Road Warriors Live

Disneyland was designed for kids of all ages – and toddlers are no exception! There are many things that you can enjoy with your toddler – so many things in fact, that unless you will be staying for several days, you won’t have time to do them all.

Start with Toon Town. Here is where you will find your toddler’s favorite Disney Characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse. All of the Characters have homes in Toon Town, full of things that will amaze your toddler, and make them laugh.

Your toddler will certainly like the Disneyland Railroad. This is a great way to get around the park, because there are stations in New Orleans Square, Toon Town, Tomorrowland, and on Main Street. This will amuse your toddler, and give you a chance to see some sights and rest a bit.

Its A Small World is very suitable for toddlers. Music and colors will keep your son or daughter mesmerized while you enjoy a relaxing ride across the water. The Storybook Land Canal Boats is another good choice, as it will take you through the miniature villages that your daughter or sonwill be quite familiar with from their story books.

Rides that you and your toddler must not miss include all of the rides in Fantasyland, King Arthur’s Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Circus Train, and the Mad Tea Party. Rides that are appropriate for youngsters, but that may cause a little fear are the rides that are dark. These include Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White’s Scary Adventure. Buzz Lightyear is a popular ride for all toddlers.

There are other areas of the park that have attractions and rides that are appropriate for toddlers. Remember that Disneyland is a place for kids of all ages. Pay particular attention to the height and age requirements for each attraction, and avoid taking your toddler to rides that they will not be able to enjoy. This will only cause your son or daughter disappointment.

Stick to the areas where the toddler appropriate attractions are located as much as possible. As an adult, you realize that some rides are simply not safe for small people – but your small person will not comprehend this! Your Disneyland vacation should
be enjoyable for everyone, and Disneyland has made sure that there is something for everyone at the park. It is up to you to keep your daughter or son happy, and to keep them interested in the rides and attractions that they are meant to enjoy.

And wouldn’t it be great if your toddler was potty trained before that vacation. Discover the best methods
potty training boys
potty training doll
toilet training boys

I’ve had a little boat problem ever since we got our RV last August.

Every time we hit a campground that’s near water. I always wished that we had her boat along with us. In fact at times it’s gotten so bad that we’ve even rented boats to go out on the water. It just kills me since we have a perfectly good 15 foot jet boat and a jet ski sitting in the garage at home.

The only other option we’ve had up until this point is to bring an extra vehicle and tow the boat behind it, or to actually tow the boat behind the RV. I feel for the folks that have a fifth wheel. Since latter is not even an option. I have talked to a ton of people that own fifth wheels, and since their heavy duty towing vehicle is towing the fifth wheel. They really don’t have the option to bring their boat.

For me the idea of launching our boat, with the motor home brings up nightmares of RV floating slowly across the lake, due to loosing traction on one of those slippery boat ramps. Even if we bring the boat towed behind our SUV. There are lots of places that don’t have slips available, or restrict the use of gas motors and their size. So except for a few select campgrounds it was either take the RV or take the boat for the day.

Up until last week we broke down and rented paddle boats for the kids or a pontoon boat for a full day. Now days most of the places we go, want to charge you anywhere from a $100 all the way up to $300 a day to rent a boat.

I don’t even want to tell you what it cost to us to rent a boat at Fort Wilderness in Disney World just to see the fireworks. We also rented a couple canoes to go around the little river in the center of the campground.

I spent all winter trying to find a solution to this problem. I have been on dozens of web sites and must’ve looked at a hundred different boats, but was not able to find a solution and until two weeks ago.

I created a list of must haves, and unless I wanted to make some serious compromises. These were the things that I absolutely had to have if I was going to drop hard-earned cash on another water craft.

1. It had to be portable enough to fit in the storage under the RV, or at the very least able to stow inside still have room to move around while her on the road.

2. It had to be lightweight, since I was concerned about gas mileage, and the amount of weight in the RV. I did not want to reduce my towing ability if we decided to bring the car as a toad.

3. It had to be quick to assemble. So we can take advantage of some of the early morning fishing at campgrounds we were just passing through. I also want to make sure it gets used. If it’s going to take more than 15 minutes to put together I know I won’t bother unless I am spending a weekend or more somewhere.

4. It had to be big enough for four of us to fit in. Since I do not want to deal with the flights of bringing one of the kids without the other. I also do not want to leave the wife at the motor home while I was out having fun on the water.

5. It had to be comfortable to fish out of since kids were getting to the age where they liked fishing and wanted to spend the time with Jen and I.

6. It had to be small enough that I can launch it in fish out of it by myself if no one wanted to go with.

7. It absolutely had to be safe. I can take some risks on my own, but no matter what. I make sure the kids are safe.

8. It needs to be cost effective. I am always looking for the ROI on whatever I buy, especially when it comes to the RV. In other words, could it pay for itself in what I would save on rental fees for a season. After the first season it’s almost like it’s free.

9. It had to be able to be rowed and also be able to use a small electric trolling motor. On some campgrounds you can only row or use an electric motor. Plus I did not want to have to carry along gas for it in the RV storage.

As you can see the list was pretty extensive. I found boats that matched a few of the must haves from above, but nothing matched them all.

I found one company that was very close, but the only REAL option would be a two seater. So there was a real problem with leaving Jen behind with one of the kids.

I gave up and figured we were just going to have to make do with the situation.

A couple weeks ago I went to show someone the pontoon boat I had found, since they didn’t have any kids. It was perfect for them. To my surprise, they just released a four seater. It’s a perfect and match to all of my must haves from above.

I talked to Jen about it and we put in our order.

The boat arrived a few days ago and I will be posting videos of how easy it was to put together. You’ll also get to see videos of the kids, Jennifer, and I out fishing at a few of our favorite campgrounds.

I am extremely pleased with the quality, construction and price we paid for it. There are a few things that I have picked up for our RV trips that have made the experience much better. I would have to say that this purchase is at the very top of the list.

Here is a link for the boat so you can check it out yourself. Even if you’re not looking for a pontoon boat. All the boats that these guys have are perfect for anyone who uses an RV, fifth wheel, or just like us to hit the water while camping

Stay tuned for some new videos.

Steve

It’s not called one of the happiest places on earth for nothing! We’re talking of course about Disney World, one of the largest and most popular theme parks on the planet.

Though there are many vacation locations and activities from which to choose all over the world, there is nothing quite like a memorable Disney vacation. They have attractions, rides, hotels galore, and so many things to see and do that you would have to take 10 trips to Disney World to see it all.

Before you go though, you do need to keep some tips in mind. Sure, it can be a great adventure for your whole family, but if you do not come prepared you might end up ruining your entire vacation.

The best time of the year to travel to Disney World is during their off season. This is usually around January to early February and also the summer. There will be less people, shorter lines to wait in, and fewer hassles in general, as well as the ability to see and experience more since there will be fewer people filling the parks.

Additionally, the weather will be very pleasant since the daytime temperatures in January and early February run around 65 to 70 degrees. Although the summer goes hot, that simply results in fewer crowds for you.

When taking a vacation to Disney World, consider staying in one of the hotels outside of, but close to, the parks. Those are normally less expensive than hotels inside, but still have shuttles to take you to and from the park - so nearby convenience isn’t lost. These hotels are less crowded as well.

If, on the other hand, you stay at a hotel inside the park, you will have the convenience of taking a monorail right to your room, helping to avoid parking lots and the hassle of getting in and out of the park. It is more expensive, though, so you will do well to evaluate the pros and cons prior to making a hotel decision.

Another tip for a great vacation at Disney World is to plan your “in park visitation strategy” before arrival. It is also advisable to you buy your tickets before even traveling to Orlando. The benefit will be fewer lines, and you will be able to be one of the first visitors in the park.

There are plenty of activities in Disney World, especially for the kids. Disney characters walk around the parks, while you enjoy and a seemingly endless array of rides, games, and entertainment to keep your children busy for the entire day. They real question is who will wear down first - the kids or their parents.

If you have a teenager, you may want to plan a day at Wet ‘n Wild, a water park they are sure to love. Magic Kingdom and Epcot are geared largely toward teenagers, so it is great to plan at least one day at each.

Finally for the adults, there is more than enough to do during the evenings. Pay a few extra dollars and hire a Disney-hired babysitter while you go out for a great dinner at one of the many famous restaurants. Or you could be bold and head to Pleasure Island to dance and laugh the night away.

No matter when you go to Disney World or what you do there, you are sure to have one of the best times of your life!

If you really want to delight your child – or yourself – you should arrange to have a Disneyland Character meal. This will allow you and your whole family to have quality time with one or more of the Disneyland characters. In fact, this is the best way to really get to interact with them for any length of time.

Start by making a reservation. This can be done through the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services Department. Reservations can be made up to sixty days in advance, so don’t leave this to the last minute. Make these reservations when your Disneyland vacation is being planned.

Character breakfasts take place every morning at the park. You do not have to have a reservation for these meals. These breakfasts take place in many of the parks restaurants, but Goofy’s Kitchen is a great place to start. It is located in the Disneyland Hotel, and there are dishes to please everyone. Children under three years of age get to eat free, which should be considered when you are planning the budget for your trip. Goofy is always there, with Pluto, but other characters come and go all throughout the day. You should definitely make reservations for Goofy’s Kitchen, as it is very popular, and the wait can be lengthy.

If dining with Princesses is important, than Ariel’s Grotto is the place to be. Serving three course meals, this is elegant dining that both kids and adults can enjoy. Each princess will come spend a little time at your table during your meal – one at a time.

Reservations for Ariel’s Grotto are also recommended. This is one place in the park where both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available.

The Storyteller’s Café is another place that is highly recommended for Character Meals. Characters are only here during breakfast, however.

While time is not spent at each individual table, the Characters do interact with the children as a group. Both buffet and menu dining are available, and again, reservations are recommended. Lilo and Stitch also have a Character Breakfast, as does Minnie Mouse. Breakfast with Minnie and Friends is extremely popular, so make reservations.

You should definitely include a Character Meal or two in your Disneyland Vacation plans. This is something that your child will remember forever and interacting with the famous Disney characters that we all know and love is part of what Disneyland is all about! Be sure to make reservations as far in advance as possible.

Whether it is for themed birthday parties, holidays or Halloween it is really useful to be able to face paint. And it is really easy to learn.

Learn more
face painting designs
Face painting ideas
Easy face painting

For many families, planning a Disneyland Vacation is part of the fun of the vacation itself! For others, however, it can be a headache. Before you begin planning your vacation, determine whether or not you are really up to planning the trip yourself or not.

If you don’t want to plan your own trip, you have several options. Of course, you can have a travel agent make all of the arrangements for you, but for the best Disneyland experience, you might be better off using the Disney Vacation Planning Services.
Either way, you can have every single aspect of your trip planned for you. Once you get there, all you will have to do is follow your Itinerary.

If you prefer the fun involved in planning your Disneyland vacation yourself, there are some things that you absolutely must not leave out of the planning stage. Before you can decide what you will be doing at Disneyland, you must determine which dates you will be there. The parks offer different things at different types of the year, with many different themes and entertainment to choose from.

Once you know when you will be at Disneyland, the next step is to figure out what you will be doing each day that you are there. Once you’ve set up your travel arrangements and your hotel reservations, there are a few more things you must consider.

Food is one thing you might want to arrange in advance. Disneyland is a very [spin[busy|popular[/spin] place, and having reservations at some of the more popular restaurants is recommended. These reservations can be made well in advance – before you ever leave home.

When deciding which attractions at disneyland you want to visit, use a map of Disneyland as a guide. This will make it easier to spin]plan|arrange|schedule[/spin] time for attractions that are near each other.

Keep your budget in mind. Often, by making arrangements through travel agents or through the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services, you will be able to get better deals – which can save you money.Look for these deals, and save as much money as you can on your hotel and food.

If you have small children with you, keep their priorities in mind – they have less interest in where they will sleep and the food that they will eat, and more interest in what they will see and do!

Face painting is a great skill to acquire. Think of all those themed parties your kids get invited to. Not forgetting Halloween of course. And it’s great fun too.
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face painting instructions
Face paintings
Easy face painting

Just wanted to le everyone know we are back on the road Friday morning. 

Had a great time at Disney and more videos will follow.  We did a live show while we were here so I hope you were able to catch it. 

The trip back will take about 3 days so you will be able to Ride shotgun all the way back over the weekend.  To be honest I am not looking forward to heading back to the cold weather. 

From the weather reports it looks like spring is still a few weeks off.  We really do need to get back to meet with the Travel Channel for a few days.  Then another day of packing and off to California for a few days.  We will be flying out to California since we are under a deadline.  We should be back pretty quick and then the planning starts for the summer trips.

Don’t forget to join us on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the trip back from Sunny Florida.  We are looking forward to you riding along.

Steve

If you were watching as we left Nashville this morning you would have seen the rain continued from the drive the day before.  Sorry I missed a post last night but after diving in the NASTY wind and rain all day I had to get a couple things taken care of with the RV. The rain has stopped us from doing a Live show so the Route 66 commercial has been playing.  We should be able to get a Live Show done on Wed or Thurs.

It was really bad on the way to Nashville.  You might have seen the 3 crashes in the median on the way.   Crash might be the wrong term to use here since one of them was just someone who had spun out on the Interstate and ended up in the median.  If that has ever happened to you would be scared enough to warrant calling it a crash.

We also had a little mishap with the RV as the wind caught the door on one of our stops and slammed it against the side.  It punched a hole in the door so we will  need to fix that once we get to Florida.  Not a big deal but it still hurts to see it.

We hung out for a little while longer in Nashville than planned this morning to let all the storms pass completely.  After a little rain on the start things cleared up in the afternoon.  We took the long route through Alabama to miss all the storms going through Georgia.  Turned out to be a blessing in disguise since a shortcut we took through Alabama took us down and older 4 lane highway and through about 6-7 small towns.  The weather was perfect and we got off the interstate and onto some back roads for a while.  It was a great prelude for the Route 66 trip this summer.  Most of the roads we will be on will be like this or smaller.

There is allot to be said for getting off the interstate and going through some small towns.  I never knew how pretty Alabama was.  I have been through it a couple times but never like today.  If you ever get a chance to come down this way I highly recommend it.  You can even stop at one of the dozens of Flea Markets and get a deal.

Sorry about the new website being as weird as it is for the video.  Our developers are still working hard on getting it done.  For now I have put back up the old site.  I got hundreds of text messages today asking about why certain things did not work or when you tried to move the camera the video just turned blue.  They are working on all this in the meantime I put back up the site I hand coded myself.  It was never meant to be PRETTY.  It was the original code for testing. Best thing I can say about it is “it works”.  This was suppose to be a test run and we did not think there would be this many visitors so soon.  We are not complaining about the visits. In fact, we are happy people are enjoying it this much.  Keep telling everyone you know! 

I just personally hate going to a site that does not work.  I apologize for the way the old site looks but having something that will work is more important than the look right now.  Glad we are doing this test and it was not an official launch!

Tomorrow is the last leg for the trip down. We will be leaving early in the morning for Fort Meyrs, FL.  Should be about a 8 or 9 hour drive and the weather is suppose to be clear.  We will be shooting some video and getting a live show together down there so stay tuned for more info.  After Fort Meyers we will be off to the Home of the Mouse ( Walt Disney World ).  We will also be doing a live show from there.

If you have an questions and don’t have our text message ID feel free to post a comment here.  You can still qualify for one of this trips souvenir giveaways by posting comments.

Thanks for riding shotgun on the trip down.  Should be a great couple weeks in Sunny Florida.
Steve

I wanted to let you know we are hitting the road in this morning.  If you look at the main site:  www.roadwarriorslive.com  you will see we have made some changes.  It’s not quite done yet but we are very close.  It should be complete in the next 2 days and we need it up so the developers can test.

Our Development team has not finished the new Live Video Player as of this post. So we are just playing clips from our recorded show on the new site.  Everything was suppose to be up and running by now but we all know how that goes.

If you want to SEE us driving down the road and track the GPS on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (strongly encouraged), we still have the old site as a backup until the developers get their stuff done.

The address for the old pages is: http://www.roadwarriorslive.com/BackUp  if you look right now you can see some street lights.  It’s raining here now so no moon and it’s pretty dark.

Weather for the next 3 days is suppose to be pretty crazy so it should be an interesting trip. 

See ya on the road in the morning.

 Steve

While getting prepared for the Walt Disney World Vacation Trip I was doing some research into what people would like to know. Surprisingly I found the same question over and over again.

How do I save money on my Disney World Vacation when it comes to a hotel?

It’s a great question and there is an easy answer.

If were not traveling in a Motor Home and going to Walt Disney World I would check out Disney Vacation Homes
.

I used to be a Cast member at Disney World and lived pretty close.

When I used to drive to work I would take the back roads and never see a soul. I was just back there a few months ago and there are houses and condos all up and down that road now. It’s about 10-15 minutes from Disney and once you get out of the parks you are off the main roads and out of traffic VERY quickly. Even if you leave as the parks are closing you deal with minimum traffic. You could make it back to the condo before someone who left at the same time as you gets from Magic Kingdom to Downtown Disney (it’s that close).

They built a ton of Disney Vacation Homes
during the housing boom.

Florida went through it just like the rest of the country and even as prices went through the roof. Everyone was still buying even if they lived overseas. They all had the intention of having a place to stay while there and then rent them out when they are gone. Those who just wanted to flip for a profit got stuck when everything crashed. It was especially bad in Florida because housing prices far surpassed what the Local residents could afford. Everyone that bought has gotten stuck. From what I understand Foreclosure rates in the area are as high as 60% of the people that bought during this time period. The Disney Vacation Home
market is flooded with units and if you shop around you should be able to get a VERY good deal.

If you call and the rates seem high to you grab a national paper like the USA today and see if you can find anything in the area. You should be able to save a ton of money on lodging (make sure you check the address in Google maps). Some people say close to Disney and it’s an hour away. If it’s off Old Lake Wilson road you are really close and it’s within 5-15 minutes.

If you hit one of the grocery stores a little further away you will save a ton there too. The grocery store that is out the back entrance (by Downtown Disney) is way overpriced. There is a Walmart in Kissimee but depending where you are staying there is also a SuperWalmart off of HWY 27. It has great prices and most of the locals shop there (my Mom does).

A couple other tips is get whatever you can sun block, autograph books, disposable camera, and anything else before you go or at Walmart when you get there. You will pay an arm and a leg if you buy them “on property”.

If you go early then leave in the mid-afternoon and come back when everyone rests up you are close enough to do that and skip paying for one meal at Disney prices. Plus you can catch the, fireworks, or one of the Light Show, or a Night Parade. Everyone else will be exhausted and you will be ready to go. You will see everyone just dragging their screaming tired kids and you will be ready to do some shopping or play some mini-golf. Just make sure you check the guide for park hours. During the “off season” the parks close pretty early. Off season is normally when all the kids are in school. During the holidays, Summer, and Spring break everything is open later and there is more to do at night.

The perks of going “Off Season” is the parks are not that crowded. There are almost no lines at all and you can do a whole park in a few hours (that’s why the parks close early). Everyone is done for the day and there is no reason to stick around. The bad part of “Off Season” is the wether can be unpredictable. I have had to wear a thick wool coat and gloves while working in the park. Add a little rain to that and it’s miserable. It’s also a little harder to get to all of the shows it’s not that they are full, but because of the shortened hours there are not as many times to choose from. You can run into a problem when one show let’s out your on the opposite end of the park from one that is about to start. And of course that’s the last showing of the day. If you really want to get in and out of the parks quickly go on a cold rainy day. If you can handle it the parks are almost empty.

Another great way to do the Disney Experience and save a little cash is to visit the Resorts after the parks have closed. Most have shows that are free and all of them are worth a look. As a cast member I would always meet friends at one of the resorts to have a beer or visit one of the shops. If your planning on shopping you will pay retail but as always window shopping is free and gives you some great ideas of what to search for on Ebay once you get back home.

Here is the link for Disney Vacation Homes
one more time.

Here is more detailed info on What to Know Before You Go on a Disney World Vacation

It’s late and I am tired as I write this so excuse any typos.

We finally have some firm dates on the shakedown trip!!!!

The way it looks right now we will be packing up and hitting the road on the 3rd of March. There is a bunch to do between now and then so Feb will be a busy month.

Since the Beast has been in storage for the winter we will start packing it the night before and get on the road early the next morning. 

We just had 12 inches of snow tonight and I REALLY hope it’s gone before then.  I know it sounds a little crazy but the idea of driving a 22,000 lbs sled is not my idea of a good time.  I leave the driving like that to Santa.

I will keep you updated along the way so you can get a feel for everything involved.

We thought we would start with this trip since it’s one almost every family makes or wants to make at some point.  Plus since it’s before Spring Break it could be useful to some folks that already have plans.

We are looking for suggestions on where to stop and what to do along the way.  Since you are riding shotgun you have input here too.  We really want everyone to be involved and have their say.  So let’s get this thing started.  All you need to do is post a comment to get the discussion going. 

The first trip will be…..

Chicago to Fort Myers Florida
and then onto
Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World

  * Where should we stop?
 
  * Who should we interview along the way?
 
  * Is there anything you would like to see?
 
  * If you have made this trip before what should we MAKE SURE we do.

Help us plan the shakedown trip and then watch as it unfolds from the comfort of your living room or office.

We will be “On the Road” for 2 weeks then we have to get back to Chicago and meet with the Travel Channel. 

We are really glad you decided to join us, and can’t wait to get the adventure started. Don’t forget to tell your friends.  The more the merrier when it comes to a Road Trip.  Don’t worry there is more than enough room.

FYI - This is familar territority for both Jen and I.  We have made this trip at least a dozen times.  We both lived in Florida in fact that’s where we met.  Last but not least I worked at Walt Disney World for a couple years and know some secrets I would love to share with you.

Driver