Mommy Octopus

Depending on what time of year you visit Walt Disney World, it could rain frequently. Usually the rain doesn’t last long; however, it could put a damper on your vacation. Don’t let it! Most people leave the parks when it begins to rain. On our October 2012 trip to Disney World, it rained every day. On our last day at Animal Kingdom, there was a downpour. We hid out in a gift shop for a while, but it began to get crowded and expensive (my kids wanted everything in there). We decided to put on our ponchos and make a run for Finding Nemo: The Musical. The show wasn’t very crowded, and when we left, the rain had stopped. Some of the attractions had closed for the day and most people had left the park. We were able to ride Expedition Everest twice back to back without a wait and were only one of two families eating at Restaurantosaurus. Here is a breakdown of indoor rides, restaurants, shows, and activities you can do to make the most of your Disney vacation on a rainy day.

Magic Kingdom:

What to ride: Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, It’s A Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Under the Sea Journey of The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

What to see: Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor, Stitch’s Great Escape, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Enchanted Tales with Belle

Where to eat: Casey’s Corner (limited indoor seating), Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, The Diamond Horseshoe, Gaston’s Tavern, Main Street Bakery (limited indoor seating), Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café, Pinocchio Village Haus, Tomorrowland Terrace (covered outdoor seating), Tortuga Tavern

Who to see: Ariel at Her Grotto, Disney Pals (Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck, and Donald Duck) as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Sideshow, Mickey Mouse and Disney Princesses at Town Square Theater, Disney Fairies at Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook

Other activities: The Enchanted Tiki Room, Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade, Tomorrowland Arcade

Epcot:

What to ride: Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Maelstrom, Mission: SPACE, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Soarin’, Spaceship Earth

What to see: Captain EO, The Circle of Life, Impressions de France, O Canada, Reflections of China, The American Adventure, Turtle Talk with Crush, Voices of Liberty, The Spirit of Norway

Where to eat: Electric Umbrella, Katsura Grill, La Cantina de San Angel (indoor seating available from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM), Les Halles Boulangerie & Pâtisserie (limited indoor seating), Liberty Inn, Sommerfest, Sunshine Seasons

Who to see: Disney Pals (Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy) at the Epcot Character Spot

Other activities: Kidcot Fun Stops, Club Cool, American Heritage Gallery, Bijutsu-kan Gallery, Gallery of Arts and History, House of the Whispering Willows, Mexico Folk Art Gallery, Stave Church Gallery

Hollywood Studios:

What to ride: The Great Movie Ride, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Toy Story Midway Mania, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

What to see: The American Idol Experience, Disney Junior Live on Stage, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Voyage of The Little Mermaid, Muppet Vision 3D, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

Where to eat: ABC Commissary, Backlot Express (outdoor covered seating), Fairfax Fare (outdoor covered seating), Pizza Planet, Studio Catering Co. (outdoor covered seating)

Who to see: Buzz Lightyear and Woody at Pixar Place, The Incredibles at The Magic of Disney Animation, Sorcerer Mickey at The Magic of Disney Animation

Other activities: American Film Institute Showcase, The Magic of Disney Animation, Pizza Planet Arcade

 Animal Kingdom:

What to ride: Dinosaur

What to see: Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo: The Musical, It’s Tough to be a Bug

Where to eat: Flame Tree Barbecue (outdoor covered seating), Pizzafari, Restaurantosaurus, Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes (outdoor covered seating)

Who to see: Rafiki at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Adventurers Outpost

Other activities: Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Alexia is a Disney Specialist with Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping to plan magical vacations, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

I’m sure you’ve noticed that there hasn’t been many posts the past several days. That’s because this sweet girl of mine turned FOUR on Friday! She was just a little baby when I started this blog!

For her birthday, she wanted to go to the East Athens Splash Pad.  It actually worked out great for a birthday party!  Since we had her party on a Friday, it was only $30 for 4 hours for the pavilion next to the splash pad.  Then it was just $1 per kid to enter the splash pad! She could invite all her little friends without it costing a fortune!

For lunch, we did Papa John’s pizza.  We didn’t see any deals, but my mom went to the store in person and inquired about order 6 large pizzas.  They ended up giving them to her for $6 per cheese and $7 per pepperoni!  That’s a good deal!  So if you’re ever wondering about getting pizza for a party, head on over in person or call on the phone to talk to a manager and see what sort of deal they can give you on a big pizza order.

 

I was worried about the icing melting on her cupcakes so we ended up doing a “Create Your Own Cookie/Cupcake” thing and the kids loved it.  I loved not having to transport cupcakes and worrying about icing issues 🙂

All in all great party! I’d definitely recommend doing a splash pad party if you need to stick to a budget!

If you have been following this series, you should have already made your budget, decided when you are going, how you are getting there, food options, and where you are staying for your Disney World vacation. Today we will be discussing the importance of hiring an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

What is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is a travel agency who has received special training and recognition from Disney. Whether you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World or a trip on a Disney Cruise, we know Disney vacations inside and out!

Why should you hire an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? First of all, our services are FREE for you to use! We are commissioned by Disney, so Disney pays our commission, not you! You can also pay for your Disney vacation as you go, similar to a lay away system. All you need is a $200 deposit to secure your reservation. After that, you can make payments as you please. Your package must be paid in full 45 days before your check in date.

Destinations in Florida also offers many other FREE perks for our guests. Our most popular is FREE discount watch. Say, for example, when you make your deposit for your Disney vacation Disney does not have any discounts available for your travel dates. We will discount watch for you. When a discount becomes available, we will apply that discount to your account on the first day it is available and alert you of your savings! We also offer FREE itinerary planning. As soon as it becomes available, we will let you know the park hours for your travel dates and what the expected crowd levels will be each day. Based on this information, we can help you plan which park will be best to visit each day of your vacation. We can also help with Disney Dining services. We can suggest the best restaurants for your picky eaters or your family members with special dietary needs. We can even make your dining reservations for you up to 180 days in advance! We will also send a few magical surprises for the children in your family to get them excited about your trip!

This concludes our saving for a Disney vacation series. Is there anything we missed? Any other questions you might have? Are there any other destinations you would like to learn more about? Leave a comment below with your questions. If we get enough questions in, we will try to do a question and answers post next week.

Alexia is a Disney Specialist with Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping to plan magical vacations, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

 

This year, cow appreciation day at Chick-Fil-A is Friday July 12th.  It also happens to be my soon-to-be 4 year old’s birthday!  A few years back I had made the kids each a cow hat to wear, but since then we have had a couple more kids.  This year we are also going simple and creating our own cow masks and doing spots all over.

Here are a few ideas I came across to enjoy Chick-Fil-A on the cheap:

• Cow Mask Printable
• Another Cow Mask Printable

For the body, simple wear a white shirt and pin or tape spots all over.  You could even take some yarn and braid a tail to pin to your behind.  Possibilities are endless!

What are ways you have dressed like a cow before?

 

We are already knocking out the list we created about fun things to do this summer!  We aim to have the most fun possible this summer and make tons of memories.  Here’s an update as we work to conquer each and every one:

1. Play in the sprinkler
2. Make our own bubble solution and blow bubbles
3. Roller skate
4. Go on a hike
5. Ride bikes
6. Go to playground
7. Library summer reading
8. Go to a play
9. Summer movies at theater
10. Put on swimsuits and wash the van
11. Make and eat popsicles
12. Visit a friend
13. Go for icecream at night in our pajamas
14. Sleep under the stars
15. Make a bonfire and roast marshmallows
16. Plant flowers
17. Make our own icecream
18. Visit Grandma’s house
19. Fly a kite
20. Jump rope
21. Paint our own shirts
22. Put together a huge LEGO city
23. Play a board game
24. Bird watch
25. Make a fort out of the couch and blankets
26. Work on our sticker mosaics
27. Put on a play
28. Make a treasure hunt
29. Campout in living room
30. Visit a fire station
31. Go to the zoo
32. Turn on music and dance
33. Have a picnic
34. Go to the lake
35. Write a journal about summer activities
36. Make an obstacle course
37. Create a terrarium
38. Go to a museum
39. Have a yard sale
40. Make a time capsule
41. Paint
42. Learn something new
43. Geocache
44. Watch the sunrise/sunset
45. Water gun fight
46. Play with the dog
47. Hop in the car and go back roads to discover something new
48. Write a poem
49. Invite friends over for a cookout
50. Make a new friend

What have you done so far this summer?

Last night we went Lightenin’ Bug Catchin’.  Or Firefly Catching – whichever you call it.  We call it both.

My kids wanted to  make sure everyone knows how to catch these little bugs “properly”.Here are instructions on How to Catch a Lightenin’ Bug according to my kiddos. 🙂

1. Go out right before dark and watch for little lights.
2. Run toward the little lights.
3. Catch them by putting your hands together.
4. Don’t clap your hands too hard when you catch one or you might squish ’em.
5. Put them in a jar to watch them light up but don’t forget to let them go later.
6. Yes, it is sad to let them go, but you can catch them again tomorrow!

What do you call these critters? Lightening Bugs or Fireflies or something else?

This post is by my friend Alexia.  Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.  Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

If you have been following this series, you should have already made your budget, decided when you are going, how you are getting there, and where you are staying for your Disney World vacation. Today we will be discussing ticket options.  This can be a little tricky since there are so many options and because ticket prices vary.

Your first ticket option it the base ticket. The base ticket will allow you entry to one park for one day. The option is ideal for families who have small children or who are visiting for the first time and do not wish to be overwhelmed by visiting more than one park in one day. A one day base ticket for adults (anyone ages 10 and over) will cost about $89.00 per person. A one day base ticket for children (ages 3-9) will cost about $83.00 per person. Children 2 and under are free. The price of the ticket might vary slightly depending on the time of year you visit. This is where things get a little tricky. The more you stay, the less expensive ticket prices per day will be. For example, say you stay for four days so you can spend one full day at each park. A four day base ticket for adults will cost about $64.00 per person per day. A four day base ticket for children will cost about $59.75 per person per day. If you are planning a longer trip, a 10 day base ticket for adults will cost about $31.80 per person per day. A 10 day base ticket for children will cost about $30.00 per person per day. If you are planning on staying longer than 10 days, purchasing an annual pass will save you the most money.

What if you want to visit more than one park in one day? The Park Hopper option would be the best option for you and your family. The Park Hopper ticket option will allow you to visit two, three, or even all four parks in one day. This option is ideal for several different families such as those who have older children who wish to ride all their favorite thrill rides in one day, those who are traveling during special events such as the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and wish to see the Eat to the Beat concert series every night, or those who wish to view their favorite parade or fireworks display at their favorite park every day. To add on the Park Hopper option, you will need to add an additional $57.00 per ticket to your base ticket option.

The Water Park and More option gives families the option to visit one theme park and some of the many other extra entertainment options Disney has to offer every day.  The Water Park and More option will allow ticket holders entry to Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, (Disney’s two water parks) ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, and Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course. This option is ideal for families who want to take a break from the parks and play golf, play video games, or splash at one of the water parks. To add on the Water Park and More option, you will need to add an additional $57.00 per ticket to your base ticket option.

What if you are the adventurous family who wants to experience anything and everything in a single day? There is a bundle ticket with the Park Hopper and Water Park and More option for you! This ticket option includes everything mentioned above.  This option is ideal for families who wish to split up and do their own then then meet up for lunch and/or dinner or families who want to experience different activities throughout the day. To add on the Park Hopper and Water Park and More option, you will need to add an additional $79.00 per ticket to your base ticket option.

Which ticket option works best for you and your family?