Frozen Summer Fun Live

Disney's Hollywood Studios is about to be "Frozen" over. The theme park will be adding limited-time activities related to the blockbuster film beginning July 5.

"Frozen Summer Fun Live!," scheduled to run through Sept. 1, will represent the first official Hollywood Studios appearances by characters Anna and Elsa, who will be joined by mountain man Kristoff for a royal procession down the park's Hollywood Boulevard each day at 11 a.m.

Other features of the promotion will include:

• A "Frozen" singalong. Guests will join Anna, Elsa and the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a telling of the history of their kingdom and be invited to sing along with parts of the film's soundtrack. The 20-minute show in Premiere Theater will be presented multiple times a day.

• "Frozen" fireworks. Each night, Elsa will produce blue and white fireworks, set to the film's soundtrack. The park's iconic Sorcerer's Hat will be on the receiving end of special icy projections. This event is set for 9:45 p.m. nightly.

• "Frozen Funland" in Soundstage One. A makeshift adventure park designed by Oaken and cousins to take advantage of a snowstorm. Inside, guests will be able to watch ice carving, buy hot cocoa and see the cousins on a skating rink. There will be virtual photo ops with animated characters.

• Take-Along Olaf. In the spirit of Flat Stanley, versions of the film's snowman sidekick will be distributed. Pictures taken with Olaf -- designated with the #OlafSummerVacation hashtag -- will be eligible to be featured in the pre-fireworks show

• The "Coolest Summer Ever Dance Party." A live band will play nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Note: There will not be meet-and-greet sessions for Anna and Else during the Hollywood Studios event. The royals will continue to have audiences with theme park guests at Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom.

Kennedy Turns 3

Well it's that time of year again! I can't believe it but my baby turns THREE today! If you follow my blog, Instagram or Facebook page you'll know that up until 7 weeks ago, Kennedy was the shining star of our family. If you want to catch up you can read about her turning 2 here...and you can catch her in a variety of posts throughout the blog.

To my littlest one...I can't believe you turn 3 today. I swear it was just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant. Time is flying and it's hard to keep up! You are a constant delight and amaze me on a daily basis. You are wild and crazy and so much fun to be around! You are as independent as always (you have been since you were born).

Your year started off a bit rough, recovering from a pretty major surgery (that you totally rocked)!

You and Walter are still the very best of friends...

You just can't help yourself when it comes to dressing like a Princess...

You have the BEST facial expressions...we just know you are going to be a star someday!

The only thing you love more than donuts are pancakes..

You love to go places...ANY where. You just love an adventure, but need your beauty sleep too...

Did I mention the curls??

 You are a fish in the pool!  I have a feeling this summer is going to be spent in the water.

Like every other 3 year old on the planet, you are addicted to Frozen. I could listen to you sing it every day!

Have I mentioned your attitude?

 You also love animals! Going to the zoo is a favorite! You love monkeys and snakes! Much to my dismay...

This year you became a big sister...and you are totally amazing at it, just like everything else you do.

You are growing so fast and it's such an amazing pleasure to experience it side by side with you.  You are so full of joy and love that it just makes other people smile. You have the wildest imagination and spirit.

So my dearest first born, Daddy and I love you. You simply amaze us each and every day and we can't wait to see what the next year holds!

Disneyland Giveaway

I'm so excited to bring you an AMAZING giveaway!!  I have teamed up with some awesome sponsors and bloggers to give you the chance to WIN A DISNEYLAND VACATION!

  This giveaway is brought to you by our amazing sponsors:

Tamron

Get Away Today

MarriedwithMickey.com

House of Blues Crossroads Anaheim

Canvas HQ

And all these fabulous bloggers: Real Moms Real Views, The Bragging Mommy, One Artsy Mama, A Moms Balancing Act, Maybe I Will, Money Saving Madness, Fabulous Fun Finds, Living with the Magic, Modern Mommy Files, Preschoolears, Bargain Briana, Simply Sherryl, Fabulessly Frugal, Sweet C's Designs, Busy Mom's Helper, Bombshell Bling, Embracing Beauty, Brought to You by Mom, A Little Tipsy, The Mommy Nest, Capital B, the SIMPLE moms, Having Fun Saving, Love Our Disney, and Dandelion Moms.

  One Grand Prize winner will receive a Disneyland Vacation! This includes a 3 night Hotel Stay at a Moderate Anaheim Hotel through Get Away Today (Subject to Availability), $650 in Disneyland Tickets (or winner's choice of Disney or Visa Gift Card*), $100 Gift Certificate to MarriedwithMickey.com, and a $50
Gift Certificate to Zazzle.com.

   

First Runner Up will receive a Tamron16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO Zoom Lens ($629 value), and a $50 Gift Certificate to MarriedwithMickey.com

 

  Second Runner Up will receive a Combi Cosmo Twin Double Stroller ($259.99 value) and a $50 Gift Certificate to MarriedWithMickey.com

Third Runner Up will receive a $200 Gift Certificate to Canvas HQ.

 Enter via the Giveaway Tools widget below.

Entry-Form

Giveaway will begin on June 16, 2014 1:00 AM and will end on June 30, 2014 11:59 PM. *If winner chooses the Visa Gift Card this will forego the 3 night Hotel Stay. This option is offered in the event that the person who wins is unable to travel to Disneyland. These prizes are not transferable and can only be used by the winners themselves. Hotel stay is subject to availability and black out dates. Hotel stay must be used within 1 year of giveaway ending date. Winners will be chosen at random, verified and contacted via email. The winners will have 48 hours to email back and claim the prize, if prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

 

Holly Jolly Christmas Vacation!

Let's get down to business shall we? The reason I love to share with you how my family prepare and plans is to help you! I hope it gives you some insight as to what I love to do and also to help you and your family prepare for your Disney vacation.

Just to recap a bit, I shared with all of you that we are planning our next big family vacation this upcoming December. Our last trip as a family was in the fall of 2011 where we went to both Walt Disney World and on a Disney Cruise. Since then I've taken a few trips solo as well as a trip with just my hubs.  With Kennedy turning 3 this month we thought it was about time we take her again...plus we have our newest addition to join us!

So how did we decide WHEN to go on vacation? Well for us this year it was simple. We needed to go during a break between semesters (my husband is studying to become a Special Ed teacher) and we wanted to take advantage of FREE dining. Plus if you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know we are crazy about Christmas!!

If you are trying to decide when your family should take a Disney vacation, keep a few things in mind!

• Are you willing to take the kids out of school?
• What weather are you most comfortable in? Do you mind the heat and humidity or would you prefer it a bit cooler?
• How about crowds? Would you like to visit when the parks are a bit slower/emptier or do you not mind visiting with tens of thousands of your fellow Disney fans?

Many people are in the same position as we are this time.  Our work/school lives dictated WHEN we are able to visit Walt Disney World. If you are flexible, here are some great times of year to vist!

• January (my personal favorite) with the exception of President's Day Weekend as well as the Disney Marathon
• Most of February with the exception of Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
• March and April can be tricky depending on Spring Breaks and when Easter falls
• Early May through Early June except Memorial Day
• September and October

While you may find pockets of less busy times, those in general are the best times to go for lower crowd levels and best prices.  Sometimes, like in our situation, going during a slightly more crowded time of year may be worth it for special events like Christmas, Star Wars Weekends, Food and Wine Festival, etc.  If you have a good plan and realistic expectations, you can still make it an amazing and magical vacation!

Need a bit of help planning? That's what I do!!  For a free quote and to take advantage of my FREE services (did I mention FREE?), email me at amanda@mouseketrips.com!