Thrifty Thursday: Get the Idea?

Brenda Christmas Holidays, Thrifty Thursday , , , , , 1 Comment

Something inside me keeps me always on the prowl for new ideas for decorating once I get back home from DisneyWorld. This is especially true about the holiday decorations at the parks; I want my house to look just like them and, darn it, one day I will win the lottery and make it happen.

There is one spot in particular where I can spend half the afternoon enjoying a wonderful creation and dreaming of what my yard could look like. It is the miniature train village by Germany in Epcot’s World Showcase and it is another one of those free treasures that has been fashioned around the notion of adding a little extra magic to your visit. Disney has designed and created a whole countryside made into the landscape with a miniature community and trains running through. There is also a bridge that goes across it for anyone who wants to view it from the middle.

My family loves this charming attraction. I remember the first time we found it how enamored we all were by the beauty of it. It is so well-designed and detailed. I also really enjoy people watching so I love to get a glimpse of children discovering this wonder for the first time. That experience truly adds value to my time at Epcot.

If I had my way, this is exactly what my backyard would look like! Maybe I could convince some Imagineers to come for a visit. In any case, don’t miss out on this awesome creation. If you can’t seem to find it, ask any cast member and they will be happy to help you.

Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.

The Great Refillable Disney Mug Debate

Nancy Disney Dining Plans, Saving Money on Food , , , , 7 Comments

Refillable mugs: A great way to save some Disney dining dollars…and one of the most widely discussed, hotly debated, and misunderstood programs that Disney has available. Whether you have ever purchased a refillable mug, received one as part of a Dining Plan, or wondered where all these people got those cool looking mugs…you probably have had a few questions about how they work.

You have questions and we have answers. 🙂

So, let’s clear it all up and make you an expert in the Great Refillable Mug Debate! Following are Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Refillable Mugs that everyone should know:

  1. Do know that each resort property no longer has different collectible mugs for that specific hotel. All mugs are now one standard shape and size   for all properties.
  2. Do refill your mug only at the resort hotel you are staying at or at a “sister” resort hotel (such as Yacht Club and Beach Club).
  3. Do refill your mug with unlimited refills of any of the following: coffee, iced/hot tea, soda, lemonade/fruit punch (where available), and hot chocolate
  4. Do understand that the mugs that are placed in your hotel room are for sale, and that if you use one, you will be charged for it. 🙂
  5. Do know that you can get your free refills at your hotel property, at the following places: food courts, quick service locations, and pool bars. You can also get refills at Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club and at the Boardwalk Bakery and Coffee Cart at the Boardwalk.
  6. Do not refill your mug with milk, orange juice or apple juice.
  7. Do not ask to use your mug for alcoholic drinks.
  8. Do not try to use your mug at other hotel properties that you are not staying at (admittedly hard for Disney to enforce since the mugs all look alike now…but your conscience knows 🙂 ).
  9. Do not try to use your mug at the parks for anything other than water. (Water parks have a separate mug that you can buy there.)
  10. Do not bring your mug from previous years to use on this trip for free refills. A sign at the refill stations clearly states that the mugs are for use at that hotel for the duration of your visit. Only. Sorry.

Now that you know all that, here are few other details about those little mugs that you may find helpful and/or interesting.

  • You can currently purchase one of these 16 oz. insulated mugs for around $13.99 (plus tax). No other purchase is required to get either your mug or your free, unlimited refills as noted above.
  • The following Dining Plans include a refillable mug for no additional charge: Quick Service, Deluxe, Premium, and Platinum Plans. The same rules apply.
  • Thanks to the Disney Food Blog, I learned something pretty darn cool that I never knew: Each self-service refillable mug location has a mug wash: a small sink right next to the soda dispenser, so that you can wash your mug out between drinks. So get your morning cup of coffee, rinse, and then get that lemonade to go!
  • There has also been some strong hints that Disney may be revising…or even do away with….the refillable mug program in the future. You can read about the details on the Disney Food Blog.

So there you have it. Everything you ever wanted to know about refillable mugs….and didn’t know who to ask. Glad to oblige. 🙂

This post is part of the 13th Disney Blog Carnival. Click here to read more fantastic posts from more fantastic Disney bloggers!

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of October 18, 2010

Nancy Disney Fun From Around the "World" , , 2 Comments

It’s Friday, so that means it’s time for our weekly stroll around the Disney Blog World, visiting with old and new Disney blog friends, and checking out what everyone has to say. As usual, it’s a lot. 🙂

So sit back and relax with your beverage of choice, and take a look at my favorite Disney posts this past week. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Let’s start the tour with AJ over at the Disney Food Blog who shared some mouthwatering Disney Food Pics of the Week: Desserts I’d Love To Try (and YES, I really want to try them too!). She also introduced us (well me) to a Quick Bite: Epcot’s Joy of Tea (I am going to definitely pay them a visit on our next trip.)

Disney Driven Life discussed the Disney resort hotels in a different way this week: A RESORT FOR EVERY SEASON?

Halloween is nearly here. Amanda at Disney Every Day offers 31 Disney Halloween Craft and Recipe Ideasfor those of you who want to get creative this year!

Traveling to Disney World with little ones? Make sure to read this from Growing Up Disney: Baby Care Centers

The Relocated Tourist may be one of my new favorite blogs, where “Carl” and “Ellie” discuss their family’s planned move across country to live near Disney World. Don’t we all want to do that? I am certainly living vicariously through them! In this week’s post, the topic is an impending visit: It’s Like Being a Kid Again…

Chip and Co has so many great posts, I may need an entire blog post just to mention them all one of these days. Here are a *few* favorites: Brenda (yes *our* Brenda too!) wrote a great review of Disney’s movie Secretariat – A Wonderful Family Movie (GO SEE IT! 🙂 ) and also shared some thoughts on her upcoming Disney trip: On My Way – A Long Awaited Return to the Contemporary Resort Ken had another installment in his Oldies But Goodies series:…Just Have Fun!!! (great advice for any age!) and Lisa discussed the Best Thing I Love About Disney is PhotoPass

Chris at Everything Walt Disney World shared Five Things You’ve Never Done at Walt Disney World. (I’ve done one of the five…)

Zannaland shared two posts that got my attention this week: What Attractions Do You Avoid At Walt Disney World? (because yes, there are some that we do avoid!) and she also shared some very poignant memories of her very special dad in Remembering My Disney Dad. (Have a tissue handy.)

Finally, I continued my discussion about being a Ride Wimp over at Chip and Co with A Ride Wimp’s Guide to Disney World Thrills: Soarin’

OK! Have a fantastic, magical weekend everyone!! 🙂

Wordless Wednesday: BOO to You!

Nancy Wordless Wednesday , , , 0 Comment

It’s been several years since we visited Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom, but one of the things that we truly enjoyed when we visited was Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade. A highlight of the evening, it is a wonderful way for Trick or Treaters of all ages to have some not-very-frightening fun, and see some of the happiest looking witches, ghosts and ghouls that you will ever meet.