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Category Archives: Off the beaten path
Top 5 Ideas For Going Beyond the Attractions
Walt Disney World is one of those vacation spots we feel like we can visit again and again. Not everyone understands that, of course, and we Disney addicts get questions along the lines of “But weren’t you just there?” all the time. What those people fail to understand, and what we Disney addicts love so much, is how different the Disney parks are from other theme parks. Sure Disney has great rides and shows, there is something for everyone, from Expedition Everest to It’s A Small World, but the parks offer a lot beyond the attractions. This fall our family is headed to Walt Disney World for an 8-day trip, our longest in quite a while. Our son will be almost 13 and a Disney veteran. We are of course looking forward to all our favorite attractions, but this year and on future trips we will take the time to explore the parks a little deeper. Here are our Top 5 Ideas For Going Beyond the Attractions.
Imagineering –There are tons of books about Disney Imagineering. I’m working my way through the four Imagineering Field Guides, one for each park, and can’t wait to try to spot all the little details these books point out. The Disney parks were built to be immersive experiences and to tell stories. The imagineering team takes a lot of tricks from cinema to pull this off, such as using forced perspective (building the top of a structure smaller in scale than the bottom) to make structures seem taller than they actually are. They designed the transition areas between the “lands” of the Magic Kingdom to be smooth and not jarring to visitors. They use landscaping and architecture and art and technology in subtle ways to make the guests at Disney parks feel like they are inside another world. These things are meant to be unobtrusive, but we are planning to seek them out and learn a little about what makes the magic work
Hidden Mickeys — These are perhaps the worst kept “secret” in Disney world. There are books and web sites devoted to the search for these sets of three circles resembling in various degrees the familiar head and ears of Mickey Mouse. They can be found all over the place, from the attractions to the restaurants to the resorts. Most are intentional and some are coincidence, but the search is fun either way.
Disney Benchmarks — Surveyors and architects use certain fixed points of reference to help in their design and construction work. Many times, these are brass disks a few inches in diameter set in sidewalks and walls. Disney’s designers use these benchmarks as well, but in true Disney style, theirs are just a bit cooler. There are benchmark disks all throughout the Disney property featuring a stylized globe with Mickey ears and the words “Walt Disney World Survey Marker.” Finding these little disks is tricky as they tend to be in seemingly random places and crowds are usually walking right over them, but there are a few websites that can help. Patty Winter’s Disney Benchmark Pages offers either a latitude and longitude for the benchmarks she and her readers have discovered, or sometimes just a general description of the location. We plan to bring our handheld GPS unit loaded with the coordinates, but most smart phones have a working GPS feature which will make hunting these benchmarks much easier. And we hope to find some not on the page so we can add to the list.
Funky Photography — Everyone gets the obligatory shot of the family at the end of Main Street in front of the Cinderella Castle, right? But the Disney parks offer so much more to even the most amateur photographer if you look hard. Disney is all about detail, the names of imagineers and others on the windows of shops on Main Street and the funny tombstones in the Haunted Mansion queue are just a couple ideas. There’s a lot to see and to photograph in about all the queues for Disney attractions, actually. How about the topiary, or the flowers or the fountains? Looking around you with a careful eye instead of rushing from one ride to the next can be a lot of fun, and who knows, you could end up with some new artwork for the living room to remind you of your trip.
Behind The Scenes Tours — Sure it’s fun to research the hidden side of Disney and then go look for it yourself, but for a true look at what goes on “behind the curtain” you’ll want to try one of Disney’s behind the scenes tours. Disney offers a wide range of tour experiences, allowing you to do everything from get a glimpse into the utilidors under the Magic Kingdom to swim in the dolphin tank at Living Seas. There’s a tour that explores the steam trains, one that focuses on the gardens, one that takes you across a rope bridge over crocodiles and one that takes you behind the scenes at all four theme parks in one day. Some of these tours require park admission and some don’t. Some have age requirements as well. We are looking forward to the big behind the scenes tour ourselves, but need to wait a few years as guests must be at least 16 to participate and our son is only 12.
Related articles
- Runners to Race Around the “High Banks” and “Bases” As Part of 20th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon Course (chipandco.com)
- City Elite Double rental stroller vs Walt Disney World stroller review (tipsfromthedisneydiva.com)
Help Me! What info is available at Guest Relations?
Did you lose your keys? Do you need to convert your currency? Have your tickets gone missing and you need reprints? Well, you need to find Guest Relations at a Disney Park!
Guest Relations stations are at every park in Walt Disney World.They will be marked with a lowercase ‘i’ in a bright blue rectangle on your park map.
There are two in Magic Kingdom. One is outside of the park entrance so you can ask questions before entering the park if you need to. The other is in City Hall.
Epcot also has two Guest Relations stations. The first is outside of the park, you will actually pass it if you get off of a resort bus. The other is near Spaceship Earth.
At Hollywood Studios before you go into the park its on the Left and then when you enter the park, immediately after the turn-styles on your left.
At Animal Kingdoms the Guest Relations also has an outside the park station on the left and you can also get to it by going left once you enter the park.
So what kind of information can you find there?
Well, first off you can get any of the nifty buttons for your birthday, anniversary, first trip, honeymoon, anything like that, for FREE at Guest Relations.
You can also find:
- Disney Resort Reservations and get Advanced Reservations for Dining
- Ticket Information & Adjustments
- Find any missing party member and/ or leave a message for someone who may be looking for you.
- Exchange Foreign Currency
- Get info about tours, on-property activities, and behind the scenes educational programs.
- Get maps in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese
- Purchase Walt Disney World Gift Certificates.
- Information concerning Guests with disabilities
- Get those Happy Birthday or First Visit Buttons
From my experience, they can find out just about any kind of information you might need! So don’t be afraid to use this valuable information!
The Disney Diva – www.tipsfromthedisneydiva.com
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- Disney’s 24 Hours of Magic – Capacity Restrictions (chipandco.com)
- Do You Need a Car while at Walt Disney World? (chipandco.com)
Get Active with Chip&Co / Tips from the Disney Diva!
So here you are… You’re sitting at your computer soaking up your daily dose of Disney Addiction (which we are grateful for, don’t get me wrong), wishing you could meet me (the Disney Diva) and and Chip cause we are just soooo cool…ok well maybe just me, The Diva. (ha!) Well, have I got an idea for you!
February 24-26th, 2012 RunDisney at Walt Disney World hosts its Princess Half Marathon Weekend. (Hey, I heard that GASP! Just wait a second and let me give you allll the information before you have a conniption fit) There are a FEW options for you for “races” you can participate in during the weekend. (read more about Run Disney from Chip & Co writer, Jenn HERE)
Royal Family Kids Races: (Feb. 25th, 2012 – 11:00am) Everybody wants to have healthy kids. So get them out and let them “train” with you for your race. Disney hosts races for: 12& months and under – Diaper Dash for crawlers, 1-3 years old – 100m dash, 4-6 years old – 200m dash, & 7-8 years old – 400m dash. They also have a 1-mile fun run for kids 13-under (which you can run along with them). Each kid-racer gets a Disney Royal Family Kids’ Races T-shirt, Finisher medallion & Goody bag! You can register your favorite kid by clicking HERE. The 1 mile run is $25.00 and all other races are only $10.00. The races take place at The ESPN complex on Disney property.
Royal Family 5K Race: (Feb. 25th, 2012 – 7:00am) A 5K is exactly 3.1 miles, and before you even ask, No! you DON’T have to be able to run the whole way. As a matter of fact, as long as you can walk faster than a 16-minute mile, you don’t have to run at all. This race course has you running through Epcot (you can see the race map HERE). And as you run/walk you will see LOTS of Disney characters (many of them EXCLUSIVELY available for pictures at Disney Races) and cast members cheering you on. This race also has a stroller division, so you can push your little princess or pirate along the course with you. All ages are eligible to participate in the race, but they must be able to complete the race on their own (unless they are in the stroller obviously). As a part of your registration all participants get a 5K T-shirt (Unisex cut), Finisher medallion, Goody bag, Personalized bib (Must register by December 1, 2011 for name to appear on bib) & On-course and post-race refreshments. You can register by clicking HERE. The fee is $50.00 for the 5K, and $55.00 for the 5K stroller division (Ps. your little one gets their own medal too!)
Princess Half Marathon (Feb. 26th, 2012 – 5:45am) The BIG MAMA, 13.1 miles through Epcot AND Magic Kingdom! This is the race that I (the Disney Diva) will be running. First off the Princess Half-Marathon is a WOMAN FOCUSED race!!! So gentlemen, you’ll have to opt for the Royal Family 5K instead. I have seen pictures from other people who have run this race and am SO excited about all the awesome characters along the race course. I saw a photo of Prince Phillip, Prince Charming, Tarzan, Prince Naveen, and Flynn Ryder that you could stop and take a picture with. Can you say HUBBA HUBBA!! I also saw the “full cast” of many animated features as well as Cinderellas carriage. SQUEAL! Not to mention crossing something BIG off your “bucket list” and being able to do something JUST FOR YOURSELF for a change! Don’t think you can make it the whole way? Grab a friend and split the race in two with both of you doing 6.55 miles. You can register as an individual by clicking HERE. Registration costs between $140.00-$150.00 (depending on when you register) or you can register as a team by clicking HERE . Registration for the two-person group is between $280.00- $300.00 (depending on when you register). And what do you get as a part of that registration? Champion® Women’s Short-Sleeved Tech Shirt (Unisex cut available), Finisher medal (which are normally AWESOME!). Goody bag, Personalized bib (Must register by December 1, 2011 for name to appear on bib), On-course and post-race refreshment, & a Family Reunion Area with live entertainment and characters.
So where do Chip & Co. and Tips from the Disney Diva come in? Well, we are sponsoring a “team”. This does NOT mean we all have to run together in a pack, or anything like that. It just means you’re declaring yourself “one of us” and you’ll get a t-shirt (and hopefully some other swag) from being “ON OUR TEAM”. (and who doesn’t love a free t-shirt, answer me that!) You can be running the Half-Marathon OR the 5K to be on our team.
So now that you’re interested, how do you become “ONE OF US”? Well, first off you need to register for your race of choice and get yourself good and committed to this thing!! Then you can register to “be on our team” http://tinyurl.com/696k3lq. We’d love for you to join our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DisneyDivasInTraining and let us encourage you while you train. This will also give you a chance to build “virtual friendships” with fellow team members, making the meet up WAY more fun! Not to mention we will be doing a TON of give-aways in the weeks leading up to the races. We encourage you to follow Jeff Galloway’s 21-week half-marathon training program for the Princess for those of you running the half, (its for beginning runners!) which would mean you’d START training on Oct 4th, 2011. So sign up soon!
And how will you be getting your SWAG you ask? Well you have two options…
First off you can join us at a “Meet Up”. On the “C&C and TffDD registration” page you will see a spot where it will ask you if you would prefer to do a meet up at Port Orleans (one of the host resorts) on Thursday, Feb. 24th from 6pm-7:30pm -OR- Friday, Feb. 25th from 6pm-7:30pm. This is BY FAR the Diva’s favorite option because hauling the shirts to the races on will be the OPPOSITE of fun for me. We will let you know closer to time when the meet-up has been scheduled.
The second is, obviously, is to meet up after the race has been completed in a designated location (Where we will be taking pictures anyway!) and let me give you your “SWAG” there.
We will be taking lots of pictures, and maybe even do a little UStream for those of you who can’t make it, but we’d REALLY love it if you could be on our team and encourage you to GET ACTIVE with us! We have had many awesome sponsors come forward (more from them later) and The Diva will be doing LIVE UPDATES from the race and meet up for Sorcerer Radio.
Keep an eye out for some Get Active! GIVEAWAYS leading up to the race date. Hope you’ll join us!
What to Expect from a D23 Expo
This year I was happy that I had the opportunity to visit the D23 Expo! Though I had previously been to Disneyland, I could not resist a visit to the parks. The Expo was opened from Friday, August 19 - Sunday, August 21. I arrived in Anaheim on August 17 so I had two days to enjoy the parks before the opening of the Expo. I spent both of these two days at the parks from open until the close trying to get in as many details as I could in the time I had. I was attending the Expo with my son, age 5. So, I knew that I would not be able to be at the Expo from open until close without a kiddie riot. As such, I had purchased two additional days tickets to the theme parks so I could split my time between the Expo and the parks. Looking back on this decision, it was the best one I could have made for our situation. However, me being a “never say die” person, I was attempting to be at the Expo at open while also being in the theme parks until close. Between the two, I was exhausted for the return home.
If you plan on visiting a D23Expo, here are a few things you should consider:
- You will receive free things at the Expo - I received fans, buttons, stickers, balloons, an Expo guide book, pamphlets, and on and on. When planning your visit to the Expo, be sure to plan for these items (assuming you want to keep them) when selecting the luggage you bring to the Expo.
- The crowds are overwhelming for the larger events - People arrive 1 – 3 hours before the events to line up and make sure that they get a spot. In some instances, shows became full long before the demand had been met. One example was the Dick Van Dyke show on Friday evening. Many were disappointed that they could not experience this legendary show.
- You have to be selective in your chose of events - Many of the events and shows take place while other events and shows are going on. As such, it is important to review the materials found online for the D23 Expo or the Expo Guidebook you recieve once at the Expo. You will need to take care to select the events that more interest you.
- Bring your business card - If you represent a website or company, be sure to bring your business card along with you. This will give you something to hand out to those you meet at the Expo so you can contact one another in the future.
- Talk to others - The attendees (mostly) are other extreme Disney fans and what better opportunity to meet some lifelong Disney friends than at the Expo!
There is a lot to see, a lot. Before you go, know you just cannot possibly see everything. If you bring a child, as I did, you can still have a great time! He and I attended two shows that were over 2 hours long. Once we finished, we headed over to Disney Living where several exhibits included toys for the children to play with, as well as games that could be played. I was careful to make the experience one he enjoyed as well.
I hope to see you all at the next D23 Expo. If you would like additional details on some of the shows I attended, please find the articles at Meet the Magic.
Related articles
- D23 Expo talks details of the Fantasy, newest Disney Cruise Line ship (chipandco.com)
- D23 Expo 2011: Imagineering the Dream and the Fantasy Disney Cruise Line Panel (jedimouseketeer.blogspot.com)
Off the Beaten Path: Quiet Places at Hollywood Studios
There are so many things to see and do at Disney’s Hollywood Studios but some of my favorite times there have been doing nothing at all. It’s nice to take a break from the heat and take in the scenery, I wisely decide to do this while my family is riding Tower of Terror.
Here are my top 5 places to find solitude at Hollywood Studios
1. Tower of Terror – The benches are rod iron and aren’t so comfortable, but I love the location outside of the Tower of Terror gift shop. Under the overhang of the roof you can enjoy a quiet spot on the bench and enjoy the intricately themed window displays, hear the screams from the ride you wisely opted out of and even grab a cup of coffee from the cart nearby. I especially love this spot at night, when the sun goes down it intensifies the theme of the Tower of Terror even more.
2. Starring Rolls Cafe -This busy cafe is rarely uncrowded but still makes it on my list because of the excellent coffee and sweet treats. I recommend having someone from your party secure a table before the other goes in to order, there aren’t many tables and the cafe is small inside, so divide and conquer is key on this one!
3. Muppet Vision – Depart from the galaxy of Tattooine and head toward Kermit’s Balloon, right outside of the brick building where the bathrooms are located there are benches. I love this spot at night when the sun is down and the park is less crowded. There are so many things happening in this spot…you can hear the water of the muppets fountain, smell the pizza from Pizza Planet and hear Kermit and Miss Piggy singing songs from their movies. When your feet are rested you’ll want to get moving, or else you’ll have “daffodils, Miss Piggy, whippoorwills, Miss Piggy…” stuck in your head all night long!
4. Sunset Strip – Stay to the right of the street on Sunset Boulevard (heading toward the tower) and when you exit the last gift shop you’ll come to a small culdesac, this is a nice place to have a seat where you won’t get run over the crowds.
5. Studio Catering Co. is a popular place for lunch, but one we never stopped at until our last trip (Star Wars Weekends). I can’t believe we’ve been missing out on this delightful lunch experience for all these years! The tables are all shaded, with large fans blowing overhead and the menu is excellent considering it’s a quick service! Greek salads, wraps, panini sandwiches…it’s a delicious spot to relax and fuel up for your next adventure.
Where’s your favorite relaxing spot at Hollywood Studios?
Related articles
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Top 5 Attractions For Seniors (chipandco.com)
- Chip’s Hollywood Studios Touring Plan (chipandco.com)
