Pursuing the Magic

Disney Wordless Wednesday Bog Hop ~ Disney Details at Disney's Animal Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme this week is Disney Details. I had so many ideas of what I could include, but decided to focus on the details of one of the Walt Disney World theme parks. From the lights to the benches to signs entering into new sections of the park, Disney's Animal Kingdom has a lot of "Disney Details."

When Emily saw these lamp posts, she let us know they would look great at our
house! Joey loved all the benches shaped like different animals, but he refused to
sit on the one shaped like a crocodile!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see all the other great Wordless Wednesday posts!

The Growing Up Disney Minnie Moms ~ Favorite Disney Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:35:00 +0000

The Minnie Moms are back! Not sure who the Minnie Moms are? We are a group of moms who have been invited by Amy at Growing Up Disney to share our thoughts on Disney related topics. After a short hiatus, we back! This month we are discussing our favorite, and some not so favorite, Disney movies that we enjoy watching with the children. Head over to Growing Up Disney to see what we all had to say!

The Minnie Moms Favorite Disney Movies

PINspiration Blog Hop ~ Jasmine Themed Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Amy over at Disney Living. It is a great way to show how something you found on Pinterest has inspired you to create something at home.

When I first learned of Pinterest, in all honesty, I completely avoided it. This was due to the fact that I knew I would love it, that's right love . . . and I do! It is such an amazing tool to organize the things I find online. This week I have started searching for ideas for a Princess Jasmine party for Hayley's sixth birthday, which will be this summer. I have found some great ideas for cakes, but also I found a lot of party supplies that I didn't even know existed. Did you know you can even purchase a Jasmine themed jumpy house? I had no idea, but I know if I could find a place to rent that from, it would make Hayley's entire birthday.

Photo from Designer Cakes by Janet

What I have found the most inspiration from on Pinterest is the selection of cakes available. I make all my children's birthday cakes, so I am constantly searching for new ideas. I have found several cakes that I would love to recreate, but there is one that absolutely caught my attention. It is a Jasmine and Aladdin cake by Designer Cakes by Janet.

As I looked over the cake, I already knew how to make some of the elements. But for the Jasmine and Aladdin pieces, I will be able to use my Cricut Cake machine and the Cricut cartridge Dreams Come True. This cartridge has images of all the characters from the Aladdin movie, as well as plenty of icons to choose from such as the magic lamp, Jasmine's jewelry, a magic carpet and more. These would make it very easy to add elements of the movie right onto the cake, since my skills with frosting and fondant in this area are a little lacking! Being able to use the Cricut would make this much easier. To see all the Jasmine "treasures" I have discovered go to my Jasmine Themed Birthday Party Pinterest Board.

I have used my Cricut machine before to create cakes, such as my Minnie Mouse Birthday cake for Emily. The great thing about using the Cricut to make items for the cake is that I can also use those images to coordinate our favor bags, invitations, thank cards and any other party supply we might use. If you are looking to purchase the Disney Dreams Come True cartridge, it is retired, but I have seen them pop up on ebay, and I know my local Joann's store was still carrying them last time I visited. It has become a well used (though somewhat more challenging than others) cartridge, because it includes images of not just Aladdin, but also Belle, Ariel and Pocahontas.

How has a Pinterest find inspired you this week?

Make sure you head over to Disney Living's PINspiration Blog Hop and added in your project or just hop over to see who else has shared their PINspiration!

On Safari in Harambe Part #2 ~ Safari Inspiration for Your Scrapbooks from Mary of Capturing Magical Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Mary at Capturing Magical Memories) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Harambe tag in the top
corner was created by Mary!

Last week, I shared part one of this month's series On Safari in Harambe, where I discussed the moment that made Kilimanjaro Safaris one of my favorite Walt Disney World attractions. Today, Mary from Capturing Magical Memories and MC Digital Design is sharing her safari-inspired scrapbook layouts, as well as some great places to find inspiration to get started on preserving your Kilimanjaro Safaris memories and photos.

I must be doing something right because Beth keeps asking me back. Thanks Beth! And I love the Animal Kingdom and the Kilimanjaro Safaris so I jumped at the chance to talk scrapbooking about them.

This time I want to talk about inspiration. Sometimes you have photos but you just don't know where to start. When this happens I look for just a little something to get me going. In this case I turned to Mousescrappers.

For my first page I found their Weekly Challenge. This one was fun because it asked me to use scanned in memorabilia. That's when I saw the photo of the Fab 4 in Safari gear and I had that moment of 'ah-ha!'. It also helps when you can see what other people do for the same challenge. That gives me a lot of ideas.

For the second page I went to their Template Challenges. This one is definitely a go to when you have absolutely no idea where to start. They actually give you a blank template and you just fill it in!! Typically they provide it in either Photoshop or png format. Sometimes you may get a Storybook Creator format. And all of these can be used for either digital or traditional pages.

Here's my twist on the template created by Julie of Goldiscraps and her 3 Bears. For both pages today I used my Safari Kit from MC Digital Designs

Now you have no excuse for not getting those pages done. Mousescrappers has a ton of ideas and resources. If you stop by look me up. I am MaryD73 and I would love to see your pages.

Thank you for joining me today!

Thank you so much, Mary, for sharing these great ideas and great layouts! I love that Mousescrappers has such a great collection of templates - I could not agree more that it is a great place to find inspiration!

If you haven't visited Mary's blog Capturing Magical Memories or her Etsy shop MC Digital Designs, I highly recommend that you do. She is very creative and her ideas inspire me to get going on my own scrapbooks! You can also find Mary on Twitter at @MaryD73 and on Facebook at Capturing Magical Memories.

Next Monday, Deb from Focused on the Magic will be sharing her photo tips for capturing the best shots of Pirates of the Caribbean. Make sure you check back then to polish your photography skills before your next Disney vacation!

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:32:00 +0000

After talking a week off, we are back with a great week of posts! I was excited to participate in several blog hops this week. As you read through my posts, make sure you head over the host page of the blog hops. There are some really great ideas shared by several bloggers all in one place!

Monday, I joined in the fun of the very first PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Amy at Disney Living. I shared my ideas for a 20th Anniversary Vow Renewal in Disney. Pinterest is certainly a great place for me to get all my ideas organized in one spot.

Tuesday, I shared details of the children's dessert at Cinderella's Royal Table. It was Hayley's favorite and has inspired us to recreate the idea here at home.

Wednesday, I joined in the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop with a photo from the show Flights of Wonder in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Thursday, I shared some Gnomeo and Juliet Garden Gnomes from Garden Fun. Because the photos are copyrighted, I did create a Pinterest board of all the garden decor from the Gnomeo and Juliet movie.

Friday, I kicked off this month's new series, On Safari in Harambe, with the moment that sparked off my love of Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Next week, Mary from Capturing Magical Memories will be sharing her tips for preserving your safari photos and memories.

Also on Friday, I shared a special Disney Flashback that reminded me of something special that happened on our most recent trip. You can read all about it in my post Best Buds with Chip and Dale After All These Years.

There are a couple of fun giveaways and sweepstakes happening right now:

Several Disney bloggers have come together to host a $100 Gift Card Giveaway. You can find all the details on how to enter at Focused on the Magic.
Heather at Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids is giving away a photo book by Mixbook.
You can still enter the One More Disney Day Sweepstakes daily until February 29th.

How did you find Disney magic this week? I would love to hear about it!

Disney Flashback Friday ~ Best Buds with Chip and Dale After All These Years

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Today I am joining in on the fun of Flashback Friday blog hop hosted by Deb over at Focused on the Magic. I absolutely love looking back over our trip albums, and this blog hop gives me the perfect excuse to take them all out and reminisce. As I started looking back, I noticed a trend in my photos of Joey when he was on his first trip and just 14 months old. I have a picture of him squeezing every character's nose that came within arm's length of him. He was particularly fond of Chip and Dale at our favorite character breakfast at Cape May Cafe found at Disney's Beach Club Resort. As I looked at this photo, it reminded me of a very special moment on our past trip.

February 2004 ~ Joey & Chip

While visiting Camp Minnie Mickey in Disney's Animal Kingdom, we waited in line to have our photo taken with Chip and Dale. When it was finally our turn, Joey headed straight toward Dale, squeezed his nose and said, "Do you remember when I did that to you when I was a baby?" Then, Dale gave Joey, who was smiling ear to ear, a big hug and, of course, nodded yes. You can probably guess, I got a little teary-eyed. It made me realize how special all these moments really are, even the ones that he doesn't remember, but he has seen the pictures and listened to us tell him all about his first trip. After we had our picture taken, Joey walked over to me grabbed my hand and told me that Chip and Dale were his "best buds." Then, with a great big smile, he says, "Can you believe that they remembered me after all these years?"

November 2011 ~ Camp Minnie Mickey

Do you have a special Disney Flashback you want to share? Head over to Focused on the Magic, link up and check out all the other great memories everyone has shared!

On Safari in Harambe Part #1 ~ Kilimanjaro Safaris

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:16:00 +0000

This was one very close, and incredible,
encounter on the
Harambe Reserve!

In last month's series, In Pursuit of Pirates, we shared pirate inspired memories, photo tips, scrapbook tips and three different versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction that can be found in the Disney parks around the world. We are kicking off our new series for this month ~ On Safari in Harambe and taking you to Disney's Animal Kingdom. I am kicking off the series by sharing how Kilimanjaro Safaris became one of my favorite Disney attractions with just one close encounter with a giraffe. Over the next two weeks, you will see more posts of how to photograph the animals along the safari, as well as ideas on how to preserve your Kilimanjaro Safaris photos and memories.

Kilimanjaro Safaris is at the top of my favorite attractions list in Walt Disney World. I look forward to this attraction every year because I never know what we will see and the experience is different every time. The close encounters we have had in the past keep me wanting more, especially my desire to one day spot the lion . . . his entire body moving around, not just his ear sticking up from where he is taking his nap. But of course, the lions are not the only animals along this safari adventure.

My absolute favorite part of the safari is the savanna where you have the chance see the antelopes, ostriches and giraffes (to name a few). One year we were lucky enough to have to stop our jeep for a giraffe. It was so close to us that we could have literally reached out and touched it (ok, maybe even with a big stretch out of the jeep we couldn't, but it was really close)! This was the moment that Kilimanjaro Safaris became one of my favorite attractions in all of Walt Disney World. I had never experienced anything like this before, and even now it is hard to explain just what it felt like being so close to this incredible creature. It was amazing! In this moment, just observing at such a close proximity is an experience in itself. I now hope to have a similar experience every time we take a trip through the Harambe Reserve.

Finally, I captured a shot of the lion
that includes more than just his mane!

There is one thing that I have yet to experience that I look forward to every trip. I have never seen the lion doing anything except napping. This means most of my photos of him are of part of his mane or I miss him completely and have a nice photo of the rock he is sleeping on. This past trip I finally saw his eye, though of course, it was closed. But for me, that is progress and exciting! It keeps me hoping that the next trip could be the one that I finally capture an action shot of the lion!

What animals do you look forward to spotting the most while experiencing Kilimanjaro Safaris?

Do you love observing Disney wildlife? If so, head over to Focused on the Magic's Wordless Wednesday Blog, which had the theme Disney Wildlife. There were some amazing photos shared!

Next Monday, Mary from Capturing Magical Memories will be sharing Part #2 of our series with her best tips for preserving your Kilimanjaro Safaris photos and memories.

Thinking of Spring with Gnomeo & Juliet

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We recently joined the Disney Blu-ray Movie Club. One of the movies my children chose was Gnomeo and Juliet, which has me thinking about spring (while watching it snow!). I had never seen this movie before, but on our fall Walt Disney World vacation, it was one of the movies playing at the beach of the Polynesian. My mom had taken the kids down to see it, while Pierre and I were having our night out in Disney. They love this movie, especially Emily. During the movie, Emily suggested we buy some garden gnomes for our yard. Just to see what was out there, I did a search for Gnomeo and Juliet garden statues. I found a fun collection of items at GardenFun.com. I created a Gnomeo & Juliet Garden Decor board of the items on Pinterest, which include statues and garden stakes. I am not so sure that I would purchase the Sam Mankini Gnome, but Gnomeo and Juliet are certainly cute! I would have included photos in this post, but they care copyrighted. So you will have to check out my Pinterest board or go directly to GardenFun.com to see them.

How do you bring a little Disney into your yard's decor?

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Animal Attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. My photo is from Flights of Wonder, one of my favorite shows in all of Walt Disney World. It is also one place that I have the hardest time capturing great pictures because the birds are always on the move. Luckily, I was able to capture this one and it even fits this week's theme ~ Animal Attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom!

Make sure you check out all the great Disney Wordless Wednesday posts over at

Focused on the Magic!

Hayley's Favorite Dessert from Cinderella's Royal Table

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:03:00 +0000

The girls meeting Belle at
Cinderella's Royal Table

This article was originally written for my WDW Daily News column Making Magical Memories, which is featured in the WDW Daily News newsletter. This article was published in newsletter #217 on February 7, 2012.

Sometimes the separate interests of one person collide, and it creates a perfect moment. This is just what happened to my daughter, Hayley, during our lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. If you have been following my articles for a while, you know that Hayley loves the princesses. She tends to be more favorable to Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel, but honestly, her favorites change by the day. I think that is simply due to the fact that she knows them all and loves each of them. She also loves art. She is our most creative of our three children and could use construction paper, scissors, glue and any type of writing utensil to create backdrops for stories she tells with her dolls, Valentine’s hearts for all the kids on her bus and even a few family portraits here and there. Let’s just say she loves princesses, and she loves art!

We knew when we made our reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table that it would become one of Hayley’s favorite moments of the trip. What we didn’t expect was why it was her favorite. It all came down to the dessert! Throughout the meal, Hayley loved meeting the princess and showing off her own Cinderella gown, as well as princess hair that her Grammie styled just for this lunch. She was very quiet, as she usually is, but we knew she was loving every minute of it. When dessert was delivered, a decorate your own ice cream, her face lit up!

This is how the dessert was served at Cinderella's Royal Table

The dessert was delivered on a plate that looked like an artist’s palette. There were three cups of decorations: mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and Mickey shaped sprinkles. Hayley chose each item one by one to create an ice cream masterpiece. She loved every minute of decorating her dessert. It was the perfect combination of her love of princesses and her love of creating! Seeing how much she enjoyed this at Walt Disney World, I have now collect different edible decorations when I see them on sale, and once a month, we have an ice cream decorating party. It is a great way to bring a little Disney home with us and also a great outlet for Hayley to share her creativity.

What is your favorite Disney dessert?

Love Is In the Air with Pinterest ~ A PINspiration Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:04:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Disney Living. I am so excited because this blog hop gives me a real excuse for being on Pinterest, other than sitting in amazement at what great ideas people have and have shared!

I was really avoiding Pinterest because I figured it would just be another thing to keep me busy and away from all the other things I really need to be concentrating on. Well, guess what? I was right! I cannot get enough of it! As someone who has interests that span pretty much everything, I have had a great time collecting recipes, cake decorating tips and inspirations, scrapbook layouts and more great Cricut projects (and that is just the tip of the iceberg of ideas I have discovered!). Being someone who is a little less creative than others, it has truly been inspirational (and motivating) to see all that Pinterest has to offer. But my favorite board to work on is my 20th Anniversary Vow Renewal Board, in which I am finding all sorts of great ideas on what I would like to have at my own vow renewal.

Let me back up just a little though. We haven't officially made plans to have a vow renewal. I have four and a half years to convince my husband what a great idea this is. I figure starting the board will give me a fun place to start. That way when I finally convince Pierre we need to have a vow renewal, I will already have all sorts of ideas in one place!

So far, I have a found a few wedding cakes, venue ideas, flowers and have even pinned the Alfredo Angelo princess dresses because though they may not be appropriate for a vow renewal, they are beautiful and of course, I can dream! Being able to see everyone's ideas come together, it is certainly inspiring and makes me want to have a vow renewal even more than I did before, especially when I saw the Beauty and the Beast Cake! To see better details of my board, you can find it over on Pinterest at 20th Anniversary Vow Renewal (Disney Ideas).

Have you renewed your vows at a Disney resort? I would love to hear about it!

Has Pinterest inspired you lately? If so, make sure you share it over at the PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Disney Living!

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Wow! I can't believe that February is here already. With the Super Bowl, the kids' 100th day of school and Valentine's Day coming up, it is another fun month for us!

Did you know that there is now going to be a Disney Junior 24 hour channel? I was discussing this over on my Facebook page (Pursuing the Magic). Head over and let me know if it will be available in your area. Not sure? You can find out at Disney Junior for Grown Ups.

On Monday, Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog shared the Disneyland Paris version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction for the sixth and final episode of the series In Pursuit of Pirates. Have you experienced the DLP version of this attraction?

Tuesday, I shared our experience with Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort. There are plenty of free family fun options right at the resorts for celebrating Halloween.

Also, on Tuesday, I shared the link to the Days in the Parkcast, the Days in the Park podcast, recent episode, in which I was a guest. We talked about how my blog started, what Disney means to my family and more. Want to know why we always start our Walt Disney World vacations with a character meal? We discussed that too!

Wednesday was the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme this week was our February Calendar Photo and I shared one of my favorites of Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Friday, in honor of the Super Bowl and as part of Flashback Friday hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic, I shared my family's chance meeting in the Magic Kingdom with Mr. & Mrs. Bob Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots.

Fun Disney Magic at Home from Around the Web This Week:

Disney In Our Blood shared ideas for a Tinker Bell Movie Night
Disney Donna Kay shared a Bibbidi Bobbidi Birthday Party Board
A Disney Mom's Thoughts shared details of a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party

Flashback Friday ~ Meeting Mr. & Mrs. Kraft in the Magic Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:44:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of Flashback Friday, hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. You know that I am a Disney fan, but you may not know that we are also New England Patriots fans and have been since their seasons of minimal wins, and even their terrible loss to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX when their total yardage for the first half was in the negatives! As you can imagine, our household is excited for Sunday's Super Bowl!

Of course, like everything else in our lives, we have a Disney story to go along with this New England Patriots celebration. My husband wears Patriots things pretty often and when our son was born, he was, of course, given many Patriots outfits as well, which have been passed down and both girls have even worn them. Our kids have been dressed in Patriots clothes for every game (with just a few exceptions) since they were born. Even when we visit Walt Disney World, one day of the week, all the kids are dressed in their Patriots clothes.

Here the kids are celebrating the Patriots' 2011 season

Back on Joey's first Walt Disney World trip in February of 2006, while making our way from Frontierland to Adventureland, my dad veered away from our group and said hello to someone and shook his hand. When I glanced over to see who he was talking to, it was Bob Kraft. I couldn't believe it! I especially couldn't believe that my dad walked over to talk to him. In all our trips to WDW, we have seen many celebrities, though my dad made it very clear to my brother and I we could smile or wave to them, but they were on vacation and we were not to interrupt their time with their families. So let me tell you I was quite shocked that my dad went against his own advice.

My dad and Joey on Joey's first trip to WDW

My dad introduced himself and thanked Bob Kraft for all that he has done for the Patriots and Patriot fans. He then said he would let Mr. Kraft get back to his vacation with his wife and grandkids. The great part was, Mr. Kraft continued to chat with us about the Patriots. My son Joey was 14 months at the time and wearing his Patriots hat, which Mrs. Kraft commented on right away. Mr. Kraft mentioned that he didn't even know that they made Patriots hats that small. He gave my son a pin which had the Lombardi trophy and Patriots symbol on it. This led into my husband and dad then talking about Joey being a football player someday. Mr. Kraft, my husband and my dad then had an extensive conversation about what position Joey would play. I found this comical that three grown men were discussing the potential football fate of a 14 month old!

Hayley's first Patriots game (2 weeks old) - Pre-season 2006

He was such a nice guy and was so sweet to my son, as was Mrs. Kraft. They are the type of people that just make you feel comfortable upon meeting them. This just endeared me to the Patriots even more. My dad and my husband talked about it the rest of the trip and even called my brother, who had left Walt Disney World just the day before, to let him know he missed meeting Bob Kraft. I will say my brother was quite disappointed. Needless to say, we didn't get a photo, I was the camera carrier, because I felt like we were intruding on his vacation, but the men in my family will not let me live it down that I didn't get a picture of them with Mr. Kraft! So, the pictures I have shared are my kids through the years in their Patriots clothes.

Hayley ready for the playoffs ~ January 2007

So whether you are a New York Giants fan or a New England Patriots fan, I hope that you enjoy what is sure to be a tremendous football game! Good luck to the New England Patriots!

Who are you rooting for this Sunday?

Emily ready to kick off the 2008 season

Our family was very saddened when we heard of Mrs. Kraft's passing last summer. From our brief meeting in Disney and from what we have heard and read about her, she was such a caring and sweet person. For those of you who do not know, the patches the Patriots wear on their uniforms, which say MHK, stand for Myra Hiatt Kraft.

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Expedition Everest

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:54:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme this week is our "February Calendar" photo. For the first week of every month, the theme will be to share a photo we would use in a Disney themed calendar. I have decided for each month, I will choose a photo from a trip I made during that month. I have visited Walt Disney World during seven of the twelve months. I'll improvise for the other five! The photo I chose today is of Expedition Everest from February 2006. It wasn't officially open yet, but my dad and Pierre were lucky to experience it the day we were there!

I love this photo because Expedition Everest looks so serene and small from this viewpoint.
As a thrill ride chicken, seeing it from this angle, it looks a lot less intimidating!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see all the Disney Wordless Wednesday photos!

Days in the Parkcast "Pursued the Magic" this week!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:52:00 +0000

I am so excited to let you know that I was a guest on the Days in the Park podcast - Days in the Parkcast! They invited me to talk with them about Pursuing the Magic, the Magical Blogorail and, of course, my love of Disney. I had so much fun with Chad and Mark! I want to send a big thank you to both of them for inviting me to be on the show!

You can listen in and find out what we talked about over at

Days in the Parkcast

Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This article was originally written for my Making Magical Memories column for the WDW Daily News Newsletter. It was published January 24th in Newsletter #215.

For our most recent trip, we spent Halloween in Walt Disney World. Prior to leaving, I had searched high and low for information about where we could go trick or treating. It certainly wasn’t a priority, but with a 6, 5 and 3 year old, this was something they had been asking about. I discovered many of the resorts had “Candy Stops” in the shops, eateries and pools. I was happy to find a flyer at Disney’s Polynesian Resort when we checked in that listed all the spots where we could go trick or treating. At the Polynesian, this included 9 stops.

My kids were very excited to show off their costumes throughout the Polynesian! Cast members, as well as guests, were not shy about telling them how great they looked and making a big deal about their Toy Story themed costumes. My children are normally shy, but in this atmosphere, they gave big smiles and hugs to just about everyone. Even better, out at the pool area, they were playing Halloween themed music and had hosted a Halloween themed pool party that afternoon.

Emily had worn her Jessie wig and hat almost everyday for weeks before leaving for Disney.
In Disney, she didn't wear them even once.

We did not bring our own trick or treat bags, but that was not a problem. At our first stop in BouTiki, the cast member gave my children Disney themed treat bags. Since it was their first stop, she gave them each at least three handfuls of candy “to get them started,” as she said. Let’s just say that made my kids’ night without even having to stop anywhere else! We made stops at all 9 candy spots, and the kids have more than enough candy to last them until the next Halloween!

The Candy Stop at 'Ohana ~ My mom was having as much fun as the kids!

This was a great, safe way for the kids to enjoy Halloween in Walt Disney World. We knew we wouldn’t be going into the parks that night, so being able to have so much Halloween fun right at our own resort was great! We ended the night by watching Hallowishes right from the beach, which had the music piped in from the Magic Kingdom. So, if you are in the planning stages for a Halloween trip to Walt Disney World, know that this is a family fun way to celebrate the holiday. Even better, it is free! There were plenty of Halloween activities going on at the Polynesian throughout the day. So if you decide you do not want to splurge on tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, know that there are plenty of other options to help you enjoy the holiday!

How do you celebrate Halloween in Disney?

In Pursuit of Pirates #6 ~ A Disneyland Paris Perspective of the Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

noreply@blogger.com (Manda) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I cannot believe we are in the final episode of In Pursuit of Pirates! I have had so much fun reading everyone's posts on pirate inspired photography tips, scrapbook layouts, a recipe and a Disneyland perspective. Today, I am so excited to welcome Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog to share her perspective on the Disneyland Paris version of my favorite Disney attraction ~ Pirates of the Caribbean!

Pirates of the Caribbean has always been one of my most favourite attractions at Disneyland Paris! I still remember the first time I went on it with my sister and my dad - I had no idea what to expect so let's just say that the drops were extra surprising! I was lucky enough to ride the Magic Kingdom version in Florida last October ... it was so cool to see the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in this version as Disneyland Paris still hasn't had this addition. Whilst seeing Captain Jack was pretty exciting, I'm proud to say that my homepark has remained untouched by the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie franchise ... in fact it's the last version of the ride true to it's original roots ... and I kinda like it that way :)

Source: Allears.net

The entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Paris is pretty neat! It's a battle-scared fortress within Adventureland, close to Skull Rock from Peter Pan - the perfect location for pirates! The piratey fun begins even before the ride itself - the queuing area runs through some dungeons with skeletal pirates scattered throughout. It's everything a pirate dungeon should be - dark, dingy and smelling of fresh sea water! As you make your way closer to the boats, you enter a Lagoon area where you feel as if you're outdoors on a calm starlit night, surrounded by palm trees and dimly lit lanterns. Pretty soon it's time to board your boats ...

The first area you enter on your is the Blue Lagoon restaurant dining area! Yep ... that's right ... guests at the Blue Lagoon Seafood restaurant (the entrance of which is near the exit to Pirates of the Caribbean ... convenient? I think so :P) can wave from afar as you pass by! This is the only version of the ride to house such a cool feature!

Source: Allears.net

Next you pass though a shipwreck scene and enter a fortress - you can hear swashbuckling and gun fire as you're pulled up the first lift hill - and trust me ... it's a big one! And of course, what goes up ... must come down! The first time I was climbing this hill I clutched at the seat in front of me ... bracing myself for a big drop down the other side ... but I didn't have to worry ... the boat slides down the smallest hill possible and bobs around a corner as if everything's fine! (Those sneaky Imagineers)

Deeper inside the fortress, you come across an iconic scene ... some pirates in jail trying to coax the guard dog into dropping the keys to their cell. You're so busy gaping at them that you don't notice the first drop! Whoooosh down the dark hill and before you know it your floating calmly through a town ... but it doesn't remain calm for long! Soon your boat passes into the burning town scene, where you can hear the Pirates theme song ringing through the air ... and I can't help but ~~sing~~ hum along (I can't sing). At the end of this scene you pass under an arch into the arsenal ... supplies have been ignited by the fire and ... explode! ... You guessed it ... time for another drop! Descending into darkness you're caught unaware by the flash of the on-ride photo! (Gosh the faces you get on this one! lol!)

Phew! At the bottom of the drop you sail into the last scene - the grotto! Here you can see some of the famous skeleton pirate scenes from the Disneyland version, including the ships wheel scene complete with wind and thunder! At the exit of the grotto you're greeted by the skull and crossbones pirate from above ... he speaks both French and English! Once the boats reach the docks, you exit the ride into 'Le Coffre du Capitaine' - a pretty cool pirates themed gift store! Exit the store and head left to come to the Blue Lagoon Restaurant!

Source: Allears.net

I've never dined here because I'm not all that fond of sea food ... but I know Steve from Dedicated to Dlp Loves this place! I like regular kinds of fish so I'm sure I'll try it one day, even if it's just to see the boats from Pirates of the Caribbean floating by! :)

Thank you so much to Beth for having me as part of this wonderful series!

It's been a blast! (No pun intended ... buahaha! :P)

P.s. Believe it or not I realised I don't have any good photos of Pirates of the Caribbean ... largely due to the darkness inside! But armed with these fantastic photo tips from Debs at Focused on the Magic ... I hope I can get some great ones next time I visit! Please be sure to check them out! :)

Thank you so much, Amanda, for sharing the Disneyland Paris version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Now not only do I need to plan a trip to California to experience the Disneyland version, now a trip to Disneyland Paris seems to be next on the list!

If you haven't visited Amanda over at Manda's Disney Blog, I highly recommend that you do. She shares some funny Disney LOLs, as well as her Disney-inspired kitchen creations and of course lots of Disneyland Paris news, including details of the upcoming 20th Anniversary celebration! You can find her on Facebook at Manda's Disney Blog and on Twitter at @MandaDisneyBlog.

Here are the posts included in the entire series:

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We ended this past week with yet another Cars 2 birthday celebration, which explains why this recap was postponed until today! I'll be sharing this week a few birthday finds I found to fit the Cars 2 theme, which I had shared a few months ago, as well as a few more Star Wars and Cars 2 LEGO sets that we have built.

We kicked off the week with Part #5 of the In Pursuit of Pirates series with Chad from Days in the Park. He shared an overview of the Disneyland version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. I had no idea it was so different from the Walt Disney World version!

On Tuesday, I shared my children's new favorite Disney soundtrack. This one is the Magic Kingdom Event Party Music, which includes music from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, as well as Disney's Pirate and Princess Party.

On Wednesday, I joined in the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. This week's theme was "Wildlife," and I shared a photo I was able to capture (by pure luck) of a giraffe along Kilimanjaro Safari. I highly recommend checking out all the entries this week - they were amazing!

On Friday, I joined in the Flashback Friday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. I shared a few mementos from our first trip to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in 1990.

We have a lot of fun things in store coming up, including tomorrow's final episode of In Pursuit of Pirates. I am excited to share with you a Disneyland Paris perspective on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction from Amanda of Manda's Disney Blog. Also, I was a guest of Chad and Mark of Days in the Parkcast. That episode should be released soon - I will keep you posted when it is up and ready for you to listen to!

How did you find Disney magic this week? I would love to hear about it!

Disney Photo Flashback Friday ~ Back to the 90s at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of Flashback Friday over at Focused on the Magic. One of my faovrite things to do in between trip is look back over all our past Disney vacations and reminisce. Luckily for me, my mom loved to take pictures, so even at my most awkward teen moments, my mom has them captured in photos! I decided to keep with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme I have going on this month by sharing some things from our first stay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. My favorite village island of the resort is Jamaica. I didn't even realize until now, that Jamaica was the first one we stayed in!

My brother and I on our family's first stay at
Disney Caribbean Beach Resort

One of the napkins from 1990

My mom collects everything when we are in a Disney. I believe she may have a park map, napkin and anything else she can get her hands on from every trip and every place we visited. When I was younger I thought it was crazy that she would be collecting all these things. But now, I love it! It is so great looking back at how things have changed over the years!

At the time of our first visit, Old Port Royale looked much different. When you walked into what is now the food court area, there was a lounge called Captain's Hideaway. The recipe you see here was my dad's favorite beverage of the trip and the cast member was nice enough to share the recipe with him.

I love that Disney shares recipes with guests! It is a great
way to bring a little Disney magic home with you!

This was the menu at Captain's Hideaway

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is one of my family's favorites and has been for a long time. It is also letting me have some nice, warm thoughts of the Caribbean during this very cold and icy day we are having!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic and reminisce with everyone else who participated this week in Flashback Friday!

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Wildlife

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. This week's theme is "Wildlife," and in Disney's Animal Kingdom, there are plenty of opportunities to capture some great shots, especially on my favorite attraction Kilimanjaro Safaris!

The giraffes at Kilimanjaro Safaris are my favorite animals
to photograph.

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see everyone's amazing Disney wildlife photos!

Bringing Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Music Home

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Front Cover

This article was written for my WDW Daily News column Making Magical Memories. It was published in Newsletter #213 on January 10, 2012.

Everyday there is Disney music playing in our house and in our car, whether it is a Disney Parks CD, a Disney movie soundtrack or a Disney radio station, such as Sorcerer Radio (our favorite!). For most songs, my children can tell you which movie it is from and who is singing it. They also know the lyrics and sing them even when there is no music playing. I especially love when we are listening to a soundtrack and a score comes on that my children act out. Their favorite is from Tangled when Flynn and Maximus are trying to get the satchel from each other. But I didn’t realize how well my children knew these Disney songs until we were in Walt Disney World.

Back cover & playlist

After about out third day of touring the parks, the kids had gone to bed early. I was in my parents’ room talking with my mom. She says, “Do you know that every song the kids heard today, they told me which song it was, which movie it was from and even what was happening in the movie when that song is playing?” I have to admit . . . I was a proud mom! This led me to make a purchase that has become my children’s favorite souvenir from this trip.

Knowing how much my children love the music from Disney movies, I just had to add some theme park music to our collection. I made three CD purchases, but my children’s favorite is the Magic Kingdom Event Party Music. I happen to find this at the cart outside of the Haunted Mansion. It includes music from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, including Hallowishes, the Boo to You Parade and the Villain’s Mix and Mingle. It also includes music from the Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party, including the Enchanted Adventures Parade. We had been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so I took a chance that this would be a hit with the kids. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

Upon our return home, I played our new CD. Immediately, the kids started dancing and cheering. They loved it! Actually, they may love it a little too much, because now, we listen to it in the car, at home and pretty much we take it everywhere we go. Even this holiday season when I would play some Christmas music, they would change the CD to the Halloween music. While decorating our gingerbread houses and making cookies for Santa, they were singing along with the Ghost Host! I can say at this point, my kids can sing almost the entire Hallowishes and Boo to You Parade music from beginning to end whether the CD is playing or not. Even better, every time we listen to it, they start talking about being at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and always end the conversation with, “When are we going back to Mickey’s Halloween Party?” I love that they have come to love Disney as much as I have and look forward to our return trips!

What Disney music reminds you of your Disney vacations and gets you thinking about your next trip to a Disney park?

In Pursuit of Pirates #5 ~ We Wants the Redhead! Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean with Chad of Days in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Days In The Park) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

In Pursuit of Pirates continues today with Part #5. So far we have shared pirate inspired memories, photo tips, scrapbook layouts and recipes. Today, Chad from Days In The Park shares his perspective on the Disneyland version of my favorite attraction - Pirates of the Caribbean. I have never been to Disneyland, so I am quite excited to see the similarities and differences between the two attractions.

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean has always had a special place for me in my Days spent at The Park. Historically, Pirates is one of the attractions that, although not a Disneyland Original (meaning it was not present at its inception in 1955), it is the original in terms of the different Pirates attractions at the different Parks around the world, and it is considered an iconic attraction within Disneyland. When people talk about Disneyland, they often talk about Pirates of the Caribbean; it's that well known.

Pirates of the Caribbean opened in Disneyland in 1967, just three months after Walt Disney passed away. It's especially significant, especially among those of us who claim Disneyland our "home", because it's the last attraction inside The Park that Walt Disney himself had a hand in creating. It just makes it that much more special to us. And I've always been fascinated by the fact that it was originally intended to be a "walk through" attraction, like a wax museum. One can't help but wonder given what we know now (the fact it takes a full 15 minutes for a boat to float through!) just how long it would have taken to walk the attraction!

The 30th Anniversary Plaque (1967 - 1997) proclaiming Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean "the original"

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean is located in New Orleans Square, which is one of my favorite areas inside The Park, and the Pirates attraction fits in there perfectly with its exterior which is an exceptionally well-done homage to the antebellum south, and particularly the area of New Orleans, Louisiana nearing the mid-point of the 19th Century.

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction entrance with a little "Disneyland Dream Suite" on top

In Disneyland's Pirates, guests are treated to a boat ride (leaving from the infamous Laffite's Landing) through the bayous of New Orleans, and into the caverns where Pirates and "dead men tell no tales". There's no shortage of skeletons, treasure, pirate booty (we just like saying that!), ships, wenches, wives chasing their husbands around with rolling pins, or guns and canons as you float along taking it all in.

I would have enjoyed (given that "Pursuing the Magic" is a Walt Disney World blog) to have been able to compare the two attractions and how they are different and similar, but unfortunately I remember next to nothing about the Disney World version so it would be impossible to do. Also, I figure a play-by-play of the Disneyland attraction probably isn't nearly as interesting as it sounds so I've opted to give just a brief look at some of my favorite parts of the attraction for those who might be looking to go on it one day themselves.

I absolutely love the artwork which adorns the inside of the queue of the Pirates of the Caribbean, like the "Captain Charles Gibbs" above. Don't ask why I didn't include a picture of the Jack Sparrow; that would have just been too easy. But there's tons to look at on the inside; when you're eyes adjust to the dark, that is.
I've always loved how Disneyland's Pirates, once you leave the dock (Laffite's Landing), takes you directly past the Blue Bayou Restaurant. I've always enjoyed floating by watching the people enjoying their fine meals, and it's always been a pleasure to sit on the other side and dine while watching Pirates patrons float by. Something we've always enjoyed doing!
Who doesn't enjoy drops in the dark? And Pirates of the Caribbean has two of them. Even though it's not even remotely frightening anymore, I nevertheless scream like a little child each and every time. No comment on whether people give me dirty looks or not when I do...
The song "Yo Ho (A Pirates Life For Me)"; need I say any more?
The infamous Disneyland "Pirates Fog". I have no idea whether this is duplicated at any other Park, but at Disneyland, at one point during the attraction you travel through a patch of fog which has both Davey Jones and Blackbeard projected on it, warning you to turn back or "never leave this cursed place". After Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean was refurbished after the success of the films (and Jack Sparrow was added to the attraction) Davey Jones and said fog were added as well. With the release of "On Stranger Tides" last year, Blackbeard supplanted Davey Jones as a means of creating interest in the film shortly before its release. We were surprised, pleasantly, to see that when we rode yesterday, they've both been kept now! So, it's just a little bit of something that I thought was pretty cool and worth keeping a "weather eye out for".
Captain Barbossa on the deck of the "Wicked Wench" calling me a "blooming cockroach" over and over again. Oh, and I also love how, if the boat times it just right, when the canons fire it will literally blow my cap right off of my head into the bottom of the boat. It's happened on more than one occasion. Seriously.
Carlos, the mayor of Puerto Dorado, constantly being dunked into the well while his wife looks on and yells at him not to be a "cheek in". Never gets old.
Probably my favorite scene in any attraction, I love the auction scene and truly enjoy watching the pirate auctioneer selling off the town's women as brides. Does that make me a bad person? Of course, I have a particular affinity for the redhead, and love yelling out "We wants the redhead" at random times as I'm strolling through The Park, which can make things a bit testy when there's an actual redhead strolling by. Hasn't stopped me yet, though...

Pirates of the Caribbean is just one of those attractions that never gets old for me. At one point in time, my friend Mark and I (my co-creator at Days in the Park) had ridden the attraction on ~30 consecutive trips into Disneyland. It was just something we had to do each and every time we went. We never grew tired of it; the streak was broken due to the attraction breaking down at an inopportune time. But since then we still ride it on a very regular basis, and enjoy it each and every time like we're riding it for the first! We whoop, holler, yell, sing, laugh, mimick, and sometimes get soaked as we fly (okay, crawl) through those tunnels and I simply never tire of it. I've always loved Pirates, and assume that I probably always will.

If you get a chance to come to Disneyland, and have never ridden the fantastic, iconic attraction before, the pirates are waiting for you. And if you've ridden it at a Park other than Disneyland, the same applies. It's a historic landmark in Disney history, and as "the original" Pirates attraction, it's worthy of a second, third, and even a hundredth look as well.

It just never gets old. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho...

The parrot that never shuts up. And we wouldn't have it any other way...

Thank you so much, Chad for sharing the Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean! I look forward to the day I make my way out west to experience it myself!

If you haven't visited Chad (and Mark) over at Days In The Park, I highly recommend that you do. His love of Disneyland shines through every post, and if there is anyone who can get my out to Disneyland, it is Chad! You can follow Days In The Park on Twitter at @DaysInThePark and like them on Facebook on the Days In The Park page.

Next Monday, Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog will be sharing Part #6, our final episode of the series, with a Disneyland Paris perspective on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Here are the posts included in the entire series:

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We had another great week here at Pursuing the Magic with crafts, recipes, scrapbook tips and more. If you missed any of our posts, here is what we shared this week:

Sunday I shared the link to my craft project over at The Disney Moms. I will be featured over there the 14th of every month with a Disney-inspired craft you can do with your child. This month I shared a Beauty and the Beast Inspired Book Satchel.

Monday, we continued our In Pursuit of Pirates series with Mary from Capturing Magical Memories and MC Digital Designs. She shared her tips and tricks for preserving your Disney pirate memories and photos with some amazing scrapbook layouts.

Tuesday, I shared the link to our Little Chef Disney Creations over at Cooking with Mickey. The second Monday of every month, we share a Disney-inspired recipe that you can create with your child. This month we created Lotso's Stuffed Strawberries. It is a quick and easy to make sweet treat.

Wednesday, we joined in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. We shared some photos of the pool area of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.

Thursday, we continued our In Pursuit of Pirates series with Kristen of Cooking with Mickey. She shared her pirate inspired recipe called Stranded with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Coming Up Next Week:

Monday, Chad from Days in the Park will be continuing our In Pursuit of Pirates series with a Disneyland perspective on my favorite attraction.
Also, Monday, if you are subscribed to the WDW Daily News Newsletter, you will see my most recent article for my column Making Magical Memories. This week I am sharing all the details of Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort.
I am not sure when it will be published, but I recently had a great time chatting with Mark and Chad of Days in the Parkcast as part of their next episode. I will keep you posted when it is ready for you to listen to.

I know I had said last week I would start my review of our Halloween trip to Walt Disney World. But my friend Beth over at A Disney Mom's Thoughts has been sharing some great Halloween posts, so I figured I will wait. If you are looking for some Halloween tips and tricks, head over to A Disney Mom's Thoughts to check out all her thoughts on costumes, the Boo to You Parade and more!

In Pursuit of Pirates Part #4 ~ Why Is The Rum Gone? A Pirate Inspired Recipe from Kristen of Cooking with Mickey

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Hoetzel) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:12:00 +0000

We have shared a lot of Pirate inspired posts since the beginning of the month from memories of experiencing Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time to photo tips for taking amazing photos of the interior of the attraction to amazing scrapbook layouts to preserve your Disney pirate themed memories and photos. For part 4, I am excited to welcome Kristen from Cooking with Mickey and her pirate inspired recipe.

Why is the rum all gone? Because we've taken it for making a drink suitable for a scalawag or salty wench. Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, or movie, know that rum is important. It's the drink of pirates! Since we are in pursuit of pirates, we've got what they're looking for - RUM.

So grab your sword, compass and rum... and let's get started with my recipe for Stranded with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Stranded with Capt. Jack Sparrow

Recipe
2 oz coconut rum
1 oz spiced rum
Fresh lime juice
Salt
Ice

In a cocktail shaker mix coconut and spiced rum.
Use the lime to wet the top of the glass and dip into margarita salt; kosher salt will also work.
Pour into a lowball glass over ice.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve

So drink up me hearties, yo ho!

If you haven't visited Kristen over at Cooking with Mickey, I highly recommend that you do. She shares a lot of Disney dining reviews and Disney recipes. You can follow her on Twitter at @CookingwMickey and on Facebook at Cooking with Mickey.

On Monday, January 23rd, Chad from Days in the Park will be sharing his thoughts on the Disneyland version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction!

Here are the posts included in the entire series:

Disney Wordless Wednesday Bog Hop ~ Water, Water Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. For this week's theme, I am sharing one of my favorite shots of my children's favorite pools. It is the kiddie pool area at Disney Caribbean Beach Resort. This is a great play area for little ones! I also included a shot of the main pool area. With the freezing temps here in New Hampshire, I wish I were at the Caribbean right now!

Kiddie Pool area at
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Main Pool area at
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to check out all the other great

Disney Wordless Wednesday links!