TS3 Coupon Now Available

If you're a member of Disney Movie Rewards, log onto the site today and snag your $8 off coupon for the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack of Toy Story 3. I've been anxiously awaiting a coupon for this movie (which releases on November 2) and was beginning to wonder if Disney would break their streak of providing these high-dollar incentives to purchase. I needn't have worried--Disney always comes through for me. Not quite the $10 off that I was hoping for, but I'll take it!

Thursday's Tip

Every week when I prepare the "Thursday's Tip," I run through my previous posts to see if I've already used the tip that's on my mind. And today I started thinking, Hey, I've gained quite a few new readers since I started this site. And those lovely readers may not have had the chance to read some of my earlier posts. So, I think I finally decided that if I recycle a tip or two here or there, it's not really a big deal. [I say all this for those ever-conscientious readers who will want to remind me that I'm recycling my own material. I would be THAT reader, too! :-) ]

So, here's one I'm quite sure I've shared before...but it's worth repeating for the masses: Bring your own. Bring your own what? you may ask. Well, everything. Sunscreen, snacks, rain ponchos, OTC meds, etc. Because whatever you forgot at home will cost you approximately twice as much inside the confines of the Mickey complex. If you're fortunate enough to have a car with you, there are drugstores and discount stores within a ten or fifteen-minute drive from most anywhere on Disney property. But if not, you're at the mercy of the gift shops in the Parks or your Resort.

Trust me, you do not want to make this rookie mistake. Pack absolutely everything you can fathom needing and have room to take. You can thank me later.

Pooh Closes to Complete Refurbishment

Signs outside The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh say it all: "Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends are hibernating during renovations." Yep, after months of walls, moved trees, and all-around chaos, the attraction is finally closing until November 14 to complete the final phase of refurbishment. The ride will re-open with a new interactive queue, and hopefully the walls will come down too!

Playhouse Disney Changes

My kids are almost past the whole Playhouse Disney thing (sigh). They still enjoy the occasional episode of "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," but really they have moved on to "Phineas & Ferb," "Sonny With a Chance," etc. But in years past, many an evening or afternoon has been salvaged in my home by using "On Demand" to play episodes of the Playhouse Disney classics like "JoJo's Circus" and "Little Einsteins." Because of modern technology, my children have no concept of a world where children's programming only exists at certain times of the day/week. Still, there are times when "On Demand" goes on the blink and finding appropriate programming for a grumpy teething tot is difficult.

But no more! Playhouse Disney is about to get its own 24-hour-a-day channel. Well...sort of...but not anytime soon. See, Playhouse Disney is in the process of morphing into Disney Junior, a block of morning programming geared toward two- through four-year-olds. (Basically, it's just a new name at this point for what already exists as Playhouse Disney.) This minor transition should take place in early 2011. But by 2012, Disney Junior should be ready for it's own channel.

As is always the case with Disney, we will be hearing about this for a long time before anything actually happens. (Remember seeing promos for Camp Rock 2 a full two months before it premiered? Yep, me too.) Disney will begin teasing us by introducing the Disney Junior  logo, which will feature the letters J-U-N-I-O-R "clothed" in the costuming of the main six characters--instantly recognizable to most children and Disney fans. Promos will run during popular Playhouse Disney shows. (Has anyone seen one yet?)

So, parents of small tots, you have something to look forward to...in a year or so. For now, you'll have to rely on your DVD stash, "On Demand," or your TiVo. Still, our kids have got it pretty good, haven't they? Anybody else remember when the only children's programming was on Saturday morning or a brief hour on weekday afternoons?

Military Discounted Tickets Now Available

As I mentioned in this post, there is a room-only discount available for active and retired U.S. military personnel, with travel dates through Oct. 1, 2011. Disney has now introduced discounted military park tickets for approximately the same dates.

Now through September 28, 2011, active or retired military (including Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reservists) or their spouses can purchase up to 6 of these special tickets at pretty amazing prices. Here are the specifics:

• 4-Day ticket with Park Hopper Option for $138 each, plus tax


• 4-Day ticket with Water Parks Fun and More Option for $138 each, plus tax


• 4-Day ticket with both the Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun and More Options for $165 each, plus tax

All tickets and options are non-transferable and must be used by Oct. 1, 2011, and as with the room-only discount, certain blackout dates apply. Vouchers for these tickets can currently be purchased at Shades of Green, Disney's military-only resort, and also at military bases. (Take the voucher to the Disney ticket window to exchange it for your tickets.) Any questions about availability should be directed to Shades of Green.

Friday Photo

Since our children have been to Disney World several times, we have pics with most of the main Disney characters. Sure, we still stop to pose with Mickey or Minnie on occasion--especially when there's a short line. But, motly, we concentrate on characters we've never had the opportunity to pose with on previous visits. This trip, we were able to catch a couple of "new-to-us" characters. Behold: Ms. Bunny. She's Thumper's girlfriend, in case you aren't up on your Bambie cast (I'm ashamed to admit that I had to ask which bunny this was). Thumper came out a bit later, but we were on our way to a show and didn't stay for a pic. Next time, perhaps.

Thursday's Tip

Here's a tip for you: log onto www.DisneyStore.com TODAY and order your child's Halloween costume. No, seriously! It's the last day of free shipping (use the code DRESSUP at check out). Many of the costumes are on sale--up to 40% off, and there's just enough time to still get these by Halloween without paying for expedited shipping.



Have you been costume shopping lately--in, say, a Target or Wal-Mart? The quality of the costumes that are available is pretty average. But I can say from much experience (I think our official Disney Store costume count is up to around 8), that Disney Store and Disney Parks costumes are much higher quality and hold up well under the pressure of two girls that play dress-up on a very regular basis! And they just look...well...more princessey.

Here's a bonus tip: if you live near a Disney Store (sadly, we don't), you can drop by for a special Halloween Dress Rehearsal Party this weekend. On Friday, two separate parties start at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, the event starts at 11:00 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Have your kiddo wear his or her favorite costume, and they will receive a free gift. If you get to go, I'd love to hear about it! (I sure do miss my local Disney Store. C'mon, Disney--put one somewhere in Nashville...pretty please!)

Cars 2 Teaser

It's a Small World Re-Opens

It's a Small World re-opened today, ahead of schedule! (My girls were very disappointed that this favorite was closed for refurbishment during our last visit.) Besides a general freshness that new paint and replacing worn parts brings, the most glaring change is that the entry and exit ramps have essentially been switched. Guests now enter and load from what was previously the exit ramp. Likewise, the exit is where guests once entered. The exterior of the building retains its general appearance, but it definitely has a fresh, new feel too. Can't wait to hear how more about the changes from friends who are currently touring. If you're there now, be sure to stop by and let me know what you think about the refurbishment!

Disney Halloween Spoof

You can find more of these funny spoofs at Disney Living's YouTube page. Cute and not-so-scary!

Another Reservation System Outage Scheduled for Tonight

The Disney Reservation System will be down again tonight, beginning at 6 p.m. through Wednesday morning. This outage will be similar to the one that occurred last week (mentioned in this post). If you need to make or change a reservation--resort, ADR, or otherwise--you should do that immediately or plan to wait until the system is back up on Wednesday.

Free Shipping and Up to 40% Off Costumes

Right now, www.DisneyStore.com has many of their costumes on sale for up to 40% off regular prices. (Excluded are some of the deluxe costumes and also the newer characters, like Rapunzel.) In addition, you can get free shipping on any costume if you use the promo code DRESSUP at checkout!



I'm a big fan of Disney Store costumes. They are definitely higher quality than those you can find almost anywhere else, and often they are just as inexpensive--if you catch a sale like this one. My girls play in the year-round, and they seem to always find places to wear them. (My youngest is going to a princess birthday party this coming Saturday and will be wearing Cinderella!)

Sale ends Oct. 21, so shop ASAP!

Friday Photo

Now that we're a homeschooling family...and since we were actually at Walt Disney World for their Homeschool Days, we decided we should make the most of this experience and fit in some learning time. The most obvious Park for "school time" is Epcot, although you can extrapolate lessons from any of the Disney Parks if you try hard enough! On this particular day, Presley decided to learn a little Chinese. :-) Actually, we were going through the exhibits in the Seas with Nemo & Friends. There were some great learning opportunities, and this was one of the computer games we tried. Since Presley doesn't actually read yet, she didn't realize she had chosen Chinese as her language of choice. It made for a cute, memorable pic for our scrapbook!

Thursday's Tip

If you've ever been to Walt Disney World, you know that there are opportunities to buy souvenirs on, literally, every corner. From the establishments lining Main Street to the shops that one conveniently must walk through in order to exit an attraction, there are ample opportunities to spend your cash. Today's tip: shop around and make souvenir purchases near the end of your trip. Why? Because there will always be one more shop...and that shop may just have the one thing you haven't seen yet and simply must have.

Here's the thing...about 75% of the items you'll find in any given souvenir shop will be essentially the same stuff you find at other shops. But the other 25% will be different. And, there are actually a few items that you may only find in one obscure shop. If you're a real Disney aficionado, or if you're a collector of the obscure, this sort of shopping just might pay off with a rare find.



So, except for, perhaps, apparel ('cause you wanna wear those Mickey ears while you're there, right?), save your pennies until the end of your trip. Lots of window shopping first=no buyer's remorse!

Tangled Characters to Meet-N-Greet at Epcot

You may have read this post that mentioned the demise of Storytime with Belle to make way for a Tangled meet-n-greet in the Fairytale Garden in the Magic Kingdom. Recently, I read that the opening of this meet-n-greet had been delayed until October 25. But I just found out that Rapunzel and Flynn Rider will be greeting guests at the International Gateway in Epcot, beginning October 15.  I'm guessing this will merely be a temporary stopover for our Tangled friends, until the permanent, interactive meet-n-greet is ready to open at the Fairytale Garden location. As far as I know, that is still scheduled to happen on October 25.

Active/Retired Military Room-Only Discount

If you're active or retired military, you may already know that Disney is great about offering discounts for you and your family. And this fall is no different! They've just announced a room-only discount of up to 40% off at Walt Disney World Resorts for travel dates October 3, 2010 through October 1, 2011! Of course there are some dates that availability will be extremely limited: Nov. 24-26, 2010; Dec. 26-31, 2010; and April 17-20, 2011, for example. Also there may some restrictions and minimum stay requirements.

At this point, there is no "Military Salute" discounted park ticket currently available, but rumor has it that one will be introduced in early 2011.

With all military discounts, proper ID is essential. If you have questions about your eligibility, I highly recommend contacting the military-only resort at WDW, Shades of Green, with your questions. (While you're at the website, you might want to check out this great resort! Of course, not being military, I've never stayed there. But I hear it's wonderful.)

If you're interested in more information or a discount code to book this offer, you can email me at affordingthemouse (at) att (dot) net.

American Idol Experience Gets a Lighter Schedule

Could it be that the mega-hit's popularity is finally waning? Or perhaps it's just the drop off in fall crowds that has necessitated a change. Either way, the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios is dropping a couple of shows from their daily schedule. Instead of the previous hourly shows that ran from noon until the 7 p.m. finale, the new schedule has shows at noon, 1:00, 2:00, 4:30, 5:30, and the finale at 6:30.

When we were there in early September, they clearly were having some difficulty getting people to audition. While it was mildly tempting to me (I mean, I do have a degree in vocal performance), I just couldn't stand the thought of using up what could be valuable touring time with my family. My cousin (then a college student, but now a professional actor) auditioned a couple of years ago and made it to the finale show. He was recognized all day and greeted by "fans"--pretty fun!

The show we saw on this last trip was proof that they're having some trouble finding "talent." After hearing the first two vocalists, we were a bit afraid that we'd have to vote for the "lesser of two evils," if you know what I mean. Fortunately, the third contestant was a soulful singer with skills, so we had a winner! We enjoyed sitting on the second row and getting on the big screen, but my youngest daughter took advantage of the cool theatre with cushioned seats and took a little nap. (How one can nap with all the noise and lighting changes is beyond me, but she did!) She made it onto the big screen too. :-)

I'm sure AIE will eventually go the way of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire--Play It! and other TV tie-ins, but for now, it's still a really fun show that gives guests the opportunity to fulfill their pop star fantasies. Hope it's still there in a few years when this one is old enough:

Friday Photo

Did you ever see a cuter Cinderella wannabe? This is my youngest daughter on the first morning of our most recent trip, just before breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. She doesn't look excited or anything, does she?

Thursday's Tip

Do you remember back in the 80s and early 90s (before everyone on the planet had cell phones) when you would see families using walky-talky devices at Disney World to keep up with each other? Sure, we did it. And it was a pretty good idea that worked *most* of the time. With the introduction of cell phones, walky-talkies have become a bit...well...obsolete. But here's the thing I realized on our most recent trip to WDW: the cell phone is NOT fail-proof. Sometimes the noise levels in the Parks can prevent you from hearing your phone. And service could be spotty in places. Oh, and here's another big one: the phones only actually work if both parties have theirs turned ON. (Found this out the hard way when my dear husband turned his off to save his battery.) All that to say--yes, there is a tip coming!--that this tried and true tip will still help you reunite with your family in a pinch: Choose a designated location in each Park as your "meet-back-here-if-we-get-separated" spot.

Of course, the chances of you needing it are really slim. You're probably not going to get separated. And you probably will be able to hear your cell phone. And you probably would find each other quickly even if you don't. Still, if you've spent a good 15-20 minutes trying to find your crew, at that point wouldn't it just be easier to hike back to the Partners Statue...or Club Cool...or the Great Movie Ride (just some suggestions), rather than spending the next hour continuing the search? Trust me, having a backup plan is always a good idea (says the woman who spent 15 minutes canvasing Tomorrowland).

Future World Late Hours Bordering on Bogus

You may have read in this post about Future World's later hours, which started Oct. 3, and had all of Epcot closing at the same time. But now I'm hearing reports that this is more than a bit misleading. See, up until now, there were certain attractions in Future World that stayed open until closing anyhow--Test Track and Soarin', for example. Outside of a few attractions, the rest closed at 7 p.m. Well, it seems that although Future World is now set to close later, along with the World Showcase, there are still several attractions that close at 7 p.m. So what has changed? Mostly, the way Disney is wording things. But in essence, Future World's new closing hours haven't actually changed the attraction hours.

Anybody else think this smells a bit off? Bogus, I say! Bogus!

Disney Parks Exclusive Bands

Ok, so we can't technically call them Silly Bandz, because that's a trademarked name brand. But, yep, that's pretty much what they are, with Disney Parks themes! Check them out here.

If you have kids anywhere from age 3 to about age 12, you probably know all about these pricey little items. (I mean, really? Are we paying $5 for a small box of rubber bands?) They come in every variety under the sun. We actually have Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, and even Toy Story bands at our house. But these Disney Parks themed bands are brand new! When we were at WDW less than a month ago, they were nowhere to be found. Right now, you can only get them at the Parks. Hopefully, they'll eventually be available online at the Disney Store under the "Disney Parks Exclusive" section. (Crossing my fingers, are you?)

Online Reservation System Scheduled for Maintenance

Disney's online reservation system will be temporarily out of service for scheduled maintenance October 12-14 (specifically beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern on the 12th and finishing up sometime in the morning on the 14th). So what does this mean for vacation goers? You will not be able to make room or package reservations for WDW during this time (this includes all the Disney Resorts and DVCs) online OR by phone. AND, you will not be able to modify an existing reservation during this time. AND, you will not be able to use the online check-in service. AND, you can't make payments at this time. AND, you won't be able to make online ADRs. AND, you can't make reservations for special tours, events, recreation, shows, etc. Basically, everything that requires advanced planning or reservations will be unavailable during this time.

So, yes, this is kind of a big deal. If you have plans to make or change any sort or WDW reservation, you'd better plan on doing it before October 12...or you'll be waiting until at least October 14.

Beauty and the Beast Combo Pack for as Low as $2.99

I've been searching for the cheapest deal for the Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack that comes out tomorrow. So far, it looks like Toys R Us has the best deal. They will have it for $22.99. If  you got the $10 off coupon from Disney Movie Rewards (must have a previous version of the movie), that drops the price down to $12.99. And with a couple of rebates that are available, you could get it for as low as $2.99. (I actually got a $10 gift card for TRU when I pre-orderedTinkerBell and the Great Fairy Rescue, so I'll be using that too!)

If they sell Wester Bagel products in your area, you can purchase two products and complete this form for a $5 rebate. They will accept a photocopied receipt.

And since you'll still have your original receipt, you can also purchase 3 Campbells kids soups or SpaghettiOs and submit this form for an additional $5 rebate. (And, of course, there are coupons to be found for these products, so with the right deal, you might score some free--or really cheap--soup too!)

These deals have been pretty widely reported on several deal sites, so I'd advise you to go as early as possible tomorrow and snag your copy! I wouldn't be terribly surprised if many stores sell out of the combo packs by the end of the day.

15th Annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival Opens

Today is the day! Disney "Foodies" from all over the globe are rejoicing as, once again, this festive event opens at Epcot. While we won't be making it to WDW for the Food & Wine Festival this year, we were there last year. Here are a few of my favorite pics:

Park Entrance

 

Sample Menus

Eat to the Beat Concert

 

I couldn't resist--here are my girls, all tired out!

Friday Photo

Since I didn't get to post this before our trip, I'm sharing it today. This Friday Photo was actually taken on a Friday--just as we were about to leave for Walt Disney World. We have a Mazda CX-9, a mid-sized SUV (some might even say small), but we make the most of every inch of space. Spacial relations was always one of my high scores on achievement tests in school. As far as I can tell, this is the only place where that skill has come in handy!