M.I.C.K.E.Y...M.O.U.S.E!!!

Thanks to all of my Disney viewers this week. I know I was not able to cover all of Disney World, but I hope my hints were helpful and I hope I have made planning your Disney vacation a little bit easier. Stay tuned next week as we explore the seas with Disney Cruise Lines.

Let's Get Soaked!

Disney doesn't hold back when it comes to their theme parks and that goes for their water parks as well. There are 2 waterparks on the Disney World property...Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Both of these parks have their perks and are built to suit different types of families. Typhoon Lagoon is really the more mellow of the 2 and would be better for families with younger children while Blizzard Beach contains more thrill rides and is great for families with teenagers.

Typhoon Lagoon was the first waterpark built by Disney. It's more of an ocean themed park with one of the world's largest wave pools and a shark reef where visitors can dive in and snorkel with real live sharks, stingray, and other marine life.

Blizzard Beach is the newer of the two parks and usually the most crowded because it contains the thrill slides. In this ski resort themed waterpark, you'll find Tobaggan Racers, Teamboat Springs, Summit Plummet which is one of the world's tallest and fastest free-falling slides, and the Downhill Double Dipper.

Both of Disney World's waterparks are known to be quite crowded all year long so it is suggested to have a plan of where you want to set your stuff for the day and get there early to try and get your spot. It is nearly impossible to get chairs once the park has openend.

Disney World's Deluxe Resorts

As mentioned before there are 20 resorts on the vast Disney World property, so we have a lot ot discuss on where to stay. Keep in mind that every Disney owned property no matter what you pay to stay has some excellent added amenities. Each resort provides Complimentary Airport Service on Disney's Magical Express as well as transporation within the Disney World property. On top of that with your reservation, you are granted access to the Extra Magic Hours in the parks. These hours grant you early entry to each of the parks and allow you to stay later at most of the parks. The Disney World Resorts are broken down into 3 major catergories: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value. In this post I will give a list of the resorts in the Deluxe catergory and will comment on the ones that I would choose to stay in.

*Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Get ready for a real safari adventure when you come to stay in this lodge. Each room has a view of real African animals roaming outside the window.

*Disney's Boardwalk Inn - This 1940's style resort is reminisent to Atlantic City. It lies along Crescent Lake where watercraft rental and fishing is provided. The resort's boardwalk comes alive at night with vendors, street performers, games, and fun.

-Disney's Contemporary Resort

*Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa - This resort is knows as Disney World's best hotel. It's a 19th century Victorian Style resort that contains one of the best spas on the property. Enjoy tea served daily set beside the live orchestra. Upscale, but still good for families with a children's pool, children's programs, and character dining.

-Disney's Polynesian Resort

*Disney's Wilderness Lodge - Patterned after an old rustic lodge found in Yellowstone National Park. Children will be amazed with the geyser out back and the nightly electric water shows on Bay Lake.

-Disney's Yacht Club Resort

*Jaime's Top Picks

Roll Out The Red Carpet

Here's a fun fact about Magic Kingdom. I guess walkways on Mainstreet are painted RED. This was Walt's awe inspiring idea that he wanted to roll out the red carpet for his guests.

Magic Kingdom Disney World

I wasn't going to do much posting about the Magic Kingdom because when I went there I found it to be almost exactly the same as the original Disneyland Park in Anaheim. I have found some fun facts on their differences however that I would like to share:

-Magic Kingdom is actually much bigger in size. 107 acres compared to 85 acres at Disneyland.

-Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom is more than double the size of Disneyland's. 189 feet compared to 77 feet. Perhaps that's the reason when I took my husband to Disneyland for the first time he was shocked by the size of the castle. He was expecting it to be much bigger, I think because he had seen the Disney World castle on t.v.

-The Matterhorn can only be found at Disneyland.

-Disneyland has more attractions than Magic Kingdom one of which is the Indiana Jones Ride.

You can enjoy more fun and interesting facts about the two parks at this site.

Animal Kingdom's Learning Stations

I thought this was a fun idea. Family Fun Magazine teamed up with Disney to create 6 learning stations throughout Animal Kingdom. Here's what they say about it, "Kids can discover and experience nature up-close and hands-on. Engaging activities include:

•Animals in Your Backyard: Kids discover what kind of animals live in their own backyards, and find them on a scavenger hunt.

•Touch the Forest: Reaching inside a log, kids try to identify by touch what they are feeling, such as antlers, a turtle shell, etc.

•Scent Trail: Kids learn how to follow a scent trail through an Asian forest.

•Bug's-eye View: Kids learn to see the world from a bug's-eye view.

•Puzzling Paleontology: Kids try to match the skulls and jaws of four different dinosaurs.

•Animal Clues: Kids try to stay on the trail of an animal that has visited the previous night by looking for footprints, food scraps, droppings, etc."

*I love this photo of the little boy and the lion

Disney World's Animal Kingdom

I wasn't given the chance to go to the Animal Kingdom during my visit to Disney World and I get the feeling that I really missed out. If you're looking for a real African Safari adventure, a trip to the top of Mt. Everest, or a glance back in time to the prehistoric era of the dinosaurs, then this is the park for you. First let's talk about the Kilimanjaro Safaris. This expedition gives passengers the chance to climb aboard a safari vehicle and roam across the savannah. You'll have the chance to experience animals of all sorts such as giraffes, elephants, and zebras right within your reach. Next, the Dinosaur ride is a thrilling ride that takes you back to prehistoric times. Finally Expedition Everest takes you on a high-speed train adventure through Mt. Everest, sounding much like Disneyland's Matterhorn. The following is a quick list of other attractions you can expect to find on your visit to Disney World's Wild Animal Kingdom:

-Discovery Island Trails
-Habitat Habit
-Maharajah Jungle Trek
-Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
-It's Tough To Be A Bug
-Kali River Rapids
-Primeval Whirl
-Wildlife Express Train
-Triceratop Spin
-The Tree of Life

Disney World's Fantastic Cuisine

My brother just graduated as a chef from The Culinary Institute of America and he is one to vouch for Disney when it come to their fine restaurants and excellent cuisine. If you're looking for fine dining, Disney World might be just the place. Frommer's has awarded four restaurants on the property with 3 stars, and 3 stars is a big deal for Frommer's. Here is a list of Disney World's top notch restaurants...

-Victoria & Albert's - Located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The 7 courses of this International fare is described as "an event" rather than a meal.

-Todd English's Bluezoo - Found inside the Dolphin Resort and known as one of the hottest and hippest places to dine. Seafood.

-California Grill - Disney's Contemporary Resort hosts this grill. Expect stunning views of the Magic Kingdom.

-Boma - I watched a program on this restaurant alone and it looks amazing. This buffet of International cuisine is found inside Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Get ready for your own exciting Hollywood Adventure with Disney's Hollywood Studios. Now first of all when I went to this park it was called MGM and it wasn't all that exciting. Really all I remember is some exhibits on how they made some of the movies and of course the Hollywood Tower of Terror which was fun, but not worth paying just for that. Well, that was a long time ago and it appears that this park has made some major changes and additions. I would probably choose this park first out of all the parks. First, they've added the Rock n' Roller Coaster. This coaster sounds amazing. It's a high power thrill ride with all the twists and turns you can imagine and it's set to play your favorite rock n' roll tunes in the background. I've made a list of all the other attractions and as you can see, it's not just the Tower of Terror anymore.

-The American Idol Experience - Opens January 2009. Get your chance to feel like you're a part of the real show
-Toy Story Mania - I've talked about this ride in a previous post because it's a new addition to California Adventure as well. This is a 3-d ride featuring all your favorite Toy Story characters.
-Star Wars Weekends - This is for those of you going to Disney World this month. It's every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the month of June. I wish so bad I could take my son to this being that he's a huge Star Wars fan right now. Disney is giving you the chance to meet over 50 of your favorite Star Wars characters, take a behind the scences look at the making of the movies, and attend a real Jedi Training Acadamy.
Block Party Bash - Come party with your favorite Pixar characters. This is another event they used to hold at California Adventure but they took it away right before we went.
-The Hollywood Tower of Terror - Of course we all know this is my favorite.
-Playhouse Disney Live On Stage - This is a show that my family has experienced and let me tell you if you have preschool aged children who like Playhouse Disney, you are in for a real treat.
-Journey Into Narnia - Another one opening this month for the first time. Take a guided walk through Aslan's Stone Table Chamber.
-Lights Motor Action Stunt Show
-Fantasmic

Ticket Prices for Disney World

For ticket purchases to Disney World, possibilities are endless. The basic tickets, or Magic Your Way Base tickets allow you to choose anywhere from 1-10 days to enter the parks. Your ticket is good for one park entry per day. All you need to do is select the number of days you plan on staying and the number of people in your party and they figure out the rest. There are also add ons to the tickets available such as park hopper tickets, water park fun tickets, and no expiration date tickets so you can go back whenever you feel like it. For a family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 children between the ages of 3-9, your basic tickets with no add-ons could cost anywhere between $262-$824 depending on the number of days you stay. I'm sure that by staying in one of the Disney World resorts, discounts are offered. I will be searching for discounts and letting you know what I find in a later post.

Mission Space

Some people claim this Mission Space ride in Epcot Center to be the best ride of all of the Disney parks. This ultimate simulator thrill ride takes you on a mission to Mars using acutal g-force. The force was considered to be so strong that they actually had to make a second option for the ride that was not as powerful. Sounds exciting!

Travel Packs

I've been meaning to post on my cute travel packs for a while now, but I'm glad I waited because they are great for Disney vacations. So I picked up these "travel packs" a year ago at Target for my kids to take their snacks and activities on the airplane in. I have young children and there is no way they could pull their own luggage yet, but these totes are the perfect size for them to pack and bring their favorite things a long. Everytime I get onto a plane I have someone ask me where I got those cute packs. Well, surprise they are actually lunch boxes that I got on clearance after school had already started. I thought if you pick some up with a Disney theme, like this Disney Princess one, they would also be great for each child to take lunch or snacks into the parks.

A Dedication to Epcot

I liked the quote that appears on the dedication plaque inside Epcot and I think it provides a good understanding on what Epcot is really about. It reads, "May Epcot entertain, inform, and inpire. And above all...instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere."

Epcot Restaurants

Epcot Center is known to house some pretty fine eateries. Here is a list of some of the restaurants that sounded fun to me:

-Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Scandinavian. Set inside a 14th century castle. Disney Princesses join you while you eat.

-Cantina de San Angel - Mexican. Good burritos, tacos, and churros.

-Coral Reef - Seafood. Seating surrounds a 5.6 million gallon aquarium. This restaurant is very popular with kids.

-Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room - British. Outdoor tables offer an excellent view of Illumination.

Epcot Center

Epcot Center gives it's visitors the chance to visit the world in a day. This park's original idea was to inspire minds. This park is broken off into two worlds, Future World and World Showcase. The most vivid part that stands out in my mind would definitely be the World Showcase. I found it fantastic and very educational. I went to Epcot Center as a teenager and loved it but I would have to say I don't think it is the best place for children. There are definitely things for kids to do there, but I don't think I'd plan on spending the whole day there with kids unless they are a bit older. The World Showcase is similar to a small world fair that features 11 different countries including Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, United Kingdom, and America. It covers a lot of the property and it's a pretty good walk. You'll definitely get your workout. Future World as I remember is full of a lot of different futuristic labs and pavillions such as The Spaceship Earth pavillion and ImageWorks. It was actually very interesting to me. I know they have added attractions to the park since I have been there that I'm sure appeal more to the young eye such as Honey I Shrunk The Audience, Mission Space, Test Track, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, and Soarin'. The Illumination Firework Display is wonderful. Even if you are not visiting Epcot and have a hopper pass, it's worth the visit just for this show.

Come Enjoy The Magic

If I remember anything about Walt Disney World it's that it feels like you are in a whole other world while you're there. They call it a park, but it really is a city all in it's own. If you look at this map you can get a feel for what I'm talking about. This massive Disney destination includes 4 Theme Parks, 2 Water Parks, Downtown Disney, The Disney Boardwalk, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, Cirque du Soleil, 4 Championship Golf Courses, 3 Spas, and 20 Fabulous Resorts.

Walt Disney World

It's time to head on over to Disney World. I traveled to Disney World for the first time about 12 years ago and that is the only time I have been. I went to three of the parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcott Center, and MGM Studios. I have to be honest I don't remember a lot about the trip so most of what I post will be based on research and hopefully from my viewers helpful comments.

My Favorite Rides

I'm just going to do a quick post on my very favorite rides at Disneyland. These are the ones I think you should run to in the morning and get fast passes for the ones you don't get to early.

-Pirates of the Caribbean - a must for all ages

-Splash Mountain

-Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

-Space Mountain - supposedly this has been renovated and has some new great effects

-Indiana Jones

-Hollywood Tower of Terror

-Soarin'

-It's A Small World

-Buzz Lightyear

-Winnie the Pooh - great for young kids

Of course there a ton of more rides, those are just my favorite.

A Little History

So I found some fun historical facts on Disneyland that I thought I'd share. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955 with a nationally televised ceremony hosted by our future President Ronald Regan. It is Disney's original theme park and the only one that was visited by Walt himself.

*This photo is of Walt Disney at the opening ceremonies

Good Food

To start off with my Disneyland restaurant critique, I must warn you that this is definitely not based on experience. You see, I am one of those people who does absolutely everything possible to avoid having to eat in the park. The price of entrance is enough for me and I don't want to be shelling out extra money for food. My family always stays at a hotel with a complimentary breakfast, where we do all we can to stuff ourselves so we can make it through the day and then we go out to dinner at night. I take as many snacks as possible into the park in attempt to try and lure my children away from the yummy cotton candy and churros. I have heard however that Disney does a great job with their restaurants. Disneyworld is actually known for their fine dining and amazing chefs so I will go into more detail for that. As for now, here are a few suggestions if you are going to eat in the park:

-Napa Rose - This is Disneyland's first fine dining experience and it is located in the Grand Californian Hotel. Their chef who was lured away from Napa Valley receives rave reviews.

-The Rainforest Cafe - I have eaten in a Rainforest Cafe and it was very good and a fun experience for the kids. This restaurant is located in the Downtown Disney District so you must exit the park.

-Goofy's Kitchen - I have not tried this restaurant personally but I have some good friends who have and they said the experience is great. The buffet style food is said to be "mediocre", but the tableside visits from your favorite Disney characters make up for it. Located in the Disneyland Hotel.

-Blue Bayou - Located in New Orleans Square, for the best experience get your reservations by the water first thing in the morning.

-Cafe Orleans - Now this is something I have tried and it must have been good because it was a long time ago and I still remember it. It is said a must try is the clam chowder in the Mickey Mouse shaped bread bowls. Now the reason I remember this is that we were sitting near the water reserving our spot for Fantasmic and we were so starving that we went and got some of this soup. Well, we were so impressed that we went back and got another bowl.

Tips and Tricks

I like this website called Disneyland Tips and Tricks. It has some fantastic pointers on how to make the very most of your Disney experience.

Disneyland Strollers

Stroller rentals are found right inside the front gate at Disneyland. I debated over whether or not to haul a stroller all the way to California for my daughter and in the end I was glad I decided not to. Now this is just an opinion, but I found the Disneyland strollers to be very nice and well worth the money. They go for $10 a day and you can take them from park to park. The argument against them is that you can't take them into Downtown Disney so you can end up walking along way with a tired child when you go there. I found it a lot easier than taking up all the space in our car with a huge stroller or hauling one onto the airplane. If I were going to do other things in California, it would be worth bringing our own, but if I were just going to Disneyland, I would use the rentals.

Don't Forget Your Running Shoes

I had the privilege as a child to go to Disneyland many times. My mother loves Disneyland and she made it a point to take us there as often as possible. Something to know about my mom is she is very serious when it comes to family vacations. They are planned out months in advance down to the very last detail and there is no messing around with Mom's plans, especially when it comes to Disneyland. We were there every time first thing in the morning before the gates opened with a mapped out detailed plan of which rides we had to hit first before the lines got big. I can picture us three kids now with our running shoes on ready to beat out the competition to Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain. It was such a thrilling experience when those gate opened running as fast as I could with my family to be the first in line. My heart starts beating faster just thinking of it. The day I realized I was most like my mother was the first time I took my own children to Disneyland. My son was just four years old and my daughter was one and in a stroller, but there we were, me, my husband, our 2 kids, my parents and my older brother, lined up at the gate 30 minutes before the park opened each of us with our running shoes on getting ready to run to our favorite, Pirates of the Caribbean. Thanks Mom for the memories and traditions you've given me to pass on to my kids.

What's New

So far I can only find a couple of new rides that have been added to Disneyland at least since I've been there. The first one is the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. This is located where the old submarine ride used to be and I hear it's pretty fun. Next, Toy Story Mania will be opening in June in California Adventure. I am a big Toy Story fan so I'm excited for this one. It's a 3-D ride that sounds a little bit similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride which I love. There's also the Monster's Inc. Mike & Sully To The Rescue ride in CA that is supposed to be great for little kids. For entertainment, there's the High School Musical 2 show and the Pixar Play Parade in California Adventure and in Disneyland there's the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Stone Tiger, and the Jedi Training Academy.

Where To Stay

There are numerous hotel options when traveling to Disneyland. Your first option would be to stay at one of the 3 hotels inside the park. These include the original Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. Of the three I would choose the Grand Californian Hotel. It is a beautiful piece of property with great views of the park. The pros to staying in one of these three hotels is that you are a quick monorail ride away from the park. You don't have to worry about parking, you can easily go back to the hotel to rest during the day, plus I'm sure the Disney quality and service doesn't hurt. I stayed at The Disneyland Hotel when I was young and to be honest I wasn't that impressed with my experience but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt because they were undergoing major renovations. The only other issue I'd have with staying at one of the Disney hotels is food. You'd have to eat in their restaurants for the most part and let's face it, Disney food is not cheap. I hear the restaurants available are very good however. My second option and the one I lean towards is staying in a hotel outside but definitely nearby the park. The one my family has stayed at the past two times we've gone is the Residence Inn Garden Grove. This hotel offers family suites at a reasonable rate and the biggest perk...Free Breakfast! This is important to me and my family when choosing a Disneyland hotel because the food in the park is very pricey so it's best to fill up before you go in so you can just have snacks or one meal inside. Of course there are other hotels in the area that offer breakfast, but this is the one I'm recommending because I've tried it and loved it!

Disney Fast Pass

Don't like waiting in lines? Me neither. That's why I go for the Disney Fast Pass. These little tickets are your ticket to a stress free Disneyland day. The fast pass tickets are located near all of the major rides in the park. If there is a line, just pick up a ticket and it will tell you a time to come back to the ride. While you are waiting, you can go ride one of the rides with no line and then come back at your designated time. There is a special line waiting just for you when you arrive and you walk right on to the ride. Pretty ingenious I'd say. While I'm speaking of waiting in line, if you are a mother with a baby who can't ride, you can send the rest of you party on the ride while you wait and then when they get back, you and another guest can walk right to the front of the line. I know I was very grateful that I didn't have to miss out on all the fun!

Best Times To Visit

I have been to Disneyland at different times during the year and of course they all of their advantages and disadvantages. The only time I'd really say to avoid would be during the summer months but usually that's the time families choose to go because the kids are out of school. Really though, with the fast passes now on most of the big rides the lines are never really bad anymore. I will explain fast passes in another post. The biggest problem you'll have with large crowds is it's almost impossible to see the parades. They are hard to see when the park is not crowded so you can forget about it if it's busy. My favorite time so far has been in the month of December. The week of Christmas is crowded and the hotels are expensive, but if you go right at the first of the month it's great and it is so beautiful there. No one celebrates Christmas better than Disney. The weather is nice (we all wore sweaters but took them off during the day), the people are smiling bigger than ever and the park is decorated beautifully. I have also been in October after everyone was in school and it was probably the least busy I've seen it.

California Adventure

I'm posting on California Adventure first only because I won't be focusing much on this park. There are two very important things to mention though and they are...Hollywood Tower of Terror and Soarin' Over California. These rides are Fantastic! The Tower of Terror can be found in Disneyworld's MGM park as well and this is where I first experienced the excitement and then witnessed my best friend have some anxiety attack after getting off. This ride defines thrill ride in every possible way. My best experience was watching my mom who is absolutely terrified of elevators due to a horrible case of claustrophobia take the fall. It was great. Next is Soarin'. If I had to choose, this would probably be my pick for best overall ride at any Disney theme park. It's a motion simulation ride that feels as if you are actually flying over beautiful California. I haven't heard of one person who didn't love this ride.

Disneyland...

Disneyland is quite different from when I was a child being that it's now split off into two different theme parks...The Magic Kingdom and California Adventure. Both parks contain their fair share of fantastic rides so when visiting, including both parks in your ticket is a must, unless you've been before. We always spend less time in California Adventure but it's nice to go over there for a break when the crowds at Magic Kindgom pickup. My advice for visiting Disneyland when it comes to tickets is to purchase at least a 2 day hopper pass, which includes entrance to both parks for 2 days. The past couple of times we have gone it's been with small children and there is no way we could squeeze it all into one day. This is also coming from someone who travels to get there so we have to make it worth it. There are not many ways to find discounts on tickets, but I have heard of a couple. My sister in law will be going in June and they actually found some discounted tickets on Craigslist. She said it is really easy to get ripped off though, so be careful who you are buying from. They are actually making the money/ticket exchange right at the park entrance when they get there which I thought was a great idea! I know there are also military discounts and a couple of times I have been there they have given us a coupon right at the ticket window. You can also find some of the hotel/ticket packages that will knock off a few bucks, but I always find them a little restricting. Other than that you can pretty much plan on paying full price. Here is the link for the price breakdown on tickets.

Where Dreams Come True

For the next two weeks we will be exploring the magical world of Disney. I will be covering Disneyland, Disneyworld, and Disney Cruise Lines. I have had some requests for Disney and it truly is one of the most wonderful places on earth for families to visit so I am very excited about it. I have been to Disneyland a number of times as a child and with my own children. I have only been to Disneyworld once and have not had the opportunity for a cruise yet, but have heard they are fantastic. I know a lot of people have been to these parks so your suggestions would be very helpful.