Author Archives: Molly B. (NDM#398)

Molly B.

Molly is a proud mommy of three Neurotic Disney Children. Though young in age, she is a veteran Walt Disney World vacation planner. She would classify her life in two parts; on a Disney vacation, or planning one. She first visited her utopia at age 3 and could not imagine her life without it. One of her proudest moments was when her son told her that he wanted to be an Imagineer and she can’t wait until her daughter is old enough to have a favorite Disney princess. She hopes to instill a life long love for Disney in her children and any one else who is willing to have a little faith and trust!

Contributed by Molly B. (NDM#398) @realdisneymom

Our Disney Driven New Years

Photo Credit: Molly B. Mickey and Friends banner supplied by Discount Party Supplies, 2012 Mickey banner hand made and supplied by Kush Event Planning

Besides actually being in Walt Disney World for New Years Eve, I’m not sure if I can think of any better way to ring in the New Year, then to do it Disney Driven Life style, and throw a Mickey Mouse themed party for the little ones, celebrating the birth of 2012! I truly envy those of you who were lucky enough to be within arms reach of my favorite castle on the eve of 2012, but I guarantee you that our little soiree was just a tad less crowded. Probably just as noisy though!

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Perk Up with Pixie Dust!

Photo Credit: Molly B.

Everyone knows I love Disney, but something that everyone doesn’t know is that I LOVE fairies. Especially Tinkerbell. I happen to be on the smallish side, blond haired and blue eyed. So growing up, my dad gave me the nick name “Tink”. Also, fairies (especially Tinkerbell), only have room for one emotion at one time. So they are either VERY happy and pleasant, or VERY upset and not very pleasant to be around. I might be able to admit that this also describes myself. (Only a little! ….) My love for Tinkerbell has lasted since I first watched Peter Pan at the ripe old age of 5, right up to present day, and I now have the honor of raising my own tiny little blond haired, blue eyed Tink!

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Mickey Band-Aids Make Mouse-Sized Boo-Boos Feel Better!

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

Are your children the type that get the smallest little prick of a scratch and scream out “MOM! I need a Band-Aid!”? Mine are. Band-Aids are used like stickers in this house. I have to hide them so we actually have them when they are really and truly needed! And what could be better to a Neurotic Disney Kid who is Band-Aid happy then ones decorated with Mickey Mouse?! Ppsshh, not much.

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Mickey’s Grand Welcome

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

2010 was a great year for this Neurotic Disney Family. We made it down to Florida twice – once in April to visit my father and take a day trip to the Magic Kingdom, and once in August to take our annual Walt Disney World Vacation. Jake was almost 4, Ben was 18 months, and Maggie, well she was still in my belly! This trip will forever remain in my heart as one of the best we’ve ever taken. It was full of so many fabulous memories!
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Epcot’s Character Spot

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

When I take my family to Walt Disney World, meeting the characters is a huge part of our vacation. I’m sure that will change as my children get older, so for now I am relishing it! Having a 5, 2 1/2, and 7 month old, I don’t want to have to do a lot of hunting around for characters, and it would be great if they could congregate all in one spot so that you can meet them all at the same time while only having to wait in one line. Oh wait! They do!

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Edible Epcot

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

“Jake, what kind of cake would you like Mommy to make you this year?” I asked my soon to be 5 year old. “Epcot, Mom.”, he replied. Beads of sweat started to form on my brow. I had made all of children’s birthday cakes every year of their lives. And when they are old enough to talk, I make them per their own requests. I had already made Jake both a pirate hat and pirate map cake in June for his birthday party with friends. I had been wondering what was stirring in that sharp little mind of his in regards to his birthday cake to be enjoyed with family. “You want me to make you an Epcot cake.” I retorted, as more of a statement than a question. “Yes, Mom, that’s what I want!”. I decided at that moment that if Jake wanted an Epcot cake, an Epcot cake he was going to get. This was going to be no easy undertaking. When most of us think of Epcot, we think of that giant silver golf ball that is Spaceship Earth. And I knew when Jake said that he wanted an Epcot Cake, what he really meant was that he wanted a Spaceship Earth cake. My son is like me in many ways, and one of these ways is that his favorite of all the Disney parks is Epcot. It is strange for a child not to have the Magic Kingdom as their favorite park, but when I was a little girl, I always felt most at home in Epcot, and Jake, a budding Imagineer, really enjoys the more educational feel of this park.

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Do You Have Enough Brothers and Sisters in Your Life?

Photo Credit: wwww.ABC.com

Brothers and sisters have always been a common theme in my life. I’ve got one of each, and I now have three children to call each other brothers and sisters. But for those of you who are lacking siblings or just need a little more brother and sister fun in your life, you are in luck, because on August 23rd, the final season of ABC’s Brothers and Sisters was released on DVD. The complete series of ABC’s Off the Map was also released on DVD on this date. If you have not gone out and snatched up these new releases, by all means, go out and do so and have a slumber party with your own brothers and sisters and spend all night watching the episodes!

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FOR THE LOVE OF MICKEY

Photo Credit: Jeff Beckley

I can not imagine my world without Mickey Mouse. He has been a part of my life since the age of 3 when I first lay eyes on him while in Walt Disney World for the first time, and I am privileged to have been able to pass the love for this amazing pop culture icon down to my 2 little boys.

Mickey is a part of our every day lives in many ways. I must admit I have logged an awful lot of time on the telephone with Mr. Mouse. If my husband could take a look at my imaginary phone bill he would probably be alarmed that I might be being unfaithful to him with old Mickey! How many of you have said “If you don’t stop that right now, I am calling Mickey!” If you have never used this threat than you are a better Neurotic Disney Mom than I, because when my boys are getting a little out of hand I have been known to throw this statement out at them. If they don’t stop what ever naughtiness they are into at the mere mention of these words, then the phone gets picked up, some random numbers get punched, and I have a conversation with Mickey about how naughty children are not by any means allowed at his home. The conversation is always ended with “Yes Mickey, thank you, I will tell them what they have to do to redeem themselves.” My almost 5 year old looks so forward to his trips to Walt Disney World every summer, so whatever Mickey says, goes! If Mickey is not happy with his behavior then you better believe it is getting turned right around! At least for a couple minutes…

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PACKING DISNEY STYLE

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

This Neurotic Disney Family is currently 10 days away from their much awaited vacation to Walt Disney World. The kids and I are completely brimming with excitement and yesterday the husband even quipped, “We’re 11 days away. I’m actually pretty excited.” Swoon! What music to a Neurotic Disney Mom’s ears! I have reached the end of my months of planning the annual journey to my homeland, and I am currently in the final stage. Packing. This is the 4th time I as an adult have packed for a weeklong vacation to Walt Disney World. The first time it was just me and my husband on our honeymoon. The last two times it was for my family of 4. The new addition of our little princess came in January so this is the first time I will be packing for a family of five, including three children under the age of 5, two of whom are still in diapers, and one on a baby food diet. This can be quite an overwhelming task unless you attack it with complete organization and the realization that you might not sleep much the night before you leave. This doesn’t bother me much as I know I can catch a nap while sitting in The Hall of Presidents. So here are a couple tricks of the trade I have picked up over the years that help packing go a bit smoother!

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A 5-YEAR-OLD’S MUST-DOs

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

My three previous trips to Walt Disney World as an adult have been planned completely by myself with the exception of my foodie husband usually picking out the places in which we will dine. For this year’s trip, I got the added bonus of my son being old enough to have a lot to say about what he wants to do in Walt Disney World this year!

Here is your Disney Dozen for the things my almost 5-year-old Neurotic Disney Kid, must do on his trip to Walt Disney World this year, in his own words.

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HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL ROOM AS ORGANIZED AS THE REST OF YOUR VACATION PART 2

Photo Credit: Dennis Brown

Here is the second half of your Disney Dozen for how to keep your hotel room as organized as the rest of your vacation!

#7.  A place for shoes! If your family is like mine, they will saunter into the hotel room mid-afternoon ready for a nap and kick their shoes off to only Mickey knows where. Then, when we are ready to hit the parks in a couple of hours, no one will be able to find them, and they’ll probably blame it on their dear old NDM. Have a designated spot for shoes! For us it is the area underneath the vanity, but it can be anywhere that is convenient and out of the way for you!

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Fairies and Gnomes and Pixies, Oh My!

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

This past week my 3 little ones and I spent a fantastic week vacationing at my father’s lake house on Whetstone Pond in Abbott Village, Maine. What a way to completely  escape from the stresses of everyday life. It is absolutely quiet and serene and quite in the middle of nowhere! While it was nice to be unconnected from the world for a short time, as there is no internet or cell service in these parts, I found myself missing my social media, and especially my daily Disney fix that I get from my phone and computer! My children love playing in the woodsy front yard of my father’s house, but they too are Disney kids at heart and are always looking for something “Disney-esque” to entertain them. When my father built the house 3 years ago, his wife suspected that his grandchildren who would be visiting would be craving a little something extra besides the great outdoors. It was from this thinking that she decided to create her own “Pixie Hollow” in a little secluded area down by the lake shore. She had an inkling that the kids would fall in love with it, and boy was she right. Every year my oldest runs down the steps and down the path to immerse himself in this magical land of pixies and gnomes.

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HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL ROOM AS ORGANIZED AS THE REST OF YOUR VACATION PART 1

 

Photo Credit: Jean Caldora

One of the most important things to remember while planning a Walt Disney World vacation with little ones, is that you must stay organized! If organization is not a priority to you then it is very easy for chaos to ensue and for everything to fall to pieces. If you are a NDM then being organized should come as second nature to you. You plan out your trip down to when you will use the bathroom. You create detailed packing lists and find great joy in checking off each item as it gets stowed away in your Walt Disney World luggage. Then you arrive at your resort, and unpack everything while your NDH takes the NDKs down to the pool. You put everything in it’s exact spot. Then your Neurotic Disney Family bursts back into the room and in 3 seconds flat everything is laying all over the floor. But have no fear! This does not need to happen! Here is the first half of your Disney Dozen for keeping your hotel room as organized, neat, and tidy as the rest of your trip!

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MY NEUROTIC DISNEY KID

 

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

Not only am I am Neurotic Disney Mom, but I have a Neurotic Disney Kid. My son Jake is 4 years old. He will be 5 on August 29th. On August 5th he will be embarking on his 3rd trip to Walt Disney World. Last year we created a chain link count down complete with a plethora of Disney characters on the chains to count down our trip to WDW. Every day he would wake up, and promptly come jump on me, asking me to help him take down another piece of our chain. And then every hour on the hour he would ask “How many days again Mommy?”. This year we decided not to do a count down. What I really wanted to do was surprise him with our trip this year but since he has been going to WDW for the past 2 years every summer, he just kind of assumed we were going. Since he’s only 4 and doesn’t really have a concept of dates, I figure that I can still surprise him the morning of our trip.

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DISNEY DRIVEN PARTIES

 

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

I don’t know about you, but throwing parties for my children plays a big part in my Disney Driven Life. During the planning processes of these parties, my Neurotic Disney Mom tendencies come out big time. “What’s that you say? You don’t want a Disney related party theme this year. DS2? How dare you?!” I won’t get into the substance of the story of when my sweet little middle guy wanted a party with a character from the channel we do not name…

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THINGS MY CHILDREN MUST HAVE ON THEIR DISNEY VACATIONS PART 2

 

Photo Credit: Molly Beckley

Here is the second half of the Disney Dozen for things my children must have on their Disney vacations!

#7. Clothing! This might not be something your children are attached to, but wearing the correct clothing while touring the parks in red hot heat is paramount to your Disney survival! We dress in as little clothing as possible! When purchasing summer clothes for my kids I always have our Disney trip in mind, and try to purchase shorts and sleeveless shirts made with very light weight material. I also make it a point to gather Mickey shirts and the like from places like Target.

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JUST GRAB ‘EM AND GO!

Photo Credit: www.disneyjunior.com

Ahoy! Summer is upon us and as the mother of two very rambunctious little boys, I am always looking for activities that will engage and calm them down for a few precious moments during our long days! As a family who leads a Disney Lifestyle, I can bet that I will grab my little munchkins attention if I wave a Disney related activity in front of them! My boys absolute favorite show on television right now is Jake and the Neverland Pirates, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned that Disney Junior is launching a programming event specifically for this show!

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THINGS MY CHILDREN MUST HAVE ON THEIR DISNEY VACATION PART 1

Photo Credit: Jeff Beckley

When contemplating the planning of a Walt Disney World vacation with my little ones there are many things I must consider. My personal number one goal is to keep everyone in my family as happy as possible while in The World. In my opinion, a critical aspect of achieving this lofty goal is to have the right equipment! I have found that if my children have certain things accessible to them that they are used to having at home, we are in for a much less bumpy ride. A smooth one even! Here is the first half of the Disney Dozen for things my children must have with them on their Walt Disney World vacations!!

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