Oldies but goodies Archives

A Birthday Tribute to Our Friend, Ken!

September 12, 2012 by Brenda 4 Comments

Disney lovers are a special breed of people. We speak a different language and we understand one another. We know the thrill of planning a trip, the anticipation of waiting for it, and the sheer joy of being home again. The Disney community is a tightly knit group. We have respect, regard and a genuine concern for each other. Our group at Chip & Company is one example of such a group of Disney lovers who truly enjoy sharing all we know with everyone out there in order to try to make your Disney experience better, share our memories with your memories, and reach out whenever help is needed.

If you have been a fan of Chip & Company for a while, you know that we lost a treasured friend and a great writer this year. Today is his birthday so I hope you will indulge us an opportunity to share Ken Brown with all of you – especially those of you who never had an opportunity to know him.

Ken was with Chip right from the beginning. He was one of the original writers and Chip has said that when no one else even knew about C&C, Ken was his #1 fan. He was not only a contributor here, though, he was also a very supportive friend and confidant. Ken wrote a special series called Disney for Seniors, but he liked to call it “Oldies but Goodies” for fun. I hope you will take a little time to read his posts as he was an awesome writer with a fabulous sense of humor and he posted very valuable, well-presented information about Disney.

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Oldies But Goodies – Don’t Miss These Holiday Experiences

December 21, 2011 by Ken 2 Comments

The holidays at Walt Disney World, as we all know, are extra special for everyone but there are some experiences that are especially appealing to us, the Oldies. There are four that I think we find especially pleasing and if any of you chronologically advanced folks out there haven’t seen them you might find it worth your while to schedule a Walt Disney World visit during the Christmas season. In reverse order they are:

4. – The Grand Floridian Lobby – This is truly a marvel and is best visited during the evening when not only the tree and other decorations will be in their glory but the life size gingerbread house will be on display and the Grand Floridian Orchestra will be there playing some fantastic holiday music.

3. – The Candlelight Processional – This is always a treat. High school choirs from many states but primarily Florida fill the American Garden Theater in Epcot’s World Showcase all carrying candles and wearing beautiful gold robes, singing as they enter. It is a very moving experience and is narrated by a different celebrity who changes every couple of evenings.

2. – The Lighting Of Cinderella Castle – Once you see this in person, you will never forget it. Hundreds of thousands of ice lights are turned on bit by bit as the narration progresses. Once it is complete you will see the castle as you have never seen it before. The first time I saw it I actually misted up a bit – it’s that beautiful!!

1. – The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights – O.K this is number one. It takes place in the Streets of America area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and there are literally MILLIONS of Christmas lights that are all turned on at the same time .You can hear the gasps from those in attendance when the switch is thrown. The lights are then choreographed to Christmas music for the rest of the evening in a spectacle that that will stay with you forever. If that is not enough it actually snows – an amazing evening.

If my Oldie friends visit Walt Disney World during the holiday season and do nothing but experience these four events, the visit will be well worth it. But – we all know that there is so much to do there that you will have a wonderful time no matter what. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken of Disney for Seniors

Top 10 Holiday Things at Disney World (chipandco.com)
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Oldies But Goodies – Don’t Miss These Holiday Experiences

Filed Under: Disney for Seniors, Oldies but Goodies, Original Articles, Tips &Tricks Tagged With: Christmas, Disney for Seniors, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Grand Floridian, Oldies but goodies, Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, The American Adventure, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort, World Showcase

Oldies But Goodies…Date Night For Oldies

November 27, 2010 by Ken 4 Comments

If you visit Walt Disney World as an Oldies couple, then every night is date night. More often than not though, we as Oldies, travel with an extended family group. One thing you can almost bet on is that your children will ask you to watch their children (your grandchildren of course) while they take a break and have a date night. Let them go and have fun because you understand how tired you were all the time taking care of them when they were kids and things have not changed over time. But – in doing this you have earned a Date Night For Oldies!!!

There are literally thousands of date night options you can choose from so I’ll just outline what I think is perfect for us and let you pick what is perfect for the two of you (yes – just the two of you).

If you are touring in the morning, break away from the family group when they stop for lunch. You can either then catch a very light snack and head over to the Grand Floridian for a walk around. I can recommend Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge (wonderful experience) for a light lunch or skip the snack and head to the Grand Floridian Cafe for lunch. Either way make sure you have an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) for the one you choose.
After lunch, head back to your resort hotel for a quick swim and a nap before the big night. Choose one of the more romantic restaurants at Epcot for dinner (again, an ADR is imperative). I might suggest Tutto Italia, the Bistro de Paris, or even the San Angel Inn (authentic Mexican food) as all are very quiet and romantic even when they are at capacity.
After dinner go on outside to view Illuminations at 9:00. A couple of precautions for Illuminations, make sure you are not downwind because the smoke is unbelievable and do not try to view Illuminations from the area between Future World and the World Showcase because that’s where the crowd will be standing in an attempt to avoid the crowd!! Try the area around the Italy Pavilion where the crowds are generally very light and after the show take a leisurely stroll around the World Showcase while everyone fights to catch the first bus. When you get to the buses, most of the other folks will be gone!! Make sure you pick a viewing spot that does not have an island in the way that may obscure your view.

It’s not just the youngsters who go on dates, we do too! Even if you have been married for 30-40-50 years or more it’s always a delight to spend some alone time with the one you love. Take the opportunity to enjoy each other in an amazingly romantic setting, Walt Disney World. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Photo By Disney

Filed Under: Disney for Seniors, Oldies but Goodies, Original Articles, Tips &Tricks Tagged With: Advance Dining Reservations, Bistro de Paris, disney, Epcot, Future World, Garden View Lounge, Grand Floridian, Grand Floridian Cafe, Illuminations, Oldies but goodies, Original Articles, San Angel Inn, Tutto Italia, Walt Disney World, World Showcase

Oldies But Goodies…Minimizing The Cost Of Getting There

November 6, 2010 by Ken 6 Comments

Vacationing at Walt Disney World is an expensive proposition and most of us (particularly us, frugal Oldies) generally look for whatever ways we can to minimize costs without impacting the fun. One way you can impact these costs, even in today’s expensive air travel market, is to look for the flights or other travel options that fit your needs best. There are many options, some of which are cheaper but may not meet your needs. Cheapest is not necessarily the best especially if you look at just the basic cost and convenience of the tickets or means of travel themselves. Here are some ways to get the best travel situation for you.

DRIVE – This is good if you have the time, like to drive, live fairly close to Orlando, and consider the expense of hotel accommodations in your travel costs. It works well if you really like the person you are traveling with because you will be spending a lot of time together in close quarters.
TRAIN TRAVEL – This is a wonderful way to go if you have the time, which many of us Oldies do. It’s also a great way to really get a good look at our beautiful country. It’s not really inexpensive but may well be worth it.
LOW COST NO FRILLS AIRLINES – These airlines (Jet Blue, Southwest, etc.) have become a huge part of the travel scene to Walt Disney World because what they do is get you from point A to point B and that’s it. It does need to be mentioned though, these airlines are among the safest in existence, an important point to us Oldies. One precaution, if you are planning on using Disney’s Magical Express, make sure the airline you choose participates in the program (both Jet Blue and Southwest do participate).
FREQUENT FLIER MILES - A lot of folks, including us Oldies, charge most of their day to day living expenses to an airline frequent flier miles card and pay it off monthly. This eliminates interest charges on the card and rapidly accumulates miles to be used for airline travel. A lot of cards also pay double miles for purchases such as groceries and gasoline so you can maximize your purchase dollars.
COMPANION TICKETS - This is what I do. I use a Delta Platinum Sky Miles card as do several people I know. Each year when I pay the renewal fee I receive a certificate good for a free coach companion ticket. The renewal fee is $95 and when I pay for the tickets using this card the first bag for both me and my wife do not have the customary fee of $25 each way for each bag. This puts us ahead $5 and the ticket for my wife is free. The only costs involved on the companion ticket are the standard taxes and fees that are on every ticket, currently $42.80 for a one stop round trip ticket. That’s a pretty good deal.
DISNEY’S MAGICAL EXPRESS – Always, always, always use Disney’s Magical Express. It’s free and it works beautifully, enough said!!

These are just a few ways to minimize your travel costs. I’m sure there are many others and even when you find one that suits your needs, keep looking because a better opportunity just might come along. Start looking at ticket prices early and when one comes along that meets your needs, grab it because prices can vary wildly even from hour to hour. It’s like the stock market and almost impossible to time for the best price. Good luck and as always enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

PHOTO BY DISNEY

Oldies But Goodies…Minimizing The Cost Of Getting There

Filed Under: Disney Deals and Discounts, Disney for Seniors, Oldies but Goodies, Original Articles, Tips &Tricks, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: airlines, costs, disney, Disney's Magical Express, Oldies but goodies, Original Articles, seniors, Travel, Walt Disney World

Oldies But Goodies – When Should Seniors Visit Walt Disney World

October 30, 2010 by Ken 4 Comments

There are lots of wonderful times for everyone including us Oldies to visit Walt Disney World. There are times, however, when we are unable to really choose the best time for ourselves. If you are traveling with a group that includes school age grandchildren the trip windows are limited by school commitments. If you are traveling with a group of adult family members the visit time may be determined by their job commitments, and if you are traveling with a Senior group, the schedule for the trip is likely also out of your hands. The only real time that you can pick and choose is if you travel by yourselves or with a small and very tight group of other Seniors or adult family members.

We, like a lot of Oldies, don’t mind being around people but at some times of year the crowds are absolutely psycho and shoulder to shoulder. We avoid these times and unless you have a specific reason for being there I recommend that you avoid Easter(Spring Break), the 4th of July Holiday period, and the week between Christmas and New Year‘s Day. There are three other periods where the crowds are very heavy but not quite at the levels of the above three. These periods are President’s Week, Memorial Day, and the week after Thanksgiving – very busy!! Mid June through mid August are manageable but the heat and humidity are incredible and unless you are very heat tolerant you might want to pick another time frame. We have lived in Southern Arizona for the last 26 years where we have 100+ degree temperatures at least 100-125 days a year and temperatures of 110 to 115 are not at all uncommon. We do not go to Walt Disney World in the summer because the humidity amplifies the heat. Oldies, if you do go at this time please read up on precautions you need to take and please take those precautions.

We generally visit during October (after the Columbus Day holiday) and November (prior to Thanksgiving) because crowd levels are lower and the weather is magnificent. Park hours may be shorter but because of the lower crowds you can get a lot more touring done in a much shorter time. January traditionally has the lowest crowd levels but we have a very low tolerance for chilly weather so we avoid that time frame. If you can handle the cool weather that is the easiest time to tour but remember that is also a big time for attraction refurbs ( ex. Splash Mountain closes each January). We are now thinking that two visits from now we will likely visit in the spring for the Flower and Garden Festival and give that time of year a shot depending on how Spring Break and Easter fall.

It seems like there are pluses and minuses no matter when you visit. But – Walt Disney World is still the most magical place in the world and with proper planning you can always be assured of a good time. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken