Undercover Tourist for WDW Tickets

     Whenever we plan a trip to WDW we are always looking for ways to stretch the budget.  This time around we were able to save cash on Tickets.  We are a family of four and all over the age of 10.  I still question how a 10 year old can be called an adult, but that's another blog post.  So for 4 tickets, it is one of our largest cost for a trip.  It's more expensive than our air or hotel.

     With the advice of Mousesavers's newsletter and friends on some Disney message boards I looked into using Undercovertourist (UT).  I've seen the site in the past, but figured how much could they really save me.  It was well known that there are no 'Discount' Disney tickets out there.  WELL I WAS WRONG!  The difference in price total by using UT was $52 dollars.  We were looking for a four day base ticket.  UT had a 3-day with the fourth day added free.  Their total cost with tax and the discount from the Mousesavers newsletter was $980.  Disney's cost for 4-day tickets for four was $1,035.  We saved $55 and change.  Now when your paying into the $1000's for a trip to WDW $50 does not sound like a lot, but when you consider that'll cover the cost of a Counter-Service meal for our family, you see the value.  We also saved another $1.99 because UT was promoting a new smartphone App.
     Now a word on their service.  I ordered tickets too late to make their 10 day free shipping window, so I had them express shipped which was 5 business days.  Since we ordered on a Sat. the first day of those 5 would have been on Monday and we were told to expect them the following Friday.  We got them only three days after we ordered them, on Tuesday, much to my relief.  One less thing to worry about, you know?  And the express shipping only cost $5.  Not bad!  So, saved $57 total minus express shipping.
     And the moral of this story?  Work the numbers and find out for yourself! 

The "WGTWDW" Podcast Show # 13

On this weeks show we spin the Wheel of Attractions, we talk about our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World and we check in with the Disney Net Check.
 
In the show this week we talk about the Year of a Million Dreams and how we were the Family of the Hour at Test Track, here were some of the bad pictures I managed to get after getting over the shock of going behind the house at Test Track.  And just because I said Scat a couple times, here is the CM that was telling us all about it.  You can also see Quinn wearing the YOAMD Fast Pass we had just gotten. 
The two great sites we talked about on this show were PortOrleans org and The Disney Food Blog.  Please check both of these sites out.  They are both worth your time

Pull up a Chair to The Disney Food Blog

As we plan for our next trip to WDW we always like to eat somewhere different.  In the process of reading about different food offerings at Epcot, I came across The Disney Food Blog.  I had heard of this blog in the past on various podcasts and on the Disboards, but never actually went to their site.  Well I'm glad I did.  This is now one of my favorite Disney Blogs and I will be going back to this site over and over. 
In their words, "The Disney Food Blog offers in-depth news about food and restaurants in Disney’s parks and resorts, along with reviews and photographs of and about anything food-related in Disney parks, resorts, movies, and events."
Their expert staff of eight consists of all various forms of Disney food enthusiasts.  Included among them are two former Disney Mom's Panel members.  I'm still reading backwards through their blog and the words that are coming to mind about their reviews are, "Complete", "Fun", "Varied", "Open-Minded".  I'm still getting a feel for each of the writers as I'm going through each of the posts.  They cover everything that comes in contact with food.  Restaurants and room descriptions are a big part of their reviews also.  Did I mention drinks?  I've got a pad next to me on my desk to write down all the various places we need to stop at next time into the parks.  Their review of the Sake Bar in Japan has me itching to get over there and try a little warm sake before illuminations. 
One of their series of posts is the Best Of series.  Just as it says, these are posts about the Best Of restaurants on Disney Property.  Best Restaurants to watch fireworks from, Best for Romance, Best for Burgers, Best without a reservation and so on.  They have an online E-book: Guide to Walt Disney World Dining and you can also sign up for their newsletter and keep up-to-date on all the Food-Goings-on on the Disney Properties.

So if your into planning trips to WDW and what to get a feel of some of the restaurants you've not been to, check out The Disney Food Blog.

The "We're Going to Walt Disney World" Podcast Show #12

   

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Hello and welcome.  On this weeks show we get back into our normal show routine.  We spin the Attraction Wheel and luck out and get Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  We share some of our family Disney Memories from over the Holidays and we talk about the TTC on our Family Tip of the week.
     We have a great conversation about BTMR.  We all really love this ride.  We share some of the things we like best about BTMR and when we like to ride it.  There was a mention about a video I took a couple of years ago on BTMR with Quinn.  Here it is. 

Note the screaming from begining 'till end.  This was a great moment in that it was all we could do to get him on it the first time.  This was his second ride after finding out he did not die horribly the first time.  Like I said on the show, Quinn owned this ride and his screaming is of pure joy.
     We then share a couple memories from some of our realatives we saw over the Holiday.  Billy, Uncle Chris, Emerson, Aunt Liz and Nana all had a great memeory to share with us.  I'd like to get Liz and Chris and their family on one of our up-coming shows.  They went down for their first trip last spring.
     We finish up with a little about the Ticket and Tranportation Center and what it can do for you.  Thanks for listening!

One Man's Dream: The Scripts

If you’ve read my posts before you know that I’m really crazy about the amount of details that the Walt Disney Imagineers throw into their attractions. Well, with that in mind, the One Man’s Dream attraction is a veritable gold mine of small details that are just waiting to be found. The one part of that attraction I really like is the view of Walt’s Office. There are plenty of little things in here that point back to Walt’s life and work. Earlier in this blog, I discussed the seemingly innocent pictures on the bottom of the Map on the wall and look what we found.  One Man's Dream Jet Plane

With everything in this office scene, there must be something else we can take away from it. There are a number of statues on the desk and the table behind it. There are a number of pictures and magazines and paperwork on his desk. Over on the table to the right and behind his desk there are a number of scripts. I have often wondered what those scripts are, if there even of real projects. Our last trip down I was able to get some pictures which I was able to enlarge and here’s what I found out.

First off, they are real scripts. I was happy to see that I could read the titles of three out of the four scripts on the table. They are Westward Ho!, Monkey’s Go Home, and The Happiest Millionaire.

Westward Ho's full title is Westward Ho the Wagons Ambush at Wagon Gap! Which was shortened to Westward Ho the Wagons! which was released in 1956. The lead in this live action movie was Fess Parker playing Doc Grayson, a settler with medical know-how. Other names of note in this movie were George Reeves as the Wagon Master. George is better known as the Man of Steel as he played Superman on TV. Another name that stuck out was Cubby Obrien of the Mickey Mouse Club.

Monkey's Go Home! was released in 1967. This live action movie had Dean Jones as an american, running an olive farm in souther France. And to pick the olives? You guessed it, a group of ex-air force astronaut monkeys. At first glance you hve to wonder how this one got approved. Seems a little far-fetched as to the location. But I guess Monkeys were in and Europe needed a film also.

The Happiest Millionaire stars Fred McMurray a long time actor with the Disney Studios. It also stars Tommy Steele. And not to be left out, Lesley Ann Warren in her first movie role. This movie was released in 1967 and was about an ecentric millionaire and his daughter's search for her freedom. This is a musical that was written by the Sherman brothers and it was actually up for an Oscar for Costume and a Golden Globe for Best New Actor in Tommy Steele.

Each of these movies have a couple things in common that might point out as to why they are displayed on the table. Again, i'm going with the premise that with Disney Imagineers, nothing is left to chance. There is a reason that these four movie scripts are displayed. The first they all had in common was Walt was a un-credited co-producer on each of them.  Not Westward Ho!, but the other two where the last movies Walt worked on.  The Happiest Millionaire was released after Walt's death, but shooting had finished before Walt passed away.  I'll check in once I find out what the fourth script is and if I find any more information.