Hey all you "It's a Small World" fans, and parents of fans, looks like the attraction will be going down in January through about October of next year for some much needed refurbishment. Below is a link to the msnbc story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21713571/
Apparently the expanding size of people is causing boats to bottom out, which is a problem Disney must deal with so the boats don't get backed up. Disney is too tactful to say all of this in that way....but come on....I think this should worry all of us. We are getting too fat for Disneyland. That is enough to make me want to drop a size or two!
I know there will be a lot of disappointed people over the next year, sad that their favorite attraction is down. Our kids will ride on "Small World" over and over, and we try to go at least once per day on our 6-day visits. Even if the song can get a bit tiresome, what a relaxing time to just sit, relax and float along the water that attraction always is for us.
It is said that the refurbishment will involve replacing the entire flume (river-like pathway) inside the attraction and replacing the boats with lighter more buoyant ones. Let's hope there are at least some visible upgrades to the "quaint" dolls and sets inside. I know there is love for the nostalgia of the entire attraction, but I have often felt bringing it into the 2000's a bit more would be a welcome improvement.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Missing Blogger Returns with a Fun Disney Tip
Wow - talk about playing disappearing blogger! I apologize to my loyal readers for being remiss in my postings. I fear law school is reaching its peak demands this semester with papers due and presentations to prepare, so my personal life has fallen a bit by the wayside. Let me see if I can come up with something quick and fun in the way of a useful kid-friendly tip.
OK - here's a good way to keep kids busy in the airport or in the Disneyland lines. Make up your own Bingo Cards.
Using pictures from the internet, or magazines, or just words if your kids are old enough, make up 5x5 or 6x6 grids of things people are likely to see on vacation. In an airport you might consider a restroom sign, a no smoking sign, a trash can, a backpack, and a camera. In Disneyland you could select the Mickey Head shape, an apple, a water bottle, a Tigger T-shirt and a specific character. Each person playing gets a card and whenever they see an item from their card, they draw an X through the picture (or word). Whoever completes a row first wins. Or, to make the game more challenging, have players complete the entire card. Our son loved playing this game, and when he was tired of it, he made up his own game (rules known only to him) using the spare cards.
Enjoy!
OK - here's a good way to keep kids busy in the airport or in the Disneyland lines. Make up your own Bingo Cards.
Using pictures from the internet, or magazines, or just words if your kids are old enough, make up 5x5 or 6x6 grids of things people are likely to see on vacation. In an airport you might consider a restroom sign, a no smoking sign, a trash can, a backpack, and a camera. In Disneyland you could select the Mickey Head shape, an apple, a water bottle, a Tigger T-shirt and a specific character. Each person playing gets a card and whenever they see an item from their card, they draw an X through the picture (or word). Whoever completes a row first wins. Or, to make the game more challenging, have players complete the entire card. Our son loved playing this game, and when he was tired of it, he made up his own game (rules known only to him) using the spare cards.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Disney's California Adventure Seeks New Adventures
Hey - more Disney equals more fun! This is certainly not a place to find late-breaking Disney news, but in case you haven't heard, Disney's California Adventure is in for a BIG remodel. This is already a fun park, but in part because it is not as crowded as Disneyland. Will the big changes bring much bigger crowds and eliminate some of the more laid back feel, or will it result in an overall better park? Check out the article on the improvements in the OC Register.
The new attractions sound fun to me. Guess that means many more trips to the Disneyland Resort as each new attraction is unveiled!
The new attractions sound fun to me. Guess that means many more trips to the Disneyland Resort as each new attraction is unveiled!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sounds of Disneyland
I thought a fun Friday morning activity would be to come up with the first five sounds I think of when I think of the Disneyland resort. So, here they are:
1) Sound of the log hitting the water at the bottom of Splash Mountain.
2) Song: It's a Small World
3) Background sounds - kids laughing, people talking, people screaming as they descend Splash Mountain
4) Disney's Electrical Parade (formerly: The Main Street Electrical Parade).
5) The voice of the ghost host in The Haunted Mansion.
1) Sound of the log hitting the water at the bottom of Splash Mountain.
2) Song: It's a Small World
3) Background sounds - kids laughing, people talking, people screaming as they descend Splash Mountain
4) Disney's Electrical Parade (formerly: The Main Street Electrical Parade).
5) The voice of the ghost host in The Haunted Mansion.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Balance Between Good Parent and Sensible Parent
I was thinking about eating habits at Disneyland the other day, and thought of an experience I wanted to share with other parents. As most may know, food is really expensive at the Disneyland Resort. Also, kids are picky. While on vacation, we tended to go by the "one a day" rule. That is, we'd have a breakfast of yogurt drinks, granola bars, fruit, a bagel, or something similar in our hotel room, know we'd have some snacks during the day, and try to get in, on average, one good meal per day. That meant a full sit-down meal, even if it was just a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. (Although, for our family, pasta is more certain to make our kids happy!) This is a reasonable strategy, and helped us keep from spending a ton of money on food.
Thinking over that though, this is not the best strategy for all kids,and sometimes wasn't the best for ours. Our kids can be really hit and miss with eating. Just because they usually like chicken nuggets doesn't mean they will today, or just because I buy a $10 cheeseburger meal does not mean they will eat it even though they like some cheeseburgers sometimes.
It feels like a good parenting thing to do to make sure the kids sit and eat a real meal. Why? Maybe the sensible thing is to let them have 2 yogurt parfaits, 3 cheesesticks, a carmel apple and milk over the course of the day. Steady input keeps their blood sugar at a more constant level, and making sure kids do not go too long without food lest crankiness set in is really important. It's also sensible to not have to argue over eating while on vacation. I don't really want to have to constantly remind my kids to eat that kid's meal I just spent $10 on and waited in line for 25 minutes for. It's not worth a fight, or the stress it will cause.
Maybe it is more important, when possible, for everyone to get something they will be happy eating, at least part of the time. If that means the adults go to a place they enjoy eating and order the kids nothing but 2 slices of cheese and some applesauce, because that is what they will eat, then so be it! Don't see 2 slices of cheese on the menu? If they have cheeseburgers, they have cheese, and most places will figure out a way to give you what you want. (Particularly at a sit-down restaurant.) Maybe the kids don't have to eat "real food" at the real restaurants. It might not be so bad for them to get just fries or dessert while the parents enjoy a nice meal, and they can have some "real food" later (or earlier). That way, the cost of a full meal for the kids is not wasted when all they do is pick at it, and everyone is much happier!
What is the point of all this rambling? Be flexible! You are on vacation. Don't force your regular eating preferences and rules into what is really an un-natural eating situation - few selections, all overpriced. Sometimes being a good parent means breaking out of the regular rules and doing what is most sensible at that moment in time.
Thinking over that though, this is not the best strategy for all kids,and sometimes wasn't the best for ours. Our kids can be really hit and miss with eating. Just because they usually like chicken nuggets doesn't mean they will today, or just because I buy a $10 cheeseburger meal does not mean they will eat it even though they like some cheeseburgers sometimes.
It feels like a good parenting thing to do to make sure the kids sit and eat a real meal. Why? Maybe the sensible thing is to let them have 2 yogurt parfaits, 3 cheesesticks, a carmel apple and milk over the course of the day. Steady input keeps their blood sugar at a more constant level, and making sure kids do not go too long without food lest crankiness set in is really important. It's also sensible to not have to argue over eating while on vacation. I don't really want to have to constantly remind my kids to eat that kid's meal I just spent $10 on and waited in line for 25 minutes for. It's not worth a fight, or the stress it will cause.
Maybe it is more important, when possible, for everyone to get something they will be happy eating, at least part of the time. If that means the adults go to a place they enjoy eating and order the kids nothing but 2 slices of cheese and some applesauce, because that is what they will eat, then so be it! Don't see 2 slices of cheese on the menu? If they have cheeseburgers, they have cheese, and most places will figure out a way to give you what you want. (Particularly at a sit-down restaurant.) Maybe the kids don't have to eat "real food" at the real restaurants. It might not be so bad for them to get just fries or dessert while the parents enjoy a nice meal, and they can have some "real food" later (or earlier). That way, the cost of a full meal for the kids is not wasted when all they do is pick at it, and everyone is much happier!
What is the point of all this rambling? Be flexible! You are on vacation. Don't force your regular eating preferences and rules into what is really an un-natural eating situation - few selections, all overpriced. Sometimes being a good parent means breaking out of the regular rules and doing what is most sensible at that moment in time.
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Little Splash Mountain Break
From my chair, if I am too busy to think about Disneyland, I am just too busy! I spent a crazy weekend doing nothing but law school homework while my family visited relatives a few hours away. As you may have noticed from the slowing of the posts, all law and no play make for not nearly enough Disney dreaming or Disney advice. So, what's a Disney fan to do?
My answer - take a nice, relaxing ride through Splash Mountain! Well, more of a virtual ride, I guess :) Check out the video here, and soon you will be in your own laughin' place! This is sure to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart....or at least, in your head!
How do you do?
Fine. How are you?
How you come on?
Pretty good sure as you're born.
Pretty good sure as you're born.
Pretty good sure as you're born.
(From "How Do You Do?" that plays as you are splashin' along.)
My answer - take a nice, relaxing ride through Splash Mountain! Well, more of a virtual ride, I guess :) Check out the video here, and soon you will be in your own laughin' place! This is sure to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart....or at least, in your head!
How do you do?
Fine. How are you?
How you come on?
Pretty good sure as you're born.
Pretty good sure as you're born.
Pretty good sure as you're born.
(From "How Do You Do?" that plays as you are splashin' along.)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Disneyland Packing Tip
Hey there! Now that summer season is over, those without children may be thinking about a somewhat quieter trip to Disneyland. Or perhaps, those with children would like to take them out of school for a couple of days now that the crowds won't be quite so overwhelming for everyone. Great! Any time is a good time for Disneyland!
Seems like this is also a good time for another quick tip. This one is about packing. It works best with children's clothes, but can work on some adult items, too. For each day you will be gone, pack an entire outfit into a large Ziplock bag - pants, shirt, underwear, socks. Each morning, all your child, has to do is grab a bag and start getting dressed (or you can grab it for dressing the younger ones) - no wondering where the socks have gone or what shirt goes with what shorts. The bag can be saved and taken into the park for a variety of reasons: storing leftovers or sticky candy to be eaten later, stash a wet or dirty shirt that you've replaced with a new souvenir shirt, put your camera in it on Splash Mountain...etc. Not only does sorting clothes into bags save time and energy when it is time to get dressed, it makes the clothes easy to pack into the suitcase!
Happy packing!
Seems like this is also a good time for another quick tip. This one is about packing. It works best with children's clothes, but can work on some adult items, too. For each day you will be gone, pack an entire outfit into a large Ziplock bag - pants, shirt, underwear, socks. Each morning, all your child, has to do is grab a bag and start getting dressed (or you can grab it for dressing the younger ones) - no wondering where the socks have gone or what shirt goes with what shorts. The bag can be saved and taken into the park for a variety of reasons: storing leftovers or sticky candy to be eaten later, stash a wet or dirty shirt that you've replaced with a new souvenir shirt, put your camera in it on Splash Mountain...etc. Not only does sorting clothes into bags save time and energy when it is time to get dressed, it makes the clothes easy to pack into the suitcase!
Happy packing!
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