Hello, MousePros friends, family, and fans! My name is Amy, and I am a new contributor to the MousePros blog. My job is to bring you news from around Walt Disney World®, Disneyland®, Disney Cruise Line®, and Adventures by Disney®. With the help of MousePros' fabulous agents, I also plan to bring you tips for vacation planning, tricks for maximizing your time in the parks, and ideas to make your trip to the happiest place on earth an easy one.
To get things started, I thought I'd tell you a little about me. I am a mom to two boys, ages 9 and 4, and my husband and I have been married since 2005.
I first visited Walt Disney World® when I was four-years-old. I vividly remember It's a Small World and the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. My grandpa bought the 8-track of "It's a Small World" so I could listen to it whenever we were in his car together. I was hooked on all things Disney® after that trip.
I was lucky enough during my childhood to visit Walt Disney World® numerous times thanks to a dad who traveled and racked up the frequent flyer miles and free hotel stays back in the 80s and 90s. One of my favorite visits included a chance to watch a live taping of The Mickey Mouse Club at Disney's Hollywood Studios® when it was still Disney's MGM Studios.
I could go on for days about my love for Walt Disney World. We'll get to all of that and more soon enough. For now, I will leave you with a list of my ten favorite things about Walt Disney World.
1. Favorite Park: Epcot®. It's my kids' favorite, too. Expect a post on this soon.
2. Favorite Thrill Ride: Rock-n-Rollercoaster, because Aerosmith. My older son now recognizes Aerosmith songs after going on this ride with me. #winning
3. Favorite Slow Ride: The Seas with Nemo & Friends. As much as I love rocking out with Aerosmith, there is something about the soundtrack from Finding Nemo and watching my younger son light up every time he sees Nemo and Dory.
4. Favorite Costumed Character: Minnie Mouse. She is always super sweet when interacting with my boys.
5. Favorite Princess: Rapunzel. We met her for the first time this past April, and she talked a mile a minute with my younger son. I am so impressed with how quickly she can think on her feet.
6. Favorite Quick Service: Yorkshire County Fish Shop at the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot®. My family stays in the Epcot resort area when we visit, and we choose Park Hopper passes for the sole purpose of being able to visit Epcot every day for fish and chips.
7. Favorite Table Service: Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom®. We had breakfast there in April, and we felt like we were actually in the Beast's castle. My older son loved checking out the West Wing during our meal. I'm hoping the next time we go to Walt Disney World® that my favorite MousePros agent can snag us a dinner reservation here.
8. Favorite Resort: Disney's Boardwalk Resort®. After years of enjoying time on the boardwalk for food and entertainment, and then actually staying elsewhere, we booked a room there for the first time this past April. We were not disappointed. One of our favorite things to do here is to grab a pizza from Trattoria al Forno's pizza window and eat a low-key dinner on the boardwalk while watching the boats shuttle guests between the resorts.
9. Favorite Mode of Transportation: Boats. Many Walt Disney World® resorts offer boats as a way to travel between resorts and from your resort to the parks. Our experience is that this is often a more efficient way to travel, and with multiple Cast Members aboard, it is often also a fun experience with jokes and other fun facts shared by the Cast Members not responsible for driving the boat.
10. Favorite Way to End the Night: Fireworks! My younger son would not agree with me on this one, but I love watching Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular at Disney's Hollywood Studios®. My husband and I still love Illuminations at Epcot, and I can't wait to see Happily Ever After at the Magic Kingdom® in person. I've watched it online, and it is stunning even in miniature size.
I am looking forward to sharing more news from Walt Disney World® and MousePros with you over the coming weeks! Hit the comments if there's anything you'd like me to cover in a future blog post. Or, if you're ready, contact an agent for a free quote on your next Walt Disney World vacation!