Mouse Travel Tips

I nearly forgot today was President’s Day.  My kids had to go to school (making up those snow days from earlier this month), but the veterans putting out the flags along Rufe Snow Boulevard in Keller, TX reminded me that this was a day to remember some of our great U.S. Presidents and how they have impacted our lives.

In honor of President’s Day, we’d like to recommend three patriotic and presidentially oriented activities at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that will help you remember the contributions of our early, and current, Chief Executives of the United States.

First – take in a showing of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” at Disneyland park in Anaheim, California.  Walt Disney had a great deal of affection and respect for our 16th President.  In fact, Mr. Lincoln is the main reason we have Audio-Animatronic figures today!  Walt and his Imagineers created a lifelike mechanical representation of Abraham Lincoln for the 1964 World’s Fair – and gave birth to a whole new technology that other companies have never been able to duplicate as successfully as Disney.

Second – you can meet all of our U.S. Presidents  at the “Hall of Presidents” Attraction, located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  The attraction was retrofitted in 2009 to add our 44th U.S. President, Barrack Obama.  What I love about this attraction is the Presidential memorabilia out in the lobby – including the boots worn by George W. Bush at his Inaguration (yes – we Texans love our boots!).  It’s also funny to watch the Presidents fidget and whisper as the others are talking – you can’t get much more lifelike than that.

Third – live the Golden Dream at the American Adventure Pavilion in Epcot.   This 30 minute combination of audio-animatronic show and film clips is a frank look at the history of America – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Presidents like Thomas Jefferson make appearances throughout the show, along with American icons like Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin.  The show makes no excuses, but instead shows how Americans have grown up as a country.  The final montage is both stirring, with inspiring quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  and heartbreaking with clips from the 9-11 tragedy and aftermath of that terrorist attack on our country.  It’s definitely worth seeing over and over again so you can catch all of the history and nuances.

Happy President’s Day from all of us at Mouse Travel Tips podcast!

Although I’m not much of a gamer, I have really coveted the recently released Wii game – “Disney Epic Mickey”, from Disney Interactive Studios.  This post-apocalyptic game set in a Tim Burtonesque version of Disneyland is intriguing for fans of Disney.  But as much as I coveted it, the new game price tag was a bit out of reach for me, especially with those post-baby hospital bills still coming in.  So I resigned myself to searching out a used version, and figured that maybe by the summer one would be on the market.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into our local Blockbuster store this past Saturday, and scored a used version of “Epic Mickey” for only $20!  Woo hooo!  It must have been fate, or pixie dust, or wishing on a star – because I hit the store exactly as they put out the copy.  As a good bargain hunter, I immediately snatched it up and cradled it to my chest like it was my own little son (although I did refrain from baby talk and singing to it).  Ray and I immediately took it home and started playing.

Now, I’ll confess I really haven’t adjusted to the Wii controllers very well.  I prefer my XBOX 360 games, like Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, Zelda, and so forth.  I was a little hesitant to play the game, but under the expert tutelage of my soon-to-be-six-year-old daughter, I quickly mastered the starting moves that allow Mickey to defeat his foes and gather e-tickets and other goodies.  Becca really loves playing “Chef Mickey” (she’s a little confused I think, but she knows what she means).  I got so confident, I could even play while holding my sleeping infant – yes, sad, but true!

But wait – there’s more!  What should my loving husband get me for Valentine’s Day but the “Epic Mickey” player’s guide!  What more could a woman want?  It was better than all the flowers and most of the chocolate in the world to me.

So now my biggest challenge is finding the time to play.  Any tips on how to find more hours in the day?

Walt Disney World recently released the 2011 dates for Star Wars Weekend events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Intergalactic events will be held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from May 20 through June 12.  This is a great way for fans of the “Star Wars” franchise to dress up, meet their favorite characters, and participate in several “Star Wars” themed events at the DHS park.

I’m especially excited because this is the first time I’ll be attending Star Wars Weekend (SWW).  Woo hooo!  May the Force be with me on this journey!  Ray and the kids have each been several times, but I was never able to join them.  I’ll get to see firsthand how excited my kids get to see their favorite Star Wars characters.  I might even be able to persuade them to dress up (hey – I gotta recoup that $40 investment in the Bobba Fett costume I bought my daughter last Halloween, right?).

To say my kids love “Star Wars” is an understatement.  On their first trip to Star Wars Weekend in 2007, my daughter (who was two years old at the time) got so excited to see Chewbacca that she jumped up out of her stroller and ran to him – before the adults even realized she was gone.  There were a few heart-stopping moments, but they finally located her clinging to Chewbacca’s legs, waiting for Daddy to snap a picture of her.  That’s my girl!

In addition to the excitement of the events and activities, we are really hoping that the refurbishment of the “Star Tours” attraction will complete on time.  According to some rumors, it’s possible the ride will open at DHS a few days prior to the start of the SWW event.   That seems likely, because George Lucas recently toured the progress of the Disneyland refurbishment, and seemed to like what he saw.

So may the Force be with the Imagineers, so we can get Star Wars Weekend and the Star Tours attraction all opening at the same time this year!  To hear our tips and reviews of Star Wars Weekend events, check out Episode 14 of Mouse Travel Tips.  And remember:  “The Force will be with you…always.”

February is International Friendship month:  a time for people around the world to celebrate the bonds that unite us despite our different nationalities.  At Disney parks, the friendships and bonds between nations is celebrated year round, and not just in February.

In Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, guests riding the “It’s a Small World” attraction are reminded again and again that people all over the world are the same.  The attraction, created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, was created to show how children all over the world share common goals and dreams.  Love it or hate it, the ride’s theme song was really meant to be a “prayer for peace”, according to composer Richard Sherman.  While the words are simple, the song’s lyrics really promote world friendship:

It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears

It’s a world of hope and a world of fears

There’s so much that we share that it’s time we’re aware

It’s a small world after all.

There is just one moon and one golden sun

And a smile means friendship to everyone.

Though the mountains divide, and the oceans are wide

It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all

It’s a small, small world.

The Disneyland website overview of the attraction says it best:  “The joyful journey ends with a magical and heart-warming grand finale featuring all the world’s children singing together as one. Say goodbye, Aloha or au revoir to your global friends —you’ll be humming their melody all day long.”

In addition to the “Small World” attraction, Disney celebrates world friendships and cultures daily at Epcot’s World Showcase.  Eleven countries are featured side by side, so guests can easily go from one culture to another.  In addition to highlighting national history and culture, guests can consume native foods and drinks, and converse with native cast members about their cultures.  Kids can have a great time at the Kidcot stations where they can get a “stamp” on their passports, and even have their name or a short message written in the country’s native language.  Cast members entertain guests with stories and shows from their home country, and guests have the opportunity to purchase souveniers from those home countries.  What better way to celebrate international friendship than with food, drinks, and shopping!

No matter what you do at Disney parks, remember that Disney is not just an American park.  It’s a world park – and it’s a small world after all.

Did you know that every cabin on board Disney’s newest ship has an oceanview?  The Disney Dream now features “magic portholes” in the 150 inside cabins – offering dynamically changing views from four high definition video cameras stationed along the ship.

The cabin’s view will correspond to where they are along the length of the ship, just as if they had a true outside view.  This Disney exclusive feature solves one of the main complaints passengers have about inside cabins – the lack of views.

Royal Caribbean offers their guests a similar feature with their Promenade facing inside cabins.  But there is little privacy with those interior windows to the Atrium.  With Disney’s magic portholes, guests can actually turn off the display if they’d like, and they have complete privacy.

Of course, Disney couldn’t resist adding a few extras in for passengers.  Each day throughout the journey, more than 30 Disney characters will “stroll by” the virtual porthole, a perk that outside cabins just don’t get.  Imagine Peach from Disney Pixar’s hit movie “Finding Nemo” stuck to your “window”, or seeing Mickey Mouse out for his daily walk!

Inside cabins are the most affordable cruise option for families watching their budgets.  With the magic portholes onboard the Disney Dream, you’ll get an upscale experience for a frugal pricetag.