2016: A Year In Disney

As 2016 is coming to a close, I'd like to look at the amazing feat Disney managed to pull off this year across the board. It was an absolutely brilliant year for the world's happiest company. The company slayed at the box office, television was on point, and the parks are improving. Things are certainly on the up and up for this wonderful organization. Before 2016 closes though, let's look at how historic this year really was.

Back in June, I posted a little piece about the 4 home runs to date in 2016. That bit was written before the Dory movie came out, before Doctor Strange, before Moana, and before the latest Star Wars film. Needless to say, it has gotten even more promising since that post. In order to not sound redundant, I will just say that those 4 home runs were amazing and I recommend them strongly. The 4 were the Lion Guard, Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, and the Jungle Book. 

Before moving on to the second half of the year, I would like to go a bit further on how obsessed my children are with the Lion Guard. My kids love the show. This is especially true for our 4 year old son, Noland Jr. He has about 1/4 of the stuff he owns currently as Lion Guard related. The kid adores the show and the characters. Jr. is constantly trying to acquire new Lion Guard materials. It is a cool show for us too, because it is a bridge from the classic movie of our childhood, the Lion King. Just a brilliantly done show that hasn't lost any traction in our household.

Now onto the newer stuff...

Finding Dory was another smash hit for Disney and I too enjoyed the movie. I did not enjoy it as much as some people, but it was a great movie. The movie had really strong new characters and is certainly something Disney will continue to cash in on. It was not a failure by any stretch of the imagination and helped to grow the brand overall. Like I said, I enjoyed the movie and most enjoyed it even more than I did.

To me, perhaps the biggest hit and certainly the biggest surprise of the year was Moana. Now, I thought Moana would be really good, but it surpassed every expectation I had of the movie. After seeing Zootopia, I thought there was no way an animated movie could top that in the same year, but Moana was right up there. This movie was darn close to flawless and you must see it if you have not already. It will be interesting to see how the hype around this movie proceeds as time moves on.

Admittedly, I have not seen Doctor Strange or the latest Star Wars yet, but they have been hits. I have also heard terrific things from all that have seen those titles.

2016 also was the year we once again had Disney passes and there are some exciting things going on at the parks. Nothing at Disney World is as exciting as the additional hours at my favorite park, Animal Kingdom. Although I hear next year will be even bigger for this park and Disney World in general. Before we get to next year though, let's talk about one more thing for 2016.

Each year, we do a Disney countdown for characters and this year I decided to include more family. We had 11 family members each submit their top 50 solely Disney characters, and top 50 pixar characters as well. 50 points were awarded for #1 and 1 point for #50 for each list. Here are the top finishers after the vote and who the 4 in my immediate family voted for as their 5 favorites (for Eli we scattered toys and pictures and took them away after he chose somebody).

Overall Disney
#1 Simba
#2 Mickey Mouse
#3 Donald Duck
#4 Pooh
#5 Jiminy Cricket

Robinson Top 5 1-5
Me: Jiminy Cricket, Baloo, Pooh, Pumba, Donald Duck
Jenna: Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Rapunzel, Simba
Jr: Kion, Mickey Mouse, Bunga, Donald Duck, Nick Wilde
Eli: Mickey Mouse, Tigger, Pooh, Piglet, Kion

Overall Pixar
#1 Nemo
#2 Dory
#3 Woody
#4 Crush
#5 Squirt

Robinson Top 5 1-5
Me: Buzz, Crush, Rex, Bullseye, Marlin
Jenna: Woody, Buzz, Lightning McQueen, Marlin, Rex
Jr.: Buzz, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Woody, Rex
Eli: Buzz,Woody, Crush, Lightning McQueen, Squirt

As you can see sometimes the slam dunk winner in the house loses out overall. This was most true with Pixar as Buzz finished 1st for all 3 boys, and 2nd for Jenna. However, my brother and his kids didn't include Buzz and he finished outside the top 5. Crazy!!!!

I sure will have fun comparing the lists as they come out each year. It was a cool project that resulted in a fun coloring book for the kids.

This year in Disney was awesome! I have a feeling that next year could be even better! You will be able to follow our Disney adventures for 2017 right here.

Until next time, see you real soon!!!!

-Noland

Disney @ Christmas Time

Christmas is the most magical time and magical season that there is. It is filled with happiness and joy. Makes sense that people want to be at the happiest place in the world during the happiest time in the world. A lot of people share this sentiment and Disney is packed for the holiday season. Other than 4th of July, the entire week before and after Christmas is the busiest time at Disney world. I went the day after Christmas before and it was difficult to even move much. However, there are some pointers in dealing with this crowded time at the parks.

First, to get the most bang for your buck at Disney, avoid the parks during those two weeks. Go at a different time in the season, all of the Christmas stuff is offered and you won't have to deal as much with the crowds. If you have a Silver pass (like us), your pass is blacked out during this time anyways. There are better times to go.

Next, determine how much the special events mean to you. The special event I am most specifically speaking of is the Very Merry Christmas Party. It is a special ticket event that is seperate from a regular day park admission. That being said, it does come cheaper than a regular park admission and offers some extra perks. Besides being cheaper it comes with a slightly less crowded park and is offered after park hours. You can usually get in at 4pm while the park closes to the general public at 7pm and you are allowed to stay until 2am (which is impossible for parents with young children). Free cookies and holiday beverages are offered at several locations throughout the park. There is also a variety of other holiday treats available for purchase. Additionally, there is a holiday stage show and a special holiday parade. Finally, the biggest draw which is special character meets that aren't available during the day. These meets included Sandy Claws (Jack Skellington), Scrooge McDuck, and the Zootopia characters this year. It is very worth it for one time, but I do not know if I'd go back since I've been once. Also it is very tough for my family to get our complete money's worth and stay until 2am because of the little ones.

Magic Kingdom does not have many holiday offerings outside of the party. The castle lights up at night and there are decorations around the park. However, if you want the holiday experience at Magic Kingdom, you need to go to the party. The special holiday treats are only available at the party.

We miss the Osborne lights a lot. That amazing experience at Hollywood Studios is never to be seen again. It is really sad that they won't have it anymore. We went a few weeks ago and were pretty disappointed at what was being offered. It was so sad. We didn't stick around for the new projection show after hearing it was just okay because the kids were tired. Honestly, this park makes me feel claustrophobic at times now and I am not that type of person. There just is not and will not be a lot to do until the Toy Story and Star Wars lands open up. Disney needs to increase the amount of character meets in this park to make it worthwhile to attend to non passholders. I go still because it does have some of my favorite rides, but I probably wouldnt spend my money to go here for just one day as of now. It will pay off in the long run, but it is not up to the Disney standard currently.

Picture of the Osborne Lights we miss so much. Disney isn't as exciting at Christmas, but its still cool.

Animal Kingdom is my favorite park and the park the boys enjoy most. It is a really cool park for the Animal lover and has a lot of boy themed attractions, while the other parks typically focus a bit more on the little princesses. It has the least holiday appeal though. It simply does not have holiday shows and lacks major holiday decorations. They do exist though, and the tree out in front is always my favorite Christmas Tree on Disney property. Do not expect much beyond that particular tree though as far as holiday appeal.

We are going to Epcot at Christmas time this weekend to catch some of those holiday festivities and will have more tips at a later date. The Christmas trees and decorations were up in mid November when we went, but the Candlelight Processional and other holiday shows were not quite ready yet at this time. The tree entering the World Showcase was a pretty awesome sight. Another cool sight was the tree in America. Finally, the holiday topiaries were also a very nice touch to the park.

If you do not care about holiday decorations and shows and just want to visit the parks, go in the morning! They are way more crowded at night because of the holiday offerings. Stay tuned in a few weeks for updates on the new Christmas offerings at Disney Springs!

From the entire Robinson clan, I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Noland

The Ultimate Holiday Gift

Imagine the most amazing gift possible, imagine receiving the perfect gift. Most of you probably thought about a car, a house, an expensive wedding, a vacation, or something along those lines right? Well, what if I told you that all of those would be wrong? What if I wold you, that you could give a gift that was far better than those? What if the gift you could give was life itself?

Okay, so pregnancy right? The gift I am talking about has to certainly be pregnancy. It is not though. While that is an amazing gift, and is giving life, I am actually talking about a gift that even more people aged 16 years or older can give. This life giving gift comes in the form of donating blood.

Still not convinced, or think it is not necessary.

Well, how about if I tell you that every time you donate blood, you can save up to 3 lives. That's right, 1 blood donation can save 3 lives!

Need more convincing?

Every 2 seconds in the United States, somebody somewhere needs a blood transfusion. Multiple people somewhere need blood as I type out this post. At some point in your life, somebody you know will need a blood transfusion. It could even be you that needs one. I know that the need for blood hit close to me.

During pregnancy with Noland Jr., Jenna hemorrhaged and needed a lot of blood. In fact, she lost so much blood that she actually had to get two transfusions after delivery. Those blood donations saved her life. People that donated saved my family. She was not done though, not my amazing wife. She wanted/wants more kids and then we had Eli. With Eli, the doctors were more on top of it and it was less scary, but it still happened again. This time she would need 3 blood transfusions and the donated blood again saved her life. The donated blood saved our ability to do all of the wonderful things that we love and do them as a family. It allowed us to have all of these wonderful adventures. They saved the best mom possible. It gave our family life.

Please! Please! Consider donating blood! It is desperately needed and can be the ultimate gift.

Here is a link to all OneBlood Donation Centers in Florida

Here is a little bit more on why you should donate.

Here is what happens to donated blood.

You can really save someones holiday with this gift. It is a gift that everyone should consider. Give life and really truly do something good. For if we all are protecting EVERY life from conception until natural death, we are doing our part.

Thank you and have a Merry Christmas!

-Noland

Noland Jr @ 4

Holy cow!

Can you believe that Noland Jr. is 4 already?

I sure cannot. It seems just like yesterday we were meeting him for the 1st time. It all goes by so fast. All goes by in the blink of an eye. When you think about the moments, it starts to make more sense because we have made tremendous memories already. We have been incredibly thankful for absolutely every moment with our bundle of joy....

Thankful for our hearts growing on the day he was born. Thankful for the fact that he is our baby. Thankful he was the child that made us parents. Thankful that he was okay after that rough delivery. Thankful for this boy that God gave to us!

Thankful for the fact that this boy has taken my likes and amplified them. Thankful he has made my passions deeper. My love stronger. Since day 1 he has done this. You don't think he can do that at such a young age, but he has had a smile and loved our favorites from the start.

Thankful for his love of Disney and making us stronger Disney lovers. Thankful for all he has grown to love about the company which most recently includes Kion.

Thankful most of all for the love you have given to us. Your mom, Eli, and I are beyond thrilled that you are here with us!

Happy Birthday Noland Jr.! We love you and we know that with you, the best is always yet to come.

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Eli

Citypass is Fantastic!

Citypass is a way to experience incredibly fun attractions in some iconic North American cities for a fraction of the price. With a Citypass you pay significantly less than you would to do each attraction individually, but get to do a whole bunch of fun things. There are some attractions that are automatically on the Citypass, and there are some that you have to choose. That being said, if you are choosing a Citypass for your vacation, you are probably picking a great deal. This is especially true if you are going to the attractions anyway. If you are going to one of the 12 Citypass cities, this deal is highly recommended.

Last week, I reviewed the GA Aquarium and talked about how this wonderful place was included with the Citypass. This week I will talk more about the offer as a whole. The price of the zoo and aquarium alone in Atlanta for an adult is $76 a person. With the Citypass, you can get added attractions for that $76 price for an adult. The box office price for the Atlanta attractions we saw was $134, but we only paid $76 as I just stated. We got a tremendous deal and had a tremendous time.

Here is what we got to choose between and what we did in Atlanta....

Georgia Aquarium

On this blog, I talked about our Georgia Aquarium visit from this summer last week. It is the best aquarium we have visited. We will be going back.

 Beautiful Family

Whale Sharks

World of Coca-Cola

This was a cool experience. We were fans and we are glad we did it once. Not sure how many times you could do it and still enjoy it, but I recommend that everyone do it at least one time.

 Family @ Coke Museum

 Jenna and Eli

 Team Noland with our 1st free coke

Team Noland in the tasting room

CNN Studio Tours

We actually ended up skipping this part of the pass. It was the least appealing and we wanted to do it the afternoon after the HOF before we went home. The boys naps went longer than expected and we missed it. However, we ate in the food court at the studio multiple times and that was pretty neat. They also had some cool gift shops downstairs and it is connected to Phillips Arena so we peaked in there a bit.

Zoo Atlanta or Center for Civil and Human Rights

This was our 2nd trip to Zoo Atlanta which is one of our favorite zoos. This time though, Jenna and I got to bring our kids and her mom. It was a cooler experience on that end. It is a great zoo. The zoo though didn't seem quite as epic this time around. Still, it is one of the best zoos we have visited and still top 5 overall. It just doesn't seem like the clear cut #1 anymore.

Jenna the boys and a gorilla statue

The real thing

Red Panda

Jr. in the petting zoo

We had a great time and the boys loved this sign

Fernbank Museum of Natural History or College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame was the highlight of my trip. It was Noland Jr.'s favorite place too. It was such an interactive Hall of Fame and they had a surprising amount of awesome attractions for little ones. I loved visiting this Hall of Fame. One of the coolest things is that when you sign in you pick your team and it personalizes your visit for that team. Seeing the Hall of Fame catered to the Florida State fan was amazing. If you are a College Football Fan you absolutely have to go. Noland Jr.'s favorite part was the Chick Fil A fan section where he got to participate in some real football drills. He got to run through an obstacle course and then make a diving catch on a giant blue mat. He LOVED IT. We will absolutely be going back here in the not too distant future. This is one of the coolest places that I have ever been.

My favorite Eli picture to date. He was doing the warchant on the way to the HOF. No lie.

My little buddy and me in front of the trophy the Seminoles are bringing home this year!

Noland, my mother in law and me in front of the helmet wall. The FSU one lit up when we came into the museum. So cool.

Noland Jr.'s attempt at the Heisman. Maybe one day?

It was so neat to visit the Hall of Fame

As stated previously, Citypass is also available in 11 other cities. Below are the 11 other cities and the choices for where you may go in those cities....

Boston

Going to Boston to do these things and visit Fenway Park would be a fun vacation. It would have to be summertime though probably because we don't do cold in this house.

New England Aquarium

Museum of Science

Skywalk Observatory

Museum of Fine Arts or Boston Harbor Cruises

Chicago

I went to Chicago when I was little and probably won't be doing this city pass, but it seems cool. We liked the Museum and it had a traveling King Tut exhibit when we went about 20 years ago.

Shedd Aquarium - VIP Entry

Skydeck Chicago

Field Museum - VIP Entry

Museum of Science and Industry or 360 Chicago

Adler Planetarium or Art Institute of Chicago

Dallas

I have never been to Dallas, but I am dying to go. The zoo, Cowboys stadium and a Rangers game would be near the top of the list when we go.

Perot Museum

Reunion Tower Geo Deck

6th Floor Museum or Dallas Zoo

George W. Bush Presidential Library or Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Houston

I have been to Houston to visit a good friend of mine, but have done none of these epic attractions. You better believe that a Houston Citypass trip is in the future for the Robinsons.

Space Center Houston

Downtown Aquarium

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston Zoo or Museum of Fine Arts

Kemah Boardwalk or Children's Museum of Houston

New York

New York is one of the only cities to offer two options. The first option is 3 locked in choices and 3 choices you make. The second cheaper option is picking between all of the attractions 3 locations. For me the key part to a New York visit would seemingly be the Statue of Liberty so I'd just make sure I'd get that opportunity. Surprisingly only growing up a few hours away, I have never been to New York. Jenna has been several times though and we will likely take the boys at some point.

The Empire State Building

American Museum of Natural History

Metro Museum of Art

Top of the Rock or Guggenheim Museum

Statue of Liberty or Sightseeing Cruise

9/11 Memorial or Sea, Air and Space Museum

Philadelphia

I grew up just a couple hours from Philadelphia too and have never been. It is pretty crazy. I'd love to see the historical stuff like One Liberty and the Franklin Institute. By adding a zoo to the mix for an affordable price, it could make this trip pretty epic.

The Franklin Institute

Big Bus Company and Travel Works

One Liberty Observation Deck

Adventure Aquarium or Philadelphia Zoo

San Francisco

San Francisco is an American city that did not really appeal to me, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium would make a trip worth it. This is especially true if you throw in the other places and the ability to go to see Buster Posey in action in addition to these Citypass offerings.

7 day cable car and muni bus transport

California Academy of Sciences

Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure

Exploratorium or de Young Museum

Aquarium of the Bay or Monterey Bay Aquarium

Seattle

Not super high on my list to visit, but I'd love to do this and go to a Mariners game.

Space Needle

Seattle Aquarium

Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour

EMP Museum or Woodland Park Zoo

Chihuly Garden and Glass or Pacific Science Center

Southern California

This is the most expensive Citypass, but it seems so worth it. This is the vacation at the top of my list. I just have to make it happen for my family at some point. Hopefully when Eli gets to be Noland Jr.'s age we can make it happen. I mean Disneyland is included!!!! I want to do each of these attractions so badly and I have never been to California.

Disneyland Park and California Adventure 3 day Park Hopper

SeaWorld San Diego

Legoland California

San Diego Zoo or Safari Park

Tampa

These are all pretty awesome attractions in our backyard for a great price. This could be a tremendous opportunity for a staycation that we just have not taken yet. Each of these can be visited for the price of one trip to Busch Gardens. That is a tremendous deal. Of course it isn't as necessary for me because FL Aquarium and MOSI are free for teachers.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Florida Aquarium

Lowry Park Zoo

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

MOSI or Chihuly Collection

Toronto
This is the city on the list that I am least likely to go to. I don't really want to leave the country too badly, but if I did, Toronto in the summer time wouldn't be too bad. I'd probably buy this for my family and go the Jays stadium for a game as well.

CN Tower

Casa Loma

Royal Ontario Museum

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Center

These are some great options for awesome things to do, that I actually really want to do now. I want to visit these cities more because they have Citypass and because we had such a great experience in Atlanta. It could be worth it to use a Citypass and have a staycation in Tampa. This offer is almost just too good to pass up in the locations which the offer exists. I hope that you get to visit one of the Citypass cities soon....

- Noland

Georgia Aquarium

We are once again at the time when we review an animal attraction. We visited two new animal attractions this summer, starting with the Georgia Aquarium. That is what will be discussed today.

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, GA

Website

Hours: 9AM-9PM

Admission: $36.95 (Included w/ CityPass)

Date of Visit: Fathers Day 2016

Highlights: Numerous highlights at this aquarium as it was the best one we have seen so far. The highlights started with the fact that it was included with CityPass. Once we were inside there were a lot of fun areas to go to. Each area was filled with awesome sea creatures. The big tank with 4 whale sharks, giant manta rays, and countless other fish is the big reason people go to this place. That big tank did not disappoint, especially the tunnel portion of it when you walk under the sealife. My favorite thing to swim over us was the Giant Manta just because it was so huge. Outside of the big tank though, this place also had beluga whales, penguins, an electric eel, and so much more. Another big highlight is the best dolphin show imaginable. I thought the National Aquarium in Baltimore used to have a great dolphin show, but it turns out I didn't know what a real amazing dolphin show was until I visited the GA Aquarium. Everything was just amazing.

Disappointments: There were not a whole lot of disappointments for this trip like I said. The food was not spectacular, but it wasn't like it was bad. It is a tad disappointing that the aquarium is far enough that we can't go often. I also wish we had better pictures of the Beluga Whale, the electric eel, and the Dolphin show. That last one is on us though and not on the Georgia Aquarium in any way.

Additional Tips: Get there early! It got much more crowded throughout the day, I recommend going early. It was a good plan for us to go to mass Saturday night so we could go Sunday morning to the aquarium at opening. There was very little crowd until after the dolphin show and we really got to enjoy each exhibit. Do as many shows as possible too, especially the dolphin show! The shows are free, so make sure you get the most out of your experience!

Pictures

Jenna and the boys in front of the big tank

The whale shark

Eli sitting in front of the big tank

Family with the whale shark mascot

Big whale shark

Giant manta and a whale shark overhead. My favorite part!

Crawling through a tunnel with Jr and looking at fishies

Walking through the tunnel with my buddy

Holding my boys about to go into the aquarium for Fathers Day!

Eli staring at the fishies

Jenna and her mom in the tunnel with Eli

Jenna and Noland in the tunnel looking at the penguins

Final Rating
We gave this aquarium 5 out of 5 Elephants
The Georgia Aquarium is by far the best aquarium we have been to. It is twice the price of most aquariums, but it is so worth it. This place is worth every single penny. For comparison purposes it is less than half the price of Sea World Orlando and so much cooler. I wish that we lived closer so we could go every year. The aquarium should be on everyone's bucket list. We will certainly come back to the Georgia Aquarium at some point. It was a thrilling visit to the Georgia Aquarium and the visit here made our trip to Atlanta a success all on its own.

Next week, we will discuss the wonderful citypass and further talk about our trip to Atlanta!

-Noland

Disney World Blackout Days Are Over

Thousands of Florida residents are about to be coming to Disney World! After a long summer for holders of Disney's Silver Pass, our blackout days have completed and we may now descend upon Walt Disney World Resort. The blackout days officially are over today Friday August 12th. For thousands of residents like us, that means we are ready to take many trips in the coming months.

The Silver Pass is more economical for our family and many others. Forcing us to avoid the park just 3 times a year. Those times are the weeks before and after Christmas, weeks before and after Easter and during the summer. Those blackout days are typically Disney's busiest times, but now with the tiered pass system it is a little less crowded during peak seasons than in years past. It is so brutally hot during the summer that it isn't missing too much, but if I said I did not miss Disney, I would be lying. My family loves the resort. Many visits will be happening through the end of 2016 and into 2017. The updates will be posted here with many pictures to come.

Here are some magic moments so far with our passes this time around....

Animal Kingdom added Lion Guard Statues around the park. Here my son is with the Fuli statue

My son got a lot of 1 on 1 time with one of his favorite characters Rafiki

We got plenty of time with Chip n Dale prepared for space too

Ate some delicious goodies

And who can forget meeting the 4 main Disney characters

Finally, we all saw my favorite character!

There is a lot more to come. Stay tuned for so much more magic!

-Noland