Flea Market Finds: Vintage Pluto Planter

By Barbie

I almost passed this beauty up. That's right. I was at the flea market and I stood at a woman's table looking over all her Disney collectibles and turned this little Pluto planter over in my hands. No chips, no cracks, no plant had ever marred the inside of the planter. And I put Pluto back on the table.

Nick hadn't noticed I'd been looking at it, picked it up and asked me what I thought of it. I said "It's okay, but for $10, nah." What was I thinking? I collect Plutos!

Luckily Nick ignored me completely and bought him.

It must have been the heat, because I look at this planter now and I am so thankful Nick grabbed it along with a handful of other Disney items we will be highlighting in other posts later on.

 

A Little Splash of Disney Color

by Nick

Back in late February-Early March, my wife's father treated the family to a Royal Caribbean Cruise.
One of our stops was in Port Canaveral Florida, and, probably not surprisingly, we chose a day at Walt Disney World as our excursion.

We thought that would be all the Disney we'd get on the cruise, but we had one more little splash of Disney color when we stopped in Key West.

Not far from the port, at 251 Front St., is a Del Sol store. Seeing Mickey made us want to stop in!

Del Sol carries a line of Disney Color Changing products.

There also carry Marvel!

A friendly store employee was happy to share how UV rays change the t-shirt's graphics from black and white to full color.

Did I buy one? No, I confess, I did not. But not because I don't think they are incredibly cool, but because I have soooo many Disney shirts I never wear already.

What do you think of the color changing clothes?

A Bit of Hollywood

by Gaylin

Going to Walt Disney World means there are a lot of choices and options for meals. Even when I am traveling solo, I like to have a few sit-down meals, it is nice to have a break from quick service and on a hot day, it is lovely to have the air conditioning!

This trip I had chosen The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney's Hollywood Studios for a sit-down meal. I know it is one of Nick & Barbie's favourite restaurants and I love the ambience of the restaurant and the food as well. It does amuse me to see stroller parking outside a quiet sit-down restaurant, those babies are going to have a good lunch!

The interior of the restaurant has a tall enough ceiling that the noise of the diners dissipates. There is lots to look at on the wall, great caricature drawings, the lighting, a wonderful calm place to have a meal, away from the noise and heat outside.

Because I have allergies, a chef came out to take my order. I wanted to make a meal out of two starters and the chef thought that was a great idea. I really wanted the Andouille Crusted Prawn and he offered to make it without the breading on the prawn. This was a terrific way to start the meal, the grits were creamy with the right amount of zing from the cheese, the oil you can see on the plate was flavoured with ancho and if I could have taken a bottle home with me, I would have. The saltiness from the bacon bits was the perfect accent and the prawn was large, fresh and perfectly cooked. Almost made me wish I had ordered two servings of it!

I had the lunch entree of the Cobb Salad, I do love this salad and even appreciate that because everything is cut in a uniform size - I won't get smacked in the mouth by an oversize piece of lettuce. 

After cleaning my plate, it was time for dessert!
The chef asked if he could put together a trio of desserts for me, ones that were allergy safe. I said of course. It was nice of my server to offer to take a photo of me with my treats.

First up was vanilla creme brulee, it was very good, creamy, silky with just the right amount of vanilla flavour. Then I tried a bit of the centre chocolate sphere- now that was perfect, nice dark chocolate on the outside, smooth milk chocolate on the inside. The Brown Derby decoration was white chocolate and kind of yuck, too sweet - almost flavourless, had I not been in such a fancy place with cloth napkins, I would have spit that out! The pink dessert (unfortunately I can't remember what it was called), was very sweet and not very flavourful, although the crunchies on the bottom were tasty. I cleaned off the pink one first, then the creme brulee and saved the best for last - chocolate!

Have you ever eaten at Hollywood Brown Derby? What did you think of your meal?

The Elusive Disney Pin Code!

By: Shendl

Pin Codes are a wonderful invention that Disney Destinations sends out randomly, allowing you discounts of various kinds. 

Not everyone gets them and no-one actually knows how they choose who to send a Pin Code to!

I have been one of the Lucky ones in receiving Pin Codes in recent years but I have only ever been able to use one.  There are many thoughts on how you can get a pin code but nothing has ever been proven.

The Pin Codes will be emailed to you or sent by Snail Mail so make sure that your addresses are always current with the Walt Disney Company. They will come from DISNEY DESTINATIONS so make sure that they are not blocked by your Spam filter and they will have an offer for certain dates for either Room Discounts or the popular (and my personal favourite) FREE DINING! They also tend to not have the stipulations on resorts that the general discounts have which is quite useful if your favourite resort is excluded from the general discounts.

The one I received most recently was for FREE DINING!

Enjoy a Free Dining Plan*

When you buy a non-discounted 5-night/6-dayWalt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

For arrivals most nights 8/25–10/3, 10/19–11/1, 11/9–11/22 and 12/12–12/23/14.

They are quite useful and can save you money if you are able to apply them for your vacation Dates.

Some ways to possibly get one of these Elusive Pins:

• Have an account at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ and keep pricing out vacations all the time.
• Answer any DISNEY surveys that may pop up on a Disney website including the Disney Store
• Make sure to subscribe to any Official Disney Newsletter that you can find.
• And ask your friends for PIXIE DUST!!

You never know, one day one of these Elusive PIN CODES might be in your Inbox or Mail Box!!

The Music Behind the Magic: Disney CD Set

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by: Nick

Released in 1994 by Walt Disney Records, “The Music Behind the Magic: The Musical Artistry of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice” is a four CD set highlighting the creative evolution behind the music of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.
The set includes demos, tape recordings, final recordings, and unreleased master recordings of some of the most beloved music in Disney history.

The book and CD case are both cloth bound.

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The word genius gets tossed around waaaay too often these days when it comes to music.
If you want to hear musical genius unfold before your ears, one needs only to listen to these CDs.



The first 2 discs show how 2 men, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, in my humble and honest opinion, saved the Walt Disney Company. The impression I get is The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were written around the lyrics to these songs.
Really.
The third disc shows how amazingly fortuitous it was that they found Tim Rice to help complete the music for Aladdin after Howard Ashman’s untimely passing. Rice’s lyrics meld seamlessly in with Ashman’s.
Some of my favorite material from this set is hearing Ashman and Menken’s Little Mermaid Demos. It’s just amazing to hear Ashman do different character voices. The standout for me being his Ursula.
This set also comes with a wonderful book that looks at this creative period in the rejuvenation of Walt Disney’s animation department.







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Track Listing, on Amazon.

Soarin' at Epcot

By: Jacqueline aka Jersey Diva 

   Photo courtesy of Canadian Diva

Who would have thought while taking a trip to Orlando, Florida one could also take a trip to California? At Epcot, Soarin' takes you "hang gliding" over the beautiful landscapes of the Golden State. Disney Imagineers went all out bringing California to life. They used an IMAX projection dome and aerially captured footage that reproduces the flight path of a hang-glider.  Feel like you're flying as you are lifted 40 feet in the air plunged in the sensational panoramas, swept from one scenic locale to the next.  Imagineers even went one step further allowing you to smell what you are seeing as you graze rolling waves, powdery ski slopes, majestic redwood forests, fragrant orange groves and familiar landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge.

Soarin' opened, officially, inside "The Land" pavilion on May 5, 2005.  Cast members wear costumes that resemble flight attendant uniforms.  Cast members at the Disney California Adventure Park version wear airfield crew costumes.  They do this to make guests feel like they are traveling to California, as opposed to already being there. This idea is further reinforced in that guests are loaded into "gates" and listen to airport-themed spiels which reference "Flight 5505", which is a tribute to the opening day of the attraction. 

While you are waiting in line to ride Soarin', check out the interactive games you can play. State-of-the-art infrared technology allows you to participate in 5 different games on massive screens using your body. The 5 games allow you to train your bird for a race, collect treasures as you pilot a hot-air balloon, "pop the blobs" to reveal a picture or create a virtual landscape by moving mountains and planting seeds. Makes waiting in line fun!

While traveling to Walt Disney World this past December, being 5 months pregnant, there were some rides I could not ride. Soarin' was not one of them.  However, middle Jersey daughter, age 2, could not ride.  No worries, Soarin' has the rider swap option. Jersey family, minus myself, Jersey sister, Jersey daughter and Jersey niece all rode Soarin' while we waited in the lobby.  When they finished, I was able to ride with oldest Jersey daughter and it was amazing to see her in such awe over getting to experience hang-gliding over California.

Happy flying!
~Jersey Diva

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

Lady and the Tramp. And Lady and the Tramp : Story Behind the Photo

Back in October of 2009, while at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, we were looking around Exposition Hall, which is now the Town Square Theater.

 

We asked a Cast Member (I wish I could remember his name!) to take our picture. Another Cast Member (and I can't remember her name either!) came over holding the stuffed Lady and the Tramp pictured above. She then told my wife to close her eyes, and motioned for me to get on my knees in front of her.
We asked yet another Cast Member to photograph us all together.
I honestly can't remember how we all wound up hamming it up like this, but it's yet another wonderful Disney moment captured in a photo.

A Not Very Hoop Dee Doo Revue

by Nick 
Note: 
I originally wrote this for the Tips From the Disney Diva and Devos Blog, for which I'm a contributing writer, back in 2012. I haven't shared it previously because it's not a very positive review of one of Disney's most beloved shows. But I recently was reminded just how much good or bad  service can affect our experiences at Disney Parks when my friend Lisa posted an excellent article on her blog, Living a Disney Life: Empty Nesting with Pixie Dust, discussing how poor service ruined her experience at our favorite restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby.
 

Since I first started going to Walt Disney World in 1992, I have been told that I absolutely must see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review. “It’s the best show on Disney property”, “A trip wouldn’t be complete without an evening at Hoop-Dee-Doo”, and “I’ve seen it every year since I started coming to Disney World” are just a few of the comments I’ve heard when I’ve talked about this show with others. How could this show stand up to this level of hype?
Sadly, for me, my wife, and friends, it didn’t.
Now, before you post negative comments asking “how could you criticize our favorite thing at Disney”, let me give you a review of my experience.
The evening I saw “the Hoop” (I just made that nickname up, feel free to use it.) was towards the end of an absolutely wonderful trip, filled with more than a couple of outstanding cast member interactions and magical moments! After hearing about 20 years of praise for this show, my expectations were obviously high.

Here I am, on the right, with our friends, excited and hungry.
Just look at the eager “Show me a good time face.” I have on!

The Show is at Pioneer Hall, at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. You’ll have to take a boat or a bus to Ft. Wilderness from Magic Kingdom or another park in order to get there as there are no buses that run between resorts.

Inside the hall:

To make my anticipation even greater, we had gotten 3rd tier seats, but because the show wasn’t even half booked, we were seated on the floor, not to far from the stage!! This, I thought, was great, a magical start to the evening!

Sadly, the evening didn’t turn out so magical. To start, our server didn’t come around to take a drink order for several minutes. Then, certain things made me feel perhaps he wasn’t in the best of moods. I just got a slightly surly vibe. Throughout the meal, for drinks we had to flag him down. Our food came out last, some tables were already well into their buckets of fried chicken before we even started eating.

And, I’m not sure if it was because we were served our food later, but, while we were in the middle of eating, the lights went down, and the show resumed, so we were essentially eating in the dark.

Then there was dessert. Strawberry Shortcake. The cast literally stages a big song and dance number about this Strawberry Shortcake. With the wait-staff participating in it, even!
Our server is actually in this photo holding a tray of Shortcake.

We never got ours! Our server danced off the stage, dropped off cake to our surrounding tables, and we never saw him again! Not once. No “would you like some coffee?” or “and how is your cake?”.
I even tried to flag down another staff person, but they didn’t see me, and then they were gone.
I was so annoyed, I couldn’t enjoy the last portion of the show, which is why there are no more pictures to share with you!

Our friend, John, who had made the reservations, spoke to a manager afterwards, and we got half of our admission back, plus 2 Strawberry Shortcakes to go. Still, it was a bummer and proof that sometimes having a bad customer service encounter changes the entire dynamic of the experience.

Now, I don’t want to give the impression it’s all bad. The food is terrific, but the exact same food plus more can be found next door at Trail’s End Buffet for much less, and I’ve never had poor service.

Aaaaand in my opinion, the show is just okay.
It’s a little outdated, and not just in a classic Disney kind of way.
Could my judgement be tainted by the over hype and poor service?
Absolutely, and I would not try to discourage anyone from seeing the show, it just wasn't for me.

Have you ever had a bad Cast Member experience?

Disneyland's Monorail

By Nick

Today the Disneyland Monorail celebrates 55 years of operation.

Disneyland's Monorail, the Mark VII, has been in operation since 2008. It features a retro design. It is an attraction in and of itself, which can be used as transportation between the Downtown Disney District and Tomorrowland, or just as an enjoyable respite. Three cars are in operation, Red, Blue, and Orange.

We rode it a couple of times during our trip in February of this year. Once we managed to ride in front with friends, as traveling with the pilot is still allowed in Disneyland.

 Here is Monorail Red arriving in Tomorrowland, to whisk us away to Downtown Disney.

Flame Tree Barbecue in Disney's Animal Kingdom

By Nick

We all have our favorite attractions at Walt Disney World. Rides or shows that are a must every trip. There are also beloved eateries that we frequent more often than others, and of course favorite foods we eat on every visit.
But there are those restaurants that you really enjoy while eating there, but for some reason or other, you don't get back to for a very long time.
In Walt Disney World, there are sooooo many options that these really great food spots just get lost in the sauce, so to speak.
One of these spots is Flame Tree Barbecue in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

We ate here on our first trip back in September of 2006. Every time we pass it, I say "That was some great barbecue, we really need to get back there." and then proceed to go elsewhere, sometimes to another restaurant in Animal Kingdom, or more often to another restaurant in a different park, or even back to our resort for a bite.

On our trip in January, I consciously made the decision to eat at Flame Tree.

The menu is not overly extensive.

I had the 1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs which were $11.69. They were as good as I remembered them. Tender and juicy. I love a good cole slaw, and this is very good. The beans were delicious as well.

Barbie had the Smoked Chicken Salad for $9.49, which she described as okay. She wished she had gotten the ribs after trying mine!

Prices are reasonable, and the portions are large enough to share.
They accept Tables in Wonderland and are a quick service credit on the Disney Dining Plan.

There are several spots to sit, each offering a relaxing and cool spot to escape the heat, which really wasn't an issue in January.

The grounds are lush, and well themed with fountains and statues.

The condiments bar is conveniently located in the pavilion where we chose to sit, which is the same place we sat way back in 2006.

By the water, it offeres a great view of Expedition Everest.

There are a few pavilions by the water if you want to get a different vantage point of Everest.

Another wonderful thing about sitting by the water, you might have an encounter with local wildlife!

So, will we return to Flame Tree Barbecue? Yes, certainly. But it still isn't a must do every trip.

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