A couple of weeks ago, I packed up the fam and hopped on a plane to Orlando. It was Spring Break which meant it was time to go back to Disney! Now, don’t think Spring Break is the perfect time to visit the parks. It is far from perfect with the large crowds and unpredictable weather but sometimes life and responsibilities dictate when we can and can’t vacation. And yes, second most crowded time period to visit Disney — Christmas through New Year’s wins that honor — but fun can still be had by all.

I split my stay with several nights at the newest villa section of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge resort, Copper Creek Villas and Cabins. It was a beautiful studio room with a walk-in shower and great views of the main feature pool at the resort including the Fire Rock Geyser area.

I loved these new rooms and can’t wait to stay there again in the future. The last few nights of my visit were at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas- Jambo House. These are rooms that were converted from original ‘regular’ rooms into villas and I enjoyed a studio there as well with a savanna view. Waking up and seeing the animals was such fun!

While the rooms and resorts were fantastic, I had to get into the parks! Let’s see, two rounds of Avatar: Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom (OMG, love it!), a trip down a mystical river on the Na’vi River Journey, a beautiful nighttime spiritual journey with Rivers of Light, and a Yeti trying to chase me down a mountain (wait… what?) Animal Kingdom park is always filled with such interesting experiences. Kilimanjaro Safaris was amazing for one of our ‘two-week’ journeys. We saw so many animals and had giraffes coming up to our safari truck, I mean like right beside us! Our driver had to call for back up to ‘shoo’ the giraffes on their merry way.

Epcot was lovely and filled with delightful scents throughout from the Flower and Garden Festival. I LOVE flowers so this is one of my favorite times to visit so I can look at all of the beautiful topiaries and plants around the park. The butterfly garden is a highlight for me as well. There were so many butterflies flitting about and many more emerging from their chrysalises!

Magic Kingdom was a magical kingdom, as always! Despite being soaked by one of those lovely Florida downpours on the way to dinner, Be Our Guest was still a delish meal. I’m super disappointed that the restaurant is changing to a two-credit meal in late July (and with a funky menu) so this is likely one of my last times there. Fall clients, don’t be surprised when it isn’t on your suggestion list from me as we prepare for dining reservations.

Hollywood Studios is well… in the middle of a transformation. With Toy Story Land opening on June 30th and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge coming sometime in 2019 (no, there is no date that has been announced), the park has a lot of construction going on. I will say that as they work toward wrapping these projects, there are some new spaces showing up in the park that are welcome additions. Baseline Tap House is a fab place for a quick drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and a snack before dinner. The outdoor seating is a great place to relax and people watch while you enjoy a nice craft beer or cider. I loved finally meeting Star-Lord and Groot, a must-do for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy!

I also stopped by Typhoon Lagoon for some laps around the lazy river and a nice relaxing day in a comfy lounge chair. No wave pool for me this time but I’ve got some time coming up this summer to brave the waves! Disney Springs was quite busy with holiday weekend visitors but we managed to have a blast (literally) going to Mustafar on a secret mission as a Rebel in disguise as a Stormtrooper at The Void. Battling Darth Vader was a bit intense, just like the heat from the lava. Craziness and definitely on my list for next time too. After that battle, we needed a sweet treat to bring us back to Earth and put the finishing touch on our trip. So I leave this beautiful little bunny cake for you, as the end to my blog post. Happy Spring!

Howdy!  It’s time for another guest blog post — this time from the Hubs.  Enjoy!

Being a lifelong lover of the macabre, I’ve always wanted to take Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights for a spin, but it’s never been in the cards. That changed this year, when a surprise birthday trip included not only our daughter, but our teenage niece — who, as it so happens, is a big fan of horror movies. (By her own admission, the only things she can’t handle are creepy twins and scary clowns. That’s called “foreshadowing.”) So, as the rest of the group headed to Disney Springs for some restaurants and shopping, Niece (not her actual name) and I headed to #HHN27 for some pants-ruining fun.

First off, the map:

The little red letters are the haunted houses (there were nine altogether: American Horror Story, The Shining, The Fallen, Dead Waters, The Horrors of Blumhouse, Hive, Scarecrow: The Reaping, Ash vs Evil Dead, and Saw), while the yellow sections are Scare Zones — themed areas where performers roam free to pounce on you as you walk by. Upon entering the park, the very first thing we saw in the very first Scare Zone was the creepy ghost twins from The Shining, standing there being all creepy. As a direct result, we decided to start with some rides. So, proceeding through the nonexistent line, we hopped straight onto Transformers. Personally, I find Universal’s rides repetitive — it’s like the pitch for every ride since The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man has consisted of, “Hey, remember Spider-Man? It’s like that, except with {insert hot intellectual property here}!”

But I digress. Halloween Horror Nights isn’t about the rides; it’s about the scares. (As a matter of fact, several attractions are closed during the event since their queues are repurposed for the haunted houses.) It was well time for a haunted house, and, with me being a huge Evil Dead devotee for more years than I care to admit, Ash vs Evil Dead was the logical place to start. And since it’s horrific in a haha sort of way, it couldn’t be so bad for Niece, right?

It scared the absolute bejeezus out of her.

To calm her still-pounding heart, I decided it was Harry Potter time. Now, referring back to the map above, Ash vs Evil Dead is at the bottom center, while Harry Potter is at the top right. If you’ll notice, the walkway between the two is in no way, shape, or form yellow. (This will be a very important factor in my upcoming defense trial.) As we headed that way, however, Niece froze in her tracks. When I asked what was wrong, she said simply, “That’s a clown.”

As it turns out, that was a massive understatement. It was not a clown. It was a plethora of clowns. Scary ones. With chainsaws.

We ducked into a Simpsons-themed food court and made our way along its entire length to an exit at the opposite end. As we peeked out in an attempt to determine whether we’d managed to circumvent the murderous clowns, I noticed a teenage girl sitting at a nearby table. No food, just sitting. Eyes wide, she said, “You can’t go out there. THEY CHASE YOU.”

The long route to Harry Potter it was, then! Backtracking through the restaurant, we exited the door through which we’d entered, taking precisely zero notice of the support column right outside said door. Two steps later, a theretofore unseen clown lunged out from behind that column and brap-brapped his — quite realistic, I might add — chainsaw right in Niece’s face. Until that moment, I never knew it was possible to launch scream-powered tears out of one’s eyeballs with such astounding velocity.

 

We did eventually make it to Harry Potter via the long way around, but any further haunted houses were to be solo affairs while Niece waited it out in a no-scare zone (the performers don’t follow you into shops or restaurants). While, as I mentioned before, the size of my Evil Dead fandom is only surpassed by the ego of one Ashley J. Williams, if asked to pick a Best of Show I’d have a hard time choosing between that and The Shining — both were extremely well done experiences, and really managed to capture the essence of their respective properties.

So, would I do it again? In an elevated heartbeat I would! I’d just do so knowing that, when Universal says Halloween Horror Nights is too intense for most guests, they sort of mean it.

Being a vegetarian, Thanksgiving is not one of my favorite holidays.  For my family, it represents a long weekend that is perfect for hitting the road and enjoying some time together.  This year, that meant packing up and heading to Florida!

First stop, Disney World, for a quick one-night stay at Saratoga Springs.  We are Disney Vacation Club members and own at the Saratoga Springs resort but this was our first stay there in several years.  We chose Saratoga since it sits right beside Disney Springs and visiting there was our plan for this abbreviated stopover.  Thanksgiving dinner was accomplished at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian resort (to die for, as always!) and then a few hours at Disney Springs was a delightful treat.  I’m amazed with each trip how much Disney Spring evolves.  So much of the area is brand-new and super fancy!  I love the changes and can’t wait to see everything fully complete.

Black Friday morning for me meant breakfast at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, no shopping!  We stuffed ourselves and then hopped in the van to head over to Port Canaveral.  Emptying the van and skipping into the terminal at the Port, we got checked-in and waited with the masses.  With boarding group #2, we were some of the first folks onboard the beautiful Disney Dream.  Cabanas for the lunch buffet then a little ship exploration kept us occupied until the lifeboat drill and Sail Away party.

Our stateroom was fantastic!  When I toured the Dream in January 2015, I saw a room type that I had never been inside of before.  I knew when I saw it that I had to book one for myself!  The split layout of these rooms and the two large portholes are amazing.  So much room in the stateroom to spread out and really get settled in.

During our cruise, which was a super short 3-night Bahamian, the ship docked at Nassau in the Bahamas and Castaway Cay.  As I’ve mentioned before, Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas and it was all decked out for the holidays.

The ship was also adorned with holiday goodness around every turn.  The lobby featured a beautiful gingerbread house which also filled the air with its lovely scent.

Pirate night onboard the Dream was a blast (literally!) too with fireworks at sea and the ever-popular Pirate Buffet.  They do such a great job putting out these late-night treats for the hungry pirates!

Disney Cruise never disappoints and this trip was another memorable one for the fam!

Last October, I ventured to the Caribbean to tour some of the Sandals and Beaches brand resorts in Jamaica.  In early July, I jumped on a plane to Providenciales, the hub of the Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies to tour the Beaches brand resort located there.  Talk about an absolutely amazing experience!  The resort was gigantic but not in a bad way!  So much to do for the whole family,  a killer beach, plenty of restaurants, fantastic service, and luxurious accommodations!

So let’s see, other than touring the resort and the various room types — it was a working trip — I spent hours on the beach, floating and swimming around.  The water is crystal clear like a pool and the pure white sand is fluffy soft.  Of course, I came home a little on the sunburned side but it was so worth it.  I spent some time in two of the many pools as well and enjoyed those and their swim-up bars.  The nights were filled with delicious food including yummy sushi and a to-die-for French restaurant that I could’ve eaten at every night.

One morning had an early wake-up call to board the Kitty Katt catamaran tour to snorkel in those beautiful blue waters, visit our own deserted island, and then fly off the back of the boat into the open water on their super fun waterslide.  This was my first experience snorkeling and I had a fantastic time, will definitely do it again!

The resort even has its own waterpark area with five slides, a lazy river, and splash pad!  This area bumps up to the tween/teen fun spot with a diner, kids swim-up pool bar, Xbox lounge, DJ Scratch Academy and kids lounge, and hangout spot with family games.

The grounds are well-kept throughout the resort and you can always find fountains, sitting areas, hammocks, flowers, small geckos, and friendly faces wherever you turn.

This was my view on the way into the islands and as I was taking off to head back to the States.  I hope that I am seeing this view again, sooner rather than later!

After a recent weeklong stay at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina, I can confirm that there is such a thing as salt therapy.  It does a body good to plop on the sand, splash in the ocean, and soak in the sun.  Doing so with your family is even better.

Ocean Isle is such a relaxing place with a slower pace that I enjoy so much while recharging from my daily life.  I do work while at the beach but there’s something about doing work on a beach chair in the sand, or from a wicker sofa on a deck in the sun, that really makes the time spent working not so rough.

Normally, Ocean Isle is the place for collecting seashells but this year was pretty much a bust.  We did find a few good specimens but for the most part, the shells were hard to find.  That’s super weird but I chalk it up to high tides all week and the lack of storms in the area that stir up the good stuff.

Speaking of weather, it was perfection!  Warm days, cool nights, no rain… loved it!  I was expecting it to be much more hot and humid than it was but was certainly grateful for the pleasant temps.

The food was good, we hit up all the usual spots that we visit while in the area.  A couple of days at Myrtle Beach for dinner and some time at the outlets rounded out the non-beach time.  This trip was mostly about hanging out at our rental house and spending time together and I think we accomplished that quite well.

Til’ next time!

 

 

It was back to the West Coast over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate Disneyland’s 60th birthday!  The Diamond celebration began last year and I knew that I had to get to Cali to enjoy the festivities in person.

I really thought that I was in for it to be traveling to a place like Disneyland over a holiday weekend.  I was expecting high crowds and balmy temperatures based on my experience with Walt Disney World.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The weather was lovely, upper 70s each day and somewhat overcast (my first trip with no sunburn!!)  It was only crowded on our last day in the parks but we had overlapped Grad Night celebrations for local schools.  Even still, the crowds didn’t touch what we have experienced on our prior Florida trips.  We basically walked on most rides with the longest waits being maybe 20 minutes.  We did use FastPasses (paper FastPasses!) so that helped with Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours, and Radiator Springs Racers but other than that, you didn’t need them.

Our first memorable experience for the trip was getting stuck on top of the biggest hill on California Screamin’, a coaster in Disney’s California Adventure park.  We were climbing the big hill and all of the sudden, the train stopped.  I knew that was not good.  After a bit of a delay, Cast Members came running up the stairs (panting all the way up the 120 feet) to tell us what was going on and to help us out.  Out, as in out of the train!  We had to be released from our harnesses and then walk down the steps back to the park.  At first, there was a bit of freaking out but we did get some great pictures though.  Turns out some younger park-goers somehow missed all of the signs that selfie sticks weren’t allowed in the parks.  While climbing said hill, they felt the need to extend the stick to take that all important selfie and Disney shut the ride down.  At least the stick was confiscated but I think they should’ve taken them out back and…

So let’s see, what else.  We went on the ‘Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps’ Tour in Disneyland park and all I can say is ‘WOW.’  It was amazing.  In each land, the guide played clips for us of Walt’s dedication speech for that particular section of the park.  You could really feel Walt’s vision throughout park and this was an excellent experience for all of us.  I would consider this a must-do tour for any Disneyphile.  The tour ended with a visit to the Disneyland Dream Suite — the suite you could win a night in during the ‘Year of a Million Dreams’ promotion a few years back.  Talk about swanky.  No pictures were allowed but it was amazing.  They really went all out for this suite with two bedrooms, a parlor, a secluded outdoor patio, a to-die-for bathroom, and a second outdoor patio overlooking New Orleans Square.  I could have spent all day on that patio just watching the guests go by.

We watched the stunning ‘Paint the Night’ parade in Disneyland followed by the ‘Disneyland Forever’ fireworks.  That parade is the best parade I’ve seen on both coasts.  Very energetic and keeps you in the spirit from beginning to end.

On our last trip, we saw some of the ‘World of Color’ nighttime show in California Adventure but didn’t see it up close.  This time around, I decided to purchase tickets to a brand new dessert party offering (I love my desserts) that included seating right at the water for the show.  Our table was perfect and the view, ah-mazing!

Another super trip and I honestly cannot wait to step foot back into Walt’s magical place.  Once there, I’ll be taking another ‘spin’ on these babies…

Where to next?  Wait and see!

Easter week at Disney World — sometimes I have the strangest idea of a good time…

Seriously though, Easter week is not for the faint of heart when talking about a visit to the Mouse.  This is the second busiest time of the year, only falling behind the period between Christmas and New Year’s.  If you’re not into two hour plus waits on the popular rides and nightmarish crowds when leaving the parks in the evening, pick another travel time.  Me though, I laugh at the challenge!  (Not really, I just wanted to keep the peanut from missing any more school this year.)

The first part of the trip featured a stay at the Grand Floridian resort with the bonus of being in a ‘dormer’ room.  These are the rooms on the top floors of the buildings off of the main lobby building.  They are the windows that you see peeking out from under the eaves of the roof, thus being called ‘dormers’, imagine that!  They are like the regular rooms inside except they have tall ceilings and a private balcony.

 

The first order of business was getting ourselves to Hollywood Studios to check out the Star Wars Launch Bay.  We just missed the opening of this new area on our last trip and couldn’t wait to see what all the buzz was about.  Was it great?  Yep!  Meeting Chewbacca and Kylo Ren (super into his character!), seeing all the movie props (lightsabers, Rey’s speeder, costumes), trading with Jawas…  Excitement all around!  That evening, we enjoyed the Symphony in the Stars dessert party, a separate event that featured Star Wars themed food and drink with a reserved viewing area for that night’s Symphony in the Stars fireworks show.  That show was hands down the best fireworks experience (and dessert party too for that matter) that we’ve seen at Disney so far.

 

The next order of business was Typhoon Lagoon.  If the weather suits, on go the suits!  Typhoon Lagoon never disappoints.  Shoot, on this trip, we even got hailed on during a storm while we huddled under our umbrella!  Free ice falling from the sky, thanks Disney! The storm did clear out the wave pool, a rare sight.  We tried out Blizzard Beach later in the week for the first time.  Favorite?  Typhoon Lagoon, hands down.  The wave pool at Blizzard Beach doesn’t even compare and that’s our favorite part of the day.

 

Let’s see, what next?  Ah, Disney Springs.  So Downtown Disney is officially Disney Springs and the construction is really coming along.  We stopped by for some Starbucks, another run through DisneyQuest since it hasn’t closed yet (score!), and to take a few pictures of the construction.  The new bus area and second parking garage are taking shape.  It will be so much easier when the new bus area is up and running and we’re back to two bus stops there instead of just one.  Disney Springs is a sprawling area and that second stop will be so much more convenient.

 

The Grand Floridian stay ended and we moved over to the Polynesian Villas for the rest of the trip.  I love the Poly.  I would say it is my favorite resort now that the construction on the villas is complete and both pools are fully open again.  You can’t beat the location and the vibe of this resort.  It reminds me so much of Aulani.

 

Epcot in the spring means the return of my favorite festival, Flower and Garden.  I love flowers and trees so I love to visit during the festival period.  Disney’s parks and resorts are always impeccable but the work that the horticulture team does at Epcot for this festival is truly breathtaking year after year.  The only negative — ahchoo!  Darn allergies!

 

On our last day, we zipped back over to Magic Kingdom for more fun before we hit the road and stopped by the new Jungle Navigation Co Skipper Canteen restaurant for lunch.  This restaurant has funky decor and the great comedy routine that everyone loves from the Jungle Cruise ride.  I think a shorter name would’ve been a smarter move as would taking reservations more than a day in advance but the food was good and the specialty drinks were delish.  The one with the green apple boba balls on top was mine and that straw was gigantic!  I’m happy to report that I did not choke on any of the bobas, despite apparently trying my best.

Last stop, because you know we can’t ever come straight home, was Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort in South Carolina.  This place truly rocks.  It has the Disney feel but at the beach so you really can relax.  Relax at Disney?  I know, no way!  The resort’s ‘mascot’ is Shadow, a beautiful dog who comes by the resort from time to time to visit with the guests and pose for photos.  She loves belly rubs and pats on the head.  Definitely worth stopping for some snoodling.  Her human even gives autographed pictures out!  Woof!

 

It’s a wrap!  Was it super crowded?  For sure.  Would we do it again?  You bet.