Friday, June 3, 2011
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Disney Snack-a-holic
I have to admit it: I'm a Disney Snack-a-holic.
Don't get me wrong--I love the rides, the shows, and the shopping, and I'm sure those topics will end up all over this blog. But there is just something about Disney SNACKS that begs for immediate discussion. I'll list a few of my favorites, and maybe other people will comment as well, listing their favorites.
Popcorn: While sitting on a curb in the Magic Kingdom, waiting for the afternoon parade, there is a glorious aroma of popcorn that overwhelms your senses. If you can resist that amazing Magic Kingdom popcorn, then you are a much stronger human being than I am. *Bonus: the plastic popcorn buckets are a wonderful souvenir to bring home, and microwave popcorn tastes more magical at home if you serve it in the bucket.
Dole Whip: If you haven't had a Dole Whip, you have been missing out on a little cup of heaven. The sweet freshness of pineapple blended into ice cream is without a doubt one of the best things available at Disney World.
Mickey Ear Ice Cream Bar: You don't have to be five years old to love this frozen treat, but eating one WILL make you feel young again. (A little known secret is that Mickey ear ice cream bars DO taste even better if you are wearing Mickey ears yourself.)
Frozen lemonade: My son Josh would say that the frozen lemonade is the best treat at Disney World. There are two kinds--the kind you eat with a spoon and the kind that is really a slushy concoction that you drink with a straw. Josh likes both kinds, but I like the slushy version best.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel at Goofy's Candy Company: At Goofy's (Downtown Disney), you can create your own amazing treat. You can choose to cover marshmallows or pretzels in milk chocolate or white chocolate, and then add wonderful "extras", like oreos, candy, sprinkles, nuts, etc. It's tasty and fun, too!
Corn Dog at the Little Red Wagon: Ok, this one is only available at Disneyland. If you go to Disneyland, you cannot skip a corn dog from the little red wagon on Main Street. It is without a doubt the best corndog you will ever eat.
*********
So...chime in. What are your favorite Disney snacks?
Don't get me wrong--I love the rides, the shows, and the shopping, and I'm sure those topics will end up all over this blog. But there is just something about Disney SNACKS that begs for immediate discussion. I'll list a few of my favorites, and maybe other people will comment as well, listing their favorites.
Popcorn: While sitting on a curb in the Magic Kingdom, waiting for the afternoon parade, there is a glorious aroma of popcorn that overwhelms your senses. If you can resist that amazing Magic Kingdom popcorn, then you are a much stronger human being than I am. *Bonus: the plastic popcorn buckets are a wonderful souvenir to bring home, and microwave popcorn tastes more magical at home if you serve it in the bucket.
Dole Whip: If you haven't had a Dole Whip, you have been missing out on a little cup of heaven. The sweet freshness of pineapple blended into ice cream is without a doubt one of the best things available at Disney World.
Mickey Ear Ice Cream Bar: You don't have to be five years old to love this frozen treat, but eating one WILL make you feel young again. (A little known secret is that Mickey ear ice cream bars DO taste even better if you are wearing Mickey ears yourself.)
Frozen lemonade: My son Josh would say that the frozen lemonade is the best treat at Disney World. There are two kinds--the kind you eat with a spoon and the kind that is really a slushy concoction that you drink with a straw. Josh likes both kinds, but I like the slushy version best.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel at Goofy's Candy Company: At Goofy's (Downtown Disney), you can create your own amazing treat. You can choose to cover marshmallows or pretzels in milk chocolate or white chocolate, and then add wonderful "extras", like oreos, candy, sprinkles, nuts, etc. It's tasty and fun, too!
Corn Dog at the Little Red Wagon: Ok, this one is only available at Disneyland. If you go to Disneyland, you cannot skip a corn dog from the little red wagon on Main Street. It is without a doubt the best corndog you will ever eat.
*********
So...chime in. What are your favorite Disney snacks?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Disney Dining Reservations: The Bottom Line
This was inevitable. I just knew that I would get around to discussing one of my favorite topics: DISNEY FOOD. The reason it comes up now is because I'm finishing up the plans for our upcoming family trip to Disney World, and my dining reservations need to be finalized.
We can fly by the seat of our pants on almost everything we do at Disney these days, but I can't be firm enough about how absolutely critical it is to set your dining reservations ahead of time. Countless visitors to Disney World every year are stunned and terribly disappointed when they walk up to the many amazing table service restaurants on property and discover they can't get a table because the restaurant is full...all day...all week...all trip. I always feel so badly for the poor, exhausted, beleaguered dad, who is standing there with his ballcap half falling off, a whining two year old tugging on his fingers, some strange chocolatey substance smeared across his shirt. He is so excited at the thought of sitting down to dinner to recharge his batteries, only to be told that there are no tables available. The dad gets a confused look on his face and says, "We'll wait," but the cast member smiles politely and explains that there are no tables for the rest of the day. It is truly like the cast member is speaking in a foreign language. The dad eventually wanders back out to face the rest of his hungry horde, and I'm always glad at that point when the cast members DON'T chime in with "Have a magical day!" I spoke to one family during our last trip who couldn't find a single table service reservation for their entire seven night stay. They were VERY tired of Disney pizza and hamburgers by the time they headed back to the airport. I'm sure they thought the Chili's at MCO was like the promised land as they got ready to head home.
Don't get me wrong--counter service at Disney World has its place. It's very convenient, and there are a lot of different choices. These days, you can even get nice, healthy choices like grapes or carrots with the kids' meals. The pizza is pretty good...until you have had it for three days in a row. My son (pizza connoisseur) says the pizza is best at Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom, though if you ask me it's the same exact pizza they serve at Pinocchio's at the Magic Kingdom. Josh is also of the opinion that the pizza served at Pizza Planet at Disney's Hollywood Studios is EXTREMELY disappointing. (He doesn't realize that again, it's the same exact pizza. Josh's real problem is that Disney Imagineers are missing the boat when it comes to Pizza Planet. They should have themed that place exactly like the restaurant in the Toy Story movie...right down to the rocket-shaped crane machine with the little green aliens in it. If they'd done it right, my little boy would be in heaven, and I'd be spending buckets of quarters trying to win aliens, which is a win-win for Disney. I hardly ever fault Disney's Imagineers, but in this case, they got it very, very wrong, and they are disappointing kids everywhere.)
As usual, I've wandered off track, so let's get back to the topic of reservations. There is just something about wandering into a table service restaurant for a nice sit-down meal late in the afternoon or early in the evening that rejuvenates me. I can soak up the air conditioning, rest my tired feet, and have a friendly Disney cast member serve me a terrific meal. I think I could handle a short 2-3 day trip of exclusively counter service meals, but after that point I would be done and you would have to stick a fork in me. (Not to mention the great dining experiences I would be missing...like the mushroom filet at LeCellier...in favor of yet another counter service pizza). So...the bottom line is this: don't get left out in the cold. Make your ADR's early, often, and in abundance. You won't be sorry!
We can fly by the seat of our pants on almost everything we do at Disney these days, but I can't be firm enough about how absolutely critical it is to set your dining reservations ahead of time. Countless visitors to Disney World every year are stunned and terribly disappointed when they walk up to the many amazing table service restaurants on property and discover they can't get a table because the restaurant is full...all day...all week...all trip. I always feel so badly for the poor, exhausted, beleaguered dad, who is standing there with his ballcap half falling off, a whining two year old tugging on his fingers, some strange chocolatey substance smeared across his shirt. He is so excited at the thought of sitting down to dinner to recharge his batteries, only to be told that there are no tables available. The dad gets a confused look on his face and says, "We'll wait," but the cast member smiles politely and explains that there are no tables for the rest of the day. It is truly like the cast member is speaking in a foreign language. The dad eventually wanders back out to face the rest of his hungry horde, and I'm always glad at that point when the cast members DON'T chime in with "Have a magical day!" I spoke to one family during our last trip who couldn't find a single table service reservation for their entire seven night stay. They were VERY tired of Disney pizza and hamburgers by the time they headed back to the airport. I'm sure they thought the Chili's at MCO was like the promised land as they got ready to head home.
Don't get me wrong--counter service at Disney World has its place. It's very convenient, and there are a lot of different choices. These days, you can even get nice, healthy choices like grapes or carrots with the kids' meals. The pizza is pretty good...until you have had it for three days in a row. My son (pizza connoisseur) says the pizza is best at Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom, though if you ask me it's the same exact pizza they serve at Pinocchio's at the Magic Kingdom. Josh is also of the opinion that the pizza served at Pizza Planet at Disney's Hollywood Studios is EXTREMELY disappointing. (He doesn't realize that again, it's the same exact pizza. Josh's real problem is that Disney Imagineers are missing the boat when it comes to Pizza Planet. They should have themed that place exactly like the restaurant in the Toy Story movie...right down to the rocket-shaped crane machine with the little green aliens in it. If they'd done it right, my little boy would be in heaven, and I'd be spending buckets of quarters trying to win aliens, which is a win-win for Disney. I hardly ever fault Disney's Imagineers, but in this case, they got it very, very wrong, and they are disappointing kids everywhere.)
As usual, I've wandered off track, so let's get back to the topic of reservations. There is just something about wandering into a table service restaurant for a nice sit-down meal late in the afternoon or early in the evening that rejuvenates me. I can soak up the air conditioning, rest my tired feet, and have a friendly Disney cast member serve me a terrific meal. I think I could handle a short 2-3 day trip of exclusively counter service meals, but after that point I would be done and you would have to stick a fork in me. (Not to mention the great dining experiences I would be missing...like the mushroom filet at LeCellier...in favor of yet another counter service pizza). So...the bottom line is this: don't get left out in the cold. Make your ADR's early, often, and in abundance. You won't be sorry!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Animal Kingdom: Don't Feed the Yeti
When you think of Walt Disney World, you probably think of the Magic Kingdom. The image that probably pops into your mind is that beautiful blue and white castle, in all its glory, twinkling in the Florida sunshine. I imagine you probably think about spinning in tea cups and soaring through the sky on the back of a flying elephant or, better yet, inside the confines of a pirate ship over Neverland. In fact, I would be right there with you, because the Magic Kingdom is my favorite, as well. My eight year old daughter Katie, however, considers Animal Kingdom to be the best Disney World theme park. She loves everything everything about Animal Kingdom. She dreams of becoming a veterinarian someday, and for her, Animal Kingdom is a paradise.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Katie would like to take care of giraffes someday, and Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of Katie's favorite rides because she can see the giraffes up close, yet they are in a habitat far more natural for them than our local zoo. The safari ride is a totally unique and intense experience, because you get to drive out and see the animals without the traditional trappings of a regular zoo. This ride is different each time you ride it, and the animals always put on a great show. There are also some exciting surprises along the way that I won't spoil for you. This ride is a must-see, as far as our family is concerned. My only problem has always been that I can't seem to take a decent picture while on this ride. There are all of those amazing animals to photograph, but I can't seem to take a clear picture. It must be all of those bumps in the road.
Expedition Everest
Another of my own all-time favorite rides is also located deep within Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest. If you haven't yet braved the mountain and faced the formidable yeti, you should book your trip to Florida immediately. Disney Imagineers hit a home-run with the theming on Everest. Everywhere you look you see artifacts that convince you that you are in Nepal. When you board the roller coaster train that will take you on your wild journey up (and back down) the majestic Mt. Everest, you can't help but feel a little nervous, and with good reason: somewhere on this journey you will encounter the yeti. (How I wish I could be strapping myself into that train right now. I'd love to be swooping around those curves and down those hills right about now, far away from my keyboard. *sigh*) I am a roller coaster addict (a topic worthy of a whole different blog), but I have to say that Expedition Everest is the most surprising roller coaster I have experienced. You really have to try it.
Just take my advice: don't feed the yeti.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Katie would like to take care of giraffes someday, and Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of Katie's favorite rides because she can see the giraffes up close, yet they are in a habitat far more natural for them than our local zoo. The safari ride is a totally unique and intense experience, because you get to drive out and see the animals without the traditional trappings of a regular zoo. This ride is different each time you ride it, and the animals always put on a great show. There are also some exciting surprises along the way that I won't spoil for you. This ride is a must-see, as far as our family is concerned. My only problem has always been that I can't seem to take a decent picture while on this ride. There are all of those amazing animals to photograph, but I can't seem to take a clear picture. It must be all of those bumps in the road.
Expedition Everest
Another of my own all-time favorite rides is also located deep within Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest. If you haven't yet braved the mountain and faced the formidable yeti, you should book your trip to Florida immediately. Disney Imagineers hit a home-run with the theming on Everest. Everywhere you look you see artifacts that convince you that you are in Nepal. When you board the roller coaster train that will take you on your wild journey up (and back down) the majestic Mt. Everest, you can't help but feel a little nervous, and with good reason: somewhere on this journey you will encounter the yeti. (How I wish I could be strapping myself into that train right now. I'd love to be swooping around those curves and down those hills right about now, far away from my keyboard. *sigh*) I am a roller coaster addict (a topic worthy of a whole different blog), but I have to say that Expedition Everest is the most surprising roller coaster I have experienced. You really have to try it.
Just take my advice: don't feed the yeti.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Self Discovery
I recently re-invented myself. Or perhaps I should say that I recently accepted my true self. Regardless, I realized that I needed to be doing something as a career that would involve my nearly obsessive passion for, and knowledge about, Disney. My dreams of actually working for the mouse had to be morphed a bit, because I live smack dab in the center of the country, just about as far from Main Street U.S.A. as is humanly possible in this country. It was a bit too long to commute, no matter how desperately I wanted to don the drab and somber clothing of a Haunted Mansion employee so that I could drone, "Move to the dead center of the room, please." However, despite my dismally Disney-free location, I have finally landed in my Tomorrowland: I am a travel agent who specializes in Disneyland, Disney World, and the Disney Cruiseline. (Sometimes I keep thinking I will wake up, drooling on my tattered copy of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and I will be told I have to go back to my real job.)
My love affair with Mickey Mouse began when I was very small. I have loved Mickey, and to a lesser extent, his silly assortment of pals, for as long as I can remember. I have a huge display case in my home filled with Pez dispensers, ear hats, board games, park tickets, view masters, stuffed animals...the list goes on and on. You name it, if they made it with Mickey Mouse on it or made Mickey Mouse OUT of it, I have it.
It follows that someone who loves Mickey as much as I do would have to visit Disneyland. I can still remember my first visit. My first sight of that beautiful pink castle had me transfixed. Every rational thought left my brain and I was changed forever. A part of my heart would always stay right there, in the Hub, eating a Dole Whip or a Mickey Ice Cream Bar, for the rest of my life. (Star Trek fans--you've heard of the Borg, right? Sometimes I think Disney fanatics are like the Borg. We are a part of a magical collective--one mind, one heart...forever.)
Countless trips to both coasts ensued, and I have dragged my husband, parents, and now my children to my favorite happy place. We have cruised to Castaway Cay, where even Mickey is on vacation. We have experienced Disney World at the holidays and have stopped to smell the roses during the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. I am never more at home, and I am never more free of my worries and stresses, than when I am on a Disney vacation.
Many people have useless knowledge popping around in the folds of their brains. I, myself, can remember my address from when I was eight years old. I know what my elementary school P.E. teacher named her baby the year I was in sixth grade. I remember how to conjugate a few French verbs (merci, M.Piazza!) I also remember the license plate number from my first car. Do I actually USE any of this information? Well, no. But it's there!
What is terrific, however, is that there is a whole section of my brain devoted completely to my Disney knowledge. I am certain that that section of gray matter is formed into a hidden Mickey, and that the sound track must be "When you wish upon a star."
I can tell you which resorts have best pool slides. I can tell you when to buy Park Hopper tickets, and when you should just stick to base. I can tell you where the hidden Mickeys are and can recommend terrific places to eat in any given park or resort. If there is a deal to be had, I can help you find it, and if there isn't, I can keep an eye out once you have made your reservation so that any deals that DO come out, are applied to your reservation. I can rattle on about holiday experiences and tell you what you shouldn't miss no matter what time of year you find yourself in the Happiest Place on Earth.
I love my job. I'd love to share my Mickey-shaped expertise with you, if you are planning a trip anytime soon. And in the meantime, I will blather on in this blog about the subject I love most: anything, everything, and all things DISNEY. No E-ticket needed, just climb aboard!
My love affair with Mickey Mouse began when I was very small. I have loved Mickey, and to a lesser extent, his silly assortment of pals, for as long as I can remember. I have a huge display case in my home filled with Pez dispensers, ear hats, board games, park tickets, view masters, stuffed animals...the list goes on and on. You name it, if they made it with Mickey Mouse on it or made Mickey Mouse OUT of it, I have it.
It follows that someone who loves Mickey as much as I do would have to visit Disneyland. I can still remember my first visit. My first sight of that beautiful pink castle had me transfixed. Every rational thought left my brain and I was changed forever. A part of my heart would always stay right there, in the Hub, eating a Dole Whip or a Mickey Ice Cream Bar, for the rest of my life. (Star Trek fans--you've heard of the Borg, right? Sometimes I think Disney fanatics are like the Borg. We are a part of a magical collective--one mind, one heart...forever.)
Countless trips to both coasts ensued, and I have dragged my husband, parents, and now my children to my favorite happy place. We have cruised to Castaway Cay, where even Mickey is on vacation. We have experienced Disney World at the holidays and have stopped to smell the roses during the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. I am never more at home, and I am never more free of my worries and stresses, than when I am on a Disney vacation.
Many people have useless knowledge popping around in the folds of their brains. I, myself, can remember my address from when I was eight years old. I know what my elementary school P.E. teacher named her baby the year I was in sixth grade. I remember how to conjugate a few French verbs (merci, M.Piazza!) I also remember the license plate number from my first car. Do I actually USE any of this information? Well, no. But it's there!
What is terrific, however, is that there is a whole section of my brain devoted completely to my Disney knowledge. I am certain that that section of gray matter is formed into a hidden Mickey, and that the sound track must be "When you wish upon a star."
I can tell you which resorts have best pool slides. I can tell you when to buy Park Hopper tickets, and when you should just stick to base. I can tell you where the hidden Mickeys are and can recommend terrific places to eat in any given park or resort. If there is a deal to be had, I can help you find it, and if there isn't, I can keep an eye out once you have made your reservation so that any deals that DO come out, are applied to your reservation. I can rattle on about holiday experiences and tell you what you shouldn't miss no matter what time of year you find yourself in the Happiest Place on Earth.
I love my job. I'd love to share my Mickey-shaped expertise with you, if you are planning a trip anytime soon. And in the meantime, I will blather on in this blog about the subject I love most: anything, everything, and all things DISNEY. No E-ticket needed, just climb aboard!
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