Day 2: Magic Kingdom

We headed back to the Magic Kingdom for our first full day at the park.  Having been here "a few" times before, we have our favorite rides and attractions that we consider "Must Do's".  We always try to make sure that we ride these specific rides at least once.  Disney introduced the FastPass system several years back, it has saved guests a lot of time waiting in line and allowing them more time to enjoy the parks.  They recently updated it to the FastPass+, which if you are staying at a Disney resort, allows you to schedule your FastPasses 60 Days in advance of your arrival.  They also added Character Experiences to this, so you can now schedule a certain time to Meet & Greet your favorite Disney characters. Soooo... like our dining reservations, Honey & I were armed with our lists and were online right away on our 60th Day to do our best to accommodate everyone's favorites.  The main one being that special Meet & Greet with Elsa and Anna from Frozen... and once again WE GOT LUCKY!  YEAH!!

They were fantastic!  Elsa talked to the kids about Olaf and Anna joked with C about his shirt, saying that he was very lucky to get a "selfie" with Kristoff because he's kind of shy and doesn't do that very often.  :)  Like a lot of folks, we LOVED the movie so it really was special to get the opportunity to meet them (as you can tell by all our smiles!).  Please Note:  for those of you traveling to Disney World in the near future, you can ONLY meet Elsa & Anna at the Magic Kingdom & ONLY with a FastPass.  Due to the overwhelmingly long wait times to meet them, Disney made this the only option.  Just a little tip!

SO, you may have noticed the theme in our family's apparel ... Yes, we dressed to match.  :) We coordinated our outfits each day to match either a theme or something special that we were doing, like meeting Elsa & Anna.  :)  It may seem corny, but it made packing A LOT easier!  Besides, where else in the world but Disney can a grown man get away with wearing an Olaf shirt saying, "I'M HOT STUFF!  lol!  As you can see Honey was a great sport and even embraced it.  :)  There's nothing he won't do for our kids or his Disney lovin' wife, for that matter.  

The next "Must Do" on our list was the Seven Dwarf's Mine Train.  This opened not long ago and we had yet to ride it.  So we used another FastPass for this, as wait times for this ride can be 120+ minutes.  This was B's 1st Roller Coaster ever, so we weren't sure how well she was going to do.  I think the pictures speak for themselves.  :)

We quickly discovered that we had a little dare-devil on our hands.  :)  So we headed over to another one of our favorites, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. 

The girl loves her thrill rides!


A little side note about the FastPass+ system ... you are allowed to schedule 3 FastPasses per day at a time.  Once you use all three, then you can visit any of the FastPass kiosks located in the park to get another one.  You can also change your FastPasses at anytime using the My Disney Experience App on your phone.  It really was pretty simple to use.


During our last trip to Disney World, they were doing a major renovation project in Fantasyland.  They added several new rides (Seven Dwarf's Mine Train was one) and attractions as well as a new dining experience at Beast's Castle (from Beauty and the Beast) called Be Our Guest.  We decided that we were going to try it out for lunch.  There are no reservations for lunch as it is considered a Quick-Service Meal (more on that later), so I had read that you needed to get in line early.  The restaurant opens at 10am.  We arrived right around then and were told it would only be about 20 minutes or so for a table.  (Not bad at all.)  C was a little hungry so it was hard for him to wait.  :) 

Once we set foot into the castle, it was literally like you stepped into the movie.  Absolutely gorgeous!  You have the option of dining in one of three elaborately themed rooms:  the Rose Gallery, the West Wing or the Grand Ballroom. 

We chose to sit in the Grand Ballroom, but couldn't resist taking a peek at the West Wing complete with The Rose that actually drops it's petals every so often.  (The West Wing can be a little frightening for younger kids, as it is dark and thunder claps sound off occasionally, which is why we chose to sit in the Ballroom.)

The food is French-inspired and oh so yummy!  L & I both had a Croque Monsieur, while C tried Braised Pork.  No matter what you choose to have as a main dish or side, I cannot stress enough the importance of ordering the "The Master's Cupcake" for dessert.  Hands down, one of THE best desserts I've ever had.  It's a chocolate sponge cake topped with "Lumiere's Special Grey Stuff".  Remember from the song . . . "Try the Grey Stuff, it's delicious!"  He wasn't kidding!  YUM!

The Be Our Guest Restaurant earned a 2 thumbs up from us & will definitely be added to our "Must Do" List for future trips.

Our next stop was another new ride in Fantasyland, Under the Sea with The Little Mermaid. This is an extremely cute ride where you get to re-live highlights from the movie through the amazing auto-animatronics, music and special effects that only Disney can put together.  I am one that sees all the extra "little" details that go into things.  So as we were waiting in line, I noticed that the pathways leading into the ride are embedded with the occasional seashells here & there as well bird foot prints, so it looks like Scuttle had been walking about.  So cute! 

While I was admiring the scenery, Honey was explaining to Miss B that in order to go on this ride we have to go under water (umm...no you don't), so they needed to practice holding their breath to see if they would be able to make it.  :)  The things we do to entertain while standing in line...

We spent the afternoon enjoying the parade, riding more of our favorite rides (Pirates of the Caribbean!), and playing a new adventure game called The Sorcerers of Magic.   (More details on that to come later)  It was a blast!

As night began to fall, we stumbled upon a street show back in Tommorrowland called the Incredibles Super Dance Party.

Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone were having a party!  They were dancing and interacting with the crowd, so we thought "Why not?"  How often can you say that you danced with Mr. Incredible?!  

We ended our day at the Magic Kingdom with a special show held on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle called "A Frozen Holiday Wish".  Anna and Olaf are trying to convince Elsa that the Castle needed a little ice for the holidays and with a little encouragement from the crowd, she agrees.  Cue the music, lights and special effects.  It still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!

Absolutely breathtaking!  

We headed back to our resort for dinner and dessert in our room.  It was the perfect way to end a perfect day!  Can hardly wait til tomorrow!!!

Day 1: Cinderella's Royal Table

In the planning stages of this Disney trip, Honey & I decided that we were going to attempt to get a reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom.  I say attempt, because to secure a reservation there is no easy task to accomplish.  For those people staying on Disney property, you can begin booking your dining reservations 180 days in advance of your arrival.  This is one of the most popular restaurants to dine in.  Do the fact that you are actually eating in Cinderella's Castle, there is rarely ever an opening.  So I was up at the crack of dawn on our 180th day, on the phone with the wonderful Cast Members at Disney Dining to do my best to make this happen.   Apparently, Cinderella's Royal Table was closing down for refurbishment on the 3rd day of our trip, so our chances were even more slim than normal.  But WE GOT LUCKY!  There was one reservation available on the night that we arrived.  YEAH!!!  

So we checked into our resort, The Art of Animation (more on that in a later blog), did a quick change and headed over to the Magic Kingdom.  We were greeted at reception and then escorted into the Castle to meet Cinderella herself.  (squeal!)

It's was absolutely gorgeous!  All still decorated for the holidays ... it couldn't have been more magical.

Just so you know, I did NOT pick out this shirt for Honey.  :)  He ordered it all on his own. 

We had a little wait until our reservation time, and I had read that if you look hard enough, you might even see a few of Cinderella's mice friends hanging around.  But seeing as they are mice, they have a tendency to move (or so we were told).  So they aren't always in the same place.  But C has "Eagle Eyes" and found them right away up on a nearby ledge.  Too cute! One of my many fascinations with Disney, is that their attention to detail is amazing! They never miss a thing.  :)

Our "Royal Table" was ready & we were escorted up the spiral staircase to the banquet hall with the most beautiful stained glass windows and decor that you could imagine.  I was quickly beginning to see why this is ranked as the #1 dining experience at Disney World.

We were all treated like royalty.  Miss B was even given her very own "Wishing Star", so that all she had to do was hold it, close her eyes, and make a wish then all her dreams could come true.  :)  

The menu ranged from yummy Steak & Shrimp to a delicious Pan-Seared Chicken with roasted vegetables.  It was all to die for!  We were on the Dining Plan (which I would recommend to anyone traveling to Disney), so we were each able to choose an appetizer, an entree & a dessert.  One thing to be said about the Dining Plan, is that you will NEVER walk away from a meal hungry!  It is totally worth it!  This was L's first trip being considered an "adult" so he was a little leery about trying some of the "Big People/ More Adventurous" foods.  But he tried new things, including the appetizer of "A Royal Tasting of Cheese" and discovered that he liked it!  We were very proud!

Then came the Princess Processional!  We were lucky to be joined by a few of Cinderella's friends.  

Snow White ... L's favorite.  :) 

Princess Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty)

Ariel ...  Miss B's favorite!

And last but not least, Jasmine ... C's favorite.  :)

We finished off the meal with our desserts, which were no less than divine!  I chose the Signature Dessert ...  "The Clock Strikes Twelve".  There are no words...

It was by far, one of the best dining experiences we have had in all our Disney travels.  I highly recommend it!  (As soon as it reopens, of course.)  Isn't it gorgeous!

The night would not have been complete without a stop at Cinderella's Wishing Well, located just outside the entrance to the restaurant.  Close your eyes & make a wish...

It was an absolute "Magical" night!  The first of many on this trip to be sure!!  

Top Secret Christmas Surprise!

Hello again!  Long time no blog.  :)  I can hardly believe that it's January!  A lot has happened since I last wrote.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas...of course.  But add to that countless volunteer projects at B's school (which I loved!), tons of holiday fun family activities and planning a Top Secret Christmas Surprise for our kids.  It's been a busy last couple of months to be sure.

What was that Top Secret Christmas Surprise, you may ask?!  Well...WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD!  Honey & I had been planning this trip since last February with the intent of surprising the kids on Christmas morning.  Too say this was the most difficult secret EVER to keep is an understatement.  I am a planner by nature, so I had to be extra careful to make sure that nothing I was working on was left out for "little eyes" to see.  I even went so far to start packing suitcases in the garage!  

Now, I know many of you have seen YouTube videos or Facebook posts of parents revealing a surprise trip to Disney to their kids.  There were tons of great ideas, but Honey & I decided that we were going to go our own route.  On a random trip to Walgreens, I found pillows in the shape of Mickey heads & the idea hit!  See this trip, we were driving down.  (That's 18+ hours in the van, just in case you were wondering.)  So the pillows were perfect for traveling. I continued to wander the isles, looking for more inspiration and found the perfect gift bags. 3 Mickey Heads = 3 Kids = YIPPEE!  Add to that each of their MagicBands and a note stating "7 Days" and we were set.

Nothing left to do but wait...

Now I would love to show you pictures of my kids as they opened the gift, but unfortunately those pictures were somehow corrupted on my memory card.  :(  But I can describe the scene for you.  Picture blank stares, open mouths, and not a sound to be heard...period. That's how they all looked at us.  When finally I couldn't take it anymore, I said, "We are going to Disney World in 7 days.  Do you understand what is happening??"  They looked at each other and finally C spoke.  "Are you serious?  We are really going?" Honey & I nodded. Then came 3 of the BIGGEST SMILES I have ever seen, followed by huge hugs and "thank you, thank you, thank you!  (Finally! Apparently, we had shocked them into silence.)  

This was not our first trip to Disney World, but we did get to experience lots of fun NEW things as well as do our tried & true favorites.  I look forward to sharing our adventures with you as well as some tips & tricks that we have learned over the years...just in case you may be planning your own trip to the "Most Magical Place on Earth!"  See ya real soon!