Happy Halloween--Throwback Thursday Edition

Hope you're having a Happy Halloween! It's rainy and cold in Nashville, so it's likely we won't be trick-or-treating tonight. Still, in honor of the holiday and also Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd share some of our past Halloween costumes--almost all are Disney-related. Enjoy!

Oz the Great and Powerful, with Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda

Cinderella

Minnie Mouse and Jasmine

Snow White

Alice in Wonderland

Vidia and Tinkerbell (and a "Fairy Puppy")

JoJo (still one of my favorites!)

Rapunzel

New Dining Cancellation Policy On Hold

Disney had planned to implement a new cancellation policy for Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) beginning tomorrow, October 31. This policy would require a credit card to hold ALL table service reservations, and a fee of $10 per guest would be charged for any no-shows. The obvious reason for this policy is the rampant practice of guests making multiple reservations, often in multiple parks, for convenience (ensuring multiple options in case plans change) and cancelling (or not) with little or no notice. This practice wreaks havoc on the dining system, prohibiting other guests from snagging ADRs that go unused. And it's selfish. (That last bit is just my opinion.)

That said, I am now reading that this policy will NOT go into effect tomorrow as originally planned. No date has been given, but I do believe this is a delay, rather than a change, in the new policy. Previous cancellation fees that were already in place--those for Signature Dining and certain character experiences--are still in effect as they were before.

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

So an entire week has passed between posts. My only excuse is that our home was turned a bit upside down last week as we are having tile installed in our kitchen and laundry room. That doesn't seem like something that would keep me off my computer; however, it has taken all the energy I could muster just to keep our household operating at some sense of normal. When your kitchen is out of service, you have to get pretty creative when it comes to meals--especially if you don't want to eat out for all of those meals. It has been...interesting, as my husband and children will attest. But today is (fingers crossed!) the last day, and I hope to be back in business, both in the kitchen and in life, very soon!

In the mean time, here's a Hidden Mickey that appeared as we were crafting for Halloween:

Hidden Mickey Monday

Found this one on the wall of our bathroom this last visit:

Friday Photo

Have you ever been to the Wilderness Lodge? Just outside past the pool is Fire Rock Geyser--a man-made geyser that shoots up 120 feet every hour on the hour, from 7:00 a.m. until 10 p.m. We happened to catch it while we were waiting to dine.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2013

Since 2009, we have consistently visited Walt Disney World in either September or October. And every year we consider attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party...and we always talk ourselves out of it. For one thing, I am extremely frugal and this hard-ticketed event goes for about $65 a pop (for approximately 8 hours of time in the Magic Kingdom, since guests are typically admitted into the park by 4 and the party lasts until midnight). For another, our children are just now getting to the point where they can stay up until midnight without getting whiney or grumpy--and you know if we pay for the party, we're staying until midnight! Finally, we had never been able to come up with just the right costumes for our predominantly-female family. Until now.

My husband has a very narrow field of costumes that he would consider wearing--and they mostly consist of Super Heroes or Star Wars characters. We desperately tried to talk him into LaLaLoopsy dolls last year, but that was a lost cause. Then it came to me...Oz! His costume would be rather normal--a tuxedo--and ours could still be fun and elaborate. Everybody wins! We were rather frugal with our costumes too. Some pieces came from our own closets, many were purchased second hand, and a we even made a few things. My best find was the 99-cent Tuxedo jacket for my husband at Good Will--score!



My parents were with us at the party too, and they dressed as Miss Kay and Phil from Duck Dynasty. It took a little convincing for my dad, although camouflage is pretty central to his wardrobe anyhow. Since he didn't want to wear a beard in the Florida heat (or, well, anywhere), he used this paper fan--perfect, right? For my mom, all that was needed was an apron.



We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 4:00 p.m., when guests are typically admitted into the park. The party officially starts at 7:00, and that's when they begin ushering other guests out. Since we had a 3-hour window before the party technically started, I was able to schedule 3 Fastpass+ attractions for our Magic Bands in that time. So, basically, we had to head immediately toward the Fairytale Princess Hall upon our arrival.



After visiting with Cinderella and Aurora, we did Enchanted Tales with Belle. Both my husband and youngest daughter got to play roles in that one--fun! [An aside: one small way they've improved this attraction over Storytime with Belle is that now any child that would like a part can have one. They have plenty of "minor" character cut-outs so everyone can participate.]



Our final FP+ was for Under the Sea/Journey of the Little Mermaid. In addition, I think we were able to ride Dumbo, check out Belle's village (including Gaston's Tavern), and visit the Haunted Mansion before the party started in earnest. One of the highlights of the Haunted Mansion is seeing the CMs in ghoulish makeup. Even better, we were entertained by Madame Renata as she engaged guests outside the mansion.



Once the party started, we decided to do a bit of Trick-or-Treating along the way. I have to admit, this was one area of disappointment for me. I expected there to be CMs on every corner handing out treats, and that wasn't the case. Yes, there were a few "big" trails that had more than one stop, but those were few and far between. And some of the T-or-T areas were so far off the beaten path that it was rather inconvenient to search for them. Even after searching a few out, we all left the MK with less than half a bag of candy each. And by the time we weeded out what we wouldn't eat, it was less-than-impressive.

The highlight of the evening for me was the Boo to You Parade. The Headless Horseman signals guests to the parades arrival--yes, a real live horse with his rider! You'll see both familiar and exotic characters in this parade. It is certainly the most unique Disney parade, if not the best. There were grave diggers--complete with shovels that sparked on the pavement. And zombie dancers, just as those in the ballroom at the Haunted Mansion. We even caught a glimpse of the Hitchhiking Ghosts. And the catchy tune that accompanies them all will be stuck in your head for days! We liked this parade so much that we came back for the second viewing!



Another fun thing about MNSSHP is that you see characters that aren't typically available on a regular basis. While we aren't usually willing to wait in the long lines for some of these, we did manage to see a couple. Tarzan and Terk had almost no line, so we snagged a photo. While the Seven Dwarfs had a tremendous line (guests started lining up at 4:00 p.m.--I'm not even kidding!), there was absolutely no one in line when we dropped in just before midnight! Lucky us!



Additional activities for the night included character dance parties, a Villains castle show, and a seasonal castle projection show and fireworks. Honestly, we barely saw/did these things, as we were intent on seeing the parade, trick-or-treating, and riding a few attractions. My one regret is that we missed a full viewing of the Villains Dance Mix & Mingle--we just lost track of time. But, all-in-all, we enjoyed the party. Would we do it again? Probably not anytime soon. But it's definitely worth checking out at least once.

 

 

Be Our Guest Review

It's the hottest ADR in the Magic Kingdom, and lines for lunch counter service start forming around 10 a.m., but does Be Our Guest warrant all the attention? Our family agrees--yes! Granted, we neither had an ADR nor waited for a table: we were invited to participate in a special lunch test through Disney FastPass+.



 

We opted to try the Direct to Table approach--we actually ordered our food from home a couple of weeks before our trip. The other option was essentially an ADR of sorts. Still, with either option, you have the opportunity to change your order on site, so you needn't worry that you'll be locked into any meal.





We arrive a few minutes before our 2:00 p.m. time and checked in at the booth on the bridge into the restaurant. After confirming our reservation, we were ushered right into the restaurant where we waited in a fairly short line to use the kiosk. The kiosk allows you to place your order (or confirm/change if you've previously ordered) and make payment. Our order was linked to our Magic Bands, so we simply tapped it to the sensor and our order appeared. It took us a few minutes to figure out the payment (we were charging to a rewards card, not our Magic Bands), but we were soon on our way to find a table.

 







There are three options for seating: the Grand Ballroom, the West Wing, and the Rose Gallery. While the Grand Ballroom is gorgeous, it is the largest and, therefore, rather loud. The West Wing is mystical and creepy (in a good way), but very dark. So, we opted to sit in the Rose Gallery. It was calm, quiet, and we could see our food--bonus! If you're group isn't using Magic Bands, you will be given a rose-shaped GPS device that tells the servers where to bring your food. However, the Magic Bands themselves serve as a GPS device, which negates the need for the rose. (I actually took mine off and left it on the table, since I was walking around and taking pictures while we waited for our food.





Once you're seated, you can head to any drink station and get your own beverages. (We took our receipt up, but I'm not sure anyone was really checking them.) We waited about ten minutes or so for our food to arrive--and, wow, was it worth the wait! For starters, our meals arrived on a lovely wheeled cart. The presentation was top notch! Everything looked amazing--but how would it taste?









I'm happy to report that Be Our Guest does not disappoint. We only ordered one adult meal, the Carved Turkey Sandwich. That was a mistake. No, it was delicious...just too safe and boring compared to other menu items. The kids meals here are definitely a notch above other WDW eateries. We had the Feast a la Beast, which was a slow cooked pork with a mushroom sauce, paired with green beans and sweet potatoes. Soooooo good. We'd order the adult version of this next time! Rounding things out, we ordered two bowls of soup: the French Onion and the Potato Leek. Both were scrumptious, but our favorite was the Potato Leek--which was a bit less expensive and lower in calories! (Win/win!) And while we barely had room for dessert, we couldn't very well leave Be Our Guest without at least trying the Grey Stuff Cupcake. And you know what? It is delicious!



We can't say enough about our great experience at Be Our Guest--there really were no negatives from our point of view. Prices are reasonable and in keeping with other counter service meals, and the food is considerably better than most. Now, had I waited in a two-hour line to eat at Be Our Guest, would I still be singing its praises? Perhaps not. But if the test is any indication of what's to come for this eatery, we will definitely add it to our "must eat" list for Walt Disney World!



 

Trip Report: Extended Version

Still putting a few things away here at home, but I finally finished my last load of laundry from the trip--woot! Here's the general overview of what we did each day. More details to come on specific events/restaurants.

We started our trip on Friday afternoon. My parents traveled with us this time, so we waited for them to arrive from Indiana that morning. In the mean time, my girls and I had a callback for a Christmas show (we all got in!) that we had to work in before we left town. When my parents arrived, we had just a few minutes to repack their van with all our luggage and theirs. Fortunately, we were only going to Atlanta--a four-hour trip--so it was OK that we were a little tight. I think everyone had something at their feet, but we squeezed everything in. We had a brief stop-over for our callback and then were on our way to my brother's house where we spent the night before heading for Florida on Saturday.

The trip in to FL was also pretty smooth. We stopped at the Welcome Center and snagged a free cup of OJ before arriving at Pop Century around 4 p.m. on Saturday. [A side note: I actually turned down free passes to the Sea World Halloween party for that evening. I was offered an opportunity to review it for Trekaroo, a family travel site, but knowing that our arrival time was unlikely to be early in the day, I let those go to another family. It hurt a little, but it was the right decision.] Our check-in at Pop went pretty smoothly. We had done online check in, and this saved some time. Still, I had to wait for an actual desk clerk Cast Member, since I was paying with gift cards and not the credit card on file. My mom, on the other hand, was able to check in with a roaming CM who had a handheld device, charging their room to her card. It took all of about 30 seconds.



We had only stayed at Pop one other time, back in 2005 soon after it opened. Our reactions were largely the same: this resort is fine, not great. The theming throughout the resort is fun, but the rooms are somewhat bland. In addition, because it is so large, it always feels crowded. That said, our room assignments were precisely what we had asked for, so we really have no complaints...we just like some of the others better than Pop. This was also our first opportunity to use our Magic Bands. We were all very excited to see that they indeed worked in opening our doors. That is, perhaps, the single best use of them--so convenient to simply tap your band to the censor, especially when you have your hands full.

That Saturday evening, we had our traditional dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (we don't have these in Nashville). We love to fill up on healthy food (soup and salad) before diving in to all Disney has to offer. I found an online discount that gave us 15% off with my Visa card, so that was a bonus.

Since we had two different types of tickets--Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Homeschool Days Parkhopper Tickets--we were told by my CM cousin that it would be a good idea to have plastic tickets to enter the Parks, particularly for the Halloween party, to ensure that the system didn't take away one of our Parkhopper days instead. (This is one of the quirks of the system--it can't prioritize tickets at the gate.)In addition, we knew that plastic tickets would be our only opportunity to acquire Fastpasses while in the Parks (though we had scheduled 3 FP per day on our Magic Bands through FP+). So, since we had no evening activities planned, we headed to the Magic Kingdom Guest Relations to have our tickets "fixed."

The process did take some time--it's clear there are still some kinks in the system and quite a learning curve for CMs--but we were rewarded well for our trouble. Since we were arriving near closing, we were given passes to head into the MK in time to see the evening fireworks. (This "Magical Moment" was courtesy of our daughter who kept begging us to go into the park then...followed by our explaining that we didn't want to waste a whole park ticket day for just an hour or so in the MK. The CM overheard all this and granted her wish!) Along with that, we were given two FastPasses good for any ride--we were able to ride Under the Sea (which we'd never been on) and Buzz Lightyear. We also got free ice cream bars from a cart! All-in-all a pretty sweet deal!

Because of our surprise trip into the MK, most of us didn't have great walking shoes on (the girls and I were wearing flip flops) and we also got to bed later than planned. But sore feet and a little less sleep were a small price to pay for Extra Magic!



Sunday, we tried to sleep late and ate a light breakfast in our room before heading to Whispering Canyon Café for lunch. I'll write more on this experience, but I'll just mention that what could have been a terrible lunch turned out well for us again because of the way Disney handles their own mistakes.

After an hour or so of rest, we donned our Halloween costumes and headed to the party. I'll do a separate post on this as well...overall, we enjoyed the whole night, but it's not something we feel we have to do often or again anytime soon.



Monday was a "rest day" after our late night. We have brunch at Kona Café (always a favorite) and did a little shopping for last-minute necessities like milk. We had planned to walk over to Art of Animation for dinner, but a downpour of rain nixed that idea. We settled for the Everything Pop food court. It was fine, and we were able to mostly dodge the rain.



Tuesday was a full day in Epcot. We had FP+ for Soarin', Character Spot (we've actually NEVER done this), and Test Track. We tried to change our selection for the Character Spot, since there was no line and we didn't really need to use it, but neither the app nor the kiosk nearby would allow us to make another FP+ selection (something it should allow you to do). As I said, still a few kinks in this system. As for Test Track, we really enjoyed the new "design-your-own-car" aspect of the ride, but we otherwise prefer the old version. It loses something with all the dayglow and darkness. For example, because it's so dark inside, you can actually see the daylight outside as the car in front of you breaks through the wall to outdoors, so there's no element of surprise. Sure, we knew it was coming, but it was more exciting when you used to crash through those doors than it is now. Also, it's hard to tell what the semi that heads toward your car is, so it's not as exciting/scary either.



We had lunch at Sunshine Seasons. We also visited the Chase Visa lounge in the American Adventure for free drinks and a nice little rest. In the evening, we took in some of the Food & Wine festival and had some tasty dishes, but we found that our old favorites (particularly the bakery in France) are a better deal and we are never disappointed in them. While we didn't stop to sit down, we stood and listened to Sugar Ray perform the one or two songs of theirs that we actually know. Took us back a few years. Scott and I finished the evening with dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel--alone. (My parents and cousin took the girls for us!) A rare treat for us!



Wednesday was our Homeschool Program at Disney's Hollywood Studios (more on that later). We hit all our favorites (Toy Story, Great Movie Ride, Tower of Terror, Star Tours) and tried a new dessert favorite: the Butterfinger Cupcake from Staring Rolls Cafe. (So very delicious!!!) But lines were rather long at even the marginal attractions, which we are just not used to. (I've come to the conclusion that balanced school calendars are screwing up Disney in the fall for all us homeschool families!) We saw Minnie Mouse in her new meet-n-greet and waited 45 minutes for my youngest to get her photo with Wreck-It Ralph and Venelope (never again). After getting frustrated at wait times, we decided to head over to Epcot to finish out our day at EMH. Even with F&W crowds, we were able to hit Soarin' again and several other less popular attractions. And we ate at the French bakery. Again.



Thursday had us back at the MK, our favorite park, and the one we are most comfortable navigating--which, in turn, allows us to do and see more in a day. We did two "new" things: First, we ALL rode Space Mountain together! It's a new era for our family! The other new event was eating at Be Our Guest. I'll do an entire post on that, but our overall impressions were VERY favorable. I'd put it on my "must do" list for sure. We left a bit before the MK closed to stop by Captain Cooks (Polynesian) and have a late dinner. Loved the pork nachos! And, of course, we got our self serve Dole Whip!



Despite it being our least favorite park, we decided to give Animal Kingdom a half day on this trip--if for no other reason than to eat at Flame Tree BBQ! And for the first time, our girls (and I) rode Expedition Everest! Our oldest didn't want to do it again (youngest went again with Daddy), but at least she got on it! Very proud of this brave move (if you knew her, you'd appreciate how hard this was for her). We got soaked twice on Kali River Rapids, and we saw my friend Claire flying as Squirt in Finding Nemo. That was really all we cared to do at AK, so we hopped back to the Studios for the end of the day. Again, the Studios was rather crowded, so we mostly attended shows and minor rides. (My parents weren't with us on Wednesday, so we mostly went back to DHS for their benefit.) We weren't able to ride Toy Story (out of FP), but we hit most everything.



Our last event before leaving town was breakfast with one of my old theatre friends at Olivia's (Old Key West Resort). We had a lovely visit, a good meal, and a bonus of 40% off with her CM discount (she is a seasonal Disney employee). We had another uneventful trip back to Atlanta, where we stopped over for my sister-in-law's birthday and to see my nephew who has been away at college. After a great night with them, we drove across town to my aunt's house so that my Dad could do a few quick repairs for her while we visited. She made us a yummy lunch, and by early afternoon we were on our way back to Nashville.

That's the long version of the whole week, but there will be several posts coming on specific events, activities, and restaurants. Oh, one other thing: although the crowds were greater than we expected, we couldn't have asked for better weather! Other than the brief shower on Monday, and one tiny shower while we were inside the American Adventure at Epcot, we had clear skies and mild temps!

 

Trip Report in Brief

We are home and trying to re-establish some sort of order. Between the mound of laundry, getting back to our homeschool routine, and not having much to eat in the house, I haven't really been able to decompress enough to think about writing about some of our experiences at Walt Disney World this week. So...here's a preview of some of the posts I hope you will see in the next couple of weeks:

• A general trip report, overviewing everything we saw, ate, and did!


• Review of Be Our Guest--we used Direct to Table.


• A post on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party--what we loved, and what we didn't.


• Whispering Canyon Café review--and how Disney makes up for their mistakes.


• Magic Bands--how they work, what they'll do, and hopes for what they can become.


• Off the beaten path: dining at a DVC resort.


• Disney's Homeschool Days--what we learned and why we love this program.

While we were away, there were some developments too. Of course, we saw the concept art that was released for Avatarland--did you? There was also the rumor that Lord of the Rings may be coming to the Disney Parks in the future. And, of course, more talk that Star Wars Land may prevail over Cars Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. And while none of us were paying attention, Disney quietly decided to do away with their paper stock certificates that are so popular among fans. (You can still grab one until October 16.) There were also a variety of Limited Time Magic announcements.

I'll do my best to catch everyone up on what's going on around Walt Disney World in the coming days. In the mean time, suffice it to say we had a lovely trip (if a bit more crowded than we expected)--and the weather was nearly perfect!

 

Two New Disney Visa Winter Discounts

If you're a Chase Disney Rewards Visa cardholder (and why wouldn't you be?), there are two new discounts available to you for travel dates this winter. The first is a "Stay, Play, and Dine" discount. It's kind of hard to figure out the exact discount, as it is not a Free Dining or Kids Stay/Play/Dine Free discount. It's merely a lower price. Certain resorts are excluded, and travel dates include January 5 through March 5.

The second is a room-only discount for up to 35% off rack rates for travel dates January 5 through April 12. Discounts are highest for Deluxe, less for Value, and some resorts are excluded.

Both discounts must be booked by December 31 and will be released to the general public next week, so book now as these deals are limited. You might want to price out each deal to see which is best for your family!

Coupon for Little Mermaid Combo Pack

The Diamond Edition Combo Pack for The Little Mermaid releases today. Hop over to Scott Shared Values and print your coupon for $7 off. If you're not already a member, it's free to join, and they often offer coupons on Disney releases. I am a member, and I almost never get email from them (in case you're worried about spam in your in-box).

 

 

In the midst of trying to get ready to leave for our WDW vacation on Friday, I've had two sick girls. :( So please forgive me if I've been or will be a bit absent from the blogosphere this week. Which brings me to next week: we'll be at Disney! While I won't be posting here during our vacation, I do intend to tweet, so follow me @ValerieBGibbs for updates and photos. I also encourage you to enjoy these "best of" posts that give tips on how to pack and plan:

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=4202 Trip Prep: Packing

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=2527 How I Pack: What to Bring

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=2530 How I Pack: Packing the Kids Clothes

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=2538 How I Pack: the Disney Tub

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=2548 How I Pack: Mou$elaneous Tips

http://affordingthemouse.com/?p=3962 What Goes into the Backpack

BTW, there are several important Disney "birthdays" being celebrated today--October 1. Most notably, Walt Disney World turns 42 today! (Have I mentioned that WDW opened just a week after my birth? Yep, so I pretty much just let the cat out of the bag on my own age.) Epcot turns 31 today. And, finally, the Caribbean Beach Resort is 25. (FYI, it also happens to be Julie Andrews and former President Jimmy Carter's birthdays.)