Throw Back Thursday …… Here is a post card book my Nanny sent me… I believe the post mark says 1977.
Check out the picture of the Polynesian Beach – when they had it opened for swimming :))
Category: Disney Articles
The former Blog Two Moms and A Mouse has an array of wonderful articles to read; Please browse through them and ENJOY!
10 + 1 Things You Can Do Without Leaving Your Resort!
Want a Day Off- from the Parks?
All Disney resorts were created to entertain you and your whole family. You could spend an entire day at your resort and not have a need or reason to leave. Grab some Mickey waffles for breakfast and out you go for a day of fun and relaxation.
1)Go to the pool! Depending on your resort you may have quiet pools available – take a book, a beverage and you’re Mickey beach towel and your good to go! If you are in need of a little more action, seek out the feature pool and find a group of Cast Members entertaining with fun games and jamming music.
2)Explore your resort inside and out; you can be sure there are many details throughout that are waiting to be discovered! That D is not just for Disney – it stands for DETAIL as well. No matter what resort you hang your Mickey Ears at- you can be guaranteed detail around every corner!
3)Rent a Surrey Bike for 2, 4, or 6 people. Take a bicycle tour around your resort; I am sure there are adventures around each turn.
4)Take a trip to the arcade and see how many points you can rack up against your opponent(s). If the sun is hiding behind the clouds and rain drops are tumbling down, the arcade is the perfect place to play.
5)If you are of the appropriate age – seek out your resorts watering hole and order up a tasty beverage! I am sure there are new friends to meet and a Happy Host/Hostess waiting to greet!
6)Some resorts have boat rentals, if so take to the waters and ride the waves- enjoy the sites of your resort from a whole other perspective.
7)Your resort may offer a Pirate Cruise, Horse and Carriage Ride, or fishing. Guaranteed there is something for everyone!
8)How about just swinging from a hammock on a sandy beach or maybe relaxing in the spa pool?
9)Shopping anyone? Every Resort has a great gift shop or two to browse, one of my personal favorite pass times!
10)Dinner Time! Whether a table service reservation or a quick service meal, find what temps your tummy and filler-up!
+1)When the moon is shining bright it’s time to head for the campfire and or movie under the stars. A wonderful way to end a perfect day spent just at your Disney resort!
So there it is folks! 10 + 1 things to do without leaving your Disney Resort! Tell us your favorite resort activities~
~Maureen
Quick Tip Tuesday – Quality Wins Out
Today’s tip is about staying cool in the parks. The warmer weather is coming upon us and being in the parks during the summer months can get a bit blistery. Though I am always in search of a good bargain, some things are just worth paying a little more to get the best quality.
One steamy September Magic Kingdom day, we purchased a Misting Fan. I was a little taken back with the price, ($20.00 range) but in hind sight it was a clever purchase. Sure, you could buy a misting fan from another local chain store, but I guarantee the quality and longevity would not compare to Disney’s (I have had mine for about 4 years).
Disney’s misting fan has some great features –
- The bottles reservoir is wide and larger than most, enabling longer misting time before fill-ups
- The opening to fill the bottle is large enough to fit ice cubes – helping to keep your water nice and cool!
- The foam “blades” are safe around fingers and are wide to create a nice broad mist.
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The bottle has a wide base allowing it to sit sturdy on a table, or hang it from your carriage or shoulder from the velcro strap.
This souvenir is money well spent, stay cool at the parks then use it in the summer months at home!
How Imagineers Advertised Attractions
When entering the tunnels of the Magic Kingdom Park my eyes always scan the attraction posters that are displayed along the train station walls. Of course I already know what I am in store for – the attractions are as familiar to me as going home to visit my parents in the house I grew up in. What the posters do is spark my excitement with their bright colors and quick reminder of what is to come as I venture into the park.
Disney has been using attraction posters since Disneyland first opened in 1955. Walt’s version of an amusement park was far different than anything anyone had ever encountered; the Imagineers needed a way to depict the attractions that awaited them inside the gates. These beautiful and vibrant posters aligned the main entrance gates as if it were a theater lobby, some showing what lie ahead and some depicting up-coming attractions for the near future.
When Walt Disney World finally opened their gates and began their “show”, many of these audiences were not familiar with this new “amusement park” experience. Disneyland posters were re- purposed and became very helpful in the opening of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Some attraction posters can still be found in the Magic Kingdom, mostly within the train station tunnel. But they are a piece of our American history and tell a great story. If you are interested in learning more about their history and how they were and still are used through out all Disney parks, check out this link. Poster Art of the Disney Parks
~Maureen
May 28th Opening Date of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster – take a ride now!
They announced during the dedication of this new attraction, that May 28th will be the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster to all guests!
Want to take a ride now?? Experience a ride from both the front of the train and the back! Click here to check it out!
Looking Back at Mr. Toad and his Wild Ride
It’s TBT, a perfect day to talk about Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Walt Disney World Resort.
Being in some what of an older age group and having first visited the Magic Kingdom in 1974- I am a bit of a Mr. Toad fan.
I will never forget the thrill and sheer terror of being recklessly driven down that dark tunnel towards the oncoming train and then suddenly thrown into a room filled with Devilish figures; as an adult I came to understand this to be Hell.
None the less this has not emotionally scarred me in my adult years, but has left me with only fond memories and still completely intrigued with this little recklessly wild amphibian.
For those of you not familiar with this Classic Disney attraction, it first opened in Disneyland in 1955 (and still remains) and was an original opening day attraction in Walt Disney World in 1971, but closed on September 7th, 1998.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is and was (depending on the park we are speaking about) classified as a Dark Ride. Its attraction story is based on Disney’s version of Wind in the Willows from the film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. In WDW you had a choice of two separate boarding areas which would create a different ride experience depending which line you chose. Following your acceptance to board Mr. Toad’s old dilapidated vehicle (from his many crazy collisions) you are swooped into a WILD RIDE that only Mr. Toad himself could provide. Your car would make sudden turns and at times would move at full speed towards an obstacle and move out of the way at the last second. It was basically great old fashioned fun.
Upon its announcement and then final closure, many upset and angered voices spoke out. Toad Hall made way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. You can see references or shall we say homage paid to our old friend the tainted toad in Pooh’s now new home and in the Pet Cemetery over at the Haunted Mansion. A picture on a wall in Pooh’s new home shows Toad handing over the deed to owl and another with Pooh saying farewell to Mole.
Are you a Toady Fan? What are your fondest memories of this “once was” attraction?
~Maureen
The Many Mountains of Walt Disney World Resort
I thought it would be fun to compare all the thrill seeking mountains in Walt Disney World. Which has the fastest speeds, highest incline drop, longest ride experience, tallest height restriction???
Let go check them out!
Let’s start out with my personal favorite-
A pitch black rocket ride……..
Space Mountain opened January 15, 1975 and is the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida. You must be 44 inches tall to experience this high speed thrill.
Step on board this rocket for a high velocity trip into space! You will zoom by comets and reach for the stars at the speed of 27 mph for 2.35 minutes. This track will descend 26ft, hurling you down through the dark spirals of space.
Time to trade that rocket in for a train car…….
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad shared their cursed town and possessed train on November 15th, 1980. You must be 40 inches tall to ride this crazy train.
All a- board for a 3 minute tour of a town wiped out by a flash flood! Go speeding at 35 mph through an old abandoned mine town on this possessed train that has no engineer and no crew aboard! The highest rock mountain you will tumble down is 50 feet tall.
From the Southwest to the Deep South……..
Splash Mountain plunged onto the scene in October of 1992. You must be 40 inches tall to float along these rivers.
Hop into this log and follow Br’er Rabbit on a 10 minute journey – turned crazy adventure, to find his laughing place. Out wit Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear as you drop 53 feet at 40 mph. Return home happy, safe, and waterlogged with Br’er Rabbit.
Ready for another train ride? How about in the Himalayas?
Expedition Everest became Walt Disney Worlds tallest mountain and most expensive coaster on April 7, 2006. You must be 44 inches tall to join this trek to find the Yeti.
Your train departs from the station which is located in the village of Serka Zong. For about 3 minutes you take speeds of 50 mph through the Himalayas. You get a glimpse of the Yeti’s shadow and suddenly hurl out the side of an 80 foot mountain. Just as you feel this may not have been a good decision, you pull back into the station, a little rattled but with not a scratch.
These are the Mountains of Walt Disney World? Have you conquered them all?
Tell us which is your favorite or which you don’t dare to board!
~Maureen
Quick Tip Tuesday
Hi there! Coming at you with another Quick Tip on this Tuesday.
When I plan a Disney trip I like to budget my spending in categories, one of them being souvenirs. It is so easy to spend oodles of money on all that great Disney Merchandise. When I walk into a shop whether it’s in a resort, park or Downtown Disney, it is very difficult to restrain myself from filling my arms with the many wanted items I find. The same goes for our kids! If we get overwhelmed with temptation, then of course they do as well.
I find creating a spending budget that is reasonable for our family really helps us to stay focused and not go into a Mr. Toad’s Wilde Ride spin! To take it a step further, I break our spending budget down per person. The important thing is to discuss with your child, ( in an age appropriate manner) what a budget is and show them how much money they have to spend on souvenirs of their choice. Go to a local Dollar Store, Walmart, Target, or even the Disney Store and let them pick out a cool Disney wallet to keep their personal spending money in!
This budgeting tip will save you money in the long run and possibly a melt down or two 😉
Tomorrowland’s own Public Transportation System
When my family and I travel to Walt Disney World we always seem to arrive on a Monday- and what is the first thing we do? Go to the Magic Kingdom! Of course we have to start our day out with a dose of Disney Magic and the best place to find this is definitely the Magic Kingdom! For this reason I am dubbing- Monday’s @ Two Moms and A Mouse, ‘Magic Kingdom Monday’s’
Today we are heading over to Tomorrowland to take a ride on Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover or better known as the TTA. Before I tell you why I chose to visit this classic Disney attraction, let’s first talk about the history of the TTA.
The WEDway People Mover was the original name of the TTA Peoplemover; WED stood for Walter Elias Disney. Disneyland rolled this attraction out on July 2nd, 1967, but it was a little different than Walt Disney World’s TTA. Disneyland’s Wedway Peoplemover had an open track with covered cars. The cars weren’t motorized, the track itself was. Rubber tires powered by electricity were placed every nine feet along the three quarter of a mile track which helped move the PeopleMover along.
Walt Disney World received their version on July 1st of 1975; their attraction uses linear synchronous motorsit as a power system, (to read more about this click here). WDW’s TTA has gone through several refurbishments since then but remains a well loved and visited attraction. Now that the history lesson is over, let’s take a ride!
“Welcome to Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover, your quiet and carefree highway in the sky. Sit back and relax and enjoy your grand circle tour of Tomorrowland.” Even though this isn’t the fastest moving attraction or one that uses the latest technology to entertain us, it is a classic that has stood the test of time at Walt Disney World. You step into an open-air car via a moving conveyer belt that moves the same speed as the car and off we go!
This is the “perfect vehicle for people watching” and a great way to get a unique view and guided tour of Tomorrowland while we rest our feet. At one time the PeopleMover was being considered as a viable replacement for public transportation, I for one would love a Peoplemover in my town along with a monorail!
As a “Metroliner” we will get to venture through Space Mountain, so if you have not been brave enough to take a trip through space in a rocket, now is your chance to do so in a less intimidating way. Keep a look out for Walt’s model of Progress City (his inspiration for Epcot), what a thrill to see something Walt himself designed!
The Peoplemover is one of my favorite attractions in the Magic Kingdom. I love to feel as if I am one of Tomorrowland’s very own citizens using my futuristic town’s provided transportation to get to and from my destinations. I never tire of the recorded audio tour and all the little twists and turns that give just a touch of thrill within this relaxing ride through this Land of Tomorrow.
If you have not ventured aboard this cities public transportation system, I encourage you to seek it out on your next visit. If you have had the pleasure of riding the TTA, tell us your favorite things about it!
Want to take a ride now, hop aboard here and go to our WDW video’s section and look for TTA Peoplemover 🙂
~Maureen
Caribbean Beach Resort ~ my first Disney Resort Experience
I have been thinking about my Home away from Home more than usual. My mind drifts to my most cherished thoughts about my Disney vacations and one of those thoughts is of the Caribbean Beach Resort.
There is something special about the first time you call a Disney Resort your ‘home away from home’. Those memories locked themselves in a special place within my heart and kept me returning over and over.
CBR (Caribbean Beach Resort) is a moderate resort with the theme of… the Caribbean of course. Each differently colored cluster of buildings represents a different Island; there are six in all- Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Martinique, Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica.
Each Island has their own quiet pool, laundry center and white sandy beach complete with swaying hammocks under shading palm trees.
These quiet pools have been at great source of fun family time and a place where memories have been created. It is at the Jamaica quiet pool where Rebekah learned to swim; in a moments notice she took off in the water just the way Nemo swam off on his own for the very first time. A Caribbean Beach Manager had learned of this new milestone and presented Rebekah with a CBR pin off her shirt- man I love Disney!
This serene tropical paradise is placed around Barefoot Bay – CBR’s own private and tranquil lake. Some of my favorite memories are taking early morning and late night strolls around the 1.5 mile promenade that encircles this lake.
Jamaica is my favorite of all the islands; I love the bright yellow and soft blue color accents of its buildings.
There is a bridge right in the midst of Jamaica that will bring you right over to Old Port Royal where you can find your breakfast, lunch and dinner or shop at the Calypso Trading Post. I have spent many quiet moments browsing the Calypso while my husband and daughter have enjoyed the Pirate Pool and Shipwreck Splash area.
CBR has been my perfect piece of paradise on my Disney vacations…. What Disney Resort has captured your heart?
~Maureen