Newest Characters to meet in Walt Disney World (and where to find them)

For many kids and adults alike, meeting characters is a HUGE part of vacationing at the Walt Disney World Resort. Before kids, I had a key few that I tried to get each trip, however I mainly just stopped to grab a picture if I saw a smaller line. Now that I have tots in tow, we have a game plan for each trip on who, when, where and how to meet these guys. We are already planning our strategy for our next trip around the newest characters that can be found. Now since we have yet to see them the pics are of the cartoon versions. Rest assured they exist...check it out!!

(Click the title link to go to the official Disney info page)


Gaston

Nooooooo oooooooonnnnnneeeee hits like Gaston, matches wits like Gaston. In a spitting match, no one spits like Gaston....he's especially good at expectorating...TEN POINTS FOR GASTON!! The guy we love too much to hate. Is he a villain? I mean he did try to "slay the beast"...but he's just too fun to hate! I heard that the meet and greet version is especially fun! Announced on 10/11/12, Gaston can be found for meet and greets outside of his tavern in the new Fantasyland. He has been known to be a bit flirty with the ladies and is always flexing his guns for the photos. Oww owww!



Sofia the First

 

 

Sofia the First is one of the newer shows on Disney Junior. My 3 year old boy loves it and has been know to watch it over and over again. She is a sweet girl and always tries to do the right thing. If you have a younger kid in your travel party, this will be a "must do". Announced on 7/2/13, she can be found by the Disney Junior: Live on Stage attraction. She can also be found at the Hollywood and Vine character meal, which in my opinion is very under rated. We just love the food there!

 

 

 

Doc McStuffins 

 

 

 

Another preschooler fan favorite is Doc McStuffins. I actually even enjoy this show...it is imaginative and fun. This character meet and greet is so new that it was just announced a week ago, 12/17/13. She can be found only at the Hollywood and Vine character meals. However, I could foresee that changing in the near future to allow her to meet out in the Animation Courtyard along with her Disney Junior counterparts. She is super popular!!

 

 

Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope

 

 

 

 

 

This meet and greet was announced 11/20/12 and can be found in the Magic of Disney Animation building. If any of you are familiar with the meet and greet areas from the past, it is where Pooh used to be. The line wraps around the back and has some interactive stuff to keep the kids busy. We usually hit up this building in efforts to get some rare autographs due to "characterpalooza". Head over to Kenny the Pirates site for more info on that...LINK HERE

Periwinkle

Tink's sister, Periwinkle, has made it to Tinker Bell's Magical Nook!! She was brought to light by the film, Secret of the Wings. Her meet and greet was announced 11/18/12. This is another wonderfully themed (and air-conditioned) waiting area for a meet and greet. The lines can get long for Tink and her sis, but if you head there early in the day it shouldn't be too bad!

Update: Tink has been moved to the Town Square Theater near the entrance to Magic Kingdom!

Anna and Elsa

 

 

 

The moment you have allllll been waiting for............FROZEN meet and greet!!!!!! We have literally been singing this movie since we saw it. We love the story, characters and music. I for one, cannot wait to meet the Princess and the Queen! Announced on 11/19/13, the ladies will be hanging out in Norway. I did some research to see if I could find where they are located and I think it is inside of the gift shop where you exit Maelstrom. This will be a must do for our family (and probably yours if you have seen Frozen)!!

 

Update: They have moved the sisters to Princess Fairytale Hall! The meet and greet is showing up on the Fastpass+ lineup, however if you do not get the FP+ you can still get to them much more easily than before, by heading there at rope drop. The lines will not be like they were at Epcot!

 

Rumor Alert: Talk has been swirling around like Elsa's snow about a possibility of Maelstrom closing and a change-over happening to create a Frozen ride! Now, it will be bittersweet for me. Maelstrom is one of my favorite rides of all time. But Frozen is AWESOME! Disney Imagineering will have fun with a ride like that...it is sure to be great :)

 

 

Cupcake Cup Garland

My little one is going to be celebrating her first birthday next weekend. We are gearing up and getting ready. Balloons are ordered, venue is set, cupcakes are ordered....now for the decorations! We are doing a Sweet Shoppe theme. Click HERE to view some ideas I have found on Pinterest! In addition to some of these very cute décor ideas, I also wanted to create a garland made out of cupcake liners. Follow along!

What you will need:

Cupcake Liners (choose whatever color scheme you want)
Coat Thread
Larger Needle


Start by deciding what order you want your colors. If you are organized (which I am currently not), I suppose you could make a little assembly line for the correct order. Pull the thread through the needle eye and begin by poking a hole in the center of your first liner.

 Alternate going through the middle of the back and the inside center of the liners...

If you are making the garland for a tree you may want to consider making them in "batches". We plan on using them around a doorway and on a table front, so mine didn't need to be so long.


The finished product:

Thanks for stopping in...I would love to see your variations!

 

WDW: Arrival Day Ideas

Walt Disney World: Arrival Day Ideas

Today's post is about a common question that I often hear...

"What should we do on arrival day?"

Most people don't want to just sit at the hotel on that first night because they are all wired up from that magic that sets in when they arrive. This being said, they also don't want to waste a park day on a few hours and a couple of rides.

Here are my top five suggestions for that first night in Disney:

5. Resort Hidden Mickeys

When you check into the resort, ask the front desk if they have a Hidden Mickey list. If you are new to Hidden Mickeys, you can always ask the cast member to explain how it works. We love to explore the grounds and learn our way around while looking for those rascally Mickeys!



4. Resort Hopping

One of our favorite things to do on that first day is to utilize the Disney transportation and just hop around. We don't plan on going anywhere specific, but we usually start out by getting to the TTC. From there we take the first monorail, resort boat or bus we see. Each resort has activities that are free for anyone visiting. Just ask the front desk for an activities calendar. We have also found some yummy snacks on our hopping trips...like the tie-dye cheesecake at POP or Dole Whip at the Poly! Also, check out Yehaa Bob if at Port Orleans! He's great!!


3. Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is a must for us every trip. We love some of the dining options there and we also love the shopping. If you have never been, it can be overwhelming so some planning is in order. Contact your travel professional (*clears throat*) or do some research on your own to see what might interest you. We usually try to visit Disney's Days of Christmas, D Street, Goofy's Candy Co. and of course World of Disney (which is the world largest Disney Character store). Our favorite dining options include Wolfgang Puck Express, Raglan Road and Earl of Sandwich.


2. Dinner Shows

I have been to both Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness and the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney's Polynesian Resort...and I loved them both!!! What a great way to celebrate your first night in Disney. Both offer great food, great entertainment and unlimited beer and wine included in the cost of the show! Utilize those Disney buses to get home safely :)


1. Hard Ticket Events

By far the best thing that we have done on an arrival night is to visit Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. The party doesn't start until 7:00 pm, however they will allow you entry to the park as early as 4:00 pm. That is quite a good value for the cost of the ticket, if you use your time wisely! Use those first couple of hours to grab a bite to eat and possibly get a couple of rides out of the way before the festivities ensue. Same goes for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! What a magical way to start your vacation!!!

Fall Leaf Art

When I was little, we would spend Thanksgiving weekend at my grandparents house, which was "up north" in Michigan. My grandpa loved his long walks out in the woods and I always loved to join him. We would explore trails as he would teach me about plants, animals and leaves. I always brought home souvenirs from the journey and my mom always wanted to craft with them. Sometimes we painted rocks, but others we made leaf art.

I wanted some one-on-one time with my 3 year old...we are in the middle of moving and it has been hard on him. So I took him out for a walk and we made some leaf art of our own!

Fall Leaf Art 

Items Needed:

Various leaves 
Wax paper
Paper towel
Crayons
Iron and ironing board
Towel
Potato peeler

After you collect your leaves from our walk, you can start by having the kiddo(s) pick out some fall colored crayons. My guy picked out orange, yellow, red, brown, dark blue, and purple. Crayons that are broken or ones that have the paper missing may be best, because you will be ruining them. 

Parents will need to complete the next step. Take the potato peeler and "peel" some flecks off of the crayons into a box or bowl (we used an old puzzle box top).

After you get enough of the flecks (I let my kiddo tell me "when" for each color). you can get the ironing area set up. Set up the ironing board and place a hand towel onto the board. You will need two larger pieces of wax paper. If you want to create more than one, you will want to tear off additional. 

Now, place the leaves onto one sheet of the wax paper in whatever design you want . Try to keep them towards the center. The next step was always my favorite part! Let your kids sprinkle the crayons onto the leaves and all over the paper. Make sure they stay closer to the center so the color doesn't leak out of the design. You can separate the colors so you have bursts of red and purples, etc...or mix them all together like we did.

Top the leaves and crayon flecks with the top piece of wax paper and then a piece of paper towel over that...

Parents will have to complete the next step. Run a warm iron over the paper towel...just one or two passes should do the trick. Then voila!! Art!!!

This kids craft always reminds me of my childhood...and my grandpa who is deeply missed around the holidays and always. I hope that my kids will someday pass this Thanksgiving tradition onto their kids :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Disney Dining Plan (Done Right)

My family loves food and we love Disney food most of all. We always look forward to trying new places and we drool over menus every year in anticipation for our trip. The Disney Dining Plan has been a crucial part of our vacation! I have heard some people say that the dining plan isn't a good value. Just like anything in life...it is what you make of it! I'm going to give you my top 5 tips for making the DDP work for it's money!

 

5. Character Dining

 

Let's face it. Even as an adult, it is very cool to see those characters up close. It's a time saver for anyone interested in meet and greets and a stress reducer if you are a mother of a preschool aged child. We also like to book an early character breakfast in the parks, like Crystal Palace or Tusker House. This gets you into the park early and on those rides faster than the crowd at the turnstiles. We were lucky enough to get to "open" Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin last year at the Magic Kingdom because we were the first family to the ride. I don't know if we would have spent the money on Crystal Palace out of pocket, so in this instance, that one dining credit bought us a great memory!

4. Try New Places

 

 

Sometimes the unknown is scary, especially you are a non-adventurous eater. The dining plan can be a great way to explore new cuisines. Each trip we try one restaurant that is different and new to us. I suppose this can be done with or without the dining plan, however I know that I probably wouldn't have picked half of the places that we have eaten at had we paid out of pocket. Using those credits takes the edge off of paying $29.00 for a dish called Couscous M'Rouzia Fassi, especially when you have no idea what to expect. Although, it turned out to be pretty tasty!

 

3. Snack Attack

 

Know your snack credits and use them wisely! I see too many Disney guests scrambling in the gift shops to use up their snack credits before they check out. We never have any left on that last day because we put ours to good use. Items such as the giant ice cream cookie sandwich from Sleepy Hollow ($4.19), chicken fried rice from Anandupur Local Food Café ($3.99), or a much needed café mocha at Starring Rolls ($3.69) are all good values of a snack credit. Another good use of a snack credit is any cult food in Walt Disney World such as a Churro, Mickey Bar or a Dole Whip. But by far, the best use of a snack credit is saving them all for the Food and Wine Festival. Most of the goodies that you can buy during the festival are available under the plan. Just look for the purple DDP logo next to the item to be sure. We love snacking all over the world showcase!

 

 

2. Creative Credits

 

 

We always have at least one sit down meal that is not as expensive as the others. On one of our trips we ate at Sci-Fi Diner for lunch and had burgers. We ended up paying about $15 per person out of pocket. In doing this, we were able to double up on credits and eat at a signature restaurant another night. At that meal, we all had entrees that were around $50 per person. Once again, I am not sure that I would have tried that signature table service had it not been for the dining plan. The restaurant that we had eaten at had gotten mixed reviews, but since we had the credits I thought it was worth the gamble. It turned out to be a wonderful dining experience and I would gladly eat there again. Don't feel that just because you are given a set amout per person - per night of stay, that they must be used that way. Get creative and see what you can come up with!

 

 

1. Order Big

 

The number one reason that we use the dining plan year after year is because that we love to eat...a lot...on vacation. My husband is notorious for ordering the most expensive item on every menu. I, on the other hand, love to eat sweets while on our trip. I literally have been known to pick a table service restaurant based solely on the desserts. Now, my husband will order big every place we go. Disney or not, plan or not...so that in itself is a money saver for us. Now, as for me...I would never splurge on the calories or cost of a desert if I wasn't on the DDP. Having the dining plan is like a free pass for those sweet treats that I have grown to love. Just another reason that we will use that dining plan again and again!

 



 

 

I know that the dining plan will not be right for everybody, however I truly feel that it is a good value for our family. We love not having to worry about the cash for the meals and we love the way that it allows us to splurge on a $40 plate and a rich dessert afterwards. It adds so much to our vacations that I don't think we would take a Disney trip without it!!

 

 

 

Turkey Day Craft

You see, my son has gotten very involved with Halloween this year. We had taken him to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and he has been obsessed ever since. Every other word out of his mouth has to do with pumpkins. candy, bats, spooky decorations, etc. Who can blame him after a party like that?? We had such great fun!

Lil' Man dancing with Sanderson.

So now that Halloween is over, we are having a hard time to get him to move forward. When Thanksgiving is mentioned he literally asks, "Is Halloween going to come again after Thanksgiving?". I know my son...and a craft was in order. Maybe multiple crafts!

Paper Roll Turkey

Items Needed:

Emptied Toilet Paper Roll or Paper Towel Roll (cut down to about 2 inch tall tubes)
Construction Paper
School Glue
Black Marker
Scissors

 

Cut the feathers, beak and gobble thingy. Wattle? Gobble? Whatever. Unless you have a kid very proficient with safety scissors this will probably be faster, safer and easier if the parent does the cutting.

 

I dot each piece with glue and let my little guy pick the order of the feather colors. We line up the bottoms and I let him put the face together on his own.

Two dots of the black marker for eyes and some dry time and you have a cute little Tommy Turkey!

 

We plan on doing a couple more crafts to round out November including the handprint turkey and a special craft that my mom always did with me during Thanksgiving weekend. Stay tuned for that one!

My little guy is already more excited about Turkey Day and has not been talking nearly as much about pumpkins and ghosts! Amazing what a little paper and glue can accomplish! What are your favorite fall crafts to create with your kids?