Magical Blogorail Green: My 2012 Disney Resolution

Welcome to those of you joining me from Pursuing The Magic and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My 2012 Disney resolution is to finally participate in two of the runDisney race events that I’ve been wanting to do, but for one reason or another haven’t gotten around to doing them. The first is the “Expedition Everest Challenge” that takes place in May and the second is the “Wine & Dine Half Marathon” in November (although I might add the a third as I was really excited about the announcement on Wednesday regarding the new “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler”).

This coming year however, there will be no excuses. I will finally partake in these two race events (and maybe 3). 

Have you participated in any of runDisney’s race events? Or do you plan to participate in any? My first event was this past year’s “Royal 5k.” Although I was sick with the flu I truly enjoyed the event and loved that feeling of accomplishment when I crossed the finish line and got my medal.  I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom’s Thoughts. 

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Pursuing the Magic

2nd Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess
3rd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

Final Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

Magical Blogorail Green - The Holidays at Disney

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Green. Enjoy the ride as we share with you our favorite things about the holiday season at Disney.

It doesn't get any better than Christmas time in Disney because they make sure to put you in the holiday spirit from the second you visit the website to book your trip! Not only are the parks decorated in the best way possible for Christmas, but the Disney Parks all have something special going on for the holiday season. 

My favorite thing about the holiday season at Disney takes place at the Magic Kingdom with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This has become an annual tradition for me as I go every year.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on select nights from November through December (typically Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays). Since it is a special event it requires a separate ticket, and the closer it gets to the holidays the more quickly it sells out. I really enjoy this event because it's everything Christmas, Disney style! And of course who can say no to unlimited hot cocoa and sugar cookies (they also have a healthier alternative with apple slices and apple juice).

My favorite thing about the party is how all of the characters are dressed in their finest holiday attire and of course the Christmas parade with Santa and his reindeer. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party brings together all the joys of Christmas in one place - lights, songs and holiday cheer...and even snow on Main Street! 

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom's Thoughts.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard: 

1st Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess 

2nd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

3rd Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

4th Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

Final Stop ~ Heidi’s Head

Magical Blogorail Green - Halloween at Disney

Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney on Wheels and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the final stop on our Magical Blogorail. 

One of my favorite things about Halloween time at Disney are all of the pumpkin decorations at the Magic Kingdom and the costumes the characters wear during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. 


My absolute favorite decorations are the giant pumpkins at the entrance. Even if you don't attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, you get the chance to experience all of the Halloween decorations that are up all over the Magic Kingdom. There are pumpkins everywhere - from giant light up pumpkins to pumpkin banners. And of course Main Street comes to life in a completely different way during Mickey's Not  So Scary Halloween Party, with halloween music playing and the streets lit up in an eerie way. 


I also love the costumes that the characters dress up in during the party.


Writing about it just won't do it justice, so instead I'll share pictures from my experience last year. 

What's your favorite thing about Halloween at Disney? Do you prefer one Park over another during this time of year?

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Green this month. We will be back November 25^th with an all new theme. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

2nd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

3rd Stop ~ Disney on Wheels

Final Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

Magical Blogorail Green: Favorite Disney Resort To Visit

Welcome to those of you joining me from Pursuing the Magic and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.

Welcome to those of you joining me from Pursuing the Magic and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My favorite Walt Disney World resort to visit is Disney's Wilderness Lodge. I think it is a combination of the was it is decorated as well as the fact that it has one of my favorite places to go for breakfast: The Whispering Canyon Cafe - that makes it my favorite resort to visit. 

We always make it a point to stop at the Wilderness Lodge during our trips to Disney World. My favorite part of the hotel itself is the lobby. I love how it makes you feel that you really are out in some big lodge in the mountains. And although we are still a couple of months away from the holidays, this resort looks spectacular when decorated for Christmas. 

At the Whispering Canyon Cafe, I love the way they serve the Mickey Waffles in cast-iron skillets. And of course the service is always a fun experience! 

Although I love simply "visiting" the Wilderness Lodge, I do look forward to one day staying there as well.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom’s Thoughts.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:


1st Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids
2nd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
3rd Stop ~ Pursuing the Magic
4th Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess
Final Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

Magical Blogorail Green: The Disney Attraction I Miss the Most

                                          Welcome to those of you joining me from Magical Days with the Mouse and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

The attraction I miss the most is still at the parks in a sense, but not as it was originally. That attraction is "Journey Into Imagination." You may remember that I blogged about this same attraction back in April during Magical Blogorail's Least Favorite Disney Attraction. Even though I consider the current attraction my least favorite of the parks, the original attraction is also the attraction I miss the most (I'm pretty sure I speak for a lot of Disney fans out there)!

In my opinion, the original attraction was simply perfect! I still don't understand the reasoning behind changing the ride. Dreamfinder and Figment really brought the concept of using your imagination to life in the original attraction.

After Disney's recent reopening of the "Original Enchanted Tiki Room," I have hope that one day they will bring back my beloved "Journey Into Imagination." I loved that ride and figment so much that after 23 years I still have the Figment plush toy that my parents bought for me on one of my trips (and he still looks brand new)!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom’s Thoughts.


Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
2nd Stop ~ Magical Days with the Mouse
3rd Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess
4th Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts
Final Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

My Most Memorable Disney Character Experience

Welcome to those of you joining me from Magical Days with the Mouse and those of you who have just hopped aboard. I am 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My most memorable Disney character experience was when I was when I was about 4 1/2 years old at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. I remember it perfectly as if it were yesterday. I was so excited and happy to be meeting and taking pictures with all of my favorite Disney characters that I would wake up to each morning. My little sister was terrified of them, but I was having the time of my life. I kept going after Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald and bringing them back to my table (back then they weren't so strict with them because at one point I had three characters at my table). It really is my most memorable experience and one that I will always cherish.

At Chef Mickey's as an adult! :)

With Goofy

And Donald!

Thank you for joining me today.  Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Makin' Memories.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Magical Days with the Mouse

2nd Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

3rd Stop ~ Makin' Memories

4th Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids

Final Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

Magical Blogorail - My Favorite World Showcase Pavilion

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Green. Enjoy the ride as we share with you our favorite World Showcase Pavilion!


I must start off by saying that in general I absolutely love Epcot's World Showcase! One of my favorite things to do is just walk through it "hopping from country to country" in just a couple of hours. And although it is hard to choose a favorite, there is one that to me intrigues me the most and has made me decide that one day I will take a trip to visit the actual country - that World Showcase Pavilion is Norway!


Walking through and experiencing the Norway Pavilion to me is like being in the pages of an old fairy tale storybook. I especially love the details of the Maelstrom Adventure Cruise - my favorite part of the ride comes at the end when you are in what looks like a quaint little Norwegian village. 


And of course how can I forget the fragrances at the store. Although I've never actually purchased the signature perfume at the store (due to how outrageously expensive it is) I fall in love with the smell each and every time. 


The one thing I haven't experienced at the Norway Pavilion is dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with the Disney Princesses - but it is on my Disney bucket list! 

Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World

Thank you for joining me today.  Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is A Disney Mom's Thoughts.


Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess
2nd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts
3rd Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
4th Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
Final Stop ~ Magical Days with the Mouse

Meeting Mickey at the Town Square Theater

On one of my recent trips to Walt Disney World, I was able to experience the new meet and greet for Mickey and Minnie at the Magic Kingdom's Town Square Theater. I went close to midnight, so the majority of the kids were already gone and that meant no wait time for me. I literally walked right through! It was great!

Overall, I thought the room where you meet and take your picture with Mickey and Minnie is much better than the one in Mickey's Toontown Fair. It has so many intricate details that really bring the whole experience to life. What is lacking is the experience you used to get while waiting in line at Mickey's Toontown Fair. There, your entire surroundings brought the experience to life with giant pumpkins and old Disney cartoons! At the Town Square Theater it is basically just white walls with red carpet and ropes - it makes me glad that I didn't have to wait in line.

Below are pictures of what the experience inside the room with Mickey & Minnie looks like. I think you'll enjoy them.

Magical Blogorail - My Favorite Activity Outside of a Disney Theme Park

Welcome to those of you joining me from Magical Days with the Mouse and those of you who have just hopped aboard.  I am the final stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My favorite activity outside of going to the Disney theme parks is hanging out in Downtown Disney. 


I feel that Downtown Disney has so much to offer guests of all ages. For me, making a stop at Downtown Disney is a must on any Disney trip.


I love all the restaurants, shops and various activities that Downtown Disney has, and the best part about it for non-Disney Passholders is that you're getting the magic of Disney without having to pay the price! 

My absolute favorite activity at Downtown Disney is DisneyQuest which is basically a Disney virtual theme park. We have so much fun when we're there. You would think we were 10 years old again! I love the Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters and Virtual Jungle Cruise attractions. I can never get enough of them. And of course being able to relive my childhood by playing all the old video games I used to play as a child in the classic video games area. 

Besides DisneyQuest, I love shopping and dining at Downtown Disney. Two of my favorite stores that I always visit are the World of  Disney and Disney's Days of Christmas. I always find something I want to buy to take back home with me. For dining your options are endless, although I tend to always eat at the same four places: Wolfgang Puck, Rainforest Cafe, T-REX and of course Earl of Sandwich.

In front of the World of Disney Store with Princess Aurora

I usually tend to follow a schedule as to when I visit Downtown Disney - if we are arriving at night, we'll make sure to stop there for dinner and of course no Disney trip can come to an end without me stopping there before heading back home.


Do you love visiting Downtown Disney as much as I do? What is your favorite thing to do there?

Thank you for joining us this month.  We will be back June 24^th with an all new theme, though feel free to keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories.  If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can find all the blogorail members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops at The Magical Blogorail.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1^st Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts

2^nd Stop ~ Walt Disney World: It’s Not Just For Kids

3^rd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky

4^th Stop ~ Magical Days with the Mouse

Final Stop ~ Adventures of a Disney Princess

Car Masters Weekend at Downtown Disney

Last weekend was an extremely busy weekend at Walt Disney World - from D23's Scavenger hunt and Pixar's 25th Anniversary Weekend at Epcot, to the soft opening of Star Tours - there was something going on at every park. Even Downtown Disney had an event with Car Masters Weekend to celebrate the upcoming release of "Cars 2."


There were fun activities throughout Downtown Disney to celebrate the upcoming movie. Kids even got a chance to meet the stars of "Cars 2" - Lightning, Mater and Finn McMissile! One of my favorite parts of the event was getting a chance to see all of the classic cars that were being showcased.

Classic Cars

Classic Cars

Mater

Finn McMissile

Lightning McQueen

Lightning McQueen

Star Wars Weekends 2011

The annual Star Wars Weekends kicks off today at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This year it brings something extra special to Star Wars fans with the grand opening of the new adventures of Star Tours.

Fans have been waiting quite some time for the revamping of the ride which is now in 3D. I've been hearing great things about the ride for about a week now as Disney has been testing it with a soft opening. Fans love it so much that I've been reading that some people are going back and riding it 4 or 5 times (some even 9)!

I'm really looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks to experience Star Wars Weekends. I go every year with my boyfriend and it is something we both enjoy. This year I'm especially looking forward to experiencing the new Star Tours! 

For those of you that want to make it to Star Wars Weekends this year, they are happening every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20th through June 12th. 

Some celebrities expected to attend this year's event weekends include Peter Mayhew (Chewbaca), Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Tom Kane (Clone Wars voice of Yoda). 

For a full listing of Star Wars Weekends' celebrity lineup and event guide, be sure to visit the official event page here.  Disney has even added a techy way of keeping everyone updated on the latest Star Wars Weekends news. Guests can text STAR1 to DPARK in order to receive the latest information and real-time updates while they are there. 

A Look Back at the 2011 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

I love visiting Epcot each year during their annual Flower & Garden Festival. I look forward to seeing the new topiaries displayed throughout the park (and the classic ones too that return year after year) as well as all the flowers. 

It brings a little extra something to the park. I especially enjoy the different kiosks selling various plant species and items for the garden. It makes me forget that I don't have a green thumb and that everything I plant usually ends up dying. It actually inspires me to want to have a beautiful garden one day (I'm trying and I'm still working on getting the Plumeria I bought last year to bloom)!

This year's festival I think by far had the most beautiful topiaries, but I tend to say that every year! 

A Look at the Newly Renovated Lego Store in Downtown Disney

The newly renovated Lego Imagination Center at Downtown Disney opened up a couple of weeks ago. On a recent trip I took I stopped by (as I always do), to see the new store and Lego sculptures for myself. 

All I can say is that it's even better than before! I especially love the new Disney Lego Sculptures that were placed all around the front of the store. 

Below is a look at some of the sculptures. My favorite is Snow White with Dopey. What's your favorite? 

Gowalla Adds a Disney Summer Challenge

Since Gowalla teamed up with Disney as the official location-based social network for the Parks, new challenges and fun pins and badges are popping up all the time!

The latest Disney Challenge  on Gowalla is for summer and comes with a special Summer 2011 pin upon completion. In order to earn the Summer 2011 pin Gowalla users must check in at each of the following spots on the mobile app: 

• Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom
• Star Tours at Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Conservation Station at Disney's Animal Kingdom
• America Gardens Theatre at Epcot during the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series

This isn't the only Disney challenge on Gowalla - there are so many different challenges to complete and badges to earn! 

A couple of months ago I earned my World Traveler badge by checking in to each pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase!

Do you use Gowalla or another location-based social network app when at the Parks? If you don't what ar

Changes to the AMC Theatre in Downtown Disney

 

The AMC Theatre in Downtown Disney recently announced that it was getting quite the makeover and the changes are coming just in time for summer!

Some changes include the addition of new digital technology with the ETX Theatre. They are also adding The Marketplace to the theatre which will be a modern take on your typical concession stand. New to the AMC Theatre will also be Coke Freestyle machines that will have more than 100 flavors of coke for anyone that is interested in experimenting and trying something new. 

My  favorite change and one that I am a very big fan of is the announcement of the addition of the AMC Dine-in Theatres to Downtown Disney. 

The AMC Dine-in Theatre will feature a movie theatre-restaurant experience for guests over the age of 18 (those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). It will have over-sized,  Love-seat style seating and with personal tray tables so guests may enjoy food off an extensive menu that will feature appetizers, entrées, desserts and even a full bar. Staff will take guests' orders prior to the start of the movie and serve it before the film begins, giving guests the opportunity to fully experience the concept of "dinner and a movie."

Where I'm from we have Cobb's version of the dine-in theatre with their Cobb Cinebistro and I must say that once you've watched a movie at one of these theatres, you will never want to step foot in a regular movie theatre again. 

I for one have never been to the movie theatre in Downtown Disney. My reasoning behind it is that there is so much to do, why waste time in the movie theatre? But with this upgrade that the AMC Theatre has recently received, I'm just going to have to add it to my bucket list of things to do at Disney World!

Tickets for Mickey's Parties On Sale Now

Tickets are on sale for two of my favorite special ticketed events that take place at the Magic Kingdom each year: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will run on select nights September 13-November 1, 2011. I went for the first time in 2010 and absolutely loved it. Where else can a 20-something year old go trick or treating without getting strange looks?

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party will run on select nights November 8-December 18, 2011. This event is one of my absolute favorites.  To me there is nothing that can get me in the Christmas spirit more than a trip to Disney during the holiday season. The lights and the Disney magic truly bring out the magic of the holidays! I look forward to this event every December. My boyfriend and I have made it a tradition to go every year together!

Both events are really amazing and if you have the opportunity to make it to both this year, I highly recommend it! However, if you can I only make it to one, then I would say go with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, but I'm being extremely biased since Disney and Christmas are two of my favorite things!

Tickets for both special events are on sale now. Make sure to check out Disney World’s Special Events page for pricing information. If you’re an annual passholder, there are select nights where discounted tickets are offered.