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1/11/2019 • Reviews, Walt Disney World •
Artist Point, located in Disney Wilderness Lodge, is a favorite signature dining restaurant in Walt Disney World. They recently made a change (in December 2018), to a character experience known as Storybook Dining! This new family favorite restaurant will not only delight your taste buds but will also excite the kid in all of us with a unique character experience! Upon arrival, a brief ‘story’ is told of who will visit you during your dinner experience as well as the proper way to address The Queen! Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy will also visit guests with The Queen. You will notice lovely woodland decor at every turn, twinkle lights, and a storybook in the center of the dining room. A Lazy Susan at your table resembles a great oak tree with leaves designed to hold both your appetizers and desserts! Signed ‘apples’ tie your silverware together. Snow White is introduced […]
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1/4/2019 • Tips, Walt Disney World •
If your family is like ours you might have at least one child with major anxiety, especially when it comes to characters. Our middle daughter is that child in our house. Seeing Santa or the Easter bunny is a nightmare for her so naturally when we make trips to Disney, there are concerns. We have found through trial and error a few tips and tricks to make meeting characters less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone. Disney Character Tips 1. Starting a few weeks before our trip, we begin our countdown by watching videos at home showing the characters interacting with other guests. There are various park-specific specials that come on TV and Netflix. There are also planning videos provided by Disney with examples of different character experiences available at the parks. Doing this gives our kids positive examples of what to expect with character interactions along with a size […]
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12/18/2018 • Tips, Walt Disney World •
Vacations are meant to be a time to get away from daily mundane chores …but there seems to be one chore that follows us…LAUNDRY! Whether you’re planning on doing laundry to avoid doing it once you are home, or you don’t want to overpack and need to wear clothing more than one day, or simply because your kids made a mess and clothing needs to be laundered, Disney has you covered!! Guests staying on Disney property have access to self-service laundry service right at the resort! LOCATION Location for self-service laundry varies. At check-in, you’re given a map of your resort. If it’s not clear where the laundry rooms are, ask the Cast Member at check-in their location. Many resorts have them conveniently located near the pools. So, while your laundry is going, you can enjoy pool time! HOW TO PAY Credit and debit cards are accepted. There may still […]
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12/11/2018 • Reviews, Walt Disney World •
What is the number one question that guests ask while at Walt Disney World? “Where’s Mickey Mouse?!” Everyone who makes the trek to Disney World wants to see the world’s most loveable mouse! And chances are that if you’re looking for Mickey, you want to see his best pals too! Chef Mickey’s is a fun and interactive character meal inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and it’s the place to see nearly all of them! Chef Mickey’s is a great way to meet your favorite Disney pals while enjoying the atmosphere of the Contemporary Resort. While dining on the delicious all-you-care-to-eat buffet, some of your favorite Disney characters will come by to your table to sign autographs and pose for pictures. While characters are subject to change, you can generally expect to see Chef Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto during your meal! You may even see the Disney World monorail […]
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10/30/2018 • Tips, Walt Disney World •
After a lifetime of dieting, I was still seeking the right fit for me. I was very intrigued by the guidelines of the ketogenic way of eating. My mind was made up, this is the right way for me! The basic guidelines of this way of eating are high fats, moderate proteins, and low carbohydrates. I was concerned if I could integrate my way of eating into our trips to Walt Disney World. I quickly realized dining locations throughout the property would be more than accommodating and allow me to follow my way of eating with ease! I avoid many specific cooking oils, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and hidden sugars. I was determined I would stay true to my guidelines eating 7 total carbohydrates or less per meal, eating more fat than protein, and only eating when truly hungry. If I was unsure if an item was within my guidelines, I […]
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3/18/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World •
Gaston. According to his song, he’s everyone's favorite guy. But better than the man himself is Gaston’s Tavern and it has become one of my favorite Magic Kingdom snacking hideouts since its opening. Gaston’s Tavern is located in Fantasyland in the square centered by Gaston’s statue. It offers snacks as well as light meal options which is perfect when you aren’t hungry enough for a complete quick service meal but want something a little bit more than a light snack. Walking into the restaurant you will first encounter a warm pub atmosphere with wood paneling and barrels filled with LeFou’s Brew. Cozy tables line the far wall where guests make themselves at home. But the hidden gem is the room to the right that brings to life the famous scene in the movie, Beauty and the Beast, where LeFou extols the virtues of Gaston in song. Entering the room you […]
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3/20/2024 • Reviews, Walt Disney World •
Ale and Compass restaurant is located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. I love staying at this resort and welcomed the opportunity to try this new experience. This restaurant was formerly named Captain’s Grill and has been recently refurbished and the menu has been re-imagined as well. I recommend giving this new location a try especially if you are staying at a Disney resort nearby. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Ale & Compass and it is a table service establishment. It was not super busy during the time I visited but had steady dining traffic. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, 1 entitlement is required to eat here. While I always suggest making advance dining reservations while dining on Disney property, walk-in customers would have been welcomed during my dining experience here. My daughter and I decide to try breakfast and really enjoyed our dining experience. Upon […]
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6/29/2018 • Reviews, Walt Disney World •
Does the name Trader Sam sound familiar? If you’re a long-time Disney fan, it should. Trader Sam is the legendary “head” salesman who offers you a hard-to-pass-up deal—2 of his heads for 1 of yours—at the conclusion of Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom. Don’t worry, you don’t have to trade anything in order to enjoy this hidden treasure. Tucked away on the ground floor of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and down a hallway, you’ll come to a door that will display Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and the hours that it’s open. Actually, you’ll probably walk right past it the first time, like I did! I missed it and walked outside and followed the sign to the outdoor terrace of Trader Sam’s. The outdoor terrace looked like a very nice, standard terrace with plenty of umbrella covered tables and chairs. There was a very small bar that you could order your refreshments. […]
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6/6/2018 • Tips, Walt Disney World •
We live in a world where phones have become an accessory we always have with us, like our wallet or sunglasses. In Disney, phones are an integral part of your trip because you use it for candid photos, videos, navigating the park, and updating plans using the My Disney Experience app. As stated before, we HIGHLY recommend you bring a portable phone charger or purchase a Fuel Rod in the park or resorts. There is another option …find a ‘charging location’ in the park. This will require you to sit and relax (as to not leave your phone unattended), but it is a way to refuel your body and refuel your phone’s battery life simultaneously. So where are these located? Unfortunately, there’s not a “phone charger land” like there is a Fantasyland or Adventureland…these locations for charging are not easily found on a map. Where MOST spots are not official […]
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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! […]
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