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!

 

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!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Disney DIY

There is so much anticipation and excitement that lead up to a Walt Disney World vacation, and once you are there it’s amazing, and fun, and exhilirating. But once it’s over, there is definitely a bit of a let down, because not only is your vacation over, but you have to leave the Happiest Place On Earth!

So how can you beat the post-Disney blues? By bringing some of the magic of Disney into your own home, of course! There are TONS of Disney DIY projects you can do that are easy, fun, and great ways to remind you of just how special Disney is!

For those of you who are into Disney Pin Collecting, here’s a great way to display those pins – here are the step by step instructions on how to create this great Disney Pin display case

Bake up some Disney fun with a Mickey Cookie cutter and these Chocolate Sugar Cookies – my man made them for me as a surprise, and let me tell you – it doesn’t get more delicious or cute than Mickey shaped cookies!

There are a few different Disney Cookbooks out there that feature recipes from the various Parks and Restaurants on Disney Property, and it’s a great way to recreate that delicious meal you had on vacation. Personally, I have this Delicious Disney book and love the graphics and recipes

Disney loves the holidays, and so do I! I love them so much I did a recreation of this giant Mickey pumpkin last year for Halloween using one big and two little pumpkins – it was actually really easy, and Mickey’s smiling face might not have been spooky, but it certainly was a great holiday addition

There are plenty of things you can do with your vacation photos too – from collages to decoupage to scrapbooks and albums – picture gifts and crafts are my personal fave, they’re the best way to relive the greatest vacation moments!

TGIF!