#15 - Beauty and the Beast: Something There

#15 - Something There
This song from Beauty and The Beast when everyone (including Belle) starts to realize she has feelings for the Beast is turning point in the movie. I love the expression on the Beast's face when all the birds are sitting on him it's so funny. I especially like the snow ball fight too! And poor Chip just can't seem to figure out what's there can he?  I hope you enjoy the song! 

Reasons I Love Disney World A-Z..."H"

"H"
Hollywood Studios - One of the "Big Four Parks" you know you're there when you see Sorcerer Mickey's hat. The absolute must sees are Rockin Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania & Tower of Terror.
Hamm (Toy Story) - This cute little pink piggy bank from the Toy Story movies knows everything or at least thinks he does. Don't we all know somebody like that??
Hercules - This movie came out the year Dakota was born, 1997. Hercules is the son of Zeus and Hera, you all know about his amazing strength. Hades is his brother and nemesis, it is not my favorite Disney movie, but it is a good movie nonetheless.
Happy (Snow White) - "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's of to work we go..." another of Snow White's dwarfs.
Haunted Mansion - Not nearly as scary as it sounds, I love this ride. The special effects are great, the cobwebs and dust are perfect and the hitchhiker you pickup along the way is great. I can't wait to visit the mansion again on this trip.
Hidden Mickey's - It's so much fun to look for these all over Disney World isn't it! Just google it and you will find tons of hints and info to get you started.
Hundred Acre Wood - Where else would you find Pooh, Tigger and all their friends? I would be a really magical and fun place to live wouldn't it?

Reasons I Love Disney A-Z..."G"

"G"
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa - "Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe Resort distinguished as the flagship hotel of Walt Disney World Resort and offering world-class dining, entertainment and luxurious accommodations in its 6 striking red-gabled buildings. This magnificent hotel sits along the white-sand shores of Seven Seas Lagoon." This is a quote from the Disney website so I suppose I couldn't have said it better myself.
Grand Floridian Cafe - I have to be totally honest and tell you the main reason I want to eat here is to have the dessert sampler which includes Tiramisu, Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse Cake, Key Lime Tart & Lemon Cheesecake. Does that not sound absolutely delicious!!
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop - Hello, the name of the shop says it all. Thank you.
Goofy - "Gawrsh" you gotta love this member of the "Fab Five." Dakota was only 5 when we went to Disney World last time but his most vivid memory is of Goofy sneaking up behind me to "bite" my head half off at breakfast one morning. He stills laughs about that today.
Grimsby (The Little Mermaid)- Bet you forgot about Grimsby, Eric's manservant from The Little Mermaid didn't you? He is on the deck of the ship turning green about to give Eric a statue of himself as a birthday present when the storm comes along that eventually brings Ariel and Eric together.
Genie (Aladdin) - Arguably the true star of the movie Aladdin, I don't think Disney could have chosen a better actor than Robin Williams to voice this character. He was so funny, you watched to see what he was going to do next as much as you did to see what was going to happen with Aladdin and Jasmine.
Grumpy - I referenced Grumpy in an earlier post about the dwarfs from Snow White, but can't leave him out here.
Geppetto (Pinocchio) - There's nothing Geppetto wants more than a real little boy, but he sure never expects the Blue Fairy grant his wish and turn Pinocchio into a real boy.
Gopher (Winnie the Pooh) - It's so much fun to listen to Gopher whistle when he talks wearing his construction hat complete with a light in front. You've got to love those creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Reasons I Love Disney A-Z..."F"

"F"
Fab Five (5) - Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto
Flora & Fauna (Sleeping Beauty)- The fairies loved Aurora so and took such good care of her growing up. I have mentioned before that this is my favorite Disney movie. I can see them there in the cottage in the forest trying to bake her a birthday cake without using magic and you know what a disaster that turned out to be.
Flounder - I love this little yellow and blue fish, he is such a faithful friend to Ariel. The Little Mermaid is such a wonderful movie. I hope Lexi loves it as much as Ash did when she was a little girl. I have to mention Flotsam here as well, that evil electric eel of Ursula.
Fantasmic - This laser light and water show has been amazing audiences at Disney World's Hollywood Studio's since 1998. I am looking forward to watching Sorcerer  Mickey fight the Disney Villains.
France Pavilion - I know I have mentioned this before, but this will be my first visit to the World showcase. I can't wait to visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower and visit the bakery!!
Finding Nemo - One of my favorite Pixar movies. I love Dori, Crush, Marlin, all the guys from the fish tank. The pelicans from the dock "Mine, Mine, Mine!" Such a cute movie!
Fairy Godmother (Cinderella)- I suppose there would be no story at all without her would there? She puts the magic in Cinderella's story.
Flame Tree Barbeque - Despite the fact that this is a quick service restaurant I have heard wonderful things. I am going to have to give it a try during our visit to the Animal Kingdom.
Fulton's Crab House - Downtown Disney is quickly becoming my favorite place to choose restaurants from.  We can't eat there every night but I wish we could. Fulton's flies fresh seafood in everyday, how cool is that!  It's even housed in a riverboat replica docked right on the water. Maybe I should make just one more ADR???

Reasons I Love Disney A-Z..."E"

"E"
EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a utopian city of the future planned by Walt Disney near the end of his lifetime. It is a tribute to him that the park is still a favorite of many people today.  I am really looking forward to visiting the World Showcase, this will be our first time.
Expedition Everest - According to the Disney Website "Expedition Everest in the Asia area of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is a high-altitude, high-speed, roller coaster train ride for big kids, teens and adults to the "Roof of the World," home of the inhospitable snarling beast, the Yeti, at the mountain's peak." So I am still trying to decide if I am ready to be a "big kid" yet or not. I will let you know...
Ed (The Lion King) - The hyenas from the Lion King were great weren't they!  Banzai, Shenzi & Ed in case you were wondering. I loved this movie, I haven't seen it in such a long time. I think it's time to bring it out again. Hakuna Matata! 
Elastigirl & Edna (The Incredibles) - As much as she wanted to deny it you know Helen missed being Elastigirl. You remember Edna, she makes the suits for the Incredible Family. She was awesome darling, her character played a small role but it was very memorable.
Eeoyre - You just have to love gloomy little donkey Eeoyre, the Hundred Acre Wood would not be complete without him would it?
Earl of Sandwich - I have heard wonderful things about this restaurant in Downtown Disney. I am finally going to get to try it firsthand.
Extra Magic Hours - Getting to go into one of the parks an hour early or stay up to three hours late because you're staying at a Disney Resort, one of my favorite perks!!

Reasons I Love Disney A-Z..."D"

"D"
Disney World - It really is such a magical place. Don't you just love going there and becoming a kid again, and taking your kids and watching the pure joy in their eyes. I can't wait for my vacation, come on July!!
Donald & Daisy Duck - Two of the original cast of characters that are true Disney Icons. You have to love Donald, even though his temper flairs from time to time he really has a heart of gold.
Dumbo - the movie is a Disney classic and the ride is one of the first we took Dakota on at the Magic Kingdom.
Disney Blogs - I love reading them, whether it's about the parks or movies or the man, I love keeping up with what's happening now or learning about the history of Disney.
Dinosaur - I can hardly wait to visit the Dino Institute and climb aboard the CTX Time Rover...it's gonna be a bumpy ride!!
Downtown Disney - Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest, House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, Tren-D, Disney's Days of Christmas, Goofy's Candy Company, World of Disney, I don't think I need to say anymore.
Disney's Days of Christmas - This store has to have a spot of it's own. My tree is decorated in Disney ornaments each year. I bet there will be lots of new ones for 2011.
Dory - She really was one of the reasons I loved Finding Nemo, as scatter brained as she was she helped keep Marlin on track until he found Nemo.
Dash - The older son from The Incredibles, I love how they are a regular family except for the fact that they have super powers.
Dopey - I make the confession I have never actually seen Snow White, but I think he's so cute. Which means now I should mention Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Grumpy & Happy.
Dreams - Disney is just a place that make you believe all your dreams can really come true.
Disney Channel - When Dakota was little we watched it for hours, especially on weekend mornings. Bear in the Big Blue House, P B & J Otter, Stanley & the Great Big Book of Everything (Dakota loved animals). I don't even know if these shows are on anymore, probably not.
Disney Couture - I really like this jewelry line from Disney. It's trendy, and not aimed at kids. I even bought Ashley the Cinderella set for her wedding.

I Am A Disney Blog Junkie!!!

I have a confession to make. I read lots of Disney blogs every day, and I "Like" lots of Disney stuff on Facebook. You see my new addition to the blog, over to the right, there are some of the blogs I frequent. Oh there are lots more, and there will definitely be additions to the list. Most of the time I just do a generic search for Disney or Disney World or Disney Vacation and see what comes up.  I also love all of the Disney history you can find on the blogs out there.  I find the ones I like the most are created by real Disney fans, not travel agents who are giving you tips in hopes of getting business along the way.  And not the blogs by someone who's hoping to sell a guidebook.  It's the simple blogs by a Mom or Dad who just loves Disney and taking their family there on vacation.  The person who blogs just for the pure Love of Disney!  It's where they say I remember walking down Main Street with my little boy ... or I remember the first time I rode Tower of Terror!  The truly heartfelt stories and memories of their time in the parks. While I do appreciate the advice on remembering to bring comfy shoes and sunscreen to the parks and to get a FastPass to Soarin' I am now ready to read about the fun I am going to experience in about 160 days.  Now I really need to find a good Disney food blog I still a have a couple of ADR's to make...

I Blog For Me, If You Are Reading That's Icing On The Cake..

I am a realist, I know that only on a rare occasion does someone other than myself actually read my blog. You see, truth is I write everything here for myself. Don't get me wrong I would love to have a million followers and have Disney ask me to blog for them. But, I am enjoying planning my vacation and as I write my posts it will be here for me to remember long after our vacation is over. And by writing it all down here I am not bugging my friends and family with Disney info and boring them to death. As Disney fanatics well know, not everyone is as crazy about the "World" as we are. You see, I could look at Disney Guide Books and Disboards, Zannaland, Allears, ect. for hours on end, much like my daughter can shop for a Coach purse or MAC makeup. I guess what I am saying is by having this blog I get to "talk" about Disney to my hearts delight, but I am not bugging the people I love.


Now in the same breath I have to tell you I am very much aware of the Disboards, Passporter and Allears Disney fans who post their "Pre Trip Reports" on their websites. I haven't had much luck with forums. You see I was never the popular kid in school, but you popular kids needed kids like me who were happy being followers and wall flowers-we were the kids who made you popular. Just sayin. Things haven't changed much since high school, I'm not the popular kid on the forums, I'm more the lurker type, and Pre Trip Reports are just popularity reports. Talk about pressure, you have this fear of "What if no one reads my post?", "What if no one follows my Pre Trip Report?", "Is the name of my report catchy enough to draw in readers?" Way too stressful, know what I mean?


Great things is, unless I choose to click the "Stats" tab at the top of my Blogger page I will never know how many people read about my "Adventures in Disney World Vacation Planning", and sometimes ignorance is bliss. Today I may want a million readers, tomorrow I may not want any. So for today thanks to all million of you for taking a few minutes to humor me and read my rambling thoughts.

I Have Confirmed My Disney Reservation!!

Sunday night I spent exactly 43 minutes 35 seconds on the phone with Disney finalizing my July reservations at the The Most Magical Place on Earth. The first 15 minutes were with an annoying automated system, you know "Is this your first time calling Disney?", "Say and spell your last name." It about drove me crazy, if I weren't so excited about going to Disney World I swear I would have hung the phone up. I didn't think I was ever going to speak with a real human being!! Finally, I got to speak with Whisper -I am sure this was her real name ;-) since so many people from my generation are named Whisper. Her voice was kind of gravely like Roz from Monsters Inc., she was helpful but seemed somewhat uncomfortable when she said things about "pixie dust" or "magic"- I just assumed all Disney employees were trained to say these words until they rolled off their tongues like "Mornin' Y'all" does from a southern belle. Anyway, after many times of being put on hold while she checked on something we got a Club Level, Lagoon View room at the Yacht Club (which was exactly what I wanted). Here is a link in case you're interested (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/yacht-club-resort/). We are staying on the Magic Your Way Premium Plan, which includes dining and recreation. Again, here's a link ( http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/vacation-packages/2011/premium/). I got my reservation confirmation email overnight and now everthing seems so much more REAL!! I am so excited!! It's almost time to start thinking about dinner reservations!!

A Little Background Info

A little background for you. Despite my love affair with Mickey Mouse, we have had a long distance relationship. I didn't actually meet him until I was 40, back in January 2003. Dakota was 5, Ashley was 15 we had a good time but it was a little overwhelming. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which was beautiful and reminded me very much of my husband (he's an outdoorsy kinda guy). We didn't see any of Epcot at all, saw most of Animal Kingdom and hit the high spots of Magic Kingdom. It was also FREEZING, one of the coldest January's ever (and I am so not a cold weather kinda girl!).

We did go on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) which has changed quite a bit since that time. I think our favorite meal was at the Rain Forest Cafe. I still have my lavendar sweatshirt we bought there and a souvenir glass we got with Mike's sundae. There was more food than we could ever imagine consuming! I think it will definitely be a must do for our return trip this year. When researching for this trip I did notice that the DDP has changed considerably since our last trip. I hope I can figure everything out. Right now I have us on the Premium Dining Plan, I am curious if the upgrade to Platinum is worth it. Please comment if you have experience with either, I would love to hear your experiences.

We are also going in July this time because I will not be wearing hats and scarves around Disney this time. I am also looking forward to to enjoying water recreation at Disney (Sea Racers, Blizzard Beach, Storm Along Bay). Before any Disney aficionados get mad at me-I know you have to stay at The Beach Club or Yacht Club to use Storm Along Bay. We are currently booked at The Beach Club Resort, but I am comtemplating changing to The Yacht Club. Again anyone with experience at either resort please chime in with your experiences.

Wow! That was a little longer first post than I had expected and you don't know much about me yet. I will give you a little more info next time.