Jingle Cruise – Adventure Awaits

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Of all the magical, wonderful details found at Walt Disney World during the holiday season, none tickle me quite as much as the Jingle Cruise in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland.  All of my favorite punny jokes and adventures along the jungle waterways of the world with a holiday overlay!  What could be better?Jingle Cruise Christmas Tree

Jingle Cruise – Adventure Awaits

Intentionally homemade.  The idea that the skippers and dock workers pitched in to make their far-from-civilization locale feel more like home for the holidays is completely endearing and makes each detail, large and small, adorable.Jingle Cruise Hut Decorations

From the attraction’s signs to the names of the boats, the animals, natives, and more – the holiday additions are everywhere!  I can’t catch all of the details on a single ride, so if I can arrange it, I’ll ride the Jingle Cruise more than once.  If time allows, I’ll use a FastPass for one ride and wait in the standby line for the other.Jingle Cruise Sign

The holiday overlay begins outside and continues throughout the queue and ride – so be ready to pay close attention and not miss out on anything!  If you’re in a large group, challenge each other to find every detail.  As with other Disney attractions, you’ll want to look up, look down, and look all around – magical surprises are sometimes in unexpected places!  Jingle Cruise Chalk BoardIf you’re already a fan of the Jungle Cruise, you’ll love the holiday version.  If the Jungle Cruise isn’t usually your thing, consider giving the Jingle Cruise a try if for no other reason than it’s the only attraction at Walt Disney World with a holiday overlay and it’s clever and fun (and cheesy)!Jingle Cruise Crew Mess Dinner Menu Jingle Cruise Holiday Gorillas

If you’re planning a visit to Walt Disney World during the holiday season, add Jingle Cruise to your must-do list!Jingle Cruise Trader Sam

If you’ve already sailed on a Jingle Cruise…did you love it?  What was your favorite part?  What other attractions would you like to see get a touch of holiday magic?

 

Pulling My Disney Comfort Closer

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This is the first post I’ve written all week – I still love you guys and I still have a lot to say about Disney and my love for all the joy and magic I find in it.  This week I’ve been distracted by a few things, not the least of which has been the hate-filled rants and incredibly vicious attacks I’ve seen all over social media related to our American democracy and the process of electing the people who govern our country.

Pulling My Disney Comfort Closer

I treasure my own freedom of speech and believe we are entitled to speak our minds.  I love a good debate between open-minded adults who can argue a point without making personal attacks on those with opposing views.  DCL Norway Raymond and LisaIf you’ve ever met me in person, you know I possess no shortage of opinions on a wide variety of topics and am never afraid to express my feelings.  I speak my mind…sometimes too quickly, sometimes too passionately, but not with the purpose of tearing down another human being intentionally.  On social media?  I choose to post family events and happenings, the occasional humorous meme, and lots of pictures of my dog, Junior.  Disney Dog Henry Jones, JuniorI also post a LOT about my love for Disney.  It’s not that I don’t have strong feelings about religion or politics, I’m simply choosy about when and where I express those particular opinions and with whom I’d like to debate them.  I believe one should never email, text, or post on social media anything one would not say face-to-face – hiding behind an online identity to be hateful is the sign of a coward.

I didn’t unfriend or unfollow a single person, but I was shocked and dismayed by what I read on Wednesday morning.  I’m not a person with delicate sensibilities, but the vitriol!  The utter disdain for fellow citizens and their right to their own beliefs and decisions was shocking to me!  Complete strangers hurling horrific insults at one another, spewing poison with no respect, no compassion, and no reason!  And what purpose did it serve?  Why would anyone want to show the world the very worst version of themselves they have to offer?  Is that who they really are?  If so, then we do indeed need to fear for the future of America – her citizens have chosen anger and hate over respect, tolerance, and love.View of Cinderella Castle from Main Street U.S.A.

Then I figured out why I was so surprised.  Remember this post about the Disney fan community?  I follow (and am followed by) thousands of fellow Disney fans on social media.  Overwhelmingly nice people in general who are brought together by their passion for Disney vacations, movies, characters, collectibles, and more.  Some are fellow bloggers and podcasters, all are very geeky about Disney.  The ugliness on social media was not coming from these people.  They were, like me, disgusted enough to politely ask, “Why can’t we all get along?” before taking a break from Facebook and Twitter to ride out the election aftermath watching movies or planning a vacation.  Once again, I am reminded how special my Disney friends are and how much I appreciate being part of such a loving group of humans.Disney Movie Collection

I’ll be back next week with more Disney topics to share – in the meantime, thanks for reading and have a great weekend.

Epcot Dining – Yorkshire County Fish Shop

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It’s time for another Disney Dining review from Nick.  We don’t always see eye to eye (or should I say stomach to stomach?) on our favorite Walt Disney World eateries, but today we agree 100%.  When in Epcot, there’s one fantastic family favorite…

Epcot Dining – Yorkshire County Fish Shop

By Nick

One of our favorite stops for a quick lunch or dinner in all of Walt Disney World is located in Epcot’s United Kingdom Pavilion.

My wife is such a fan of Yorkshire County Fish Shop in fact, that she has eaten here during Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival!

It’s got a very limited menu.

Fish and chips of course. Victoria Sponge Cake, whole seasonal fruit, soft drinks, water and beer.
That’s all you need, really.

Though there are several seating area options, such as down by the World Showcase Lagoon, this is a very popular spot, and seating is limited.

There are covered tables located next to the Shop, but, again, it’s limited. If you see a table for 4 with 2 people sitting, don’t be afraid to ask to share the table.

There are also a couple of tables to be found outside Rose & Crown.

As for the fish and chips, well, we find them delicious, light and flaky fish and perfectly cooked potatoes. This is our favorite fish and chips just about anywhere. I like mine with Malt Vinegar alone, but ketchup and Tartar Sauce can also be found among the condiments selection.

Have you eaten at Yorkshire? What did you think?

 

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and all their friends on their many Disney adventures:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.  You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about all things Disney.

Disney Dining – Tusker House Breakfast

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Great location, perfect for families and groups of all sizes, wonderful variety of buffet foods, AND fantastic Disney characters! What a perfect way to start the day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Disney Dining – Tusker House Breakfast

Once upon a time, our family made character dining experiences a must-do on every Walt Disney World visit.  Just because we may have outgrown that tradition (for now), doesn’t mean we can’t make room in our touring plans for a Disney vacation meal that still includes some character interaction from time to time – especially if the menu is great.tusker-house-mickey-lyndsey-and-joseph

I’d heard great things about the menu at Tusker House and realized that an early breakfast there would give us a jump on our full day of action-packed Animal Kingdom plans.  Our group of seven consisted of a wide variety of food preferences and varying degrees of pickiness – what could be easier than a buffet packed with both traditional breakfast fare and several more exotic, African-inspired flavors?  I chose an 8:35 reservation & we arrived extra early…better to beat the crowds and be first in line for Kilimanjaro Safaris after breakfast.

At the park entrance we were directed to a specific Tusker House waiting area where a very kind Cast Member told us how to find the restaurant. After a short wait, we were on our way.

Once inside, our excellent server, Kat, showed us around the food stations on our way to our table. She explained that the foods were arranged to make it as if guests were shopping in a marketplace. There were no lines…simply move from station to station and fill your plate as you desire.  We arrived at our table, Kat left to get coffee and juice, we headed for the market/buffet.tusker-house-buffet4 tusker-house-buffet3 tusker-house-buffet2

So many options! It was hard to decide where to begin. Along with bacon, eggs, ham, Mickey waffles and the other usual crowd-pleasers were more unique choices from salads to curry, bobotie, and a carving station.  I took small portions of a few things, intending to go back for more after round one.  I’m wary of buffets sometime and want them to be super clean and well-stocked.  These food stations were beautifully maintained.tusker-house-breakfast-plate3 tusker-house-breakfast-plate2 tusker-house-breakfast-plate1

Kat had let us know to expect characters to come by our table, one at a time. Sure enough, the well-paced arrival of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy allowed us plenty of time to eat while pausing for photos. I thought they were all terrific, but Goofy was extra fun.  The characters are all dressed for safari with their own individual styles.tusker-house-donald-and-megan

Just before Daisy made her entrance, I stepped back over to the buffet intending to take a few pictures and maybe grab a couple more foods to sample. Unfortunately, the reason Kat had made an effort to explain how the buffet is supposed to work became clear – a huge, long line had formed! This was no marketplace, this was a slow-moving nightmare. I decided I was finished eating, but made an effort to take a few pictures for you by squeezing in between people here and there. (Find menu details here.)tusker-house-goofy

Our breakfast was over moments before the scheduled park opening & we were on the first Kilimanjaro Safari of the day. We had a great time in Tusker House and would recommend it to small families and large groups alike. The food’s plentiful and tasty, the characters charming and fun, the atmosphere and setting are well-themed and highly detailed.  Just as we’d hoped, Tusker House was the perfect way to kick off the day at Animal Kingdom.

Do you enjoy character dining at Disney World?  Have you tried Tusker House?  What did you think?