Anniversary trip made special by Disney

Let's take a walk through time and visit July 2013, my 20th Wedding Anniversary week at Walt Disney World. I booked the Yacht Club resort Club Level for an extra special trip, after all, this was 20 years! So like I usually plan our Club Level stays I requested  a water view room or view of the Boardwalk area which is just perfect.
  My family arrived to find our room not yet ready but we were happy to be in the most magical place celebrating a momentous occasion in our life and marriage. We are headed down to Stormalong Bay pool to put up our feet, grab a bite to eat for lunch and wait for that text to say our room was ready.
My husband, myself and our two teenage boys love the pool and the surrounding area because let's face it, with teenagers the more stimulated they are the better, and this resort more than fits that bill!
  

Since I love storytelling I'm going to get right to the best part. We went up to our floor to grab a few drinks, some snacks set out for club guests and ask about our room. The Cast Member we spoke with was amazing, he wished us Happy Anniversary upon arrival, gave us our pin and now was giving us the news that we were upgraded to a larger room and they were just finishing up cleaning and putting some flowers in the room. Wow I thought, a nice bouquet of flowers was so thoughtful and the larger a room is a dream come true when traveling with teenage boys. That incredible Concierge Cast Member told us to come back in about an hour and the room would be all set.



 Some more time enjoying the Florida sun, the lizards racing in and out of the wonderfully landscaped resort property made us feel even more relaxed, vacation time is on!
 So we returned to the concierge desk and were given our room number,our new favorite resort cast member told us we were staying in his favorite room and to enjoy our magical Anniversary trip.
 We all went together excited to see our room and I was excited to see my beautiful floral arrangement, Disney is known for the most amazing floral displays at all the resorts.
 We found our room and realized it had two doors with the same room number, which one should we go in, was there a mistake here? 
 We entered and I was overwhelmed to say the least. This room had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room and a gorgeous view of Epcot and the Boardwalk as well as the water view boat 
launch. We finally had our own room was all I could think of, and the boys had theirs.
 Disney had outdone themselves, we stay Club Level for the impeccable service always, but this was more than we had ever dreamed of.
  Our vacation was not only Pixie Dusted and magical, but so was our story to tell our family and friends. I felt like a Princess in my own tower with a view and the view was a Dream come true!
 Just when you least expect it, someone or something makes all your Fairytale wishes come true and on this day in 2013 our's did!
 Our heartfelt thanks to the Yacht Club Concierge Team and to our favorite resort Destination !

Some of my Favorite Walt Disney World Tours!

Premium VIP Tours

Walt Disney World is massive and Disney virgins & veterans might find it difficult to navigate efficiently. Well don’t fret Disney can take that worry away- for a little cha-ching, O.K. a lot of cha-ching. Imagine the experience of WDW with perks such as; door-to-door transportation preferred event seating and expedited entry to select attractions. I just wish we had Prince Charming to pick up the tab, lol. Here is a list of what Walt Disney World offers. Up to 1o people per group- For more information, please call (407) 560-4033.

                                   Hourly Rate per guide        Hourly Rate per guide (holiday)         
Resort Guest-          $315.00                                 $355.00

Non-Resort Guest $340.00                                 $380.00 

Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour

Location: Magic Kingdom® Park

Price: $79.00

Guests must be 16 years of age or older

Want to see the (not so secret) Utilidors of the Magic Kingdom, learn secrets & tips about Walt Disney & your beloved attractions. Then you’ll enjoy this 5 hour walking tour that includes lunch at Columbia Harbour House. For more information, please call (407) 939-8687.

Backstage Magic

Location: Epcot®

Price: $249.00

Guests must be 16 years of age or older

Discover Walt Disney Nursery & hit all four theme parks in one day on this magical 7 hour tour. Lunch is included at Whispering Canyon Café at majestic Wilderness Lodge. Please call (407) 560-4033 for more information.

Disney's Family Magic Tour

Location:  Magic Kingdom® Park

Price $34.00

Guests ages 4-10 years old with paying adult

Guided 2 hour walking tour filled with adventure. Find hidden clues & complete the quest. For more information, please call (407) WDW-TOUR or (407) 939-8687.

The Magic behind Our Steam Trains Tour

Location: Magic Kingdom® Park

Price: $54.00

Suited for tweens, teens & adults

Step aside Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney had a love before you were imagined and it was steam locomotives. If you are a train enthusiast join Disney engineers for this in-depth 3 hour tour which includes backstage access of the roundhouse. Please call (407) 560-4033 for more information.

Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour

Location: Magic Kingdom® Park

Price: $30.00

Guest ages 12 & older

Like many of you- I love Mickey Mouse; it was love at first mouse ears, until I learned about the kid-at-heart behind the mouse. If you admire Walt Disney as much as I do, you will definitely enjoy this delightful 3 hour walking tour. Learn about Walt’s childhood in Marceline, Missouri and enjoy an early arrival into Magic Kingdom for photo opportunities. For more information, please call (407) 939-8687.

Behind the Seeds

Location: Epcot®

Price: Child $16.oo & Adult $20.00

Guests of all ages

This is a one hour educational tour which features a peek at the four greenhouses that makeup the Land pavilion. Learn about hydroponics and more efficient ways to garden. Call for Reservations (407) 939-8687

There are so many terrific Walt Disney World tours, I couldn’t list them all. Disney’s made it difficult for you to select just one. Remember valid theme park admission is required. Have fun choosing the one that’s fits your family! Woot.

 

 

 

 

Disney's Blizzard Beach by Tamela Hansen

     Disney's Blizzard Beach

     Summer is finally here and we are all ready for our summer vacation!  There is no better place to spend a family vacation then at Walt Disney World!

     It is true that the parks are quite full during the summer and quite warm but have you ever explored Disney water parks?  We love Disney's Water Parks!  Disney Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are awesome for those hot summer days.  They are perfect for everyone.  We have adventured both parks with small toddlers and even older ones with limited mobility.

     If you are staying at a Disney resorts you can take bus transportation to Blizzard Beach.   Blizzard Beach also offers locker rentals for holding your personal items.   Showers are available and towels rentals for the entire day.

     Blizzard Beach is one of the most unique water parks I have ever experienced.  Everyone in the family can enjoy Cross Country Creek.  Just grab a raft and float down a winding Creek through caves and surprises along the way.  Be careful of those leaky pipes and the sneezing Alligator!  The whole family will enjoy this so much you may ride for a little while leave get a bite to eat or ride another ride but I promise you'll be back during the day!

     Another one of our family favorites is the Toboggan Racers.  This two hundred and fifty foot water slide with three drops provides fun for the entire family.  Eight racers can line up beside one another with their mat and Ready, Set, and Go, race to the bottom! 

     We have also enjoyed Teamboat Springs since our children were very small.  This is the perfect family ride for all ages.  The chairlift can provide transportation to the top of the mountain for younger ones or ones with limited mobility.  This ride provides 1200 feet of twists and turns.  You're gonna get wet!

     

     Of course Disney always offers a few thrill rides!  If thrill rides are what you're looking for you might want to check out Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher and Runoff Rapids!  Be prepared to lose your stomach!

     Now for the little tots in the family, Blizzard Beach offers a special area just for you.  Tike's Peak offers miniature scales experiences of the rides at Blizzard Beach.  This also provides a nice place to relax and catch some rays for the older ones in the family.

     For the younger kids and tweens in the group Blizzard Beach has a special place just for you!  Ski Patrol Training Camp offers challenges such as zip-lines, walking on ice while using a net above to balance, and several awesome water slides.  Even if you do not have younger children this area is a must!  You have to watch the children faces as they go down the zip-line,  PRICELESS!

     Blizzard beach offers so many other adventures and experiences.  It will take an entire day to truly enjoy everything that Blizzard Beach has to offer.  While you are visiting the park don't forget to stop and have lunch and a special snack.  Try a pretzel dog with cheese, or a jumbo turkey leg and for dessert a Mickey bar, a Sand Pail or Mini Donuts.  You can purchase a refillable cup for your day and on those hot summers days you will be glad you did!  Then while soaking in some rays you can enjoy a nice cold draft beer or a special frozen cocktail!  Gotta love boat drinks!

     So if you're headed to Walt Disney World this summer and decide that you need a day to cool off then head over to Blizzard Beach.  You won't be disappointed, but you're going to GET WET!!!

Guest Author Sunday

Welcome Back Chuck Jones

                                   An Unforgettable Week at Disney

                    

Our trip, which included me, my wife, and our daughter and son-in-law, was two years in the making.  It included planning, reserving, and putting up enough cash to pay for the whole thing, with enough Disney Dollars from our Disney Chase Visa Card to pay for any overages and souvenirs.  In doing so, we eliminated the number one worry of most vacations-- spending too much money.    When we checked into our two rooms at the Boardwalk Inn on Saturday, September 7^th, 2013, our whole trip was already paid for.  We got the free Dining Plan, so even our food was pre-paid. 

            

 
We opted for a 7-day Park-Hopper ticket, with 7 nights at The Boardwalk, with a water view.  The Boardwalk is a fantastic hotel, but unless you pay more for the water view rooms, you are defeating the whole purpose of staying there.  That purpose is to be in the middle of everything, 24 hours a day.  With our 2 rooms with balconies that overlooked the boardwalk and lagoon, we felt like we were in the action even when resting in our room.  The boardwalk is a cornucopia of activity, with the people strolling by, the boats that carry you to the Epcot and Hollywood Studios parks gliding smoothly over the lagoon, and the street performers at night entertaining the crowds.  All this can be seen from your balcony, or even your bed, if you feel the need to stretch out for an afternoon nap to re-charge for the evening’s activities.