Deb's Digest

I'll be leaving later today for a long weekend at Walt Disney World. My days will be spent doing research for the 2nd edition of Passporter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs (actually our new title is Passporter's Open Mouse). It triple check the research fact time!!

My evenings will be spent relaxing and catching up with friends. We've got three nice dinners planned. My task will be to maintain my healthy eating while dining at California Grill (Contemporary), Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and Il Mulino (Swan).

The weather sounds nice, especially given the crazy non-spring weather we've been having in Washington, DC. Temps should be high 70s low 80s and sunny to partly cloudy skies.

I'll be sending daily updates - letting you know crowd conditions and reporting back on anything of note. Stay tuned for more, possibly later tonight.

Deb
Life IT too short!

We've arrived! I got goosebumps checking in when Al, the security guard, welcomed the Princeses Home!!! I just love the Wilderness Lodge. It was actually the first deluxe resort I ever stayed at in the 90s and still remember Ranger Stan taking care of our bags. We got a super MouseFanTravel.com group rate and are splurging with a stay in concierge!

When Al checked our name at the gate, there was a note on our parking pass to let the valet stand know we were staying at the Old Faithful Club. When we arrived at the Valet Stand they called upstairs and Cast Member Rob came down to greet us. He got a bellman for us and wouldn't you know, it was Arnie, the same gentleman that helped me on my last stay. He is just wonderfully magical and it started the stay out on a very high note. The Lodge appears to be pretty full to capacity..there are folks everywhere!

It was 6:30 when we arrived. We were famished, so went into the Lounge and got some dinner. Really awesome vegetable soup (and I"m not a big soup person) was the hit. We also munched on some celery and cheese....and of course a glass of wine for me, and Linda had a bottle of Bass Ale.

We've unpacked and are now trying to decide what to do. MK is open very late so I'm thinking of taking the boat over since it's such a beautiful evening. Not even sure I'll go in the park.

On the other hand, the weather here is awesome (compared to home) and the balcony door is open...there's a gentle breeze.

Tommorrow morning I'll take off running with several pages of Book Questions to research.
Linda will be playing golf at Eagle Pines.

Til tomorrow....

Deb
Life IT too short!!!

Today, Friday, is our first full day at Walt Disney World. It's been an amazing day that I can't wait to share with you as soon as I have time to write.

But I do want to share this precious photo... It is a 1-2 day old baby African Spoonbill who lives in the Oasis at Animal Kingdom.

Friday really was an incredibly magical day. I already shared with you the baby Spoonbills I watched at Animal Kingdom....just amazing.

The day actually began earlier at the Wilderness Lodge, where we had the privilege of attending a flag ceremony on the roof of the Lodge. The cool breeze stood the flags out in a colorful array. I had not been on the roof in about 10 years and the views were as incredible as I remembered. Cast Member Jack was just wonderful and made it a very special experience!

Ok, back to Animal Kingdom... The park was pretty crowded when I arrived 10:30ish. I was in the Dinosaur section. Do you ever feel like you must have a sign on your car that says "Put me in the farthest parking space possible.. oh and please give the folks in front of me close parking spaces" LOL So I was wayyyyyy down the end of Dinosaur. I realized just how crowded it was when there was a back up to get on the tram. As one filled, there were just as many folks waiting in the lot for the next one.

The baby Spoonbill I showed you yesterday....well, they are in the very front viewing area as you enter Animal Kingdom. There were actually 2 Spoonbills nesting with babies. The mom on the left had 2 little ones; you saw a photo of one. The spoonbill on the right had 1 baby that had been born in within the last 12 hours and also had another one coming out of the egg.

Animal Kingdom was celebrating Earth Day and had exhibits set up in each land, geared towards teaching kids more about the environment.

As I headed to Pizzafari for some lunch, I saw dear friends of mine, MJ, Bonny and Andrew! A great surprise. While at lunch I met a woman who thanked me for co-writing Passporter's WDW for Your Special Needs. She said she never imagined they'd be able to do a trip to Walt Disney World and the book gave her the courage to do so! They were having a really good time!!!"

Off to the Kilimajaro Safari... MJ stays in her wheelchair and so we went to that part of the queue line. There was a very long wait, but that was ok, it gave us a more opportunity to talk!

On the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, we saw real eggs belonging to the Flamingos. The 6 month old giraffe is now gliding more confidently along the savannah and everywhere I looked, it seemed as though there were young ones... very exciting!!!

I headed off to do some resort research and then returned to the room to get ready for dinner. Another wonderful meal at California Grill. I'll be writing more about that for a feature article in AllEars.

Deb

Life, IT too short!

Well, as you can see, I didn't quite finish the "live" updates from Walt Disney World. Things just got so hectic. Allow me now, to finish up the trip as best I can.....

4/20/07 Evening....

Dinner at California Grill was wonderful, as it always is for me. We were seating in the wine room in the back and had a great view of Epcot's Spaceship Earth as well as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. As I mentioned, I"ll be doing an article for the AllEars® newsletter on our California Grill experience.

4/21/07
Saturday morning we decided to have breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe. If you haven't been there yet, let's just say is a Wild and Crazy dining experience. Lots of whopping it up….. so be ready for noise, even early in the am! The kids all got to ride around on their stick ponies (even some "older" kids) and it was fun to watch. Our server was very into his role and sometimes he couldn't stop himself from laughing. Food was very good but huge quantities and most of us couldn't finish our breakfast!!

The four of us went over to Epcot to see the Flower and Garden Festival. It certainly had more "color" than I remembered from last year.

The Pirate ship at the entrance is just magnificent with Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the gator and Pirate "Mr. Smee" Stitch!

We rode the new Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico. Certainly more colorful and lively that the former El Rio de Tiempo which definitely needed updating. If I didn't know the story line in advance, I would have been wondering exactly what it was. It wasn't clear to me until near the end that the Caballeros were looking for Donald. Be that as it may, it was cute and a strong "C-ticket" attraction.

There were gorgeous orchids along the path outside of Mexico and we spent a great deal of time admiring and taking photos of them.

At this point I left my friends and headed off to do some resort research at Saratoga Springs and Port Orleans French Quarter. My friends continued to enjoy the Festival.

Deb
Life -- IT too short!

Evening 4/21/2007

Tonight we dined at Jiko to celebrate our dear friends Tod and Sue's anniversary. Our dinner was simply amazing and highlighted by manager Jeremy who paired each of our courses with a special South African Wine. We actually never did have a "main course" per se... but did manage to have several courses of items from the Cooking Place and the appetizer list. Oh, and dessert.

In this photo, Jeremy is pouring the Chocolate Box red wine for Sue -- it was YUMMMY!!

Sunday, April 22, 2007
I hadn't spent much time in the World Showcase portion of Epcot so Linda and I headed there on Sunday. What a beautiful weather day... mostly blue skies, mild temps and a small breeze. We strolled from pavilion to pavilion enjoying all the beautiful flowers and topiaries.

Along the way, we had lunch at the Yakatori House in Japan. It was ok, nothing special, but decent. By mid afternoon we strolled back to the front of Epcot to try and get better photos of the entrance topiaries.

Back to Wilderness Lodge where we spent some time talking with the concierge staff. Lisa, Gerrianne, Jack and everyone was just super!

Sunday evening we dined at Il Mulino in the Swan, the new Italian place. Being such a huge fan of Palio (the former Italian restaurant), I had such high hopes. Alas, I found the place disappointing and way overpriced. Our dining companions, Steve Barrett (Mr. Hidden Mickey) and his lovely wife Vickie, made the evening very special.

Monday morning we were off to the airport at 6:30am for a flight home. A great trip with great memories!

Deb --
Life IT too short!

I just got back from a quick trip to WDW and I do mean quick - less than 20 hours! I had a meeting to attend on Thursday, so I took advantage of the Southwest Ding fares to fly into Orlando on Wednesday evening. I had hoped to do some exploring once I checked in, but the flight was almost an hour late arriving in Orlando.

For those of you who fly Southwest, they recently made an announcement about a slightly revised boarding process. They will still board in groups of A, B, and C; but A and B will now have 60 persons in each group. In addition each boarding pass will be numbered. So Group A 1-5 is announced and boards first. The idea is to get rid of the “cattle” call. Another change may be in the near future, giving priority seating to those paying full price for tickets.. but that’s just a rumor.

The Wilderness Lodge is an awesome as always. Ranger Stan was on vacation so I didn't get to chat with him. However, Jack (from the Old Faithful Club Concierge) was filling in for him. Jack is a great Cast Member, very knowledgeable and "hosts" a fantastic Flag Family experience.

I didn't get a photo, but some of the Dansani Water bottles now have Tinker Bell and the Castle on the label.

I arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge early and took the opportunity to check out the Arusha Savannah. In just a few moments I saw several giraffe and zebra. The Anakole cattle were off in the distance.

Work continues at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. Workers could be seen on both the inside halls ways (from the lobby) and outside the resort. And construction continues on the new animal barn and Kidani Disney Vacation Club Resort. (More on that in an upcoming post).

I was able to see one of the new Disney Vacation Club Grand Villas in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. One of the Cast Members was kind enough to point out numerous "Hidden Mickeys" for me. I'll be sending the photos to fellow AllEars blogger and Hidden Mickey guru Steve Barrett! Here is a sample of what you'll find on the shower curtain.

My whirlwind tour of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney Vacation Club Preview Center at Saratoga Springs was over way to quickly and it was soon time to leave for the airport.

Late last year I had applied for a CLEAR card for the Orlando Airport (one of 11 participating airports). This was my first time using the CLEAR system. It worked REALLY well!

Here's the brief description of CLEAR from their website: "Travelers who join the Clear Registered Traveler program are pre-screened for security and provided with a biometric card which allows them to pass through security faster, with more predictability and less hassle."

This program is not for everyone as you are required to supply lots of personal information as well as allow fingerprinting and iris scanning. It is $100 per year. Unless you are a frequent user of the CLEAR participating airports this program isn't for you.

I will say, it couldn't have been any simpler or quicker! I walked up to the area and identified myself. The whole process took about 5 minutes. I showed my CLEAR card, boarding pass and photo ID to the staff person. Check. Next, stand on a machine, insert my clear card, put my thumb on the slot. Check. While doing that, my shoes/feet are scanned and my thumbprint checked to match that recorded on my card. Check! or should I say CLEAR!
Then, I was escorted to the head of the security line, put my items on the belt and I was on my way. No need to remove my shoes (although TSA) can always request you do so.

Once I got to the Orlando Airport B Terminal, I noticed a few things that had changed since my last visit in April of this year. Not far from where you exit the shuttle is a kiosk for the Disney Credit card. They were giving away a non-descript white Mickey t-shirt for applying.

The eatery area is still under construction but 2 new venues have opened: Au Bon Pain and a bar and grill. Nice additions to the otherwise, McDonalds and Sabaro Pizza counters. I had a smoked turkey sandwich with Swiss Cheese from AuBon and it was very good. Fresh Romaine lettuce and tasty turkey! The salads looked good too!

Usually my flights on Southwest are very full and there is rarely an open seat near me. This time, however, I lucked out - less than 50 persons on the plane. I really got to enjoy an entire empty row! WOW! Talk about luxury!

Later today I'll be catching a flight to Orlando for a trip to Walt Disney World. As I look over my itinerary, I remind myself that I never seem to accomplish all I set out to do each trip. Guess that's why I keep returning :)

Some have affectionately called me the queen of lists! I keep a Word Document itinerary for every trip I take, Disney or otherwise. It makes it easy to share with friends/relatives and also gives me a sense of focus during the trip. Each row is separated by breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning, afternoon, evening. For Disney trips there is also a top row that has Park Hours and Extra Magic Hours. The columns include each day of the trip. I now have a handy one page reference sheet to keep with me while I'm out and about.

Every trip to Walt Disney World involves research of one kind or another. It may be to track down that elusive menu that has become outdated, or check construction status, get particular information about an attraction (or resort or restaurant), get photos, or just wander around the park and see what I notice.

No matter how many times I am at Walt Disney World (and I really have lost count) there is always something new for me to see or experience. This trip I plan to see the rehabbed Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom, do the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure Segway tour at Ft. Wilderness, and attend the Tower of Terror Party on Saturday night. Of course, many other things are on the agenda :)

And, no visit to Orlando is complete without seeing old friends and meeting new ones. One special friend, Masayo, is visiting from Japan. In fact she and her travel companion will be doing the Segway tour with me.

I hope to provide daily updates....which sometimes is easier said than done.. but I'll do my best.

If you see me in the parks, please do stop by and say hello. I come with gifts (while supplies last) and always enjoy meeting readers. Who knows, perhaps you'll see your photo in this blog once you return home.

I awoke bright and early this morning, ready to head over to the Magic Kingdom! I was very excited about seeing the newly rehabbed Haunted Mansion.

The early morning is always pretty, even if it is very cloudy! This is the pool in the Arcadian Section of Port Orleans Riverside.

And as I made my way to the food court, I had to stop and take this photo....

After a ham and cheese omelet at the Riverside Mill I made my way to the Magic Kingdom via the Dolphin.

You'll find the entrance to the Dolphin (street side) under construction and walled off. You must head left past the regular entrance to get to the temporary entrance in the convention center. The actual doors are being totally removed and new sliding doors installed in their place. One Cast member told me it would be finished in December, the other said it would be 3-4 months.

As I walked into the Magic Kingdom, I saw Chicken Little and Pinocchio in front of City Hall posing for photographs. Walking down Main Street, several Cast Members were welcoming guests with Mickey Gloves.

I barely walked a few steps and there was the Mayor of Main Street greeting guests as they began their day. He was kind enough to stop and catch a photo with me.

The Magic Kingdom really was decked out in fall / Halloween decorations.

The lands weren't yet opened and instead of standing at the rope drop, I hung back on Main Street to enjoy the atmosphere. I was quite surprised when I found an empty Frontierland about 9:15 this morning

First stop was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which reopened yesterday after a month long rehab. While there are no "new" effects or scenes (according to the Cast Members) there were some general enhancements to the scenery as well as upgraded audio! It was as Wild a Ride as always!

Soon it was time to meet my friends Tod and Sue from Michigan. I've known them over 9 years and have spent many a great vacation with them. We rode the Haunted Mansion together, not once but twice. We were all excited about the changes to the Mansion. Kudos to the Imagineers and all who were involved in this upgrade! The changes are numerous, so you may want to ride a couple times, as we did. Definitely back on the must see each trip list!

To be continued...Friday Part 2

Friday continued.....

Tod and Sue accompanied me around the Magic Kingdom as I took photos and got menus. I ran into David, the Cast Member I had met earlier at Peter Pan. He was very nice and made me smile in Neverland, so I made a point to stop and chat with him as his duties changed to trash pickup.

When we reached Tomorrowland we decide to ride the TTA. As we exited I saw PUSH the talking trash can for the first time ever. I know the photo isn't the greatest, but when was the last time you tried to photograph a moving trash can LOL.

We then went into the Laugh Floor Comedy Club. Tod and Sue had not seen it before and my only time was during the soft opening. It certainly has gotten better since my first visit back in January. Tod and Sue both enjoyed it; Sue said it was a strong "C" ticket attraction and Tod felt it was between a "C" and "D" ticket.

All too soon it was time for me to head off and say goodbye to Tod and Sue. As I arrived at the Polynesian, I hit the "trifecta" by seeing all 4 hosts of WDW Today podcast, Mike, Matt, Len and Mike. We, along with Beci from MEI and MouseFanTravel enjoyed lunch at the Kona Cafe.

After lunch I went over to Pleasure Island to get my ticket for Saturday night's Tower of Terror Race Party. It was like a homecoming seeing so many familiar faces and friends! One of the first people I saw was Masayo, my friend from Japan. She introduced me to her friend Nozomi.

The inside of Motions was quite crowded with folks not only getting the TOT party tickets, but also their race packets! It was here I met up with All Ears team member, Linda Mac.

Outside, I found some of my friends from Tagrel.com. Many of them are participating in the race Saturday evening!

Linda Mac and I wandering into the Marketplace area with Masayo and Nozomi and did a little shopping. We walked right past the new construction site of TRex, the themed restaurant opening next year at Downtown Disney.

I headed back to Port Orleans to get some rest before heading out to Epcot for the evening. Unfortunately, I was much more tired that I thought and had to cancel my plans to nosh around the world with AllEars team member Laura Gilbreath and her husband, Lee. :(

I grabbed some dinner at the food court and called it a night.

Coming on Saturday - Ft. Wilderness Segway Tour and Tower of Terror Race Party.

What a great day! I was a bit concerned by the early morning weather report. It basically said rain off and on all day in Orlando. Fortunately, I was barely drizzled upon.

Bright and early I was off to POP Century to have breakfast with Masayo and Nozomi. We each enjoyed the croissant sandwich (egg, bacon and cheese). Soon it was time to drive to Ft. Wilderness and begin our Ft. Wilderness Back Trail Segway Adventure.

After parking in the main lot at Ft. Wilderness, we walked to the bus depot to catch an internal bus to the area where Mickey’s Backyard BBQ pavilion resides. We not only met up with LindaMac here, but also 3 ladies I had cruised with a couple years ago on the Mexican Riviera. Rose told me they had just gotten back from the Disney Vacation Club Member cruise. They thought it was excellent and enjoyed all the Disney legend guest speakers. It really did sound wonderful.

We arrived at the Backyard BQQ location and were joined by our other friend, Mike Newell of MouseWorldRadio.com. Our tour guides, Ron and Frank, were great instructors - very patient and information. We went thru a series of moves on the segway, one at a time…slowly gaining confidence.

Soon we were traveling along the paths of Ft. Wilderness. Not only did we go on paved areas but also dirt and mulched areas of the resort as well. These special "all terrain" segways are quite amazing. We probably spent a good hour touring around. After exploring much of Ft. Wilderness, we took the nature trail to the Wilderness Lodge and then returned to the Fort.

It was an amazing time and one we all highly recommend!

Next for me, was lunch at the Dolphin's FRESH. It was wonderful as always. I really like the fact that the food sizes are small, allowing you to sample many different things. The chefs were all very helpful and accommodating. Javier, our server, was very pleasant and attentive. Plus, another perk of dining at the Dolphin is they serve Starbucks coffee...yummm!

I returned to the room to check email and do some work. I took a nap and then got ready for dinner and to attend the Tower of Terror 13k race as a cheerer

More to follow including photos.....

Sometimes it's hard to finish a trip report once home, but here is the conclusion of my late October adventure to WDW.

In case you missed the earlier posts here are the links:
Heading to Walt Disney World
Magic Kindgom Friday Part 1
Magic Kingdom Friday Part 2
Segway Saturday Part 1
Segway Saturday Part 2

Despite a very late night at the Studios for the Tower of Terror 13K race, I had an early morning meeting. I met with Brian and John from Owners Locker at Boatrights, Port Orleans Riverside. These guys offer a great service for storing your "stuff" between trips to the world. Be sure to check them out.

Epcot Cast Member Patti and I had a nice chat as I entered the park through the International Gateway.

Once inside Epcot I met my friends from Japan, Masayo and Nozomi and AllEars team member Linda Mac. We had some fun at the Canada pavilion waiting for the O Canada movie to open.

As we walked through the United Kingdom, we met All Ears fans! Always love meeting our readers!

One of the things I love best about Disney parks is the attention to detail. I never noticed that each of these have a different geometric pattern on them.

Masayo stops to sample the sushi at the Japan Food Booth.

While in Japan, we enjoyed Miyuki's show of candy art. What a wonderful time! Miyuki spent a few moments with us after her show, it was very special. She also enjoyed speaking with Masayo and Nozomi who both are from Japan.

I left Epcot via the Boardwalk. A great deal of exterior work is occurring to the Inn side of the Boardwalk.

Upon arriving back at Port Orleans Riverside, I was surprised by the package on my door. I had left the "Privacy" sign up and housekeeping left me a bag with fresh towels and soaps. Nice touch.

A dinner at Artist Point with friends Steve, Vickie and Beci rounded out the weekend. Early Monday morning I was on a plane back to Maryland. Southwest Airlines is going full steam ahead to get their boarding areas redone. Starting November 8th, including some new ticket options.

I just returned from a 4 night stay at Disney's Yacht Club and thought I'd blog about my trip.

I flew into Orlando late on Thursday evening. Friday was meeting day with two All Ears® advertisers. This is as good a time as any to talk about one of the questions I am often asked: "How do you choose your advertisers?"

Those of you, who have been with me since the good ole days, know that I didn't have any ads for the first 3 years. It was only when my ISP came to me and said... your traffic is slowing down the server you're on. You need your own server. Oh and by the way, what you are paying per year, you now will be paying per month. OUCH!

Since the beginning it has been VERY important to me to provide quality products and services to my readers. In fact, probably 90% of the folks that approach us to advertise never make it to the pages of the website or the newsletter.

For some advertisers, it's a long arduous process to be "approved". I want to make sure the businesses who advertise to my readers have the same standards of quality and customer service that I have. There are certain things I look for on their website and in their customer policies.

Depending on the service/product and whether it is an established company or not, determines how involved the approval process is. In fact, John of Owner's Locker wrote a blog about becoming an All Ears advertiser.

And after the deal is done, so to speak, our review of advertisers doesn't end. We "shop" our advertisers periodically. By "shop" I mean that someone I know will utilize the product or service and report back to me on the experience.

We all know that things can go wrong, that's part of life. But the important part is Customer Service. How is the problem or issue resolved?

It is very important to hear from All Ears readers about the advertisers on the website and in the All Ears newsletter. I want to hear the positive and the negative. Sometimes a company manager has no idea there are issues unless it is brought to their attention. They also, like to praise and possibly reward employees who do an outstanding job. Please use our contact form to let me know about any advertiser you have used!

Ok, back to the trip. On Friday, I met with 2 relatively new All Ears advertisers: Owners Locker and Buena Vista Scooters.

Owner's Locker - I have met owners Brian and John several times. What I like about these men is that they are always looking for new and creative ways to partner. And, most importantly, they offer a very unique product with superb customer service.

I began using my Owners Locker last fall and I now wonder how I managed with it out all this time!!! It is SO nice to not have to schlep items back and forth to Florida. In fact, I loved my first locker so much, I ordered a 2nd one.

So what's in my locker? One locker is filled with all types of All Ears items, from hats to buttons to lanyards to copies of PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line book I co-authored with Debra Martin Koma. I call this my “business” locker.

My other locker, the personal one, has all the things I use to pack each and every trip in either my carryon or suitcase...that now I don't have to! Some of the items include: ponchos, umbrella, sweatshirt, electric toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, multi-plug extension cord, phone charger, camera batteries and charger, coffee, Brita Water Filter and a lot of my non-perishable diabetic supplies. And that's just some of the items that fill my locker!

This was a follow-up meeting with John and Brian to see how things were going...provide feedback, them to me and me to them, and explore options for the future.

After my breakfast with John and Brian, I returned to my room at the Yacht Club to check email and get ready for my next meeting.

Next up was lunch with Bob and Chris from Buena Vista Scooters. If you've ever strolled down the Boardwalk (or stayed there) you have probably seen some of Buena Vista Scooters' products. They not only rent Surrey Bikes at the Boardwalk but also electric scooters and strollers as well.

I enjoyed talking with Bob and Chris and our discussions just solidified the positive feedback I have received about Buena Vista Scooters. It was great to meet them both in person.

After our meeting I went back to the room and caught up on email and voice mail messages.

Soon it was time to head over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and dinner at Jiko with friends. It was a wonderful dinner with great conversation, wine and food. Nassar, our server, was outstanding as always and made excellent wine suggestions.

Chef Brian spent time talking with us. He has begun to make small changes to the menu at Jiko. Right now the changes are with similar foods but with a different twist. For instance, his new tuna appetizer was quite delicious. Tuna has been an appetizer since the restaurant opened but now, it is seared tuna. One of the flatbreads has changed as well.

Chef Brian also told us he is involved with the new restaurant in the Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani VIllage, which will be Indian cuisine.

As we neared the end of our evening, Jiko manager Jeremy came by and poured us a sample of MR; a superb red wine from South Africa. It is a blend of several wines and 2 wineries. It was outstanding! All too soon, our evening at Jiko came to an end.

Once back in my Yacht Club room, I went out on the balcony and took a photo of the view as I looked to the left.

Tomorrow, a special day with a special family.

Saturday was spent with a family who I've known for several years. Bonny and Andrew have a special daughter named MJ who is featured (page 246) in the PassPorters Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line book I co-authored.

MJ is a 7 year old girl with multiple disabities including Right Cerebral Cortex Polymicrogyria, autism, epilepsy, fetal alcohol syndrome disorder; to name a few. Her language is limited to single words and some sign language, but spending a day with her is a special treat beyond words. It's been amazing over the years to see what her many many trips to Disney parks has done to help her become more alive, more verbal.

Our day began with breakfast at Cape May Cafe. MJ is fed only by a feeding tube and therefore does not eat or drink. She does enjoy Character Meals. She also enjoys cutting food while the rest of us eat.

Today was a celebration of MJ's birthday (which is later this week). Minnie was the first to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Dale stopped by for some chair dancing with MJ.

After breakfast we headed to Animal Kingdom. We were still in the Oasis when we realized it was time for White Spoonbill eggs. In the photo below, one Spoonbill had just moved away from sitting on the eggs and another came over and turned them around. About this time, All Ears team member Linda Mac joined us!

Being in a park with MJ is not your typical day in a park. It's a slow stroll with her pointing to various parts of the park that she wants to visit. Her mom will ask, Do you want to go to Planet Watch? and she will either motion or speak, yes or no. And believe me, she knows the names of everything in the park!

Along the way, we encountered Terk. MJ just LOVES to rub Terk's belly!

Next was the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch.

MJ loves all the hands on items and especially being able to pet the animals. "Touch, touch", is what she says about the rabbit below.

She was also quite fascinated with the cage the rabbit traveled in.

Soon Jiminy Cricket appeared..... It was amazing that he had no line of folks waiting to see him. He took the opportunity to spend extra time with MJ. She was showing him the bird's nest that had 3 babies in it.

And I couldn't resist the chance for a photo-op with Jiminy!

Next up was lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. I had a Turkey Sandwich on a multi-grain roll. And while the roll was on the dry side, it must be low on the glycemic index as just a low dose of insulin took care of it!

After lunch, we planned to see Finding Nemo the Musical. However, MJ had about had enough of the crowds so we headed back to her house.

One of MJ's friends gave her a Belle dress for her birthday! Here she is modeling for us.

Here is MJ with LindaMac, whom she called "Mac" and her dog Coco.

MJ and Deb just hanging out.

A wonderful day had come to an end and it was time to head back to the resort. Originally I was going to call it a night, but then realized I was very hungry. LindaMac said she could eat also and we managed to get a resservation for Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian for 6:15pm. We could just make it.... A great dinner and server and company......Saturday came to an end.

Tomorrow...my day with NO plans at all! WOW!

Wow! I can't tell you the last time I had a full day at WDW (it's been several years) with absolutely NOTHING on the agenda. No dining plans, no meetings, no research, no meets... just a day for me to spend doing whatever I wanted.

The first order of business was to NOT have a wake up call for Sunday morning. That usually doesn't matter and I'm up early. However, on this Sunday I was awoken when the phone rang a little after 8am!

It was a beautiful day outside and so I got ready for a day of exploring.

On my way to the Yacht Club bus stop I made the decision to begin at Animal Kingdom. Even thought I had spent Saturday there, I didn't walk any of the animal trails or see any shows.

As I walked from the Animal Kingdom bus top toward the entrance to Animal Kingdom, I was reminded about a great photo op that I rarely see folks use...

I love photography, especially in Animal Kingdom. There are so many things to take photos of, some easy and some challenging. I just love images with a bright blue sky behind them.

The West African Crowned Cranes were all out and about in Discovery Island.

No trip to Animal Kingdom is complete without spending time finding creatures in the Tree of Life. I wonder if I found the Moss growing like a Hidden Mickey next to the buffalo?

I just love the animal walking trails so I headed past the Kilimanjaro Safari (about a 20 minute standby line) and entered the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.

At the beginning of the trail are the Colobus Monkeys. They were just lazing around and it was hard to take photos of them.

Two Okapis as well as the yellow backed diker were out foraging. Here is a photo of one Okapi and the diker is in the back right of the photo

The Aviary in the Pangani is small and because many of the birds and ducks keep moving, it's hard to get good photos.

Around the bend to the Nile Hippopotamus viewing area. I was quite surprised to find one sleeping on the ground soaking up the sun. Usually they are all in the water.

As you enter the Meerkat village you can also see Gernuks. I don't often see them out, but today I was excited to find both the male and female posing for photographs.

Soon I entered the Gorilla Research Camp. Wow, I was in luck as I saw at least 6 different gorillas along the trail. This one, in the first viewing area that is floor to ceiling windows, was posing for us.

All too soon, the Pangani animal viewing trail had ended.

I took a break and headed to Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. I had the same Turkey Sandwich on Multi-grain roll that I had the day before.

Next stop, the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Asia.

Many of the animals and birds were out and about. It was great animal viewing and photo ops!

Here is a bird from the aviary, I can't recall it's name. It was making a nest up in the tree and so walked on the ground gathering small twigs and branches.

After completing the trail I wanted to see a live show, either Lion King or Finding Nemo, but I would have had to wait around longer than I wanted. I took the opportunity to head back to the room and enjoy the balcony.

All photos taken with a Canon S5 IS digital camera. Other than cropping, no alterations to the photos were done.

To be continued.

When I returned to the hotel I called WDW Dining and was able to get a reservation at the Brown Derby for dinner at 6:15pm. I lucked out since there was only one show of Fantasmic so anyone on the Fantasmic Dinner Package would be finishing by that time.

As I walked toward the Hat I noticed people lining up. I knew the parade had been earlier so I inquired as to what was going on. Turns out, High School Musical was about to begin. Sure enough, the music started and a float headed down the street.

I then wandered to the Brown Derby to get a peak at the dinner menu. I noticed folks were sitting outside and thought that would be wonderful to do.

It has been a long time since I saw the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, one of my favorite attractions at the Studios. My timing was good, so I got into the inside waiting area. I hadn't had a chance to really look around in here before.. there are lots of neat objects to check out.

Time for dinner. I had my usual, the Cobb Salad. I really like the mixture of very cut up greens, vegis and meat. A wonderful dinner!!! I did get a table outside and enjoyed people watching as everyone headed over to Fantasmic!

Soon it was dark, dinner was over, and time to leave the Studios before Fantasmic ended!

As I walked to the boat I thought about heading into Epcot and watch IllumiNations. As the boat slowly made it's way along the canal I decided to pass on Epcot. Yet, I wasn't ready to call it a night. I got off at the Boardwalk and wandered around. It was pretty crowded.

A large group of folks were at the ESPN club watching the Super Bowl.

Several entertainment acts were performing. This card trick magician was quite good.

After a while it was time to head back to the Yacht Club. Here's one last shot of the Boardwalk from the Yacht Club.

Early the next morning I got up and headed to the airport. Another trip had come to an end.

Deb

All photos taken with a Canon S5 IS digital camera. Other than cropping, no alterations to the photos were done.

On Saturday, February 23, I attended the Parkhopper's pin meet hosted by Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders Vince and Suzy Gredone. This Maryland meet has been a mainstay for pin enthusiasts for many years. Sadly, this was probably the last meeting in their wonderful gallery as the building is about to be sold.

VInce and Suzy are wonderful ambassadors for the Disney pin community. As a small tribute to everything they have done, I want to share a little of their story with you.

Vince: "We got started with the Disney Store Countdown to the Millennium pin series of pins. We had planned many years in advance to be in Walt Disney World for New Year 1999/2000 and when Disney announced pin trading as a new activity we decided to give it a try. It didn't take long before we were hooked. We were not into any other pins before starting with the Disney pins."

Since June 10, 2001, the Gredone's have hosted 14 meets in their Maryland pin gallery. You see, they don't rent a room in a hotel or recreation center, they have a special place that makes Disney fans, well, drool!

The meeting area is comprised of 2 rooms on the upper floor of a commercial townhouse. This gallery is truly a Disney museum. Every available inch of space is covered with a themed pin collection, a framed pin collection, Disney lithos, pin box sets, Disney cuts outs and much more. You could spend hours just wandering the 2 rooms looking at all the memorabilia.

This Saturday was like most of the other Parkhopper meets I have attended. A core of tried and true pin enthusiasts that travel from Ohio, New Jersey and around the Washington DC area had hundreds, maybe even thousands of pins spread out along many tables.

Folks like Shelia and John Rick founders of the Central Jersey Pin Traders drove to the meet. The Ricks are also great ambassadors of the Disney Pin Trading Community.

Vince told me that they had one person, Barbara Bird, travel from California to come to one of the meets. In addition, people have also traveled from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Florida.

Here is a photo of Vince, greeting folks as they enter the Trading Area!

Like so many other Disney Pin Traders I've spoken to, the hobby is much more than just collecting pins. As Vince explained, "It truly is the friends we have met through pin trading that have made this hobby so special for us. What had started as a pin trading interaction has many times developed into great and long lasting friendships. We would have never met most of the closest friends that we have if we hadn't gotten into pin trading."

James and Linda Dezern, from Virginia, have been regular attendees at the Parkhopper meet!

I asked Vince to tell me about one of their most memorable trades. "The one we do remember quite well was for our Haunted Mansion Dangle pin. Early in our pin trading experience we had seen the Walt Disney Art Classics Celebration Haunted Mansion pin with the three Hitchhiking Ghost dangles which was available for attendees of a 1999 Walt Disney Art Classics Event. It quickly became a most wanted or "holy grail" pin for us. A close friend of ours, Lisa Tobin, was attending one of our pin trading meets and had been able to acquire an extra Haunted Mansion Dangle pin. We worked on making a trade for the pin in a very relaxed manner throughout the meet and continued into the next day. We were finally able to finish a successful trade in the living room at our house just as time was running out before we had to take Lisa to the airport. A great trade with a great friend!"

From the first time I met Vince and Suzy, I felt an immediate connection. They are warm, friendly, kind, and generous. They have done a great deal to enhance the Disney pin trading community. And, not only do they provide the space for the meet, they also provide food and drink to help those so wrapped up in trading, they would have other wise forgotten to eat.

During Saturday's meet, I sat and listened to the table talk. Some folks had laptops and were visiting PinPics.com (an online catalogue of virtually every Disney pin and it's relative value) while others were checking out their want lists.

I enjoyed listening to Robyn talk to a new pin trader about the hobby and the community.

I watched as folks intensely searched for their "holy grail" and pins to finish collections. One lady had a photo of her "holy grail" pinned to her shirt. A holy grail is that elusive pin, very difficult to find, that you need for your collection.

One gentleman had a "Pete" T-shirt on and was looking for Pete pins for his collection.

There was the young girl and her dad, fans of All Ears, who came by to trade and say hi!

It's always a delight to see 2 traders smile at the end of a trade, thrilled with the new addition(s) to their collection.

And, there isn't just pin trading that goes on, Vince and Suzy have give away drawings and also games that are sprinkled throughout the event.

Cover your card BINGO is one of the favorites. The cost? A Limited Edition (LE) 3000 or less pin for each bingo card you want. Be the first to cover your card and you win the bag of LE pins. And once Bingo is yelled, the whole group erupts in cheers for the lucky winner!

As I mentioned in the beginning, this was quite likely the last Parkhopper Pin meet. The event and more importantly, the gathering of this special group of people will be greatly missed!

A word from Vince and Suzy: "We would like to thank everyone who has attended our pin meets over the past seven years. We have had a lot of great trades, fun times, and fantastic memories with all of our pin friends!"

A tip of my Mickey Ears to a wonderful couple that know what Sharing the Magic is all about!

One of my favorite things about a balcony cabin is the ability to order Room Service Coffee and just relax watching the sun rise and set. On this morning, there were plenty of clouds, but the sun did shine through.

We arrived in Nassau and I had, from the beginning, no intentions of getting off the ship. At 8am I went to my Vista Spa appointment for a stone massage. I really love these massages and it was just what I needed to get my body to relax.

View from our cabin on Deck 8:

The ladies spent a great morning together in the cabin, chatting and sharing stories. Not sure where Mamoru was. LOL.

Eventually we made our way to Tritons for Lunch. This was definetly a lazy lazy day. Just relaxing and enjoying. I can't honestly recall what we did during the afternoon. I know I thought about going to a movie, but never got there.

The 3 night cruise was already going WAY too fast!! Tonight was Pirate night, but we had reservations for Palo so no Captain Hook for us!

Zoran was our server and he was great as always. We met Zoran several years ago in the main dining room and he has since been "promoted" to Palo. We always request a table in his section.

One thing we noticed in Palo is that it was much more crowded and the servers seemed to have much less time for each table. We are guessing it was because on the 3 night, they try to accomodate as many cruisers as possible.

Here is the sun setting in Nassau.

Tomorrow our last day on board and Castway Cay!

Related Links:

Navigators from the 3 Night Cruise

Nassau Photo Gallery

Disney Cruise Reviews

I've been contemplating what to blog about next and I just couldn't focus on a topic.

Then it occurred to me the reason I couldn't settle on a subject, is because I have 4 major adventures coming up within the next several weeks.

I'll be at Walt Disney World for Animal Kingdom's 10th Anniversary Celebration. (Gotta find my Opening Day T-Shirt and Button!).

On Sunday, April 20th, you can meet me and AllEars Team Members Glo from Miami, LindaMac and Jack Spence at our Epcot meet.

We will gather at 10:30am to the right of the entrance to Figment's Journey into Your Imagination. After a group photo, we will enjoy the ride and then head over to the Land's Sunshine Seasons for lunch.

On the actual aniversary of Animal Kingdom, I will be participating in the events organized by WDWCelebrations.com called A Wild Decade. There are lots of fun events planned and I look forward to meeting many of you. Accompanying me at the Wild Decade event are AllEars® Team Members Debbie Koma, Linda Mac and Jack Spence.

Two weeks after that, May 3-4, I will be participating in my 9th Avon Breast Cancer Event in Washington DC.

I will be walking with approximately 3,500 other walkers over 2 days to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Breast Cancer. I will be walking 13 miles on Saturday and another 13 miles on Sunday.

Many of you have so generously contributed to my fund raising campaign. Together we DO make a difference and have raised over $35,000!!!!! THANK YOU!

Then, Friday May 9th, LindaLou and I fly to Orlando to get ready to set sail on May 10th on the Disney Magic's cruise through the Panama Canal. This is a 15 night cruise (our longest yet). I am really looking forward to the cruise as a time to relax and unwind after a hectic spring. I also plan to blog daily (or most days) from the ship.

After saying Good-bye to the Magic on May 25th, I'll be spending 3 nights at Disneyland.

This will be only my 4th visit ever and I'll also be seeing AllEars team member and blogger Laura Gilbreath.

I'll then head home and will have been away for 3 weeks!

So join me over the next several weeks as I adventure from the East Coast to the West Coast via Animal Kingdom, the Washington DC Avon Breast Cancer Walk, the Panama Canal and Disneyland!

It's been a while since we had an All Ears meet outside of MouseFest, so I decided to have one the weekend prior to Animal Kingdom's 10th Anniversary.

Let me digress just a bit. I flew in Saturday and stayed at the Dolphin. I had a wonderful room with a small balcony and view of Epcot's IllumiNations!!

Shortly after check-in, my Owner's Lockers were delivered! What did I ever do without them?!

I had a great breakfast before the meet at Fresh, with team member Linda Mac. Fresh is a Mediterranean inspired buffet on the first floor of the Dolphin. It serves Breakfast, Lunch and Starbucks coffee!!

For me, it's one of the best kept secrets in Disney. The food is made fresh, most of it to order and it doesn't have the frantic atmosphere of a Disney Resort eatery. Hence, I ate here actually 3 times during my stay.

As LindaMac and I entered Epcot and walked toward Future World, team member Jack Spence called on the phone to meet up. Right after we found Jack, we also found Elton - a Disney Dream Team Cast Member. With his great smile, I just had to take a photograph.

One of the things I typically forget to do at meets, is take a photo of the AllEars team. So this time, I made sure we did it as soon as everyone arrived. From left to right: Jack Spence, Deb Wills, Glo from Miami, and Linda Mac. (Thanks to the Cast Member who play photog)

Soon folks began to arrive. We had new AllEars buttons to hand out as well as hats to keep the sun out of your eyes. There were AllEars T-Shirts for the person who traveled the farthest (Illinois). And, oh yes, we had stickers too for all kids and coughadultscough in the group. It was a fantastic turnout!

Larger Image of Group Photo.

Here are meet photos of people arriving and headed into the attraction.....

...Loading into the Ride Vehicles for Journey into Your Imagination...

At the conclusion of the ride, many folks continued onto the second half of the meet, lunch in the Land at Sunshine Seasons.

On behalf of LindaMac, Jack, Glo and myself...thank you everyone for spending part of your vacation with us!!!

Linda and I left a very quiet BWI airport on Saturday morning. We couldn't believe how empty the parking lot was at the terminal. Our skycap told us that number of travelers for Labor Day Friday and Sat, compared to last year, was down over 50%! WOW.

Same was true for our Southwest Flight. Can't tell you the last time I was on a fairly empty Southwest flight to Orlando... our plane yesterday was about 1/3 full.

We arrived to a very rainy Orlando. Got all our bagage, did the grocery stop thing and arrived at the Beach Club about 1ish.

The Magic began right away for us. While Linda took care of the luggage, I went to check in. Here's where I was quite impressed with the Beach Club... As I entered the foyer area from the outside, just before the doors to the lobby itself, a Cast Member came over and greeted me..

Checking in? Why Yes. And your last name? Wills. Come with me. I'll be honest, I was a bit dumbfounded. This hadn't happened to me before. He escorted me to the line at the front desk and then said.. this is too long, let me see what else I can do. He disappeared and returned a few minutes later and had me move over the Lobby Concierge for check in. I don't think in all the years I have been coming to WDW, that has ever happened!

Cast Member Grace checked me in and she was outstanding. Oh, your room isn't ready, let me find one that is for you. And with that, she picked up the phone and got me a room! I was thrilled. She let me know my Owner's Lockers were in storage ready for me. Had we checked our luggage? She take care of that. And soon we were ready to head to the room.

On the way we had our first sighting of Deb and Steve cruisers in the lobby, Jill and Carolyn!! These two ladies are just amazing with their magical spirit. They always make me smile. I got to meet their children and Jill's mom Brenda. We chatted for a bit and then saw our luggage making it's way down the hall...so off we went.

Our Bell Services Cast Member was also great.... I think his name was Robert? Without us realizing it, he had stopped and got ice for us so that when he put the luggage in the room, he filled our ice bucket. Great touch!!!!!

WOW -- This is the Disney service I have missed. Throughout the day, there were cast members in the lobby making sure things were going smoothly. Asking if we needed any assistance, etc. Oh and the gentleman that escorted me to check in, saw me later in the day and called me by name. Ok, whoever set this up at the Beach Club -- KUDOS!!!!

We went to the Captain's Galley in the Yacht Club for lunch. My grilled chicken sandwich was good. Linda was disappointed with her Fish and Chips. The fish batter was overly spiced and overly peppered....and Linda loves pepper.

We had a reservation at Brown Derby, but once we saw the weather, decided for plan B (cancel Brown Derby and go to a resort restaurant). I was pretty amazed that on a Saturday night of a holiday weekend, we were able to get a table for 4 at Flying Fish at 6pm.

Errands followed and at 5:30 met up with Beci and Annette to head over to Flying Fish for dinner. We had a great dinner, awesome bottle of wine, John Anthony 2004 Napa Cab. It's a splurge bottle, but a great one I highly recommend.

A special hello to Cast Member Penny former seater at Flying Fish and before that Artist Point. I asked where she was and they told me she was now part of the Dream Squad! She's going to be awesome!!!!

From dinner we went to Martha's Vineyard for relaxation. We were joined by Matt Hochberg and Marissa and Mary and Mike Newell (WDWToday. Podcast).

I was disappointed in the lounge. It had been a while since I was there, but gone was the wonderful wine list and instead, the standard Disney cocktail bar menu. The place was packed with families as it now seems to be the overflow waiting area for the Cape May Clam Bake. Also, a private party, complete with DJ, was happening in Ariels.

While there we spotted Deb and Steve cruisers Michelle and Jimmy and spent some time catching up with th