Approaching the 12 month countdown

We are quickly approaching our 12 months count down to our trip to Disney. After much research and conversation, we are sticking with our original plan of doing Disneyland vs a Disney cruise. We just feel that it will allow us a lot more flexibility and room in our schedule to do exactly what we want to do while chasing around two toddlers.

Nothings been booked yet.
We have to wait until September/October to try and reserve a two bedroom suite at Grand California Villas. For those who are unaware, this is the place to stay at Disneyland Resort. In fact, for a one week stay it will cost almost two years worth of time share points, which is more then we've ever used for anything before. There is only about a 50/50 chance we will get in too, as we get 'second' dibs after Disney Grand Vacation club owners. But we have timed our trip after talking with our company and being told we have the best chance at the beginning of May. Still, we will have to reserve on the very first day of availability if we want a shot. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

The pool at Disneys Grand Californian

We will plan to book flights in the fall once our accommodations have been figured out. If we cannot get into the Grand we will book into Staybridge Suites as usual and book our flight together with it. This usually saves us a few hundred dollars. Otherwise our flight will be booked separate. This time we'd really like to fly into John Wayne airport if possible. It's only 30 minutes or so closer to the Disney area, but with two kids and LA traffic it certainly would make our trip a little easier. The plan is to fly out of Vancouver or at the furthest, Bellingham.

We had high hopes of getting a 6 day park hopper pass, but sadly Disney has recently ousted it. Before you could simply add on an extra day for very little cost, but now if you want anything more then a 5 day you have to buy a full single priced ticket or an annual pass. Sorry, not happening Disney. We will stick with our 5 days and enjoy a few others by the pool or out shopping.

Blue Bayou inside Pirates of the Caribbean

As far as dining, we have decided on a Minnie & Friends character breakfast in celebration of our soon to be born babies first birthday. I am hoping we get the opportunity to try out Big Thunder Ranch BBQ for lunch one day and then perhaps a dinner reservation one evening for the husband and I at Blue Bayou (for our fifth anniversary.) Those decisions and reservations will be made much closer to our travel date though.

So what can I do in the mean time while I wait? Save for it, think about it, talk about it with the family and fellow Disney lovers and watch videos of what's to come! After all, anticipation is half the fun!

Disney Alaskan cruise vs Disneyland

To help me better decide on our Disney vacation plans next year I have decided to make up a pros/cons list for both options. I don't know about you but it makes it so much easier for me to have things laid out like this. Blogging helps me clear my head and make sense of things, so it only makes sense for me to do this here and share it with anyone interested :)

Disneyland PROS:
- Warm sunny weather! I could even get a tan laying by the pool...
- Character meet n greets for the boys (and me)
- Rides!
- We would get to check out the new Cars Land.
- Not stuck on a boat with two wandering children (more space to roam)
- Possibility of getting into the Grand Californian Villas. Once in a lifetime opportunity?
- Great entertainment!
- Grandparents would come and help (sharing hotel suites)
- It's just plain magical!

Disneyland CONS:
- Requires a plane trip of 2.5 hours each way plus airport transfers.
- My toddler can't stay awake past 7pm and may be too old at this point to sleep in a stroller.
- Have to go back to our hotel room every afternoon for naps.
- Toddlers early bed times (affecting our late night plans)
- Travel time (though mininal) to and from hotels rooms/parks.
- Food isn't spectacular.
- Tiring! Getting up early everyday and crashing every night.
- Potential meltdowns in ride lines.
- I've been 7 times already (not that thats a bad thing!)

Disney Alaskan Cruise PROS:
- We could pretty much walk right onto the boat since we are local.
- Gorgeous scenery.
- Character meet n greets for the boys (and me)
- The food. Need I say more?
- Babysitting availible between 8am-11pm.
- Clubs for Toddlers to run around (supervised by us)
- Great Entertainment!
- Get to see 3 Alaskan cities (one of which hubby and I have never been to) and another glacier.
- Grandparents would come and help (connecting rooms?)
- Being that entertainment, food, etc is all on board everything is very close. It would be easy for hubby and I to switch off and on and go enjoy something while the other watches the kids.
- the toddlers would probably love to roam the ship decks and look out the windows.

Disney Alaskan Cruise CONS:
- Toddlers may not/probably won't sit through dinners.
- Toddlers early bed times (affecting our late night plans)
- Port activities may be out with toddlers.
- Toddlers not allowed in pools until potty trained.
- Colder weather.

Hmm, they seem pretty close don't they?

Disney Cruising with toddlers?

Cruises have majorly been on the brain lately. Maybe it's because my parents and siblings are currently on an 11 day cruise of the Souther Caribbean (lucky bums!) Perhaps it's because I received an email this morning letting me know that there was currently a 25% off deal on the local Disney Alaskan cruise for Canadian residents. Or maybe it's because I read a lot of fellow Disney bloggers blogs and one is big on Disney Cruises (thanks Williams family...)
Whatever the cause may be, I have officially added a cruise with Disney to my lifes bucketlist.

It's been about two years since our last cruise. It wasn't with Disney and it was to the Caribbean. As fun as it was, I really wasn't a fan of the cruise line (Carnival.) The entertainment was more something you'd see at a Vegas adults only show and the food was just okay. Hubby and I's previous cruise back in 2009 was with Celebrity to Alaska and that was incredible! Everything was absolutely top notch and I would not hesitate to sail with them again.

The problem (and yes, my husband reminds me that this is a first world problem) is that pretty soon we will have two very young kids. Now I always said I wouldn't let kids slow me down as far as what we wanted to do. The problem is more that we just can't afford to vacation like we use to as we currently work our way towards our goal of moving out of a townhouse and into a 'house house.' We get one big vacation in the next 5 years or so. We have already decided that this will be a Disney vacation as it appeals to both myself and the children and we have been planning on Disneyland. And I am totally excited about that! But then I think to myself, 'Hmm, a cruise would sure be nice again.'

A Disney cruise from Florida is out. As much as I'd love to be soaking up some sunshine at Castaway Cay, there is just no way I am flying all day there and back with two kids under three for a week long vacation. Not my idea of relaxing. We'll add that to the bucket list for later.
A Disney cruise to Alaska could be a definite possibility. There was talk of this cruise being no more but dates for 2014 have now been released! It wouldn't require flying anywhere for us since the boat leaves from our home city. And I know Disney caters to children, even young ones as far as entertainment, food/dining and by providing things we would need like strollers, highchairs and teeny tiny utensils. There is even paid babysitting available if we wanted it. Several family members have expressed interest in doing an Alaskan cruise and we almost booked one last year, but we opted for Disneyland instead.
And again now, we are looking at heading back to Disneyland next May. I love Disneyland and I know we would have an amazing time in the sun, staying at a nice hotel and running around the parks. Both of our kids would be young enough still that we wouldn't have to pay for them either.

I guess I'm just wondering to myself what would be easier. In talking to other Disney vacationers on message boards who have travelled with toddlers, they insist the cruise is still way more relaxing then doing Disneyland. But I just don't know! Either location would require making the kids sit down for meals at times or to be isolated to a hotel room or stroller. Pricing for either vacation isn't that much different, but they are two totally different kind of trips.

Maybe I need to make up a pros and cons list? Check it out HERE

As always, suggestions and advice are welcome :)

Saving for a Disney vacation

Often when I mention the idea of a Disney vacation people automatically bring up how expensive it is to do and how they could never afford it. I'm sure this is true for many, vacations of any kind may just not be possible for some. But really, a Disney vacation is a lot more affordable then people think, especially if you prioritize your spending.

Everyone spends there money in different ways. Some eat out a lot, others love to shop and wear lots of nice new clothes. Some are really into decorating or renovating their homes, buying the latest technological gadget or driving the latest model of a vehicle. Cutting these kind of things out and putting that money towards a Disney trip makes it a lot more do able.

Since my husband and I married we have had a very well laid out budget that we try to follow as closely as possible. Every dime we spend goes onto that excel sheet so that we can keep track of where everything is going. This has allowed us to see how much every area of our life is costing us and how much we have to 'play' with.

Vacations are a priority in our family. The frequency depends on where we are currently at in life (ex. Savings, pregnancy, raises, etc) but we do plan for the next future trip. Right now we are planning on a Disneyland family vacation for early next May and we have begun putting money aside Into a separate account. It's been dubbed our 'Disney' fund and I find it very exciting to think about what that money will go too. So far we have our Disney passes taken care of plus a character breakfast. We've got a ways to go yet, but we still have another 14 months to get where we need to be, and it's fun to cross saved for items off the list.

I'm part of a Disneyland community board where we discuss these kind of topics often and it was interesting to hear how other one income families save for trips like this. Some said they don't do anything for their families birthdays except a home made cake and basic play date for the kids. Some skip eating out, others avoid local fairs and attractions like the aquarium and the museum. Whenever they opt to skip one of these activities, they tally up how much it would have cost them and instead put it into the Disney jar. Some are big on coupons, some sell items that they make via etsy or craigslist and others become consultants for companies such as scentsy or norwex.

I understand that many aren't willing to part with things like eating out or seeing the latest movie, and that's why I say that it all comes down to priorities. If you really want to take your family on a Disney vacaction, there is a good chance you can. It just may mean giving up other luxuries for the amount of years it takes you to save (wether it's 1, 2 or 5 years to get there.) Wether that is worth it or not to you is the real question.

To find out some ways to keep your actual Disney costs lower, read my blog Here

Switching Gears: Disney for adults vs Disney with toddlers

Disneyland with toddlers. This very sentence strikes fear into many parents hearts and emits a reply of, "oh no! Why on earth would you want to do that!?"

I wrote a post all about how to best do Disney with babies after our last trip. You can find that locatedHERE.
This time, I am mentally preparing myself for Disney with toddlers. And not just one toddler, but two. Whew, I feel tired already.
This time we will have to be prepared for children who may actually have an opinion on where they want to go (or, quite simply, WILL go whether I follow or not - cause they'll be mobile!) They will be eating regular meals, are guaranteed to have melt downs and may be too old to sleep in the stroller.

Thankfully, when we plan for a Disney trip we are able to allow for lots of time. At least a full week and a 5 day pass to explore the two parks. We plan for afternoons back at the hotel and one or two pool days to catch up on sleep.

But I am realizing that this trip specifically will really be all about the kids. What hubby and I want to do will probably be put on the back burner for the most part. It means maybe only hitting up our favorite coasters once during the week. It means spending a lot of our time in Fantasyland riding children's rides. And it means a lot of schmoozing and photo opportunities with our children's favorite characters.

I'm pretty sure I'm okay with that though. Out of seven trips to Disney, my favorite so far was the last one we took with our 7 month old son. Seeing his reaction to parades and the different characters he met were the highlights of my entire trip. And I think that's only going to get better!

So as sad as I might be to not drop everything and rush into the Indiana Jones ride when it only has a 10 minute wait, I greatly look forward to all the random little magical moments we'll have as a family.

And besides... There's always Nana ;)

Celebrating a 5th anniversary & a 1st birthday in the parks

I've only recently realized that if we do indeed book our trip for May 2014 that we will be celebrating two very big events at the same time.

The first big event (and likely to be happening while actually IN the parks) is my husband and I's 5th wedding anniversary. We were married on the Big Island of Hawaii on May 7th 2009 and use to talk about returning there for our anniversary. However, we changed things up a bit and did Hawaii last fall instead. Although Disney may not be the most romantic place to celebrate, I'm sure we can convince the grandparents to take our kiddos for an evening while we go for dinner somewhere. We aren't fancy food people, but I have always wanted to eat at Blue Bayou in the Pirates ride (without children!) so maybe we'll make some reservations for there.

The other big celebration is that our second son (due this May) will be turning 1! Although he isn't due until the end of the month, we know Disney won't care and will gladly help us celebrate. I plan to grab him a special birthday button to wear one day and maybe book some kind of character meal for his 'birthday party.' Hubby and I talked last night about the idea of not even having a birthday party for him back home. He doesn't need the toys and what's better then a 1st birthday at Disneyland!? He can get a special present or two from there and it would sure save us the money and energy of planning something once back home.
A few years ago I was in DisneyWorld for my birthday and I gotta say, it was pretty fun! I wore the free birthday button with my name on it and I have never been told happy birthday by so many people in my life! Everywhere I went random travelers and park cast members wished me well. It was awesome. Unfortunately I ended up with a stomach virus of some kind that week and we were never able to go out and have my special birthday dinner.

Has anyone else ever celebrated something extra special in the parks? What did you do?
I'm open to ideas :)

Advanced planning

As previously mentioned, my family and I (aka my mother and me) are starting to look ahead to May of next year for our next trip to Disney. It's almost a year and a half away and while that may be discouraging for some, it's still exciting for me. Anticipation is half the fun! Plus, I've recently started a little home business as a cloth diapering consultant that is already providing us with some extra funds for our trip. Bonus!

There isn't a whole lot we can do to get ready at this point. No reservations to be made, park schedules to glance over or activities to look up. But I've already begun thinking through things.

Carsland and the new Buena Vista street will be the biggest change. Last time we travelled to Disneyland we missed the opening by all of two months, not that I would have wanted to be there during opening. But I am hoping that by next year things will have calmed down a little and we can avoid some of the craziness.

Since we will be travelling off season the likelihood of a major refurb or two is to be expected. However, since Indiana Jones just finished it's major overhaul I'm feeling pretty confident that my favorite ride will be good and open. The only thing that would really disappoint me is if Splash Mountain were to be closed. In all my many trips to Disney it has only ever been open twice. We somehow always hit the refurb time slot. We also be looking at shorter park hours and quite possibly shows only on the weekends. Not a big deal really, but something to keep in mind.

Our family is expanding this year from three to four, so we will be travelling with two children under the age of three. That on its own will take a little more planning (or a little less, depending on your perspective.) Nap/rest times back at the hotel will be a must as well as a shift in our thinking from, 'What rides do mom and dad want to get to' to 'What things would our toddlers enjoy?' We will absolutely be getting a five day pass as to allow as much down time as possible and we will for sure be doing our usual full week trip.

One big change we are looking at for this vacation? We are hoping to get into the Grand Californian. For those who are unaware, this is like the Mecca of Disney hotels. We are timeshare owners and have access to the 2 bedroom Villas at the Grand which can hold up to nine people comfortably. We always travel with my parents and two brothers, which would take our numbers up to eight people. The tricky thing is managing to get a reservations, as it fills up so quickly. We will hopefully be looking at booking it this coming fall as soon as availability is open.
If we can't get in, we will plan to stay at our usual and perfectly comfortable Staybridge Suites.

Another hopeful change? We'd like to fly into John Wayne airport instead of LAX. Cuts down on about half the travel time between the airport and the hotels and the price difference is very minimal. Hopefully ticket prices continue to be similar.

That's really all that is on the brain for now. I will be eagerly anticipating the release of the latest Unofficial Guide to Disneyland so I can soak up any new information and will continue to keep an eye on flight and ticket prices!

Money saving tips for your next Disney vacation

Doing a Disney trip is always at the top of my list for vacations, especially now that we've got a young child and another on the way. Because Disney caters to families, there really is no easier vacation. Throw in the bonus for us that Disneyland is only 2.5 hours away by plane and it trumps all other holiday locations.

Disneyland is also a fairly affordable vacation. Because it's so close, we can choose the amount of days we want to visit (as little as a long weekend) and the hotel options surrounding the park vary greatly according to your budget. In fact, Disneyland was my families first ever big trip and we stayed in a very low budget hotel.

For the past 12 years or so, we have upgraded our accommodations until we found a hotel we loved (See my review on the Staybridge.) We have also learned a few other tricks to help keep our cost as low as possible. As we begin to plan and budget for our next trip in (hopefully) 2014, I thought I'd share a few of our money saving tips.

We travel off season. This keeps our hotel and flight rates at their lowest and usually Disney offers some kind of buy 3 days get 2 free deal on their passes.
It's also wise to plan far in advance if possible, as you'll have your best pick of dates and some flexibility. If you can't do this because of work or what not, you can often find really good deals at a month or less. However, if you want to go during a peak holiday this is unlikely to happen.

As against it as some are (probably because they've never tried...) we've tried to get a few trips in before our kids turn three. Why you ask? A couple of reasons. First is that all kids under three get in the parks for free. That's a savings of $250 per child. And when you have more then one child it makes a BIG difference. Second, if you can fly with that child before they turn two you always get lap child airfare for free. Another perk? Younger children eat a whole lot less so you won't be paying so much for food.

Speaking of food, this is an area that can make or break the bank on your trip. We always always always stay at a hotel that has a kitchen. We do a grocery run on our first day of arrival and buy tons of snacks, drinks and various basic meal items. We plan to eat in the parks for only one meal a day and usually try to make it a light lunch (aka counter service only.) So far we have never, ever paid for a sit down waiter served meal at Disney because it will double the price. I'd like to one day, but it has to be factored into your budget.
Often for us, breakfast and supper ends up being made in the kitchen of our hotel room. Or, of you choose well, your accommodations may offer a complimentary breakfast and or appetizers.
Snacks in the park are also outrageously expensive. $2.00 for one banana? No thank you. Each morning we pack our backpack full of snacks and drinks to last us how long we will be in the park. Usually it ends up being a few pieces of fruit, a couple granola bars, small packaged cookies or chips and some water bottles. Yes it's slightly annoying to carry around a backpack, but we usually want one with us for camera or whatever else anyways.
Disney claims to not allow you to bring food into the park, and maybe they'd have a problem with it if you were trying to come in with a cooler full of sandwiches or a bucket of chicken, but we've never had a problem.

As far as souvenirs go, try to wait until your final day or two to make your purchases. This was a family rule for me growing up because as kids we'd change our minds so often. Now it just makes sense because it gives you time to see all the store selections and decide what you really want without over spending.
If you are interested in the photo pass CD and are traveling with a group, collect everyone's photo cards and put them all onto one CD. Its passworded, so you can all have access to it and get what you want without spending the money on individual CDs.

It is really easy to go over budget on a Disney trip. Lets face it, they are a business and are exceptionally good at sucking the money from your wallet. But if you plan accordingly and are prepared, it'll be a lot easier to say 'no' to those expensive add ons that you may come across.

Disney rides that adults love (and are sometimes a little scared of)

As mentioned in a previous post, a lot of people think Disneyland is a place that only has rides for kids. As someone who pretty much goes on any roller coaster and isn't really afraid of heights, I would have to disagree. I know folks who go on a lot and have felt sick coming off a Disney park ride. So I thought I'd share a few of these more stomach turning, adventurous or thrilling rides.

1. Space Mountain (Disneyland CA & Magic Kingdom FL)
One of my personal favourites, though there are many folks who can't handle it since it is completely in the dark. You don't get launched or go upside down, but you don't really have a great idea of what direction you are going. It should be noted that the tracks at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom are slightly different.

2. Aerosmiths Rockin RollerCoaster (Disney Hollywood Studios FL)
Both hubby and I came off this one feeling nauseated. That being said, I did have the flu at the time. This coaster takes a rollercoaster in the dark to another level as it launches you from 0-57 miles an hour in about 3 seconds and takes you upside down and through corkscrews a few times. I find it a benefit that the ride is very very short, so you won't feel queasy for long.

3. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (California Adventure CA & Hollywood Studios FL)
Oh boy... this is one I'm not sure I will ever do again. You are riding a broken elevator that drops you over and over in the dark. Its unpredictable as it changes every time. I was informed after a terrifying ride that there are indeed handles, somewhere. That may have made my experience a little less frightful. Seriously, I shook for 10 minutes after.

4. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom FL)
This is another personal favourite for me. I rode it three times in a row when we were there. It's just plain fun. You are exploring Everest when you realize that the track in front of you is no more, because it has been broken up by a Yeti. Then you are basically trying to get away from the creature that keeps showing up everywhere. It has some great drops and you go both forwards and backwards.

5.  California Screamin (California Adventure CA)
So good! This is Disneys lengthiest coaster and another where you are launched from 0 to FAST in no time. Lots of ups, downs and you even go upside down all while enjoying a beautiful view of Paradise Pier. I don't know any coaster enthusiast who doesn't enjoy this one.

6. Splash Mountain (Disneyland CA & Magic Kingdom FL)
Bring your ponchos, cause you are gonna get wet! A fantastic log ride with a series of drops (or waterfalls) ending with one really big drop. I don't consider this one scary and considered leaving it out of this post, but I do know people who go on this ride simply because they enjoy the scenery inside the mountain and 'deal with' the drops. So I guess some find it intimidating.

7. Indiana Jones Temple of Doom (Disneyland CA)
My absolute favourite ride out of any of the Disney parks - and fairly tame. This is not a roller coaster, but it is a rather aggressive dark ride that throws you from side to side in your jeep. I'd explain what you see, but I don't want to ruin it. I actually convinced my brothers and mother to go on it once, telling them it's not a coaster so they'd be fine. I was so wrong... and they were not happy with me. So apparently it's a bad one for motion sickness and over stimulation of the senses.

8. Big Thunder Mountain (Disneyland CA & Magic Kingdom FL)
You are a passenger on a train gone wild! It has got some great tight turns and quick drops and I highly suggest not eating lunch before going on it. Again, wouldn't call this one all that scary but it is fun. It was my first coaster in Disneyland and I felt it was a good break in for me.

So there you have it; the most popular rides with the adult crowd. Please remember to get fast passes for these attractions because they tend to have the longest lines. If you don't know what a fast pass is or how to get them, read my blog on them here. Oh, and there are height and health restrictions for all of them.

An afternoon at Aulani

First of all, apologies for taking two months to write this post. We are expecting our second child and I have been far too exhausted and nauseated to blog much. But I am now into my second trimester and have been feeling significantly better this past week.

You may remember that I had high hopes of taking our toddler son to Auntys character breakfast at Aulani resort and was told I couldn't reserve until the day before as a non resort guest. So, very early the day before (like 7:00am!) I called eager to get our name down. Keep in mind we were in Hawaii very much off season. Much to our dismay, we were told it was totally full and that we basically had no hope of getting in. What a bummer. It was the one thing I was really hoping to do during our trip.
My mother and I still wanted to check out the resort as it is a place we can use our timeshare points at if we so desire (a lot of points may I just add, but do able.)

Aulani is located in the resort town of Ko'Olina and it is a gorgeous area. I am not a fan of the island of Oahu and I can honestly say the only way I would have interest of returning to it is if I was staying in this area, far away from the craziness of Waikiki. Still a ways away we could see the towering resort looking grand and beautiful and oh so welcoming. Upon pulling up to the valet we were instantly greeted with the wonderful and well known Disney friendliness. They pointed us to the parking lot and explained where everything was.

After parking we walked through the main entrance where we were greeted with friendly smiles from a staff member and a glass of refreshing lemon cucumber water. I talked to a few employees about what we could see and do as visiting guests and then we began to wander. Again, I have to comment on the quality and friendliness of the staff members here. It really did remind me of being in Disneyland in that people were so helpful and happy everywhere we went. Absolutely wonderful.

The decor of the resort was beautiful. We have never seen a resort that looked more 'Hawaiian' which I know is exactly the feel they were going for. It was elegant yet comfortable, and all the art work and designs on the walls were interesting and fun to look at. Great job by Disney!

We checked out the pools, including the long lazy river and kids play area. I can't even explain how badly we wanted to dive in there! Something else we noticed were the lifeguards located literally every 10 feet. Safety is obviously top priority at Aulani. There were plenty of chairs to lounge in around the pools, and they weren't those cheap plastic ones. They were thick, padded and had pillows on them. No joke. There were water filters with cups located everywhere, as well as ice cream stands, burger joints and full restaurants.

They also had a private beach with a sheltered lagoon for calm waters and more chairs scattered everywhere.

After wandering a bit we stopped by the resort gift shop to pick up a few souvenirs. This is the only point in which I was disappointed as the shop was way tiny then I would have expected. They really weren't offering much. Lots of t-shirts, towels and bags, a few magnets and shelf displays, but not a whole lot else. I actually found myself not buying anything, which was shocking (even for my husband.) We settled on a Squirt stuffy (from Nemo) for Noah as we figured that was kind of Hawaiian like.

We took one last glance at the balcony overlooking the resort and talked about whether we'd like to stay there in the future. The general consensus of our group of seven people was yes, if we were to return to Oahu we'd probably stay there. But we weren't sure if we'd prefer that or heading back to our nice quiet city of Kona on the Big Island. Were small town Hawaii people.

No one does entertainment like Disney

There is a misconception that Disneyland is a place with just 'a bunch of kids rides.' Of course anyone who has actually been to a Disney park knows this is completely untrue. There is so much more to do then simply go from ride to ride.

Take my mother and brothers for instance. They don't do rides, except for the occasional slow moving dark ride, but they still love visiting Disney. Why? Because of the constant entertainment! Sit down shows, parades, street performers, there is pretty much something going on all the time at the parks. So I thought I would give you a brief run down of some of the things you can do at Disney if you aren't into rides or meeting characters.

1. Billy Hill & the Hillbillies.
I've talked about these guys before, and they are a do not miss in our books! In Disneyland Park at the Golden Horseshoe this hilarious group of fiddlers will entertain you with music and jokes while you enjoy your lunch. The highlight? One of the performers wears over the top false teeth. You'll just have to see it to understand why it's so funny.

2. Fantasmic!
Certain evenings of the week, the rivers of America transforms into a full stage/water show complete with water screens, boats, characters and special effects. This show is our personal favourite of any of the evening shows the parks have to offer. Be sure stake out a spot early as the ground seating is first come first serve.

3. World of Colour
Showing select nights at Disney's California Adventure, this show is all water screen based and full of spectacular colours and classic Disney music. There is a special viewing area on the lagoon and you will need to get a fast pass to go in (fast passes can be obtained by the Grizzly River ride first thing in the morning.) You can view this show from other areas, but you will have angled views of the water screens.

4. Parades
These change yearly and seasonally but they are always well done. The two best locations (in my humble opinion) to view the parades are over by Its a Small World or else at the end of Main street so you get the full view with the castle.

5. Aladdin
Disney California Adventure has its own theater just for Aladdin, which is basically a full scale Broadway show compacted to 45 minutes long. This is another do not miss show in my books! The Genie is always played by a comedian who is very up on the latest pop culture references and jokes and hands down steals the show. We honestly go just to see what he comes up with, because it changes all the time.

This is only the tip of the iceberg for entertainment. To find out more about what is going on when you are visiting, be sure to grab the parks daily schedule with times and locations.

The Fast Pass system

I must apologize. I have several friends who recently visited the Disney parks and asked me what those fast pass tickets were and how much they cost. I felt so bad for not having filled them in before hand! I think fast passes are such a common topic that I assumed I already blogged about them; apparently not.
So here you go...

What is a fast pass?
A fast pass is a free ticket available to anyone in the park to bypass a large portion of a popular rides line.

Which rides offer them?
Rides such as Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain at Disneyland have these, as do Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin, Grizzly River Run and Tower of Terror at California Adventure. There are more, but I don't think I need to list them all...
It is easy to see if they are available for a ride, because next to the current walk on wait time you will see a fast pass return time posted.

Where can I get one?
You can get a fast pass for a ride at a ticket machine usually near the rides main entrance, or else close by the ride itself. If you can't seem to locate it, simply as a cast member and they will point you in the right direction.
You will need your park ticket to get the pass. Simply walk up to an available machine and put your card in. It will be scanned and out of the bottom of the machine will pop a fast pass ticket with a time of return listed on it. Do not lose this (of your park ticket for that matter...)

How do they work?
When the time listed on your fast pass arrives, simply return to your ride and enter the 'fast pass' line. A cast member will ask to see your ticket and let you through. The fast pass line usually runs right along side the main line but will be relatively empty. On a busy day you may still end up waiting 10 minutes or so to get on your ride, but it is nothing compared to the poor folks who have been waiting for 45. At the end of the line a cast member will take your fast pass ticket from you and you can then proceed onto the ride.

Do I have to use my fast pass during the listed time?
That's a tricky question. I have never been let on a ride earlier then my fast pass time, however I have heard of many people using their fast passes long after their time has expired. Disney World has recently stated that they will be enforcing their ticket times, where as Disneyland has not said anything about it. I think this is one of those times where it just depends on the cast member you get. That being said, we always just use our fast passes when it is the right time as we have a system.

Are the fast passes ride specific?
Yes! You can not use the same fast pass ticket for Indiana Jones as you would on Space Mountain. They will each require a separate fast pass.

How many fast passes can I hold at a time?
You cannot simply run all over the past grabbing fast passes for every ride first thing in the morning. There is an actual time limit on your ticket. You can get a new one every few hours or once your current ticket expires.

Does each ride have an unending supply of fast passes?
No! When you go to get a fast pass at a ride you will see a current 'return time' listed above. For popular rides at popular times of travel, fast passes can be gone for the whole day within an hour or two of park opening. So if you are travelling during a peak season and have a ride that makes the top of your list, I suggest heading there straight away and securing your pass.

Our system is to get a fast pass for one ride and then head to another close by while we wait. For example, we will get a fast pass first thing in the morning for Indiana Jones and then go on Pirates of the Caribbean and Tarzans Tree House. Or we will get a pass for Space Mountain and then proceed to ride Buzz Light Year and Astro Blasters in the meantime.

I will add that fast passes are not worth your time unless the ride you desire to go on has more then a 20 minutes wait. Our general rule is that if the rides line is under 20 minutes we will simply do walk on, but if it's 25 minutes or more, we get the pass for it.
And may I just add what a wonderful feeling it is to join the fast pass line and walk past all the other guests who have been not so patiently waiting forever... Sorry, was that a little mean?

Hope I've helped! If you have any more questions please feel free to send them my way!

Aulani visit?

The family and I are taking off for a Hawaiian vacation in a few shorts weeks. We are greatly looking forward to soaking up some sun on the shores of the pacific and spending time splashing around in a few gorgeous swimming pools at our resort.

Sadly, we wont be staying Disneys Aulani resort - which is fully my fault. When my parents decided to book a trip to Hawaii we thought there was no way we'd be able to join them. And I just may have said I would be heartbroken if they chose to go to the Disney resort without us... So they went with the Hilton Hawaiian Village instead. Yet here we are, tagging along after all and hoping to get the chance to visit one of the newest resorts on Oahu.

Hubby is planning a few excursions to keep himself entertained. Jet skiing, surf lessons and possibly renting a scooter. The only thing I want to do besides relax is take a day trip over to Aulani and do a character breakfast. And I'm not just thinking of me here - honest! I know Noah would love another hug from Mickey Mouse and the chance to visit with a few of his other Disney pals. Rumor has it, the elusive Stitch even makes an appearance! There is also the added 'cool' factor of seeing our favourite characters dressed up Hawaiian style. Where else can we see that?

The trouble is getting in. Non resort guests have to wait until the day before to make reservations. Hoping that most kids will be busy in school and not travelling to Hawaii when we are so that there will be enough space for myself, my son, hubby and my mother to get it.

Besides the character breakfast itself, I'd like to walk the grounds and see if this is really a place we'd like to stay in the future. Oh, and visit the store of course. Disney Hawaiian themed merchandise? Yes please!

Anyone ever stayed there or visited for a day? Would love to hear your thoughts!

No more Disney Cruises to Alaska?

Oh rumor, please do not be true!

Over the past week or so I have been hearing talk about Disney pulling out of their Alaska cruise sailing for good. As you can guess based on my last post, this would make me very sad.

Our tentative plan was to book our first Disney cruise in May/June 2014 for this exact itinerary. We loved the idea of getting a family vacation that wouldn't require us to fly anywhere, hence the Alaska trip from Vancouver. If they no longer offer this, we probably wont be cruising that year as we aren't enthusiastic about flying all the way to Florida to do a Disney cruise and aren't really into the idea of doing a non Disney cruise to Alaska.

I sent an email to a Disney travel specialist asking him about this and he told me that so far he had no information one way or the other. He did mention however that there had been alot of talk about moving the Wonder (currently the Alaska ship) elsewhere, and that whether or not another boat would take over had not been mentioned.
That doesn't sound too positive to me.

I wonder (ha, no pun intended...) if Disney is struggling to do business up their in Alaska. That is a sailing that tends to attract an older more mature crowd. And because they are the 'new kids on the block' they haven't been given high priority for things like port times and sailing routes. Perhaps Disney does not like being second (or fourth, fifth) in line for things. They certainly aren't use to it.

So, what would we do if they pulled out of Alaska? Oh you know, probably go to Disneyland. And that my friends, is never a bad thing.

Disney Cruise?

Hubby and I (well, mostly me) are planning our next family vacation for 2014. That's two whole years away, you may say. Yes, but that gives us time to save for it and plan it.

(For those of you who are not cruisers - the best prices are usually when the dates first become availible for purchase - about a year in advance. So you'd put down a deposit in 2013. This also gives you best choice of cabin location and dinner time slot.)

We are strongly leaning towards doing a Disney Alaskan cruise, for several reasons. Here they are.

1. We won't have to fly anywhere.
This is the easiest vacation we can take considering we live in Vancouver. No flying anywhere, no extra day of travel. We simply drive down to the dock (or take a cab) and are on our trip in a matter of 45 minutes. How's that for stress free?

2. Disney caters to young children.
We looked into cruising before with a young child and shot down the idea straight away thinking about our son potentially screaming during dinner or trying to find a place to change his bottom. But with Disney, everyone has young children. They deal with these things all the time and are prepared for it via entertainment, diaper genies and 'dinner in your room' options.

3. Family friendly entertainment.
We have done a few cruises and entertainment on board has been better at some then others. But alot of cruise ships have a very 'Vegas style' form of entertainment. Fine when you are just a couple, but not appropriate for children. Disney cruises have musicals based on their movies, game show nights, Disney movies showing in their theaters and cooking/crafting activities that are meant for families. You just don't have to worry about what your kids will be exposed to, which is a real seller for us.

4. They offer the largest staterooms with seperate bathrooms.
Anyone who has ever been on a cruise knows, the rooms are teeny tiny. Disney gives you more space for your money compared to the other cruise lines and also gives you a seperate tub/shower from your toilet/sink area. Oh, and they are the only cruise line I know of that gives you a tub to bathe your children.

5. They offer discounted rates for kids.
Sometime you'll be lucky and can hit a 'kids sail free' deal (we are really crossing our fingers for the May/June 2014 one) Almost all cruise lines charge full childrens fares for kids 2 and under, which is just ridiculous to me. Why would I pay $600 to bring my 1 year old on a cruise when they don't eat the same food, take up any space, or enjoy any of the entertainmet? You will pay approx. $250-350 for your toddler, depending on the length of the cruise. Much more reasonable.

6. They are the only cruise line offering entertainment for toddlers.
Yep, not only do toddlers get a huge discount on Disney, but they also have things just for them. Cribs, diaper genies and strollers are all availible free of charge during your trip. If your kid doesn't eat solids yet? No problem, they will puree up their chicken dinner. If you want a night out alone with your spouse? No problem, they offer babysitting. Want to take your child in the pool and they aren't potty trained? They have a specific pool just for them! They also have a whole nursery room full of toys and other activities that you can go to with your young child.

I could really go on and on, but those are just a few of the points that have sold me during my research. And yes, they have plenty of entertainment for adults too, like adult only pools, hot tubs, spas and clubs.

If you are interested in joining us on our cruise, shoot me a message. I'd be more then happy to fill you in on our plans :)

Magical Moments

A magical Disney moment

My little brother meets Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time. He seems to be slightely hesitant about asking for his autograph - but really, can you blame him?

Disney Broadways Mary Poppins

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Disney's Mary Poppins Broadway show here in Vancouver. It was my delayed Mothers Day gift from my hubby and son and I went with my mother, who shares my strong love of musical theater.

The story is the same for the most part, with a few added songs and changes of scenery for a few scenes. My mother actually found the the stage show flowed better then the movie and felt it was less 'choppy'.The cast was as great as you can expect from any Broadway show, and the woman playing Mary Poppins was fantastic! We had the understudy playing Bert and he blew us away! This guy definitely deserves his own lead role in the future.

I think hands down the best part of the production was the set designs. I have seen 10+ Broadway shows in my life and this is probably number 1 or 2 in my books for sets. The Banks house was incredible, opening and closing right in front of you like a doll house. Everything in the house was magical when Mary Poppins was around. Things would pop up out of suitcases, furniture would break and go back together without being touched and paintings would somehow turn into a bouquet of flowers. I honestly don't know how they did it. Mary Poppins flew with her umbrella several times, and Bert does a tap dance on the ceiling. So entertaining!

The costumes were wonderful and fit the mood of every scene. They reminded me of  the ones from Wicked with the constant flashy brightness. Mary Poppins coats were gorgeous!
If I could describe the show in one word it'd probably be FUN. It's just plain fun! It is a show for all ages and one I'd probably see again if I had the opportunity. And that's high praise.

Magical Moments

A magical Disney Moment

These moments come from Toni, who was 9 years of age in the photos.

Toni is lucky enough to have a trip booked to visit Disneyland & California Adventure this coming fall. Can't wait to hear all about her experiences as she checks out the new Cars Land!

Disney Pixars BRAVE

Tonight I went out and saw Brave with pretty much my entire family. Parents, brothers, grandmother... but not my husband. He stayed home with our little one so I could go enjoy (and to be honest... he was perfectly fine with that.)

Overall I really liked the film and would definitely recommend it; especially to those who are Disney lovers to begin with. I'll do a little break down of what I did and didn't like and you can take from it what you will.

Liked:
- The scenery! It is an absolutely beautiful movie and seeing it in 3D is a MUST.
- The music. Totally fit the movie and got me in the mood. Of course, being of Scottish decent myself I may be biast.
- The 'whisps' Can't really describe what they are to you without you seeing them, but they were really cool.
- Meridas little brothers. They were comical and adorable at the same time.
- Merida herself (of course.) I mean come on, that is one awesome Princess! I found myself thinking how cool it'll be to get a picture with her in Disneyland next trip :)

Didn't like:
- I heard this before and I understand where it comes from now. It almost felt like two different stories in a way. The first half is all about Scotland and how things are done and a tournament to win the princesses hand and then all of a sudden the story totally changes gears. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different.
- The mother 'bear' thing. Yes, I realize this is one of the whole main plots but it just through me for a loop as I hadn't read up on the full story ahead of time. I wish I had known about that so I could have been more prepared. It was all very heartwarming in the end though. I cried!

And I have one thing that fits on both the liked and disliked side and that is that I wanted the story to keep going! I wanted to know what was going to happen to Merida next. Is there a BRAVE 2 in our future?

Guess I'll just have to ask her next time I visit Disney...

My favourite Disney snacks

Whenever I go to a Disney park there are a few 'must have' treats that I enjoy participating in. These are the items that I would highly encourage you to try for yourself.
And yes, these are all junkfood that we probably shouldnt be eating in the first place...

At the top of my list - Disney gummies! I know what you are thinking. Arent they just overpriced gummy bears? No! Not only are they in the shape of multitple Disney characters, but the flavors are better then most gummies I have ever tasted. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

Next? Mmm Mickey Ice cream sandwhich. Chocolatey crust and cookies n cream flavor inside. All around tasty goodness.

Also - the Mickey Mouse Lollipops. Yes, they are kind of hard to properly suck on until those giant ears shrink down a bit. But there is just something so fun about walking around the park with one of these.

A Mouse Planet photo

Another recently found love is the Disneyland hot chocolate bought from a street kiosk. Nice sweet chocolate flavor and perfect for sipping during a parade during the colder days at the park.

These are my favourites - what are yours?