Help! I'm Addicted to Disney Pins and Need a GREAT Trading Pin Source!

There is nothing as exciting for a Disney Pin Collector than getting a new fabulous trading pin. This is an easy thing to accomplish if you are at Walt Disney World as there seems to be a pin seller around every corner. If you are a trader, there are dozens of cast members wandering through the park, so it won't take long to find a treasure, if you keep your eyes open. You don't even have to enter the parks in Florida as their is a wonderfully, overstocked pin store right in Downtown Disney. Heck now you can stop in a the Orlando Airport and pick out a favorite Disney character or two before your flight takes off!

But for the Disney pin collector that lives outside the Orlando, a good pin can be hard to find. Living in the Midwest, it is truly a treasure hunt when looking for bargain Disney pins. I have been able to get some affordable pins that are not scrappers.

Here are a few of my favorite Disney Trading Pin resources:

1. Craigslist--I search the local listings to find others wanting to sell their Disney collectibles and place posts that I will pay cash for Disney pins.

2. Thrift Stores--Every so often, I find a donated pin for sale at a great price. Most of the ones I have found have been older too. So it is quite a "SCORE" to get a sold out limited edition for a buck.

3. The Disney Store--Occasionally, I can snag a bargain on pins sets that are on sale online. I buy several when I find a good deal for traders!

4. Amazon & Ebay--Like thrift stores, there are bargains on Amazon & Ebay from time to time. But read the ads carefully to avoid scrappers.)

5. Promotional Pins--Every so often a large company will partner up with Disney and create a pin; Kodak and Smuckers have both participated in past promotions . When they do, I make sure to get at least one or two as these are usually sought after once the promotion is over.

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

A Tiggeriffic Halloween Pic--With a Bit of Disney Magic!

Okay so the software I used to trick out the picture isn't from Disney but Vampire Tigger looks a bit more awesome but not a bit frightening with his new look.

Have a Magically Fun Filled Halloween!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Speechless Sunday (Almost)--Drawing Jack Skellington and Zero at Disneyworld

A couple of years ago we were fortuante enough to visit Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, FL in October. Not just because we were able to enjoy Epcot's Food and Wine Festival or attend a Not-So-Scary Halloween Party; because we were able to learn to draw Jack Skellington and Zero at Disney's Hollywood Studio's Animation exhibit. On any given visit you can stop by and attend a 30 minute class and learn to draw a Disney character. But only when it is a few days before Halloween will the artist instructors give a lesson on drawing the infamous characters from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a real treat...no tricks involved. My drawing turned out quite nice too! Happy Halloween from Magical Mouse Tales!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disney Quiz--Is YOUR Family Totally Disney-fied?

Our family was “Disney-fied” from the get-go. When my husband and I were dating, one of my first gifts to him was the video of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too! Back in the 80's it was an odd gift for a male college student...but perfect for my Tigger-loving guy. We watched the tape over and over with my nieces and could pretty much quote the entire show. We also used our nieces as reasons to go to Disney movies as pre-Pixar, it didn’t seem too cool for 20-somethings to go alone.

Naturally, when we got married, we honeymooned at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it was before destination weddings were a big thing so being a Disney bride wasn’t an option. However, we did meet and have our picture taken with Mickey Mouse after standing in line with a couple dozen kids to commemorate the occasion.

As Disney-fied parents, we let Mickey help teach our boys to read using our collection of Disney’s Sing-A-Long Song videos as well as reading from our library of Disney Classics. Dumbo was a favorite of my oldest son and from 9 months old he would sit on my lap as I read about Casey Junior, Dumbo and Timothy the Mouse.

So is YOUR family Disney-fied?

Wondering how Disney-fied your family is? Take this quick quiz

1. Do all your holiday decorations have a Disney theme?
2. Do Disney Movie Quotes Pop into your head constantly?
3. Can you name the Seven Dwarfs? Have you met them?
4. Is Disneyworld the only place your family wants to vacation?
5. Do you point out hidden Mickeys wherever you go?
6. When you say goodbye to someone, do you wish them a Magical Day?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, your family has also been immersed in the culture and magic of Disney. You are as Disney-fied as we are!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Can't Miss DisneyWorld Family Favorite Restaurants (And a Few to Skip Next Trip!)

We are well into the midst of planning for our seventh family vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and of course that means making reservations for our favorite, can't miss WDW restaurants. After reviewing my earlier Can't Miss Disneyworld Restaurant article, I knew it was time for an update.


As noted in previous posts, we are big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. Often we upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan so we have three meal credits every day. This way we can go to the Aloha show AND Hoop De Doo without having to choose between the ribs and the pineapple bread. It is perfect because we don’t have to worry about the bill no matter which restaurant or menu items we select. If someone, or everyone, chooses to eat steak at Le Cellier, we don’t have to be concerned about living on bologna sandwiches and chips for the rest of our vacation
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At Disney World there are lots of great places to eat but only a few make our family's "must go to" list year after year. Here are the ones that make the cut and a few that didn't measure up.

Our Family's THREE Can’t Miss Disneyworld Restaurants:

1. Teppan Edo/Japan Pavilion Epcot (Entertaining Chef and AWESOME food!)
2. The Garden Grill/Epcot (The catfish is great and the characters make it FUN!)
3. 50’s Prime Time Café/Hollywood Studios (Great food but clean your plate or it could be fed to you!)
   
4. Aloha Dinner Show/Polynesian Resort (Fire dancers are astounding and the pineapple bread was a treat!)

Also worth noting:

• Hoop de doo Revue/Fort Wilderness Campground (Great food and awesome show!)
• Tony's Town Square/Magic Kingdom (Best Italian food at WDW!)

• Le Cellier/Epcot (Great place to have lunch but not worth 2 dinner credits in our book. We love the moose mousse dessert!)

Skipping next trip:

1. Chef Mickey’s/Contemporary Resort (Fun for kids, but our family remains unimpressed with the food and atmosphere.)
   
2. Mama Melrose’s/Hollywood Studios (Service and food were just okay...worth going if you get Fantasmic Priority seats.)
   
3. Tusker House/Animal Kingdom (We used to love this buffet for breakfast but found that the Cape May buffet at the Beach Club Resort was MUCH better!)

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Why October is the Best Time of Year to Visit Disney World

I will be honest here. Of all our family trips to Orlando, only two trips have not been in October so maybe we are a bit biased. But we believe October is the best time to visit Disneyworld and not just because of the Not So Scary Halloween Party either.

We did go one year in at the very end of August and it was way too hot. Another visit we tried a trip in February and like Goldilocks found Momma Bear's porridge, Florida was way too cold! So we decided to stick with the time of year when the temperature is perfect. October is an awesome time to visit our favorite vacation destination!

Here are our top 5 reasons we love going to WDW in October

1. Less crowded--Most kids are in school so the parks are not as crowded.
2. Great Discounts--We always seem to be able to take advantage of the FREE Disney Dining plan promotion.
   
3. Not so Hot & Humid--Sure there will be days approaching 90+ but most of the weather is in the 80's. Perfect for waterparks but not so hot we cannot enjoy a full day at each park.
4. Dining Options--We always set our dining reservations as soon as we book our vacation and have never not gotten into all of our favorite restaurants.
5. Decor--Not So Scary and other seasonal decorations make the parks even more special during the fall season.

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Wordless Wednesday (Almost)--Animal Kingdom Bats are Not So Scary AND Not to be MISSED Either!

We have been to Walt Disney World many times and our most favorite time to go is October. We love the Not So Scary Halloween party and cooler fall temperatures....At least it is cooler than the heat of the summer season!

But whenever we vacation at Disney World in Orlando, FL we visit all four parks and Downtown Disney too! Animal Kingdom often gets a bad rap as the "boring" park because it has more things to see than things to ride. If you are only going for the thrill rides, you'd better have a park hopper pass so you can head somewhere else after enjoying Exhibition Everest, Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids. However, if you have a family that really enjoys exploring and loves animals, plan on spending the entire day.

The photo above is a perfect "not so scary" image from Animal Kingdom. These huge bats reminded us of the much loved picture book, Stellaluna, the story of a fruit bat raised by birds. Seeing the giant fruit bats is only one of the many hidden treasures to put on your MUST DO LIST when you visit the Animal Kingdom park in Walt Disney World. It is amazing what you will see when you take the time to explore all of the trails!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales