Nicole Ellington
I'm a lover of all things Disney! I have an adorable son named Andy (after Toy Story), and an amazing hubby named Aaron. For my family and I, Disney isn’t just a hobby or someplace we casually go when on vacation, it's a way of life. We try to go back 'Home' twice a year. My hope for this blog is to help families navigate their crazy, magical times through Disney and reach their Disney Dream!
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The Magic Behind PhotoPass and Memory Maker
They say a photo speaks a thousand words. If that’s true, then photos from a Disney Photopass Photographer must speak at least two thousand words! I don’t know how they do it, but they always seem to capture my most favorite photos of my family. My son, who I happen to think is the cutest kid in the world, just doesn’t take photos well. He’s not very photogenic. But somehow, they always capture him looking cute! In this article, I will explain what the difference is between Photopass and Memory Maker, if it’s worth you getting it for your vacation, and other need to know information.
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A Complete Guide to MagicBands
To me, MagicBands are basically magic. I mean, it says it all in the name! You technically don’t need MagicBands while visiting Walt Disney World. but it does make your life a whole lot easier. And I am 100% for making life easier. Here is a complete Guide to MagicBands! 1. What are MagicBands? I am so glad you asked! (I am just going to assume that you asked). Anyway, MagicBands are the most magic-filled jewelry that you will ever own. They are bracelets that use RF technology to store your specific information. You match them up (“Mickey to Mickey” as you will hear Castmembers say) to various touch points…
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Getting a Letter from Mickey and Friends!
Letter from Mickey Mouse: Do you have a child that is just as obsessed with Mickey Mouse as my son is? My son, who is 4 years old, is constantly talking about how Mickey is his friend. He thinks that they are best pals and misses him so much when we aren’t in Disney World. And since we live in Connecticut, we don’t make it to Disney nearly as often as we would both like. He truly gets very sad because he misses his ‘best friend’ so much! I went on a hunt. I was determined to figure out a way to help my son feel better in between Disney…
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Animal Kingdom, Blog Post, Dining, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Tips
Disney World Trip Calculator- Your Best Disney Planning Tool
I am EXTREMELY pleased and excited to announce that — drum roll please — Disney Dream Co. now has a Disney World Trip Calculator!!! Yayyyyy!!!! What is a Disney trip calculator?? Well, I am so glad you asked! This little tool will help make the process of planning a Disney vacation sooo much easier!! Here at Disney Dream Co., that’s something that we all really want to do — help make your Disney vacation easier to plan and more enjoyable! First things first… What is it?!? This calculator will help you figure out all of your ” need to know” and important dates. For example, one of the dates that I am always trying…
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Crash Course on Surviving Disney World With a Toddler or Baby
Disney World with a Toddler: I’m going to be honest here… Toddlers are hard! They aren’t babies anymore, but there are not big kids yet. They are kind of in the weird in-between stage where you can’t wait for them to grow up, but, at the same time, you keep asking yourself where the time has gone. It’s an emotional rollercoaster all around! So, taking toddlers to the happiest place on earth is no small task. I am past the toddler stage (thank goodness), so I feel like someone might be able to learn from my trials and errors. In this article, I hope to show you how worth it…
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How to Survive a Rainy Day at Disney
Rainy Day at Disney: Let’s face it, if you are going to be at Disney for more then a couple of days, chances are that you will encounter rain at some point in your trip. And I HATE getting caught in the rain! For me, it really has to do with my hair. I have such crazy, frizzy, curly hair that takes hours to tame this beast. So, mix that in with the Florida rain and humidity and it’s NOT a pretty sight! Anyway, I try not to let the rain ruin my day. Here are some ideas that you can do to help you through a rainy day. This Rainy Day…
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Great Activities To Do at WDW that Also Make Awesome (and FREE) Souvenirs
FREE. Who doesn’t love something that is free? I am a self-proclaimed cheap-o and LOVE when I see that I can get something for free. I feel like I am wasting money if I don’t do whatever the free thing is. Anyway, I figured coming up with a list of activities in Disney that give you free souvenirs would be great! So here we go! I hope you enjoy this list! 1. Collecting Stickers Around the Parks Who doesn’t love stickers? Collecting stickers is a fun, neat way to bring back some free souvenirs and make a fun activity out of it! Depending on what park you are in, and…
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You Can Soon Upgrade Your Free MagicBand!
Having a MagicBand is all part of the fun and Magic while vacationing at WDW. For resort guest and Annual passholders, they get to choose a basic color one for free. But now, resort guest and annual passholders will be able to upgrade to one of the specially design MagicBands for a discounted price! There are 30 new MagicBand upgrade options featuring favorite Disney characters and designs. These new MagicBand upgrade options will be available for pre-arrival purchase at a special price that reflects a $14.99 discount off the regular retail cost through the My Disney Experience website. Watch the video below for more details! What do you think? Are you…
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Extra, Extra Magic Hours Coming to WDW?
Extra Magic Hours: First off, Happy Star Wars Day and May the 4th be with you! In celebration of Star Wars Day, WDW has some great news to give all of us! As you may already know, guest staying at one of WDW resorts get a perk called Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours give resort guest an opportunity to enter a certain park that is open for a few hours for resort guest only. This allows resort guest to get some extra time in the parks either in the mornings or evenings with fewer crowds. WDW just told us that they will now be doing Extra, Extra Magic Hours…
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How to Keep You and Your Family Cool and Survive the Heat in Disney World
Keep Cool in Disney: I often hear people ask, “If I go to Disney World this month or that month, how will the temperature be?” And I have the answer for you! It will be HOT. No matter what, you will experience hot portions of the day. Especially if you are from a northern state like me. Anything above 70 seems to be hot. And then there is my son. He is a sweaty mess if the temperature gets above 50. Actually, he sweats no matter what the temperature is. So here I have compiled a list of things that will help you keep you and your children as cool…
