Sensible Consumption on a Disney Vacation

Clam-mobile-selfie“Work hard, play hard!” – I like this motto.  We do work hard and we deserve to relax and have fun, right?  By golly, we’ve earned it!  When we go on vacation, we tend to throw moderation to the wind, kick up our heels and indulge, feast and pamper ourselves – all the things we deny ourselves day-to-day.  I’m no nutrition or financial management expert, but as I get older, I feel like I’m having a more difficult time snapping back after playing hard.  When we vacation, we tend to over-indulge in every area – food, drinks, and snacks, extras and souvenirs.  Never is this more true than on a Disney vacation.  I’d like to change that habit.

Sensible Consumption on a Disney Vacation

Let’s talk about food first.  Our family is all about trying new things and making our Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) at the earliest possible time.  One table-service meal per day is our minimum requirement for optimum happiness and we’ve been known to book more.  We overeat on vacation and rationalize it by believing that all the walking we do will burn off those excess calories – honestly, that’s just not the case.  Shula's-Filet-TwoThe older we get, the harder it is to lose weight.  Gone are the days where those extra pounds just drop back off once we get home. Recently at Walt Disney World, Raymond and I tried to be more mindful of this – baby steps, really – and what we tried seemed to work well!  On next vacation, we plan to use these strategies –

  • Portion Control – Often portions are HUGE and totally share-able.  We tried sharing lunch a couple of times – splitting appetizer, entrée, and dessert.  Turns out, we were completely satisfied with half-portions and this was a great lesson to take into the future.Citrus-Swirl
  • Give and Take – Think a little bit ahead as in…I’ll pass on this ice cream now in favor of dessert with dinner.  I’ll admit that this one will be a bit of a challenge – when I’m hungry and have a hankerin’ for a churro or a Mickey ice cream bar, I’m in the moment and might swear (to myself) that I’ll pass on dessert later.  In reality, if cheesecake’s on the menu, Raymond will definitely order it and I’ll have to eat some.  This one sounds good in theory, but execution may prove impossible.Be-our-Guest-Eggs
  • Choose “Less Unhealthy” options – It’d be silly to suggest that we could or would eat only healthy meals at Walt Disney World, but we can make better selections.  Maybe.  We can try!

Now, about those adult beverages – We enjoy wine with dinner, but recently blundered with wine pairings for each course at Jiko.  Not only did we overeat big-time, but were way too sleepy when we left – no return to the parks for us that night.  We headed straight back to our resort and fell asleep.  I don’t even want to talk about what that splurge did to our dinner bill.  It’s easy to over-indulge with empty calories in this category, but we’ve got a plan formulated for dealing with that as well…Shula's-Wine

  • Allow one (maximum of two) splurges per day – We know we’re still going to order a bottle of wine with dinner, but we can cut down on the number of times we stop for a cold beer in Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Also, we love the Resort Loop Pub Crawl but can probably be perfectly happy with one stop per day (or less).Rose&Crown-Beer-Flight
  • Prioritize our “Must-Try” list – There are quite a few things on this list – most of which can be found in World Showcase.  Before I say planning in advance for these vacation libations will take all the fun and spontaneity out of exploring the World, we need to give it a try…I’ll let you know how it goes.RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-Coffee
  • Skip the after dinner specialty coffee – Yes, even after the wine, it’s sometimes tempting to enjoy a fancy adult coffee with dessert…or even AS dessert.  Since this splurge is rare, it may be the easiest one to do without.

The extra expenses – Food and beverages are a huge part of our vacation budget, so we try to work out how much that’s going to set us back and set aside that money in advance.  We save about $7 when we purchase $150-worth of Disney gift cards at Sam’s Club, so I try to buy enough gift cards pre-vacation to take care of our food, drinks, and any spa treatments we have booked.  As far as souvenirs go, I’m all about Disney Christmas ornaments and always add one or two to our collection on every vacation.  We usually also like to buy a couple of Disney pins and a coffee mug.  If we could stick with these, we wouldn’t have a problem – we could easily budget for this expense.Shoe-Ornament-Mrs. Incredible

Disney merch!  This company sure has our number and knows exactly what buttons to push to get us to spend more by playing on our emotions.  There’s really only one way to cut down on spending in this category and that would be to stop shopping!  Ha!  Like that’s going to happen.  What we can do is just say no…right now.  RM-Mickey-Tray RM-Mickey-Dinner-Plate RM-Minne-WatchWith the Shop Disney Parks app and the ability to use personal shoppers from home, if I pass up something using this “say no right now” method and later decide I can’t live without whatever it was, I can always try to get it later.  I believe this will cut way down on impulse/emotionally driven purchases.  Maybe.  We’ll see, won’t we.

Do you try to exercise sensible consumption on your Disney vacations?  What are your best ideas to avoid over-indulging? 

 

 

Press Kit – Walt Disney World 20th Anniversary

Nick has the most amazing and unusual items in his Disneyana collection!  What a wonderful trip back in time he takes us on with this look back at WDW in 1991!  Check out the ticket prices!!!  If you were around then, what do you remember most about that year? (Oh, and did anyone besides me LOVE Dinosaurs the TV show?  “I’m the baby!”)

Press Kit – Walt Disney World 20th Anniversary

By: Nick

I don’t know where I got this Walt Disney World 20th Anniversary Press Kit. I also don’t remember what I paid for it.  What I do know is, it’s a fascinating look at a very exciting time in Walt Disney World history.

Let’s turn the handle and see what pops up.

Roger Rabbit! A character now sadly absent at Walt Disney World.


Inside is a packet of information, and a small calendar covering park hours for the 3 gates at that time, The Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Disney-MGM Studio from October 1991 to January 1992.



The information included would make anyone interested in Disney park history, drool.

  • An overview of some of the new surprises awaiting guests, such as “Spectromagic” and “Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3-D”.
  • 20 reasons to visit Walt Disney World, such as “Surprise in the Skies” a daytime extravaganza above and around Epcot’s World Showcase, and “Sorcery in the Sky”, a fireworks display at Disney-MGM Studios.
  • 2 pages of Milestones, Attendance Marks, and Attraction Opening dates.
  • Park statistics and employment info. 33,000 employees at that time!
  • Pricing. A one day ticket? $33. 4 day pass? $111. Annual Pass? $190!
  • Personalities available for interviews, such as Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Roy E. Disney.
  • A list of the celebrities that would be in the “Parade of Stars” in the 20 Year Homecoming Celebration at Disney-MGM Studios. Stars such as, Sally Struthers, Art Linkletter, and Eva Gabor!
  • Golf Course info
  • Information about a new concept in family vacationing called the Disney Vacation Club.



And if that wasn’t enough, there is a plethora of 8×10 glossy photographs, with information on the back.

The 20th Anniversary “Surprise” Celebration Parade.



Dinosaurs, I confess, I never ever watched.



Before it was Old Key West, it was the Disney Vacation Club Resort.



Muppets!



I miss Spectromagic!



I had the great fortune to see most of the attractions described and shown here, and I must say, a lot of it is missed. The “Surprise” parade in the Magic Kingdom was amazing, and “Surprise in the Skies” at Epcot was also spectacular. And while I know “Fantasmic” is incredibly popular, I am not a fan of the crowds, and preferred “Sorcery in the Sky” at the Studios.

Also included is a Vacation Guide.



The back cover of the folder.

I hope you enjoyed this trip with me down memory lane.

To see more of Nick’s excellent Disney collection and read about his Disney adventures, please visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow Nick on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

 

Disney Land and Sea – Trip Recap (Part One)

Disney-Dream-Sail-Away-SelfieI’m back and brimming with excitement about all the things Raymond and I did and saw on last week’s whirlwind land and sea vacation!  Today’s post is a recap of the land portion of the trip’s (mostly) highs and (very few) lows with many more details to come in future posts about specific events, restaurants, and more.

Disney Land and Sea – Trip Recap

Plans for this trip started about a year ago when I was talking with my Disney Exchange co-hosts about the great time I had during the 2015 Glass Slipper Challenge and how I couldn’t wait to do it again.  This led to Dave and I starting to plan a trip where we could all meet up and do a runDisney event together…naturally, this led Nick to talk about Nick…with specific emphasis on exactly WHY he could not, would not (with a fox, in a box) run. EVER.  Yes, he does have an actual medical excuse for being a non-runner, but we quickly wore him down and convinced him he could be a fast enough walker to successfully complete the Enchanted 10K.  Once he agreed, we would not, could not (in a house, with a mouse) let him back out.  Fast forward to February 19th, 2016.

Raymond and I got up at 3:00 am to catch a 6:30 flight to Orlando (with a layover in Dallas) and arrived around noon with a plan to check in at Bay Lake Tower, grab a quick bite at the Contempo Café and head to the race expo where we’d meet up with Nick, Dave, and Dave’s wife, Anne.  And that’s exactly what we did!  TDE-runDisney-ExpoWe had time to pick up our packets and knock around the ridiculously crowded expo for a while.  Dave was feeling crummy, so, after a while, we all went our separate ways and agreed to meet up at the pre-race area for the 10K in the morning.

Raymond and I headed to our dinner reservation at Kona Café where we had an awesome meal and made friends with the young couple sitting next to us (Kellie and her boyfriend).  They were so sweet!  Knowing 3:00 am would come quickly, we called it a night.

And just like that, the alarm went off and I sprang eagerly crawled miserably from bed feeling like I hadn’t slept at all.  The monorail was unexpectedly not running for the 10K, so I waited in the long line for a bus and amused myself by Periscoping the other people waiting with me.  One uneventful bus ride later and I was posing for some pre-race photos with Dave and Nick.  TDE-Nick-Lisa-Dave-Enchanted-10KWe headed to our respective corrals and the race was as fun as we hoped it would be.  Once I finished, I headed back to Bay Lake Tower to get ready for a fun day in Magic Kingdom.The-Disney-Exchange-WDW

Dave, Nick and I had booked FastPasses separately, but at overlapping times for Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  First up, Big Thunder – we had a great time and were all together at the very back of the train.  TDE-BTMRR-GroupTDE-Country-BearsWe then enjoyed the Country Bears doing their thing…after which we agreed to meet up after lunch for our next FastPass – The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.   Turns out the dwarfs must have been as under the weather as Dave was feeling at this point and the ride was down, so we used our replacement FastPass for Pirates.

Note:  Raymond and I decided that day on the Skipper Canteen for lunch since our first visit was so delightful.  Not so much the second time around – at least not for me.  Maybe the Canteen isn’t going to be as successful as we’d originally thought.  A shame, but my food was just not very good at all.  The service was still great.

Here’s where the plans we made as a group went unfortunately awry for the rest of the weekend.  I’m sure there will be a great discussion about what transpired at this point on Episode 64 of The Disney Exchange (released date 3/6/16).  Long story short – When it came time to use our last FastPass of the day, Pooh was also experiencing technical difficulties and Dave’s flu-like symptoms were getting worse – So Dave and his family decided to leave so Dave could take a nap with a plan to meet us later.  TDE-Nick-and-Lisa-Winnie-the-PoohNick, Raymond and I eventually did get to use our FastPasses for Pooh and his Many Adventures before the three of us headed to Epcot for the remainder of the afternoon where we had a fantastic time watching Nick pose for pictures (this is seriously entertaining), meeting some excellent new friends (Hi Rebeca, Patty, Derek, and Lauren!) enjoying refreshing adult beverages, listening to British Revolution in the UK Pavilion, and people-watching.  (Unfortunately, Dave was really sick and out for the rest of the weekend.)

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Maglio

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Maglio

Nick was meeting friends for dinner in Mexico and Raymond and I had an Il Mulino reservation at the Swan that evening.  Our dinner was great – I can’t say enough about Il Mulino’s service, menu, wine list, and bonus after-dinner Limoncello.  Once again…3:00 am loomed large, so we called it a night as soon as we finished eating.

Third day in a row for a 3:00 alarm and I was ridiculously tired.  The kind of tired where you feel like you weigh a ton and are nauseous.  I carried my Cliff Bar and a bottle of water with me and felt like I was twice my age as I shuffled slowly over to the Contemporary to catch the monorail.  This would be my 8th half marathon and I’d heard the inner voice that was berating me many times before, “What were you thinking!  This is a stupid plan!  You should be sleeping!  You are too old for this nonsense!”PHM-Pre-Race-SelfieI told the inner wimpy me to shut up and tried not to look as miserable as I felt as I rode to Epcot with the other runners.  I knew from previous experience that I’d perk up as soon as the race started.  Unlike the day before, I had no Nick, Dave and Anne to keep me company, so I ate my breakfast, engaged in a moment or two of lonely self-pity, and made my way with the many thousands of other runners to the starting corrals.PHM-Pre-RacePrincess-Half-Marathon-MK

Sure enough, once it was my turn to get going, my body and mind decided to cooperate.  The weather was great and 13.1 miles suddenly didn’t seem like a dreaded chore, but more an excellent adventure.  I did take a couple of walk-breaks around mile 10, but overall felt wonderful during the entire event.  Raymond was waiting for me a few times along the course and at the finish line, which made me happy!  We spent a few minutes in the post-race celebration area before heading back to clean up…we were meeting Nick and some of his friends at Disney Springs for the afternoon – Starting at noon with pre-lunch snacks and drinks at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar followed by lunch at the Boathouse where, yes indeed, we got to sit at the boat table!!!!  I’ll tell you all about it soon in an upcoming post.

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Maglio

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Maglio

Up next, Part 2!  The sea portion of our vacation aboard the Disney Dream.

 

 

 

STAR WARS Breakfast! at Sci-Fi

Happy Saturday, Everyone!  Last week we looked back at Star Wars Weekends and the Jedi Mickey dining experience at Hollywood and Vine.  This week, we’re also going back to the very last Star Wars Weekends and Nick’s adventures with his buddies at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.  I don’t know about you, but I think Disney used last year’s Star Wars Weekends to test new concepts and ideas for the new Star Wars Land.  Please share your thoughts on this.

STAR WARS Breakfast! at Sci-Fi

By Nick

On the last morning of my trip with 2 buddies to Walt Disney World to check out Star Wars Weekends, we had breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast runs through June 14th, and features Star Wars characters, such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett, who greet you as you enter.

Boba Fett, Josh, me, Joe, Darth Vader

If you haven’t been to Sci-Fi, it is set up like a drive in theater on a lovely evening, complete with classic cars, which serve as your tables.

During normal operating hours, a movie loop featuring cheesy Sci-Fi movies is played, but during this event Star Wars clips, trivia and previews were up on the big screen.

We were shown to our car. The odd setup of the vehicles allows only 2 people per seat, so Josh and Joe sat up front, while I was in the back. This is fine, but isn’t really conducive to conversation.

We were given menus, and as we perused these, a plate of pastries was brought out. Since I was in the back seat, I had a plate to myself!

The pastries were really good, especially the Vanilla Cream Turnover, which has Vader’s face on them.

For a drink, I ordered the Blue Milk. You just have to. It’s basically a slightly blueberry flavored milk.

I ordered the Greek Yogurt (Yoda?) Parfait with Fresh Berries and Granola. I wasn’t a big fan.

For the main course, Joe and I had The Kessel Run which is Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Baby Spinach with Bacon and Cheddar Custard on a roasted tomato and cheesy horseradish potatoes. It was really very, very good. The steak was perfectly prepared, and all the tastes melded well. It was maybe one of the best breakfast selections I’ve ever had at WDW!

Josh had the Ackbar Surprise, Smoked Paprika-dusted shrimp, pan-seared and served with cheesy grits, which he enjoyed.

 During the meal, Stormtroopers patrol the restaurant, posing with guests, and conducting occasional interrogations.

One of the funniest things I saw during the entire trip was a Stormtrooper watching the clip from the original Star Wars, just after Darth Vader strikes Obi Wan down, and Luke shouts and starts shooting at the Stormtroopers. As he watched the scene play out, and saw his fellow Troopers constantly miss, he gestured as if to say “But they’re RIGHT THERE.” He shook his head and covered his eyes, and, as the gang onscreen escaped in the Millennium Falcon, he threw his hands up in frustration. I was too busy enjoying this show to get a photo.

I did get a photo of another humorous interaction at a neighboring table. As part of the cost of the meal, each person is given a small light up Lightsaber, which can be set to either blue (good) or red (bad).
A Stormtrooper noticed a young man had his set to blue. He walked over and pointed at it, motioning the kid to hand him the saber, which he did. The Trooper set it to red, and handed it back. Nice.

Along with the Stormtroopers, that bounty hunter with really bad eyesight, Greedo, comes around, as do Jawas looking for a trade. One wanted to trade me a light bracelet for my iPhone. I declined.

The Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast was $49.99 per adult and $31.99 per child age 3 to 9, (tax is included, gratuity is not.

 

Want to read more about Nick’s Disney adventures?  Visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow Nick on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about….well, I bet you can guess.