>A Refreshment by the Pool

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I don’t drink coffee. I used too, never really enjoyed it, so I stopped drinking it. I drink iced tea, mostly. As I was walking around my classroom yesterday, a young lady in one of my classes made a comment about my travel mug. It was a Disney Resort mug. Actually it was one of the refillable mugs that you used to be able to get at the Boardwalk Resort. They used to have different styles of mugs for each different resort. Now they use the same mug throughout Walt Disney World. I’m sure it is more cost efficient for them this way. The reason I am bringing all this up on this Thirsty Thursday is because today’s refreshment places are places where kids can get their refillable mugs filled and you can still enjoy an adult beverage.

These places are the Pool Bars. All the Disney Resorts main pools all have a Bar located around them. Some of them sell things like chips and pool supplies. Others serve food usually light lunch fare. Most of these bars have a very small area for patrons to actually sit at the bar, so it is cozy. Most of the bars also have a television at them. The nice thing about the pools bars, besides the smallness of them, is that even if you have children, you can have them go in the pool and you are close enough to keep an eye on them. They will know where you are and you can still have a grown-up conversation as they play and swim.

One of my favorite pool bars is the Mardi Grogs at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. It is a nice bar that you really don’t notice at first, because it is tucked in the corner of the pool area. We enjoyed an afternoon here a few years ago, while our son swam for a few hours. I also like the bars at the Boardwalk Pool and at the Caribbean Beach Resort. The Caribbean Beach’s pool Bar is called the Banana Cabana while the Bar at Luna Park, the pool at the Boardwalk is themed like a Carousel.

The drinks at the bars are mostly the same. If you have your refillable mugs, they are always able to be used at the pool bar, although they have stopped filling them directly, they now fill separate plastic cup and then have you pour it into your mug. The choices for the refills are coke products and usually lemonade. Since it is a bar, they do have some specialty drinks they make and they have the most popular types of alcohols, to make many different types of drinks. Their choice of beers usually isn’t very varied, but there is usually something for every kind of beer drinker.

Every cast member we have ever encountered at one of the pool bars has been pleasant, and friendly. They are also good with the kids when they need a refill. The Pool Bars are a fun place to have a drink whether as a couple or as a family. The kids seem to not only like the fact that they can get a refill, but that they can get their drink, take it to a lounge chair to enjoy it and then jump right back into the pool. And all the while, they can do this why you enjoy your beverage at the bar, while keeping an eye on them.

So, the next time you take a break from the parks and head for the pool remember to take a little cash, and the refillable mugs. That way, you can enjoy an adult beverage and the kids can enjoy their refreshments also.

>Fill It up, Please!

>To start out today, we’ll play a little game.

On three different occasions in the past, I mentioned today’s Unknown Magic.

See if you can guess what it is.

Clue #1
It is an Unknown Magic to first time visitors, but not to anyone who has been to Disney before.

Clue #2

It is seen at every Resort.

Clue #3

Kids can use it as well as adults.

Clue #4

It is not free, but you get free things because of it.

Clue #5
I use mine at home as much as I did in Disney.

Clue #6

They used to have specialized ones for each Resort, now it is the same design throughout Walt Disney World.

What am I?

If you guessed a Refillable Mug, You are correct!

 For first time visitors to Walt Disney World, the Refillable Mug is an Unknown. To those of us that have been there before, it is something we know we will be buying when we get there. So, for first time visitors, I present your Unknown Magic for today; The Refillable Mug.

At every Resort, they sell the Refillable Mugs. The cost is under $15 (even with tax) and the mug can be used at anytime during your trip, to get a free soft drink or coffee. Yes that’s right, once you buy the mug, you can get a free drink with it throughout your stay, at your own Resort. The mugs are made of a heavy plastic and are actually like any other travel mug you would buy somewhere, but they are Walt Disney World themed. You aren’t supposed to use your mug at any other resort, except where you are staying and I read an article recently that Disney was adding a bar-code system to the mugs to make sure you could only use it at your resort and for your length of stay, although when we were just there, I did not see this in effect.

So, what makes the Refillable Mug Magical? It’s the fact that the kids can get a free drink anytime they want. Just think being in Disney World for a week; Now think about buying a soda twice a day for each child and a drink to go along with breakfast every day. That would be 15 drinks. And now look at the cost being over a dollar for each drink. The Mug has saved you money if you use it. When we were staying at Saratoga Springs, we bought 2 mugs. I know I didn’t get my money out of them, because we didn’t get down to the Artist’s Palette (the self serve quick meal restaurant) but maybe three times during our stay. We usually find getting the mugs very economical, because we get to the lobby and the food court many times during our stay. I usually head down first thing in the morning for coffee and iced tea and our son usually heads down a few times during the day for soda. This time we were just too far away from the Resort “Hub” to take advantage of the Free Drinks. So, wherever you are staying, although I recommend the Mugs whole heartedly, make sure you can get to the food court or a service counter where you can use the mug, if not it may not be worth the money for you. As I said at Saratoga it is difficult to get to a service counter, it is also a little harder at the Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs Resorts, but I think these two have internal buses that make it easier to get to the main Resort Area. But at all of these you can also use the mugs at the Pool Bar. At the Boardwalk Resort, not only can you use it at Leaping Libations, the pool bar, you can also use it at Boardwalk

Joe’s Coffee stand and the Boardwalk Bakery. So, even if you are a little farther away from the food court, you can also use the Mugs at the Pool Bar. The Kids Love this, it makes a Magical Experience for them to be able to go and get their own drink without mom or dad having to pay.

Besides the Kids using the Mugs and getting free coffee to go with breakfast every morning, the other way these Mugs create Magical Experiences is when you get home. I use one of the many that we have every day. I teach 550 fifth and sixth graders a week and at least once every two weeks a student will say to me “I have that mug,” or “I’m going/I went to Disney World” and then we start talking about their trips, which makes them remember their Magical Experiences and I remember mine. And the more I think about Walt Disney World, the happier I am!

So, now you know, for Magical Experiences for the kids while in Walt Disney World, and for you to have something to help you remember good times, get yourself a Refillable Mug when you get there and enjoy it during your stay, and when you’re at home.

>Peaceful Easy Feeling

>One of my favorite things about vacation is getting up slowly. When I’m not on vacation, I get right out of bed and into the shower. I eat breakfast either in my truck or at my desk. I have my morning iced tea (I don’t drink coffee) out of a travel mug, usually a Disney refillable. But, when I’m on vacation, I like to get up, get a glass of tea, sit on the back deck or at the kitchen table and read the news on-line. Some people like to sleep in when on vacation, I don’t mind getting up early, I actually enjoy the peacefulness. When I’m in Disney, I still enjoy doing this; I find this as an Unknown Magic, mainly because most families in Disney get up and get moving. They don’t ease into the day and when you’re in Walt Disney World, there are so many great places to ease into your day.

Lets’ start off with the first thing you do. After you get up, you head down for some Free breakfast drink. Coffee, tea, what have you. Yes, I said Free! How you ask? Every Resort has a snack bar or quick market food area. In all of these they sell coffee, or tea and they have the Refillable Mugs that are so wonderful to have (The Refillable Mugs are available in the areas where you can fill them up, and are inexpensive, under $15). The Refillable Mugs can be used for coffee or soft drink, so this is perfect for easing into your morning. You go get your FREE drink, and then you need to scout out a quiet nook somewhere. Every Resort has a place or two that first thing in the morning is away from the hustle and bustle of people running out to the parks. If you’re not sure where to find one of these spots, ask a cast member, or find the quiet pool. First thing in the morning, there are usually very few if any people around the quiet pool areas. The main pools are nice places to sit in the morning also, just don’t be surprised if there are people getting in a quick swim before a breakfast reservation.

Another great place for this Peaceful Easy Feeling is off to the lobby of your Resort. Most of the Resort lobbies have small waiting areas for when you check in and your room is not ready. These areas usually have very nice comfortable chairs and small tables that you can put your drink on. Not only is this a good way to Ease into your day, but if you’re a people watcher this is a great place to do it.

If you’re thinking you’d like to use the option of the Morning Extra Magic or you are with a group of Disney Commandos you can still enjoy this Unknown Magic. If you are enjoying the Morning Extra Magic Hour at Epcot or Disney Hollywood Studios, you can still enjoy this Unknown Magic, by going to Disney’s Boardwalk. (If you remember from the post “Seaside Fun, without the Sea” to get to the Boardwalk, you can either go from Epcot, through the international Gateway, by driving to the Boardwalk Resort and going “around the back” or by taking a boat from the Hollywood Studios. Once you get to the Boardwalk you can have a Magical Experience by going to the Boardwalk Bakery. The Boardwalk bakery is a few shops down from ESPN Zone, before you get to the entrance for the Resort. You can get use your Refillable Mug here or over at Boardwalk Joe’s (the little coffee stand across from the Bakery). After you get a pastry or just your drink, the Boardwalk is a great place to sit and enjoy a peaceful morning.

If you are in the Animal Kingdom, you can have your peaceful morning by stopping by Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery for some coffee and pastries. Once you get your food and drink, there are a plethora of places in Animal Kingdom to sit and enjoy the peacefulness. If you are in the Magic Kingdom, I would recommend taking the Monorail to the Polynesian Resort or the Grand Floridian, getting your drink and food, then finding a spot on the beach

where you can see Cinderella Castle. The view makes it an even more Magical Experience.

So, now you know, you can still enjoy a peaceful morning while you’re on vacation, even if your family wants to do an Extra Magic Hour.

>How to have a great Disney Vacation with a Teenager.

>So, I have a 14 year old son. We’ve been to Disney many times in the last few years and with the fact that he is at the age where he doesn’t want to hang out with us, there are times when he doesn’t want to go to the Parks or Downtown Disney. So, there is some Unknown Magic that is for him and others when they become “true teenagers”.

The first two are found right in your Resort, no matter where you are staying. One is the Resort Arcade; every one of the Disney Resorts has an Arcade someplace on site. There aren’t many games and they usually aren’t very big, but kids can get their video game fix, if they don’t bring their own system with them, (Most of the time we let my son bring his PS3 with him. It doesn’t take much room in the truck and in the mornings before we go out and in the afternoon while we are taking a break from the park, he has down time that he can relax.) Even if they don’t need a video game fix, it is a place where they can go and get away from Mom and Dad and you can still feel at ease knowing that it is a “kid” place where they are hanging out.

The other place at the Resort that you can let your older kids go and not worry so much about them is the pool. All the Resort Pools have enough chairs and tables around them that your teenagers can go and hang out and catch some rays. (Don’t forget to make sure you buy your Resort Refillable mugs when you first get to the Resort. They cost under $15 and you get free refills throughout your stay.) The refillable mugs are great to bring to the pool, because all of the pool bars will refill them for the kids. So now they are at the Pool hanging out- getting free drinks and loving life (probably texting away) and getting their break from you. Which is actually a good thing, because they need a break from all the stimulation just like the little ones do, if not you are in for a grumpy evening, just like with a little one.

The other place that we go to once in awhile depending on the trip and if we are in the mood is DisneyQuest, according to Disney, DisneyQuest is an “Indoor Interactive theme park… a one-of-a-kind gaming experience in the Downtown Disney area … 5 floors of cutting-edge technology, virtual reality and 3D encounters fueled by Disney innovation and imagination.” This place is a kid’s dream.

DisneyQuest does have an entrance fee, but once you are inside, almost all the activities and games are free. There is one small section of games, like Skee-ball that do cost a little money, but other than that everything is included with the Admission price. (If you have teenagers or are going when rain is expected you may want to add the Water Park Fun & More** Option, to your park hopper ticket, which works out to pay for itself if you visit either the Water Parks or DisneyQuest twice during your stay.)

DisneyQuest is pretty neat, but my limit is about 2 hours, then I start getting tired of it, but that’s okay, because on the 3rd floor there is the Wonderland Internet Café, which used to be a Cheesecake factory location, but has since changed hands. It still has Cheesecake and other sweets, as well as coffee. So while my wife and I are enjoying a snack, our son can enjoy his games for another hour or so, while we check our e-mail, send some notes out and just catch up on the news. And all this saves us some teenage angst, and actually leads to a Magical Experience for everyone.

So, now that you know, you can give your teenager little time to themselves and maybe even a Magical Experience, while enjoying your family vacation.