Wordless Wednesday - Disney Sidekicks

This week's theme: Disney Sidekicks

Who's your favorite Disney Sidekick?

Special Thanks to Deb at "Focused on the Magic" for hosting the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.  If you've hopped here, please feel free to look around, Like us, Follow us, Email us, or Subscribe to us.  Then be sure to use the link above to return to the blog hop and check out the other great blogs participating.  Thanks!

Mickey Mouse Talks!

On our last trip, we got to meet "Talking Mickey" at the Town Square Theater on Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom.  It was quite an experience, and it made us wonder if this is the future of character Meet and Greets.  Come see what we mean...


We had just entered Magic Kingdom after a great dinner at 'Ohana, and it was starting to rain. We took shelter in the Town Square Theater and got on line to see the recently debuted, and now fully installed, "talking" Mickey Mouse.

I'd seen several videos about Talking Mickey online, and I was very excited, but I wasn't sure how the kids would react.  In seven years of visits, Mickey had never said a word to Bella... what would she think?  And then there was Jackson, who at not-quite-three-years-old was great with characters (especially the Princesses) but at home was terrified of any stuffed animal that talked, sang, or danced...

So how would it go??

All that worrying about their reaction... and they were fine.  Jackson was a little thrown off by it, but he didn't run away screaming, so that was good...

I was also pleased that we got a joke, and not just a "hey, let's get a picture" like the guest before us.  But I really wished we had gotten the Haunted Mansion bit... that looked like a fun one!

But on the way out, Bella asked me why only that Mickey talks to you, and not the others you meet.  She is seven now... and she's getting close to figuring it all out (if she hasn't already), and she brings up a good point.  

Characters have evolved a lot through the years... in the early days some were downright scary, and remind me of the knock-offs you see wandering Times Square.

Thankfully, they got makeovers, new outfits, and became much better looking.... and cuddlier.

Then a few years back, they began to blink and "talk", but only in the stage shows.

And now Mickey is talking directly to guests... albeit only in this one location, and the conversations are a bit one-sided.  Mickey steers it, and I get the impression it's difficult for him to go off on any tangents.  He likes to stay focused, and the Cast Member there will help remind him to pose for a picture.

So is this the future of all Meet and Greets?  Will Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the gang start talking as well?  And is there room to make the conversation more interactive??  

Disney, you've raised the bar here, and it's quite impressive, but you've only set the standard that much higher for every other character experience!

What do you think of Talking Mickey?? 

Guests can meet with Talking Mickey daily at the Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom.

Disney Valentine's Day Cookies from the Princesses, With Love

One of my favorite Valentine's Day treats is the little conversation hearts. I love to read all of the cute sayings on each one. These traditional Valentine's Day treats were the inspiration for these cookies.

We took a little help from the store to make our cookies by buying prepackaged sugar cookie mix. For decorations we bought white and green icing, plus tips,and Disney Princess Glitter Gels.

Naturally, the kids wanted to help. My kids have been in the kitchen with me since they were babies and helping out not long after that. Bella helped make her first cookies at 18 months. She's been my little sous chef ever since. I think it's important to get your kids as involved as possible.

For the frosting, I used a mix of confectioners sugar and milk.  I then used gel food coloring to create the colors we wanted for the cookies.

Then it was time to frost.

Once the frosting was dry, it was time to decorate. We chose 4 princesses and 1 queen as inspiration for our cookies. The hardest part was finding a short enough saying for the cookies. Here is what we came up with.

Princess Aurora - "My Dream"

Ariel - "Kiss the Girl"

Belle - "Be My Guest"

Princess Anna and Queen Elsa (and friend) - "You Melt Me"

These cookies are a fun way to celebrate Valentines Day. You can even share them with your true love.

What treats will you make for your Valentine this year? Let us know in the comments.

#Disney Side @ Home Celebration - The Big Reveal

We received free products, including the celebration kit, from Disney Parks and Mom Select in order to host the #DisneySide @Home Celebration. The opinions expressed here are our own.

Our Home is Where the Mouse is family was over the moon excited to learn that we had been selected to host a #DisneySide @Home Celebration! If you read my #DisneySide post then you know how much I love to show my #DisneySide through parties.

Yesterday we received our #DisneySide @ Home Celebration party kit! The organizers and sponsors of this event  have provided the hosts/hostesses with all the tools to inspire our magical celebration. We shot a little video to give you a tour of what was in our party kit.



We'd like to thank Disney Parks, Mom Select, American Tourister, HP and Craisins for their generous donations to our @Home Party Kit! For more information about planning your own #DisneySide @ Home Celebration visit http://www.disneysidecelebrations.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Parades!

This week's theme: Parades!

Sometimes the best Parades are the smallest ones. 

Special Thanks to Deb at "Focused on the Magic" for hosting the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.  If you've hopped here, please feel free to look around, Like us, Follow us, Email us, or Subscribe to us.  Then be sure to use the link above to return to the blog hop and check out the other great blogs participating.  Thanks!

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival- Spring is Almost Here!

Spring will be here before we know it. When I think of Spring, the first thing I think about (besides the warm weather) is the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. Every year, Disney works its magic to transform Epcot into a celebration of Spring!

We've been to the Flower and Garden festival twice, and we can tell you from personal experience that it is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, we were unable to make it this past year, so we took our readers on a virtual tour. You can read all about it by following these three links.

• Epcot Flower and Garden Virtual Tour Part 1 
• Epcot Flower and Garden Virtual Tour Part 2
• Epcot Flower and Garden Virtual Tour Part 3

This year we will actually get to see the festival in real life. We are so excited to see the festival in full bloom and to take part in all the new additions. If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World between March 5th and May 8th, here are all the festivities that you have to look forward to.

Topiaries

For me, the best part of any Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival we've been to, has been the amazing topiaries that could be found all over the park. I love how the characters are magically brought to life using all natural materials. They are absolutely breathtaking. Rumor has it we may see some Muppet topiaries this year. I'm still holding out hope that the characters from Frozen will make their debut this year.

Outdoor Kitchens

The biggest addition to the festival last year was the introduction of the food carts or Outdoor Kitchens as they're called. Kiosks are set up throughout the park that allow guest to sample a variety of garden fresh flavors from around the world. One of the most popular dishes last year was the Frushi (fruit sushi) from the Hanami outdoor kitchen. We even tried to replicate it at home. Find out how here.

HGTV Designers and Personalities

Various personalities from HGTV and DIY Network will visit the festival to give guests tips on how to make their homes spring ready. You can find a schedule of who will be presenting when.here.

Flower Power Concert Series

The American Gardens Theater, located in the American Adventure Pavilion, is home to The Flower Power Concert Series. Musical acts from the 60s to the 80s are featured throughout the festival. Here is this year's line up as published in the Orlando Sentinel.

March 7-9 -- The Guess Who

March 14-16 -- Gary Lewis & The Playboys

March 21-23 -- The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO

March 28-30 -- The Lovin' Spoonful

April 4-6 -- Paul Revere & The Raiders

April 11-13 -- The Village People

April 18-20 -- The Grass Roots

April 25-27 -- Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone

May 2-4 -- Starship starring Mickey Thomas

May 9-11 -- Chubby Checker & The Wildcats

May 16-18 -- Alan Parsons Live Project

Festival Center

This is the place for all things flower and garden. Here you will see exhibits, attend workshops and get expert pointers. Don't forget to pick up your passport here so you can get it stamped along the way.

Fun for Kids

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is not just for adults. Each year, the festival creates a festive and interactive play area for kids. Last years was based on the movie "Oz: The Great and Powerful. Tink's Butterfly Garden and Cars Interactive play area will be returning this year for the kids to enjoy.

Be sure to check back for more updates and information on the festival. Will you be enjoying the Flower and Garden Festival this year? 

Foodie Friday- The Master's Cupcake from Be Our Guest

Today is my birthday! Yay! 

Let's celebrate with some cupcakes!

We recently had the opportunity to have lunch at Be Our Guest. You can read about that experience here. This meal was used as an early birthday celebration for me. While the meal itself was good, I have to say the best part was dessert. Each person in our family tried a different cupcake. For my birthday, I treated myself to The Master's Cupcake. 

If you are a fan of the Grey Stuff, then you will love The Master's Cupcake. This delicious cupcake is basically Chocolate Sponge Cake topped with Lumiere’s special “Grey Stuff”. The cake was moist and rich. The Grey Stuff ( a cookies and cream whipped panna cotta) was sweet and creamy and made its way into the center of the cupcake. The cupcake was topped with crunchy edible pearls and a piece of thin dark chocolate.  Yum! Put it all together and you have a very sweet and very satisfying end of meal treat. 

If you are a chocolate lover like me then I highly suggest The Master's Cupcake (aka The Grey Stuff Cupcake). It's delicious.

The Master's Cupcake is $3.19 or 1 snack credit at Be Our Guest lunch.

This post is part of the Favorite Foodie Friday blog hop, hosted by Disney Day by Day!  If you love Disney food, then use the link to check it out!