Blog Posts by Nancy Wideman

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! The Disneyland Resort – Disney’s California Adventure – Anaheim, California

1/15/2018 • Disneyland, Reviews • Continuing the success of the Marvel films (and my personal favorite), Guardians of the Galaxy  - Mission: Breakout! is a fantastic thrill ride that has been re-imagined in the former Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction. The Guardians of the Galaxy have been kidnapped and it’s up to you to save them! Enter the fortress of Taneleer Tivan (otherwise known as the Collector) where he is currently exhibiting some of his finest pieces. Take some time to explore the cases and discover amazing relics – a warlock’s eye, Atlantis artifacts, Loki’s shackles, Figment (from Epcot’s Journey’s Into Imagination with Figment), and Cosmo the Spacedog. The newest possessions on display are none other than the Guardians of the Galaxy: Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, and Drax. You will find yourself in the Collector’s office where Rocket has escaped his cage and is now requiring your assistance to break the remaining Guardians out of […]

A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps: Disneyland Through Walt’s Eyes

10/13/2017 • Disneyland, Holidays & Events • Please note: A Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour is currently not available at the Disneyland Resort, however, you can find other great tours here! It all started with … a mouse? Well, yes, but it also started with a family visit to a local carousel in Griffith Park, California. Sitting on a park bench, Walt imagined a special place a whole family could visit and enjoy together. A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps takes you step by step with a very hands-on Walt Disney as he envisioned and created a very magical new world, Disneyland. Meeting up at the guided tour booth at the entrance to Main Street, U.S.A., you are greeted by your guide and welcomed into a small group of fellow guests. Groups are generally less than twenty people so you can stay tight and stick together as your guide walks you through some of Walt’s favorite areas. Everyone […]

Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs

3/12/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World • When I first heard Chef Morimoto was opening a restaurant in Disney Springs, I knew immediately that this dining reservation was on the top of my list! The influence of Japanese, Chinese and Korean flavors on the menu pretty much guaranteed Morimoto Asia was sure to become a favorite of mine! This restaurant is located at the Landing in Disney Springs. (It shares an area with Raglan Road that allows you to enjoy the outside entertainment across the way while you wait for your table.) This beautiful restaurant has an amazing menu that anyone should be able to find something they would love. They also have a children’s menu, and there were plenty of families with young ones who all seemed happy. Morimoto has many traditional flavors, House sake, a pretty extensive sushi menu, and several specialty drinks. You’ll need to take some time with the menu. Be sure to […]

Restaurant Review – Be Our Guest

3/13/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World • Be Our Guest. It is arguably one of the most popular restaurants in all of Disney World, and you will always see guests trying to sneak a peek inside the castle without a reservation. My daughter and I arrived slightly early for our dinner reservation, and they were quick to accommodate us. We were greeted outside the castle by a Cast Member carrying Lumiere. She gave us a brief tour of the castle as we were led to the West Wing, much to my daughter's delight. The ambience inside was perfect - dimly lit, the magic rose glowing softly in its glass case in the corner, beautiful tapestries that had been shredded in the Beast's rage, and a portrait that if you looked long enough, transitioned between the Beast and his true human form. Service was fast, but dinner was not rushed. Several guests were walking around the different dining […]

Maya Grill, Coronado Springs Resort

3/13/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World • Who doesn’t love it when a last-minute dinner reservation, one of only a handful you are able to find with such short notice, turns out to be such a pleasant surprise? This was our experience with the Maya Grill at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World. We had shuffled reservations around during the week to accommodate changes in plan due to the very hot weather. We were tired and worn out, so we ended up back at our resort mid-afternoon when we realized…..we’re going to be hungry soon! I quickly checked on MyDisneyExperience.com to see what was available for the evening and not too far away, and there were only a few options that popped up with dinner reservation at a reasonable time  for our family. The Maya Grill at our resort had looked nice when we peeked in earlier in the day, so we decided to give […]

Animal Kingdom’s Wild Animal Trek

11/16/2015 • Walt Disney World • All my dreams the night before was all about the tour even though I didn’t really know what to expect. My husband and I had planned the Trek months before our vacation, and the kids were completely in the dark. We got up early for our pre-park tour (which was also great because we were allowed to wander around Disney’s Animal Kingdom before the general public got in!) and headed straight for the park. We were greeted by one of the guides dressed in his safety equipment, and the kids quickly figured out we were up to something. The guide gave us a brief rundown of what we would be experiencing before sending us on our way to get our gear. After storing our belongings in lockers, we each were fitted with a safety vest and harness, and our cameras and glasses were all secured to our vests. We were […]