Disneyland Giveaway

The Holiday Season is coming a wee bit early, for one special Just Spotted reader. Are you getting giddy yet? Well you should! Just Spotted, with a little help from the Disneyland Resort, is inviting one very lucky Just Spotted reader to start the holiday season off with a bang! Are you feeling the tingles yet? One Just Spotted reader is going to be chosen to join C & I (and our families), to celebrate the Holidays at the Happiest Place on Earth on November 21st. Yep! You read that correctly... If you win, YOU & THREE guests will be invited to attend a very special Holiday Celebration at the Disneyland Resort. Not only will you get to experience all the wonderful holiday decor in the park firsthand, but you will also participate in some very special activities planned just for YOU! Are you excited yet? Because I am! I'm beyond excited... I'm thrilled, ecstatic & jumping for joy!

Still in shock about our HUGE announcement? Are you pinching yourself, still trying to decide if your dreaming? Well you don't have to take our word for it. Feel free to watch as Mrs. Clause (wife of the famed Mr. Clause) makes the announcement herself...



Ready to enter? Here's the low-down on how to play & all the nitty-gritty details:
* You have until Midnight PST on THURSDAY, October 15th, 2009 to play our little game, that could ultimately get YOU invited to the "Happiest Holiday Celebration on Earth."
* Simply leave a comment on THIS post, telling us about your favorite Disney memory, story or even wish... maybe it's the first time you & your daughter watched Cinderella together. Or perhaps, you're looking forward to seeing the excitement on your little one's face when he meets Mickey Mouse for the very first time. What ever it is, share it HERE, with us.
* An "anonymous" panel of judges (definitely not C or K, we'd never be able to make up our minds) will choose their favorite memories, stories & wishes as our "finalists."
* On Monday, October 19th - Monday, October 26th, we will post the "finalists'" memories, stories & wishes and YOU (the public) will get to vote on your absolute favorite.
* The person who's memory, story, or wish, that most touches the hearts of our readers, or makes them laugh the hardest (a.k.a. the person with the most votes) will be announced Tuesday, October 27th, 2009.
* Anyone can enter (so tell your friends), although anonymous comments will be ignored unless accompanied by an email address.
* Please, just one entry per person.
* The person chosen to to be guests of Just Spotted will receive FREE park entry for themselves & THREE guests (for a maximum of 4 people), including parking for one vehicle. Any other travel, transportation or accommodation costs will not be included.
* FREE entry is valid on November 21st, 2009 only, this is non-transferable.

Good Luck to all & may the "force" be with you.

xoxo, C, K & the Disneyland Resort

p.s. Want to increase your chances of being chosen for this ultra-fabulous, one-of-a-kind Disney Holiday Adventure? These fabulous ladies are also hosting giveaways: 

Alive in Wonderland

Babes in Disneyland
Domestic Chicky

Los Angelista

Peace, Love and Momminess

Sweet Life in the Valley

The Glamorous Life Association

Disneyland's Fantasmic! Dragon has Arrived!

image by armadillo444 via flickr

If you've been waiting all summer for the newest star of Disneyland's Fantasmic! show to make his appearance, like my boys have, your wait is finally over! That's right, Maleficent (nicknamed "Murphy" for Murphy's Law) made his debut this past week. He made his first, official public appearance on Tuesday, although he didn't actually breathe "fire" until Wednesday night's performance. You can catch the dragon's performance yourself, any weekend (Friday through Sunday) until the Christmas holidays. If you are planning on catching his act, you might want to check out THESE Fantasmic! viewing tips. In the meantime, if you're too excited to wait. Or, if you want a sneak preview of Maleficent in action... then you have to check out this video HERE.

xoxo, K

Cheap Souvenirs: Disneyland Pressed Pennies

Sometimes it's hard to escape going to the Happiest Place on Earth without coming home with some kind of souvenir. Luckily, my boys have become infatuated with the cheapest of Disneyland souvenirs - pressed pennies (also known as elongated pennies, smashed pennies & sometimes called squished pennies). Okay, okay, it's not actually the cheapest souvenir, there is a 48¢ sucker that holds that claim, but at 51-ish¢ (I say ish, because they actually only cost 50¢, you get the penny back), the Disneyland pressed penny is quite a deal.

If you are new to pressed pennies, you might be surprised to hear that it can be serious business. In fact, there are entire websites dedicated to the subject. You also might not realize that there are over 100 places in Disneyland, California Adventure & Downtown Disney that you can squish your pennies, & you can also find machines that press quarters & nickels as well.

While researching the "subject matter" I came across THIS website that had some great penny pressing tips I thought I'd pass along:

1. Use pre-1982 pennies – they contain more copper and thus hold their (new) shape better. You can buy rolls of these older pennies on Ebay in preparation.
2. Pickup a copy of the Pressed Penny Map at the Guest Services Desk when you enter the park. Takes the guessing out of where all the stations are. Also, some of the machines are only around for a short period of time, so you want to be sure to add those to your collection while they are available.
3. When you put your penny in the slot, along with the quarters, make sure the head of the penny is facing out and is upright.
4. Be careful when cleaning your pressed pennies – some are highly valuable and harsh cleaners can ruin them. Doubtful that would be a problem for most of us casual collectors, but good to know, just in case someone gifts you a rare Disney elongated coin (that is the fancy, collector name for pressed pennies).
5. If you are going to press more than a couple pennies, you might want to invest in a pressed penny book to store your loot. You can find these at most of the shops in the Park.

So there you have it, just about everything you've even wanted, or could possibly need to know about one of Disneyland's cheapest souvenirs. (However if you should happen to want to know more, go HERE for all kinds of wonderful information.) As mentioned earlier, you can always pick up a Pressed Penny Map at Guest Services upon arrival at Disneyland. But, if you want an easy to print guide of Disneyland pressed pennies go HERE. Happy collecting!

xoxo, K
image by addixon777 via flickr.

Beat the Heat at Disney's California Adventure

Awhile back, C did a great post on "Staying Cool" at Disneyland. I thought I'd do a follow up, with some of my favorite tips for beating the heat, while exploring Disney's California Adventure. & Luckily, DCA is full of great places to escape to when it's blazing hot!

* Grizzly River Run (be prepared, you WILL get wet, but isn't that the point?)
* Head inside, & take a tour of the Boudin Bakery or the Mission Tortilla Factory. These are both great, "quick" escapes & you get FREE samples, which is a plus.
* Catch a flick: It's Tough to Be a Bug!, Muppet Vision 3D
* It may not be air conditioned, but lots of trees provide plenty of shade inside the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
* Little ones LOVE the Princess Dot Puddle Park, (bring a change of clothes because they WILL get soaked, or, lots of kids show up in their bathing suit.) The S.S. rustworthy is fun too - a great place to play, with just enough water to keep you cool.
* Looking for a great escape from the heat? Check out the "Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage!" productions (lasts 20 minutes), or my absolute favorite way to beat the heat is "Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular". (4o minutes of air conditioned bliss, & the show's dang good too!)
* & Finally, if you want a cool treat, be sure to visit: Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream (love that waffle cone smell), Catch a Flave for delicious soft-serve, Schmoozies for smoothies (duh!), & my personal favorite are the milkshakes found at Sam Andreas Shakes.

Don't forget to drink lots & lots of water!

xoxo, K
image by jeff pearce via flickr

Almost Famous.

Sometimes, being a "mom blogger" has it's advantages & perks. For instance, last week, C & I (and the new baby) were invited out to preview Disneyland's new Summer Nightastic!, & I for one felt famous, or at least almost famous. Once I finish editing all the video, I'll give you a little taste of all the fabulous happenings. (All I can say is you definitely want to plan a trip or two to the Magic Kingdom this summer, because these shows won't disappoint you!) In the meantime, let me introduce you to all the other Orange County mom bloggers we were lucky enough to spend the evening with... from left to right: Suz of the Orange County Register Mom Blog & Alive in Wonderland, Coleen, Kelly & baby Charlie of Just Spotted, Marcy of The Glamorous Life Association, Debbie of Peace, Love and Momminess, & Araceley (not pictured) of Daytripping Mom.

xoxo, K

Face Painting at Disneyland

One of my kiddos favorite Disneyland treats is to get their face painted. The Disney Face Painters are incredible & create these beautiful works of art, starting at about $8 depending on the design chosen. You can find Face Painters at the following locations:

* Downtown Disney District (near the Lego Imagination Center)
* Inside Disney's California Adventure near the Paradise Pier (exact location varies with the construction going on there)
* Inside Disneyland in: Fantasyland (near the Matterhorn), Princess Fantasy Faire, & Pixie Hollow. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, just inside Sleeping Beauty's Castle, takes face painting a step further - transforming young guests from head to toe into princesses & young knights (reservations are suggested).

xoxo, K

Tips for going to Disneyland with little boys

image via flickr

A few weeks ago we went to Disneyland with family and had 6 little boys under the age of 5! This kind of group dynamic does not lend itself to line waiting, so we had to come up with a more creative Disneyland Agenda. Try these spots to keep busy boys entertained at the happiest place on earth without having to endure long lines in the heat.

1. Goofy's Playhouse

2. Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island

3. Tarzan's Treehouse

4. Grab a fast pass for Buzz

5. Pirates of the Carribean (one of the fastest moving lines at Disneyland)

6. Jedi Training Academy

Starting June 12th make sure to see Fantasmic because Disney will be featuring a 45-foot-tall dragon. For dining with little boys my first pick would be the Celebration Round-Up at Big Thunder Ranch because bbq and cowboys means that they might sit still long enough to finish dinner. We had a great trip to Disneyland with our active bunch and hope you do too!

xoxo, C

Startup Princess Academy

Calling all women entrepreneurs... April 17th & 18th join with other women from across the country, to learn the "Magic of Marketing to Women Online" during the Startup Princess Academy, at the Disneyland Resort, of course! This action packed day (&/ or weekend), is open to all women interested in entrepreneurship & learning how to "tap into Public Relations, the Power of the Internet and Social Media to Grow your Business". Meet the amazing women ready to inspire, teach & mentor you during this magical weekend (click on their names to be taken directly to their websites):

Kelly King Anderson, Marketing, PR & Social Media Specialist
Maria Andros, "Video Marketing Queen"
Ciaran Blumenfeld, Professional Writer & Blogger, Children's Wear Designer, Style Consultant & Brand Strategist
Barbie Davalos & Karie Reynolds, PR & Marketing Experts
Serena Ehrlich, Online PR & Marketing Expert
Alexis Martin Neely, Attorney, Speaker, Author, TV Spokeswoman
Geneva Wasserman, PR, Communications & Media Expert

So mark your calendars, April 17th & 18th, are dates you want to remember! But you definitely want to sign up NOW. For one thing, space is limited to the first 100 attendees, & if your reserve your spot before Midnight on April 1st, you can lock in the "Early Bird Rate" of $225.

For more information, go HERE.

xoxo, K
image via Startup Princess