Are you ready to glow with the show? Check out the latest episode of the Disney Parks Podcast! We’ve got some Disney news sprinkled in with some resort information too!
Bonus content also includes Parkhopper Sid singing a Spice Girl’s Song, Tony’s FAVORITE perk of the Deluxe Resorts…and why I think YOU should treat yourself to a stay in a Disney resort…even if you are a local.
We know real life can sometimes be tough, so we work hard to keep things light – and make you smile. We truly hope you enjoy the show.
I do want to apologize for the sound quality during certain parts of the show. Hopefully you will find that the subject matter and tips we share with you – are worth it.
As a reminder – to listen to the show – just click the photo above to go to the DPP page. Look for the small grey circle with the sideways white triangle inside. Click on that circle and make sure your speakers are on. The show will begin immediately. There’s a lot of time sensitive news and information in this one so don’t wait – listen in as soon as you can. Thanks for tuning in – I appreciate you SO much. 🙂
Congratulations! If you read Disneyways back on August 31st 2013 youalready knew the measurements, pricing and styles of the highly anticipated Disney By Vera Bradley collection! You get to tell your friends and family you were right! Today we got official word from Disney on these numbers, and here they are! Photo credit Disney Parks Blog.
In addition we got a reminder about the patterns! They melt my heart! Aren’t they adorable?!
We got some new information today too! Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Vera Bradley Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, will also be attending the September 21 release party. Barbara will be meeting with fans that morning from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. A limited number of wristbands to meet Barbara will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis to guests who make purchases that morning.
We love you Barbara! Not to outshine you though…there is more BIG news everyone has been waiting for!! It’s almost like an early black Friday! Are you ready for this?
If you are planning on attending the eventon Saturday, Disney would like to make you aware that parking for Downtown Disney Marketplace will begin at 3:00 a.m. YES – you read that right. That is 3 o’clock in the morning eastern time!
Getting up before the birdies helps guarantee you a place in line.
There will be a designated queue outside World of Disney starting at 4:00 a.m. Wristbands will be given to guests in line to “ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for everyone”.
There will be purchase limits in place at the World of Disney in Florida on September 21-22, 2013.
Guests can get (1) of each style of Vera Bradley bags in the “Just Mousing Around” collection (8 styles total) and one (1) of each style of Vera Bradley bags in the “Midnight with Mickey” collection (8 styles total). You can get your bags only while supplies last. Disney reserves the right to change any of these rules without notice.
Don’t feel sorry for me though…I have invested in a ticket to Florida Blog Con – a currently sold-out blogger conference being held here in Orlando on the very same day. I have been looking forward to his conference since tickets first went on sale months ago. Last year was amazing and this year is expected to be just as wonderful! I am super excited and I just can’t wait!
Besides…if I am a good little girl maybe Santa will leave one of these gorgeous Vera Bradley bags under my Christmas tree this year. Do you think Santa reads Disney blogs?
OK so what are your thoughts? Are you going to get involved in all this excitement? What patterns and styles will you be wishing for – or perhaps buying? Please leave me a comment and tell me all about it! Have a magical day!
BUT, here’s some great news for those of us who were not able to attend. My buddy John from BigFatPanda.com has posted a video he filmed during the big night! Like some sort of lovable octopus with multiple hands and arms – he held food, drinks, the video camera – and still managed to get smiles and comments from some of the best Disney correspondents in our community. What a guy! Watch closely to see everyone’s favorite Disney blogger – Mya Space – a character actor hired by Disney to keep everyone laughing!
I think you will agree that it is a real gift to be able to hear and see what it was like to attend this fantastic event. Thanks Panda for sharing the Disney magic with us once again!
Oh and if you will be in the Walt Disney World area on September 13th 2013 – there is another meetup to come. Everyone is invited. No fast and furious emails required. Click here for details, and have a magical day!
Have you heard about the fantastic Disney Collection by Vera Bradley coming to the Disney Parks and at the Disney Parks on-line store? I scoured the internet to see if I could find price points and measurements for you on the different designs – and I was very excited to find this information to be able to share with you today. The bags are just gorgeous and if you’re wondering if they will fit in to your budget (like I was) – here are some guidelines to follow.
I do want to provide the disclaimer that this pricing was found at Disney World Personal Shopper. Disney has not formally released this information themselves, so I am unable to promise you that it is completely accurate. Also, as with all things Disney, pricing is subject to change. These measurements were taken from similar items on the Vera Bradley website and may not be exact either. Please keep these things in mind and use these figures as a “general” idea.
Backpack $99.00 The approximate measurements are 10 1/2″ by 13″ by 4″ with a 31 1/4″ adjustable shoulder strap and a 2″ drop.
Tote $99.00 (Judging from previous pictures, the “tote” is the Vera – 6 slip pockets on the inside, zip pocket on the back, slip pocket on the front.)
Dimensions are: 19 1/4″ x 14 3/4″ x 6 1/4″ with an 11″ strap drop.
Duffel $99.00 The approximate measurements are 22″ by 11 1/2″ by 11 1/2″ with a 15″ strap drop
Hipster $70.00 The approximate measurements are 11″ by 11″ by 1 3/4″ with a 52″ adjustable strap
Mini Hipster $60.00 The approximate measurements are 6″ by 7 1/2″ by 3/4″ with a 53″ adjustable strap
Smart Phone Wristlet $55.00 5 1/2″ by 3 1/4″ by 2″ with a 6″ strap
Cosmetic Case $35.00
ID Case $15.00 5″ by 3″
For more information about The Disney Collection by Vera Bradley including release dates, design names and more – click HERE.
Check out the latest episode of the Disney Parks Podcast! Hear how Disney is “going to the dogs” and so much more! The team has been working hard to improve the sound quality and I think it really shows! Leave me a note if you are enjoying the podcast and let me know what you would like to hear more of, or if you have questions or comments! I’d love to hear from you. Have a magical day!!
PS We will have a limited supply of goody bags and prizes available at our next event. Click here for details and come join us! As a reminder – to listen to the show – just click the photo above to go to the DPP page. Look for the small grey circle with the sideways white triangle inside. Click on that circle and make sure your speakers are on. The show will begin immediately. There’s a lot of time sensitive news and information in this one so don’t wait – listen in as soon as you can. Thanks for tuning in – I appreciate you SO much. 🙂
There is a new Disney princess movie! In fact there are two princesses- sisters Anna and Elsa-in the movie Frozen.
Frozen is loosely based off of Hans Christian Anderson’s story the Snow Queen. While you may not realize it, Hans Christian Anderson is the writer of some of the most beloved children’s stories in existence. He wrote The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and my favorite, The Little Match Girl (*note* if you do choose to watch this link of the Little Match Girl, grab a tissue).
Disney has done many of Anderson’s stories whether it’s a full length movie or a short film and now Disney will be able to add this production to its collection.
(A note from Krista: This post has been written by guest author Laura Bensen. Laura is a life-long Disney lover. She was born in Ventura CA and spent many weekends as a child at Disneyland with her family before she moved to Tacoma WA. Laura enjoys reading, writing, and learning languages. She also speaks fluent Disney. )
The Stories
In The Snow Queen, the story centers on the struggle between good and evil. The main characters are a little boy and a little girl. The boy becomes (literally) blinded by evil (an evil splinter) and is picked up by the Snow Queen who takes him into the wilderness to her snow castle to keep her company. The queen doesn’t do anything to harm him. She kisses him twice-once to numb and protect him from the cold and the second time to make him forget about his family. She sounds, simply, like a very lonely lady with only her snow bees to comfort her. The little girl treks across the wilderness searching for him with the help of a reindeer and a robber girl.
Frozen’s story is slightly different. Anna’s sister, Elsa, has secret magical powers that she has struggled controlling her entire life. Elsa accidentally loses control of her powers and curses her kingdom, by name of Arendelle, to a constant state of winter. Distraught, Elsa banishes herself to the mountains in Norway to live in by herself in snowy exile. Anna goes in search after her sister into the Everest like conditions of the mountains. Along the way she makes friends with an ice harvester, by the name of Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a magical living snowman named Olaf.
The Players
The voices of the main characters are played by some truly talented actors. The voices of the main characters are played by some truly talented actors:
• Kristen Bell, from Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshal will be playing the voice of Anna.
• Idina Menzel, from Enchanted, will be the voice of Anna’s sister Elsa, the snow queen.
• Jonathon Groff from Glee will voice the character Kristoff and Josh Gad, from The Book of Mormon, will be the voice of Olaf.
It is safe to say this movie will be jam packed full of amazing songs as Menzel, Gad and Groff have all had experience on Broadway. Menzel has been part of the original cast in productions like Wicked and Rent, Gad in the new musical The Book of Mormon and Groff in Spring Awakening. Kristen Bell also started her acting career in the Broadway production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Bell has always had a beautiful child-like twinkle to her voice but she just recently had a baby. In a People magazinearticle, it said that Bell’s voice changed to a deeper more motherly voice and they had to re-record her lines so her voice matched. It is unknown how far this will set them back because when making animated features, the voice acting is recorded first and then animators use recordings of the actor’s expression and motions when making the scenes for a movie. New recordings could mean they have to redo a lot of Anna’s scenes.
New Relations
Frozen is going to attempt something never done by Disney before. It is going to have a positive (royal) sibling relationship. Some of the Disney siblings we have seen in the past include Mufasa and Scar from The Lion King and Cinderella and her step-sisters- both where the siblings are not the greatest set of people. Even harder to do that having a positive sibling relationship is to make the dynamic between sisters work and be believable.
Any girl with a sister knows that that is not an easy relationship to maintain. It changes like the tide. One moment you are inseparable friends and the next you want to claw each other’s eyes out. It’s unexplainable but through thick and thin we come through for each other in the end. Frozen is definitely going to be a movie that will bring sisters together everywhere.
Frozen is scheduled to release on Thanksgiving Day this year so get together with your sister this November and prepare for another delightful Disney experience that will leave you feeling grateful for each other once again.
I DO however, enjoy a great Disney lounge! There are many reasons to stop in and check out a Disney bar – in some cases – even when you have the kids with you! Check out my latest post over at Chip & Co. to learn more!
Isn’t this an interesting picture? (Photo credit unknown)
I thought it might be fun to play a game called “Caption This Disney Pic – and Win!”
All you have to do to play is leave me a comment with your caption, and follow @DisneyPKPodcaston twitter.
Rules: Your caption needs to go in the box below – that says “What are your thoughts?” – and you must also leave us your twitter handle so we can confirm you are following @DisneyPKPodcast on twitter.
My son Brad will pick his favorite comment and the winner will get a surprise Disney gift! I will accept comments until Friday August 30th 2013 at midnight – eastern time. I will email the winner on August 31st 2013 and they will have 24 hours to respond before he picks another winner.
5 Tips to Help Make Your Trip to Disney More Relaxing
Are you ready to plan a trip to Disney with a big group or maybe just with your small family? Are you worried about keeping it all together so you don’t need a vacation after your vacation? Whether it’s your 1st or 100th trip, everyone can use some tips to help make this magical journey a little more relaxing. Here are some quick tips that I hope will help you keep calm – and Disney ON!
Use a Travel Agent!
You will want to find one that specializes in Disney vacations and pricing structures. Just let us know if you need a referral. Sometimes travel agents even run specials where you get free Disney gift cards or other fun bonuses. Even the most experienced Disney vacationer will love saving extra time waiting on hold to book the various aspects of a Disney trip. It is not uncommon for an agent to stay vigil on your behalf to help save you money too. If Disney drops a price, a travel agent can automatically cancel your original itinerary and re-book it at the lower price. They can help you with dining reservations to maximize your Disney Dining plan, help you plan the best time of year to go based on your family’s needs – and even reserve a stroller for your kids. Again, it doesn’t cost a penny more than doing it on your own. In fact, it saves you money… a lot of time…and will help maximize your relaxation factor.
Prioritize & Plan!
I have lived here in Orlando my whole life and STILL have not seen and done everything the parks have to offer. There is no way you will be able to cover everything in one trip. It’s just not humanly possible, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Now you just have a reason to keep coming back to do more. Communicate with the folks in your party to find out what top priorities are, and plan to cover as many of those as you can. Usethis list to help you pack. Take advantage of extra magic hours, (more on that later.) I also HIGHLY recommend using Theme Park Concierges to help you with your family’s ideal touring plan with less walking, gathering your fastpasses, and arranging all the extra magical experiences you could not possibly think of ahead of time on your own. Plus you will have so much more time to slow down, take deep breaths and enjoy more atmosphere, sightsand smellsof the Happiest Place on Earth.
Rent A Stroller!
Even if your child doesn’t use a stroller at home, get one. It gives them a place to rest and lets you move faster through the parks to beat the crowds. Also, it’s a handy place to stash your bags, extra water bottles, snacks and other fun things you may accumulate while making all those magical Disney memories. Check outour tips on making your stroller stand out from the rest so you can find it easily after each attraction. These tips help make using a stroller a breeze.
Book Sit-Down Meals!
Book one or even 2 reservations each day for a table-service meal so you can rest your feet and eat a good balanced meal in air-conditioned bliss. Here’s a Disney secret: book your dining at odd times. You are even MORE likely to get in to your favorite places AND enjoy relaxing service if you book late breakfasts or early dinners. If it’s not in the budget – counter service restaurants are more relaxing if you avoid the 11am – 2pm rush. One person from your party should go find a clean table,and get condiments and napkins while the others are in line to order the food. It’s more relaxing to team up in these locations.
Take a Break!
During your trip, take a retreat to the hotel in the afternoons for a quick nap and some fun time in the pool.Many times the kids enjoy the pool about as much as they enjoy the parks – especially if you are staying at a Disney resort – because the distance is shorter – and the pool will be extra fabulous. Another bonus of doing this is you can maximize Extra Magic Hours! These are the hours the parks are only open to guests staying at Disney resorts. Lower crowds and shorter lines…talk about relaxing – wow! What a difference those Extra Magic Hours can make! Your travel agent can tell you dates, parks and times for extra magic hours during your stay. If you take a break in the afternoons the kids (and you!) won’t be as tired if you decide to get up early or stay up late to take advantage of that extra park time.
Take advantage of these 5 simple tips to help keep you relaxed and having fun on your Disney trip. Most of all, try not to stress to much, this is going to be fun no matter what. You are on vacation after all!
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Disneyways 