The start of Christmas vacation 2012 at WDW

Our Christmas vacation at WDW has begun. Marlene and the kids arrived at Port Orleans Riverside yesterday and I will join them Friday night. Since I am not there yet, Marlene sent me some video of the characters at Ohana breakfast this morning. The video was taken with a phone and texted to me so the quality is not so great, but it made me feel like I was there. 

We are underway!

Our July vacation to Walt Disney World has officially begun! For this vacation we decided to drive, making it a family road trip. We loaded our vehicle with all sorts of snacks, DVDs, games, and of course plenty of electronics. There will also be a lot of family conversation time, with some of that concerning whose music is cooler - the preteen generation or the parent's generation! I am looking forward to our time on the road together since it seems we are always going in different directions in our daily lives.

As I write this, the first segment of our drive is complete. We are now in Charleston for the night and will head out again before dawn tomorrow morning. And after we reach our destination and get settled in it will be off to the Magic Kingdom!

Runtime in Innoventions West at Epcot

In a previous post I mentioned the Runtime video game activity inside Innoventions West in Epcot. This is the description from IBM:

"Visitors at IBM’s new Smarter Planet exhibit at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot play “Runtime,” a dynamic and customized video game experience developed by Walt Disney Imagineering.  The unique game transforms guests into their own personalized avatars, who run, jump and dance through a timeline of IBM’s achievements in the history of computing.  Guests can also email themselves the game, extending the “Runtime” experience."

You are first guided through a series of motion capture activities that will be used to create the avatar that will be you in the video game. These activities, where you run and dance in place and perform jumps, are actually a lot of fun! You are even given the opportunity to review the recordings before they are used to create the game. Once the game has been created get ready for some fun because when the game starts - you will be the main character! Also, be sure to enter your email address when asked so that a link to the game can be sent to you, giving you the option to play from home.

Want to see the finished product? Click the link to play the video game starring Marlene and I, which we made during our December 2011 trip.


http://www.thinkingofyoupostcards.com/runtime/play?Guestcode=KQAQCQ37CAMM6Q

July 4th Liner Meet Up Buttons

When I discovered that there would be several other Liners at Walt Disney World over July 4th week I decided to plan a meet up where we could get together. The date and location was set for July 4th in Epcot. And being the patriotic holiday that it is, I thought the American Adventure Pavillion would be an appropriate venue. Luckily for us, this is also the location of the Fife and Drum Tavern which is home to one of my favorite Disney snacks -  Sweet Cream Cheese stuffed pretzels - as well as some tasty beverages to go with them.

I also wanted to have something special for any Liners who attended, a small souvenir to remember the occasion by. I decided on buttons since I would be able to make them myself, which means that only a handful will be made and they cannot be purchased anywhere - making them a rare Liner collectible! A special thank you goes out to Liner @mltisdale for designing the graphics for the face of the buttons.

I know that July 4th will be a very busy day, but I hope to get the opportunity to meet some members of the Liner community and spend a little time getting to know each other.

Vintage WDW Photos

Right now we are in the midst of packing for our Summer 2012 trip to Walt Disney World. So I think it is a perfect time to look back at some photos from a previous Summer trip. These photos of my sister and myself were taken in June 1979. I bet you can tell where we are in the first picture. And did you notice the price posted on the cart for popcorn? It sure isn't that cheap anymore! 

I cannot place where this photo was taken, but that does appear to be a monorail station in the background.

This last picture is of my Grandmother at the Polynesian, our favorite resort.

'Ohana Bread Pudding - With a twist!

For Father's Day, Marlene made me 'Ohana Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. This is the famous bread pudding that is served for dessert at the Polynesian resort in Walt Disney World. The recipe can be found on my friend Jeff's blog, www.banishmetowdw.blogspot.com. But the version Marlene made has a twist that many of you may find interesting - The bread pudding was made with completely gluten free bread! And it tastes as delicious as the original version. 

The bread she used is fresh baked Cinnamon Chip Gluten Free from the Great Harvest Bread Company which can be found online at www.greatharvest.com. This bread is very hearty and full of flavor, completely unlike the mass produced brands found in your local grocery store. While the bread pudding is gluten free the vanilla sauce still contains a small amount of wheat flour, so make a substitution if you are sensitive.

So whether you miss the taste of this delicious 'Ohana dessert or you have yet to experience it, give this recipe a try - either the original or gluten free version.

Favorite photos from the past - Liberty Tree Tavern Character Dinner

Liberty Tree Tavern was an especially enjoyable dinner when it was still a character meal. It had the perfect combination of delicious food, good atmosphere, and fun character interaction. The middle photo is one of my favorites. Minnie was meeting with us while a parade was going by outside. Suddenly she pointed outside and hurried over to the window. She had spotted Mickey in the parade and was waving to him as he went by.

A look back, before the journey ahead.

For those of you who are following this blog, I will be posting some of my favorite photos from previous trips to Disney. Beginning with today's previous post and in the days leading up to our July 2012 vacation, I will be sharing with you a look back into some of my vacation photo archives. I enjoy looking back at these photos and reliving the wonderful memories that were created. And I hope you will as well.

Arrival Day!

The excitement of arrival day! These photos are from Dec. 2007 when we arrived for our stay at the Polynesian. We were just checking in and eager to begin our Christmas vacation! 

Hidden Mickey

I found this hidden Mickey in the water droplets on my windshield one morning. I think it means that a trip to Disney is in order!

Astro Orbiter at the Magic Kingdom Dec. 28th, 2011

Justin and I loved to ride the Astro Orbiter first thing in the morning. This video was taken at 7:05am on an Extra Magic Hour morning. I discovered that I don't like to spin around in circles that early in the day, but Justin loves to ride together so it was worth it.

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom Dec. 26th 2011

PUSH The Talking Trash Can at The Magic Kingdom Dec. 24th 2011

On Dec. 24th we saw PUSH the talking trash can for the very first time. I had previously obtained his schedule and we waited in Tomorrowland for him to make his appearance. We had some nice interaction with him and he even sang Happy Birthday to me.

Welcome Show at Magic Kingdom Dec. 24th 2011

Justin was surprised when I handed him the phone in Le Chapeau and he could hear people talking on it. He listened for a few minutes while I was making a hat purchase and really thought he was listening in on someone's conversation.

While touring Italy in the World Showcase of Epcot, I was chosen to be part the Ziti Sisters street performance show. These ladies put on a very fun and entertaining show and it was great to be a part of it. This video was taken on Dec. 25th, which helped to make for a memorable Christmas Day. Marlene was also in an earlier part of the show and I uploaded photos in a previous post.