>Keeping the Magic Alive

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We’ve been home now from Disney for almost a week. The after-glow is slowly leaving, and we’re getting back to our normal routine. Of course when asked what we’re going to do for dinner, the answer still comes back, a country in Epcot, Tony’s on Main Street or Mamma Melrose’s. Luckily I have my ways to get my Disney fix everyday- writing this blog helps, because I get to look at Pictures and maps and think

about great magical Experiences to share. Down the side of this page there are links to other great blogs to read from and even Radio 360 Disney Channels to

 listen to the music from Disney. Another way I get my Disney fix is from looking around the house at the different souvenirs we’ve picked up over the years. One of my favorites is an Unknown Magic that can keep a Magical Experience in your mind for years to come.

Few people know this, but on Main Street USA, in The Main Street Gallery and in the Animation Gallery in Disney HollyWood Studios, they sell prints of Attractions from the Magic Kingdom (they also sell other Disney Prints from Movies, original character prints and Disneyland attractions). These Poster sized Attraction Prints are great Unknown Magics, as you can remember a great ride or wonderful time had by your family.

So, let me tell you about this wonderful Unknown Magic. First of all it is an Unknown, because they really don’t promote this souvenir. I personally think this is a great item to have. I saw them for the first time last year, and we bought a Mickey’s Philharmagic Print. This year we got the Haunted Mansion Print. It was a toss-up both years, as my favorite attraction as a kid was The Country Bears (to the point I

have the whole show memorized to this day). But we went with a family vote on which one to get. Next trip we’ll get the Country Bears Print. It’s not that these prints are very expensive, as much as a nice Disney hoody, but we have decided we will add one a year, until we fill the wall going up our stairs.

They have many different choices for you from the Magic Kingdom Attraction Prints: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, The Tiki Room, The Walt Disney World Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World and the ones I’ve already mentioned among others. Each of them are offered in different sizes for your choice and also offered on paper or canvas. When you walk into either of the stores you can purchase these posters in, it is all self serve until the last step. The first step is to find the Kiosk to look at the prints available.

When you find what you want (if you are like us, it may take a while) you pick your size, and then follow the directions on screen. You can add a frame if you so choose, or not. The really great thing I find about this process is that they will ship your print to your house. This means you don’t have to worry about travelling with it. When you are finished adding your information, you are finished, except for paying. To pay for your purchase, you go to the cash register where they confirm all your information and take your payment. The print is sent to you within the next 2-3 weeks. I believe last year ours came within 2 weeks.

So, now you know, you can enjoy your Disney Vacation for years to come by getting an Attraction Print to remind you of your Magical Experiences in the Magic Kingdom.

>The Final Countdown

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So, we leave in less than two days for Walt Disney World. It has been a trying week. We’re traveling with friends to the Happiest Place on Earth, but we weren’t sure it was going to happen. But with Faith and Trust and Pixie Dust, everything came together**. Now we are inside the time period of counting down by hours, and we need to get ready to go, so what will we do first? I’ll tell you one thing we won’t do is become hysterical, because as Buzz light year says, when asked if they should be hysterical, “Maybe, but not right now!” Crunch time before your trip is actually an Unknown Magic in itself, so let’s explore that today; The Unknown Magic of the Final Countdown.

First of all, like our vacations in Disney, our preparations are pretty laid back also. Yes, we start the countdown the day we book; and Yes, the excitement builds for us until we are listening to Disney Music through Dinner; and Yes, our dog knows that something is going on and starts to feed off our excitement, but that doesn’t mean we are Disney Commandos when we start to pack and get ready. I know everyone is different and some of you thrive on the high you get from the tenseness before a trip. I personally get a headache from drama and tenseness, so we ease our way into our packing, the same way we ease our way into the vacation itself.

For example we are down to within 48 hours of leaving and we are just starting to pack. This is driving my mother-in-law (who isn’t even coming with us) insane. She has been asking me for two weeks if we’ve been packing. I don’t own enough clothes to put a week’s worth of stuff into a suitcase two weeks before my trip. We have a system, to our packing. It’s not the system of my wife packing and me watching TV, although I know people that use that system and it works fine for them. No, our system is the list system. We have three lists sitting on the table right now.

List A- What we need to get done before leaving.

List B- What we need to go out and get.

List C- What we need to pack.

We made these lists over a cup of morning coffee yesterday morning and last night ¾ of the need to get done is done, ½ of what need to get, is done and maybe 3/100 of the pack list is done. But that’s ok, it’ll get done, it has to or else we can’t leave.

So, I know some of you are sitting there thinking, “This would stress me out, where is the Magic coming in?” This part is the Magic. Sitting down with the family (yes, everyone here pitches in to decide what we need to get and what we need to pack) and working together to make sure you get everything done, is a Magical Experience. First of all for the kids it gives them ownership of your Vacation; it also burns off their pent-up excitement in a good way without annoying you as you’re trying to get ready. Another thing this does is gives everyone a chance to talk about what they may want to do when you get there. For Example, I mentioned over our list making, that I need to see the Main Street Electrical Parade this year, which is back in the Magic Kingdom, on a limited basis, this summer. We have also discussed that we would like to make it to the Boardwalk, to sit and have a pastry from the Bakery and enjoy the view. These are the things we know we like to do, because we have been to Walt Disney World Before.

For you first timers, you may also want to make some other lists while planning.

A list of things:

You Need to do,

Things you Want to do

Things you’d be okay if you did.

For example on the list of things you may Need to do, you may have go to Toy Story Mania (which by the way is one of the best attractions in Disney World).

For things you want to do, you might have want to go to the water park, If you don’t make it, for one reason or another, don’t fret, the pools in Disney World are awesome, so you can still swim and be refreshed.

For something you’d be okay if you did, might be going spending half a day at Downtown Disney, which is a great thing to do, but if you don’t have the time, you stop there as you are leaving and do some quick shopping.

Now think about doing this as you are getting ready to go to Disney World. Doesn’t this add an extra dimension to your packing? Isn’t it a little more fun and less of a chore? You know what Mary says, “A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.” And now as you are getting ready, the excitement is growing even more. The kids will remember this as part of your trip for a while too and if you remember it, maybe you’ll see it as a Magical Experience.

So, now you know, the Unknown Magic of packing and getting ready for your trip can be a Magical Experience. You just have to remember to not be a commando, stay calm and have the whole family pitch in. This will make it easier on you and more enjoyable for everyone.

**Let me take a moment here for a tip on travel insurance. Disney offers it, I personally have never used it, but that is because we are Vacation club Members. With the Vacation Club, we can cancel our trip up to one day before and have our points put into holding, then we have to use them before the end of our use year, which is February; which means that if we needed to cancel up until a day before, we could as long as we reschedule for any time before February (basically Vacation Insurance). For those of you that don’t belong to the Disney Vacation Club, this past week convinced me that it’s definitely worth looking into travel insurance. With our week this week, we thought we might have to cancel twice for two different reasons. We didn’t luckily, but I would hate to see you have to cancel, or have a hurricane disrupt your plans. With travel insurance, you may be able to recoup some of your costs if this happens.

>On-line In Disney

>So, my internet is down. I was hoping to post this earlier today, but that wasn’t happening. So, as I was thinking about what to write about today, I remembered something that not many people know about. It may not sound like it is, but it really  is a Magical Unknown.

Disney offers Internet service at their Resorts. In most of the Resorts it is a High Speed connection for a small daily fee. In the lobbies it is Wireless and it is free. This is a nice thing if you have an I-pod touch or your laptop with you.

I know some of you are asking, “Why in the world would I want to take my computer with me on Vacation.” Well, let’s look at most people’s daily lives. How often do you Face book, E-mail, You Tube, or sharing pictures? It’s unbelievable, how often people you use these programs. Now, let’s think about your Disney Vacation.

You just met Mickey and Minnie Mouse with your little one, when you get back to the Resort, and love the pictures you have taken. You want to share them with everyone you know. You can! You jump on-line right there in your room and post your pictures on Face book for everyone to see, or you can e-mail them to the Grandparents so they can see their precious ones.

You may also want to book a meal or check the weather which you can do on-line, or with your I-pod Touch. There are many apps for the touch that are for Disney World. Some tell the wait times for lines, other give help with meal choices and prices and still others will help you find your way around.

What if you have a friend in the Orlando area for a seminar or maybe they are in Disney on vacation the same time you are. You may want to see them while you are in a certain park, so you can e-mail them from the lobby as you are leaving with your touch. Then you can see them when you want to. You might also need to check on someone or something at home and e-mailing is a great way to do it. You don’t want to call and spend a lot of your Vacation time talking to people back home. Because, you know if you call, you’re going to have to tell them all about it now, even though you could just tell them when you get back.

So now that you know, you might want to take your laptop on your family’s first trip, or any other trip to Disney that matter,  to enjoy this Unknown Magic.

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