Friday, November 19, 2010

The AquaDuck!!

On January 26, 2011, the new Disney Dream will set sail for the first time!  Not only is it a brand new ship, but it's launching a brand new water coaster that's not available on any of the other ships.  Once my son saw this, he started begging to go on a Disney cruise.  I don't blame him!  I'd love to check this out myself!


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Showing off your Disney pictures with Shutterfly holiday cards

It's that time of the year again.  It's time for Christmas cards and cards celebrating the holiday season in general.  When Shutterfly.com asked me to blog about their holiday cards and other products, I gladly said yes!

I've been going through my Disneyland trip pictures trying to find the *perfect* picture for my cards this year.  Last year, I used Shutterfly.com and just plugged my 2009 Disney pictures of the kiddos into the following card (note - this is not my actual card from last year, just the design):



The cards came out so cute!  Even though the card doesn't have Disney characters, it was an easy fit with my pictures.  It was so simple to do, and I was able customize my wording.  Once your pictures are uploaded onto Shutterfly.com, you can easily choose the pics you want and drop them in to place.  You can make it as Mickey-riffic as you wish!  This is the one I'm considering for personalizing for us this year.  I like it because this is actually on card stock.





I've got to say that I absolutely love using Shutterfly.com, and I use them for printing all of my Disney pictures.  You can also use Shutterfly.com for gifts like wall calendars and personalized mugs.  A few years ago, I did one of the calendars for my grandparents.  They still have it hanging up in their living room with it opened on their favorite page.  I've also made several of their photobooks using my Disney pictures as an easy way to save memories.  Shutterfly.com is truly one of the reasons I do not use Disney's PhotoPass service very often.


After our trip to Disneyland, I had over 800 pictures to upload!  It was super simple to get them all online with Shutterfly.com, and I ordered all of the photos on a CD so I can have an easily accessible copy at home.  Now I just have to go through them and find THE perfect picture for my Christmas cards.

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is back open!

WDW travelers rejoice!  The Disney Parks Blog is reporting that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is reopening this week!  Changes include a new loading area and gift shop.  The new loading area is interactive to give the little ones something to do while in line, including jumping with Tigger, Eeyore's house and Rabbit's garden.


Looking for FastPass?  For the time being, the FP machines are over near Mickey's Philharmagic.

Going soon?  I'd love to post your pictures of the new loading area!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Caribbean Beach Rooms - Nemo and PoTC

The Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) was Disney's first moderate resort.  Back in the day, it wasn't called a moderate, but it was the first resort to have outdoor corridors, smaller rooms, etc.   It's also huge at 2,112 rooms.  The resort is organized into six villages named after Caribbean islands.  Check out a map here.  All CBR rooms have either two double beds or a king bed, and they run smaller than deluxe rooms but bigger than value rooms.

In the past, rooms were decorated in standard Caribbean pastels.  Now, guests can choose between the new standard Nemo rooms or upgrade to a Pirates of the Caribbean room.

Pirates of the Caribbean rooms are only located in the Trinidad South village, and they cost more than the Nemo rooms.  Trinidad South is the furthest away from the Custom House, aka Check In, and it can be a hike to Old Port Royale (food court and shopping) from the furthest rooms.  Watch the video for a tour of the new PoTC rooms.



If pirates aren't up your alley, there's always the cute Nemo rooms that are found in the other five villages.
 



Have you stayed in either of these rooms?  Have advice or opinions to share?  Let me know about your experience!