Monthly Archives: January 2015

Disney Cruise Line – 10 Amazing Things I’ve Seen

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DSCN3322I talk about Walt Disney World a lot.  We love it there.  I can honestly say, for our family, no other type of vacation compares with the incredible fun, thrills, food, and entertainment we can experience at Disney World.  Except for one – a Disney Cruise.

Think about the ship as being your resort – all the amenities you love about Walt Disney World are there.  Plus, your favorite Disney characters are all aboard and you get to experience some absolutely top notch shows.  Today I started thinking about the cruise we’ll be taking this summer aboard the Disney Magic to see the fjords of Norway and that got me thinking about the incredibly fun cruises we’ve already taken over the past nine years.  While there’s really no way I could name the TOP ten things I’ve seen along the way, I did come up with…

Disney Cruise Line – 10 Amazing Things I’ve Seen

DSCN17691. Seals, icebergs, mountains, waterfalls, Goofy, and a glacier!  No, that doesn’t count as six things (I know what you’re thinking) when you see them all at the same time.  On our Alaskan Disney cruise (2011), we were fortunate enough to experience the incredible beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord on a gorgeous sunny day.  We sailed slowly through the fjord, making our way to Sawyer Glacier with an Irish Coffee in one hand and a camera in the other.  At lunch, the on-deck barbeque meant we could eat while not missing a single second of the action!  DSCN1843We looked down and watched seals floating by on little icebergs.  We looked up and saw beautiful waterfalls rushing down the sides of the snow-covered peaks on either side of the ship.  Goofy came by for a visit while we were enjoying the view.  Finally, we felt the air grow colder as the ship approached Sawyer Glacier.  Oh, and maybe we saw some nesting bald eagles in the middle of all that other stuff.  It was good.  Really, really good.

2. Pompeii.  When we sailed on the Magic in the Mediterranean, we felt like it gave us the opportunity to see a little bit of a lot of places; like small tastes of what would have been delicious meals if we’d only had more time.  This was never more true than at Pompeii.  Pompeii DSCN3563We had just a few hours of a single afternoon to explore these ruins and we barely saw a fraction of all there was to take in.  DSCN3138Same thing with the Leaning Tower of Pisa!  Beware taking a Mediterranean cruise – it leaves you wanting to see and do that much more.  Going back to Spain, France, and Italy is high on our list of things to do in the future.

3. A ship wreck.  Luckily not our own…and it was really more of a boat wreck, technically.  In Grand Cayman on Disney’s Western Caribbean cruise, way back in 2008, we took an excursion that was as fun as could be.  Grand Cayman ExcursionWe boarded a couple of Zodiac boats and followed our leader through the docked cruise ships and off to explore a couple of different snorkeling sites.  One of them included a sunken ship (okay, boat) on the ocean’s floor we could see as we swam.  It was a beautiful day, Grand Cayman is gorgeous, and we fondly remember our visit there as one of the best days we’ve ever had on a Disney Cruise.

4. The southernmost point of the United States (we could see Cuba!).  IMG_0256Key West is everything you’ve ever heard about it – the architecture, lush foliage, chickens running around, great shops and bars – it’s all there!  We were able to leave our ship and easily take in all the sights while making our way to the southernmost point of the U.S. and back.  While more about the journey than the destination, all in all, it stands out in our memories as a perfect day!

5. The Swiss Guard – Ah, Italy – not one moment of time we spent there was less than amazing.  IMG_6225There was something about seeing the Vatican’s Swiss Guard that gave our day in Rome a special something.  DSCN3356 IMG_6099 DSCN3494 DSCN3509The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Basilica – all amazing in their own right.  The Swiss Guard was just, I guess, the embodiment of all that we saw that day – exotic, colorful, traditional, and impressive.

6. The Tongass National Forest.  In the Alaskan rainforest, the air is indescribably clean and fresh.  The Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest national forest, surrounds Alaska’s inside passage.  DSCN1926 DSCN1912We experienced the forest high above its rushing waterfalls and sphagnum moss-covered floor on a series of zip-lines and suspended bridges.  Hands down, one of the most fun things we’ve ever done!

7. A medieval village high above the sea.  We had our doubts as we caught a bus in Villefranche on the coast of France and made our way straight up via a precarious series of switchbacks, but once we reached the top?  DSCN3042 DSCN3036Breathtaking!  Eze is a wonderful place to shop, eat, and spend a leisurely half-day exploring a tiny little gem in the Maritime Alps.

8. The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona.  We booked our own tour around Barcelona the day before our cruise departed.  Our party of six all agree and will happily tell you that the only way to see Barcelona is on a Segway.  Barcelona, Spain DSCN2852Those alleyways in the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) are incredibly narrow, but easy to navigate on a Segway.  I wish I had taken more pictures!!!

9. A sea turtle.  Sure, you can get a look at a sea turtle in lots of places, but glancing around while snorkeling in the clear waters of the Bahamas and realizing that a sea turtle is swimming next to you is so cool!  Castaway Cay SnorkelingRight off the shore of Disney’s own private island, Castaway Cay, is an amazing array of aquatic plants and animals just waiting for Disney cruise guests to explore – so we did!  You have to book an excursion to do this (almost nothing live is visible in the designated snorkeling lagoon), but it is worth the price!

10.  The view from Palo.  We were fortunate enough to score a brunch reservation at the adults-only Palo on our ship for Megan’s birthday in August, 2013.  IMG_1758 IMG_1754We sat down to eat just as the Magic was passing between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia.  Palo is located at the very top of the ship and the views are spectacular!  Oh, and so is the food!!!

Have you taken a Disney cruise?  What are some of the most amazing things you’ve seen?

 

That Time We Got Stuck on It’s a Small World

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RM-Enjoying-Magic-KingdomSometimes I think I’m so cute and clever.  Those are the times I should be most aware of how life can sneak up on you and, well, kick you in the pants.  Not long ago, while Raymond and I were enjoying that blissful week alone at Walt Disney World, I had one of those moments.  In anticipation of our trip, I’d purchased a couple of limited edition Disney tee shirts.  They were the ones commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Carousel of Progress and It’s a Small World – since I was also celebrating being 50 years old in 2014…well, you can see how cute and clever I thought I was being.

On one of the days we’d be spending in the Magic Kingdom, I donned my new It’s a Small World shirt and thought it would be great to ride the ride…you know, wearing the shirt.  How wonderful!  Here’s what happened…

Begin flashback sequence now…..

RM-Main-Street-OctoberWe were having a really terrific day in spite of some bazaar goings-on when we first arrived at the park (an omen, perhaps?).  Main Street was looking gorgeous when we stopped by Starbuck’s for coffee and a bite to eat.RM-Main-Street-StarbucksWe headed over to Adventureland to hit our first attractions of the day.  That’s when we first noticed that Magic Kingdom was experiencing some technical difficulties, as was the My Disney Experience App – many rides were not running and the app actually showed every ride as “closed”.  RM-MDE-GlitchWe’d gone to ride Pirates and it was closed.  PhilharMagic? Closed.  Winnie the Pooh? Nope.  There were a bunch of angry people!  We weren’t among them though.  I have a motto, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!”

We’d had plenty of Magic Kingdom time already the day before and would be coming back again later in the week, so we decided to jump on the monorail and see what was going on along the loop.  We’d hit the shops, see the sights, and make our way back to the Magic Kingdom later for our dinner at Be Our Guest.  Going with the flow was working great for us!

After we checked out everything at the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian, we decided we should go back and see if we could at least ride It’s a Small World before dinner on account of the special shirt I’d worn that day.  RM-Small-World-TeeWhen we got back, things were somewhat better (still no Pirates) so we found we had time to ride Peter Pan, see PhilharMagic, and YAY! ride It’s a Small World.  The line moved quickly and I was feeling pretty cute in my new tee.

That’s probably what did it – my feeling cute and clever.  We were sailing along in the front seat of our little boat while I was happily snapping pictures here and there.  RM-It's-a-small-world3 RM-It's-a-small-world1We got right to the far side of the blue room and the boat stopped.  Not a pause, the boat was dead in the water – along with all the other boats.  RM-Small-World-Carousel We were sitting with the honking geese directly to our right and that balloon that goes up and down with the clown in the basket on our left.  The automatic announcement came on that tells you that everything’s going to be fine in a moment.

I’m not scared of much – at least not the usual stuff.  Lizards, mice, snakes, bugs – those don’t phase me much.  If you hear me holler about a bug, it’s only because I don’t have anything at hand to squash it with and I don’t want it to get away.RM-Big-SnakeGetting stuck on It’s a Small World seems pretty innocuous, doesn’t it?  I don’t know what started freaking me out first.  It might have been the clown in the balloon going up and down and up and down or the geese that would not stop honking.RM-Small-World-Clown-BalloonIt might have been how the people behind us all started singing along with the ride’s well-know song.  I suspect it was the not automated announcements that did me in, but a cast member instead.  I’m sure she was just trying to help.

After the first auto-announcement, this female cast member’s voice came over the loud speaker and basically repeated the information from the first announcement.  At least in the beginning.  In reality, I’m guessing we were stuck on the ride somewhere between 8 and 10 minutes.  It seemed a lot longer because as that cast member made her announcements, she became increasingly frantic in her bid for guests to stay seated.  By the fourth or fifth time she made the announcement, she was sounding actually panicked, “PLEASE!!!  Remain in your boats!!!!”  Of course this made me suspect that we were never going to be rescued.  That, in fact, we would have to swim for our lives.  Perhaps she sounded so desperate because the exodus had already begun in another room?  RM-Small-World-GeeseThose geese were honking a warning…the clown would be climbing out of that balloon basket to commit unspeakable atrocities upon the unsuspecting passengers of the “Happiest cruise that ever sailed” and I’d be first because I was wearing the SHIRT!!!  This is what happens when you feel cute and clever!!!

Yes, you’re right.  Nothing bad happened.  Aside from my momentary clown-paranoia and homicidal thoughts towards both the announcer-girl and the singing people behind me, the boats finally moved on and we were able to enjoy our dinner at Be Our Guest.  Just in case though, I did not ride the Carousel of Progress on the day I wore that particular shirt.

What rides have YOU been stuck on?

 

Disney Dining: Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom

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Welcome to “Saturdays with Nick”!  Today Nick (and Barbie) take us inside one of the most well-themed restaurants in Disney World – Animal Kingdom’s Yak and Yeti!  I’ve never been inside this restaurant…well, until now and thanks to this article, I cannot wait to give it a try in person!

Disney Dining: Yak and Yeti at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By: Nick

Located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia section is perhaps one of the most beautifully themed restaurants in all of Walt Disney World, Yak & Yeti.

As with almost everything in WDW, there is a back story.
Yak & Yeti is a house owned by a wealthy merchant who has fallen on hard times. To supplement his income, he has converted his home into an establishment that well-to-do travelers might seek out in India. It is filled with items collected by the owner and his family on their travels throughout Southeast Asia.

You can spend plenty of time just looking at all the incredible items scattered throughout.

My favorite dining area is on the second floor. We request a table by the window overlooking the courtyard, making it a great place to people watch as you enjoy your meal.

My wife and I ate here during it’s opening week in 2007, and the food quality has not slipped a bit in the ensuing years.

On our most recent trip, my wife and I both ordered the same dish, the Chicken Lo Mein – Lo mein noodles, carrots, cabbage, green onions and bean sprouts. Served with chicken $17.99.

Yes, you can get Chicken Lo Mein at any Chinese restaurant, but this is the best either of us has ever had! Perfectly cooked chicken, noodles and vegetables. I could go for some right now!

On past trips we’ve had the Baby Back Ribs – slow-roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, sweet chili slaw: $25.99.

The ribs are very tender, and the spice tangy, but by no means overwhelming. The fried rice is amazing.

Crispy Mahi Mahi – filet of mahi mahi, Japanese bread crumbs, Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables: $23.99.

The mahi mahi is crispy on the outside, yet light, flaky and juicy inside. The chili sauce is lightly spicy and the vegetables are always fresh.

Duck with Anandapur Glaze – roasted half duckling, orange wasabi glaze, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables: $23.99.

The duck was delicious, and the sauce a perfect compliment.

Yak & Yeti is owned by Landry’s Inc., which also owns the Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Restaurants located at Walt Disney World, and they do not accept the Tables in Wonderland Card, but do give a 10% to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members at lunch and dinner.

Have you eaten at Yak and Yeti?  What did you think about this unique restaurant?

My Disney New Year’s Resolutions 2015

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RM-Happy-New-Year-2015Happy New Year!  Thanks for stopping by. Let me take this opportunity to tell you how much it means to me that you are taking time out of your day to visit.

Last year was the first time I ever made New Year’s resolutions.  Normally, I don’t believe in them.  I think if you want to make a change, you should just do it.  Why wait? Why ruin a perfectly good reason to celebrate with crazy plans for losing weight, getting in shape, or being nicer?  Life changes are best made when it’s time and individually, we all have to be ready and know when the time is right.  So, for my first foray into the world of resolutions, I made them based on my passion – Disney!  And you know what?  It was a brilliant idea for me.  I was able to follow the plan.  I did indeed do each and every thing I set out to do (read those resolutions here).  Except for one recipe and the fact that I expected to like #9 at least a little, they went really well!  On the heels of that success, I decided to use the exact same format for this year’s commitments.  Don’t mess with success – it’s a great motto!

So without further ado, I give you…

My Disney New Year’s Resolutions 2015:

1. See These Movies:RM-Cinderella-Movie-Poster

  • Cinderella (3/13)
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron (5/1)
  • Tomorrowland (5/22)
  • Inside Out (6/19)
  • Ant-Man (7/17)
  • The Jungle Book (10/9)
  • The Good Dinosaur (11/25)
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18)

Mural in Maelstrom / World Showcase / Epcot2. Take a Cruise – Last year’s #2 was “Book a Cruise”, so now it’s time to set sail!  In June, The Fam and I will fly to Copenhagen to board the Disney Magic for a cruise through the fjords of Norway.  Whatcha wanna bet there’s a bunch of Frozen tie-ins on that cruise? ‘S okay, we’ve braced ourselves.  Adventure is out there!  Stand by for more on this as the port excursions become available for booking. Of course, I’ll report back on all the deets!

3. Complete a runDisney Event or Three:  Glass Slipper Challenge, here I come.  In addition, based on my very own husband’s advice, I’m registered for the Disney Princess 5k.  Yes, I’m planning to run a 5k, 10k, and a half marathon over three days – sounds easy compared to the Dopey Challenge, doesn’t it?

4. Make More Disney Friends!  You guys are GREAT!  Many of you who regularly read this blog, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and listen to…see #7, have become like family to me.  I know I’ll get the opportunity to meet some of you in February when I’m touring the World completing resolution #3.  If you are going to be at Walt Disney World during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, holler!

5. Try These Restaurants:

  • Kona Café:  I’ve even stayed at the Polynesian Village Resort before, but have never eaten at the Kona Café.  I hear it’s not to be missed!
  • Yachtsman Steakhouse (Yacht Club Resort):  I’ve never been to the Yacht Club, but I’ve heard raving reviews about the Steakhouse.  I’d like to see how it compares to another popular steak place, Le Cellier (Epcot, Canada Pavilion).
  • Il Mulino (The Swan):  It’s Italian and I love Italian food.  Since the last time I ate at Tutto Italia in Epcot was a huge disappointment, I’m pining for some delicious Italian fare on Walt Disney World property.  I have high hopes.IMG_2320

6. Find and Trade for The Missing Pin:  It’s the Toy Story Midway Mania pin set and I’m missing the beaver pin.  I don’t know how realistic this goal is, but maybe if a few of you fellow pin fanatics are on the lookout, you could help me find my missing pin.

TheDisneyExchangeLogo7. Work on My Podcasting Skills:  As you may or may not be aware, just two short weeks ago, I became a podcast host!  Blogging and podcasting are often mutually exclusive, but I fancy myself a master of multi-tasking and hey, when you have as much to say about Disney as I do, it’s a lot easier to talk than to write.  Not only that, but my co-hosts, Nick and Dave, are just awesome guys who love Disney as much as I do!  Please give The Disney Exchange a listen and let me know what you think.  Too long?  Too short?  Too broad? Too specific?  What topics would you like to hear us discuss?

8. Try These Recipes:

  • Tonga Toast (Kona Café):  World famous breakfast food!  Found the recipe here.
  • Jiko’s Macaroni and Cheese:  We love Jiko!  I usually make risotto when Raymond grills his famously delicious steaks, but a bed of Mac & Cheese would be awesome and if it tastes like Jiko’s?  Perfection!  Here’s the recipe.
  • Irish Brown Bread with Guinness Reduction:  Whoa!  If I can pull this off, I will be a hero.  The Fam loves Raglan Road and the bread and dipping sauce are certainly part of why we love it!  Here’s the recipe.

9. Taste a Citrus Swirl – Last year’s #9 was to try a Dole Whip for the first time.  If you missed seeing how that turned out, watch the video here.  I’m not ruling out the chance that I may enjoy something Dole Whip-ish, so I’m going to give the Citrus Swirl a try.  We shall see.

10. Make More and Better Videos – Last year, this resolution was to take more and better pictures.  I’m pretty happy with the result of those efforts.  Now it’s time to work on my video skills.  Between my GoPro and iPhone, I’m pretty sure I’ll have at least a few new Disney vacation videos to share with you in 2015.

There they are!  Now it’s your turn!  Did any of these resolutions make it onto your list?  What Disney plans are on your 2015 calendar?