*If you were to wash and dry one load of laundry every day for 52 years, you’d clean as much as the folks at Walt Disney World Laundry do in a single day. The cast members there launder an average of 285,000 pounds each day. In addition, between 30,000 and 32,000 garments are dry-cleaned daily.*

I don’t know about you, but Scott and I both work. Full time. The very thought of this much laundry makes me want to cry. I mean, seriously, 285,000 POUNDS of laundry. Not only is that a lot of sheets and towels, but it is also a lot of water. Disney is always working to increase their conservation efforts. Here’s a link to learn a little more about what Disney is doing to keep their sheets clean and minimize their water use. CHECK IT OUT!

What are some ways you can minimize your water use when visiting the happiest place on earth?

Chef Mickey's -the legend vs. the reality

On every trip, I dreamed of eating at Chef Mickey's and for whatever reason, we never did.  Located on the fourth floor of the Contemporary Resort, you can even see the monorail overhead from certain areas in the restaurant.  In addition to that, you also get to meet the Fab 5--Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. On the trip for our daughter's second birthday, I wasn't about to let her miss out (and I was finally going to get my chance).

So, we arrive, check in, and get our picture in front of the Chef Mickey plate.  We are seated in a section that doesn't allow us a view of the monorail zipping through.  I won't let this disappoint me, and we take turns getting food and hanging out with Ruby.  The restaurant is full, and a little noisy. The theme of the restaurant has some great Mickey Pop Art. I love Mickey Pop Art, my parents just want to eat, and not talk about the decorations.  This meal is not turning out quite the way I had hoped.  The food is on par with other buffets around property.  No one had any complaints, but nothing stuck out as spectacular.  Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto all make their way past the table.  Minnie takes extra time as Ruby is opening gifts, and Ruby wants to show her the present.  After we finish eating, and we all have an ice cream sundae, a cupcake arrives (see Monday's Magical Memory) and Ruby is thrilled all over again.

Overall, the experience was less than I expected.  I think Chef Mickey's is one of those places that everyone MUST experience, because you want to say you've done it, and it does provide a nice character experience with the Fab 5.  I had heard rave reviews about Chef Mickey's and while I was not disappointed, I also didn't add it to our "must do's".  It's nice to be able to meet all the characters while you're eating and not have to wait in line at the parks.  Of course, Ruby LOVED spending time with the characters, so we stood in the lines anyway.

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.

Just a few more days

Fun Fact Fridays start THIS Friday--and of course, Magical Monday's will follow on, well, Monday.

In honor of these two new blog features, lets have a little friendly competition.  There's a little link to the facebook page over there on the right under more information.  Here's what you do--go to the page.  "like" it.  And then, refer other people to it.  When the page reaches 300 likes, I'm giving away a Disney Gift card ($25).  Hey, thats free money folks! 

Make sure you tell your friends to "like" the Disney in Style facebook page.  Then, have them comment in the contest post with your name.

READY! SET! GO!  (don't forget to sign up as an email subscriber yourself, and check back Friday for the first of many fun facts!)

The "How To" of the Rider Swap

Disney does a great job of accommodating all families no matter what age your children are!  One of the many extra things Disney does to go above and beyond is offer families with smaller children a “rider swap” pass.  This policy is not too well known, but is a great option for families with young children.

A rider swap pass is a form of a fastpass, and is available for rides that have a height requirement.  All you have to do if take your smaller children up to the cast member at the entrance of the attraction.  The cast member MUST see your smaller child, but then they will gladly give you a rider swap pass or instruct you on how to get one. 

Then, your party gets in line, with one rider (you) and the small child waiting outside the attraction.   Your party will then wait their turn for the ride.  When the ride is over for them they may swap places with you!  You then are allowed to enter through the fastpass lane and you can take 2 other people with you so you don’t have to ride alone!  This is just one more way Disney lets you create memories without anyone missing out! Also, if you are in a hurry you do not have to use the rider swap right away.  The rider swap is usually good all day, so you could return later.  

The other great thing about rider swap is that older kids often get to experience rides twice; once with mom and once with dad as the parents take turns outside with the younger sibling.  

Remember, each ride has a different procedure for handling “rider swap” because all the ride layouts are different. Be sure to ask the attendant at the entrance for a “rider swap”.  Don’t forget you’ll need to have the child that is not eligible to ride with you, as this is one way Disney ensures people do not abuse the system, and can continue to create family friendly ways to create magical memories! 

Here are the current have height or age requirements: feel free to print it out for quick reference.

Animal Kingdom –Dinosaur -40 inches (102 cm) Also intense special effects.

Animal Kingdom --Expedition Everest -44 inches (112 cm)

Animal Kingdom --Kali River Rapids -38 inches (97 cm)

Animal Kingdom --Primeval Whirl -48 inches (122cm)

Epcot -Maelstrom (Norway) Minimum age 3 to ride

Epcot Mission: SPACE 44 inches (112 cm)

Epcot Soarin' 40 inches (102 cm)

Epcot Sum of All Thrills (in Innoventions East) Must be at least 48 inches (122 cm)

             to ride, and at least 54 inches to go upside down.  Wheelchair users must

             transfer out of chair to ride. Seating and restraints may prohibit certain

             body shapes or sizes from riding.

Epcot Test Track  40 inches (102 cm)

Magic Kingdom -Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 40 inches (102 cm)

Magic Kingdom -Space Mountain  44 inches (112 cm)

Magic Kingdom -Splash Mountain  40 inches (102 cm)

Magic Kingdom -Stitch's Great Escape  40 inches (102 cm)

Magic Kingdom -Tomorrowland Speedway Children under the age of 12 months  

           32 inches (81cm) to ride. Must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) to drive. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios -Rock N Roller Coaster Must be 48" tall (122 cm)

Disney's Hollywood Studios -Star Tours  40 inches (102 cm)

Disney's Hollywood Studios -Twilight Zone Tower of Terror  40 inches (102 cm)

POP into vacation mode!

I have to admit, having stayed at other value resorts, I was expecting POP Century to be about the same. We were traveling with my brother and sister-in-law on their first every Disney experience. We let them pick the resort, and they wanted to stay at POP. Having never been there, I was a little nervous because I wanted everything about this trip to be special for them. As soon as we pulled in, I knew I had nothing to worry about. The outstanding theming begins as you travel down a long entrance road. With signs advertising Color TV’s and Air Conditioned rooms, my sister-in-law immediately begins reading everything in sight and laughing.

Check in was smooth, we waited for about maybe 5 minutes, which was no big deal as we had arrived around 4:30. We were assigned a room in the 1960’s right next to the steps on the second floor close to the main building. The room was clean, and even though we were four adults we had enough room to unpack and relax a little. We were there at the end of February and unsure about using the pool, however, we were able to swim two different nights coming back from the parks, which was a nice relaxing way to end the day. The pool never felt overly crowded and was warm. The food court was always very busy, but the lines moved quickly and there was plenty of seating to accommodate the crowd. The selection is typical counter service, but was usually hot and fresh. Since our room was so close to the main building, we were able to utilize the refillable mug more than we had been able to on previous visits, so I was pleased with that as well.

Bus service to the parks was good, and we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. Bus service to Downtown Disney was not as good, and we ended up driving on two different occasions after waiting more than 20 minutes for the bus.

Overall, POP Century is a great value for anyone who spends most of their time at the parks, but enjoys a little down time at the resort. We enjoyed walking around the grounds looking at all of the theming. The food court was well run and a great place to grab a quick meal or a snack at the end of the day, and bus service was good, although at park opening or closing it was a little crowded. This was a fantastic resort for the price, and the detailed theming puts this at the top of our list for value resorts.

Drive-through Fun at the Sci-Fi Diner

Sci-Fi Diner is one of the more unique dining experiences at Walt Disney world. Guests are "parked" in cars as if they are attending a Drive-in movie. Several cars seat 4 or 6, and are forward facing, 2 in each row. This may be a little strange for parties with an odd number, as someone would be sitting alone. There are some tables that are arranged a little differently, however, then you are sitting sideways in the car, which is a little weird. The down side to having stationary seating is larger parties may be seated at different cars, and they may not be next to each other. Old clips from black and white 1950’s monster movies and concession ads play throughout the meal on the big screen. The loop lasts about an hour, so if you’re planning on a long meal, you’ll see some things twice. The clips are cheesy, and not scary to smaller children in the party. However, it is a little on the dark side, so be aware of that, as darkness can trigger more spills and sticky fingers than usual. The atmosphere is fun and engaging, a few of the staff even still wear skates in 1950’s car hop style. It is fun to look at all the old posters and the theme is definitely different from anywhere else in Walt Disney World. The menu offers a variety of sandwiches, burgers and salads. The food is pretty average, and reminds me more of a counter service experience such as Cosmic Ray’s over at the Magic Kingdom. It is pretty apparent that the restaurant is more about the theme than about the actual meal. The milkshakes are terrific, and a highlight in the food area. Overall, the Sci-Fi Diner is a great experience, but the food is just average. I would recommend Sci-Fi as a place to sit down and grab a milkshake or dessert. If you’re on the dining plan, I don’t know if it’s worth using a table service credit for counter service food.