Category Archives: Disney Travel Tips

WDW Magic Kingdom’s Main Street U.S.A.

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Balloon Vendor on Main Street U.S.A. Is there a better feeling in the World than stepping through the entrance to the Magic Kingdom and finding yourself on Main Street U.S.A?  That first moment when you pause to take it all in – The gorgeous colors – on the buildings, in store windows, floating in the hands of balloon vendors. The sounds – guests laughing, a piano playing, people singing, an old fashioned car horn.  The smell!  Delicious.  The view – Cinderella Castle’s majestic splendor in the distance – hands down, this moment is my favorite of every Walt Disney World vacation and never fails to make me a little misty.  While we’re thinking about this, let’s look at a few of my favorite things on Main Street U.S.A….The Emporium on Main Street U.S.A.

The buildings whisk you away to a perfect American small town, back in a simpler time – before our lives were filled with complex technological distractions.  Every detail of each storefront and window, each railing and shingle are perfect and, if you’re paying close attention, hold very important discoveries for guests to find.

The Main Street Vehicles are a wonderful treat – allowing children of all ages to experience early 20th Century transportation.  Catch a ride on a fire engine, a jitney, a horse-Vehicle on Main Street U.S.A.drawn car, or an omnibus and take a one-way ride to Cinderella Castle.

The entertainment along Main Street U.S.A. provides the perfect accompaniment for a stroll back in time.  The Dapper Dans croon their old-timey barbershop quartet favorites – and often delight onlookers by serenading guests celebrating a special occasion.  The Casey’s Corner Pianist (tucked around the corner at the Castle-end of Main Street on the left) amazes visitors with a huge repertoire of happy tunes!

The Dapper Dans in Magic Kingdom

There are plenty of excellent souvenir shops!  The Emporium on Main Street U.S.A.’s left side stretches nearly the entire length of the street – pins, shirts, snacks, batteries, toys – the Emporium’s a gigantic general store – Disney-style!  If you’re looking for a customized Earhat, there’s no better place to shop than The Chapeau – a Main Street classic!

Shops on Main Street USA

Main Street U.S.A. is a great place to visit when you’re hungry – any time of the day!  Catch some breakfast at the Main Street Bakery, lunch at the Crystal Palace with all your favorite friends from the Hundred Acre Wood (Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet usually), and dinner at Casey’s Corner for some super fancy hot dogs.  Need a sweet treat?  The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is a delicious way to beat the Florida heat any time of the day!

Main Street BakeryBaseball Player at Casey's CornerThe Plaza Ice Cream Parlor / Magic Kingdom

Let’s not forget the parades!  Main Street’s a great place to secure a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade in the afternoon and the Main Street Electrical Parade at night.  Stand on Main Street for Wishes – oooh and ahhhhh with the people around you during the fireworks.

As the place where every visitor begins and ends each visit to the Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A. couldn’t be more perfect.

What’s your favorite part of Main Street?

Main Street at Night

 

 

 

Walt Disney World – No Whining!

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No Whining AllowedI don’t know if you belong to any of the Disney-related Facebook groups or Disney fan forums or not – I’ve joined a few and I’ve got to say, I’ve un-joined a couple pretty darn quick after reading some of the posts and comments…those folks can be vicious!  The level of negativity among some Disney “fans” is shocking to me.  They’re not all bad – some groups are made up of happy, Disney-loving, supportive, lovely people who interact politely, positively and with kindness (love you guys!).  Those other groups though…yikes!  Some of the things people complain about are, to me, ridiculous.  It gave me the idea for today’s post.  I want to talk about some particular Disney topics I would ban people from whining about if I could.  In fact, I’d make some guidelines for us all to live by – I’m, well…a bit bossy – and I like to tell people what to do!  So I’m here today with…

Lisa’s NO WHINING rules for Walt Disney World guests:

American Cockroach / Pest Control Management.org

Photo credit: Pest Control Management.org

1.  There was a bug in my room!  A. BUG.  I saw this one on a Facebook post.  Insect infestation?  Yes, absolutely you need to ask to change rooms. A single insect?  Deal with it.  Swat it with your shoe or be kind and escort it out the door, but no whining allowed!  Walt Disney World is located in Florida – the number and types of insects there are incredible!  Particularly the really big American cockroach affectionately called a Palmetto bug in the South – they’re common, huge, and disgusting – even with an excellent exterminator service, the odd Palmetto bug will make its way indoors.  The first time I saw one I thought it was a mouse – they’re that big.  No whining – you’re lucky it wasn’t a lizard – In the South, they like to come inside, too.

2.  The food in this restaurant was horrible!  Walt Disney World restaurants feed millions (and millions!) of people and generally do a great job catering to different tastes, diets, food allergies, Plate from Tutto Italiadietary restrictions, and so on.  There are restaurants in the parks I think are pretty bad – at the top of that list is Pizza Planet in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I don’t eat there.  Do research!  The amount of Disney food information on the internet is staggering.  If you’re picky, don’t just show up at Walt Disney World and wing it – you’ll be disappointed.  Some people find wildly popular places like Le Cellier, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and ‘Ohana expensive and over-hyped (I love those places anyway).  Knowing that ahead of time will make you less likely to whine about it should you choose to dine there.

3. It rained every day!  Guess what?  It does that in Florida in the summertime.  Wear rain/water friendly footwear, bring a rain poncho, expect bad hair.  There’s still plenty of indoor fun to be had.  Visit your “must-do” outdoor rides and Walt Disney World Rainy Dayattractions first thing in the morning – generally, most of the rainstorm action happens in the afternoon.  If you go to Walt Disney World during hurricane season, you may be taking a bit of a risk.  If your vacation was completely ruined by a hurricane – you have my permission to whine loudly and at length.  Hurricanes are really awful.

4. A single Cast Member was less than magical.  Disney Cast Members are human.  They may work long hours, in the hot sun, dealing with all kinds of people (and may not, due to unknown circumstances in their home-life, be at their best on a given day) – I’ve seen quite a few guests that were difficult (to put it nicely) and made me feel sorry for some of the things Cast Members have to put up with.  Overall, Disney does a fantastic job hiring and training thousands of employees at each park.  One cranky employee should not “ruin your vacation” – move on, no whining!  You should never be treated in an openly rude way, not receive what was ordered in a Walt Disney World in the Summer Crowdsrestaurant, or be swindled (short-changed, overcharged, had items missing from your resort room) without asking immediately to speak to a manager.  Disney can’t address problems they don’t know about.

5. My feet hurt, I got sunburned, the pool was crowded, it was too hot, the bus service was slow, we had to wait in line too long, my favorite ride broke down (or was closed).  Yes, yes…know what?  That happens to everyone!  You are not alone.  Stop whining.  Remember – you’re on vacation to relax and have a great time.  Focus on the big picture!  Just because you entered the gates to Walt Disney World, there’s no special magic to keep your time there 100% free from a few dings and scratches.  If, in the end, you find that you’re just not a Disney person (that type of vacation is not for everyone), don’t go back, don’t torture yourself ever again – vacation somewhere else.  That’ll leave the place a little less crowded for those of us who really do find Walt Disney World the happiest place on Earth. Kids Walking at WDW with Oswald Hats

Need to lodge a legitimate complaint?  Check out my friend Jane’s (a.k.a. British Diva) Disney complaint tutorial here.

Please leave a whine-free comment!

Epcot Food & Wine 2014 – Pick TEN?

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World Showcase Lagoon ViewI can’t even begin to imagine the calories, the cash, and the intestinal fortitude it would take to sample all the special dishes at all the food booths at this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  Think about it – there are more than 60 foods to choose from!  For our week at Walt Disney World in October, we’re committed to trying a decent number of different samples, but we had to have some semblance of a plan (it’s me, I’m the obsessive planner).

Because I will eat anything (Honest! With the exception of tuna casserole and black licorice) – I’m not at all a picky eater.  Raymond?  He’s much more selective about food.  Much better now than he used to be, when we got married 25 years ago I only needed to learn how to cook five World Showcase / Epcotthings and he was completely happy.  We’ve both come a long way since then – my cooking and his palate have both seen vast improvements!  Still, I thought it best for Raymond to peruse the food choices (all 60+ of them) and pick a top ten – a goal, if you will, for us to start with as we make our way around the World Showcase during the festival.

I’m pretty optimistic we’ll get to all ten, so I’ve thrown in a couple of my own to round out the selection to an even dozen.  Note:  We are highly gluten tolerant omnivores.  Here are our picks!

1.  Australia – Garlic Shrimp with roasted tomatoes, lemon myrtle and rapine (a.k.a. broccoli rabe).  For a first choice, I have to applaud Raymond’s bravery – I had to google lemon myrtle!  This World Showcase / Lagoonsounds completely delicious to me.

2. Brazil – Crispy Pork Belly – seriously…say it out loud now, “Crispy Pork Belly” – just saying it tastes delicious.  Can’t find fault with that choice!  (Good job, Honey!)

3. France: Boeuf Bourguignon: Braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes.  Sounds like another winner.  In fact, this recipe was on my 2014 Disney New Year’s Resolution list and I haven’t gotten around to cooking it yet – this will let me find out how it’s supposed to taste!

4. Greece – Griddled Greek Cheese with pistachios and honey.  This sounds amazingly delicious to me.  We are cheese people!  And, living in the South, we love our vittles griddled.

5. Hops & Barley – Baked Lobster Alfredo.  Let us pause for a moment and consider the potential for happiness this dish could provide.  Boy, oh, boy!  It better deliver!!!  The calorie count…no, don’t think about it.Italy Pavilion / Epcot's World Showcase

6. Italy – Ravioli alla Caprese:  Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.  All things we love to eat, but this is one dish I’m iffy on.  It’s simple – so it’s got to be authentic and really fresh.  We’ll see, won’t we?

7. Morocco – Spicy Shrimp Roll with cilantro and mint sauce.  Well this certainly sounds tasty!  That’s two shrimp dishes – we can do a whole compare-and-contrast thing.

8. New Zealand – Venison Sausage with pickled mushrooms, baby arugula and black currant reduction.  Honestly, we all know that a mushroom, pickled or otherwise, will never pass beneath Raymond’s mustache.  I’ll be polishing those off.  Venison is very popular here in the Italy Pavilion RestaurantsSportsman’s Paradise, so it’ll be interesting to see how it’s prepared by non-Louisianan chefs.

9.  Puerto Rico – Friturias: Sorullitos (sweet polenta fries) and bolitas de queso (cheese fritter with mayo ketchup).  Polenta’s a LOT like grits (which we eat every week at our house) and we’ve already confessed our love of cheese.  This ought to be amazing!

10. Scotland – Seared Sea Scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon.  If Raymond hadn’t picked this one, I would have waited in line all by my lonesome for this dish.  This is one I’m not going to want to share.

The next two are all mine, baby!

11. Hawaii -Kālua pork slider with sweet and sour Dole® Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise.  Boom!  How can you go wrong with that?

12. Italy – Filetto di pollo, con funghi al marsala: Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread.  Ah, Italy – the source of all my most beloved foods!

What do you think?  Enough?  Too much?  Have you tried any of these and hated them?  Save us from ourselves – if you have intel, speak up and leave a comment!

Yikes – we haven’t even thought about beverages!  There’s a certain beer flight at the Farm Fresh booth I’ve gotta try!

The Disney Food Blog’s excellent Festival coverage is here.

 

Walt Disney World Versus Disney Cruise Line

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Disney Cruise LineI’m a Disney fan – I’ll bet you already had a pretty good idea about that.  What I mean is, I believe in the Disney brand and with few exceptions, am pleased with Disney products I purchase.  This includes Disney vacations.  We love vacationing at Walt Disney World – it’s the perfect place for us and has been the source of so many unforgettable experiences and happy memories.  Why mess with this excellent vacation formula?  What made us take that first Disney Cruise?  Well, first and foremost, a Disney cruise is still a Disney vacation.  When we cruised for the first time, our children had reached the (*cough* difficult *cough*) age where they wanted to explore more of the world, see new and different things.  Devastated, we tried to be accommodating (within reason) and combined a trip to Walt Disney World with a Disney Cruise – best of both worlds and still Disney!!!

Turns out this was a perfect plan!  Raymond was anti-cruise and admitted later (after he had aCastaway Cay's Mt. Rustmore wonderful time) that he’d been practically dreading the cruise portion of our vacation.  What we thought would be one cruise turned into many – we’ve seen amazing, fantastic parts of the world – and still got to vacation in the Disney Bubble!  My mission today is to give you a kind of comparison between Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line – in case you’ve been curious about how they stack up.  To keep from gushing on all day about a couple of my favorite topics, I’ll limit todays discussion to 10 key areas.

Walt Disney World Versus Disney Cruise Line

Beach Service on Castaway Cay1. Service – Ah, those famous and fabulous Cast Members!  I’d say it’s a tie with the edge going to Disney Cruise Line.  With rotational dining on the cruise, you get to experience different restaurants.  The best part of switching dining experiences is that your assigned servers go with you – they’re the same servers you have every evening of your trip.  Should you choose to dine in one of the signature, adults-only restaurants, you’ll have different servers, but they are absolutely top notch – hands down the best service we’ve had anywhere.  The stateroom hosts/hostesses are fantastic (better than Mousekeeping at the resorts, for sure).

Disney Cruise Line / Ship2. Price – I’m not a travel agent and I’ve not price-compared all the different resort types (value, moderate, & deluxe) with each cabin type and the prices during all seasons for Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line, but I’m confident – a Disney cruise can be comparably priced to a Walt Disney World stay.  The cruise may actually be even more economical (depending on length and itinerary) when you consider food.  All you care to eat, 24 hours a day (room service included) is hard to beat!  Food at Walt Disney World (unless you take advantage of a free-dining promotion) is expensive!  Park tickets are another big expense – We have found that while we can spend as much on shore excursions, we usually don’t have to.

3. Rides and Attractions – Walt Disney World is the clear winner in this category, however, don’tGrand Cayman Snorkeling Adventure think for a minute that there aren’t a wide variety of amazing experiences available on a Disney cruise.  You may not be going to Disney parks, but there are plenty of excursions that are very adventurous (either through Disney Cruise Line or on your own).  Zip-lining in Alaska?  We loved it!  Touring Barcelona on a Segway?  VERY fun!  Biking, hiking, snorkeling, a stingray adventure?  All available on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay (visited on most itineraries sailing from Port Canaveral).  There are too many experiences to name here, but rest assured, you will not be bored on a Disney cruise.

4. Entertainment – We know there are awesome live shows and 3D movies to enjoy at eachDisney Cruise Line Entertainment Walt Disney World park.  On a Disney cruise, you can enjoy first run movies onboard the ship along with extremely well-done, Broadway quality entertainment every evening of your cruise.  We LOVE the shows on Disney Cruise Line!  The ships’ entertainment areas designed for children (kids’ clubs) are extraordinary!  So much to see and do – just in a different way than at Walt Disney World.

5. Characters – The character meet-and-greets are plentiful at Walt Disney World and also on a Pluto on Disney Cruise Line in AlaskaDisney cruise!  Because they’re confined to a ship and not spread out among 4 parks, the characters on Disney Cruise Line are, to me, more accessible than at Walt Disney World.  Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto – and a plethora of princesses along with many more characters are fairly easy to meet.  For spontaneous, unexpected character interaction, Disney Cruise Line is the winner.  Nothing makes returning to the ship at the end of an action-packed day more special than being welcomed back by your favorite Disney characters.

6. Food – I can find plenty of delicious foods to enjoy on either type of vacation.  However, there are many more dining choices at Walt Disney World.  Because of this, I feel like Disney Cruise Formal Night on Disney's Magic in the MedLine makes an extra effort to please every type of person and their meal preferences (and special dietary needs). For example, if you don’t like one entrée – order another.  If you don’t like any of the desserts on the menu, order a bowl of ice cream or a Mickey Premium ice cream bar.  If you don’t feel like eating in the dining room, order room service.  We like getting up early and walking on deck for a look around before stopping at one of the counter service eateries and taking our selections back to our cabin to enjoy.  We also love the convenience of making our room service selections at night and having our breakfast delivered right to our cabin first thing in the morning – all included in the cruise fare.

Relaxing on Deck / Disney Cruise Line7. Resort / Cruise Ship Amenities – Unlike different amenities available for different resort types, all guests on Disney Cruise Line enjoy the same perks.  Access to the spa and salon, pools, exercise room, restaurants, pools, hot tubs, pubs, lounges, shops, theaters – equal access for all passengers.  Yes, the spa and salon treatments are extra, but worth the splurge if your cruise itinerary includes an at-sea day.  The ships’ exercise rooms are excellent (with awesome views) – we’ve even attended spin class!

8. Accommodations – Both types of vacations offer a variety of room/cabin choices to suit every family size and budget.  I feel the need to mention that Disney Cruise Line’s cabins are among the largest in the cruise industry.  The cabin spaces is used creatively with convertible couches and beds that drop down from the ceiling.

9. Location – If you choose a cruise out of Port Canaveral, you’re not far from Walt DisneyChip & Dale on Castaway Cay World.  It’s easy to combine a Walt Disney World stay with a cruise.  If you want to see other parts of the world, you may need to fly to departure ports outside of Florida – airfare can add a significant amount to your vacation expenses.  Walt Disney World never moves, so it’s easy to have a good idea about the time and expense it takes to get there.

10. Experience – This is the hardest one of all.  The experiences are certainly different, but with many of the same special Disney elements.  With so much to enjoy on each type of vacation – I can’t pick a favorite.  We alternate visits to Walt Disney World with a Disney cruise as often as we can.  This summer we visited WDW for a week and next summer we’ll be cruising with Disney in Norway.  Every Disney vacation is special, exciting, and tons of fun.  I’d call this one a tie.

Call your favorite travel agent or check out Disney Cruise Line vacations here.

Formal Minnie on Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay Snorkeling