Free Admission on Your Birthday- Disney World

So I am sure by now that you have all heard the commercials that you can have free admission on your birthday to any Disney World or Disneyland theme park. Well since Monday was I birthday I registered and printed out my certificate and headed to my favorite Disney World theme park. Since I already have an annual pass I was offered alternative birthday gifts. The first thing that offer you is a fast pass that ride goers would love. If you are not a ride goer then you are offered a birthday gift card worth the price of one basic Magic Your Way Ticket ($75). The card is good at any of the Disney theme park shopping area and at Downtown Disney on merchandise only (it is not good at any of the restaurants and not all shops in the park are participants… for example China and Morocco are not owned by Disney World so your gift card is not valid there). It has no expiration date. Some places that take the card are Mouse Gears in Epcot, Island Mercantile in Animal Kingdom and the Emporium in Magic Kingdom (though this is not the only stores you can use the card at). In addition to getting a gift card you are also given a button with your name on it that tells everyone you are celebrating your birthday and another button (one for each person in your party) that tells everyone you are all celebrating.

For my alternative gift I chose the gift card and spent my money on some fantastic Mickey polos. After walking around Epcot and having lots of people tell me “Happy Birthday” Norwood and I headed over to Magic Kingdom where we had a birthday cinnamon roll and frozen Cappuccino at Main Street Bakery. It was a great way to celebrate old age… I mean my birthday :).

Sitting Down With Timon- Swan and Dolphin

After a fun day at Magic Kingdom Norwood and I made our way over to our favorite Disney restaurant … Kimonos in the Swan and Dolphin. We arrived to Walt Disney’s Swan and Dolphin about half an hour before Garden Grove and Kimonos (located just down the hall from each other) were to open for dinner. Taking full advantage of the empty waiting area in front of the Garden Grove Norwood and I sat in the comfy seats and talked with a Cast Member from the Garden Grove about our mutual admiration for Nikon cameras. It was a fun time discussing techniques, favorite lens and great places to share photos. While we chatted I noticed inside the Garden Grove a silly little Timon playing around with other Cast Members. He saw me and waved and blew kisses then he came right out for hugs and kisses and photos. He was determined to give me great shots as he sat across from me and posed. Then he invited us to come and eat inside the Garden Grove. I told him “Thanks so much for the invitation Timon but we are headed down the hall to eat Nemo.” Shocked Timon wagged his finger whispered to the Cast Member who then told us “Fish are friends not food.” It was so much fun and don’t you think Timon is very photogenic?!

Finding Pooh Bear and Friends at Animal Kingdom

Norwood and I had a perfect day at Animal Kingdom this Sunday. Armed with my Hidden Mickey guide and my Disney Pins and of course camera we headed out to Animal Kingdom and thought we would find a few Hidden Mickeys and maybe go on a Safari. Well we ended up doing so much more and found things that after eight months at Disney World (yep we are in our eighth month!) I have not yet found. All this week I will tell you about the amazing things we found.

The day started like any other day at Animal Kingdom. As we walked into the park we strolled along Discovery Trail so Norwood could find a bench and I could take photos of flowers and birds. While taking photos of a really beautiful flower Norwood told me he found the perfect bench to sit and have coffee on. It was indeed the perfect bench because it overlooked the characters greeting trail where there just happened to be Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger with no line! While I was taking a shot of them from the distance Eeoyre noticed me waved and invited me down to take a photo.

Well who could resist such a face so we made our way down to the Character Greeting Trail and we hugged we laughed and took photos…







I absolutely love all the photos that Norwood took of Pooh, Eeoyre and I and they are my first photos will all three! It was so much fun and we actually had time to talk to the characters because there was no one behind us. While we were talking a photo with Eeyore (yes I have photopass photos with the two of us and all the characters… coming soon!) Norwood and he hugged and then Norwood told him “You know… you do not smell like I thought a donkey would?” Eeyore put his hands on his hips and then he laughed. It was so much fun.

Pooh and his friends were not the only characters we had fun with during our perfect day at Animal Kingdom. Tomorrow I will tell the unique group of characters I meet and the laughs we shared.