Glowing Toys for Nights at Disney Parks

Throughout the year, keep an eye out for glow in the dark or light up toys while you are shopping. I've found glow wands for $1 each in the past. This week I ran across the collection below at Target in the kids party section. While you can find cheaper toys from time to time, they have a fun selection of products which are convenient and still far less expensive than the items sold in the parks.  These are party packs and include 4-10 of each item.

When choosing toys, keep in mind that you don't want anything too bright.  A standard flashlight would be distracting for other guests.  Glow sticks, bracelets, etc and toys with a dim light are best.

Photo Flashback! Tigger

The Flower and Garden Festival takes place from late March thru the first week of May. Here's a picture of my favorite Pooh Corner resident.


- Posted by Ridge using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brother/Sister Walt Disney World Vacation

2007 was the “Year of a Million Dreams” or should I say one of the years since that promotion ran for 27 months. I made two trips to Walt Disney World that year. My in-laws joined us for our usual fall trip for the Food and Wine Festival. However, the really special visit was one with my brother in February of 2007.

My husband and I moved to Oklahoma in late 2005. By early 2007, my brother Chris and I decided a second brother/sister WDW trip was in order. Our first had been in 2004 for the Mission Space Annual Passholder (AP) preview. Chris and I travel really well together. I like to plan and he’s happy with most plans, as long as there is one.

At the Mission Space preview in 2004

We are Disney Vacation Club members but chose not to use points for this trip. Instead, we got an AP discount at our favorite moderate resort, Port Orleans Riverside. I love this resort. The grounds are lush and beautiful and it’s a great place to go for a morning jog. Chris’ flight didn’t arrive until really late so I had the first evening to myself. I took the opportunity to meander to Port Orleans French Quarter, taking photos along the way. After a stop in the POFQ food court for dinner, I did some shopping at Downtown Disney. I discovered that I really shouldn’t shop there alone. Let’s just say that I spent more than normal, however I still love the items I bought that day.

Since it was the Year of a Million Dreams and we (probably just me) wanted an excuse to do so, Chris and I had t-shirts made showing our vacation checklist. It didn’t get us anything from the Dream Squad but they made a great souvenir. We took pictures along the way of some of the items on our list. (I took 4 trips to WDW during the YoaMD and my only encounter with the Dream Squad was a very cute ear hat.)

We were able to check out a few things that were fairly new on this visit. The pirate tutorial sessions near Pirates of the Caribbean were just getting started. There is a stage now but in the beginning, they just used an open space to the left of the queue entrance. It features every big girl’s favorite face character...Captain Jack.

Finding Nemo The Musical was also new to us on this trip, having just opened in November 2006. Chris humored me and stood in the rain to wait for the show. I love this show. It’s amazing how you are so aware of the actors but at the same time, convinced that Nemo is real.

I don’t know if this was really new or not, but it was certainly the first time it had caught our attention. Club Cool offers free sodas from around the world, including everyone’s favorite, Beverly. There are some Coke products for sale in Club Cool. Chris had recently worked for the local Coca-Cola distributor at home so we lingered a bit longer than usual. He decided to pay an extra fifty cents over the regular price of water to create the “souvenir bottle.” You choose a wrap, slide it on the bottle, and this gizmo shrink wraps your disposable bottle. If that’s not genius marketing, I don’t know what is. Get people to pay more for something they aren’t going to keep anyway.

We did not attend but the short-lived Pirate and Princess Party was being held at Magic Kingdom that spring. This party was along the lines of the holiday parties but didn’t earn nearly the rave reviews of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. It wasn’t tied to any holiday, it just used pirates and princesses for the themes of the parade, fireworks, dance parties, etc. By 2009, no more dates were scheduled.

Pal Mickey made the trip with us again in 2007. He had been an excellent travel buddy during our 2004 adventure so we let him tag along again. We really didn’t need more pictures of ourselves in the parks but it was funny to take photos of Mickey. Since this was before we all carried smart phones, it was neat to hear him tell jokes and share park information and know where he was on Disney property.

In general, we just enjoyed spending some time together, taking in attractions and dining at a few favorite restaurants. Garden Grill was a good meal and a wonderful character greeting opportunity. Our lunch at Brown Derby was one of the best meals I’ve ever had at Walt Disney World. I had a cobb salad topped with seared tuna and Chris loved his steak. And for some reason, I remember the butter was the perfect temperature for their crispy rolls.

Time moves on and life happens. Since this 2007 vacation, I’ve had two children and moved to yet another state. Chris and I may not be able to take another brother/sister trip for a good while but we get to share Disney fun several times a week here on the blog.


This article originally appeared on Distherapy as a part of the 40 Days to 40 Years series.  DisneyDad and I were each proud to share a memorable vacation.  --Amy

Best Of: Marathon Memories

I'm taking a little personal break this month so some of January's articles will be popular past posts.  This morning is the Family Fiesta 5k and the half and full marathons will complete this running weekend at Walt Disney World.  Best of luck to all runners this weekend whether this is your first 5k or your 50th marathon.  Enjoy this celebration of all your training!  I'm looking forward to running with you in November.  This article originally appeared on Growing Up Disney on January 4, 2011. ~Amy


It’s almost time for thousands to lace up their shoes, pin on their race numbers, and wait for the starting gun. I participated in the 2005 Walt Disney World Marathon and it’s quite an experience. Best wishes to those who will toe the line in the half and full marathons this coming weekend!

I ran my first 5k in October of 2003, followed by my first 10k in November 2003. It wasn’t long before I was training for my first half marathon in April 2004. My employer at the time had a wonderful policy of paying the entry fee for cheap races and half of the fee for more expensive ones. The only catch was there had to be at least two employees participating. This was how I met my running buddy, Andrew. We were both interested in running the 2005 Walt Disney World Marathon. This was to be my first full marathon and his second. We trained for many months and he’s a tough trainer. I think we did several twenty milers in preparation for the big day.

Finally marathon morning arrived. I had been to the expo the day before at the Wide World of Sports complex to pick up my race packet and was all set. I had my race bib (number), all my favorite running clothes, well broken-in shoes, custom WDW marathon timing chip, Camelbak bag, and Minnie Mouse ears. I got up in the middle of the night, dressed, ate my usual peanut butter sandwich and a banana and headed out for the bus, which left at 3:30 AM. Thankfully Old Key West was one of the resorts offering transportation to the starting area in the Epcot parking lot. Unless it has to do with road closures, I’ve never understood why Disney wants you at the starting area so early for their races. I’ve done multiple 5k and 10k races there and they always ask you to be there far in advance.

With all that time on our hands and lots of butterflies about what faced us, it’s not surprising that a fair amount of the waiting in the starting area is spent in line for port-a-potties. (And they aren’t the same gross experience at a race as they are at festivals.)

I was finally ready to head to my corral. When I ran in 2005, the marathon and half marathon were on the same day and each had a limit of 12,000 people. Both races started together and the half split off somewhere along the way. For crowd control and to give each runner the best chance at a good start, Disney uses a corral system. You are assigned a corral based on how fast you’ve run previous races. At least a 10 mile race was required for the full marathon and if you don’t provide a time, you start in the very back. I had run my little heart out in a 10 miler in December to earn my corral C start. Andrew and I both saw the marathon as a celebration of all our hard work and we’d each chosen fun headgear for the event. I had sequined Minnie ears with multicolored streamers. Andrew had a large parrot hat. Additional bonus…it was far easier to find each other in the corrals this way.

I should have known we were in trouble since I wasn’t totally miserable standing on the road in the wee hours of the morning in shorts and a tank top in early January.

In my opinion, just like commando touring isn’t the best way to see the parks, a Disney marathon isn’t the best place to go for a new personal record. Even the marathon is an opportunity for Disney to entertain and inspire. DJs keep the pre-race time lively and provide some tunes along lonelier stretches of the course. The starting gun follows a brief show with Mickey, Minnie and fireworks. We carried cameras and stopped many times for character photos. Yes, this added at least a half hour to the time we could have run, but there is no way I was passing up a chance to hug Mickey!  Some obscure characters are available for photos along the way and there was usually a Cast Member ready to take the pic so you could hand off your camera, quickly pose, and be back to running.  The course is pretty limited to spectators, so Disney tries hard to provide entertainment.

Since I tend to start toward the back of races, I’m always amazed by the sea of people. It’s truly moving to be a part of such a thing: so many people working toward a goal. Thousands of different motivations for being there, but all putting one foot in front of the other for miles seeking the finish line and a medal.

The Walt Disney World Marathon course takes participants through all four theme parks. My family (DisneyDad, DisneyMom, Ridge, and then fiancé Andy) was able to meet up with us at various locations during the race, assisted by text messages generated when my timing chip passed specific points on the course. I’ve asked Chris to write his own article about the journey he and Andy took to cheer me on at several spots along the way. It was so encouraging to see them!

I’ll leave out the boring stretches of road with no spectators and not too much to look at and focus on the highlights within the parks to keep this from getting too long. Disney does try to provide music, trivia questions, etc. in those areas, but there is only so much they can do.

The first park we entered was Epcot. It was still dark and Spaceship Earth looked beautiful. After sunrise, we entered Magic Kingdom. DisneyDad was there on Main Street. Swags of Christmas greenery still hung from the buildings. In front of us was Cinderella Castle. Now, I’ve seen the castle more times than I could possibly count, but this was one of the best views ever. Andrew and I stopped at the end of the street for a quick pic with Lilo and Stitch. As the course carried us around the back of the castle, Suzy and Perla were dancing and waving from the restaurant balcony. It was still well before park opening, but the carousel was spinning and its delightful music filled the air. The races route you in and out of parks through backstage areas, and we got a glimpse of Cinderella’s coach as we left Magic Kingdom. Andy and Chris jogged with us briefly along the road outside of the Grand Floridian.

Once we finally reached Animal Kingdom, it was getting brutally hot for a race day and our shade was pretty much gone. You just don’t know what you’ll get in Central Florida. I had spoken with a lady in my corral who had run the previous year’s race and said it was so cold she never did warm up. Animal Kingdom provided a few surprises. In addition to DJs, character greetings, and parade floats, there were also chances to stop and visit with some of the park’s animal inhabitants. The uneven walkways are perfectly themed but are a little tough on someone who’s already run 17ish miles. We did appreciate the shade in the center of the park and the wet sponges they passed out backstage to try to cool us all down. Andy and Chris were outside of DAK for another hello.

If you’ve ever run a 10k at WDW starting at Wide World of Sports, going through Hollywood Studios, and ending in Epcot, you’ve essentially run the end of the marathon without that pesky 20 mile warm-up. Disney had a high school band performing at mile 20. I’ll admit I got a little misty. 20 miles is a big point because that’s as far as most people train, so anything beyond that is farther than you’ve pushed yourself before. Oh, and the heat was taking its toll.

Hollywood Studios offered the opportunity to ham it up with Toy Story characters, Kermit and Piggy, and others. I had to take a Charlie’s Angels-style shot with one of the green army men. Once we hit the main drag, Pooh and pals were there to greet us. By this point, we were in an open park and did get some strange looks from the tourists. My mom was out front of the park waiting to cheer us on.

Following the BoardWalk around, we entered World Showcase through the gate near the phones in the United Kingdom pavilion. As we exited into another backstage area, Disney had a gospel choir performing. With all that heat, I had already seen Jesus many miles back; seriously, no one else can help you at that point. After one more photo stop with the mile 26 marker, it was on to the finish line in the parking lot. I was thankful to be wearing my shades to hide the tears from the camera.

Another TMI statement, Disney surrounds the finish line area with shrubbery and judging from the kitty litter that had already been scattered by the time we got there, I don’t think it’s all about decoration.  I think one of the medical personnel thought I was going to add to it and grabbed me after I crossed the line.  I don't do well with lots of heat and just needed a chance to cool down.

I received my Mickey medal from a volunteer and headed straight for the PowerAde.  Andrew and I were able to get one more character photo; this time with the Incredibles.

That evening, my family celebrated my victory with dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table. This was before it was a character meal and probably the last time I will go until Tink insists on dining with Cindy.

I’ve done one other full marathon, a couple of halfs, and lots of smaller races since then, but my first Walt Disney World Marathon was definitely a day I’ll never forget.

Good luck again to everyone running in the 2011 Walt Disney World full and half marathons and the Goofy Challenge.  You are all winners!

Visit the Flickr feed in the right column for all of the photos from the big day.  Most of them were taken on actual film and my scanner put some of them out of order, but you get the idea.

Photo Flashback! A Growing Up Disney Christmas

We are still celebrating Christmas at my house.  When your family is as spread out as ours is, it takes a while to visit with everyone.  My husband's parents will be here today, driving almost 3 full days from Kansas to see the grandbabies.  I thought I'd share just a few of the Disney touches that are a part of our holiday.  These were all from Christmas Eve or Christmas Day of 2011.

I really need another one of the Mickey ear santa hats.

Nope, we didn't leave Tink out.  Her photo was moved to make room for stocking holders.

Granny and Granddaddy (DisneyDad) got her this dress.  I think she's worn it every day.  Anyone else see me as being a Disney mother of the bride?

On the DL with Chad: Will the Real Magic Kingdom Please Stand Up?

I was out at Disneyland, well, out at the Disneyland Toy Story Parking Lot recently anyways, during one of our very famous (or infamous, depending on how you view such things) 'Santa Ana' wind-storms.  For those unfamiliar, they're great big gusts of winds that come tearing down out of the Mojave Desert, fly down through the gaps and mountain passes between us and them, and generally make you feel like you're in four-alarm hurricane.  I was trying to text a tweet out at the time, but because the winds were literally almost blowing me off of my feet (and my phone out of my hands), I opted for throwing this out to the masses: "It's windy today at the magic kindgom! #Disneyland"  I'm going to assume that by now you've already noticed what's "wrong" with this picture... and yes, I did include the word 'wrong' in quotation marks, but we'll get to that more in a minute.

I've been in the game long enough now to know that there's a distinct east coast-west coast rivalry going on between those that consider Disneyland the quintessential Disney Park experience, and those that consider Walt Disney World the same, and I've learned to be pretty careful with what I say; but I slipped up.  What else can I say?  Within minutes I had received comments asking me "Don't you mean Walt Disney's ORIGINAL Magic Kingdom? ;)", and "Are you allowed to call DL the magic kingdom?  Won't FL people be upset with you?"  I assume you see what I'm getting at here... 

As I've gone along I've learned that Disney Park fans run the gamut from those that don't care one iota about the history or technical aspects of the Disney Parks (Disneyland Florida, anyone?), those that are complete and totally anal "Disney-philes" about everything (and you better make sure you say the exact right things around them or they'll let you know about it!), and those that are somewhere in the middle (like me) who can appreciate both ends of the spectrum.  We tend to view things on a simpler scale (we use the correct verbiage most of the times, but allow ourselves the occasional slip-ups) but by its very nature, we're also completely interested in the history and technical aspects of the Disney Parks, but not enough to say something to someone when they mess it up.  Honestly, and it's just my own opinion, to me it's always been a sign of negativity in a way to correct someone about the way they say something.  The question, "Is it necessary to correct that?" is the stick by which I gauge what I do and do not say, or correct someone upon.  Don't call Sleeping Beauty Castle by Cinderella Castle or I'll probably, gently say something to you; that sort of thing.  But I don't like doing it, so I might just keep my mouth shut about it, to be perfectly honest.  It's just my nature.  Like I said, I kind of view it as a negative in a way, and to me, there's already enough negativity in the world without my adding to it.

But it did get me thinking (which I like) about just why I tweeted about "the magic kingdom" like that.  And since Growing Up Disney hired me on to talk a little Disneyland history, I figure it would make a good topic!  And yes, I know that Walt Disney World has a Park called 'Magic Kingdom' and this is in no way meant to detract from that.  Despite what many people might know, or what they think they might know about Disneyland, there is in fact more than just a few precedents set by which Disneyland can also lay claim to the nickname "magic kingdom".  It was actually good for me to be able to take a few minutes to stop and think about it later (to make sure I wasn't completely losing my mind about the whole thing) and hopefully it interests some of you as well.

What might be little known to many people is that Disneyland has almost always carried the nickname "magic kingdom", and with Walt Disney World and it's creation of an entire Park called the same, it's created quite a bit of confusion (and contention) over the years.  But even from the very beginning, Disneyland has also carried the title to a pretty large degree.  One actually has to look no further than some of the Park maps from those early days to see exactly what I mean.  If you head on over to this article on Vintage Disneyland Tickets, you can take a look at a Disneyland map from 1964 and see what I'm talking about.  In the bottom right corner next to Walt Disney's head. It reads, "Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom - Disneyland U.S.A."  I figure there's only so many ways to interpret that.  Although Disneyland was never "officially" called The Magic Kingdom (and people even debate that, too!), there's certainly little way around the fact that it was at the very least a nickname for Disneyland; it's on the map for heaven's sakes!

But I can even go you one better!  One of the main reasons I think I referred to it as that is because of the Disneyland Resort music that I listen to!  It's used quite prominently in what I lovingly refer to as "The Disneyland Railroad spiel".  In two different bits of dialogue, Disneyland is referred to as "the magic kingdom" or "Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom".  I have a collection of tuneage from the Disneyland Resort entitled A Musical History of Disneyland, a 6-CD set of Disneyland songs and sound bites which I picked up from Amazon last year (and I'm glad I did because it's out of print now!) which has a track titled "All Aboard!"which testifies that the Disneyland passenger train, the E.P. Ripley, is now loading on Track 1 for trip around Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.  And perhaps my favorite reference of all, during the Remember... Dreams Come True fireworks spectacular which debuted during the Disneyland Resort's 50th Anniversary celebration, we learn that "the Disneyland Ltd." is "now leaving for a grand circle tour of the magic kingdom".  Seems pretty cut and dry to me!

I'm sure I could probably go on and on with all kinds of information meant to try and convince people of my point, but the truth is that's really not the point of what I'm trying to say.  At some point it kind of becomes like the whole "our castle is bigger than yours" argument, which I've sworn I'll never touch, but now that I have I probably will again.  In the end I guess that what I'm trying to say is that both are correct in their own way, and neither group of people should feel slighted or irritated in the least when someone refers to their own home as "magic kingdom".  Both Disney Parks can lay claim to the title, and they co-exist on opposite ends of the country as such.  To me, it's a non-issue, and I guess that's maybe what I'm trying to do here with all of this nonsense; convince others that it's not such a huge issue too, and see it all as an entire package with plenty of playground for everyone.  I know that I love playing around in my "magic kingdom", and I know that I can't wait to travel back east in a couple of years and play in everyone else's Magic Kingdom, too.  And let's be frank here, there is a pretty obvious reason that the Florida version is shaped to look so much like Disneyland Park.  It's in the genes!

So, with all of that said, I know what the weather was like at the "magic kingdom" last Thursday?  What was the weather like at Magic Kingdom?

Contributed by Chad E of Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I'm a married dad with three little boys doing the stay-at-home-dad/youth ministry/seminary student/card carrying Disneyland Annual Passholder (Premium!) thang! And when I have the time, I also like to blog and podcast about The Disneyland Resort and am the co-creator of both Days in the Park and the Days in the Parkcast podcast.

Other Disneyland articles from Chad:

On the DL with Chad: An Introduction!

Why DisneyLAND means the World to Me

The D55s

Photo Flashback! Merry Christmas

From the Growing Up Disney family, we hope that your family also had a wonderful Christmas!  We did.  DisneyDad and Mom and Ridge came up to North Carolina to celebrate with us.  We all loved, but especially the girls, having everyone here.  We've been so busy I just didn't get a post out on Monday.  We've got a vacation to Disney Vacation Club's Hilton Head Island Resort in a few weeks and I am going to take a bit of a blogging break between now and then.  DisneyDad and Ridge will keep things going around here.  And we'll do some live blogging from HHI.  I've also been testing some new products and travel ideas.  Baby Minnie's first WDW trip is being planned for November 2012 and I'll be running another half marathon, so stick with us.

Thank you for being here with us for another holiday season and I look forward to sharing with you in 2012.  

---Amy

Cheap Character Breakfast AKA Dry Run

Recently we saw this flyer in our local ChickFilA.  Even though we were having lunch there on Friday, we were back on Saturday morning to see Santa Cow.

Tink loves the cow as you can see in this series of photos.  She's seen the costumed character before but she even likes the huge cardboard cutout at the restaurant's entrance.

Tink was intimidated by the huge cow in the beginning so Minnie had the first visit with Santa Cow.

This photo was taken by the marketing manager at CFA.  Sadly, this must have been the best of our bunch.

While Santa Cow was ginormous to my 2.5 year old, Baby Cow was just right.  Tink followed him/her all over the place.

Lots O Huggin' Tink

Two very patient cows

Back for another hug.  She seemed to like him better when he was sitting and therefore shorter.

Tink also loved the Piggly Wiggly pig and a duck promoting the rubber duck race at a local festival back in the spring.  She drug us back over to see each of them several times.

Take advantage of the cheap or free character greetings in your local area.  They are a good way to gauge your child's comfort level with the oversized critters he/she may meet on your Walt Disney World vacation.  This may help prevent a meltdown later since you'll know how to approach the situation.  And wouldn't it be better to find out for the cost of a couple of biscuits versus the hundreds you are likely to drop on Disney character dining?

Baby Minnie doesn't like to travel yet so she'll be 17 months old on her first visit.  We'll find additional local opportunities for character interaction between now and then.  She was ok with the cows for now but we'll see what she thinks as a toddler.

--Amy

Photo Flashback!-- Epcot Drawbridge

Many people high-tail it out of Epcot as soon as the fireworks are over but as I have brought up in the past, it is a perfect time to get those night shots you always wanted. One really cool one is the drawbridge. Set up your tripod, set your camera to bulb and hold for that just right exposure because it is dark at Epcot after the fireworks are over. You have at least an hour before they start sweeping you towards the front. So take that last lap and get some fun pictures.

Guest Post: Disney Magic is an Amazing Thing!

Many years ago, when Heather, John, and I were first becoming a Family, my parents were going to visit my sister in Port St. Lucie (Florida) over Christmas. We decided that with John’s new Grand-mom and Grand-pop in Florida, it would be the perfect time for him to meet his cousins, aunt and uncle. We booked a trip to Disney World for the 26th through 31st of December. Just a quick Disney trip after Christmas to enjoy some Magic and see the family; but as they say, best laid plans….

Before the trip even materialized, we knew it wasn’t going to be as planned. My mother, who I never remember being sick when I was younger, had an emergency appendectomy after her appendix burst in early November. My parents still made the trip to Florida in December; Mom decided she needed to spend some time recuperating in a warmer climate. A few days later, we arrived in Florida, but things were not perfect at our location. John had said he was not feeling well, before he went to bed the first day we had arrived. He had the sniffles and was feeling blah. We told him it was probably from all the running around from the last couple of days (Christmas and the trip and all). The next morning he woke up saying he felt tired, but he was ready to head out to breakfast.

We went to 'Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast! (This is a character breakfast hosted by Lilo and John’s favorite, Stitch.) Since it was only our second trip to Disney together, I had shirts made for the occasion. They said The Glover’s After Christmas Getaway 2005. (I know there is no way that John would wear a shirt like that today, but I think the shirts made that trip even a little more magical for all of us and at that time, I think he thought it was neat that people were reading his shirt and thinking it was a big deal also.) When we got to breakfast, John mentioned that he wasn’t feeling great, but you couldn’t tell it by the way he interacted with the characters. He laughed and giggled through the entire meal and ate quite a bit. After eating, he waited to say hello to Mickey who was greeting people as they came into the restaurant. It was then that he started looking a little peak-ed. By the time we got his picture with Mickey, he said he wasn’t hungry anymore. Our plans after that were to head to The Magic Kingdom for the morning and enjoy some after Christmas scenery. We jumped on the Monorail and headed to the Magic Kingdom. When we got there, John didn’t look good at all. Feeling his forehead, his mom declared he had a fever. When the little man asked if we could just head back to the room, I knew it was serious. We walked from the Monorail station to the boat dock and took a boat back to the Wilderness Lodge, where we were staying.
After falling asleep on the bench waiting for the boat and then sleeping on the boat ride back, we put him to bed and while Heather stayed with him, I searched for some children’s Tylenol. John slept for the next 24 hours. While he slept, we enjoyed hanging out in the room. We took turns going to the Mercantile and getting food and reading materials. The next day, we were supposed to meet my parents, my sister, and her family in Sea World. We a little worried that instead of meeting them, we would be finding a doctor to take John to, as his fever didn’t seem to break. But as will happen in Disney World, the next day, Magic happened. John’s fever wasn’t just lower, it was gone completely. I called my sister and told her we were on for meeting up at Sea World. John was going to get to meet his cousins.

When we got there, and found them in the parking lot, they were two people short. My parents, who had driven all the way from West Virginia, decided not to make the trip north to Orlando. My mom was feeling a little rundown from their travels and her surgery. As disappointing as that was, John was still excited to meet his cousins, Lauren and Leslie and his Aunt Sue and Uncle Ron. The girls and John bonded immediately. It was like they had been family all their lives. They laughed and ran all around the park together until they had tired us out. One of the highlights was feeding the dolphins. They all enjoyed that very much. When we returned to Wilderness Lodge late that afternoon, John was tired but still feeling good. So, we headed to the Magic Kingdom that night for some Disney Christmas Magic.

John and Heather both loved the snow falling from the sky on Main Street USA (of course I did too). We had a great time that evening and the next couple of days flew by without any more incidents or illness. I look back on that trip and have to smile, I wonder if we were anywhere else, if John would have gotten better as quickly as he did. Was it Disney Magic? Of course I think it was. Disney Magic is an amazing thing!


Contributed by Bruce G., husband to Heather, proud father of John, and creator of The Unknown Magic Within Walt Disney World


Check out other wonderful Disney memories from Bruce:

• The Best Thing I've Ever Seen at a Disney Park
• Disney Pools, Fun for All
• Bruce on 'growing up Disney'

"Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood"

This morning I heard a story on the radio about the Canadian Medical Association Journal. 11 months out of the year, it's is a dry work, dull but necessary reading. However, each December they have a little fun, such as an article suggesting physicians remove ear wax with a super soaker water gun.

One year, they did a psychological analysis of our pals in the Hundred Acre Wood. If you read this as the joke it is intended to be, it's quite amusing.

http://canadianmedicaljournal.ca/content/163/12/1557.full

And is it just me or is there a hidden Mickey in the illustration at the end?

--Amy

Quick Tip: Christmas Cards and Vacation Postcards

I love getting Christmas cards from family and friends. Here's a lovely way to display them in your home.

I simply tied a long piece of red satin ribbon around a kitchen cabinet door. It is anchored by a bit of sticky tack (that gum-like stuff we all used to put things on our dorm room walls.) Wooden clothespins attach the Christmas cards to the ribbon.

I need to do another cabinet door for the other cards I have now and will add on as we receive additional cards.

I'm thinking about doing something similar in my laundry room to display photos of the girls, artwork, vacation postcards, etc. Since the cards or photos are held on by clothespins or other small clips, it will be easy to add or change the photo gallery.

For really crafty types, you could do this while on a Walt Disney World vacation. At resorts with kitchen cabinets, such as DVC, you could display the maps, stickers and other small items you gather each day. For studio-style rooms, tie or hot glue a section of ribbon on a small metal ring (or just tie one end of the ribbon into a loop.) Take along a Command hook so you can hang it without damaging the wall.

--Amy

Update: Here's the final result. I love seeing all these joyous wishes and cute faces while I work in the kitchen.

Magical Blogorail: What I Would Update

Welcome to the first stop on Magical Blogorail Red.  This month we discuss what we'd like to update at Walt Disney World if we could.  Imagineers are continually updating shows and attractions.  This is what we would like to update...

Ah, what would I update next at Walt Disney World? Realistically we know the Disney Parks are constantly changing and improving but they just can't do all they'd like to do. Well, let's pretend financial and creative resources are unlimited for this discussion.

My favorite park is Epcot so I'd put my imaginary refurbishment dollars there. Future World would be my main focus. The park is a terrific blend of entertainment and education. It plays host to the largest festivals at WDW however it needs a little attention and in my dream world, it will happen.

First, let's start with The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The undersea ride is fun and I like that they put something back in that area. However, it still feels like the pavilion lacks cohesiveness. Once you hop out of the clam shell, the place feels like a random hodgepodge of exhibits even with several sporting Nemo themes. Somehow the flow through that large building also needs to be improved. More of an A to B to C rather than simply wandering.

(Remember the hydrolators? When I lived in Kissimmee, I had a friend who was an Orange County sheriff. He was called out to deal with someone stealing from the gift shop at The Seas. The thief had quite the grin on his face when he jumped into a hydrolator to escape. Imagine his surprise when the officers didn't have to run flights of stairs to catch him. They simply walked out the door and waited for him on the other side.)

Continuing on to the Imagination pavilion. Where to begin? On the plus side, the fountains are great fun to watch and kids love them. It was certainly time for Honey I Shrunk the Audience to leave the theatre but I hope Captain EO is just a temporary filler while something new and interesting is being prepared. I always try hard to look at the details in the preshow area and I love Figment but I don't love the current version of the ride. Here's where we'd call in those unlimited creative resources to bring us something awesome in both the ride and the interactive theatre.

The Wonders of Life pavilion is now only used for special events. Come on fictional "skies the limit" resources, let's do something amazing over there.

And again, since I am dreaming....The Land's popularity skyrocketed with the addition of Soarin' and it's always super busy. I'd love to see flow improved here too. How about moving the Fastpass distribution machines outside to cut down on some of the "running in as fast as possible" crowd?

I wouldn't do much to Test Track (other than the maddening song in the queue) and Mission Space.  I know some want to update Universe of Energy since Ellen's sitcom has been off the air for years.  Personally, I wouldn't.  Not even with my fictional dollars.  Too low on the priority list.

Thank you for joining us on our Magical Blogorail journey this month.  Be sure to visit all of our stops.  Next you will head of to visit Heidi's Head.  Please watch your head and step...

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard: 

1^st Stop ~ Growing Up Disney

2^nd Stop ~ Heidi's Head

3rd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

Final Stop ~ A World View 

Photo Flashback: Christmas 1973

Christmas on Main Street 1973

 Christmas is always a beautiful time at Walt Disney World.  They have people who spend all year long desiging displays and finding just the right beautiful decoration to put in the park.

My Bride next to Cinderella Castle 1973

  December 14, 1973 I married the most beautiful person in my life.  38 years ago today we said our vows.  Then I took my bride on her first trip to Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom.  Our lives have been "Magical" all these years.

These pictures were taken on that trip to the Magic Kingdom on December 24, 1973.  Notice no one is in the picture of the Christmas Tree.  To get a picture like that today when the park is open would be almost impossible.

Merry Christmas to all!!!
--DisneyDad

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:10-14