Wordless Wednesday: The Candy Cauldron

Wordless Wednesday:

The Candy Cauldron

Walt Disney World

West Side

MyDVC

Wordless Wednesday: Wilderness Lodge DVC Disney Resort

Wordless Wednesday:

Wilderness Lodge

Another Great Disney Vacation Club Resort

Wordless Wednesday: Rapunzel..Even Before She Was A Princess

 Wordless Wednesday

Rapunzel

Before She Became A 

Princess

Wordless Wednesday: Emily Gets the ROSE at the Beauty and the Beast Show

Wordless Wednesday:

Emily Gets The Rose

Beauty and the Beast

Hollywood Studios

Wordless Wednesday: Luna Park Pool at Disney's Boardwalk Resort

Disney's Boardwalk Resort

Luna Park Pool 

Em's First Trip Down the Slide!

Photo by Adam Sullivan

Disney World Vacation Day 2 of 16

It's Day #2 of our vacation in Florida. I really love to stay on Disney property and especially at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is one of my favorite resorts. This morning we checked out of Kidani Village and headed to its neighbor, Jambo House. We checked into the top floor of the lodge, the concierge or club level. The room is beautiful and so is the view and so are the amenities that accompany the club level.
Tomorrow I will post about our day at the lodge at club level, since we will enjoying a day just to hang back and relax.
As for today, it was our first day in the parks! Our first stop was to buy a 10 day base ticket. Since we only do one park a day, we always stick to a basic ticket with no extra features. Our family tradition is to try to spend our first and last park day at Magic Kingdom. We hopped on the Disney bus and headed to Magic Kingdom. Emily was ready to burst when she got a slight glimpse of Cinderella's Castle! I must admit, the entire family was pretty thrilled.
We headed directly to Main Street USA for a sight everyone in our family just loves, the castle. Even though it was raining we had to grab a quick photo and then we were off to Adventureland. Of course on the way we had a slight detour to stop and see Snow White. Emily could not resist! A sweet conversation between the two friends and we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my favorite rides and our first ride of the trip!
As luck would have it, minutes after we exited the ride  the parade was about to begin! The scheduled parade did get cancelled due to rain, but a rainy day version took its place! What a super idea from Disney. No one was disappointed with the substitute!
The rest of our day was spent running between the raindrops! Some our favorite stops were the Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh Ride, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and The People Mover!
We ended our night by watching the Electric Night Parade then headed back to AKL for some dinner and fun in the lobby! Dare I say, this trip is already going way too fast!
                                                                                                                                                    






To have your own magical vacation check out:
www.waltdisneyworld.com

Disney World Vacation Day 1 of 16

After our big countdown to Disney, the fun day finally arrived! We headed to Orlando via Jet Blue. Not one complaint about the airline. We even landed close to 10 minutes early!
After landing we followed the signs for Disney's Magical Express. It was the first time we ever used it, since it's our first trip without a car! We will be renting a car, but not until next week.
Magical Express was easy to find and took us right to the door of Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Village. The room is themed in African decor and what a view.
Tomorrow we head over to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge's Jambo House. We are looking forward to experiencing the Concierge level for a few nights.
Before that we will be heading to Magic Kingdom for the day! Mickey, here we come!

Disney's Magical Express. It Really Is Magical!

Disney's Magical Express

It Really Is Magical!

Planning a vacation to Disney can be a very exciting event. Disney is somewhere you can visit and experience a trip of a lifetime, or it may be somewhere you go time and time again. No matter how many times you visit Walt Disney World, if you are flying you really should  take advantage of Disney's complimentary service, Disney's Magical Express. 

For the past couple of years that we have gone to Disney we have driven, but with the high price of gas this year we decided to fly. A wonderful perk to flying is not only arriving in 2 hours, but also not having to worry a bit about your luggage. 

As soon as you know you are flying, you can call WDW and inform them that you would like Disney's Magical Express. It is offered to anyone staying at a Disney Resort on property. The cast member will take your flight information, names, etc.

About 2 weeks before your arrival date, the mail will arrive with your Disney Magical Express information. Be sure to check it for accuracy. There will be vouchers for the DME bus and also luggage tags. I absolutely love the tag feature. You simply tag your bag, check it in a the airport, and the next place you see your bag is in your hotel room! Magical? I think so!

A separate vehicle will pick up your luggage and bring it the resort. When you arrive in Orlando, there will be signs all over that point you in the direction of the Magical Express. There is also a map in your mail kit, but you really won't need it, there are plenty of signs.

When you get downstairs in the airport, there is a Disney's Magical Express counter where you can check in. They will direct you to the lane your bus is in. The buses leave about every 15-20 minutes, so you won't be waiting long! There are also an abundance of buses! 

After boarding the bus, it won't be long and you will be on your way. During the 20 minute ride, you can enjoy a warm welcome from the Disney characters via the drop down monitors on the bus. They are timed perfectly to your arrival at the hotel! Magical?

 I think so!

Before you know it you will be at your Disney resort of choice!

Unfortunately, your trip will go just as fast. Well, mine always does anyway. Disney's Magical Express takes care of you for the return trip also. The night before you check out you will receive a note under your hotel door with instructions about the following morning. Only one person from the family has to go downstairs to do the airport/luggage check in. Once again, the bags are tagged, weighed (since there is a 50 lb. weight limit) and you won't see them again until you reach your destination. You can go about the rest of your check out day and just enjoy! The DME  pick up time will be given to you so you know the time to return to your hotel for transportation back to the airport. The time is generally 3 hours before your departure time of the plane. 

Before you know it, you are on your way back to the airport and on your way home. Warning: The trip back to the airport is NOT as much fun as on the way to the resort! There still is an adorable video to watch, but sometimes, in  the bus....tears will be shed.

All and all, Disney's Magical Express really is a wonderful experience! Our family loves it and so will you!

Click her to plan your own magical trip to Disney World.

Disclosure: All opinions are that of MyDVC

Wordless Wednesday:Animal Kingdom Lodge Cookie Decorating

Cookie Decorating at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Every day at 1pm Animal Kingdom Lodge guests can decorate delicious animal shaped cookies to their liking. 

Great activity and pool break from the sun!

Disclosure: All opinions are that of MyDVC

How A 4 Year Old Packs For Disney World!

 How A 4 Year Old

Packs For Disney World!

Since we are leaving for Disney World on Monday, I have been running around like a loony trying to get everything and anything ready. I always try to gather up all the Disney things, so we can fully experience the trip and stay in the Disney magic the entire time we are there.

I had to just stop and laugh as my four year old daughter called me to show me that she had packed.

She actually did not do a bad job. I thought it was interesting to see exactly what items a four year old would put into their Princess suitcase for the big trip.

I thought I would share the fun with you!

First she started by gathering items from inside her life size castle(every princess needs one, right?).

Emily came out with her yellow Minnie shoes, her furry crocs, and of course her Cinderella drink glass. She also found her Minnie pettiskirt and Mickey ears from the Disney Store NYC.

Then she went back for a second round of  items including a pair of Pocahontas sandals and her long Rapunzel hair! With a final shove to all the items, she was packed and ready!

I asked her is she thought she needed anything else for the trip....We all know the answer, right?

She replied, "No! I can't think of anything else I would need! I'm ready!".

Update: A few minutes later, Em did come in and tell me that she forgot to pack her Cinderella Gown and shoes! Wow, how could she miss that?

So, if you need any tips on packing for Disney, you know where to check!

Happy Disney Days!

All opinions are that of 3decades3kids.blogspot.com



Guest Blogger: My 11 Year Old Son's Interview with Dee Bradley Baker

Guest Blogger: Adam Sullivan
Founder of Bbookboy.blogspot.com
Adam is an 11 year old blogger. He has been blogging over a year already and has interviewed quite a few people. Adam loves to write and is the 1st Place Winner of the National FEDCAP Poetry Contest 2010 for his poem, "I Work". This year Adam was the 1st Place Winner of the Hudson County Law Day Poetry Contest for his poem on diversity, titled "Diverse City".  Adam was honored for both accomplishments at The Bowery Poetry Club, NYC and Hudson County Court House, Jersey City, NJ.

This is his interview with Dee Bradley Baker. Enjoy!
I'm SO proud of you, Adam!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Phineas and Ferb: Perry the Platy-Bus ON TOUR

This morning, I was in New York City. I was there to join other fans for the the kickoff ceremony of Disney XD's "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension." In case you're not familiar with "Across the 2nd Dimension," I'll catch you up. It is the new "Phineas and Ferb" movie based on the Emmy-Award-Winning TV Show. I am a huge Phineas and Ferb fan. I have been watching the show since the "Rollercoaster" episode.

 In the middle of Times Square, fans sat on the turf to watch the opening performance. Radio Disney was there playing music and dancing. Then, a group of children performed a song from Phineas and Ferb. During the event, my sister and I had the chance to play a game based on the song "Squirrels in My Pants" where my sister held a pair of pants and I had to throw stuffed squirrels into them. As prizes, they gave the both of us T-Shirts.

 

 

 Then, after that, they played "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith, and whoever whipped their hair most got a Phineas and Ferb Frisbee custom-made for the event! Also, the coolest part of the opening ceremony was when Phineas and Ferb unveiled the Platy-Bus. It was huge! The inside of the bus had two small TVs, one big HD TV, Two Nintendo Wiis, and two Nintendo DSs. It was a great experience!

After the ceremony, I got to interview Dee Bradley Baker (Perry the Platypus) American Dad!, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.) I also got the signatures of Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, the creators of the show, and the signature of Alyson Stoner (Isabella, Camp Rock, Cheaper by the Dozen.) Dee Bradley Baker was very nice and he even did the Perry the Platypus signature noise! He also gave me his autograph! (picture shown above) The Interview went great!

A Handful of Questions: Dee Bradley Baker

Bookboy: Why did you sign on to Phineas and Ferb?

Dee Bradley Baker: Money! (laughs) I like semi-aquatic mammals!

Bookboy: Do you like being a voice actor better than being a live-action actor?

Dee Bradley Baker: Yes. I don't have to memorize lines or wait in a trailer all day!

Bookboy: I notice your name in other TV Shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and American Dad! How long have you been voice acting?

Dee Bradley Baker: I have been voice acting since the late 80's.

Bookboy: Who is or was your favorite character to play?

Dee Bradley Baker: Momo from Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Winnie the Pooh Screening Review



Winnie the Pooh

Movie Screening Review

Opens July 15th
This movie is as Sweet as Honey!

Winnie the Pooh has always been a family favorite around our house. For years, especially as babies, I can remember spending hours singing Pooh Bear songs and playing stuffed animals with my children. We still are a Pooh family, especially since my youngest daughter is only four. Let me tell you, she fits right in, especially last year at Disney World when she insisted on getting the biggest Pooh Bear she could find and bringing him on the Winnie The Pooh ride. He of course spent the rest of the day in her stroller, as she walked along-side, singing the Pooh song the entire time!

So, you can imagine how excited we all were when we heard about the Winnie the Pooh movie. We were really thrilled when we had a chance to go for an early screening in NYC, thanks to Mommyslinks.

Winnie The Pooh, the movie, was absolutely adorable.

 If you are a Pooh fan, don't miss it. The movie stays true to Pooh. The story is entertaining and the  use of the book words is just delightful!

Of course, one of my favorite scenes had to be Pooh and his

Honey Dreams! I won't give the story away, but I will tell you this, it was just wonderful to see the entire Winnie the Pooh gang complete with Christopher Robin on the big screen.

If you adore Winnie the Pooh, you know who you are, don't miss chance to see him at the theater! Now for a bit of a tip: Don't leave your seat until after the credits! You won't want to miss the very last clip!

It's worth the wait!

"Oh bother. You'll be sad if you do".

For more info on the movie visit Winnie the Pooh.

The movie opens nation wide on Friday, July 15th, 2011.

All opinions are that of  MyDVC