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Decorating the New York City Disney Store for Christmas

Disney Store NYC www.mouseearsmom.com

Thanksgiving Day is over. Time to pull out those sparkly decorations!

I LOVE decorating for the holiday season! My two little Mouseketeers are so excited to open storage containers and unwrap treasures Mommy has collected over decades. Christmas lights accent the memories hanging on our Christmas trees (all four of them.) And Daddy braves the weather, climbs the ladder and gathers as much patience has he can while our little ones “help.”

While we just started decorating at our home, Disney Store in New York City’s Times Square was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season last week when I visited the city.  Some of you may not be able to travel to NYC this holiday season so I just have to share the Christmas transformation with you!  It’s beautiful and of course a bit “Frozen!”

NYC Disney Store www.mouseearsmom.com

On the first level of the store, a magical Mickey Mouse wreath added some festive charm to the traditional Mickey and Minnie balloons that are a staple in Disney’s NYC store.

NYC Disney Store Christmas

Nope. This castle is not located in a Disney park.  It’s found on the second level of the Disney Store in Times Square!

It’s possible that Elsa had a hand in the icy transformation of the castle, because I found “Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post And Sauna” nearby.

Frozen NYC www.mouseearsmom.com

Sven was hanging out there! Can you imagine trying to take him home?

Sven in NYC www.mouseearsmom.com

Inside of Oaken’s children participated in a free coloring project of Mickey and Minnie Mouse masks. The kids were having a blast. I checked out the décor instead!

Oakens NYC www.mouseearsmom.com

“Yoo-Hoo!” Big Christmas Decorating Time! (sorry couldn’t help it)

Seriously, look at the size of the ornaments hanging from the ceiling!

NYC Disney Store www.mouseearsmom.com

All joking aside, the Times Square Disney Store location is bubbling over with festive holiday décor that is truly a treat for the eyes.  If you have the opportunity to visit New York City this Christmas season, add Disney Store on your “Must Do” list.  If you’ll be too busy preparing for the holiday, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the store!

Happy Decorating Everyone! Will you be adding a Disney touch to your castle’s holiday décor?

Our Family’s Experience at Disneyland Hotel

Entrance to Disneyland Hotel from Downtown Disney

A few weeks ago my family and I vacationed at Disneyland Resort. The trip began with a five night stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, {you can read about it here}, followed by a magical two night stay at Disneyland Hotel. Our stay at Disneyland Hotel was a magical extension to our time spent inside Disneyland Park. From the moment we caught a glimpse of Yensid’s hat, we knew magic was ahead!

Disneyland Resort has three hotels, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and Disneyland Hotel. Disneyland Hotel, which opened in 1955, is considered Disneyland’s original hotel. Walking through the lobby, and throughout the hotel, I quickly saw the hotel as a tribute to Walt Disney and the park’s history. In fact, all three towers of the hotel are named after three of the original five “lands”, Adventure Tower, Frontier Tower and Fantasy Tower.

The Fantasy Tower is home to the Front Desk and Guest Services. Guests can find Bell & Valet Services outside of the tower.  The whimsical main lobby showcases these fantastic teacup attraction-inspired chairs.  They look so much fun that I had wished my husband checked us “in”, so that I could have tested them out!

Lobby of Disneyland Hotel

Just around the corner from the lobby are the hotel’s two stores, Disney’s Fantasia Shop and “small world” Gifts & Sundries.  Disney’s Fantasia Shop sells a variety of Disney souvenirs and “small world” Gifts & Sundries is where you’ll find snacks, drinks and minor health & beauty supplies.  Since our room was located within Fantasy Tower, my family ventured into these happy little stores quite a few times during our short stay.

Would you like to take a look inside our room?

Vanity in Disneyland Hotel rooms  Mouse Ears Mom.com

Upon entering our room and looking to the right, we found a delightful little vanity area waiting to lend a helping Mickey hand!

vanity at Disneyland Hotel Mouse Ears Mom.com

As a mommy to an independent three-year-old, I appreciated the height of the sink.  Victoria was able to reach this sink, unlike the sink at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. As an added bonus, the sink and bathtub featured Mickey Mouse faucet handles!

Mickey Mouse handles at Disneyland Hotel Mouse Ears Mom.com

 Just beyond the vanity and storage closet was a small desk featuring a Mickey Mouse-accented lamp.

Disneyland Hotel with Mouse Ears Mom.com

The kids quickly pointed out that the magic of Mickey Mouse was everywhere in the room…even in the carpeting!

carpeting at Disneyland Hotel with Mouse Ears Mom.com

My family is a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) family. DVC rooms are known not only for their beauty, but also their convenience.  The amenities, such as kitchenette, we have become accustom to having on a vacation.  Disneyland Hotel is NOT a DVC property.  Although we missed having access to a microwave or toaster, our Disneyland Hotel room provided us with a miniature refrigerator. It was perfect for our two night stay.

Wondering where in this gorgeous room you’d find our water bottles hidden? The miniature refrigerator is tucked nicely in the right side of the dresser unit pictured in the below photo.

Mouse Ears Mom.com

The window to the right of the yellow arm-chair in the photo above, provides a view that takes up the width of the entire room! Here’s a look at our view.

Disneyland Hotel via Mouse Ears Mom.com

 The kids enjoyed looking out the window for quite some time each day.  Who wouldn’t, right?

From our room in Fantasy Tower, we were able to see the Adventure Tower, located on the left side of our view and the Frontier Tower located to the right.  The pools pictured in the above photo are called the E Ticket and D Ticket pools.  On the middle right side of the picture you can catch a glimpse of the super-cool Monorail Pool’s slide.

One of the reasons my children enjoyed peering out of the window was to watch Daddy or me run for morning coffee, tea, pastries and fruit! Looking at the photo above, below and to the right of the unique shaped roof are three dining options, Steakhouse 55 & Lounge (Table Service), Goofy’s Kitchen (Character Dining buffet) and The Coffee House. The Coffee House offers quick breakfast items, in addition to espresso, lattes and specialty coffees. This place was hopping each morning!  It opens early. When we visited they were open at 6 a.m. and closed at 11 a.m. If your family would like to eat a larger breakfast, Tangaroa Terrace offers a full breakfast menu.  In the above photo, you can see Tangaroa Terrace at the foot of Adventure Tower.  It has a roof that reminds me of Disney’s Polynesian Resort! This quick service dining option serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We chose The Coffee House each morning.  The Cast Members provided quick service and we were back at our room with food and drinks in a jiffy!

Who wouldn’t want to spend few more minutes in their room with beds like this?

Disneyland Hotel with Mouse Ears Mom.com

The light-up Sleeping Beauty Castle headboard is amazing! With a flip of the switch on the base of the light, music begins and a firework display becomes your nightlight!

Light-up Sleeping Beauty Castle Headboard at Disneyland Hotel www.mouseearsmom.com

The room’s decor hints back to the 1950’s with sharp, sleek lines and buttoned furniture, all saturated in hues of yellow and blue – colors popular to that era. From the sentimental photograph of Walt Disney on the wall, to the magical reminders of Mickey Mouse and Disneyland Park, I absolutely adored the room’s theming.

Disneyland Hotel captures the essence of Disney PERFECTLY.  It’s is my family’s favorite hotel of all three Disneyland Hotels. We loved staying in this magical room!

Have you stayed at a Disneyland Resort Hotel?  Which was your favorite experience?

 

Preparing for a Disney Vacation with Disney Baby Products

disney baby

In my family, Disney is introduced at birth!

From Disney character nursery room décor, to adorable Disney themed outfits,toys and books, my children started their lives surrounded by Disney magic!  My babies are now seven-years-old and three-years-old and it’s my goal to keep sprinkling a daily dose of Disney in their lives.  Disney Baby products, available at Walmart, have helped me do this. They easily take everyday moments in our life, such as snack time, and add a touch of magic that can only be expected from Disney.  My daughter, Victoria is three-years-old and I still pack Minnie Mouse and Doc McStuffins insulated sippy cups to take on errand runs!  (She loves the characters and I appreciate going through the store knowing she won’t drip milk on their floor!)  Needless to say, our family loves Disney Baby products.

Talking about Disney moments, I’m preparing for my family’s upcoming trip to Disneyland! YAY! The other day I was writing one of my many packing lists, when I received an email asking me to write a post about some pretty awesome new Disney Baby products.  A few of the items jumped right out at me because I wanted them for this upcoming trip!  I had no idea that Disney character booster seats existed, so of course I wanted to share them with you.

I love that these booster seats celebrate Disney Pixar’s film, “Cars”, perfect for my son and my daughter’s favorite mouse, Minnie.  As an added bonus, each booster seat has a built in cup holder and a super convenient pull-out storage drawer!

Disney Store n Go Backless Booster Formula Racer Disney Store n Go Backless Booster Minnie Mouse Silhouette Pink

Here’s my legal disclosure:  This post was sponsored by Disney Baby and I was compensated to write it. Regardless, I’m sharing my opinions and experiences with Disney Baby products with the hope that you find the information useful in adding a touch of Disney into your daily life.

Prepare and Pack for Transportation!

Transportation planning for a trip to Disneyland is incredibly important if you have children!

Disneyland does not offer Magical Express service from any airports.  If you’re flying to California and choose to rent a car, keep in mind that in the state of California all children under the age of 8 years old must be secured in a safety seat to ride in a vehicle.  Don’t forget to add car seats to your packing list!  Good news is that most airlines will allow you to check your children’s car seats or boosters FREE of charge.

Pack your child’s stroller!

Yes, you can rent a stroller at Disneyland or Walt Disney World for $15 per day, but why not use your own for free? During our past ten trips to Walt Disney World with children there was one occasion where we rented a stroller at the park and we’ve decided to stick with our own strollers.  My husband and I found that our children took naps much easier in their stroller from home.  It’s where the kids feel most comfortable to sleep and airlines allow strollers to be checked at the gate for FREE!

Also on my packing wish list is this ADORABLE Mickey Mouse Umbrella Stroller.  Could it be any cuter?  I was surprised to see that it’s only $22.59 at Walmart.com with free in-store pickup!

PROD_UmbrellaStroller_Mickey.jpg

Here’s a Stroller Tip for touring a Disney Park with your own stroller: Attach a stand out luggage tag on the handle or tie a bright-colored ribbon to your stroller.  This will make finding the stroller a bunch easier.  Why all the fuss you might ask?  Disney Cast Members rearrange the strollers while you’re enjoying an attraction.  Sometimes this can make finding your stroller within the sea of strollers challenging.

Although my children have outgrown infant seats, I just had to share this set with you. I love the polka-dots!  For the littlest Mouseketeerette in your family, this is the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Coral Flowers Travel System.

Disney Saunter Sport LC-22 Travel System Coral Flowers Minnie Mouse

 Pack the Pack-n-Play (if you have room!)

Rest assured, if you’re flying and have no intentions on bringing your child’s Pack-n-Play, Disney Resort rooms provide you with one free of charge.

Here’s a Pack-n-Play Tip:  Disney provides you with one cover for the base of the unit.  I recommend bringing extra sheets so you have extra if they get soiled and possibly pack a sleeper sack.  I have found that the air conditioning gets really cool for infants, so my children used sleeper sacks.

However, if you’re driving or your child favors her own Pack-n-Play, add it to your list!  Check out this stylish Minnie Mouse themed Playard. This is the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Coral Flowers Care Center Playard!

Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Coral Flowers Care Center Playard

 Last but certainly not least~ Pack Empty Sippy Cups!

I learned very quickly that a toddler’s carton and/or jug of milk will spill just about instantaneously in the parks without a sippy cup.  Therefore, about five years ago, I started packing the take and toss cups by Disney Baby.  The sippy cups are available in Disney brands Princess, Minnie Mouse and Cars and can be purchased at Walmart!  The image below is of the “Cars” insulated cups I used for years with Gavin.  They’re fabulous for around the house- NO LEAKING!  But for storage purposes, I would recommend the Take and Toss cup styles.

Here’s a Sippy Cup Tip:  Purchase a set of three Take and Toss Disney Baby cups and place them inside a gallon size Ziploc bag (without drinks).  Then put them in your backpack to take to the parks.  Also pack an additional empty gallon size Ziploc bag.  As the day progresses, purchase milk for your child from the quick service food locations and pour the drink into a clean sippy cup.  When he’s done drinking, just rinse the cup in a drink fountain and then put the cup in the Ziploc bag to be washed that evening in the resort. When he’s thirsty again, just use another clean one from the backpack. I found that the Take and Toss cups are great space savers and they have beautiful Disney Princesses on them so my daughter enjoys using them.  I have to admit, the cups are a time saver too!  Without the cups I’m certain my daughter would have many more wardrobe changes!  A princess can’t be seen in milk drenched ensemble, you know.

Disney Baby 2pk Insulated Cups Cars

Whether you’re planning a vacation to a Disney Park or planning a trip to the local park, Disney Baby products are a perfect way to add a dash of Disney magic into your child’s everyday moments!   I won’t overload you with all of the cool Disney Baby products available at Walmart.  Instead I invite you to explore Walmart’s Disney Baby product line on your own.  Visit Disney Baby here!  Have fun shopping!  Now it’s back to packing list writing for me!

 

Disney Inspired Kids Activity: A Fundraiser That’s Full of Pixie Dust

Give the kids the world village

Have you heard about Give Kids the World Village?

The blog has been quiet for the last week and a half.  Why you might ask?  I’ve been planning and prepping for a community yard sale that had a perfect touch of Pixie Dust!   If you’re looking for a way to beat summer boredom with your kids, believe me, this project will keep you and the kids busy for quite a few days!  

This summer, my son Gavin has asked me at least two dozen times to have a yard sale.  He loved the idea of making a few extra dollars that he could use for purchasing souvenirs during our upcoming Disneyland vacation.  Honestly, I have to tell you that I cringed at the idea of having a yard sale and pushed the thought aside for almost the entire summer, until one day he asked if he could have a bake sale to raise money to “help people”.  How could I say no to that?  In that moment, my heart had melted, so I told him we’d have his yard sale to make money for Disneyland, and at the yard sale he could have a bake sale to help people. 

Gavin’s first big task was choosing which organization to support.

He decided on helping sick kids go to Walt Disney World.  Having worked for Walt Disney World, I’m familiar with an organization that provides children that have life-threatening illnesses with a week-long Central Florida vacation at no cost to their families.  This magical organization is called Give Kids the World Village.  Gavin and I did a quick web search to find out what we could do to help the Village and found a “Wish List” for the Village. After reading the list, Gavin decided it was pretty important that sick children have sunblock “or they’re going to feel worse!”  His mission was set!  

Gavin’s Mission:  Raise as much money as possible to purchase lots of sunblock and a few DVDs (because watching a movie always make you feel better)!

After that important decision was made, it was time for Gavin’s baked good requests.  Yes, it was his yard/bake sale, but Mom was brought in to make the goodies!  Of course, with any good Disney-themed event, I went right to work putting a Disney themed spin on his food choices.

Give Kids the World Village Fundraiser Food Menu

Bake Sale Menu

We found some fun Mickey Mouse themed tableware at the dollar store and paired it with a few vintage 1980’s Walt Disney World Resort trays to put together his table set up.

Vintage 1980's Walt Disney World tray

I’m so proud to tell you that once the yard sale started, Gavin was 100% focused on raising money at the bake sale.

Give Kids the World Bake Sale

Gavin’s not too keen on me taking his picture anymore, but he allowed me to snap this one.

At the end of the day, Gavin had sold just about everything!  He raised $69!

This week, we’ll be purchasing a bunch of sunblock and a DVD or two.  Then they will be on their way to Give Kids the World Village!  The time spent preparing for his yard sale and bake sale fundraiser was significant.  It was truly a summer boredom buster for the kids and me, but more importantly, the bake sale had my son choosing to put others first.  It was evident in his sales: $18 dollars yard sale ($15 purchased from Grandma) and $69 bake sale.

Do you know a child who has a life-threatening illness that would love to experience a trip to Walt Disney World?

 Please contact your local wish-granting organization.  They can arrange a Central Florida vacation with the help of Give Kids the World Village.

My Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah Day at the “On-The-Road” Disney Social Media Moms Celebration!

Disney Social Media Moms OTR

Today is the my one year anniversary of blogging!

It’s been a wonderfully fun year of creating Disney-Inspired treats, crafts, planning parties, sharing vacation tips and reviewing Disney products.  I found out very early on that the best thing about blogging is getting to know fellow Disney fans and bloggers!  Thank you to each and every one of you that have stopped by my blog and taken the time to read a post or two.  It’s because of you that last week I was invited to a special event that many bloggers dream of attending.  This pixie dust filled event was called the spectacular On The Road Disney Social Media Moms Celebration!  OK, I added the spectacular, but it truly was over-the-top wonderful!

During one week in June, the On-The-Road Disney Social Media Moms Celebration had moms and a few dads showing their Disney Sides in three cities across the U.S.– Chicago IL, Philadelphia PA, and Phoenix AZ.  I was lucky enough to attend the celebration in Philly.  It was a day full of Disney details, Disney knowledge, outstanding blogging tips, inspirational stories and just as importantly, Disney Blogging Friends.  Today I’m honored to share this day with you through photos and by passing along a bit of information that I took home with me that day.

It was Thursday, June 19th and my alarm went off at 3 am.  I jumped into the shower,  belly full of butterflies doing flips worthy of the US Olympic gymnastic team, and head repeating, “You will NOT be late. (If you know me, then you know that I’m habitually late.  I really do try to be on-time, but it just never seems to happen.)  Successfully, I made it on the road by 4:15 am ready to fight the rain and fog but couldn’t be more excited to travel to my destination!  I carpooled with THE “Disney Pinterest Queen” Linda Stevens Jones.  We had a lovely drive talking Disney and family.  You really should check out Linda’s boards.  She has 47 Disney themed boards with a total of over 9000 of the Greatest Disney pins.  Don’t believe me?  She has over 45,000 followers to back me up on that statement.  Here’s a link that will take you straight to Linda’s pins.

http://www.pinterest.com/greatwdwtips/

Before we knew it, Linda and I had arrived!  We eagerly entered the Crowne Plaza hotel and scouted out the registration table.

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road 007

At registration we were given an official Disney Social Media Moms lanyard and a cool DisneySMMoms bag with all sorts of goodies inside!

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road 002

The event room was decked out in true Disney fashion!

From the balloons…

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road To the presentation stage…

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road

To the table settings… (How stinking cute was our table setting!  Get it?  Character Limit 140 🙂 )

#DisneySMMoms 2014Everything and EVERYONE was rockin’ their Disney Side!

#DisneySMMoms 2014

Yep, my Disney Dork, I mean Disney Side, really came out at this event.

I think everyone was having so much fun getting to know each other that they had to resort to food to get all the moms back to their tables!

Doesn’t a Mickey Mouse Rice Crisp Treat make breakfast even better?

It was just too cute to eat.  I had to take it home for the kids!

Disney Social Media Moms OTR

 

The core part of the event started and things got even better!  I mean, take a look at the first speaker, Gary Buchanon.  Would you expect anything short of entertaining?  Gary’s the Social Media Managing Editor of the Disney Parks Blog and he knows how to show his Disney Side with the best Disney Bounding people.  Not only did he get us up-to-date on the latest craze, Disney Bounding, (if you don’t know what Disney Bounding is then check this out: http://blogs.disney.com/disney-style/fashion/2014/04/09/leslie-kays-top-10-tips-for-disneybounding/ )  Gary and Jennifer Fickley-Baker, also a Social Media Manager for the Disney Parks Blog, shared the newest Disney Park happenings complete with their creative marketing campaigns.  I have to say watching the videos made us all dream we’d walk outside and end up on Main Street USA.

One of my favorite marketing campaigns that they shared was for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  It was great to watch their  “Behind the Scenes” blog series about the making of the now open crowning jewel of Disney’s Fantasyland Expansion Project.  The Seven Dwarf Mine Train is categorized as a Family Coaster and I can’t wait to ride it with my family! If you’re a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fan, get in on the personality fun at http://bethe8thminer.com/

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road

 

After being doused with the perfect amount of pixie dust, Noah Lomax of Hewlett-Packard took the stage next to teach us about the company’s latest and greatest offerings for the crazy busy people in our lives. Stay tuned – I’ll be filling you in on these great products in the near future.

Victoria Lim, multimedia expert with the Disney Parks team, spoke next and I have to say, I learned SO much from her.  I wish she could have spoken for hours.  She shared all kinds of doo-dads (technical term) to get me moving towards an important goal I want to conquer in this second year of blogging – VIDEO tutorials!  I never thought I could be capable of doing it, but with the knowledge I gained from Victoria I’m confident I can!  Thank you Victoria!

Maria Bailey of BSM Media ~ Marketing With Moms! ( http://www.bsmmedia.com/ ) presented an amazing panel of Mom Entrepreneurs that shared their success stories.  These women have guts to take chances.  They all moved full steam ahead until they achieved their dreams.  I think Walt would be proud to know Maria partnered with the Disney company to bring these women to speak with us.   One of the entrepreneurs, Jen Grover, creator of the Butler Bag ( http://www.jengroover.com/ ) said something I won’t soon forget.  It applies in all aspects of our lives and therefore, I’ll share it with you.

We should have more fear of regret than a fear of failure!

Last but not least Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach ( http://www.themojocoach.com/ ) took to the stage AND floor.  That woman has energy!  She motivated us all to take better care of ourselves and urged us to get rid of our limiting beliefs.

Do you have a limiting belief that is holding you back from fulfilling a dream?  “Let It Go!”  I glad that one year ago today I didn’t let my doubts stop me from starting this blog.

Thank you again for following me on my Disney-Inspired journey in life.

Disney Social Media Moms On The Road

A big thank you to On-The-Road Disney Social Media Moms Celebration!

#DisneySMMoms