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Category Archives: Reviews
You Don’t Know Until You Go
It’s not always easy being an adult Walt Disney World lover. When I tell people I am headed to WDW on my next vacation, I get that weird look, that one that says “really? What a weirdo”…usually it only lasts a second, and they say something like “Oh, that’s nice” when what they really mean is “that’s for kids…I wouldn’t want to go there”. In these situations, I usually try and be a Disney cheerleader, rallying for Team WDW, and i have come up with this list of things that are so unique, that you can only get them at Walt Disney World:
The Service: The employees of WDW (they call them Cast Members) provide the highest level of service I have ever experienced. They are friendly, polite, helpful, and most of all, they actually seem to really like their jobs. They will bend over backwards to make sure you have an amazing time, and that is truly special, and something you don’t see much of these days.
The Food: Most theme parks keep it simple with burgers, fries, and other fried items. Not Walt Disney World, where you can sample authentic cuisine from 11 different countries at Epcot’s World Showcase, feast on a AAA 5 diamond rated meal at Victoria and Albert’s, or grab a giant turkey leg in the Magic Kingdom. Everything they sell tastes fresh and is prepared with meticulous attention to flavors and the result is out of this world! Oh, and in case you’re in the mood, WDW has those burgers and fries too, and they taste amazing.
The Accommodations: Disney has many different choices of places to stay, all with their own theme. From the Polynesian Resort that’s like living in a luau, to the Port Orleans Resort where they serve up gumbo and beignets with a true Louisiana flair, to the Boardwalk Resort-where they have a real wooden boardwalk reminiscent of Old Atlantic City (this one is my personal favorite, and is breathtaking at night!)
The Detail: WDW pays people to create all the experiences in it’s parks and resorts, down to the chair fabrics and napkin designs (they call them Imagineers, which might just be the coolest job ever!). The themes are carried out in every ride, restaurant, hotel room, and swimming pool, and are breathtaking. My favorite example of Imagineering is the Haunted Mansion ride, where you get to ride in a “Doom Buggy” through a truly creepy haunted house (where I still find something new and scary every time I ride it!)
The Experience: This one is a bit harder to put into words, but its that feeling you get when you walk into any of the parks, for me it hits me hardest in the Magic Kingdom, when you gaze down Main Street USA and see Cinderella’s Castle up ahead…and you know that you can have a real vacation, an escape from the pressures of the real world, in a place where you can feel like a carefree kid again.
So next time a non-Disney lover gives you that weird look, let them know about what they are missing. You never know, you might actually convince them to visit the happiest place on earth, and the truth is, they won’t really know until they go.
Related articles
- The “Comforts of Home” are never far away at Disney World (chipandco.com)
- Top 5 Things to Know When Visiting WDW at the Holidays (chipandco.com)
Disney Food Confession – Mom’s Old Fashioned Pot Roast
What is it?Mom’s Old Fashioned Pot Roast
Where can you get it? 50′s Prime Time Cafe
Why you want it? This dish is just like Mom used to make. Slow cooked ’til fork tender beef pot roast, served with a side of mashed potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. Make sure to finish the whole plate.
Thanks to Dulcie for the picture!
Check out Have Mouse Ears …. And Loves To Travel for more!
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- Review: Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner (disneyfoodblog.com)
Disney Store Times Square to Host Private Holiday Event
It’s barely November and Christmas decorations are starting to infiltrate New York City. Most of us city dwellers avoid Times Square like the plague between now and, well, nevermind, we always avoid Times Square. So what would make me, at 9 months pregnant, want to venture down there with my two year old son?
The Disney Store is hosting a private event highlighting the Top 10 Toys & Gifts for the 2011 Holiday Season and I’ve been invited to cover the event for Chip and Co! Who’s better than me? Not only will the top gifts of the season be revealed, but guests of the event will be able to meet with a Christmas-clad Mickey and Minnie and we may even get a chance to mingle with some celebrity parents!
I’m excited to walk down the twinkling blue path (made of pixie dust of course) that winds through bright displays, check out the Buzz Lightyear super blasters, and will try not to buy the $500 life-size Hulk head in the Marvel Comics section! But most of all I’m looking forward to hearing about and sharing with you readers Disney Store’s holiday theme this year: “Share the Magic.” For every Mickey and Minnie holiday plush sold from October 31-Dec. 11, Disney Store will make a $1 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Stay tuned this Thursday, November 3rd for my live Facebook posting and Tweeting from the event as well as a follow up review of all the great things I learned and saw!
Disney’s Cars 2 Bluray Review
Since I received my review copy from Disney last week Cars 2 has not left our home Bluray Player or Car DVD Player. I have seen this movie atleast 50 times and you know what? I have enjoyed it every time it has been on.
Cars 2 is one of those movies where a lot is going on to take in with just watching one time. There are many subtle jokes, things going on in the background, and plot lines to follow. While the first Cars movie was pretty simple in the delivery Cars 2 smashes that mold and goes right for the Action/Spy Movie fan in me!
In case you missed Cars 2 in the box office or like that Geiko Commercial been living under a rock here is the Synopsis of the movie:
Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.
There are so many characters in this movie which is great. Each Car brings in a new element to the movie. My favorite character was Francesco Bernoulli. The conversations between Lightening & Francesco reminded me of Cars 1 with Chick Hicks but way more funny.
Between a huge cast, international espionage, and some good old racing Cars 2 is my #1 Animated Movie of the Year.
If the movie alone wasn’t good enough the bonus content on the Bluray is spectacular! You don’t get just one Disney/Pixar Short you get 2!
- Car Toons – Air Mater
- Toy Story Short – Hawaiian Vacation
I about spit out my drink when the end of Air Mater came on the screen. Somebody should make a movie about it 
There is also an interactive “World Tour” map that takes you through 9 different locations, including those featured in the film and more. A global thrill-ride, it allows viewers to go behind-the-scenes with the Pixar artists and filmmakers as they circle the globe finding inspiration for the most international of all Pixar films to date.
Finally Cars 2 is also the first Pixar film to be released in spectacular Blu-ray 3D. If my wife is reading this I like the 60″ Samsung 3D LCD TV!
Overall Cars 2 is one heck of a ride that doesn’t get old. It is still going strong at home and in our car for our little one. Surprisingly you think Cars is just for boys but she doesn’t mind watching it and neither do I 
Cars 2 is out now so make sure to use the Coupons below if your going to pick this up in the store. It would make a great Christmas Present too!
Related articles
- Cars 2 Bluray $10 Off Details and Movie Clips! (chipandco.com)
- Round up of the Cars 2 coupons, rebates and deals (couponingtodisney.com)
Puss in Boots – Shrek’s Kitty is Out of the Bag.
Puss in Boots, 2011
PUSS IN BOOTS (2011)
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek
Director: Chris Miller
Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG
Genre: Kids/Family, Animation
Rating: PG
Grade: B
When Puss in Boots first showed up in Shrek 2 (2004), he was instantly adored by the millions of fans of the Shrek franchise. After two more Shrek installments, could a spin-off of the beloved kitty cat work? Can Puss carry a franchise of his own without the hilarious Ogre and dimwitted Donkey at his side? The answer is…well, maybe. I would have actually thought that if a Shrek character was going to get a spin-off, it would have been Donkey (Eddie Murphy), but I guess I was wrong. So, DreamWorks took the leap and here we are with the new animated adventure, Puss in Boots. Antonio Banderas is back as the voice of Puss, and he leads an assorted cast of delightful characters that include Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek) and Humpty Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). In addition to these “original” characters (except for Humpty, of course), we brush shoulders with classic “fairy tale” icons such as Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue and Jack (the Beanstalk guy). Puss is forced to reunite with Humpty, who had betrayed him in a previous life.