I'm an Aunt!

My lovely niece was born to one of my dearest friends (and sister-in-law) this morning at 10:30.  Her name is Skylar and I'm so excited to go out and meet her next week.  I can't wait until I can take her to Disney!  Her mom and dad went with us in 2008 and we had a magical time!

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!

Happy Birthday Scott!

This week is Scott's birthday, so today's magical monday is dedicated to him.  Here he is hanging out in Downtown Disney.  I love wondering around looking at all of the shops and exploring the area.  Scott, well, he loves me, so he explores too.  Besides, he gets to do cool things like pose for pictures at places like this.  Happy Birthday Scott--thanks for being such a good sport!

Disney for Dads!

What do you plan to get your dad for Father's day? Another new tie? Dinner at a nice restaurant? Aftershave? Why not try something more creative, like something special just for him on your next vacation.

We are not going to Disney until September, but our family is all about giving each other memorable experiences, so we are giving dad a magical Disney experience. This is great for a few reasons: 1-it creates lasting memories, and 2-it keeps us from becoming hoarders.

We spend time focusing on the magic and special experiences for kids on Disney trips. Sometimes, we forget that grown-ups need magic once in awhile too. As my husband and I began to think about what to do for dad for father’s day, we began looking at one important question: what is there for dad to do at Disney?

The answers we came up with might surprise you. At the top of our list was a fishing excursion. My dad has always loved fishing, and several of the moderate and deluxe resorts offer opportunities to rent out a boat, equipment and fishing guide for a few hours. A great way for dad to get away for a few hours, relaxing and doing something he enjoys.

Next up: Pirates League. You have probably heard about how they can make over kids into pirates, and guess what--they can do it for dads too. When we were little, we used to do something similar right outside Pirates of the Caribbean. We would all get dressed up in pirate attire and they would take pictures. Dad always loved it, so for nostalgia, Pirates League made our list.

Finally, we looked at other tours. From learning about the Walt Disney World railroad to touring Epcot on a Segway, there are tours for every age group, but deciding which one would be the best fit became a challenge.

These were our Top three for my dad. There are countless others. You could go to a dessert party, or take a fireworks cruise. If he is into speed, there is the Richard Petty Driving experience. Maybe a night on the town at Downtown Disney, complete with tickets to Circ de Soleil or DisneyQuest (Depending on the dad). Alternatively, simple things, like letting dad choose which ride is his priority.

No matter what you choose, taking time out to celebrate Dad on your next Disney vacation would be a great way to say thank you for all the things he has done for you over the years because dads deserve a little pixie dust too!

Happy Father's Day!

This is my very handsome daddy.  He LOVES frozen cokes.  In fact, I'm pretty sure he used ALL of his snack credits on this treat.

In his honor for fathers day, I've listed a few of the places you can get frozen cokes at Walt Disney World.  I'm sure this isn't all of them, so feel free to let me know if you spot any other locations, and we'll get them added to the list!
    
Magic Kingdom - Lunching Pad,

Epcot - Cool Wash, Club Cool, Liberty Inn, African Outpost

Hollywood Studios - Hey Howdy Hey! Takeaway, Peevy's Frozen Concoctions, Herbie's Drive-In

Animal Kingdom - Drinkwhallah (across from Yak & Yeti), Dino Diner, Safari Coffee

Happy Mothers Day!

Here's my mom, taking a break while shopping at Downtown Disney. My mom is awesome, and one of the first people to help me see that Disney really did hold magic for families. She spent hours planning our vacations when I was growing up, focusing on the things that each of us would enjoy so that all of us had a special experience. She worked full time, took care of us, and made the whole thing look easy. She's basically one of the coolest people I know, and so this magical monday is just for her!

When laid end to end, there are enough of the famous “Mouse Ear” hats sold each year to stretch 175 miles or cover the head of every man, woman and child in Orange County, Florida

Could you imagine driving down 175 miles of Mouse Ear road? Thats 3 straight hours of mickey hats.

Not a traditional Mickey Ear fan? No problem. Mickey ears come in a variety of colors and patterns. You can get specialty ears to celebrate your special event or holiday experience. My favorite ears are the ones my daughter got during her first haircut at the Harmony Barber shop on Main Street. You can see my favorite ears and learn more about Harmony's hair cuts on Magical Monday! Do you have favorite ears?

Mickey ice cream sandwiches

This is Ruby’s first experience with a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich. She didn’t want our help, but she didn’t really want her hands to get sticky either. In the end, we sat on the bench and shared this delicious treat before taking our first ever ride on the Liberty Belle.

A birthday Celebration!

We celebrated Ruby’s second birthday at Chef Mickey’s. I’m pretty sure she was more excited about the confetti candy around the cupcake than the cupcake itself.

Disney's question of the day...

Today, Disney posed this question on their facebook page. It received over 2000 responses and 1000 likes in an hour. So, it must be a pretty good question. So, here it is:

It’s the first Friday night of a brand new year! I wish I was spending it on ___________ , my favorite Disney attraction!

If I were filling in the blank, I would probably have to say "Living with the Land". I know. Dorky boat ride. I'm not really into farming or anything like that, but I love seeing the greenhouses and things in various stages of growth. I remember taking my sister-in-law on this attraction during her first trip. Her response "I love this. It's like the discovery channel, only fun". This is a long running family joke because both of our husbands LOVE to watch hours of discovery channel.

If you were to fill in the blank, what would you say?

Magic Kingdom Memories

This is one of my favorite videos. LOOK HERE! For just a few minutes I'm transported to the magic kingdom. One of my favorite magic kingdom memories is from when we took my brother and sister-in-law for first time. She had to go to emergency services, and while my husband and I were waiting, we spent hours exploring main street. It was nice to be able to relax at the start of our day, and see all of the details main street has to offer. From trolley singers to the castle show, parades and barbershop quartets, we just it all in, as if we actually lived on main street. Did you have any magic kingdom memories brought to life with this video?