Walt Disney World Must Dos for Disney Rookies

Our travel party - three generations
of Disney fans!

Yesterday I was asked by Glenn (@D_LandObsession) for advice on someone's very first trip to Walt Disney World.  Immediately, the ideas started swirling.  There is just so much to see and do!  Also, there are so many perspectives to share this from - a mom, a thrill seeker, a non-thrill seeker, and really I could go on.  So, here are my tops and below you will find links to some other people's opinions on must dos for rookies.  Of course, there is so much more to experience what I have listed here!

Magic Kingdom:
My personal favorites are some of the classics, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion (I still wish the ride would stop one of these years when I am in the attic - there are too many details to take in as you make your way by in the Doom Buggies!) and  Peter Pan's Flight. For a very laid back experience, you can't beat Liberty Belle Riverboat, the Carousel of Progress and Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover.  But if you were to ask my thrill seeking husband, he would say Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain.  For my girls, there is no doubt that Prince Charming's Royal Carousel, the Mad Tea Party, Aladdin's Magic Carpets,  the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and It's a Small World would top their lists.  We experience each of these several times each trip, sometimes several times in a row!  For Joey, he would say Tomorrowland Speedway, Buzz's Space Ranger Spin and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  Of course, Wishes, the nighttime fireworks show, is unbelievable and I try to see this as many times as I can each trip.

30 Days to 30 Years ~ Looking Back at Epcot 2006

The countdown series to Epcot's 30th anniversary, 30 Days to 30 Years, continues over at DIStherapy.  I am so excited because today it is my turn to share my Epcot memories for 2006.  I cannot believe we are nearing the end of the countdown and almost to Epcot's anniversary!  Will you be in Walt Disney World to celebrate this event?

Epcot 2006 ~ The Living Seas becomes The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Out of Disney Park Experiences with the Growing Up Disney Minnie Moms

After a short break from the Minnie Moms, I am back!  We are all sharing our thoughts on taking a day off from the parks when vacationing in Walt Disney World.  Head over to Growing Up Disney to see what we all had to say!

Growing Up Disney Minnie Moms

Destination Disney in Quotes

I love Heidi's new series Destination Disney in Quotes.  Each week, she will be sharing a new Disney quote and inviting all of us to share our posts inspired by the quote.  Walt Disney was such an inspiring man, and I am excited to be able to show over the course of the next few weeks how his life has inspired our lives.





This week's quote:

Sparkly Princess paper from Capturing Magical Memories

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ My New Favorite Disney Dessert

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.  This week's theme is by far one of my favorite Disney topics ~ Disney Dining. I decided to mix things up a bit and see if you know where I have discovered my new favorite Disney Dessert!  My review of this restaurant will be up next week!  Take a guess where you can find this delicious dessert!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see what other delectable Disney dining treats have been shared from the savory to the sweet!  And, there is still plenty of time to share your favorite Disney dining photo!  Thanks again to Deb for hosting such a great blog hop!

30 Days to 30 Years ~ Looking Back at Epcot 1995

I am so excited to be co-hosting the 30 Days to 30 Years series over at DIStherapy!  We are counting down to Epcot's 30th anniversary by sharing 30 days of Disney memories.  Yesterday just happened to be my turn.  I was lucky enough to be able to write about the year 1995 and the debut of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.

Head over to 

DIStherapy

to see all the Epcot memories that have been shared so far!

As of today, we have counted down from 1982 to 1996!

My Top 5 2011 Food & Wine Festival Eats

I am quite excited to be discussing Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.  It is by far one of my husband and I's favorite times of year to visit Epcot.  Last year, my parents took our children for one night of our vacation so Pierre and I to enjoy a date night in Disney.  Even better, our closest friends just happen to be in Disney and met up with us for what turned out to be one of the best nights we have ever had in Epcot.  Without further ado here our my top 5 dishes of the 2011 Food and Wine Festival:

5. Grilled Beef Skewer with with Chimichurri Sauce (Argentina Booth):  This was our first stop on our culinary tour around World Showcase and my husband hasn't stopped talking about how great this dish was.  He liked it so much, when we returned to Epcot on another day, he ordered it again!

4. Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's Pie (Ireland Booth)

3. Steamed Mussels in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce (Belgium Booth)

2. Escargots Persillade en Brioche (France Booth): I was so impressed by this dish.  They were served in little brioche bowls!

1. Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Bailey's Irish Cream Ganache (Ireland Booth): I love sweets, so it surprises me this is the only sweet dish on my list.  But this by far was my favorite of the 2011 Food & Wine Festival.

What is your favorite dish from the Food and Wine Festival?

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Best Buddies

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.  I absolutely LOVE this week's theme, which is Magical Memories. I had a very difficult time narrowing down my choices, but finally decided on this photo.

Joey and Grampa (my dad) are "best buddies."  My dad is a Marine and a retired State Trooper, but he is a definite softy when it comes to the grandkids.  On our last trip to Walt Disney World, Joey wanted to ride Dumbo with Grampa.  When they exited the attraction, Joey says, "Wasn't it funny I made you ride in a pink Dumbo, Grampa?"  Now, for us, this was hysterical and completely caught us off guard.  Joey is our very serious kid, who takes everything literally.  Generally jokes go right over his head.  So for him to purposely choose a pink (a color Joey professes daily he does not like) Dumbo to ride with Grampa the Marine, to some probably isn't a big deal, but for us, it was Joey finally starting to joke around.  He thought this was the funniest thing and to this day when we talk about that trip, he always says, with a huge smile, "Remember when I made Grampa ride the pink Dumbo?"  Yet again, Disney brings out another side to Joey, and even better, I know it is because in Disney, he feels so secure to test the boundaries with all of us.  I look forward to seeing what practical jokes he plays on Grampa during our next trip!

To create this layout, I used one of my favorite digiscrap kits - See An Elephant Fly by Capturing Magical Memories

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see everyone's Magical Memories!!

The 2013 Disney Moms Panel Search Has Begun!

Today is the day!  The Disney Moms Panel has begun its search for next year's newest panelists.  If you are looking to apply, head over to

The Disney Moms Panel

Back to School Giveaway (Closed) ~ A $75 Visa Gift Card

I don't know about you, but my kids going back to school is always a little tough for me, particularly this year.  I have two children now full day, as Joey enters second grade and Hayley enters first grade.  Luckily for me though, they both love school and couldn't wait to get started!  Emily, who will be headed to kindergarten next year (sniffle, sniffle), now has me all to herself all day long.  Something she has never had!

So in honor of school getting back into full swing, several of us have gotten together to give away a $75 Visa Gift Card and a great bag of toys (see the photo to the right)!

In order to qualify for the prize, please use the Rafflecopter entry below.  There is only one required way to enter, but you will definitely want to be sure to take advantage of all the possible ways to enter!

A special thank you to the people sponsoring this giveaway and letting me be a part of it!

The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ A Few of My Favorite People

I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic today.  This week's theme is "September Calendar Shot."  As I searched through my photos, this particular one stood out for me.  On this morning, Pierre and I were back at the room getting ready and my parents took the kids toward the bus stop.  A cast member noticed my dad's USMC jacket and struck up a conversation.  The cast member then handed my dad a thank you card for being a veteran.  Even better, the cast member took this great picture of five of my most cherished and loved ones - my kids and my parents!

30 Days to 30 Years Series ~ Counting Down to Epcot's 30th Anniversary

It is finally here - the 30 Days to 30 Years series over at DIStherapy!  Over the next 30 days, Disney bloggers from around the web are coming together to share 30 years of Epcot memories.  Epcot has seen many changes over the years with new additions, closed attractions, attraction changes and more.  Add in memories with family and friends, and it is the perfect combination for a great series to countdown to Epcot's 30th Anniversary.

Jenn of Disney Babies Blog wrote a great introduction to the series to get things started:

An Introduction to Epcot

Make sure you check in at DIStherapy each day to see what new memories are being shared!