Planning a Disney vacation can be a daunting task! With advance planning and these tips, you can have the best Disney vacation ever!

Decide when to go – A little online research or the help of a Travel Agent can help you choose the best time of year to visit. Of course, your vacation schedule may depend on work or school but pick a less-crowded season if at all possible. Plan to stay as long as your budget will allow.

Decide where to stay – The benefits of staying at a Disney Resort are endless! By choosing a Deluxe Resort, you’ll be closer to the parks and enjoy more amenities. If you select a Moderate or Value Resort, you may be able to stay longer and still be able to enjoy all the perks of staying onsite. By building some ‘down time’ into the trip, you can enjoy the pool and other amenities of your resort.

Learn about the parks before you leave home – Make yourself familiar with the layout of the park by ordering free customized maps from Disney’s website.  Or, invest in a current travel guide from the bookstore. You’ll save valuable park time by knowing in advance where you’re going and how to get there.

Start your packing list early – While you don’t need to take the ‘kitchen sink’, there are things you will need to carry along. By making a list, you will be certain to have important things like your phone charger, sunscreen and ponchos when you need them.  Trust me, you’ll need them!

Condition your body – A complaint I often hear from guests is how much their feet hurt from so much walking.  Start a walking regimen before leaving home and your body will thank you.  Be sure to take your most comfortable shoes along – don’t buy new ones for the occasion!

Have realistic expectations – While it’s important to make advance reservations for dining and attractions, allow enough flexibility for spur of the moment entertainment, meltdowns and bathroom breaks. Realize that you just can’t do it all… this time!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is a proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Your family can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast any time of year at Liberty Tree Tavern at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park!  Located in the Liberty Square area of the park, Liberty Tree Tavern is a quiet refuge in a traditional colonial-style setting, away from the hustle and bustle of the park.

 

The restaurant is filled with decor that will take you back to the days of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. As you step into the wood paneled lobby, there are beautiful, large candelabra chandeliers and fireplaces with portraits and artifacts from American heroes. Your family will be formally announced and escorted to one of six colonial dining rooms featuring prominent figures in American History:

• Thomas Jefferson
• John Paul Jones
• Benjamin Franklin
• Paul Revere
• Betsy Ross
• George Washington

Traditional fare can be ordered from a menu for lunch. Try the tavern keeper favorite, the New England Pot Roast or the lighter Colony Salad.  For a Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime, the Patriot’s Platter includes turkey, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. All are delicious! Dinner is an all-you-care-to-eat feast featuring a family-style traditional Thanksgiving dinner! It comes with roast turkey, carved beef, pork tenderloin, stuffing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese along with seasonal vegetables. Dessert is also included for dinner-if you have room for it!

Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days prior to your visit. Step back in time and make sure to visit to Liberty Tree Tavern and gobble up a memorable feast during your next Walt Disney World vacation!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Some foods are unique to Disney but you can recreate a little Disney magic in your own kitchen.  It’s a great way to ward off the post-Disney World vacation depression. It’s also fun to prepare Disney recipes leading up to a much anticipated trip!

Tonga Toast is served at Kona Café and Capt. Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Filled with bananas and topped with cinnamon sugar, it’s a sweet start to your day!

Tonga Toast Recipe

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Sugar-Cinnamon Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Batter Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Tonga Toast Ingredients:
1 quart canola oil, for frying
1 loaf sourdough bread (uncut, 12 inches long)
2 large bananas, peeled

Instructions:
For cinnamon-sugar:
1. Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl (large enough to roll toast) with a fork until thoroughly blended. Set aside.

For batter:
1. Whip eggs in medium bowl (large enough to dip toast) until well beaten. Add milk, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

For Tonga toast:
1. Preheat oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or a deep fryer. (If using a large pot, use a candy thermometer to make certain the oil does not get any hotter or it will burn.)
2. Slice the bread into four three-inch-thick slices.
3. Cut each banana in half crosswise, then each piece lengthwise.
4. Place a bread slice flat on the counter and tear out just enough from the middle (do not tear all the way through) to stuff half a banana into; repeat with each bread slice.
5. Dip stuffed bread into batter, covering both sides, allowing excess batter to drip off bread and place carefully into hot oil.
6. Cook 4-5 minutes until golden brown. If needed, turn toast over after 2 minutes and cook for another 2 minutes on other side. Remove and drain excess oil.
7. Roll toast in cinnamon-sugar. Repeat for each piece of toast.

Recipe courtesy of  Taste of Disney

Try some Tonga Toast this weekend for breakfast!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

A walk down Main Street USA at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park would not be complete without a stop at the Main Street Confectionery.  You will find it near the entrance just past Town Square on the right hand corner. The sweet aroma will draw you inside for some magical Disney treats!

 

Here, you will find a huge variety of every type of sweetness imaginable!

• Boxed Candy
• Bagged Candy
• Jelly Bean Selections
• Boxed Cookies
• Fresh Baked Goods and Candies
• Giant Crispy Treats
• Goofy’s Sour Candy Station
• Cold Drinks
• And much more!

Disney Cast Members prepare treats in an open kitchen where you can watch as they create and decorate goodies right before your eyes! The old-fashioned candy shop is crisp, clean, bright and colorful with a vast array of pre-packaged goodies as well as an ordering station at the rear of the store with freshly made items. Be sure to look overhead at the conveyor system that moves little baskets of candy – it’s so cute! You will also find adorable limited-time seasonal goodies. Main Street Confectionery is filled with all types of sugary goodness — giant cookies, peanut brittle, cotton candy, fudge, specialty candy apples, cupcakes and more…so much more!

 

You can get a giant lollipop, bulk candy including Jelly Belly jelly beans, rock candy, chocolate candy and even a bit of sugar-free candy.  Be sure to try one of the chocolate dipped strawberries. The choices of fun Disney-themed confections are endless! On occasion, free samples are offered.

 

Be sure and make time to satisfy your sweet tooth and make some sweet memories at the Main Street Confectionery during your next visit to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

1. The Buena Vista Theatre is the place to be to watch all of the first run movies onboard the ship. The theatre is based on the three theatres that premiered Snow White.
2. The Mystery of the Black Hull: When Disney was designing the Disney Magic they wanted the ship to look like a classic oceanliner and stick to the color scheme of Mickey Mouse. Classic ships had a black hull but Disney thought black looked too gloomy. They found the color they wanted when a Disney employee named Monica entered the room wearing dark blue pants. Thanks to Monica the hull of the ship is painted Monica Blue.
3. Deck 5 is kid sized. The Oceaneer’s Club, Oceaneer’s Lab, and Nursery are located on Deck 5. There are lots of super sized toys in the youth clubs and you will notice that Deck 5 is not quite as tall as the other decks.
4. Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line with rotational dining. Guests rotate between three different themed restaurants throughout their cruise while being served by the same service team in each location.
5. Disney received special permission from the U.S. Coast Guard to paint their lifeboats yellow instead of the traditional orange to keep with the Mickey Mouse color scheme.

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over ten cruises taken on the Disney Fantasy, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up for some fun shopping and tasty treats during your next visit to Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park!  Big Top Souvenirs is located in the Storybook Circus area of New Fantasyland, just a stone’s throw away from the Dumbo attraction. There is something fun for everyone at this huge, authentic-looking circus tent, themed after a grand circus of the 1940’s.

 

As you take a look inside Big Top Souvenirs you will feel like you’ve just entered a real circus arena! There are lights, rope ladders, trapezes and tightropes. The floor looks to be made of hand-sewn canvas. Disney merchandise is displayed in old-fashioned circus train cars, complete with wheels! Even the friendly Cast Members are dressed in adorable circus attire!

Goofy’s Glaciers, cold drinks, candy apples, cotton candy, cupcakes, caramel corn, fudge, cookies, cake pops, and other colorful bakery items are available along with a ton of Disney themed merchandise. Here are some other things you will find here:

• Toys
• Wide assortment of hats
• Pre-packaged flavored popcorn and candy
• Accessories
• Children’s clothing
• Personalized ear hats
• Home decor

Disney Cast Members are always busy as they create incredible candy apples and decorate other tempting confections at the Big Top Treats open show kitchen in the center of the tent. During our recent visit, our young grandson was mesmerized as he watched a Cast Member  decorate cake pops and marshmallow treats with neon-colored sugar. As he looked on, the friendly Cast Member paused from her duties to create a little Disney “magic”.  She asked what color he liked best and then prepared a tiny marshamallow treat just for him! I’m not sure how often they do this but it was a magical moment for us!

So…Come one, come all and step right up for some great snacks and fantastic merchandise at Big Top Souvenirs! Be sure to make a stop during your next Walt Disney World vacation.

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Getting ready for your Disney Cruise vacation is such an exciting time. Here are a few tips to help you prepare to set sail for your amazing Disney Cruise.

1. Create a Packing List– Create a packing list based on the recommendations Disney provides in the planning center. Check off the items on your list as you pack your suitcase to make sure you bring everything you need. Don’t forget to pack a pirate costume for Pirate Night.
2. Pack a Carry-On– It could be several hours before you get your bags on embarkation day. If you want to enjoy the pool, make sure you put a swimsuit and some sunscreen in your carry-on bags. You should also make sure you have all of the documents you need to board in your carry on. Guests can bring alcohol onboard. Alcohol must be packed in your carry-on bag when you board the ship.
3. Prepare for Shopping– There will be plenty of opportunities to shop during your cruise vacation. If you do not travel very often make sure you call you bank and let them know your plans. You don’t want your card denied when you find that perfect souvenir. You can also purchase Disney gift cards to pay for onboard expenses. You can purchase gift cards at a discount at Sam’s Club or use your Target REDcard to save money on gift cards.
4. Book Shore Excursions– The best shore excursions fill up quickly. Disney allows you to book shore excursions 75 days before your cruise. Castaway Club and Concierge Level guests can book shore excursions 90-125 days prior to sailing.
5. Make Onboard Reservations– Adult dining reservations at Palo and Remy are the perfect way to celebrate an anniversary or birthday. Spa, fitness, and nursery reservations can also be made in advance. Spaces are limited so take advantage of online booking.

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over ten cruises taken on the Disney Fantasy, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.

Expedition Everest is a thrilling roller coaster ride located in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World in Central Florida. The mountain peak is a little less than 200 feet tall, the tallest of all the mountains at the Disney parks! Thrill seekers will delight on their journey aboard a runaway train through the mountains of the Himalayas.

Disney Imagineers worked hard to create a very detailed experience for this attraction. The design and architecture were chosen to immerse you in a setting that is incredibly realistic. As you enter the Tibetan-style building at the foot of Mt. Everest, you will see the booking office of Himalayan Escapes – Tours and Expeditions. After wandering past a temple and general store, you will be able to explore a museum dedicated to the study of the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman.  Be sure and take time to explore the artifacts, pictures and manuscripts.

Once you’ve climbed aboard your 34 passenger steam-engine tea train, hold on to your hat! As you climb the incline, you will get a nice view of the park. When you reach the top, you’ll go through high speed twists and turns through the mountain – faster and faster until…Screech!  Your train comes to a sudden halt. In front of you is a twisted and broken track. Suddenly, you will start flying backwards through the dark mountain!  Along the way, there’s the shadow of …you guessed it, the fierce and mighty Yeti. The train stops again and begins to fly forward, plummeting down an 80-foot drop and through more twists and unexpected turns.

While Expedition Everest is a fairly tame roller coaster ride, some parts may be frightening for younger children. It does not go upside-down. Guests must be 44 inches tall to ride.

Are you ready to take on the Yeti during your next Walt Disney World Vacation?

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Disney Cruise Line knows how to cater to kids of all ages. Teens have several spaces designed just for them on the Disney Dream. Let’s explore some of the teen hot spots.

Vibe: Vibe is the teen area for youth ages 14-17. Vibe is open from 11am-2am. Teens can watch movies on the 103-inch LCD screen, play video games, or engage in one of the unique activities led by the youth counselors. There’s a stage for karaoke, talent shows, and dance competitions. Vibe even has its own private pool deck with two splash pools, pop jets, misters, and fountains. Deck games include foosball, a giant checkerboard, and ping pong.

Chill Spa: The Chill Spa is a teen only area in the Senses Spa. All of the treatments in the Chill Spa are designed for youth ages 13-17 such as the Acne Attack Facial, Surfer’s Scrub, or Ice Cream Manicure and Pedicure. Reservations can be made after 1pm on the first day of your cruise.

The Hide Out: The Hide Out is the teen only area on Disney’s Castaway Cay. Teens can kayak, take a bike ride, play sports in the sand, snorkel, or just hang out.

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over ten cruises taken on the Disney Fantasy, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.