It’s the last official day of school for the Gibbs Family Academy! (Although, as a homeschooling family we try to create a lifestyle of learning that goes beyond the school calendar or classroom walls.) In honor of that momentous occasion, I’d like to share a photo from our visit to Disney’s Homeschool Days in 2010. This is a pic of the stage setup for our Homeschool Days presentation. The program centered on the arts, which was a big draw for this creative family! We heard from executives and experts in areas including costume design, performing arts, and design/construction. We learned the story behind those cool ovens in Via Napoli and listened as an Imagineer told us how she worked her way up into that position and gave some insight to some of the projects on which she had worked. All fascinating stuff!

This year’s Disney Homeschool Days presentation will be on October 25. Not only does Disney offer some excellent educational programs to complement your visit, but they also offer great discounts on tickets–and ticket discounts are very rare at WDW! If you’re a homeschooling family, click here for more information.

Many of you are planning Walt Disney World vacations in time to take advantage of the free fall dining plan offer (by the way, today is the LAST DAY to book this for Fall 2012!). Although our family doesn’t typically use the dining plan, I have done some of my own “what-if” planning…just to see where we would best be able to maximize our savings if we did. Today’s Thursday’s Tip is all about snack credits and where to get the biggest “bang for your buck.” Here are a few rules that will help you do just that:

• Don’t waste snack credits on a beverage. Instead, take along a refillable, filtered water bottle. It’s hard to stomach the idea (no pun intended) of spending a precious snack credit on a bottle of water when you could use that same credit for one of the yummy treats listed below.
• As a general rule, snack credits are good for items priced up to around $4.50-$5. These tend to include side items, desserts, and beverages. What you may not know is that snack credits are often accepted for many items at the booths for Epcot’s annual Food and Wine Festival too.
• Compare desserts. For example, why use a snack credit for an ice cream cone at Hollywood Scoops (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) when you can get an ice cream sundae for the same credit? Instead of a blueberry muffin from the Main Street Bakery (Magic Kingdom), go for the enormous cinnamon roll that costs around $1.50 more.
• Not all snack items have to be desserts; there are some great savory options that are more filling. One of the best-kept snack secrets in the Magic Kingdom are the take-away baked potatoes (with fixings) at the Liberty Square Market. Using a snack credit for one of these is a great way to compensate for using 2 table service credits for a signature dining experience earlier in the day. With cheese, butter, and sour cream available, one of these potatoes is a perfect light meal.
• Try something you’ve never had before! Some of my favorite classics are the Mickey Ice Cream Bars (found in carts everywhere), the Carrot Cake Cookie (Writer’s Stop, DHS), and the Dole Whip (Aloha Isle, MK). But on my next visit, I plan to try a few new “under the radar” snacks, such as beignets from Port Orleans or one (or more) of the many cupcake variations that are found around the World.
• Here’s a fun idea: save up your snack credits for an “eat your way around the World Showcase” evening. Nibble on school bread from Norway. Grab an espresso in Italy. Gobble down a soft pretzel in Germany. Sample churros in Mexico. Have a side of Tabouleh in Morocco. Munch on egg rolls in China. The possibilities are endless–and yummilicious! (Yes, I just invented that word.)
• Always ask. Sometimes an individual restaurant will be more flexible with what counts as a snack credit than the brochure might imply. It never hurts to ask (politely) if an item can be purchased with a snack credit–you might get an especially generous Cast Member who will do it for you.
• NEVER leave WDW property with unused snack credits. As a last resort, visit your Resort’s food court or even the gift shop for pre-packaged take-home items. You’ll have a fun reminder of your trip, or you can even give them as gifts. (My girls were thrilled to get a gift bag full of Disney treats from cousins who took a Christmas trip last year!)

Much to the dismay of my children, the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure will officially close on Friday, May 18, to make way for the Phineas & Ferb/Agent P World Showcase Adventure that will open in late June. If you happen to be at WDW this week, go have one final adventure with Kim, Ron Stoppable, Wayne, Rufus, and the gang before they leave the World Showcase. (Reagan, my eldest daughter, recommends the France adventure.)

I’m sure we’ll happily embrace the new Phineas & Ferb-themed adventure too

FASTPASS+ doesn’t appear to be going away, if you read anything into the latest rumors in the blogosphere. It seems that after testing the system with some 4000+ guests last week, Disney is considering how the system might expand to include quick service dining establishments for guests who carry smart phones. Possible applications would include previewing menus, ordering meals, arranging a pick-up time, and even paying for the meal–all via smart phone app.

The definite up-side to this plan is that it allows guests to multi-task–to make lunch or dinner plans while waiting in line. Yes, this will definitely save time for some.  There are, however, some possible negative ramifications. For starters, how about those poor folks who don’t have a smart phone (like me–although my husband does)? Will this make what looks like a short line at Cosmic Ray’s turn into a 30-minute wait to receive your food? And even if you do have a smart phone, how long would you be able to use a highly-sophisticated app without running down your battery entirely? And finally, I’ll just throw this one out there: isn’t it all just a bit elitist? The beauty of the current FASTPASS system is that it’s very simple to use, and it’s available to everyone. There’s talk that FASTPASS+ will be offered–at least initially–only to those staying in Deluxe Resorts. Does that apply to this dining aspect as well? Or will the app be offered for a fee?

There are still a lot of questions, and this is obviously still in the planning stage. I am very open to new technology–and I love the idea of smart phones making things easier for guests. My real concern lies in whether this minimize the experience for the average guest while Disney offers a a superior guest experience for those who can afford to pay for it. Walt Disney World should be experienced fully by all guests–not just those who

“Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad twenty years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.”  –Walt Disney

Just a reminder: The annual Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios begin this Friday, May 18 (which also just happens to be our last official day of our homeschool year–can I get a “Woohoo!”?).  To see the lineup of celebrity guest, check out this post. The event runs weekends through June 10.

Here’s something new: “Carbon-Freeze Me.” Yes, you can get your image cast in carbonite–ala Hans Solo in The Empire Strikes Back–for just $99.95. So, the piece will be decidedly smaller-than-life at a mere 7 3/4″ x 3″ x 1″. Yep, tiny. And expensive. But among hard-core Star Wars fans, I’m sure this souvenir will still be a popular one. And Disney is anticipating its popularity too, as they are offering reservations for the experience. Call 407-WDW-TECH to reserve your time slot! Be forewarned, you’ll need a credit card to hold the reservations and no-shows who don’t cancel at least 48-hours in advance will be charged $25. You’ll find the “Carbon-Freeze Me” chamber near the American Idol Experience.

If you’re looking for a unique souvenir that’s a bit more reasonably priced, head to Tatooine Traders for the “Droid Factory.” Here you can put together your own customized droid (around 4″ tall) from the available parts that include bodies, legs, arms, and even novelty hats, and it will only cost you $11.95 for one or $18.95 for two. Not cheap, but definitely more doable than freezing yourself in carbonite.