Chef Minnie Passholder Gifts At The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

Disney has been giving Annual Passholders cute character magnets for several years now. They are a fun, free collectible that can often be found at the various EPCOT festivals. This year, Passholders can pick up a Chef Minnie magnet on their first visit to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.

But who can visit the Food and Wine Festival just once, right? There's so many foods to try that it definitely takes a few visits to try most of it. For the past few years, Disney has had an additional gift for Passholders who visit the festival multiple times. The gift has changed over the years: wine glasses, tumblers, and cheese boards to name a few. This year, Passholders will receive a set of coasters on their fourth visit. The set of four wooden coasters, complete with holder, feature a wood-burned Chef Minnie. They're rather fun and more usable than some of the previous gifts. So, if you're an Annual Passholder, be sure to pick them up.

These Souvenirs From A Galaxy Far, Far Away Are Awesome

One of the coolest thing about a visit to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is the souvenirs. The markets of Batuu are filled with delightful items like costumes, clothing, and toys. However, some of my favorite souvenirs are the maps and specialty food containers found throughout the land.

When you walk into Hollywood Studios, be sure to grab a map. The latest map is printed on slightly heavier paper than a typical Disney map. It's also printed with metallic ink. As you open it, the map focuses on the amazing sights that can be found in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

The second fold has even more information about Star Wars throughout the park as well as a guide to Aurebesh, the language of the Star Wars universe. The map then shows all of the rides. attractions, and dining at Hollywood Studios like a regular park map. It's a very cool and free collectible.

As you head from the main park into Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, pick up a Traveler's Guide from a cast member. The guide is printed on heavy paper in flat ink, unlike any map I've seen at Disney. It's smaller than a regular map and has information about Batuu on one side and a map and a Galactic Guide to Star Wars throughout Hollywood Studios on the other.

It also has a guide to Aurebesh and every section is labeled in English and Aurebesh. The Traveler's Guide is another fun freebie.

One of my favorite souvenirs is the Batuuan Spira. The heavy, metal coin is actually a Disney Gift Card. When you first load the card, you have to add a minimum of $100. The Spira is labeled in Aurebesh. It says "Spira" and "BSO" short for Black Spire Outpost. The Spira can then be used anywhere Disney Gift Cards are accepted. It's a fun way to pay for food and collectibles throughout Batuu. And when it's empty, it's a fun souvenir of your trip off world. The Batuuan Spira is available at the Droid Depot. If you walk around to the back of the shop, you can enter and purchase your Spira without waiting with the Droid makers.

If food related souvenirs are more your speed, there's no shortage of those either. The smallest, and least expensive, is the round, thermal detonator Coke products. You can buy Coke, Diet Coke, or Sprite. The outer lid of these bottles is removable, but it's difficult to open or close the bottle without it. They aren't cheap at $6 each, but they are pretty cool.

Perhaps you prefer a larger collectible drink, and one you can only find on Batuu. If so, why not order a Bubo Wamba Family Farms Light-Up Sipper from the Milk Stand. It comes filled with either Blue Milk (my favorite) or Green Milk (Bean's favorite). The plant based drinks defy explanation regarding flavor, but they are surprisingly good. The sipper is pretty cool, with a Bantha design on one side and a Thala-siren on the other. It has a switch to turn on the light-up function on the bottom, and a carry strap (I always recommend unclipping the strap release, tying the strap in a half knot, and reclipping the strap. Trust me, you'll  be glad you did when you avoid dropping it unexpectedly.) The Sipper is a little pricey at $24.99, but it comes with a good amount of "milk."

Finally, if specialty Disney Popcorn Buckets are something you just can't resist, Batuu has got you covered.  At Kat Saka's Kettle, you'll find a MSE-6 Repair Droid, or mouse droid, filled with the special Outpost Mix popcorn. The top of the droid as a lid that opens to accept a bag of popcorn. The wheel turn and it has a carry strap. The Droid popcorn bucket is $19.99. The popcorn is an intriguing mix of sweet and spicy that I quite enjoyed.

So, with a wealth of souvenirs to choose from, which ones will you bring home?

Free Pirates of the Caribbean Ticket from Red Robin

Red Robin

What goes better with a burger than fries? How about free movie tickets? From now until June 19th, purchase a $25 limited edition Pirates of the Caribbean gift card from Red Robin and you'll receive a Fandango code for up to $10 off your ticket to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

You can also purchase the gift card online at RedRobin.com. And while you're there, check out the free wallpaper downloads featuring posters for the film.

Hocus Pocus Wallpaper

Photo courtesy of Disney

It seems that Halloween is in the air at the Disney Parks Blog. From makeup tutorials to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party photos, and fun treats to make, they have a lot of spirit these days. My favorite recent bit of Halloween fun is a set of three Hocus Pocus wallpapers. Each one features one Sanderson Sister along with her most recognizable quote. Winifred will always be my favorite, but "Amuck! Amuck! Amuck!" still makes me laugh. To download the wallpapers, just visit the Disney Parks Blog.

Toys R Us Lego Mosaic

On August 27, Toys R Us stores nationwide are celebrating Captain America: Civil War with a free Lego mosaic. From 12-2pm, kids ages 6 and up can make their own Cap mosaic to take home. If you love Legos like Bean and I do, you won't want to miss this special event.

I Love Yarn Day

Today is I Love Yarn Day, so I thought I'd share a few of my current projects with you. I am ridiculously fond of knitting dishcloths. I don't quite know why, but I really like making them. With Halloween coming up in a few weeks,  I've been knitting silly Halloween picture dishcloths. I've made a few candy corn from Lily Sugar and Cream, and a cute kitty and adorable Mickey jack o'lantern, both from One Crafty Mama. Next, I think I'll make a skull and crossbones dishcloth from A Little Backwards. All of the dishcloth patterns are available for free.

My other big projects at the moment are a pair of hedgehog mittens I recently made for my mom and a Gandalf scarf. I couldn't find a pattern that I liked for the mittens, so I designed my own. (I don't really like thick mittens, but all the patterns I found were for medium weight yarn. I designed mine to be made with sock weight yarn.) I based them on some traditional mittens with the cute little crocheted spines for added texture. I think they turned out quite well.

The Gandalf scarf is knit in linen stitch for a woven look. I ordered the yarn straight from Stansborough, the same company that provided the wool yarns used in the Lord of the Rings movies and the Hobbit movies. I chose the Kokako color, which is the natural grey of the sheep. I love how it's turning out. The yarn is gorgeous and the knit pattern is beautiful. I can't wait to see it finished.

Well, that's what I've been knitting. What do you have on your needles? Do you crochet instead? Whatver yarn craft you enjoy, be sure to share it today. Happy I Love Yarn Day!

Free Dining is Back

Have you been considering a trip to the World this fall? If so, now is the perfect time to book your journey with Sierra from Destinations in Florida, because free dining is back. This means that you receive a free dining plan on trips during select days at the Walt Disney World resorts. It's a great time to go to Disney World; that's when Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party starts, as well as the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. I'll be going, and you should, too. For more details about what dates are available, be sure to request a quote. And don't wait too long, because they are selling out quickly.

Shutterfly Photobooks

Have you ever used Shutterfly to create a photo book of a Disney vacation? I have made several, and really enjoy it. I have been a traditional scrapbooker for years, but Shutterfly is a great way to try out digital scrapbooking. I have used Shutterfly's photobook creator in the past, but this book was created using layouts I made on my computer and uploaded as full pages. And it's always a good idea to keep one made up in your online account. I've actually received all of my books for free and have only ever had to pay for shipping. They also offer a variety of print sizes and finishes as well as mugs, pillows, magnets, and more.

In addition to being a great way to revisit a favorite trip, I like to use these books as autograph books. I'll share my favorite one tomorrow.

Unscramble the Love

Who couldn't use some extra points from Disney Movie Rewards? From now until February 14th, you can Unscramble the Love. Unscramble each word and enter it as a code to add 5 points to you  Disney Movie Rewards total. There are 5 words, so you can get a total of 25 points just for unscrambling a few words. Sounds good, right?

Disney Store Summer Play Days

Disney

Starting July 1 at 2:00pm, the Disney Store will be hosting Summer Play Days. Events will take place every day from July 1 to September 2, although times may vary. Be sure to ask a Cast Member in your local Disney Store for more information. Kids must be at least 3 years old to participate, but I believe can be any age over 3. If you attend several of these events, you can even receive a prize. If you attend 5 events, you get a Mickey Mouse keychain. If you attend 10 events, you get a Mickey Mouse watch. I wish we lived closer to a Disney Store, because we would go at least twice a week!

Disney Store Scare School

 We took Bean to a special class at the Disney Store on Saturday. She attended Monsters University Scare Approaches 101. The class was short, but wild. When we approached the class, we were both given an ID and a sheet of stickers so that we could pick our monster picture. We also started thinking about names for our monsters. I named my monster Oozma and Bean named hers Fast Pink Shadow.
 

Scary Feet Scary Feet Scary Feet

After everyone had their IDs, our teacher walked us through the various scare techniques. We learned to do "Scary Feet", how to really "ROAR!" like Sulley, and even how to do the "Waternoose Jump and Growl."

ROAR!

Bean was so into her roars, that she was even selected to be a helper to get the other kids excited and loud. After learning how to scare, we had to practice until we could fill a scare canister so full that it flew around the room, which meant my mom, sister and I had to participate as well.

Monsters University ID & Pennant

We did a great job and were rewarded with Monsters University pennants, although we each had to roar to get them. We had a great time and a great teacher, which really added to the fun.

Lowes Build and Grow Summer of Pixar

Have you ever taken your kids to the Lowes Build and Grow Kids Clinics? We've taken Bean almost every time since she was 3. She loves being able to build, paint, and decorate the various wooden projects. I love that she has learned how to properly hammer a nail, put in a screw, and paint carefully. And best of all, the Kids Clinics are free!

Lowe's often teams up with various movie companies to make their projects more fun. Last year, they worked with Dreamworks to create four summer projects, two from Shrek and two from Madagascar. My favorite was the Onion Carriage from Shrek. It was hilarious! This year, Lowes is working with Disney and has created six fun new Pixar movie inspired clinics.

The first two clinics are part of the Monstrous Summer leading up to the premiere of Monsters University on June 21. On June 5-6 kids will be building Mike and Sulley Scarers. They're so cute! At the second one, on June 22-23, kids will have a chance to build a chest to store their treasures. It comes with stickers inspired by the Fraternity emblems and logos of Monsters University.

The next two clinics feature vehicles from the Toy Story series. At the July 13-14 clinic, kids will build the Pizza Planet Delivery Truck. Once decorated with the stickers, it looks just like the one in the movies! And the second, July 27-28, features the loveable RC.

The final two clinics celebrate the upcoming August 9 release of Planes. At the August 10-11 clinic, kids can build the star of the film, Dusty the cropduster. At the second, August 24-25, they'll build the dashing and daring El Chupacabra, a famous racing plane from Mexico.

Bean is beyond excited to go to these clinics, especially because they feature Disney and Pixar. I hope you'll go, too. Be sure to signup online as the clinics fill up quickly and only have space for around 75 kids. Be sure to print out your waiver and bring it with you. Each child who signs up and attends the clinic will receive a kit to build, an apron, a certificate of completion, and an iron-on patch.

Let the Memories Begin

Disney

Disney has rolled out a new experience for fans of Walt Disney World. It's called the Let the Memories Begin Tour. This is a chance for everyone to experience the magic of Disney World without going to Florida.

Disney

By visiting one of the tour locations, guests can take virtual in-park photos that they can share. Photos are provided by Snapfish. Cast members will spread a little pixie dust at each stop, making this tour a magical experience. The tour kicks off in Chicago this weekend and travels around the country, ending in Puerto Rico in September. Here's a list of tour dates and cities.

5/30 - 5/31 Chicago, IL
6/5 - 6/6 Boston, MA
6/10 - 6/12 New York, NY
6/18 - 6/19 Washington, DC
6/24 - 6/25 Atlanta, GA
7/8 - 7/9 Dallas, TX
7/12 - 7/13 Houston, TX
7/19 - 7/20 Phoenix, AZ
7/26 - 7/27 Denver, CO
7/30 - 7/31 Salt Lake City, UT
8/5 - 8/6 San Francisco, CA
8/16 - 8/17 Portland, OR
8/20 - 8/21 Seattle, WA
8/26 - 8/27 Calgary, Canada
9/2 - 9/3 Toronto, Canada
9/23 - 9/24 Puerto Rico

A recent nationwide survey of U.S. and Canadian families found that vacation memories hold a special place in family history. Nine out of 10 parents said they planned vacations with the hope that they would result in a lasting family memory. In 2011, Disney Parks launched “Let the Memories Begin,” a year-long celebration of the family vacation memories created in Disney theme parks every day. You can view my previous post about this celebration here.

Mousescrappers weekend and a Freebie

In honor of Mousescrappers 2nd Anniversary, I've made some primary colored Mickeys for use on your scrapbooking layouts. I used this Mickey on my layout about the hopscotch design we found in EPCOT at the United Kingdom pavilion. This is the first design I've decided to share, but I hope to have more soon. So for now, enjoy! And don't forget to stop by Mousescrappers this weekend for some fun and games.

Just click on the image to download.

Is anybody out there?

Have you ever noticed that some of your favorite blogs may have thousands of visitors, but very few followers? I wonder why that is. I've recently started digital scrapbooking and have been considering creating a few freebies and kits of my own. Unfortunately, I'm not sure anyone would ever find them, as I only have 3 followers. So, I'd like to know what everyone else thinks. If I offered a few Disney accents, would you be interested enough to follow my blog? Would you comment and "leave love" if you downloaded? Please let me know. I'll put my first freebie up sometime this month, so keep an eye out and you may find something fun!

Free Summer Movies

Regal Entertainment Group

I'm always looking for something to keep Bean from getting bored in the summer. However, most of the day camps and other activities cost a fortune! This summer, we'll be going to the Regal Entertainment Group Free Family Film Festival twice a week. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all summer long, Regal is offering two free kids movies, one rated G and one rated PG. The movies start at 10AM and are available on a first come first served basis.

Bean and I went for the first time today. We saw Night at the Museum II. Admittedly, we have the DVD, but there's something special about seeing a movie on the big screen. (Truthfully, we have nearly all of the movies they are showing this summer!) Besides, we're in the middle of an unexpected heat wave here in Georgia, and the air conditioning at the theatre was wonderful! The following is the schedule for the free movies in Georgia (this schedule does vary by state, so be sure to check whats playing before you go):

• June 15-17 Charlotte's Web, Night at the Museum II
• June 22-24 Wallace and Gromit, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• June 29-1 Polar Express, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
• July 6-8 Doogal, Planet 51
• July 13-15 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, Imagine That
• July 20-22 March of the Penguins, Paul Blart: Mall Cop
• July 27-29 Kit Kittredge: American Girl, Hotel for Dogs
• August 3-5 Arctic Tale, Monsters VS Aliens

Check Regal's website or your local theatre to see if they are participating in this fun festival. Our local theatre showed each movie on 3 screens, 2 for daycare groups and 1 for families, so there were plenty of seats for everyone. They do offer a full concession menu including Kids Meals during the movies, so you might want to buy some popcorn with the money you're saving on tickets. This Family Film Festival is a fantastic idea and I hope it continues for years to come.

Enchanted Calls

I recently got a code for a free Disney Enchanted Call from Princess Tiana. I ordered and received the call today. It was actually kind of fun. The phone rings at a prearranged time and tells you to press 1 within 30 seconds. You press 1, and Tiana says hello and starts talking about making gumbo. A minute or two later, she tells you that she's got to go because her pots boiling over, and says goodbye. Bean really enjoyed it. She was excited that Tiana had called HER personally. I don't know how much these calls normally cost, but there is a deal for several calls available from Disney Movie Rewards. The calls are great for kids and are a wonderful surprise. Consider arranging a call as a special birthday surprise for that wonderful birthday kid.

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 5 EPCOT

EPCOT is a great place to collect autographs. The lines are generally short and there are many opportunities to meet characters at this park. There are a few character Meet'n'Greets in Future World and several in the World Showcase. And if you're a Disney Visa cardholder, don't forget to take advantage of the special Meet'n'Greet in Innoventions. Not only will your family get a private session with some of the characters, but you'll also receive a free 5x7 photo from the session.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie*
Alice
Mary Poppins
Mulan*, Mushu*
Belle, Beast*
Snow White, Dopey
Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet

Characters that are sometimes available:
Governor Radcliffe
Marie
Baloo
Donald Duck in 3 Caballero's clothes*, Jose Carioca*

* = only at this park

There are also some special event characters that you can meet at Christmas, only at EPCOT, and sometimes they do sign autographs. They also tell stories about the winter customs of their countries. The stories are very interesting and help children learn about other culture's customs without realizing they are learning. I would recommend getting to each storytelling early and standing as near the front as possible. Depending on when you go, you may be the only family waiting for a storyteller, and you may be chosen to help with the story. (Bean was chosen to help La Befana by holding her broom!)

The special Christmas storytellers are:
Nowell the Lumberjack (Canada)
Father Christmas (United Kingdom)
Pere Noel (France)
Taarji (Morocco)
Daruma Doll Seller (Japan)
Santa & Mrs. Claus (American Adventure)
Hanukkah (American Adventure)
Imani (American Adventure - Kwanzaa)
La Befana (Italy)
Helga & the Nutcracker (Germany)
Monkey King (China)
Sigrid & Julenissen (Norway)
Los Tres Reyes Magos (Mexico)

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 4 Animal Kingdom

Collecting autographs at Animal Kingdom is a lot of fun. At this park, most of the characters, quite appropriately, are animals. This has been one of our favorite places to meet characters because the lines are usually very short. Often, we've had to wait one minute or less. Sometimes we just get to walk right up to the characters with no waiting. When traveling with impatient kids, that's a real bonus. At Animal Kingdom, there are several places to meet characters. Several are available right after you enter the gate, and there are always characters at Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Baloo, King Louie
Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger
Lilo & Stitch
Flik
Pocahontas, Governor Radcliffe, Meeko
Rafiki, Timon
Terk
Jiminy Cricket

Characters that are sometimes available:
Koda* & Kenai*
Brer Bear & Brer Rabbit
Thumper* & Miss Bunny*
Princess Atta*

* = only available at this park
Tomorrow, last but not least, EPCOT!

Autographs - An Adventure in Collecting, Part 3 Hollywood Studios

There are many opportunities to collect autographs at Disney's Hollywood Studios. For some characters, this is the only park where you can meet them for photos and autographs. The lines in this park are generally shorter than at the Magic Kingdom. At Hollywood Studios, I would recommend seeing Prince Caspian, the Incredibles, Playhouse Disney characters if you have little kids who enjoy the shows, Lightning McQueen & Mater, Mike & Sully, and the characters from UP. I haven't been to the Star Wars weekends yet, but I've heard that there are a lot of great characters to meet at these special events, as well as some of the actors who performed the roles in the movies. Most of the characters at Hollywood Studios are in special, themed areas specific to the character and are available throughout the day. Then there are rotating characters at the Magic of Animation building. These characters vary and may change multiple times throughout the day. As a result, you never know who you're going to get, but that can be fun if you have the time.

Characters that can be seen on normal days:
Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Sorceror Mickey, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto
Chip & Dale
Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Green Army Man*
Prince Caspian*
Power Rangers Green*, Yellow*, Pink*, and more*
Elastigirl*, Mr. Incredible*, Frozone*
Genie
Playhouse Disney: Handy Manny*, Jojo & Goliath*, Annie*, Quincy*, Leo* & June*
Indiana Jones* & Marion* (after the stunt show)
Lightning McQueen* & Mater* (they can't sign autographs because they don't have hands!)
Mike Wazowski* & Sully* (they can't sign autographs because Roz won't allow extra paperwork!)
Russell*, Mr. Fredrickson (Carl)*, and Dug* from UP

Characters that are sometimes available:
Belle
Mulan
Mary Poppins & Bert, Penguin
Villains: Captain Hook & Mr. Smee, Cruella DeVille, Frollo, Governor Radcliffe, Jafar, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Queen of Hearts, the Snow Queen, Evil Queen
Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee, the White Rabbit
Rafiki
Snow White & Dopey
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore
Pinocchio, Gepetto
Lilo & Stitch
Max
Pocahontas & Meeko
Suzy & Perla (the Mice from Cinderella)
Marie

Characters that are only found during Star Wars Weekends:
Chewbacca*, Ewoks*, R2-D2*, Jawas*
Darth Vader*, Boba Fett*, Stormtroopers*, Darth Maul*, Clone Troopers*
Jedi Mickey*, Stormtrooper Donald*, Vader Goofy*, Leia Minnie*

* = only available at this park
Tomorrow, on to Animal Kingdom.