Search Results for: Our Week In Disney World

Our Week In Disney World – Part I – The Flight Down

Disney, Family, Photos, Travel

As some of you might know (especially if you read my wife’s blog), we just got back from a week-long trip to Disney World this past Saturday.  During the time away, we took notes of the days events so we wouldn’t forget what happened.  In addition to this, my wife and I (ok, mainly me) took a lot of photos.  How many?  Nearly 2,600.  Even after weeding out some of the duds (like many in-door shows with low lighting, no flash photo rules, and swift onstage action), there are over 2,100 photos that I’d like to share with everyone.  So, just like my Charleston trip last year, I’m going to break up the story of our Disney World trip into many posts.  Some will be stories of the days events.  Some will be "Photo of the Day" type posts (with explanations coming the next day).  Some will be series of photos along a common theme.

I’ll start, appropriately enough, with the trip down to Disney World.  By the Thursday night before our trip, I had run a backup of our laptop computers to our main desktop system and was backing that up to an external hard drive.  The idea was to store that off-site in my office in case anything happened to our house while we were away.  Unfortunately, the backup didn’t complete in time (Friday morning), so I let it run figuring that it’d be done by Saturday morning.  Since we were going with B’s parents, I could drop the hard drive off there.

Friday night, we got the kids into bed early and packed until the the clock said 1am.  The next morning, we were pretty much done and ready to go.  All of us except for the backup, though.  It was *still* running.  Finally, we had no more time and I figured that a partially complete backup was better than no backup at all.  I shut down the backup (and our computers) and dropped it off at B’s parents house before the trip.

We dropped our car off at the parking lot and they loaded our suitcases (4 plus 4 carry-ons) onto the bus.  After a short drive to the airport, we made a last-minute decision to use Disney’s Magical Express to handle our luggage.  It was so worth it!!!  4 carry-ons plus 4 checked bags carried by 2 adults just doesn’t work.  We would move forward in line by 2 feet and need to make trips to move all of our luggage forward.  Later on, when we were walking through Orlando International Airport, we counted our blessings that we just had 2 bags per adult and not 4!

When we got to security, NHL melted down.  He started crying and freaking out about taking off his shoes and going through the line.  It was understandable.  Here’s something new for him to do (even though we talked with him in advance) and he was still quite tired from waking up early.  After he went through security, however, he lauded it as his favorite part of the trip.  (This was before the airplane ride, though.)

After a wait for our plane to board, we experienced the Southwest Cattle Call.  You see, Southwest, unlike other airlines, doesn’t assign you seats.  Instead, you get "seating line numbers."  So instead of knowing that you’ll be sitting in row 9 seat B, you know you’ll be boarding with groups A, B, or C numbers 1 – 60.  We were lucky to be in group A31.  After A’s 1-30 boarded, we went aboard and easily secured two rows for ourselves and B’s parents.  I got a window seat with JSL between B and me.  NHL got a window seat behind me with B’s parents next to him.

We soon discovered that one of our flight attendents was a masquarading stand-up comic.  After takeoff, just before snacks were served, he announced that a couples’ "table is ready on the deck."  As we landed and the pilots engaged the breaks, he called out "Woah there Trigger" followed by horse noises.  He definitely made the flight an entertaining experience.  (If any Southwest management types are reading this, I don’t know his name, but I can provide flight numbers/days/times so he can be tracked down and commended.)

The flight itself was rather uneventful.  NHL had fun playing with B’s parents using activities we planned in advance.  JSL liked using his aquadoodle and looking at the snack menu.  He also fell asleep a half hour prior to landing.  Me?  I took photos.  I don’t get the opportunity to take photos above the clouds that often, so I took full advantage of my opportunity.

When we got to Orlando International Airport, we walked (and took a monorail) across the airport to the Disney Magical Express shuttle lines.  As I mentioned before, we were very thankful that we had done Disney Magical Express.  It was hard enough lugging 4 carry ons and two kids with us.  We didn’t need an additional 4 heavy suitcases as well.  When we got to the Magical Express shuttle, we got our first taste of Disney lines.  It was hot (90+) and the lines moved slowly, but we eventually got on the bus for our hotel.  The kids (and let’s face it, us adults too) excitedly saw the Disney World signs just before we got to our hotel.  We were finally in Disney World!

To Disney Infinity and Beyond

Disney, Games, Video Games

When Disney Infinity was released, we were conflicted.  On one hand, we are fans of all things Disney.  On the other hand, though, buying figure after figure seemed like an expense we didn’t need to add.  For the longest time, we resisted the lure.  Last week, though, an amazing deal came up that we just couldn’t pass by.  Then, we had another deal that convinced us a few more Disney Infinity figures.  I’ve got to admit, as much as I resisted investing in it, I’m loving Disney Infinity as much as the boys.

The basic set gets you Sully, Mr. Incredible, and Jack Sparrow.  In addition, we’ve bought Mike Wazowski, Jack Skellington, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie.  The boys will also be getting Syndrome, Dash, Randall (from Monsters University), and Francesco Bernoulli (from Cars 2) soon as late Chanukah gifts.

infinity-1 infinity-2 infinity-3

The basic set comes with the Monsters University world, the Incredibles world, and the world of Pirates of the Caribbean.  Buzz and Jessie came with the Toy Story world.  In each world, you get to complete tasks, obtain weapons and vehicles, and generally explore.  However, the worlds are not even the best part of Disney Infinity.  That is the Toy Box.

Within the Toy Box, you get to create your own world.  As you complete tasks (either in the Toy Box or in the various other worlds), you get "spins" which randomly give you items to use in the Toy Box.  The more spins you get, the more items you get, and the more varied your Toy Box world becomes.

There are even elements in the Toy Box that can be programmed.  You can have fireworks and music triggered if you step on a certain element.  Put enough of these elements together and you can make your own games.  I assembled one for my boys that required them to jump over chasms, climb floating mountains, and wind their way to a trigger that resulted in fireworks/celebratory music.

It’s official: The boys and I are hooked on Disney Infinity.  We just can’t get enough of playing our favorite characters, seeing familiar (and new) Disney scenes, designing our own areas, and fighting Disney enemies.  This is one game that is sure to be playable for a long time to come (and is sure to keep me up late many, many nights as I just finish one more section).

The #DisneySMMoms Report: Speakers and Lessons

Blogging, Disney, DisneySMMoms, DisneySMMoms2012, Life, Smartphones/Tablets, Social Media

Note: To see all of my posts on DisneySMMoms 2012, go here.

After we ate breakfast on Friday morning, it was time to learn a few lessons in social media.  First, we moved to another room.  This wasn’t your standard conference room.  After all, it’s not every room that has a castle for a stage and inspirational stained glass scattered along the walls.

IMGP6237stained-glass

There were also these great centerpieces.

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Power strips.  Just the thing for the on-the-go blogger with limited battery life.

Once we got settled, the speakers started coming out.

Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney World Resort let us know that Disney World isn’t in the "vacation" business or the "theme park" business.  They are in the experience business.  They want every moment from the minute you get on the Magical Express to the minute you leave Disney World for the last time to be filled with magic.  (And they succeed many times over.)

Maryellen Hooper came on stage at various times both to introduce the next speaker and to induce fits of laughter in the crowd.  Yes, though her jokes were mom-based, this dad laughed just as much as the moms in the audience.

Kelly Ripa and Katie Couric were there as well.  Ok, they had pre-recorded messages for us, but that was good enough for us.

Amy Jo Martin talked to us about balancing work and family time.  She was told to choose two out of Work, Family, and Self.  She chose all three and, though she failed many times, she never gave up.

Ramon DeLeon came onstage with incredible energy.  If he ever gives up the pizza gig, he could probably sell DeLeon Energy Drinks!  He gave us example after example of how social media can be used to positively impact people’s lives.  He also reminded us that a problem that is solved offline isn’t solved if it was described online.  Others will see the "unsolved" problem and assume nothing’s been done.  It’s not so much the bad experiences that will turn people away, he told us, but bad reactions (or no reaction) top bad experiences.

Gary Buchanan came onstage dressed as a Jedi to tell us about Star Wars weekends at Disney World.  One year, I really want to head to Disney World during this wonderfully geeky time.  Unfortunately, Gary also insulted a certain Sith.

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He was ok, but I don’t think he’ll be insulting Darth again.

After lunch (photos coming Wednesday), we came back to mice on our table.  The good kind, of course.

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As we settled in, the speakers just kept on coming.  First up was Peter Shankman.  He told us not to wait for others’ approvals, to face our fears, leave our comfort zone, and to be like a weed.  The first is a lesson that I learned long ago when I dealt with bullying.  The second and third I took to heart and led to my Face My Fears Disney Challenge.  (More on that in a later post.)  The last item pointed out that weeds are masters of survival.  They’ve learned how to do everything except grow a rose (aka "be like everyone else").

Lisa Druxman quoted Henry Ford and said "whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right."  She told us to break big projects up into smaller pieces.  Most importantly, she told us that there will often be a gremlin sitting on our shoulder telling us that we can’t do something.  When that happens, we need to knock it off our shoulder and continue on.

I realized that my gremlin is High School Me.  No matter what I do, I maintain a mental self-image of myself as a shy high-school kid who is terrified of how people will negatively react to me.  High School Me couldn’t do half of the things that I do today and so, mentally, I’ll keep telling myself that I really can’t do these things either.  I’m going to start knocking High School Me off my shoulder.  He may have been me once, but he isn’t anymore and hasn’t been for awhile.

Finally, Chris Brogan reminded us of how important it is to have your site be mobile friendly.  As a new owner of a smartphone, I’m finding a lot of sites that aren’t mobile friendly.  Nothing’s more frustrating than loading up a site on your phone and being presenting with itty bitty text that can’t be resized to be readable or obscured text because the developers assumed that everyone only uses huge monitors.  (He also asked who isn’t on Pinterest and I was the only one to raise my hand.  I think that’s another post right there.)

As the sessions ended, it was time to head out to Animal Kingdom.  DInosaurs awaited us there.

Disclaimer: We paid for our own trip to Disney World to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Though we were given an incredible deal from Disney, they never asked us to blog about this event. All opinions expressed above are my own.

The Impossible Task of Picking A Favorite Disney Theme Park

Disney, DisneySMMoms, Photos

IMGP5993Leading up to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I’ve been participating in the Countdown to Disney blog hop.  This week’s topic is: Your favorite theme park, or the one you’re looking forward to visiting the most if it’s your first time.  I have a problem with this, though.  I really don’t have a favorite theme park in Disney World.  I do, however, have favorite elements of each park.

IMGP4064The Magic Kingdom, of course, is the quintessential Disney park.  It’s the one that most people think of when they think "Disney World."  When I go to the Magic Kingdom, I can’t wait to get on Splash Mountain (where I was crazy enough to take my camera to take photos during the wet ride), the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (where NHL got a joke of his told once), or Small World (yes, the song can be annoying, but it’s a classic).

IMGP3254In Epcot, you have the World Showcase, with its amazing architecture and culinary treats.  Disney really goes all out in making it seem like you are visiting a mini-version of the foreign country.  Then, there’s Test Track, Soarin’, and Turtle Talk with Crush.  Of course, then there’s Spaceship Earth, which chronicles mankind’s communications breakthroughs over the past few thousand years.  (It’s also what people think of when they think "Epcot" and makes for wonderful photos.)

IMGP4691Over at Hollywood Studios, there’s the Muppet’s 3D movie, Star Tours, and, my personal favorite, Toy Story Mania.  Our Hollywood Studios routine is to get there before the park opens, hand our tickets to the fastest walker (they stop you from running) after passing through the gates, getting Fast Pass tickets immediately, and then getting on the normal line.  This way, we guarantee at least 2 quick trips through.

In addition, Hollywood Studios has the wonderful cupcakes at Starring Rolls.  At least, I’ve heard they were wonderful.  When we went there last time, we were too late and they had closed.  This is a mistake that *WILL* be rectified this year.

IMGP5299Finally, there’s Animal Kingdom.  Here you can find the Tree of Life, which contains tons of animals "carved" into a gigantic tree, Finding Nemo – The Musical, a Broadway-quality show that is not to be missed, and Kali River Rapids, which is fun but will leave you soaking wet for hours afterwards.  The highlight to me, though, is Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Disney went above and beyond to make an area that looks to all the world like an African habitat.  Fences that keep animals in their areas are cleverly hidden so it looks as though the lions could just decide to head on over to where you are driving by.  Plus, there are some areas where animals *CAN* come right up to you.  A few years ago, a giraffe came within 10 feet of us.

Asking me to choose my favorite park is just impossible to do.  There are so many great things at each park.  I really can’t decide which one I like more than the others.  Cop out answer?  Perhaps, but it is the truth.

20 Pounds In 20 Weeks: Week 11: Back on Track

20lbs in 20 weeks, Fitness, Weight Loss

After Disney World, I gained 5 pounds.  I expected to lose some of that this week.  I figured three pounds.  If I was lucky, four.  During the week, I weighed myself and was startled to see the pounds dropping drastically.  When I weighed myself Sunday morning, I was 187 pounds.  One Hundred Eighty Seven!  That’s a loss of six pounds in one week.  It was quite nice and gives me some hope for my post-Passover weight drop.

Starting Weight 205
Current Weight 187
Goal Weight 185
Lost 18
Left Until Goal 2

This also means that I’m a mere two pounds from my goal.  Given my past weight loss averages, I lose between one and a half and two pounds per week.  With two weigh-ins before Passover begins, I’m nearly certain to hit my goal.  Still, considering that Passover is going to be a guaranteed weight gain time, I’m not going to count the 20 Pounds In 20 Weeks challenge as successful unless I hit 185 pounds after Passover has ended.

Still, I’d say I’m doing quite well and am well on my way to completing this challenge.

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