Graydon's 1st Trip to Disney World

May 2009 Disney Trip Purchase Summary

2010-03-24T09:49:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm finally finished (well almost) my daily reports from my trip a year ago, it's time to share what I actually bought at Disney World!

First up, the first two issues of Twenty-Three:

Since I didn't become a D23 member until the fall, I was itching to purchase the first 2 issues. I found issue #2 at the Vero Beach Resort gift shop (the name of the shop escapes me...). The premiere issue was purchased in the Disney Store in the Florida Mall in Orlando

Of course no trip to Disney World is complete without purchasing a few t-shirts:

I purchased these two in the Island Mercantile store, in Adventureland. The Jessica Rabbit caught my eye as you don't see enough Jessica merchandise!

The third shirt was purchased at Buffalo Jeans. I really like the Oswald character and it has become one of my favorite shirts to wear around the house. Very comfortable and stylish!

On previous trips, I started a tradition of buying polo shirts at each resort I stayed in. For this trip, I changed that tradition and started buying ball caps.

I also decided to start another new tradition of buying Mickey Ears:

Of course the blue ones are my son's. The Steamboat Willie hat was a good find and it was on sale!

I also bought my first Olszewski pieces: the Tiki room Pokit pal and the first of the series Haunted Mansion Pokit pal.

No trip would be complete without buying some pins to add to my collection.

In addition to buying hats of resorts I stay at, I also buy a pin from the resort.

I also love buying books and CD's from the parks. One great find was the Nemo book.

I purchased the World's Fair CD set. I know I probably could have purchased it for a cheaper price on Amazon, but I wanted to get it in person to make sure the packaging was in good shape.

A new collection (groan...) that started this trip was my Vinylmation collection. While I do have a couple of the 3 inch pieces from the first Park Series, that someone brought back for me, I was only able to find a few 9 inch pieces. I think that is a good thing, or I would have bought a whole tray to bring home!!

Finally, some rare finds: first off, I found this great key chain in the Boardwalk Resort gift shop that is located on the Boardwalk. I was looking for something for my nephews and found this little gem. It's an old style mini slide viewer with pictures from each of the parks. What's special about it, is that it has a picture of the Great Movie Ride without the hat and pictures of animals that don't look like they were taken at Animal Kingdom. My guess is that they are stock photos that were used as teasers.

I found these ceramic tiles/trivets in the store that is at the exit of Mickey's Philarmagic. You don't see a lot of Three Cabelleros, so this was a good find.

Finally, the item that I was really hoping to purchase while on my trip: Gnome Mickey! I saw this item on the Art of Disney Parks website, when they announced the EPCOT Flower and Garden Expo. I looked all over for this gem and finally found what I believe was the last one at the International Gateway gift shop. I unfortunately did not get the original box with it, but I really didn't care since it was the last one!!!

Well, that's it. Now that I have my next trip planned, I have to start my new shopping list.

Day 12: Our last day

2010-03-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2009

EPCOT

I realize that it's now over a year later from when I was actually in WDW. Instead of writing out my trip report for my last day, I thought I would just show some pictures from that day.

Day 11: Back to EPCOT

2010-03-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2009

EPCOT

We rose at our usual time, completed our usual routines and headed to EPCOT for some more fun.
We headed back to the Land for a delicious breakfast. Once we were done, Janice and I wanted to ride Soarin'. We flashed our special fast passes at the fast pass entrance and made our way in. Surprisingly, the Fast Pass line was busy. We back tracked out and picked up regular Fast Passes for later in the day (which we never used).

Since we only completed half of Future World on our last day at EPCOT, we decided to do the rest. We walked through Innoventions West. A lot had changed since our last trip.

We headed to Spaceship Earth to find another long line up. We skipped the line and went to the Universe of Energy, to experience Ellen's energy nightmare.

After watching Ellen win Jeopardy, we planned to visit the flower and garden event centre in the old Human Body pavilion, but for some reason it wasn't open yet.

We decided to walk through the butterfly tent on our way to Mouse Gears. We then walked through Innoventions East and decided that it was lunch time.

We ate at the Electric Umbrella where Charlotte started to get a little grumpy.

Steve left us after lunch and Janice and I headed back to Spaceship Earth. This time there was no line. I visited the Art of Disney store one more time and Janice and I walked through Mouse Gears where we picked up a few more souvenirs.

We went back to the room in time for a swim, but was disappointed with a thunder storm (the first one we had experienced on our trip). We relaxed a bit more before heading back to EPCOT for dinner. We were supposed to go to the Wave in the Contemporary for dinner. Based on how disappointed we were with the bus service, we switched our reservations to Tokyo Dining in Japan. I had heard good things about Tepan Edo (where they cook in front of you) but not about Tokyo Dining. The dinner and service was one of the best of our entire trip. They have a great selection (not just sushi). I plan to eat there on our next trip.

It was still raining after dinner, so Janice and I wandered through the Japanese department store and the stores in France. Steve and Charlotte left us early, as they were both tired.

We also were tired so we turned in early. We wanted to have lots of energy for our last day!

Day 10: Meeting up with old Friends

2010-03-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

May 11, 2009

Magic Kingdom
Disney's Hollywood Studios

Since we had already gone to all the parks in our first four days, we decided it was time to head back to the Magic Kingdom. We were also meeting up with Ken and Khristine and their kids for lunch. Ken, Khristine and I met while working together at the Disney Store. Ironically, we see each other only once or twice a year, so meeting up with them at Disney World was special.

We got out of the room at a decent time and hopped on the bus. We hit Main Street at a good time and headed to the Bakery for breakfast.

After our bite to eat, we walked up the rest of Main Street towards Fantasyland via Adventureland and Liberty Square as the Castle was closed and they also had a section of the "hub" closed off due to a mysterious back-pack left unattended. Interestingly, they made it look like a normal occurrence while maintaining safety.

We went on the Carousel first. Both Charlotte and Graydon loved it! Steve wanted to take Charlotte on Dumbo, so Janice and I went into the store that is right off of Mickey's Philarmagic attraction exit. I was able to find a nice set of three trivets of the Three Caballeros. There was also a great t-shirt of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but they didn't have any my size (post trip note: I was able to order the shirt from the mail order service.)

Steve eventually came off the carousel, as the line up was too long for Dumbo. We headed towards the Mad Hatter Tea Cups. Again Janice and I opted out as Graydon was asleep and I would have lost my breakfast on the tea cups.

Before we hit Tomorrowland, Steve and Charlotte went on the Tomorrowland Speedway, which was perfect timing, as Graydon was ready for his snack. Once we met back up, we went on one of my favorite rides in the Magic Kingdom, the Carousel of Progress. As outdated some of the sections are, it is still a classic.

We finished the morning off with the Buzz Lightyear ride. It was getting close to lunch time and we needed to get to Cosmic Rays to meet Ken and Khristine. We arranged to meet near Sunny Eclipse. It was really busy, so it was difficult to get tables close to each other. We finally met up and had a good time sharing some stories of our trip so far.

We eventually bid our farewells and made our way back to Adventureland for one more ride on Pirates of the Caribbean and then stopping for the best snack in WDW: a Dole Whip Pineapple Float! It was a hot enough day that the treat went down nicely. I really wish they sold the snack in the other parks. Steve and Charlotte decided to head back to the room early, so Janice and I decided to walk through all the stores on Main Street.

Once done our shopping we bid a tearful goodbye to the Magic Kingdom, as we figured we wouldn't be back there for the rest of the trip. We had another eventful bus ride back to the resort. For some reason the bus service to and from our resort was a mess!

I failed to mention that after I complained on Saturday night to the resort manager, I received a call from a manager of Disney Transportation. He was very apologetic after he heard about our plight. He ended up giving us four special Fast Passes that could be used by our entire group at any park and they had no expiry date.

We lounged around the room and pool before heading to Hollywood Studios for dinner at 50's Prime Time cafe. I always enjoy eating there as the food is good and the cast really ham it up.

Tonight was no exception! I noticed that at the end of our main course, Janice had not eaten all of her vegetables. I quietly pointed it out to our waiter who proceeded to play air plane with her fork and food. Janice played along but she was not impressed with me.

After dinner, Steve headed to Star Tours (another ride I end up sick after riding), while Janice, the kids and I headed back towards the Art of Disney. We had to exchange one of the nine inch Vinylmations, as the box for the original was damaged.

We met back up with Steve at the Sorcerer's hat and decided to go on Toy Story Midway Mania one more time. We knew the line up would be long so we decided to use one of the special fast passes. I'm glad we did, as the ride is a lot of fun.

We finished the night with a quiet boat ride back to the resort, where we called it a night as we needed to get our rest for another day of fun.

Day 9: A Day with the Animals

2009-12-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

To those that read this blog, I apologize for my tardiness of the posts. I have had a busy fall and winter, which has prevented me from finishing of my trip reports. I hope to have them finished within the next couple of weeks.... Oh and this post is dedicated to @tedwardishere .

May 10, 2009
Animal Kingdom
EPCOT

We started our day with the usual bottle feed, breakfast and shower, before heading to the bus stop to make our way to Animal Kingdom. Since Animal Kingdom doesn't have as many attractions as the other parks (it is getting there though!) I figured we wouldn't be there too long.

We made it to the park in a short bus ride. Since today was Mothers' Day, Janice received a carnation at the front gate. I was surprised they didn't have a special button as it seems they have a special button for everything else!

We beelined to Kilimanjaro Safaris. The wait was only twenty minutes, but we took fast passes anyway. We had to kill about forty-five minutes, so we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. I was able to take some awesome pictures of the gorillas.

After the trail, we killed a few more minutes before our fast pass time, in one of the stores.

Without a doubt, the safari ride was one of the best ever. A lot of the animals in the grasslands section were very active. Probably the best action came from the giraffes. One of the young ones was running all over the place, which was just amazing to see!

We made our way out of Africa and into Asia. Our plan was to get on Expedition Everest. For some reason, the ride was not working, and lines (standby, fast pass and single rider) were all long. We grabbed fast passes and got away from the area.

We walked over to Dinoland USA where Steve took Charlotte on the Triceratop Spin. When they were done, we all played one of the games (Janice won). Goofy and Pluto were out for pictures and autographs. We stood in line so Graydon and Charlotte (and me) could meet them.

It was soon time for Graydon's bottle. Janice settled down with Graydon and Charlotte in Restaurantosaurus, while Steve and I rode Dinosaur!

After all the excitement in the morning, we had built up an appetite. We headed to Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. We had a lovely view of Expedition Everest from our open air dining area. It was already into the early afternoon by the time were done lunch, so we skipped Everest (unfortunately) and made our way to Camp Mickey n' Minnie where we were hoping to finally get our picture with the Mouse himself. We were not disappointed! We had to wait a short while for him, but that is to be expected. We also got our pictures with Minnie again. Surprisingly, there was no wait for her. We also met one of the bear characters from the movie Brother Bear.

After our excitement with Mickey, it was time the head back to the resort for some rest. Animal Kingdom is a big park, so it tires you out quickly. Before we left I stopped in at the Art of Disney Store (fifth of five!), where I picked up another large Vinylmation.

We had our usual afternoon swim and rest, and once again headed back to EPCOT for dinner. This night we ate at Tutto Italia, the renamed Italian restaurant. I had heard good things about the restaurant since the name change, and I wasn't disappointed. The food was fantastic and the service equally good. The waitress even suggested a better bottle of wine from my initial selection.

We finished the night wondering around World Showcase, before calling it a day.

Day 8: Janice's Birthday!

2009-09-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2009
EPCOT
Downtown Disney (warning: not a good experience!!!)

Today was going to be a great day. Besides spending our day at EPCOT and having lunch at Le Cellier, it was also Janice's birthday! Since it was her birthday, Janice chose to spend her day in her (and mine) favorite park.

We entered the park through the International Gateway (which I love!). We had a chance to wonder a very empty World Showcase and take in some of the Flower and Garden displays.

Since we had an extra quick service to use, we decided to have breakfast at Sunshine Seasons in the Land. This worked out perfectly as I suggested we get fast passes for Soarin'. As expected, it was busy early on and our fast passes weren't until an hour or so later.

We had breakfast and then took in Living with the Land and the Circle of Life movie. I always love going on the Living with the Land ride. It is always interesting to see what they are growing.

I was worried about the Circle of Life movie and taking Graydon into it, as it is a pretty loud movie. Surprisingly, Graydon fell asleep in it, in my arms.

While Graydon slept, Janice and Steve went on Soarin'. You never realize how long you are in that attraction until you have to wait for someone. Once they were done, Steve and I took in the attraction.

Once we had finished all of the attractions in the Land, we rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Journey into Imagination with Figment. I was disappointed to find out that Figment was no longer around for pictures. Luckily, we were able to get one with him the last time we were in WDW.

By the time we were done all that fun, it was time for our lunch at Le Cellier. This wouldn't be just any regular lunch at the Le Cellier... it was also Janice's birthday lunch.

I checked us in at the podium and quietly asked about the cake I had ordered her. They noted my request and assured me they had it.

We had a great meal as usual. I had my favorite: the filet mignon with mushroom risotto. I actually found it a little saltier than when I had it before, but it was still a great steak.

When our waiter, Colin, came to take our dessert order, I had to pull him aside and remind him about the cake. He didn't know about it, but in his defence he had never had guests with a special cake order.

He brought out the cake and sang happy birthday, which embarrassed Janice (she really hates that stuff but too bad!).

Once done at Le Cellier we wandered through the UK pavilion while Steve took Charlotte back to the room for a break.

When we made it back to the room, we all went for a swim and had a couple of celebratory birthday drinks. Janice decided she wanted to go to to Downtown Disney to spend her $75 gift card she received from Disney for her birthday. Steve decided to stay back with Charlotte and we agreed to pick up dinner to bring back. We figured we wouldn't be longer that a couple of hours... or so we thought!

We made our way to the bus pickup only to find a group of people waiting for the Downtown Disney bus already. We ended up waiting forty minutes for the bus! The wait is supposed to be about twenty minutes.

We finally made it to our destination and hit our favorite stores: Art of Disney (the forth of five), the Pin station, the Winnie the Pooh store, Once Upon a Toy and the World of Disney. As usual it was busy all over Downtown Disney.

We also went into the new Tren-D store. I was actually disappointed as the store was geared just to women. They had some interesting pieces of Mickey art in the store though. I did help Janice pick out a cool purse: it was made of wide strands of old reprinted Mickey comics. Janice used her birthday gift card towards it, as it was pretty expensive. (Note: once I'm done my trip reports, I will be writing a post on all the stuff we bought, with pictures)

We didn't end up picking up dinner, as both quick service locations were busy. We made one more stop in the Art of Disney, where I purchased two Olszewski pockitpals. I also found out that they were releasing the three other Haunted Mansion paintings in the pockitpal series.

Again, we waited quite a while for the bus to get back to the resort. We ended up getting off at the Swan resort and walking back via the bridge, as we would have been quite later if we stayed on.

I sent Janice and Graydon back to the room while I went and picked up a pizza for the three adults. The pizza took a half hour, which allowed me to go back to the room to get my refillable mug, go to the front desk to complain about bus service and make it back just in time to pick up the pizza.

We had a late dinner and called it a night. While it was a fun day celebrating Janice's birthday, it was a very long day!

Day 7: Day of favorite rides! New and Old!

2009-08-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2009

Disney's Hollywood Studios

We were up early today and got out of the room fairly early. We made our way down to the Boardwalk to catch the boat to the Studios. Janice had time to use her mug to grab a "free" coffee at the Boardwalk stand.

We hopped on the boat, which was quite spacious. They are the same boats that they use in EPCOT, as they are technically on the same waterway.

We walked in to the Studios just before 9am, just before the rope drop. I had never witnessed a rope drop before, so i was very interested to see what they did.

Janice and Steve waited at the back of the large crowd, while I made my way up to the front through the stores. I had heard that Toy Story Midway Mania was a very popular ride and that the Fast-Passes went quickly. We planned it that I would grab the passes and regroup under the hat (which I still can't stand).

The rope drop ceremony was pretty good. The street actors that roam the park during the day are involved in the ceremony. It looked like they had a pair of Newlyweds acting out a "Lights, Camera, Action!" type sence. Before the rope fell to the ground, they emphasized that no one was to run, so that no one was hurt.

As expected most people made their way to Pixar place and the Fast Pass line. I picked up our passes, which were for 10am (already!) and met back up with the group. Donald Duck and Minnie were out for pictures. There was next to no line, so we waited and got some great pictures with them. Surprisingly, Graydon didn't cry, meeting his first Disney characters; he was very intrigued with them. When Charlotte met Donald, she proclaimed he felt really soft!

We took in the Great Movie ride, since there was no wait. Unfortunately, Graydon cried, as parts of the ride were a little loud for his small ears.

We went back to Midway Mania, and took turns, as we didn't think we could take Graydon on. Good thing too, as we probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. The ride is really fun and it is no wonder it is so popular. The Fast-Passes were gone in no time!

"Boy, the crowds are large today Sarge!"

The balance of the day was spent taking in Muppet Vision 3D (still one of my favorites), Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

We did visit most good stores including the Art of Disney (3 down, 2 to go). That the villains store, I purchased the Small World nine inch Vinylmation for Janice for Mothers' Day. I also saw a blank nine inch Vinylmation signed by the Disney Characters. Apparently, the characters will sign anything!

We made it back to the hotel for a swim. This was the second time for Graydon in a pool and he loved it more than the first time.

Back in the room, the kids had dinner and we had some adult beverages before heading out for dinner. Tonight's reservation was at Spoodles so we didn't have to go far.

This was the first time we have eaten at Spoodles. The menu is Mediterranean fare, so something different for a change.

We ordered Sangria, but were disappointed with how much we received. Apparently, they had changed jugs over and there was actually less in the new jugs. The story is that since the restaurant is changing over to Kat Kora's, the old jugs were "walking out" the door, as they had "Spoodles" printed on them.

We commented to the waitress, who mentioned it to the manager. The manager apologized and gave us a free second jug of Sangria.
The food was very good at Spoodles. I had roast pork tenderloin, which was very tender. Probably one of the best pork tenderloin I have ever had.

Overall, we had a great second day. Tomorrow will be fun as it is Janice's birthday and there was one more surprise to come!

Day 6: A day in the Kingdom

2009-08-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2009
Magic Kingdom--Daytime
EPCOT--Nighttime

Despite my concerns with the Magic Kingdom having morning Magic Hours (which usually means heavier crowds), we boarded the bus for the original park early in the day. The wait wasn't long for the bus, unlike the evening before when we never got on the Downtown Disney bus.

We arrived at the front gates and my original thoughts looked about right: the park was busy.

We made our way past security, through the turnstiles, walked over the Mickey shaped pixie dust (which Janice still doesn't have), under the train station and out onto Main Street. What a sight! There were already lineups for a couple of characters around the flagpole (can't remember which ones as there was too much going on), a lineup for Mickey (I assume, as he wasn't out yet) and a lineup for Chip and Dale.

We continued up Main Street where we caught a bit of the "Towns Folk" performing a song and dance number. We made it to the hub and decided to head to Fantasyland before it got too busy. This was a bit out of the norm for me, as I usually head to Adventureland first for Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course, we now had kids with us, so we needed to show them a good time too.

Peter Pan's Flight was already pretty busy, so we grabbed a fast-pass and headed onto It's a Small World. This was the second time I noticed some refurbishments (the first was Main Street). There was next to no wait.

We moved on to Winnie the Pooh and Snow White, and then made our way over to Adventureland. On our way we stopped for a coffee and bottle break.

We took in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Enchanted Tiki Room. Surprisingly Graydon fell asleep in the Tiki room with all the birds singing around him.

We had lunch at the Columbia Harbour House while Graydon slept. At the quick service restaurant, I noticed the new laminated menu cards (which somehow ended up in the diaper bag). By the time he woke up, it was our chance to use our Fast-passes for Peter Pan.

We finished off the day with the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion. We used the baby swap system at the Haunted mansion, as we felt Graydon wouldn't handle the attraction. Steve and Charlotte went first while we waited in the shade of the Haunted Mansion merchandise cart.

We made it out of the Mansion without becoming the 1000th haunt and walked down Main Street through the many shops. I poked my head in the Art of Disney shop in the old Main Street Cinema only to be disappointed: I was hoping to find the three inch Vinylmation figures, but was told the sold out shortly after they were released. They still had the nine inch series one figures, which I figured I would pick up later on.

Our last stop was the hat shop to order our personalized Mouse ears. We were heading out of the park, and since we would have had to wait 45 minutes for them, we had the hats shipped to the resort.

We were soon on the bus back to the resort for a break and a swim.

Our dinner reservations that night was for the San Angel Inn, in the Mexican pavilion in EPCOT. When I made our reservation, I found out that tonight was the last night before they closed for renovations (for the new Tequila bar I presume).

We made it to the restaurant on time (unlike the night before) and we're seated fairly quickly. Dinner went by pretty quickly, which was somewhat disappointing, as the atmosphere in Mexico is the best.

We went on the Gran Fiesta Tour and made our way to Spaceship Earth to end the night. This was our first time on Spaceship Earth since the renovations and we were pleasantly surprised. They retained many of the former portions but included new interactive portions at the end, which included photos of the three of us (well, actually just Janice and Graydon).

I went into the Art of Disney (yes, two in one day) quickly. I actually bought the Vinylmation at the EPCOT location .

We went back to the hotel room and turned in for the night. Day one was a very busy day, so we were very tired!

Note: Sorry for the long delay in posting Day 6 and subsequent days. I'm hoping to have the rest of my trip up within the next couple of weeks. And sorry for the lack of photos on this particular day. I used my video camera for most of the day.

Day 5: Shopping and finally Orlando!

2009-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2009
Vero Beach to Orlando

We woke with Graydon and started to feed him and get ready. I packed the car and made our way to the check out area before heading out. Janice grabbed some coffee and we were on the road once again!

We made it to Orlando in about an hour and a half, just in tme for Graydon's bottle and our early lunch (we didn't eat breakfast). We ate in the food court of the Florida Mall, our first stop of three before getting to Disney.

We walked around the mall made a few purchases. I picked up my Oswald t-shirt and a matching onesie for Graydon. I also picked up the first issue of the D23 magazine at the Disney Store. I had bought the second issue from the store at Vero Beach.

Once done there, we fought our way through traffic to get to the Target for some groceries. By the time we were done, it was close to the time that Steve and Charlotte would be reaching the resort. Steve had sent me a text message telling us he was in the airport.

We made our last stop at the Albertson's for some adult beverages and got back on the highway to get to Disney. We arrived just shortly after Steve arrived and checked in to the Boardwalk Villas all at once.

The Boardwalk is a beautiful resort but big! It seemed like it took us forever to get to our room.

We had a one bedroom villa booked, which was just the right amount of space. Janice, Graydon and I took the bedroom, and Stever and Charlotte had the living room area with the pullout couch. The bathroom was a little odd as it was one bathrom but seperated by a door. One part had the shower, toilet and a vanity sink, while the other part had a larger counter and sink, and the whirlpool bathtub. There was a closet at the back of the bathroom with a small wall safe.

The room was at the end of a wing, so we overlooked the waterway and the quiet pool.

Once everyone was settled, I unpacked the car and parked. We rested for a bit before we made our way to dinner at Wolfgang Puck's at Downtown Disney. We left ourselves plenty of time, but a bus never showed. With 10 minutes before our reservation to go, and us still standing at the bus stop, we knew we weren't going to make it so decided to hit one of the restaurants on the Boardwalk. Spoodles was full so we decided on ESPN. We had a good meal and a good start to our week at Disney World.

We turned in fairly early as we had a full day ahead of us at the Magic Kingdom.

I did have make a few phone calls before I said goodnight: I had to make sure that Janice received her flowers for Mother's Day and her birthday. They eventuall showed up and Janice was very surprised. i was very happy with them as they were bigger than expected!

Day 4: A day at the Beach!

2009-07-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2009
Disney's Vero Beach Resort

We finally had a day to sleep in a little bit. We woke up around 7ish, and I fed Graydon a little on the balcony while watching a beautiful sunrise. Having only really stayed on the Gulf Coast side and only seeing sunsets, it was special to see the sunrise with my own son!

Janice and Graydon rested a little longer while I went down to get Janice a coffee and both of us something to eat. The night before we purchased the refillable mugs that the resort offers for coffee and pop. We were surprised that they sold them as we thought they they only sold them in Orlando. We bought them with the idea we would use them in Orlando too.

We ate, showered and put our bathing suits on to spend some time at the pool and beach.

The pool area was very nice and not too busy. This was Graydon's first time in a pool, so it was lots of fun. He loved it!

We had lunch by the pool and went and dipped our feet in the ocean. The water wasn't a bad temperature. The sand was kinda course; not as nice as it is in Clearwater.

We headed back to the room for a bit, dressed and went for a walk around the resort, to try and get Graydon to nap. I want to mention again that the resort is wonderful. It reminded me of a small all-inclusive resort, that you would find in the Caribbean, but nicer.

We shopped in the resort gift shop (and so the Disney shopping began...) and relaxed in the rocking chairs on the front porch of the resort. What a way to spend an afternoon!

I took some pictures, walked back to the room, fed Graydon and went back to the main building for dinner at Shutters. We weren't in the mood to go out driving and we wanted to take advantage of the bounce back coupon.

Dinner was great again and we retired early, as we needed to start out early the next day for Orlando.

Day 3: Travel Day

2009-06-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2009
Columbia, SC to Vero Beach, FL

We were up a little earlier today, as I calculated the drive to be about an hour longer (thank you Google Maps!).

Today's drives was pretty uneventful as South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are pretty boring along the interstate.

We made our usual mid-morning stops for bottle and diaper change.

We stopped for lunch in Savannah, GA at, of course, Cracker Barrel. I've always meant to go into the historic district of Savannah, as I hear it is very picturesque.

This day of the drive actually had the most construction, especially through Jacksonville. Of course, not as much highway construction as Toronto!!

Before we made it to Jacksonville, we made our ceremonial stop at the Florida state welcome centre for our free sample of orange juice.

Once through the mess of Jacksonville, we pushed forward to Vero Beach. The last hour and a half was little bit hairy: for the first two days, Graydon was a real trooper and didn't fuss much. The last hour and a half was not pretty! Graydon cried most of the time and couldn't be consoled. He would just not settle, no matter what we did. So, getting to the resort was our up most priority.

We made it to Vero Beach and the Disney resort and we couldn't be happier. We were beat! And what a sight for sore eyes the resort was. Absolutely beautiful! Everything I would expect from a Disney resort plus more.

We checked in and made our way to our building and room. Surprisingly, they had underground parking, considering the resort is right on the beach and you would think the parking would flood with high water.

We had a studio room booked and it was more than enough room. It was an odd shaped room with a kitchenette, a pull out couch and a balcony with a view of the ocean.

We unpacked a little, fed Graydon and leisurely walked down to the main building for dinner. We ate at Shutters where I had the pot roast and Janice had the half rotisserie chicken. The meal was great and the service was just as good. At the end of the meal our sever provided us with a "bounce back" coupon for the following night. Through most of dinner, Graydon flirted with the waitresses and other guests.

As with the other nights, we turned in early with Graydon. Our plan for the next day is to relax. We needed it after the long drive!

Day 2: Travel Day

2009-06-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2009
Bridgeport, WV to Columbia, SC

Our second day of driving was a wet one. We had varying amounts of rain throughout the day (light to heavy downpour).

The second day was definitely the most scenic as most of the drive is through the mountains. The best part is Hwy 19 through West Virginia. The road winds through beautiful mountains and ends up going over the New River Gorge bridge. The bridge is apparently the largest single span bridge in North America (the world?). Our plan is stop at the lookout on our way home.

Once we made it back to the interstate, we stopped at the travel centre for a bottle and some Starbucks (mmmm..... Iced Green Tea Lemonade).

The drive down the mountains was equally eventful (coming in to North Carolina): we ran into heavy fog. Not as heavy as the fog we drove through on the same stretch of road going home, a year and a half ago.

We stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Jonesville, NC, which is pretty much half way. We stayed at the Hampton Inn (which is much nicer than the one the night before) at the same Interstate exit, so we were familiar with the restaurant.

Once done lunch, we finished the afternoon drive and stopped for the second night in Columbia, SC. We stayed in the Fairfield Inn, in the North East section of the city. This is a brand new hotel (opened in December) and it looked like a 5 star resort. Something I wouldn't expect from a roadside hotel.

We changed rooms twice as they booked us in a room with 2 queen beds instead of 1 king bed. We soon found out that all king bed rooms had no bathtubs (shower stalls only). Obviously we needed a bathtub to wash Graydon. So back to the front desk and off to our original room with 2 queen beds.

We went to dinner that night at the Olive Garden. Getting to the restaurant was interesting, as the girl at the hotel said it was about 5 to 10 minutes away but felt more like 10 to 15.

One interesting thing to note about dinner was the diversity of people. Living in Toronto all my life, I'm used to a big cross section of cultures and races. Not so in Columbia. Either Caucasian or African-American. That was a big culture shock!

As with the night before, we went to bed at the same time as Graydon. I needed to rest as my cold was still bothering me and I had a real hard time driving through the mountains with my ears. This next day should be better, as the drive is all flat.

Day 1: Travel Day

2009-06-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2009
Home (Pickering, Ontario) to Bridgeport, WV

Our trip started out as planned: out of the house shortly after 8 am and to the US border (Buffalo) in about 2 hours.

We crossed the border with very little hassle. The usual questions: Where are you going? Flying or driving (a lot of folks from Toronto drive to Buffalo to catch flights because the cost to fly from Toronto is much more expensive)? What are you bringing with you?

Our first pit stop was at the travel centre south west of Buffalo for a diaper change and a bottle.

We ended up having to make another pit stop just across the PA state line for another dirty diaper.

Drove on to Meadville, PA for our first of many lunch stops at the Cracker Barrel. I've been waiting for Cracker Barrel to have their chicken fried chicken, but decided to have a soup and sandwich instead. As good as the chicken is, it is too much food for lunch.

We continued on our way with one more pit stop before we made it to Bridgeport, WV.

I had booked a Hampton Inn as we have stayed at the chain before. The rooms are usually a good size, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. Seems like the hotel needs to give the room a fresh coat of paint.

We tried to go to the Outback Steakhouse for dinner, but the wait was over an hour (there were a bunch of teenagers dressed up for prom outside the restaurant) and it was well past 6pm. We ended up at the "Eat 'n Park." Service was slow, the food was not so great but the waiter was friendly and the pies looked good (even though we didn't have any).

We all hit the sack at 8:30ish. Janice and I were still getting over colds and we really couldn't do much without waking Graydon.

Overall day 1 was a good day. Graydon did better than expected in the car and I was hoping it would be the trend for the car trip.

Trip reports to come....

2009-06-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been back for over a month now, and still don't have my trip reports up yet. I haven't even finished my written journal book. But that should be completed soon! Which means my detailed (fair warning) blog reports will also be posted soon! Hopefully next week.

In the mean time, here are a couple of pictures for your enjoyment:

And the number 1 reason why I can't wait to go to Disney World...

2009-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Because I get to spend the time there with my wonderful wife and son!

Only 1 more sleep!!!!

Reason 2

2009-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Reason 3

2009-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Reason 4

2009-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Reason 5

2009-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite Dwarf

Reason 6

2009-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Trivia time! Who is Chip and who is Dale?

Reason 7

2009-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing like the castle....

Reason 8

2009-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

MMMMMM..... Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream..... On a stick!!!

Reason 9

2009-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I see this movie, I always get freaked out at the end!

Reason 10

2009-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh..... The good old days when there wasn't that silly hat! I really wish they would get rid of it.

Reason 11

2009-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to look under the mat for the key!

Reason 12

2009-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dude looks like a lady!!!

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 6

2009-04-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

I have a feeling this will be my last "shopping list" post, as the list is now long enough!

You can't talk about Disney (movies or parks) without talking about the music. The music in the parks especially, set the perfect mood. Even walking from one land to the other, you notice a distinct change in music.

I was quite surprised to see the following item show up on another blog and realize that I didn't have it in my Amazon wish list:

If you know your Disney history, you will know that 1964 World's Fair was the precursor to many great Disney park attractions. Of course the 5 CD set must be added to the other CD's in my collection.

Reason 13

2009-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Love the detail in this attraction!

Reason 14

2009-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

But I don't want to be a crash test dummy!!!

Reason 15

2009-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a sappy story....

The last time we were in Disney World, we went to EPCOT on our first day and made a mad dash to Soarin'. As soon as our feet had left the ground and the ride started, my eyes started to water.... Must have been my eyes adjusting to the dim light.

Reason 16

2009-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

On a recent episode of Ellen, she mentioned she had never been on Jeopardy. Obviously she forgot!

Reason 17

2009-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

How I wish they would bring back the original ride!

Reason 18

2009-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Still one of my favorite countries in EPCOT.

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 5

2009-04-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Instead of having 1 post per item I want to buy, I thought I would compile a list of items that I have found over the last little while, that I'm hoping to find.

The above item is a Pockitpal from Robert Olszewski. If you aren't familiar with the Olszewski collectibles, you are truly missing some great items. Robert Olszewski creates these wonderful miniatures that have the most amazing detail. He has even recreated Main St. The above is obviously one of the stretching portraits from the Haunted Mansion. Too cool for words.

The above shirt is actually from Lucky Brand jeans. I will be going to the Florida Mall in Orlando, so I'll be able to look for this t-shirt. Since Disney brought Oswald back home, I've been looking for any Oswald merchandise.

I'm not big on garden sculptures, but this Mickey Gnome is just too fun to pass up. I just have to find a place in the car to take him home. BTW, he is one of the merchandise offerings for the International Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT.

Reason 19

2009-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Everytime I watch the movie, I promise myself to go to China one day....

Reason 20

2009-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

One of the prettiest countries in EPCOT.

Reason 21

2009-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Really excited about seeing the new additions!

Reason 22

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

There really is a great big beautiful tomorrow!

Reason 23

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

One of these days I will actually eat at the restaurant in Japan. Can you hear the drums?

Reason 24

2009-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh.... Paris in Spring!

Reason 25

2009-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm actually sad that it will be closed when I'm there. Didn't get to ride it the last time.

Reason 26

2009-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Why can't I get that song out of my head?!?!?

Funny side story, my brother actually fell asleep on this ride once. And it wasn't when he was a kid!

Reason 27

2009-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Watch out for hitchhiking ghosts!

Reason 28

2009-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Don't bother trying to avoid getting wet on this ride.

Reason 29

2009-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt my favorite ride.

30 reasons why I can't wait to go to Disney World

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm..... Dole Whip float

30 more days!

Favorite Disney Moment Ever

2009-03-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Back in my post about which restaurants we planned to eat at, I mentioned that The California Grill was one of my favorite restaurants as I had a my ultimate...make that most "Magical" Disney experience at the restaurant. Well, before I could write this post, I had to scan something in, as the story requires proof. This past weekend, I was able to find the 5 minutes I needed to scan the item. Here's the story....

During our second trip to Disney World we decided to use two table services and eat at one of the Signature restaurants. We decided upon The California Grill, as I had heard many great things about the restaurant and the view was supposed to be spectacular.

Needless to say, we weren't disappointed. The food is great. They have wonderful flat bread pizzas and some of the best sushi I have ever had. The sushi chef is apparently world renown and unique as the chef is a woman, which is unheard of in the Japanese cuisine world.

The view... well what can you say about a view of the Magic Kingdom from high above. If you book the correct time and ask for the right table, you can view the fireworks while having dessert. If you can't get a time during the fireworks, you are allowed to use the rooftop platform.

But this story really isn't about the food and the view. It is about who we met.

The restaurant has tables up against the window and about 2-3 rows of tables which go towards the middle where the open kitchen is stationed. We sat in the "2nd" row of tables from the window. While in the middle of our appetizer course, I overheard a father at the table next to us tell his kids, "That gentleman by the window, is Mr. Disney." Of course, when I heard this, I perked up and scanned the room.

On my initial scan, I didn't recognize "Mr. Disney" and thought the father was kinda crazy. I gave another scan of the room....and sure enough, seated with his back to window, eating alone was Roy Disney! Wow!! I couldn't believe my eyes! Of course, I haven't met many "famous" people before in my life, so there was no way I was going to pass this opportunity up. He finished his dinner well before us and I quickly found something he could sign, if he happened to walk by our table. Luckily, he walked right by us and with a quick, "Excuse me sir, would you mind signing this?", I had met a Disney! Here's the proof:
Obviously, nothing will every top that dining experience!

Movin' Right Along!

2009-03-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

50 days from now, we will be pulling into the Boardwalks Villas, unpacking the car and checking in. Before all that happens we need to get down there!

As mentioned previously, we are taking 3 days to drive down to Florida. Doing it in 2 days is very reasonable from Southern Ontario, but with a 10 month old, probably too much. The plan is to be on the road for about 8-9 hours a day (7 hours of driving and 1-2 hours of breaks). Our first night will put us in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and our second night we'll be in Columbia, South Carolina.

We booked our hotels for the drive down; in Clarksburg we will be staying in a Hampton Inn and in Columbia, we will be in a Fairfield Inn. All I have to say is thank god for Trip Advisor! If it weren't for that website, I would be really afraid of which hotels to stay in. I'm always worried about the state of roadside motels, as there are some pretty dicey ones out there.

If you live in Southern Ontario or states close to Ontario, you will know that the drive down to Florida is very picturesque. You see rolling farm fields, beautiful mountain ranges and dense forests.

One of my favorite spots along the way is the New River Gorge bridge. What a site!

I'm sure we will have a few headaches along the way with making sure Graydon doesn't sleep the whole time in the car, but I'm sure it will still be great!

D23 update--Good improvement but not great!

2009-03-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on the shipping fees for Canadians wanting to sign-up for a D23 membership. I received a phone call back from Disney Shopping on the $50 shipping fees and apparently there were enough of us that complained, that they relooked at the cost and decided to lower the cost. Now, Canadians (not sure about other countries) will have to pay only $25 for shipping. Like I said in my title, this is a good change but not a great change, considering Americans receive free shipping.

They have already made the change, so if you go to purchase your membership now, the shipping fees are lower.

So, have I purchased my membership yet? No. I still want to see what I'm getting and if it is worth $135 Canadian. What is the likely hood that I will purchase it? Pretty good......

D23--Not so great for International Fans!

2009-03-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Disney finally launched D23 today.

If you aren't an avid Disney fan and a reader of the many Disney blogs out there, D23 was publicized on the web for about 2 months, with a simple website asking, "Are you 23?" Many rumours surrounded the website and what D23 was, from a big release of Disney DVD's to an exclusive club. Well, the latter was true. D23 is the ultimate Disney Fan Club, run by Disney.

This really isn't the first fan club that Disney has run. There was once the Magic Kingdom Club, which provided discounts on merchandise and other things. There is the Walt Disney Collector's Society (the official club of the Walt Disney Classics Collection), but it is no longer run by Disney, but rather by Enesco.

I won't get into the details of D23, but all I will say it is a Disney Fan's dream come true..... Except for this Disney fan!!!

To join, you purchase your membership from Disney Shopping. So, I had my credit card out, ready to purchase and made it all the way to the payment screen, to see a shipping fee of $50. $50 shipping for a $75 purchase?!?!? And US residents get free shipping??? Someone want to tell me how that is fair? I can understand that shipping outside the US is a little more expensive, but I live in Canada not eastern Europe or Australia. It is free to ship to Niagara Fall, New York, but costs $50 to get it over the border. In addition, with the currency exchange, my total cost would have come to about $160 Canadian, more than double the US cost.

Needless to say, until Disney does something about the shipping costs, I will not be a member of D23.

Yes, I'm still here....

2009-03-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

OK, so I know it has been almost a month since I have posted something and after some pestering by my co-worker/friend, I figured it was time I write something....

The planning of our trip is well underway. We actually paid off the balance of our trip on Monday, since the Canadian dollar was starting to take a bit of a dive. We didn't actually need to pay for the balance until March 22nd, but at a rate of $1.30 and getting worse, I wasn't taking any chances.

I also have all the restaurants booked. Here is where we are eating, in order:

Wolfgang Puck
San Angel Inn
Spoodles
Le Cellier
Tutto Italia
50's Prime Time Café
The Wave
Le Cellier

We had considered going to a signature restaurant one night, but figured it was going to be a little difficult with 2 kids and traveling on the WDW bus system. Most of the signature restaurants are in the hotels, which means a lot of bus transferring.

The one thing you will notice is we have booked Le Cellier twice. Yes, we love it that much. The one problem I had was getting a dinner reservation for the 9th of May. Initially, I had to take a lunch reservation, but was able to get a 7:15 dinner reservation for the same night (with thanks to the same co-worker/friend). As mentioned, Janice's birthday is on that day, and this is where she wants to eat. We are afraid it is going to be too late for the kids. The plan is to keep trying in the lead up to our stay, to get an earlier seating. As the same co-worker/friend mentioned, with the state of the economy, more people may cancel trips and reservations.

I also ordered a couple of surprises for Janice for both her Birthday and Mother's day. Unfortunately, I can't give away the details right now, as she may read this entry. I'll let you know what it was in a post-trip report.

Only 63 more sleeps!

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 4

2009-02-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

More Vinylmation pieces.... Urban Series 1, 3 inch figures:

Urban Series 1, 9 inch figures:

Just not too sure if and when they will be available as the Disney Gallery site doesn't provide much info.

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 3

2009-02-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

Since I have already mentioned the Walt Disney Classics Collection (WDCC to those in the know) before, it was inevitable that there would be another piece or 2 that I would want to pick up in the parks. And here now is the 2nd:

This is the 4th Figment piece that Walt Disney World has released. The first one (which I don't have and still looking for) was a simple Figment piece. The 2nd one featured the Dreamfinder and the 3rd was Figment with a tube of rainbow paint. The 2nd one I was able to purchase at Disney World in 2006, as there were many made and left over. The 3rd piece was released in 2008 and a little more limited (750 pieces). I had to mail order this one, and thankfully I did, as it sold out on the release weekend.

So, with the 4th one, I ran into a bit of a situation. The piece comes out on April 25th, a week and a half before I arrive. After a few phone calls, I was told that I could not have the piece put aside for me until I arrive and I could not have it "shipped" to the resort. Which means, I have to pay the $100 to ship it to Canada.... Almost doubling the purchase price of this piece!!!! I have always complained about the shipping fees to Canada as they are quite expensive. I realize that it is expensive to ship overseas, but Canada is not overseas!

Needless to say, I have ordered one for me and I'm going to try and make a few more phone calls to see if they can make an exception. Wish me luck!

Try the Grey Stuff. It's Delicious. Don't Believe Me? Ask the Dishes!

2009-01-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

With only 96 days to go, I'm quickly approaching my window to make dining reservations. And if you have ever made dinner reservations at Disney World, you will know this is one of the more stressfull parts of the planning.

Up until the Disney Dining Plans were introduced, my Disney World dining experience was minimal. I had eaten at the likes of San Angel Inn, 50's Prime Time Cafe and the Biergarten (when it wasn't a buffet). Now with the plan, I have eaten at almost all restaurants in EPCOT and restaurants I could usually not afford.

This will be the 4th trip we have made on the dining plan, and over the last 3 we have tried new ones each time. For this trip, we will have to limit our travel, since we will have two toddlers. With that in mind, here are the 4 restaurants I have planned so far:

1. Le Cellier (EPCOT, Canadian pavillion)
Le Cellier is by far, our favorite restaurant in all of Disney World. I know it sounds ridiculous that my favorite restaurant is in Canada and it may sound a little biased, but believe me, the food is spectacular. This isn't your typical steak house. Filet Mignon on mushroom risotto.... Do I have to say anymore?!?!? The wait staff is also one of the best in the entire resort.

Le Cellier is also one of the more popular restaurants, so this will be the first one I reserve. If you have ever eaten there, you know that most or all walk-up guests get turned away, as they are always full.

This will also be probably the highlight of our trip, as I'm going to try and reserve Le Cellier for Janice's birthday.

2. San Angel Inn (EPCOT, Mexico pavillion)
Another favorite. We actually didn't eat at San Angel Inn last trip, as we tried a lot of new restaurants. Again, great food (I love mexican and hardly get to eat it), but more importantly, great ambience. You truly feel like you are sitting outside in a square, somewhere in Mexico. As an added bonus, you can get some great entertainment while waiting for your table, as sometimes you have to wait awhile and some guests don't like to wait. Oh the arguements I have seen......

3. The Wave (Contemporary Hotel)
This is a new restaurant for us. The Wave replaced the Concourse Steakhouse about a year ago. I have heard really good reviews of this restaurant, so I'm excited to try it.

4. Tutto Italia (EPCOT, Italy pavilion)
This is a somewhat new restaurant for us. We had dined at the previous Italian restaurant (Alfredo's), which I thought was ok, but not fantastic. Since they have switched over, I have heard good things. My brother ate there last summer and really enjoyed it (he is a somewhat picky eater BTW).

That's all we have planned so far. I need to narrow down 3 more choices. I say 3, as one of them will be a Disney Signature restaurant (which requires 2 table services). The others we are considering are (signature choices in italics):
Spoodles (which we will probably book)
Chefs de France (another one we love)
50's Prime Time Cafe (always a fun dinner)
Boma
Liberty Tree Tavern
Jiko
Flying Fish Cafe
California Grill (another favorite, where I had my ultimate Disney expereince...but that is another post)
Artist Point

If you have insight into my above choices or any other suggestions, please let me know.

A Change in Plans...

2009-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

A few things have happened in the last couple of days. My brother in-law has expressed interest in joing us on our trip. He was able to get the days off and confirmed that he was coming along on our little adventure, which means..... We needed a bigger room!!!

Our group is now 5 instead of 3 (which includes 2 kids under 3). I looked at our options and figured that the DVC Villas are the best way to go. I wanted to stay near EPCOT still, so the Boardwalk Villas was the best choice.

We opted for a 1 bedroom suite, which will give us a room with a King size bed, a pull-out queen couch and a full kitchen. As Janice and I talked about the change, we realized that the kitchen will be a huge plus, as we can feed the kids before we enjoy our dinners in the great restaurants (my next post....).

I was still able to get the Buy 4 Get 3 Free deal, as the time period to book was extended until the end of March. Upgrading our room actually played in our best interests as my portion of the cost is now less than before.... And I have a bigger room. Win, Win for me!!

Another added bonus is that I will have someone to go on the "thrill" rides with, as Janice isn't a big "thrill" ride person.

Oh ya, and only 98 days to go!!

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 2

2009-01-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

I really want to buy this. Unfortunately, it won't be available until September (or later in Disney World). I'm hoping this is the start of a new Disney World series.

I have 3 pieces of the Pirates series (the Helmsman, the Pirate with Pigs and the Pirate on Canon) and hope to buy 1 or 2 more in May, which I will discuss in another post. I also have this Pirates piece, which was sold 9 years ago at a special event.

I guess if I can't get it in May, I will have to convince Janice to take another trip in September. Wish me luck!

Things I can't wait to buy in Disney World: Part 1

2009-01-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided to start a sub series in my Blog. If you know me at all, you know that I am a big Disneyana collector. I collect everything from PINS to Walt Disney Classics Collection pieces. Suffice to say, going to Disney World isn't just a trip to my favorite place on earth, but also a big shopping trip. Starting with this blog, anytime I see something that is only available at the parks that I will want to buy, I'm going to mention it. That way not only you will get to know me more, but it will also be an on-going shopping list for me.

First up are the new Disney Vinylmation pieces.

Disney teased about these items last summer and also sold pins in a lead up to the introduction. I've been following the designer toy craze lately and even have a small collection of Kidrobot Dunny's and Monster Factory plush. Obviously the Vinylmation pieces have piqued my interest. Now I have to try and find out how I can order a case of them and pick them up when I'm there instead of having them shipped.....

Postscript

Found some more pictures of first series. I particularly like the Disney Cruise Line exclusive:

Thanks to Plastic and Plush for the picture.

Disney's Vero Beach

2009-01-14T09:21:00.003-08:00

The last time my wife and I went to Disney World, we spent a couple of days beforehand in Clearwater Beach. The reason for this was 3 fold: Clearwater has some of the nicest and cleanest beaches I have ever been to, we needed a couple of days to unwind from the long drive, and I had a huge craving for some of the best pizza I have ever had. Also, my family and I used to spend a couple of weeks during summer holidays in Clearwater, so I know the area well and I feel safe going there.

We had a nice time there, but a lot had changed since I was there last. They had a ton of construction going on, because of Tampa hosting the Superbowl this year. It was also a little weird to see all the small hotels completely empty. I guess I should have expected that, considering we were there in October.

While planning for our upcoming trip, we again talked about going to the beach to unwind after the long drive and spend some quality time with Graydon. Even though we enjoyed Clearwater, I threw out the idea of maybe going to a different beach. As I started to think about locations, I couldn't pass up the oportunity to investigate Disney's Vero Beach resort.

For those unaware of the property, Disney has 2 beach resorts located in Vero Beach and Hilton Head, South Carolina (a third will soon open in Hawaii). The resorts are actually Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties, but non-DVC members can actually stay at the resorts (similar to staying at a DVC property in Disney World). Both are owned and operated by Disney, so you should expect the same level of service as you would get at a Disney World resort.

Convincing my wife to stay there wasn't that difficult. The price was relatively the same as the Hilton we stayed at in Clearwater (actually better after I asked if they had a CAA/AAA discount) and we would end up with the great Disney service we have grown to appreciate. Of course, I made sure there was plenty of shopping close by and an Olive Garden within driving distance (we don't have Olive Gardens in Canada anymore).

I have booked a Deluxe Inn room, as that is all the space we really need. The room has a small kitchenette and plenty of space for a crib.

I have never really stayed on the Atlantic side of Florida. I'm sure the beaches will be nice and the wildlife won't be drastically different.

The amenities in the resort look great (of course a Mickey shape pool is always fun). I know Janice will be looking forward to a beach bonfire! I'm just looking forward to relaxing!

Possibly the Best Disney World discount ever....

2009-01-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Disney has offered some great deals in the past, including free dining plans (September usually), upgrading tickets to include the park hopping option and water parks, room only discounts and tickets at par (for Canadians). But the most recent deal is by far the best discount ever. If you go to Disney World between January and June, you can purchase 4 nights and receive 3 free! Disney has never offered this kind of deal over such an extended time period. Of course there are some rules and regulations and a short black out period (over Easter), which is to be expected. And if you travel between February and March (including March break), you also receive a $200 gift card, to spend at Disney World.

This offer is obviously great for Disney World fans, but it is a sign of the times. I'm assuming that the execs in the Disney Parks division are predicting a decline in park and resort attendance, and want to fill rooms as best as possible. It will be interesting to see what kind of discounts they will offer for the Fall, which is historically a slow time for the resort.

As previously mentioned, we took extra advantage of this deal, and reserved a deluxe resort. I don't think we could have afforded the Boardwalk Inn at the regular rates.

Oh ya, and only 115 days to go....

New Experience, New Hotel...

2008-12-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

When people tell me they are going to Walt Disney World, my first question to them is usually: "What hotel are you staying at?" Now, I realize that when you go to Walt Disney World you spend most of your time at the parks, but let's face it, Disney has some of the best themed hotels in the world, and they have so many (23 at last count) to chose from.

My past trips have included stays at:

All the above resorts have great attributes. The All Star resorts (basically the Value resorts) are great if you are on a budget or have a family with little ones that need lots of interaction. But, be forewarned, there are a lot of families at these resorts, which means it can be hectic.

I stayed at the Disney Institute back in 2001 with my 3 buddies. It was a great location and room, as we needed the extra space.

We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside for the first time in 2007. This is a really great resort. The grounds aren't big and everything is within a decent walking distance. One part we really enjoyed was the boat trip to Downtown Disney. The downside to this resort, is it is quite a long bus ride to most of the parks.

By far my favorite from the list above is Coronado Springs. This is just a wonderful hotel. The theming is great. The rooms are really nice. The main building is fantastic. The main restaurant is really good and offers a great selection. I can't say enough about it. I should say, that I am a big fan of Mexico, since it is where Janice and I spent our honeymoon, so I may be a little biased.

I have heard many people say that Coronado is too big. But I guess that is one of the many reasons why I love this hotel, as you don't feel like you are tripping over others. Disney makes up for the size by offering golf cart rides to and from your hotel room (when you can find one). There are also lots of bus stops, so you aren't really far from one.

The other attractive feature of the Coronado is the fact that is has some of Disney's largest convention facilities. Why does that matter? The resort is quiet!! It doesn't really seem like there are a lot of families at this hotel, as most of the guests are convention goers. And let me tell you, after a day at the parks, sometimes peace and quiet is a good thing!!

This time around, we are staying at the Boardwalk Inn. The Boardwalk is considered a "Deluxe" Disney resort, which basically means it is more expensive. Before Disney offered the "Buy 4, get 3 free" (another post...), we talked about saving a little more money and going for a different hotel. The discount gave us that extra push.

I'm really excited about staying at the Boardwalk Inn as it is located virtually next door to EPCOT (a 5-10 min. walk). You can also take a boat to Disney Hollywood Studios and walk through EPCOT to take the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Basically, the only time we would have to take a bus is to Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney. After seeing people fumble with strollers on the busses, this is a huge bonus.

There is also a lot to do around the hotel (shops and such), which will be great to try and get Graydon to sleep, while taking a casual stroll.

Hopefully the next time we go, we can stay at the Contemporary.... Just need a bigger bonus for that!

Only 135 more days till Graydon's 1st Trip

2008-12-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is my son, Graydon:

He's only 5 months old, so for obvious reasons, he has never been to Disney World.

I, on the other hand have been a total of 11 times. My last trip was October of 2007, with my wonderful wife Janice.

We decided that come May, we would be ready for a vacation and it was the best time to take Graydon on his first trip to the most magical place on earth. Our plans are this:

Drive for 3 days
Spend 2 nights at Disney's Vero Beach resort (which I have never been to, but that's another blog entry...)
Spend 8 nights at Walt Disney World Resort
Take 3 days to drive home.

Now I know what you are all thinking: why the heck would you drive for 3 days with a 10 month old, and go on a trip such as this, that he will never remember??? Here are my reasons:

We both love Disney World. Since we were married, we have been 3 times in 4 years.
We could not turn up the most recent offer of buy 4 nights and get 3 nights free
The timing was perfect, as Janice will not have to use any vacation days, as she is still on Maternity leave.
We are taking 3 days to drive (we have done it in 2 days before) because we figured we could stop more often to stretch our legs and Graydon would handle the drive better
Graydon will be free at Disney World.
I have seen children only a few months old at Disney World before.
This blog will allow him to look back and see what his first trip to Disney World was like.

In my opinion, the above are good enough reasons. And if the above reasons are not good enough, well.... IT IS WALT DISNEY WORLD! WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO GO!!!

So, please join me on my journey as I write about the planning involved with Graydon's first trip and the days spent at my most favorite place in the world!