55: Ride a boat down the Sassagoula River

What a nice way to travel…

Guests at Disney’s Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter Resorts have an especially fun way to get back and forth from Downtown Disney: the Sassagoula River Cruise. It’s just a charming, fun way to get around, and the views are pretty great! There are the meanderings of the river itself and beautiful glimpses of nature along the way:

Depending on your final destination, you may have the opportunity to see Resorts where you aren’t staying, and experience their theme and beauty.

Disney’s Treehouse Villas

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

Disney’s Old Key West

Port Orleans French Quarter

Port Orleans Riverside

And you gotta love the boat-to-boat wave (click the photos to enlarge)!

I think a great way to spend an evening outside the Parks would be to grab some Fish & Chips at Cookes of Dublin in Downtown Disney, then take the Sassagoula River Cruise over to Port Orleans Riverside to see a Yeeha Bob show. But that’s just me . Disney World guests are never limited to their Resort only—you can get to just about anywhere on property, and Downtown Disney is a great place to catch a bus to any Resort you’d like to visit.

But I am partial to boats over buses when given the choice . Guests can catch a Friendship boat from Disney’s Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach Club Resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

And the Magic Kingdom Resort area (Disney’s Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary Resorts, as well as Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campgrounds) offers boat service to the Magic Kingdom.

Where in the World will you sail ?

83: Find at least one Hidden Mickey at every Resort on Walt Disney World property

Mission accomplished! This post will focus on Hidden Mickeys spotted at Disney’s Value and Moderate Resorts. You can find my post on Hidden Mickeys at the Deluxe Resorts here.

Let’s start with the latest and greatest… I was beyond excited to spot my first Hidden Mickey in Disney’s new Art of Animation Resort. I was intrigued by the ceiling light fixture in the center of the “Little Mermaid” portion of Landscape of Flavors, the resort’s food court.

I loved how it gave Ariel’s perspective as she gazes toward the sky from her home under the sea, so I spent some time staring at it. Among all the “whozits and whats-its galore,” I spotted this framed portrait of Mickey Mouse!

Some things are considered Hidden Mickeys that aren’t really even images of Mickey Mouse at all… according to THE SOURCE on Hidden Mickeys, Steven Barrett (“Hidden Mickey Guy” extraordinaire!):

“A Hidden Mickey can take different forms. The most common image is the tri-circle Mickey frontal silhouette: three circles that form Mickey’s round head and adjoining round ears. Other images include a side or oblique (usually three-quarter) profile of Mickey’s face and head, a side profile of his entire body, a full-body frontal silhouette, a detailed picture of his face or body, or a three-dimensional Mickey. Sometimes, just his gloves, handprints, shoes or ears appear. Even his name or initials in unusual places may qualify as Hidden Mickeys. And don’t forget other characters: Hidden Minnies, Donald Ducks, Goofys, etc.”

(Quote taken from Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets)

For instance, check out these song titles at the GIGANTIC Juke Box at Pop Century’s Bowling Pool:

Value Resorts are known for their larger-than-life icons reflecting the theme of each resort. I spotted these Mickeys in the Country-Western wing at All Star Music:

Okay, I don’t know if you can call anything “hidden” on a three-story high cowboy boot, but there you have it!

A very intentional Mickey welcomes you to All Star Sports :

But you’ll also be able to find a Hidden Mickey below as well as above–the black circles under the steps form his ears atop the circle his podium stands on:

There is a window in the front of All Star Movies with a whole slew of characters reminiscing over Disney films:

I consider all of the film titles to be “Hidden Mickeys:”

But if you’re looking for a more official one …

We have one more category to explore: Disney’s Moderate Resorts. A teeny Hidden Mickey welcomes guests to Coronado Springs:

It’s Mardi Gras all year long at Port Orleans French Quarter! And nowhere is that more evident than at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. Guests can find upside-down Hidden Mickeys in the blue and white gems on an enormous Mardi Gras crown.

French Quarter’s sister resort, Port Orleans Riverside, waves slow-moving fans over guests checking in at the beautiful reception area, where you can find golden Mickeys:

Caribbean Beach Resort has one of the most epic pools on Disney World property. One of the things that makes it so is the awesome Pirate Ship splash area:

A glance at the ship’s helm will help you know who the captain is :

And with that, the quest is complete! So I leave with you the same reminder and challenge as last time: that’s just ONE Hidden Mickey from each Resort. Can you find more  ?

52: Catch a Yeeha Bob show at Port Orleans – Riverside

Who has the energy of about twenty 5-year-olds?

Is lovable to the core?

And is a bona fide Walt Disney World treasure?

Why, it’s YEEHA BOB!!

Bob Jackson has been performing his unique blend of music and comedy at Disney’s Port Orleans-Riverside Resort for over fourteen years. And he’ll have YOU joining the show… It’s time to sing-along with Yeeha Bob! Here are just a few of the night’s offerings that we enjoyed:

• “Hey Jude”
• “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
• “Sweet Caroline”
• “Greased Lightning”
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
• “American Pie”
• “When the Saints Go Marching In”
• “Whoomp! There It Is” (Yes, you read that correctly )

And, my personal favorite… “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”! He even threw in some “Phineas and Ferb” and “Spongebob Squarepants” for the kiddos, and they loved every minute of it… all the big kids loved it, too—Bob makes sure that there is something for everyone here!

Oh… did I say “sing-along”? Bob’s sure to have you dancing, marching, clapping, hokie-pokeying and Tarzan-screaming along, too! But don’t let the non-stop fun and downright silliness fool you… Bob Jackson is a classically trained pianist who will knock your socks off with his talent. Just when you think it’s all for giggles, his “Flight of the Bumblebee” makes you realize how truly amazing he is.

Typically, you can find Yeeha Bob at Riverside Resort’s River Roost Lounge starting at 8:30 pm every Wednesday through Saturday, but be sure to either check his schedule or ask a cast member at Riverside Resort, as things are subject to change.

I saw Yeeha Bob on Friday night with friends, and brought my husband back immediately on Saturday night so he could see him, too (hence, his different-colored outfits in these photos ). Seeing Yeeha Bob may become your next great Disney vacation tradition, too!

94: Celebrate Mardi Gras at Port Orleans and see the cast member golf cart float parade

Did you know that you can attend a Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday in Walt Disney World… and you don’t even have to be in one of the parks?

I learned about a wonderful celebration through a terrific Port Orleans fan website: the Mardi Gras Port Orleans Resort Cast Member parade!

Each department at Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside is given the opportunity to decorate a golf cart to drive in the parade, from Merchandising to Mousekeeping .  This year’s theme was “Disney Heritage Through the Decades.”  If a decorated golf cart doesn’t sound all that exciting, take a look at these…

Pirates of the Caribbean:

The Haunted Mansion (complete with the attraction’s theme music piping out of it):

Everyone’s favorite Chimney Sweep, Bert, accompanied the Merchandising team’s tribute to “The Great Movie Ride” at Hollywood Studios:

A loving tribute to the now extinct Mickey’s Toontown Fair:

A “flaming” car from Lights, Motors, Action!

And perhaps the one that made me smile the most—this float carrying Kathy and Drew, Port Orleans 40-Year Cast Members (their sashes say “Opening Day Cast Member”):

Did I mention the cast members handed out plenty o’ Mardi Gras beads and candy? Here is our haul—including FOUR candy necklaces ! Huzzah!!

The best part? Being able to celebrate these awesome cast members. I had expected to see some pretty creative floats, based on photos I’d seen of previous Port Orleans Mardi Gras parades. What I hadn’t thought about was seeing the cast members and the pride and happiness on their faces as they celebrated the uniqueness of their beautiful resort. These are the people who work so hard to make Walt Disney World vacations the magical experiences that they are for their guests. Sometimes their work is set behind the scenes so they aren’t recognized; sometimes their tasks may be thankless. It was nice to have the opportunity to cheer on these hard-working cast members at Port Orleans. It helped me appreciate cast members all over the World even more.

Would you like to let the Walt Disney World Resort know about a cast member who made your experience extra magical? You can drop an email to: WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com