Blog Posts by Nancy Wideman

Surviving Walt Disney World with Toddlers!

5/17/2019 • Tips, Walt Disney World • If you’re like me, you can’t wait to take your little one (toddler) to Disney and experience it for the first time through your child’s eyes. The castle, the characters, a Mickey bar, and yes…the rides!   Here are some helpful tips and tricks that I’ve learned as a mom taking my young children to visit Mickey! Averting a meltdown: Rest Walt Disney World is huge and walking around just one park can add up those steps very quickly. Bring or rent a comfortable stroller to give tired feet a rest. Plan for a rest either back at the resort or in the stroller. Just some down time to close tired little eyes and get a second wind will help you all continue the fun. Planning for half days is a great way to check off your most important experiences while allowing yourselves some quiet time and it also gives […]

SURPRISE! We’re Going to Disney!

3/29/2019 • Tips, Walt Disney World • Many parents envision surprising their kids with news of a vacation to Disney with lots of smiles, excited screams, and perhaps, even some happy tears! Here are some fun ways to surprise your children with a trip to visit Mickey! Simply….don’t tell them until you are on your way there! It takes stealth and sneakiness to plan a trip without little ears overhearing, not to mention getting everyone’s suitcase packed but it’s a lot of fun too especially if you have younger kids who haven’t yet grasped the concept of time. You might also save a bit of your sanity by eliminating the “is it time yet?” component that might otherwise linger for the months leading up to the big event. Depending on your mode of transportation, you might not tell them until you arrive at the airport or when you are pulling into the parking areas. For older children, […]

It’s Not Just Food When It’s This Good! Food for the Soul at Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming

3/13/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World • From the moment I read the menu for Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming restaurant, I knew this would be at the top of my Disney dining bucket list! This is down-home cooking at its best. Arrive hungry. You do not want to miss an opportunity to sample the foods if you aren’t prepared to fill your belly. 2) As a party of two, I knew our eyes were too big for our stomachs, but the selections are that good that we didn’t want to pass anything up! My best recommendation would be to go with a group of at least four people so you can select several things from the menu and share them. Between the two of us, we ordered a couple appetizers: the Church Lady Deviled Eggs and the Ham and Jam Biscuits. With the deviled eggs, aside from the fact that they are delicious, the presentation is fabulous! […]

Big Box Stores vs Travel Planners Who Specialize in Disney

3/11/2024 • Tips, Walt Disney World • You are planning a trip for your family to a Disney theme park and are looking for a great deal, but where do you start? You can do the hours upon hours of research yourself and book directly with Disney, book with a Big Box Store like Costco, visit your local AAA office, or book with a travel planner who specializes in Disney destinations. -If you enjoy planning and know exactly what you want, booking directly with Disney is an easy decision. -If you have a Costco membership and want to see what they can do for you, Costco Travel can book your vacation for you. -AAA agents can also help book your family vacation if you are an AAA member. What next, though? -Well, if you book with Disney, you will handle all the details – payments, keeping track of planning dates, booking advanced dining reservations and special activities, […]

Top 6 Walt Disney World Patriotic Experiences for the Heart of America

5/2/2018 • Holidays & Events, Walt Disney World • The name "Disney" is as American as apple pie. Perhaps that is because the company Walt and Roy Disney created was deeply rooted in the values of the American Dream. Here are some of my favorites areas of Walt Disney World where the heart of America shines brightly. American Pavilion, Epcot American Adventure - Narrated by audio-animatronic figures of Ben Franklin and Mark Twain, guests experience various depictions of American life during key moments in American history, including the Revolutionary War and the Great Depression. Voices of America – Save time to enjoy the sounds of these a capella singers in the rotunda of the American Pavilion as they sing American standards (“America the Beautiful) as well as modern Disney classics (“Let It Go”). Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom Liberty Tree Tavern serves up traditional American fare (imagine a full Thanksgiving feast) family-style. After your meal, take note of the six prominent […]

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 […]