Gaston is my boyfriend!

7/14/2016

Recently, while at a family dinner, Paper Bear asked our four-year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth, if she had a boyfriend. Her eyes shined, cheeks turned pink, and cute dimples popped out as she tilted her head and replied, “uh huh,” with a little giggle.
 
“What is his name?” Papa Bear questioned.
 
“Gaston”, she replied. I glanced at her mom who then informed us that ever since we got back from our Disney trip, Elizabeth had been telling everyone that Gaston was her boyfriend.

Five months prior to this confession of love, Elizabeth was celebrating her fourth birthday at the Magic Kingdom during our family adventure. She and Tante Leah were at the fountain outside of Gaston’s Tavern, looking at the larger-than-life statue of the self-absorbed Gaston when Elizabeth informed Tante Leah that Gaston was her boyfriend.  Well, Leah had been watching Gaston in front of the tavern and was quite smitten herself, so the conversation could be heard, “Gaston is my boyfriend,” stated Leah.  “No, he’s my boyfriend,” argued Elizabeth. They went back and forth for some time until young Elizabeth finally found the solution; “Gaston is my boyfriend, the beast is YOUR boyfriend.”  

The infamous Gaston can usually be found allowing guests to be in his presence outside of his tavern. He is quite impressed with himself and it is worth the wait in line to experience his hilarious interaction with the crowd. He must have something going for him because he totally charmed our two girls!

Inclusive in the magic of Disney is the enchantment of the characters. Each member of my family had individual preferences which made for some entertaining and unforgettable moments during our trip. These are the top love interests from our Disney family crew:

Smalls and Pocahontas 

We were waiting to see Pocahontas in a wooded area in the calm and peaceful environment of Animal Kingdom, and our little guy, two-year-old Smalls, was almost asleep. Suddenly, he spotted Pocahontas from the back of the line and throwing all sleep and caution to the wind, he broke free and
ran towards her. Pocahontas lovingly pulled him into her arms and then passed him back to me in the line. When it was our turn, Smalls would simply not let go of her and his heart was full of love for his Pocahontas. 

It took some effort to keep his hands off of her.. necklace.

Agnes and Tarzan

 Sweet little Agnes was almost one and I was cautioned by many not to take her because she wouldn’t get anything out of our adventure. I strongly disagree; Agnes LOVED Disney World and she found her first sweetheart in Tarzan! Perhaps it was his guttural tones, short syllables, or hand talk that Agnes understood but at that special moment, he was truly Tarzan and Agnes was truly Jane.

There were tons of mommies in the Tarzan line… I do not know why.

Kevin and Anastasia 

We were privileged to be guests at a royal ceremony celebrating the wedding of Cinderella to Prince Phillip while eating dinner as a family at 1900 Park Fare. The wicked stepmother, Madame Tremaine, and her two awkward daughters, Anastasia and Drizella, were also invited to this special occasion. The selfish and spoiled sisters were obviously there to find a husband and Anastasia immediately began flirting with our own handsome Kevin from Arkansas, to the shock of his wife and kids. Anastasia was not shy about her love interest and she nearly had him but alas, his wife and children took precedence.

Papa Bear and Madame Tremaine 

While Anastasia and Drizella were busy fighting over Kevin from Arkansas, their socially obsessed mother was interviewing for her next husband and was set on our Papa Bear. Her eyes lit up when he introduced our family until he came to me, his wife. The wicked stepmother looked down her nose
at me and said “OHHHH.” Another close call for a Disney wedding although I won!

 
Our children and the princesses 

Her royal highness, Elizabeth, was over the top with excitement on the morning of her appointment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique inside Cinderella’s Castle. The park was not yet open and except for cast members, Main Street was empty; as we made our long journey towards the castle, Elizabeth stopped and bowed to every single cast member. 

Following a dazzling makeup, hair, and nail makeover by the Fairy Godmother In training, Elizabeth donned her gown and was ready to be presented to the princesses.    When Cinderella saw her, she gasped, put her hand over her mouth, knelt down beside
Elizabeth, and genuinely talked with her. There was no rush, and the Disney photo
cast member also knelt and captured all the special expressions and moments. Cinderella was AMAZING!
     
During the rest of the week, whenever Elizabeth met Cinderella in different locations
around the park, she would beam and say “I saw you yesterday or this morning…” The
best replay on Cinderella’s part was “Yes, I remember you and that beautiful dress.”
 
Elizabeth’s face lit up as she shook her head and confirmed, “Yes, it is a beautiful dress.”
Even our eight- year -old and thirteen- year -old boys grinned, loved the
princesses, and would point them out from a distance.  Without a doubt, our whole
Disney crew was enamored.

Cinderella didn’t have enough lap for all our littles at one time.

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” — Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)

If you are a fellow Disney lover and/ or planning to travel to Orlando soon, please like our Going Out The Door Disney Facebook page.  Thank you!

Angie Harris

Professional social influencer attacking adventures, searching for amazing food and finding new friends.  Home in Branson, MO or exploring Disney, I am searching for deals, finding new experiences and sharing stories along the way.

10/6/2016

Experiencing a Disney vacation with our five adult children and their families is a hoot! The pictures, dinners, rides, jokes, and puke stories create lasting and bonding memories. How do you plan to take fifteen people to the ‘happiest place on earth’? The key to planning a Disney family vacation is communication. 

Ten Steps for Planning a Disney Family Vacation

 1. Family Meeting

Share the idea of a Disney vacation to check if everyone is on board.  Even if you are funding the vacation, your family will need to budget spending money and plan vacation time. Be flexible and remember that your married children have families of their own and may want to reserve some vacation days for other plans. 

2. Accommodations

The best decision we ever made was to stay on the park. The benefits of staying at a Disney resort for me and my family are:*Conveniently returning to the room for nap times.
*Package delivery
*Parking
*Access to early morning park hours
*Avoiding rental cars
*Free ‘dining plan’ datesThe cost of the fun themed resorts is very affordable. For example, I stayed at a value resort in   August of 2016 for only $89.00 per night. One of the biggest perks for me is the convenience of checking my luggage at the departing airport and never touching it again until delivered to my room at the Disney resort. We do not lose a whole travel day.  We can leave Missouri in the morning and enjoy lunch in the Magic Kingdom the same day! 

3. Choosing Dates

The best deal is the free ‘Standard Disney Dining Plan’ which is offered several weeks during the year with specific dates and rooms with Disney packages. My crew especially loves the daily character dining which is included. The plan includes one table service meal, one quick service meal, one snack, and one refillable resort mug. By taking advantage of the free dining plan, our family saves approximately $80.00-$100.00 a day per person. Watch for the advertised dates, check with your family, and plan accordingly.  Once you have these dates then you send out the email to your crew and see what works best for them. 

4. Pricing the Package

Place a sample reservation online to get an idea of the cost. Reserve the room housing the most people in your party and review each resort. Make sure to verify dates with everyone before actually booking a resort or flights.  This will help you get an overall view of the financial commitment. 

5. Gather Information

The name, email, address, birthday, and phone number of each person is required when booking packages and flights. Be sure to have this information on hand before making any reservations. 
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6.  Flights

Before booking the resort, double check the days and times of flights into Orlando (MCO), as the Disney Magical Express shuttles from this airport at no cost. Due to the price difference, we sometimes fly Allegiant into Sanford Airport. Despite the shuttle cost, the savings are well worth the effort. The drawback is that Allegiant only flies on certain days. Book flights before making resort reservations. 

7. Make the call

Following flight reservations, it is time to call Disney! The hold time is usually about 45 minutes when booking a Disney package. Be patient, know exactly who will be in each room, and have the required information. Once connected, the reservation process takes approximately one hour per room. For instance, I booked four rooms at a time which can take up to four hours. Changes take at least twenty minutes per room. The groups’ department can be employed if booking 10+ guest rooms, which simplifies the process. Making reservations is obviously not the most exciting part of a Disney vacation but worth every minute! Again, be sure to have all the necessary information to avoid the necessity of changes and repeated calls. The deposit is $200.00 per room. 

8. My Disney Experience

An itinerary number will be received by email for every room booked. I record all numbers, calls, changes, and payments in a book for safekeeping. An itinerary number also allows each person in your group to create a ‘My Disney Experience’ account which is important for dining reservations and FastPass+ service.

9. Dining reservations

Meal reservations can be made 180 days prior to check-in time. Set a reminder to call as early as possible because many restaurants fill quickly, especially for large groups. If there is no availability for your entire group, try separating into smaller groups of eight or less. Oftentimes, the restaurants can accommodate two reservations with smaller numbers. Visit www.goingoutthedoor.comfor restaurant reviews and tips to help with your dining decisions. 

10. FastPass + 

Time to reserve your favorite rides! FastPass+ passes can be reserved 60 days prior to arrival when staying at a Disney World Resort and 30 days prior to arrival when staying off the park. You can create a beautiful Disney vacation with a little time, patience, and a sprinkling of pixie dust! Check out ‘How Can You Save Money on a Disney Vacation?’ for more money-saving clues. If you are a Disney loving friend and are kind and willing to share money saving tips, please join us in our closed facebook group Going Out The Door Disney.“Even miracles take a little time.” Fairy Godmother, Cinderella.

Angie Harris

Professional social influencer attacking adventures, searching for amazing food and finding new friends.  Home in Branson, MO or exploring Disney, I am searching for deals, finding new experiences and sharing stories along the way.