Holiday Fireworks! - Contemporary Resort

What a great trip we had in early December, when we stayed in a Magic Kingdom view room at the Contemporary Resort! This is the first time we'd stayed at the Contemporary since the renovations. The renovated rooms are spectacular! The rooms are huge, and include a daybed and state of the art plasma flat-screen tv.

The bathroom design is unique, with a sliding door to enter, and sink basins that are completely flat. Of course, the best part of the room is the balcony, which gave us a prime view of the Magic Kingdom "Wishes" fireworks show. We were absolutely floored by this beautiful display. Our two young girls (ages 1 and 4) have never been able to see the fireworks before, because they are always too tired to stay at the Park into the evening hours. Being at the Contemporary was ideal, because the fireworks were not too loud from that distance, and didn't scare the kids.

Although you could not hear the "story" that goes along with the show, you could hear the music. The girls were thrilled, and even my skeptical husband was really impressed. This will definitely be a trip to remember. We loved the minimal crowds at this time of year, and were really able to enjoy all of the holiday decorations. Not to mention, there was little to no wait to get on the rides, and meet the characters! Despite the low crowds, we were surprised how difficult it was to get reservations at the Contemporary Resort's restaurants. We ended up eating at the food court on the first floor - which actually had very good quality food - but not quite what we expected! Another drawback at the Contemporary we were surprised to find was that the concierge staff was not at all knowledgable - they were unable to answer simple questions we had about the dining options, and the schedules at the Parks - for example, they didn't even know what time the fireworks were going to be shown that evening!

It seemed very odd to us, and we wondered if the Resort was experiencing high staff turnover. Which reminds me to give some advice about the fireworks - they are shown at various times, even during the same week. While they might begin at 6pm on weekdays, they might switch to 8pm on a Saturday night. Also, on certain days, there might not be a show at all. Be sure to check your times guide, to make sure you don't miss them - you won't be disappointed!

Halloween at the Magic Kingdom

Halloween at the Magic Kingdom

This year we went to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for the first time. I hate to say this, being a huge Disney fan, but -- this was absolutely not worth the time and money. First, of all, since it was Halloween eve, the crowds were absolutely overwhelming. You could barely move going down Main Street. Secondly, Disney promised plenty of characters in costume. We could find very few, and when we could, the lines were so long, there was no chance of the kids being able to meet any of them. 

Halloween at the Magic Kingdom

Thirdly, the "candy stations" resembled a cattle herd, with lines of costumed kids being hurried through lines to be greeted by a Disney employee unloading handfuls of candy from a barrel, then herded out again. My advice: save yourself the extra $50 per person (which you have to pay IN ADDITION to your regular Magic Kingdom admission ticket), and do your trick-or treating at home!!! Now, putting the griping behind me, there were some great highlights from our Halloween trip. First, the Princess Breakfast at Cinderella's castle was terrific. Our kids got to meet all of the princesses, who spent plenty of time at each table. The food was very good (though pricey) and the service was wonderful. Expensive, but well worth it. The second highlight was our stay at Disney's Polynesian Resort. 

The kids loved the pool with the volcano water slide, and we really enjoyed the two restaurants on-site. Although we were a bit disappointed in the rooms and the general resort decor, which seemed a bit dated compared to some of the newer resorts. The third highlight was the new Finding Nemo show at the Animal Kingdom Park. It was excellent! The kids were riveted to the entire performance! I was so sorry to see the old Tarzan show leave, which I thought was awesome -- but glad to see it has been replaced with a show of the same high quality and entertainment value. Bravo!

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

We just came back from the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. What a great experience! 

There are so many wonderful things to mention. The kids loved seeing the topiaries depicting favorite Disney characters and scenes, especially at the front entrance where Goofy is catching a wave on his surfboard! Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden was a huge hit as well. 

There is a magnificent, huge butterfly topiary as you enter. Then you are surrounded by many different species of wildflowers and live butterflies -- my girls were beside themselves. Another great experience was the ladybug release at the garden near the Germany Pavilion. Each child got a box of ladybugs to release into the garden, which is a natural way to eliminate garden pests. Also amazing were the collection of Bonsai trees in the Japan Pavilion, they were so beautiful. 

One of my favorites was the English Tea Garden at the United Kingdom Pavilion. It was not only fun, but educational too -- we will definitely be going back again next year!!! Also part of our May trip was a visit to the newly-renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios. We caught the new Playhouse Disney Live on Stage show with all-new characters from the new TV shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. It was great, and a huge improvement over the old version. My 5 year old was also thrilled to see the High School Musical show, though she was a bit disappointed that the show didn't include the "real" characters!