Hidden Mickeys - It's like "Where's Waldo," Only Better

And here's the post you've all been waiting for: our Hidden Mickey challenge!!!

[Throughout this post, we will often be referencing Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets by Steven M. Barrett and hiddenmickeysguide.com (please see below for full citations). These are two EXCELLENT, thorough, well researched and frequently updated resources for anyone looking to scavenge for as many Hidden Mickeys as possible. Even if you don't plan on doing the scavenger hunts, check both the book and the website out. They're full of such wonderful information!]

To start off, we want to explain what a "Hidden Mickey" is and how they came to be. Essentially a Hidden Mickey is a hidden image (partial or complete) of any classical Disney character (i.e. Mickey Mouse, Donald, Pluto, etc.) incorporated into a ride, hotel, restaurant, or even in the landscaping throughout Disney World; they are designed to blend in, hence the “hidden” label. The concept of the "Hidden Mickey" began during the ‘70s and ‘80s when the use of Mickey, Minnie, etc., was restricted to the Magic Kingdom; as the Imagineers, artists and other workers spent months and months developing attractions, they began surreptitiously painting or sculpting Mickey Mouse heads on walls, in rocks, basically anywhere they could get away with it. The more the parks developed, the more intricate these "Hidden Mickeys" became, and over the years, more and more park goers began taking notice and even hunting for these hidden gems. As simple as it may seem, the random appearance of everyone's favorite mouse is like a surprise treasure as you move through the parks.

When we decided that we were going to go on a Hidden Mickey hunt this vacation, I did my research and I read almost the entire 3rd addition of Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide.... The most important piece of my research was the definition of a Hidden Mickey: there are many categories of “Hidden Mickeys.” The first is the “classic Mickey,” but a profile view of Mickey’s head or his entire body, a front view of his silhouette, a detailed image of his face or body, and even a 3-D representation of Mickey are considered “Hidden Mickeys”; random appearance of Mickey’s shoes, gloves, ears or even his initials are included. Unfortunately, there a lot of collections of shapes that one could argue form a classic “Hidden Mickey,” but all of them cannot possibly be a “Hidden Mickey.” Therefore, we decided to use Mr. Barrett's guidelines to help us define any and all classic “Hidden Mickeys.” They read as follows:

               1. Purposeful (sometimes you can sense that the circles were placed on purpose)

               2. Proportionate sizes (head larger than the ears and somewhat proportionate to

                   the ears)

   3. Round or at lest “roundish”

   4. The ears don’t touch each other, and the ears are above the head (not beside  

       the head)

  5. The head and ears touch or are close to touching

  6. The grouping of circles is exceptional or unique in appearance

  7. The circles are hidden or somewhat hidden and not obviously intended to be

      part of the decor

Reprinted with permission from "Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets," 5th edition, by Steven M. Barrett, 2011, published by The Intrepid Traveler.

The guidelines were very helpful and we referenced them quite often when we were doing our scavenger hunt, which, by the way, we also got from Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide.... I read through every single scavenger hunt in the book and ultimately decided on the EPCOT hunt for a few reasons. The first is that EPCOT has a tendency to be the park that we are in the most often: we love it so much and frequently end our day in one of the restaurants. The second reason was that there were many more “Hidden Mickeys” on slow moving, well lit rides or on the line queues than there were in any other park. This did not make it any easier to find the “Hidden Mickeys,” but it did help make photographing them easier.

Our first stop on the “Hidden Mickey” challenge was “The Seas with Nemo and Friends.” This one was SO HARD! Nothing discourages your scavenger hunt than the fact that the first clue is next to impossible to locate on the ride! The “Hidden Mickeys” throughout the aquariums were a bit easier; although, I'm not sure that everything we identified as a “Hidden Mickey” is actually a “Hidden Mickey.” Here are some of our photos, with captions, from “The Seas.”

 

 

Good luck finding the "Hidden Mickey" in this one. I cannot even remember where to find it.

  

The top photo is very clearly a "Hidden Mickey," the bottom has baby ears. I don't care. I think it counts.

 

Ok, so these aren't exactly hidden. But look at the size of those manatees!

 

This is located on the floor of an aquarium. Just goes to show that you need to look EVERYWHERE.

Next up: The Land pavilion. We spent a good 25 minutes trying to identify the “Hidden Mickeys” in the pavilion before we even got on line for “Livin' with the Land.” Impressively, we found every single Hidden Mickey on the list. *Please be advised that there are no photographs from “Soarin'” as I am a rule follower and have absolutely no intentions of being kicked out of the parks and losing a full day of fun by breaking aforementioned rules. If you want to test your “Hidden Mickey” hunting skills, check out youtube.com for a full video of “Soarin'.” (Hey, I may not break the rules, but I thoroughly appreciate those who do and then post the fruits of their labors on the internet.)

 

 These two "Hidden Mickeys" are from the mosaics outside of the pavilion. Check out the main sign and the entryway. You'll find them eventually.

 

 

Can you find the "Hidden Mickey" in this hanging globe?

 

And how about this guy? Hint: it's 3/4 silhouette of Mickey in the mural of the Garden Grill

 

This guy is on the queue for "Livin' with the Land." Can you tell us where?

 

As you board the boat, check out the farmer's hat!

 

And this guy can be found right before your boat leaves the dock and enters the first tunnel.

 
 

These guys are in the seafood farming section...

 

The "Hidden Mickeys" found in the produce sections change on occasion. On our trip, it was the lettuce. On yours, it could be a pumpkin, or lemons. 

 

These last two are found in the lab at the end of the ride.

“Journey into Imagination” is next! These “Hidden Mickeys” are easily found if you are dedicated and alert to details throughout the ride. Unfortunately, we do not have photos of these Mickeys (the vehicle moved just quickly enough to blur every attempt), but we do have photos of the “Hidden Mickeys” in the Imageworks. When on the ride, just remember to look up, down and all around... especially at the end.

 

 

Keep an eye out for this Mickey as you exit the ride!

 

And this one you definitely have to hunt for.

 

Ok. So this video is constantly moving. At some points, the circles create classic Mickeys. Does this count?

From there we sauntered over to “Spaceship Earth.” I love this ride. Not only does it cater to my art historical, anthropological dorky side, I also pin point A LOT of “Hidden Mickeys” every single time. Once again, no photos from this ride because of the speed of the vehicle and the low lighting, but I am going to describe a couple of “Hidden Mickeys” that are not listed in the 5th Edition of Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide....

1. When your ride vehicle enters the scene of Ancient Rome, you are going to see two Roman soldiers talking. To the left of the foot of the Roman with his back to you, there is a rolled up blanket with two overturned pots on top of it. Maybe this “Hidden Mickey” is questionable, but I don't know. Something is telling me that this was very intentional.

2. This one isn't so much a “Hidden Mickey” as something very ironic and funny. In the family room of the 1960s, there is a family watching the moon landing on their very white sofa, atop their very shaggy rug. On the floor behind their sofa is a board game: Mouse Trap. Thank you, Imagineers, for this very punny addition.

3. My favorite Hidden Mickey that is, surprisingly, not a part of the field guide can be found in the computer room from the '70s. As soon as you enter this scene, there is a desk on your right with a wooden plaque that says "IMAGINE" on it. (Nice little nod to “Journey Into Imagination.”) On this desk is a pumpkin orange mug. On the mug, only half visible, is a Mickey Mouse sticker. SURPRISE!

Like I said before, stay alert and you can be creating your own Hidden Mickey guide.

Following “Spaceship Earth,” we hopped over to “Ellen's Energy Adventure.” These “Hidden Mickeys” are also difficult to snap a photo of, so we do not have them, BUT they're there and you WILL feel accomplished when you spot them. Hint: they're in the final part of Ellen's trek through history as she tries to understand the evolution of man's energy usage. And they only flash up on screen for a very short time period. If you're like me and Kristin and you use this attraction as a perfect time to rest up and maybe catch a few zzzz's (sorry, but a dark air conditioned, 25 minute ride is a perfect cat nap location), you're going to miss them. Try to ride this ride at least once when you're awake. It's fun whether you spot the Hidden Mickey's or not.

Confession: We did not do the scavenger hunt on Mission Space. I can't ride the full ride for medical reasons and nobody in our party was very fond of the claustrophobic feel of the space capsule. We apologize for not taking one for the team, but we made the decision to forgo Mission Space in lieu of skipping over to Mexico for margaritas. I'm sure many of you understand.

Last but not least, Test Track. This ride is JAM PACKED with the “Hidden Mickeys,” both on the queue and throughout the ride. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend pulling your camera out to photograph them on this ride. There are so many twists, turns, sudden stops and bumpy moments that it almost feels irresponsible to tempt fate with your camera out and about. However, these “Hidden Mickeys” are so well incorporated into the scenery that it's possible that you will see them without even realizing it. There's nothing ambiguous about the “Hidden Mickeys” on the dry erase boards or the larger than life Mickey head in the crash test. Go on, do the scavenger hunt and walk away feeling like a champion.

This is where our scavenger hunt stopped. Although there are plenty of “Hidden Mickeys” in World Showcase, most of them appear to be in restaurants. Mr. Barrett still encourages you to explain to the host or hostess what you are doing so that you can continue your search; however, we opted out. We didn't want to interrupt anybody's meal and we'd much rather find the “Hidden Mickeys” while dining in the restaurant. Hopefully, we will be able to complete our EPCOT challenge on our next trip. 

We apologize for not being able to capture everything, but we think it will make your future hunt more fun!

We really hope that we have not given too much away with this post. Our goal was to peak your curiosity enough so that you would pick up your own copy of Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide... or check out the website before your next trip to WDW. The scavenger hunts are a great way to pass some time on ride queues and to bring your family, friends, etc. together with a common goal: find ALL the Mickeys! We love this game and can't get enough of it.

Another hint: you can hunt for “Hidden Mickeys” in almost any Disney movie, too! This tradition has become such a beloved part of the Disney corporation that they've been incorporating “Hidden Mickeys” into their movies for years and years. Don't believe me? There are unlimited online resources documenting these “Hidden Mickeys”; OR curl up on a couch and pop in your favorite Disney flick. I bet you'll be able to find at least one.

Bibliography:

Steven M. Barrett, Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets, 5^th Edition, The Intrepid Traveler, 2011

“Hidden Mickeys Guy,” Hidden Mickey Guy, copyright 2011, www.hiddenmickeysguide.com

Innovative Interactions

Disney has started doing something truly exciting with their wait lines at WDW: they're slowly making them interactive! I have to cite Disney's first foray into an "interactive" line sometime in the mid - nineties with Test Track. Granted certain rides had things to read (the Great American Movie Ride) or images to look at (Space Mountain), but none of them really provided entertainment for your wait. This proved to be a problem for visitors, especially at popular attractions throughout the parks, as a running joke became “you go to Disney World to wait on line.” With Test Track, the Disney Imagineers created a semi-interactive line with exhibitions showing a number of various tests that the typical car goes through before leaving the factory. As an adult with a general interest in cars, I continue to find the line interesting; however, there is not much to keep the typical child occupied. And as anyone who has ever waited on a Disney line can tell you, a bored, whining child is the last thing you want to listen to on a 60+ minute wait.

When Disney brought Soarin' over to the east coast, they included an interactive, heat sensitive video game to occupy people on the stand-by queue. (Never having been to California Adventure, I do not know if this was part of the original queue.) The game pins four large sections of the crowd against each other and each team has to work together to successfully win the game. It's entertaining and people can get really into it; however, it only occupies part of the line. For the rest of the wait, I usually find myself making faces at my family/friends or joining the small children as they whine of boredom – trust me, if there’s anything else more obnoxious than a whining child, it’s a whining 23-year-old. Thankfully, Disney brought this idea of the interactive game to Space Mountain when they did some refurbishment back in the fall of 2010. Once again, the games only span a very small section of the line and they have a tendency to create a touch of a bottle neck as the line ahead moves, but the people at the games try to complete the round before moving on. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game, but it doesn't keep the line moving or those at the front and back of the lines occupied. The interactive lines at Test Track, Soarin' and Space Mountain all have their problems, but hey, at least they are air conditioned!

Some of the worst lines to wait on in WDW are the lines in Fantasy Land at the Magic Kingdom. With the exception of Mickey's Philharmagic, all of the lines are open to the outside and while they're shaded and (for the most part) have ceiling fans, they do not alleviate the discomfort of the humid Floridian weather. Without fail, these lines are always the most crowded in the Magic Kingdom because they are the only rides that everyone in the family can go on regardless of age, size and physical condition. Makes sense, right? Well last fall, we were in WDW for the food and wine festival (yum!) and the queue for Winnie the Pooh was completely boarded up. This made the actual queue for the ride very short and slightly claustrophobic, but the prospect of what was going on behind those walls was incredibly exciting. I can truly say that the Disney Imagineers did not disappoint in the slightest! They gave the entire outside a whole new look. From a seemingly cookie cutter appearance (the line and building facade looked exactly like all the others of Fantasy Land), the Imagineers turned Winnie the Pooh into a wonderland right out of a story book!

Before you used to hop on line by a non-descript entrance under a green tent; now, you're greeted by Pooh's home! (This is perfect for a photo op with the little ones, or the big ones – you know, whatever makes you happy.)

 

Following in the previous design for the line, there are larger than life story book pages greeting you throughout; however, these are interactive! When you touch the door in the picture below, it sounded like someone knocking to come in. This little girl in the photo could not get enough of it! And I’m not going to lie: I wanted to spend a good 10 minutes knocking on that door too! It’s the simple things in life.

Eeyore's house is just across the aisle.

And then, suddenly, you're in Rabbit's garden! This section is great. It encourages children and adults alike to step out of the line and play all sorts of games including trying to keep a group of gophers from uprooting the vegetables AND trying to get Gopher to come out of his hole. The large fruits and vegetables that Rabbit is so skilled at growing become drums, and his flowers are bells - the fine beginnings of a band.

 

When you move away from Rabbit's garden, you are greeted with a fun maze of bumble bees and hives. A take off of the childhood games where you move the colored balls along one end of a twisted metal bar to the other, this game kept me occupied for a good ten minutes. As simple as it is, it challenges your dexterity and your problem solving skills to some extent. Oh, and there's an adorable buzzing soundtrack that accompanies this part of the line.

 

The final and, in my opinion, best part of this line are the new touch screens. Appearing towards the end of the line, there are 4 or 5 of these touch screens that project an image that looks like oozing honey. When you touch the screen, the honey takes the imprint of your hand. Move your hand over the screen, and you can move the honey out of the way. Try clearing the screen of honey and you may just find the image of a beloved Disney character hiding behind it.

 

Winnie the Pooh is one of the most popular rides in Fantasy land and the stand by line used to be unbearable - we would get fast passes every time! Now that it is interactive, I greatly appreciate not having to use a fast pass on this ride. Don't get me wrong, the wait times are still going to be long, especially during the heights of the tourist seasons; however, this alteration really shows that the Imagineers are taking every aspect of the experience into consideration and improving where they can! Thank you, Imagineers.

They recently updated the Haunted Mansion line in Liberty Square, as well! This line is especially cool! The Haunted Mansion does not normally get up to the astronomical wait times that we can see in Fantasy Land; however, it's not uncommon to find the wait time over 30 minutes. Once again, this line was shaded in the past by a funeral home style awning and the end of the outside line featured a graveyard with funny tombstones and creepy noises - once again, the rest of the line was bare and you were left to your own entertaining devices. In the past year, the Disney Imagineers have changed that! Guests have two options: 1- take the shorter, but non-interactive line to the right, OR 2- take the longer, incredibly interactive and entertaining line to the left. They have included things from a riddling murder mystery that needs solving, to a mausoleum with a cryptic code to be solved, to a "ghost writer" who asks the guests for help with her latest poem. We do not have any pictures of this particular queue, but if you click on the video below to watch a youtube video that documents the entire line. The video includes some pop up information to let you know what everything does. And since you're already on youtube, why not take a video ride through of the Haunted Mansion itself? Unless, of course, you're planning your first Disney vacation and you want to be surprised.

In the past, it always felt like Disney World was taking their guests into account when they made small changes to menus to include healthier foods, or they ran special promotions, or you just happened to run into a stand-out friendly cast member who made your day that much brighter. However, these new interactive lines really raise the bar. Whether they're making these changes because they're trying to compete with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or they're making these changes because they are truly focused on improving your overall experience, the Imagineers are really outdoing themselves and showing how much they are focused on the visitors. So I say a big warm "THANK YOU!" to the Imagineers for taking the time to think about how much a stimulating line can do to improve a guest's mood and thus their experience.

Check back soon for another post about the Fantasy Land expansion. We have pictures that we're eager to share with everyone!

See you real soon!

New dining post!

Check out "Palate Sensations: Reflections of Disney Dining" for a post on being a vegetarian in WDW.

Port Orleans, French Quarter: hotel review

What a GREAT vacation! Kristin and I had so much fun and never wanted to leave; we’re already planning our next trip.

So here it is: our Port Orleans hotel review! This is a dual post with both mine and Kristin’s opinions on the hotel location, room layout, décor, etc. At the end of our review, we have provided a rating on a scale from 1 – 10, with an explanation of which hotel attributes factored into that rating..

 Port Orleans, French Quarter was the second stop on our Magical Express, which really was not a problem because it only took a total of 25 – 30 minutes to get there from the airport. My first impression of the hotel was “WOW! This is absolutely beautiful.” Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of the approach to the hotel, as a motor coach does not provide the best angles; however, I did get some really great shots of the outside.

The lobby is so simple and beautiful - the architect really did a great job on creating a welcoming entryway. It's warm and inviting with simple fountain in the middle. The lobby serves as the central "hub" to the other public locations of the main building: to the right you have the check-in desk, concierge, gift shop and arcade; to the left you have the restrooms, telephones, bar and food court.

The walls of the check in area are covered in beautiful, Mardi Gras themed, fresco-like paintings, which appear to truly capture the spirit of a New Orlean's reveler. The figures are dressed in over the top, ostentatious garb that reminds one of a masquerade ball. The embodiment of individuals anonymously participating in the PG-rated debauchery of Mardi Gras really had me loving the check in area. 

I really appreciated the size of the food court. There are tables everywhere and all of them are within a great proximity to the food service. The amount of light in the room is phenomenal and it really cuts down on the creepiness of the monumental Mardi Gras masks that hang from the ceiling. Overall, the decoration was delightfully cheesy, but in no way offensive. The only complaint that I may lodge is that the food service area is small and gets pretty crowded during breakfast time. The entrance to the area is the same as the exit and can get a little bottle necked - I don't even want to think what it would be like during the height of the season. The food offerings were diverse enough to allow us to eat something different every day. They had everything from Mickey waffles and chocolate chip pancakes to omelets and yogurt parfait.

The grounds are fantastic! I have never been the New Orleans, but these grounds are fresh out of the New Orleans of my dreams! Cobble stone walkways, lots of greenery, early 20th century style street lamps and wrought iron hitching posts. And of course, there are the beautiful buildings themselves. All of them have wrought iron railings and the fronts a varied in color to make them look like individually attached houses on an only street. The roofs vary between what looked like aged copper and shingled roofs and every window is flanked by shutters. There were gardens and a beautiful ambling river that would transport visitors to Downtown Disney. One really awesome thing about the grounds? The "streets" are demarcated by individual street signs with "punny" names like "Rue d'Baga". 

The pool area is very nice. Amorphous in shape, the pool offers A LOT of room to swim, tons of chairs to sit on and even a little bit of privacy for sun bathers. The slide look like so much fun (we didn't get to ride it, sadly) and there is a kiddie pool very closely located to the main pool. For those of you who cannot swim, the deepest the pool gets is 4.5 feet. There is a pool bar located within feet of the pool itself and is open almost as late as the pool (the bar closes around 11 PM). Unfortunately, there is only 1 hot tub which would have been lovely to sit in if it had not been monopolized by the same group of people the entire time we were there: it's removed from the path, and bushes line the perimeter that are high enough to block the hot tub from view of the nearby walkway. There is also a really great playground leading up to the pool for kids 12 and under.

Our room: Here is where mine and Kristin's opinions differ a little bit. Over the years, we stayed in a lot of the deluxe hotels because of the size of our family. When I stayed in the Caribbean Beach in 2009, I became a little more aware of what to expect from a moderate resort, so I found nothing really wrong with the room. It was big enough for four people; it was impeccably clean; there is a curtain separating the sink area from the bedroom; the shower and toilet are in their own space. My only complaint was that there were only 3 drawers in the bureau, which really did not prove to be much of a problem. Kristin agrees that the cleanliness of the room was top notch and the curtain separating the bedroom and sinks was a great touch; however, she has many more complaints than I do. The room was a little too small; the water closet barely offered enough room for the toilet, shower and person using it; the decor was not themed enough; there was no balcony and we stepped right out to the main walkway; our view was of a parking lot. Granted, if I were spending a week in the room itself, never leaving, getting room service and staring out of the window, I would completely agree. But for our purposes of sleeping, showering and a couple of hours of wind down time at the end of the day, I think the room served its purpose just fine. To form your own opinion, check out our video below. Please note that this was taken on the morning of the day we were leaving, so your room will look much neater every day after room service has visited.

[We're having trouble uploading the video. Check back once we've solved the problem!]

Overall, the hotel staff was great. The cast members working the concierge, check in desk, room service and the door man were just wonderful to interact with. We ran into a couple of cranky cast members here and there in the food court, but nothing terrible enough to write home about.

The transportation at Port Orleans offers you two choices: buses to anywhere on premises or a boat to take you to Downtown Disney. We have only 2 complaints concerning the transportation: some buses stop at Riverside after French Quarter, adding 4 additional stops to your trip; the boat between French Quarter and Downtown Disney is a touch long. Granted, there really is not much Disney can do about the length of the river, so that cannot really count against them. The Riverside stops really were more of an annoyance than an actual detriment to the transportation system; as a part of the Port Orleans resort, Riverside runs on the same buses, so they have to split where the buses go first between both resorts. It's only fair, but still annoying. On a really great note, Disney bus drivers do something incredibly amazing after the parks close and it gets later and later into the night: if a bus driver has no one on his bus, he will drive you from 1 place to another regardless of his designated route. On the Saturday of our trip, our party went to Jellyrolls for a late night of dueling piano bar fun. (So much fun! Review to come later.) We left a little bit after 1 AM and decided to take the bus from the Boardwalk to Downtown Disney where we could connect to a bus for French Quarter. After waiting for about 45 minutes and essentially deciding on taking a cab, a Magic Kingdom bus pulled up to the bus stop. (The Magic Kingdom was hosting a special event.) There was no one aboard and the driver offered to drive us directly to the French Quarter. It happened to us a second time after the Hoop-dee-doo Review the very next night! This personalized service truly was magical.

Our overall rating of the resort is based on the following criteria on a scale of 1 - 10:

1. First impression

2. Grounds

3. Room size and cleanliness

4. Food court offerings

5. Overall decor

6. Staff approachability and helpfulness

7. Transportation

RATING: 8

I'd say that overall, we were very pleased with everything that Port Orleans had to offer. We would definitely recommend the resort to others and we would definitely stay there a second time.

Ta Ta For Now!

Stay tuned!

So, Michelle and I are leaving for our Walt Disney World vacation tomorrow morning! This trip will not only be filled with lots of fun, but with lots of work too. Upon our arrival home, you can count on a full review of our resort accommodations (complete with photos), dining reviews, a super fun Hidden Mickey challenge and much more! Please stay tuned. We look forward to blogging with you when we get back. Until then, have a magical day!!

Disney Resorts: 101

If this is your first time staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, then you are in for a real treat:  Disney imagineers out-do themselves when it comes to designing the hotels.  When booking accommodations at Walt Disney World, you have five options:  the Walt Disney World Campground; Value Resorts; Moderate Resorts; Deluxe Villas and Deluxe Resorts.  Prices increase as you move from one option to the next, the campground being the cheapest accommodation option and the deluxe resorts are (typically) the most expensive per night.

Disney Campground:  The Fort Wilderness resort and campgrounds offer 4 types of facilities: tent or pop-up campsite; campsite with full hook-up; campsite-preferred and campsite-premium.  I am not a camper and I have never stayed at the Disney campground but, I have seen the facilities.  The grounds are beautiful and you have access to efficient and clean shower/bathroom facilities, as well as a pool, laundry and a full functioning restaurant.  Bus and ferry service is provided for traveling to and from the theme parks and water parks.  Some perks of this resort include nightly entertainment, horse and buggy rides around the resort, and hiking and horse riding trails. For those of you who want something rustic, but aren’t adventurous enough to rough it in the humid, sweaty campgrounds, Fort Wilderness also boasts beautiful hotel room style cabins that fall under the “moderate resort accommodations” category. 

Value Resorts:  These include Disney’s All-Star, Pop-Century and the brand new, under construction Art of Animation resorts (scheduled to open 2012).  Disney’s value resorts are basically the equivalent of a 2 star hotel.  The rooms are equipped with two double beds, a hair dryer, a safe, a telephone, cable TV (with Disney programming), an ironing board and iron, and pizza delivery service.  A full service food court is accessible in these hotels.  For an additional charge you can have a refrigerator and high speed internet access for your room.  These hotels are located on the out skirts of the resort property with bus services available to all theme and water parks.  These resorts are more about function than form, but they’re still themed to some degree.  If you are on a strict budget, are not concerned with amenities or location and will not be spending much time in the room, the value resorts are definitely the way to go.

Moderate Resorts:  These resorts include:  Caribbean Beach; Coronado Springs; Port Orleans French Quarter; Port Orleans Riverside and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.  These resorts are Disney’s version of a 3 star hotel.  Standard rooms are equipped with two queen beds, a privacy curtain between the vanity/bathroom area and the room, telephone, iron and ironing board, a mini-fridge, a safe, cable TV (with Disney programming) and a coffee maker.  High speed internet access is also available for an additional charge.  These resorts also have limited room service, full service restaurants and food courts, on-site recreation, self parking and bus or boat services to all the theme or water parks.  These resorts are a bit frillier than the value resorts; basically, you are paying for more amenities.

Deluxe Resorts:  Disney’s version of the 4 star hotel includes: Animal Kingdom Lodge; The Grand Floridian; The Polynesian; The Contemporary; The Wilderness Lodge; The Yacht and Beach Club; The Boardwalk and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin*. Standard rooms are equipped with two queen beds (and usually a day bed as well), telephone, iron and ironing board, a mini-fridge, a safe, cable TV (with Disney programming) and a coffee maker These resorts also have full-service restaurants, room service, luggage service, valet parking, a fitness center,  beach access and on-site recreation.  Bus, monorail or boat transportation is available to the theme parks and water parks.  Some of these resorts also have easily accessible walking paths to the nearby parks.  These hotels are the absolute best accommodations Disney offers.  They are luxurious, stylish and themed beyond compare; the décor is all-encompassing and you feel immersed into a whole different world the moment you step through the door.

* The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin are not Disney hotels.  They are owned and operated by the hotel chain, Westin, who rents space on Disney’s property and markets the hotels as Disney resorts.  You can not book a room for these hotels on the Disney website*

Disney also offers deluxe villas and Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Which have amenities almost identical to the deluxe resorts, and they can also include small kitchenettes. The Disney Vacation Club is a type of a time share. Check out the details online.

*All hotels come with child care services, concierge services, swimming pools and luggage services.* 

Besides price and amenities, the differences between the three major accommodation options lie in two areas:

1.  Location- Deluxe hotels are located in the heart of the magic.  They are centered around either the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT center.  Most of these hotels are either a quick monorail ride or short walk (and I mean short, like 10 minutes tops) to the nearest theme park.  Moderate resorts are a longer distance away, but still only a short bus ride to the theme parks.  The value resorts are furthest away from the fun, but still close enough to the magic.
2. Building Design:  All Disney hotels, regardless of room price, are themed to a tee.  However, the moderate and value resorts are styled more like a motel.  Your hotel room door opens to the outside.  There is no grand lobby.  If you are looking for that mind blowing hotel feeling, stay at a deluxe resort.

Whether you are staying in a standard budget room or the Walter E Disney Suite, all the hotels are wonderfully themed and SUPER clean.  Between all the members of my immediate family, we have stayed in almost every resort hotel and we have never been disappointed.  The house keeping is always impeccable and the hotel staff is always friendly and accommodating.  If you need anything, just ask nicely and the staff is more than willing to help you out to the best of their abilities.  All hotels are equipped to accommodate special needs guests as well.  Staying on Disney property definitely has its perks.  Besides being smack dab center in the magic, being a Disney resort hotel guest gets you special theme park perks, free transportation to and from the theme parks, free parking, access to Extra Magic Hours (which is only open to resort guests) and more.

For those of you traveling with your four legged babies, the Walt Disney World resort is also equipped with a newly renovated pet kennel. To find more information about the new kennel, go to their website: http://wdw.bestfriendspetcare.com/

I will try and set some time aside this trip to go and tour the facility.

This time around, we are staying in Port Orleans-French Quarter.  This is my second time staying in a moderate resort hotel (the first time was when I was 3, so I do not remember it).  I promise to provide an extensive photo slide-show of the resort and a review of my experience with the resort when we get home.

You can find all this information on the Walt Disney World website:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/

For more hotel information, photos, prices and reviews I recommend:

http://allears.net/acc/faq_hot.htm

I hope you will find these resources helpful.  Have a magical day!

We pack the whole day through...!

Hi Everyone!

So Kristin and I leave for our next Disney vacation in less than two weeks and we spend most days reminding each other of the countdown! Kristin has already started packing and continues to add things as she sees fit. Because of her constant enthusiasm, I thought it’d be the perfect time to write a post on packing for Disney World. You’d think that packing for this vacation would be the same as packing for any other, but trust me when I say it isn’t. We’ve experienced so many changes in weather all in one trip, that we feel it best for you to be prepared in some way for every kind of temperature fluctuation or sudden slam of precipitation.

As I mentioned in our planning post, it’s really important to check the weather before you pack. When my best friend and I went a zip-a-dee-doo-dahing down to Florida in May of 2009, I did NOT check the weather forecast. Subsequently, I spent the whole 5 day vacation soaking wet from the rain; let’s just say I should not have brought that white skirt. So if you’re like me and enjoy keeping a bit of mystery about your under garments, I suggest checking the weather.  For this up-coming trip, Kristin went a bit all out and consulted the Farmer’s Almanac. If you’re not that dedicated, I suggest checking your online weather service of choice a few days before leaving. Always remember that Florida is subject to radical changes in weather and nothing puts a damper on a vacation faster than being grossly unprepared for the elements.

Regardless of what the weather predictions are for your trip, there are a few non-essentials that suddenly become necessary when you’re going to Disney World.
    1. Bathing suit: Yes, you will want to bring one with you even in the winter. Some pools are heated. Most resorts have hot tubs. And nothing feels better than relaxing in a soothing pool after a fun-filled day, morning, or evening in the parks. The best thing about WDW pools? Your hotel may have more than one pool: one main pool with all of the hulabaloo of a water slide, and a second “quiet” pool. The “quiet” pool means that there are generally less people in the pool and they may remain open when no life guards are on duty; you swim at your own risk, but you can swim at any time of the day. I like getting up early at least 1 day of my trip to swim laps with the ducks. It’s a great way to start your day.
    2. Sweatshirt: Say what?  You call “crazy”? Well, hear me out. During the winter months, the temperatures drop significantly at night time. While on most days you can walk around in a light sweater and a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt is going to come in useful after the sun goes down. And yes, bring one in the summer. I cannot count how many sweatshirt my parents purchased for me in the middle of July. Rainstorms pop up so frequently in WDW and the air conditioning is constantly on full blast. If you don’t mind carry the extra item and the weather forecast calls for rain, lug it along. Even if you don’t bring it to the parks with you, the hotel rooms can get pretty chilly. You, or your always cold, “should have been born on the surface of the sun” companions, will be happy for the cozy addition to your suitcase.
    3. Umbrella: This is an arguable “always bring” item. Carrying an umbrella through the parks can be very annoying and I do not recommend bringing one with you every day. However, Disney umbrellas purchased in the park are on the expensive side and carrying an umbrella with you on a day that a storm is predicted will come in handy. If you hate getting caught in the rain, or if you’re traveling with someone who hates getting caught in the rain, this is a must have.  If you don’t care about being wet all day, cold after ducking for cover in a heavily air conditioned shop, or about your hair and/or make up getting messed up for the day, leave the umbrella at home. Save the room in your suitcase for something more useful to you.
    4. Extra socks: Are you a sneakers person? Do you have kids? Then this is an essential item for you! Nothing bites the big one more than walking around in wet squishy socks (unless it is walking around in wet, squishy underwear). Stick an extra pair in some one’s bag when you go to the park; water rides, unexpected rain storms - you’re going to want those dry socks.

Bags:   Carrying a purse gets heavy and annoying; a smaller bag will allow you to carry only the absolute essentials into the parks and it will help you get through security faster. OR if your party is into sharing, bring 1 or 2 small drawstring backpacks that everyone can toss their stuff into. Pass the bags off during the day so that everyone gets a few hours of bag free fun.  Just a word of advice, each park now has security check points at the entrance.  Everyone has to open every compartment of each bag they are carrying and allow a security officer to examine it.  Take the smallest bag you can carry, if you don’t need it, don’t bring it.  Not only will it speed up your time at security, but come late afternoon, you’ll be happy you aren’t lugging around a huge bag.

Cosmetics/Hair Care: BE FRUGAL! Take only what you will absolutely need.  Try and aliquot your hair care products, moisturizers, facial cleansers and other liquid cosmetics into smaller travel size bottles (you can find them at any beauty supply store).  This is will save you time and luggage space.  Also, if you must bring large bottles of liquid products, put them in a secondary Ziploc bag.  I brought a bottle of heat protector a few years ago.  It opened in my suitcase and not only did I have to wash everything, it ruined my favorite red cocktail dress. 

I have been blessed with perfectly straight, unfrizzable hair, so all I take is a small bottle of styling spray, a hair tie, bob pins and a comb.  Hair dryers are provided in all rooms.    I am a makeup person.  I collect it, wear it, play with it, I just love it.  However, you do not need it!  Here is what I carry in my Disney makeup bag: tinted moisturizer (with SPF); under-eye concealer; a fine particle finishing powder; one or two eye shadow quads; eye liner; bronzer/blush; lip balm (with SPF), lip gloss and mascara…THAT’S IT!  For all you makeup lovers, I know this may sound minimal; you will be thanking me at the end of your vacation when you don’t come home with a face full of blemishes.  One more tip…dental floss!  You will be eating and drinking all day.  Carrying a tooth brush and tooth paste is not always practical, but dental floss will not only help you remove bits from between your teeth, but in the event you feel your mouth is stanky, try chewing a small piece then tossing it.  GUM IS NOT SOLD ANYWHERE ON DISNEY PROPERTY!

One last very VERY important note:  BRING SUNSCREEN!  You can buy it at every gift shop at the resort, however if you can bring it, then definitely supply your own.  Even though it is in the United States, do not forget, Florida is a sub-tropical climate.  The sun is very strong, even in the winter.  Lather yourself and your kids up before you head out to the parks.  There is nothing worse than a sunburn in Disney World…I speak from experience.  If you ignore every single piece of advice we ever give you on this blog, please do not ignore this one…you need to protect your skin. 

Dinner Clothes: When people think Disney World, they think long lines, fun rides, humidity, French fries and Mickey Mouse. But what about fine dining and a night life? WDW plays host to some of the world’s best cuisine and most beautiful restaurants. (It’s true! Just ask Samantha Brown.) Because of this, I highly recommend bringing “dinner” clothes: a nice dress, a pair of slacks, anything a little bit nicer or a little bit cleaner than the clothes that you’re planning on frolicking through the parks in. Some restaurants on prem have dress codes requiring more formal attire, while others don’t. However, taking the time to change from your “running around the park” clothes to your “enjoying some fine wining and dining” clothes can do wonders for your mood and energy. It gives you the time to cool down, and relax; taking the time to ready yourself for dinner can really let you determine how the rest of your vacation should proceed in order for you to thoroughly enjoy it.

Ok, ladies, here is a tip just for you: BRING DRESSES!  The dress is a glorious thing in the hot, humid, Floridian weather. They’re light and airy, they dry quickly and best of all, they take up minimal space in your suitcase. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that there is no place for pants in WDW: getting in and out of the rocket on Space Mountain in a skirt can be tricky; however, when the rest of your party is complaining about their wet pants an hour after getting off of the Kali River Rapids, your dress in going to be comfortable and ready for another excursion through those twisty, turny water ways. Another great thing about wearing a dress to the parks is that it severely cuts down on sweating. With a dress, you minimize the extraneous layers of overlapping clothing.  An added bonus: if you are not interested in taking the time to leave the parks to prep for dinner, wearing a dress to the parks is a sure fire way to be prepared for any dining experience on prem. Well, except for maybe Victoria and Albert’s. 

Another great tip for women: BRING EXTRA PANTIES!!!  Children's underwear and men's boxers are readily available for purchase in every gift shop.  However, adult women's underwear is very hard to come by, so unless you are a free spirited bird who won’t mind going commando, bring extra panties!

All in all, try to minimize the number of “duplicate” items you bring: ie bras, shoes, purses. You can assign these things to different outfits and significantly lighten your load. If you’re particular about washing clothing between wears, there are laundry facilities in every hotel or you can always hand wash things in your bathroom sink and hang them to dry over night. Bring travel size cosmetics or plan to use products provided by the hotels. Bring only 2 or 3 pairs of pajamas with you and wear them multiple times. Lastly, be honest with yourself. We’d all like to think that we really are going to get up and work out before our day starts. You know yourself better than anyone else; if you’re really not going to make the effort to get up and exercise, leave the running shoes at home.

That’s all for now. If anyone has any additional tips for packing for WDW, let us know. We’d love to hear your ideas and expand our own pool of tips. TTFN!

Mobile Magic App - Disney World on the Go!

Hello fellow Mousecapaders!  I am super duper psyched to be writing my first blog post.  

I downloaded the Disney Parks Mobile Magic App and I have to say…it rocks!!!!!  The application is broken down into two general categories, Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  Each park is then broken down into sub-categories.  For Walt Disney World, you will find:  Magic Kingdom; EPCOT; Disney’s Hollywood Studios; Disney’s Animal Kingdom; Typhoon Lagoon; Blizzard Beach; Downtown Disney; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; Dining Guide; Recreation Guide and Disney Resorts.  The information available is given in real time and includes a map of the resort, current attraction wait times, Fastpass availability, general park hours and any special events happening in the park that day such as parade times, show times and fireworks specials.  You can find out where and when there will be character greetings, which restaurants are located within the park, even the weather forecast for that day!  After spending some time exploring this application I have found three features I really love:

1.  You can explore the resort and discover important information like transportation to and from which theme parks, the type of recreation offered at each resort and the dining options.  You can even load in the days you will be visiting the park, and the resort hotel you are staying at.  
2. The Dining Guide is absolutely fantastic!  You can either search for a specific restaurant, or do a search based upon mealtime; cuisine; location at the resort (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT etc…) dining experience or price range.  Once you pick a restaurant, you will be given a description of the food, ambience, and price range.  You can also use the “Getting Here” feature to determine the quickest way of getting to the restaurant.  If you need a reservation, just click the blue “Reservation” button and your phone will automatically call the Dining Reservation line.
3. If you click on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you get all the information options you do under the other theme parks, with one fabulous addition…ANIMALS!  This tab takes you to a map that tells you which live animals are available to see in each individual land.  For example, say you are walking around “ASIA” and you want to know which animals are around you, just click on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, then Animals, then Asia and then <BOOM> you instantly know which animals are available for viewing. 

Now, that being said, this is not a live all end all app.  You do not have access to photos of the resorts or theme parks, and the attraction wait time information is limited to phrases like “high demand” (you do not get wait times or Fastpass distribution times in minutes or hours).  When you are loading your app, it will tell you for best performance the app will need to access Location Based Services (LBS) on your phone.  If you choose not to utilize the LBS, the app will work just fine.  You will have access to all the same information.  Unfortunately for any AT&T or T-Mobile users, the application, which was released in 2009, is available for Verizon wireless customers only.  I was able to download the app to my phone for free, so any of you who don’t have it….GO GET IT!   

I highly recommend this application.  The app is quite easy to navigate and is an incredible resource for any first time visitors, or for people who have limited time in each park and want to get the most out of their stay.  Basically, Disney has done a fantastic job jam packing all their website information into one easy to access application. 

I would first like to thank all of you for taking the time to read my post and I hope you find it helpful.   Have a magical day! 

Much Love,

Kristin

Luggage, Cameras, Away!

Hello Everyone.

Kristin and I are anxiously awaiting our upcoming trip to Disney in September. We are so excited - the only way to keep it under control is watching Disney themed videos on YouTube. (Thank you, YouTube, for so lovingly feeding our addiction.)

Preparing for vacation can be daunting, especially when you’ve never visited a place before. Disney World is no exception. In fact, Disney World can be incredibly overwhelming because of all of the options you have in merely planning your stay. As Kristin and I approach the departure date for our 26^th (?) trip together, we’ve been reminded of just how hard this planning can be. Here are some suggestions which have made our planning experiences easier and we hope they will work for you too!

The first thing we always do when we’re planning is consult a Disney vacation planning DVD. You can request these online for free and they produce a new one every couple of years to include recent additions, new promotions and upcoming attractions and events: we requested our newest DVD almost a year before our projected visit. At best, this new DVD is disappointing with obnoxious hosts and an un-engaging format; however, it can give you an idea of what time of year you’d like to visit, where you would like to stay and which key attractions you do not want to miss. (If you can get a 2009 DVD, I would highly recommend it. This DVD, although slightly outdated, has much more information, much more personality and gives you a much better idea of what WDW is all about.)

Our next recommendation is to go to disneworld.disney.go.com and check out the specifics on hotels and room rates. EVERY hotel offers different accommodations and, subsequently, a different range of rates. (Always remember that rates are lowest during the week and increase slightly over the weekend. This is very much the norm.) If you have a small budget, check out the value resorts. If you have been saving for years for this trip so that you can go “soup to nuts,” definitely check out the deluxe resorts. It is always a really good idea to have a firm "top 3" before you call to book your vacation. If you just call up and choose on the spot, you may not get the exact kind of hotel you’re looking for.

ALWAYS call to make your reservation. The website offers a reservation service that you can use; however, it’s not the same as interacting with the employees of Disney. The call center is open 24 hours – Walt Disney World caters to people all around the world. The people on the other end of the line walk you through the reservation process, answer ANY question you may have and can even make dining reservations for you at any restaurant on premises. The call is quick and easy. Most people are probably thinking “oh, I’ll be on hold forever. The website is much easier.” Fear not, the WDW operators are responsive, thorough and quick. They do not mess around. Oh, and they’re friendly. They are some of the friendliest people you’re going to meet throughout your Disney experience. Trust me. You’ll understand when you call.

Keep an eye on airfares. As we are all painfully aware, fuel costs are yo-yoing like a politician during election season and the best thing you can do for your vacation budget is to limit the amount of money you spend on transportation. We keep an eye on these rates for months. Sometimes we luck out and watch the rates go down and then pounce. Other times, we see them go up a bit, panic and then pounce. Maybe we don't have mad skills at getting the best airfare rates, but we highly recommend shopping around and watching the trends in pricing before reserving your seats. From the airport, getting to WDW is the easiest - peasiest thing in the world: Disney’s Magical Express.

This is going to sound so incredibly lame, but it’s so incredibly true. May 2009 was the first time I had ever utilized this amazing Disney amenity, and it made me feel like the Disney magic enveloped me as soon as I stepped on board. When you book your reservation, let them know that you are planning on using the service; they're going to ask you for your flight numbers. If you don't have them, hakuna matata! You can always call back and update your flight information OR you can just walk up to the desk when you get to the airport and check in. From your gate at Orlando airport, you take the monorail to the main terminal and head towards side B. From there, follow signs to your magical transport. Once you find the magical express check in you will get on a designated queue and wait in line, true to Disney style. Everyone going to your resort (and a couple of others) file on board, sit down and are immediately greeted by the sounds of Disney. (If you bring carry on luggage, not a problem, just pass them off to the bus driver and he will stow them for you.) A welcome video begins once you are on the highway and reminds you of all the fantastically awesome, wonderful things you are going to be encountering in the parks and, if you’re lucky enough to have a bus driver who likes to be a part of the show, the driver begins whipping out his/her massive amount of Disney Trivia. (What is Cinderella’s castle made of? It looks like brick, but guess again!) Checking your baggage? No problem! Just continue right from the plane to the Magical Express. You’re going to receive luggage tickets in the mail that are marked with your name and which resort you’re staying in. After your plane lands, a Disney employee will collect the luggage for all Disney guests on that plane and load it on to a bus. Your luggage will only be delivered to your resort much later than your arrival, BUT you won’t have to wait at the baggage claim. Convenient, right?

If you aren’t planning on flying and prefer to drive, the highways through Orlando have specific exits for Walt Disney World. The place is massive, after all. We can only speak of experience driving from the North East, but Disney World is definitely hard to miss while driving.

Some great tips for first timers traveling to Disney:

1.     There are certain times of the year (the off-seasons) when hotel rates are lower and crowds are minimal. We consider this the best time of year to go. If you're lucky, and persistent enough to call 5 or 6 times, you will be able to keep track of hotel discounts and may be able to snag an enviable rate. Sometimes, you can even upgrade to a better hotel for the same amount you're already paying. It's all about luck, persistence and current occupancy levels.

2.  The Disney store sells Disney park passes! You can purchase any type of pass at any Disney store prior to ever leaving for your trip. Florida sales taxes are applied, but that is one line you can cut out and skip on in to the park.

3.     Keep a watchful eye on the weather a week before you leave. Florida weather can be extremely fickle (we’ve been there in January when the weather was colder in Orlando than it was in New Jersey!). Pack accordingly. WDW has tons of clothing stores, but everything is Disney themed. If you don’t want to make expensive clothing purchases to adjust your wardrobe to the climate, keep  a watchful eye. On the other hand, ALWAYS bring a swimsuit. A good number of the hotels have an open hot tub, which is always relaxing after a long day riding roller coasters.
 

4.  You can check into your hotel at any time. I swear! This is no joke. WDW, like any other resort, has a standard official check in time; however, if you arrive early and want to get a full day in at the parks, you can check in before your room is even ready. Carried your bags on the plane? Once again, not a problem. WDW has excellent bellhop services. Leave your baggage with them, and they will deliver it to your room when it is ready.

5.     If you are checking your luggage and using the Magical Express, you're going to want to bring essential items (i.e. medicine, cameras, a change of clothes, etc.) on the plane with you. This is especially important if you're planning on going to the parks before your room is ready for check in. There is no way to speed up your luggage, sorry.

6.     Check out allears.net for resort reviews. This is one of our favorite sites. You can read reviews of every resort from anyone who has ever stayed there and has ever visited the website. I completely disagree with many of them (Polynesian Concierge service has always been incredible to me), but other reviews hit the nail right on the head. You can get a lot of other really great tips and reviews and news updates on allears.net. They keep track of which attractions are being updated, which concerts are playing at the American Pavilion, and so much more. We love it!

7.     It may be a good idea to at least take a gander at the park maps prior to leaving for vacation. Going into a Disney park can be disorienting- there are so many things happening at once. Getting a general idea of the layout of the parks will make your visit a little bit less stressful.You can find artists' renderings online and I'm pretty sure you can get copies of the maps at the Disney store as well.

8.     When you’re making your reservation, make sure you let them know if you’re celebrating anything or if anyone in your party is a first time visitor. You may get some little surprises throughout your trip.

That’s all for now. If we come up with some other really great planning tips, we’ll let you know. Check out Mommy's Thoughtful Spot for a new post about planning your trips with children. We’ve reached the final month countdown until our next visit and we’re getting incredibly excited.