Day Three (Part 3) – Dinner at the HOOP DEE DOO REVUE

When we booked our trip, I was unaware of the evening event called Night of Joy.  This is a two night Christian concert that is held in the Magic Kingdom.  With our BBB and CRT schedule for that day, I knew we would not be able to change our plans and would have to leave the park by 7pm.  I was looking for a fun experience for that night that would not included another park pass. Originally I had dinner plans at Ohana for 6pm.  I must have made someone’s day when I cancelled it to book the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Ft. Wilderness.  I had read tremendous reviews about this dinner show and how frequently many travelers make it their first night tradition.  I booked the 6:15pm show.  I also thought that if we had time, it would be really cute to go to the Campfire with Chip and Dale.  My husband loved those two silly chipmunks when he was little and so this was my little surprise for him.  I figured we would take the boat from the Contemporary to Ft. Wilderness.

Well, when we arrived to our hotel room, the rain began to fall.  Lily and Chris had put their swimsuits on to take a quick swim before dinner and the pool was closed.  I kept calling the concierge to confirm that the boats were still running.  Just as we were heading to the dock, the sky opened up and the thunder and lightning started.   Oh no!  The boat service had been shut down.  Our only option was to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and then take a bus to Ft. Wilderness.  We rushed to the monorail deck and boarded the first one that arrived.  And…then we just sat there.  My nerves we getting the best of me as the clocked ticked later and later.  There was a monorail stuck on the track.  Pretty soon we were on our way.  As we approached the other deluxe hotels, the sky began to clear.  We debated getting off at the Grand Floridian and taking the boat from there.  However we decided to wait until we got to the MK.  When we arrived, the boat dock was pretty full.  We entered the righthand line for Ft. Wilderness.  Everyone in our line had either a Mickey’s Backyard BBQ or Hoop Dee Doo Revue reservation for 6:30pm and 6:15pm respectively.  To the left a smaller line began to form for people wanting to take a boat to the other various resorts.  These guests were just leaving the Magic Kingdom. It was getting later and later.  The CMs knew our situation.  We all had prepaid pending reservations and it was getting very late.

Our boat arrived and we all were so relieved.  We would be about 10 minutes late for our 6:15 ressie but at least we were on our way.  This was my first experience with rude CMs.  This young male CM with a cocky attitude opened the gate for the resort guests.  They all began to board our boat.  For some crazy reason, this CMs boss decided to let these resort guests use our boat (theirs would have docked in a different place) and we were stuck waiting for the next one.  Wow!  This make the crowd very upset.  One woman had prepaid for 8 people at the HDDR and she was furious.  It was past 6:15pm now.  I said to the CM that they really needed to do the right thing and get a boat for us.  It made no sense that they allowed these resort guests, that arrived AFTER us all to take OUR boat and casually head back to their hotels.  There were 40 plus very upset guests waiting for two special dinner shows and the CMs had made a very bad call on this one.  Then the cocky CM said that another boat would come in 15 minutes or so but it had to make one stop before it could take us to Ft. Wilderness.  We were like WHAT…ALL of us are going to the same place and we are all now so late for our reservations!

We finally boarded a boat and headed to Ft. Wilderness.  We arrived at the back door of the HDDR to the surprise of the staff at Fort Wilderness at about 7:15pm.  They were SO accommodating.  The escorted us (about 6 different parties) to our tables and calmed us by telling us that the food had just been served and that the show is just about to start.  YAY!

We had the sweetest server.  She brought me a sangria and Chris a cold beer!  The unlimited beer and sangria make this a rowdy good time!  Then the food kept coming!  Fried chicken, ribs, corn, salad, baked beans, corn bread, and that heavenly butter!  Lily ate better during this meal than she had the entire trip!  They asked the crowd if anyone was celebrating anything special and Chris and Lily raised their hands.  They happen to both share the same birthday and this was Lily’s special birthday trip.  The cute red head came to our table to announce Lily and Chris!  She was a trip!

The show began and Lily was entranced!  It was corny, a little dirty!, and so much fun!!!!!

Towards the end of the performance, they did the strawberry shortcake song and dessert was served!  They brought Lily a wash board and she took a part on the celebration!  This was one of the highlights of the entire trip!

After dinner we headed outside and the bus situation was a little confusing.  To my disappointment, it was a little too late to head to the Chip and Dale thing so we went down to the dock to catch the boat to our hotel.  That was fun experience! I would highly recommended a reservation at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue.  In fact, I asked Lily what would be the very first thing that she would like to do the next time we go to Disney and she exclaimed – The Hoop Dee Doo Revue!    Count me in!

Day Three – Magic Kingdom (Part Two) BREAKFAST AT CINDERELLA’S CASTLE, SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN, BE OUR GUEST, THE FESTIVAL OF FANTASY PARADE & MEETING ELSA & ANNA!!!

After the Dream Along with Mickey Show it was time to head to our Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table.  Right after I booked our trip, I called Disney to book BBB.  The sweetest CM advised me that just after our BBB ressie, there was a breakfast ressie at CRT.  This worked our perfectly.  We lucked out with Fast Passes for Enchanted Tales with Belle, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the Meet & Greet with Elsa and Anna.  I coined this our Princess-filled Magic Kingdom Day! The experience at CRT began with a photo with Cinderella!

As much as you think that it would have been 100% magical – Lily was starting to get a little attitude.  In all honesty, she did not like her hair-do, it was pretty hot out, and she was just plain cranky.  My mother would have said that she needed some protein and I have to agree that was true.  You want to say to children – be happy!  What you are about to do is soooo cool!?  I would not have guessed that meeting all of these “real people” characters would give her a little social anxiety.  One thing that you can’t plan for is your child’s mood, no matter how much fun you would think that she should be having in the moment.  I once read that your travel group is only as happy as the least happy member.  So….let’s get this girl some protein & milk!

We were seated right by the window and the views of the carousel were beautiful!  The light was filtering through the big windows.  I have some amazing pics that are still living on my Nikon and as soon as I download them, I will include them in this post. I ordered the Lobster and Crab Crêpes, which is Warm Cheese-filled Crêpes topped with Spinach, Sautéed Lobster, and Blue Crab Meat with a Poached Egg perched on top and draped in Hollandaise Sauce.

They were creamy and citrusy.  I would order them again and it was a great alternative to the traditional breakfast entree. Chris ordered the Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast, which is Decadent French Toast stuffed with sweet Cream Cheese, baked with Caramel Apples, and drizzled with a Calvados Caramel Sauce.  He surprised me by this choice since he typically leans towards more “simple” entrees.  He thought it was very good and ate every bite.

The one meal that concerned me at CRT was Lily’s.  I researched before our trip and she is not a big “egg” person and both children’s entrees were egg based.  We asked if we could do the french toast sticks with the yogurt parfait and that was not a problem.

Her favorite part of the breakfast was the Mickey-shaped blueberry muffins.  I swear she had three!

Lily was back to smiles and the pricesses began to come around!  I will add those sweet pics later! After breakfast we headed to outside and who did we see but….Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother!  It could not have been more perfect!  Our little princess-lover was back to being shy!

She was thrilled after she got her autograph and then we headed to her number one thing to do at WDW!  The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!  The FP worked like a charm!  She LOVED every minute!  Our little dare devil!  I am a wimp when it comes to “roller coasters” and it was faster and had more hills than I would have imagined!  One of my favorite parts was the witch at the end!  The attention to detail on this ride was AMAZING!  #selfie

Next we headed to my FAVORITE childhood ride!  It’s a Small World!  Again, I have a nostalgic obsession with Mary Blair.  I could have posted 100 pictures from this ride!  Lily loved it too!  It is over the top and I think it is wonderful.

Then we explored the Tangled bathroom area and headed to the Enchanted Tales with Belle.  Chris was selected to be a knight.  Lily thought that was silly and it was a good, entertaining break from the rides.

We lucked out with a lunch Fast Pass for Be Our Guest and decided to just explore it for some dessert since we had a late breakfast.  Again, this was another spot where no stone was left unturned when it came to small details.

We used our snack credits and ordered the strawberry cupcake and some bubbly drinks to cool off!

Take a peek at some of the amazing details of Be Our Guest!

Lily crashed after dessert and we snuck into Mickey’s Philharmonic for a nice, cool break.  The 3-D features and scents were actually pretty cool! When she woke up, we just rolled with the punches and rode the Little Mermaid ride with little wait!  Love the music!  Next we headed to the Storybook Circus area to ride the Barnstormer and Dumbo!  Lily could have stayed in Dumbo’s circus area forever.  Sometimes it is just the little things!

It truly was HOT out and we headed to the front of the castle to get a spot for the parade. First we stopped for a quick drink from Cinderella’s fountain and tried to “crown” her.

My team was getting a little grouchy again.  Lily was really fussing over this hair-do!  I should have just taken it out but is looked really slicked up with a million bobby-pins.  I grabbed her a sugary Sprite and myself a Mickey bar and we took a prime seat on the curb in front of the castle….in the direct sun light.  I know that this is a premier spot but later in our trip, I found one that I actually liked a lot better!  We cheered a little on the inside when the clouds came rolling in.

The Festival of Fantasy parade was AMAZING!  A true highlight of our day!  I will add the pictures later! Our princess filled day in the Magic Kingdom ended with a special trip to meet Elsa and Anna!  Anna was ADORABLE!  One of the sweetest character interactions of the whole trip.  She has the same naivety and twinkle that her character has in the movie! One thing that I decided to do as a souvenir was to bring two of the larger sized Little Golden Books of Frozen for Elsa and Anna to sign.  One for Lily and one for her little sister.  Lily talked to Anna about her little sister and it was a special part of the trip.

The weather was looking a little ominous and we decided to head back to the hotel to relax before dinner!  The Magic Kingdom was closing early for the Night of Joy and we had a super-fun dinner planned! UP NEXT – Hoop Dee Doo Revue!!!

Day Three: (Part 1) A Perfectly Princess Day in the Magic Kingdom

Today was the day I had been waiting for….our first day in the Magic Kingdom!  I knew that Lily was going to go bananas!  She woke up to her Tinkerbell gifts and this new dress:

Little did she know…the first thing that we were going to do was visit the Bibbity Boppity Boutique to get a princess makeover to start the day.  She was honestly a little apprehensive!  We urged her to try it and took the short walk to the Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary!  This convenience would rank in the top three reasons why I would stay at the Contemporary again…especially with little ones where you will make Magic Kingdom your #1 park.

We had an 8:30am BBB reservation and were about to experience the magic of a pre-park opening reservation.  The crowds were low when we arrived.

We walked though the gates and I grabbed Lily first impression:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxGTu26hhug

As we made our way down Main Street, I could not help but giggle at this girl-dad!  My how times have changed!?!

The streets were decorated for Halloween and the peacefulness of the park coming to life in the morning was magical.

Then we took my FAVORITE picture from the entire trip!  The CASTLE Shot!  Be still my heart!

We made our way to the BBB and Lily was smitten with Anna’s coronation dress….a possible foreshadowing of things to come!

I have to be honest with you here….I have always found the hairstyles to be a little bit much at the BBB and was thankful when Lily chose the simple bun.  Truthfully, I just wanted her to feel like a princess.  However, I could tell that she too was a little uncomfortable with the process.

Here is the before and after!

A perfect coif!

We had many more surprises up our sleeve for the day and off we were to continue our adventure!

But first we had to take a spin on the carousel!  It was a magical Disney moment with my beauty.  I love her little smile here!

We were in for a treat because as soon as we exited…. here comes Lady Tremaine and the Step-Sisters!  They jumped on the carousel and went for a silly and loud ride!  So fun to capture this “spontaneous” moment!

Up next, we noticed that Cinderella and Rapunzel had a ridiculously low wait – like 10 minutes.  I knew that we would not be meeting Rapunzel at any meals so we hopped over!

Love the look of awe on her face when meeting Cinderella!

It was a magical start to our day!

We had a few more minutes before our breakfast reservation at Cinderella’s Castle and we heard some music so we followed it around the corner…..it was the Dream Along With Mickey Show!  What a great, unplanned surprise!  Mickey!!!!!!!!

Did I mention that this was Princess Lily’s 5th Birthday Trip!  So cute!

Up next:  BREAKFAST AT CINDERELLA’S CASTLE, SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN, THE FESTIVAL OF FANTASY PARADE & MEETING ELSA & ANNA!!!

Day Two (Part 2) EPCOT – The World Showcase

Our adventure in the World Showcase began in Mexico!  As soon as we walked into the Mexico Pavilion we were greeted by a surprise guest – Donald Duck!  Lily was so excited!  The line was very short so we jumped right in!  Donald Duck #1!

We arrived in time to see the Mariachi band (1pm) and toured some of the vendors.  Chris and Lily loved the theme and we will have to make a reservation at San Angel Inn in a future trip!  The atmosphere is cool and tranquil.

We headed over to Norway for our 1:35pm reservation for Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus.  Lily was going to be in for a big surprise!  She had been begging to meet some characters!  After we checked in, we rounded the corner in the lobby and guess who waiting to meet Lily – Belle in her gorgeous yellow dress!

We were seated in the main dining area.  It was lovely inside – the flags, the large arched windows, the big wooden beams!  Our waitress came by and introduced herself – Anna!  Chris and I each ordered a Carlsberg Draft Beer.  I also ordered us each a  Linie Aquavit Glacier Shot.  Our waitress asked if we ever had it before and of course, we had not!

I had read that it was the drink of choice in Norway so I was interested in trying it.  It reminded me of Sambuca and is made to sip not shoot.  It was strong!  Chris went to the Taste of Norway buffet and selected us some Scandinavian seafood, imported cheeses, cured and sliced meats, and a vast selection of salads and fruits to share!

Chris chose the Grilled Beef Sandwich – Thinly Sliced Beef Sirloin, Roasted Shallot Mayonnaise, Caramelized Onions, Crumbled Blue Cheese, and Warm Potato Salad.

Per the waitress’ recommendation, I ordered the Pan-seared Salmon with Potato and Celery Hash, Salmon Bacon, and Maple Gastrique.  It was a nice, light choice for lunch.  Lily had a very Norwegian dish – pizza!

All of the food was good.  I know that breakfast in Norway is a popular choice for less adventurous diners, but we enjoyed lunch.  Chris liked his sandwich but it was his least favorite meal in the entire trip.  In his words, he thought it was a little “slapped together.”  However the real draw at Akershus are the princesses!  Lily had a wonderful time meeting Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, and Snow White.  Princess Aurora was our first princess to come by the table and she really stole the show!  She was so interactive and friendly!  Lily was a little shy but loved every minute!  I need to download the princess pictures off of my Nikon and I will add them later!  We enjoyed our dessert medley and the waitress brought Lily a birthday card signed by all of the princesses.  After lunch we rode the Maelstrom.  It was a quirky, vintage ride.  I am sad to hear they are removing it but excited to see what type of Frozen ride will take its place.

Next we went to China to see the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats (3pm) and meet Mulan!  The acrobats were amazing and Lily really enjoyed the show!  Mulan is one of Lily’s favorite movies and she was very excited to meet this brave princess!

Very dark clouds began rolling in and we were hit with the start of some nasty weather.  We broke out our Target ponchos and just went with the flow.  The nice thing about rainy weather while in the World Showcase is that there are so many shops to sneak into to stay dry.

We bypassed Germany since we would be heading back there for dinner and headed to the American Pavillion for the Spirit of American Fife and Drum Corps.  It was patriotic…reminded me of my childhood in New England.  We also saw the Voices of Liberty.  Lily crashed in the stroller while we were enjoying the shows so we decided to find somewhere to let her sleep while we waited out the storm.  The patio at the Spice Road Table in Morocco was empty so we headed there for a cocktail.

They were very accommodating and we parked the stroller off to the side at a cozy table on the patio and were greeted by a friendly waiter.  Chris selected a Moroccan beer – Ambar Especial.

I chose the Cyprus Sun – Almond Liqueur, Cream de Coco, Orange Juice and Coconut Milk.  It was insanely good!  Cool and creamy like dessert in a glass!

I was a tiny bit hungry and wanted to try one of their small plates.  The waiter recommended the mussels.  They were slightly spicy and the perfect, light appetizer to carry us over until dinner.

Lily woke up and we decided to explore a bit more before dinner.  We headed to France!  France is the country of study this year at Lily’s school and we wanted to bring home some souvenirs for the class.  When we headed into the gift shop where learned that Belle was next door!  We bought a children’s book of French words and a small flag of France and headed to the meet and greet.  They were just wrapping up the meet and greet and I kindly asked if we could get a signature but did not need to see her in person and explained the class gift to the CM.  He loved the idea of Belle signing the French book for the class and he arranged for us to wait off to the side.  Belle came over and was so sweet.  She signed the book – Bonjour Belle!  What a great keepsake for Lily’s Kindergarten class!

We also picked up some French butter cookies for the class and Lily sampled some white chocolate – which she LOVED!  Next we headed to Italy!   Lily made a wish in the fountain and it was time to head to Germany for dinner!  We made a pit stop in Japan and picked up some citrus candy.  Japan has the BEST gift shops!

 

Off to Germany!  This is one of the MOST charming counties!  I love the Bavarian details and architecture!  We toured the shops and wanted some caramel popcorn but the line was so long!  Next time!  The smells in Germany were heavenly!

We had a 7:30pm reservation at Biergarten.  There was quite a good crowd waiting to be seated.  This made me a little nervous since I had timed dinner so that we would be finishing our meal and could enjoy the last show over dessert, then head to watch IllumiNations.  Chris grabbed us a round of beers at Sommerfest and we patiently waited.  At about 7:55pm, we were finally lead to our table.  I was slightly disappointed that we were almost the last table off to the side.  However, it was fine…we would just go up front to see the show.  On vacation you have to just go with the flow and make the most of every situation!  We ordered a liter of beer to share and made our way to the buffet.  I love the details on the china!

The band was about to start as we were heading back to our table.  Instead of eating, Lily and I went down to the floor to watch the show.  We came back to the table to eat and asked for our checks so that we could make it outside in time to see the fireworks.  The entertainment was excellent and I really enjoyed twirling with Lily on the dance floor.

We decided to share dessert since we were so full and decided to sample EVERYTHING!  🙂

Overall, the beer was good, the dinner selections were satisfying, and the entertainment was not to be missed. However due to the wait, I felt a little rushed.  We also were those lucky people that were sat with a very nice family – that must of had a slight case of bronchitis because the grandmother and two children coughed the entire meal.  Without covering their mouths.  Uggggghhhh.  All in all, I would eat at Biergarten again…I would just plan my reservation for earlier then when I really wanted to be seated – since it is communal seating they cannot guarantee your table will be ready.   I would also request that we get a table in front of the band.  I think that it would be worth the extra potential wait.

We headed outside to watch IllumiNations!  We got a great spot at the railing right on the water outside of Germany.  It was a very symbolic and special show!

It was the perfect end to the day!  Even though it was EMH, we decided to make our way out of the park.  We caught another fireworks show in the distance too!   When we passed China, we saw a vendor selling children’s umbrellas.  If today’s weather was any indication about the rest of the trip, we thought it would be a good idea to grab one for Lily.  She chose the peacock!  So cute!

We decided to head back towards Mexico, ride the The Three Caballeros, and grab a margarita before calling it a night!

 

Before leaving EPCOT we grabbed one last family picture!  We were exhausted, happy, wet, full, and elated after our first day in the Walt Disney Worlds parks!

We headed back to our resort and checked into our room!  We loved it!  I was so excited to see the cute Mickey shaped towel!  Welcome to WDW!

We got Lily showered and into the bed!  She fell right to sleep!  We had a BIG day planned for the next day!  Then Tinkerbell paid a quick visit and we all went to sleep!

UP NEXT!!!!!  The Magic Kingdom!

Day Two (Part 1) Checking into the Contemporary, our first monorail ride, & EPCOT!

We woke up early on Friday morning, quickly showered, and packed up the car.  Goodbye, All Star Movies!  We headed over to the Contemporary Resort.  As we were driving in, we realized just how BIG the Walt Disney World property really is….WOW! Our excitement built as we saw the monorail track and the A-frame of our hotel in the distance!  We unloaded our car with the bellmen and headed through the sliding glass doors.   The cool air rushed over our hot faces and the crisp cucumber/aloe scent intoxicated our senses.  Lily immediately ran over to the couch area with television playing Disney cartoons.  Check-in was a breeze, yet slightly comical, and I received the birthday pin, special event tickets, meal plan, maps and such.  I headed to Chris and Lily who had decided to explore the stores on the 4th floor.  We stopped to eat breakfast at the Contempo Cafe.  We received our refillable mugs and just used some snack credits for our meal.  I tried the chocolate croissant.  It was rich and yummy with fresh coffee.  I had heard rumor about poor coffee at Disney and we thought it was perfectly fine!  You can even doctor it up with a splash of hot chocolate.  😉

One of my favorite parts of the Contemporary are the murals by Mary Blair.  Love.  Love.  Love.  My favorite ride as a child was It’s A Small World and I am drawn to her attention to detail and mid-century flair.

We headed to the monorail boarding area and our adventure began!  We met a fun group of couples who were traveling from California.  They had matching shirts that said, “Eating and Drinking Around the World.”  We continued to see them around the park throughout the day.  As we were waiting to board, we struck up a conversation with an engineer/mechanic from the Michigan area who loved German food and encouraged us that we would enjoy the Biergarten.  Ironically, he had once worked at a bottling plant in our hometown during the 80s and recalled a restaurant with a great salad bar and outdoor waterwheel.  Chris knew exactly what he was talking around.  It was the first of our many interesting encounters.  Lily loved the monorail ride!  It was such a fun way to start our trip! We arrived at EPCOT and took the oblatory picture in front of the iconic Spaceship Earth.

We headed towards our first Fast Pass – Soarin’.

We begin to line up and followed the small crowd.  The woman in front of was assigned to the ride in front us us.   When she asked if she could go in the next line, I knew that this single-rider was up to something good.  We were assigned to follow in beside her and it was then I realized that the front row of Soarin was a pretty nice place to be!  She told us it was because you could not see the feet dangling in front of you.  I am so exited that Lily will forever be able to say that the very first ride that she road at Disney was Soarin’ and that she sat in the front row.  What an AMAZING ride!  Lily was thrilled with every minute and I have to admit that I got a little woozy!  I loved the citrus and evergreen scents!  So cool!  When we exited the ride, the wait was already up to 40 minutes!

The next ride that we rode was Living with the Land.  It was educational and intriguing.  I actually liked that is was a little dated! Below is Lily with some lily pads.

We loved the details in the building and it was nice to see the Sunshine Tree Terrace.  I hear that they are a great counter service option. Plus, I love that little orange bird.

We headed to our next Fast Pass – Turtle Talk with Crush.  We could have honestly done without the FP+ and I thought that the ride, while cute, was a little too Duuuuude!  🙂  We headed to the Nemo ride and continued to explore EPCOT.  The was a short single rider line at Test Track so my husband road that alone.  My daughter loved exploring the Innoventions buildings – she even enjoyed the VISION House.  We caught an impromptu performance of the The Jammitors – who are rhythmic musicians dressed like janitors playing trash cans.  She loved it all!

We headed towards the World Showcase for our 1:35pm reservation at Akershus. Up next…OUR TOUR OF THE WORLD SHOWCASE!

Tinkerbell gifts, Elsa dresses, and other fun surprises!

I had read the cute idea of doing Tinkerbell gifts and decided to incorporate them into our trip.  The idea behind Tinkerbell gifts is that if you were a good little boy or girl, then Tinkerbell will come and leave you a special treat during the night.  The goal is to promote good behavior…ultimately it is a total bribe!  I thought it would be a nice way to “save” a little money by picking up things like glow wands and such at the $1 bin at Target and other shops.  Some of my favorite places for my Disney finds were Target for games, books, cds, & coloring books.  Old Navy has cute & inexpensive character t-shirts and comfy mix-and-match separates. The Disney Store always had some sort of sale and I would check online periodically for unique Frozen surprises!  The toy department at Marshall’s is another great place to find nail polish, lip gloss, socks, backpacks, and more!  The Dollar Store had princess antibacterial wipes, tissues, boo boo crown, and bandaids.  So inexpensive too!  We found an adorable set of Minnie ears at Hobby Lobby!

My point is…start collecting early!  You never know what you will find!

Each day we left little surprises out for Lily to see when she woke up!  They would hint to the days activities and included a special outfit.

Above is the Tinkerbell gift we left out for her Epcot morning:  A Belle t-shirt and skirt to compliment our meal at Akershus, an autograph book to begin collecting signatures, glow wand for fireworks, princess glow tattoos, and a birthday sash (which she did not wear!).

I found an Elsa Halloween costume at Party City that had the perfect amount of sparkle for the Bippity Boppity Boutique.  Only $30!  I also found a pretty sleeveless Elsa dress on Etsy.  It was great for the hot September weather.

Target also had good ponchos for about $10 each.

FINAL TIP!  Another idea that I had for Lily’s surprise travel bag to help save money was to include a Disney gift card.  We chose the one with the Elsa design and included a personalized note with the card.  It was from Elsa and she personally wished her a wonderful vacation and that she was so excited to meet her.  We told her that was her special spending money and when it was gone, it was gone!  She really budgeted and it worked!  Another idea for bigger kids is to get a card (with $20 or so dollars) for each day with an appropriate theme – Lion King for Animal Kingdom day, the castle for the Magic Kingdom, and so on.

Day One – All Star Movies & Beaches and Cream

We picked Lily up from school at 11am and were on the road by noon.  It is about a 6 1/2 hour drive to Walt Disney World.  Lily loved her travel bag full of Disney books, princess crayons, coloring books, a Princess Sofia nightgown, a new Belle toothbrush, snacks in a Frozen lunch bag, a festive outfit to change into, and her Snackees!  We started the trip by listening to the Frozen soundtrack!

It was a rainy but smooth ride.  We hit Orlando about 5:30pm and rush hour traffic slowed us down a bit.  I originally had an 8:20pm reservation at Beaches and Cream but since we were making such good time, I called and moved it to 7:30pm.

It was a welcome sight to see the big Walt Disney World sign.

For the bulk of our trip, we are staying at the Contemporary.  However we decided that we would stay somewhere more affordable on our travel day and opted for the All Star Movies Resort.  For about $100/night, it was a great deal.  I thought that Lily would enjoy the theme and since it was on Disney property, it was as close as you could find to our other hotel.  We checked in and the pixie dust began.  Since Lily was celebrating her birthday, they gave her a cute birthday button and a stuffed Tigger!  So sweet.  We were staying in the Love Bug wing.  We grabbed our overnight bag and headed to our room.  It was simple and clean.  Lily loved the Mickey shampoos.  Personally, I thought that the room was a little tiny and I am not sure I could deal with double beds for the entire trip (considering this little blonde girl sneaks into our bed many nights!) but it was perfect for one night.  Lily changed into a cute Mickey and Minnie outfit sharing a milkshake!  (Another Old Navy find!) and we headed to our reservation.

I planned a lot of our meals at different resorts so that we would have the opportunity to see other hotels and get an idea of where we may like to stay in the future.  The Beach and Yacht Club resorts were very pretty and the pools were so nautical and  charming.  We checked into Beaches and Cream and headed into the arcade next door while we waited.

I choose Beaches and Cream for our first night because I read great reviews about the menu and the ice cream.  I thought that it would be casual and fun.  Our meal plan would begin until the next day, so this meal was out of pocket.  The decor was adorable and it looked just like a vintage soda shop.

Our waiter was AMAZING!  One of the best on the entire trip.  His name was Brian and he really set the tone for the level of customer service that you find on Disney properties.

I chose the Beaches Angus Beef Burger with a side of onion rings and a glass of Schöfferhofer Pink Grapefruit.  It was so refreshing and delicious with a bright citrus taste.

The Beaches Angus Beef Burger served with Ham, Swiss Cheese, Sautéed Onions, Horseradish-Mustard Sauce, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Fresh-baked Bun.  The burger was a little greasy but very good and the onion rings were delicious.

Chris ordered the Pork Belly Cuban Sandwich – Ham, Pork Belly, Swiss, Dill Pickle Relish, and Grain Mustard on a Fresh-baked Sub Roll with French Fries.  He thought that a few of the pieces of pork belly were a little fatty but that overall it was a very authentic Cuban and very good.  Lily ordered the Kids Pasta – Elbow Pasta with Turkey Marinara and a side of grapes with a Pink Lemonade.  It was perfect for her.

While we were there a few tables ordered the Kitchen Sink.  If you have never heard of this dessert before – it is sure a spectacle!  The Kitchen Sink (serves four) and has scoops of Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, and Mint Chocolate Chip smothered in every topping plus and entire can of whipped cream!  The lights blink as the giant sundae makes it way to the eager party!  Originally, I thought that this would be a fun way to celebrate Lily and Chris’ birthdays.  However, we were getting pretty full!  We decided to share the No Way Jose sundae – A Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge delight featuring Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Morsels, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry!!!!!  It was DELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!  I would go back and just order dessert!  It is something that I will be craving until our next trip!

Brian had a special treat for Lily!  He brought her a Mickey birthday sundae and the entire restaurant sang Happy Birthday to her!  She was a little shy but she loved it!

After dinner we walked through the Beach Club!  The flowers in the lobby were gorgeous!  I saw where Cape May was located and you could smell the seafood as you walked by!  I should have peeked to see if there were crab legs…just kidding!  It looked very cute and I hear the the character breakfast has some of the best character interaction on the property.  Maybe next time!

We headed back to our hotel and had another surprise in store for Lily!  The night before she had asked us if we could have a movie night soon!  Tonight the All Star Movies resort was having Movies Under the Stars and were showing FROZEN!  Lily changed into her swimsuit and we headed to the pool!  It was bustling and Lily played with a few other children.

We explored the fun garden areas and then headed back to our room for a good nights sleep!  We saw a baby bunny too!

All in all, it was the perfect end to the start our trip!

Next up….EPCOT!!!

The SURPRISE!

We decided to pick our daughter up from school and surprise her with the announcement of our trip! We packed up the care and made a special travel bag for her – complete with Disney CDs, Disney books, princess crayons, Disney coloring books, candy, snacks, Elsa & Anna lunch box, a Princess Sofia nightgown, princess tooth brush, Minnie hooded towel, and more! Chris and I arrive at school about 11am and were both wearing Mickey Mouse t-shirts! (Great Old Navy find….I actually found a lot of fun character shirts there for Lily!)

She was stunned and very excited! Let the road trip begin!

Click HERE to view the SURPRISE!

Our FINALIZED Itinerary!

I enjoyed the planning process so much! I read various blogs and really found the DisBoards to be extremely helpful! After carefully reworking our plan, this is our final itinerary! We have a five day park pass (no hopper!) and lots of special events – Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Bippity Boppity boutique, breakfast at the castle, the Frozen Premium Package, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the Villians’ Sinister Soiree, and the Perfectly Princess Tea Party! We traveled during the Free Dining Period and I upgraded to Deluxe Dining. For about $400, I highly recommend this option during free dining! This may not be practical for a family traveling with toddlers, but for us…it was wonderful! We love to try different restaurants and I do not think it was too much food!  We enjoyed the dining as much as the rides!

Thursday –
Drive down to WDW from SC
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort – check in for 1st night
Beaches & Cream Dinner 8:20 PM – Celebrate DH & DD birthday with the Kitchen Sink

Friday –
Disney’s Contemporary Resort Garden View/Garden Room – check in for remainder of trip
Epcot –
Soarin’®9:35 AM – 10:35 AM
Turtle Talk With Crush10:40 AM – 11:40 AM
Princess Storybook Dining Lunch 1:35 PM
Maelstrom 2:35 PM – 3:35 PM
Biergarten 7:30 PM
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Saturday –
Magic Kingdom
BBB 8:30am (bf park opens at 9am)
Fairytale Dining 10:00 AM
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 11:00 AM – 12:05 PM
Enchanted Tales with Belle 12:20 PM – 1:20 PM
Be Our Guest – FP – possibly just let daughter eat a little lunch or snack
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade3:00 PM
Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall3:20 PM – 4:20 PM
(park closes at 7pm)
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue6:15 PM
Campfire with Chip & Dale at WL – 8:30PM
Electrical Water Pageant10:10 PM from hotel

Sunday –
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Play ‘n Dine Breakfast 8:05 AM
Min & Bills Dockside Diner 10:00AM – FROZEN Summer Fun Live! Premium Package
Anna & Elsa Processional 11:00AM
Toy Story Midway Mania!10:40 AM – 11:40 AM
Disney Jr. Live on Stage 11:50 AM -12:05 PM
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage – 1:00PM
Tower of Terror 1:10 – 2:10 PM
Sci Fi Drive In 2:05pm
Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue 2:55 PM – 3:55 PM
Frozen Sing-a-long 3:50PM
Jiko – The Cooking Place Dinner 5:35 PM – tour ALK
Frozen Fireworks 9:15PM

Monday –
Magic Kingdom
A Buffet with Character Breakfast8:35 AM
Splash Mountain®12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch2:00 PM – split plates light lunch
Peter Pan’s Flight®3:35PM – 4:35PM AM
Late afternoon – rest and swim at hotel pool
California Grill Dinner7:15 PM
Wishes from Contemporary

Tuesday –
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safaris®9:05 AM – 10:05 AM
Festival of the Lion King – 10am show
Donald’s Safari Breakfast10:45 AM
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost 12:00 PM – just DD and myself
Finding Nemo – The Musical – 1pm show
Expedition Everest 1:00PM – 2:00PM – just DH
Flights of Wonder – 2:45pm
Kali River Rapids®3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
back to hotel to rest and change for MNSSHP
The Wave 5:00PM
MNSSHP
Villians’ Sinister Soiree – 10:15

Wednesday –
Check out day!
My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party10:30 AM – DD and myself
Grand Floridian Cafe 11:30 AM – DH only

FROZEN Summer Fun Extended!

When I saw this post on Kenny the Pirate’s site, I have to admit I went a little bananas!  It was the rumor that I was looking for!

Will Frozen Summer Fun be extended beyond September 1?

In fact, the rumor was confirmed true shortly after that post!

We lucked out!  Frozen was extending at Hollywood Studios through September and the fireworks were going to only be on the weekends.

There were a lot of mixed reviews regarding this news.  I was estatic!  We had planned a Hollywood Studios day for Sunday and with some slight edits to our plan, we could do it all.  Since I have a huge Frozen lover, I decided to do the Frozen Premium Package.  I am also at the point where I think…what’s another $177 dollars!