It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Well bloggies, good news...my semester is winding down!  I have everything graded and just waiting on the students to take their finals and turn my grades in so I can head to Disney!

Every year that I can remember, my family and I would sit in front on the TV on Christmas morning, after Santa came, and watch the Disney World Christmas Day Parade, longing to be there on Christmas day.  It was our dream to experience our favorite holiday in our favorite place.  We did go there on New Year's Day when I was about two, but I do not remember that. 

My annual trek began by chance.  One of my oldest, closet friend was playing in Miami on New Year's Day in the Orange Bowl.  Now Disney is a hike from Miami, but as luck would have it, the cheapest plane tickets were to Orlando!  So I decided I was much too close to Disney to miss it, especially since all the decorations would be up and I didn't know when I would ever get to see the decorations if I didn't take advantage then.  

My first experience, that  I remember, at Disney to see the decorations was amazing.  I just couldn't get over how gorgeous everything was.  It was like I was seeing Disney World for the first time.  I had thought that going would satisfy my cravings for Disney at Christmas...Wrong!!!!!

The following December I convinced my best friend and my college roommate to accompany me for a Girls' Trip the week after Thanksgiving.  Unlike my previous trip, we were able to fully enjoy all that Disney offered during the Holiday Season - Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, EPCOT's Candlelight Processional, and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights.  Now sometimes I tend to be a little naive, so when we would watch the Christmas Day Parade on Christmas Day, we all assumed that it was LIVE!  Well, guess what, it's not!!!!  I was so upset when I found out, but to ease the situation, I found out that we would be there during the filming.  So we were able to partake in Live, free, concerts from Kris Allen (American Idol), Yanni, Mariah Carey, and CELINE DION!  

Yanni filming his part.

Kris Allen with Daisy Duck

And the one and only, Celine Dion!

After two times, doesn't that mean it's tradition now?!?!?!  Last year, my friend that started this all by playing in the Orange Bowl accompanied me.  He is not a Disney fan, and I was very worried that he wouldn't enjoy the trip, but he Loved it!

So, what's up for this year?  Well, after feeling very guilty for the past 3 years, I decided it was time to take my Mom with me!  So this year, I'm taking her to Disney for Christmas!!!!!!!!  I have been so busy at both of my jobs that I honestly haven't thought about the trip.  But with school winding down and the trip officially only 7 days and 11 hours away, I'm starting to think about it!  She is very excited to experience what I've been talking about.  After all, alot has changed since she pushed me in the stroller 25 years ago!  And to top if off, I read this week in Yahoo! that Walt Disney World in the 3rd best place in America to see Christmas Lights! 

A Recipe for You

I was just on Disney's website and a found a great recipe.  I will make a post on the Kona Cafe sometime, but I will mention that this is my favorite thing to eat at the Cafe, the Tonga Toast.  It is a stuffed French Toast.  

So if anyone would like to make me some Tonga Toast at home, I will be willing to let you know if it is as good as Disney's.  I hope that the next time I make it to my best friend's Beth house, she will cook it for me!

http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/taste-of-disney/recipe/tonga-toast

I may be a little OCD, but...

One of my favorite things about Disney is the planning.  Now The Hunter family is a little (maybe alot) OCD when it comes to planning our Disney trips - we have already booked the 2012 trip and 2013 trip!  But I take it to a whole other extreme.  I create a Disney Daily Schedule.  And by that I mean I have the entire vacation from the time we leave our house until the minute that we arrive back scheduled down to the minute.  I print off copies for every member of the travel party so they can have the schedule with them at all time.  I may have a bit of a problem.

But I was talking to a friend that just got back from Disney a couple weeks ago and he said that Disney was a bit overwhelming and that they missed out of doing a lot of things because they didn't know what to do when.  His brother, who went to Disney with me last Christmas, gave me quite the compliment by saying that because I had a schedule, we got to maximum amount of Disney in because we didn't have to make decisions once we got there.  Score for me!

The point of a schedule is not to schedule every second of everyday, but it is for creating a much more enjoyable experience.  Most days each park opens and closes at different times.  The first thing that I look at in planning my vacation is to see what the operating times are at for each park.  If you stay at a Disney Resort, you also get the benefit of Extra Magic Hours, where a particular park either opens early or stays open late.  Personally, I want to maximize my Park Hours.  So I schedule to visit the park that is going to open early of EMH and the one that stays open late.  Operating hours are usually available on Disney's website about 6 months in advance giving you plenty of time to plan.

I have talked before about dining reservations, ADRs.  Disney World is huge so you will probably need to plan to eat in or around the parks that you are going to be going to that particular day.  For example, Magic Kingdom is open late so I want to make dinner reservations either at MK or at a resort that is very close to MK so I don't have to spend alot of time traveling to the park after dinner.

After you know what park(s) to attend on what day and where you are going to eat, I suggest making a plan of action.  Now after 28+ times to Disney for my family, we really don't need this, it's just automatic for us. But for newbies I would suggest making a list of which rides and shows are must-see, would like to do, and if we have time at each park.  That way everyone gets to do what is most important to them.  Then you can decide where in the park you are going to start.  In Magic Kingdom, we like to start to the right of the Castle, in Tomorrowland and working our way counter-clockwise around the park.  The parks are huge so you want to study the maps so you are running around in circles the whole time.

Another big mistake that people tend to make is going until you crash.  I have witnessed countless meltdowns at Disney that are easy to avoid.  We always go to the park that opens a hour early for Resort guests. There will be a few lines, but they will be minimal.  We cram as much as we can in the morning then we eat and we might do a few more rides and then head back to the hotel in the afternoon for naps or swimming or both. Then we get ready for an early dinner and after that head to the park that is open later and do everything else we need to do.  I guarantee if you spend all day in the park, especially in the summer, you are going to have some tired, irritated, moody people on your hands.  After all, it is a vacation so take the time to relax!

Long Time No See...

Well I have to apologize...I didn't start this blog at the right time. I started when the Fall Semester was just starting.  I started the blog on a whim and perhaps I jumped in a little too quick.  So right now, as I sit here watching football on mute, pondering whether 9:13 PM is too early for me to hop in bed, I decided that maybe I could go back and start from the very beginning.

I am at heart a Disney Princess.  The love of Disney is something that has been ingrained in my baby-hood, toddler-hood, child-hood, teen-hold, and now my adulthood.  I am approaching my 28th (I think - might be more than that!) trip to Disney next month plus one trip to Disneyland.  So besides Disney, there are other things that I enjoy in life.  So a little about me...I am a finance executive and a F-CFO (Future Chief Financial Executive - a self-imposed title!)  for a Steel company.  I used to think that I would hate working in business, sitting at a desk all day, crutching numbers!  But surprisingly, I love it, most of the time.  I also am in my 4th semester teaching Psychology at the local Community College part-time.  Again, something that I thought I would hate ten years ago.  I really enjoy it and it gives me the opportunity to do two very different things.  But as much as I love both jobs, it keeps me very busy, which is my excuse for ignoring you all for a couple months.  So please my apologizes as I try to start managing my time a little better.

As I try to get better at blogging, please leave me comments as to topics that you would like to see addressed in the blog.  

Building Walt Disney World

Obviously I wasn't around to bask in all the news of the building of Walt Disney World, but I found this awesome video on YouTube today. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnC0CcfQ4wk&feature=share

Someone is Over the Hill!

Today is Walt Disney World's 40th Birthday!  I wish I could be there today to bask in all the festivities.  Disney World knows how to celebrate Birthdays and I'm sure that today is an extra-special day.  

Celebrating my 25th Birthday at O'Hanas and at Le Cellier

Over 40 years ago, Walt Disney World was nothing but a Florida swamp.  But somehow a great visionary saw more than just the swamp lands.  Walt Disney had built a fantastic theme park in Anaheim, CA but because of the location, future growth was limited.  Walt Disney wanted another location where he would be able to control the theme park's surroundings.  Walt Disney secretly (with "dummy corporations") bought up about 43 square miles of Central Florida swamp land.  Sadly, Walt Disney died before he could even see the Magic Kingdom open in Florida.  Today Walt Disney World has 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 18 resorts, and hundreds of restaurants and shopping opportunities.  

So if you are planning a trip to WDW, celebrating a birthday there is pretty spectacular.  My Mom has a reputation for planning our trips around her birthday, just so she can be in the Happiest Place in the World for her special day.  For my 25th Birthday, I decided there was no place I would rather be celebrating a quarter of a century than at WDW.  And let me tell you, Disney did not disappoint me.  Every person that is celebrating a birthday gets a birthday pin that you can wear throughout your trip.  And with that pen, I think every Disney cast member shouts out, "Happy Birthday Katie," as you walk throughout the parks and sometimes even other visitors say Happy Birthday.  It really makes you feel special.  As well as special desserts at every meal and sometimes even Birthday cards from the restaurant staff!  These are just some of the free perks of celebrating Birthdays.  If you want to spend some extra money, you can plan quite the Disney Birthday party!  

O'hana

I have 3 favorite restaurants in Disney.  I try to get to all of them every time I go but sometimes the fam gets a little tired of eating all "my" restaurants and wants something different.  But no matter what, I have to get my O'Hana fix every time I'm at Disney.  

O'Hana is located in Disney's Polynesian Resort and is open for both breakfast and dinner.  Breakfast is a character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, and Mickey and Pluto.  I've never been to the breakfast, but I can tell you that dinner is amazing.  

O'Hana means "Family" in Hawaiian so dinner is served family style featuring steak, turkey, pork, and shrimp that is roasted over an open fire pit that is located in the middle of the restaurant.  

But first a mixed green salad with honey-lime dressing and pineapple-coconut bread is served.  None of that sounds good to me, nor would I eat it if I knew ahead of time what it was, but I assure you that both are to die for!  

The 2nd course is Honey Coriander Chicken Wings and Pork Fried Dumplings, accompanied by 3 yummy sauces: Peanut Sauce, Chimichurri Sauce, and Sweet & Sour Sauce.  I could eat the Peanut Sauce with a spoon it is so good! 

But the main event is the meats on the skewers with stir-fried vegetables and noodles in peanut sauce.  The meal is all-you-can eat, so the meats on the giant skewers keep coming as long as you allow!  And I'll tell you, that you will want to keep it coming!  

These were the remnants from our last outing to O'Hana - can you tell we love it?  But don't eat to much because you will want to save room for dessert which is a Banana-Caramel Bread Pudding.  

From start to finish, O'Hana's has amazing food.  But it also has a very relaxed, family atmosphere.  During the meal, you will be serenaded by a Hawaiian playing the ukelele and kids will have pineapple races.  And if your lucky you just might have a view of Cinderella's Castle!  

If you are a little weary of meaty food or you are a vegetarian, as my best friend, Toot is, don't be scared. Toot, our friend Laurelee, and I went during the Christmas season and Toot had a meal specifically cooked just for her.  The chef came to our table, asked her what she liked to eat and made her appetizers,  this huge entree, and even a special dessert!  We joked that she had a "Sugar Daddy!"  And after the meal he came to check and make sure that everything tasted up to her standards.  Talk about service!!

Dinner is about $32.99 a person for adults and $15.99 for children (if you're on the Dining Plan, it is one Table Service).  Dinner is served from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  But if you think you are going to be able to walk up and get in, think again.  O'Hana usually is booked up months in advance, so if you want to go, I suggest get a reservation as soon as you book your rooms.  It's one of the most popular places to eat on property!  

DDP - Don't Leave Home Without It

My Mom is in Disney World for 2 days for a meeting - I mean, is that even fair?  She went out last night to a restaurant and she reminded me how nice it is to go to Disney restaurants and have the Disney Dining Plan.  DDP is one of the best things that Disney has implemented in the last couple years and I recommend that it is part of your vacation package.  

The Disney Dining Plan is basically pre-paying for your meals.  It is about $38.99 a day per person.  Now up front this may seem like a lot of money, but I guarantee that it is a deal.  Food is very expensive in WDW - I'm talking $10 - $12 for a hamburger and fries.  So the Dining Plan allows you to budget exactly how much money your family will be spending on food.  

Here's a quick run down of how it works.  First of all, you have to be staying in a Disney Resort to even have this option.  But if you are staying on-property and do choose the Dining Plan, you will get meals for every night of your stay for every person (over the age of 3) in your party.  For each night, you will get one (1) table service meal, one (1) quick service meal, and one (1) snack.  So if you are a family of four, staying four nights, you would have 16 Table Service (TS) meals, 16 quick services, and 16 snacks on your "Key to the World" card - aka your room card.  

So what is a Table Service, Quick Service, and Snack?  A Table Service is a restaurant where you will be seated and waited on for the meal.  Quick Service is a place where you order from a Counter. Both quick service and table service meals cover an entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic drink.  Snacks can be many different things ranging from Popcorn, to a 20 oz drink, ice cream, etc.  There are over a 100 participating restaurants, so it is easy to find something to chose.  

Our family usually uses the Quick Service for our lunches and then the Table Service for our dinners.  There are restaurants - that happen to be some of my favs - that are a little nicer than the normal Table Service.  You can still eat there with the DDP, however some of the nicer restaurants are labeled 2 TS because eating there will require two of your Table Service meals. 

While it may sound a little overwhelming, it really isn't.  What you need to do is plan where you want to eat your TS meals and make advanced dining reservations (ADRs) as far in advance as you can - 120 days out is the limit.  Once you check-in at your hotel, they will give you the card that will have everything preloaded.  At your meal, when you would pay, you just give them the Key to the World card and they will swipe it like a credit card and the meals will be deducted off your card.  The receipt will give you the remaining balance of meals left.  

Since Disney has implemented the DDP, I have only gone one time and not had it and boy did I regret it because I spent so much more money on food than I would have needed to.  But in order to get the plan, you have to book it before you arrive in WDW.  

I will be blogging about some of my favorite restaurants in the next couple of blogs, so get hungry!  

"There's an App for That!"

If you are headed to Disney anytime in the near future, I would recommend Undercover Tourist.com's "Disney World Wait Times" app.  I have it on my Blackberry, but I think the Apple version is a little bit better.  But either way, it has pretty accurate up-to-date wait times for all the rides.  I still use it everyday to see what the crowds look like on particular days.  (Today, it looks quite busy since its a holiday weekend ;)

You can plan your day around what the app says, that way you can maximize the most of your day.  

100 Days Until Disney!

In honor of 100 days away from Disney, I'm watching "My Yard Goes Disney" that I Tivoed off HGTV.  They are doing a yard with a Custom Mickey Shaped Pool.  My only question is how much would that cost to do in my new house?!  I have to have one.  One of the Ears is a Hot Tub.  I mean what more would you want in your backyard?!

Planning

People often make fun of me for my (sometimes) obsessive planning.  Especially when it comes to Disney.  But when you've been as many times as I have you understand that you have to be a planner! 

In most places when you call 4 months out for reservations, you pretty much can book what you want.  Disney is not that easy sometimes.  I called yesterday for reservations Dec. 9 - Dec. 12.  Out of 7 Disney Vacation Club resorts, there was only 1 hotel that met my room criteria and date range.  I was a little bummed that I couldn't get my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choices.  Fortunately, I was able to get on a wait list for my 1st and 2nd choices if they become available.  *Fingers Crossed*

When I started looking at booking dinner reservations, I ran into the same problems.  Again, I get made fun of for making dinner reservations but you have to understand Disney to realize that making ADVANCED dining reservations is a must!  Most places that I wanted to eat at were already completely booked up.  I was able to get a couple reservations at odd times - not really times that families with children would want.  Disney allows you to make reservations 120 days in advance.  You may be thinking that no one does this.  I promise you, they do!  I'm talking being on the computer at 12:01 am, 120 days before your vacation begins.  I know this because, I confess, I have done this before.  And the popular restuarants will be completely booked, so planning is a must if you want to get everything you want out of your vacation. 

Not everyone can plan vacations so far in advanced like my family does- we are already planning the 2012 Disney Vacation and have booked the 2013 Disney Cruise! But if you can look at your families' advanced calendar, try to book as far in advanced as possible.  It will let you have the optimal vacation experience!

Disclaimer - if you can't plan in advance - and I have done those spur of the moment trips (for me, that would be 4 weeks in advance!) - you still will have a wonderful time.  You will be in The Happiest Place in the World!

Art of Animation

Where to stay is probably the 2nd biggest decisions that you make when planning your trip to Disney, only after when to go.  I will have several blogs about hotels since I have stayed at 70% of the hotels in Disney. Now that is impressive if I do say so myself! 

Two years ago, when two of my best friends and I (and my precious niece SJ in the womb) went to Disney for Christmas, we stayed at Disney's Pop Century Resort.  Pop Century is a value level resort.  Value Resorts are the more inexpensive resorts on property.  You still get the Disney experience, but the rooms are smaller and the resorts are much larger.  We were overall pleased with our stay there, but one morning Laurelee and I went and looked at the back part of the resort.  

       A little history lesson - Pop Century's buildings are dedicated to different decades.  Originally, when the resort was built there was going to be 2 sections the Classic Years and the Legendary Years.  The Classic Years, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s and the Legendary Years were to be separated by a lake called the Generation Gap.  The Classic Years opened, but the economy turned sour and the Legendary Years was started but never completed...Now back to my story

Laurelee went to the back part of our building, which overlooked the ruins of the Legendary Years.  Disney is normally very clean and put together.  Any construction or unfinished business is usually blocked from view as to not tarnish the reputation of Disney.  The Legendary Years were an exception the rule.  I was horrified at the building across the Generation Gap.  And being the Disney fan I am, I was a little appalled.  I should have taken a picture.

Anyway, last year Disney announced that they would finally be finishing the Legendary Years, but with a different spin.  Instead of the Legendary Years, it will be called Disney's Art of Animation Resorts.  The rooms will be all family suites.  This is a great addition to the Disney Family because rooms that accommodate larger families, or families that just want a little more space, have been on the more expensive end of the spectrum.  Art of Animation will be a Value Level "Suites" Resort!  

This week the Disney Blog just released some pictures of the inside of the rooms.  The Resort will be open in 2012 and I'm sure will fit into a lot of people's budgets.  

Take a look!  http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/08/first-look-family-suites-at-disneys-art-of-animation-resort/

D23 Expo

Time has rolled around again and it is the weekend of the D23 Expo.  What is that?  D23 is an exclusive club for the elite Disney fans.  I was a member for their first year - about 3 years ago, but the annual Dues are expensive so I decided to save my money and forgo my membership.  

But one of the most exciting things that D23 does is the annual D23 Expo.  It is a giant convention of Disney!  New, exciting information on the Parks, movies, actors, merchandise, anything you can think of.  It's a 3-day weekend that is all about Disney.  I have longed to go since they announced the first Expo.  But it is always in Anaheim, CA.  To take a weekend jaunt to CA would be great a hike, so for now I can only hope that one day it will be in Florida and I can attend.  

If you would like to visit the website and see what is going on, click on this link http://d23.disney.go.com/expo/index.html?int_cmp=SOC-intDPFY11Q3DisneyParksToysAndGamesAtD23Expo27-07-11@0003

12 Months of the Year...365 Days of Disney

One of the biggest questions, and first hurdles of planning a trip to Disney, is when to go?  Frankly, I don't think there is a bad time to go.  It just depends on your family's schedule.  Both of my parents are teachers, so we always "had" to go in the summer.

Now I love the summer in Disney!  It's hot and there are a lot people to "people watch"!  I have been in June and July and I think that June is a less crowded than July and less rainy.  There are many schools that are not out yet in early June so we have found the first two weeks of June to be less crowded than the rest of the summer.  The weather during the summer is hot with a 80% chance of afternoon thunderstorms.  Don't like that deter you.  They last about 15 minutes and then it's sunny again!

Will the lines be long?  Yes and no.  The popular rides will be busy.  Be prepared to wait 40+ minutes for those rides.  But you can easily find rides that will have 10 - 15 minute ride.

While the summer is busy, it isn't the busiest season!  I would not recommend going the week before Christmas and the week in between Christmas and New Years.  I was in Disney the day after New Years a couple of years ago and I was shocked at the length of the lines.  I'm talking like 3 hours for The Haunted Mansion!  Easter is also another super busy holiday.

But during the off times of the year, Walt Disney World does a great job at hosting some great events to entice you attend.  In the Spring, EPCOT hosts the Flower and Garden Show.  It is absolutely beautiful.  EPCOT plays home to many character topiaries.  The weather is warming up and sometimes can already get into the high 80s, low 90s, but the rain is not bad yet.

In the Fall, especially around Halloween, Disney has Mickey Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  This is where Magic Kingdom closes early and for a special-priced ticket, you can go in and Trick-Or-Treat with the characters as well as ride the rides.  The weather during the Fall is great.  Not as hot, but the nights are still warm.

Besides the summer, I personally love the Christmas season.  I've found the week after Thanksgiving, first week of December to be a great time to go.  The decorations are up, but the crowds are in a lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The weather is descent.  Most of the times I've been it has been in the mid 70s and 60s at night (which is actually chilly!) I have been 3 years in a row now to view the Christmas decorations and I don't think I can get in the Christmas Spirit without some Disney!


I think it is sometimes about your perspective.  If you go into Disney knowing that you will have to wait, it's not that bad.  If you go in thinking that you are going to get on every ride, then be prepared to be disappointed.

But anytime you pick, it will be wonderful.

School Days are Here Again :(

School is back in session and there is one thing that I'm missing right now...

That's right! Cinderella's Castle. School time is always so sad for me because it signifies the end of summer and the end of vacation. There is only one cure for that - time to plan the next trip! As I start to plan my next trip, please email me if you have any questions about planning your trip. I have a lot of Disney information up in my head so ask away!