New Year New You New Disney Bag. You're Welcome!

Happy New Year everyone! It's been waaayyyyy too long since we both posted anything (we actually blame 2016) so here's to a fresh start.

To get the year rolling in a positive way we teamed up with Lesportsac to give away THREE of their Disney inspired bags which we love and use daily. They're sturdy, hold everything I could possibly need and more and have the cutest little Mickey and  Minnie designs on them. We sent one to our friend Estelle over at This Happy Place blog to review for us and she loves it as well... so how could you go wrong?

Seriously how cute are these?

The Mickey on the zipper ..LOVE

To enter all you need to do is use Rafflecopter below and feel free to tweet, share, post and spread the love about our giveaway. You've got a week to enter, make it the best week ever!


~ Disney Besties
Karen & Davina

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disney Inspired Fathers Day Gifts

Fathers Day is June 19th this year and in lieu of booking a weekend trip to Disney, we thought we would put together some Disney inspired Fathers Day ideas we think he will love.

1. For the Good Time Dad
Ride photos-- you know you have them. What seemed like such a good purchase at the time has been filed in your box of photos-- or in my case 'Junk Drawer' (which also includes extras of the kids team pictures, school pictures, and scrapbooking materials collecting dust from promises of a vacation book 3 years overdue). Well dust off that family ride photo and find a frame. What better way to say "father of the year" than proof that dad can rock the Space Mountain pose.

Fathers Day gift. Check. #disney #ridephoto #spacemountain pic.twitter.com/6YjbMRMo8k

— best friends guide (@bestfriendguide) May 20, 2016

2.  For the Cook/Grill Master
The warm weather is here and it's time to fire up the grill. How about a Mickey themed apron and over mitt? I can't promise that the nosy neighbors won't give a second look, but really who cares, you didn't like them anyway.

3. Ahoy Matey! For the Captain in Your Life
If your family is anything like mine, you are currently planning or thinking about your next Disney Cruise. If putting a deposit on a cruise is a bit too much for a Fathers Day gift, give the gift of some cruise memories. A classic Mickey T and some Cruise H2O shampoo will get him dreaming of that cabana on Castaway Cay.


4. For the Dad Who is Out of This World
Send him off to work in style with some subtle Star Wars accessories. His co-workers might notice his affinity for The Force, but he can always use the "my kids gave this to me" excuse.


Do you have any suggestions for the Disney dad? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Happy Fathers Day everyone!

~Davina and Karen

Best Disney Cruise Line Boat -- According to Me

When I started "cruisin'" back in 2007 I really had no idea that the boat was part of the journey. Today I have 5 Disney cruises under my belt and now I realize the ship you sail on can be more important than the destinations.

For those considering a Disney cruise and trying to work out what itinerary to select, here are my unscientific, completely personal feelings on the ships that make up the Disney fleet.

THE DISNEY MAGIC
The work horse of the Disney fleet, the Magic travels the globe. From Europe to Hawaii, this ship has seen it all. I sailed on her both prior to the recent refurb as well as after. Like any classic, there are both charms and quirks.

MAGIC PROS:

• THE SIZE
  Look, lets be real, the Magic is still a massive ship. If this is the first cruise you have ever taken, chances are you will feel overwhelmed by this floating city. However, if you have sailed another cruise line, or the Disney Dream or Fantasy, it will feel quaint and maybe slightly disappointing in its moderate grandeur. So how is this a pro? Well talk to me when you have boarded in record time, found a deck chair without issue, got a space at Palo during a day at sea, and even snagged a Cabana on Castaway Cay. Debarkation is a breeze with half the people and half the luggage. Less people = more time not throwing elbows. You get the drift. 

The Magic. Massive yet somehow small

• THE KIDS POOL AREA
  I loved the way they designed the new pools on the Magic. I have two boys-- seven and four. The pools on any cruise ship can get nuts and my guys think they are much bigger dogs than they actually are. On the Magic, the kids area is nice and contained. I could sit at a table and watch/lurk as they both ran around the spray park, waited in line on the Twist and Spout slide, and splashed in the appropriate depth pool.

My deck chair vantage point. Nobody is drowning on my watch. 

• THE KIDS CLUB
  One thing The Magic has over other the other Disney ships is the Marvel theming at the kids clubs. My boys could not get enough of the "Becoming Iron Man" experience and the Avengers Academy. During Avengers Academy they not only became super heros but hung out with Captain American for a bit. Don't get me wrong, the Dream and Fantasy kids clubs are still amazing but they are themed slightly different and DO NOT have this same Marvel experience. 

Avengers Academy

Captain America salutes
while my kids apparently have sun in their eyes

DISNEY DREAM/FANTASY

I am grouping these together because they are virtually the same ship. If you love one, you will love both. Surprisingly these massive ships don't go nearly as many places as the Magic and the Wonder. I have a theory that the overhead for taking these big boys across oceans might be cost prohibitive and that they might not fit in all ports-- let me know if you ever see one of these guys at Key West. Don't fear though, you can always count on your standard Bahamian and Caribbean itinerary-- which, lets be real, is not too shabby.

DREAM/FANTASY PROS:

• ADULT ACTIVITIES
  While the size of the Dream and the Fantasy can be overwhelming, being bigger means being able to offer more space for programming-- specifically, adult programming. 7AM yoga classes on deck,  a large work out space in Senses, and my personal favorite-- a whole other adult deck to lounge on.
  
  Satellite Falls, located on Deck 13 on the Fantasy, is an extra bit of welcome space in the adult pool section. Containing a small splash pool/water fountain you can actually sit in (I wasn't 100% sure at first) with an abundance of deck chairs, Satellite Falls was our go-to retreat when we needed some real quiet. I'm not sure if people just never discovered this section of the boat, or we went at the best times-- there was just never anyone there.      

It was seriously always this quiet

• THRILL SLIDES
  Hands down the AquaDuck found on both the Fantasy and the Dream beats out the AquaDunk on the Magic. Full disclosure-- I did not attempt the AquaDunk. I watched lots of people go down and have their bathing suits compromised, but I didn't really want to try it. I like to keep my top on thankyouverymuch. The AquaDuck on the other hand is like a fast lazy river around the circumference of a boat. Did I have you at lazy river? It's pretty awesome and makes both the Dream and the Fantasy a bonus. My husband went on the AquaDunk and immediately after pulling his bathing suit down from around his neck said, "you will not like it." I trust him.

"Oh Heeeeyyyy"

• FINE DINING
  I've been to some classy joints in my time but Remy was hands down the most interesting. With JR Ewing to our left and British royals to our right, we could not help but be entertained. It is fine dining so there was a whole thing about the cheeses, the wines, the breads and the truffle experience but I also got the feeling that people were just itching to spend their money. JR Ewing and his (maybe) wife walked out with a $1300 bill. The British folks opted for the truffle experience, the wine pairing, and chefs tasting which ran them around $900. My husband and I high fived (I kid you not) when we walked out with a $250 bill. No truffle up charge for this gal. It's $75 a person and what you get for that price is just fine. 

Remy Menu: I don't know what it means either but it was good/

WINNER WINNER - OR NOT

So is it a cop-out if I don't pick the best boat and say I like them all? I liked the charm of the Magic and the majesty of the Fantasy and Dream. I've never been on the Wonder but rumor has it that she will be getting a makeover like the Magic sometime in the not-to-distant future. Each ship has something special about it which makes picking a favorite almost impossible. 

A fellow cruiser and I were talking about her recent experience on the Magic. She has been on some of the Royal Caribbean ships and I asked if the Magic felt too small by comparison. Her response was no, it was not too small and really it was about the activities that keep you busy during the day. No matter the Disney ship you will be swept away. And with that, I leave you with this moment of zen.

Disney does sunsets right

Do you have a favorite boat or a fav cruising experience? We would love to hear from you.


~Davina

Kill, Refurb, Marry - Villains

Who doesn't love a good parlor game? Thishappyplaceblog.com and Mouseonthemind.com have transformed the classic "Kill - Boff - Marry" to a more Disney friendly version where bloggers are tasked with matching a part of the parks with these three criteria-- slightly modifying the most risque option for obvious reasons.

This edition of Kill, Refurb, Marry takes on Disney Villains.

KILL
Villains should always be memorable. Which is why my nominee for this category is the very forgettable Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas. I know, he's based on historical what-not, but I still don't remember a thing about him-- except that he had a dog and he liked gold a whole bunch.

He had a song or two in Pocahontas... about gold. Yawn. NEXT!

REFURB

We all know how Frozen's Anna and Hans worked out. With his hipster sideburns and doe-eyed gaze, who would have thought he would turn out to be such a douchebag? Nice twist Disney. But look at him. He has the face you would trust, right? If I could refurb I would add a touch more bad boy to Hans-- I mean he's already got the "oh hey Ted Bundy I didn't see that one coming" down solid.

I'm thinking we add more of that twinkle in his eye that reminds you why you're walk-of-shaming at 7:30AM on a Tuesday. 

MARRY

This one was easy. Can we just say that we loved Gaston before loving Gaston was a thing? Before the Buzzfeed clips that showed off his push up skills and little girls telling him off. Before the line for Gaston rivaled Mickey Mouse. We fixed our lipstick and fluffed our hair before we met him (no seriously, we did). He's perfect... and he knows it.

"smile like you're married to me" -- Gaston

p.s. don't ever challenge Gaston to a push-up contest. You will totally lose.

~Davina and Karen

Disney Half Marathon Outfits .....The Tremaine Transformation Begins .

At last years half-marathon Davina and I marveled at the array of costumes being worn. Some were sparkly, some were sporty and some were just downright amazing - tuba guy we're talking to you. As new and slow runners we decided to just keep it simple and wear Ariel colors, but after seeing so many great ideas we decided to get a bit more adventurous this year. If you've read our posts before then you know our love for the stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella. It's almost as if it would be blasphemous to consider anything else.

Perfection. I die

Our dilemma now lies in how to achieve their amazing look. We're not the type to run in layers of tulle. It's hard enough for us to run in Athleta pants. We did however find these beauties on Rock City Skirts

Drizella = me

Anastasia = Davina

They seem perfect . Not too much fabric, lightweight and spot on with the colors. These are getting ordered for sure. The hard part now is finding the running capris and shirts to match....and no Tremaine outfit would be complete without the lil gold crown and bow.

 

I've  seen some really good RunDisney outfits posted by other gals and have asked for suggestions on where they bought their items, but we'd love some input from you all. Any great ideas? Keep in mind...we sweat lots and need sleeveless shirts or risk getting very fussy. One step closer to stepsisters already.


~ Karen
 

Kill, Refurb, Marry - Transportation Edition

Who doesn't love a good parlor game? Thishappyplaceblog.com and Mouseonthemind.com have transformed the classic "Kill - Boff - Marry" to a more Disney friendly version where bloggers are tasked with matching a part of the parks with these three criteria-- slightly modifying the most risque option for obvious reasons.

This edition of Kill, Refurb, Marry takes on transportation.

KILL - This is an easy one. Just the sound of a Disney bus lowering to let on three scooters with a line of tired kids 50 people deep makes me want to hurt someone. Lets not even discuss the fact that the double stroller won't close, the bags at the bottom of the stroller need to be carried, as does the 3-year old who just. can't. walk. anymore.

No amount of soothing Disney music can make me like the bus system. No matter which way you go-- park-to-resort or resort-to-park -- your stress level will rise. Case in point, this Disney bus fight captured on cell phone (note, bus drivers need a raise). KILL IT before we kill each other.

Visiting my 3-year old in Disney bus line prison. 

REFURB - How many times have you been on the monorail and said to yourself, "if it only went to [insert park or resort that is not already on the monorail line]? If you are me, which I am, you have said it every time you have gone to WDW. I get it, money. Everything costs coin and the monorail is anything but a reliable system. It's more iconic than practical but I would love to see the planners at WDW think about some method of rail that could augment the monorail system. 

Next Stop - The Future

MARRY - I have a love affair with Disney boats. There is nothing more pleasant than a leisurely boat ride from the Wilderness Lodge dock to the Magic Kingdom. It's civilized and if I could just ride around on the boat with a cocktail while chatting with the retiree captain, I would. I'm pretty sure when I retire I will be finding a way to make this my part time job. I found the boat ride below on YouTube. Thanks to the fellow interweber who captured this moment of zen. Can't you just feel the Bay Lake breeze?

Well there you have it. Out transportation picks for this Kill, Refurb, Marry. Agree? Disagree? Let us know. We would love to hear from you.

Until next time!

~Davina

The Eyes Have It: The Down Low on Disney Lashes

If you know anything about Karen and I, you know we love false lashes. We seek out special occasions to wear new lashes and have been known to take a selfie or two simply to capture the lashes-- even before selfies were a thing (yes we are old).

Lash Selfie Circa 2008

We have always admired the Disney character lashes and it seems ladies around the world do too. Here is our round up of the top 5 Disney lashes-- with a special shout out to Japanese girls who seem to have this market cornered.

#5: Disney Villains. Who doesn't love to be a little bit bad? These lashes (most available on Amazon for $8.99) will have heads turning. It takes a brave gal to pull off some of these bold looks, but if you like to steal puppies or find yourself sabotaging young love at the bottom of the sea, these may be just right for you.

Bad Ass Lashes

#4: Daisy Duck. I have always had a strange fascination with Daisy's lashes. She is so glam and somehow ends up overshadowed by her BFF Minnie. While the US lash market seems slow in capitalizing off her look she is even hard to locate globally. This set was nowhere to be found (in the obvious places) online-- but I betcha I would find this in every major drugstore in Japan. Road trip anyone?

What? Nobody wants duck lashes?

#3: Maleficent. I know, I already mentioned villains. But with the recent MAC and Maleficent make up collection, this bad girl needs her own shout out. This collection is long gone, but you can find it for a price online. Amazon has these lashes listed at $33. An investment for something this fleeting for sure, but wouldn't it be fun?

If I wear these, do I get Angelina's cheekbones?

#2: Minnie Mouse. A lash list would not be complete without Minnie included. Search for Minnie lashes and options abound. Unfortunately, they all seem to be in the wrong country making looking like Minnie a bit cost prohibitive. I did find some fun ones on Amazon at a reasonable "add on" price. For $9.90 (with a total order of $25) you can get the Minnie lashes below. I'm not gonna lie. I just ordered them.

Japanese drug stores must be heaven

And finally, at #1: No lash list would be complete without a princess or two. My princess of choice will always be Ariel so I was thrilled to find the lash set below right down the street at my local Walgreens. At only $7.99 it's the perfect price point for a gal just trying lashes out for the first time, or some old pros like Karen and I trying to save a few coins.

These really should be waterproof-- I'm just sayin'

Did we miss anyone in our list? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

~Davina and Karen

Star Wars Weekend 2014 - A Newbie Retrospective

Last year we had the good fortune of being at Disney during the Limited Time Magic, May the 4th Be With You. It was amazing. The characters, the dance party, the fireworks. It psyched us up so much we naturally thought, "we need to be there for the real deal". So we planned on a weekend in 2014 to visit during Star Wars weekend.

Let me begin by saying that it was fun. We all enjoyed ourselves-- I mean how can you not? But it was different from the Limited Time Magic and I can't figure out if the unexpected spontaneity of the May The 4th weekend has some extra pixie dust, or Disney needs to adjust a few things. Here are my thoughts on what worked (and what didn't) as a Star Wars weekend newbie. 

WORKED - The excitement. It's hard to describe the nerdy tingles that run through your body when you hear the Cantina theme song playing as you walk into the park. While Hollywood Studios could still be enjoyed by those not into Star Wars during Star Wars Weekend, it would take some serious Force to ignore the movie theme at every turn.

just try to ignore the Storm Troopers on pedestals 

Storm Troopers take over the main stage

Oh Han. 

DID NOT WORK - Crowds.  I know, I know. Disney gets crowded. But Hollywood Studios is already on the small side. Couple that with a parade route the length of my kitchen and eager 40 year old nerds (I am married to one, so I can say this without pause) trying to catch a glimpse of one of the celebs in the motorcade-- well, your kids aren't going to see much. We tried to watch the parade and maybe caught a glimpse of the top of Mickey Mouse's ears-- maybe. We still aren't sure. I'm just not into throwing elbows to wave to the guy who played Jar Jar. I have no photo proof of the crowds as I think I went and bought a cocktail. Or some popcorn. Or maybe both. 

WORKED - Happy accidents. Here's a tip for next year. Skip the parade and head to the back of the Mouse hat. When the parade ends the characters have to go somewhere and if you position it right, you will have an AMAZING vantage point for all your favs. We just pulled over to tie some shoes, and then the pictures below happened.

Not planned at all

An unplanned side-eye

Glamour Droid Shot!

Slow down Boba Fett!

There were more photos, but as you can see from the above, it was just us watching the characters walk by. No crowds, and an impromptu parade of sorts. Even the droids spun around and beeped for us for a bit. Way more fun than standing in a line of people 10 deep waiting for a parade you never get to see.

WORKED, and at the same time DID NOT WORK - VIP access. So there is this new trend at Disney where if you would like to pay a boat load of money you can get pretty much whatever you want. I say this is new because in all my years of traveling to Disney I have not seen the have and have nots divided so blatantly. 

Let me explain.

I knew from blog posts and the like that getting character autographs Star Wars weekend was a lesson in patience and sometimes futility. So when I saw that Disney was offering a dining option with the characters I was all in. There were two choices. One was with the Disney characters dressed up like Star Wars characters. The other was the Star Wars characters themselves. We opted for straight up Star Wars characters. It was breakfast and we got to see Darth Vadar, Boba Fett, Storm Troopers, Greedo, and Jawas. I'm not even going to go into how much my French Toast cost me. It was slightly ridiculous at $49 per adult and $29 per child, but hey-- nobody was forcing me to do this. I was considering this an investment in time saving. It was fast, but good. We had some themed breakfast items:

C3PO breakfast pastry anyone?

Enjoy Yoda yogurt parfait you will

 And we got to meet all the mentioned characters:

We traded Jawas some JetBlue pins for gold coins. 

set your blasters to "look at the wrong camera"

Greedo swagger

my husband is the side-eye master

Breakfast was at the Sci-Fi Drive In, so we sat in a car and watched clips of the various Star Wars movies as we ate our overpriced meals. Overall, a really good time. One could argue that we were paying to get to the front of the character line. True. But at least we got some pastries in the process. What I didn't expect, were all the people who paid to get to the front on every line. All day. And also into the evening.

Disney also offered front of the line options for the parade, the fireworks, and around Star Wars weekend in general. It felt like one velvet rope add on after another. When my 6-year old asked me to hold him up so he could get a glimpse of James Arnold Taylor at the end of the day finale,  at first I was like "who?" and then I held him up as high as I could and glared at the ropes that separated the audience into various categories.

VIP offerings are a slippery slope. One thing that was always nice about Disney is that we all have pretty much the same access and definitely the same treatment. Sure, the celebs skip the lines-- but you kind of expect that and it happened quietly. What I don't love is this new trend of creating visible class systems that make me feel like my price of admission is somehow worth less. Shouldn't we all have a shot at the best parade route spot or fireworks view? The fact I'm pretty good about carving out good spots and that my family just didn't have a chance made me feel a little bleh. And who wants to be at Disney and feel bleh? My advice, if there is something you know to be a priority for your upcoming trip, check and see if Disney offers an upgrade experience.  Even if you decide not to go that route, at the very least you will know/understand the situation when you see the ropes that divide. . 

WORKED - Shopping. I heard horror stories about lines for days at Darths Mall. Apparently that was just the first weekend. The weekend we went was pretty quiet and totally manageable. It was like the Christmas Tree Shop for Star Wars stuff. Those of your from the New England area will totally get that reference. Everything you think you want but have no idea where to put it when you get home.

It's a trap! Don't buy it. 

Refer to photo caption above

Here's a fun fact. I asked the cashier at Darth's Mall what the hot items were. He paused, thought about it and said, "well, whatever they were, they were long gone the first weekend." And there you have it.

Would we do it again? Probably. Yes we made some newbie mistakes, but all-in-all we had a great time and I really can't complain. I mean, I can. I can always find something to complain about, but Star Wars Weekend is a tough, hard core nerd-out weekend and so long as you go prepared, the entire experience is out of this world (pun intended). 

Do you have some tips for navigating this inter-galactic weekend? We would love to hear them. Feel free to comment and let us know what we should have done differently. 

May the force be with you. Always.

~Davina

Who Knew Maleficent Loved Fake Lashes Like We Do...MAC Did That's Who

  The countdown to Maleficent in theaters has been a long time coming in my house. My huge fan of the baddies daughter asks monthly when it comes out and here we are in the home stretch. We here at Best Friends have made it clear how much we love makeup, and when that makeup says anything Disney on it , we love it even more .Naturally MAC paired with Disney again for a Maleficent collection ~perfect timing for the movie release~ in stores and online now.

The line includes lip gloss, lip liner, brow pencil, highlighter pen , nail polish and...LASHES!!

These beauties deserve their own picture.

  You can get the lashes in the set above or the 36 lash which isn't individual lashes. Either pair we love and are ordering for our next trip.

Pucker up for true loves kiss, Which of course is sold out. Angelina lips denied again.

Eye Shadow x4 in Goldmine, Ground Brown, Concrete, and Carbon

 
 

  The sculpting powder , which I've recently become in love with , is also gone. I'm sure most gals were hoping to get those cheekbones and swooped them up quick. I suggest hitting your local MAC store or counter where you should have more success. As of today the only items available online are the LASHES!! and the shadow quad. MAC has free shipping right now so if you want those at least head over there right now!





.https://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/12800/New-Collections/Maleficent/index.tmpl



Happy Makeuping!!

~Karen

She's Crafty, She Gets Around. She's Crafty, She's Always Down

For anyone who gets the Beastie Boys reference for the title of this post, I salute you. 

It's been awhile, but it's time to pick the Crafty Tuesday series back up again! This is where we find some of the best Disney related crafts out there on the interweb. Sometimes we buy these crafts, sometimes we just admire from afar. Either way, we like to share the magic with all of you.

The weeks crafty theme is "shhhhh, I like Disney". I sometimes forget that the general population might not understand my Disney obsession. So it makes sense when not on property (or in the general Orlando vicinity) to tone it down a bit. Wearing my mouse ears on the subway ride to work might get some looks. So I am always on the hunt for items where I can show off my #disneyside (see what I did there?), without coming off as complete loon.


I've got stuff fit for a castle.. tote

Commuting to work and need a good bag for your book and lunch? How about a castle tote? I imagine your fellow commuters not in the Disney know will think you have a thing for medieval castles. And that's ok... because you and I know the truth.

Etsy - $33

Does my hair smell fishy to you?

Little Mermaid colors are the Best Friends favs. Which is why this Little Mermaid themed headband makes me happy. Supposedly it fits toddlers all the way to adults-- which may result in some 4 year old girls giving me the stink eye for stealing their look. I will let you know if I get into any fights on the playground.

Etsy - $14.99

Those poor unfortunate soles... of my feet

I had no idea that this post would be heavily weighted with Little Mermaid finds but I had to include these Ursula knee highs to the shhhh, I like Disney collection simply because these would be so easy to pull off quietly. I imagine wearing these to work under my obligatory black works pants feeling like I have the best secret in the world. Is that a sea witch on your calves? Why yes, now sing. KEEP SINGING!!!!!!

Etsy - $12.00

Pass me my feather, I got to fly

Aside of the long lines for the Magic Kingdom attraction, Dumbo doesn't normally get much play as a fashion icon. Which is why I felt I needed to include this very cool infinity scarf inspired by the dumbo colors in this collection. Magic feather not included.

Etsy - $24.00

These are only a few of the finds out there. We know there are others--how do you guys bring Disney into your day to day? Let us know in the comments section. We would love to hear from you!

~Davina

Part 1: You've Been Invited.... MYMagic+

Well it happened. Yesterday my nerd dreams came true and we were invited to test MyMagic+ during our December mini-trip to Walt Disney World. We will only be there one day before we head out on the cruise so it's not much of a test. But it doesn't matter, because see below and how could we say no?

So, set up. I know more about database management than I care to and my husband is a web usability guru. Between the two of us, we were bound to have loads of opinions. While the cool part are the bands you wear during the trip, the meat of this program is what we in the biz call "Identity Management". Basically, how does Disney identity check you and make sure you are who you say you are without sacrificing ease of use.

Quick answer, they can't. Well, not easily. There is a reason they are beta testing this with a smaller population to start and I began my experience with a 45 minute phone call with a VERY apologetic internet rep from Disney.

I have no clue how their data is organized. But I would venture a guess, there are loads of systems (DVC, Annual Passholders, Regular Disney, Cruise Line, etc) and they don't always play nice with each other. In my MyMagic+ profile, my son Grayson was shown twice. The version going on this trip was not the version with the park ticket associated. Left this way, fake Grayson would have received the band leaving real Grayson behind. Fake Grayson would not be able to make any FastPass+ reservations and would likely have been the only one using real Grayson's hard ticket. In other words, blech.

But the interweb folks at Disney were lovely and figured out a bandaid. But not without leaving fake Grayson as a semi-permanent part of the family....

NOTGraysonNOT is NOT my son

I now have two Grayson's because I assume Disney makes it very difficult to delete any records. They like their data and are known for their data but sometimes it's bad data. Hence NOTGraysonNOT was born.

Bugs like this are not unusual for a project of this size and scope. It's a personalized experience that is bound to be bumpy. But can I see your average web user navigating these potential complications? Depends on how cool the perks are, and that remains to be seen.

Next time -- Part 2: Signing Up for FastPass+

~Davina