mouse house memories Archives - The Mom Maven

Mouse House Memories-Habit Heroes

cindy — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:54:48 +0000

Way back in February 2012 a new attraction opened in Innoventions at Epcot, it was called “Habit Heroes”. I didn’t have the opportunity to check out Habit Heroes because it was only open for less than a month before Disney closed it! I’m not sure but that may be the shortest run ever of a Disney attraction. You see, in their attempt to educate guests about childhood obesity Disney and sponsor Florida Blue went too far. The attraction used obese stereo-typical characters to belittle larger sized children. While we all know childhood obesity is at epic proportions in the US, who wants to be bullied about their weight while on vacation?

After very vocal complaints and public outcry spurred on by doctors, body image experts and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (yes, that really is a thing), Disney closed the attraction and totally re-imagined the attraction, which re-opened in January 2013 to much more positive reactions.

I have been to Innoventions numerous times between January 2013 and February 2014 and I never even realized the attraction was open! There is never a line and until my visit on 2/28/14, I had never noticed a cast member near the entrance. On our February 28, 2014 visit there was a cast member there so our party of 5 decided to check out the attraction.

Habit Heroes 2.0

In Habit Heroes 2.0, a host takes a group of up to 12 guests through the 16 minutes interactive experience. The goal is for the guests to become Habit Heroes, healthy super heroes.

In the briefing room the “recruits” aka guests, meet Director Jin and agents Quench, Fuel and Dynamo. The recruits learn about the enemies that they must defeat: poor nutrition, inactivity and dehydration. In each of the subsequent rooms the recruits complete activities to defeat these bad habits with the healthy habits of water, activity and fruits & vegetables.

The re-imagined Habit Heroes does healthy living education in a fun, interactive and educational manner. It no longer focuses on childhood obesity but on making healthy choices which is a message we all need to learn. Next time you are at Epcot, check out Habit Heroes and see for yourself.

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Mouse House Memories-Star Tours The Adventure Continues

cindy — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:06:22 +0000

In May of 2011, the long-awaited re-imagining of the Disney’s Hollywood Studios Attraction, Star Tours was completed. This event was met with huge fanfare, especially for those in the Disney/Star Wars community. I will admit up front that I am not a Star Wars fan girl and I have only seen the original trilogy of movies, so I am no Star Wars genius. That being said, I know a cool ride when I see it. My boys and I couldn’t wait to ride Star Tours-The Adventure Continues on our next visit to the Studios after the re-opening.

The first thing that hits you is the awesome job that they did with the queue. The attention to detail and storytelling is amazing. I really enjoy just looking at everything in the queue when I am waiting to ride. Here are some images from the queue.

Since I can’t take you on a ride-through of the ride, I thought I’d share with you one of the videos that Disney Parks put out, before the attractions re-opening. I hope you enjoy it.

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Mouse House Memories-Shopping in Adventureland

cindy — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 11:13:55 +0000

When I think of shopping in the Magic Kingdom, Adventureland is not an area that usually comes to mind. There are, however 6 shopping spots in Adventureland. Soon after entering Adventureland from the hub there is a cart on your left filled with goodies young adventurers may need. Up a little bit on your right as you pass Aloha Isle is where you will find Island Supply. This store actually carries a lot of non-Disney merchandise like Hawaiian trinkets, leis, grass skirts and surf wear. Next up is Zanzibar Trading Co. which in addition to some typical Disney gift shop fare, you will find African themed items.

As you pass The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, on your right you will find Agrabah Bazaar, which was closed for remodeling on our last trip. The Agrabah Bazaar carries Aladdin and Arabian themed items. Continue through Adventureland to the Pirates of the Caribbean and here is where you will find Adventureland’s last two shopping spots. First is Plaza Del Sol Caribe Bazaar which is actually where the ride exits into. This store is filled with everything piratey. As you leave this store, you come upon La Princesa De Cristal which carries beautiful art and collectible pieces.

If you are looking for more unique souvenirs, Adventureland may be the place for you to shop in the Magic Kingdom.

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Mouse House Memories-Adventureland Eats

cindy — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 10:29:19 +0000

As we continue our time in Adventureland, I thought I’d take some time to focus on the food. Even though there is no table service restaurant in Adventureland and the counter service restaurant is only open seasonally, there are still some great treats and eats to be found here. Let’s start by stating the obvious…DOLE WHIP! I have written several posts in the past about Dole Whip so I won’t spend too much time on it here. A few years ago we introduced our friend Shellie to the wonder that is Dole Whip. If you still aren’t convinced of my love for this chilly citrus treat maybe my Dole Whip Halloween costume will convince you.

Another delectable Adventureland treat are the egg rolls from the egg roll cart. I have yet to enjoy one of these delicacies and the day I went on this particular photo trip, the cart wasn’t even open yet! Someday, I will try one of these tasty tidbits.

The Sunshine Tree Terrace is the place to find your citrus swirl, a once extinct Disney classic that made a comeback in the spring of 2012. The citrus swirl is a swirl of frozen orange juice and vanilla soft serve ice cream. If a pineapple Dole Whip isn’t for you, maybe the Citrus Swirl is a better fit. Also available at the Sunshine Tree Terrace is the the classic Orange Bird souvenir cup!

The best smelling snack in Adventureland are the cinnamon nuts. I am not a nut eater but the smell as I walk by the cart gets me every time. This cart area also offers popcorn, sodas and fresh fruit.

Tortuga Tavern, the only counter service restaurant in Adventureland is only open seasonally and the menu has been know to vary a bit. The most recent menu can be found on " target="_blank">AllEarsNet.

As you can see there is plenty to snack on in Adventureland and it is home to two classic Disney treats the Citrus Swirl and the Dole Whip. What is your favorite Adventureland snack? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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Mouse House Memories-Jungle Cruise

cindy — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 10:14:45 +0000

As much as I love some of the new attractions at Walt Disney World, I find a lot of comfort in the classics. I have been riding The Jungle Cruise since 1972 and it is a family favorite. This attraction has changed and evolved a bit over the years but some of the jokes always remain the same. What makes this attraction special are the skippers. Years ago, several Disney tour type rides had human hosts-Living with the Land, Backlot Tour and others. Now The Jungle Cruise and The Great Movie Ride are the only rides with actual hosts and these hosts can make or break your ride experience. On our most recent Jungle Cruise we had Skipper Clint and he was FABULOUS! You could tell he enjoyed his job, he laughed with the people hearing his jokes for the first time and he appreciated when us old timers recited some of his jokes with him.

Skipper Clint

I am getting ahead of myself though. The Jungle Cruise has a well themed queue, especially for a classic attraction. Not much has changed in this space over the years and the tarantula is always a crowd favorite.

The ride itself hasn’t changed over the years. The jokes have changed over the years and the use of the skippers gun has changed. Originally the skipper shot the hippo then for years the gun remained in its holster and now some skippers use the gun to “Scare away the hippos” but not to hurt them.

Yes, this ride is hokey and I have friends that leave me comments like, “Really? You’re riding that again?” whenever I check in on Foursquare but I like it and it usually offers some good laughs.

I’ll leave you with the most impressive view on the entire ride…

The back side of water!

Is The Jungle Cruise a must-do or a don’t-do on your Disney touring schedule? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

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Mouse House Memories-A Pirate’s Adventure

cindy — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:21:08 +0000

In May of 2013 A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas opened in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom. My friend Kim and I finally got to experience the adventure for ourselves last month.

About A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas

In A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas, guests will use a pirate map and magic talisman to help them complete five different pirate raids throughout Adventureland. The goal is to help locate different Treasures of the Seven Seas and fight off pirate enemies like the Royal Navy and Captain Barbossa, among others. If guests help Captain Jack succeed in all the missions, they’ll be welcomed as part of his new crew. If not, they’ll face the wrath of the cruel sea – alone.

Now that all park tickets are RFID they don’t have the magic talisman anymore, you just use your park ticket. In the top left photo in the collage below you can see Kim using her ticket.

A Pirate’s Adventure Video

My friend John from BigFatPanda.com did a great video about A Pirate’s Adventure. instead of re-inventing the wheel, he gave me permission to embed his video for you to see.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts on A Pirate’s Adventure

There are 5 different adventures you can go on and each one takes 15-20 minutes. When you finish one it directs you to go back to the enlistment station to begin another adventure. To date, my favorite interactive adventure at Walt Disney World was the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. For me it was the perfect mix of favorite characters, technology and park interaction. A Pirate’s Adventure has moved into second place due to the simplicity and interactivity as well as the shorter time constraints. As much as I love Phineas & Ferb, Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure is a bit too much. It takes up a lot of time and makes you do a lot of walking and back tracking. My least favorite of the interactive adventures is Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom due to the trading cards, and magic theme of the adventure.

A Pirate’s Adventure is fun for all ages. We are two 40-something moms and we enjoyed doing it with no kids attached :-). Next time you are in the Magic Kingdom give it a try. If you have already completed the adventure please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

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Mouse House Memories- FastPass+

cindy — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 11:45:54 +0000

For over a year now there has been a lot of hubbub in the Disney community about MagicBands and FastPass+. In 2013 Magic Bands were rolled out to Disney resort guests and this included beginning testing of the new Fastpass+ system.

What is Fastpass+

Disney FastPass+ service makes your vacation better than ever by allowing you to reserve access to some of your favorite Walt Disney World experiences before you even leave home.

Choose from more than double the previous number of experiences and skip the standby queue at the attractions that you selected in advance, and—for the first time ever—FastPass+ service includes select Character Greetings, shows, parades and fireworks.

The above definition is straight from the Disney Parks website. That is how the system is designed to work and basically how is works for guests currently staying in a Disney resort.

FastPass+ Testing for Non-Disney Resort Guests

If you are not staying at a Disney resort, we live 2 hours away and often travel over for the day-as we did on Friday, the process is different. When you enter the park, bring your entire party to a FastPass+ Kiosk (they are located throughout the parks). You will receive a flyer that explains FastPass+ on one side and a list of all of the FastPass+ attractions, character meet & greets and shows. You get to choose 3 attractions in one park for the day.

**NOTE Please grab the paper and make your decisions BEFORE getting in line, especially of you have a large party going in several directions. The key to making your FastPass+ reservation experience run smoothly is organization and planning in advance. Not getting into line until you are organized makes it easier on the cast members and reduces the wait time for other guests as well.**

Kim and I knew what 3 attractions we wanted FastPass+ for and that we had morning plans so we wanted all of our FastPasses for the afternoon. We waited in line about 10 minutes-there were 2 families making reservations with cast members and 1 ahead of us in line. We presented our APs to the cast member, told her our attractions: Peter Pan’s Flights, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and she went to work finding us times. She told us our first time 1:00-2:00pm for Pooh. Our first thought was, “How are we going to remember 3 FastPass times all day long?” You can write the times on the flier where you choose your attractions but neither Kim nor I had a pen with us, and neither did the cast member! I whipped out my iPhone and set alarms for each of our FastPasses and we went on with our day.

At about 1:10pm we arrived at Pooh scanned our APs at the FastPass+ return and entered the queue. Where the FastPass queue merges with the stand by queue you need to scan your card again so don’t put your card away. We has put ours away and had to dig them out of our bags for the second scan. The process was simple enough and worked well at all 3 attractions.

If you change your mind or if you go by an attraction and choose to ride stand by, you can go to a FastPass+ Kiosk and let the cast member know and they can update your FastPass+ with another choice.

MomMaven’s Thoughts on FastPass+

When we vacationed at Disney in December our friends who were staying in a Disney resort had access to FastPass+ but those of us staying off property did not, this made traveling as a group difficult during the busy holiday time. My friend Kim and I headed to the Magic Kingdom on Friday, 1-24-14, to try out the system for ourselves.

We often pop over to the park to spend the day with friends who are down on vacation. Since they make their FastPass+ plans in advance is may be difficult to get the same time windows as they have. This is a new problem for us since with the old system we all walked up to the machines and got return tickets for the same time window.

Since non-resort guests do not have MagicBands at this time (hopefully passholders will be getting them in 2014), our FastPasses are not available though the My Disney Experience Mobile App. This is why we had to write down or create alarms on our phone so that we could remember our FastPass times.

We are parkhoppers and with the legacy FastPass system we were often able to visit our favorite attractions in all 4 parks in one day using 6-8 FastPasses in one day. The new FastPass+ system only allows 3 FastPasses a day and they must all be used in the same park. For locals like us, this is the biggest downside we see of the new program. Is it a deal breaker? No. Will is cause us to change our touring plans? Yes. Does this make us happy? No.

For most guests, I feel the FastPass+ system will work well. Having your resort reservation, dining ADRs and FastPass+ all organized on the My Disney Experience Mobile App will be a great way to stay organized on vacation. The system is still in its testing phase so I am sure there will be tweaks to the system as we move forward.

If you have questions about FastPass+ please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them for you. If you have used the system on a recent vacation, I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

FastPass+ Kiosk

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Mouse House Memories-Survey Results

cindy — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 10:38:11 +0000

First I want to thank all of you that took a few minutes to fill out the survey I posted 2 weeks ago. I want to share the results with you and discuss some of my plans for moving forward with mouse House Memories.

The Survey Results

1. In the past 30 days have you…

Only 4% of you haven’t at least dreamed of a Disney vacation!
One-third of you have been on a Disney vacation in the last 30 days
Almost half of you have either planned or researched a Disney vacation.

2. What type of Disney posts do you enjoy reading most?

54% Special Events
21% Attractions
12% Resorts
8% Dining
4% Shopping

3. What topics or questions do you have about a Disney vacation that you would like me to answer in future posts? Only half of you answered this question. Here are your answers in order.

Ticket deals
Upcoming events-new attractions-dining
Hidden gems-single parent visits-resorts-when to go-cruising-dining affordably-your posts are great don’t change a thing

4. Do you blog about Disney?

1/3 of you blog about Disney

5. How often do you blog about Disney?

22% of you blog about Disney weekly

Mouse House Memories 2014

As we move forward in this year I plan on continuing coverage of special events and attractions as always. I hope to continue covering dining and resorts as my budget allows I have had a few Disney vacation planners contact me about working with them to share deals with you. I will be looking into those offers and see who I think will be the best for all of us.

I’d love to write about Disney cruising and I can start researching but, I have yet to go on a Disney cruise so I can’t give first person accounts at this point. It is also difficult for me to write about single parent trips but I have a friend who may be able to guest post in the future.

I really appreciate the input and some of the new directions we will be heading this year. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

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Mouse House Memories-Reedy Creek Radio Friends

cindy — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 10:09:35 +0000

About 6 years ago I met some wonderful people online in a Disney radio station chat room. Their chatroom names were Oom, Frennin,Liko and Kymie, Unfortunately, over time, silly drama enveloped that chat room and those of us who hate drama left. For a while we were vagabonds floating from chat room, following our favorite online Disney radio host from place to place. He has settled at an over-the-air radio career and while he is missed in our community, a few years ago we found a new home. A comfortable, drama free chat room at ReedyCreekRadio.com.

l-r MomMaven, Citizen X, his child, ChickenHair, Oom

For years our numbers have grown and we have made more friends like Faye, Luv, Buzz, ChickenHair, Kiki, King of Miami and many more! Online friends don’t often become real life friends but some of these people I consider my closest friends. In 2013 I had the opportunity to spend time at Walt Disney World with several of these friends and we had some special meet-ups in December when Kymie, her husband and 6 kids came over from the UK to meet her Reedy Creek Radio family! I don’t have all of the group pictures because some are on Frennin and Kymie’s photopass cards and I haven’t seen them yet.

Kymie’s family with myself and Goof

This was the 4th December trip for my family and Frennin’s! Oom has vacationed with us several times in the last 4 years and this was the 2nd time I met ChickenHair. My online Disney friends are real friends and I get excited when I know they are coming to the parks. I look forward to more meet-ups in the future and until then I will be listening to my favorite Disney music on ReedyCreekRadio.com and hanging out with my friends at ReedyCreekRadio.com/chat (people are usually in the chat room Mon-Fri 8am-4pm). Stop on by and tell them MomMaven sent you.

l-r King of Miami, Frennin, Lady Aurora, Buzz, Kymie & Oom

I am leaving last week’s survey open through Friday, January 17th so please, if you haven’t taken 2 minutes to fill it out I would really appreciate it.

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Mouse House Memories: Tren-D

cindy — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 10:06:39 +0000

As we continue our shopping tour of the Downtown Disney Marketplace we stop into one of my favorite stores, Tren-D. If you have teen, tween or young adult ladies in your family or on your gift shopping list this is the store for you. Tren-D has all of the cute, hip, “trendy” Disney tops, dresses and accessories for those who refuse to wear a “t-shirt”.

I do find the price for these trendier clothes to be a bit higher than your typical Disney tees. The tops in the collage below range from $32.95-$36.95.

Other than clothing, Tren-D also offers accessories, ie. purses, jewelry, make-up and totes, including this bag for $34.95.

Unfortunately for me, Tren-D offers very little for the plus size lady but I still love to look around the store every time I visit Downtown Disney. Have you shopped in Tren-D before? What do you like best there? The clothes or the accessories? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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