diy mama

lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

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Busy Bee

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fun filled weekend with your families! We did some grilling, stopped at the farmer’s market and worked on lots of projects. We’re on a deadline to get our deck finished so it will be ready for staining in a couple of weeks. Because of this deadline, I’ll be taking a week off from blogging. I’ve noticed that with the little bean up for longer periods of time, I’ve not been able to do many projects and I don’t get a break once Daddy comes home because the poor guy goes straight out to work on the deck. I have two big projects that I want to finish this week as well as work on my blog course. I thought it would be better to take a break and feel good about the progress I’ve made rather than to write filler posts. I hope you all have a lovely week and I’ll catch up with you Friday for #AAF!! 🙂

familyShelly

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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.

Top Adult Attractions Animal Kingdom

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.

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!

everest

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.

rapids tree bugs

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!

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Top Disney Attractions for Kids: Hollywood Studios

Today we’re at the third park of this series, talking about the top attractions for kids at Hollywood Studios!  Hollywood Studios is a great park for both adults and kids. There’s a lot of action and adventure to be had for kids of all ages.  You can easily spend a full day at HS and not see everything so I’ll be talking about my favorites if you’re visiting during busy season.

hollywood studios

As a kid, I hated roller coasters, even once I was tall enough. If you have young children or children who are afraid of coasters, skip Rockin’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. When I was in kindergarten we went and I was being SO BRAVE by going on Tower of Terror. Back in the early 90’s the ride did not have safety belts but rather a lap bar that came down across the entire row. When we dropped, I flew up in the air (at least 10 feet..in my mind) and my dad had to hold me down for the remainder of the ride. I said I’d never go on that ride again. I’ve since ridden it at least 30 times. 🙂 They’re awesome rides, but they can be scary for the little ones. If they are brave enough to go on the rides, be sure to get Fastpasses because they always have a long wait time.

rockin towerThe first thing I would definitely see with your kids is the Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage Show. It’s so fun and colorful with lots of singing and dancing. The other attraction that has specific show times is Lights, Motors, Action-Extreme Stunt Show. You’ll want to check a map or get the Disney Mobile App to check out the show times and wait times for rides throughout the day. You’ll also see where to meet characters on this app, unfortunately, they no longer have the Pixar parade at Hollywood Studios. I’m hoping their planning another parade but haven’t seen anything about it yet.

lights beauty

If your kids love to be the star of the stage or watch American Idol, you’ll want to check out The American Idol Experience! It’s just like the show! The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is a definite must see! If your kids love Indiana Jones, make sure they volunteer when the time comes. 😉 Star Tours is really fun for your little Jedi masters but it may cause motion sickness. If you have any big time Star Wars followers in your family, plan your trip around a Star Wars Weekend (be warned, it will be busy.)

idol storm jones

The next stop is another classic from your childhood, Muppet Vision 3D. It’s timeless and gets laughs from all ages. After watching the Muppets you can let your kids run around at Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. While you’re over in that area, if the Lights Motor Action show has a while, go check out The Studio Backlot Tour. It’s extremely exciting for kids!

muppet back lot honey

Toy Story Midway Mania is another must! It will have a long wait time so I suggest grabbing a Fastpass, seeing a few attractions and coming back. Now would be a good time to get some pictures of the family with the giant Sorcerer’s Apprentice hat! After your photo shoot, if there’s still time, you can hop over to The Magic of Disney Animation to check out the behind the scenes of some of your kid’s favorite Pixar movies. Voyage of the Little Mermaid is super cute and I’ve never been (yet), but I’ve heard great things about Disney Junior-Live on Stage!

toy hat junior

As always, I suggest going bright and early at opening, leaving around lunch time for cheaper food and a nap and heading back in the late afternoon to stay until closing. It is worth missing a couple of attractions to make sure everyone is happy during the time you’re at the park! You also don’t want you kids to be too sleepy to see the firework show at the end of the night! Hollywood Studio’s show is called Fantasmic and it is amazing! Fantasmic is a mixture of characters, fireworks, water, lasers and a great soundtrack from the movies we love. You should get there at least a half hour early if you want to sit together with your family because it fills up super quick. Be forewarned that they sell light up toys that your children spouse will beg you to buy.

Did I miss any of your kid’s favorite attractions? Any new ones you hadn’t seen yet? Some people skip Hollywood Studios because they don’t think it’s as kid friendly but it is perfect for adults and kids! Next week we’ll be at our final park of the series talking about the best attractions for adults at the Animal Kingdom!

Shelly

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Top Disney Attractions: Adults: Hollywood Studios

Today we’ve gone back in time to Hollywood Studios where it’s 1940 everyday! My favorite memory of Hollywood Studios was from when my sister and BiL came to visit while I worked in the CP. We got to the park at opening and SPRINTED once we were through the gates to go to Rockin’ Roller Coaster! We ran everywhere for the first half of the day and I loved it!

Hollywood Studios

I always suggest getting the Disney Mobile App to keep up to date with wait times as well as closing of rides while at the park. When we visit Hollywood Studios, we head right and check on the longest line for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster. We get a Fastpass for whichever has the longer wait time and ride the other. Again, whenever we go, there’s usually not more than a 20 minute wait, but it’s helpful in the instances of the park being busy. Both Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster are ‘scary’ rides to people who don’t enjoy roller coasters. I will admit that if you ride any ride enough times, you will start to like it and eventually love it. 😉 While we wait for the Fastpass call time, we head over to watch the Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage show. I LOVE this show! It’s the perfect mixture of singing, sparkly dresses and live performance. Also, no, I have no idea why my BBF and I stood like that for our picture, but I had to use it for this post because I think it’s hilarious.

rockin beast tower

Our next stop is to try to be a volunteer at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! I’m completely engrossed and entertained every single time I see this show, even though I’ve seen it at least 20 times in my life. We’re Star Wars fans but skip Star Tours because it’s a bit jostly and makes me a bit motion sick. Start Tours is worth going if you’re there during slow season. If you are a Star Wars fan, I recommend going during Star Wars Weekends for some awesome entertainment! After the thrills of Indiana Jones, we head over to Muppet Vision 3D for laughs with Kermy. At this time we’re near Lights Motor Action: Extreme Stunt Show which is a MUST SEE! Check for showtimes and try to time it so you’re there 20ish minutes before the show. If there’s still a bit before the show starts, head over to the Studio Backlot Tour (35 min.) Definitely worth it if you have enough time.

lights backlot wars

Our next stop is to get a Fastpass for Toy Story Mania. It’s a really fun ride but always has an enormous wait time. Beware if you get motion sickness though. My favorite attraction in all of Hollywood Studios is Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. If you’re bringing small children, this might be boring because it’s a gallery style walk through of Walt’s story followed by a movie. The Magic of Disney Animation is also fun to see to learn the behind the scenes of our favorite movie’s animation. We usually hit up Voyage of the Little Mermaid because Ariel’s my favorite princess. It’s a puppet show of the story of The Little Mermaid but is extremely entertaining if puppets make you laugh!

hat mickey sulley

Like the other parks I’ve mentioned, we have to end the night with the fireworks show. Hollywood Studio’s show is called Fantasmic and it is amazing! Fantasmic is a mixture of characters, fireworks, water, lasers and a great soundtrack from the movies we love. You should get there at least a half hour early if you want to sit together with your family because it fills up super quick. Be forewarned that they sell light up toys that your children spouse will beg you to buy.

Don’t you guys love Hollywood Studios? Were there any attractions you loved that I missed? Who else rides Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster while Fantasmic is going on so you get massive headaches from all the screaming?

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My Mood: Seafoam

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all enjoyed celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend! I had a perfect day, complete with flower planting, coconut shrimp and being with my two favorite people, Jeffrey and Sophie. Although I had a super productive, yet also relaxing weekend, I’m still a bit meh about this upcoming week. I’m not sure if it’s because there’s so much to do or that my mind is in 100 different places. I wanted to make a mood board, literally, about what I’d be wearing today to reflect my mood. FIRST, you should go check out Chris, over at The Mom Cafe, to see the tutorial I put together for saving money by printing your own invitations. I laid out a step by step on using PicMonkey of how I designed my sister’s baby ‘sprinkle’ invite!

 

5.12.14
I wouldn’t say my mood is blue…I feel it’s more of a seafoam. I know I can’t carry around this J or this amazing piece of art, but I’d want to have them right over my desk to stare at all day while I blog. Jeffrey is on my mind a lot today, I want nothing but for him to be happy and I thought this modern, wood J represented him well. I’d wear a simple white tank with some longer jean shorts and pair it with a long labradorite necklace and boho bracelet. I’d do comfy mint shoes and have mint polish on my nails. I’d throw on a little mascara, blush and lip balm to feel fresh but still girly. I’d fill my mug with a hazelnut white mocha and fill a whole roll with pictures of my new bike, flowers and my girls (Soph & Lexi.) I would love to spend the day reading, watching the lil bean learn to crawl and taking walks at the park. I could easily make this day happen but then tomorrow I’ll probably be mad at myself for not cleaning, getting ahead on posts and working on projects for said posts. We’ll see what wins out today…only time will tell.
Anyone else in a weird mood and don’t know why? Anyone else’s favorite stone labradorite? I’m going to go snuggle my pup now since the babe is still sleeping.
Shelly
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