Magical Moment #9: Be Refreshed by a Lapu Lapu

*Sigh* The Polynesian Resort in Walt Disney World is one of the most lush, relaxing resorts on property.  The second I step off the bus, boat, or Monorail, I breathe a sigh of pure joy at the calm beauty surrounding me. I mean... look at this!

One of our only two dining reservations this trip was at Kona Cafe inside the Polynesian Resort. The food ranges from American favorites to Asian fusion to sushi.  To enjoy the menu without breaking the bank, we chose a late lunch reservation.  My favorite part of the experience is the Lapu Lapu, a sweet adult beverage with a mix of tropical juices (heavy on the pineapple) and rum. This drink is strong and comes in a full, hollowed out, pineapple! Yum!

The two times I've been to Kona Cafe, I've ordered the Asian Noodle Bowl. This bowl is full of rice noodles, beef strips, and a mix of Asian vegetables. The steak strips are thin and cooked by the broth pouring over it making the meat tender and delicious. On the side is a hot sauce that I didn't use much of the first time. This meal I added all of it, and it added a whole new (mouth burning) level of amazing flavor to the dish!

We were so full after the meal that we planned to take the boat over to Downtown Disney to take some time between our meal and a stop at Goofy's Candy Co. Not one to be told no, our waitress kindly brought me a birthday cupcake anyways, which I somehow found room for. ;-) 

Chocolate design on the plate was adorable!

One of my favorite parts of the Polynesian is how much play they give to one of my favorite Disney characters: Stitch. Not only does he show up throughout the resort, but they capture the nuances of his many expressions perfectly! The cringe on the chocolate embellishment on the dessert plate made me giggle, and you can practically hear him saying "hhhhiiiiiii..." in the statue below!

Wait, is this a statue or a food sculpture?? Now I can't remember!

After the morning frustrations with Hollywood Studios, I was glad to get a chance to relax and let it all go with LaRae.  The downtime in the middle of the day for the long meal was a perfect chance to rest our feet and recharge our batteries for a long night in yet another park!

Pack More Fun with the American Tourister Colora Bag! [Review]

Since my Disney blog focuses mostly on my travels to Disney World, I was pumped to get the opportunity to try out and review an American Tourister Colora bag! Did you know that American Tourister is the Official Luggage of Disney World and Disneyland? The day the box from American Tourister arrived, I was in the middle of packing up my apartment for a big move.

Busy as I was, I couldn't help but to immediately open the box and start examining my new Colora bag!  Let me tell you, this bag is a 20 inch bag (20" x  14.5" x 8.5" to be exact) that can hold plenty of clothing. When I unwrapped the Colora bag, I noticed that it is the perfect size for a carry on, and it will fit in the overhead bins on most airlines. At first I was disappointed that it does not have a zipper to expand the bag, but then I started packing clothing into it for my move. Every time I thought it was full, I found more space to pack another article of clothing into it.  (It reminds me of the Tardis: bigger on the inside!)

Not only can this little bag easily pack enough clothing for a 3-4 day trip to Walt Disney World, it is beautifully made. The inside is fully lined with a zippered compartment. It even has cross-section straps to hold clothing in place to avoid shifting during travel. My favorite part on the interior was the removable clear vinyl bag that snaps into place along the side. It's the perfect size for toiletries that might spill during flights or for storing your wet swimsuit away from dry clothing on the way home.

What would you put in that detachable zippered pocket? 

The best parts of this bag are on the outside of it though. I can't narrow it down to just one favorite part! I love the ease of use as all four wheels spin 360 degrees.  The bright color, lime green, is eye-catching, fun, and will stand out in a sea of black luggage at the airport. Even better, the handles on the side and top allow for comfort as the case is lifted. When not in use, these handles lie flat on the bag minimizing the risk of them getting caught going to airport baggage handling. The retractable handle works like a charm, locking in place with a happy little click.  The front of the Colora bag has a large pocket perfect for last minute items like cell phone chargers. Better yet, I'll be using the exterior bag to hold items like printed photos and sketches from Animation Academy flat on the way home.  Finally, the bag weighs in at a light 8 pounds making it a breeze to lift up into the overhead bins on your flight.

I remember my parents' American Tourister bags growing up. My mother had a neat little train case that she carried on all of our trips. I was always fascinated with that case of makeup and hair products. Some of that luggage helped move my sister and myself to college. In fact, it's still in the family 30+ years later. Talk about high quality and lasting power! This Colora bag comes with a 10 year warranty, but knowing American Tourister's top notch reputation, I trust my bag will have no problems.

You, too, can own a bright Colora bag!  American Tourister bags are always on sale and currently purchases over $99 can get free shipping. The Colora bags are available in three sizes: 20", 25", and 30". They come in three striking colors: lime green, hot pink, and bright orange. I think I want one in each color! Which one would you choose, and where would you go as you Pack More Fun?

30 Magical Moments: #8 Sketch in the Animation Academy

Despite not having kiddos to wake us up early, LaRae and I still woke fairly early and made our way over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Walking in, the crowds were pretty sparse. We were really thinking we'd lucked out and picked a great park for the day!

No stage blocking the hat made for GREAT photos!

We were able to pull FastPasses for Toy Story Midway Mania, a favorite attraction that plays right to our sisterly competitiveness. The queue was so short, we were able to practically walk on to get a first ride in before our FastPasses!  Again, we really thought we picked a great park for the day. All signed were pointing toward small crowds and quick queues.

L for LaRae!

I can't remember if the winner was LaRae or me, but
I thought it was cool that our accuracy was the same!

We stopped at Starring Rolls for breakfast cupcakes, a Disney tradition of mine that I cannot pass up, and it was pretty busy.  As we walked toward Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster, we started seeing cheerleaders. Tiny young ones, pre-teens in full makeup, and teens all eager to cheer. Every single one of them had a huge bow atop their heads. Let me start by saying I was really impressed with most of what I saw. Many times an older cheerleader had a much younger one by the hand or on her back for a piggyback ride. The teams exhibited respect for the teams whose names were emblazoned across their uniforms and t-shirts as they helped each other and treated others with respect. All of them were excited.  All of them were high energy. We'll keep it positive for now.

When we got to Tower of Terror to pull a FastPass, a man was walking away and traded our later passes for his earlier passes!  Talk about a Magical Moment!  We had just enough time to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster in the Single Rider Queue before our FP time. For those of you not in the know, the queue for Rockin' Roller Coaster, one of Hollywood Studios' headliner attractions, can get super long, super fast, especially with a park full of tween/teen cheerleaders. The Single Rider Queue is ideal for pairs and small groups.  You walk through a (usually) shorter queue together and are only likely to get split up at the last minute just to ride the ride.  LaRae was only one "limo drive to the show" ahead of me.  Absolute quickest way to Rock without a FastPass!

Me, front of the coaster, with my new 3-minutes only bestie! 

After Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (fabulous as always), we went to ride Star Tours.  This is when the problems began, and it was with one group in particular.  As we entered Star Tours, a group of tween cheerleaders and their group leaders entered ahead of us.  Three girls got split from the group and then cut the line to catch back up with their group.  By "cut the line" I mean they were WAY behind their group and SHOVED around 20-30 guests like they owned the attraction.  LaRae and I rolled our eyes and enjoyed the ride.  

The queue was still so short when we got out that we decided to ride again. We saw the same group ahead of us and waited a bit to let them get ahead. One part of the group thought they had time to ride again and ran off. Another part of the group insisted they didn't have time. We let the group going on the ride get going, and then we entered the queue again. Now I don't have anything against cheerleaders. I was a band member on a trip to Walt Disney World in high school. I am a high school teacher, and I know teens are excitable. I also know that they behave as expected when expectations are clear and enforced. They reflect upon the adults they are with and the entire group they represent.

This time the SAME three girls hung back and got split from their group again.  They were again about 20-30 people behind their group (which was a full queue room ahead of them).  LaRae and I, not fans of queue jumpers no matter their reason, made ourselves take up the entire queue and strolled through. When one of the girls shoved me, I turned and firmly said, "no. You may not jump in front of me. You may wait like the rest of us." The girls grumbled behind me and then made fun of me and my birthday button. I am an adult. I ignored them. We proceeded to not give passing room.

In the last room, their group leader came back for them. That's when I saw red. It's one thing for a tween to make a bad choice. It's another for a group leader to openly teach them to be entitled. When she told them to jump line, I mentioned that we were all waiting in the same queue, and that jumping queue isn't ok. I don't know what got into me. I really don't. I'm not confrontational with strangers. I let people star in their own movies and just laugh at them, but this "educator" ticked me off! Cheer mom reeled around to tell me off, and I asked "what are you teaching them? You're showing them it's ok to jump line!" She yelled at me as she stormed off with the girls.  My argument is that she shouldn't have left them in the first place OR the whole group could have waited for the 3 to catch up before boarding the attraction.  

I know what I'm saying can be considered controversial.  I'm NOT slamming cheerleaders, but after that, I was ready to get out of Hollywood Studios and find some adult refreshments.  The CM's said the cheerleaders were out of control and running through queues like that all over.  I teach students to be respectful and aware of those around them. This leader was teaching her girls that they not only owned the park but were better than everyone else who wanted to enjoy their vacations. That's simply not ok. *Getting off soap box now.*

MuppetVision 3D to help us smile again!

Finally, though, before we left we decided to go to the Animation Academy in Animation Courtyard.  For free, a Disney animator will teach you how to sketch a (random) Disney character.  Our session sketched Pluto.  You get a light table, a piece of paper, and a pencil. No erasers! I found the lesson easy to follow, and at the end I got to keep my sketch! After the lesson the animator gives his sketch out to the winner of a trivia question. I never knew the answer, but I was excited to have my own Pluto sketch! (As a side note: this is best for children aged 8 or over. I recommend younger only if good at following directions and artistically inclined. Those who stress over perfection and a slightly quick pace might struggle in this activity.)

All in all, our morning at the Studios was so much fun! I wish I hadn't let the cheer mom get to me. My blood still boils a bit months later, but I know for next time to just let it go. Have you completed Animators Academy?

30 Magical Moments: #7 Ride Dinosaur with My Eyes OPEN

Magical Moment #7 was more of a challenge than anything else.  The first time I visited Disney's Animal Kingdom, I tried to ride Dinosaur.  I say "tried to" because about one minute into the ride I was huddled on my sister's shoulder, whimpering into her ear, with my eyes tightly shut!  Every attempt after that I have never been able to keep my eyes open the entire ride.  There's something about a countdown to a meteor shower coupled with the dark and dinosaurs lunging at me that makes this ride panic-inducing for me. But trip after trip I have ridden it hoping I could get over my fears!

I am proud to say that this trip I not only faced my fears, but we rode Dinosaur a few times and even hammed it up for the photos each time!  This photo is the first time I made it through with my eyes open!  Yay for hitting 30 and overcoming my fear (of fake dinosaurs)!

After that we got in the fairly short line for Primeval Whirl:

As short as it was, it wasn't short enough. Lots of awkward memories took place in this queue.  For starters, there was a child behind us in line.  He was maybe 6 years old and riding alone.  I don't know if I smiled at him or just looked friendly, but he stuck to me like glue... uncomfortably close to my rear end glue. Then a cuddling couple noticed my birthday button, so the woman quietly and very slowly sang "happy birthday to you..." We thought she'd stop there, but her boyfriend joined in, and while making eye contact with us, they sang the entire song to me. However she'd started off so slowly, that it was more like a funeral dirge: quiet, somber, slow, and creepy. By the end of it LaRae and I were smiling awkwardly, and we all avoided eye contact after that.  Note to my readers: singing a song to a person in a queue with you is fun when it's not a dirge and when you don't have to stand by them for 15 more minutes! LOL!

Tried to be brave and hold my iPhone for a pic.
Chickened out before I got a good shot!

Remember how I said in the last post that the park was emptying out as we entered?  Well it only got emptier as the night went on!  I guess most guests were making their way to fireworks shows and evening parades.  I find that the Animal Kingdom paths are darker and more windy than those in other parks.  As LaRae and I made our way to Expedition Everest, we were fairly alone until a bunny jumped into our path. Poor thing couldn't get away and hopped along in front of us for quite a while before it could find a way off the path!  We seriously thought we were about to witness the wee bunny have a heart attack and die. Thank goodness he made his was around us.

The queue for Expedition Everest was also nonexistent, so we rode 2 or 3 times! This is another attraction that's totally different and more amazing at night. As your car climbs the mountain you gain a great view of the park and surrounding areas.  Then the lights flashing by as you fly through the ride add another level of excitement! Knowing the Yeti is coming when it's so dark makes him a bit more ominous too!

After our evening of thrills, we went back to Pop Century to relax and sleep.  The next day we wanted to get to Disney's Hollywood Studios early!  Now that you've read about my Magical Moments in Animal Kingdom, what Magical Moments would be on your list for this park?

30 Magical Moments: #6 Devour a White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake

We're back with the 30 Magical Moments series! When we left off LaRae and I had just given up on a super chilly swim at Pop Century.  After warm showers and some rest time, we hopped on a bus to Disney's Animal Kingdom.  We got to Animal Kingdom right as the parade was ending, so the crowds were clearing out. Let me tell you, if you want to walk on to everything at Animal Kingdom during peak level crowds, get there after the parade and spend the evening there until closing time!

As we entered, we felt like the park was closing as that many people were leaving.  Here you can see the masses heading out of the park: 

Just keep swimming... just keep swimming...

For some reason I thought I needed to take an awkward Tree of Life selfie.  That's my sister in the left side of this photo.  She's either oblivious to or ignoring me turning & walking backwards trying to capture this picture. I mean, sure, I could have asked her to take my picture, but this is high quality photography! ;-)

The Kilimanjaro Safari was going to close soon, so we went straight there.  We walked right on the ride.  The walk to the front of the queue was what made the wait "long."  Usually when I ride the Safari I take photos nonstop.  This time I just enjoyed the animals, and I wasn't disappointed!  These are the only two photos I snapped!

The entrance to the Safari is right by the Kusafari Bakery.  As we got off of the Safari, we went straight  to grab Magical Moment #6: enjoying a White Elephant Cupcake!  This is my favorite Walt Disney World cupcake.  It's chocolate cake with a huge mound of white icing. The icing has a glob of German chocolate icing in the center and is coated in toasted coconut.  This version of a German chocolate cupcake is to die for!   LaRae got a treat as well, and we found a seat by the water to devour our treats. Yuuuuuuummmmmmyyy!  My mouth is watering just looking at this photo!

Did I mention it's topped with a white chocolate elephant lollipop??

The next Magical Moment on the list happened shortly after this, so I'll finish this post now.  A quick hint: the next moment has me facing my fears! Do you know where we're going next? 

Hollywood Week with American Tourister!

While you're waiting for the next of the 30 Magical Moments, I have a new contest to tell you about! American Tourister, the official luggage of Walt Disney World and Disneyland, has arrived at Disney's Hollywood Studios. To share their excitement, American Tourister is giving away the gorgeous D23 Mickey & Minnie Luggage Sets.  The lucky winners will be able to pick the Mickey or Minnie set!

American Tourister at Hollywood Studios!
Photo Credit: Disney on Wheels

Entering is easy!  During this week (10/21-10/25) American Tourister will be asking daily questions on their Facebook page.  Your response in the comments will count as your entry to win the adorable D23 luggage set.  Five winners will be randomly chosen. See the official rules here.

Another perfectly themed ad at DHS. This luggage is amazing!
Photo Credit: Disney on Wheels

What are you waiting for? Head on over to American Tourister's Facebook page to enter. If you win, where will you take your new luggage first?  (Sounds like a perfectly good reason to plan another Disney trip if you ask me!)

30 Magical Moments: #5 Get a FREE Disney Visa Meet & Greet Photo

Tonight my best friend came over and helped me pack up the closets and desk area of my apartment.  We also took down the curtains.  I swear she saved me 2 hours of packing time since I didn't have to keep climbing up and down the stepladder to pull things off of the shelves.  It's amazing how much easier things are with a second set of hands!  After running to WalMart for more boxes (how can I possibly need more already?!) I've decided to stop for the night to blog.  Moving on to Magical Moment #5!

Disney Visa Cardholders have a special photo opportunity in Epcot.  Daily from 1pm to 7pm, cardholders can go to Innoventions West to a special location to have a meet and greet with Disney characters.  Sometimes this spot is hard to find, but if you ask a Cast Member, they can two-finger point you in the right direction. If you're familiar with Innoventions, the location is right beside the video games across from where the Segway rides used to be.  There's no sign telling you which characters are meeting & greeting, and usually the cast member stays mum on who is inside as well.  We've found that   members of the Fab Five are usually back there though.  We've met Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto.  Usually there are only 2 characters, but once when we had a large group, three characters met us.  Kenny the Pirate has a great write up on this character spot here.  When you step behind the curtain, the characters greet you and a PhotoPass Photographer takes plenty of photos for you.  I like this meet and greet because it never really feels too rushed.  The best part?  As a cardholder, you get one complimentary 5x7 print per Visa card of the photo of your choice!  You can get a photo once a day which means on a long trip, you can get plenty of free 5x7 character photos!

My family has utilized this location numerous times in the past, but LaRae and I decided this trip it was a must do.  After spending some time in the World Showcase, we darted over to Innoventions to snap a quick photo.  Minnie and Goofy met us, and we spent some time in Future World before we went to get our photos printed.

One of my favorite rides! I thank the Phoenicians, but I
always thank the Greeks for math as well!

I rarely get time to "play" at the end of Spaceship Earth, so
LaRae kindly gave me some time to do so. Love this game!

The pick up spot for the photos is the photo shop under Spaceship Earth.  It only takes a few minutes to look through the photos and get one printed.  You can add boarders if you like.  LaRae and I each got a print. It's a nice way to have a professional photo to commemorate the trip!  We were all dolled up, and the photo turned out so cute!  Besides, doesn't it look like I'm wearing a Goofy hat?  Incidentally we went back a day or two later and did the meet and greet again and got individual prints!  The cast member in the photo shop laughed at us saying we knew how to do it right. ;-)

Magical Moment #5

On the way out of the park I snapped some photos of the Flower and Garden Festival topiaries at the entrance.  Aren't they wonderful?

It's like Goofy made me a birthday cake (and took 10 years off of my age)! What a sweetheart!

When we got back to our room to go swimming, we found this "towel animal" in the window.  What in the world is that?!  I mean, I know what I think it looks like... what do you think??  We left it in the window the entire trip and giggled over it every time we walked in.

Oh wait, I mentioned swimming.  We were at Disney in March, and we really thought that it would be warm enough for an afternoon swim.  Oh boy were we mistaken!  There were kids joyfully splashing in the pool as we walked off.  The breeze was a bit brisk as we took off our coverups, but we thought the pool would be warm enough.  We gingerly inched our way into the icy waters and tried to keep moving to get warm.  The wind was just strong enough that if you raised up out of the water too much, it felt like an arctic breeze. After struggling to get warm and relax in the pool, we came to the realization that there was no need to torture ourselves any longer!  We scurried over to our towels eliciting the quiet laughter of the adults around the pool who were smarter than us and hadn't gotten in the water, and we went back to the room for hot showers.  It's one thing to go swimming and tough it out because the kiddos want to swim.  It's another thing to decide as adults that it's not worth the runny nose!  We still laugh about it, so it all worked out and added another funny memory to our trip.

After our "swim" we rested and then went to Disney's Animal Kingdom.  What are your must-dos at Animal Kingdom?