A Very Pin-teresting Tale

Let me preface this by saying there was a time in my life when I looked at tourists, draped in full regalia (backpacks, fanny packs, old school Canon camera with awesomely colored neck strap), and thought “I would die of embarrassment before looking like that in public.” So with that in mind, here is a picture my husband took of me right before boarding Pirates of the Caribbean in March of 2011:

That is what happens when you drink the Disney kool-aid ladies and gentlemen. Behold it in all its nerdy glory.

I blend in well. I'm a blender.

You can’t see my lanyard in this particular picture but I am an absolute Disney pinaholic. When I went to WDW for the first time in October of 2008 I saw people walking around with pin lanyards on but I didn’t understand what they were. They just reminded me of how my mom used to describe the pin trading that would go on when the Olympics were in Canada many years back. It wasn’t until our last few days of vacation that I really took an interest in them. I got a nice pink lanyard thinking it would be a great souvenir to keep my keys on when we returned home, and the person who sold it to me (at the pin stand just outside Tusker House Restaurant in Animal Kingdom) suggested I take a look at the pins they had there. I left that stand with Mickey & Minnie in their wedding clothes, baby Pooh with a honey pot, Mickey dressed as a ghost, and Lady & the Tramp. I was officially hooked after that. We were broke newlyweds and as far as a pin budget went we had just blown it, but as it is with any good addiction it eventually became something that I was willing to invest a whole lot of money I don’t have in to!

Now our pin buying routine consists of me purchasing a lot of about 25-30 pins from a seller on eBay about 4 weeks prior to our departure date. Usually these are hidden Mickey pins (pins given to Cast Members to trade in the parks), and there have been a few occasions where I’ve gotten some that were originally part of a starter set. Nothing fancy, but every now and then you get some interesting ones that you wouldn’t typically find on sale in the parks. I usually keep about 10 of the ones from the lot I receive and use the rest to trade in the parks.

If you are interested in buying lots from eBay I have a couple tips. As with any eBay purchase, make sure you’re buying from a trusted seller. I usually go through the sellers other items and reviews and make sure they’re an experienced pin seller to ensure that I’m getting someone who will be knowledgeable about pin trading if I have to make a return for some reason. Also make sure that they guarantee you won’t be receiving Sedesma pins, and that they explicitly state that all their pins are able to be traded at Disney parks. The latter statement constitutes a guarantee by the seller that they can be used for their intended purpose, so if you have a problem at the park and are unable to trade due to a bad pin, with any luck you can get your money back. You can also make sure that they guarantee there will be no duplicates in the lot. This has never been important to me since I always plan on trading all of my pins, and last time I specifically requested a duplicate lot because it made the shipping time faster. So if you don’t care about duplicates, sometimes those lots can be a little cheaper. I’ve never had a problem with any of the lots I’ve bought from eBay.

After all the trading is done and the ears are put up for the season, Dr. Dreiz and I like to display our pins on a cork board we picked up at Staples. We got the idea from some of the Cast Members that participated in the Disney college program when they told us that they frequently have cork boards in their apartments where they showcase the various pins they’ve been given. Here is our latest cork board: 

Every one of our Disney pins has its’ own special story. I can usually tell you where I was when I bought or traded the pin, and the significance of its purchase. For example, in the bottom right hand corner of the pin board about three rows up you'll see two baby versions of Belle and Tinkerbell. I traded for these when we took our nieces to WDW for the first time. They're twins, and every time I look at those pins I'm reminded of the magical time we had with them. I’ve included a couple of my favorites and a little story about each one, I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoyed acquiring them!

2011 International Food & Wine Festival : This is the first special event pin we ever purchased. We bought it right outside the American pavilion from a very nice Italian grandma type who insisted we head over to Via Napoli for their pizza. Turns out she was from the same area in Italy that my husbands grandma was from! We told her that we just found out that we were expecting a baby in June and she was even more insistent that I get some pizza in me. She was one of my favorite conversations from the entire trip. When you start pin trading you meet a lot of interesting Cast Members, especially at Epcot. If it's not too busy it's always fun to engage them in conversation, you may learn things about the park that you never knew!

Star Wars Rebel Alliance: This one is my second favorite pin in the collection. I had seen it on several occasions but for some reason always passed over it. Thinking back, I'm not sure why I didn't purchase it when we attended Star Wars Weekends. I finally decided on our last trip that I had to have it. It combines the two things I love the most in this world (that is until my daughter arrives in June): Star Wars, and Disney! They also have a similar pin symbolizing the Empire although I was unable to find it on the last trip. With any luck I will find it on the next one, and if not they are always in good supply on eBay. If you check out the pin board, you'll see that we have an entire Star Wars collection. My husbands favorite is Yoda holding a Mickey ice cream and waiting in line for a ride he is clearly not tall enough to be on!

Mickey's Philharmagic: This pin is definitely not the most spectacular of the bunch. Not even close. But Philharmagic is my favorite attraction and a pin dedicated to it's awesomeness is a rare find. This is my absolute number one favorite pin. We bought this one outside Space Mountain on a rainy night during Extra Magic Hours, along with a Living With The Land pin. I have a Philharmagic shirt with the same duck butt logo on it, and it's my favorite thing to wear! I can't look at that pin without thinking of all the amazing sights and smells that come with seeing Philharmagic. I would argue that this particular attraction is part of the quintessential Disney experience. 

 

Pirates of the Caribbean cursed treasure: This is definitely in the top three. Nothing fancy, but it's a dead ringer for the ones in the movies, and it's about the same size I would imagine cursed pirate treasure would be. I like it so much because it looks like a legitimate coin and I always imagine Johnny Depp flipping it back and forth between his fingers and taunting Barbosa. There is also a version of this pin that has a Mickey head on it instead of the skull, but I wanted the one that looked like the movie version. 

Haunted Mansion Portrait: This is one of my husbands favorite pins. We purchased this one in Frontierland. It's a fairly large pin and requires two back to stay on the lanyard, one of which we always manage to lose! I love looking at this one and thinking "Is this room actually stretching!?" There were other versions as well that featured the scenes from the various portraits and included characters like Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse. 

Disney family car decals: these ones are special because they took awhile to find. I was dead set on getting one for each of us, which meant I had to go in search of a man, woman, and two dogs! I found all of these at Epcot, and even received one in the lot I had purchased on eBay. They are hidden Mickey pins, which means they are originally given only to Cast Members and are never for sale, so you can only acquire them through trading or buying them from a second hand source. During this vacation we also bought the matching decals to put on my car when we arrived home. On our last vacation when we found out we (mostly me) were pregnant the hunt was on for the baby decal and my husband even insisted that we get two just in case it was twins! Better safe than sorry I suppose! These mean a great deal to me and I will always make sure to update them as our family grows.

Animal Kingdom Lodge: This one brings back several memories. We first found out we'd be expecting our precious Ryleigh Noelle during a beautiful sunrise in a room overlooking the Arusha savannah. That in itself will stay with me forever, but if you've ever been to AKL you know that when you walk in to Jambo House the intoxicating scent of woodsmoke is something that you won't soon forget. While there we made sure to pick up one of the Happy Birthday buttons and one of the employees was gracious enough to write "Happy Birthday Baby!" on it, so that we would have it for the day when Ryleigh chooses to make her entrance in to the world.

 

 Well that about sums up my pin trading knowledge and experiences. If you're a fan of Mouse Tales on Facebook I'm always happy to answer questions related to pin trading, and on Thursdays at 9PM EST you can head on over to Disney Guru's Facebook page for a Q&A and I would be more than happy to answer your questions there as well, as would my husband Kyle (or Dr. Dreiz as he's known by his fans now!)

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!

The Ultimate Disney World Survival Guide

My survival kit!

When I pack for Disney World I have a special bag that I bring with me on the plane that I like to think of as a Disney Survival Kit. If a Disney Virus all of a sudden infected the entire populous of the United States and anthropomorphic mice and castles started popping up everywhere, I would be ready.

The minute the Magical Express drops us off at our hotel my husband and I are headed to the park so fast that there's a trail of smoke (or in my case pixie dust) behind our heels. We literally only go up to the room after checking in for the sole purpose of making sure the key card works. Since the Magical Express doesn't deliver your luggage until a good 3 hours after you've arrived it's always a good idea to have a backpack full of essentials with you when you get there so your first day at the park can go off without a hitch, because it really sucks when you get to the park on the first day and you're all excited and like "WOOOO Disney World! OMGZ there's Mickey!" and then you realize you forgot your camera, ya know?

So here is a list of things I like to bring on the plane with me and Homeland Security hasn't seen fit to take away yet:

1.  Digital camera: because if I were forced to use one of the disposables they sell there I would probably just lay down in the middle of Main Street and refuse to get up until someone went to Best Buy and got me something that I could figure out.
2. Video camcorder: because you never know when an awesome parade is right around the corner! (Actually you will because you will be in Frontierland and want to get to Tomorrowland and there will be 30,000 people in your way refusing to let you cross the street and using their strollers as weapons, then you will get to the curb and there will be 10 dancers and Pinocchio in your way and ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS GET TO THE CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS!)
3. A copy of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: which is available here. I also have this on my Nook. I use little post it notes to mark the pages that talk about things I want to see or do so I don't leave anything out, and also because I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and love post-it notes. I read it on the plane, and on the Magical Express if they aren't playing the welcome movie. We bring it to the park and I read it over the chicken nuggets. I've learned a lot of cool things from this book that always make me sound like I know more about Disney World than I actually do.
4. My mouse ears: because everyone that x-rays my bag needs to know I'm going to Disney World! My custom ears don't make it on the flight because I have an irrational fear that they will be stained or torn or ripped, so an old battered pair of sequined headband ears that I got on my honeymoon gets thrown in the bag. Sometimes I wear them mid-flight. No big deal. 
5. Hand Sanitizer: so far as long as you put it in a little plastic bag and it's one of the tiny ones you can get at Target for $1.00, Homeland Security keeps their panties unbunched. I don't want to think about how many people have touched the poles on the monorail, and having this stuff there really helps with that.
6. A snack: They don't let you bring food through security, but we pick up some granola bars at the airport snack shop right before we get on the plane. Yes, they're like $15.00 and they've been there for Walt-knows-how-long, but they will hold us off on the 45 minute ride on the Magical Express, and prevent us from using a snack credit from our dining plan on a couple of picked over croissants in the quick service dining hall.
7. A Water bottle: I refuse to pay $4.00 for an Aquafina. In fact I usually refuse to pay $1.75 for one. Florida water is a swampy acquired taste, but it's a lot easier on the pocket book. Apparently it's the law that any quick service dining place has to give you a cup of ice water if you ask for it, so I would also use that to your advantage. Not that this will make it any less swampy, but at least the swampy ick water will be icy cold. 
8. Ibuprofen: Because we don't have kids with us (although I'm sure ibuprofen is even more recommended if you do) my husband and I pull 16 hour days at the park, and when you're sprinting across Animal Kingdom at full speed to make sure you're in line for the Kilimanjaro Safari, or ducking and dodging people to get across Magic Kingdom during the parades, your feet tend to get sore and tired. Extra strength Excedrin becomes my BFF very quickly. 
9. Band-Aids: I don't care how comfortable and sensible your shoes may seem, the concrete at Disney World is an unforgiving bitch. Every time we're there I manage to get blisters on my feet that could possibly be mistaken for an extra toe. A good supply of heavy duty waterproof Band Aids is at least a start in the war against ugly Hobbit feet.  
10. Every credit card I have ever applied for and received: because you never know when they're going to stop you at the gate and say "Hey the Cinderella Castle suite is on special tonight for only $500 would you be interested in spending the night?" and you're like "Ohmygod YES, give me 5 of them!". (This never happens but WHAT.IF.IT.DID?)

Here is a list of things I keep in my luggage and wait to use until the next day:

Homeland Security's reaction to Disney pins

• My Pal Mickey: I have performed a vivisection on him before and his insides look suspect at best, and probably entirely worrisome when put through a Homeland Security scanner. Since the people working those machines look like they have never been to Disney World before, I think it's best to leave him in my suitcase instead of being detained for fives hours in a screaming, crying ball that can't articulate anything other than "I need my Mickey because he tells me what animals are on the Tree of Liffffeeeeee!!!" (Also I'd like to avoid being institutionalized).
• Disney Pins: I can't seem to get a straight answer when it comes to bringing your pins on the flight with you. Some people say they have, others have had them taken away. So I leave them in my luggage and just trade like a mad woman the next day to make up for lost time. I carry approximately 40 at a time and if you've ever seen a Disney pin you know they are no real threat. Unless of course I busted in to the cockpit and started screaming at the Captain "Disneyland Paris NOW or Figment here is going to show you what's up!!!" (He would have a most inconvenient boo-boo for like a week after that, right on the pointer finger that he types with!)
• My personalized Ears:  As I said before, I have an irrational fear that my personalized ears will be harmed in some way (I literally have nightmares about this), so they get to WDW via my luggage and I sport them for the rest of the trip. Going without them for a day is a whole lot easier than having something disastrous and catastrophic happen to them on the way there and then never getting to wear them again, ya dig?

Anyhoo, so that's what I bring to the park with me. Nothing special. All important.