Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration Taping - Day 2

The taping of the Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration continued yesterday with four more musicians performing this year, including Reba McEntire.  Reba posed for this quick photo with Woody from Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story" during a break from taping. 

Singer/Songwriter Seal stopped for a close-up with Santa Goofy!

Breakout artist Tori Kelly, who's a featured artist on the "We Love Disney" album, released last month by Walt Disney Records, stopped for this quick pic with Chip and Dale.

Janel Parrish, one of the stars of "Pretty Little Liars" met up with Stitch during a break from taping.  Janel is serving as the musical correspondent for the show. 

Don't forget to check out the 32nd annual holiday telecast airing nationwide on December 25 at 10 a.m. ET and 9 a.m. CST, MST and PST on ABC-TV.

Mini Vacation to Disney's Beach Club Resort

We recently returned from a 2 night stay at Disney's Beach Club Resort.  I posted on my Facebook wall, that I took less photos than usual.  Sometimes, the mom in me wins, and I decide to spend a bit more time being part of the memories, rather than trying to capture every one of them on my iPhone.  Of course, the Travel Agent in me was paying attention to everything along the way, so I'll be able to give you my mini-vacation report and review of a few details of the trip.

Although I did online check-in, I went to the front desk when I arrived at 10am to see if my room was ready yet.  I was told it would be a while before they had the room ready for us, so they escorted me to the fifth floor to the Club Level lounge, the Stone Harbor Club (You need to be staying in a Club Level room, or in a room with Club Level access to enjoy the Stone Harbor Club).  Before gaining access to the club, I sat down with one of the cast members and finished checking in. We went over the details of our stay, and since I had already made my fastpass+ and dining reservations, there wasn't much he needed to help me with.  I was given a phone number to call, and a phone number to text if I needed anything from them during my stay.  The members of my party who were over 21 were given a sparkling punch, and the kids were offered non-alcoholic versions.

Inside the lounge, there was a continental breakfast set up with pastries, fruits, yogurt, cereals, and 2 hot dishes, cheesy grits and hot oatmeal (with all the fixins).  There was orange juice, milk, water, and a self serve coffee machine that allowed you to make coffee, lattes, espresso, etc. There were a few tv's set up, along with 2 kid sized tables and chairs.

Once we were done checking out the lounge, we decided to explore the resort.  Disney's Beach Club Resort is by far one of the most beautiful resorts on Walt Disney World property. It is a Deluxe Resort hotel, themed to resemble seaside resort cottages in New England's early 20th century.  The location of the hotel is one of the reasons why I chose to stay for this trip.  Our main purpose of this mini vacation was to not only utilize the amazing pool, Stormalong Bay, but to have easy access to Epcot so that we could visit the International Food & Wine Festival.  Not only is Epcot only a 10 minute walk from the Beach Club, you can also walk to the Boardwalk, the Swan & the Dolphin resorts in the same short amount of time. If you are not big on walking, you can always take the ferry to any of those resorts, as well as to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  With all of that at our fingertips, we wound up over at the Yacht Club for lunch.  We planned on grabbing what we thought would be a "quick lunch" at the Captain's Grill.  I was not overly impressed with the meal.  The service was slow, they forgot to bring us our appetizer, and the food was just okay.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't amazing, and I've come to expect amazing food from the Disney restaurants. 

By the time we were done with lunch, we headed back over to the Beach Club to check if our room was ready.  It was!  We headed upstairs and our friendly cast member escorted us to our room.  The room was beautiful, with 2 Queen Beds, a desk with chair, a dresser, mini-fridge, TV, and DVD player.  The only problem was, it wasn't big enough for my party of 6 (My mom came with us, so we had 3 adults and 3 kids). We were supposed to be in one of the rooms with a pull out sofa.  They quickly picked up the phone to work things out.  I was offered either this room, with a rollaway cot, or a different room, with the pull out sofa, but on a different floor (still with club level access).  I opted for the different room.  We wound up on the first floor, facing the Boardwalk, with a fantastic view.  

I will admit, we took full advantage of the free food and drink at Club Level and spent a good portion of the day going back up to the lounge to see what offerings there were.  Breakfast is from 7am-10:30am, Snacks, including house-made potato chips, cookies, trail mix, and pretzels are served 11:30am-4:00pm, Hors d'oeuvres and Wine are served 5pm-7pm, and Desserts and Cordials from 8pm-10pm.  Although the wine and beer are not out until 5pm, we were told that all we needed to do was ask and they would bring us anything we needed.  

Day 2 - We got up early and headed out to the Magic Kingdom to see the Welcome Show. 

We did a few rides and then checked in for our breakfast reservation at The Crystal Palace.  We were celebrating my oldest daughter's 17th Birthday, so our table had some special Mickey confetti sprinkled on it when we were seated.  Before we even got a chance to order drinks, Winnie the Pooh was playing peek-a-boo with my 2 year old.  The breakfast buffet included hot and cold offerings, an omelette station, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, Mickey waffles, and plenty of other things to choose from.  The characters made their rounds and came to see us, take photos, and sign autographs through the course of the meal. At the end of breakfast, the brought out a birthday cupcake and a card (signed by Winnie and his friends) for my daughter.  

After breakfast we finished out our fastpass+ reservations and headed out of the park. We stopped into the Fire House to pick up a pack of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (a fun interactive game that is totally free) cards.  As we were leaving, we decided to pop into the Harmony Barber Shop to see if they had time to give my son a quick hair cut.  Sure enough, they took him right away.  At first he was a little squirmy, but once they gave him some spinning toys, and a TON of Mickey stickers to distract him, he was a trooper.  

Now it was time for that amazing pool!  Once we got back to the resort, we were changed and ready to hop in the pool in no time. Stormalong Bay is the most coveted pool on Disney property.  You need to show your Magicband when entering the gated area, and you are given a wristband to keep on while you are at the pool.  The kids spent a few hours playing in the sand, making sand castles, splashing in the water.  We went around the lazy river, and down the slide a few times too.  

It started to drizzle and we took it as a que to get the kids out of the pool and dried off.  

After getting a snack from the club, we roasted a few marshmallows and headed to Epcot.  We strolled around World Showcase and sampled a few of the different offerings at the International Food & Wine Festival.  We grabbed a spot in Canada and watched Illuminations.  Although the park was open of Extra Magic Hours, we decided to get back to the room and get some sleep..it had been a long day...and thanks to my little one it was a long night too.

Day 3- Although I was up until 2am, strolling the Boardwalk, trying to get my son to go back to sleep, I was up bright and early to get the most out of our day.  My mom and I took the little kids upstairs for a quick breakfast, then headed over to Hollywood Studios on the ferry.  We rode Toy Story Midway Mania, The Great Movie Ride, and did a little shopping. While we were off having fun, my oldest and my husband were packing up our room and getting ready for check out.  It was time to go meet up with them and go to lunch.  

We had reservations at Sanaa.  Located at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the restaurant has become one of my personal favorite "hidden gems".  We checked in for our lunch reservation and asked for a window seat.  They told us it would be about a 10-15 minute wait, and I was happy to wait.  We could watch the animals from the viewing area while we waited for our table.  

Our table had an amazing view, and was totally worth the wait.  We ordered the bread service, that includes different pita and naan breads with a selection of dips and spreads.  It's fantastic.  Everyone ordered something different for lunch, and everyone loved it!  My husband did think the serving size was a bit too small for the steak.  The "milk and cookies" dessert on the kids menu was a big hit with my little ones.

After lunch we headed over to Animal Kingdom and rode the Kilimanjaro Safari. Because it was the middle of the day, there wasn't too much activity, but we did get to see some giraffes, zebras, and even some baby warthogs.  I always recommend doing the safari first thing in the morning, when the animals are more active. During a light rain is always a good time too..but you will get wet.
After the safari, we wandered the park a little more and saw the baby gorillas too.  

We stopped at Disney Springs to do some "quick" shopping and use up our remaining dining plan credits.  One of our family favorites is Wolfgang Puck Express.  It counts as a quick service entitlement, but it is very close to a sit down experience.  You order your meal at the counter, but then you bring your order number to your table and the food is delivered to you.  Your server will continue to get you anything you need from that point.  

After a little more shopping, it was time to head home.  The best part about living in Central Florida, is that I'm only 45 minutes away from any of the Disney attractions.  

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Disney's Beach Club resort, in fact, I tried to extend my stay when we checked out, but the resort was fully booked for the weekend.  

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 2015 Commemorative Merchandise

This Sunday kicked off the first Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party of 2015 at Magic Kingdom.  Each year, there are special items that are only available for purchase during the event, at specific locations.  We've got the inside scoop and want to show you some of the merchandise, and where you can find it.

One of last years most popular items was the Christmas MagicBand.  There is a new limited edition that was released on November 8.  It retails for $29.95 and can be found at the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A.

Several Disney pins were created and released especially for the event, including a limited edition pin with Huey, Dewey, and Louie available only to Annual Passholders.  Pins can only be found at Frontier Trading Post in Frontierland.

There are a few varieties of t-shirts, for adults and kids. There is an annual passholder exclusive t-shirt as well.  There is also a decorative ornament, and a phone case that can be personalized (available at the new D-Tech location in Tommorrowland Light & Power Co.)

Here's the locations of the best places to find each item at the Magic Kingdom Park during the party.

Emporium - Main Street U.S.A. (apparel, MagicBand, ornament)

Frontier Trading Post - Frontierland (pins)

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe - Liberty Square (apparel)

Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. - Tomorrowland (D-Tech on Demand case)

Remember, all items are only available while supplies last.  Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is held on select nights, November 8-December 18, and is a special ticketed event.  

Be Our Guest Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The rumors are true, starting March 20, 2015 Disney will be launching a test for Breakfast at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom.  They will begin taking reservations starting tomorrow, March 17, 2015 for dates March 20-June 18, 2015.  The prix fixe breakfast will be offered from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. daily.

They are calling the breakfast a “fast casual breakfast”.  The French-inspired breakfast menu will include pastries, cured meats and cheeses, eggs Florentine, vegetable quiche, and more.  Plus, you’ll be able to try out a Croissant Doughnut, a fried doughnut topped with banana caramel sauce, chocolate ganache and whipped cream.  The Kids menu will include choices from brioche French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit crepes, in addition to cereal and oatmeal.

You can make reservations by logging into your My Disney Experience, calling (407) WDW-DINE or have your trusty Travel Agent do the work for you.  Advance reservations are encouraged. The Disney Dining Plan will be accepted.

Walt Disney World 24 Hour Event - Coolest Summer Ever

The news is out, Walt Disney World will be hosting a 24 hour event  May 22-33 at Magic Kingdom to kick off the "Coolest Summer Ever".  The event will be hosted by Olaf, the summer-loving snowman from Disney's hit "Frozen".  

Magic Kingdom park will be open for 24 hours from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday May 22, 2015 to Saturday, May 23, 2015.  Guests are invited to come in costume to show their Disney Side.  A selection of favorite attractions, entertainment, special merchandise, and of course food and beverage will be available all night long to kick off the "Coolest Summer Ever" at Walt Disney World Resort.

Some highlights you won't want to miss this summer include: 

Frozen Fun - "Frozen" Summer Fun LIVE will return to Disney's Hollywood Studios June 17-Sept. 7, Daily shows and experiences at Disney's Hollywood Studios - including a royal processional, a sing-along show, Frozen-themed treats and merchandise, plus a Frozen fireworks display above Hollywood Boulevard.

Cool Thrill Rides - Guests will find thrills from milt to wild to out of this world in all four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.  Ride one, or ride them all.  Choose from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom Park; Test Track presented by Chevrolet and Soarin' at Epcot; Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park; Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Star Wars Weekends - Guests will find stars from another galaxy during Star Wars Weekends May 15-June 14, 2015 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

New Restaurants and Shopping - Throughout the summer, new waterfront dining and boutique shops flow into the Downtown Disney shopping/dining/entertainment district as its transformation into Disney Springs continues. 

Epcot Entertainment - New entertainment acts will appear throughout World Showcase at Epcot which also brings a fresh summery twist on a fan favorite, Voices of Liberty.

A Splash at Water Parks - A cool new deal double the fun at Disney's two iconic water parks - Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Disney's Blizzard Beach.  You can no purchase a one-day water park ticket and park-hop between the two water parks in the same day that both are open.  

New Parade and Fireworks Viewing Areas at Magic Kingdom

We've all been waiting to see what it's going to look like when they take down the walls that have be scattered around the "hub" at Magic Kingdom Park.  Many of the walls have finally come down, revealing new sections of the Central Plaza area between Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle.

You will now be able to schedule Disney Fastpass+ reservations to view the Magic Kingdom Park fireworks, and Parades from these new sections.  

We will continue to see some walls, and construction, as the completion of these new sections is just the first milestone in a multi-phase project that includes the addition of sculpted gardens, new pathways and expanded restaurant seating.

We can't wait to sit on the grass and just enjoy the scenery.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party & Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Dates Announced

Dates have been announced for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  

During both of these specially-ticketed events at the Magic Kingdom, the park comes alive with special entertainment, holiday decorations, and tons of fun!

Dates for 2015 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are:
Sept. 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27
Oct. 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
Nov. 1

Dates for 2015 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party are:
Nov. 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29
Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18

Tickets for both events will go on sale in April.