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!

“Cruise” Away To Your Own Private Island With Disney

Two weeks from today, my husband and I head off on a much needed vacation. Where are we headed? The answer may surprise you, because it’s not Disney – we are actually headed on a Royal Caribbean Cruise that will take us to Key West, FL and Cozumel Mexico while we enjoy the sun, tall fruity drinks, snorkeling, delicious cuisine, and much more! We are VERY excited about this trip, and have been looking forward to it for quite some time now!

Cruises are a great way to get away and see some new places and experience new things, and one of the best things about them is that they are usually pretty reasonably priced – so it really makes for a perfect vacation!

Now I know I have mentioned the Disney Cruise Line before, and there are plenty of reasons why you could choose to set sail with Disney, and one of the best ones in my personal opinion is Disney’s Castaway Cay – Disney’s privately owned island getaway in the Bahamas. Guests embarking on Disney’s Bahamas and Caribbean bound cruise ships will get a chance to spend a day here – among the clear water, white sand, and palm trees

 

You can snorkel, swim, sunbathe, enjoy an “adults only” beach, get a massage, shop for souvenirs, and enjoy some delicious BBQ food while spending the day on Castaway Cay

This private island is just one of the perks of taking a cruise with Disney – Click Here to check out the Disney Cruise Line and to see if it’s right for you!

Adult WDW – A Dole Whip With A “Twist”

The 2013 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing, and in addition to the tons of beautiful topiaries, celebrity appearances, and live concerts – there are also some deliciously unique fresh food offerings, like BBQ meat and craft beer pairings, Mexican tapas, and much more, including this beauty:

The Rum Spiced Dole Whip

So they take the traditional Dole Whip and add some delicious Siesta Key Spiced Rum for a delicious adults-only treat!

Head over to the Pineapple Promenade booth for this and other delicious treats – like pineapple upside down cake, and a non alcoholic version of the Dole Whip is available here too

And what could be more perfect than enjoying a delicious frozen Dole Whip with Rum while walking around Epcot and taking in all the sights and sounds?

 

Disney DIY – Alice In Wonderland Frame Collage

Recently I talked about some pretty sweet Disney DIY projects, and those got me thinking, how else can I bring Disney into my home?

I have always been a huge Alice In Wonderland fan – both the Tim Burton version and the classic animated version, and there are some especially good quotes from that movie that have always stuck with me, so I decided to have myself a little craft project….

We don’t have a ‘headboard’ for our bed, so these sconces have always served as a nice little decoration for the wall above the bed, but it was definitely time for a change…

Enter, the quote collage – There are tons of artsy prints of Alice In Wonderland quotes that can be purchased via sites like Etsy, but I thought – why not just make my own?

So I printed out a bunch of my favorite Alice quotes, and my husband and I went about getting them into the frames

Once we had them all framed, it was time to say goodbye to the sconces and get the quotes hung up!

 

My personal favorite quote? “We’re All Mad Here” - I may even get it tattooed on me at some point – because let’s face it, it’s the truth, isnt it?

It was really a pretty cheap and easy project to do, the frames were around $20 at Target (they come in packs of 3 or 4), and the printing was free as I did it at home, and the best thing about it is there is no right or wrong way to do it, the quotes don’t have to be perfectly centered and the frames don’t have to be hung in a straight row, it’s really just whatever you feel looks good

This idea can be done TONS of ways, with other Disney movies, or famous Walt Disney quotes, it can be tailored to adults or kids (like princess pictures and quotes for a little girls room!), You could even use all different frames to give it a more eclectic look – the possibilities are really endless!