Force Friday Giveaway: Star Wars: The Force Awakens™ - Star Destroyer Strike

Are you excited about the next installment in the Star Wars series? Star Wars: The Force Awakens won't be out until December but you can get your hands on some really fun merchandise today, as this day has been declared as "Force Friday" and all sorts of toys and games have been released.  

The awesome folks at Wonder Forge have created a really fun new game to burn your nervous energy while you wait for the theatrical release.  And get the whole family involved in the fun because it's recommended for ages 6 and up.  Ok, stop with your Jedi mind tricks.  I'll tell you what it is.  

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens™ - Star Destroyer Strike

Choose carefully or the enemy will strike!

Strategy and suspense collide in this exciting

escape game! Advance your Resistance

heroes toward safety, but move fast—the Star

Destroyer Finalizer is on your tail. The spinning

starship of the dreaded First Order can aim in

any direction, and you may be in the line of fire!

Bounce the beam off the mirrored deflector

shield toward your enemies, and evade the

surprise laser blasts! It’s fast-moving, family fun

in a galaxy far, far away!

Star Destroyer Strike is available now at Target.   The retail price is $24.99 but Target is running a Force Friday special so I'm sure you can get it for less.

And one lucky Growing Up Disney reader will be getting this game for free.  To get stared with earning entries, leave a comment on this blog post and let me know which Star Wars character is your favorite.

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Great New Disney Games: Review and Giveaway

There is an awesome new line of Disney-themed games available from Blue Orange.  When I was offered one to review (and one for YOU!), I knew we were going to love this.  Spot It! is a line of circular card games with many themes ranging in difficulty from age 3 through adult.  There are a couple of ways to play but the basic concept is that you are looking for matches between two cards.  For my girls, I chose Spot It! Words Disney Princess.

Seriously, what's not to love about this game?!? It's…

* Educational: The "Words"version of the game includes written words and images.  The match can be two words, two images, or the word and image for the same thing.  Spot It! Words Disney Princess is recommended for ages 6 and up.  Tink is 5 but the ability to match images on some card sets helped keep her interest as she quickly picked out two matching princesses on some hands and faced challenges with sounding out words on other sets.
*Low-tech: As much as I love my iGadgets, it's really nice to have a fun game that doesn't require me to keep it charged or maintain accounts, etc.  This is just a straight forward game offering parent and kid time.  Tink and I played it for the first time at our local library while killing some time before heading off to her dance class.
*Low-maintenance: If you lose a card, no big deal.  The game will still play just fine.  This is awesome because we all have games/toys in our homes that don't work because some small piece went astray.
*Small: The cards come in a nice tin that won't take up much room in your bag or your kid's backpack. This makes it a great game for on the go.  Perfect for that time while you are waiting for the next activity/class.  What a terrific way to keep children entertained at a restaurant!
*Disney: Enough said.

The other themes in the Disney Spot It! line are:

• Disney Planes Spot it! Alphabet
• Disney Frozen Spot it! Alphabet
• Sofia the First Spot it! Alphabet
• Doc McStuffins Spot it! Numbers and Shapes
• Jake and the Never Land Pirates Spot it! Numbers and Shapes
• Disney Pixar Spot it! Words
• Disney Princess Spot it! Words 

Also available are story-telling card games.

• Tell Tale Disney-Pixar Toy Story
• Tell Tale Disney Princess

Since I haven't played the Tell Tale games personally, here's the description from the press release, "Imaginations come to life with Tell Tale, a creative storytelling game. Players weave wacky and whimsical stories using cards showing a variety of settings, characters, and objects. Players can choose from four storytelling guidelines or even come up with their own. Lay out a story board, build on another player’s tale, or improvise with random cards and watch the magic happen!"

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun, enter today to win your own Spot It! or Tell Tale.

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Review and Giveaway! Hidden Mickeys

In April 2003, I went to Walt Disney World with my parents and brother to celebrate my birthday and DisneyDad's.  I have no idea now where I found them but I brought a couple copies of a small book with me on that vacation.  It was a newly released book called "Hidden Mickeys A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets." My family had known about Hidden Mickeys and had visited Walt Disney World many times so adding a little competition to our touring was perfect.  There was one copy for my parents and one copy for Chris and me.  Each day, we used these new books to find Hidden Mickeys throughout the park of the day and I had prizes for the winners.  I remember Chris and I riding Haunted Mansion several times to really catch one in the final scene.

Fast forward to 2013.  Author Steven M. Barrett has celebrated ten years of publishing his Hidden Mickey books and the sixth edition is currently available, complete with New Fantasyland Hidden Mickeys.  Wow.  Congratulations to Steve! 

The latest version is just as much fun as the original.  It has a great layout for finding Mickey while you are on the go.  There is a chapter for each park as well as a few chapters toward the end that combine smaller locations.  If you followed each park's chapter in order, it even makes a decent touring plan.

Within the chapters you have two levels of difficulty.  First, the basic clue.  For example, at Maelstrom Clue 34 says, "Find the viking wearing Mickey ears." (My personal favorite.)  If you are having trouble locating it, flip to the back of the chapter to the Hints section.  There it says, "On the left side of the large loading area mural, a Viking in a ship wears Mickey ears.  He's sitting below the middle red stripe of the sail."  I'd say that's pretty specific!  I love that the Hints section is marked Hints all along the edge so that you don't accidentally look there if you'd rather try on your own.

Earlier I mentioned competition.  Each Hidden Mickey in the book is given a points value.  My favorite  in the example above is worth 3 points.  The others in this attraction are harder to spot so they would earn you 4 or 5 points each.  Over the day, keep track of your points and she with the most wins.

Mr. Barrett's Hidden Mickeys empire now includes books for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise line, as well as apps for WDW and Disneyland.  If you find one he hasn't listed, share it with him via his website and he might mention you in his book.

I've enjoyed Hidden Mickeys for years and I can't wait to take my book to Walt Disney World this fall.  I'm giving away a copy and entering is simple.  Best of luck!
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Disney Surprise Pack Giveaway!

 

My buddy, Kelly from Travel with the Magic, has sent me a box of goodies to share with one lucky Growing Up Disney reader.  There is lots of fun stuff in here and we've kept the entries simple, so ENTER NOW!

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From travelwiththemagic.com:

With access to all the latest Disney discounts and specials, Travel With The Magic® will create your dream vacation at your dream price. All of our Disney vacation planning services are FREE! We offer personal concierge services such as itinerary planning, discount monitoring, handle dining reservations, book excursions, transfers, and so much more! We are continuously checking Disney discounts so that we can offer you the best value for your vacation dollar. If a better deal is released we will work to have that code added to your existing reservation. All of our Disney Destination Specialists are College of Disney Knowledge graduates and have years of Disney travel experience. If you need pricing for a Magical Disney Vacation, please fill out our quote form for a free, no-obligation quote. Choose us and let’s add some MAGIC to your vacation!

Win a Disney Dooney & Bourke or a $100 Disney Gift Card

The giveaway for the Princess or Pixie Hollow Greenhouse is still active for a few more days, however, if you are looking to win something a little bigger, I have just the giveaway for you.  I've partnered with some of my blogging pals to to bring you a contest with not one but two fabulous prizes. The Rafflecopter entry process is really easy and you could win....

•Dooney & Bourke Balloon Mini Barrel handbag in black

-OR-

•A $100 Disney Gift Card

The first person chosen that has met all the contest requirements will win the Dooney & Bourke handbag, and the second person chosen that meets all the requirements will win the $100 gift card.

The contest starts today, May 14th, and runs until June 1st at 12:01 a.m.  I wish you the best of luck!

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Princess Castle Greenhouse

I'm leaving tomorrow and heading to Walt Disney World.  One of the things I am really excited about is the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.  While I won't be there on the weekend for any official festival events, I love how beautiful Epcot is during this time.  Not too long ago, I bought a new camera and am looking forward to capturing images of the gorgeous flowers and topiaries and of course, tons of shots of the girls.

Recently, I was contacted on behalf of Miracle-Gro Kids and asked to review one of their Disney-themed greenhouses for kids.  I love to garden and Tink is really into princesses and flowers so I agreed.  Our greenhouse is shaped like a castle but Pixie Hollow and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse versions are also available.  At $12.99, this is a fun and affordable project.

Here's what the box looks like.  Everything is included other than a little water.

Tink ready for gardening.  Snow White dress on with a Cinderella dress on the small table behind her.  I didn't dress her up for this.  She got new princess dress up clothes and shoes for her birthday and has worn them nearly every day since.

Some assembly required.  But I put this together sitting in the living room floor with two curious kiddos trying to "help" so it's not hard at all.

Simple instructions.

The kit is technically rated for ages 5+ but my three year-old enjoyed the process too.

Each seed packet has a princess stake to go with it.

Of course, Cinderella went first.

Our finished product.  She kept telling me to put the lid on it so it would grow.  I think she expected it to happen instantly.  At least we should have something she can see by the time we get home from WDW.  Daddy isn't going this time so he'll be on watering duty.  They made it easy for us.  The potting mix changes to a light brown when it needs water.  

Too cute!

They include some nice educational materials about how seeds sprout and grow.  We may talk about that a little once she can see the plant and I'll hang on to the pyramid to go over again with future planting projects.

For more information on these kits, please visit www.peachtreeplaythings.com

We are giving away a Miracle-Gro Kids greenhouse kit to one lucky reader.  Enter below!

Wedding Favors from Disney Fairy Tale Weddings and a Credit for YOU!

For those planning a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, it is now just a little easier to send your guests home with a piece of the magic.  When I was a Disney bride, I had to scour the internet looking for gifts for our wedding and shower guests that reflected our Disney theme.  In January, Kate Aspen released a new line of ten beautiful items that will allow brides and grooms to extend their fairy tale experience.  Each one was inspired by one of Disney's princesses and is a wonderful mix of Disney whimsy and elegant design.

My Wedding Favors is proud to have been selected as one of the exclusive retailers for this gorgeous collection.  They were kind enough to send me a couple of the items to review for you.  As you can see from the photos below, the packaging is lovely and would coordinate with just about any bridal decor.  The bottle stopper is inspired by Cinderella's coach and will certainly bring back happy memories of your special day.  It has a nice weight to it and the etching is very pretty in person.  The love bird salt and pepper shakers are very sweet.  Inspired by Sleeping Beauty, the set feels well-made but not so delicate that guests would be afraid to use them.  The full collection offers something from all of your favorite princesses and ranges in price from $3.29 to $6.55 per item.  I especially like the "Let Your Dreams Light the Way" tea light holder (Rapunzel, of course) and the "Be Our Guest" ceramic coasters.  

 "Happily Ever After" Royal Coach Crystal Bottle Stopper

"True Love Conquers All" Ceramic Birds Salt and Pepper Shakers

The full collection


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Wedding Favors has given a $25 online credit to one lucky reader.  
Thanks to all who entered!

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Disclosure: I received free products for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received or offered. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts on these products/services.

Win Disney Winnie the Pooh on Blu-Ray Combo Pack

Winnie the Pooh is my all time favorite Disney character.  I was really hoping to take Tink to the theatre to see this as her first movie.  Oh, well, that just didn't work out with Baby Minnie.  She'll see it soon though because the DVD release is today.  If you aren't running out to get the movie, take a chance at the giveaway below.





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Ready to enter to win a Blu-Ray Combo Pack?

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

REQUIRED: Tell me which Pooh character you are most like.  (Either from your own opinion or from the fun personality quiz above.)

Additional (optional) entries:
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day.
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Saturday, October 29, 2011, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email (so make sure I can reach you!) and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

The winner is comment #10, Jen.  Please email me at growingupdisney@gmail.com with your mailing address ASAP.  I hope you enjoy!  Thanks to all who entered!!

Eversave Review and Giveaway

We are all looking for ways to save money at home and on vacation in the Orlando area.  I've found a terrific source for both.  Eversave.com is a deal a day site offering a wide variety of "Saves."

Whether you are a local or just a regular visitor to the Orlando area, Eversave Orlando will have a deal for you.  I've seen them recently offer everything from discounted spa treatments to inexpensive car washes to reduced price meals to cute kids clothes on the cheap.  Add to that Saves on flowers, photobooks, and admission to local attractions.  I think 50% off is the lowest discount since I've been watching and I have seen up to 80% off on some items.  And don't think that you wouldn't be interested if you aren't a local; you have up to a year to redeem many of the Saves so you can stock up prior to your travels.  Personally, I am getting emails from both Eversave Orlando and Eversave Raleigh-Durham.  I've really been impressed by the variety and quality of products and services offered.  There is a main Save of the day but check your email or the site itself for additional bonus Saves.  I love that most Saves are available for 2-3 days to allow you to come back later on those busy days.

I was given credits on my Eversave account to use for this review.  I've bought three Saves so far and redeemed two of them with online merchants.  The purchase process is quick and easy.  Redemption generally works like a gift certificate but just check the voucher for the particular vendors' rules.

Saves can also be given as gifts, so check soon and you just might find something for Mom.  (Don't forget that Mother's Day is this Sunday.)

Eversave also gives you easy ways to "earn" free "Save Rewards" on their site.  Once you complete a purchase, you are given $2 to tweet, Facebook or email the deal to your friends.  I've done this twice and added to my account.  On today's email from Eversave Orlando, I received a pleasant surprise, $5 added to my "Save Rewards" account for Mother's Day.  Hmmm, what to buy next?


Ready to enter to win one of two $25 vouchers to Eversave?

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

REQUIRED ENTRY: Visit Eversave Orlando and comment below on which Save is most appealing to you today.

Additional (optional) entries:
~Like Eversave Orlando on Facebook
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Eversave Orlando on Twitter
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Friday, May 13, 2011 and is limited to US residents. The two winners will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email (so make sure I can reach you!) and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received credit on Eversave.com for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received or offered. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts on these products/services.


The winning comment #s (determined by random number generator) were #4 and #1.  Congrats!

Winners of the Travel with the Magic Giveaway

Out of 157 entries, the random number generator pulled comments numbered 122, 53, and 61.

The lucky winners are:

(drumroll please)




The Southern Fried Bride, 33mom, and Sarah W.  

I have emailed two of the winners.

33mom, please email me your mailing address at growingupdisney@gmail.com within the next 48 hours.  I can't find a way to reach you.

UPDATE 05/04/11: 33mom, my apologies, but it's been 3 days and I must pull a new winner.  Congratulations comment #77, Amy.  I will email you momentarily.

Thanks again to Travel with the Magic for sponsoring this giveaway and to everyone who entered.

Travel with the Magic is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and would love to help you with your next Disney vacation.  Whether you are going to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or sailing on one of the beautiful ships of Disney Cruise Line, Travel with the Magic can take care of the details for you.  And there is no fee to you!  You'll pay the same or less than booking direct since Travel with the Magic knows the available deals and will watch for new ones for you.  Even if you've already booked, Travel with the Magic can take over and be your expert.  Contact Kelly and her team today! 

Last day! Travel with the Magic Giveaway

I'm giving away a variety of fun Disney stuff to multiple winners thanks to Travel with the Magic.  The entries close at midnight tonight.  If you haven't entered yet, follow the link below.  We've kept the process simple to celebrate our blogoversary.

Click here to enter to win!

Eversave Orlando Giveaway, One Day Only!

Eversave is a super site featuring deals all over the country and I am working on a full review of this service to appear here soon. They have a great one day only "Save" today. 

10 carwashes for only $10 in Orlando and New Port Richey.  Seriously, when's the last time you saw that price?  I used to pay that with a fill up at my local gas station but that was back in high school and that was, well, not last year.  AND if you use the code WASH, you'll get another dollar off. 

Buy them for yourself or for gifts and use them between now and October 21, 2012.  Even if you only vacation in the area, it's still a super price. 

Visit Eversave for all the details and to buy this super Save!  Don't forget to use the code WASH for additional savings.

This is too good a deal to pass up, but it gets even better!  Eversave is giving two Saves to Growing Up Disney readers. This will be open from midnight to midnight, today only, so enter NOW!

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

~Like Eversave Orlando on Facebook
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Eversave Orlando on Twitter
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day.
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 21, 2011. The two winners will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email (so make sure I can reach you!) and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!
The random number generator pulled comment #7 and #3.  Congrats to Tracey F and JJ! 

Blogoversary Month: Sponsors

I'd like to thank those individuals and companies who provided items for reviews and/or giveaways this past year.  I've enjoyed getting to know the representatives of these companies  They are great people in addition to having wonderful projects, products, and services.

~Travel with the Magic, an excellent Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with a current giveaway, they also brought you our coverage of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
~Beyond the Attractions, a very helpful book all about WDW with preschoolers
~Punflay, fun and educational iPhone/iPod/iPad apps for children
~Knell Studio Works and Mouse of Zen, two talented guys sharing their Disney passion through photography, graphic design and haiku poetry
~GoGo squeeZ, the coolest applesauce ever
~Swanky Stitch, beautiful handmade strap covers for your SLR/DSLR camera
~coming soon Eversave Orlando

Travel with the Magic Giveaway

I asked Kelly from Travel with the Magic if she'd be interested in sponsoring a giveaway for our blogoversary and she said she would love to.  Jump ahead a week or two and a HUGE box of Disney goodies was delivered to my door.  So we'll have three grab bag giveaways.

Travel with the Magic is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and would love to help you with your next Disney vacation.  Whether you are going to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or sailing on one of the beautiful ships of Disney Cruise Line, Travel with the Magic can take care of the details for you.  And there is no fee to you!  You'll pay the same or less than booking direct since Travel with the Magic knows the available deals and will watch for new ones for you.  Even if you've already booked, Travel with the Magic can take over and be your expert.  Contact Kelly and her team today!

Ready to enter to win a variety of cool Disney merchandise?

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

REQUIRED: Tell me which two of the following movies you prefer.  This will help me put together your prize if you win.  Toy Story, Tangled, Fantasia, and Nightmare Before Christmas.

Additional (optional) entries:
~Like Travel with the Magic on Facebook
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Travel with the Magic on Twitter
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day.
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 28, 2011, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. The three winners will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email (so make sure I can reach you!) and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

There are still a few more hours to enter the giveaway for a copy of Lisa Battista's book, Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers.  Click here to enter.

Blogoversary Month: Giveaway from Beyond the Attractions

I've met some terrific people in the Disney online community doing some really creative things since I began blogging.  One of my favorites is Lisa Battista, author of Beyond the Attractions.  Lisa has written the book on visiting Walt Disney World with preschoolers and she's generously offering a copy to a lucky Growing Up Disney reader to help celebrate our anniversary! 

I reviewed the 2011 edition last fall prior to my late October/early November trip.  I loved the tips as we were preparing for the vacation and found it very helpful on the go.  I know I'll be reading it (or a new edition) again before our next trip.  Next time, Tink will be solidly in the preschool years and we'll have another little one.  We'll need all the ideas we can get!

Excerpts from my review:

I loved reading the book to prepare for this review. Lisa provides lots of great tips, and while there are some excellent general WDW guide books out there, it's nice to have one so well geared to a specific audience. Throughout the book, she maintains the focus of travel with preschoolers and we all know if we keep the little ones happy, the rest of the group has a much better time.

Beyond the Attractions is well-organized to make it an easy quick reference guide. There are chapters covering topics ranging from preparing for your trip to bringing home the magic and just about everything in between. The chapter on child care and safety won't be found in any general WDW guide and has some valuable information for keeping your kiddos safe while away from home.

Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011) will be a valuable resource to anyone planning a trip to WDW with small children. Even if you've braved it before, I'm sure you'll learn something new from this excellent book.

Please read the full review here.

Beyond the Attractions is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.  If you carry a smart phone to the parks, the Kindle option is a super reference and you can search as needed to avoid crisis.

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Ready to enter to win a copy of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011)? 

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

~Like Beyond the Attractions on Facebook
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Beyond the Attractions on Twitter
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 14, 2011, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!


The winning comment (determined by random number generator) is #2!  Congrats Amanda! 

And don't for get to enter our giveaway for Passholder and DVC exclusive pins from this year's Flower and Garden Festival before the contest closes on April 7 (midnight Eastern)!!!

Growing Up Disney Birthday Kick-off & Giveaway #1 Winners

We will soon be celebrating our one year blogoversary.  It's April 26, but I love stretching out my own birthday, so why not party here for a month?  Plus, it seems to be Disney's way too.  Wasn't the Cakestle up for a year and a half?

Please check with us throughout the month for special giveaways from Growing Up Disney, Travel with the Magic, Beyond the Attractions, and Eversave Orlando.

I'll also be highlighting our wonderful team (my family), our Minnie Moms, guest posters, former giveaway sponsors, and any other thank yous I can work in to the schedule.

I hope you have fun celebrating along with us.

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To start the party, let's give away a couple of favors.  On his recent trip to Walt Disney World, Ridge bought these two pins to give to our readers.  Epcot is a wonderful place all the time, but now it's transformed for the Flower and Garden Festival.  These annual passholder and DVC exclusive pins will help remind you of this beautiful time of year.  We have two pins, so let's have two winners.

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate entry in the comments section below so I know what you have done.  (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

• REQUIRED: What is your favorite time of year at Walt Disney World and why?

Additional entries:

• Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
• Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day.  
• Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect.  See widget at right.

  

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 7, 2011, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada.  The winners will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!


The winning comment #s (determined by random number generator) are 26 and 5.  Congratulations to Susanmeep and Bird. 

Beyond the Attractions: A Review

GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW:



Traveling to Walt Disney World with small children is a whole new ballgame.  It's the reason this blog began.  I wanted to share what I had learned about taking my daughter to the World, among other topics.  Lisa Battista had a similar experience.  She visited WDW as a child but really became smitten on her honeymoon.  After realizing she no longer thought children should wait until at least the age of five for their first visit, Lisa dove into researching travel with preschoolers and Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011) is the result.  The 2011 edition of the book was recently released and is available in paperback and Kindle versions.


I loved reading the book to prepare for this review.  Lisa provides lots of great tips, and while there are some excellent general WDW guide books out there, it's nice to have one so well geared to a specific audience.  Throughout the book, she maintains the focus of travel with preschoolers and we all know if we keep the little ones happy, the rest of the group has a much better time.


Beyond the Attractions is well-organized to make it an easy quick reference guide.  There are chapters covering topics ranging from preparing for your trip to bringing home the magic and just about everything in between.  The lodging chapter goes over the pros and cons of each category of resort based on how well they work for preschoolers.  Her dining and attractions chapters give a quick overview of each option as well as tips on what to keep in mind for your child, ex. locations with theming that may be too intense for some kids, such as T-Rex.  My daughter loves fresh fruit and Beyond the Attractions even includes the permanent locations where this is available for a quick snack.  Another section I'd wanted to highlight for myself (but I was reading from a pdf) reviewed the playground areas at Walt Disney World.  Alas, my beloved Epcot comes in last...  The chapter on child care and safety won't be found in any general WDW guide and has some valuable information for keeping your kiddos safe while away from home.


Lisa has done a terrific job of including some of the lesser known experiences that can add just a bit more pixie dust to your vacation.  Is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique a little too expensive for your taste?  How about a trip to the Harmony Barber Shop near the Emporium at Magic Kingdom?  For $7.50, your child can get a hairstyle with  colored gel and pixie dust.  Have an aspiring pirate at home?  Children ages four and over can take a pirate cruise from one of four resorts.  And if it's still open, Goofy's Barnstormer has first roller coaster certificates available.


Speaking of changes, Walt wanted his parks to always be growing and evolving and that they are.  This is a great thing for the guests but it makes writing a guide book a bit like nailing jello to the wall.  To solve this problem, Lisa offers an updates section on her website.  Simply check it prior to your trip for the most up to date information.


In the back of Beyond the Attractions are about 25 pages of reference material.  WDW phone numbers, planning websites, addresses for the local grocery stores and urgent care facilities are just some of what you'll find.  Lisa also gives you a list of FASTPASS attractions, character greeting locations, and must do attractions for toddlers and preschoolers.  Dining rates and park maps showing kid-friendly attractions are at your fingertips.  Comprehensive planning and packing check-lists round out the section.


Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011) will be a valuable resource to anyone planning a trip to WDW with small children.  Even if you've braved it before, I'm sure you'll learn something new from this excellent book.

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Ready to enter to win a copy of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers (2011)? 

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate entry in the comments section below so I know what you have done. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

MANDATORY ENTRY:  Visit BeyondtheAttractions.com and comment below on the best tip you learned from Lisa.  Other entries won't count unless you do this one. 


ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

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This contest ends at midnight Central time on Monday, October 18, and is limited to residents of the United States and Canada. The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received this book for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received or offered. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts on these products.


The winning comment is #23. Congratulations Lynn!