October Pretrip Report

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Mouse Host

As I have said before, Walt Disney World should not be taken lightly.  It is not your average theme park.  If you really want to get the most out of your vacation, I suggest doing your homework..or have someone else do it (like me!).  When it comes to WDW planning, I love doing homework.  I love planning my trips and other people’s trips if they’ll let me.  I always keep my ears open at work for anyone that is planning to head to the World.  So far I have only been able to offer tips (whether he wanted them or not) to one person who was planning a trip but I have only been there 8 months so that’s not bad.

Well, I am turning in my homework for my October trip…

The Crew

The other lucky participants are my aunt and a couple that are friends of mine and my aunt.  We hope to head south around 1:30 if I can get off early on Friday.  We are driving from east Tennessee so it will take us a good 11 hours.  We plan to stay off site Friday night or Saturday morning rather…

Resort

Last trip we stayed at Pop Century so this time I wanted to experience a different resort so we will be staying at All Star Movies.  We check in October 6th and check out on the 12th.  We all have 5-day park hoppers because of the way we will be touring which I will explain.  Because I am going again in November and April, I will be upgrading to an annual pass upon check in which means I will probably plan at least one more trip before it expires next October!

Schedule

That’s right, I already have our week scheduled out.  I used touringplans.com to check park hours and crowd levels and then created a spreadsheet to help me plan out the schedule for each day.  We bought park-hopper tickets because there are quite a few days that have extra magic hours (EMH) and I plan on taking advantage of that.  EMH are offered to guests staying on site which will allow them entrance into some parks an hour before off-site guests or allow them to stay 3 hours after official closing.  Don’t worry, there’s a more in depth post coming on EMH…

Saturday

Once we recover from the drive, we are heading to Sea World.  I don’t think I have ever been and if I have, I don’t remember.  As much as I pretend WDW is the only attraction located in Orlando I am pretty excited about Sea World because of my love for animals and the water!  I am also a fan of thrill rides and look forward to riding Kraken and Manta!  My love for photography also has me looking forward to the potential photo ops with all the animals Sea World.

Unfortunately, Sea World  doesn’t allow you to bring in food or drink so we will have to eat in the park and I hear the food does not compare to WDW….what?…that’s what I heard for real!  So it looks like we will be doing breakfast before the park and then Captain Pete’s or Mango Joe’s once inside the park.  They appeared to be the only counter service options according to the website. We will most likely stick to counter service meals the duration of our stay in order to save money.  We might even share a few meals.   I couldn’t find any menus showing prices so not sure how much we will have to drop but we will manage even if we have to split and then eat outside the park after we leave.

After leaving Sea World we then will also leave the real world and “…today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy!”

Sunday

Some may find it hard to believe but we will not begin our magic journey with Magic Kingdom.  This is because MK is a park to avoid this day because it has evening extra magic hour so it will be more crowded than the others.  We shall begin our touring in Disney’s Animal Kingdom which opens at 9:00.  My plan is to be at rope drop every morning but that is the beauty of staying on property.  If everyone else wants to sleep in they can just meet me in the parks because you never have to drive once on Disney property.  I would like to eat at Yak and Yeti but we may also hit up Flame Tree Barbeque as well. 

The park closes at 6…the animals have an early bed time…but I don’t so we will put our park-hoppers to good use and head to the Magic Kingdom which will be open until 1:00 AM and of course I plan to stay until they kick me out!  There’s nothing like walking down an almost empty Main Street USA at night but again…another post for another day.  After getting kicked out it is off to the resort for a little nap until the parks open again…

Monday

Monday Magic Kingdom the crowd level prediction is of 1.2 out of 10!  There are no evening extra magic hours offered for any of the parks so it is MK all day!  Plus we have a party to go to!  It is October so that means Disney is celebrating Halloween!  We will be attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!  An admission ticket purchase is required to attend.  I will save the details of the party for a post after I return.  Official closing time for MK that day is 7:00 PM and the party lasts until midnight!

Possible dining locations will be Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe , and Columbia Harbour House.  Probably will stop by Main Street Bakery and a Dole Whip is without question on the to-do list…at least once!

Tuesday

I know it might sound crazy but we will start Tuesday off in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  I know your asking, “Why are you going back to AK when you haven’t hit all the other parks yet.  Hear me out…it’s all about the big picture.  Tentatively, we will hit AK for rope drop and spend a little more time roaming the park and hitting some attractions again and after we are satisfied that we are done with AK we will head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS).  Who knows, we may decide we don’t need to go back to AK period but I decided to schedule at least another half a day for the park.  This park is more about exploring and taking in the surrounds rather than bouncing from attraction to attraction so I want to give us time to hit all the attractions and to just take our time and explore.  Plus,it would be good to hit the Kilimanjaro Safari again first thing in the morning because the animals are more active in the morning.

Depending on wait times when we arrive at DHS we may just stick to exploring and shows since we will be arriving in the afternoon.  I plan to see Fantasmic! this night that way when we go back to DHS we can hit up some headlining attractions while the majority of people are watching Fantasmic! at the end of the night.

After Fantasmic! we might head to Disney’s Boardwalk or Downtown Disney for a little night life!

Wednesday

During our stay Disney’s Hollywood Studios is predicted to have the smallest crowds on Wednesday so we will begin our day there.  Last trip I auditioned and made it on one of the American Idol Experience shows at DHS and had a blast so I plan on trying out again.  Before I head to the audition studio I figure we will sprint to the back of the park to ride and grab fastpasses for Toy Story Mania.  The rest of the day’s plan will depend on if I will be performing in an American Idol show but things (or food rather…) that are on the to-do list are cupcakes from Starring Roles and carrot cake cookies from Writer’s Stop.  I am thinking of ABC Commissary and Backlot Express for lunch and dinner options. 

Many people begin to head to 1500-seat Hollywood Hills Amphitheater up to an hour and a half before Fantasmic! to ensure they get good seats.  I am hoping the displacement of around 1500 people will allow us nearly free reign of the park!  We will see…

DHS closes at 8pm this day but guess what…Epcot has evening extra magic hours and is open until 12!  So guess where we…or at least I will be going.  Depending on how our day goes at DHS we might even head to Epcot earlier than 8 but we will see because DHS is my favorite park.  I know I am bizarre but it is true.  Maybe I will attempt to explain why in a another post.  Hopefully we can make it to Epcot in time to catch IllumiNations.

Thursday

It may be a dangerous game to wait until the last day of our trip for a full day at Epcot but I am hoping by taking crowd level predictions for the entire week into consideration my strategic plan for touring will prove successful.  is about the big picture.  I spent a lot of time developing my game plan and even discussed it with my sister who is also a big WDW fan and frequent contributor to the blog.

We will begin our tour in Future World because World Showcase does not open until 11am.  Our first stop will be Soarin which I would say is the most popular Epcot attraction.  We may fastpass this attraction or Mission Space.  I would like to explore World Showcase a little more this trip.  I hope to check out more of the shops and shows at each pavilion.

The most difficult decision for this day and possibly the entire trip will be where to eat.  I would like to eat at Tangierine Cafe or Somerfest for meals and would love to get snacks from every pavilion but know it is not possible.  Plus Food and Wine Festival will be going on so there be tons of other snack options available in World Showcase so we will see what happens!

Friday

This will be a sad sad day but there are ways to cure the blues that come when you enter the real world again.  The best cure for these blues is to start planning your next trip.  Well, you know that I have already planned and booked my next trip so as we drive away I will be saying, “See you soon!”

Posted in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Food, Magic Kingdom, Trip Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Paintbrushes Extinct?

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Mouse Host

So…do you remember my post about Tom Sawyer’s Island and the paintbrushes that the cast members would hide most mornings for guests to find and return for fastpasses?  Well it appears those pesky Walt Disney World cast members have hid those paintbrushes pretty well this time.  Rumor has it that they have finally put an end to the scavenger hunt.

I think it is a shame to do away with Tom Sawyer's paintbrushit because it doesn’t take anytime to do and it is a great and free way to plus your vacation especially if you have little ones.  I saw tons of kids running around looking for the coveted paint brushes while I was frantically running back and forth across the island trying to get my hands on one before them!…yeah, I should be ashamed.

I have heard of people stealing the paintbrushes which is a shame and I can see Disney putting and end to it because of that but is a shame either way.  Plus I think it was a great way to get people on to the island who may not go otherwise.

I will see what I can do to find out if this is rumor or fact on my next trip.  Just remember, if you want to look for the paintbrushes, ask a cast member if they hid them that morning before you do laps around the island just to find out they hid them behind a locked door on the dock.

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Trivia time!

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Mouse Host

image

I passed this truck on the way to work this morning. What is its significance to Walt Disney World?

Posted in WDW trivia | 3 Comments

Kingdom Camera Rentals

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Mouse Host

Two of my favorite things are Walt Disney World and photography.  Getting to do both at the same time is a WIN-WIN for me!  I had a great time taking photos on my last trip which was my first trip in about 10 years and my first trip as an adult.  I think I got a lot of great shots for my first time in WDW as an amateur photographer.

I often think of shots or see photos others have taken that I wish I had but there is just not enough time in one trip…or two…or three.  Every part of Walt Disney World is so picturesque that there are endless photo ops.  Because WDW is so picturesque it is so easy to get great photos no matter what level of photographer you are.  In fact, the color of the sidewalk was chosen because Kodak advised Disney that it looks better in photos.  The uniqueness of WDW also offers the opportunity for photographers to capture things they might not be able to capture otherwise.  WDW offers a vast array of subjects which will allow you to test your skills and experiment with different types of photography.  Here are just a few: culinary, wildlife, fireworks, sports, landscape, architectural, macro, night time, portraits.

This post came about because of a camera rental company I stumbled upon while browsing through one of my favorite Disney blogs…Disney Tourist Blog.  I love this blog because I enjoying looking at the great shots he gets but also because he offers technical advice specific to photography at WDW.

The Disney Photography Blog has partnered with this camera rental company called Kingdom Camera Rentals.  This company will rent camera equipment to you while you are visiting WDW.  This is a great service for anyone visiting WDW and is interested in getting into photography.  You can browse and order equipment on their website and they will meet you at your resort with your equipment and come back to pick it up when you are done!

Since my camera equipment is very limited at this point I may have to try renting a few lenses from this company on one of my upcoming trips.

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Country Bear Jamboree Refurb

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Mouse Host

Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred, and a bear named Tennessee…and Baby Oscar

Country Bear Jamboree, one of the opening day attractions at Walt Disney World will be going down for refurbishment from late August to mid October.   Is it just a maintenance refurb or will the show be changed?  If the show is changed it would not be the first time as the show has been changed in the past to become the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown in February 1986 and a special Christmas show during the holiday from 1984 to 2006.

Big Al

The show, originally conceived to be an attraction for the Mineral King Ski Lodge in California became affectionately known as “Walt’s last laugh” because of the nice chuckle Walt got after seeing some drawings Marc Davis had been working on for the project.  Legend has it that after this visit with Marc Davis, Walt said good-bye to Davis on his way out of his office, which was rare for Walt.  A few days later Walt passed away from cancer.

Henry and his coon-skinned friend Sammy

I believe the show and especially the characters are entertaining enough to remain in WDW indefinitely and I don’t ever see the bears getting evicted because of the connection that Walt had to them.  However, Walt did not ever see the actual production so I I wouldn’t be surprised to see it change despite the opinions of so many die-hard WDW fans.

It appears the bears will be on vacation the same time I will be so I will miss them in October but I will report on any changes after my trip in November!

Posted in Magic Kingdom, Refurbs, shows, WDW History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Annie Leibovitz

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Mouse Host

Former Rolling Stones magazine photographer Annie Leibovitz was hired by the Walt Disney Company in 2007 to portray a few famous people as famous Disney characters.  I stumbled across her one day during one of my Disney geek internet surfing ventures.  As a huge fan of Disney and photography I enjoyed her artistic take on these beloved characters and found the casting for the characters very interesting.  Here is some of her work.  What do you think?

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iphone Cases

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Mouse Host

My desire to save money trumps my desire to be on the up and up when it comes to my possessions.  I will get by with what I have to save money so I can spend that money on Walt Disney World trips!

I am a fan of having the best possible phone I can that I don’t have to pay for.  This means I am an Android owner.  It has been a great phone for the price and I can complain but I have never been one who has to have the latest and greatest.  I have never had a great desire to jump on the iphone bandwagon not because I am against them but because of the price.  I know they are capable of so much more than my Android but I am not one who relies on my phone for everything.  I use it to talk, text, Facebook, check on my blog, and check the St. Louis Cardinals score and it does just fine for all of those tasks.

You may call me crazy and you may be right to do so but the one thing that has made me want an iphone more than anything is for the sweet Disney cases!  Unfortunately they are not available for my petty Android.

Here are some of my favorites…

Check out these cases and more at Disneystore.com

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Disney Dining Plan

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Mouse Host

If you don’t know already, you will soon find out as you continue reading (which I hope you do), that I am a huge proponent for dining in Walt Disney World and encourage everyone to do so as much as your wallet or credit limit will allow.  Just kidding on the credit limit thing.  I am also in favor of being financially savvy so budget to allow yourself to eat in the World a few times during your trips.

I like seeing all those zeros!

Now for those of you who have been financially savvy enough to save so much that your piggy bank looks as though it is about to give birth to little piglets…(see what I did there?) you might be interested in the Disney Dining Plan.  You pay up front for the plan as part of the Magic Your Way Package and you receive credits for meals and snacks according to how many nights you stay.

“What do get in this dining plan?” you ask?  Be patient and I will tell you.  I know I said “plan” but there are actually a few “plans.”  So what you get in the plan depends on which plan you get.  Okay, I am starting to confuse myself so let’s move on to the plans.

Quick Service Dining Plan:

2 counter service meals, 1 snack, 1 resort refillable mug

Here comes dessert!

Dining Plan: 

1 table service, 1 counter service meal, 1 snack, 1 resort refillable mug

Deluxe Dining Plan:

3 meals (counter or table), 2 snacks, 1 resort refillable mug

Premium Dining Plan: 

3 meals (counter or table), 2 snacks, 1 resort refillable mug

Also includes numerous recreation activities, admission to Cirque du Soleil show, La Nouba, and Disney Children’s Activity Centers and also select Theme Park Tours.

Platinum Dining Plan:

3 meals (counter or table), 2 snacks, 1 resort refillable mug

The Platinum offers everything  the Premium Plan does and adds Disney’s PhotoPass Photo CD, Fireworks cruises during Wishes and IllumiNations.  Reserved seating at Fantasmic!, and Spa Treatment

Cracker Jacks made a great snack during Fantasmic! later than night.

Alright, there are the facts.  Now for what you are really looking for…my opinion.  The Disney Dining Plans are convenient and do offer a great deal of food (and experiences for the higher end plans) for the price.  Before I answer your question as to whether I would ever purchase one of the plans let me say this, we did use the Dining Plan on our last trip and my mom and I will be using the Quick Service Plan in November which I am excited about but no, I would never pay for one of the plans (foreshadowing a future post).

Legendary Dole Whip! Worth skipping dessert for!

For one, my piggy bank is far from giving birth and I would rather use the money I would spend on the plans on some other experience.  The plans will provide you with a lot of food.  More than I need but if it is there I will eat it.  Let me tell you, I ate a lot of food when we were on the plan last time.   Sometimes I was too full for dessert or didn’t care for the dessert they offered (only at counter service) but because it was on the plan, I got it.  If I was to pay out of pocket, I would order water (to save $ and because I am not dependent on soda) and I wouldn’t always order desserts especially at quick service restaurants.  In fact, I would pass up dessert at a quick service almost every time and spend that money on a snack elsewhere in the parks because there are so many great snack options.

You could even split a side or a whole meal with someone else in your party for a few meals without going hungry which will allow you to experience many more restaurants on your trip without slaughtering your little piggy bank.  I am all for experiencing as much as possible without going broke or into debt!

*A few notes about the credits: 

Snacks on Dining Plan

  • Look for this image on menus for eligible snacks
  • Each meal consists of entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage.
  • The amount of credits are based on the night stay but multiple credits can be used in one day until the total for the say is depleted.
  • Some table service restaurants on the dining plan will take 2 off your credits (character dining, dinner shows, upscale signature restaurants)
  • Gratuities are not included so budget to tip!
Posted in Food, Snacks, Trip Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Main Street Bakery

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Mouse Host

It might be possible for you to walk down Main Street without stopping by the Main Street Bakery but it’s nearly impossible to walk past the bakery without smelling the comforting and very welcoming smell of freshly baked pastries.  It is hard to miss this snack stop partly every guest visiting the Magic Kingdom walks but it unless they spend all day in the square or use the train to enter and leave the park…but let’s be honest, no one does that!  Nor should they!

It’s popularity can be attributed not only to its convenient location but also to the scent that is piped into the street.  Yes, the sweet aroma that takes you over as you make your way towards Cinderella’s castle is not actually the smell of pastries sold inside.  It is those pesky Imagineers at work again.  Now whether you want to believe Disney does this to “sell the story” or to sell more bake goods is up to you.  Some people see this and other similar tactics Disney uses as devious but it does not bother me.  I think it is interesting and in fact, you can find other artificial scents elsewhere in WDW, one of which you can also find on Main Street.

The Main Street Bakery is a great place for those who aren’t looking to spend a lot of time and money.  The portions are fairly generous for prices around $3.  It is a great option for those who might have skipped breakfast at their resort and don’t come to the parks packing.  It also serves as a great snack location as you settle into position for the classic view of Wishes.

Grade:

Posted in Food, Magic Kingdom, Restaurant Review, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fireworks Snob

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Mouse Host

IllumiNations from Japan

The two most popular activities for Americans on the 4th of July are cookouts and fireworks.  I must say that I am a fan of both, however, it is rare for me to venture out to see fireworks…unless I am roaming those 30,000 magical acres in central Florida.

I have realized over the years that at the end of every fireworks display, I think (or say), “Disney does it way better!”  Now I realize that no other place may have the finances or resources Disney does and I do not fault them for that.  Usually I don’t even say that the show was bad.  I just cannot help but be partial to what I grew up on.

Wishes from Main Street

Everyone has something that they grew up on or first experienced that will always be better than anything somewhat similar that should follow.  It may be your mom’s lasagna or music from your era.  I am admitting that I most definitely have a bias when it comes to fireworks…however (there it is!  You knew it was coming!), if I were able to set my bias aside and remain completely objective I would still argue that Disney’s firework displays are superior to almost any other.

One advantage Walt Disney World has over any other location is the backdrop for a fireworks show.  I think you will have a difficult time finding a more picturesque horizon to view fireworks.  Between the numerous vantage points for IllumiNations in World Showcase and viewing Wishes behind one of the most recognized, most photographed buildings in the world, I’d say Walt Disney World has the advantage when it comes to location!

As with everything else Disney does, they take it step further.  They don’t just shoot up a bunch of mortars that light up the sky and make a big boom.  They tell a story.  The visually stunning display combined with inspiring music, and a gripping narration have been know to produce a few tears with some guests (I’ve heard).  Where else will you see a fireworks show that can bring a tear to your eye?  Debate over!

You’ll even find a few pyrotechnics in other shows throughout the parks

Disney should have it right though, considering they produce multiple shows a night nearly every day out of the year.  This schedule lands the Walt Disney World as the second largest purchaser of explosives in the United States, next to the U.S. military.

Posted in EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, shows | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments