Humans sighted!

This is a fun little sign I saw while hanging out at the Seas with Nemo and friends.  Once you exit the ride, you're only really halfway through the attraction.  Like an aquarium, there are several viewing rooms to see all kinds of different sea life.  There is also a children's playground area where we took a few minutes to relax and explore.  Here's a little hidden blog contest:  On your next trip--if you send me a picture of someone from your family next to this sign, I'll send you a $25 disney gift card.  This offer is only good for the first person who does it...but that doesn't mean it won't be around for a long time.  If anyone ever finds it, I'll post their story here, and I'll delete the contest.  Happy hunting!

Disney only has one full time harpist.

The harpist entertains diners at Victoria and Alberts, a signature dining experience at Disney's Grand Floridian. 

Victoria and Albert's, along with several other high end dining experiences are scattered throughout Walt Disney World.  These locations are perfect for romantic celebrations such as honeymoon's and anniversaries.  It is also a perfect choice for someone looking for a quiet, more formal night out during vacation, or what we like to call "a reason to dress up". 

Is that a cheeseburger?

This burger, if thats what you want to call this monster has pepperjack cheese, bacon, an onion ring, PLUS regular fixin's like tomato, lettuce, onions, well you get the idea.  This delicious sandwich is available at T-Rex at downtown Disney.  My husband ate it all, even the fries (he had in fact eaten some of the fries before I remembered I wanted a picture!).

Disney's Animal Kingdom encompasses 403 acres, and is the largest of Disney's parks.

The park icon, the tree of life is over 14 stories high and 50 feet wide at the trunk.

While this park is the largest, many consider this a half day park.  Some even skip it, thinking it's just like the zoo.  All of those people need to take some time to truly explore all of the details that make Animal Kingdom an exciting adventure for everyone.  Riding the Safari at different times during the day will often result in seeing different animals up close.  Taking the train to the back, almost forgotten conservation area allows for some great hands on activities, and even some unique cast and character interactions. 

Have you ever seen DeVine?  A human, covered in vines spends much of her time along the back part of the park.  Explore a few trails, you never know who you may run into!

Happy Birthday to my brother!

Today is my brother's birthday.  So, he of course gets to be made famous by appearing here in the blog.  This is not his first appearance, but it is the first that honors him.  We decided to take one of the friendship boats from Hollywood Studios to Epcot.  Those boats are LOUD, but they are very user friendly for anyone with mobility issues.  In fact, so user friendly that we're staying at an Epcot resort this fall so this will be one of our main forms of transport.  Happy Birthday Jay!

The Earffel tower at Disney's Hollywood Studios would wear a hat size of 342 3/4.

Once upon a time, before the Sorcerer's hat became the park icon in 2001, the Earffel Tower stood proud, welcoming guests.  The Earffel Tower still stands, and is still a reminder that Walt Disney world reaches everywhere.  Hollywood Studio's has faced some challenges since it opened in 1989, including a name change and the closure of the live television studio.  The effect of the studio closure is most obvious during the backlot tour, which was designed to take you through several areas of post production, including make-up and costuming.  The park has seen some really positive successes in the past few years with the opening of Toy Story Mania and the re-vamp of Star Tours.  Make sure you check out all there is to see and do on your next trip!

Free Dining for late fall!

The popular “Free Dining” offer at Walt Disney World is available for select dates for fall and winter 2012 travel.
Guests booking a minimum 3-night Magic Your Way vacation with at least 2 day tickets for check ins on select dates from 9/30/12 – 12/13/12 (see below for available dates) can receive an upgrade to include one of Disney’s popular dining plans for free.

Guests staying at a value resort will receive a free upgrade to the Quick Service Dining Plan while guests staying at a moderate or deluxe resort will receive a free upgrade to the Magic Your Way Plus Dining Plan. You may opt to pay the difference in plan cost to upgrade to a more comprehensive dining plan.
Available travel dates include:

• Sept 30, 2012 – Oct 4, 2012
• Oct 19, 2012 – Nov 1, 2012
• Nov 9, 2012 – Nov 15, 2012
• Nov 23, 2012 – Nov 29, 2012
• Dec 10, 2012 – Dec 13, 2012

The number of rooms available with this offer is extremely limited. Standard rooms at Disney’s new Art of Animation resort is excluded from this offer as are all suites (excluding family suites), campsites, and 3-bedroom villas. Must be booked by 9/29/12.

Feel free to fill out a quote on the right or give me a call 815-214-9832!
Remember, our services are always free, and asking an expert never hurts!

2013 packages released!

Disney has released their product for 2013. Package components remain the same. 

The dining plan remains unchanged, you still get the refillable mug with any of the dining plan components. It will be December before all the non-Disney owned restaurants sign on.
 If you book now and a special is released, I always check to see how you can get the best deal! 

Don't forget there is never a fee for these services!

Also, be sure to check back tomorrow for an exciting fall announcement! 

Dreams Come True

Several times daily, a super cute show called "Dreams Come True" takes place in front of the castle.  I suggest seeing this show mid-afternoon and use it as a little break.  Grab something to snack on or drink and relax.  You're at Disney--and it's easy to believe Dreams really do come true. 

Disney's Wedding Pavillion was designed to provide the Bride and Groom a view of Cinderella's Castle while standing at the Altar.

Talk about a dream come true!  What bride wouldn't feel like a real life princess with the castle as a backdrop on her magical day?  Disney Wedding planners take care of all the details so that nothing gets overlooked in true Disney style.  Wouldn't it be cool to turn your magical day into a magical EXPERIENCE for everyone in attendance, while keeping the focus where it belongs--on the bride! 

Fireworks, of course.

Well, it's fourth of July week, so today our magical memory comes from the classic fireworks over the castle photo.  Fireworks are one of the things that makes a Disney trip magical.  It's hard to be upset, or frustrated as you listen to the music and watch the fireworks explode overhead. 

Happy fourth of July everyone!