Food.....and Wine!

The 17^th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival kicks off today at the Walt Disney World Resort! This is one of my absolute favorite events of the whole year…why you ask….well, the food, and the wine….and did I mention the food??

For this Festival, which runs this year from September 28 – November 12, there are almost 30 international food and drink stations positioned all around the World Showcase. These little huts offer tasty treats and refreshing drinks from all over the world!

My family likes to start off our tour with a light appetizer. Great choices are the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (Canada); Greek Salad with Pita Bread (Greece); or Shrimp on the Barbie (Australia).

After we get warmed up, we move onto a few heartier dishes, for our main meal, like the delicious beef empanadas and grilled beef skewers (Argentina); Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll (Hops & Barley); or Jerk Spiced Chicken Drumstick with Mango Chutney (Caribbean).

We love to finish off our tour of the "World" with something sweet, like a traditional Belgian Waffle topped with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream or Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Tuffles (Belgium);  Crème Brulee au Chocolat au Lait (France); or my absolute "must-eat" Apple Strudel with Karamel-Vanilla Sauce (Germany)…divine!

And we are bound to get thirsty while on our culinary excursion, so we are sure to sample some of the fantastic beverages offered at the marketplace pavilions!

Be sure to pick up a Festival Guide as you enter the park, so you can plan your strategy.

Here are a few more tips to make your dollar and your appetite go a little further:

-          - Split the foods/drinks that you want to try with your family members. Each person gets a little taste of each item, and no one gets too full to try many, many more!

-          - Target the pavilions that are not one of the main countries in the World Showcase. You can always enjoy the food and drinks of those countries while not attending the Festival, so focus more time on the "new" countries they have added just for a short time.

-          - Try to visit the Festival more than once during your trip…make it your lunch one day and your dinner another day. (you will need a park hopper ticket to enjoy another park on the days that you only stay half a day at Epcot)

Have a magical time dining around the World!

Where in the "World" to stay

The Disney World Resorts are divided into four categories:

- Value

- Moderate

- Deluxe

- Home Away From Home - Disney Vacation Club

There are pros and cons to staying at each level of resort...depending on your budget, size of group, transportation style, etc. There are also some benefits that all Disney Resort guests can utilize, regardless of the level of your resort.

Disney World Resort Guest benefits that guests at all level resorts can experience include:

- Free Airport Transportation on the Disney's Magical Express

- Free Resort to Park transportation aboard the various WDW Resort buses, boats and monorails

- Access to Extra Magic Hours at a different park every day

- Room Charge priviledges - keep all your expenses in one place for the duration of your trip

- Disney Dining Plan

- Free Merchandise Delivery to your Resort while visiting the parks

Value:

The Value resorts are the lowest price resorts on Disney World property. They usually feature multiple buildings with a main "community" building, outward facing doors, less fancy pool experience, and a counter service restaurant. 

Moderate:

The Moderate resorts are mid-range in price and amenities. They also feature multiple buildings with a main common building, but they are more likely to be laid out in a condo-style. Smaller buildings, spread out among the area, with their own parking close to the buildings. The have much more elaborately themed pools and will typically feature a quick-serve as well as a sit-down restaurant.

Deluxe:

The Deluxe resorts are much more fancy with better amenities and are typically closer to one of the parks. There are 3 deluxe hotels on the monorail, 2 within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios and 1 on the property (and with views) of the Animal Kingdom Savannah. There's also one more that sits just a short boat ride away from Magic Kingdom. They all feature very elaborate theming, multiple restaurants (both sit down and quick service) room service, valet parking and on-site recreation. 

The deluxe hotel locations also offer a Concierge level, for an extra cost, that includes your own Concierge attendant to help you with vacation planning, private floor, and access to a lounge that serves light snacks and drinks all day. 

Home Away From Home:

For those who like to travel back to Disney over and over, the Disney Vacation Club might be the best option for resort accomodations. You buy into the program, similar to a time share purchase, and you can stay at one of seven resort areas that are owned by Disney Vacation Club. The Home Away From Home resorts typically share amenities with one of the Deluxe level hotels, but also feature multiple pools (some "quiet" pools), kitchen facilities and flexible room arrangements. 

So whether you are on a tight budget or a royal budget, you can choose the resort accommodations that are just right for you and your group!

Hidden Gem

On a hectic morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios, I stumbled upon a hidden gem of a place that sells good coffee and provides a quiet and cool place to rest for a minute.

The Writer's Stop coffee shop is tucked away in a little corner right behind Sci-Fi Dine In restaurant, near the New York section of Streets of America. I had walked past it a million times and never stopped. Now it'll be a regular stop on our DHS days.

We ordered a Latte, a regular coffee and a chocolate milk and relaxed for a few minutes before going on with our busy day!

What an amazing little place! I can't believe I'd never been inside!

Park Strategy - Magic Kingdom

Ride your favorite rides first, right? Not necessarily...it may be better to ride everyone else's favorite rides first. Why, you ask? Because if you can get into the park early in the morning, and knock out the list of all the most popular rides before the crowds get really bad, you can sit back and enjoy a leisurely lunch, or even get a great seat for the parade while everyone else stands in long lines for their favorite rides.

Let's look at Fantasyland...is your favorite ride Dumbo? Or Peter Pan's Flight? My recommendation would be to get straight in line for those rides first thing in the morning. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not stop for the requisite picture in front of the castle (it will still be there later in the day, and the lines for those Photopass photographers will be shorter) - head straight to Fantasyland when you enter the park. The later you get in the line, the longer the line is going to be.

Here's my personal Fantasyland strategy:
*note this is changed from previous strategies based on the Fantasyland expansion, and them moving Dumbo

- Send hubby to get Fastpass tickets for Peter Pan's Flight
- Kiddo and I head to the line for Dumbo (hubby meets us there)
- Ride the Goofy's Barnstormer (sometimes twice, if we have time)
- Grab FP tickets for Winnie the Pooh as we walk past
- Use our FP tickets for Peter Pan's Flight
- Ride It's a Small World
- Ride The Prince's Regal Carrousel
- Use our FP tickets for Winnie the Pooh
- Ride Snow White's Scary Adventures (until it closes on May 31)
- Ride Tomorrowland Speedway -- the earlier in the day you do this one, the better - that line is HOT!

Using this type of strategy, you can ride all of the Fantasyland attractions by about 11:00 am. From there, you can head right or left out of Fantasyland and use a similar technique (get FP, ride another ride, come back to FP ride) to tour the other lands.

This strategy works particularly well in quite a few other areas of the Magic Kingdom park:
Adventureland: Pirates of the Carribean and Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride combined with Jungle Cruise which has FP

Fronierland: Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain both have FP, so get one, then take a ride across to tour Tom Sawyer Island, then go back and get the other before riding with your FP tickets for the 1st attraction. You can grab a snack, catch the parade (it starts in Frontierland at 3:00), or go ride the Haunted Mansion and/or see the Hall of Presidents while you wait for your 2nd FP time to start.

Tomorrowland: Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin both have FP, so use the same technique, alternating with Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc, Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Astro Orbiter.

The age of your group/kids will like determine which direction you head out of Fantasyland. Remember, you have all day, and using this type of strategy, you can ride a group of attractions all at one time. This makes it easier to stop for lunch/dinner, grab a seat for the parade, watch the castle stage show, and meet some characters along the way.

Have a magical day!

Packing List

I used to be the biggest list-maker ever!! Especially when packing for Disney World trips...I would make lists way in advance, and add to them as I thought of everything that we needed for our trips. Then I would use those lists and mark off items as they went in the suitcase. Of course, for a few years in there, we were traveling with a baby/toddler and needed WAY more stuff!

These days, I start a stack of things to pack....usually in our spare room....and just add to it for a few weeks as I remember that we need to bring this or that. So, what is in that packing "stack"?

Here's my current Disney stack, and it's growing every day as we get closer to our trip:

Light Up Toys -- we refuse to buy them each trip, so we pack them and bring them back each time

Light Saber -- same as the light ups - not buying new, just taking the old one back with us

Rain Ponchos - one per person and one or two extra cheap ones for the stroller

Travel Size Woolite - just in case we need to wash something, or to freshen up swimsuits

Granola Bars and Goldfish Crackers

Backpack for the plane -- for my 5 yr old - filled with a few hot wheels, games, books, electronic game

Stroller Bag - we have one of those "gate check" stroller bags to keep it from getting messed up

Sunscreen - very expensive to buy in the gift shop if you forget

Swimsuits and Flip Flops

Camera and Accessories - now that we are passed our last "end of school" event

Extra batteries

Ziploc bags (gallon and quart) - these are good for keeping things dry in rain, packing your swimsuit to come home, etc -- I don't take a whole box, just a handful of each size

Phone Chargers

Other items you might consider: Autograph book and pen/marker, small thermal bag or collapsible ice chest, cinch sac style bag to take to the pool

Of course, in addition to this is all our clothes, shoes, make-up, toiletries, etc....and I'm usually up at midnight the night before our trip getting all that stuff together! :)

Memory Makers!

So, you think you have a good camera? You've even practiced learning all the settings and the best way to adjust for light, and you just know you will get the BEST pictures at Walt Disney World, right?? Yep, that was me...every single trip...each camera upgrade was better than the one before...

I quickly learned, that it didn't matter what kind of photo equipment I was armed with, the Disney Photopass Photographers were still going to get a better picture than me, and I might as well just accept it! :)

Now, the best news is that these photographers are available at most of the prime Photo Spots and all the most popular characters...and they are FREE! That's right, you can stop at each and every one of these photographers, and have them take your picture in front of Cinderella's Castle, the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, with Mickey Mouse....any place you want. 

Once you get home, you can view all your photos online on the Disney's Photopass website (www.disneyphotopass.com), and select a few or a lot to print. You can make photo book, personalized souvenirs, ornaments to remember your trip, and they even let you upload your own photos to include in your albums! The best feature available from Disney's Photopass service is the Photo CD that you can purchase. The Photo CD will include all of your Photopass pictures, and a collection of stock photos of the characters and parks that you visited during your trip.

This CD comes complete with a print release and full sized digital images so you can make as many print copies as you like. The Photo CD costs $169.95, if you order after you arrive on Disney property. There is an opportunity to pre-purchase this Photo CD for a discounted price of $119.95, if you use this link http://www.disneyphotopass.com/previsitoffer.aspx to place the order. This is a great deal! Individual prints can start at $14.95 per image.

So take your fancy camera, or your point and shoot and get all those wonderful memories, but be sure to let the professional Disney Photopass photographers capture those one of a kind "castle" and character shots! That's why they are there! 

Saving money...snacks & breakfast

Before you leave for Disney, take a good look at your hotel's website to see what is included in your room. Do they have a mini-fridge, microwave? Does it have a kitchen/kitchenette? Do they include dishes/silverware in the kitchen? Do you have access to a toaster? Is there a coffee maker in your room? Once you have a good idea what is provided for you in the room, you can start to decide what you might need to bring with you.

Make room in your suitcase for a few snack and breakfast items. We love to bring granola bars, fruit snacks, "on the go" peanut butter packs, cereal and goldfish or other crackers. You can also throw in a pack of bagels or english muffins. The granola bars, cereal or bagels/muffins make a great healthy breakfast. Take along a peanut butter pack and buy an apple in the park to make a wonderful snack. Bring zipper snack bags day, or a snack cup with lid, to carry smaller portions into the parks each day. There are fruit carts in each park, so you always add a piece of fresh fruit for about $1.


If anyone in your family is a regular traveler, for work or pleasure, bring home any of those un-used coffee and stirrer/sugar packets from your other hotels. They are easy to throw in your suitcase to make a quick cup of coffee before you leave the room in the morning. If not, stock up on Starbucks VIA to have some quick, good coffee!

Source: http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/via

If you are staying on property, consider getting a Refillable Mug. It may sound like a lot of money to buy a refillable mug ($13.99), but when you think about buying cokes/water/powerade at $2.50 each, you may be able to save some money by purchasing and using the refillable mug at your resort. We buy them on the first day, and refill on the way to and from the bus stop every time we leave the resort. We get coffee in the morning, cokes in the afternoon and lemonade or some other non-caffeine drink on the way back to the room at night. As long as you are staying at the resort for more than 3-4 days, the mug will more than pay for itself. Just make sure you have a way to carry them around all day (we put them in the stroller bag). These mugs are valid for the duration of your stay at a Disney Resort. They come in multiple colors, so you can keep track of which mug belongs to which family member. And bonus....they make a great souvenir!

In the Disney Vacation Club Villas, we get the benefit of a fully stocked kitchen or kitchenette, with microwave/mini-fridge in the Studio rooms, and fully functional kitchen with appliances in the larger Villas. While we do not personally cook meals on our vacation, we do love to bring our breakfast foods and eat in the room before we start the day. It saves money, and keeps our son busy while we finish getting showered, dressed and out the door in the morning. Since we have a mini-fridge, we typically buy milk once we arrive, to keep in the room. The one time we did not have a mini-fridge, we brought along Horizon Organic Milk boxes for our son to drink with his breakfast. They do not have to be refrigerated, so they work great! 

Don't like taking up space in your suitcase for snacks?? Think of it as room for souvenirs when you fly home! :)

Countdown to Disney

How do you and your kids countdown the days to a Disney World vacation? There are so many different ways that you can mark each day. Here are a few ideas for making it a fun part of each day!

Countdown Blocks

Want to get super crafty? Mod Podge a few wooden block and add a little section of Chalkboard Paint to write your countdown!

Cut 3 blocks out of wood (3x3 square, 3x6 rectangle, 3x5 rectangle)
Sand them down a little, smooth out rough corners
Paint them Black
Mod Podge three different Mickey Mouse scrapbook papers to the front of each block of wood
Cut out the Letters with your Cricut (or other cutting machine -- or use Sticker Letters)
Stick on the words: "Days 'Til" on the smaller rectangle, and "Mickey!" on the larger rectangle
Mod Podge over the top of all three blocks
Once dry, paint the Square block with a Mickey shaped (or little square, if you don't trust your painting skills!) with chalkboard paint
Stack them up on your table, mantle, wherever your best "countdown" spot is located
Write the number of days until your trip and Countdown!

Not so crafty?? You can buy them on Etsy HERE

Countdown Plaque

Similar to the Countdown Blocks, you can make a single countdown plaque using the same techniques.

Cut a flat block of wood to approximately 5x7.
Paint it Bright Red
Scrapbook punch circles out of white paper
Scrapbook punch Mickey Mouse Head (or one large and two small circles, if you don't have a Mickey Punch)
Cut letters with Cricut, or use Sticker Letters
Mod Podge all the paper pieces onto the background
Coat the Mickey Head with Chalkboard Paint
Write your Countdown days on the Mickey Head

Again, not so crafty?? You can buy this one on Etsy HERE

Paper Countdown Chain

Make a paper chain (the kind you make at Christmas), and put a fun question or activity on each link.

Questions or Activities:
What's your favorite ride at (each park)?
Who is your favorite character?
What do you want to see first?
Which fireworks show is your favorite?
Who do you want to take your picture with?
What is your favorite transportation (monorail, boat, bus, train) at WDW?
Bounce around the house like Tigger!
Watch one episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (or other age-appropriate show)!
Watch Sing Along Songs - Disneyland DVD!

There are so many ways that you can get your kids (and let's face it, yourself) even more excited about your trip!

Photo Source: vermillionrules.blogspot.com

Mickey Head Countdown

Punch out enough Mickey Heads (using scrapbook paper and Mickey Mouse punch)
Number each one down to 1
Make one extra at the bottom (or top, whichever way you are counting) that has a Star on it
Title says "Days Until Mickey" and was cut out with my Cricut, with a few accent stars

This one was so quick and easy to make, and we have used it over and over.

Where to start?

All of my trips begin with a park plan...where to start? Which park will we visit on our first day at the resort?
There are many things that can play into this decision...everything from what days of the week will you be there? Are there any special events happening at the parks? Are you staying on property or off-property? What day/time do you arrive?

As much as I like to check the days/times/crowds/extra magic hours to decide where to go, I always come back to one thing...

The first thing I want to see is Main Street and that amazing and magical castle at the end of the street!

We are lucky this trip, in that our first full day is a Thursday. When compared to the weekend days, it may actually turn out to be the best day to enjoy Magic Kingdom!

Over the years and the trips, we've definitely had some exceptions to this "rule", but nothing feels more magical to this Disney loving princess than walking down Main Street on that first morning towards Cinderella's Castle!

Where do you like to start?

Last minute...no plans????

Really? No planning? No reservations? Last minute trip???? Yep, that's exactly what we plan to do this summer!

We had a few really cool, trips/family vacations on the schedule for this year...New York, Bahamas, Disneyland (yes, in CA)...and everything has changed. I won't bore you with all the details, but let's just say Bahamas and Disneyland were too expensive for our taste and New York is being postponed a year due to other circumstances surrounding the trip and who is going. So, as we sat there and talked about our family trips for the year, we brought up and discussed that our WDW Annual Passes expire in early July, so why don't we plan a quick trip to use them one last time!

It's tricky to find DVC rooms during the popular times of the year. All the kids are out of school, the weather in Florida is pretty (albeit hot), and everyone just has more travel flexibility. So, I got online and started checking room availability and found that we can actually get out there right at the beginning of the summer. Bonus....it's one of the Star Wars Weekends!!! Our SW loving 5 yr old is going to LOVE IT!!!

We opted to not do the Disney Dining Plan this trip. We love the amazing restaurants at Walt Disney World, but also find that they put a lot of structure into your day and week because of the set time/place that you have to be to eat. We'll be eating a lot of the better and healthier counter service meals during this trip (see more about those HERE) and might do one last minute table service, if there's something available that day, but otherwise, it's a more relaxed trip for us this time!

So, with no dining reservations, last minute plane tickets, and a 5-night hotel reservation, we are off to WDW at the beginning of the summer!

I can't wait to hear "Welcome Home!"

Take a stroller?

Is your child over the age of 5 or 6? Have they stopped using the stroller all together at home? Are you convinced that you don't need to bring the stroller to Walt Disney World, because your child has out-grown it?

Even though you think your child is too old to need a stroller, you may want to re-think the number of hours and miles that you will be spending on your feet while visiting Walt Disney World. I wore a pedometer during one trip, and no lie, I averaged 6 miles a day...6 miles!! Now, I don't know about your child, but I know that my 5 yr old won't walk for 6 miles without needing (i.e. whining for) a place to sit, ride and rest.  

I'm 37 years old, and after a day of walking all over one of the Disney Parks, I wish even I could ride in a stroller!! I'm exhausted, and even more, I certainly don't want to carry a 45 pound sleeping child to the bus stop, or back to our room at the resort. So, I encourage you to take at least an easy folding umbrella stroller with you. Even if you park it for the entire morning in one spot, and only use it for a potential nap time, a nice seat for a parade or at the end of the night. It will come in handy...you'll see!

Oh Happy Day!!!!

It's the little things....really it is! We have been visiting Walt Disney World for years and years, and in that time have endured some really bad coffee for the sake of getting up early and hitting the parks! I am so happy to learn today that in June, the first of six planned Starbucks coffee locations will open across the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resort areas!! The first one is scheduled to open in Disney's California Adventure park...followed by the rest by the end of the year. 

I would not really consider myself a "coffee" drinker.....I would consider myself a "Starbucks" drinker...and I think my husband would agree! :)

Disney Dreamin'

I'm Disney dreaming right now...and channeling my "last minute" friends who love to plan things spur of the moment!

I am normally a major planner. I have trips (particularly Disney trips) planned 7-11 months out and meals booked at 6 months out. I am typically researching hotels, restaurants, flight options...etc for months before we actually make a decision and book the trip! All that has gone out the window for the time being, because right now, I am trying to plan a trip to Walt Disney World for late May or early June!! As in 2012! That is less than 6 weeks away, and kinda stresses me out! (but in a good way lol)

Our original plan was to visit Disneyland for a chance this year, in October. We had trouble getting DVC rooms at the Grand Californian, and it pains me to pay for hotel, when we already have to pay for park tickets (we get Annual Passes and multiple trips out of them in Florida), and we are not sure we can get to Anaheim on our free plane tickets. So, all in all, that one was looking like a pretty expensive trip. Our current Annual Passes to WDW expire in early July, so we started talking last week about just getting back out there for one more trip before they expire, and putting off the Disneyland trip for a year.

So, thus begins some really quick planning!! We were able to reserve a Savannah View room at Animal Kingdom lodge for the first two nights, and Saratoga Springs for the last 3 nights.That's a pretty low "crowd" time of the year...most of the kids are still in school, so dining reservations are available at some good places, or we may just do quick service most days. We have our Annual Passes, so park tickets are taken care of...the only problem now is plane tickets. We normally fly using our Southwest Airlines reward points...and we have plenty...but wow, it is going to use a lot of points to get us to Florida this time of year!! This may be the new "norm", but it's certainly not what we are used to.

Eating Healthy "on-the-go"

When you think of Fast Food at Disney World, you may be thinking about hamburgers, chicken strips and pizza. And in a LOT of cases, you'd be right...but there are some great options for eating healthy around the Walt Disney World resort, even without the expense of a sit-down meal.

Magic Kingdom:

Adventureland - Grab a "build your own" taco salad or have a chicken burrito from Tortuga Tavern

Tomorrowland - Cosmic Ray's offers a huge array of salads, sandwiches and rotisserie chicken

Fantasyland - Pinocchio Village Haus has more than pizza...try a Penne Pasta dish or a Caesar Salad with chicken

Liberty Square - Lobster Rolls, Grilled Salmon and Vegetarian Chili are on the menu at Columbia Harbor House

or right across the walkway you can enjoy a Baked Potato and Fruit from the Liberty Square Market

Epcot:

The Land - One of the best options for a healthy and hearty meal is Sunshine Seasons - they offer everything from Asian noodle bowls and Seared Tuna salad to Rotisserie chicken and Roasted Pork Chops

Mexico - La Cantina del San Angel serves up brisket or chicken tacos, and yummy empanadas

Japan - Snack on sushi, teriyaki beef/chicken/salmon and japanese curry dishes from this little food stand

China - Stir Fry, Rice/Noodle Bowls and Egg Rolls provide nice break from french fries and hamburgers in China

Morocco - get a taste of the Mediterranean at Tangierine Cafe when you choose from many different Chicken and Lamb platters

Disney's Hollywood Studios:

Backlot Express - offers the best choices at this park, with Grilled Sandwiches and Southwest Salad on the menu

Studio Catering Company - another great menu that includes many sandwich, salad and wrap choices

Disney's Animal Kingdom: 

Yak and Yeti - stroll on over to Asia to find some healthy salad and sandwich options, as well as chicken and rice dishes

While I enjoy a good hamburger or pizza as much as the next person, it's hard to imagine a whole week of "fast food" and thankfully Disney has provided a wide range of options to avoid the typical "fast food" rut. Enjoy!