Thursday's Tip

I shared many tips over the years on how to save money on food at Walt Disney World. But even the cheapest among us (yes, I'm speaking of myself) likes to splurge every now and then. While we're not big fans of spending too much time (or money!) in table service restaurants while on vacation, our family usually tries to splurge on at least one new dining experience each trip. So my tip is two-fold: First, make your ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) as early as possible--in most cases, you can do this 180 days in advance of your arrival. This step has become increasingly important in recent years, as "Free Fall Dining" promotions have become the norm. And second, be sure to know about any dining closures for your travel dates. Obviously, when you call to make ADRs, you will be alerted to closures for table service restaurants, but it's also good to know if your favorite counter service eatery is going to be closed too. Here's a list of current and upcoming closures:

• ESPN Club (BoardWalk Resort): closed now and will re-open late spring


• BoardWalk Bakery, BoardWalk Resort: currently closed and expected to open late spring or early summer


• Main Street Bakery (Magic Kingdom): currently closed and will re-open May 18 as a Starbucks location


• California Grill (Contemporary Resort): closed now through late summer


• Fountain View Cafe (Epcot): closing in March and will reopen sometime this summer as a Starbucks location


• Cinderella's Royal Table (Magic Kingdom): closing briefly for refurbishment May 13-16

Dapper Dans Deliver Limited Time Magic

This week's Limited Time Magic is brought to you by a perennial favorite performing group in the Magic Kingdom, the Dapper Dans. From now until March 3, the "Original Boy Band" will supplement their normal barber shop fare by tipping their hats to some of the hottest boy bands of recent years. If you've ever wanted to hear the Dans sing "Bye Bye Bye" or "What Makes You Beautiful," be sure to hang out on Main Street and catch the show this week. And even if you don't get to WDW for the Limited Time Magic, the Dapper Dans always offer up a fun show you won't want to miss!

 

 

Characters in Flight Groupon

Today's Groupon for the Orlando area included a deal for Characters in Flight, the tethered balloon experience at Downtown Disney. The deal is either $11 for one guest or $20 for two, and it expires on May 31. You can view this and other Groupon deals here.

 

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

"Made" this Hidden Mickey by chance while getting my girls and myself some lunch this week. Then, of course, I just had to take a pictue. Yes, Mama gets the big plate. :-)

Friday Photo

This is my youngest next to a fun little troll. Where did we find him?

 

 

Evite and Disney Partner

Spoonful.com, Disney's lifestyle family site, has partnered with Evite to create Disney-themed online party invitations. The Evite Disney Collection features Disney's popular characters--including Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Cars, Toy Story, Phineas and Ferb, Alice in Wonderland, Mickey and Minnie, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Pooh, Tangled, Brave, Shake it Up, and Doc McStuffins--and utilizes Evite’s simple-to-use online invitation templates and party planning tools. As a mom who has hosted her share of Disney-themed birthday parties, I'm very excited about this collaboration! You can view the Evite Disney Collection here.

Disney News Roundup

Here are a few recent news items for all things Disney:

• There are, once again, rumors of a re-vamp of Downtown Disney. This time, the area is being dubbed "Disney Springs." Plans would include a new multi-level parking facility, and existing parking would be transformed into green space and more stores. At this point, it seems to be mostly speculation with nothing confirmed by Disney.


• There is a new Oz, The Great and Powerful play area in Epcot. Features include a downed hot air balloon, handmade glass poppies, Baum Brothers Circus Midway, and a yellow brick road. It will remain through the Flower & Garden Festival.


• It would appear that all remaining Segway tours have been cancelled in Epcot, with no indication that they will return.


• The Tangled-themed restrooms in Fantasyland are near completion. Expect them to open any day!


• Rosetta will be joining her fairy friends once again in Tinker Bell's Magical Nook, beginning Friday. Periwinkle will likely be the fairy who departs at this time.


• The Good Year Blimp made its appearance in the skies over WDW yesterday and today, in correlation with the filming of Live! with Kelly and Michael. The blimp is used to acquire aerial footage.


• It is rumored that Harrison Ford is on board for Star Wars VII, the first film in the franchise since Disney acquired the rights.

Those are the highlights for now. Exciting stuff in the air!

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

OK, so it's a bit of a stretch, but this sure looks like a Hidden Mickey to me. Found it in the walkway at Animal Kingdom.

Friday Photo

Glad she's not too old to still enjoy playing in the Dumbo play area.

Wait Times Now Posted on Ferries and Monorails

This is a brilliant idea that should have been implemented years ago! Disney has finally begun posting wait times on the monorail and ferry boat signs as you exit the Magic Kingdom (although the ferry boat sign is not yet operating). If you've ever played the, "Which will be faster?" game in your head, as I have, this will certainly help! How many times have you "just missed" that ferry boat and wondered when the next would come along, or tried to figure out how many monorails you'll have to wait through for the crowd ahead of you to be accommodated? At least now, the wait board will give you a more educated estimate as to which method will be most efficient. Hooray for this new addition to the system!

Oh, and btw, the Avengers Monorail seen above has been returned to its former glory as Monorail Red. A sad day for Super Hero fans, but I'm sure it won't be long before we have another fun monorail scheme in the rotation.

 

 

 

Thursday's Tip

Today's tip is a hard one for me to admit, because of my affinity for efficiency. I tend to be the "cram-as-much-as-you-can-and-be-sure-you're-getting-your-money's-worth" type of vacationer. That means working the Fastpass system to our advantage (at least in the past), Park Hopping efficiently to beat the crowds, and doing anything and everything to save time and money. But here's a tip that I've learned to embrace over the years: If you're having fun--no matter what you're doing--it's a good use of your time and money.

For your family, that might mean standing in line most of the day to get character autographs, but skipping the thrill rides. Or it might mean stopping to listen to all the "streetmosphere" acts and watching the parades, but avoiding characters altogether. It might even mean taking an afternoon trek across Tom Sawyer Island to get the wiggles out. The point is, seize any opportunity for fun that comes along, and don't worry about "wasting" time. If you're enjoying yourself, if it's what your family loves or even needs, it's never a waste of time!

 

See Classic Disney Films on the Big Screen This Weekend

This weekend, Cinemark Theatres will be showing Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Lady & the Tramp at select theatres for just $5 per ticket this weekend. Go here to find a showing in your area and to purchase tickets.

 

Happy Mardi Gras

In honor of Fat Tuesday, we're watching The Princess and the Frog on Blu-ray today and having red beans and rice for dinner! Did you know that you can experience Mardi Gras every day at Walt Disney World? (OK, well, almost.) You can stay at the Mardi Gras-themed Port Orleans French Quarter! While there, you can swim in fabulous pool with a dragon slide, get your photo taken with some clowns, and even stay in a room fit for a princess! Oh, and I almost forgot the best part--you can have cafe au lait and beignets! These are just a few of the reasons that the Port Orleans French Quarter is one of my favorite Moderate Resorts at WDW.

Hidden Mickey Monday

I'm fairly certain this one came from ImageWorks (Imagination) in Epcot. But, honestly, I am pretty bad about taking pics of Hidden Mickeys and not writing down or remembering where I saw them.

Friday Photo

This Friday Photo is a bit of a brag. Wanted to post this pic from 2009 of my oldest daughter, Reagan, with her favorite Princess to say that I'm super proud of her (Reagan, not Ariel) for being cast in Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr. with the Starbright Players! She will be one of the Merfolk in this fun musical, and she is very excited to be spending some time "Under the Sea" with Ariel and her friends!

Peter Pan Releases Today!

The Peter Pan Diamond Edition Combo Pack releases today! Apparently, I missed out on the Scott's Tissue coupon for $7 off. I logged on to the site today and went through the whole process of registering, only to be told that the coupon was no longer available (boo!). But I was able to find a $5 off coupon online (search "$5 off Peter Pan Blu-ray" and you'll find it in several places).

Here are some of the best deals I've found for the combo pack in stores:

• Target: The 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo is $22.99, but the 3-disc combo (includes a digital copy) is $27.99. There's also a Target exclusive that includes a book with the 2-disc version for $22.99, so that would be the best deal if you don't need the digital copy.


• Wal-Mart: The 2-disc version is $22.98, and the 3-disc is $27.98. They also have an exclusive which includes the 2-disc version with a collectible figurine for $27.22.


• Best Buy: The 2-disc version is $22.99, and the 3-disc is $27.99.


• Toys R Us: The 2-disc version is $22.99, and the 3-disc is $27.99.


• Disney Store: The 2-disc version is $24.99, and the 3-disc is $34.95. There is a "Buy one, get one 50% off" deal on select titles, so if you're looking for another movie, this could be the best price.

Of course, you can also purchase it online from Amazon. The pricing is pretty much the same as most of the retails stores, but there is a free Storybook App included with the 3-disc combo pack. Here are links to both:





 

Hidden Mickey Monday

Found this one while doing a little online shopping for educational products.



 

 

Monsters, Inc. Deal on Amazon

Right now, you can save $8 on Monsters, Inc. on Blu-ray when you buy it with another eligible Pixar title. This deal is good through February 18. Go to this page to see the qualifying movies: Monsters, Inc. Amazon Deal

Friday Photo

This is my cousin Camille. This photo was taken yesterday--can you guess where? Yes, that's Cinderella's Castle Suite. Needless to say, I'm sooooo jealous (and thrilled for her)! Camille works in Guest Relations at WDW, and I'm so proud of her accomplishments and love that she has such a fun job!



In a related note, I'm also incredibly proud of Camille's brother Cody. He's currently performing on Broadway in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. (There's always a Disney connection!) You can read about Cody's journey on this Broadway World blog.

Don't I have amazing cousins?