Happy Barbershop Quartet Day

April 11, 2018amcoope2 Leave a comment

Today is National Barbershop Quartet Day! So let’s take a look at some of the amazing talents at Walt Disney World! Did you know that every day right on Main Street USA there is an amazing Barbershop Quartet (and an actual working Barbershop!) The Dapper Dans are absolutely incredible and perform every day (be sure to check the performance guide for times when you enter the park)

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Here is a very special Valentine’s Day performances from the Disney Parks YouTube Channel.

So stop on by the Harmony Babershop for a haircut and then head out to Main Street USA to hear the Dapper Dans!

In addition to their daily performances they also perform for the hard ticket event- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party as the “Cadaver Dans.”

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Ready to check out the Dapper Dans in real life?? Be sure to contact Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com for your FREE no obligation quote! All of her planning and booking services are 100% free of charge to you!

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Tuesday’s Tip- Watch 4th of July Fireworks LIVE! From the Magic Kingdom !!!!

July 4, 2017amcoope2 Leave a comment

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow Mouskaholics out there! Are you sad that you were unable to make it down to Walt Disney World to celebrate our nation’s 241st birthday? Is the weather bad where you are, cancelling your local fireworks? Do you just miss Disney and want your Disney fix? Well have no fear! If you head to the Disney Parks Blog tonight at 8:55 pm you’ll be able to live stream “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” fireworks.

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At 8:55 the live stream will give you a brief insider look at the behind the scenes of Disney’s nighttime spectacular shows, and the fireworks will begin at 9:00.

Fireworks, Disney, and not having to fight the traffic and crowds… yes please!

Fun Fact Friday- Who is Orange Bird?

March 3, 2017amcoope2 Leave a comment

About 5 or 6 years ago I got really into pin trading at Disney (some may say obsessed…) One of the characters that really intrigued me was this little orange bird character. At the time I didn’t know much about him, but he was cute, playful, and I made it my goal to collect all of his pins! Every cast member I interacted with I was searching for orange bird pins! (FYI, I totally collected them all too… it took two trips to do it, but I have them all through trading!)

While I was definitely excited about collecting his pins I had NO IDEA who orange bird was, so I did a little research-

Who is Orange Bird?

The Orange Bird was created in 1970 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission in exchange for them sponsoring the Tiki Room attraction at Magic Kingdom. Accompanied by singer Anita Bryant the two appeared in ads for Florida oranges and Bryant narrated a record album telling the character’s story. After the Anita Bryant ad campaign was dropped in the late 70s, the Orange Bird had a solo career and appeared in a few educational shorts in the 1980s such as Foods and Fun: A Nutrition Adventure and The Orange Bird and the Nutrition Bandwagon. Eventually, the bird would fade into obscurity when Disney and the FCC severed their ties in 1987.

Years later, at Tokyo Disneyland in 2004, the Orange Bird would experience a revival as the Japanese became infatuated with the character and the character received a lot of merchandising to coincide with Japan’s annual Orange Day on April 14th of that year. The Orange Bird soon returned to appearing regularly on merchandise in the US as well.

The Orange Bird appeared at Magic Kingdom as a walk around character during that park’s first decade. He would often be found roaming Adventureland, outside the Enchanted Tiki Room. A figure of the character was also perched in a spot behind the counters of the Sunshine Tree Terrace, which has since been restored to the location after having spent years in the Disney Archives. Orange Bird merchandise can be found in retail locations at both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort, despite the fact that the character otherwise never appeared at the latter.

Eventually, on April 17, 2012, the Orange Bird made a proper return to the Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Unlike other birds, the Orange Bird is incapable of singing or speaking and instead communicates with orange-colored thought bubbles. He is mocked by other birds as a result of this and Orange Bird generally looks for friends wherever he goes.

Information Credit- Disney Wiki

Fun Fact Friday- Hall of Presidents Part 2

February 24, 2017amcoope2 Leave a comment

Monday was President’s Day, so I published a rare “Fun Fact Monday” (it just doesn’t roll off the tongue like Fun Fact Friday!). There is SO much to know about this attraction though, so today I would like to follow up with some more fun facts!

Fun Fact #1– The only place that you can see the Presidential Seal on display outside of the White House is at the Hall of Presidents. In fact, it took Congressional approval for the seal to be displayed at the Magic Kingdom. The seal is surrounded by a small fence to protect it from guests standing on it.

Fun Fact #2– The Hall of Presidents opened up on October 1, 1971 when the Magic Kingdom first opened it’s doors, making it one of Disney World’s original attractions. The attraction has been running for nearly 46 year now, and has to close every 4 to 8 years to undergo refurbishments to make way for the newest POTUS. (The Hall is currently closed to make way for the new President Trump audio animatronic figure, and will re-open on June 29, 2017).

Fun Fact #3- When Epcot’s Spaceship Earth needed audio animatronics, molds of the presidents were used for to speed up the process! Teddy Roosevelt was recreated into an Egyptian priest and again as a senator in Rome. James Buchanan was made into Johannes Gutenberg and can be seen standing next to the life changing printing press. Eisenhower is the lute player and the sculptor is actually from the mold of Ulysses S. Grant. Two more presidents, Franklin Pierce and John Tyler, can also be seen as scholars.

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If you’re ready to book your next vacation be sure to email Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com for your free quote. Her booking and planning services are always free of charge.

Fun Fact Monday?- President’s Day 2017

February 20, 2017amcoope2 1 Comment

Happy Monday from the Mouskaholic and Mr. Mouskaholic! We’ve had an exciting weekend, creating and launching the “Confessions of a Mouskaholic” YouTube Channel! If you missed it, check it here- Episode 1- Meet the Mouskaholics

If you’ve been following for a while now, you know that I normally dedicate my Monday posts to Disney Music and that Friday, is my “Fun Fact” day, however with the Monday holiday, it seemed more fitting to honor American history and a Magic Kingdom classic.

I will start off by first saying that the Hall of Presidents is currently closed for refurbishment. With the election of our 45th President, Disney imagineers are hard at work creating the audio animatronic version of Donald J. Trump. All of the presidents throughout American history are represented in this 23 minute theatrical style presentation. The Hall of Presidents closed on January 17th and is set to re-open on June 29th, 2017. (We will be on our trip to Disney World at this time, and will be sure to snap some photos!)

Fact #1– The outside of the Hall of Presidents is designed to look like Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The 1787 on the front of the building is representative of the year that the constitution was signed.

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Independence Hall- Philadelphia

Fact #2– The auditorium inside the Hall of Presidents can accommodate 700 park goers at a time! Don’t be discouraged if you see a long line for the attraction. For this 23 minute show, turn over is quick, and nearly always is able to empty the queue when filling the auditorium.

Fact #3– There is a “Hidden Mickey” cleverly disguised in a painting in the lobby. So next time you’re in line for the attraction, be sure to look for the painting. The Hidden Mickey can be located at the tip of George Washington’s sword.

Look for more fun facts about the Hall of Presidents in this coming Friday’s- Fun Fact Friday post!

Be sure to follow Confessions of a Mouskaholic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mouskaholic

Instagram- @TheMouskaholic

Twitter- @TheMouskaholic

If you’re ready to book your next vacation be sure to email Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com for your free quote. Her booking and planning services are always free of charge.

What Would I Fast Pass- Magic Kingdom

January 11, 2017amcoope2 Leave a comment

One of the questions that I am asked often is what 3 fast passes to select. The Magic Kingdom has the widest selection of fast passes to choose from. There are rides, attractions, and parades and the combinations are seemingly endless.

So if my husband and I only have 1 day to spend at the Magic Kingdom our 3 fast passes are

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

These selections are made based on rides that are not only our favorites, but ones that consistently have longer lines. I also choose these as my 3 because we don’t have children, all three of these have height restrictions that we don’t have to worry about as adults. (Next week I will follow up with suggestions if you do have littles!)

If we have a second day at the Magic Kingdom my fast pass combinations would be slightly different.

Day 1

Space Mountain
7 Dwarf Mine Train
Splash Mountain

Day 2

Space Mountain
Flight of Peter Pan
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Now I realize that Space Mountain is on there twice, but I REALLY love that ride 🙂

With you “My Disney Experience” page you can begin to book your fast passes up to 60 days in advance when you’re staying on Disney Property or up to 30 days in advance when you’re staying off Disney property. All of your fast pass selections will be stored on your magic band, or your ticket.

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Did you know that when you book your trip with Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com that she can help you plan your trip from beginning to end, including booking your fast passes and dining reservations? Not only can she help you plan your magical vacation, her services are free of charge! Contact her today for your free quote!

ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com

All good things must come to an end…

July 21, 2016amcoope2 Leave a comment

So we left home a week ago this morning and will be returning tomorrow evening around midnight. It is true that all good things must come to an end. We’ve had an amazing adventure between Disney, Siesta Key Beach, and now Atlanta, Georgia!

Overview of Disney- We stayed at a new to us resort (Caribbean Beach Resort) and WOW, WOW, WOW!!! It was HUGE!!! We’ve stayed at all 3 All Star Resorts, Pop Century, and Port Orleans French Quarter, and those were just a fraction of the size of this resort (over 30,000 guest rooms!).

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Our first day at Hollywood Studios we were able to experience things we had never done before, as well as things we hadn’t done in a REALLY long time! (More on that later)

Our second day we headed to Epcot and again were able to experience new things! Frozen forever after, Soarin around the World, meeting Joy and Sadness, and new (to us) dining experiences!

Our final day we checked out and headed to Magic Kingdom. Rather than trying anything new we enjoyed our old favorites! Started at the park opening at 9am and stayed until about 2 pm before renting a car and heading to Siesta Key Beach!

We got to Siesta Key in the early evening and settled into “Hibiscus Suites.” This hotel was such a great location!!! It was about a 5 minute drive to Siesta Key Public Beach, right down the road from Publix (Florida supermarket chain), and right across the street from Siesta Key Water Sports!

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We of course enjoyed the beach, parasailing, and eating LOTS of seafood!!!

Wednesday morning we drove from Siesta Key to Atlanta, Georgia. We got settled into the Westin Hotel on Peachtree and headed to dinner at Pitty Pat’s Porch. We LOVE Pitty Pat’s!!! We visited this restaurant about 6 years ago and had the most amazing ribs. We were afraid that we had over-hyped the taste in the paste 6 years, but we didn’t!!! They were so so so good! If you’re ever in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend checking it out!

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Today is our first and only full day here in Atlanta, so we spent a good chunk of time at the Georgia Aquarium. It is expensive to get in ($40 for adults) but WOW, it’s absolutely incredible! We spent about 2 hours there in the morning, left and had lunch, and then came back for another hour and a half in the afternoon. There is so much to do and see at the Aquarium, and the Dolphin Celebration show was just excellent! This evening we are having dinner at the Sun Dial restaurant (the top 3 floors at the Westin… and it revolves!) and then heading to ride the Atlanta Skyview.

Tomorrow we will be checking out the World of Coca-Cola and some other sites before heading to airport to fly home.

It’s been an amazing trip thus far, but I am looking forward to coming home sweet home!

Day 9 in Review

July 30, 2015amcoope2 Leave a comment

Today was our last full day at Disney and what a LONG day it has been! We started our day with an 8:05 reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant! Having an early morning reservation was to our advantage, and allowed us the rare opportunity to see a nearly empty Main Street USA, and we were able to get some great pics of the castle with very few people in our way!

Be Our Guest restaurant was a nice experience and was much less crowded than it was during lunch. We enjoyed dining in the West Wing. Breakfast in my mind was a good use of a quick service dining credit, however, with that being said, I would not pay $19.99 for that meal outside of the dining plan.

As soon as we were done with breakfast we saw there was only a 10 minute wait for the Flight of Peter Pan! It hard to find this ride without a 80 minute wait, so it was nice to take advantage of this short wait and see the new interactive queue.

After Peter Pan we headed to Tomorrowland, and had time to check out Monsters Inc Laugh Floor before our Space Mountain fast pass! I just love the laugh floor because it’s a different show every time!

Space Mountain was awesome as usual, and we were able to take in some of the favorites around Tomorrowland afterwards; Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, People Mover, and Carousel of Progress!

Our next fast pass was to meet Cinderella and Rapunzel, so I did a picture with Rapuzel (who played her character SOOOO well!!!) and Craig did a photo with Cinderella! This was our first time in Princess Fairytale Hall, and would recommend it to anyone with young princess fans 🙂

After the princesses we headed to Haunted Mansion for one last ride through, and then we were off to Splash Mountain for our final fast pass at the Magic Kingdom! Rather than walk back through the crowds to the park exit we decided to ride the Magic Kingdom Railway back to Main Street USA. Saying goodbye to the Magic Kingdom is always saddening, but it’s never really a goodbye, it’s “Until we meet again!”

We enjoyed lunch and napping back at Pop Century before heading to Hollywood Studios for the evening. When we arrived at HS we headed straight for a kiosk and got a fast pass for Star Tours. We had just enough time before dinner to head to Muppet Vision 3D (everything else had AT LEAST a 1 hour wait!)

Dinner was at the Prime Time 50’s cafe and was AWESOME!!!! I highly recommend it to anyone! Food was awesome and the atmosphere was really fun if you’r willing to play along. We joined the elite club of “Clean Plate Club” and were told by our server that we were his best behaved guests of the evening 🙂

After dinner wait times were still crazy long for just about everything, so we hit some of the shops before our 8:15 fast pass for star tours. We were a little disappointed that everything still had such a long wait time! Fantasmic was standing room only at that point, Toy Story was closed for the evening, and so was the Great Movie Ride. Rockin Roller Coaster was a 150 minute wait, and Tower of Terror was 70. With all of that we decided to just head back to the resort It was a little saddening that I didn’t get to ride RnR on this trip (it was broken down the first time we were there) because it’s my hand down favorite Disney Coaster! Hopefully as HS goes through its re-vamp it will be better in the future. It was definitely the most disappointing park on this trip.

Today’s Step Count-

And the Highlight of my day was meeting Elsa, with absolutely no wait!

Day 7 in review

July 28, 2015amcoope2 Leave a comment

We are to the point in our trip where we’ve pretty much done most things at the park that we enjoy doing at least once. We headed back to Epcot this morning and it was our first morning time at Epcot. We had fast passes for Soarin, Spaceship Earth, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends. We’ve really enjoyed taking this years trip at a more relaxed pace. We are not rushing around because our trip is spread out, and that gives us a lot more time to take it all in and enjoy!

After we got of The Seas with Nemo and Friends, we headed to the world showcase starting with the Canada side. We decided to watch the 360 degree circle vision movie “Oh Canada.” I haven’t seen that since I was in 6th grade, and my husband had never seen it! Sometimes the circle vision movies make me a little motion sick, but I was okay this time! After Canada we headed to the UK for Craig to get his Boddingtons at the Rose and Crown Pub, and then to France for a Grand Marnier slush for me! We had lunch at the pastry shop in France, and then decided it was time to head back to the hotel for napping and packing (we are transferring to the Pop Century resort for two more nights after tonight).

After napping (more napping and less packing) we headed to the magic kingdom! Our first stop was a fast pass kiosk. Here we were able to secure a fast pass time for haunted mansion after dinner. Before dinner we had just enough time to watch Mickeys Philharmagic… My favorite 3D movie at the parks!

We enjoyed dinner at the Crystal Palace. This was was our first time eating dinner there and I was not disappointed! We met pooh and tigger the other morning at park fare and we lucked out that Eeyore and Piglet were the two we met during dinner rather than duplicating!

After dinner we headed to our haunted mansion fast pass where the coolest part of our day happened! I noticed a cast member looking at the mansion when we got off and I went to look at his pins (I ended up trading for a really cool flounder pin). And we started chatting! He actually told me a secret about something that’s coming which I hope to share when it’s gone public). We chatted for about 10 minutes and he made our day Sooooo magical!!! He gave a special fast pass to ride anything because he had “kept talking so long.”

We had certainly enjoyed talking to him and it was a pleasure, but it was a nice magical touch that made our day just a little more special!

So after that we went to the fast pass kiosk (saving our magic fast pass for later) and got a fast pass for dumbo! I highly recommend riding this one at night or dusk because it’s beautiful!

Afterwards we headed to space mountain with our magic fast pass and it was down!!!! No worries though we were able to walk onto the people mover! And the cool thing was when we went through space mountain on the ride, the lights were on! You could see the inside of space mountain with lights on!!!!

Space mountain was still down, so we rode small world. As we were getting off Small World, we saw the that Space Mountain was still down but that Enchanted Tales with Belle was only a 10 minute wait, so off we went. All I can say is WOW!!!! Well done Disney! I highly recommend this experience for all ages! (I will do a full blog post on it at a later time)

By the time we got out of Enchanted Tales, Space Mountain was back up and running. We headed there with our magic fast pass in hand! So awesome! It was the perfect ride to end our evening! We headed back to the resort and got a cocktail at the Scat Cats Lounge.

What a great day 🙂 Today’s Step Count-

Day 1 in review

July 22, 2015amcoope2 Leave a comment

What an amazing first day we’ve had!!! It’s been long but really good!

We started the day by heading to the airport at 4:30am for our 6am flight! While that was a VERY early morning, it got us to the Disney Magical express by 11, and that was with a slight layover!

When we touched down in Orlando and could turn our phones on again, I received a text message saying that our room was ready! Hooray for getting to check in early! We were able to head straight to the room and call bell services and have our groceries that we had ordered delivered! (Hooray for technology and ordering a few grocery/breakfast items online)

We headed straight for the magic kingdom and enjoyed lunch at the Columbia Harbour House. Our first fast pass got delayed because of the weather so we headed to the Hall of Presidents. This was a first for me! I’ve never seen this show, but did enjoy it!

By the time we got out of the hall of presidents we were able to head to our splash mountain fast pass! (My favorite MK ride). After the ride we headed towards the front of the park for Craig’s haircut at Harmony Barbershop, and wow, what a great spot to watch the Festival of Fantasy parade! Standing outside of the barbershop, you catch the very end of the parade route!

After the parade Craig got his haircut (more on that later!) and we headed back to the resort for naps!!! We were pooped after being up since 3:45!

We headed back to the magic kingdom to catch our fast pass that has been delayed for big thunder and then boarded our monorail for Ohana at the Polynesian resort… And WOW WOW WOW!!!! I cannot say enough about how awesome the food was at Ohana! (This is another one where I will do a full review later!)

We made it back to MK just in time to catch the end of wishes, and the second showing of celebrate the magic!

We ended the night with a night time ride on the seven dwarf mine train, a Lafou brew and a ride on under the sea!!! I call that a great first day!

And here is today’s mileage stats

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