Disney Trip Report: Day 2

Thanks for coming back for Day 2 of the trip report of my Disney Trip! If you want to read Day 1, click here. I cant wait to share with you all the pictures and fun from Day 2! *And once again, my tips will be preceded by a *.

Day 2 of our trip was our first day in the parks. We chose Magic Kingdom to start out our trip.

Despite getting in late and having a hard time sleeping (we were excited, y'all!), Ben and I were up early and ready to go. I even woke up in time to catch the sunrise and it was so gorgeous off of our balcony!

Sunset from our balcony. Worth the super early wake-up!

Everyone else wasn't quite up yet, so we decided to walk over to the Jambo House (the other part of our resort) to have breakfast at Mara, the quick service restaurant.

Ready for the day! Gorgeous view off of our balcony!

We decided to go with the Disney Dining Plan (more on that later) and I knew that I wanted to try different things instead of going with the food that I eat at home. So with that in mind, I tried the African Inspired Breakfast Platter. It included things like "Pap" and "Chakalaka," which I had NO CLUE even what it was, but I figured it was my only chance to try something new. And it was GOOD!

My African Inspired Breakfast Platter. Yummy!

Ben's regular breakfast platter, complete with Mickey waffle. Also super yummy!

We also claimed our mugs here that came with our dining plan, and it was so great to be able to grab a drink every morning!

My goob :)

After eating breakfast and doing some sightseeing around our resort, our whole crew loaded on the bus and headed to...MAGIC KINGDOM!! *One tip I have when planning your trip is to consult a crowd calendar in both choosing your time to go to Disney AND in picking which park to go to each day. (Come back to the wrap up post on Saturday to find out which ones I used!). The time that we went was PERFECT. We very rarely waited in line for anything, and when we did, it wasn't much more than 20 minutes. The weather wasn't overly hot and didn't rain too much. I would say these calendars are an invaluable planning resource!*

Our bus!

Logan and Amy on the bus. 

Steve and Caden.

We had a dedicated bus to Magic Kingdom (meaning no other resorts and no other parks) so our ride was relatively quick. We got to the park and went through the bag check. *Don't be the guy that takes forever to get his bags open. Have everything out and open by the time you get to the front of the line. Makes the process easier and faster!*

Magic Kingdom!

Ben and me in front of Magic Kingdom. Excuse the squinty eyes-it was super bright!

We got in the park just in time to see the "Move it, Shake it" Parade. It was such a fun way to start our day and really set the tone for how much fun we would have! After the parade, we hopped on the train (the one at the front of the park) and got off in Fronteirland. *I don't know if this would work for everyone, but it worked for us. Instead of walking down Main Street when we first got there or walking to the next park, hopping on the train got us there faster AND beat most of the crowds!*

Mickey and Minnie in the "Move it, Shake it" parade. 

Woody and Jessie in the "Move it, Shake it" parade. 

View of Cinderella's Castle down Main Street. 

Ben and me from the train station.

View of Main Street from the train station.

Amy and Steve on the train.

We basically walked onto Splash Mountain- I don't think we waited longer than 10 minutes! It was a fun way to start out the day and it really helped the youngest in our group get used to riding rides!

I love these ride photos! Definitely one of the highlights of each day in the parks!

After we rode Splash Mountain we saw a meet and great with Woody and Jessie! The line looked short so we jumped in. Well, it definitely wasn't as short as it looked and we ended up waiting for about 15 minutes, but it still wasn't bad!

Caden meeting and taking pictures with Woody and Jessie. 

This was so cute-Jessie was playing with Caden's mohawk!

After that meet and great we went to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and didn't wait very long for that either!

Such a cool picture!

Then we went to Pecos Bill's for lunch. Pecos Bill's is a counter service restaurant (see the menu here) that I had seen on another blog and decided to check it out. I had the Deluxe Angus Cheeseburger and Ben had the Taco Salad. It was pretty quick and good as far as counter service goes. We got our food and our party somehow got split up. Ben, Chris, Dena, and I found a quiet tucked away spot to eat. *I think this is one of the best tips I have. It may not work as well when the crowds are high, but finding a quiet spot where you can relax, even just for a few minutes, is well worth it. It gives you a chance to get away from the crowds and eat your food without all the noise! I would definitely go back to the quiet spot in the back of the restaurant next time we go!*

The front of the restaurant.  

My burger and Ben's taco salad. Both good!

There was no wait at the Pirates of the Caribbean ride so we walked right in! We couldn't believe how real the pirates looked! We had fun playing in the gift shop at the end of the ride. This is still one of my favorite attractions, but it may not be good for young children.

After Pirates we got back on the train and rode to Fantasyland. None of the adults seemed super interested in this part of the park, so we walked on through and went to Tomorowland. We walked up to the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and it had a FIVE MINUTE WAIT. Apparently this is a big deal, because Chris said the line is always ridiculous here, so it was awesome that we basically didn't have to wait. This ride was AWESOME. It is definitely geared towards kids, but the adults had just as much fun!

Steve, Caden, Amy and Logan. 

Ben, Me, Chris, and Dena. So much concentration! 

There was no wait at the Carousel of Progress, and we were all ready for a sit-down, so we decided to go in and watch. The concept of this attraction is neat, and I love that it was conceived by Walt Disney himself, but this would not be one that I would care to ride again.

When we walked out of the Carousel of Progress, the sky had changed from sunny to super dark and windy. The plus side to this is that the temperature dropped considerably! We decided to hop on the People Mover and see what the weather was going to do. This is one of my favorite things here-it gives you a chance to relax and see some of the different attractions at Magic Kingdom in a fun and new way!

While on the People Mover, the weather continued to decline to the point we knew the sky was about to drop. So we ran to Space Mountain just in time to beat the crowds and waited about 20 minutes because everyone seemed to have the same idea we did- escape the weather! This is one of my favorite rides at Disney World-it is fast and exciting! When we got off the ride and into the gift shop, it was POURING. The lightening and thunder was awful...it was pretty scary to be stranded like that!

Our faces are hilarious!

The rain eased up for a minute, so we made a break for it! We headed back to Buzz Lightyear again because it was so much fun! It was still raining when we got out, and the lightening was awful, so we ducked into Stitch's Great Escape. WORST. ATTRACTION. EVER. Disney can get rid of this as far as I'm concerned. It's too scary for kids and the burp smell is just awful. I'm not one to tell you to skip an attraction because all experiences are different, but this was awful. *DON'T GO TO STITCH'S GREAT ESCAPE*

The rain still hadn't stopped, although it was barely sprinkling at this point, and Chris and Dena had seen all they wanted to see, so they headed off to go to Walmart for some groceries. Ben and I were nowhere near ready to leave yet, so we met back up with the Altizers (we had split up with them a little while earlier) and walked towards Adventureland. On the way, we realized that Cinderella's Castle had NO ONE in front of it. So we all hurried to get pictures before the drizzle stopped. And boy am I glad we did-we have pictures with no crowds! It was so awesome and I am so glad we stayed!

After that epic moment in time, we headed to Adventureland for another one-DOLE WHIP. In case you don't know, Dole Whip is a yummy Pineapple soft-serve type treat that you can get in various flavors. At the recommendation of the guy working at the stand, I got the Pineapple and Vanilla swirl Float. And boy was it good! It was by far the best treat I had at Disney, and supposedly one of the most low calorie treats you can get!

Aloha Isle-the only place in Magic Kingdom where you can get Dole Whip.

DOLE WHIP!!! YUMMY!!! And Ben's Coke Float!

Dole Whip Float!

It was still raining at this point so we headed to an arcade to wait it out a little bit more. We played some checkers and Logan got free play at the arcade because his penny hadn't worked in the machine (more on pressed pennies later too!). We hung out here for about 15 minutes and the rain still hadn't stopped. We had just realized the park closed early that day because of an event that night, so we headed out in the rain to see as much as we could. The Altizers rode the Carousel while Ben and I hung out and planned our next move.

My boo playing checkers!

After the Carousel, we all headed to the Little Mermaid Under the Sea. This is a slow moving ride through scenes from the Little Mermaid with the songs playing. This was fun, and the animation was so neat, but it is not something I would do if I had to pass up something else. Does that make sense? I liked it, but not more than I liked other things!

After this, Ben and I tried to go to the Beast's Castle because it is new and I wanted to see what it looked like on the inside, but it was closed due to the park's early closure that night. I was so bummed to not get to see everything I wanted to, but maybe next trip!

At this point Ben and I headed out of the park. We were wet and tired, and decided to get something to eat. So we walked down Main Street and walked out of the park and to our bus. We had an almost empty bus and a relatively short bus ride. We went back to our room, took showers, and got ready for dinner. After we were ready, we met back up with Chris and Dena and took a bus to Epcot and then took the Monorail to the Polynesian Resort. This is one of my only complaints of staying where we stayed. We were probably the furthest resort from the parks (with the exception of Animal Kingdom) and any time we wanted to go to dinner, we had to take a bus to a park then another form of transportation to that resort. It takes a good bit of travel time, and I can only imagine that it is worse when the crowds are higher!

When we got to the Polynesian resort, we set out to eat at Ohanas. I had done a good bit of research and I knew that we wouldn't be able to get in, but Dena thought we could so we tried. We weren't able to (they are reservation only after 5) but we DID get a table at Kona Cafe, another restaurant at the resort. So while the boys reserved our table, Dena and I got drinks. I got the Lapu Lapu, a fruity drink served in a pineapple, while everyone else got the backscratcher, a fruity drink served with-you guessed it- a backscratcher. I thought my drink would be the best thing ever, as it was highly touted on Pinterest, but I didn't care for it. It could have just been my bartender, but it just didn't taste very good!

The Lapu Lapu. It looks prettier than it tastes!

We started off with the Pot Stickers. And boy were they GOOD. Pot stickers/dumplings/gyoza is one of our favorite things, and these did not disappoint! For dinner I had the Teriyaki-style New York Strip, served with sticky rice and broccolini. For the full menu, click here.  My meal was PHENOMENAL. One thing I have learned recently (and I may be the only person on the planet NOT to know this) is that when a dish is served with a garnish, EAT IT. I don't mean a sprig of basil or something lame like that, but like a real food item. This steak had a Pineapple chutney/relish/salsa type thing on top and it just elevated the flavors so much further beyond just the steak itself (which was amazing!). *The best tip I have when eating on the meal plan is to look at the most expensive thing you can get. I know it sounds crazy, but its the best way to maximize those meal credits! I cant say this is what I always did, but it helped with what I chose every night, and I didn't eat anything I didn't like!*

Pot stickers...SO GOOD. 

The steak with rice and broccolini. Probably the best steak I have ever had!

After dinner, we headed back to our resort and IMMEDIATELY crashed!

Overall, it was an amazing first day in the parks. I learned so much for our next trip, and I cant wait to try new things!

Come back tomorrow for pictures, tips, and our trip report from Day 3!

Disney Trip Report: Day 1

Many of you know that Ben (my husband) and I have been planning a trip to Disney for mid-September. What some of you may NOT know is that we actually bumped our trip up 9 days and just got back a few days ago. It was one of the best weeks of my life and I am SO happy that we bumped it up! I plan on sharing each day with you in a separate trip report with a special post recapping all of the tips at the end. I hope you come back for some great pictures, funny stories, and GREAT tips (which will be preceded in each post by a *)!

Day 1: Travel

Our trip planning first started in August 2012. We were graciously given a week at any Disney World Resort as a wedding gift by two of our great friends. We had originally planned to use it as a honeymoon, but the time constraints of Ben's schedule at the time would not allow that. Months and months went by and we still had not booked our trip. Then one date night in mid-May, we decided to just do it! So we picked out our dates (September 14-20, 2013) and the next day our trip was booked. We were so excited to stay in a suite at the Animal Kingdom Resort with a Savanna view. I IMMEDIATELY took to Pinterest and started planning our trip. *(I cant wait to share some of my favorite planning posts with you at the end of this series! )

The countdown calendar I made for our trip. Click here for how I made it!

Then, the night that was set to be 10th day before our scheduled trip, we decide that work schedules would not allow us to be gone at the time we originally planned. Rather than cancel our trip, we decided to move it up in order to go with the owners of our company and another family that shoots for us (Ben works for a bow manufacturer, Ben Pearson Outdoors).  So after a scramble to pack and IMMENSE luck in getting the room we wanted reserved, we packed up the hummer the next day and headed off to Disney. 

We were so excited to leave 9 days early!

And after seven long hours in the car, we were finally there! 

2. The view as you drive onto the property. 

We were lucky enough to stay at the Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our room overlooked the animal enclosure and it was so beautiful to wake up to every day! The theming in the room was way more than what I expected-Disney thought of every detail, even down to the doors they used inside the suites. Here are some pictures of our amazing resort. 

3. The sign outside our resort.

The sign over the door to the villas. 

1. The view from the drive up to our resort.

1. The wall that outside the front entrance. 

1. The view from the back of the lobby towards the front door.

1. The view out the back of the lobby. 

Our room number!

3. An aerial view of our resort. The "E" shape on the left is the Kidani Village, and the "U" shape on the right is Jambo house.

1. The view from the front door into our living room. 

1. Our bedroom! Amazing king-size bed!

The towel animal that housekeeping had for us. 

3. This bathroom was amazing. It felt so luxurious and it was OURS for the week!

We did not go to the parks on this day, so I dont have any real tips to give you for today's report. The one thing I will say is that if you are going to celebrate anything: TELL THEM. They are so great about giving you special treatment. They gave us "Happy Anniversary" buttons that we wore every day in the parks and LOVED the special attention we got because of them. In addition to the buttons, by the time we had arrived at our room after checking in, we had a happy anniversary message from MICKEY AND MINNIE themselves on our phone! It was so special and something that will make us smile for years to come!

Stay tuned this week for the trip reports from each day with some special tips I learned along the way!

1. Source

2. Source

3. Source

Fall Trend: Navy and Black

This morning my friend Courtney posted a question on her Facebook:  "fall style question of the day: how do you feel about mixing navy and black? i can't quite decide..." I told her to "Pinterest" it to see how she felt about it, but I decided to do some research for myself. So here ya go Court, this is what I found!

via

via

via

via

It seems like the way to wear this trend is to wear predominately one color then pair one piece of the other color. I think it actually works this way as opposed to mixing equal parts of black and blue. I may have actually changed my mind on this trend. It seems very classic! 

What do you think? Would you wear black and blue together?

WIWW: Stripes and Lace

Well, after one set back after another, I decided to step out of the 30x30 project for this month. I am already gearing up for the fall project, so hopefully I can stay on track with that!

That being said, here is a picture I had taken for the 30x30 project that I will use for today's installment of What I Wore Wednesday. This outfit is a great way to turn a summer dress into a fall outfit (well, at least fall in Florida where it doesn't get too hot!).

I have some great posts in the works so stay tuned for those in the coming days!

Dress: Gap, similar
Lace top: Loft, similar
Boots: Corral, similar
Necklace: Unknown brand, similar

How do you plan on changing summer items over for fall?

Linking up to: Raegun Wear, Tucker Up, and Because Shanna Said So.

DIY Anchor Tank

When I started prepping for my 30x30 project, I knew I wanted some sort of graphic tank, and had been looking for an anchor tank for some time. I couldn't find one that was EXACTLY what I wanted for what I wanted to spend, so I set out to make my own.

I bought this tank at Target for about $15. It is actually a workout tank, but had the length and shape and color that I wanted, so I bought it (also knowing that it's breathable quality would be perfect for our upcoming Disney trip).

So how did I make it?
Step One: Insert cardboard inside the shirt. This will keep the bleach from bleeding through the shirt and onto whatever you put it on.

Step Two: Use a bleach pen (I used Clorox because that was what I could find) to draw out your pattern. I did a simple anchor, but you could do just about any pattern you want!

Step Three: Let the bleach dry over night (or all day if you do it in the AM). It will flake off when it is completely dry.

Mine was not as vivid as I wanted it to be after the first try. I think this is due to the type of fabric.
So in my case, Step Four would be repeat the bleach step!

Here is my completed shirt! It isn't perfect for sure, and I may even go back and make the design thicker, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to style it for the 30x30 challenge!

Linking up to: Rae Gun Ramblings, This Gal Cooks, I Gotta Try That, and Sew Much Crafting.

Disney Craft

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, but Ben and I are taking a week long trip to Disney World in September. We were given the trip as a wedding gift by two very good friends! We will be staying 6 nights at the Animal Kingdom resort on the Disney property and we are SO excited! I have been actively researching what to do for our trip, and one of the things I came across was a count-down calendar. I instantly knew I wanted to make one and set to work. 

I already had this shadow box on hand so I wanted to use it. (Please excuse the dirt on the frame-it has been in storage since we moved a year ago).

I bought some craft paper in Disney-theme colors to use as the background. I got the paper onsale from Hobby Lobby and I think I paid less than a dollar for all 3 sheets.

The first sheet was the perfect size for the frame (12x12) so all I had to do was tape it down to the frame. You could not attach it or use scrapbook tape or even straight pins, but I went with scotch tape because that was what I had on hand.

I didn't use any specific measurements when I cut the paper. I just lined it up until one side looked like what I wanted and cut that off, then made a square. I would definitely recommend using some sort of paper cutter for this part of the project. I actually attempted it one time prior just using scissors, and let's just say it wasn't pretty.

After I cut the paper to the size I wanted, I attached it to the paper below it.

I knew I wanted some Mickey ears as well as a Disney font. I started with just the Mickey ears and tried to write out my own font, but it was not as pretty as I wanted it to be. I began to search around and found a Disney font generator online. I typed in the words one at a time and pasted them, along with the Mickey ears, into a Word document. I played around with the size until it looked perfect, then printed it out. I cut the page down to size and attached it to the other 2 sheets.

Please excuse the poor lighting and yellow looking wall color. Its actually a tan but I think I am painting it soon!

Here is the finished product hanging on the walls! Since it is in a glass frame, I can use a dry-erase marker to change the date out every day. I can't wait to re-use this frame for other events we have coming up! What do you think? Would you make a count-down calendar?  What big events are you counting down to?

Sources: I found the Mickey ears here. Click here for the Disney font generator.

I also am including the printable I used so you don't have to go through all the trouble! Feel free to use it. Please send me any projects you use it for so I can see them! Click here for the download.

Linking up to: Marvelous Mondays, I Gotta Try That, and Funday Mondays.

Friday Fancies: Short and Sweet

This week's Friday Fancies' theme was "Short and Sweet." It focuses on shorts, which are a daily staple here in Florida. For my board, I wanted to pick something summery and vaguely nautical without being too literal. I started with the lace shorts and knew I wanted to pair it with a blue and white stripe top. I chose the tan wedge for its versatility. The turquoise and gold accessories are the perfect nod to the beach without screaming "I'm Beachy!".

Friday Fancies: Short and Sweet by candbselman featuring a turquoise purse

Linking up to Long Distance Loving and XoXoRebecca.