December 15, 2024
So here we are already to the end of 2024. Can you believe it that in just a couple days we will be enjoying the holidays with our families and then ringing in the new year. And with the holidays right around the corner that means so are the dreaded annual passholder block out dates. My family had to get one more trip in for the 2024 year so we headed off to or favorite park for the day.
If you have not guessed yet my families favorite park is Hollywood Studios. My oldest son is a huge Star Wars fan and could spend hours in Galaxy’s Edge. My youngest son loves everything Toy Story. He is also obsessed and I mean obsessed with the ride Slinky Dog Dash. We have to do this ride at least twice every time we visit this park. My husband is not a huge rides person so this park is not his favorite when it comes to rides but he loves trying the new cocktails and food offerings as well as checking out the Star Wars merch. And me, I love this park because it makes my family happy! Plus who does not love a day at Hollywood Studios.
We started our day off in Toy Story Land were we rode a couple rides and then stopped and said hi to our favorite space ranger Buzz Lightyear. After that we stopped and had some lunch. We were able to try out some of the seasonal food offerings. I loved the peppermint cookie at Dockside Dinner but I love the taste of peppermint. After lunch it was off the Galaxy's Edge. This was the most exciting part as my youngest son was finally tall enough to ride Rise of the Resistance. He said one word as he exited the ride...amazing! After we did both rides in Galaxy's Edge we enjoyed some snacks complete with a cocktail for mom and dad. To end the day we rode one of my favorites, Tower of Terror. My youngest is also tall enough to do this ride now but he is not quite ready for it. Overall it was a perfect Disney Day to finish off our year! I can't wait for all the 2025 Disney Days!
It's that time of year again, Christmas Tree Stroll time at Disney Springs. I am not sure why this has always been one of my favorite holiday activities at Disney World. Maybe because it is free, or you get to check out all the Disney inspired Christmas Trees, or maybe it is because you also get to enjoy a day at Disney Springs.
This year I left the kids at home and went with my mom. We enjoyed a day of Christmas shopping as well as looking at all the beautiful trees. This year they did have a couple new Christmas trees. They had a Disney World parks one, a Lilo and Stich one, as well as an all new passholder tree. My favorite tree is still the Coco Christmas Tree. Once you finish the tree stroll just take you map back to one of the participating locations and you will receive a 2024 Christmas Tree Stroll pin. Also, if you have a MagicBand plus don't forget to bring it with you, like I did. Some of the Christmas trees this year have interactive features if you wave your MagicBand in front of them.
The Christmas Tree Stroll is going on now until December 30, 2024. You can pick up your free map at any of the below listed locations at Disney Springs.
- City Works Eatery
- Crystal Arts
- Joffery's Tea and Coffee Company
- The LEGO Store
- The Luxury of Time by Diamonds International
You can also CLICK HERE to download the Christmas Tree Stroll map.
July 28, 2024
4 Disney World Parks + 1 Day = One Magical Memory!
My oldest son and I completed the four parks in one day challenge. Our goal at each park was to complete at least two rides in each park as well as have a snack in each park. We also decided to park our car at the ticket and transportation center and use Disney transportation to get around to all four parks.
Park 1 - We started off at Magic Kingdom. The reason we wanted to start off at this park is we wanted to be able to grab a boarding group for TRON. We arrived at Magic Kingdom almost an hour before the park opened. This was actually great because we were able to check out all the stores on main street with no crowds and take some great castle pictures again with minimal crowds. At 9am the ropes were dropped and we were headed off to our first ride, The Little Mermaid. After that our boarding group was called for TRON. It was then time for our snack. We tried the new lavender lemonade and beignets. Then we were off to ride more rides. We rode The Peoplemover, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear before we headed to catch the bus to our next park.
Park 2 - Next stop was Animal Kingdom. When we got to this park we were hungry for some lunch. We headed over to Restauranntosaurus in Dinoland USA and had some chicken nuggets and fries. We went ahead and counted this as our snack for this park. Next we were off to our first ride at this park DINOSOUR. Unfortunately when we were in the pre-show the ride broke down and we were escorted off but not before we were given a lighting lane to use on another ride. So we were off to one of my favorites at this park Expedition Everest. We ended up riding this one twice before heading back to the bus station and on to our third park of the day.
Park 3 - Our next park was EPCOT and this was were things got tricky. We were starting to get tired and a little worn down by the time we arrived to this park. The "feels like" 100 degree heat was not helping. So we headed over to The Land to do the rides in that area because you know, A/C. We also watched the show Awesome Planet which was another nice break. I did buy a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Guardians, as this is one of our favorites. When it was our time we headed over to ride this "cosmic" roller-coaster. When we got off the ride it was starting to rain so we threw on our ponchos and trucked onto the Japan pavilion to have our snack, sushi. After we enjoyed our sushi in the rain, the weather started to calm down just enough for Disney to open up the Skyliner again so we could head to our finial park.
Park 4 - Our finial park was Hollywood Studios. My oldest is a huge Star Wars fan so the Galaxy's Edge rides were a must. We started off with Rise of the Resistance and then headed over to Smugglers Run. And of course the rain started to pick up again. Once the rain calmed down a bit we headed over to ride Tower of Terror. But before we rode our last ride at this park we stopped and had a Mickey Pretzel for our snack. We also stopped to grab out celebration buttons. This was such a great touch to end our 4 park challenge.
Bonus - We did end up back at Magic Kingdom to finish the night. We had a Lightning Lane pass from earlier that day for ride that had broken down during our redemption time, and we just could not leave this pass unused. We headed over to Frontierland to ride Big Thunder Mountain. And our last stop before we headed back to our car was the Main Street Confectionary. We wanted to grab some sweet treats to obtain a sugar rush for the ride home.
June 26, 2024
The Genie+ system is getting a huge overhaul at Walt Disney World. The system will no longer be known as Genie+ but will now be known as Lighting Lane Multi Pass and Individual Lighting Lanes will now be known as Lighting Lane Single Pass. Disney will also be updating Lightning Lane passes to help guests; make Lightning Lane plans before your visit, for added confidence. Choose your experiences and times prior to purchasing, so you know what you’re getting. As well as book Lightning Lane passes for multiple vacation days, all in a single day.
Here is how the new Lighting Lane Passes will work:
When you purchase Lighting Lane Multi Pass you can make up to 3 Lightning Lane selections in a theme park, in advance of your visit. You will also be able to choose available times as you make their selections. On the day of your visit, once you use a selection, you can check the My Disney Experience app for availability to make an additional selection.
Lightning Lane Single Pass will work much like it does today, where you can secure a time to ride one of the most highly demanded attractions, but they’ll now be able to make their purchase and plan in advance.
Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels (Shades of Green Resort, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels) will be able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance, for their entire stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can plan up to 3 days in advance.
I am excited to see how this new system will work when it is put into action on July 24th. I do like that you are able to plan your lighting lane selections in advanced. This will help keep you off the phone trying to constantly select your next lighting lane and allow you to be in the moment with your family at the most magical place on Earth.
March 25, 2024
Sadly for spring break we are blocked out of the parks but my family still needed a touch of that Disney magic. So we parked at Hollywood Studios and headed to the Skyliner to check out some of the Disney World resorts. I absolutely love resort hopping as it is often slower paced then the theme parks and a great way to check out all the different unique theming of the Disney World resorts.
Stop 1: Our first stop was Art of Animation were we stopped at the Finding Nemo themed playground and let my boys run around for a bit and also stopped to play some cornhole. After we went and checked out all the life sized Cars characters around the resort since my toddler is absolutely obsessed with anything Cars. My husband and I also enjoyed an adult beverage from the pool bar.
Stop 2: Next we were off the Caribbean Beach Resort. Here we stopped at Banana Cabana, the pool bar, and enjoyed some lunch. The main pool for this resort was under renovations so we pretty much had the whole pool bar to ourselves. After we stopped off at the playground to let the boys play. This resort has one of my favorite playgrounds as it has a covering making most of the area shaded.
Stop 3: We then took the Skyliner to the World Showcase entrance and walked to The Boardwalk. Here we ended up renting a Surrey Bike. This was our first time doing this and it was definitely a lot harder then I thought it was going to be. My oldest son very much enjoyed this activity.
Stop 4: Out last and finial stop is one of my favorite resorts The Riviera Resort. Here we just stopped and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside. The Riviera Resort has a large lawn area with multiple outdoor activities like cornhole, chess, and botchy ball. My oldest son and husband enjoyed a game of lawn chess while at this resort.
March 8, 2024
Out of all the festivals that EPCOT has, Flower and Garden has some of my favorite food options available. Here is everything I have tried so far at the 2024 Flower and Garden Festival.
- Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (Pineapple Promenade) - This is one of my must have items every year at Flower & Garden. This non-alcoholic drink is a very refreshing and sweet treat.
- Honey-glazed Cauliflower (The Honey Bee-stro) - This dish was one of my favorite food items I tried. I love the crunch this dish has. I can't wait to go back and try the chicken and waffles at this booth.
- Frushi (Japan) - This is another staple food at the festival. This is a sweet spin on sushi.
- Steam Bun (Japan) - The steam bun is filled with vegetables and plan-based soy meat. This was ok, but does make a great vegetarian option.
- Watermelon Strawberry Lemonade (Japan) - As you can see we pretty much tried everything at the Japan booth. My son was excited to try this lemonade, but it was a little too sweet for us.
- Ichigo Breeze Cocktail (Japan) - This drink is sake with strawberry and watermelon. Much like the lemonade this cocktail was very sweet.
- Brew Hub Strawberry Heatwave Berliner (Trowel & Trellis) - I was craving a beer by time I hit this booth. I was actually presently surprised that I liked the taste of the beer. However, it was not on my top list of drinks I tried.
- Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites (BRUNCHCOT) - It is hard for me to find the words on how delicious these were. They are served warm and full of gooey deliciousness.
- Coffee Cocktail (BRUNCHCOT) - I am a sucker for any cocktails with coffee in it so I knew I had to try this. I very much enjoyed this drink and it went perfect with the cinnamon roll bites.
- Liquid Nitro Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake (Swirled Showcase) - This one takes the cake (pun attended) as my absolute favorite dish of the festival. I could not get enough of this cheesecake and absolutely plan to get another one when I go back to the festival.
- Hibiscus Lemonade Cocktail (Farmers Feast) - This is my favorite cocktail of the festival thus far. This cocktail is so refreshing. The best part is this booth is by the Discovery playground. So stop at this booth grab yourself a cocktail and then sit down and enjoy it while the kids play on the playground.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! That's right the Flower and Garden festival is back at EPCOT. This is my absolute favorite festival and today was my first of many visits.
First, lets talk about the gardens and topiaries. There are some new topiaries this year. A popular one is Groot. You can find this topiary over by the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. There is also Miguel and Dante from the beloved Pixar film Coco. You can find them near the entrance to the Mexico pavilion. A couple of my personal favorite topiaries are Huey, Dewey, and Louie over by Test Track. I think I like this one because these rambunctious ducks remind me of my own boys. I also love the Princess Tiana topiary over in the American pavilion. She is absolutely stunning. And of course all of EPCOT is just covered with gorgeous and colorful flowers.
Spike's pollen nation exploration scavenger hunt is also back. The scavenger hunts are always a big hit with my kids. I must say that the prize this year for the scavenger hunt is the best one I have ever seen. It is a mini corn hole game, perfect for your desk. You have the choice of picking a corn hole board with either orange bird, spike the bee, butterflys, or Coco on it.
And of course I did not forget about the food! I have to say the food at the Flower and Garden festival is some of my favorite. The frozen violet lemonade and the frushi are some of the staple food items for flower and garden and are defiantly must tries. Another must try every year is the Honey Bee-Stro booth. This booth never disappoints and is always one of my favorites every year. I was sad they did not bring back the flatbread pizza as this was one of my favorites from last year. However, the honey-glazed cauliflower was delicious and one of my favorite dishes I tried for the day.
The Flower and Garden Festival is going on now until May 27th.
I am so excited for Epic Universe, the new theme park coming to the Universal Orlando Resort in 2025! That's right, Universal Studios Orlando Resort is getting a whole new theme park, and it is going to be EPIC! At Epic Universe, guests will journey to five immersive worlds - each one filled with thrills and excitement and bringing to life extraordinary adventures that go beyond your wildest imaginations:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, where guests will discover a different era of the wizarding world in an all-new land that blends 1920s wizarding Paris from the Fantastic Beasts films with the iconic British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series.
Super Nintendo World, where guests will enter the iconic green pipe and discover a new way to play as they step into the worlds of beloved characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Donkey Kong.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, where guests can soar with dragons in a colorful world filled with Viking adventures based on the popular How to Train Your Dragon film franchise.
Dark Universe, where guests encounter everything from the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein to the shadowy landscape where monsters roam in a world of myth and mystery.
Celestial Park will be the gateway to explore the four additional worlds of Epic Universe. From Celestial Park, you'll go through a set of majestic portals that capture the imagination and creativity of each world. Plus, located at the end of Celestial Park is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, designed to transport guests to a world where the heavens and earth unite – complete with 500 rooms, one-of-a-kind views and its very own dedicated entrance into the theme park!
More details will be announced as we get closer to the opening of this new park in 2025! I am most excited for the Dark Universe land!
January 27, 2024
Ahsoka Tano Day is technically January 29th but today was the day that Hollywood Studios was celebrating it with a lightsaber meet up with Ashley Eckstein.
We headed to Hollywood Studios around 2pm. I could not believe how hot it was outside for January so we headed over to the Launch Bay to get away from the heat for a bit. We were able to meet Darth Vader. I was so nervous my toddler was going to be scared of Darth Vader but as Mr. Vader rounded the corner I was pleasantly supervised my toddler was not sacred at all. Darth Vader even tried to get my oldest to tell him the name of his master, but my son held strong and never gave away the name of his master. We also did a meet and greet with BB8.
Next we headed over to Toy Story Land and tested are shooting skills in Toy Story Mania. After we got off this ride it was starting to get dark and we headed over to Galaxy's Edge were the fun really started. It was amazing seeing everyone there for the lightsaber meet up in every Star Wars costume you could think of. Some of the costumes were so detailed and I have no better words to say than they were "super amazing". Galaxy's Edge was lit up with every color lightsaber held up or twirling around. We even found a uncrowded area and my kids had an epic lightsaber battle. About 8:30pm we headed to go line up for group pictures with Ashley Eckstein. There was a huge turnout and the line was very long. Unfortunately while we were standing in line my toddler was not having it anymore with the waiting, and we had to leave the line and ended up hoping on Slinky Dog Dash before park close.
Even though we were not able to make it to the group pictures it was a wonderful experience. This was our first lightsaber meet up and I did not know what to expect. Now that I know what to expect, I am looking forward to attending the next one.
Festival of the Arts is officially back at EPCOT starting today! I decided to take the day off of my nine to five job and enjoy the first day of the festival.
We first headed off to the World Showcase to start eating our way through the festival. Before we started on our trek we stopped off at the Port of Entry store to pick up the Figment scavenger hunt map. My kids love doing the different scavenger hunts for the festivals. It makes it a fun challenge for them while walking around the World Showcase. You also win a prize for completing the scavenger hunt.
My first stop was the China booth were I had the sesame balls and a silk river hard lemonade. The sesame balls were not my favorite and I do not recommend. However, the hard lemonade was my favorite drink of the day. Next, I was off to Italy to have the mozzarella fritta. This is also not the best food item at the festival but I love the "on theme" presentation of this dish. Then it was off the Morocco were I had the stone-baked Moroccan bread and the chai tea mint mimosa. I loved the hummus that came with the bread for dipping. The chia mimosa is always one of my favorite drinks, but I love all things chai. Next was Japan were I had the sushi donut and masu sake. The sake comes with a box were they wright your name in Japanese. And it would not be the Festival of the Arts without stopping at the Deconstructed Dish to have the key lime pie. This is a must have for me.
This festival also has so many more activities. You can stop and help paint a mural. There is even chalk art for the kids. You can also stop by the American Pavilion to participate in the animation academy. There is also so much amazing artwork to look at. Every year I always buy one new Disney print for my home. This year I bought a print of the Up house. I love all the colors in the house and the balloons.
Festival of the Art is going on now at EPCOT until February 19, 2024.
Festival of the Holidays is back at EPCOT! This is my second favorite festival just behind The Flower and Garden Festival.
We spent today checking out all this festival has to offer this year. We started off at the Creations Shop to check out all the Festival of the Holidays merch. This year there is a cute crossbody Loungefly and a very fuzzy spirt jersey that I had my eye on. After checking out the merch we headed to the World Showcase to start trying the food. We started off with the China booth where we had the chicken skewer. It was so good that I forgot to take a picture of it. Some other favorites were the sushi tree from Japan and Creme de Saumon Fume en Brioche a l'Aneth Concombre from France. My favorite drink of the day was also from the France booth and that was the Le Joyeux de Noel. This was a coffee cocktail, and I love my coffee.
I also completed the cookie stroll as well. However, I learned from last year that eating five large cookies in one day is just not possible for me so I brought Ziploc bags with me this year. This way I was able to put the cookies in the Ziploc bags and enjoy them at home. Plus this gave my stomach more room to try even more food at the different festival booths. This years prize for completing the cookie stroll is a Wish cookie and chocolate ice cream.
The Olaf scavenger hunt is also back this year. My children love the scavenger hunts that EPCOT offers at the different festivals. The scavenger hunts are especially great for my older child because he loves focusing on tasks and the scavenger hunt gives him a task to focus on while enjoying the World Showcase. This years prize for completing the scavenger hunt is a cookie cutter. You have the choice of Olaf, Sven, Ana, and Elsa.
We ended our day with a ride on Living with the Land. Living with the Land does an amazing Christmas overlay every year and it is defiantly worth checking out.
Festival of the Holidays is going on now until December 30th at EPCOT.
Annual passholder previews for Journey of Water have started and I was fortunate enough to be able to preview this wonderful new addition to EPCOT.
Journey of Water is a walk through attraction were you get to learn about water as well as interact with the water. My favorite interactive area was the tidal wave. In this interactive area you have to work with others and try and make the wave as big as you can. There was also another interactive area where you had to jump up and down to make the water splash out.
My toddler loved the splash area they had. He was soaking wet by the end of the experience but one very happy kid. I am excited to use this area during the hot Florida summer months as this will be a great area to let the kids cool down.
Also make sure to look closely and you might find some hidden characters from Moana carved into the stone throughout the attraction. We were able to find Heihei, Pua, Moana, and The Kakamora. There are a lot more other hidden characters and items that we were not able to find this time around.
Overall, The Journey of Water is a great new addition to EPCOT! The Journey of Water officially opens on October 16, 2023.
It's been a busy travel month for me. I just got back from a quick stay at Aventura Hotel. This was my first time staying at this resort. Here are 4 things that I loved about Aventura Hotel.
1 - Each room at Aventura is equipped with an iPad. The iPad allows you to control features in your room like the lights, temperature, and television. You can also request items for your room or order food.
2 - If you are staying at Aventura make sure to check out the rooftop bar, Bar 17 Bistro. This bar features breathtaking views as well as a great food and drink menu.
3 - If you are walking through the hotel lobby you might come across Relay the robot. This robot navigates the lobby and elevators to deliver requested items to guest.
4 - When we stayed at Aventura we spent the day at Volcano Bay and loved that this resort was just a short two minute walk to Volcano Bay.
I just got back from a three night stay at Four Seasons Orlando Resort and may I just say this resort is just breathtaking. If you are looking for the ultimate stay with luxury and relaxation then look no further then Four Seasons Orlando.
There are so many amenities at this resort but I will just list a few of my favorite. My first favorite amenity is the lazy river. There is no better way to relax after a hot day at the parks then sitting in a tube and floating down the lazy river. Four Seasons also has a complimentary kids club called Kids for all Seasons. This club is for kids ages 4 to 12 years old. And after you drop off the kids at the kids club you can head over to the Spa. Some of the spa amenities are complimentary with your stay. Four Seasons also offers a character breakfast on select mornings where you can meet Goofy and friends dressed in their golfing attire.
Now lets talk about the rooms. The room I stayed in was gorgeous. I never usually sleep well in hotel beds but this hotel bed was so conferrable I slept like a rock. I was also able to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from my balcony.
Overall I loved my stay here and was thinking this is a great place for my family and I to have a little staycation.
It's that time of the year again....SPOOKY SEASON, which means that Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is back in full swing.
This is one of my favorite special ticketed events at Walt Disney World. At the Halloween party you get to trick or treat around Disney World, try specialty snacks, ride some rides with shorter wait times, and meet specialty characters. Don't forget this is also the only time that everyone (adults included) can go to the parks in costume. This year I went as Rapunzel. Since it is still very hot here in Florida I did not go in full costume.
Here is my personal experience in attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I arrived to Magic Kingdom around 3:45pm to get in line to enter the park at 4pm. The line was already very long when I arrived but it moved quickly and I soon had my wristband and was ready to go. The party does not officially kick off until 7pm. I was able to get on some rides prior to the party officially starting at 7pm.
Don't forget at 6pm if you want to ride TRON during the Halloween Party you will need to join the virtual queue at this time.
A little before 7pm I was able to ride Space Mountain with the Halloween overlay. The Tea Cups and Monsters Inc Laugh Floor are the other two rides that have a Halloween overlay for the party. At 7pm I headed over to Pecos Bills to try some of the party exclusive food offerings. I had the Cajun Burger which is served on a black bun (very spooky). I very much enjoyed this Burger. After I was nice and full I headed over to the one character meet and greet I wanted to do at the party, meeting the 7 Dwarfs. This was the longest line I stood in of the night (waited about an hour). Then it was about time for the Halloween Party Fireworks where Jack Skellington makes an appearance. During the fireworks my boarding group for TRON was called and I headed over to ride my favorite ride of the night. After TRON I watched the second Boo to You Halloween Parade at 11:15pm. This parade is my favorite part of the party and should not be missed. After the parade it was almost time for the party to end so I headed over to one last candy stop before heading out.
The Halloween party hours do go by fast and I was not able to get everything done I wanted to. However, I did prioritize my must do's during the party and am happy to report I was able to do all my must dos completed.
My son had been asking to complete a challenge he saw on YouTube. It was to complete 6 Orlando theme parks in one day. And today we completed that challenge. We completed the 2 Universal Studios parks and the 4 Disney parks in one day. Our goal was to ride at least one ride in each park. Even though I don't suggest doing this if you want to be able to enjoy what each park has to offer, it was still a fun and tiring challenge to complete.
Here is how we completed the challenge. We left our house at 6:30am and headed to Universal Studios. We wanted to get there before the park opened so we could head straight for our first ride with a very little wait time. We started off at Islands of Adventure and rode The Hulk and then hopped on the Hogwarts Express and headed over to Universal Studios and rode Men in Black Alien Attack.
Next it was off to Disney World where we started at Animal Kingdom. Here we rode Expedition Everest. After Animal Kingdom it was off to Hollywood Studios where we ran into a little speed bump. It started pouring rain when we where walking into this park and we got soaking wet. We decided to ride Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run and the wait time ended up being longer then expected. Next it was off to EPCOT. We spent the least amount of time in this park. We ended up riding Spaceship Earth as we where starting to get tired and this is one of my favorite rest rides at Disney World. And finally we hopped over to Magic Kingdom. We ended up closing down this park so we where able to complete a couple rides here. We even where able to ride TRON. I also forgot how much I love Magic Kingdom at night. The park is just a whole different vibe at night, and I love it. We ended up not making it back home until 12:30am!
I will need a day or two to recover from this challenge but definitely feel accomplished we completed it. I am not planning on doing this challenge again anytime soon.
We spent the day at Animal Kingdom today. This park actually has so much to do for little ones. Here are my top three non ride things to do with little ones at Animal Kingdom.
1. The Boneyard Playground - This is Disney World's largest playground and a favorite for my children. Often my kids ask to go to Animal Kingdom just to be able to play on this playground. This playground offers tons of slides, climbing areas, and a large space for the kiddos to run around in. There is also a bridge in the playground you can cross. Here you will find the dig site where your little ones can dig for fossils. The best part is the dig site is not sand but tiny pebbles so you don't have to worry about your children being covered in sand for the rest of the day.
2. Wilderness Explorers - This is a fun free activity that children and adults alike will enjoy. This is also a great way to explore the park. When you first enter the park you will see a Wilderness Explorer stand. Here you will pick up your Wilderness Explorer Handbook. You will then go around the park collecting badges and learning about animals and their habitats. Once you have collected all your badges you can head back to obtain your senior wilderness explorer badge.
3. Rafiki's Planet Watch (Conservation Station) - Over in Africa you will find the Wildlife Express. You will take this train over to the conservation station. Not only is there so much to do over at the conservation station but my little one loves riding the train back and forth. Once at the conservation station you will find interactive learning areas, a petting zoo, and the animation experience. At the animation experience you learn to draw a Disney animal character. We recentley did the animation experience for the first time. I was nervous on participating in this experience before because I was unsure if my toddler would sit still. However, a cast member provided my toddler with crayons and coloring sheets and he was happy as can be while my older son and I learned to draw Timon.
The Food and Wine Festival is officially back at EPCOT and I was so excited to be there opening day!
I started off the day at The Creations Shop to check out all the Food and Wine merchandise. There is tons of merchandise to include two new spirt jerseys, ears, and a Loungefly. After checking out the merchandise it was time to start enjoying this years booths. I started off in Ireland were I had the honey wine. This was actually my favorite drink of the day. I also had to stop at the Greece booth for griddled cheese. This is always one of my favorites. I also tired some food and drink options from China, India, France, and the Costal Eats booth. I cannot wait to go back and try more!
This year at the Odyssey building they have a pickle milkshake. I do not like pickles at all so I was not brave enough to try this milkshake. However, my husband loves pickles so next time we are there I will have him test it out and will update you with his review of this intriguing milkshake flavor. Stay Tuned!
Remy's Hide and Squeak is also back this year. You can purchase your map for $9.99 at any participating location at EPCOT. You will then look high and low to find Remy. This years prizes are lunchboxes and you have a choice of a Figment, Mickey, Encanto, or a Remy one.
Food and Wine Festival is going on now until November 18, 2023.
We enjoyed the day at Universal Studios Orlando and we were able to check out the newest ride, Villain-Con Minion Blast. This ride is currently on technical rehearsal and is set to open sometime later this summer.
I would consider this ride as more of an attraction then a ride. You do not actually sit in a ride vehicle but rather stand on a moving sidewalk and hold a blaster. On the moving sidewalk you are given a dot to stand on for the duration of the attraction.
The attraction does not have a height limit but does require children to be able to stand on their own, meaning no handheld infants. I was a littler nervous to bring my 2 1/2 year old on this ride as he is very active and I was worried he would not stand on the dot for the duration of the attraction so I did not take him on it this time. However, after riding it you are placed fairly close to the person if front of you and behind you plus there are railings on either side of you. I believe if I stood on one side of my toddler and my husband stood on the other side he would be fine. There is also tons to look at through the attraction that would keep my toddler's attention.
I was at first very apprehensive about this ride as I am more of a thrill rider person myself but I actually very much enjoyed it. It is a totally different ride concept then I have every experienced before. I also like that this attraction is family friendly and something the whole family will defiantly enjoy. My 10 year old son gave the ride a 10 out of 10.
Jurassic Park is celebrating it's 30th anniversary and right now at Universal Studios Orlando you can check out the Jurassic Park tribute store.
My 10 year old is a huge Jurassic Park fan so we knew we had to check out this store. There is tons of merchandise throughout the store and even some tasty treats you can purchase. However, the best part in my opinion of this tribute store are the photo ops located throughout the store. My son had a blast posing and recreating some of the famous Jurassic Park scenes. In the last room of the tribute store you will also find tons of memorabilia to look at. My son and I loved this tribute store so much we went through it twice.
The Jurassic Park tribute store is now open. There has not been an official end date announced for the store but it is suggested if you want to check out this tribute store to do so this summer.
Today I was able to check out Minion Café an all new quick service restaurant a part of Minion Land at Universal Studios Orlando. Minion Café is currently open for a soft opening phase. No exact date has been announced for Minion Land to fully open just that it will open sometime this summer.
Minion Café is split up into three different dining areas. The area you walk into first is the kitchen. Here you can get a glimpse of the tools and gadgets the Minions use to create your food. The second room to the right of the kitchen is the break room. This was my favorite room. Here guest can dine in the Minions hang out space complete with lockers full of bananas and a vending machine again full of bananas and even a fart gun. The third room is to the left of the kitchen and this is the dinning room. This space is decorated with artwork created by the Minions.
One thing I really like about this quick service restaurant is that instead of standing in line to order your food and then trying to find a seat to eat, you find your seat first. Once you are seated you order your food from the Universal mobile app. Each table has a table number located on it and you will put that table number into your app. Once your food is ready it will be brought to your table. I really like this concept especially since I often visit the parks with just me and my two little ones. Instead of struggling with a tray of food and a stroller while trying to find a seat the food is just brought right to your table. I plan to eat at Minion Café often just due to this fact alone.
Now lets talk about the food. Overall the food was ok. We started off with the two specialty drinks, PX-41 Punch and The Antidote. Both the specialty drinks where good and very sweet. I also tried the banana bread beer which I really liked. The beer did have a hint of a banana bread taste to it. We also ordered a side of the Minion tots and these where a fan favorite. I had the chicken Stuart's Szechuan Surprise and my son had the children's Mac n' Cheese. My food was ok, I think I will defiantly try something else next time we go. My son did not like his mac n' cheese but I should note that my son is a very picky eater. He does not like mac n' cheese with the white cheese and that's what this mac n' cheese was. The children's meal also came with a side of minion tots and a mini banana.
Overall we enjoyed the experience at Minion Café. The theming of this restaurant is on point. We will defiantly be back.
Our family has a little tradition were on the last day of school I pick up my oldest from school and we will head straight to Disney World to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer break!
This year we headed to Magic Kingdom. I love Magic Kingdom as my two children are 7 years apart and this park has the most rides we can do together as a family. We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 5:30pm and headed straight for the Tea Cups. (My toddlers favorite ride) After we stopped at Story Book treats to have ice cream before dinner. After dinner we headed to ride The Little Mermaid. I was surprised on how long the wait was for this ride. I think the long wait was due to the excitement for the Live Action Little Mermaid being released in theaters this weekend. Once we got off the ride it was about time to find our spot for the firework show. If you want a good spot in front of the castle for the firework show I always suggest finding your spot about an hour prior to the show. This was out first time seeing Happily Ever After since it's return to Magic Kingdom in April 2023. I will admit I might have teared up a little bit and I defiantly sang along to every song. After the fireworks were over we headed off to ride Buzz Lightyear and let the crowds clear out a little bit before taking the Ferry back to the ticket and transportation center and heading home.
Today we spent the day at another one of our favorite theme parks, Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando Resort. My older son loves this theme park as it is home to some thrilling roller coasters.
It actually was not too crowded at the park today. We started off with only a 15 minute wait for one of my favorite rides, The Hulk. Then we headed over to Toon Lagoon where my husband and older son rode Popeyes while I took the little one to play on Me Ship, The Olive. Then it was off to our favorite area, Jurassic Park. My children love the Camp Jurassic play area. We also were able to ride the River Adventure water ride in this area. We then headed to Hogsmeade to get a Butterbeer. This is always my must have treat. My son and I also braved the 95 minute wait for Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure. It was so worth the wait! Last we headed over to Suess Landing to do some of the rides in this area.
Since I have become a mother, every year I have celebrated Mother's Day at my favorite place on Earth, Disney World! Normally I go to EPCOT for Mother's Day as this is one of my favorite parks. However, this year we switched it up a little bit and ended up doing a resort hoping day.
We started off the day with breakfast at Cape May Café located at Disney's Beach Club Resort. At the breakfast we were able to meet Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy all dressed in their beachy best. After breakfast we continued to explore the Beach Club. This resort has one of my favorite pools, complete with the tallest waterslide at the Disney World Resorts. Beach Club is also walking distance to the World Showcase entrance at EPCOT. We headed over to the entrance and took the Skyliner over to the Riviera Resort.
At the Riviera Resort we stopped at the pool bar where me and my husband grabbed some drinks and then headed over to the courtyard to let the kids play some lawn games. My children enjoyed playing cornhole and chess. It was very hot outside today so we made sure to head to the lobby to cool off. Then it was back to the Skyliner where our next stop was Caribbean Beach Resort.
Once at Caribbean Beach Resort we stopped at Banana Cabana were we had some drinks and a couple appetizers. Once we were full we let the kids play on the playground. I love the Caribbean Beach playground as most of the play area has a covering. Once the kiddos were tired we headed back to the Skyliner to go back to EPCOT.
Once back at EPCOT we walked over to the Boardwalk were we ended our day with some ice cream.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
April 24, 2023
We just got back from a 3-Night cruise to the Bahamas aboard the all new Disney Wish. We had a blast on this cruise and cannot wait to go back on another Disney Cruise. I loved how beautiful and magical the grand hall was on this ship and I was completely obsessed with the chandelier. I wish I could fit it in my own house.
The lounges on this ship will not disappoint. My favorite lounges were The Hyperspace Lounge and The Bayou. The Hyperspace Lounge had one of my favorite drinks on the ship, Moons of Endor.
My older son's favorite part of the cruise was the kids club. My son spent most of the time here building his own Marvel superhero suit and completing missions. My husbands favorite part was racing my son on the Incredi-Course. My favorite part as always on any Disney cruise is the rotational dinning. This ship has three new dinning experiences, Arendelle, 1923, and The World of Marvel. My favorite restaurant was The World of Marvel as there is an interactive show during dinner that kept my children entertained. Plus we were able to meet Spider-Man.
And of course my whole family loved Disney's private island Castaway Cay. This is always my favorite stop on the Disney Cruise. The island is beautiful and I can never get enough of the crystal clear blue water. I enjoy just being able to relax on the beach all day while my children play in the water and build sand castles. The best part is lunch on the island is at no extra cost for you as it is included in the cost of your cruise.
See below for just some pictures of our cruise!
Roundup Rodeo BBQ is the newest table service restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort. This restaurant is located at Hollywood Studios in Toy Story Land. I was so happy I was able to snag a reservation for tonight. When you first enter the restaurant they handed my children ponies that they where able to ride to their table. Once we were seated the waiter took our drink order and the food started coming. This restaurant is served family style. You first start out with cheddar biscuits (these were delicious), followed by three different salads. You then get a platter with ribs, beef brisket, pork sausages, and BBQ chicken. They also have a plant based platter available as well. You also get your choice of four different sides for the table and of course you finish your meal with dessert. Let me tell you, you defiantly do not leave hungry from this restaurant. However, the best part of this restaurant is the experience. Your are truly emersed in the world of Toy Story as soon as you enter into this restaurant. The story behind this restaurant is Andy built this restaurant for his toys in his backyard and you are one of the toys enjoying the restaurant he built. There is even a part in your dinning experience were you here Andy coming and everyone in the restaurant has to freeze. We happened to be celebrating my son's birthday when we were here and instead of saying happy birthday the cast members at this restaurant said happy unboxing day (since my son was technically a toy at this restaurant). Overall this was a great dining experience.
My family and I stayed at the value resort Art of Animation at Walt Disney World Resort for a pre-trip stay before heading to our cruise. This resort has four themed areas; The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars. We stayed in the Cars section in a family suite. The room was adorable and very well themed, not to mention spacious as well. Both my boys are huge Cars fans and loved staying in this suite. We also enjoyed walking around the resort and checking out each themed area. This resort also has one of the larger pools on Disney property and it is Finding Nemo themed. This pool is also not very deep so it is great for little ones to splash around in. This resort also features access to the Skyliner which is the best mode of transportation to get to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or other resorts located on the Skyliner route.
Happy Easter! Today we spent Easter at the most magical place on Earth, Disney World. The day started off a little rainy and windy so we started off with the ride The Sea with Nemo and Friends and then went and checked out the Aquarium. After we rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (my favorite ride) the rain had cleared up and the sun was coming out so we headed over to the World Showcase. Since it was Easter we completed the Eggstravaganza scavenger hunt. We searched each country to find large eggs that where decorated as some of Disney's famous bunnies. This was my first time doing this scavenger hunt with my kids and we had a lot of fun with this. Plus when we completed the Eggstavaganza map we where able to collect our prizes, which was an egg with a Disney character on it. My oldest chose the egg with Genie on it and my youngest selected one with Robin Hood on it. The Flower and Garden Festival was also in full swing and we enjoyed sampling food from multiple booths.
Did you know that Disney is adding another private island in the Bahamas to its cruise itineraries starting June 2024? It's True! Lighthouse Point is a unique celebration of Bahamian culture brought to life with the magic of Disney. This island is set to have everything you need for a carefree and relaxing day. The island is going to have family fun, adult escapes, and kids areas. I already love Disney's other private island Castaway Cay and visiting this island is always the highlight of my cruise. I am very excited to see what Lighthouse Point will bring to the Disney Cruise experience. Summer 2024 cruise itineraries are now available to book.
March 15, 2023
Walt Disney World Resorts just released a lot of new information today, so lets go through and unpack on what to expect in this upcoming year.
New Character Greetings Debuting Soon
- Starting on April 22, 2023 Mona will greet fellow voyagers on Discovery Island at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
- Later this summer, Guests will get the chance to hug long-time EPCOT icon Figment at the Imagination! pavilion.
- This fall, Maribel from the popular movie Encanto will greet guest in the Fairytale Garden at Magic Kingdom.
EPCOT Transformation Comes to a Crescendo Later This Year
- Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana will debut this fall in World Nature. This self-guided exploration trail will take you through the natural water cycle. (I love the movie Moana and am so excited to see this animated film be brought to life in the parks.)
- CommuniCore Hall is set to open in World Celebration later this year. This hall will be the center of festival programming throughout the park. This hall will also be home to a new character greeting location called Mickey & Friends.
Commemorating Disney100 at Walt Disney World
- EPCOT will be getting an all new nighttime spectacular later this year. I am sad to see the current nighttime spectacular, Harmonious, go but am excited to see what this new nighttime show brings.
Celebrating 25 Years of Innovation & Conservation at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Animal Kingdom opened it's doors on April 22, 1998. And to celebrate 2 years there will be new sweet and savory treats, specialty merchandise and limited-time character sightings in the park. There will be more surprises on April 22, when the park officially turns 25.
Summer House on the Lake Opens Later This Year at Disney Springs
- A stunning new restaurant will open at Disney Springs in late 2023. Summer House on the Lake embodies a breezy, beach house vibe that will pair perfectly with the sweeping views of Lake Buena Vista. Guests will be able to enjoy a California-inspired menu
Disney just released a new promo for Disney Visa Card Members just in time to start planning those summer vacations!
Card Members can save up to 35% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels this summer! This offer is valid when you book using your Disney Visa Card for stays most nights:
- May 14 to June 24, 2023
- July 5 to August 19, 2023
My son and I where able to preview Disney World's newest ride TRON Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom. This roller coaster will be one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world. I have to say at first I was really nervous about how comfortable the Lightcycles would be. I was however pleasantly surprised on how comfortable they where once the ride got going. Overall my son and I very much enjoyed this roller coaster and can't wait to ride it again. I will add that this ride at night is a whole different vibe then during the day. TRON Lightcycle/Run is set to open on April 4, 2023. The ride will open with a virtual que.
March 1, 2023
EPCOT is in Bloom! Today kicked off the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the opening day of the festival. Flower and Garden is one of my favorite festivals at EPCOT. It has always been a tradition of mine to go to this festival on Mother's Day with my family, so I plan to be back soon to continue to enjoy all this festival has to offer.
I have to say this year Disney has out done themselves with the topiaries. My favorite topiary this year is Princess Tiana. This topiary can be found in the American Pavilion. And of course the food at this years festival is delicious. This years festival brings back some favorites like the Frozen Violet Lemonade and my personal favorite, Frushi. However, my favorite food item I tried has to be the Flatbread Pizza at the Honey Bee-Stro booth. The Flatbread Pizza has a honey-whipped mascarpone, honey caramelized onions, blueberry gastrique, prosciutto, honey-whipped goat cheese, arugula, honey vinaigrette, and bee pollen.
EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival is going on now until July 5, 2023. See below pictures for some of this years topiaries and food selections.