GAME TIME! Goombay Games at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (Disney Hotel)

Walt Disney World resorts hotels have game rooms stocked with everything from cutting edge touch screen games to classic arcade games like pinball and air hockey. Go for a personal best or go head to head against a friend as you battle aliens, play sports, race cars, dance to the beat, make music, solve puzzles or try your hand at pinball, air hockey and more.

To play games, you must first purchase a Game Card and add game points using cash or a credit card at a kiosk inside the arcade. Game Cards are rechargeable and can be used at other Walt Disney World Resort arcades.

Find new, videos games like Fruit Ninja, Guitar Hero, Speed of Light, Disney-Pixar Cars, Snow Crossed, Pump NX2, Fast and Furious Super Carz, NASCAR, STAR WARS Starfighter, and Blazing Angels, just to name a few. Games of physical skill are also available like Air Hockey, Skee Ball, Super Shot, NFL 2 Minute Drill, Speed of Light and Jumpin Jackpot. Last but not least, find classics like Galaga, Ms Pac-man, pinball, and more.

Arcades at each Disney hotel used to offer prizes in exchanged for tickets earned, but those redemption desks have been closed and tickets are no longer offered.

Disney Resort Playground at Old Key West

Disney’s Old Key West Resort playground is a fun place for the kids to play. It is right next to the pool with a sandy ground. A lot of the playground is also covered to protect the kids from the Florida heat! Here you’ll find a slide, monkey bars, a pole to slide down and more!

Disney’s Old Key West is in the Deluxe Resort category, and it’s located in the Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) area. The Disney Resort theme revolves around the romance of the Florida Keys. It is a tranquil community of Conch Flats—a sprawling island with shimmering waterways, swaying palm trees and manicured golf-course fairways. With sun-soaked pools, casual dining and such amenities as fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes, you can enjoy this peaceful tropical paradise at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. It’s also just a boat ride away from the excitement of the Downtown Disney area.

 

Walt Disney World Miniature Golf at Winter Summerland

Disney World miniature golf at Winter Summerland is a fun activity for the whole family. You can celebrate Christmas with Santa, elves, snowmen and more all year long! There are two courses available at Winter Summerland miniature golf. You can choose from winter or summer sides of Winter Summerland. As a bonus, you can pay a 2nd round of mini golf for a discount! Ask the CM at Winter Summerland about the 2nd round discount.

According to Disney’s web site, the story of Winter Summerland Miniature Golf is this:

“Late one Christmas Eve, as Santa was flying back to the North Pole, he discovered snow in Florida. After surveying the strange sight, he decided to build a vacation destination for his off-duty elves-a Winter Summerland.

Seeing that the only thing Winter Summerland lacked was a golf course, Santa and his elves divided into 2 camps, one that enjoyed the warm Florida sun and another that preferred the snow and cold of the North Pole. The elves then built 2 distinctly different 18-hole golf experiences: a sand course named “Summer” and a snow course named “Winter.”

The Summer Course

Enjoy fun in the sun at the Summer Course amid surfboards, sandcastles and ornaments hanging from palm trees. Deck the balls as you putt around peppermint-striped inner tubes, snapping clamshells and a melting snowman. Don’t wake sleeping Santa buried in the sand!

The Winter Course

Putt your way to the North Hole on the Winter Course—but watch out for Squirty the Snowman! This “jolly, happy soul” sprays water at golfers when golf balls pass beneath him. Merry obstacles include giant peppermints, hockey sticks and the drawbridge of a fantastical, melting castle. The courses combine for the last holes, and after sinking the last putt on Hole 18, golfers receive a special message from Santa Claus, courtesy of the WinterNet!

The Art of Shaving is Now Open at Downtown Disney (Disney Springs)

Located in The Landing section of Downtown Disney (Disney Springs), the Art of Shaving is now open. The location also offers high-end grooming essentials for the modern man and experts on hand to provide shaving advice on products and techniques.

The Art of Shaving Shops Created in 1996, are the first of their kind; a masculine establishment set up to provide men with the finest shaving products and accessories. Our shops are operated by a team of shaving specialists who offer advice to customers on proper grooming techniques.

The Art of Shaving also has a Barber Spa where Master Barbers provide a range of services using Art of Shaving products and pure essential oils which will leave you well-groomed and relaxed. Some of the services include haircuts, traditional shaves, head shaves, moustache trim, and beard trim with a shave. The signature experience is the Royal Shave, which is described as follows on their web site:

“Experience the ritual of The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave^® performed by our expertly trained Master Barbers. This relaxing escape begins with a hot towel and a protective layer of Pre-Shave Oil to prepare your skin. Next, Shaving Creamis applied to the face in a rich, hot lather. Our skilled Master Barbers use a traditional Straight Razor with precision and mastery to shave with the grain first, and then re-lather and shave once more against the grain for closeness. A second hot towel, infused with Lemon Essential Oil, is applied and followed by the After-Shave Mask, replenishing the skin’s moisture after the shave. Next, a cold towel, infused with Lavender Essential Oil, provides a soothing and relaxing experience. The Perfect Shave^® concludes with the Hydrating Toner and the application of the After-Shave Balm to hydrate the freshly shaven skin”

The masculine, but luxurious environment at the Art of Shaving provides men an indulgent experience right here in Walt Disney World.

Take a Ride on the Orlando Eye

New! Ride on the Orlando Eye with spectacular views of Orlando. You can even see the fireworks at night! Take a moment to escape, and discover the magic and natural wonder Orlando has to offer from above. See sights like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, International Drive, surrounding area resorts, Florida lakes, and much more!

Here’s a video that was taken opening weekend! Check out that Orlando Eye view!

Be effortlessly lifted away in a capsule of calm and serenity to see Orlando in a way you’ve never seen it before. The iconic 400-foot tall observation wheel provides breathtaking views of Central Florida in all directions, with sights of downtown Orlando’s skyline, theme parks, lakes and lush landscape, and on a clear day, views of Cape Canaveral on the east coast.

Great for all ages!
Fully enclosed air-conditioned capsules
Tickets include our ultimate pre-flight 4D Cinema Experience
Located in the heart of International Drive at I-Drive 360

Tickets are $25, but you can save by pre-booking for your flight or getting a combination ticket that also allows entry into other I-Drive 360 attractions like Madame Tussauds or SEA LIFE Aquarium.

Learn more: https://www.officialorlandoeye.com/

Will you ride the Orlando Eye?

Quick Tip to Save Money at Universal Orlando Resort

This quick tip can make your day more enjoyable and help you save money at Universal Orlando!  Check out one of our favorite insider tips!

If you plan to buy sodas, buying the Coca-Cola Freestyle Cup can be a money saver too. With 18 Coca-Cola Freestyle locations inside the parks and over 100 drinks, you can stop at any station without missing a beat. The easy-to-use touch screen lets you try all of your favorites and more. Simply place your Coca-Cola Freestyle cup under the dispenser, pick your favorite and enjoy.

A couple of things you’ll what to know:

• You’ll get discounts on multiple purchases and additional days of use.
• Each refill dispenses 24 oz of product into each cup.
• Refills are only good on the day of purchase.

A new drink called Celebrity Fizz will be available starting in September 2015 — it tastes like Orange Vanilla Swirl, and will be at all in-park Coca-Cola Freestyle locations through next February (2016).

You can purchase your Coca-Cola Freestyle cup at any of the Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure locations, or when you buy your ticket online. Enjoy and open happiness!

 

 

Kilimanjaro Safaris POV at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Take a look at out Kilimanjaro Safaris POV at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park!  This ride is perfect for the entire family, even the little ones.  Each time you get a completely different experience with the animals since the animals are free roaming.  You can see how close these animals actually get to the “jeep” in this video!

On this attraction, you will get a glimpse at real animals in their natural habitats during an 18-minute expedition into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. Climb aboard an open-air safari vehicle and hang on tight as you take off on a guided tour into the African outback—where over 34 different species of exotic African wildlife seemingly roam free. As your bumpy transport makes its way through rugged terrain, glimpse an array of exotic animals in a variety of unique habitats, your helpful guide providing you with valuable information during the journey.

Some animals you may encounter during the tour include:

• Antelope
• Mandrill
• Black Rhino
• Cheetah
• Crocodile
• Elephant
• Flamingo
• Gazelle
• Giraffe
• Hippopotamus
• Lion
• Okapis
• Ostrich
• Warthog
• White Rhino
• Wildebeest
• Zebra

Be sure to keep your eyes open and have a camera ready! You never know what amazing animals you’ll see on a Kilimanjaro Safaris outing.

What is your favorite park of the safari?

Universal Orlando is one of our family’s favorite Orlando Theme Parks!  However, there are often times of the year we avoid Universal due to the crowds and lines.  A couple weeks ago, Universal Orlando hosted us for the Choice Hotels Ultimate People Person mini vacation.  They hooked us up with a VIP Tour Guide and took us to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Our tour guide “back doored” us to popular rides like Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s, Spider Man, The Mummy, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Hogwart’s Express and so many more.  Most of these rides had a 60-90 minute wait, but we walked right in.  This was certainly a fantastic way to quickly see both Universal Orlando Parks.

Our tour guide was almost like our “mother” during the day.  When it rained, she had ponchos ready to go.  When we got to rides, she would take all of our purses and bags while we rode the attraction.  She was even there to take us to a delicious dining experience at Lombard’s at Universal Studios.  She even stamped our valet voucher, so we could park in valet parking for FREE!

However, for me the highlight was learning all about the Universal Orlando Parks.  As a regular visitor, I learned a lot of new insider information about the park, rides and even celebrities that visit these parks.  I soaked in all of the information and cannot wait to share some of these with my family on our next visit.

The Universal Orlando VIP Tours are available for any guest.  Look into booking this exclusive experience on your next visit to the movies!

Disney’s Polynesian Club Level Lounge Tour

Disney’s Polynesian Resort Club Level Lounge is a special perk for guests staying in the Club/Concierge Rooms at this resort. It’s called King Kamehameha Club.

This exclusive lounge has a spectacular view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and they even pump in the Wishes Fireworks for the evening show.  They offer snacks throughout the day, including Continental Breakfast, Evening Appetizers, and Nightly Cordials & Desserts.  This is a great benefit of staying in a Club/Concierge Room at Disney World.

The club is secured by key access. It’s open and serving refreshments 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.

Have you ever stayed in a room on Disney’s Polynesian Club Level?

 

 

Second Entrance into Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Did you know there’s a second entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Check out this insider tip to save you time on your next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

Have you used this entrance before?