The First Rule of Conventions

Please welcome Sandy to Take The Monorail! Sandy has three kids and has been visiting both Walt Disney World and Disneyland for years. She attended the D23 Expo, a fan convention, this month with her kids and offers up her experiences here for you. We look forward to regular contributions from Sandy to help you plan the perfect Disney vacation.

I was so excited when I found out I was going to be able to attend the D23 Expo in Anaheim this year. My kids, ages 10, 10 & 12 were excited too - all their favorite Disney Channel stars were scheduled to be there. I made sure they knew this was serious business. We had to be there early! Even earlier than when doors open. Like super early. I wanted to be one of the first in line so that we could make sure we hit all the things we wanted to do. For me that meant getting into one of the presentations and hopefully seeing some celebrities. For the boys, that meant the Waffl-inator Challenge and video games. For my daughter, it was all about Teen Beach Movie.

So as luck would have it, we had a family emergency in the middle of the night. We didn't have to cancel, but my golden rule of getting there early quickly changed to Rule #2: Roll with the punches!

We arrived at the expo around 2:00 that afternoon. I had already seen the updates about Angelina Jolie making an appearance, so that was one celebrity sighting missed. I did, however, catch a glimpse of Joey Fatone with the Live Well Network. On the plus side, we didn't have to wait in any long lines to enter. On the negative side, I did miss out on the cool Disney Aulani bags they were giving away that morning.

We easily found the Disney Channel stage in the middle of everything.  As we waited for Bridget Mendler to perform, my 12-year-old decided to check out the video games at the Disney Interactive main stage.  While he was playing the new Disney Infinity game and watching a fan play Fantasia: Music Evolved, we were learning to dance with Radio Disney.  Then Bridget Mendler took the stage for 2 songs - Eye of the Hurricane and Ready or Not.  (Side note - she really impressed me by starting the song over when she admitted she messed up the lyrics.  I have seen much more seasoned artists handle that situation much worse, so I do appreciate her being so candid). Next up was the long line to meet the stars of Good Luck Charlie and get autographs.  Luckily my kids were happy to skip that and go check out the booths in the Collectors' Forum.

Really cool (and expensive) chess set at the D23 Store

We started out with the silent auction items which included ride vehicles from the park attractions as well as old displays from the stores.  My kids quickly got bored with this and wanted to check out the toys!  This was about the time my oldest decided he wanted to start a Vinylmation collection.  I'm still kicking myself for not letting him buy the $5 ones that he could have picked out.  Instead he bought some at Downtown Disney later in the week for more than double that price, and he didn't know what he was getting until he bought it and opened the box.  I can see how this little hobby could become expensive!  Lesson learned: know something about what you're looking to collect so you can take advantage of a deal when you see it!

After looking around the collectors and vendors we made our way back over to the Disney Channel stage for R5 and found a perfect spot right between that and the Ridemakerz booth.  I could let the boys wait their turn for the remote controlled cars, and let my daughter save her spot for the music.  Unfortunately, once the artists came out people flooded around us from all directions and completely blocked her view.  We ended up backing way up just so she could see.  After that it was time to line up to meet the stars of Teen Beach Movie.  This is the main reason my daughter was there.  She gladly found the end of the line all the way over on the other side of the convention center and was happy at the prospect of waiting until we found out that you actually needed a wrist band to be guaranteed to meet the stars.  They had all been given out by 1:00, before we had even arrived.  Turns out this is catastrophic to a 10-year-old who has told all her friends she is going to meet movie stars.

We needed to find something to get her mind off Teen Beach Movie quickly, so after grabbing a couple of free beach balls we made our way to the back of the building to see the displays for The Muppets and Marvel. They had some Learn To Draw activities and a huge chalk wall that was a lot of fun. Also in this section were free manicures if you wanted to stand in line, and you could meet some Disney artists.  The most impressive line was for the Disney Store. After checking out all the goodies in the Disney Consumer Products section the kids decided that they'd had enough, didn't want to wait in any more lines, and were ready to go home.

All in all the D23 Expo was a fun event despite it being a bit crowded.  It was a great warm-up for us since we were gearing up for the parks that week.  I've learned from our park trips that, even when you have a good plan, something can always happen to throw a wrench in it.  It's best to stay adaptable and make the most of your time.  It doesn't hurt that there are cool things to look at literally around every corner, so it's not hard to find a new distraction.  If, however, you are there for something specific, you may want to refer back to the first rule - get there early!

Staying In Style - Deluxe Resorts

Disney's Deluxe Resorts are the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Polynesian Resort, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club Resort, Beach Club Resort, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. For the sake of consolidation, we'll also include the Villa Resorts in this post, which are part of Disney's timeshare program called the Disney Vacation Club. Villas offer larger accomodations that can include up to three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a full kitchen. These resorts are Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Boardwalk Villas, The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Beach Club Villas, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House or Kidani Village), Disney's Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. The latter three are resorts that are exclusively villas while the others are sort of extensions of Deluxe Resorts. All of these are Disney's highest priced resorts and you will find that they are highly themed and designed with luxury in mind. They boast extra amenities that range from prime locations (some are on the monorail line), fantastic pools (Yacht and Beach Club have a water park with a sandy-bottom pool and a tremendous slide), and two even have full-service spas.

As in our previous posts on the Value Resorts and Moderate Resorts, I will not cover basic amenities and room sizes for you. The official Disney site will give you a basic overview, and then AllEars.net can give you the finer details. If you prefer print, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Passporter guide both have excellent resort overviews. Instead, let's once again look at the pros and cons of these resorts for families. Your "pro" may be my "con," so take them as the opinions they are and hopefully they will still help you decide if a Deluxe Resort is best for you.

Pros To Staying At A Deluxe Resort

• Location, Location, Location! - If you want a resort within walking distance of a park, it will be a Deluxe Resort. The Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary are all on the monorail providing easy access to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Contemporary (and Bay Lake Towers) are within a fairly easy walk to Magic Kingdom as well and all the monorail resorts have rooms with views of the Magic Kingdom. Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club are all an easy walk from World Showcase at Epcot. They are also a longer, but doable walk from Disney's Hollywood Studios and they have an active nightlife integrated into the area, including restaurants, nightclubs, and shops. The Animal Kingdom isn't so much close to the Animal Kingdom Park (although it's not far), but it also incorporates that park into it's theming, with wild animals literally strolling through your backyard.

• Room Size - These are the biggest rooms on property, and even in the standard room (as opposed to a Villa), you have ample space for storage, sleeping, and hanging out. They have balconies, which are often a lovely feature to have after the kids are asleep and you want to actually hold a conversation with your significant other.

• Bed Size - Queen-size beds are standard in the Deluxe resorts (as opposed to double beds in the Value Resorts). There are also rooms with King beds if you have an infant in a Pack and Play or if you decide to leave the kids with grandma and take a grown-ups only trip.

• Refrigerators and Kitchen Facilities - Mini-fridges are standard in Deluxe Resorts. Villas that are one, two, or three-bedroom have full kitchens and a washer/dryer set, while studio villas have a microwave and mini-fridge only.

• Architecture - I wasn't sure what else to call this, but basically, these resorts are the top-of-the-line in the design and theming end. The lobby at Wilderness Lodge will take your breath away. The opulence of the Grand Floridian is stunning. And walking into the Polynesian is just like you've left the beautiful state of Florida and stepped right into Hawaii. If you are going to Disney World to lose yourself in the fantasy and forget about the real world, a Deluxe Resort is a perfect place for that. Mind you, to be fair, the Moderates and Values also have an "other-worldly" quality that provide fabulous escape as well.

• Amazing Pools - So amazing, in fact, that some of them are marketed as water parks, and not without reason. Slides, freestyle shapes, zero-entry, and other gimmicks make these places worth your time outside the parks. If you decide to stay in a Deluxe Resort, make a strong effort to set aside some time to enjoy the pools.

• Interior Entrances - The Deluxe Resorts are the only level of resort that has a main entrance with interior access to all rooms. This is, in my opinion, the safest way to go. Although the main doors are by no means completely secure, they are visible to staff at all times and there are no dark corners for potential criminals to lurk in.

• Food Choices - The Deluxe Resorts have some of the best dining options on property and offer all types of choices, from snacks to quick service to upscale dining. Although all properties afford some dining choices that will ensure you won't starve, the Deluxe resorts offer restaurants that are unique enough to draw people to them from all over the Walt Disney World property. In fact, if you decide that a Deluxe resort is not in your budget, I highly recommend eating at one or two of their restaurants. The food and service will be excellent, and you will get a chance to poke around the lobby and grounds of these luxurious resorts.

Cons To Staying At A Deluxe Resort

• Cost - Standard room rates for these resorts can start as low as $240 and go up from there. Way up. At Christmas, the regular rate for a room at the Polynesian can soar to just under $900 a night. Old Key West is generally considered the least expensive Villa Resort, and those rooms (standard rate) range from a Studio for $295 in the least expensive season to almost $1700 per night for a three-bedroom during the holiday. Of course, there are often discounts and other specials that could save you some money on these rates, but this at least gives you an idea of where to place them in cost.

• Formality - Although the grand architecture and luxurious setting may please your adult sensibilities, your children might really prefer the whimsy of the Value Resorts. They are far more playful in tone than the stately Grand Floridian, which may remind them more of Aunt Nancy's house where they aren't allowed to sit on the furniture or touch anything.

So there are my pros and cons to the Deluxe resorts. What are yours? We love to hear from you in our comments!

Silly Shot: Choose Your Own Adventure

Jen H. enjoying a thrilling time on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority

This week's Silly Shot is a little bit different from the rest because it really doesn't focus on one location or even one park. Instead it features a way to turn normal attractions into thrilling ones. Just simply act like you are on a roller coaster! The pose works great for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the Monorail, any of the transportation boats, even the parking trams!

Just have fun creating your own thrills!

Do you have a photo of you and your family creating your own adventure? Post them on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

Getting An "A" In Imagineering

One of the most hotly contested questions about traveling with school-age children is "When is it okay or appropriate to take your child out of school for travel?" Sometimes this question is pretty easy to answer. Are you going to Athens to see the Parthenon? That's pretty educational! Are you going to Aunt Suzie's wedding? That's pretty important! Are you taking the kids to Disney World? um... well... um...

So before I go any further into this topic, I'd like to start by saying that ultimately, I do believe the decision to take a child or children out of school for a family vacation is entirely up to the parent. Each child is different and has different abilities to recuperate from a period of missed work. But before I alienate all the teachers in the room, and as someone with a little (very little) classroom teaching experience, it is also sometimes unreasonable to expect the teacher to be able to prepare a week's worth of work in advance for that child to take with him. Sometimes it can be done and sometimes it can't. It really depends on the level of learning and the topic(s) being covered. The key to all of that will be communication. This is not something to pop on a teacher at the last minute.

Backing up a little, why would you even want to take your kids out of school to go to Disney World? There are several reasons, actually. The most common is that Disney costs less when most schools in America are in session. The parks are also most crowded at times that most kids in America are out of school (Christmas, Easter, and summer vacation). Special events might draw you to the parks at other times of the year as well, such as Marathon Weekend, ESPN The Weekend, Night of Joy, or the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, not to mention a family reunion or wedding being held at the resorts.

So what are the things you should consider when deciding whether or not to take your child out of school? Here are a number of factors for you to keep in mind:

• Is it really necessary for you to go when school is in session? - There are lots of ways to avoid crowds while still working with the school calendar. Compare your summer break to those of other school systems. Maybe you get out a week earlier, or maybe you stay out past Labor Day. Labor Day is one of the least busy holiday weekends for Disney, probably because it's hurricane season but also because many schools start just before the weekend begins. Or maybe your spring break is not over Easter, which is by far the busiest week of the spring.


• What is the school's policy? - I have a friend who submitted forms asking both his children to be excused for a Disney trip. The older child's school approved the trip as educational, the younger child's school did not. Know before you complete the form what the climate is in your school.


• How old is your child? - The further along in school they are, the harder it will be for them to leave and come back caught up. It will also be harder for them to find enough time while on vacation to sit and do homework in order to stay caught up. This is, after all, a vacation. Maybe you don't mind checking your work email every four minutes on your Blackberry while on vacation (although I recommend you not do that), but your kids are not going to want to do homework at any point.


• What are your child's abilities? - If your son or daughter is already struggling in school, it's not a good idea to pull them out for a vacation. That is simply complicating something for them that is already pretty tough.

If you consider all these factors and still decide pulling your child out of school is best for your family, plan carefully so that the impact of the missed days is minimal. Talk to your child's teacher and give them as much notice as possible. Try to encourage your child to work ahead, so that on the trip, he is not so much pressured to keep up. If he does have homework to do on the trip, carve out times during the trip that are meant for that purpose.

Again, it's a very personal decision. You know your child best. Your teacher should also have a voice in this decision, as she is the one who will need to accommodate and adjust her plans for this family trip. Her cooperation will be key in your child's successful return to the classroom. And don't leave your child out of the discussion. Many children get anxious about missing school. Be sure your child is on board with your plans as well and is ready to do the extra work to ensure he can get right back in the swim of things.

In the end, no matter what you decide, you can have a fabulous family vacation. Going in the summer or over a holiday will mean higher rates and bigger crowds, but if all of that is accounted for in your planning, you will be fine.

Disney Pin Frames

Have you ever been at Disney and bought a few of the fabulous pins they were selling only to find yourself wondering what to do with them when you got home? If so, this is just the project for you! A Disney Pin Frame!

Pin frames are super quick & easy and are a great way to showcase some mementos of your vacation! They are also great for kids because they encourage a hobby and a way to relive their trip. In a future post we will talk all about pin collection and trading if you are not familiar with it, but for now we will just show you how to make the frames.

Supplies

- 12 x 12 Scrapbook Frame - These can be purchased at any craft store and come in two styles, standard frame or shadow box. I prefer to use the standard style, but either one will work. The only difference in the two is in most cases you would remove the glass from the standard style if you have really thick pins. I prefer to leave the glass off regardless of pin thickness to make it easier to add new pins when I get them. Some stores will carry frames that say Record/LP & Scrapbook frame, but you want to avoid using them because they are larger than 12 x 12.
- 12 x 12 Cork Tile- The cork tiles come in a 4-pack and can be found at most retailers that stock cork bulletin boards. I get my tiles at Target because they tend to be a bit cheaper than the craft stores.
- 12 x 12 Sheet of Scrapbook Paper - Here is where the project gets fun! There are thousands and thousands of choices on the market when it comes to scrapbook paper... solid, patterned, texture, you name it they make it. The one tip I would suggest is to pick a paper that is fairly simple in pattern or in a more muted color palette to avoid the pins getting lost in the background. This helps you to customize your project. For me, I only collect Stitch pins, so I went with a nice tropical background to fit my theme. The only limit you will have is the stock your local craft or scrapbook store carries. For a wider variety you could always try MouseMemories, an online store that specializes in Disney and vacation supplies. They will be more expensive than your local store, but if you really want a custom background they may be the better option.

Directions

1. Place the paper on top of the cork title. The paper will be a little bit larger than the title, so make sure you have it centered.
2. Remove the backs from the pins. I do recommend saving these in case you ever want to remove the pin to wear at a later date.
3. Push the pins through the paper into the cork title. Make sure you have the pin in the correct place because once you push it through the paper it will leave holes.
4. Place the paper and tile into the frame, put the back on the frame and you are finished! If you notice the pins are pushing oddly on the glass, it's best to remove the glass for a cleaner look and to avoid the glass cracking from the pressure.
   

Now, if you don't want to get fancy with a pin frame or if you have pins that you want to display but also wear, another options is to get a standard cork bulletin board and place your pins on that. With nothing covering the board you can easily take pins off to wear and put them back on the board when your trip is over without leaving holes in the paper.

To see other examples of Disney Pin Frames or to share your own, please visit our thread on Scrapping the Magic! We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Silly Shots: A Queen is Named

Jen L. and Elizabeth cheer on Jen H. as she tries to
remove the sword from the stone.

Once upon a time there used to be a lovely little Sword in the Stone ceremony at the Magic Kingdom. While the sword pulling ceremony has gone the way of Mr. Toad, the stone has been left behind for some great photo ops.

Located in Fantasyland near Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, the sword sits buried in its stone waiting for the next great king or queen to pull it free. While the sword never will come out, the photos of people making attempts are always good for a smile.

A DiVine Discovery!

Disney has a way of introducing you and your family to fine arts without you realizing what's happening. I'm not just talking about the animation we've come to expect from both Disney and Pixar. Attractions like it's a small world are like stepping into a painting, much like Mary Poppins and crew do in the famous sidewalk chalk segment of the movie.

However, Disney also brings you performance art in many forms. Whether it's living statuary at Epcot or a full-scale production like Cirque de Soleil's La Nouba at Downtown Disney, there are many opportunities to let your children experience living art in many forms.

One of my personal favorite examples of this is the elusive DiVine at Disney's Animal Kingdom. She's usually around Africa at various times between 10 and 2, and although she's up to 16 feet tall, she's sometimes pretty hard to spot. Truthfully, the only way I noticed her the first time I saw her was the crowd of people who had gathered to watch her fluid movements. Disguised as -- wait for it -- a huge vine, she remains stationary for a good portion of her performance, tricking you into thinking you are looking at a really large vine. Or more often, tricking you into simply walking right by the huge vine.

But then she comes to life, and she swings and glides through the area, moving to interact with the crowd or the other nature around her. Some children, especially the under-four set, can be pretty frightened by her, as she doesn't fit into what they understand to be reality. A little encouragement can set this to right.

My daughter was four when she saw DiVine the first time and she was mesmerized. She did have some questions, though, as she didn't quite understand what she was seeing. She hasn't seen many people on stilts, and especially the way DiVine uses them. I encouraged her to just watch as much as possible, and then once DiVine started gliding away, we talked about her questions.

To prepare for writing this post, I shared some videos of her and other performance artists in this company (The Living Garden) with my five-year-old and three-year-old. Both were completely entranced. My daughter said, "She's so beautiful!"

And she really is.

Mickey Flower Pins

When I posted this project on Scrapping the Magic in early August, I never expected the response I would get about it. It has gone over so well I'm going to share it with you, the lovely readers of Take The Monorail.



Supplies

- Silk Flowers - Small, medium, and Large, the flatter the better. Mix and match the colors to coordinate with any outfit.
- Mickey Buttons by EK Success - These items can be found in most craft stores in the scrapbooking section.
- Mickey Rhinestones Stickers by EK Success - These can also be found in the scrapbooking section. You can also use loose rhinestones and glue them on.
- Pin
- Needle & Thread

Directions

1. Remove flowers from their stems
2. Stack the different sized flowers on top of each other starting with large at the bottom and working your way up to the smallest flower. You can use as many layers as you wish, just keep in mind you are going to want to sew through all the layers.
3. Take the buttons out of the package and remove the adhesive from the back and cut the thread from the button holes.
4. Sew the button on to the flower making sure to go through all the flowers.
5. Sew the pin onto the back of the flower.
6. Attach rhinestone sticker to the front of the button. If using loose rhinestone attach with a strong glue.

What's nice about this project is you can mix and match the colors. You can also making them smaller or larger based on what you like. Use a barrette instead of a pin to make a cute little hair accessory, or skip step number 5 and sew the flower directly on to a tote bag.

You'd be surprised how useful these cute flowers can be. Make identical flowers in bright colors for every female in the family. Then put them in hair or at the top of their shirts as a pin. Now you have a fabulous way to skim the crowd and ensure you have all members of your party in sight.

And if your children are old enough to work with a needle, use this craft to introduce them to sewing. Boys and girls alike need to know how to sew a button on, right? Here's a great way to teach them on something fun and colorful.

Check out our Mickey Flower pin thread on Scrapping the Magic to see some of the beautiful flowers that people have made and share your own!

Silly Shot: License And Registration, Please

This week's Silly Shot was sent in by a friend of Take The Monorail, Sandy Ezzell. This photo was taken at Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disneyland. While you can no longer find Mr. Toad or any of his cars in Walt Disney World, the concept of the shot is easy to duplicate at any photo location that involves a vehicle. We'll be featuring two of those spots in the coming weeks.

Do you have a photo of you and your family driving one of Mr. Toad's cars? Post them on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

For last week's Spot the Shot: Road Trip!, the correct answer was The Boneyard in Animal Kingdom! Great job in Spotting the Shot!

Kicking It Up A Notch: Moderate Resorts

Disney's Moderate Resorts are Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs , and Caribbean Beach. These are priced in Disney's midrange, generally between $150 and $200 per night and up to $250 during high seasons. Discounts on these rooms can get as low as $110 or so. These prices are comparable to hotel rates in large cities around the country and you should find the amenities and grounds to meet your expectations for this price range.

As in our previous post on the Value Resorts (and in our future post on Deluxe Resorts) I will not cover basic amenities and room sizes for you. The official Disney site will give you a basic overview, and then AllEars.net can give you the finer details. If you prefer print, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Passporter guide both have excellent resort overviews. Instead, let's once again look at the pros and cons of these resorts for families. Your "pro" may be my "con," so take them as the opinions they are and hopefully they will still help you decide if a Moderate Resort is best for you.

Pros To Staying At A Moderate Resort

• Cost - The Value Resorts are cheaper, but the Moderates give you a good amount of bang for your buck. Whether or not it's $50-$100 worth is a question only you can really answer, but the cost is reasonable for a resort of this caliber.


• Room Size - The rooms are spacious (though not over-sized by any stretch) and some have a trundle bed that allows you to sleep five in the room. The trundle is more of a cot and is designed for folks under five feet tall, so if your family of five include at least one smaller kid, this can be a huge benefit to these resorts. It's far cheaper to stay in one of these rooms than to have to get two rooms at the Value Resorts (with the exception of the Family Suites at All-Star Music).


• Bed Size - Queen-size beds are standard in the Moderates (as opposed to double beds in the Value Resorts). This is simply more comfortable when you are sharing a bed and gives siblings less reason to jab and kick each other during the evening. Not that it will deter them completely, of course...


• Refrigerators - Mini-fridges are standard in Moderate Resorts. If you don't use it for anything else, you will appreciate being able to use it for water. If you have an infant with you, it's a savior for your formula and you can also stash some milk and cheese in it for cereal and sandwiches respectively.


• Sprawling Landscapes - All of these resorts are pretty large and spread out. It is easy to find yourself in a building quite some distance from the main building and/or the main pool. Prepare to walk. At Coronado Springs, we were directly across the lake from the main pool. But you have to walk AROUND the lake... there is no bridge. Which reminds me... don't forget to bring your diaper bag when you walk all the way around the lake to the pool. It's a long walk back... trust me.


• Hot Tubs - Okay, maybe this isn't important to you, but it is to me. We really appreciate being able to soak in a hot tub after a day in the parks. One of us stays in the room with the sleeping kids while the other goes out to soak, and then we switch places. This is an amenity you will also get in the Deluxe resorts, but not in the Value category, so the Moderates are the cheapest way for you to have access to this feature.
  

Cons To Staying At A Moderate Resort

• Outside Hallways - Just like the Value Resorts, Moderates have you enter rooms from exterior hallways. This feels less secure to me and I'm not wild about people passing by the window to my room constantly. With napping children, add the noise factor of that in.


• Centrally Located Elevators - Here, I shall repeat exactly what I said about the Value Resorts: The elevators for each building are in the center. Your room, however, might not be. It might be just up from a stairwell, but if you have strollers... ugh. No fun. And if you request a room right by the elevator, you're going to get lots of foot traffic going right by your room. So add on even more walking around than you had before we started.


• Food Choice - The food in these resorts is hit or miss. Coronado Springs has a great food court, but reviews of their Table Service restaurant are lukewarm. I'm not crazy about the food court at Port Orleans French Quarter. Generally, none of the choices at these resorts are widely regarded as excellent experiences.

It should be noted that the cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground are also considered Moderates. They accommodate six people and start at $265 in low season. I tend to consider them more in the Deluxe category due to cost and the fact they include an equipped kitchen. They are really more of a category unto themselves, as their amenities and features are so different from the other Moderates. The pros and cons above do not necessarily relate to them.

As for which Moderate is the best, that point is widely contested. There are many fans of Port Orleans French Quarter because of it's intimate size and great pool. Some like Port Orleans Riverside for it's sprawling mansions and nifty piano bar. Others prefer the Caribbean Beach Resort's tropical feel. Personally, Coronado Springs is my favorite. The pool is fantastic and the grounds are gorgeous. I'm a big fan of the hammocks around the lake as well.

The pool at Port Orleans Riverside

Which Moderate Resort is your favorite? Do you have pros or cons to these resorts that I haven't mentioned? Please share them with us as a comment!

Spot the Shot: Road Trip!

It's time for another Spot the Shot! This photo was sent in by Ryan Wilson of the Main Street Gazette. Here his lovely wife Aileen is just waiting to leave on another great road trip!

Where in Walt Disney World is this jeep just waiting to leave on a new adventure? Leave your answer as a comment!

Do you have a photo of you and your family hanging out on the jeep? Post them on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

No Reservations

In general, you can take a trip down to Disney with very little advanced planning. There are those who would argue that your experience is better with planning, and that may be true, but it CAN be done. Last-minute trips happen all the time and are quite successful. However, the main issue you will most likely run into with a last-minute or casually planned trip is dining. Specifically, I'm referring to Table Service meals where you sit down, order food from a waitperson, and leave a tip at the end of the experience. And it's worth it to experience at least one of these restaurants while you are there. Disney knows how to do food. Some restaurants are quite exquisite and even the worst of the lot are still a worthwhile experience.

Disney does not take official "reservations." What I mean is they don't hold a specific table for you at a specific time. What they do instead is take a "Priority Seating" call, where you are essentially holding your place in line for a restaurant at a given time. This process is very similar in appearance to a reservation, but you do usually have to wait 5-10 minutes between the time you check in at the podium and when you are seated. This is similar to when you call Outback at home before you leave, holding your place in line so that by the time you get there, you only have a short wait for the next available table.

The catch here is that you make your call to hold your spot 90 days in advance. And on October 27, 2009, that window becomes even larger. You will be able to call 180 days before your checkin date. If you are "math-challenged" like myself, that's about six months in advance. If you are "planning-challenged" like myself, you will find this more than frustrating. While it's true that you are not REQUIRED to call 180 days in advance, you will find that thanks to offers of free dining and other incentives through the year, you will have trouble holding a spot in line at your top restaurant choices if you do not.

The Disney slang term for these "reservations that are not reservations" is ADR -- short for Advanced Dining Reservation. (See? They even call it a "reservation" just to confuse you.) The suggested strategy to ensure you get to eat where you want is to call exactly 90 days (or 180 starting on October 27) at 7am when the phone lines open with your list ready. This means that you are expected to have thought out which parks you will be in on which days of your trip and what food you might like to ingest on those days.

If you sense that I am biased against the large time frame that reservations are open, you are right. Personally, I am more of a spur-of-the-moment traveler. But I do understand not everyone is like that and I certainly can plan ahead when called upon to do it. If you feel strongly about where you'd like to eat and (most importantly) what time, here is how to prepare:

• Plan your days in general. - Where will you be on which day and which restaurants will be closest to you? You can also reverse this... choosing your restaurants, then planning where you will be around that. You need to take park hours into consideration when you do this, especially if you like to dine late and travel in the cooler months, as the parks close earlier. We'll discuss how to map out your days in a future post, if you are at a loss as to where to begin.
• Choose your restaurants and dining times, along with second choices. - Keep your plan open. When I call, I have a general time in mind such as "We'd like to get the earliest reservation available for lunch" or "We want to eat as close to 7:30 pm as possible." And if the only lunch reservation is at 2pm, know if you are willing to take it. The younger your kids, the less flexibility you might have. But remember, there are plenty of snacks around the World, so a late lunch is doable and frees you up to visit attractions while most people are eating a meal.
• Call Disney Dining (407-WDW-DINE) at 7am exactly 90 (or 180) days before your checkin date. - There is an online reservation system now, but I don't recommend using it; especially if this is your first or second trip. Talking to a person is far more flexible and they can "poke around" to look for times better than the online system. If you wish to explore online ADRs, the website is http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/.
  
  
  Disney's online registration system - ©2009 Disney
  
  
• Remain flexible. - You can change your ADRs as time goes by, but it will be harder and harder to get exactly what you want. With Disney's frequent offers for free dining plans, more people are crowding into restaurants they normally wouldn't try, making it harder to come by exactly the time and place you want.

For those like me who really dislike planning so far in advance, TouringPlans.com has created a fabulous chart that tells you which restaurants book faster than others and which ones are likely to have priority seating available right up to when you are ready to eat. This way you can easily see that if you REALLY want to eat at Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion in Epcot (which I highly recommend doing), you want to plan that out. But maybe you can wait another month or so before mapping out the rest of your food experiences. I am hopeful they will update this chart once the 180-day window has been implemented for long enough to capture good data, but I still expect it will give you a generally accurate idea of where you need to book early even after they move to the 180-day window.

Table Service restaurants have always been a very special part of our trips to Disney. Although the ADR system can seem a bit much for a new traveler, the payoff is worth it. The ADR system has its flaws, but overall, it will help ensure you spend your time eating your meal and enjoying the restaurant rather than waiting in a lobby outside for your table. Bon appetite!

Silly Shots: You Say Potato, I Say Cute Kids

The 3rd vote getter in the Scrapping the Magic contest and the final in this series was a photo submitted by Brian MacGowen (bjmacgowan) illustrates the fun of posing with (and like) the figures found at the value resorts.


Posing with the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures at the Pop Century resort is a favorite thing by most of the guests. Brian and his family even upped the silliness of this shot by having the girls pose with the toys that inspired the oversized figures.

Have any photos of you or someone in your family posing with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head? Share them with us on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page! Even if they are wearing their angry eyes, though I hope they will have on their smiley mouths instead!

Silly Shots: But I Don't Wanna Leave!

The 2nd vote getter in the Scrapping the Magic contest was a photo submitted by Lori Burke (LoriLovesTigger) and is one of my personal favorites. In the photo pulling on Lori's leg is Mike Newell of WDW Today and MouseWorld Radio fame.

What's really nice about this photo op is that it an be done in any park, in any spot as long as there is an object attached to the ground. Just grab hold and have someone give you a tug! Congratulations Lori on winning 2nd place!

Have any photos of you or someone in your family having to be dragged out of the parks? Post your pictures of the mild tantrum on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

Cheaper Is Good! An Overview Of The Value Resorts

Pop Century and the All-Star Resorts are members of the category of resorts Disney defines as "Value Resorts." These are the least expensive of the Disney Resorts and their standard room rate is just around $80-100 per night. However, many times of the year, these rooms are discounted quite nicely and can be found for between $60 and $70 per night. This is a fabulous price for a Disney room and the resorts should not disappoint you as far as atmosphere, cleanliness and service.

There are many sites out there that describe the resorts for you in detail, so I will not endeavor to do so for you here. The official Disney site will give you a basic overview, and then sites like AllEars.net can help with even more honest details that don't have to toe the company line. If you prefer print, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Passporter guide both have excellent resort overviews. Rather than repeat the information easily found in these fine sources, we'll break down some pros and cons for families. Because each family is different, your "pro" may be my "con," so feel free to shuffle them around. Regardless, this list should help you narrow down your choices.

Pros To Staying At A Value Resort

• Cost - These resorts are the cheapest on property.
• Fun Factor - Value resorts are packed with whimsy and fun. Younger kids will love the oversized objects that adorn the resorts. Older kids and adults will enjoy seeing familiar objects from their everyday worlds (past and present) blown up to a disproportionate size and the bright colors could cheer any mood.
• Sense of Community - Again, this depends on your style, but these resorts are often packed with families so it isn't hard to make new friends at the pool any given day. Great for the more social folks in the room.

Cons To Staying At A Value Resort

• No Refrigerators - This may not seem like a big deal, but mini-fridges are extra at these resorts. $10 a day. So if you want to save money by keeping your own water, milk, and string cheese in the room, you are doing it the old fashioned way... a cooler with ice, which will obviously need to be changed out often. Of course, there are ways around the cost of the fridge. Medical conditions get a pass for obvious reasons.
• Outside Hallways - I don't know about you, but I always feel more secure in a hotel where I enter my room from inside the building. It means there are more controlled entrances and exits to the whole facility. You might feel safer if you request a room up a floor (or two), but the issue then becomes dealing with the next "con" on our list...
• Centrally Located Elevators - The elevators for each building are in the center. Your room, however, might not be. It might be just up from a stairwell, but if you have strollers... ugh. No fun. And if you request a room right by the elevator, you're going to get lots of foot traffic going right by your room. So add on even more walking around than you had before we started.
• Smaller Beds - The Value resorts have double beds. For a family of four, this can be a bit cozy. There are some rooms with King beds, but these won't be of much interest to families of three or more, unless the third is an infant and you cosleep.
• Food Choices - All you have is a food court at each of these resorts. No table service meals at all. This may not matter to you, and the food courts are large with a lot of variety. You will not be lacking choices for food... rest assured.
• No Hot Tubs - You probably won't miss it too much, but it's really nice to be able to get a soak in after a long day of walking. This is one thing we liked to do after the kids were asleep in a moderate or deluxe... take turns going out for a swim/soak. The Value resorts do still have pools, however, so all is not lost.
• Buses - Pop Century buses are fine. They can get crowded, like all resort buses can. The issue with the All-Star buses is they serve all three resorts. I found this very tedious and time-consuming. Having a car would overcome this rather easily though. Parking is free for resort guests. If you know a car is not an option and you want to stay at the All-Star Resorts, I would throw my recommendation in with that of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World... choose Sports. It's the first to pick up (better chance of getting a seat) and first to drop off. (YAY, you're home!)

You'll notice that although I list more cons, in reality, those cons are minimal. And the single pro of low cost is often enough to overide those. Because the rooms are smaller, I think these resorts are more suited to families of three or families with older children who will spend more time in the parks. The Value choices are not geared as much for spending hours of lazing about the resort, although there is plenty to do should you choose to do so.

TIP: There are two prices for rooms at Value resorts: Standard and Preferred. To the best of my ability, I can only determine one difference between the two, and that is location of the rooms in relation to the main building. These are really large resorts, and if you expect to use the main building a great deal (food court, shopping, and bus stop), you may wish to pay the higher rate for Preferred. If you don't mind a little walking and/or you have a car on property, save your pennies and go with Standard.

Each room has the essentials, including a small table and two chairs. Pack and Plays are available upon request. The space in the room is used to its maximum potential, and we've always had enough room to unpack and feel at home. So although you won't get the luxury and scenery of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts, you can still expect a clean, comfortable stay. You also get all the perks of being onsite at Disney, including Extra Magic Hours allowing you to enjoy the parks a bit longer and package delivery to your resort for any souvenirs you may purchase.

It should be noted that All Star Music now offers Family Suites as well, and there are rumors of more of these being created at other Value resorts. They consist essentially of two rooms blended into one with a kitchenette added... a nice feature. The master suite has a flat screen tv. The price for these is a little more than double a standard room rate, and availability is very limited. They only sleep six, though, so unless the kitchenette is important to you, two adjoining rooms might do the trick for you instead.

Do you have pros or cons to these resorts that I haven't mentioned? Please share them with us as a comment!

Silly Shots: People Are Food, Not Friends

For July, Scrapping the Magic ran a photo contest asking people to submit their best Silly Shots. The top three shots will be featured on Take The Monorail during the month of August. I'd like to present you now with the number one vote getter, submitted by Beth Joyner (TeachluvsDisney)!

Located in The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epoct is this gem of a photo op. While fish may be friends, not food to Bruce, it doesn't look that same rule applies to humans. Congratulations Beth on winning the best Photo Op contest! Look for the 2nd place photo to be featured next week!

Have you or has someone in your family been a meal for Bruce? Post your pictures documenting the meal on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

As for last week's Spot the Shot: Pooh and Friends, the correct location is Downtown Disney near the Pooh Corner store.

Learning To Eat: The Basics Of Disney Dining

Disney takes the art of complicating your dining experience to a level you really cannot imagine if you are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants traveler. But to be fair, they also manage to cause even the most prepared planner a certain amount of stress. The key to Disney Dining as an experience is to sort of close your eyes and leap. The good news is... the food at Disney is generally good, with a few notable exceptions. The bad news is... it can be rather expensive and you may be a little frustrated with their pseudo-reservation system.

In this post, I don't wish to really inundate you with the ins and outs of making reservations and how to find deals while dining at Disney. Instead, this post is meant to provide you with some ideas of what types of meals to seek out for your family, depending on their ages and needs. In future posts, we'll look at Advanced Dining Reservations and individual dining experiences and break it down even further.

There are three types of experiences as far as food goes. The simplest way I know to see it is to break it down as "snacks," "counter service," and "table service."

Snacks - Various single-item foods you can get at stands and kiosks around the park, as well as resort gift shops and snack bars. Examples of snacks offered include popcorn, turkey legs, ice cream bars, and various pieces of fruit. These are designed to be eaten "on the go" and stands like this rarely provide seating for you.

Counter Service - These restaurants are similar to fast food restaurants. You walk up to a cashier or, in some cases, a computer screen; place your order; and pay. Then you step up to another counter to collect your food on a tray and carry it off to a table to eat. In some of my favorite counter service restaurants, there is a fixin's bar along the way to add all sorts of tasty items to your burger or chicken sandwich.

Table Service - A real table with real waitstaff and a real bill at the end. Some are casual, some are comedic, some are more formal, and some are a combination. Some have buffets, some have menus, and some even have characters come out to wave and pose in pictures with you and your loved ones.

TIP: Touring Plans (@TouringPlans) recently Tweeted a great tip I've found very useful. Based on your eating habits and those of your child, you can probably split an adult counter service meal with your child. This will save you some money and should still be satisfying. Especially if you are also partaking in several of the snacks around The World as well during the day!

You will always find kids' selections at the Counter Service and Table Service establishments, and snacks are, by nature, very kid-friendly. Items like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and the trusty PB&J are often part of the menu, and if you are in a Table Service restaurant, they all CAN be if you just ask. Kids' meals come with drink and two "sides" which include items like grapes, apple slices, fries, carrot sticks, etc. You can double up, so if your kid is a future wine-drinker like mine and cannot possibly get enough grapes on his plate, you can ask for two sides of grapes rather than seeking out any sort of healthy, interesting variety.

So as you begin to plot your meals out and compare your hopes and desires to your budget and your length of stay, pay close attention to what your kids will be able to handle. When we went to Disney on our honeymoon, we ate nothing but sit down meals for four days. This was fine until about day four, when we thought we might actually have to roll back to our room at the Boardwalk from the restaurant in Mexico. We were so terribly miserable that we swore off eating for the rest of our stay at Disney. (And we stuck to it since we boarded the Disney Magic cruise ship the next day... which technically is no longer Disney!)

However, kids might not do as many Table Service restaurants as the adults in your party may want to. I wouldn't plan on more than one a day at the MOST. And remember, character meals count as Table Service. These meals are longer, require some patience on the part of your children, and keep you out of the parks where they quite possibly would rather be. That said, the downtime can be quite welcome and you do know your children's capabilities.


Here's a quick rundown of MY favorite Table Service restaurants in each park for kid-friendliness. This does not mean they have the best food, but they are fun for kids and therefore will be more fun for you.

Magic Kingdom - Crystal Palace (character meal with Tigger and Pooh, buffet)

Epcot - Chefs de France (casual French cafe setting where a little extra noise is hardly noticed)

Hollywood Studios - 50s Prime Time Cafe (great atmosphere and your kids might get the chance to laugh at you)

Animal Kingdom - Tusker House (character breakfast with the classic characters featuring Donald Duck. Buffet.)

So those are my favorites for Table Service with kids. What are yours and why?

Spot the Shot: Pooh and Friends

The first Friday of every month we will be bringing you a Spot the Shot photo. It's the same thing as a Silly Shot, except YOU tell us where it is!


Where in Walt Disney World can you find this fun little place where you can sit on a log with Pooh and the gang? Leave your answer as a comment!

Do you have a photo of you and your family hanging on the log? Post them on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page page!

Silly Shots: Character Cutouts

Photo by Virginia Rother

Tucked away in the back of the Town Square Exposition Center located on Main St. U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom is an often-forgotten area where you can watch some classic cartoons or become a part of the scene with some pretty nifty character cutouts! You can help steer the steamboat with Mickey, star in the 101 Dalmatians' favorite cartoon, dance with the Seven Dwarfs, or avoid the claw with some little green aliens! This area is also great for a little break since it tends to be fairly quite from the lack of crowds. This is especially nice if you have a little one that wants to crawl around.

See more photos from the Expo Center and post some of your own on Scrapping the Magic or on our Facebook page! Or have an idea for a location to be featured as a Silly Shot? Email your photo to photos@takethemonorail.com and we might just use it in a future post!

Where Can I Hang My Ears?

In the spirit of getting the basics out of the way so I can move on to more individual experiences and lessons learned, here's generally what I think about where to stay at Disney.

First, to share relevant information, I am currently a Disney Vacation Club member, which dictates my choices to a certain degree now. However, there are exceptions to my rules... so...

I've stayed offsite four times. All experiences were fine. The first was when I was looking for employment (had my car). The second was with a large group (had a charter bus). The third and fourth were at a friend's timeshare (rented a car, then had my own car respectively). You must have your own transportation when you stay offsite. Ignore the "we have a shuttle" line and rent a car or take your own. In many cases, the cost of the hotel and car will not equal what you would have paid onsite anyway, and the convenience and ease of having a car to drive will be well worth it. When budgeting this, do remember Disney charges for you to park there if you are not an onsite guest, and it's not cheap. At the time I am writing this article, the going rate is $12 per day.

Tip for parking: If you buy your theme park tickets (or at least one of them) from AAA, you can get their Diamond Parking pass. This pass doesn't give you any sort of discount on parking, but it does get you into a reserved section that is easily walkable to the gates. You can avoid the parking tram and get to the gates that much faster. This benefit is best if you plan to arrive at the parks early in the morning, before park opening

Staying offsite is totally feasible and will not ruin your vacation. It's also very affordable, and in some cases (such as a vacation home rental) can be more luxury for less money than onsite. But I do still feel strongly about staying onsite. Disney is an immersive experience, and personally, I prefer to stay immersed.

So, if staying onsite... I've heard our friends over at WDWToday talk about how important it is to have your own car even when onsite. I do see some advantages, yes, but don't freak out about it. If you want to spend the extra money to stay onsite, but then want to cut corners other ways, don't stress over the car. The Disney buses aren't private shuttles, but they'll get you there and back... and you're on vacation! When I'm alone, I read a book while waiting. When I have the kids, we sing songs and play games. It's fine.

So then, as far as actual living quarters... I have experienced two of the Value resorts (that is to say, the cheap ones). Those are Pop Century and All Star Music. I enjoyed my stay both times and was pleasantly surprised at the size of the rooms. Although the rooms are smaller than other rooms in more expensive resorts, space is used to its maximum potential. If you cannot rent or bring a car, I would choose Pop Century. But if you have a car with you, the All Star Resorts will do just fine.

Photo by Ryan P. Wilson

So why would you spend more money to stay at one of the nicer resorts? I've upgraded to moderate for romantic vacations and for trips with small children. The rooms are bigger and they have a small fridge provided for milk, water, and sodas. Plus, the value resorts don't have some of the nicer resort facilities. King size beds are rare and spas (hot tubs) at the pool are completely missing--two things you might really want if you are two adults traveling for a romantic getaway. Moderates offer these amenities.

Moderates are really very nice. If you have five in your family, you almost have to start with one of these, as value rooms only sleep four (unless you want two rooms or one of the suites that All-Star Music now offers). I wasn't wild about the French Quarter at Port Orleans or Riverside (although I experienced it long ago when it was called Dixie Landings). They were okay... but nothing to write home about. However, we recently stayed at Coronado Springs and the place was just lovely. You have to be wiling to walk, but you're walking anyway. It's so quiet and serene... we just loved it. (Walking is to be expected at the value resorts as well, and even in the deluxes in some cases). Caribbean Beach is also nice. It's very similar to Coronado Springs, but I didn't like the ambiance there as much.

Deluxe resorts are my favorite. I love to indulge... I admit it, and these resorts are indulgent. Part of why we invested in the Disney Vacation Club is so that we could stay at these resorts often. I've stayed at the Polynesian loooooooooooooong ago, and friends just recently stayed there and invited us to hang out for a few hours. It's fabulous. We've also done the Boardwalk (Inn and Villas) and we've now enjoyed the lobby of the Yacht Club. We've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Villas and we've eaten at the Grand Floridian many times, in addition to experiencing the spas there and at Saratoga Springs. The Contemporary Magic Kingdom view rooms are absolute paradise for someone like me who loves to wake up to see the castle. I could lie in bed and watch the fireworks. Talk about magic.

So if you really want to immerse yourself in luxury, go deluxe. Even (and especially) with kids... as you will spend more time in your room when you have young children than when they are older. It's the preteens who can stay at the Value resorts... where they will pound the park all day into the night, then collapse in the evening to do it all again tomorrow. My advice... look at your wallet, then pick the resort based on how much relaxing v. how much Theme Parking you plan to do.

So share with us your thoughts about the pros and cons of the deluxe, moderate, and value resorts. What questions do you have?