Growing Up Disney

Photo Flashback! Stay Cool at WDW and Save Money

2013-06-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Summertime (or honestly, most of the time) at Walt Disney World is HOT! One great way to cool off is with a mister fan. My mom has been carrying a very small fan from Brookstone for as long as I can remember. This past trip, I bought Tink her own Disney fan. This water bottle/fan creates a nice mist and was about $8 at my local Walmart. I added a lanyard we had at the house and Tink was all set. Disney sells their own version for at least twice that. Disney does tend to chill their mister fans on ice but ours stayed under the stroller (dry!) until we needed it and then I filled it from a drinking fountain.

Now of course, for a four year-old, it is mostly just another way to play with water but I'd call it money well spent.

Thanks to DisneyDad for capturing these adorable photos!
Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for another fun topic! Today's post was inspired by her theme of The Disney Days of Summer.

Five Photos! Mama Melrose's Ristorante Itlaliano

2013-06-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

On our trip this past May we had lunch at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano at the Disney Hollywood Studios. The lunch was wonderful and we finished up with the adults sharing a Chocolate Cannoli cake while Tink enjoyed a Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake.

May Trip Report: Sick at Walt Disney World

2013-06-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

In over 40 years of trips to Walt Disney World I never remember being sick until now. Both my wife and I got sick on this trip.

Mom and I booked this trip to see the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival

I felt bad before we drove down on Saturday to be at Old Key West to meet Amy and the Girls on Sunday. Sunday I made it around EPCOT for dinner at The Garden Grill in The Land pavilion. An all-you-care-to-eat meal and I was sick. The food was good, I just couldn't eat. I mostly watched the girls eat and how excited they got when Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Chip and Dale came by the table to visit with them. Our waiter was excellent and made over the girls appropriately and gifted both of the girls with some stickers and one of the small Toy Story alien dolls before we left.

Mickey and the Girls at The Garden Grill

If you have never been to the character dinner at The Garden Grill it is fun. Your dining room rotates so you see many of the scenes from the Living With The Land boat trip. The food is served "family style" with plenty of choices. Dinner started with warm fresh rolls with a maple butter. Then there was turkey and stuffing, "sustainable fish of the day" (ours was grilled tilapia), and a char-grilled filet of beef. (The Garden Grill Menu can be found here.) Since I was not feeling well, the warm fresh rolls were fantastic. I ate a few bites of the filet of beef and some of the sides, but an all-you-care-to-eat restaurant when you are sick would not be my first choice. Of course reservations had been made weeks before and everyone else was ready for a good meal.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Monday was Mom's birthday. Amy and I were going to take her to lunch at Le Cellier in the Canadian Pavilion at EPCOT. Unfortunately, since I was not feeling well, Amy canceled our reservation Sunday night. I was feeling better Monday, but would not have enjoyed eating there. (Ridge ate there on his trip the end of May. I hope he writes a full report for Growing Up Disney.) We still went to Epcot. By the time lunch came around, Amy had Tink and were off alone and Mom and I had Minnie. Minnie had fallen asleep in her stroller so we pushed her around to The Liberty Inn at the American Pavilion for lunch. She slept while we ate. Mom wanted a cheeseburger and I ordered her the 1/3 lb Angus Smokehouse Burger and I had the Chili-Cheese Hot Dog (as you can tell I was feeling much better). The Smokehouse Burger has barbecue pulled pork, cheese and an onion ring on it. It was much bigger than what Mom could eat, but she tried. The Chili-Cheese dog is big and I did my best to finish it off but left most of the fries. Mom was not feeling well so we went back to the room early.

Minnie at EPCOT

Tuesday was Mom's turn to be sick. Amy and I took the girls over to The Magic Kingdom and I had a ball with the girls. We started with breakfast at The Crystal Palace which is another character meal with Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and Pooh. We then visited Princesses (see post here), Mickey Mouse, took the girls on The Jungle Cruise, and then Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip. Mom was feeling better that evening and joined us at for dinner at Olivia's at Disney's Old Key West Resort.

Girls just want to have fun!!!

Wednesday everyone was feeling fine. Amy took Tink and went off to a park while Mom and I stayed at Old Key West and played with Minnie. We got out and went off property to Chevy's at the Crossroads for lunch. Minnie loves Mexican and the chips and salsa are first rate. She ate well but enjoyed the ice cream at the end the best.

Thursday we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Lunch was at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. We shared the antipasto platter for an appetizer. I had the Penne alla Vodka, Mom and Amy shared a grilled sea bass and a gnocchi dish that they both enjoyed. Tink had the best dessert with a Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake. It has to be seen to believed. Disney's web site describes it as "A Chocolate Cupcake with "Spaghetti" Frosting and a Chocolate "Meatball"' with a Strawberry "Marinara Sauce" and White Chocolate "Cheese"." Amy had told me about this but it really has to be seen. See end of post for a picture.

Amy and the Girls at The Crystal Palace with Tigger

Friday as we prepared to leave we had breakfast at Olivia's. Tink and Minnie had mini-Mickey Waffles and I had a big Mickey Waffle. I love waffles anyway and the Mickey ones just make it a little more special.

If you haven't noticed yet Mom and I have been so many times to Walt Disney World over a 40 year span, we plan our trips to the park around were we want to eat for the day. Of course when you are sick and don't feel like eating it really doesn't matter where you are. Feeling bad is still feeling bad. Of course somehow feeling bad is better if you are at Disney World and having my Granddaughters along for the week didn't hurt either.

--DisneyDad

Tink and....errr....Tink at EPCOT

Amy said since I had said the Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake had to be seen, I should show it. This is a iPhone photo that is a little dark, but I think you can get the idea of the cupcake with no problem. I'll post more on this Monday's Five Photos post. -- DisneyDad

Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake from Mama Melrose - Yum Yum!!!

Photo Flashback! Anticipation

2013-06-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tink and Minnie excitedly looking for a bus to the Magic Kingdom.

Five Photos: Tinker Bell's Butterfly House

2013-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tinker Bell's Butterfly House

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot blooms in spring as the Flower and Garden Festival fills the park with thousands of plantings, special topiaries, demonstrations, and guest speakers. One of our favorite parts of the festival each year is the butterfly house. My Tink loved seeing topiaries of her favorite fairies and the tiny fairy houses tucked around the butterfly house. She was absolutely thrilled to (very gently!) touch one of the butterflies. Even the Disney butterflies know how to make magical moments!!

Happy little girl. Only moderately annoyed butterfly.

If you had wings, had wings, had wings...

This butterfly was sweet on Terence. Sorry, his heart belongs to Tink.

These tiny fairy houses were such a fun touch

Tink, Tink, and Periwinkle

A Walk Around The World With Ridge – Kingdom Camera Rentals

2013-06-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Before our last journey to Walt Disney World, a new company Kingdom Camera Rentals approached Growing Up Disney to look at their services. Once I had checked out their site I wanted to try renting from them.

Kingdom Camera Rentals is not only a reference to the Magic Kingdom but also the Kingdom of Heaven and is a Christian company. I met with the co-owner, Lenise, when she dropped off my lens and had a very nice talk about photography, Disney, business and even introduced her to DisneyDad and Mom. It was a very enjoyable conversation. But enough of the chatter let’s talk about the site and the equipment.

First thing I notice about a site is how easy it is to find information. Use their site and you will see that there is a very logical flow to the information and it has a clean look. The site isn’t cluttered and is full of good information.

www.kingdomcamerarentals.com

I used the Canon 18-200 IS USM lens for my time at Disney. The lens isn’t bulky, looks good on the camera body, and the pictures are pretty crisp. I used this lens as my primary for the time I had it and can’t say that I am disappointed. One thing to be noted about this lens is that it does what is called lens procession. It’s a fancy way of saying it will come out of focus if you aren’t holding it. When you lean the camera forward the lens is going to expand as if you were trying to zoom in. So to keep this from being a problem when not in use there is a lens lock switch on the underside. It didn’t take long to get used to this and it’s designed in such a way that you can operate it without fumbling around for it. So overall I give the lens good marks but you be the judge with my pictures.

So why rent? Well as we all know camera gear can be extremely expensive. I know firsthand when I think about the fact I drag a couple grand worth of gear into the parks every day. Wide angle, zoom, fisheye, prime… I never know what I am going to want to try. But cost is killer in this game. I’m not making any money off my pictures so I can’t write this stuff off as business expense. So try renting. The cost of most lenses is very reasonable for a 3 day trial. If you like it you can rent it for longer. Since most of my personal trips are 4 days or less a 3 day rental is perfect. You can take out insurance on them so if there is an accidental damage you’re covered.

I’m a Canon guy but they have it Nikon as well and it isn’t just lenses they have lots of other equipment available from camera bodies to SD cards. On my next trip I will be renting a Canon 7D, yay! Now there are other companies available for online rental however they are located in Orlando and don’t bring you your equipment and those other companies charge a lot to ship their lenses. So local is really the way to go. I am very satisfied with my rental experience and will look at this as a way to try more lenses in the future and expand my shooting.

What is your favorite lens and what camera set up do you use?

Audrey

Beast's Castle

Cheetahs

Rhino

The Eastman Family

Zebra

Tree Topper At Epcot

Photo Flashback: Favorite Memory

2013-06-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Cinderella, Tink and Minnie

While on our recent May trip we had the chance to film a TV spot for The Disney Vacation Club. After submitting information and going through two interviews we were ultimately told the producers "had decided to go in a different direction", which was a nice way to tell us they decided not to use our family. They had discussed following our family around the park to film a typical day of a DVC family. By not coming with us they missed the shot that would have really makes what taking children to Walt Disney World is all about.

Amy and I took the girls into meet the Princesses at Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. When we walked into the room with the Princesses, Aurora and Cinderella were standing together talking. Minnie saw them and began to scream "Aurora... Rella..." to the enjoyment of the Princesses. I think the look on Minnie's face and the reaction of the Princesses would have made the final cut of any TV spot.

I don't think I'll forget Tink and Minnie with the Princesses.
--DisneyDad

Five Photos: The Backside of Water

2013-06-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love all the cheesy jokes on the Jungle Cruise, especially when you get a really good skipper. One of the classic gags is the "backside of water."

The backside of water

Another look at the backside of water

People with large hats enjoying the backside of water

Wait! What's that? It's the front side of water.

And not to be forgotten, the SIDE of water.

Flying Alone with a Toddler and a Preschooler....Again

2013-05-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

In January my girls and I flew to Walt Disney World to meet my best friend for a girls' vacation. In May we repeated the journey, this time to visit with Granny and Granddaddy at their second home. With a little planning and a little luck, flying went well. May was Tink's fourth flight to WDW and Minnie's second (sixth and fourth trips, respectively.) My husband couldn't join us on either holiday but is a good sport to go to work while we play. He thinks we should travel while we can before the girls are tied down to school. But I digress....(and aren't I lucky?!?)

Here are my top ten tips on flying with small children.

1. Think Outside of the Box

We live in Eastern North Carolina and there are a few small regional airports available to us. However, I book us on flights with Southwest out of Raleigh/Durham. For one, their prices tend to be a little lower and the lack of bag fees helps since we are absolutely checking luggage. Secondly, from this larger airport, we can get a direct flight from RDU to MCO. Yes, we have more travel time on the road but driving in the van is much easier than flying in terms of the girls. We leave nice and early and with any luck, at least one of them will nap on the way over. My husband and I used this trick before kids as well. We lived in Tulsa but drove to Kansas City for a direct and less expensive flight.

2. Stick to the Schedule

If you have multiple flight times available, I find that working around mealtimes and naptimes is helpful. For older kids, killing some time on the flight with lunch might be good, but I'd avoid it with the little set if you can, too messy. We get to the airport in time to have a meal right before we leave so we don't board with empty tummies or low blood sugar. And I've been fortunate that Minnie napped on both return flights so those were easy after take-off.

{I started this article prior to our trip in May. That journey that makes me giggle a bit at my previous advice. It's good advice but there weren't as many flight times this go-round so we ended up with a 10:30 am departure, landing just after noon in Orlando. That doesn't sound so bad but we all were up earlier than usual and it just didn't work for meal or nap times. We were all in meltdown by the time we boarded Magical Express. They behaved well on the flight but it fell apart later and honestly it was as much me as them. Thankfully, Minnie finally got a nap and I let Tink play with some electronic device while I enjoyed the relative quiet. Given the options, we did the best we could but I shouldn't have planned a dinner for that evening. I'll chalk that up to being overly excited and optimistic. May just proved that a good flight time can really help.}

3. Cheat

Yes, I know children aren't supposed to have much "screen time" but if you have any electronic device, load that bad boy up with kiddo stuff. Thanks to getting direct flights our time in the air is pretty short and I see no harm in watching a movie or playing a game or two. I look for new games and shows prior to our trip. The girls each have a set of headphones and I bought a splitter so they could both listen to the same show. We should practice with the headphones at home more before the trip. Neither of my girls has been all that interested in headphones as a toddler but Tink did well with hers. We are an iFamily and I traveled with an iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch as well as Tink's LeapPad loaded up with a new TinkerBell book she had not seen previously. And just to cover my bases, I pack an external battery in my carry-on.

I also carry candy. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Ha ha. Kidding. My stash of Smarties and some small clearance priced Easter packs of jelly beans saved the day on several occasions.

And lest you think I just fill my kids with sugar and give them electronics, we do carry healthier snacks (natural applesauce and raisins), paper, pens, stickers, and a new trick in the old diaper bag...pipe cleaners.

4. Use All Available Resources
My preschooler is quite easy on an airplane but the toddler is a bit more of a challenge. It's a strange environment and she doesn't want to follow the "get on the plane and sit down" rule. When we managed to score a free seat for my lap child, that little extra bit of space was really nice. While the rest of the plane was finding seats, Minnie was rearranging the magazines from one seat back pocket to another and getting out some last minute wiggles. In May we had full flights both directions so we had tighter quarters. I tried my best to keep her occupied before takeoff with a faceless air-sickness bag puppet (note to self: have a pen ready next time) and looking for puppies and kittens in the SkyMall catalog. And that box of jellybeans may have come out...

5. Cups and Snacks
I carry a sippy cup on the plane for each girl that is about half filled with water, after security, of course. They can drink from them during takeoff to relieve ear pressure and when the apple juice comes around later, I have lidded cups ready to go. And it goes without saying but pack plenty of snacks. Goldfish, raisins, cheese sticks, applesauce pouches, Mickey fruit snacks and peanut butter cups (jif to go, not reese's) have all worked well for us. Be sure to carry something for yourself too. That tiny pack of pretzels won't improve anyone's mood.

6. Stroller
My husband thinks I should check our stroller with the luggage. Granted I don't particularly need it in Raleigh since so far they have been kind enough to let him have a pass to help us to the gate. But I know the baggage crew is working fast and furious and I prefer not to have my stroller among the items they are throwing about so I gate check our strollers. Plus, it's REALLY nice to have the ability to corral one or both of the kids. My sanity is worth ~~lugging~~ carrying the stroller with me. The line for security in Orlando can be a half hour and having the toddler safely in her stroller is a big help. I would be a wreck if I had to fight to keep both girls in line for that long plus deal with our luggage, paperwork, etc. My strollers fold easily and go through the x-ray machine without issue.

In January, we had a City Mini Double from Simple Stroller Rental waiting at Old Key West for us so I took my smallest stroller, a Maclaren Volo. Minnie had a place to sit in the airport and it turned out to be a great back-up to the full-sized double. Last fall, I broke down and bought ANOTHER stroller. It's a Joovy Caboose Ultralight and was a steal at nobetterdeal.com. This is a fantastic Disney stroller for my girls and worked great in the airport. For the trip home, I made the stroller smaller by putting the canopy and snack tray in my checked suitcases. Tink didn't need to ride after we arrived at RDU which allowed the stroller to also be a handy luggage cart.

7. Go for the Burn
We all know keeping kids cooped up for too long is a recipe for disaster so I try to let them burn off a little energy when they can. Going for a walk in our terminal and finding an unused gate for some playtime have worked for us. Also, don't forget that most, if not all, of the WDW resorts have places for kids to color and/or watch movies. My kids enjoy coloring at Community Hall or watching old cartoons in Papa's Den at Old Key West while waiting for Magical Express.

8. Ask for Help
I don't know what the rules are on this but so far Southwest Airlines has allowed my husband to go to the gate with us on the three times I have flown alone with one or both girls. I'm fairly sure we have reached the limit since Minnie will soon be two, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

This was just offered to me, but Southwest also allowed me to skip the main line at ticketing in Orlando since all I needed was a boarding pass for Minnie. Our luggage had been checked at Old Key West. I was sent to the upgraded area and only waited a minute or so for the next employee to be available. If someone is working at the beginning of the queue, ask very nicely and see what happens.

9. Deputize Your Older Children
Tink has recently turned four and wants to do things for herself and be a helper. I told her that I was going to need her to be a good listener and help me at the airport. She carried her preschool backpack with a few toys for herself and little sister. Tink held Minnie's hands while I was putting the stroller on the security conveyor belt. I really appreciated my little assistant.

10. Take a Deep Breath
Even if the kids are going nuts and you can't wait to get to your destination, know that in the grand scheme of things, this is likely a very small portion of your trip.

That's my list. What did I miss that works for you? Please share so we can all learn from one another. Thanks! ~Amy

Photo Flashback!!! -- Rex!

2013-05-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love our old friend and former Star Tours pilot, Rex. No one gets lost like he does.

Five Photos: US FLAGS in Honor of Memorial Day

2013-05-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

In Memory and Gratitude to those who have sacrificed so we may have the Freedom we enjoy.

A few of the American Flags I have photographed at Walt Disney World.

American Flags may be found all over Walt Disney World but especially on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom Train Station

Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom

Liberty Bell in Liberty Square

Ok. The Liberty Bell is not on Main Street USA.

I think it fits well in this Five Photo on Memorial Day.

Magic Kingdom Town Square

Flag Retreat at Town Square in the Magic Kingdom

If you have never seen the Flag Retreat Ceremony in Town Square in the Magic Kingdom, it is worth taking the 15 minutes it takes to watch. It has varied over the years from the times I have watched. They have had dove release as part of they ceremony, the Dapper Dans have sung, and the Main Street Philharmonic has played. I have seen active duty military visiting the park take part in the ceremony as in this photo from October 2008. I have also seen retired military take part in the ceremony.

To all who have served, Thank you, for your service to our country.

--DisneyDad

Minnie Moms: What Does a Typical WDW Day Look Like for Your Family?

2013-05-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a Walt Disney World vacation with my parents and my two daughters, ages 4 and almost 2. This was the 4th trip within the last year but every time we go we seem to have a different group of adults and of course, the girls are changing quickly at these young ages. As I was thinking through how to structure our days, I asked the Minnie Moms for tips on how they do things. Thanks to the ladies for sharing their ideas! I'll share what did and did not work for us soon. ~Amy

Natalie: Typical Vacation Days with the Henley Family

Touring with the Henley Family is really not for the faint of heart. We head to the parks and attach the attractions, taking in as much as we possibly can in the time allotted. We walk fast, moving from one thing to the other. Here are the details for the travels with my huband, my son (age 7) and myself:

· Before we leave for vacation, I have found which theme park we will tour each day. This may be driven by dining reservations or by events my family hopes to attend on a particular day.

· We wake at some point and head to the theme parks. We are armed with everything we will need in order to make it though the entire day. If we believe it will rain that day, we carry all gear to prepare for that. If we are heading to an event (such as the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party), we take our costumes with us as well.

· Breakfast is typically had in the room or as we make our way to the theme parks. As you may know, I wrote the book Strategies for Paying for Disney where I detail a variety of ways to save money so you can afford Disney at all or more often. I found in past vacations that eating breakfast in the quick service restaurants was often so crowded, expensive and time consuming that my family decided that the actually preferred eating in the room instead.

· Lunch is often times purchased from the quick service restaurants. Some days, if traveling just my son and I, I also pack my lunch and bring it in the parks. My son and I love having a picnic in the parks and again, it is really a great time and money saver!

· By dinner time, my family wants to sit down and have a hearty meal at a table service restaurant. We love the time sitting and cooling off out of the hustle and bustle of the day.

· My family (when not traveling with my husband) typically sees the parade and/or fireworks show. If traveling with my husband, we forgo the shows and see more attractions during this time.

· My family does NOT spend much down time at the parks. We are going from one attraction to the next. We typically stay at one theme park per day but sometimes hit up more than one. One of our favorite tricks is to hit up EPCOT for the full day, leaving right after Illuminations. Next, we head over to the Magic Kingdom quickly to see the presentation of Wishes. You have to be quick or you will miss the beginning of Wishes.

· The family nearly always stays at any park that is open until around midnight. Sometime after midnight, my family becomes pretty tired and ready to head back to the room. We find that the hours after the fireworks are the very best for seeing attractions. The parks are typically the most empty and are not hot! Great for touring!

My entire family loves this way of touring. Even my son loves to stay late and sleep in the next day. Just discussing the fun makes me want to pack and head south now!

Danielle: Hi Amy, how great that you've been able to visit the World so often this year!!

My children are also currently 4 and 2, so I can tell you what has worked best for us.

We are a rope drop family. We like to try and stick to the kids' regular routine as much as possible on vacation so the kids are usually up early. We order groceries for breakfasts and snacks from Garden Grocer ahead of time, and so we eat breakfast in our DVC villa.

Being there for rope drop allows us to get through most of the rides we are interested in by noon. At that point, we either choose to eat a quick-service meal at the Park or return back to the resort to eat there. After lunch, we may head for some swimming at the resort's pool, and then nap time is a must for my 2 year old, but the 4 year old often falls asleep during her "quiet time" as well.

The kids are usually up by around 5pm, and then we usually head back into a Park for a table - service dinner. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we prefer just to eat at the quick-service location at the resort for a more relaxed evening. On those evenings, we'll partake in the resort's activities, such as a movie under the stars. If we're in a Park for the evening, though, we usually head back to the resort before any fireworks or parades start. We've seen them so many times that it's just not worth the wait for transportation at Park closing once everyone leaves the park at the same time. We'll usually do one evening parade or fireworks show per trip.

We don't head into the Parks every day, either. For about half the week, we have "pool days" where we simply enjoy the resort's amenities and head into the Parks at dinner time.

Because we visit the World so often, we seldom have "busy" trips anymore. We enjoy picking and choosing our favourite rides and restaurants and allowing ample time to enjoy the resort.

Have fun!

Janine: We have a very simple way of dealing with a 3 year old - we follow her schedule. We eat when she wants, we rest when she wants and she goes to bed at her usual time. I know a lot of people wouldn't think that was much of a holiday but it worked for us. The few times we tried to take her out to a table service place and a) we had to wait for food and b) it was later than she normally eats, we had such a meltdown that we ended up leaving and taking the food to-go back to the hotel.

I would also advocate if your child is up early anyway, make the most of it! Since Tink is an early riser and doesn't care for much for breakfast, it worked out for us to have some cereal in the room and then to the parks for rope drop.

As for staying late for fireworks, she was fast asleep by 7pm in her bed in the hotel, every night. We are however hoping that there will be a slightly earlier showing of Wishes this year. Last November there were a few at 8pm, I'm hopeful she will be old enough this year (3 instead of 2) to make it til then.

It can be difficult travelling with others with your children. We are in the same situation in November, my in-laws will not want to eat at 430pm and be in bed at 7!!! But this is our entire reasoning for staying on-site this year, I can take Tink back to Port Orleans Riverside and feel perfectly safe in my room when my husband and the in-laws go out in the evening. Everybody is happy then!!!

Many thanks to Janine, Natalie, and Danielle for sharing their touring tips this month! Please check out our Minnie Moms page for past articles and more information about this terrific team.

Photo Flashback! A Father/Daughter Shot 34 Years in the Remaking

2013-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

My first trip to Walt Disney World was in May 1979. I was three years old. One of the pictures DisneyDad has been able to find from that visit was this gem of the two of us with a rather quiet fellow.

DisneyDad and Amy on Main Street USA in May 1979

We couldn't pass up the chance to recreate this photo with my mini-me, Tink, who has just celebrated her 4th birthday and 6th Walt Disney World vacation.

DisneyDad and Tink on Main Street USA in May 2013

Not as cute as we once were, but a photo I'll cherish just the same. A PhotoPass photographer took this with my camera and really seemed to enjoy being a part of this special photo. If nothing else, it was a break from his normal routine.

DisneyDad and Amy on Main Street USA in May 2013

Thank you, Dad, for a lifetime of fun memories! I look forward to many more!! ~Amy

Five Photos: SIGNS!

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

"Signs" -- Five Man Electrical Band - 1970

Signs are everywhere at Walt Disney World. We read them. They are informative. They tell us where we are, what the attraction is and where we can eat. But how much attention do we actually pay to the details, the "architheming", that goes along with them? Disney makes sure each sign fits the theme of the attraction or the area of the parks. Below are some pictures I took recently of signs.

Signs show you where to eat.

Signs tell you about attractions.

One of the new area of New Fantasyland.

Signs show you rides.

Speedway in Tomorrowland

I like the Cat in this one.

Signs follow the theme of the area.

I don't think you find too much "Grog" here

but the Taco Salads are good!

And lastly, here is one of my Favorite signs....

Dole Whip is HERE!!!

(this is the photo I have as the desktop background on my PC)

Ok. there are a "few" more than FIVE photo's in this "Five Photo" post. Disney World works hard to theme each sign just right. Take time to enjoy them the next time you walk past a sign. They are not there just to "block out the scenery".

--DisneyDad

Oh! And one more sign.....

Good Bye Disney World

2013-05-17T07:49:00.001-05:00

Today is breakfast at Olivia's at Old Key West and we leave Walt Disney World to return home. It's been great fun with the girls.

--DisneyDad

Today we are headed to the Studios

2013-05-16T08:03:00.001-05:00

We are on our way!

2013-05-12T09:17:00.001-05:00

The girls and I are on our plane about to head to Orlando.

Mickey, see you real soon!!

Trip Planning with My Disney Experience - Part 2

2013-05-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

My experience with My Disney Experience.

I work in IT so I do a lot of work on computers (I basically live on one at work), so it is natural to go on line and work with managing my account on the DVC Members web site, and now with my reservation integration with My Disney Experience. I have felt right "at home" using the site.

Disney has allowed making reservations on line for years. You can go on line and book your room, tickets, and purchase Disney Dining Plan. It has only been fairly recently that Disney Vacation Club members could do the same thing by booking with their Vacation Points. My Disney Experience has put all the capability of managing your resort reservations together with your dining reservations and integrated it with a iPhone app. You can invite others to use My Disney Experience to "plan" along with you.

Amy and I have used our shared My Disney Experience to make dining reservations for our trip. We have put events and activities on our shared calenders and added notes. So far everything has worked well as we have planned our trip while we are over 600 miles apart.

The integration between the web version and the iPhone app have proved to be pretty seamless. There are differences in how they work and display data but both do pretty much the same thing. Dining reservation made on one, show immediately on the other. So as we have been doing our planning everything shows on My Disney Experience.

With our trip approaching it is time to do Online Check-In. It is now available 60 days out from the start of your reservation. This past week I did my check-in. My Disney Experience handles this too. Online Check-in allows you to go ahead and handle everything you would do at the Front Desk ahead of time. Resort check-in becomes a quick process (once you stand in line to get to the desk). I did my check-in on my pc. I don't know if you can do the same thing on an iPhone.

Amy decided to cancel one of the character breakfasts she had booked. When she canceled it, it was removed from My Disney Experience.

My Disney Experience has been a nice tool to work with Amy on planning our trip next week.

Have you done any of your trip planning on MDE? If so let us know what you think about it.

--DisneyDad

Photo Flashback! Carousel Fun

2013-05-08T06:34:00.001-05:00

We are leaving for another Walt Disney World adventure in a few short days. Last May, Tink and Minnie had a blast on their first carousel ride.

Trip Prep: One Week Out

2013-05-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

We are down to one week before our next Walt Disney World vacation. We have been busy this week getting ready for this trip, having the kitchen painted, and enjoying a visit from my husband's parents. Here's what I accomplished toward our trip during this past week.

Bought clothes for me
Made list of items to go in park bag(s)
Used diaper/camera bag to test it out and condense as much as possible
Worked on park schedule a bit, deciding to cancel breakfast ADR at Hollywood and Vine
Started packing the girls' clothes
Started watching weather forecasts
Looked for more disposable bibs and decided against them. Don't think Minnie will leave them on. Will carry my JJ Cole snap bib.

Minnie sporting our favorite bib

Trip Prep: Two Weeks Out

2013-04-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

Loved this and bought one for each girl.
The colors are much better in person. :)

Hi gang! Happy Monday to you! We leave for WDW two weeks from yesterday. Here's what I have done in the past week to get us ready.

Called DVC to set up Magical Express
Called Southwest to add Minnie since she is still under 2 and can fly for free
Made list of clothes we need
Shopped for shorts for me (no luck)
Bought new running shoes & started breaking them in
Started grocery list
Bought clothes and mini-sand buckets for the girls
Tested diaper and camera bags to decide what to carry this time

I've also been pondering about strollers. I'll most likely take my Joovy Caboose Ultralight. It is small for a double and Tink won't ride much anyway. It will fit in the trunk of my dad's car along with my mom's scooter if we want to drive to the parks. I'd love to use another City Mini Double from Simple Stroller Rental but then the driving option is out. I've taken two single Maclarens and a set of stroller connectors before but with Tink preferring to catch a ride with Granny, it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. I have a big bag to gate check my Joovy and the rain cover because it's that time of year so we'll go with that. If it all falls apart and Tink ends up needing a full seat for naps, we'll wing it. I can always rent a Disney stroller, buy one of the small ones at the World, go to Target, or call for an off-site rental.

Have a magical week!

~Amy

These were on clearance in the Easter stuff at Kmart. I paid about 50 cents each and they are the size of a big coffee cup. The girls can play with them in the sand at Old Key West and then we'll share them with someone else.

Three Years? I missed the memo

2013-04-26T09:30:00.001-05:00

Wow three years? It's only because of Amy we've made it this far. It's been such a blast meeting so many wonderful people in the community and making the effort to take all those trips. Too bad I had to take a new job that is going to slow down all my fun but I'll still make it work.

Big thanks to Amy and DisneyDad for keeping it all going.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Three Years Old!!

2013-04-26T06:10:00.000-05:00

It's amazing.

Cinderella Castle at Night

So many blogs and websites come and go. People start with good intentions of posting on a topic and soon it falls by the wayside. GrowingUpDisney is three years old. Over 800 posts and a quarter of a million page views of sharing "Three Generations taking on the World." Thank you for spending part of your time with our family.

Sometimes it's difficult to meet deadlines. We have averaged posting over 5 times a week for three years and over 1600 time a week you have averaged responding by checking out our posts. Amy, our editor and driving force behind the blog, sets out schedules and coordinates everything.... all while being a wife and mom to Tink and Minnie. Chris has "sacrificed" by going to Walt Disney World to do research and given us his view of the World in his "Around the World with Ridge" series. And I've been a Disney fan every since I can remember. I've probably caused some of the obsession with Disney that I've somehow passed on to my kids. It has been fun writing for the blog with them and sharing some of my old (and new) photos. Thank you for allowing me to share.

Thank you to all the Minnie Moms and others who have done so many guest posts and become part of our Growing Up Disney family.

In a few weeks Mom, Amy, Tink, Minnie and I will be going to Walt Disney World for a few days. We'll do some live posts while we are there and share some of our thoughts and photos of this year's Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. Thank you to Amy's husband, Andy, for letting the girls come with us while he has to stay at home and work.

Thank you for being part of the Growing Up Disney Family and taking time to visit with us each week.

Happy Blogoversary to Growing Up Disney!

--DisneyDad

We Are Three

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

We are three.

Three generations of Disney fanatics.

Three teammates.

Three years old.

Many heartfelt thanks to my brother and father for participating in this project with me.

Much love to the friends who have been a part of our first three years. I'm humbled by the wonderful friendships made through this blog.

Sincere gratitude to the readers who have followed along with our adventures.

Happy Blogoversary Growing Up Disney!

Photo Flashback! Main Street USA - 1979

2013-04-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Main Street USA - May 1979

Cinderella Castle - May 1979

Main Street USA - May 1979

These are two pictures I took in May 1979 of Main Street USA. The first one is facing Cinderella Castle and the second is looking back down Main Street USA towards the Train Station. I think you'd have to stay past closing to see this few people on Main Street. I think in 1979 the crowds were mostly smaller than what you see today. The view down Main Street has not changed much over the years while the Castle view has changed.

--DisneyDad

Growing Up Disney

Photo Flashback! Stay Cool at WDW and Save Money

Five Photos! Mama Melrose's Ristorante Itlaliano

May Trip Report: Sick at Walt Disney World

Photo Flashback! Anticipation

Five Photos: Tinker Bell's Butterfly House

A Walk Around The World With Ridge – Kingdom Camera Rentals

Photo Flashback: Favorite Memory

Five Photos: The Backside of Water

Flying Alone with a Toddler and a Preschooler....Again

Photo Flashback!!! -- Rex!

Five Photos: US FLAGS in Honor of Memorial Day

Minnie Moms: What Does a Typical WDW Day Look Like for Your Family?

Photo Flashback! A Father/Daughter Shot 34 Years in the Remaking

Five Photos: SIGNS!

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign? "Signs" -- Five Man Electrical Band - 1970

Good Bye Disney World

Today we are headed to the Studios

We are on our way!

Trip Planning with My Disney Experience - Part 2

Photo Flashback! Carousel Fun

Trip Prep: One Week Out

Trip Prep: Two Weeks Out

Three Years? I missed the memo

Three Years Old!!

We Are Three

Photo Flashback! Main Street USA - 1979

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

"Signs" -- Five Man Electrical Band - 1970