Mouse Travel Tips

Click here to listen to episode 8 or right click to download.

April is Autism Awareness month, so on today’s podcast we will be talking about visiting the Disney parks with someone who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. We explain a little bit about what Autism is, and how Disney helps those with ASD have a great experience at the parks.  We will share our Disney experiences with our son who is on the spectrum. We also share some information that anyone with special needs could use to make their trip to Disney more magical. Much of this information is on our companion website: Disney for Families with Autism Spectrum Disorder  (www.wdwautism.com), and the site is packed with different resources available to help with trip planning for special needs guests.

Here are some links on Autism that you might find helpful:

• 14 Signs of Autism
• How to interact with someone with Autism
• Disney’s Guest Assistance Card
• Disney Park Picture Schedule
• Disney Park Social Stories

The attraction we will be focusing on today is Snow White Scary’s Adventures, located in Fantasyland in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom parks.  This is our autistic son’s all-time favorite ride at Disney, so we hope you enjoy our information on it!

Contacting Mouse Travel Tips

Twitter: RayMTT

Facebook: Mouse Travel Tips

Voicemail:1-641-715-3900, extension 601469#.

Email: mousetraveltips@yahoo.com

Links:

• Walt Disney World Guests with Disabilities
• Disney for Family with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Allears.net section on Autism

Images:

Click here to listen or right click and save file to download Episode 7 Podcast

In this episode of Mouse Travel Tips, we talk about the pros and cons of staying “off property” at non-Disney hotels.  For many Disney travellers, off-property hotels offer prices and amenities that appeal to their budget and family needs.  In this podcast, we talk about how to make staying off property work for you and your family.

We then park hop over to Disney’s California Adventure park – the youngest of the U.S. based Disney theme parks.  Opened in 2001, Disney’s California Adventure (or DCA) highlights the sights, sounds, people, and food of the Golden State.

The attraction that best represents the DCA park is “Soarin’ over California”.  Filmed in IMAX high definition, the Soarin’ over California attraction takes guests on a hang-gliding adventure over many of California’s diverse cities and natural parks.  The attraction belends sight, sound, touch, and smell into an immersive experience that truly feels like you are flying over the Golden State!

Our featured restaurant is the Taste Pilot’s Grill – located in Condor Flats right next to the Soarin’ over California hangar.  The Taste Pilot’s grill offers ribs, sandwiches, burgers, and salads along with fries and onion rings.  This is a counter service restaurant, and prices range from about $7.00 through $13.00 for most entrees.

Additional Resources:

• Disneyland Resort’s Good Neighbor Hotels
• Disney California Adventure
• www.wdwautism.com page on Soarin’
• www.themouseforless.com Taste Pilot’s Grill Menu

Contacting Mouse Travel Tips

Twitter: RayMTT

Facebook: Mouse Travel Tips

Voicemail:1-641-715-3900, extension 601469#.

Email: mousetraveltips@yahoo.com

Images:

Soarin’ Video

Podcast Audio

Hello everyone:

In today’s episode, we discuss staying “on property” in Disney owned hotels.  The Walt Disney World resort in Florida has dozens of Disney owned properties to choose from, in four different budget ranges:  Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Vacation Club Villas.  At Disneyland there are three Disney properties:  the original Disneyland Hotel, the Paradise Pier hotel, and the Grand Californian hotel and Vacation Club Villas.  Staying at Disney hotels offer many perks, including free parking and transportation (at Walt Disney World in Florida), shopping delivery service, and the legendary Disney quality and experience.

We then park hop over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park – the youngest of the Walt Disney World theme parks.  Opened in 1998, the park focuses on animal conservation, research, and education.  It’s also home to a unique safari ride:  Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Set in the Africa section of the park, the ride is just like an African safari experience.  You roam around a 100 acre animal preserve, observing animals roaming free around the park.  If you are lucky, you’ll see lions, giraffes, elephants, and a variety of hoofed animals like gazelles, bongos, and okampi.  Beware of poachers though – they can take you on a wild chase through the park!

Finally, we visit the Tusker House restaurant, home to Donal’s Safari Breakfast character meal.  The Tusker House restaurant offers buffet style meals featuring American and African dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Contacting Mouse Travel Tips

Twitter: RayMTT

Facebook: Mouse Travel Tips

Voicemail:1-641-715-3900, extension 601469#.

Email: mousetraveltips@yahoo.com

Additional Resources

• Walt Disney World Resorts Website Page
• Disneyland Resort Website
• www.allears.net accommodations section (Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort)
• Disney Animal Kingdom
• www.wdwautism.com Kilimanjaro Safari
• Tusker House Restaurant Menu (www.allears.net Breakfast & Lunch/Dinner, www.wdwinfo.com)

Images:

Video:

Episode 6 Podcast:

In episode 5 we look at the annual Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT.  We discuss the festival, highlight key features and activities offered, and provide some advice on how to get the most out of Flower and Garden show.  Here are some links to important information regarding the 17th Annual EPCTO Flower and Garden Festival.

• Walt Disney World EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival page
• Festival Guide
• Schedule
• Concert Schedule

We then stay in EPCOT and explore the Land Pavilion in Future World.  We look at the Living with the Land boat ride, which provides a behind the scenes look at the working fish farms and fruit/vegetable gardens at EPCOT.  We then take a look at the restaurant the Garden Grill which rotates above the Living with the Land, and offers a sit down character meal featuring Farmer Mickey, and Chip and Dale.

Contacting Mouse Travel Tips

Twitter: RayMTT

Facebook: Mouse Travel Tips
 

Voicemail:1-641-715-3900, extension 601469#.

Email: mousetraveltips@yahoo.com

Images:

Flower and Garden Video from Disney Parks:

Episode 5 Audio:

Episode 4

In today’s travel tip section,  we are talkign about the Fast Pass ride reservation system.  Both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort offer Fast Passes for many of the most popular rides.  We explain what it is, how it works, and how to make the most out of the system so you don’t have to spend hours in line waiting for popular attractions.  For Disney’s official writeup on the Fast Pass system, please refer to one of the links below.

• Walt Disney World’s website on Fast Passes.
• Disneyland’s website on Fast Passes.

We then take a change from talking about Walt Disney World and head over to sunny southern California and the original Disneyland Park.  We introduce you to the eight lands that make up the Disneyland park, and briefly talk about the differences between Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  Here is the link to Disneyland’s Official website.

Then in honor of the soon-to-be-released “Alice in Wonderland” movie (directed by Tim Burton), we talk about two attractions at Disneyland that feature Alice.  We first talk about the Alice in Wonderland dark ride in Fantasyland.  The we move on to the famous Mad Tea Party ride (also know as “the Tea Cups”).

We hope you enjoy the show today!  Because I grew up in southern California, I thought it would be fun to post a really really old picture of me (dig those 70s clothes!) with my family on the Mad Tea Party ride, from when I was a kid.  Then compare it to a picture of me and my family now on the same ride at Walt Disney World.  Enjoy the nostalgia!

Rachel

Images used in the Podcast