It's Time to Say Goodbye to the Hat

You know the hat I'm talking about. The huge hat that has been in the middle of MGM/Hollywood studios for the past 13 years.

The Sorcerer's Hat was originally constructed for Walt's 100th birthday in 2001 and was meant to be a temporary fixture in the park. Temporary turned to pretty permanent after it hadn't been removed after a few years. Pretty soon it became the icon to represent the movie focused theme park.

Though it was there to represent Walt's 100th birthday, not all were pleased with the addition. For over a decade, guests were able to walk into the park and look down Hollywood Blvd. to Grauman's Chinese Theatre (which houses The Great Movie Ride), but the construction of the hat changed all that. Now the view down Hollywood Blvd. was the hat that completely blocked the theatre, angering many people. If you look at a map of Hollywood Studios you can see how it does appear to just be kind of plopped down in front of the attraction.

It seems those who are not fond of the hat have gotten their wish. Disney has announced that the hat will come down in 2015. They are going to wait until the busy holiday season has passed before they start putting the walls up. I have not seen an official date, but I'm sure something will be announced the closer we get to the new year.

I have only been to the park once without the hat and I think it is kind of cool. I do wish they were able to put it in a better spot than right in front of a popular attraction. Maybe if it had been in a different spot there would not have been so much hatred for the hat.

I will be sad to see it go, but I am excited for all the other plans that have been rumored for Hollywood Studios. The Star Wars Expansion, an additional track for Toy Story Mania, and there have even been rumors about a Cars Land (though I think this one will remain just a rumor). It's always fun to see what Disney will do with open space. 

So, it is time to tip your hat to the hat (too cheesy?). I know it was heavily hated in it's time at the park, but there were still some that enjoyed seeing it on every trip. I wish I could make one last trip to see it before it comes down. If you are sad about the hat coming down, just remember Disney has some other plans in store for Hollywood Studios. I'm sure whatever they have planned is going to be fun and will help to ease the pain of the missing hat. ;-)

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Planning for the Next Trip

We are getting ready to start planning out next trip to Disney World and I have started to make a list of things that I would like to try to fit in. There is so much to do at Disney, so the list helps to keep things organized. If you read my bio you see how crazy I am with organizing for Disney...that's why I have a spreadsheet with table service restaurants and columns for links to pictures and menus. Oh yeah, I am a little OCD when it comes to organizing and planning for Disney.

One thing that is on my list is Club Cool. In case you haven't heard of Club Cool I will give you a little rundown. First of all, when you are in the parks have you noticed that there are no Pepsi products? You can ask for a Pepsi, but you won't get a Pepsi. Coke has a deal with Disney and therefore Coke products are what you will find in the parks and resorts. As a result, they opened Club Cool in 2005 and offered different kinds of Cokes. These different flavors are from all over the world. So you get to taste what kind of Coke products other countries enjoy. They switch out often, but the one that remains is Beverly. I have read and heard about this particular flavor, but I don't want to ruin it for those that don't know about it ;-) It is located in Future World and, from pictures I have seen, it looks as though there are multiple fountain drink stations. So, you shouldn't have to worry about lines for free drinks. Oh yeah, that's a pretty important part of the Flavors Around the World at Club Cool...it's free! So go in and try some drinks for free! Not bad, especially on a hot Florida day.

Photo from Yelp

Photo from Yelp

Map from Disney

Map from Disney

Something else I am hoping to see during out next trip is the Beach Club Villas (BCV). I have always wanted to stay at the Beach Club and we will hopefully have the opportunity on the next trip. The pool looks awesome and I love the design of the resort. Disney recently started some renovations on the resort that are expected to last a while, possibly past next year. We are not going to let that bother us though. Everyone in the traveling party is very excited to see this resort (and the pool), so we are going to go for it! Fingers crossed!

We had breakfast at Cape May Cafe and lunch at Beaches and Cream on the last trip. The resort was beautiful! I am hoping to see more of it during the next trip :-) Another reason to stay at the Beach Club...you can see Illuminations from the resort! I have asked around and you can see the fireworks from the pool and also from the bridge that will take you over to the Boardwalk. I believe there are some rooms where you can see the fireworks too. Imagine swimming in that fantastic pool while watching fireworks! Now they just need to put in a swim-up bar and I would be all set ;-)

One of the hot tubs in the pool area of 

the Beach Club.

I love this pool! You can see the slide

in the background. 

You can see the Boardwalk Inn from the pool.

Here is the sand bottomed part of the pool. 

It's like you are at the beach :-)

Some of the seating area and the pool bar.

I believe there are a few waterfalls

 around the pool. 

The arcade with your

standard arcade games.

Another must for us will be meeting Anna and Elsa. I know, everyone wants to meet them and I guess we are no different. We will have two girls in the traveling party that will be so excited to meet them. Actually, there have been some lists started, naming all the characters that they would like to see. Even the kids are making lists for Disney! I am telling you, it helps! So, we will do our best to get FastPasses for Anna and Elsa. I am hoping the craze will have died down a little, but I am not holding my breath. It is so much fun to see the looks on the kids faces when they meet their favorite characters. Our daughter was 2 on the last trip and Ariel was her favorite character at the time. The expression on her face during the whole meeting was priceless. We have a video of her meeting Ariel and I love it. It is the cutest thing! It was like she couldn't believe she was meeting her and the girl who was Ariel was fantastic with her. I cannot wait to see that expression again! 

The next item on the list is dinner at Boma. We have had breakfast at Boma twice and it is delicious! I think next time around my husband wants to try dinner there. He is a little more adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. I have heard good things about the dinner, so I think those of us that do not care for the spicy foods will still be able to find something. Plus, they have Zebra Domes for dessert...yum! 

If we do dinner there, we will probably end up walking to Kidani and trying out those night vision goggles. Unfortunately, during the last trip when we were staying there we never had a chance to do this. I'm hoping we will have time during this trip, because it sounds like a pretty fun activity for both kids and adults.

I'm also putting Splash Mountain on the list. I have been on this ride numerous times, but it was closed during our last trip and that sucked. I know the rides have to go down for refurb here and there, but that is my favorite ride, so I was bummed. My family went to Disney in 1992 right after it opened and we were able to ride it several times, it was so much fun! Now, when the logs float through the inside of the ride, the smells remind me of that trip :-) That is probably why it's my favorite ride. So I checked the refurb list and saw that is down for a refurb this winter, so we should be safe in the fall.

Those are a few things that we are looking forward to for the next trip. I'm sure there will be more posts relating to our planning of the trip as we get closer and after we have booked the hotel. If there are things that you don't want to miss, I highly recommend making a list. With so much to do at Disney, it helps to go with a plan!

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Pleasure Island, We Miss You So!

Don't get me wrong. I love shopping and dining out as much as the next girl, but I miss the different clubs that they had when Pleasure Island was open. I'm still not completely sure why they closed it. I can only guess that there was too much "un-Disney" behavior going on and people where complaining. So, I thought it would be fun to write about Pleasure Island for Throwback Thursday.

There were so many fun elements to the different clubs at Pleasure Island. I remember the first time I visited with two of my friends and we had so much fun! We met some locals who hung out at the clubs and one of them actually had "dance-offs" with a rival dancer whenever they saw each other at the clubs. I kid you not. He was was actually a very good dancer though, so I'm sure he won plenty of the "dance-offs" ;-)

My favorite club that we visited was Mannequins Dance Palace. The coolest thing about this club was that it had a revolving dance floor! It was so much fun! Although, depending on how much you decided to partake in the bar, you had to be careful getting on and off the revolving dance floor. I believe this is the same club that had the elevator that was the entrance to the club. So cool!

Another club that was fun was the Rock 'n Roll Beach Club. I remember this club had live music, which was usually played by different cover bands. We had lots of fun here too! This is the club where our new friend came face to face with his dance rival. He held his own and did just fine. It sounds like a cheesy movie story line, but I swear to you, it happened. We watched a real live dance-off at the Rock 'n Roll Beach Club.

A couple of other clubs that we went to that night were 8 Trax and Motion. These were both fun clubs as well! Motion played Top 40 music videos and 8 Trax was themed after the 1970's and 1980's (hence the name).

One club that we didn't make it to, that I wish we had, was The Adventurer's Club. I hear nothing but good things about this place and I know many people that wish it was still open. It closed in 2008, along with many of the other clubs, and people still talk about it and how much the miss this club. It sounds like it was a lot of fun! From what I understand it was an explorer's club, that was supposed to take place in the 1930's, and was staffed with some very good improv actors. I know there are a lot of people that would love to see The Adventurer's Club return to Downtown Disney. Unfortunately, I don't think Disney is going to bring it back. If they did, I would definitely have to check it out. I'm really sorry I missed it when it was still open.

Pleasure Island also had a DJ in a tower in the middle of all the clubs. So, even when you stepped out of the clubs there was music playing. There were outside vendors that sold drinks and personal pizzas. You could just spend the night outside, have some drinks, eat some pizza, all while listening to the music. I loved that! They also had fun projections on the walkways. Disney was able to make it feel like a club outside. You never had to leave the music.

So, while I enjoy shopping and dining, I really miss Pleasure Island. The Boardwalk has some clubs like Jellyrolls (the dueling pianos sound pretty cool) and the Atlantic Dance Hall, but it is not the same as Pleasure Island. It was one of those places where you could go and sort of escape Disney for a night, without actually leaving Disney. The other thing I loved about the clubs is, since they were in Disney, they were very well themed. It was fun going to each club, not just for the music, but also for the different themes. If Disney does one thing well, it's themes.

We miss you, Pleasure Island! You gave us a lot of fun and some pretty good music. We can only hope that the new shopping and dining areas, taking over the former Pleasure Island location, will be half as fun as the clubs were. So this Throwback Thursday is for you, Pleasure Island! Dance on!

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Mickey Mouse Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Who doesn't love Rice Krispie Treats®? I'm sure there are some people who don't, but I am not one of them. I love the marshmallow goodness that is a Rice Krispie Treat® and what better way to enjoy them than in the shape of Mickey? So, I used my Mickey Mouse muffin pan to make these delicious treats!

You can just use the Rice Krispie Treats® recipe that is on the back of the marshmallow bag. Once the marshmallow mixture is melted and it is nice and smooth, you can start mixing in the cereal. Mix it well, so there are no marshmallow clumps. After it is mixed well, you can start filling the pan. Don't overfill, just fill to the top and try to smooth as much as you can. This will help to keep the Mickey shape on both sides. When you have all six filled, stick the pan in the freezer for about five minutes. The treats should be ready to pop out at that point. Empty the pan and start over until all of the mixture is gone.

Make sure to fill to the top, 

but don't let it overflow. 

That way you keep the Mickey shape.

After five minutes in the freezer they

should be ready to come out.

This is what they look like after five minutes

in the freezer. So cute!

Sometimes I will add sprinkles in the mixture, to give it a little color, but you can add whatever you like. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, M & M's, nerds (if you really want to sugar it up!) or whatever your favorite candy is. You can also use melting chocolate and dip the lower half in and then decorate the chocolate, like we did with the candy apples.You can use lollipop sticks and make them into Mickey Crispy pops too. There are many fun options when making these Mickey Mouse treats! They are so easy to make. I had three batches (18) done in less than an hour. So, if you are looking for an easy treat to make for a Halloween party or any holiday party that is coming up, these will fit the bill. They are super yummy and you'll be done making them in less than an hour. Perfect!

Of course you can use it to make muffins, but there are other things you can try as well. Cupcakes would be cute and brownies are probably thick enough to stay together when taking them out of the pan. People also use silicone pans to melt crayons, mixing colors, so you can make some Mickey crayons with the pan too. It's fun to get creative!

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Silicone Mickey Mouse Muffin Pan

I love to bake. I love it even more if it is Disney related, of course. So I was pretty excited when Disney offered the Mickey Mouse muffin pan on disneystore.com. If you like making Mickey shaped goodies, then this pan is for you!

It is made of silicone, so it is very flexible. The flexibility can come in handy, depending on what you are using the pan for. It says it is a muffin pan, but to be honest I have yet to make muffins with it. I use it to make Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treats® and I love how they come out!

The muffin pan filled.

The muffin pan makes some nice and thick

Rice Krispie Treats®!

There's Mickey!

The muffin pan really is great. I use it all the time when we are having guests or if we are going to a party. It can be a little tough to clean, because of its texture and all the nooks and crannies of the Mickey head. With the Rice Krispie Treats®, the flexibility really helps with popping these out. It can be hard to keep Mickey's ears on right, but since you can basically turn the muffin pan inside out, Mickey stays intact. 

Unfortunately, Disney does not have the muffin pan available on the website right now. I checked Amazon and it looks like they have a bunch being offered by different sellers. This one has Prime available with it (6 pans left, at the time of writing) and the price seems reasonable ($23.97 at the time of writing). I am not sure if Disney is going to get this back in, it's possible they will, but if you don't want to wait you can order one from Amazon. I wouldn't go over $24 dollars though. It is very cute and makes fun treats, but I saw someone selling one for $35 plus shipping. It's cute, but it's not that cute! 

Picture from Amazon

Picture from Amazon

So, if you are looking for a fun way to make some Mickey Mouse treats, I highly recommend this muffin pan (at a reasonable price). It's an easy way to make some fun treats for the kids (and adults)!

Happy baking!

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Weekly Tip #3

I know you are on vacation and it's hard to wake up early on vacation, but at Disney World it is definitely worth it to get to the parks early. I will tell you why.

Setting an Alarm on Vacation: Why It Will Pay Off

You're on vacation and you want to relax, it makes sense. If you are doing a resort only stay at Disney then that would work, but if you are including the parks it pays to get there early. Especially if you have a list of attractions you don't want to miss. 

If you are like me, then your Disney vacations are planned out for each day. Disney makes planning out each day a necessity thanks to the dining plan and now the FastPass+ (FP+) system. So the last thing you want is to get to the park in the afternoon and not be able to see all of the rides, because the lines are so long and everybody is at the FP+ kiosks trying to get more FPs for the day.

If you get to the park, especially the Magic Kingdom, before the park opens you will get to see a lot more attractions. Not only will you experience more rides in the first couple hours of park opening then you would in the afternoon, but you will also get to see the opening show. I would recommend getting there an hour before the park opens, if you want to see the opening ceremony. The only one I have seen is the one at the Magic Kingdom and now I want to make it to the opening ceremony every time we go! It is the only way to start a Magic Kingdom day for me now. 

Video of the Opening Ceremony

Time to start the show!

Here comes the train!

Some of the characters help to open the park.

Of course Mickey is on the train.

Tiana and Chip 'n Dale

Stitch and Mary Poppins

Lots of singing and dancing at

 the opening ceremony.

Waving to the crowd.

And the park is officially open!

Once we were in the park, we made our way to the castle and were able to get pictures will almost no one around. After the pictures, we made our way to the attractions we wanted to see and the wait times were almost non-existent. I'm telling you, it's worth it to set the alarm for park days. If you go early, you should be able to see everything you want before the park gets crowded and be back at the hotel swimming by the early afternoon. If you or someone you are traveling with hates waiting in lines then this is the perfect plan for your group.

Another possible bonus for going early? You might get picked as the Family of the Day. They get to come in on the train with the characters and help open the park! It's a pretty memorable experience for everyone in the family. 

So, between the opening ceremony, the possibility of being the Family of the Day, and getting on rides before the crowds come, I would say it is definitely worth it to get there early. We didn't regret it at all. In fact, as I said above, I would love to make it to the opening ceremony every time we go to the parks (Magic Kingdom in particular). Nothing beats a non-crowded castle picture! :-)

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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Downtown Dis.....Er, I Mean Disney Springs

It's going to take me a while to get used to that name change. I still call Hollywood Studios "MGM", so we see how well I do with change. They haven't officially changed the name yet, at least not that I have heard, so I've got a little time to get used to it. I'm sure there are still people who call it Disney Village Marketplace ;-)

So what is going to be available in the new Disney Springs. Mainly, shopping and restaurants. The old Pleasure Island spot is being transformed into more restaurants and more shops. Don't get me wrong, I love shopping and dining out as much as the next girl, but I really do miss Pleasure Island. The clubs were awesome, but I digress...a topic for another day.

They do have some new offerings in Downtown Disney. One of which is a new, pretty large, Starbucks. Allowing Starbucks on the property is also a topic for another day...still not sure how I feel. The Starbucks building is actually pretty cool though. Check out the review here from Disneyfoodblog.com. They have a lot of pictures of the new Starbucks and some of the features are really interesting. For instance, they have a grass roof that where they use recycled coffee grounds to help grow the grass. The other really cool feature is the interactive screen. Here you can actually see what is going on at the Anaheim Starbucks and they will be able to see a chalk version of you! I will definitely have to check that out the next time we are there.

Picture from disneyfoodblog.com

Another new addition to Downtown Disney is the Food Truck Park. I don't know when food trucks became such a "thing", but they are. So much so that Disney has given them their own space Downtown Disney actually has them listed on their website, so you can see more information of the food trucks here. My husband is a fan of food trucks, so I'm pretty sure this will be a stop on our next trip. New shops will be opening up throughout the process as well. One new shop is the Marketplace Co-op and I can't wait to check it out! Here is some info on it.

When we were there in January 2014 the construction for the transformation to Disney Springs had already begun...and it was a mess. From what I am hearing it's pretty bad around Downtown Disney these days and people are recommending that take Disney transportation instead of driving yourself. We are planning to go next fall and construction will still be going on then and I'm sure it will still be a mess. They are looking at 2016 for completion and the full transformation to Disney Springs. Here are some renderings from Disney Parks Blog when Disney Springs was first announced.

Town Center and The Landing

The Landing

Family-Friendly Marketplace

It looks like it is going to be nice and I can't wait to see all the new shops and dining options! I have to say, though, that I am glad they are keeping The Marketplace. I love walking around there and love all the shops! Plus, that little train that the kids ride on is super cute. 

The Lego Dragon

\

Display From the Christmas Store

Fulton's (love this place!)

Happy Holidays!

Rainforest Cafe

The train in the Marketplace at Downtown Disney.

What do you think? Are you excited for the changes being made to Downtown Disney? I won't lie, I'm excited for more shopping options...not sure my wallet is though ;-)

Thanks for reading!

Liz ⁰O⁰

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