Disney's Festival of Fantasy parade

During our recent trip to Walt Disney World, we were finally able to see the new parade at the Magic Kingdom.  My 9 year old son was the photographer for this parade, and he got some really great pictures!  Lots of characters looked right at him as he took their pictures, and one special princess even came over to talk to him, complimenting his photography skills.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is a fun party that Disney throws every year around Halloween.  This year my son and I are taking a special mom/son trip to celebrate his 10th birthday!  We are going for just three days, but we have some really exciting things planned.  We will be attending MNSSHP on Halloween night!  MNSSHP is a hard ticket event, separate from general admission, and is limited to the number of people who can purchase tickets.  We plan on spending the whole day at the Magic Kingdom that day, though.  From our pre-park opening breakfast reservation, to Pirate's League, to MNSSHP, this Halloween is sure to be a blast!

We got our tickets in the mail today

These tickets will get us entry to the party, lots of trick-or-treating, the special Boo to You Halloween parade, HalloWishes fireworks show, Villains mix and mingle, and more!

Also planned for our short, three day trip is a day at Downtown Disney, which we had to skip on our recent trip, as well as a day at EPCOT. Stay tuned for some pictures from our trip a few weeks ago!  I will post a couple blogs about our trip.

Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage

If you are looking for something new to do on your next Walt Disney World visit, I highly recommend the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage!  Lasting about two and a half hours, this unique experience includes an all you can eat dessert buffet, multiple character meet and greets, a boat ride complete with your very own pirate captain who sings songs, tells jokes, and plays some trivia for prizes, and of course an amazing view of the nighttime fireworks show, Wishes.  We arrived around 8:30 pm.  After we checked in, we each got a bandanna.  Then the kids worked on a pirate puzzle and I took a few pictures.

Then, we were led into a room filled with snack and desserts of all kinds!  This is also where we got to meet our first two character, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee!  I loved this meet because there were only so many people waiting to meet them.  Captain hook loved the kids' pirate costumes, and Mr. Smee danced with them.

Here are some pictures of the snacks and desserts

This was our boat's pirate captain, Patch.  He was absolutely hilarious!

After Wishes, we came back to the Contemporary where we got to meet Peter Pan!

All of this does cost a little bit extra, but is 100% worth it.  This is now a must do for my family on every trip.

Road trip tips

My tips for a peaceful road trip with kids

* Invest in a portable DVD player for the car.  Watching a movie will kill an hour and a half to two hours, and is a great idea when they start arguing. 

* Pack a bag of non-electronic items for each child. You don't want them glued to a tv screen or video game screen the entire time.  Include a few favorite items such as their favorite stuffed animal, favorite book, or action figure. Also make sure to pack a few new items- coloring book & crayons, word search book, new book, etc.  I would recommend you have about 5-8 items in this bag. 

* Play games together as a family.  If you have younger kids, a game of I-Spy is fun.  For older ones, see who can find the most state license plates in 30 minutes.  Or how about road sign ABC's (Exit for "E", Rest Area for "R", etc.).  

* Stop to eat.  While eating in the car to save time might sound like a good idea, the kids (and you!) will need a break from the car.  Pack sandwiches to save money, then stop at a park or picnic area to eat and let the kids run around for a few minutes.  They might even get tired enough to take a nap!

* Have a "special" bag up front with you.  In this bag, put a few new toys, a new DVD (if you have a DVD player in the car), etc.  About halfway through the trip (or longer, if you can make it), give this bag to the kids.  It will be like Christmas morning, and they will be excited to play with the new things. 

What tips do you have for a successful road trip?

2015 Transatlantic Cruise

There is a really great deal on a 15 night Transatlantic cruise in May 2015.  This one will sell out FAST because of the awesome prices.  You will visit Newfoundland, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark, as well as enjoy several days at sea where you can explore the ship, take in some Disney shows, do some dancing, relax by the pool with a refreshing beverage, take a ride on the AquaDunk, hang out with your favorite characters, eat delicious food, and much more!

New Itineraries for Summer 2015 | Disney Cruise Line | Disney Parks

New itineraries include visits to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.  Of course the popular cruise destinations of the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Alaska are still available as well!  Which is your favorite cruise destination?

Easter Egg Hunt- Disney Style

From April 10-20, you can participate in a Disney-fied Easter egg hunt in Epcot.

From the Disney Parks Blog:

How it works!
Have fun exploring the parks hunting for ‘eggs’ that portray Disney characters! Record your discoveries by placing the corresponding sticker on the specially themed Egg-stravaganza map to represent that location. Maps and stickers can be purchased for $4.95, plus tax at the following parks and locations:

• Disney California Adventure park – Elias & Co., Oswald’s, Radiator Springs Curios, Rushin’ River Outfitters, Studio Store and Treasures in Paradise.
• Disneyland park – Disney Showcase, Fairy Tale Treasures, Gag Factory, Pieces of Eight and Pooh Corner
• Epcot – Heritage Manor (American Adventure Pavilion), Disney Traders, International Gateway, Pin Centraland Port of Entry

There are a dozen reasons for you to love the event this year! I know what new characters have been added, but it’s up to you to find them.

Don’t crack under the pressure! Whether you choose to hunt for eggs or not, return your map to a redemption location: Elias & Co. at Disney California Adventure park; Disney Showcase in Disneyland park or Disney Traders in Epcot and participate in an ‘egg-scramble’ to pick up your surprise.

IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party

Wouldn't it be so nice to just sit back with a glass of sparkling wine and some delicious sweet treats, while watching an amazing fireworks show?  Well, now you can!  For just $49 for adults and $29 for kids, you can reserve a spot in Epcot's Showcase Plaza for IllumiNations fireworks spectacular on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 7:45-9:20pm.  While there, you will be able to enjoy sparkling wines from around the World Showcase, as well as indulge in treats such as Tiramisu and Vanilla pot de creme!

The Magic Kingdom also has it's own dessert party, called the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party.

Family Disney Night

When I first contacted the marketing manager at my local Chick-fil-a, I didn't realize just how many people would come out for an event like this.  I was completely surprised and excited by the number of people who were there!  I was surrounded by princesses, and I met lots of new friends.  We also had a local family who decided to go all out for the occasion- they were a HUGE hit!

We also had a costume contest, which was judged by the awesome staff at Chick-fil-a.  Our winners were Aladdin, Sully, Rapunzel, and Snow White! 

If you were there, comment and let me know what you enjoyed the most.  I want to also say that the staff at Chick-fil-a did an amazing job handling the large crowd.  Thank you for having me!  

2014 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

This year's Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot promises to be amazing, as always!  The festival, which takes place March 5- May 18, 2014 will feature some brand new topiaries, such as Kermit the frog, Miss Piggy and Timon, as well as some old favorites.  Goofy, Donald and Daisy topiaries will at the front entrance to welcome you.   There will also be beautifully landscaped gardens, play areas for kids, and lots of experts on hand to give you tips and techniques you can try in your own garden.

Also coming back this year are the delicious culinary treats of the Marketplace kiosks around World Showcase and the illuminated topiaries in the evening. The Flower Power concert series welcomes a couple new acts this year- Gary Lewis and the Playboys (March 14-16) and The Alan Parsons Live Project (May 16-18).  The Guess Who will kick off the event on March 7-9 at America Gardens theater.

This a great event to take some really beautiful photos.  Most of the activities are included with your Epcot admission ticket, and many of the Marketplace kiosks also accept the dining plan snack credits, so save some for this event!