Tuesday Tip

Hey friends!!!

So my tip for today - off site stroller rental!! We rented a stroller on our September 2011 trip for the first time ever. I am the mommy of a 6 and 4 year old. In the past we have always brought our own stroller(s). My son would be in the big travel system and my daughter in the MacLaren. Well our last trip I wanted a double since my son is tall he was too big for our travel system Graco and I knew my daughter would get tired.

I looked at Disney pricing but come one.... $31/day for a hard plastic stroller that the kids couldn't be comfortable in and we would have to leave it in the park for the walk to the buses or our car. S I started researching off site stroller rental companie. There are ALOT out there! For us we LOVE Kingdom Strollers! The pricing and free options are fantastic and the customer service cannot be beat! Most places require the stroller be returned the morning of your last day. Kingdom Strollers let's you have it until 5pm or later (we texted them and they let us have it til 8pm for NO charge!) and they drop it off either super early the day of your rental or the night before. It's waiting at bell services!

They have a wide array of choices in singles and doubles. For our last trip we rented a Bob Duallie. Pushing around nearly 100 lbs of kids should be hard, but nope it glided with ease! Our next trip we are planning to try the City Elite Double. It fits taller kids a bit better. My daughter will be 6 almost 7 when we go and will probably rarely sit in it but it's only a $10 difference to get a double instead of a single and to be able to offer her a seat in the shade in June is worth it to me! And a safe place to put her in a crowded park!

We go full on at the parks. Usually rope drop to closing with maybe a VERY short break so our kids are tired at the end. Our September trip they fell asleep in the stroller on our way out almost every night. We used it to get to our car in the parking lot then transferred them to the car and then back to the stroller to walk to our room.

Here's a shot of the stroller being used well!!

Refurbishments...the latest and greatest....

Are you planning a trip and wondering if something will be getting worked on during your stay?!

Well here is a up to date list via the official Disney Travel Agent site!


Magic Kingdom® Park

• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor - 01/04/12 - 03/27/12
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant - 01/09/12 - 03/30/12 (this has been opened during the soft opening happening now!
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - 01/09/12 - 05/27/12
• Liberty Square Riverboat - 04/16/12 - 05/20/12

Epcot®

• Tutto Italia Ristorante - 01/08/12 - 04/27/12
• Innoventions: House of Innoventions exhibit - 12/04/11 - Late April 2012
• Test Track - TBD - rumor is sometime in April and reopening mid to late September.  These dates are only rumors though as nothing has been officially announced by Disney since January and upon a call to Disney I was told it will be closing, but no dates are known as of now.  (call placed on 3/29/12)

Disney's Hollywood Studios®

• Sounds Dangerous - Closed; Operates Seasonally
• Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show - 04/29/12 - 05/02/12

Where Have I Been.....

Hello all from the worst Disney blogger ever!!!

Where have I been you ask????!!!!  Well that's semisimple...busy!  Last June I started working outside the home and outside of my Disney fix - this blog and travel planning.  I had gone to school 6 months before that and trained to become a phlebotomist - you know the people that take blood from you!  :-)  Well in June I finally landed a job doing it.  It's only part time, but I get to pick up as many hours as I want and usually I pick up at least a couple shifts a week, the rest of the time is spent transporting kids here there and everywhere!!  Life was so calm a year ago....but the money is good and it helps pay for my Disney trips!!

That said I'm going to try and devote some more time here!  That's my goal and my plan anyway.  I have to look back and see what I've already wrote about and try to pick up where I left off.  My plan is to try and get a bunch of posts scheduled once a week and then that way it's an active blog again.

I'm also going to head over to my business page and give it some tweeking!!  I really love Disney planning and want to get back into it!!

If you are anyone you know is thinking about a trip, please let me know!  I'd be happy to help!!!  Also if you have a trip booked with Disney, not another agent - we don't steal from each other, professional courtesy - and you would like to transfer it over to me, it really is a simple process!!  I'll do most of the heavy lifting for the transfer and all of the heavy lifting with your trip planning, or as much as you want me to do!  For your trouble you get a $25 Disney Gift Card!!! 

Thanks for all that have stuck with me while I make these transitions and adjustments!! 

Have a Disney Day!  :-)

Resort Review - Polynesian Resort

Today I am going to tell you a bit about the Polynesian Resort with special assistance from two readers that sent in reviews after staying there.  I personally have never stayed so it was great to get their perspective on it!  :-)

As has become the norm here is a little video from Disney Parks Media!

Some Facts:

• Website: Polynesian Resort Website
  
• Resort Category: Deluxe
• Location: Magic Kingdom Resort Area
• Pricing: Starts at $385 per night
• Rooms Availabe:
  • Standard Rooms - Garden, Lagoon, or Theme Park Views
  • Club Level Rooms and Suites
  • Suites

 Resort Map:

Have I personally stayed here?
No I have not.  I have visited the resort and eaten here at the Ohana restaurant as well as at the Luau that they have.  The resort grounds are beautiful and it is awesome to be able to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach while relaxing as the pipe in the Wishes music.  All in all, I hope to stay there at least for one night one time.  The price for me is a bit of a turn off, but hey you never know!  :-)


Guest Reviews:

•  Review Number 1 - Judy
• What I like about it:    I liked the fact that it was less than a minute walk to the TTC. The beach was great and you could watch fireworks from there without the crowds. The room was very nice. It held three adult women and a 9 year old boy quite comfortably. My 9 year old son was very impressed with the lobby and the pool, which I as an adult also liked. We at a two restaurants and the luau and had not a bad meal while we were there.
• What I didn't like:   I can’t really think of anything I didn’t like about the Polynesian, but if pressed I guess I would say I wish the gift shops had been a little bigger.
• Would I stay here again:  I would stay here again without a doubt.  In fact I can't see myself staying anywhere else!

 

•  Review Number 2 - Melissa R. 
• What I like about it:
  There’s a long list of things I love about the Polynesian Resort. One of the main reasons we stay there is the theme- the decor and tropical vibe make us feel so relaxed and ready for the most memorable vacation the second we enter the lobby. Also, it is in a great location! You can take the monorail or boat to the Magic Kingdom and can walk to the Transportation Center to take the monorail to Epcot. There are also great restaurants at the Polynesian. Tonga Toast and a pot of French Pressed Kona Coffee at Kona Café are a great way to start the day before hitting the parks. Captain Cook’s is also a good place to grab a bite to eat – although it is a Quick Service restaurant, it offers delicious, unique menu items.
• What I didn't like about it:
  The rates are among the highest in the Deluxe Resort category. But, if you can take advantage of a discount, it is well worth the higher price. Also, it is very tough to get a reservation at O’Hana. I thought resort guests would get some sort of priority, but not such luck.
• Would I stay there again and why:
  Yes, my family and I would definitely stay at the Polynesian Resort again. The convenience, theme/decor, great food and the fond memories we have of our magical vacations at the resort will keep us coming back!
  
  

Favorite Rides - Dumbo

Get ready...this week we talk about one of the most popular rides in WDW.  It might not be a favorite for grownups, but it is DEFINITELY on the MUST DO list for your kids.  The one the only.....DUMBO!!!

Some Info:

• Park: Magic Kingdom
• Land/Area: Fantasyland
• Height Requirements: Nope!
• Best Suited For: Preschoolers and young children, but it is fun for ALL!
• Warnings: For me - heights!!  I know silly, but it freaks me out when we are all the way up!
• Fastpass:  As of now no, but when the ride is moved to the new section with the additional ride it will have a virtual queue area.

What I like About It:
What's not to like????  Dumbo is one of the most popular rides in Magic Kingdom.  The worst part about it is the LONG line that usually comes with it.  It is definitely a ride to hit as soon as you walk in.  Whether you have a preschooler or not, this is a ride to get on just because it is a classic!  :-)

Random Facts: 
The original Dumbo the Flying elephant opened in Disneyland 3 months after the park opened.  All the other Disney parks have a Dumbo ride and they all opened on opening day in their respective parks.  The ride is being moved to a circus themed area that used to be Toon Town sometime in the next year.  This is all part of the new Fantasyland expansion. 

Hello

Hi everyone!

So sorry for my lack of attention to the blog and my facebook page.  Life has been hectic.  I never knew taking on a new job could eat up so much time.  Between working and trying to fit in time with the kids when I am not working and all that stuff I am barely even on the computer anymore!  But I am making it a point to get on here daily and try to post something and pay more attention to my facebook page.

We were also away for a week and believe it or not we had NO internet access.  Then to come home and have our main computer crash...well all in all I have been slightly in the dark ages as far as computers go.  Looks like the need for a smartphone may be more than I realized!  :-)

So I am trying to be back.  I am working a lot to earn money for our upcoming WDW trip.  :-)

Cultural Events Add to the Experience at Aulani

Those of you looking to really experience Hawaiian culture will find it at Aulani. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with local architects and cultural experts to design the resort to honor the local culture of the Hawaiian Islands. The resulting design is a celebration of Hawaiian customs and traditions that offers up a harmony with the natural world.


Inside and out you will see simplicity, fine materials and attention-to-detail that reflect the layers of refined thinking that characterize Hawaiian art forms. The unique architecture evokes Hawaiian villages in a modern, awe-inspiring interpretation. A large lava rock passes from outside to inside the glass lobby wall. This reverence for nature is seen throughout, with volcanic stone columns that line the hallway, and the use of wood and water throughout.


Rooms are appointed with lustrous wood and Hawaiian elements, such as geometric patterns inspired by kapa cloth (textiles made from tree bark), outrigger canoe posts and beams in the design of bedroom headboards, and corridor wall-coverings that are artfully embedded with a whole host of native Hawaiian cultural references – from poi pounders to fish traps to sea urchins.


Aulani's restaurants are also designed to reflect aspects of Hawaiian culture – from fishing techniques to harvest rituals. The resort's 'Ōlelo Room will be a special place you will want to visit. Here you will become more "conversive" in Hawaiian – or have fun trying. The 'Ōlelo Room will feature a series of engaging shadow boxes that hang throughout the room, displaying wooden carvings of common, everyday objects labeled with their Hawaiian language names. Best of all, cast members are on hand to provide proper pronunciations for you.


From beautiful artwork by local Hawaiian artists to the playful Menehune – legendary mischievous characters from Hawaiian folklore – depicted in statue form throughout the resort, the design of Aulani celebrates the culture of the islands.

Book an idyllic Hawaiian vacation for you and your family at Aulani now for stays beginning Aug. 29, 2011.