Disney Archives • Page 3 of 4 • diy mama

by Shelly on June 4, 2015 5 Comments

Disney Park Tips

Being a former cast member and current Disney obsessed fan, I know a lot about Disney. I’m most knowledgeable on Disney World but am a huge fan of the history of Walt and the imagineering of the Disney parks. Sharing my experiences and knowledge comes very easy to me, which is why people often seek me out when planning their Disney vacation. Today, I’m planning our September Disney trip and have realized it will be a very different experience than our past vacations because we’ll have a toddler in tow.

Here are my top five Disney park tips:

Stay on property. This is the biggest question I get asked and there’s no denying that the perks with Extra Magic Hours, Magical Express, park merchandise sent to your room and the convenience of transportation can not be beat. Throw in the awesome pools, night time movies, wide range of food choices and perfect Disney theming and it’s the best decision you’ll make.
Utilize your MagicBands if you have specific attractions you can’t miss. This will be our first time in the parks since MagicBands have been active so I’ve been researching it like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re the type that likes to plan, making reservations for meals (180 days out) and attractions (60 days out) ahead of time will put your mind at ease.
Celebrating something on your vacation? Milk it for all it’s worth. Get a button and wear it proudly! We have been in the parks after just being engaged and on our anniversary and, as always, the cast members are so sweet, but so are the other guests! I loved telling people about our engagement story at Wishes. If only I could wear it around now and get the same perks.
Take a break. This is a tip that I suggest to guests of every age. Bring breakfast bars with you on your way out the door an hour before the park gates open (unless you’re staying at a resort that is close to the park). Hit your favorite ride right away and as the park starts filling, stop for a late breakfast/early lunch. Take a break during the middle of the day when the parks are the hottest. Even if you don’t take a nap at your room, go to a pool to relax or even play a round of put-put. Do something with less stimulation and give your legs a break. Head back to the parks late afternoon and you’ll be able to stay up easily through the Extra Magic Hours.
Talk to the Cast Members. The Cast Members will be your biggest resource of knowledge. They know the best place to stand for the parades and fireworks, best snack vendors, where Mulan might show up and where the hidden Mickey’s are. They also have great pins for pin trading. Asking a cast member to see his pins led us to the behind the scenes tour of Enchanted Tales with Belle before it was open and countless line cuts to rides.

Do you agree on these tips? What did I miss? I may have a whole new set of tips once we experience the parks with a toddler! I have a feeling my new number one tip may be ‘bring Advil’.

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. The same goes for those of you considering the Disney College Program. Disney is my second biggest passion and I wish for everyone to experience the magic as I do.

Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Disney on Pinterest.

by Shelly on March 20, 2015 10 Comments

Disney’s FROZEN Easter Backpack

I was so excited when I got accepted to make a Disney’s FROZEN Easter basket for Sophie! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DisneyEaster #CollectiveBias

I was especially looking forward to Easter this year with Sophie to begin our traditions of Easter egg hunts, big flowery hats and eating Peeps. I knew I wanted to do an Easter basket for her while putting my own spin on things, so all of her goodies will be things she uses all the time (rather than a ton of candy and more stuffed animals).

When I heard I had the chance to do a FROZEN themed basket, there’s no way I was passing that up. Sophie is more than obsessed with FROZEN and especially loves Olaf. We’re taking her on her first trip to Disney World and wanted to make her a #DisneyEaster ~~basket~~ backpack filled with everything she’ll need for her trip.

I had a fun time going to Walmart with her Grandma to pick out goodies for her trip. I wanted to do a mix of FROZEN items and practical Disney Vacation items. I’m most excited for her FROZEN PJs because I want to start the tradition of giving a new pair of Disney PJs when we visit the parks.

The fillable Olaf eggs are also super cute and I know Sophie will get a kick out of them! I didn’t want to go crazy with the sugar because I know she’ll get plenty from her Easter egg hunt. Putting cereal and cheese crackers in the eggs will still be a fun surprise for Sophie once she discovers the Olafs.

Bringing along this insulated waterbottle will save us from spending extra money on soda and juice and keep her hydrated better. The Girl Scout in me wanted to protect her so I packed some SPF50 lip balm, 100% UV sunglasses, Mickey band-aides and sun hat. Sparkly Princess bows were a must as well as her neon outfit, Olaf socks and pink heart shoes! I seriously can’t wait for her to open her FROZEN Easter Olaf backpack and see how cute she is rocking those shades!

By the way, Olaf loves Peeps as much as summer. What are your family traditions for Easter? I remember getting dressed up in matching dresses with my sister, finding a real egg during an Easter egg hunt and having an indoor Easter egg hunt because it was raining and loved it just as much.

For more Spring inspiration on decor and recipes, check out my Pinterest board!
Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Spring Decor & Recipes on Pinterest.

by Shelly on September 11, 2014 7 Comments

10 Things I’m Thankful For

Hello lovelies! I’ve been feeling very thankful lately. Sometimes I get wrapped up in ‘not having enough_____ (time, money, friends, space, clothes, chocolate etc.)’ and have to catch myself by thinking about all the awesomeness that I do have. I’m reading Daring Greatly right now which is helping me learn to ’embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly, and to courageously engage in our lives.’ All of these things sound so simple, yet are tough for us to live in our every day lives. To start daring greatly, I’m going to notice the things that I’m thankful for every day.

1. My pup who sits here as I write with her head on my lap. Tomorrow she is having surgery to remove a tooth and I’m worried for her to have anesthetics. I’m thankful that we didn’t have to face the hard choice on if we should go through with the $700 surgery because of money. A lot of people do not have the option to give medical care to their pets and I’m so thankful we do.

2. Sophie’s amazing grandparents. We are so lucky to have both of our parents in her life. They both care for her unconditionally and I can really see the love that they have for her. I was fortunate enough to have grandparents who loved me so much and I am so happy that Sophie can experience that type of love.

3. Music. I love that intense orchestral music can make me scared during a movie. I’m glad that listening to pop music can keep me motivated to clean. I’m thankful that you can feel a special bond with someone who shares the same love for a band that I do.

4. Pumpkin flavored everything. When I was pregnant with Sophie, I craved pumpkin more than anything. It’s closing in on fall meaning pumpkin goodness is in my future again.

5. Awesome neighbors. Our neighbors are always there to let us borrow a cup of milk, watch Sophie for a few minutes, give us recipes, share books, teach us a new craft, be a workout buddy and hang out with us on the sidewalks while we wait for our families to come home.

6. All four seasons. In Illinois, we can get all four seasons in a matter of two weeks. I’m not a huge fan when that happens but I am thankful that we get to see the grass and flowers grow from the rain in the spring, sunny warm nights in the summer, beautiful colors on the trees in the fall and snow to play in during the winter. I used to love all four seasons when I was young and I know, now that we have Sophie, that I’ll love them again just as much.

7. An easy going partner. I can change moods in one second flat and am so thankful that Jeffrey is extremely level headed to balance me out. He is happy to go along with my ‘fun adventures’ and just stay home to be with our family.

8. All the luck that I’ve stumbled into and opportunities that I’ve been a part of. If I talk about all the fun things that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, I’d just sound like I was bragging. A few of my favorite lucky things are my wonderful childhood, meeting my love, going to Purdue, being a Disney cast member and having a successful pregnancy.

9. Glitter, jewels and gems. I love sparkly shiny things. I’m thankful to have seen several exhibits on gems and start a collection of them. I think everything and everyone should be accessorized with glitter, jewels and gems!

10. The feeling of safety. Today, 9/11 is a reminder that terrible things can happen at any moment to change our lives. I’m thankful that I do not have daily fear of something terrible happening like so many people have around the world. I’m thankful to be raised where I was and to have the opportunity to live where I do today.

What are you thankful for? How are you living a wholehearted life? It’s hard, but like everything else, one step at a time.

by Shelly on August 28, 2014 34 Comments

Disney College Program

Hi guys! A LOT of people get excited when they hear I worked for Disney World. They get even more excited to find out that it was a program through my college, meaning I got to live and work with Mickey for a semester! I get butterflies thinking about my experience as a CP (college programmer) and it was 8 years ago. If there was one time of my life that I wish I could share with all my favorite people, without a doubt, it would be my semester in Disney. Honestly, I did share it with (at the time) all my favorite people because I had a ton of visitors and the friendships I made in the Disney College Program are everlasting. It was a life changing experience.
I’m not sure where to start because I’ve gotten so many different questions about my time in the Disney College Program. The first question everyone asks me: ‘Were you a Princess?!’ Thankfully, no. I think it would be AMAZING to see the love and wonder of all the kids when you walk out on stage (anywhere public in Disney)! I also realize that I would not be a very sweet princess if I was sweating to death, my makeup was running and my feet hurt from walking in heels all day. Another reason why I didn’t pursue my acting career, in order to be a Princess (or any other character), you have to work for at least a semester, plus a summer, and I already had a job lined up for the following summer.

I had, in my opinion, the BEST job that a CP can have. Ride Operations. I specifically loved my area (Fantasyland, Pooh Side) because of the awesome people I worked with and how excited kids were to ride my rides. I worked Snow White’s Scary Adventures (no longer there), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. There are different stations of each ride I’d rotate through during my shift. My favorite position was called Pooh Grouper which was on Winnie the Pooh. Pooh Grouper was in charge of keeping the Fast Pass line flowing quickly and grouping people off to get into the honey pots. I got very efficient at this position which allowed me time to talk to the guests and make their days magical. I’d hand out fast passes to other rides, pin trade, help people plan their day or just learn about them and where they were from. Talking to the guests was, by far, my favorite part about the entire experience.

Housing is the second questions everyone asks about. When I worked there in 2006, there were two apartment complexes that they split all the CPs into. The security was hard core so I always felt safe living there, no matter what time I got off work (often 3 and 4 in the morning.) I had turned 21 the day before leaving for the program so, thankfully, I was placed in a 21+ apartment. My apartment at Vista Way had 6 girls, one kitchen, two bathrooms. It was tough at first. Thankfully, things worked out pretty well because some of my roommates left for work at 4am, others had mid-day shifts and some of us had evening shifts. We never really ran into problems of not having enough space or trying to cook or shower at the same time. I loved how you meet people from everywhere in the world in this program. My roommates were from all over the US and a couple were from out of the country.

Paychecks are always the next topic of discussion. Let’s just say you’re not going to make it big by working as a CP. Honestly, I don’t remember what I got paid, but I think it was pretty close to minimum wage for FL. I kept my house at Purdue, so I was paying rent for two places while I was at Disney, which stretched my paycheck to nothing. Thankfully, I took out two student loans before leaving for Disney, to make sure I didn’t have to be stressed out about the level of comfort I wanted while in the program. I had season passes to Universal Studios and was able to get into the Disney parks free. I was never bored. Ever. I had enough money to go out to nice restaurants when people would visit me, IHOP for breakfast after my shift at 4a and a few trips to the beach.

A lot of people ask about if I got held back a semester by working there. Yes, I did, but a lot of CPs take college courses through Disney University. Purdue didn’t accept the credit transfers so I did not take any classes while there. My roommate, on the other hand, took a full load during her semester so she wasn’t put back a semester. I’m glad Purdue didn’t take the credits because I would have felt the need to take a full load and would have missed out on a ton of experiences.

My family was a bit weary of me working in Disney for fear of losing the magic. Didn’t happen. I have a stronger love for Disney now that I’ve worked there and I still think it’s the most magical place on earth!

What else did I do besides work? Lots! I can hardly remember my time spent at work because it seems like there was so much time spent not working (although it was 50/50.) One of the best things you can do as a CP is to make friends with people who have cars. Living in the apartments, you have 24/7 access to WalMart and all of Disney’s property. I had a few friends who had cars and we’d go to BW3s for karaoke, the beach, and visit restaurants and bars in Orlando. Most of our time was spent on Disney property though. We went to Pleasure Island (no longer bars and night clubs) every Thursday to dance or listen to live bands. We’d go to Universal every other week. We’d pool hop at the Disney resorts (which was one of my favorite things to do because I’m a hospitality major and loved scoping out the rooms and customer service at the resorts.) We also spent a ton of time in the parks. We knew where to eat, what rides to get on during slow times and what shows to see. I was an expert by the time my friends and family started to come visit. We’d cook hometown meals for our roommates, learn salsa, go to CP dances, have highlighter parties at our apartment, play football, play tennis and visit Kennedy Space Center. Again, I was never bored.

Was I not the luckiest girl, to work for The Mouse and meet some of my best friends to this day? I love sharing my experience with college kids looking to go into the program or other Disney fanatics! If you have any questions about the Disney College Program (application process, furnishing the apartment, travel, perks etc.) or Disney World vacations, I’d LOVE to help! PS, I’m super excited because a lot of us are going back to Disney in 2016 for our 10 year reunion! I’ve already seen all of the people in the photos above, plus a few others from my program, but we’ve not all been together since 2006.
Follow Shelly @ DIY Mama’s board Disney on Pinterest.

by Shelly on May 29, 2014 4 Comments

Top Disney Attractions for Adults: Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is the newest and largest park addition to Disney World. It is also the park that I am least familiar with. I have been on every attraction, watched every parade and went on each safari but I still feel I could know the park better. Walt’s dream was to have a park like Animal Kingdom to help people learn about how animals live in their habitats as well as animal conservation. I wish he could, above all else, see Animal Kingdom. He would be proud.

Although Animal Kingdom is the largest of the parks, it’s the only park that I think you can easily see in one day. Typically when we go, we go at opening and are able to spend a half day at the park and finish the day at another park. When we decide which days we’re visiting each park, we check to see which parks have morning or evening extra magic hours to maximize the time available in each park. We always choose Animal Kingdom for the morning extra magic hours to make sure we get some good action with the animals during the Kilimanjaro Safari. We arrive at the park early to make sure we’re at the front of the lines so we can get a Fastpass at Expedition Everest before heading over to the safari.

After watching the gazelles smooch, we head over to the Kali River Rapids to get soaked! We go on this ride at the beginning of the day to make sure we have time to dry off during the day. The lines are also shorter because it’s not as hot in the mornings. The next thing we do is my very favorite attraction in Animal Kingdom as well as my favorite roller coaster in Disney! EVEREST! I was able to test it before it was open to the public because I worked there during that time. I remember the first time I rode it and I still get butterflies thinking about how awesome it was!

After the thrills of Everest we go test our limits by going to Dinoland to ride DINOSAUR! I have to close my eyes at one part so beware! Now that we’ve jump started our tickers, we skip over to see the amazing Tree of Life and It’s Tough to be a Bug 4D inside! The tree is SUCH an amazing sight and I love the Bugs Life show.

Those are the main attractions we enjoy seeing. Depending on how long those took, we’ll watch the parade or go on some of the trails to see the animals. There are REALLY cool exhibits showcasing the animals that shouldn’t be passed up. I’ve been to some wonderful zoos and the Animal Kingdom has them all beat! They started building a Avatar land earlier this year and they’re in the works of putting together a firework show for the park (which would mean longer park hours!) I know they’ve done a lot of testing with the fireworks to see how it would affect the animals and will only go through with it if it’s completely safe and does not bother any of the animals.

Were there any attractions I missed that your family loves seeing?! Who’s been on Everest? Doesn’t it ROCK?! (See what I did there?) 😉 Next week will wrap up my Top Disney Attractions series with attractions for kids at Animal Kingdom. Stay tuned though because I’ll be starting a new series on Top Disney Eats next!

Disney Park Tips

Disney’s FROZEN Easter Backpack

10 Things I’m Thankful For

Disney College Program

Top Disney Attractions for Adults: Animal Kingdom

Life Planner

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

7 Tips to Make your Road Trip to Disney Magical