Dining Reservations

Hubby and I are big foodies - our vacation planning ALWAYS includes "where are we going to eat?". The wonderful thing about Disney is that they open their Dining reservations well ahead of time - 90 days prior at Disney World and 60 days prior at Disneyland. We don't mess around when it comes to our reservations. I put an alarm in my phone exactly 60 days out to book our choices at optimal times.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we are vacationing on a bit of a budget compared to how we're used to travelling. We do, however, see value in booking one sit-down meal a day. It isn't always easy to find a shady spot to sit on a busy day at the park, and a dining reservation at a sit-down restaurant allows everyone the opportunity to relax and recharge.

Our upcoming trip to Disney will be 5 days, so we do have 5 reservations in place.

Day 1 (February 15th)
This is President's Day so a lot of people have the day off. This means that Disneyland will be busier than a typical Monday. Our daughter LOVED her first visit to the ocean last year, so we have decided to skip the crowds, rent a car, and head to Huntington Beach for the day.

Sophie at Newport Beach in 2015

 

 

This will also give us the chance to have a day to recover from 14 hrs of airports and airplanes. Before heading to Huntington Beach, we have reservations at Disney's PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel. PCH has character dining for breakfast, and it is a MUST for our family as Sophie is dying to meet Daisy Duck. Somehow, she evaded us in both Disney World and Disneyland, and Sophie would really like to add her autograph to her collection.

Day 2 (February 16th)

Of the 2 west coast parks, Disneyland is definitely our favourite! I couldn't possible wait until Day 3 to hit it up, so we have planned to spend our Tuesday here. We will try to take advantage or Disneyland Magic Morning and check out a few rides before the rest of the masses arrive.

We didn't add on the Park Hopper option to our tickets, as honestly, we have never used it. That being said, our dining reservation for this day will be in Disneyland Park. This was an easy one for us. Shane's favourite restaurant from last year's trip was Blue Bayou, so we're splurging and giving it another go. If you haven't tried this restaurant, you must! It is set inside of the Pirate of the Caribbean ride and the food is PHENOMENAL. Blue Bayou serves Cajun-Creole food and is located at New Orleans Square. We are really looking forward to dining here again. We booked an early dinner so we can try to catch the earlier showing of the Paint the Night Parade.

                                                           photo courtesy of Flickr

Disney has recently added a Paint The Night dining package, but we just didn't have enough information about it to book at this time. It is quite expensive, and if the preferred seating is anything like Fantasmic, then it's not worth it to us.

If you are wanting to try Blue Bayou, do so as close to the 60 days in advance as possible - this popular destination books up quick!

Day 3 (February 17th)

We will be spending our third day at California Adventure. We decided to break up the day with lunch at Ariel's Grotto. We chose this because Ariel's Grotto offers character dining at breakfast and lunch. Sophie loves the princesses, and this is a great opportunity to meet 4 or 5 of them without standing in line. Ariel greets all of her guests in the foyer, and typically, the other princesses makes their rounds to all of the tables to take pictures, visit, and sign autographs. Our shy little girl doesn't need much more time than that!

                                              Sophie and Ariel at Cinderella's Royal Table
                                                           in Disney World 2 years ago.

Ariel's Grotto is located at Paradise Pier in California Adventure. It was closed last year when we visited, so we are really looking forward to checking it out!

Day 4 (February 18th)

Back to back days at California Adventure! Last year we found that CA didn't have as much to offer us as Disneyland, so we will be splitting this day between the park and Downtown Disney. Mind you, a lot was closed last year in preparation for Disneyland's Diamond Celebration, so perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised! We will likely spend most of the morning and early afternoon in the park, and the step out to explore the resorts and shops of Downtown Disney. We have early dinner reservations at Tortilla Jo's (they had me at tableside guacamole) and then we'll return to CA to take in the World of Color show. Again, this was down last year so we are really excited to see it this time around.

                                     World of Color photo courtesy of disneytouristblog.com

Day 5 (February 19th)

When planning our trip, I knew we had to spend our last day at Disneyland Park. It really is one of the most magical places on earth. We will pound the pavement from park opening until the end of the firework show, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

For our final day, we will be having the Character Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at The Plaza Inn. We did this last year, and it was a shoe-in again this time. For breakfast, The Plaza Inn offers a buffet. The food is good, not spectacular, but good. (Really, it's a buffet - I don't expect spectacular.) The experience is what makes this place truly memorable.

Firstly, I recommend getting the first seating of the day. We were able to book in for 8:10am. This is good for a couple of reasons:

1) There is a special entry gate to the park for dining reservations. Last year we were among the first 10 people allowed entry into the park. It was amazing. Walking down Main Street without a crowd is breath taking. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves!

2) There are SO MANY CHARACTERS at the first reservation of the day! Sophie's absolute favourite part about Disney is meeting the characters, and she got SO much extra attention at our breakfast here last year. We were greeted by Eeyore, Rafiki, and Chip (or was it Dale?).

Once inside, we had many visitors make the round to our table, sometimes twice! We were visited by Tigger, Rafiki, Chip, Dale, Eeyore, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Max, Rabbit, and of course, Minnie Mouse herself!

Captain Hook admired Sophie's "jewels" (a bubblegum style necklace) and even gave her kisses and some of his treasure (plastic jewels).

Dale (or was it Chip?) had a duel with Captain Hook and Peter Pan hid behind the window and stuck his tongue at him. Tigger bounced around the restaurant with Sophie by his side. This place was an absolute GOLD MINE for Sophie. We couldn't NOT go back!

Extras
Obviously, I only listed one meal a day. To fill in the rest of our meals, we will be stopping by the quick service and snack counters. Top on our list is the Corndog Castle and The Enchanted Tiki Room for a Dole Whip. We walk tens of thousands of steps a day, so we don't mind indulging! We will also be picking up groceries on our first day. In the past, we typically have a light breakfast in our room (yogurt, cereal, fruit) and pack lots of healthy snacks and water to have on hand throughout the day. I highly recommend picking up some food to have on hand, especially when travelling with young children!

Now I want to know, what are your favourite Disney restaurants, foods, or dining tips? Can't wait to hear from you!

Lower Expectations

Good morning!

Just a quick note this morning to let you know how "the big reveal" went. On Christmas Eve, we allowed Sophie to open her Disney gift in front of her grandparents. We wanted it to be exciting and special, so we didn't want her to open it while she was in the middle of opening the dozens of other presents that evening. She was tired and a bit overwhelmed by all the excitement of the holiday, but I assumed that her gift would help her snap out of her crummy mood. I had my phone out, ready to take the video. She (rather unenthusiastically) pulled the gifts out one by one. When she got to the letter at the bottom, she opened it, and I read it to her.

Dear Sophie,

“Arf!” I am so excited to tell you that you are going to disneyland! I hope that you will come and visit me in ToonTown and around the parks. I have really missed you!

Merry Christmas and see you real soon!

                Your friend,

                pluto

No reaction.

Not a smile, no tears, not a squeal. Nothing.

Daddy said to her, "Do you know what this means, Sophie? You're going to Disneyland again!"

Her response? She snarled, "YES DAD! I KNOW!"

Needless to say, I will not be sharing her reaction via video or photographs. Five year olds can be so unpredictable.

Note to self: Don't over-plan the big reveal. I wanted it to happen at that moment, even knowing that Sophie was tired and overstimulated. Next time, I will let her mood guide me.

Now that she has had time to digest the information, she is BEYOND excited. Every morning she excitedly tells me how many days are left until we go. 39 and counting!

                                                                                                                                               xoxo Lisa

The Big Reveal!

So as I mentioned in my last post, we will be surprising our daughter on Christmas with our Disney vacation. Sophie just turned 5 on Saturday, so in order for it to mean something, it has to be tangible.

 Last year, we gave her a photo frame with a countdown to Disneyland picture in it. We used dry erase markers to change the day every morning.

                                          find the printable at http://allforthememories.com

A month before takeoff, we hung up Minnie themed chain countdown (thanks Pinterest!) Every morning she would tear off the bottom loop and be able to visualize how many days were remaining. I imagine we will do something similar again this year! (maybe princess or Pluto themed?)

      check this out at http://oneshetwoshe.com/2014/01/disneyland-vacation-countdown-chain.html


This year, we have made up a gift-bag full of Disney gifts - clothes, coloring travel sets (hello Dollarama!), and puzzles. Included in the gift bag is a ticket that I found on Etsy and customized with our information and a letter from Pluto that I put together with a little help from Google images. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out we are going! She talked about going to Disneyland literally every day. (She is also a little impatient to return as she has heard that ToonTown will be replaced with Star Wars Land and this makes her more than a little angry.)

                           This is the customizable ticket we added in her gift bag. Find it at:
                       https://www.etsy.com/shop/KirstensKreation?ref=l2-shopheader-name


What ideas have you tried to break the news to your kids or grandkids? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

                                                                                                                                                xo Lisa

The Countdown Is On!

I've been gone awhile... and I can explain!

My husband works in the Oil & Gas industry, and the industry is experiencing a significant downturn. I am an incurable optimist and told hubby that oil would come around in a few months time, and we would be fine. This was over a year ago. The industry is not fine. We are lucky, and my husband is still employed, but the future of his company is unknown. This means our financial situation is a little unstable. Because of this, last April my husband told me we would be unable to go to Disney the following year. The expense was too much of a risk. I was crushed. To add insult to injury, he kept looking up vacations and would sporadically blurt out the awesome Disney deals he was finding.

To say I was miserable is an understatement. I kept trying to convince him that we could go. I would pay for half of it! (Hilarious. I'm a teacher. And I work part time. I can barely save enough money to get myself through the summer.) The answer was always the same - a resounding "no".

As it turns out, my hubby had booked us flights to Anaheim for February when one of the incredibly cheap deals came up. He was planning to wait until our anniversary, October 3rd, to surprise me. My incessant pouting and whining over not being able to go to Disney was getting out of control, and he showed me the travel itinerary in the summer. I was actually driving him crazy! Needless to say, I was overjoyed!

Unfortunately, things with the Oil industry continued to worsen, so hubs held off on buying Park Tickets in case "things went sideways" (ie: he becomes unemployed). He reminded me that if things continued to worsen, the financially responsible thing to do would be to cancel the trip. We decided to keep things quiet from our daughter until Christmas, to spare her from any possible disappointment. I have tried to keep my excitement at bay, and not get too carried away with planning to spare MYSELF from possible disappointment.

Well, my friends, we are 5 days away from Christmas and so I am letting loose! The countdown is on, and I am letting myself feel the excitement of our upcoming vacation.

Keep following me for updates on planning and how we plan to surprise Sophie with her Disney Vacation.

xo

City Stroller Rentals - St. Patrick's Day

In my previous post about what to pack, I included a shout-out to City Stroller Rentals in Southern California. The stroller rental service helped ease the stress of packing and planning, and we were so pleased with the Valentine's Day Mickey love bag that Sophie received upon arrival.

After featuring them on the blog, I was in contact with Jewel, a mompreneur for City Stroller Rentals. She sent me a picture with the adorable gift bag that they are including for arrivals on St. Patrick's Day. I absolutely love how this amazing company is going above and beyond to make their customer's vacations a little more magical!

Have you had any "magical" moments from a Cast Member or Disney-related business? Share in the comments!

 

xo Lisa

Art of Animation - My Recommendation

 So I have to preface this with an apology. Jenna, I am so sorry!

Last night, a friend messaged me and commented that she loved my blog because it wasn't all about "go here, do this". This is your disclaimer - this post is totally "go here, do this".

When we went to Walt Disney World in March of 2014, we were really grasping at straws in terms of what to do and where to stay. We booked our vacation using my hubby's MasterCard points, and because we have yet to figure out how to grow money on trees, we were planning on a bit of a budget. After a lot of online research, we decided to choose the Art of Animation resort in Walt Disney World as our home base. Having now stayed there once, I can't imagine wanting anything more from a hotel.

So, I know there will be people who are diehard Grand Floridian vacationers or exclusive to the Polynesian villas & bungalows, but as mentioned earlier, we vacation on a bit of a budget. I can't imagine that I will ever be able to afford to stay in a deluxe villa. (Don't get me wrong, if I could, I would absolutely stay in one tomorrow). That being said, we were more than satisfied with Art of Animation. Please, even if you are blessed enough to enjoy the deluxe resorts, stick with me.

Art of Animation is considered a Value Disney Resort. At first, this turned me off. I thought maybe we were getting ourselves into a dive. Let me assure you, DISNEY DOES NOT OFFER DIVES! This "value resort" was still the most incredible hotel I have ever stayed in! I will sing its praises forever!

If you have young children, this hotel is definitely for you. It is completely character-oriented. The lobby, outdoor spaces, pools, and rooms are all designed with a specific character or Disney movie in mind. I am positive that other hotels are more spacious and elegant, but you cannot beat the kid-friendly appeal at Art of Animation.

Art of Animation info:

• towers are themed around either Cars, Finding Nemo, Lion King, or Little Mermaid
• Little Mermaid tower offers standard rooms
• Cars, Finding Nemo, and Lion King towers offer family suites
• focus on animation process (as suggested from the name). There are pencil sketches and scenes from the films used as design elements
• does not offer a full-service restaurant, but the hotel does home the Landscape of Flavors "food court". I promise, this food court has plenty of amazing choices.
• soup-salad-sandwich shop
• world flavors shop
• pizza shop
• burger shop
• market (smoothies, specialty coffees, desserts)arcade, poolside activities, and outdoor movie nights for kids and families
• 3 pools (including the Big Blue pool - the largest Disney resort pool), a splash area for smaller children, and a small play structure
• Disney Bus transportation/Magical Express shuttle
• jogging trail -- or if you're me, walking trail
• Disney gift store

Sophie with some of the animation in the lobby

 

 

 

Some shots of our Finding Nemo Family Suite

Loved that the table could fold down into another bed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mongolian Beef stir-fry, spinach, naan, acorn squash and multigrain rice from Landscape of Flavors. Yum!

 

The Big Blue Pool and play area

 

 

 

 

Exploring The Little Mermaid area of the resort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Checking out The Lion King zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple quick shots from the Cars area

 

 



Final thoughts:

If you are looking for luxury and fine dining, the Art of Animation resort probably isn't for you. If you want the best bang for your buck, a comfortable room, awesome pools, and exciting theming - you have to stay here! The standard rooms are small but doable. Personally, I would recommend the family suite for a family with 1 -3 young children. The hubby and I enjoyed having our own space at the end of a long day, and I felt comfortable getting ready in the early mornings with our own separate bathroom. The food was simple but delicious, and the service was exquisite (which we have come to expect with Disney).

What is your favorite place to stay on Disney property? I'd love to learn more!

 

xo Lisa



Must Have Items for Pre-Schoolers

     One of the most surprising things about Disney was how many people looked miserable. I'm not talking tired or burned out, but down-right angry. I can't even begin to count how many couples I saw arguing or how many parents were yelling and screaming at their kids. Listen, I get it, kids get tired and temperamental. It's frustrating when they have a fit or misbehave on vacation. But they're kids... And you are at the most magical place on earth! Try, for their sake and yours, to enjoy the magical moments, both big and small.
     It was nearly impossible for me to wipe the perma-grin off my face. I really feel like the key to an enjoyable trip with young children is planning and preparation. I had a loose itinerary, reservations for 1 sit-down meal a day, and a back-pack full of pre-school lifesavers. My husband repeatedly praised me for my planning and how it really increased the quality of our vacation. What works for me might not work for you, but here are my must have items for a day (or more) in Disney.

1. A good quality stroller.
      My daughter is 4 and never rides in a stroller at home, but we put in 15 hour days at the theme parks and the stroller was an absolute necessity. Because we travelled to Disney through a combination of driving and  flying, we rented a stroller in both Disney World and Disneyland. I highly recommend the companies we used.
     In Orlando, we rented the City Mini single through Kingdom Stollers. The really great thing about this company is that you can also use them to order groceries that can be delivered to your hotel for your arrival! Check them out at https://kingdomstrollers.com/
     In Anaheim, we again rented the City Mini single through City Strollers. Once again, it was delivered to our hotel upon arrival, and we were so delighted to find the cutest little Mickey Mouse gift bag for our daughter. The extra touch was so very sweet! Check them out at http://www.citystrollerrentals.com/

2. A change of clothes.
     My daughter is completely potty trained, and (knock on wood) has yet to have an accident on our Disney vacations, but I can see how it can very easily happen. If your little prince or princess is excited to meet a character or ride Dumbo, the lines can be excruciatingly long. A change in clothes would come in especially handy if your little one waits just a touch too long to inform you that they have to pee! It's also nice to have a light jacket and a pair of comfy pants for cool morning and evenings, particularly if you want to stay for Fantasmic, World of Color, or the fireworks! Chilly children = grumpy children. There are also a few places in the parks where kids can splash around to cool down on a hot day (Bugs Land at California Adventure for example). And, if your child is 38 inches or taller, Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom is sure to warrant a dry change of clothes!

3. Snacks
    Don't get me wrong, we are total foodies and love the snacks offered at the parks (Hello chocolate dipped pineapple spears!), but a backpack full of snacks can be a lifesaver in aforementioned long lines. We usually throw in a few bottles of water, a juice pack, goldfish, fruit snacks, a banana, apple slices, snap pea crisps, and carrot sticks. Healthy snacks put my mind at ease when my child is consuming Mickey Bars and corndogs throughout the day.

4. Money
     Obviously, right? I'm talking about my child's personal money that she saved up from gifts and chores. Your kid is totally going to want every souvenir they set their eyes on in the park, but having to spend their own money teaches them to budget and prioritize. I'm not just saying this because I'm a teacher and like to incorporate life lessons into every-freaking-activity, it's true! My 4 year old got a little pouty when she realized she would have to spend her own money on toys and souvenirs. She ended up saving it up for a few special pins, a Pluto stuffy, and a balloon.

5. Portable Phone Charger
     If you're like me and use your Smart Phone for everything, (including your camera), chances are your battery is going to be dying 5 hours in. Every night we charge the portable phone charger and toss it in the backpack. It takes up very little space and is super effective.

6. Itinerary/Reservations
     I put together a small binder with our itinerary, tickets, confirmation numbers, receipts, etc. It was super helpful when checking in at the resort or for a dining reservation, and it helped remind us about the big rides and attractions that we wanted to check out (Disney Parks can be overwhelming at times). We kept it in a separate compartment of the backpack and used it multiple times each day.
      I purchased an itinerary template off of Etsy that was great for keeping organized. Check it out at:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/130835653/instant-download-travel-printables?ref=shop_home_active_10

7. Mini First Aid Kit
     During our first trip to Disney World, our daughter fell out of her stroller while goofing around and scraped up her knee pretty badly. And we didn't have a First Aid kit. Nope, not even a Band-Aid. We had to go to 3 stores before finding one that sold band-aids! Needless to say, I learned my lesson and packed a MediBuddy kit with bandages, antibacterial wipes and ointment, stickers and other essentials.  We also packed Children's Tylenol, Children's Benadryl, advil for my headaches, and Gravol for everyone - just in case!

8. Sun Protection
     Couple of need-to-know facts:
          - I'm a teacher and can only travel during school breaks (typically Christmas break, February break, or Easter)
         - We live in Saskatchewan and during those aforementioned school breaks, it is FREAKING COLD at home. Like I'm talking -30 degrees Celsius

      That being said, when we travelled to California this past February, it was 20 - 27 degress Celsius. The locals were talking about how cold it was and were literally wearing puffer jackets. Meanwhile, I had a heat rash from the sun. Yes, my skin is porcelain and very, very delicate. I am super good at making sure Sophie is drinking lots of water, wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, and of course slather her with SPF 60 sunscreen, but I often neglect my own sun protection. Next time, I promise to douse myself with some of that sunscreen! 
9. Autograph Book/Sharpie
     Okay, so I had to edit this post and add this in. I can't even believe I forgot this as it was absolutely crucial for my daughter. No lie, we filled up 3 autograph books in 4 days at Disneyland.
     My daughter's favourite part about the parks was meeting the characters. We met Pluto nine times at Disneyland Resort. Nine. Times.
     If I can recommend one thing, it is that you pack your own Sharpie. I like the "clickable" ones, as they are easier for the characters with big, fluffy hands! I have seen all too many Disney pens explode at the parks too. Just trust me and bring a Sharpie. I also prefer the autograph books that have space for a photo beside, it just makes for a cuter keepsake. Especially one year later when you haven't printed the photos for it yet. Oops!
     You could save yourself a ton of money by NOT buying 3 autograph books and making one yourself. I found this cute printable off of Pinterest last year and made one for our trip to Disney World. I must warn you, it does require a significant time investment. It also helps to have access to a laminator, paper cutter, and binding. (Hence the 3 autograph books in Disneyland.)

 Check it out at  http://thecardswedrew.com/disney-autograph-book-using-silhouette-chipboard-free-print/?_szp=442136

10. Crayons and Paper
     Though we rarely had to worry about Sophie getting bored or restless, there were times when
crayons and paper for her to colour with came in very handy. There's a good chance she would have drove us absolutely mad if we had not had them while waiting for meals at restaurants or waiting for the parade to start on Main Street. If all else fails, grab the notepad and pen from your hotel

11. Camera
     Though I HIGHLY recommend the PhotoPass + at Disneyland or Memory Maker package at Walt Disney World, there are tons of memories in between Photo Pass cast members that you are going to want to catch on film. My daughter's face during the parades was absolutely priceless. I hope I will remember the sparkle in her eyes and joy in her smile when she watched the parade, but if not, I will always have the photograph to remind me.

In order to save my shoulder from an immensely heavy purse, we threw all of the items mentioned into a backpack that my husband dutifully lugged around for us all week. They helped keep us sane and happy during days that sometimes included more than 14 hours in the parks.

What are your must-pack items for a day in Disney?

     xo Lisa