Planning your Walt Disney World Vacation!

Good morning everyone!! Now that our trip is over (insert tears here!) it's time to move forward (Keep Moving Forward!! Can anyone name that movie????).

Let's start to talk a little about what's involved in planning a Walt Disney World vacation (and how I can help!)

I want to talk a little bit today about the shear size of Walt Disney World. It's a bit different than planning a trip to the beach or your local amusement park. We've talked a bit before about WHY Walt Disney World is so large (see this post). But how big is it really?

Some facts:

• The Walt Disney World Resort is 30,080 acres....or 47 square miles...or 121.7 square kilometers
• There are more than 66,000 Cast Members (employees)
• There are:
•  33 Resorts on property
•  4 Main Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom)
• 2 water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon)
• 5 golf Courses
• Over 100 restaurants
• Nearly 1/3 of the Walt Disney World Resort is set aside for wildlife Conservation
• There are nearly 300 buses (approximate...or a guess, lol)

WHEW!!  That's a lot of numbers!!  You can see how planning a visit to Walt Disney World can quickly become overwhelming if it's not something you do all the time!  

Next up...your first decision...when to go?

Kona Cafe and trip wrap up!

I'm sad to say that it's a wrap! The trip is finally coming to an end :( Sunday morning we all got up, packed and headed down to the lobby to do airline check-in. We've done this nearly every trip and LOVE it! I believe I've posted about this before but I'll do it one more time :)

Resort Airline Check-In Service


* Resort Airline Check-In Service at your Disney resort is only available if you are flying domestically (includes Puerto Rico) on the following airlines: AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Northwest, United AND US Airways. It is a complimentary (free) service.

Participating airlines (domestic flights only):


-- AirTran Airways
-- Alaska Airlines
-- American Airlines
-- Continental Airlines
-- Delta Air Lines
-- JetBlue Airways
-- Northwest Airlines
-- Southwest Airlines
-- United Air Lines
-- US Airways


* This service allows you to check your luggage and receive your airline boarding passes right at your resort on the day of your departure.

 Of course there is some fine print but in general it's a great service and has always been fast and reliable. Imagine my SHOCK when we got there and there was nearly 100 people in line! We decided to skip it since we had breakfast reservations over at the Polynesian resort.


On the way over I decided once we arrived we'd explain the situation to the Airline check in and see if we could check in our luggage at the Polynesian. We arrived and they were so incredibly nice and helped us get our luggage checked and printed our boarding passes! WHEW!

We arrived upstairs and Kona Cafe and checked in. It was incredible busy!! We waited about 10 minutes before being seated. We had a great breakfast as usual!! And we took some pictures!!














TONGA TOAST!! YUM!

And our very last picture at Disney :(




 Unfortunately while our trip home started out well...





It ended with our little girl getting a nasty stomach bug that she shared with all of us over the next week :(





Overall it was a great trip! I would highly recommend that week to everyone! A few thoughts and comments

-Park Hoppers were a must for us. If you are going during a slower time of year they might not be as needed but we love the flexibility.

-Disney's Plus Dining! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! You can read all sorts of things out there about whether or not the Plan is worth it but we say every time we use it what a great deal it is. I'm not a fan of the Quick Service plan but the Plus is a great deal!
-Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party....a tad expensive but worth every penny!! The look on our daughter's face alone was worth it. I would plan to arrive a little earlier next time.

-Coronado Springs...I loved it but my hubby has been spoiled by Deluxe resorts. He'd prefer to stay over in the EPCOT area (preferably at the Boardwalk). I think for the money and location Coronado Springs was a great choice. I loved our room and it was fairly close to the lobby (once we figured out how to get there)

Thanks for following along with my report...so what's next for the blog? I have lots in store!

-A guest post with some photography tips

-The booking and planning process

-Stories behind some of your favorite attractions

-Planning of our next trip

-Much, much more!!

Ohana means Family!

As I wrap up this trip report it makes me sad...but more so it's been incredible to relive our vacation memories and share them.  I hope that our daughter also enjoys reading about her first trip someday.

Unfortunately for my report today my Dad forgot his camera so I'll make it short and sweet...plus steal some pictures from my favorite photographer, Lauren Kennedy (http://laurenkennedyphotography.com)

Tonight's dinner is one of our favorites and unfortunately word has gotten out about how great this restaurant is!  It can be very hard to get depending on the time of year you go. Thank goodness Disney has realized this and done something to help...although I'm not sure how much it helps.  Right when you get off the elevator at the Polynesian, located on the 2nd floor, you will find the check-in Podium for Ohana's.  It used to be that the podium was located over by the bar and everyone just got into a single file line...whether you had reservations or not.  Now, like many popular restaurants on property there are TWO lines.  The line on the left is for those hoping to grab a last minute spot and the line on the right is for those with reservations.  I think this is great for both parties.  The line for those without reservations won't guarantee you a seat but if you arrive around 4:30 p.m. you'll have a better chance.

We were seated rather shortly and the restaurant was very empty.  We ordered drinks and the food began showing up immediately. Now as much as I love this restaurant and the food, I have one major complaint.  We felt SOOO rushed during our experience. I went to Ohana years ago and it was a nice time. The food came in courses and you got to take your time and enjoy it. Now it seems they are so worried about turning the tables over that it's all rush, rush, rush. For that reason, I might purposely schedule a later dinner time when the restaurant is busier!!

Ok a couple of food pictures!!

First up is salad...with my favorite honey lime dressing (although it looks like they call it Mango Poppyseed...I didn't notice a change) with bread.

 Followed up by the chicken wings, noodles with broccoli and dumplings.

Next up is hubby's favorite...the meat!

Oh and don't forget the drinks!! The Pina Colava is my favorite but I have been known to drink out of a pineapple now and then...

Don't forget the entertainment! I love watching the kids do the coconut race!!

After dinner we sent Kennedy off with Nana and Papa and took a much needed date night over to the Magic Kingdom.  The Magic Kingdom is truly magical at night and we had an amazing time.  We did a few rides (Hubby loves Space Mountain again...yay!) had some snacks and just enjoyed a few kid free hours.  It's one of my favorite memories of the trip.

Next up...wrapping up the trip, breakfast at Kona Cafe and what will become of the blog!!

We did not catch Bieber fever...

Good evening!! We are getting so close to wrapping this trip up!!  This is our last full day at Disney and even though we've been home for over a month, it's always sad to relive the last day!!

Today my parents decided again they would meet up with us later and we decided we'd head back to Hollywood Studios.  We heard a rumor that Justin Bieber was filming over at the Magic Kingdom and we wanted no part of that!!!

Unfortunately this is going to be a rather short post!! I will tell you that once again we ate lunch at Starring Rolls (my dad couldn't get enough of those turkey sandwiches! HAHA!!)  We used our Fast Passes from the day before and got to ride Rock N' Roller Coaster and my Dad and Hubby checked out Lights! Motors! Action!  I also took everyone on the Backlot Tour which was a quiet yet fun attraction.

Honestly this day we laid pretty low and didn't do much. I'm bummed we missed Toy Story Midway Mania this time around and only got rid RnR once but we had a lot of fun and just relaxed.

There is a point to my post today.  As much as I preach about having schedules and dining reservations and a PLAN in place, please don't forget...this is a vacation. It's time to spend with family (and friends) and make some memories. I know it sounds cheesy but life goes by so fast and these are the things that count.  That is why having a plan is so important, it's one less thing to worry about while you are on vacation!! It gives you time to focus on your family and just have a good time!

That's why I love what I do! I get to help families make memories.  It's a pretty cool job and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. These are the moments I will never forget!

Up next... Restaurant Review: Ohana!!

Restaurant Review- Mama Melroses

Hello and howdy!! I'm writing to you as I view the blustery NY winter taking it's toll on my new trees outside. Don't worry though, I'm snug in my house with some fuzzy socks and the heat blasting on my feet, lol.

When we left off we were just about to have dinner at Mama Melroses. Before I start I want to say how wonderful all the restaurants were about accommodating our stroller. Often our little princess was far away, dreaming of the Mickey bars she'd one day eat and they would have no problem finding us a quite spot to tuck her stroller. This restaurant was no exception.

Mama Melroses is one of my favorite spots in all of Disney.  Forget the fact that the Studios is severely lacking in good eats, this restaurant would be one of my favorites regardless.Tucked away in a small, quiet corner of the park, Mama Melroses is a quiet, warm and inviting casual Italian restaurant.

For this meal the hubby and I started off with Ceasar salad and a bread basket was brough to the table.  As much as I love this resturant, I did not care for the salad at all.  It contained some limp lettuce, soggy croutons and way too much dressing. The bread was a HUGE hit though!!

For dinner, 3 of us had the Charred Strip Steak - Italian Roasted Potatoes and Cipollini Onions, Aged Balsamic-Shallot Butter, and Chianti Wine Reduction.  My dad had the Chicken Campanelle - wood-grilled chicken over Campanelle pasta tossed with Romanesco, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and sweet Onions in a Four-Cheese Cream Sauce. Everyone loved their dish. My mom said this was the best steak she had the entire trip (I think it was the butter, lol). Everything was just wonderful.

Dessert was just as great!  Hubby and I had the Chocolate Canolli cake while my Mom had the Amaretto Cheesecake and Dad had some sorbet. All in all this restaurant did not disappoint, again.  We honestly love coming here and look forward to it each trip. I highly recommend a visit!!

After dinner it was finally time for my favorite Christmas treat....the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights!!

Here's a little backstory from www.allearsnet.com
Jennings Osborne, a Little Rock, Arkansas, businessman, began putting up lights nearly a decade ago, at the request of his young daughter.  Each year, he added to the displays. When he ran out of room, Osborne bought the two houses on either side of his home so he could continue his creativity. Neighbors complained, however, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled in October 1994 that Osborne's house, when adorned with the 3 million lights, was a public nuisance. Although legally barred from causing a "spectacle", Osborne still lit the display three nights. He was found in contempt of court and fined $1,500. The court suspended a 10-day jail sentence, but ordered him to pay $7,000 in attorneys' fees. In 1995, the Walt Disney Company brought the Osborne Christmas lights to Walt Disney World!

Everyone loved this just as much as I'd hoped! It really is an amazing thing! Here are some pictures and video.

Can't do Christmas at Disney without a funny hat!

Did I mention...it snowed?!??!?

And a video:

After dinner we stopped at Downtown Disney for a little shopping...but someone was getting SLEEPY!!

A few fun pics:

No we didn't buy this...lol

I should have bought this however!

I can't believe our trip is almost over! Next up...how we avoided the Biebs!!

Happy New Year!!

Good Morning and Happy New Year!!!  Let's get right back in it, shall we?

When I left out we were on our way out of the Magic Kingdom and heading over to Hollywood Studios.

On our way!

Not ready to leave the Magic Kingdom, lol

We arrived at Hollywood Studios and it was already way less busy than the Magic Kingdom. Our first stop was to grab some food.

We stopped off at Starring Rolls to get some sandwiches. We grabbed a few Turkey Focaccia sandwiches that came with chips, a drink and dessert. It was soooo much food and to this day my Dad said this was the best Turkey sandwich he ever had!!!

Before we grabbed lunch we had grabbed Fast Passes for Rock N Roller Coaster.    My dad took the baby and my Mom, Eric and I headed off to ROCK!

Unfortunately just after we got in the pre-loading room with Aerosmith the ride went down. It was so disappointing but we were given Fast Passes to come back.  Next up was Voyage with the Little Mermaid.

I know Voyage of the Little Mermaid scares some little ones but Kennedy loved it. I think she's actually just too young to completely understand what's going on but she loves the singing and music!! After that we went over to the Art of Animation. I think this attraction is often skipped but I think it's very cute plus it's air conditioned and a great place to get off your feet for a bit.

After the ride there is a small "museum" to walk through that has a lot of very interesting items, including a few Oscars!  After you get through that, there is often Character Meet and Greets.  We had already met Mickey and the line was very long so we headed over to Pooh as there was NO line!!

After a small shop in the gift shop were Kennedy selected her first Disney stuffed animal, Donald, we decided to stop over at the Great Movie Ride.

Of course Kennedy loved it...it's her Momma's ride!!!

  Muppet Vision 3-D was up next as it was getting close to 5 p.m. and we had dinner reservations at Mama Melroses.   I know everyone loves all the new fancy rides with the new technology but I love how Cheesy this show is and I hope that the Muppets are making a come back so Kennedy will get to experience them like I did as a kid.

Hollywood Studios is a great place to spend a day but we don't typically go back more than that...except this trip!!  Next up is a review of Mama Melroses for dinner and a special Christmas treat.