All Ears® Guest Blog

Backstage Magic Tour
by Krystal Thomas

I am a Disney Geek. I admit it freely and proudly. So for this last trip down to my home away from home, Walt Disney World, I wanted to take one of the behind the scenes tours. I had not taken any tour at Walt Disney World since I was a kid. I had once toured World Showcase and Discovery Island through the Disney Institute but I had not taken a tour in years. So, as a combined birthday/graduation gift, my parents gave me the Backstage Magic Tour. This tour is actually still run through the Disney Institute. Bet you thought that wasn’t around anymore – it focuses more on teaching businesses now, helping them discover the "Disney" way of doing business.

It was an absolutely beautiful day when I arrived at our meeting place, outside Epcot’s Guest Relations promptly at 8:45 a.m. Our tour group was fairly large -- 28 of us -- but we had two tour guides, one coordinator and our own personal transportation. Carmen and Cyndi arrived with Fran, who coordinated our whole day and made sure we didn’t take any location by surprise. Fran was only there for this period in the morning as we got organized. Carmen checked each person in individually. You need to have valid photo ID on you for this process. She also took this time to ask where everyone is from and learn a little about why you were taking the tour. She also had us think of our ideal job at Walt Disney World.

Meanwhile, Cyndi was giving us our name badges which made us honorary cast members for the tour and allowed us to follow them through the doors marked "cast members only." Fran also handed out our personal "pal" for the day – each person on the tour was given a headset so everyone could easily hear both Carmen and Cyndi. These were really great; I never had a hard time hearing either of them throughout the tour no matter how far away from them I was.

Once everyone was checked in, badged and wired for sound, Carmen and Cyndi took the time to introduce themselves and how they’d come to work for the Disney Institute. They also told us what our agenda was for the day and what time we should return to Epcot. They made sure no one had early dinner plans in case we ran long and they also asked if anyone was celebrating anything special. I did say I was there to celebrate my graduation from graduate school and was congratulated heartily by everyone. We then headed to the bus. The Institute partners with Mears Shuttle for their transportation. We had a large Mears Coach to ourselves. There was also chilled water available for us on the bus the entire day.

As we made our way to our first stop, Carmen went around and had the groups on the tour introduce themselves and what their ideal jobs would be. We had some fun ones, a young man with his father on the tour said he wanted to be Prince Charming, others mentioned with transportation host, greens worker, and costume designer. Throughout the day, Carmen and Cyndi then made an effort to mention these jobs as we found them. If your interest wasn’t going to be on the tour, they talked about what they knew on the bus. As I am getting my degree to be an Archivist, that is what I am most interested in with the Walt Disney Company. Carmen told me about meeting David Smith when he came to visit the Institute a few years ago and everything she knew about the Disney Archives. As we were doing this, we were driving into the backstage area of Epcot. As we crossed into the backstage area, a security guard did need to board the bus to check bags. This happened every time we entered a new park.

Our first stop backstage at Epcot was the American Adventure. Cyndi walked us around to the front of the building and showed all the tricks the Imagineers were using to make us think the building is only three stories high. In actuality, the guests see almost five stories from the front of the building. Also, she pointed out the details on the building, which places it in the 1700s. Next time you walk through, look at the clock face on the tower and pay attention to the Roman Numerals. We then walked around to the back and saw just how huge this building really is. It is seven stories high in the back with a second building added on to hold the rear projector system, as Carmen called it, "the biggest afterthought ever". We then went into the building and saw the scene changer, the massive machine that holds the 37 audio-animatronic scenes in the American Adventure. Did you know the same computer that launches the space shuttles controls the show? It was truly amazing to have such an up-close look at this attraction and each part of the show is explained in detail.

After we left the American Adventure, we drove around to the Epcot Cast Center. You enter through a hallway that has been painted with murals by the different cast member teams at Epcot. It was amazing some of the special effects they included; one by the safety team had a motion detector so that Figment speaks to you when you walk by. We were then at the "crossroads" of the center. To the left were the Cast Cafeteria, company store and professional development offices. To the right were the lockers for the Cast Members. We walked this way to visit the Wardrobe for the "operational" costumes for the park. The size of this facility was incredible and it was only for one park! We then walked through the small sewing shop at Epcot that can do minor repairs to costumes. Here was one of my favorite "thrills." This building is where the princesses put on their make-up and wigs. It is also one of the reasons why no one under the age of 16 can take the tour. As my tour guide mentioned, kids would not take well to seeing the "best friend of Snow White" with her Capri sweat pants on and cell phone to her ear. It does sort of add a new element to the magic. I liked it though; it was like watching the cast of a huge stage show get ready for their performance.

After this, we got back onto the bus and headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On our way there, Carmen told us the story of the Tower of Terror Attraction and explained how the Florida version is different from its counterparts around the world. We then got off the bus and went into the shop next to the Tower of Terror and had a ride vehicle explained to us - all the safety features and how the ride actually works. We also saw them putting new sensors into the backs of the ride’s seats. Apparently some guests were putting bags and boxes behind their backs so their safety belts would have a lot of slack during the drops. The new sensors will be able to tell that a human back is firmly against the seat back. After we saw the ride vehicle, we took the bus around to the backlot area and had a tour of the creative costuming building. Here we spoke to Larissa, one of the costumers on the lot. She showed how the patterns are designed using the computer and how designer’s version is realized through the pattern and the fabric chosen. She took the pieces out she was currently working on either designing or fixing. We were able to see a part of Snow White's outfit from SpectroMagic, which is extremely heavy (poor girl!) and it was only the bodice part of the outfit. Larissa also took off the inside layer of protection so we could see all the wires and grommets keeping the lights in place on the costume. Larissa has also put together some neat exhibits on the walls of the office for the tour groups that come through. She even had some of the costumes and art from the Tapestry of Dreams parade on display. After we spoke with Larissa, we walked through the workshop. At this time, they were working on lots of the flying bird costume from Festival of the Lion King, and costumes from the Beauty and the Beast stage show at Hollywood Studios. After this stop, it was time for lunch.

We ate at the Whispering Canyon Café at the Wilderness Lodge. I had not eaten here before -- it was quite the experience. The moment our group walked into the restaurant, every server started yelling how they had been waiting for us and what had taken us so long? Our group was set up in a back area of the restaurant and waited on by two "sisters," the cute one and the fluffy one. They were constantly yelling back and forth at each other and at us. It was a lot of fun as they took our drink orders and we got settled in. Lunch came out shortly after our drinks. Big platters full of chicken, BBQ ribs, pork sausage, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and pork and beans were served family style. Each table had two platters to themselves and they were refilled as many times as we asked for it. There was also corn bread and cole slaw on the table. Our drinks were also refilled constantly. Once everyone was stuffed, they brought our dessert and coffee. It was peach and strawberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream – so good. Once everyone was pretty much done, the sisters got back in front of us to say goodbye and asked if anyone had their master’s degree – they’d been tipped off about me though luckily I was stuck in the corner booth and I escaped having to sing with them in front of everybody. I thought the atmosphere of the restaurant was a lot of fun and our table enjoyed watching the kids ride their stick ponies around the restaurant and join in the singing a couple of times throughout the meal.

Once lunch was over, we did a quick walking tour through the Wilderness Lodge lobby as Carmen pointed out some of the details in the lodge including a few hidden Mickeys in the fireplaces. We then were back on the bus and headed out to the North Service Area, the location of Central Shops and one of the Textile Service locations. For me, walking through the Central Shops was very neat. Here is where they built and maintain many of the vehicles, furniture and audio-animatronics on property. It is also the location of the Character Shop, the only place in the world where the faces of the character costumes can be made so that Mickey looks the same in Florida as he does in Tokyo. As we walked the floor of Central Shops, we saw lots of ride vehicles from Dumbo, Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, Spaceship Earth, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Triceratops Spin, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. We also saw some of Cinderella’s Carousel horses being repaired and repainted as well as new "skins" for the hippos at the Jungle Cruise. It was here we also got to "play" with some audio-animatronics. Bonnie Appétit and a bird from the Enchanted Tiki Room are set up for tour guests to try them out. We also got to speak to an "audio-animatronics" doctor here who spoke about what was making the audio-animatronic work and some of the challenges they often face.

Our next stop was just down the road at Textile Services, otherwise known as the laundry. The one in the North Service Area is primarily responsible for the costumes on property; two other laundries deal with all the linen from the resorts and the linens from the restaurants. This stop made me appreciate the amount of work that goes into a simple thing like doing the laundry for a resort the size of Walt Disney World. They have an intense operation; mostly computer driven but the clothes are hand sorted, hung and streamed separately. From here we went to our last stop on the tour, the Magic Kingdom. This was one of the few times we were on stage for any length of time. Because we were there close to the 3PM parade, we had little time to discuss the window on Main Street USA though Carmen did point out Roy’s window, the M.T. Lott window and Walt’s window over the Ice Cream Parlor.

Once we did that, we walked back down Main Street, went backstage again and down into the Utilidors. Another Disney Geek dream come true; say all you want about how they are just glorified underground tunnels, it was cool. We were back out of the Utilidors and out on Main Street just in time to watch the parade as it finished. We watched from in front of the firehouse so we had the dancers right in front of us and even had them ask how we liked our tour before they started their dance to finish up the parade. After this, we waked back to the bus and headed back to Epcot for the end of the tour. We made it back right at 4PM, making it exactly seven hours from the start. As we left, Carmen and Cyndi handed our special pins for us and wished us well and were also happy to answer any last questions you’d thought up on the way back to Epcot.

I loved the tour and I am so glad I got to get this very unique and exclusive view of how the magic is created behind the scenes. Cyndi and Carmen were very friendly and informative. If you asked something they didn't know, they often had the answer once we got back to the bus between the two of them. Because of the size of our group, we often were split into two smaller groups, which let you get to know your tour guide, and they get to know you and point out things they think you’ll like. There was very little opportunity for photos on the tour as you spend most of the day backstage. Even when we were in front of the American Adventure, because World Showcase was not yet open, we were still "backstage". I am unsure about how wheelchair friendly the tour is however; we took a lot of stairs and the bus was not wheelchair accessible. I imagine this would be different if needed and perhaps even where the tour stops would be tweaked a little. Also, bathroom breaks are well planned throughout the day.

Backstage Magic definitely gave me a greater appreciation for the work that goes into running WDW and I can understand why guests under 16 are not allowed. The tour lets you see how the magic is done which some guests on my tour did mention ruined a little of Walt Disney World for them. Not for me, it made me love it more. As Carmen said, "it takes a lot of work to make it magical" but the idea is the guest should never know that. Backstage Magic gives you a glimpse into how that magic is created and maintained every day, 365 days of the year. Whether you are a Disney beginner or have an annual pass, this is a tour that is well worth the time and money.

About the author: Krystal Thomas, 24 years old, has been going to the Disney parks since she was 18 months old. She currently lives in Baldwinsville, NY and recently received her Masters degree in Archives and Records Management from the University of Michigan. Her father is Picture This! photo blogger Scott Thomas.

This year's Disney Theme is "What Will You Celebrate?!"

If you happen to be visiting a Walt Disney World theme park on the DAY OF your birthday, you can get a special treat!

This past Wednesday was my brother Armand’s birthday. So, we went over to Epcot so he could collect his birthday gift from Disney.

As you enter the area where you purchase tickets you’re directed to go to the “Will Call” windows. There are “Will Call” window set up at all the parks and at the Ticket and Transportation Center.

Here’s a picture of that handsome guy patiently waiting in line for his turn.

My brother brought with him a copy of the certificate that he printed out when he registered on-line at Disney.com. The Cast Member took that certificate from him, scanned it, and checked his driver’s license to insure the birthday was correct. Since my brother is an Annual Passholder he selected the Birthday Fun Card as his gift option. He was told that the gift card, that has a value of $75.00, does not have an expiration date. In addition to the card he was handed a flyer with all the limitations and restrictions.

The process was simple, quick and in no time we were in Epcot enjoying a beautiful day!

Well, that’s all for now. As my good friend says “see ya real soon”….DizneyMike

Mike Bachand (aka DizneyMike) is a long time Disney Enthusiasts. Over the years Mike and family made numerous trips down to WDW from their home in Massachusetts. Now Mike and his wife live year round in the Orlando area. He is a Florida Annual Passholder who visits WDW on an average of once a week. Besides his love for WDW, Mike has a large collection of Disney books, figurines and ornaments and is a former Disney Cast Member working as a Concierge at the Contemporary Resort.

So, how many of you who have been to Epcot before have taken the time to stop into either Innoventions East or West? Well, if you haven’t you’re missing some pretty neat stuff. Mind you, Innoventions is meant to educate both adults and children, but in a very entertaining way. In my opinion it’s definitely something worth doing; especially on a hot, humid afternoon or a rainy day.

The first attraction inside Innoventions West (I’m right-handed so I started on the right side of the park first) is Kim Possible. Since I wrote about that in my last blog I’ll skip over that. Beyond that is “Where’s The Fire?” Guests are separated into teams and each person is given a device that looks like a large flashlight. Each team competes by moving from one room to another inside the house detecting unsafe and potentially dangerous fire hazards. (For example: in the kitchen there may be a small appliance near water.) You move from one room to another identifying hazards until time runs out. Once that’s completed there are other activities like teaching small children what to do in case of a fire and you can have your picture taken in front of a fire engine and emailed to yourself or whomever you want.

The next exhibit is “Think Place” by IBM. Here you become part of computer game. Pictures are taken of you running in place, jumping and doing a victory dance. After that, you control your image as you play a video game. When the game is completed you can send the video of that game to your email address.

“Slap Stick Studios” exhibit is sponsored by Velcro. A very entertaining master of ceremonies selects guests to come up on stage and play a couple of games that revolve around the use of Velcro. I found the Cast Member playing the part of the master of ceremonies to be quite funny and very quick-witted. The kids really loved this show!

“Rockin’ Robots” is where you control large robotic arms that play various musical instruments. Personally I didn’t spend much time there as it’s not something that will hold your interest for long.

Next to “Rockin’ Robots” is “Video Games of Tomorrow”. There are about 20 stations where you can play some of Disney’s latest video games.

“Segway Central” is where adults (not children) can take a short ride on a Segway. You’re first brought into a room where you watch a brief video about the history of the Segway. You sign a standard release and then queue up for your turn to ride. A Cast Member gives you personal instructions then walks in front of you and you ride the Segway up and back a 15 to 20 yard course. This is a must for anyone who’s ever said that riding a Segway looks like fun.

The first exhibit in Innoventions East (beyond another Kim Possible station) is "Storm Struck." Here you experience the force of a hurricane in 3D. Then you get to choose measures in building your house (like type of roof, etc.) that will best withstand a hurricane. Those measures are put to a test to see how effective they are. If you want to get an idea as to the fury and strength of a hurricane then don’t miss this exhibit.

Waste Management sponsors the “Don’t Waste It” exhibit. Team up with family or friends and push a mini Waste Management truck to three interactive stations. At each station you play video-like games dealing with recycling and the environment. At the end you get a certificate that can be sent to your email address.

Presently, “The House of Innoventions” is being updated and no date as to when it will reopen has been given. However, I’ve been through this house before so I can tell you a little about it. A Cast Member gives you a tour of a house filled with the latest technology. You’re guided through a kitchen, bedroom and living room with all kinds of high-tech gadgets like keyless door locks that are programmed by finger prints.

“Test Labs” is much like “Rockin’ Robots,” only here you get to perform “tests” like UL would to certify certain products. As with the robots, the kids seemed to enjoy this more than I did.

Finally at the end is a wonderful Walt Disney timeline displayed on three large walls. If you have any interest in Walt and all his accomplishments then take the time to view the wall.

If you have some time before your next FastPass or dinner reservation I encourage you to stop by Innoventions East or West and try out some of these exhibits. You won’t be disappointed!

I hope this blog helped you as you plan your next trip to Epcot.
And, as my good friend says, “see ya real soon”….

Mike Bachand (aka DizneyMike) is a long time Disney Enthusiasts. Over the years Mike and family made numerous trips down to WDW from their home in Massachusetts. Now Mike and his wife live year round in the Orlando area. He is a Florida Annual Passholder who visits WDW on an average of once a week. Besides his love for WDW, Mike has a large collection of Disney books, figurines and ornaments and is a former Disney Cast Member working as a Concierge at the Contemporary Resort.

by Guest Blogger Gary K.

If you grow up in Indiana as I did, you always wonder what it would be like to drive in the Indianapolis 500. I recently had the opportunity to find out. You can now drive an actual Indy car as fast as you dare on a real, full-size race track at Disney World. Indy Racing Experience has been offering this breathtaking experience at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2001. In November, 2008 they opened a sister operation at the Walt Disney World Speedway, right next to the Magic Kingdom.

This is the real thing. I got to drive Juan Montoya’s (Indy car champ and winner of The Indianapolis 500 in 2000) back up car. It is the same car -- no changes except the engine is a little (and I emphasize a little) smaller. Mike Horvath, Marco Andretti’s chief mechanic at Andretti Green Racing and winner of the 2005 Mechanic of the Year Award, helped me get into and get comfortable in the car. And Davy Hamilton, current Indy car driver and veteran of 50 Indy car races, put me through my paces on the track.

I arrived at the track approximately an hour before my schedule track time. It was quite exciting from the very beginning. I had the first Indy ride time of the day. As I walked out next to the track pit wall, I heard a roar and three Indy cars pulled up next to me – ready to go.

The track is really awesome. It was built in 1995 and hosted five Indy car races from 1996 to 2000. (I was lucky enough to attend all five.) It is a banked one mile tri-oval, with each of the three turns having a different radius and a different banking angle. Hamilton told me the track is very, very challenging to drive.

The process of going from track side to on track is fairly simple and quick. The first step is the obligatory paperwork. Bottom line, you have to sign forms that say you understand driving a race car is dangerous and if you hurt yourself you are responsible.

Second, they help you find the right size driving suit and boots and you’re off to the pit side “air conditioned” changing rooms. (See the blue curtains to the right of the picture? Those are the dressing rooms.)

Next, you sit down in a mock up of the driving seat and pedal lay out. (The cockpit is small and you drive in a reclining position. Thus, you cannot see the pedals in the car once you are actually seated in the car. Therefore, you need to get a “feel” for them.) While you are in the mock-up, you receive your instructions. The instructor covers safety and car problems, of course. But, bottom line, you are instructed to simply stay about five car lengths behind Davy in the lead car and he would lead you around the track as fast as you feel comfortable going.

Then you put on racing gloves, a balaclava and a racing helmet and it’s over the pit wall and into the car.

You have to stand up in the cockpit and gradually lower yourself vertically, disappearing into the race car, with only the top three-quarters of you head above the cockpit. The mechanics get you comfortable in the seat, tighten all the seat belts, fit the rear neck surround to the car and install the steering wheel. Initially, the feeling is a bit claustrophobic but that disappeared instantly when I heard Hamilton’s car start.

The mechanical procedures are incredibly simple. (The car has a five speed transmission but the first four gears are only used to get you up to top speed quickly. Since this is not a race you just keep the car in fifth.) You depress the clutch, push the start button and the engine comes to life. (The engine has already been warmed up so there is no delay. But revving the engine a few times seemed appropriate to me.) Hamilton took off. I gave it some gas, let out the clutch and away we went for eight thrilling laps.

The actual driving experience was easier than I imagined. With Hamilton showing you the racing line, the car seems like it is glued to the track. Your comfort level grows and so does your speed. You start to get a real feel for the g-forces in the corners and how each corner feels different. How the different banking angles and corner radiuses all impact the car. Hamilton lead me down to the apex of each corner and then up right next to the wall. Hamilton’s car kicked-up all kinds of dirt as I followed him next to those walls. (The Richard Petty Driving Experience stock cars, that share the same track earlier each day, must not use all the track the way and Indy car does. We were exploring some new terrain.) The eight laps go quickly but you get a real feel of what driving one of these cars is like. You also get an appreciation that Indy car drivers are athletes in the true sense of the word. In addition, you begin to realize you are simply following a car on the racing line. What must it be like to be surrounded by 20 cars – passing and being passed at racing speed for a couple of hundred miles?

After the final lap, I followed Hamilton into the pits, depressed the clutch, stopped the car, killing the engine and grinned.

It was very cool day in Florida the day of my drive and it was on a weekday. So, there was no one waiting to take my place. Hamilton was very willing to talk to me about driving these cars on this track and about Indy car racing in general. It was fun and enlightening. I ask him how fast we were going. He said we got up to about 100 mph average on our fastest lap. He told me that most people don’t go much faster unless they have had some prior experience. (I am sure he was being simply gracious.)

My wife decided she wanted to see what the experience was like but did not want to actually drive a car. Fortunately, they have lengthened an Indy car chassis and created a two-seater. So, Hamilton took her for a ride. (Everything is exactly the same, except you ride along instead of drive. See below.)

Because in was near dusk on a cool day, Hamilton was “only” able to get up to about 120 mph average on his fastest lap with her. So, I went home feeling pretty good about my speed. Unfortunately, I then got on the web to see what the Indy car lap recorded is for the Disney Speedway. The fastest lap was set by Buddy Lazier at over 180 mph. I have a hard time imaging what that must have been like, but now I have a much better idea than I did before. If you are interested in Indy car racing, you have to give this a try. It is well worth the money.

As I got ready to go over the pit wall and rejoin the regular world, Hamilton told me about a young man who had such a great experience driving the prior week that he bought three back–to-back eight lap runs. He was able to get up to a 120 mph lap. As I left the track, I was reminded of that old racing adage “Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?”
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Gloria chimes in (Doesn’t she always!)

As Gary told you, once he was finished, they asked me if I wanted to drive. Nope, no way! I’d be a menace to both myself, the car and everyone else …but I could go for a ride! Why not? So, I went inside to sign the release forms and then outside to the changing room to get suited up. Now for those of you who know me personally, I barely reach five feet tall. Well, fire suits come in various widths, but only one length …l-o-n-g! I managed to get everything zipped, Velcroed and closed, but it was an interesting endeavor to say the least.

Once suited up, it was time for the balaclava (head sock), the helmet and the gloves. The balaclava was the worst! I have the kind of hair that does not take well to being disturbed once it has been tamed into place in the morning. Head socks and helmets really do a number on hairdos! Trust me on this one. Even Gary said, “She must really want to ride if she’s willing to risk getting her hair messed up!”

Helmet on! Gloves on! Now I must get down into the car which sits about 4 inches off the ground. This alone is a challenge, but I managed, only to find out that I was sitting so low in the car that I couldn’t see out of the cockpit. This is not good, so they tell me to get out and they’ll put a cushion in to raise me up a bit.

That’s when I learned that getting out of the car is even more difficult than getting in. For a minute I thought maybe they’d need a crane, but it wasn’t necessary. I was able to pull myself up and out more easily than I thought. I think the adrenalin must have kicked in, giving me superhuman strength.

They put in the cushion and I again lowered myself down into the car. Much better! I could see! The guys snapped all the restrains in place, locked in the neck support and in just a few seconds we were off.

For those of you who have never heard the roar of an Indy car engine, it is spectacularly loud! There is also a rumble that goes with it and when you’re in the car, that rumble travels right up through your body …an awesomely powerful feeling.

According to Gary who was chatting with the “pit crew” while I was riding, the car was “pushing” (Whatever that means.) and wasn’t handling as well as the driver wanted. Consequently we never got up to the 180 mph the car might reach if all was working perfectly. Consequently, they threw in an extra lap or two to try to get the tires warmed up before trying to attain top speed down the straightaway. We probably reached 150 to 160 top speed for a few seconds. That was plenty fast for me!

But all too soon the ride was over and it was back to our Toyota van for an exciting (not!) ride over to the MK where we spent the rest of the day.

Indy Racing Experience is priced competitively with the Richard Petty (stock car) Racing Experience. They are certainly worth the money for anyone who is a fan of open-wheel racing. Gary is the racing fan in our family; I have little interest and had no intention of even taking a “ride” when we got there. But there’s something about the roar of those engines that just draws you in. It’s probably not something I’d want to do again, but it was definitely great fun and a terrific experience.

RELATED INFO:

Walt Disney World Racing Experiences can be booked by calling 1-888-357.5002. Ask to speak with Shonda Kennedy at extension 106 or e-mail her at skennedy@indyracingexperience.com. You can read more on their official website at http://www.indyracingexperience.com. Prices as of January 2009 are $399 for 8 driving laps and $109 for the 3-lap ride-along experience.

We are still shaking the pixie dust out of our suitcases after our recent trip and I wanted to give a special shout-out to an amazing cast member whom we encountered at our Port Orleans resort...Georgina Santiago.

Georgina was our housekeeper. We (my mom, myself and my three kids...Reagan, 12...Sage & Sawyer, 11) tried to keep our room tidy, but always appreciated the way it looked after Georgina swept through. Not only was it sparkling clean, she ALWAYS left us sweet little towel animals to make us smile. It truly got to be as much fun going BACK to our room as it was getting to the parks, always wondering what might be waiting for us.

Of course, we wrote her notes of appreciation (and a small tip) and it seemed that the animals just kept getting more and more elaborate and adorable until, on the last day, she made this FABULOUS creation...an alligator sitting beneath a tree with tiny animals all around.

We decided to track her down! The kids and I ran everywhere, on a mission to find this kind woman. We finally caught up with her...back at OUR room. She was bringing her manager to show him the alligator towel on our air conditioner. Such a fun encounter!

Our kids gave her a big hug and thanked her for making our trip so special and gave her an extra tip (well deserved!). I'm glad her manager was right there to see/hear the way Georgina went above and beyond her duty to make the World a truly magical place!

Kristen Melby

Sue, Mick and Sam Farrell, May 30th 2008.

On Friday 30th May 2008 we were invited to be the Flag Family!

After breakfast we were escorted to the roof of Disney's Wilderness Lodge by Ranger Stan.

He gave us a guided tour of all the sights from the roof and then we took it in turns to raise the five flags for that day. The view is amazing and offered us some fantastic photo opportunites.

Sam started with the American Flag, then Sue raised the white Wilderness Lodge flag, next it was Mick's turn to raise the State of Florida flag, then back to Sam for the Disney Flag.

Lastly Mick with the green Wilderness Lodge flag.

We did a short version of this in August 2004 (see our earlier photos below), but this time we were lucky to enjoy the full ceremony.

I would suggest anyone else staying at Wilderness Lodge to try and do this. It's a secret attraction that will remain a favourite of ours.

Thank you Ranger Stan and everyone at Wilderness Lodge.

Our 2004 Flag Family Photos:

Our family suffered a huge loss from the Flood in the Midwest in the middle of September. One of the items we lost were the two boxes of all of our Disney Souvenirs and memories from my son's first trip in January 2007.

He is now almost 3 and we just visited the Disney parks again as in late October.

We checked into the Pop Century Resort - very emotional because we were going to relive my son's first trip all over again this week. The cast member at checkin was very understanding and gave exemplorary service as we received a room early and nearby the main entrance. We checked in and our luggage arrived about an hour later.

Soon, a knock came to our door. One of the managers of the Pop Century was at the door and he had drove up on a Segway. He had 3 packages in his hand for our family. One package was with several balloons and a large plush Mickey for my son, Andrew.

Along with the balloons and Mickey was a package of books, crayons, markers, Playhouse Disney items, and some toys all from someone special - a signed picture of Mickey Mouse with our name on it was presented to him as well! He was fast asleep - so this was a huge surprise for him when he woke up.

One more package was for our family from the Pop Century Resort - it was a bucket on a Frisbee filled with toys and candy from the decades that Pop Century represents! Why did we receive this? We don't know - but we think the Cast Member who checked us in said something.

That wasn't all however, we got back to our room late one evening after having a great dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe - we had 3 messages on our phone from the Management of the Pop Century. They were sort of urgent, giving me very small bits of information - something about Epcot on Thursday and being there by 8:45am and something "special" for our family - but we needed to get in touch with them right away!

So - my wife said - run to the front desk now! Find out what is going on. I came back with a sign with our name on it and some very specific instructions...we were to be at the front gate of Epcot by 8:45am wearing my yellow hat with our sign that had our family name on it.

Thursday, 10/20 - 8:45am at Epcot - people were being let into the park, and out popped Mario, a Manager at Epcot - he told us to come this way and we needed to hurry. We rushed into Epcot - followed him to the front of the rope where everyone stops until the park opens.

He then told us to come underneath the rope. We did and as we walked under the rope - an announcement was made that our family was the Epcot Family of the Day and we would be opening the park.

I couldn't even understand what was going on because at the same time - a Photo Pass photographer was taking our photos, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto were walking towards my son, and a Test Track car was waiting for us to get inside and speed us away!

My son was grabbing a hold of Mickey's leg, my wife and I were just in tears, he was so excited (almost 3 years old) and we were given a stack of yellow sheets that were essentially fast passes for any ride that day in Epcot we wanted to go on, told we had to get into the Test Track car, and all the Disney executives were introducing themselves at the same time the crowd of guests were cheering! We took a few family photos with the characters - jumped in the Test Track car and sped off as fireworks shot out into the sky.

We drove past Innoventions as Cast Members wearing Mickey hands waved us on and cheered...we arrived at Test Track! I got to ride all by myself and was the first one of the day! My wife and son were whisked away up to the control room to watch me on the track.

After that - we met a lady named Cecilia. She is one of the Dream Team Cast Members and said she was assigned to our family until around 12noon. Anything we wanted - she would take care of. We were thrilled - the only thing I could think of was - WOW - what did we do to deserve all of this? My son was just in amazement and still in shock that he had his own personal time with the fab five earlier that morning! It was amazing!!!!

We then went over to Mission Space and I rode alone again - but afterwards we were brought into the lounge for Cast Members and other Executives that overlooks the queue area and other locations in Mission Space. We even got to access the Mission Control room where my son had 3 huge panels to play with - imagine a 3 year old getting to press all the buttons and switches he wants!!! They even presented us with a certificate as the Family of the Day!

BUT - it wasn't over - we then were whisked over to Soarin', Nemo & Friends, and then Turtle Talk with Crush! We were wiped out by 12noon and Cecilia had to leave us - but we had the BEST TIME! However, it still wasn't over - we were then told we had a reservation for a VIP viewing location in Italy that night for Illuminations and that I could bring anyone I wanted. So - I invited my cousin and his family who were also staying at Disney that week to join us!

We had the best day and were presented the "Honorary Citizen of WDW pins" - we wore them proudly that day and this is something that we will always remember! Thank you to Disney and all the Cast Members who made this happen for us!!!!

Amy Bedore just sent this beautiful photo of Main Street USA.

We rode the elevator up to the 7th floor and then took a set of stairs up to the roof. The view was breathtaking and the weather perfect.

There were four of us and we each got to raise one of the flags. After my son raised the American flag, Stan asked if we would salute the flag and say the Pledge of Alliegence. I had tears in my eyes as we said it outloud with our hands over our hearts.

Stan took pictures of each of us and as we were thanking him for such a beautiful experience, he huddled us together and told us to always remember to care for each other. I still have goosebumps thinking about it. Stan treated us to breakfast on the concierge level snack room which just was the perfect ending to a perfect memory!

-Cathy

The Bashful Vegan

Hi! My name is Kitty, and I’m a vegan. I’m also terribly, seriously, majorly bashful… which is not very convenient when you’re a vegan. It’s near impossible to eat out as a vegan without attracting some attention, or at the very least, getting a confused look from a server. All of which has nothing whatsoever to do with Walt Disney World, except that it does make my trips to the world’s most popular vacation destination a little interesting.

Despite my “challenges”, I go to Walt Disney World every chance I get, which isn’t nearly as often as I would like, but I guess we can’t all live in Florida. I usually manage at least one trip a year, along with my “Disney tolerant” omnivorous hubby. He’s a bit bashful, too, though he eats a more normal diet.

I was a vegetarian (still ate dairy and eggs) when I made my first trip to Walt Disney World, almost 11 years ago. I was a little worried about what I would eat, but I shouldn’t have been. There were so many options for lacto-ovo’s that it wasn’t even an issue. My expectations weren’t very high, so I was pleasantly surprised that I could find more than just soy burgers and fries.

My first trip as a vegan (about 8 years ago) was more of an adventure. Okay, that’s putting it nicely. It was rough. I was still new to the vegan scene, and suffered pretty badly from Mickey-ice-cream-bar-envy. The soy burgers and fries were still an option, and the sit-down restaurants did try to cater to me, but it didn’t feel like a vacation without all the sweets and treats. (I have since learned to curb my sweet tooth, but at that point, I still associated vacations with lots of desserts.) So I vowed to be prepared before my second vegan trip. The following are some of the tips and tricks I learned while planning my own trips.

My first tip is especially helpful for newer vegans – ones who aren’t sure how they will manage without sweets (ice cream, cookies and churros, oh my!). Bring treats from home. Seriously, pack an extra suitcase full of vegan cookies and candies, energy bars… anything and everything you might eat at home as a vegan treat. (Okay, that soy ice cream might not travel so well, but there are lots of other options.) If the suitcase seems like a hassle, you could also pack up a box of goodies and have it shipped to your hotel.

Or, you could order some goodies from an online source (Vegan Essentials and Pangea are both good options), and have them shipped directly to your hotel. I can’t stress this enough – if you’re a new vegan, or just a new “Disney” vegan, having those comfort foods can seriously make the difference between the vacation of your dreams, and a big disappointment.

Once you arrive, make sure you always have some of these treats with you, in your bag or backpack. Disney does have a policy about not bringing food into the parks, but in my experience, they have no problem at all with a few snacks – and if they say anything at all, just explain that you’re a vegan and this is required for your special diet. (I always have snacks with me, and I have never been questioned – not even once.)

Now, this might sound like a contradiction, but there are a surprising number of vegan treats available at Walt Disney World (and I think I’ve found all of them!). I love sharing them with others, and I will share them with you, but I still recommend treats from home. I’ve heard too many vegans say that they couldn’t find anything to eat, and it affected their trip. Why take the chance, when a handful of your favorite vegan candy or a vegan energy bar will solve the problem? It’s amazing what a difference the little things can make.

My second tip really applies to everyone, but is especially important for vegans: don’t wait until you are starved to go look for food. In general, people tend to get grumpy, or at least not feel at the top of their game, when they get hungry. If you can’t get to a restaurant right away, and you’ve got that rumbly in your tumbly, then it’s time to hit those snacks I talked about. Otherwise, look for food before it becomes urgent, and be prepared to settle for a second choice. If you’re planning a sit-down restaurant, odds are very good that you will eat, and probably eat very well. However, if this is one of those counter-service grab-n-go meals, then you might need a little extra time. There are more options than you might think, even at the counter-service places, but some of them require a little thought and creativity.

Which brings me to my third tip: eat at non-traditional times. In other words, avoid the rush and try to eat either a little earlier or a little later than the rest of the world. Eating as a vegan almost always requires some “speaking up”, and I find this so much easier if I’m not holding up a crowd at the time. My meals sometimes require a little extra effort, and for me, there’s nothing worse than feeling like I’m a bother, or that I’m keeping others waiting. Hubby and I generally try to eat early – lunch around 11:00am, and dinner around 5:00pm. We’ve found that this works really well at Walt Disney World.

This fourth tip I’ve shared with quite a few other vegetarians and vegans who have contacted me: for any sit-down restaurants you plan to eat at, call the restaurant 72 hours in advance and ask to speak to a chef. By doing this, you will have a better idea what to expect when you dine, and you also give the chef time to acquire any special ingredients they might need to make your meal something to remember. And this is really great advice. The problem is that I’m too bashful to actually do this myself. Yes, I’m finally going to admit it: I have never actually done this. I have mentioned that I’m a vegan when making reservations, and I’ve mentioned it when I got to the restaurant, but I have never called a restaurant directly and spoken to a chef.

So how do I manage when I’m too bashful to speak up?

Well, there options, even without special requests, but they are very limited.

Soy burgers and Disney fries (but not the ones clearly marked as “McDonald’s) are vegan as is – no special request required.

There are fruit carts in every park, and a number of other snacks which are vegan.

The popcorn, despite its buttery appearance and taste, is actually vegan.

The soft pretzels and roasted nuts are safe (even the tasty cinnamon-glazed almonds!). But it would be tough to get through a whole vacation with only these few things.

There are several things that have helped – the biggest one being the cast members themselves. For starters, I am continually amazed by the number of cast members that already understand the term “vegan”. If you say you’re a vegetarian, many of them will ask “lacto-ovo or vegan?”. Not having to explain this saves a lot of time of trouble – and for me, stress. Also, they really truly seem to want to make your trip special. Disney tries hard to accommodate everyone. I routinely have to make modifications, even at counter-service places, and it’s almost never an issue. They seem prepared for it. They don’t even look at me like I’m from another planet (which I get a lot in the “real world.) Occasionally I am told that there will be an additional wait – which I am always prepared for (thanks to my second tip – don’t wait until you’re starved).

Knowing what is possible, and what to expect also helps. It’s important to keep in mind that most places will do their best to match any request, but they can only work with what they’ve got. In other words, most places will be happy to prepare you a salad minus chicken and cheese, but they can’t substitute it with grilled tofu if they don’t have any tofu in their kitchen.

That’s where the 72 hours notice may help with a sit-down restaurant. The chefs at these places almost seem to thrive on the challenge of preparing something you will enjoy. I have had some extraordinary meals at Disney’s sit-down restaurants. With counter-service, though, I’ve found that it’s better to have a plan before I get in line. Even at the more casual places, they will most often work with me, but the creativity and knowledge is lacking. I need to know exactly what I want, and make requests that I know they can accommodate (such as leaving the chicken and cheese off of a salad, or ordering a fruit plate without the yogurt dipping sauce).

With these tips in mind, even a Disney vegan newbie can have the trip of a lifetime. For me, being a vegan, even a bashful vegan, is no longer an issue at Walt Disney World. Well, being bashful will always be an issue, but I’m working on that. (I’ll never be volunteering for Indiana Jones’ Stunt Spectacular, but I do plan to finally get up the guts to meet my hero, Mickey Mouse… one of these days.)

Boma Dinner: Marinated tofu over a corn salsa

Boma Dessert: Vanilla soy ice cream with raspberries and a vegan chocolate chip cookie.

It is twelve-thirty p.m. on a Sunday in the Animal Kingdom and the air is filled with shrieks that can be heard from almost every corner of the park. As soon as you enter Asia…and Dinoland USA…and Discovery Island…you can hear them. The echo of cries make DAK goers look up and take notice; some in sympathy, some in dreaded anticipation and others in disbelief…

Are visions of hanging backpacks and Indian deities dancing in your head?

Unfortunately, I am not referring to one of Disney’s newest scream-machines, Expedition Everest. I refer to the over-arching protests and complaints of toddlers and young children everywhere in Disney parks.

Above the roar of Everest, the blowing of train whistles, and the scream of Test Track you can find the screeching of over-tired children all over WDW desperately in need of a juice box. Their parents follow in-tow with an equally desperate need of a wine glass.

I know…I’ve been there. Disney with children is the best—I love taking my daughter, Lily, to the parks. But some days you find yourself with children that have been awake since six-thirty a.m. literally whipped (as in cream, lots of it, on top of their Mickey waffles…at seven a.m…) into a character-breakfast-chocolate-syrup-fueled state of pure energy. Breakfast is followed by a thirty minute navigation of the Disney transportation system until you’ve arrived at the park, pushed (rammed?) your Hummer-Stroller through the turnstiles, and finally made it…only to turn and see Junior mouth-open about to implode Spaceship Earth with an anguished cry of waffle-crash/very high heat index.

So…you can repeat above process backwards sans waffles or you can search for the light at the end of this ever-darkening tunnel: the Baby Care Centers (cue celestial choir*).

There is one Baby Care Center in each of the Disney parks. I will admit I was at first a skeptic of the Baby Care Centers. Was this like a giant bathroom with Mickey painted on the wall? Free soap and tap water? What else do we need at a WDW park for your child except a decently stocked diaper bag, Motts for Tots, and a comfy stroller?

After two years of parenthood I can tell you besides a full-time nursemaid, second husband, and air-conditioned-bubble-ball for your stroller you need a Baby Care Center while visiting the parks.

Back to my recent Sunday when the rest of my friends journeyed on their first Expedition Everest as my daughter and I headed out on what I have ruefully entitled Lily’s Never-Rest Expedition.

She’s two and in love with Mickey so what can I expect? Who wants to sleep when hopped up on a Mickey-ear ice cream and post seeing Nemo in person? I was two once—I get it. But toddlers, even good-natured ones, must slow down at some point. We head to the Baby Care Center tucked away under giant wooden lady-bugs in a non-descript and shaded corner of DAK.

Lily and I slip in the front door and immediately relief (mainly in the form of 72 degree AC) washes over us both. Lily struggles out of my arms to run into the kids’ playroom while the CM cheerfully greets us both. The playroom is bright, spacious and equipped with…a television (!).

There is a water cooler and multiple items for purchase including diapers, baby food, infant and children’s medications, binkies, clothes, etc. I would avoid these purchases at a BCC if possible…the diapers run for about 8.95 for a small (very small) pack. But when desperate, it is a relief to know there is somewhere to go.

Each BCC also has a stocked kitchen where you can warm food and bottles, find free utensils and each center features complimentary feeding areas including high-chairs.

Each BCC also has a nursing mother’s room and private bathrooms. They also sport an impressive changing station collection with plenty of Disney artwork to minimize mid-change squirming when your Dory-memory-level toddler suddenly remembers they are at Mickey’s house and must go find him right now.

Back to the CMs…they truly are the highlight of these centers, as they are for most Disney facilities and attractions. Instead of looks of scorn at your squirmy, red-faced, generally disgruntled child you are graced with a smile of understanding and a pleasant overview of the facility.

The BCC are certainly larger and better-equipped at the more family-focused parks. The Magic Kingdom BCC is well…magical. The nursing mother’s room is a peaceful oak rocking chair lined room with Victorian shade lamps and pictures reminiscent of Main Street USA.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios have the least extensive Baby Care Center. It is just off to the side of Guest Relations on your left when immediately entering the park. It’s nice—but small and there is no attendant actually inside the center though it is kind of attached to the Guest Relations center in general…

The best indication of Baby Care Center value to me is the parents I have come in contact with while warming bottles and changing diapers amidst Gerber puff feeding-frenzies. I actually had a mother grab my arm while waiting for the stove and whisper urgently, three-inches from my surprised and slightly wary expression, ‘Don’t you love this place…it has saved—my—life.’

While I don’t know that I can give the Baby Care Centers that strong of an endorsement I will say the centers have most likely prevented mid-day meltdowns, heat stroke, and serious temper tantrums in the Pickle family.

And Lily really likes them, too.

~EOP

One of my favorite places in the World Show Case at Epcot is China.

I love the details, the art of the entire country. The colors are so rich in the buildings and the landscaping. Not to mention the food is also great, it is going to be wonderful when Nine Dragons opens again. And there is always something that I want to purchase at the shops in China.

Anyway to celebrate the beauty of China I wanted to share with you this week some of my favorite China shots.

First up the main building in China:

I love to take pictures of this building each time we go to Epcot. Every time I take a new photo of it, I notice some detail I did not notice the last time I took a picture. It is so ornate, here is a close up of one of my favorite details of the building…

Besides the main building that houses the Reflections of China show and some Chinese art work I also love the Kodak Picture spot there. I could spend all day photographing the water, trees and flowers. Here are some of my favorite shots at the spot…

Have a Disney Day!

Amanda

Once again America Gardens is rocking out. This week the sounds of ABBA are filling the night air for Epcot park goers. Bjorn Again is a group that was formed in 1988 as a tribute to ABBA. Completely in character this group of Australian and British musicians sing ABBA greatest hits. Everyone in the audience was having a great time. Here are some of my favorite photos from Tuesday’s first show…

Have a Disney Day Everyone!
Amanda

Hello All! My name is Amanda.

FIrst, a little about myself. Currently, I am working on my Masters of Science in Software Engineering. My family and I just moved to Florida from Colorado last month.

One of the first things we did upon our arrival was purchase our annual passes to Disney World. We both are long time fans of Disney and with our annual passes we use Disney as our daily hang out. Our two favorite parks (although we love all four) are Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Excited about all there is to do at DisneyI I started an online journal I like to call Mouse Beat . Disney fans be sure to stop by!

Thank you to Deb for asking me to share my Disney Adventures with you all! And to get the ball rolling here is a little bit about what we did last night at Disney…

It turns out that Disco is not dead!

Now in its second week the "Sounds Like Summer Concert Series" at Epcot was host to "Stayin Alive" A Tribute to the Bee Gees.

If you like the music of the Bee Gees, definitely head on over to the America Gardens this week. They will be there all week and the show times are 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45.

The band has about 20 songs on their play list and from the excitement of the crowd they are some of the Bee Gees greatest hits.

Unfamilar with the music personally I did not recognize many of the songs, and was a little disappointed that they did not play "Staying Alive" in their last show of the night.

THe group "Stayin Alive" did a great job paying attention to detail from the stage setup to their costumes. Here are the brothers all dressed up...

They were crowd friendly. Although they never left the stage like 2U A Tribute to U2 (last week's Sounds Like Summer group) , they do make an effort to include the crowd.

They tell jokes to each other, talk about Mickey, remark on the America Gardens and encourage the audience to dance. And oh boy did the audience dance! In the bleachers, in the aisles, disco got their feet moving!

The adults in the crowd were having a fantastic time but I did notice that some of the youngsters were not as entertained. Unlike the 2U concerts last week the kids in the "Stayin Alive" audience spent most of their time on the bench eating their goodies.

Oh and one note, "Stayin Alive" does not permit the audience to video record their performance. You are allowed to take as many pictures as you want but not video recordings. Just a note.

Overall it was a good time and I recommend it to all those Bee Gee fans out there!

Have a Disney Day!

Amanda

All Ears® Guest blogger JeanineY is back! You may recall she chronicled the NFFC trip to Tokyo Disneyland a few months ago.

This time she compares the brand new Toy Story Mania attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland!

Ride "Spoilers" Ahead. This comparison offers detailed descriptions and photos of the two attractions!

Recently I spent a few days over at WDW, a not-inconsiderable-portion of which I spent playing their newly-opened Toy Story Midway Mania ride at the Hollywood Studios.

The day after I returned, I attended the annual passholder preview of Disneyland's Toy Story Midway Mania where we were able to ride with minimal waits for designated 6-hour time slots. With luck, I won't spend next week getting treated for repetitive motion injury.

Toy Story in Disney's Hollywood Studios is outwardly themed around the Pixar Studio buildings in order to better fit with the generalized show-business theme.

Toy Story at Disney's California Adventure is designed to fit in more with the boardwalk games that pepper the Paradise Pier area. The ride building is much more attractive and detailed than the other cardboardy-structures around there.

The multi-million dollar Mr. Potato Head is up and singing in WDW, but was boarded off and not visible in the Disneyland cue.

Probably the most noticable difference between the two versions is the queue. In WDW the queue is indoors and the concept that the rider has shrunk to toy size is much more developed. Additionally there's air conditioning, which is a huge plus.

In WDW they have a standby line, and a separate fastpass/single rider line, although the single rider line does not always run, and is not always a time saver. Disneyland will have a single rider line, but will apparently not have fastpass, similar to the Finding Nemo Submarine ride.

The Disneyland Toy Story queue is all outdoors, with most of it similar to the outdoor Muppetvision queue, decorated with attraction posters. One can only assume the difference may be due to the more inclement weather Orlando has over Anaheim.

Additionally, the WDW queue is multi-leveled, whereas the DL queue is all on ground level (limited by California Screamin', which runs overhead.)

Frankly, the Disneyland queue looks markedly short, for the number of people you might expect to be waiting for it this summer. One CM stated that he thought the line held a little over an hour's worth of people, and that they were expecting the line to cross the walkway and extend over the bridge all the way to Golden Dreams, on the other side of the lagoon! Given that I saw the wait times at WDW reach around 190 minutes occasionally throughout the weekend, it seems likely.

As far as the actual rides go, they're fairly similar. The areas between the shooting screens seemed longer at Disneyland, but the cannons and targets were all identical clones.

On the way out at Disneyland, you pass by this odd little room that, I suppose, is designed to clue you in to the whole "entering the Midway Games toy set" storyline, if you missed it earlier. I am sure some blogger out there knows the significance of the little dog figurines and the bust and the iced tea, but it would not be me.

A curious thing is that at WDW, where the ride has been open to the public for some time, they still have no specific shop or merchandise for the ride, with the exception of one Mr. Potato Head t-shirt going for $40.

At Disneyland, where the ride was only in previews, a whole shop was open, with a multitude of purchasables. One cute item was the cannon-replica keychain that had a pull-string triggering a sound similar to the ride sound effect, and projecting a light image of a hoop from the ring-toss screen.

As other blogs have gleefully noted the low wait times they've experienced at the press opening of the WDW Toy Story, I include the wait time we had at our AP preview out here.

It does seem likely that, without fastpass, the waits will be considerably longer than this in the near future as it is a great ride in either park.

Have fun, and remember--keep that fox out of the henhouse!

Ok so the Pirate and Princess party was amazing!

The highlight of my night had to be meeting Captain Jack Sparrow though! Wow just looking at him is worth the price of admission! I seriously almost fainted!

The parade was spectacular! The pirates float was probably my favorite because it was full of excitement and got your blood pumping. The cannons on the boat actually worked too! Of course it didn’t explode with a cannonball but the light and smoke coming out of it was cool!

The fireworks are probably the best set of fireworks I have ever seen at the Magic Kingdom, which is actually saying a lot since Wishes is so amazing. I would explain more but it’s something you have to see for yourself and my words wouldn’t do the show justice.

Caitlin Tip: You should be in front of the castle if you want to have the best seat in the house for the fireworks.

For teens I would recommend skipping the treasure hunt, all you get are some bead necklaces and since there are so many rides to go on and characters to see you won’t regret missing it.

It was also cool walking around with my Happy Birthday pin on. I was told happy birthday countless time and the River Roulette band sang me happy birthday!

I definitely recommend the Pirate and Princess party to anyone who has a chance to go!

Nothing says “Disney” like the Magic Kingdom!

Today was so much fun! We got there early to see the rope drop and then went straight to Fantasyland, where we basically walked onto to every ride! We also got to see Ariel in her grotto which is something I have never been able to do because it’s usually so busy.

The Haunted Mansions updates are so cool! You have to be a huge fan of the ride to know that it has been changed because only little bits and pieces have been added. Let’s just say the woman of the house is not very friendly!

The only ride at Magic Kingdom I didn’t really enjoy was the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. We ended up getting stuck on it at three different points and on the third one the ride got officially closed! I mean the free fast passes for any ride was an added bonus but getting stuck made me very claustrophobic!

I really enjoyed the train ride which is something I don’t remember doing. It’s cool just sitting back and relaxing and seeing the Magic Kingdom from a different point of view.

The longest line today was Splash Mountain and we had fast passes. I love that ride and usually when it’s as warm as it is today you can expect long lines.

I loved Casey’s Corner though. The food was soooo good! I loved their French fries!

I can’t wait until the Pirate and Princess Party tonight! Until then I will be lounging by the pool! Ttyl!

Hello from very warm (for us Michigan folk) Florida!

I"m Caitlin Burns blogging live from Walt Disney World!

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's my intro!

I really don’t think that there is a better sound than that of your pilot saying,” We are touching down in Orlando Florida!” It’s then that you realize, wow I am awake and I am actually going to Disney World!

My parents and I rode the Disney Magical Express to Port Orleans Riverside. I highly recommend taking the Magical Express no matter how old you are because they show a video of Disney World on the way to your hotel and it gets you really pumped for how much fun you are going to be having, plus driving through the Walt Disney World welcome sign is very cool!

When we got to our hotel, check in was easy and our room was ready even though we showed up earlier than we were scheduled. Our room is awesome! It’s in Oak Manor and having never stayed in the mansions at Port Orleans it’s very cool! We even have a fridge and outside of the mansions you have to ask for one. We are also right near one of the relaxing pools. I am looking forward to getting some sun out there!

After we got settled in we left to have lunch at the Crystal Palace. My parents went to the restaurant to check in while I went to Philharmagic to get Fast Passes. The last time we went I bought a My Pal Mickey, I recommend it because all of his corny jokes and singing will have you rolling with laughter, and he has some very interesting facts about the park so listening to his take on Fantasyland was fun.

I always love character dining! You get to sit down enjoy your food and let the characters come to you! Plus you get to watch all the little kids interacting with the characters. I am an only child so it was nice watching the younger kids meet the characters

My parents had on their happy anniversary buttons and the Crystal Palace cast members noticed it right away. They had us wait a few minutes while they made a heart made out of confetti on the table. Later they also got a certificate signed by Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger! I didn’t really enjoy the food at the Crystal Palace this time around though, unless you like more exotic foods (the broccoli had lime sauce on it!) then I wouldn’t recommend it but it’s nice to meet the characters.

On our way to Philharmagic we ran into Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters! They were so much fun! I love getting my pictures taken with the characters and I think villains are more fun for teens.

They started singing “Do the Bustle” which would go right over little kids heads but for us older people it’s funny. The stepsisters improvise a lot (they started screaming when my family walked up because Mickey was hooked on my purse and they don’t like mice), and as I said, the villains are more fun.

Then we went over to Philharmagic which is one of my absolute favorite attractions! It’s funny, has your favorite Disney songs in it and is 3D! I don’t think you could do any better than that lol.

When we walked out of Philharmagic the parade was just starting.

Caitlin tip: Get in line right behind the taped walkway and stand there until the parade starts, once it starts and the walkway is closed you can be right on the curb!

I always love the parade and no matter how many times you see it, it’s still amazing!

I got a couple more pictures with characters and then we left to get our rental car. I recommend getting a rental car because I am not a fan of having to wait for buses if you leave one of the parks late at night. That and a rental car gives you a little more freedom if you feel like going out to explore.

My family and I decided to go to Downtown Disney’s Market Place. I love shopping so this is one of the places I have to go to whenever we visit! Downtown Disney is really made for older people because they have a movie theater, Disney Quest and of course shopping. This is somewhere your family can split up for a while and do their own thing then meet back up later.

I tried a caramel apple at Goofy’s Candy Co. “WOW” is the best word to describe how good it tasted lol.

I can’t wait for tomorrow! Ttyl!

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Hey my name is Caitlin Burns!

I am a senior at John Glenn high school in lovely Westland Michigan! If you like unpredictable weather and freezing temperatures during spring you should visit sometime lol.

I am 17 years old and I have been in love with everything Disney for as long as I can remember.
My first trip to Disney World was when I was two and I have been going back ever since. Every time I go there is always something new to look forward to and enjoy.

Now I have been told by some of my friends “Oh isn’t Disney World for little kids?” I am here to prove this wrong. There are so many things at Disney that a lot of little kids can’t enjoy like teenagers and adults can! I feel that every year I go back I see Disney from a different view. This year I am seeing it from the “I am about to graduate and step into the real world” point of view.

I am going with my parents for my graduation present and this will be my sixth trip to the “World”. My family and I are all Disney addicts and each of us love something different at Disney. This time around we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside. We are also going to be going to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure which is something we have never done before!

Not only are we celebrating my graduation we are also celebrating my mom and dad’s 20th wedding anniversary and my 18th birthday!

My itinerary for the week is:

April 15th- Magic Kingdom
April 16th- Magic Kingdom and the Pirate and Princess Party
April 17th- Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
April 18th- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
April 19th- Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Grad Night
April 20th- Epcot (Where we will be seeing the All Ears gang!)
April 21st- Surfing lessons at Typhoon Lagoon and wherever we feel like going back to then going home 

So stay tuned and I hope I can help you parents of teenagers plan an exciting Disney adventure for them.

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Alex Koma, son of AllEars Senior Editor Deb Koma, and an occasional contributor to the newsletter himself, recently attended ESPN The Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios. He shares his unique experience:

As a huge sports fan, Disney World's annual event ESPN The Weekend has always seemed like the ultimate dream. Disney World is my favorite place on Earth, and sports are my favorite thing to do, so naturally the event sounded great to me. However, it has always seemed far off, like the dream that I thought it was. It appeared to be too tough to organize, with the pressures of school and work making things difficult. I could only watch the commercials wistfully and hope.

Well, this year, my dream was realized. My mom, Deb Koma, came to me in late December 2007, saying that maybe she would have to go to the World that weekend, and that I might be able to come along for the ride. I was ecstatic. After looking at schedules and making reservations, things finally came together and on Friday, February 29, I was able to go to ESPN The Weekend. And what a weekend it was.

ESPN The Weekend included just about every imaginable feature a sports fan’s fantasy could have. It had live broadcasts of popular ESPN shows like "NFL Live" and "1st and 10," appearances by many famous athletes and ESPN personalities, live ESPN Radio broadcasts, and interactive game shows for fans to take part in. Over the course of the three days I was there, I got to experience all of these things. I was able to see legendary players like John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Darryl Dawkins, Bill Laimbeer, Mercury Morris, Jim Palmer, and Herschel Walker. Stockton has always been an idol of mine, with his ability to compete at a Hall of Fame level despite his lack of size compared to other basketball players, and it was great to see him in person. There were also current players making appearances, like Shaun Alexander, Travis Hafner, Brandon Jacobs, Maurice Jones-Drew, Donovan McNabb, Charles Tillman, Adam Vinatieri and Roy Williams. Seeing people in real life that I had normally only seen on TV underneath helmets was really cool, and now every time I see them on TV I will think of my memories from there.

John Stockton

Jim Palmer

Meeting the ESPN staff I had gotten to know through the network’s various shows was really special as well. I got to meet Neil Everett, the SportsCenter anchor, and get his autograph, as well as Baseball Tonight personalities Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Peter Gammons, Eric Young and Steve Phillips, and NFL Live hosts Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth and Sal Paolantonio.

Alex with Jay Crawford

My most personal experience came when meeting the host of the show "1st and 10," Jay Crawford. My mom had the opportunity to interview Mr. Crawford, and because she is not exactly the most diligent follower of sports, she took me along to help. Getting to talk to a person who I watch regularly on TV was a really unique experience and Mr. Crawford was a very enjoyable person to speak with. As an aspiring sportswriter or broadcaster, I asked him how he got into this line of work and his response, telling me to work to get involved in any and all journalistic activities, even if they are volunteer work, will certainly help me down the road. I greatly appreciated him taking the time to talk with me. The whole thing was a great experience and was certainly one of the highlights of the weekend.

As is the case with many things, ESPN The Weekend saved the best for me for last. On Sunday, my last day there, I chose to go to see the "Dream Job" experience at the Sounds Dangerous theater. The premise of "Dream Job" was that three audience members would be chosen to narrate some of the past year’s best sports highlights, much like they were on an ESPN show like SportsCenter, and then be judged by Al Jaffe, ESPN talent coordinator, and two celebrity judges. I thought that this sounded like something I would at least like to watch, so my family and I headed over.

While standing in line, about 10 minutes before the show was to begin, a cast member started talking to all of the people assembled there. He said that if any one of us wanted to try to be one of the contestants, then we should think of our best 20-second sports highlight to deliver to him, and the best would be chosen. He went through the line and heard several people speak before coming to me. He asked my name and then I delivered my best impression of Myron Cope (a well-known Pittsburgh sportscaster who just recently passed away) calling the 1972 Steelers playoff game featuring the legendary Immaculate Reception: “Bradshaw drops backs, passes to Fuqua, and the pass falls incomplete…but wait! Franco’s got it! Go Franco! He’s at the 20, 15, 10, 5 -- TOUCHDOWN! Steelers win their first playoff game in franchise history and there’s pandemonium in Pittsburgh!” He seemed like he liked it and moved down the line. About five minutes later, he came over the P.A. system and announced that I was one of the lucky three chosen! Connor, an 11-year-old Red Sox fan, and Marla, a Chicago Bears fan, were also chosen and we were quickly hurried backstage.

We got to meet our judges, NFL wide receiver Roy Williams and cornerback Charles Tillman, and got miked up. A production assistant then explained to us that we had our choice of a basketball, football, or baseball highlight to call. Connor chose baseball, and was to call Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, and Marla chose football, and was to call Super Bowl XLII. I chose basketball, and was to call Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, where Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James scored an incredible 48 points and 29 of his team’s final 30 points, carrying his team within one game of the NBA Finals. I knew I would be able to call it well.

After getting everything set up, we were then taken to the post show area at the theater, where the various sound booths and activities were set up. Each one of us were assigned a booth with a DVD player and given a disc featuring the highlight we had chosen. We were also given a “shot sheet” telling us the sequence of events in the highlight and any helpful notes regarding it. We each then had about 10 minutes to prepare before show time.

I was up first. I was escorted onto the stage and, after making some small talk with our host, Jake, I was ready.

I was seated at a desk with a plasma TV so I could see the highlight being played, and then it was show time. I read the scripted dialog: “Welcome to SportCenter, I’m Alex Koma, and this is today’s top highlight!” And then was on my own.

The best way to express what I did next is to say that I went completely insane. I screamed my lungs out over every big dunk, every big three-pointer hit and jumped out of my chair by the finish. I’m told the crowd loved it, but I didn’t hear anything but myself. I guess I had other things on my mind at the time.

The judges then told me what they thought. Mr. Jaffe commented, "You must have forgotten to take your meds today." Mr. Williams said he thought I was very good and Mr. Tillman called my performance a perfect 10. I was then taken to a seat at the back of the theater and got to watch the others perform. Connor did a very good job calling his highlight, especially considering his age, and Marla delivered a nice call of the Super Bowl, although she was a little nervous.

After they were finished they brought us up to the stage. Jake then asked the audience to applaud for the performance they liked best. Marla and Connor both received a fair amount of applause, but when Jake asked the audience to applaud for me, the noise was deafening. Apparently, I was the winner!

I took home an ESPN The Weekend shirt, a gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods, grilling tools and... a full-size gas grill! I also got to get autographs from Mr. Williams and Mr. Tillman, which was really special. It was an amazing experience, and the best part of my weekend. I even had people coming up and congratulating me afterward, after we had left the theater.

It was the perfect way to end a great weekend and I will remember it for a long, long time. ESPN the Weekend was everything I thought it could be and I would do it again in a heartbeat (if you’re listening, Mom). It was a great time. Next year, I can watch commercials for the weekend, and instead of feeling regret about not being able to go, I can remember the great times I had in 2008 and look forward to going again.

(Editor's Note: If you want to see a portion of Alex's prize-winning
performance, click on the youtube video below!)

All Ears reader Kim Howe had the "dream of a lifetime" in December, when the Walt Disney World Dream Team awarded her a night's stay in Cinderella's Castle.

Part 1 - Steppin Off Soarin'

Part 2 - Who Will Join Me?

This is Part 3 - Logistics, Epcot, Dream Squads, and MouseFest, oh my!

We left the conference room and the CMs in the office area congratulated us. Then Elton, Jackie and Kathryn walked with us out into the park and spotted another Dream Squad handing out dreams and encouraged us to go to them. We felt that would be greedy but they really encouraged us. We did and got FastPasses for Epcot only and for that day only. Kathryn waved to us and asked what we got.

Later I learned that at this point Elton when right to Paul to tell him and have him fill out his paperwork. He was still so excited.

At this point, I could barely think straight and, I think, Lisa felt the same way.

It was 11 a.m. and we’d missed the 10 a.m. MouseFest meet, Stroll in Card’s Footsteps. We were disappointed but a stay in Cindy’s castle was worth it. It seemed we had a lot of time before 1:30 p.m. when we needed to be at the Grand Floridian. I’d planned on attending the Pin Trading meet at 11 a.m. but now we had the FastPasses. We decided to use them and went to Test Track.

As we walked, I checked my phone messages and my mother had called so I called her back. She had also left a message which I didn’t listen to until the next day. She was crying with joy for my good fortune. As a girl she watched the Mickey Mouse show and sang the Mousekateer songs so she “gets it” too. Bill’s mom also left a message saying that this couldn’t have happed to a bigger Disney fan.

I also called Marge and left a message for her to also bring my camera and phone chargers. I thought she didn’t answer because she was busy packing. Later she said that she’d probably already left the house. At the time I called the first time, she was ironing and had laundry in the washer and drying. She pulled the plug on the iron and stopped both machines. She ran around like a crazy woman and threw all of her and Paul’s clothes in my suitcases and was glad there was enough room because their suitcases were in their attic.

Between our walk to Test Track and the time we spent in the FastPass line, Lisa and I had an opportunity to think and determined that we really did not have has much time as we thought especially since we still wanted to go to the Mega Mouse Meet.

We were glad we pre-registered and had the extra magic hour to get in at noon instead of 1 p.m. During our ride on Test Track my mind was wandering, going a million miles an hour, forget 65MPH, trying to sort things out and put together the afternoon’s plan. We agreed we could not use the FastPasses and we should just give them away since they were only good that day. On our way off Test Track there were two young girls, probably sisters, in front of us and we gave the FastPasses to them. They thanked us as did their mother who was waiting for them and saw the exchange. It made us feel really, really good to do that and it gave me goosebumps.

Next we had to finish thinking about our afternoon logistics. Lisa had to get her overnight bag ready and get to the Grand Floridian by 1:30 p.m. Luckily, she was staying at the Boardwalk. We decided the most efficient use of our time was for her to go to her room after the Mega Mouse Meet then wait for me to pick her up with my car out front at the Boardwalk. While she was getting her bag together, I would continue on to Epcot through the International Gateway and out the front entrance, get in my car and drive around to pick her up.

The day was quite warm. We were making our way from Future World to World Showcase and remembered our ice cream voucher. We couldn’t recall any carts in World Showcase so we turned around and headed to the cart outside of the Imagination Pavilion.

On our way we saw another Dream Squad handing out the blue and white with silver Mickey ear hats. Boy were we on a roll so we went over and each got one. Jackie was one of the Dream Squad members and we told her we gave away the FastPasses. She said that she and Kathryn agreed that we were so nice that that was probably what we would do with them.

Next we got two Mickey Premium bars. Yum! I was hungry and it was quite warm out. Marge had called and left me a message. She said that she had filled out and signed her paperwork and wanted to know what to do next. I assumed the CM who went over her release form would give her instructions but he didn’t.

As I was walking, eating a melting chocolate ice cream pop with a white shirt on, I was also calling and talking to Marge. No time to waste. I told her we had to be at the Grand Floridian by 1:30 p.m. and to meet us there. Later she told me she then went to get a sandwich for lunch to share with Paul. She was finally able to reach Paul to tell him what was going on but learned that Elton had already found him at the front gate and told him.

After learning that Marge was given no further instructions after filling out her paperwork, I wondered if someone would tell Paula or not and was waiting to hear from her asking me the same as Marge did.

Lisa and I continued our fast pace out the International Gateway and decided that walking to the Dolphin and the Mega Mouse Meet would be quicker than the Friendships. We also figured that walking on the Boardwalk side might be quicker than the Yacht and Beach Club side since the sidewalk at the Dolphin snakes in and out close to the building and is not very direct. Besides, the Boardwalk side was currently in the shade. Have I mentioned is was considerably warn out (at least 85 degrees) and we were power walking.

We couldn’t believe we waited for MouseFest and especially the Mega Mouse Meet for a year, and now we were going to miss the day’s meets (especially Disney Music with Greg Ehrbar, Hidden Mickey’s at Epcot with Steve Barrett, Turtle Talk, Magic in the Pixels…) and blow through the Mega Mouse Meet. But there were no questions which we chose over the other--the castle won.

Once at the Dolphin, we were glad to find the ballroom was right off the lobby and not through the labyrinth of hallways like the last two years. We put on our wristbands with our raffle number as we walked. I don’t know why we even put them on. In order to win any of the prizes you needed to be present and we wouldn’t be present. We obviously just weren’t thinking clearly. We were handed “swag bags” as we approached the registration area. Since we pre-registered and had our lanyards on, we didn’t even need to stop and just got on the escalator down to the ballroom.

The tables near the entrance were busy with people. It was just after 12 p.m. and there were already lots of MouseFesters there. We both thought walking across the room and beginning at empty tables was a good strategy. We only had less than half an hour before we had to leave in order to give us an hour to get to the Grand Floridian. We quickly made our way, individually for the most part, around the room keeping our eye on one another as we went along so as not to lose each other. We picked up literature and swag and talked briefly with “personalities behind the tables” (to quote Mike Scopa). We’d have to visit the websites of the personalities at home—no time now.

At the Allears.net table we told everyone our “news” to a reply of shrieks and congratulations. It’s so nice to be among fellow Disney fans who “get it” and appreciate the significance of it all. That’s why we attend MouseFest. We continued to share our news and received congratulations as we continued around the room. Mark Goldhaber and Brian Bennett of MousePlanet gave us big hugs. By 12:40 p.m. we’d made a complete circle.

There were snacks available during this extra magic hour and that was a good thing. I picked up a water and granola bar which turned out to be my lunch for the day…besides the Mickey ice cream bar.

Soon it was time to leave.

To be continued....

All Ears reader Kim Howe had the "dream of a lifetime" in December, when the Walt Disney World Dream Team awarded her a night's stay in Cinderella's Castle.

Part 1 - Stepping off of Soarin

This is Part 2 - Who Shall Join Me?

I had four more people to invite. As we were walking I called my friend Paula to invite her and her 16 year old son, Dylan. I lost my calm feeling as I spoke with her and started to cry.

A few weeks before MouseFest, I applied to Allears.net to attend the VIP IllumiNations Dessert Party and was selected. When I invited Paula to join me, her reply was that I was the luckiest person she knew when it came to winning things. My reply was that, no, the REALLY lucky people get to stay in Cinderella Castle. We had lunch together earlier in the week and we talked about that conversation again. I told that I was going to call her if I won, never really thinking it would.

Now I’ve actually won and I’m on the phone to tell her that we were also going to be Grand Marshals in the Share a Dream Come True Parade and have dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table so pack her bags and be at the Epcot Guest Relations by 12 noon.

I started by saying as best I could through tears, “Remember when you told me I was lucky and I said that the lucky people get to stay in the castle? Well, I’m going to stay in the castle tonight and I want you and Dylan to come!”

Then things got a little crazy with Elton asking me how old her son was and him telling me that minors, 16 and under, could not participate unless they were my children. I had to tell Paula that Dylan couldn’t come and ask her if she still wanted to. She paused and said yes but needed to find a place for him to go for the night since her husband was out of town. I gave her the instructions to bring an overnight bag, her ID and to be at Epcot by 12 noon to fill out release forms and hung up.

Elton made a call and worked some “magic” and got approval for Dylan to be able to go. I called Paula back to tell her and we were both very happy about that. I asked if anybody had any tissues. Luckily, somebody did and handed me one.

Next I just had to call the couple who I was staying with, Marge and Paul. Marge answered right away like Paula did. I was SO lucky I was able to reach both of them right away because the clock was ticking.

Later when I was telling Marge how calm I felt, she told me that I did not sound calm to her when I called. She said I said her name very loudly into the phone, “Marge, Marge! I won a night in Cinderella Castle and want you and Paul to come too!” I did that because it was hard to hear her when she answered and I wanted to make sure…well, okay, so I wasn’t so calm anymore.

I filled her in on what was going on and gave her the same instructions I gave Paula and also asked her to zip up my two suitcases and bring my toiletry bag too. I was so glad I kept all my clothes in my suitcases. I couldn’t think what to tell her to bring so I just said to bring it all. Oh, and I told her to call Paul and let him know too.

I mentioned Elton’s name and she asked me if Elton was there now. I told her he was and asked if she knew him. She did so I handed him my phone. I could not believe it. HE couldn’t believe it. Marge’s husband, Paul, had trained Elton on the Epcot front gate. Elton was very happy, as were Jackie and Kathryn, that I was inviting three cast members but when he realized he knew two of them, he was ecstatic. I told him Paul was working at the gate that very moment. Elton was concerned that Paul wouldn’t be off work in time but I was sure he’d be done in time because I knew he went in around 5 a.m. this morning to open.

In fact this feeling was shared by all the CMs we ran into who learned that Marge, Paul and Paula were CMs. They were all very excited to hear fellow CMs were getting a chance to stay in the castle. The chances of CMs being able to do so are slim since they can’t win themselves, someone they live with or who are related to them also cannot win. Pretty much, the only way they could go is if a friend won and invited them.

By now we were standing outside a door at the Imagination Pavilion and the five of us went inside to take care of the necessary paperwork. Until that was completed, I was still a “potential” winner. It was an office area that consisted of a large room with lots of cubicles along the two walls. There were only a couple people working but it was a Saturday. I said to Lisa, “Hey, we are backstage.” We were taken into a conference room and Elton was in and out, I guess, getting the paperwork together and making phone calls.

I finally called my husband, Bill. I started to cry again. My poor tissue was soaked. Jackie or Kathryn brought us cups of water which I was grateful for. Bill was afraid that something bad had happened until I could explain what was happening. Bill was very happy for me and wished he was with me. He doesn’t always go with me when I visit WDW. As he says, he “gets it” but also gets enough of it quicker than I do. So, my trips to MouseFest are solo that way I have the freedom to open and close parks everyday and not worry about his happiness. I told him to call everybody and he replied that nobody would “get it,” meaning understand the significance of it all. He did say he would call my mother, though. He also called his mother.

Elton gave us big blue, white and gray buttons with the castle on them that said:

WHERE MY DREAM CAME TRUE
The Year of a
Million Dreams
Walt Disney World

He told us to put them on as they signified that we’d won a tier 1 or 2 prize, which were the highest ones.

The castle stay was considered a tier 2 and winning a trip around the world visiting all the Disney parks or a DVC membership was the Tier 1 level.

He gave me four more for Paula, Dylan, Marge and Paul. Then he started going over 10 pages of forms with me giving me clear and thorough instructions to insure it would be done correctly and completely explaining what they were for and what areas I had to fill out so I wouldn’t be disqualified.

The forms were to accept the prize, an affidavit/declaration of my eligibility/liability and a publicity release. I said let’s get started filling them out! I also had to provide my driver’s license for a background check. Elton, Kathryn and Jackie had to witness the forms.

Lisa had to just fill out a guest liability/publicity release and show her ID. Elton asked me to write down all my guests’ names with their ages. He arranged with the concierge at the Grand Floridian for all of our cars to be parked there. He also told Lisa and I to be at the Grand Floridian by 1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. at the latest.

Kathryn wanted to give us a FastPass in compensation for taking up so much our park time. We really weren’t planning on riding anything and didn’t accept her offer. When she suggested ice creams, however, we changed our minds! She filled out a little form on a pad and gave it to us to redeem for an ice cream from a cart. With all the formalities aside, we took pictures with Elton, Jackie and Kathryn.

To be continued....

All Ears reader Kim Howe had the "dream of a lifetime" in December, when the Walt Disney World Dream Team awarded her a night's stay in Cinderella's Castle. She shares her magical story with All Ears.

I look back now to my every step and action of the morning that put me in the right place at the right time for the Year of a Million Dreams Dream Squad to find me.

There are many “what ifs” that came to mind:

If I didn’t take a few extra minutes to look at Marge and Paul’s Disney cruise pictures before I left their house that morning.

If my annual pass had worked in the turnstile and I hadn’t had to wait for a CM to get me a new one.

If I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and write the number of my new AP down so if I lost it, it could be reprinted.

If Lisa and I had waited to ride Soarin’ with the MouseFest meet instead of going ahead so not to miss the Walk in Cards Footsteps meet at 10 a.m.

If the three FastPass guests had gone down the Concourse 2 like they were suppose to instead of going down Concourse 1.

If I tried to sit in a better seat instead of deciding to sit where I was suppose to while thinking to myself this is the worst seat on this ride. Little did I know it would turn out to be the BEST seat that morning!

If any of those things when differently, I wouldn’t have this story to tell because I wouldn’t have been the one on Soarin’, concourse 2, hang glider C, row 3, in seat 1 at around 9:50 a.m. on Saturday, December 8 where Dream Squad members Elton, Jackie and Kathryn greeted me after the ride.

Thinking back I was aware there were people outside the exit door “as I gathered my belongings” but it didn’t hit me until I walked through the door that they were Dream Squad members.

I thought that we were going to get FastPasses. I was calm. Lisa told me later, she wasn’t. They asked me if I was familiar with the Year of a Million Dreams and told me I was a “potential” winner of a great prize. They asked me if I’d like come with them and Lisa too. They started asking me a battery of questions: Where are you from? Do you know any cast members? Who are they? Are you related? Do you live with them? There were probably others I don’t recall now. We walked along the exit hallway as we talked. They kept telling me I could be the “potential” winner of a great prize every time stressing “potential.”

When we came to an area where the standby line and exit line meet and there were lots of other guest around to witness what was going to happen next, we stopped. A portable DVD player was placed on the railing and it began to play a commercial for the Year of a Million Dreams and the prizes offered.

The sound didn’t work very well at first but it was fixed. I playfully said that I’d take the cruise as a picture of one of the ships appeared on the screen. Next thing I know the words “Cinderella Castle Suite” are on the screen. Still, feeling calm I recall thinking that it would probably be good to act surprised and happy, so I did. The Dream Squad certainly made a big fuss over it! It hadn't really sunk in yet what had happened.

We walked together out the rest of the Soarin’ exit and past the FastPass distribution area where the Dream Squad continued to make a big fuss which brought attention to us by other guests. I told them that they must LOVE their jobs making people happy all day and they said they did. As we walked out of the Land and to the Imagination Pavilion, they explained that I could invite five guests to join me. Lisa was a given since she was with me.

Let me back up a bit.....
Lisa and I met at MouseFest 2005 and again in 2006. The first year we communicated via e-mail a few times after MouseFest but in the last year we really didn’t keep in touch at all. I didn’t even know if she was attending MouseFest this year. I met Mark Goldhaber from MousePlanet at the airport and while we were boarding the plane to FL for MouseFest, he asked me if Lisa was attending. My answer was that I didn’t know because we didn’t keep in touch at all in the last year. He found that hard to believe since during MouseFest we attend many of the same meets together and even toured together between meets. As in the past two years, sure enough, I was at my first meet, MouseFest 101 and I looked to my right and there she was in her Pooh Santa hat.

Ok, back to the day of dreams!

I had four more people to invite!!

As we were walking I called my friend Paula to invite her and her 16 year old son, Dylan. I lost my calm feeling as I spoke with her and started to cry.

To Be Continued....

Super Soap Weekend Day #2:

For the second day of Super Soap Weekend, I like to do things a bit different. As this was my third time to SSW, I am starting to understand the schedule and have developed my own little routine.

DRESSING FOR SUPER SOAP
Example: The first day of the weekend, we wear our most recent shirts from the event (so like, last year, we wore our shirts from 1998, the last time I had gone, and this year, we wore last year's shirts).

On the second day, because it is press day, I like to make up a shirt, to show the writers and execs just how I am currently feeling about the show. Last year, I made up blue shirts with black writing that said, on the front "Dr. Hayward's (a character on our show at the time) CURE for All My Children: Bring Back Vincent Irizarry (that was the actor who played him) and on the back it said "Fans for Quality Soap Writing, Supporting the Actors since 1970". It got a lot of buzz.

So, this year, I made a new shirt: it was pink and on the front, it said: "AMC Fan Jeopardy! Answer: Suspense, Veterans, Quality writing, classic characters, Love" and on the back it said, "AMC Fan Jeopardy! Question: Name five things currently missing on All My Children".

And again, it got some good feedback and everyone liked that I was speaking out about how dismal our beloved soap has become (I should tell you all, my mom has watched AMC since it began, January 5, 1970 and I have been following it for the past 16 years. I'm 24, so you can see it has been a huge part of my life!).

PARK ENTRANCE CHANGES

Anyway, back to the weekend. So, we wore our shirts that I made and headed out at about the same time as we did on Saturday. This time, however, we were in for a rude surprise. As I mentioned in the previous post, Disney is always looking for ways to solve the problem of the FASTPASSs and how to regulate the line.

While my mom and I thought they had done a good job on Saturday, it turned out that they had cut the line shortly after we got there and held those people back until 8am. This meant that the general public had the same advantage of getting FASTPASSs as those who woke up for them early. I guess some of them missed out on the stars they wanted (once you go through the line once, the cast members really don't have control if you go through again, so first timers to the line saw us repeaters as cheats, trying to cut in front of them).

Well, on Sunday, we became the unfortunate ones, as they cut the line probably minutes before we arrived. They told us we had to stand in the regular lines that contained both soap fans and regular visitors to the park. Well, I was not happy, and so I asked Disney cast member Jeff why he was doing this. He said this was a good solution, because it kept the main line shorter and led to a more positive response overall. Well, I knew it would end bad, and sure enough, when they opened up a few more turnstiles for us to stand behind, it became a free-for-all, with everone pushing and shoving and running to get close to the front (Jeff claimed this sort of thing didn't happen-poor guy, how'd he know we're all crazy soap fans).

Despite the cast members trying to brighten the mood by singing happy birthday to two people, we were all a bit ticked off as we watched the main lines go into the park and head towards the kiosks. Finally, at maybe 7:30, they began to let us in, but there was still some discontent as no one wanted to let me and my mom (in her wheelchair) through the turnstiles.

We got onto Hollywood Boulevard where the cast members used a rope to walk us down the street. Overall, people were staying in their respective lines. But, once we got to the Sorcerer's Hat stage, everyone started to walk in front of use. So, I found an area of open space, and wheeled my mom past some people until I was behind the people who we had originally been behind. But, thankfully for me, my mom and everyone in the park, everything worked out in the end (doesn't it always?)

FASTPASS ROULETTE DAY 2

We got over to Lights, Motors, Action again and it wasn't even 8am, so they hadn't started letting people through yet. We were able to join the regular line and I immediately began to relax.

Note to everyone: if you go in the future, take light of the situation and really take in everything that is done and said...if I had looked at my watch and seen that we were going in before 8, I probably would have been less upset. Also, I encourage you to look at all the cast members as your friends and not as your enemies...I can't imagine they really like this weekend, but they can and will be helpful and friendly if you are equally calm and courteous.

When we got up to the front of the line, all of the soap stars were still available with regular passes...Aiden Turner, who plays Aidan Devane was the only one who went on standby, but it was right when we were up there and so we got real passes for Bobbie Eakes and standbys 9 and 10 for Aiden.

We didn't get back in line or try for anyone else, because our other goal that day was to see the motorcades for AMC (all 3 of them) so we decided to grab a quick breakfast (we got muffins from the hotel both days, so we just got juice and milk at the commissary) and find a spot for the motorcade.

We also didn't get any other stars because Cameron was in fact gone already (we knew this because his name was not up by the kiosks) and we had met the other stars last year (not Melissa Egan, but we're not huge fans of her character on the show, so we just figured we'd go to her last session, wait by the railing and see if she would be able to give us a quick photo and autograph in my book.)

AMC STARS MOTORCADE

The first motorcade was great! We had a great spot and each star turned around for us-including Alicia who was there on Sunday and really looked great (either she was feeling better, or her makeup team is amazing because her color looked good, and normally you don't look so hot after being in the hospital). Thorsten Kaye, who plays her husband Zach, Bobbie Eakes and David Canary were also in the motorcade and each turned toward me for some wonderful photos (well, David not so much, but we got plenty others of him!).

Remember, during the motorcades and at any events these stars attend, please please learn their actual names. It will mean so much more to them that you took the time to learn their real name because they only play their character on tv-they are not actually their character (even Aiden! hehe). By using their real name, they will be more likely to turn toward you for a photo or be more likely to smile at you or even better, remember you in years to come (some of them really do remember and that is extra special!)

SOUPNET'S I WANT TO BE A SOAP STAR LIVE SHOW

After the motorcade, we wanted to do Soap Star Live again, not only to watch Michael E. Knight and Aiden, but to see who would replace Cam (Cam hosts the Soap Star show). Turns out, they got former Bachelor Bob Guiney to take over (Bob hosts all the talk shows throughout the weekend, while John Paul Lavosier of OLTL hosts the game show called Triple Play).

This made the show even funnier than usual because Bob is not an actor and boy it showed! He had to play Aiden, while each woman was Greenlee (this worked out real well since in real life Bob is married to former Greenlee Rebecca Budig!). Things got slightly hot and heavy when Michael was the surprise twist and it was revealed that "Greenlee" and "Tad" had an affair behind poor "Aiden's" back! The lucky lady got to smooch MEK and then the winner of that show got to make out with both MEK and Aiden!! (MEK didn't want Bob to feel left out, so he made out with him for a little while too, which made us all just crack up laughing!!) It was a great show and made me practically forget the events of the morning.

AIDEN TURNER AUTOGRAPH SESSION

After seeing Aiden onstage, it was time to finally meet him in person. We were hopeful that we'd be able to because we have been trying to meet him for 4 years (we did SSW in California back in 2003 and got cut off from meeting him with just 15 people in front of us!). So, we got in line, got all the standbys organized and waited, watching the regulars go up to meet him.

Luckily, there weren't a lot of people in his regular line (it was like 10 people in front of us constantly for about a half hour, so maybe only one or two kept trickling in at a time). There was never anyone in the holding pen, so we were all very excited that we would finally get to meet the British heart throb. And we did!! He gave us both hugs (small ones, as he is married) and signed headshots, took photos and signed my book (true, Jacob, Aiden and Bobbie aren't part of the actual book-it only goes up to 1994) but I found creative places for them to sign). He is quite soft spoken and that accent...well, you get my point :)

AMC MOTORCADES

After seeing Aiden, we grabbed some snacks and found spots again on Hollywood Blvd for the last two AMC motorcades, which took place back to back.

First up, the grande dame of daytime, Susan Lucci! Escorted by Mickey Mouse himself.

Susan made her way toward the Sorcerer's Hat stage, where she was interviewed by Sherri Sheperd of the View. Unfortunately, we were unable to hear most of her answers, because we kept our spots on the street for the next motorcade. Which turned out to be a good thing, because Susan came back in her car after her interview was done and we got a great picture of her!

Next came Jacob Young, Aiden and Melissa Claire Egan (Cam was part of this motorcade on Saturday and MEK was so busy that he wasn't scheduled for motorcades). We got good pictures of each of them and then decided to watch their interview on stage, which was also fun because I got a great picture of the 3 of them. We also were in a great spot as they headed back down Hollywood Blvd in their cars.

BOBBIE EAKES AUTOGRAPH SESSION

We then headed to see Bobbie Eakes, but not before we took in the Muppet 3-D show. I love this show and knew we could do it without missing Bobbie, and it was just as cute as I remember it 7 years ago!! I know people have said they need to update the movie, but I disagree-what's wrong with a little nostalgia? (Plus the jokes are still just as funny!)

Now, we had heard Bobbie was the best about signing for everyone and boy they weren't kidding!! When we got to her booth, for a 3:15 signing, she had already arrived and was signing for people at the railings.

The cast members were a bit thrown by this but we all got ourselves organized and they immediately were ushering us into the line (our time was for 3:25, and she took all the 3:15s and 3:20s right away!). And she didn't rush us along or anything, but took the time to wish my mom a happy birthday (my mom is a Bobbie too!) and she signed her headshots and my book (actually, she had to sign a headshot for me twice, because she spelled my name wrong, but was gracious enough to sign a new one for me-what a doll!). We also had her sign her CD for my uncle, who likes her country music. It was so great to meet her that all the issues of the morning were washed away!

MELISSA CLAIRE EGAN AUTOGRAPH SESSION

Our last stop before dinner was Melissa Claire Egan. We got a great spot at the railing and were able to watch her pose with all her fans. She even got to some of her standbys. However, she didn't sign our book, because again, those cast members all of a sudden quit the signings and started directing her to the exit, without any chance for her to sign much of anything. It was weird; because she had time, but I think it was because she was performing in the street jam and had to go rehearse. Still, it was nice to see her and we felt that overall, it was a successful weekend.

We finished the night with a lovely dinner at the Brown Derby, where my mom got a special birthday dessert and she was sung Happy Birthday to (her birthday, if you're all wondering was Monday the 12th).

STREET JAM

We then did things a bit differently for the street jam. Since they do pretty much the same show each night, we weren't too concerned if we could see it or not. It was still very crowded by the stage, so we found seats by Echo Lake, by the picnic tables. This turned out to be a blessing. We could actually see the stage better than on Saturday and I was able to sit down next to my mom (on Saturday I stood the whole time and was so tired by the end it was amazing I could walk!).

The people around us were much friendlier too (Saturday we kept trying to get people to not block my mom, who had a regular wheelchair with nothing to make her taller, but I think she missed a lot of it because people wouldn't move). The fireworks made for a great ending to the weekend and a great launch into my mom's birthday.

GENERAL SUPER SOAP TIPS

Don't get me wrong, this is a really fun event. You just need a thick skin, some planning and some understanding. If you must meet the stars and are not satisfied with seeing them from afar, you have to get up early.

Disney transportation does not run until 7am, so walk, take a cab, or rent a car and drive there. People this year spent the night camped out in front of the turnstiles. I don't recommend this and I doubt Disney will do it again, but any time from 2-6:30am should be good.

Bring a book, put on a sweater, and wear a happy face. Everyone is in the same boat all weekend long and you will get farther with friends than enemies.

Also, I stress the importance of planning ahead.

Get the schedule of who will be there and what they are doing the week before (it is available...Soaps in Depth has the full schedule and it goes on sale that Tuesday).

Have a few different options because you have to remember that the FASTPASS system is just like how it is for the rides. If you are counting on a star's second session, you may be there early enough for their first and the cast members will only honor your pass at the time it lists.

Standbys are the exception: you can use them at either autograph time for the star listed, but only on the day you get it.

Once all the FASTPASSs are gone, relax and have fun! If you are waiting for a motorcade, don't hog a whole bench, let people in-everyone wants the same thing-a chance to see their stars. Bond over your love of the show-make friends-you will see these people throughout the weekend and again. It's better to be polite and friendly than rude. This can get you better seats for a motorcade, a better position during the street jam and just makes for a better weekend overall.

Bottom line, Super Soap Weekend is a huge event and it can be tiring and frustrating, but only if you let it get that way. If you go in with a relaxed attitude and are just happy to be there, it can be a lot of fun and give you plenty of memorable experiences to share with others for years to come.

Robyn Kaplan (accompanied by her mom) attended the 2007 Super Soap Weekend (SSW) at Disney's MGM Studios. This was Robyn's third Super Soap weekend. Her report is full of tips and information so you can enjoy a weekend with the stars!

Super Soap Weekend Day 1

We awoke at 5:30 am, put on last year's Super Soap shirts and headed down to make the trek (yes we walked) from the Dolphin over to the Studios. I like doing it this way, because the time you get to the park is in your control, not a cab, boat or bus, plus it is actually rather invigorating. And we made it to the park by about 6:30.

Once there, we saw that the line wasn't too bad. They started checking bags and moving the line forward at maybe just a bit after 7, so we got excited that we would see all the stars we wanted to see that day.

SUPER SOAP FASTPASS ROULETTE

Now, just a tip for anyone who wants to go to SSW in the future: Plan ahead!! You will be rewarded! The earlier you can make it to the park the better. Also keep your eyes and ears open all morning for any announcements, as the list of stars attending can change instantly (believe me, we found this out fast!).

Also, it is better to be nice to the cast members and state any concerns without shouting - they will try their best to be helpful. Keep in mind that some Disney cast members have been taken away from their actual responsibilities and many are performing tasks for the first time.
In fact its almost like you're at two different parks-the soap areas and the regular park.

We had a very nice time waiting in line with a friendly guy who told us stories from his past soap weekends (he's been almost every year the event has occurred) and a mother and daughter who were there for the first time.

As with last year and again they year, once we past the turnstiles, the cast members brought us into the park through the cast entrance for Fantasmic and Beauty & the Beast. But, since the lines were so short, they didn't have to weave the line around, but instead took us right onto Sunset Boulevard. They kept us in our lines and walked us all the way towards our respective kiosks.

Now, I was unsure how they would get the All My Children line (our line) to the FASTPASS kiosks, because last year, we went through Mickey Ave, which was closed this year due to Toy Story Mania. But, they found a way that worked, by walking us past the ABC Soap Commissary and down towards the Streets of America. We got to Lights, Motors, Action (that was where our kiosks were located) and at 8am on the dot, they started letting us through.

Bottom line: there is no easy solution to the FASTPASS and getting the stars you want.

20,000 people come to the park each day for the Super Soap weekend and there are only 8,000 passes available. Everyone has to remember the event is designed for all to see some, not some to see all. As you will read in the blog for Day 2 of the weekend, it is a tough pill for everyone to swallow, but it should not ruin the weekend or take away from the fun, because there are plenty of other ways to see the stars. If you are cool with not getting the chance to physically touch each and every star, you will have a much better time).

The soap stars we really wanted to meet were David Canary and Michael E. Knight, who play Adam Chandler and Tad Martin respectively. This is because these two are some of the greats of the show, both have been on for more than 20 years, and both are masters of their craft. Plus, both are sweethearts and just adore their fans.

When it was our turn, we walked up to David Canary's kiosk, where we were instantly handed standbys (it was maybe 8:15am, so yes, he was that popular!). We thanked the cast member for our passes and got in Michael E. Knight's line, walking away with 2 real passes for his second autograph session . He did 3 that day. Doing three autograph sessions is a new thing Disney has started doing-last year. They did 3 for Michael Easton in 2006 and it seemed to work. They must have seen how popular MEK was this year, so that is why they did 3 for him

We then got back in line to try for one more star. Here's where things got interesting:

First, we heard that Alicia Minshew, who plays Kendall Hart Slater, was sick and probably would not be attending the first day. Unfortunately, not everyone heard this announcement and several people got a FASTPASS for her, only to learn later that she would in fact be gone all day. Luckily for those people, the cast members said Alicia would honor any FASTPASS from Saturday on Sunday and not to feel down.

The other rumor we began hearing was that Cameron Mathison, who plays Ryan Lavery, but who is also on Dancing with the Stars (or was that weekend) was only going to be in the park on Saturday, as he had to take the red eye back to Hollywood for the show on Sunday. Well, there was never a cast member confirmation of this, but it did in fact turn out to be true, and since Cameron only did one autograph session, it made him even more popular.

My mom really wanted to meet him again and tell him she was hoping he'd win DWTS (we met him last year and he is super nice!), but announcements as to whether he was sold out were confusing, so we ended up getting standby passes for Jacob Young, who plays JR Chandler (and who has been rumored to be leaving the show for months now).

Fortunately, I knew we could go over to Cam's session once we finished with Jacob, so we were happy that we got everyone we wanted the first day. I knew we weren't going to get to meet Cam at his session, just watch him sign for others, since you need some type of FASTpass to meet the stars. I just figured we could stand by the railings, something lots of fans do throughout the day.

We left the kiosk area and got some breakfast at the ABC Commissary: cinnamon rolls because they no longer serve pancakes (boo!). After breakfast, we decided to check out Soapnet's I want to be a Soap Star Live. Previously it had been in the ABC Theatre and this year it moved to the theater over by Rock n Roller Coaster.

SOAPNET'S I WANT TO BE A SOAP STAR LIVE

Cam was hosting and also David Canary and Jacob Young were the two stars doing the show. And it was fun as always! 3 women were chosen (not us, but eh, it's all good) and the first one got to do a scene with Cam (lucky!). Then, the second lady did the same scene with Cam, but they brought David out as a surprise twist! Finally, the third lady, who ended up winning, did a monologue with Cam and David, but then did her final scene with Jacob! We (hopefully) got some great pictures of all 3 of them and as we headed out, we were handed large goody bags of Colgate Total products! (a full bottle of Softsoap, a full tube of toothpaste, a small bottle of body wash and a toothbrush!)

Since we still had some time before our first autograph session, I decided to finally check out Rock n Roller Coaster. I did the single rider line and it was awesome! The loops were great and the launch was just incredible!! Didn't have time to look at the picture (had to get back to mom) but the people I was in line with made the whole experience really fun!

DAVID CANARY AUTOGRAPH SESSION

Then we headed over to David Canary's autograph session. We were standbys 10 and 11, and, like last year, I decided to nicely get all of us standbys organized by number so that, when called, we would all be ready and it would go that much faster. Cast Members do not organize the standbys or even the regular pass holders, they just call you when it's your time or your number.

Now, David did his session right. He stayed seated, smiling for the fans by the railings, but focusing on the fans in the line that had gotten a FASTPASS (which is how it should be). The line went fairly fast, but because the stars are really only given one hour to sign, we began to get slightly nervous that he wouldn't have time to take any of the standbys (standby passes don't guarantee an autograph).

And, unlike last year, when the cast members left it up to the stars to decide if they could continue signing or not, this year, they controlled the sessions a lot more and cut off the sessions much sooner than last year. In their defense, a lot of the stars did run late, but there were some sessions that could have run longer than the cast members allowed them to, but more on that later.

Luckily, we had an ally on our side: David's lovely wife Maureen was there watching the proceedings and she ended up letting David stay and sign about 25 standbys! We thanked Maureen, and went to up to David, where he not only signed his headshot, but my copy of the AMC 25th Anniversary scrapbook! He was so nice and wished my mom a happy birthday and gave both of us hugs (well, okay, we gave him hugs, but still!). We left his booth feeling so happy and we knew the happiness would continue because we had real passes for Michael E. Knight, and he was next.

MICHAEL E. KNIGHT AUTOGRAPH SESSION

Now, we knew things would be good with Michael, because each star is required to take all the actual FASTPASS holders, so we were guaranteed time with our MEK (that's his initials). Last year, we weren't as lucky-we had standbys and only got quick photos with him because the cast members tried to cut the line, but we wouldn't let them.

MEK is such a swell guy that he signs for everyone - and I do mean everyone, including those on the railings. So this time, we knew we'd get face time with our guy. And again, such a sweetheart, giving my mom a hug and a kiss and giving me a hug as well and he too signed my book. Again, this was a great autograph session, which gave us positive vibes as we headed towards our last session with Jacob Young.

JACOB YOUNG AUTOGRAPH SESSION

Sadly, this session did not go so well. Again, we were standbys (11 and 12) and got everyone organized by number. But this session was a bit more chaotic, with people who just wanted photos standing in the standby area and everyone calling out for Jacob every second he wasn't with a FASTPASS fan.

However, all of us standbys had hope that he would get to us, because he didn't have any appointments until 5:30 and there wasn't anyone at the booth after him. So, at 4pm (his session started at 3:15) we still had hope that he would take all of us. Sadly, that didn't happen quite as planned.

The cast members let the first standby person go, but then they told the rest of us to line up. Jacob greeted all those by the railing and then they ushered him down to the end of the standby line. As we were no longer in numerical order, he just went down the row, signing and quickly snapping photos. I took one of him and my mom, and he did sign my book, but I didn't get a photo with him. At least I got to tell him how much we love him on AMC and we wished him all the best of luck in the future (since, like I said earlier, there is a good chance he is leaving the show).

CAMERON MATHISON AUTOGRAPH SESSION

We then headed over to catch the end of Cameron's session. Well, this one was even more chaotic than Jacob's. We weren't the only ones who wanted to get a quick pic or an autograph of our dancing heartthrob, so we asked a cast member (a Disney security guard) where we could stand to see Cam and try to meet him as he exited the session. We were told to stand along the back railing and that he would be brought right past us. And for the whole time that he finished signing, we had a good shot of him.

However, when it was time for him to go, a different security guard told us we had to move. We lost our plum spot, and had to hope that the handlers would still bring him by us. And they did, sort of. He signed my book, but couldn't take any photos with either of us, as the cast members continued to try and move him to the exit. And us fans don't take no for an answer as they continued to try and get him to pose for photos. I am not that desperate, so we decided to pass". We headed over to the 50s Prime Time Cafe.

PRIME TIME DINNER

This was not our best experience with Prime Time. Instead of a warm friendly "mom", we had Aunt Carole, who, while she could be nice, was also a stickler for cleaning your plate and elbows off the table. And the whole place was so crowded; we feared it would be impossible to watch the grand motorcade and the street jam following dinner. The only good thing was we told Aunt Carole we were in a hurry, so she got us our dessert fast and we were able to head out a bit after 6.

GRAND MOTORCADE AND STREETJAM

Unfortunately, we had lousy seats for the Grand Motorcade and Street Jam. The handicap section was closed when we got there. So, we were along the right side of the stage (the actor's right) and were lucky if we saw the screen, let alone the stage. But, we made do and were somewhat able to see each star on the motorcade and then watch them take their bows.

Luckily, the musical performances were good and even luckier for the AMC fans like us, only 4 of our stars were featured in the street jam. Bobbie Eakes, who plays Krystal Carey is also a singer and she sang two numbers (and she was introduced by David Canary). While not her own songs, they were still real pretty and nice to listen to.

Then, a bit later, girls from AMC and One Life to Live, including Bobbie Eakes and Melissa Claire Egan, who plays Annie Lavery, all came out and did the Cell Block Tango, a number my mom and I first saw in New York at the Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS event. It was just as good this time, with Bobbie (as Krystal) singing about her hatred of Adam and Melissa (as Annie) singing about her hatred of her brother Ritchie. Again, a fun number!

Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for: Cameron and Edyta came out and performed their 27-winning jive they had performed the previous week on DWTS. It was wonderful to see Cam and Edyta dance and gave all of us even more reason to vote for him (though I knew he would get voted off this week, what with all his fans still down in Florida and not home by their phones and computers...but eh. His Viennese waltz this week was beautiful so it was good we got to see him do that).

The night ended with a performance of "We're All in This Together" from the cast of High School Musical as a tribute to us soap fans, complete with fireworks. We left the park tired, but happy and crazy enough to get up and do it all again the next day!

Stay Tune for Part 2

Well, today was our last day at Walt Disney World. We decided to check out early and get our rental car before heading over to the Contemporary for a character breakfast at Chef Mickey’s.

First I feel the need to mention how wonderful the car rental service (National) is at the WDW Dolphin where we stayed. Steve went down to the desk and was given the car seats we needed and then the valet brought the car around for us. They loaded our luggage (Steve installed the car seats) and off we went. So smooth.

We had a great stay at the Dolphin in their Heavenly Beds and found their staff very friendly and accommodating. The location was just perfect for us. Only minor downside was that the loading dock for the boats to Epcot or the Studios was under repair so we had to walk to the Yacht & Beach Club dock to get to the Studios but it was a nice walk and we really didn’t mind.

Walking to and from Epcot from the International Gateway was awesome. While the droves of people were exiting through the front entrance after Illuminations, we were able to take a leisurely walk back. When we passed the Beach Club one night we saw a screen and beach chairs set up where you could catch a viewing of The Incredibles. Looked like a nice relaxing evening for those there. We also liked being a short walk away from the Boardwalk so we were able to catch the fireworks several nights without being too far away from the room.

Also one night we went over to the Garden Grove at the Swan for a character dinner buffet. Pluto and Goofy were there. The food was okay but the real draw was that it felt like we had the whole place almost to ourselves. The two characters spent a lot of time with the kids so it made for an enjoyable evening for everyone.

Now back to Chef Mickey’s. Characters there were Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald. They were all very sweet and funny with the kids and all of them found something they liked to eat. Before you are seated they take a photo of the group for purchase during the meal. Personally I think there was a really good variety of breakfast foods there. Much more than one person could sample in a seating especially if you include the desert section.

After breakfast we went upstairs to take a round trip ride on the Monorail. We’ve been seeing it our entire trip and the kids were all excited that we were finally going to ride today. We asked to sit up front but we weren’t able to because there was one family standing in line in front of us and they had already asked. C’est la vie!

After riding the Monorail we spent a little time in the shops at the Contemporary. Before we left for our trip we got our boys Disney Dollars. They knew what they had in Disney Dollars was for anything they wanted to buy, but once they were gone, that was it. This worked well and allowed us to stay out of the shops for most of the trip. The most time I spent in shops was when wheeling around a sleeping toddler in his stroller to keep him cool.

I loaded up their Little Einstein Rocket backpacks with snacks and little surprises and we were off to the airport. The flight went really well. All the families on the same flight were really friendly. Especially the family in front of us who had to listen to my rendition of the Little Einstein theme song over and over to take my DS2’s mind off his ears hurting on the plane’s descent. All the kids did great on the flight home although I know all of us adults are exhausted.

We are home now and I believe that this trip was a total SUCCESS! Our boys had such a fun time and we really had a good time together as a family and with our friends. If anything, I think I underestimated how much fun my DS2 would have. He surprised me how he was really into everything we did. They both really enjoyed every experience from the airplane ride there, to the elevators at the hotel, to taking the buses and boats, to the theme parks themselves. I would do it with them again in a heartbeat.

To Dawn & Joe, and Diane & Ed, and the kids, thanks for being there! You enhanced this experience for us tenfold. Let me know when to start planning the next trip – but first I have a ton of laundry to do!

Thanks for letting me share our experiences. It’s been a blast! -- Laura Fox

Deb's Note: Thank you all for sharing your vacation with us!

Today we had an additional day at Magic Kingdom planned. Each morning we have a target time where we all try to meet up in the lobby of our hotel to go to the parks together. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. At least it gives everyone something to shoot for. Today our family went solo with plans to meet up with the rest of our group at lunch if not before.

We had hopes to ride a few of the favorites from earlier in the week and then also try to take in a few of the attractions we missed. Very early in the day we were in the short line to ride The Magic Carpets of Aladin and we were selected by the Dream Squad once again for Dream Fastpasses. Wait times at the park were not prohibitive but we appreciated not having to wait 20 min for the Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh ride. Thanks Dream Squad!

We met up in the afternoon for a really nice lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern. This time we made reservations ahead of time so we were sure to sit down to a relaxing meal together. Of course relaxing is relative when you have 5 children under the age of 5. After lunch we split again: Dawn and her family off to find the characters in Mickey’s Toontown, Diane and her family off to the Baby Care Center, and us off to the Tomorowland Speedway for a quick drive on our way to Stitch’s Great Escape.

We all found each other again for a little while at Pooh’s Playful Spot where all of our little ones (except the baby) got totally wet. This is a great spot to let your little one run around and play play play. Our little guys loved it. It’s an enclosed area so no one can go too far and although it’s a good size, it’s not too big where you feel like you will lose someone. Then there’s the water factor. Our kids loved playing in the water that shoots up from the ground. It was so much fun, we let them enjoy themselves with it but afterwards they were a sopping mess. So be forewarned. If you think your child would enjoy this type of thing – BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES AND WATERSHOES. Afterwards, I ducked into a gift shop to buy T-shirts and removed DS2 socks and sneakers which are still drying out.

Dawn’s DD4 got her face painted today like a princess. We saw lots of kids in the parks who had this done (as princesses or animals) and it looked like the kids had a lot of fun with it. Our princess certainly did.

A word on crocs – Crocs are sold everywhere at WDW along with the Disney Jibbits and lots of people were wearing them. Although we had them with us too, our kids wore socks and sneakers to the parks. DS4 had them on at the hotel one evening and was running around a lot and got a small blister on one of his feet. After that he only wore them to dinner or to the pool. Dawn’s DD4 wore them a lot and didn’t have a problem so I guess it depends on the person. Just don’t forget to pack the Neosporin and Band Aids just in case.

Next up – Breakfast with Mickey and our flight home.

We spent the day today at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This is my favorite of the four theme parks at WDW. I love that it is only open until 5pm so you are not tempted to overdue your stay at the park. Some of my favorite shows are here and some great rides too. This was a great park to appease all in our group. When you are traveling with little ones, their different personalities really show through by what they prefer to do. Thankfully Disney offers something that appeals to all in our group.

We were fortunate that all five of the children in our group enjoyed seeing the characters. None of them were freaked out by them. My DS2 loved seeing them. He went right up to Stitch and gave him a kiss on the nose (Can you hear the “Awww” that came from the queue line?) Dawn’s DD4 loved searching for characters and getting their autographs. She also enjoyed seeing the shows (especially the new Nemo show) but didn’t want anything to do with the rides.

On the flip side my DS4 only wanted to ride the rides. He wanted to go on anything that was “superfast”. He did everything he was tall enough for from Kilamanjaro Safari to Dinosaur to Kali River Rapids. DS2 just made the height requirement for Kali River Rapids (38 inches) and was given a wrist band that allowed him to ride in a special seat on the boat that had an additional safety bar. You should have seen his face when the big wave came over his head. Big smiles all over the place! Because of the different interests in our four year olds we split up most of the day so that the kids could see what they wanted and were comfortable with.

We did make room for the “Big Kids” of our group to get on Expedition Everest – a first for Diane, Ed, Steve and myself. We all agreed it lived up to our expectations – a big thumbs up. DS4 was disappointed he didn’t make the height requirement. Missed it by an inch. It'll be something to look forward to next trip.

Diane reported that while the Baby Center at Animal Kingdom was very nice, her favorite is still the one at Disney Studios. She said that the Studios BC is the smallest one but the way it was organized was more pleasing to her than any others. The Animal Kingdom BC did have private breastfeeding rooms with doors and that was a nice feature.

Dawn reported that while they were waiting to get on the train to go to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, her DD4 was picked to be a co-conductor and got to say “all aboard” to those entering the train. She was also presented with a certificate with her name on it for doing so. These little touches really add to the fun of the day.

We took the bus back to our hotel and had a very fun driver (Michael) who played a Disney Trivia game with us the entire ride back. He was a funny and loud guy and made for an enjoyable ride. Thanks Mike!!!

After dinner and getting kids in pajamas, Dawn and I spent a few hours at Downtown Disney shopping. It was nice to get a few hours to walk around and talk before heading back to the room. The guys have met up as well for some time at the ESPN restaurant on the Boardwalk. I feel refreshed and ready for our last full day at the parks. Tomorrow is round two at the Magic Kingdom . Send some nice thoughts for low crowds our way!

Today we decided to sleep in and make this a pool day. We spent the entire morning at the pool and all our little ones loved it. It was a great way to start the day and it was refreshing in the hot weather. Plus my DS4 loved the water slide at the pool (another first for him).

After naps, we headed to Epcot in the late afternoon and walked around for a little while doing some rides before trying to find somewhere to get a bite to eat. We tried to make reservations earlier in the day but every restaurant was booked and could not accommodate a party of our size. We then decided to eat at the Cantina in Mexico . We hadn’t made a reservation far in advance because we weren’t too sure when we’d be in the park. Lesson learned - next time I will make a reservation regardless of firm plans so that we at least have an option. We can always call to cancel if plans change.

We stayed in Epcot until park closing and then worked our way through the crowds and out the International Gateway since we are staying at an Epcot Resort.

Here’s where I think bringing your own stroller really is helpful. We had quite a walk back to our room and with everyone being tired and low on energy, having the stroller outside the park worked to our advantage. We also debated on purchasing a two seater stroller for this trip but decided that DS4 would need it and he’s been using it a lot this trip. Sure beats carrying 40 pounds of child across World Showcase! Even Dawn’s DD4 used their stroller for part of the walk back while Joe held their DS1. At the end of the day, you’ll be happy you brought yours.

Also as a heads up for small children and fireworks - My DS2 loved watching Epcots’ fireworks from the Boardwalk but watching them in Epcot was way too intense because of how loud they are. As soon as they started, he shook and started crying so I ducked into a shop with him until they were over. For some little ones, having a viewing spot where you are not so close to the action is a must. At least it was for us.

That’s it for now. Next up – a day at Animal Kingdom.

Day 4

We spent the day today at the Disney Studios. We arrived shortly after the park opened and were happy to find that crowds were low so wait times for rides were very short today. While coming off the Tower of Terror , Steve and DS4 were handed Dream Fast Passes! Even though we didn’t really need them because of the short wait times, it was still fun to be picked by the Dream Squad.

Subsequently Joe was picked to be in a street performance where his big line was “Vivian, I’ll save you!”. I think the kids all enjoyed him being a part of the show.

We had lunch at Hollywood & Vine with the Little Einsteins and Jo Jo and Goliath. This was a highlight for the kids as they all liked interacting with the characters they love. At the end of our meal we still hadn’t had Jo Jo and Goliath visit our table so I mentioned it to our waitress and she was very accommodating making sure they came relatively quickly while we were paying our bill. So my advice is, if you haven’t seen all the characters by the end of your meal, let your server know and they will make it happen for you.

The Times Guide they have available at the parks is a must read. We were able to know where all the character meet and greets were so that everyone could see their favorite ones.

My boys were most excited to see the “Herbie” car parked at the end of a street. While we were taking pictures on and around Herbie we heard engines revving and Lightning McQueen and Mater came down the street ready for a meet and greet. This pic is of my DS2 chasing after Mater. He was very excited!

Diane wanted me to share that she enjoyed the Baby Center at the Studios better than the Magic Kingdom. She reported that for breastfeeding Moms they have a room with cubbies which worked really well for her baby who is easily distracted by others whereas the Baby Center at MK was a room with chairs.

So far I think the word of the week has been Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. We’ve all been on the lookout for wet diapers – a sign that our little ones are taking in enough fluids during the day. The weather has been beautiful but HOT so we’ve been going through a lot of bottles of Dasani. Dawn and I also purchased the squirt bottle with the fan to help the kids cool off. At $17 it was a little pricey but we thought well worth it in this kind of heat. Our boys made especially good use of it while waiting for the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade this afternoon.

We had dinner outside at the Big River Grille on the Boardwalk and were able to watch the fireworks from Epcot again. This was a great way to have a meal because the comings and goings of the boats and the fireworks kept the kids occupied and made for a more relaxing meal.

That’s it for now. Next up – a morning at the pool and some more time at Epcot.

Laura Fox

Day 3

What we originally planned as a day of rest turned into a half day at Epcot. We arrived shortly after park opening and headed straight for Test Track. It was our hopes to have a short wait for this much anticipated ride for DS4. We walked up and informed the attendant that we wanted to do the baby swap. This worked out really well. Steve waited on the short line with DS4 and when they got off I used my baby swap pass with him which allowed us into the FastPass line. So he rode twice back to back.

What also worked out well was that while waiting for them to come off the ride, I took DS2 into the gift shop where there was a Kidcot Fun Spot. DS2 had fun coloring while we waited. He also enjoyed going in and out of all the GM cars they had on display. Best of all - we were in air conditioning! We used the baby swap again at Soarin' and it worked like a charm. The baby swap is our new favorite thing.

Dawn and Joe opted to stay at the hotel and spend the day at the pool with the kids. Their DD4 made quick friends with another princess and had hours of fun swimming. Diane and Ed and the baby hooked up with us at Epcot (thank goodness for cell phones) and we were able to spend a few hours together before heading back to the hotel to get ready for our 5pm reservations for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

For us the Hoop Dee Doo Revue is a must do and has been a part of our trips to WDW since our first trip - and is especially imperative if we are traveling with someone who hasn't been there before. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. DS4 had the best time with all the music and dancing. Best of all, he was picked to be the Texas Ranger in a part of the show.

I was surprised he agreed to do it since he is typically shy, but he did great. Dawn's DD4 said that he was "a star" to which he replied "no, I'm just a boy, I have a Mommy, I have shoes". We took the bus to the Magic Kingdom and then a boat over to Fort Wilderness and got there in a reasonable amount of time. I mention this because depending on where you are staying it can be a long trip to get to Pioneer Hall. We've found this to be the easiest way to get there.

Here's a picture of the Who's Shoes ID we had our boys wear just in case we were ever separated. We didn't plan on losing anybody, but I felt better knowing that in the event it ever happened we could be reunited quickly with a call to our cell phones. Handy little product.

Next up, Disney Studios and lunch with the Little Einsteins.

Day 1

After much planning our vacation finally got it's start. We had an early morning flight so we prepped our boys the night before about how they needed to get to bed early because "tomorrow we were going to Disney World!".

Dear Son age 4 (DS4) announced "no more days" (left) and happily got ready to get to the airport. I have to say everyone at the airport was very helpful and patient with us going through security. It was a good start to our trip. Our flight was uneventful but we were prepared with things for the boys to do. We brought coloring books and crayons and played a movie on the laptop for them and of course snacks. Only wish I had a five point harness on DS2s' seat as he kept sliding himself out of the seatbelt.

We rented a car to get to the hotel from the airport and stopped at the Super Walmart for diapers and other essentials that we preferred not to pack. We also purchased an inexpensive no frills pack and play for DS2. He's much too big for the mini-cribs that the hotel provides and he doesn't like to sleep with us as he sleeps better in his own space so the $40 we spent for the pack and play was money well spent. He slept like a lamb last night.

After everyone arrived from their flights and was settled into their rooms we had a quick dinner together and then off to bed to get ready for our first full day. My DS4 wanted to know "when we're going to Disney World?" I informed him that we are here already, but to him it won't feel that way until he sees the Magic Kingdom.

Day Two

What's great about being a kid is that every new experience is so big and wonderful to them. My DS2 loved riding the bus to and from the Magic Kingdom almost as much as the rides themselves. He kept saying "the bus, the bus" and then serenaded us all with a loud version of "Twinkle Twinkle" along with hand gestures. Also, it was on the bus where the princess of our group got her first glimpse of Cinderella's castle which led to big smiles and squeals of happiness.

We had a wonderful day at MK. I can't say we rode a ton of rides, but the things we did the kids loved tremendously. After the big drop on Splash Mountain my DS4 grabbed and hugged and kissed me because he was so happy.

One mistake I made was not explaining to him what Splash Mountain was before we got on line. He promptly decided he did not want to wait for this ride and wanted to get off - much to my chagrin because I knew he would love it. I subsequently took him to the viewing area where you see the logs plummet into the briar patch so he would understand what he was waiting for and he said "oh, I want to go on that - I'm sorry" and we returned to the line again. So my suggestion is to give as much of an explanation to your child as possible so that they'll understand that it'll be worth the wait and will make your queuing time much more enjoyable.

We had breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. Although this reservation was made primarily for the princess of our group in mind, all the boys enjoyed themselves as well. They were all given little swords to play with and my DS2 found the coats of mail of special interest. He referred to them as "the good knight" (a reference to an episode of the Little Einsteins). Also, the staff took our group picture and gave them to us at the end of the meal for no extra charge.

We tried to be as flexible as possible to accommodate all the children's wants and needs. While DS4 was riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with his Dad, rather than have DS2 just wait around for him, I took him on the WDW Railroad which had a station nearby for a roundtrip ride. Everyone was kept busy doing something they enjoyed.

We also made use of the Baby Care Center. Diane took her baby there when he needed to eat and I also used it for a diaper change for DS2. The Center was really nice with high chairs for feeding, great diaper changing facilities with soft pads and separate rooms for nursing mothers all wonderfully air conditioned.

We left the Magic Kingdom when DS4 fell asleep and Dawn's Dear Daughter age 4 (DD4) was getting tired as well. Diane and Ed and the baby left a few hours before us. Back to the hotel to get some food and regroup. Now as I write this, DS4 is sound asleep in his bed while DS2 is out with everyone else enjoying the fireworks from the Boardwalk in his pajamas and the glow bracelets I brought from home.

Next up, a day of rest and the Hoop Dee Doo!

Laura Fox

An Introduction - Traveling with Little Ones - Our WDW trip 2007

It's "Little Ones Travel Time" at Walt Disney World so eleven of us are heading down to the World to introduce our little ones to the Magic. I'm Laura and my husband Steve and our two sons (ages 2 and 4) are making the trip with our friends Dawn and Joe and their son (age 1) and daughter (age 4) and our friends Diane and Ed and their son (7 months old).

Steve and I along with the other adults in our group are all Disney veterans, having been to Walt Disney World several times as well as Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. We're all close friends (plus Steve and Diane are bro and sis) and have traveled together in the past so it only made sense that once we had children, a group trip to Walt Disney World was in our future.

We began planning our trip in February - early enough to take advantage of good airline prices from the Northeast. As a true believer that planning the trip is half the fun, I promptly purchased the latest Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and Birnbaum's WDW for Kids by Kids for my DS(4). Even though he cannot read yet, he loves to look at the pictures and hear me tell him about all the things we are going to see.

We also went onto the official Disney planning website and ordered the free maps. (see pic) What excitement when we received them in the mail! They are beautifully done (they look like treasure maps) and we pour over them and point to all of our favorite attractions and things that we think would be of interest to our boys.

Basically my little guy is interested in anything that he is tall enough to ride that goes "superfast". During the last several months we have been introducing as many Disney movies as we can so that all the characters/attractions will be familiar and of interest to them. We also purchased matching shirts for all in our group from the Disney Store this summer so we can be "goofy" and wear them on the same day. Lastly we hung a calendar for our DS(4)s' bedroom and the countdown began. Now with only a few days left before our flight, the excitement has reached new heights.

I'll be blogging here throughout our trip mainly with information about how our traveling with such little ones is going. We have read many of the posted suggestions on this site and others, now it's time to put them to the test. We will no doubt have to adapt our plans to accommodate everyone's needs, so I hope to share what we've learned from our experience.

We have plans for a few special meals together - breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table (MK), lunch with the Little Einsteins at Hollywood & Vine (Studios), the Hoop De Doo Revue, & breakfast at Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Resort, but are leaving a lot of room for spontaneity.

Some think that traveling with babies and toddlers to WDW is exhausting and a waste because they are not likely to remember it. We, however, think it's perfect. It's a place we all know well - it's comfortable. We know how to navigate and get around and get what we need. We've seen 95% of what's there so we don't have the "have to see it all" mentality. We're happy to watch the crowds go by as we talk and play and do everything or nothing together. That's the real point of our trip. Enjoying watching our children experience something special together will be in our memories for a very long time and what better time to do that than during The Year of a Million Dreams.

Check back to see how our first day went - see you real soon!

Laura Fox

All Ears® reader Rebecca Brophy sends photos of a newly renovated room at the Grand Floridian. The room is in Conch Key with a Theme Park View.

The desk (with roll out table underneath), the TV armoire (with 4 drawers underneath on the left and refrigerator behind door on right) and daybed (that folds down similar to ones at rehabbed room at the Polynesian, we stayed there last year, were lined up against the wall past the closet on the left side. I think the addition of the comfortable chair with ottoman was a good idea. Also on the nightstand was an iPod dock (another great idea).

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