Animal Kingdom Lodge: Impala, Okapi, and Zebra's - Oh my!

In October 2011, Dreiz and I had the great privilege of staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL), a beautiful resort located on a 43-acre wildlife preserve featuring some free roaming, well-known favorites from the Kilimanjaro Safari. For us it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that came to fruition as the result of off-season discounts and a handy 40% off pin code that we received in the mail. AKL is one of the priciest resorts on property but if you're looking to splurge just a little, you're going in the off season, and you have a discount code, then it makes for the perfect getaway whether it be for a romantic couples vacation or a Grand Gathering.

I think this hotel actually lends itself perfectly to the Grand Gathering atmosphere. When you walk in you are greeted by several sights that make it a perfect place for families to gather. If you know Disney, you know they leave no sense untouched when it comes to giving you a once in a lifetime magical experience. One distinct sensation that comes to mind is the smell of the lobby. The only way I can describe it is akin to that of a wood burning fire place but without the overwhelming heat or heavy air that usually accompanies having a fireplace indoors. Once those factors are removed you're just left with this smell that makes you want to sit outside on a crisp fall evening, wrapped in a fleece blanket and making s'mores. It immediately makes one want to hang out in large groups, sit in a circle, and tell campfire stories. I have no idea why, you'd have to ask the marketing/psychological geniuses at Disney how that works! Coincidentally there are fire pits located both inside and outside Jambo house, most evenings at the Arusha Rock fire pit there is a featured storyteller so make sure you check the posted schedule.

The giant glass wall (it's certainly too big to just be a window!) is another striking feature this resort is famous for. As you walk in to Jambo House (the guest lobby), you are immediately greeted by a breath-taking floor to ceiling window adorned with vines. Even if you don't stay at AKL, it's worth resort hopping one day just to take in this sight. Here's an interesting factoid: AKL uses the least amount of lighting in all it's rooms and restaurants, as well as it's lobby. Reason being is that at nighttime they need to be able to recreate the animals natural setting as precisely as possible in order to reduce stress. The glass wall lets the natural sunlight stream in and illuminate the lobby perfectly and eliminates the need for the use of excess energy, so it's both beautiful and green! My Pal Mickey Note: due to the decrease in amount of energy used, the rooms at AKL are much less well lit than any other resort. So if you're one of those people that needs a room to be brightly lit all the time you'll be out of luck here. However in my opinion, the stunning view of giraffes and wildebeest right outside my window was well worth the trade-off.

Uzima Pool zero-depth entry. Credit: Loren Javier

When you're not in your room watching the animals from your porch, there are plenty of things to do on the AKL grounds. The Uzima Pool features a water slide, a kids play area, two jacuzzi, and a zero-depth entry section. For those of you who aren't familiar with what zero-depth entry is, it's essentially like being at the beach. Instead of having to use stairs to enter or exit the water there is a slope that runs right in to the pool from the surrounding lounge area. Great for if you just want to get your toes wet, or if you need special assistance getting in to and out of the water. We had the opportunity to experience both the pool and the jacuzzi (although I only got to get knee deep in the jacuzzi due to being pregnant and whatnot) this time around. Up until that point we had only ever perused the pools at the resorts we were staying at but never found the time to take a dip. We're definitely making room for assigned pool time this next vacation!

African Stew and Zebra Domes

As far as dining goes, you can't really go wrong at AKL. They feature everything from a fine dining restaurant to a quick service restaurant, Dreiz and I frequented the latter. We were on the quick-service dining plan and found that a great way to keep from spending extra meals is to share. Every night when we would arrive back at the hotel, and sometimes for dinner, we would go to Mara (quick service) and share a cheese or pepperoni flatbread. I was also pretty adventurous and tried the African Stew. It was a mix of chicken, rice, vegetables, and some kind of curry. It was excellent and I crave it still to this day! For dessert I recommend the Zebra Domes. If you're on the quick service plan you should be able to pick them out as part of your meal and the portion size is gigantic so there are always some to save for later. They are a very distinct coffee and chocolate flavored truffle that can be found in the refrigerator section.

Jiko and Boma are two of the more popular table service restaurants at AKL. Dreiz and I never had a chance to try these but Boma comes highly recommended from our pal Guru Kelly over at Disney Guru! Boma is buffet style dining (if you've ever dined at a buffet at WDW I don't even need to tell you this is a good decision because you already know it is!), which features recipes that were inspired by over 50 countries according to the information on the official site. It also features a wood fire rotisserie, traditional American cuisine, and of course lots of dishes with some African flair. Jiko is a little more upscale and requires you follow a dress code. Nothing too fancy, if you think "business casual" you should be good to go. Just don't stroll in there in your flip-flops and pool attire!

Our room. Notice the subtle lighting.

One advantage of staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel is that you have child care available on site. AKL offers Simba's Clubhouse, which is open from 4:30-midnight and accepts toilet trained kids ages 3-12. The cost is $11.50 per child with a 2 hour minimum. That sounds like quite the deal to me! Drop Junior off and head over to Jiko for a nice romantic dinner, or over to Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian. In-room childcare as well as child care specialist that will accompany you through the park are also available, just make sure you request them in advance to make sure you get one!

The view from our room on the Arusha Savannah

For those who didn't book a room with savannah view there are plenty of viewing stations along the outside trails. There is also a special night viewing station right outside Jambo House where you can find a Cast Member that will let you use a special night vision scope to get the best view of the nocturnal animals that roam the Arusha Savannah. 

Cast Members at this resort went above and beyond anything we could have expected. The night before we left, we approached the Guest Services counter and asked if we could have Happy Birthday buttons for each member of our family that was celebrating a birthday in the coming year. The particular Cast Member, Kevin, was from France and loaded us up with handfuls of buttons. We told him that we just found out that we were expecting a baby and he gave us a birthday button with "Happy Birthday Baby!" written on it.

Our very last picture in front of the Castle as just the two of us

 Every now and again Kyle and I will play the "favorite game" which usually consists of  "What's your favorite attraction?", "What's your favorite ride at Hollywood Studios?" etc. If I had to pick a favorite between the two Deluxe Resorts we've stayed at (the Contemporary and AKL) I don't know that I'd be able to choose. It would be like asking me which one of my dogs I love the most. Animal Kingdom Lodge has a great family atmosphere and when I get nostalgic and want to make myself pine and yearn for Disney World, I think of it immediately. The Contemporary holds a special place in my heart too but for completely different reasons. Animal Kingdom Lodge represents such a new era in our household and I'll always look upon it fondly because of that. After all, it's where we were when we found out we would be welcoming our sweet little Ryleigh Noelle that coming June! So to us Animal Kingdom Lodge marks the transition of our family going from something missing to complete, and our stay there marks the last time we'll ever see Disney World as just Dreiz, Punkin, and their Pal Mickey.

I highly recommend it for any family that wants to have a magical vacation they won't ever forget. If you have any questions about our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge, want to know more about the resort itself, or are interested in booking your own Animal Kingdom Lodge adventure, visit us over at the Mouse Tales and Disney Guru facebook pages!

All You Need To Know About Disney World Resorts

Inside the Cinderella Castle suite

If you read my last post about Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival and you're just dying to stuff your suit case full of ear hats and Disney pins, you aren't alone! In my humble opinion fall is the best time to go because not only are crowds smaller but there are two special events taking place at the same time which means you can spend all day sampling some of the best international food the world has to offer, and then spend the night mingling with a masquerading Mickey!

I get asked all the time about where to stay. With kids, without kids, with grandma. My answer is always the same: on property. 

Not only does not having to drive home at the end of a long day appeal to me but the hospitality offered at a Disney hotel is unlike any other in the world. Cast members at a Disney hotel definitely go out of their way to make sure that your stay goes perfectly. And I mean perfectly. We have only ever switched rooms once while staying on property due to our displeasure and it was as a result of unplanned construction that woke us up one morning at about 8AM. We usually head to the parks before then but didn't want to risk that anyone would decide to feel froggy, get to work early, and rev up the jack hammer before my husband finished his beauty sleep. But to Disney's credit, when we alerted them of our issue they told us to throw everything back in our suitcases and they would pick them up for us and we would have a new room waiting for us when we got back at the end of the day. Problem solved!

So I wanted to share with you some of the best places to stay at Disney World, broken down by group size and budget! (also, there is no reason why you should have to stay in a gigantic villa just because you're having a Grand Gathering you guys. Disney will make it seem like you need to have your own chateau and that life will be miserable otherwise, but don't buy it. Planning is what's important!) So without further adieu, here is a definitive list of the best places to stay at Disney and still have money left over for extra Mickey bars!

Value Budget

Pal Mickey Note: as a rule, at the value resorts it is worth the little bit extra that you pay to stay in a "premium" room, which puts you nearest the lobby and bus pick up point!

A personal photo from Pop Century Resort

2-4 guests: Disney's Pop Century Resort: In my opinion Pop Century (or "the Pop") is best for guests who are on a tight budget and want a value resort without the feeling of being at a value resort. Ya dig? My issue with the other value resorts is that they all have themes: music, movies, sports, So you tend to have a lot of childrens group vacations staying there, cheerleaders at the sports resorts, bands at the music resort, and so on and so forth. Pop Century attracts just your average family looking for a good price. And the tye dye cheesecake in the Everything Pop food court is delicious! (Pal Mickey note: the other three value resorts all share a common bus system, due to it's size the Pop Century resort has it's own transportation which can drastically cut down on your travel time!)

5-7 guests: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort: Chances are that if you have 5-7 people with you, you've probably got a nice age range going on. The All-Star Movies Resort has something for people of all ages. My brother in law, his mother, and my nieces all stayed in the Toy Story building and my husband and I stayed in the 101 Dalmatians building and we were all happy with our accommodations Even in June I found that the rooms were quiet despite there being like, a million people there.

8 or more guests: Disney's All-Star Music Resort: Unless you want to start entertaining the idea of getting a villa I have two words for you: adjoining rooms. That one is pretty much a no brainer, but the family suites at the All-Star Music Resort are what put this value resort above the rest. They feature a queen sized be along with an arm chair and ottoman that turn in to two more beds! Both the chair and the ottoman are "junior" sized beds so if your little one is a kicker at night then this is the perfect way for you guys to share a room and make sure that mom and dad get enough sleep and won't be all cranky the next day! There are two bathrooms, a kitchenette area, a microwave, and a sink. These rooms will sleep up to 6 people, but I feel like stuffing a room to it's maximum limit is just asking to have a bad time. If a room will sleep six I wouldn't put in any more than 4, and then you have all kinds of free space for luggage and souvenirs! These rooms are not spacious and accommodating like what you would find at Bay Lake or Animal Kingdom Lodge, but they will give you a comfy, albeit, small space, to relax after a long day at the parks.

Moderate

2-4 Guests: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort: Each building at the CBR offers it's own pool and gives you the look and feel of the deluxe Saratoga Springs Resort without the high price tag! Because the CBR looks a little more like a Miami retirement community, it isn't especially tailored towards the interests of children (not that kids wouldn't love it because hey it's Disney World!) but you can request a special pirate themed room which features beds that look like pirate ships! I feel as though the interior of the rooms look about the same as what you would find at the value resorts but in a much prettier setting and a much more adult theme.

 (Pal Mickey Note: Due to there being different buildings within this resort that are very spaced out the transportation to the parks makes about 5 different stops before heading towards its final destination, so keep this in mind when trying to manage your time!)

5-7 Guests: Disney's Port Orleans Resort-French Quarter: I had a really tough time deciding whether this one should go under the 2-4 heading or not. But in the end I think it's a little more appropriate for those traveling with more than one or two kids. The outside is reminiscent of a Louisiana river boat, which tends to make it feel a little more upscale than your average moderate resort. The rooms are beautifully decorated, and it boasts a giant water slide made to look like a sea serpent! The riverside views and beautiful landscaping make this and ideal place for smaller families or people who want a more sophisticated feel to their resort without paying Bay Lake prices.

8 or more Guests: The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort: Two words you guys: bunk beds. Let me say that again in case it didn't completely set in. Bunk. Beds. Having that old timey log cabin feel isn't for everyone but I'm a huge fan. If it were socially acceptable I would build my whole house out of cedar trees and wear plaid ALL.THE.TIME. Hosting a Grand Gathering can be expensive and exhausting, and nothing puts that feeling at ease more than being in a setting rich with conifers and dirt. As long as you are half an hour from a Target. Just to be safe y'all. Anyway, an important feature of the FWR is the grocery store. Basic stuff like milk, bread, sandwich meat, juice, etc. is available at the on site grocery. But as with everything you will pay Disney prices. With that being said $3.00 for a box of Mickeroni & Cheese may be totally worth it. The rooms sleep up to six people (like I said before, two rooms and in this case cabins, is a necessity) and the kitchens have all major appliances including a stove and a refrigerator (to keep your left over Mickeroni & Cheese in). They even include all your dinnerware!

Deluxe

My camera doesn't do our view justice, it was much closer

2-4 Guests: Disney's Contemporary Resort: I'm going to be completely honest with you guys, I have an unhealthy obsession with completely LOVE the Contemporary. In my opinion it is the best hotel on all of Disney property. It's the first one I recommend to anyone that is going to Disney for the first time and the first one that I price check when planning a vacation. We stayed there on our last visit, and every night I fell asleep looking at Cinderella Castle change color. It is without a doubt my most favorite memory only to be surpassed by the birth of my first child (and even that is iffy, I'll calls it when I sees it). I could go on and on about all the things that make the Contemporary a great place to stay but at the end of the day all I have to say is that it's the best there is. Period. The monorail runs right through the hotel and it's as quiet as the mouse who's hosting dinner downstairs. The Contemporary plays host to Chef Mickey's restaurant which features a character dining experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So after waking up to a view of Cinderella Castle, we would step outside the door and be greeted by a view of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto entertaining guests at the buffet. The resort is connected to the Magic Kingdom by a walkway so every night we skipped the bus and monorail and took the short 5-minute walk home (usually with a hot dog from Casey's Corner). If you were to think of your ultimate Disney World experience I guarantee that most of the requirements would be met by a stay at the Contemporary Resort. If you ever get the chance to stay there, even for a day, I would take it.

5-7 Guests: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: I love this for more than just the fact that it was featured on an episode of Full House. The Grand Floridian looks about as upscale as it can get and hosts Victoria & Albert's restaurant which features award winning cuisine. If you want fancy, then look no further than the Grand Floridian. The GF has it's own marina and from the beach or your own patio you can view the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks. There is also an exclusive Electrical Water Parade that takes place in Seven Seas Lagoon for guests of the Polynesian, Contemporary, and Grand Floridian. The bathrooms are beautiful, with lots of marble counter space and the marble on the floor even features subtle images of Tinkerbell, Pluto, Mickey, Minne etc. Elegant is really the perfect word to describe the Grand Floridian. The suites can sleep up to 10 adults comfortably and in my experience the one thing that is never lacking at a Disney deluxe resort is space! The Garden View Tea Lounge hosts a My Disney Girls Perfectly Princess Tea Party featuring Sleeping Beauty where young guests are treated to afternoon tea (apple juice), an 18-inch Sleeping Beauty doll, a ribbon tiara, bracelet, and all kinds of other goodies. Young princes are given a Duffy Bear and a pirate Mickey hat. All for the low low price of $174.00 plus tax! No expense is spared at the Grand Floridian.

Just a giraffe outside the window. NO BIG DEAL!

8 or more Guests: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: there are a couple things I love about Animal Kingdom Lodge, the lobby is by far the most interesting of all the Disney properties and when you wake up in the morning you are face to face with a legit zebra. AKL features four giant savannahs which feature up close and personal encounters with animals from all over Africa. Imagine being able to go to sleep at night right in the middle of the Kilimanjaro Safari. That's essentially the theme at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Also, bunk beds, which automatically adds a star to any rating system I've established. For those not able to book a room with a savannah view, there are common viewing areas for all guests. Another cool thing that the AKL features is a zero-entry depth pool (a walk in pool with no stairs for those of us that aren't in to using fancy words n' such). The reason I think this particular resort is much more fitting for groups of 8 or more is because it's warm, inviting, and creates the perfect atmosphere for togetherness. If you can, call and request the Arusha Savannah. It's the closest to the lobby (Jambo House) and is widely accepted as being the best savannah view of the four, it's also the only savannah that features zebras. Each savannah has a species that is unique to that specific savannah. All savannahs have giraffes. Overall this resort is recommendable to any size party, and my husband and I will actually be experiencing it first hand next week so I'm sure I'll have much more to rave about after that!

Personal Post Thursday - How I almost bought Sleeping Beauty's Kingdom

It's not for me, I swear

So it's personal post Thursday here at Mouse Tales. You may not care about my little personal anecdotes, but it's my blog, and you're here, and this is happening.

Deal.


My husband and I just did our online check it at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge last night and we're legit bursting at the seams with excitement. Although now my dogs know that there is something amiss and I swear they think we go on vacation for the sole purpose of making them sad. Even though we pay hundreds of dollars of our money to have someone come to our house and live with them for the week and feed them treats until they vomit (seriously happened you guys), because the last time we had them at a kennel they actually came back sweaty. And for those of you that know anything about dogs, you'll know they don't actually sweat. It was like those Virgin Mary statues that cry tears of Holy oil. They evolved sweat glands in a week just to make us feel guilty.

So in honor of the first weekly Personal Post Thursday I'll regale you with a little story about the first time we went to Disney World. We decided that it was a really awesome idea to get a pink autograph book and have all the characters that we met sign it, and then take their picture while signing it so we could put it together as a little scrapbook and give it to my nieces for Christmas. We met Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Chip and Dale, and Goofy, but the most memorable one was Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) in the France pavilion in Epcot.

I decided to let my husband get this one because I had approached all the other characters previously and I thought it was his turn. I was standing far enough back that at first glance it looked as though a large burly man was standing alone in line for Sleeping Beauty's autograph, which was funny enough on it's own, but not nearly as funny as what happened next.

When my husband approached Sleeping Beauty the first thing she did was grab at his rather well sculpted bicep muscles and declare how he was "So big and strong, just like the Beast!" And the rest of what she said would probably be of note, except that's where I pretty much lost it.

My husband got the autograph just in time to grab me and carry me away while I was pulling my earrings off and removing my heels. Sleeping Beauty kept her wig, and I kept my picture out of the Disney security office for another year.

Happy Thursday folks!

All You Need To Know About Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival

As much as my husband and I enjoyed taking my 7 year old twin nieces to Disney World last June with the family, we really enjoy being two grown ups alone in the parks. There are a few advantages to going without kids, 16 hour days, minimal stops to eat and rest, no pesky height requirements, and only minimal tantrums (I've been known to throw one or two in my day).

Epcot has always appealed to a more adult crowd likely due to it's lack of thrill rides (before the addition of Test Track in 1998) and focus on world cultures which is hard to get a kid excited about when you're within a bus rides distance from Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. Disney has seemed to capitalize on this and Epcot offers several special events throughout the year that cater to more refined tastes, specifically the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival every fall.

True story: when I went to the F&W festival for the very first time I was so hung over from my wedding the night before that when we walked by the France pavilion and saw that the menu included mimosa's prepared with Moet & Chandon champagne, I almost got sick. Right then and there. Seeing as how I drank almost two full bottles of the stuff the night before, I feel like I showed an incredible level of restraint by not upchucking the nuggets and mickey ice cream bars that I had previously wolfed down.

The IF&W Festival is a foodies paradise and totally awesome if you're feeling snackish and don't want to drop that dining plan snack credit on another sugar cookie. Aside from shrimp on the barbie (always wanted to incorporate that in to a sentence) with pepper berry citrus glaze, here are five other reasons to attend the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival:

You'll walk the calories off. So eat six of them.

1. Lime Strawberry Margarita on the rocks (Mexico): Do I really need to elaborate on this? While it may get you through your hundredth time on Journey Into Imagination with Figment, I would not recommend powering through one and hopping on Soarin' you guys. At least not the front row. Or Maelstrom. "Tilgi meg, men jeg spydde på troll din. Mange unnskyldninger."is Norwegian for "Please forgive me, I vomited on your troll. Many apologies." There, half the leg work is done for you. You're welcome. 
2. Apple Strudel with Werthers Karamel Sauce & Vanilla Sauce (Germany): OMG. YOU GUYS. First of all, eating a Werthers Original is like having a religious experience. The fact that someone has decided to liquify them and slather it on strudel is enough to make you believe in a higher power that loves us and wants us to be happy. 
   
3.  Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (Canada): Four of my favorite words exist in this sentence, which is enough to make me think I've reached the nexus of the universe. Canadian. Cheddar. Cheese. Soup. It contains cheese, bacon, and beer. Those are all good words too.
4. Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey (Greece): 
   
   Honey and cheese never sounded like a great mix to me, but I tried it at a Christmas party once after several glasses of wine and I swear I saw a bright white light and a choir of angels sang. Sweet fruits, raisins, and honey mixed with cheese is frickin' amazing. Especially with a nice hard water cracker. It would be even better when mixed with the Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial, but same rule applies for the Lime Strawberry Margarita. No Test Track unless you want to be reliving the outcome of drunken college joyrides.
5. Cannoli al Cioccolato (Italy):  a chocolate covered cannoli shell filled with sweet ricotta cheese, chocolate and candied fruit. I didn't think you could perfect cannoli any more than it already was but once again Disney has played God. Speaking of cannoli, Buddy Valastro aka The Cake Boss is going to be at WDW on October 8th at 3:00PM doing a pastry demonstration! So if you have an extra $13.00 and just can't get enough of Jersey accents and colloquialisms, head on over for this 45 minute demonstration!

If you really love desserts you can participate in 3D-Disney's Dessert Discovery in which you sample a variety of desserts and cordials and have VIP viewing for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (the fireworks show that takes place over the World Showcase lagoon and is the most intense and expensive fireworks display at Disney, costing an average of $30,000-$45,000 a night!)


The Disney Dining Plan allows you to use your snack credits on most of the items offered so take advantage! This is a great opportunity to try new things. My husband is notorious for not branching out culinary-wise and definitely refuses to eat anything that: a) looks "weird", b) he can't identify all the ingredients of, and c) isn't chicken. We get a dining plan that allows for four snacks a day between the two of us, so when we go to the booths we each get something different and share in order to maximize our tasting palette. He's much more willing to eat something new if he's not committed to eating the whole thing, and I find this is usually the case with smaller children. Another advantage if your child is on the dining plan is that once they've taken their one mandatory bite out of what they ordered, and they hate it, it's all yours. 

Prices are reasonable too, a Belgian waffle with fruit compote and whipped cream is only $2.75  and steamed mussels in a garlic cream sauce with a baguette is only $3.75. I don't know that I've seen anything that costs much over that range unless you're looking at something with more unique ingredients like the Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's pie at the Ireland pavilion, which costs $5.75 but can be purchased with a snack credit. So your best bet might be to use your snack credits on tastings that are more expensive and save your credit cards and cash for the ones in the $2.75 range.


If you have never had the pleasure of dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, I suggest heading over to the Scandinavian pavilion and giving the rice pudding with Driscoll's berries a try ($2.75, dining plan eligible). The rice cream at Akershus is absolutely amazing so I'm certain this will be the same. 

One of the complaints that I see frequently about Epcot dining experiences is that the food looks strange and that they don't offer anything "kid friendly". I specifically remember reading a review on Akershus that mentioned something like this. The woman in question seemed highly offended that they did not serve burgers and french fries, and her precious little snowflake refused to eat anything else. I believe she said she was forced to go to the fresh meat and cheese buffet there and build her daughter a sandwich (I might add that the Akershus kids menu offers cheese pizza and hot dogs). Let me get started by saying I completely understand picky kids. I have a niece that won't eat anything if it even looks like it has cheese on it (if she wasn't a twin I would think she was switched at birth). But Epcot and especially the Food & Wine festival are about trying new things and branching out beyond your typical American fare so while the offerings may look bizarre, and don't get me wrong some of them look like regurgitated cat food, you need to take that plunge and try it. You never know, you may learn you love something you've never even heard of and can't even pronounce!


Like your grandma always said: "Try it, you'll like it!"

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

The time of year has finally come when gigantic bags of candy go on sale for ridiculously low prices and pumpkin flavoring gets thrown in every food you will consume between now and December (I'm looking at you, Starbucks). Or as I like to call it: the best time of the year! It's also the time of year where Disney World puts on a Halloween extravaganza known as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. The dates are:

• September 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30

• October 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, and 31

• November 1

My husband and decided to go during Halloween this year because I have a short fall break from a pretty stressful dental hygiene program and I needed somewhere that offered endless entertainment, great food, pools, and free candy....voila...Disney World in the fall. We'll be hitting up the NSSHP in the second week of October so I thought I'd share a run down of what's going on so you can add it to the itinerary that I just know you are making, because I give the best advice ever.

• Trick or Treating:  When Toontown existed (Walt rest it's soul), there was a trick or treating trail that ran from Toontown fair in to Tomorrowland. That portion of Toontown is now under construction for the new Fantasyland expansion due to open in 2012 (*squee*). There were various spots in Liberty Square and Adventureland that had large balloons denoting trick or treating locations, so I can only imagine that this year the candy trail will be concentrated to that half of the park. This is an important thing to take note of when you are planning what rides you want to experience that evening, fighting your way through a crowded private event and getting past the parade may take some extra skill and planning. Here is a map of the 2010 Not So Scary Halloween Party. Candy's included Snickers bars, tootsie roll pops, candy corn, and various treats from Goofy's Candy Company. Might I add this is an excellent way to save money on snacks! You can visit the candy stations as many times as you want so keep dumping those full bags in your backpack and go back for more!
• Disney Villains Mix & Mingle: billed as a chance for Disney villains to go trick or treating in the sky and hosted by Maleficent, this spectacular stage show takes place in front of Cinderella Castle. Afterward your favorite villains like the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook, Shmee, and my personal  fave Cruella DeVille (I love the stereotype of the once glamorous old lady that has been eating cigarettes for the better half of three decades) are available for a meet and greet with autograph and photo opportunities. I find this particular event makes for the coolest pictures, because anyone can have a photo of themselves and Pluto lying around (seriously he's everywhere), but it's really awesome to have a picture of a character that only makes an appearance once or twice a year!
• Mickey's Boo To You Halloween Parade: This is the parade that I talked about in my second ever blog post. It opens with the Headless Horseman and ends with Goofy's candy making machine showering the crowd in bubbles and candy. I mean, that's the stuff people dream about right there! As long as you don't get nailed in the face with a light saber (see: prior MNSSHP post) it's completely worth hanging around on the curb for an hour or so. It happens nightly at 8:15 and 10:30 and my advice is if your kids can stay up, go to the later parade and use the distraction of the first parade to get on the rides with the short lines. That way you get to power through all the rides you want and end the night with one of the most fabulous spectacles you will ever witness. The area around Cinderella Castle is usually quite crowded (as it is for everything!) so I would set up shop somewhere on the parade route that is a little less populated. You'll still see everything and you won't have to be rubbernecking over people all the time. Here are a couple of the cool things I saw at the parade when I went:
• live action versions of the hitchhiking ghosts
• Mickey, Donald, and Minnie on a float in masquerade outfits
• Winnie the Pooh and friends in costume
• A pirate ship with Jack Sparrow (DREAMY MUCH!?), Captain Hook, and about a dozen pirates
• The Magic Mirror and a skeleton band
• The Evil Queen
• Jafar and Maleficent
• The Haunted Mansion caretaker and his dog (he walks an actual bloodhound, so cool!), and a group of dancing "skeletons" with shovels that spark as they hit the ground.

• Happy HalloWishes: This takes the place of the regular nightly fireworks show and I'm going to be honest with you guys, I've never actually seen it. Here in Louisville we have a Kentucky Derby kick off event called "Thunder Over Louisville" which is the largest fireworks display in North America and once you've seen it nothing really compares, not even Disney and it's gigantic fireworks budget (which is about $10,000 a day for Magic Kingdom alone!) so my husband and I use this time to "follow the Code", which as you may remember from early posts is a list of rides we stick to when all other rides are taken. (Pal Mickey Note: once we got on Pirates of the Caribbean during a fireworks show and had a whole boat to ourselves!)

The Not So Scary Halloween Party is a super duper private special event, you guys. So you have to purchase extra tickets on top of regular admission, and if you don't get a wristband by 7PM they start giving you the big pirate boot straight out the door. You can purchase the tickets on the day of the party, but they do sell out so you should buy them in advance because doing things day of at Disney is a an absolutely terrible idea the level of which I can't even put in to words. Seriously.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-BOO!

If I had to pick one holiday to spend at WDW it would be Halloween. I've always loved Halloween (free candy, what's not to like?), and there really is no better trick-or-treating experience than the one you can have in Magic Kingdom at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It was the perfect indulgence on our honeymoon, and well worth the extra $60.00 or so that you spend for the special admission.

What I love most about the MNSSHP is you get to see some of the characters that you otherwise wouldn't get to see on an average day in the park. Primarily, villains! Usually the only villain you're likely to see is Maleficent when she takes over the Dreams Come True! show on the Magic Kingdom stage everyday at noon, but at the MNSSHP they're everywhere, the Magic Mirror from Snow White even has it's own parade float complete with a "skeleton" band!

The MNSSHP starts off with a unique after-dark parade in Magic Kingdom theme park. Being as this was our first real parade viewing event (we usually skip them in order to get in the otherwise long lines), we scoped out our seats on the curb in front of the Liberty Tree Tavern about 45 minutes prior to the start time and trust me we were pushing it! I find that prime parade viewing spots are usually claimed about an hour or more before the parade starts, and special events are no exception and may even prove worse than a regular day. About 15 minutes later they began winding the rope around the curbs (the international sign to people without maps that a parade is about to begin!) to separate the crowd from the streets and after that you were lucky to get a spot 6 feet back, so long story short: get there early.

Sidenote: at about this time a woman and her approximately two year old son began to maneuver their way towards us, stepping over about 2 dozen people in the process, and finally planting herself on top of my husbands foot. Now keep in mind we've been there for half an hour, and will continue to wait for at least another 40 minutes before the parade starts, we are the definition of the word "squished", and up until this point I have managed to coexist nicely with people that are so close to me I can see their dental fillings. ANYHOO, this woman has the nerve to knock several dozen people out of the way and plant herself right in front of the rope, using her 2 year old as a battering ram, and then to top it off she asks my husband to move his foot out of the place that it's been resting quite comfortably for the better half of an hour. We give each other a grimace and oblige, after all she has a little boy and we were more than happy to move out of the way for him. Then to my horror she pulls out one of the rainbow Mickey Mouse light sabers that they sell on the little street cars after the sun goes down and the little boy, just doing what kids do, begins to flail it around wildly, as though he's fighting off every Sith lord in the whole star system. Can you guess what happened next? I'll let you think about it. Ready? If your guess was that the light saber got introduced to my face, you were correct. It was a pretty sickening smack that caused the sequined Minne ears I was wearing to go flying off my head. I was astonished, and my husband looked on in horror with his mouth gaping open and a "Did that really just happen?" look on his face. So at this point I'm expecting Mom of The Year to apologize profusely or maybe tell Junior that swords aren't proper toys in super crowded areas, but no, instead I get a look that says "How dare your face scratch my precious little snowflakes $15.00 glow stick!" And so that was my first experience at a Disney parade! Luckily for me the kids dad was walking up as this happened and I'm not sure whether it was due to actual moral fortitude or my husband being 230 pounds of solid (315 pound bench pressing) muscle, but he politely told the little boy to put the sword away as the mother continued to scowl at me.

"Oh bother"

And so begins the actual parade. The lights are dimmed throughout the street and silence falls amongst the crowd of thousands. A whisper of hoof beats begins in the distance and slowly becomes louder, at first I thought it was being piped in to the speakers around us but soon saw that what I was hearing was the Headless Horseman himself riding through the streets and opening the parade, waving his pumpkin head above him! Shortly thereafter we were treated to favorites like Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, Brer Fox, Brer Bear and the whole Winnie the Pooh gang in full costume. Cruella DeVille, Captain Hook, The Evil Queen, and the Red Queen from Alice and Wonderland all made appearances as well.

Another great feature, with or without kids, is the trick or treating at the candy stations that are set up in specific places throughout the park. Most of the ones I went to were located inside shops that also featured larger portions of the free candy for sale, all of which was made by Goofy's Candy Company. This was convenient because if you happened upon a particularly delectable piece you could purchase it immediately without having to hunt it down. There is no limit to how many times you can visit each candy station, and they are just as generous to adults with no kids as they are to the little ones, which can actually save a pretty penny when it comes to having some extra snacks around. Usually my husband and I get a snack or two from the Confectionary every night to eat when we get back to our hotel room and after the NNSHP we are usually able to skip a day or two of this.

The Haunted Mansion is a must because they have all kinds of Halloween decorations, and it's such a special thing to see a classic Disney ride all dressed up for the season. During the MNSSHP they have actors outside the Mansion telling ghoulish tales or interacting with the audience atop the hearse that is stationed out front. If you're really not in to parades, then that is the time to get in line for the rides with the traditionally longer wait times. Only select rides are open during the MNSSHP so I would suggest making sure you know which ones they are so you avoid unnecessary walking. This might be the time to hop on Peter Pan's Flight, as the line for that ride always seems to be in triple digits especially if you're there during the summer.

Cinderella's Coach in Fantasyland

Even if you aren't in to trick or treating or parades, you may want to pay the extra $60.00 and enjoy the Halloween party simply because it is a much thinner crowd. When the party begins, they check your tickets, give you a wrist band, and usher out those who have not paid the additional admission. So if there is that one ride you haven't been able to catch a break on all day, this may be your chance. Granted it is October, and the crowds are usually a lot thinner to begin with.

We'll be back at WDW in 16 days and plan on attending not only one, but two MNSSHP's! I really look forward to seeing how much has changed in the last three years, what has been added, and what has been done away with. But one thing is for sure, it will be magical and wonderful, and something completely worth spending the extra scrapbooking money on!