Hidden Mickey Monday

In honor of the Olympics, I just couldn't resist this Hidden Mickey.

Sharkey and Bones Perform at Downtown Disney

© Disney

Aargh, Matey! Sharkey and Bones, the singing pirates of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" fame, will be performing for guests at WDW's Downtown Disney, today through August 12. Performances at the Waterside stage commence at 2:00, 3:00, and 5:00 p.m. each day. (Don't worry--there will be real human performers, NOT the cartoon guys in the picture.) If you're in the Orlando area and have a JatNP fan in your family, you'll want to catch a show!

"My Disney Experience" App Now Available

I mentioned this week that Disney has been installing free wi-fi throughout the Parks in preparation for the new "My Disney Experience" app. Well, it's now available as a free download for iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad on iTunes (Android format is not yet available). You can either click on the App Store icon on your device or go here for more information.

Some of the features of the app include park hours, guide maps, wait times, Fastpass return times, and dining options. And although there is already a ton of information on the app, Disney has plans to expand this "Next-Gen" experience in the future. Can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Grim Grinning Ghosts

I am such a fan of the Disney Dream Portraits from photographer Annie Leibovitz. My girls have especially enjoyed the previous series of princess images, but I just love the "Grim Grinning Ghosts" featuring Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and Jason Segal. Check out the "behind the scenes" photo from the Official Disney Parks Blog, and you can see the two Leibovitz images here.

Thursday's Tip

Here's a tip that has saved us quite a bit of money on more than one occasion: even after you've booked your Walt Disney World vacation, keep checking sources for discounts and don't be afraid to call and change your reservation if something new and better becomes available. This, of course, will not work if you've booked any sort of non-refundable deal. But in most cases, your WDW resort reservations are fully refundable up to 5 days before your arrival date, and you can make changes to your reservation--providing they have the room you need available--up to the day before you arrive.

So, if you've booked a package at full price, but then free dining gets extended to include your dates, you can call back and ask the Cast Member on the phone to apply that discount to your package. Now, keep in mind that Disney does not permit you to "double up" on discounts, so you won't get a room discount AND free dining...but you can switch from one to the other, providing you meet all the stated requirements.

And speaking of Free Fall Dining (that I mention in this post), the dates have indeed been extended to include the week of December 14-20.

Free Wi-Fi Throughout Magic Kingdom

Yes! Finally, those of us who do not own smart phones--but DO own iPads or iPods--can surf freely at the Magic Kingdom! It sounds like the other Parks and even Downtown Disney will be getting the same treatment soon. (The funny coincidence is that this week I finally got a phone that is app capable, although not entirely "smart." But it is cheap, and you know I love that.)

It has been reported that Disney will be unveiling a Next-Gen mobile experience later this month; thus, the need for wi-fi to allow more guests to fully utilize it. We'll be heading that way in September, so I look forward to trying it!

Disney Products for Pampered Pooches

Let me first clarify by saying our pooch is not so pampered. Although I consider myself a dog person, I'm also a mom who loves order in her house (especially since we're trying to sell the house). Our Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie) mix creates her share of chaos in our home, although she is rather cute. So, you can see why I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with her. So yesterday when I was grooming her--because I am cheap, of course--it occurred to me that perhaps this wasn't the best way to cut corners and save a few bucks.  In fact, she looks so bad that I might even need to take her to the groomer to "fix" what I did...but probably not, 'cause that would be about $50...and I'm cheap.

But if you're the type of person who pampers your pet, there are some super cute Disney-themed items you'll want to check out! (In reality, we bought some adorable things for Elphie when she was a puppy...before we realized she could chew through nearly anything and we were mostly wasting our money. But we plan to buy her a metal replacement tag in the shape of Mickey ears on our next visit to WDW!) And if we had a dog who would willingly wear any of this, we'd be all over it too!