Napping with her new best friends

Couldn't resist getting both Mickey and Minnie today. Audrey fell asleep about 2 minutes after we left World of Disney.

Somebody's going to nap well

No Moms Panel for me

Best wishes to those who make it to round 3.

--Amy, sent from my iPhone

Lunch

Monday Summary

Today DisneyMom, DisneyDad, Audrey, and I are heading to Portobello for lunch and then will do a little shopping in Downtown Disney before heading to the room for naps.  Chris is off exploring the Studios today alone.  Tonight Chris and I will be attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.

Yesterday at Epcot went really well.  I was really proud of how well Audrey did in Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, and especially American Adventure.  She's only 18 months old but she paid attention in all of the attractions.  The family split up at lunchtime and Audrey napped in the noise of Liberty Inn while her grandparents had lunch.  Once she woke, Audrey surprised them by eating really well...a fruit bowl, a bag of grapes, and a veggie burger.  (Janine, she loved it.) 

Chris and I ate our way around the world.  I think he's going to post some pictures today.  Our favorite marketplaces were Belgium, Ireland, and Singapore.  We didn't try everything on the first day but we'll be back for more food and fun.

The Baby Care Center came in handy for cleaning Audrey up after a very messy ice cream sundae.  It was hot enough that the sundae was melting on the counter before the Cast Member could prepare the cone that completed the order.  Audrey loved the playroom, so we spent a little time with their toys before heading back out into the park. 

We finished out the evening with dinner at Sunshine Seasons. 

Thanks for sharing our vacation and for all the well wishes!

--Amy

Solo Riding

Riding solo today. Going to get some photography done while the rest of the family has a day of shopping and some rest before Amy and I go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party tonight. I am just going to get on the first bus I see today. It happened to be for the studios. It is going to be sad to get there and see Start Tours out of order. Oh well I know new better things are coming.


- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

United Kingdom pavilion

Sorry, Janine, this is all there is.



This bear may have to go home with me.



Chris.



--Amy

Soarin'

Chris and Tink waiting outside Soarin' after ride swap with Amy. Soarin' is a great ride experience!

The right side of Spaceship Earth

-Amy

A little after dinner shopping

After dinner at Olivia's, we visited the Conch Flats General Store. Audrey scored a princess coloring book and Chris got himself a new hat.









-Amy

DVC just like home

Chris started our vacation at Saratoga Springs by carving Tink a Mickey Mouse pumpkin!

Flying with Tink

I have the best kid ever! And today we must have also received a bunch of pixie dust.

While checking in at the airport this morning, the Southwest agent asked if Andy would like to go with us to help Audrey and I through security. Yippee!

Our first flight was only about 1/3 full so we had a whole row to ourselves. The safety card and granola bars were enough to keep the little one occupied.

We were a few minutes early getting into St Louis which allowed me to get some lunch.

Our flight to Orlando was full so I knew I needed to look for some kind souls. I was given a couple of angels in the form of grandparents of 10. They couldn't have been nicer or more understanding. Audrey did great on this flight too, staying busy with plane crackers


and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When the little one fell asleep at the end of the flight, my seatmates graciously stayed and waited with me for the gate checked stroller. They opened it for me so Audrey could continue her nap.

Chris met us just outside if security and helped us with luggage.

Let the fun begin!

-Amy

We're All Here!

After waiting in the airport terminal for about 40 minutes here they came, Amy and Tink. I being their personal valet and DisneyDad the chauffeur. We are all ready to get our weeks adventure started sharing fun and good memories. Back to Saratoga Springs!


- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weekly Round-up: 10/23/10

The Growing Up Disney family is taking a nice long trip to Walt Disney World, so watch the blog for stories and photos live from the parks.

On Tuesday, October 26, Chris and I will be enjoying Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and sharing it live on the blog.  A big thanks to Kelly at Travel with the Magic for sponsoring this event!

If you're in the area, please come by Writer's Stop at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Saturday, October 30 anytime from 2-4 and say hello.  We have a little gift, while they last.

Fingers crossed that everything goes as planned--we are heading over to the Cape to watch the penultimate shuttle launch on November 1.  

November 2 is a real treat for us.  We get to play in the parks with my cousin Jeff and his family as a part of their first Walt Disney World vacation.

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Here's what we've been chatting about on the blog this week:

Mommy Monday:  Amy shared two articles, one on the wonderful Baby Care Centers available in the Disney theme parks and another on celebration buttons at WDW.

Team Tuesday:  The Minnie Moms discussed the best and worst restaurants for kids at the World.  Part 1  Part 2

Photo Flashback:  DisneyDad shared a cute picture of Amy and DisneyMom on the Magic Kingdom train in 1979.

DisneyDad on DVC:  Ever wondered about the Grand Villas?  DisneyDad recalls his stay in an Old Key West Grand Villa earlier this year.

A Walk Around the World with Ridge:  It's go time!  Chris shared last minute preparations and an update on Jeff and Windy's trip.

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Can't wait to share lots of pics and stories with you from the parks!

  

A Walk Around The World With Ridge--Go Time/ Trip Advisor Update

T-minus one day until I leave for Disney. I get excited, but I tend to keep it all inside.

The planning that has so far gone into our trip has been great, but it’s nothing my sister couldn't handle (seriously you should see our spread sheets.) For my birthday last month she gave me one of the coolest presents, my very own Unofficial Guide: Walt Disney World 2011 *DING*. I thought I knew a lot, but it has been a really interesting read and a great research tool especially when there is no computer around. The sheer amount of information, diagrams, charts, and extra tips and info in the margins is incredible. Thanks, Sis, this has been worth its weight in gold for getting ready, even for experienced travelers such as ourselves. I think the section: Waiting-Line Strategies for Adults with Young Children is going to be something good for us and something I will be passing on to our cousin and his family who will be joining us on their vacation on October 31.

I have also been trying to make sure I am up to date on all of my podcasts. When it is coming down to the wire on trip time, I pick up a few new ones just to make sure I have heard all the new info I can. WDW Today, WDW Radio, WDW News Today, BetaMouse and the Inside The Magic are my usual go-to podcasts. Followed by Netcot, the Dis Unplugged and Mouse Guest Weekly. I think between these and a few others I have all of my bases covered on all the news that is the news in my Mouse related endeavors. Also blog reading takes a huge jump. Now not only do I have to write one, I need to read as many as possible just to stay up to date. Some people don't understand why I (and the we that is my family) put so much time into planning a vacation to a place we have visited so many times. All I can say is; how can you not? But that is a topic for another time.

I have been thinking all week (month really) about what I need to pack. This year I have what seems like the most extra stuff I have ever carried. Normally I carry only what I can fit into my pockets, cargo shorts to be exact. However to my complete surprise for my birthday last month my parents gave me a new DSLR camera, a Canon T1i. So now I am keeping track of a large camera, bag, monopod, tripod and extra lenses that have been graciously loaned to me by a good friend and new family member, my cousin's wife Emily (thank you again MRS. Ridgeway!) She is awesome and has been into photography for some time, so she has several extra lenses and, lucky for me, trusts me to take care of them. The one I am most interested in is a 75-500mm zoom. I am hoping to be able to take some pictures of the space shuttle on November 1.

Also my preparations include checking in with my cousin Jeff and wife Windy who, if you have been following along with us for a while, are taking their children on their first trip to Walt Disney World. This is also Windy's first trip and Jeff's first trip since he was about 8 years old. So for all intents and purposes, it is Jeff's first trip too. They received their final itinerary from their vacation planner. They are going to be using the Disney Dining Plan and have ADRs at Brown Derby Monday, Crystal Palace Tuesday, Le Cellier Wednesday, Yak & Yeti Thursday then a free day on Friday. They weren't able to get into Chef Mickey's but I am sure they are going to still have a great time. I reviewed the packet they received and explained some of the materials. I explained how the online early check-in works while also making some suggestions as for some things to make the kids experience a little more special.

One suggestion I had for them is to get the girls their own disposable cameras. That way they can take pictures of what they want, the cameras are inexpensive and they can make their own photo albums when they get home. Another suggestion was to use the Photopass system. You don't have to buy all or any of the photos and you can have the photopass photographers take a picture with your camera as well. It just makes things a little easier and lets you be in some of your own family pictures. Also I was able to order them the custom Disney Park maps that are offered for free, so that will hopefully be a nice piece of memorabilia for them.

Do you have any suggestions on some ways we can help make their trip special and as worry free as possible?

DVC – Isn’t it Grand! Grand Villa that is!!!

If you have followed posts on this web site for long you know by now that we are Disney Vacation Club Members and that we have been members since 1993. That was back when Disney’s Old Key West Resort was known as The Disney Vacation Club Resort. It was the first and only one of its kind. My wife and I toured DVC in December 1992. That was just over a year after it had opened and many of the buildings were still being constructed. We toured the model Studio and One Bedroom villa and saw how it became a 2 Bedroom lock-off. We also toured the Grand Villa. A beautiful 2-story 3-bedroom Villa that was bigger than our home. We could see ourselves staying in the Studio or the one and Two Bedroom villas, but the Grand Villa was something else. Even when Amy was married at WDW we booked 2 – two bedroom villas and a studio. The Grand Villa was still something we didn’t consider.

Then Tink came along.

Having a first Grandchild is different. I guess because we traveled to Oklahoma to see Tink instead of Florida to see Mickey, we happened to have “extra” Vacation Club points. When we started talking about Tink’s first birthday of course it had to be at WDW. Amy and Andy were married there and we received our announcement Tink was on the way just as fireworks were going off at the start of Illuminations at EPCOT. Grand Villas are normally hard to book and you need to book them at the 11 month Home Resort Priority window to ensure booking one of the 27 Grand Villas at OKW. My daughter was, however, able to book us in a Grand Villa for Tink’s Birthday Party.

The Grand Villa at Disney’s Old Key West Resort is normally on the second and third story of one of their Key West themed buildings (although handicapped GVs are available). This does give you some wonderful views from the upper floor of the GV. Our GV was wonderful. Three bedrooms, four baths with a full kitchen and dining room covering about 2375 square feet. My wife and I got the main level Master Bedroom, which is larger than the master bedroom in the one or two bedroom villas. The extra room allows for a bench at the foot of the king-sized bed and two chairs sitting next to the bed. The master suite is completed with a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower, once again in a different layout from the one and two bedroom villas. Also on the main level is a kitchen, dining room, laundry room, 2 closets, a bath with a shower, and a 2-story living room. The living room also has a table that would seat 4 as well as an entertainment armoire with a large flat screen TV, DVD player and surround sound.

Up the winding staircase to the top of the stairs is the smaller of the two up-stairs bedrooms. It has 2 double beds and a full private bath. The third bedroom is across an open walkway that allows you to look down into the entry-way or the living room. It has 2 queen beds and a full private bath. Our daughter, son-in-law, and Tink took this bedroom with our son graciously taking the “smaller” of the two up-stairs bedrooms. With all this space and the sleeper sofa in the living room you can sleep 12 in the GV. We had 5 adults and Tink.

The kitchen and dining room were wonderful for celebrating a First birthday. There were 2 high chairs in the dining room along with seating for 8 at the dining table. We hung streamers from the light and let Tink have a go at her Mickey Mouse head shaped cake. The adults had our cake from a much larger Mickey Mouse head shaped cake without the small hands and face in our cake.

We love staying at OKW. Love the atmosphere. Love the look. If you have something special you are celebrating, whether it is a First Birthday, or your next family gathering, if you are a DVC member I hope you can book a Grand Villa. If you are paying cash, bring a wheelbarrow full. The rack rate for a Grand Villa at OKW will cost you around $1500 per night with taxes.

Photo Flashback - Amy & DisneyMom

Amy and DisneyMom about to ride the Train at Walt Disney World in May 1979. I don't think the train cars have changed much since then.

Minnie Moms: The Best and Worst Restaurants for Kids (Part 2)

Lunch at Casey's

 Kelly:  My favorite places to eat with the kids at the Walt Disney Resort? There are quite a few and some will probably surprise you. I love dining at the Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort; we have been dining there since my youngest was under two. The food is great, the service is great and I have never felt uncomfortable taking the kids there. We ate there a few years ago and one of the kids got sick and I was mortified. He was fine before we got there and then all of a sudden…. it was gross. The staff was amazing and so helpful and I will never forget that. I have also loved taking the kids to California Grill, Grand Floridian Café, Hollywood Brown Derby, and The Plaza. I know some of these are two table service credits on the dining plans and some people consider them “fancy” but we have never had an issue dining there. I also really like taking the kids to Toy Story Pizza Planet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; I know it is not a sit down restaurant but it’s fun and the food is actually good. I really wish Disney would do a Star Wars or Pixar character meal for the boys. I have dined at the Princess meals but not with the boys. Another quick service place we LOVE and always have lunch is the Lotus Blossom in China. They have the best orange chicken and the kids love the ice cream there.

The boys checking out the menu at The Wave

As for places I do not like to dine, we are over Liberty Tree Tavern. I always loved eating there as a family but lately the food is not good and they took the characters away so it is just not the same. We also avoid Tony’s at the Magic Kingdom. I have never had a good meal there and so now we are done trying it. I am also done with Chef Mickey’s. I used to love it but the kids have been there so many times and its just not as fun as it used to be for them. My husband does not really like the food there at all. I will try any place at least once and if the kids do not want to go back then we don’t.

 
Amy:  Overall, Walt Disney World is one of the most kid-friendly places you can visit. While small children are allowed at all but one WDW restaurant, some just work better than others. On our trip last April, our best dining experience with my then 12 month old child was at Tusker House. The buffet allowed us to begin feeding her quickly and minimize the wait that is so hard with little ones. They have a good variety of foods and I chose items from both the children’s and adult buffets for her. The restaurant wasn’t overly crowded and there are several smaller dining rooms, so there was enough activity to provide her people to smile and wave at, but not so much as to be a distraction from the task at hand. Children under 3 eat free at Disney’s buffet restaurants, so that was a nice bonus.

We had breakfast at 1900 Park Fare and Chef Mickey’s on that same trip. As nice as it is to meet characters without waiting in lines, I think we’ll hold off on character meals until she’s a little older. Both locations have good food and good character interaction, but now that Tink is quite mobile, I’m not sure she’d be content to pose from her chair. I don’t think I’d want to set the precedent of getting in and out of the highchair over and over. Of course, I wouldn’t pass up a trip to Crystal Palace if a walk-up table is available, but we didn’t make any reservations for character meals for our upcoming trip.

Rose & Crown is a favorite restaurant of my family, but it didn’t work so well for a 12 month old. We got her some grapes from one of the appetizers and I always carry plenty of snacks. However, the wait for our food was too much for her. My dad and I ended up taking turns walking her around outside.

Andy and I were celebrating our 5th anniversary in April as well. We left Tink with her grandparents and went to Jiko for dinner. We had a fantastic meal and couldn’t help but notice that several tables near us had small children. Tink is pretty well behaved in a restaurant, but Andy and I agreed that if we’d been traveling without willing babysitters, we would have passed on Jiko. The Cast Members are friendly and the children were welcome, but I would hate to have to eat that wonderful food as quickly as you have to do with little ones.

Tink and I are going back to the World soon with my parents and Chris. It’s a longer trip than usual and the Food & Wine Festival will be in full-swing so we are going to play most of our meals by ear. We do have a few ADRs and are looking forward to trying Yak & Yeti, Kona (dinner), and Via Napoli. We’ll also be visiting Olivia’s, an old-favorite and a good place for Tink, at least once.

 
Corby:  I always recommend getting the Magic Your Way with Dining package. And of course when free dining is offered, it’s a must! In my opinion, going to the Disney restaurants makes your experience even more magical. The atmosphere, service, and of course the food are wonderful. I personally think ALL of the restaurants in Disney are kid friendly. We’ve never had a bad experience or felt out of place at any of them. We’ve had wonderful experiences whether it’s a character dinner or when we’ve taken our son to the Wave or Le Cellier. Of course some restaurants do cater more specifically to kids and I’ll pass on some of our favorites.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater: If you have older children, especially boys, I would highly recommend this restaurant. It was my 5 year old son’s absolute favorite restaurant last year; I would venture to say it was his favorite experience overall that trip. I’ll admit, we went in with very low expectations and were pleasantly surprised. Our son enjoyed watching the old “horror” movie clips on the large movie screen while dining in a “car.“ I wasn’t expecting much from the food and was happy it ended up being delicious. The milkshakes are to die for and my son enjoyed getting his “license.”

Whispering Canyon: Be sure to bring your sense of humor to this restaurant. It’s very loud and the waiters are full of antics that can be seen as obnoxious however, the kids will love it! Enjoy the all-you-can eat Canyon skillet while your kids “ride ponies” and do the hokey pokey. Don’t forget to ask for the ketchup!

Prime Time 50’s Café: The food is not my favorite here but the kids will probably enjoy the atmosphere which makes it worth a try. It’s as though you’ve gone back to the 50’s and you’re eating with family, your server being your “cousin.” The kids will enjoy the kitschy theme with televisions at the table which show clips from the 1950’s.

Tony’s Town Square: Yes, I am recommending Tony’s Town Square, again. Tony’s gets very mixed reviews, I realize, however, it’s still one of my family’s favorites. If you can time it right as I’ve mentioned before, you can dine while viewing the Spectro Magic Parade/Main Street Electrical Parade. You will need to check ahead of time to see when the parade starts as it’s not every night and the schedule does change. You will also need to request to sit outside. We’ve planned it correctly for our past three trips and it just wouldn’t be the same without it. We get the steak and catch of the day, the service has always been wonderful (I think we‘ve had the same server every time) and you can’t beat the location.

Last but not least is the obvious…character dining. I’m not a huge fan of buffets but in my opinion, this is a must do if you have younger kids. Our favorite has been the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends. We have reservations at Chef Mickey’s in November. We’ve also tried The Garden Grill which is good because it has some of the more popular characters (such as the Big Cheese himself.) I would pick whichever location is going to have your child’s favorite character(s)/princess(es). The children love the one on one interaction and the memories they make will be treasured for years to come.

 
Thanks to our Minnie Moms for sharing such helpful tips! If you have a question for us or a topic you'd like us to cover, please leave a comment or email Amy.

Minnie Moms: The Best and Worst Restaurants for Kids (Part 1)

Heather:  WDW Dining… Where else can you have a Breakfast safari with Mickey and Friends, Lunch in a 1950s car while watching Sci Fi Movies, and wrap up the day at a Polynesian luau?

Last year as WDW newbies we didn’t call as early for reservations and while had some great meals, this year we were on the phone 180 days out for not only our choice of restaurants but also times. We like to eat last after an afternoon of tours, saving our table service credits for dinner.

Last year we had Table Service meals at:

Crystal Palace- Great variety and service, perfect spot for Pooh and Friends character dining. My biggest complaint was the noise level, but understandably this is a great family stop that is central to the Castle.

Biergarten- My husband and I both love German food. We sat right up front for the show and the dancing. We will be back this trip. Picky eaters should pack some snacks as we did for our then 3 year old, who didn’t find much he would eat on the buffet.

Sci-Fi Drive in- Hands Down one of the BEST burgers/fry/shakes in WDW. Plus who wouldn’t love eating in a retrofitted 1950’s car while ogling the campy 50’s movies while you eat?

BEST MEAL of the Trip….. The Garden Grill at Epcot. We felt like we had “settled” for a 3rd tier character meal when we booked only a month in advance. We were so wrong that it was the first place we booked this year. The smaller restaurant is perfect for lots of stops by Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale (by the 4th time stop we waved them on), the food is served family style and included herb encrusted turkey, maple braised salmon, and marinated skirt steak. Serious yum and a real change of pace from the monotony of burgers, pizza, and fries.

This year we added the Ohana at Dinner and Chef Mickey’s, both of which we are looking forward to experiencing.

I have marked up my map of preferred counter service meals to avoid crowds and unnecessary walking. Outside of good food I also look for a place to rest, repack, and close proximity to bathrooms, thus no standing up eating a turkey leg as “lunch.”

Animal Kingdom- Yak and Yeti (the café in the courtyard next to the full service restaurant)

DHS- Toy Story Pizza Planet (new option this trip)

Epcot- Eating our way through Food and Wine tents or the small cafes throughout World Showcase

Magic Kingdom- Cosmic Rays has the usual burgers but also more options like chicken sandwiches with a great fixings bar. This year I’m adding Terrace Noodle Station for our 2nd day in the MK

We also ate at least 3 meals in our hotel (Port Orleans-Riverside) food court. The selection and variety was outstanding. From mufflettas, made to order salads, pancakes, beignets, pizza as room service the food was a selling point for why we are again staying at Port Orleans this trip.

My bottom line advice is plan your meals, esp. if you want hard to secure reservations at Chef Mickey’s and Cinderella’s Royal Table 180 days out. Also consider if on a dining plan how you can maximize the plan to take advantage of restaurants your might not consider due to price. We quickly learned that a $4 milkshake and a diet coke counted the same on our plan.

Happy eating.. You won’t go wrong in the World.


Janine:  We have yet to take Felicity, 9 months, to WDW and have not travelled with any other children. However, as we have eaten in different places at The World, there have been places that I would feel comfortable returning to with F, places we will most likely not go back to until she is older and somewhere I literally cannot wait to take her.

So I will begin with places where we have previously eaten that I would feel happy taking our child into. Obviously a lot of WDW is catered for families and little ones but some places seem more kiddie friendly than others. One of our most visited CS restaurant in MK is Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe. For a place to be on the ‘OK’ list for me, it has to cover 3 things. 1 – have a child friendly atmosphere. I don’t mean full of kiddies running amok but just so that if F kicks off or gets over excited, we don’t need to rush out. 2 – there needs to be a kids meal option on the menu or something I would be happy with F consuming. And 3 – decent prices. I’m not paying $10 for a few chicken nuggets and a carton of milk. I think CRSC would be just right. It has always appeared bright and fun, with plenty of space even when it’s busy with lots of tables and a great view of the castle (we once sat outside when it was a bit cooler and watched an artist sketching. Maybe he was one of the actual Disney illustrators, we’ll never know!). Prices are reasonable, kids meals such as chicken nuggets and PB and J sandwiches – the usual – are $4.99. I would also be happy with her eating any of the adult meals such as the vegetable wrap or burger.

HS and AK both hold a yummy fast temptation for us – pizza! We really like Pizzafari in AK and Toy Story Pizza Planet at HS. Pizzafari comes with a Caesar salad too for $7.99 and there are kiddie sizes for $4.99. This has lots of space and the occasional character wandering through. TSPP in HS is also fun and spacious with quick queues and seating inside and out. There are also collectible keepsake cups to purchase here – DH loves his. Here they do a veggie pizza as well as the usual cheese and pepperoni and have the choice of just pizza (from $5.99 or one with a green salad (from $7.99) which we always get. There is again a smaller child's pizza or even a couple of mixed salad choices.

The Electric Umbrella (again lots of space and no ‘standing to attention’) which has chicken wraps or cheese burgers for $4.99. But my favourite CS in EPCOT is The Liberty Inn in the America Pavilion. This also does the cheeseburger and wrap as well as kiddies nuggets. There is a veggie burger, salads and chili on offer. I also love the sound of the Baked Apple Dumpling – yummy! We will most definitely stroll the Boardwalk too with F as there is a lot of outside seating which will not effect anyone else. Sandwiches or pastries from the BW bakery are more than enough for a lunchtime snack.

Now – somewhere we wouldn’t take F just yet. We are BIG fans of Planet Hollywood at DTD but we agree this is way too noisy for her at this tender age (she’ll be a preschooler still when we go). It is also pretty expensive for her just to pick at a meal. We would feel this about most TS restaurants to be honest. I could not imagine taking her into somewhere like The California Grill even though they do serve children. Victoria and Albert's doesn’t serve under tens. Can’t say I blame them.

Somewhere I really want to take F to is Chef Mickeys. Now there are plenty of character meals (Amy has already written about her experiences with her Tink) and 1900 Park Fare also sounds good. But I can already picture my little girl giving Mickey and Minnie a huge kiss, whilst mummy and daddy fill up on Mickey shaped waffles – YUMMY!


Click here for more info on our Minnie Moms. Please let us know if there is a topic you'd be interested in seeing or a trip planning question we can answer for you!

Celebrate Today!

This is a bulletin board in my daughter's room.  For a while now, Walt Disney World has been encouraging people to visit the resort to celebrate special events in life.  Cast members will wish you a happy (insert event here) when you wear one of these buttons.  I couldn't find my honeymoon button and I know there is also one for family reunions but otherwise, we have a pretty good collection.  What other buttons have you gathered over the years?

If you are celebrating something on your next trip to WDW, be sure to stop by a Guest Relations location and ask for a button.  The birthday cards on the board are pretty special.  Check out the post.

Andy and I celebrated our anniversary on our April trip.

Audrey got this one at Chef Mickey's.

We requested this one for Audrey at Epcot Guest Relations.

Mom & DisneyDad got us these at Old Key West.

We had our birthdays on the reservation, so we got birthday
buttons at check-in.  We had 5 birthdays within a reasonable
time from the trip.  The green one was from my local hobby store.  

These are available with a donation to the conservation fund.

Oh, and don't forget the stickers!  Disney loves to give away stickers!