A Disney Mom's Thoughts

Magical Blogorail Green: Hidden Treasures

2012-02-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Green. Enjoy the ride as we share with you Hidden Treasures from Our Favorite Disney Park.

While I was at Walt Disney World last week, I paid particular attention in each park to try to decide what my favorite "Hidden Treasure" was. My husband and I even had a few conversations about some possibilities, but one area continued to keep making it's way to the top of my list.

Main Street, USA at the Magic Kingdom.

Hidden Treasure? Probably not, since EVERYONE walks down Main Street as they enter the Magic Kingdom. But, how many people really pay attention to Main Street, all it has to offer and the wonderful attention to detail in this area? That's what I consider "hidden!"

Did you know the Magic Kingdom is set up as a "show?" The turnstiles act as the entry to the theatre. When you walk under the train tracks you can see posters of all the attractions in the park. When you pass through the tunnel you can immediately smell the popcorn that is popping for your enjoyment. Finally, you are "in the show!" Main Street USA even has red sidewalks on either side representing the "red carpet" that is rolled out.

As you make your way down Main Street toward Cinderella Castle, you will notice the "credits" of the show in the upper windows above the shops. Jenn at Disney Babies Blog has a wonderful weekly segment called Window Wednesday... Check it out for more details on the amazing windows on Main Street!

A few other unique features of Main Street USA are that the street lamps evolve as you make your way down the street. At the Town Square end, they look as if they are gas lamps. As you move toward the castle they become electric.

But, my FAVORITE part of Main Street are the citizens! Obviously, they aren't hidden because people stop to see, listen to and interact with them all the time. But, how many people truly take the time to enjoy their role in the show?

Tony (L), the owner of Tony's Town Square Restaurant. The Dapper Dans (R) a quartet who sing and play the Deagan Organ Chimes.

Trolley Driver (L) moving up and down Main Street and The Main Street Band (R).

Main Street Fire Chief, Smokey Miller (L) and Hildegard Olivia Harding (R).

My favorite tid bit about Main Street is that it is believed to be modeled after Marceline, Missouri where Walt grew up. It gives the perfect feel for Hometown America. When I walk down Main Street, I know I'm "at home." It may not be "hidden" per say, but it's the "hidden" details of this area that I love!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ A Disney Mom's Thoughts

2nd Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

3rd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
4th Stop ~ Disney Living

Final Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

Wordless Wednesday: Disney Family Crest

2012-02-22T07:43:00.000-06:00

Disney Family Crest on Cinderella Castle, WDW

A Chat with The Colorado Mountain Mom

2012-02-21T08:04:00.000-06:00

Last week, while I was at Walt Disney World, my friend Tami at The Colorado Mountain Mom posted an interview she and I had a few weeks ago!

Tami asked some great, thought provoking questions. You can read what she asked and how I answered here~ Chat With a Disney Guru: A Disney Mom's Thoughts!

Thoughts for the Week: February 12-19, 2012

2012-02-20T15:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we're back! My husband and I spent all last week at Walt Disney World, without kids! While we had an awesome time celebrating our 5th anniversary, I did feel guilty not having the boys along! At least a dozen times a day one of us would say, "JAG would love this!" or "C-man had fun with this last time." or "Next time, we need to make sure we do this with the boys...". The list goes on and on! We did decide we would bring the whole family back in 2014 and come back in 2017 without the kids again! :)

So, here is a look back at what happened here on the blog while I was away and what was going on at WDW. I'll post daily recaps soon!

Sunday, February 12~

I didn't schedule any posts for this day, but we did leave Alabama at 4:00am to make our 9+ hour drive to WDW. We arrived around 3:00 and spent time around Port Orleans, French Quarter and took the boat to Downtown Disney where we had dinner at Earl of Sandwich.

Monday, February 13~

For Monday's Memory, I shared a post originally written for DisTherapy about the year 1999.

At WDW, we spent the day at Epcot, ate at Le Celier and ended our day with pizza from the Boardwalk and a boat ride to DHS.

Tuesday, February 14~

Tuesday's Tip featured a post written for Growing Up Disney on Characters and Toddlers.

At WDW, we spent the day at the Magic Kingdom and ate a Valentine's dinner at California Grill which ended with Wishes from the rooftop!

Wednesday, February 15~

For Deb's Wordless Wednesday hop at Focused on the Magic, I posted an old photo with the Queen of Hearts.

We spent the morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios and the afternoon at Epcot. We had an awesome dinner at 'Ohanas!

Thursday, February 16~

I shared a great memory from meeting Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen at WDW last September.

We had some interesting happenings at Animal Kingdom which landed us back at the resort for a few hours. We made it back to AK for the afternoon and had dinner at Boma. More to come on this!

Friday, February 10~

We met Annie and Leo from Little Einstein's at DHS last fall- here's the photo and autograph!

We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom with lunch at Tony's. Our day ended at Epcot.

Saturday, February 18~

I had a post over at The Disney Mom's blog sharing the details of the Atlanta Braves Spring Training at ESPN's Wide World of Sports!

We started the day at Downtown Disney with a fabulous lunch at Cap'n Jacks. The rest of the afternoon and night was spent at MK where I shed quite a few tears and told my happy place, "See ya real soon!"

Sunday, February 19~

While I had a post on the blog about meeting Marie from the Aristocats, we were making our way back home to Alabama! I sure missed my boys! :)

Meeting Marie

2012-02-19T06:37:00.000-06:00

Honestly, when I first met Marie, I had no idea who she even was! All I knew was I met a white cat, named Marie in France at Epcot. I knew she was from a movie I had not seen so I was able to narrow that down to Oliver and Company, Aristocats, Wall-E, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Atlantis and Brother Bear. I assumed she was from Aristocats, but wasn't 100%. When I got home and had a chance to "Google it," I found out I was right!

I met her during our family trip in December of 2010. Cman was taking a nap in the stroller and JAG was too cool to have his picture made with a white cat wearing a pink bow! So, I went for the solo shot... and the autograph! There was no line, so I jumped at the chance, even though I had NO IDEA who I was meeting! :)

The Disney Moms: Atlanta Braves Spring Training

2012-02-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm posting over at The Disney Moms about the Atlanta Braves Spring Training baseball games. If you love Disney and baseball, you may want to consider planning a trip around the baseball schedules! I know that's on my Disney bucket list!

Leo and Annie at DHS

2012-02-17T08:10:00.000-06:00

While at ~~MGM~~ Disney's Hollywood Studios last September, we saw Annie and Leo from Little Einsteins outside Disney Junior on Stage. Cman was very excited to meet "the Ein-dines!" We stood in line for about 10 minutes and finally got to give hugs, get autographs and snap a picture. Now, we just need to meet June and Quincey!

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen

2012-02-16T07:43:00.000-06:00

While I still have a special place in my heart for Ariel, and I want to be Belle one day, I think Tiana is my favorite "real life" princess! She and Prince Naveen were fabulous at the meet and greet! They spent so much time with each person and made everyone feel so "at home" I don't even think people mined the long waits!

We met this couple in September 2011 at the Magic Kingdom behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square- under a gazebo. We waited for about 20 minutes before they even arrived, then waited another 30 to actually get to them. Cman was asleep in the stroller and since it was our last day we had checked off everything on our "to do" lists. Right as we approached Naveen and Tiana, Cman woke up and he was NOT a happy camper. He was actually pretty mad and wanted nothing to do with the prince and princess. In fact he didn't even want me to have anything to do with them. Both Naveen adn Tiana approached him to try to get him to stop ~~crying~~ screaming, but nothing worked. As this picture was being taken and the autographs were being signed, Cman was fussing and causing a scene.

The best part... as we were leaving, Naveen pulled me aside and told me if he stopped crying later and wanted to come back to meet them we could come in the exit and wouldn't have to wait in line! :) It was the sweetest thing- especially in his N'awlins accent! If it hadn't been the last thing we did on the last day of our trip, I totally would have gone back so Cman could "meet" them!

Wordless Wednesday: Queen of Hearts

2012-02-15T06:30:00.000-06:00

In honor of Valentin's Day (week), I'll share a photo with THE Queen of Hearts! :) <3

Tuesday's Tip: Toddlers and Characters

2012-02-14T06:39:00.000-06:00

I originally wrote this post for Growing Up Disney on May 13, 2011.

Last December we took our then 23 month old to Walt Disney World for the first time for a 5 night, 4 day vacation. I was so excited to introduce him to the place I love so much! I spent hours reading web sites, other blogs, books and message boards about taking a toddler to WDW. I carefully mapped out our trip so there wouldn’t be any late nights right before early mornings, or late breakfast reservations too close to an early lunch and even mapped out when we could head back to the resort to rest. I booked breakfast on our first day at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom with Pooh and friends. I wanted to eat here early so we could get a good photo of the family in front of the castle before all the crowds started piling in the park. We did get a good photo, but the breakfast was a disaster! That’s when I realized I missed a key component in planning my trip: prepare your toddler for meeting characters!

My son knew all the main characters by name from watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Toy Story. He even knew a few others from books we’ve read and the vacation guides we used in our planning. I didn’t think there would be any problem when it came to meeting these same characters at the parks. I couldn’t have been more wrong! He was TERRIFIED to say the least. He was excited when they were 10 feet away or more, but once they came closer this is what we got:

I’m sure he was thinking “Get those big animals away from me RIGHT NOW!”

As our trip progressed, he slowly warmed up to the characters. I still had to hold him as we approached the characters, but by the end, he was giving high fives to his new friends from the comfort of my arms!

As our next trip is fast approaching, I have some thoughts on how to get your toddler prepared for meeting the characters.

Make sure your toddler is familiar with the characters before your trip and knows some of their names. Watch cartoons and movies, read books, watch youtube videos of meet and greets, and look at pictures.
If possible, show your toddler photographs of family members with the characters from the parks. Try to explain how “big” the characters are when you get to meet them. Show your toddler that Goofy and Woody are taller than daddy. Show him that Donald and Pinocchio are the same size as mommy. They aren’t going to be the same size as the stuffed animals in his crib!
While you are making plans for your vacation, remember to take it slow! My advice: don’t book a character meal first thing! Save those for later in the trip.
Once you are at the parks, try to meet the face characters first. These are the characters that have a human face: Mary Poppins, the princesses, Alice, Aladdin, etc. These characters are easier for toddlers to get to know since they can talk and interact with you. If you must have a character meal on the first day, consider a meal with these face characters.
Once your toddler is used to the face characters, try progressing to the masked characters. Sit for a few parades and watch some stage shows. Watch the other children meet the characters. Let your toddler know that they aren’t scary.
When you think your toddler is ready to meet the masked characters, take it slow! Don’t force it on him. Carry him to the character and talk him through it. Tell the character and the handler that you just want to visit and say hi without any hugs or high fives. Let another family member approach the character and give hugs and high fives. This shows that they are our friends!
Avoid the villains and witches at all cost! Even when your toddler is comfortable with the masked characters, the villains area always scary!
Follow the lead of your toddler. If they never warm up to the characters, accept that fact and move on with your vacation. Don’t push it on your child. It will only make it a miserable experience for the whole family!

Monday's Memory: 1999

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

This post originally was written for :DISTherapy's 40 Days to 40 Years series!

The year is 1999. I've been looking forward to this year since I was in the 3rd grade in 1983- thanks to Prince and his hit song "1999!"

I was fortunate enough to visit WDW twice in 1999. My first trip was in May. Then my family traveled to Walt Disney World in 1999 to celebrate the Millennium. We stayed off property this trip because the resort had a three night minimum and we were only staying 2 nights- just long enough to ring in 2000. On December 31, 1999 our family went to Disney-MGM Studios. I honestly don't remember much about the day. I remember wearing a heavy coat and a hat, so it must have been cold! I don't actually remember riding any rides or experiencing any attractions, but I'm sure we did! :) I do remember wondering all day long if the "Y2K bug" was really going to destroy the world. At one point during the day we saw a TV that was showing the New Year Celebration in Sydney, Australia. We anxiously watched to see if the computers would blow up at midnight... they didn't. So, we were relieved and continued to enjoy our day at Disney- MGM Studios.

I wish I had pictures from these vacation, but I don't. All I could scrounge up were the guide maps for the 4 parks from May of 1999.

A one day ticket to WDW was $44.52 for an adult. A 5 day park hopper was $200.34. An annual pass was $316.94.
One night at the Contemporary during Value Season was $214-$275.
One night at Dixie Landings during Value Season was $119-$139.
One night at the All Star Movies during Value Season was $74.

River Country was still open at Fort Wilderness and a one day adult ticket to the water park was $17.95.

Some of the interesting things that happened at Walt Disney World in 1999 were:

Horizons at Epcot officially closed
All Star Movies Resort opens
Test Track opens at Epcot
The Rock 'N' Roller Coaster opens at MGM Studios
Walt Disney World closes for the day for the first time in 28 years due to Hurricane Floyd- Animal Kingdom opened at 12:00 for Resort guests.
The Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration opens at Epcot for 15 months
The Tapestry of Nations Parade premiers at Epcot
The IMAGINATION! Pavilion opens at Epcot :(
Illuminations 2000 begins at Epcot

You can find additional information about Disney in general from the year 1999 in the Corporate Disney Fact book.

Thoughts for the Week: February 4-10, 2012

2012-02-11T07:23:00.000-06:00

I didn't post as much this week... trying to get Cman well and catching the bug myself kept us down a bit. But I did make time to join a few blog hops and post a few thoughts... Here We Go!

Tuesday, February 7~

I went back to 2010 today and shared a story about meeting Ernie in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. My tip... slow down and see what all Disney has to offer!

Wednesday, February 8~

For this week's Wordless Wednesday hop with Deb at Focused on the Magic, I shared a favorite photo of JAG with Goofy! He always makes me smile! :)

Thursday, February 9~

Lisa at Babes in Disneyland hosted her weekly Disney Blog Hop with the theme "Pirates!" I shared some thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean at DL and WDW. Which is your favorite?

I also had a post over at Chip and Co on counting ALL your family members in your ADRs.

Friday, February 10~

Once again, I joined Deb for her Flashback Friday hop! I chose a picture of 2 of my boys at the Sci Fi Dine In in 2006. Have you experienced this restaurant?

Next week, I plan on sharing the rest of my character photos and a few posts I've written for other blogs. I'll also have another post at The Disney Moms on the 18th.

A few of my favorite Disney posts from around the web have been:
~ Melissa from Disney on Wheels shares her experience on Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time since 2001!

~Paula from The Magical Mouse Pad shares an excellent post on dealing with Rain at Walt Disney World.

~Dave at Your First Visit shares the details of traveling to WDW next week. I know several of my readers will be there for Valentine's and President's Day Weekend!

Flashback Friday: Sci Fi Dine-In

2012-02-10T07:22:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the Flashback Friday Hop Deb!!This Flashback is from 2006. JAG had his face painted earlier in the day as Darth Maul (I think that's his name...). We had reservations for dinner that night at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at MGM Studios. This restaurant is so unique! You sit in 1950s convertible car tables, like you're at a Drive In movie and watch old sci if movie clips and cartoons on the big screen in front of you. The menu is American Cuisine: burgers, ribs, salads, steaks, seafood, sandwiches and my favorite MILKSHAKES! :) All of the desserts are delicious and taste "just like mom used to make!"
This is a great location for your family, if your kids aren't scared of the monsters in the sci fi clips. Our son was 5 1/2 when he went the first time and had no problems with the movie clips scaring him. This restaurant is also perfect for date night! The atmosphere is awesome. It's dark, as if you were actually at an outdoor drive in, and the lights overhead make it seem like stars are twinkling.
In fact, I may suggest hubby and I visit the Sci Fi Dine In on our next trip- just for a late night dessert, alone, together, in a convertible car! ;)

Blog Hop: PIRATES

2012-02-09T07:15:00.000-06:00

Disneyland version

If you've ever been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, I hope you took time to ride "Pirates of the Caribbean." This is a classic Disney attraction that is not only found at the Anaheim and Florida parks but also in Tokyo and Paris. I think this attraction is so special to me because it was one of the last attractions where Walt participated in the design. The Disneyland version opened 3 months after Walt's death. It was originally going to be a walk through wax museum type attraction but was changed to the dark, log flume type ride.

If you have been to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World and experienced both attractions, maybe you'll agree with me that Disneyland's is much better! I love the loading area at DL. The theming is great and it's so much fun seeing the boats pull off with the passengers. My favorite part is floating by the Blue Bayou Restaurant. It reminds me of the Gran Feista Tour in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot when you float by the Mexican restaurant... but Pirates at DL is much, much better! The ride at Disneyland is longer and includes more drops and dips.

I wish The Magic Kingdom at WDW could make a few changes to make their attraction more like Disneyland's... but I don't think that will happen!

Thanks to Lisa for hosting this week's blog hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Just Goofin' Around

2012-02-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

February 2008, Epcot

Thanks Deb! :)

Meeting Ernie in New Orleans Square

2012-02-07T15:47:00.000-06:00

Meet Ernest, "Ernie", McLean.

He works in New Orleans Square at the Disneyland Resort. He has been working for Disneyland since 1966. Supposedly, he was the last cast member hired by Walt himself. Ernie grew up in New Orleans, LA and started playing guitar when he was 11 years old. He came to Los Angeles with Scatman Crothers, the voice of Scat Cat in The Aristocats. When Frank Sinatra wanted Scatman to go on tour with him, this left Ernie without a job. In steps Walt. Ernie's been playing jazz in New Orleans Square ever since.

Ernie was an original member of Cosimo Matassa's band in New Orleans. He also played with Fats Domino and is credited with recording what some think to be the first rock 'n' roll song, "The Fat Man", in 1949 with Fats. He was also a member of the Dave Bartholomew Band and has played with Lou Rawls, Sonny and Cher and was a part of the Dr. John, Gris Gris album.

Since we're both from the south and I had been to New Orleans, LA several times, we started talking about his home city. He shared some stories of growing up in the Ninth Ward. I shared my stories of visiting the Ninth Ward post Katrina. He has not been back to New Orleans since Katrina hit in 2005, but has friends and family who are still there. The stories he shared, with the memories I have of the Ninth Ward are two totally different images.

If you go to Disneyland, look for Ernie. I saw him twice. Both times he was sitting on a bar stool in the shade, playing his guitar. He wasn't singing when I saw him, just playing soft jazz on his guitar. Ernie, being a native New Orleans man, is perfect for New Orleans Square at Disneyland. For a second, I really felt like I was walking down Bourbon Street in Louisiana! That's the beauty of Disney. The incredible attention to detail.

My advice to you is to slow down. On our next trip, this is what my husband and I plan to do. After meeting Ernie and Oscar at Disneyland, we decided this trip we would spend time talking to cast members and listening to their stories. It's amazing what treasures are hiding in the walls of Walt Disney World and Disneyland if we just slow down enough to recognize them!

Flashback Friday- Goofy & Mr. Smee

2012-02-03T07:30:00.000-06:00

This photo was during our 2006 trip to Walt Disney World. It was JAG's first trip to WDW and Jonathan's first trip since 1981, we think! We met the Fab 5 at the Character Spot in Epcot and when we got to the end, Mr. Smee popped into the picture with us and Goofy! Pretty goofy to me! I still have no idea why Mr. Smee was even there. There was no sign of Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy or any of the other Peter Pan characters. The characters that were there were Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Chip, Dale and Goofy... and Mr. Smee! I still laugh when I see this picture because he's so out of place, but that's OK! Disney has to keep us all on our toes from time to time...

Thanks Deb for hosting the Flashback Friday hop! :)

A Blogging Conference: Follow That Blog!

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Several of my blogging buddies are working on developing our own blogging conference called "Follow That Blog!" Right now, we are only planning, dreaming and working on details. In this initial process, we want to hear from other bloggers and potential bloggers who are our readers.

Would you be interested in attending a blogging conference/ convention at Walt Disney World to help you become a better blogger, reach more people, make money from your blog and utilize social media to it's fullest? Please answer this quick poll indicating your interest, or non interest!

To stay up to date with what is happening with "Follow That Blog!" please follow on twitter @FollowBlogConf or at www.FollowThatBlogConference.com.

Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

It's been a week and a half and we still have pirate "stuff" scattered around the house! We successfully hosted a Jake and the Neverland Pirate's birthday party for my 3 year old, Cman, on January 21. With a lot of planning and doing, it was pulled off without a hitch. If I could change anything, I would have added 1 more game and hired a professional photographer to take pictures! I was too busy being mom to also take pictures. Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. The one game I would add is a Gold Doubloon hunt. I wish I had hidden 50 or so Doubloons around the house (kitchen, den and dining room) for the kids to hunt. They could all add them to the team treasure chest and divide at the end.

Without further ado, here is our party through photos!

The Birthday Boy! Yes, he's saying "ARGH!"

Invitations and envelopes addressed to all the "captains!" Invitations by Pixels4Parties on Etsy.

As the kids arrived, they all got a temporary Pirate tatoo. Most chose their hand, but we had 1 on a foot and 1 on a cheek!

Once most had arrived, we had a Cannonball fight with black balloons! We continued to have Cannonball fights for days after the party!

Each kid had multiple chances to "walk the plank" and not fall off into the "water" which was a blue plastic table cloth!

The older kids played "Pin the Patch on the Pirate." They didn't want to wear the bandanna to cover their eyes, so I just covered them with my hand! :)

I think everyone enjoyed the cupcakes, cake and goodies!

The Pirate #3 birthday shirt was from The Sassy Squirrel on Etsy.

After the sugar break, we all went into the garage (it was too wet and cold outside) to dig for treasures! We had 75 Gold Doubloons and a ton of Mardi Gras beads buried in a bucket of sand.

When you're working with a bunch of 2, 3 and 4 year olds, it's next to impossible to get a group picture, but we did OK!

Thanks to all our friends for coming to the party and helping celebrate 3 wonderful years of Cman!!

Snacks and decorations... Pirate Cannonballs (whoppers), Pirate Catch o' the day (goldfish), Pirate Planks (pretzel rods), Pirate rope (twizzlers) and Pirate treasures (rolos and Hershy's treasures).

Cupcake Ships and the Cake- made my my mom, KK! The cupcake wrappers were downloaded from Cottage Industrialist!

The Thank You Toppers were downloaded from "Tattered and Inked." Pirate Mickey is standing guard over the goodies: eye patches, beads, doubloons, tattoos and scarves!

Most of the ideas were from my Pirate Party Ideas Board on Pinterest!

Blog Hop: Favorite Dinner

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

image from thedisneytraveler.com

This week's hop theme with Babes in Disneyland is Favorite Dinner. I have so many favorites at Walt Disney World, but one that stands out for today is the Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom. When my husband and I went to WDW in 2008 to run the half marathon we spent a few days before the race exploring the parks. We actually walked up to Yak and Yeti and didn't have a problem getting a table without reservations! :) I wish I had the pictures we took, but somehow I've lost all the pictures from that trip...

image from wdwinfo.com

We loved the atmosphere, decor and menu. I know we started with the lettuce cups as an appetizer and wished we had ordered 2! For my meal I ordered the Crisp Honey Chicken and Jonathan ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken. We both enjoyed the meal and look forward to the time we can return! While we have not been back to Yak and Yeti, we have stopped at the Yak and Yeti counter service: Anandapur Local Food Cafe, where we were able to order both the Honey Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken, egg rolls and fried rice! All that is missing is the lettuce cups!

TIP: If you plan your meal at Yak and Yeti right, and you have a seat by the window, you can get a birds eye view of Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade in the afternoon!

Wordlessish Wednesday: February Calendar Picture

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-06:00

For Deb's Wordless Wednesday hop over at Focused on the Magic, our theme for today is "February Calendar Photo."

I know I've used this picture (several times) in the past, but it's one of my favorites! Since February is the month of love and Valentines... I chose one of me and my sweetheart! :)

This was during our 2008 marathon weekend trip- no kids.

Thanks Deb for hosting, again!

Magical Blogorail: Mouse of Zen

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to those of you joining me from Focused on the Magic and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

When I started reading the beautiful haiku poetry found in Mouse of Zen, I had it narrowed down to 16 different poems I wanted to use! I knew I had to find just one to write about so I had to dig deep to find which one meant the most to me.

hear a train whistle

as we ride this final time

railroads fade to dust

On our last trip to Walt Disney World, it was only three of us: me, my mom and my son. We had a magical time playing in all 4 parks and attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I have so many photos and memories that I hope will last a lifetime. However, there was one specific memory and photo that came to mind when I first read this poem. It was the last day of our vacation and the last ride we went on: the train at The Magic Kingdom. We were sitting in the last car about to leave the Main Street Station. Cman was sitting on the outside, looking out over the main entrance to the park waving at all the guests. Luckily, I had my camera ready and was able to snap this photo.

Right after I took this, we heard the train blow its whistle and we were off. Cman continued to wave at all the guests as we circled my favorite park. When we exited, he told the cast member at the back of the train goodbye and we exited the park. I always get teary eyed when it's time to leave and this was no exception. I too waved goodbye, turned to give Cinderella's castle one last glance and started out the gate.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is The Disney Point.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1^st Stop ~ Disney Living

2^nd Stop ~ Focused on the Magic

3^rd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

4^th Stop ~ The Disney Point

5^th Stop ~ The Disney Chick

Final Stop ~ Capturing Magical Memories

Meeting an Imagineer

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

I know at Walt Disney World you can pay to have a meal with a Disney Imagineer and have a chance to talk with him or her while you dine. While I have not done this, I have had a pretty cool conversation with an imagineer- on accident! :)

While we were at Disneyland in 2010, I wanted to see Captain EO, but my hubby did not. I chose to see this attraction while he and my son rode the Matterhorn one more time. While I was in the waiting area waiting on the preshow for EO, I started eavesdropping on a conversation between a father and daughter, who appeared to be about 12. He was telling her all about the movie and when it was out in the 80s at Walt Disney World. He was telling her about how great it was, for the time, and that it was directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. He was going into great detail about how state of the art it was, the special effects and how they pulled out all the stops for this production.

I think he saw that I was listening and he asked if I remembered the movie or if this was my first time to see it. I told him I did remember it from WDW in the 80's. We started talking more and more about WDW and Disneyland. I told him this was my first trip to DL and he said they were still new to DL too. He wanted to bring his daughter to see Captain EO and that was the purpose of their trip to the park that day. He asked how familiar I was with WDW and I chuckled inside! :) He asked if I had ever stayed at the All Star Resorts because he was a Disney Imagineer who worked on the plans for the All Star Resorts! He had worked in the Orlando area for Disney for almost 20 years and just recently they had moved him to Anaheim to work at Disneyland. He did not tell me the project he was currently working on and I didn't ask. He did say what a dream it was of his to work for Disney and that it is a fabulous company to work for. His family was treated so well and the perks were the best!

While I wish I had had more time to talk to him, I loved the few minutes we did talk before the show started! I sat next to him and his daughter during the show. It was very cool hearing him lean over and talk to his daughter the whole time about what was going on and how special it was for the year it was made. He was smiling and laughing the entire time. I guess for an Imagineer to see this production come back after almost 20 years, it is pretty exciting!

Thoughts for the Week: Jan. 21-28, 2012

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Another week, another set of "Thoughts"! In case you missed some of of the posts this week, here is a recap!

Saturday, January 21~

My sweet baby boy, Cman turned three today! I wrote him a birthday letter as we prepared for his Jake and The Neverland Pirates Party! More to come on that later! :)

Tuesday, January 24~

I shared some thoughts and comparisons on Sleeping Beauty Castle and Cinderella Castle. Which castle is your favorite?

Wednesday, January 25~

I shared some of my favorite Animal Kingdom WILDLIFE shots with Deb at Focused on the Magic as she hosted the weekly Wordless Wednesday Hop. Which animal is your favorite?

Thursday, January 26~

Babes in Disneyland hosted the weekly Disney Blog Hop with the theme "Disney Bucket List." Instead of a bucket list, I shared my list of "to dos" for my trip next month! What is on your Bucket List?

I also had a post over at Chip and Co on Keeping your House Safe while traveling.

Friday, January 27~

This past Friday was my turn to write a post for the Magical Blogorail. Our theme was "A Disney Memory with a Loved One." I wrote about my husband and I spending time together before the half marathon in 2008.

Magical Blogorail Green: A Disney Memory with a Loved One

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Welcome to those of you joining me from Adventures of a Disney Princess and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the Final stop on our Magical Blogorail.

One of my most precious memories at Walt Disney World was with my husband. We traveled alone to WDW less than a year after we got married to run in the 2008 half marathon. We left our son, JAG, at home since we would not be able to watch him while we ran. While the race was NOT one of my best memories of the weekend, the day before the race was.

We woke up early to be at the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. We waited about 15 minutes for the Mayor to come out and officially open the park. After the singing, dancing and confetti shooting were over, most families rushed towards Fantasyland and Tomorrowland to ride their favorite attractions. Not us. We took our time! We walked hand in hand down Main Street- yes, right down the middle! We stopped to read the windows and listen for the sounds. We took time at the hub to admire the statue of Walt and Mickey and had a few Photopass photos taken. I had printed off several "hidden gems" I had found on various Disney blogs, web sites and message boards. We found several of these and searched for hidden Mickeys. We talked, laughed and took our time taking in the magnificence of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

If I remember right, we did ride The Tomorrowland Transit Authority together and then made our way to the Haunted Mansion. This attraction was not part of Early Extra Magic Hours, so we walked back to Fantasyland, sat on a bench and watched all the people pass by. This gave us a chance to sit together, talk about the rest of the day and the race the following day.

It was the perfect "calm before the storm!" The next day, we woke up bright and early... well, it wasn't bright since it was 3:00am!! We went to the race and both finished. Only I finished with a pulled IT band and a bad limp! I took the rest of race day to rest and we hit Epcot the day after the race and continued to make wonderful memories at the World Showcase.

Reliving this memory just makes me more excited about what is to come! My husband, Jonathan, and I will be traveling to WDW next month without either of the boys. While I do feel about 2% guilty for leaving them at home, I couldn't be more excited about the memories we'll be making together at the "Most Magical Place on Earth!"

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Green this month. We will be back Friday, February 24^th with an all new theme. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

2nd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

3rd Stop ~ Disney Living

4th Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

Final Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts