Disney World’s Epcot: The Amazing Race Gone Bad…and Then Good

December 19, 2012 By

For our first trip to Disney World, we only had three days so knew we wouldn’t have time to visit all four theme parks and the two water parks. However, Epcot was at the top of my list.

The boys posing in front of Epcot’s polyhedral icon

People either love it or hate it and I knew we’d be in the former camp. My kids are huge fans of experiential exhibits (the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a favorite) so I was sure we’d enjoy Future World’s technological innovations. We adore traveling so the World Showcase’s shops, attractions and restaurants that represent the culture and cuisine of 11 different countries were no-brainers.

Oh, how wrong I was. I loved it and the other three, NotSoMuch.

I can’t really blame Epcot but rather, our strategy and timing. We visited early in our trip when all the kids wanted to do was go on rides. Instead of heading to Future World’s popular attractions, we inched our way through the 300-acre park’s exhibits. In an effort to make it more exciting, I spotted a new addition to the park: Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. My kids are HUGE fans of the show so I thought they  would love receiving clues on their high-tech secret agent device and doing a scavenger hunt through seven World Showcase countries.

Calm before the storm

Oh, how wrong I was (again).

The concept of this secret mission is brilliant: Kids become secret agents to help Agent P defeat Dr. Doofenshmirtz by having them explore the countries. Hadley and Bode were instantly obsessed and fighting over their handheld device (another tip: get one for each child) and all they wanted to do was accomplish their mission. However, if this is your first visit to Epcot, I wouldn’t recommend it because the clues do not take you to all the countries.

And one of those countries it does not go to is Canada. You know. THE MOTHERLAND. The land of my birth.

I was obviously invested in touring it and Hadley (who was already being a moody tween) had a toddler-esque tantrum. “We can’t go to Canada. The mission doesn’t take us there!” I will spare you the sordid details but I was fuming. She was having such a colossal meltdown that I left her with Jamie and Bode and I explored it.

Replica of Victoria’s famous Butchart Gardens

I’ll hold ruining the Motherland over her to my grave.

Jamie told her she owed me an apology and stubborn little miss wouldn’t give in. When we arrived en France, we stopped in the patisserie and practically bought out the store with all my favorites–their les tartes aux pommes (apple turnover) tasted JUST like the ones I ate on my mission. It was as we bonded over pain au chocolat that Hadley finally said she was sorry.

Lessons learned in Epcot: Canada is the great divider and France is the great unifier.

I’m pleased to say the rest of our day in Epcot went smashingly. In Germany, we gorged on all-things caramel in Karamell Küche. And had the most delicious meal at Via Napoli in Italy (lunch after desserts–I highly recommend it). When we received our large pizza, we asserted we’d never be able to eat it all.

It was Gone in 60 Seconds (I totally *get* that movie now).

I could have spent hours touring the countries (next time I’m going it alone) so not wanting to rock the boat, we only focused on food and rides. Norway’s Maelstrom adventure cruise was such a hit we did it twice in a row and once back in Future World, we visited The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion. Somehow, the red eyes totally work in Bruce’s mouth.

My expectations were pretty low when we went to The Turtle Talk with Crush Show but it was one of the most delightful parts of our day. All the kids sat up front while parents relaxed in the seats. I expected some kind of marine talk about turtle habits but it turned out to be a hilarious, interactive show where kids were invited to talk directly to the famous sea turtle, Crush.

I kicked back laughing and listening until I heard a very familiar voice.

“What’s your name little girl?”

“Hadley.”

Out of the 50+ kids in that place what’re the odds she would get picked? I was instantly on-edge. What if her tween attitude continued and she decided to CRUSH him?

After asking her a few questions, the big kahuna queried, “Where are Hadley’s parents?” We haltingly raised our hands. Jamie had a microphone stuffed in his face and corresponded with the on-screen turtle.

Crush: “Aren’t kids the greatest?”

Jamie: {Short pause} “Most of the time.”

{Other parents erupt in laughter.}

Crush: “Duuuuuude. We just totally had a moment.”

That day at Epcot, we had plenty of them.

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My Disney World coverage:

Disney World’s New Fantasyland: A Dream Come True!

New Fantasyland’s Fire-breathing Dragon, our Orlando TV Debut and Jamie’s Famous Body Part

Disney World’s Epcot: The Amazing Race Gone Bad..and Then Good

Epcot’s Newly Revamped Test Track Quenches the Need for Speed

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom: Hear Me Roar!

The day We Lost Our Daughter at the Airport

 

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Disney, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, Jamie, travel Tagged With:

New Fantasyland’s Fire-breathing Dragon & Jamie’s Famous Body Part

December 18, 2012 By

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check-out my official write-up about Disney World’s New Fantasyland.

Wandering around Disney World’s New Fantasyland was enchanting. As we disembarked Under the Sea—Journey of the Little Mermaid, the staffer casually mentioned, “Watch out for dragons.”

Dragons? We didn’t think much of it. After all, it was the Magic Kingdom and pretty much anything is possible. And then we saw it: A fire-spitting, roaring dragon soaring above us.The frenetic crowd stopped, stupefied, as reality and fantasy blurred together.

(See it in action here. The robotic beast was released for the grand opening but here’s for hoping it will make other appearances.)

We wandered over to Gaston’s Tavern to grab some LeFou’s Brew (no-sugar added apple juice with toasted marshmallow syrup topped with an all-natural passion fruit-mango foam). Clearly, we were still in our spellbound state because we got pulled over by a reporter from Orlando’s Channel 6 and appeared that night on the local news!

Pimping LeFou’s Brew

Unfortunately, Bode and I were the only ones whose interview made the cut but Jamie is ever the optimist. “MY NECK IS FAMOUS IN ORLANDO!” (See above photo.)

Whatever it takes.

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My Disney World coverage:

Disney World’s New Fantasyland: A Dream Come True!

New Fantasyland’s Fire-breathing Dragon, our Orlando TV Debut and Jamie’s Famous Body Part

Disney World’s Epcot: The Amazing Race Gone Bad..and Then Good

Epcot’s Newly Revamped Test Track Quenches the Need for Speed

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom: Hear Me Roar!

The day We Lost Our Daughter at the Airport

Filed Under: Bode, Disney, Family travel, Humor, Jamie, travel Tagged With:

Disney World’s New Fantasyland: A Dream Come True!

December 17, 2012 By

(Originally published in the Denver Post’s Hub. More pictures and commentary added here!)

“Wake up! You’re not going to school today. Mommy and Daddy are taking you on a special trip!”

For most of us, we only visit Fantasyland in our dreams but last week, it was my kids’ dreams come true. Not only were we pulling them out of school but we were going to Disney World for the first time.

Our surprise was over a month in the making. When my husband I heard about New Fantasyland’s multiyear expansion—the biggest in the Magic Kingdom’s history that nearly doubles its former size—we slapped down our credit card and bought our flights. We decided to make our trip extra-special by keeping it a secret from our kids.

No small feat for a woman who hasn’t been able to keep a secret since 1980.

It was love at first sight. Though Cinderella Castle still remains the park’s most iconic symbol, the New Fantasyland offers two more fortresses, making it a trip threat. Comprised of the Enchanted Forest and Storybook areas, Walt Disney’s Imagineers have taken storytelling of beloved stories to a whole new level.

Enchanted Forest

Once upon a time, I lived en France for 18 months. At New Fantasyland I was transported back to those pastoral French villages in this recreation of Beauty and the Beast—from the Beast’s foreboding castle to Maurice’s provincial cottage to the smattering of buildings in Belle’s Village with a conspicuous bronze statue of Gaston in front of his namesake, Gaston’s Tavern.

Chandelier at Gaston’s Tavern

The egocentric dude’s sidekick LeFou even has his own “brew”—a frozen apple juice concoction with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with passion-fruit-mango foam.

The Beast’s Castle is easily the highlight of New Fantasyland. Be Our Guest restaurant offers French-inspired quick-service dining by day and fine dining by night in an elegant ballroom, the mysterious West Wing or the delicate Rose Gallery where you can watch as the enchanted rose slowly drops petals as time runs out for the Beast.

Snow falls on the French countryside and special touches include wrought-iron gates, menacing gargoyles and an Armor Hallway where an occasional whisper can be heard from the six metal figures. Sounds enchanting? You’re not alone because Be Our Guest is booking out six months in advance for dinner so lunch may be your best bet.

My Foray as Madame Wardrobe

If Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs is most excited about New Fantasyland’s attraction Enchanted Tales with Belle, you know it has got to be good.

“This interaction with a classic fairy tale is how it should be,” he said. “Couple it with the Beast’s Castle and it is a totally different level of immersion. Now we have the tools and technology to do it.”

No detail remains undone in Maurice’s cottage, which is where the adventure starts. A painting of Belle with her maman. Maurice’s blueprints for his inventions. A smattering of Belle’s beloved books with one of them open to “Le Prince Charmant” (The Prince Charming.)

Kids can even measure themselves against the notches on the wall that chart Belle’s growth over the years—from 12 mois (months) to 18 ans (years).

A winding stone pathway led us to Maurice’s workshop where our group of about 30 encountered the Enchanted Mirror. We answered questions about the tale from our guide and then were invited to say in unison: “Take me back to the day when Belle and the Beast fell in love.”

All eyes widened as Maurice’s most treasured possession magically transformed from a mirror into a secret doorway to the Beast’s castle. And that is when the real magic began. Through props and costumes, we stepped right into the story as several kids were selected to help plan a surprise for Belle.

My daughter Hadley was delighted to be Phillipe the horse and Bode proudly grinned within a picture frame.

As I ardently snapped pictures of my burgeoning stars, I was plucked from the audience to play none other than party organizer Madame Wardrobe.

It was the role of a lifetime.

I fulfilled my dream of singing a few notes in my best operatic voice and Hadley was a show-stopper with her impassioned “neigh.” (I had to ensure her the audience was laughing because she was just that good).

Racing around the room living it up as Madame Wardrobe

But it was an adorable 3-year-old boy cast as the Beast who stole the show with his timid “roar” as he tried to woo the glamorous cast member who played Belle.

When our play wrapped up, we bid Belle adieu as Bode raved, “That was awesome!” and Hadley squealed “I loved it!” As for me? Well, I plan to audition for Madame Butterfly.

According to Staggs, “We hope New Fantasyland gives people time to slow down and be present in these stories. To take stock, look around and as soon as you walk in, you’re transported to new places.”

And what a fantastical world it is.

Other New Fantasyland Additions

Storybook Circus—This throwback to circuses of yesteryear features fun under the Big Top with Dumbo, the Flying Elephant, a ride that has doubled in size. It also features a very welcomed indoor air-conditioned, interactive waiting area to keep the kids entertained until your pager goes off.

The Barnstormer—This family-friendly rollercoaster features the Great Goofini while Pete’s Silly Sideshow round out the offerings.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train—Coming in 2014, this descent into a glistening diamond mine will feature a first-of-its kind ride system with a train of vehicles that swing back and forth as they respond to the twists and turns of the track. Heigh-Ho, indeed.

Under the Sea—Journey of the Little Mermaid. Fans of this Disney classic will love this musical journey as they begin at the shoreline of Prince Eric’s castle and plunge through the grottos in clamshells below the ocean’s surface where an iridescent sea world comes to life.

Side note: The kids aren’t interested in meeting the characters, which is huge time-saver. However, on the night of New Fantasyland’s opening, we accidentally stood in line for Ariel’s Grotto where you take photos and get autographs with the undersea’s favorite princess.

When we rounded the corner, Bode was instantly wowed by the hot red-headed mermaid. He shyly took his seat as she asked what rides they’d been on. “My favorite is Space Mountain,” he haltingly said. “No wait…” Flustered, he remembered he hadn’t been on in yet while he slyly scooted closer until eventually he put his hand across her lap. Prince Eric has some serious competition.

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My Disney World coverage:

Disney World’s New Fantasyland: A Dream Come True!

New Fantasyland’s Fire-breathing Dragon, our Orlando TV Debut and Jamie’s Famous Body Part

Disney World’s Epcot: The Amazing Race Gone Bad..and Then Good

Epcot’s Newly Revamped Test Track Quenches the Need for Speed

Disney World’s Animal Kingdom: Hear Me Roar!

The day We Lost Our Daughter at the Airport

Filed Under: Bode, Disney, Family travel, Hadley, travel Tagged With:

The Broadmoor, New Fantasyland & Computer Problems, Oh My!

December 12, 2012 By

I’ve been having some pretty major computer problems. Every time I’m on Firefox, a JavaScript error message repeatedly pops up freezing my computer and when I switch over to IE my computer crashes. Because I have nothing better to do than fight computer viruses all day.

So, while I muddle through deadlines, computer problems and holiday-related stress, here’s a sneak peak at some pretty awesome things I’ve been working on.

First, another article (my original Denver Post Hub article is here) on the New Fantasyland at Disney World over at Travel Mamas with oodles of pictures.

8 Reasons to Fall in Love with Disney’s New Fantasyland
Then, at long last a quality article on our fabulous, epic weekend at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

The Broadmoor: Christmas Paradise in the Rockies

I’ll have many more details and pictures of both trips when I finally get caught up on everything. And that Christmas thing? I just realized it is less than two weeks away.

As bad as I have it, work-a-holic Jamie always has it worse.

Him: February is going to be a nightmare.

Me: You say that every month is going to be a nightmare.

Him: But now I’m so busy I’m predicting two months in the future.

Filed Under: Colorado, Disney, Humor, Jamie, travel

Disney’s New Fantasyland: It’s a Whole New World!

December 10, 2012 By

My family just returned from a whirlwind four-day trip to Disney World. As first-timers, we checked out the brand spankin’ New Fantasyland, had major meltdowns in the Motherland at Epcot, fell in love with Animal Kingdom and lost (yes, LOST) a child at the airport so almost missed our connecting flight.

Basically, it was just a typical vacation Chez Nous.

I’ve done a write-up about New Fantasyland in the Denver Post’s Hub today but stay tuned for many more details.

Just as soon as I recover from them all.

Filed Under: Disney, Humor, travel Tagged With:

Canada Shared by Canadians – Keep Exploring

November 29, 2012 By

My bestestest Canadian friend Stacey sent me this video she found on YouTube. The editors asked Canadians to “share their Canada” and they received over 65 hours of footage, which they condensed down to a 2-minute video.

It made me proud, awestruck and homesick for all of the beauties of my northern paradise, especially the dolphin scene (at the 1:42 mark) and winter shots of skating on ponds and the Northern Lights.
Dear Colorado: 65 degrees in December is NOT acceptable.

Signed,
The Forever Canuck

Filed Under: Canada, travel

Loews Coronado Bay Resort Loves Kids (and me!)

November 15, 2012 By

Confession: when I was invited on a recent trip to Loews Coronado Bay Resort, I had never heard of Loews and figured the hotel must cater to business-folk. Then I saw their “Loews Loves Kids” program, their expansive deck area with three pools (one of them just for kids), ping pong, humungous Connect Four game and over-sized chess board. For the first time in my life (cough), I was wrong.

Check-out all the fun and more confessionals at Travel Mamas today!

Filed Under: Family travel, travel

Mickey and Snowmamas Do Dallas in a Memorable Conference!

November 12, 2012 By

I’m back after a whirlwind four-day trip to Dallas and I’ll admit I haven’t been a big fan of Texas. I remember the first Texan I ever met: Amy Lemon. It was our freshman year of college and she was a loud-talking, big-haired, uproarious gal who boasted about Texas at every turn.

“What makes it so great?” I finally asked. “Do you have amazing beaches? The mountains? World-class destinations?” I then proceeded to expound upon the many virtues of the Motherland.

“Naw,” she said finally said. “It’s great because it is TEXAS!”

That was my first lesson that Texans are not lacking in confidence.

I’ve been to Texas a couple of previous times. We got stuck in Dallas en route home from our Costa Rican honeymoon because there was 0.00000003-inch of snow and the entire city shut down. Following a cruise, we over nighted in Houston and the humidity about killed me.

Suffice to to say, Texas has not been on my must-visit list.

My latest stay was by far my best and I caught a glimpse of why not to mess with Texas. I fell in love with our accommodations at the luxurious Omni Hotel. I was in a group fortunate enough to tour the Presidential Suite and most impressive to me was the bathroom. So, why this picture? Because the bathroom was completely ensconced with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing a killer view.

Apparently presidential types like to let it all hang out.

I also learned a lot about producing videos at the Family Travel Conference. I met a lot of great bloggers and event sponsors that included Disney (I’m now obsessed with their Adventures by Disney Guided Vacations). These are my beloved Denver blogging friends connecting with Mickey in Dallas. It was all a bit confusing.

Park City Mountain Resort’s Snowmamas sponsored a breakfast and PR ace Krista asked each of us to take a few minutes to share a magical moment we’ve had at PCMR. I enthusiastically shared a condensed version of From Injury-faker to Superstar: How Bode Got His Groove Back, during which time one of the attendees tweeted:

For the Twitter-challenged, @TheMileHighMama is my Twitter ID. And yep, being known as The Mile High Mama has been really swell now that Colorado has legalized marijuana.

And what would a Snowmama event be like without snow?

It should be noted the snow totals in the Omni ballroom exceeded those of when my plane was grounded in Dallas.

As I was driving home from the airport later that day, I realized I was ravenous because I had skipped lunch. I have been craving Burger King’s gingerbread shake so I grabbed one. I was tempted to polish it off but opted to wait and share it with the kids.

Upon entering the door, I was greeted with my loving family who jumped out to surprise me, an immaculate home, beautiful flowers and delicious dinner. I handed over my shake and within moments, the kids were hogtying each other for it.

Nothin’ like bringing a bit of Texas home to Denver.

Filed Under: Disney, Humor, travel Tagged With:

The coolest bathroom ever and why I’m suing DIA for discrimation

November 9, 2012 By

Here’s a quick update. I’m currently in Dallas for the Family Travel Conference and I’m staying at the luxurious one-year-old Omni Hotel.  Just how opulent are the 1001 luxurious guest rooms and suites? In addition to floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek furniture, there is a TV screen hidden in the bathroom mirror.

I would never be able to drag Jamie out of there.

I’m having a great time hitting Dallas’ hot spots like Iron Cactus (OHMYGOSH–guacamole made table-side with a splash of orange?) and Chop House Burger  (don’t miss the Parmesan truffle fries). I arrived a day early for meetings and woke up my first morning at 5:30 a.m. “Don’t worry,” I groggily consoled myself. “It’s 6:30 a.m. Denver time so it’s OK to get up.”

And so I did. I worked out in their state-of-the-art fitness center, grabbed a quick breakfast and showered. It wasn’t until I turned on my computer that I realized the horrible truth: Dallas is on Central time not Pacific like I’d assumed in my sleepy stupor. I had, in actuality, woken up at 4:30 a.m.

Apparently Haddley isn’t the only one who struggles in math.

And here’s another blonde moment. I signed up for Instagram app several months ago without fully investigating its photo-sharing program. I have been primarily using it as a digital filter to make me look like an ace photographer on my iPhone without realizing its social networking capabilities. And that people have actually been following my pictures. I posted the following revelation on Twitter:

Thanks to Kim-Marie’s Instagram tutorial at #FTCDallas, I realized I actually have followers & am supposed to follow back. And I also learned I’m being followed by “ThirdBoob” on my account. #KindaUnsettling

Consider yourself warned.

Then, there is the Granddaddy of them all: My HAIR got searched at at Denver International Airport’s security. Big enough to hide an entire drug cartel?

Filed Under: Humor, travel

Following in the Anasazi’s (Extreme Adventuring) Footsteps at Mesa Verde National Park (Part II)

November 8, 2012 By

Hadley’s third grade class camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park wasn’t just about play (see Part 1). We were there to learn and spending only a few days exploring the archaeological sites and hundreds of cliff dwellings was worth weeks in the classroom.

Spruce Tree House

And what a cool classroom it was.

We were given National Park Service handouts that were specific to school groups with great questions like, “Visit the spring area and describe how a deep spring functions.” “Count the number of kivas and describe two possible functions.”  After exploring the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum (be sure to watch the free, 15-minute film) we hiked the short, steep trail down to the Spruce Tree House.

“I feel like I’m gonna cry!” Haddie excitedly squealed.

She held it together but was thrilled to discover the third-largest Anasazi village in the park with 130 rooms and eight kivas (places of worship) that was constructed sometime between AD 1211 and 1278. Because of its protected location hugging the cliffs, it is well preserved and made for some fun explorations.

Grinding food

When I informed Haddie she could climb down into a kiva, she cut me off and hurriedly prepared donning her headlamp, gloves and compass. I didn’t have the heart to tell Adventure Girl she was simply climbing down a ladder and not doing some extreme backcountry mountaineering expedition.

Also, it helps when your headlamp doesn’t cover your eyes.

From there, it was onto the Balcony House for the highlight of our entire trip. This is a ranger-guided tour only (purchase $3 tickets for the one-hour tours at the Far View Visitor Center) and Ranger P.T. was informative, fun and engaging. This medium-size cliff dwelling had 45 rooms and two kivas but what made it so awesome was the adventure that went with it.

From the stellar views.

To the beautiful hike.

To crawling through a 12-foot tunnel, then climbing a series of toe-holds in a cleft of the cliff.

Precipitous cliff scaling

But the coolest feature of all: a 32-foot ladder. Well, cool unless you’re afraid of heights in which case, it was terrifying for a few people.

Of course, Adventure Girl had no problem. She could have even done it blindfolded blinded by her headlamp.

After scaling the ladder, we huddled together on the edge of a kiva. P.T. shared the rich history of the Ancient Puebloans and how they believe their ancestors emerged from the Third World through a sacred hole known as Sipapu to the Fourth World where we were sitting.

The lore wove its mythical spell and the children were entranced. As we looked out at the hundred-mile views of Mesa Verde’s wind-swept mesas and the azure desert sky in our outdoor classroom, anything seemed possible.

And I guess that’s the point of an experiential education.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, outdoors, travel
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