This Month in WDW - April 2014

Hello all and WELCOME to Spring Break in WDW!!

The last week of March was a busy one in Disney World, with the Magic Kingdom hitting the 80,000 mark and starting the capacity reaching talks!  The price increases have not scared anyone away.  Spring Break season is in full swim and with a late Easter will remain in effect until the end of this month!  If you have a trip planned, don't be scared, but be a careful planner and get up and out early!  Being at the parks when the open is key to a great trip during busy times!!

The busiest week will be the weeks that sandwich Easter, which falls on April 20th.    If you still want to get a last minute getaway trip in you can and you can get it for a great deal!!  The spring promotion expires 3/31!!  So don't miss out!  Spring Promotion

Park Hours for April 2014

Refurbishment Schedule: (last updated 3/26/2014)

Magic Kingdom® Park
Pinocchio's Village Haus Swiss Family Treehouse Big Thunder Mountain Pirates of the Caribbean Tomorrowland Transit Authority - Peoplemover Astro Orbiter	Feb. 17 - Apr. 4, 2014 Mar. 17 - 28, 2014 Apr. 7 - 9, 2014 Apr. 28 - May 1, 2014 May 3 - Jun. 30, 2014 May 3 - Aug. 20, 2014
Epcot®
None
Disney's Hollywood Studios®
None
Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Festival of the Lion King	Jan. 6, 2014 - TBD

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
None
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
None

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House
Roof Refurbishment	Mar. 1 - May 3, 2014
Disney's Polynesian Resort
General Construction The east portion of the beach (near the Transportation and Ticket Center) and Sunset Point are being refurbished and are unavailable. Guests may see or hear work in progress.	Dec. 2013 - Mar. 2015
The Never Land Club Children's Activity Centers at four other locations are available: Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Beach Club Resort and the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.	Now - Early May/Jul. 2014
Capt. Cook's Capt. Cook's will be relocated to a temporary location in the Great Ceremonial House with modified operating hours and menu items.	Early April - July 2014
Great Ceremonial House - Lobby The atrium is being reimagined to highlight the cultural elements of Polynesia and provide more expansive views. At certain times of day, there may be some noise and alternative paths of travel may be needed throughout the Great Ceremonial House. To enhance the check-in experience, Guests are encouraged to participate in Online Check-In.	Mar. - Dec. 2014
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
General ConstructionJackhammering may be heard	Mar. 26 - 27, 2014

Downtown Disney® Area
Team Mickey Athletic Club	Jan. 27 - Jun. 13, 2014
Parking Lots E, F, G  Location Closing	Mar. 18, 2014
Pollo Campero Location Closing	Mar. 20, 2014

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
PlayStation Pavillion Location Closing	Mar. 11, 2014

Golf Courses/Miniature Golf
None

Special Events:

Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot runs through May 18th!

Special Egg hunt in the parks!

Happy travels and have a Disney day!!

~Teresa

Star Wars Weekends Character Dining Experiences

Hello Disney and Star Wars fans!!

The title of this post says it all and yes it is true.....you can have breakfast or dinner with Star Wars characters!!  How you ask and when???

Starting on May the 4th - for non Star Wars fans that is considered Star Wars day...get it "May the 4th be with you" - and running through June 15th - the end of Star Wars Weekends.  You can dine with either the Disney characters dressed up in their Star Wars gear OR Darth Vader and other dark side characters for breakfast.

This is a limited time event that I am praying becomes a regular event!  There are so few meals that feature more boyish or better yet not so princess heavy characters.

So about the meals.  First both take place in Hollywood Studios, park admission is required and characters are subject to change.

Jedi Mickey's Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine (Dinner)

• Location: Hollywood & Vine
• This can be booked as just dinner OR a Fantasmic Dinner Package.  
• Times: 4:15PM - park close between 8 & 9PM
• It is a TWO credit meal on the Disney Dining Plan
• Pricing: $54.99 per adult ($59.99 if used as part of the Fantasmic Package) and $32.99 per child ($36.99 if part of a Fantasmic Package)
• Characters featured: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip & Dale in their Star Wars alter ego attire - Jedi Mickey, Leia Minnie, Stormtrooper Donald, Darth Goofy, Ewok Chip& Dale
• Your meal includes a digital photo of the party with Ewok Chip & Dale on a commemorative PhotoPass card.

  Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast

• Location: SciFi Diner
• Times: 8am-12pm
• It is a TWO credit meal on the Disney Dining Plan
• Pricing: $47.99 for an adult, $29.99 for a child
• Characters: Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Jawa, Stormtroopers, and Greedo
• Bonus of the meal - a Darth Vader meet and greet after you check in!
• SciFi diner is known for their Drive in movie theater theme and playing classic scifi movies while guests dine.  This meal will feature Star Wars movie scenes!
• Your meal also includes a digital photo of the party on a commemorative PhotoPass card.

How to book: Well if you booked your trip with me - just message, text or call me and tell me what you want and I will take care of it.  If not you will need to call 407-WDW-DINE and make reservations.  It is not available (at least it was not today 3/26) for online booking.

Important Note:  You can meet these characters during the actual Star Wars weekends throughout the parks.  However, these meals are offered during the week as well as Star Wars Weekends AND start before Star Wars Weekends begin May 16th.  So it opens up the Star Wars fun for more guests that may have otherwise missed it!  And while you can meet some of these characters throughout the park during Star Wars Weekends the lines can be long and HOT, so this offers guests another more convenient way to meet some favorite characters!

This just adds to some of the changes coming to Star Wars Weekends this year - it started with adding a fifth weekend, followed by the announcement that Hyperspace Hoopla had been discontinued, but was being replaced with Symphony in the Stars Firework show!  I am sure we will start to hear of more changes too, so far they have been for the better - minus the loss of Hoopla for some.  Mark Hammill - Luke Skywalker is the only celebrity to be announced so far.  He will be there for Weekend Four.

Star Wars Weekends begins May 16th and runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through June 15th.  Star Wars Weekends is included with your park admission to Hollywood Studios.

May the Force Be With You!!

Tasty Tuesday - Garden Grille

It's lunch time here in PA and that got me ready to post another edition of Tasty Tuesday!!  One of my favorite parks is Epcot, awwww who am I kidding, I am a Disney fan through and through and I love them all, but I do have a special place in my heart for Epcot.  Maybe because so many think it is easily skipped and no good for kids.  That is a whole other post though....

Epcot has one major thing going for it though that can not be denied...GOOD restaurants and A LOT of them!!  The World Showcase is full of tasty treasures!!  Today though I am focusing on The Garden Grille.  Located in the Land Pavilion in Epcot's Future World section.

Garden Grille is located on the main level of the Land Pavilion.  The Land houses one of Epcot's most popular rides - Soarin'!  So expect a lot of traffic in and out of the building.  There are no strollers allowed in the Land pavilion, so be prepared to park and and come in.

The Garden Grille is a unique dining experience.  It is currently only open for dinner.  The restaurant is a character dining experience and it rotates!  Ever so slightly, but it does move!  Very cool for most people, but for someone like me, I notice the slight movement and actually got motion sickness!!  Please understand, that I am highly sensitive to the weirdest situations and 99% of people probably will not even notice that the restaurant is rotating!  Seating is limited in this restaurant, so advance dining reservations are highly suggested.

Details:

• Location: The Land Pavilion main level in Epcot's Future World
• Meals Served: Dinner
• Style: Family Style all you can eat
• Price: $$
• Dining Plan: 1 credit
• Characters Featured: Chip and Dale host - Mickey and Pluto, characters subject to change

ADR Need: High

• Disney allows you to make reservations 180 days before your vacation.  If this restaurant at normal eating hours is important to you, you may need to plan that far out!  It's not always the case, but this really depends on when you go.  If you have your trip planned and book far out then I would definitely recommend booking far out.  

Would I recommend it?

• Yes.  The food is good, the atmosphere is fun and the service is great as well.  We have not been since my daughter was a baby, but I would go back if I didn't get motion sickness.  This is not to say that I had to run for it, I just felt slightly off after eating there, the way some might get if the go to an IMAX movie.  But, it really is a fun experience and a great restaurant!!

The Menus (courtesy of All Ears):

• Dinner

Happy Dining!!!

Magical Monday

Good morning everyone!!

Wow - what a week last week!!  Fun times with the giveaway!!  Thank  you to all our great sponsors that donated items to be given away!!  I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!  In fact I am already planning another, just have to decide when to do it - 1500 likes, 2000?  I am definitely thinking this summer though, so keep a look out!!

Last week was also a busy week with quoting trips and even better BOOKING trips!!  So fun!  I love helping you all plan your vacations!  It is truly a dream job!  I think if I am counting right I booked SIX vacations this past week!  And the summer promotion just came out!!

Check out this promotion!

Speaking of promotions, the spring promotion, which runs through June 15th expires next Monday - March 31!  Don't miss out if you are hoping to go this spring.  Click here to learn more!  If you miss that deal, no worries, the Memory Maker package is available through April 20th with dates from 4/27-6/15 and then again 8/15-9/27!  That's right FALL dates, so be sure to get a pricing quote.  Remember, we can always adjust your package to the best offer, so if a new one comes out that is better I will get it switched over for you!  Easy as pie!  Minus the sometimes 3 hour holds, but it's ok, I get to listen to Disney music!!


This week the gift card giveaway is still live!  Be sure to enter here!!  It runs until Friday at 12 noon! This is directly from me as a thank you to all of you out there!!

My family is currently in the planning process of booking a trip for May and I have to tell you, I am learning a lot about this whole My Magic+ and Fastpass+ business.  As someone that is not an over planner, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide today where I want to be and at what time in 2 months, but I guess that is how it is.  The good news....apparently it is easy to change on the fly, I hope so!!

Let's see....Luke Skywalker will be appearing at weekend 4 of Star Wars weekends this year!!  Of course the one year we don't go weekend 4!  Figures....but you can go!  Star Wars Weekends encompasses all three deals, so if this is an event you want to check out, Email Me for a price quote!  You do not have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this event.  I have never watched one of the movies from start to finish and I LOVE it!!  So much fun!

Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot is still going strong until May 18th!  Again you can book and see this with the promotion out there right now!  So pretty in Epcot with the floating flowers and all the beauty and they've added a touch of food and wine to it now!  A really fun event!!

I think that about covers it for now!!

Have a Magical Monday everyone!!  :-)

Giveaway Day 5 - $25 Disney Gift Card

Hi everyone!!

I hope you all have enjoyed our week of giveaways!  Just to drag it out a bit, today's giveaway will last until NEXT Friday!!  So lots of time to share and enter!  For each share you will get an extra entry!  Another bonus entry is for anyone that booked a trip with me between the dates of 3/17 and 3/28!  

Disney gift cards can be used on your Disney vacation or to even pay for it.  They are also good at the Disney Store!!  I was trying to be more creative in my giveaway, but decided this was probably the best gift I could give!  

I want to thank all of you and I look forward to doing another week of giveaways....maybe when we hit 1500 likes?!  I already have some great things in mind and awesome Disney crafters to ask, so be sure to share Be Our Guest Vacations with your friends and family!!

It truly is a wonderful job for me!  One where I never get bored and wake up everyday anxious to check my email and see what new fun awaits me!  

So good luck and have fun!  Share, share, share!!  Thank you!!  

Giveaway Day 4 - Minnie Key Fob

Hi everybody!!

So day 4 is here and our friends at Chesapeake Ribbons have donated TWO key fobs with matching hair bows to be donated to our giveaway!!  Enter to win between now and midnight tomorrow!!  I have the exact key fob on my keys and have had it for a couple years now and it still looks fantastic, no fraying or anything!  Margie makes great bows as well and will do custom orders!  My daughter is actually pictured on her website with one of the headbands!  We own several hair bows as well.  :-)  Good luck!!

Giveaway - Day 3 - Stroller Rental!!

Good morning everyone!!!

Today's giveaway....a FREE one week stroller rental from our friends at Kingdom Strollers!  We have used them and referred them several times.  Never have we had a bad experience!!  Matt at Kingdom Strollers is fantastic!!  And we thank them for their generous donation of a free rental!!

If you haven't already be sure to enter to win the giveaway to win a Disney Mug!  That giveaway is live until tonight at midnight!!  Best of luck!!

Tasty Tuesday - Whispering Canyon

Time for a Tasty Tuesday that happens to take place at one of my FAVORITE resorts!!  We are going to talk a but about Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge!!  Fun and tasty!!

Whispering Canyon Cafe is found off to the side of one of the most grand lobbies on property!  Be sure to arrive at a bit early for your reservation just so you can take a few minutes to look around the Wilderness Lodge lobby.  Truly my favorite!!

This fun and festive restaurant has tasty American fare.  Think fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, ribs, etc.  Good food and good fun!  And delicious milkshakes!!  Be sure to ask for ketsup!!  And the kids can ride "ponies" around the restaurant!  The servers are great and the experience is unlike many others you will have while dining at most other restaurants.  If you haven't been before check it out!

Details:

• Location: Wilderness Lodge - right off the lobby
• Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Style: Menu
• Price: $$$
• Dining Plan: 1 credit
• Characters Featured: None

ADR Need: Medium/Low

• Disney allows you to make reservations 180 days before your vacation.  If this restaurant at normal eating hours is important to you, you may need to plan that far out!  It's not always the case, but this really depends on when you go.  If you have your trip planned and book far out then I would definitely recommend booking far out.  

Would I recommend it?

• Yes.  The food is good, the atmosphere is fun and the service is great as well.  My kids really enjoyed this meal and my husband loved the food.  We liked dinner best, but breakfast is great too!  The family style all you can eat skillet is a great value!  Go and try it for yourself, I am sure you will love it!!

The Menus (courtesy of All Ears):

• Breakfast
• Kid's Breakfast Menu
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Kid's Lunch/Dinner Menu

Happy Dining!!!

Giveaway - Day 2 - Disney Mugs!

Hi everybody!

Day 2 of the giveaway!!!  Our cinch sack giveaway is live until midnight tonight, so if you have not already entered, do so today!!!  

Today our featured giveaway item is a chance for TWO of you to win these super cute Disney Mugs!!  I absolutely LOVE them!!  Best of luck to you!!!

Magical Monday

Good morning everyone and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

What a busy week this will be!!!  I have been up since the wee morning hours getting holds on trips for customers for their summer trips!  Such a great deal - don't miss out!!  For more details on the Summer Promotion please visit here.

Also our giveaway is now live!!  If you haven't already, enter to win one of four Disney Cinch Sacks donated by Little Stars!  These bags are super cute and will be awesome to use when carrying your must need items in the parks on your Disney trip!  The cinch sack giveaway will go until Tuesday night at 11:59PM.  Tomorrow morning will start giveaway number two - the Disney mugs!  So cute from Marley in the Middle!!  Wednesday the giveaway continues with a stroller giveaway from Kingdom Strollers!  Don't miss out!!  And share with friends!!!

Have a fantastic day!!!

~Teresa

Summer 2014 Promotion

Thinking of a Disney trip this summer????  It just got less expensive!  :-)

Contact me today for more information and a quote!!

Giveaway - Day 1 - Disney Cinch Sacks!

Hi everyone!  

It is the start of our week long giveaway!!!  I am utilizing a page called PromoSimple to create the giveaway.  It is my first time using them, but it seems pretty easy.  For the first giveaway - Disney Cinch Sacks - there will be FOUR winners!!  There are three mandatory entries - commenting on the blog, liking Be Our Guest Vacations on Facebook and liking Little Stars on Facebook.  There are bonus entries as well, so enter away!!  Giveaway for the Cinch Sacks runs through Tuesday at midnight!  The next batch will start on Tuesday morning, so pay attention!  :-)  Good luck!!!  And thank you!!!

Staying Offsite

Hi there Disney friends!!!

So I am going to write to you about something that I have no experience with....staying off site!  I won't lie, I am a big fan of being on Disney property and I will write up a post about why, but I know for some that is not the best option.  So if you want to stay off property, where should you stay?

Disney partners with certain hotels and they become known as Disney Good Neighbor Hotels.  They also have Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels and then the two on property - Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin.  There are different packages for the different options.  

We will start with the Good Neighbor Hotels.  You can book a package with a Good Neighbor Hotel. These hotels are within a short drive of of the Walt Disney World Resort.  Select Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels offer accommodations with transportation to the theme parks, although some of them may charge a fee.  This is something I will investigate for you when we begin the decision process.  If you have a rental car or your own car take note that some hotels charge a parking fee and Disney charges a fee per day to park at the parks.  Currently that fee is $15/day.

What does the package include?

• Accommodations at a select Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel
• Magic Your Way Base Ticket with choice of length from 2-10 days.  The base ticket gives you one park per day.  You can add on the hopper option as well as the water park option.
• One keepsake luggage tag per person.

What hotels and where are they?

• International Drive Area:
• Clarion Inn and Suites
• Embassy Suites Hotel
• Hawthorn Suites
• Courtyard Orlando International Drive/Convention Center
• Celebration/Kissimmee Area
• Clarion Suites Maingate
• Hampton Inn & Suites
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
• Holiday Inn Maingate East
• Quality Suites Royale Parc Suites
• Radisson Resort
• Lake Buena Vista Area
• Clarion Inn
• Courtyard by Marriott
• Embassy Suites
• Hampton Inn and Suites
• Holiday Inn Resort
• Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa
• Residence Inn by Marriott
• Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort
• Staybridge Suites
• WorldQuest Resort

You can visit the following website to check out these resorts more in detail.  Let me know which one you want to book or ones you are interested in and I will call in and get pricing for you!

Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels

The Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels put you pretty close to being on property!!  You are within walking distance of the Downtown Disney Area and therefore, just a bus ride away from all the theme parks!

What does your package include?

• Accommodations at a Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotel
• Magic Your Way Base Ticket from 2-10 days.  You can add the hopper or water parks on!
• Keepsake Luggage Tag

Where can you stay?

• B Resort
• Best Western Lake Buena Vista
• Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa
• DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Orlando-Lake Buena Vista
• Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
• ONLY DOWNTOWN AREA HOTEL TO OFFER EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!!!!
• Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista
• Wyndham Lake Buena Vista

Want to investigate these hotels further?  Check out the following website.  Be sure to contact me for more booking information.  I can get you the same or better deals than what they are offering on their site!  :-)

Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels

Lastly....you can stay ON SITE and get Disney busses to drive you to all the theme parks and fun!!  But it isn't a Disney hotel!  That's right.....

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels are in the heart of Walt Disney World.  Located in the Epcot Resort area and just a short walk to Disney's Boardwalk lies the Swan and Dolphin.  They are a boat ride or walk to Hollywood Studios and Epcot!  A fantastic location for sure!!

What is included in the package?

• Accommodations at the Swan or Dolphin
• Magic Your Way Base Ticket - 2 to 10 days.  Option to add on the hopper or water park option.
• Keepsake Luggage Tag
• PLUS:
• Extra Magic Hour privileges!
• And Disney Busses!

To learn a bit more about the Swan and Dolphin check out their website!  But again, be sure to contact me!  I offer so much more than just booking your trip!  :-)

Opening later this summer is the all new Four Seasons Orlando @ the Walt Disney World Resort.  It is available for booking now and features an adult only pool!  It is within the Disney property as well, but will not receive Extra Magic Hours or bussing from Disney.  The hotel itself will offer bussing.

I will save the pros and cons for onsite vs. offsite - weighing it on both sides - in another post!

For now, take a look at all of that!!  I can help you with booking your offsite stay!  Please contact me and we can get started on some pricing!  I may be onsite biased, but there really are fantastic options for those looking for a bit more value or space!

Happy Planning!!!

Thursday Tip - Baby Care Centers

Happy Thursday!!  Almost the weekend!!

So this is something that I did write about before, but I am going to revise and give an update to my former post.  I have so many new followers now that I think it would be just as easy to rehash some oldies, but goodies!!

Picture outside of Magic Kingdom Baby Care Center

Many people do not even know that Baby Care Centers exist in all four of the major Disney theme parks!








 Easily found on the park maps by a pacifier icon.  Baby care centers can either be deep within the park or right by the park entrance.

In Hollywood Studios it is located right at the front entrance by Guest Services.



Magic Kingdom's Baby Care Center is located back by the Crystal Palace.  It is one of the nicer baby care centers.  My kids are now 8 and 6, but we have been traveling to Disney World since my kids were infants!  When I first found these little gems I was so excited.  I haven't stepped foot in one in a few years, but tI really did enjoy them when I needed them for all those trips years ago!!

Baby Care Centers are great for nursing moms!  They have a private dimly lit room that has rocking chairs in them.  You can get some privacy and get your baby away from the sometimes very overstimulating environment!







All of the Baby Care Centers are equipped with areas to feed your little one and heat up food if necessary!  They also have a little shop of (overpriced) baby and toddler necessities!!  Nice if you are in need when you forget something, but not something you want to make a habit of, as it is pricey!

The best part of all - on a HOT WDW day - it is quiet and air conditioned!  Little ones can crawl/walk around and play with some toys or watch some classic Disney shows.  Kid sized potties and helpful staff!!  Just a nice break from the craziness that is Disney sometimes!!

A bit from my review back in 2010, when I was still really using the Baby Care Centers:

The best Baby Care Centers are in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. They have televisions with old classic Disney cartoons on, toys, nice changing tables, a bathroom or two, high chairs, a small shop with items you may need in a pinch (PRICEY!) and microwaves. There is a cast member there as well. Strollers are NOT allowed in!

We went one year and it was HOT, so hot!! These little stops were wonderful!! To be able to go take a break from the heat in some nice A/C in a spot that wasn't over stimulating for my little one was perfect. I let them crawl around and play, gave them a diaper change and fed them. It was a nice break. Oh and FREE too! Usually they are located right by the first aide center in the park.

Saving For Disney - One Mom's Journey! ~ Jenny (part one)

Hi everyone!  We are running a special series about Jenny's family's journey to save up to go to Disney!  She is sharing this as part one, part two will come when they book their trip and part 3 when they travel, then hopefully an awesome trip report!!  If you have a story to share, please email me and I will share your story too!  Thank you Jenny!!



Hi Disney Fans!  I would like to start by introducing myself, my name is Jenny.  I am a stay-at-home mom, we have two great kids: David, who is 8 years old, and Sarah, who  is 2 1/2 years.

My kids and I are are huge Disney fans. We LOVE everything Disney. My husband, on the other hand, is a different story….let’s just say Chris only “likes” Disney because we LOVE it!  

Last July we started to talk about when we would be a good time to take the kids to Disney World (of course, I wanted to leave right then and there!), so we decided to look into it and get an idea of price. Chris Inearly fell out of his chair when we priced out the trip for a family of four to stay in a deluxe Disney resort (7 days, 6 nights), with the deluxe meal plan and park hopper passes for 6 days.

The look on his face was a cross between “I don’t want to disappoint my  family” and “I don’t think we afford to can do this.”

The very next day I started a Disney Fund Jar. I started to clean out the kids’ outgrown clothes and toys. I never realized how much we were holding onto. There was no reason to keep baby clothes, baby equipment, or old outgrown toys. They were just  taking up room and I had a much better use of them!

I started to sell these items on a few of the local Facebook Yard Sale Pages. After about a month, we had more than $1,000 in our Disney Fund!  Chris was amazed but predicted I would run out of stuff to sell in about a month. “No way you’ll make $6,000 selling stuff on Facebook to get us to Disney,” he laughed.

The challenge was on! Selling on Facebook was a great way to raise money and declutter our house. Chris began to joke that if he wasn’t careful he and the dog would both find themselves on sale on Facebook.

Fast forward 8 months and we have more than $4,800 saved in our Disney fund, thanks to Facebook and the tips from about 10 shifts working in my mom’s tea room! We are hoping to surprise our kids with a trip in May 2015.  

Sarah will turn 4 and Dave will turn 10 within 10 days of each other that month. We hope to be able to throw them a surprise joint birthday party and announce to them in a big way that we are going to Disney for their birthdays!  

Of course, we do have to save a little over $1,000 more to get us there, but I don’t think that will be a problem to do in the next 16 months.  Maybe I can even save enough for our spending money or airline tickets or both!  

Looks like the challenge of not being able to save by selling on Facebook is not really a challenge after all.

Tasty Tuesday - Play & Dine @ Hollywood & Vine

Does your mouth start to water when you read about yummy and fun dining experiences?  Well get ready because here is another issue of Tasty Tuesday!!!

Play & Dine @ Hollywood and Vine

Check in on the outside at this fun Disney restaurant!  For breakfast and lunch you will get to dine with the stars of Disney Junior!  What little kid wouldn't love that!  The characters have changed of the years and now include the ever popular Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First!  Also there - Jake of Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Oso from Special Agent Oso!  In past years you could meet Handy Manny, Jane and Leo of the Little Einsteins, Jojo and Goliath for JoJo's Circus - some of my kids favorites!






Once you enter the restaurant you will find a fun place to get a shot of the kids Welcoming them to the fun at Hollywood and Vine!  This is by far one of my kids' favorite character meals on property!  I know that they will soon grow out of it (sniff, sniff), but for now it is still a favorite!  This is from this past summer.  There is a new backdrop now updated with the different characters!

Details:

• Location: Hollywood Studios - park admission is required
• Meals Served: Breakfast & Lunch (Dinner is non character)
• Style: All you can eat buffet
• Price: $$$
• Dining Plan: 1 credit
• Characters Featured: Disney Junior characters - as of February 2014 - Oso, Jake, Sofia and Doc.

ADR Need: Medium/Low

• Disney allows you to make reservations 180 days before your vacation.  If this restaurant at normal eating hours is important to you, you may need to plan that far out!  It's not always the case, but this really depends on when you go.  If you have your trip planned and book far out then I would definitely recommend booking far out.  

Would I recommend it?

• Yes.  My kids absolutely love the theming of this restaurant!  If you have a Disney Junior fan in your house then this is a must do!  Nothing quite like eating with their favorite characters while music from their favorite shows plays in the background!  There are two hosts - one for each side of the restaurant that get the kids up and dancing to some of their favorite songs as well!  Characters join in in the dancing and it really is a good time!!  Some of my favorite character memories are at this restaurant!  My kids have always been Disney Junior fans, so for us this is a must do on most trips!  Food wise - it is ok.  Breakfast is going to be your standard breakfast buffet food.  I wouldn't overbook on breakfast buffets because you will quickly get bored of your food choices!  Lunch is a bit better with a nice variety of food!  See the menus below!  :-)

The Menus (courtesy of All Ears):

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner - this is non character!  :-)

Happy Dining!!!

Magical In Room Gifting Experiences

Did you ever want to go above and beyond and have a surprise awaiting your family in your room?  A package add on is provided by Disney Travel Company to allow you to do just this!!  How fun to walk in to your room and see all this fun awaiting you!!  It is a pricey add on, but for all you get, it probably works out about right.  Starting cost is $310, but the price could go up or down depending on what you select.  If this is something you want to add to your package, just let me know 10 days in advance to check in!  A representative will call you to work out all the customization!!!

Magical Monday

Good afternoon!!

So last week I slacked on the posting.  Busy week, but I am back!!  I don't know about all of you, but this is one rough Monday morning!!  I got up yesterday and the kids did too with no issue.  It was like we didn't miss that hour of sleep ONE bit!  But then today hit and yup we are missing it!!  Our weekend was jam packed with new beds being built, soccer games, and birthday parties!!  How about you?  Do you find your weekends to be planned well into the future?!

In Disney news - the NEW Festival of Fantasy parade premiered at Magic Kingdom yesterday!  We watched it live via a livestream video feed thanks to the Dis!  My kids could not get over the fact that we were watching something that was actually happening right then in the parks!!  We watch video from Disney all the time - one of the ways we keep the magic alive at home!  Did you miss seeing the parade streamed live?  Well here ya go....from Allears!

It looks really cool!  I don't know about all of you, but I am very excited to see this in person!!  I am also really looking forward to seeing the new Mine Train!  Rumors are circulating like crazy about when it will open, but so far no official dates have been released!

In Be Our Guest Vacations news - We have a new agent working with us!!  Erin Seace will be helping me with some blog posts and posting on the Facebook page too!  If you were referred to us by Erin, please make sure to state that in your emails and messages so that I can forward it on to her and she can help book your trip.  :-)  Also I have been super busy with booking fall trips to WDW!!  A last minute trip is always fun to WDW, but when planning in advance 6 months is a perfect window!!  It really opens up your dining options!

That's all for today....this week look for the start of the giveaway!  Also I will be writing a review on Hollywood and Vine restaurant for Tasty Tuesday, thinking up a good new tip for Thursday, and still looking at what resort I want to write about for Friday!!  Other fun coming soon - One Mom shares how she is saving to get her family to Disney!  This will be an upcoming series, so keep an eye out for it!

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Have a Magical Day Everyone!!!