Just Back Trip Review – Highs and Lows of our Disney Land and Sea Adventure

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Good Gracious! Raymond and I are still exhausted! But very pleased with the heaps of happy memories we amassed on our Disney Land and Sea vacation. We thought of the 9-day trip in terms of phases. Phase 1: Vancouver, Phase 2: Disney Cruise on the Wonder, Phase 3: Disneyland. Today my goal is to put together my initial thoughts on the trip overall. (There will be detailed posts for every phase later.)

Just Back Trip Review – Highs and Lows of our Disney Land and Sea Adventure

Vancouver was great! The weather? Not so much. That didn’t keep us from enjoying an entertaining, educational, and delicious food tour on Saturday. Sunday was our anniversary, so we spent the day at a leisurely pace. Originally, we’d planned on either biking around Stanley Park or visiting Granville Island’s marketplace. The rain made both of those sound unenjoyable, so we strolled around in the rain, stopping to eat at Cardero’s on the harbor. We’d eaten here once before with Megan and Joseph prior to our Alaskan cruise in 2011, so we enjoyed happy memories along with a light lunch. Dinner that night was a fancy one at Notch8 in the Fairmont Vancouver just a few blocks from our hotel. Fantastic meal!

We crossed the street late Monday morning and stepped aboard the Disney Wonder. Since repositioning cruises tend to sometimes offer (relatively) bargain prices, Raymond had booked concierge stateroom 8044 for our anniversary celebration and the experience did not disappoint. I’ll fill you in on all the concierge details later but getting on the ship first to enjoy a special lunch in Tiana’s Place was fantastic and kicked off the cruise in a special way.

Tuesday, we docked in Astoria, Oregon. We had no idea what to expect from this little town of 10,000. The early weather predictions showed a huge chance of rain, so we were overjoyed when the day turned out to be sunny! We had a 3-hour bicycle tour planned from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. This turned out to be a perfect way to enjoy this port of call. Astoria is charming, the ride along the waterfront was flat, and the folks we met were as friendly as could be. I can’t decide what was my favorite part of the day but seeing sea lions for the first time was amazing.

Wednesday and Thursday were at-sea days. Raymond and I spent a lot of time in the fitness center trying to mitigate the accumulation of cruise food and beverage calories. We took a spin class both days and found Nicholas from South Africa to be an excellent (and challenging!) instructor. As a bonus, we also had some excellent whale-watching opportunities in the fitness center since it’s at the top of the ship and has huge windows.  We dined at Palo (adults-only restaurant) for both dinner and brunch, enjoyed two different beverage-tasting seminars, saw a movie, drank lots of coffee in Cove Café, and had a wonderful time!

Friday, we arrived in San Diego. We managed to get off the ship, Uber to the car rental place, pick up our ride, drive to Anaheim, drop our bags at the hotel, and enter Disney’s California Adventure before lunch!  Thus, Phase 3 began earlier than expected and with the most perfect weather imaginable. Once at Disneyland, we made the most of every minute!

I have so much to share with you!  Were mistakes made?  Yes, two major ones that resulted in (relatively minor) unhappiness.  We found so much to love about every aspect of this vacation and would do it all over again (with a couple of important modifications).  I’ll cover everything in detail, so please stop back by over the next couple of weeks.

Now?  I’m still catching up on sleep!  But I’ll be back soon and hope you will be too!

Disney Dining – Who Would Love Enzo’s Hideaway?

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Looking for someplace new to try at Walt Disney World?  Want to get away from the noisy crowds?  I may know just the place for you.

Disney Dining – Who Would Love Enzo’s Hideaway?Enzo's Hideaway

The menu is basic Italian.  The setting is so off the beaten path, it’s actually underground.  You might want to consider giving Enzo’s a try if any of these seem appealing…

You want a more grownup experience – While I can’t make any guarantees, there were no children in Enzo’s when we were there.  When you’re on vacation at an ultra-kid-friendly place like Walt Disney World, sometimes it’s nice to know a place where mostly only grownups go!  Great date-night option.Enzo's Hideaway

You love a good cocktail before (or after) dinner – Oh, the choices!  Not the run of the mill offerings, the cocktail menu is glorious!  We enjoyed wine with dinner, but for dessert I chose one of the fancy cocktails on the menu and I was simply delighted.

You love a cozy, quiet atmosphere – It’s low-key.  The vibe is intimate, casual, and a bit hushed.  We loved that aspect.  Even though we were a party of six, we wanted to be able to enjoy conversation without loud music playing or other interruptions.Enzo's Hideaway

You love a good night out in Disney Springs –  Sure, there are bunches of new places to try, but Enzo’s has a certain quiet charm perfect for a cocktail, meal, or an after dinner drink.Enzo's Hideaway

You appreciate Disney theming – It’s a speakeasy!  The entrance is unassuming and the interior does not disappoint.  We were expecting a feeling of “secret club” and that’s exactly what Enzo’s feels like.  We’d been to The Edison for cocktails the night before and were familiar with the layout of that restaurant.  Imagine our delight when we asked for directions to Enzo’s restrooms and we were shown an industrial storage area to cut through that ended up…at The Edison’s restroom area!  Genius!

Joe’s Disney College Program – Packing Tips

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Joe’s Disney College Program – Packing Tips

-By Joseph Green

The Bare Necessities

I wouldn’t take anymore than you need to be entertained when you’re not working and have free time by yourself (almost never). The ONLY entertainment I brought for myself was my computer so I could watch Netflix and my guitar because out of all the musical instruments I could take, it seemed most logical. I mean, it’s Disney world. You’re not going to be spending much time in your room alone so there’s no point in being excessive as far as packing is concerned.
You probably think you need to take as many clothes as you can carry… you don’t. Odds are, 6 days of the week you’re going to be wearing a costume, so there are not as many opportunities to wear “regular clothes” as you’d think. Taking more than you need will only be more of a hassle on you when you’re moving. If you’ve never been to Disney World, or if you don’t go regularly, you’re going to buy lots of souvenirs, if you buy lots of souvenirs you’re gonna need room to take them home, if you take too much stuff to the DCP you’re not gonna have room for your souvenirs, and if you don’t have room for your souvenirs you’re probably going to need a glass of milk to go with that regret.

Honestly, before you get out your suitcase, make sure you have these things (they’re truly the most important)!

  • Patience
  • A good sense of humor
  • The ability to be flexible, cooperative and get along well with others
  • Solid time management skills
  • Most important of all, a strong work ethic

When packing, use the less-is-more philosophy.

Clothes:  I took some casual clothes, a couple of business casual outfits and a sport coat for training, some layers like sweatshirts and jackets, work-out clothes (there was a gym and plenty of places to run).  Some people like to dress up a little for housing functions and get-togethers, but I didn’t.  I packed running shoes, dress shoes, and casual shoes for walking around the parks.  Don’t worry about work shoes until you get there.  I received my work shoes with my costume and didn’t have to shop for those.

I also took bedding (twin xl), mattress topper, pillows, and towels, some basic cleaning supplies and laundry detergent, toiletries, and a coffee maker.  That was all I really needed right away.  Do you need apartment decorations and a fancy shower curtain?  Nope.  Do you need extra pots and pans?  No, you don’t, but what you will need is cheap plastic food storage containers.  I cooked things like pasta and other meals that made lots of leftovers I could enjoy for several days, so those containers were the first thing I bought after I moved in.

You can borrow an iron and ironing board, vacuum, broom, mop, games, DVDs and lots of other stuff from housing – don’t bring those things.  Remember – the more you bring, the more you have to haul home at the end of your program.  Tons of stuff gets left behind or thrown away.  Unless you spend all your free time in your housing unit (do not do this!), you won’t need to treat it like a dorm room.

About a car

I know it’s not feasible for everyone to bring their own vehicle, but I was very (VERY!) glad I had mine.  I never used the Disney bus transportation.  I was happy to give coworkers rides to and from work and occasionally, a lift to the airport.  I have a thing about being on time and if there’s any chance I’m going to be late for anything, it stresses me out.  Don’t get me wrong, using the bus system works for many people, but I was happy to know, barring anything unforeseen, I’d be on time for work every day.  Plus, when my hours got long during Spring Break (12-15 hours per day), I didn’t have to add bus-waiting time to the length of those days.

That’s it!  Pack light and be ready to work hard and have lots of fun.  Check back for my next post about making the most of your Disney College Program experience and thanks for reading…Joe.

Disney Cruise Fun – Postcard Recipe Exchange

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You may have heard of Fish Extenders and those unofficial, Secret-Santa-like gift exchanges happening on Disney Cruises everywhere.  Our family has enjoyed joining Fish Extender groups in the past and plan to participate again some day.  On our upcoming trip, I decided to join an exchange group that requires a lot less preparation and barely takes up any room in my suitcase.

Disney Cruise Fun – Postcard Recipe Exchange

You can search Facebook and find at least one cruise group to join for your sailing.  I found a great group this time with an excellent moderator who goes above and beyond to get members involved and excited about our cruise.  The moderator(s) usually organize some group events and meet-ups for the trip and also create exchange groups for interested parties.

I indicated early on that I’d love to be part of a postcard recipe exchange.  This involves getting some local postcards, adding a recipe to the back and keeping up with a list of cabin numbers to which to distribute these during our cruise.  In return, I’ll get about 11 new recipes to try and see postcards from all over.  Fun, but also very simple.  My kind of thing!

Here’s what I’m giving out…

I had some leftover postcards (from a previous cruise).  I ordered them with my own pictures on the front and one of my all-time favorite recipes – Maui Potatoes (served long ago at ‘Ohana in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) – printed on the back.  This time I wanted to add a bit more Louisiana flair to my exchange offering.  I found some small, but extra-adorable Louisiana postcards to go with the recipe ones (ordered from Zazzle).  I punched holes in the corners of the cards so I could tie them together with green ribbon.

To the ribbon, I also tied a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce.  Am I advocating adding hot sauce to Maui Potatoes?  No, I’m advocating adding hot sauce to everything! Seriously, it’s what we do here in Louisiana.  Eggs, pizza, pasta, salad, sandwiches, gumbo, jambalaya, soups, stews…just about everything tastes better with a dash or three of Tabasco!  We go through a big bottle every couple of months.  Want to really experience a taste of Louisiana?  Grab your own bottle and get to sprinkling that tangy, peppery, spicy deliciousness on your favorite dishes.

If you’re going on a Disney cruise, I highly recommend joining an exchange group.  If you’re coming to Louisiana, I highly recommend a visit to Avery Island (an easy drive south from Lafayette) to see firsthand how Tabasco is produced.  You won’t be disappointed!