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Why Are We Going To Walt Disney World In October 2011?

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Why Are We Going To Walt Disney World In October 2011?

There are lots of reasons why we are going for our next visit to Walt Disney World in October of 2011. Some of these are:

  1. Because it’s there!!! Enough said on that point.
  2. We go to WDW at least every 2 years (more when possible) and 2011 just happens to fall into the cycle.
  3. We would rather be there on vacation than anywhere else.
  4. I desperately need more T-Shirts (not really but I can’t help myself). The biggest reason is:
  5. October 2011 is the 40th Anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World!!!

We didn’t get a chance to go to attend the 25th and see the beautiful (?) Castle Cake. Let’s hope they don’t do that again!! We were a bit disappointed when we were at Epcot’s 25th because of the lack of any real festivities except those organized by fans. Actually, we are hoping Disney will come up with something fairly spectacular for the 40th but we realize that the major celebration will probably come in 2021 when the 50th Anniversary rolls around. We will be there then also even though we will be in our 70’s (actually I’ll be halfway to my 80’s then). I may however have to skip the parasailing in 2021!

There seems to be a lot of interest in the October time frame so I think that the normal, slightly smaller crowds may not happen next year. I guess we will just have to wait and see what Disney comes up with for the celebration. It may just be the Magic Kingdom that will be involved since it was the only park in existence at that time but I’m hoping for resort wide. Also, in 2021, Epcot will be approaching 40 years of age as it opened in October of 1982 and that in itself should lead to grander festivities.

So far, there have been no solid announcements or even rumors so the waiting game has begun. Disney normally releases their new brochures, DVD’s, etc. to Travel Agents in mid October and the “What Will You Celebrate” festivities will be 2 years old at the end of the year so it is definitely time for something fresh. I’m confident that anything concrete should be released within 60 days for sure so we will probably all know in November sometime exactly what will be happening.

I know that Chip and the rest of the Chip and Co. staff, including me, spend a lot of time on Disney discussion boards and “Anonymouse” is usually on top of these things because of his/her very reliable sources  so as soon as any information is leaked you will know it if you visit Chip and Co. regularly. Either way, we will be there because I booked the room in June and we are locked in. I’m excited and perhaps we will run into each other next October. Enjoy your next visit to Walt Disney World, I know we will!!!

Ken

5 Tips for Affordable Disney Pin Collecting

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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5 Tips for Affordable Disney Pin Collecting

There are a number of things to keep track of when it comes to spending on your Disney vacation: accommodations, travel, food and park tickets are the 4 biggies and the ones that have the most written about them. But souvenirs often become the biggest budget buster, as many of us don’t really “plan” what we are going to buy until we get there….and then emotions take over, which is a sure sign of spending more than you want to! We’ve all been there, and it’s pretty frustrating, after having budgeted oh-so-carefully before your trip, to return home with a pair of Mickey crocs that you spent too much on and, really are you going to ever wear again?

However, when we discovered pin collecting, we discovered a great way of keeping that souvenir budget under control. Because pins are now our souvenir of choice, we are better able to plan our souvenir purchases and stick to a planned budget. We don’t get sidetracked, and don’t suffer “buyer’s remorse” when we get home either.

Is pin collecting for you? Well, if you are like my family, and find all those little pins just crazy addictive…then yes, this post is for you. So with that in mind, here are 5 tips on how to make Pin Collecting an affordable Disney souvenir strategy for your family:

  1. Decide on your Pin Strategy: collect for fun, collect to trade, or collect seriously. If you have kids who are going to trade everything away, you don’t want to spend a lot on them, or especially worry about what they look like. If you are going to primarily “pin trade” then buy cheap ones that you don’t like as much, and trade them for more “valuable” ones. (Of course everyone defines “value” here differently. For some, it is ones that are literally worth more. For others, it is merely ones that they like better.) Point is: don’t buy pins you want to keep. Seems obvious, but it took us a bit to actually figure this out. Now on the other hand, if you want to make this a serious collection, you can purchase only Limited Editions, for example, to increase the value of your collection. If this appeals to you, there are some great books that can give you more information and help you make informed decisions.
  2. Buy low, trade high:  If trading pins is your main focus, then arrive at Disney with a dozen or so cheap pins for your kids to trade with. You can find some on eBay, on sale at DisneyStore.com, and even Amazon. The idea here is to trade these for others your kids will like more.
  3. Set a limit …and then stick to it. At this point, with hundreds of pins, we limit ourselves to 2-3 pins per trip. Because yes, this CAN be an expensive hobby if you are not careful! While the cost of pins can start as low as maybe $6-8 each, they can go up to $20+ for some very elaborate limited editions. It is easy once you start looking at them, to get carried away, so keep to that budget!
  4. Pick a theme, any theme: It is easier for many folks to keep to a pin budget, by collecting with a theme in mind. Maybe the resorts, or characters, or villains, or princesses. You name it Disney’s got a pin for it. Seriously. For us, we now pretty much buy our pins around dated events, as they are a great reminder of when we went and when we got the pin: for example New Years Eve 2005.
  5. Preserve your collection: Think about how you are going to keep them when you get home. Don’t go to all this trouble to buy all these pins and just keep them in a shoebox! Some people frame the lanyards and pins. Some put their pins in a shadow box. Some keep them in a display portfolio or binder. Whatever you choose to do, keep them in a way that will preserve your investment, and allow you to enjoy them.

Good luck with your pin collecting! If you are like us, you will find that it is an affordable and fun hobby, as well as a great way to relive your wonderful Disney vacation memories!

Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.

Sharing the Magic, All in one weekend!

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Sharing the Magic, All in one weekend!

Have you ever wanted to share your love of Disney with others? I’ve been a Walt Disney World fan all of my life, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing that love with other people. This year I had the opportunity to travel to Walt Disney World with my boyfriend, Vinnie. It was his first trip in over 15 years, and as we know, lots has changed since then!

I had been talking about us taking a trip together for over two years, so when the time finally came for us to go, I was unbelievably excited to share the place I love with him so much, but I was also very nervous that it wouldn’t live up to his expectations. I had talked it up as being the greatest place on earth (cause it is!), but I was a bit apprehensive; I didn’t know how he would take it all in. Would he feel like a little kid again? Would he love the rides, the entertainment, and the food? Or would he hate the heat and the crowds, and want to go home?

Luckily, my worries were all a waste of time! Our only trouble was not having enough time to show Vinnie everything he needed to see. Since he hadn’t been since he was ten, I had to show him the highlights in our long-weekend trip. We packed four parks into two days, which was no easy task! We had a rest day in between to relax at the pool and do some souvenir shopping at Downtown Disney, but the rest of our park touring was commando-style. With extended park hours during the summer, we had no trouble hitting:

  • at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, The Great Movie Ride, and The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
  • at Epcot: Soarin’, Test Track, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, all the countries in the World Showcase, and Illuminations.
  • at Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and DeVine.
  • at the Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mickey’s Philarmagic, Carousel of Progress, and Summer Nighttastic Fireworks.

All of that in just two park days — can you believe it? We even went back to our resort for a midday swim each day!

Sharing the Magic, All in one weekend!

I tried hard to make sure that Vinnie had the most magical vacation, which isn’t too hard when you’re in a place like Disney. We had a few delicious meals — including the kitchen sink at Beaches & Cream and my first lunch experience at Chefs de France (yum!) — a few fun nights on the Boardwalk, and amazing park days. I can’t wait to go back for a longer stay and soak up even more park time — and more importantly, neither can Vinnie.

Are you planning a commando trip? Here are my tips:

  • When you’re not in the parks, get some rest. Our heads hit the pillows as soon as we got back to the room each night, and if we weren’t napping on lounge chairs at the pool on our midday breaks, then we certainly were soaking up some air conditioning in the room!
  • Don’t make a lot of dining reservations. Our one reservation, at Chef’s de France, was the only place we felt pressure to be at. When your days are stacked with dining reservations, there is so much less room for flexibility in your touring plans, which is exactly what you need when you have two days to see hundreds of attractions!
  • Stay on property, and stay near the parks. We stayed at the Boardwalk Villas, and I can’t stress enough how much time it’s central location saved us! We could walk to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, and could ride the boat at the end of a long night. Not having to wait for buses gave us more control (and again, flexibility) on getting to and from the parks.
  • Have fun! The long days and nights running around are sure to exhaust you and make even the happiest person a bit cranky, but just remember — you’re in the happiest place on earth, so relax, smile, and have fun!

Author: Allie Leo

Allie is a member of the Chip Panel an elite group of Disney Guest Bloggers featured on the Chip and Company site. If you love Disney and enjoy writing you should apply to the Chip Panel..Along with being immortalized on Chip and Company Website you will be entered in a drawing for a free $25 Disney Store Giveaway!

Is the Disney Vacation Club Right for your Family?

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Is the Disney Vacation Club Right for your Family?
Last week, I looked at the financial piece of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) as it relates to my family. I was trying to answer the question, “Is the Disney Vacation Club Worthwhile?” Financially, it is for my family. However, there is more to the DVC than financial considerations. This week, I’ll look at some other aspects of a DVC membership and determine if it is a pro or a con based on my family’s needs.

DVC Pros

Space and Privacy. When we stay in the DVC with the family, we book either a one- or two-bedroom vacation home depending on who’s traveling with us. We also return to the room for at least a couple of hours in the afternoon to take a break. With different nap schedules (Who am I kidding? My soon-to-be five-year old has pretty much decided naps are unnecessary.) and bedtimes, having a separate living space goes a long way toward family harmony and making sure everyone gets the sleep they need.

When we bring my mom, reserving a two-bedroom allows us to share a living and eating space but gives her a separate sleeping space, bathroom, and the privacy she deserves.

Kitchen. You might resist the notion of cooking on your vacation but it’s an integral part of a happy, relaxed vacation for my family. With two kids under the age of five, eating three meals out can be challenging and not so relaxing for mom and dad. Quick-service meals means finding something everyone likes from menus that are generally more limited than table-service, hoping the line isn’t too long, finding a clean, empty table, preferably in air-conditioning, and juggling trays of food. Table-service brings a different set of issues for our one-year old. He’s pretty well-behaved in sit-down restaurants but at home we usually try to keep the meal around 45 minutes; in our experiences, meals at Walt Disney World are usually a bit more than an hour. After an exciting day filled with new sights and sounds, that extra twenty minutes or so can push him over the edge.

We try to eat one meal out and the rest in our villa; the kids can eat as quickly or slowly as they want and then have space to relax and play with their toys while we take a break from the parks. Typical breakfast choices are fruit, frozen waffles, oatmeal, english muffins, or cereal. Lunch and dinner can be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, or take-out pizza. Not gourmet food, I know, but it’s quick, easy, and satisfies the rather unsophisticated palates of my kids.

No Mousekeeping Every Day. With the DVC, mousekeeping doesn’t visit every day. Instead, guests receive “trash and towel service” on day four of their stay and a full cleaning on day eight. With two kids under the age of 5, you must be wondering why this is a pro. The answer is…because I have two kids under the age of five and a husband who doesn’t like to pick up his socks up on vacation. Here’s my dirty little secret – I don’t vacuum the carpet or change the sheets every day at home. So, it’s not a big deal that my room isn’t cleaned every day on vacation. What is a big deal is not having to spend time every morning cleaning up the kids’ toys and the aforementioned dirty socks when I could be boarding a bus to the Magic Kingdom.

DVC Cons

Limited Lodging Choices. Let me preface this by saying that one of the things I love about the DVC is its flexibility. I do not have to stay at our home resort, I can use our points for the Adventures by Disney collection, Disney Cruises, or select from a wide-range of other locales. But, I believe you get the most value for your dollar when you stay at a Disney Vacation Club resort. This means I’m not nearly as likely to try other non-DVC properties that I never stayed at before.

Cancellation Policy. Canceling a DVC reservation at the last minute is more restrictive than other Disney reservations. If you cancel within thirty days of your reservations, points move to a holding account that frankly always seemed complex to me. Maybe it’s because I never wanted to think about canceling a reservation so I never paid close attention to the details of the holding account. If the stars don’t align, the DVC points for a cancelled reservation may expire.

No Mousekeeping Every Day. I know I also listed this as a benefit but between preparing one to two meals a day in our room and having a child still in diapers, there are times I wish the room was cleaned more frequently.

Is it Worth It?

All in all, the pros outweigh the cons for my family and I wish I had purchased my Disney Vacation Club (DVC) membership sooner. If you’re considering a DVC membership, do your research, ask questions, but most importantly consider whether the DVC would work for your family before you sign on the dotted line.

Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You call follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer and Facebook.

Are All Disney Rumors Bad?

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Are All Disney Rumors Bad?

Disney is going to build another Theme Park in the United States. Disney is going to convert all of its animation over to CGI. Disney is going to build a DVC Resort on the Moon. Walt Disney is going to be resurrected and run for President! OK, I admit, that last one was a bit far fetched.

Yet, aren’t some of the Disney rumors that you have heard just about as far-fetched? Sometimes our wishful thinking can make it possible for Disney the Corporation to achieve just about anything. But then reality kicks in. Hard!

No matter how much we spread Disney rumors. No matter how much we debate them. And no matter how hard we want them to be real. Most rumors just don’t come true. Then why do we keep spreading them? Because it’s fun!

Come on. Admit it. You love speculating on the future of the Mouse House! After all, Walt Disney did achieve many things that people of his day thought were impossible. A full-length animated feature film? A weekly full-color TV program? A Theme Park built in an orange grove? These things were written off as impossible by most at the time, and probably written off as mere rumors.

But they all came true.

Now we wonder if a DVC Resort, rumored to appear on the old Discovery Island property, will actually be built. This rumor started because an Imagineer was seen on the site.

That brings us to our main question: Are all Disney rumors bad?

Let’s start by analyzing why the answer might be ‘yes’. Sometimes a rumor can be destructive. It can create an expectation that will never be met. It can also distract us from the marvelous things that are actually happening for real. Perhaps worst of all, it can let the cat out of the bag! How many times has the Disney Surprise been ruined by an early rumor?

But let’s look at why the answer might be ‘no’, a Disney rumor is not bad. There’s an old saying in show business: No publicity is bad publicity. What this means is that anything that creates a buzz around a production is good for the production, even if the buzz is bad. So sometimes a rumor can create a welcoming atmosphere, one of anticipation, for a new Disney direction.

But I think there is another, better, reason to answer ‘no’ to our question.

Our response to a rumor provides Disney Imagineers (and company executives and the bean counters) a free poll on what the Disney fan is thinking and wanting. Companies regularly pay huge sums of money to get that kind of information! But we give it them for free.

And what do we ask for in return? That the odd rumor come true.

The Point: Don’t keep that Disney rumor to yourself. No matter how far-fetched!

Oldies But Goodies – Cirque du Soleil

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Oldies But Goodies – Cirque du Soleil

Let’s face it fellow Seniors, we love to be entertained. We also love the chance to sit in a cool, shady area several times a day while touring Walt Disney World. Perhaps this explains the large numbers of folks with white hair, and alas in my case as with many others no hair in the audiences of attractions like the Festival of the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Fantasmic!. We really do enjoy quality entertainment whether it be a musical, acting, or even mime performance, a display of artistry in motion, or athleticism at the highest level. There is a place at Walt Disney World where you can get all of this and more in one place – Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba.

La Nouba is housed in a rather uniquely shaped but very beautiful building at the far end of Downtown Disney’s West Side. I took the above  photo while riding in the Characters In Flight balloon. Roughly translated, Cirque du Soleil means Circus of the Sun and La Nouba, very roughly translated, means “to live it up”. Comparing La Nouba to a circus is not really accurate, it is much more a display of dance artistry and athleticism combined and woven into a dream like presentation. All of the “acts” in the show are very different and it’s surprising how beautifully they are all intertwined so that the entire show appears to be one dream! The show runs for 90 minutes with no intermission and holds your attention for the entire time.

The theater is as magnificent as the performance and in my experience, there is not a bad seat in the house. The acts do change occasionally and recently an outstanding juggler and a very impressive jump rope act have been added to the “circus”. One act to keep an eye out for is the little girls from China who do amazing tricks with what can only be described as supersonic yo-yo’s but they are actually called “diabolos”. They always raise a cheer from the audience and a rousing roar of approval when they make their curtain call at the end of the performance. Trying to describe the rest of the performance would take too much time and space and would absolutely be unfair to to the performers as I don’t command the words to do it properly. If you are interested, you can find out everything you need to know including pricing at the La Nouba website.

The show is not for everyone, some people love it and others not so much. But, everyone who sees it is impressed with the abilities of the performers and the most common comment heard as people leave the theater is WOW!! Give it a try fellow Seniors, it’s a wonderful evening. Enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!

Let the Memories Begin.

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Disney’s newest campaign, Let the Memories Begin, invites fans to post photos on the Disney website that will be projected onto Cinderella Castle at Disney World and It’s a Small World at Disneyland. 

Somewhere in my cold little heart, I felt myself get a little bit  . . . emotional. Sniffle.

Those commercials get me every time, I’m not going to lie.  I mean, those kids. So cute.

Okay, so it’s not a new pavilion in Spain or a fifth gate, but it’s a pretty clever idea.  I think families, especially those on their first visit, will get quite a thrill out of seeing their pictures projected on the castle.

For more insight into the new promotion, check out The Disney Blog.

WDW Magic explains how it all works here.

Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010

Don’t forget to stop by our site and leave some Disney Geek love!
Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010 Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010 Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010

Geek-End Update, Saturday, September 25, 2010

Disney Parks Join Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic as a Champions of the Community Sponsor

By
Chip
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Disney Parks Join Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic as a Champions of the Community Sponsor

With blue and silver pixie dust in hand, Mickey Mouse today presented the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard with a “mouse warming” gift in celebration of the team’s new home and a multi-year agreement making Disney Parks a “Champions of the Community” sponsor for the franchise and Amway Center.

“We are honored to have the global brand of Disney, which has been such a fixture of this community for nearly 40 years, join us as a ‘Champions of the Community’ sponsor,” said Orlando Magic President Alex Martins. “As a long-standing member of the Central Florida community, Disney has established a great legacy that we hope to build upon at the Amway Center. We look forward to working together to make continued impact on our Central Florida community for one common purpose… becoming champions both on and off the court.”

Through the new agreement, the Orlando Magic and Disney Parks will seek opportunities to work together on outreach initiatives that benefit the community. The agreement also makes Disney Parks the presenting sponsor of the Amway Center atrium, gives Disney and the Orlando Magic the opportunity to develop and sell co-branded merchandise and provides the foundation for a variety of other marketing and community opportunities.

“As you would expect, Disney believes in Magic,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “This agreement is a natural extension of Disney’s ongoing support for the downtown venues and serves as another example of our company’s efforts to further enhance the quality of life and make dreams come true across our region.”

Disney Parks joins GEICO, PepsiCo, AirTran Airways and Harris Corporation as “Champions of the Community”.  Opening October 1, the Amway Center, which will be operated by the City of Orlando and owned by the Central Florida community, will compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows and serve as the new home of the Orlando Magic.

Disney Parks – Let the Memories Begin TV Spot

By
Chip
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Disney Parks – Let the Memories Begin TV Spot

Disney guests will begin starring on television as part of the new “Let the Memories Begin” campaign. For the first time, Disney Parks is featuring the home videos and snapshots of real guests in television ads and other marketing that will allow an audience of millions to share in true-life, heartfelt moments.

Photo above:
David Croce (left), of Roseville, Mich., takes a souvenir photo Sept. 15, 2010 of his son Gino (center), age 6, and daughter Nina (right), age 9, with “Toy Story” characters Woody and Jessie at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Now through 2011, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida are inviting families and friends to “Let the Memories Begin” by sharing their favorite Disney stories, videos and photos to create a treasury of experiences only Disney can provide. (Preston Mack, photographer)

First Look: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at DCA Carsland

By
Chip
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First Look: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at DCA Carsland

This first look comes to us from the LA Times.

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree promises to be the dizziest and noisiest of the new rides coming to Cars Land in 2012 at Disney California Adventure.

The racket begins before you even board the spinning tractor and cart ride: A play area near the main entrance will feature an interactive junkyard of bangable hubcaps and honkable horns.

Click here to see more.

Coming Soon! Halloweentime at Disneyland Photos

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Coming Soon! Halloweentime at Disneyland Photos

Want to know what it’s like during Halloweentime at Disneyland and California Adventure? Stay tuned — I will be making a trip today/tonight to take photos of the decorations. You’ll be able to see the photos tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I won’t be attending Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party at Disneyland or WDW, but if you’re going, take lots of photos! Send them into me at [email protected]. I’d love to post what you send me and create a little photo collage!

The photo above is one that I have archived from last year. I’m not sure if the pumpkins have changed at Big Thunder Ranch…but I’ll find out today!

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