Trip Report - Hawaii bound on the Disney Wonder - Thursday, September 10, 2015

Today was our third (out of five) sea days and guess what was on the plan? 

Relaxation. Yes, I know you’re surprised! :)

After having breakfast with Michelle at Beach Blanket, I got ready for the day and decided I’d like to see the newest Avengers movie in the Buena Vista Theatre.  I’d seen it at home when it was released, but thought it’d be a nice way to spend the morning. 

As I rounded the corner to the theatre, I smelled that “you’re at a movie” smell - popcorn. YUM. I couldn’t resist, and bought some popcorn in a reusable Disney bucket. For $7.50, you got the popcorn and bucket, with refills at $3.50.

The movie was about two and a half hours, so then it was time for lunch! :) (are you sensing a pattern here…..eating and eating and more eating). They were having a BBQ as another lunch option, but the crowd was pretty good-sized so I decided to just do the regular lunch buffet.

After some couscous salad and veggies (OK, OK, I had dessert too….I’m on vacation!), I decided to make my way to Deck 10 to read my book. And there I stayed for about 2 hours. HEAVEN. Michelle recommended a book to me and so while the internet was at a cooperating point, I was able to log into Amazon and purchase it, and download it to my Kindle. Score! :) it was a super relaxing afternoon; I was on a chaise on Deck 10, facing the ocean and just reading and watching us sail peacefully across the Pacific.

Some people have asked about the sea conditions as you cross the open ocean. We had AMAZING weather and it’s been such a calm passage. I haven’t noticed any difference between this cruise and when we’re sailing towards the Bahamas or Caribbean. As I sat here writing this, I was watching the ocean and it was just perfect; small waves here and there, but quite calm. There had been some hurricane activity in the area last week and so we weren’t sure if we would need to go off course and sail around storms, but so far so good.

After a quiet and calm evening, I did some more reading in the room when Michelle and her son went to a movie. Michelle and I then had a fabulous dinner at Palo - antipasti, appetizers, that amazing Filet and of course, the Palo Souffle. We rolled ourselves out of Palo and right into bed. With full bellies, we were asleep in no time!

LIVE from the Disney Wonder - Tuesday, September 8th 2015

Today was our first of five at sea days. These days are my absolute FAVORITE of any cruise itinerary; honestly, if they could do an itinerary where they just sailed around nowhere and you had all sea days, I would book that in a hot minute.

We all slept really well. I am still getting used to the time change, and so I did wake up early, about 4AM (which is 6AM at home). However, I was able to get back to sleep until about 8:30AM so that was great. I’m trying to get on the current time sleeping-and-waking schedule and so far, so good. Once I got up, I went and grabbed some coffee and Michelle and I sat on the balcony, chatting for a few minutes before it was time to get ready for Palo brunch!

Oh Palo brunch…..you guys, seriously ~ I could go ON AND ON. It’s so delicious. At $30/person I feel like it’s well worth it. There are so many great options - fruits, savory items, caviar (YES), pastries, desserts as well as made-to-order items that you can have as well. Michelle and I decided to split a pizza (they will do half and half if you want to try more than one flavor), I got Eggs Benedict (the BEST) and Michelle chose the Chicken Parmasan. You also get a complimentary beverage like a mimosa or sparkling wine and of course soda, tea, coffee, etc are included. Michelle knew (name) from past cruises and so we requested him. Another excellent DCL server! Really, these folks are amazing.

It was a nice leisurely meal, and we were there about an hour and a half. After eating, we decided to visit the cruise shopping options. There is a SUPER CUTE Mickey and Minnie graphic for these Hawaii cruises and I wanted to get a Tervis cup with that graphic. I like having a larger cup to fill up at the beverage machines vs their smaller cups they provide and figured they’d have a special one this cruise, so I didn’t bring one from home. I’ll probably go back and get a magnet and that’ll be the extent of my souvenir shopping.

After changing out of the dress I wore to Palo, I decided to go up the adults area on Deck 9 and do some blog writing. Another thing I love about cruising is all the uninterrupted writing time I have, and so far this cruise has been no exception.

I spent a nice hour or so writing blog posts, and then decided to head to the room for a bit. Having a balcony is SO nice, it was great to spend some time out there with my Kindle and read, watching the ocean go by…..bliss.

Dinner tonight was at Animator’s Palette, one of my favorite menus of the cruise. Michelle and I split the pasta pursettes, which is right up there for me as one of my favorite DCL appetizers EVER. I also had the squash soup, and the beef tenderloin. I typically don’t choose red meat but decided to go out on a limb today and was so glad I did - it was delicious. We also saw the special show they do at Animators with a special guest - Mickey Mouse! This is my favorite incarnation of Mickey Mouse and so I always love this show.

I ended my night in the Rainforest spa, in the saunas and showers. SO relaxing. I also discovered they have the facial cleaners and toners that they use in the spa, free and available for our use.

We ended the night by watching movies in the room, and drifted off to sleep. We got a notice in our room that we were to turn our clocks back an hour before we went to bed - getting closer to that Hawaii time zone!

Thanks for reading; I apologize that my internet has been spotty and I’ve not been able to post live blogs as I would like, so these are a few days behind “real time”. 

Have a magical day!

LIVE from the Disney Wonder ~ Hawaii Cruise, Embarkation Day!

Hello from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean! :) I was hoping to post every day but our internet out here on the Pacific has been spotty. I'll post updates when I can; and when we get to Hilo, HI on Sunday, I'll have even better signal so hopefully I can post some more blog updates. I will also be posting more photos to Facebook and Instagram, so stayed tuned for those!

On Sunday AM, I flew out early from Des Moines and arrived in Vancouver about 11:30AM local time. Michelle (my agency owner) and her son also arrived about the same time, which was great. We went through security and customs at the airport, grabbed our bags, and then got on the train to go from the airport to downtown Vancouver, and the Pan Pacific Hotel.

A quick note about the Vancouver airport; if you’re flying in from the US, you will go through a customs line in order to gain entrance into Canada. Once you get off the plane, customs is the first thing you do (and I didn’t see any chances to visit the restroom before you get in line, so you’ll want to do that on the plane before you disembark). The line can look long, but it moves pretty fast. They have these pretty neat self-serve machines where you scan your passport, answer some questions and then a receipt is printed out. You get in another line (which also moves pretty fast) and then show that receipt and your passport to one of the Canadian customs agents. From there, you are right at baggage claim and then it’s a very easy walk to the train, taxis or shuttles. I would say it took about 15-20 minutes to get through customs.

We then exited the airport and went to the train station; it’s about $6 US to get a train ticket, and it only took about 20 minutes to arrive at the Waterfront station. From there, it was a quick 5 minute walk and then we arrived at the Pan Pacific!

Seriously, you guys - if you sail out of Vancouver, you HAVE to stay at the Pan Pacific. The location can’t be beat; the cruise port is RIGHT at the hotel, so you just go downstairs to do your check in and go through security. They even have a service where they’ll come and get your bags from you, and transport them to baggage services for you! You just attach those baggage tags that come in your documents and they’ll grab them for you. 

The price for a room is about $250-300 per night, but for convenience and ease it can’t be beat. You’re also very close to lots of eating and shopping, as well as places like Stanley Park, so if you’re looking for things to do in the days before you sail there is plenty to do. 

When we arrived Sunday night, we chose to stay pretty close to the hotel and relax; we knew we’d have a busy day on Monday so we wanted to stay close. Michelle and I did end up walking to a market/grocery store that’s about a 5-10 minute walk from Pan Pacific, and getting some snacks and extras we forgot to pack. We then all turned in early, and were getting SO excited to cruise!

Coming up next - Monday: cruise embarkation day!

Top 5 Reasons This Walt Disney World Veteran Fell in Love with Disneyland

I've been going to Walt Disney World pretty regularly since the last 90s. After my first trip to the World when I was in high school, I was hooked.

I always knew I wanted to visit Disneyland but I'd never made it a point to go out there. When I was deciding on my next vacation, for whatever reason Walt Disney World always won out, and I'd say to myself, "One day I'll get out to Anaheim."

As you know, that "one day" came last week and can I tell you, I CANNOT BELIEVE that I didn't make it a priority to get out here sooner.

After an incredibly fun and successful first trip to Disneyland, I wanted to do a comparison between the two. Not a "this vs that" type of post, but one that lays out the Top 5 reasons that I, a Walt Disney World veteran with approximately 30 trips under her belt, fell in love with Disneyland.


1. Disneyland was Walt's park. The nostalgia is off the charts, folks.

Disneyland can boast something that Walt Disney World can't. Although Walt was a part of the creation of WDW, he passed away before the park was completed so he was never an actual physical presence in the parks. To be able to walk down Main Street, and think, Walt walked here. To ride it's a small world and know that Walt rode it, too. To watch kids laugh on the carousel and know that he watched his own grandkids on the same one. Ladies and gents, it made my heart soar.

2. The proximity of resorts to both theme parks CAN'T BE BEAT.

I stayed at the Grand Californian and let me tell you, was SO glad I did. At most, I was a 5-10 minute walk (10 minutes if I was very slowly strolling) from my hotel to both parks. Actually, I was much closer to California Adventure because there's an entrance from the Grand Californian into that park.

Having stayed there, The Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier are also on my list. Both are also a short walk from the parks and allow you the same "close to the magic" experience.

It was incredibly nice to be that close to both theme parks. Now, you can have sort of this same experience when, for example, you stay at the Beach Club or Boardwalk resort and their proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But there's no resort on WDW property where you can walk to all the theme parks, so that was huge.

Staying onsite can be pricier than staying at one of the myriad of hotels in the general area of Disneyland. However, for all my future trips I will plan on staying on-site for the sheer convenience of time and energy. It was amazing to watch the Disneyland Forever fireworks show on Main Street, and then be in my hotel room 10 minutes later. Not on a bus 10 minutes later, not waiting in line 10 minutes later. I was in my room. Amazing.

3. Disneyland is NOT just a two or three day vacation destination.

One opinion that I kept hearing was that Disneyland was, at most, a three day vacation. You needed to go to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Knott's Berry Farm, etc in order to really make the most of a week and make your travel to Anaheim worthwhile. Now, nothing against those destinations at all but after having been at Disneyland, I could have easily stayed another day. I had an awesome time at the parks but didn't have a whole lot of time to explore my resort, or stroll around Downtown Disney. Next time (in November! Eeek!!) I'm planning on being here an entire week.

4. Three Words, people: World of Color.

I might cause a minor Disney fan revolt by saying this, but the fireworks shows and parades aren't usually on my must-do list. (dodges flying objects.) I enjoy them, but I'm not a person who will sit on a curb for two hours to get a viewing spot before a parade. They're fun, but no thanks, man. There are other things I prefer doing instead.

I knew I wanted to see World of Color at California Adventure. I'd read about it and seen clips of the show and from everything I'd heard, people raved about how awesome it was. We decided to do a WoC dining package (more on that in another post!) to get FastPasses for a special viewing area. The appointed time came, we got in our AWESOME location to watch and waited to be dazzled.

And dazzled we were. There aren't words in the English language that can adequately convey the rush of love and emotions I had when watching this show. It's been recently re-done a bit for the 60th Anniversary and it's just AMAZING. I won't tell you every single detail because A) we'd be here all day and B) I want you to experience it for yourself.

And when they played a version of the song "Forever Young? Tears, tears everywhere.

5.  Foodies - you won't be disappointed.

Disneyland is no slouch in the food department, either. On this trip I had my first churro; it was delicious! I wore most of the sugar on my shirt, but it was very yummy. I also enjoyed a Disneyland corn dog; I can only assume they put actual magic in that batter because GOOD LORD it was amazing - and I'm not really a hot dog fan. If you're a soup person, you MUST go to the Pacific Warf Cafe and enjoy their Clam Chowder or Broccoli Cheese soups. TO DIE FOR.

Needless to say, there will be many posts on this here blog solely about the food because y'all, it was stinking good. Many times we had "progressive dinners" and shared food so we could all sample a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Nom nom nom.

So there you have it - some of the many reasons I fell in deep, passionate, abiding love with Disneyland. I'll be back in November and can't wait to experience it all again!

Have a magical day!

Disneyland....here I COME!

The appointed day has arrived, folks. As you're reading this, I'm on a plane to California, on my way to see Disneyland for the FIRST TIME.

To say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement.

I'll not only be seeing Disneyland and California Adventure, I will also be there during the 60th Anniversary events which look just incredible. Talk about picking a good time to go!

Factoring in transportation to the Grand Californian hotel, I estimate that I'll be walking into Disneyland around 2:00PM PST. Be sure you're following me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as I'll be posting a LOT of videos and pictures during the week.

Speaking of videos, if you're not signed up with Periscope yet - do it. Not trying to be bossy but if you want to see LIVE videos from Disneyland, this is the place to see them. The app is free (and now available for Android phones as well as in the Apple App store!) and you sign in with your Twitter account, or create a new account. Couldn't be easier, and then you'll be able to walk along with me through Main Street, ride attractions, saunter around Downtown Disney, etc. You know you want to!

I can't wait to bring you all along with me!

Have a magical day!

My Room at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

About a month ago, I stayed for three nights at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. It was my first time at that resort (crossing another off my list!) and although I'd been to the resort before, I hadn't seen the rooms. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of decor but I really liked it! I wanted to share with you some pictures of my room.

I booked a regular room but was happy to see that when I arrived, I had a King bed, vs two Queen sized beds. So nice!

I felt like the room was a good size. Upon entering, there was a small hallway with a dresser in an alcove, and a coffee maker on top of it. In the dresser was a mini fridge, which was very nice to have. Then I walked in a bit more, and to the left was a sink area, and the toilet/shower room. I love that the rooms have these separate areas; if you're staying with others, makes it VERY nice to have space to get ready in the morning.

I loved the shower - seeing the tiles with some of the Disney animal characters was super cute.

The room itself was very nice, a good layout. In addition to the King bed there were two nightstands, a dresser with a TV, a desk with two chairs, and a lounge chair with ottoman. I also felt like the room had plenty of storage space, as well. I have the Owners Locker and had plenty of room for that, my suitcase, shoes, etc. I hate feeling cramped in a hotel room but this size was perfect.

But, by FAR the best part of this room was the view. Check it out!! How amazing, right?!

On my balcony I had the PERFECT view of the pool area, and see the water just beyond it? Each night about 9:30 I would see the Electrical Water Pageant go by in the water - and I never had to leave my room. It was AMAZING.

The only slight negative was the construction going on at the resort. To the immediate left of my balcony were rooms with scaffolding over top of them; it appeared they were re-painting and doing some cosmetic work on the resort. I didn't think it was bad, but there was some noise in the afternoon.

I LOVED staying here, and would do so again in a heartbeat. Here are some more pictures I took of the room - enjoy! Have a magical day!

It's Cruising Time!

You know what day it is?!?! You know what day it is?!?!

Say it with me (in your best hump-day camel voice) It's CRUISE DAY! Today we embark on the Disney Dream for a fun and sun filled 3 day cruise to Nassau and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

We're getting ready this morning and then heading to the port. It's about a 45 minute drive from Orlando to Port Canaveral; we'll get there by 10:30AM, check in and start the cruise fun!

I'll be posting some pictures on Facebook and Instagram this morning before we leave, so be sure and check those out!

Also, if you're interested in watching the Dream sail out of port - here you can access the Port Canaveral webcam.

I will be checking in once or twice while we're at sea, so be sure to keep reading here (and sign up to get the posts emailed to you, if you haven't already) and on social media.

Have a wonderful, magical day!

Trip Report - August 31, 2014 - Part One

Happy Saturday! And welcome to another installment of the Trip Report. This past weekend I was in the Chicago area, celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday, which was a blast. In fact, today is her actual birthday; so in light of that:

Happy Birthday Faith! Aunt Katie Loves You! :)

Thank you for indulging me that moment. Now onto the Trip Report!

Sunday, August 31st was the first full day at Disney World. I woke up, packed the few items I'd taken out of the suitcase and called Bell Services to transfer my luggage to Coronado Springs. I wasn't meeting my cousins at Splittsville (located at Downtown Disney) until 10:30, so it was a pretty leisurely morning.

Everything Pop, however, was a ZOO! It was pretty crazy in there. This was Sunday of Labor Day weekend and although the crowds were predicted to be light during the week, you could tell it was still holiday crowd time. I attempted a picture of the breakfast rush, just to give you an idea.

After grabbing a quick muffin and Diet Coke, I made my way to the bus stop to catch a Downtown Disney bus.

As I waited at the bus stop, I was reminded why I have not been to Disney World / Orlando in late August / September for quite some time.  It is HOT.  Not like your normal heat, or even summer-level heat at Disney.  It was center of the sun, we're hotter than Mars, HOT and HUMID which just made it worse. Luckily, the bus came in about 5 minutes and I entered into its air-conditioned goodness!

After a quick ride to Downtown Disney, we were dropped off at the Marketplace area, where the shops are located. Most of them open at 10:00AM on Sunday and it was about 9:45 at this point, so I had a little time to kill.

I then witnessed one of my favorite "Aww!" Disney moments. You know those, when you witness something super-cute and sweet between guests, cast members, etc? One of the best parts about Downtown Disney is that they pipe in Disney music, so as you're walking along you're really immersed in the magic. There was a family with two young boys, and as they were walking by, "Kiss The Girl" from Little Mermaid was playing. The husband remarked to his wife, "Well, the song DOES say to kiss the girl", and he leaned over to his wife and gave her a smooch. The looks on the boys faces were PRICELESS, a mixture of disgust and embarrassment. So cute!

I had about 20 minutes to kill before I had to make my way over to Splittsville, so I wandered in and out of the shops. I was on a mission to see TrenD and the newly redesigned Marketplace Co-op area.

WOW! It looks amazing. The Co-op is styled after a series of boutiques, and so you have one area for clothes, another for housewares, one for purses, etc. Very, Very well done.

I knew my big souvenir purchase this trip was going to be a Disney Dooney and Bourke purse. You can buy them online at the DisneyStore.com, but I wanted to see it in person, the placement of the characters on the bag, etc. A very nice cast member helped me look at the bags and inspect each one, and then I made my selection!

I was SO happy; I have been looking at this particular pattern for a few years, and was very happy with my choice.

Giant purse bag in hand, I made my way through the construction are, and to Splittsville. It was a gorgeous day and even though, as mentioned, it was hotter than you-know-where, the sky was very blue and pretty.

I saw my cousins, we greeted each other, and then made our way in for bowling and lunch!

Coming up next - my review of Splittsville, both our bowling and dining experiences.

Have a magical day!

Trip Report - Saturday, August 30th - Departure Day! Part Two

Happy Sunday!

Today is the next installment in the Trip Report, the second half of my first day at Walt Disney World!

As I mentioned, I had grand plans to go to Hollywood Studios that night, eat at Brown Derby and then watch Fantasmic. Yeah, that didn't happen. I had been up since about 4AM, didn't sleep on the plane and I hit a MAJOR wall.  I made the executive decision to stay at Pop Century for the night and rest. Another major plus of solo travel - - I was able to change a plan on the fly, and no one was upset or disappointed! For the win!

After taking a quick 10 minute dip in the pool (it was SO NICE), I decided to grab dinner at the Everything Pop food court. I wanted to try something I hadn't gotten before, and so ordered the fish and chips. I didn't take a picture (bad blogger!) but imagine the same standard fish and chips you've all seen before. It was OK; nothing to write home about, but not horrible either.

The food court area was still bustling at this time of night, which I was kind of surprised about. It took me about 15 minutes to get my food (they were frying more fish) but the cast members were very friendly and it didn't bother me to wait.

After eating, I decided to wander around the Everything Pop store and see what treasures I couldn't live without. As I expected, they had quite a bit of the Halloween merchandise out, and as I admired everything a friendly cast member came up to me. He asked if I liked Halloween, talked about how excited he was for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), etc. As always, the cast member interactions are one of the reasons to go to Disney - he was so nice to talk to.

Before I left home, I considered going to MNSSHP; Monday of my trip was the first night and so it would have worked out time-wise. I hadn't bought my ticket, yet, and so I continued to hem and haw about it. You'll have to stay tuned to see if I actually went. :)

After my window-shopping experience, I went back to my room and decided to call it a night. I got out my Magic Bands, chose the one I wanted for the next day (and accessorized it, of course!). I only remember watching about 10 minutes of Law & Order before I drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Sunday, would be my first full day of the trip and includes:

* Meeting up with family

* Bowling at Splittsville

* And making a purchase at Downtown Disney that I have been considering for a few years.

Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned for the next installment!

Have a magical day ~

Trip Report - Saturday, August 30th - Departure Day! Part One

Hello, everyone! Today I am starting the Trip Report of my latest Disney World / Disney Cruise Line adventure. I arrived at Disney World on August 30th, was there until September 4th and then departed for a 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream.

On Saturday the 30th, my day started bright and early; I was on the road to Minneapolis about 5:30AM. I had an afternoon flight but a meeting with a friend beforehand, and so I got there a bit early.

After my meeting, I made my way to the airport - I was ready to get this trip started!

When I did my online check in for the flight, I saw there were quite a few First Class seats available. I checked at the Delta counter and they told me it would be about $280 to upgrade - um NO thank you! However, about 2 minutes before we were set to board, they announced they were doing upgrades for $100 to First Class.  I hightailed my tush over the desk, and got my 1st class upgrade.  I was ready to start this trip in style!

I have flown First Class before, but it had been a few years.  Wow, was it nice!  The seats are nice and roomy, and we even got a lunch onboard, which was actually pretty good. Wine was complimentary, but as it was 2:00PM I decided to forgo the glass of vino and had soda instead.

It was an easy flight to Orlando, and we touched down about 5:15. After making my way to Magical Express (and sitting on the bus for about 30 minutes), we were on our way!

My Free Dining stay was at Coronado Springs, but I flew in the night before and so needed just one night somewhere else.  There was an awesome annual passholder rate at Pop, so that's what I chose.

Check in at Pop took a surprisingly long time, seeing as how I had done the online check in.  But come to find out, the system was saying my room was not ready, when in fact it was, and that was delaying me. The cast member couldn't have been nicer, however, and after a quick call to her boss, I was on my way.

I had intentions to go to Hollywood Studios this night, and eat at Brown Derby.  However, waking up at 4AM was taking its toll on me and so I decided to instead stay at Pop for the night, relax and take a swim in the pool.  My room for the night was *right* next to the pool in the 90s section, so it was super easy to take a quick dip before heading out to Everything Pop to get some dinner.

Coming up in Part Two: Everything Pop is all decked out for Halloween, and I show you my room for the night!

Have a magical day, and a great weekend!

Cruising Solo on the Disney Cruise Line - My Top 5 Tips

In early September, I embarked on my first truly solo cruise on Disney Cruise Line.  I say "truly solo" because even though I have stayed in a room by myself before, I booked the trip myself, and didn't have any friends or family book the cruise along with me.

I was honestly a bit anxious as the cruise date was nearing.  Don't get me wrong - I KNEW I would have a great time, and that it would be the same uber-relaxing, fabulous DCL vacation, with or without family and friends. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about being solo on the ship.  I don't know why I felt differently about that vs Disney World, but there you go.

However, I had a WONDERFUL time (more details to come on the Trip Report!) and wanted to share some ideas / tips that made cruising solo really special.

1) Connect with a cruise meet and/or Facebook group before you leave.
I was privileged to meet a FABULOUS group of ladies before our cruise, on a Facebook group we set up. It was wonderful talking to each other and getting excited in the months and weeks before the cruise.  I was also able to meet my new friend, Caletta, and we ate together each night which was a lot of fun. It was nice to have solo time, but then also know I was meeting a friend for dinner at night. We also had a quick meet-up on embarkation day, so we could put names and faces together.  This was super fun because not only did I get to meet these great ladies and their families, but it was nice to run into people on those 3 days that I knew and have someone to say hi to, chat with, etc.

2) Take some time to do "special" experiences.
Visit the spa.  Heck, LIVE in the spa. You're on your own schedule, so there's no one to give you grief if you spend 4-5 hours a day in the Rainforest Room. Or take a ship tour, or a beverage tasting, or any of the myriad of things available for adults on the cruise. If you're bored, it's your own fault!

3) Speaking of experiences...sign up for a Mixology or Wine / Beer tasting class.
If you like a cocktail or glass of beer, be sure and sign up for one of the many mixology / tasting classes they have on the ship during your cruise.  Your daily Navigator will have more information about where to sign up - make sure to check it out the first day, as space is limited!  I've done both the mixology and wine tastings and both were a lot of fun.  There's also usually a fun group of people at these classes, too, and the nature of the class often leads to conversations and interactions with your fellow passengers.

4) Relax like it's your job.
Let's be honest - one of the primary joys of cruising is doing NOTHING. As in, grabbing your book, an umbrella beverage and taking up residence on a deck chair.  Or falling asleep on said deck chair.  Ahem. Not that I did any such thing, of course.  But seriously - RELAX!  Enjoy it.  Kick back.  Have NO schedule. Sleep until noon if you want.  Live a life of a lady (or gentleman) of leisure, even for a few days. 

5) Chat with the cast members.
One of my favorite memories of this cruise is sitting at Pink (one of the cocktail lounges on the Dream) after dinner one night, and having a fun hour+ chat with Ricardo, the bartender.  Assuming your chatting with them isn't taking them away from their job duties, most cast members are more than willing to stop and speak with you for at least a few minutes.  Not only did I have a fun night, I now have a DCL friend who I will hopefully see again in January.

If you've cruised solo, what are your favorite things about cruising by yourself?

Have a magical day!

I'm Home!

Hi everyone!  I am back home in Iowa and can't wait to share with you more in-depth information about my Disney World and Disney Cruise Line vacation.  I will be sharing reviews and information, including:

* Dining Reviews of Pepper Market at Coronado Springs resort, as well as Les Chefs de France, Liberty Tree Tavern, Maya Grill and Splittsville at Downtown Disney.

* Review of bowling at Splittsville.

* Room reports for Pop Century, Coronado Springs and the Disney Cruise Line.

* "Tips and tricks" for using the Disney Dining Plan.

* And MORE!

Thanks again for following along with the LIVE blogs last week ~ I will be back here tomorrow with a new post but in the meantime, have a Magical day!

LIVE Blog - Dining Plan: The Numbers - Tuesday

Hello from Orlando!  I wanted to report about Tuesday's Dining Plan, where I went and what credits I used.

Tuesday got off to a relaxing start.  I was originally going to head over to Epcot in the morning, but was pretty tired and decided I needed to just sleep until whenever I got up.  I ended up going to the pool for a while in the morning, which was great, and then was in Epcot from about 11:15 - 8:45PM.  I will do a full report on Tuesday at another time - - it was a great day!

I will also do more in-depth dining plan reviews of each of the Table Service locations at another time, and for now will just be giving you the dollars and cents information.

Today, I ended up using 2 of the Table Service credits.  I didn't use any Quick Service or snacks (but I did buy a Grand Marnier slushie, which is not on the Dining Plan.  Shhh!)

Breakfast - Carrot cake from a Counter Service meal.  I got the cake a few nights ago when I had dinner at Coronado, and wasn't hungry for it then but saved it in the fridge in my room.  I had that this morning, with a nice cup of coffee.
Cost: FREE

Lunch - Nine Dragons, China pavilion, Epcot.  They had an option where you could get a soup, entree and dessert for one price (prix fixe) and were able to use the Dining Plan on this option.  I got the Hot and Sour soup, the Sesame Chicken with Fried Rice (pictured above) and a ginger cake.  It was VERY good.
Actual cost if I would have paid OOP: $36.89
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit

Dinner - Les Chefs de France, French pavilion, Epcot. I also did the same option here as I did at Nine Dragons, the Prix Fixe menu.  I chose the French Onion soup, the Macaroni and Cheese and a strawberry cake with sorbet.
Actual cost if I would have paid OOP: $45.78
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit

Today is my final full day at WDW before the cruise, and I'll report back Thursday morning about Wednesday's dining.  I have 2 Counter Service, 1 Table Service and 3 Snacks remaining.  I have heard that people often have Snack credits at the end of their trip, and that has been the case with me as well.

Thanks again for following along - see you later!

Have a magical day!

LIVE Blog - Dining Plan: The Numbers - Sunday and Monday

As promised, I wanted to check in and let you know how I am doing so far on the Dining Plan.  Since it started Sunday, and Sunday evening was the only credit I used that day, I am going to combine Sunday and Monday into one post.

So, to recap: I have a total of 4 Table Service credits, 4 Quick Service credits, and 4 Snacks to use over the course of my stay.  I also got a refillable mug when I checked in, that I can use during the course of my stay.

With each Table Service meal, you get your entree, dessert and a nonalcoholic beverage.  You also get the same for each Quick Service meal - an entree, dessert and beverage.  If you're eating at a buffet, that counts as 1 Table Service.

I've also decided that in the coming weeks, I am going to do posts about how to use your credits "smarter", not harder.  I am quickly learning that this is quite a bit of food and you can really stretch what you order and for example, use your beverage choice and dessert choice from a Quick Service meal to get a muffin and orange juice, which you can then eat for breakfast the next day.  But more on that later.

So to recap where we are so far:

Sunday:

Dinner - I used a Quick Service credit that night, and went to the Pepper Market food court at Coronado Springs.  I ordered the nachos (HUGE - big enough to split), a soda and a piece of carrot cake (which is currently in my fridge and will be a good snack some evening).
Actual cost if I would have paid Out Of Pocket (OOP): $16.97
Dining Plan: 1 Quick Service Credit

Monday: 

Breakfast - I ate at the Lounge I have access to at Coronado, which was FREE!  Sweet!

Snack - I got a Strawberry freeze/slushie at the Magic Kingdom.
Actual cost if I would have paid Out Of Pocket (OOP): $3.99
Dining Plan: 1 Snack Credit

Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern, where I ordered a Diet Coke, the Colony Salad, and the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake for dessert (which was amazing).
Actual cost if I would have paid Out Of Pocket (OOP): $27.00
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit

Dinner - Pepper Market at Coronado Springs.  I ordered a bottle of water, the Crab Cake sandwich and a brownie. I remembered to bring my refillable mug to dinner, so I put the water in my fridge in the room and am going to carry that to Epcot tomorrow morning.  This will save me using a Snack credit for bottled water.
Actual cost if I would have paid Out Of Pocket (OOP): $20.98
Dining Plan: 1 Counter Service Credit

I will check in on Wednesday with today's dining information and then on Thursday, before I leave on the cruise I will add Wednesday's info and add up the grand total.

Thanks for reading - and have a magical day!

LIVE blog post - First Full Day: August 31st, 2014

Hello, everyone!  Hope you're having a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  I am having a blast down here and wanted to share with you my Sunday and what I did on my first full day at Disney World.

The morning started a Pop Century.  I didn't need to be at Downtown Disney until about 10AM, so it was nice to sleep in and have a leisurely morning.  I checked out of Pop, had my bags transferred over to Coronado, and made my way over to Downtown Disney.

After browsing in a few shops (and buying the Disney Dooney and Bourke I have been eyeing for YEARS - love it!!), I met my cousins and my cousin's girlfriend at Splittsville, the bowling alley and restaurant.  I will write up a whole blog post about it later, but we had a great time.  It's $20 per person to bowl for an hour and 15 minutes, and we got in almost 3 full games, which was great.  The lanes are very nice, and the bowling alley is very cool and retro.  We had a great time.  Our scores, however, were nothing to brag about.  :)

After we bowled, we ate at Splittsville and then the kids dropped me off at Coronado Springs, which will be my home for the next four nights.  Again, a full blog post about Coronado is coming but - - spoiler alert - I LOVE it.  Just adore it.  I will be back here again.

It's been center-of-the-sun hot in Orlando, which is par for the course in August/September.  I had thought about going to Animal Kingdom in the afternoon, but decided that a dip in the pool was a better idea.

It was heavenly - just what I needed.  I walked around a bit, and discovered that the laundry facilities are mere steps from my room, which is awesome. I then went to the Lounge in my room section (I am in the Business section of rooms, as this is a Convention resort) and grabbed a few snacks and a Diet Coke.

I then came back to my room, and decided to hop over to Hollywood Studios for about a hour or so.  I went on the Backlot Tour, walked through One Man's Dream and then headed back on the bus to Coronado.  I grabbed a quick dinner, and went back to the room to rest up.

Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom (well, you'll be reading this Monday, so, today) and probably another afternoon in the pool.

I will also be posting an update on the Dining Plan, so look for that on Monday late-afternoon!

Thanks for following along - have a magical day!

The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

Last week, I got to experience the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.  Since we were staying at the Yacht Club Resort for the Agent Education conference, it was a quick 5 minute walk over to Epcot and so we were there quite a few times.

There are gorgeous flowers and plants, topiaries of your favorite Disney characters, as well as seminars and talks by those in-the-know in the gardening world.   There are also food and drink kiosks, similar to what they have for the Food and Wine festival in the fall.  (In the French pavilion, you HAVE to get the Vie en Rose frozen cocktail.  Those were THE BOMB.)

Me and my girl Ellen visited this place a few times!

It was so great to be able to see things blooming, and green grass!

There are lots of things to see and enjoy, so kick back, grab a Vie en Rose and walk through Epcot with me!

(Who wants more play areas like this at Disney?! Wouldn't that be great?!)

There is also merchandise available during F&G - I purchased a Mickey paver stone for my front yard!  And never fear about carrying that bad boy home on the plane - for a reasonable shipping fee, Disney will mail it to your house!

I just loved this Mary Poppins topiary!

I was glad I got to experience Flower & Garden Festival, and I'm hoping I can get to Orlando for a long weekend in 2015 to experience it again.

Hope you all have a magical weekend!