Archive for August, 2009

Comic Book Lovers and Disney Fans Unite!

Author: Affording the Mouse

Aug 31

Disney is acquiring Marvel Comics! Read the details of the deal here.

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  • Filed under: Characters, Just for Fun, News

    • Thursday’s Tip

    Author: Affording the Mouse

    Aug 27

    Today’s tip may sound like common sense to some of you, but you can’t imagine how many people visit Walt Disney World without a plan! My tip? Make a touring plan. It doesn’t have to be a detailed spreadsheet or minute-by-minute schedule (although, some of us like that sort of thing!), but having a basic plan in place can be invaluable.

    A good start is figuring out which park(s) you’ll visit on each day of your vacation. This can be determined by a number of factors: crowd calendar, dining reservations, special events schedule. Once you have that decided, make a list of “must see” attractions and find them on the WDW map. Be sure to consult the daily entertainment schedule as well (you can pick these up at the front desk of your Disney resort, or check out this website). Then plot your route. For most beginners, going in a somewhat circular motion is best. If you’re a pro and know the layout of the land, you might benefit from bouncing back and forth, especially when using FastPass.

    (Hint: if you have small children, ALWAYS start in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. Most rides there are slow-loading–especially Dumbo!–and tend to get backed up quickly. For older kids, head straight to the thrill rides that become more crowded as the day goes on.)
    If you want a specific plan but aren’t sure where to start, there are two websites that can help you–for a fee. The first is Touring Plans. Some of the information on this site is free, but to build your customized plan, you’ll have to pay $8.95 for a one-year subscription. However, their crowd calendar is eerily accurate and, in my humble opinion, worth the subscription fee. The second site is Ridemax, which costs $18.95 for 3 months or $29.95 for a year. This one is especially helpful if you’re trying to fit in as all the major attractions and thrill rides. But be warned, you will be doing a lot of back and forth touring with this program. Be prepared to criss-cross the World several times. Both of these sites have a limited money-back guarantee.

    Finally, leave room for spontaneity! You’ll always find some interesting diversion that will eat up a few minutes of time, and you don’t want to schedule yourselves so tightly that you can’t sit back and enjoy it!
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  • Filed under: Attractions, Planning, Tips

    • Costume Preview SWAG

    Author: Affording the Mouse

    Aug 23

    Yesterday my two daughters and I were able to attend a costume preview event for Disney Rewards Visa cardmembers at our local Disney Store. First, let me say that this was a very exclusive event–there were only three women and their chidren in attendance! The store was probably disapponted in this turnout, but it made for a wonderful shopping experience for those of us who were there! We were treated to refreshments (juice, fruit, doughnuts) and as the adults shopped they had Disney coloring pages and Disney movies playing for the kids.
    Can I just say that the new costumes are quite lovely! I’m especially enamored with the Snow White costume. This year’s theme seems to be more sparkle, as most of the costumes are accented with metalic gold and/or glitter. And now that the Disney Store is no longer owned by the Children’s Place but has returned to Disney, I think you can see a difference in the quality of the costumes. (To be honest, some of the last few seasons of Disney costumes have been a little disappointing to me.)
    In addition to private shopping time, we were offered 10% off of all our purchases, as well as an additional $10 off any costume. (There were a few marked down to $34.99, which made them around $22.50 after discounts!) We also played a game of “hot potato” with a stuffed Minnie Mouse toy, and the winner (OK, it was ME!!!) received a $5 gift card. (Already spent it, obviously.) Above, you can see the free SWAG each guest received–our choice of a reusable Disney character shopping bag (choices included Tink, Pooh, Minnie, Mickey, and a special Halloween design) as well as a large classic Mickey shopping bag. I was psyched, since I always take my own bags on all my grocery shopping expeditions.
    All in all, it was a great fun, FREE event! I can’t say enough about my Disney Rewards Visa. Love it!
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  • Filed under: Disney Rewards Visa, Kids

    • Thursday’s Tip

    Author: Affording the Mouse

    Aug 21

    So, you might have noticed that Thursday’s Tip is coming to you on Friday. I have no excuse…I simply ran out of Thursday. So…here’s Friday’s tip instead: Pack some individual instant drink mix packets. These come in every variety under the sun, from teas to lemonades, from vitamin/health drinks to sugary flavored water. One of the biggest price gouges on Disney property is beverages. Ordering tap water at a restaurant might seem like a good alternative…until you taste Central Florida’s tap water. Let’s just say it’s unpleasant. But mixing in a packet of your favorite instant beverage can cover the offensive taste/smell.

    You might want to toss in a few pouches of hot cocoa too–they make for a more fun breakfast in your hotel room!

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  • Filed under: Food and Beverage, Savings, Tips

    • Free Shipping on Costumes at Disneystore.com

    Author: Affording the Mouse

    Aug 18

    Have I mentioned that my two girls are big fans of playing dress-up? And, in particular, dress-up in Disney Princess costumes. We have quite a few of them. In fact, I can’t think of any major princess, off the top of my head, for whom we don’t have at least one version of her costume. So you can imagine my excitement when I received an invitation to a Disney Visa cardmember costume preview at our local Disney Store this Saturday morning. I haven’t told the girls yet–gonna surprise them. It will be–at least in our world–EPIC!

    That said, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I never pay full price for Disney costumes–never! So…I’m simply mentioning this free shipping deal in passing. Personally, I would wait until closer to Halloween and watch for the sales. But if your little darling just MUST have the newest version of Ariel’s costume and you’re concerned about finding the right size before the big holiday, at least take advantage of free shipping by using the promo code COSTUME at checkout.

    To view the latest and greatest Disney costumes, click here. There are costumes for everyone in the family, including Mom & Dad! (Maybe I can talk my husband into playing Grumpy to my Snow White…nah, probably not.)
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  • Filed under: Characters, Discount, Kids, Savings

    • Dining Options Expand for Free Dining

    Author: Affording the Mouse

    Aug 17

    Disney has added a few seasonal dining opportunities to help accommodate those who are taking advantage of the upcoming Free Dining promotion, September 27 through December 17. Chef Mickey’s, normally open for breakfast and dinner, has added a character lunch. Both the Tomorrowland Terrace and Diamond Horseshoe Review in the Magic Kingdom have added dinner seating, and ‘Ohana in the Polynesian Resort has extended its breakfast and dinner hours. In Fort Wilderness, the Whispering Canyon Cafe has extended its dinner hours and Mickey’s Backyard BBQ has added additional dates.
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  • Filed under: Discount, Food and Beverage, News
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