Castle Couture.

It's no secret that Disney has mastered the art of the "gift shop."  There are beautifully decorated, wonderfully themed, merchandise-filled stores all across Disney property...and believe it or not, I have a favorite.  And y'all, I am not a shopper.

Moment of honesty:  I've never actually made a single purchase at Castle Couture, which is located right behind Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom.  I do, however, stop by at least once every time I visit.

Castle Couture is, without a doubt, built for a princess.  Jewelry, dresses, and other accessories line the shelves, along with dolls, figurines, and various royal playsets.  If you're looking for Disney-themed earrings, you'll definitely find them here!

The main attractions for our family, however, can't be purchased.

We always stop by to take a quick peek at Aurora's birthday dress, which was, of course, lovingly made for her by Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather...and which does, of course, change from pink to blue accordingly! (If you haven't seen Sleeping Beauty yet, be sure to watch it to understand the reference.)  This is always a highlight for our kiddos--and my hubby & I love the fact that we can enjoy the air conditioning while our little ones marvel at the magic. :)

The second reason a visit to Castle Couture is always high on our priority list can be summed up in two words: PIXIE DUST.  While the Fairy Godmother herself does not work in the store, she does have quite a few apprentices who just so happen to carry vials of 'pixie dust and are at the ready to sprinkle princes & princesses (and kings & queens!) with the golden glitter while offering the opportunity to make magical wishes as well.  It's such a fun--and FREE--experience!  (And the pixie dust will stay in your hair for days!)

If you're looking for an exciting, easy, out-of-the-ordinary experience, be sure to swing by Castle Couture the next time you're at Magic Kingdom.  And remember: faith, trust, and pixie dust go quite a long way. :)

If you're looking for unique and/or free experiences when planning a Disney trip, be sure to let me know how I can help!  Booking a trip with me is completely free, so be sure to message and/or email with any questions.

Cape May Cafe.

Without a doubt, my favorite spot on all of Disney property is the area in which Disney's Beach Club Resort, Disney's Boardwalk Resort, and Epcot's International Gateway (the back gate at Epcot) converge.  No matter the time of day (it's beautiful in the morning, evening, & all the hours in between), the scenery is always breathtaking.

Last week, I highlighted the new Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast, located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.  Today, I want to stick around in that same area and spotlight a different character breakfast, located just across the waterway at Disney's Beach Club Resort.

Cape May Cafe, like many dining experiences throughout Disney World, offers a character breakfast in the morning and an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet during the dinner hours.  While we thoroughly enjoy both, this post is focused on the breakfast only. :)

Between the hours of 7:00 am-11:00 am, Cape May Cafe is home to Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast, where guests can dine with Donald, Goofy, & Minnie, all of whom pay homage to the Beach Club by dressing in their best swimwear.

The buffet includes breakfast favorites, such as bacon, sausage, hand-carved ham, scrambled eggs, Mickey waffles, cheese grits, biscuits, and--a personal favorite--french toast with caramel banana sauce, just to name a few. :)  Adults can expect to pay about $36 for the meal, while children (ages 3-9) cost about $21.  The experience can also be paid for using one (1) Disney Dining Plan table service credit per person.

Cape May Cafe is relaxed and laid-back (making it a great choice for younger children and/or those who have not yet experienced a character meal), not to mention a little bit cheaper than some of the other character breakfast experiences.  It's a great way to start the day before visiting Epcot (which is within walking distance) or Hollywood Studios (just a short boat ride away from the Beach Club), but is also an excellent choice for an "off park" day...Disney's Boardwalk is just a short stroll from Cape May's doors, and is such a fun area to explore!

As with all character meals, reservations fill up quickly, so grabbing one as soon as possible after the 180 day window opens is key!  As always, feel free to contact me if you'd like to chat about some of the ways I might be able to help your family plan an incredible Disney trip!

Kingdom Strollers.

I'll never forget the night my husband & I were seated across from each other on the monorail, headed to a fancier Disney dinner than normal, soaking up the time we had together with no kiddos in tow.  I think we both noticed it at the same time: a family boarded the car & stood in between us, their young children comfortably fastened in a double jogging stroller with a tag attached at the bottom, their last name printed in bold letters.  My eyes met my husband's across the top of the stroller and I immediately pulled out my phone and googled: "Kingdom Strollers."

We reserved a City Mini double stroller for our very next visit, and have rented from Kingdom Strollers ever since.

I know, I know: you have a double stroller.  Maybe even the very same one.  We had one, too.  But Kingdom Stroller's fantastic service & competitive prices have more than made up for the extra space lost in attempting to pack our bulky stroller, along with the rest of the luggage needed for a family of six, in the back of our car.

I love that the stroller is always waiting for us at the front desk of our resort upon arrival, that all we have to do is drop it back off for pick-up at the date & time of our choosing, and that it comes equipped with a small cooler (score!) and a rain cover that perfectly fits.  I especially love the City Mini model--it's full of storage, provides great air flow, is easy to fold, and has seats that fully recline!  I also appreciate that renting from Kingdom Strollers is cheaper (per day) than renting directly from the Disney parks and that a Kingdom Stroller rental allows me to use the stroller throughout the duration of my trip; I don't have to return it when I leave the park like I would if I rented directly from Disney.  It's much more comfortable for my kiddos, too!

If you've been looking for a way to free up space when packing and/or would like to save your personal stroller from the wear & tear of travel, I highly recommend renting from Kingdom Strollers. Single stroller rentals start at $60 for a full week, with double strollers starting at $70.

And--here's the best part--our travel agency has just become authorized to work with Kingdom Strollers, meaning that in addition to helping plan a fantastic vacation for your family, I can set up the stroller rental as well!  One less detail on your plate, which translates into more brain space for fun! :)

And who doesn't want a little more fun in their life?!?!  Let me know how I can help!

(Brand New!) Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast.

Y'all.  The brand new "Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast" at Trattoria al Forno opened today!  My family hasn't been able to eat there yet (we are counting down the days until our reservation...only 65 to go!), but I had a super sweet friend (and client!) who scored a reservation for today back when the times were originally released.  I'm so excited to share her pictures and review with you!

The "Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast" is located at Trattoria al Forno, which is part of Disney's Boardwalk Resort.  Both breakfast & dinner are served at the restaurant, but characters are only present during the morning hours.  Trattoria al Forno is located within walking distance to the "back gate" of Epcot (more officially known as the International Gateway), making this dining experience part of a fantastic plan for both an "Epcot Day" as well as an "off park" day.

I, personally, am most excited about the character interactions here.  While we've dined with Ariel before (she can also be found at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, located in Epcot), Prince Eric, Rapunzel, and FLYNN RIDER--my favorite prince ever!--are dining with guests for the very first time! 

Guests dining at the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast pay a set price (roughly $34/adult and $20/child, or 1 table service credit per person on the Disney Dining Plan).

This price includes a "frying pan" (thanks, Rapunzel) of pastries to be shared by the table, the choice of fruit salad or a yogurt parfait (one per person), and the choice of an entree (on per person).

The pancakes look phenomenal!

In addition to meeting the characters, kiddos also have the opportunity to parade around the restaurant to "Under the Sea!"  Cloth napkins are transformed into fish and eels and can accompany children on the parade.  My children are (randomly) most excited about this small detail--ever since we sailed on a Disney cruise a few years ago, napkin animals have become somewhat of an obsession in our home.

And now, if you're anything like me, the part for which you been waiting:

Prince Eric

Princess Ariel (with her legs, of course!)

Rapunzel

and Eugene Fitzherbert (aka Flynn Rider) himself!

Reservations are now open for the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast.  I definitely recommend grabbing one of these as soon the reservation window opens (180 days in advance).  I can't wait to meet these princes (and their princesses!).

Please don't hesitate to let me know how I can help your family find the perfect Disney dining experience and/or plan the trip of a lifetime!

1900 Park Fare: Dinner

Since I highlighted a breakfast experience last week, I figured I'd move to a dinner for this latest post! Much like 'Ohana, this week's restaurant features different dining experiences during different times of the day. 1900 Park Fare, located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, serves breakfast and dinner on a daily basis, and both are fantastic!  I know, I know...I say every restaurant is fantastic, and I genuinely mean it!  What I also know, however, is that every restaurant may not be fantastic for every family, and I firmly believe that one of the biggest perks of working with a Vacation Planner is having the ability to tease out which experiences would be the best fit.  It's one of my favorite parts of the job!

Anyway, back to 1900 Park Fare...

Visiting (or staying at) Disney's Grand Floridian Resort is an experience all on its own.  The Grand Floridian is sprawling, beautiful, and the epitome of all things "royal."  We always enjoy having the opportunity to walk the property, meander around the grand lobby, and simply enjoy the scenery. (And I'm thankful that while The Grand Floridian definitely meets our definition of "fancy," it's also reasonable.  Families are moving through the resort on their way to & from the parks constantly, so while "dressing up" just a bit is perfectly appropriately, so is showing up in matching t-shirts and shorts.)

And no matter where you are at Disney, kids can always be kids!

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort is located on the monorail, and Magic Kingdom is also easily accessible via a quick boat ride, so 1900 Park Fare is another great place to dine when visiting the Magic Kingdom (and/or on an "off park" day).  

And while the buffet is outstanding (there is seriously something for everyone, and the dessert bar includes gummy bears!), the main draw of this dinner experience is the character interaction.  

Guests basically get to meet the cast of the animated movie, "Cinderella."  Cinderella is present, of course, but so are Prince Charming, the Evil Stepmother, and the Evil Stepsisters, Anastasia & Drizella (most of the time).  When we last dined at 1900 Park Fare (back in June 2016), the stepsisters were "grounded" and unable to attend dinner, so were were able to meet one of the mice instead!

Our crew LOVED heckling the stepmother.  (They are posing with their best "evil" faces in the picture below.)  In fact, by the end of the meal, the older boys had devised a plan (with the help of Prince Charming, of course) to have Darth Vader become Cinderella's new stepfather.  It was quite entertaining--and neither Cinderella nor her stepmother were thrilled.

It's always fun to see the classic, costumed characters, but the "human" characters are so much more interactive!  The stepsisters have even been known to scope out and pursue any and every "eligible suitor" in attendance!

We dined with friends on this particular night, and the restaurant was easily able to accommodate our party (a total of 11).  Reservations for larger groups can often be harder to come by, and due to the popularity of this particular experience, I definitely recommend making reservations as soon as possible (180 days in advance)!

Since our visit last June, things have changed just a bit.  Cinderella now greets guests at the end of the meal, just outside the main dining room.  While she is no longer part of the character banter during dinner, her new set up is quite nice and allows for some fantastic photographs (she's even accompanied by a PhotoPass photographer and the pictures become part of the Memory Maker package).

Prior to her move, PhotoPass photographers took family shots on the way into the dining room. We've always appreciated the patience of (most of!) the photographers we run into on property and their willingness to always encourage multiple pictures. :)

If you've been looking for the quintessential Cinderella experience, I'd be willing to argue that you just might have a better time at 1900 Park Fare than at Cinderella's Royal Table (her castle) itself! Dinner at 1900 Park Fare costs about $55/adult and $30/child (ages 3-9), but does vary by season. It is a total of 1 table service credit (on the dining plan) per person regardless of the time of year, however.

It's an experience your family won't soon forget!

Pandora: World of Avatar Update.

Exciting news related to Animal Kingdom's Pandora: World of Avatar has been recently released!  I, personally, cannot wait to visit and watch the magic come to life!

The FastPass+ service for Pandora's two new attractions, Na'vi River Journey and Avatar: Flight of Passage, will go live on March 24, 2017.  Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort will be able to make FastPass+ selections 60 days in advance, while those staying off property will have this opportunity 30 days in advance.  All guests will be allowed to select ONE of these two attractions in their first set of FastPass+ selections, subject to FastPass+ availability.

Additionally, guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort will also have the opportunity to experience Pandora: World of Avatar during special Extra Magic Hours!  From May 27, 2017-July 4, 2017, Pandora will host nightly Extra Magic Hours from 11:00 pm-1:00 am.  Valid theme park admission and a resort ID will be required to gain entry to Pandora during this time.

Y'all!  I am seriously so excited!  Please don't hesitate to let me know how I can help your family be among the first to experience all that Pandora has to offer!

'Ohana Breakfast.

Many of the "table service" (sit-down) restaurants on Disney property offer different experiences depending on which time of day you visit.  While 'Ohana, which is located at Disney's Polynesian Resort, is one of our very favorite dinner meals EVER, we decided to branch out on our trip last June (2016) and try breakfast instead!

I am SO glad we did! :)

The "island/luau" theme of The Polynesian, which is one of Walt Disney World's original resorts, is the perfect setting for Lilo & Stitch, and all four of our kiddos couldn't wait to meet the cute lil' alien and his loving owner!  The presence of these two characters, in particular, is what drove our decision to try breakfast at 'Ohana (there are no characters at the dinner experience).  While Stitch also greets guests inside the Magic Kingdom, the lines to hug his neck are often longer than we'd like to wait, and outside of 'Ohana's breakfast hours (which are 7:30 am-11:00 am), Lilo can only be found at Typhoon Lagoon, one of Disney's two water parks (Stitch is there as well!).  Having the opportunity to enjoy a delicious breakfast, at a comfortable table, while waiting for characters to make their way to us is something we enjoy much more than standing in long, hot lines! :)

The breakfast at 'Ohana is all-you-can-eat and is served family-style, which is always a perk for us! While we're definitely fans of a good buffet, we also appreciate dining experiences where nobody has to leave the table!  It's much easier for us to keep an eye on our kiddos (and their plates!), as well as enjoy our own food, when constant trips to the buffet aren't involved.

Gigantic skillets of scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage links, bacon, biscuits & Mickey waffles are delivered to the table (and keep on coming until you stop eating!), along with 'Ohana's signature breakfast drink (a combination of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices).  Sweet pastries are brought as well.

And, in addition to Lilo & Stitch, Pluto and Mickey are on hand for hugs and autographs, too!

We chose to dine at 'Ohana on our check-out day (we simply wanted one more Disney experience before making the long drive home), but in addition to being an excellent choice for a "non-park" day, it is also extremely convenient to Magic Kingdom.  In fact, it's only a monorail ride away!

As part of a Magic Kingdom day, families could either grab breakfast before entering the park (and simply ride the monorail over to Main Street, USA after filling up) or visit Magic Kingdom first (especially if the park opens at 8:00 am), take advantage of the shorter lines at the beginning of the day, and then ride the monorail over for a later breakfast reservation (10:30 or 10:45).

Breakfast at 'Ohana is an extremely popular experience, so I do recommend making reservations as soon as possible (180 days in advance) as well as expecting the restaurant to be at capacity almost all of the time.

'Ohana is delicious, welcoming, and fun...and, in my opinion, embodies the feel of island life and the theme of the movie, "Lilo & Stitch."   And just in case you haven't seen it yet, let me sum it up for you with this quote:

"Ohana means family.  Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."