Category Archives: Disney Travel Planning

New Year, New Disney To-Do List

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So long, 2018, you were a lot of fun, you brought milestones and plenty of adventure, but it’s time for you to go.  Hello, 2019, I have high hopes for you.  If you don’t mind going a bit slower than last year, that’d be much appreciated.  I like to savor time and it likes to speed by faster than I ever imagined possible.

As usual, I’ll take a pass on any New Year’s Resolutions. No thanks, really, I’m a firm believer in making changes when the time is right, not because it’s January 1st.  So, having already turned over any leaves that were not to my liking, I’ll move on to my favorite part of the New Year…

New Disney To-Do List

See these movies: Usually we manage to head to our local theater on nearly every holiday we can. 2018 was different and I’ve got some movie catching up to do and boy, my entertainment budget is about to be blown to pieces. My ranking of importance to me is shown beside each movie. Outraged? Shout it out in a comment.

  • Ralph Breaks the Internet (8)
  • Mary Poppins Returns (6)
  • Captain Marvel (7)
  • Dumbo (1)
  • Avengers: Endgame (2)
  • Aladdin (5)
  • The Lion King (3)
  • Star Wars Episode 9 (4)
The Standard Movie Snacks

Try these attractions and restaurants:

  • Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land
  • Wine Bar George in Disney Springs
  • Anything Star Wars that’s may be open in November
  • Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Add a new runDisney event (or two): I have my eye on the Wine and Dine 10k and half marathon for 2019. I’ve not tried these events before and the November timing makes them perfect for a short getaway to celebrate my birthday. I’ve got the room booked, now I just need some registration pixie dust…wish me luck!

Try new Disney recipes: One of my favorite ways to feel close to Walt Disney World when I can’t be there is by whipping up some of my favorite Disney flavors. I just peruse this list, find one I like, and get busy cooking! I promise to share every attempt with you, if not in person, then here where you can read all about it. (That Whispering Canyon cornbread we made recently was delish!)

  • Photo courtesy of Karen Seal

Meet up with Disney friends old and new! This is always on my to-do list for every Disney vacation and I’m going to try extra hard in 2019 to meet even more of you!

What about you? What’s at the top of your Disney to-do list? If you’ve got plans, I’d love to hear about them!

Disney Planning – Disney Cruise West Coast Land & Sea Adventure

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We love Disney Cruise Line and we love Disney theme parks – There’s nothing better to us that a vacation that combines them both!  What better way to celebrate wedding anniversary #29 than by sailing on the Disney Wonder before heading to Disneyland for the very first time.

Disney Planning – Disney Cruise West Coast Land & Sea Adventure

This vacation was a bit unexpected.  I was in the early stages of thinking about what we might want to do for what has become an annual anniversary getaway.  I’d been imagining Hawaii or maybe someplace else tropical that would not put us too much at risk of yet another hurricane season vacation disaster.  Unbeknownst to me, Raymond was busily shopping the Disney Cruise Line website.Disney Cruise Line / Ship

I remember bringing up the aforementioned potential tropical destination while he was typing away on his computer.  He suddenly got excited about the prices for a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego on the Wonder…so excited, in fact, that before I knew it, he exclaimed, “These prices are awesome!  This sounds fun!  I’m booking it!” (Okay, if you’ve ever met Raymond, you know he’d never speak with all those exclamations…It’s called artistic license.  I can’t help myself.)  And boom!  Part one of our vacation was in the bag.  We’ll sail from Vancouver for a four-night cruise with a stop in Astoria, Oregon before arriving in San Diego.

Now it was my turn to plan.

I didn’t waste any time.  Researching our options for getting to Anaheim from San Diego and places to stay at Disneyland, I decided on a rental car and a Good Neighbor hotel.  Three-day Park Hopper tickets will hopefully allow enough time for a decent first visit.  Our hotel is within walking distance of park entrances.

I took to Twitter for dining suggestions and booked reservations for breakfast at the Plaza Inn, lunch at Blue Bayou, and dinners at Napa Rose, Carthay Circle, and Steakhouse 55.  I realize there are incredible quick service choices and I know we’ll want to give some of those a try too.

So, it seems like we’re all set.  The biggest challenge so far is packing for both cool and warm weather in one vacation.  My suitcase is nearly packed and I’m proud to say I didn’t go overboard.  (Give me a shout if you’d be interested in what I packed an/or wore for this trip.)

Having never been to Disneyland, we would welcome your suggestions for what you consider the most important things for us to see and do!  Rides?  Attractions?  Snacks?  Shows?  What do we need on our must-do list?  I feel like a complete Disney rookie this time!  If you’ve got tips, I want to hear them.  We’re leaving in just a few days, so please leave your thoughts in the comments or over on Twitter or Facebook.  Thanks in advance for your help.  Can’t wait to tell you all about it when we get home!

 

Walt Disney World in May – Getting Ready!

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Our house is currently a whirlwind of activity!  Joseph has worked his last day of the Disney College Program and will be headed home today or tomorrow.  Just in time to relax for a week before we head back to Walt Disney World for our family vacation.  I’m packing, tweaking plans, and lining up house and pet-sitters.  No small feat, that, with the dog, cat, tortoise, and seven chickens (one of which is currently attempting to hatch nine eggs!).  But I digress…

Walt Disney World in May – Getting Ready!

I’m extra-excited about this vacation – all my favorite people in the world will be with me in my favorite vacation destination!  Raymond, Megan, Grant, Joseph and his girlfriend, Lyndsey – we’ll all be together for six whole days!  I’m amazed that after nearly 30 years of Disney vacations, I’ve managed to squeeze in quite a few new experiences while also including a bunch of our favorite restaurants and attractions.  I’m hoping that by going in May, before many schools have let out for the summer and also before Toy Story Land opens, means the crowds won’t be too bad.

What’s New?

I’ve ordered breakfast foods and bottled water from Garden Grocer.  A firm believer in NOT cooking on vacation, this is unprecedented!  Eggs, milk, bread, butter, and jelly.  I’m not going crazy here, but it will be nice to head out to the parks and not have eating breakfast as the first thing on the agenda every morning.  That Garden Grocer will deliver our order right to our resort is super convenient…don’t know why I haven’t done this before.

UP! A Great Bird Adventure – Normally, I would never book a FastPass for any show in any park, but this is new and I was looking for some attractions friendly to Megan’s advanced pregnancy condition.  Joseph’s seen it, but I haven’t gotten any feedback yet.  I’ve also got FastPasses for Festival of the Lion King and Epcot’s Living With the Land…I figure anything that will get Meg off her feet for a while is a good idea!  She’ll be missing out on all her favorite rides, but I still want her to have a fun time.  Germany Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase

We’re going to Biergarten!  Finally!  I’ve made reservations before and cancelled them in favor of other options.  We love Epcot’s Germany pavilion so much, it’s hard to believe we have never eaten at Biergarten.  Buffet, live German music, beer – what’s not to love?

Enzo’s Hideaway – “Inspired by Florida’s secretive “rum-running” past, this watering hole specializes in barrel-aged cocktails and has the largest selection of rums and scotches than any other restaurant at Disney Springs.” – Disney World Website

They had me at “largest selection of rums and scotches”.  The Italian menu also looks like something we would love.  Sometimes, it’s super difficult to try a new place when so many others are proven, tried-and-true favorites…but after an incredibly disappointing visit to a former favorite, Raglan Road, I’m more willing to throw caution to the wind.

Old Favorites…

‘Ohana and Boma are both places we love (for different reasons) and haven’t visited in a couple of years.  Both have enough delicious options and are all-you-care-to-eat, so nobody goes away hungry.

‘Ohana is fun and we’ve never had a bad meal there.  I’ve heard complaints about a decline in both food and service quality, but so far, we have not found that to be the case.  Our last visit was in 2016 (the Hurricane Matthew vacation) and we had a wonderful meal.Exterior Rooftops / Animal Kingdom Lodge

I’ve been especially craving Boma lately…that watermelon rind salad, the soups and stews, the setting at Animal Kingdom Lodge!  The plan is to arrive early, allowing time for a stroll around the savannah overlook and a cocktail at Victoria Falls…family traditions every time we eat at any of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s terrific restaurants.

Other restaurants in our lineup include Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom), Rose & Crown (Epcot), and Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ (Disney Springs).

We’ll have time to spend some time at our resort pool, which is also highly unusual for our family.  The last time we did that was around 2006, I think.  We’ve got one morning where we don’t need to be anywhere until lunchtime and two afternoons with big gaps between our last FastPasses and dinner.  I’m excited to see how we actually end up using this free time.

At the end of the day, my hope is that our last family vacation before the baby arrives is a relaxing, fun, and happy one.  Of course, I’ll tell you all about it when we get home.

 

 

 

Vacation Preparation – WDW & 7 Months Pregnant

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Vacation Preparation – WDW & 7 Months Pregnant

by Megan Edwards

I know it’s important, so I have secured permission for everything I’ve wanted to do from the first doctor’s visit until now.  I’ve run two 10K’s, two half-marathons and now?  I’m going to Walt Disney World!  It’s May and that means hot weather.  I’ll be just 7 weeks from having this baby.  Am I worried?  Nope, not a bit.  I feel fantastic and my doctor seems very happy with how easily and comfortably this gestating thing is going for me.  According to my last doctor’s visit, I’ve gained a total of 18 pounds with firm instructions to gain at least 5 or 6 more.  (Disney food, here I come!)  I’m doing everything I can think of to be ready for all the Disney vacation action since this is our last vacation before we become parents.  Here are the details…

Early Prep –

Keeping Fit – I’ve been walking outdoors and at the gym regularly in order to be ready for those Disney miles.  I’ve also tried to keep my weight gain under control so I won’t have anything unnecessary to carry around.  I’ve never had a problem with the walking involved at Walt Disney World and I am on my feet at work most of the day.  So far, I’ve not experienced any swelling in my feet or ankles…fingers crossed!  I honestly feel great and have lots of energy right now.

60 Days Out –

Flexible Touring Plans – Mom always takes care of our FastPasses and touring plans, but she’s kept me in the loop this time so I know there will be plenty of rest time built-in.  I feel sure I’ll spend at least a couple of afternoons relaxing at our resort so I can make it to the fireworks shows at Magic Kingdom and the Studios.  Been putting off purchasing a swimsuit…guess I’d better get on that.

Park Bag Adjustments – Two things I want to avoid are sunburn and indigestion.  Extra sunscreen and Tums are definitely coming with us to the parks.  Since my Disney Vera Bradley cross-body bag is probably out of the question (I can’t see it fitting on or around this baby bump), I’m going to carry a small, lightweight backpack.  I may see if I can put my stuff in Mom’s park bag if we won’t be out long or there’s no rain in the forecast.  I’ll also carry a water bottle to refill as necessary to stay hydrated.  I’ll need healthy snacks handy too.  Nobody needs to be exposed to me when I get hangry…it’s ugly.

Starting to Pack –

Clothes and Shoes – I’m pretty sure by the time the baby gets here, I’ll want to have a bonfire for my maternity clothes.  Let’s be honest – I want to look cute on vacation!  I also want to be comfortable while not spending too much on clothes I’ll only be wearing for a few months.  I’ve had some luck at a maternity store in our local mall by taking advantage of their buy-one-get-one 1/2 off sales.  I’ve shopped Target and Old Navy both in store and on line for shorts that fit well with plenty of room to spare.

I am worried about my feet (which I can still see, btw).  If I’m ever going to have swollen feet and ankles, I feel like the heat and humidity in Orlando will be the most likely triggers. I’ve heard wearing sneakers (versus sandals) helps minimize swelling, so I’m taking three different pairs. As a backup, if there’s rain in the forecast, I’ll carry some extra footwear like my favorite pair of Chacos in my park bag with my poncho. There’s nothing worse to me than wet shoes and socks, especially if you go into a cold restaurant for dinner.

None of those packing plans may matter.  If I have to, I’ll toss in some shorts and tee shirts and be done with it, because my #1, must-have item is a giant body pillow called a Snoogle.  This pillow is nothing short of a miracle and has allowed me to sleep comfortably since I got it for Christmas.  I sincerely hope Grant has some excess space in his suitcase for my shoes because I am not leaving this pillow at home.Hey there, moms!  If you’ve got any suggestions for me or if I’ve forgotten anything, please leave a comment.