Taking a 20-something Newbie to Disney!

One question I constantly get when I tell others that I like Disney is "Why, you're 20-something years old?" It is usually because others do not understand that Disney magic. I always try to tell others that they have to just give Disney a CHANCE! It isn't the same as other amusement parks where it is all rides and you leave at the end of the day. When you are at Disney you are immersed in all things that involve Disney down to the hotel room and restaurant theming.

I personally have never taken a 20-something newbie to Disney... only a teenager. Some things might be different but I am going to approach this the way I approached taking my cousins!

1. Make sure they realize this is NOT an amusement park-- Disney isn't known as an amusement park it is a THEME park. Everything in Disney has a theme. They need to realize that theme and realize that everything that is placed in Disney is placed there for a certain reason. When you realize that everything is a theme it becomes easier to become immersed in the Disney magic.

2. This is a FAMILY park-- There isn't going to be TONS of Roller coasters the flip and twirl and have 10 loops in a row. If you want that.. go down the road ;) Disney World is known for some of the best "kids" rides ever. Peter Pan's Flight, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion.. just to name a few. These rides are slow moving but are enjoyable to all ages. When 20-somethings realize that I think they enjoy the park more!

3. You are allowed to be a kid-- So many people want to put up the facade that they are grown up and an adult. Of course I want to be like that as well, but when I am in Disney all bets are off and I'm myself! :) I'm a kid at heart. I get excited to see my favorite Disney princess and I sing while watching a show! Relax and you'll have SO MUCH more fun.

More to come :) But these are just a few ideas of how to help a newbie!:) If you have any.. just let me know!!

Here's a little pic for all those Disney fans.. I think some people are taking Swine Flu to an extreme!

You Know You're A Disney Fan When....

Sorry I have been MIA with the blogging in the last 2 months. I just recently started a long-term sub position at a local school teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th graders ESOL. It is quite a challenge and takes up a lot of my time!

So I have been thinking recently as I plan my trip to Disney in June; what makes a Disney fan? I decided to ask around on a few of my Disney forums/Twitter to see the responses of fellow Disney enthusiasts and I received a few very interesting answers! Here are some of the responses.

You know you're a Disney fan when:

• You have turkey legs shipped from Magic Kingdom-- Now I don't know if this is something you can actually do or not, but if you could I'd be all over it! I love those Turkey Legs. If you could do anything to get those shipped to you and just have a tid-bit of Disney Magic for dinner I'd say you're a true Disney Fan.


• Your iPod/mp3 player has only Disney podcasts/music/movies on it--I know that probably 40% of my iPod has Disney type things on it! I love being able to just wind down at the end of the day with some music from the movies! I haven't found CDs for the parks yet, but I am still looking!


• You wear Disney Underoo's!!!--I think I laughed out loud on this one! I have yet to wear Disney undies (as an adult at least!) and I would have to say that if you wear Disney undies you are a TRUE fan! :)
  
• Your pet's food bowls are in the shape of Classic Mickeys-- If your pets even love Disney I would have to say you have a quite an influence. I know that my dog has a Disney collar!


• You can make a Disney reference out of ANYTHING--I know that this is true for me. You mention anything and I can relate it to something Disney. Either a movie, a song, or something in the parks I can relate a topic to Disney! Especially food (Lou Mongello anyone??) hehe ;)
  
• You only own and wear Disney scrubs to work-- I am not a nurse but I know that when I have my own classroom it will certainly be decorated in tons of Disney paraphernalia. Bringing Disney to your workplace definitely shows a love for ALL things Disney and makes you are true Disney fan. Now if your work IS Disney all I have to say is that I'm jealous!
• You sip your Disney-branded coffee from your Disney coffee mug while reading some Disney articles on a Disney site while waiting on hold to make your Disney vacation plans with your favorite Disney travel agent-- I'd have to say that is a TRUE disney fan :)
  
• You go and plan a Disney trip you can't afford-- Planning a Disney vacation is one of my favorite things to do! I know that even when I don't have a Disney trip in the works I love going to disneyworld.com and just seeing how much a trip would cost during certain times of the year!
  
• Make it a daily routine to check Disney websites when you sit down at the computer- I'd have to say one of the first things I do after checking my email is check my Disney websites! I love finding the most up-to-date Disney information and also just hearing about other Disney fantatic's recent trips!
  

These are the responses I've gotten so far as to what makes a Disney fan! Being a Disney fan is a huge part of my life and living in an age of technology the internet/iPod has become a huge part of fueling my passion! Most 20-somethings use the internet to spur their interests and to make them become impassioned with something that they at first just liked. That's how I became such a huge Disney fan.

I am going to add a few of my favorite pics from my recent trip since I need something to get me through the next 6.5 months before my trip! :)

What all College Students Love--FOOD! :)

Food. If I had to choose only one thing from Disney to do, I think it would be eat. I love the food down there. All different styles and tastes in one place, what can be better? From counter-service to some of the best sit-down restaurants around, Disney knows how to do food! If I had to choose 1 sit down restaurant to eat at, I don't know if I'd be able to do it. But I do have some of my Top 5 choices!



1.) Jiko's- Located in Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jiko's brings African styled flavors to your meal while you sit in a quiet restaurant with a short walk to see animals roaming in the safari. It has a wife range of food and when I last ate there, I don't think anyone had a bad meal. The atmosphere is amazing and if I had to recommend one thing, get the Halibut. Can you say delicious?? And the dessert. Wow. Pistachio creme brulee. When I first saw that, the first thing that came to my mind was.. eww. But it had to be the best creme brulee I have ever tasted.

2.) Narcosse's- Located at Grand Floridian, Narcosse's is a delicious restaurant. My family and I ate here on our last trip, and I have to say that is a place we will go back to. From being able to get a whole steamed Maine lobster, to having a Filet Mignon that melts in my mouth, the food was delicious. If you want a place to eat where you can enjoy the view, this is the place. Right on Bay Lake, we had a perfect view of the castle. Make sure to ask for a window seat! One downside, it got quite loud in there as the meal progressed. As more people got in there, the louder it got.

3.) Le Cellier-- Located in the Canada Pavilion, Le Cellier is a steakhouse with just a Canadian twist. If steaks doesn't fit the palate, go there just for the soup. Cheddar Cheese soup was amazing. The best I've had. We got a bowl for my family.. I ate it all.. oops! The menu had a wide range of different ways to prepare your steak, and if don't like steak, they have other options. The rolls were amazing. That pretzel roll delectable too bad we had only one to share with the whole table. I certainly enjoyed listening to our waiter's accent and him saying "aboot" and "aye" a lot! :)

4.) The Hollywood Brown Derby-- Located in Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Brown Derby is known for their Cobb Salad. The salad/appetizer made for two makes the perfect entree for someone who is hungry! The grapefruit cake is probably one of the best desserts in the parks and something that must be ordered if someone is planning to eat here. I had Roasted chicken and it was basically half of a chicken. Quite a lot of food and very delectable. Also, for my 20-somethings and older, Brown Derby has the best Sangria. I tried many different Sangrias throughout the parks and found this was the best. With a hint of Cinnamon, it brings out the taste of the wine and the fruit combined, creating a wonderful drink to enjoy.

5.) California Grill-- Located on the top floor of the Contemporary Hotel, California Grill is known for it's Californian Cuisine (duh!) and it's infamous Sushi. Not being a sushi fan, I was not one to try this, but my brother says that it is the best sushi he has ever had and that the sushi made his whole meal. If nothing else, the only reason to eat here is for the AMAZING view of Wishes from the contemporary. Every night at 1opm (during the summer) the lights are dimmed and Wishes soundtrack is played throughout the restaurant. If you want a place to not have about 150,000 other people around you and to just enjoy Wishes, go here! This has always been one of my favorite restaurants and a place where I would always go. This year though, it has dropped down on my list. It was not as quiet as it used to be and the food wasn't as great, but it was still very very good.

Even though these are only 5 of the restaurants in all of Disney, these are MY top 5. I would love to hear what other people think. I know there are a lot I have not tried. These are restaurants that I would definitely suggest to go to though if someone was asking me to plan their trip :) These are MY recommendations :)

Thanks all! :) Until Next time!

Magic--Not just in the parks

Since growing up in the age of technology and internet, Online communication has always been something I've depended on. About 2 years ago, I found Disney Magic outside of the parks in Florida. I found forums. Forums are a place where all Disney fanatics (like myself) can come together and share their love by giving tips, information, and their opinions on anything Disney. These forums have allowed me to create friendships I never thought I would make with some of the nicest people I know. These places really show how a major part of the Disney magic is the people not the place. Forums have become a major part of my life, and I love getting on every day checking in with all my friends, talking to them, and chatting about my next upcoming trip. If you want to join a forum, I suggest WDWRadio.com/forums or waltdisneyboards.com. These are the two I am a member of and they have some of the nicest people around.

Another place I can get that Disney magic is through the podcasts. Podcasts are internet radio broadcasts that can be downloaded and listened to through iTunes or your iPod. Podcasts are created by Disney fans for Disney fans. They give you the news, interviews with Disney employees, and give you tips for any trip. I love these podcasts. I have learned so much from them, and the people who create them are some of the nicest people I "know." I listen to them while in the car on my way to work. If you ever need just a small dose of Disney in your life, I suggest any of the following podcasts: WDW Radio by Lou Mongello, Inside the Magic by Ricky Brigante, All About the Mouse by Bryan Ripper and Jonathon Ditcher, and WDW Today by Matt H. (not going to even try to spell his last name), Mike Newell, Mike Scopa, and Len Testa. These are some of my favorites and I listen to them throughout the week.

Finally.. Meets. For those of you who have ever attended any type of fan gathering, you understand what it is like to have tons of people who are fans of the same thing. Well Disney meets are that times 10. I had my first experience with Meets this past August when I went to MagicMeets. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I was able to meet some of the people I've been chatting with online for the past 2 years and able to meet new people and create new friendships. Meets really show Disney magic because they show just the way people are caring for each other and can make something like sitting in a conference hall fun and entertaining. I loved it.

Well that's all I really have to say about disney magic outside the parks. These things reach out to me as a 20-something because I am able to connect with my love for the internet/communication and my love for Disney.

Inspired by WDW Radio podcast Show #133

Why Disney??

So people always ask me, "why Disney? Why do you always go back there when you could go wherever you wanted around the world?" That isn't the easiest question to answer, but the one answer I could come up with is.. Well because it's Disney. A lot of people have only one perspective of what Disney is. They think it is the Kid's Theme Park with Princess, Fairies, and the occasional Pirate. But to me, Disney is so much more than that. It is something that was created because of One Man's Dream. One man wanted a place to take his children and from that spurred this franchise that has touched children and adults alike all around the world.

Walt Disney was a man who wanted a place to take his children where both him and them alike could enjoy the rides and from that idea came Disneyland. A place where families can go and forget about home and other life but enjoy time together and everyone can be a kid. One commerical I think of when I think Disney is when the father and son went to Disney and they are looking at eachother in the mirror and the father has become his son's age. That is how I am, I am a kid when I am Disney. I forget about the stresses of life and of looking for a job and am a kid. I can have fun and take pictures with Mickey Mouse. I can wear Mickey Ears and have my picture taken with Cinderella and be the norm. It is an escape for me and I do not think there is a place that can be like that. I love it there.

When people say that Disney isn't as fun as Kings Dominion, Six Flags, or Hershey Park I always say to them that Disney isn't just for rides, it's an experieince. While those parks do have shows, no one can do it like Disney does it.

In this blog, I hope to discuss some of the things that Disney does (especially in Walt Disney World, since that is what I know the most) and show how Disney pays so much attention to detail it makes 20 somethings like me enjoy rides like Peter Pan's Flight :)