Calling All Wilderness Explorers...

So, you want to be a Wilderness Explorer? Great!! You’ll need to go to Disney’s California Adventure and get ready to have fun and explore.

In this park within a park, you and your little ones will have a chance to learn Wilderness Explorer skills. If you’re unsure about the time schedule, you can ask the Cast Member as you enter the Wilderness Explorer area. S/He can assist you with a schedule of times when the characters will be available.

As you complete your Wilderness Explorer skills, you have a checklist to mark off. Once you’ve completed all the skills, you can go to the Camp at the designated time(s), and earn your Wilderness Explorer Badge (it’s a sticker). You’ll have the chance to learn your Totem Spirit Guide, and ride a tire zip line, as well as explore the rope cages, play areas, etc. It’s a lot of fun and a good way for your little one to burn off some energy.

Don’t be surprised if along the way, you find yourself face to face with none other than Dug (the dog from UP). He’s there for a photo op. There will be a Photo Pass Photographer present to assist in capturing those magical memories.

You meet another Camp Explorer (Cast Member) by the Campground, who asks for help in locating Kevin (remember the large bird in UP). You will also be asked to learn the Wilderness Explorer Call, in order to help lead Russell (the character from UP) to Camp. With your “Call”, he makes it to the camp successfully, and engages the other “Explorers” in dialogue. He then asks if you’ve completed your skills. After the “Yes” replies, he then asks everyone to stand and take the Wilderness Explorer Oath.

(Yes, his little paw is up and he's citing the oath)

After citing the Oath, he leads the group to a photo op with him. This is a Photo Pass opportunity. So have your cards ready, or get a new card from the photographer. Once you get your photos, you can safely leave the area, unless your little one wants to play some more (and burn off some of that excess energy).

This is one area you should definitely check out. It’s a lot of fun for the kids, and a nice respite for the adults. Also, don’t forget to take lots of pictures (Photo Pass or otherwise).

Frank grew up in South Florida, and as such, has been to WDW many times as a child.  The trips stopped when he went to college in Texas (his current residence).  He visited Disneyland in Cali while living there for a few years.  Fast forward to 2005, when he was once again living in TX, and decided that it was past time to return.  Since then he’s been to the parks approximately every 12-18 months, including Disneyland.  He has recently decided to join the Snapshot Getaways team as an affiliate agent, and enjoys assisting families plan their magical memories. He can be reached at:  frank@osomagical.com

Avengers Assemble...

So you’re going to Disneyland and your family isn’t too excited about the Princess overload about to happen….Well, fear not true believers!  You can get your Princess fix, and the family can also get some Marvel happiness.

Marvel currently has an installment at Disneyland Park in Tomorrowland, which specifically focuses on their comic projects.  On a recent visit to DL, we had the opportunity to visit, and we were quite impressed with the area.

First off, you enter an open area where you can find none other than 9 iterations of Iron Man’s Armor.  That’s right true believers, you read that right.  These are movie props.  They’re set up just like they are in the movies.

Once you get your geek on in this area, you proceed forward to enter the realm of Asgard, and the realm of none other than the God of Thunder himself….THOR!!  Yes, there are many, many props in this area.  We spent quite a bit of time getting plenty of pics, as we stood in line to meet the God of Thunder himself.

You are ushered into a room and the doors are sealed behind you.   You are allowed to see more set pieces, and the next thing you know, Heimdall has opened a portal to the Asgardian realm (insert cheesy lights/fog stunt)….  

Before you know it, another set of doors open and you are ushered into the Asgardian Throne Room.  You’re lined up against the outer wall, and await the arrival of the God of Thunder.

Thor arrives, and makes small talk with the children in the group.  He asks for a volunteer to lift the hammer.  This is usually a small child, and it’s a great way to immerse the attendees in the realm.

There is a photo pass photographer present, along with a handler, who will help capture those special moments for you.  Don’t miss the opportunity to do this.  As a long time comic book nerd, I geeked out at the opportunity.  The details on the walls and doors of the Throne Room were awesome and spot on.

Make sure you get your pics of the details before it’s your turn to meet the God of Thunder.  Once the photo pass photographer finishes, you are ushered out of the room.  They have to open the portal to Midgard, after all.

Still need more Marvel?  Don’t fret, there’s one more stop on our journey.  For this stop, we travel back in time to meet none other than Captain America himself.  This portion of the visit is also awesome, in that the divider wall which Captain America poses behind, is actually used in the Winter Soldier movie.  So don’t miss a change to take pics.  This is a great way to kill time while you wait your turn.  There are also 5 variations of his shield on a wall, and his original costume from the first movie.  Again, make good use of your time and get those pics before your turn is up.

I will say, at this point, that the Cast Members bringing these characters to life did an awesome job.  Not only were they totally friendly, but they remained immersed in their respective roles.  So don’t be shy true believers, if you have family members who would totally geek out over the chance to meet these Marvel heroes, I highly recommend you make a visit to Tomorrowland and see them for yourselves.

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Frank grew up in South Florida, and as such, has been to WDW many times as a child.  The trips stopped when he went to college in Texas (his current residence).  He visited Disneyland in Cali while living there for a few years.  Fast forward to 2005, when he was once again living in TX, and decided that it was past time to return.  Since then he’s been to the parks approximately every 12-18 months, including Disneyland.  He has recently decided to join the Snapshot Getaways team as an affiliate agent, and enjoys assisting families plan their magical memories. He can be reached at:  frank@osomagical.com

Mickey & the Magical Map

Mickey & the Magical Map

So you’re going to Disneyland, and you know that you’ll need some time to rest, but don’t want to go back to your room, only to make the trek back to the park? Well, I have a suggestion that will not only save you plenty of time from trekking back and forth, but will allow you to rest in a shaded area and catch a GREAT show.

In the Fantasyland Theatre (open air theatre) at Disneyland Park, there is a show that takes place only a few times a day, BUT, not every day of the week. It’s called Mickey & the Magical Map. I can honestly say that it is magical. This 45 minute show is definitely worth your time. I recommend that you don’t miss it.

Basically, it’s a live show that showcases some of Disney’s most memorable songs. You’ll see performances of songs from: Jungle Book, Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tangled, Lilo & Stitch, and even Princess & the Frog. The performers are lively and entertaining. You’ll also see Mickey earn his magic paint brush along the way. Tiana and Mickey bring the show to an end, and colorful streamers come flowing down over the audience from above.

 



 The Fantasyland Theatre can be found across from It’s a Small World, and just down from the Train Station stop (in other words, near Toon Town). I highly recommend that you arrive early, as the best seats in the house are in the middle section and if you want good pics, I suggest either as close to the front as possible, or in the second section (middle portion). The seating is standard metal benches, and there are restrooms just outside the open air theatre. Before the show starts, a Cast Member will be walking around selling beverages. So no need to wait in line in the sun outside the theatre.

Frank grew up in South Florida, and as such, has been to WDW many times as a child.  The trips stopped when he went to college in Texas (his current residence).  He visited Disneyland in Cali while living there for a few years.  Fast forward to 2005, when he was once again living in TX, and decided that it was past time to return.  Since then he’s been to the parks approximately every 12-18 months, including Disneyland.  He has recently decided to join the Snapshot Getaways team as an affiliate agent, and enjoys assisting families plan their magical memories. He can be reached at:  frank@osomagical.com

Freebie Friday-LEGO Mini Build at Downtown Disney

Who doesn't love LEGO's?  (Other than my feet in a dark bedroom)  Here is  your chance for free Legos at the Downtown Disney location.  Check your local stores as many offer the same monthly event.  It's called the Monthly Mini Build and a specific mini set theme kit is available for your child to build and take home.

• The event is designed for kids ages 6-14 years old. The staff may allow younger children to design a kit at their discretion.  Parents can help, and LEGO staff are on hand to guide children along each step.  Builds happen on the first Tuesday of every month from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. and first come, first served.  When the supplies run out, the staff will notify those waiting in line.  

Want to see which LEGO Mini Build is happening this month?  Check out the LEGO site.

Maria aka MickeyMom is a travel planner for Snapshot Getaways and mom to two LEGO fans!  You can follow her on her Facebook page or email maria@snapshotgetaways.com for help planning your next vacation!

Explaining The Water Park, Fun & More Option

While most folks know the ins and outs of adding the Park Hopper option to their Magic Your Way park tickets,  the Water Park, Fun & More option seems to cause some confusion.  Also did you know that sometimes it is better to add the Water Park, Fun & More option than to just buy a one day water park admission?

First of all, for those who may be hearing about this for the first time, the Water Park, Fun & More option is a optional addition to your Magic Your Way Disney World park ticket. It allows you (1) admission to the following activities:

• Blizzard Beach water park
• Typhoon Lagoon water park
• DisneyQuest
• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
• (1) Round of mini golf at Fantasia Gardens (before 4:00 pm)
• (1) Round of mini golf at Winter Summerland (before 4:00 pm)
• (1) Round of golf at Oak Trail family walking course (does not include clubs or golf cart rental, & reservations required)

For each day of park tickets you buy, you will receive a (1) admission to your choice of the activities above. So if you have a (1) day Magic Your Way park ticket, you would receive (1) admission, if you have a (5) day Magic Your Way park ticket, you would receive (5) admissions. 

You can:

• Use more than one admission per day-so if you wanted to use one admission in the morning for Typhoon Lagoon, and a second admission in the evening at Disney Quest-that's fine.  
• Mix and match which activities you would like to use your admissions for. You can also use them all for the same activity. 
• Use the admission for re-entry in the same activity within a day. So you could go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, leave and return later in the afternoon. But it has to be in the same day and the same activity. 

Your tickets will expire 14 days after first use, just like your Magic Your Way tickets, but you can add the No Expiration option and if you do not use all your admissions up in one visit, you can use the remaining admissions on later trips.

Now let's talk money. The cost to add the Water Park, Fun & More option to your Magic Your Way base ticket:

• $37.27 (including tax) to add to a (1) day Magic Kingdom park ticket.
• $42.60 (including tax) to add the Water Park, Fun & More to your (1) day Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom park ticket. 
• $52.19 (including tax) to add it to any 2 or 3 day Magic Your Way ticket.  
• $63.90 (including tax)to add the Water Park, Fun & More option to a 4 day or longer Magic Your Way ticket. 

Obviously, like all Disney ticket options-the more days you add, the less you pay per day for the ticket. Adding the Water Park, Fun and More option to a 10 day base ticket breaks down to an additional $6.39 a day. 

Now when does it actually save you money to add the Water Park, Fun & More option, and when should you just buy a (1) day admission to one of the activities? The quick answer-when you have the park hopper option, plan to visit a water park, or plan to visit at least 2 activities during your stay. Here's the breakdown why:

To add the Park Hopper option on to a Magic Your Way base ticket is the same cost as adding on the Water Park, Fun & More, but to add BOTH onto your base ticket:

•  $86.27 (including tax) to add to a (1) day Magic Kingdom base ticket.
•  $91.59 (including tax) to add it to any (1) day Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom base ticket, and also to any (2) day or more base ticket. 

The cost of a (1) day water park (Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach) ticket is $56.45 per adult (including tax).

The cost for a (1) day Disney Quest ticket is $47.93 per adult (including tax.**

The cost for (1) round of golf at the Oak Trail Golf Course is $40.47 per adult (including tax).

The difference to add the Water Park, Fun & More option to a Park Hopper:

• $49.00 to a (1) day Magic Kingdom ticket with Park Hopper.
• $48.99 to a (1) day Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom ticket with Park Hopper. 
• $39.40 to a 2 or 3 day ticket with Park Hopper. 
• $27.69 to any 4 day or more park ticket with Park Hopper.

So based on just a (1) day admission to a water park, you can save anywhere from $7.45 to $28.76, just by adding the Water Park, Fun & More option. And the more days tickets you have, your value increases because after the first days savings, every activity you visit from there on is essentially free. 

The only time it doesn't make sense to add the Water Park, Fun & More option is:

• If you are going during the colder months, and it might be too cold to visit the water parks. 
• You have you activities planned out and do not have the extra time to fit additional activities in. 
• You have no interest in the activities included in the Water Park, Fun & More option. 

And for folks who do not add the Water Park, Fun & More option before they arrive, you can add it while you are at the parks. Even if you have used a few days on your Magic Your Way park tickets. You will be charged for how ever many days you originally had on your tickets, so take that into consideration when deciding to add the Water Park, Fun & More option, so you can get the most value. 

So there you have it, hopefully this explains what and when adding the Water Park, Fun & More option to your Magic Your Way park ticket makes sense. Done right, it can save you money and increase your Disney fun!

**At the time the article is being written, Disney is including (2) free Disney Quest admissions in the coupon book that comes with the Magic Your Way packages. We are not sure if this will become a standard inclusion or will no longer be included at some point. This changes the savings and value of the Water Park, Fun & More option if Disney Quest is one of the activities you planned on using your admission(s) on. 

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**Besides being the owner and travel professional of Snapshot Getaways, Lisa is an avid traveler, food nerd, blogger & podcaster. Her answer to pretty much everything is food or travel, and is happiest when the solution includes both. You can contact her at Lisa@ SnapshotGetaways.com, to talk food, travel, Disney-whatever.

Wordless Wednesday: Be Our Guest

Maria aka MickeyMom is a Travel Planner for Snapshot Getaways.  Please follow her on her Facebook page or email maria@snapshotgetaways.com for assistance planning your vacation!

Top 10 Dining Tips at Walt Disney World

We get Dining questions all the time.  When is the best time to eat?  Quick Service or Table Service?  Dining Plan or No?  Ask ten people how they eat when they are at Walt Disney World and you will get twelve different answers!  It all depends on how you like to do things at the parks.   I’m going to give you a rundown of how we plan our meals at Walt Disney World with two kids.

1. Disney Dining Plan:  We like to do the Disney Dining Plan (especially when it’s free).  There are debates on whether you are saving money, but we like the convenience.  I like being able to budget most of my expenses ahead of time.  Children under 3 are not required to purchase a Dining Plan, so they can eat off of your plate.  There is so much food, this is never an issue.

2. Plan your Advance Dining Reservations:  Yup, we love to eat at Disney and have our favorite places to go.  So after consulting a crowd calendar, we decide which days we will be at which park.  Then we map out our Advance Dinning Reservations (ADR’s).  With the dining plan you get one Table Service, one Quick Service and one Snack per person, per night of stay.  You can use in any order or combination and we do!

3. Bang for Your Buck: If you are using the Disney Dining Plan, get the most out of your money. Plan character meals, which are often very expensive. Check out the menu’s ahead of time and make sure you go somewhere special, that you might not go to otherwise. If you are looking to do Artists Point for a romantic evening, or Cinderella’s Royal Table for your Princess, plan on 2 Table Service Credits.  If you find you are looking to dine at more than one signature restaurant, look into upgrading to the Deluxe Dining Plan.

4.  Space out Meals:  When planning our meals we try to stick to one Table Service per day.  It is a lot of food and two Table Service meals is also more time away from the parks.  We do a combination of dinners and Character buffets.  We rarely do a Table Service Lunch unless there is somewhere we really want to go and the reservation time works out that way.  Too much food + too many rides=disaster.

5.  Timing is Everything:  This is where you need to do a little thinking.  Depending on what you are doing at the parks and your family needs, reservations times can vary.  Ours vary from day to day during our trips.  If we are having a resort day/afternoon, we plan our dinner later so there is plenty of time for clean up or napping.  If we are having a Table Service breakfast we go as early as possible.  If you get a reservation before the park opens you have the place to yourself! If we know we are going to push through the day with minimal naps, then an early dinner is on the menu.

6. Grocery Shop: Don’t waste your cash or snack credits on bottled water. If you have a car, head to a local grocery store for Breakfast items, Snacks, Bottled Beverages, Milk, etc. If you are not renting a car, then use a grocery delivery service like Garden Grocer. For us, snack credits are for Mickey Ice Cream Bars!

7.  Be Nice and Share: This applies to snacks and Quick Service meals. For breakfasts we often have items on hand from Garden Grocer for quick eats before we head out. But if we decide we want a hot breakfast, we use one or two of our Quick Service credits and share among the four of us. If you are staying at the resorts you have your refillable mug for coffee, so get a drink for later. Children’s Quick Service credits do not need to be used on kid meals, so we plan on sharing with them an adult portion. Then we share a lunch later on in the day. This way we all have more room for Table Service Meals!

8. Save for Later: Save your Quick Service dessert or sides for a snack later. Obviously this doesn’t work for ice cream, but there are plenty of other things to throw in the backpack for later. For our Table Service meals we are often full by dessert. Ask your server to pack your dessert for later. After you’ve walked around a bit, or returned to your room you have a treat.

9. Park Hop: We utilize the Park Hopper option for the sole reason of being able to have flexibility. If we want a relaxing night at Epcot’s Le Cellier after a day at the Magic Kingdom, no problem. Remember, even if you have a reservation for dining, you need a ticket to get in the park.

10. Airplane food: Is horrible and expensive. Save a quick service credit or two for your last day. Purchase a sandwich or salad and ask for ice if necessary. Maybe even have a small collapsible cooler bag. With the exception of liquids, you can take your meal on the plane. A last  bit of Disney for your way home.

By no means is my way the only way to dine at Disney. You need to think about what works for your family. I like to plan ahead, so this works for me. We like to have nice sit-down dinners as a family, but you may want to have more park time with each other. Key is to have a great time and enjoy all that Disney has to offer!

Share your dining tips in the comment section below, we love reader tips!

Maria aka Mickey Mom is a Travel Planner for Snapshot Getaways part of her job is making dining reservations first thing in the morning for clients!  Follow her on her Facebook Page or email maria@snapshotgetaways.com for travel planning.

Disney & Alfred Angelo Create Frozen Inspired Wedding Dress

It is no news to anyone that loves Disney and is looking to get married, that designer Alfred Angelo’s Disney bridal collection has hit the mark since 2011. His designs are inspired from all the princesses and their dresses.

So for all of you that are not tired of Frozen yet, wedding news just got better for you. Disney and dressmaker Alfred Angelo are releasing a wedding dress inspired by the character Elsa from Frozen in January. The dress should reach Alfred Angelo stores in January 2015.

 The dress is an "ice blue softly-flared sheath gown with a sweetheart neckline made with layers of satin, tulle, glitter net and organza". It also has a Watteau train and all-over beading. This dress is inspired by Elsa’s dress as she sings “Let It Go.”

Michele Piccione, Chief Creative Office for Alfred Angelo, stated in an interview with INStyle Magazine that, "A character like Elsa is a huge inspiration for any designer. "She is beautiful and elegant, and her inner beauty shines through when she is ultimately not afraid to embrace who she is with confidence and poise."

So who is planning a Disney wedding? Are you having an Alfred Angelo Disney inspired dress?

Photo Courtesy of Disney

Amanda is a self-proclaimed Disney nerd of 2 little prince charmings. When not playing mommy she is a destination specialist with Snapshot Getaways. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to contact her as she loves to chat and talk Disney.



Freebie Friday: Doc McStuffin's Free Disney Store Events this Weekend

Do you have a Doc McStuffin’s fan in your life?

Then you do not want to miss this event at your local Disney Store. Celebrate Doc McStuffins School of Medicine at Disney Store! Get a sneak peak of new episodes and enjoy fun-filled activities. Saturday, September 20th: 10:30am - 12:30pm and Sunday September 21st: 12:30pm - 2:30pm. *Minimum age for participation is 3 years. Event limited based on store capacity. No lineups prior to 30 minutes before event begins. Event subject to change or cancellation without notice. While supplies last. You may want to call and check to make sure your local Disney Store is holding this event. Not sure where your local Disney store is? Click the following link Disney Store Locator. The Doc McStuffin show premieres on Disney Junior, Sept 26 at 9 am/8c.

Photo courtesy of Disney Junior

Amanda Hansel is a self proclaimed Disney nerd who has 2 boys. She is also a travel agent with Snapshot Getaways. You can find her on Facebook and on Twitter. She would love to hear from you or chat about Disney with you.