Disney California Adventure Pins

I picked up these Disney California Adventure pins for $24.95 on our trip to the Disneyland Resort in February.

Let's take a look at each. We'll start with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald welcoming us to the park. I have to be honest, we never entered the park through the front entrance, so I don't even have a photo of it! We always entered through the Grand Californian entrance.

Then we have Mickey pointing us towards the Carthay Circle Theater, home of the Carthay Circle Restaurant.

We had the pleasure of eating dinner here, and it was wonderful.

 

Next we have Buena Vista Street, named after the thoroughfare where the Disney Studios are located.

 

And how do you get there? Well, you can walk, but wouldn't you rather take a Red Car Trolley like Mickey Mouse does?

My Second Favorite Hidden Mickey

Hidden in the rafters of the lobby in the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort is this little Mickey. He's adorable, and my second favorite hidden Mickey ever. I might even say he's my favorite hidden Mickey, since my other top contender is really not a true hidden Mickey.

Do Your Remember: SpectroMagic?

Recently sad news came from Disney: SpectroMagic at the Magic Kingdom has been retired.
Sadder still, I don't even have any good photos of this wonderful parade!

The Main Street Electrical Parade is okay, but I really felt that Spectromagic was more, well, magic.
Which parade do you prefer?

Disneyland, Partners Statue / Sleeping Beauty Castle Desktop

The Partners Statue in Disneyland by sculptor Blaine Gibson depicting Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. Taken 2/13.

A Walk Around Disney's Boardwalk Resort

Imagine a resort that is within easy walking distance of 2 major theme parks, has restaurants, clubs, midway style games, magic shows, acrobats and jugglers, and a 1930's themed pool. Did I mention it also has a roller coaster inspired water slide, elephant fountains, and a pool bar that looks like a carousel?

This place does exist, and it is Disney's Boardwalk Resort. Disney's Boardwalk Resort is comprised of 2 sections:  Disney's Boardwalk Inn (which is in the deluxe resort category), and Disney's Boardwalk Villas (a Disney Vacation Club timeshare resort).

As DVC members, Barbie and I have the great pleasure of calling the Boardwalk Villas home.
I thought we'd take a look at some of the wonderful things the Villas have to offer.

Let's start with the lobby. It is beautifully decorated with a seashore feel, with comfortable chairs and couches.

There are several room categories: studios, one, two and 3 bedroom (known as Grand Villas).
The villas with bedrooms have kitchens, and washer/dryers.

We have always stayed in a studio. There is just me and my wife, and we feel this is plenty of space.
It comes with a queen size bed, fold out couch, microwave, coffee maker, and small refrigerator.

There are also 3 view categories here: Standard, which has a view of the front entrance, or parking lots. Preferred, which has a view of a pool, or the Swan and Dolphin hotel. Finally the Boardwalk view, with a view of the- you guessed it-Boardwalk.

 

Speaking of the Boardwalk, this area is a destination unto itself. As you walk along you will discover the many restaurants, shopping options, and entertainment.

For food , there is the Big River Grille, serving American Cuisine and beer brewed on site.

Flying Fish is more upscale (and expensive), also serving American and Seafood.

Kouzzina, a Cat Cora restaurant, serves Mediterranean food. 

The Boardwalk Bakery has baked goods and coffee drinks.

And for sports fans, there is the ESPN Club.

Since we are over here at the ESPN Club, let's head back the other way and look at the shops. Right next door to the Club is their official store.

 

Have a sweet tooth? Stop in Seashore Sweets. Looking for the perfect nautical painting? Check out the Wyland Galleries.

Keep moving along, and you'll come upon a group of stores: the Screen Door General Store, Thimbles and Threads, and Disney's Character Carnival. They are all in one location, selling a wide range of personal items, clothes, pins and toys.

There is also a small store inside and slightly off the Main Lobby, called, Dundy's Sundries.
Since we are back inside, let's change into our swimming gear, and hit the pools.

The main pool area is called Luna Park.

Here you'll find the excellent water slide, Keister Coaster which is built like a wooden roller coaster.
Nearby is the Leaping Horse Pool Bar, which is themed to look like a carousel.

There is also a quiet pool, which is where the Community Hall is located.
Bicycles, noodles, life jackets and tennis equipment are available for rent. Movie rentals are also available, free for Disney Vacation Club members. There are daily activities for kids.

It's cooled off considerably since night fell. Let's get changed and head back to the Boardwalk for some of the enterainment.

The Boardwalk takes on a new feel at night. Buzzing with excitement and the sound of carnival games, there are also several performers on any given evening, including magicians and acrobats.

What an exciting day! Let's get a drink and relax. Inside is one of my favorite spots, the Belle Vue Lounge. You can get pastries and coffee here in the morning, and cocktails in the evening.

It's getting late, and we have a long day planned at the parks tomorrow. Luckily, from the Boardwalk's excellent location, it is extremely easy to get to 2 of them. It's a short walk over to Epcot. The walk is slightly longer on a path along the waterway to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Both are also easily reached by boat.
Bus service will take you to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and the water parks.

 

I hope you've enjoyed visiting one of my favorite destinations in all of the World, Disney's Boardwalk Villas.

 

This article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Honey, Where's the Super Glue?

This post is another tutorial for you, in case someone you love breaks one of your Disney figures. In this case, we will be working on a Japanese Gashapon: Belle from Beauty and the Beast holding the glass jar containing the rose. It is a tiny plastic toy.

First of all, get your supplies together. Not much is needed for this quick fix; a couple toothpicks, super glue and a paper plate. Easy!

Examine your pieces and make sure the broken bits are clean and free from dust, dirt and old glue. Check them out carefully, see if they have any notches in them so you don't have to worry about lining the separate parts up on your own. 

These pieces have notches, so gluing them together will be a breeze! Fit them together first to make sure they go together easily. Next, prepare for the super glue. Place a small dab on your plate. You don't need much to take care of this project. Be careful not to touch the glue.

Use the pointy end of the toothpick to daub a bit of the glue and tap it onto the area you want to fix, the notched area in this case, and the opposite side. I placed the dome on top, put a tiny bit of pressure on it with my finger for about twenty seconds and placed it aside.

I repeated the same procedure with Belle's broken arm, and left them to cure for an hour. I'm sure that was way more time than was needed, but better safe than sorry!

So here is our tiny Belle in all her glory. She is fixated on that rose! For such tiny toys, they are very detailed. These are gumball machine toys in Asia. How cool is that? I know Nick would be spending all his lunch money on these if there were gumball machines with these in them here!

For more figurine fixer-uppers, click here...

The Most Emotional Hour I Ever Spent at a Disney Park

I'm going to share a secret with you. I'm an emotional guy. When I encounter something that touches me, I lose it. A movie. A song. A bench.

What type of bench would make me break down? I've actually talked about this very topic in my review of the Walt Disney Family Museum. I sat down on one of the benches from Griffith Park, where Walt would sit and watch his daughters on the carousel. It was on these benches that Walt envisioned a park that families could enjoy together. The act of sitting on a bench that Walt himself likely sat on made me burst into tears.

But I'm getting way ahead of myself.

Let me take you back to a trip I took to Disneyland back in late September of 2010 with my wife and friends, Todd, Meghan, and our Godson, Flynn.

On the last hot afternoon of our 3 day stay at the Grand Californian, the group went back to the  rooms to escape the heat and take a nap. I stayed behind and decided to visit attractions we hadn't gotten to yet, including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, located at the Opera House at the front of Disneyland.

Upon entering, I saw this:

 

The plaque reads:
The Actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles, where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland.
Yes, I started to cry.

On another plaque nearby, under a picture of the carousel:

 

 Walt Disney's Dream
"It came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy's day...So we'd start out and try to go someplace...I'd take them to the merry-go-round and I took them different places and as I'd sit while they rode the merry-go-round - sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts - I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that's how Disneyland started."
Walt Disney

I started to sob.
As there was still 15 minutes until the next Lincoln show, I stepped outside to get air, just as the Flag Retreat Ceremony was starting! This is so patriotic and moving, my crying just intensified.

I finally got it together, somewhat, and entered the theater to see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Due to knowing that this was an attraction Walt was personally involved with, the patriotic nature of the show, and the moving "2 Brothers" Civil War Segment that people who have visited the American Pavilion in Epcot will be familiar with, I broke into tears once again.

I was thankful that my family and friends were not present to see what an emotional wreck I'd become!

Happy Anniversary to Disneyland, which opened on this day in 1955, and thank you Walt! -sniff-

Brave Little Tailor Mickey Vinylmation in the Magic Kingdom

Brave Little Tailor Tuesday!

I won this Mickey Mouse Brave Little Tailor Vinylmation on eBay. He tagged along on our trip to Walt Disney World in January.

 

Not surprisingly, his favorite park is the Magic Kingdom. Wonder what he keeps in the little pouch at his side? Probably FastPasses.

He was the topper to the Park Series 9 combo pack.

Because he's a tailor, he of course has his scissors. His hat does not come off, and has a read feather painted on.

And then, Mickey was off. He had a FastPass for Peter Pan's Flight.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint and Play App Review

I just downloaded the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint and Play App to my iPhone, and can't stop painting and playing!

This App allows your child, or you, the chance to paint and then, with a wave of the magic wand,  bring Mickey to life!

You have many art tools with which to color Mickey, brushes, crayons, spray paint, patterns, stickers, etc., or you can choose the "Mousekebrush", which will paint everything perfectly!

Once you pick a room or the garden to enter and have brought Mickey to life, you can start painting objects within that room.

 I used a golf ball to paint the flower pot below!

Click around, you'll find surprises. I clicked on the Juke Box, and was brought to a section where I could make my own music!

This is hours of fun for kids of all ages for $4.99!

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.