Archive | May 2014

Disney Week Day 6: The Shopping

Everywhere you look at Disney there is a gift shop. Rides leave you off into gift shops. Each resort has at least one gift shop. Downtown Disney has the World of Disney, which is like a large Disney Store. I think I bought everything that was not nailed down. Good thing I had a lot of Disney Gift cards! I did also purchase some gifts for other people.

My Personal Shopping List

t-shirt
Disney Vera Bradley purse
Minnie bead for my Pandora
2 cookbooks
scarf
photo album
4 pairs of earrings
book
sticker for my car (the female of the Disney family since it is only me, she is wearing a Minnie t-shirt and Minnie ears)
bottle of wine
Mickey head wine stoppers

Disney Week Day 5: The Food

May30

I have not had a bad meal at Disney. I have had a few that were better than others but never horrible. The past two years we have had the Deluxe Meal Plan, and you can eat with that plan. With that in mind I planed to try as many new restaurants as we could but also hit some of the better ones from last year. I’m glad we did we found a few new favorites.

Restaurants We Ate At This Year

Tony’s Town Square at the Magic Kingdom
The Wave at the Contemporary
Sci-Fi Drive-in at Hollywood Studios
50’s Prime Time Café at Hollywood Studios
Rainforest Café at Animal Kingdom
Liberty Tavern at the Magic Kingdom
Biergarten at EPCOT
Rose and Crown at EPCOT
Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney
Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios

Our Favorites/Must Do’s Next Time

Tony’s Town Square

50’s Prime Time Café

Liberty Tree Tavern

My Favorite Food Items

Potato Leek Soup at Rose and Crown
Cheese Grits at The Wave
Turkey & Dressing at Liberty Tree Tavern
Skillet Corn Bread at Hollywood and Vine
The Bread at Town’s Town Square

Disney Week Day 4: The Shows

May29

The shows at Disney World are amazing! Especially the nighttime shows. The team of people working on the shows do a wonderful job. From parades, to live action shows, to firework shows one is better than the next. Three of my favorite shows are the nighttime shows at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. I recently heard Animal Kingdom is going to start having a nighttime show too. If they are I can’t wait to see it, I just know it will be good. The Magic Kingdom even has a street party celebration parade. Two of my other favorite shows are the live action shows of Beauty and the Beast at Hollywood Studios and Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom. Here are my favorite shows listed by park.

Magic Kingdom

Celebrate the Magic, Main Street Electrical Parade, Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, Wishes Nighttime Spectacular, Country Bears Jamboree, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, The Hall of Presidents

EPCOT

The American Adventure, Sprint of America Fife & Drum Corps, Voices of Liberty, IllumiNations Reflections of Earth

Hollywood Studios

Muppet Vision 3D, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Fantasmic! Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Animal Kingdom

Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo the Musical

Disney Week Day 3: The Rides

May28

As I said yesterday I am more about the laid back rides than the thrill seeking rides. Here are my favorite rides at each of the Four Disney Parks.

Magic Kingdom

Favorite: Tie between The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid.

Others: It’s A Small World, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Walt Disney World Railroad, Carousel of Progress

EPCOT

Favorite: Test Track

Others: Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Hollywood Studios

Favorite: Toy Story Midway Mania

Others: The Great Movie Ride

Animal Kingdom

Favorite: Kilimanjaro Safaris

Shows and Food coming in other posts.

Disney Week Day 2: The Parks

May27

The parks are the reason to go to Disney World and we spent time at all four parks. The Magic Kingdom is probably my favorite still but I enjoy all of them and have favorite things to do at all of them. The thing I like best about Disney World is, they do not have a lot of roller coasters. I do not like roller coasters on bit so I need some place that has other alternatives, fun easy rides, and Disney is it. Don’t get me wrong Disney World does have some roller coasters but only a small handful. No matter what kind of adventure you are looking for Disney should have it.

Here is a break down of the parks…

Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is great for younger kids, for those who like story telling rides, or just plain kids at heart. Like me!

EPCOT

EPCOT is great for someone who likes science and travel. The World Showcase is like talking a walk around the world.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is all about the animals.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios probably has the most for thrill seekers but they have other stuff to see and do too. Everything at Hollywood Studios revolves around the movies and TV.

Disney also has two water parks if that is your speed.

Rides, shows, and food to be covered in other blog posts this week.

Disney Week Day 1: The Resorts

May26

This year we ended up staying at two different Disney Resorts. 4 nights at Port Orleans Riverside and 1 Night at Coronado Springs. Riverside is the only place I have stayed at on property and I love it. So it was fun to try someplace new, even if it was for one night. Coronado is very beautiful and reminds me a lot of Port Orleans. There is a lot more walking at Coronado than at Port Orleans. The walk up to the lobby/restaurant area was like walking from the front of EPCOT all the way to the back of the World Showcase, if not longer. It was a least a very beautiful relaxing walk but to walk that way in the heat just for a drink would it really be worth it? You would probably be in need of another drink by the time you walked back to your room. Port Orleans has walking too don’t get me wrong but it seems like they have a few different paths that lead to the same place and so it doesn’t seem to take as long. At Port Orleans we ended up with one of the Royal Rooms which by the way was Amazing! Even at 30 I was super excited to stay in one of the “Princess Rooms”! The head-board with the fire works was one of the cutest things I have ever saw. In the end I still like Port Orleans Riverside better than Coronado Springs. Then again maybe I am just like it better because it has Magnolia Bend which looks like Southern Plantation Homes.

The Room at Port Orleans

The Room at Coronado Springs

The Head-Board

Port Orleans Riverside

Disney Week at Southern Belle Charm

May25

I am back from trying to concur the world, Walt Disney World that is! I am convinced you could stay there a month and you would not be able to see and do everything, there is so much to see and do and there are lots more coming in the near future. All four parks are in the mist of making some big changes or have recently made some changes. The land of Mickey Mouse just keeps getting bigger and better. I can’t wait to go back and see the changes. 2 years! 2 long years before we go back. But first a special 7 Day/7 Post focus on my recent trip to Disney World. My 30th Birthday Celebration trip! Starting tomorrow.

Civil War Romances

May24

I have been on this kick lately where I can’t get enough of Civil War Romances. In the past month I have finished two and started a third. The two I just recently finished were books two and three in a series of three by Heather Graham. “One Wore Blue”, “And One Wore Gray”, and “One Rode West” were great books! I could not put the last one down! A series based on the three siblings in one family meant the characters were almost like family by the end of the series. I was kind of sad when the last book ended. I love series like that! Does anyone have any suggestions for more great Civil War romances?

Kindle Fire and Kindle Paperwhite

May24

I’ve had a Kindle Fire now for almost three years. I had the original Kindle Fire for a year and then I got the Kindle Fire HD and have had that for almost two years now. I love my Fire for playing games, watching a TV show or movie from time to time, and to quickly look something up on the internet. But the one thing I do not like my Fire for is reading. It is too heavy! So now I am a 2 Kindle Woman! I bought myself a Kindle Fire Paperwhite. I love it! It’s so much lighter so reading in bed is much easier. Especially when I start to dose and the Kindle hits me in the face! I am so glad I bought the Paperwhite. Reading has gotten a lot more fun!

I’m Back!

May18

Sorry! Last week I was on vacation physically and this past week I was on vacation mentally. But I’m back now and it’s full steam ahead!