If you thought that D23 was going to be big, then these new announcements will really knock your socks off…

Shamu and Friends Welcomed to Seven Seas Lagoon with SeaWorld Acquisition
Rumors have circled ever since Anheuser-Busch was sold last year about whether Disney would be interested in purchasing any of the theme parks from InBev, the new Belgian owner of the global brewing company, however now the only question is just how quickly the iconic animals of SeaWorld can be incorporated into Walt Disney World and the answer to let them roam free, as nature intended, seems obvious. Instead of watching these creatures from behind glass, guests will now have the unique opportunity to watch dolphins play in the distance from the beaches of the Polynesian or even take awe as Shamu himself swims gracefully alongside the riverboats that transport guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom.

Plans also call to eventually integrate the sharks, penguins, and other more unique animals from SeaWorld into Disney’s infrastructure as well, however special care must be taken to avoid introducing certain predatory creatures into guest areas without first installing the appropriate warning ropes and signage.

Sassagoula Riverfront Along Downtown Disney to be Filled In, Paving the Way for Even More Retail and Dining Space
Following in step from last fall’s efforts in closing the clubs of Pleasure Island to make way for additional retail and dining space at Downtown Disney, key executives have identified a prime way for the Resort to delivery even more of what guests have asked for by moving forward with further expansion into the valuable real estate currently occupied by the Sassagoula River itself along the marketplace. By cutting off the river further upstream and filling in this area between Downtown Disney and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, Disney executives look forward to being able to offer potential merchants a wealth of new real estate, just waiting to be filled with the top names and brands that guests have come to know and love from their own local shopping malls back home.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Become Disney’s Moving-Pictures-with-Music-by-Randy-Newman Studios
In an effort to further maximize branding efforts and ultimately end any confusion that the park, in fact, resides in Orlando and not Hollywood, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will see a minor tweak to its most recent name change. Guests visiting Disney’s Moving-Pictures-with-Music-by-Randy-Newman Studios will know from the moment they walk through those classic, studio-esque turnstiles that they’re stepping into a world that’s all about the moving picture shows with Randy Newman soundtracks that they’ve come to cherish from Walt Disney Pictures. This update will also allow the Studios a unique opportunity to further highlight upcoming features as well as the classic favorites from the Disney archives before plunging them deep into the archaic time capsule that is The Disney Vault.

Legendary Years at Disney’s Pop Century Resort to Become First Value DVC Resort
Fans of Walt Disney World’s tribute to pop culture will be delighted to learn that not only will their favorite value resort finally see construction resuming on its Legendary Years phase which currently sits opposite the existing buildings of the resort, but upon completion, they’ll also be getting the unique option to own a piece of pop culture history when the area opens as Disney’s Pop Century Villas: The Legendary Years. These modest one- and two-bedroom suites will be the Disney Vacation Club’s most affordable offerings to date, allowing a new class of Disney fans to take ownership in “the best kept Disney secret” while also celebrating their own passions for the pop culture memories of yesteryear.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Remain As-Is
Despite the plethora of changes announced around every facet of the Resort here in April, one place that Disney Imagineering is leaving to its own is the newest of the Resort’s four theme parks – Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Despite speculations that the Beastly Kingdom area might still be one day developed, executives cited that with recent completion of Expedition Everest and the newly opened Yak & Yeti restaurant – both in the Asia area of the park – further development at this time is simply “unnecessary” and can be better focused on other guest areas such as Downtown Disney and, ummm, Downtown Disney…

So many big and exciting changes, all announced on this first day of April in the year two thousand and nine, and you know that the months to come will be filled with all sorts of progress as we watch in anticipation as these five new projects begin to develop. Of course, you know that you can always turn to none other than yours truly for the latest updates as all corners of Walt Disney World scramble to accommodate these latest creative mind storms to flow from Walt Disney Imagineering – you might say that we’d be foolish not to keep tabs on these exciting developments as they make history at the Place Where Dreams Come True!

Happy April, everyone…

It’s one of the questions I get most often when folks ask me for opinions while they’re planning their next vacation, and fortunately it’s one of the easier questions to answer from my point of view because it pretty much opens up the veritable flood gates into the World of Disney here in Florida. Among the 23 resorts (and growing!) that are currently found on Disney property, there are enough options to satisfy just about every budget, lifestyle, and vacation whim, many overlapping to the point where choosing which resort to stay at can be one of the biggest decisions you’ll make!

But despite all of those choices you’ll battle when each member of the family spots a different resort that they think would be just perfect for their own personal tastes, there’s nonetheless one common thread that runs through all of the resorts on-property that makes them stand out in a crowd of dozens of other resorts, hotels, and motels located just a stone’s throw away from the Mouse that are no doubt also itching for your hard-earned vacation dollars! It’s the reason why, at least in 99% of cases, I’ve almost always chosen to stay on-site at one of Disney’s properties instead of even looking at my options outside the Resort – call it the Disney magic, pixie dust, or even just quality of service, but whatever label you’d like to place on it, I wanted to take some time this month to sit down and draw out exactly what makes these all of these unique resorts scattered around Walt Disney World an easy choice in my book…

World-Class Themeing at All Levels
Whether staying at one of the massive value resorts or even the most high-end of deluxe accommodations, one thing for certain is that you can expect to see a considerable amount of effort that goes into the themeing that ultimately makes each resort unique from its 22 other brothers and sisters. Ranging from giant icons of Disney and pop culture favorites all the way up to luscious tropical foliage with waterfalls, volcanoes, and even a variety of the animals you might find in a given locale, pulling through the gates of any given Disney resort transports you to a whole new world where your hotel stay doesn’t have to be limited to merely a bed, shower, and a plate of bagels for continental breakfast in the morning.

Themeing is no doubt one of the top reasons that guests choose their resorts on-property because it’s a unique opportunity to stay someplace that’s customized to your own personal preferences. A fan of nostalgia? You might enjoy Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Always wanted to take a trip to Hawaii, but never found the time, or more likely the money? Disney’s Polynesian Resort could be your answer. Looking for a more sophisticated atmosphere that offers lush amenities, plus a bit of nightlife right outside your door? Any of the resorts around Disney’s Boardwalk could suit your needs quite nicely. Of course, I could probably write a whole handful of columns about the vast variety of options you have when flipping through Disney’s resort catalog, but needless to say, pretty much whatever you fancy, Disney has a resort themed to your liking that will help to make your Disney vacation all the more special.

…and don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say that there aren’t any options for staying off-site that have themes of their own, however it should definitely be noted that you’ll be in for a different experience if you opt to go this route. Realistically, if you’re staying at a budget Days Inn / Red Roof Inn / Econolodge, your themeing is likely to be limited to the color of the comforter on your bed, but there are some more options if you begin to move up the ladder, such as with the Gaylord Palms Resort or even something like the Nickelodeon Family Suites a little further down the street – both are just examples of hotels that have done quite well with themeing of their own and might also be worth considering, that is, as long as these other things aren’t a big concern for you…

Complimentary Transportation and Parking Around the World
Now this may not be the biggest deal to some, but one of the things that really helps to make a Disney vacation special for me is not having to drive anywhere myself! I love being able to leave my car keys in the room for the duration of our trips and simply rely on Disney transportation to take us where we need to go, and it’s worth considering because when staying off-site, this is a simple luxury that just doesn’t exist. Sure, many hotels offer “Disney shuttle service” to get their guests to the parks and back, however these shuttles typically only run on very specific schedules (think once every couple hours) and are often joint ventures with other hotels, meaning that you may have several stops to pick up people at other locations before ever even heading into the parks.

On the other hand, Disney’s buses typically run every 20 minutes and offer a means to get you to any of the four theme parks, as well as the water parks and Downtown Disney, too. Factor in the monorails and various boats that run between a few of the theme parks and resorts as well and there’s really no reason you should have to set foot behind a steering wheel during your vacation unless you’re getting on Test Track or the Indy Speedway!

And lest we not forget, if for some reason you do want to drive yourself to the park instead of waiting 20 minutes at the bus stop (admittedly leaving the parks at the end of the night can sometimes take a while…), staying on-site also grants you complimentary parking at each of the four theme parks throughout your stay, which if you do the math at the new parking rate of $12 / day can save you a pretty penny! Parking is definitely something that should be factored into your costs if you’re thinking about staying off-site for more than a day or two…

Extra Magic Hours
So what’s the one thing better than leaving the Magic Kingdom after a long, fun-filled day? Well, how about not leaving for another three hours and instead going back to give your favorite attractions another go-around while anyone not staying on-property heads towards the exits?! Walt Disney himself was once quoted as saying something to the tune of how Disneyland took on a special glow at night and anyone who’s ever walked around the Magic Kingdom after midnight can certainly attest to that. Of course, there are also Extra Magic Hours opportunities to enter the parks in the morning an hour before off-site guests are allowed in the door, so if you’re more of an earlier riser than a night owl, there are certainly options with you in mind, too!

Either way you dice it, it’s kind of hard to argue with extra time in the parks that guests staying off-site simply aren’t privy to … it’s a nice little extra benefit when you’re not quite ready to call it a night yet.

Magic Your Way Package Discounts
Of course, I don’t need to tell you that the price of a vacation at Walt Disney World can add up quick, however one of the best ways to save money often comes in the vacation packages that Disney offers, bundling food, lodging, and park tickets all into one discounted price. Sure, you can go a la carte and buy each individually, but sometimes the best savings can be found by covering all of your bases at the same time, and while you can always opt to leave the Disney Dining Plan off of your package and simply bundle lodging and park tickets, it can’t really be done the other way (i.e. bundling food and park tickets, but still staying off-site).

I’m no travel agent, and even they couldn’t give you the end-all word of how to make the most of your money because the cards are different for everybody, but I can say that it’s worth keeping in mind that all aspects of your vacation need to be considered when looking at the costs – otherwise you could find yourself saving a few bucks on your hotel, but making up for it and even more with your dining options when a Magic Your Way package would’ve helped to cut costs in both regards.

Continuing with the Disney Magic Outside the Parks
And finally, what I believe to be by far the most significant benefit to staying on-site during your Disney vacation … the simple idea that your vacation doesn’t necessarily stop after you’ve left one of the parks for the evening…

Staying on Disney property, to me, means never having to leave that wonderful world of Disney until I absolutely have to – it’s an all-enveloping vacation experience where I can completely forget about the outside world and just relax, and thus when I get on the bus at Epcot after an evening of dining and fireworks, I don’t notice the same break that I would see if we were to get in the car and traverse World Drive back to our off-site hotel where there’s little to do but turn on the TV and settle in for the night. Instead I’m thinking of how a stop by the food court for a late night snack might sound good before taking one last walk around the resort on the way back to the room, or possibly even taking a dip in the pool now that most of the kids will have gone to bed. Maybe I’ll even wander through the gift shop and see if anything catches my eye to take home and remember the trip by.

The following morning when I wake up, I don’t think, “Let’s hurry up and get some breakfast so we can go back to Disney World!” because frankly, we never left and thus, the magic continues like it never ended the night before. We go down to the food court and get something to eat – maybe my wife’s favorite Mickey waffles – and then when we’re ready, we hop a bus to our next theme park of choice and we’re on our way. No scrambling to catch the next scheduled shuttle or navigating through traffic – it’s all been planned out for us, to the point where I can truly just let go and enjoy my time away from the busy life.

You see, staying on-site during a trip to Walt Disney World for me isn’t just fulfilling the accommodations portion of the vacation – it’s a valued part of the experience that sets Disney vacations apart from other getaways in my book. Sure, cost is sometimes a factor that can outweigh the pros if you’re not careful – in fact, our latest trip just last month had us staying off-site because for Valentine’s Day weekend, the rates were just too high and we couldn’t justify spending $150 / night on a value resort when we could stay off-site for less than half of that in a comparable hotel, but even then, there were certainly parts of the vacation that were missed by our not staying on-site, despite the savings. It’s a matter of circumstance and in that case, we were determined to celebrate Valentine’s Day at Walt Disney World and staying off-site was the only way to make the budget work, but it was still a tough decision to settle on and we’re already looking forward to our next trip when we can get back to the accommodations to which we’ve become accustomed!

I think ultimately the important question to keep in mind when making the decision of on-site vs. off-site is, “What do you most look forward to when you go on vacation?” If those things that I’ve listed here aren’t at the top of your list and you’d rather either save a few bucks or possibly even stay at an upper class resort that has offerings that fall outside the realm of Disney, then staying off-site might be better for your own personal circumstances. However if, on the other hand, you’re looking for truly a Disney vacation that’ll surround you with that Disney magic in every imaginable facet until the moment you set foot on that plane to head back home, there’s certainly an advantage to staying on-site that simply can’t be reckoned with!

I don’t really think I’m surprising anybody here at this point when I say that I really enjoy my time dining around Walt Disney World. It’s almost kind of like the resort’s some 100+ restaurants are the final frontier for me because even after riding every ride and watching every show at the parks, there will no doubt still be plenty of dining establishments to last for years to come! And with such a wide variety of options a mere bus or monorail ride away, who wouldn’t look forward to sitting down for a nice, leisurely meal after a long day filled with magic and wonder?

Of course, there is that one teensy, little question … who’s going to pay for it?

Mind you, we’re not here today to debate about the cost of your Disney vacation overall – I think we all understand that there’s a premium to pay for the quality of entertainment that the Mouse has to offer, and it’s pretty much expected at this point that everything from sodas to socks are going to cost you a little more when bought on property. That said, nonetheless anyone who’s crunched a budget trying to figure out their next vacation can vouch that right up there with hotel and ticket costs, dining expenses are still a force to be reckoned with, not to simply be shrugged off in the grand scheme of things.

This point rings particularly true for me because living only about an hour’s drive from Disney World, we tend to find ourselves taking a lot of day trips over to Orlando, and thus with our park tickets already paid for and no hotel stay necessary, the budget shifts to the point where often times our primary vacation expense is that of dining. And if you think about it, those are bills that can really add up if you’re not paying attention – we generally figure about $20 / meal for the two of us if we’re going counter service, $5 here or there for snacks along the way, and should we choose to indulge in a table service meal … look out! Just between two people, I’ve seen bills anywhere from $40 – $100+ for a single meal after drinks and dessert are factored in…

…and frankly, I’m ok with that because in my eyes, those dining experiences are more than just meals for us – they’re memorable parts of our vacations in and of themselves, filled with colorful drinks and delicious entrees, decadent desserts and even a few character photo opportunities here and there. Some served to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays and even our honeymoon, while others were more sporadic stops as we caught favorable smells wafting out of a kitchen in passing. And as I mentioned earlier, they can also serve as one more piece of this amazing resort that I’ve yet to explore, long after I’ve seen all the attractions they have to offer. It’s clear to see that as I look back at my more recent trips over the last year or two, dining is becoming more of a part of the vacation experience than simply a brief break for sustenance on the way to Space Mountain.

But granted, in the same right, dining at Disney World is expensive and when we start throwing table service meals into the mix, those bills have a tendency to add up quicker than we would expect! That said, there are a couple of ways that one can reduce those costs and I’d like to talk about one that I’ve been using over the last year here today. The Disney Dining Experience* is a dining discount program offered to annual passholders and Florida residents that allows guests a 20% discount off of food and drink prices at most table service locations (and even surprisingly more and more food court / counter service options, too) around the World. The cost of the program is an annual fee of anywhere between $60 and $85, depending on if you’re a passholder or simply a resident, so if you do the math, you’re looking at a dining expense of roughly $300 to break even before you see any real savings.

* Note: For accuracy’s sake, I should probably note that technically as of September 15, 2008, the Disney Dining Experience was renamed to Tables in Wonderland, supposedly because there was some confusion of names between it and the Disney Dining Plan, however more likely this was a feeble attempt to help promote last year’s International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot, which was similarly titled Cities in Wonderland. I won’t get too far into the rant because I’ve said it here many times before, but frankly I think Tables in Wonderland sounds ridiculous and simply can’t bring myself to call the program by its new name. If you’d like to indulge and hear more of my rant about this name change, I wrote a blog post about it back in September, but in the meantime for clarity’s sake, just know that I’m going to keep calling it the Disney Dining Experience until Disney comes to their senses and drops the silly title that makes no sense whatsoever…

So anyways, I first invested in this card back in November 2007 mostly because I was curious about just how much savings it could offer, but likely more so because I knew deep down that between the birthday trip planned for my at-the-time fiancée and our wedding right around the corner, we’d definitely be dining at least enough to break even and cover the costs of the card. And here today, some thirteen months later, I’d like to break down the math meal by meal to share with everyone those very results from my little analysis, and at the end we’ll see the cold, hard truth about whether I should just let the card expire or if it’ll be worth renewing for another year!

Now I should note before we begin that while I tried my best to keep accurate records (i.e. the receipts) from each and every one of these meals, when I finally sat down to write this there were some that I can’t for the life of me find, so we’re just going to have to wing it on those few! Fortunately, there are some benefits to taking pictures of all of your meals so I do have some points of reference, and coupled with the great menus that Deb has over on AllEars.Net, I’m fairly confident that I can come up with some pretty fair estimates for each of the ones that I don’t still have receipts for.

It should also be noted, for the sake of thoroughness, that as of January 2008, Disney began adding an automatic 18% gratuity to all bills that the DDE is applied to – now, for the sake of these calculations here, I don’t think it really matters because we’re going to tip regardless, so just remember that the prices you see below are the costs for food & drink only – tax and tip are being excluded. And for the record, I do have some issues with the automatic tipping itself, but we’ll save that discussion for another day…

Over the course of the last 13 months, if my memory serves me, we enjoyed table service meals at Disney World a total of 11 times, although nearly half of those meals didn’t qualify for the 20% discount from the Disney Dining Experience, which we’ll go over in a minute. First of all, here are the meals that did qualify and how the numbers played out:

Dinner at ‘Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Resort)
(in celebration of my fiancee’s birthday with her parents)

· 4 adult diners – each had their amazing, highly carnivorous buffet

· Total for the meal was $107.96

· Disney Dining Experience discount – $21.59

Dinner at Cape May Café (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)
(as a trial for our big family get-together meal during our honeymoon)

· 2 adult diners – each had the clam bake buffet and one alcoholic drink

· Total for the meal was approximately $67.98

· Disney Dining Experience discount – $13.60

Dinner at Mama Melrose (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
(a random meal while visiting the Studios)

· 2 adult diners – I had a flatbread pizza, she had a pasta dish

· Total for the meal was approximately $32.98

· Disney Dining Experience discount – $6.60

Dinner at Cape May Café (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)
(the aforementioned big family get-together during our honeymoon)

· pretty much the same meal and discounts listed above

· Special Note: As the DDE is applicable for up to 10 guests, we were able to get our discount applied to an additional 8 people dining with us (total party size was 17 adults and 2 kids)

· estimated additional Disney Dining Experience discount – $46.38

Dinner at Coral Reef (Epcot)
(attempt at a romantic dinner during our honeymoon)

· 2 adult diners – I had the Seafood Linguini, she had the NY Strip Steak

· both had an alcoholic drink and a dessert each; appetizer was split

· Total for the meal was $100.20

· Disney Dining Experience discount – $20.04

Lunch at ‘50s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
(random lunch while touring the Studios)

· 2 adult diners – I had the Fish Sandwich, she had the Meatloaf

· I had two alcoholic drinks; we split an appetizer and dessert

· Total for the meal was $60.55

· Disney Dining Experience discount – $12.11

So if my calculator works right, the total savings for two people over these six meals was $73.94, or $120.32 if you want to count the additional savings by our guests at our Cape May honeymoon dinner. But just between the two of us, our dining paid for the cost of the card itself and then also saved us an additional $14 on top of that. And sure, that doesn’t exactly sound like a lot, but then consider the following five meals that didn’t qualify for the discount:

Dinner at San Angel Inn (Epcot)
(as part of our Candlelight Processional Dinner Package)

· 2 adult diners – both each got an appetizer, entrée, and dessert as part of the fixed-price package

· She also had a margarita, which was extra

· Total for the meal was approximately $85.98

· No discounts applicable because of the Candlelight Package

Dinner at Rainforest Café (Downtown Disney)
(celebrating my Mom’s birthday during her trip to Florida)

· 3 adult diners – we all split an appetizer and dessert (“Volcano!”)

· Sara also had some fancy drink in a collectible glass

· Total for the meal was approximately $105

· estimated 10% Annual Passholder discount – $10.50

Dinner at Yak & Yeti (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
(opening of the new restaurant)

· 2 adult diners – I had the Crispy Honey Chicken, she had the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp

· also had two appetizers (Pork Egg Rolls & Prawn Flavored Crisps) and an alcoholic drink each

· Total for the meal was approximately $74.96

· estimated 10% Annual Passholder discount – $7.50

Lunch at Yak & Yeti (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
(summer visit – I really like this restaurant…)

· 2 adult diners – I had the Maple Tamarind Chicken, she had the Sweet and Sour Chicken

· also had an appetizer (Pork Egg Rolls) and a lemonade for her (I had water)

· Total for the meal was $47.28

· 10% Annual Passholder discount – $4.40

Lunch at Beaches and Cream (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)
(random lunch during our honeymoon)

· 2 adult diners – I had a Hot Dog, she had a Roast Beef Sandwich

· also split an order of onion rings; each had a cherry-flavored Coke

· of course, each splurged on a custom sundae for dessert, too…

· Total for the meal was $38.61

· Note: This meal was applicable for the DDE, however I forgot the card in the car and would’ve had to walk all the way out to the parking lot to get it. Oops…

A few different forces are at work for these particular meals – one involved my simply forgetting the DDE card, which I know Disney can’t really be held responsible for; the Candlelight Package has never been subject to discounts, except for the built-in discount by using the Disney Dining Plan, so no loss there; but as for the other three (two Yak & Yeti meals and a Rainforest Café), admittedly I do somewhat blame the Mouse for because these are restaurants that do not accept the discount due to a technicality. You see, both of these restaurants are actually owned and operated by Landry’s Restaurants (they recently opened the T-Rex Café at Downtown Disney, too), and while all are accepting the Disney Dining Plan and the Annual Passholder discount, they have opted not to participate in the Disney Dining Experience program … which is a real bummer for me because as mentioned above, I really enjoy the new Yak & Yeti restaurant at the Animal Kingdom.

All in all, with the exception of the Candlelight Dinner package, the other four meals would’ve netted an additional $53.16 in discounts had they all accepted the DDE. This, coupled with all of the other savings above, would’ve added up to a potential $173.48, or a net savings of $113.48 after the card was paid for. Arguably you could suggest that these savings could’ve all been had if we’d opted to stick to only restaurants that accepted the discount, but obviously in at least a couple of the cases there was a little more to the decision than that…

So where does this leave us?

Clearly in reviewing the numbers, the Disney Dining Experience didn’t exactly reap us great savings – ultimately fourteen bucks is, what, a lunch of burgers and fries while basking in the glow of one Sunny Eclipse? And yes, with the savings extended to our friends and family during that one huge meal, that number was bumped up to include several burger and fries, it’s still easy to see by adding the actual costs of each meal that this is one of those cases where saving more money equals spending more money.

Simply put, if you’re content with eating counter service for all of your meals, then this definitely isn’t the discount program for you.

But here’s the thing – as I eluded to earlier on in this column, we’re not content with just eating at counter service offerings and in fact rather enjoy checking out the various sit-down places that Disney World has to offer. And that said, going back through that list I think I can safely say that there’s a good portion of those restaurants that we wouldn’t necessarily have tried had we not had the incentive of a 20% discount to consider. Granted, it’s not really a huge savings, but it’s been enough to make us feel just a little more comfortable about splurging on these meals over the last year and in retrospect, I think it’s also safe to say that we had good times at just about every single one of them…even if the food wasn’t always up to our expectations!

That having been said, despite the ridiculous name, I do believe this is where I rescind my previously blogged statements and admit that I think we will be renewing our Disney Dining Experience for another year, and maybe I’ll even do a follow-up column in 2010 to see if we did any better during year #2 of this little dining experiment! At the end of the day, there are definitely a lot of factors to consider with this purchase – some financial, and some not so much. For me, I think it’s fair to say that at least for this past year, the justifications were more related to encouragement for trying new things than they were directly dollar-related, however it’s plain to see how the finances could definitely play a more prominent role, especially if you’re akin to eating more than one or two table service meals during the course of your vacation. The same goes if you’ve got a larger party you’re traveling with – a family of four who likes their sit-down meals is going to see greater returns simply because those checks are going to wind up bigger, too, and as long as the trip in general doesn’t break the bank for them, the DDE might be a great way to help shave off a cool 20% from each dining tab.

Of course, factor in a few of the other side benefits such as complimentary parking and valet for dining purposes, and even if you only eat a few table service meals each year, it could be of benefit to you based on your own unique tastes. But I guess that’s one of the nice things about dining around Walt Disney World – whatever your tastes happen to be, there are certainly plenty of intriguing options to indulge them…and that’s before we even get to the dessert menu!

Bon appétit!

And a new year we’ve got to look forward to at Walt Disney World in 2009, it certainly will be, what with the grand opening of the What Will You Celebrate? promotion, new expansions of the Disney Vacation Club with Bay Lake Tower and the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs, and even the openings of some of the new Pleasure Island replacements that will be taking shape at Downtown Disney. Couple those with hoards of other smaller updates and changes, as well as a particularly unsettling economy, and I think it goes without saying that the next twelve months will, to say the least, be very interesting…

But of course, this is the new year, a happy time of celebration and new beginnings, so I’m not going to dwell on the potential gloom here today … besides, I’m sure that there will be plenty of opportunity for musings in the months to come anyways! Nope, instead I want to take this month’s column to explore a slight twist on the classic New Years Resolutions that we’re all scrambling to write around this time. You see, I’m not really sure what I could write about resolutions for Walt Disney World, and we already pretty much went through my laundry list last month regarding the most recent changes that I’d like to see, so instead I thought we’d try something a little different and talk about some aspirations I have for my trips to the World over the next twelve months.

The way I see it, at this point I’ve been visiting Disney World in my “adult life” for a little over four years now and while I’ve certainly seen a lot during this time, there are still so many facets and offshoots to enjoy – that’s really one of the things I love about this place because I can’t see myself ever getting tired of it! By the time I finally do manage to get through everything that the resort has to offer, it’ll be time to start all over again … more than enough magic to last a lifetime, in my eyes.

But that said, in reviewing in my mind those things that I have done over the last four years, I started to think about new things that I haven’t necessarily done yet and while they certainly won’t all fit into 2009, I went ahead and picked out some of my favorite that I’d like to entertain with my wife (and anyone else who happens to show up!) over the next twelve months. Here’s what I came up with…

Stay in a DVC Resort
So by this point I’ve seen a notable variety of the resorts on-property – all four each of the value and moderate resorts, and two of the deluxe resorts thus far – but the one level that I haven’t yet spent the night at is DVC. Granted, there are certainly still a fair share of deluxes that I’d like to check out as well, but considering that my wife and I are inching closer to that financial stability that would allow us to buy into the Disney Vacation Club, not to mention the really nice rates that have been offered as of late, it just seems like a natural progression and one that I’m definitely looking forward to exploring in the near future!

Enjoy a Nice Evening of Dinner and Fireworks at the California Grill
Sure, I’ve heard mixed opinions, which is all the more reason why I want to try this signature Disney dining facility for myself! You can bet that it’s not too difficult at all to convince my wife that it’s time for us to enjoy a nice, romantic dinner, and if this dining experience lives up to its legend, then we could very well (hopefully) be in for quite the treat. While admittedly there’s not a whole lot on the California Grill’s menu that I would line up for, it’s got enough to intrigue me while we wait for Wishes to take flight over the Magic Kingdom, and that’s a good enough excuse for me…

Visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Extra Magic Hour Evenings
…which I know are far in between, but I pretty much have one very distinct goal for this particular thought and that’s the idea of getting to ride Expedition Everest at nighttime. I mean, this is one of the coolest coasters on property during the day, and comparing how much more I enjoy Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the evenings, I can only wonder if there’s a similar experience to be had in the Himalayas as well!

Take Some Really Sharp-Looking Photos Around the World
I’ve been getting more and more into photography lately, at least still on an amateur level, anyways, but I think my multitude of galleries certainly prove that of all the places to shoot pictures, Disney World is right up there near the top. That said, while I have the random shots here or there that came out decent, I’d like to get some really nice ones – you know, the kind that look like they should be part of Disney’s promotional materials?! I had planned on putting together a set of holiday favorites around the parks last month as a special project, but life got in the way and that never really materialized. Nonetheless, even just a shot or two worthy of blowing up and framing would be very cool in my books.

Check Out DisneyQuest
This is actually another one of those things that we’ve wanted to do for the last couple of years, actually, with the main reason being because of all of the rumors that were floating around at the time about DisneyQuest closing its doors. Well clearly that hasn’t happened, which is good because being the geek that I am, it sounds like the kind of place I could have myself a lot of fun at! Virtual this, 3D that, and make your own rollercoaster?! Gotta do it!

Get Back to the Basics and See the Parks
If there’s one thing that’s changed for my own touring habits over the years, it’s definitely that I’ve gotten to a point where I really only see certain things at each park when we visit. We have our favorites, so we hit up those and if we don’t go anywhere else, that’s fine. And granted, living right around the corner that does work for us, but every once in a while I do find myself with a yearning to just go completely buck wild and spend the entire day touring one of the parks from top to bottom! You know, get there relatively early in the day and hop from land to land, seeing absolutely everything before pushing on to the next. I certainly wouldn’t want to do it every time, but I feel like it’s been a while since we really took it all in and wouldn’t mind a little refresher tour, if you will…

Spend a Trip Longer Than 4 Days (3 Nights) at a Time
Looking back, the longest we’ve ever spent the night at Disney in one shot has been typically Friday – Monday, mostly due to scheduling issues and whatnot, and those trips usually end in a manner that I’m sure yours do, too, with one of us saying, “I wish we had more time – it’d been nice to just lay around the resort a little more.” Because with all of the theme parks around, even for us we usually find ourselves spending most of our days out and about, despite the copious amount of amenities right there at the hotel. Now I don’t know if this one is necessarily a possibility this year due to my wife finishing up with school, but one of these trips we’ve vowed to make it the more traditional, 5- or 7-day excursion which should allow plenty of time to lounge and take in the sights.

And if it’s somehow possible to combine this one with the Stay in a DVC Resort one above, then all the better!

Dine at a Table Service Restaurant Inside the Magic Kingdom
Is it bad that more than one of my aspirations revolves around food??? I guess that’s what the resolutions are for, eh?! Anyways, I recently came to realize that while I’ve dined at restaurants inside all of the other parks, I haven’t enjoyed a single table service lunch or dinner at the Magic Kingdom. No idea as to why – maybe just none of them really jumped out at me, and with worthwhile alternatives at the three monorail resorts only moments away, it was never really a big deal. But just for the sake of argument, I think it’s time to try dining at this one, too.

Of course, I really don’t have any preferences as to which one – can anybody make a recommendation?

Watch Edward James Olmos Narrate a 2009 Candlelight Processional Show
Last month we ended up missing out on Candlelight because we ended up only getting really one holiday weekend over at Disney and didn’t want to dedicate an entire evening to eating and watching the show. That said, I really want to make sure we go this year because we both have really enjoyed the show the last two years we’ve watched it. And for the icing on the cake, if by any chance at all Edward James Olmos happens to be narrating again this year, that’s the night I want to see the show. I don’t even care if it’s on Christmas day and we have to pay for admission because our annual passes don’t cover that holiday – over the last year I’ve gotten absolutely hooked on Battlestar Galactica and would love to see Admiral Adama, err, I mean Edward James Olmos perform in person!

So now that you’ve read my aspirations for my next year of fun and exploration at Walt Disney World, what stands out that you would like to do during your next visit?

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen – the column you’ve all been waiting for, even though I’m sure many of you would’ve never seen it coming from the likes of me – but regardless, this month we’ve going to talk about the addictive, expensive, and yet surprisingly enjoyable trend of Disney pin trading.

Of course, right off the bat I suppose I should mention that technically speaking, it’s not necessarily pin trading that’s gotten my fiancée and I hooked over the last two years … but we’ll get to that in just a moment!

I’ll freely admit that when I first came across them, pins just seemed like an insane waste of money, with their absolute cheapest running $6.95 and many limited and special editions pushing $10 – $12 or more, despite the fact that there I was, walking around the land where admission was $65 / day and a hamburger for lunch was $7 by itself! And mind you, I’ve had my share of collections over the years, from trading cards and comic books growing up to DVDs and coral reef collectable scenes more recently, so I could even understand the idea of dumping considerable amounts of money into one’s collection, but I think ultimately it was actually the whole concept of pin trading that came along with these $8 purchases that threw me for a loop. I mean, sure – I’d trade a card or two that came out of a pack that cost maybe three bucks total for something comparable, but to trade something that just cost me eight bucks, not to mention carrying around a dozen or so of them at a time on one of those goofy lanyards?! Sorry, just not my thing…

The pin that started it all for us...

Nonetheless, that whole experience changed a couple of years ago when my then girlfriend (now fiancée) and I spent a long weekend at the World to celebrate six months into our newfound relationship. It was a bit of a splurge trip – we stayed in a savannah-view room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and had an absolute blast watching all of the animals right from our room, we enjoyed our very first table service meal together at the Tepanyaki Dining Room in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot, and I really think the trip as a whole really helped us to cement our love for Disney as a couple as we proceeded to have a great time for the entire four days straight. Over the previous six months we’d spent a day or two here or there roaming the parks, but we did a whole lot of new things on that Animal Kingdom Lodge trip and one of those firsts that we stumbled upon, incidentally, was pin collecting.

Starter pins from our anniversary trip (on green background), plus a few others from 2006...

I believe it started the way I can only imagine that most folks get hooked on these things – Sara happened across a neat looking pin depicting the resort on our last run through the gift shop before checking out and thought it would make for a neat souvenir. Of course, when checking out at 11:00am, we still had nearly a full day ahead of us so we headed over to the Studios for the afternoon, and let’s just say in looking through the pin stands a bit more thoroughly than we might’ve before throughout the day, we ended up eventually ending our trip with a grand total of seven pins – three that we’d specifically chosen to highlight the trip, plus a special four pack depicting each of the four theme parks to help “jump start” the effort – and as they say, an addiction was born!

That was only a little less than two years ago and as I look up on the wall across from me, it seems that we’ve already built up quite the little collection. We may not buy our pins to trade, per se, but we’ve still managed to have a grand old time picking up one or two (or sometimes more…) here and there to help commemorate our various excursions over to the World, both big and small. For ten bucks or so each trip, we’ve found ourselves another way in addition to photos to keep the memories of our trips alive, to the point where these days Sara isn’t the only one scouring the racks for our next purchases! I must admit that I, too, have found myself bitten by the pin bug – I especially enjoy the passholder-only pins and also the pins released for special events throughout the year, such as the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and all of the activities that take place at Christmastime. Maybe it’s an aesthetic thing, but they seem to really pull out the stops and issue some eye-catching merchandise for those events…

a trio of pins from 2008 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Looking back at how I sort of disregarded pins in the past, I suppose I may have been a little harsh, although I still can’t say as though I understand the trading perspective of it … but to each his own. For us, we look forward to picking out a couple of pins that help represent the trip at hand – maybe an attraction pin for when we went over earlier this spring for the passholder preview of Toy Story Mania or a resort pin showing where we stayed if we spend the night. Last week, in fact, we even had a very special trip where we pretty much spent the entire day hunting for pins, a la the Find-a-Pin scavenger hunt of sorts that Disney introduced this year, releasing a new pin each month that offered up clues as to where the next month’s issue could be found. Boy, did we put in a lot of walking that day and we didn’t come away with every single pin that had been issued to date, but we still had a great time and I have little doubt that the remaining three will come our way via the wonder that is eBay before the end of the year anyways!

So to wrap things up, no – pins aren’t necessarily the $10.95 wastes that you might think, and in fact, for those that find themselves going as frequently as we do, they almost actually make sense as a worthwhile souvenir that won’t simply end up getting piled in the closet – really, how many plushes and picture frames and t-shirts can one person accumulate over the years?! Of course, don’t get me wrong, we’ve certainly got our share of those, too, but at least with the pins, we’ve got a nice collection that we can utilize for a nice stroll down memory lane any time we so desire – heck, only two years into our little journey and I already find myself doing that from time to time! As you can see from the picture below, Sara and I have come up with what we think is a pretty darned creative way to display our collection in our home, the only foreseeable problem being that eventually we’re going to run out of wall space and have to do some rearranging! But we’ll deal with that just fine, as I think I speak for both of us when I say that our collection will probably continue to expand and grow as long as we keep vacationing at Walt Disney World, to the point where eventually our children will also start adding to the wall their favorites when we visit as a family and introduce them to everything that Mickey and his friends mean to us. Talk about a pretty swell collection – I can only imagine what our wall(s) are going to look like twenty years from now…

Our pin collection through 2007...

...and "a portion" of our pins from 2008 waiting to go on the wall.

Maybe that’s the secret when it comes to buying pins – sure, they’re a bit on the pricey side, but really, everything is more than what you would pay at Wal-Mart for something similar … then again, you don’t see people planning for years and years to spend their family vacation at Wal-Mart! For us, pins represent memories of the magic that Disney makes us feel, and when you put it that way, $10.95 a pop doesn’t seem like such a bad deal after all.

No, no – I don’t want to get into all of that political nonsense because frankly, it just gets me too wound up to be worth the ranting anymore, but at the same time, I think a very fitting question for this forum to entertain would be just how we might expect these crazy energy prices to affect Walt Disney World vacations in the upcoming months and even years. With new record highs nearly everyday, one would think that eventually the budget stops looking so favorable towards taking a trip down to see the Mouse when keeping the car filled to get the family to school, work, and so forth is a much more immediate need. So some might argue that the question isn’t so much will there be an impact, but when will there be an impact.

The way I see it, there probably won’t be much of a change through the remainder of the summer, and even through the remainder of this year, in fact, because at least I would have to assume that most vacations that have been scheduled during the last half of 2008 have already been paid for, or at least deposits have been put down, and in a time when you’re already losing so much extra money to gas prices, one would hate to forfeit even more by canceling your vacation package and losing a portion of any money you’ve already put down. Also, and please keep in mind that this entire column is purely speculation based on not actual statistics, but simply my own perceptions of people, their vacation habits, and previous histories of both Disney and the oil companies at large, I would think that anyone who still has vacations scheduled out there in the future, unless they’d already overextended themselves and just have no other options, would actually prefer to keep those reservations in tact as a means of enjoying what could very well be their last Disney vacation for a while until finances improve.

Now that said, I definitely think that next year is going to be an entirely different ballgame and we’re likely to see some interesting promotions coming out of Orlando in an attempt to convince guests that they can still afford to make the trip down if this downward spiral that we’re currently riding opts to continue. In the short term, it really could go either way because historically I have noticed that many families, at least when it comes to vacation, will still over-extend themselves (i.e. buy on credit) for these trips simply because they need something in their lives to look forward to – nobody wants to go to work everyday simply to make enough money to keep the electricity turned on, so having that little vacation to Orlando out there on the horizon to look forward to can be a positive effect in simply helping people endure their otherwise mundane day-to-day lives. Of course, at the same time, as anyone who paid attention in economics can tell you, that kind of spending what you haven’t yet even earned can’t last forever, hence many analysts estimate that the average household carries upwards of $10,000 in credit card debt. So people can keep charging their trips down to see the Mouse to VISA for a while, but eventually it comes time to pay the piper and that revenue stream for Disney is going to come to a grinding halt.

And mind you, that’s assuming that there’s even a substantial percentage of Disney’s guests that fit into that particular situation – there are simply a lot of variables up in the air here that really nobody can put their fingers on.

Can we learn from the new energy shuffleboard game @ Epcot?

But then again, to consider the flipside of this situation, let’s also consider that we’re already seeing many companies across the country adjusting their pricing to help offset the extra fuel costs that they themselves are enduring, and now we’re faced with wondering if Disney will also do the same? Can Disney afford to do the same and risk alienating customers who are already peeved about their annual rate hikes that continue to stomp all over the national rate of inflation??? If I’m already up in the air about coming back next year because gas just passed $5 / gallon, rising ticket and resort prices certainly aren’t going to help swing that vote in Mickey’s favor, but at the same time, will the company be willing to cut into their own profits to help subsidize those increases for their customers? Knowing that in the past, Disney has regularly been jacking up those prices both to find that maximum sticker price that guests are willing to pay and likewise doing their best to help offset any less than spectacular profits from other divisions of the company by falling back on the parks, ye old crystal ball says that our outlook doesn’t look too good…

Of course, there are other things that Disney can do besides simply increase ticket prices and we’re actually already seeing some of those things take place, whether its veiled as the closing down of the clubs at Pleasure Island to make way for new shops and restaurants that will lower Disney’s operating costs and hopefully be more profitable to boot or even in more straightforward measures such as upgrading all 23 of their hotels across Walt Disney World to meet Florida’s Green Lodging designation, meaning that not only do their operating costs drop by means of utilizing energy efficient lighting and reducing water usage via low-flow faucets, but they’re also making an effort to help the environment at the same time – definitely worth kudos in my book! What other efforts are being made internally to help cut costs, it’s hard to tell, but I have a feeling that despite their previous ticket increases over the last few years, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that increasing prices again when the nation is teetering on the edge of a recession probably isn’t in their best interests and I think that at least for the next few years even, we’re going to see other changes being made around the World that don’t directly involve prices going up.

We can keep our fingers crossed hoping that this won’t include dropping some services as well, but I would expect them to be looking more closely at the popularity of their special events – both big and small – over the next couple of months to ensure that enough guests are still partaking in them to even make them worthwhile…

Even locally, I know our trips have gotten more expensive and decreased since last year...

Now all of that dismally said, is there anything positive that can come from all of this?! Well, as I mentioned earlier, if a decline in reservations begins to appear I would definitely expect to see some additional promotions to appear on the horizon – whether we’re talking about free dining, extra park tickets, or simply discounted room rates will depend on just how big of a dip in attendance is predicted. I would bet my proverbial hat, though, that we’ll at least see something, considering that even my fiancée and I (being Florida Resident Annual Passholders) have seen a decrease in the number of day trips that we’ve been taking over to Orlando simply because trips that used to cost us $10 in gas plus a meal are now costing $20-$30 in gas before we even get in the door. No doubt we’ll likely see something similar to the gas cards that many other businesses are already offering along with their services – “Come down to Disney World and let Mickey fill up your tank!” or something. As much as they don’t want to cut into profits, it’s an even bigger loss if those rooms stay empty altogether.

This is going to be a rough position for companies like Disney because being in the entertainment industry, as much as so many of us think that we can’t live without Walt Disney World, the truth of the ugly matter is that we can’t live without food and water more and if gas prices get high enough, the decision will already have been made for us. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get to that point, and in the meantime, use this time to see what kinds of adjustments we can make to our own lifestyles – such as upgrading the lighting in our homes to be more energy efficient – that will also ultimately help to keep a few extra nickels and dimes in the Disney jar saving up for that next big trip!

The next few years are no doubt going to be a challenge, but just remember the words of Walt Disney – keep moving forward, and eventually our curiosity will lead us down a new path that will put an end to our dependence on oil once and for all.

I know I wouldn't mind cruising to the office or the mall via monorail!

“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine…”

Now anyone who’s spent a considerable amount of time around me will certainly vouch that I’m not exactly a huge fan of change, but at least I’m getting better … I think. My biggest culprit in this corner, of course, is food because while sure, there might very well be a whole plethora of new tastes and flavors out there just waiting to cross my palate, often too many times it’s just easier for me to go with an old and faithful standby than to risk going hungry that night because what sounded good on the menu just didn’t cut the mustard when it was actually brought to the table!

But then again, some of my current favorite dishes would’ve never found their way into my world had I not taken a bit of risk here and there, so I digress – change can be good.

As of late we’ve been seeing a lot of changes around Walt Disney World and frankly, a lot of guests up in arms for those same reasons – there are talks of revamping or updating classic Disney attractions and critics simply aren’t interested. They’d prefer to walk through the parks as they were when each first opened, and while I can appreciate the nostalgia to some extent, I’m not sure if that’s the best approach both in terms of running Walt Disney World as a business and also simply in maintaining that entertainment factor to keep guests coming back year after year…

I actually started thinking about this topic when I read about the talks of adding some of the classic Disney characters to the It’s a Small World… attraction over at Disneyland in California and the veritable uproar that it’s caused across the Internet. Allegedly during some recent downtime, Disney Imagineering began staking out key areas to integrate some of the other Disney franchises into the existing attraction, such as adding Stitch to the Hawaiian scene, Belle to Paris, and so forth. And while I’m not entirely crazy about these specific updates if they were to come to fruition, I think at this point I’m more concerned about the unwavering clinginess to “Classic Disney,” as it were, that is oddly showing up on both sides of the table.

The perfect parallel to this, in my opinion, is the Great Wand Debate of 2007, in which last year for Epcot’s 25^th Anniversary Celebration, Sorcerer Mickey’s wand that had been towering over Spaceship Earth since the Millennium Celebration back in 2000 was finally removed some seven years later, and arguably for more than a handful, said removal came about seven years late to their liking. And this is one instance where I find myself on the other side of the line in that, I actually liked the wand! I really only started frequenting Walt Disney World since I moved down to Florida in 2003, so I guess I sort of became accustomed to the wand and thought it added a sort of magically whimsy to an otherwise technological and history-based park. It was a reminder to me that we were still in one of Mickey’s parks and it showed up great in photos if you were patient enough, but alas, nostalgia overtook enough of the popular vote across WDI and they opted to restore Spaceship Earth to its former, non-magical glory.

To me, it just looks like a giant golf ball again, but I suppose you can’t win ‘em all, eh?

But I guess the point is that at least for seven years, the wand was up there sparkling proudly – they tried something different, but it just didn’t take off with the right people. That’s one of the things that I’ve always taken away from the various books that I’ve read about Walt Disney himself – he was always trying new things and experimenting to see what worked and what didn’t – really, how else are you ever going to know?!

“Disneyland will never be complete as long as there is imagination in the world.”

And at least when I look back over the changes that I’ve personally experienced, while they might not all have been spot-on, I think for the most part they’ve all been steps forward and that certainly counts for something!

Stitch’s Great Escape replacing Alien Encounter (Tomorrowland – Magic Kingdom)
Now it’s hard to believe that this one is even on my list, much less my very first one, but while Stitch isn’t exactly a must-ride for me every single visit, it only took me one ride on Alien Encounter to know that I’d never ride it again. Color me a wuss, but the thing was just far too scary for any Disney park – the kind of attraction I’d expect at Universal Studios.

Soarin’ replacing Food Rocks (The Land Pavilion – Epcot)
I fondly remembered all of that singing food from my childhood and would’ve liked to revisit them as an adult, but you can’t deny that Soarin’ is probably the best attraction in the park.

At some point we can go Soarin' OVER some fruit if it makes you feel any better...

Pirates of the Caribbean upgraded with Jack Sparrow appearances (Adventureland – Magic Kingdom)
This one was probably the most impressive of all to me simply because I think it’s cool how the attraction came full circle, first inspiring a movie (that didn’t suck, mind you!), and then later being updated to include popular tie-ins from said movie. The new additions offer a trio of nice vignettes for those paying attention without “ruining the classic experience” along the way – nice job, indeed!

The Living Seas upgraded to The Seas with Nemo and Friends (The Seas Pavilion – Epcot)
I know – I miss the Hydrolators just as much as the next guy, but you just can’t deny how cool the effect at the end of your trip into the aquarium is when we see Nemo & friends “swimming” right along with all of the other fish in that 4.5 million gallon tank! Not to mention the new themeing throughout the queue line is awesome – this one was an easy improvement.

The Haunted Mansion upgraded with new special effects (Liberty Square – Magic Kingdom)
Honestly I hadn’t rode The Haunted Mansion in quite a while before the new effects were put into place, so it was admittedly kind of hard to actually pinpoint exactly what all of the new upgrades even were! Nonetheless, the new stairs room (a la M.C. Escher) is very cool, indeed, and the crystal ball room is definitely sweeter than ever.

Think of all the ghouls and ghosts that we'd have missed out on if The Haunted Mansion hadn't received a well-executed touch-up last year...

SOMEBODY out there might enjoy Lights, Motors, Action! ... maybe?

So that’s almost half a dozen changes across the largest resort area in the world, and while no, it doesn’t include some of the blunders such as the Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt show or those lackluster ride upgrades for Spaceship Earth, it’s certainly not a full list of all of the positive improvements we’ve seen, either (i.e. the new games added to the end of the Spaceship Earth exit area). The point is two-fold – first of all, we as guests have to come to terms with the idea that in being an entity that sees nearly 50 million people each year, that’s a diverse enough group where you’re never going to please all of us at the same time. Case in point is my beloved wand from Epcot – while most people seemed to think that it needed to exit stage right as soon as humanly possible, there are still a thriving handful of us who actually liked the wand and were sad to see it go. Same with folks that actually enjoy Lights, Motors, Action!, think Judi Dench provides a better narration to Spaceship Earth than Jeremy Irons, and so forth. Unfortunately, we’re not all going to be absolutely thrilled with every single new change that comes to the World, which is all the more reason that my second point is so important.

We have to allow Disney Imagineering the ability to try new things and explore areas that have yet to be introduced into the parks – it’s what Walt always preached and it’s truly what Disney’s parks as a whole need to continue their reign at the top of their industry. Each of the parks must continue to evolve and grow to attract new guests, otherwise eventually all you’re going to have left are nostalgic adults wandering around a museum and that’s certainly not what Walt intended for these parks. Change is inevitable, and some “upgrades” are certainly going to sail better than others, but if we don’t allow Disney the freedom to change things up from time to time and take those chances, eventually “classic” attractions is all that they’ll have left and like it or not, more is needed to keep those turnstiles moving day in and day out…

And believe you me, it’s certainly not easy for yours truly at times to accept, either – I guess it’s just human nature that we allow ourselves to get so attached to the things that we love, we forget that sometimes change isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. Food Rocks was great, as much as I can remember from over ten years ago, anyways, but to not have to hop a flight to California simply to take a ride on Soarin’ – it’s a sacrifice for progress that I’m more than willing to make! Just remember, you may not care for Disney’s latest “enhancements” to the parks, but for all you know, the person next to you might find their new favorite attraction in such a change – it’s all subjective, and at the end of the day, we just have to have a little faith in Walt’s people that they’re always going to keep moving forward to find new ways to bring us that magic that we’ve all grown so fondly accustomed to over the years.

Happy New Year, and welcome to what will hopefully be another great year of My Time with the Mouse columns in 2008! I’ve got a whole lot of great plans to share my love for all things Walt Disney World over the next twelve months, and to start things off I thought I’d begin with the first in a new series that I’ve appropriately dubbed Favorite Favorites…

My line of thinking with this series is that simply put – Disney World is huge – to the extent that no one can expect to experience it all in a single vacation, whether a week or a month in duration, and in the same right, no one can hope to write about it all in a single article or feature. That’s why we’ve got entire websites devoted to exploring the World, including AllEars.net, WDW Info, and so many more than I really have room to name here! So while each of these hit sites goes into the absolute utmost of details upon every single facet of the four theme parks around Walt Disney World, I still thought that it might be fun to explore with a little more depth my own personal favorites here in this special series of My Time with the Mouse… columns.

And that’s where Favorite Favorites comes in, for this series of columns over the next year is aimed simply at taking an even closer look at my own personal absolute favorites within the four Walt Disney World theme parks. We’ll hit on everything from attractions and shows, places to eat and even shop, special events that occur at the various parks throughout the year, and even some of those special nuances that us Disney fans just love to tell first-timers as we guide them through the World. Call it the next best thing to a personal tour through the parks by yours truly because when I’m in the parks, these are my own personal favorites!

I’ll space these out over the year so you won’t get barraged with all four columns right in a row and also so we’ll have some time to cover a few other topics along the way to help keep things fresh, but I hope everyone enjoys this new approach that I’m taking with these columns as we fly into the new year! Aside from my weekly humor column, My Time with the Mouse is probably one of my favorite columns to write because it gives me a chance to share my own experiences with the magic with all of you and if there’s anything else that I can do to make your experience even more enjoyable, then certainly don’t hesitate to drop me a line via e-mail and let me know what’s on your mind.

And now with all introductions aside, let’s find ourselves a parking spot somewhere in that massive TTC parking lot and prepare to make our journey across the Seven Seas Lagoon to Walt Disney World Resort’s flagship theme park, the Magic Kingdom…

Next stop - fun!!!

Now right off the bat, I hope that you got a good night’s sleep because it seems that out of the four Disney theme parks, my days at the Magic Kingdom always end up being the longest! For starters, it’s almost always the last park to close on any given night – except for special events nights, that is – and if we also happen to be staying on-site, those Extra Magic Hour Evenings that push the park’s hours ‘til way past midnight are sometimes too good to pass up! I know that not everybody is particularly fond of Extra Magic Hour Evenings as opposed to the mornings, but let’s face it – my sleep schedule is simply never going to accommodate the morning hours, so this is the best it’s going to get, and besides, on those nights where the crowds are less than chaotic, there’s nothing better than walking onto Big Thunder or Space Mountain or even better yet, four or five consecutive runs through Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin!

Upon our arrival at the Ticket & Transportation Center, my instinct is almost always to steer towards the monorail because simply put – the monorail is cool. We’ll opt for one of the riverboats if the monorail line is unusually long or if we don’t have any other option because the trains are down altogether, but there’s something special for me about speeding towards the Magic Kingdom in a futuristic kind of way via the monorail! And as an added bonus, there’s also the option to possibly ride up front with the conductor himself – certainly not a treat for everyday travel, but it’s a neat little addition if you’re visiting with guests from out of town and there aren’t a lot of people to compete with for the front seat. Honestly, if I had a choice I’d shoot for the front at the end of the day when we’re leaving the park as opposed to the beginning both because it’s a quaint way to unwind as you leave the Magic Kingdom and also it’s much easier to be first in line as many of the parents who would normally fight for this position with just be ready to get home at this point…

But regardless of exactly how we traverse the Seven Seas Lagoon, it’s time to get to walking once we pass through those turnstiles because there’s a lot of ground to cover and chances are if you’re with me, it’s not exactly still morning time when we take in that picturesque view of Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street USA for the first time! In fact, at this point as much as I love each and every one of the shops along Main Street, the beginning of our trip just isn’t the place for them and we proceed to make a bee-line towards the hub, most likely diverting off in the direction of Tomorrowland via the sneaky little Noodle Station Bypass! Don’t worry, we’ll revisit Main Street later on in the day once the sun has come down and we’re itching for some shopping and possibly even a little ice cream, but first – “To infinity and beyond!”

That’s right, call it an addiction at this point, but nine times out of ten Buzz is our first stop because the game is just that much fun. In fact, if it’s in the cards sometimes my fiancée and I will play three or four times (or more!) in a day if we’re feeling extra competitive, and believe me, this ride will do that to ya! Depending on the length of the line, we’ll usually begin by grabbing a Fast Pass for Buzz right off the bat, then proceeding to either actually ride the ride first without the Fast Pass if the wait is manageable (read: 20-30 minutes or less) or if it’s just ridiculous on those really busy days, we’ll pop over to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café for a bit of lunch before pitting ourselves against the Evil Emperor Zurg. With any luck, though, we’ll be firing those laser blasters in no time.

"Zurg's forces are stealing up power cells - without those cells we'll be ... powerless!"

Must-Ride Ride: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
I just can’t say enough good things about this ride – we have an absolute ball every time we ride and there’s always that desire to come back again and again! It’ll take a while, but eventually you start to remember which targets offer the most points – namely those either moving or located at hard-to-reach distances and angles throughout the course. Of course, it’s no fun if I give away all of the best secrets here, but for starters try aiming for the tile on the ceiling as you leave the first room, the far volcano in the second room, and the reflector at the bottom of Zurg’s space ship in the third. And don’t forget to keep shooting during the animated scene in the long, tube-like room – the battle ain’t over yet!

From here we have a couple of different options throughout Tomorrowland and to help us decide, we’re going to look to both the weather and our stomachs to help lead the way! If it’s raining or we just happen to have a fair amount of time on our hands, we can hop over to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor or possibly even (gasp!) Stitch’s Great Escape, but chances are more likely that it’s time for some grub so if we didn’t get food before riding Buzz, now’s the chance to dine with Sonny Eclipse and get some much needed energy to help us through the next leg of the day…

Must-Eat Eatery: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
It’s not gourmet food, but it’s certainly not cafeteria slop either! I personally like Cosmic Ray’s for a solid combination of atmosphere and food variety because there’s a good myriad of options no matter what we’re in the mood for, and let’s face it – Sonny Eclipse is one heck of a fine entertainer to boot! Add bonus points for being such a central location, in that it’s only a quick jaunt across the path to Space Mountain, around the corner for the rest of Tomorrowland’s attractions, and even onward into Fantasyland when we’re ready to move on, and we’ve got ourselves an easy meal. Besides, what visit to Tomorrowland would be complete without a lunchtime serenade of everyone’s favorite alien hometown, Yew Nork?!

Yew Nork is my kinda town, too...

With full bellies and a catchy spring in our steps, though, it’s back into Tomorrowland for a few more favorites before continuing on into the most iconic themed land in all of the Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland. If the timing’s right and the line isn’t backed up halfway across the plaza, it’s hard to pass up an intergalactic ride on Space Mountain – not my absolute favorite rollercoaster in the park, but certainly worth the time if the wait is reasonable … otherwise if anything we’ll grab a Fast Pass just in case we feel like coming back later on in the day. But fortunately besides the mountain itself, our remaining highlights around Tomorrowland are fairly walk-on friendly – the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, for a carefree, leisurely tour around Tomorrowland with a birds-eye view, and of course Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, a timeless classic that Walt Disney worked on himself for the New York World’s Fair back in 1964.

And now that we’ve helped Buzz to defeat Zurg, taken trips both back in time and across the galaxy, and even rocked out a little with Sonny Eclipse and the Space Angels, it’s time to hop on over to the area of the park probably most widely known of all, Fantasyland…

Mickey’s Toontown Fair Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm	n/a
Minnie’s Country House
X Toontown Hall of Fame Tent
Mickey’s Country House
X Judge’s Tent
X Walt Disney World Railroad

Or maybe not just yet!

We’re not going to dwell on Toontown too much here because frankly, not having any children yet myself, we don’t really tend to stop here very often – unless you have a desire for character photos or your little one wants to take on a rollercoaster his own size (Goofy’s Barnstormer), Toontown really doesn’t have much else to offer you except for a brisk train ride back to the front of the park. As for the character greeting spots, Toontown is the official meeting place in the Magic Kingdom where you can stand in various lines to have photos taken with a variety of the characters (typically Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto share a line, the Princesses will offer a line of their own, and then maybe Chip & Dale, with Mickey, of course, in an area by himself in the Judge’s Tent).

Just between you and me, if it must be done here, just pick one line at a time and prepare to be patient, but if you don’t absolutely have to do your character greetings at the Magic Kingdom, you’ll find the same characters over at Epcot’s Character Spot and the lines are typically a lot shorter.

‘Nuff said – either check it out if the characters are your cup of tea, otherwise we’ll just wait until we see them roaming around the park and instead keep walking towards that whimsical wonderland that can only be … Fantasyland.

Fantasyland Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
X Mad Tea Party	Cinderella’s Royal Table
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh	Pinocchio Village Haus
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
X Dumbo the Flying Elephant
X Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel
X Mickey’s PhilharMagic
X Peter Pan’s Flight
X It’s a Small World

dizzy yet?!

It’s hard not to feel like a little kid again as we walk through this treasured section of the Magic Kingdom, surrounded by all of the classic fairy tale characters that many of us grew up on, now brought to life by the magic of Disney. A glance to the left unveils the Alice in Wonderland lose-your-lunch favorite, the Mad Tea Party, just beyond that we see offerings of Winnie the Pooh and Snow White, and of course, nothing brings back those memories quite like a ride on Dumbo the Flying Elephant – if that doesn’t do it for you, I’m sorry, but I just can’t help ya!

With epic Cinderella Castle at its epicenter, Fantasyland is probably what most commonly comes to mind when people think of Walt Disney World, as its iconic offerings arguably best depict Walt’s dream for his parks – to create a place where adults and their children can have fun together. And as we’re surrounded by all of the classics that do their part to not only take us older folks back to the days of our childhood and also introduce future generations to their timeless tales, it seems that Walt would be very pleased to walk through the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland today. Of course, being a child of the ‘80s and ‘90s myself, nothing hits closer to home for me than Mickey’s PhilharMagic…

Must-See Show: Mickey’s PhilharMagic
This is it, folks – if I had to select a single attraction in all of the Magic Kingdom to visit, one that truly encompassed all things Disney, this would be my selection hands down, no argument. By far the best 3D show you’ll find at Walt Disney World, part of the thing that attracts me to this, well, attraction is that it happens to feature just about all of the Disney animated classics that came out while I was growing up – The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King – and although I certainly have grown to appreciate a much wider selection of Disney’s libraries, these stories and their characters hold a special place in my heart because they’re how I first got interested in all of this to begin with!

The show itself makes great use of 3D effects, and let me just say that if you can leave this show without wanting to make a bee-line to the nearest dessert stand, you’re a stronger man than I…

Some ducks never learn...

Now after we’ve gotten PhilharMagic out of the way, it’s typically a combination of mood and wait times that dictates where we’ll be heading next. If the kid-at-heart needs a little extra indulgence, then we can’t go wrong with Dumbo the Flying Elephant; if we haven’t eaten in a while, it might just be safe enough to take a spin on the Mad Tea Party; and of course, those hopeless romantics know that they can always win a girl’s heart after dark with a ride on Cinderella’s Golden Carousel. On this trip, though, we’re fixing to keep moving on to new horizons, so as we proceed onward to Liberty Square, it’s a toss up between It’s a Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight for one last ride before we prepare to get spooked…

Must-See…Despite the Obnoxious Song: It’s a Small World
Just a quick note for this one – yes, it’s a song that will stick in your head for days to come, but for the amateur photographers in your group, It’s a Small World can also be one of the most enjoyable attractions to shoot in the entire park. The rooms are loaded with all sorts of great colors, the specific themes of each room offer a variety of subjects to shoot, and best of all, unlike far too many other attractions, the boats in It’s a Small World actually move slow enough that you don’t need to have a super-fast camera to get decent pictures.

Plus, the wait times typically aren’t too bad unless it’s super-busy season anyways, so take the detour – your friendly, neighborhood photographer will thank you later!

It's a Photographer's World After All...

Must-Wait…If the Line’s Not Two Hours Long…Attraction: Peter Pan’s Flight
Now admittedly I went many a trip before stopping to take in this one, and even then, it was simply because we saw a huge rainstorm on the horizon and the queue line seemed like as good a place as any to ride out the storm, but if you ever actually get inside, Peter Pan’s Flight really does have some pretty neat views to offer. It’s a peaceful ride as you float over the various scenes from the movie – the streets of London, Captain Hook’s ship, and so forth – but ultimately this is a great attraction to really just take in all of the deals that go into crafting all of these five-six minute immersive worlds. I really enjoy the colors here – all very bold and bright – and while I wouldn’t necessarily deem this one a must-see if the line is backed up into It’s a Small World, given decent wait times it can be a fun trip!

But if you’ve had enough fairytales – at least for a little while – then let us next head over to an area of the park based on the days of yesteryear, where the men and women were a bit more proper and the houses were all just a little more haunted…

Liberty Square Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
X The Haunted Mansion	Columbia Harbour House
Liberty Square Riverboat	Liberty Tree Tavern
The Hall of Presidents

To be honest with you, this is going to be a pretty quick stop if I’m the guy leading. For starters, Liberty Square is the smallest of the seven themed lands that make up the Magic Kingdom, and likewise, there’s really only one attraction here that I feel is truly worth its salt. Granted, if there are any history buffs in the crowd, they’re likely going to enjoy The Hall of Presidents and even much of the themeing throughout the Square, but for me, it’s pretty much just a quick brush with death before proceeding on to the wild wild west.

Must-Spook Spectacular: The Haunted Mansion
Whether you’re a firm believer in the supernatural or wholeheartedly argue that these ghouls and ghosts are but a figment of your imagination, I think we can all agree that The Haunted Mansion is simply one of those classic attractions that no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without. The special effects are certainly top notch and for repeat visitors, the latest enhancements from last fall provide a fun opportunity to try to guess which are the latest additions to the timeless attraction. And for curious adults wondering about their children, while yes – it can be a little creepy in some parts, it more so borders on goofy scary most of the time and if nothing else, isn’t any worse than some of the zombies the kids likely ran into last year during trick or treating…

So are you scathingly scared yet? Well, don’t worry – I won’t make you stop at The Hall of Presidents on our way through the rest of Liberty Square. Ghouls and ghosts are one thing, but learning while we’re on vacation? Where do you think we are, Epcot?! Let’s just mosey on along – we’ve got a lot ahead of us before sundown. You know you don’t want to be messin’ around these next parts after sundown…

Frontierland Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
Country Bear Jamboree	X Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Tom Sawyer Island
X Splash Mountain
X Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
X Walt Disney World Railroad

Despite not exactly being of country-origin, I kind of like the atmosphere that Frontierland has to offer. Maybe it’s the food offered in Pecos Bill’s, maybe it’s the fact that it boasts two of the big three coasters in the Magic Kingdom, or maybe it’s just because I like quoting the old prospector while we’re waiting in line for the “…wildest ride in the wild-er-ness!” I like it so much that I even forgive it’s absolutely horrible audio-animatronic show just on the outskirts of town … you know, the one with the talking bears? Yeah, just keep moving along – besides, for your sanity’s sake, Splash Mountain has much better animatronics anyways.

Big Thunder offers some nice views of the park, especially as nightfall approaches...

Now depending on your perrogative, your appetite, and also your ability to keep down a meal while being tossed to and fro, the order for our next chain of events is somewhat up to debate. If you’re itching for some grub and you don’t have an affinity for losing your lunch on rollercoasters, then I’d first direct you over to Pecos Bill’s for my second-favorite counter service meal in the park (behind Cosmic Ray’s). Nonetheless, if you’re like me and don’t feel like having to buy another shirt later…even if you very well might anyways…then I’d strongly recommend hitting my next two favorites in reverse order – your belly will thank me later.

Must-Graze Galley: Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café
Despite the departing audiences from the Country Bear Jamboree dumping right into the restaurant, luckily the suckiness from the show itself hasn’t managed to contaminate the food at this western-themed eatery in Frontierland … cheese fries are “western,” right?! It’s usually a toss-up between this place and Cosmic Ray’s if we’re looking for a meal in the Magic Kingdom, mostly dependent on which end of the park we find ourselves when hunger strikes. My only qualm about this joint is probably the noise factor – sometimes it seems that the tables are so crowded together that it can be tough to get away from other guests and their families, particularly if it happens to be a busy time of day, and it also doesn’t help that unlike Cosmic Ray’s, Pecos Bill’s doesn’t have a singing alien to help drown out the neighbors while you’re eating…

Must-Ride Coaster: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Hands down my favorite coaster in all of Walt Disney World, the only thing that makes this wild train ride any better is by riding it at night! It’s not the fastest, it’s not the twist-and-turniest, but it’s still a nice ride through mostly open air areas and in the evening hours after it gets dark, you get some really cool views of Cinderella Castle off on the horizon that you won’t find anywhere else in the park. Of course, in being one of the three big attractions in the park, the line for Big Thunder can get pretty bad, but if you’re planning on hitting up both this one and Splash Mountain next door, you can at least ease up on the wait times by grabbing a fast pass for one and then spend your wait time in the shorter of the two queues.

So far we’ve seen robots, alien invaders, flying elephants, ghosts, cowboys, and probably even a character or three there in the mix. We’re almost done with attractions for the day and I know you’re getting hot and tired, but I promise you that the spoils when we return to Main Street will be well worth your touring efforts! Of course, there’s still one thing that stands between us and all of those delectable goodies to be found within the shops along Main Street USA – men, hold your lasses close, for there be pirates ahead in the distance…

Adventureland Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
X Pirates of the Caribbean	n/a
The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management
X Jungle Cruise
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Swiss Family Treehouse

Now I’ve got to be honest – we don’t really spend much time on this end of the park, which is kind of a shame because I think of Adventureland as one of those areas that should be a lot cooler than it actually is. I mean, I like adventures, per se, but I suppose aside from something like Pirates, pretty much all of the other adventures that I tend to enjoy exist elsewhere in Tomorrowland, Frontierland, and even Fantasyland. In fact, much like this very trip today, Adventureland typically doesn’t even see much traffic from the likes of us unless we’re coming from Frontierland and feel like making one last stop or two before buying dessert back on Main Street on the way out!

Nonetheless, we’re here, albeit probably a tad bit tired after having ran around the park all day, but there are definitely still at least a couple of worthwhile stops here on our way back to civilization, so let’s get swashbuckling…

The pirates' booty is yours ... if you make it through the attraction, that is...

Must-Swoon Johnny Depp Experience: Pirates of the Caribbean
I know I was a little harsh on Adventureland as a whole there just now, but please don’t let it diminish my thoughts of its star attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean – frankly, unless there’s a ridiculous line (which there usually isn’t), I can’t walk by without taking a float through this one! Maybe it’s a nostalgic thing, maybe it’s the offering of 8.5 minutes of air conditioning on a muggy Floridian afternoon, but this one is certainly a classic – there’s no arguing that. Plus, I think it’s kind of cool to see an attraction that’s truly gone full circle … in a good way – the classic attraction inspired the series of great movies (well, the first two anyways…) starring Johnny Depp, which then turned around and invited a few new upgrades to the ride itself to incorporate the dastardly Jack Sparrow into the story, all while still maintaining the classic image that Pirates is known for.

Not many could pull off a stunt like that, but Pirates definitely earns itself a few dubloons for that!

Yo ho, yo ho – wasn’t that fun? After you’ve had a chance to spend some of your hard-earned gold in the massive gift shop as we exit Pirates, we’ll continue our journey back to the front of the park … of course, not before we stop by an old favorite to help let off a little sarcasm, that is! No, no – I’m not talking about The Enchanted Tiki Room … you’ll want to just run past that one as fast as you can.. The laughs that we’re looking for can only be found in the heart of the wild jungle…

Consider viewing this photo to be all the exposure to The Enchanted Tiki Room that your visit needs and just keep walking...

Must-Mock Mini-Cruise: Jungle Cruise
For anyone who’s been bottling up their sarcastic commentary ever since we passed Cinderella Castle, now’s your time to let it all out … and believe you me, even being the gigantic Disney fan that I am, I’m also a fairly cynical person the majority of the time so if anything, the Jungle Cruise is a great chance to sit back, relax, and let your tour guides belt out all of the best scathing lines that have been bouncing around inside your head all afternoon! You’ll laugh, you’ll groan, and then more likely than not you’ll jump right back in line again afterwards to see if you’ll get a different comedy routine from a different skipper! Nothing like a little lighthearted mockery to round out the day.

And that’s just about it, folks – at least for Adventureland, anyways. If you feel like doing a little climbing on your way out, you might be interested in the Swiss Family Treehouse, straight out of the book and then later the live-action film by Disney from the 60’s, although consider yourself warned that despite the copious amount of stairs in the treehouse, there was an alarming absence of slides in the original story and not much has changed in its transition into a Disney attraction! For a bit less walking, you might be better off just grabbing a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle on your way back across the bridge towards the hub – you’ve earned it at this point…

So here we are, back where we first started many, many hours ago – a little tired, a little wired, but hopefully still looking forward to the two final things that our trip to the Magic Kingdom is still lacking – fireworks and dessert! Luckily, in both regards, we’ve come to the right place…

Main Street, USA Favorites…
Attractions	Dining
X Walt Disney World Railroad	Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
	The Plaza Restaurant
X Shopping!!!	X Casey’s Corner
	The Crystal Palace

Main Street USA is bustling with activity in the evening

It’s been a long day, that’s for sure, but considering how much ground we covered in the largest of the four parks (not counting the majority of the Animal Kingdom that’s savannah, anyways), I don’t think we did all that bad! We saw each of the Magic Kingdom’s seven themed lands, hit up the best of the best attractions – at least in my opinion! – and probably experienced more of the classic Disney magic in this one park today than we’ll find in all of the other parks combined. Of course, that’s nothing to knock the others, mind you, but lest we not forget that this is the park that started it all back some 37 years ago.

But you know, there are still a couple of things left to do around this place, and we need to hurry if we’re going to cover all of our bases before Wishes lights up the night sky over Cinderella Castle, so let’s get to gettin’ while the gettin’s still good! Granted, I don’t think I really need to spell it out to you just exactly what Main Street, USA is known for – between all of the flashy signs along the storefronts and our mad dash past them earlier this morning, let’s just say that it should be clear by now that we’re here to shop and we’re here to eat!

…and not necessarily in that order…

I think out of all the theme parks, and arguably even the absolutely gigantic World of Disney store at Downtown Disney, the Magic Kingdom still boasts my favorite locations for souvenir shopping at Walt Disney World. Everything is in one general area, but still spaced out enough so that the separate stores still feel like stores instead of different departments along one huge block. There’s a great variety of the stores themselves, from the crystal shop and the jewelry shop to the massive clothing and everything else shop that is The Emporium encompassing the entire opposite length of the street! I dare might even say that one could likely fill just about any souvenir desire that they had along this strip, and even better, it even comes with a sweet array of yummy treats when the shopping is done and it’s time to indulge a different sense…

Hurry up and get your snack before the show starts!!!

Must-Snack (If You Really Like Corndogs…): Casey’s Corner
I probably don’t eat here nearly as often as I’d like, but if you’re looking for something quick and on the go, either to munch on while you proceed off to your next attraction or even while you’re watching SpectroMagic or Wishes, if it’s salty that you’re longing rather than sweet, you really can’t go wrong with an order of Casey’s corndog nuggets! Of course, you can also pick-up a hotdog or some fries, or even – as one would only expect from a baseball-themed eatery – some Cracker Jack for a great snack when you find yourself with five minutes to kill between shopping and fireworks.

Must-Indulge Tie-Breaker: Main Street Bakery / Main Street Confectionary
Boy, did we earn this little treat … and you’re soon going to find out that little treat when said regarding these two Main Street highlights is just about the understatement of the year! These are the stores whose smells waft out into the street and barrage you with an overwhelming lust for their contents – believe it or not, there are actually special vents along the front of the building that offer up an artificial scent to beckon patrons inside. Mind you, even without such trickery we’d be visiting anyways – between the bakery’s cakes and cookies and brownies, and even a few other treats that somehow don’t contain chocolate, and the candy store’s ridiculous array of fudges and candies and chocolates – it’s a wonder we don’t just drop into some sort of sugar coma right then and there! So many choices upon choices upon choices, and don’t forget that there’s even an ice cream shop on the opposite side of the bakery if you find yourself needing even more options!

But don’t take too long perusing the shops of Main Street, USA, for you don’t want to miss the evenings festivities as they parade in front of you, then burst into the sky in an array of colors that just hit home a pleasant reminder that you truly are at the Happiest Place on Earth, and besides, you know that they’ll all still be open long after the last burst fills the sky anyways! Of course, as for those two nighttime presentations themselves, I really don’t think I need to even mention that SpectroMagic and Wishes are most certainly must-sees during our trip to the Magic Kingdom – these two presentations simply embody the Disney magic that we’ve been experiencing all day long. Between the spectacular soundtrack to SpectroMagic and the quaint, albeit somewhat tear-jerking narration to Wishes, I can’t think of a better way to end our day here at Disney World.

Wishes rounds out a seemingly perfect day at the Magic Kingdom

That is, unless they happen to be running Extra Magic Hour evenings tonight, of course! If so, then we have a bit of dessert and enjoy the shows while we take a breather, and then head right back into the madness for another few hours filled with reruns of our absolute favorite attractions! There’s nothing quite like running around the magic Kingdom at 1:00am, believe you me. It’ll no doubt lead to a bit of sleeping in come morning, but if you know me, that’s not really going to be much of an issue…

So there we have it, folks – your very own personalized tour of Walt Disney World’s flagship park, the Magic Kingdom! I really hope you enjoyed our walkthrough of my favorite sights and sounds around the park today – and I know, believe it or not, that I didn’t even get a chance to touch on every single attraction around the park, but for that we’d have been here all day and by now I’m sure you’ve got something else you’re supposed to be doing!

Anyways, over the next two months, I’ll be bringing you different types of columns more along the lines of what you saw in My Time with the Mouse… last year, but come April you can bet your giant, chocolate-covered Rice Krispie Treat that we’ll be taking to the streets once again to explore all of the nooks and crannies to be found in the next destination in our series – the home of technology and ethnicity at Walt Disney World, Epcot!

See you real soon…

Some of them are big, well, who are we kidding? Most of them are big, but I was always taught growing up to dream the bigger, the better, so my Disney Christmas List this year certainly carries through with those teachings! And besides, while I might be the first to appreciate this stuff, you can pretty much bet that a few thousand of Mickey’s other friends will also get a smile or three out of these brilliant innovations, so it’s really like pleasing 100,000 people with one list. Yeah, yeah – that’s the ticket, so without further adue, I give you Scott’s 2007 Walt Disney World Christmas List…

Connect Everything in the Resort via Monorail!
I don’t care how much it costs – this one is going on the list each and every year until the powers that be give up their bonuses for a year and make it a reality! And don’t get me wrong – I still like the buses compared to driving my own car, but who wouldn’t like the idea of jumping on the monorail at Pop Century and flying up to the Magic Kingdom in style?!

Next Stop: Disney's Animal Kingdom, with Connecting Service to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Hot Tubs at the Value Resorts
…because honestly, that’s really the only reason that we never stay at ‘em when we visit. We don’t really need a lot of the swankier amenities like animals outside the balcony or a view of Cinderella Castle for those last-minute trips when we decide to stay-over Saturday night into Sunday, but we still love a good hot tub at the end of the day and currently that makes any of the value resorts out of the question. How expensive can it be to boil some water in a big hole?!

Free Internet Access at the Resorts
Seriously, this is one of my big pet peeves whenever I visit because I don’t spend a lot of time online while we’re over there, but I do like to check e-mail, post photos, and occasionally blog while we’re taking breaks. I’ve stayed at $29 / night budget hotels that provide free wi-fi, so when Disney charges $9.95 / day on top of its higher room rates, it just seems like a sleazy profit grab to me. Not cool when I want to post a quick review of my new favorite restaurant or attraction…

Bring Back the Wand!
I know, I’m one of about five people who actually liked the wand, but every time I visit Epcot now it feels just a little less magical to me because Spaceship Earth is just a giant golf ball once again. Mickey’s hand and wand added a bit of cartoony fun to Epcot’s icon – a bare Spaceship Earth back in the ‘80s might’ve looked futuristic, but now that we’ve seen it accessorized, it just looks boring without.

Epcot has seen happier Christmases ... oh wand, how I miss thee!

Start Construction on the Expansion of the World Showcase
I remember reading an article long ago that talked about the World Showcase actually being the shape of a figure-eight, with additional countries around the second loop, but for the most part we really haven’t seen any expansion here for a long time. I can think of several countries that would make cool additions visually – Australia with the Sydney Opera House, Egypt with the pyramids, maybe something from the tropics. Why limit our world to only 11 different perspectives?

Show Me New Miniature Golf!
Come on, Santa – you’ve got your own course, so why not pull a few strings and get us something new to putt-putt around on in the evenings when we need a break from the parks? A classic Mickey Mouse course, a course walking us through Disney’s entire series of animated masterpieces, or even a dessert-themed course (can you tell that I’m a bit hungry while writing this?!) – just hook us up with some sort of golf of the miniature variety, please?!

Come on, Santa - SHARE the love!!!

Bring Meet the Robinsons to the Magic Kingdom
It seems like one of the most obvious of tie-ins – for heaven’s sake, the movie even had Space Mountain already in it! This is one upgrade where I think the Disney Imagineers could really hit a homerun – the movie screamed innovation and imagination and science, just like my favorite corner of the park, Tomorrowland. There could even be a new attraction somehow featuring those bizarre bowler’s caps and time travel and space ships – I don’t have to tell you that the possibilities are truly endless…

Fix the Evening Schedule at the Magic Kingdom
Simply put – SpectroMagic is awesome, and I think it’s nonsense that there’s a chance of some guests missing out on this breathtaking piece of the magic just by visiting the Magic Kingdom on the wrong day of the week. If there are some nights that get this illuminated wonder of a parade twice, there’s just no excuse to not show it seven days a week.

Of all the decisions that don't make sense to me...

Ease Up on the DVC Resorts and Give Us a New Moderate
I won’t be able to afford a DVC membership for a few more years anyways, so why not slow down on the timeshares and build something that people with budgets less than $250/night can afford? Plenty of great theming possibilities are out there – a space resort, an ethnically-themed resort, or even my personal dream … the Happiness Hotel from The Muppets! I know it’s all about money, but it shouldn’t be…

Keep All Future Expansion Disney-Branded, Including the New Downtown Disney (Really West Side…)
It’s not even built yet, but I’m worried about the new shopping complex on the west end of the property because the development includes a Four Seasons hotel, which much like all of the Downtown Disney hotels, doesn’t scream Disney at all to me. The existing Downtown Disney seems to do good with mixing its shops with outside companies, but unless the entire development isn’t to be considered actually “part of Disney,” I’d just rather see them spending development costs on truly Disney-themed resorts and attractions.

More Rooms Available for Passholder Rates
For two reasons – because not only do we often make the decision to spend a weekend at Disney at the last minute, but also because there have been times when I’ve called months in advance and not been able to get a Passholder rate for my room of choice – they need to make just a few more rooms available or the discount becomes more of a gamble than a perk of being one of the company’s most loyal customers…

See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it? I truly hope you enjoyed what I’ve put together here for you this evening, along with those delicious milk chocolate-dipped gingerbread Mickeys for you to snack on as you prepare for your big night! And although I’m sure that this list is more than enough to keep your elves busy for a while, do make a note that Sara and I would also certainly get plenty of use out of a DVC Membership at the new Animal Kingdom Villas … maybe you could call it an early wedding gift or something!

Merry Christmas, St. Nick … although something tells me I might run into you around Walt Disney World before Christmas Eve anyways…

Julenissen (you might also know him as Santa Claus...) has a little fun with his helper at the Norway Pavilion during Holidays from Around the World @ Epcot

It won’t be long before Christmas decorations start popping up around the neighborhood (and also, of course, at Walt Disney World itself!), we’ve got plenty of great meals to be enjoyed between three major holidays packed into a six-week span, and generally people are just happier around these months. Everyone is festive, we all try to think about others just a little more than we normally would throughout the year, and of course with Thanksgiving, it’s also a great time to sit back and reflect on the things that are most important to us in this world. And no doubt family, friends, food and shelter, and so forth are at the top of most lists, but this month I wanted to take the opportunity to explore a few other things that I know an awful lot of us are certainly thankful for…

The Ambition of One Man with a Dream
“Let us not forget that this all started with just a mouse…”

from One Man's Dream @ Disney-MGM Studios

As far as I’m concerned, the Walt Disney story is one of the most inspiring tales around. Walt had an imagination like no other and spent his life striving to bring his dreams to life, despite repeated taunts that his latest breakthrough project would be his last. Beginning his creative journey as a cartoonist, he first drew cartoons for his school newspaper and then later created advertisements before creating the icon that is Mickey Mouse back in 1929. But comic strips weren’t enough for Walt, who then began experimenting with cell animation to bring to life his characters during the height of the Great Depression. One animated short became one series after another of animated shorts before Walt finally decided that it was time to expand his vision even further to create his first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

They called it “Disney’s Flop” and vowed that it would be the last thing that Walt Disney ever did in Hollywood, but the masterpiece ended up not only winning Disney an Oscar (actually eight – one big statue and seven little ones, believe it or not!) but also funding the studio for the next two years so he could continue making movies. Of course, another decade and we’d soon find that even being a movie maker wasn’t enough for Walt Disney, as he began to toy around with the idea of creating an amusement park where parents and children could have fun together, as opposed to the parents simply watching their kids on one ride after another in a dirty, carnival environment. In 1955, Disneyland opened in California and although its opening day itself was regarded as a complete disaster at best, Walt learned from his mistakes and quickly built the park into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the west.

And all of that, of course, is even before the first inkling of a second property on the east coast ever crossed Walt’s mind! But as dreamers are known to do, Walt eventually realized some mistakes, such as nearby busy freeways and outside businesses, couldn’t be corrected and thus the idea of a second, even larger resort began to take shape. Each project was a bit more grand, magnificent, and arguably impossible than the last, and therein lies the key to it all – no matter what roadblocks he came across, Walt was a man that believed in his dreams and refused to give up even when the rest of the world was against him. He believed in family, fun, and imagination, and it’s hard not to be forever thankful for a legend like that…

a photo of Walt @ Disneyland from One Man's Dream

The Hundreds of Imagineers Who Brought Walt’s Dream to Life
“If you build it, they will come!”

From the men and women who worked side by side with Walt Disney himself back in the 1960s to develop and eventually finish a park that Walt sadly wouldn’t even live to see open to the next generation of Imagineers today that offer their creative efforts up to making the resort even better – I’m thankful for the seemingly everlasting imagination of these individuals who come together to design The Happiest Place on Earth. These are the folks who took those very first visions of audio-animatronics and gave us the interactive stories found within Splash Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name but a few! It was their attention to detail that makes Expedition Everest one of the most meticulous theme park attractions in the world, thus setting the bar even higher for the company that is never afraid to shoot for the stars.

early construction days of Expedition Everest @ Disney's Animal Kingdom

A leisurely stroll through nearly any place on Disney property is an inspiring journey for the creative mind, as even the most minute of details were thoroughly planned out by Disney’s Imagineers to truly make the Walt Disney World Resort a world onto itself. These ladies and gentlemen may not have invented the magic, but we should all be thankful that they make such grand efforts to keep it alive in Walt’s memory…

The Thousands of Cast Members Who Continue in Walt’s Footsteps Everyday
“Our cast members and employees are the cornerstone of our magic…”

These are the countless ladies and gentlemen throughout the parks and resorts without whom our magical vacations simply wouldn’t be possible. They’re the ones who help us with our admission tickets when the turnstiles are being cranky and remind us with a sheepish grin when the three o’clock parade is going to start. They cook up both the most extravagant of dishes for our fine dining experiences, but can also whip up a mean batch of chicken strips or a quick burger when catching one more ride on Soarin’ or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before the park closes is more important than waiting for a full-course meal. They introduce the vast stories that encompass all of our favorite attractions, and some even don the costumes of their favorite characters to give kids young and old the chance to have a picture of the family posing with Mickey and Minnie Mouse for the mantle back home.

The cast members of the Walt Disney World resort are the lifeblood of our favorite vacation place, and we must never forget that the World would cease to operate without their efforts. Some have duties that offer a great deal of satisfaction, while others often times go completely unnoticed, but they’re still of the utmost importance and always deserve our respect and admiration as we walk through those gates to leave behind a more complicated world for one made of fantasy, magic, and dreams…

The Entire Resort as a Whole, from the Tiniest Hidden Mickey to the Final Bang Above Cinderella Castle
“Where dreams come true…”

At times it can be hard even for me to put down in words just exactly what this place means to me … creativity, wonder, excitement, imagination, love, happiness. I’ve created so many wonderful memories at Walt Disney World in the past – being lead from ride to ride by my parents twenty years ago, only to in turn lead them back to my favorites today; sharing the time of our lives with my sister as we recreate a day at the movies at MGM; getting down on one knee and asking for my fiancee’s hand in marriage in front of Epcot a year after we had our second date there – and the best part about it is that for every scenario that I relish in my mind, there are still a dozen new ones that have yet to come. Walking through the Magic Kingdom with my son for the first time, trying to tell him all about how amazing Walt Disney was without tearing up myself; writing the check so that my daughter can get all done up at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and then just melting when I take her picture with her favorite princess; or even walking my family onto the latest attraction that I actually helped to design after being hired as a Disney Imagineer … hey, if there’s anywhere that a guy can dream, this would certainly be the place!

Walt Disney World truly is The Happiest Place on Earth, at least compared to everywhere else I’ve already been so far, and anyone who wants to tell you that the line is just marketing owes it to themselves to take a trip down and experience the magic in person. There’s a unique happiness to be found at Disney World that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world, but nonetheless it has and will always be a very important part of my life and for that I’m certainly very thankful, indeed.

“Remember, we must always believe in our wishes, for they are the magic in the world.”