Wordless Wednesday at Animal Kingdom...272

Here are just a few random shots at the Animal Kingdom.  Definitely not my favorite park.  I have been thrown up on and pooped on in this park and it always seems to be about 4000 degrees warmer here than anywhere else in the World.  On the positive side, the Tree is beautiful and there is a lot of great detail and theming in the park.  

273 Days Away from the World

Now that I have booked our hotel, I am setting my eyes on the next milestone towards our 2012 Disney vacation.  What is that milestone you ask?  September 6, the day they release the latest version of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2012 edition.

The Dolphin Has Landed...275

Today I booked our hotel for our Summer 2012 Disney vacation!!!!!  After much debate I decided on the Dolphin.  Not an easy decision but I feel pretty good about it.  We were looking at the Polynesian but even with a 40% discount it was going to be too much and there is no guarantee that they will even have the same discounts this year as last.  We had looked very closely at the Port Orleans Riverside and the new Royal Rooms at the Riverside.  There is still a chance that if I got a pin code from Disney or if they offer the 25 to 30% on rooms that we would switch to the POR.  Below is a breakdown of the rates for the hotels we were looking at...

Disney Universe...276

I use to like loud music, action movies and violent video games.  Three children later, everything has changed.  My most popular iTunes playlist is Disney, with over 100 songs on it.  This weekend we will be watching Mary Poppins.  Last weekend it was Yogi Bear and the weekend before that, well I'm not sure but I can guarantee it didn't star Bruce Willis or Sly Stallone.  And when it comes to video games, the most violence I see are the continuous epic battles between Bowser and Mario.   

So with all that said, you will understand why I am pretty pumped about the new game coming out called "Disney Universe."  I have not yet played it as it comes out October 25 for the Wii, PS3 and XBOX 360, but I think it looks great.  The game play is supposed to be like that of the Lego series which means even my 3 year old will be able to play.  You can have up to four players as you play through 6 different Disney and Pixar themed levels.  You can unlock around 40 different Disney character costumes, giving you the ability to play as all your favorites.   Looks like this game could keep my family busy for several months!  Here's hoping the Great Pumpkin brings us Disney Universe for Halloween.  

Wordless Wednesday ... 278

I know this isn't the greatest photo but I like how empty the park is.  We are big fans of getting the earliest possible reservation at the Crystal Palace and enjoying an almost empty Magic Kingdom.  Thanks for stopping by.

Not Monday!!!!!!!!!!....280

Sorry about the title, I'm back at work.  I teach high school.  Do you remember that sick feeling you got on Sunday nights around 4 or 5?  Well, teachers get that too.  Except it never goes away because we never graduate.  I should be doing my lesson plans but this is more fun.  I was working on a post about first timers being overwhelmed by planning for their Disney trip and then the blog post overwhelmed me so I stopped and wanted to go something a little easier.  So enjoy as I ease into the week.

Here is something thought provoking...

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/02/the-pinocchio-paradox/

Upcoming Disney Movies...283

Recently I found out that Disney is shelving production of the movie The Lone Ranger.  The movie was to star Johnny Depp as Tonto and was to be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.  Disney is wanting to cut the budget down from $250 million dollars to $220 million.  Really, $250 million for a western?  That seems a little steep.  Oh, wait there were supposed to be werewolves in it.  I don't remember werewolves in the original series but as one blogger put it, that would explain the silver bullets.

from Ain't It Cool News

Wordless Wednesday...Teppan Edo...284

We love Teppan Edo.  See what is on the menu HERE.

Our Teppan Chef was great.

Where to Find Discounts for Walt Disney World...287

If you are new to the whole planning for Walt Disney World process, I know that it can be a bit overwhelming.  One of the biggest things that is overwhelming is the price tag.  I'm not going to try to answer all the questions about discounts but I hope to at least point you in the right direction.

If you go to Walt Disney World's website it's easy enough to put in all your information about your upcoming visit and you will get a pretty good idea about what the overall cost will be.  That price tag is what we call the "rack rate."  It is just another world for "full price."

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop...292

Expedition Everest

A Carnotaurus for Dinner...294

If there is anything in this world my son is passionate about, it is dinosaurs.  On our last trip to WDW he was only five years old.  He was scared to ride most of the big attractions.  I had to drag him onto Splash Mountain crying and had my hand on his shoulder during Soarin'. (We discussed Maelstrom in an earlier post.)  But when it came to riding Dinosaur, he was first in line.  I could have told him the ride went upside down and there would be a good chance we would all die, he would not have cared.  He was riding that ride!  I would not recommend this ride for younger kids or for anyone that doesn't like dark, loud rides where things are constantly jumping out at you.  However, if you have a future paleontologist in your family this ride is great.

Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom

Top Five Attractions at Hollywood Studios...297

*I would like to preface this post by noting that the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster will not appear on this top 5 list. If you love thrill rides, it is a must do.  It has great theming, music, story and star power.  My only problem with the ride is it almost causes me to blackout!  It's not just the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster that causes this but any ride that goes upside down.  I would like to credit that to the Ninja at Six Flags over St. Louis.  When I was younger I rode it about 10 times in a row and by the end I was suffering from tunnel vision.  Now I can't ride anything that goes upside down.  Insert sad sound here!  Now back to the post...

In post 325 we looked at the attractions at Epcot and in post 354 we looked at attractions at the Magic Kingdom.  Today we turn our attention to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

5.  Butterfinger Cupcake - I don't think I even need to say anything about this one...

http://www.cookiemadness.net/2009/10/butterfinger-cupcake-from-disneys-starring-rolls/

Wordless Wednesday Hop!...299

Here are some pictures from my favorite ride in all of Disney.  The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!!  I took these pictures with my iPhone 3G.  They are not the best quality but I still hope you enjoy them.

Where in the World to Relax pt 1 ...301

How many times do you hear people say that they need a vacation from their vacation?  That statement is usually even more true when people return from a Disney trip.  There is so much to do and see and you want to get your money's worth.  I understand that but you need to also realize that you are on vacation and that it is almost impossible to see everything at Walt Disney World.  One of my big goals for our next Disney vacation is to make it a relaxing one.

Probably my favorite area in the World to relax is on the BoardWalk.  I have had some great quiet times in the morning there and in the evening it is beautiful.  It is one of the few areas on property that I have never felt rushed or packed in.  It is also a great area to sit and people watch.  Below are just a few of the pictures I took with my phone.  Not the best but they make me happy.