Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

It’s the last day of March, and that means my month of reviewing the Verizon Palm Pre Plus is over.

When I started this process, I have to admit that I expected to use the phone for a month or so and then head into the Verizon Wireless store and switch back to my trusty pink crackberry.

But today? I’m going to stick with the Palm Pre. So how do I love Pre? Let me count the ways…

• In using this cell phone, I have learned to love a touchscreen, which is something I always hated before. This one is very good at knowing exactly where I’m touching the screen, and Palm’s “gestures” make navigating very easy.
• Palm’s webOS is just fabulous. I love the integrated search it offers, and I love the way it handles Web pages.
• And I know I’ve told you about this phone’s multimedia capabilities. The ability to stream Pandora Radio or use the Stitcher app to listen to a radio show makes my phone the only device I need to carry back and forth to the gym.
• I also like the smart notifications on the Verizon Palm Pre Plus. I like that it shows me the subject line of an e-mail, or what time I have the alarm set for, at the bottom of the home screen without having to open an application.
• And I like the keyboard feature that allows me to lock the phone into symbol or all caps mode. Aren’t we always on the lookout for little tricks that will save keystrokes?
• A growing number of apps for the Palm Pre make the phone more useful every day. I especially like Tweed for using Twitter and the Facebook app for keeping up with my social media life.
• And finally, call me shallow, but I love the way the Verizon Palm Pre Plus looks. It is black, sleek and rounded. Last night, my 14-year-old baby sister picked it up and pronounced it “awesome looking.” Does this mean I’m finally cool for once in my life?

There are, of course, a couple of things I would like to see improved. For one, battery life – the most common complaint of smartphone users – needs to be extended. I have trouble making it through the day without charging my Verizon Palm Pre Plus. And I wish the keyboard had the traditional “send call” and “end call” buttons — you have to use the touchscreen to hang up, which isn’t always convenient.

But overall, I think this is a great phone for moms, travelers and just about anyone. It’s been a great experience trying out the Verizon Palm Pre Plus, and I’m pronouncing it a keeper.

Disclosure notice: Verizon paid for my Palm Pre Plus and is paying for one month of my service in exchange for me trying the phone and posting about my experiences on my blog. I’m still thinking for myself, though, and you can count on me to provide my honest opinion of this product.

We recently took part in a new-to-me activity at Disney’s Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World: Make Your Own Vinylmation!

The blank Vinylmation figurines have been available to buy for several months, and now some Walt Disney World resorts are offering Vinylmation decorating as part of their menu of daily activities for guests.

At the Polynesian, a table was set up with dozens of colorful Sharpie markers to decorate the figures. We were invited to buy a blank Vinylmation from a nearby merchandise location and then let our creativity take over.

The cast members manning the table had set up some real Vinylmation figures to spark our creativity. The Theme Park Kid had a great time decorating her Vinylmation, especially when it came time to pop off the arms and the head to better color around them.

When she was done, she even signed the bottom.

Regular readers will know that I preach this a lot, but I will say it again: Don’t overlook the great amenities and activities at your resort when you vacation at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Most of us need a little break from all the stimulation inside the parks, and there are lots of fun activities happening at our resort when you need a down day. So, don’t forget to peruse that activity calendar you are given when you check in.

We found the Make Your Own Vinylmation activity at the Polynesian. I am told it also takes place at the All-Star Resorts. If you’ve seen it in other Walt Disney World locations, please let us know in the comments.

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival.  Go there to read more great Disney posts!

I worked for the New York Times Company for most of the past decade, and I spent a surprising amount of that time sitting in conference rooms, listening to different discussions about what the future of media was going to be. The one thing that everyone always agreed on was that someday, all media was going to be in the palm of your hand.

And that day is certainly getting closer. The Verizon Palm Pre Plus smartphone has a host of features that truly make it a multimedia device, and I have found that I am feeling the need to carry additional devices (such as my iPod) less and less. Here are the 5 reasons why:

• The Verizon Palm Pre Plus has 16 GB of memory in this shiny, black pebble-shaped package. Sure, that’s not as much as many mp3 players have these days, but it’s plenty to carry hundreds — make that thousands — of songs around with you.
• The audio quality on this smartphone is quite good. The built-in speaker can be turned up to a good volume level without sounding distorted. And you’ll get even better sound if you plug headphones into the device.
• Palm’s webOS is set up so that you can play music on your phone or stream audio in the background, while you also use your phone to surf the Internet or use other applications.
• The Pandora Radio app comes already installed on the Verizon Palm Pre Plus. I have been a Pandora fan for years. If you haven’t used it before, I definitely encourage you to try it. You sign up (it’s free), and start telling Pandora what songs or artists you like. Pandora learns these preferences and creates a streaming radio station just for you, with a mix of the songs you have told it to play and others that are similar.  Pandora on the Palm Pre works just like the Web site. You can sign in with your existing account and it will already have all your preferences.
• But it’s not all about the music. You can also download Stitcher from the app catalog on your Palm Pre. While Pandora has your music covered, Stitcher is a talk radio app that allows you to stream podcasts and radio shows.

Disclosure notice: Verizon paid for my Palm Pre Plus and is paying for one month of my service in exchange for me trying the phone and posting about my experiences on my blog. I’m still thinking for myself, though, and you can count on me to provide my honest opinion of this product.

If you are planning an Orlando theme park vacation this spring, here are two new hotel offers that might save you some money.

CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort

I am so excited about the April 15 opening of the new CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort in Orlando. Today, CoCo Key is announcing a special rate of $89 for mid-week stays at the brand-new hotel, from April 15 through May 31. Standard room rates run $99-$129 per night.

As the hotel’s name shows, CoCo Key is more than a hotel. It has its own 54,000-square-foot water park with 14 water slides and play areas for children and teens. Unlimited water park access costs $19 per room, per day for hotel guests.

CoCo Key is right in between the Universal and SeaWorld theme parks on International Drive, and the hotel offers free transportation to and from these parks.

You can book a room at the special rate for Coco Key in Orlando online.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

During the month of May, you can book a special package at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin to celebrate Mother’s Day.

The hotels are offering a special rate of $159 per night. If you book a stay at the special rate during any weekend in May, you will be entered to win a private, catered cruise aboard the Fan-ta-sea. One of these cruises will be given away to a lucky family each weekend.

The Swan and Dolphin hotels are in Epcot Resort Area at Walt Disney World, and guests get free transportation throughout the Walt Disney World resort, as well as other privileges such as Extra Magic Hours.

To book this “Mother May I” special, call 800-227-1500 and ask for rate code “MOTHER2.”