Hello Everyone!

Another month has quickly come and gone…but that only means that all of our Disney vacations are one month closer!  It also means that we better get busy. With it being so cold outside, this is the perfect time to get your Vacation Countdown started. 

Use this downtime (before baseball season starts!) to do all those little things that will make your trip extra special, like making a custom vacation countdown chain, tubes for the pressed pennies, or just watching lots of Disney movies together. 

Watching those movies will really help the little ones learn some of the characters. My littlest guy just turned one so he is not really interested in movies too much, but he does recognize Mickey Mouse and the Little Einsteins. 

Funny story alert:  When my third son was a little under two, we went to see Mickey Mouse at the Judge’s Tent in Toontown.  He was so very excited that he ran right up to Mickey and screamed “POOH!”  Needless to say we received many strange looks and Mickey’s character handler just shook his head in disbelief. 

Well, I've made a vow to never have that happen again!! (At least not with Mickey!).

Oh well, enough of my rambling.  I wish you all the best this month and lots of family fun with your own vacation countdown.

CareerBuilder.com is sponsoring a contest to find the Chief Magic Official -- visiting events at Disneyland ® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort from time to time throughout the year to spread Disney spirit and have some fun. "The entrants submit a 60-second video application, starting on January 8 through January 27, explaining why they should be the Chief Magic Official and what special qualifications they have," explains Heath Rosenbaum, manager of promotions marketing. "The Chief Magic Official is a really cool role that lots of people would want." After an online vote, three lucky contestants will be flown to Walt Disney World Resort (along with three family members or friends) to take part in some wacky, and very "Disney," competitions for the coveted role. They might have to create their own costumes, learn to make up a Resort hotel room the Disney way, or entertain Guests waiting to watch parades in the Theme Parks and whip up some Disney spirit. Competition will be fierce, because the prize is well worth winning: "Between May 2008 and April 2009, the CMO will participate in about 4-8 special events and happenings for the Disney Parks. Most are actually at the Theme Parks, and one or two are in other locations, but it's all Parks business and they'll get to be part of the magic. The CMO will go behind the scenes, create magic for Guests -- they'll get to do all kinds of amazing stuff!" Some possible activities include a press event when the Toy Story Mania attraction opens, or the July 4 naturalization ceremony at Disneyland Park, when new U.S. citizens are sworn in, plus other fun events through the year. Want to increase your chances of creating a winning application? Heath has a few tips. "It is the perfect role for a Disney fan. The judges definitely want to see personality. Disney passion is important though a little harder to demonstrate, but be imaginative and have fun with your video. The CMO judges will be looking at many videos, so make sure yours stands out! Show them why you are the perfect person - keep it Disney, show them you're outgoing and express yourself well, and you will likely go far." If you want to get a head start in thinking about your Disney style, there's a quiz at Disney.go.com/travel that can help -- take the Magic Aptitude Test and see where your career strengths lie (or, OK, just have fun). Heath has one final caution to would-be Chief Magic Officials. "We have someone who is trying to get into competition but is not really eligible - Donald Duck," he warns. "He's a little hotheaded and he's sure that he's the one who deserves the gig. I'm pretty sure someone better suited can be found." So, if you're more patient than Donald, better coordinated than Goofy, and as big-hearted as Mickey Mouse, warm up the camera -- there just might be a dream job waiting for you.

The deadline for application was January 27th.   I would absolutely have loved to have been the first CMO, but with the boys and a very busy home life, it just wasn’t practical.  Plus, I already have my very own magical position -  maintaining this ever-expanding website! 

Nevertheless, I will be anxiously awaiting the results of the CMO search, and will send out an update soon.

Disney World Moms Panel

Wow, talk about utilizing its biggest fans!  Disney has recently created a Disney World Mom’s Panel.  Now this one, I did apply for. But alas, I wasn’t selected,  so I decided to start this website instead.

The Mom’s Panel is basically a group of 12 people (11 moms, 1 dad), who can answer questions  related to Disney World. They are very knowledgeable and give good sound advice.

They are also forming a Mom’s Club, where members will complete surveys and provide feedback about the Disney World Resort.  Last I heard, they were looking for an official name for this club – I voted for “The Mickey Mom’s Club”.

Toy Story Mania attraction coming in 2008

Visitors to Disney World are in for a treat this year.  Toy Story Mania will be a new attraction located at the Disney Hollywood Studios theme park. 

Similar to Buzz Lighyear’s Space Ranger Spin in the Magic Kingdom, this will be an interactive experience for guests of all ages.  While wearing 3D glasses, park guests will encounter favorite characters from the Toy Story movies as they travel through a video-game-like environment that is based on classic carnival midway games. 

Points are accumulated by aiming toy cannons at virtual targets.  Each person’s score is tracked individually - so prepare for battle! 

My boys (and husband) are really looking forward to trying this attraction!

Unfortunately, I am not (yet!) one of these lucky ones – but a friendly Disney Cast Member assured me that more codes are on their way – I’ll keep my fingers (and toes!) crossed.

As of right now, there are no codes or discounts for the general public, but there are Room Only discounts available for Annual Passholders and Florida Residents.

For Annual Passholders checking in before 2/13/08, use code FHD. For those traveling from 2/14/08-3/6/08, use code FIC when booking.

Florida Residents should use code FIT for 2/14/08-3/6/08 or FHZ through 2/13/08.

Having breakfast in your room could save a tremendous amount of time – and money – each day.  Think about it.  Eating breakfast at the food court can be expensive and time consuming.  You also have to wait until everyone in your family is dressed and ready to go out for the day, and then go and order and then eat.  By the time you get everyone ready to go, the food court is already crowded with all of the other families who are doing the exact same thing!  Face it, you are probably going to spend a good portion of your day waiting in lines and dealing with crowds – why start with breakfast?

Now for the other scenario…..While each person has his or her “bathroom time” each morning, the other members of the family could be enjoying their breakfast in their pajamas and watching the Disney Channel or the weather, or even catching a few extra minutes of shut-eye. 

There are lots of ways to accomplish the “breakfast in the room” feat, whether you drove to Disney or took a plane.  There are options such as cold cereal, muffins, cereal bars, fruit, or any other easy to pack food items.  The moderate and deluxe rooms are equipped with refrigerators, so you could even store milk (which can be purchased at the resort store).

Now, I am not saying to skip a much anticipated Character Breakfast or even to do this every day, but having breakfast in the room is definitely a great way to gain some time and save some money!  Even if you are using the Dining Plan, packed breakfasts are a good idea – saves all of your counter and table credits for Lunch and Dinner.

Bottom line?  Eat breakfast in your resort room and get to the parks early. You’ll spend less time waiting for park transportation and you’ll get to enjoy the parks and attractions with less crowds.

I hope you enjoy the most recent additions at the Plan a Magical Vacation website:

• July 2008 Park Hours have been added.
  
  
  • Magic Kingdom Hours
  • EPCOT Hours
  • Disney Hollywood Studios Hours
  • Animal Kingdom Hours
  • Blizzard Beach Hours
  • Typhoon Lagoon Hours
  
  
• Extra Magic Hours information was added.
  
  
• A Disney Watches section was added to Gifts and Shopping.
  
  
• A Disney Crowd Level chart was added to the Planning Tools. Use this chart to choose the best week for your vacation.
  
  
• A Gas Mileage Calculator was added to the Planning Tools. This calculator helps you budget for a road trip to Disney World. It includes a city-to-city mileage calculator as well as a fuel-cost calculator.
  
  
• A Tipping Chart was added to the Planning Tools section. You can use this tipping chart to figure out the tip amount when dining out. Includes 18% and 20% gratuity values.
  
  
• A Vacation Countdown Calculator was added to the Countdown page. This is a handy little calculator that computes the amount of days until your vacation. Simply enter in your departure date and it will do the rest.
  
  
• A great collection of Epcot Tips was added to the Disney World Tips section.
  
  
• Individual Resort Dining Pages:
  
  
  • All Star Movies Resort Dining
    
  • All Star Music Resort Dining
    
  • All Star Sports Resort Dining
    
  • Animal Kingdom Lodge Dining
    
  • Beach Club Resort Dining
    
  • Caribbean Beach Resort Dining
    
  • Contemporary Resort Dining
    
  • Coronado Springs Resort Dining
    
  • Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground Dining
    
  • Grand Floridian Resort and Spa Dining
    
  • Old Key West Resort Dining
    
  • Polynesian Resort Dining
    
  • Pop Century Resort Dining
    
  • Port Orleans Resort Dining
    
  • Saratoga Springs Resort Dining
    
  • Wilderness Lodge Resort Dining
    
  • Yacht Club Resort Dining