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My sister and I new we wanted to make our own Mickey Ears this year, but I had absolutely no idea what theme I wanted to do. After lots of research, I just knew I had to do Barbie. I never see ANY Barbie ears and, let’s face it, we all know I love Barbie. I just bought a couple barbie items, so making Barbie ears only seemed fitting. I think they turned out SO cute. If you are going to Disney, I highly encourage you to create your own ears. This was such a fun project.
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If you have followed along with me since day one, you will know that my family and I are quite the Disney FREAKS; I mean that in the best way possible. We initially started going when I was itty bitty. I grew up in the beautiful city of Torrance, California (right outside of Los Angeles). Because of this, we frequented DisneyLand a TON. I have so many amazing memories there. We then moved to Texas when I was 5 1/2, so Disney wasn’t a monthly occurrence anymore (lol).
When I was about to graduate from college, the family and I started thinking about places to go to celebrate this milestone. My sister, who loves Disney even more than I do, brought up the idea of going to Disney World in Florida. And now, for the past 3 years we have been going back every year! This will be our third trip there! There’s nothing better than Mickey Mouse. He sure does have a way of making your dreams feel like they could come true, no matter how crazy they might be!
When it comes to planning a Disney Vacation, it can be a little overwhelming. What do you do? Where should you eat? What is an absolute MUST?! There are so many amazing parts of DisneyWorld, so it can be tempting to try to squeeze it all in at once. While we did take advantage of the great planning system and amazing planning tools Disney offers, we also left room for exploring, spontaneity, and adventure.
Hotel
For this trip, we stayed at The Wilderness Lodge, basically on the Magic Kingdom property. It was SO awesome being so close to MK. This made transportation there such a breeze. We were even able to ride a boat there instead of take a bus. NOW THAT was fun. You can just hop on a boat in Dallas!
The Lodge itself was so adorable. This place is ideal for those that love the camping environment. They even have a special camp ground for those that want to experience true camping. My family didn’t…but that is still an option. The rooms were large and very nice, and the dining options were good too. Honestly, the resort coffee was better than getting Starbucks…and coming from me, that’s saying something!
Restaurants
SO many great restaurants. Honestly, I don’t know if I could pick a favorite. But…here is a short list of some good ones we went to!
1. Tony’s (Lady and the Tramp!)
This one was SO cute. Located right on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, Tony’s resembles the restaurant from Lady and the Tramp. As you could probably guess, this restaurant is Italian and SO cute. My sister and I always split the spaghetti and meatball dish. Portions are perfect for two. They also play the movie all day long in the lobby! Such a great way to get in the spirit of things!
This restaurant is also the perfect location for fireworks viewing. You could get a dinner reservation for 7 and have the ideal location to see the firework display that goes off at 9. THE FIREWORKS ARE AMAZING, so definitely don’t miss out on that!
2. Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)
This one is one of my TOP restaurants. This is also located in the Magic Kingdom. Not only do you get to eat in the castle from the movie, but they also serve you items that resemble the menu from the scene! They even have this (amazing) desert that features the “Gray Stuff”….and it SURE is delicious.
When dining, you can eat in 3 different rooms; The West Wing, Ballroom, or this random room in the castle that isn’t actually in the movie. LOL. All are great, but my favorite is probably The Ballroom. If you eat dinner there, you may even get to have a meet & greet with The Beast himself!
Such a gorgeous restaurant. This restaurant is actually located at a hotel, the Grand Floridian (most expensive, nice, and impressive hotels DisneyWorld offers). This is located just across the lagoon facing the Magic Kingdom. While we didn’t eat here this trip, we have in the past and it is AMAZING. Great food, great service, and the perfect view for fireworks. They actually have the firework music playing throughout the restaurant and on the dock so that when you are watching the fireworks, you can still hear the music that plays along with it.
This restaurant is more of the special occasion, fancy restaurants Disney offers. Great excuse to breakout that dress and heels!
THE BEST Mexican Restaurant in Epcot. It is located inside the Aztec looking monument (haha!). The lighting is very dark and “romantic” with lanterns serving at lights. GORGEOUS set up, boat rides going through the restaurant, and amazing food. My sister and I split this spinach salad that has us craving it daily. We didn’t get one, but I hear that margaritas are just ah-mazing.
Park Food
When it comes to Park Food, I am definitely not an expert on what is good. HOWEVER, we did try some great stuff that gets a lot of attention on Disney blogs and instagrams. There are so many options that it can be a little overwhelming. My best advice for those that want to try a little bit of everything; SHARE. It is very easy to get stuffed off of park snacks and then have no room for meals. My sister and I split almost everything. Not only is it way more cost effective, but it allows us to try different things without unzipping our pants. HA!
1.School Bread
Located at Epcot in the Norway pavilion, the School Bread snack was just so yummy!!! It isn’t too sweet, so if you don’t feel like having a dessert at 3pm, this is the perfect snack to share. It’s consistency is a cross between a donut and a cinnamon roll. It has flavors of cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut. SO good and the frosting is a fun treat. It is also a traditional Norwegian snack that kids used to bring school (hence the name) so it felt like we were traveling to Norway…without breaking the bank. LOL. Epcot is full of wonderful pavilions that feature so many different countries. They call it “The World Showcase”. Many people just like to walk around the circle and try different food and drinks from al the pavilions. SUPER fun.
2. Dole Whip
My sister was raving about this and I didn’t exactly know why…that is, until I tried it. SO yummy. If you are looking for a light and refreshing snack (Florida is HOT and humid), this will be a great go-to. It is basically pineapple soft serve ice cream. SO good. We had this at the Magic Kingdom, but they have Dole Whip stations all over Disney World.
Final Thoughts
The great thing about going to DisneyWorld is that it is SO easy to plan a fun getaway. Being able to relax, unwind, and enjoy some fantasy magic is such a therapeutic thing, no matter how old you might be. I get asked this ALL the time; “Why do you like going to Disney World?” I think many people see me being a 24 year old adult and question why Disney would be an ideal vacation. Well, it is honestly quite cost effective, brings joy to your life, allows you to dream, provides so much entertainment, and is organized so smoothly that it allows the guest to simply relax and enjoy the moment. I honestly have more fun going now that I am older than when I was significantly younger. It would be SUCH a fun place to go for a Bachelorette Party, friend trip, we see lots of Honeymooners there, couples celebrating retirements, birthdays, graduations, and everything in between. If you are considering planning a Disney Vacation, DO IT! It is absolutely worth it. You are able to plan everything from your flight, transportation, hotel, eating, everything through on site. EASY and cost effective. #NOTsponsored
You are never too old for a little magic. If you have had a Disney Vacation, what places do you recommend?
