Last night at dinner, Peter said the magic words:

Check out this groupon... http://www.groupon.com/deals/fumewatches-harrisburg-pa?dl=t31337 You can get 2 of these watches for 15 bucks of 4 for 25. Seems like they would be great for keeping track of your FASTPASS times and are water resistant and not bulky. I think I am going to get them!

 

She'll need a photo ID.

And, because she's a minor, you might want a letter from mom allowing you to take her.

Since I imagine she's on mom's insurance, you'll want a letter from mom with a statement about allergies and giving you permission to make any emergency medical decisons should mom be hard to get a hold of. And a copy of mom's insurance card. Keep those last 2 in your possesion at all times, just in case. What you don't want is your sister in pain, unable to have any sort of pain relief, while they try to get a hold of mom.

 

How cute!!

I've pretty much decided not to spend any more money (aside from stuff like milk, and for the haircuts we all need in the next week) until we go. Every dollar I spend in NY is one less we have in Florida.

Besides, I want to get myself a gold Disney watch

 

Doing the happy dance... I just completed our online checkin!!!

 

Have fun! We just got back. It was a great time!

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed it Tracy!

 

Have Fun Alice & Family!!!

 

We're down to 9 days... Single Digits!!!!

 

Alice - who is more excited, you or the kids??

 

Missy... I think Alice...LOL!!!
Are you getting the Dole pineapple juice float!?!?

 

Took advantage of a cloudy, rainy morning to head over to Animal Kingdom to ride the rapids. What better time to get wet on a water ride than on a rainy day!

Hope your weather is clear and sunny for your trip!! (But not too hot)

 

I love Kali!!!

We just got an email from Build a Better Mouse Trip. To be totally honest, I haven't even read the whole thing yet. But I thought I would share:

Disney World in August - Things to Know Before You Go

The first two weeks of August are still busy at Walt Disney World but crowd levels slowly decrease through the second half of August as kids head back to school. The weather can be hot and humid but, by doing a little advance planning, you can still plan on having a great time on your WDW summer vacation.

Our top tip for summer at Disney World: Get to the theme park at least 30 minutes before it opens. Crowds are at their lowest in the first couple of hours that the park is opened and that's your best time to ride rides with the shortest lines.

Disney Discounts & Promotions - You can still save money on your August trip to Disney World.
Disney World Late Summer Savings Offer for August 15 - September 29, 2012 - Must book by August 14. Disney is offering a discount on the room portion of "room only" and package reservations for arrivals August 15 - September 29, 2012. The Discount only applies to the room portion of your Disney World "Magic Your Way" package that includes theme park admission tickets and, if desired, a Disney Dining Plan. This promotion must be booked by August 14, 2012 and is subject to availability. Blackout dates may apply; only one discount or promotion per reservation.
Military & AAA discounts may still be available for rooms at the Disney World resort hotels. Only one discount or promotion per reservation.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote


Crowd Warnings & Tips:


Summer Vacation means lines and crowds. The first two weeks of August will see peak crowds (an 8- 10 on a crowd scale of 1-to-10). A good touring plan will keep you ahead of the crowds and out of the long lines.

Avoid Extra Magic Hours! We recommend that everyone avoid the Extra Magic Hours during the busy summer season. Disney has 33,000 hotel rooms and no one goes to Disney alone - that means too many people are pointed in the same direction at the same time. You'll have a much nicer time by going to a less busy park. This is doubly important if you are not staying at a Disney resort - you don't want to get to the theme park and find a bunch of Disney guests in line in front of you.

Fantasmic! (Disney's Hollywood Studios) - This great show is presented every night in August. Most nights (August 1 - 25) will have two performances and the second performance is always less crowded than the earlier show. Warning: This show is excellent but it does feature villains for a good 8-10 minutes. The scene is a little intense and can be frightening to small children. If you're concerned about your child being frightened, you can preview the show at http://www.squidoo.com/Fantasmic-at-walt-disney-world

Main Street Electric Parade (Magic Kingdom) -This parade is offered August 1 - 18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 30, 2012. The following dates do not have a nighttime parade: August 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29 & 31. The Main Street Electrical Parade will be offered twice on August 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, & 17 - the second (later) parade is always less crowded than the first one.

Avoid Character Breakfasts during August! - The theme parks will be at their least crowded and coolest when the parks open. It is far better to book a lunch or dinner reservation that gets you out of the direct sun and out of the crowds a little later in the day. If you're really looking forward to a character breakfast, try a resort character breakfast before going to the water parks or on your departure day. Another option is to book the latest possible reservation and treat it like brunch, rather than breakfast.

A good touring plan is absolutely essential during this busy travel season. There will be lines that are well over an hour long but you don't have to stand in them to see and do all of the things that are important to you. We provide three choices for custom touring plans - the most recent edition of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (book), a subscription to TouringPlans.com, or a subscription to Tour Guide Mike (online service) - at no charge to you when you book your trip through Build A Better Mouse Trip. For more information, see: Walt Disney World Theme Park Touring Plans


Temporary Attraction Closures & Resort Refurbishments:

One of the great things about summer is that Disney tries to keep ride closures to an absolute minimum so that there are lots of attractions for people to enjoy.

Magic Kingdom: The big Fantasyland expansion is well underway and has changed the places you go to see some of your favorite characters. You can see the Little Mermaid characters intermittently at the Adventureland Verandah Porch (check your theme park times guide) but please note that Ariel appears in her human form here and does not have fins. The Disney Princess, Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse Meet-and-Greets are now offered at the new Town Square Theater. FASTPASS tickets available. TinkerBell & Friends now meets guests at Tinker Bell's Magical Nook in Adventureland.

Magic Kingdom: The Liberty Square Riverboat will be closed from August 4 - 10, 2012.
Magic Kingdom: The Country Bear Jamboree with be closed from August 22 - October 16, 2012.
Epcot: Test Track will be closed April 2012 - Fall 2012.
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (3D Movie - Epcot / Imagination Pavilion) is not being shown and has been replaced by Captain EO (featuring Michael Jackson).
Downtown Disney - Characters in Flight balloon closed indefinitely.
Disney's Beach Club Resort - Cape May Restuarant closed July 9 - August 4, 2012.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort - Citricos Restuarant closed July 23 - August 3, 2012.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort - Gasparilla Grill & Games (food court) closed from August 24 - December 16, 2012.
Disney's Yacht Club Resort - Yachtsman Steakhouse Restuarant closed August 27 - September 14, 2012.
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort - Surf Pool wil be closed from August 6 - September 7, 2012. The Grand Slam pool will remain open. If you enjoy the pools, you may want to call your travel agent to see if you can move to one of the other Disney value resorts with no pool closures without increasing your cost.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort - Courtyard pool closed August 24 - early December 2012. The Beach Pool will remain open during this time.
Disney's Magnolia Golf Course closed August 6 - 12, 2012.
Disney's Palm Golf Course closed August 13 - 19, 2012.
Disney's Lake Buena Visa Golf Course closed August 20 - 26, 2012.
Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course closed August 27 - September 2, 2012.

Disney's Magical Express (Airport Shuttle Service) - This wonderful service providing transportation between the Orlando International Airport and your Disney resort hotel is offered 24 hours a day but luggage service is not offered for arrivals after 10:00PM. If you have a late-night arrival, you simply need to collect your bags and take them with you on the bus.

New Disney World Resort - Disney's Art of Animation Resort is now open.
Disney's Art of Animation Resort - The Finding Nemo and Cars sections are both now open at Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Construction continues on the Lion King & Little Mermaid areas. Did you know that they've included special recordings of music and the Finding Nemo characters that you can only hear under the water in the "Big Blue" swimming pool? We've added a lot of great new photos of this resort here.


Build A Better Mouse Trip gives you a better Disney vacation by taking the stress out of trip planning & providing theme park touring plans. We book directly with Disney so you never pay more than if you booked the reservation yourself and we provide lots of help and advice designed to take the stress out of vacation planning at no extra cost to you.

1) Help with selecting the right resort or hotel for your budget. We don't just book Disney resorts - we're happy to make reservations at other accomodations too.

2) Help with building a Best Days Itinerary - a daily schedule that puts you in the best park for each day of your trip

3) Help with dining reservations (subject to availability)

4.) At no extra cost to you, we will provide 1) a TouringPlans.com subscription, 2) Tour Guide Mike Subscription - or - 3) the newest edition of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World when you book through www.buildabettermousetrip.com.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote

Travel Agent Insider Tips from Build A Better Mouse Trip ~
Think through Extra Magic Hours. Disney has special "Extra Magic Hours" that allow Disney World Resort Hotel guests. This is where - on select days - the Disney Theme Parks open one hour early or stay open an additional three hours after closing to the general public A lot of Disney hotel guests plan an itinerary that includes every Extra Magic Hour but this isn't always a good idea. For one thing, the Extra Magic Hour park is always the most crowded park of the day so you may actually enjoy more attractions with shorter lines by going to a less crowded park, especially during peak travel seasons. The parks generally open at 9:00AM, so the Extra Magic Hour begins at 8:00AM - which means that you need to leave your resort by 7:30AM - at the latest - to take advantage of this early opening. Will your family be interested in getting up that early - especially if they were up late watching fireworks the night before? Epcot stays open until 9:00PM every night and the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios are also often open late. Will your little ones really be able to enjoy Extra Magic Hours that begin at 9:00PM or later? We're not saying that you should always avoid Extra Magic Hours - we just want you to consider crowds and the potential for exhaustion levels when you plan your Disney vacation itinerary.

Book T-Rex, Rainforest Cafe, and Raglan Road reservations directly through the restaurants, rather than through Disney dining. Communication has never been good between these three restaurants and the Disney Dining Reservation system. Call the restaurants directly, if you've been having trouble getting a reservation: Phone numbers: Raglan Road - 407-938-0300 / Rainforest Cafe (Animal Kingdom) - 407-938-9100 / Rainforest Cafe (Downtown Disney) - 407-827-8500 / T-Rex - 407-828-8739. These restaurants all participate in the 2012 Disney Dining Plans.
Having trouble getting your favorite Disney theme park restaurant reservation? Go to the restaurant podium as early as possible on the day you're in that park. They'll be able to check for last minute cancellations and may be able to give you a spot, if you can be flexible with dining times.

Need to check in for your return flight 24 hours before departure? The guest services desk at the Disney theme parks or the concierge desk at your Disney World resort hotel can help you check in for flights and can even print boarding passes but be sure to bring your airline confirmation number with you.

Don't carry souvenirs & purchases all day - Disney offers package pick-up service at each of the Disney theme parks. Anything you purchase during the day (cut-off time applies) can be sent to a pick-up desk at the front of the park. You retain your receipt so there is no worry about lost items. Guests staying at the Disney World resort hotels can have the items sent to a pick-up area at their resort - they'll arrive the following day so don't use the resort delivery service on your day before heading home.

Disney Rider Switch Passes for families with small children - Did you know that Disney offers Rider Switch Passes for families that have members who cannot ride a height restricted attraction? This allows one family member to stay with the non-rider while everyone else rides, then you can switch and the person who waited can ride without having to go to the end of the line. Disney knows that no one wants to ride alone so the rider switch pass is good for 2-3 riders. You can read all about it at http://www.squidoo.com/WDWBabySwapPass

There are lots of things to do at Disney World that don't require a theme park admission ticket. See our list of free things to do at Disney World at http://www.squidoo.com/free-activities-at-disney-world

Get schedules for Disney World live entertainment (shows, street performers, etc) at www.wdwent.com
Free Activity: Staying at a Disney Resort? Find out what outdoor movies will be shown at your resort during your stay at http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/activity-outdoormovie.php

Our list of the best quick-service meals available at Disney World can be found at http://www.squidoo.com/best-disney-world-quick-service-meals
Driving Directions to Disney World - http://www.squidoo.com/where-is-disney-world

Stay ahead of the crowds & out of the long lines with good Disney Theme Park Touring Plans.

Did you know that people who use theme park touring plans generally cut their time spent in line by 3 hours per day during the busy summer season? A touring plan is simply using good information to see and do everything that is important to you in a way that minimizes lines and long waits. We are so convinced of the value of a good touring plan that we provide them free to anyone who books their vacation through us but you may have booked your vacation a long time ago and you just need a recommendation for good touring plans. We highly recommend TouringPlans.com - the online version of the very popular Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World guidebook. The online version is excellent because it includes printable touring plans, crowd calendars, park hours, smart phone line apps, and the latest information concerning changes due to the Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Expansion. At only $11.95, it is the cheapest way to add to the value of your vacation because less hours in line means more fun for your money.

 

Can you tell what I've been doing all day??

7 Unexpected Places to Meet Disney Characters

Posted by Fodor's Guest Blogger on February 16, 2012 at 5:32:45 PM EST
Posted in Family Tagged: Florida, Walt Disney World, Children, Family Travel, Disney Cruise Lines


By Kim Wright Wiley and Leigh Jenkins

Most first time visitors to the Walt Disney World theme parks assume that there are two ways to meet the characters: stand in line for hours at the Magic Kingdom for twenty seconds with Mickey, or pay for a pricey character meal that must be booked months in advance. But characters can be found everywhere at Walt Disney World. Here are seven great, and somewhat unexpected, places to meet your favorite characters—in Orlando and beyond.

1. Finding Mickey—and his Pals—at Innoventions

Mickey does meet and greets at all four theme parks but, surprisingly, the best spot to find him is Epcot. The meet and greet location in Future World next to Innoventions is a good spot to meet not only Mickey, but also Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, with Pluto and Chip & Dale, who all check in at alternating times. The best part is that guests only have to stand in line once to see all the "fab five"—and this line is indoors, with cartoons playing on TVs to help keep the kid entertained.

2. Seeking Snow White at the World Showcase

Not just for adults anymore, the World Showcase is a great place to meet characters. And the pictures could not be in a more perfect setting. Each country boasts a number of characters: for example, the Beast can be found with Belle in France, Mulan and Mushu are in China, and Snow White has her own wishing well in Germany.

3. Uncovering Pixar Characters in the Backlot

Those looking for Pixar characters need go no further than the Art of Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Characters from the latest Pixar movie can always be found here, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Incredible. Drop by the Backlot area to meet Lightening McQueen and Tow Mater.

4. Stumbling Upon Winnie the Pooh in the Animal Kingdom

Pooh and his friends hang out at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Before crossing the bridge into Dinoland USA, look for the Character Landing spot on your right. This area is rarely crowded, and the characters look adorable in their safari gear!

5. Seeking StoryTime with Belle

The Fantasyland expansion is going to boast a new home for "StoryTime with Belle," an interactive show where Belle chooses members of the audience to help her act out her story. While not a typical meet and greet—no autographs or formal pictures are done. Belle’s StoryTime can be a truly memorable experience for the kids.

6. Finding Phineas and Ferb at Hollywood Studios

Older kids looking to meet Phineas and Ferb? These popular characters can only be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Backlot. Stop by Guest Relations when you enter the park and check exactly when they’ll be available to meet guests. Then get there at least ten minutes early.

7. Sailing Away with Characters at Sea

Many families take advantage of Disney’s land and sea packages, which give guests both time at the theme park and then on the Disney Cruise Line. And why waste precious time in the parks looking for characters when they’ll be sailing along with you? The ship offers many chances to meet the princesses, as well as take photos with the characters in their fancy "Captain’s Dinner" duds. And best of all: Captain Jack Sparrow is often sighted on Castaway Cay, Disney’s exclusive island. Where better to party with everybody’s favorite pirate?

Photo credit: courtesy Walt Disney World News

 

I'll check it out...

 

My newest game:

I ordered a subscription to www.ridemax.com

Here's what it does: you choose a date and a park. You input any breaks (say, lunch at Yak and Yetti). You input the time you want to arrive and the time you want to leave.

Then you choose from the attractions at that park and... ta da!!! Their computer prints up a customized touring plan for you, down to the minute!!!

Will we follow it exactly? No, probably not. There will be bathroom breaks and snack breaks, and "mom, I really want to see THAT!!" breaks.

But we have to see things in SOME order, and their order will save us time-- and enable us to see more.

So for a good part of yesterday, I played on ridemax. It's such fun-- it gives me 20 minutes of free time in a plan, so of course I go and plug in a new ride. I get a totally differnt touring plan.

Well worth the $16, even if only in terms of the entertainment value!

 

There's an app for Disney parks that I used when we were there. It'll tell you current wait times for different attractions and things like that. I found it very helpful. Do I remember the name? Nope.... :lol: I deleted it from my phone when we got home.

 

Okay.......just remembered It's called Disney Mobile Magic.

 

Tracy... I see that on TV all the time... I was wondering how well it worked...

 

Is it a free App Tracy?

 

YAY!! I just got the confirmation for the kids' YES classes!

 

If you have an iphone.. mousewait is probably the best app ever for up to the minute wait times.

They may be on other phones too.. not sure

 

Thanks Catcherman!

We made autograph books yesterday. We got 3x5 sketch books at ACMoore, and covered the covers in scrapbook pages. They came out really cute.When I get the chance, I'll take Peter's giant roll of Scotch Tape and go over the covers with it.

 

Alice to you use a rubber band to mark your spots in the autograph books?!?

 

We do NOW!!

Thanks, Diz!

 

How many days are you spending in each park?

Hope your family has an amazing time!!

 

We have parkhoppers, and we tend to do mornings one place, evenings somewhere else. Our resort is "across the street" from Epcot, so I expect we'll end up there, and the Magic Kingdom, most nights.

Our mornings are planned, as of right now, with one Animal Kingdom, one Hollywood Sudios, and 2 each at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. But that's open to change. One year we hit a torrential rain storm at Animal Kingdom that lasted the whole day. We were wet and cold and miserable. After about an hour, we went back to the resort, changed, and headed out to Epcot-- it's a LOT better in the rain. Then, a day or so later, we got back to Animal Kingdom.

So our plans aren't set in stone.

 

What's the countdown to now, Alice?

 

If you rubber band the page that your last autograph was on, you can just open right to the next clean page... makes it much easier than fumbling trying to find the page!!!

 

.

 

LOL--my countdown is to Wednesday morning to, but because that is the first day of faculty meetings...

 

I just finished making reservations for dinner - glad I did! Most of the places only had a couple of times available. We will be eating at Hollywood and Vine (only so we can get the Fantasmic VIP seating), Boma, Les Chefs de France for lunch, and The Crystal Palace for breakfast. That leaves one more table service meal but we can't decide where to go! I would prefer to use it for breakfast or lunch because we already have too many of our evenings locked down where we have to be somewhere.

I also got tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party - should be fun! Gets us 5 more hours in Magic Kingdom with a special Halloween parade and fireworks. It seems like the character visits are the best on these nights, from what I am reading.

 

Sounds fabulous, Silver!!

How about the Coral Reef in Epcot?
Or Chef Mickey's? (Easy to reach via monorail from the Magic Kingdom.) You and your sister can get our character fix there! (We're having dinner there Wednesday night, but you can book breakfasts too.)

 

Alice, you may be in luck with the weather. Next 10 days are supposed to be cooler (80's instead of 90's) with just enough rain to keep things cooler. That is really odd for August down here! (the temps...not the rain).

If you did this to make your trip more pleasant, thank you so much!!!

 

I guess I have friends in high places!! (Though I'm personally a fan of hot, hazy and humid I KNOW I'm in the minority!)

As long as the kids can enjoy StormAlong Bay, I'm happy.

 

I just printed up my boarding passes!!::2up::2up:

 

HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!!

 

Yay, Alice!

 

Have fun, Alice!!!!

Silver, Chef Mickey's has a GREAT character buffet breakfast. That's always one of our favorites.

 

Have a good time, Alice!

We are trying to come up with Halloween costumes that would be simple and easy to pack for MNSSHP while she is here this week.

 

Love hearing about your trips ladies! Have fun Alice and family!