These are a few of my favorite apps – Touring Plans!

The only Disney app I need is Touring Plans. I first heard about Touring Plans through their Unofficial Guide books, and through the (best) Disney podcast Mousetalgia. Yes it costs money ($6.95 I believe for a year’s DL/DCA subscription, more if you add WDW). Yes it is absolutely worth it. So much information at your fingertips!

Here’s a sample of some of the information I use most regularly. If you’re familiar with the books, however, you’ll know that they also offer…well, Touring Plans, hence the name. Their website says that their plans can save you hours in line; for me the most helpful information is the crowd calendar and wait time features. There’s even links to restaurant reviews and menus, if you’re hungry in the parks or just trying to plan your trip.

 

In my experience, I feel like the crowd predictions may have been slightly “off” in the past year or so (some days have a lower crowd prediction than it ends up being, it seems), but that’s probably because the Disneyland Resort is so very popular! All of the new additions I’m sure have an effect on crowds (UNDERSTATEMENT). However, I feel like the reported wait times you get is worth the price of the app alone – you can find out (via another user) an attraction’s wait time, or if it’s been closed, without having to make the trek yourself. Also, is it possible that Disney's posted wait times are sometimes...wrong? Their predicted wait times have proven (for me) to be more accurate.

 
For me, knowledge is power. The reason I became such a huge Disney nerd is because I was planning a trip and just…got…so…INTERESTED! I never stopped; now I try to know everything, because why not. This app helps me know (almost) everything, and I love it. Thank you, Touring Plans and The Unofficial Guide! (I would work for you guys in a second if I could. Also their website touringplans.com is pretty great, too.)

It’s especially nice if you’re stuck at home in rainy Washington, just wondering about how the parks are today. Sigh!

I'm Disneybounding today!

For anyone not familiar, the term “Disneybounding” means theming an outfit to a Disney character, movie, ride, land, ANYthing! Leslie from disneybound.tumblr.com is the trendsetter, and the Disneybound site has a lot of cool ideas to serve as inspiration. She posts an outfit (+accessories) and usually includes where you can purchase each item. Some are very reasonably priced, others…not so much. But the Disneybound site is really meant to inspire your own creativity, not give you a shopping list (though I admit I’ve bought a couple things via DB!). Here are a couple recent posts:

 

 

Right now we’re in the very beginning of the “March Challenge.” A Disneybound fan last year tried to DB every day in March, and the challenge has caught on! If you’re on tumblr, Pinterest or twitter you can search the tag #disneybound to see what others have come up with. Many people have picked up on the trend, but Leslie’s disneybound.tumblr.com is the original.

 

 

 

And here is my DB for today! I’m Disneybounding as Adventureland! My skirt has birds, bugs and butterflies on it, my earrings remind me of the birds’ nametags in the Enchanted Tiki Room, my bracelet is from Africa, my ring is from Thailand, and I feel very Jungle Cruise/Tiki Room/Indiana Jones today. Lovelovelove.

 

 

Disney Audio/Music Love

As with (most) all things Disney, I love Disney music. It’s probably my favorite part of the park atmosphere. Here are my favorite Disney music resources:

 

Reedy Creek Radio

Reedy Creek Radio is my go-to; I use it probably every day. You can stream park music and podcasts (they also have a free app for iPhone) – there’s nothing like getting ready for your day listening to the Splash Mountain queue music, or hearing the Magical fireworks soundtrack just before bed. I love hearing the Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland spiel, and hearing Jungle Cruise area music jokes I’ve never heard before! I have to restart the app a lot, but whatever, I’M PRETENDING THAT I’M ON THE MONORAIL!

 

YeahDisneyAudios

YeahDisneyAudios is a tumblr I follow, and they even have the option to download music. I’ve never done this, and I’m not sure if it’s completely legit, but they have some great stuff, and they even take requests. Just about anything you can imagine, they have. Full ride audio, Dapper Dan performances, even queue safety warnings. I have no idea how they can get all of this amazing music, but I’m hooked. Sometimes they post pictures too, so if you go to the page and don’t see music, keep scrolling, because it’s there, and it’s fantastic.

 

Covering the Mouse

Covering the Mouse features (of course) covers of Disney songs. It hasn’t been updated in a long time, which makes me sad. But it’s a cool place to go if you’re looking for some fun interpretations of Disney classics, old AND new - there are hundreds already there. Maybe download some of them to iTunes and NOT annoy your family and friends with overDisneying, haha. “What? This is Rosemary Clooney!”

 

Mouse Vinyl

Mouse Vinyl has a lot of full-length old Disney records uploaded for our listening pleasure. A healthy dose of nostalgia.

 

Happy listening! Day 2 of blogging every day in March complete! :)

Have a zip-a-dee-doo-dah day!

Pretty sure you need insoles for glass slippers.

 

Hello, Internet-land! I’m here and I’m in the mood to blog. Today about something kind of weird, but necessary – foot care at Disney! Unless you have wings, magic feet/shoes, or an ECV, this applies to you (so Tink, Cinderella, and my gramma – y’all can skip this post).

“Foot care at Disney? This sounds lame and gross.” I know, I know. I tend to over-prepare (and over-think?) sometimes, but honestly I’d rather do that and have an awesome trip than be uncomfortable and sad the whole time. I’m sure there are others out there like me. :)

Before I just list what I like, let me just say that this is what has worked for me. I’m not a doctor! I’m a curvy girl, and I do NOT run, but my job as a preschool teacher requires me to stand and walk around pretty much all day. I don’t have kids, so no stroller, and it’s usually just at my own pace (sometimes faster, sometimes not). I hate wearing wet shoes, and I also hate not being able to do whatever I want on vacation, so I almost always wear something water-resilient (something I don’t have to wear socks with) because if I feel like a water ride I don’t want to worry about my shoes. I like to open and close the parks OH YES I DO.

I don’t deal with debilitating pain with my feet/legs; before I go on a trip I try to incorporate some long-distance walking in to my days to prepare.

That having been said, here is what I normally bring for my tootsies on a Disney trip:

Bandaids – try to keep them on you at all times, just in case

Moleskin – also just in case

Lotion – I am blessed with an overabundance of The Body Shop Body Butter, so that’s what I usually bring (when I check a bag). It’s super thick and good for worn-out feet. When I’m traveling carry-on, I just take whatever lotion I can. I know there is stuff out there made just for feet, too, but as I said…I have a lot of Body Butter.

Rubber Ball – the one I have is smaller than my fist…maybe, slightly bigger around than an Oreo? – I got mine from one of the machines in our local Old Navy for 50 cents, haha! This is what I use to massage each foot at the end of the day; just put it on the floor and roll your foot around on it. I guess you could also get a “real” travel foot massager, but I live on the cheap, and this is just so portable!

Peppermint Water – I know, this sounds weird. And I don’t know where I heard of it, but it’s very refreshing and as a bonus makes your hotel room smell like peppermint and not like tired feet. Basically I just get a small spray bottle (they have these at most places you can buy travel-size products) and fill it with water and add maybe a teaspoon of peppermint oil. It makes your feet tingly and cool.

Tylenol/Aspirin/Ibuprofen – whatever you use. I take some as soon as I get ready to settle down and treat my feet. After standing all day, it helps.

Lookit that, I have written almost an entire page about feet! Who knew this could be so, um, interesting? Let’s continue with shoes.

My best friend can get through an entire day at Disneyland with little to no foot pain on a trusty pair of Old Navy flip-flops. She just can. She’s used to wearing them and she practically lives in unsupportive (adorable) flats. She learned the hard way to not break in a pair of new shoes at a Disney park, however. Yikes. If she’s not rocking the ON flip-flops she’s usually wearing Teva sandals.

Tevas

I need something more substantial. My requirements: must be sandal-like and waterproof-ish. Like I said, I will not wear wet socks but I want to ride Splash Mountain whenever I feel like it. I started out with (ugh) Crocs. I tried other, super comfy, nice sandals, but I got a blister and had to go back to Crocs. I tried to be slightly cuter than the “classic” version and bought the Mary Jane style, but Crocs is Crocs, and I just dealt with it. (Disclaimer that I do not wear Crocs ANYwhere else.)

eugh. I actually own these.

 

Since then I tried out a knockoff pair of FitFlops, and those worked out so well that I bought the Disney FitFlops on my next trip, and those have pretty much become my parks shoes. Super supportive, cuter than Crocs, and Disney-fied! I’d recommend them to anyone, or if you can’t afford FitFlops, you can get similar shoes at Payless.

My actual, well-worn Disney FitFlops

Quick lightning-round about shoes:

Mom: wore her $20 sandals from Macy’s to Animal Kingdom/Epcot all day, no problems. Wore flip-flops with a band across the back for Typhoon Lagoon.

no shoes in this, I just think this pic is cute!

 

Maddie: “Crocs. Ugly but comfortable.”

see? ^

 

Caitlin: wore her usual tennis shoes with socks, used gel inserts. When her feet got wet, she went back to the hotel and changed. When she wasn’t wearing sneakers, she used Teva-like sandals and felt okay.

see? ^

 

If you plan to take a break at your hotel during the day, you can always switch shoes. Sometimes it’s nice to have a change.

Hope these (now 2) pages of feet info helps! Have a great trip! Take care of your feet!

One last thing – if somehow after everything, including your older sister’s knowledge and best intentions, you’ve still managed to find yourself in the parks with uncomfortable shoes, a raging blister and no supplies (ahem, Maddie), you can take a trip to the First Aid station located at the end of Main Street (across from the Central Plaza, next to the Baby Center). Her experience: “There were a couple people there but this one lady was really nice and helped me right away. She saw my foot and was very sympathetic about it; she gave me an ankle bandage and an extra one for later, too. They were very helpful. Also I signed like a Medical Log thing, so now my name will be there forever!”

when a loved one has special needs: using a Guest Assistance Pass and other tips I've learned

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been to the Disney Parks many times. In fact, people no longer act surprised when they find I’m going or have gone; they just say, “Another trip?!” Which I understand. (Because they’re JEALOUS.) Anyway, to the point. I’ve been to Disney with adults, with kids, with lots of people, and alone. With a fox, in a box, in the rain, on a train, etc. So I’ve experienced many points of view when it comes to touring. Today I’m going to talk about touring with someone who has special needs.

I have two pretty great sisters. One of them (age 21) has Asperger syndrome. It’s a spectrum disorder with some shared traits of autism. Spectrum disorders are called such because they are many and varied, but Wikipedia describes AS like this: “Asperger’s is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.” Saying that it’s been hard to deal with throughout our lives would be an understatement, but just like anyone, our family just does the best we can.

When we got the opportunity to go to Disneyland at Christmastime, I was so happy for her! It was her first time, and I wanted it to be wonderful. Here’s where we need to be careful – I’ve said it before, expectations can make or break a vacation. Having realistic expectations is key. I knew this would be different from the trips I’d taken before. I knew that we needed to plan far enough in advance to prepare her for the trip. We could watch rides on youtube, plan where we wanted to eat, and decide what shows were a must-see. In my sister’s case, she is extremely routine-driven, so everything about this “vacation” would be outside of her comfort zone, and when she gets put out of her comfort zone things get unpleasant for everyone. So we tried our best to be as prepared as possible, which definitely helped!

I wanted her to have a Guest Assistance Pass so we could have the option of shorter wait times. We weren’t looking for a “free ride,” but if the situation got too crowded or uncomfortable things could get unpleasant for us and for those around us, so I thought it would be a good idea, just in case. At the time of our departure I couldn’t find a phone number to call for special needs services, so I just called the Disneyland Hotel and they connected me to the right people (this is a good tip no matter who you’re trying to contact!). They explained how to obtain a Guest Assistance Pass at City Hall, right when you enter the park. A doctor’s note is NOT required, but make sure they write down the correct number of people in your party and the length of your entire stay on the card! I also learned on this trip that there are different levels of GAPs – at first we were issued just a “wheelchair” pass, which meant that we could use the wheelchair entrances (usually the attraction’s exit ramp) to get to the front of the line. This is great for most of the rides in Disneyland. However, the pass couldn’t be used if the attraction had a wheelchair-accessible queue, which applies to most of Disney California Adventure. I agree with this practice (in fact, I’m familiar with it as my grandma used an ECV on our family WDW trip), but it didn’t really fit what we needed, so I had to make another trip to Guest Services. Once I explained, they very nicely stamped our pass so we could use it on any attraction. So it helps to double check when the Guest Relations Cast Members issue your pass. We ended up utilizing our Guest Assistance Pass about half of the time. The person on the card always has to be in the riding party, so no dice if they refuse to ride California Screamin’! Sometimes the wait isn’t shorter (cough, Pirates of the Caribbean, cough), so try to be aware of the regular wait times. We still used the Lines app from touringplans.com quite a bit.

The GAP is can be used for shows, too. We didn’t use it for parades or fireworks, but we did for World of Color and it worked out pretty well. Even with a pass, try to get there early, because those areas fill up quickly. In fact, we had a much more positive experience going to a second showing of WoC, because of the way cast members guide your group to your section in a (somewhat) orderly line. I know after that it’s every man for himself, but it made a huge difference for us. We were able to have a smooth transition to our seats, it was less crowded so we could sit together, and we weren’t stressing about pushing or being pushed. Of course this depends on the crowd levels when you visit the parks. If it’s not a crowded evening you might be able to comfortably find a spot on your own with little or no drama.

view from the special needs yellow section for WoC

A few other things that helped us have an amazing “Sisters Trip:”

-        Earplugs and sunglasses! If you have a loved one on the spectrum, you already know the sensitivity to light and sound that sometimes makes Disney trips challenging.

-        We took a long break every day, and had some early nights. This was so different for me; I am a rope drop girl and I like to close the park. When I “take a break” that means sitting on the curb drinking a cherry coke, not going back to the hotel! But it really worked best for all of us. We were able to have quiet time during the day, and even plan some special things at night while everyone else was in the parks. One evening we dressed up and spent some time in the Grand Californian lobby. We listened to the carolers and got our picture taken with Santa before our dinner reservations at Napa Rose. Everything was slower-paced and quiet, which was what we needed. It also made the nights we did close the park more fun.

-        We stayed on property. It’s more expensive, but it’s convenient and special, and that made it more pleasant for us to spend lots of time there during our stay. Also, walking through Downtown Disney was much less stressful for my sister than crossing the busy streets.

-        We tried to have one sit-down meal every day. When you add up the prices, it really doesn’t have to cost too much more (at Disneyland, anyway!) and it’s a nice experience that’s calmer than going counter service in the parks. Order a drink with refills and you’re already getting some value. And at Storytellers’ Café you get free bread. (Side story – our waiter there was SO sweet – when he boxed up our leftovers he snuck in an entire box of bread and corn muffins without telling us! We had breakfast for the next day and lived like kings. We still talk about it.)

-        We ended up planning two character breakfasts. It was important for my sister to meet characters and I thought this could be a good way to see a lot of them without having to wait in too many lines or get disappointed because our line had been cut off. We still did meet some characters in the parks, but going to these meals ensured that we got a good breakfast (she sometimes forgets to eat or isn’t hungry, which makes her feel wretched later!) and a lot of sweet character interaction.

Minnie & Friends character breakfast at the Plaza Inn

-        This goes along with my “realistic expectations” mantra: when she was overtired, we stopped, and we *gasp!* didn’t do everything. Once again, this feels like Disney blasphemy to me, but dragging people around when they’re tired and cranky really is about as fun as it sounds. So even though I wanted so badly for her to see Fantasmic! we didn’t go. Being flexible is a good tip for any vacationer. But there will be another time, and when we see it I’ll probably spring for the reserved seating so she can sit down and eat while we wait.

I know some of these suggestions involve spending more than you might otherwise. Every person is different, and this is what worked for us. We had a long time to save and plan, and it was absolutely worth it. She had a blast. We all had a blast. I look at these pictures and feel tears well up a bit, because she's smiling so beautifully and that's not something I always get to see. She wore her “First Visit” button proudly every single day. I feel so fortunate that I was able to enjoy such an experience with my sisters!

Being as knowledgeable and prepared as possible helped us have an amazing trip. Hopefully this can be helpful to others who are hoping to do the same!

Funniest picture from my WDW trip

The nice cast member boy was trying to get me to move along, but I was not leaving until I got this.

Not even tuppence a bag, y'all.