Category Archives: Uncategorized

Disney Recipes – Whispering Canyon’s Cornbread

Posted on by

When the weather finally cools off here in Louisiana, one of the first things I always crave is chili.  As a family of spicy food lovers, we take our chili extra hot and like to pair it with bread or cheese and crackers.  This fall, Joseph decided we needed to try cornbread and chose this Disney version served at places like Whispering Canyon, Trails End, and Hoop Dee Doo.

Disney Recipes – Whispering Canyon’s Cornbread

For me, the fun of cooking Disney food at home is that it always brings back happy vacation memories and this time was no different.  We’ve loved our evenings at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and have had some great lunches at Whispering Canyon Café.  One time in particular stands out – the time we ate at Whispering Canyon as Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on us!  Unsurprisingly, the food and service were still as great as ever.

We were a bit concerned when we heard that Disney (fairly recently) decided to tone down the antics (due to noise) at Whispering Canyon.  We thought the rowdy Cast Members always added to the restaurant’s charm.  With or without the shenanigans, the food is still absolutely solid and the beer menu is usually pretty good as well.  This makes Whispering Canyon a perfect place for a mid-day break from Magic Kingdom.  A convenient and scenic boat-ride away, Wilderness Lodge is both majestic and a relaxing place for a meal.

I’m sure this recipe would have been fine in either a cake pan or made into mini-loaves, but we decided on muffins.  This is a cake-like, very sweet cornbread which made it a great contrast to our extra-spicy chili.  It would also be great with breakfast foods like bacon and eggs.

If you prefer your cornbread more savory, you’ll want to approach this version with an open mind.  If you love Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness dining and know this cornbread, prepare for some happy Disney flashbacks!

Do you like cooking Disney recipes at home?  Which ones are your favorites?

Disneyland First Visit First Impressions

Posted on by

It may have been only two-and-a-half days, but our first visit to Disneyland exceeded our expectations – it was wonderful!  Our Good Neighbor hotel was fantastic and allowed us quick and easy access to the parks and Downtown Disney.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we did not see a single cloud the entire time we were there.  So with a great place to sleep and sunny skies, we got busy making the most of our limited time.

Disneyland First Visit First Impressions

Our first stop was Disney California Adventure.  So many things felt super familiar, it was odd to not know exactly how to navigate the park without a map.  Much of DCA felt like Disney’s Hollywood Studios and construction walls certainly made us feel right at home.

We were captivated by Pixar Pier and the areas around it.  There’s so much to take in and the theming was completely immersive – which we loved!  Raymond made the observation that the way the attractions were laid out reminded him of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.  We visited Tivoli in 2015 knowing it was inspirational to Walt Disney before Disneyland was built and we noticed many similarities – mainly the way attractions, restaurants, shops, and kiosks were crowded together in an exciting way with something interesting to see or do from the ground to the sky.

We used both paper FastPasses (on Friday) and MaxPasses on Saturday and Sunday and both were certainly handy.  The paper FastPasses made us feel sentimental since those have been long gone from Walt Disney World.  MaxPass was worth every penny!  We used several (4+) a day and with all the PhotoPass photos included, we were very satisfied with how it worked.  We did miss having Magic Bands though.  We’re so used to the convenience of being able to enter the parks and purchase everything with them – doing without felt like an inconvenience.

Disneyland was a delight!  I could not believe how many attractions we could experience in just a couple of hours.  I’ll write separate posts on the attractions themselves, but I’m going to try to describe here how charmed we were by this park’s overall atmosphere.  We expected it to be as magical, interesting, delightful, and exciting as we find Magic Kingdom.  What we didn’t expect was for it to be more.  More of everything that makes us love Disney parks.  Disneyland feels like Disney World’s more mature, wiser and more beautiful sibling.

Yes, as you may have heard (or noticed yourself), Sleeping Beauty Castle is quite a shock.  Like your eyes are playing tricks on you – Where is it?!  It should be the centerpiece at the end of Main Street, visible just after entering the park.  That it doesn’t appear where and when it should certainly takes some getting used to.  Sleeping Beauty Castle’s relatively tiny stature does not detract from its beauty.  Once you get close enough to take in the details, it seems as perfect as can be.

One-stop security is awesome!  As you approach the central plaza in which the entrances to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney are located, there’s a single security stop for bag-checks and metal detector screening.  After that, park-hopping takes mere moments and, compared to Walt Disney World, seems absolutely effortless.  We loved this aspect…except after 5:00 pm.  Word of caution – if you leave the parks and return in the evening, two things happen.  Security lines are extra long due to decreased screening capacity and the sun is brutal!  We were there in September and the setting sun was blinding which made waiting in that looooong security line seem more horrible.  The necessity of arriving before the after-work crowd was one of our biggest take-aways.

Thanks for reading…I have much more to tell you, so please stop by again soon!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Happiness at BaseLine Tap House

Posted on by

We recently explored Grand Avenue – The new, adorable, perfectly detailed little reminder of the Studios’ former Streets of America.  A tiny oasis in the midst of what the Studios once was and the bustling transformation involved in what the Studios (or whatever the park ends up being called) will become.  Our expectations were low, but what we found was…

Happiness at BaseLine Tap House

First, let me gush about how Disney-esque Grand Avenue is.  It’s worth spending a few minutes checking out the window displays in the “shops” along the avenue (located across from Muppet Courtyard) – this is what Disney Imagineering’s impeccable dedication to creative details is all about.  It’s what keeps us checking back on future visits to discover the tiny, but oh-so-clever details we missed the first time or two.

The real draw on Grand Avenue for thirsty adults like us is the BaseLine Tap House.  Remember when you could choose from a couple of different local craft beers at Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner?  For Raymond and I , grabbing a cold beer there was a tradition on ever visit to the Studios until they changed the menu.  Then we switched to waiting in the loooooong line for to-go cups of decent beer at the Tune In Lounge.  Forget that!  BaseLine Tap House is where we’ll be when beer time rolls around from now on.

A much-needed addition to the Studios, BaseLine Tap House feels like a beloved neighborhood pub.  Excellent beer selection, or wine for those who wish, cool atmosphere, tasty snack options…all surrounded by some of the best music imaginable.  Ample seating indoors and out, it was an instant hit for our family.   Raymond, Joseph and I ordered the only porter on the menu the day we were there and Megan managed to find a very satisfactory non-alcoholic beverage (Wild Strawberry Lemonade) as well.  The three of us shared a giant pretzel which was served with both warm cheese and mustard for dipping.

BaseLine Tap House made a most admirable first impression on us and we can’t wait to visit again on our next day in the Studios.

What do you think?  Is BaseLine Tap House someplace you’d like to try?

Disney Sea-and-Land Vacation 2017 Highlights

Posted on by

We got home late Monday night from a whirlwind 10 nights away from home!  Was it everything we’d hoped for?  Absolutely! It was vacation perfection!  Everything went exactly as planned and we soaked up every bit of Disney magic that came our way.  I have heaps of restaurant, resort, and stateroom reviews to write, but today I wanted to share with you our…

Disney Sea-and-Land Vacation 2017 Highlights

The Disney Dream and Stateroom #6086 – There was something extra special about this room.  It was cozy, in a great mid-ship location and, most importantly, quiet.  We could detect no vibrations or engine/mechanical sounds at all.  The room could sleep up to five and we enjoyed having all that space to ourselves with lots of storage for all of our stuff.  The very subtle creaking of the ship at night was soothing and our veranda allowed us to enjoy the picture perfect tropical sunshine.

Incredible November Weather – Calm seas, no wind, clear skies, water and air temperatures in the low 80’s.  We couldn’t have asked for more.  Castaway Cay especially was absolute paradise.

Nassau Scuba Excursion – After all that work on our PADI Advanced Open Water certifications, we finally got to see absolutely amazing sights!  We swam with sharks, we explored a gorgeous reef, two shipwrecks and, like Nemo, made it to the drop-off.  I’ll give this one an entire post of its own because we were blown away by the experience.

Bonnie, Santosa, Gede, Nanad, and Baruk, and Kirk – Bonnie and Santosa were are main dining room servers and went above and beyond when we were tired and hangry.Gede was our amazing stateroom host and called us by name from the moment we met and each and every time he saw us.  Master of the towel animal, Gede made his first ever shark just for us after our scuba excursion.  Nanad was our lunch server and soon became our friend – he was so interesting and we loved talking to him about his home country of Croatia.

Baruk was the man in charge of changing dining assignments.  He took pity upon us after we had to take a nap in order to go to dinner (late seating) on the first night and found us a table for early/main dining.  We would not have had nearly as good a time if we’d kept late seating.  Finally, Kirk in the Cove Café knew exactly what coffee we wanted after the very first morning and greeted us cheerfully every day with caffeine and a smile.

Snorkeling at Castaway Cay – We did this once before back in 2010 and it was very similar.  This time we opted for the adults-only version of this excursion.  We had plenty of time to leisurely explore a beautiful reef in shallow water before zipping off through the waves for a party on a sand bar.

The New Beauty and the Beast Show – Words cannot describe how fantastic this new stage show is on the Dream.  Wow!  It’s unlike anything else we’ve seen on a Disney Cruise Ship and will be the measurement everyone uses for all other shows.  Outstanding!!!

Dinner at Palo – Igor from Croatia took great care of us as we stuffed ourselves on all those delicious Palo dishes.  We didn’t know the famous Chocolate Soufflé came in an Amaretto version…and it is positively scrumptious!

Coming Home to Bay Lake Tower – We caught the first bus out of Port Canaveral to get a jump on the “Land” portion of the trip.  We arrived at Bay Lake Tower ready to store our luggage until our room was ready, but no need!  Victor at the front desk had a room waiting for us on the 11th floor.  We dropped off our suitcases, fixed up a small park bag and were off!  FYI:  That lobby scent gets a little extra cinnamon boost for the holidays and it is amazing!

Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming in Disney Springs – We’d heard so many great things about this new-ish eatery and we were not disappointed!  Full review coming in the next few days.  (Spoiler: We cannot wait to go back!!!)

Pass-Holder Seating for Eat to the Beat – We heard there was special seating available for pass-holders for the Eat to the Beat concerts, so we headed on over to the Festival Center to see if any seats were left.  There were!  We ended up center-stage about midway down in the reserved section for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and it was GREAT!  All we had to do was show up about 15 minutes before the 6:45 show time wearing the stickers provided.  Wonderful perk!

Unusual Happenings on the Boardwalk – We were going to visit the AbracadaBar before dinner Saturday night at the Swan’s Il Mulino.  Raymond and I, having detoured through World Showcase for a couple of orders of Brazil’s Crispy Bork Belly, arrived to find the entire ESPN-side of the Boardwalk had been evacuated!  It took us a few minutes to find out there was a suspected (or actual, maybe) fire in the ESPN Club.Thankfully, we found the Belle Vue Lounge nearly deserted and grabbed a table there.  After a few minutes, a couple of firemen walked through and it appeared the hullaballoo was over.  The ordeal was handled very professionally and wasn’t chaotic at all.

Dinner With Friends – We were lucky enough to be at Disney World at the same time as our friends Linda and Phillip.  Our night out was tons of fun and we found out that Linda will be back at Disney World again in February when we will also be there!  Disney friends are the BEST!!! (Thanks again for the coffee mug, Linda!  You know me too well!)

Finally Meeting @DadForDisney for Citrus Swirls – I’ve mentioned Tim Brooks here and on social media many times before.  Tim has been my friend via blogging, Facebook and Twitter for about four years and this is the first time we’ve ever met face-to-face.  We’re both big Orange Bird fans, so it was only right for us to meet up at Sunshine Tree Terrace for some Citrus Swirls.  Again, Disney friends!

The Unexpected FastPass – After spending most of Sunday in Magic Kingdom, we found we had some time on our hands before our reservation at Yachtsman Steakhouse.  Out of curiosity, I decided to see what FastPasses might be available at the Studios since we didn’t keep our original plan of being there that morning for rope-drop.  Imagine my surprise when Tower of Terror popped up at precisely the right time for us.  It was like a little last-day pixie dust.

Feeling Young(er) – There’s something about it being just the two of us.  We did miss our kids!  Absolutely!  There were many moments when we lamented their absence because of how much they would have loved certain moments and experiences.  That being said, Raymond and I were footloose and fancy free.  We laughed a lot, we were excited about our adventures.  We were able to take in each day of this vacation at our own pace and as a couple.  Something about being alone on vacation allowed us to remain more in the moment while recapturing that long ago time when we were all there was.  I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Thanks for reading!  Have you taken a Disney vacation without your children?  How did it go?