Category Archives travel

Disney Dining Memories

I love Walt Disney World and have since I was a very young child. During one of our vacations, my relationship with the Walt Disney World Resort changed. We were introduced to the new Food and Fun plan. We had vouchers to do things like parasailing, renting boats, and bike riding. In addition to this, gourmet meals beyond my wildest imagination were included. Walt Disney World suddenly became a dining destination that was not simply for Mickey Ice Cream bars and Dole Whips – it was a lot more.

Mickey Bar Time

One of our family meals during that trip was in Epcot. We had reservations at The Coral Reef. Back during this time it was in The Living Seas Pavilion (before Nemo took over). With the dining plan back in the day, we were able to get an appetizer, meal, drink, and dessert. For a small price extra, you could upgrade and order the full lobster dinner. My younger brother was intrigued with this, but had no clue how to attack his meal when it arrived. I still remember the amazing waiter, he pulled up his sleeves, stood behind my brother and guided him on how to get meat out of the places within his lobster dinner.

 Eating Under the Sea

The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue also has memories that still bring laughter to our family. My mother had gotten us a table up front. My father had his new camera with us. He was so excited to take photos of the show. Well, at one point the entire group was on the stage and paused since they saw my father was ready. Then, one of them quickly noted “Hey it may help to take off the lens cap!” Remember, this show is a musical comedy and now my father was part of the act. For the rest of the show, they kept picking on him and reminding him about the lens cap.

On our honeymoon, TechyDad and I had another package that included a dining plan. We tried foods from lands and places that we will always remember. We fell in love with Spoodles (now where Kouzina is located on the Boardwalk) and Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot. This was almost 11 years ago when you could actually walk up to Le Cellier and get a table without one of the highly desired ADR.

Canadian Food Memories

When we took the kids back for their first trip, we knew that character meals had to be in the mix. The night that we arrived I made reservations for our first sit down meal at Chef Mickey. What I did not expect was both of my children to cry, hide under the table, and be mortified of the characters. The people at Chef Mickey were great and made sure to warn the characters. One of the sweetest memories I have is Chef Mickey standing over a sleeping JSL reminding us to be quiet. When Mickey saw that he was asleep, he came over to get a photo even though it was not our turn.

First Character Meal

Over the years, we have tried a lot of restaurants and each has a special memory associated with it. So many of those have been captured here on my blog and I know many more will come in the future.

Do you have a most memorable Disney food or dining experience? Please share them below or let me know if you have written about them so I can stop by. If you want some great information about specific Disney Dining topics also check out The Disney Food Blog.

It's Me

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!  The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+



Favorite Disney Characters

Growing up in a family that loves Disney, we always had favorite characters. Of course, they would change depending on my age when I was little. I loved Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and then the year Epcot opened, I feel in love with Figment. He was just the cutest thing, especially when paired with Dreamfinder.The World of Figment

Once I was in high school I feel head over heels in love with a positively pessimistic guy who stole my heart. I collected Eeyore items at the Disney Store, Disney World, and he had a special place in my classroom as well. Here is a photo of me with Eeyore at The Crystal Palace breakfast last year.

Eeyore

I thought it would be fun to see who the boys like these days. TechyDad will be writing a post about who he likes this week.

A few months away from his fifth birthday, JSL took no time to reply. He immediately shared his love for Buzz Lightyear and Tigger. How funny that I have a photo of him chatting with Tigger from our last trip while wearing his favorite Buzz Lightyear shirt.

Tigger

I think JSL has a special place in his heart for Tigger since he was the one he connected to on his second birthday at The Crystal Palace. Prior to Tigger letting JSL honk his nose, he was very much afraid of the characters walking around the parks.

NHL was not as quick to list people. He mentioned several characters from Phineas and Ferb. I know he can not wait to meet the title characters at Hollywood Studios. Last time we were there, they had not moved into their new home at Walt Disney World. Then, NHL surprised me and mentioned Piglet. I think this is again from our first trip in 2009 when the boys really liked the easy going nature of the characters at The Crystal Palace.

Piglet

The second character he mentioned was Captain Hook. Of course, once JSL heard this – the pirate was added onto his list as well . . . along with others from Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

Captain Hook

No doubt that another adventure to Walt Disney World will change some of these favorites or add on many more for the boys. So, who are your favorite Disney characters and why?

It's Me

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!  The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+



Family Views on Walt Disney World Attractions

My children have been lucky enough to go to Walt Disney World several times now. Thanks to this, they have developed some opinions about rides.

An 8 year old’s view:

When asked what ride is his favorite, NHL did not even pause to think about it. He quickly screamed one and only one ride that you will see below.

Big Thunder Mountain

Yes, Big Thunder Mountain was the ride that immediately came to his mind. I don’t have the heart to tell him that the ride will likely be closed for continued refurbishments when we head there this spring. Of course, he has other rides that are also favorites. Those mentioned include Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Of course, I think this has something to do with the fact that last time he was on it he scored 999,999 within a few minutes of starting the ride. He also loves Soarin’, Test Track, and many others!

One ride that NHL is not a big fan of is:

Tower of Terror

NHL went on Tower of Terror during his first trip to Walt Disney World in May 2009. I don’t think it was the actual ride that scared him, but more of the special effects since he was just in kindergarten.

A 4 year old’s view:

JSL had a more difficult time coming up with his favorite. He took a bit of time, then mentioned a few favorites.

Space Ranger Spin and Winnie The Pooh

Yes, the little fan of Buzz Lightyear and Tigger mentioned these two rides along with Journey into Imagination with Figment. His favorites may change up after the next trip. Since he is over 40 inches tall, there will be a lot of new rides that he can go on. These include Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Test Track, Soarin’, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, and several other big rides.

Over the years, we have figured out that JSL is not a fan of 3D. Each time he tries to watch something in 3D he will scream to leave. Thanks to this, his least favorite attractions at Disney World would be Muppets 3D and Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

Not a 3D fan

The Mom View:

I could easily pick a ride at each park that I love and for very different reasons. Still there are two that happen to be in the same spot that are so unique that I do think they are close to the top of my list.

My Favorite Rides

Yes, the Aerosmith Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is the best coaster that I have ever experienced. In the dark, amazing light effects, and smooth as butter. Going on with my father for the first time in 2009 was like the old days of riding with my father and brother. Toy Story Midway Mania is a fan favorite for me because it is an interactive game/ride for the entire family. Some amazing memories there with Nana, Papa, the boys, and also at an event.

I also hope to get a chance to ride Primeval Whirl. Almost every time we have gone to Animal Kingdom it was too long a wait, closed for multiple reasons, or nobody would/could ride it with me. That will hopefully change this trip.

As for least favorite, I am NOT a fan of:

Mission Space

While Mission Space is a beautiful building, the ride itself makes me want to turn green – and that’s on the easy setting. I do not think it’s the motion, more of the confined space in the simulator that bothers me. So I now officially skip that one when possible.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite attraction at Walt Disney World? I would love to know in the comments below.

It's Me

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!  The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+



Favorite Walt Disney World Park

As a child growing up in the 1980’s, I remember when Walt Disney World was only the Magic Kingdom. Going to Epcot, Hollywood Studios (originally Disney’s MGM Studios), and Animal Kingdom for the first time provided special times in my life. For the Disney Blog Hop, we were asked to pick our favorite Walt Disney World Park. Selecting just one would be like declaring a favorite child. I do not believe that can be done and truly love certain aspect of each park for what they have to offer.

The Magic Kingdom

No trip to Walt Disney World can truly begin until you walk through the gates and catch your first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle down Main Street USA. The first time you being your children (or spouse), be sure to capture this special moment because the mouths hanging open are priceless.

Hello Castle

As a child, I remember my first time on Space Mountain with my father and, years later, taking my oldest on it for the first time. We celebrated my youngest son’s second birthday at the Crystal Palace where he fell in love with Tigger. Classics like Dumbo, Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean all are home in this part. As someone who has read The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson, there is a special new spot in my heart for where this series begins.

Epcot

My earliest memories of the first summer that Epcot opened is meeting and falling in love with Figment. There was just something special about this purple dragon on the pavilion that he shared with Dreamfinder. Although it has changed over the years, I still adore going to see my purple friend.

 Hello Figment

While on our honeymoon, TechyDad and I spent a lot of time wandering around World Showcase together. It was romantic, close to the resort we were staying at, and housed many of the restaurants that we dined in. Yes, Epcot is likely my foodie favorite destination just for this reason alone. While we have never been to the Food and Wine Festival, we have fallen in love with the Flower and Garden show that just take your breath away.

Hello Gardens

Disney Hollywood Studios

My heart still belongs to the amazing Beauty and the Beast stage show at the studios. It is magical to watch, a great break in the day, and takes Disney movie magic into a stage show. A funny thing happened the first time I saw it with my parents and brother, then I watched my boys become mesmerized with the characters dancing and singing in front of them.

Hello Beaty and the Beast

Of course, The Muppets have a space here and each time we can visit Kermit, Piggy, and the entire gang before walking over to Toy Story Midway Mania for some family arcade style fun.

Hello Muppets and Toy Story

Animal Kingdom

The first time that TechyDad and I went to Walt Disney World together, it was our honeymoon. I had been many times before, but it was his first trip. The beautiful thing about Animal Kingdom is that we were both going to this park for the first time together. We were able to stand in awe of the Tree of Life together as we started our life as husband and wife.

Hello Tree of Life

Watching the animals, exploring the lands, and seeing the shows makes for a great day. We adore the Lion King and Nemo shows, plus each time on the safari is different.

Hello Nemo and Lion King Shows

On our last trip, I was able to do something special. I participated in the African Trek with some of the other Disney Social Media Moms. It was an experience I will never forget.

Hello African Trek

As you can see, there are just too many magical items at each park to simply pick one definitive favorite. How about you, do you have a favorite Walt Disney World park and why do you feel that way?

It's Me

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!  The link will be within this post the day after it is published.

Share:
Share on Facebok
Share on Pinterest
Share on Google+