Fun way to announce a Disney trip to your kids!

For many families one of the best parts of a trip to Disneyland are the days leading up to it! Talking about previous trips, looking at pictures and discussing what you want to do when you get there makes the anticipation even better! Some people like to keep the trip a secret right up until the end, in fact I remember my parents doing this with my brother and I once. We didn't know we were going to Disneyland until we saw the exit sign in Anaheim! Sometimes it's fun to have your kids involved in the planning too though. Both can be fun. If you're going to let you kids help plan this time here are some fun ways to announce it:

1. A letter from a Disney Pal

There are a ton of great Disney fonts online. Just search dafont.com for Disney or for your favorite character then whip up a letter in the font and print it out! You could even print out a picture of the character and "sign" it for them.

2.  Whip up some Mickey Mouse pancakes!

At all the Castle Houses we have Mickey Mouse waffle irons to use during your trip but as a precursor to announce the big vacation make some easy Mickey Mouse silhouette pancakes. Just make a big circle with two smaller ones attached. It's easy and fun!

3. Play a game

I found this fun idea on www.loveourdisney.com. It's great for older kids! The family played pictionary with words associated with the Disneyland trip (Dumbo, Castle, Beach, Roadtrip, Mickey Mouse etc). The last word was Disneyland. You can imagine how thrilled kids were when they figured it out!

Once you've announced the trip be sure to make a Disney Countdown! Here are a few ideas for you...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Ideally you will always have a fast past for long lines but if there is one line that isn't so bad to wait in it's Indiana Jones. The queue is an experience in and of itself with a chamber full of spikes ready to descend on awaiting victims who touch the wobbly support "holding" up the roof, a covered pit with a rope leading down to darkness (don't pull on it or whoever's the on other end will fall to their doom!), and several other eery passageways and dimly lit caverns.

Our extra tidbit about the ride hails from 1995. When the ride first opened passengers waiting in line were given a decoder key to unlock a secret code of hieroglyphics found throughout the queue. We have found this ancient treasure and pass it along to you to print or pull up on your smart phone while your awaiting your fate in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye! Enjoy :D

How to score high on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters!

Jessica and I were at Disneyland yesterday with our kids and had to hit up Astro Blasters. As we were standing in line we both commented on the fact that neither of us had ever scored much over about 10,000 points. What were we doing wrong? So we googled it and got the goods for you! This post will teach you how to score big. I ended up with my best score of 205,500!!! Jess got... 5,950. Maybe she has some more practicing to do ;) Try it for yourself and see how you do! Thanks to findingmickey.squarepalce.com for this post!

TIPS, TRICKS and SECRETS!

First, it's important to understand the Astro Blaster scoring system. Know the targets!

Circle Targets = 100 points
Square Targets = 1,000 points
Diamond Targets = 5,000 points
Triangle Targets = 10,000 points

TIPS:

* Don't bother with circle targets. Concentrate on diamond and triangle targets!
* Look for elusive "lighted" targets. Lighted targets boost scores!
* Know where the hidden and secret targets are (read our walk-through below)!
* If the cars stop during the ride, it's an opportunity to shoot more targets and rack up points!

Read the Astro Blasters walk-through below to learn more about the hidden and secret targets! Impress friends and family with your own high scores!

• 

  Emperor Zurg

  Secret Target #1: On Emperor Zurg (first room) notice the vertical line centered on his chest. Within that line is a small dark circle. Hit that target for 50,000 points! If you hit the square targets on his sides he will turn towards you.
• 

  Hidden Mickey

  Look for a Hidden Mickey in the first room! ºoº
• 

  Volcano Room

  When you enter the "volcano room" you'll see plenty of diamond targets. Aim for those!
• 

  Alien in a Box

  In the "volcano room" look for an Alien in a Box. Hitting the square target on the box will make the box open and alien pop up to reveal a triangle target. Sometimes the diamond target on the inside lid is "lit up" -- hit for major points!
• 

  Triangle Target

  In the "volcano room" you'll see Emperor Zurg on the right side. Hit the diamond target on him, and he will swing to reveal a triangle target behind him!
• 

  Hidden Tunnel Targets

  Next you'll enter a black tunnel. On the ceiling is a hidden diamond target.
• 

  Hidden Tunnel Targets

  In the black tunnel are hidden diamond targets on the right and left walls.
• 

  Final Showdown

  Enter the last room and engage in a final showdown with Emperor Zurg. Smile because your picture is going to be taken! *flash* Notice the triangle target on Zurg's arm. Secret Target #2: This Zurg also has a secret target on his chest. However, Zurg is further away and much harder to hit.  
• 

  Status Board

  Check your rank! If you reach 1 million+ the score on your car will max at 999,999. Check your score by seeing your free picture (see below).
• 

  Email Your Photo

  Freebie alert: Before you exit, hit up an email station to email yourself your free photo!
  
  

The Park by Mickey's Retreat

Our family is staying at Mickey's Retreat for a few days so I took the kids to the nearby park. It's only a five minute walk and so pretty! The beautiful weather doesn't hurt either. The kids are loving all the different playgrounds and the wide open grass spaces to run around on. There's even a full-sized basketball court and two baseball fields. There are plenty of picnic tables and large trees creating the perfect shady place to relax.

Awesome Disney story!

We recently came across this story on a Utah news station and thought it was too good not to share! You never know who's going to be at Disneyland with you ;D

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — It really is a small world after all. One family in Florida has a photograph to prove it.

Alex and Donna Voutsinas have a picture that shows both of them together in Walt Disney World 15 years before they actually met and married. The two were from different countries, and both just happened to be vacationing with their families at the same place and same time.

The faded 1980 photo shows Donna, 5, with her family while Alex, 3, was being pushed in a stroller in the background.

"It just blew our minds when we realized," Alex said in an interview with The Star.

Alex and Donna made the fateful realization in 2005 just one week before their wedding. The couple were looking at old family photo albums when Alex recognized his dad in the background of Donna's picture.

"My mother pulled out albums from the same trip," Alex said. "My dad is wearing exactly the same outfit."

When Alex looked through other pictures from that trip, he realized that the boy in the background of Donna's picture and the boy in those pictures were the same.

The Voutsinas have a blown-up copy of the famous picture on their living room wall in their home, but Alex's mother kept the copy of the original in a safe.

Alex's family moved to Florida from Canada when he was 10 years old. He met Donna in 1998 after she had moved to Florida from New York. The couple dated for six years before they got married. Now, they have three children who they take to Disney World regularly.

"We've taken pictures of the kids," Alex said. "And they say they're looking for their future wives in the background."

Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=24516512#fJFzhp34884QHwfF.99

AMAZING DEAL!!!

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Fast Passes! How to use them and make the most of your trip.

FASTPASS

Here are a few things you should know about FASTPASS, a system that can save you a lot of waiting in line:

·       FASTPASS is FREE to anyone who is visiting the Disney theme parks.

·       FASTPASS is available for the most popular rides and attractions.

·       To get a FASTPASS, you insert your park admission ticket into a FASTPASS machine. You will get a FASTPASS allowing you to return at a specific time (usually it assigns a one-hour period during which you can return) to bypass the regular “standby” line. When you return, you wait in the special, much shorter FASTPASS line.

·       The current FASTPASS return time is posted above the machines, so that you can decide whether that time will work for you before you get the FASTPASS.

·       Your FASTPASS will have printed on it the next time you can get another FASTPASS. It’s possible to be holding more than one FASTPASS at a time, if you take advantage of this feature.

FASTPASS Tips and Tricks

It used to be that FASTPASSes were honored from the earliest time on the pass through the rest of the day, but starting 2/18/13 the return times are now enforced.

The FASTPASS systems at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are not connected. Since it is easy to “hop” between the two parks, you can hold and use FASTPASSes at both parks during the day.

Recently California Screamin’ (DCA) and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (Disneyland) have not been connected to the rest of the FASTPASS system in each ride’s respective park. So essentially they are like “free” FASTPASSes that you can get anytime, without regard to any other FASTPASS(es) you may be holding. I recommend getting the FASTPASSes you really want first, and then trying for the California Screamin’ or Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin FASTPASS, just in case they have been reconnected to the system.

If you want to experience all the FASTPASS rides in Disneyland in one day, it’s best to collect your FASTPASSes in this order (skip any that you don’t care to ride, of course):

·       Star Tours

·       Space Mountain

·       Splash Mountain

·       Indiana Jones

·       Autopia

·       Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

·       Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

During Halloweentime, the best order is:

·       Star Tours

·       Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy

·       Haunted Mansion Holiday (may be a walk-on early in the day – if so, skip the FASTPASS)

·       Splash Mountain

·       Indiana Jones

·       Autopia

·       Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

·       Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

If you want to experience all the FASTPASS rides in Disney California Adventure in one day, it’s best to collect your FASTPASSes in this order:

·       Radiator Springs Racers (FASTPASS for this ride often runs out in the first hour after the park opens!)

·       Soarin’ over California

·       California Screamin’

·       Grizzly River Run (summer/hot days only – otherwise it will be a walk-on most days)

·       Tower of Terror

“…always take advantage of the FASTPASS. On the most popular rides we get a FASTPASS as soon as we enter the parks. Depending on the wait time you may only have to wait for less than 20 minutes [in the standby line] to ride, and then you can use your FASTPASS to ride again.” - Toni K from Bel Air, MD

“Check the FASTPASS times for Big Thunder Mountain Railway and Splash Mountain. If the wait time and FASTPASS time are close together, get a FASTPASS for one and wait in line for the other. When you get off the first ride (that you waited in line for) you can walk right on the next ride.” - Patrick S

“While we were in one line, my husband would [take everyone's tickets and] run to the next FASTPASS ride and get passes. While I waited in line for food, he was running to get the next FASTPASS. While waiting for our time period on the passes, we would do other rides with short lines. If you plan your day around the passes and where you want to eat you can do the whole park in one day.” - Gerry P from Crescent Springs, KY

“If you are with people who don’t ride much (grandparents, wimps, etc.) have them go get a FASTPASS for you with their admission ticket for another ride. This way you wait less time and they wait less time waiting for you!” - Kevin P from Bayport, NY

Special thanks to mousesavers.com for this blog post.