Insider Tip:  To experience all 3 of these “hidden”  phones on the same day you’ll need a park-to-park ticket, because these phones are in both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

The Red Phone Booth

Where to find it:  between the Diagon Alley entrance and Kings Cross Station (Universal Studios Side)

Why it is fun:  Call the Ministry of Magic

Ok so let’s start with the phone that is only kind-of a secret.  It’s in just about every “[Insert Number] Secrets of Universal Orlando”  blog post you’ll see. The red british call box –said with British accent– outside Diagon Alley.  This one is great for a photo op, because it’s big and red. (what my family wouldn’t give for a Tardis there too). But there is more to it than and Instagram moment.  You can make a call from this phone booth to the Ministry of Magic. There are instructions right on the phone. You get to take your kids to the magical world of “rotary phone”  and they can dial the letters for M-A-G-I-C and they can get a recorded message from the Ministry (the message is kinda fun cause things aren’t going so smooth at the Minstry when you call)

Insider Tip:  it’s really hard to hear as a group, but if you squeeze in and listen careful you can save doing the call multiple times, the people next in line will appreciate it.

The Simpson Phone

Where to find it:  The smallish alley between The Simpson’s Ride and Cletus’s Chicken Shack (Universal Studios Side)

Why is it fun:  You can answer the phone

Secreted away in the Simpson’s Ride in “Springfield Home of the SImpson’s”  area (ie, that rather obnoxious carnival area you walk through to enjoy a Lard Lad Donut) is another phone gem.  It actually looks like a regular phone, but is prominately displayed with a huge cartoon cut-out of Nelson Muntz pointing at it.  Anyway if you are fortunate enough to be sitting by it when the phone rings you can answer the phone and be treated to one of Bart Simpson’s crank calls —This is also when you will take your children back to a magical time when phones not only had rotary dial, there was no Caller ID—Anyway, it’s kind of a mini thrill to finally be one of those people who gets to answer a public phone that randomly rang (ok it’s totally programed in the phone and not random).

The Super-Secret SuperHero Phone

Where is it:  Just in front of the SpiderMan Ride (Islands of Adventure)

Why is is fun:  Ah Spiderman…duh!

Our last phone experience is in the Islands of Adventure Marvel Superhero Island.  It’s not secreted away and if you have been to the park, you have probably walked by it several times.  Heck, I have been a few years in a row and I missed it until this trip. From this phone you can pick it up anytime and get to hear a message from none other than that Spidey-hating J. Jonah Jameson.  It’s a quick message and easy to cycle through the whole family to hear their own message. We only got the same message each time, but we heard rumor it changes –I doubt this but if you get different messages tell me what they are.

Now Kendra and I wandered several areas of the park hoping to find more phone spots.  But we highly recommend that Universal put in more phone experiences. Not just because it’s retro fun (I mean rotary dial phone??). But because we honestly felt this was a missed opportunity and not that expensive an installation –One day I will have Universal’s ear and I can tell them all the upgrades they should do that I know would pay off (like make Dr. Pepper available at all eateries!). But here are a few more great places we think Universal Orlando should but phone experiences

• pay phone in New York
• a phone that give you a wet-willy in the Weezes joke shop
• a phone on a boat with a goat in Suess Landing
• a “For emergency only” phone that’s broken in Jurassic Park
• a totem pole call box in Volcano Bay that you dial out with your wristband.  

I mean I’d go just to bucket list all those phone experiences, wouldn’t you?

The post 3 Phone Experiences at Universal Orlando appeared first on FaVe Mom.

I used to give all my baby-expecting friends these hand sewn baby bibs.  I didn’t know anyone that didn’t appreciate receiving them, but I will be honest.  That was something I enjoyed making when it was unique and when I thought I enjoyed sewing –I think the sleep deprived years of child-rearing had me very delusional, our home decor is proof–.  So as of late I haven’t had a stash of dishcloth bibs, but I do have a stash of crisp, “gift money”. After watching and researching for a few origami baby themed models. I settled on this one. Dollar origami booties.

You’ll need:

• 2 crisp US dollar bills (denomination of your choice)
• This video
• 2-12 inch pieces of curling ribbon (color your choice)
• Difficulty Level:  Intermediate

I recommend that you cut a piece of regular origami paper to the dimensions of a US dollar bill and practice this fold.  It has a couple quirky moments, like when you have to fold the front of the shoes.

This origami money won’t hold it’s shape without the ribbons for laces.  It looks nothing like a shoe without it, so don’t skip this step.

If you want some other money origami gift ideas grab some bills and follow these video tutorials

• Graduation Cap Money Origami
• Dollar Origami dress –for a bridal shower
• Money Origami Heart –for a wedding

The post How to Fold Money Origami Baby Booties appeared first on FaVe Mom.

There’s an app for that

My Disney Exerience App is a must for all park goers.  You can book your fast passes, make dining reservations, review your hotel reservations, get wait times, find nearby dining etc all the info you need.  When i see people in line at the in park fast pass kiosk I am surprised. Use your phone and look while you are in line. Though I get it if you are from another country those data fees can be atrocious.

There’s a bracelet ie MagicBand

And you want to use it. YOu can alternatively carry around a card with your ticket, but I really, really think you should use a Magic Band and you will like it.  If you are staying on a Disney Property they will mail you one or hand it to you upon arrival. It’s your ticket, your credit card, your fast pass reservation, your “key to the Kingdom” as one might say.  For all the details of the magic band break down check out the video below. The magic band also syncs with the app so it’s double valuable to have both.

Fastpass is completely different.

You used to get a fast pass at the ride itself, creating crazy lines near the lines and you didn’t know if the fast pass would be available until you got there and found out the next fast pass time was for the middle of your dinner reservation.  And then you had to game the system because you could only have one fast pass at a time. It was good, but now the fastpasses are booked on your app, you can book 3 at a time. You don’t have to go to the ride to ge the fast pass. And there are kiosk to do it also if your phone dies.  For a complete fast pass primer I recommend this article from my favorite Disney tips company Touring Plans.com

The following rides are gone:

• Snow White’s Scary Adventure MK
• Captain EO or Honey I shrunk the Audience  3D EPC
• Maelstrom – EPC
• Ellens Energy Adventure EPC
• The great movie ride HS
• Stitches alien attack
• The Back lot TOur HS

The following rides have been updated or are new

• Test Track
• Snow White’s Mine Train
• Figment’s Imagination
• Frozen
• Pandora World, Flight of the avatar and Navi River Journey
• Soarin’ –around the world instead of just California
• Star tours was updated a new world is being added 2020
• Toy Story Land
• Pirates of the Caribean now has Jack Sparrow
• The Hall of Presidents came back
• Under the Sea Journey of LIttle Mermaid
• Dumbo was relocated but more cars added

Touring plans have gotten better too

I mentioned my favorite Disney Tips company is Touring Plans.com….I really recommend their touring plans if you haven’t been in 10 years.  They get you on all the major rides, leave room for a few non-ride attractions and tell you what to skip. They are real. Some stuff is worth the wait and some isn’t.  That is why they are the unofficial guide. And they have responded well to my contacting them with questions. Their plans were good 10 years ago, but they keep them up to date and  they are even more accurate with continued data gathering.

Downtown Disney is now DISNEY SPRINGS

Same concept new name.  It’s a giant outdoor mall at Disney World.  My family never went there. I only went on my most recent trip because there was an after hours event.  I am not a mall goer. But if you like the shopping and non-park and non-hotel restaurants, this may be your thing.  OR if you want to go to the movies on vacation than be my guest. Just know it’s the same place.

There are more and better hotels

Disney has long had fancy hotels like the Grand Floridian.  But there are more hotels, expansions to the Vacation CLub properties.  And overall they are giving every level of traveler more choices. In the end you want to stay on property.  It’s just so huge driving in and out is a big time-suck (not to mention parking and shuttle to the park). The Art of Animation was added with suites and such in the budget category (don’t be fooled, “budget”  is relative here –relatively high). The Contemporary was updated and expanded to include a DVC property. The other new additions fall in the Deluxe (ie expensive)category Villas at the Grand Floridian, Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  Disney4Shores shared her thoughts on the Copper Creek Villas

The prices went up

You probably anticipated this since prices always go up.  But Disney World is almost like a Debeers diamond cartel. They can raise their prices and people just keep coming.  And with the increased activity in travel generally the price increases have been large. I paid around $3,200 for my family of 4 in our vacation package.  The same package runs $4,800. So you have been warned and sticker shock might still happen. OUr package was the following: 7 night stay at Pop Century, with Disney mid-level dining plan (1 snack, 1 table and 1 quick service) during a moderate season (presidents weekend and week after). If you want “how much does it cost tips check out This article from Vacation Kids.com.  Mousesavers.com also has great specific tips for making the trip economical.   Their website is old school and ugly and you have to read –no videos–but it is super informative)

Whats the same

• It’s crowded
• It’s still huge
• There is always something still “under construction”
• Dining plans are still free sometimes–look for that in the fall  
• You still won’t experience it all–they do that on purpose
• Someone will still have a breakdown–full days of Disney wear a kid out and an adult
• The tea cups will still make you throw up–and Mission Space
• It still rains a regularly in FL bring a poncho
• You’ll have great memories in the end

The post What to know if you haven’t been to Disney World in 10 years appeared first on FaVe Mom.

You can still get banknotes there from Gringotts which can be used at Universal Orlando resort, in DIagon Alley, to purchase souvenirs.  They are not above taking your money. If you want a detailed bit on the pros and cons of getting the money check out this article .  I want to talk to you about how to enjoy the space for free.  And that is by asking the Goblin a really good question.

Why does it matter what question you ask the Goblin?

Actually it doesn’t matter if you are just there to get Gringotts bank notes.  If you are looking for some entertainment while you do that you will prefer to ask a good question.

What makes a good question for the Goblin?

At the Gringotts Money Exchange, you only get to ask one question of the goblin because there is usually a line and the Goblins are rather curmudgeonly.  They chat about as much as my husband (sorry honey). So you should plan your question. A good questions gets a good response. The Goblin is animatronic and has several set pat answers.  Those are no fun. But if you are careful you can ask something that gets a different response.

TIP:  Speak up or the goblin won’t hear you over the crowd and then you’ll get no response.  No room for shy visitors there.

My top 5 questions to ask the Goblin at Gringott’s Money Exchange?

I got these ideas with the help of my Universal VIP tour guide, so i can’t take complete credit for all this creativity though we did come up with a few on our own.

5. Has Gringott’s had a break in? Answer: “I won’t dignify that with a response”

4. What’s your name? Answer: “You may call me, ‘Sir'”

3. How old are you? Answer: “Old Enough”

2. Do you know Harry Potter? Answer “I don’t concern myself with the whereabouts of the banks customers no matter how famous they may be”

1. “Are you a House Elf?” Answer: –I am not giving this away, sorry!

And if you want a particularly long answer ask, “Where are we?”  He’ll define the purpose of the gringott’s bank for you.

If you want more of our tips on Universal Orlando check out theses posts

• Must knows about Hogwarts Express
• 5 places for food at Universal Orlando
• Volcano Bay Crowd Tips

The post Questions for Goblin at Gringott’s Money Exchange appeared first on FaVe Mom.

You won’t be waiting in as many lines

Seriously, you don’t have to do every ride.  You can completely skip Dumbo, Winne the Pooh or It’s a Small World.  Personally I skip the 4D shows (unless I need a break from the heat). When you come with the family or the kids, those adult desires to do things will always take a back seat.  But when you can skip a ton of rides you have never wanted to do anyway, the line waiting can be far more strategic. Which brings me to the next reason it’s wonderful to visit the Magic Kingdom as an adult without children.

You can arrive early…or not

My friend and I arrived at Animal Kingdom early and rode Flights of Passage immediately so we wouldn’t have as long a wait. And that was great.  Dragging kids out early can be hard. But as a grown up you can do this….or not.  We didn’t even go to Epcot one day until late, because we didn’t have to be there at a specific time, there was no ride little Davey will cry all day if he doesn’t get on or some must-see character greeting we needed to be at.   And that’s the next thing

Character Greetings–SKIPPED

You don’t even have to do a character greeting when you go as an adult…unless you want to. But seriously Anna and Elsa aren’t real and you know it.  So it’s unlikely you want to wait in that line. Thankfully as a grown up at the Disney World you can just walk right on by. Best part absolutely no one says, “Why can’t we see Elsa?”

You discover rides you actually like and don’t

Perhaps it’s my age, but honestly I realized that I actually like things like, “The People Mover”, “Hall of Presidents” and just gazing as sections of the park with its unique designs.  When you are herding a child or ensuring their safety these things get completely missed.  I knew I liked Space Mountain, but those lesser known rides got lost in my memory or bathroom emergencies and gratitude we were inside and out of heat (kids can be so cranky when they get warm, moms too).  When you go as an adult take a moment to say, “Do I actually enjoy this ride?” Turns out that I am about to commit blasphemy and say, “I never need to ride Frozen again” It just didn’t float my boat (you can groan at the pun now).  Honestly, I enjoyed Maelstrom more. The tech is cool and it’s kinda fun to break into song of “Let it Go” while in a boat with 10 strangers, but I don’t think I would waste a FastPass+  on it again –unless I was with my family and they wanted to go.

Dining is super simple and just a bit better

We all know that dining out is hard with kids on the best of days.  But theme park dining can be especially difficult. And the whole advanced reservations system at Disney World can make it even harder.  Well “party of 2” can get way better results at the last minute. Our party was able to get in for a seating at Be Our Guest the day before we went.  Unheard of right? Well like I said dining is sooooo much easier when you go as an adult. Also there are so many grown up dining options from Victoria and Albert’s, which practically has a Michelin Star, to the varying restaurant (and bar) choices at Disney Springs, the foodie in any adult will be satisfied.  

Less Stressful

I hope you are noticing a theme.  Going to Disney World on an adult’s only vacation is just plain less stressful.  There are no expectations to manage in unreasonable children. And you can just spend your time discovering at your own pace.  You get to do what you want and avoid all the parts you don’t want.

The Hotels are actually for Grown-ups

With the exception of the value resorts, the on-property hotels are really designed with grown ups in mind. I mean our hotel (The Contemporary)  actually had a jog path marked.  There was a conference center too.  Most of the hotels have an in-house restaurant.  And best of all they have lots of “sit here and enjoy the view” spots. You can finally enjoy those features.  I didn’t take a jog, but I sure admired the 70 year old I saw out there taking a run. Kudos to him. I wanna be that guy when I grow up.

You can change parks

The thought of taking my family to another park in the same day just left me wanting to weep. All the walking to get out of the park (kid legs are small), monorail or bus time and then getting in another park. The kids would never make it.  Well grown ups can do it and don’t even care. After we hit Flights of Passage early in the morning we left Animal Kingdom (remember we don’t have to do things we don’t want to –bye bye pretty much everything in AK). We headed over to Magic Kingdom.  The transition was simple. And I finally feel like I got my monies worth on that “park hopper feature”.

You can skip the fireworks…or not.

I had never been on 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and we couldn’t get FastPasses.  So being a grown up party that advice about ride it during the fireworks was advice we took.  And the wait was shortest it was all day. See you can be strategic with your line waiting (see reason #1).   And while I like the fireworks shows, I am not a huge fan of stake a place for and hour to watch the show uncomfortably from the Main Street Roundabout.  It kinda makes my neck hurt thinking about it. So skipping and doing what you want was perfect.

You can book guided tours and special events

I realize you can book these with your kids, but there are a few with age restrictions of 16+ like Disney Holiday Magic D-Lights, Disney’s yuletide Fantasy and Backstage Magic, Keys to the Kingdom and The unDISCOVERed Future World.    These are pricey, but for the most part not available to groups with kids. So another advantage, you will be with all grown ups. Pretty unique bucket list item.

Driving is a non-issue

Perhaps it’s because I have teens that recently got a license, or that I spent many years shuttling children.  But I love that I DON’T have to get behind the wheel of a car. All the buses,monarail and now the MinnieVan and uber make navigating painless.  And for the entire stay I was free of traffic frustration.  It was pure heaven!

So you may not have Disney World on your grown up travel bucket list, but you might want to consider it.  They really make it great for adults as well as children. And they are getting more and more features for adult-only parties or girls-trip groups.  Disney World isn’t so bad

Read more about how to enjoy Disney World as an adult or with your adult children

• EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
• Top Disney Dos for Young Adults
• Adults Love Disney World Too
• My Solo Trip to Disney World

The post Reasons Adults Visit Disney World…without kids appeared first on FaVe Mom.

You are probably wondering why I would make this folded money for a groom.  Well, mainly because sometimes you know the groom, but not the bride. You can make the dollar origami dress when you know the bride or are attending the shower.   But only a small number of grooms want a dress. But it feels like I still need to make a gift that symbolizes wedding. A heart is a great option for that.

I could share a story about how I decided to give this to a nephew when he got married and I hardly knew his bride.  But, that’s boring. How about you grab some money and fold the heart. Or if you prefer you could fold one of these Dollar Origamis

• Money origami graduation cap
• Easy Dollar Origami House
• Dollar origami dress

The post Dollar Bill Origami Heart with Flower appeared first on FaVe Mom.

I Heart Money

This heart origami is a great shape to fold very quick for a money gift.  You could make it fance with lots of them out of one-dollar bills and put them in a cute box.  But like have said before, I started folding money because I don’t do all that fancy packaging.  So fold the heart, stick in a card and move on.

Now if you are opposed to handing out candy at Valentine’s you could always give a dollar bill origami heart to everyone.   Yeah, that could get kinda expensive. I recommend doing that only for people you are close to. My college student could go for a money heart anytime but it’s a fun Valentine’s origami craft activity.   Plus I’d probably just tell my college student to watch these origami instructions and fold her own (I’d probably still supply the bill).

Now a few rules about money folding. Don’t rip, glue or tear the money.  Cash is considered legal tender and you have to treat it as such. Sometimes things rip accidentally and that is life, but never rip money on purpose.  (Unless you want to be sad you have currency that won’t be accepted anywhere)

If you like this Fastest Dollar Bill Origami Heart than check out our other heart origami

• Heart Origami Bookmark
• Origami Heart from a Square Piece of Paper
• An origami heart ring (and 3 other ways to fold the origami rings)

The post Fast Dollar Bill Origami Heart appeared first on FaVe Mom.

Can I use Printer Paper to make an Origami Heart?

Don’t try to just make this origami with printer paper. The ratios are wrong. You need the origami paper to be twice as wide as it is tall.  You’d need to cut basic printer paper to 5.5” by “11” to get the same results.

You can put this origami on several things as it folds flat.  Cards are a great option for valentine’s.

Folder Beware:

This particular folding process can leave a white line in the center if you use origami paper that is white on on side and color on the other. For a heart fold that uses the whole paper and doesn’t leave the line no matter what paper you use. Check out Easy Origami Heart

If you want more origami inspiration checkout our Origami Pinterest page

Or if you prefer more Valentines Ideas

• Valentine’s Gifts for Everyone
• Valentine’s Heart Note
• Valentine’s fondue ideas
• Valentines heart corner bookmark

The post Double Bypass Origami Heart appeared first on FaVe Mom.

Have I told you I am not a fan of Valentine’s Day? I like it about as much as I like Halloween. (You can see that rant at Halloween ghost origami)  I seriously seem like a holiday hater, but it’s just that holidays need to have a purpose for me and Valentine’s is a greeting card holiday.  Or perhaps it’s a diamond cartel holiday. I don’t know which originated it, but the holiday has nothing to do with anything and is merely an excuse for couples to have unnecessary expectations and obligations and marketers to sell us products.  The fact you can fold origami hearts is about the only thing I really like about it. So let’s get to that.

Items you will need to fold this Origami Heart

• Square piece of paper (I use 6 inch by 6 inch)
• The video above
• Absolutely nothing else!
• No date, significant other, box of chocolates or flowers needed
• I just like bullet points.

This is a flat origami so you can mail it very easy, so stick it in a box of goodies being sent to someone or paste it to a card or tape it to your kids door.  I realize that cutting out hearts is way faster. But for me that means I won’t have an excuse to do origami. So I fold them.

If you enjoyed this easy origami project check out our other Valentine’s related origamis

• Origami Valentines Love Notes
• Origami heart corner book mark
• Origami Lily for Valentine’s
• All Things Valentines
• Chocolate Fondue Recipes

The post Easy to Fold Origami Heart appeared first on FaVe Mom.

We did not receive free product for this review, it is my own opinion.  The following article does contain affiliate links. That means you can support our site by clicking a link and purchasing an item.  FaveMom.com will receive a commission for any purchases made through our links. But as always, there is no obligation, and our opinions of the products are our own.  

OK, first off let me explain I am not a Home Depot shopper.  The place makes me feel like I should do all sorts of home improvement.  And sure I had my “I am gonna do home improvements like a weekend warrior”  phase. It has ended. I realize that 1. My marriage won’t last through another tile job and 2. Contractors do it better 3.  I actually hate home improvement work (I seriously don’t understand that thing people say about, “don’t you feel so good completing it and knowing you did it? –No I don’t! I complete it and think, “that would have been done better, in half the time and I could have enjoyed the last 4 weeks of my life”–  Anyway, now I don’t do home improvement unless I have to!!! So going to Home Depot is a rare occasion. Thus getting home filters always required a special trip to Home Depot.

My sister in law once told me that everyone stayed healthier in her house if she bought really good filters and changed it every month in the winter.  I can’t honestly say I have tried that or support the method. But I do know that several furnace repair men have told me that my old-crude furnace needs to have low grade quality filters.  Weird right? Turns out the furnace is low in efficiency and the thick allergen preventing filters make it less efficient. This is probably not true for most furnaces. But I did want to change my filter at regular intervals.

I don’t change my furnace filter every month like my sister in law.  I was doing it every 3 months until we ended up needing a repair because I wasn’t emptying the filter often enough.  So now I opt for every 2 months. Put that in my ToDoist App and every 2 months it pops up that I should put a new filter in.

No Problem, Right?

I didn’t have a furnace filter around.  I had to go buy one to stay on schedule.  So I tried buying multiple at one time and having several on hand.  That seems a reasonable solution right? Wrong. Someone seemed to think the furnace filter needed changing more often and 4 months of filters was gone through in about 2 months.  What is with that??? I decided that this wasn’t going to work either.

It was about this time I learned about Filter Easy (because I was looking up buying filters on Amazon for 2 day delivery–BTW they didn’t have ones priced reasonably at the time).  So filter easy is this simple filter mail subscription. Seriously. I pick the frequency (every 2 months). They mail the chosen filter.  

Thus far I have been very happy. I mean very happy.  I don’t have to even have “change filter” in my to do list.  Filter Easy sends it and when it arrives I put it in. Finally a subscription service I fully support.  The price is higher than I would pay if I went to the home improvement store about $15 per filter. But for the mental freedom and the lack of actually going into a Lowe’s feels like a good trade to me.  

If you wanna check out the Filter Easy Furnace Filter Subscription service out, please do.   Just one more way to make life a touch easier in the new year.

If you enjoyed this post check out my other posts about life and things:

• New Years Hopes
• Empty Nester Bucket List
• Empty Nester Quotes to Live By

The post Hack Your Furnace Filter appeared first on FaVe Mom.