Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

Disney Vacation Mental Preparation

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RM-WDW-EntranceThere’s a lot of discussion on Disney blogs and websites about ideal Disney vacation packing lists.  Packing for the average family can present quite a challenge!  Most of the packing lists I’ve seen are somewhat incomplete though.  There are a few items you must not leave at home if you want your vacation to be as fun, as happy, and as successful as it can possibly be.  We all want our Disney vacations to create lifelong memories, right?  Let’s make sure they’re happy ones, shall we?

Today’s Friday Five:  Five critical packing items for optimum Disney Vacation Mental Preparation.…

1. Patience – I cannot stress how important this is!  I don’t know about your kids, but mine march to the beat of a different drum…with a much slower cadence than the one I follow.  In other words, I could easily become frustrated each and every morning of vacation just trying to get out of our resort!  Then there’s the standby lines, the RM-Walkers-Walt-Disney-Worldcounter service restaurant lines, the waiting for a show to start, the waiting for a rain shower to pass, the time between FastPasses – I could go on and on.  Pack extra patience!  You will probably use every bit you have.  Seriously, knowing before you ever leave home that there will most likely be many things on a Disney (or any) vacation that may try your patience and preparing for that eventuality in advance will help you be so much happier!

2. Rose Colored Glasses:  If you pack these, you’ll have a better vacation.  Here’s the deal – negativity is popular.  Whining, complaining, grousing, general discontent – it’s all in vogue!  This is the stuff rotten vacations are made of.  Put on your positive attitude, look for positives and do NOT focus on negatives.  I’m not delusional.  I know that things break, people are rude, beds are uncomfortable, and accidents happen.  It’s how we choose to deal with life’s obstacles that makes the difference, I believe, in being happy or unhappy – in general and on vacation.  Stop and put on those rose DSCN2961colored glasses!  I hear they come in contact lenses now too.

3. Flexibility:  There’s that oft quoted saying – “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”.  Yeah, it’s popular for a reason.  So’s Murphy’s Law.  I’m a huge advocate of planning!  I love to plan vacations almost as much as I like to take them – the key to really great planning though, is to allow for changes to the plans.  If you have to get your heart set on anything – try to set it on creating a successful and fun overall experience.  Make those ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) and FastPass+ Having fun at Old Key Westselections, but be prepared to change course when and if the need arises.  Sometimes blisters, exhaustion, sweating, a stomach ache, a meltdown, a thunderstorm…well, one or all of those can strike at any time!  Great things are out there to be seen and experienced on a Disney vacation.  Some are in unexpected places – be flexible enough to make new discoveries when the chance arises.  Also, know when to call it a day.

4. Sense of Humor:  You can either let a good soaking on Kali River Rapids ruin your day or you PeopleMovercan find humor in the situation.  It’s easy to become cranky, grumpy, grouchy – whatever you favor – when things aren’t the way we want them to be.  If there’s ever a time to look for the silver lining or make lemonade (insert favorite metaphor here) it’s when our children are watching (no matter how old they are) – when our demonstration of how to deal with life’s curve balls shows others how it should be done – with grace and kindness, with as happy a face as we are able to muster.

On our last Disney vacation, Raymond and I caught a bus from Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the late morning and happened to sit near a beautiful family.  The mother, father, and all four young daughters were just an incredibly good-looking bunch.  No one was happy – there was no excited chatter, no smiling, no conversation at all.  As the bus traveled along towards our stop at the Magic Kingdom, the dad said, “First one who catches mom smiling gets a dollar” – I could tell he was just trying to lighten the mood.  The mom spun in her seat and loudly whispered (you know how that sounds), “StopWalt Disney World Summer Crowd IT!” then proceeded in a lower tone to chew him out.  When she was finished, she turned back around (with a lot of drama) and proceeded to cry for the entire rest of the trip.  I would never presume to guess what might have been wrong, but I did think about what kind of example was being set for those four beautiful girls.  Please, if you’re a parent – remember to be the grown-up.

5. A little love for your fellow humans:  People visit Disney parks from all over the world and all fifty of the United States.  There are rude people and sweaty ones, people with frowns, people who cry on busses, people who stop Kali River Rapids / Disney's Animal Kingdomin the middle of the sidewalk, people who ram into you with strollers, ones who film Wishes with an iPad over their heads, Cubs fans, wearers of very large beards, all kinds of people!  People who are completely different from us.  I choose to try to be friendly and embrace the variety of Disney vacationers – I’ve made more friends this way and preserved my sanity at the same time.  Of course, there must be a certain level of safety and mindfulness of “stranger danger”, but looking for the goodness and referring to numbers 1 and 4 on this list helps a lot.  Oh, and some folks?  You just need to move away from.

What about you?  What do you pack to help you mentally prepare for your Disney vacation?

Memento Mori – Mansion Merchandise

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RM-Memento-Mori-Ghost-HostEarlier this year we heard some exciting news.  The Yankee Trader store in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square would be closing and undergoing a complete transformation.  An entirely new shopping experience would be taking its place – the new store would be called Memento Mori and would be strictly a Haunted Mansion gift shop.  Long overdue, in my opinion, Haunted Mansion fans have needed a place to shop for Haunted Mansion merch!  To me it seemed a bit sad that so many great rides and attractions exited into a gift shop (where I seldom made a purchase) but I’d have to scour store after store throughout Walt Disney World to find Haunted Mansion items here and there.

Memento Mori (Latin, “remember you have to die”) opened just in time for our October visit to Walt Disney World and checking it out was high on my must-do list.  The first interesting thing I noticed was how we were directed to enter the store – not through the front door.  There’s a “back door” near the rear of the building on the right side – that’s the entrance we were told to use.  We exited onto the front porch.RM-Memento-Mori-MerchandiseI expected the store to be crowded since it has just opened and I was right!  The stock also seemed a little picked over, but that was not surprising given the number of people packed into the somewhat limited space.RM-Memento-Mori-Treats

Imagine a sort of general store for Haunted Mansion fans.  Merchandise ranged from framed pictures and mirrors to trinkets and treats, to clever Haunted Mansion home goods and even a selection of clothing.  RM-Memento-Mori-ClothingA variety of price points made it easy to find an affordable token or souvenir – there were also some pretty high dollar items for the super-fans among us.  I fell in love with the Christmas ornaments that are a collection of Haunted Mansion busts and had to have them for my own.RM-Memento-Mori-Plates RM-Memento-Mori-Place-Setting RM-Memento-Mori-Mirror

If you’re a Haunted Mansion fan, Memento Mori is the place for you!  If you’re not headed to Walt Disney World and you’ve got a Mansion fan on your holiday gift list, you can shop online here from a limited selection of Haunted Mansion themed items (I personally own a few of them and can attest to their awesomeness.).

Have you been to Memento Mori yet? 

 

Joy! Gelato in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion

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RM-Epcot-Italy-Gelato-CounterAs I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m kind of ambivalent about desserts.  I don’t crave sweets like most people do and while I will enjoy an occasional cookie, slice of pie, or ice cream cone, those are not items I’d put at the top of my “must have” foods while on vacation.  Sometimes, though, I’ll find something sweet that really makes an impression on me – something I like so much, that I’d make a point of eating it again.  This is the story of one such discovery.

Back in October, as Raymond and I were making our way around the World Showcase sampling the different flavors in the food booths and kiosks, he said, “When we get to Italy, there’s something that you’ve got to taste!”  Sneaky guy – he’d managed a visit to this particular eatery on his own back in May and had found a wonderful treat.

Espresso Gelato “Affogato” ($9.75) “Italian Espresso poured over Fior Di Latte Gelato, topped with chocolate coffee beans.

According to Wkipedia, “An affogato (Italian, “drowned”) is a coffee-based beverage. It usually takes the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. RM-Epcot-Italy-Gelato-AffogatoSome variations also include a shot of Amaretto or other liqueur.”  According to the Culinary Institute of America, Fior De Latte (Italian, “Flower of Milk”) gelato is “a simple gelato, very versatile; enjoy it plain, with fresh fruit, or to accompany a cake. This gelato is often used in the preparation of affogato al caffè, where the gelato is covered with brewed espresso and topped with whipped cream.”

So now that we know what it is, technically speaking, let’s talk about how it tasted – incredible!  I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that as far as a cup of ice cream is concerned, this one’s about as adorable as one could ever find.  Possibly, mere words cannot describe the subtle nuances of flavor, the well matched textures, the sophisticated combination of creamy gelato, espresso, cookies, and chocolate coffee beans, but I’ll try:  This stuff was mighty tasty!!!  Very delicious!  Scrumptious!  A festival of flavors for your taste buds! …get the idea?

RM-Epcot-Italy-Gelato-EspressoBecause we were working our way around the Food & Wine foods and wines, we split this little paper bowl of deliciousness – which actually turned out to be a bit dicey.  We each got one “ear” cookie, we broke the pirouette cookie in half, used two spoons for the gelato, but there were only three chocolate coffee beans (and those babies are incredible).  There were a few tense moments once we realized the situation.  We each contemplated the potential outcomes of being the one to selfishly consume that third, and last, tiny morsel.  Then I came to my senses and ate it.  Problem solved!

If you like the flavor of coffee and are in the mood for a sweet treat, next time you’re in Epcot, making your way around the World Showcase – stop at the gelato stand, lay down that $10 bill and prepare to be amazed.

Have you tried a gelato in Epcot?  Which one did you get?  How was it?

5 Reasons to Pamper Yourself at Disney World

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RM-Grand-Floridian-SignWe didn’t know what we’d been missing!  Raymond and I, in our bid to make the most of our 25th wedding anniversary celebration trip to Walt Disney World, decided to splurge on a few extras.  When you’re only covering travel expenses for two, it seems easier to justify dropping a few more dollars here and there.  One of the special treats we decided on was a massage for two at the Senses Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian.  Expensive?  Yes, for us $275 for a 50 minute spa treatment caused a moment’s pause while we considered what else we could buy with that money!  Then we thought of all the reasons it was a perfect use for our hard-earned cash – and we were right!  It was worth every penny.

They don’t call it the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for nothing.  There is an actual spa and it is fabulous!  Now that I’ve personally experienced it, here are my Top 5 Reasons to visit the Senses Spa (or pamper yourself at Walt Disney World in some special way):RM-Grand-Floridian-Walkway

1. Great for Any Time!  Want to kick off your vacation with some relaxation outside the busy parks?  What about mid-trip when you’re feeling tired from all that walking?  Or maybe, wouldn’t it be great to get a relaxing spa treatment right before you have to go back to the real world?  Anytime’s a great time for a little pampering!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Entrance

2. The Robe and Slippers!  And the spiced iced tea, and the aroma therapy, and all the extra little touches.  The spa is one awesome facility. Everything is designed to promote feelings of relaxation.  Because we were getting massages, we were supplied with super fluffy robes and comfortable slippers (in our actual shoe sizes!).  Those robes were really something!  So cozy.  RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Robe-and-Slippers

3. The Welcome!  I couldn’t help but notice how warm and welcoming the Cast Members were!  You’re offered a glass of tea upon arrival and then shown around the spa. The locker rooms are roomy and have everything you need to clean up and get ready for whatever else your day may hold.  There’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair gel, hair spray, and even deodorant if you need it!  If I’d known how well-supplied I’d be there, I would have packed a change of clothes and some makeup to save me a trip back to our resort.  The lockers have electronic locks that are easy to use so you can store all your personal items worry-free.  Everything is luxurious and intended to make you feel like the most special guest there – worked for me!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Vanity

4. Screaming Children!  They do seem to be almost everywhere at Walt Disney World…but they are NOT in the Senses Spa!  It’s blissfully peaceful and the tranquility is further enhanced by the use of aroma therapy and soft music.  The fragrance used during our massage was frankincense which I found to be pleasant and soothing.  The complete and total escape from the rest of the World is what I loved most about my visit to Senses.RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Counter-Sink-Area

5. You Deserve It!  We were spending an entire week at Walt Disney World alone for the first time in 25 years.  We were footloose and fancy free.  We could have spent the money on tours, or fine dining.  Instead we spent that money and time on a unforgettalbe experience.  We didn’t have to think, move, listen, plan, or hurry.  For 50 minutes, we were quiet and relaxed while two very kind and knowledgable Cast Members worked to free us from stress and muscle tension.  We loved it so much, we’re going back again in February!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Shower-Area-Entrance

When our time at Senses was over, we were hungry!  After catching a delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Island Grill, we hopped on the monorail for a quick stop back at Bay Lake Tower to change clothes.  Then were ready to head over to Epcot for our French Regional Lunch.  A visit to the Senses Spa was the perfect way to begin the last day of a wonderful vacation.

Here’s a complete list of all the treatments offered at the Senses Spa.  Would you spend the money on a splurge like that?  If not, what would you do instead?