Happy Cyber Monday!

In celebration of Cyber Monday!!!

Request a FREE quote for a Walt Disney World package* TODAY and get a Disney gift card if you place a deposit on that package by the end of the year**

▪If your package is less than $1,000: $15 gift card
▪If your package is between $1,000-$1,499.99: $25 gift card
▪If your package is between $1,500-$1,999.99: $50 gift card
▪If your package is between $2,000-$2,599.99: $75 gift card
▪If your package is $2,600 and up: $100 gift card

You can send inquires via Facebook message, to joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com, by calling (314)494-9166, or through the contact me page.

*package must be minimum of 4 night stay and 4 day base ticket
**deposit equals $200 per room booked and must be paid by 11:59pm on 12/31/14.  Gift card will be sent with travel documents only when trip is paid in full.

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Reasons to Return #2: The Food!

In case you felt like you need another reason to return to Walt Disney World, here ya go….THE FOOD!

Let me start by boring you with the facts.  If you search dining on Walt Disney World’s website you will find 330 options to choose from.  Now this does include things like snack stands and pool bars so you don’t have to feel quite so overwhelmed.

Gastons-DHRThere are 156 locations that you would consider “quick service” such as counter service restaurants, food trucks, and snack stands.  Then you have 131 “table service” restaurants where you, of course, would sit at a table (I know….go figure!) and your food would be brought to you!  There are 17 of these restaurants where you might just be visited by a character during your meal!  You could also choose to overindulge yourself at one of the 23 buffets on property or perhaps you a person of fine taste and prefer the refined experience of one of the 23 fine dining restaurants or maybe you like to have fun with your food at one of the 3 dinner shows at Walt Disney World?

If you prefer to relax to something light with a nice adult beverage at the end of the day, don’t worry, you have 49 lounges to choose from!

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Getting my point yet?

A great reason to return to Walt Disney World is the practically unending menu items there are on property, especially considering many of the restaurants regularly revise their menus.  I haven’t even mentioned the resort’s annual Food & Wine Festival that takes place every fall for about 2 months!

Even if you are on a tight budget I would still encourage you to experience the food at Walt Disney World because there are so many unique snack and quick service items.  You don’t have to settle for “theme park food” at Walt Disney World and you shouldn’t!

Okay, so now that you know how much food there is at Walt Disney World, let’s talk about the quality.  Yes, there are going to be some restaurants that many pass on due to the lack of quality in their menu items but on average, Walt Disney World’s food is very good quality, whether it is a snack, quick service, or table service.  When I am trying to convince an adult it’s not only okay to go to Walt Disney World without kids but you should go without kids, I always tell them Disney offers some of the best restaurants you could ever eat at.  Sure there is typical “park food” but there is plenty of unique and fine dining options if you are up for it!

The perfect example of this is one of the top 5 restaurants in the United States (according to TripAdvisor’s 2014 Travelers’ Choice awards) and a 10-year recipient of the AAA Five Diamond Award, Victoria &n Albert’s.  The menu changes daily to ensure guest receive the freshest and best quality food during their seven course meal.  The restaurant has a strict dress code and kids are not allowed.  If you want to plus your experience even more you can try to nab a reservation at the chef’s table where you will walk away with a custom menu listing the ten course meal made just for you!  This is on my Walt Disney World bucket list!

Now for some food porn….for your viewing pleasure I have put together a few photos I have collected over my last few trips.  If you want to dive more into the food of Walt Disney World check out The Disney Food Blog.  Yep, there’s an entire blog dedicated to Walt Disney World’s food…..as there should be!

What’s your favorite Walt Disney World food or restaurant?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nWant a quote or ready to start planning your next trip? Send me a message through the contact page or call (314)494-9166 or email me directly at joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Also be sure to check out my current promo for Disney Cruise Line and other Disney Destination offers on the Promos and Special Offers page.

Posted in Food, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s with the Toy Story Mania Test?

??????????Maybe you have heard of or been victim of the most recent FastPass+ test Walt Disney World has conducted. October 6th through the 9th Toy Story Midway Mania was only available to guests with FastPass+ reservations, meaning the standby queue was closed.

My first thoughts were for those unfortunate guests traveling during that time who are not on the up-and-up about WDW news because they didn’t not give guests much of a heads up about the test so those who were unaware likely did not get to ride during their stay but this happens occasionally with closures due to refurbs and breakdowns. It just means people have to take another trip to Walt Disney World right?

jpg167My second thought was I hope they do not have plans to make Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ reservation only. If this were the case then they might as well get rid of the tiered FastPass+ system at Hollywood Studios because very very very few people would choose anything but Toy Story in tier A.

 

I have mixed feelings about the potential of losing the rope drop dash to Toy Story experience. I love doing rope drop at Hollywood Studios because I can often get 2 rides through the standby queue before the wait gets over 60 minutes and when you combine that with my FastPass+ reservation, that means I get to ride it 3 times in a day! On the other hand, by eliminating the need to rope drop run, it does free me up to do other things and maybe have a more relax start to my Hollywood Studios day. I would most likely turn on Sunset Blvd. and head straight for Tower of Terror and then its next door neighbor, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

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It appears the Toy Story Mania test is some attempt by Disney to resolve the unrelenting wait times Toy Story Mania possesses pretty much year round. It is relieving to see that Disney recognizes there is an issue and is looking for ways to free up more time in a guest’s day by reducing this wait.

After thinking more about the move by Disney and the recent closure of the Backlot Tour, which is just down the road on Pixar Place, I wondered if this was the appropriate approach for Disney to take on the problem. Is limiting guests to FastPass+ reservations really the answer? Apparently the answer is no.

My initial thought once I heard the Backlot Tour was closing for good was that the much rumored and anticipated Star Wars land was soon to break ground but after this Toy Story Mania test I could not help but think part of this newly available land should be devoted to an additional Toy Story Mania track. After doing a little more research I found that many share my opinion. I have not found anything official from Disney so right now this remains a very popular rumor. Disney’s test leads many to speculate if Disney adds a track one track may become FastPass+ reservation only and the others will remain standby.

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If the comes to fruition, which I hope it does, I am interested to see how much it will truly reduce wait times because I think there is a wait time threshold for many guests. Whether it’s guests who go to Walt Disney World unaware of Toy Story Mania’s popularity or guests attempting to use the standby for multiple rides, I think there is a point where they will look at the estimated wait time sign and just turn around and walk away. I don’t think creating another track will lessen the estimated standby wait time as much as it will allow more people to ride in a day because now the people who would normally turn and walk away will actually stand in line, putting the wait time right back to where it is today.

Whatever rumors turn out to be true, I do believe it will be a positive change and a much needed change as Toy Story Mania continues to be arguably the most popular attraction in all of Walt Disney World, next to the adored sister duo, Anna and Elsa.

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nWant a quote or ready to start planning your next trip? Send me a message through the contact page or call (314)494-9166 or email me directly at joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Also be sure to check out my current promo for Disney Cruise Line and other Disney Destination offers on the Promos and Special Offers page.

Posted in Disney's Hollywood Studios, Refurbs, Rumors, WDW News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SEPCOT? Stagnate Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow

I have had this topic saved as a draft for a couple of months and now that we are starting to see changes come to Epcot I figured I would go ahead and write it before my point is completely moot.

sept 21 nikon 035If you have been to Walt Disney World in the last three years or have been keeping track of WDW news, then you are familiar with the numerous changes that are taking place all over Walt Disney World property.  When I get asked why I go back so much, one of the reasons I list is there is so much I have not done and so many things constantly being changed or added.  As I was trying to convince a coworker why they should go back to WDW, I began talking about all of the changes that were currently taking place.  As I started listing them, park by park, I realized I left Epcot out.

After reflecting more on the topic it seems as though Epcot has been put on the back burner.  The last major refurbishment we saw was when Test Track was “re-imagined.”  I don’t consider the addition of Spice Road Table and Starbucks or the changes to France’s dining locations a major change.

tangled-towerMagic Kingdom has had a major overhaul in Fantasyland the last few years which I think many consider to be a great improvement to the park.  Animal Kingdom has added a new theater for the Festival of the Lion King to make way for the addition of a land themed to the movie Avatar.  We have also seen the park add a special event which featured an evening street party called Harambe Nights and are still anticipating several other changes that will transform Animal Kingdom into a night park, one of which is a nighttime spectacular called “Rivers of Light.”  Hollywood Studios popularity increased with the addition of a few special events themed after the Disney’s recent blockbuster animated film Frozen.  After Bob Iger’s announcement that Star Wars will become more present in the parks and the closing of two attractions (The American Idol Experience and The Backlot Tour) many are anticipating big changes soon for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Even Downtown Disney is getting a massive overhaul!

That leaves poor Epcot.  Soarin’ and Test Track remain popular but it seems the rest of Future World has become very lackluster to many guests.  World Showcase is still a favorite among adults for it’s unique dining experiences and entertainment but Epcot’s popularity seems to rely heavily on its numerous special events.

??????????Epcot has more “abandoned” buildings/areas than any of Walt Disney World’s other parks.  The Odyssey restaurant and the old Wonders of Life buildings still get some attention for special events but the upper floor of the Imagination pavilion seems to be completely abandoned.

I realize Disney has their hands very full right now but I hope Epcot is next on the list for a facelift.  I think the Innoventions buildings could use some updating.  Many of the exhibits are outdated and remind me of what you would find in a cheap kids museum.  I would like to see Disney bring in some exhibits that really showcase some truly innovative ideas and technology.  I know it is hard to keep attractions like this current but it’s overdue for an update.

disney-092I hope Epcot’s recent presence in WDW news for it’s changes to the entertainment in World Showcase and the closing of Maelstrom to bring in a Frozen attraction is a sign that Disney also realizes it’s time to give Epcot some love!

What do you think?  Does Epoct need some updating?  What would you change or add to improve the Epcot experience?

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nWant a quote or ready to start planning your next trip? Send me a message through the contact page or call (314)494-9166 or email me directly at joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Also be sure to check out my current promo for Disney Cruise Line and other Disney Destination offers on the Promos and Special Offers page.

Posted in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Refurbs, Rumors, WDW News | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

10 Phrases NOT to Use Around a WDW Fanatic

I have always said that everyone has their “thing” they geek out on.  Whatever you geek out on, you are most likely a stickler when someone is discussing it.  If you come across someone who appears to be misinformed about your geek subject, you likely correct them, if not out loud then in your head.  You know it to be true!

My geek subject, of course, is Walt Disney World.  Nowhere is safe for a Walt Disney World fanatic when it comes to phrases that make us cringe!  We hear them from friends, family, and our coworkers.  Even once we pass under that glorious sign and set foot in the apparent haven of our beloved 30,000 acre resort, we still are subject to the pangs of phrases from the mouths of blasphemers!  Without further adieu, in a semi-particular order, here are my top 10:

10. Harry Potter World is my favorite Disney park.

Yes, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is spectacular and is very much on the same level with Disney Imagineering but it is not Disney.  It is a very magical land but is located in Universal Orlando.  Walt Disney World transportation will not get you to the Harry Potter World, unless there is a knight bus this muggle doesn’t know about.

9. Animal Kingdom is a half day park.

safariI will begin by saying many WDW “fanatics” also claim this to be true but I believe a WDW fanatic would understand that touring a Disney Park is much more than just hitting all the “attractions.”  This is a park that was meant to be explored.  The whole park is an attraction and where I do believe this is the case for all the Disney Parks, it is even more true in this park than any other.  Go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a half day and report back to me all the things you did and I will list even more you didn’t do.

8. Why do you go back so much?

I get this question a lot and there are so many ways to answer it.  In fact, I have a few working drafts of a blog series called Reasons to Return where I cover just why you should return to Walt Disney World.  Without spoiling all of my future posts I will attempt to answer this one as briefly as possible.  I have not even come close to seeing and doing half of what there is at Walt Disney World.  The things I have done I love and want to do again!  Because I grew up going there with my grandparents, it’s like another home to me.  I have been home to visit my parents before but I still go back. The same is true for Walt Disney World.  When the Walt Disney World bus recordings say “Welcome Home,” it’s not just some cheesy gimmick, it rings true in the ears of many!

7. The park with the big golf ball.

??????????The only golf balls you should be referring to on Walt Disney World property are the ones at the 4 championship golf courses or the 2 miniature golf courses.  The “big golf ball” people often refer to is Epcot’s weenie, Spaceship Earth.  If Spaceship Earth could speak, it would no undoubtedly say, “I have a name you know!”

6. Call an attraction a ride

I know this one might sound petty but it bothers me because weird, nasty fairs and carnivals have rides and I cannot bare to even come close to accidentally comparing Walt Disney World to those places.  It is so much more than just a ride at Walt Disney World.  The attraction begins as you approach the queue.  I have even heard some people refer to some Walt Disney World attractions as rides and they don’t even move!

attraction-vs-ride

5. Use Disneyland and Walt Disney World interchangeably

The kind of looks someone may get if they hold up an apple an ask if it’s an apple or an orange would be very similar to the look a Disney fanatic would give to someone who confused Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  To a Disney fanatic, it’s easy to distinguish.  It’s second nature.  Something we have never had to think about.  Some haphazardly use one for the other unknowingly and some think Magic Kingdom is Disneyland or also called Disneyland.

4. We just go one day

Come again?…..I must have misheard because I thought you just said you only go one day to Walt Disney World!  This is pure torture for Disney fanatics!  It’s not that there is nothing else to do in Orlando but there is just so much to do at Walt Disney World.  I feel like you didn’t really go to Walt Disney World if you just went for one day.  It was more like you just stopped by.  For me, 4 days is a minimum and borderline torture but, yes, I guess one day is better than none.

3. We don’t eat in the parks

Walt Disney World is more than just rides and shows.  I already explained that Walt Disney World has “attractions” and one of the attractions is the food! ??????????Whether it’s a table service restaurant, quick service, or a snack, the food is part of the experience.  I understand that some people want to save money but if you know where to eat you can get some great food without breaking the bank.  I think the convenience of eating in the parks out-ways not having to leave the parks to eat or bringing your own food into the parks.

2. We stay off property

??????????Much like my argument about food, I truly believe staying on property is part of the Walt Disney World experience and the convenience far out-ways the money you might save by staying off property.  I never want to leave the magic of Walt Disney World so when I go, I park my car and don’t get back in it until I have to go back home.  Plus, if you close enough at those off-site places you may find the expenses can rack up.  You may still “save” money but you have sacrificed a little bit of money for a lot of time.  More to come on this subject.

1. Isn’t that place just for kids?

I  have mixed emotions when I get asked that question.  I am first annoyed by it as if they are attempting to belittle or judge me like a parent scoffing at an adult playing in the McDonald’s Play Place.  Then I feel a sense of sadnessiphone photos 088 I imagine Peter Pan often felt when he offered to take someone to Neverland and they told him they were to old for that.  Don’t be afraid to be a kid even if you are 45 years old!  I plan on never growing up.  I will answer the posed question with a resounding NO!  Even if you do not want to let go and be a kid for a little bit, there are still many things Walt Disney World offers that is great for or even just for adults.

If you are part of the Walt Disney World fanatic clan, I am sure you can attest to my list and even add some of your own.  If you are not part of the clan I must warn you, there are more of us out there than you realize so heed these 10 phrases as a warning!  Correct the error of your ways or you might find yourself corrected by a complete stranger.

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nWant a quote or ready to start planning your next trip? Send me a message through the contact page or call (314)494-9166 or email me directly at joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Also be sure to check out my current promo for Disney Cruise Line and other Disney Destination offers on the Promos and Special Offers page.

Posted in Disney Geek, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disneyland, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guaranteed $50 On Board Credit for Disney Cruise Line

1460000_476951712428169_870777455_nIf you were on the fence about taking a Disney Cruise before the end of this year, maybe this will help.  Who says last minute shopping or a  little procrastination never pays off?

If you book a Disney Cruise that sails and returns by Dec 31, 2014 you will receive one of the following:

If your cruise is between $0 and $1,999.99: $50 on board credit.
If your cruise is between $2,000 and $2,999.99: $75 on board credit.
If your cruise is between $3,000 and $4,999.99: $100 on board credit.
If your cruise is $5,000 or greater: $150 on board credit.

This is not a Disney promotion nor is it an incentive through Magical Vacations by Me.  This is only and perk I am offering my clients and it’s only for a limited time so book now and start planning your magical vacation!

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nWant a quote or ready to start planning your next trip? Send me a message through the contact page or call (314)494-9166 or email me directly at joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Posted in Disney Cruise Line, Magical Vacations by Me, Special Offers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Giving Away $375 in Disney Gift Cards and Other Fun Prizes

If you have been following the blog the past year you might have noticed every once in awhile I will team up with some other great Disney bloggers or fan pages to offer you some free Disney stuff!  It’s that time again!  Giveaway time!

I have teamed up with my friends at Mouze Kateerz  and other travel agents within Magical Vacations by Me to bring you a very special giveaway! You could win a $250 Disney Gift Card or a $125 Disney Gift Card or a Sword & the Stone Blu Ray/DVD, or a Cinderella Blu Ray/DVD or a Jungle Book Blu Ray/DVD or a Frozen Blu Ray/DVD or a Minnie Chunkie necklace or a set of Chewie and Yoda Plush (AKA Stitch & Goofy). Entering is easy. Just click on the link below. Make sure you earn an easy 10 points by allowing Magical Vacations by Me to give you a complimentary quote at info@magicalvacationsbyme.com and make sure you tell them Joey (aka: Magical World of Walt or Mouse Host) sent you!  Best of luck to you!

ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN HERE

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Giveaway Details

The Giveaway begins at 12:15AM on Tuesday, July 9, 2014, and continues until 11:59PM on Sunday, July 13, 2014.  The winners will be selected from all the eligible entries on Monday, July 14, 2014, and will be notified via email to the email address specified in their entry information.  The winners will have 24 hours from the time the email is sent to them to claim their prize, and if they fail to do so, another winner will be chosen.  The winners may also be notified via social media avenues, but they must claim their prize via email.

The giveaway is only open to people aged 18 years of age or older living in the United States only.  To enter, complete the entry details you find in the Rafflecopter widget , and good luck everyone!  There are entries for every day of the giveaway, so keep coming back to get your maximum number of entries!

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Ready to start planning your next trip? Book with Magical Vacations by Me at (314)494-9166 or joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

Posted in Magical Vacations by Me, Magical World of Walt, Special Offers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

American Idol to Close at Hollywood Studios

american-idol-headlingAfter a fairly short lifespan (4 1/2 years) Disney announced The American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would close in January 2015 which will be just a month short of running 6 years.  The show would see over 30,000 contestants perform and gave away over 2,000 dream tickets during its run.

This was not the first time Disney’s Hollywood Studios offered guests the opportunity to be the contestant.  Eight years before American Idol would make its appearance in Disney Parks Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It offered guests the opportunity to sit in the hot seat as their trivia knowledge was tested in front of hundreds of people.  Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It closed in 2006 and would be replaced by our beloved Toy Story Midway Mania.

I have been fortunate enough to experience both Who Wants to be a Millionaire Play-It and The American Idol Experience (twice).  I don’t currently have any photos from Who Wants to be a Millionaire Play-It but you can read about my first experience performing on The American Idol Experience in a previous post.

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So now the question on everyone’s mind is: What are they going to do with that space?

There have been so many rumors circulating about converting a large section of Hollywood Studios in to a land themed after Star Wars or a Lucas Films themed land much like what we saw with the addition of Cars Land in Disney California Adventure.  Some suggest that The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and The Backlot Tour will soon join Who Wants to be a Millionaire Play-It and The American Idol Experience on the “remember those attractions?” list.  That however is a topic for another blog post.

??????????I don’t foresee Disney doing anything with this show building right away for a couple of reasons.  One: although they just finished a major project with the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, there is still a great deal of construction going on around the Walt Disney World Resort.  Two: I agree (and hope….to an extent) with the speculators who predict a Star Wars themed land will come to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  After the purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. by Disney and the increasing presence of Star Wars in the parks, I think Disney would be doing a disservice to itself and its guest not to.  Three: I think the American Idol show has quickly plummeted in popularity and I think this has affected Disney’s attraction as well.  The show has run its course and people are over it for the most part.  They have moved on to new shows like The Voice.

Is Disney just going to abandon the building for the time being.  We have seen Disney do this in Epcot with the Odyssey Center and The Wonders of Life pavilion.  This buildings only see guest during special events like Food & Wine Festival.  The American Idol Experience theater is an awfully large show building to just completely demolish and start from scratch but we all know Disney dreams big!  So will you miss The American Idol Experience?  Have you ever performed? What do you think will come of this building or area?  What do you hope to see?

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nReady to start planning your next trip? Book with Magical Vacations by Me at (314)494-9166 or joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

 

Posted in Refurbs, Rumors, WDW History, WDW News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MyMagic Plus Test: Check-In Process

skip checkinWhat would be better than being able to FastPass+ the front desk to check-in to your resort?  Skipping the front desk check-in all together!

Did you hear about the new MyMagic+ test going on at Walt Disney World?  Disney’s new test allows you to go straight to your room once you arrive at your Walt Disney World resort hotel.  Yes, that means you can skip the front desk!  In order to take advantage of this perk, you would have to do the online check-in through your My Disney Experience account, link a credit card to your room, and consent to receive email and text message so that you can be notified once your room is ready and what room number.

The test began June 16th and is continuing through the 28th at these select resorts:

  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas – Jambo House and Kidani Village

The only thing that surprises me about this test is that they are just now testing it.  It seems to be a pretty obvious way MyMagic+ cut down on the time guests spend preparing to begin their magical vacation and increase the amount of time they get to enjoy their time at the resort.  I am interested to see how quickly and smoothly this change occurs.  They call it a “test” but I suspect it will quickly make its way to the other resorts.  Do you think cutting out the front desk face-to-face interaction with cast members is a good thing in this instance?  If given the option, would you opt to bypass the front desk or check-in with a cast member?

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nReady to start planning your next trip?  Book with Magical Vacations by Me at (314)494-9166 or joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

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My Magical Wedding

I apologize for my recent disappearing act!  I have neglected my blog too long!  Would you accept getting married as a valid excuse?  Unlike a lot of future husbands, I did help plan a lot of it.  Since I was very involved in the planning process you know there had to be some Disney reference somewhere.  I did sneak it in where I could.  My wife is not a huge Disney fanatic (yet) like I am so our whole wedding was not Disney-fied.  That just meant I had to sneak it in subtly which I think was more fun!

It started with the invitations.  I designed them myself so I built two hidden Mickey’s into them.  There was one on the front and one on the back.  Can you find them?

invitation front with mickeyinvite

At our rehearsal dinner my family decorated the tables with various photos of some of our adventures together, with the majority of them being from our recent trip to Walt Disney World together.

The next Disney reference occurred during the wedding which played out very interestingly and someone who did not expect it ended up being surprised.  I have a decently musical family so I had asked my mom, aunt, and sister if they would like to sing during the ceremony.  They of course said yes and I gave them the reigns for picking the song.  A couple of weeks away from the wedding, it was time to send the DJ the song and I was designing the wedding program (which also had a hidden Mickey on it) so I called my sister and asked if they had picked one yet and if she could send it to me.  She was very cryptic and told me just to put “love medley” on the program and asked me to send her the DJ’s email so she could just send the song to him.  She said she didn’t want me to have to be the “go between” and create more stress for me if there were any issues.  My sister is very sweet and she would absolutely do something like that for me but I knew there was more at work here.  I humored her and sent her the DJ’s email.

Later that night as I recounted the conversation to my fiance’ I told her my suspicion was that they were planning to do some Disney love songs.  Little did I know, she knew already.  She was in on it but I would not be the one surprised!  Once my family found out my suspicion they caved and spilled their guts.  The one thing I didn’t suspect that I wish they had surprised me with was they had got my best man in on it and he was going to take over at one point during the song.  Fast forward to two nights before the wedding.  My family and best man were practicing at my aunt’s house and of course I was singing along because….well they are Disney songs!  How could you not?  They decided it would be a great idea to finish the “love medley” by singing to my bride!  Although I didn’t really want to add anything else stressful to my plate (especially since Liz and I had another surprise lined up) they twisted my arm enough and I conceded.  My best man was originally supposed to finish out the medley with You’ve Got a Friend in Me but now he was starting the song and I was finishing it by singing the last verse to my lovely bride!  So even though Liz thought she was “in” on it the whole time, she was the one who ended up being surprised.  She didn’t see it coming and the look on her face was priceless!  Here is a short clip of the end of the song.

During the ceremony, our pastor ad-libbed some a Disney reference in by addressing Liz, letting her know she is also swearing allegiance to all things Disney by marrying me too!  She understood that and most of our guests did as well!  I thought it was a nice touch and no I did not ask him to do that.

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Our wedding was outside and our reception was in a pavilion right next to where the ceremony was held.  As guests were leaving the ceremony area and entering the reception area I had the DJ play Stellar Kart’s version of Kiss the Girl, A Whole New Worldand Be Our GuestThe DJ must have quickly picked up on the Disney theme because he play instrumental Disney songs during dinner and we did not ask him to do this.  I thought it was a very nice touch!  He was a fantastic DJ and all our guest were raving about him!  The serve in Knoxville and the Tampa area so check him out if you need a DJ at www.swordsounds.com

One of the last Disney touches we had planned for our wedding day was in our first dance.  The reason I was so hesitant to agree to sing during the wedding was because I already had the stress of performing our first dance.  That’s right, we choreographed our first dance.   It started off as a slow dance for about 2 minutes and then we busted into Can’t Touch This followed by a few other fun songs and we ended with Stellar Kart’s version of Can You Feel The Love Tonight.  Check out the video.  Sorry I don’t have the whole thing.  With all the wedding commotion, I forgot to ask someone to video our whole dance.  Oh, and only our photographer, coordinator, and DJ knew about the dance.

hiddenmickeyMy wedding day was absolutely perfect!  Everyone had a blast!  My only complaint is that it went by way to fast!  I married a wonderful girl who accepts me and my Disney obsession.  I someday hope to convert her to the Disney side!

Be sure to also check out our DJ’s blog about our wedding: Sword Sounds Blog.  He did a nice article and took numerous photos and a few videos.

 

It’s good to be blogging again!  Please stay tuned for more posts and as always, please contact me if you are interested in booking a vacation.  I specialize in Disney travel but can book just about anything else you can think of!  My services are complementary and I will do my best to make sure you have a magical, stress-free vacation!

575054_106783406183121_554385829_nReady to start planning your next trip?  Book with Magical Vacations by Me at (314)494-9166 or joey@magicalvacationsbyme.com

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