Monthly Archives: September 2013

Disney Trip Planning: New Policy For Disabled Guests

disabilities2Walt Disney Word and Disneyland have always been well known for their above and beyond style for accommodating guests with disabilities, but they have just announced that they will be changing their policy regarding disabled guests when it comes to getting in line to ride attractions. Basically as it stands right now (before the policy change), a disabled guest, such as someone who is wheelchair bound or even guests with non-apparent disabilities, is allowed to bypass the standby line for attractions and ride immediately. They do this by getting a Guest Assistance Card (soon to be a “Disability Access Service Card”) from a Guest Relations kiosk to carry around with them which is good for them and all members of their party. They then show this card to Cast Members who are manning the ride. Oh, and you don’t have to have any documents that prove you are in-fact disabled.

I know some people get all “What’s so special about them!?” about disabled guests not having to wait in line as long as they did, especially with those not-so-obvious disabilities that some of these guests face, but no matter where you stand on this, the rules are a’changing. Starting October 9th, the disabled guest line-skip policy will become more reminiscent of the pre-MagicBand Fastpass system. A disabled guest can no longer get on any attraction any time they want with their new Disability Access Service Card, but instead they will be forced to go to the attraction only to receive a ticket with a printed time slot where they can come back to ride based on estimates of when that particular ride will be the least-crowded. Now, this kind of sucks for someone who already has to experience the parks with some sort of handicap, but the reason for this change is something outrageous – people were taking advantage of the system.disabilities

The thing is though, it isn’t the usual happy family you see around the parks who are abusing the system by doing something we might all assume, like say, sitting in a wheelchair when they are completely capable of standing for small periods of time, but the way they are cheating the system is even more awe-worthy; people are literally hiring disabled guests to pretend to be their family members so they can get on rides quicker! They are calling them “tour guides.” Yeah, crazy right?

But really, imagine that for a second; hiring someone to pretend to be in your family so you can ride Peter Pan’s Flight faster. Imagine if YOU were the disabled person! You could make a living off of that! You could move to Florida, buy an annual or seasonal pass, and just go to the parks everyday escorting wealthy scumbags onto rides all day!

So, you’d think Disney would instead just change the policy on how you gain a Disability Access Service Card by perhaps requiring proof of disability, but Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown actually commented on that, “We have an unwavering commitment to making our parks accessible to all guests. Given the increasing volume of requests we receive for special access to our attractions, we are changing our process to create a more consistent experience for all our guests while providing accommodations for guests with disabilities. We engaged disability groups, such as Autism Speaks, to develop this new process, which is in line with the rest of our industry.”

disabilities3 I can’t imagine this new system put in place, set to start October 9, 2013 is going to last very long. More information should be coming out closer to that date, so maybe they will clear some things up that actually make this system seem more positive for the disabled guests who will be forced to use it because of the scammers that ruined it for them all! What are your thoughts on this new policy? I’d love to read them, so leave ’em in the comments below!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com

Keith’s Disneyland Vacation Summer 2013

During the D23 Expo, Keith Lapinig and family took the weekend to get to the Disneyland and California Adventure park. The visit was topped off with a visit to Club 33! Follow more of Keith at the links below:



http://www.KeithLapinig.com

Top 5: Once Upon a Time Characters to Watch in Season 3

Season 3 of Once Upon a Time starts this weekend (Sept. 29th, 2013) and I’m really excited to see some of my favorite characters back on my television screen again. Over the summer, we’ve gotten excited about new characters like Tinkerbell and Ariel, or our main cast taking the voyage into the uncharted Neverland. However, I have to point out that there are several characters that have backstories (or present day stories) that we either haven’t really heard or that we haven’t fully explored. For myself, that is the most exciting part of what we may see in Season 3. Yes, I’m excited about pirates and mermaids and everything, but what about some of the characters we’ve seen in previous seasons that still have mysteries about them? Will we get the resolutions we need? Who knows, but season 3 definitely gives us promise! So here are my top 5 Once Upon a Time characters to watch this season.

Once

#5-Tiny. The last of the giants is still living in human size form and is among the people being left behind in Storybrooke. He brought hope to a town full of fairy tale characters last season. What can he contribute this year? Will he even play an important role this season? I’d like to hope so! His story isn’t nearly finished and I feel like he is more useful in Storybrooke than we have been led to believe. I think he steps up and really shines as a big character this season. (That wasn’t intended to be a giant joke.)

#4-Ariel and Prince Eric. Through a sneak peek video we know that Ariel and Eric will be joining the cast from Season 3. The interesting part is that Ariel appears in Storybrooke, not in Neverland with all of the other mermaids. How did she get there? Was it just a teaser? What will her character bring to the overall story arch of bringing Henry back to his family? Does she have a past with Hook and Neverland? How will her Prince Eric be introduced? There is nothing we can confirm yet about Ariel or Prince Eric and that is exciting because we will have to just wait in anticipation for her debut.

Once 1

#3-Dr. Whale/Frankenstein. From Season 1 to Season 2, one of the biggest mysteries was who Dr. Whale could possibly be. Now we know that the former Dr. Frankenstein has somehow found his way out of the Gothic Literature World (Is that where he is from?) and made his way into Storybrooke with everyone else from the Enchanted Forest thanks to Rumplestiltskin and The Hatter. Now that we got that resolution, what next for the drunk, womanizing doctor? Will he find his way back to Igor and his old mansion? Dr. Whale is a character I wish they would focus on more but I know I won’t get to see as much of him as I really want.

#2-Owen/Greg. The early days of Storybrooke saw a man and his son become the only visitors to stay at Granny’s hotel and the last visitors until Emma makes her way into town. The man was buried in the woods but the boy has come back to seek revenge on his father. We understand that Owen (and Tamara) is working for a higher power, probably, Pan’s shadow. and that they have kidnapped Henry for him, but Owen (or Greg) still had a life between his first and second visit to the town in Maine. What happened to him and who did he live with? How did he know he could find Storybrooke after the curse was broken or did he? I feel as though some of these questions will be answered but not all of them. Regardless, I’m excited to get to know Ethan Embry’s vengeful character in Season 3.

Once 2

#1-Leroy/Dreamy/Grumpy. The former Dreamy has been a substantially fun character to get to know since the first season of the show. Lee Arenberg has been a great character actor in this role. He has taken one cranky dwarf and given him dimension and a lovable personality. The progression of Grumpy has been one of the best minor storylines and has been a treat to see. I don’t know what will happen to the character but regardless, I’m sure it will be fun to watch. I have to tip my hat off to Lee Arenberg for being one of the best actors on the show!

What are your thoughts on the upcoming season? Be sure to listen to our preview of Season 3 on the Modern Mouse Radio podcast RIGHT HERE and share your thoughts throughout the season with me over twitter!

Josh Taylor



https://ModernMouseRadio.com

Modern Mouse Radio #30: Once Upon A Time Season 3 Preview

Once Season 3


Direct Download This Episode

Last year, Keith and Josh discovered that they were both big fans of the hit ABC show Once Upon A Time. They previewed the upcoming season last year so we only find it fitting that we preview the upcoming season 3 of the show as well as the new spinoff show Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. Join the conversation and enjoy the gossip and rumors we start.

Follow Us on Twitter

Email Josh at

modernmouseradio.com
www.keithlapinig.com

Disney Trip Planning: Proper Line Etiquette

I’ve been to Walt Disney World enough times that I now anticipate all the impolite and annoying things other people do. Yeah, I like to think of myself as pretty easy going, but in some cases (waiting in lines, for example) the obligation of being in such close proximity to other people brings out the worst in all of their downright rude behavior. So, here are some guidelines for proper line etiquette when it comes to waiting in lines for attractions and food in the Disney Parks!

1. Personal Space – If you can smell my shampoo, you are too close. If you are stepping on the backs of my shoes, you are too close. If your fanny pack is bumping into my butt, you are too close. Please, keep a respectable distance in line. Breathing down the back of my neck is NOT going to get you to the ride vehicle any sooner than if you kept a couple extra feet back.

2. If someone is trying to take a picture and the line moves two steps forward, you should really CALM DOWN and stop giving them dirty looks. They’ll move up when they are done taking the picture, and you’ll be just as far ahead as you would have been otherwise! The queues in the Disney Park attractions are designed for guests to take everything in, and a lot of families either haven’t been to a Disney Park ever before or can only afford to take a big vacation like this once very few years! Let them enjoy that 20 extra seconds it takes to enjoy it like they should!

3. Don’t eat stinky snacks in line – I REALLY don’t want to smell your beefy, messy, onion-y, whatever-you-are-eating, so please, PLEASE just eat it before or after you decide to let everyone in on the true potential of your rank burps. Also, I can only imagine you are probably going to spew whatever that is on me during the ride.

4. Take a shower, and wear deodorant – Basically, if you are known to get BO (body odor), take an extra step to prevent it before you enter the parks, because you will be up close and personal to hundreds of other people throughout the day!

5. Don’t line-cut/save spots – A lot of families/groups of friends will do this when one member of the group needs to use the restroom or to get some food. This is NOT ok, by any means. Here I am in line, making sure I’ve done all I needed to do BEFORE I got in line, THINKING I am behind a certain amount of people when all of a sudden a bus load cuts in front of me to be with their family. Either everyone should wait, or you should get in the back of the line!

6. Pay attention to the line moving. Sure if you are only moving a couple steps forward at a time, it’s not necessary to shuffle along, but if you aren’t paying attention to the line to the point that you are causing a hold up, then maybe you should get a clue from all the passive aggressive dirty looks and sighs from those behind you!

7. Don’t separate a couple/family who are holding hands – There are a lot of queues (for example: The Haunted Mansion, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Test Track, and pretty much all of the show queues) where the line sort of funnels from a large pre-show area to a single file line. Couples and families will often try and stay together, but often an all too eager, rude person will try and cut through them and ultimately break them up. Come on, man!

8. Allowing your “stuffs” to get on other people – ie. coughing, sneezing, fan misters, etc. If you are going to cough or sneeze, please cover your mouth (use the “Dracula” method). And I know everyone’s hot, but we don’t all want to feel your water spray on our hair that we took 2 hours getting perfect.

9. “Be PREPAAAARED!” This one is more of a food ordering thing, but it’s only considerate to know what you want to order when you get to the podium to do so. Otherwise, let someone go in front of you. This can apply to attractions, too; if you don’t have all your things safely stowed away, the Cast Members can’t start the ride!

up russell10. If you want to take your time exploring the queues and it’s holding everyone else up, let them pass you! This actually happened to my parents in line for A Bug’s Life. The family in front of them were fascinated with the Tree of Life and wanted to take in every moment of it, which is great, but they weren’t letting anyone else pass them in the process. It was to the point where the line had moved up so far ahead of them that they couldn’t even see the line anymore! For all they knew, they could have been in the theater already, but were instead stuck behind an inconsiderate family!

Basically, when in doubt, just use your manners! I’m interested in hearing some other people’s ideas of proper line etiquette, so leave ‘em in the comments below!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com

Interview with Jodi Benson, Ron Clements, and Samuel Wright

Interview with Jodi Benson, Ron Clements, and Samuel Wright

Thanks to Stitch Kingdom, Keith was at the Little Mermaid Diamond Edition party on the blue carpet doing more interviews with stars and creators and musicians of The Little Mermaid. Now that the film is over 20 years old, hear from the people who made it and what they think of it’s longevity and future projects coming soon.

Check out the following links for more Keith Lapinig!


http://www.KeithLapinig.com

Disney Food: Studio Catering Company

StudioCateringCo2

Studio Catering Co. is a counter service restaurant located on the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is open from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm for lunch and dinner. Food consists of sandwiches, wraps and salads. Examples include: Toasted Tuscan Deli, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Pressed Turkey Club, Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, and Greek Salad.

After leaving the Studio Backlot Tour, my family and I were starving. Luckily, Studio Catering Co. was right in front of us. Seating was starting to get crowded when we arrived. The lines moved quickly however and our food arrived quickly. My husband and I both ordered the pressed turkey club, and it was much better than we both expected! My 11 stepdaughter year old stepdaughter loves chicken wings, so she ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich. She is somewhat of a picky eater. Her meal got her stamp of approval, which is very rare!

StudioCateringCoMenu

I’ve discovered that, in my opinion, most Disney restaurants fall into two categories: mediocre or excellent. I’ve never had any food that I absolutely hated, but I have had food that was just ok and would rather try something new. There are very few restaurants that we, as a whole family, can agree are a must do on our next visit. Studio Catering Co. is one of the must do restaurants for my family.

Alexia Christensen

Modern Mouse Radio #29: 1 Year Anniversary Omnibus!!!

1 year


Direct Download This Episode

Keith and Josh have been going strong with Modern Mouse Radio for 1 year. To celebrate the occasion we asked our listeners on Twitter to send in their ideas for a podcast episode. Instead of doing one at a time, we decided to fit as many as we could into an omnibus episode. Thanks for 1 year of awesomeness and enjoy this weeks show!

Follow Us on Twitter

Email Josh at

modernmouseradio.com
www.keithlapinig.com

Disney Trip Planning: Disney World Dining Plan

dining plan icon

Let me start off by saying I NEVER add the dining plan to my package. For the way I eat in the parks, it’s just not worth it. For some people it is, and if you’re new to this system, it can be a little confusing to figure out, so let me help explain it to you!

There are different tiers of options:
(Prices are per person, per night. Price range is indicative of different slow or peak seasons during 2013! With all of these packages, you receive a refillable mug, which you can use for “free” soda, coffee, hot chocolate, iced tea, and the like at your resort hotel.)

Quick Service Dining – 2 quick service dining credits, 1 snack credit, per night of stay (Adult-$37.58) (Child-$14.32)
Plus Dining – 1 table service credit, 1 counter service, 1 snack (Adult-$55.59 – $56.94) (Child-$17.16 – $18.16)
Deluxe Dining – 3 meals per night – including counter service and/or table service, 2 snacks (Adult-$99.97 – $102.27) (Child-$26.84 – $28.91)
Premium Package – 3 meals per night – including counter service and/or table service, 2 snacks (plus some other non-food perks) (Adult-$189.00) (Child-)$139.00
Platinum Dining – 3 meals per night – including counter service and/or table service, 2 snacks (plus some other non-food perks) (Adult-$249.00) (Child-$179.01)
(Points do not cover gratuity for table service locations, unless otherwise stated!)

disney-dining

Now here’s how you use ‘em for your Quick Serving Dining or Plus Dining:
• Quick Service Dining Credits: If you use your meal credit for breakfast, it covers an entree or combo meal. For lunch and dinner, you get the same except add a dessert into the mix, plus a non-alcoholic drink.
• Table Service Dining Credits: 1 entree, 1 dessert (for lunch and dinner), and a non-alcoholic drink, or a buffet.
• When you start heading up to Deluxe, Premium, or Platinum Packages, though, an appetizer comes into play for dinner and lunch at table service restaurants in addition to the options above! These 3 plans are the same as they apply to dining, but differ in other non-food related options, like admission to La Nouba, Children’s activity centers, certain tours and things like that.

How you spend your points:
Points get loaded on your Key to the World card, which is basically a credit card sized card that is your room key, park ticket, and acts as a charge card if you stay on property when you book an all inclusive package for your room and park tickets. The points go on this card, and they put a little sticker on the corner of it just to make it more clear that the card does in fact have the dining plan on it. Now here’s where some people get confused – everybody in your party has the rest of the party’s collective amount of dining points on their card, not just theirs. This way, Dad can go up to the counter and put his family of 4’s meals all on his card instead of everyone having to check out separately.

Screen Shot 2013-09-08 at 7.28.44 PM

Here are some dining plan tips!
• The amount of points you get is totaled on your Key to the World for your length of stay – it doesn’t renew on a daily basis, so even though they describe the plans as being, for example 2 quick service meals and 1 snack per day, you could ACTUALLY do something like 4 quick service meals and no snacks one day then 3 snacks and 1 quick service meal the other day, etc. Try and plan ahead if you are going to play around with your points though so you aren’t surprised only 2 days into your vacation that you are out of meal points! You can always ask for the balance points remaining, though it is also printed on your receipt every time you use your credits!
• Just because you have the meal plan, doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to purchase food otherwise! You can buy meals and snacks with cash or card as well! This might be something to consider for those who only want to dine at one table service location during their trip, so they purchase the Quick Service Dining Plan and just charge the bill separately for the table service restaurant they decide to dine at!
• Every restaurant marks on the menu what food is part of the dining plan. Some restaurants don’t comply with the dining plans and/or some menu items are not covered under it. It’s really easy to find out what options you can order once you are in the parks, though, as they are clearly marked with the dining plan symbol!
• Most meals just use one credit to purchase, but be aware that some “fancier” table service restaurant meals and buffets are more than one point! This might be a good reason to “save” points and using a snack credit for one of your meals, or paying with a charge card instead!
• When it comes to snack points, I’ve heard some pretty interesting options of how people use them! First, you can use them for your breakfast, because they usually cover things like pastries, muffins, and such. But, some people will actually “save” their snack points until the last night of their vacation to buy stuff to take for the trip home. They’ll buy packaged food like cookies, rice crispy treats shaped like Mickey, and bagged popcorn, and pack it in their luggage to eat at home!
• There’s always the option of sharing meals, too! If you and your significant other, child, or friend aren’t big eaters, you can always get the Quick Service Dining plan or Plus plan and share meals! This gives you each an extra entree credit to use at breakfast!
• The kid’s prices of the dining plans covers kid’s meals. There are separate kid’s menu’s at WDW’s restaurants where they will order from!
• Usually in early Spring, WDW announces Free Dining if you book certain dates in Fall! They also usually do a 20%-30% off hotel discount, so you have to decide what works better for you!

My biggest tip of all is to look at a couple menus online before your trip to get an idea of what you think you’ll want to eat while you are in Walt Disney World. If you get a general average amount you will spend per day, compare it to the price for the dining plan that would coincide with your food preferences and see if it’s really worth it!

Angie Carreiro


http://www.ILoveAnimalArt)

Modern Mouse Radio #28: Armchair Imagineers w/Morgan Stradling

Modern Mouse Radio #28: Armchair Imagineers w/Morgan Stradling

toontown


Direct Download This Episode

Our Imagineering series returns in a crazy toon kind of way. We are joined by Morgan Stradling of the Animation Addicts podcast and Rotoscopers website to talk animation as well as revitalize Disneyland’s ToonTown. It’s been the same ever since it opened with only minor changes happening so we think it’s time to take the brass ring and do a little shake up at ToonTown.

Check out Morgan at www.therotoscopers.com, the Animation Addicts podcast, or follow her on twitter

Follow Us on Twitter

Email Josh at

modernmouseradio.com
www.keithlapinig.com

Follow

%d bloggers like this: