Happy Anniversary – To ME!

Today is my husband’s and my 3^rd wedding anniversary – which may not seem like long to some of you, but we feel excited and thrilled – mostly that we have lasted this long without killing each other! But seriously, it’s great to celebrate, and it’s a good time to look back and reflect on the past three years – which include three AMAZING trips to WALT DISNEY WORLD!

       

We honeymooned at Walt Disney World – it was a great time, but I would NOT recommend WDW in June – sticky, rainy, humid, and HOT!

 

 

We ventured to Disney in December for our second trip, and the décor, food, and atmosphere was so Christmas-y – it was the best, and we are actually heading back this year during Christmas for trip number four!

 

 

For our third and most recent trip, we went at Easter time with my parents and spent a whole week enjoying all that WDW had to offer – it was a great time, the weather was perfect, and it didn’t rain once!

Many of my favorite memories with my husband are times we have spent together on vacation at Walt Disney World – I love being able to spend time with the people I love in the place I love more than any other place in the world!

 

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – I Heart NYC!

Coming to you LIVE from the BIG APPLE! I am lucky enough to live a mere 6 hours from New York City, so it’s just a short plane ride away, and I will be spending this weekend enjoying all the sites, sounds, shopping, and dining that the City has to offer. One stop I will be SURE to make is at the Disney Store in Times Square – if you have never been I suggest you check it out!

On my shopping list are gifts for my friend’s baby (a Monsters University onesie perhaps – in celebration of the new movie out later this month?), and possibly a new cell phone case for myself? So many choices…they also offer some unique to New York merchandise at the store, too:

It’s always nice to get a little slice of Disney without having to go all the way to Florida – and stepping into a Disney Store is a fun way to surround yourself with all that Disney Magic!

TGIF!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Mingling With Royalty At WDW

One of the best parts of WDW is the character interaction – you have a chance to meet so many different characters, and it’s always fun to get a hug and a picture with your favorite! One of my favorite ways to meet characters is by going to character meals – there are usually 4 or 5 characters that mingle around while you’re eating to interact with you – and the best part is they come right to you! No waiting in line necessary!

One of more coveted (aka harder to get a reservation for) is Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom – where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in a royal fashion inside Cinderella’s Castle!

When you arrive, you are greeted downstairs by Cinderella and you have your picture taken with her (the photos are then brought to your table, and the price is included in the meal!)

Once your name is called, you head upstairs to your table. Personally, I loved getting to see the inside of the Castle – it’s beautiful, and not something that everyone gets to see, so that makes it all the more special!The food here is amazing – my husband especially enjoyed the Prime Rib!

Why Adults will love it – The food really is amazing, plus guys will like the princesses (they are usually not too hard on the eyes!) and the experience is fun and unique, and makes you feel like real royalty!

Why Kids will love it – getting to meet their favorite princesses and pretend they are little princes and princesses will brighten any little one’s day! Plus, what a perfect excuse to dress up like your favorite Disney Princess!

TGIF!

Getting Close To The 180 Day Mark – Time To Plan out Those ADR’s!

 

Our Walt Disney World Family Christmas Adventure may still be over 7 months away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning – especially since our ADR day is only a month away!

First you may wonder – what the heck is an ADR day? It’s that magical day that occurs 180 days before your WDW arrival, where you can either go online and call the fine folks at Disney Dining and make your trip dining selections!

You also might not be entirely sure what an ADR is – it stands for Advance Dining Reservation, and how it works is you select a time to eat at your fave Disney restaurants, and when you arrive at that time, your name will be first called once a table becomes available for your party

Ok, so now that we are all clear on what makes this 180 day mark so special, we can get down to business! For us, a party of 4 adults, we want to make sure we are picking a variety of places – family friendly character meals as well as places that offer new and exciting cuisine, and also places that might be a little more “adult” friendly (aka – have a good wine selection!). Also, since we will be there on Christmas, we want to at least try and have some kind of familiar “holiday” meal, similar to what we would have at home.

So we sat down, talked it out, and utilized some menus to decide what we really wanted to experience when it came to our WDW dining experience

Our Final Choices?

-Via Napoli for Lunch – wood fired pizzas, wine and other Italian treats over in Epcot’s World Showcase

-Raglan Road for Dinner – This has turned into a “must do” – the atmosphere, entertainment, beer selection, and amazing Irish eats have been amazing every time, without fail

-1900 Park Fare for Breakfast – This is a “new” one for us (“new” meaning we haven’t been in about 20 years so none of us remember it!) – we are excited to spend time with the Alice In Wonderland characters and sample some delicious breakfast buffet items over at WDW’s beautiful Grand Floridian Resort

-Liberty Tree Tavern for Christmas Eve Dinner – Turkey and all the fixin’s are a perfect choice for a family holiday meal – and the rustic old American theming of the restaurant located in the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square is a great place to feel happy and at home!

-Boma for Dinner – This has also become a “must do” for our family – at first I must admit I was hesitant to bring my family here, unsure of how they would react to the authentic African cuisine – but they LOVED it – and we will definitely be back for more unique salads, hummus, and bobotie (my personal fave – an egg based beef and lamb dish that is to die for!)

-Crystal Palace for Breakfast – This has been a “must do” for over 20 years for my family – the delicious food and amazing characters make it the perfect way to start a day at the Magic Kingdom. Pose with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet as you sample Poohs Breakfast Lasagna, Mickey Waffles, and much much more (bottom line – you won’t leave hungry!)

-Ohana for Dinner – Another “new” addition to our dining agenda, I have been wanting to try this one for a while (pretty much since I heard that they serve warm banana bread pudding for dessert!). This all you care to eat family style restaurant at WDW’s Polynesian Resort serves up Asian inspired meats, veggies, and rice in a relaxed, tropical setting

Now all I need to do is wait a month to make the ADR’s….then just another 6 months until I am back at my favorite place!

What do you think – Do you have any places you have to eat at/want to eat at/want to try while vacationing at WDW?

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Inside The “Fantasy”

I just got back from a cruise – and it was an amazing time! My husband and I sailed to Key West FL and Cozumel Mexico and got to snorkel, shop, and enjoy the sun and warm weather.

Our vacation was not a Disney Cruise, but it DID get me to thinking – if I love cruises and Disney so much, why haven’t I combined those two and seriously considered booking a Disney Cruise for us?

So, I did some research on Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, and here is what I found:

 
It’s breathtaking, even from the outside!

A beautiful grand atrium where you are greeted by none other than Minnie herself

Nautical themed staterooms with that touch of “Mouse” décor

Lots of dining and entertainment options, both for families with kids and adults too

A huge pool complete with Mickey design and a water slide

 

Disney Cruises can take you to places like Alaska, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Europe and more! Check it out here to see where they can take you

There are few things better than sipping a fruity drink while sunbathing on the deck of a cruise ship – if you haven’t experienced this, I suggest you get on it, pronto!

TGIF!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Staying Warm In Style – WDW Style!

You never know quite what to expect when it comes to Florida weather – it could rain, pour, hail, be sunny, hot, cool – it’s ever changing to say the least!

One thing that people usually assume is that it will be warm while they are on vacation at Walt Disney World – which is probably true some of the time, but it tends to get cooler at night, and the mornings can be chilly too. I recommend you bring along a hoodie, but if you forget yours, you can always check out some of these great hoodies available at the Parks:

From a classic logo sweatshirt

To a preppy-cute cardigan

Or this foodie favorite

And my personal fave – this bright retro-inspired style

 

You can shop online for great Disney outerwear too – Check out all the options for women and men

TGIF!