Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2015, Opening Weekend!

My favorite Disney event is finally here- Food & Wine Festival at Epcot.  It combines my three favorite things (just kidding, sort of): Disney, food, and champagne! As many times as Ryan and I have been to this event, we've never been on opening weekend.  The conditions weren't exactly perfect; the weather was painfully hot and the crowds were the biggest I've ever seen.  Luckily, we still got to do almost all the things we wanted to.  We even got to see friends that live across the state, which made it even more fun!  Here is our ranking of the best parts of this event:

Overall best food item: filet with truffle and wild mushrooms (heard other people say there's was a little disappointing, but in our group we have 3 orders and they were all outstanding!)


Best drink: champagne of course! I was surprised to see the Moet & Chandon (by the glass) was actually cheaper at the booth compared to the wine store at the French pavilion. Either location, still delicious!


Best dessert: strawberry basil float (kind of a mousse with champagne float)



Here's a few pictures of some of the other yummy stuff we got to eat/drink (definitely blew the diet for this, but we walked over 10 miles that night!):

China: potstickers, duck sticky bun, and kung fu punch

Japan: teriyaki gyoza

Italy: Fritto Misto platter at Via Napoli

Italy: pizza with prosciutto at Via Napoli

France: probably the most disappointing dessert- creme brulee (I think because of the heat, it didn't "set" properly)

France: best liquor drink (in 100 degree weather, anything frozen got bonus points!)

Mexico: shrimp taco with a really yummy spicy sauce (a little too many onions for my liking, but the rest was outstanding)

Greece: a rather boring Greek salad (very wilted lettuce, again probably from the heat) and a decent spanakopita

US: craft beer flight, lobster roll (my least favorite thing of the night- too much celery/pepper/onion and hardly any lobster) and Ryan's favorite thing of the even- carrot cake

A few things we missed but will have to try next time: Chew Lab, Florida Fresh, and Patagonia.  We're looking forward to coming back in November for the Food & Wine Marathon Weekend and our fingers are crossed the weather will be better! Despite the heat and crowds, we had a really fabulous time! 

Epcot Food & Wine Festival (Before you go)

Words cannot even explain how excited Ryan and I are to attend Epcot's Food & Wine Festival opening weekend!   If you have never been, it is a really cool event; probably the best one overall at Disney (for adults at least).   The event takes place each fall (usually late September-early November) at Epcot.  In the World Showcase (and now expanding even further into the other parts of Epcot), there are dozens of booths set up with food and drinks from all over the world.  You can get tuna poke from the Hawaii stand while drinking a malbec from the Patagonia stand.   The options are plentiful, so chances are you'll leave stuffed! The cost of the food and drink offerings are not included in your theme park ticket, but the prices really aren't too bad (roughly $5 for a "tapas" sized portion of food and drinks range from $4 beer up to $20+ champagne).  There are a ton of different events during the festival as well- from cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, special menus at restaurants, concerts, etc.  I guess I'm a "bad" Disney fan when I admit, I haven't done any of those things! We always have so much fun walking around and sampling all the food and drinks, we don't want to stop what we're doing to attend a special event! Although this year there are some really cool new events, including a burger bash (might have to try to go back up later on and go!).  

There's a few tips that we have found make it the most enjoyable:

Meal Planning:

Okay so this is way different than what meal planning is supposed to be... For us, meal planning for F&W consists of obsessively reading every website, blog, article, Facebook post, etc. about what they will have on all the menus that year.  For most of the booths the food and drink options remain pretty much the same, but each year they always add in a few "newbies." I love looking at all the options ahead of time, and noting what are "must try's" or "skip."  We've even been so nerdy in the past to make a PowerPoint and writing down each thing we want to try per booth and print it out to bring with us.  Yep, we're those people!  Here's a few great places to check out before going:

Official F&W Website
Disney Food Blog
WDW Info

Where to Stay:

This is one of those questions that's really hard to answer, so I will just write about what we've experienced in the past.  Since the F&W festival is at Epcot, it'd be the most convenient (plus you get to use the World Showcase entrance, which is far less crowded and puts you right in between France and England) but usually pretty expensive this time of year (especially on weekends).  In September we got a great teacher rate at the Swan/Dolphin resort, which will put us right on the Boardwalk area outside Epcot.  Any of the Disney hotels will provide free, quick transportation to Epcot.  We've stayed at the value resorts before when it's just the two of us (the cheapest rooms are so small, I honestly don't know how more than 2 people can share one of those rooms!) and it was a good deal since we were there only to sleep.  The Lake Buena Vista Hilton is an older hotel, located right across from Downtown Disney, and they also provide free transportation (bonus- they are considered a Disney hotel, so you can use Extra Magic Hours).  I would avoid staying at any hotel which you would have to drive to Epcot.  This is one of the busiest Disney events and parking gets extremely full (plus who wants to worry about a Designated Driver!).  If you can afford it, then I would definitely recommend staying at one of the properties within walking distance of Epcot (Swan/Dolphin, Boardwalk, Yacht Club & Beach Club).  

When to Go:

Every year we tell ourselves we aren't going to go on the busiest weekends of the F&W festival (opening weekend or F&W marathon weekend)....well this year we are going both! Yes, it is a pain when it's really crowded, but the good thing is that the atmosphere is really fun, so it's not so bad (unless you're with kids!).  The lines for the food and drinks go pretty quick, and since it's usually football season, it's fun chatting with people about their favorite teams (Go Gators!).  Ideally, I would prefer going to the festival later in the fall, since there's a higher chance of cooler weather.  Although, we've been in the past in November and it was still in the 80s! If you have the ability to go Sunday-Thursday, the crowds are much better.  Weekends are filled with tourists and locals alike.  Whenever you go, expect to wait in line for the most popular booths for about 10-15 minutes (Dessert & Champagne and France).  

Favorite Food/Drinks (from previous years):

- Canada: filet mignon with truffles and wild mushrooms
- Desserts & Champagne: all of the champagne please!
- Brazil: Frozen Caipirinha (one day I'll learn how to pronounce this drink!)
- Farm Fresh: Last year they had a bacon hash that was so good, we went back 3 times! I saw that this item won't be back this year, but they do have a similar dish but with macaroni and cheese that sounds awesome too
France: their frozen cocktail/slush is always outstanding (you'll see tons of people drinking their frozen pink martinis!), creme brulee
Hawaii: both food options are amazing- tuna poke and a Hawaiian pork slider with pineapple (went back twice last year)
Hops & Barley: Lobster roll (like the real deal, just butter and lobster on a split-top bun)
Japan: spicy tuna hand roll
Mexico: every year they have a few different tacos that are usually some of the best items at the festival (plus then you can stop inside and have a jalapeno margarita at the Tequila Cave!)
Patagonia: beef chimichurri skewer

There are so many more amazing things (beer, cider, wine, dessert!).  You will not go hungry!  Luckily each portion is pretty small, so you can sample a pretty good amount (and each trip around the world showcase is a mile, so you're burning calories right?!?)


Kids?

In my opinion F&W is really not that much fun for kids under a certain age.  It's really crowded, there's a lot of standing in line, and it's probably not that interesting for small kids.  I see plenty of small kids there every time we go, and 9 times out of 10 they are crying! I feel bad saying that it's not super kid-friendly, since it's Disney, but unless you're there during the week and it's not too crowded, it seems better off just adults!

Gift card:

Do yourself a favor and buy a wristlet giftcard for each member of your group who will be buying food/drinks.  That way you don't have to keep track of your debit/credit spending.  I like the wristlet ones best because then you don't have to dig out your wallet each time.   It makes it much easier to keep track of how much you're spending (one time we just charged everything to the hotel room and had a fun surprise the next morning when we were looking over our bill! "We spent how much on champagne?!?")

I am so excited to go in just a few short days and can't wait to take lots of pictures (yes I will be that person) and post an update with our favorite picks for 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Festival!  

Food & Wine Festival 2014

Best Times to Visit

When I have a conversation with people about Disney, one of the most common topics that comes up (other than costs!) is when to travel.  There are a million websites out there that have crowd calendars and things like that, but in my own experience here are the best times of years (including holidays) to travel to Disney and avoid tons of crowds:

• January (anytime after students go back to school after winter break; MLK weekend is one of the best long weekends of the year to travel, we've had great luck with crowds for that weekend, the only downside of January is that it can be cold!)
• February- the first two weeks, before spring breaks start
• March- this whole month is really crowded, but it's the best weather of the year!
• April- other than Easter week/weekend, it's a fabulous time to travel (plus there's the Flower/Garden festival at Epcot)
• May- other than Memorial Day weekend it's a great time, starting to get hot!
• June- the first two weeks it's not too crowded, but weather is super hot
• July- the week after 4th of July is the least crowded in our experience, but lots of heat/storms
• August- the last week is almost a ghost town (after all Florida schools have gone back), but worst weather!
• September- the last two weeks are better weather, but crowded at Epcot for Food & Wine Festival
• October- awesome weather and not crowded (except Epcot)
• November- anytime other than Thanksgiving week is terrific
• December- first two weeks are my favorite time of the whole year to go, light crowds but you get to enjoy all the holiday decorations and events (I've never been brave enough to go over Christmas break, but I've seen the insane crowd pictures!)

Carter and I at Epcot the week after 4th of July, 2015.  There was no one there (this is from 10 am at Epcot)!

Disney Bucket List

Even though it seems like Ryan, Carter, and I have done just about everything there is to do within the Disney realm, there's a few things that we still really want to do one day.  Here is our list:

• Stay at the Grand Floridian
• Aulani (Disney's resort in Hawaii)
• Disney Alaskan cruise
• Disney Eastern-Caribbean cruise
• Disney Norwegian cruise
• Disney adventures
• Eat at Victoria & Albert's
• Eat at Cinderella's Castle
• Eat dinner at Be Our Guest
• VIP tour of Magic Kingdom
• Wishes Fireworks dessert party
• Go to a different Disney resort (Disneyland, Europe, Asia, etc.)
• Behind-the-scenes safari tour of Animal Kingdom
• Have like a million more DVC (Disney Vacation Club) points

What are your dream things to do or eat within Disney??

Review: San Angel Inn

San Angel Inn at Epcot

At Epcot, San Angel Inn, in the Mexico Pavilion, is my second favorite restaurant (behind Via Napoli).  Compared to most Tex-Mex restaurants near where I live, San Angel Inn seems like authentic Mexican cuisine.  The restaurant is inside the Mexican Pavilion (the only one that's almost entirely indoors, a welcome treat during bad weather), which looks like an ancient Mayan pyramid.  No matter what time of day, it is almost dark in there (almost to the point it's hard to see the menu!), and features an indoor-river, pyramid, and volcano.  As beautiful and romantic the setting is, the highlight of this restaurant for me is the food! Ryan and I have eaten here about a half-dozen times for lunch and dinner.  Compared to most Disney restaurants, it is a lot easier to get a reservation and most of the time you can walk-in and be seated after a short wait.  Regardless of the wait time, it is worth it! 

As expected, they have a terrific margarita and tequila selection.  I have three favorites and alternate between them when eating here- the jalapeno margarita, the blood orange margarita, and the avocado margarita.  They are all very different but all equally delicious! Ryan isn't a tequila fan, but they have a nice beer and wine selection (as well as the usual non-alcoholic drinks too).  Whether eating here for lunch or dinner, it is mandatory that we order the tostadas de tinga for an appetizer (slow-cooked, shredded chicken with tomatoes, tomatilla salsa, queso, and refried beans on a fried tortilla).  There are three of them, and we always joke that we could easily each eat about 5 of them! We've had a variety of entrees before, but some of our favorites are the chicken mole, carne asada, and the enchiladas verde.  We're usually way too full for dessert, but one time we had a free one and it was a cinnamon ice cream with caramel sauce that was really delicious.  

Disney Without Kids

Traveling to Disney and experiencing the resort with a child is an incredible experience.  You get to see the "magic" through their perspective.  Seeing a child's face light up when they see Cinderella's castle for the first time or get a hug from their favorite character is truly an amazing thing.  But we all know with that joy comes a lot of work and stress taking a child to Disney.  Every now and then, it's nice to get away and experience Disney as adults-only.  Ryan and I are fortunate enough to have amazing family that will occasionally watch our dear Carter over night, so we can get away just the two of us.  Going to Disney as just adults is a totally different thing; dare I say, even relaxing?  If you have to wait in line a little extra longer, no big deal.  If your restaurant reservation is delayed, no problem! If it starts pouring like crazy, no worries, just grab a seat at the pub in the England Pavilion at Epcot (or is that just us?)! 

Most of the time when Ryan and I go to Disney by ourselves, we go to Epcot.  The World Showcase is a ton of fun, maybe even more so when you don't have a child with you! It is so much fun to eat and drink your way "around the world." Typically when we go to Epcot just the two of us we get there around noon (with no nap times to worry about, we can show up later) and head for whichever ride we have a Fastpass for (Soarin' or Test Track).  As much as I love the toddler-friendly rides, it's fun to ride on the faster/more exhilarating rides.  Ryan and I also love the Land ride at Epcot and make sure we go on that too.  Once we've done a few rides, it's time to get what we really came for...the food and drinks! 

When we are at Epcot without Carter, the biggest decision we face all day is which direction to start in- Mexico or Canada? Our absolute favorite nation's pavilion is France, so sometimes we like to get there in the beginning or sometimes we want to save it for last or sometimes we'll do both! Is there anything better than sitting in the shade in the France Pavilion, watching the people go by, and drinking a class of Veuve Cliquot? I think not! 

    

Enjoying a lovely, relaxing glass of champagne at Epcot

Our favorite places to stop along the way in the World Showcase at Epcot are:

• England- Rose & Crown pub (cider)
• France- ice cream shop (some of the best ever, try the lemon mereinge or the pistachio), wine store (champagne!), and Impressions de France (video highlighting the splendor of France;  it's super old but I still love it)
• Japan- Mitsukoshi store (especially where they have the Mikimoto pearls!)
• America- beer cart (more cider) and when they have festivals going on they have the best bbq
• Italy- wine store (prosecco), Via Napoli (Via Napoli Review)
• Germany- wine store (reisling) and I love visiting the Christmas shop
• Mexico- going inside the pyramid (especially on a blistering hot day, it's always dark and cool inside), the tequila cave (jalapeno margarita), and San Angel Inn (my 2nd favorite Epcot restaurant)

Ryan and me enjoying an adult-beverage in "England"

I know we left out a few other countries, but we tend to skip over those ones, unless there's a festival going on with the food/beverage carts out front.  Epcot is even more fun as an adult when there is the Flower & Garden festival or the Food & Wine (will write about our trip in September 2015).  With all the lovely adult beverages to drink, please don't forget to drink plenty of water along the way!  

Ryan and his best friend, Justin, enjoying the Flower/Garden festival at Epcot

I focused mostly on Epcot for an adults-only trip, but we've had a blast just the two of us at all the other parks too.  There are so many different and fun things about going to Disney as adults, but I think the absolute best part for me is being able to skip bag check! Since we don't have a stroller or diaper bag, we usually just put our phones and wallets in our pockets and enjoy the bag-less ease! 

Review: Via Napoli

Since our friends and family know (thanks to the countless Facebook posts, sorry everyone!) we go to Disney a lot, we get asked what our favorite place to eat is.  Without any doubt, my answer is always the same- Via Napoli! Honestly, it’s one of my top five restaurants ever (never mind Disney places).   That list includes Le Cirque, Le Bernadin, A16, Bern’s Steakhouse, Nobu, and now Via Napoli.  For those of you unfortunate souls, who have not had the immense pleasure of dining there, let me fill you in.  It is a sit-down, table-service restaurant in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot.  It is essentially a pizza place.  To just call it that doesn’t do it justice.  We’re not talking about the so-so neighborhood pizza place that you go to because they deliver and have BOGO Pizza Mondays (wait, maybe that’s just me again); no, Via Napoli has the kind of pizza that makes you realize what you’ve been eating along was an imposter.  The story goes, all of the ingredients for the pizza come directly from Italy (including water from Naples to make the pizza dough), and it really tastes totally different than any American pizza I’ve had.  The crust is crunchy but doughy, thin but not cracker-y, and caramelized from the pizza ovens but not burnt.   I’ve had their margarita pizza, which is phenomenal, but my favorite is the prosciutto.  It’s a traditional margarita pizza, topped with the most amazing prosciutto that is sliced so thin you can see through it.  My mouth is literally watering as I’m writing this (might be time for a lunch break!). 

Prosciutto pizza.  This is the small (4-slices).  Note- we don't take that many pictures here because we're usually too busy stuffing our faces

As good as their pizza is, the appetizers are almost as amazing.  Our favorite is the fritto misto platter which is a huge plate of fried vegetables (zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts), fried fresh mozzarella (like the most insanely good mozzarella stick you’ve ever had), fried calamari, and arancini (fried risotto balls filled with cheese and sausage).  Not the most heart-healthy appetizer, but our twisted philosophy is that calories don’t count at the most magical place on Earth.  I’ve actually never had dessert here; which if you know me at all, is very surprising.  The appetizers and pizzas are so out of this world good, you can’t help but complete stuff yourself way past the point of being full, that there is no way to eat dessert afterwards (unless it’s ice cream an hour later after walking off the pizza, but that’s different…haha).  The drinks here are really great too.  The wine, beer, and cocktails are all unique but overpriced ($10 a glass for the same prosecco you can get at the wine store in the Italy Pavilion for only $6).  My favorite is the sangria (although be warned, it tastes so good, you’ll forget there’s any alcohol in it!).  They also have house-made Italian sodas.  I’ve never had one, but they look good.  Now with all this positive, there has to be a little downside right? Well, yes of course, it’s only naturally.  I would say there are two major flaws with Via Napoli- slow service (then again we’re used to “American” style of service where everything is expedited) and the difficulty getting a reservation.  When we plan out our Disney trips, we book Via Napoli almost before anything else.  Even months in advance, you’re lucky if you can get a 3:00 pm lunch reservation or an 8:45 pm dinner (which is fun with a 3-year old).  My tip is to see if you can get a good time for a reservation the day before you go (a lot of people cancel last minute and it opens up more times).  Also, don’t plan on just walking in and waiting, a lot of time they will turn you away because it is so busy.  We have plans to go there in a few weeks, and I cannot wait! I hope you check this place out and enjoy! 

Traveling to Disney with a Special Needs Child

For the vast majority of guests at Walt Disney World, they don’t have to worry about the obstacles that come when traveling with somebody who have physical, mental, and/or developmental limitations.  Up until we had our son Carter that was us.  Before we had Carter, my husband and I would go to the parks and stay until closing and never really planned ahead except for maybe a few meals.  Now when we go, even if it’s just for a quick day trip, we plan everything out meticulously.  I think people traveling with kids, regardless of any special needs, should plan ahead for Fast Passes (a system that lets you pre-determine what time you want to ride a certain ride, and your line is less than a ten minute way, rather than an hour-plus), meals, and attractions they want to see/do. Every time I go to the park, I am shocked at how many people I overhear say they didn’t know about Fast Passes or they didn’t make any dining reservations (most of the busy restaurants don’t even accommodate walk-in diners).  Going to a theme park is a ton of fun, but it can also be incredibly stressful.  No matter which park you decide to go to, parking will take a little while and require you to walk 50 miles to the front gate (perhaps a slight exaggeration).  If the temperature in Orlando is 80 degrees, those parking lots will be about 105.  Once you arrive at the front gate, you have to wait for bag inspection and to scan/show your ticket to actually get into the park.  All of these things take a while and require waiting in lines.  Finally you are in the park and can take your child on a ride they’ve been so looking forward to, only to discover there is a 90-minute wait.  After a minor miracle, you’re able to entertain your little one for this length, it is your turn on a 3-minute ride and your child is suddenly scared of it and cries the whole time.  Let’s just say, even on a good day, things can get really stressful!

Happy Carter at WDW!

All of these stressors are compounded and multiplied when you have a small child who has special needs.  Our Carter doesn’t have an official diagnosis (he won’t until he’s 6), but as of right now he has general/global development delays and sensory processing disorder.  As of right now, he is still non-verbal (well that’s not fair, he does plenty of vocalizing, just none of it is “real” words) and has the developmental age of about a 18-month old.  When something is bothering him or he wants something, he has no verbal way to communicate this.  We have to take a guess when he’s hot, hungry, thirsty, tired, etc. much like you would with a baby before they started talking.  Carter also has an incredibly hard time waiting, sitting still, and doing what he is told (much like many toddlers). Pair that with sensory issues and not being able to communicate, is a disaster waiting to happen at a theme park.  While there is no way around it entirely, there is one tool at Disney that has made our lives so much easier- the DAS card.  The Disability Access Card (DAS) can be given to anyone with a family member with any type of disability.  It allows a family to skip the waiting in line for attractions.  For example, let’s say we want to ride the Little Mermaid ride with Carter but there’s a 30 minute wait.  We go up to the front of the line and tell one of the cast members we are using our DAS card.  They will scan our magic bands, and tell us to come back after a certain time (30 minutes later).  Once that time has come, we can go back on that ride and not have to wait in line.  It doesn’t mean you get to go on any ride and never wait in a line, you can only use it for one ride at a time, and you still have to wait the 30 minutes, but you don’t have to stand in the line for 30 minutes (usually we’ll take that time to use the restroom, get a snack, etc.). 

Our sweet boy! Top- at Magic Kingdom, Bottom- at Animal Kingdom

It has been a life saver for us, and makes Carter’s experience at Disney much like it would be for any other 3-year old.  That is probably the number 1 reason why we go back to Disney time and time again.  Having a place where your special needs child can be like anyone else and have the time of their life, is priceless!   

At Disney, Carter gets to be like anyone else- happy and making memories!

Review: Wilderness Lodge

Disney World Resort Review: Wilderness Lodge Resort & Villas

Up until about two years ago I had never even heard of the Wilderness Lodge Resort.  I had been to Disney many times, but it had gone unnoticed, even passing by on the monorail.  A few summers ago, we were looking for a Disney Resort to stay and wanted to stay someplace convenient to the theme parks and somewhere we hadn’t stayed before.  We chose Wilderness Lodge.  From the moment we drove up to the massive, mountain-themed resort, we had fallen in love.  Here we were in the middle of Florida in August, but were immediately transported to Yellowstone National Park.  The main lodge building is huge with an-open atrium lobby including an 80-foot fireplace.  Like any large resort, the walk from the lobby to your room can be a little lengthy, but there is so much to look at, no one minds! There is a geyser by the pool that is fed by a stream and waterfall that begins in the lobby itself.  Wilderness Lodge has a gift shop with mountain/lodge themed items along with the usual snacks and drinks.  On the opposite side of the lobby from the gift shop you’ll find the dining options.  There is the rowdy, family-friendly Whispering Canyon Café which features an interactive dining experience with games (“ketchup” anyone??).  Next door is the more upscale (and non as kid-friendly, at least not 3-year old friendly) Artist Point.  We have never eaten at the restaurant itself (features a Pacific Northwest menu), but we have had a good meal and drinks at the connected lounge.  Further down the lobby, heading towards the pool is the quick-service Roaring Fork.  I haven’t eaten an entire meal here, but we’ve gotten a few pastries and dessert things from there and it was very quick and convenient. 

View from pool looking back towards lobby

Once you go outside by the pool, it is a spectacular sight.  Like I mentioned before, there is a waterfall that streams down into the pool itself.  There is also a waterslide that leads into a large pool.  For a family with a toddler who can’t swim on his own yet, there is a kiddie-area of the pool with a large splash area and water playground with its own shallow pool.  All of this gorgeous pool area looks out over the geyser (based on Old Faithful) that actually “explodes” several times an hour.  Behind the geyser is Bay Lake.  Along the lakeside are docks, beaches, and a place to rent recreation items (bikes, boats, jetskis, etc.). 

View from hotel room looking over pool and resort

The rooms at Wilderness Lodge are perhaps the only less-than-stellar aspect of this resort.  There’s nothing wrong with the rooms or decorations necessarily, they just don’t match up with the beauty and uniqueness of the rest of the resort.  Our family has stayed in a regular room overlooking the pool that had a king bed, pull out couch, and fairly basic hotel bathroom.  We’ve also stayed in the Villas (part of the Disney Vacation Club) in a studio room and a 1-bedroom suite.  The studio was much like a traditional hotel room with the addition of a pull-down table that converts into a twin bed (worked great for our toddler, until he hit his head on the TV stand above and refused to get back into the bed).  The 1-bedroom suite was amazing.  That room really was stellar and fit in well with the overall style and level of the resort.  It had a huge separate bedroom with a king bed, giant Jacuzzi tub, walk-in shower, washer and dryer, full-sized kitchen with granite countertops, dining room, living room, and balcony.  It has completely spoiled us! Traveling with a child, it was such a luxury having a separate bedroom.  In a typical hotel room, we’re almost captive in the room because he will wake up anytime you put the TV on, go to the restroom, toss and turn, etc.! Plus once our son sees us lying in the bed next to us, he wants to join.  Sharing a queen bed with a three year old, doesn’t lead to the most relaxing night sleep!

View of lobby inside Wilderness Villas (right next door to main resort)

There is so much to do at this resort you really could just come here for a vacation and be completely happy.  But we all know, the vast majority of people who stay at Wilderness Lodge also come for the theme parks.  Along with the reliable and frequent Disney busses (that will take you to any theme park, Downtown Disney, water parks, etc. for free for resort guests), Wilderness Lodge has a boat that takes you directly to the front gate of Magic Kingdom.  For us, this is a huge perk.  Most of the boats are large enough, so you don’t have to fold up a stroller.  The ride is probably about 10-15 minutes and you get to go past the Contemporary Resort.  The boat ride experience on the way to the park is great, the boat ride home we’ve had some issues.  Inevitably when we go to leave, we just miss the boat and have to wait for the next one.  We’ve had to wait 30-40 minutes sometimes for the next one.  Normally, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but when it’s 12:30 am and you have a young child, that extra half hour of waiting can be fairly tortuous!

Boat leaving Wilderness Lodge dock to head to Magic Kingdom

Overall, Wilderness Lodge tops my list for favorite resort.   I think one of the things I like about it is that it’s not over the top with “Disney” theming.  Of course there are the “Hidden Mickey’s” and a million kids running around everywhere, but the individual beauty of the place almost makes you forget that you’re a few minutes away from Cinderella’s Castle.  When you’ve been at the parks for 10 hours, it’s relaxing and calming to come back to this “lodge.” The absolute best time to stay is when they have the Christmas decorations up.  They have a 100-ft Christmas tree in the center of the lobby and a bunch more smaller trees throughout. It is utterly magical, and even the grinchiest of grinches couldn’t help get into the holiday spirit after walking through that lobby.  I’m already getting giddy thinking about our planned stay in December later this year.  Even if you don’t stay overnight at this resort, it’s definitely worth a visit or meal just to see how incredible this place is! 

Christmas tree in the lobby at Wilderness Lodge

Review: Swan & Dolphin Resorts

Ryan’s Review:

My wife and I with our 2yo always stay at a Disney hotel when we travel to Disney. I don't know why we didn't stay at Swan and Dolphin, just overlooked it, I guess. Well, we won't do that again! We stayed on the Dolphin side and it was super close to the water taxi and within walking distance to Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Epcot (took us about 15 minutes to walk to Epcot International Gate). The room was great, very spacious and clean...we could even see the Castle at Magic Kingdom from our room! At half the price of Beach Club, this was a great option and you will enjoy it!

Swan & Dolphin Resort- in between Epcot, Disney's Boardwalk, & Hollywood Studios

Madeline’s Notes:

Ryan wrote this review about a year and a half ago (before we have Disney Vacation Club) and since then we’ve been once more (when we ran out of DVC points) and every time has been such a positive experience.  We’ve been able to check in early each time too.  We haven’t really checked out too many of the resort’s amenities (pool, restaurants, etc.) because we’re usually at the parks all day/night, but they look really nice from the outside.  Ryan and I are staying here again during Food & Wine Festival and we can’t wait!

Review: Chefs de France

Ryan’s Review:

We ate at Chefs De France on a busy Saturday night, but got right into the restaurant (5 minute wait). My wife had the salmon, which was over cooked. I had the filet and potatoes, which were excellent! The dessert was profiteroles...the pastry shell was nothing great, and almost every plate I saw being cleaned up from dessert had the shells still on them. 

A couple of notes on the restaurant itself: The tables are very close together (like a real French cafe) and the tables are very uneven and wobbled (also authentic, but annoying). If I had to choose over, I think I would pay a lot less and just do the take away France option or The San Angel Inn in Mexico, that was a better meal.

Madeline’s Note:

 I couldn’t agree more than Ryan’s thoughts on the dinner at Chefs de France.  On the positive side, it is a really fabulous place for lunch.  The food is delicious (lobster bisque, croquet monsieur, champagne, etc!) and is a good value, especially for the fixed price option. 

View of Chefs de France in the French Pavilion in Epcot

Disney Vacation Club: Welcome Home!

Disney Vacation Club: Welcome Home!

Until recently, I had never heard of the Disney Vacation Club.  It was only when friends of ours, the Ryders, explained what the program was all about and how great it was.  From that point forward, my husband and I were totally intrigued.  Every time we walked passed a DVC sales person at one of the theme parks or hotels, we joked that we were total “marks,” and would be easily convinced to do it.  Finally in January of 2014, my husband went to a sales meeting at Animal Kingdom Lodge (I stayed behind with a napping toddler).  When he got back to our room a few hours later, I could tell he was already “sold.”  We calculated our expenses and budget, and determined that for our family, it would be a good deal.  We figured as many times as we had traveled to Disney and stayed on-property, we would actually end up saving money by purchasing “points” with Disney Vacation Club.  We purchased directly from Disney, but it was a “resale” (i.e. much cheaper!).  I’ve heard so many negative things about timeshares in the past (including my own family’s troubles with owning a timeshare in Mexico that no one has used in 20 years and just continues to pay enormous maintenance fees every year), that I was initially hesitant to purchase within DVC.  One of the biggest troubles with timeshares (IMO) is that you have to purchase a set week and it can often be difficult or unavailable to switch it out.  For example, my family owns a week in May.  Well with a family filled with teachers and students, which is a completely unrealistic time of the year for us to travel for a week out of the country.  The beauty of DVC is that you own points instead of a set location/time.  So you have a ton of flexibility to decide when to travel, for how long, and which resort (or even cruise).  I don’t want to sound like a salesperson, but for our family it really has been an amazingly positive experience and we don’t regret for a second that we decided to join.  I would say the only downside of DVC is the cost.  If you typically stay at the value or moderate Disney resorts, then it might not be as good of a deal.  For us, we got completely spoiled by the convenience and amenities of the deluxe resorts (Beach Club, Boardwalk, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, etc.) and when you consider that a villa (i.e. a regular hotel room with a small kitchen efficiency and pull-out couch) can run $500+ for one night, it ends up being a good value.  You do have the option of getting a loan (basically a mortgage), so you can pay a monthly amount instead of all up-front.  So there are some nice options.  To give you an idea of what our points “got us,” here’s a list of the days/locations we’ve used our DVC points in the past year (July 2014-July 2015):

-          July 2014, 3 nights at Beach Club (studio)

-          August 2014, 1 night at Bay Lake Tower (studio)

-          November 2014, 1 night at Saratoga Springs (studio)

-          December 2014, 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge (studio)

-          January 2015, 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge (studio)

-          March 2015, 2 night at BoardWalk Villas (studio)

-          March 2015, 1 night at Old Key West Resort (studio)

-          July 2015, 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge (1 bedroom suite)

For us, living less than two hours away, it’s most convenient to do 1-2 night trips (as much as I would like to stay for weeks at a time!).  If you add up how much all those rooms would be at cost it would total over $7500, whereas we pay roughly $2000 a year.  Please let us know if you have any questions about our DVC experience.  It isn’t for every family, but it has been one of the best purchases we have ever made and we are so happy to be DVC members. 

Introduction

My whole life I've always been fascinated by Walt Disney World.  Even though I grew up in Florida and lived less than two hours away, I rarely had the opportunity to go (usually just went an out-of-state relative came to visit).  I dreamed about going to WDW and staying in the fancy, deluxe resorts, and eating at all the unique restaurants in Epcot.  As luck would have it, I married a man who grew up with similar wishes.  In a way, our childhood dreams have come true.  We are now annual pass-holders, DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members, and part of the Castaway Club (for Disney Cruise Line Passengers).  My husband, Ryan, and I started going to Disney right after we were married and went several times a year.  Once we had our son, Carter, we waited until he was a year old and then started taking him as well (*sigh I miss the days when he could go for free!).  We've stayed at nearly all the on-property Disney Resorts (and many of the nearby ones as well), dined at almost every location in the parks, go to the WDW parks at least once a month, and cruised on the Disney Dream.  While we are certainly not experts, we do get a lot of questions from family members, friends, and co-workers about tips and best ideas for Disney traveling.  We always have some suggestions for anyone traveling with a child with special needs (as our son has).  With my love of Disney, writing, and photography, I thought it would be fun to put it all together in one blog that hopefully is useful for people looking to get a good ideas about traveling to WDW.  Please check out the links on the right hand side for Disney tips and reviews of Disney hotels & restaurants. Enjoy!