The Poor Mom's Guide to Disney: 2011

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

NEW Haunted Mansion interactive queue at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Magic, The Memories, and You! New show at the Magic Kingdom Disneywo...

Walt Disney World Trivia

Covering 47 square miles, Walt Disney World Resort is about the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands. Of the more than 30,000 acres, less than one-fourth has been developed, with another quarter designated as a wilderness preserve.

There are 54,000 employees! That's how many people it takes to create the magic here at the Vacation Kingdom. Not surprisingly, Walt Disney World Resort is the largest single-site employer in the United States.

Spaceship Earth, the visual and thematic centerpiece of Epcot, weighs 16 million pounds -- more than three times that of a Space Shuttle fully fueled and ready for launch. The outer "skin" of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles. Also, did you know that rainwater never falls off the sphere? It's absorbed into the ball and funneled away.

About Me...

I went on my first trip to Walt Disney World when I was 6 years old way back when in 1974. There was only the Magic Kingdom. I can remember walking with Mickey Mouse, hand in hand, in front of the castle. We went back one more time a year later and that was the last family vacation we ever went on before my parents divorced. My mom took my sister and I back twice and on that last trip it was right after Epcot had opened. We had never stayed on Disney property but at the time, I was too young to notice or care. In 1998, I planned my first trip with my own family where I made sure we got the full-on Disney experience where we stayed on site, ate at the best restaurants and have been going back whenever we can ever since. We live on a tight budget but I never wanted my kids to feel like we never did anything. I wanted us to make memories. My husband believes that my love of Disney has to do with the fact that it represents a time in my life when my family was a family. He may be right but the fact still remains that there is nothing quite like a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and I have yet - more than 12 trips later - to see everything. I enjoy planning not only our own trips, but helping friends with theirs, too. This blog is my way of letting my creative, inner-Disney fanatic get out and help others. Being that we do live frugally, I can help anyone plan a trip that fits in their budget and if money is no object, then watch out because I can make sure you experience it all. From hotel reviews and experiences, to dining on the cheap to five-star, to ride recommendations for every member of your family, I hope to have it all here. I hope that you find something here that helps you plan your own magical vacation!

More Disney Fun Facts...

- Mickey Mouse has more than 290 outfits! He has everything from a tuxedo to a scuba diving suit. Minnie's wardrobe is slightly less at 200 outfits.

- Disney photographs will take anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 photographs on any given day! Say cheese!

- More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables are grown at The Land Pavilion at Epcot and are served in the WDW restaurants.

- Stormalong Bay, Disney's Beach Club Resort swimming area, holds 750,000 gallons of water! It is the largest sand-bottom pool in the world!

- You would need 9.5 MILLION tennis balls to fill one of the tennis ball cans at the All-Star Resort's Center Court Hotel!

- It would take more than 68 years for you to stay in ALL of the guest rooms offered at WDW (one room per night).

- The Animal Kingdom Park is the largest Disney theme park. It covers 403 acres!

- The Carousel of Progress and It's a Small World - both located in the Magic Kingdom - made their debuts at the 1965-65 New York's World's Fair.

- The Tree of Life stands 14 stories tall and features more than 300 animal carvings on it!

- The Magic Kingdom park is actually larger than Disneyland! Magic Kingdom covers 107 acres whereas Disneyland only has 80 acres.

- The water tower at Disney's Hollywood Studios stands 189 feet tall and is known at the "Earffel Tower".

- Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom has a five-story, 45-degree angle free-fall that has you going 40 miles per hour!

Mouseclub Beginnings

Back in early 2009, I had entered a contest to win an at-home Disney-themed party. Disney would send me a party-in-a-box and I had to find something to celebrate and then report back to them on what we celebrated. Well, I had no real celebration that needed a party so I invited my closest "Disney fanatic" friends and decided to have a party to celebrate our love of all-things Disney. I made Disney-themed snacks on Mickey shaped place settings, there were balloons and decorations...It was a LOT of fun. So after that first party, we decided to get together on a monthly basis (at the time, three of my friends were planning their trips for the fall) and discuss our vacation plans and compare our past travel experiences. A year later we are still doing it and even though no one has a trip planned right now, it doesn't mean we all can't dream about one!

The Poor Mom's Guide to Disney

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

NEW Haunted Mansion interactive queue at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Magic, The Memories, and You! New show at the Magic Kingdom Disneywo...

The Castle

Disney Websites of Interest

Great Disney Vacation Planning Books

Mickey Mouse

Entrance to Walt Disney World

POP Century Resort

Expedition Everest

The First Monorail of the Morning

Magic Kingdom Entrance

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

The Grand Floridian Resort

The Tower of Terror

Splash Mountain

The Entrance to Hollywood Studios

It's Tough to be a Bug

It's a Small World

Top Five WDW Restaurants

Top Five WDW Fast Food Restaurants

Spaceship Earth

Main Street Train Station

Entrance to Disney's Animal Kingdom

Lights, Action, Motor Cars Set

Inside the Tower of Terror

Tomorrowland Transit Authority

Rock N Roller Coaster

The Pirates of the Caribbean

Dinosaur!

The Tree of Life

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Christmas at Hollywood Studios

Top Five Rides in the Magic Kingdom

Top Five Rides at Animal Kingdom

Top Five Rides at Hollywood Studios

Top Five Rides at Epcot

Big Thunder Mountain

Fall Festival Decorations

The Holiday Version of the Castle

The Osbourne Family Lights

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

POP Century Resort

Tomorrowland & Space Mountain

Mickey's Toontown Fair

Tomorrowland Speedway

Mosaics Inside the Castle

Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial

Walt Disney World Trivia

Hidden Mickey Firepit at the Floridian

Boat Rentals

Disney's Wedding Pavilion

A Birthday Gift from Mickey

Partners

Leaving the Magic Kingdom

Disney's Magical Express

Disney Store at Orlando Airport

"It All Started With a Mouse"

Walt Disney World Map

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me...

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

AKL Facts

Boardwalk Inn Facts

Beach Club Facts

Contemporary Resort Facts

Swan & Dolphin resort facts

Caribbean Beach Resort Facts

Wilderness Lodge Facts

Coronado Springs Resort Facts

Fort Wilderness Resort Facts

Yacht Club facts

Grand Floridian Resort facts

Polynesian Resort facts

Port Orleans French Quarter Facts

Port Orleans Riverside Facts

All-Star Movies Resort facts