Please click here to read more about our relationship with the Disney Parks Podcast and all the different ways to listen in!
Episode #43 has been uploaded! During this episode, you will hear me mention the contest Julie’s Contest. That contest has already completed and you can see the contest results here.
Thank you Julie for your amazing generosity in sending every single person who entered their requested piece of jewelry.
Even though the contest is over – you can still shop with Julie at a discount by using the keyword Disneyways at checkout.
Tony mentions a podcast where we got updates on Polynesian Resort rumors from the Tikiman. Please check out the WDW News Today podcast featuring the Tikiman here.
Click here for a direct link to check out episode #43 of Disney Parks Podcast from your computer, and thanks in advance for tuning in!
Have you heard? Monday, April 22nd is Animal Kingdom’s 15th anniversary! I wanted to quickly re-post for you what Disney has sent out so far about the occasion.
But first I need to let you in on a secret. If you are looking for more information on the entire Animal Kingdom Park in general – you really need to join Safari Mike at the MOST comprehensive site I have found so far on the web!
Read all the way to the bottom of this post to get the stuff from Disney and then head to:
The information from Disney about the anniversary begins below.
Special opening ceremony – Meet at the Tree of Life at 8:40 a.m., to hear from Josh D’Amaro, Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom; Dr. Jackie Ogden, Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment; and Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering Creative. Make sure you arrive early for this!
Earth Day “Party for the Planet” festivities – Special interactive activities that focus on animals and nature will take place throughout the park from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Artists and other vendors will present their work on in Africa and on Discovery Island, with their work available for purchase.
Opportunity to purchase special 15th anniversary merchandise, available in limited quantities.
Special food & beverage.
We’ll have more details on Party for the Planet fun, food & beverage and merchandise closer to the event date – stay tuned!
To join the conversation about the park’s anniversary online, use the hash tag #DAK15 on Twitter.
One year ago I sat down and decided to learn how to build a site in WordPress. I had never even READ a blog in my life. I knew nothing about Twitter, Pinterest, SEO, – let alone web design! I never thought of myself as a writer, although that hasn’t really changed.
Being born and raised in Orlando, I felt a little alone in my passion for Disney. I know it’s hard to believe, but some of us who live here take Disney World for granted.
My friends and family encouraged me to start this blog – perhaps because they were ready for me to share this enthusiasm with someone ELSE for a change! Now many of them subscribe to the blog and are constantly cheering me on. They are awesome!
One year ago with their support and encouragement, I embarked on an almost entirely self-taught crash course in web design.
Despite my fears and insecurities – you all are here.
Reading my stuff, interacting with me on social media, sharing a lot of laughs – and being more of an encouragement to me than you will ever know.
I have made precious and wonderful friends and I’ve joyfully reconnected with some from my past.
I’ve made hundreds, maybe thousands of connections to others on-line, some of whom I have never met in person (yet!)- but you certainly hold a place in my heart.
I wake up each day feeling like it’s Christmas morning. I had no idea what a wonderful thing this little Disneyways blog would become in my life.
I am so excited about what the future is bringing our way! I think I’m getting better at giving you the information you are looking for through the blog…and now…I’m learning a ton about podcasting, video production, e-book publishing and so much more! Year two is going to ROCK.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this journey with me. I look forward to many, many more anniversaries of sharing the Disney love with you.
In looking back…I wanted to share one of my posts from that first week. It still makes me laugh. I hope it does the same for you. Have a magical day!!
March 21st 2013, I posted on facebookthat I was headed to get my new touch and go plastic version of the Disney annual pass, and turn in my old paper one. I asked you to send me your questions about this whole process – and we got some great ones! Some came by email, some by PM, and some were posted in various groups. I have much more I will post on the process and FUN I had getting this new touch-and-go pass, but I wanted to get to your awesome questions first.
Before we get started – I need to make a couple of shout-outs! I asked my Twitter and Facebook friends to guess which character I picked for my new pass. The correct answer was Minnie!
Robert Bearden of the fabulous MickeyUpdates.com was the first to answer correctly on Facebook! Honorable mention goes to Anne @_annaporter and Michelle @cmch22 for being my only 2 guessers on Twitter. Thank you so much to everyone who played along!
The next shout-out goes to the wonderful folks over at the DVC Central facebook page for inspiring this Q & A session. You all are amazing with your constant support of each other, and you may never know the positive effect you have had on me and this blog. All under the direction of your fearless and fantastic leader, your friend and mine, Morgan Crutchfield. I am sure she has answered your questions better than I ever could by now, but I’ve included some of them here for the benefit of any readers who might be wondering the same thing you once were.
To my friends over at the Disney Dreamers group – you have a special place in my heart. I love you guys! Samantha, I know you are so proud. Thank you – and all the Dreamers – for your constant support.
Finally, another big thank you to each and every person who sent in questions, especially my wonderful Disneyways subscribers! You guys are the heart and soul of this whole thing. Thank you for taking this journey with me!
Enough mushy stuff…on with the questions!
Chantal G. – “Silly question are they plastic cards??? I am not all that fond of the paper ones.” Chantal…no Disney question is ever silly to me! Things change at lightning speed sometimes and a there is a seemingly never ending amount of new Disney information. Yes, these cards are plastic, and similar in size, width and flexibility as a driver’s license. I love it – I hope you do too.
Here is what I thought was the super cool secret part that (as far as I know) NOBODY else has posted any where on the internet. Get this…the cast members told me we don’t even have to take the thing out of our wallet for it to work. Of course I tried it…
They were right! I think I embarrassed my husband a little bit with how completely excited I was about this!!! I can’t promise it will work for everybody – but Disneyways readers will be informed enough to know they can try! I hope everyone will give it a shot- and let me know how it works for you!!
Linda R. – “I was wondering .. Do Season Passholders get the new card too or just annual passholders?” Linda this is for all passholders. Annual, seasonal, weekday and even Epcot after 4 passes will have the option to upgrade to plastic.
Mindy C. – “What determines whether your passes include parking or not? Is it a special kind of annual pass, or premium vs. regular?” Mindy, if you have a regular or premium annual pass, it includes parking – and this will not change when you switch to the new plastic card. There will be no doubt when you get it because the bottom of the card will have an orange stripe (see Minnie above) AND the back will have a red stripe like this:
Getting through the parking plaza will be a breeze. The cast members won’t have to squint like they do at the little black print on the old paper passes.
If you have a Florida resident seasonal or weekday pass – it does not include parking – and that won’t change. Your new card will have a black stripe on the bottom. If you buy a ticket as a day guest – your stripe will be green. See examples below:
Paul D. – “Are we allowed to request a character?” Paul this was a hot topic today! I am happy to report the answer is YES.
Alexis M. – “No more Pluto cards?” Alexis, Pluto is not an option at this time. Keep in mind however, you do not have to switch to the new plastic card. Also – please check out our post from January by clicking here. This post shows official pictures from Disney depicting the wonderful customization options we will get to choose once the MagicBandsare released. The cast member last night was so cute, he said “They are going to be as customizable as CROCS!” Referencing the shoes people wear that you can decorate.
Samantha J. – “What if someone has sensitive skin and couldn’t wear the MagicBands, would be another option ?” Samantha, the cast members told me last night that Disney invested thousands of dollars doing research to create a MagicBand that will not irritate even the most sensitive skin. It is also breathable so our arms won’t sweat. We can adjust the MagicBand to fit even a child – so they are one size fits (almost) all. Again, MagicBands are optional. You don’t have to switch over to one if you don’t want to.
Shannon K.W. – “Okay…so just so I have this straight (because my family thinks I have all the answers and I would like to continue to keep them fooled…hahaha!) Do we also have the option of bracelets…or is it just annual pass cards?” Shannon I love your question! Right now, our only option is upgrading to the plastic card if we choose. Disney will be rolling out the MagicBandsas soon as that technology is ready. No word yet on an exact date. Make sure you are subscribed to Disneyways so you will know the minute we find out!
Mark G. – “Still confused on if we will get replacements in the mail or will we have to go to guest relations when we go in June.” Mark, the cast members I spoke to last night were pretty confident that we will be able to get our new tickets or possibly Magicbands – if that technology is ready- as early as May 20th via the web, and then of course, if you order them on-line, they would arrive by mail. If you don’t have yours in time then you will head to guest relations when you get here. There are two more things they wanted me to be sure to tell you. One, if you haven’t already, you will want to be sure to register for an account here. Two, make sure you remember what email address you use to register this account. This is very important because all your MagicBand communication will go to that email address. Check your spam folder periodically if stuff tends to get sent there by accident sometimes.
The last questions I got were about Disneyland. Irene L. and Nichole M. thanks so much for asking! The information I heard (thanks Alexis M.) – was that Disneyland is not expected to have these new technologies until 2014 or later. You just never know with Disney, so keep an eye out for any changes there. I will do my best to watch – but Disneyways – for now, is mostly a Disney World resource (unofficially of course!)
Whew! I think that about does it. Again, if I missed your question, please let me know right away – the quickest being by facebook. I accept all friend requests.
You can also email me any time Disneyways@Disneyways.com There will be many more blog posts on this subject to come!
Now, in case there was ANY doubt in your mind about how much of a dork I really am….I have provided this lovely video. I did not know my husband was filming so what you are getting here is the real me. Check out this new little card and your MagicBand- in action – and listen to the little noise it makes! “Wow….that is really cool.”
Hello everyone, and welcome to Ask Morgan Mondays! Today’s question comes from Patricia in New Jersey, and I thought answering it would be a great way to introduce myself and this series!
Patricia says: “Hi Morgan, Before DVC Central and this site, were you involved with other Disney sites…..and if so, which ones?”
Hi Patricia! The short answer is no, I’ve never worked with other Disney sites prior to 2012. Much to my dismay, I’ve never been a cast member, either. I did read the Walt Disney biography in 6th grade, but I’m pretty sure any Disney cred I might have received from that has long since expired. My experience comes from spending a whole lot of time in the parks and answering questions for thousands of people about how to do Disney in the most magical ways possible.
Check it out. It’s a great read.
I’ve been going to Disney for years and have been helping friends and family plan vacations for a good long while, but I didn’t stumble on the Disney web communities until around 2011 when I was searching Facebook for a site or page that could give me some tips on how to use my Disney Vacation Club membership. I had so many questions about policies and procedures and basic planning that I was having trouble finding accurate, timely answers to. There were lots of great sites with pieces and parts of what I wanted to know, but I needed it all in one place! As I continued to research for friends and eventually, their friends who asked me to plan vacations, I got feedback that I wasn’t the only one looking for information. And so in June of 2012, with the help of a good Vacation Club friend Debbie, I started the Facebook group DVC Central. In the beginning, Debbie and I really just wanted a moderated page where Disney fans could ask and answer questions and talk about the Mouse. While we’d originally intended to focus on Vacation Club, we realized quickly that the importance that Disney has placed on pre-planning was leaving all kinds of Disney fans old and new with planning questions.
“Wait…HOW did you say this thing is going to work again?”
DVC Central grew in leaps and bounds and as it did, so did my concept of what I wanted my contribution to the Disney community to be. I saw Disney’s focus shifting to complete emphasis on pre-planning with dining reservations at 180 days and Fastpass+ and I heard regular Disney vacationers becoming concerned that they wouldn’t have the time or the know-how to plan. I knew that I could give them the tools they needed to address those concerns and refocus on having FUN with the new tech that Disney was rolling out. It’s been my philosophy for a long time that the more detailed information guests have, the better their vacations and experiences can be – not just what time the parade is, but where can my kids and I get the best view and even what can we do with the confetti they throw out? Disney has always been about magic for me and my family and I wanted to share the information that makes it that way. More, I wanted to share as much of the information as possible in one central (See what I did there?) location so that people who found me and my sites wouldn’t have to waste time collecting it all themselves. From refurbishment announcements to parks information, merchandise announcements, movie releases, and even just fun photos and videos, I wanted Central to be a one-stop-Disney-shop.
So why am I popping up on Disneyways? Well, it’s simple. In researching daily for Central and the vacations I continue to plan, I have found a huge community of bloggers and tweeters, commenters and podcasters who share and share alike. If we all help each other, we are more apt to have information that will help you maximize your time on property. I’m all about that. Krista has a fantastic blog here with unique and fun information, and I’m really excited to add to the magic of Disneyways. And some things, like my upcoming World Secrets series, require a few more words than Facebook and Twitter allow.
So that’s me, and I thank Patricia for a great first Ask Morgan Mondays question! Feel free to wander on over to DVC Central on Facebook and say hello! Join the group (www.facebook.com/groups/DVCCentral) if you’d like a great Disney community to talk to, or just “Like” the page (www.facebook.com/DVCCentral) if you’d like tips and information in your newsfeed daily. I’m a regular columnist on WDWFanzone.com and am on Twitter at @DVCMorgan. And don’t forget to look for me in the parks. In my typical getup (below), I’m usually pretty easy to find.
A note from Krista: Although Morgan has never worked with any other sites on a regular advice column, she has done some writing for WDW Fanzone.
In an effort to augment the fun and entertaining information you’ve come to expect from Disneyways.com – we are very happy to introduce to you to a brand new friend and a regular interactive feature!
“Ask Morgan Mondays!” with Disney Expert Morgan Crutchfield.
Morgan is considered the go-to girl for all things Disney. For years she has delivered expert news, and other magical information for hundreds, if not thousands of loyal friends and followers all over the USA and beyond.
Now, for the first time ever, she is available to answer any and all Disney related questions for YOU – our Disneyways friends and family!
Every Monday morning you’ll get your questions answered here at Disneyways.com in our new weekly feature “Ask Morgan Mondays!”
There has never been a better time to subscribe to get our updates by email – so you never miss a post!
Send your Disney questions to Morgan (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) by filling out this form, or you can participate with Twitter hashtag #AskMorganMondays
To learn more about Morgan, or for information about joining her fabulous Facebook group and fan page click here.
Who doesn’t love Crush from the Finding Nemo movie? I came across this today and I’ve had a ball sending it to my friends and family. I thought I’d share it with my Disneyways readers so you can create your own personalized video message from Crush too!
Click this link to go to the page where you can create your message. You don’t have to be on (or logged in to) facebook for this to work. About mid-page you’ll see an envelope with a circle around it. Click on that. Fill in all the fields (except the optional nickname since that doesn’t seem to do anything or matter).
Then hit the bubble at the bottom that says “make”…
From here you can have your choice of ways to share. I like email (the bubble furthest to the right) because I prefer not to give too much access to my connections on facebook or twitter…and that’s what this app will want you to do. It will probably also force you to log in to your facebook or twitter account to continue – and I really didn’t have time for that.
The next option is “Whom would you like to send this eCard to?” You can type in your card recipiant’s name again. Next is where I changed things up a bit. In the “Friends Email” option I put MY OWN email address. I created about 5 cards for 5 different recipients and sent them all to my personal email address. Crush didn’t seem to mind a bit – so I don’t think there is a limit of times you can do this.
Then when you login to your email account – the card is there in your inbox. It is beautiful and full of graphics. Keep in mind you still need to send a copy to your chosen card recipient and you may want to listen to make sure Crush says their name and location correctly before forwarding. My personal choice was to take the link off of the bottom of the card, paste it into another email and send only THAT to my friends and family, with a personal note from myself attached. This avoids any issues of them having trouble seeing it in all of it’s beautiful computer graphic glory when they view the card.
Crush was not able to say my cousin’s name (Brianne) so I had to choose for him to say Breana. Then when I sent her the note I told her that Crush’s Australian accent made his Brianne sound like Breana. I thought she’d get a kick out of that…and that was an added perk of sending it to myself first. I was able to customize it even further for her with a note from me. You can use this secret too if your card recipients have names Crush can’t pronounce.
Disney gets the benefit of advertising links on the bottom of this card being sent to your friends and family. I figure it’s a small price to pay for the fact that they created such an adorable personalized card AND made it free for us to use as many times as we’d like. I hope you have as much fun with this as I did! If you give it a try will you please write and let me know how it worked for you? Party on Dudes! Crush and I hope you have a totally awesome day!
Twitter was buzzing yesterday with announcements that Big Thunder was testing! It seems like we’ve been waiting for construction to finish forever but testing means we are so close to the grand re-opening! Monday is the official first day we can take the wildest ride in the wilderness – and I for one – am so excited I can hardly stand it. Check out these amazing pictures and posts from bloggers who were actually there!
John Frost, one of my blogging heroes, actually got to RIDE Big Thunder yesterday! Check out his write –up if you are interested in his honest review! There’s going to be a wider queue with added show scenes AND….wait for it….air conditioning!!! Yippee!!
What do you think? Are you going to head out for the big day tomorrow? Please send me your pictures and stories from the big day! My email address is disneyways@gmail.com.
