Walt Disney World Archives - Page 16 of 22

Finding Teachable Moments In the Park: Epcot

When I was younger and we went on family vacations, it was important to my parents that we learned something while we were having fun.

And as we started our family, we made the decision to integrate these teachable moments into our family trips.

I remember my first trip to Epcot in 1986, and all the fun we had talking about what we saw on the rides and the countries we visited in World Showcase. Without a doubt, Epcot was (and still is) my favorite park!

Now that our family lives so close to Walt Disney World, we still keep this tradition alive when we visit Epcot.

I hope that you enjoy this short trip around Epcot’s Future World for some of our family’s favorite Teachable Moments!

httpv://youtu.be/IMKPlD_EIdI

I’d love to hear some of your family’s traditions and teachable moments!

Wordless Wednesday – RunDisney #Run3rd

Wordless Wednesday – February 27, 2013

For more information about #run3rd visit their site.

Please take a second to really look at the Mission Statement, because it is definitely something that means a lot to me.

RunDisney Roundtable

For this week’s Roundtable, I thought it would be a lot of fun to look at all of our different thought on the RunDisney Events we have participated in!

I hope you enjoy!

1. What made you start participating in RunDisney Events?
Aurora – My Husband, Brother and Best friend VoluntEARed at our first event MANY years ago and it is something that my Husband and I have continued. We started off doing the Special Olympics events and now we try to do Marathon Weekend and Princess every weekend. We are running people but we LOVE VoluntEARing!!!
Beth – Just a whim actually. Sounded fun so I signed up for the Family 5k during Marathon Weekend 2012. I met some great people and got hooked!
Betsy – I set a goal for myself to do a 5k two years after I had major knee surgery.
Cheryl – My husband started running
Kelly – I figured it would motivate me to want to get out there and complete some races myself. And also to see everyone completing goals.
Shalon – I was never a very athletic person and never thought I’d be able to even complete a 5k. After seeing the wide array of people who ran a 5k at Disney I knew it was a goal I wanted to set for myself. After doing a 5k I decided to train for a half marathon as it was a bucket list item and was incredible to accomplish that goal at Disney!
Shelley – I have never been an avid runner, but after hearing people talk about how much they loved the RunDisney 5K’s I thought I would give it a shot…and I haven’t really looked back since!

2. What is your favorite Run Disney Race?
Betsy – I think the first race I ever ran is still my favorite. It was the inaugural Mickey’s Halloween 5k in October of 2010. It is the only 5k to my knowledge that ran through the Magic Kingdom. It was absolutely amazing! I wish they still had 5ks in that park.
Beth – Princess Weekend is special to me because I ran the Royal Family 5k in 2012 with my best friend Jaimee & soon to be best friends Mike and James. That weekend solidified my addiction to Run Disney and my desire to move to Florida. Plus you get to dress up like Princesses!!
Cheryl – Magic Kingdom 5k – sad that I never got to run this!
Kelly – I’ve only volunteered for the marathon weekend events, so I’d have to go with that.
Shalon – Princess weekend is my favorite since it was my first 5k and first half marathon.
Shelley – I am obsessed with the Princess Half Marathon Weekend activities! I love how even the guys get in the spirit of dressing up and having a great time running.
Aurora – Marathon Weekend every January is my favorite! So many costumes and creativity! A lot of people use this first race of the year as a tribute race for someone or a first time race for themselves.

3. Do you prefer night or day RunDisney races?
Cheryl – day
Kelly – To volunteer, either. If I was completing a race myself, day. I would think it would throw my schedule off to run a race at night.
Shalon – I prefer day races, its hard getting up that early but was much easier to adjust to than staying up later for a night race. Once a day race is over you can walk around the parks to work out any soreness and of course show off your bling!
Shelley – I prefer day races, because I love being able to walk around the parks and eating whatever I want…you know cause I just ran and it won’t count…right???
Aurora – I prefer voluntEARing at the day time races so I can see my friends faces and costumes lol!
Beth – Having run one night race and the rest day races, I prefer day. Night races are tough to prepare for especially the day of in terms of resting and eating enough prior to the start of the race.
Betsy – I think I prefer day races even though I am not a morning person. It is easier to rest up and prepare for the races than night races.

4. Costume or no costume when you’re running?
Kelly – For me to run in, no costume, but I love seeing everyone else in their costumes. It adds additional time on top of their training schedules for everyone to make their costumes, so to see everyone’s hard work is so fun!
Shalon – Costumes are a blast to create and show off during races! Just make sure to try them out beforehand to make sure it all fits well and won’t bother you during the race.
Shelley – I LOVE all the costumes, and I have really enjoyed the races when I have dressed up!
Aurora – As a spectator/voluntEAR I love the costumes! Have fun with it!!!!!
Beth – Costumes ABSOLUTELY! That’s one of my favorite parts second only to the bling! Be creative and have fun with it. Just make sure its comfortable and allows your skin to breath while running!
Betsy – I have never worn a costume while running, but I do enjoy seeing the costumes.
Cheryl – No Costume

5. What’s your best tip for visiting RunDisney Expos?
Shalon – Take you time to look around all the booths and companies there. You may not buy something that day but gives great ideas for running gear later on. Always take business cards of booths you enjoy so you will remember them after race weekend.
Shelley – Keep your eyes on the prize or you will find yourself walking out with TONS of cool stuff that you might not necessarily need!
Aurora – Do not go in there with a time limit set. Give yourself time to get your packet and have time to look at all the booths. There are SO MANY things to look at that if you only have an hour or whatever, you will end up skipping one that you probably wanted to see really bad!
Beth – I like to go as early as possible the very first day. It can be crowded and hectic but it’s a great time to see new products and meet up with friends and really get into the spirit of the race weekend.
Betsy – Definitely get there as early as you can and plan on allowing at least an hour or two. For larger race weekends like marathon, Princess and Wine and Dine, it can get crazy long lines. Take time to wander around the expo after packet pickup and see what the vendors have to offer. I’ve found some great deals on shoes, running belts, etc.
Cheryl – Go there early, it gets crowded!
Kelly – Go the first day, as early as possible. I’ve seen numerous products (if not all of them) sell out so quick.

6. What is your favorite RunDisney memory?
Shelley – This is such a tough one! But the memory that always makes me tear up is when I was running the Princess Half last year. We had just crossed the start line, and out of the blue I could hear Zoe yelling ‘Go Mommy! I’m so proud of you’ and I found her in the crowd jumping up & down blowing me kisses. Just knowing that I am setting an example of being healthy and reaching goals makes me push myself harder.
Aurora – Medaling my Best Friend Nicole when she on a whim ran her first full marathon! Nicole has never been a runner. She is more of a mosier! She decided to run at the pressing of her soon to be husband and did the full marathon in about 3 and 1/2hours! I have never been so PROUD in my life! She beat some people who are real runners and she had a blast doing it! I cried and cried and cried when she crossed and have never been so happy to see someone cross in my life! Putting that medal around her neck is something that will stick with me forever!
Beth – One of my favorite memories is running the 2012 Tower of Terror 10 Miler with my best friend, Jaimee, on both of our birthdays. It was a night race and started at 10pm on her birthday and we were still running when the clock struck midnight signaling the beginning of my birthday. We made shirts to go with our costumes that celebrated this. It was so fun running and having so many people wish us Happy Birthday!
Betsy – My favorite memory was running my first race since there was such a great sense of accomplishment coming off of my knee surgery. I have great memories from most all of the seven races I’ve run, but I think that the first was the best.
Cheryl – Running across the finish line
Kelly – My very first 5k was a RunDisney event and it was such an emotional day for me, so crossing that finish line and being able to see my parents and boyfriend cheering me on is definitely my favorite memory. Also, putting medals on a couple of the 20 year ‘Perfects’ this past marathon weekend was very cool, along seeing people get really emotional after finishing their first half marathon/marathon and being able to celebrate with them.
Shalon – Even though completing my first 5k was very memorable, completing my first half marathon Princess weekend 2012 was an experience I’ll never forget. I had such an incredible time running and sharing that memory with Shelley. I’ll never forget how we both burst into tears as we crossed the finish line…and again as we cried like babies as Aurora gave us our medals!

RunDisney Savings Plan

If you are like my family, you have a runner doing multiple RunDisney events in one year so it is necessary to have a RunDisney Savings Plan.

Here are some things to consider if you are running in the RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

First let’s look at the costs of entering the Wine & Dine Half Marathon

$175 by June 18, 2013
$190 between June 19 and August 13, 2013
$205 on or after August 14, 2013

So it’s easy to see that if you know that you are planning on running in a RunDisney event it is best to register as soon as possible!

The next big expense to consider is booking a room!

Keeping in mind that we are using the RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, you can find onsite pricing from Disney directly for value resorts is $121 per night for a 2 night stay,
this price does not include park admission. You may find cheaper pricing by contacting a Travel agent, booking your flight and travel together via travel websites or your airline website, or by taking advantage of any special offer that may come your way.

Another option is renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member. We don’t have an article on this yet (we promise it is coming soon) so we recommend you search the web on Disney Vacation Club point rental.

Renting Disney Vacation Club points can save you money on a room for the race! For example For the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon cost of the Disney’s Beach Club resort is $389 per person for a 2 night stay. For 2 people your cost would be $778 depending on the Disney Vacation Club point cost: a Studio at Beach Club would run you between $310 and $410.

So far Costs are:
Race: $175 or $190 or $205
Hotel: $121 or $778 or $310-$410
Flights: For this example we are assuming $250 round trip for 1 person so $500 for 2 people

Which then brings us to the cost of tickets. You’ll find that a 3 day ticket from Disney Direct (without the Run Disney discount) is $636.88 includes tax, note this includes Park hopping. A 3 day ticket without park hopping is $515.46. Please note this is the current price of tickets, like any other product, prices can change; we recommend you call Disney or search the internet to confirm current pricing.

So now it’s down to the nitty gritty! Time to calculate all of our costs: $205 + $410 + $500 = $1115.00, if you need tickets that cost increases to $1630.46. Food costs differ based upon needs, so add in your own food costs.

How can I save: Starting now you could put away $408 a month and have enough time to save $1630.46 by June 18th. If you already have tickets you could save $279 a month. You will need to add in extra savings for your food costs but this should give you a good guide of how you can plan to save to race.

Wordless Wednesday – RunDisney Princesses

Wordless Wednesday – February 20, 2013

Disney T-shirt Collection

T-shirt from runDisney I’d love image copyright Disney

People often ask what Disney items I collect. I don’t really do pins, other than for the races I’ve done or special occasions like Epcot’s 30th. Vinylmations aren’t really my thing because I know there are ones I like, but I can’t deal with the blind boxes and not knowing what I’m going to get. My weakness, when it comes to Disney, and other things, is my affinity for t-shirts. I’ve collected them since I moved to Florida in the late 1990s and thought I had a few added to the collection over the years. It wasn’t until I went to take pictures for this post that I realized that the number of Disney t-shirts I now own is pushing fifty.

Most of my Disney t-shirts have stories behind them as to when and where I purchased them. Others, I have no recollection of how I acquired them, but I am fairly certain that I purchased them all, if not all but one or two. At an average price of probably $20-25 each after discounts, I am a little embarrassed at the amount of money I’ve probably spent (well over $1,000.), but I do love them and the memories they bring. So I thought I’d take this time to share my t-shirt collection and what a few of them mean to me.

I wish I had a picture, or could find the shirt, but the first Disney t-shirt I actually remember getting (or having my mom possibly buy it for me) was in middle school on my first trip to Epcot in 1993. I loved the France pavilion so much and was a scholar of French at the time, so it was a perfect fit (or so I thought at the time) when I found a shirt that featured helpful phrases and words in French with their translation into English. The brilliant thing about this shirt was that the words were printed upside down, so I as the shirt wearer could read it a little easier. Dorky, I know, but I loved it and really wish I could lay my hands on it. I’ve spent over an hour looking and I’m temporarily calling off the search.

When I was in middle school and high school, my favorite Disney character was Winnie the Pooh. I had a stuffed Winnie the Pooh that even sang when you pushed a button on the hunny pot he was holding. I’m sure I still have him around here, but not sure where. These three shirts have survived a good two decades almost now.

The older I got, the more I realized that Mickey Mouse was actually my favorite character. I would say he probably makes up the character on the highest percentage of my shirts.

Over the years I have acquired a love for Disney t-shirts from the parks, whether to celebrate anniversaries or just favorite attractions.

Disney MGM Studios Where Animation Comes to Life front

Disney MGM Studios Where Animation Comes to Life back

Star Tours Judge Me By My Size, Do You front

Star Tours Judge Me By My Size, Do You back

Disney Tradition Built by Characterss front

Disney Tradition Built by Characterss back

Red Car Trolley at Disney California Adventure

My favorite sports team trains at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, so they even have Disney Atlanta Braves shirts.

ESPN WWOS Atlanta Braves Spring Training

Miscellaneous shirts

Don't Worry Be Happy — Don’t Worry Be Happy

Dopey I'm Smarter Than U Look — Dopey I’m Smarter Than U Look

Darth Vader Who's Your Daddy — Darth Vader Who’s Your Daddy

Even my favorite actor, Sean Connery, was featured on a t-shirt I got at MGM about fifteen years ago.

Then there are the holiday shirts. The one that was the hardest to get and to wear after earning it was the 24 hours Leap Day in 2012.

I only have one Disney resort t-shirt and that is for my favorite resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort.

Disney's Polynesian Resort front — Disney’s Polynesian Resort front

Disney's Polynesian Resort back — Disney’s Polynesian Resort back

The shirts I am most proud of, and have paid the most for individually, are those from my RunDisney races.

Mickey's Halloween 5K 2010 — Mickey’s Halloween 5K 2010

Buzz and Woody's Best Friends 5K 2011 — Buzz and Woody’s Best Friends 5K 2011

Beauty and the Beast Royal Family 5K 2011

My latest addition to my collection came last weekend in The Adventures of the Gummi Bears t-shirt.

In doing this, I noticed that I don’t have any Animal Kingdom shirts. I saw one the other day that I really liked, so this may be the next one to join the others.

Disney's Animal Kingdom t-shirt — Disney’s Animal Kingdom t-shirt

Do you collect anything? Do you have more Disney t-shirts than me? Do you have a favorite?

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend As A Spectator With Jaimee – @Jaimd929

Hey There! My name is Jaimee Dietz and I was asked to write about my experience as being a spectator at this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. This was my very first time going to marathon weekend so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I went to support my friends who were running the Family Fun Run 5k, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, the Walt Disney World Marathon and even the Goofy (the 1/2 on Saturday followed by the full on Sunday).

First off, I had the opportunity to see the Family Fun Run 5kers early, 4:30 AM to be exact, Friday at the Epcot parking lot, which is where all the runners congregate before heading into their respective corrals. Even though I wasn’t running, I could feel the excitement in the air. There was music blasting, a photo opportunity with Mickey and Minnie, and just a great time of seeing some old and new friends.

As the time approached for the runners to start the 5k, I then headed over to Hollywood Studios with James Hansen and Mary Jo Collins for the Run Disney Marathon Meet up. In order to be a part of the meet up, you had to follow the link in @runDisney‘s tweet announcing the event to sign up for a chance to attend. They only allow a certain number of participants, so it was very exciting to be chosen to go.

walt disney world marathon — Jaimee and the Big Cheese at the RunDisney Meet Up

We met at Hollywood Studios and ran 2 1/2 miles through the park followed by the opportunity to meet some inspiring runners, including Jeff Galloway. I even had my picture taken with celebrities Joey Fatone and Drew Carey. This was also my first time going to this event and it was so much fun. I would definitely do it again if I get the chance.

Saturday was an even earlier start where I got up at 2 am to see the Walt Disney World Half Marathon runners get ready to start their trek through the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. This race also started at the Epcot parking lot. I know this is insanely early but it was completely worth it.

After we left the runners, my friends James and Stephanie and I started our adventure by heading over to the Magic Kingdom via the monorail. This was the most practical way to get over to MK rather than driving a car. The whole process took about 30 min. To see the runners through MK, you don’t need a park ticket because technically the park is still closed. Main Street USA was breathtaking that early in the morning, because all the buildings were lit up with the sun rising behind them. They even had Cinderella’s castle all lit up with the Dream Lights. I could only imagine being one of those runners turning the corner to run down Main Street and see that glorious sight that is Cinderella’s castle. We stayed there for about an hour or two and then headed back over to Epcot to see our friends finish.

Taking the monorail back to Epcot was a little time consuming but we were in no rush so it really didn’t bother us. What was really neat and unexpected was as we were riding the monorail we could see the runners below. When we arrived back at Epcot, we headed over to the area where the resort buses are located to grab a spot to watch the runners head towards the finish line. Seeing my friends finish and wearing their medals proudly was so awesome and inspiring. It even made me proud for them.

Sunday was another amazing day being able to see some of my friends run the Walt Disney World Marathon. We made our way to the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot to watch the runners come through the end of the race at mile 25. I saw a lot tired and weary faces but also determined faces knowing that they were nearing the end. Some had smiles and some had tears in their eyes. I tried to cheer for everyone, strangers and friends alike, clapping, yelling, and ringing a cow bell!

Overall, I was so thrilled to be able to have this experience being a spectator at Marathon weekend. It was extremely inspiring seeing all different types of people running. One of the most touching moments was seeing a man carrying the American Flag while running down Main Street. It was such an amazing sight to see. It filled my heart with gratitude. Another very special moment was seeing a few men dressed in full firemen garb carrying tanks and all.

This weekend will definitely be a weekend I will never forget. You don’t have to be a runner or interested in running to enjoy marathon weekend. It’s so fun and exciting just being in the midst of all the Marathon Weekend activities. But be careful, you might just get inspired to hit the pavement and sign up for a race of your own. I’ll be running my first half marathon in February, the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon and I’m also training for the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge at Disneyland later this summer.

So get out there and cheer for those runners! You never know where it might lead you!

TrenD Report – T-Shirts And More Galore

This week’s TrenD Report is full of some fun new T-shirts, jewelry, and fun Disney items to spruce up your home for 2013!

I love that Snow White is hidden in this flowy tank – $39.95

This Minnie Mouse Trinket Box and Water Bottle are adorable – $24.95/$14.95

Don’t forget to take a look at last week’s TrenD Report, because I am still pretty much obsessed with the new purses they have out!

And while I am especially in love with the Harveys Mickey loves Minnie collection, I am chomping at the bit to see the Good vs Evil collection that will be released February 9th!!!

I hope that you’ve enjoyed window shopping with me!!!

Running Full Circle With Run Disney

How did I get involved with run Disney? Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of running……um NO! Honestly, I don’t really even like running. The races are fun but the training is definitely tough and requires discipline. Ok, so let me back up.

So I decided on a whim in November of 2011 to sign up for the Family 5k, or 3.1 miles, during WDW Marathon Weekend 2012. Having never trained before or participated in a race, I decided to join up with other runners on a “team” so I wouldn’t have to do the 5k alone. Being familiar with Lou Mongello and the WDW Radio Show, I knew they had a running team so I signed up for the WDW Radio Running Team. Who knew that one simple 5k and click of a mouse would completely change my life? Arriving at the Epcot parking lot at 4 AM that first morning was scary. I didn’t know these “teammates” I was searching for in the vast crowd. All I knew was that we were all wearing WDW Radio blue….did I mention that the official 5k shirts were blue that year too? So it’s 4AM, chilly and I’m staring at a sea of blue shirts looking for my team. Finally, after a mild panic attack fearing I was going to have to run this race totally alone, I spotted Katie McNamara and Mike Beckerman who I recognized from the facebook page for the running team. I walked over and introduced myself and immediately was welcomed with open arms. The three of us along with Deanna Mongello and Steve Drew ran the race together and honestly, as we neared the finish line we were all a bit sad that it was over. Yes! I actually wanted to keep running so that we could all be together. They all got me through that first race and I knew then and there, these were friends for life. They even humored me by waiting in line to get an official race photo taken with our medallions. Jokingly at the end of the race, Steve and Deanna said, you’ll be doing half marathons before you know it.

I tentatively agreed to do the half in 2013 but first I came home and immediately called my best friend Jaimee Dietz and asked her if she’d run the Royal Family 5k with me in February of 2012. She agreed and we began training together which was infinitely better than running alone. I couldn’t wait to get back to Florida and introduce her to all these wonderful friends that I had met the month prior. Princess Weekend 2012 cemented my addiction to running, my love for Florida, and my adoration for all these new friends. I was also introduced to the amazing Shelley Caran and Shalon Given during this weekend proving that you never know where life is taking you. More on that in a minute! Jaimee and I met people that weekend who are truly our best friends for life. The Royal Family 5k was so much fun; we got to wear tutus and tiaras which totally distracted us from the running aspect of the event.

My next event would be my biggest and scariest challenge, the Tower of Terror 10 miler. This race was tough, it was a night race, and extremely warm and humid. It was a special night though as the race started on Jaimee’s birthday and ended on my birthday. Thanks to Shelley and Shalon for helping us make some cute running shirts to celebrate this. It was also very exciting to get my first real race bling, an actual medal. The 5k medallions are nice but nothing compares to getting your first real medal. I also knew that having completed the 10 miler, I was totally capable of running and finishing the 2013 WDW Half Marathon. So now here we are, January 2013 and its been ten days since I completed my first half marathon. I won’t say it was easy because it wasn’t, but I had amazing teammates to pull me through. I can’t stress enough how much a running buddy can help you when you think you have nothing left inside you. I ran with three guys who had all previously done half’s or full’s so they were very helpful in explaining what and when I needed to eat, how to pace, and just what to expect in general. I’ll always be grateful to my Coral F running buds, Charles Stoddard, Nathan Mauldin, and Mike Beckerman.

So here we are, January 2013 and I have four 5k’s, one 10 miler, and one half marathon in the books. Whew….it’s been quite a year. This year I’m already registered for the Princess 1/2 next month and the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, a 10k followed by the Disneyland 1/2 marathon, in August.

So why do I keep doing this? What started as a whim turned into a totally new life for me. I lost weight, I raised money for the Dream Team Project benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation, I made lifelong friends, and I moved to Florida so that I could be with them all the time! Without all that, I wouldn’t be writing for this blog, operating my own handmade tutu and hair bow company, challenging myself daily to new things, and living a new life that I couldn’t be happier with.

So why Run Disney? Like most things, Disney exceeds your expectations when they put on an event. The races are filled with so much fun. There’s music, character meet-n-greets along the course, fireworks, after parties, and the BLING! It’s definitely not an inexpensive hobby but I’ve never once felt like I wasn’t getting my money’s worth in a Disney race. Another favorite aspect of race weekends is the camaraderie among runners in the parks following the races. Everyone wears their new bling, from the 5kers to the Goofy participants (those who run a 1/2 followed by a full marathon in one weekend) and congratulate each other as they pass in the parks. Even as I was cheering during the Full Marathon, wearing my 1/2 marathon medal, runners were going by congratulating me! They’re on mile 25 out of 26.1 and they take the time to tell me good job on my accomplishment as they are running by! I can’t forget to mention the amazing volunteers that make these races possible. They hand out water, drinks, biofreeze, and the medals.

Big thanks to On The Go’s own Aurora McBride for personally giving me my very first 1/2 marathon medal this year.

If you’re considering joining the Run Disney family, do it! You won’t regret it. You’ll gain so much more than you can even imagine. So join me, and follow along on my Run Disney journey this year as I go Coast-to-Coast! Happy running!

Wordless Wednesday – It’s A Small World

TrenD Report – Dooney, Harveys, And New Shirts Oh My!

It’s time to get 2013’s TrenD Reports started off with a bang!

While there was a lot of great merchandise over the holidays, I am super excited to start seeing the spring merchandise arriving at TrenD!

If you have an iPhone 4/4s and are a fan of the Disney Dooney & Bourke purses you are in luck, because TrenD (and other shops throughout Walt Disney World) are now carrying the iPhone case. The case is available in the sketch pattern with a background of black and white. I really love the white, but the pattern shows up pretty well on the black background as well.

New Harveys bags have also made their way to the TrenD Report! The new Mickey and Minnie in Love bags feature rough sketches of Mickey and Minnie with red hearts, which is absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day (HINT HINT DAVID CARAN)! This new design is soooooo much fun!!! I really love the playful design, and the red/white/blue/black color combination is perfect for the spring and summer. I honestly feel like you can’t go wrong with this bag! Great style, perfect colors, and once again the durable construction & warranty totally make buying one of the Harveys Bags a fun idea!

Again the shirts and hoodies are taking on a very fun character twist, because they’re staying true to their character’s traits but having fun with the TrenD styles!

There are some great new bags out, too! The plastic bag is a great option for the beach or water park, and the matching cosmetic/ditty bag set is a great touch since you can see through the bag in places. Also, the canvas/velvet ribbon Princess bags are super cute!!!

And finally I found some really cute small items tucked away to include in the TrenD Report this week! Fun frames, some interesting tights, a cute necklace, and more.

I really hope that you enjoy this week’s TrenD Report!!!

Wordless Wednesday – Typhoon Dreams

Christmas Memories From Us To You!

We all have some great Christmas memories, and we thought we would share a few with you today!

Merry Christmas from all of us at On the Go in MCO!!!

Walt Disney World Christmas — 2012 MVMCP Betsy with the Gang

Christmas Memories — Shelley, Dave, and Zoe at Celebration’s Snowing Nightly

Disney Parks Blog Be Our Guest Meet Up

Entering New Fantasyland for the Disney Parks Blog Meet Up

Recently we were fortunate enough to be one of the lucky few to successfully register for the Disney Parks Blog meet at the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. Those of us in attendance were treated to a grand evening in Disney’s newest counter/table service restaurant. Shalon and I had a great time at this exclusive opportunity. If you look closely, you can spot Shalon and me in the pictures and video on the Disney Parks Blog post about the night here.

We were greeted outside the Magic Kingdom at the registration table by Cast Members welcoming us to the event who gave us each complimentary tickets to the park good for that day or the next. They also told us that we were randomly selected to get autographed posters signed by the artist at the party. In addition to these we received Fast Passes to be able to experience the new attraction Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.

As we entered the New Fantasyland area of the park, we were guided to queue up before the bridge to the Be Our Guest Restaurant. We met up with our friend Vickie, wife and social media director of Steve Barrett, the Hidden Mickey Guy, and invited her to join us. We were ushered in and were promptly seated at a table right in front of the stage.

Before the speakers started, we were greeted with excellent service from our server Melissa. I was thoroughly impressed with the presentation and quality of the food. During the meal we heard Thomas Smith from the Disney Parks Blog, Imagineer Chris Beatty and Executive Chef Mike. After dinner they we were all available for meet and greets along with other Imagineers in the West Wing.

The highlight of the evening for me was the amazing meal to which we were treated. It started with the beautiful light up goblets serving L’amour Vrai: all natural fruit juice punch with wild berry extract and lemon lime foam. Fresh warm rolls and butter started the meal off right. For an appetizer I had the potato leek soup and Shalon had the french onion soup. Both were fantastic! I love this soup just as much as at Rose and Crown where it is my favorite appetizer there. My entree was the incredible pan-seared salmon on leek fondue with creamy saffron crushed potatoes and Shalon ordered the thyme-scented pork rack chop with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables and red wine jus. I don’t even like pork chops and I tried some of Shalon’s and loved it. The meat was so juicy and tender and my salmon was cooked to perfection.

Dessert was a thing of sheer brilliance, especially on Shalon’s part. Having just come off of a Disney Cruise, she was accustomed to being able to order multiple desserts and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask here. Melissa was very nice and accommodated our request, so we each had two desserts. I started with the strawberry cream cheese cupcake with vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling and cream cheese icing, then tried the gluten-free, no sugar added lemon-raspberry cream puff filled with lemon custard. I actually preferred the latter to my surprise! Shalon had the chocolate cream puff filled with chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and then her favorite the triple chocolate cupcake with chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache. We even got to try the grey stuff.

Strawberry cream cheese cupcake and lemon raspberry cream puff

Once the meal concluded, we were free to roam about the restaurant and take pictures and meet with the Imagineers and chef to ask any questions. Also, to our surprise, we were also given the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the Beast in the library. Shalon and I won signed copies of the poster all guests received at the Disney Parks Blog meetup and were able to meet the artist, Jeff Maurer, to get them personalized. On the way out we were given our choice of cupcakes to go so I got the triple chocolate cupcake which was the best dessert I had.

The evening was absolutely amazing from the atmosphere to the food to the service. From previous experience at the restaurant in dress rehearsal mode, I was very impressed with the level of the presentation of service we received. I cannot wait to go back and try some of the other items on the menu like the sauteed shrimp and scallops and mussels provencal. This was yet another magnificent production put on by the crew at the Disney Parks Blog and I look forward to future events they host. I hope you all get a chance to experience this great addition to New Fantasyland!

Prince Eric's Castle — Prince Eric’s Castle

Wordless Wednesday – Welcome To New Fantasyland

Wordless Wednesday 12 5 2012 — Wordless Wednesday – Welcome to New Fantasyland