As I sit at my dining table (which also doubles as our classroom table), drinking coffee from one of my many Disney-themed coffee mugs, I am wishing for a yummy buffet breakfast at Chef Mickey’s…and not the Greek yogurt that is before me. Oh, to fill my plate with Goofy’s veggie lasagna, Minnie’s breakfast pizza, and of course the famous Mickey waffles. Um…good. My youngest daughter Presley seemed to like it pretty well on her first visit too.

It seems like just yesterday we were saying good-bye to Belle and the charming “Storytime with Belle” meet-n-greet at the Fairytale Garden. Sure, we were excited about hanging out with Rapunzel and Flynn (who, by the way, didn’t last long with his princess) at the Tangled “play-n-greet”–but it still hurt to let our beloved Belle go.

Now, it seems that Rapunzel too will be displaced to Adventureland  by a newer character, Merida from Brave, beginning in May. Rapunzel will actually leave April 15 in order to accommodate renovations to the area. While I’m sure that Merida will be simply delightful in her new space which will be transformed with a Scottish Highlands theme, it’s surprising that Disney has elected to replace what is arguably the most popular character meet-n-greet in any of the four Parks. (When we were last there, we arrived about 30 minutes prior to the attraction’s opening–this in “off-season” September–and we were behind at least 30 other people. And because of the limited space, the attraction always seems to have to turn away guests. Moral of the story, just as I wrote in yesterday’s Thursday’s Tip: arrive early!)

Perhaps the silver lining in this character shift is that Flynn Rider will be rejoining Rapunzel on April 15 at their new meet-n-greet spot on the Adventureland Veranda porch. This, however, will displace Ariel and Prince Eric, who will then be found at the glass gazebo adjacent to the Adventureland Veranda.

Brave opens in theaters June 22.

Our morning plans to arrive early at the new Disney Outlet at Opry Mills were nearly thwarted when my youngest daughter tripped over the treadmill (not in motion) and bumped her head on the wooden stairs. After assessing that she was neither nauseated or confused, we applied ice and hoped the enormous goose egg would shrink. It did, and after a little extra attention, we were able to continue with our plans.

Still, arriving about 30 minutes before opening, we weren’t quite first in line…but we were only behind a few others–easily within the number that would receive free ear hats (as see in the final pic). And we even met a blog reader and fellow homeschooler in line (Hi, Kim!), so that was fun! Time passed quickly chatting about Disney World and scanning the mall map to see what other stores we might want to visit. (Yes, there actually were other stores opening too…but none as important as the Disney Outlet, of course.)

The store is pretty basic–not the new high-tech stores we’re seeing in some venues. It’s pretty comparable to the previous Disney Outlet. Here are a few pics of the empty store before opening:

We picked up a few bargains. They had children’s Tees for $5 and adult Tees for $8 and PJ Pals and nightgowns for as low as $7.99. With a purchase of at least $25, you could also buy an Easter Mickey or Minnie for just $7.50 (we got sucked into that one, despite the fact that we have way more plush critters than we need). There were also some great deals on toys–especially Cars stuff–and there was even a clearance section, which seemed kind of odd on a Grand Opening day…but I’m not complaining!

Here are a couple of pics from the ribbon cutting:

And, finally, one of the register…before it was slammed with customers. Yes, the line was nearly out the door by the time we left (we got in line just in time!). You can see the cute Mickey & Minnie Easter plush lined up, ready for eager guests to purchase.

Oh, Disney Outlet, it’s good to have you back in Nashville!

Today is a good day–no, a GREAT day–to welcome the Disney Outlet back to Nashville! Yes, if you’re reading this between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and, oh, maybe 1:00 p.m. Central time, I’m at the Grand Re-0pening of Opry Mills. Closed since the flood of May 2010, the Mills is opening with a host of new and exciting stores. But none has caused more excitement in our household that the Disney Outlet, as Nashville has been without a Disney Store since months before the 2010 flood. (First the Mills outlet store closed–unreleated to the flood–and then our only other Disney Store at Cool Springs Galleria also closed.)

I plan to post later today with pics and a report from the opening. Technically, the store has its official Grand Opening on Saturday, but I called and was assured by a Cast Member that they will be open on Thursday with over 160 other stores.

So, what is my Thursday’s Tip? Arrive early. Whether you’re going to a store opening where free goodies might be distributed (please, please!) or to the Disney Parks, where the early bird really does (often) catch the worm, arriving early is always a good idea. Early to arrive means early through the gate. And early through the gate means early in line for rope drop. And early in line for rope drop means early in line for your favorite attraction. And, if you’re really lucky, arriving early might just give you a chance at being the family who gets to help Mickey and the gang open the Park for the day!

In the case of the Disney Outlet opening, I’m hoping early to arrive means some kind of fun freebie. I hear they are giving out ear hats on Saturday, but I’m hoping for something fun on opening day as well. I’ll be sure to share the fun right here on Affording the Mou$e!

Guests can now find Dug and Russell from Pixar’s UP at Animal Kingdom, near the entrance to “It’s Tough to Be a Bug.” These characters replace the meet-n-greet with Flik from A Bug’s Life. (Somehow Flik seems more appropriate for the space, but I imagine Disney wants to showcase some of the more current characters.)

While making my daily rounds on the Disney fan sites, I found something that just has to be shared. A reader of ImagineeringDisney.com has created the Main Street Electrical Parade in miniature. It’s a fully-functioning (as in, it lights up and MOVES along the parade route) model with extensive detailing. While the buildings and floats themselves were purchased, not created, by this reader, the table that houses and brings them to life was all his. Hop on over to ImagineeringDisney.com to see photos and video of this amazing creation!