Our 4 Park Challenge Day!

During this trip we did a 4 Park Challenge. Our goal/rules of the challenge: go to each park in one day, enjoy at least 3 attractions per park, and eat at least a snack at each park. And....we did it! It is definitely exhausting, but added a different element to our trip

Our first park was Animal Kingdom to capitalize on the extra magic hours in the morning. We were able to ride Expedition Everest TWICE, walked on Kilimanjaro safaris and walked through the Pangani Forest Exploration uninterrupted. We grabbed breakfast at a kiosk and enjoyed some espresso and a croissant.

Next park: Magic Kingdom! We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and the WDW Railroad. We had lunch at Friars Nook (Christopher wanted the pot roast macaroni and cheese) and I shared a pepperoni pizza from Pinocchio's Village Haus. 

Next park: Hollywood Studios. This is our least favorite park, so finding things to do that we both liked was hard. We rode Star Tours, walked through One Man's Dream and then did the Star Wars Lego Experience since it was Star Wars weekend. For our snack, we had a Mickey Ear Ice Cream to help us cool off. 

Since we were making excellent time, we decided to walk back to our resort and take a little nap. It felt so awesome to put our feet up and relax. We probably would have made it through Epcot, but we would have been a little grumpy.

After our nap it was off to our final park - EPCOT! We rode Test Track (thanks to our free fast pass from the ride breaking down), The 3 Caballeros and Mission: SPACE. 

We then relaxed until our dinner reservation at Spice Road Table. We had some celebratory drinks - Christopher picked up a beer from England and I had my favorite martini - no surprises there.

Dinner was delicious but the service was awful. We ordered our favorite pitcher of sparkling sangria, baked brie, calamari and mixed skewers. And of course we finished with coffee and dessert. We caught Illuminations from our table and had a great view of it. We also ran into my co-worker Titi! It was her first trip to WDW and she was having a great time.

And because we are crazies, we ran back to the resort, dropped all of our stuff and ran over to Hollywood Studios to catch Symphony in the Stars. It was so much more huge from outside of the park. We definitely have a new appreciation for the fireworks show.

So...WE DID IT! The 4 park challenge was fun yet exhausting. Definitely not to do with young children, but I would say pre-teen, teens could handle it.

Saturday Breakfast & Epcot

Saturday morning we had breakfast at The Grand Floridian Cafe to catch up with Mom and Dad on their date night and to share with them ours. They had a lovely time at the California Grill. Our breakfast was delicious as usual. Christopher got his fill of steak and eggs and I got the breakfast platter (I like a little bit of everything).

We then made our way to Epcot via the monorail. We went on Imagination with Figment, walked through Innoventions plaza, did Ellen's Energy Adventure and waited in line for Test Track only to have it break down right when we designed our car. Bummer! But we did get a free fast pass to use whenever we would like.

We checked out some of the gardens during the festival. We then walked around World Showcase Lagoon catching the last weekend of the Flower & Garden Festival and all of the fun treats.

We ate a spicy pineapple hot dog, blueberry pomegranate margarita, the lucky combo in China, a beer flight in Germany, Maple Bacon stout from the Smokehouse (while catching the new acappella act perform too - they were AWESOME!) and of course a trip around the world would not be complete without a Grey Goose Grand Marnier martini!

We had a very nice afternoon walking around. We then refreshed ourselves and walked over to the Beach Club for dinner at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. I had a burger and Christopher had a turkey sandwich. Mom and Dad both had burgers and of course we all indulged in a sundae. It was so cute inside and we had fun selecting tunes from the juke box.

After dinner, Christopher and I walked over to Hollywood Studios to catch Symphony in the Stars. We had some time to kill so we waited and rode Star Tours and had a flight sequence we have not seen before! It was our favorite yet. We then staked our spot on Hollywood Boulevard for the show and fireworks. It did not disappoint. So incredible to have the fireworks go off to the Star Wars score. Christopher videoed it so we can watch it again and again. 

Our First Day in Walt Disney World!

So we flew to Orlando out of the Buffalo airport at 5:30am! It was an early morning flight, but totally worth it so we could have a full day of fun in the sun. We spent our first day in Epcot, which was walking distance from the first resort we stayed at - the Boardwalk Villas. Our room was ready when we arrived, which we were really impressed with considering it was only 9 o'clock in the morning! So we dropped off our carry-ons to the room and got ready to hit the park!

We got to ride Soarin', caught a sneak preview of Tomorrowland, which they were showing in the Captain EO theater (Captain EO was "down" for the special sneak preview) and one of our favorite attractions, Spaceship Earth. We walked around quite a bit to look at all of the gardens and topiaries, since we were able to catch the last week of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I even braved going into the Butterfly garden and no - I did not freak out when the butterflies landed on me (like I did last year - people probably thought I was nuts!). We got to see the new Anna & Elsa topiaries, which were quite exquisite. Mom and Dad's favorite topiary was the Lady & the Tramp one located outside of Italy. They said it reminded them of Marv and Jameson.

Speaking of Marv and Jameson, they "vacationed" with my parents, who decided not to join us on this trip. They had a great time and enjoyed chasing Buddy around.

A funny situation did happen while we were walking around World Showcase, Dad was taking a picture of Christopher and I in Japan and a Disney World security officer stopped Dad and gave him a ticket! No worries - it was a citation for him not being in the picture with us. We have never seen this in the parks before. The officer was very nice and funny, he even made Dad a Junior Officer to protect the magic, complete with a badge sticker! Dad was very proud and wore his sticker for the rest of the trip.

As we walked around World Showcase, we also sampled some of the food offerings for the flower & garden festival. We sampled the Crispin' Blackberry Pear cider, a cronut (Christopher's favorite", duck confit with parsley potatoes, smoked debreziner sausage and pineapple sparkling wine. All were yummy!

We had lunch at Via Napoli and split a huge pepperoni and sausage pizza. It was delicious and so fresh. Then we split tiramisu, which was so amazing and authentic. We really liked our experience at this restaurant and hope to return in future trips. For families, this was a very affordable option for dining.

We then took a little break in the afternoon and went back to the resort to unpack and freshen up. Christopher and I then took a little walk around Crescent Lake and he treated me to my pearl for the trip. I ended up picking an oyster with an 8mm pearl! I am one lucky girl!

Dinner was at Le Cellier in the Canadian pavilion. And it was of course fabulous. Our server was pleasant and from Ontario. Christopher and I split the famous beer cheddar soup and we all ordered the filet mignon with wild mushroom risotto (yes, even I ate the risotto - it was worth the headache). Mom and Dad split creamed spinach to pair with their steak and Christopher and I split the mac & cheese. We were too full for dessert (I know - the Maple Creme Brulee - next time!). Since our reservation was late (at 8:50 pm), when we left the restaurant, we were one of the last ones left in the park. Which is an experience in itself since the park is so empty and quiet.

It was such a wonderful first day at Walt Disney World. We all fell right asleep and got to sleep in on Thursday.

Tips for Making the Most out of the Disney Dining Plan

I am often asked questions by family and friends about the Disney Dining Plans. My family has used the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) for a couple of trips. We enjoy it, but have learned several tips and tricks along the way. I thought I would share them with you all as the fun summer vacation season is almost upon us!

Meals: Basics on how they work, and how to make it work for your budget

-          First and foremost gratuities are NOT included except as noted in the dining plan brochure. These generally include In-room dining, pizza delivery, the dinner shows and Cinderella’s Royal Table.  Make sure to budget for the anticipated gratuities. We forgot about this point the first time we used the dining plan in 2012 and did not budget for it. So now that you all know, you don’t have to ask the uncomfortable question to your fabulous server.

-          It sounds silly but make sure to check the listing of participating restaurants, as sometimes restaurants are added or dropped from the list. Use this link, which takes you directly to the Disney Dining Plan page for the most up to date information.

-          Some special menus (like prix fixe) and menu add-ons (like adding on a lobster tail) will not be included in the dining plans. The menu will note an up charge and you will be required to pay that additional fee.

-          Each of the meals includes a non-alcoholic beverage. If you don’t want your drink, order a bottle of water and take it to go!

-          Looking for quick service but want something more “exotic” than the frequently menued chicken fingers and burgers? Several resort food courts – Landscape of Flavors (Art of Animation), Everything Pop (Pop Century), Pepper Market (Coronado Springs), Mara (Animal Kingdom Lodge), Contempo Café (Contemporary Resort) – offer ethnic or more exotic food options.  I LOVE the tie dyed cheesecake at Pop Century and the Beignets at French Quarter. (Desserts – I know, but still – so delicious!)

Snacks: Mickey Ice Cream? Dole Whip? Food & Wine Festival? Oh Boy!

-          Leftover snack credits? Don’t let them go to waste! Disney offers several opportunities for you to spend those unused snack credits to bring some of the Parks home with you. Most of the resort food courts offer “packable food” for any quick service credits that are left over. These meals make for great meals on the go when you have to travel home. I like to think of it as my last little piece of Disney meal magic. Also – did you forget to buy your best friend or sibling a souvenir? Use your unused snack credits to get them a Mickey themed snack like a rice krispy treat or coconut ears.  

-          If you are vacation during either the Epcot Food & Wine Festival or the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, your snack credits can be used for most “tasting portions” offered in the kiosks around the World Showcase. You can get the most bang for your credits doing this. For example, during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, in previous years the Maine Lobster Roll could be redeemed using a snack credit, saving you $9.75! That is like having a meal but only using a snack credit – SCORE!

Other Tips & Tricks to get the most out of your plan

-          You can use the meal credits whenever you want during your Walt Disney vacation. For example, if you’re on the regular dining plan and you want to eat two table service meals one day and three quick service meals the next day, no problem. Or if you want to use up all of your snack credits in one day, that is okay too.

-          The dining plan includes dessert with both lunch and dinner. Keep in mind this level of heavy eating could make it difficult to walk around the parks. An alternative to heavy desserts like cake, pie and other Disney delicacies is to order fresh fruit instead. Most restaurants and quick service will offer fresh fruit that you can take to go as your dessert. Then you can snack on an apple or banana later in the day when you may get hungry.  Meal and snack all in one! You guys know me and how I love deals.

-          If you are on the regular meal plan, you may want to consider sharing a quick service meal. Last trip Christopher and I split a half chicken dinner at Cosmic Ray’s and it was more than enough food for the two of us. The chicken was generous and it came with a potato and vegetable sides. Other places that offer larger meals are Flame Tree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom (1/2 chicken & ribs combo – for the meat lovers) and Sunshine Seasons at Epcot (Asian combo that allows you to pick two entrees and two sides – oh boy!)

Dining with kids? Here is the scoop to maximize your credits

-          Most quick service locations have a set kids menu and options are pretty limited. A few restaurants do not have a separate kid’s menu, which means they can order any combo or entrée on the menu with a child credit. These include: Casey’s Corner (Magic Kingdom), Catalina Eddies and Toluca Legs Turkey Company (Hollywood Studios), Sommerfest and Yorkshire County Fish Shop (Epcot). BAAAM – getting more for your buck never felt so good!

-          Kids’ selections at some sit-down restaurants can be limited. A couple things to keep in mind:

o   Ask for alternatives. If your kids don’t like anything on the kids menu, ask the server if they can have a child-sized portion of something from the adult menu. Not every time, but often this can be accommodated.

o   Ask to see the chef if your child has allergies or a dietary issue where eating off the regular menu might be tricky. A better option is to contact Disney before your trip to alert them of the dietary issue (407-939-3463). Disney is very good at accommodating these issues.  You may have also heard some buzz about Disney’s special allergy menus. Remember – it never hurts to ask!

o   You may find that buffet locations, where the selection is broader, can accommodate the pickiest of eaters and everyone in your party can be satisfied. And some buffet locations also offer character dining! BONUS. Our favorite? Tusker House in Magic Kingdom. This is one of the few locations guests can meet Daisy Duck!

But I saved the best tip for last…the #1 tip I have for using the Disney Dining Plan is to prepare your dining game plan BEFORE you arrive at Disney. Seriously, if you don’t want to be disappointed at the end of your trip or upset because you did not use all of your credits for dining and snacks, put together a plan ahead of time to make sure you will use all of your credits. To help you with my #1 tip, use the Ellegant Décor Disney Collection Dining Planner. This way, you can get an idea of how many meal and snack credits your family will have and where you can use them prior to your trip. At the end of our first trip using the dining plan, we did not use 2 of our dining credits – doh! We were disappointed in ourselves for wasting the meals and the money! So learn from our mistakes.

And since Disney vacation season is upon us and many of you are day dreaming and planning your next trip, Ellegant Décor is offering 10% off ALL of their Disney Planners (from the VALUE to WALT and the Dining Planner) now through April 30^th! Just use the code “APRILSHOWERS” at checkout! And for a limited time, the WALT planner will include the Dining Planner for FREE. Gosh I LOVE deals.

Now I am hungry thinking about all of the delicious Disney food! Happy Planning!

Our Upcoming Trips FastPass+ Plan

So excited that our trip is about two months away!!! For all the Disney veterans out there - you know what this means - FastPass+ time, pre-arrival check in, etc. I am sure you will not be surprised when I tell you that we have a FP+ plan before we hit our 60 day mark. I thought I would share it with you all and to cheer us on that we get close to what our wishes are!

Day 1 - we will be in Epcot as it is just a short walk from our villa at the Boardwalk. Although our goal is to try as many different tastings during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, we do want to fit in some ride breaks. We are hoping for: Soarin', Mission: SPACE and Spaceship Earth. Mom and I will probably pass on Mission: SPACE, but our parents love Soarin'. And of course we have to hit Spaceship Earth too.

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom Day! FP #1 - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Our parents have not been on this attraction yet and the lines are usually long. The coaster is cool, but we don't think it is worth the 2 hour wait. Definitely FastPass+ it. Other two rides are Space Mountain and Peter Pan's Flight. Peter Pan's Flight is a slower transfer for guests getting on and off the ride, that is why the wait times soar in the afternoon.

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios Day & Star Wars Weekend! Our FastPass+ plan is to hit Toy Story Midway Mania (a must unless you want to wait in really long lines), Star Tours (because it is Star Wars Weekend) and Tower of Terror - Christopher's favorite.

Day 4 - this is kind of a flex day, but Christopher and I are planning on going back to Epcot to eat at some more marketplaces. So we are planning for Test Track and the Epcot Character Spot - to get our pictures taken with the Fab 5. But this may change - we shall see how the vacation takes us.

Day 5 - Christopher and I's 4-Park Challenge Day. Goodness wish us luck! It was tough trying to pick which park we should use our FastPass+ selections at. Animal Kingdom has early extra magic hours, so we feel we should have no problem hitting three attractions in the early morning. Next we are heading to Magic Kingdom and since there are so many attractions available, we don't think we will have an issue here either. The next park is Hollywood Studios - and this is where we are thinking we should use our FP+ selections because the park doesn't have that many attractions and we will be getting here later in the day. Our plan is Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D. It may not work out with the times, but if we could at least get Toy Story Midway Mania, we should not have to wait too long for Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D. Then of course we are heading to Epcot for the last three attractions and our celebratory dinner. We are planning on hitting Captain EO, Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Spaceship Earth.

Day 6 - Since our parents haven't really been to Animal Kingdom, we figured this was a must on this trip. So we are planning to use our FP+ selections on Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris and possibly Mickey & Minnie at the Adventureers Outpost to get some cute family pictures.

Days 7 - 12 we will not have passes, so no need to worry about FP+ selections. We are going to spend the second half of our trip relaxing by the pools, enjoying the fabulous resort fare and shopping.

2015 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

I am so excited that we will be in Florida for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I love seeing all of the pretty topiaries, gardens and my favorite – the food marketplaces!!! The festival kicked off this week and I am loving all the posts about it. So, as my favorite part is the food, I thought I would highlight all of the fun choices (and many new items!) and what I am hoping to taste and drink.

Oh and before I forget, if anyone else is going, you can get a FREE (yes – FREE) passport book similar to the FREE one handed out at Food & Wine that lists each marketplace with the food & beverage offered and you can get it stamped too! The passports can be picked up at the festival center.

The brand new marketplace is Botanas Botanico, located between France and Morocco Pavilions and this kiosk will feature: Cachapas (sweet corn cake) served with Farmers Cheese, Seafood Ceviche, White Corn Arepa, La Tizana (fruit punch), Coconut Tres Leches, Polar Beer, Monte Paschoal Reserve Tannat and Monte Paschoal Natural Brut White Sparkling Wine.

Items to try: Cachapas con Queso, White Corn Arepa, and Monte Paschoal Natural Brut White Sparkling Wine

Urban Farm Eats is featuring: Kale Salad, Quinoa Vegetable “Naanwich”, Ghost pepper-dusted tilapia, Urban Bloody Mary, Cucumber Lemon Water, Hess Shirttail Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, King Estate Acrobat Pinot Noir and Crispin Blackberry Pear Cider.

Items to try: Quinoa vegetable “naanwich” with arugula pesto and oven dried tomatoes and the Crispin Blackberry Pear Cider (sounds delish and different)

Pineapple Promenade is featuring: a spicy hot dog with pineapple chutney, pineapple soft-serve (DOLE WHIP), spiked pineapple soft-serve with macadamia nut flavored rum OR Parrot Bay coconut rum, frozen desert violet lemonade, Ace pineapple hard cider, sparking pineapple wine, berry tea cocktail with Twining’s cold-brewed mixed berry tea.

Items to try: Spicy hot dog with pineapple chutney and I am torn between the Ace Pineapple hard cider and sparkling pineapple wine. Maybe both? Hehe. Last year I tried the pineapple soft serve with the coconut rum and it was okay, but I like the non-alcoholic version better.

Fleur de Lys is featuring: Gnocchi dumplings with vegetables and mushrooms, duck confit & potatoes, strawberry marshmallow macaroon, ice pop of iced tea, Grand Marnier, Peach raspberry liqueur and vodka, La Vie en Rose frozen slush, Kir Imperial and Kronenbourg Blanc.

Items to try: I am still dreaming about the duck confit with garlic and parsley potatoes. Even Christopher liked it last year. Looking forward to it. I have never tried a macaroon, and the strawberry marshmallow one sounds delicious. The Ice Pop sounds interesting, but I am not sure I can cheat on my Grand Marnier Grey Goose martini.

Taste of Marrakesh is featuring: falafel pocket, harissa chicken kebob, pistachio baklava, mint iced tea, white sangria, guerrouane red wine and desert rose cocktail.

Items to try: honestly, I tried the chicken kebob last year and it was nothing too spectacular and the baklava from Food & Wine in 2013 has scarred me from trying it again. Soooo if you can’t eat, drink? The desert rose cocktail sounds good - sparkling wine and pomegranate liqueur.

Hanami is featuring: curry bun, salmon sushi, frushi (fruit sushi), Kirin draft beer, Yuzu plum white slush, strawberry nigori and Karatamba sake.

Items to try: I am excited to try the new curry bun and I figured I should give plum wine another shot.

The Smokehouse: Barbecues and Brews is featuring: pulled pork slider, beef brisket hash, smoke Debreziner sausage, bacon cupcake, beer flight (& individual tastings) – Billy’s Chillies, Floridian Hefeweizen, Category 3 IPA and Maple Bacon stout, The Original Rib Shack red wine, frozen lemonade and R.C. Sweet Tea

Items to try: the pictures of the beef brisket burnt ends hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos looks delicious. Well – minus the jalapenos, you all know I am baby when it comes to spice.  Last year I tried the bacon cupcake and it was alright, but I think it would be better as a cornbread with bacon in it. It is more like a yellow cake with bacon bits in it. The maple frosting is good though.

Primavera Kitchen is featuring: pinwheel of mozzarella, prosciutto and ciabatta bread, three cheese manicotti, limoncello panna cotta, Placido Pinot Grigio, Placido Chianti, Bosco Del Merlo Prosecco, Corbinello, and a white peach Bellini

Items to try: As I am a cheesy chick, I definitely want to try the pinwheel. The limoncello panna cotta sounds good too, as does the white peach Bellini. I have tried the Placido Chianti and it is really good, but I would like to try something else. It is also featured regularly at Food & Wine in Italy.

Lotus House is featuring: Candied strawberries, Kung Pao chicken bun, vegetable spring roll, oolong peach bubble tea, Kung Fu punch, South Sea Storm cocktail, plum white, Tsing-Tao beer and honey mango wine cooler.

Items to try: I think it would be fun to order a Kung Pao with a Kung Fu lol. So those would be my choices.  

Jardin de Fiestas is featuring: tacos al pastor, vegetable quesadilla, flan de chocolate, Tecate with Patron Citronge, white Mexican sangria, Blueberry pomegranate margarita and a tequila liqueur flight.

Items to try: I did not get a chance to try the tacos al pastor, which is a corn tortilla filled with achiote-marinated pork, garnished with grilled diced pineapple, onions and cilantro. Sounds yummy. The blueberry pomegranate margarita sounds delicious too. I can’t remember off the top of my head, but last year’s featured margarita did not sound good – I think it had a pepper flavor? Anyone remember?

Florida Fresh is featuring: a watermelon salad, shrimp and stone ground grits, Florida blueberry and lemon curd tart, watermelon passion fruit slush, key line sparkling wine, Blonde ale, Channel Marker Red Ale, Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale and Jai Alai beer. Of course, you can get a flight of all four too.

Items to try: the shrimp and stone ground grits sounds interesting and includes Andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro. I am really interested in trying the Key lime sparkling wine!

Now I am hungry thinking about all of the food! Pictures of this year's tastings are published on the Disney Food Blog - a comprehensive research I use to keep track of all of the happenings with food at Disney! All the pictures (except the cute one of Lady and the Tramp) are from this blog as cited. 

And of course (shameless plug) - you can purchase an Ellegant Decor Disney Vacation planner on my Etsy site to help keep track of all the marketplaces you would like to experience on your next trip!

Updated Walt Disney World Vacation Planners

With all of this cold weather, I most certainly have vacation on the brain. Our next Disney trip is less than 75 days away! With that said, I have been busy completing our Disney Vacation planner with all of our dining reservations, special Star Wars weekend events and of course the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (which starts this week!).

I also updated all of the Ellegant Decor Disney Collection Vacation Planners! I want all of my customers to have the most up to date information for their Walt Disney World Vacation.

Updates include:
- Disney Parks Character Guide
- Disney PhotoPass Locations
- FastPass+ Kiosk Locations
- Penny Press locations throughout all of the Walt Disney property

and NEW - Locations of Charging Stations at the parks!

There are various types of planners to fit all of your vacation needs. Included in each are:

Value Planner
- Travel Information Page
- Payment Timetable & Budget
- Advanced Dining Reservations Organizer
- Disney Day Planner
- Notes Page

Moderate Planner
- Everything in the Value Planner PLUS
- Important Numbers Page
- Ultimate Disney Packing List

Deluxe Planner
- Everything in the Moderate Planner PLUS
- Extra Spending Money & Souvenir Page
- Parks Character Guide

Castle Planner
- Everything in the Deluxe Planner PLUS
- Average Attraction Wait Time Listing
- Disney PhotoPass Locations
- FastPass+ Kiosk Locations
- Charging Station Locations

The WALT Planner
- Everything in the Castle Planner PLUS
- Locations to view fireworks
- Penny Press Locations throughout the WDW Property

Head on over to Ellegant Decor's Disney Collection to pick out your planner today!