The 'View' at Downtown Disney

by Gaylin

While I was on vacation in May, I spent some time at Downtown Disney. It appears I have bad luck when it comes to choosing a time to visit WDW, a lot of the construction walls that were up when I was there are now down, and the stores are open. But me, I got to see construction walls . . . starting with the new Starbucks on the Westside.

And by the Cirque du Soleil there will be a food truck park. This hasn't opened yet but it has quite a big area to park in.

Behind these walls is more of the Food Truck Park. 

The Co-op looks like a great store, I would have loved to have seen it . . .

I have no idea what they are building with this huge crane near Fulton's or if it is a staging area for construction supplies to be brought in from the water rather than through Downtown.

 

As you can see, in front of T-Rex, it does look like a staging ground for construction supplies. If anyone knows if this is a staging area or a new build - let me know!

Behind Planet Hollywood is where the new parking lot is going in and it is huge! Most of the west side parking lot is closed for construction vehicles so if you need to park at Downtown - good luck.

Downtown Disney is going to be renamed Disney Springs at some point and this is the construction drawing of what that new parking structure is going to look like.

Here you can see that it is quite close to the Westside, here by Splitsville is about the centre of the parking structure.

This is the front of the World of Disney, where the other Starbucks is. Again, not open when I was there, opened shortly after I got home. I was quite surprised to see it sitting front and centre of the store. It is a walk-up location, no seating available. I wonder if the Starbucks craze ever ends, this location was chosen to make it easy to switch out to a Disney branded coffee shop or other food service area.

And finally, some silliness. Me and Lego Princess Sofie in the Lego store. Yep, she stayed still for a selfie!!!

And Cinderella for another selfie, she is so pretty and loves getting her picture taken.

My Kind of Disney Cruise

by Gaylin

The best cruise with Disney . . . The Jungle Cruise!!! I love the theming of the line-up area, the bad jokes, the great captains, the time on the water. It all works for me and I go on the cruise 2 or 3 times every trip. The first cruise I went on in May 2014 had Captain Lisa at the helm, she was wonderful. Great delivery of all those old jokes, told a few I hadn't heard before, had the whole boat laughing. A perfect cruise in the jungle.

If you have a few moments in a line-up there are a number of posters, barrels etc to read. Take the time and read them, some are pretty funny.

 Of course this big barrel of beer made me think of Nick . . . wonder why?

This temple hasn't fallen on anyone – yet!

Just with the safari at the Animal Kingdom, all those animals like to turn their backs on me.

It the area outside the entry to the cruise there are beautifully carved statues. I don't know what they represent but they make for great photos.

I guess this guy stayed on the cruise too long.

If you have a great captain and are sitting close to the front, you might have time to grab a quick selfie before disembarking. Captain Lisa said this was the first time a guest had asked for a photo, I was happy to take the photo for both of us, can you tell?

Is the Jungle Cruise a must-do for you and your family? Have a favourite captain? I had Captain Ashley on a previous trip and she was amazing as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy Mostly Spoiler Free Review

By Nick

I love Marvel movies. I've seen them all, and own most of them, but for some reason, I've never written a review for one on this blog. I am compelled to now. Why? Because Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite Marvel movie to date.

Ever since we saw the first trailer introducing the team, my wife and I were super excited to see this film, even though I was not at all familiar with the characters or team, despite being a comic book collector from the age of 12 to my mid 30s. It looked hilarious. It certainly helped that one of our favorite actors, John C. Reilly, the voice of Wreck-It Ralph, featured prominently in the preview.
Then the following previews showcased the action and special effects, which looked great.

I stayed away from spoilers, but did pick up the Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude paperback, which gave a back story to some the characters.

So, I was prepared to laugh and to see great effects, but what I wasn't prepared for was how emotionally attached I would become to this new group of heroes.

As the movie started we were immediately emotionally invested in the team leader Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord.

The movie then kicks into high gear, and the action and fun almost never let up. Sprinkled throughout are classic songs from the 70s and plenty of cultural 80s references. The writing is clever and the jokes are rapid fire, and I'm sure I missed a couple of lines because we, along with the rest of the audience were laughing so hard. There are also more emotional moments, yes, even tear jerking moments, which never become overly sentimental, because a lighter moment follows close behind.
There is not a dull moment or scene that goes on too long.

And if you are worried you won't be able to make a connection to a CGI  wise cracking, gun wielding raccoon and a walking tree, don't worry, their scenes pack some of the biggest emotional punches and biggest laughs.

As Barbie says, there are previews that promise a lot, but don't deliver. All of the best material are shown in those brief clips. This is certainly not the case with Guardians.

Stick around after the credits, it will reward true comic book history fans, as well as cheesy 80's movie lovers.

At the end, we were left wanting more. And the movie promises more, in fact, it tells us the Guardians will be back!

We can't wait!

Can You Stay on Disney Property to Have Fun While NOT Paying to Play?

By: Beth Skarp

What an odd title—whatever can it mean? 

Who in their right or even wrong mind would come to Disney, stay on property, and NOT pay to play in the Parks? Well, this family has.

We have had several occasions where we needed to be in the Orlando area for either business or pleasure. We had funds to take care of the business at hand, funds to find good food to eat, but not to pay for a day of playing in the Parks on these particular visits. If you read my earlier article regarding staying in non-Disney affiliated resorts, you will understand why we opt to stay on Disney affiliated property.

The burning question becomes, what in the World (or in this case, outside of the World) is there to do that is FREE? Where is the entertainment? Where is the “fun” in staying but not playing? What can you learn by just walking around the various resorts? What can happen if you just ask a simple question or are observant while out and about in the various Resorts? Lots actually, if you want to take the time to look and see what each resort has to offer.

Granted, just because these experiences have happened to our family or individual members of our family, there is no guarantee that something similar will happen to you. For this multi- part series of articles, I want to share with you some things that still take place today as well as experiences that we have enjoyed that no longer are offered or take place. Others were just something that happened spur of the moment, and no amount of planning could make it happen again.

We have stayed at every resort level within property except for the Villas—it is still on our bucket list to stay in one. Each and every time we have stayed but not played, we have found so much to not only entertain us but to educate us as well. 

Every lobby on Disney property has a waiting area with a television that shows a continuous loop of Disney cartoons. The area in front of the television has a comfortable seating area. The couches or places to lounge are indeed comfy, and one can pass several hours in comfort resting or just people watching.

There are tables set up with pint sized chairs that offer smaller guests or guests who are children at heart the opportunity to practice “staying within the lines” as you color a page that has a favorite Disney character or scene from a Disney movie on it. Each lobby is set up differently, with a place for lounging or relaxing as you wait for the dreaded Magical Express or just to pass some time. It is like sitting in a different room within your house to watch some television or color.

In the Value resorts, the themes alone can keep us occupied for days.

Here are a few pictures of us just having fun:
My husband and I were talking about a new vehicle to purchase....I think my husband found his new “ride.”

We have had a blast exploring and playing in the All Star resorts. We have played a game of Twister with other park guests. We have had fun being the human ball while playing Foozball on the giant game table on the lawn.

We have gotten wet while splashing in the fountains near Goofy and his Surfboard.

We were surprised when we found ourselves getting wet taking pictures of Herbie the Love Bug at All Star Movies (he loves to squirt water from his windshield wipers on unsuspecting guests). 

We were part of the cheering crowds watching a group of young men, who appeared to be about college aged, played a rousing game of flag-football on the football field at All Star Sports. We listened to some high school band members practicing on the lawn at All Star Music. 

While at Pop Century, my girls enjoyed learning a new cheer or two as several cheerleaders were practicing their routines during the cheer leading competitions. The cheerleaders even took a few moments out to teach my girls a cheer. Such fun. 

Before Art of Animation was built, we enjoyed a leisurely walk around Hourglass Lake, taking in the various trends or accomplishments for each year within a specific decade. We almost always paused along the walk to snap a picture of a year that held special significance for us. 

The lobby of Pop Century is a true history lesson. We spent many hours truly looking at the displays and talking about what the objects were, how they have been either updated or forgotten over the years. The girls never got tired of asking their Dad or I “did you use to do that, use that, wear that” and listening to their responses when we said YES! 

AND, you can now take a tour of the "Shadow Boxes" at Pop Century!

With the addition of Art of Animation, the bridge connecting Pop Century with Art of Animation is now open. We have enjoyed walking over this bridge several times. 

In keeping with the theme from Pop Century, as you walk around Hourglass Lake on the Art of Animation side, you can find signs with Pixar Movie trivia. The trivia corresponds with the section of the resort you are in ---Cars, Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid or Lion King. It was always fun to take the time to learn something new about these movies. 

Have you truly looked at the artwork within the lobby of Art of Animation? The conceptual designs are fun, and to see where the Animators got their ideas is also interesting. 
 

We had the opportunity once to speak with an Animator. The girls spent about 15 minutes asking her questions and learning what it takes to be an animator. We even spent some time talking with one of the people who does the caricatures in the lobby.

Taking a walk from the main lobby of Art of Animation to the various sections of the resort, especially going as far as the Little Mermaid section, can be fun and entertaining as well. So much to see and experience. The walkway changes and the scenery as well to keep up with the backdrop or theme for the movie. So much to explore and take a look at. 

Every gift shop has a “trivia board” with questions of the day. Taking the time to read these questions or silly puns is not only fun, but can be an educational experience as well. I remember two question my girls laughed and laughed over...”What does Ariel use on her toast in the morning?”......”Mermalade of course!” OK......”How many tickles does it take to make Ursula laugh? ….........”Why 10 tickles (tentacles) of course!”

If you have younger children who enjoy swimming, the pools are fun. Sadly, there are no slides for the pools in a Value resort, but there are still lots of fountains that will spray you as you swim along. The pool staff also has fun games with silly prizes that you and your children can participate in. Anyone up for a water balloon toss?

While the Value resorts do not have a table service restaurant associated with them, you can still find lots of interesting food to eat that is much more than just chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza and hamburgers. Art of Animation has some amazing sausages and their monk fish for dinner is moist and very delicious.

And finally, as always, you can be on the lookout for Hidden (and not so hidden) Mickey's!

       

Flea Market Finds–Vintage Disney Buttons

By Barbie

There are times when you could walk around the Flea Market and find absolutely nothing that catches your eye. Then there are times when you walk around and you can imagine everything you see as a gift for someone else!

Such is the case with these two vintage Disney buttons: a Donald Duck button and a Winnie the Pooh button. Both of which came home with us. And were given out as gifts!

Disney Do It Yourself Pillow

by Gaylin 

On a trip to Walt Disney World back in 1999, I was in a kitchen shop and had a great idea. I bought a lovely dinner napkin, at 20" square and really well made, I had a great idea.

Make a pillow!

I got home and hit a fabric store, bought velvet for the back, edge cord, a foam insert and a zipper and voila, a lovely pillow. I loved this napkin, I looked through the whole pile of napkins to make sure I had a whole tigger on the napkin.

When I went again in 2005 (okay, there were a couple trips in between), I found these napkins and even though they don't match anything in my apartment . . . I loved the colours and couldn't resist them. Back at home and a trip to the fabric store and a bit more time at the sewing machine and I have this beauty!

Have you ever brought something home from Disney that you know you will repurpose into home decor?

Favorite Foods Friday: The Croissant Donut at Epcot

By Nick

Love Croissants?
Love Donuts?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Croissant Donut!

The original croissant donut, or Cronut, created by Chef Dominique Ansel in May of 2013, was an international sensation.

I have no idea how Disney's version, which can be found at Epcot's Refreshment Port located near the entrance of World Showcase and is just called the Croissant Donut because Cronut is trademarked by the Dominque Ansel Bakery, compares to the original, but I do know it is delicious.

Flaky, cinnamon sugary, crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside, and at $4.49, a bargain, considering that when the original Cronut was released, people were paying up to $100 for one on the black market!

The Croissant Donut is sure to bring a sugary smile to your face!