Talking Mickey Mouse

During our Very Merry Girls Getaway we made it our mission to meet more characters than we normally do. Usually we have our husbands with us and unless we are meeting Princesses's, they aren't too keen on the idea.  When we were able to snag a FastPass+ to meet Magician Mickey at the Town Square Theatre we were so excited!

Upon arrival we had a fairly short wait.  We waited in a queue outside the actual room where we met Mickey. We were then brought in, in groups of 10 or so.  We got to see  Mickey interacting with families before we met him.

Mickey said Good-bye to the guests that went in front of us and we were given STRICT instructions to wait.  After the guests left, Mickey turned to us and started talking.  The dialogue seemed unique to us, but at the same time it seemed canned and forced. I think we mostly giggled and smiled at Mickey.  We got our photo and ended up scooting out of there. The whole interaction to me was quite awkward.   The conversation didn't flow like it does when you meet Cinderella or Rapunzel.  I think Mickey's interaction with the kids was much smoother but still something about it seemed off. I definitely prefer my characters to NOT talk.  The other thing that I find odd is that NO other characters talk yet. I think it might be tricky to explain to my child why Mickey talks but Pooh doesn't.

This was the best picture we got with Mickey..obviously we weren't sure where to look.  Not only was this experience a little odd, the interaction with the Photopass photographer left something to be desired.


We didn't take any video but here is a video from Disney Parks Blog showing the new talking Mickey.





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Disney Memory Maker to replace Photopass+

Memory Maker
Now Everyone Can Be in the Picture! Buy in Advance and Save!
(Official Link from Disney: https://mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com/memory-maker/)


Imagine having your magical vacation moments captured—with everyone in the picture! With Memory Maker*:

-You get all the photos of everyone in your travel party taken by our Disney PhotoPass photographers at hundreds of locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

-Whether you pose in front of Cinderella Castle, share a hug with Mickey, or let us capture your fun family moments throughout the theme parks, all those great shots are yours.

-Even attraction photos are included, like that amazing shot of your plummet down Splash Mountain!

-Forget about having to purchase each photo individually, because you get digital copies of all of them to download and share with family and friends.**

The cost will $149 and can be purchased through your My Disney Experience account.  

The "window'" begins 3 days after you purchase.  If Memory Maker is purchased at the advance purchase price, any photos taken within 3 days from the date Memory Maker is purchased will not be included.

 You will have 45 days from the time the picture is taken before it expires.


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Thanks for stopping by Living With the Magic! I'm currently at the Happiest Place on Earth for our first ever Girls Getaway! I'm joining one of my best friends Lauren Kennedy from Focus on the Mouse for 4 fun filled HOLIDAY themed days at Walt Disney World. Be sure to follow us on Instagram!


Amanda-http://instagram.com/livingwiththemagic
Lauren-http://instagram.com/focusonthemouse


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Holidays Around the World

One of  my favorite Christmas Events is Holidays Around the World! During this event you can travel through the countries in World Showcase and learn about how they each celebrate the holidays in their own unique way!



Here's a list of what you might encounter:
American Adventure 
Meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, celebrate the traditions of Hanukkah and discover the spirit of Kwanzaa.
Canada 
Follow the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs on a musical tour as you explore seasonal customs of the Great White North.
China 
Watch the agile Monkey King weave his tall tale with twists and turns celebrating Chinese New Year.
France 
Discover the magic of Père Noël and the joy of the season through a Christmas letter from a child.
Germany 
Listen as Helga tells the story of the first Christmas tree and the tale of her first Nutcracker.
Italy 
Meet the kind-hearted witch La Befana who arrives on the eve of the Epiphany to grant gifts to good children.
Japan 
Hear the fascinating story of the Daruma doll and the Japanese customs of the New Year.
Mexico 
Celebrate with Los Tres Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, as they tell of their journey to the Posada and traditions today.
Morocco 
Join Taarji, a Moroccan drummer, as he reflects on family traditions commemorating the holiday of Ramadan.
Norway 
Spend time with Sigrid and learn about Julenissen, the Christmas Gnome.
United Kingdom 
Share in the vivid stories of Father Christmas, dating back to 15th-century England.


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Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party


It's been a while since I posted but today I have something special I want to share with you. Let me start at the  beginning. I'm incredibly lucky to have a very supportive husband.  Since I set out on this journey to be a Disney Travel planner more than 3 years ago (it actually started long before that), he has been my #1 fan (probably tied with my Mom).  



 Part of the job requires that I stay up to date on all things Disney related and what's better than actually visiting the park?    In our family we usually have 3 types of trips:

1) Family vacations where EVERYONE goes
2) Hubby and Wifey vacations...these are the ones where Kennedy stays home with Nana and Papa
3) Mommy only working trips (this is where the super supportive Husband and Mom come in!)

With my husbands school schedule getting more and more intense (he's becoming a Special Education teacher) it's becoming more difficult for us to take vacations together...couple that with baby #2 on the way and well we don't have any vacations together in the foreseeable future. When I found out Lauren was going to be in Disney this fall for some training I knew it was the perfect opportunity for a working trip. I'm lucky to have an amazing family so Kennedy is well taken care of (and more than likely spoiled) while I'm gone!



Back to my original topic, when I take these kind of working trips, it's often on a budget.  We don't get the dining plan and the trips are usually pretty short.  We try to make the most of our time there so we can catch up on all things new and that would interest YOU!  So when it came to the Christmas Party we had kind of tabled the idea.  I've been before but Lauren never had. It can be pricey (at over $60 a ticket) so it wasn't a front runner.

The more and more we talked about this holiday themed trip and how we NEVER get the chance for a girls trip, much less during the holiday season, we knew we had to plan on going.  So we opted to skip a few table service meals (that we had been to anyway) and book the party instead!  

I understand when families go on a budget and it's hard to decide what to keep and what to cut.  I wanted to share a bit about the Christmas party and why we feel it's so worth the money!

1) To say Lauren and I love the Christmas season....well that would the be understatement of the century. It runs a very close second, if not a tie, with our love of Disney. The Christmas party combines all of those things!  From a special Christmas parade (with Disney Characters) to fireworks, snow on Main St., cookies and hot cocoa and so much more it's the perfect combination of EVERYTHING we love!


2) Just like evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom, attending the Christmas party means being in the Magic Kingdom at night with less people. It's just kind of a magical time to walk around the parks, ride select attractions and enjoy our favorite place!

3)Extra Magic Kingdom time is NEVER a bad thing! With your party tickets you can get into the park starting at 4 p.m. even if you don't have a park hopper and didn't plan on being at the Magic Kingdom earlier that day. At 7 p.m. they'll start kicking everyone without a ticket out of the park.

Needless to say we are pretty excited about this addition to our itinerary. We did cut out two table service meals (Mama Melroses and Whispering Canyon) but we think we made a pretty good swap!


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