The top 16 things I learned at the most magical place on earth

I’ll be honest. I had never been to Disney as a child and I thought it would be cheesy. I figured if I ever went on a family vacation, it would be to eastern Canada to see the whales or to western Canada to see the mountains. But then last week we went to Disney and now I totally understand. It truly is a magical vacation for kids and adults alike. My children are ages 9, almost 7 and 4 and they had the time of their lives. Here are the top 16 things I learned…

1) The Boardwalk Hotel is an amazing place to stay. There is a boat out front that takes you to Epcot and Hollywood every 15 minutes. And buses to take you to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. There are jugglers and mimes and magicians sharing their tricks at night when you return from your adventures. You can rent a bicycle for four or six and tour around. And there are delectable restaurant choices including Cat Cora’s and The Flying Fish.

2) The food plan is totally worth it if you have children with you and if you reserve your sit down meals in advance (I reserved five months before we arrived). We ate at Sanaa in Animal Kingdom Lodge the day we went to Animal Kingdom and dined on amazing African food while watching giraffes and zebras graze outside our window. We enjoyed skewers of shrimp, steak, chicken and pork at O’Hana’s in the Polynesian Resort the day we went to Magic Kingdom. We met all the princesses during our dinner at the Akershus Castle in Epcot’s Norway. We enjoyed traditional Japanese food cooked at our table at Epcot’s Teppan Edo. We dined on delectable steak at the Canadian Steak House, Le Cellier. And here’s a tip… at Cat Cora’s pizza window on the Boardwalk, you can use one quick service point to get one slice of pizza, a fresh fruit bowl and a drink or you can use two quick service points to get a whole pizza, two drinks and two fruit bowls. That’s a great lunch for a family of five and you have three points left over. At Magic Kingdom we ate our quick service lunch at Cosmic Rays where a child’s meal can be eight chicken nuggets, fries, fruit and milk and at Colombia Harbour House in Liberty Square where the adults could choose salmon, quinoa and broccoli among other choices. The Flame Tree BBQ is a lovely place for lunch at Animal Kingdom where you can all enjoy chicken and ribs. Don’t eat lunch between noon and two to avoid line ups. And if you are paying with your meal plan points, everything is covered except tip at the sit down meals.

3) We bought our autograph books, pens and rain ponchos at the dollar store before we left home. This saved us money and we were still able to get memories of meeting Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, Mickey, Donald, Pluto and more. Rain or shine. May seemed to be an amazing month weather-wise at Disney. It wasn’t too hot and only rained on our last night.

4) We invested in a Photopass so that we could have the Disney photographers take pictures of us and will then be able to crop and design our pictures online before getting Disney to send us a disc of all our memories. If you get the Photopass Plus, pictures of select restaurant meals and rides are also included (ride photos are $15 each if you buy them separately and the Photopass Plus is $199 for everything).

5) We spent about 12 hours a day doing the parks and visited Magic Kingdom twice, Animal Kingdom once, Hollywood once and Epcot twice. We found Magic Kingdom less busy the day we went when there were no magic hours (those are the special hours when only guests staying at Disney resorts can visit the park).

6) If you see a staff member with a clipboard outside Magic Kingdom, ask if they are doing a stroller survey. We did that on both our visits to Magic Kingdom, and after a quick survey and picture, got a $31 double stroller for free for the day. On our second visit we were the first stroller family in the park so we also got four 8x10 pictures for free.

7) The fireworks at all four parks are amazing. We watched Illuminations at Epcot twice, Disney Wishes at Magic Kingdom once, and Fantasmic at Hollywood once. We also saw all the parades and enjoyed them immensely. After the Magic Kingdom parade, my daughter was trying to pick up the Fairy Godmother's confetti and she said, “If you get enough of this, you can fly.”

8) We used Green Beaver organic sunscreen which we bought at Whole Foods at home and because the tube is 90ml, you can travel with it in your carry-on so that you can hit the pools while you are waiting for your luggage to be delivered to your room if you are staying in a Disney hotel.

9) Because we were in a Disney hotel, we didn’t have to pick up our luggage at the Orlando airport. It just magically appeared in our room about three hours after we arrived on the Magical Express Bus that was waiting for us at the airport. When we went home, we checked our luggage in at the hotel lobby and we were given boarding passes. We took another coach to the airport and were able to go straight through security and pick up our luggage when the plane landed.

10) To save money on our flights, we drove to Buffalo and stayed the night before our flight at Marriott’s Fairfield Inn and Suites. We were able to get a package including a room with two queen beds and a pull out coach (perfect for a family of five), continental breakfast, parking for the duration of our trip, and a shuttle to and from the airport. The hotel was clean and friendly and we would definitely go back.

11) At Magic Kingdom we enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear ride, Dumbo, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, It’s a Small World, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. Space Mountain was the only ride my four year old was too short to go on, but they will do a parent swap where one parent goes with the kids and as soon as they get off, the other parent can go with those kids and the first parent can wait with the child who is too small. At Animal Kingdom we did the Safari early before it got too hot for the animals to be moving around and the Kali River Rapids. We also loved Splash Mountain. The Lion King Show was amazing. Just go half an hour before the show time to get in line. At Hollywood , do the Toy Story ride first thing. It is a great one for young kids. We also enjoyed Star Tours, the Little Mermaid Show and the Muppet Show. The Indiana Jones Show and the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show were very entertaining. At Epcot we did the Soarin' ride three times and loved it. I recommend doing that ride as soon as the park opens. We also enjoyed the Aquarium and the ride through the Disney Living with the Land Green Houses where they are researching ways to grow food in less fertile land. And fast pass rides that are very popular so that you can skip the line ups.

12) You can use your meal plan snack points for drinks, fruit, yogurt, muffins, popsicles, ice cream, croissants, brownies and more.

13) I learned that Disney was going bankrupt years back and the Dumbo movie saved the day. Disney was also let go from one of his first jobs for having no imagination. He never gave up on his dreams and now makes dreams come true for millions of people each year. I am super-inspired by his story.

14) We paid for all but $500 of our hotel, meal plan and park hopper passes using our Visa points. You just pay for the trip in advance with your credit card, show your itinerary to the bank, and they will credit your card for the amount you have in points.

15) There was not a speck of litter, the washrooms were spotless and the employees were always friendly. I would guess that Disney is one of the best run companies in the world where customer service is paramount and exceeding expectations is run of the mill.

16) This was our first family vacation in 12 years of marriage. I didn’t know what we were missing. I will never forget the first family plane ride. The first time they saw the hotel pool. The looks on their faces as they plunged down Splash Mountain. Before we went to Disney, my 6-year-old said he heard from other Grade Ones that Disney is paradise. They were right. I totally recommend Disney and can’t wait to go back.

Do one thing a day that scares you

I’ve heard this comment many times but, because I like the tried and true, I tend to steer clear of risk.  For example, if I had all the money in the world to buy a car when I was 16, I would have chosen a Volvo.  Enough said.

But the older I get, the more I realize that doing things that stretch your skills, that test your confidence, that initially make you lose sleep, could be the best things you ever do.

Because they make you grow as a person.  And I think that is the goal of our journey.  To learn who we are and what we can do to make the world a better place.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut.  Just trying to keep our head above water and get through the day.  Who has time to go out on a limb and do something out of the ordinary? 

But can we afford not to?

It’s the people who take a risk that get a book published.  Or discover the cure for a disease.  Or win an election.  Or change the world.

So between jumping in the shower in the morning and rolling into bed at night, I think we would all be better off if we did one thing that scares us.  It could be biking to work.  Trying tofu.  Speaking in front of a crowd.  Running for a political seat.  Joining a book club.  Auditioning for a play.  Starting a new venture.  Taking a course.  Visiting an old age home.  Singing on stage.

Who knows?  It could be the best thing that ever happened to us.  It could change our world for the better.  And there’s nothing scary about that.

The days are long but the years are short

I just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and I will never forget her words, “the days are long but the years are short.”

I think most moms of young kids can relate to this sentiment, although we tend to forget it when our lives are swirling around us like a windstorm.

From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you’re running.  Work.  School.  Extra-curricular activities.  What’s for dinner?  Who’s crying now?  Where’s the permission slip for the school trip? Is that shirt clean?  The guy on the phone wants to sell me what?

But in the midst of that madness the other day, I put on a video my in-laws gave me.  The opening scene showed my three kids playing in the garden and I thought to myself, “That video must be years old.  My children look like babies.” 

The video was taken 18 months ago.  Since then my daughter started to talk.  My oldest started to read.  And my middle son started to say things about life that really make me laugh.

What?  When did my babies become children?  Where did the time go?

It ticked by like it always does. 

My mom told me once that the day will come when I miss the grubby fingerprints on the windows.  The stampede of feet on the stairs.  The shrill screams of, “Are we there yet?”   (Well, maybe I won’t miss those screams.)

It’s hard to think that way when the kids are young and life is wild.  But if we can stop at least once a day and breathe it in, it will remind us to cherish what we have.

Because the days are long but the years are short. 

Failure is the only option

Michael Jordan got cut from his grade nine basketball team.  Barack Obama tried to get a ticket to the 2000 Democratic Convention and he couldn’t get in the door.  Dr. Seuss got 43 rejections for his first children’s story.   They were all failures.  Before they were successes.

Jordan went on to become one of the best basketball players of all time.  Obama was the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention and then was sworn in as President of the United States in 2008.  And Dr. Seuss ended up getting a few stories published.

So what does this mean for all of us?

We have to remember that failing at something could be the best thing that ever happened to us.  As long as it drives us to keep trying.  As long as we get up when we fall.  As long as we remember that failure is the one thing that always happens before success.

If we don’t get the job, the next job will be the one for us.  If we fail the test, we’ll learn things that we need to know when studying for it next time. 

The only way failure can hurt us, is if we let it stop us in our tracks.

So make that investment.  Write that book.  Run that marathon.  Change your career.  Take a chance.

Will you fail?  You might.  But if you do, at least you’ll know that you’re one step closer to success.  And if you never try, you’ll never know.

The stomach flu made me happy

They say if March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb.  I know one thing for sure... my family got a lion’s serving of sickness this March that made us as weak as lambs.

A stomach flu that lasted seven days.  Followed by colds and pink eyes.  As a mom, I was at my breaking point.  But when the dust settled, and I heard those little voices screaming, “I’m all better mom,” I realized that was all I needed to be happy.

Probably helps that I’m reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin for a book club at the moment.  But I realized that what I’m wearing, or what I’m eating, or where I’m going won’t ever make me as happy as having the people I love healthy. 

It also reminded me that when mom is sick, no one is well.  So the moms of the world have to take time to do things for ourselves.  Going for a walk, seeing a play, reading a book or flossing our teeth (come on moms... we can at least squeeze this luxury in).

And most important of all for moms is maintaining and growing our friendships.  This is better than any vitamin when it comes to staying healthy.  A dinner with friends who let you vent about life and allow you to feel normal in your craziness is like an antibacterial wash for your soul.

So make a reservation.  Take time for you.  Celebrate any given weeknight.  Laugh when you feel like crying.  And remember, when you have your health you have everything you need to be happy.  Which will leave you as strong as a lion and as lovable as a lamb.

Sick Chicken

Marketplace on CBC did a show recently about the amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria found on the chicken Canadians are eating.

They tested 100 samples from a number of our national grocery chains and 67 per cent of the samples contained antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

Some samples were resistant to as many as eight different antibiotics. 

They even found antibiotic-resistant bacteria on chicken raised on antibiotic-free farms and on organic farms.  Although these samples had less strains than the samples from regular farms. 

An organic farmer on the show said that one of the reasons this may be happening is that there are no organic chicks available on the market, so organic farmers have to start their growing process with eggs that may have received antibiotics before hatching.  Then these farmers take ten weeks to raise these chicks rather than the five weeks it takes chicks to grow to full size on the antibiotic-using farms.

The Marketplace show explained that the farms that use antibiotics when growing their chickens don’t just use them for sick chickens but also for healthy chickens to ensure they don’t get sick and to help them grow bigger quicker. 

At the moment, there are no limits to the amount of antibiotics Canadian farmers can use when raising their chickens.  And some of the antibiotics they are utilizing are antibiotics that are prescribed for pregnant women and children.

So what does all this mean for the Canadian consumer?  There are people who are getting sick with superbugs, and they cannot be treated by many of the antibiotics on the market because their superbug is antibiotic-resistant.  

Some doctors are worried that antibiotics will eventually stop working all together and this could lead to our society returning to times when otherwise healthy people died of an infectious disease like pneumonia because there was no treatment.  No antibiotics to cure them.

Should we be buying the antibiotic-free chicken offered at our local stores with the hope that there are less antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria found on these products? 

If we want to make a change in the way the food we feed our family is farmed, we have to voice our opinion to our Member of Parliament.  You can find your representative by typing in your postal code at the following link.

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc

Is 40 the new 4?

Remember when you were young, and everything was new and exciting?  When jumping in a puddle could make your day? 

And then something happened. 

Most of us got so involved in doing what we were supposed to do that we forgot to do what we wanted to do.

We finished high school and post-secondary.  We landed our first job and bought our first house.  We got married and had children. 

And then we threw all the balls up in the air and juggled until we ran out of breath. 

We love our family.  And we feel lucky to have our health.  But it seems that more and more people are waking up around 40 and thinking... is there something else I should be doing for me?  

The job pays the bills.  The cooking fuels the family.  But should I be training for a marathon?  Should I start growing my own organic garden?  Should I travel to a country I’ve never seen before?  Should I make the leap into a career that lights my fire instead of one that burns the midnight oil?

But where do we start?  By reading a book on a subject we love?  Seeing a movie that everyone is talking about?  Or running down the street, not for a jog but, to see how far we can go?

Life is what happens when you are making other plans.

So why not start making life a part of the plan?  And jump in a puddle once in a while.