Blog #15: Souvenirs

Photo by Sherry White

Welcome one and all to another edition of the Disney World Nation. This is a special edition of the blog as it is our Blog #15.  For this blog all 11 of the bloggers will answer the same question. Here is the question for the week.

Question this week is simple; there are tons of souvenirs in Walt Disney World. Everything from pins, to stuffed animals, to vinyls, and more. So your question is "What is the coolest souvenir you can find at Walt Disney World"

Michelle M: With ALL of the shops to peruse in Walt Disney World, it is often hard to decide on that ONE special souvenir.  You want something to take home that captures the magic that you feel right here right now.  The choices are limitless.  Some people start collecting and add to their collection every trip.  I started my souvenir collection this way.  I started an impressive collection of snow globes in 2004 and am quite proud of the ones I have.  But in 2008, my souvenir collecting took a different turn.  I had a "pixie dust epiphany".  While beautiful, and reminiscent, there was no particular memory tied to each globe, so I shifted gears. Since 2008, all of my souvenirs are a remembrance of a special "Disney moment".  For example, I have a Kali River Rapids sign that holds the memory of when my husband figured out weight dynamics as we waited in line and sat us in our raft in order for me to get drenched and he stayed dry as a bone TWICE.  It is nice to have a show piece that when asked you can say "Oh that is a souvenir from our 2011 trip to Walt Disney World".  But it is even greater when you can say "Oh that is a piece of Disney magic that happened in 2011, let me tell you what happened."  And what Disney fan is not ALL ABOUT sharing that magic?

Sherry: Every trip to Disney means I get to purchase MY favorite souvenir, the Goofy Candy Company Minnie Mouse Peppermints.  It may not sound like much to most people, but I always buy several, hide them, and enjoy them privately, never inviting anyone to share.  Those quiet moments alone, savoring the cool mint, while looking at that little metal box, transports me back to my Happy Place!

Bill W: I don’t know if this technically counts as an official souvenir, since you order it after you leave the World, but our favorite thing to bring home from Walt Disney World is a PhotoPass CD.  There are heated debates out there on whether or not it is a good idea to spend $99 or $149 on a PhotoPass CD, but we find them to be priceless. We make sure we have as many photos taken as possible and usually have over 200 pictures on the CD by the end of our trip. We treasure the pictures taken by the PhotoPass photographers long after we get bored of a pin set or wear out a t-shirt.

Rachel: The coolest souvenir we can find are pin sets.  We love pin trading.  We scour the parks, hitting every CM with a lanyard looking for sets of pins.  We especially love the hidden mickey ones. You can also purchase pins cheaper on eBay.  We don’t do that.  I have a lot of friends that do.  There’s something about getting them straight from WDW, and getting that special rare pin or the final pin to complete your set that is “magical!” Now my son wants to collect vinyls…oye I think I’m going to need another job!

James: I've been working in Merchandise now since 2008 you would think I have a favorite place to shop/product, while actually I don't. I usually go for a shirt to let people know where I've been. Or a nice book on Walt Disney Imagineering. I'd probably suggest looking in stores such as Island Mercantile at Disney's Animal Kingdom, or The Main Street Confectionery if you are looking for something for your sweet tooth. And if you just want to put on a silly hat and have a shoot-out I'd suggest going to Pirate's Bazaar outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Always look out for a sales tag or ask a Cast Member if they have any special promotions (they usually always do and will probably have told you before you even get to the registers. There are many things you can get as a souvenir from Walt Disney World, but the best things are those that hold special memories or are personalized to you."

Katherine: Walt Disney World is always an exciting vacation but what makes it even better is the ability to find almost any form of souvenir. You can get anything from the classic Mickey ear hat to a bag of mickey shaped pasta. I have had trouble coming up with a favorite souvenir I love many items that I have picked up over the years. I tend to always buy a beach towel, one from each resort I've stayed at or if I find any that are too good to pass up. Yes, I do have about ten too many. I also find that pictures are the best souvenirs. I might be biased because I am a photographer, but it's true being able to dig up an old photo and remember what you had forgotten is priceless.

Michelle W: Ok so I have 2 favorite types of souvenirs. First would be anything that has to do with the Haunted Mansion! I’m TOTALLY obsessed with it & my living room can prove it! So if there’s any chance that I can find something new, from as small as a pin to as big as a statue, I’m all in! Then my other favorite souvenir to find down there would be the Silhouettes. It’s amazing to just watch the artists create the silhouettes from a plain piece of paper & a small scissor. My very first one was done with My Mom & Dad when I was just 4 years old. To look at all of them & see my own transformation from child to Mom is just priceless!

Beth:  The coolest souvenir I suppose depends on who youre getting it for. My children all like different things, as do most children, young and old. My older ones now prefer candies and snack things from Japan (Epcot). The twins are happy with anything- though now they like pins and vinlymations. My husband and I like to take pictures to remember the trips. We often try to take those pictures that we know we can never duplicate. I think my absolute favorite souvenir is the memory of each trip, and the special times we had. As the children have grown, and family members being added, the trips have changed. they were once so hard to make, and now as all the children have reached the "terrible teens" , it's not so difficult anymore . So, our memories are our best keepsake from each rip, knowing they are all special, and something to hold dear.

Ted: I blame my brother for my addiction, but I am hooked on vinylmations.  I first tried the pin collecting, but something about opening the foil pack and the surprise of which one you get is exciting.  My fiancee and I have been collecting for about 9 months.  Each time we go, we get one each.  We have over 60 now and we just picked up the bride and groom one to add to our collection.  But that is definitely my most favorite souvenir to get at Disney.

Lauren: Now that we’ve started making trips to the Walt Disney World Resort at least once every six months, my days of lugging souvenirs home for everyone have stopped. I love my family, but how many plush toys or overpriced t-shirts can one person have? In order to still make everyone left at home still feel loved and to lessen the pressure on my pocketbook, we try to bring one gift home we know everyone loves. Back when I was a little girl my mother, sister, and I would make frequent stops at the Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom for those delicious monstrous sized rice krispie treats. They now make Mickey Mouse shaped treats, wrapped in cellophane, which will feed an entire family. When my mom and sister aren’t on vacation with us, we bring a bit of the magic home with us for them. One gift, not expensive and it lets everyone still feel loved!

Bill S: Vinylmation are the souvenir of choice for me. Every time I go down I have someone who is with me, pick a random box from the shelf and that is the one I choose. I never choose a box, as I want it to jinx it. What’s great about vinyl’s is when you don’t like the one you have chosen (or get doubles), you can go to either D-Street or your hotel’s gift shop, and make a trade. My favorite is the Cast member’s Exclusive Mickey.

That's all from the Disney World Nation Blog, hope you enjoyed, we will be back in 2 weeks, with more questions and answers about our favorite place. Till next time, See You Real Soon  Bill Sauerbier

Blog #14 Cram Dining at Animal Kingdom

Photo by Ted and Dina Hathaway



Welcome to another edition of the Disney World Nation blog. Tonight Team Monday talks about Dining at Animal Kingdom. Here is today’s question

In my book, The Cram Zone Guide to Walt Disney World 2010 there is a chapter about Cram Dining, Cram Dining is the counter service restaurants (basically if it has a waiter it doesn't count). Cram Dining Restaurants make up over half of the eating that is done at the parks, so your question for this week is, "Where is your favorite place to Cram Dine in Animal Kingdom" Is it the Flame Tree BBQ,Pizzafari, Restaurantasaurus, or even some place that doesn't even have a name?

Beth: Our favorite place to grab a quick meal in A. K. would have to be the Restaurantasaurus. It's kind of out of the way, and its median priced. There are lots of options for the little kids, and it's usually not too too crowded. We like the way the condiments are buffet style, and easily accessible. I appreciate the flooring, and I don’t get all panicky the times I've had all 6 of my kids - worrying that I'll have to get on my hands and knees and clean the floor when we're through. It's also close to the front, and we've usually worked up a hearty appetite by the time we reach there. Being that it's tucked into a beautiful garden area, it's a nice place to take a break, while your meal has a chance to digest.

Bill W: We have struggled to find counter service restaurants in the Animal Kingdom that we really enjoy (we have had several bad experiences in the past.)  My favorite counter service restaurant used to be the Tusker House, now that it has been turned into a Table Service restaurant I have had to find a new favorite.  On our last trip to Walt Disney World we finally tried the Flame Tree BBQ.  I thought we had been there before, but I had gotten it mixed up with the rotisserie chicken that they used to serve at the Tusker House.  It was quite hot during our visit (when is it not hot in the Animal Kingdom??) so we wanted to go with something quick and light.  I got the BBQ Chicken Salad and my wife and daughter got the Fruit Platter.  Wow were we surprised, they were both delicious and helped us keep our cool.  It was one of the best Counter Service meal we have ever had at Walt Disney World, and we will make a point of dining there from now on.

Lauren: Now that we are Disney Vacation Club members and our villas come with either a kitchenette or full kitchen, we don’t find ourselves looking for a quick bite to eat very often. Usually we pack sandwiches and bring them into the parks with us or go back to our room to make lunch (and take a nap). I find avoiding meals in the parks is a major budget saver for our family. On our trip just last week though, we did discover an excellent little food kiosk located in the Asia section of The Animal Kingdom.  We all know how hot Animal Kingdom is most days. Looking to quench our thirst but wanting something other than water or soda, we came upon Royal Anandapur Tea Company. I am a caffeine addict so this amazing little place was like heaven for me; Teas of all kind abound, coming in both iced and hot varieties. Even the coffee is available hot or iced, real coffee, not the premixed flavored stuff they have at most of the parks. The prices are a little steep but everything tasted so good I chose to overlook that downside. My hubby and I were able to have an iced Chai and the kids got a treat of a double chocolate muffin. I am thrilled we found this little gem and I know it will be a definite stop from now on during our trips to AK.

Michelle W: For me, it’s all about the Turkey Legs! I’m a sucker for one each time we are down in Disney World. So when we are in Animal Kingdom, I make sure to stop at Trilo-Bites to grab one along with a Frozen Lemonade! As for the rest of the family, they are Pizza Fans, so we’ll usually end up at Pizzafari for some Cheese Pizza & an order of Breadsticks!

Ted: I can't say I've eaten at to many of the Animal Kingdom's option for quick service dining.  Usually Animal Kingdom is an early day trip because the animals are more active around when the park opens, and then we hit up one of the other parks, Epcot especially, for dinner.  But when we do stop for a bite, our favorite stop is Pizzafari.  The food hits the spot and energizes you for the next few hours of fun.  The decor in the restaurant is fun and kids will love it.  Pizzafari is one of our top quick dining options throughout all the parks.  And although most do not like them, I actually don't mind the enviro-friendly straws.

Hopefully we gave you a few hints for your next visit to Animal Kingdom. Thank you once again for joining us at the Disney World Nation Blog. Please come back Friday when Team Friday goes souvenir shopping to find the best souvenir in WDW. Till then, see you real soon!   Bill Sauerbier

Blog #13: Hollwood Studios

Photo by Katherine Ehrisman





Welcome to another edition of the Disney World Nation Blog. Today we head over to Disney Hollywood Studios where Team Friday is ready to answer a question about entering the park. Here is today’s question.

A few weeks back we started the first of a series of questions called "Which Direction", asking which direction you would head at the beginning of a certain park. Part 2 we head to Hollywood Studios, and the question of the week is "Which direction do you head to at the beginning of your Hollywood Studios day" Do you take a right onto sunset, go down and head to pixar place, or to another location that is your favorite.

Michelle M: For any newcomer to Disney parks a feeling of your arrival in Wonderland is normal.  It is easy to immediately question which way.  The handy dandy little map that is given to you at the arrival gate is VERY handy in showing you where the attractions are located.  The flaw in this is that many new visitors head straight for the attraction that they most want to visit followed by the second most desired location.  This method is EXTREMELY tiring because the distance between some of the attractions is vast.  In my family Fast Passes are our best friends. By utilizing fast passes, it is easy to keep a patterned tour of the park AND see your favorite attraction with minimal to no wait.  Take for instance Hollywood Studios.  Toy Story Mania is the top pick of everyone in my family, but it is impractical because of the location.  We designate a "fast pass runner", typically the fastest person in our group (teenager) and they maneuver to Toy Story Mania acquiring fast passes for everyone in our group.  In the meantime, the rest of our party head for Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster.  We wait in line for one saving a spot for our fast pass runner then transfer to the other line upon disembarking.  We have fast passes for Toy Story Mania so we have no worries as that line grows and grows throughout the day.  Once finished with Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster, we follow a clockwise path for the rest of the park tour.  It is important to note that the quintessential "Disney show" happens at Hollywood Studios.  Fantasmic! embodies everything Disney and is a must not miss show, so take the time to map your route, conserve your energy and absorb all that Disney magic in the air as Mickey defeats those villains and you realize all the memories you have created.

Sherry: I love Disney's Hollywood Studios.  DHS is the first park my family visits on every trip.  Of course, we head right on Sunset, pick up our fast pass for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and get in line for Tower of Terror.   After doing both rides and watching the stage performance of Beauty and the Beast, we walk over to Echo Lake for Indiana Jones and Star Tours, then work our way up the Streets of America, and make a full circle.  As a side note, the kids think its not a trip to DHS unless we have supper at Sci-Fi Dine-In. 

James: As soon as I pass through the turnstiles at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park, I immediately hear the revving sounds of engines and the smell of petrol! Within 15 minutes I’ve found myself outside of “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.” This show is an exhilarating look into how they shoot all those car chase sequences you see on the big screen. And if there isn’t a show time anytime soon I head straight on over to the other side of the park for a few... Ok A LOT of rides on Tower of Terror, dropping into the twilight zone at least 30 times! A few other good places to head would be The Great Movie Ride or for iced drinks on Sunset Boulevard! One of my favorite things to do at the park is to sit with an iced drink on Sunset Boulevard at around 8pm and just watch all the people having fun and making memories!

Rachel: Today we cover my favorite park, DHS!  There is something about the setting in old time Hollywood that makes this my favorite park.  Not to mention, the Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Roller coaster.  Having said that, today’s question asks which way do we head when we enter the park?   My answer, definitely down Sunset Blvd.   We make a mad dash for the tower of terror and then pop over to Rock ‘N’ Roller coaster.  A lot of people head straight for Pixar Place to get their fast pass for TSMM, but not my family, we’re a bunch of thrill ride junkies.  We’ll wait for TSMM.

Katherine:   When talking about Disney's Hollywood Studios our mind immediately goes to Toy Story Mania. The newest addition to the Hollywood Studios is the hottest ticket right now, fast passes are usually gone before noon. So if you want to get on this ride without a fast pass and a long wait I would get there early. This ride starts the day off right with its colorful queue it really amps you up in to the competitive nature you need to beat out your family. It's true that someone will win and someone will lose but the great thing about this game if you do lose is that you know there is always next time.

Bill S: So your running this way to get on that ride, and your running that way to get a fastpass for that ride. Well I’m working my way to the back, Backlot Tour to be exact, start in the far back of the park, and work my way forward, stopping to grab a fastpass at a ride I feel the need to, but I hit the rides/shows that are going to have a 5 minutes wait at the start (Like Muppetvision or Star Tours (before the refurb) before everyone gets to them.

Thank you once again for visiting the Disney World Nation blog. Join us again on Monday where Team Monday talks about Cram Dining at Animal Kingdom. Till then See you real soon  Bill Sauerbier

Blog #12: Characters in Epcot

Photo by Bill Sauerbier



Hello all, Welcome to another episode of the Disney World Nation Blog, today Team Monday (Lauren, Bill W, Beth, Ted, Michelle W, and Bill S) talk about the recent additions of characters in Epcot. Here is the question of the week.

Over the past few year EPCOT has seen characters come into the parks. Nemo went to the living seas, Donald Duck to Mexico, the character spot opened at innoventions plaza, and most recently Duffy the Disney Bear calls Epcot home. Recently a debate has been sparked by Disney purists who say that Epcot should remain without characters, while others believe that's exactly what EPCOT needs. Your question is "Do characters belong at Epcot, why? And if yes, what is the next place they should pop-up"

Lauren: Let me start by saying EPCOT is my personal favorite of all the parks. I can very easily spend an entire day just in The World Showcase. That being said, I can’t comprehend why some purists are bothered by EPCOT having characters involved at the park. The characters being there don’t take away from the quality of the rides or shows. And if we are going to be honest, the minute Walt Disney died, his original plans for EPCOT died with him. There can’t be a right or wrong now when the park doesn’t resemble what Walt dreamt it would be like in the first place. I love Disney, but I am not blind to the fact that Disney is a major corporation looking to make money and keep up with the times. Do adults go to Disney World without children? Of course, but let’s face it, the majority of visitors to the Orlando area are families. Science isn’t always considered an exciting topic by kids, but have Crush talk to them about sea turtles in a fun and educational way and you have a win-win situation. Even in my favorite part of the park, the character usage isn’t intrusive. Snow White is best known because of the Grimm brothers, she’s a part of Germany’s history in that way, and she and the Seven Dwarves being in Germany only enhance the story being told. The characters are an invitation for kids to want to go and learn more. I don’t necessarily think EPCOT needs more characters, but if a ride or a country would benefit from a character facelift, so be it; Anything to keep improving what is already a superb experience.

Michelle W: I think it’s a nice touch that EPCOT has characters in the park. Having a little one makes going to EPCOT a little challenging at times, since there aren’t as many attractions for her to do, as say the Magic Kingdom.  So for us, being able to see some characters while we are exploring though the World Showcase, really helps to keep the little princess happy during our visits. I really like that certain characters are found in their ‘home’ lands, like Belle & Beast are in France, Mary Poppins is in England, & Aladdin & Jasmine are in Morocco.  Another great thing that EPCOT has to offer if you are a Disney Visa Card holder, is a private Character Meet ‘N’ Greet. We love taking advantage of this since we get our own time with a few of the characters at one time & you even get a coupon for a free 5x7!

Bill W: I am a huge fan of vintage EPCOT Center.  I long for the days of Horizons, The original Figment centered ride, and even World of Motion (Test Track is awesome though.)  Something I did miss in the EPCOT of old, were the characters. I welcomed the introduction of Disney Characters to EPCOT, and I hope they stay, as long as they are themed properly.  Alice belongs in the UK, as does Mulan in China. As long as Stitch doesn’t show up in Morocco, everything will be fine.

Beth: I firmly believe Epcot needs the characters there. While all the parks are geared towards kids-Epcot seems to be the one for the Adults. I can speak from experience that my younger children didn’t always find it to be their favorite spot. They now head there first. I think if there hadn’t been the opportunity for them to "sneak peek" a character, we wouldn’t have had any leverage to keep them there. In the early 1990's the Sega pavilion was huge, and they knew it was possible to catch a character in the area. With the addition of Nemo, we have another destination. I would like to see some more characters in the World Showcase. I guess more of a regimented area, similar to the spot in the front. We would like to have them everywhere; we're just that much of a bunch of big kiddies. Look what ya made me do.........Now I need to go to Epcot. But, I'm headed to get some schoolbread first. Till next time.........."I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse. “Walt Disney.

Ted: I recently viewed my old video of my visit to Disney world in '95.  As I watched the video I noticed how Epcot was really a ghost town during that time and how it has really transformed itself to a must destination not only for adults but for kids also.  A part of that is the introduction of some extreme rides (Soarin’, test track, and mission to mars) but also the characters that have been added.  I think they do an excellent job keeping up with the world showcase theme (snow white in Germany, Alice in England). Also having one spot that kids can meet Mickey, Minnie, etc. keeps the excitement in the park for the little ones.  There is still plenty to learn and enjoy at Epcot and the introduction of characters has not dampened the dream of Walt of a city of the future.

Bill S: I’ll be honest, I understand what people say when they don’t think characters should be there, but facts are facts, I would never have gone on many things without those characters. I never went on El Rio Del Tiempo until the Three Caballeros came in and made it so much better. Nemo took a very boring Seas ride and gave a story to it. Let’s not forget the abomination that was the Imagination ride without Figment. Characters bring fun to the parks, and fun is what you need to keep people coming back.

Thank you once again for visiting us here at the Disney World Nation Blog. Please come back on Friday as Team Friday talks about which direction they start out at when heading to Hollywood Studios. Till next time, See You Real Soon Bill Sauerbier