of Energy Pavilion
  • Cars 2 - Mater, Lightning McQueen and Rust-eze Girls @ Test Track
  • A Bug's Life - Flik, Atta and friends @ Village Traders in World Showcase
  • Ratatouille - Remy and Emile @ France Pavilion 
  • Toy Story 3 - Buzz, Woody, Lotso and friends @ American Adventure Pavilion
  • The Incredibles - Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl @ Innoventions West
  • Finding Nemo - Living Coral and Stilt Walkers @ The Seas
And... drum roll please... Making his GRAND Walt Disney World debut...

WALL-E

WALL-E Makes his Meet and Greet Debut

Check out this video of WALL-E in Disneyland to get a taste of what his Meet & Greet experience may be like (the audio isn't great, but the video is too cute)


It seems to be that Meet & Greets will be the main focus of the Pixar event, giving guests a chance to meet and get photos with characters that rarely make appearances in the parks. Sounds as though the plans are to have characters on "stage" in 20 minute shifts and swapping out. For instance, at the Monsters, Inc. area - Sully will be available for autographs and photos for 20 minutes, then will go backstage while Mike Wazowski comes out for 20 minutes, and so on. My guess is that this will keep the lines moving faster, instead of each guest meeting with up to 5 characters at the same time.

This Disney Blogger will be at Epcot on Friday, May 13th and will hopefully be able to share some live-reports during the day! 

Which Disney-Pixar character would you be most excited to meet and have a photo with?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

We're Going on a Mouse Hunt...

We're going on a Mouse hunt...
We're gonna catch a cute one!
I'm not afraid
Are you?
Not me!

Okay.. major flashback to being a Girl Scouts Brownie there! :) Except, of course, in the original song we would be hunting bears and catching big ones... But that just isn't as fun, is it?

Ready to be jealous? This particular Mouse-addict is headed to the Mouse's House in exactly 24 days (but who's counting?!). Everything is planned, scheduled and set up - hooray!
It may seem strange for someone so addicted (dare I say, obsessed) with Disney and Mickey to feel this way, but I'm actually worried about ODing on Disney during this trip. It's only been a year since my last visit, and I've never been in consecutive years before. We're also staying for a whopping EIGHT days, whereas last year's 5 day trip was the longest I've ever spent in the World.

So, to help nip boredom in the bud, I've come up with a few silly things to keep us busy on our trip. Keep in mind, we're two adults (albeit kids at heart) with no kiddos to keep track of or entertain. Just two big kids looking for ways to be even sillier than normal on vacation.

1) Flat Pidge. 
Everyone knows about Flat Stanley and his travels through Kindergarten classes all over. But we're going to print off/draw a picture of our kitty, Pidge and take pictures of him is silly places in Disney! Maybe surrounded by Mickey Mouse stuffed toys, or riding on Dumbo.
We pretty much have the coolest cat in the world (I'm not even kidding) so it seems fit he should get to "see" Disney as well.
2) Scavenger Hunt.
What better way to explore more of the hidden gems in the parks than to go hunting for them! We'll have a book with all different items to find and take photos with/of. I'm really excited about this one... here's a few ideas so far:
-Find a cast member from Chicago
-Find "x" number of Hidden Mickeys
-Be the only passengers on a Bus
-Dance with a princess/character
-Photo with "x" celebrity's hand prints @ Hollywood Studios
-Take a photo in every country in Epcot's World Showcase with a silly hat or item
Want to plan your own Scavenger Hunt? Check out this topic on the DisBoards!

Its just a start - but we're both excited about it. Yes, even Mr. I-don't-get-excited perked up when I told him these ideas.
Plus, we already have about half a million photos of us in front of all the various landmarks and such. It'll be way more fun to share these off the wall photos - not to mention how much more exciting it will be for folks LOOKING at the pictures!

Yay! I will surely post pictures of the scavenger hunt cards/book once they're created. If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below - I'll be sure to include them in the book, AND I will post the resulting photo after the trip for you to see. :)

Have a Magical day, today!
°o°

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Shopaholics & Mouseaholics - Etsy.com

Welcome to the first Disney Shopping entry on this blog!
The goal is to make this a regular installment to showcase some fun, different Disney items that are for sale around the internet. Be sure to check some of these items out, and maybe add them to your wish lists for any upcoming holidays, birthdays or just-because! :)

Today's focus is on Etsy.com - Etsy is a community and a marketplace for all things handmade (as well as supplies for making all the wonderful items for sale on the site). There are literally MILLIONS of items for sale on Etsy, and sometimes you feel like you're fishing for a needle in a haystack - totally overwhelming. Here's a few items I've found that I absolutely love:


Minnie Mouse Lampwork Bookmark - 

Gorgeous Lampwork Glass Sterling Silver

JKSDesigns has beautiful lampwork glass pieces in her shop, and occasionally will throw a Mickey or Minnie Mouse item up for sale! In fact, the other author of this blog (who hasn't yet made her debut) received one of JKSDesigns' keychains for Christmas from yours truly - It was beautiful work.
JKSDesigns is based out of Sydney, Australia


Alice in Wonderland Large, 

Swarovski Crystal Flower Headband

Glamour Puss Couture's jewelry and accessories is sure to put a smile on your face. Seriously, if you're having a bad day, just go look at her shop! She uses trinkets and toys and turns them into beautiful pieces of statement jewelry - fun for kids and adults. These headbands are stunningly beautiful - I only wish to be trendy or bold enough to pull one off. I've gotten to know Miss Glamour over the past several months and she appears to be just as fun as the pieces she sells!
Glamour Puss Couture is based out of North Port, Florida


Mickey Mouse Handmade Disney Party 

Cupcake Toppers, Set of 12

It's been brought to my attention that a cupcake is no longer complete without a festive Cupcake Topper stuck in it! And Pinky Crafts is the place to get them. This paperworking artist can help you with all of your party planning needs - Cupcake Toppers, Wine Glass Tags, and even Scrapbook Pages to remember the event! Miss Pinky is another one of the wonderful gals I've been lucky enough to get to know over the past few months, and I'm glad to be able to say that!
Pinky Crafts is based out of Portland, Oregon


Disney Characters Pony O 

Hair Streamer

Little Princess Pea makes adorable and affordable bows, clips and pony-o's. But that's not all - she's also talented enough to make beautiful cards, as well! This Pony-O would be perfect for your little princess to wear during a hot Florida day while exploring Disney World. She also has some great Chicago Blackhawks bows, which the hockey fan in me is partial to!
Little Princess Pea is based out of Naperville, IL

We hope you enjoyed this installment of Shopaholics & Mouseaholics! Please feel free to post your favorite Disney themed items you've found on Etsy.com in the comments below.
Happy Shopping!!
°o°

Update on Beast's Castle...

In my last post about the new Fantasyland expansion, I mentioned that I was unsure of what would be taking place within Beast's new castle in Magic Kingdom.
Thanks to the Disney Parks Blog, I've got an answer now...

NOTHING! 

That's right, the new castle uses forced perspective (a common theme in Disney parks to help make structures seem larger than they are, or to direct your eye to certain details) to appear massive, while its really a miniature castle!
The castle will be sitting atop the Be Our Guest Restaurant, which will keep guests separated from the castle just enough to not realize how miniature it really is. Check out these photos, courtesy of Disney Parks Blog, to see the true size and scale of the new castle:

Let the Disney Magic do its work here, and take in the view of a large Beast's Castle

And now for the reality - either this Imagineer is a giant...
or this castle uses forced perspective in an impressive way!

Imagineer plays King Kong??


In case you aren't aware of it, forced perspective is used ALL over Disney World, but its most evident in the Magic Kingdom. Forced Perspective is a trick used on tv and movie sets to give the appearance of larger buildings. The easiest place to see this in action is on Main Street USA:

You may have noticed, this photo is actually from Disneyland in California...
They use the same forced perspective and it was a great photo showcasing the storefronts

Sure, this looks like a normal street of buildings, but there is Disney Magic at work here! Only the first story of the buildings are regular size, each story going up gets progressively smaller! This allowed the imagineers to help give the illusion of taller buildings, without having to actually BUILD three story buildings along the whole street.
This trick is also used on Cinderella Castle, which only stands 189 feet tall. Part of this height is because at 200 feet, structures are required to have Aircraft warning lights (the blinking white/red lights on buildings and powerlines) and the Imagineers felt the flashing strobe would ruin the effect of Cinderella Castle!

We'll leave you with a big of fun trivia today...
How many bricks were used in the construction of Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World?
(leave your answers in the comments below - no Googling!!)

Have a Magical Day, today!
°o°

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Mickey Watch...

I stole my boyfriend's Mickey watch since he never wears it. You should have seen how sad it looked sitting on his desk, just begging to be worn...
Can't believe how many compliments I've been getting on it... Who knew wearing a men's watch was so great?!
Plus, there's the added bonus of seeing my favorite mouse every time I check the time!
So, what is your favorite Disney or Mickey accessory?
Have a Magical day, today!
°o°

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Fantasyland Expansion - April 2011

By now, anyone who has any sort of interest in Disney World knows about the new Fantasyland Expansion that is currently going on. Just in case you've been living under a rock, or completely cut off from the whole world of Disney, here's a quick rundown for you...

In 2010 it was announced that Fantasyland would be expanded and doubled in size. To make room for the expansion, there would need to be some eliminations - the biggest of which being the complete removal/shut down of Mickey's ToonTown Faire.
This will be the largest expansion to the Magic Kingdom to date. It is slated to open in phases beginning late 2012.
The new Fantasyland area will include permanent homes for many of the Princesses, as well as restaurants, shops and a few new ride attractions.

Mickey's ToonTown Faire closed forever in February of 2011, and Mickey and Minnie's Country Homes were demolished. Don't fret, though! They weren't evicted to live on the streets - their "real" homes are still safely located in Disneyland in California. Phew!
Goofy's Barnstormer Roller Coaster will be the only part of ToonTown that remains, although it will be reworked to fit a new circus theme.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant will move from its current, central location to the old ToonTown area with massive improvements! There will now be TWO Dumbo rides running at all times, to help alleviate those long lines. There will also be a grand circus themed interactive queue area to help kids (and their parents!) enjoy the wait to see the flying elephant.

The new Fantasyland is to include themed areas for the following movies/characters:
Beauty and the Beast:
-Be Our Guest Restaurant - Counter Service meals for lunch and Table Service for dinner
-Gaston's Pub - Likely to be snacks and Non-alcoholic beverages (there is NO alcohol served in the Magic Kingdom)
-Beast's Castle - Future meet & greet home for Beauty and the Beast characters? Not sure. Disney has reassured guests/fans that this new castle will not take away from Cinderella Castle in any way.
The Little Mermaid:
-Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid - new dark (indoor) attraction
Snow White:
-The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - BRAND new state-of-the-art coaster! Will be a combination of indoor/outdoor coaster, and each car will rock independently of others in the train - much like mine cars would.
(Snow White's Scary Adventures will be removed, so there will still only be one Snow White attraction)

There will be new meet and greet locations for the Princesses and their friends, as well! Mickey's meet and greet was moved to the brand new Town Square Theater just a few weeks ago, which will be his new home in the Magic Kingdom. At this time, the princesses are hosting their meet and greets in the new Theater as well.

Here are some photos of the expansion - very exciting and fun!
artwork for the new Fantasyland expansion - set to begin opening late 2012


Beast's Castle was just constructed this past week!
Artwork for new Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction
Aerial view of the construction going on - top spires of Cinderella Castle at the bottom, Tents from old ToonTown Meet and Greet areas are still standing in upper right corner. Large building in the center will be the home for new Little Mermaid dark ride attraction
Photo Credits:
All artwork photos and Beast Castle photo are from Disney Parks Blog
Aerial photo from Attractions Magazine - check them out as they have tons more photos, and even video of the expansion going on!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a Magical Day today °o°

Friday, April 8, 2011

The Mouse is Everywhere!

As everything gets situated here, I'd like to share some of my favorite Disney related websites to tide any fellow Mouse-Addicts over... :)

Dis Boards 
A HUGE community of like-minded Disney Freaks :) There are message boards and discussions on any topic related to Disney that you can imagine - from the movies to the parks. There's even a live chat every night, podcasts, helpful planning information and TONS more. Basically your one-stop-shop for all things Disney.

Disney Parks Blog
The Official Disney Parks Blog - the most reliable source to Disney news and updates. Fun posts throughout the days/weeks with photos, sneak peeks and more.
(Plus, you're just one click away from planning your next vacation since you're already on the Disney site!)

MouseWorld Radio
Continuously streams music from Disney World - background music, queue music, ride/show tracks. Better yet, its a FREE service (there's a few ads, of course)

Unofficial Guide to Disney World
Companion website to the Unofficial Guide books - access to Disney World and Disneyland information. This site also provides crowd level predictions based on hotel occupancy and historical data. Great for planning which parks to visit on which days.
My biggest beef with them is that they ALWAYS suggest you avoid a park on Extra Magic Hours days, but I always take advantage of the bonus time in the parks!

D-Cot
Imagine Facebook only for Disney lovers and you have D-Cot. Relatively new on the scene, so there isn't a lot of traffic to the site just yet, but it is building. You can post photos, share thoughts, join groups with discussion pages and link up with your friends.
They also offer FREE Disney World music - their collection is a little limited, but you can choose which song is played.

Have a Magical Day, today!
°o°

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Hey There, Hi There, Ho There!!

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Magic Kingdom, April 2010 - Entrance Gate

 There are so few moments that completely take someone's breath away - but merely setting foot on Walt Disney World property has the ability to do so repeatedly...
At least for the Disney addicts of the world!

°o°  °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Welcome to our corner of cyberspace dedicated to the most Magical Place on Earth! Please stop in frequently for quick Disney fixes, as well as exciting news and information about the parks, resorts, Walt and the company as a whole.

"Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."
-Walt Disney