Monthly Archives: December 2013
Modern Mouse Radio #39: Should You Visit Disney Parks the Week of Christmas?
Dec 14
We are kicking off our own version of the Holidays with a point/counterpoint episode of Modern Mouse. The parks are the most crowded during the week of Christmas so is it worth the money to travel to the most crowded place in the world? We take sides and you’ll have to decided whether or not it’s worth it.
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Top 5: Disney Gifts Under $30
Dec 13
5. Singing Olaf Plush – $24.95 – Anyone who has seen Disney’s newest animated full length feature, Frozen has GOT to love Olaf – the enchanted snowman who has no idea that warm weather melts snow. He even has a song about how much he’d love to experience summer, and that’s just what this doll is – a summer-longing song by Olaf himself!
4. A fleece throw – Reg $19.95, on sale on DisneyStore.com for $10 – Who doesn’t love the gift of warmth during this cold, cold season? And what better than to get a blanket with a Disney theme for that Disney lover in your family! There are all different designs over on the Disney Store website and they are all on sale for $10 right now!
3. A Mickey Icon Necklace – $30 – There are a bunch in or under this price range on the Disney Store website, and a lot of them are really pretty and simple. For a girl who likes getting jewelry, this might be a piece she doesn’t have in her collection yet!
2. A t-shirt – $15-$30 – There are a bunch of really unique and creative shirts Disney is offering these days. They not only include the characters of the parks, but they actually seem artfully done in the sense that you might not even recognize the references at first. Great for the Disney fan who loves Disney characters, but doesn’t want to be too too obvious with a huge mickey face t-shirt.
1. A movie character playset – $19.95 – The Disney site has a few of these from specific movies. Because of the re-release of the Little Mermaid, there’s one of all those characters and it’s pretty affordable considering how many pieces come with it! I’ve also seen Monsters U, Frozen, Cars, Disney Junior stuff, and many others.
Honorable mentions –
A sparky vinyl, just because I want this. (Actually, all of the popcorn series vinyls are pretty darn cute!)
What Disney gift ideas do you have for your loved ones? Leave your answer in the comments below!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop
Disney Trip Planning: Pros and Cons of Visiting During the Holiday Season
Dec 10
Everyone wants to get the most out of their Disney Vacation, but what does getting the most really mean to you? Is it about the atmosphere, the amount of rides you can fit in, relaxing, or maybe just checking something new off your Disney-Experience-Checklist. One of the toughest decisions to make when planning your Disney trip is deciding when to go! If you are considering a trip during the Christmas Season, here are some pros and cons you should consider!
Pros:
Quality Family Time – Christmas is a time to be with your family, and what better gathering place than the Happiest Place on Earth!? Even for those who aren’t young at heart, everyone can get enjoyment out of a Disney Vacation! It may be hard to decide on a meeting place for Christmas when family is scattered all over the country (or even the world), but Disney Parks might just be that special place everyone will agree on meeting at!
Taking it Easy – Because of the enormous crowds, you are pretty much forced to take it easy at the parks if you want to enjoy yourself. This means going for a stroll, visiting the other resorts and seeing their Holiday decorations, and really experiencing the parks and the holidays for what they really are.
The Most Magical Time of the Year – Some families can’t afford to go on a Disney vacation every year, or even every 2 years, so when planning your trip, you might want to opt for going during the most magical time of the year! Disney Parks go all out in their decorations, special party, and costumes! Being surrounded by all the over the top decorations is truly a sight to see!
Cons:
Crowds – This is the busiest time of year in the Disney Parks which means long lines, shoulder to shoulder walking traffic, and much opportunity for frustration. If you are planning on visiting the parks to get a lot done, like ride most of the attractions, pick a less busy time like September or April!
Cost – Because this time of year is the busiest, Disney takes full advantage of the demand and bumps up the prices. You may get sticker shock when booking your vacation if you are used to going in the off-seasons.
Weather – This might only matter if you are flying or driving from a far distance. Unpredictable winter storms may affect your vacation plans. Storms frequently cause airports to cancel flights, traffic to back up, or roads to close! Weather is always a threat any time of year when planning a vacation so far in advance, but winter storms can last almost as long as your vacation would have been in the first place!
These are just a few Pros and Cons of visiting the Disney Parks during the Christmas season. What do you all think of visiting during that time? Leave your answers in the comments below!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop (if you are interested in ordering shoes for Christmas, visit my Etsy shop and get your order in by the end of this week!)
Disney Character Trivia: Roger Rabbit
Dec 8
A few weeks back we were priveleged enough to talk with Gary Wolf, the creator of Roger Rabbit and the author of the books Who Censored Roger Rabbit and Who Whacked Roger Rabbit. Keith has once again collaborated with Gary Wolf to put together this more in depth character trivia for Roger. Enjoy this in depth look at the character and the special things to see in the film and cartoon shorts. To see more from Keith Lapinig, head over to the following sites:
Disney Trip Planning: Surviving a Disney Trip During Christmas Time
Dec 5
It might be obvious enough to you, but if it isn’t, let me say it now: Christmas time is the most crowded time of year in the Disney parks. There must be some reason for that, right? It’s a magical time of year and where better to spend a magical holiday than at the most magical place on Earth? So, you agree with me and decided to book your Disney vacation sometime during the Christmas season, but how are you going to manage such a busy time of year!? Here are some survival tips just for you!
–Expect to wait in line – Know that you are going to be waiting in line. If you have ever visited the parks during the slower seasons, you may have been able to just walk right onto certain attractions. Well, that’s probably not going to ever happen this time of year. If you know what to expect, you wont be let down. Your trade off for visiting during the most beautifully decorated time of the year is doing it with thousands of other people.
–Take your time – Because everything will be super busy and packed, just tell yourself to take a deep breath and take everything in. Otherwise, you will feel very rushed to complete everything there is to do in the Disney Parks, and during the busiest time of the year, that is an impossible goal to have! Make yourself relax and stroll and take it easy. If you make your trip about that instead, you will have a more fulfilling experience in the end (since that might be the only realistic goal you can set this time of year)
-Resort hop during the busiest times of day at Walt Disney World – Resort hopping is one of my favorite things to do. Sure Disney Transportation will be especially crowded this time of year, but it’ll probably be considerably less busy than lines to the most popular attractions inside the parks during the busiest times of the day. Early morning and late night tend to be slower times inside the parks, and so are the times when different fireworks shows and popular parades are taking place. During all the other times, you may want to consider checking out all the different Christmas Trees, decorations, and gingerbread houses at the different resorts!
-Prioritize – Have everyone in your family make a list of what is most important for them to do during your vacation and make sure those get done. Make sure the list includes all the things you can’t miss and don’t leave off anything that you would be disappointed that you didn’t get to. If seeing the fireworks show and parade in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day is on the top of your list, know that you probably wont be able to move anywhere else in the park that day, so make sure you REALLY want to do that and pretty much only that on that day! Also, make sure you are in the park early, because they close when they reach a certain capacity! (TIP: Disney Resort guests get first priority of being let into the parks when they are close to capacity!)
-Find things to do other than ride attractions – Make a plan of other fun things to do in the parks besides things you know you will have to wait for! You may want to play some of your own made up games like these I wrote about in a previous post: Disney Trip Planning: Playing Games.
There are always pros and cons to booking your Disney Vacation any time of year, and these are just some suggestions I have to enhance your Disney Vacation when visiting during one of the busiest times of the year. What are some of your survival tips? Leave your answering in the comments below!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flipadeeflop