Disney World: Planning Our Summer Trip In The Middle of Winter! Stop #1 Disney’s Contemporary Bay Lake Tower

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Walt Disney World: Planning Our Summer Trip
 In The Middle of Winter! 
Stop #1 Disney’s Contemporary Bay Lake Tower
Stop #1 – The Contemporary Bay Lake Tower
The view last time from our balcony at The Contemporary Bay Lake Tower
By now everyone in the world knows what a Disney Family our little unit has been forever.
Since we are one of many Disney Vacation Members from 1997 we have the pleasure of
visiting Walt Disney World frequently and always staying at a Disney Resort.
Whether you are a DVC member or not if you are planning a Disney stay you always have to think ahead.
It is the middle of winter and our August trip is sealed up and we are set to go.
Some people like to go on vacation and stay put in one resort, but we love to switch it up between the 
different Disney Resorts to experience the fun and themes that each one has to offer.
We also love the unique pool and slide that each resort boasts.
Although The Art of Animation Resort is not included in the Disney Vacation Club selection, we 
could not resist staying there for a night or two at the request of our Little Mermaid fan.
View from our balcony at night!

As for the rest of our trip we will be returning to some of our favorite resorts. Stop one will be the The Contemporary Bay Lake Tower.  We will have a two bedroom suite with a Magic Kingdom view. This is one of my favorite resorts because of the view. Either side of Bay Lake Tower has a breathtaking view.  One side one the resort faces Bay Lake and the other faces Magic Kingdom. 
If you want to fall asleep with your curtains open and the castle as your nightlight this is
definitely the place for you. I also love the access you have to Magic Kingdom. You can walk there, it is literally that close. There is a path right to the front gate of Magic Kingdom. There is also a boat service
to and from MK. As for connecting to other theme parks it does not get much easier than staying at
Bay Lake Tower. If you are not familiar with the Contemporary, the monorail goes right through the lobby of the hotel. This monorail will take you to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the ticket and transportation center, The Polynesian, and The Grand Floridian. You can also take the free Disney bus service from the Contemporary to any of the Four Disney Parks. 
As far as dining, you have quite a few choices if you want to stay right at the resort to dine.
We love the character energy of Chef Mickeys, located right in the lobby! If you have children that want to see characters up close, this is a great dining choice. Another perk is that you do not need a theme park
ticket to dine here. We always go to Chef Mickeys on one of our pool days (don’t skip the pool, you will love it). This way we can keep the character flavor in the day! There are also many other places to dine, play and shop on the grounds of the Contemporary Bay Lake Tower. 
You can check out all the dining here including The Wave and the famous California Grill.
If you ever have the chance to stay at the Contemporary Bay Lake Tower, you will not be
disappointed. If you are a DVC member it is worth the points! We cannot wait until August to 
stay there again.
Disclosure:All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan. 
Please tell them Diane Sullivan sent you. ELGeorgia@aol.com email me.
Twitter @3decades3kids @MyDVC 

Sea World Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin On Tour Will Be In PHILADELPHIA Feb. 23 & 24

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Sea World Antarctica:
Empire of the Penguin
On Tour Will Be In
PHILADELPHIA
Feb. 23 & 24

Twitter  #JoinTheVoyage
February 23-24, 2013
King of Prussia Mall
160 North Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA
19406
610-265-5794

Recently my family that the awesome experience of getting a sneak peek into the
newest attraction that will open this spring 2013 at Sea World Orlando. Antarctica:
Empire of the Penguin on Tour was fun for the entire family. We had the chance
to learn about penguins and get an up close look at some of the live penguins that
did not seem to mind all of the onlookers. There were quite a few activities including 
making your own video dancing with penguins (you can view ours at the bottom 
of this post). We also enjoyed meeting up with Sea World’s life 
sized penguin, Puck! When you visit, don’t forget to pick up your passport
and visit all the stops for a stamp to pick up a special gift at the end of your
visit. There is also a crane, Ice Quest, that you can play for free if you tweet!
In the meantime, follow along on Twitter at +SeaWorld  #JoinTheVoyage.

SeaWorld Orlando’s newest and largest-ever attraction opening this spring, Antarctica
: Empire of the Penguin, will transport you into the icy world of the penguin like never
before.  You’ll feel the majestic grandeur of the South Pole and see it through the 
penguins’ eyes on an exhilarating, first-of-its-kind family ride.  You’ll explore a massive
penguin colony in an expanse that envelops them in cool extremes, both above and below the penguins’ icy world.  Join us for an Epic Voyage when Antarctica blows through the
King of Prussia Mall, February 23 through 24. 

You’ll get a virtual sneak peek of the continents thrills and chills when you walk side
by side with a penguin colony and become an Antarctic explorer in this unique family
experience. You can play games, take photos and enter to win an once-in-a-lifetime trip 
to SeaWorld Orlando. There will even be live penguins making scheduled appearances
throughout day. So bundle up and get ready, SeaWorld Orlando’s Antarctica is coming. 
Don’t miss it! For more information and your chance to win a trip to SeaWorld Orlando to
experience SeaWorld’s Antarctica: Empire of The Penguin visit SeaWorldOrlando.com/Antarctica.
Click here for a full list of cities the tour will visit. If they are by you, do not miss out.
It’s an awesome event for the entire family!



Disclosure: Diane Sullivan is a Sesame Place Ambassador Blogger +Sesame Place 
 Sea World is a partner park.
All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan. 
Email me at ELGeorgia@aol.com Twitter @3decades3kids 

Free Printable Valentines from Universal Pictures’ DESPICABLE ME 2

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Free Printable Valentines 
from Universal Pictures’ 
DESPICABLE ME 2
Valentine’s Day & Despicable Me2
Perfect Together!
Click here to download
DESPICABLE ME 2 will hit the theaters SUMMER 2013!
Visit the Official Website
Like Despicable Me on Facebook
Follow @DespicableMe Twitter
Follow on Despicable Me Google+
Watch the latest trailer on YouTube
                               

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster, Despicable Me, delighted audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history.  In Summer 2013, get ready for more minion madness inDespicable Me 2.  Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions…and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.
Disclosure: Information provided by Universal Pictures. All opinions are that of
Diane Sullivan. Email me at ELGeorgia@aol.com
Twitter @3decades3kids

Disney’s “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” Hits Central Park, NYC March 5 & 6th, 2013

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Disney’s “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour”
Hits Central Park, NYC
March 5 & 6th, 2013
Leave it to Disney to just keeping adding to their neverending list of awesome ideas! This one I absolutely adore. The Journey to Oz Balloon Tour will be coming across country and begins today at the movie premiere today, at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Ca.  Since we all can’t be out in Hollywood and sometimes miss out on the fun, Disney has made this one within an arm’s reach for people in the NYC area!

Yaaaaahooooo!!! Click your sparkly red shoes together because this balloon is coming home to NYC!

One stop on the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour”, is NYC on March 5 &  6th, 2013.
You can find all the fun right here in Central Park, so save those dates, you won’t want to miss out! See you there.

Disney announced today the launch of the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour,” sponsored by leading multichannel retailer HSN and IMAX Corporation, in support of its upcoming fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” opening in U.S. theaters and IMAX® on March 8, 2013. The colorful, “Oz The Great and Powerful”–emblazoned hot-air balloon began its tour this morning from the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, Calif.

Stops for the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” to date include:
·       TODAY!!! “Oz The Great and Powerful” premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood  (February 13)
·       Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. (February 17)
·       Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.  (February 20)
·       Central Park in New York City (March 5 & 6)

On February 15, the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” app will go live on the official Facebook page for the film (facebook.com/OzTheGreatAndPowerful). Starting then, fans will have the opportunity to unlock screenings in cities near them. Users will vote by Tweeting with a custom hashtag for their city (e.g. #DisneyOzSeattle) or by sharing on Facebook.

“Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

Disclosure: Information provided by Disney Pictures. All opinions
are that of Diane Sullivan. Email me at ELGeorgia@aol.com

“

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Stops in NYC March 3rd One Day Only, Free Event.

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 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Stops in NYC March 3rd One Day Only
To Celebrate its 20th Anniversary
Hilton NYC
Free Event
Over the years a big topic in our house has been WWII. My dad is a WWII veteran and has a million stories about it. He is now 87 and still proud of the time he spent in the US Army that he joined at 17 years old along with his brother. Honestly, I cannot wait for this exhibit to hit NYC and to be able to share the day there with my entire family. It will be quite an honor to see my father and my children sharing the memories of days gone by and the importance they still hold at the present time.


You can also take advantage of this wonderful experience as The US Holocaust Memorial Museum stops in NYC for one day only on its 20th Anniversary Tour. The exhibit is free but you will need to reserve tickets. You can reserve your free tickets right here.

 The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is conducting a tour for its 20th Anniversary, and the NYC stop will be on March 3 from 9am-5pm at the Hilton New York.The event aims to introduce New Yorkers to the Museum’s work, and inspire people to take action against indifference today.

There are engaging and instructive activities throughout the day (full schedule available online), but highlights for children include:

  • Building Blocks of Hope: A hands-on art project for children (ages six and above) that will travel to DC for the Museum’s 20th anniversary event in April 2013.
  • Time Capsule in a Milk Can: Emanuel Ringelblum and the Secret Archives of the Warsaw Ghetto: A one-man theatrical performance recommended for students in middle school and older



Disclosure:Information provided by USHM. All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan.
Email me at ELGeorgia@aol.com