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Disneyworld Planning 101 – To Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan

By
Chip
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Disneyworld Planning 101 - To Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan

When planning your Disneyworld Vacation you have several options to choose from especially when making your meal plans. Everyone has their own secrets and shortcuts for saving money. Just briefly I will highlight the choices and provide you with a few money saving tips for my Disneyworld Planning 101 series.

Well you have 4 schools to choose from:

  • Pay for all your meals out of pocket in the park. This option can get quite pricey, especially if you are eating at some of the All you can buffets or at a Disney Signature Restaurant. We have done this option in the past and saved up our receipts and was surprised on the cost of all our meals. If you check a restaurant guide you can get an idea on the cost of the restaurant and if it is within budget. WDW Info is one of my favorites.

Quick Tip – Sharing meals is a great way to save some much needed money. Disney food portions are large at most of your sit down restaurants and is easy to share between Parents and Children.

  • Eat your meals offsite. Great money saving option for large families since most times your going to stay at a Disney Suite, or offsite that will have a kitchen.

Quick Tip – Stop by the Super Walmart on 3250 Vineland Road in Kissimmee to shop for groceries as it is the closest Walmart near Disney World. Also they have a lot of great Disney Souvenirs to buy at a fraction of the cost.

Also if you invest in a nice water bottle and Crystal Light packets you can avoid the reoccurring cost of pop or juice and over a weeks time saving almost $200 for a family of four. ($2.50 per meal x 3 meals x 7 days x 4 people)

  • Eat in the Park – You can bring a cooler into the Parks with you. However, it can not be any larger than 24″ X 15″ X 18″. You’ll find that most soft-sided coolers generally seem to fit within those dimensions.

    The Disney website states: “Suitcases, coolers or backpacks with or without wheels larger than 24″ (61 cm) long x 15″ (38 cm) wide x 18” (46 cm) high.Quick tip – Coolers required for medication may be stored in a locker or at Guest Relations.

  • Use one of the Disney Dining Plans. This by far is the best option in my opinion. Since we started using the Dining Plan option a few years ago things have been so much better. We are able to dine at places originally had not been able to afford and have always wanted to visit. Be prepared to bring or use a cash, credit, or Key to the World for tips as they are not included with your meal.

Quick Tip – Be sure to make your Advanced Dining Reservations in advance as many DisneyWorld restaurants book up fast. Use the link above to go online like I do 180 Days out!

For more information on the Disney Dining Plan check out our Disney Dining page here.

I hope this helps you on your next Disney vacation. If you have any money saving tips or want to let us know how great the Disney Dining plan is just leave a message in the comment section below.

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Disneyworld Planning 101 - To Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan

Summer at Walt Disney World: How to Prepare

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Summer at Walt Disney World: How to Prepare

Visiting Walt Disney World is a fun experience for the whole family.  However, if you are going in the summer months, there are some things that you need to prepare for.

The Orlando area during the months of June, July, and August averages a high temperature of 90 degrees during June, and 92 degrees during July and August.  To the casual person, this doesn’t seem all that hot, and truth be told, it really isn’t.  However, the difference here is that the humidity in Florida can make that temperature really seem much, much higher.  As a result, the number one thing that you need to prepare for in my opinion is to drink plenty of water.

Obviously, with all of that heat, the sun plays a role as well.  For us, we certainly apply the sunscreen, and not only that, we also wear our sunglasses and some sort of hat as well!  If you don’t have a good hat or sunglasses, why not do a little shopping at the parks for one?

In addition to the heat and humidity, it is a common occurrence for there to be an afternoon thunderstorm pass through the area.  Sometimes, it happens so often at the same time that you can set your watch by it!  As a result, plan ahead and buy a cheap poncho at Wal-Mart or the dollar store and stow it in your  bag so you have it ready.  Of course the parks sell the ponchos, but they are more expensive to buy there, so don’t if you don’t have to.

When it rains, it has two affects.  The first is that some people head back to their resort to get out of the rain.  This varies depending on how quickly the shower passes through.  Another affect is that people will take in some of the indoor attractions, which boosts attendance at those locations.  If you are prepared for the rain, and don’t mind it, you can really get a lot of things done with a minimal wait!  The downside, though, is that some of the attractions will close while it is raining, but a lot of them don’t.

A lot of times, the rain during the day at Disney World is a wonderful occasion simply because it cools everything down for a while.  Generally speaking, when it does rain during the summer at Disney, the rain is not one of those nasty cold rains where you are chilled to the core, so for me, it isn’t bad at all!

Sometimes, though, your vacation at Disney during the summer is just HOT, HOT, HOT!  When this happens, the concerns for heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat related problems really ramps up.  One thing that I haven’t mentioned yet is that a lot of times, a great way to beat the heat is to take in some of the shows, or do a little shopping in some of the stores.  Or, if it is just too hot for the parks, head back to your resort and dive in the pool!

So, to recap, here are the things that I recommend for your vacation to Disney World during the summer months:

  1. Drink plenty of water
  2. Wear your sunscreen!
  3. Bring your sunglasses and hat
  4. Don’t forget your poncho for rain
  5. Look for inside attractions during the hot times when you need a break indoors!

Taking a Disney vacation is great any time of the year, but for us, the summer is the best time, as long as you think ahead!  The last thing we want is to turn your great Disney vacation into a miserable one.  As always, enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World!

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HP Field House dedication ceremony at ESPN WIde World of Sports Complex

By
Chip
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HP Field House dedication ceremony at ESPN WIde World of Sports Complex

Disney and HP executives were joined by sports celebrities and ESPN personalities March 3, 2011 at ESPN Wide World of Sports for the dedication ceremony for the newly named “HP Field House.”

Joining in the ceremony: (L-R): Gary Elliott, vice president of Brand Marketing for HP, U.S. Women’s Soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mickey Mouse, Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises, and Jason Witten, NFL All-Pro tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

The HP Field House is a 165,000-square-foot, multi-sport venue, which debuted in 1997 when the Disney sports complex opened. With the new HP partnership, the facility is outfitted with HP technology including HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PCs.

The computer systems are located at kiosks throughout the venue and allow coaches, athletes and spectators to access sporting event highlights, updates, current weather information, dining options, event information and more.

Another cornerstone of the HP Field House is the HP Photo Creation Center, where athletes and fans can create and download event images and print them in a variety of customized ways, including large-scale posters, banners and photo cards.

Gene Duncan, photographer

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Power of 10 Give Kids The World $1,000,000 fundraiser

By
Chip
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Power of 10 Give Kids The World $1,000,000 fundraiser

What is the Power of 10?

We are a group of Disney fans who want to help share our passion for Disney with those who need it most: children with life threatening illnesses and their families. When these children ask to visit Walt Disney World through organizations like the Make-A-Wish foundation, many times those organizations reach out to Give Kids the World to make that wish a reality.

Our goal is simple. We’re looking for 10,000 people who are willing to commit to asking 10 friends to donate $10 to Give Kids the World. If we can accomplish that seemingly simple task, we will raise $1M to help this worthy organization in their mission to turn no child away.

We are looking to show the power of the internet in raising money for good causes. Virtually every dollar raised through this initiative will go to Give Kids the World. The only exception are donations made through FirstGiving.org – that organization does take a small processing fee for each donation made through their web site. Beyond that – every dollar will go directly to helping these realize their wish of visiting the happiest place on earth.

Of course, there are lots of great ways to raise money and our approach of asking 10,000 people to ask 10 friends to donate $10 is only one of them. The whole idea behind this challenge is to encourage people to come up with ways they can raise money in their local communities. Bake sales, bike-a-thons, auctions – be creative – think about opportunities where you live and work and share your ideas with our community.

We’ve set no time limit on this goal – whether it takes 6 months or 2 years doesn’t matter – what matters is that we raise $1 Million to further the work being done by a great organization.

So help us share a passion for Disney with those who need it the most. Sign up today and help us get one step closer to achieving our goal!

About Give Kids the World

Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is a 70-acre, non-profit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 100,000 families from all 50 states and over 70 countries. From the Give Kids the World website:

The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.

The little girl’s name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish – to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy’s wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy’s wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy’s travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.

This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy’s story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.

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The 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy Highlight Video

By
Chip
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The 2011 Disney's Dreamers Academy Highlight Video

The 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine continues a mission to annually bring together 100 high school students who want to ignite their lives, dreams and passions. However, the March 3-6 event at Walt Disney World Resort also will serve as a “make-up class” for 13 teens selected for the 2010 Academy which they were unable to attend due to winter-weather travel cancellations.

Combined with 100 high school students from 22 states and the District of Columbia selected for 2011, the class register this year will have 113 names on it, making it the largest in the four years of the program.

Here is a preview of what’s to come at the 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy.

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The 2011 Disney's Dreamers Academy Highlight Video

Production Begins On Second Season Of Disney XD’s Royal Hit ‘Pair of Kings’

By
Chip
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Production Begins On Second Season Of Disney XD's Royal Hit 'Pair of Kings'

Production has begun in Hollywood on a second season of Disney XD‘s royal hit, “Pair of Kings,” starring Mitchel Musso and Doc Shaw. The sophomore season will roll out later this year. The live action comedy adventure series was Disney XD’s No. 1 series of 2010 with Kids 6-14, Kids 6-11, Boys 6-11 and Tweens 9-14.

Season Two follows fraternal twins and royal heirs Boomer and Brady on their quest to successfully reign over their quirky island nation. More confident in their role as kings, the brothers frequently find themselves in over their heads, and realize they still have a lot to learn about Kinkow’s unique island mythology and bizarre inhabitants in order to become kings of legend.

The series premiered in September and was Disney XD’s No. 1 series in 2010 across all key kid and boy demos — including Kids 6-14 and Boys 6-14 — and ranked No. 2 in Total Viewers (684,000) behind “Phineas and Ferb,” at least doubling the year-earlier time period in core demos*.

On DisneyXD.com, “Pair of Kings” also spawned a popular game, “Wild Island Rampage,” with over 1.5 million total game plays, and will roll out four additional themed games for the series throughout the year beginning with “Super Surf Scramble,” available now on DisneyXD.com/Kings. In the game, players help Boomer and Brady ‘hang 10’ and take home the Royal Cup by guiding the kings around rocks, logs and mermaids while performing and landing aerial stunts.

Fans can cast their vote for Disney XD’s “Compete for the Crown Marathon” on President’s Day, Monday, February 21 (8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.), by donating their high scores from “Super Surf Scramble” to Boomer or Brady. The king with the highest number of points will be crowned ‘King for the Day’ during the daylong programming event.

“Pair of Kings” follows Brady and Boomer, who lead a typical teenage life while being raised by their aunt and uncle in Chicago, but unbeknownst to them, they’re successors to the throne of the island of Kinkow. When Mason, the Royal Advisor, informs the boys of their extraordinary lineage, Brady and Boomer relocate to the island to claim their throne as joint Kings. They rely on their new island friends for guidance in ruling an island filled with odd superstitions and customs. Their efforts are

helped and hindered by Mason, the intimidating royal guard; Mikayla, Mason’s adorable daughter and assistant to the kings; and Lanny, their disgruntled cousin and wannabe king, who’s out to sabotage them and steal the throne.

The series stars two lead actors who are fan favorites from sibling network Disney Channel, Mitchel Musso (Oliver on “Hannah Montana,” Jeremy on “Phineas and Ferb”) as Brady and Doc Shaw (Marcus on “The Suite Life on Deck,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne“) as Boomer. Rounding out the cast is Kelsey Chow (Disney Channel’s “Den Brother,” “One Tree Hill”) as Mikayla, Ryan Ochoa (Disney’s “A Christmas Carol”) as Lanny and Geno Segers (touring production of Disney’s “The Lion King”) as Mason. Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) voices the recurring role of Lanny’s fish Yamakoshi.

“Pair of Kings” was created by and is executive-produced by Dan Cross and Dave Hoge (Disney XD’s “Aaron Stone,” “One on One”). Matt Wickline (“Frank TV,” “The Hughleys”) is the executive producer. Leo Clarke (“Frank TV,” “The Steve Harvey Show”) is the producer and Don Beck (“Reba,” “8 Simple Rules“) is the consulting producer. “Pair of Kings” is produced by It’s A Laugh Productions, Inc.

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Production Begins On Second Season Of Disney XD's Royal Hit 'Pair of Kings'

Pixar’s Toy Story ‘Hawaiian Vacation’ Short

By
Chip
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Pixar's Toy Story 'Hawaiian Vacation' Short

Here is a clip from the Pixar ‘Toy Story‘ short film ‘Hawaiian Vacation‘. The film is set to premiere before ‘Cars 2‘ on June 24th.

“Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation” will focus on the characters of Barbie and Ken after their exploits in ‘Toy Story 3’. After being left at home for their Hawaii vacation, Buzz Lightyear and Woody attempt to recreate a Hawaii paradise to please the disappointed Barbie and Ken.

All the voice talents from Toy Story 3 will be making an appearance! (Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton, Jodi Benson, and Joan Cusack)

Should be very cute.

Pixar's Toy Story 'Hawaiian Vacation' Short

LEGO Battle of Hoth

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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LEGO Battle of Hoth

Check out this awesome reproduction of the Hoth battle from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back done all in Legos! Thanks to G4.tv for the heads up!

Giant LEGO Star Wars Layout of the Battle of Hoth – presented at LEGO World 2011 (Copenhagen). Build by Bo Jensen, Denmark.

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Bruce Willis Stops by Hollywood Studios

By
Chip
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Bruce Willis Stops by Hollywood Studios

Bruce Willis posed with Minnie Mouse and Goofy at Hollywood Studios with the famed mouse-eared water tower (dubbed the “Earrfel Tower”) in the background.

The water tower was inspired by Disney’s landmark water tower that has been an icon of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, for many years.

Click here to see more photos.

Photo credit WOFL FOX 35

 

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Disney Union Agreement Reached

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Disney Union Agreement Reached

A majority of Walt Disney World’s largest union coalition approved their contract after months of negotiations.

President of the Services Trades Council, a group of the 6 unions which make up about 20,800 full-time employees has confirmed the results.

Leaders of 2 of the unions in the STC are decrying the contracts, blaming Disney for dividing the unions.  They had urged their members to reject the contracts, but a majority made of the other 4 unions voted in favor of the new contract.

One of the opposing union leaders, Unite Here! Local 362 president Eric Clinton, said “People forgot from the other unions that Disney is the one we should be taking on, not each other.”

“We feel very strongly that this was an extremely democratic vote,” Raynor said, pointing to the turnout and size of the majority as evidence that the union’s membership had spoken.

The vote passed 4,987-2,099.

Terms are similar to the contract rejected last October:

It calls for $650 in combined bonuses for all full-time, non-tipped employees and, for workers not already at the top of their pay scales, annual raises of between 3 percent and 4 percent over the next three years.

The biggest difference in the new contract: Full-time, non-tipped workers earning $8.50 an hour or less would get an extra $100 bonus.

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Wednesday with Walt: Simplicity at Its Best

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Wednesday with Walt: Simplicity at Its Best

There was an article printed in the March, 1941 issue of Ladies Home Journal entitled, “Mr. and Mrs. Disney.” Before you ask, yes I do! The article talks about Walt’s life growing up and how he and Lillian met, and talks about Walt as a person. One paragraph in particular says:

“Although Disney is generally a modest fellow, he has made something of a cult of his simplicity. He drives to work in a blue coupe and was full of apologies when it leaked out that he also has a bigger car in which a chauffeur sometimes drives him around. He once cut off his mustache after reading in a magazine that a mustache is a sign of conceit, and although he grew it again it is this point of view that prompted his Uncle Robert to say, “I give Walt credit for holding himself just like a real sensible fellow would. He hasn’t swelled up a bit.”

Walt Disney was down to earth. He wasn’t as he said “highbrowed” and he did not have a fondness for people who were. Apologizing for the chauffeured limousine surprised me a bit.  Way back in my teens, I started telling people that one day I would have a Volkswagen Beetle with a chauffeur because I dislike driving so much; not that there is anything wrong with a VW Bug mind you but I was trying to emphasize the lack of the need for a limo. Hmm, that sounds familiar.

Although I never met him, Walt has been one of the most powerful influences on my life. I study Walt because to me there are few more deserving, considering the impact made on my own life. If you are reading this blog, I am betting that he and his work have greatly influenced your life as well. Disney people are special people. When they give the personality test to determine our personality types, one category should be the Disney personality*.

Walt Disney was genuine. He was a man who just wanted to get up and get at it. He was driven by thoughts and ideas, not by the materialistic things in life; although he was very blessed after hard times early on. Walt gave the world happiness and entertainment; and in return, the world gave him wealth, awards and favor. He was not changed by it, though, and I admire the integrity of the man.

He brought good natured, wholesome entertainment to everyone in the world. If those of us who share the Disney way of life keep in mind what he stood for, and share that light with the generations to come, then the world will continue to be touched by Walt’s magic and the charm of simple things.

Walt Disney was simplicity at its best!

*If you are interested in a little fun, there is a test to determine what Disney Personality you are. Click here to give it a try.

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Cars 2 – Meet Nigel Gearsley

By
Chip
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Cars 2 – Meet Nigel Gearsley

Nigel Gearsley

Nigel Gearsley from Warwickshire, England, is an Aston Martin DB9R racer bearing #9. He got his start racing the Speed Hill Climb—a unique, completely uphill race through the Aston Hill Mountain Area that his family has run for generations. Nigel’s racing career has been anything but an uphill challenge, as he’s won nearly every start in the past few years on the Grand Touring Sports Car circuit, including a string of podiums at Nurburgring and Le Mans. His cool British refinement makes him an imposing presence on the World Grand Prix courses.

Cars 2 – Meet Nigel Gearsley
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