Have you ever been in line at Disney World and looked around at the different people in line with you? I have noticed you have several Disney Line Companion types in line with you. I know I could easily fit into a few of these categories..

These are just for fun and by no means complete as you can have several variations and hybrid group types.

• Hardcore – These are the people with most times absolutely nothing on them, no camera, phone, park map, nothing…Most times this is older couples without kids or couples with teen age kids. They know the parks like the back of their hands and they don’t need to look around cause they have already seen everything.
• Married with Children – These are the people with everything…Diaper bag, camera, cell phones, fanny pack, stroller, etc. They look like they are on a trek to the Himalayas. Usually they can open a bag and have a complete kitchen, hospital, and department store all hiding inside that one bag. You don’t really see the parents much you are to busy being entertained by their kids.
• Love Birds – Most times these are younger couples. Usually holding hands and loving on each other. Oblivious to everything going on around them. Maybe there on a date or a honeymoon. This is what the Married with Children group used to look like before kids. These are the ones who get to ride on every ride, stay from when the park opens to when it closes, and looks the most relaxed.
• Business Casual – This is the best looking group. They look like they just ditched their Conference or round of Golf to hit up the parks. Most times they are way over dressed for being in the heat. Usually accompanied by their lifelong companion their Blackberry. If you listen closely enough you can actually hear their entire conversation while in line.
• Outlanders – One of the most entertaining groups as they are there to have 100% fun. Usually better dressed than I am and always a pleasure to talk to if they are from an English speaking country, or if they have actually taken the time to learn our language can make for some very funny conversations. Interesting to see and hear how other cultures act.
• Fastpassers – These are the ones walking by you in line and the ones you wish you were.
• Loners – Usually there by themselves or 1/2 of a Married with Children group. They are the most outgoing Line Companion Group as they desire to talk about everything and anything. Beware if a loner is listening to music and texting as they probably do not want to be bothered.
• Grumpy Teens – You do not look at or talk to this Line Companion. Not that you can talk to them over the sound of their iPod. They would much rather be somewhere their parents are not. Best to keep your back to them as not to see what they are texting about you.
• The Extremely Large Family Reunions – You will recognize this mob by the brightly colored identical shirts. Usually one person is in the lead (or so he thinks) followed by his family. The leader usually has no clue where he is going and it like watching a train wreck you just can’t look away.
• Cougars – Usually medium to large group of women on their own vacation from their spouses. Very loud group internally but not very social to outside parties. Can be heard talking about other females butt sizes and what their spouses has messed up now.
• Nerds – Hardcore Disney Nerds are very easy to pick out as they are covered from head to toe in Disney Wear. From their lanyards all the way to their Mickey Mouse Crocs. They are the best people to ask where something is in the park. Usually they are taking tons of pictures, checking wait times on their cell phones, or streaming live video to their blog.

This is just a few of the people you will run across and meet while at Disney. Again this is only a fun and not meant to put down anybody.

If you can think of some others let us know in the comment section below.

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Photo by Pixie Brenda

After a wonderful day spent on the beautiful beaches of Castaway Cay, we were all welcomed to attend a unique pirate celebration onboard the Dream. Upon returning to the stateroom, we found a note along with 4 pirate bandanas (one for each of us) inviting us to don the bandanas for dinner and to dress up in our pirate attire. Although dressing in character is optional, we are no party poopers; we dress for the party.

Photo by Pixie Brenda

Our pirate dinner was enjoyed at the Royal Palace. You can see great pics from this at my website, Ideally Disney. After dinner, the nighttime festivities really kicked off at Mickey’s Pirates In The Caribbean. This full-out pirate celebration included a chance to play, dance and acquire all the necessary pirate skills required to become an official member of Mickey’s pirate crew!

A special and one-of-a-kind element of the celebration was Buccaneer Blast Fireworks, an awesome fireworks display by the only cruise line able to offer fireworks at sea. After the fireworks, we were able to dance, dance, dance and party down with DJ Automatic at Club Pirate on deck.

Photo by Pixie Brenda

An awesome time was had by all, full of lots of fun and special new memories. This was a delightful way to spend an evening with family in a fun, party atmosphere!

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Dream Cabin 8088/Pixie Brenda

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about the cruise we took in December. I wasn’t worried about sailing, but I was a little concerned about how small I have always heard cruise staterooms are. For that reason, I reserved a Deluxe Family Stateroom with Veranda (class 4B). I border on being clostraphobic so I was hoping I would be able to deal with the small size of the quarters that would be our home for 4 nights and 5 days. I know that people often say, “the stateroom size doesn’t matter, you are never in the room anyway.” Truth be known, though, I am not one of those people that gets up and goes without showering, putting on makeup, doing my hair, etc. It doesn’t really help but goodness knows I try. Also, I like to have quiet time away from everything else for a short time each day.

To my most pleasant surprise, our stateroom on the Dream was nowhere close to what I had imagined; in fact, it was quite roomy. Additionally, I was very impressed when we returned to the room after dinner the first evening to find that our room steward had transformed it for bedtime into a well-design sleeping quarters large enough to accommodate a family of 5. I wanted to share with you all some information for, and photos of, our stateroom. I think you will find them very helpful, just in case you are thinking of planning a cruise but don’t know where to start when choosing your cabin.

We were in cabin 8088 on the Dream. This room was located midship on Deck 8 and is in a great location. The area was quiet, except for the occasional kids running down the hall. It was close to the elevators and stairs but not near enough to provide any extra noise, and was very convenient to Deck 11 where the pools, buffets, drink stations and much of the action was located.

During the day, the room had a sofa and 2 chairs in the living room area. The furniture was comfortable and was not cramped at all. There was more than sufficient room to move around.

Stateroom Bed/Pixie Brenda

Stateroom Living Area/Pixie Brenda

The sofa converted to a comfortable bed at night. Above it, a pull-down berth pulled down to form a bunk bed. The “top bunk” holds guests weighing up to 220 lbs. It even offers a view of a starry sky while you lie on your back. Closer to the veranda, there was a Murphy bed which pulled down and it was also sufficient size to accommodate an adult. Altogether, this cabin can sleep five (adult-size) guests.

Conv Sofa & Berth/Pixie Brenda

There were dual bathrooms in this cabin: one with a toilet and a sink; and the other with the new rounded-style shower and a sink. That design makes it very convenient for a large family. The shower even had a rainhead shower head.

Shower Bathroom/Pixie Brenda

Shower/Pixie Brenda

Bathroom/Pixie Brenda

This stateroom also had lots of storage. There was a closet (which also houses the safe) and there was ample room for hanging clothing. There were 8 drawers for folded clothes, as well as a chest which houses extra blankets and sheets but which can be used for extra storage, if necessary. The king bed sits up high so all of our suitcases slid right underneath which was very convenient and a big help in keeping the room neat.

The best part was sitting out on our balcony. Surrounded by a plexiglass wall for maximum viewing, it was a relaxing and peaceful extra, which added so much to our cruise.

Veranda from Cabin/Pixie Brenda

Last but certainly not least, I have to mention our room steward, Nas. He was kind and made everything lovely for us! His towel animals were the best!

Towel Snail/Pixie Brenda

Pirate Night Monkey/Pixie Brenda

If you are thinking about a Disney cruise, I would be happy to tell you more about it; just email me at Brenda@PixieVacations.com. As an Authorized Disney Travel Planner I am more than happy to help you plan your magical cruise.  Best of all, my services are free!

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Just heard from a bunch of people in the Disney Addict Group and Chip and Co Facebook Page that the parks are getting PACKED!

Remember by late morning, wait times for the Tower of Terror and other main attractions are around 100 minutes.  Attractions like Soarin’ and Toy Story Midway Mania are out of fast passes by late morning.

• Get to the parks early. Take advantage of extra magic hours if you’re an on-site guest. If possible, leave the morning EMH park after regular hours begin to avoid crowds.  Late night extra magic hours will thin out at around the beginning of the third hour.
• Consider park hoppers, which will allow you to move to less crowded parks.  Remember that you can add these at any time during your stay, so don’t feel obligated to do so until you know you’ll need it.
• Don’t expect to do everything you might normally do when you visit. If you’re visiting for the first time, pick out your top must-sees and go for them first. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
• Enjoy the festive atmosphere of the parks. It’s an amazing time just to sit back and enjoy the holiday cheer.
• Visit attractions your would normally miss like the Dapper Dans and the Streetmosphere characters.   These underrated attractions add so much to your visit, but it’s easy to miss them when you’re rushing from one ride to the next.   During busier times, consider making this type of experience a priority.
• Of all the parks, Epcot handles crowds the best. It’s laid out very well and the walkways are huge. If you’ll be visiting on Christmas day, consider this park.
• Remember that parks often close to capacity on Christmas day.  If you are certain you want to be in a particular park that day, make sure you get there very early.
• Most of all, enjoy!

It’s a truly magical time of year to visit Disney World. When you come back, make sure you come by the Chip and Co Facebook page and tell us all about it. We always appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Chris writes here and at Everything Walt Disney World. She’s also a member of the Mouse Chat Podcast.

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Here’s a Disney World Quick Tip!

Tipping is an important part of my Walt Disney World budget planning. I budget for Mousekeeping, bell service, and food servers at all my favorite table service restaurants. Each day, I leave a special Mousekeeping envelope with a few dollars inside when we leave  for the day, and I have been blessed with awesome mousekeeping staff when I have traveled.

Now, making towel animals is not a prerequisite for landing a job with the Disney mousekeeping department, but I wanted to share the treasures that Susan and I found waiting for us after long days in the parks. Our special room attendant, Gilma, at the Port Orleans Riverside left us these special mood boosters each day of our stay.

On Thursday, we received a rose.

On Friday, it was sweet swans.

And Saturday was a couple of little ghosts!

Aside from the artistic gifts, when they have the special talent, Mousekeeping is there to help make your stay better. Here are some tips on ways they can help you. If you need bed boards, bed rails, extra pillows and blankets, baby cribs, safety outlet coers, extra hangers, or to request that your room be cleaned at a specific time, touch HOUSEKEEPING on your in-room phone. If you have forgotten anything at home, or if there is any way they can help to make your stay more enjoyable, I have found often that they are happy to help.

When we were leaving on Sunday, we got to meet Gilma and thank her personally for all our treasures and for taking good care of us. Thank you, Gilma, for giving us that extra special something to come home to each day! We really appreciated it!

If you have any Mousekeepting Quick Tips let us know in the comment box below.

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When booking many packages or free dining, often times you will receive a free round of golf at one of the two golf courses, Fantasia or Winter Summerland Golf Course.  On a recent vacation to Disney, I had not done any research on which of these courses was considered better than the other and quickly chose the Winter Summerland Golf Course thinking that the name sounded interesting enough. We got there to the counter and got all of the paperwork done to get our free round of golf. I saw that the prices for our free round of golf should have been $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 3-9. Children under the age of 3 are free. The hours for the Courses are 10 AM to 11 PM.

As we headed to our first golf hole, we began to take in the surroundings and decided to take the Winter course (with the other course being the Summer course). We learned that the story of the Golf Course: One evening following a hectic Christmas, Santa was flying over Florida back to his home in the North Pole. When he looked down from his sled he spied snow on the ground in Florida! He decided to fly down to further inspect the area, the later decided that this would be a great place for his elves to vacation when off-duty. As a result, Santa created the Winter Summerland Golf Course. Some of the elves enjoyed the Summer while others enjoyed the Winter, thus the need for two courses to accommodate all of Santa’s elves! And an area created by Santa is obviously going to be fun!

Here is one of the awesome holes and me trying to pose like Minnie Mouse!  I know, she looks cuter, but lest I try:)  We enjoyed every hole, as each one seemed to offer some surprise.  I would give you more details, but I do not want to spoil the fun:)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and would like to return to this course, as well as visit the Fantasia one.  I believe that if you are visiting the nearby Blizzard Beach for the day, this would be a great way to spend part of that same day.  I was able to visit the course on our day of travel to the Walt Disney World area.  If one is traveling to this course by Disney bus, they would need to travel here from any of the parks or hotels.  The course took us approximately 90 minutes, but could have taken a bit less time if we were not having so much fun taking photos and making sure to see all of the details.  With a bus ride to the course, the entire experience could take around 2 1/2 hours.  Assuming that a guest has already paid for a theme park ticket, 2 1/2 hours is a load of time away from the attractions especially when you consider that you are paying to get in the parks PLUS to also play the round of golf.  My frugal wallet says to definitely experience a round of golf here, but on a day where you do not plan to hit the parks!

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This year’s Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios had its ups and downs for my wife and I this year. One event we look forward to every year is the Hyperspace Hoopla, a Star Wars themed dance party, that involves characters from the entire Star Wars Universe competing in an intergalactic dance-off with a few funny skits and choreographed numbers.

This year’s version did not disappoint. The whole production value of the show was increased with the move from the Jedi Academy stage to the “Disney Channel Rocks” stage in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat. With the larger stage, multi-layered staging, arena lighting, LED screens and immense sound reinforcement the Hoopla was bigger and better than anything they have ever produced.

Quick Tip: Should you get a chance to check out the show get there at least 30 minutes early to ensure a nice spot toward the front of the stage. Most people line up during the “Disney Channel Rocks” show in order to get in spaces closest to the stage. Be sure to check your event/times guide for showtimes.

VERDICT: Must see! Be sure to check out this show that will leave your entire family singing and dancing… and perhaps twirling Lightsabers all the way back to your home resort!

Coverage of Star Wars Weekends made in partnership with CookingwithMickey.info, JediMousekteer.blogspot.com, and HalloweenExpress.com – be anything you want to be!

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Have you ever been in line at Disney World and looked around at the different people in line with you? I have noticed you have several Disney Line Companion types in line with you. I know I could easily fit into a few of these categories..

These are just for fun and by no means complete as you can have several variations and hybrid group types.

• Hardcore – These are the people with most times absolutely nothing on them, no camera, phone, park map, nothing…Most times this is older couples without kids or couples with teen age kids. They know the parks like the back of their hands and they don’t need to look around cause they have already seen everything.
• Married with Children – These are the people with everything…Diaper bag, camera, cell phones, fanny pack, stroller, etc. They look like they are on a trek to the Himalayas. Usually they can open a bag and have a complete kitchen, hospital, and department store all hiding inside that one bag. You don’t really see the parents much you are to busy being entertained by their kids.
• Love Birds – Most times these are younger couples. Usually holding hands and loving on each other. Oblivious to everything going on around them. Maybe there on a date or a honeymoon. This is what the Married with Children group used to look like before kids. These are the ones who get to ride on every ride, stay from when the park opens to when it closes, and looks the most relaxed.
• Business Casual – This is the best looking group. They look like they just ditched their Conference or round of Golf to hit up the parks. Most times they are way over dressed for being in the heat. Usually accompanied by their lifelong companion their Blackberry. If you listen closely enough you can actually hear their entire conversation while in line.
• Outlanders – One of the most entertaining groups as they are there to have 100% fun. Usually better dressed than I am and always a pleasure to talk to if they are from an English speaking country, or if they have actually taken the time to learn our language can make for some very funny conversations. Interesting to see and hear how other cultures act.
• Fastpassers – These are the ones walking by you in line and the ones you wish you were.
• Loners – Usually there by themselves or 1/2 of a Married with Children group. They are the most outgoing Line Companion Group as they desire to talk about everything and anything. Beware if a loner is listening to music and texting as they probably do not want to be bothered.
• Grumpy Teens – You do not look at or talk to this Line Companion. Not that you can talk to them over the sound of their iPod. They would much rather be somewhere their parents are not. Best to keep your back to them as not to see what they are texting about you.
• The Extremely Large Family Reunions – You will recognize this mob by the brightly colored identical shirts. Usually one person is in the lead (or so he thinks) followed by his family. The leader usually has no clue where he is going and it like watching a train wreck you just can’t look away.
• Cougars – Usually medium to large group of women on their own vacation from their spouses. Very loud group internally but not very social to outside parties. Can be heard talking about other females butt sizes and what their spouses has messed up now.
• Nerds – Hardcore Disney Nerds are very easy to pick out as they are covered from head to toe in Disney Wear. From their lanyards all the way to their Mickey Mouse Crocs. They are the best people to ask where something is in the park. Usually they are taking tons of pictures, checking wait times on their cell phones, or streaming live video to their blog.

This is just a few of the people you will run across and meet while at Disney. Again this is only a fun and not meant to put down anybody.

If you can think of some others let us know in the comment section below.

My family and I are what is known as Veteran Visitors to Walt Disney World. During our annual trips, there are traditional practices we always tend to follow even though we don’t plan it that way. Some things are just “givens” when we visit.

Here are some examples:

It’s a given that we will be visiting the Magic Kingdom as our first park.

It’s a given that we will immediately head to Asia whenever we enter the Animal Kingdom park, so we can enjoy Everest first thing.

It’s a given that when we visit the Hollywood Studios, my daughter and I will at some time during the day enjoy “The Voyage of the Little Mermaid” while our macho males in the family enjoy the Stunt Spectacular or Indiana Jones.

It’s a given that if we stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we will get a drink from the Mara and sit out by the pool on our first night there.

It’s a given that we will have Family Pasta Night with the create-your-own-pasta at the Riverside Mill if we stay at the Port Orleans Riverside.

It’s a given that we will never ride single rider on Test Track because my kids have never been willing to split up the family.

It’s a given that we will enjoy a Monorail Mania Meal on one of the nights during our trip.

It’s a given that we will ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at least twice during the 3:00 parade at MK.

It’s a given that we will visit ‘Ohana on the last night of our trip.

It’s a given that we will be at Downtown Disney on the day we leave to purchase souvenirs at the World of Disney and a new Christmas ornament for each of us at Days of Christmas.

That’s just the way it is. Those “givens” are what makes visiting Walt Disney World just like home for us as veteran visitors. What are your family’s givens? Share them with us.

During my recent trip to Walt Disney World I was able to experience the Segway Tour of World Showcase.  This 2 hour tour gives you a rare glimpse at World Showcase from the view of an amazing machine.  I will try to make my descriptions brief to avoid spoilers but let me just say- this was a great experience because of the amazing people and wonderfully organized nature of this tour.  I knew we were going to have an amazing time when one of our guides (whom I may have been trying to sweet talk into letting my husband run over to The Land to fast pass Soarin’ for us) gave us a No Strings Attached Fast Pass that could be used anywhere in the park that day!

The first 20 minutes of your tour go to farmiliarizing yourself with the Segway.  Your group will be walked from the guest services building over to Innoventions where you first learn the logistics by watching a short video and hearing from your instructor.  Then, you suit up, choosing a helmet and packing your items in your transport.  After some training (I will admit I was not immediately adept at driving my Segway but it was very easy to learn and I now tell my husband on a daily basis how we should move closer to my job and I should ride one to work), you are ready for your adventure.

You will have learned how to manuver your Segway and how to go up and down hill, stop, reverse, and go forward.  You will then put your knowledge to the test on an uninhabited tour of World Showcase.  I may be biased because I teach World History for a living but this part of the park is so beautiful and getting to ride around it when it was not even open to the public yet was breathtaking! You learn hand signals and ride in a single file line from country to country, stopping for some fun facts and history (and trivia) along the way.  I will not include any spoilers here- just say that I was most impressed by what I learned in Morraco. After you have completely made your way through the 11 country pavilions you return to Innoventions where you disembark and say goodbye (complete with a commemorative pin)!

We were lucky enough to get over an hour and a half in the World Showcase on our tour and it seems the normal is between an hour and fifteen minutes and that.  I high recommend this tour- so much so that I would go back and do it again in a heartbeat! The tour costs $99 per person and you can get 15% off if you book with a Disney Visa card.  I would highly recommend choosing one of the earlier times.  Most days World Showcase opens at 11 so as long as you get into at least the 9:30am tour you should not have to deal with crowded streets.

We made our way towards our “Boma”, a structure on the savannah that sat high enough to see the flora and fauna far in the distance for us to view animals and enjoy our meal.  We got our bathroom break here (we were about 2/3 into our tour at this point).  The enclosure was a really interesting piece of architecture with hand-carved wood everywhere and a thatched roof offering shade and even a breeze from overhead fans.  Our food was served in a really neat steel tiered canister.  The food here was great.  This was my favorite lunch of our entire trip! There was all sorts of different items including fresh melon, dried apricots, brie, prosciutto, salmon stuffed with creamy dill, a sweet bread, and pita pockets.  There was even an edible flower which I promptly stuck in my hair.

I never felt rushed viewing the savannah.  We had time for our potty breaks, delicious meals, pictures, and just enjoying the fact that we were sitting in Adirondack chairs looking out on animals on an African savannah!!

Once our time here was over we piled back into our tour vehicle for the last leg of our tour.  More fabulous animal viewing was to come: ostriches, rhinos, lions, and more amazing cattle were up ahead.

We disembarked with only a few minutes remaining on our tour.  We headed back towards the hut we had been outfitted originally at and retrieved all of our belongings from the lockers.

Some may consider the rest a spoiler so read at your own risk…

We were given Conservation hero pins (these are the somewhat generic pins that they give you when you donate to the Disney Conservation Fund) and told that a percent of our tour price was going toward the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.  The pins we received were Animal Kingdom specific (the night before this we had gotten similar pins from donating after purchasing an item in the store in Epcot’s The Seas with Nemo and Friends).  Personally, I like these pins.  We turned ours into magnets and I smile when I see them on the fridge.  I know some people are looking for a trading pin since most tours come with these.  I will say that since this is a relatively new tour I would imagine those kinds of pins will come in the future, but I loved feeling like a “Conservation Hero”.  We were also able to choose which animal we would like our donation to go to and were given animal choices too.
As the final piece of the tour, we were given a certificate and a Disney Photopass card.  The Photopass card had all the images of our tour group from the tour and the certificate was a code to receive a Photopass CD with all the images on it for free!  Isn’t that incredible?  What a great extra and what an incredible experience!

Ever since our return I have gushed to all my Disney World traveling friends about this tour and how they just must give it a go.  It was well worth the money, and even though this was a introductory price, will still be well worth it in the future.  Before this tour Animal Kingdom was a half-day park at best for me and my husband, and thanks to the plethora of information and this amazing experience I am actually looking forward to our return to see my furry friends out on the savannah!

All photo credit and copyrights in this post: Walt Disney World Photopass & Melissa Page [Photos may not be used without permission]

We continued on the trail until we reached a small gate in the fence which we entered and began our behind the scenes tour.  We hiked for a few minutes, and then stopped to view a hippo skull and discuss and learn about these great creatures.   After continuing to hike a little bit more we came upon a crocodile skull and our awesome tour guide gave us some great information about these beasts.
We then came out on the water overlooking the hippo area of Animal Kingdom’s habitat.  The hippos were not on our side of the water today but we got to practice hanging out over the water for the Nile crocodiles that were up ahead.  We got some great views of the hippo action up ahead as well.  Plus, we got some really cool photos of ourselves behind the scenes at Kilimanjaro Safaris.  The ride was heading right on through and we got to practice our Disney prince and princess waves!

We then headed back in for a short hike which brought us to our first of a bunch of bridges that would suspend us over the hippos, and then crocs!!  This was so amazing I can’t describe it.  We were completely harnessed and hooked into cable lines above the bridges and went one at a time out over the Disney swamps.  We were given instructions before hand and were completely clipped in and safe.  Then we went out and had time to stop and enjoy the views and take pictures if we wanted.  (I noticed no more than 2 people were on the bridge at once so I am thinking this may be where the weight restriction comes in for those wondering.  There is also only a certain amount of space between the rope rails on the bridges.)

In any case, we spent probably twenty minutes to a half hour exploring the different rope bridges and learning about the different habitats and about the Nile crocs!  We then hooked in and headed to get up close and personal and lean over the crocodiles down below.  This was just a once in a lifetime experience that I can’t properly describe.  Crocodiles just have this amazing prehistoric look and it was crazy to see how slow they move and how scary they truly are up close.  My husband and I kept saying things to each other like “they don’t even look real!”

After we finished with the crocs we hiked back towards where we would be picked up for our VIP safari.  On the way we saw some animals that were nice previews to the cattle we would see on our ride.  We took a couple more group photos before un-harnessing and leaving our vests behind to board our vehicle.

Once we got on board we placed our water bottles (which were ours to keep) under our seats and grabbed some of the binoculars that were in cases under the seats for us to use.  We continued to be wowed by the amazing animals on the savannah.  We saw antelope, giraffes, wildebeests, elephants, and a bunch of African cattle whose names I can’t remember.  I was in awe at all the animals we were able to see that day!  We were able to pull over in multiple areas for better viewing as we made our way around the Kilimanjaro Safari vehicles and continued to do our prince and princess waves! Seeing the baby elephants was such a highlight for us- as we looked out of our vehicle we had truely left Disney World and were magically on an African safari!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of my Wild Africa Trek Review.

All photo credit and copyrights in this post: Walt Disney World Photopass & Melissa Page [Photos may not be used without permission]

When I first saw the buzz about Animal Kingdom’s new tour on the Disney Parks Blog, I knew I wanted in!  I immediately grabbed the phone and called, hoping there would be a tour available for our February trip! And as luck would have it, there were two remaining spots for my first choice: the 10am Wild Africa Trek on February 20^th.  I was so excited after we booked!

We were told we needed to arrive outside Tusker House Restaurant at 9:45 sharp with photo ID and be dressed to hike, wearing sneakers.  We were also told there would be a locker to stow our belongings and water and a snack would be provided.

We arrived at Animal Kingdom for park opening at 9am that morning.  We took a few Photopass pictures and meandered through the park so we could grab some Expedition Everest fastpasses before our tour.  We arrived at Tusker at around 9:40 and did not see tour guides so we asked at the restaurant podium and were directed off to the side and behind the restaurant.  There was a tour podium here where we checked in and were sent to our pre-tour bathroom break, as there is no bathroom stops for the first half of the tour.

Upon our return the rest of our group was gathering together and we were all asked to sign waivers and give our email addresses so that we could fill out a survey of our tour afterwards.

Once we were all set our tour guide came and brought us behind the back of Tusker House and through a gate that lead us along the water to a small hut.  Here we were given our lockers to leave all bags, and items that we could not bring with us.  All we had on us when we got outfitted was our sunglasses and pocket digital camera.  We were then outfitted with vests that had belay hooks (which we were discreetly weighed for so that we would have the proper sizes) and shown how to clip ourselves and our things into our gear.  We were even given canteen water bottles that clipped to our vests.  Our names were written on the bottles with a silver permanent marker.  They were a little generic but maybe in the future they will slap a “Wild Africa Trek” logo on them to make them a little more fun of a souvenir.

As we waited for the whole group to be outfitted we were given some “Jungle Juice” which is a similar fruit juice drink to the ones served throughout Disney World (specifically I remember having some at ‘Ohana with breakfast).  We also had a chance to clip our harnesses into a cable line and walk a practice bridge.

Once we were all ready to head out for good we back-tracked up by Tusker House, formally introduced ourselves and found that we had two tour guides, one who we were able to listen to through the earpiece and radio we had been given back when we were outfitted, and a second who would be taking pictures of us and the animals during our trek.  We headed through the park towards the Pangani Exploration Trail.  We stopped to talk about some of the trees and other flora in the park and headed right into the Gorilla Sanctuary where we took some pictures and learned some fun facts.  Our Wild Africa Trek had officially begun!

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of my Wild Africa Trek Review.

All photo credit and copyrights in this post: Walt Disney World Photopass & Melissa Page [Photos may not be used without permission]

In 2010, my wife and I were back on our own for a 5 night stay at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort (MuR). This is one of the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World. Those who feel that they are musically inclined will find this Resort to their liking.

We decided to stay at MuR to round out our Disney Resort experiences. Each section of this Resort is themed after a different music genre: Jazz, Country, Rock, etc. We stayed in the Country section, but the area themed after Broadway would have been our personal choice.

Location. MuR is located with the other Value Resorts at the bottom end of the WDW property. It is closest to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. But Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT aren’t too far away either. Downtown Disney and The Magic Kingdom will make for the longest Bus rides.

The main drawback, as with the other two All-Star Resorts, is the transportation. All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports share the same Buses. So wait times can be extended beyond the promised 20 minutes that Disney advertises. Being the middle Resort of the three, sometimes the Bus can be crowded by the time it arrives at MuR, so it may only have standing room left.

Accommodations. A standard view room is the way to go with this Value Resort as well. Small rooms make for frayed nerves after a few days, so plan to be out and about the Resort as often as possible! The theming is fun to look at even for those who aren’t big music fans. Most areas have music playing keyed to the genre, so it can be interesting to just walk around the Resort and take in the vibes. This Resort is as photogenic as any other, so be sure to plan for some group shots for the scrapbook.

The main pool has a cool centerpiece featuring the Three Caballeros. One of them shoots water into the pool from his guns.

There is now Internet service available in each room, but the cost is steep. Laundry facilities are also available around the pool areas. So you can float while your clothes soak!

Features. MuR, like all of the other Value Resorts, offers a Food Court, Arcade, Caricature Artists, a DVC Kiosk, but rather subdued theming. You also have access to a Retail Store for souvenirs and basic food and personal needs items. But these items tend to be expensive, so plan to bring what you need if possible. You can request a fridge for your room, and if you have a medical condition, it will be free.

Just a quick note about Entertainment: A nice feature that this Resort has that no other Value Resort offers is Movie Night. They inflate a screen by the pool and you can vote for what film you want to see (from three or four pre-selected choices). While the voting is going on, trivia games are played with all who are lounging around the pool.

In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with this Value Resort. But it doesn’t inspire or thrill either. I’ve noticed that when the other Resorts fill up, MuR always seems to have available rooms. All-Star Sports is in the same boat there. But for music fans, this may well be just what the Maestro ordered!

I enjoyed my stay at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a future stay.

Lee Beatens has two sides as a Writer/Artist. His writing side is showcased at the Blog called Disleelandia, and his artistic side is showcased at the Blog called The CANADIAN Kingdom. His improbable third side is showcased here.

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In 2007, my wife and I along with her parents spent 7 nights at Disney’s Pop Century Resort (PCR). This is a Value Resort at Walt Disney World that stands apart from the All-Star Resorts, but is still in the same area. PCR is in the race for the fan favorite for economy minded Guests.

This Resort is my second favorite Value offering. It has a retro feel with the focus on pop culture theming. But for me, some of the cultural references were a little too dated, and thus came off as a bit cheesy or tacky. But each to his or her own! This article will share my impressions of PCR grouped into three categories:

Location. PCR is located some distance from the All-Star Resorts. It is closest to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Next, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney would be closest, with The Magic Kingdom making for the longest Bus ride.

The main drawback for most Value Resorts is the transportation. All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports share the same Buses. But PCR has its own dedicated bus, just like the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. So your ride back to the Resort should be a tad quicker and a bit less crowded. But it is still a Value Resort, so the Bus will be filled for each trip.

Accommodations. Renting the standard view room is always the cheapest option at a Value Resort, and PCR is no exception. Being as you are rarely in your room during a fun vacation, why pay more for a view you won’t be looking at? At least not from your room anyway. Again, Guests with kids should request a ground floor room, preferably facing to the front of the building for easy entry and exit with the little ones. But be sure to draw your curtains while you are away to discourage unwanted attention for your belongings.

The rooms at PCR are basically just as small as at the other Value Resorts. So expect your accommodations to be designed for economy and not for comfort. This is presently the newest Value Resort and so is in better repair than the other Value Resorts. This will change when Disney’s Animation Resort opens.

There is now Internet service available in each room, but the cost is steep. Laundry facilities are also available around the pool areas. So you can bake while your clothes tumble-dry!

Features. PCR, like all of the other Value Resorts, offers a Food Court, Arcade, Caricature Artists, a DVC Kiosk, but with better than average theming. You also have access to a Retail Store for souvenirs and basic food and personal needs items. But these items tend to be expensive, so plan to bring what you need if possible. You can request a fridge for your room, and if you have a medical condition, it will be free.

Just a quick note about Alcohol: You can get alcoholic beverages in the Food Court or out by the main pool. But they do keep an eye on your consumption, and tipsy behavior is not tolerated. Remember, you are at a family-friendly Resort!

In conclusion, it’s hard to decide if this Resort is the best of all the Value Resorts. I would default to it if for no other reason than the dedicated Bus service. After a long day at the Parks, you just want to get back to your room and collapse! This is a quicker process at PCR. My favorite piece of theming from this Resort is the giant Foosball Court! You can’t get cooler than that!

I would stay at Disney’s Pop-Century Resort again as my second choice after Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort.

Lee Beatens has two sides as a Writer/Artist. His writing side is showcased at the Blog called Disleelandia, and his artistic side is showcased at the Blog called The CANADIAN Kingdom. His improbable third side is showcased here.

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Renting a double stroller was hands down one of the best decisions I made when planning our recent Walt Disney World trip. My one-year old clearly needed a stroller but my four-year old hasn’t used one, well, since his brother was born and he was unceremoniously ousted. However, I knew from experience that we would be covering a lot of ground at Disney and even the most energetic preschooler would need a little help in the personal transport department.

Problem was, I don’t own a double stroller and buying one just for the trip wasn’t high up on my list of things to do. The next option was to bring two single strollers – our sturdy, everyday stroller and the umbrella stroller – but that solution didn’t make the cut. Having two strollers meant having to have two adults with the kids all the time and as much as I’m a champion of family togetherness, this isn’t really practical. How many times have I wanted to run into a shop while my husband was with the kids? How often does my husband take a short detour to pick up a snack while I forge ahead to Mickey’s Toontown Fair? A double stroller it would be and absent a large purchase, renting would have to be the answer.

Disney rents strollers but frankly, it’s expensive (Single; $15/day, Double $31/day) and while some have extolled the virtues of the stroller’s maneuverability, the hard plastic and the inability to recline would be challenging for the baby. But there’s an even larger problem. Disney strollers must be rented at the park or Downtown Disney and returned to a rental location when you’re ready to leave for the day. There’s no taking the stroller back to your Disney resort or even to the resort transportation waiting areas. This is a problem for us. A major problem. Here are three of many instances where having a stroller to use throughout the entire Walt Disney World Resort made our trip that much easier.

Sleeping Children. After Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, my oldest fell soundly asleep in the stroller. We were able to leisurely walk back to our resort in Disney’s Boardwalk area without taking him from the stroller. I shudder at the thought of having to make the ten minute walk carrying a sleeping child, who we all know seems to weigh double what he does when he’s awake. What if I was taking bus transportation to a resort? Well, there can be long waits for the bus after the park empties for the evening and oftentimes it is a long walk after a long day from the resort’s bus transportation location to your room at many of the Disney resorts.

Crowd Control. Getting to the parks when they first open can be a bit chaotic – there is sometimes a crush of people moving through security and the park entrance. Add to that opening up bags for a security check and juggling theme park tickets while trying to firmly hold the hand of a very excited four-year old and I can become a bit frazzled. Entering the park was much easier with the kids secure in the stroller.

Theme Park Commando. We definitely are not theme park commandos except perhaps during the first hour of every day where we are able to ride the majority of the day’s must-do attractions. The key is taking in the most popular rides before crowds build. The last thing I want to do is waste valuable touring time having to pick up a stroller after I’m in the park when I could be scoring a ride on Soarin’ or picking up FastPasses for Toy Story Mania!

So, what were the key characteristics I was looking for in a stroller? That would have to be maneuverability, comfort for a one-year old and a four-year old, a canopy, and easy folding of the stroller. But my criteria didn’t end there. I also needed the company I rented from to be reliable, to have clean, well-maintained strollers, to be reasonably priced, and to deliver and pick up the stroller from my Disney hotel. Orlando Stroller Rentals was the answer to my stroller dilemma. They delivered. Both literally and figuratively.

First the stroller. I chose the City Mini Double stroller and loved it. At first I was concerned by the “Mini” in the description. Would my four-year old who is tall be comfortable? Shannon Tanner, the owner of Orlando Stroller Rentals, assured me the older guy would be comfortable and she was right. Both kids were right at home and the baby even napped for long periods in the stroller. My two favorite features were maneuverability and the canopy. The maneuverability was awesome – with an extremely tight turning radius, it was a cinch to move through the large crowds of guests at the Disney World theme parks. Even better – pushing two kids was hardly any more effort than pushing the empty stroller. As a mom whose kids don’t leave the house without a hat and sunscreen, I was ecstatic about the canopy. It provided nearly full coverage and the kids loved the shade. Was there anything I would have changed about the stroller? Sure, because nothing is perfect. The stroller was a bit awkward to fold since two hands were required and the storage was a little limited. I would have loved drink holders but it makes perfect sense why a rented stroller wouldn’t have one – cleaning up sticky soda rings is a chore. These were extremely minor inconveniences, especially given the stroller’s comfort, maneuverability, and shade. We put the stroller through its paces and easily walked ten miles a day with it. You know you have a well designed stroller when you love it as much the last day as the first.

Would I recommend Orlando Stroller Rentals to my family and friends? Absolutely. The service was great from start to finish. Shannon was very helpful and responded quickly to my email with questions about the different stroller choices. Once I made my selection, I simply had to show up at my resort’s bell stand and ask for the stroller to be delivered to my room. The stroller was in mint condition and extremely clean. That’s a very big deal to me and I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable I felt using the rented stroller because of how clean and well-maintained it was. It even came with instructions on the basics of using the stroller which was very helpful. On the last day, we simply returned the stroller to bell services and boarded the Magical Express. Unfortunately, we had a small glitch returning the stroller as bell services misplaced it. Orlando Stroller Rentals was helpful, friendly, professional, and put me at ease when we communicated and tried to locate the stroller which was found later that same day.

A 4-7 night rental of the City Mini Double will run you $85. Compare that with $31 a day to rent a stroller at Walt Disney World and you can see how quickly the savings add up.

Bottom Line: A stroller is a must for kids, even as old as five or six, at Walt Disney World. If you are going to rent one, give Orlando Stroller Rentals a try – you won’t be disappointed. Visit them at www.orlandostrollerrentals.com or call 1-800-281-0884.

*Disclosure. Orlando Stroller Rentals provided a complimentary stroller for my family. This did not affect my review and the opinions expressed here are my own.
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You call follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DisneyExplorer.

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I headed out of Boston’s Logan Airport just before three in the afternoon on October 29^th. Even my fear of being airborne could not combat my excitement. I was headed to Disney World to meet one of my best friends for an amazing weekend! What you are about to read catalogues the escapades we shared over Halloween weekend at Disney World.

I arrived in Orlando a little before six pm and collected my baggage (which was deemed to big to be a carry on) and my rental car. I got a super deal on a bright red Chevy Aveo through priceline.com and budget rent-a- car. This leads me to my first tip:

If you can, request a non traditional car color.

It really helped us out to have a screaming red vehicle in the parking lots filled with silver and white cars! In no time flat I was on my way to Disney’s Pop Century Resort, or was I? I got lost for a good 45 minutes. I am not sure how I accomplished this, but I am pretty sure my GPS was the culprit.

I finally reached Pop at 7:30pm. We were in the 90’s section of the building which was a great location for someone with a car. The lot was never too full, but it is quite a walk to Classic Hall where all the food and merchandise is located. However, we were just a stones throw from the computer pool. When I first arrived at Pop, I was, well, shocked to say the least. I must preface this with the fact that I am a deluxe girl. I have only ever stayed at deluxe resorts and was not expecting the neon parking garage style abode that welcomed me at pop. There was too much concrete, too many colors, and the room was small. I was ready to switch hotels! Fear not Disney budget planners, I did come around. After a few early morning strolls around the property, a few trips to everything pop for fantastic lasagna, a stroll through what is probably one of the best arcades on property and always having a clean room with all our needs met, I realized that this resort had plenty to offer. I was at Disney World for less than $300 per night and I could still enjoy myself thoroughly! Which leads me to my tip #2

Try a different resort or resort category on your next trip. They are all gems in their own right!

I met my friend Danielle in our room and we headed out to the Polynesian for a late dinner at ‘Ohana. We had an hour or so to kill and used that time to order a few strawberry daiquiris, lounge in some fabulous chairs, talk about life, and watch Happy Hallow-Wishes from the beach. They pipe the music in here so it is sometimes even better than watching from Main Street! We then headed up for our fabulous dinner. For those of you who have never been to ‘Ohana here is tip #3 Go to ‘Ohana! This place serves up some seriously delicious food and they do it family style. So you can eat as much as you want, but you never ever have to get up! I have dreams about the dumplings all year long.

We woke up bright and early Saturday morning as I knew the parks would be slammed. Here comes tip #4

I know you are on vacation, but by getting to the parks for rope drop on days that are going to be busy will not only allow you to see a great opening celebration, but you will do all your attractions with very little wait.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 8:15 and waited about half an hour for the opening show to begin. I love this show and try to see it at least once during my stay. Once the park was open we made a bee line for the train and headed to Frontierland. Here we rode Splash Mountain and Big Thunder two times. We then got on Pirates with zero wait, the Haunted Mansion with zero wait, and then the icing on the cake, Space Mountain with a ten minute wait! By 11am when the crowds were starting to swarm the parks we were watching The Move it Shake it Celebrate it parade on our way out! Mission accomplished!

Hollywood Studios was next on our list. Danielle is a big movie fan and I knew she would love it here! We did the great movie ride and Muppet Vision and then headed to lunch at the 50s prime time café. This is a great place. The restaurant is highly themed to resemble a 1950s kitchen and the wait staff plays the part brilliantly. My milkshake and Turkey sandwich really hit the spot.

From here it was time to relax. We headed over to the Grand Floridian for five pm massages. What a fabulous idea this was. It didn’t come cheap, but, by staying at a value resort it was in our budget. We each did 50 minute Swedish massages that were to die for! This is tip #5

Schedule some time to do something that is not included in theme park admission.

It adds another element to your vacation that will be much appreciated! The Grand is such a beautiful relaxing place as it is and the spa follows suit. It was really a great way to rest our bodies and minds from our crazy day thus far. I cannot think of a better day than one that begins on Splash Mountain and Ends at the Grand Floridian Spa with a massage…but wait…our day was only half way over!

After our massage it was back to the Magic Kingdom for some nighttime fun! We ate dinner at Pecos Bills which is always a hit! We headed over to Frontierland, where much to our dismay, Splash was closed down for technical difficulties! We got a fast pass to big thunder, rode pirates and then watched Wishes. We had a great spot for viewing and the show as always was spectacular! On our way back to Frontierland we were caught up in the Main Street Electrical parade. It was then that we noticed some action on Splash Mountain! I am a huge splash fan so when the parade ended we headed right for it! To our pure delight the cast members ushered us onto the ride. There was no wait since it had just come back to life. We happily took our seats in the flume and made it to the first little drop (you know the one that drops you into the peaceful creek where that delightful music begins playing.) Then things got sticky. Our flume hit the flume in front of us and upon further inspection about 8 flumes were stopped right before the drop that brings you indoors. Uh-Oh! We listened to the music for a good 5 minutes before it was shut off and the cast members’ voice came over the intercom telling us to calmly remain in our logs until assistance arrived to get us out! We were being evacuated from splash! The cast members did a fabulous job getting everyone out of the ride. They led us down the emergency exit and out the back of the ride where we were given fast passes to any other attraction.

By the time this fiasco had finished we had just enough time for a ride on Big Thunder, a cinnamon bun at the Main Street Bakery and a slow walk to the monorail to get our car.

Sunday Morning came very very early, but we had a lot to accomplish. We were headed to Epcot! We arrived at Epcot first thing in the morning and rode both Test Track and Soarin’ with no wait at all. We watched Captain EO and Turtle Talk with Crush and decided that it was time for lunch and a nap! We headed to the Wilderness Lodge for a delightful lunch at Roaring Forks. I love the lodge and wanted to share it with my friend. We ate fabulous sandwiches and then lounged for a bit in the beautiful sun. I fell sound asleep for an hour and a half! This totally recharged my batteries and gave me the energy to power through the food and wine festival. Tip #6

Take time to rest.

You are not superman just because you are at Disney!

The food and wine festival was amazing. We ate empanadas, African breads, Irish Cheeses, pork loin, cheddar cheese soup, lobster rolls Chinese dumplings, and so so so much more. I really think this event is one of the best that Epcot offers. It is certainly more of a grown up thing and I think I will bring my husband next year. I was totally full when we left and had only spent about 12 dollars! I got to sample all the foods I have always wanted to try without going broke. The samples they give you are very generous and I never felt that I was over charged for anything.

We left Epcot at 8pm ready to hit up Down Town Disney. Keep in mind this is Halloween night! We were out of luck! Had we taken Disney Transportation we probably would have been fine, but every parking lot was full. We decided instead to spend our final evening enjoying our resort. We ate a very nice late night snack at Eveything Pop, played in the arcade, and toured the grounds. We were tired and ready for bed. We slept soundly that night and awoke to a beautiful morning. Sadly, our destination today was home.

We packed a lot into a short amount of time which was really neat! I think you can do Disney on both a monetary budget and a time budget if you plan really carefully and follow some simple guidelines: Make a plan and stick to it, take time to rest, get to the parks early, make advanced dining reservations!

Thanks for reading and have a magical day!

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Our friend Joel from Hawaii was out at the Disney Vacation Club Aulani Resort and snapped some updated photos for us. Two of the four cranes has been removed and some details are starting to show up on the building.  318 days until opening!

Check out more pictures below.

To check out more pictures from Joel at Coconut Wireless check out the links below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frikitiki/sets/72157625160385248/

Joel is Host of Meandering Mouse Club TV and Trapped in Paradise vidcasts
www.frikitikiproductions.com
Guest Host on In The Loop podcast
www.coastercrew.net/intheloop.php
His blog
thetikioutpost.com

In this day and age most people won’t even step out their front door without a cell/smart phone. Pictures, apps, games and wireless internet are becoming everyday necessities. I myself have a Droid phone and whenever I am not moving I am on my Droid checking out a website, uploading pictures or news articles, and even playing games. Jonathan one of the writers here & I came up with a fun way of blogging while we are at the Disney Parks or Disney function. Live Blogging

You would think taking a Disney vacation would be less busy. I mean you are there to enjoy all the rides, characters, food, and all the fun things Disney has to offer. But more and more people, myself included are using Technology while on vacation. If you don’t believe me as a fun game count the number of people taking pictures, recording video, or even texting from the parks.

You can’t even browse a Disney website without a new Disney App being released. Cell Phone companies like Verizon have their own home grown apps that are available for their customers. Mobile Magic brings FASTPASS return times, attraction wait times for the park you are in, extensive information on character locations and more for Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks to your Verizon Wireless phone. And, even if you are not a Verizon Wireless subscriber, you can still use your mobile phone to access select park information and on the Disney Parks Mobile web sites. That is just one of the many countless applications you can use, and believe me there are alot! Another good one and one I use on my Droid Phone is Lines. I am sure you can find a review somewhere on this site..wink wink

Another way Technology is being used at Disney Parks is via video feeds/streams. U Stream will work with either a laptop of smart phone and allow you to stream live video directly from your device to the web, where people can watch and follow along with you. This was another application that I was able to test out. It worked ok, the video quality is lacking and did make it hard for people to follow along due to no stabilization . I am sure it wont be long before camcorders have a wireless feature built in or cell phone cameras jump up in picture quality.

I will say this while at Disneyworld I did not see a single wireless hotspot. Could you imagine if Disney got together with Cisco and started offering free wifi while at Disneyworld or Disneyland. (If anyone at Disney is reading this I do have prior experience setting up outdoor wireless mesh hotspots) Free wifi would open up alot of new avenues for businesses, bloggers, and videographers. I know for certain if wireless was available when I was streaming video from the park the quality would have been 100 times better.

While I am writing this article I have been trying to come up with a list of all the ways technology has found its way into the Parks, its a long list. From making the room and dining reservations, gathering park information, checking in, finding out wait times, sharing photos, videos and messages. I could go on and on. There is no mistake technology is present and here to stay.

Overall I am glad we have all the modern day advancements, it does make planning and visiting much easier. I wonder in what way technology will shape the Disney Parks in the future. To quote a line from one of the classic Disney rides.

It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow.

What are some of the ways you use technology while planning or visiting the Disney Parks? Let us know in the comment section below.

Photo from Meet the Robinsons/Disney

Disney’s Oceaneer Club on the Disney Dream is a child-friendly oasis that transports kids to the magical lands. The central rotunda, with a whimsical Peter Pan’s Never Land motif, is the main gathering place and hub of Disney’s Oceaneer Club. The focal point is a stage where children can create and star in their very own theatrical performances, participate in storytelling sessions and meet Disney characters such as Tinker Bell and Peter Pan.

In Andy’s Room on the Disney Dream, the world of Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story” films comes to life. Kids experience the feeling of being toy-sized as they play among larger-than-life characters from the animated film – such as Mr. Potato Head, Hamm the piggy bank and Rex the dinosaur. Children can rearrange features on Mr. Potato Head, crawl though the coiled body of Slinky Dog and get behind the wheel of an oversize, remote-controlled race car.

In Pixie Hollow on the Disney Dream, children are transported to the enchanted land of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. A pixie tree stands in the room with hundreds of fairy lights twinkling among the leaves. In this magical forest setting, children can make crafts just like a true tinker fairy, while sitting on stools shaped like acorns and mushrooms. Other activities in Pixie Hollow include dressing up in fanciful costumes and participating in storytelling.