In our Q&A series I’m happy to answer reader questions (submit via Facebook or email) and find our more about CBK readers. Today question was tough for me since I’m a loyal Survivor fan and have been since season one. But when it comes to the show I can’t wait for the next week to arrive, the nod goes to Bravo’s Real Housewives. With Beverly Hills wrapping up I’m excited for a new season with the original ladies of the OC. The Real Housewives of Orange County premieres Tuesday, February 7th and 9:00 p.m. Not surprisingly, season six of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” was the highest rated season and season seven with new cast member and former actress Heather Dubrow, Gretchen’s new role as a Pussycat Doll in Vegas and Vicki’s introduction of a new beau. Come to think of it, I may need to have an OC viewing party even if it is a Tuesday. My housewife friends rarely hit the town mid-week with work and school looming (5 a.m. comes early) but we may have to make an exception. For more information visit BravoTV.com and follow Bravo on Twitter.
Q&A: What is Your #1 Favorite TV Show
Q&A: Disney Dining Plan Recommendations?
Question
We are going to Disney this year and have booked the Port Orleans French Quarter and are on the Plus dining plan (1 snack/1 quick meal/1 sit down meal) per day. Our travel agent said we can and probably should start booking reservations early, which can always be changed/cancelled later. Can you recommend some places that are a must to eat at? I would like to at least try to reserve some places now and figured we can always change down the road. Of course, we have looked online but there are so many and it seems so overwhelming that I really would like to know the better places that may be worth going. We are looking for places that are included in the dining plan (don’t want to pay extra). We are planning on doing the princess story time at Epcot that AAA members are allowed to go to so that will most likely be the princess adventure the girls will do. Whatever info you can provide would be very helpful. Thanks!
Hi Debbie,
You should definitely make dinner reservations as soon as possible since some are in high demand and resort guests can reserve 180 days prior to their check-in date. They can be altered or cancelled later, so if you change your mind it’s better to have something in the books now. Our favorite is Cinderella’s Castle, but since you already have a Princess experience on the agenda, here are a few more of our favorites:
Character Dining
Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom, Winnie the Pooh & Friends
Favorite for Food
San Angel Inn, Epoct (Mexico)
Wispering Caynon Cafe, Wilderness Lodge
Dinner Show
Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue, Fort Wildneress Resort (2 TS credits)
Best Counter Service (No Reservation Necessary)
Wolfgang Puck® Express, Downtown Disney
One our agenda for Diney 2012:
Fantasmic Dining Experience (Mama Melrose), Hollywood Studios
Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge
‘Ohana, Polynesian Resort
Tusker House (breakfast), Animal Kingdom Park
My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party
Hope this helps! Enjoy your Disney World vacation!
Top 5 Tips for Travelling to WDW Toddlers & Preschoolers
Last week we visited Magic Kindgom for the day, and while our family would have preferred a longer stay, especially now that we are new Disney Vacation Club members, it was fabulous nonetheless. In September 2010 we visited for a week, staying at Port Orleans Resort and are planning a trip for 2012 at Animal Kingdom Village. In the meantime, this mini-trip was a perfect way to recapture the magic.
I concur with Beyond the Attractions: Disney World with Preschoolers that any age is perfect for Disney World with attractions for toddler and teenagers alike. The toddler/preschooler age group is unique, however, and we’ve gathered a few tips along the way. Since our recent trip focused on Magic Kingdom, we’ll start with that particular park.
1. Ditch the Minute-By-Minute Iteneriry
While having a plan can help maximize the fun, an extremely detailed plan is better saved for a visit with older children. For instance, though we planned to start at Adventureland, our daughter’s new favorite princess, Ariel, arrived just as we entered that section of the park. Immediately ditching our original plan, we waited for pics with she and Prince Eric and left Adventureland to make our Princess FASTPASS, coming back later in the day.
2. Use FASTPASS!
It’s hard to imagine a trip to Disney World with using the FASTPASS system. Essentially you grab a pass at more popular attractions with typically longer waits and return within the time specified, skipping the longer line and using the quicker FASTPASS one. Bonus Tip: If your FASTPASS time is 3:00-4:00 p.m., for example, you can get a 2nd pass at 3:00 to another attraction to maximize your FASTPASS usage since, in general, you can only have one out at a time.
3. Take Advantage of the New Mickey & Princesses FASTPASS
For the first time visitors are able to use a FASTPASS for a Mickey meet and greet and, during construction of the new Fantasyland, even the Disney Princessess. We’ve waited over an hour for each Princess meeting so this was by far the most exciting development on this trip!
4. Managing Naptime at Magic Kindgom
Ideally, an early start will allow for a mid-day break. During our week-long stay, we returned to the resort each day where our toddler took a nap and preschooler swam in the pool with her dad. Since this was not possible during the day trip, we again re-arranged our plan with the little one fell asleep. Dad strolled through the park while the girls visited two of our favorite attractions, “it’s a small world” and Mad Tea Party.
Another strategy which works helps beat the heat as well, is to intersperse inside and more relaxing attractions such as Peter Pan’s Flight and Carousel of Progress with outdoor favorites like Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
5. Parade Strategy
Everyone loves a parade, and each day at Magic Kindgom you can catch special events which allow little ones to see all of their favorite characters all in one place. Unfortunately, waiting for parades and firework shows can trigger melt-downs without proper planning. New coloring books and bubbles are two easy ways to distract during the wait, but my #1 tip is…avoid the wait. Many arrive extremely early for prime spots, so instead we’ve begun to skip the cue and find a place to watch just before the parade or fireworks show. We’ve managed to snag excellent viewing spots overtime making long waits not worth the effort.
Disclosure: Park tickets were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% ours. Read our full disclaimer and frequently asked questions.
Cool Tip: Look for more tips (such as meet Rapunzel & Flynn at Magic Kingdom) and Disney posts by subscribing to Cool Baby Kid CBK via RSS or email and be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter too.
Q&A: Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problems
Ferberizing 101
Though I’ve already written a review on Ferber’s Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems, after using the book recently a second time with baby number two I remembered why Dr. Ferber was one of my favorite people in the world and worth another look. With a two year old who sleeps like a charm and a four month old we recently “sleep trained,” I’m even more convinced of his methods. Basically it boils down to using the “progressive waiting” approach and letting baby cry. Yes, it’s awfully hard and makes you want to cry too but in the long run is best for the entire family. You wait 3, 5, 7, and 10 minutes progressively without picking up or rocking etc. though you can verbally reassure them for a minute or so. The goal is for baby to learn to sleep on their own. If he or she is also feeding upon waking, you must also break that habit by extending the time 1/2 hour each night until the feeding is pushed back into the morning. Using this method, we went from 2-3 wakings with feedings to a ten hour stretch of sleep a few weeks later. Buy Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problems and join the Dr. Ferber Fan Club. (I haven’t been in a fan club since Luke Skywalker, but that one I would join!)
Cool Tip: Feel free to comment with any questions you have, and I’ll gladly answer them if I can.
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