Disney | The Angel Forever

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Family Views on Walt Disney World Attractions

Posted on February 27, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

My children have been lucky enough to go to Walt Disney World several times now. Thanks to this, they have developed some opinions about rides.

An 8 year old’s view:

When asked what ride is his favorite, NHL did not even pause to think about it. He quickly screamed one and only one ride that you will see below.

Yes, Big Thunder Mountain was the ride that immediately came to his mind. I don’t have the heart to tell him that the ride will likely be closed for continued refurbishments when we head there this spring. Of course, he has other rides that are also favorites. Those mentioned include Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Of course, I think this has something to do with the fact that last time he was on it he scored 999,999 within a few minutes of starting the ride. He also loves Soarin’, Test Track, and many others!

One ride that NHL is not a big fan of is:

NHL went on Tower of Terror during his first trip to Walt Disney World in May 2009. I don’t think it was the actual ride that scared him, but more of the special effects since he was just in kindergarten.

A 4 year old’s view:

JSL had a more difficult time coming up with his favorite. He took a bit of time, then mentioned a few favorites.

Yes, the little fan of Buzz Lightyear and Tigger mentioned these two rides along with Journey into Imagination with Figment. His favorites may change up after the next trip. Since he is over 40 inches tall, there will be a lot of new rides that he can go on. These include Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Test Track, Soarin’, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, and several other big rides.

Over the years, we have figured out that JSL is not a fan of 3D. Each time he tries to watch something in 3D he will scream to leave. Thanks to this, his least favorite attractions at Disney World would be Muppets 3D and Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

The Mom View:

I could easily pick a ride at each park that I love and for very different reasons. Still there are two that happen to be in the same spot that are so unique that I do think they are close to the top of my list.

Yes, the Aerosmith Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is the best coaster that I have ever experienced. In the dark, amazing light effects, and smooth as butter. Going on with my father for the first time in 2009 was like the old days of riding with my father and brother. Toy Story Midway Mania is a fan favorite for me because it is an interactive game/ride for the entire family. Some amazing memories there with Nana, Papa, the boys, and also at an event.

I also hope to get a chance to ride Primeval Whirl. Almost every time we have gone to Animal Kingdom it was too long a wait, closed for multiple reasons, or nobody would/could ride it with me. That will hopefully change this trip.

As for least favorite, I am NOT a fan of:

While Mission Space is a beautiful building, the ride itself makes me want to turn green – and that’s on the easy setting. I do not think it’s the motion, more of the confined space in the simulator that bothers me. So I now officially skip that one when possible.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite attraction at Walt Disney World? I would love to know in the comments below.

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop! The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

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Picnik Replacement Possibility

Posted on February 24, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Photos are a huge part of my blog. I include them in almost every post that I write. Thanks to Picnik, I often made collages, added in text, or placed a fun sticker for a holiday within my pictures. Imagine my reaction when I heard that Google was going to cease operating Picnik in their current location this April. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. Sure they said it would be integrated on Google+, but it was far from the same. The new space for Picnik was not as easy to use, hardly as flexible, did not have the features I needed, and would not allow me to download my creations to put onto my blog.

I asked TechyDad to see if he could find me another solution. Sure, I could use a great photo publishing program like PaintShop Pro, but the reality is I wanted something that did not take a lot of time to learn and would be quick and easy. The other day he told me about PhotoScape. That night, I put it on my computer and had some fun.

First I made a collage of photos from Disney parks.

Then, TechyDad told me that one of the great benefits of PhotoScape is you can put any font into it to use. So I downloaded a Disney one to use, along with another one. After that, I saw the stickers/stamps that you can add to photos. Check out the boys to see what I was able to do, along with the sign near Figment.

I am still exploring all of the possibilities with this new tool, but I really love it. Even TechyDad has joined in on the fun. Check out the Wordless Wednesday that he had this week using PhotoScape. Is it as easy as Picnik was right away? Not initially. Still, I think it may be more powerful and once you understand a few little quirks – it is fun and has so much to offer.

So my questions to you this week:

Are you a fan of Picnik and what will you be using once it closes in April? If you don’t use Picknik, what do you use to touch up or create items for your blog?

It's Me

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #192

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Favorite Walt Disney World Park

Posted on February 20, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

As a child growing up in the 1980’s, I remember when Walt Disney World was only the Magic Kingdom. Going to Epcot, Hollywood Studios (originally Disney’s MGM Studios), and Animal Kingdom for the first time provided special times in my life. For the Disney Blog Hop, we were asked to pick our favorite Walt Disney World Park. Selecting just one would be like declaring a favorite child. I do not believe that can be done and truly love certain aspect of each park for what they have to offer.

The Magic Kingdom

No trip to Walt Disney World can truly begin until you walk through the gates and catch your first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle down Main Street USA. The first time you being your children (or spouse), be sure to capture this special moment because the mouths hanging open are priceless.

As a child, I remember my first time on Space Mountain with my father and, years later, taking my oldest on it for the first time. We celebrated my youngest son’s second birthday at the Crystal Palace where he fell in love with Tigger. Classics like Dumbo, Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean all are home in this part. As someone who has read The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson, there is a special new spot in my heart for where this series begins.

Epcot

My earliest memories of the first summer that Epcot opened is meeting and falling in love with Figment. There was just something special about this purple dragon on the pavilion that he shared with Dreamfinder. Although it has changed over the years, I still adore going to see my purple friend.

While on our honeymoon, TechyDad and I spent a lot of time wandering around World Showcase together. It was romantic, close to the resort we were staying at, and housed many of the restaurants that we dined in. Yes, Epcot is likely my foodie favorite destination just for this reason alone. While we have never been to the Food and Wine Festival, we have fallen in love with the Flower and Garden show that just take your breath away.

Disney Hollywood Studios

My heart still belongs to the amazing Beauty and the Beast stage show at the studios. It is magical to watch, a great break in the day, and takes Disney movie magic into a stage show. A funny thing happened the first time I saw it with my parents and brother, then I watched my boys become mesmerized with the characters dancing and singing in front of them.

Of course, The Muppets have a space here and each time we can visit Kermit, Piggy, and the entire gang before walking over to Toy Story Midway Mania for some family arcade style fun.

Animal Kingdom

The first time that TechyDad and I went to Walt Disney World together, it was our honeymoon. I had been many times before, but it was his first trip. The beautiful thing about Animal Kingdom is that we were both going to this park for the first time together. We were able to stand in awe of the Tree of Life together as we started our life as husband and wife.

Watching the animals, exploring the lands, and seeing the shows makes for a great day. We adore the Lion King and Nemo shows, plus each time on the safari is different.

On our last trip, I was able to do something special. I participated in the African Trek with some of the other Disney Social Media Moms. It was an experience I will never forget.

As you can see, there are just too many magical items at each park to simply pick one definitive favorite. How about you, do you have a favorite Walt Disney World park and why do you feel that way?

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop! The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

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Disney Shrinky Dinks Valentines

Posted on February 15, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

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Falling in Love with Disney

Posted on February 13, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

My first real memory of a trip to Walt Disney World was when I was in kindergarten. Of course, I had actually been there several times before that. My parents have a cool 1970’s style photo album that they turned into a scrapbook of my adventures there. There are photos of me running around the Contemporary Resort kiddie pool, taking a big sister only trip with my parents, and more. Still, my memories are of a family trip with another family. I remember going to Chef Mickey in what would eventually become Downtown Disney.

Epcot had just opened and I fell madly in love with Dreamfinder and a cute purple dragon named Figment.

My love for Figment held on during that trip when it was time to pick something special out. The figment I am holding below was the special friend I picked out from a bribe my father made with me for going on Space Mountain.

Growing up at Walt Disney World, I watched as it went from one park to four over the years. The Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Resort soon had more and more resorts cropping up throughout the sprawling land that Walt Disney had purchased in Florida. Going to Orlando and spending time at Walt Disney World with my mother, father, and brother was priceless. It was a place where we were carefree, all kids at heart, and my father and mother laughed, smiled, and were relaxed. Memories of my father leaving his lens cap on during the Hoop-De-Do Review always make us laugh. Then there was soaring high over the Seven Seas Lagoon with my brother as we went parasailing for the first time. Classic times that were even more magical at Disney.

It’s no wonder that TechyDad and I picked Walt Disney World as our honeymoon destination. He had never been and I wanted to share my passion for this special place. I do not think it took a day and he was hooked. We even had a special tenth anniversary trip planned there in September. Unfortunately, that trip was canceled thanks to Hurricane Irene.

Now we both have watched as our two boys have caught the Disney bug. We have watched NHL and JSL meet characters, grow big enough to try out new rides, and many other items with us.

There are other places that we could go on family vacations, but each time is unique and provides us with special moments. Disney World is like a home away from home where we can forget about our troubles and enjoy time together.

So now it is your turn. What made you fall in love with Disney? Feel free to share a story, link up to a funny memory, or anything else in the comments.

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!