Mouse Beat

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

noreply@blogger.com (blank) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Amanda and I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit so we decided to spend 4 days at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and 2 nights at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Below is a video of the Totally Tomorrow Land Christmas which has replaced Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Amanda and I would like to thank Billy and Sue at http://www.ticketmomma.com/ for providing us tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Some people have asked about our RV adventures. If you would like to see more about our trips take a look at http://www.amandasweeklyzen.com/
Amanda will be adding photos and updates after she finishes a few projects for her PHD program .
Merry Christmas everyone,
Norwood

1 Dead in Disney World Monorail Crash - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:48:00 +0000

1 Dead in Disney World Monorail Crash - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

Mickey's Golf Cart at Oak Trail

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Amanda in the Mickey Golf Cart, originally uploaded by Amanda Perez-Carroll(amandavisualzen).

Mickey parked his golf cart out near the practice putting area today. Since he was off getting ready to tee I jumped in this cart while Norwood snapped a photo.

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:51:00 +0000

Amanda at Typhoon Lagoon, originally uploaded by amandavisualzen.

If you have ever been in Florida in the summer you will know that it is HOT! The best place to spend the sweltering daytime hours are at the two water parks Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Just make sure to have sun screen! Here is a couple of photos from our recent trip….
Disney World Water Parks.

Happy Summer!

Stayin Alive A Tribute to the Bee Gees

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:23:00 +0000

Starts this week and I will bring you the highlights tomorrow here on Mouse Beat.

Mouse Beat is on Summer Vacation

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Hello Mouse Beat readers. Posts here at Mouse Beat are going to be a little more sporadic because we are on summer vacation. But please be sure to check our information pages and read about our previous adventures in Disney World.

Have a fantastic summer vacation everyone. :)
Amanda, Norwood and Maverick (The Mouse Beat family)

Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for Buccaneer Gold – Disney Quest

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Well 4 out of 5 kids will tell you that I have saved the best game at Disney Quest for last… Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for Buccaneer Gold. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold is located on the first floor of Disney Quest. It is a virtual reality ride where you board a boat and you have to move around your ship to fire cannons at pirate ships so they will sink and you can take their gold. At the end in order to keep your gold you need to defeat the Captain.

Norwood and I played along with a father and daughter. Norwood was our Captain and as such he was in charge of driving the boat close enough to the other pirate ships so the rest of us the gunners, could shoot our cannons at the other pirate ships in hopes that they would sink and we would be able to take their gold. Norwood was a great driver we were able to take so much gold from pirates and only once were we attacked by a sea monster. But then just as we were all about to sail into the sunset with our gold the Pirate Captain came over with his ghost ship and tried to steal our gold! With our expert gunners we were able to defeat the Pirate Captain and keep our gold.

Disney Quest is a cool place if you like video games. What we noticed is that it is a favorite place of teenagers and kids who do not want to walk around the rest of Downtown Disney with their parents. We had fun but man can those kids play!

Cyber Space Mountain – Disney Quest

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:29:00 +0000

Cyber Space Mountain is really neat. It is a game where you create your own roller coaster then you take the card that your roller coaster is saved on over to a roller coaster tester where you can ride the roller coaster you created.

Norwood and I gave this a go. While designing our roller coaster we took into consideration my condition… “ride chicken.” Yes there are many roller coasters that I have refused to ride again after just one ride (Everest in Animal Kingdom for example) so we wanted to make sure that you made a roller coaster that was “Amanda friendly.” We did not choose too many upside down or really curvy turns and we set our speed to “Easy Does It.” What we ended up with was a roller coaster rated 3 crying children out of five which means at if our roller coaster was tested by children 3 out of 5 would be crying by the end. I am happy to report that it was in fact “Amanda Friendly” in fact I think we could have made it a little faster and maybe even threw in a few more upside loops. What is really neat about this game is that after you tested the roller coaster you created you can then watch a video (which is for sale at the Guest Gallery) of you riding your coaster. It was hilarious to see the funny faces we made while riding our coaster.

Create Zone- Disney Quest

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:17:00 +0000

Create Zone is located on the second floor and there are many things that you can create, purchase or ride. If you are a music fan you can head over to the Radio Disney SongMaker. You sit inside a booth and create music using a computer. Buy the time you are done you will have a custom CD that you can purchase to take home with you. This was a really popular stop in the create zone each time I walked by all the booths were filled with teens and kids creating their own CDs.

For those Disney fans you love Disney animation you will enjoy the Animation Academy. You sit in front of a virtual easel for a 30 minute class that will show you step by step how to draw your favorite Disney characters.

Another fun activity on the second floor is the Sid’s Create-A-Toy. This you stand in front of a virtual toy maker and begin to design your own toy and when you are done you can walk over to the Guest Gallery where you can purchase that same toy you created.

The most popular activity on the Create Zone floor is the Cyber Space Mountain which I will tell you about tomorrow…

Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam- Disney Quest

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:03:00 +0000

On the third floor of Disney Quest there are two major things that you must try; Might Ducks Pinball Slam and Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster. Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster is a bumper car adventure where not only can you bump into your opponents but you can also shoot asteroids at them. One person is the driver whose goal is to bump others out of the way so he can run over the asteroids so they come into the ship and then the gunner will load them into the cannon and shot them at the opponents. When you have successfully shot an opponent they will spin and flash lights around for 15 seconds. Norwood and I played this game and well… I did shoot one ship but most of our time was spent spinning. There were just too many kids and teenagers who were better than us at the game.

The other must play game on the third floor is Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. You become a pin ball in this game and have to bounce yourself off other balls and the walls to try and make a goal and score points. You do this by moving forward, backward and side to side on a moving platform. The winner is announced at the end of the game. Norwood and I played this game and this one I was much better at than the Astroblaster. I scored a few goals but the high scorer was a little boy who was a pro at this game he used all the balls and bumpers to score the highest score.
Once you have tried the two popular games on the third floor my suggestion is to move down to the second floor and spend some time in the Create Zone which I will tell you more about tomorrow…

Disney Bookmarks

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:43:00 +0000

I have a couple of bookmarks that I designed for sale that are Disney related. Check them out at Zerepa Designs.

Disney Quest- Downtown Disney Westside

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:40:00 +0000

If you like virtual reality games and traditional arcade games then you are going to love this week here at Mouse Beat. Norwood and I went to the five floors of interactive Disney fun Disney Quest last week and all this week I will tell you about what Disney Quest is and some of the popular games and rides located inside the five floors of video game fun.

Disney Quest is located next door to Cirque de Soleil in Disney World's Downtown Disney Westside. It is an indoor interactive theme park. There are eight “rides” inside the building and many, many arcade games. It is five floors of video game fun. Admission is $30 per person and once inside you can play everything as many times as you want. You can also buy an annual pass for Disney Quest or if you buy the premium annual pass it will be included along with the other parks.

When you enter Disney Quest you have to wait in an elevator. Once there are enough people in the elevator you are told that it is not just an elevator it is in fact a shuttle to adventure. You look into the magic mirror and Genie from Disney’s Aladdin is your guide as you lift off into fun. You come out onto the third floor where you can play various video games or two favorites; Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam and Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster (bumper cars with asteroid cannons). Norwood and I rode them both which I will tell you about tomorrow…

Your own topiary – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:41:00 +0000

It is so much fun to run around Epcot and try to find all the different pieces of topiary but sometimes as I mentioned this week it is hard to get pictures of your favorites without other people in the shot. A way to combat this is to 1) wait until your favorite piece is people free (sometimes this is just a few minute but if it is Cinderellabration at the main gate you may be waiting for a long time) 2) search for pieces that are not that popular (like Bambi and Stitch) or 3) buy your own topiary for your home! There are several pieces that you can buy at any of the outdoor booths. Here is a list of prices of the pieces available…

Some of my favorites are the Bears and the large Mouse. If you have a garden with Disney topiary in it I would love to see the pictures. Have a magical weekend!

Stitch – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Today is another piece of topiary that is not listed on the map. In fact if you look at the map in the Mission Space area you will see that there are no markings for anything special. Located to the right of the Mission Space entrance is Stitch. Surrounded by a cluster of red flowers Stitch is very impressive. Look at his teeth! This Disney Character topiary is another that is overlooked and you can spend a lot of time with him taking photos at many different angles.

Characters of Bambi – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:16:00 +0000

Today’s Disney Character hunt characters are not on the map. I was surprised to find in Canada Bambi, Thumper and Flower from Disney’s Bambi. Set right in the middle of Canada you will find the three stars. They are not a popular stop on the topiary scavenger hunt, in fact many people almost miss them while they are taking pictures of Canada. While I was taking my shots I heard a little girl tell her mother after she spotted me leaning over the little fence to take photos… “Oh… there is Bambi!” If you want to get a good shot without many people of Disney Character topiary this spot is your best bet. A lot of people walk by but there are not many stoppers.

Let’s Get Moving –Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:10:00 +0000

Another great place to find Disney Characters depicted in topiary is in the Imagination Walkway. Here you will find Goofy, Donald, Pluto , Minnie and Mickey all playing their favorite sports. This is not just a place where you can see classic Disney characters doing their favorite outdoor activities it is also a place where little ones can also play. There are structures to climb on and outdoor work out equipment. One of the favorites that I saw a line for was the mini stair steppers perfect for children 2-5 years old. The space is small so for the photo hunters it might be best to take your shot and then move on.

Simba’s Birthday Celebration – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:02:00 +0000

Brand new to the International Flower and Garden Festival there is a character topiary scavenger hunt for families. At the festival information center cast members will hand you a list of the items to find on your scavenger. This week I thought I would take you on a character topiary hunt around Epcot. First up this week a little lion whose birthday celebration was depicted in topiary. Simba’s Birthday Celebration is a beautiful collection of several pieces of topiary located in the World Showcase Plaza. Directly in the middle (as you are walking into the World Showcase) is the main scene. Rafiki holds up samba while Mufasa and Sarabi watch. Then to the left Scar and Zazu sit and to the right Timon delivers the birthday feast while Pumba rocks a cool hair do…

This collection of Lion King topiary is not hard to spot and is a popular destination for many Disney Character Topiary Scavenger Hunters.

Fragrance Garden- Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:41:00 +0000

What a great week I have had. It was truly a celebration. Well before we all go and have fantastic weekends I thought I would take you to another of my favorite places in Epcot during the International Flower and Garden Festival. Normally I am not a perfume type of girl but right now the fragrance garden in France is a fantastic place for the nose. Look at the lovely topiary shaped as beautiful perfume bottles. As soon as you get to this point in France you can smell the plants and flowers. From citrus to vanilla there are so many smells that will intoxicate you. Way in the back there is a large field of flowers that smells wonderful …

I have to admit not only do these flowers smell wonderful but they look so soft and delicate that I can imagine laying in the midst of them on a breezy Florida evening. I wonder when they will add that attraction to Epcot? As if the smell of the flowers was not lovely enough there are also perfume samples (made from the flowers and plants in the garden) all around. Just look for little displays like this one…

The one above is a perfume made from Magnolias. Lift the little door and you can smell the perfume and then read about it to the right.

Hope you had as much fun as I have celebrating my birthday at Epcot this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

English Tea Garden- Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:25:00 +0000

I thought since it is my birthday week that I would share with you one of my favorite places during the International Flower and Garden Festival… the UK. I love the tea garden. Many of the photos of flowers last week were from the tea garden. Now I know many of my readers are well aware that I am an avid coffee drinker but they may not know how much I also like herbal teas. My favorite is peppermint tea which they just happened to have in the English Tea Garden…

The smell of peppermint is absolutely lovely. If I am ever reported lost at Epcot look for me in the English tea garden somewhere near the peppermint, chances are I will be there. :) Not only is the tea garden a lovely place for fragrance and flowers but there is of course entertainment. Here is a video of one of my favorite songs on just another perfect night at Epcot….

Free Admission on Your Birthday- Disney World

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:31:00 +0000

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 :).

Herman’s Hermits – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:12:00 +0000

My birthday celebration at Epcot started on the day before my birthday. Norwood and I joined two friends that we had meet through Mouse Beat for the very exciting Herman’s Hermits concert and (see the video above… yes indeed that is Norwood and I singing along) then we went to my favorite Disney eatery… Kimonos (shocker I know :)). If you have never seen the Herman’s Hermits play Epcot add it to your to do list. They were awesome. If you have already watched the video above you can see how much fun we had and that was just one song. To top off the humor and the great music Peter Noone had CDs that he walked around and handed out to lucky fans sitting close to the stage. The concert was a blast and the perfect start to my birthday celebration week. Tomorrow come back and I will tell you about the “Free admission on your birthday” fun.

Birthday Celebration Week at Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:04:00 +0000

This week is a very special week at Mouse Beat… it is my birthday week! Today is actually my birthday and yes I am very old (31 to be exact). When I was asked how I wanted to spend my birthday there was only one thing I could think of doing… spend it at Epcot my favorite Disney World theme park. All this week I will share with you my birthday celebration at Epcot, after all it is the year of Celebrations! There are so many things I have done and plan to do this week, it will be a blast. Tomorrow I will tell you about meeting friends at the Herman’s Hermits concert yesterday and then on Wednesday I will tell you about my experience with the “Free Admission on your Birthday” deal that they have a Disney World (which I am headed out to redeem today). Then the rest of the week I will tell you about my favorite two places to visit at Epcot during the International Flower and Garden Festival. But now since it is my birthday today I am going to grab my camera and head out to Epcot…

Bonsai Collection- Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:11:00 +0000

During the International Flower and Garden Festival Japan is home to an impressive bonsai collection. The miniature trees are delicate and surprising old. The large Bald Cypress in the middle of the gold fish pond that is 150 years old. Psst Hidden Mickey fans… if you have not found the Hidden Mickey yet in Japan that is close to the gold fish pond here is a hint…

Anyway back to the bonsai collection in Japan. There are several different types of Bonsai on display. I had no idea there were such intricate rules to the maintaining of bonsai nor that there were so many varieties. In Japan you can view several different varieties of bonsai as well as learn the history and purchase your own bonsai for home. I hear they are a very relaxing hobby.

Amore nel Giardino – Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:38:00 +0000

One of the best Disney movies has got to be Lady and the Tramp. The romance, suspense and the cute dogs… what could make a better movie? In Italy they celebrate the 1955 Disney movie in topiary with their Love in the Garden (Amore nel Giardino) exhibit. I absolutely love the Lady piece. Look at her ears it is amazing that it actually looks like fur. Besides looking and marveling that the work of the Disney artists here you can also find out about using plants and flowers to create drama in your garden. There are tips on using color and textures … like Lady’s ears for example they designers could not have picked a better plant to depict the texture of her ears. This is a popular spot in the World Showcase for people to stop and have their pictures taken in front of, in fact I had to wait in a small line for a couple of quick shot without anyone in front and then for my photo in Italy I walked over to the bridge which surprisingly was less crowded…

I guess the allure of amore was too much for people so they were drawn to Lady and the Tramp and not the bridge that overlooked the gondolas and the rest of the World Showcase.

Flowers at the International Flower and Garden Festival- Epcot

amandavisualzen@yahoo.com (Amanda) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:16:00 +0000

I thought we would spend today admiring the real stars of the Spring Celebration the flowers! Disney World is a fantastic place to take photos of flowers on a daily basis, but during the Flower and Garden Festival Epcot becomes the place where people who love taking photos flowers flock with their cameras and all day long you can see people bent over trying to capture the color and delicate petals and leaves. I am one of those people. From the collage above you can see just a few (yes there are many, many more) of the flower photos that I have taken and continue to take each time we go to Epcot. There are just so many and if you pay attention you can find little cards and signs that will tell what the flower is that you are looking at and during the complimentary tours they will also tell you how you can you can grow those flowers in your own gardens or like they do in Italy give you tips on how to arrange the flowers so they make a stunning presentation. I will tell you more about Italy tomorrow… now let’s admire the lovely flowers. :)