Flat Daisy Adventures: Disney World

In the Girl Scout Council I work at, we have what we call Flat Daisies. They are essentially paper dolls who go on adventures with a troop. They then have a sister troop who they exchange stories and pictures with. It is a way for troops across the council to get to know each other and a way for girls to document some of the fun things they have done with their Girl Scout troop. This program is kind of new, and so we are building it up by having our own Flat Daisies who travel with us on our "adult" adventures.

My Flat Daisy ("Flat Daisy Jaye") went to Disney World with Flat Daisy Keli and Flat Daisy Robin. Here are a couple of pictures so you all can see what she has done...

They all waited patiently in lines... for the bus, for the rides, for the shows, and enjoyed all they did! Here they are waiting for the bus to pick them up to go back to the hotel they stayed at (Pop Century).

They also met wonderful cast members at Disney World- including a girl from China and this girl who works at Splash Mountain. Everyone enjoyed meeting the Flat Daisies!

They enjoyed all the rides they went on, including "It's a Small World" (on left) and Mount Everest (on the right).

Don't be surprised if I send you my Flat Daisy and have you show her around your hometown. She needs lots of adventures to go on. More adventures to come!

Disney World: Favorites (Part 4)

Click on the link for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

So, as I promised in Part 3, I'll finish up my favorites for the last two parks of Disney World. Can you tell how much I love this place? Well, if nothing else... I just liked being on vacation and want to go back! :-)

Hollywood Studios (used to be called MGM Studios):
You all could probably guess this... but my favorite here is the "Tower of Terror." I mean... it is awesome! They recently updated it so that you never drop the same from one ride to the next... you really don't know when you will drop, if it will be a little drop or a big drop, etc. HOW MUCH FUN! One night, Laura, Rachel and I were all able to ride it three times in a row with little to no wait. Talk about fun... and an adrenaline rush! I love "Tower of Terror."

I also really enjoy Hollywood Studios because of all of the shows. I love musicals, both on stage and in the movies. So for me, it is just fun to watch. We went to see "Beauty and the Beast" on stage, the "Little Mermaid Show", etc. All fun!

Me waiting in life for "The Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster" with the "Tower of Terror" in the background. Two of my favorite thrill rides!

Animal Kingdom:
Also wins a "Most Improved" award! The last time I went to Animal Kingdom, there wasn't much to see or do. They had the "Bugs Life 4-D Show", "The Dinosaur Ride," and the "Safari Ride." Other than that, there wasn't much. So imagine my surprise when I saw how much there was this time around.

I really enjoyed their new roller coaster "Expedition Everest." I would say it is a glorified "Big Thunder Mountain." Had some moments of scariness, but overall tame compared to some of the bigger roller coasters I have been on. However, I still really enjoyed it! Spoiler Alert: You go backwards on parts of it! :-)

I also got to see "the Lion King" show- talk about fun!!! I loved it... but then again, when have I not at least liked a musical?

Picture of the left: the roller coaster, "Expedition Everest" from the beginning of the line. Picture on the Right: the "Tree of Life" which also houses the "Bug's Life 4-D" show.

Overall, I don't think I could choose a favorite park. I love all of them for different reasons. I could tell you favorite ride and favorite show from each... would that be enough?
And in case you can't tell from reading my blog- I don't do favorites well. I can almost always find reasons to like something. ;-).

More stories to come from Disney. Tired of hearing about it yet?

Disney World: Favorites (Part 3)

I have my favorites at Disney- favorite shows, favorite shows, etc. Thought I would share a couple with everyone!

Magic Kingdom:
The classic park. What everyone thinks of when they hear "Disney World." My favorite ride at Disney World is actually one of their animated 4-D shows. It is "Mickey's Philharmagic." LOVE it- Donald takes Mickey's conductor stick and tries to conduct the show- we are then taken on an adventure where we visit Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, the Lion King, Fantasia, Aladdin and event Peter Pan- AWESOME. (and yes, I sing along the whole time).

And of course- I love the old favorite of "Splash Mountain." Probably one of my favorite rides. Because the lines were so short I was able to ride it back-to-back three times. Jealous, aren't you?

Rachel and I before "Mickey's Philharmagic." Disclaimer: we were tired and bored of waiting.

One of the scenes on "Splash Mountain." This was the third time around when we started taking all the photos...

EPCOT:
The second park to open in Disney World history-- growing up, my least favorite park. But I was pleasantly surprised with the improvements they have made to this part in recent years. I LOVED Soarin'; maybe my favorite at Disney. I also rode Mission:Space. a good ride, but a little intense (do NOT eat before you go on it).

But my favorite thing about Epcot? The food- the World Showcase has so many countries, with so many food offerings. I could eat the whole time. :-) We ate in Mexico- and I was very satisfied.

I don't have any photos of Soarin'-- but I did have one of the Spaceship Earth ball (what is this thing called?). PS- the refurbished the ride inside it... very cool.

Ok... I'll continue tomorrow with Hollywood Studios (MGM) and Animal Kingdom. Sorry for all the Disney Updates- but I love the place. I just have to share all my stories!

Disney World: The Hotel (Part II)

Sorry for the lack of updates. My computer at home has started acting up again (thankfully my friend Nick is going to work on it); and then the day after I uploaded my Part I of Disney updates my work computer crashed... ACK! Luckily they gave me a substitute and our IT guy knew it wasn't my fault. It was having issues from day one and so he wasn't surprised at all. Anyway, all the photos were on the crashed work computer... and still on my camera. I just had to go and get them put onto a CD. DONE!

Back to the story of my trip to Disney World...

We stayed at the Pop Century Resort Hotel. It is one of their Value Resorts, and quite the trip through time. They design each of their buildings based on one decade. We stayed in the 70's- the stairs up to the floors were giant 8 tracks. Our room decor- definitely out of the 1970s. But also very fun. Here are some pictures from around the hotel, with varying degrees of the different decades:

Like our 70s decorum- the interactive Twister game board... the giant 8 track... the Boogie Nights dancing pair... and look closely- see the mood ring?

This greeted us every time we went to the lobby/gift shop/cafeteria. The cafeteria was the best- you could choose from any type of food you want, and it was decently priced. It was nice to have it.

In the 80s you had giant Mr and Mrs Potato Heads- I forced Rachel to take a picture with me. And then in the 90s, they had a pool shaped like a laptop. They also had a HUGE keyboard on the ground. Not pictured: the bowling pin shaped pool (from the 50s) and the Hippy Dip Pool (from the 60s); there was also a giant Foosball table in the courtyard of our building... and much more. Disney doesn't leave anything out of a theme, not in a line, not at your hotel. It was a great place to stay. If you stay on grounds, go with their value resorts- and Pop Century was awesome!

Disney: The Weather (Part I)

I loved my time in Disney with Rachel and Laura. I am so excited that we decided to go. The trip was quite fun... and as to be expected not restful at all. ;-).

The weather while we were down there was absolutely amazing. The first two days were sunny and about 80 degree's outside. Talk about wonderful.

Note the shorts and polo- niiiice. :-) The sun was also wonderful. I would love to have that weather back again. Spring is almost here- that is what I keep telling myself.

Sunday rained in the morning; however the sun came out in the afternoon. Too bad the temperature dropped. During the days it was 60 or so, but it did get cold in the evening.

Do you see the difference in outfits? The picture on the left was the rainy morning... the picture on the right was out last morning. I had to break out my fleece- so glad I brought it! Just imagine how hard it was to pack; we had to pack for everything from upper 30s to mid 80s. My suitcase was stuffed!

Just a preview...

Note: a story for these photos and more to come! :-)

M.I.A

Ok, so I have been MIA for the last, oh, at least two weeks- or more. My bad!

What has been going in my life? Well, it has been busy but with nothing new. Work is just crazy- and it is only going to be worse in March. Good thing I still like my job... most days. No, I really do like my job, it is just crazy busy. And God has been sending me small presents and encouragements recently just showing me that I am really meant for this job, at least for the next little bit.

I have begun to teach the 4 and 5 year olds on Sundays at my church. I am really enjoying it. That is taking up a little time to lesson plan.

My home computer is acting up again. Thank goodness for my friend at church; he is going to take a look at it. Here is to hoping he can fix it again. Otherwise, my budget goals may have to be adjusted. YIKES!

OH- and I leave for Disney World on Friday. I may be a small bit excited for that!!!! And in case you were wondering, it is supposed to be in the 80s while we are down there. Oh man- I really am excited. :-)

Birnbaum's Guide to Walt Disney World!

As I have mentioned, I am going to Disney World! Because we have some fun things between now and February 27, I won't start my official countdown until after Christmas. However, it doesn't mean I am not super excited and can't do a little prep reading.

Now, I know what you are thinking... Jaye P, you have been to Disney a million times before. Why do you need to do some prep reading?

Well, because this is my first time when I, by myself, am planning the trip. Before I have either just gone along with the 'rents or only been for a day trip to the Magic Kingdom.

And, well... because Disney is ever changing. I just wanted to make sure that I knew what was going one. For instance... did you know they are "refurbishing" Pleasure Island? No more club hopping at Disney... and now I don't have to worry about trying to do that. See... doing your research pays off.

Anyway, I really liked this book. The "Valuable" Coupons might be a little bit misleading... but other than that this book is well work the $12 I paid for it on Amazon.com. Seriously... full of "insider" tips despite being an "official" guide. I feel better prepared to hit each park, knowing which rides fill up fast, which ones have the fast pass option (the greatest amusement park invention ever), and when the shows are. We are on a tight schedule in Feb, and I want to make sure we get the most out of the trip.

The downside to this book? It made me that much more excited to go... at least the time between now and Feb 27 will fly by!

Disney World!

Guess who is going to Disney World? That would be me!!!

Laura, my roomie, Rachel, one of my closest friends, and I booked out hotel last night. We will be staying at the Pop Century All Star Resort. I am pumped, to say the least.

We are looking for a fourth person to go, but I don't know if that will happen. No matter what... Feb 27th-March3, I'll be in Disney World. EEE!!!! I am sooooo excited. So, today, I thought I would share some memories about Disney and all the greatness it has to offer.

Well, the first memory is one I have been told about. I don't know if I actually remember it. But, anyway, my mom and dad took Ross and I many times to Disney World. Evidently the first time I ever went, when asked what my favorite ride was, I answered, "The bus!". If they had know that, my parents could have saved a LOT of money.

There is also the story floating around in Kremers legend of my younger brother, Ross, throwing a HUGE fit in the middle of the Polynesian Resort. According to this legend, we also have this on video tape somewhere. I'll have to see if I can't dig it up.

I also remember staying at Grand Floridian. It was the period in my life where I didn't have to take naps, but Ross did. I have this memory of my mom telling me to "pretend to sleep until Ross goes to sleep. Then you and your dad can go ride rides just the two of you." And, I also remember staying up really late to watch the fireworks with Dad.

In High School, my parents took us two different times. In ninth grade, I took my friend Amy with me. Do you know what I remember most from that trip? Amy having to call her boyfriend at-the-time every waking moment of the day. Oh geez... I am still rolling my eyes.

Then in 11th grade, I took my friend Heather. Talk about a much more fun time. :-)!! But, if you asked us both about this trip we would remind you of how COLD it was. We each only brought one pair of pants and one sweatshirt. It is all you have pictures of us in because we were that cold.... the whole time!

I also have gone to Magic Kingdom twice since then; once with some girls for a Bachelorette weekend and once with some girls from Duke. But this will be my first staying on the grounds in about 8 years. And, I am about to jump out of my skin with excitement!!!

I am trying to decide what my favorite ride is. And, I don't know if I could tell you. Of course the Tower of Terror at MGM is great... and so is the Rock 'n Roll Roller coaster (you listen to Aerosmith the whole time). The are the classics at Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, The Haunted House, etc. Animal Kingdom is cool just because of what it is. Epcot has never been my favorite, but I have heard they are working to make it much better. Oh man... I can't wait!

Do you all have any fond memories of Disney World? Anyone else, like my roommate, who has never been?

Florida!!!

I got back last night from Florida. Peeps, it was awesome. Just thought I would say that. I had such a great time!

Friday, the drive down was really easy We even stopped at South of the Border... fun times being goof balls. Then we hit Orlando. We sat in traffic for about two hours. Oh well... Teal did an awesome job driving the whole time. What a studette.

We got to the hotel around 7:30 in the evening. Just enough time to get settled and then get ready for a night out with Jenn and the bridal party. But, just a quick note about the hotel. We stayed at the Floridays Resort and it was AWESOME!!! I mean... great. There were two bedrooms (a master and a smaller room), two bathrooms, a FULL kitchen. It was like a mini fully furnished apartment. Whoa is all I have to say.



Then was the Bachelorette Party at City Walk (Universal's party/shopping area). We went to Margaritaville and then a Dueling Pianos Bar. Fun times... drunk boys aren't too fun. But, we can deal. You just have to be extremely straight with them. They don't pick up on subtle hints. Oh, and there was the issue of some old man thinking it was cool to touch Kristen's butt. Me=rolling my eyes.



On Saturday, we went to the pool. I layed out all afternoon... great times. There was this DJ though... and he thought it was fun to soak the people sitting at the pool's edge but not going in. And that would be me because Florida in the summer is HOT. I basically just sat at the pool's edge the whole time... but it was great and relaxing. What a nice time.

In the evening, we hit up House of Blues with Cherie and Ron for dinner... followed by the evening at Pleasure Island. Great times! We went to a hilarious comedy improv show and danced a bit at Motion.



Sunday was another fairly relaxing day. We went shopping at the Outlets next to our hotel. Then we got ready for Jenn and Jeff's wedding. We were a bit late because MapQuest failed us here... but that is ok. We got to see most of the ceremony... and the reception was great. The wedding was just beautiful and I loved it!!! Jenn looked stunning, of course... and they were surrounded by love... just great times.

Monday was out day at Magic Kingdom. I love Disney World. I really want to go again, and stay on the grounds. It would be so nice. I just love how the place makes you feel. Like a little kid... you never stop smiling... ever... It was a hot day of course... but the lines weren't too bad. So, it was great.

Of course, now I am back. The drive home yesterday was more subdued. We were tired... and not looking forward to being back at work. Alas, the real world has to arrive at some point... and here it is. Well, I will blog more tomorrow. For now, I am here and trying to concentrate at work.



PS, if you want to see my pictures... check out my picasa page (the web address is on my Facebook profile).