Search Results for: blog closed for renovations

The Disney Blog Week in Review June 24 – 29

What a great week it’s been for Disney with Walt being honored as an inspiration to another generation and the launching of Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille in theaters nationwide yesterday. So let’s do a quick run down of the articles for this week: Saturday, June 24 Disney Announces Prince Caspian Fan Art Contest and there’s a few days left until the deadline on July 6th, so if you’re an artist, digital artist or graphic artist – here’s a chance to strut your stuff for Disney. Sunday, June 25 Walt Disney World Agrees to 3-Year Contract With Union which is good news for … Continue reading →

Closed for Renovations

The Haunted Mansion is closed – not for good thankfully, but it is closed for the next three months to undergo its first major overhaul. Visitors heading to Disney World this summer will likely be disappointed because the Haunted Mansion remains one of the most popular attractions because of both its humor and it’s special effects. The overhaul should be complete about mid-September. If you’re wondering why couldn’t they wait for the off-season to close the ride? Well, according to the numbers, off-season is seeing almost as many visitors as the summer season – so the decision was made to … Continue reading →

Have Fun at the Airport

It is possible. Of course, “fun” is a relative term. Whether your time at the airport is self-imposed or you got slammed by an airline like me (Bitter? Maybe.), then you might find the following information quite helpful. Believe it or not there are airports that are helping passengers pass the time with fun events, amenities and activities, such as: LAX Foodies have one more reason to welcome a layover at Los Angeles International Airport. Pink’s, the legendary Hollywood hot dog stand, just opened a branch of the popular eatery in the pre-security food court at the Tom Bradley International … Continue reading →

Travel Tips for Parents with Preschoolers

Traveling with your preschooler this summer? Then, consider the following tips to help ensure your trip is void of major roadblocks: CARSEAT RULES It doesn’t matter if you are visiting Chicago and want to travel via taxi with your kids from your hotel on Wacker Street to the Shedd Aquarium a few miles away or if you are in Honolulu and need to get from Ala Moana Beach Park to the zoo in Waikiki, your little ones need to be strapped in a child safety seat to do so. No matter how inconvenient. While child restraint laws vary according to … Continue reading →

“There’s a Hobo at School with a Knife!” More Adventures in Childhood Bipolar Disorder

My husband and I were faced with the horrific task of telling my stepdaughters that their mother, baby sister, and brother-to-be had all been killed in a terrible car accident. As we sat them down that morning, the look of concern on their faces was obvious. They knew something was terribly wrong, just by their father’s demeanor. He was a tough-guy police officer who rarely cried. Yet now he was racked with visible grief. It was hard for him to find the right words. How does a father gently break his daughters’ hearts? With his arms around them, he shared … Continue reading →

Hot Hotel Deals in Hawaii for 2008

If one of your resolutions for 2008 involves traveling to Hawaii you are in luck. The Outrigger hotel group just released its package deals for the upcoming year and the savings are substantial. For those of you who have never visited the Islands, Outrigger hotels are everywhere. I would describe them as moderate accommodations both price wise and for overall service. They are by no means as ritzy as the Four Seasons, but they certainly are comfortable and conveniently located. (P.S. You’re in Hawaii—if you are spending a ton of time in your hotel room then something is wrong with … Continue reading →

National Park Service Mansion Tour

Very few of us will ever be lucky enough to live in a mansion, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to dream. I love touring other people’s homes and getting inspiration for my own. And apparently I am not alone. Did you know the National Park Service offers tours of some of the country’s most historically and architecturally significant mansions? Hampton Mansion in Townson, Maryland is one of the Park Service’s largest dwellings, though it doesn’t attract anywhere near the number of visitors that sites half its size do annually. Hampton mansion sits on 63 acres just outside the Baltimore Beltway, … Continue reading →

New Eats At Epcot

Forget about Space Mountain. If I am going to wait in line at Walt Disney World it’s going to be for a table that I can sit at and chow down on some serious grub. While I have (once) mustered enough courage to board Space Mountain, I willingly admit that when it comes to thrill rides, I am a big wimp. That’s why I love Epcot’s World Showcase. The focus there is less on the thrills and chills and more on… grills and all the tasty treats that are created on them. If you haven’t been to Epcot in a … Continue reading →

More Tips To Remember When You Travel With Kids

Where are you planning to spend the Memorial Day weekend? If you are like millions of Americans you will be forgoing a relaxing weekend in your backyard for time spent on the highway, in the skies, or on the water. According to the AAA, about 38 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more this weekend, a 1.7 percent increase from last year’s holiday. Roughly 83% of them will drive, with the remainder taking airplanes, trains or other transportation. Regardless of where you are going and how you plan to get there, if you are traveling with kids … Continue reading →

A Place For Your Kids To Play Between Flights

The countdown to our annual trip to Hawaii is on. In just a few weeks we will leave behind the freezing (yes, it’s already freezing) temps of the Midwest and jet off to paradise—at least for a little while. Last night I noticed our flight itinerary includes a 3-hour layover in Chicago. (Hmm… a 3-hour layover with a rambunctious 2-year-old.) I thought I’d better do some research on Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Not that I haven’t spent the better part of my adult life navigating through the place, but I haven’t done so with a toddler in tow. I am so … Continue reading →