Food, Friends and Disney World

We recently took the opportunity to attend the International Wine & Food Festival at Epcot. We have gone the last two years, so we knew what to expect. Deliciousness! Still a big fan of the beef tenderloin and cheese soup at Canada. But most of all, this trip was extra special because we brought some dear friends. Shout out to Matt & Cindy.

Matt loved seeing our photos online and wanted to try out Disney for himself. We had a couple of planning sessions and we were set. The weekend we chose, every hotel on property was booked. For that matter, almost everywhere else too. We prefer to stay on property, but there are some pretty good places not far off property too. Matt declared it the nicest hotel room he had ever stayed in.

We made it to the front gate not long after opening. Wait...let me back up. Apparently the park was expecting a full house. We parked approximately 50 feet from the security checkpoint. We couldn't have gotten any closer. This was foreshadowing our day. It was epic. We hit almost every attraction had lunch and finished up about 6 pm.

Let me highlight our favorite spots.
1. Club Cool - free soda and fun
2. Living with the Land - a peek into Disney's experimental and production gardens.
3. Les Halles Patisserie - French Bakery, nuff said.
4. Mitsukoshi - Japanese department store, cool and unique products. Always worth a visit.
5. Werther's Caramel - try the popcorn, its fabulous.
6. Chinese Acrobats - the show has been different each time. Still impressive.
7. Grand Fiesta Tour - featuring the Three Caballeros. Its Small World goes Mexican.
8. Katsura Grill - Beef Udon. We always have to get a bowl.
9. Mouse Gear - largest merchandise store in the park.
10. Spaceship Earth - its not a flashy ride, but its always cool to see the evolution of communication.

I mention these places, because we almost always do eight or more on each trip. We hit all ten on this trip. We were whipped at the end of the day, but it was amazing. I cannot forget the childlike look on Matt & Cindy's faces as we showed them the magic as we know it. It makes me want to bring others down. It was fun just riding the monorail around to see the hotels.

Saturday, we ate breakfast at the Whispering Canyon restaurant at the Wilderness Lodge.  If you get a chance, try it out. Be prepared. The servers are in character from the get-go. You can opt out if you want, but you will miss out on a memorable experience. By the way Matt almost had to buy M.T. (our server) a new bikini. Let me just say, some things cannot be unseen. It was all clean, family friendly fun.

We spent the rest of the morning touring the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian Village, Grand Floridian and Contemporary resorts. Its free and a sight to see.  Each is unique and beautiful. Lots of photo ops and great restaurants.

Overall, a fantastic trip. It was extra special because we got to share it with others. I got to experience the magic all over again. Matt & Cindy are already looking for another time we can try the Magic Kingdom. So till next time, good luck and we'll see you in the park.

Our day at Epcot

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day! Barbeque, Family and fireworks. What's not to love?

I will exercise my freedom, and talk about our favorite Disney park. We love all the parks, don't get me wrong. Our favorite is Epcot.

You may ask, "What is there to do at Epcot?" We love it for the atmosphere, and the food, definately the food. It doesn't have the most rides or best shows. But definately the best food. Did I mention that already?

As far as attractions, I recommend Test Track. My daughter loves the idea of designing a car and seeing how it performs on a road course. I like it for the 0 to 60 acceleration at the end. The lines are long usually, so try to pick up a fastpass early.

A note about fastpasses. You may be thinking, if I get the fastpass first thing in the morning, we can do that first. Wrong. Our experience has been that fastpasses obtained in the early morning are for the afternoon. The My Disney Experience app offers some flexibilty.

Mission Space is intense. I love it, but my wife and daughter don't. I would not recommend it to anyone with claustrophobia. The compartment can be a little confining. I recommend the less intense green mission for a first attempt. If you don't have any issues and want an a serious thrill, go straight to the orange.

If you really like the humid Florida heat, then disregard the following. Need a break? Check out Ellen's Energy Adventure. It's a 40 minute ride/show in the AC. It's pretty funny too.

Well I took a month the finish this post. So take it easy and we'll see ya in the park.

3 Miles to Disney

Well after several years of discussing it, my wife and I decided to jump in and do it. We LOVE Disney! Its one of those unhealthy obsessions. I don't think its clinical, but our parents think so. We are often asked by family and friends: "What would you recommend for our next Disney trip?"

We have our own opinions about everything. From dining options to rides to accomodations, this is our take and should not be viewed as authoritative.  We like to think so, but we can't charge for the info.

(Insert lengthy legal jargon here.)

We have been annual passholders for 4 years. We are Florida residents too, so we get perks that alot of people don't.

My wife and I are 6th generation Floridians. That means we live north of Orlando which most of South Florida doesn't claim as part of Florida, more extreme south Georgia. We grew up with "The Mouse". We both visited the parks multiple times throughout our lives. Our daughter has been going since she was practically a newborn.

This is so you can get a feel for who we are. Our style is spontaneous. Very little pre-planning usually. Typically, its a "Hey, we don't have anything this weekend, Let's go to Disney!"  If you live close to O-town, then an annual pass is the way to go. For the money, if you visit a park more than 5 days throughout the year, you have paid for the pass.

Secondly, if you like extreme heat and humidity, dehydration, heat exhaustion, large crowds, long waits, come to WDW between mid-May until mid-September. We seldom go at this time of year. Its hard for us to resist. Check the park hours and go on an evening when they are open late. Shorter lines, cooler temps but, still uncomfortably warm.

Finally, get familiar with the My Disney Experience app for Apple and Android devices. This is the ideal tool for checking wait times, getting dining reservations and just about any other detail you might want. This is also the best way to line up your Fastpasses. It is a great planning tool. I know I said we don't plan, but once we are on-site, we start putting a schedule together.

We have had some great times at the parks and the resort areas in general. We have finally learned a few tricks to getting the most out of our limited time and budget. Its our hope to share a little of our experiences. Good luck and see ya in the park!