Category Archives: Disney Travel Tips

Disney Cruise Splurge – Chocolate and Liquor Tasting

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It took a few tries, but we finally booked the Chocolate and Liquor Tasting on a Disney cruise.  We’d wanted it to do it for a while but the tasting was either sold out or didn’t fit with our other scheduled plans on previous cruises.  This time the stars aligned perfectly and we really looked forward to this tasting experience.  We were not disappointed!

Disney Cruise Splurge – Chocolate and Liquor Tasting

We’re no strangers to the various beverage seminars offered on Disney Cruise Line.  We’ve learned about beer, wine, whisky, mixology, and even martinis (which we never even drink!).  All have been enjoyable, but the Chocolate and Liquor seminar was my all time favorite and I’d do it again in an instant.

What Made this Tasting Special?

Other seminars focused specifically on the various flavors, histories, qualities and origins of the featured beverages.  What’s special about the Chocolate and Liquor seminar is that it’s also about science and taste buds.  Yup…it’s a lot more than booze and candy…who knew?

The food offered isn’t just chocolate.  We also combined Parmesan cheese with various beverages.  Several different types of chocolate.  And cheese.  It was amazing and entertaining and educational all at the same time.

If you have adventurous taste buds, this is the tasting for you!  It’s all about how the various combinations change the taste of each element.  Our host, Denis, was passionate about his subject matter, but also hilarious and made the experience extra fun.  The liquors offered were champagne, Cabernet, port, and whisky.  The chocolates ranged from white to dark – some were pieces and some were melted.  The Parmesan cheese was the kind served from that gigantic wheel of cheese in Palo (if you’ve not been there, we highly recommend both brunch and dinner).  

If I remember correctly, this tasting was $35 per person (September 2018) and we thought the price reasonable for the samples offered, the lessons learned, and the entertainment factor.  There’s a lot of liquor so we recommend eating before attending this seminar!  We had a big brunch just before our tasting and it worked out well.  If you want to try this, book as early as possible and keep your fingers crossed – It’s popular!

Have you tried any of the tastings offered on a Disney cruise? What was your experience like? Would you try the Chocolate and Liquor seminar?

Who Would Love Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts?

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Here in Louisiana, festivals are an entertainment staple.  Small towns and big cities alike pride themselves on offering unique experiences and some, like my personal favorite, Abbeville’s Giant Omelet Celebration have a rich history and are quite popular.  For me, there are three essential components that all festivals must do well:  Food, Music, Arts & Crafts.  Epcot’s festivals are no exception to the aforementioned rule and as one might expect, those Disney folks go all out in the three main categories.  In it’s third year, Epcot’s newest addition to the festival lineup proves (for 39 days) that Disney festivals are the best.

Who Would Love Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts?

Epcot's International Festival of the Arts

Let’s talk about the food!  It’s fancy.  13 food studios, spread throughout the park, offer hungry guests delicious and artistic selections.  In 2018 we tried a dish from the American Adventure pavilion and it was as tasty as it was good looking.  Foodies will find plenty of culinary specialties to enjoy.  See the full menu here.

Epcot International Festival of the Arts

What about music?  There’s a concert series and it’s extra special.  Featuring Disney on Broadway stars, the Festival of the Arts’ concerts are uniquely different from those offered during Flower & Garden or Food & Wine.  Take a peek at this year’s lineup and tell me you wouldn’t want to give it a listen.

Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Arts and Crafts…well, maybe just arts.  But it’s awesome Disney art by Disney artists and it’s displayed all over the place.  Last year the weather was awful during our short visit to the festival (we were at WDW dropping Joseph off for the Disney College Program).  We felt cheated that we didn’t have more time and less rain.  We loved checking out all the art styles and wanted to buy something, but time got away from us.  I’m not letting that happen again this year.

Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Okay, so the Festival of the Arts checks off all the necessary boxes, but WAIT there’s MORE!  You can speak with the visiting artists and attend seminars and workshops.  Let’s not forget about Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt!  (On my must-do list.)  Also, guests can put themselves into famous art classics for excellent and hilarious photo ops. (This year, I hope to pose for photos not wearing a rain jacket!)

Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Our last experience at the Festival of the Arts left us wanting more, so we’ve blocked out lots of time to enjoy all it has to offer. Stay tuned for more about the festivities when we get back.

Have you been to the Festival of the Arts? What did you enjoy the most? Is it on your Disney radar for something you’d like to do one day?

Disney Cruising – Concierge on the Wonder

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Disney Cruising – Concierge on the Wonder

We splurged for a cabin in the concierge category on our recent Disney cruise. Let’s talk about what amenities we enjoyed (and which ones we skipped) and the bottom line:  Was it worth it and would we do it again?

It was a short (four night) repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego with one stop in Astoria, Oregon. This cruise was perfect for us as it gave us the opportunity to celebrate our 29th anniversary in a special way while avoiding the unfriendly East Coast hurricane season.  It was also the right length to allow us to add a 3-day visit to Disneyland to the end of our trip.

Pre-Cruise

We booked cabin 8044 and, having never splurged on concierge before, didn’t exactly know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the excellent service begins long before the actual cruise!

The concierge team called us and asked us what activities and dining we would like them to book for us. This was just about our favorite perk since we take our cruise activities seriously and do whatever it takes to get what we want including setting our alarm for middle-of-the-night online booking.  We asked for Palo dinner and brunch, the bicycle tour in Astoria, and both a whisky tasting and a chocolate and liquor tasting (we’d been trying to do this one for several cruises).  Everything we asked for was magically taken care of when the booking window opened without any extra effort on our part.

When we did our online check-in for the cruise, instead of getting a boarding time, we were told to arrive at the port whenever we pleased and that’s just what we did. We took our time getting ready and right at the Fairmont Waterfront’s checkout time, we walked across the street, down the ramp, and into the cruise terminal.  After making our way through an uncrowded, but lengthy trek through customs, we found the concierge waiting area.  This was not fancy, just a bunch of folding chairs in a separate, closed off area.  After a short wait, it was time to board the Wonder and concierge guests are the first to get on.

Setting Sail

The onboard concierge team was made up of three Cast Members: Glenn, Selena, and Cristelle.  Glenn was in the lobby to greet us and direct us to Tiana’s Place for lunch.  While in Tiana’s we enjoyed complimentary adult beverages with our meal and Glenn came around with personalized folders for each family.  The materials included a customized itinerary and information about concierge amenities.

The Concierge Lounge

Once lunch was over, we checked out the concierge lounge on Deck 10 where a representative from the spa helped Raymond book a massage for later that afternoon. The lounge offers food (coffee/tea, non-alcoholic specialty drinks, light breakfast items, sandwiches, fruit, sweets, and snacks) throughout most of the day and in the evenings serves cocktails from 5-10 pm.  We did take advantage of breakfast, some of the lunch offerings, and bags of free popcorn.  Surprisingly, we never made it to the lounge in the evenings.  We did attend a special character meet & greet there one afternoon.

Our Cabin

Stateroom 8044 was located midship. It was in great shape and very clean.  There were two TVs – one larger one in the sleeping section of the room and another, smaller, in the seating area.  Our veranda was used quite a bit and we loved the toiletries provided.   As an extra-nice touch, we received a pre-soaped loofa-like sponge for the shower that was great.

When it came time to disembark on the last morning, we took our luggage up to the concierge lounge with us and, after enjoying one last breakfast, were escorted down to deck three and sent on our way with a warm goodbye from Glenn. The concierge staff was professional, friendly and helpful in exactly the Disney way one would expect.

Bottom Line

So, while we opted out of a few opportunities for group activities and amenities, we enjoyed our first experience with Disney Cruise Line’s concierge level. For just the two of us, I’m not sure we’d splurge on it again.  I could see, absolutely, wanting concierge level if travelling with our entire family…IF we could afford it.  Sailing concierge added convenience and time-savings, some nice extras, and expedited boarding and disembarking.  For Raymond and I, it didn’t make this cruise any more fun or magical than the 8 that came before it.

Disneyland Good Neighbor – Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

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After booking our Disney cruise on the Wonder and our pre-cruise stay in Vancouver, I needed our add-on Disneyland post-cruise stay to be a bit…let’s say…economical.  There was no way I could afford one of the on-property Disneyland hotels, so I researched the Good Neighbor choices and quickly settled on the one I liked best – Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance.

Upon arrival, we immediately knew I’d made an excellent choice.  This hotel was most obviously committed to three things – Friendliness, Cleanliness, and Halloween Decorations!

Disneyland Good Neighbor – Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Arriving early in the day, we knew our room would not be ready.  We were warmly greeted by an employee who assured us that he would get us the very best room possible and call us when it was available.  We were handed our Disneyland packet of park tickets, coupons, and freebies before we passed off our luggage to the bellhop for storage and made the very short (9-minute) walk to Disneyland’s park entrances.

It was obvious during the check-in process that this hotel takes Halloween seriously!  The decorations were extensive and incredible!  This added to our visit since Disneyland was likewise adorned and all that seasonal splendor created extra fun.

As we were enjoying Disney California Adventure, we got a call from the Courtyard’s front desk about our room.  It was ready and on the top floor (6th) with a theme park view!!!  I must say, we were warmly welcomed every single time we entered the hotel and sent off with kind words every time we left.

We headed back to our room to change for dinner at Napa Rose and found our room spacious, extremely clean and tidy, and with a balcony that would allow us to enjoy Disneyland’s fireworks each evening.  NOTE:  This place was perfect for us, but for folks with small children, the fireworks were loud!  Certainly loud enough to disrupt bedtime and possibly cause some fear in little ones.

The split bathroom was luxurious.  We had two showers and since Raymond and I like our separate getting-ready-spaces, this was ideal.  The toiletries, hair dryer, comfortable linens, and high ceilings made us feel like we were in a much more upscale hotel.  Our room had two queen beds and a set of bunk beds, so would have easily slept 6 (four adults and two children).

Bottom line:  I was trying to save money when I booked our Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance room and what I ended up with was a delightful experience that exceeded our expectations and was worth every penny.