Newport - Disney Magic A to Z: A Travelers Guide

A Traveler's Guide

Nicole Newport

THEME PARK PRESS

www.ThemeParkPress.com

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

This book is a result of my strong opinions of (and insane fascination for) Walt Disney World. I have researched extensively before each vacation and have guided many friends planning their own vacations. As my family can attest, Walt Disney World is my favorite thing to talk about, read about, and scrapbook. If I could build myself a little cabin next to Cinderella Castle, I would be eternally content.

When I combined my passion for Walt Disney World with my passion for writing, this book emerged. It is an integration of humorous anecdotes mixed with extensive tips and trivia. I knew I wanted to write more than just a list of tips, so I added the personal narratives to flesh out the wonderful experiences found at Walt Disney World. I hope that both first-time visitors and frequent visitors will glean something valuable for their next vacation.

I have written this book in alphabetical order, both for a new twist and because the educator in me adores ABC books. Following the narrated tips is an attraction ratings section, with a little help from my almost-as-obsessed family (well, two out of the four of them still appreciate the magic as much as I do). My children were 0, 2, and 4 years old on our first trip and have been almost every age in between, up to 16. Andy is my oldest child, Danielle is my middle child, and Alex is my youngest. They have added their opinions to many attractions to give readers a multi-age view of the most magical place on Earth Walt Disney World.

So sit back, don a Disney shirt, and peruse this book to plan your best vacation yet!

Along with experiencing unique attractions and watching first-rate shows, meeting characters is one of the top three reasons people go to Walt Disney World. Disney does a super job hiring cast members who know how to play the part. For this reason, my heading is a pun. These costumed performers, who are usually portraying animated movie characters, are quite animated themselves as they interact with guests. Hunting down these characters is one of our favorite things to do at Walt Disney World because you never know what will happen.

Pluto can always be counted on for humorous photos because of his canine playfulness. Whether he is stretching his ears out and pretending to fly, or kissing you with his big black nose, he never seems to rush through an encounter with guests. At the Liberty Tree Tavern character meal, Pluto lingered over us as he kept pointing to Andy and then pointing to his green beans. He wanted Andy to eat them, but even Plutos powers of persuasion didnt work! Pluto was also a good sport at the Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian Resort when Alex, then 8 years old, tried to poke him with a fork. Im not sure what Alex was thinking, but good-natured Pluto just politely pushed the fork away as I quickly scolded my child.

Tip: Engage the characters in a conversation about themselves or do something silly with them. If you have shy children, coach them ahead of time on what to talk about, or suggest good questions to ask the characters.

At Cinderellas Royal Table breakfast, which is always packed, the first couple of princesses only stopped long enough for a quick autograph and photo and we had used 2 meal credits per person! My friend suggested our girls talk about something specific so they asked Jasmine about her pet tiger, Rajah. Jasmine told them that she would have brought Rajah to breakfast, but she couldnt get him past the castle walls! Then, she told them Aladdin and Boo were off flying their magic carpet. Snow White was also chatty as she talked about her adventures with the seven dwarves. (Cast members portraying Snow White cannot have a tan because they need to be white as snow.)

Even if its not a face character who can talk, the costumed characters will still respond non-verbally to your questions or comments, making it a more interesting encounter. At Hollywood Studios, my daughter told Captain Hook she had a pet crocodile at home. He pretended to be scared and shooed her away after the photo. When Danielle pointed out the crashed motorcycle to Goofy at Petes Silly Sideshow, Goofy pointed to Donald and a cast member explained that Goofy was blaming Donald. So when Danielle accused Donald of crashing Goofys motorcycle, he nodded his head and made hand motions to describe how it happened.

Tip: Petes Silly Sideshow in the Magic Kingdom is a great place to meet Goofy as the Great Goofini, Donald as a snake charmer, Minnie Mouse as a poodle trainer, and Daisy Duck as a fortune teller.

One of Alexs favorite experiences was a wandering Stormtrooper during Star Wars Weekend at Hollywood Studios. Alex was so excited he handed the Stormtrooper a marker with the cap still on. The Stormtrooper looked at it, then raised his hand and knocked on Alexs head, like it was empty! Alex looked at me and started laughing so hard he missed the Stormtroopers cue as to where to stand. When Alex ended up standing in the wrong spot for the photo, the Stormtrooper knocked on his head again! He kept shaking his head while he signed his autograph and then sternly posed with my still laughing child.

Tip: Make sure you start the video or take pictures as soon as the characters greet your child since these candid photos often turn out best. If I had waited for the traditional pose, I would have missed the shot of the Stormtroopers hand on Alexs head. When children are very young, the looks on their faces when they first see a favorite character is priceless. It can also be priceless with older children as I found out when my 15 year old saw Baymax for the first time. You would have thought she was meeting Niall from One Direction the way her face lit up!

Pooh holds a special place in my heart because he was the only character to acknowledge my pregnancy on our first family trip twice. During the Pooh character breakfast at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, Pooh pointed to my large belly and then to his large belly, identifying our common bulge. At the greeting trails in the Animal Kingdom, Pooh pointed to my belly and then waved his hand up and down, suggesting he wanted to pat my belly. I said yes so he patted me with his huge furry paw. So Alex got to meet his first character while he was still in the womb!

Chip and Dale are especially playful and even engage adults in the silliness. At the Liberty Tree Tavern, Chip played hide-and-seek with my husband. He snuck up behind Jason and pretended he wasnt there. When Jason would look to the right, Chip would lean left. When Jason looked to the left, Chip leaned right putting his hand to his mouth and silently giggling. He also wore my daughters hat when she put it on his head and paraded around with it. In Epcot, we met Chip and Dale wandering around, banging on trashcans and dancing to their own beat.