ToaD is Running for Rescues On Disney Fantasy?

Yes, that’s right!  On our recent Disney Fantasy sailing, we had originally planned to do the 5k on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.  As we approached the cruise date, we realized that we would be getting to Castaway Cay a bit later than would be comfortable for walking or running.  We wanted to start the race a bit earlier.  That way we would also be able to enjoy our full day on Castaway Cay.

To Those Left Behind

Editor’s Note:  This blog is brought to you from one of those “left behind” as we prepare for the first ToaD Fantasy sailing.  Thank you Todd Carrier!

Where is your breaking point? At what point is it too much?

You want to be happy for your friends. They are wonderful people. They hold a very special place in your heart. They are going on a fabulous cruise vacation–without you. You are unable to attend because you are chained to fiscal responsibilities and a limited number of vacation time available to take.

You’ve watched them plan their voyage for nearly two years. Arrival parties. Group excursions. Private group tastings. Gift exchanges. Private dining events. You’ve sighed as you watch their countdowns tick away. First months. Then weeks. And days. Finally hours. You’re ready to snap. You can’t take it anymore.

You can recount your vacation time and how you spent it that year. Mostly with these same friends. Sometimes without any of them. Taunting them nearly as much as they are taunting you. The proverb, “what goes around, comes around” really does ring true. You can ask your friends to have fun for you and post lots of Facebook photos and updates. But you are still stuck in the grey dreary everyday in October while they are over a thousand miles away, basking in the surf and sun.

You can remove yourself from the email and Facebook subscriptions, but you derive an obscure sense of pleasure from knowing, from seeing, from being kept on the outside of the looking glass. You’ve peeped for this long, it feels just as wrong to stop watching as it does to continue.

You could also take advantage of your annual pass and some killer air line deals and credits and fly across the country–putting yourself a thousand miles from them. Enjoying something wonderful…but you’d still be stuck thinking about them. And how much this friend would adore that attraction and that friend would loath that restaurant or how much fun it would be to walk arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder down the other Main Street with them.

I guess it is either grin and bare it or find new friends. Since I’m sort of partial to most of them, I think I will just take it on the chin. After all, it’ll be a memory far too soon for any of them.

Dress Rehearsals Held at the New Fantasyland

Editor’s Note:  This blog is brought to you by our agent Erin!  Thanks Erin!

This past weekend at the Magic Kingdom guests were welcomed into the Enchanted Forest area of the New Fantasyland expansion.  As you enter the Enchanted Forest, the first attraction is Enchanted Tales with Belle where selected guests become part of the tale being told by Lumière. Guests wind through the pathway leading to Belle’s house.  Inside you will find a checkerboard table and chairs, stacks of books and a reading table by the fire place.  Then a certain number of guests are allowed into Maurice’s workshop where drawings of his designs are tacked on the wall and completed projects can be found around the room. After a little story telling guest then travel the magic hallway to the bedroom in Beast’s Castle where Madame Armoire is waiting to help with the assignment of roles.  Once all of the roles have been assigned to children and adults everyone then enters the ballroom where Belle and Lumière are waiting to tell the tale of Beauty and the Beast.

We’re Going On A Cruise!

We are in the final count down!  The bags are packed.  We’ve been watching the weather forecast and looking forward to warmer temperatures.  Facebook friends have been reporting soft openings of the New Fantasyland.  All we need to do is get through one more day of work and then we are off to Disney World and the Disney Fantasy!!

We have been planning this trip for the last two years.  Two years ago we decided we wanted to do a group cruise around Halloween, going to the Eastern Caribbean, on Disney of course!  As soon as the dates were available to book, our date was set and the planning began.  Now it is just three full days away, it almost seems unreal!  People have been telling me that they wish they were going on the cruise.  Others wonder what we are doing.  We will be posting some updates and hopefully a blog or two from the cruise, but wanted to give you an idea of what we will be doing.

Friday night, we will be having an informal gathering outside at the Boardwalk.  We’re hoping to see Illuminations without having to need tickets.  Then it’s off to bed to get ready for our bus ride to the port in the morning!  Yes, we have a bus coming to take many of us to Port Canaveral.  The excitement on the bus will be monumental when we see the Disney Fantasy for the first time as I am the only one who has been on the Fantasy.

Once onboard, we will have various meets in Europa, for trivia, at the pool, you name it!  We also have planned a ship tour, scavenger hunt, private beverage tastings, cabin tours, Twilight Fan meet, gift bags, mini golf tournament, a special 5k for Running for Rescues, and the ever popular AskTracy meet!  We could have done so many other things but we want to focus on what Disney has to offer its guests.

In St Maarten, we have a large group going on a private tour with Bernard’s Tours.  I’m sure there will be some great stories there!  We will be going on the 12 Metre Regatta.  This will be a first for us!  In St. Thomas, we have a private sail and snorkel excursion.

As part of this cruise, we wanted to do some fundraising to help an organization.  We chose Running for Rescues (RfR), a non-profit animal rescue organization.  This started because RfR asked me to do a 5k on their behalf.  I decided I would do the 5k on Castaway Cay.  I started fundraising and convinced a few others to join me on the 5k.  We had a t-shirt design made and formed a team with a common goal.  To date we have 28 people walking or running with us!  This didn’t seem good enough to me though.  I proposed that Travel On A Dream secure the private dining rooms at both Palo and Remy adult restaurants.  ToaD would pay for the dinners and our guests would bid to be in the room.  To date all contributions as a result of this fundraising effort (including the amounts raised by our individual 5k participants) is nearly $3,000!!  For you to contribute to our fundraiser, CLICK HERE.

Most of our cruisers haven’t been on a cruise longer than 4 nights so this will be very special for them all.  We feel that Disney does a fantastic job entertaining guests of all ages.  We want to be sure to showcase what they do best and leave our events to just taking advantage of Disney and experiencing all that we can.

For those that are not on this cruise with us, there is always another group!  We have a sailing next April on the Oasis of the Seas and next September on the Disney Magic.  Won’t you join us?

runDisney presents: The Inaugural Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler

Editor’s Note:  This blog comes to us from Todd Carrier on his review of the Inaugural Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler race last month.  Thanks Todd!

A hauntingly good time or sinister loss of magic?

When this race was first announced, I was rather excited. I seem to be addicted to runDisney events. Due to financial responsibilities and lack of vacation days, I thought I would be unable to take part in the inaugural running of this event; however, the fates aligned and I was able to set it up and secure a bib just days before the race sold out. The ToT10M would be my 9^th runDisney distance event. I arrived with plenty of expectations. Having done a fair number of long runs on Disney courses, I felt assured there would be plenty of on course entertainment. I was also aware that this was an inaugural race, so there would undoubtedly be a hitch or two.

The Health & Fitness Expo is a mandatory stop for all runDisney events, as it is where you pick up your bib, race shirt and assorted swag. It also gives you a chance to listen to presentations by experts in health and fitness (with a focus on running) and peruse assorted race sponsor’s displays and vendor’s wares. The offerings and booths were slim for this expo–even for an inaugural event. The volunteers were pleasant and picking up bibs et al went smoothly and efficiently.

Play, Stay and Dine Promotion from Disney World

In addition to the Winter discount released earlier this morning, Walt Disney World has released a Play, Stay and Dine promotion for the same dates, January 2 to March 7, 2013.  This promotion is also the same as the Disney Visa offer released last week.  For bookings through December 31, 2012, based on availability, save up to $600 on your Walt Disney World Resort package that includes tickets and dining.

Little Mermaid standard rooms at the Art of Animation and 3-bedroom villas are excluded from the promotion.  Contact Travel On A Dream today for your quote!

 

Winter Promotion out for Walt Disney World

There was a little delay in the release this morning, but the Winter discounts are now available for Walt Disney World.  Discounts up to 35% are available for most dates between January 2 and March 7, 2013.  We are not seeing two discounts like we did last week with the Disney Visa offer.

Discount percentages vary from resort to resort and are not based solely on the resort category (value, moderate, deluxe, deluxe villa).  The discount is not available for all nights at all resorts and is subject to availability.  The offer must be booked by December 31, 2012.

Come on a Virtual Cruise!

While we were on a recent cruise of the California Coast, we tried out a new toy.  Over the summer, we heard of a camera that takes time lapse photos and puts them into a movie file.  This was a must have for us!  So we purchased the Brinno TLC200.

We set up the camera to record in 1 second increments, strapped it to our balcony railing and were ready to sail!  Here are the results.

We have not edited the videos at all yet, but wanted to share these with you. It’s a lot of fun going back and reliving the cruise, in fast forward!

Review of the Cove Bar at Disney California Adventure

Overlooking Paradise Pier, the Cove Bar at Disney California Adventure offers scrumptious snacks, lip-smacking libations, and arguably one of the best views in the park for the night-time spectacular World of Color.

If you’re planning a visit to the Cove Bar specifically for the World of Color viewing it should be noted that the venue closes to new guests 30-45 minutes prior to the start of the show, and the bar is only accessible during the first performance.

Check-in podium at the Cove Bar entrance

On the night we visited, there were 4 adults in our party and we arrived at the bar around 7:45 pm for the 9:00 show.  There were 3-4 couples in line ahead of us and a host came out to explain to us that while there was no cover charge to watch World of Color, the seating was first-come, first-serve and there was no guarantee we’d get a table before they closed.   I’ll admit, there was a quiet moment of panic among our group in trying to determine if we should stay or go.  A couple of the people in line ahead of us decided to head elsewhere, so we opted to wait it out. Within 10 minutes we were seated, and apparently, we were sprinkled with a bit of pixie dust on our way in because we were given the best seat in the house.  Check out that view!

Spectacular view of Paradise Pier from our table

There are two different seating options, either bar stools surrounding a counter or tables & chairs lining the perimeter.  In keeping with the old-timey boardwalk theme, the bar has a lot of fun decor all over the walls.

Seating inside the Cove Bar

Behind the bar

Once we settled in, we dove into the menu.  Like many of the bars & lounges at both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, the Cove Bar has a menu that includes standard cocktails and beers, appetizers, and a few specialty offerings. Tracy and I decided to each try one of the Cove Bar’s exclusive cocktails.

Cove Bar Menu

Specialty Cocktails

I tried the Sideshow Novel-Tea, and while initially a bit on strong side, it was great once you mixed in the strawberry puree.  I’d almost say it was refreshing. I tried a sip of the martini and it was very flavorful and Tracy seemed to really enjoy it, too.

Before we arrived, the four of us decided that we’d all share a few different appetizers from the menu and just make dinner out of it.  The bar is well-known for their lobster nachos, so that was a definite.  From there, well, it took a few minutes to decided because it all sounded so good.

Appetizer menu

We decided on another order of nachos, but asked them to swap the lobster for chicken (blasphemy, I know – I’m just not a big fan of seafood), Tri Tip Sliders, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, and the Bayside Fish Tacos,. Yes, we were hungry!

Lobster Nachos – $12.49

The nachos were spectacular and both plates quickly disappeared!  Although I have to say, the chicken nachos were the clear winner over the lobster.  The lobster wasn’t very fresh and was slightly fishy tasting (more so than it should be), while the chicken had a hearty char-grilled flavor. The toppings throughout both nachos were plentiful, and they were not at all chintzy with the cheese in the underlying layers. The chipotle sauce used in lieu of sour cream was a nice touch, as well.

Chicken Nachos (Special Request)

Tri Tip Sliders – $9.99

The sliders were good, but the flavor balance seemed to be slightly off.  The meat was tender, albeit not very flavorful.  The Mojo Criollo sauce was very heavy with garlic, while I love me some garlic, it was just the only thing I could taste.  They put the sauce on the meat rather than on the bread, leaving the bread a bit dry.  These certainly don’t give the Carthay Circle Theater’s Kobe Beef Sliders a run for their money, but they weren’t bad either.  I would order them again, I may just take a sec to swipe the sauce onto the bread myself.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza – $10.99

Second only to the nachos, the pizza was a big hit with everyone.  Everything about this was good; the crust, cheese, toppings, all of it.  It was fresh and hit all of the right points.  I wouldn’t hesitate to order this again.

Bayside Fish Tacos – $9.99

The only let down of all that we ordered were the Bayside Fish Tacos.  While I readily admit I’m not the biggest fan of seafood, I do enjoy fish tacos.  Unfortunately, these were not at all fresh.  The meat was dry and extremely fishy tasting, the lime couldn’t even calm down the fishiness.  Everything else about them was good, and I really wanted to enjoy these but I just couldn’t.  The consensus of the table was the same.

About 10 minutes before show time, they did a final call for the bar.  Once our bellies and our drinks were full, we chatted and enjoyed the atmosphere until the start of the show.  At this point, we noticed that our panic was for nothing and most of the bar had emptied. I’m guessing because the seats closer to the bar’s main entrance don’t really offer a great vantage point for World of Color, being that the seats are further back and almost parallel with the show’s water screens.  Our table, however, was furthest down the line and closest to Ariel’s Grotto, giving us the best seat in the house.  It seemed that any of the tables along our row had a great view.  I can’t think of any other place where you can sit comfortably (with a drink!) and watch the show.  Heaven.

Credit the lack of wind that night, but we didn’t feel much over spray from the fountains at all.  Although we could really feel the heat from the fire during the Pirates of the Caribbean sequence.

To get an even better idea of the view, you can check out the video below featuring the show’s finale.  Just a note, there was a lot of chatter at the table next to us that the microphone on my phone picked up.  Thankfully, it wasn’t as noticeable to us while we were sitting there.

All of the cast members we encountered here were extremely friendly, as was our server, but I do have to note that he was a bit on the slow side.  Luckily for us, the timing of everything worked out perfectly. If you intend to visit the Bar to view World of Color, I would recommend arriving  at least an hour prior to the show if not earlier.  I also want to mention that we were able to receive 15% off our bill (excluding alcoholic beverages) with our annual pass.  After the show, although the bar was closed, we weren’t rushed out giving us time to finish up our drinks and grab some more shots of the gorgeous fountains.

Overall, the four of us really enjoyed our experience at the Cove Bar and found that it would definitely be a place we’d all go back to for the food, the drinks, and to see the show.  Have you experienced the Cove Bar?  Let us know your thoughts and best tips it in the comments!

All photos © Chrysty Summers.

New Disney Visa Offers For Spring in Walt Disney World

We have just heard of two new offers available to Disney Visa Cardholders today. These are supposed to be released to the public next Wednesday (probably would have been Monday if not for the system outage planned for Monday night and Tuesday).

You can save up to 35% when you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel for most nights between January 2 and March 7, 2013.  Disney Visa Cardholders can book this offer between now and October 7.  The offer will become available to the general public on October 10, 2012 and must be booked by December 31, 2012.  The promotion excludes 3 bedroom villas and the Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms.

The second offer, also available to the general public on October 10, 2012, offers savings of up to $600 on a 5-night/6-day page with tickets and dining, also between January 2 and March 7, 2013.  We have seen reports that this is a free dining promotion but it is not.  You are required to have the resort room, tickets and dining plan.  The discount is up to $400 on value resorts and $600 on all other resorts.  Campsites, 3-bedroom villas and the Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms are excluded.

To book either of these promotions now, please contact us at Travel On A Dream.  We need to have your Disney Visa card number at the time of booking to apply the $200 deposit.  It is fully refundable until 45 days prior to travel.

If you don’t have a Disney Visa, the offers will be open to the public on October 1, 2012.  Contact your Travel On A Dream agent today so she is ready to get your booking next Wednesday.  Of course we will always check both offers to make sure you are getting the best deal!