Author: Nancy

Disney Holiday Gift Giving: Traveling Essentials

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Wondering what to give a friend or family member who is planning a big vacation to Disney World (or anywhere else for that matter)? Or perhaps it is you taking the big trip and people need gift ideas for you? Either way, Christmas gifts are the perfect way to help make future traveling a bit easier, less stressful, and just more fun. Here are few of my favorite travel essentials that will make great gifts for anyone:

A GPS: Anyone planning a big drive to Walt Disney World…or who will be renting a car at Disney World needs to have one of these. Those of us who grew up with “maps” are especially in awe of how helpful a good GPS can be. And if you have an older one like we do, this is the perfect time to upgrade to a new model, as the prices are rarely cheaper than you will find right now.

DVD Player: Road Trip! Few words strike more fear into the hearts of parents everywhere than these two little words. Mental images of backseat fights, and threats of “Don’t make me come back there!” immediately come to mind. Of course there are a number of ways to make the time pass (and I’ll talk about another one shortly) but one of the most successful is movies. Having a car DVD player can save everyone’s sanity….and with some well-chosen Disney movies, you can get everyone “in the mood” while you’re at it!

But what if you’re not driving, but still want to keep the troops entertained while waiting in the airport…or even on the flight? Well how about a Portable DVD Player to the rescue!!

And to make sure that everyone is happy when your kids want to watch Monsters Inc. 4 times in a row, don’t forget the headphones. 🙂  Just sayin’.

Travel Kiddy: Back in the day, before it was possible to bring movies along with you in the car to entertain the kids, I made a trip to the toy store before every trip, to make a travel fun bag for our daughter. Filled with lots of fun games and things to keep her entertained, the travel fun bag made our trips much happier for everyone. Even now, while movies are great, there will be times when it’s time to turn the thing off and do something else. And Travel Kiddy is the perfect solution: travel fun bags already created, filled with hours and HOURS of entertainment for little ones and big ones too! The Travel Kiddy site is divided into different ages, and even includes a section for puzzles and games for older kids and adults. Not sure what would be best for someone else? They even sell gift certificates. This is a great site with tons of great travel items already packed and waiting to leave on vacation with you. No need to make your own. 🙂

So there you go, gift suggestions for making the trip to Walt Disney World happier for the kids….and therefore happier for the adults. Whether it’s for your family, or for someone on your gift list, I hope these gift suggestions will help. Happy shopping! 🙂

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of December 6, 2010

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Greeting Disney Friends! Today’s tour of the Disney blog-world finds several winter and Holiday related posts, some new ways to make your Disney vacation more affordable, and some articles that are just plain fun! I had a blast reading all of these this week and I hope you will too! So get a great big glass of eggnog (spike it if you wish 🙂 ) and sit back and enjoy your weekly round-up of Disney fun!

Starting with our friends at Chip and Company, Brenda (yes “our Brenda”) had two awesome articles about how she keeps the Disney spirit alive at home: My Disney Dream Office and A Very Merry Disney Christmas…at Home!

And Ken had another installment in his series Oldies But Goodies – Keeping The Vacation Affordable (thanks for the shout-out Ken!)

Disney Dispatch offered some great park-touring Tips from the Disney Diva: My Favorite Things, Episode 03

Have you seen how cold it has been in Walt Disney World this week? Fortunately, if you are going and you forget a hat, the Disney Parks Blog has a few ways for you to stay warm: Winter Hats at the Parks: Do You Have a Favorite?

Kelly over at the Disney Guru had some interesting things to share this week. You can find out just how “Disney” you are in Tuesday’s top ten signs you are a Disney geek (and evidently, I am a pretty major Disney geek…. 🙂 )and in Keeping Up With The Magic she had some great ideas on how to keep your Disney vacations fresh (and I learned a few new things too!)

Disney Food Blog gave me some inspiration for our trip in a few weeks. I think my husband is going to enjoy the Holiday Brewer’s Collection Booths in Epcot and this post just added to my already lengthy “must eat” food list: Things I Learned at the Funnel Cake Stand

Growing Up Disney also had multiple helpful articles this week. Team Post: What’s the Best Age for a Child’s First WDW Visit? provided some great guidelines. And if you have ever wondered what would happen if you or someone in your group became sick or injured while at Disney World, then you will want to read Wow, am I glad you’re here!

Shannon at Meltdown Free Disney has an extremely timely post for how to handle things when your kids ask the “big questions”. In Getting Real About Pretending she shows how to handle the situation with gentleness and understanding.

You may be walking a lot at Disney World, but many want to keep to an actual exercise schedule. Pop Century Fan Site has some suggestions if you are staying there: Exercise at Pop Century Resort

In the spirit of the season, Traveling Mamas has some great ideas for Affordable Travel Gifts

Looking for some Holiday fun to share with your family? WDW Daily News tells us how Disney Online Puts Fun and Ease into Holiday Planning with the New ‘All Things Merry: A Guide to the Holidays’

Finally, we were pleased to be part of the latest Disney Blog Carnival #14 where you can find even MORE great Disney bloggers, blogs, and blog posts.

Happy reading and happy weekend! 🙂

Wordless Wednesday: Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

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A highlight of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the weeks leading up to Christmas is Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Disney does great parades, and this is no exception. Featuring many of your favorite characters in their finest holiday garb, you will also find ice skaters (yes in Florida, don’t ask, it’s that Disney magic 🙂 ), Marching Wooden Soldiers, and at the very end, Santa himself. And there are great holiday “smells” too…. Of course the castmembers are wearing appropriate festive attire too, including hats, scarves, and mittens, bless-their-overheated-hearts. If you want to see the parade, and will be there during Christmas week, you’re in luck because it is held every afternoon. Happy Holidays!

Disney Holiday Gift-Giving: Luggage and Bags Disney Style

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Essential for any Disney vacation are those items you will need to “keep stuff in”, that is luggage, backpacks, tote bags, and diaper bags. The thing is, while these things are necessities, why not add a little “Disney” to something that is basically functional….and make it fun? The benefit of this is, of course, bringing the Disney love along with you PLUS having that happy Disney reminder day in and day out after you get home!

With that in mind then, here are some of my favorite Disney travel accessories (a few of which may end up on my Christmas wish list for our upcoming Disney World trip):

Disney Princess Luggage: On our first trip to Walt Disney World, one of the things that our daughter (then age 7) was most excited about was having her “own suitcase”. She would have loved the princesses on the outside. I would have loved the hard case and wheels that make it easy for little ones to take care of their own bag.

Disney Rolling Light-Up Buzz Lightyear Luggage: The solution for little boys, this case will help future Space Rangers to easily travel to Disney World, or Infinity and Beyond, whichever they prefer.

Blue 3-Piece Rolling Disney Luggage Set: For the grown-up on your list (or maybe you?? 🙂  ) I personally really like this 3 piece set for the sizes available and especially like that the duffle is wheeled. Plus, I love the blue color too. Yeah…this one’s going on my Christmas wish list.

Black 3-Piece Disney Rolling Mickey Mouse Luggage Set: This one’s for the person who really wants to have their Mickey on when traveling. One of the things I really like about this set is that you can EASILY pick out your luggage at baggage claim at the airport. 🙂

Tinkerbell Diaper Bag Backpack – Adjustable Shoulder Bag: Know someone who will be traveling to Disney World with a little one? A Disney diaper bag is a great gift idea. I love all the pockets on this one as well as the fact that it can be either a shoulder bag or back pack.

Disney Mickey Mouse Tote Bag: Having a tote bag of some sort is essential at the parks. At 15” x 17” this bag is roomy and it has a nice interior zippered compartment which I really like. Plus it’s just plain fun…..and also going on my Christmas list!

Disney Dooney & Bourke Black Tassle Tote: I will readily admit that this does NOT qualify as affordable….but it is gorgeous, and one can hope, right? Disney’s Dooney and Bourke collection is extremely popular and there are many different designs, patterns, and sizes that are available. And while this bag may or may not be in Santa’s budget this year, there are some smaller items like wallets, wristlets and such that can help you be stylishly Disney. But if we’re going to dream….then this is the one I’m dreaming of…..

Hope you found some great Disney Holiday gift items for your favorite Disney traveler…or for your own wishlist! Happy shopping!

The Affordable Mouse is Celebrating a Birthday!

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I am excited to be celebrating our First Birthday this week! One year ago I made the decision to move The Affordable Mouse from a little blog with occasional posts to a “grown-up” website and blog. Just a year later, we have grown to be quite the community, with a Facebook page now as well, that is closing in on having 350 fans…and growing!

As I begin our second year, it is a great time for me to share with you a few things that I am working on, that will all hopefully be finalized before the end of 2010…as well as some ideas I have for the coming year:

  • Website re-design: As our community has grown, it is important for me to be able to provide a better way for you to find the information that you need to save money at Disney World. In addition, I have things that I have been wanting to add to the site as well 🙂 so this is the perfect time to for me to do some re-designing. My plans are that the finished product will be done before Christmas and once complete will provide an improved experience for you! Stay tuned for details!
  • Affordable Disney Dining Guide: This project that was born as a result of your responses to a survey that I ran in the spring, is in the editing stages now, and so is nearly finished! I currently expect to release it as an e-book right after the 1st of the year, just in time for your 2011 vacation planning!
  • The Affordable Mouse Community: In many ways, this part is the most important to me, because it is at the heart of why I started The Affordable Mouse in the first place. My vision for this site has always been one of a community of Disney World-lovers, where ideas, tips, and suggestions for saving money on a Disney World vacation are shared. I may have started it….but my hope over the coming years, is that this site and blog will eventually grow into a place where anyone who needs help making Disney vacations affordable, can come to ask questions. Our online “family” is pretty diverse: many of you are experienced Walt Disney World veterans, with many visits under your belt…but many of you found us because you are brand new, and looking for help. And one of the things that I love about Disney folk…is that we are a friendly, helpful sort of folk, willing to share advice and provide help to other Disney folk! 🙂

So, it is my hope, in 2011, to grow The Affordable Mouse community by getting more of YOU involved! Our Facebook      page is certainly a start, where a number of you already comment and share ideas, and I hope that will continue to expand. But beyond that, please feel free to ask questions there as well, and don’t be shy or worry about it being a “dumb” question: we’ve all been there once! Please also share your thoughts and ideas by commenting on our daily blog posts: I would love to see some real conversations begin to start in the comments every day! If you have experience with the topic, please share. If you have something helpful to add, please share that too!

It is here with the Blog that I am truly hoping to grow our community! As you know, Brenda recently began contributing articles on a weekly basis and she has done a wonderful job of adding an additional viewpoint, as well as some fresh, new ideas. I would love to expand on this and have more of you share your expertise as well! So if you like to write, and would be interested in contributing articles to The Affordable Mouse blog, please let me know! Send me an email at nancy@theaffordablemouse.com and let me know your background and Disney “history”. Professional experience is certainly not required: what is needed however, is a love for Walt Disney World, and an interest in sharing ways to save money on a Disney vacation.  It is also not necessary to contribute weekly either: if you just wish to share an article once or twice a month that would be awesome too! (Please be aware though, that this is, unfortunately, not a paid position: your only pay will be sharing the Disney magic with others. 🙂 )

Lastly, I would really love to know what ideas YOU have for growing our Disney World money-saving community! Message boards/forums? Monthly podcasts or webinars? YouTube videos? Something else? Please let me know your thoughts: Growing our community is one of my goals for 2011, but clearly it can’t be done without you! So send me an email, post on the Facebook page, or comment on a blog post and let me know your ideas for creating a sharing community!

Thanks so much for reading, and thanks so much for making 2010 such an amazing year for The Affordable Mouse! “Meeting” all of you is something that I am truly thankful for…and I can’t wait to see what great things 2011 has in store for all of us!