Toy Story Land: Fun for Everyone

Of all of the major park additions in recent years this is the one I was most excited about. I was skeptical about Pandora, which I now love, and I felt like Galaxy's Edge would most likely be well done, and it was. But, Toy Story Land was going to be a hit for sure. And it is. And why wouldn't it be? Toy Story Mania is arguably one of the most fun rides at Walt Disney World. Theming an entire land off that ride just sounds amazing.

The theme for this area is that that you have been shrunk down to the size of a toy and you are in Andy's backyard. Andy has the entire backyard set up for playing. But, Andy and all the other humans are away so the toys are out to play. To really set the scene they even put up a giant wood fence around the area. 

Everything is themed to look like it is made out of toys. Everything. Everything in this area is kid themed. Its like a massive trip down memory lane, and I love it. I would honestly love for an entire park to be made in these theme. Wouldn't it be amazing if they made an entire park themed after Pixar movies? I know I would love it. Though, I guess it would make having Pixar represented in the other parks difficult. 

The options for dining in this area is limited. There is a quick service dining restaurant, it currently only has outside dining seating so don't bank on this if there is bad weather. There are plans for an indoor dining restaurant in the future, I'll have to try it out once it opens. But, for right now there is just Woody's Lunch Box. Everything on the menu is themed after foods that kids commonly eat, but they are jazzed up a bit. Honestly, everything on the menu sounds pretty awesome. 

We went at breakfast time, which was great because I was able to justify trying the fancy 'poptarts' that I had been eyeing for months. Nic and I tried the raspberry tart and my parents tried the Halloween themed tart. Nic also surprised me with a root beer float, which was awesome because root beer floats remind me of my childhood and are one of my favorite things. The tarts were good. The tarts were all very sweet, especially the Halloween tart with the candy corn. Honestly, they where a bit too sweet for me and I most likely won't get them again. But, we also don't eat that many sweet things. I will say the root beer float, which was not as sweet as the tarts, was perfect for the hot morning. I do really want to try the totchos, which are tater tots covered in chili and queso. Though, I think I'll have to wait until after I get off slink dog to try them... 

The outdoor seating area is very nice. Though, in the mid morning September sun there wasn't much in the way of shade even with the colorful overhead hangings. I wasn't in the area in the afternoon, but I would imagine there would be more shade because in the morning it was full sun. I know I will be grateful when they add some indoor places to eat, or just get out of the extreme weather. 

There are currently three rides in Toy Story Land. The ever popular Toy Story Midway Mania, Slinky Dog Dash, and Alien Swirling Saucers. To be honest I doubt they will be adding more rides to this area unless they also expand the overall size of the park. But you never know. The sky really is the limit with this theming. 

I was surprised how much I liked Slinky Dog Dash. I am not a roller coaster person. I haven't even been on Everest and that's been out for years. But, I loved slink dog. I was laughing the entire time. I even had my eyes open! I won't give away the ride since it does have some surprises, but I can say that it really is fun for all ages. I would totally ride it again. 

Of the three rides the spinning saucers were my least favorite. It's not a bad ride. I had fun looking through all the colorful windows. It is an exact replica of the tractor ride at California Adventure, though both rides have been turned down since I rode the tractor ride in California. Which is a good thing, my brother and I got whiplash and our necks were sore after riding it. If you like the tea cups you will like this ride.

I feel like this land was a great addition to Walt Disney World. The Toy Story series is beloved around the world. This land is just fun. Everything is larger than life. Everything is colorful. Even waiting in line for slinky dog was fun because there was so much to look at in the queue. 

Pandora

I recently returned from a kind of impromptu Disney trip. It was a quick weekend trip and we packed it full of Disney magic.

One of the best things about the trip: Pandora was open. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Pandora: the World of Avatar absolutely lives up to all the hype. Disney has been marketing this new attraction for months now and it is worth checking out. Even with the massive response and long wait times the newest addition to Animal Kingdom was truly the highlight of the trip.

My mom and I were staying at Kidani Village. Which was awesome, not just because it is an amazing resort but because it would be the shortest commute to Animal Kingdom. The morning of our Animal Kingdom day we got up early. The park was having extra magic hours that morning and resort guests would be able to enter at 8am. We were planning, like many other people, on opening the park and making a B-line for Pandora. We wanted to get on Flight of Passage before the line got to long. If you have read any articles about the opening week at Pandora this is the ride that had a seven hour wait the first day it opened. As much as I wanted to ride it, spending seven hours of precious park time in line was not something I was prepared to do.

Kidani Village recently started offering quick service breakfast at Sana, which was amazing for this weekend trip. The morning before my mom and I had sat down and had breakfast while we watched the various animals go about their day. It was a great way to start off a day. The morning we did Animal Kingdom we got there just after it opened, at 7am, and helped our selves to the oatmeal. It was great. They had lids for the containers and even had little containers with brown sugar and golden raisins for the oatmeal. We took our little containers of oatmeal to go and headed for the bus stop. We were lucky, and bust pulled up within minutes of us getting to the stop. We were the only ones on the bus and we headed strait for the park. I inhaled my breakfast, I wasn't sure if I would be able to bring it in to the park. But, my mom took her time.

Security had no problems with us bringing our breakfast in, which was awesome. In all of my trips to Disney this was only the second time I have been asked to show that I was staying at a resort on property in order to take advantage of the extra magic hours. It was great. I could even see that people were being turned away from the Pandora entrance because it was only open to Disney resort guests. We made our way to the end of the line for Flight of Passage. I feel that it is important to note that the extra magic hours had the park opening at 8am. We got in line at 7:45. The wait was already 90 minutes and the line was moving. They had already fired up the ride before the park was opened. My mom enjoyed her breakfast while I took pictures.

Overall the wait really wasn't that bad. We got to see all of Pandora with very few people walking around, well very few people since they were all in line with us. We talked with the people in line with us. And the different waiting rooms for the line were very well done with so much detail that it did take time to take it all in.

The ride itself was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was intense and I really feel that it will changed the way theme park rides are designed in the future. Without giving away too much of the ride, it really does feel like you are riding on the back of a banshee. My legs needed a couple of minutes to adjust to walking when I got off the ride. It was worth the wait with out a doubt.

We decided that we had enough time to try out the other ride, Na'vi River Journey before getting lunch. While we were in line the wait time jumped from 40 minutes to 60 minutes. The que line didn't have as much to take in, so it felt like a longer wait. But, the water station halfway through the line was really nice. It held up the line a little since nearly everyone stopped to fill up their water bottles, but the wait didn't impact the time I got on the ride and I really appreciated being able to refill my water since it was so hot out. Overall, the ride was alright. Not really worth an hour wait, but I would ride it again if I didn't have to wait very long or had a fastpass.

The food was fantastic. I was very pleased to see that nearly everything on the menu was healthy. They have steamed buns with different fillings. They also had rice or salad bowls that you could top with different proteins and sauces. The flavor of the chicken and the onion aioli were just amazing. We got the children's size and it was enough to fill us up.

After lunch we explored the rest of the park. Which, was unusually empty since the vast majority of the park guests were at Pandora. We had almost no lines with anything we did. We even discovered dole whip in Africa! We were able to enjoy the park with little crowds and had a fantastic day.
 
Overall, the entire experience of Pandora was amazing. We weren't able to get back to the park to see it at night, but it will be a high priority on our next trip in October. I was blown away by the attention to detail Disney put in to all that is Pandora. It really looks and feels like you are there. The floating mountains are just spectacular and don't look like that are manmade structures at all. It all feels real. I look forward to what they will add to Pandora next.

Planning A Disney Trip: Part 1

So, since I am in full planning mode I have been thinking about Disney. A lot. I thought it might be a good idea to go over the entire planning process. After all, I do have a lot of experience planning all kinds of Disney Vacations.

The Magic Kingdom is typically the most crowded park.

The first thing you will want to do once you have decided on  Disney vacation is come up with a budget. I know, it sounds like it should be common sense. But, seriously pick a budget and stay with it. Only you know what you will be able to spend and once you start to see all of the amazing things you can add to a Disney vacation the total price can get quite high. Bottom line: if you know that you can only spend $1500 don't budge. Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to save on the vacation if you know how to be creative.

Once you have your budget you will need to pick your dates. This is were things can be a little tricky. It is more expensive to stay over weekends and anytime when school is not in session. If you are able to go in 'off season' months (think January, February, October, and November) and stay during the week you are more likely to be able to save on your room rate.

So, you have picked the week and you have your budget. Now what? You will need to find a place to stay. You have so many options to choose from. Yes, you can find a cheaper room off Disney property. And some of those hotels will include amenities like free breakfasts, which is not something you will find at any of the Disney resorts. But, you will miss out on some of the complimentary services that Disney offers its resort guests. Sure, your off property hotel may have a shuttle to and from the airport. But, Disney does one better. Once you check your bag at your departing airport you won't touch it again until you unpack in your hotel room. The same goes for your flight home. And the bus ride to and from the airport is complimentary. Disney will also take you anywhere you want to go on Disney property free of charge. The transportation system at Disney is truly second to none: buses, trams, boats, and the monorail. Some off property hotels have a shuttle that will come to the parks. But, these are often vans that can seat a family or two at a time. This means that it will most likely take a lot of time to get to and from the parks. If you decide that doesn't work for you then you can drive to the parks, and then pay for parking.

The Contemporary Resort is one of the original resorts on Disney property

Like I said before, only you know your budget. If you can get a room for $20 less a night off property that will save you $100 on a five night stay. If that means a lot to your budget then stay off property. I recommend talking with the front desk at the hotel to find out the best way to get around during your stay.

The type of park ticket you get can also make a big difference. If you are counting your pennies then maybe the park hoper option may not be for you. I would recommend picking a park and staying there for the day. What's the point of paying extra when you most likely stay at one park each day anywhere? If your plans don't allow for you to spend a day at each park it might be worth looking in to getting the park hoper ticket there are things on your must do list at each park.

One of the best things you can do to stretch your dollar is to check out any deals on the Disney website. Sometimes Disney will have special offers where you can get a room, park tickets, and a meal plan for a low price. Check the website regularly and you'll get a feel for when Disney has special promotions.

Of course, there is a lot more that goes in to planning a Disney vacation. But, that would make for a much longer article. I'll go over more as time goes on.

Planning In Action

I am so lucky my parents bring me with them when they go on vacation.

For those of you that have been bitten by the Disney bug you will know how strong the urge to plan a Disney trip is. I know that I am already thinking about my next trip before I even get home from my current trip.

That being said that last pilgrimage I made the the Orlando parks was absolutely amazing. My boyfriend join my family and me on vacation. The poor thing didn't know what to expect having only gone once before when he was much younger. I savored every minute of it. The phenomenal food. The awe-inspiring night shows. The magic of the parks. All of it. I just love it. It truly feels like home.

For the last few years, ever since college, I have truly cherished these vacations. And I always feel so sad when I leave. I have even cried during Wishes on occasion. Why? Because, each time I go I feel that it will be my last time. At least for a long time.

You see, I have been living on my own for several years now. While I am finally doing well enough that I can get by with one job, I still mainly live paycheck to paycheck. (Thanks student loans....) If I had to pay for myself to go I could not afford to go to Disney. But, I could be much worse off. This is know.

We have already started saving for Food and Wine!

I have been unbelievably lucky in that my parents have been taking me with them whenever they plan a trip to Disney even though I am grown and live on my own. Sometimes, I can only go for part of the trip and other times I can get off work at all. But, the fact that they still invite me, and pay for nearly the entire trip, is amazing. I know that I am incredibly lucky and I hope that one day I will be able to return the favor and bring them with us when my boyfriend and I have our own family.

I can feel my Disney bug coming back to life with each passing day. My parents are planning a trip in October and my boyfriend and I have been invited. The Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT has long been on my list. Even before I started drinking alcohol! I have always loved trying new foods and experiencing the different cultures of the world. Now that I enjoy a glass of wine I am beyond excited to finally be able to go. Not only that, but we are going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. For those of you that don't know it is the only time adults are allowed to wear costumes at the parks. My boyfriend and I have a lot of planning to do!

I know taking a picture with this guy is high on my list.

Not only are my parents going to be with us, but much of my extended family will be as well. I have not seen many of my cousins for years. And sadly, I have only met one of their six children. Life just hasn't allowed me to make the long, expensive, trip to visit my extended family. I can't wait to see my family at one of the most magical places on Earth. It should be exciting since they will be meeting my boyfriend of two years for the first time. What fun!

We don't know where exactly we will be staying, just that it will be on property. We don't know exactly where we will make dining reservations. And I have no idea which attractions we will get fastpasses for. Though, I can assume that some of the major attractions will be high on the list. I'm not sure I can imagine a trip without Big Thunder Mountain, Test Track, Toy Story Mainia, Star Tours, or the Safari ride at Animal Kingdom. Not to mention Illuminations at EPCOT.

I do know that I will be seeing the new Pandora area at Animal Kingdom. I do know that I will spend an afternoon sampling food and beverages from around the world, after I ride the renovated Soarin' of course. I know that I will see the new night show at Animal Kingdom. And I know that I will be seeing the new fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom since Wishes will be retired before our trip. Aside from that the rest of the trip will be relaxing and fun. This time I would like to try for as few pre-planned events as possible. Since the parks, except EPCOT, should be less crowded I am looking forward to a slow paced Disney trip. I want to be able to do the things I want to do when I want to do them.

I look forward to more pictures like this one. 

There is so much to be excited for! My boyfriend and I flew down the last time and met up with my family. This time we will drive down and make a road trip of it and will meet up with them the day they get there. My boyfriend and I want to savor as much of this trip as possible. Like I've said before, I feel that each trip will be my last and I think this may be my last trip until my boyfriend and I go back with our own family many years from now.

I plan on highlighting the planning process and showcasing new things as they open. I am so excited to have something to get me through the difficult days at work. (As we all know, even if you love your job like I do there are some days that are just plain hard.) After all, I work to support my Disney addiction.

Home Away from Home: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Mezmorizing. That is the only way I can describe my first experience with Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Well, that's not exactly true. Awe-inspiring. Breathtaking. Amazing. The stuff dreams are made of. Yeah, that seems to cover it a bit better.

That's a lot of talk right? Trust me, it lives up to the hype. You see I had my eye on this resort for many years. We had even made a quick visit during the holiday season one year just so we could see if it would be worth it to stay there. Well, that and to see all the Christmas decorations. The resort did not disappoint. The lobby alone lives up to all the hype. And then some. When we booked our next trip we decided to give Animal Kingdom Lodge a try.

Our first stay had a slightly less than magical start. We were checked in by a cast member in training and she had forgotten to alert housekeeping that we had checked in. So, housekeeping didn't know to tell the front desk that our room was ready. Which meant that we had to sit in the lobby. For nearly four hours. To make the most of the time, and the super hot day, we hit up the pool for a little while and then had lunch. We explored the resort grounds, well it was more like we ran around each floor to see what kind of view each window had.

After a few hours were were tired. It was well into the afternoon, and we wanted to relax before we had to head out for dinner. So, my father and brother decided to start unpacking the car. I stayed in the lounge area by where we were told our room would be and my mom was still taking pictures of animals. This is were the head of housekeeping found me. Sleeping on a couch surrounded by luggage. As soon as he found out about our situation he immediately began working to correct it. We were in our room, which had been ready since our arrival, in less than ten minutes. He even stopped by to make sure that we were completely happy with our accommodations. A perfect example of why Disney is known for its excellent customer service.

That trip was simply amazing. We sat out on the balcony every morning and watch the giraffes eat breakfast. There were crested cranes nesting not too far from our window. We could even hear the flamingos by the pool. We discovered new hidden features of the room each day. We truly enjoyed every minute of our stay.

We loved talking with the various cast members that we encountered. Many of them were from different countries in Africa. They loved talking about their culture and asked so many questions about our hometown. Many of them were excited about using their time off to visit different parts of the United States.

By far, this is my favorite resort on property. And that is saying something.

When I say that I do also include Kidani Village, which is the DVC area of Animal Kingdom Lodge. The entire grounds, even those between the two resorts, are themed so well. I know that it is the closest I am most likely ever going to get to visiting Africa.

My family, which isn't always  open to new culinary adventures, even decided to expand their horizons. We gave Boma a try. It is now one of my favorite restaurants at Disney. Again, that is saying something. The flavors were something I had never experienced before. Some, I absolutely loved and others I can say that I have tried and most likely won't give them a go again.


Overall, I do highly recommend this resort. If staying the night will break the bank I suggest making some time to explore the grounds. The main lobby is spectacular and larger than life. If you are feeling a little adventurous make reservations for dine at one of the three restaurants on property.



Have a magical day!

The Wanyama Safari Experience

If you have ever stayed at a Walt Disney World resort and turned on your TV then there is a good chance that you will know that you can take a private safari at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Waynama Safari is exclusive to guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village. However, a reservation is not included with your room so if you would like to partake in this adventure you will need to book a reservation: which can be done at the front desk in the lobby at check in or before your trip by phone.

For the last few trips my family has stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Kidani Village. We love it. The entire atmosphere of the resort is amazing. And to top it off there are dozens of animals roaming around in the various savannas. It is like being in another world. We had taken notice of the private tours on our first stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and when we stayed at Kidani Village a few years later we had booked our spots.

We were told to arrive around mid afternoon for a snack before the safari. We met the keeper that would be guiding us on our tour and the executive chef of Jiko. The chef explained each of the dishes that he had prepared and why they he had chosen them. Honestly, the 'snack' was more like lunch. There was so much food for just 12 people. There were also a few different drinks to sample. I loved the iced red tea. It had so much flavor and I felt rejuvenated with each glass I drank. After the reception luncheon we were guided to our safari truck.


We were lead around the back gated area by Kidani Village. This is where our keeper told us they commonly saw alligators. Sadly, we did not see any that day. We then pulled around to the first savanna. We were a little disappointed at first. We could see the animals, but we were driving alongside a giant fence. Sure, we were close to them, but we had a a better view from our hotel room. Then we came to a gate, where we entered into the savanna. The first animals we came upon were giraffes. I feel that you can't fully understand exactly how tall a giraffe is until you stand directly next to one. I felt like an ant. Our keeper, whom I had been talking with about my own profession as an aquarist, told us about the behavioral training they did with giraffes. She said that giraffes can shut off part of their brain to go to sleep at anytime, and they sometimes do that in the middle of training sessions.

As our tour went on we learned about the various breeding programs that Disney participates, their role in supporting conservation efforts, and how to tell the animals apart by the tagging/notching system that is commonly used in the ears of hoof stock. About halfway through the safari we noticed that there was a little truck ahead of us. They were keepers, and they were putting out food for the animals. By the time we ought up to where they had placed the food several animals were already there happily munching away at their dinner. It was amazing. It was so peaceful to be so close to these animals that I had only ever seen in zoos, just watching them live their lives as if I wasn't even there.

There were a few animals, mainly the ostriches, that really didn't seem to care about any boundaries with the truck and came right up to it. So many animals just walking around us carrying on their day with no cares. I felt that I was a part of their world. And our guide was able to give us first hand accounts of what it is actually like to work with these animals on a daily basis.

Since our trip was in the middle of December it was rather chilly and the sun did set fairly early. About thirty minutes before the end of our tour the sun was too low to provide enough light to take good pictures. This acutely wasn't so bad, it allowed to to view the experience without looking through a camera. However, the chill in the wind was much more noticeable. And we were rather cold by the time our safari was done.

After our tour we were taken back to Jiko where the executive chef explained every part of our meal. When you read the information for the Wanyama Safri it says that you will start with a light snack, a tour of each savanna at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kindani Village, and you will have dinner and a sampling of South African wine. It was more than a sampling.


With the start of our meal they brought out different breads and hummuses. That was paired with a rum cocktail. Which, I had not been expecting and was on the strong side. For those do not want alcohol, or those under 21, they offer the same drink without the rum. Then we were given our first course. Mainly smaller dishes like finger food. Lots of flavors. They paired this portion with a white wine. This was my favorite wine that night. When they brought out the main dishes I could not believe how full our table was. We had short ribs, grouper, several veggie dishes, chicken three different ways, shrimp, cornbread, and mac 'n cheese (yes, you heard me right). Of course, this was parked with a red wine. While I did like the wine, I was new to reds at the time so I thought it was a little dry. I was also rather tipsy at this time having just had a mixed drink and a full glass of white wine. The dessert was a little fancy for my liking, and it wasn't what I had been expecting. Don't get me wrong it was good, but nothing that I would feel the need to order if I had to pay for my meal out of pocket. The dessert wine that was paired was almost too sweet. But, it did make up for the last of sweetness in some of the deserts. But, much like with the red I couldn't' finish it as I had already had more than my fair share of alcohol.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I loved every minutes of it. The only thing I would do differently is not have actually eaten lunch that day and brought a heavier jacket. For some reason I didn't think we would be outside as long as we were. We had been told that the entire experience would be around 4 hours, including dinner. But, I think it ended up being closer to 5. The luncheon was about 30 minutes, and was enough food to have fed everyone there a full meal and still had some leftover. The safari itself was about about two and a half hours and dinner was a little over an hour and a half. I did feel a little underdressed to be eating at Jiko, all the other guests were wearing nice dresses or khakis and a button down shirt, but our group looked windblown and out of place. But, to be fair we had just spent two hours in the open riding around outside.

It was an experience that I still talk about to this day nearly two years later. That was one of my favorite memories at Disney. One day, I hope to take my boyfriend so we can enjoy making our own memories together. It is a little on the pricy side, but if you break it down I don't think its that bad of a deal. If I remember correctly it was about $190 per person. But, if you think about it that isn't too bad. Dinner at Jiko is expensive and could easily run around $80 a person if you got wine and dessert. There was lunch, which I'd say would have been around $20 a person. So, that it $100 right there. $90 for a two and a half hour private safari is not that bad if you ask me. Oh, and Disney donates a portion of all the proceeds to their conversation fund. How cool is that?

I highly recommend this hidden gem at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The memories will last a lifetime.

Have a magical day!

Le Cellier

I ate at Le Cellier for the first time when I was much younger. Young enough to each off the kids menu and be a somewhat picky eater. Young enough that I know I did not appreciate it. So, when I got a little older and I heard people talking about how Le Cellier was one of the best places to eat at the Walt Disney World Resort I was a little skeptical. After all, my memories were of a dark room with fancy food. And as a young child that didn't put this place very high on my favorites list.

In May of 2016 my parents took my boyfriend and I to Walt Disney World. It was amazing! The spring before my parents had taken their first Disney trip without any kids. They enjoyed a meal together at Le Cellier and said it was one of the highlights of the entire trip. So, naturally, when they said they had made reservations for the five of us to dine there on our trip I was excited. I don't often eat steak as it is a little on the pricey side so I was very much looking forward to enjoying a steak. Especially from one of the beast steakhouses on Disney property.


The dinning room was just like I remembered. It was dark, but not because they didn't have any lights. The theme is that you are in a cellar, of course there won't be any windows or bright light. The decor was beautiful, and really welcoming.

Our server was fantastic. He shared stories of his world travels, how he came to work at EPCOT, and his plans for when his work visa expired. He explained the menu in a way that was easy to understand. He was able to make recommendations based on what he felt we would enjoy.

My parents had tried the poutine. Now, I had never heard of it before and there really wasn't much of a description on the menu. My parents were raving and our waiter explained that it is a dish that is popular in Canada and is essentially fancy cheese fries, sometimes served with gravy. I love cheese fries. They are my guilty pleasure. My kryptonite if you will. So, of course, they had to twist my arm to try them. (insert sarcasm here please)


We got two deferent kinds since our waiter recommended we get two for a group our size. Just before he brought out the poutine he brought us bread that represented the different regions of Canada and butter that had maple sugar on it. You heard me right. The breads were fantastic and all of us were able to sample them.  My boyfriend was so excited by the red wine reduction sauce that he asked for the recipe. We had gotten the signature and the bacon-cheddar. I really enjoyed both of them. But it was the signature poutine with that red wine reduction sauce that won the table over.

We were slightly full by the time our entires arrived. But, when I cut into my steak I was instantly hungry again. 4 out of our 5 steaks were cooked to absolute perfection, just how we wanted. Sadly, my little brother had to send back his steak. Twice. The manager himself brought it out for the third attempt and made sure that it was cooked how he wanted. It happened. I was a little glad it took so long for him to get his dinner, it gave me more time to digest before dessert. There. I said it. I am a horrible sister. I know.



My steak was so tender I didn't need my knife to cut it. There was so much flavor. And the steak itself was a very decent size. The mushroom risotto that it was plated on was amazing as well. I ate all of it. Not even ashamed to admit it. Three of us had gotten the filet mignon and the other two got the rib eye. We all enjoyed that meal. I think we all agreed that it was one of the best meals we have ever had at Disney.

Dessert was great. For the most part we each got something different. My boyfriend was a little disappointed with his, but I think it was just one of those things were the dessert at fancy restaurants isn't exactly what you are expecting it to me. I think he was expecting the strawberry basil float to be a little sweeter. It was good, but not my thing. The maple creme brûlée was fantastic. It had a lot of flavor and was just sweet enough to be dessert. But, it did get stuck in my teeth.

Overall, my one regret is that we didn't get the sampler of ice wine. My boyfriend and I enjoy sampling different wines and beers and we wanted to try as many as we could on the trip. But, it was a little expensive for us and we opted that we would be better off drinking the iced tea with dinner. After all, it was a very hot day out and we most likely were already dehydrated enough without adding alcohol into the mix. But, if I could do it over again I would spend the money to try the ice wine.



I highly recommend giving Le Cellier a try. I loved it. I know that I will be going back again.

Have a magical day!

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

Each spring EPCOT goes through a magical transformation. The entire park comes alive with flowers, butterflies, and life-size topiaries of iconic Disney and Pixar Characters. There are gardens for flowers, herbs, and vegetables. There are dozens of pop-up stands where park guests can purchase products to take home to tend their own gardens or even grow their own Mickey topiaries.

Just about everywhere you can imagine they have added brightly colored flowers. This year they had an exhibit that paid tribute to prehistoric plants. There were even little dinosaur figures in with the plants. The biologist in me was very excited over the fact that they had a bit of mass and it was producing spores. You can tell that all of the plants are very well cared for.

There are talks from experts in gardening and designing back yard spaces. Nearly all of the pop up stands and the existing snack stands have special snacks and drinks for this event. They even have dole whip! (Which previously could only be found at the Magic Kingdom or Polynesian Resort.) A lot of the drinks featured on special were alcoholic, with non-alcoholic versions available as well. Most of them are fruity and perfect for a temporary escape from the heat of the day. 

A lot of the character topiaries are placed in their native lands. In England you could even see Peter Pan on the roof of one of the castles. Though, I will admit that every time I walked by the 'tea garden'  I laughed a little. 

There are spice gardens, vegetable gardens, and even a giant enclosure with countless butterflies. overall the entire event is simply amazing. If you can spare a day to just walk around the park and enjoy all of the festivities you won't regret it. But, trying to see all of the exhibits and ride the rides, and see the attractions might be a little too much for one day and could easily cause the little ones to get burnt out by the end of the day.

If you are lucky enough to visit the parks during the extra magical time take a little extra time to enjoy it. They have some of the same characters each year, but a lot of the topiaries change each year, so it will be different the next time you go. How cool is that?

Have a magical day!