Confessions of a Disney Nerd

Disney World Solo Tripping!

2012-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

If you follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you probably are aware that in just one week I'm going down to Disney World on my first solo trip adventure! I've outlined the basic details of my trip as well why I've chosen to go solo in my latest post at the TouringPlans.com blog. Go ahead... check it out!

Many of you like a lot of little details and I'm happy to share what I'm going to be up to while I'm in Florida.

My flight leaves Detroit around 8:00 a.m. My hubby will be driving me up to Detroit very very early... bless his heart. We'll probably leave here around 4:00 a.m. and get to the airport a little after 6:00 a.m. depending on the Michigan snow that is pounding down outside as I type this. It'll probably be closer to 6:30 a.m. just because Matt always has to stop and go to the bathroom or grab some breakfast.

I should get into Orlando a little before 11:00 a.m. I'll haul tail off of the plane and essentially run to the Magical Express pick-up area. I wanna start my magical trip as soon as possible! Since I've already checked into Pop Century online, my check-in experience should be short and painless. I'm going to ask for a room in a building that is close to Everything Pop, the main building, since I will be by myself and I don't want to take a weird walk through parking lots when it's dark at night. That just doesn't sound the safest to me... even if it is at Disney.

If I can get a room, I'll go freshen up there and head out to a park. If my room won't be available then I'll just freshen up/change my clothes in the Pop Century restroom and call it good. The first park I'm going to will be determined by whichever bus shows up at the bus stop first. I'm definitely going to end my first night at Epcot though. La Cava margarita in hand and I'm a happy camper.

The rest of my days I'm honestly playing by ear. I KNOW! You've gotta be shocked. I'm going where I want when I want. I've not booked any advanced dining reservations at all since it's just me and if I want to eat somewhere, I can pop in pretty quickly without much effort and fuss. I have chosen to treat myself to a signature restaurant... my first signature restaurant! It's a tie right now between Jiko and Flying Fish Cafe. I just can't determine which one at this point. I took a vote on Twitter and Jiko won with about 75% of the votes. We'll see what I end up doing!

My last park day I'm actually letting my Twitter followers and TouringPlans.com readers weigh in on! Everyone is free to pick a park for me and whichever they choose is the park I'll be tweeting live from. I figure since I'll be right there in the magic, I should share it with some awesome people.

So excited to be doing a lot of photography as well as research for the great folks at TouringPlans.com! I just LOVE my side job!

From next Wednesday the 18th, through Sunday the 22nd, prepare to be Disneyfied "Disney Nerd" style. I'll post the final day of my trip report back from October here in a few days. Gotta finish it up so I can share all of my new adventures with you guys!

Stay tuned!

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day 5

2012-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's our last full day at Walt Disney World so we hit up my personal favorite park, Epcot.. We got there a little later than I would have liked but it was only just after rope drop. We grabbed a couple of FastPasses for Soarin' and then headed to Character Connection before the line got too long. Barbara isn't the biggest fan of costumed characters so she and Ben stayed out of the photos for the most part but I required them to get a picture with the big cheese... Mickey Mouse. Standing in line we saw the cutest little boy ever. Barbara and I named him George.

After Soarin', my gang went over to Club Cool, quenched our thirst, and continued to Mission: Space. The boys did the crazy side and the girls did the tame version. I've done the wild one before and totally regretted it. I felt sick for a couple of hours after. Barbara REALLY doesn't do well with motion simulators so it was a clear choice for us as to which side we'd ride.

If my memory serves me correctly, we enjoyed the campy nature of Captain EO and of course, skipped Figment. As soon as World Showcase opened we were buying our Food and Wine Festival wristbands out for the kill (or food and alcohol). Let's dig in.

Right away, Matt shocked me by grabbing some Maple and Moosehead Beer-glazed Salmon with Barley Salad in Canada. He's picky about salmon and doesn't want it often. It was really really amazing. I'm sort of kicking myself for not getting a portion for myself. Yumtastic!

I'd also like to point out this dude's fashion statement. I don't know who he is but I'd like to tip my hat to him. Brave, brave man.

Who doesn't love cheese, right? Barbara and Matt certainly did. They loved this option while I still think one of them tastes like feet. Give me cheap cheese and I'll be happy. Fancy cheeses don't make me feel fancy. Anyway... they loved it.

My first thing I wanted to try was a bold move... Escargots! I LOVED IT! The tiny bread bowls with butter really complimented the snails well. It didn't taste "snaily" as my husband pointed out.

Coming up to the Belgium pavillion, Ben grabbed Steamed Mussels and I nabbed a Hoegaarden. Mmmm... beer. All tasted amazing. The beer was perfect for the overly warm day.

Portugal surprised me with the Calamari Salad. It was outstanding. I wish I would have gotten two. I love calamari anyway but this was a really unique way to try it since it wasn't warm and breaded like I'm used to.

Matt stopped at Hops and Barley and absolutely needed a Maine Lobster Roll. After Ben saw Matt's, he went over and got one. Totally worth a snack credit! Yum!

We stopped for Matt to get a Carlsberg (beer) in Norway and then met Snow White. We decided to stop at Maelstrom where I snapped perhaps my favorite shot of the entire trip. Funnily enough, as we got up to the attraction, we found out that it just shut down due to mechanical problems. Fail!

I twisted Barbara's arm (okay, not so much) into getting School Bread in Norway's Kringla Bakeri since she absolutely loves coconut. Barbara loved it and decided to keep the other half for breakfast the next morning.

Scandinavia was calling to me with their Taste of Scandinavia. There was a sampling plate of Shrimp Salad, Cured Salmon, and Herring. While everything was really good, the salmon was outstanding. I think the portions were great for a snack credit. I like the idea of getting multiple food items with one credit. Makes it feel more worth it.

Our next stop was the Caribbean where Barbara and Ben both got the Jerk Spiced Chicken. I believe this was their favorite of everything that they tried. The booth was crazy busy so obviously Disney's chefs were doing something right. Barbara also got the Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito. I think it was a little pricy for the size but the flavor more than made up for it. Delicious!

I DEMANDED that we stop at La Cava again. I'd tweeted the bar earlier in the day and they actually asked me what I wanted the special of the day to be. I said, "a margarita!" They tweeted back positively so I knew I had to show up and get a special deal. The Hibiscus Margarita was only $10 so I asked for that and also an order of chips and guac. Their guacamole is the best I've ever had. Truly. Wow. Everyone snacked on it but I ate most of it (guilty). Ben and Barbara shared an Avocado Margarita since we learned how delicious they are on the first day of our trip. Before we left I also wanted the Twitter "shot special" for only $5. AMAZZZINNGGG presentation and delicious tequila. Getting the bill, I learned that you can only have ONE Twitter special for your order so I took the discount on the margarita and payed a few extra dollars for my tequila shot. Not a big deal. I still think it's worth the cost.

Guess who I bumped into at La Cava? Mike from Coaster Radio! A few years ago I became a frequent guest of the Coaster Radio podcast for a little while. Mike was vacationing with his lovely wife, Molly and they just happened to be at La Cava at the same time as us. I loved visiting with them for a little bit. Truly the nicest folks.

I was feeling nice and loopy walking out of the bar and I had energy to boot. Ben and Barbara were still hungry so they stopped at Hawaii and each got a Pork Slider.

Barbara and Ben wanted to cool off so they went back to Caribbean Beach Resort to swim and take a nap while Matt and I took another lap around World Showcase. It's clear to us that Matt and I are obsessed with World Showcase and we always spend more time there than any other place in Walt Disney World on every vacation. Matt took the camera and went crazy with it. We made sure to hit up the Circle-Vision show in Canada since we LOVE it.

Guess who Matt just HAD to stop and meet? Mary Poppins!!

Once we made it to France, we stopped at the bakery and grabbed something to cure our sweet tooth. Honestly, I don't know what Matt got. I drank "too much" at that point and didn't write it down. It looks like a turnover of some sort... probably apple. I got the Napoleon which I LOVE. We were excited to watch the movie in France for the first time. Thing is... I don't remember it. I remember entering the theater and sitting down. The next thing I know, Matt is waking me up. I fell asleep! I felt like I'd been sleeping for a few hours! This is what happens to me when I drink... I sleep.

I was drowsy but we pressed on. We had a blast goofing off and taking more pictures. My stomach even got a second wind when I saw the word "sushi." Hey, Spicy Tuna Roll! Welcome to my mouth!

Time rolled around for us to meet back up with Barbara and Ben by Spaceship Earth. We hadn't even done this attraction yet at that point. We all enjoyed it... especially the silly pictures at the end. Next up was a trek back to the World Showcase to dominate Maelstrom since we missed out earlier in the day. Can't stay away from those vikings. We even stayed for the movie at the end for the first time ever. Fact! It will be my last time ever unless they change it. That was the loudest movie I've ever sat through, and also, the most dated.

Barbara stopped at Karamell-Kuche in Germany and got a cookie covered with a wonderful caramel drizzle.

After finishing up walking through the World Showcase, we visited the Innoventions buildings. I suggested (okay, demanded) that we have fun in "Where's the Fire?" It's so much fun and all of us really liked doing it. We even got a cute picture after the interactive game.

We had a dinner reservation at Coral Reef at about 8:00 p.m. and showed up early in hopes of getting a table by the tank. I was assured upon checking in that, "all tables have a great view." Well, okay. There went that idea. We waited about 10-15 minutes, the longest wait on our trip, and then got seated in the 3rd tier of the restaurant. Our waitress was very sweet and took our drinks orders. For some reason, I never wrote down what drinks we got. I think Matt and I both got a water while Barbara got some type of alcohol drink and Ben got a beer.

I was the only one to get an appetizer. I happen to love the Lobster Soup only on this trip, it fell flat. It was very watered down and I had ONE piece of lobster that I could even taste. Not worth the cost. The table bread and butter that we were given complimentary was actually more appealing and that's not saying much given that it was pretty plain.

For Ben's entree, he chose the salmon. It was very plain and only one side was that good. He said it was overcooked (not a great thing for salmon) and not prepared well. The best part of the dish was the rice.

Matt's choice of Mahi Mahi was acceptable. The fish itself was juicy and pretty good. He subbed the original side of rice for potatoes and they were pretty standard mashed potatoes... nothing exceptional.

I decided to go for the Pan-Seared Sustainable Seasonal Catch and sub the mushroom risotta for mashed potatoes. The fish wasn't bad but it certainly was bland. I can't even remember what kind of fish it was that I got that day. It had a crispiness to the outside that reminded me of fried chicken. Perhaps the fish would have been better if it would have been accompanied with something other than bland mashed potatoes. Flavor wise, I was disappointed.

Barbara got the winning entree of the group... the Grilled New York Strip Steak with Horseradish Potatoes and Vegetables. The steak was quite good apparently (I didn't try it since I don't eat anything that lives on land) but the highlight was the mashed potatoes.

Barbara got the winner of the desserts as well. Her creme brulee was exceptional and she said she had no complaints. Ben got cheesecake which he said was just too fancy... like they were trying hard. The wafer that accompanied the cheesecake tasted like paper. Matt and I got the Chocolate Wave. We've had this many times before and this was the worst we've had it. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't exceptional. The cake was just barely warm and not gooey enough. We wanna see chocolate lava pouring out.

Super full, we paid our bill and got the heck outta there. As we were going past the Leave a Legacy tombs, I remembered that we had to look for NSYNC's photos! I looked up the exact location on my phone and we went in search. The boys wanted to leave so badly so they were searching extra hard. I have to give the credit to Ben for finding it (it hurts to say that).

Most of us packed up our stuff that night once we got back to Caribbean Beach Resort. We knew we wanted to get up and going to Disney's Hollywood Studios the next morning for our last hours in the park. We could not believe our awesome trip was almost over.

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day Four

2011-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Rainy, rainy, rain. Broken record, right? The skies hadn't closed up yet and dried us off so we decided to tackle a wet Magic Kingdom. We made it to the gates in enough time to see opening and start a slippery walk to Space Mountain. We stood outside for about five minutes before the ride officially opened and we could walk through the queue. Space Mountain is always so exciting to me because I can't remember where the turns are and I actually feel like it's pretty thrilling. The downside... I get beat up to no end. It's a win/lose game.

After walking out of Space Mountain we immediately noticed something was off in Tomorrowland. There were no guests, just cast members. We started to walk to the restrooms only to make it a few steps and be stopped by a cast member telling us that Tomorrowland is closed until further notice. We couldn't access the hub through Tomorrowland so they were pushing everyone out of the area and into Fantasyland. About 30 seconds later we noticed a handful of firefighters pointing up towards the Astro Orbiter and/or the PeopleMover. We tried to look around while we were being rushed out but we couldn't see anything interesting. As we crossed past The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the big construction walls opened up and a few fire trucks came out! It was all so exciting! I hurried and got out my digital camera in the rain because I couldn't miss capturing the action for my blog.

We changed our plan of attack and just went on some of the Fantasyland rides before the lines got too long. This was a smart idea because every single time we got off of one attraction, the posted time would be higher. Haunted Mansion was excitedly up next! Barbara and Ben were most stoked about Haunted Mansion and it turned out to be a ride that we'd repeat over and over throughout the day.

Columbia Harbour House opened up at 11 a.m. and we were right there for it. Ben got the shrimp meal, Matt and Barbara got the tuna sandwich, and I ordered the new lobster roll. Everyone felt like you got a lot of food for the price of one counter service credit. The lobster roll was good but I'm not sure that it was as great as the Lighthouse Sandwich which is what I usually get. Everyone else loved their entrees and their dessert as well. We sat at a table on the bridge/walkway crossing and noticed that when we were done eating, the rain was done pouring! This called for a trip to Frontierland. We grabbed FastPasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then hit up Splash Mountain before the rain kicked in again. I don't know if I get as excited to ride any attraction like I do with Splash Mountain. I think next time I'm going to see how many times in one day I can ride it. Sounds like a crazy awesome plan.

The gang decided to go into Adventureland and go on Pirates of the Caribbean. Without fail, some idiot in the boat ahead of us was taking pictures. Just one I want a solo trip on this attraction with no flash photography that blinds me or ruins the effects! *off soap box* I convinced everyone that we need to see the new Enchanted Tiki Room. Everyone thought it sounded dopey but I just had to go see the "new/old" renovations. I gotta say... it was still lame. Haha. Sorry, Walt and the awesome Imagineers that spent a lot of time working on this attraction. We left and my friends turned toward me and said, "Yeah, Stacey! That was worth it! NOT!" Ha!! Oh well, provided us a good laugh at least.

Our Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FastPass return time was up so we rode that and then headed back into Adventureland for a very special event. Barbara's first dole whip float. Many pictures to commemorate this happy moment.

We found out that the big drama in Tomorrowland was! Some wires caught fire or something on the Astro Orbiter and it wasn't a big deal but they had to evacuate the area to make sure all was well. Tomorrowland opened back up in the afternoon so we finished up Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and then called it good. We left the park via the monorail and headed over to the Polynesian to walk around and show Barbara and Ben where we got to stay last year when I won a trip through Orbitz. The grounds are so lush and tropical at the Poly. I feel like I'm transported somewhere else all together. And with a quick monorail ride I somehow ended up at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. We were about a half hour early for a our reservation time (or so I thought) but we checked into 1900 Park Fare early at about 5 p.m. anyway because the boys were tired and getting cranky.

The gal that checked us in was super enthusiastic that I was going to be eating a vegan meal. She started talking about Chef TJ and raving of his culinary abilities. I already knew all this so I just let her go on about him to her hearts content. Chef TJ is my bud. We go way back. About 2 years back to when he worked at 'Ohana.

The "family photo" in front of the cheesy backdrop at 1900 Park Fare was so awkward but we definitely participated. My group was seated in the back room, away from the buffet and entertainment. That didn't bother me so much because it seemed less chaotic there. People poured in quickly and filled up the tables. Our waitress was really attentive and fast so our drink orders came rather quickly. Barbara was feeling a bit (or an insane amount) awkward so she ordered alcohol right away and downed it embarrassingly fast. The boys got pop and I enjoyed a margarita. I'd like to point out that the woman that checked us in (Chef TJ's BFF) noted something rather funny on our parties ticket.

It took a little while for Chef TJ to come over and chat with me. He was really busy with food allergies all over. I told him as long as there isn't any mushroom on my plate then we're good. Chef TJ showed me around what was meat free on the buffet while Barbara, Ben, and Matt got their plates filled up. I took some soup, a little salad, and some veggies. It was all really good and I shouldn't have gotten that because I ate a lot of it. I knew Chef TJ had a lot to bring out to me but I had a hard time being patient.

Let's take a look at Barbara's plate. Since she started at the kid's buffet table, she got the Mickey plate, not knowing that there were regular round plates for adults. This provided me a good laugh when I got back to the table. Barbara's favorite foods included the Caprese Salad and Strawberry Soup. She also got a free cupcake for her birthday!

Ben's favorites were the Salmon (which he actually said was exceptional) and the Caesar Salad.

Matt's plate is the most chaotic of them all. A love of macaroni and cheese and pizza led him to the kid's buffet as well. He also really liked the Caprese Salad and Caesar Salad.

Shortly, Chef TJ appeared in front of me with what could only be described as a masterpiece creation. Vegan spring rolls and homemade chips with hummus. I couldn't stop myself once I started devouring this. I just kept repeating, "This is sooooo good!" I knew I should stop because more would be coming but it was so difficult! Even Barbara flipped out and said she wished she'd said she was vegan so she could enjoy Chef TJ's food.

Next up for me was my favorite part of the meal... grilled romaine with a tasty horseradish sauce and pistachios. It's worth mentioning that I hate horseradish. This was so different, though! It had a kick to it and I'm pretty sure had some type of drug that made me keep eating. My stomach was filling up quickly and I began to wonder if Chef TJ had an entree for me or if he was considering this my entree. I wanted to try more but my tummy was hurting!

Of course, there was more food from my main man TJ. A HUGE plate of tofu and veggies. While I was trying to make a dent in this, my friends were all done eating their dessert. Even though I was totally full, the word dessert was music to my ears and Chef TJ had told me to hang tight because he was bringing me something good.

Out came a tower of fruit, sorbet, and vegan ice cream held together with a long wooden spear. He whipped out a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup and went to town! I thanked Chef TJ up and down for all of his hard work and got a quick picture with him. I might love him a little. Though, my stomach still hates him a little for the delicious torture.

Now to touch on the characters of this meal. Prince Charming was incredibly thin but charming. Cinderella was beautiful but too quiet. The step-sisters were a hit and even Barbara, incredibly weirded out by all characters, chatted it up with them. I even got her to take a picture with one of them! Lady Tremaine was the same that I'd met a year prior at the Magic Kingdom. She was good but a little young for the part.

We noticed that the waitstaff and bus boys (an older gentleman in particular) were OUTSTANDING! They were all so quick and polite. We all couldn't stop watching this older guy haul tail and stack plates and cups in seconds flat. Truly, we were impressed.

Ben, Barbara, Matt, and myself all got on the monorail and headed back to the Magic Kingdom for some nighttime fun. We pretty much got a seat right away on Main Street U.S.A. and saved each others seats while we went to the restroom and looked around in shops to pass time. Main Street Electrical Parade was a good time for all of us. I think after seeing both that and SpectroMagic, I like Spectro a little better. Maybe it's just because it reminds me of my first trip to Walt Disney World but I sort of miss the scary clown people and the dancing fireflies.

We wanted to go down to the tables out in front of The Plaza to get a good view of the castle's entertainment but everything was roped off so we headed up right beside the Wishes Dessert Party and enjoyed their good view. I LOVED LOVED LOVED watching The Magic, The Memories, and You. What sucked was that we couldn't actually make out any of the pictures on the castle to see if we were on any of them but the special effects were still super cool. While we loved Wishes and it's cheesy, emotional glory, we were bummed that Tinkerbell didn't fly that night.

To make ourselves feel better after missing Tink, we thought a ride on Mad Tea Party would lift our spirits. Crammed into one teacup, the girls instructed the boys to NOT spin the cup. Well, they didn't listen which resulted in hysterical laughter and near vomiting.

We headed over to ride Haunted Mansion a couple of times. The line was a walk on so we took advantage of it. Next up was Fantasyland where we got on a boat ride through the land of children in "it's a small world." About half way through I must have dozed off and Ben noticed. Suddenly I felt a finger halfway up my nose. I jumped and gasped loudly. Almost everyone in the boat turned and looked at me. My gang couldn't stop laughing along with a woman in front of us. Glad I could provide entertainment via embarrassment.

That wasn't the last time I'd embarrass myself for the night. In Mickey's PhilharMagic, we just got seated when something funny was said or happened and I laughed so hard I snorted loudly. The 30 something guy next to me could not stop laughing. His wife asked him what was so funny and he said, "The girl next to me just snorted." Oy.

Matt got his one wish for the whole day.... to ride Jungle Cruise. I pretty much find this ride boring and repetitive. It is safe to say that while the ride is incredibly meh, it's much better at night than during the day. I don't think Barbara and Ben were that impressed with Matt's beloved attraction. Glad I could prove a point.

Our night was over and we headed back to Caribbean Beach Resort for the night. Our last full day at Epcot was ahead of us and we had to be well rested!

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day Three - Part Two

2011-12-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Friends. Check. Disney. Check. Ponchos. Check.

The downpour that we'd been experiencing hadn't stopped but we pressed on with the night to celebrate Barbara's 24th birthday at Downtown Disney. We waited a little while for a bus. That didn't surprise me at all since all bus transportation to Downtown Disney blows chunks. Once the packed bus made it to Marketplace, we got off at the bus stop and saw a sea of people waiting for busses. Again, no surprise.

The Christmas store was our first stop and we spent quite a bit of time in there having fun and looking around. I pretty much saw it as an opportunity to take pictures with my cool new camera. I found an ornament that I wanted so badly but with a $50 price tag I had to walk away.

Ponchos back on, we made our move to Goofy Candy Co. I had never been inside and wanted to look around at all of the cool treats. The horrible weather made the candy store packed so I couldn't really take any pictures. We didn't purchase anything... just looked around. We did get a craving though so we headed for BabyCakes NYC. I have a serious obsession with BabyCakes and I'm so glad that it exists. Barbara and I bought some brownie bites, donuts, and toasties for breakfast the next morning. I was super happy that Barbara didn't buy any cupcakes because she had a special BabyCakes surprise coming to her that very night!

It was about a half hour before our reservation at Raglan Road but the rain caused us to have no desire to shop so we decided to check in early to dinner. It was totally nuts in there when I checked us in because so many people had the same idea as us. I told them we were celebrating a birthday and would like to be seated as close to the entertainment as possible. I was told it'd be a while and that was okay with us. We hung out in the adjoining gift shop for a while and eventually we were seated.

Our table was RIGHT in between the band's stage and the dancers' stage. Best seat of the house. Our waiter promptly came over and right away we liked him. He had this... way about him. He was chill, yet attentive. I could really tell he was listening to us and cared about serving us. Our drink orders came quickly which rocked because we were ready for some alcohol. I got one of the infamous beer flights in Walt Disney World, the Four Provinces. This consisted of Swithwicks, Harp, Guinness, and Kilkenny. While all were delicious, Kilkenny won me over. Funnily enough, both Ben and Matt ordered that as well and loved it. Matt and Ben both had two more throughout the night and I ordered one after my flight was finished. Barbara's drink was on the speciality menu but I was too busy drinking my beer to write the name of it down. So, just know... it was yellow and it was so good she ordered another.

We placed our entree orders and enjoyed the awesome Irish band play. A couple got married that night and had their celebration dinner at Raglan Road. The band invited the sweet couple up on stage for their first dance. While the moment was beautiful, Barbara (a bridal consultant) and I couldn't help but notice how God awful this woman's bustle was. Also, the Irish dancer dude looked a lot like some celebrity but I couldn't figure out who. Someone please help.

Entree time! Here is Ben's medium rare 10 oz. steak. Ben said the following about his steak, "...one of the best ever." There you have it. Everything paired perfectly with the steak and it turned out to be a fantastic meal.

Mussels. A crock 'o' mussels. I'm salivating now just looking at the picture of my meal. I can't even explain how perfect this was. I was actually stunned. The broth, the leeks, the bread soaked in the delicious broth. I can't talk about it anymore... I'm starting to have a craving. Excuse me.

Matt and Barbara both flipped out over the fish and chips that they ordered. They said the tartar sauce was so out of this world. Barbara got some ranch dressing to dip her fries in only she got this amazing ranch which was unexpected. I love that standard fish and chips was amped up and made a really delicious meal.

After dinner, as I was ordering another beer, I asked the waiter (without Barbara hearing) if the cake was in the back for us from BabyCakes. He knew exactly what I was talking about and told me just to give him a sign when I wanted him to bring it out. He asked if I wanted candles in it and of course I accepted that offer. I just figured we could do without the candles and it'd be no big deal. About ten minutes later, he came walking out with this beautiful purple and pink cake. Following him was another waiter with a plate of miniature cookie sandwiches straight from BabyCakes NYC! Gah! I was so excited! We were already so full but HAD to dig into this masterpiece! I placed an order ahead of time with BabyCakes for an 8 inch, Blondie birthday cake with vanilla frosting. All four of us could not believe how amazing it was. Even Ben, super meat eater, said it was one of the best cakes he'd ever tasted.

Our waiter came by the table and assumed we didn't want the dessert that came with the Disney Dining Plan. Matt said, "Oh, yeah we're good." I did not stand for this. We paid for that dessert and we were going to get it so I could review it. I got our waiters attention and Matt corrected himself and said we would like to order dessert. The boys got the Strawberry and Apple Crumble. Super delicious. Barbara got the Bailey's Brule Tart which she said reminded her more of cheesecake instead of creme brulee. I thought it looked that way as well. She said it was really tasty though. I only get one dessert when I'm at Raglan Road... the Bread and Butter Pudding. Oh sweet heavenly angels... this was great. I could only take three bites before I felt my stomach come dangerously close to exploding.

Above is the massacre of desserts. Feast your eyes on this table overflowing with sugary goodness.

Our waiter boxed up the leftover cake and cookies for us. This became our breakfast and snack for the rest of the vacation. We're not ashamed and never will be.

We crashed so hard after we got to the room. Exhaustion from such a fun and rainy day. Best birthday in WDW ever? I think so.

For You, Mr. Disney

2011-12-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

110 years ago, a baby was born in Chicago, IL on Tripp Avenue in a house that was built by Elias Disney. Elias and his wife, Flora, named their son Walter.

I'm hoping you all know the rest of the story. The man grew up to be a creative genius and built the largest and most well known entertainment empire in the world. He was a son, father, grandfather, and friend to many. While he ran a very tight ship and rarely gave praise to his staff, he was insanely well respected and had few enemies. Everyone wanted to please him and everyone wanted to be around him.

While Walt passed away before I could ever write him a letter, let alone meet him, he managed to work his way into my life. As a child, I don't think I knew how every Disney t-shirt I wore, every animated cartoon I watched, and every dream about "Prince Charming" I had, all linked back to one man.

If it weren't for Walt, my childhood fashion statements would have been far more boring. I remember so many of my favorite outfits had some type of Disney cartoon displayed. I loved my 101 Dalmations tank top and matching bike shorts. Yeah, I just said bike shorts. On my fourth birthday, my Aunt Arlene bought me a tie-dyed dress with The Little Mermaid on it. I'm pretty sure I had a Mickey Mouse hat, shoes, socks, sweatshirt, and probably some cool patches. But, nothing compared to when I got my very first Mickey Mouse ears. I was so insanely proud that I owned those iconic ears that I practically slept in them.

Walt created the original Mickey Mouse Club in 1955. There was a reboot of this infamous television show in the early 90's and I was obsessed with it. I remember grabbing my mom's hand, pulling her out of my babysitters house because I COULD NOT miss MMC. If any of you know my past, I've been a performer since I was young. Hours and hours were spent in front of the television memorizing every dance move. I owe my passion for dancing and singing to MMC. And for that, I've gotta thank Walt again.

I've identified with so many characters in Disney movies all throughout my life. As a child, Belle from Beauty and the Beast understood me better than anyone. She came from a small town. No one understood her dreams. She felt different than everyone else. It's like someone talked to me and asked me about my life in Sturgis and then wrote a story about it. Only, my life didn't include a beast, a red rose, and a talking clock. Cinderella, despite her unfortunate circumstances, always had a blind belief that her life was going to get better. She taught me that if you work really hard and keep dreaming, you can end up happy. Hercules battled people doubting him constantly but, he knew where he belonged and what he had to do to get him there. The biggest struggle he encountered was his own self doubt. I've been through many circumstances in my life where I could totally identify with Herc. Lastly, as a kid I looked forward to trips to my oldest brothers house because he owned Mary Poppins. I didn't own it but I was totally obsessed. I remember thinking how imaginative it all was. I'm pretty sure that Mary Poppins shaped my mind and even made trip out from time to time.

The Disney movies, music, and parks, have made learn to break free of my typically logical way of thinking. Somewhere as I've gotten older my mind has begun to warp into something less dream like. My feet are sometimes so securely placed on the ground. I can't watch a romantic movie and believe it is true love. I can't watch many horror movies and believe something enough to get truly scared. Basically, I can be jaded about life at times. But, with Disney, I forget every bit of logic and just allow myself to believe what I'm seeing. There is this moment at the end of Fantasmic when the music builds and Sorcerer Mickey appears at the top of the mountain, conducting the fireworks and water affects by a wave of his arm. A huge explosion goes off and suddenly, Mickey reappears at the bottom of the mountain in classic Mickey garb. Tears well up in my eyes every time as I stand up and shout for Mickey. It's like I'm overcome with absolute joy. Being there with all those people, enjoying the same magical show, well, it's a completely perfect moment that cannot be recreated anywhere else on Earth.

I've done a lot of research on Walt's life. He was an amazing man. What impresses me most about Walt is the way that he looked at things in his life. When he wanted something, he went after it. He didn't let things stop him. It was so easy for him to find his passions and pursue them. So many people, young and old, are told every day to stop their lofty dreaming because nothing will come of it. Walt believed the opposite. He thought that your dreams showed you who you were and what your heart desired most. I'd let myself believe that I'd never do certain things and never become what I wanted. I just gave up almost completely. The more that I started to learn about Walt the more I knew I couldn't just stop dreaming.

With Disney, I found my true passion. Sure, I still love performing and feel very strongly about music, but with Disney it's like I KNOW for a fact where I belong. Any day of my life when I feel down about myself I just think about something Disney related and I'm reminded that I do have a purpose even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes. I'm so thankful that I have Walt to look up to. In a way, I feel like I want to make him proud with what I do in my Disney "career." I like to believe that if he were alive today, and met me or read something that I wrote about Disney, I'd bring a smile to his face. I just wish I could repay Walt and show him what his lifelong work has meant to me. How he, just one man, has given me a purpose and a reason to want to wake up on those dreadful days when I have the mean reds.

Before my dad passed away when I was 6, he told my mom that he wanted to do two things for me before he was gone... buy me a pony and take me to Walt Disney World. He never got to personally experience either of those things with me but when I was in the 4th grade my mom saved up enough money to take me to Disney World. After the picture perfect first trip, the plane took off to bring me back to Michigan as I sat there bawling my eyes out. I was convinced that I got my biggest wish and God was going to make the plane crash. Yeah, I was a morbid child, I know. Looking back on it now, my reaction then was an early expression of how much Disney meant to me. Even now, when I walk down Main Street U.S.A., heading toward the castle, it's like the first time. I feel my dad's presence with me and I have a feeling that he's watching over me proudly.

All of that being said, I have to thank you, Walt. You've given me childhood memories, an imagination, entertainment that will last a lifetime, a positive dreamer's attitude, and a purpose. I'll never be able to repay you fully but I'm going to spend my life honoring your life's work.

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day 3

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

Barbara, Ben, Matt, and myself woke up to the sound of... rain. No surprise there if you read Day 2 of this adventure. The rain started Friday night and didn't stop at all! We didn't let that stop us though! It was Barbara's birthday and we had to celebrate big all day long.

After Barbara got in the shower, I hurried up and got the birthday goodies out that I bought back at home. We had fun wearing the slap bracelets around the park for the rest of the trip. Only, later on in the trip at 1900 Park Fare, I was slapping away and flung my bracelet into the infamous Strawberry Soup. Classic Stacey.

We also popped open some wine (yeah, it was about 7:00 a.m.) that Barbara had bought in Germany a few nights prior. The description said "apple wine." It tasted more like piss wine. Barbara took one sip and was done. I think Ben and Matt finished a little of their glass while I, like a trooper, downed mine. I just didn't breathe and pretended that it tasted like Welch's grape juice.

Walking from our room to the bus stop proved to be quite the task. As we were walking down the steps of our building and Matt was telling us girls behind him to be really careful because the steps were slippery, he takes no more than two steps down and falls down a flight of stairs on his back side. I gasp and look over at Barbara who immediately starts laughing hysterically. Matt was totally okay aside from a bruised butt. Barbara told him that she would write that off as his birthday present to her.

After stepping in a million huge puddles (that could not be dodged) and getting our feet dirty, we got on a bus headed for Animal Kingdom. This was supposed to be the busiest day of our entire trip (a level 9) but because of the rain, our bus was quite empty. Other folks had the same idea of enjoying the park despite the rain, though. All of us brave people were finally let into the park and we made our way towards Expedition Everest. Trying to do "the morning run" in pouring rain is very difficult. Our feet kept sloshing around in our shoes. We didn't rush to get to Everest because there weren't very many people to compete with. We were very irked to find out that the ride wasn't even running once we got there. We stood and stood and stood in line for about fifteen minutes before the short line started moving.

Everest in the rain. Just think about that statement for a second. Expedition Everest in whipping, cold, pouring rain. It was hilarious actually. We couldn't even look up at the ride because we just got shot in the eyeballs with rain. For some reason, we got off the ride feeling sick. All of us. No one wanted to go back on it even though we could have just walked on. We decided to move onto Dinosaur. Barbara and Ben were so excited to go on this but I think they were a little disappointed. It was just too loud and too... much.

Our tummies were still upset so I had the genius idea of grabbing breakfast at Pizzafari. We weren't going to use a counter service meal for that day so it worked out. Barbara and Ben got the Bounty Platter as did Matt, only he gave away his meat. They all found it really filling and liked the french toast the best. We all agreed that the potatoes were seriously amazing. I got the Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata and it was okay but a little on the small side and sort of dry. Not bad, but not great. The potatoes had me craving more, though. A cast member noticed Barbara's birthday button and surprised her with a cupcake! I don't care if it was only 10:30 a.m. Cupcakes are welcome anytime.

To our surprise, stand-by for Kilimanjaro Safari was only 15 minutes so we entered the queue. To our surprise (again), we walked right on. The "level 9 crowds" were non-existant and we were loving it! Sure the rain kind of sucked and we were sure that we wouldn't see many animals out roaming, but damn do I love short lines! We were thrilled when a lot of the animals were out enjoying the rain. Even the lions were really active. After the Safari, Matt wanted to walk the jungle trek but we needed to head over to see Finding Nemo: The Musical. This is a requirement of mine anytime I am in Animal Kingdom. Even though we got to the theater just 10 minutes before show time, we still got a good seat way down in front by the catwalk. Of course, the show was amazing and I really loved the person who played Nemo. I still get a kick out of the fact that a girl plays Nemo. Totally wishing a little boy played it though. Mainly because kids are super cute.

Once we got out of the show, the rain seemed to have increased to a torrential downpour (as if it wasn't horrible enough before). We booked it to It's Tough To Be A Bug because we just wanted out of the rain. This attraction was one of Barbara's memories from her trip to Walt Disney World when she was young. I have a slight fear of 3-D effects in some attractions so I didn't take any glasses. Everyone else loved it though and enjoyed being dry again for a little while. The trek out of the Tree of Life was so slippery and wet that we decided to leave the park and just go hang out at Animal Kingdom Lodge until our ADR at Sanaa.

At Animal Kingdom Lodge, we stopped by the gorgeous bathrooms outside of Boma and freshened up. I was really hoping that there would be lotion in there since I can't stand what my hands feel like after they've been wet. No lotion in there so we moved on. We wanted to see the area with all of the rooms so we ventured down a hallway and up and down some elevators. It wasn't exactly entertaining but we were dry and some of the views of the savannah were gorgeous. Barbara even managed to find me some lotion... on one of the Mousekeeping carts. :) She also found herself some shampoo just in case she needed it while we were out. Haha!

We hopped a bus and got dropped off at Kidani Village. I was really impressed with the lobby. I'd never seen it before and I just thought it was unique and interesting. It was so warm and homey to me. We ended up checking into our lunch reservation at Sanaa about a half hour early and only waited a couple of minutes to be seated. The place was packed. I assume because of the horrid weather. Suddenly, I realized that I forgot to request a table right by the big windows overlooking the savannah! Gah! I panicked in my mind! To my relief, we were seated RIGHT by a huge window with nothing blocking our view. Yay!

Barbara ordered a mojito to start off with and we all decided to split the Indian Style Bread Service. It looks as though I forgot to write down exactly what bread and accompaniments we ordered but I'll go off of memory. I think we got the Naan, Papadum, and Paneer. For the accompaniments we got the Mango Chutney, Garlic Pickle, and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus. EVERYTHING was amazing! I can see now why people always suggest to order it. Naan was the highlight for the breads and everyone sort of liked different accompaniments best. The Garlic Pickle was the most unique by far. If you don't like a strong garlic flavor then I definitely would not suggest it to you. Fortunately for me, I love garlic more than life itself.

I asked for the vegan sampler of Stewed Lentils and Spicy Peas, Chickpeas, and Potatoes with Basmati Rice. Boy were those veggies spicy! They weren't lyin'! I could barely eat them they were packin' so much heat. It sucked because the flavor was actually really good. Everything else was pretty tasty.

Matt ordered the Indian-Style Vegetable Burger. This thing was flippin' awesome! It's definitely not your typical Disney veggie burger. Matt and I both agreed (yes, I taste tested it... for blogging purposes only... of course) that it could have been a little warmer as it was served luke warm. Either way, the veggies in it complimented each other well and the portion was more than generous.

Barbara and Ben were twinsies and both got the Grilled Lamb Kefta. Ben devoured the thing in five minutes, I swear. When I asked what he thought of it he said, "Well, I ate it all!" Guess that says enough. Barbara also liked the dish but found it to be a little spicy for her taste. I'd heard that about a lot of the dishes at Sanaa so that statement didn't surprise me any.

In the middle of our meal, we started to hear these African drums from afar but getting closer. Around the corner came three cast members from different places in Africa playing a tune for all of the guests... or so we thought. They stopped right at our table and played a special birthday song just for Barbara. I'd never seen a restaurant have such a unique birthday celebration for a guest. We were all really amazed and felt like it was more personal that just some cheesy Applebees-like chant.

On top of the sweet song, our waiter brought Barbara TWO free desserts to share with the rest of us, equipped with candles. I should note that the desserts we were served were desserts off of the menu and not just a generic Disney cupcake. Next time, I might just go back and get this dessert it was SO good.

Here are a few more shots of the restaurant. I think I might be in love...

We left the restaurant and headed out to catch a bus back to Animal Kingdom. From there we got another bus back to Caribbean Beach. I, of course, wanted to take a cab. I wanted to take a cab basically anytime we had to take a bus. So, you can imagine how many times I suggested that we take a cab. Haha! The original idea for the afternoon was to surprise Barbara with some water fun. We were going to rent a pontoon and ride surrey bike around the resort. The rain sort of put a damper on that and also made us all very tired. Barbara led us all into making the greatest decision ever... to take a nap.

Oh, how that nap refreshed us all. We woke up around 5:30 and slowly creeped out of our beds so we could get around and look all pretty before our wet trek to Downtown Disney. Aaaaaaand, this is where I'm going to leave you hanging. Part 2 of this post will give you all the details of Barbara's birthday celebration. Get excited! It's gettin' real good.

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day 2 PICTURES

2011-11-22T16:07:00.000-08:00

Our room window at Caribbean Beach Resort decorated.

"Siiiiiingin' in the Rain..."

Matt's totally ready for the park to open!

Front of the line at Toy Story Midway Mania!

A deserted Streets of America

Truly, the worst Great Movie Ride guide of all time.

And, truly, the best gangster in Great Movie Ride.

I adore Kimberly!

HAHA... no words for Ben.

The beautiful Sunset Blvd.

Streetmosphere Parade!

She's so insanely photogenic!

Sexy hair, Mr. Landon! Sexy hair!

My hero and idol, Walt Disney

Handsome, huh?

Definitely a dream job of mine.

Use that whip, Indiana Jones!

While the show holds no interest for me anymore, I love taking pictures here.

Hanging with Walt in One Man's Dream

Giving the dog at 50's Prime Time Cafe a little booze.

My awesome gang!

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day 2

2011-11-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Our second day was filled with lots of magic (duh), movies, and music at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We arrived at the park before park opening (about 35 minutes before I'd say) and started stretching for the Toy Story Midway Mania Marathon. Okay, just kidding. That doesn't actually exist but you DO get a work out when heading for the amazing attraction so we were limbering up and preparing ourselves.

Just after one day I somehow taught my super cool friends on how to "weave" in the crowd. My theory is, if there is a big empty space with no one standing in it, why aren't you standing there? Even though we had a decent amount of people in front of us by the time the gates opened, we managed to weasel our way up to about two people behind a leading cast member. When it was go time, everyone kept their eyes open for empty walk way and filled it in. I was so proud to even see Ben move PAST me at one point! Just so you know, Ben, you made my morning.

Of course, since my group is so flippin' awesome, we were only behind about 8 people once we entered the stand-by for TSMM. I love the cast members here! Always so lively!

Everyone in my group LOVED this ride. I had the high score of the day! But, we were about the 4th car to move through there that morning so I shouldn't be too proud, should I? We sort of felt we had the whole day to just chill and while we wanted to be thorough as far as timing attractions right, we didn't want to get it all done early and then have nothing to do later. We strolled around the Streets of America while it was empty and then headed to Star Tours 2. Can I just say that I FRICKIN' LOVE THE UPDATED VERSION? The queue is amazing! The 3D glasses are so cool! The new movie itself is great! And while the men in my group loved it as well, Barbara declared one simple thing... "Worst shit ever."

Throughout the morning we hit up a few more attractions like The Great Move Ride and Backlot Tour before heading to lunch. It was decided before we even landed in Florida that we'd have lunch at my husband's favorite counter service place, Pizza Planet. Barbara and Ben decided on the veggie and pepperoni pizzas respectively, while Matt and I went with basic cheese pizza. The side salads were very good and even though they changed to only caesar dressing we were pleased. The boys decided on chocolate chip cookies for dessert and us ladies DEVOURED the seriously delicious Cappuccino Cupcake. It was seriously so good. Ben actually said that his cookie was "exceptional." The amount of food that you get on the dining plan at counter service restaurants is overwhelming sometimes. Barbara and I couldn't even finish our delicious cupcake!

We made our way over to Sunset Boulevard and used some FastPasses we obtained earlier to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster. Thank goodness for those FastPasses because the stand-by wait was rather long. After that we headed to Tower of Terror. CLEARLY this was our group's favorite attraction. As soon as we got off everyone just wanted to go right back on so we grabbed some FastPasses.

Matt and Ben decided that they needed to be manly men and begged and begged me to take them to see Lights, Motors, Action: Extreme Stunt Show. I gave in. It just screamed, "BEN!" Unfortunately, the rain started in not long after the epic show started. We were already sitting on wet bleachers from the previous short rain shower and the new wetness just made us go, "UGHHHH." Some of the cool effects from the show didn't really work right but that's okay... we got the idea. It was cool watching Ben as he saw the show because he was just in his element. It actually made me like the attraction a lot more to see it through the eyes of someone that truly got into it.

Our mid-afternoon snack was decided on a whim after not getting into the Animation Academy with the next group. To feed our depression, my dear friends stopped at an ice cream cart and paid out of pocket for a chocolate covered banana and a Mickey Premium. I got excited to see them take bites of their first Mickey Premium. It's the little things, right? For some reason ice cream just didn't sound good to me but a giant green pickle sure did. Nom nom nom. Matt made us walk all the way over to Gertie's to get ice cream only to discover that it was closed so we went elsewhere for him to get a vanilla shake. I should mention that after this we went to Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Us girls really could have done without that but we were sort of running out of things to do and the show was just starting. I've seen it one too many times for it to be "cool" anymore.

My favorite inside joke of the whole trip involved a monkey found at the entrance of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. What do monkey's say? "Whooo."

Our trip to One Man's Dream was a little lackluster. It was so stinking busy in there I felt like I was rushed through it. Lesson learned... go during a slow period of the day. I can't remember why but we didn't have time to stay for the film after but it's probably for the best because I would have just cried through the whole dang thing like usual.

It's safe to say we were all SO excited to eat at 50's Prime Time Cafe. As I checked us in I made sure to ask for a TV table and they were happy to make us happy with my request. I didn't care that we had to wait because I was excited to take pictures around the waiting area/bar. We had so much fun just goofing around there taking pictures. Barbara made a stop at the bar to get a fun glowing drink.

Our waitress, Cousin Lorraine, was seriously so awesome. She was really funny and upbeat and totally got into the part. Ben went all retro with his drink (root beer) while Matt got a chocolate shake. Barbara and I couldn't resist trying the peanut butter and jelly shake for the first time. I didn't regret it one bit. Not only was it delicious but also played a part in my dinner later.

Here is my seriously yummy wahoo (fish) with roasted red potato puree and asparagus. I was really surprised how delicious this was and how much I liked a type of fish I'd never had, or heard of, before. The ends of the asparagus were a little tough for my liking and since I was so worried about cleaning my plate, I hid the bad ends inside of my big milkshake cup. Barbara almost tattled on me though... wench. ;)

Matt's dish was his classic veggie burger and fries. He claimed it was filling and very good. Easy to please that man.

Barbara liked her choice of meatloaf but definitely said the peanut butter and jelly shake was the highlight of her meal.

Ben went with the sampler and his favorite was the fried chicken. It's not famous for just any reason.

Matt struggled to polish off his food and only left a few fries behind. Ben and I had nothing left on our plates. It was only up to Barbara to clean her plate. Our waitress had already declared that she was so proud of the rest of us for doing such a good job. Barbara thought about it for a moment and then said, "I want her to be proud of me too!" She scarfed down what she had left and so we all got a sticker saying we were members of the Clean Plate Club. We wore these proudly the rest of the night. None of us could really eat much of our desserts since we were so stuffed but they were all really tasty.

By the time we got out of dinner we had to head over to Fantasmic to get a seat. About 30 seconds into our walk over, rain started pouring. We stopped into a shop to get ponchos because we knew we'd be sitting out in the rain waiting for the show to start. Little did we know that this was the start of a two day monsoon that never stopped.

People were walking out of the amphitheater left and right but we wanted to stay put and see the show. It was the ONE nighttime show that I was insistent that we watch. The four of us sat out in the constant rain for 45 minutes before we were told that the show was delayed. Being troopers, we stayed. Only fifteen minutes later it was announced that the show was cancelled. Just as we got up to leave, the lights went down a little and a short "rain" show played. I was so impressed with that little bit and it also made me so very angry at Mother Nature that the damn show was cancelled! Sorry, I'm still holding a little bitterness in my heart. Next time, Fantasmic... next time.

We dragged our dreary little butts back to Caribbean Beach and stayed up for a little while chatting and watching To Catch A Predator. Nothing says Disney like pervs, right? For those of you wanting more pictures from Day Two, I've decided that Flickr is a pain in my rear so I'm going to to a "Part Two" of Day Two with just pictures! Hooray for pictures!

A Nautical Disney Adventure - Day 1

2011-10-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

*drum roll please*

It's time to tell you about my trip! Let's just jump right in to the very first day. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before so after I did most of my packing I took a few sleeping pills and hit the hay at 9:30 p.m. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and surprisingly we left the house only fifteen minutes past schedule (4:15) only Matt forgot some money at the house so we had to turn around and come back. Matt's dad drove us up to the airport where Ben and Barbara were already waiting for us. I tagged their luggage with Disney's Magical Express tags and then we made it through security in no time. Barbara's fear of the full body scanner cracked us all up.

When we were on our way to find our gate we happened to pass the terminal map and noticed that a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf existed in the airport. Barbara and I freaked out and left the bags with the boys while we darted all the way to the other end of the Detroit International Airport. We legit were sweating by the time we made it. I got some kind of berry iced tea and a chocolate milk for Matt (the first of many chocolate milks on this trip). Barbara enjoyed a super delicious apricot tea latte. By the time we made it back to the gate we were boarding with our drinks in hand, happy as clams. I was having a hard time moving my big Disney duffel bag through the aisle whilst holding my iced tea. In the midst of getting my laptop bag strap caught on an arm rest I got my other bag strap wrapped around my straw. The straw flew out and onto the lap of a gentleman next to me who looked petrified at the plastic flying object coming at him. I immediately began the slew of, "I'm so sorry! Oh my gosh I'm sorry!" Then the guy goes to pick up my straw off the ground and I tell him, "Oh no don't worry about it!" Only everyone around me took that as I was telling him it was his fault that my straw flung like a lawn dart. Embarrassing.

The coolest part about our flight was during the landing. I saw Epcot, Downtown Disney and the monorail resorts from the plane. As I'm looking out the window, feeling emotional already, the little girl behind me said out loud, "I think this is my best day ever!"

Once our flight was over we headed to the super crowded Magical Express area and only waited about 10 minutes for a bus (a good DME bus, not a crappy Mears bus) to get us. The driver was.... a character. I couldn't understand half of what he/she said. The entire ride was hilarious because you could tell that everyone on the bus was thinking the same thing. The bus went to Pop Century first but only one family got off there. I found that incredibly weird. My guess is that given the "deals" that were released, people weren't offered Pop Century. In general, I found CBR to be quite busy the entire trip.

The super nice Florida heat felt so good to all of us and we were all so anxious to get into the parks. We had to get our room first though! Even though I did online check-in the process seemed to take way too long. In fact, according to Ben, "Check in is a conspiracy." An older lady helped me get my room keys only she seemed to not understand the computer system very well. She told me that the room was ready but hadn't been attached to the card yet so she had to do that but had issues with it. Then she took a while to take off the credit card that I had attached to the room reservation. I didn't want any accidental charges happening. I also was not granted my room request of Jamaica. We were put in the farthest building in Martinique. The initial walk to the building was absolutely confusing. The buildings aren't lined up but kind of in a zig zag pattern. I felt like it took us forever to get there!

We were given a corner room on the second floor... Room 2140. The room looked a little worn here and there but in general it was just fine. Nothing spectacular but I also didn't expect something super grand. We weren't there for more than fifteen minutes. We found the fastest route to the nearest bus stop and hopped a bus to Epcot.

We were all so so so starving so after we got our picture taken in front of Spaceship Earth we headed for The Land to eat at Sunshine Seasons. It was around 1:00 p.m. so it was super busy with the lunch crowd. We all split up and got what we wanted to eat and then met back up at a table. I had my favorite counter service of the entire trip here. I was so looking forward to the Seared Tuna Noodle Salad and it did not disappoint. The portion was huge and insanely delicious. The strawberry shortcake wasn't just enjoyed by myself but also Barbara and Ben as well. Two thumbs up for that dessert.

Matt chose the Vegetable Flatbread Sandwich that he devoured within three minutes I'm sure. When I asked for his opinion on his food he said, "It's gone!" Matt's choice of a chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookie for his drink and dessert says a lot about him. He loves chocolate.

Barbara and Ben both chose sandwich options. Barbara ordered the Reuben Panini and said that while it was good there was too much bread. Ben got the Turkey Foccacia and loved it, of course. To drink they ordered a water and a Citrus Full Throttle.

Funny story about that Full Throttle. He snuck it onto Living With the Land. Kudos, Ben. I was really surprised when all throughout that ride Barbara kept saying, "this is so cool! Ben, don't you think this is cool?" I literally could not stop smiling just listening to how much she enjoyed something so "small" on the attraction scale.

The rest of the afternoon we spent doing lots of fun things. We rode Test Track and Nemo. Then we visited Club Cool and totally tricked Ben with the Beverly. It was the best reaction I've ever seen in my entire life. I thought he might actually throw up.

We headed into the World Showcase starting in Mexico because I was so stinking excited to visit La Cava, the tequila bar. I love this tiny little place, especially when it's not busy. We got a table and ordered some margaritas. Matt got a water while the rest of us ordered some alcohol. Ben got the Magic Blue Margarita. That thing was potent! If you like the taste of tequila (like me) then you will like it! Barbara got the Wild Passion Fruit Margarita and it was super good but a little too sweet for my taste. The real winner at the table was my Avocado Margarita. I had to order it since I kept hearing the best reviews on it. It sounded so weird but tasted so dang good! Barbara nailed it perfectly when she said that it tastes like a Starburst!

After venturing around World Showcase for a while we headed to Biergarten to check in for dinner. To our surprise we were seated within just a few minutes right in front of the live entertainment on the lower level. I was so excited! The folks we sat next to were very nice but kept to themselves. An older couple and what looked like their grandchildren. Everyone in my group immediately loved the atmosphere. After ordering our drinks with our waiter, Alexander, we headed up to the buffet.

My favorites were the red cabbage (so good I could cry), salmon, and the herring salad. I wasn't the only one who liked the herring salad because Ben loved that as well! Barbara enjoyed the sausage (hehe), mac and cheese, and the Bavarian cheesecake the most. She said she was disappointed that the pretzel roll was hard. By the time I asked Matt his opinion on food he had already devoured his German sized beer so his favorites got listed as "beer and vanilla pudding."

We all had so much fun at Biergarten and everyone agreed that it was one of our favorite meals of the entire trip. There was so much to laugh about during dinner. The entertainment was fun, my bathroom antics were... surprising, hollering "Hoy hoy hoy!" was super exciting, and when the gentleman next to Ben sat his napkin on the lit candle and started a fire, we all got a real show watching Ben throw himself across the table to put it out.

At this point everyone was a little loopy from the alcohol. Matt pushed it past loopy (he has a low tolerance for alcohol) and was hilariously intoxicated. Venturing around the World Showcase was that much more fun. I had to follow Matt around like he was a little boy because he kept picking expensive bottles of wine up in Germany and I was very fearful that he was going to drop everything his hands touched. Barbara purchased an apple wine that she decided we would have to drink the morning of her birthday. Turns out, the wine was quite disgusting and most of us (not I) couldn't drink it down. At least she didn't spend too much money on it and the experience made for a good laugh.

A quick trip to Rose and Crown was made and Barbara and I got a couple of drinks. I, the Welsh Dragon (cc: Fred Hazelton) and Barbara the Leaping Leprechaun. Her drink was HORRIBLE. It tasted like feet. Poor girl drank it down to not waste the money (and liquor) but not happily.

We wandered around until we found a spot around the lagoon to watch Illuminations. We just sat on the cement 45 minutes before showtime and chatted. Only, 15 minutes later we realized none of us actually had a strong desire to see the show so we got up and left Epcot all together. After all the traveling and excitement of the first day we were ready for a good nights sleep because the next day we'd be off to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

To see a lot more photos from our first day including food porn and drunk Matt, click this link!

I'm Baaaaaack!

2011-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm back. And it sucks. Stacey misses Florida terribly.

On a much happier note... the trip ROCKED! Sure, we had some crappy weather at times but we managed to make the best of it. It was like constant laughter throughout the whole trip. I'm really excited to tell you all about it! Pictures are edited (went from 1600 to 1000) and that means my trip report will start very soon.

It seems with every trip to Walt Disney World I get more of an affirmation that Florida is where I belong. Leaving is always really difficult and landing in Michigan just makes me wish I could turn around and go back. It's kind of like leaving my heart behind. I just get this feeling (like Hercules) of knowing where I belong.

Chills run up and down my arms when I watch children hug Snow White or the elderly laugh with excitement when flying over California on Soarin'. It's so cool to watch first timers see everything for the first time and trying to fill their heads with little bits of knowledge that makes them feel the magic a little more. Cast members are so insanely lucky to be able to share in visitors excitement every day.

Since you guys have been so patient, I'm going to give you a few teaser shots of the trip!

SO CLOSE!!!

2011-10-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

I'm doing my happy dance now. Only 2 days left of work and then we're off to my "real" home... Walt Disney World.

I've said for the longest time now that where I live now is not my home. I may have been born and brought up here but the second I stepped on Disney property as a child I was given a new life. Every time I leave that place I leave my heart behind. There is no doubt in my mind that it's where I belong forever. I'd like forever to start right now and I'd like to make a living doing something involving Disney but at the moment it's monetarily not feasible to move to my real home. Someday soon I hope.

I made out my packing list today but got clothes around to pack last night. We're finishing up laundry and getting all of the last minute things taken care of. Matt and I got our flu shots today at Walgreens (is it weird I LIKE getting shots?) and tomorrow we've gotta get our breakfast food for the room. This is the part of vacation that I hate. Remembering to do everything the last few days before you leave.

We bought Ellie an indoor/outdoor play yard last week and it should arrive tomorrow. We're keeping Ellie with Matt's parents instead of boarding her. The last time we boarded her the place didn't brush her and she turned into a giant knot when we got home. It was our mess to deal with and we weren't too pleased. My in-laws have 5 cats so Ellie will have tons of play buddies.

Quote of the day is from Barbara. She texts me, "I can't decide... creme brulee vs. chocolate wave at coral reef. Dilemma." Love this girl. She thinks just like me.

Matt and I decided that Thursday morning we are leaving the house at 4 a.m. Well, we're aiming to. By the time we get packed up it'll probably be 4:15 but that's okay because we're leaving way early anyway. Matt's dad is taking us to the airport so we don't have to leave our car somewhere. We'll end up eating a couple of breakfasts that morning. One at home (so I can avoid fast food) and then a snack or something in the airport. Gotta warm my stomach up for Biergarten later. MmmMmmmMmm buddy!

10 Days!

2011-09-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's true. Only 10 days left until I am off to Walt Disney World with Matt, Barbara, and Ben. Not that I'm bragging or anything. Haha! I'm just really really excited to get the heck out of Michigan. I can't lie. This weather has been getting me down! I'm sick for the second time in a month and I have only moved from my couch today to go to the bathroom and find the Wii remote when I lose it in the couch cushions. I remembered this morning was my 10 day mark so I got on Disney's website to check-in only to have it give me an error message multiple times telling me that I didn't enter all of the fields in yellow. Such bull. I'll try later I suppose but if I don't get to do online check-in then it won't be that big of a deal.

Barbara and Ben came to visit us and we went to an orchard and a few wineries. Super fun. Anyhoo, while they were here we watched a few of the Disney Parks films on Netflix. Then when they went home they watched more of them. I get texts from Barbara about random Disney things like cupcakes and "rarely known" Disney details. It's cool because I can see her "getting it" already. I cannot wait to watch Barbara and Ben's faces! I could truly cry just thinking about it.

I started making window decorations for our window at Caribbean Beach Resort! I can't wait to show you all pictures! I'm almost done. Yay! I know some people hate when other guests decorate windows but my response is... if you don't like it then just keep walking. I think it's gonna be fun!

I got our yellow Magical Express tags in the mail and while it was super exciting the lady that took my flight info must not have saved it because the papers didn't have any info on them. So, I need to call the DME number and have them take care of it.

I found out this weekend some very disheartening and crushing Disney related news. They changed the menu at 50's Prime Time Cafe. They took away the tuna casserole that I was insanely excited about trying. Now my only two options are vegetarian meatballs and pasta (I can eat that at home) and fish of the day. The salmon would have been an option but they made it all mushroomy which would make me spew vomit. No thanks. Oh well... nothing I can do. Maybe I'll luck out and they'll have tuna as the fish of the day.

The big news that rocked the Disney world (no pun intended) is the announcement of Avatarland. I could have written an entire entry on this story but I can sum up how I feel about it pretty quickly. I'm known to speak my mind and not hold back so here goes. While I have no doubt that Disney and James Cameron is going to do a great job on this land, I think that the money could have been spent elsewhere. And yes, I am one of those that believes that Avatarland would have fit better into Disney's Hollywood Studios. I see where Disney is going with the concept in Animal Kingdom but I have my doubts about a proper fit. I've seen Avatar once and it was good, not great. Now I know so many people LOVE it which I think will be insanely profitable for Disney. Finally people will start to see Animal Kingdom as a whole day park and maybe they can even extend the park hours. Disney is now competing with Universal Studios and they mega Harry Potter land that they have. Universal cornered a huge market and you've gotta give them credit. Disney is trying to up their game. All in all though I feel like it's a lackluster idea and there could have been something much cooler hiding inside of Disney's secret idea lair. I don't want to see Disney going away from a classic "Disney feel." That's my biggest fear.

Will update you guys again before the trip! 10 Days!!

Fashion in Walt Disney World

2011-09-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Some might say I like to look nice. This is true. But, at Walt Disney World, being comfortable comes first. There is a balance that a lady likes to find when touring around parks in 90 degree weather. Between sweating and... more sweating it's not always a comfortable situation. Still, there are ways to survive and look awesome while staying cool and comfy.

Let's take a look at the first area most people think of when it comes to "what to wear at Disney." Shoes. I hate shoes. It's obvious if you look at how few shoes I own and especially obvious if you look at how few shoes I wear on a regular basis. When I'm in the park I don't wear tennis shoes. Most people do, I know. But, tennis shoes don't match my outfits. Instead, I have found a balance with Crocs. Crocs breathe. Crocs aren't uncomfortable if they get wet. But, let's face it. Some Crocs are ugly. I love the flats and the flip flops. I have my eye on a new sandal though, the Sexi Flip.

Some people have issues with Crocs rubbing but I never have. I make sure that they are slightly sloppy. That's what they suggest that you buy anyway. Back before I had Crocs I'd wear Old Navy's cheap flip-flops. My feet hurt a little but at least I was blister free. NOTHING is worse than feeling like you can't go on because of blisters forming.

As far as the rest of the outfit goes... I like to keep it fashionably casual. I wear a lot of sundresses, rompers, and shorts and tank top outfits. Sundresses are perfect because they keep all my lady parts light and airy. TMI? Sure, but I'm being honest. Rompers are nice because it's one piece and they are normally really lightweight. The only downside is having to pull them down all the way to go to the bathroom which results in you basically being naked while doing your business. As far as shorts and tank tops/t-shirts go I am not a huge fan of wearing denim shorts since they tend to make me really hot. I like lightweight shorts. Not gym shorts. Sort of a khaki material. If I do wear denim shorts then they can't be skin tight or I'll just feel sweaty and chubby the entire day. I just bought a new romper, maxi dress, and a sundress from Forever 21 a month ago in preparation for the trip.

In October the weather is still pretty hot during the day and the nights CAN be a bit chilly so I always come prepared with a sweater/cardigan of some sort to throw on over a dress or tank top. I also always bring a hoodie. Hoodies are lifesavers when it's windy too. Along with my dresses I make sure to have a pair of black leggings with me in case I get a little cold. It saves me from having to change the entire outfit.

Okay, Disney World is not a fashion show and you'll pretty much see everything walking around when you're there. I've seen women in 5 inch heels and guys in overalls. The sky is the limit but you should know that the sky sometimes tends to be disastrous. Still, I'm a gal that likes to look presentable in pictures and even a little cute. If you're a woman and your goal is to look "sexy" at any point during your trip... May I just smack you now? No one, not even Beyonce, looks like a cover girl taking a plunge into the briar patch on Splash Mountain. I have no one to really impress while I'm at Disney World so my level of caring is a lot lower than if I am going out to a nice dinner around town where I'll actually see people that I know.

A very famous quote from The Office sums it up nicely, "Keep It Simple Stupid."

Disney Called!

2011-08-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Disney today while I was at work and gave them a call back on my lunch. I spoke with the very nice cast member, Yolanda. I basically retold my story to her. She informed me that well, basically every single cast member that we spoke with was wrong in one way or another. A HUGE amount of bad training caused cast members to think that Friends and Family could receive a dining plan discount. Apparently that is never true. Only cast members can actually receive a discount on this. Good to know.

Yolanda extended the offer to allow us to pay full price for the dining plan. She began to plug numbers so I told her that I had already booked us a reservation with the Free Dining promotion offered to the public. She decided to compare the prices for us with using the cast member 40% off room discount and paying for the dining plan, to the Free Dining promotion. We were saving about $400 going with the Free Dining promotion over the room discount so we stuck with what we had. Yolanda cancelled our cast member discount reservation for us. She also downgraded our room back to a standard view at Caribbean Beach Resort so we could get the difference that we had to pay to upgrade in order to have Free Dining. This was much appreciated because the Pirate Room did not appeal to me for many reasons. Yolanda took my room location request (Jamaica) and she also told me that she put us down for an upgrade at no charge if one is available upon check in. Whether this means an upgrade to a preferred location or a... deluxe resort... I'd be satisfied. This was very nice of her to do this.

I'm pleased with the way the issue was handled. Yolanda explained everything to me as to why the misinformation was given and she also strived to make it up to us. She was very polite and treated me with respect. While the inconvenience we endured was stressful, I'm alright with how it turned out and so is everyone else in my traveling party.

Now we're just waiting for Mickey Mail! Yay!

I Condede. Or Do I?

2011-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Barbara and I decided to have the dreaded discussion yesterday of what to do if push comes to shove and we're backed into a corner to make a decision on this dining plan matter. I number crunched and number crunched. Contrasted and compared. I analyzed every option until I was blue in the face. While I could type everything out for you to go over for yourselves I just don't feel like putting the energy forth to lay down the groundwork but I can tell you that we made a decision.

We'd decided to drop the cast member discount and book a "Free Dining" package. During Barbara's initial call to Disney and getting a quote at the only value resort available, All Star Sports, the cast member told her that it would only cost $44.00 to upgrade all four of us to park hopper tickets. HAHA! You can laugh along with me... go ahead. It's hilarious how wrong he was but whatever.

I decided to find out how much more it would be to stay at Caribbean Beach Resort and do Free Dining. Believe it or not, it was still a deal compared to eating out of pocket. I even questioned my math and ran numbers twice and still came up with the same outcome. I gave Disney a call after I got back from the gym and they got a higher priced quote then what I came up with myself. Reason being... the only thing available at ANY moderate is a Pirate Themed room. I was trying to stay away from the Pirate rooms! Grrr!! I got off the phone and did a little more math.

Somehow, Free Dining still came out on top. I booked it.

I booked that package not knowing what Disney is going to be able to do for me regarding the cast member discount issue. I booked in fear that if we waited any longer we wouldn't be able to get any type of discount at all. I really wanted to make this vacation happen and I just wanted all this madness to be over with.

While I'm still anticipating a phone call from Disney to discuss the troubles I've had, I feel relieved knowing that it's all done and settled. Time to get excited again!

Disney World in 43 Days!

I Should Write Complaint Letters For A Living

2011-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

To update all of you on our complicated situation... you can just read this awesome complaint email that I just sent to Disney. I honestly want this to be over.

To Whom This May Concern,

I've recently encountered some of the most horrible, confusing, stressful customer service by your company and I feel that I should voice my concern with you in hopes that something can be reconciled from this matter.

On July 10th, my traveling party booked a reservation with a discount via a cast member friend. When we called to book, we requested to visit your resort within a time frame that included a discount on the Disney Dining Plan as well as we are traveling on a tight budget. We were told by the Disney booking agent that the window for booking the dining plan at that time hadn't opened yet and we'd have to call back on August 13th to add it and we'd either get 40% or 50% off. We thought, "Great!"

Upon calling back on the 13th, we were told that there was a blackout period over our reservation dates and the cast member that we spoke with could not help us any further and ended our conversation even after we offered to pay full price for the Disney Dining Plan. Even with us trying to be reasonable and find a solution, we were rebuffed.

Hoping that this was an error on the cast members part we tried again the next day and this time we were told that the offers just hadn't come up yet and to keep trying to back frequently so we can book it when it does. 3 tries later, same answer over and over again.

Today, August 22nd, I called and spoke with a cast member that said all we would have to do is upgrade our room at Caribbean Beach Resort to a water view or Pirate Theme and we could receive the dining plan discount. I got the promo code from him and told him that I'd have to check with my other traveling companions to make sure that the upgrade would be okay with them. Upon calling back, the next Disney booking agent informed me that the promo code that was given to us was for Cast Members only and not Friends and Family. Once again, another very frustrating dead end.

We booked these specific dates to travel to the Walt Disney World Resort BECAUSE we could receive a discount on the Disney Dining Plan. To change our travel dates NOW would incur a $150 fee with our airline per ticket. We'd also have to rearrange all of our dining reservations that we have already worked so hard to get. We literally cannot budge on our travel dates and also cannot afford to dine like we have planned being off of the Disney Dining Plan.

As a frequent guest of Walt Disney World Resort since 1997, I have never ever encountered such trouble and headache. I write for TouringPlans.com, a well known Disney travel website, and upon speaking with hundreds of other Disney guests, I have not heard of such difficulties. This is becoming a nightmare for my entire traveling party. We have two guests in our party that have never been to Walt Disney World before and this is not giving them the best first impression.

What we have hear is a very unacceptable situation. We would like someone to please contact us as soon as possible to discuss this matter and resolve it. Our reservation number is ************. You can contact me at this email address or at ***-***-**** at any time.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.

Stroke of Genius

2011-08-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today, while browsing some Disney sites just like every morning... I had a lightbulb go off above my head. I thought of something that I want to research and write about while down at Disney World.

On a trip to WDW last October, I snuck a peak at the ordering screen at Pecos Bills in Magic Kingdom and I noticed some options for vegetarians that aren't listed on the menu. I noticed a veggie wrap and a veggie taco salad. These things aren't even talked about on the vegetarian thread on the DIS. It made me wonder what OTHER things are available for vegetarians and vegans at other counter service restaurants.

I'd like to make it a point to visit as many counter service restaurants as I can and ask around to see what I can find out that might be new and exciting for those of us with dietary restrictions. I used to walk by counter service restaurants, peak my head in, and if I didn't see anything on the main menu that appealed to me, I'd just keep walking. Now I know better. Every counter service restaurant has something vegetarian and even vegan available but you just have to ask about it sometimes. Some places are more accomodating than others and that just depends on what ingredients they have on hand.

I figure I'll buy a small journal that I can carry with me in my bag for all of my little research topics. If I have sections set up and a pen ready then I'm more likely to take the time to write when I get a chance. I never stop anywhere or waste time by writing. I just make notes in a slow queue or during a meal. Any down time that I may have.

To update you on the dining plan ordeal... still nothing yet. But, I haven't called since Tuesday. I'm planning to call tomorrow since that will be one week since they inititally told us to call back. My biggest fear at this point is getting the "blackout" excuse again. I have hope that we can get this like we were promised but I just have to be persistant.

Matt and I have to send for our "Disney Dollars" from our Disney Visa here within the next couple of weeks. So far we have 27 Disney Dollars to spend. That will buy us some trading pins or a handful of items at the Food and Wine Festival booths. Yay for extra money!

"Issue" Update

2011-08-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

I got a text from Barbara telling me that her cast member friend, Amber, just booked the dining plan for the same weekend that we are going for herself. With much hope I called up the cast line and got in touch with someone right away. She was wonderful and within a few minutes she was able to tell me that right now there are no Friends & Family discounts for the dining plan available right now but to try back soon. She explained that they don't even know when discounts happen and sometimes they come into work in the morning and find out about something new.

This makes me feel better knowing that I've gotten this answer a few times now. For me the "blackout" excuse we'd gotten before is becoming less of the truth but I'm not 100% sure. I still will keep trying back every single day until we figure this out. I really hope that the discount comes up for us to book sometime soon so I can put this all out of my mind and get my excitement back.

In other news.... BabyCakes NYC now has sign out on their building! They exist! I miss their treats and can't wait to get them in a few short months.

Reservation Agony

2011-08-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

We've been having some issues lately when trying to add the Disney Dining Plan to our existing reservation.

We booked our room on July 10th. Barbara's friend and coworker, Amber, called in and got it all set up for us since she is a cast member and could get us a discount. We got a great 40% off on our room at Caribbean Beach Resort. We picked our travel dates based on availability of a discount for the Disney Dining Plan. We were told that our booking window for the dining plan hadn't opened yet and to call back on August 13th and we'd either be getting 40% or 50% off of the Disney Dining Plan! Woo! Great! We made note to call back then and we went on with picking our Advanced Dining Reservations. All four of us also booked our flights for our chosen dates and we thought we were all set!

Amber called Disney's reservation line on the 12th, a day before we were told to call back. Why she called a day early I'm not sure. When she spoke with the booking agent they informed her that they couldn't add the Disney Dining Plan because we were traveling partially over a blackout time period and the discount on the dining plan wasn't offered then. Amber asked if we could just pay full price for the dining plan and the agent said no, there was nothing that they could do for us. End of conversation.

Barbara and I immedietly began flipping out a bit. We had everything planned around these days because we were TOLD that we would get a discount on the dining plan. Had we been told that those were blackout dates we would have picked a different week to travel! We've decided to not take this as a final answer and to fight harder to get what we were promised.

One speculation of ours if that maybe the reservationist thought that Amber was talking about the "Free Dining Offer" that is available to the public around that time. If this was the case then that would explain why the booking agent told Amber that there were blackout dates.

Saturday, the 13th, I tried calling Disney numerous times only to be met with 30 minute wait times. I figured I'd wait and deal with this when I had more time to sit on hold.

Today, Monday the 15th, after being put on hold numerous times and being hung up on accidently, I got a hold of a nice Indian gentleman named Spencer. I had to hold back my laughter on that one. I played stupid with Spencer and just told him that we were told to call back after the 13th to book the dining plan and we'd either be getting 40% or 50% off. He put me on hold while he looked for the code. About five minutes later he told me that he couldn't find the code and had to call Guest Relations. Another five to ten minutes later he informed me that Guest Relations told him that currently there isn't a code available for our time frame just yet and we would need to try calling back at another time. Apparently their system was supposed to update with new codes on the 13th but that didn't happen. So, I hung up with Spencer with no dining plan booked.

I'm unsure of whether what Spencer told me was the truth or not. I wanted to make sure I understood perfectly what he was telling me and I repeated what he said and even reworded it as I understood it. He agreed that I understood correctly. I'm not sure if he just didn't have a good answer for me so he was told to tell me that or if that really is the truth. I'd like to believe it because that means we still have a chance to book the dining plan.

I have decided to go through the painful task of calling the reservation line every day this week and see how many different answers I can get. Spencer said that their system could update tomorrow even but they don't know and don't have a date that they can give me. If I get the "blackout" answer again then I'll go into my next step... a complaint e-mail.

I really do think that this matter should be handled. I feel that my complaint is 100% justified. I am NOT a person to complain about anything... especially Disney related. I can't even send food back at a restaurant if it's poorly cooked. What we're dealing with right now with Disney is an exception to me though. We can't change our travel dates because it would incur a $150 fee per ticket to fly out and back on a different week. We were told something specific, now TWICE, and I feel that they need to hold up to their word. It's about decent customer service and they simply are not offering that right now. This has been SUCH a stress to all of us and it's putting a damper on the excitment that we had going.
Will update you when we find out anything new in the coming days...

Less Than 2 Months To Go!

2011-08-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that in just 2 short months my friends and I will be enjoying a magical vacation at Walt Disney World. I love how fast it all comes up. Sure, at times, it feels a million years away but I know that in retrospect the trip will sneak up on me quickly.

In a couple of days we'll be adding the Disney Dining Plan to our package and we'll find out how much of a discount we'll be getting. I still keep checking if we can get an ADR at Rose and Crown on Thursday, the day we arrive. I don't want to eat there, just nab a table to get a drink and have a place to sit outside for Illuminations.

I found out that more than likely Fantasmic! will not be showing every night in October. The only night that we'd be able to go and see it is our first night in Walt Disney World. There are pluses and minuses to doing that. First of all, we'd have to leave Epcot and take a boat to the Studios... taking time out of actual park touring. Without park hoppers, we'd have to try and get Guest Relations to give us park hoppers for the night to be able to enter the Studios just to watch Fantasmic!. I have a HUGE bone to pick with the Studios anyway about limiting Fantasmic! showings and this would be a good time for me to go in and voice my opinion. I think guests can really make changes happen if only we'd speak up a little bit more. Fantasmic! is easily the best nighttime show in my mind and I can't believe that there is even rumor of the show being discontinued and replaced with something else. This would truly break my heart.

My mom and I went to BINGO this past Sunday and won $600! We split it and with $100 of it I went shopping for some clothes for vacation. Got 2 dresses, a romper, a shirt, and 5 necklaces for $84! Woop! Only.. one of the very cheap necklaces broke this morning when I went to put it on. Fail. That's what I get for paying $5 for an item of jewelry.

I'm currently recovering from a bug I got that kicked my butt hard. Stupid colds in the summer. Seems like such a contradiction. Right now I'm at the "coughing up crap and blowing my nose a lot" phase. It can only get better from here!

Until next time...

Food Food Food! Let Me Eat!

2011-08-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with dining at Walt Disney World. Every vacation it's one of my most favorite parts! For my upcoming trip, I've made sure to get a good variety of dining reservations. I wanted to strike a balance between amazing food and outstanding ambiance. Since this is Barbara and Ben's first time dining at Disney I felt like I had to get it just right. They chose two restaurants that they for sure wanted to try and left the rest in my very capable hands.

Going through the menus of each of our chosen restaurants is always fun. I'm dreaming about what I'd like to order at each of them. Sure, I am probably getting ahead of myself but who cares?!

Biergarten
Every time I visit this amazing German buffet I have to get a beer in the classic 1/2 liter stein. I always choose Oktoberfest but this year I'd like to try the beer sampler. A couple next to me got it last year and boy did it look fun. With all of the awesome German Riesling available I'm going to go out on a limb and presume Barbara will be partaking in that. At least, I hope so because I'd like a sip. Ha!

The food selection doesn't change here often but things that I am most excited about having again would be the Greens with Creamy Herb Dressing, Tomato Salad with Basil, Warm German Potato Salad, Roasted Potatoes, Cheese Spatzle, Salmon, and my favorite... Red Cabbage.

50's Prime Time Diner
Such a fun restaurant with such a simple concept... Mama's home cooking. A lot of the dishes are just like the ladies in your family would cook and some of them have a bit of a non-traditional spin. One bonus about this place is that you can get a milkshake instead of a traditional beverage! In the past I really haven't expected much out of 50's Prime Time food wise. I basically come here for the atmosphere. Not eating "meat" has limited my options here in the past when dining for lunch. In October though we'll be enjoying dinner here and that menu gives me a few extra options. I'm almost 100% sure that I'll be trying the Uncle Charlie's Grilled Tuna Casserole. Apparently instead of using traditional "canned" tuna they use a grilled tuna steak. Sounds delicious to me!

Dessert is the highlight here! You check out the options through a ViewMaster! Previously I've always gotten Dad's Brownie Sundae but I think it's time I try the S'mores.

Sanaa
I can't contain my excitement! This is a new experience for me! After looking at the super vegetarian friendly menu I think I've decided that I really have to try the Vegetarian Sampler. You get two choices served with Basmati Rice or Five Grain Pilaf. I am not totally sure but as of right now I want to try the Vegetable Sambar and either Spicy Cauliflower or Stewed Lentils with the pilaf. Tough choice!

Reading so many reviews on the restaurant I have realized that there is one stand out dessert... Chai Cream. Guess I gotta try that and see if it lives up to it's reputation!

1900 Park Fare
While I've dined at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast before, I've never been here for dinner. My favorite chef of all time at Disney is now here after previously being at 'Ohana. Chef TJ always creates very interesting and delicious entrees for vegetarians. The buffet looks like it's a little pescetarian friendly but I'll play it by ear with whether I want to eat fish or not that night or leave my stomach in Chef TJ's hands.

My favorite thing that is always at 1900 Park Fare is the Strawberry Soup! Yummmmmmy!

Coral Reef
This has always been one of my favorite dining experiences in all of Walt Disney World. Sometimes the food is just good and sometimes it's outstanding. The atmosphere though is always amazing. I make sure to ask for a table right by the tank to ensure a great close-up view.

Not sure what I want to get here yet because there are so many choices! I'm a HUGE fan of scallops and the Pan-Roasted Jumbo Sea Scallops sounds killer... minus the chorizo. I wonder if that would make a huge difference if I had them leave that out? Another thing that sounds good is the Seared Rainbow Trout. I've never had trout before but there is a first time for everything. I'd just have them hold the bacon of course. :)

I've never gotten anything other than the infamous Chocolate Wave for dessert. While I'd like to say that I can change and get something new... I don't think I can pull myself away from what I know and love. :)

Pre-Trip Report! Giddy Up!

2011-08-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I said used the phrase, "Giddy Up" in my title. It just felt right. I'm expressing my excitement to announce my upcoming trip to Walt Disney World!

After being bummed for months about unexpected medical bills (Health Savings Accounts suck... by the way) we decided that there isn't any reason that we couldn't still take a vacation. We're just paying off the medical bills at a slow rate... I mean, there isn't any interest so whatever. We want to live, dangit!

This trip is going to be a first for me. Yeah, my husband, Matt, is going but we're also taking Disney newbies! We have a couple that we often do things with and we all decided that it would be fun to take a trip together and Disney just seemed like the perfect spot. I won't keep you waiting... here is the cast.

Stacey: ME! Duh. In case you are new to my blog and don't know much about me... I'll give you the run down. I'm 23 and I'm an absolute Disney freak. 100%. No hiding it. I work at a bank (....yeah) but I also have a side job writing for TouringPlans.com. It's basically like I'm living in a dream writing for folks I've admired for years. I'm also married to...

Matt: My husband of 4 years. He puts up with my Disney obsession and he "gets it" like I do. I never have heard him go, "Ugh, Disney World... again?" His reaction is, "I can't wait for Tower of Terror!" He is 27 and works security for a pharmaceutical company.

Barbara: I met Barbara all the way back when I was 16 and she was 17. We both had meet and greets for Kelly Clarkson. True story. That's where we met. 7 years later, we've grown to become quite great friends. Barbara has the most awesome job... she sells wedding dresses! A real life Say Yes to the Dress. Her 24th birthday falls on our trip! For the past year and a half she's been dating...

Ben: What to say about Ben.... he's rad. He does screen printing for a living and loves bikes and beer. Ben and Matt have really clicked which we are so thankful for. They spent the 4th of July blowing up firecrackers in our back yard. Please don't call the cops on us. ;)

Here are some random shots of the whole crew!

Barbara has only been to Walt Disney World once... back when she was 10. A lot has changed since she's visited the land of Mickey Mouse. And Ben has NEVER been! You can imagine how much my mind is exploding at the idea of being able to show to virtual newbies around.

Barbara's co-worker is actually a Disney cast member and offered to get us a discount on rooms, dining, and park tickets. We originally had desired to stay at Pop Century and it was even available to book at 40% off! But, we waited one whole week and of course... it wasn't available when we went to book. I found this out while playing Bingo at the American Legion with my mom. I knew we needed an extra $135 to upgrade to a moderate resort or else, stay at All-Stars. Funnily enough, I walked out of Bingo with $175 bucks in my pocket. We are now staying at Caribbean Beach Resort. :)

We're leaving October 6th, A Thursday, and coming back October 11th, a Tuesday. This is the first time that we won't be using a park hopper. We decided not to spend the extra money since we are on a budget. I'm not too fearful about this except if Disney decides to not extend nightly Fantasmic! runs. Barbara's coworker is getting us a slight discount on our park tickets. We're also nabbing a cast member discount on the Disney Dining Plan. We haven't booked this part yet and won't until August 13th. We were told that the standard DDP discount for a cast member is 40% but when we call back to book there is a chance it could be 50% off. Either way, that is WAY less than what we'd be paying for dining if we had to shell out full price... on or off the DDP.

Of course, within days of deciding on our travel dates I made sure to figure out what Advanced Dining Reservations I'd need to book for our group. Barbara and Ben gave me two restaurants they were really interested in eating at and luckily, they are two of Matt and I's favorites! My goal was to try one new restaurant that I've never been to. Without having park hoppers, I really had to have my schedule solid before I booked our ADRs. This is what I came up with...

Arrival Day - Our flight leaves around 8:00 a.m. and we'll be into Orlando by 11:00 a.m. Taking the Magical Express to Caribbean Beach Resort and then heading off to Epcot. Dinner is at Biergarten. I really wanted to start the trip off with a super fun restaurant with atmosphere that sort of said, "Welcome to Disney World!"

Day 2 - Disney's Hollywood Studios with dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe. Seriously praying to see Fantastmic! on this night.

Day 3 - Barbara's Birthday! Off to Animal Kingdom until 2:00 p.m. when we'll travel to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a late lunch at Sanaa. This is a first dining experience for all of us. I can't tell you about the rest of the day because it's a big surprise for Barbara. :)

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom day! For dinner, we will leave the park and go to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to eat at 1900 Park Fare. My dear Chef TJ has moved here from 'Ohana. Can't wait to see what vegetarian goodies he'll cook up for Matt and I!

Day 5 - Back to Epcot to enjoy the International Food & Wine Festival with a late dinner at Coral Reef.

Departure Day - We don't have to leave for the airport until around 3:00 p.m. so we'll probably spend the morning and early afternoon at whatever park we want to go back to. Maybe we won't even go to a park and just enjoy a day by the pool! Who knows!

That is all the details I have for you for now. I'll make sure to keep you all posted when I find out more about our fabulous trip!

Meet & Greet Dreaming

2011-07-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that it's pretty darn easy to find Disney Princesses and any of the Fab Five in the parks at Walt Disney World. All you have to do is put up with waiting in line an hour or so for your dream shot at meeting Cinderella. Most visits, I don't have time to do this. Or rather, I won't take the time to. I'm a short line kinda gal. Though, there are characters that I've been dreaming of meeting in the parks but they just might be too rare for me to find.

Max Goof
Max probably used to be seen more when A Goofy Movie came out but as of late, you can only find him randomly. Back in 2004, I met Max for the first and only time in the Magic Kingdom. It was a glorious day and I told him that I had a crush on him and intended on marrying him one day... true story. Again, in 2008, I bumped into him accidentally at the Art of Animation. I waited in line, got really excited, and then as I was the NEXT person to go, the character wrangler said Max had to leave... out came Minnie. I didn't want to meet Minnie! I wanted to meet the love of my life!!! Max! Someday, Max. Someday.

How can you resist him as Powerline? I surely can't.

Meg and Hercules
My favorite of the Disney "heros" is Hercules. And my favorite damsel in distress? Megara. I absolutely LOVE Hercules. I remember watching it for the first time with my family at the movie theater and then buying the movie the day that it came out. I remember sitting front of the television begging my mom to rewind it so we could watch it again. The soundtrack astounded my family. We were obsessed with this film. I'd love to meet Herc and Meg together someday if they ever decide to come out of hiding.

Hades
I am the biggest Hades fan there is. It's true. He's got the best lines of any Disney villain that I've ever seen. He's witty and sarcastic. Somehow he even manages to be charming while looking like the scariest hellion known to man. I saw that he was out at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party last year doing meet and greets. I wish they'd bring him out for more than just a hard ticketed event.

Flynn Rider and Rapunzel
God bless Tangled. What a great film with awesome music and an event better storyline. This is one meet and greet that I can actually accomplish at some point! I heard that Flynn is no longer appearing in the meet and greet but at least I'll still get to meet Rapunzel one day soon.

TouringPlans.com - BabyCakes NYC Review

2011-07-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted on my blog in a while! I promise! Something is coming!

In the mean time... here is my last post at TouringPlans.com! http://blog.touringplans.com/2011/07/15/babycakes-nyc-a-sweet-treat/

TouringPlans.com - Super Stardom Meets Super Touring

2011-07-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the link, folks! I'm so happy to be sharing it with you!

Exciting New Gig!

2011-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I was contacted by Katie Siloac who heads up the blog at TouringPlans.com. Ya know, the website for the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World? Len Testa's brain child. My hero. Yeah, that TouringPlans.com. Anyway... Katie asked me if I would be interested in writing for the blog! Of course I jumped up and down and called my husband to tell him.

If you've been a follower of my blog here you'll know that I've admired the whole TouringPlans.com team, especially Len for a long time. Back when I discovered WDW Today in 2006 I never would have imagined that they would inspire me to start my own ramblings about Disney World let alone come to be associated with any of them. I'm not sure what these awesome people see in me but I'm really very thankful and humbled by their praise.

My very first post for their blog will be available to read tomorrow at this link. Please check it out and feel free to comment! I think you all will enjoy my topic!

O, Canada!

2011-07-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of Canada Day, I'd like to celebrate the great country to the north of us. When I think of Canada, I think of two things... Epcot and the better "Niagara Falls" view. :p

Enjoy some shots of my past trips to WDW that I've taken in the gorgeous Canada pavilion.

Disney Dooney & Bourke... That I like?!

2011-06-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of designer Disney purses. Sure, I don't buy non-Disney designer purses but that's not to say that I wouldn't... someday... when I have more money to just blow. Ha!

Dooney & Bourke has teamed up with Disney for a while now and made some very popular bags. I haven't found any of them my style... until now. The messenger bag was made for Disneyland's 55th anniversary celebration. The colors are muted and none are loud and bright. On the design pattern you'll find a sketch of Main Street U.S.A. and quite a few "Mickey" based icons. Disney Store is selling the bag for $265.00. Far too steep for me but... if any of you would like a gift idea for me... here it is. :p

The Future

2011-06-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's my desire to stay on "Disney target" with this blog but I feel the need to touch on a dash of my personal life as well. I haven't even signed onto Blogger in a month and I'm really not sure why. There have been plenty of things to write about. In fact, I have a list of ideas that I constantly add to. About a month or so ago, before my husband and I went on vacation to New York, we had a long discussion about moving to Florida.

Since I can remember, moving to Florida has been our goal. It's my lifelong dream to work at Walt Disney World. Matt always felt so comfortable in Florida and would constantly say, "I love it here! I want to move here!" Though last month I realized that Matt never really brings the subject up... I do. And I am always the one looking up information on moving to Florida. Long story short... after a long talk with Matt I discovered that Florida may not be his goal anymore. Or, at least now right now.

It's a struggle we're facing... not being on the same page. For me, Disney is a burning passion of mine and I have to be involved with it as much as I can to really feel whole. I wouldn't have a huge reason to move to Florida if it weren't for WDW and career opportunities there. But, for Matt, he doesn't really have a reason to be there. He wouldn't work at Disney and he's not 100% sure of what type of job he'd find down there. He's fearful that I'd find my niche so easily and he'd be left in the dust wandering around looking for his purpose.

I don't want Matt to pick up his life and move simply because of me. I want him to want to be in Florida for his own personal reasons as well. He simply won't be completely happy if he's there just for my needs.

Right now we're trying to find a common ground. And we're trying to see if he can "come around" to the idea of moving. What he wants is to find a reason to be there and the ambition to move forward. I guess I'm just... waiting. Still. It sucks but at this point I don't have much of a choice. Eventually I'll want to get out of Michigan (sooner rather than later) and be happy because I'm just not happy here.

Any of you out there make a major move in your life and relocate to an area that you're unfamiliar with? Anyone possibly even move to Florida?! Any advice or support would be seriously appreciated!

Maximizing the Disney Dining Plan

2011-05-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

I know that some people traveling to Walt Disney World focus on being insanely frugal. Getting the biggest bang for their buck if you will. I'm not too far from that description so I shall help those of you out that are opting to use the ever popular Disney Dining Plan. This applies even if you are taking part of the "Free Dining" promotion. If you read my previous post you'll know that the Free Disney Dining Plan is far from free so you should still take advantage of maximizing the plan.

For the sake of easy generalization I'm going to refer to the Basic Dining Plan. You can use these tips even if you opt to partake in a different dining plan that Disney offers.

Snack Credits
Though your largest savings isn't going to come from your snack credits, you can still use a few tricks to not just waste them. In general you can assume that anything under $4 on any given menu will apply towards a snack credit. There are some exceptions where things over $4 work but let's just disregard everything I'm saying. Just look for the little DDP emblem next to an item. Then you know!

A big piece of advice I like to give people is to not waste a counter service or even table service credit on breakfast. Rather, use a snack credit! Or even better... eat breakfast in the room before you leave for the day! Bring along granola bars or Pop-Tarts in your suitcase. Should you decide to use a snack credit on breakfast, stop in at your resort food court and get a giant muffin. You can also have more choices if you wait and grab a pastry from a place like the Main Street Bakery.

Counter Service Credits
Again, this isn't where your largest savings will be but nevertheless you should still take advantage of saving a few extra dollars. Just be aware of the dollar amounts of menu items. Please don't think that Disney counter service is all burgers and fries. Really open your eyes and pay attention to other options available. Give things a try! It's a perfect time to be brave and try a food you've always wanted to try but couldn't bring yourself to before.

I encourage people to opt for the large bottles of water instead of pop (or soda, whatever you call it) because then you can keep that bottle all day and refill it. If you get filled up on your counter service entree and have an easy to go dessert, take it back to your room and keep it in the fridge for a late night snack. Don't throw anything away if you can help it.

Sharing is caring y'all! While you can't really share using a table service credit you can however share counter service meals. Maximize your credits by splitting a meal with someone else! Most entrees and desserts at WDW are large enough to share between two light eating adults or an adult and a child. Families that enjoy eating a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner will benefit from sharing meals.

Table Service Credits
Here is your make it or break it opportunity. I'll break it down for you as easily as possible. The number one tip I can give to you is to do your homework and figure out what restaurants cost. You'll have to primarily look at entree prices.

For this example we'll pretend our "guest" ordered a pop to drink, an entree, and a dessert. I'll be using the "lowest" priced option at a very inexpensive restaurant during lunch and then on the flip side of the coin I'll be using a "highest" priced option at a more expensive restaurant for dinner.

The Plaza Restaurant - Magic Kingdom
Drink - $2.69
Grilled Reuben - $10.99
Milkshake - $4.69
Total not including tip and tax = $18.37

Chefs de France - Epcot
Drink - $2.95
Grilled Beef Tenderloin - $34.95
Creme Brulee - $7.25
Total not including tip and tax = $45.15

This is just for one person. Imagine the "savings" for a family of 4 adults! If you are using your single table service credit for The Plaza instead of a place like Chefs de France then you are seriously not getting the biggest bang for your park. You REALLY aren't getting a good deal if you dine at all Plaza Restaurant type locations during your vacation.

Should you NOT eat at one of your favorite dining locations just because it's not cost effective when using the DDP? No! Definitely not! Pay out of pocket for that meal! You'll be saving money doing it that way even. Trust me. For some crazy reason my husband loves Sci-Fi Theater at the Studios so every trip we pay out of pocket for that meal.

Another thing to look at is a family style or buffet style restaurant. Often these are the most cost effective options when looking at pure mass of food alone. If you're a family that can eat a lot and maybe have some picky eaters on your hands, then I seriously suggest booking more buffet type meals. Your per dollar savings won't be as high but you'll be able to consume as much food as your stomach can handle.

Boma - Animal Kingdom Lodge
Buffet cost for one adult - $39.40 tax included

Of course at a buffet or family style meal your drink and dessert are already included.

A way to make your meals "last" is by eating at off times. If you can book a late breakfast at a buffet then you'll probably be set until dinner because you'll be so stuffed. This tends to work for those who really like breakfast food better than any other meal of the day. Eating at off times is also a good idea if you're booking your Advanced Dining Reservations less than 180 days out. It's often hard to get into popular restaurants around noon and 6:00 p.m. So try eating lunch at 2:45 p.m.or dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Wrapping It Up
It's important to remember that you can absolutely come out behind and not get a "deal" using the DDP if you, well, abuse the DDP. The best way to prevent that from happening is by doing your homework and analyzing the eating patterns of you and your traveling companions. Please feel free to leave comments below on YOUR tips and tricks when using the Disney Dining Plan!

Free Dining... Not So Free

2011-05-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had a request from a friend and follower to talk about the popular Free Dining promotion that Disney sometimes offers.

Free Dining Promotion = "Free" Disney Dining Plan

You never know exactly when Disney will offer this promotion to guests but typically you can count on it being offered in the fall from August through September. You must be booking a Magic Your Way package. Which means you will need to pay rack rate for your resort room (obviously on property) and your tickets. You must book a certain amount of nights (this varies) so be aware of that if you're planning on a super short weekend trip.

Back in the day when Free Dining first started, you would get the "basic" Dining Plan no matter what level resort you chose. That included one snack, one counter service, and one table service meal a night per person. Since the popularity of FD has spiked Disney has caught on and realized they could make more money if they restricted guests who stay at Value resorts by giving them the "new" Quick Service Dining Plan. Also, when FD first started the Dining Plan included your gratuity. Well, Disney caught onto that too and cut that out. They also cut out the appetizer in the table service meal. Throw in the always rising room rates and you're starting to lose the "free" part of Free Dining. You get where I'm going with this, right? Paying more while getting less?

If you compare another popular discount, the "Room Only Discount," to Free Dining then you'll see where Free Dining truly isn't as amazing as Disney (and uneducated WDW guests) think that it is. I'm not gonna break down the math for you because it's sort of boring for most of you who don't enjoy the nerdy mathematical stuff like me. What I can tell you though is that if you're staying at a value resort and participate in FD then you are probably getting a good deal. Even if you upgrade your Free Dining Plan to the "Basic Dining Plan" for a small additional fee. Moderate resorts are sort of hazy but most of the time it's still a good deal as long as you can maximize the Basic Dining Plan fully.

If you're choosing to stay at a Deluxe resort then please think about discounts presented to you in THIS sense. When you opt for a "Room Only" discount you can often get 25%, 30%, even 40% off of your standard room rate. That's a HUGE savings if you're paying $450 a night for a room! I just helped my friend save $700 with a "Room Only" discount at Animal Kingdom Lodge. He will definitely not be paying $700 in food for his week long trip so the savings is pretty obvious. My point is clear. Pay out of pocket for food if you're staying at a Deluxe resort and use the "Room Only" discount. Don't be fooled by the Free Dining Plan.

I suppose it's relevant to touch on the fact that the actual value of the Disney Dining Plan is slowly becoming obsolete. I wish I could remember how much the DDP cost when it first premiered but I believe it was around the ballpark of $35 per night per adult. Back then the only DDP offered was what is now referred to as the Basic Dining Plan. And back then you were given an appetizer, entree, and dessert with a table service credit. On top of that your gratuity was included in the meal plan!

The Quick Service Dining Plan offered now is $35 per person per night while the Basic Disney Dining Plan now runs you $46 per person per night. Isn't that kind of sketchy that Disney is now offering a less bulky dining plan at the same cost as they used to offer a very full packed dining plan?

Disney has since removed the appetizer and the included gratuity in the Basic Dining Plan. After this change occurred I was among many folks that e-mailed Disney and inquired about what spiked the change. We were told by Disney that guests complained about having too much food. They also claimed that guests wanted to control their gratuity instead of having 18% chosen for them.

Around this time we started to notice that many restaurants menus became a little more pricey. Yet the menu items remained the same. Every year since then this trend has remained. Portions get smaller and prices get bigger. What I believe Disney is doing is making their menu items more pricey so people feel like they're getting their monies worth using the DDP. In actuality, guests are just paying more for their meals out of pocket or more for their DDP.

I'm a firm believer that the reason the appetizer was removed from the Basic DDP and not the dessert is because it's much easier to mass produce desserts than appetizers. Mass producing cuts costs for Disney. Most guests would never think of that so no harm no foul in Disney's eyes.

How far is Disney going to go with this? How many more years can they increase the price of the DDP and still keep guests hooked? When will guests begin cutting out or cutting back on out of pocket sit down meals? Eventually Disney will hit a wall and they will have to remain at a point that guests are still willing to overpay for food.

Next up... Maximizing the Disney Dining Plan.

Making Walt Disney World Affordable

2011-05-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sort of sounds like an oxymoron... doesn't it? It's hard to believe that you can make a WDW trip relatively inexpensive for your family but it's totally possible. You have to know what the shortcuts are though.

Years ago my husband and I did the ultimate "no-no." We paid full price for everything. We didn't wait for discounts and we didn't shop around enough. It's no secret that in the past couple of years, Disney seems to be seriously increasing prices but giving guests LESS for what they pay. Of course I don't agree with it but does that mean I'm going to stop going to my favorite vacation destination? Heck no! I simply learn how to cut corners.

Follow these simple rules and you'll be on the fast track to saving tons of dough.

1) BE FLEXIBLE
2) SHOP AROUND
3) GIVE AND TAKE

BE FLEXIBLE

No, I'm not asking you to take up yoga. I am however suggesting that you take a look at what Disney considers a "value" season. You can get on-property rooms for a much more fair price if you are willing to visit Mickey at a time when not everyone else does. Typically this means any time that is not around a holiday and is often prone to cooler temperatures. A perk to this is that while you are saving money by going on an off season, you'll experience shorter wait times in the more popular attractions.

Understandably, many parents (and teachers) prefer that their children aren't taken out of school for a week. But, come on... I think your 8 year old can learn that 4 x 3 = 12 a week later than the other kids. Plus, you can do some math with them on the plane ride to WDW by showing them how much money you saved by pulling them out of class! It's a win win!

Here is an example of how much money you could be saving by making your travel time flexible. I'm using resorts that I would likely stay with just my husband. So, keep in mind that this is for 2 adults. Room only... not including a discount or resort tax added.

Value Resort - Standard view room at Pop Century
Value Season - As low as $82/night
Peak Season - As high as $149/night

Moderate Resort - Standard view room at Coronado Springs
Value Season - As low as $159/night
Peak/Holiday Season - As high as $244 night

Deluxe Resort - Animal Kingdom Lodge - Savannah View
Value Season - $325/night
Peak/Holiday Season - $550/night

Deluxe Resort - Boardwalk - Boardwalk/Water View
Value Season - $425/night
Peak/Holiday Season - $660/night on New Years Eve

Notice how the amount almost doubles with some of these resorts! By booking your vacation on a value season you are saving a ridiculous amount of money.
Another way to "be flexible" is the actual days of the week that you travel. Now, this is debatable and sometimes doesn't matter but it could pay off and save you a small amount. We try and fly on Tuesdays if we make our vacation a full week. Certain days of the week are more expensive to fly with certain airlines and in specific months of the year even. If you know you want to go in the fall, look and see if there is a difference in flight prices from week to week or month to month.

SHOP AROUND

If you're paying full price for a room, you should be getting a discount on food. If you're paying full price for tickets, you should be getting a discount on a room. Disney is constantly pumping out deals that could suit you and your family. If you can combine rule #1, being flexible, with rule #2, shopping around, then you're setting yourself up for success!

One of the discounts that seem to pop up every year is the infamous "Free Dining" deal. How it works is you pay rack rate for your room and tickets (book a Magic Your Way package) but you get the dining plan for "free." This discount is by far the easiest to be fooled by because it's not suitable for everyone. In general, if you're booking a value or sometimes a moderate then you can benefit from free dining. If you're booking a package with a deluxe resort then I seriously suggest that you book with a "Room Only" discount. A 40% off discount on a $450 a night room is HUGE! You can pay for your dining out of pocket and enjoy your resort savings. For more of the mathematical details on this just check out this article by the amazing TouringPlans.com.

You can also get a slight discount on park tickets if you purchase them from an authorized seller online such as Undercover Tourist. They are real park tickets and you use them just the same as you would if you had purchased them straight through Disney.

GIVE AND TAKE

By this I simply mean that you should sit down with your family and determine what matters most to you in your vacation.

Some families will choose that more days spent in the parks is more important to them than staying in a "nicer" resort. Others will realize that they want to indulge in some of the best Disney dining and they will splurge for the Disney Dining Plan. You have to decide what's best for you and your traveling companions.

I do warn those thinking of using Disney Dining Plan that you may be losing more money in the long run if you aren't maximizing the plan by choosing restaurants that have a higher dollar amount. I have spoken on this before in previous blog entries but I constantly feel that it's necessary to remind people that while the DDP can save you money... it may not be best for your family if you're just looking for burgers and other standard American food. Families staying in a room with a kitchenette could choose to just pack their lunch every day and save some money. Disney allows this and it's a great way to pinch pennies.

Really think about if certain "add-ons" matter enough to you to spend the extra dough. If you think you can handle one park a day then don't bother with the "Park Hopper" add-on. If you're perfectly okay with eating breakfast in the room, packing a lunch, and eating dinner at a counter service restaurant, then I'm positive the Disney Dining Plan doesn't suit you.

In the end, planning ahead and doing your homework for a WDW vacation can be your greatest help in saving money. And let's be honest... who doesn't like saving money?

WDW In Pictures - Day 3 - Part 2

2011-05-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Glory glory! We made it to Disney's Hollywood Studios just in time for the new Pixar parade. Reading reviews and watching a little video clip on line of the parade made me insanely fearful that it was going to be craptastic. I wouldn't say it was "craptastic" but I would say that it had a foul odor. All of the floats are just modified from the previous parade and the music isn't anything exciting. The dancers costumes look like slightly altered outfits from Block Party Bash. The characters sort of saved the parade.

Everything seemed to have a really long line on this day. Great Movie Ride was bananas. We walked over to the Animation building to see if any characters were around but there wasn't anything new and exciting out. One Man's Dream came next because I hadn't seen any of the changes. I really liked everything that they did and they kept the multi-plane camera so I was a happy camper.

Up next was Toy Story Mania... have you ever noticed how awesome the ceiling mural is? There is this illustration of a big brother being a jerk and then there is another one of a kid who clearly doesn't want to be taking a bath. I wish we hadn't practically ran through the queue because I actually would have liked to enjoy the ceiling a bit more.

Down Sunset Boulevard and onto Tower Of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster. Tower of Terror's line was extra long due to one of the elevators being "serviced."

Ashley used to work at American Idol Experience so we had to go watch a preliminary show. I was shocked when all of the performers could actually sing and work the stage. That doesn't happen very often. My favorite girl, number 2, took the cake!

After we left DHS we went back to the room to get around and went out to Seito Sushi in Orlando and met up with Ashley's friend, David. Absolutely, without a doubt, the yummiest sushi I've ever had. I dream about the Tatami Roll regularly. We had a late night adventure in Magic Kingdom and I finally got to see the Kiss Goodnight for the very first time. It was really sweet and made me realize that I have to make that a "must do" on every WDW vacation from now on.

WDW In Pictures - Day Three - Part One

2011-05-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

This day started like the one before it. A trip to Ashley's bank off property and then moving onto our park of the day... Animal Kingdom. I find this park is one to enjoy slowly otherwise you might not enjoy it at all and appreciate all of the little things. This is a "little things" park.

Ashley and I were really hungry by the time we got into the park and decided we should eat something since it was basically lunch time. We hit up my favorite counter service in the park in Dinoland U.S.A.

Ashley's favorite show is Festival of the Lion King so we made sure we made it to a showing of that. I was really focused on I could get the best possible shots with my new and challenging camera. I learned a lot about photographing this show. It's really hard but it pays off when you get some of your favorite shots of your vacation. The one below with the mother and child is probably my absolute favorite ever. Something sweet about it to me to watch them interact throughout the show.

A quick meet and greet with one of my favorite Disney women of all time was in order.

For some reason, I don't remember why, but we skipped Kilimanjaro Safari. I think Ashley wasn't a big fan of it or something. It was time for Expedition Everest though. Ashley took my point and shoot and I had my DSLR in hand.

After this ride we decided to leave the park and head to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Coming up in part two!

WDW In Pictures - Day Two

2011-05-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

After getting a late start to our day we made it to Downtown Disney at about 10:30 to grab some goodies from BabyCakes NYC. For a full review on BabyCakes make sure to check out my previous blog post! Let me just tell you right now though that you can describe BabyCakes in one word... YUM.

Who said you can't have cupcakes for breakfast when you're on vacation?

Ashley and I went to Epcot at around 11:15 but couldn't go inside yet. We had to wait for her friend Jarret and his friends to arrive because she was getting them into the parks. It was killing me not being able to walk through the gates yet and start having fun so I decided to try and get interesting pictures. But, let me tell you.... there aren't that many interesting things to photograph OUTSIDE of Epcot gates.

Ashley was wondering where the heck those boys were!

We finally made it in around 11:45 and had to haul tail to World Showcase with only a little time to stop for a few pictures.

We arrived at our lunch spot, Teppan Edo, a little early and had a very delicious meal. I've realized the only down side to this restaurant is how loud it is. In fact it's so loud we could barely hear our waitress/chef.

It was such a beautiful day out. Ash wanted to head back for a nap after lunch but I wanted to ride just a few things before we left.

After some R&R we went back to Epcot to finish off the night before our rescheduled Boma reservation. We stopped at La Cava in Mexico and got a few margaritas and then some caramel in Germany. Ending up in the UK of course to visit The Hat Lady. Little did I know she'd be smittened with me and ask me to sing "Part Of Your World" with her! It was an absolute BLAST and the bar went crazy! Maybe because Ashley ordered a Welsh Dragon for me and I had a hard time putting it down. :p

I think I fell asleep on the way to Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. We were one of the last tables seated that night. Our meal was excellent but let me give you a tip... a buffet is never the easiest option when you're intoxicated. Ha!

Disney Websites - Where To Go For What

2011-03-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Try Googling "Disney World." Just try it. See what pops up. Chances are you're going to find a handful of websites that are a waste to you and a handful that could be insanely helpful and informative but you don't know where to go for what. It's hard to know which websites are updated frequently. No one wants stale information but it exists.

After talking with a friend last night who happens to be a huge Disney fan but lacks direction as to where to find information on the parks, I sent him an e-mail this morning that ended up being a little guide to the magic. As I was writing it I realized that there have to be other people, even some of my followers, that also feel overwhelmed with all the gobs of information that the internet can provide them on Disney parks.

Not all Disney websites are created equal.

...and I love that!

I find myself going to certain websites for a certain WDW fix or specific types of information. Here are some of my favorite websites that I frequent.

Mousesavers.com - Need to find a discount and help figuring out what booking strategy might be best for you? Go here. Everything from flights, to park tickets, to accomodations. This website has it all if it's saving you money.

AllEars.net - It's easy to go to Deb's website for almost anything but the real star of the show for me is the Dining section. It has the most frequently updated Menu section of any WDW website that I've ever seen. I also really love the Rate & Review portion of the website. Deb is famous for a reason...

Disneyfoodblog.com - Food porn... 'nuff said.

MouseWorldRadio.com - I need a Disney fix... a lot... and Mike Newell's brain child curbs my craving. Who doesn't love Disney parks audio going 24/7?

Studioscentral.com - You love the Studios, right? I know you do... go here for everything DHS related.

WDWtoday.com - My very first introduction into the WDW community was WDW Today. I have no idea how I came upon it and why I started listening to the podcast back when it first started and I had just graduated from high school. These guys are amazing human beings and have more talent in their pinky than
I have in my whole body. Never would I have thought that I'd have these guys... my "idols"... as followers of my work some day. Blows me away every time I think about it.

WDWphotography.com - My newest obsession is Disney photography and no one does it better than the folks here. Make sure to check out their Flickr page. Some of the most talented people that I've never met. Ha!

Touringplans.com - The online equivelant to The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. And that's because it's by the same folks. :) Their crowd calendar has changed my touring schedule forever!

There are a slew of other websites that I could go on and on listing. But here are just a few more
Dismarks.com
Disneydispatch.com
MouseJunkies.com
Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages

If I left you out... please don't hate me! I didn't mean to! :) Thank you all again for your support of my blog. It means the world to me to belong to such a great group of human beings that share the same passion.

Snacktime Review - BabyCakes NYC

2011-03-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've got a new love. This love is a deep and understanding love. I've started a relationship with a place called BabyCakes NYC. Located in the new counter service location at Downtown Disney, BabyCakes is a vegan bakery. On top of being vegan, it also boasts providing alternatives to wheat and gluten. You can assume that if you're allergic to something found in baked goods, BabyCakes is the place for you to enjoy some sweets.

I really do dislike BabyCakes location inside of Pollo Campero/Fresh A Peel's building. It gets no signage or acknowledgment that it even exists unless you go inside. Despite this set back, BabyCakes seems to be thriving and is gaining quite the following. If you're interested in seeing what's new every day at BabyCakes makes sure to follow them on Twitter @DTDBabyCakesNYC.

On my first of three visits I chose a Vanilla Crunch Donut and a Blondie Cupcake. We were told the Chocolate Crunch is one of the best sellers but I happen to really like vanilla so I went with that. On my second visit I did try the Chocolate and liked it even better than the insanely delicious Vanilla Crunch. If someone put a standard, sugar filled donut in front of me and a BabyCakes vegan donut... I'd easily choose BabyCakes. The Blondie Cupcake was AMAZING! I could have eaten five in one sitting.

On a later visit I found my absolute favorite BabyCakes snack... Toastie Slice. I believe it's cranberry and apple in a bread/muffin type creation. Oh my gosh! It has a hint of cinnamon that I adore. I can't get over how amazing it is. I'm thinking of finding a way to have a Toastie Slice birthday cake delivered to my house!

Make sure to check out BabyCakes NYC at Downtown Disney on your next WDW vacation! Also give their adorable website a look... http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

WDW In Pictures - Day One

2011-03-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

I flew into Orlando Sanford which I was very impressed with. I loved how small it is and how easy it is to get around. Great experience all around.

I checked into All Star Sports after Ashley picked me up. I found a cute little letter my husband (Matt) hid in my suitcase. I was really impressed with the rooms at All Stars. I liked it better than the pre-refurbed rooms at Pop Century actually. We got our things settled, ran to her townhouse just north of Magic Kingdom, and then headed into the park. She showed me where they shoot off the fireworks behind the park. I also saw Disney University and the Disney Holiday building. It was awesome!

We got into the park later than planned so we decided to skip the parade and just hit attractions. Everything had a pretty long wait. The crowds were just nuts. At one point while trying to get from Frontierland to Liberty Square we got caught in a crowd. It was a stand still in a walking path. Folks were trying to watch the parade and CMs weren't doing their jobs right by getting guests to move through the walkways. So, Ashley and I jumped the fence in back of the people and walked in the landscaping. I did this all in a dress. I should get brownie points for the flashing of my rear that I'm sure took place.

Right before Wishes Ashley and I hit up Dumbo. Though, you can't tell we were on Dumbo at all. I only took my point and shoot camera with me this night because I knew I couldn't get any decent shots with my DSLR with the crowds. I also took my very first spin on the teacups! I LOVED IT!

We watched Wishes from a very cool place that night... in between Dumbo and the back of the castle. It's neat to see the fireworks split on both sides of you. Just a totally different experience. Unfortunetly, Space Mountain was experiencing technical difficulties. A sensor on one side crapped out and apparently they have them specially made so they had to wait until later the next day to get it. They were only operating on one side and the wait was ACTUALLY 120 minutes long. Just... nuts.

We ended up missing our planned Boma reservation and wouldn't have made it to the restaurant in time to still get seated so we walked from the Grand Floridian (where we parked) to the Poly and got a walk up at Kona Cafe. We shared a Spicy Tuna Roll and Pan Asian Noodles with Shrimp. The food was delicious but the service was very slow. Very very slow.

Ashley and I headed back to our resort where we met up with her friend Jarret who was down working a few shifts and brought his college buddies along with him. The guys asked me to take some photos of them around the resort goofing off so me being the awesome girl I am began to shoot away. We didn't go to bed until about 2 a.m. so it's pretty clear that I was exhausted from the very long day.

Just a note on these shots outside at All Star Sports. I didn't have a tripod so I had to do some trickery in order to set up my shots. It was difficult and I could have gotten better shots with more photography knowledge and a tripod but... I did what I could. :)

Quick Update

2011-03-16T08:13:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blurb to tell you that my photos are now edited and I'll be getting them up on here and on Facebook very soon! I can't wait to share some of my favorite shots with you guys. :)

Oh! I miss WDW so much that I've decided to look into a 5 day trip in September. What is wrong with me?!

It's Over!

2011-03-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

The shortest WDW trip in the world is over. It was bittersweet leaving Florida. Being back in Michigan blows... let me tell you.

On the plane ride home I decided that the trip report for this vacation will not be a normal trip report. It was not a normal vacation. I think I'm just going to point out the hightlights and show lots of pictures. Well... what pictures I got. Which sadly isn't many.

I'm already thinking ahead of my next trip. I have to get back and do all the things I didn't get to do. Take all the pictures I didn't get to take. Ride all the rides I didn't get to ride.

I still have to edit my pictures this weekend and then I'll do a recap of the trip for all of you to enjoy.

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...

2011-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the day!! I finally get to leave this cold and crappy state of Michigan for a sunny time in Florida. I love sunshine. Have I said that lately? Right now I'm looking at rain falling on top of snow piles. It's not a pretty picture. Tomorrow I will be seeing palm trees and abundant sun all around me.

My thinking is that I'll wake up around 7 to shower, get ready, and pack my final things. Last night I got my clothes taken care of so that's out of the way. I think I did pretty good packing all of my clothes in ONE small carry-on bag. Unfortuntely since I'm taking my big camera bag I won't be able to take a tote or purse with me to stuff more junk in. Oh well, I gotta make it work.

By 9 I'd like to be out the door and on the road. South Bend is only about an hour and ten minutes away from my house. That puts me there very early before my flight at like 12:30. I might grab some food to eat by my gate before my flight. Eating gives me something to do while I have to sit by myself. South Bend's airport is TINY so I'm sure I'll get through security and to my gate in about ten minutes.

My flight is supposed to land around 3:00 p.m. in Orlando Sanford. Ashley will pick me up and then we're heading straight to Magic Kingdom most likely. I fully intend on heading to Aloha Isle for a creamy dole whip first thing since I'm sure I'll be starving. We'll try and fit in as many attractions as we can and then we'll find a spot for the parade and Wishes at night. We have a reservation for Boma at 9:25 so we'll leave MK right after Wishes is over and head to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I'm SO excited to eat at Boma again and see the gorgeous AKL. MK is open later now on Saturday... I believe until midnight so who knows... maybe we'll head back there. I think Ashley wanted to take me to some bars around the area so we could end up doing that as well.

Sunday is Epcot day. Storms are expected so that really really sucks. But, in a way... I like the way Epcot looks under cloudy skies. It makes it interesting. And it makes Soarin' wait times shorter. ;) We'll be seeing Genevieve Gorder at around 3 after our Teppan Edo reservation. Woot!

On Monday we are going to the beach. I'm pretty sure we'll still go even if it's not super hot because I just want to see the ocean again. I really miss New Smyrna Beach and I'm hoping that we end up going there. I'm DYING to take pictures there. DYING! We'll drive back to Orlando and then have dinner at Seito Sushi. This will be my first experience at a sushi restaurant.

Our final park day will be spent starting at Animal Kingdom doing a few attractions and then heading to Epcot for lunch at Les Chefs de France. I'm totally excited about this ADR since it's going to be a first for me. Despite mixed reviews I've always wanted to try it. I took French in high school but I don't know that I could bust a ton of it out. I know how to say "I'll have" and "I would like" and I could possibly pluck some other nouns out of the sky but probably none that I'd actually use. Ha! After lunch we'll head to the Studios to have a blast before Fantasmic. In my opinion it's the best way to end a trip. I love when Mickey goes from being in one place to magically appearing in another. I scream my head off.

I think I recapped you all enough on everything. It's time for me to bid you farewell. Make sure to pray for me and my safety flying alone for the first time! Eeeks! I can't wait to share my adventures with you when I get back on Wednesday!

"I hope we never lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." - Walt Disney

Our Dream Disney Vacation - Departure Day & Final Thoughts

2011-03-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

There was no pressure at all to be up super duper early and into the parks so that is a plus of departure day. Most of the packing was done the previous night except for my husband of course because he stalls when doing pretty much anything. Ha! Once we were packed we headed to Kona Cafe located in the Great Ceremonial House at the Polynesian Resort. I feel like I can't go to WDW without visiting Kona Cafe for breakfast. It's just a crime.

After a short five minute wait we were seated and ordered drinks. The moms got coffee, Matt got chocolate milk, and I got either water or pineapple juice. I can't remember. I'm going to shock you and let you know that I didn't get my usual Tonga Toast to eat. I had a huge craving for blueberry pancakes once I saw the menu. The potatoes are out of this world at Kona so I had a side of those as well since I knew Matt would not be willing to share his. He got his usual ... the Big Kahuna! It's sort of a mix of yummy breakfast foods thrown onto a plate and ready for Matt to drench in syrup. Both of our moms got the ham and cheese omelet. I believe the ordering went something like this...

My Mom: "Diane, what are you getting?"

Diane: "The ham and cheese omelet sounds good."

My Mom: *looks at menu" "Oh! Yeah, that DOES sound good!"

Us: "Copy cat."

Once we were done with our delicious breakfast we went to the gift shop downstairs so I could buy a watch that I had been eyeing all week. There were actually two watches that I loved but one was about $50 more. I'm sort of a tight wad so I went with the cheaper one. I absolutely love it and I wear it almost every single day.

There was a group of performers in the lobby. One of which was an adorable little girl that was on the shy side. I got a kick out of her. These little details are why I really treasure the Polynesian Resort.

We all headed back up to the room to get our last minute things put in our bags and make sure we didn't leave anything behind. It was incredibly sad to walk out of the room with luggage in tow... turning back and having such a beautiful sight to see.

The walk to the Great Ceremonial House was terribly sad as well. Saying goodbye to everything that is so lush and beautiful. Walking by folks on their way to the parks. I went to the front desk and checked us out and then we gave our bags to the Magical Express folks outside the GCH. We were gravely concerned that they were going to tag our bags wrong because the woman doing it seemed sort of scatter brained. When we were sure all was well, we headed back into the GCH to catch the resort monorail. We all felt it was necessary for Diane to see the inside of the Grand Floridan Resort.

Everytime I walk through the doors in that resort I feel like I'm transported back in time. It's such a beautiful resort. I'll admit that it is a little stuffy and you might feel silly walking around in park clothes and a Goofy hat. It's totally worth it though to see where Aunt Becky stood while Uncle Jesse played the piano and sang to her. :) Full house fans?!

My mom went into one of the gift shops on the second floor and got a necklace then we looked around at shops on the lower level. The people that work in these are terribly snooty. We had fun goofing around though just to tick the CMs off. :) Gotta be juvenille sometimes! While window shopping was enjoyable, we wanted to get back outside in the fresh air.

I've never walked around the grounds outside at the GF before. Everything was absolutely beautiful. It's so open and airy outside and it's enjoyable to just walk around. I couldn't help but run down the beach to a hammock and relax for a few minutes. I remember as a kid looking at pictures of the Grand Floridian and seeing the hammocks on their beach and thinking how amazing it would be to lay in one.

It was a really cool view of the Polynesian Resort from the Grand Floridian's beach. I can openly admit that from afar the Poly doesn't look like anything special. That was always my thinking about it when I was a kid. Once you're inside though it's a totally different story.

A few more shots before we went back into the lobby of the Grand Floridian to catch the resort monorail back to the Polynesian Resort.

The monorail took us around full circle back to the Polynesian Resort. We were thinking we might be cutting it close for when our Magical Express bus was supposed to come and pick us up. To make matters worse they had to stop our monorail just before we entered the Contemporary Resort so I started tapping my foot hoping it would move a little quicker. Though, I don't think missing that bus would have been the WORST thing that could ever happen to us. Another day at WDW? Sure! :)

We did make it there in time and boarded the bus that would take us to Orlando International Airport. It was a particularly sad goodbye. I didn't want to leave the Polynesian Resort for anything. A dream had come and gone. I guess the crazy Floridian Christians didn't want me to forget one thing though so they painted it across the sky... Jesus Loves U

Our Dream Disney Vacation - Day Seven - Part Two

2011-02-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

It was finally time for our FASTPASS window for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. You might remember that this was my mother-in-law's first roller coaster earlier in the trip and she fell in love with it. This time on the ride I made sure to sit in front of Matt and Diane so I could get great pictures of them riding! They turned out even better than I could have imagined. You can just see how excited Diane was and how much she laughed throughout the whole ride!

All of the coaster riding caused us to work up an appetite. Previously I had scoped out my favorite counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House. We agreed it was the perfect place to grab lunch. The place was absolutely packed and we seemed to wait in line forever. The group in front of us had at least a ten person order. And they couldn't seem to decide what they heck everyone would want. We ordered quickly after them and then waited for our food. The large group had a few representatives that waited in line while the rest of them got a table. Once their food arrived in front of them they decided to trade out half of the drinks and desserts for something else. This was getting irritating for us to listen to and I'm sure even more upsetting to the cast members tending to these idiots with half functioning brains. The mom of the group had previously gotten out of line but now chose to PUSH her way past us in the very small and barred off waiting line. No excuse me or anything. At first we excused her obscene behaviour but the second time she came back to grab more trays and argue with the cast members, I let out a heavy sigh and Matt gave her the evil eye and politely explained that there was an "exit" line that she should have used. The big bad Brazilian men she was there with began to jump up Matt's rear for repremanding one of their women. At this point Matt got snippy back and the men (and woman) exchanged some unkind words. Finally I grabbed Matt's arm and asked him to just ignore them because it was doing no good. Finally the unpleasant foreigners got the heck out of there but not without cussing us out as they were walking away.

The important part now is the food! I got my usual Lighthouse Sandwich (hummus and slaw) while Matt enjoyed the tuna sandwich and our moms ordered the BLT Salad. I also ordered the clam chowder because I'm a clam chowder fiend. Everyone really really enjoyed their food. You get so much for your money at this restaurant. A tip I have is to remember that there is upstairs seating. It's often much less busy and more quiet upstairs.

We decided to leave Magic Kingdom at this point but not before we did a little browsing on Main Street. While the moms looked around in the Emporium, Matt and I went to the nice jewelry store on the opposite side of the street. I went nuts! Everything in there is so gorgeous!! I found so many things for my house that I would love to have some day when I can afford to splurge on "nice" things. I saw a necklace in the middle case that made my jaw drop. It was stunning. We were curious how much it was. Not that we were looking to buy anything but we were just curious. Instead of a cast member approaching us asking if we'd like to see anything we were ignored. One woman looked right at us and then turned away. Matt said, "Excuse me, we'd like to see something." She didn't even speak she just opened the case and grabbed out the necklace and said, "It's $2,500." I wasn't terribly surprised. It didn't matter to me. I just wanted to see the piece up close. The crotchety cast member said, "Is that all?" We thanked her and then turned away with a nasty taste in our mouth. Clearly she didn't think that WE of all people could afford something so nice. I've never had a cast member made me feel so inferior. Makes me not want to return to that store until I am truly prepared to shell out some major cash.

After we met up with our moms and dragged them out of the Emporium, we noticed that the mid-day parade was starting so we decided to watch it right where it comes out onto Main Street.

Back at the Polynesian Resort we grabbed dole whips from Captain Cook's and then headed to the room to relax and freshen up. After a bit we headed towards the TTC and stopped at the Great Ceremonial House on the way. I took some pictures and an amazingly nice CM offered to snap a group picture of us! It turned out to be our favorite photo of all of us from the whole vacation.

The gang made the walk to the TTC and hopped the monorail for Epcot. Right away we did Spaceship Earth since it was basically a walk on at this point in the afternoon. I know I previously reported that we figured out how to get the surfboard in the interactive portion of the ride but really, it wasn't until THIS DAY that we figured it out. I got it all mixed up in my head. :) These pictures are priceless.

It was so joyous to finally get the surfboards. I'd been trying for years. Anyway... we decided that we had quite a bit of time to kill before our dinner reservation so we stopped at Club Cool to wet our whistles. Had to of course experience the Beverly again. Ahh... that wretched thing. Then we made our way around the World Showcase... starting in Canada and walking around to Mexico. Our only F&WF stop was for Matt and I to get a spicy tuna roll from Japan. Delicious!!

I do believe we made a stop at Norway to ride Maelstrom. I love me some trolls. After all... I am 1/4 Norwegian. My husband is very jealous that I am part viking.

Our reservation at La Hacienda was for 8:15 p.m. I think. We killed some time at the Mexico pavillion and then walked over across the way to the restaurant and checked in at the podium outside. I requested a table by the windows and was assured every table had a great view. This was the first day that this new restaurant accepted reservations. We got inside right away without any waiting. The greeting staff was really outstanding and insanely nice. We sat down for no more than 2 minutes inside of the lobby/entrance before our table was ready. We were led into this gorgeous main room with huge windows. I was so excited until we turned a corner into a smaller, virtually windowless portion of the restaurant. We were seated by a window alright. A very very small window that we'd have to turn our backs to to even see it. To see OUT of it you'd have to stand up and lean over another table. For some reason we were the rejects because no one else was seated in this section at all. Just us. Did they think we said that we DIDN'T want to have a view of the wate

Instead of complaining about the table and requesting something else we just sat down. I regret doing this now because it would have been much more magical of a dining experience in the main room.

Our waitress was a very sweet younger gal that took our drink orders while we looked over the menu. Matt and I pretty much decided instantly to splurge and get the Del Mar. It's a mix of grilled seafood with vegetables, beans, and rice. Meant to be shared by 2 people. The menu was quite small and my mom had a hard time figuring out what to order because everything seemed a little too authentic for her liking. She's a pretty picky eater as it is. We had to ask the waitress was some of the items were specifically so mom could figure out if she'd eat it or not. She decided to get the Puerco en Salsa My mother-in-law, Diane, got Pollos al Pastor... marinated chicken. The chips and salsa we were served right away were delicious! I love new and interesting salsas and both were very good but quite different. Neither were crazy hot.

The food came out in record time and it all smelled amazing. Matt and I really enjoyed what we shared. Would I pay $50 for it if we were outside of WDW? No. But, it was good for what it was and it was enough to fill us both up though we didn't have any left behind. I personally loved the scallops the best. But, I love scallops more than life itself so.... I'm a bad judge. The roasted corn was easily our favorite side.

See that tiny window beside that table? THAT was suppose to be our view of the water. Well, I took the picture from where I was sitting (turned around) and let me tell you it wasn't a view of anything. Our moms were on the other side of the table and they couldn't see out the window at all basically. There was another section around the corner from our small area that was equally tiny and it had absolutely no window. It faced into the larger main room.

This area looked so much more fun. If we decide to return we'll for sure be demanding a seat in here.

After dinner we checked out the new Duffy bears and corresponding outfits in a nearby gift shop. I definitely think Disney is reaching for some extra money with this one. Duffy basically "represents" all of the countries. Sort of World Showcase's mascot. Do I think that World Showcase needs a mascot? Heck no! That being said... I understand the appeal to old women who collect bears or young kids that love stuffed animals with matching clothes. He's cute... I'll give him that.

After we left Epcot we grabbed the monorail back to the Polynesian Resort and had a painfully long walk to our longhouse. Matt and I changed into some warmer clothes and headed down to the beach to enjoy our last night. We shared a dole whip from Captain Cooks and found a nice place to relax on the beach. We watched Wishes and heard the music that was piped in for resort guests to hear. It was hard to think that this was our last night and we'd have to leave for cold Michigan the next afternoon.

All in all it was a dreamy magical trip. We may never get to stay at the Polynesian again in our lives but we can say we did it once. We felt like the luckiest and most blessed family that week. Dreams can and do come true.

Disney Parks Attraction Cast Member Interview - Ashley

2011-02-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

On a trip to Walt Disney World in October of 2009, I participated in Disney's Hollywood Studios' attraction "The American Idol Experience." When I was checking in for my show I met an AIE cast member, Ashley. We had a memorable little conversation about fashion and then that was the last time I thought I'd see her. Months later I got a message on Facebook from Ashley! She happened upon a photo of me doing American Idol Experience and remembered my performance and decided to say 'hi.' Ever since then we've kept in touch and Ashley is actually going to be my touring companion in a week when I'm down at WDW.
I decided to interview Ashley on what it's like being an attractions cast member at WDW. Big thanks to Ashley for participating!

Stacey: Where are you from and what drew you to being employed by Disney?

Ashley: I'm from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I moved to Orlando to work for Disney after a trip I had with my friends and I absolutely fell in love with WDW. I've been plenty of times before but not for at least 10 years because after we got older we never wanted to go to Disney because it was for "little kids." We wanted Universal and Busch Gardens for the thrill rides and roller coasters. But that first time walking down Main Street, being 17 years old, I have never felt so much like a little kid before in my life. I had one of the best times of my life and didn't want to give it up. So I came up to Orlando and worked for the company. On June 5 will be 3 years that I've been with the Disney Company.

Stacey: It's so interesting that you learned to appreciate WDW until you were basically an adult. I love how you knew you just HAD to work for the company and be a part of the magic. What attractions have you worked at in your three years with Disney?

Ashley: I've worked at Jungle Cruise, Soarin', American Idol Experience, and Space Mountain. My favorite so far has been American Idol. Even though you don't operate a ride, you have so much free time to interact with guests, wander around and make Magical Moments, and just the fact the we were in Hollywood Studios...my favorite park. Then come 3 o'clock we didn't have a show so we had a blast watching Block Party Bash when it was still there. I think AIE is great. It really does make the guests feel like stars. Though it does take a lot of your day up and it's not as popular as it should be. It's definitely a great experience. Not to mention I met an AWESOME girl named Stacey!

Stacey: Aww, thanks! Sounds like you've sort of had a taste of all different types of attractions. I agree, American Idol Experience is seriously underrated. Well, that and all of Disney's Hollywood Studios. Tell me, what is the best and worst parts about being an attractions cast member?

Ashley: The absolute best part of working attractions is seeing how the rides operate. The whole backstage scenes of an attraction blows my mind every time I see it. Being a guest who has never worked on a ride, you don't ever think how your carriage is lifted into the air over an IMAX screen to feel like your flying or actually seeing how big the IMAX screen is and being able to stand in the middle of it. Or even how your rocket gets you into space and how many thousands and thousands of guest a day we're able to put through the rides. Being able to see a kid who's so excited for his first roller coaster ride, or surprising people with FASTPASSES for no reason, and just the fact that I can say that I've worked on some of the most popular/well known rides in the world. The people you meet, cast and guests, having friends from all over the world... it's something I'll always cherish and never forget.

Now the worst part of working attractions is FASTPASS. I think it's a great concept but... it causes drama. Guests don't understand that we can't let you come back with your 9:30 p.m. FASTPASS at 1 in the afternoon, or a 4 month old FASTPASS that you forgot to use last time you were here. If we let everyone in with old, later time, or lost FASTPASSES, the FASTPASS queue would be two hours long and standby would be waiting 4 hours. You would be surprised how many guests ask every few minutes about that and how they think their the only ones who are doing it. The other worst part of working attractions is New Years Eve...need I say more? Absolutely crazy.

Stacey: I really had NO idea that many people attempted to use invalid FASTPASSES. Ridiculous! Hopefully with the new FASTPASS features that they're going to implement in the future these troublesome guests will be limited. But, I'm sure the “bad seeds” are far and few between compared to genuinely happy and thankful guests. Do you have a magical guest moment that sticks out in your mind?

Ashley: My favorite guest memory is with this family who I will never forget. I was working Soarin' and I got a party of about 8. As I'm bringing the family into the theater to their seats, the little boy was pointing to the signs that are telling you to remain seated with your hands inside. But, he was pointing to the sign and saying, "Mommy, no dancing! No dancing!" I've never laughed so hard! I started to give the little boy a hard time for it. When their flight landed, I went in the theater and asked if they would like to ride again and of course they said yes. While they were waiting for their flight I did the pre-show safety spiel but added, "We would like to remind you at Soarin' there is no dancing." All I could hear was them laughing! They took pictures with me and I gave them FASTPASSES which they used for Soarin' again. One of the greatest families ever and I hope I run into them again. A few months later a friend showed me a blog where the mother actually posted the story and the picture!

Stacey: I think cast members are the driving force behind the Disney parks' success. Making every guest feel special at some point is what keeps people coming back. As a guest you don't just feel like a body through the gate but rather a human being looking for an amazing vacation experience. Everyone deserves that. You mentioned earlier that your favorite park is the Studios. Why is that?

Ashley: I love the whole 1930s - "The Hollywood That Never Was.” I always get so excited walking down Sunset Blvd. Every time I go I always find something different that I haven't seen before. Like the well next to the Indiana Jones show, or Eddie Valiant's office. Personally I think DHS has the best shows and rides. My favorite ride is Tower of Terror. I love the theming... from the lobby to the basement and the casts costumes. No matter how many times I've been on it, it still scares me. I had the opportunity to go on the roof of Tower of Terror and that is such an amazing view! And very scary! You can actually feel the elevators dropping below your feet!

Stacey: I totally agree with you about all of the details that many people pass in the Studios. Do you happen to have a favorite restaurant to eat at when you're not working hard at Space Mountain?

Ashley: BOMA!! I feel like everyone should agree with me on this one. I'm not one for buffets but... Oh My God. Coconut rice, salmon, hummus, pork, ZEBRA DOMES, and bread pudding. Personally I love that they put french fries on the buffet also because Disney has the best fries. I can't wait to go back!

Stacey: Soon enough, Ashley. Soon enough. Now, Disney World goes through many changes every year. Some big and some small, seemingly insignificant alterations. What are some things that you would change about the parks if you could?

Ashley: If I could change anything I would bring back Block Party Bash and Spectromagic. I want the Year Of A Million Dreams back also. That was an awesome promotion for the company. I would also take out Stitch's Great Escape. Turkey legs would be prohibited. And Fantasmic would go back to being every night.

Stacey: Fantasmic DOES need more show times! It's hands down my favorite nighttime show in all of WDW. Lastly, and this is an important question... Have you ever seen any celebrities in the parks?

Ashley: Yes, so many! Michael Phelps, David Tutera, Mandy Moore, Jodi Benson, Rhianna, Ryan Seacrest, Megan Fox, and tons of athletes. I can't even name them all.

Thank you so much, Ashley for chatting with me about your employment with the Disney company. Have fun in the parks and keep spreadin' the magic!

Our Dream Disney Vacation - Day Seven - Part One

2011-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Our last full park day was upon us and we wanted to start the day off right at the Magic Kingdom. We made it to the park via monorail plenty enough in time for park opening. We were right up with the rope waiting to get in with all of the other impatient people. Prime time to take a picture of my husband. :)

Since we had already done the big headlining attractions, we decided to walk straight though the castle and head to Fantasyland. Only... there was a problem. They weren't letting people walk through the castle for some reason so we had to walk around through Tomorrowland. There seemed to be something "official" looking going on in front of the castle. Of course I was a creeper and took pictures.

Once we were in the beautiful Fantasyland we were smart and hit Dumbo right away since we knew that line was going to build quickly. Even though we were there almost right away, we still waited about 10 minutes in line.

After Dumbo we happened to spot an AMAZING meet and greet going on with Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters. Girls were lookin' fly! I told them that they better keep their hands off Matt because he was taken. :) This was one of my favorite character experiences EVER!

It was time to get our Fantasyland on. We hit up Mickey's Philharmagic for the second time on this trip, Peter Pan's Flight, and Snow White's Scary Adventures. We browsed the little kitchen store going into Liberty Square before we headed to Haunted Mansion. We hadn't gotten to do this yet because every other time we were in MK it was so busy! We didn't want to wait 45 minutes for it. This time it was only a 10 minute wait so we easily accepted that invitation to go hang with some friendly ghosts.

We knew that we wanted to do Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain again before the end of the trip. The line was a little too long for BTMR for our taste so we grabbed FastPasses and then went to Adventureland. We enjoyed yet another crowded ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. As we were getting out of our boats at the end of the ride we saw the tallest man I'm sure any of us have ever seen in real life. The cast member working the attraction was like 7 feet I'm sure. Just as I was staring awkwardly he spoke to me and asked if Captain Jack was working in the last scene. He wasn't working so I told the giant 'no.'

Outside of Pirates the Pirate Tutorial show with Captain Jack was starting so we watched it for about five minutes. Some kid got really into it and freaked us out a little. Though, I have to be honest that I don't think he had all of his marbles if you know what I mean.

It still wasn't time for our FastPasses so we walked over by the Crystal Palace so Matt could use the potty. Everyone felt like a snack was in order so we went to Main Street Bakery where we were met by a huge line of people. No surprise there. This place rules Main Street U.S.A.

Our decision of what to order was not easy. It never is. Eventually we all found something that tripped our trigger. There was absolutely no seating anywhere inside of the bakery so we snagged a table outside by The Plaza's entrance.

We were fortunate enough to catch a little bit of the parade passing by. I could only get a few pictures of The Incredibles as they passed. After our sweet treats were devoured we walked by to Adventureland and enjoyed the Enchanted Tiki Room, Swiss Family Treehouse, and per Matt's request... Jungle Cruise. He learned what a snoozefest Jungle Cruise is and promised that we'd never have to do it again unless we were totally bored and out of other things to do.

While strolling back through Frontierland we saw Donald Duck and just had to get a photo with him. We roamed around in some of the shops in Frontierland and I actually could not remember the last time I even set foot in some of those stores. I'm not a big souvenir person but it is always fun to see what kinds of goodies Disney sells. A first for me on this trip was visiting Country Bear Jamboree. I see now why I was never drawn to it. It was kind of a boring. Though the little baby bears pulled at my heart strings.

Dear Genevieve

2011-02-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

I found out this week that HGTV star Genevieve Gorder is going to be at Walt Disney World as part of the International Flower and Garden Festival. She will be offering tips on "sculpting space." I'm a huge fan of Genevieve and her show "Dear Genevieve." She used to be on Trading Spaces back in the day when that show was still on. Hopefully I can figure out where she will be speaking and go see her!

In other news, my upcoming trip to WDW is only 3 weeks away. Yay! I have to practice packing since I'm only taking a carry on. I have to fit everything in it! In order to travel without any problems I'm going to make a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond to get lots of travel size toiletries. I recently discovered their abundance of them last time I visited the store.

Day seven of my trip report will be done very soon! I was out of town this week and didn't get to work on it. Will update soon!

Countdown: 26 Days

2011-02-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

I'm sort of in a state of disbelief right now. Only 26 more sleeps (and 21 work days) until I board a plane in South Bend, IN headed for Orlando, FL! This trip is coming up so quickly and I love it! The excitment keeps building. Constantly I think about what I want to do first, what new things I want to try, what I want to photograph, and even what counter service I want to hit up.

I've come up with some ideas for future blog entries that I'll prep for by doing research while I'm down in WDW. Ashley will be my recruited photographer. I find that when I get home I barely have any pictures with me at WDW. I tend to just take pictures of other people or things. To make my blog more interactive and fun I think I need to be using shots of myself in different places and scenarios to get a personal vibe.

In case you're not aware, I recently bought a Canon T2i and am learning to use it to the best of my ability. I have the kit lens plus a telephoto lens that I got a good package deal on. Everyday I'm trying to challenge myself and learn more about my camera and I vow to never keep the settings on "Program." I thought about renting some filters or lenses to take down with me but I'm afraid that I'll just be overwhelmed.

I just keep thinking... get through February. Get through February.

Our Dream Disney Vacation - Day Six

2011-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Another day at Animal Kingdom?! Shocking, right? While Animal Kingdom is my least favorite of the four main parks, I have been trying to find more ways to enjoy it. I find that traveling around more slowly and taking in the small details helps me appreciate the park.

We started our day off experiencing the different walking trails. This is where I really enjoy Animal Kingdom. The staging is amazing and so well thought out. They really know how to make it feel un-zoo like. At every turn there is a cast member willing to tell you about the creatures you're viewing. Since I've done these trails so many times I feel like I always take the same type of pictures but this time I really aimed to get different shots and edit them differently once I got home.

One of my favorite parts is the bird trail. Although, I do tend to watch to make sure our winged friends don't lay a white creamy dollop on me. That happened to me once at the beach... inside my bathing suit top.

It was our goal to get more pictures with characters. No matter how long the line was we decided to stop and take pictures if we wanted since we hadn't met very many characters up until then. Luckily, we managed to hit the lines at perfect times constantly. Anyone else miss Lilo and Stitch being in AK? I do!

The hot spot to meet characters is definitely at Camp Minnie-Mickey. We decided to go see Festival of the Lion King and then do some character meet and greets. Note that I have no pictures of Festival of the Lion King. There are only so many pictures you can take of jumping monkeys. I got to meet someone I'd never met before... Thumper. Our friend Thumper told Matt that his tattoos were really cool. We decided to hit up the second walking trail in the park and saw lots of fun gorillas being awesome. We had to drag Matt away.

Then it was time for us to get lunch and we had the genius idea of going to Restaurantosaurus again. I told you in a previous entry that we fell in love with this place, right? Everyone got the same thing except for me. I ditched the amazingly delicious vegetable sandwich for the shrimp po' boy. I only had a bite of Matt's before and it was so good that I knew I needed to have one of my own. I'm drooling now just thinking about it.

Our original idea was to go to Typhoon Lagoon straight from AK after lunch but we all decided that we'd kind of like to chill out back at the pool and not bother with a water park. We were torn because Typhoon Lagoon is so much fun but at the same time we didn't feel like bothering with the travel and what not. So, after snapping a quick picture in front of the Tree of Life we went back to the Polynesian and swam for a few hours.

After a very long relaxing time on the beach at the Polynesian, we got dressed back into our park clothes, grabbed a dole whip, and headed off to Disney's Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic. As I recall by the time we got there we didn't have much time for doing any attractions since the line to get into the nighttime show was building quickly down Sunset Boulevard. I'd never seen it like this! I remembered lining up outside of the amphitheater on previous trips but never did the crowds basically swallow the street!

While Matt and my mom held our places in line, Diane and I ran off to get some popcorn. I handed off my popcorn to Matt and ran across the street to get a beer. I felt like alcohol was the only way I was going to be able to tolerate the hour long wait with about a million people.

In line I made friends with a beautiful little Indian girl. She was loving my "peek-a-boo" and silly faces. Eventually she curled up in her dads arms and fell asleep. It was adorable!

We got our seats almost dead center in the theater. The show was amazing! It's easily my favorite nighttime show anywhere at Walt Disney World. What a perfect way to end the day...

Snacktastic - The Good Stuff

2011-02-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Between breakfast, between lunch, between dinner, and after dinner lies a wonderful "meal" called snack time. No place does it better than Walt Disney World. Let's take a look at some of my favorite treats found in the world of the mouse.

Zebra Domes

Found at Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Remember on Friends when Monica made candy for her neighbors and one of them called her treats "little drops of heaven?" Yeah, that's like zebra domes.

Dole Whip Floats

I've talked about them before and I will talk about them until the day I die. Find these at Aloha Isle at Magic Kingdom and the pineapple soft serve only is also at Captain Cook's at the Polynesian Resort.

Soft serve ice cream + pineapple juice = HEAVEN

Kitchen Sink

You throw in a million flavors of ice cream and about every topping known to man and you get this masterpiece. Go to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club and make sure to take lots of friends to help.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake

All of the best desserts in the world smashed into a cupcake. Sound good? You'll find this at Starring Rolls in Disney's Hollywood Studios

Karamell-Kuche

Yeah, the whole store. I'm not kidding. Don't eat all day long and then head here. You won't regret it.

Harambe Fruit Market

Believe it or not I do enjoy fruit. Especially on a really hot day in Animal Kingdom.

Napoleon

Found at the "bakery" in France, these suckers are TO DIE FOR! If I don't stop looking at them I'm going to eat my computer screen.

Lefse

Potato pastry things. I don't know any other way to describe them. It's a Norwegian thing.

Tie Dyed Cheesecake

Pop Century Resort makes these suckers. It tastes like normal cheesecake but it looks so much cooler.

Divvies

For all my vegan friends...