Monthly Archives: October 2015

Club Level Series: The Polynesian Resort

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One of the most loved club levels is in the most loved resort The Polynesian Resort. So, after leaving the flagship Grand Floridian Club Level last time, just hop on the monorail and go a few stops down to the Poly. Before you go, you should receive a call or email from their Itinerary Planning Office but better just to let your travel agent handle the planning (maybe biased but contrary to popular opinion these people do not hoard BOG ADRs and can not do more than check once a day for cancellation – so better work with a great TA and get those ADRs!)

After you check-in (at your private concierge check-in desk) and check out your slightly upgraded club room. I say slightly because it is basically a few extra nice amenities like robes and turn down service (same as the other club level resorts). You will be either in a suite or standard room either in Tonga or Hawaii buildings, and after putting your once over on your room head to the favorite concierge lounge The King Kamehameha Club.

Why is The King Kamehameha Club the typical favorite? Well first let’s start with the view. Need I say more?

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So, stop by to grab a snack before heading out to a theme park or relax and read a book and snack all day looking out the beautiful window and soaking in that view. Whatever you decide, you will love it.

Poly CrackersSo, another reason The King Kamehameha Club is a favorite is their menu. It just fits the bill and always feels more generous. You can make a meal or a heavy snack here for breakfast and even for dinner. You can also get quite a few different drinks in you during the evening, head out for fireworks (or watch from the Poly beach) come back to the concierge lounge for dessert and cognac. All that is included in your fantastic club level room at the Poly resort.

Oh, and what else is there to love about The King Kamehameha Club? Unlimited POG JuicePOG juice and if you are not familiar with it – run to the Poly and try it because you will love it. It is like a dole whip, if you do not love it, there is something crazy wrong with you!

If you want to know the menu they do print one out each week and you can see it has a wide variety of amazing sounding snacks and appetizers from sushi to luau ribs.

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So, do I recommend Poly’s Club Level? YES! Check it out for yourself and let me know if you loved it too?

MagicBand On Demand

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Have you been itching to create your own MagicBand that fits your personality?  Well now you can!  The creation station is located in the Tomorrowland Power & Light Co near Space Mountain.  There will be 8 different colors to choose from…including the much requested purple!  There will be 40 different graphics that you can choose from to customize your band, including some Magic Kingdom ones that will ONLY be available at the creation location.

In addition to the graphics, you will also have the opportunity to print your name on the outside of the band!  This should be lots of fun!

The printers will use UV ink that dries instantaneously and requires no cooling time.  In addition, you can link them to your My Disney Experience account right away, or you can save them to give as gifts.

The cost for a customized retail MagicBand is $21.95 and a personalized retail MagicBand will be $29.95.  Have fun creating!

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Candlelight Processional 2015- Narrators Added

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Disney has just released additional names of narrators for this year’s Candlelight Processional at Epcot. From November 27 until December 30 you can catch a lovely retelling of the Christmas story with a full orchestra and choir at the American Gardens Theater in Epcot. Showtimes are at 5:00pm, 6:45pm, and 8:15pm nightly.

  • 11/27 – 11/29 — Gary Sinise
  • 11/30 – 12/3 — Neil Patrick Harris
  • 12/4 – 12/5 — Whoopi Goldberg
  • 12/6 – 12/8 — Joe Morton
  • 12/9 – 12/11 — Ana Gasteyer
  • 12/12 – 12/14 — Meredith Vieira
  • 12/15 – 12/17— America Ferrera
  • 12/18 – 12/20 — Chandra Wilson
  • 12/21 – 12/23 — Daniel Dae Kim
  • 12/24 – 12/26 — Edward James Olmos
  • 12/27 – 12/28 – Blair Underwood
  • 12/29 – 12/30 — Amy Grant

Disney does have a disclaimer that they are subject to change without notice to be sure to check before you arrive.

And you can also purchase Candlelight Processional Dining Packages for lunch and dinner where there is availability.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Podcast Episode 69: Our Fall Disney Vacations

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Join us this week as we talk about our upcoming Disney vacations!  We’ll discuss our resorts, our dining plans, what we’re Fast Passing, and any special events we’re looking forward to!

Happy listening!

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Craft: No Sew Mickey Head Applique Tee

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After reading about Jillian’s homemade floral Mickey ears I was inspired to exercise my own craftiness and make my daughter an outfit for her first trip to Disney!

The first thing I did was find some inspiration fabric. We’re going to Walt Disney World while it’s all gussied up for Christmastime so I chose a vintage-y Christmas Mickey & friends fabric.

You’ll need a tee shirt (or onesie for baby), scissors, an iron, a printout of a Mickey head in an appropriate size for your shirt, Heat N Bond Ultrahold and your fabric. shirt1

  1. Trace the Mickey head on to the paper side (not the bumpy side) of your Heat N Bond.
  2. Place the Heat N Bond bumpy side down on to the “wrong” side of your fabric (not the side you want showing on your shirt!)
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  3. Press the iron on to the Heat N Bond for 6-8 seconds as directed on the packaging. Let cool.
  4. Cut out the Mickey head.
  5. Remove the paper backing and place on the shirt where you’d like it to be. B702ADFD-349E-43EC-8865-61C5FACA18F1_zpsfkftkikp
  6. Press the iron on the Mickey head for another 6-8 seconds as directed on the packaging.

Voila! That’s it, you’re done 🙂
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This same process can be used to make any design! I went with a Mickey head because of the limited space on a baby’s onesie but you could do your name (make sure to print the text in reverse for the tracing step), a silhouette, anything really! Easy and fun.

As you can see, I decided to make a matching skirt, too! This project is great for a beginner. The pattern can be found here.

New Tortuga Tavern Menu

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The Tortuga Tavern over in Adventureland has a new BBQ themed menu that debuted last week.  If you’re in the mood for brisket, this is going to be your stop!

Barbecued Chicken Sandwich – Served on Texas Toast.  Comes with coleslaw and baked beans.

Barbecued Pork Sandwich – Served on Texas Toast.  Comes with coleslaw and baked beans.

Barbecued Beef Brisket Sandwich – Served on Texas Toast.  Comes with coleslaw and baked beans.

Roasted Corn & Vegetable Salad – Dressed with Red Wine Vinaigrette.

With the sandwiches, you can sub the slaw and beans for the Roasted Corn & Vegetable Salad.

Sounds delicious!  Let us know what you think of these changes!

Conveniences of Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort

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We have debated the difference of offsite vs onsite, but here are a few conveniences big and small of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel!

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  • Magical Express- No need to rent a car to get from the airport to your hotel or the reverse with the added bonus of not needing to get to get your own bags upon arrival
  • Transportation- You will not need a rental or need to drive yourself, let Disney take care of getting you where you need to go
  • Free Parking- if you do take a car you can park for free at any of the parks
  • Magic Bands- These are included in your stay and they are so fun
  • Early Dining Reservations- You can make all of your dining reservations starting at 180 days prior to arrival plus 10 days
  • Early FastPass Reservations-These can be made 60 days in advance vs 30 days
  • Extra Magic Hours- The extra hours that are open only to resort guests mean fewer people in the park
  • Package Pick Up- If you purchase something in the parks you can have it delivered to your resort to be picked up the next morning so you can buy that big or delicate souvenir without worry.
  • Resort Airline Check In- You can check your bags for your flight right at your resort, no need to haul it to the airport to check it in there.
  • Free Wi-Fi- In this day connecting to wi-fi is important to us all, there is free wi-fi throughout the parks and resort hotels

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There is so much to recommend about the Disney Resorts but these are some of the best perks! If you have a favorite share it with us!

Podcast Episode 68: Walt Disney World Planning 101

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If you think planning a Disney vacation is too stressful and overwhelming, this episode is for you!  We walk you through planning a Walt Disney World vacation from start to finish, in an easy to follow format that will help you make the most of the magic of Disney.

Happy listening!

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Random Acts of Disney Kindness

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One of my favorite things to do at Disney is make other people happy. Doing something small and random to help make someone else’s day even more magical is just so much fun! Here are a few things I’ve done on past trips that have gone over really well:

1) For the Boo To You Halloween parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party we brought extra glow stick bracelets. For a buck at the Target $1 section I picked up a few tubes. The little girls each got an extra tube to open and hand out bracelets to the children around us. As a bonus, the girls LOVED doing this! They really enjoyed making the other kids happy. It was a nice way to burn some time while waiting for the parade to start too. This would be a nice surprise for any nighttime parade or fireworks show.

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(You can see some of the children around us with extra glow bracelets!)

2) Making up a few small cards for Cast Members that go the extra mile. Disney Cast Members are almost always amazing, but sometimes you run into one that is really special. For these Cast Members it’s nice to have a little card just to say “Thank You” and let them know they really made your day. It’s also a good idea to stop by Guest Services near the entrance of each park and have a note put on their file if they did something really amazing. They get credit for these from the higher-ups!

3) If you get a balloon at Disney, consider handing it at checkout to a family just coming in. The balloons seem to last forever, and it’s not like you can take it with you (if you fly!) so why not let another family enjoy? This goes for things like unfinished cases of water or snacks as well! If you can’t take them, another family would surely appreciate and be able to use them during their trip!

4) Offer to take a family photo. Of course there are several PhotoPass photographers all around the Disney parks, but maybe you spot a family trying to take a picture at a resort, or somewhere out of the PhotoPass photographer’s range. Help them out! A family photo with everyone in it is a priceless gift.

5) The most obvious (and I think most important) act of kindness you can do is show others patience. Lots of times in the parks we’re all hot and tired and overwhelmed and it’s easy to be bothered by even the smallest annoyance. Try your hardest to show kindness to others who are probably just trying their best!

What kind of Disney Random Acts of kindness have you done? Is there something we should add to our list for the next trip?

Difficult to Get Walt Disney World Reservations

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Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can be tricky and time-consuming. You really have to know the ins and outs of planning a vacation before you even get started. Dining at Disney is a very important aspect of that vacation. Let’s start with the basics. If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort you can make dining reservations at 180 days plus 10. What that means is that when you are 180 days from arrival you can make all the reservations from that day through 10 days of your vacation. Say you are arriving on January 1 until Jan 10 you can make all your dining reservations in a single day. The difference in staying offsite is that you would have to make these reservations each day as that 180 days arrives.

Having these bonus 10 days means that you can make all your reservations at once and reach into the tail end of your vacation to get the restaurants and times you want.

But knowing which restaurants are most popular can help you prioritize which reservations to get.

Magic Kingdom
Be Our Guest This is Disney newest restaurant which is Quick Service for breakfast and lunch and Table Service for dinner.

Cinderella’s Royal Table- Still so popular with little ones and adults alike, everyone wants to eat in Cinderella Castle!

Epcot
Le Cellier- While not nearly as popular as it once was this restaurant is probably the hardest to get reservation in Epcot but no need to worry there are plenty of choices in this park!

Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Brown Derby- This is Disney nicest restaurant in Hollywood Studios if you are looking for a nice night out this is the place to go!

Hollywood & Vine Play and Dine- Very popular with the Disney Junior crowd this is a character meal for breakfast and lunch featuring: Doc McStuffins, Jake, Handy Manny and Sofia the First.

Animal Kingdom
Tusker House- Another popular character meal featuring Mickey and friends in safari gear.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Chef Mickey’s- Character meals are so popular and this one with Mickey and friends in chef outfits that so many people are clamoring to get this reservation.

California Grill- A popular one with adults, this one has delicious food and a fantastic view of the Wishes Fireworks!

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
‘Ohana-Breakfast is a fantastic character breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. Lunch and dinner are also a great meal served family style. It is not to be missed.

The Grand Floridian Resort
1900 Park Fare- If you are interested in breakfast with Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tigger, and Winnie the Pooh. Then there is the Wonderland Tea Party in the lunch time. For dinner the Happily Ever after Dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, the step mother and step sisters and you won’t want to miss their antics!

Of course if you have further questions you can always talk to your travel agent for suggestions and help!