Disney Channel - Facts about Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)

For all of you Hannah Montana fans, I found a site with a huge lists of trivia facts about Miley Cyrus (CLICK HERE). Here are some of my favorites:

• The red Valentino dress that Miley wore to the 2008 Academy Awards was said to have cost $10,550.
• Miley first auditioned for "Hannah Montana" when she was 11, trying for the part of Lilly. She later tried out for the part of Hannah and was turned down for both parts because she was too young.
• Miley's godmother is singer/actress Dolly Parton.
• Miley's grandmother is the only person who still calls her by her birth name, Destiny.
• She has already written over 100 songs, some featured in the new show "Hannah Montana".
• The 3-D version of Miley's "Best of Both Worlds" concert debuted in only 683 theaters worldwide on Super Bowl Weekend 2008, but it beat out all other films (which were playing in a larger number of theaters) with a record-breaking $31 million in just its first weekend.

Check out TV Trivia (CLICK HERE) for a lot more facts.

Disney Channel - Facts about Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)

Disney Channel - Disney Channel Games

The Disney.com site is the best place to find a wide assortment of Disney Channel games.

CLICK HERE for the direct link to the Disney Channel game chooser. There are over a hundred games, of which the Disney Channel game chooser picks five. These are all clever and a lot of fun.

Happy Disney Channel gaming!

Disney Channel - Disney Channel Games

Disney World Crowds - The Best Times to Go

Here is a wonderful resource I recently found on the web.  If you are wondering when to go to Disney World, at www.touringplans.com they have a calendar (CLICK HERE) which displays a crowd rating for each day (10 being most crowded, 1 least).  These numbers are very accurate based on historic and current crowd levels.

The free section is somewhat limited, so I suggested buying the Unofficial Guide (see below) and then you can have access to the whole year.  Though even the free resource is valuable.  

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)

Have a great time with less crowds.  Or, if you go when there are more crowds, go with a touring plan!

Ideas to Keep Your Feet Comfy at Disney

Here are some ideas (many from the Unofficial Guide) to help you prepare for walking 7 to 12 miles a day at Disney World or Disneyland.  

• Start going on short walks now or at least several weeks before you go.  
• Wear good shoes and socks.  I had a friend who recently went in just sandals (because he forgot to pack socks) and he came back with some terrible blisters, not to mention the discomfort of walking with sweaty feet.  Good walking shoes are a must, or running shoes even work well.  If you need to, get some really comfortable/supporting inserts.
• Keep your feet, socks, and shoes dry.  If they get wet, change your socks and shoes if possible.  
• Bring a first aid kit with you, and make sure it includes blister treatment items like moleskin or ointment.  
• Once you've prepared yourself, make sure the kids and spouses all have appropriate feet gear as well.  There is nothing worse than one person with feet problems spoiling the trip for everyone else.
• Get your really supportive spouse some foot lotion so he/she can give you foot massages at night.  
• If you have a serious foot condition, get some custom made orthotics (inserts) from your pediatrist.

Happy walking!  

Ideas to Keep Your Feet Comfy at Disney

Disney for Expectant Mothers: Rides You Cannot Ride

Many expecting mothers avoid Disney World and Disneyland because they are afraid they will not be able to go on many rides. Fortunately for you, there are actually more things you can do than not. So, here is a list of all of the rides expecting mothers cannot ride:

MAGIC KINGDOM:

• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Mad Tea Party (if you spin the cups)
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway (not recommended)

EPCOT

• Body Wars
• Mission Space
• Test Track

DISNEY HOLLYWOOD

• Tower of Terror
• Star Tours
• Rock'n'Roller Coaster

ANIMAL KINGDOM

• Dinosaur
• Primeval Whirl
• Expedition Everest

All of the water parks are also prohibited.

Wear extra support, take plenty of breaks, and you can still have a great time at the Disney parks even if you're expecting.

Disney for Expectant Mothers: Rides You Cannot Ride

Disney Dining: Money Saving Tips

As the last in our short series of Disney Dining tips I thought I would include some tips on how to save money on food during your Disney vacation. You can mix and match these as much as you feel comfortable. If you can afford to do so, I think the food at Disneyland and Disney World is great, but don't let that expense be what stops you from going.

So, here are some tips:

• Fill fanny packs with snacks: technically both Disneyland and Disney World do not allow outside food in their parks, but they rarely enforce this rule, even when they search your bags. So, give your kids (and yourselves if you must) fanny packs with snacks such as crackers, raisins, candy, whatever, and snack a little as you go.
• Eat breakfast before you go: either in your hotel (where most offer free breakfast), fast food, or at home, if you eat before you enter the park you already start saving.
• Eat lunch during an out of the park break: bring a cooler, put your lunch in it, and go to your car during lunch to give kids naps and eat your packed lunch.
  
• Eat dinner out of the park: the food may not be as good, but if you take another break at dinner you can find all kinds of food for cheap around the park.
  
• If you must eat at the park, buy snacks and other foods at the vendors not at restaurants. You may not get as much food, but it will be cheaper.

If you have any other suggestions please let me know. I know these work because as a poor college student with my family I tried them all!

Disney Dining: Money Saving Tips

Disney Dining: Best Foods

If you want really in depth information on Disney Dining you HAVE to get the Unofficial Guide (click just below):

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)

They have a full directory of all the restaurants, which ones are great for kids, which ones are quieter for adults, ratings, consumer advice, and much much more.

As a flavor for what it includes, I thought I would include their information on which foods are the best. This is based on discussions on their message boards:

Best Burger: Concourse Steakhouse, Disney's Contemporary Resort

Best Sandwich: Earl of Sandwich, Downtown Disney

Best Pizza: Wolfgang Puck Express, Downtown Disney

Best Drink for Adults: Grand Marnier Slush, France, Epcot

Best Drink for Kids: Muddy River Sour Apple Freeze, Port Orleans Riverside

Best Frozen Treat: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich, Main Street Bakery, Magic Kingdom AND Garbage Pail, Happy Landings, Typhoon Lagoon

Best Pastry: Napoleon, France Pavilion, Epcot

Best Salty Snack: Stuffed Pretzel, Lunching Pad, Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom

For more information and to participate in the discussion, see WDWMagic.com.

Happy Dining!

Disney Dining - When to Make Reservations

Here is how far in advance you can make your Advance Reservations (for more details CLICK HERE) to Disney Dining facilities. In most cases 80 to 45 days out is fine, but you can tell by how far out some of these dates are, certain dining "hot spots" require even earlier reservations (thanks Ultimate Guide):

365 days in advance:
Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness

180 days in advance:
Afternoon tea, children's programs at the Grand Floridian
All Disney full-service restaurants except Bistro de Paris at Epcot
Fulton's Crab House, House of Blues, and Portobello Yacht Club at Downtown Disney
Fanstasmic! dinner package at Disney Hollywood
Hoop-Dee-Doo-Revue at Fort Wilderness
Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort
Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian (Chef's Table only)
Wolfgang Puck Cafe at Downtown Disney

90 days in advance:
La Nouba by Cirque de Soleil at Downtown Disney

30 days in advance
Bistro de Paris (dinner only) at Epcot

Happy dining, & stay tuned for more...

Disney Dining: The Basics

Today I thought I would begin a short series of posts on Disney dining. You've all heard that dining at Disney World or Disneyland is expensive, and it is. But there are some great tips on how to save, where to go if you don't mind the extra cost, what the costs are, what categories there are, when to make reservations, and more.

Here I will simply try to cover some of the basics, which are (in no particular order):

• Advance Reservations = Priority Seating: in other words, when you make a reservation you don't actually have a reservation, you are simply seated before the walk-ins
• For the more popular dining (i.e. dinner shows, character dining, full-service dining, etc.) you should definitely make Advance Reservations or you will probably not get in. Most allow reservations 180 days in advance (80 to 45 days in advance is usually fine), but for specifics stay tuned as a complete list will be posted soon
• Dress throughout the parks at all restaurants is informal, though some of the resort restaurants have a "business casual" dress code
• Avoid fancy food, stick to the basics (at least at Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood)
• Don't order specialty sea-food unless the restaurant specializes in it
• Making lunch your big meal can save you money on the nicer Disney foods
• if you want to relax and don't want to be rushed through, take time ordering, and order each part separately (i.e. order drinks, take time, order appetizers, take time, etc.)
• On the flip side, avoid full service restaurants if you're in a rush to see as much as possible

And that's good to get us started. We will provide you with many more tips on dining in the next few weeks, but armed with that knowledge you can start making your plan. Bon apetit!

Disney Coupons

While searching around online I found a great place to get coupons you can use on Disney products. Here is the link (CLICK HERE). While there, look around for other favorite products. They have coupons for just about everything. Happy Shopping!

Disney Coupons