TRICKS OF THE TRADE -Coffee in the Value room

 Disney "Nuts" (like me) are always looking for tricks and gadgets to use for making the most of each trip.  We tried out a new gadget on our last visit.  It was our first time staying at a Disney value resort, so we knew we would not enjoy the luxury of having a coffee maker in our room.  Our plan was to bring individual packets of instant coffee and instant oatmeal and use this wonderful little gadget called an "Instant immersion heater".

 It's a metal coil that you plug into a wall socket.  It heats up the water in your coffee cup very fast, and voila!... Coffee is ready!  You can heat up a cup of water and use it for instant Oatmeal too.  It didn't take any space in our luggage and really worked great.  Yes, we had to bring our coffee mugs, but we just wrapped them good in bubble wrap, placed them between clothes in the suitcase, and they made the trip without breaking.  We brought plenty of coffee packets and creamers which, again, didn't take much space.  The instant oatmeal didn't take much room either.  It all worked out great.  Gotta have that coffee in the morning to get energized and head out to the parks.

Yup, I LOVE IT when a plan comes together!

Disney Magic on Main Street!

   While there are so many exciting and thrilling attractions in each theme park at Walt Disney World, sometimes it's a totally unexpected surprise that just takes your entire trip up a notch.

   On our last visit, just my Wife and I, we were treated to such a moment, and will never forget it.

  As we were walking down Main Street on our way to lunch at Tony's Town Square, we passed by the world famous Dapper Dans as they were serenading a young man in a wheel chair.  We stopped to enjoy the moment, and I thought how lucky that gentleman was as he was just sitting there taking it all in with his family and others gathered around enjoying the delightful harmonies of this group.

   I gave a wink to one of the Dans as they were singing, and nodded my head towards my Wife who was wearing her Happy Birthday button.  I didn't think he got the "telepathic" message that I was hinting at, so we just clapped and walked away talking about how great the Dapper Dan's are.

   We walked into Tony's about 10 minutes early for our ADR (Reservation), and were sitting in a little waiting area when in walked the Dapper Dan's.  They walked right over to us and introduced themselves to us...

                                 AND THIS HAPPENED!



   It is now one of the top ten classic moments of our Walt Disney World experience list.

   I 'owed' her, because many years ago, we went out to the Olive Garden to celebrate my birthday, and she told someone there that it was my birthday.  After the meal, the wait staff came over and placed what looked like some kind of hat made out of Balloons and a Coffee Filter on my head and sang "Happy Birthday" to me!  I vowed that  some day she would pay for this dastardly (but fun!) deed.

The moral of the story is...  Revenge is a dish best served up cold, and...
                                     ALWAYS WEAR YOUR CELEBRATION BUTTONS AT WDW!  (or get others to)!

OUR POP CENTURY TRIP

   Just finished another visit to WDW, and although we've been there enough times in the last few years to really feel like "Disney Experts", we experienced a lot of "firsts" on this trip.  Some eateries, some things in the parks, even exploring some resorts.  One of the biggies was where we stayed.  After passing through to drop people off on the magical express bus while heading to Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Village, and always saying "Some day we're going to stay at Pop Century!"... we finally did it!

The Resort:

 POP CENTURY

We wanted to save our DVC points for another trip this year, and booked 6 nights at Pop Century with an Annual Pass discount.  We always wanted to stay there, and the price was right for a budget trip.

It is a colorful place.  All about fun.  Kids will love the color of it all, and adults (like us) will just eat up the nostalgia that is around every corner there.  The food court gets a little "crazy" but there are lots of offerings, and we enjoyed getting a whole pizza there, then taking it back to our room for a relaxing evening "in".  They offer in room pizza delivery service, but we saved a few bucks on the delivery fee, and just ordered and walked back to the room.  I'm sure the smell of pepperoni pizza trailing us was making folks hungry as we strolled by!

 

It is a pretty large complex.  If you've stayed there before, you probably have your favorite "section" (or decade) you prefer to stay in.  We agreed that we didn't know exactly what we wanted, so we just checked in and let them put us wherever they wanted.  We ended up on the 3rd floor of the "90's" building.  It turned out to be a great location for us.  Not facing a pool which meant a little less noise.  Close to the bus stops and Classic Hall (where the food court and shops are).  And the building had an elevator!

even the elevators are fun at Pop!

 There is no doubt that we loved the Pop Century!  Once we were settled in our room, we felt like we were "home" each afternoon or evening when returning from the parks or Downtown Disney.  We even watched the Superbowl in our room while enjoying our tradition of having sandwiches on Superbowl Sunday... The Earl of Sandwich can't be beat!  Pop is a great base of operations while touring WDW.  The pools are great, the food court offers lots of choices, the shop has a lot to offer, a game room, well marked bus stops, it has everything you need. ...and A LAKE!

I'm sure we'll be returning there again.  And when the Art of Animation resort is finished, it will be a short walk across Hour Glass Lake via the "Generation Gap" Bridge to even more fun and exploration.

There were some other firsts on this trip, but your first time at any Walt Disney World Resort is always memorable. 

I USED TO BE A DISNEY "LOCAL"!

 It's really strange to think back to the days when I was a kid growing up in the Southeast Los Angeles area of Southern California.  Relatives visiting from out of town always meant a trip to Disneyland (and the beach).  It was just something you do.  And it seems to me that my thinking was always - YOU ONLY GO TO DISNEYLAND WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY!  I don't know how I got that way, but that's pretty much the way I thought back then.

 I packed up the family and moved away from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1988.  And now nearly a quarter century later, it is so strange to read web sites or blog posts that talk about "locals" at Walt Disney World, or Disneyland.  I was "a local" and never even realized it!  I never really thought of it in those terms.  Tourists and Locals ...what a concept!

 I wonder what it would be like now that I'm a "Disney Nut" - to be living just miles from Disneyland and California Adventure?  Would I be dragging my Wife (don't worry - she's a "Disney Nut" too!) with me to DCA and Disneyland every other weekend, and on days off with annual passes in hand?  Hanging out at Downtown Disney?  I mean, I can't imagine what it would be like!

Would it be great?  YES!  But, it's also great to be 1,000 miles away from Disneyland (give or take a few hundred miles), and 2,000 miles away from WDW.  Why?  Because, even though it costs an arm and a leg to fly there once, twice, or even three times a year, It's a big adventure!  I don't think I would be planning trips and doing touring plans etc. like I do, if we lived just 15 miles from the Disneyland Resort's parking garage.  And for me, the planning is half of the fun (OK, maybe 1/3 of the fun, but it's still fun!).

 Would we be DVC members?  Probably NOT.  I mean, how could I ever hope to talk my better half into buying 200 points for WDW trips when Disneyland is just "around the corner"!  I can't imagine a world without trips to The Animal Kingdom Lodge, Bay Lake Tower, Old Key West or any of the other fantastic DVC villas where we stay now.  We could still do "cash trips" to the Value or Moderate resorts at WDW  and that would be great fun, but how would we be able to take friends, and family with us like we've done the last few years?

 I don't know if I would have become such a Disney theme park fan if it weren't for 2 things.  1. Moving Far Away, and 2. The Internet.

 Moving away gave me that feeling of longing for Disneyland, and that feeling of nostalgia for a place that was always fun, and never let me down.  And the Internet gave birth to the great Disney websites, groups, blogs, and podcasts that feed my insatiable thirst for that refreshing water that comes from the deep Disney wells.


It's hard to imagine a world where Disneyland or Walt Disney World are just around the corner.  But I guess if I lived there, it would be hard to imagine living so far away from the place that I love!

It's all "relative".  But now it's not all "relatives".

THE AVATAR EFFECT

   Disney has announced the creation of a new "land" at Disney's Animal Kingdom which will be based on the movie Avatar.  The Disney fan community has gone bonkers trying to figure out what it all means and how it will all work out.  So far, everyone is asking the question - "How will Avatarland affect The Animal Kingdom?".  But my question is... "How will being connected to a Disney theme park affect the next Avatar movie?".

  Could there be a "reverse effect" which helps boost the fan base of the Avatar movie series? (there are 2 more already in the works).  I still have not seen the movie.  Now that they are going to create a whole "land" at Walt Disney World based on this movie, I want to see it!

   I realize that the Disney "Kook Base" isn't that large compared to the overall population of the world (the real world), but I'm wondering if someone, somewhere felt that this move could create an increased interest in the coming sequel.

   As far as the more immediate question being posed by Disney fans - "How will this work out at Walt Disney World?"...  I welcome it.  I don't think I've ever seen many of the movies that the Disney attractions are based on, yet I love the attractions, and I have to admit... I've never watched an entire Star Wars movie, yet I love Star Tours.  I mean, there weren't even movies for Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, or Space Mountain when these attractions were created, yet those are 3 of my 5 favorite rides!  I don't know of an Expedition Everest movie (and there may be one, but if so, I've never seen it) yet EE is one of my favorite attractions EVER!  So my answer to the question is... I don't know, but I look forward to what the Disney imagineers create!
 

 

First Time Experiences

   Ahhhhh... after a refreshing dip in the waters of my fountain of youth (WDW!), I'm enjoying the glorious afterglow of memories.  We enjoyed the company of 2 dear friends that traveled all the way from Idaho to spend a week at WDW with us, and it was their first time.  I came alive at the thought of showing them some of the wonders to be found there.  I hope they will forgive me if I pushed too hard as their tour guide, but I just can't help myself sometimes... I get caught up in all of the color, technology, and fantasy of the Walt Disney World complex.  I always carry a big yellow satchel with the WDW Today logo on it.  And our friends came up with a new motto for our touring days... "Follow the yellow bag!"


   For them, the entire trip was a first time adventure.  But for Dear Disney Wife and I, there were a few first times for us too.  In no particular order, here are a few of them:

1. The American Idol Experience: (Disney Hollywood Studios)
      I'm not really a fan of this show, in fact, I don't think I've ever watched a complete episode of it.  But, I thought it would be a nice way to spend a little time, and when our friends said that they watch the show, then it became a  must and was added to my touring plan sheet.  It was totally enjoyable!  It was fun and the venue was very comfortable.  This is one that we will be adding to future touring plan itinerary sheets.

2. Night of Joy: (Magic Kingdom)
    We tried to do this one during our Sept. 2009 visit.  But I came down with something, and we decided not to do it.  It was being held at the Disney Hollywood Studios then, but now was moved to the Magic Kingdom.  I wasn't sure what it would be like, but we love contemporary Christian music, and a few of our favorites were performing (Jeremy Camp & Francesca Battistelli).  Our friends also enjoy the music, so we all bought our tickets on-line and attended the Friday night event for our big finale of the trip.  It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  We went in a little early and enjoyed some attractions before lining up for the concert.  We got hit with a huge rain storm, but hid out on the Carousel of Progress until it slowed down and eventually stopped.  From some of the tales told on various Disney group sites, we thought we might be swallowed up by hordes of mischievous teens, but it was not anything like that!  Other than a group of screaming girls on the Haunted Mansion, It was wonderful (even they added to the fun). The rain cooled things down, and the atmosphere was totally relaxed and fun. The rides had short lines, and the concerts were great.  Even the recorded music that was blasting as we walked around Main Street made me want to sing along (of course I tried to do it quietly so as not to ruin the trip for our friends).  You can be sure that our next Sept. trip that is scheduled around the Night of Joy time will include at least 1 night's ticket for the weekend event.

3. Kali River Rapids: (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
    Yup, that's right, we had never done Kali River Rapids at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  It was a warm day, the line was short, and we hopped in.  It was a blast... so much fun we had to do it again and queued up for a second trip.  The queue area is well themed too, much like Expedition Everest.  Our friends loved it, and so did we.  It's really well themed, and kind of exciting since you don't know who's going to get the wettest each ride.  Everybody gets wet, but some folks get DRENCHED... I was one of those folks.  I guess I asked for it, since I WANTED water from "the fountain of youth"!

4. Sum of all Thrills: (Epcot)
      Having heard so much about this new attraction inside of Innoventions East, I put it on our attractions list.  After leading us to the wrong side of Innoventions, we found it and hopped in line.  It looks a little intimidating as you see the giant robot arm swinging people around with their legs and feet flailing around, and our friends weren't sure they wanted to try it.  But after the cast member explained that you can control the intensity of the ride (that you design yourself!), they hopped in line with us.  It was a hoot.  Mrs. Boxing Guru and I designed a pretty mild ride with just a few big drops and curves, no upside down loops.  It turns out that our friends made a very similar bobsled ride too.  We'll do it again, and will probably design a much wilder ride next time.


5. Town Square Exposition Hall: (Magic Kingdom)
    When we entered the Magic Kingdom for the Night of Joy (our final night), I saw that there was only a 10 minute wait at the new Expo Hall to meet Mickey and Minnie, so we hopped in line and were led almost immediately into the room to meet and take pictures with WDW's star couple.  It was so much fun We didn't feel rushed, in fact we felt very welcomed as one of the cast members noticed our shirts (WDW Radio & WDW Today Podcasts) and commented on them.  It turns out that Josh is a regular contributor to both the WDW News Today and Inside the Magic Podcasts

   
6. Behind the Seeds Tour:  (Epcot)
      This was our first tour of any kind, and I think that Behind the Seeds is a great way to start.  It was another highlight of the trip for me.  To be taken back into the Living with the Land attraction really makes you feel like a true "V.I.P."  Our tour guide Britney was outstanding.  You could tell that she really loves what she does, and it was so interesting to be learning about things as ride boats glided by us.  Now, every time we take a ride on the Living with the Land boat ride at Epcot, we'll be remembering our tour Behind the Seeds.

  

A couple of others were not really firsts for us, but were firsts in their new form.  Star Tours - The Adventures Continue (aka- Star Tours 2) was a great ride.  The 3D effects and new and changing story line has spiced up the attraction.  Just as exciting as the original Star Tours, but spiffier. It's a wild ride that we had to do twice.  And The Enchanted Tiki Room has returned in a form much closer to the original that Walt designed.  No more Iago bird screaming at you throughout the show, just those talented singing birds and flowers taking you on a relaxing and colorful experience.  Thank You WDW for bringing them back!

   The beauty of Walt Disney World as a place to vacation, is that there is always something new to experience. We have a long list of things that we plan to do on future visits, but these are a few that were checked off on this last trip.  

   Did our friends get infected by the "Disney Virus"?  That remains to be seen.  But for us it was a great "Booster Shot"!

    

  

THE PEOPLE YOU MEET

   There are lots of reasons for traveling nearly 3000 miles round trip as often as we do, from New Mexico to WDW in Orlando, Florida. The great rides & attractions, the fantastic resort hotels, the parades, nightly fireworks spectaculars, out of this world dining options, and all the rest. But there is one thing that usually happens, and it can't be planned for. The people we meet! It seems that every time we go to Walt Disney World, we make new friends, and meet people who we remember for the rest of our days! I'm not one who likes to break the ice with new people. I'm quiet, and like to keep to myself most of the time. But for some reason, when I get a sip of water from my Disney Fountain of Youth , I become a little friendlier, a little less guarded. Maybe because I'm more relaxed. Maybe it's just the vibe being given off by the other happy people who are full of wonder about what lies ahead on this trip. I don't know exactly what it is, but where as I would hardly make eye contact with strangers back home, here, I am open to meeting new people, and since people come from all over the nation and the world, it can be a fascinating experience each time. We've only become "disney-fied" for a few years now, but we already have a whole list of neat people that made a mark on our disney memory banks. Here are a few of them...

   "Mr. Alfredo":  On our trip in Sept. of 2009, we spent Labor Day at "the town that Disney built" - Celebration, FL. We rented a car from a place in Kissimee, so they sent a shuttle van to pick us up at the Port Orleans Riverside. The driver pulled up and we asked him "are you here for us?" and he said (in a THICK Hispanic accent) "Yes, you are my people, hop in!". On the short drive from WDW to the rental car station, he shared his life story with us! He was originally from Peru, he was a taxi driver in NYC, his kids lived in Chicago, and he loved his job as the shuttle driver for the rental car company. We told him where we were from, and it's like we were life long friends. We talk about "Mr. Alfredo" all the time when something happens that reminds us of him.

   Bruni:  The agent at the rental car center was also very nice, and she was from Germany. Bruni was as friendly as she could be, and we enjoyed talking with her for a while. She gave us directions to Celebration and told us about some of the things in the area that we might enjoy. Such a nice lady. Again, we remember her often.

   The Family from Toronto, Canada:  While waiting for the bus we met a family from Toronto, Canada. They were of Indian or Pakistani decent (I think), and it was their first time at WDW, so they were asking us questions about Walt Disney World. I think that's all the nudge I need from anyone, just ask me about Walt Disney World, and you've stepped in it! I'll open up and share all that I know. When we got off of the bus, we wished them a great trip, and they did the same. A few days later, we were walking by the Rose & Crown in Epcot, and there they were! The parents were resting on a bench while the kids were off exploring. We asked them about their trip, and they said they were having a great time. We didn't even get their names, but we often remember "Our friends from Canada"!

The Wife of the Disney Tech Guy:   In Jan. of 2011, we did a trip with our Daughter, Son-in-Law, and 15 Month old Grand Daughter. We babysat while Mom & Dad went to Downtown Disney. They called and wanted us to meet them there, so we got the baby gear ready and headed out to the bus stop at Kidani Village. While we were waiting for the DTD bus, a lady was waiting with her baby daughter who looked about the same age as our Grandy. We were laughing at the two sleeping babies, and started up a conversation. It turns out that her hubby is some kind of tech specialist with Disney, and while he was working, she got to explore the theme parks and resorts! They are from Seattle (I think), and this was her first time at Walt Disney World. The bus ride to Downtown Disney went by fast as we talked about all things Disney.

   Disney Cast Members can also make a mark on our trips too. Like the woman at the check in desk at Port Orleans Riverside who tried to get through to the rental car company, but just couldn't seem to get through by phone. She told us to go ahead and enjoy our day, and that she would make sure to get through and verify that they were coming to get us (Mr. Alfredo!). When we got back to our room, there was a message on our phone, and she had made contact, and everything was set! She was great. 

  There have been others too. Enthusiastic and cheerful bus drivers, helpful servers at the restaurants, even the luggage handlers while we waited for the Magical Express to come and get us. Really too many to remember. But the people that we meet each trip are a part of the "magic" of our WDW (& Disneyland Resort) visits!

   Of course, not everyone is going to be a positive experience, that's for sure! But, I guarantee, for every one "Grumpy Gus" or "Sour Puss Sally", there's ten wonderful people with cheerful attitudes, and fascinating stories and lives to share! Courteous gestures that can really make your day.
  
  This is what you get when you water your lawn with water from the Disney Fountain of Youth!