Archive for June, 2009

Photo by Jeff Bergman

It’s a short walk, but one that few people take, so come along with us. From the lobby of Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, we head toward the Belle Vue Room but keep on going to the end of the hallway.

We descend the wide, stately stairway into the  beautiful courtyard below, tucked away,  insulated and remote  from the Boardwalk’s bustle.  It’s a summer afternoon and the flowers exult in the season.  We stroll along the pretty path by the Garden Suites where roses and mandevilla froth up and over trellises, and bright flower faces peek out from fences.  Behind each gate hides a little garden – each one perfect; each one unique.  Here, we find soldierly ranks of foliage standing at attention inside clipped and manicured hedges.  Next door, it’s a riotous floral party – girls gone wild.

A circular bed of agapanthus surrounded by a shady grove of small trees beckons.  As we sit on a bench, we can hear the laughter of swimmers at the pool and the murmur of a nearby fountain.  Tiny lizards pause to catch the June sun before hurrying into the bushes.

With no direct access to the Boardwalk, it’s not a public thoroughfare and is generally only visited by those with rooms overlooking the area, or other hotel guests who choose to seek out the quiet pool.  Benches scattered about offer pleasant floral vistas; take a seat and enjoy this quiet oasis!

Arrive at the parks early. This is the single most important piece of advice we can offer.  Being at the park entrance when it opens gives you a huge advantage.  You may think that there are a lot of people waiting to enter, but when the crowds disperse throughout the park, you will realize that you have it practically to yourselves. 

While nearly every guest has a plan to get up early and start the day, the vast majority never follow it through.  It’s difficult to motivate yourself to jump out of bed early when you’re on vacation.  However, it will pay huge dividends.  You’ll be able to walk on many rides, and obtain FastPasses for the very popular ones before they run out.  You’ll experience many more attractions in much less time without the long waits that will face visitors arriving only a few hours later. You’ll feel much more relaxed about enjoying a leisurely lunch, stopping for character meet-and-greets, or browsing through the shops, knowing that you’ve crossed so many of your must-do’s off the list!

You’ll also be able to enjoy the park opening ceremonies; a great additional perk for your efforts.  So, jump up and get ready.

As Mickey would say, “Everybody neat and pretty?  Then on with the show!”

Have a plan. A lot of guests don’t like the idea of planning their visit.  They feel that they’re on vacation and want to enjoy things spontaneously.  The problem is that at Walt Disney World, no plan often translates into walking around in circles, and spending many hours waiting in line.

Now, we don’t mean that you have to schedule every moment from the time you wake up until you go to sleep, although some visitors enjoy this, but having some idea of which attractions and experiences are at the top of your list will help you maximize your park time.

Have each member of your party make a list of his or her two or three top picks in each park, then set up a general plan of action.  Take the time to familiarize yourself with the park maps and discuss your choices with your travel concierge who will have advice about which very popular venues should be visited first, before the crowds arrive (of course, you will have already taken tip #1 to heart and will have arrived early).  Every minute that you invest in planning your vacation will pay you back tenfold.  Plus, planning your Walt Disney World vacation is half the fun!  Time spent researching and discussing your plans stretches that vacation experience from a few days, to many months.

Consider having a “Planning Party.”  Set aside a time to get together with your family or group and talk about your upcoming trip, compare must-do lists, share trivia, eat popcorn, and watch the Disney Planning DVD.

Make dining reservations. There is no worse scenario:  You are at Epcot on a hot afternoon. You got up early intending to make the most of the day and have already walked several miles around Future World and the World Showcase, enjoying the sights.  Everyone is hungry, the kids are a little tired and cranky, the adults are quite a bit more tired and cranky, and you all just want to get off your feet, sit down in a cool place, and have something to eat.  Unfortunately, you’ve now walked an additional mile trying to find a place that has an available reservation, but so far, all the restaurants are fully-booked.

Yes, the idea of spur-of-the-moment sounds great, but the reality is that this is often not feasible at Walt Disney World, particularly during the busier seasons.  So, make some reservations.  With the rare exception of the few that require a credit card guarantee, your plans are not written in stone.  They are your insurance.  If you decide to change direction, a courtesy call to cancel the reservation and free it up for someone else is all that’s needed.  Decided to stay at Animal Kingdom and grab a pizza rather than run over to the Magic Kingdom for your lunch reservation at the Crystal Palace?  No problem.  Running over to the Magic Kingdom for a lunch at the Crystal Palace only to find that there are no reservations available for walk-ups?  Problem.  Your reservations can be as flexible as you need them to be; having a contingency plan for meals can make all the difference.

Take a break. It’s easy to allow yourself to become stressed by your Walt Disney World vacation.  You’ve spent a great deal of money, and it often represents the fulfillment of years of hopes and dreams.  You want it to be everything wonderful; to provide happy memories that will last a lifetime.  You want to see it all, do it all, look back without regrets.  Stop!

Walt Disney World is a huge, complex destination, with thousands of different options for spending your time and money.  You cannot do everything, but you certainly can make yourself absolutely miserable trying.  So, realize that you will only be able to enjoy a part of the magic this trip, and relax.  Almost every single person who visits Walt Disney World with the notion that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, ends up returning, often again and again.  Rather than worrying about all the things you don’t have the time to experience, take the time to experience fully the things that you do.

Be mindful of the fact that nothing is as much fun when you’re exhausted, and plan accordingly.  Naturally, you are already adhering religiously to tips 1, 2, and 3, so you arrived early with plans for touring and dining.  Now, after a wonderful morning it’s time to return to your resort.  Have a swim, take a nap.  Perhaps your dining reservation is for one of the many great restaurants at the hotels and you can relive your busy morning over a relaxed lunch.

Later, you can return to parks, refreshed and renewed and ready to do more.

Embrace the magic. If you spend a little time looking around any Disney Destination:  Disneyland® Resort, Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line; you may notice that, while everyone is enjoying themselves, the people having the best time are the ones who are most willing to be a part of the fun.

The Disney experience is all about fantasy, about stepping into another place and time, be it fairytale, frontier, or the future.  So, meet the characters and get their autographs, wear a silly hat, wave and sing along during the parades, allow yourself to get a little teary watching the fireworks.  Remember….Embrace the magic and it will hug you back ^sm.

Photo by Candis Davis

The Solarium at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is just the sort of airy space you’d like to build onto the back of your own home.  A windowed hallway lined with tables and chairs opens into a bright and spacious room filled with comfy sofas and sunshine. 

Its location away from the main lobby keeps traffic low, and many people walk right by the subtle signage, unaware of the beautiful space at the end of corridor.  Except for a few folks passing through on their way to the Beach Club Villas, and the occasional group rendezvous, you’ll most likely have this quiet, pretty spot all to yourself.  Overhead, the ceiling fans turn gently; through the windows you can see the activity; you are apart, but still a part of it all.

Find the entrance across the corridor from the Beach Club Marketplace, but don’t tell your friends – let’s keep it for ourselves!

Our company has been blessed with a wonderful group of clients, many of whom began as, or have become, dear friends.  Because Walt Disney World is a complex and time-consuming trip to plan, we spend a great deal of time and energy working to ensure that each guest has the best possible vacation experience, whether they’re a first-time visitor, or veteran of the parks.  In order to make this time available, we’ve learned to offer our services in such a way as to discourage those folks who are merely whiling away a Sunday afternoon with no intention of traveling anywhere.  It’s one of the reasons that visitors will not find a “quote request” form on our website.  We believe a relationship with our clients is fundamental, and this requires far more than a series of drop-down boxes. 

Since the prospective Disney visitor can’t shop for price, they need to be shopping for service and we want to be sure that we have the resources to offer the very best service available, anywhere.  When Amber Riviere asked me about our customer service practices, I realized that coming up with ways to provide a prompt, friendly, highly-informed product had been easier than finding the time to deliver it.  

Our decision to focus on “clients” rather than “browsers” has been a key component of our service philosophy.  It allows us to initiate and support a planning process that may last for many months between first contact and departure date.  It means that we can respond quickly to questions and concerns.  It gives us the opportunity to keep track of each client’s needs and preferences on a very individualized, personal level; to be the kind of organization we, ourselves, would want to deal with.  And, it lets us enjoy, vicariously, the fun and excitement of many Disney vacations.  A thank you to Amber at www.brownbugproject.com for the guest post opportunity!

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the top priority is caring for the animals in a manner that ensures their health and wellbeing. Few castmembers approach their roles more seriously than the animal caretakers. The range of responsibilities is enormous and includes designing diet plans for each animal with daily preparation and feedings; monitoring health, behavior, and interactions; maintaining living quarters and grazing areas. They must train the animals to accept necessary daily checks without harm; formulate and implement plans for breeding and research programs; water, bathe, medicate, and perform required surgery – the list is endless.

The Backstage Safari is an intimate look at the behind-the-scenes efforts to provide optimum conditions for the contentment and longevity of a wide variety of species living in this vast, but closed, environment. The majority of the tour takes place backstage, and visits to some of the night houses, food preparation areas, the veterinary center, and “browse” gardens give guests a unique view of this amazing park, as well as an appreciation for the painstaking requirements of the AZA accreditation which it proudly holds.

Questions are welcomed by the guides who are eager to share their enthusiasm and dedication. If they don’t have the answer, someone will call a researcher and an answer will be forthcoming before the tour’s end!

The tour culminates in a private safari ride minus the usual onstage script, allowing guests ample opportunity for picture-taking and questions.

Review: There is a far more profound story being told here; one barely audible to the millions of visitors who come to enjoy the comical meerkats and the graceful tigers. It’s a story of animal vs. animal; starkly illustrated in the neatly packaged frozen mice and rats which will soon become another creature’s meal. It’s a story of animal vs. man and the desperate efforts to repopulate species whose numbers have been decimated in their natural habitats. It’s a story of animal vs. captivity as the behaviorists work to devise ways of keeping the animals active and challenged in an environment where they no longer need to struggle for survival. It’s a story about the need for caretakers to maintain minimal contact with animals for whom they feel great affection. I use the word “whom” advisedly here, because these animals are most definitely individuals to those who care for them. This is a tour for lovers of all animals; for those enthralled by their diversity, their beauty, their charm; for those who wish to hear this story.

Backstage Safari

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 a.m.

3 hours

$70.00 per person/must be at least 16 year of age

Park admission also required

 

 

 

It’s apparent – Jacob Nadolski loves photography.  Along with enviable skills, he brings a sense of fun.  He’s constantly trying new lenses, different filters, unusual processing techniques.  He experiments with framing, coloration, perspective, a little self-portraiture; he is forever out there, stalking the wild image.  

 

The very special picture featured here, more art than photo, practically jumps off the page.

 

 

 

 

 

We have examples from his amazing portfolio on nearly every single page of our website.  Each photo is infused with an obvious delight in the subject; each photo makes us smile!  Thank you, Jacob.

 

Perhaps the single most magical Disney gift is the Electrical Water Pageant. Never included in any “must-see” list and not designed to lure guests into the parks, the stores, or any revenue-producing venue; its sole agenda is to surprise and delight.

Each night, it makes its charming way across the water, visiting each of the Magic Kingdom resort hotels in turn, silently floating in the dark until it suddenly bursts into a whimsy of colorful shapes and cheerful music. It consists of a number of floats with lighted images including King Triton, a sea serpent, turtles, and dolphins leaping from the water. At the end of each little show, all the barges turn into stars and flags in an All-American finale.

It can often be glimpsed from the monorail, and is an unexpected amenity of rooms with a water view at the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Wilderness Lodge. All guests can catch the show from the water’s edge at any of these resorts as well as from Fort Wilderness, and many of the resort restaurants.

Keep an eye on the water if you’re around the Magic Kingdom area some evening – this small parade is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Electrical Water Pageant

Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake

Nightly – check locations for times

I recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Egypt; a destination so crammed with objects of wonder and amazement that it’s difficult to process all the experiences at the end of each day.  One morning, as I wandered through the thousands of treasures at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I came across the magnificent funeral couch of Tutankhamen featuring the cow with solar disc representing the Goddess Hathor.  Imagine my surprise to see that it also sported some familiar markings!