My Favorite Things: Miscellaneous Tips

1. I think this is the coolest thing.... Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch on February 24th (Thursday).  It was actually supposed to launch when I was in Florida on my last vacation, but delay after delay has put it back until Princess weekend! The best part ... you CAN see it from Disney World! Just be outside at the right time and feel free to ask a Cast Member which direction you should be look. I would hope they could point you in the right direction. If you are in Animal Kingdom, put yourself on the bridge going from Discovery Island into Asia. I watched Columbia launch from there and had a fantastic view!



Space is COOL!!

2. Always have your camera ready. You just never know what may happen at any given moment!
3. Get a FREE button! You can get them at Guest Relations in any park. Is it your birthday? Are you celebrating? (Perhaps a first half marathon??) Is it an anniversary? First visit? I wore my birthday button on the last trip and got a free cupcake at Pizzafari for it!



Birthday Button!

4. Take the monorail at least once. It's fun!



2010 Flower & Garden Festival

5. And while you're at it, if you have the option to ride the ferry boat between Magic Kingdom and the Ticket and Transportation Center, do it! It is peaceful, fast, nice to feel a breeze and you get good views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
6. We all need to be hydrating, right?? I see this one all the time ... use a water fountain to refill your water bottle when you empty it. That right there can save you a good chunk of change!
7. At the expo on Friday (near opening time) look for a short, blond girl in rainbow striped knee socks and a tall woman with dark hair. You'll have found Lesley and I!
8. There are many transportation options. Buses will take you from parks to hotels and Downtown Disney. But you can't get from park to park without getting creative or going to TTC. Once thing I like to do, if I am at the Hollywood Studios (which for me is not a full day park) is skip transportation and walk. There is actually a path that lead between the parks and the Boardwalk Resort. It goes along the water and is very pleasant. Plus that lets you check out the Boardwalk, which is one of my favorite spots on property!



The path to the Boardwalk - with lots of pretty birdies!

9. Let us say you spill food on your clothes (what? Me? Do this every time? No way!) OR let's say you run into an old fling and are spontaneously going to have a date, but you didn't pack for it. You CAN buy non-Disney clothing! My favorite spots for it are in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney. If you like Roxy clothing then you'll have tons to choose from!
10. You don't HAVE to use FastPass. I am personally not a fan. Perhaps that is from hours of being that person that had to merge the stand-by and FastPass lines together. Seriously - if looks could kill I'd have died many times already. If the line is 20 minutes or less I never consider using a FastPass. Some attractions almost beg for you to use it though. Two that jump out are Soarin' in Epcot and Toy Story Midway Mania at The Studios. Pretty much just head there first because FastPass DOES and WILL sell out. 



Toy Story Midway Mania

11. Go see Captain EO!! And while you're in Epcot, head to Nemo and you can see tons of sea creatures. I always enjoy the manatees. They just seem too sweet. I haven't had to wait in line to get on that since it originally opened, so that's a plus.



A definite MUST-DO!

12. Get to the airport early. Security improved last year, or perhaps that is because I was going out a different part. But it has been really nasty before. Nothing like trying to get through and being in tears. Ugh, dreadful. Okay - so I cry every single time I leave, so maybe I wouldn't have been as stressed? I don't know. It is sometimes unorganized chaos, and I don't want you to miss your flight home!
13. When you are in Epcot and it gets near 9pm you'll start hearing messages about Illuminations about to being in x number of minutes. Please, when you hear this, picture them saying "Illuminations: Reflections of Your Anus" instead of "Reflections of Earth." Mmkay? And if you DO hear somebody say that out loud then you better turn and look .... because it could totally be me! 
14. Don't forget your waivers for the race! Don't forget your shoes! Don't miss your flight!!
15. Have a FABULOUS TIME!!! I hope to see tons of you there!!!

Let's get this trip started!!

Coming up next time: We head into the parks for fun rides; and we discuss which shows you HAVE to see before you go home!