For you Disney Trivia nuts out there...

I thought I knew a lot about Disney, but this video (courtesy of the Huffington Post) even taught me a few things. Really, it was just too good not to share. Enjoy!

Check out the video to learn some mind-blowing facts you may not have known about the happiest company on Earth (and one about Tom & Jerry, who were created by Hanna-Barbera; the video notes the mistake). 

For example, did you know there are two Disney parks, still standing, totally abandoned with cobwebs collecting? Or did you know that Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy?

For more weird Disney facts, watch the video!

What Makes It All Worth It

I started this blog awhile back as a way to help others get the most out of the visit to Walt Disney World and I hope that you've found the info contained herein helpful. I'm excited to share that one of my readers recently got back from Walt Disney World and was kind of enough to send me the following note and picture:

Two happy princesses.

Just got back from Walt Disney World~~ I followed all of your suggestions and everything went smooth as ice. I want to thank you so much for making my trip very organized and stress free. My granddaughter was able to meet and get autographs of all the princesses except for Elsa (Frozen). I could not tell you her favorite because every time she got their autograph she was just in AWWWW about seeing them in person. That made the whole trip so worth it.  And Fastpasses are the way to go!! I was shocked to see how many people did not have Fastpasses at all.  We were able to see everything that we wanted.  We had a wonderful trip.. Hope to go again…….

It's great to see that there are so many others out there that love Walt Disney World the way I do, and that light up when their kids interact with Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella and all the rest. I'm glad they had a wonderful experience and like them, I hope to "go again" soon myself.

That's why Walt Disney World is the Happiest Place on Earth!

Disney Vacation: How to help your kids remember their first visit

I'll be the first to admit it, ours kids are spoiled when it comes to Walt Disney World. We love some Mickey Mouse by all accounts, as this year's Disney vacation was the third year in a row we've gone.

My oldest (now 7), has been to Walt Disney World four times and my youngest (almost 4), has been three times. And while there are varying opinions on when the right age is to take your children on a Disney vacation to meet Mickey Mouse for the first time, I've found a way to somewhat safeguard against younger children forgetting their visits.

The first time we took our oldest to Walt Disney World, she was 3 1/2. We did a long weekend piggybacked off of a conference that I was in Orlando for and while she was tall enough to ride everything we wanted to go on with her (she is tall for her age), we had concerns that she wouldn't remember much of her first Disney vacation. So, when we got back, I decided to make a photo book to recap her first visit to Walt Disney World.

I saw that you could make a Disney photo book through the Disney Photopass service, but it was awfully expensive. So I searched around and found Shutterfly*. I uploaded a bunch of pictures and put them in a logical order.

What's really fun though is that it's turned into one of her favorite books because each time we read it, we make up a story to go along with the pictures. Whether Mickey Mouse is the hero or Cinderella finds her glass slipper, it always ends up sparking her memory to talk about what she remembers from that visit, which is great.

More importantly, having the photo book allows her to look back at that trip anytime she wants and because of that, she remembers meeting Cinderella, going on Space Mountain, hugging Mickey Mouse, and everything else that we did on her first Disney vacation.

So, when we decided to take our youngest to meet Mickey Mouse for the first time (about 2 years old at the time), we weren't concerned with her remembering the trip because we made a Disney photo book for both of them when we got back and like her sister, she remembers much of that trip as well (despite being so little).

The Disney photo book has become a cherished souvenir because the kids never know which pictures I'm going to choose and with us purchasing the Disney Memory Maker this year, I had even more pictures to select from.

Going to Walt Disney World is a significant investment and when you spend that kind of money on a vacation, you want your kids to remember it. For us, creating photo books has become a great way to remember those magical Disney moments over and over again.

* - there are a variety of photo services that can do this, I just happen to like Shutterfly.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort | Disney Resort Review

One of the newest Disney Vacation Club properties at Disney World is Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Bay Lake Tower provides modern, upscale amenities mixed with a little bit of Disney flair, at a location that can’t be beat.

The Good

Bay Lake Tower at Sunrise

Location, location, location. At Bay Lake Tower, you’re walking distance to the Magic Kingdom, so forget fighting crowds for spots on the bus or monorail at the end of the night. Bay Lake Tower is also attached to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, so you have direct access to the monorail too.

Plus, you’ve got access to impressive resort pools at both hotels, so the kids will never get bored. Finally, you can get great views of the fireworks from several locations and they pipe in the music, so you can enjoy the end of night fireworks, without the crowds…

The Bad

What Bay Lake Tower makes up for in modern elegance, it somewhat sacrifices in Disney stuff. You could put Bay Lake Tower in downtown NYC and people probably wouldn’t know it had anything to do with Disney. Not that that’s a bad thing, but if you’re staying on Disney property and want a “themed” room, there are better options.

In addition, while being connected to the Contemporary Resort is a bonus (especially with the monorail stop there), you're also dependent on the shops, market, and restaurants at the Contemporary Resort for all of those needs (there is no "onsite" shopping directly at Bay Lake Tower -- it's all at the Contemporary Resort, which is connected via a covered walkway).

Finally, it is on the higher end price-wise, so if you’re trying to Disney more cost effectively, there are better options out there.

The Verdict

Despite a few shortcomings, this is our favorite Disney resort to stay at. With two young kids, being able to put the kids in the stroller in the hotel room and not have them get out until you’re at an attraction, is unbeatable.

Staying here also limits the need to take bus rides (which is also a bit of a pain when lugging around a large stroller or if you’re on a schedule) and makes it even easier to go back and take naps during the day (since it’s a quick walk or monorail ride back from the Magic Kingdom and Epcot).

Though it’s pricey, you can get a little bit better deal by going to DISBoards.com and posting a request for a specific room type and week (as opposed to booking direct through the Disney website). Just make sure you get everything in writing and trust the person you're renting DVC points from (there is a rating system and you should sign a contract).

If you like being on the monorail and watching the fireworks from your balcony, Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort is for you.