Category: Travel Tips

Keys to the World

Imagination has no age–Walt Disney

 

Magic Bands are your new ‘Key to the World.’ If you are staying on property or an annual passholder, there is NO extra charge for your bands. They hold your room key, your park tickets, your FastPass+, your Memory Maker account and your charging privileges.

Magic Bands

If you are a ‘day guest,’ you can purchase a MagicBand in advance from Disney store online or on property, however you cannot add charging privileges.  The active transmitters embedded in MagicBand are expected to last for 2-3 years.

You can customize your magic bands at least 10 days prior to your arrival, which includes choosing a color and adding a name or phrase.  It was very exciting to get our first set of Magic Bands, but we definitely wanted to spruce them up before we traveled to Disney.  There are lots of great ideas for painting and decorating, however some require way too much artistic skill for me, so instead I added simple painted polka dots.  Sharpie paint markers work well on the bands and come in a variety of colors.  I have used this Magic Band for two different 5-day trips during the past year and the design has held up, with only a touch up on the black Mickey head needed before the 2nd trip.

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My younger daughter wanted to add a Stitch tattoo to her Magic Band, however it was tricky to transfer and didn’t turn out exactly the way she wanted it to.

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It also began to peel pretty quickly, so we ended up adding extra color using the Sharpie paint markers.  I think for our next set we’ll try making pretty designs using my new vinyl cutter.  I’ll post an update whenever we get a chance to do this 🙂

Have fun being creative!

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Where do I find characters at WDW?

It all started with a mouse–Walt Disney

Baymax from Big Hero 6
Baymax from Big Hero 6

One of my favorite things to do at WDW is meet characters.  I don’t always meet Mickey, but I love getting pics in his different costumes.  There are certain meet & greet (M&G) areas for special characters like Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom for Anna & Elsa OR Cinderella & Rapunzel.  However, other characters can be difficult to locate, especially if you (or your child) wants to meet someone in particular, like Alice.

alice

So, how do you find these harder to locate characters?  There are daily schedules for characters with special M&G areas that you can pick up, along with your guide map when you enter the parks, as well as information on the free My Disney Experience app, but my favorite way to find characters is Character Locator.

character locator

This site was created by Kenny the Pirate.  For me, he has been the ultimate authority on where to locate characters, as well as information on the ‘secret’ Characterpalooza event.  This is a not-published opportunity to meet several characters (even some rare ones), however the time frame is typically only 15-20 minutes.  Also, when there is possibility of bad weather, it may NOT happen.  This event used to be sporadic around the park (especially Streets of America area).  For the most up-to-date info on when and where it happens, check out Kenny’s site.
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During the summer, we met Aladdin with Genie, Donald Duck, & Princess Tiana.  On my last trip, I had a solo touring day at Hollywood Studios.  I made sure to include Characterpalooza in my plans and had the opportunity to meet Princess Tiana, Evil Queen, Stitch, Pocahontas with Meeko and Mary Poppins with Bert.

princess pocahontas stitchprincess tiana

evil queen

There is a small annual fee for accessing ALL of the information on Character Locator, however I feel the cost is definitely worth it to locate any character available, within all of the parks at WDW.  Kenny has lots of great information for helping plan your trip to the World, so check out his site and blog.

Have fun exploring the World!

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Celebration cakes

To all that come to his happy place:  welcome — Walt Disney

My husband has a summer birthday, and it just so happens we’ve been at Disney TWICE during his birthday.  Disney does a great job of helping people celebrate all kinds of celebrations…weddings, anniversaries, adoption, family reunions, and especially birthdays.  In fact, we had the most wonderful cake at our on-site wedding.  It was a beautiful, two-tier chocolate cake, with white chocolate raspberry filling, and buttercream icing.  The staff decorated the cake with little Mickey heads and of course, a Mickey & Minnie cake topper.  This was part of the wedding package, so costs are different, but any cake from Disney is pretty yummy.

Our wedding cake with Mickey & Minnie topper
Our wedding cake with Mickey & Minnie topper

A few years ago, we rented a specialty cruise (pontoon boat) from the Contemporary Resort and ordered a special Mickey birthday cake.  It was a beautiful chocolate ganache, which is absolutely delicious.  The pontoon driver took us around Bay Lake, then found a great fireworks spot to enjoy Wishes, with the music piped into the boat.  It was a very memorable (and higher priced) experience, which requires at least 90 days advance reservation (407-wdw-play).

pontoon boat

On our most recent trip, my husband and I decided to have a special dinner for two at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian resort.  Most restaurants will have a basic 6-inch cake available, however it seemed like a lot of dessert for just the two of us.  Instead, our waiter was able to bring him a special birthday cupcake plate, which was just right.  There is no guarantee that a cake will be available when you walk up, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

 
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Happy Birthday cupcake plate at Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort
Happy Birthday cupcake plate at Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort

If you want to make sure a cake is available or to something more than a basic chocolate or vanilla cake, call the Cake Ordering Hotline at (407) 827-2253.  Since the bakery at the Grand Floridian makes the cakes for the on-site weddings, they have the most options as far as flavors.  I highly recommend calling the main line for ordering a cake 2-3 weeks in advance to get the most options.

If you are looking for more information on ordering cakes, AJ from Disney Food Blog has a great article.

Have fun exploring the World!

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Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Why do we have to grow up? — Walt Disney

 

Liberty Square symbol
Liberty Square symbol

When people ask me what they should plan to do on their trip to the Magic Kingdom, I try to help them choose one or two absolute must-do items and usually it’s one of the ‘e-ticket’ events…Anna & Elsa meet & greet, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train,  the mountains (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad), but rarely do I include Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (SOTMK).  In fact, I had never slowed down enough to actually participate in this fun, FREE event until our last trip this past summer.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love to collect Disney things, especially FREE Disney things, so it is surprising that I’ve never taken advantage of this before.

First, a little background information…Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is an interactive game that began in 2012, and is played only at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.  Merlin (The Sword in the Stone) recruits park guests as apprentice sorcerers and sends them out to battle various Disney villains led by Hades (Hercules).  The game takes place throughout the various themed lands throughout the park, except for Tomorrowland, using special spell cards.

There are two areas in the Magic Kingdom where you can get your FREE pack of SOTMK spell cards each day.  The first area, and typically the busiest area, is at the front of the park, in the Firehouse next to City Hall.  The second area is a little more hidden, behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square, across from the meet & greet for Princess Tiana.

On your very first visit, the Cast Member will get you registered using your magic band or park ticket, then give you a tutorial on how to play, as well as get you started on the adventure with Merlin.  You also receive a map with the locations of the SOTMK ‘magic portals,’ however feel free to ask a Cast Member for help if you can’t seem to locate a specific portal.

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Each ‘magic portal’ is marked by a symbol like the one pictured above.  When you find the correct portal, wave your card and the portal opens up to continue your adventure.  You can only get one pack of cards per ticket per day, however special events have special cards available, too.
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If you complete the game by defeating Hades, you can get an extra set of cards for that day (and also bump up to the next level game).  If you attend the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party or the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party, a special ‘bonus’ card is available, so don’t forget to stop by for your FREE bonus spell card.

Which spell to use?
Which spell to use?

 

 

We haven’t reached the end of the game yet, so I’ll have to post an update once we do.

Have fun exploring the World!

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Storybook autograph book

When we do fantasy, we must not lose sight of reality–Walt Disney

 

Meeting characters is like meeting rock stars for kids. They have seen these characters on television, in movies, in video games and in storybooks.  So, it is nice to have something tangible to remind them of their visit with that special character, typically a picture and an autograph.  Autograph books are sold in the parks and at the Disney store, but you may want to do something a little more creative.

Disney Princess autograph book from Disney store
Disney Princess autograph book from Disney store

So on our last trip to Disneyland, we decided to use my daughter’s favorite Princess storybook as her autograph book. These were the characters she was looking forward to meeting the most 🙂

Princess Storybook Collection
Princess Storybook Collection

It was a really great experience for her as the princesses spent extra time reading their story and speaking with my daughter.

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Disneyland, California
Meeting her favorite princess, Jasmine

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She couldn’t stop giggling all day 🙂

Princess Giggles

For our next trip to the World, she’s on a mission to get her princess shirt signed (I’ll add a post on that when she gets it done).

Have fun exploring the World!

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My Happy Place–Disney’s Beach Club Resort

To all who come to this happy place, welcome–Walt Disney

 

My favorite resort at Walt Disney World is Beach Club Resort.  When I married my husband at Walt Disney World, we stayed at the Beach Club and it will always be my favorite, but we rarely stay here since Deluxe resorts are typically not in our vacation budget.  However, since it holds a very special place in my heart, I always make a point of coming back to visit during our trips.  The Beach Club is one of the Epcot resorts.  It is connected to Disney’s Yacht Club and they share swimming areas.

Beach Club beach
View from the beach at Disney’s Beach Club resort towards Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin resorts

You can visit any resort on property, even if you aren’t staying on property.  It is also very easy to visit Beach Club, Yacht Club and Boardwalk since you can exit Epcot at the International Gateway in the back of the park and walk over.  Swan and Dolphin are also accessible from here, but they are not Disney properties, and I have never been over there, so I can’t give my opinion.  There is also a walkway from these resorts over to Hollywood Studios.  It takes about 20 minutes walking from here or taking a boat from the dock to Hollywood Studios.

Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club hosts a character breakfast buffet with Beach Goofy and friends.  For dinner, they offer a seafood-and-more buffet (no characters).  There is also a great little ice cream soda shop, Beaches and Cream.  Their specialty is the Kitchen Sink, which has scoops of every ice cream flavor smothered in every topping they have and a WHOLE CAN of whipped cream.  Bring your appetite or friends to share this decadent delight.
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During the holiday season, this Deluxe resort has a beautiful Christmas tree or a gingerbread carousel in the lobby.  It smells heavenly 🙂

Beach Club Gingerbread Carrousel

If you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend a slow, relaxing stroll through this happy spot.

Have fun exploring the World!

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