New Discounts Rumored for Later This Week!

From the TMC Travel Disney Rumor Department...

With the last round of discounts expiring on Sunday, the discount well is currently dry.  But fear not!  I am hearing that a fresh round of discounts will be announced late this week.

THESE DISCOUNTS ARE NOT IN THE FORM OF FREE DINING.

Instead look for room discounts similar in nature and time frame to the round that just expired.  This round of discounts does not include much in the way of fall dates.

As always, please contact me at ginger@tmctravelonline.com if I can help you plan your next magical vacation!

A Disney Bathroom Tip - Taking multiple children for a pit stop

Yes, you read that correctly.  A Disney bathroom tip.  On the surface, it may sound crazy, but one way families get separated and children get lost is in bathrooms that have multiple entries and exits - or where you enter on one side and exit on another.  And of course there are all of those scary bathroom stories that your friends tell you they "know is true because it happened to a friend of a friend."

While I confess to being a bit of a safety nut concerning my children, I do not think I am in the minority when it comes to letting children use public facilities solo.  My girls are now 4 and 7, and as the same sex parent, I always am in charge of the potty stops.  (Lucky me.)  Until recently, we would all pile into one stall together and take care of business.  Over the past year my oldest has decided that she prefers a bit more privacy, which I understand and respect.  But I am still not comfortable with her wandering around the bathroom on her own (and possibly even leaving the facilities) while I tend to her little sister.

Our solution?  I put big sister in a stall and wait until she locks the door.  She is instructed that she is not to unlock or open the door until she sees my feet under the door of the stall.  I can then take the time required for myself and her sister without worrying that she is wandering out on her own.  When we are done I return to the first stall to get my oldest - who is obviously standing and waiting for me to come and get her.  We all wash our hands together and head out to meet dad and resume our day.

It may sound a bit crazy, but for us it works!  It is the best balance that I could find between safety and privacy.  Hope this helps your family...and I hope this is the only Disney bathroom tip you read today!

Silhouettes on Main Street...A Cut Above the Rest!

It is easy to bolt down Main Street with eyes firmly focused on the castle, rushing to the hub in front and then jockeying for position to exit off onto your "spoke" of choice. I must admit to being very guilty of commando touring in the morning and Main Street USA is, at that point, just an obstacle keeping me from Dumbo and my first Fast Pass of the morning. As I exit the park for my afternoon break, or more likely as I re-enter the park for the evening, it occurs to me to take a moment and appreciate the quaint little "town" that Walt created to greet his guests. As you may know, Main Street USA was modeled after Walt's home town of Marceline, Missouri at the turn of the century.

It is worth taking the time to admire the perfect little town, with the quaint shops, ice cream parlors and restaurants. The true Disney historian knows that each window on Main Street tells a story itself. Each name is a nod to an Imagineer who made a significant contribution to realizing Walt's vision. There are some wonderful books on the topic that you can find if you want to learn more.

On my family's most recent trip to Disney World, I made a mental note to find a silhouette artist and have my daughters' silhouettes cut. In case you have not visited the home of someone over eighty recently, a silhouette is a classic art form in which someone's profile is cut out of a special black paper. This paper is mounted on white card stock and framed. The end result is beautiful and timeless.

My girls are four and seven, so I figured that that would be a great age to attempt the feat of a sitting...old enough not to wiggle too much, but young enough to still look like children. We had about 30 minutes before our dining reservation at Crystal Palace, so I figured we would head over to and see what we could find. As usual, there was a silhouette artist tucked into the little alcove on Main Street about half way down on the right. There was a family in front of us, but we only had to wait a few minutes for our turn.

I had been dying to get my girls' silhouettes cut, and I knew my mother-in-law would have a fit over them (in a good way!). So I had already prepared my husband that I was going to pay whatever it took for both her and I to have a separate profile cut of each child. I tried to have them cut at a local children's boutique last spring, but they ran out of appointments before I got one. They were charging $25 each plus and extra $10 to have a double cut. I was prepared my husband that what would cost us $70 at home would certainly be done for a premium at Disney. He rolled his eyes, but realized that this was not a battle he was going to win. He told me to "handle it" as he went in search of a restroom.

While we were waiting I walked over to check out the price list. To say I was shocked was an understatement. To have a portrait cut for me and an extra for my mother-in-law was going to cost LESS THAN TEN DOLLARS FOR EACH CHILD!!!! No kidding for less than $20 walked away with a beautiful silhouette of each of my princesses and an extra set for grandma. I consider silhouette cutting an art form, and to walk away with an original piece of art containing the beautiful profiles of my babies for less than $20...well it was just amazing. (And my husband even admitted “Good call!”)

The whole thing took less than a minute for each profile. My oldest was fascinated watching Jan, the artist work. She had a lot of questions that Jan answered with kindness. She also offered her a pointer, "Start with things that don't move." While I appreciate her kindness to my budding artist, I do not appreciate the ten thousand "snips" of paper that I have subsequently picked up off of my floor!

There are a few decisions for you to make during the process. You can have each person cut as a separate work, or you can have multiple people layered together. There are different prices for each option. You can also choose to have your profile mounted on plain card stock or on cardstock with a pre-printed border. And finally, you can even purchase frames at the same time. I opted for separate works, no border, and no frames. I have kicked myself repeatedly for not getting frames while I was there. (We were flying and I was worried about running out of space.) I have not be able to find the classic black oval frames since I returned home. I am sure I can find some online somewhere, I just have not taken the time to look.

I absolutely encourage you to take a moment to not only enjoy Main Street, but take time to seek out all that it has to offer...most especially the silhouette artists. Not only to I treasure the memory of my daughters' excitement during the whole process, but I have a forever keepsake.  If you happen to recognize Jan while you are there, please stop by and atleast watch her magic.  She truly was wonderful, as was the experience as a whole.  Just be sure to make a deal before you hand the scissors over to your own artist..."Pick up your own scraps...or else!"

The Animation Academy at Disney's Hollywood Studios

I can't draw.  Not even stick people.  Clearly my 7 year old's affinity and talent for sketching was not derived from my gene pool.  Since I cannot help her budding artistic talents directly, I will sign her up for the occasional art class after school or if I find a cute learn to sketch book I will grab it for her.  As you can imagine, a visit to the Animation Academy was on our "must do" for our Studios day.

The Animation Academy is a fantastic attractions that you actually have to seek out.  There are no exterior signs or lights to draw you in.  There are no "teasers" about what you may find inside. There are no squeals of delight as you walk by.  And yet this 20-25 minute class is a fantastic little find.

The Animation Academy is located inside the Magic of Disney Animation building.  As you enter the large room to the right you immediately notice the characters surrounded by the adoring masses.  We saw Sorcerer Mickey, Lotso, Frozone, and Mr. Incredible.  It is easy to become distracted by the Sunnyside Daycare set up and not even notice the small waiting area for the Animation Academy.  The waiting area consists  a few benches separated from the rest of the room with a movie theater style velvet rope.  The classes are offered every 30 minutes or so through out the day.  There are a limited number of seats available, so I would not arrive moments before a class is scheduled to begin and expect to find a seat. 

Usually, our family plans a mid day break, but for our Studios day, we decided to try to push through.We planned to attend the class in the afternoon to give ourselves a little rest.  It was a great idea, as the "tired" was starting to set in.  Because of that, I was not nearly as diligent with picture taking as I normally am - my apologies.

In any event, we ended up waiting about 20 minutes for the class to begin.  As they swept open the doors, we entered an upscale classroom.  The instructor was seated at the front next to a large overhead projector.  There were rows of Mickey themed desks and stools, along with paper firmly secured to the desk and some pencils.  The room filled quickly and the instructor started the class by letting us choose which character we wanted to draw - an easy Mickey or a more complicated Stitch.  The class must have been filled with other drawing impaired folks, as the overwhelming choice was Mickey.  (I am sure it had nothing to do with it being, you know...Mickey!)
The instructor moved at a good pace.  She kept everyone moving so the class would end on time.  She gave great general drawing tips - For example, when you draw a circle you should move from your shoulder, not your wrist or elbow, as that is the natural movement of your shoulder.  You know what?  It worked!  I started my Mickey face and ears with a much rounder circles than I had ever drawn before. Certainly not perfect, but passable.

The she moved on to explaining exactly where to draw a few simple guidelines.  Once we had our guide lines we and used them to get the proportions of Mickey's features just right.  Before I knew it I had a pretty good Mickey staring back at me - albeit a bit cross-eyed.

Quick Tip - In order to keep the class moving, there are no erasers in the Animation Academy.  Keep your sketch lines very light until you are instructed to make them heavy - or just wait until the end of class and use the last minute to darken up the appropriate lines.  If I had done a better job of that, my picture would have been even better.

So next time you visit Hollywood Studios, build in a little rest and drawing time at the Animation Academy.  It is absolutely worth looking for.  I must say that I was ridiculously proud of my work.  You are encouraged to sign and keep the fruits of your labor.  I wonder if Mom has any room left on her refrigerator?

My crossed-eyed mouse

My 7 Year old's efforts - She was frustrated with no eraser, but now sketches much better Mickeys with ease.

And the 4 year old...Have I mentioned that listening and following directions are not her strong suit?  She now does great sketches of Mickey, but she still puts the guidelines on the face - even though she does not actually use them!

So long, Toontown: A tribute

Today is the last day that kids will take their first roller coaster ride on Goofy's Barnstormer, run through Donald's Boat, smile at all of the clever details in Minnie's House and Mickey's House, or load up on Disney goodies in the County Bounty.  Today is the last day Mickey will greet visitors in the Judge's Tent.  Today Toontown closes forever.  Toontown is saying goodbye to make way for the much touted Fantasyland expansion (details here).

Although Toontown never received much "critical acclaim", I must admit that I am a fan.  As a total ride whimp, the Barnstormer is just my speed.  And while the coaster itself is not going away, the theming (and the chickens) are.  I love looking at all of the clever details in the mouse's houses.  I love Minnie's painting of the view outside her window, and peeking in to Mickey's bedroom.  And if you have young girls, the Toontown Hall of Fame is tops on the list of attractions.  And while the notoriously icky Pete's Garage (aka Potty Training Central) won't be missed much, I will surely miss good ole Pete's Bumper Crop.

So...good bye old friend.  While we are looking forward to what the future holds, you will be missed in this household. 

Enjoy some scenes from a sweet little spot in the Magic Kingdom...

What you should REALLY do with your luggage tags...

If you have purchased a room and ticket package as part of your Walt Disney World vacations, then one of the added perks that you will receive is a set of Disney World luggage tags.  If you flip to one of the back pages in your travel documents Disney even provides you with a page of preprinted inserts.  You can just fill out your personal information, slide it right in, and attach it to your suitcase, right?  Wrong!  There are trolls that roam the airport who are very interested in your home address, particularly if they happen to see you headed out of town.

Instead, head over to your local department store and buy a few luggage tags that are designed to obscure your address from plain view.  It satisfies the airline's requirement that your bag be labeled, but it keeps your address from being proudly displayed to any bad guy that happens to wander by.  It really is $2 well spent.

I know you are thinking, "But what about my cute little luggage tags?  With the castle...and the balloons?"  Well, I am certainly not going to suggest you let them go to waste!  Instead of your home address, write down your name, the name of your resort, and your cell phone number and tuck it into the tag.  Attach the tag to your stroller, your cooler, your park bag, or anything else you plan on bringing inside the park with you.   Now if you drop or loose something, it has a fighting chance of being returned to you!

When you get home, you can recycle the tag for anything else that you want...gym bag, back pack, lunch box, whatever!  Just be sure that if you let your child use it that you do not put their name out in plain view.  (Somehow kids think that if a stranger knows their name, then they are not a stranger.) 

My tag is still attached to my cooler and my camera bag.  I take a little bit of Disney with me where ever I go...

Kringla Bakeri og Kafe - A Quick Service Standout

On December 4th I woke my princesses up with an amazing surprise..."Ladies, we are going to Disney!"  I gave them 20 minutes to dress and jump in the car so we could be off to the airport.  Thanks to a quick flight that landed early (!) and an amazingly quick Magical Express and resort check in, I found myself standing in Epcot only 2 hours after my the wheels touched down in Orlando, leaving plenty of time for a counter service lunch.  We headed off to the World Showcase and the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in the Norway Pavilion.

This tiny little quick service gem is located on the left "corner", just as you turn to head into the back pavilion.  It is a charming little building with a grass roof.  A quick google search on the grass roofs of Norway, yielded a few fun facts.  "Turf Roofs" as they are literally translated, are more than just green in color, they are quite "green" environmentally.  They provide architectural stability, good insulation, are long lasting,  and are not made of petroleum products.  The grass actually is used to hold a layer of birch bark in place which is used to make the roof waterproof.  (Bet you did not expect an architecture lesson in the middle of a dining review...but it is Epcot after all!)

Now back to the fun stuff...  Due to it's small size, I would recommend you check out Kringla at off peak dining times.  The interior of the restaurant is tiny - just a series of refrigerated cases from which you can make your selections with just enough room for you to snake through to the cashier.  There is a small outdoor seating area behind the restaurant, where tables are at a premium.  As you enter the cafe, you will head to the far right corner of the room, where a very small menu board hangs over the sandwich case.

We were taking advantage of the Disney Dining Plan this trip, so we were all set to jump into the Chef's Selection (which was a sandwich along with a side of soup, fruit, or salad).  After checking out the case, the husband and I decided on a club sandwich.  The sandwich was served panini style, so the ham, turkey, and bacon was warm and the melted cheese made it all stick together perfectly.  The real standout was the delicious nutty,seedy, whole grain bread.  Not usually my first choice of bread, so I am glad I was not given a choice, or I would have missed it's toasty deliciousness!

My youngest little sprite ordered the Ham, Cheese & Apple Sandwich.  It was also served on the same delicious bread.  Served warm and toasty, my young one dug right in.  I finally talked her out of a bite and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor combination.  The apples gave a sweet and cinnamony (is that even a word?) touch to the sandwich.  Unexpectedly yummy!

  

My seven year old is a little foodie.  She used to beg me to pack crab stuffed mushrooms for her preschool lunch when she was only three.  I guess it should be no surprise that while we went for sandwiches she went for the Vegetable Torte with Goat Cheese, and of course Cauliflower Soup.  While she thought the torte was fine, she did enjoy the other half of her sisters sandwich more.  I actually agreed.  I thought the texture was a bit rubbery.  I thought it tasted fine - just fine, but I am not a huge goat cheese lover.  If you are, you may have a different opinion.  She did proclaim the Cauliflower soup the best thing she ate all day.  I though it was good, but a bit heavy if Mission Space is your next stop.  Yes, she is a bit of a weird  kid, but I love her adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things!





Vegetable Torte with Goat Cheese
(Pictured with a Fruit Cup because
Cauliflower soup is not nearly as pretty!)

Since we were on the Dining Plan dessert was most definitely on the horizon.  (And even if you are not on the dining plan, I would recommend dessert here!  The dessert case was stocked full of Norwegian deliciousness.  Since four desserts were included, four desserts we got!  We put the desserts in the middle of the table and dove in.  The famous School Bread was also suggested by the server and was hands down our favorite of the lot.  Imagine custardy (I am making up words again) goodness in a sweet, but not too sweet bread topped with coconut.  YUM!  The Cloudberry Horn came in second, followed by the Chocolate Mousse Cake and the Fruity Whipped Cream concoction.  Pear Almond Tart, I am not sure how you escaped my tray, but I am coming for you next time!





Case of Norwegian Deliciousness!



Cloudberry Horn & School Bread



 





Overall, the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe is a solid counter service dining option, and an absolute stand out if your are on the dining plan.  This little spot is charming and elevates the simple sandwich into something more.  The sandwiches are filling and when combined with a side item and dessert is more than enough for even the biggest eaters.  The cast members are sweet and helpful (and exceedingly blonde!)  It did take a bit longer than I would have expected to get through the line due to a small bottleneck in the drink section.  But it really did not matter, as it almost helped with crowd control in the seating area.

At the end of the meal my husband summed it up nicely by saying "I know we have to try other places, and I do want to try other places... but if I had to eat every meal here, I would be fine with that.  Just sayin'..."