Spring Break Surprise

If you happen to be a long time follower or friend of mine,
you know I LOVE ALL THINGS DISNEY WORLD!!

We have been a number of times,

(Last time just my husband and I went without kids and it was FAB!),

And each time I love it more and more.

This time is extra special, though.

You see, our newest 2 additions have never been, so this will be their first time!!

So we couldn't just say, "hey, we're going to Disney World for spring break.".

Oh no!

We have to do it right.

So we told our kids we're going to Florida to the beach (which isn't exactly a lie since we will be 
spending one day at the beach!).  

We have rented a house and on the first evening there, we're going to play charades.

(You totally get where I'm going with this, right?)

I'll volunteer to go first and act out: "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!"

Best game of charades ever!

I also have little gifts bags to give each of them.

The bags have a small Disney stuffed animal, a gift card for spending, a Disney shirt, and autograph
books.  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!

We'll spend one day in each park and one day at Cocoa Beach, too.  And the house we rented has an
inground pool, so that should keep the kids busy on our off days, too.

Have you been to Disney World and 
how did you tell your kids?

Disney World

Oh friends.

I know it has been far too long.

What can I say?

Life.

Anyhoo...

WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

Again :)

Main Street at Magic Kingdom

I love it so much there.

Maybe even more than my children.

Faith (being silly) and I 

Lots of folks have been asking lots of questions about any tips I might have and things I like/don't like.

So here are a few thoughts:

-We booked directly through the Disney World website this time.  It worked out fine and we got a great deal (free Disney Dining Plan!).  I *never* go to Disney without getting a great deal.  Right now they have a few deals for winter that are decent.  You can check them out here

My girls and Minnie

-As usual, I used All Ears to help plan most of our vacation.  They always have up-to-date info. and the amount of knowledge all things Disney is beyond amazing!

Princess elf ears 

 -We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort this time.  If I'm honest, it wasn't my fave.  It is HUGE and sprawled out.  If we had gone in summer, I think we would have enjoyed it more because the pool looked fun.  But it seems a little older than the others and just not as nice.  I must say that the staff was wonderful, though, and since you don't spend a lot of time in the room, it was fine.

Addy learning some archery

• We have stayed at Port Orleans (Riverside), and All Star Movies and liked those as well.  We have also stayed off property and enjoyed that (but staying on property is ALWAYS better!)

Pocahantas and the girls at Animal Kingdom

• Next time, I want to stay at The Wilderness Lodge.  It's my new favorite location.  Unless it's summer.  Then my favorite would be The Yacht and Beach Club.  And The Boardwalk is fun, too!

The BEAUTIFUL tree at the Wilderness Lodge, (sorry it's a little out of focus...camera phone...)

-This time, we had groceries delivered to our room which helps in eating better and saving money!  We had bananas, water bottles, Gatorade, juice boxes, and crackers in the room and to take to the parks with us.  MUCH cheaper than buying those items at Disney World and we didn't have to pack them, (which is great because the airlines are strict on the 50 lbs. and it is very expensive to pay the overage fee!).  The grocery service we used was Garden Grocer and while it does have a delivery fee and a $40 minimum purchase, it was still worth it when you consider a single bottle of water is about $3 at Disney.  (And I drink A LOT of water these days!).

My hubby and girls at Hollywood Studios

-We also had one of our girls get sick while on the trip.  (Unfortunately, this isn't our first Disney trip that involved an illness).  But this time she had a fever, and I forgot to bring a thermometer :(  Bad Mommy!!

The fireworks at Magic Kingdom

• Plus she had a sore throat.  Since we weren't sure if it was strep or just a viral thing, I started researching our options.  Here's what I found out:  

Addy at The Spectacle of Lights at Hollywood Studios

• Disney will arrange a ride for you to a near by Urgent Care, if you don't have a car (which we didn't).  BUT, chances are, the wait at that Urgent Care is about 3 hours long.  

Snow White and her prince

• I don't know about you, but I had no interest in spending my Disney vacation waiting in an Urgent Care while we picked up some other little illness to take back to the fam.  Our other option was to pay for a doctor to come to the room.  

• You read that right.

The girls and Belle at The Story Book Princess lunch in Norway at Epcot

• At Disney, a doctor will make house calls!!!  (or hotel calls if you will...)

• But just like every other thing at Disney, it will cost you.

• About $300 to be exact.

The girls and Merida from Brave.  I think this is who they were most excited to see this time!

• But if you've saved your money, spent a gazillion hours planning your perfect vacation, and don't want to see that all slip away, sometimes you're willing to just pony up the cash and get on with it.

The Castle at night during the show.  SO COOL!!

• Which is what we did.

Minnie and Mickey during the Once Upon a Christmas Parade

• And I'm glad we did because the doctor came right away, dispensed an antibiotic right in the room, and we were out at the parks within 2 hours!

the girls and Donald in Mexico at Epcot

• The Magic of Disney!!

Ahhh yes....Let the Memories Begin

-As usual, we did the Disney Dining plan.  I am a BIG fan of this plan if you have a family and know that you'll want to do sit-down or character meals etc.  BUT, if you don't care about any of that, then the dining plan probably won't save you much, if any, money.

The Fairy Godmother and Faith

• And if you ARE doing sit-down or character meals, make your reservations early!!!  Pretty much everything books up fast, but especially Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, Princess Story Book, and Chef Mickey's.

Faith and I at the 50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios.  Such a great restaurant!  Just like home!  (Well, if you grew up in the 50's I guess...)

• Quick Note: Be Our Guest (the restaurant in the new Fantasyland area), is quick service dining for lunch.  Which means, no reservation required!  We did this option and it's what we will do again!  No wasting a table service credit and still get great food and the experience of eating in the Beast's Castle!

The enchanted rose in The Beast's Castle

• Oh!  And another thing we discovered at Magic Kingdom: the Dole Whip!!  How in THE WORLD had I never tried this before???  I have no idea.  But this time, we did try it, and it will be the first thing I get when I go again!!  You can grab one in MK at Aloha Isle in Adventureland!

-I used a great app this time on our trip and it really did work out well!  It's called WDW Touring and you can subscribe at TouringPlans.com

Cinderella and her prince in their carriage

• It cost $11.95 for a one year subscription and you can download park plans, or create your own.  Just choose which attractions you want to see, breaks, meals etc. and then it will optimize it for you, based on wait times etc., and tell you which order you should ride/get fast passes etc.  It also has menu's for all the restaurants, wait times, park hours, which parks are most crowded, and where characters are located in the park!  It was a lifesaver for us and I will definitely use it again when we go.

the girls and Tinker Bell

-As it was right after Thanksgiving, we were able to enjoy all the Disney Christmas decorations that were up.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!!  We did the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (which, by the way, is not included in admission and requires an extra ticket!).  It was totally worth it and our family loved it.

Faith at a dance party with Pluto and friends during the Christmas Party

• BUT, if you don't want to pay the extra fee, just hop over to Hollywood Studios and see the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights!  It IS included in admission and it really is magical.

Spectacle of Lights at Hollywood Studios

-One of the fun things we did this time is visit some of the resorts we hadn't been to yet, and eat at their on-site restaurants!

Little girl in a Big chair at the Wilderness Lodge

• At The Wilderness Lodge, I would *highly* recommend Whispering Canyons Cafe!  Servers are lots of fun, they have all-you-can-drink milkshakes (included with your meal!), and the food is yummy!  After you're done, walk around the beautiful resort and then take a boat ride back to Magic Kingdom!

he swore never to wear a Mickey shirt...until I made him :)

• We also ate at Beaches and Cream at the Yacht and Beach club.  It's like a true 50's style Diner...jukebox and all!  We sat at the counter, which the girls thought was fab!  And while dinner was good, the stars at this restaurant are the desserts!!  My hubby and I shared the Milky Way sundae and it was worth every single calorie.  

The Milky Way Sundae at Beaches and Cream

• (And while I have no idea how many calories there were, I'm sure it was about 3 days worth.  And it was still worth it!)

Expedition Everest at Epcot!  I even got Addy to ride with me this time!

Hmmm, that's about all I can think of for now.  But if you have specific questions, fire them off!  I LOVE to talk about Disney and would be happy to share :)

Disney Disney Disney

My little Princesses

Ya'll know how much I love Disney World!

It's my real life happy place.

Nothing bad happens at Disney, right?!

(Oh yeah, except when my kid got the stomach flu there the last time and we spent 3 days of our vacation in the hotel room with her puking her guts out.)

But never mind all that.

I am excited to tell you that we will be going to Disney World again this November, and OHHH how excited I am!!

We'll get to try lots of new things this time because 1. ) they are opening a whole load of new stuff like the Be Our Guest Restaurant from Beauty and The Beast, Celebrate The Magic, Enchanted Tales With Belle, and Under The Sea- Journey of The Little Mermaid, (click here to find out about all the new stuff!) and 2.) because both girls are tall enough to ride almost every ride at every park now!!

Plus, that feeling, when you walk into the Magic Kingdom, is indescribable.

The first time we took Addy, I cried.

Why?

Because I'm an emotional basket case.

But also because I think taking your kids to Disney World is something that almost every parent dreams of.

I never got to go as a kid and I always felt like I was missing out on a kind of right of passage.

And I just knew that when I became a parent, I wouldn't let them miss out on that opportunity.

(BTW, don't feel too sorry for me.  I got to do lots of other fun vacations as a kid, and even go to Italy when I was in High School.  Rough life, I know).

So when we walked into The Magic Kingdom with her, it was as if I had fulfilled that promise to myself and was able to make one of her very first dreams come true.

Our first visit with Addy when she was 4

And that's what Disney is about.

Making dreams come true.

You want to be a princess?

Then that's what you are!

How about a Pirate?

Yep!

And you want to spin in a saucer, fly on an elephant and ride a magic carpet?

You can do all that, too.

It truly is Magical.

And also, we are getting a great deal.

Which makes it Magical for our bank account, also.

If you are interested in planing a Disney trip of your own, check out their site here.

(And I am NOT an affiliate or making any money off of this recommendation!  I just REALLY love Disney!)

So tell me, have you been to Disney World?  Are you a Disney freak like me?  What's your favorite part?  

Dreaming of The Beach

My family decided a few weeks ago that we would spend our spring break in Destin, FL!

(Now, before you get too excited, I should share that when I say 'my family' I mean my WHOLE family...sisters, nieces and nephews, grandparents, everyone.  Should be interesting.)

I have never been to Destin and I am SUPER excited!

I have heard such great things about it and I am already planning out the details.  So far, people have told me that we have to go to Seaside, must take the kids to Fudpuckers, and need to try Pompano Joes.  We're planning for all of that!

And who knows if it will be warm enough to swim, (we'll be there the first week of April), but you'd better bet that I will be spending a good amount of time on the beach anyway.

There's just something about being able to kick off your shoes, put your toes into the sand, and stroll along the waves while looking out into those great big waters.  It allows you to let everything else go and just appreciate that moment. 

I cannot wait!!!!

So tell me, have you been to Destin before?  Have any suggestions for activities we MUST try?  What are your plans for Spring Break?

Free Friday's at The Cincinnati Museum Center

As I have said before, I am always on the lookout for FREE activities for my family.  One activity that we have taken advantage of in the past are the FREE Friday's at The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. 

These are usually in the summer and offer free admission for everyone from 4-8pm.  This year, the dates for FREE Friday's are:  June 3rd, July 8th, August 5th and September 9th. 

This year Free Fridays include the Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum and Duke Energy Children’s Museum. Cleopatra, OMNIMAX, and parking are extra. 

Parking is $6 per vehicle ($4 per vehicle after 4:30pm), and OMNIMAX Theater is $7.50 adults, $6.50 seniors and $5.50 children (ages 3-12).  Cleopatra is Adult: $23, Child: $15, Senior: $19 Member Adult: $14, Member Child: $10

The Cincy Museum Center if a REALLY FUN place to go, and my girls especially love the Children's Museum.  It is made up of four areas, which are:  Kid's Town, Little Sprouts Farm, Energy Zone, and The Woods.  Plus, there is a Water Play area that all children love, (parents-not so much!). 

And if you need snacks while you're there, no worries. They've got you covered!  The food court offers two options: Track One Pizza that serves pizza slices and bread sticks; and the Gateway Cafe, which offers sandwiches, hamburgers and hotdogs, soup, salads and more. Food is generally available during museum hours. Drink machines and snack machines are available in the concourse area of the Rotunda.

Enjoy the Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor for something sweet. It's open until 5pm on Friday's. 

So mark your calendars now and plan to visit the Museum Center this summer...and I'm sure you'll see us there, too!

EnterTRAINment Junction Review

This past weekend, an awesome family that we are lucky enough to be friends with invited us to Entertrainment Junction, which is a Huge Model Train Display and Family Entertainment Center, in West Chester, Ohio.

Our Awesome Friends...The James'

They have Season Passes, and this month, they could bring a friend for FREE.  And since we are so happenin' and fun, they invited us! 

We were excited to go, but I was kind of wondering how much fun my girls would have since, well, they are girls. 

Girls who aren't really into trains.

But no need to worry.  My girls thought it was WAY COOL!

The first thing you see when you come in is this really cool old train station looking area.  It is actually a snack bar/eating area, and a gift shop, but it looks so neat..very nostalgic! 

After you pay, (which is normally $12.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids 3-12.  3 and under are free),  you go into the Train Journey, which is the World's Largest Indoor Train Display!  I was extremely impressed, as were the girls. This exhibit runs throughout the entire building, so it is expansive, and the amount of detail is extraordinary...truly something you should see in person!

There is also an area called Imagination Junction, which is a Children's Interactive Play area.  Think McDonald's Play land with a train theme.  They had a tunnel/slide thing, a small train ride, (that is $1 per ride), and a few other play things. 

The kids loved this area because they could run and get a bunch of energy out.  There were also benches for parents, so it was a nice break for us too! 

Another nice feature is that there was a separate place for Toddlers or younger kids within the play area, so that they didn't get trampled on, and that has toys etc. geared more for their age group.  There were also nice bathrooms located here so that parents don't have to go far, which definitely came in handy. 

***One note I would make is to make sure you bring socks, (if your kids aren't already wearing them!), if you plan to play in Imagination Junction.  They are required.

There was also the American Railroading Museum located within the exhibit, which I honestly didn't get to see much of.  My girls aren't really patient enough to stop and let me read about things of actual importance, (but if it were a Barbie or Princess museum, they would have been all over that business!).

The kids also enjoyed some outside rides that they had available.  The rides package is an additional $3 per person and it includes unlimited rides during posted times.

An interesting and new addition to Entertrainment Junction this year, is the Fun House!  This is a carnival like experience that includes a Mirror Maze, Clown College, (which had a tilt room and Ames room), Outer Limits, (which has the Claustrophobic Hall, The Vortex Tunnel, and a Black Light Room), and Curtain Chaos.  This is an additional $9.95 per person for this experience, but totally worth it! 

The Fun House was a hit for sure with our crew!  Even the grownups got in on the fun.

I would say that no matter if you have boys or girls, this place should for sure be on your to-do list!  I know it sounds pricey after you add on all the stuff, (although the Season Pass is only $175 for a family of 4, which is a great deal for how much we would go!), but it really is so much fun!

Our girls got to experience something they didn't even know they were interested in, and we got to watch them having a blast with their friends.