Disney Vacation Club Gets a New Logo

Whenever I mention to people that my family is going to Florida for a vacation - again - I usually have to add the qualifier: "We have a time share there, so it makes sense." Not everyone gets the "Disney" thing, fine. But my family and I have been DVC members for quite some time now, and we love it. There's something oddly cozy, comforting, and I dunno - home-y about Disney Vacation Club. And so I was kind of blah when I saw that DVC has a new logo:

From this:

To this:

Meh. I liked the old logo. It was cute and made sense and it's so ... familiar. This new one is too futuristic, too shiny, and I don't think it speaks to the DVC brand at all. I mean, you could use the Mickey Globe idea for just about anything. Disney Ambassadors! Disney Telecom! Disney Oceans! And unless DVC is building a new resort in space, I just don't see how it fits. What do you think? Do you like the new logo? Or am I just turning into a grumpy old man?

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Related Links:
* Getting Mugged in WDW
* Dear Disney Vacation Club: I Get It! We're Home!
* Wordless Wednesday: Morning at Saratoga Springs

Why I’m Not Going to WDW This Year

There. I said it. Most days I would give up naming rights to my firstborn if it means I could teleport to WDW for the afternoon. But this year, our family made a deliberate decision not to go to WDW. As I’ve mentioned before, we are taking a long weekend trip to Vero Beach, followed by a stop in Downtown Disney which is mostly an excuse to breathe WDW air and eat at The Greatest Restaurant Ever before heading back to reality. But the annual week-in-WDW-four-parks-extravaganza? Not happening.

One look at these posts from The Disney Blog shows why. The Magic Kingdom, which, let’s face it, is the heart and soul of WDW, is a disappointing, sad mess of construction walls and barriers. And I’m happy with most of the Fantasyland expansion plans and I’m always in favor of refurbishing things that need to be freshened up, but come on. With all the things that are covered/inaccessible, guests visiting the Magic Kingdom this year should get a discounted admission rate. I feel bad for those families who are visiting WDW for the first time this year and won’t get to see the Magic Kingdom in its usual magicalness.

And then there’s that little voice that’s always nagging me in the back of my head: there’s a great big world to explore! You know, beyond Epcot. And there are plenty of studies that show that experiencing new cultures is good for you. Traveling to new places can be stressful and uncomfortable, but it’s also incredibly enlightening and rewarding. And so, in lieu of a WDW trip, this year… we’re headed to Iceland!



It's entirely possible that I will spend the entire vacation quoting D2.

We'll be back on (test) track in 2012, when hopefully the majority of the Fantasyland expansion will be complete, and I look forward to seeing the new additions. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the old axiom will be true: the best things in life are worth waiting for.

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Related Links:
* The Disney Dining Plan, or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying About My Figure and Love My Sweatpants."
* WDW Things That Never Cease to Amaze Me
* Things to Be Thankful For: Disney Edition

Beep Beep! The Magical Blogorail is Here!

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Black.  Enjoy the ride as we introduce ourselves, our blogs, and share what inspired us to start our blogs.

To those of you visiting this site for the first time, welcome. To those of you who have been here before, welcome back. I’ve had this blog for almost three years now, and I write about everything from tips on navigating the parks, to Disney recipes, to film commentary, to ranty nonsense about whatever latest thing is happening.

I guess you could say I was raised on the Mouse. I grew up watching all the classic Disney animated films, begged for an upgraded cable package when The Disney Channel was introduced in the 80's (to no avail, I might add), then became glued to the TV when The Disney Channel became part of the basic cable package in 1996. My family and I went to WDW for the first time when I was about six or so, and then we went every few years during my childhood, and finally became DVC members when I was in my early twenties. Since then, we’ve been visiting the parks nearly every year, and it’s been wonderful.

I decided to start a blog after realizing that a Twitter account couldn’t really contain all the things I wanted to write about. I also recognize that my family isn’t what most people would consider “typical” Disney travelers – it’s just me, my mom, and my sister. No kids, no spouses, just three grown adults enjoying WDW together. I hope that our experiences bring a different perspective to the blogosphere, and if nothing else, it means that I talk about margaritas a lot.

And the name? Years ago, I was in a bar with friends and some guys started talking to us. It happened to come up during the conversation that I was leaving the following week for vacation, they asked me where I was going, I said to WDW, everybody looked at me strangely, the conversation moved on. I left the bar early to head to another shindig, and after I left, one of the guys asked my friend, “So what happened to that other girl? You know, the Disney Chick?” And history was made.

Thank you for joining me today.  Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Manda’s Disney Blog.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

 1^st Stop ~ The Disney Chick

2^nd Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog

3^rd Stop ~ Mommy Mouseketeer

4^th Stop ~ Unknown Magic Within Walt Disney World

Final Stop ~ The Magical Mouse Pad

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Related Links:
* WDW Trip Diary - The Lost Tweets
* Overhead in WDW
* Splash Mountain is Not Worth Loss of Life

Now You Too Can Smell Like WDW

As human beings, our perception of the world around us is, in part, influenced by smell. Or, to quote Figment: “One awful whiff can send you reeling. One lovely sniff can be appealing. Your mind defines what enters through your nose, that’s how you know a skunk is not a rose.”

So when I heard that the Disney Store was unveiling a line of personal and home fragrances, I was intrigued. From the press release:

“The power of fragrance is truly magical - it can evoke memories and convey dreams and aspirations. Disney’s rich heritage and most beloved characters also have that same allure,” says Jim Fielding, President of Disney Stores Worldwide. “With the launch of Disney Store’s own fragrance collection, we’re touching all of the senses for the first time in a uniquely Disney way.”

So, consumers should expect what, exactly? Pluto’s Eau de Wet Dog? Sadly, no. The first fragrance to hit shelves is Imagination, which is “inspired by the trees that line the route of the magical path within the new stores, [giving] the sense of being in an enchanted forest.” What? So the first Disney Store fragrance is inspired by … the Disney Store? And why would this make me feel like I’m in an enchanted forest when it’s clearly supposed to make me feel like I’m in a Disney Store? Anyway, if you want your house to smell like a Disney Store, Imagination products are currently available as home fragrances, including candles and room scents.

Next up is Magic, an “unforgettable blend of icy blue mint, rich chocolate and invigorating sea spray, [that] epitomizes the adventure of Disney and all that is Mickey Mouse.” I’ve never really thought about what Mickey Mouse would smell like, but it’s nice to know he smells like breath mints, chocolate, and the beach. I can see this combination making for some kind of delicious truffle, not sure about a fragrance. If we’re talking about epitomizing Disney here, the description should read: “inspired by the breath mints you require after dining at Biergarten, the luxurious chocolates found at Main Street Confectionery, and the invigorating sea spray as you enter the mists of Pirates of the Caribbean." Disney Marketing, I await your job offer.

Lastly, we have the obligatory Pixie Dust: “a shimmering scent of citrus sorbet, candied fruits and summer rain. It’s the fragrance one could imagine floating through the air as Tinker Bell showers the earth with her Pixie Dust, causing nature to blossom.” This one doesn’t sound too bad, although I’d love to see the accompanying Tinker Bell Cedar Sachets, inspired by Tink’s imprisonment in an armoire. Or maybe Imagineering could get to work on Tinkerbell’s Fairy Fragrance, which only works after you clap your hands three times.

What do you think of Disney’s new fragrances? And what would you imagine Imagination, Magic, and Pixie Dust to smell like?

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Related Links:
* Times Square Disney Store: Pretty Darned Magical
* WDW Things That Never Cease to Amaze Me
* Meet the New Minnie Mouse. Then Back Away Slowly.

Wordless Wednesday: I'll Take a BLT

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Related Links:
* Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Over Epcot
* Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Dinner at the California Grill
* Wordless Wednesday: Wishes!

WDW Things That Never Cease to Amaze Me

The quick service restaurants at the All-Star Resorts (and probably others) charge per slice of bread during breakfast time.

There is a market for turkey legs, and civilized, otherwise normal human beings seem to enjoy gnawing on an enormous chunk of pterodactyl meat while walking around in the hot sun.

The Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour is still a giant commercial for Pearl Harbor.

No matter how hungry, tired, cranky, or sunburnt you are, it’s impossible to walk through Adventureland without buying a Dole Whip.

Similarly, one cannot walk past Club Cool in Epcot without stopping in and spending entirely too much time in there.

There aren’t a lot of mosquitoes. I mean, it’s Florida, right? Shouldn’t there be bugs everywhere because of the heat and humidity?

And speaking of Florida, my hair always looks amazing after a WDW shower. Pixie dust, or swampy tap water? You decide.

We’ve been going to Epcot for years now, and still can’t figure out how to get from one end of Future World to the other without going through Mousegears.

The queue in The Magic of Disney Animation at Hollywood Studios is roped off, because there’s rarely a line, yet that queue contains some of the most beautiful Disney art to be found in WDW. (If you ask nicely, the Cast Member on duty will usually let you go check it out.)

When it comes to getting a FastPass, people will cut in line, kick machines, scream, throw tantrums, threaten Cast Members, and do just about everything short of selling their firstborn to Walt Disney Imagineering.

Share your WDW puzzlements in the comments below!

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Related Links:
* The Disney Dining Plan, or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying About My Figure and Love My Sweatpants."
* Segway Tours in WDW: This is How I Roll
* Getting Mugged in WDW