This past weekend I attended the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA to see what all of the hullabaloo was regarding the event. Turns out, said hullabaloo is well-founded.

D23 is the official fan club of all things Disney, and while the event offered a number of perks and benefits to its members, expo tickets were available to the general public (now at Disney prices!).  All were welcome to enter.

The expo featured panels, sessions and meet and greet opportunities with Disney brass, legends and stars. For instance, in a two hour period I was a few feet away from John Lasseter, Kermit the Frog (the REAL Kermit the Frog), Miss Piggy (the REAL Miss Piggy), Jason Segel, Robert Downey, Jr. (actually, all of the Avengers minus Captain America and the Hulk, yes that means the beefcake from Thor and Scarlett Johansson were also there), Billy Crystal, and the cast and artists behind a number of Disney favorites, be they parks, movies, Marvel, Muppet or Pixar. It was really impressive. Also, churros. Read More »

Do you hear that sound? That’s right, school bells in the distance. And right behind that the last cries of children clinging to their summer vacation. Sorry, kids, everyone has to go back to school sometime (except, apparently, Phineas and Ferb). School days are upon us (you’ve probably noticed the shopping ads).

Granted, some of you have kids that have already started school, but come on, school in early August? That’s just cruel.

What does this mean to you, the family traveler? It means that summer vacation is winding down, and with it the extended family vacation that we’ve always heard about (see, Clark Griswold). Now family vacations will be dictated by weekends, holidays and threat of school reprimand (we’re guilty of that last one). Choose your adventures carefully!

School days also mean that kids will be in a crosswalk near you — drive safe!

This post is part of our UpTake Friday Family Series.

Photo: mrsdkrebs via Flickr

The recent post on surviving Disneyland triggered an onslaught of emails and tweets (where an onslaught equals three) wanting to know more about Disney’s Fastpass system. Here you go!

The Fastpass (not to be confused with Disney’s PhotoPass) works like this: Certain rides/shows at the Disney parks (list below) offer a Fastpass option that allots a window of time for guests to return to said attraction and bypass the longer stand-by line.

If an attraction offers Fastpass there will be an area somewhere in the vicinity of the entrance or exit (some are harder to find than others) where guests can insert their admission ticket FOR THAT DAY into a machine (each person in a party needs their own pass) and it will return the admission ticket with an additional ticket that is the Fastpass.

Depending on the ride, time of day and crowd levels, the return time (an hour window issued in five minute increments) may be close to the issue time or hours later. With the exception of the World of Color show in Disney’s California Adventure, guests will not be able to get another Fastpass in the Disneyland Resort for at least two hours. Walt Disney World parks will have different rules and exceptions.

Return to the attraction during the time printed on the Fastpass and enter the Fastpass line. A Disney Cast Member (CM) will grant guests access to the line after confirming that their time is correct. (Please note, hold onto the Fastpass as they will be collected by another CM later in the queue). Fastpass holders seldom walk right onto the ride, but the wait time will be considerably less than that of guests in the stand-by line.

Here are the Disneyland Resort rides that offer Fastpass: Read More »

A stretch of Rosemary Beach

Spending days lolling around the Gulf of Mexico, unfettered by crowds, traffic  or pollution is just a portion of the appeal of the Rosemary Beach Community. This quaint, pristine enclave offers an eco lifestyle as well as old school relaxation, I was instantly charmed by the clean architecture and easygoing ambiance. Tucked into northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, and named for the wild rosemary growing everywhere, Rosemary Beach is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Read More »