My Disney Blog

Friday February 27 2009 at the Magic Kingdom

Hello from the most magical place to play!! And work Friday was a wonderfully magical day as I brought my newest toy to make bubbles and it was fun! I would blow bubbles from my wand, and the gazillion bubble machine would double the bubbles!!!!! The children were loving it! I was at Buzz Lightyear as a greeter and was greeting the guests as I normaly do. I was making bubbles and making smiles for miles and miles!!! Then, I was at Buzz Lightyear in the strollers, and the chidren were after the bubbles. My managers LOVED the bubble machine! So hope to see you all soon in the most magical place on earth. 

--- CrazyDisneyDancer

CrazyDisneyDancer works in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom and is a guest author at MyDisneyBlog.com. We are so happy to have him (John) here!!

Riding with Mickey and Minnie on Dumbo

Alright, perhaps I have been living under a rock for the past several years, but on our last trip to Walt Disney World, Mickey and Minnie came out to ride with a few kids on Dumbo. First of all, that is no fair - they should wait in line like the rest of us - hahaha. JUST KIDDING! I could hardly believe my eyes. It was the end of a very long day, there was a fine mist in the air, and my 5 year old daughter looked more like Dog the Bounty Hunter than Belle (she went to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique earlier in the day and the hair gets wicked crazy after some rides and drizzle! She no longer had her dress on - so she really did look like Dog the Bounty Hunter). So, we were just standing there in the Dumbo line, when all of a sudden - Mickey and Minnie came out to ride with a couple unsuspecting kids. We couldn't believe it! I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen (well, at least one of the coolest things). How about you? Have you seen this happen before? The two kids that got to ride with them were absolutely awe struck, and just stared at Mickey and Minnie for the ENTIRE TIME! While I wish I was on at the same time as them, it was also cool to watch them ride from the front of the line. I am curious to know how often this happens? Is this a once a day thing - or a once a month thing? If you have more information, just throw it into the comments section!

Photo courtesy of Disney - featuring Jo Frost of the hit TV show Supernanny!

--- Disney Dean

Animal Conservation at Walt Disney World

If you've been following my posts this week, you may know that I've been following the writings of Jenn at The Green Parent. She is doing a week-long series of posts regarding being 'green' at Walt Disney World. I have found the articles to be well-written and very enlightening. You may want to look at the other posts from this week as well. For today's post, Jenn writes about Animal Conservation at Walt Disney World, and as true Disney fans know - it is impressive! It makes me so proud to be a Disney fan, as they are a phenomenal steward of the environment and pioneers of many conservation efforts. Jenn was fortunate to spend some time with Dr. Jackie Ogden, the Vice President of Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives for the Walt Disney World Resort. How cool would that be?

Anyway, she discusses a few of Dr. Ogden's favorite programs, including the Sea Turtles, the Cotton-Top Tamarin, and Elephants. She notes that elephants are actually afraid of bees! That's something I didn't learn in college :) For more enlightening facts, you gotta go to the article!

How about you? Are you impressed by Disney's conservation efforts? I think they're doing a phenonemal job (did you know that 10,000 acres are set aside for being green?). Share your thoughts in the comments section below and get the party started!

Photo courtesy of Disney

--- Disney Dean

Favorite Walt Disney World Resort

I have to be honest - Disney Dean has only stayed at ONE Walt Disney World Resort property in his life. There are a few reasons for this. When I first started to become absolutely OBSESSED with Disney, we were staying in a vacation home in Kissimmee. We loved it so much, and just couldn't think of doing something different. We loved the fact that it was quiet, and the kids could make as much noise as they wanted without offending anyone. We loved having our own pool at the end of the day, and the place we stayed was so clean you could eat off the floors. In a word - we had no reason to go elsewhere. Well, as my obsession grew, I finally talked the rest of the family, including my AWESOME mother-in-law, into staying on the property. I told them all about the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and how it would be much smaller, but there were benefits to staying on Disney property. They grudgingly agreed to give it a try, and they fell in love with the Cabins of Fort Wilderness! Have you ever stayed there? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section. We loved everything about these cabins - especially all the wildlife right outside our door! We loved the Trail's End buffet, the bus lines, the frogs, the snails, the armadillos and the tons of deer. I loved knowing that I was on Disney property 24/7, and not having the feeling of 'leaving' each day. That is probably my number one reason for liking onsite lodging.

With that said, I have a new obsession with the Polynesian. We have gone there a few times for the Ohana Breakfast Character meal, and have strolled around the beautiful grounds. I am obsessed with French Polynesia, and have this desire to go to the Cook Islands as well - so this may be feeding my love of the Polynesian. We love the fact that it's so close to the Magic Kingdom, and the Ticket and Transportation Center, and that it is right on the monorail line. I'm really hoping for a 40% off PIN code in my email or mail, so that we can stay here. If not, we will be more than happy to stay again at the Cabins of Fort Wilderness. If you haven't been here, you should really check them out! I have also checked out some of the other resorts around Walt Disney World, and would be happy to stay at any one of them as well. Note to Disney - PLEASE, PLEASE SEND ME A 40% off PIN CODE :)

So, how about you? Finding a resort at Disney is very, very personal, and every person has their own needs and desires in a resort. Which resort is your favorite, and why? Leave a message in the comments section and get the conversation going :)

--- Disney Dean

Eco Fun at Walt Disney World

If you've been reading MyDisneyBlog this week, you know that I've been following Jenn's (from The Green Parent) blog posts on being "green" at Walt Disney World. Today's article has to do with having eco-fun at Walt Disney World, and it is another great article. The article focuses on all the conservation and animal exhibits at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the 500 acre mega park!

She takes you on a tour of Kilimanjaro Safari, Mahrajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Discovery Clubs, and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Jenn is quite impressed by all the conservation efforts and themes that she sees at Walt Disney World, and it is something I have been very proud of as well. I love the story she tells at the end of the article, regarding Expedition Everest. You'll have to visit the article to find out :)

How about you? Are you impressed by all the eco-friendly and conservation efforts at the Disney Parks? We always learn something new (most of the time MANY things) when we go to Walt Disney World, and I believe that is the beauty of the parks. They suck you in with all the entertainment, but teach you something in a fun and enlightening way. Go Disney!

--- Disney Dean

Jonas Brothers at Disney this Weekend?

If you're a Jonas Brothers fan, you may receive a special treat this weekend. The Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience opens this Friday, February 27, 2009, and the Jonas Brothers will be flying around the country to promote their movie, and to drop in on unsuspecting fans. Well, Orlando Sentinel movie critic Roger Moore speculates that they may just drop in on the AMC Pleasure Island 24 at Downtown Disney this weekend. If you will be in the area this weekend, don't be surprised if you get to see the Jonas Brothers on the big screen and in person. Of course, nobody really knows where they will be visiting, but since they are a Disney property, it would make some sense for them to visit some Disney properties for additional exposure and publicity.

Check out the story at the Theme Park Rangers at the Orlando Sentinel. Or, for the original story, check out Roger Moore's blog post for more information. Not to say that this is a for sure, but it sure seems to make sense? They're one of, if not THE hottest Disney property right now, so a tie in makes complete sense to me.

Are you going to be there this weekend? If so, are you hoping to be surprised by a Jonas Brothers visit?

--- Disney Dean

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at the Magic Kingdom

Well, let's see - I picked up a shift on Main Street, and had fun with the kids at the parade! I was out at the parade and there were two bands, so I started blowing bubbles. I had a bunch of kids following me around and then I heard the first band. They were on the Liberty Square bridge and I told the children to go sit down, and that we would play a game afer the band - so they did. After the band went by, I said "let's play a game," and the children came running!! So, I said "do we know how to play the Hokie Pokie?" and they said yeaa, so I then asked everybody "do we all know the words to the Hokie Pokie?" and the parents chimed in yeaa. So, we started playing until i heard the 2nd band on the bridge and I again said to the children "go sit with mom and dad and we will play another game," and they did. Once the 2nd band went by, I said "who wants to play a game?" and they came running. So I said "let's hold hands and make a friend." I then said "make a circle," and then I said "pop your squat," and they looked at me like whaa?? I then said "sit down," and they did. I asked if they knew how to play duck duck goose, and they said oooyeaaaa. We played for about 10 minutes, and I said "ok, there is one more thing we have to do -- and that is we must check everybody's wavers." They looked at me like??? I said we've got to check that everybody brought their wave, so they can wave at the Princesses. So, I had them follow me in a single file line, and we walked up the parade route a little ways (as to not take them out of mom and dad's sight) and then I had them get in a circle. Everybody put their hands in the circle, and I said "lets all say - go parade!" and then I said have a magical day and then the parade went by. 

--- CrazyDisneyDancer

CrazyDisneyDancer works in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom and is a guest author at MyDisneyBlog.com. We are so happy to have him (John) here!!  

DISNEY UNVEILS NEW "THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG" TOY LINE

Actress Anika Noni Rose, Voice Of Princess Tiana, in the upcoming 2009 Holiday movie "The Princess and the Frog" recently received a One–Of-A-Kind Tiana Doll. Disney just sent over this video, and I hope you love it just as much as I do. Anika is such a class act - and it makes me so happy that they chose her for this role. Really hoping this will help 2D hand drawn animation to make a comeback!  

--- Disney Dean

Eating Green in Walt Disney World

If you've been following MyDisneyBlog this week, you may know that I'm following Jenn's posts at The Green Parent regarding being green at Walt Disney World. She is doing a series the whole week on being green at the mouse, and I think it's just great. No matter if you're bright green or just the slightest shade of green - you're likely to pick up some interesting tidbits over on her blog.

The latest post refers to eating green at Walt Disney World. She names some great choices at various restaurants and refreshment stands, and some of these I did not know about. Would love to know your thoughts on eating green at Disney. Just post in the comments section and get the conversation going.
I thought it was really interesting that Disney donates it's excess food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Very impressive, indeed, but not surprising knowing Disney! Here is a quote from Jenn's blog post: "During the past year, Disney Harvest served over 704,000 pounds of food."

I really started to notice the healthful options available at Walt Disney World on our trip last August (2008), my first time since I started Weight Watchers. I thought their options were outstanding, and I felt very good about the choices that were available to me! I even ordered kid's meals at times, as they generally had smaller portions (such as a grilled chicken nuggets - how cool), and included things such as carrots and grapes. Perfect for stopping the hunger, for sure.

--- Disney Dean

MouseFest 2009 On Hiatus

A few days ago, the organizers of MouseFest (the annual mecca for Disney enthusiast) announced that they would be going on hiatus for the 2009 season, and that there has been no determination whether it will go on in the future. I have been dying to go to MouseFest, but so far have not been able to line up our Disney vacations with the event. MouseFest has grown by leaps and bounds, and the organizers say that it has grown so much that it really requires someone with experience in large-event planning. If you want to read more about this very painful decision by the organizers of MouseFest, just head on over to their website. They've also posted an extensive FAQ section regarding their decision. I know there will be a lot of people very disappointed by this decision, but hopefully someone with the experience to handle an event of this size (nearly 1000 people at the MegaMouseMeet!) will step up and agree to run this and organize it. Maybe it will be back in full force in 2010? And, if you really need your fix, you can attend Magic Meets in Pennsylvania in August, 2009.

--- Disney Dean