The Affordable Mouse » Nancy

Running with Disney: A Newbie’s Thoughts on Disney Marathon Weekend

Nancy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:45:54 +0000

As I have mentioned previously, one of the reasons we chose the week we did for recent our Disney World vacation, was because it was Marathon Weekend, and our DD was participating in the 5-K. This was a totally new experience for all of us, Disney veterans that we are, and I have to say that learning about an entirely new facet of Disney was fun and fascinating. It was also inspiring…but more on that later.

To start, let me give a little bit about what the Disney Marathon weekend offered. There were 3 “major” races (along with some fun “family” races): the 5-K which was billed as the Family Fiesta 5-K on Friday, the Half-Marathon on Saturday, and the full Marathon which was on Sunday. What amazed me was the number of people…and I mean THOUSANDS of people who participated in these events. And what was even more amazing to me….a total non-runner….was how many people participated in more than one race!! To clarify, this is how long these races are:

The 5-K is about 3 miles
The Half Marathon is 13.1 miles
The full Marathon is 26.2 miles

And there were a LOT of people who did all 3!! You do the math…..

(If you don’t have your calculator handy, that would be over 42 miles folks!!!!)

And everyone gets a medal for participating. Even more fun is that they even recognize those who do both the Half and full Marathons with a special medal just for them: the “Goofy” medal. (There is an unofficial name for those who do all 3….it is the “Dopey” lol…but no medals for them, which seems kind of sad to me….)

Anyway, when we arrived at Walt Disney World on the Thursday before the races, we along with thousands of marathon-goers, went to Disney’s Wild World of Sports Complex, so our DD could pick up her registration packet. We were concerned about bus transportation there, but really, it’s Disney, why were we worried? Disney of course had special transportation running to all marathon events from all resort hotels all weekend, and in our experience, the transportation was pretty efficient.

Before we knew it, we were at Wide World of Sports where we got our first taste of the size and popularity of this event. There were thousands of people there, registering, picking up their packets, and participating in the Health/Fitness Fair that was going on. My personal favorite part was the sign-making area, where family members could prepare signs to cheer on their runners, which DH and I, of course, did! This was so much fun, to see children making signs that said things like “You can Do It Mom!” and “Run Fast Dad”…..I started to get a feel for how inspiring this weekend would turn out to be for me, as I saw how proud so many of these kids were of their parents!

We tried not to stay out too late that night, as our DD had to be at Epcot at 5:30 a.m. (!) on Friday for the pre-race. Of course, we were hardly the only ones on the bus that morning, as there were MANY entire families participating in the 5-K, including people who planned to push strollers in the race! In fact, the entire 3^rd wave of starters was scheduled to be those who walked or were pushing strollers. Cool fact: those “in” the strollers apparently got a medal too!

Disney of course, knows how to put on a show, so the “pre-race” festivities, while meant to help get everyone warmed up and excited, also consisted of a fun DJ, and character appearances, in this case the Three Caballeros. It wouldn’t be Disney without a character photo-op or two.

Before we knew it, our DD had to go line up, so we wished her good luck and made our way over to the finish line to watch for her. There was a grandstand set up for those who wanted to watch: for the Half and full Marathons, you had to purchase a seat to watch, but for the 5-K, anyone could sit there, so it was nice to be able to see so many of the finishers. It was so great to see so many kids running…many who were running a lot faster than the adults lol!

Finally we saw our DD run by and we waved our signs and shouted and hollered: we were so excited! She got her medal, we gave her hugs and then headed back to Kidani Village to shower and get ready for a celebration breakfast at Boma. What an awesome and fun experience and I have to say that doing my own 5-K is a goal of mine now!

There she goes!!!

What is especially cool about this weekend is that it is easy to feel a “part” of things throughout the weekend for the big races too! For example, we passed many of the marathoners along their route on the bus to Epcot on Sunday morning…..and were so excited when an entire family, signs in hand, spotted their dad on the road along side the bus! They were on their way to cheer him on at the end….but they got a little extra magic by seeing him along the way.

Probably the most inspiring thing to me though was being in World Showcase later that afternoon, as the final marathon finishers were making their way around the course. My thoughts about what kind of person it takes to do a marathon were forever shattered that afternoon as I saw people completing a race of over 26 miles that one would never think could do such a thing:

Seniors in their 70s
People with leg braces and one who had a prosthetic limb
People wearing Weight Watchers shirts who had clearly worked very hard to be able to achieve this accomplishment
Husbands and wives holding hands as they completed the race, inspiring each other to finish, in some cases literally holding the other person up in order to finish together

And then there were those who ran for a cause: cancer, leukemia, alzheimers, Give Kids the World, and more….they ran or walked, not for themselves but for a greater cause.

We sat down and watched the last finishers. We shouted encouragement, cheered, clapped and waved, as the final few made their way towards the end. And everyone stood and gave a standing ovation to the last person, broad smile in place, as she walked around World Showcase waving to all, knowing that she had DONE IT!

I loved Marathon Weekend. It was new, it was fun, it was inspiring….it was magical.

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Running with Disney: A “New” Kind of Vacation

Nancy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:45:10 +0000

If I had to pick one word to describe our recent trip to Walt Disney World, it would be “new”. We stayed in a new resort, ate in new restaurants, and had new experiences. And this is probably one of the things I love about visiting Disney World: no matter how many times you go, there are numerous things that make the magic new and special.

We truly had a wonderful time and I am looking forward to sharing some of the details of our trip with you in the coming weeks! In the meantime, here are some of the highlights:

Disney Marathon Weekend

The main reason we chose this weekend to visit was because our daughter was participating in Marathon Weekend. Despite a change of plans a few months ago, she was able to run in the 5-K and what an amazing experience it was! In fact, the entire weekend was inspiring!

Kidani Village

One of the things I was most excited about was the chance to stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village….and what an absolutely beautiful resort it was. I just couldn’t believe at times that we were at Walt Disney World!

New Restaurants

We had a number of new dining experiences on this trip and really enjoyed them! Among our favorites: La Hacienda de San Angel, and Via Napoli. Both were delicious and are highly recommended!

New Experiences

We have done several Disney tours in previous trips and we did another new one this time: Wild by Design at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This was a fascinating tour, providing tons of details about this park….and gave us all a new appreciation for Animal Kingdom.

New Construction

We also had the chance to get some glimpses of the Fantasyland construction, and I have to say it was exciting to see what is going on! I just can’t wait to see it all when completed!

In fact, seeing that construction makes me want to plan another trip to see the results….which would be the perfect cure for my Post-Disney Depression!

So stay tuned in coming weeks for details on some of the “new” things we did. And stay tuned as well, because I’ve got a little giveaway coming soon….because you know I never take a Disney vacation without bringing you home souvenirs!

Running with Disney: Heading Towards the Finish Line

Nancy — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:45:51 +0000

So we’re going to Disney World….in 3 days. As you read this, suitcases and clothes and assorted Disney vacation necessities are being gathered into piles…..and the pre-trip stress on my part is starting to set in. As is the excitement!

As I have mentioned previously, our trip was planned for this week in January for a number of reasons…..one of which was the fact that our DD wanted to participate in the Disney Marathon weekend. Since she was already planning to do a Half Marathon here in Maryland this past October, she was very excited to do the Disney Half Marathon as well. So, we booked the trip and started planning.

But….as with many things in life, things don’t always work out quite the way you plan (probably an important lesson for Disney planners everywhere, as we all tend to obsess just a tad about planning lol).

In the middle of training for her October race, she developed Achilles tendon problems, ended up on crutches for a while, and ultimately had to drop out of the race. Clearly, the Disney Half Marathon was not happening any more either.

Despite her disappointment, and ours for her, the trip however was still on, even without the race, so ADRs were booked, and discussions continued about what else we wanted to do on this trip. We were still excited to be planning a trip, but I felt so bad that one of the main reasons we were going that weekend was no longer a possibility.

Funny how things work out though. After weeks of physical therapy, DD healed enough that she got the “all clear” to start training again! So she checked out Run Disney, decided to register for the Disney 5-K….and now we’re back on with a race, even if it’s a shorter one!

So this Friday morning, at 6:30 a.m., she’ll be starting her race around Epcot…and we’ll be waiting to cheer her on. We’re very excited to be heading back to Disney World again, and even more excited to be able to share this new experience with her.

Of course, I’ll let you all know how it goes, along with the rest of our trip as well. And you can follow along on our Facebook page if you like, as I’ll be sharing some highlights and other pictures along the way.

Look out Walt Disney World: here we come!

What Would You Do With One More Disney Day?

Nancy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:05:34 +0000

Take a full 24 hours to create as many memories as you can — because on Leap Day, 2012, Disney Parks are celebrating like never before!

For the first time ever, both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park will be open for 24 hours of wonder, imagination and magic starting February 29 at 6:00 a.m.

Plus, beginning January 1, 2012, Disney Parks.com is giving away a vacation package every day until February 29, 2012 and has an exciting special offer!

Spend an extra night for free at either a Disneyland Resort Hotel or a Walt Disney World Resort hotel when you book a Room and Ticket Package for 3 nights or more, between February 26 and March 10, 2012. Purchase before January 31, 2012.

Get a Vacation Quote

AND: Starting January 1, 2012, enter every day through February 29, 2012 for a chance to win one of 60 vacation packages for 4 to either Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort.

Enter the Contest Here

Planning for Your 2012 Disney Vacation

Nancy — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:45:54 +0000

As we near the end of this year, and look ahead to a brand new, shiny New Year, it’s also the perfect time to start thinking about planning that next Disney vacation. After all, is there any better New Year’s resolution than visiting one of the Disney parks, or maybe finally taking that long-dreamed-about Disney Cruise?

So with that in mind, I thought it was the perfect time to re-run portions of an article that I wrote last spring about taking those first steps towards making your Disney vacation dreams a reality. I hope you find it helpful! Happy New Year…..and happy planning!

I always tell folks that there are 3 basic keys to making an affordable Disney vacation happen: planning, budgeting, and an open mind. With these three things guiding you, you can really take all the aspects of a Disney vacation and change each as needed until you have a vacation you can afford.

In fact, I like to think of it as putting the pieces of a puzzle together to create a beautiful picture. In this case that picture is your dream of a Disney vacation only with this puzzle there is no right way to put those pieces together! The only right way is the one that makes your dream a reality! Saving money on a Disney vacation is about choices and in some instances, trade-offs: if you want or need to spend more in one area, then work to reduce costs in another. Start with making a realistic budget, and then consider the following:

When Are You Going?

It may seem as if this goes without saying, but knowing when you can go has a huge effect on the cost of your vacation: some times of year are simply more expensive than others. Typically holidays and school vacations are the most expensive of all….so if you have any flexibility at all, try to schedule your trip during the cheaper times of year if you can. If you can’t do that, then know that you will be moving other puzzle pieces around this one, in order to make it all work. But no worries, it will all work!

What Disney Deals Are Available?

When people ask me what is the cheapest way to plan their Disney vacation, I always tell them “it depends”. The thing about this Disney vacation puzzle that we’re putting together is, as I have already said, there is more than one way to put the puzzle together.

There are so many factors that go into planning a Disney vacation that you really need to be prepared to do some comparisons. So get out that trusty calculator, and once you have your budget and know when you will be traveling (or at least the general time of year or month) then start with looking at the promotions that Disney offers for that time. Get a quote. Add in one of the Disney Dining Plans if you think it might work for your family, and compare the costs with paying for your food out of pocket. And look at each of the Dining Plans too, because it may be that a different “level” of plan (Quick Service for example) might be more cost effective than another for your family.

Remember the 3 keys: planning, budgeting, and an open mind? This is where that open mind is crucial. You may “think” you know what will be least expensive, but until you actually run all the numbers, you can’t know for certain. And people are surprised about what is actually cheapest for them all the time!

How Will You Get There?

I always recommend trying to make a decision, at least a tentative one, about your transportation as soon as possible. You don’t necessarily have to book your travel, but having a pretty solid idea of how you are going to get to Disney World….and how much it will cost….is important to know at the beginning, preferably before you book your accommodations or package. This way, you can play with the puzzle pieces a bit more, if necessary until you make them fit with your budget.

Another benefit of doing this early: start watching for ways to save money at the beginning. If you are flying, figure out what your likely carriers are and get on their promotional email list, and/or become Facebook or Twitter fans. Many discounts are given out this way that the general public never knows about. Giving yourself enough time on this part will allow you to jump on a promotion when it becomes available.

Don’t Forget the Tickets

Most people who are not getting a package, try to save money on their Disney park tickets, and it is possible to save a little on the actual cost, by using an authorized Disney ticket broker….but it won’t be a huge savings. What may save you more money is having an “open mind” (again!) about the type of ticket that you buy: maybe you save by not getting a Park Hopper, or the Water Parks Fun and More option. Or perhaps you will benefit from a package promotion where “Kids Play Free”, so that you are saving on your ticket costs that way.

This puzzle piece has a little flexibility…but not much. Whatever you do, as we discussed before, never buy tickets from eBay or Craigslist: tickets that have been partially used are non-transferrable, and you can’t be sure that there are really ANY days on the tickets at all until you get to the gate. Which is too late to do anything about it.

And Then There’s Food

This is a puzzle piece that you can move around a LOT, as there are many ways that you can save money on your Disney dining. Dining plan options, bringing food with you, eating off-site, cooking/eating in (a benefit of having a condo or house with a kitchen!) are just a few ways that you can potentially make your trip more affordable.

So as you can see, with planning, that trusty budget and an open mind, you really have all kinds of ways that you can shift and adjust the puzzle pieces of your vacation until you create your Disney dream.

As Walt Disney himself, was fond of saying: “If you can dream it, you can do it!”

Merry Christmas from All of us at The Affordable Mouse

Nancy — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:00:10 +0000

As today is Christmas Eve, we decided to take a break from our regular blog schedule in order to share our own little Christmas card with all of you, our wonderful Disney Friends. From all of us at The Affordable Mouse, we send you our warmest Holiday Greetings: Merry Christmas from my family and from Captain Mickey and all the crew here on the Disney Dream!!! Enjoy this special time with your family! ~ Brenda

Wishing all of The Affordable Mouse fans a very magical holiday and a pixie dusted New Year! I am looking forward to chatting Disney with all of you in 2012. ~ Kelly

Wishing all our Affordable Mouse family a Very Special and Magical Holiday with unlimited pixie dust! ~ Debbie

May the peace of this holiday season rest on you & yours. Merry Christmas & a Mickey New Year! ~ DeAnna

Wishing you and yours the most magical and Disney-filled holiday Season and may your New Year be filled with Disney dreams come true! ~ Belinda

Magical Merry Christmas!!! ~ Shannan

I hope you all have a fun Christmas and enjoy the time spent with family & friends! ~ Karen

Wishing everyone a magical Christmas and Happy New Year! ~ Rachel

Wishing everyone a Christmas of beautiful memories that will last a lifetime and may 2012 bring you a year of magical moments. Blessings to all! ~ Lisa

In this Season of Light and Joy, may all of you have the chance to celebrate with those you hold near and dear, and may the New Year be filled with an abundance of peace, health, happiness and magical memories for you and your families. ~ Nancy

My 12 Days of Christmas…..Disney Style!

Nancy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Note: Once a month I am privileged to be a contributor at WDW Fan Zone. I had so much fun with my article for them this month, that I thought I would reprint it here as well…in case you were looking for a few last minute gift ideas.

“On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree…..”

And so goes the song, sharing what her (his?) True Love gave as gifts over the 12 Days of Christmas. While this traditional version finds the songwriter to be the lucky recipient of some pretty odd tokens of affection, (12 drummers drumming…..really? Sounds pretty noisy, and like something I would probably be returning….), it does make modern gift-givers in search of that perfect present wonder: What 12 items could I give my True Love?

Well if my wonderful DH is reading, honey here is what you could get this particular Disney-lover for the 12 Days of Christmas. (And please note, unlike the original version, there is no need to repeat items over subsequent days….one of each is sufficient, thank you very much. )

On the first day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: One Disney cruise. Location, duration, time of year are unimportant. Just whisk me away to someplace where people will wait on me hand and foot, where the food will be delicious and endless, and where someone puts chocolates on my pillow every night. Oh, and where the ship’s horn plays “When you wish upon a star”….
On the second day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Two Dinners at Victoria and Alberts. This would, admittedly be a gift that would benefit my True Love as well as me. J But having never experienced dining at Victoria and Alberts, this is something that I know would be a pretty amazing Christmas gift for both of us.
On the third day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Three hours on an Illuminations cruise. Another thing that I have never done! I love Illuminations more than any Disney show, and being able to view it from a boat, with a unique and unobstructed view would make this Disney fan pretty darn happy.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Four seasons at Walt Disney World. OK, this may sound a little greedy, but one year, I would love to be able to take 4 trips to Disney World, so that I could experience what each season has to offer. One of the things Disney does SO well is to provide events that make us want to keep coming back for more. Each season is unique and different, and I would love to have the opportunity to see them all during one year.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Five uninterrupted hours relaxing by the Uzima Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Please….. I love my family dearly, but the chance to be all alone in this beautiful place for just 5 hours, no phone, no email, no interruptions, no anything….just me, some sunshine and good book. For 5 hours. That is all.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Six new Disney mugs. See, not everything on my list is excessive, expensive, or unrealistic. Some things that would be very nice are quite modest and not over-the-top at all. For example, I have a few Disney collections….and I would love a few more mugs. I am pretty sure my DH will not understand this, but wouldn’t it be great to have a different Disney mug for each day of the month?
On the seventh day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Seven days at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort. I have had the chance to spend a week near the peaceful marshes, and under the huge shady oaks draped with Spanish moss that characterize this lovely resort. Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort combines the best of Disney and the beach. Our time there was divine. I want to do it again. Please??
On the eighth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Eight limited edition pins. Another quite modest request, this is another Disney collection that needs some new additions. No particular style or theme requests: surprise me.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Nine Fastpasses to ride Soarin in one day. OK, not sure how one could actually buy this….but I believe in the power of pixie dust.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Ten chances to Pick a Pearl in the Japan pavilion in World Showcase. Yes, I will need the settings to go with all those pearls.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Eleven dinners in World Showcase…one in each country. OK, it might be more than 11, because I would want company while I eat…but you get the idea. Just don’t forget to make the ADRs honey….at 180 days prior. You can do it online at 6 a.m. ET.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my True Love could give me: Twelve Carrot Cake Cookies. Ahh the delectable Carrot Cake Cookie! Twelve of them! I totally promise to share.

So Disney Friends: what would be on YOUR lists for the 12 Days of Disney Christmas? Happy Holidays!!

Running With Disney: Less Than a Month to Go!

Nancy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:45:28 +0000

So my Disney trip countdown says 23 days! It’s hard to believe that by the time we actually get to Walt Disney World for our January trip, it will have been 367 days since we left…but who’s counting….. It’s been a crazy year for us, with trips planned and cancelled multiple times, but it looks like this one is actually going to happen!

After our last trip that had so many changes, I must say that I have really learned flexibility when it comes to Disney vacation planning. Which is a good thing, because with less than a month to go….and Christmas thrown in there…..I still have quite a few things to do before we leave!

Still, most important things have been done. So here’s where we are so far:

We have a place to stay. In my last post about this trip I mentioned that we were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village….and I am so excited about this I can’t stand it. We stayed in Jambo House a few years ago for 2 nights, and I have always wanted to go back. It is such a serene and beautiful place, that I am really looking forward to having some time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. I know that “relax” and “Disney vacation” are kind of mutually exclusive, but even a couple of hours to explore will be awesome. In fact, I am making that a personal priority.
We know where we are eating. Well, let me rephrase that: I know where/when our ADRs are….and I’m REALLY excited about some of them!

Hacienda de San Angel

Cape May Buffet (Seafood buffet dinner)

Sanaa

Liberty Tree Tavern

Raglan Road

Via Napoli

Now, it is entirely possible that some may change (and I don’t freak out about that nearly as much as I used to lol) due to potential football playoff games that can’t be missed. But I should know that the week before, giving me time to potentially modify so that we can be strategically placed, if necessary, at ESPN Zone at the appointed time.

We have our flights. Southwest came through once again with the best rates for us, and ya gotta love the free checked bags. Plus, now that they participate in the Resort Airline Check In for the return trip home, it is so nice and convenient to check everything in at our resort the morning we leave, and then head to the parks for a half day of playing! I know finding affordable airfare is a challenge for anyone flying, but every time we travel to Disney World, while I always check all available carriers, it is rare that anyone comes in less than Southwest. Once we took Air Tran….but every other time it has been Southwest. If you live near a Southwest hub to take advantage of their great rates, consider yourself fortunate.
I reserved our Disney’s Magical Express. I don’t have our luggage tags yet, but can’t wait because when you see those little yellow tags arrive in the mail, you know it’s close!!

So what still needs to be done? Ahem…..well a few things yet, a couple of which I will do this week.

Since we book using our Disney Vacation Club points, we do not have a package. Which means that I have to call to add our Dining Plan (and pay for it lol) and I have to order tickets. This part I have kind of held off on, because we aren’t totally sure how many days we need yet (see below for more thoughts on this), and I am weighing the possibility of getting an Annual Pass for myself. I plan to make at least one other trip this year….either with family, or possibly to meet some Disney friends….so I know I’ll get my money’s worth out of it. Either way….I need to order our tickets from Undercover Tourist this week!

Now….what do we plan to do and see?

First, our DD is running in the Disney 5K on Friday the 6^th, and while I am not participating, I can’t WAIT to be her cheerleader! It’s been quite the saga whether this was something that she would even be able to do (subject of another blog post!) but now that she is registered, we are all SO excited for her! Just hoping the weather cooperates for her…and those of us watching lol!

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that the Osborne Lights will still be up when we get there: the last night is January 7, so we definitely have this on our agenda one night! When I first booked, they were due to end on January 3, so this extension of a few days made us very happy! I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that the Castle Dream lights will still be up too. (*wishing,wishing,wishing*)

We’re really looking forward to the new Star Tours and I am honestly planning to explore some attractions we haven’t done in a long time…in addition to our favorites. And I have to say that I am hoping my family has LOTS of patience with me as I really want to get lots and lots of pictures.

The one thing that is really still up in the air…and the main reason why I haven’t ordered our tickets….is that we have been having a conversation for months about whether we wanted to visit that *other* Park-That-Must-Not-Be-Named. I have actually never been to Universal although DH and DD did spend one morning at Islands of Adventure…and apparently spent the entire time saying that it “wasn’t Disney”. So none of us have ever wanted to give up a Disney Day to go…..that is, until the Boy Wizard took up residence nearby…. We love Harry Potter, so this has now become a pretty serious discussion: will this be the trip where we finally go? Still not sure yet…but as I said….we need to decide soon!

So…23 days to go until I’m back in my happy place. The days can’t go fast enough!

We’re Having a Birthday…and Celebrating with Disney Giveaways!

Nancy — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:45:11 +0000

A little over two years ago, I had the crazy idea to start a blog about Walt Disney World. A number of things contributed to this, but the main reasons were probably a couple of questions that I get asked a lot:

“Why do you go to Disney World all the time? Don’t you get tired of it?”

“How do you afford to go to Disney World so often?”

Having a friend who knew all about blogs and such, I was encouraged to share my love for the Mouse and my desire to answer those questions, by starting a little blog of my own. First hosted over on Blogger.com, I quickly realized all the things that my little site could do and be, so before long I made the decision to become a “grown-up” website and www.theaffordablemouse.com was born.

The rest, as they say, is history. Two years later, I am astounded at how this has changed my life. First, it has brought me some wonderful friends! I have come to know some special folks and my life is richly blessed by the addition of them. I don’t know what it is about Walt’s vision that inspires people, but I truly believe that Disney folk are among some of the most wonderful and inspiring people on the planet. And I am honored to know so many of them.

Among the most special Disney people that have come into my life are the wonderful ladies of The Affordable Mouse. Brenda, Kelly, Debbie, DeAnna, Belinda, Rachel, Shannan, and Lisa unselfishly share their time and Disney love with us every week and I am grateful beyond words for their support and love for TAM and what we do. Ladies: you all mean the “world” to me!

I am also astounded, as I look back, to see how a little idea can grow so large and impact so many people in only a few years! When I see that we have thousands of Facebook Friends and Twitter followers, in addition to the thousands who read our daily blog posts, email updates and newsletters….I can see that what we do truly helps people to live the dream that I had when I started: to help people create Disney magic for their families.

Of course, it was to further help people with their Disney vacation planning…and to realize a long-held Disney dream of mine….that I became a Disney travel agent this past spring. I absolutely know that without The Affordable Mouse….and the support of you, all of our wonderful Disney Friends…I would never, ever, have done this. And I can honestly say that being a Disney vacation planner is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

All that being said, I….we….have a lot to celebrate!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that giveaways are one of the best ways to celebrate, don’t you? So over the next 6 days, we will be doing some giveways…one each day, starting today! Each day’s blog post will feature at the top, the Giveaway of the Day, along with a *simple* question to answer. To enter, simply answer the question in the comments below. I will then choose one winner using Random.org from everyone who enters before 11 p.m. ET. Please note: you must answer on the blog post to be eligible!

Want to know what you can win?

Well, here are the prizes, in reverse order:

Saturday, December 10: Mickey Tote Bag

Friday, December 9: $25 Gift Certificate to Garden Grocer

Thursday, December 8: 18” Golden Anniversary Plush Winnie the Pooh

Wednesday, December 7: Copy of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World With Preschoolers

Tuesday, December 6: Cars or Princess Wipe-Off Board

And today’s Giveway: Winner’s choice of a custom Tee or Onesie (with Mickey or Minnie ears, or Christmas Mickey or Minnie with Santa) from Stitch-This Custom Embroidery.

Winner’s choice of fabric, thread color, name, tee color, tee or onesie, long sleeve or short sleeve. (Thank you to Stitch-This Custom Embroidery for their donation! Please be sure to visit their website to see all of the beautiful custom things they create!)

And now, for your chance to win today’s great giveaway from Stitch This, please tell us in the comments below: What is it about Disney that makes YOU want to visit?

Good luck……and from the bottom of my heart…….THANK YOU!

Win A $150 Disney Gift Card Just In Time For The Holidays!

Nancy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:57:45 +0000

Make Your Holidays Brighter With A FREE Disney Gift Card!

From December 1st through December 10th enter to win a $150 Disney Gift card to spend as you like — online at the Disney Store or in person a the Disney Parks or onboard a Disney Cruise! Entering is easy and free! (Please note that this contest is only open to United States residents.)

Click Here For Your Chance to Enter

Giveaway Rules

The Mandatory Entries must be completed. Other methods of following are there for extra entries, but are optional.
Each entry must be entered exactly as it is stated.
Make sure to leave a VALID email address in the email field so I can contact you if you win.
If you already follow/like someone via Twitter or Facebook the entries still count.
No cheating–I make sure the winner’s entries are done correctly. If they’re not, then a new winner is selected.