T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – New Year, New Resolutions!

HAPPY 2015! Can’t believe Christmas is over and it’s a whole new year already! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to take on 2015 and all the challenges and good times it is sure to bring! I like to make New Year’s Resolutions, and I have come up with some for this year:

Introducing my baby boy to the world of Disney, starting with these:

Yeah, that’s right – Disney Videos! Actual VHS tapes of basically all the classics, and not only will this introduce him to Walt’s classics, but it will also teach him what a VCR is (something he otherwise would never have known, because who uses those anymore anyway? Well, me, duh!)

Aside from videos, it’s also never too early to teach him about the Disney Parks too – he will need a full education on what it’s like to visit the happiest place on earth, and I hereby resolve to start that education ASAP!

Another one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to cook more and to try new recipes. Lucky for me, Disney can help me out with that, with their assortment of cookbooks that contain recipes from the Disney Parks and Resorts!

My last resolution is the most important to me – and that is to spend as much time as I can with my family and get to watch my baby grow into a little boy – they grow up fast, and I won’t be missing a single minute of it. Before I know it, he will be tall enough to go on all the Rides at Walt Disney World! I can’t wait to take him – but for now, I will focus on enjoying this stage of his life and helping him learn and grow

What about you – do you make any New Years Resolutions? Are they Disney related?

TGIF and Happy New Year to all!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Christmas Countdown Time!

So Halloween is over, the candy has been eaten (well its all gone in my house at least!), and if you’ve been to any store in the past two weeks you’ll agree that the Christmas season is upon us (whether you like it or not!). Commercials, sales, merchandise – it’s all out and ready to help you celebrate! It may be a bit early to start Christmas shopping or listening to Christmas Carols, but it’s never too early to plan a trip to Walt Disney World at Christmastime! I HIGHLY recommend it – I personally have gone twice during the holiday season and its a great time for those who want to combine their love of Christmas with their love of Disney World (what, doesn’t everyone love those two things as much as I do?!)

Here are a few of the awesome things you can expect to experience when you visit WDW at Christmas:

The FOOD – Holiday themed treats are around every corner – from peppermint fudge to snowman candy apples, and seasonal cupcakes and cookies too!

Attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is one of the other things I recommend – it’s an extra ticket cost as it’s a special event, but it’s worth it – a special parade and character appearances, free cookies and cocoa, and that’s right, it even SNOWS on Main Street! What could be better?

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios you’ll find the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights – a display of millions of Christmas lights that is lit nightly, and the lights blink in tune to famous Christmas Carols. We went on Christmas Day to see this, and it was amazing – I couldn’t picture a better way to spend Christmas Day with my family!

Are you a big fan of Gingerbread? Well then you’re in luck, as several of the Disney Resorts construct Gingerbread displays that are truly a sight to behold – as in this house is made entirely of actual baked gingerbread – pretty cool, right? Oh – and if you’re a fan of actually EATING gingerbread, then you’ll appreciate the fact that you can buy gingerbread “shingles” to take home too!

Disney World is amazing all times of the year, but Christmas is when it really shines – literally! The lights, decor, giant decorated trees, songs, treats, and everything else all add up to an amazing holiday experience which I hope you are lucky enough to get to experience someday!

Oh and by the way – there are only 48 days until Christmas!

TGIF!

Bake Your Mother Something Sweet From Disney This Mother’s Day!

Mother’s day is less than a week away – but if you haven’t picked out that perfect gift for your mom yet, don’t worry – because if there’s one things moms all over the world love, its something made by hand for them from their offspring. Oh, and another thing that most moms and women love – desserts. So if you make a dessert for your mom, you’re pretty much in the running for a “kid of the year” award – and why not incorporate a little Disney Magic in there while you’re at it?

Check out the dessert section of the Magical Recipes website for sweet treats to make for mom straight from the Disney Parks and Resorts! Not sure which recipe Mom would like? Then just check out the Chocolate lovers section of recipes – because I haven’t met a woman ever who didn’t like a chocolate dessert!

Hopefully yours will turn out a bit better than Sleeping Beauty’s Birthday cake did…but either way I bet Mom will LOVE it!

Disney For Adults – FAQ

When people find out how much of a Disney lover I am, and how often I vacation at Walt Disney World, I am often met with skepticism, disbelief, and QUESTIONS – I am always prepared for all three, and it led me to realize that many people probably have the same inquiries, so here are some Frequently Asked Questions about Disney World for adults:

“Isn’t Walt Disney World Just For Kids?” – HECK NO! That’s really the reason behind me starting this blog, is to help adults realize that WDW has a lot to offer for those of ALL ages, and that everyone will have fun here, not just kids

“Isn’t A Walt Disney World vacation expensive?” – It can be, but if you make smart choices like staying in a Disney Value Resort, sharing meals (as Disney portions can be HUGE!), keeping your souvenir budget in check, and going at “off” times when the prices are lower, you can save money and make it more of a value

“What is there for adults to do at Walt Disney World?” – A LOT! From spas, to golf courses, to 5 star meals, to boat rentals, to watersports, to behind the scenes tours, to special events, to shopping, swimming….let’s just say this – you will never be bored at WDW

“Where can I stay at Walt Disney World?” – They have a ton of amazing Resorts – ranging in price and ameneties, you can stay in anything from a basic room to a campground cabin to an RV to a 3 bedroom suite. Disney does a great job with theming on these resorts too, so if you’re really into New Orleans, or the Caribbean, or Disney Animation – there are Resorts themed to all of those and more!

“What’s the food like at Walt Disney World?” – Theme Park food gets a bad rap, and for a good reason – it’s mostly overpriced, bad tasting, and bad for you. Well, rest assured that WDW food is absolutely NOTHING like your typical Theme Park cuisine – they do it all here: sushi, steak, salads, buffets, dishes from around the World, and much more. It’s one of my favorite parts of Disney – is trying new and different restaurants and food

“Why should I go to Walt Disney World?” – Why NOT? It is a magical place, with something for everyone – rides, food, shows, attractions, animals, characters, parades, live music, drinks, dancing, laughter – need I say more?

Get Rid Of Those “Monday Blues” With A Disney Drink!

I have mentioned that recreating Disney Recipes at home can be a great way to reminisce about a great Disney vacation, and it’s also a great way to get pumped for your next WDW trip too!

Sometimes though, after a long hard day at work, you just need to kick back, relax, and enjoy an adult beverage – and luckily, Disney has you covered there too – they serve up tons of amazing cocktails in the Parks and Resorts, and now you can recreate them at home – thanks to magicalrecipes.net – where they have a HUGE LIST of all kinds of Disney drinks with detailed recipes

Personally, I could go for a Key Lime Martini or maybe a Malibu Macaw right about now…

So the next time you are feeling down, or maybe you’re having a “case of the Mondays” kind of day, I suggest you whip up a Disney Drink – guaranteed to cure whatever ails you!

Packing Light For Disney

Packing for a Disney World vacation can be a daunting task, there are a lot of things you will want to bring along (and if I were you, I recommend you bring along all the items on my Disney Survival Kit list), BUT, I know how important it can also be to pack light, no one wants to lug around a huge suitcase, and in our case, we have had some issues with airlines losing luggage, and try not to check bags when we travel

So what do we bring? Our rule of thumb is generally to bring “one of everything” – one pair of sneakers, one pair of jeans, one hoodie, one nice outfit, one pair of dressier shoes, etc. Yeah, you might have to re-wear something, and worse comes to worse if you spill something on your one pair of jeans, all Disney Resorts have laundry facilities on site

Another thing we do to save space is to wear the big stuff – the hoodie, jeans, and sneakers tend to take up the most space in the suitcase, so we make sure we wear those while traveling

When it comes to souvenirs, we make sure we are buying small items that we will definitely be able to fit into our bags. Our fave items? Disney pins, playing cards, pens, shot glasses, and postcards are all compact, easy to pack, fun items to bring back as trip momentos. Oh, and don’t forget about the best souvenir of all, the trip photos, which luckily don’t take up any space at all when stored in the camera!

My motto for packing is “When in doubt, leave it out!” which may seem silly, but if you find you arrive at WDW and you forgot to pack something, the Resort gift shops and nearby stores have almost anything you could need, so don’t worry – pack the essentials and get going!