John Carter Movie Review

On March 2nd I was invited by Disney Vacation Club (DVC) to have a sneak preview of Disney’s John Carter. The screening was held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Premier Theatre. I was excited to see what has been heralded as the first big blockbuster movie of the year. It has a lot going for it with great writer/director Andrew Stanton, who won two Oscars for his work on Wall-E and Finding Nemo. The visual effects were some of the best possible and were used to the fullest. The film is visually stunning. But that is where my fascination with this film stops and I’ll tell you why.
The opening act of the film to me left more questions than answers. I’m usually on top of things quickly with a movie but I didn’t feel a connection with the character. I felt more like it was an M. Night Shamalon movie just holding out for the twist. I’ve read the Edward Rice Burrows Book The Princess of Mars so I am familiar with the story and I still didn’t feel like I felt a strong connection to John Carter. Possibly, it could be because the film tried to interject humor where it didn’t necessarily need to be. I think in my mind I was looking more for an epic to the tune of Spartacus and it didn’t deliver to my expectations.

The plot is a mix of more than just The Princess of Mars and I am not a fan of mixing stories if you are basing it on a book series because now a follow-up is going to be difficult. The story is jumpy and lacks a clear direction in parts. While it doesn’t lack in special effects and large screens with thrills and action, I was frequently confused as to the incoherent story combined with the longest wedding sequence in history.

The Martians themselves are perfectly as described in the book and lived up to everything I hoped for, 15 feet tall 4 arms, even the men were darker than the women. The CGI for the Martians, planets and the cities was great, no problems with the special effects. Also the 3D isn’t worth it as with so many movies these days. I don’t understand why there is so much emphasis placed on 3D, it gives me a headache. As far as the story, I should keep in mind that this was a story written 100 years ago so science wasn’t necessarily the front focus like most science fiction I grew up with where it would be a blend of science and fantasy.

However the best I can give this movie is a rental. I wouldn’t waste my money on seeing this one in the theater unless you are only going into it to see the special effects and you’ve been warned.

Magic Kingdom Notes for the Picky Eater

I have a couple of months until I need to make ADRs for our fall Walt Disney World vacation and I have started the process of poring over the menus at AllEars. Before kiddos, we just chose our favorites and a few new places and worked on the spreadsheet to fit them all in based on touring days. I learned the hard way that I need to be very prepared when it comes to feeding Tink on vacation. She'll be three and a half on our next trip and while she's made great improvements in what she'll eat, there are some places that we'd be best served to avoid for a while. Baby Minnie will be 17 months but so far she is easy to please. I'm saving this in the notes section of my phone for quick access in the parks. I figure I can keep the whole group happier if I know where we should go, not only for sit-down meals, but also for counter service or snacks.

This is based on my choosy child but I thought it might help someone else. I have a couple of notes about things I like but basically, if a place doesn't work for the girls, it's either excluded or in the avoid section. I'm not sure if Tink would eat the uncrustables PBJ sandwiches sold at WDW so I'll pick up a box closer to the time of the trip to see how those go over. We will be staying at Old Key West so I will have a full kitchen and will likely pack a small cooler for the girls to supplement the options at the parks.

**Counter service:
Columbia Harbor House: Mac & cheese, pbj, yogurt
Cosmic Rays: chicken nuggets, pbj
Pinocchio Village Haus: Mac & cheese, grilled cheese, cheese pizza, could split chicken nuggets from adult menu
**Snacks:
Aloha Isle: ice cream, Dole Whip
Auntie Gravity's: ice cream, coffee floats, cereal & milk
Cheshire Cafe: cereal & milk
Liberty Square Market: fresh fruit
Lunching Pad: sweet cream cheese pretzel
Main Street Bakery: fruit, but could be a hard sell with all the cookies around
Sleepy Hollow: ice cream cookie sandwich, coffee float
**Sit-down:
Crystal Palace
Liberty Tree Tavern: Mac & cheese, veggies, apples, cheese pizza
Plaza Restaurant: not bad but not exciting
**Avoid:
Casey's Corner: hot dogs
Cinderella's Royal Table: meh, save until the girls are older
Pecos Bill's: weak choices for Tink, maybe pbj
Tony's Town Square: meh

Photo Flashback! -- A Cup O' Tea

I'm very pleased with how this shot turned out straight from the camera with no manipulation needed. I have a star filter that simply screws on to the lens making all the points of light into stars. This was taken around 3:30 AM on March 1st during the One More Disney Day celebration. :)

Disneyland Paris Planning with Nine, Part 6: Attractions

Ok, so this is my Tink at Disney's Hollywood
Studios but I didn't have any photos from Paris
to add to this article.  ~Amy

DLP is split into two distinct parks - Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. I'll focus on The Disneyland Park first.

It is not unlike the Magic Kingdom in many ways. The park itself is separated into five different lands - Main Street, USA, Frontierlandland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. As with it's American counterparts, the park has something for everyone - family adventure, fun for pre-schoolers, thrill rides and a pleasing amount of shops and restaurants. There are also various character meet 'n' greets, parades and shows too.

I am just going to run through the bare minimum of things that I am looking forward to doing and seeing in each land.

Firstly, just like the Magic Kingdom, is Main Street, USA. This is one of my most favourite places in the whole of WDW so it has a lot to live up to, but this is partly why I'm so excited to see it. Walking down this road and seeing the castle at the end is when I truly feel that I have come 'home'. I'm hoping to get that magical feeling in Paris too. Of course, I won't just be crying because I am here, it'll be the first time my baby girl sees everything too. Cue total mama breakdown. I am hoping that there will be lots of nice shops and eateries on this French version, I'm thinking The Emporium and Bakery in WDW, mmm. And of course at the end of Main Street lies Le Chateau de la Belle au Boise Dormant - or Sleeping Beauty's Castle. There is also a Christmas shop right inside the castle, La Boutique du Chateau, so I can't wait to see that.

Heading into Frontierland, I really want to try the Phantom Manor. The Haunted Mansion was my first ever ride in FL and is still my favourite in the MK. The French version boasts some of the best special effects in the whole of DLP. This is not perhaps one for Tink quite yet, although it purports to be less scary than the American equivalents.

In Adventureland it has to be Pirates of the Caribbean. Again I love this ride in the US and my guide book merely states - "not to be missed, Disney at it's best". What more could I need to tempt me? Will Tink be up for this? Maybe, we'll have to judge on the day.

Although Fantasyland holds many rides, many similar to WDW and a few of their own, it is the Princess meet 'n' greet that I'll be looking for here. Tink has just recently really gotten into her princesses, with her firm favourites being Belle and Ariel at the moment. I can't wait for her to at least see a real princess. As for whether we actually meet one, well, I'll see how she is at the time as she does get incredibly shy.

Lastly is Discoveryland. Here there is a clear winner, and as it has the most popular attraction in the whole park, it'll be entirely time dependent on whether we actually get to ride it. Space Mountain 2 is billed as one of the most wildest rides in any Disney park, and makes its US namesake seem as tame as Peter Pan! Yikes! Sounds like our kind of coaster!

However, strange as it may sound, the rides and attractions are actually not the reason that we are going to DLP. As we are only there for one full day and a few hours on either side of the other days, queuing up for coasters even with Fast Pass may not be what we chose to do. This is Tinks first experience of a real Disney park and we will be as happy just wandering through, seeing the sites and soaking up the atmosphere. And hunting for Mickey, Donald and princesses of course :-)


Contributed by Janine P. of Swindon, England. She is a proud wife, mommy to Felicity and one of our Minnie Moms.  Follow along throughout this monthly series as she plans her first trip to Disneyland Paris.


Follow along as Janine plans her family's first trip to Disneyland Paris.  Learn more about Janine here.

• New Series from Nine
• Part 1: Questions
• Part 2: When to Go?
• Part 3: Where to Stay?
• Part 4: Where to Eat?
• Holidays at DLP
• Part 5: Dates Booked

Sad To See It End

My stay at Old Key West has been an absolute blast. This was my first time back "Home" in 8 trips over 2 years. Now I'm on the ME bus back to the airport.

It was a whirlwind adventure doing 24 hours at Magic Kingdom and seeing so many twitter friends who have become real life friends. I also met lots of new friends.

My last morning here in the World I went back to BabyCakesNYC the icing filled cookie sandwich is soooo good. Tweet them at @DTDBabyCakesNYC and tell Emily how awesome it is!

I went shopping/buying at the Art of Disney and went a little crazy, thank goodness for my Premium AP discount and Bridget the cast member who took care of me and helped me so thoroughly. It was a real pleasure to speak to her. Go by the Art of Disney and say hi to her, she really was wonderful. She even listened to my Disney Story and I gave her a GUD button for her trouble, hope you read this!

I spoke to another Cast Member at Old Key West when I picked up my bags from bell services. I believe her name was Kate. Her tag was partially covered by her hair and my fault for not asking. She too was a pleasure to talk with and also got a GUD button for taking a moment to listen to me :)

So all and all it has been a fantastic time here at Disney, the next few weeks will be going over pictures and writing down my thoughts. Hopefully I'll be able to tell a few funny thoughts to get you all to laugh along with me and count down the days till I come back in May.

But as much as I want to stay, I'm excited to get home and see my beautiful friend Michelle and see Wicked with her tonight.




- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Walt Disney World

Day After One More Disney Day Lunch...

So 6 am came and went, the Magic Kingdom closed, I went for a relaxing dip in the hot tub and then napped for a while. When I awoke it was late in the day and food was on my mind. "Away to Olivia's," I said to myself.

My waiter was John, a Cast Member with over ten years of service at OKW. We chatted about the 24 hour event, he remembered that I liked Long Island Iced Tea, and we looked over some of my pictures.

He brought me a small bowl of the soup of the day, Mexican Queso. Wonderful and cheesy.





The actual appetizer I ordered was the crab cakes with a small salad and two dipping sauces.






For lunch I had the Duval Street burger. It's an elongated patty served on the pineapple bread they serve at dinner with shrimp, pepper jack cheese and pico de gallo.  Do yourself a flavor favor and add the applewood smoked bacon.





I lingered around after such a wonderful lunch and started writing a post while it settled (and had another iced tea).

John talked me into dessert and I had banana bread pudding. It is fantastic and I want it again... Now. Served warm with a caramelized sugar glaze on the ice cream.





If you ever get the chance, give Olivia's at Old Key West a try. It has grown to be one of my favorite lazy day places.

- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's Over

It's been a long 24 hours but it's been so much fun. I got some fun pictures, spent the day with friends nodded off on a park bench and will see the sun very shortly. I'll have pictures and stories to share later today. Now it's time to say goodbye and take it back to the room to sleep it off and do it again tomorrow.

So good night you princes and princesses of the Magic Kingdom. The gates are secure for one more day.


- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nothing like a snack

I stopped at Storybook Treats (formerly Mrs. Pot's cupboard) and had a ice cream cookie Sunday. Warm cookie and hot fudge and a mound of whipped cream. Worth 4.69 if I ever spent it.






- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

Magical Blogorail: One More Disney Day

Welcome to those of you joining us from Disney Donna Kay and those of you just hopping aboard. We are the Final stop on today's Magical Blogorail.

Chris (aka Ridge) is representing Growing Up Disney on this special blogorail loop.  He's visiting Walt Disney World for the "One More Disney Day" on February 29.  Chris is blogging live from WDW throughout his trip so be sure to check here regularly or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.  Below is an article he wrote before he left home.  ~~Amy

ONE MORE LOOONNNGGG DISNEY DAY!!!! is fast approching as this year on Leap Day, February 29, 2012, I, along with countless others, will be spending 24 hours or something close to it inside the gates of the Magic Kingdom. So what would you do if you could stay after even Extra Magic Hours were over? Well we are about to find out.

I'm going to arrive Tuesday the 28th and try and get to bed early that night. Thursday morning will start the marathon. So what will I do? I have several photography ideas that I want to explore and I suppose I am going to shop for OMDD merch for my Sis since she can't join me.  I'll also find something for my nieces, my folks and a friend. After that I'll see who I can tweetup with.

I'm curious as to where I am going to find places to nap.  I'm wondering how the TTAPM will be looking, will it be littered with lifeless sleeping bodies by 6 AM?  Personally I've been thinking about it and I may find a quiet place and sleep. How often can you be inside Magic Kingdom and lay on the ground and see the stars? Should I take my Killer rabbit slippers (Monty Python) and wear those around? Probably not, one thing is for sure I am going to pack light.

Part of my attraction to the parks is the fact that they provide the creative outlet I need.  To take a picture of something iconic and make it mine, make it special to me. If I do that then I hope I can pass it along and share it with others and bring a smile to their faces. I have several new toys to try out on my camera so let the games begin! I am thinking about places where a Dole Whip can be seen, places where Dole Whips don't traditionally make it to, then snap...picture time! haha.

If I am able to make it all the way to 6 AM, I hope to catch breakfast with a friend then go back to the room for some rest and shower (not in that order I'm sure). When I wake up if the sun is still out and brightening our lives, I'm hoping for some fun pictures of Old Key West.  It's been a couple years since I've been able to have my reservation there. I haven't ever walked about the property and looked it over, espcially with a camera :). I have a few special projects at OKW that need to be done.

It's going to be a fast trip to the World and sleep is going to be a luxury that few will have but I will attempt to make the most of it all. A few days ago I hurt my back again (it's a long story but I have a history of back problems) so I will be balancing being cautious and having fun so that I don't prolong the problem. Nevertheless the show must go on and mirth and merryment shall be enjoyed.  Even if you are not at the World, for those who embrace the nature of Disney and remain a kid at heart, it will still be One More Disney Day for all.   

Thank you for joining our Special Edition 24 Hours of Disney loop.  If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

1^st Stop ~ Heidi’s Head

2^nd Stop ~ 400 Miles to Disneyland

3^rd Stop ~ Meet the Magic

4^th Stop ~ Disney on Wheels

5^th Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

Final Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

A Deluxe Studio At Old Key West

  So I made it to my room early in the day, my bags were to follow later having taken their own journey via Magical Express. My room is a standard Deluxe Studio having two queen beds and a small kitchenette with a mini fridge that is remarkably deficient of beer.... silly me "I" have to purchase that myself?!? Anyway the room is wonderful and beachy as a trip to Old key West should be. Make sure you check out the bed spreads for the hidden Mickey...

Hidden Mickey

Greetings from Magical Express

I Love to Fly!



After a wonderful flight where I got a much needed nap I landed 1 hour and 20 minutes from gate to gate. It was smooth sailing all the way and my Magical Express experience is off to a great start.




As I walked up to the holding area to wait on a bus I was quickly grabbed and put on a bus that was ready to leave. So here I am on way to Old Key West and enjoying the 30 minute ride to Old Key West. :)




- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

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


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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Activities for Little Ones at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

When you check-in at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort, you will be given a schedule of activities for the week.  These include crafts, tours, music, nature walks, food, songs and more.  I was excited to see multiple programs for 2-4 year olds and promptly signed Tink up for a few.  

The activities geared for preschoolers were held at either 9:00 or 9:30 AM and were free but they asked you to make reservations.  During busy seasons, the classes can fill up and during slow season, they need to know if anyone at all will be attending.  Tink was the only child in the 4 classes/craft times in which she participated.

The three photos below are from the "Getting to Know Birds" class.  The Cast Member's name is Gweneth and she was great with Tink.  They looked at photos of birds and talked about what the birds ate then pretended to eat like birds with clothespins for beaks.  Then it was craft time and story time.  All of the classes lasted about a half hour, just right for little attention spans.  An adult must stay with the child and my husband, DisneyDad and I took turns accompanying her.  Her other "class" was about butterflies and she made a bead necklace with her name and a straw cup at the two craft times.

Tink loved the attention from the Cast Members and quickly settled in to each activity.  Since she normally attends preschool three mornings a week, this was a great way to continue learning on vacation. We even took advantage of craft time on our last morning to keep Tink busy while we did our final packing.

Cleaning up after "eating like birds"

Making a bird puppet

Story time

Each day's activities are posted on this board near the shop and take-out counter

A little different each day

Art project from butterfly class

Crown from toddler arts & crafts

Personalized cup from arts & crafts time

Hilton Head Island - Mexican Restaurants

Disney HHI room number fish

Most people headed to Hilton Head Island, when they are thinking about food, are not thinking about going to Mexican restaurants.  Seafood is the order of the day on the island.  Of course most people are not my wife.  She likes fish, is allergic to shrimp and shellfish, but she loves guacamole.  So on our trip to Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort we managed to have lunch 4 days at Mexican restaurants.  OK, it was 3 Mexican and one “southwest” and not 4 Mexican restaurants. 

January at Hilton Head is a strange time.  Most restaurants close for the month.  So if you visit during January you have to look a little harder to find a place to eat out.  Disney’s HHI resort does not have a sit-down restaurant.  It has 2 counter service (one at the resort and one at the Beach House).  This past January the Beach House was closed for renovations so that only left Tide-Me-Over.  Mom and I did not eat there but Amy and her family did more than once.  Tink loved it as the  kids meal comes in a sand bucket, complete with shovel.

Since there was no sit-down restaurant at the resort and all but one of the restaurants at Shelter Cove were closed we ventured out to find places to eat.  With our trusty iPhone Apps, AroundMe and TripAdvisor, we tracked down some Mexican restaurants. 

The first place we found was Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill (http://www.fiestafreshmexicangrill.com).  It was in a shopping center toward the north end of the island.  I dropped mom off near the door and went to park the car.  When I got into the restaurant, I found her leaning on a bar-height table looking over the counter at the menu on the wall.  I could tell she was thinking “Taco Bell” and was not real happy.  Since we were there and it was way past lunch, we picked out items of the menu plus some guacamole and chips.  Well, “Taco Bell” it is not.  While a counter service restaurant, the food was cooked fresh when ordered.  It was served up hot, and was very unexpectedly, delicious.  The guacamole was wonderful, chunky, and the chips were warm and crunchy.  This was our favorite Mexican place except for another Fiesta Fresh Mexican Grill on the south-end of the island near Sea Pines Circle.  Amy found this one looking for a place she thought Tink would eat not knowing we had eaten at the other Fiesta Fresh.  Tink loves her chips and salsa.  Amy has posted some pictures of the girls in paper hats at this Fiesta Fresh.  And the food was just as good as the first.

We found another Mexican restaurant in the Publix shopping center near Sea Pines circle.  La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g54273-d821722-Reviews-Lahacienda_Mexican_Restaurant_Incorporated-Hilton_Head_South_Carolina.html) was notable, not so much for the food, as for the sign as you walked over a footbridge to the entrance that read “Do Not Feed The Alligators”.  Sure enough near the bank at the end of the walk in front of the restaurant was an alligator floating in the water.  The food was typical Mexican fare; Tasty, but nothing really outstanding.

My favorite Mexican meal was at Santa Fe Café Southwestern Cusine(http://www.santafecafeofhiltonhead.com).  Almost directly across from the entrance to Shelter Cove, we almost did not stop here.  It is sort of an upscale Southwestern restaurant with a large bar and an open kitchen area.   The only problem mom had here was drinks were served in old-fashioned bar glasses.  Mom likes BIG glasses for her tea.  The waitress did work for her tip just keeping her supplied with tea.  The presentation of the food was only surpassed by the taste of the food.  The Painted Desert Soup, Santa Fe Salad, and Chicken Quesadilla I had from the lunch menu were wonderful.

 When you go to HHI, where do you eat?  What is your favorite place?

--DisneyDad

Photo Flashback! Hidden Mickeys at Maharajah Jungle Trek

This week's theme is Disney Details.