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Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots – The Movie.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots - The Movie.
Real Steel, 2011

REAL STEEL (2011)
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo
Director: Shawn Levy
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Rating: PG-13

Grade: C+

It seems like the creators of the new sci-fi action flick, Real Steel, had a pretty simple idea – let’s make a live-action “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” movie, and get a charismatic, popular actor to play the lead human role.  That is precisely what they did, and while the premise and plot development of Real Steel is a little forced and cheesy at times, it can also be a lot of fun to watch.  The movie takes place sometime in the next 10-15 years, and boxing amongst men has become a pastime.  The real draw now is robot boxing (remotely controlled by humans).  Hugh Jackman (the X-Men films) plays Charlie, an ex-fighter with a decorated record who is down-on-his-luck.  Charlie takes his robots all over town betting on fights, often losing which results in huge debts to some pretty unsavory people.  Along the way, Charlie becomes reunited with his 11-year-old son, Max (played by Dakota Goyo), and the two of them go on the road together with a new robot that Max discovered named “Atom.”  Atom was a sparring bot in the early stages of robot boxing, so Charlie does not put any stock into

ESPN Wide World of Sports Named ‘Business of the Year’ at SPORTYS

ESPN Wide World of Sports Named ‘Business of the Year’ at SPORTYS

The Central Florida Sports Commission recognized ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort as “Business of the Year” last month at the inaugural Central Florida SPORTYS Awards. The event honored deserving local athletes, coaches, employees and businesses, ranging from amateur to professional, throughout Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties.

SPORTYS award winners are selected by a blue ribbon panel of Central Florida media representatives through two rounds of voting. Other finalists for “Business of the Year” included Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Bright House Sports Network. Mike Millay, director of sports programs and events at Walt Disney World Resort, accepted the award for ESPN Wide World of Sports.

It is an honor to be recognized amongst all of the great sports businesses in Central Florida,” Mike said. “I accept this award on behalf of the 250-plus Cast Members that work hard to create magical sports moments for our athletes, as well as our key partners like the AAU, USSSA and Pop Warner who have made Central Florida the home to so many great events.”

Three Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductees were also honored including: 13-year NBA player and current NBA coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers, long-time CEO of Florida Citrus Sports Chuck Rohe and five-time NFL Pro Bowler Ricky Watters.

 

  • ESPN Wide World of Sports will host 2012 World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships (chipandco.com)
  • Central Florida’s Children “Shine On” with $1.2 Million from Walt Disney World Resort (chipandco.com)
ESPN Wide World of Sports Named ‘Business of the Year’ at SPORTYS

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Announces a Special Offer to Celebrate its Grand Opening

Aulani Announces a Special Offer to Celebrate its Grand Opening

Come celebrate the grand opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai`i, with a new special offer! Beginning today through December 16, 2011, guests who purchase a consecutive four-night stay at Aulani will receive a fifth night free*. Take advantage of this grand opening offer at Aulani.com or by calling (866) 411-3883 and mentioning offer code Y5J.

This limited-time Aulani special offer is available for stays most nights from November 27 to December 16, 2011; January 4 to January 12, 2012; and January 16 to January 25, 2012. You can find more details on this offer here.

Take a look at some of the fun, relaxation and magic you can experience at Aulani:

*5th Night Free promotion for guests who stay four consecutive nights between November 27, 2011, and December 16, 2011; January 4, 2012, and January 12, 2012; January 16, 2012, and January 25, 2012. Book by December 16, 2011. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Excludes Resort fees and taxes. Not valid in combination with any other discounts or offers. Offer excludes suites and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. Additional per adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room. Offer applied once per reservation and not valid for previously booked rooms. Check for offers for other lengths of stay. Advance reservations required. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Limit 2 rooms per reservation.

Source Disney Parks Blog

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Announces a Special Offer to Celebrate its Grand Opening

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Announces a Special Offer to Celebrate its Grand Opening

Characters Coming to Lunch at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House

Characters Coming to Lunch at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House
Beginning December 4, 2011, the buffet lunch at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House is becoming Disney’s Dining Safari Lunch with Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy. The menu seems to be similar to what is offered today- the real difference is the introduction of characters. As the mom of small children you would think I would embrace this change but I’m just not excited about it.

Here are the three main reasons I’ve adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

1. Limits Choices. Before we traveled with the kids, my husband and I made it a habit to have a sit-down lunch and dinner at Walt Disney World. Back in the day, one of my husband’s chief complaints about Animal Kingdom was the lack of table-service restaurants. We applauded the conversion of Tusker House from a counter-service restaurant to a buffet and the addition of Yak and Yeti. Still, there are only three table service restaurants in Animal Kingdom. By adding characters to lunch at one of these restaurants, choices for a full-service restaurant become more limited for guests who aren’t interested in a character dining experience.

2. Increased Cost. The menu appears to be largely the same but the cost for lunch increases from $4-6 per adult and $2-3.50 for a child. For a family of four, lunch with the characters will be approximately $12-19 more. Now, if I really wanted to dine with Donald and friends, I would say this was a good value for the new character interaction. If I was “meh” about a character dining experience, the extra money I would have to spend to eat at Tusker House for lunch could be better spent elsewhere.

3. No More Reserved Seating for Finding Nemo – The Musical. Prior to this change, guests dining at Tusker House for lunch received complimentary reserved seating for an afternoon show of Finding Nemo – The Musical, a highly popular stage show at Walt Disney World. The loss of this perk combined with the increased cost makes it a less attractive lunch alternative for my family.

One of the things I love most about Walt Disney World is how it constantly evolves and no two trips are ever the same. I’ll keep an open mind and wait to see how this new change ends up working out. I just may write a follow-up article proclaiming this new lunch as the best character dining experience ever. You never know.

Characters Coming to Lunch at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House

Geena Davis to replace Whoopi Goldberg at Epcot’s Candlelight Processional

Geena Davis to replace Whoopi Goldberg at Epcot's Candlelight Processional

Geena Davis is now scheduled to be replacing Whoopi Goldberg at the Epcot Candlelight Processional for December 2 and 3.

Here is the new schedule at the America Gardens Theater:

Nov 25 – 27 Mira Sorvino (“Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion”)
Nov 28 – Dec 1 Michael W. Smith (Christian singer)
Dec 2 – 3 Geena Davis
Dec 4 – 6 Edward James Olmos
Dec 7 – 9 Isabella Rossellini (“Alias”)
Dec 10 -12 Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”)
Dec 13 – 15 Lorraine Bracco
Dec 16 – 18 TBD
Dec 19 – 21 Trace Adkins (country singer)
Dec 22 – 24 Susan Lucci (“All My Children”)
Dec 25 – 27 Blair Underwood (“The Event”)
Dec 28 – 30 Marlee Matlin (“Celebrity Apprentice”)

 

  • Epcot’s 2011 Candelight Processional and Holidays around the World Details (chipandco.com)
Geena Davis to replace Whoopi Goldberg at Epcot's Candlelight Processional

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Reveals New Details and Opening Day

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Reveals New Details and Opening Day

The first wing of the new Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will open to Guests on May 31, 2012, as construction on the 25th resort hotel at Walt Disney World continues on schedule.

In size and scope, the construction of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a major project at Walt Disney World Resort and has created up to 800 construction jobs. Once open in 2012, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will also create 750 ongoing resort hotel jobs.

At a media gathering today, Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World Resort Operations released images of new icons arriving at the resort this fall and shared some of the details Guests will see when Disney’s Art of Animation opens next year. For example, Guests exploring The Lion King courtyard will see characters from the film, such as the hyenas and the evil Scar, through the eyes of Simba and in the same size and scale as the young cub would experience them.

“Here at Disney, we are in the Guest experience business,” said Kevin Myers, vice president of resort operations for Walt Disney World Resort. “When we develop a new resort hotel, we draw on Guest feedback about our parks, entertainment, special events and every aspect of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts to provide a resort hotel experience that only Disney can deliver.”

Examples of enhancements based on Guest feedback will be evident at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in the food-and-beverage and recreation offerings. The dining area will feature items such as fresh smoothies, hand-scooped gelato and Mongolian barbecue. The resort also will feature the largest swimming pool outside of Disney’s water parks, as well as an extensive children’s water play area at the larger-than-life icons for the Finding Nemo wings of the resort.

Located adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort, the new resort will include 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings, and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. Suites will feature both a living room and bedroom, offering added space for families.

The family suites and rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will fit into the “value” category of lodging, with nightly rates similar to Disney’s All-Star Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

The phased opening of the resort will begin when the Finding Nemo wing opens May 31, 2012. Next, the Cars wing of the resort will open near the end of July. The Lion King suites will open a short time later in September, and The Little Mermaid value rooms will open by the end of next year.

Some fun facts about Disney’s Art of Animation Resort –

• With an area of 11,859 square feet, the feature pool at the Finding Nemo wing of the resort will be the largest swimming pool at Walt Disney World Resort outside of the water parks.

• The new resort hotel will feature 9,400 doors, which if stacked flat would be taller than the Empire State Building.

• The 227,000 lineal feet of carpet being used on the project would be enough carpet to stretch from Orlando to the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Reveals New Details and Opening Day

Pixie Hollow Games Premieres Saturday November 19 on the Disney Channel

Pixie Hollow Games Premieres Saturday November 19 on the Disney Channel

“Pixie Hollow Games,” a new animated special featuring the voices of Disney Channel stars Brenda Song (“The Suite Life on Deck”), Jason Dolley (“Good Luck Charlie”), Tiffany Thornton (“So Random!”) and Zendaya (“Shake It Up”) will premiere SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 (7:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. Part of the hugely successful Disney Fairies franchise, the adventure-filled story follows spirited newcomer Chloe as she, along with Tinker Bell and the fairies, and sparrow men of Pixie Hollow, gather for the legendary Pixie Hollow Games, a tournament-style sporting event where Chloe is determined to inspire her trailing team to believe in themselves and bring home the championship.

Multi-talented actress and singer, Zendaya, from Disney Channel’s hit series “Shake It Up,” performs the animated special’s theme song “Dig Down Deeper,” which will premiere during the Radio Disney Top 30 Countdown on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 and will be available as a digital single on iTunes beginning Tuesday, November 8. Disney Channel will present the world premiere for the music video on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5. The music video is directed by Brandon Dickerson (director of “Lemonade Mouth” cast’s, “Somebody” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” cast’s, “It’s On” music videos) and choreographed by Rosero McCoy (“Shake It Up,” “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam”).

Beginning Saturday November 5, Disney Channel will present a classic “Tinker Bell” movie every Saturday night at 5:30 p.m., ET/PT for three weeks leading up to the premiere “Pixie Hollow Games.” The movies include “Tinker Bell,” “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” and “Tinker Bell the Great Fairy Rescue.”

“Pixie Hollow Games” stars the voices of Mae Whitman (“Tinker Bell”) as Tinker Bell; Raven-Symoné (“State of Georgia”) as Iridessa; Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda”) as Silvermist; Megan Hilty (Broadway’s “9 to 5 The Musical”) as Rosetta; Brenda Song (“The Suite Life on Deck”) as Chloe; Jason Dolley (“Good Luck Charlie”) as Rumble; Tiffany Thornton (“So Random!”) as Glimmer and Zendaya (“Shake It Up”) as Fern. Also starring are Daniel Curtis Lee as Starter Sparrowman; Pamela Adlon as Vidia; Angela Bartys as Fawn; Jane Horrocks as Fairy Mary; Jeff Bennett as Clank and Fairy Gary; Rob Paulsen as Bobble; Kari Wahlgren as Ivy; Jessica DiCicco as Lilac; Jesse McCartney as Terence; and Anjelica Huston as Queen Clarion.

The television special was directed by Bradley Raymond (“Tinker Bell,” “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue“) and produced by Helen Kalafatic (“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”). John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios) serves as executive producer. The story for the movie was written by Bradley Raymond and Jeff Howard, with a screenplay by Jeff Howard. “Pixie Hollow Games” is a production of DisneyToon Studios.

  • Coming Soon: Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games (chipandco.com)
  • “How Will You Train?” Pixie Hollow Games Art Contest Announced! (chipandco.com)
Pixie Hollow Games Premieres Saturday November 19 on the Disney Channel

CARS 2 races to the shelves on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and Movie Download on November 1, 2011.

CARS 2 races to the shelves on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and Movie Download on November 1, 2011.

Ladies and Gentleman, start your engines! CARS 2 races to the shelves on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™, DVD and Movie Download on November 1, 2011.

To celebrate this announcement, a new bonus clip from the upcoming set is now live

Disney•Pixar’s fast-action summer hit “Cars 2” comes home on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D, Movie Download and DVD — November 1, 2011. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pixar Animation Studios, the high octane in-home release invites families and fans of all ages to come along on a journey around the world with the #1 animated film of the year and introduces an exclusive all-new animated short “Air Mater,” featuring the fan favorite character spinning his tales in an exciting adventure high above Radiator Springs. The must-own animated release also includes fascinating commentary from award-winning director John Lasseter and “Hawaiian Vacation,” the delightful animated short that accompanied the film in theatres.

The immersive “Cars 2” bonus features include an one-of-a-kind interactive “World Tour” map that takes viewers through nine 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. “Cars 2” is also the first Pixar film to be released in spectacular Blu-ray 3D.

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, returns to the driver’s seat as director. “Cars 2” is produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, “Up”; visual effects executive producer, “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith”). Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino (“The Incredibles,” “Up”) provides the electrifying score with a surf-rock-meets-spy-thriller flavor and a variety of global accents, evoking a sense of thrills, mystery and emotion. Brad Paisley, Robbie Williams, Weezer, French singer Bénabar and Japanese girl band Perfume lend their diverse musical talents to the film’s soundtrack.

The film features an all-star vocal cast including Owen Wilson who reprises his role as hotshot racecar Lightning McQueen. Larry the Cable Guy provides the voice of Mater (proprietor of Tow Mater Towing and Salvage), Lightning McQueen’s best friend and the heart and soul of Radiator Springs. Bonnie Hunt is back as Sally, the baby-blue Porsche 911 Carrera whose motor races for Lightning. Acclaimed actor Michael Caine makes his Pixar debut as Finn McMissile, a top British spy who mistakes Mater for an undercover American agent with a genius disguise. Emily Mortimer brings charm, cleverness and cachet as Holley Shiftwell, a rookie field spy who knows every trick in the manual. Versatile actor John Turturro gives a free-wheeling performance as Francesco Bernoulli, the world-renowned Italian racing champ who is Lightning’s chief rival. Tony Shalhoub, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Jason Isaacs, Eddie Izzard, Paul Dooley, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger, Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave also lend their vocal talents. Real-life Formula 1 racing champ Lewis Hamilton and NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon add a touch of authenticity with their cameos in the film.

“Cars 2” is available in-home in several ways:

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack     (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD)

Suggested Retail Price:   $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • Director John Lasseter Commentary


2-Disc DVD Combo Pack     (1 DVD + 1 Blu-ray Disc)

Suggested Retail Price:   $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • Director John Lasseter Commentary


5-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack    (1 Blu-ray 3D Disc + 2 Blu-ray Discs + DVD + Digital Copy)

Suggested Retail Price:   $49.99 U.S./$56.99 Canada

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • Director John Lasseter Commentary
  • “World Tour” Interactive
  • Sneak Peek: The Nuts and Bolts of ‘Cars Land’


11-Disc 3-Movie Blu-ray Combo Pack “Collector Set” – “Cars 2,” “Cars” and “Mater’s Tall Tales”

Suggested Retail Price:   $119.99 U.S./$134.99 Canada


“Cars 2” (1 Blu-ray 3D Disc + 2 Blu-ray Discs + DVD + Digital Copy)

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • Director John Lasseter Commentary
  • “World Tour” Interactive
  • One Die-Cast ‘John Lassetire’ Car


“Cars” (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD + Digital Copy)

Bonus Features:                   All Bonus Features Currently Available for “Cars”


“Mater’s Tall Tales” (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD + Digital Copy)

Bonus Features:                   All Bonus Features Currently Available for “Mater’s Tall Tales”


1 Disc DVD

Suggested Retail Price:      $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • Director John Lasseter Commentary


Movie Download

Suggested Retail Price High Definition: $39.99 U.S./44.99 Canada

Suggested Retail Price Standard Definition: $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada

Bonus Features:

  • Cars Toon “Air Mater” – Exclusive All-New Short
  • Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” – Theatrically Released Short
  • From the ‘World Tour” Interactive Feature – “Emeryville,” one of nine destinations offered on the 5-disc set as well as the 11-Disc “Collector’s Set”
  • “Bringing Cars 2 To The World” – Available only on Movie Download, it presents a special behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar artists and filmmakers make movies in over 40 different languages for audiences around the world to enjoy.

Specifications:

  • STREET DATE: November 1, 2011
  • Feature Run Time: 106 minutes
  • Rating: U.S.: G/Canadian: G (Bonus Material Not Rated)
  • Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray 3D: 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio (Feature Film)
  • Blu-ray: 1080p High Definition • 2.39:1 (Feature Film)DVD: 1080p High Definition • 2.39:1 (Feature Film)
  • Audio: Blu-ray 3D: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Near Field Mix 2.0
  • Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio ES, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Near Field Mix 2.0
  • DVD: English 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Near Field Mix 2.0 Dolby Digital, English SDH Subtitles
  • Subtitles: Blu-ray 3D: English SDH Subtitles, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & Spanish Subtitles (US Only), French 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & French Subtitles (Canada Only)
  • Blu-ray: English SDH Subtitles, Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD HR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & Spanish Subtitles (US Only), French 7.1 DTS-HD HR, French 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & French Subtitles (Canada Only)
  • DVD: Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX & Spanish Subtitles (US Only), French 5.1 Dolby EX & French Subtitles (Canada Only)
  • Cars 2 Coming to Bluray with Special Bonus (chipandco.com)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on 3D Blu-ray & DVD Announcement and New Bonus Clip (chipandco.com)
CARS 2 races to the shelves on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and Movie Download on November 1, 2011.

Money Saving Tips for Walt Disney World

Money Saving Tips for Walt Disney World

So you want to go to the happiest place on Earth, but you don’t want to break the bank?

The most frequent question people ask me is: “How much does it cost?”

That question is more complex than it might seem. There are many factors in the cost of a Disney World Vacation: The season you are going, how long you stay, where you are staying, type of tickets, dinning options, and the list goes on and on. So Lets start with the seasons.

Disney World has its own “seasons”: Value, the least crowded, Regular, Summer, Peak, and Holiday Seasons, the most crowded. By choosing the right season you can save a lot. If your dates aren’t flexible and you must or want to go during a higher cost season, then you must look at the promotions the big cheese is offering and other discounts available. In the past Disney has offered some pretty generous discounts like free dinning. They seem to be tightening their belt a lot with discounts, but you can still find a good deal if you check out their special offers. Also they have been running a terrific offer for active duty military members.

Choosing a Value, Moderate, or Deluxe hotel will also greatly affect your bank account. Value = cheaper Moderate = mid priced Deluxe = most expensive. With each “tier” of hotel you get a little more perks. You’ll have to decide if the extra expense is worth it to your family’s needs.

Next will be to decide if you will be adding the dinning plan (if it is not a part of your special offer). Using a Disney Dinning plan can save you up to 30% on your meals. I am not a fan of the dinning plan. Mostly because we do not do a lot of Table Service meals. If you are into character dinning then this will save some of your hard earned cash. I have found that taking lunches and drinks into the parks and eating breakfast in the hotel room save my family of 5 loads of money. Disney DOES allow you to take food and drink into the parks. NO hard sided coolers, glass bottles or alcohol of any kind is permitted and the cooler MUST fit in the lockers at Disney.

We always drive to Disney so when we arrive we hit up a local Wal-Mart or Publix and pick up sandwich stuff, snacks and bottled water and the most important is the crystal light/Hawaiian punch single serving powdered drink packets. The drink packets alone can save you about $80 on drinks for a week’s vacation. ANY Disney vendor will give you a cup of ice water for free (or fill water bottles at the drinking fountains that are all over the parks). Just mix in your drink powder and you have a cold drink you didn’t have to pay $3 for.

If you do not have a car to get around and do not want to take a taxi, you can check out Garden Grocer. They will deliver groceries right to your hotel room or Owners Locker. From what I have been told their service lets you pack what you need at home then ship it to your room (non perishable foods, clothing, diapers, wipes, formula ect…).

Here is a list of ways my family saves on a Disney vacation.

  • Food/Snacks – Take trail mix, granola bars, drink packets, sandwich stuff to the parks with you, we also like to buy peanut butter, jelly, bread, cereal, cereal bars, fresh fruit, bagels, pop tarts and a half gallon of milk (that we keep in the cooler with other “cold” foods), instant oat meal, Easy Macs or Soup at Hands for a lunch/dinner in the room or any other shelf stable microwave meal. If you can mange it, take a toaster with you. You can make toast, bagels, or English muffins in the room. Add a little peanut butter or jelly and you will have breakfast or snack. Don’t forget plastic spoons and disposable bowls and paper towels. Or ask if you can grab some from the food court. They have always given them to us in the past. Doing all this allows us to only buy 1 meal a day at the parks.
  • Glow sticks & glow toys – stock up on glow sticks/toys at local dollar stores. Your kids will have all the glowing fun they can stand, and you will have spent a fraction of the money you would have spent from impulse buying at the parks.
  • Strollers – The great stroller debate. Should you take your own or rent at Disney? Always take your own, it will save you money and more than likely it will be more comfortable for your child. If you do not have one or prefer to rent, look at cost. Disney will rent out single strollers for $15 a day or $13 a day for renting multiple days at once. A double will run you about $31 a day or $27 a day for renting multiple days at one time. Disney is not the only place to rent strollers from. Magic Strollers by Owners Locker  and Orlando Stroller  are companies that rent out Baby Jogger City Mini strollers. They are more comfortable than the hard plastic strollers from the park, they have cup holders and you can take them back to your room or use them out side of Disney property, and normally run less for a weekly rental than the park strollers. As a bonus perk they will deliver/pick up the stroller right to/from your resort.

These are not all the ways to save, just a few basics to get you started in the right direction. If you do your research, and plan plan plan, you can save a little on your next vacation to the World.

This article comes to us from Carla Cicero she is a fan of Chip and Co and a new member of the Chip Panel.

Money Saving Tips for Walt Disney World

Disney Unveils New Trailer For ‘The Muppets’

Disney has released a new trailer for their highly anticipated new film, ‘The Muppets.’  The movie, which will see the return of the Muppets on the big screen in over a decade, will be released November 23, 2011. Right in time for the holidays. I’m definitely looking forward to this one, how about you? Check out the trailer after the jump, and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Disney Sets New Release Dates For ‘The Lone Ranger’, ‘Thor 2’, and ‘Phineas and Ferb: The Movie’

It looks like Disney has decided to shuffle a few release dates around for 2013.  Find out why after the jump.

Disney World Quick Tips – Mousekeeping

Disney World Quick Tips - Mousekeeping

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.

Disney World Quick Tips - Mousekeeping

On Friday, it was sweet swans.

Disney World Quick Tips - Mousekeeping

And Saturday was a couple of little ghosts!

Disney World Quick Tips - Mousekeeping

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.

  • Disney World Quick Tips – Tupperware (chipandco.com)
  • Planning 101 – Scheduling Time for Free Disney Resort Fun (chipandco.com)
Disney World Quick Tips - Mousekeeping