Tag Archives: Magical Blogorail Loop

Adventures by Disney Norway
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Magical Blogorail – Heading to Norway!

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Welcome to those of you joining me from Heidi’s Head and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

Adventures by Disney Norway

Image ©Adventures by Disney

Hello everyone, and thank you for stopping by today as we explore the incredible Adventures By Disney adventures that await you!  For my trip, I have selected Norway — not just because it is the setting for the movie Frozen, but because the picturesque beauty that the country offers in incredible and something I want to see in person!  This is definitely a bucket list item for me!

The Norway itinerary features 8 days and 7 nights, and if you are unfamiliar with how an Adventures By Disney trip works, you are accompanied by great guides that show you a lot of the incredible things you’ll experience on your journey.  I’ve never been on one of these trips, so I am by no means an expert, but together we’ll explore more about this particular setting and venue.

  • Day 1 — Arrival at Bergen, welcome reception.
  • Day 2 — River rafting in Voss
  • Day 3 — Fjord Safari on a speedboat, also a visit to the Undredal Stave Church, the world’s smallest Stave Church.
  • Day 4 — Visit the Borgund Stave Church (constructed in 1250 A.D.) In addition, your Junior Adventurers will have a special dinner, and you’ll follow that up with a Disney Movie before bed.
  • Day 5 — Travel to Lake Loen for either trout fishing or row boating.  Afterwards, enjoy lunch at Kjenndalstova (on the shore of Lake Loen) before heading to Briksdal Glacier to visit it.
  • Day 6 — Visit Westeras Farm, then walk to a Fjord viewpoint. Afterwards, you’ll have an afternoon to explore Geiranger on your own.
  • Day 7 — On your last day before departure, you’ll travel to Oslo, the capital of Norway. From there, you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner and folk dancing at the Grand Hotel Oslo.
  • Day 8 — Much like Walt Disney World, this is the worst day — Departure day where you head back home.
Adventures by Disney Norway

Image ©Adventures by Disney

To me, the best part of this trip will be the scenic beauty that you can experience firsthand.  What do you think your favorite part of this kind of trip will be?  Let me know, and thanks for stopping by!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is In the Mouse House as Gina talks about Ecuador & the Galapagos.

1st Stop ~ Heidi’s Head – Southeast Asia
2nd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney – Norway
3rd Stop ~ In the Mouse House – Ecuador & the Galapagos
4th Stop ~ Disney Nouns – England & France
Final Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog – Scotland & Southern California

Adventures by Disney, Bloggers, Magical Blogorail, My Dreams of Disney, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World
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American Adventure
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MB Blue – American Adventure Music!

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Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Blue. Enjoy the ride as we discuss the music at the Disney Parks.

American Adventure

The Voices of Liberty is an Acapella group that plays at the American Adventure.

Music.  Known to soothe the savage beast, music is a part of our nature, part of our culture.  At Walt Disney World, so much of the story is enhanced through the use of music that, in many ways, just hearing a song instantly takes us back to the moment we first experienced it.  In today’s post, I’m taking a look at how the music of the American Adventure draws you in, capturing your heart, your mind, and your spirit, and reminds you of how our great country was formed over the years.

The beauty of the Voices of Liberty is that they sing incredible Americana songs from days gone by, and they do it with such a charm, grace, and excellence that they are known the world over.  We thoroughly enjoy listening to them perform before the American Adventure show begins.

American Adventure

Voices of Liberty, performing before the American Adventure show.

After each performance, you are welcome to say hi to the members of the group, and even get your picture taken with one of them, like Sophie did a few years back.

American Adventure

One of the members of Voices of Liberty posing with Sophie.

The Voices of Liberty are a refreshing change from some of the music that you can here on the radio — I enjoy them so much that I even found an album on iTunes of theirs that I purchased and am listening to in the car!  It has such great songs as The Star Spangled Banner, Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Penny / My Country ‘Tis of Thee, and my favorite, Golden Dream.  In fact, I like Golden Dream and The Penny / My Country ‘Tis of Thee so much that here are two YouTube videos I found of Voices of Liberty performing those songs.  I hope you enjoy them!

The music of the American Adventure — in particular, the music of Voices of Liberty — shares so much of what made our country great.  My prayer is that our leaders in Washington, from both sides of the isle, would read this, hear the wonderful music, and remember why they got into politics to begin with, and in doing so, work together to bring our country back to what is once was.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is my great friend Jenn from Disney Babies Blog.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
2nd Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
3rd Stop ~ Rolling with the Magic
4th Stop ~ Frontierland Station
Final Stop ~ My Pixie Dust Diary

Bloggers, Magical Blogorail, My Dreams of Disney, Walt Disney World
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Magical Blogorail: Staying Hydrated at Disney!

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Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney on Wheels and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

One of the biggest concerns when you travel to Walt Disney World, especially during the summer, is making sure that you get enough fluids in your body so that you don’t get dehydrated.  I’ve been at the Magic Kingdom on two separate instances and seen medical crews helping guests who suffered problems because of the heat and lack of water.  One was over at Pinocchiohaus, and the other was a person who fainted while in line at Casey’s.  Both were clear reminders that it is extremely important that you make sure you get enough fluids in your system so that your body doesn’t experience problems.  Here are five tips that you can take with you on your next Disney vacation — regardless of where or when — to make sure that you are staying hydrated throughout your vacation.

Tip #1: Freeze Water Bottles in your refrigerator at the resort

I’m sure that you are going to find that these are all common sense things to do, but you’d be surprised how often I neglect to do them, and my wife remembers to do so for me!  Well, for those of you that are wives, maybe you won’t be surprised… :)  Anyway, either bring water bottles with you when you go to Disney, or buy a bottle of water, or something, but fill up the water bottles at night before you go to bed and pull them out of the freezer or refrigerator in the morning and carry them with you.  Instant cold ice water!  Then, fill them back up later on in the day.

Tip #2: Request a cup of ice water at any counter service restaurant

Any Disney restaurant will provide a cup of ice and water for you at your request — for free.  I believe they give out the 20 ounce cups for this.  Don’t hesitate to ask for them, even if you are getting a regular type drink such as a soft drink or something also.

Tip #3: Bring some things to liven up your water

If you are like me, the water at Disney just doesn’t taste very good — even the ice cold water.  As a result, it can be hard to keep drinking that water when you know you need it.  That’s why we bring things to add some flavor to our water.  We’ve used Crystal Light, I’ve had friends use MiO, and even, if you need a boost of Vitamin C, a product like Emergen-C might not be a bad idea for you either!

Tip #4: Don’t forget about fruit drinks

I don’t often get a fruit drink, but there are a whole slew of different fruit drinks that you can get that are refreshing on a hot summer day and taste good, too!  Being hydrated doesn’t mean you can’t drink things other than water!

Tip #5: The Water Fountains

I know, I know, the water fountains have water that (at least in my opinion) doesn’t taste very good.  But, in a pinch, when all of these other suggestions are not an option for some reason, the water fountains are there, and they are available, so take advantage of them!  I know I’d rather drink that water than have an experience that wasn’t good happen to me.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Home is Where the Mouse Is.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
2nd Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
3rd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
4th Stop ~ Home is Where the Mouse Is
Final Stop ~ Disney Mamas

Bloggers, Magical Blogorail, My Dreams of Disney, Walt Disney World
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Magical Blogorail Red – St. Patrick’s Day!

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Welcome to those of you joining me from Magical Mouse Schoolhouse and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.

You know, for someone that doesn’t do a whole lot of drinking, the idea of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with green beer and other alcoholic beverages just doesn’t do much for me.  So when I volunteered to join the Magical Blogorail Red team this month, I guess I wasn’t really thinking it through very well when the subject is St. Patrick’s Day!  Still, I gave it considerable thought, and in the course of that thinking, came up with what I think is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Disney — or even a way to celebrate just being at Disney, even if it’s not St. Patrick’s Day!

Let's go to all four parks in one day and see what we can find that is green!

Let’s go to all four parks in one day and see what we can find that is green!

So who’s up for a little challenge?  My little game is to see what we can find at each of the parks that is green, and to experience something at that park, such as a ride or a show, that showcases something of the color green in it.  For starters, let’s take a look at the Magic Kingdom!  As you can see, Mickey has lovely green plants and grass to fit the bill for our easy challenge — and for some of the attractions, you’ve got It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and on and on that will feature the color green in them.

Heading to Animal Kingdom Park, take a ride on Kilamanjaro Safari's to get your green!

Heading to Animal Kingdom Park, take a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris to get your green!

Of course, the Animal Kingdom will probably have the most green in evidence — one stop at Kilimanjaro Safaris will take care of that requirement!

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Sorcerer Mickey is showcased in green!

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sorcerer Mickey is showcased in green!

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios there is plenty of green to go around, such as this topiary of Sorcerer Mickey!  Of course, all you need to do is go check out Muppet*Vision 3D to get all the green you need — after all, as Kermit says — “It’s not easy being green.”

Germany and it's train layout feature some great green features!

Germany and it’s train layout feature some great green features!

Lastly, at Epcot there is plenty to feature that greenery.  For starters, there is some great greenery in the train layout at the Germany Pavilion.  Also, though, you need to close out the evening with Illuminations, and you might see this green explosion in the fireworks show:

Green lights up the sky in Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.

Green lights up the sky in Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.

So it’s not your typical St. Patrick’s Day post, but I hope you had fun with it and maybe got some ideas for a celebration of your own — even if you aren’t visiting on St. Patrick’s Day!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Return to Disney.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay
2nd Stop ~ The Disney Point
3rd Stop ~ Magical Mouse Schoolhouse
4th Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
Final Stop ~ Return to Disney

Bloggers, Magical Blogorail, My Dreams of Disney, Walt Disney World
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Magical Blogorail Blue – Exploring my DisneySide

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Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney on Wheels and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

My DisneySide emerges…

In 1979, the summer after my Grandparents retired to Florida, my Mom, Sister, and I went to visit them, and being the Grandparents they were, they took us on a trip to Walt Disney World!  When I walked under the railroad tracks for the Walt Disney World Railroad, and emerged in Town Square and Main Street, U.S.A., I remember the feeling I had, that no matter what I did that day, nothing would compare with the feeling that I had arrived.  I didn’t know this at the time, and it has taken many years, my wife, and my daughter to bring it out, but that day in 1979 was the start of My DisneySide.

As I got older, my DisneySide would take a little bit of a back seat at times, because in my early years, I didn’t get to experience Walt Disney World as much as I would have liked to.  I went that first time in 1979, and again in 1983 when Epcot opened, and one more time when I went to what was then MGM, but after that, it would over a decade until I would visit again with Cindy in the year 2000.  To this day, I credit that first trip with Cindy as the trip that really kicked my DisneySide into high gear.

My DisneySide grows with my family…

This Snow White Lithograph still hangs in my daughter's room! This is one of four!

This Snow White Lithograph still hangs in my daughter’s room! This is one of four!

This Snow White Lithograph still hangs in my daughter's room!

This Snow White Lithograph still hangs in my daughter’s room!

The two pictures — as poor as they are — are representative of the change in me with the birth of our daughter Sophie.  These lithographs — a set of four that still hang in Sophie’s room to this day — were a free gift at the Disney Store when we purchased the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  The movie was purchased before Sophie was even born!  That was the continuation of the evolution of my DisneySide!

My DisneySide important points…

Finally, let me share with you a quick list of some of my other DisneySide moments.  I’m sorry for the length of this post, but when you talk about your DisneySide, sometimes you can’t be brief!

  • 2005: Sophie’s first trip to Walt Disney World, with her best friend Riley.
  • 2006: The one day trip to the Magic Kingdom Sophie took with us and her Meemaw!
  • 2007: Our first trip to Disney where we stayed on property!
  • 2008: Our second straight trip staying at Coronado Springs Resort!
  • 2009: Our first trip staying at Port Orleans French Quarter.
  • 2010: The time we surprised Sophie with Stephanie joining us, and the year we bought our DVC property!
  • February 2011: My first Magical Blogorail post!
  • 2011: Staying at Bay Lake Tower with Nancy, Otis, Anna Jane, Sherry, and Stephanie!
  • October 2011: Seeing the Food & Wine Festival for the first time, and also visiting for the 40th Anniversary of Walt Disney World!
  • 2012: Staying at Kidani Village with Monica, Maddie, Kerry, Neal, River, and Izaiah!
  • February, 2013: Signing on as a part time travel agent with Pixie Vacations!
  • June, 2013: Taking a trip to Disneyland for the first time, and meeting Sheila and her family!
  • July, 2013: Staying at the Grand Floridian! Incredibly blessed!
  • June, 2014: Staying at Bay Lake Tower again, this time with Leigh Ann and Riley, and Sheila, Randy, and Miss J.!

I think you can see that my DisneySide has blossomed into what some would call an obsession!  As for me, though, I think it is just a true love for all that Walt Disney brought to this world that we live in, and the legacy that he left in 1966.  In a nutshell, I guess my DisneySide is my attempt to keep the ideals that Walt Disney lived his life by in my life, and to instill that love of life and the simple things into the life of my family so that they can continue to pass it along.  Thank you for stopping by, and remember to make every day a Disney Day!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Disney Babies Blog.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
2nd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
3rd Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
4th Stop ~ Picturing Disney
Final Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog

Bloggers, Disney Dining Plan, Disney Vacation Club, Disneyland, Magical Blogorail, My Dreams of Disney, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World
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