Okay, so two of my all time favorite things at Disney are 1) Special and unique experiences, and 2) FOOD!!!!
There are so many opportunities for special experiences at Disney and there is amazing food where ever you turn! So today’s tip involves both! Check out Goofy’s Candy Company and you can not only choose your own treat, but you can also watch them make it!
Create your own treat order form
So where can you find these delicious treats being made and created??? For this fun and yummy experience, head to Goofy’s Candy Company, located in the marketplace area of Downtown Disney!
This video is not of them making a personalized treat, but is still super cool! I recorded this on my trip in January 2015.
Interested in planning your own unique Disney experiences? Why not let a travel professional help you plan your trip?! Contact Ashley @Charmingtravelsllc.com today for your free quote! Her planning services are free of charge!
Today was another exciting day at Disney! And we had an amazing time even though we weren’t in the parks today!
We started by heading to 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. This was a wonderful character breakfast with Mary Poppins, Alice, Tigger, Pooh, and The Mad Hatter! They had a great food selection at the buffet, the Mad Hatter Juice was AMAZING (Orange, Guava, and Passion Fruit). The Mad Hatter was absolutely hilarious! He had us in stitches!
In our original plan we were going to head to a water park today, but after all that food, and the adventures we’ve had the last few days (and the weather didn’t look so “magical”) we opted to head back to the French Quarter for some R&R! We napped and while we were napping the most magical thing happened, the weather cleared and it got beautiful outside!!! We were able to spend some time at our amazing resort pool!
For the evening we went to Downtown Disney and saw Cirque de Soleil La Nouba. It was so incredible! Amazing artistry, acrobatics, and something I didn’t expect- funny!!! Super fun show!
We ended the evening with dinner at Cookes of Dublin (attached to Raglan Road) and some shopping!
A low key day was just what we needed… The next two days are park days, so the rest was needed!
Confessions of a Mouskaholic’s 30 Day Disney Challenge
There are tons of great experiences to be had both in the parks and outside of the parks.
By far my favorite experience was going to Downtown Disney and Raglan Road with my Mom and my Aunt during our trip this past January. This was an incredibly special trip for me. I was traveling for the RunDisney Marathon weekend, and my husband didn’t have enough vacation time to travel with me. I decided to invite my Mom and Aunt to go with me, and I’m so glad that I did. It had been 15 years since my Mom’s last trip to Disney, and my Aunt had never been to Disney.
My Aunt has always had an affinity for the culture of the United Kingdom. So when I knew we were going to spend time at Downtown Disney I made sure to make reservations for Raglan Road (Click Here to read my review of Raglan Road).
For me the greatest joy was watching my Aunt enjoy the Irish food, beverages, and dancing at Raglan Road. We were seated right by the stage and had a perfect view!
Sometimes the greatest pleasures at Disney come from spending time with family and making memories that last a life time. Don’t be afraid to spend time away from the parks, and slow down and enjoy.
Here is a video of some of the dancing we saw at Raglan Road (did I mention we had amazing seats!)
And just because, here is a video of my Aunt as we were leaving enjoying the live music outside the restaurant
If you’re interested in planning your own trip to Disney World and experiencing all that it has to offer, be sure to contact Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com
Her services are always free of charge! Contact her today for your free quote!
Confessions of a Mouskaholic’s 30 Day Disney Challenge
There is SO much to do and see (and eat!) at Downtown Disney, but hands down my favorite location at Downtown Disney is the “World of Disney.” I know yesterdays was “Favorite Gift Shop” and I purposefully left World of Disney off my list, because I was saving it for today! It is massive and an amazing spot to find just about anything you could want to find that is Disney themed! I think that World of Disney is the essence of Downtown Disney, and I can’t imagine going to DD without a visit to that store!
World of Disney
If you’re getting ready to plan your own Disney vacation, be sure to contact Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com . She can help you with all of your planning needs and her services are always free of charge! Email her today for your free quote!
Confessions of a Mouskaholic’s 30 Day Disney Challenge
I really should have pluralized a bunch of the categories on the list, because today is yet another hard decision for me. With that being said, I think I’m going to have to go with favorite gift “shops” instead of just one shop. So, away we go!
Magic Kingdom- The Emporium is my favorite gift shop there. It is the largest gift shoppe at Magic Kingdom and has a little bit of everything. There isn’t a real specific theme to the shop, just a lot of Disney apparel, mugs, Mickey Ears, and general touristy souvenirs. I love to stroll through the Emporium on a hot day to escape the heat for a little while and just check out what they have to offer 🙂
The Emporium at Magic Kingdom
Epcot- Mitsukoshi Department Store, is fabulous. It is located in the World Showcase’s Japan Pavilion. It is HUGE and there is a ton to look at. It has a lot of nick nacks, and is just really fun to check out. They have a wide assortment of Japanese snacks and candy, which is always fun to try, as well as a spot to purchase sake flights. Perhaps my favorite part is watching someone pick a pearl! Click here to read my post (and watch a video) of me picking my pearl in January!
Mitsukoshi Department Store- Epcot
Hollywood Studios- Tatooine Traders is the gift shop at the end of the Star Tours ride. I LOVE Star Wars, and this gift shop is like geek haven. I always end up buying a t-shirt for my brother and saving it for his Christmas gift 🙂 Oh and for added fun, build your own lightsaber!
Tatooine Traders at Hollywood Studios
Downtown Disney– Disney’s Days of Christmas is located in the Marketplace at Downtown Disney and is a must stop place for me on each trip. My husband and I have a tree in our living room and all the ornaments are Black, White, Maroon, and Silver (the colors in the room). It is stunningly beautiful, and every trip we make to Disney, we love to look through this store to find a new ornament for our tree! It is a little difficult at times to find one that fits the theming of the tree, but that makes each one more special and unique! (Click Here to view my ornaments purchased at Disney’s Days of Christmas)
Disney’s Days of Christmas- Located at Downtown Disney
If you’re interested in planning your own trip to check out the amazing shops that Disney has to offer, be sure to contact Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com. Her planning services are always free of charge! Take the hassle out of your planning! Contact her today for your free quote!
Raglan Road has a very special place in my heart. I ate at Raglan Road after running my very first marathon back in January 2011. My husband and I had only been to Disney twice as a married couple, and were not quite as Disney savvy as we are now. While we did stay on property for this trip, we didn’t know much about the Disney dining plan. Our very first time we did just order appetizers, buy WOW WOW WOW were we impressed! (Seriously, try “Smokie City”). One could assume that after running 26.2 miles that just about anything would taste wonderful, and that is probably some what true, but the food was definitely awesome
Raglan Rd after 2011 Disney Marathon
The comfy chair was a post race blessing!
We had such an amazing time on that short trip for the marathon weekend that we went again that summer. This time around we were on the dining plan, and certainly enjoyed the entrees!
Starting out at Raglan Road you’ll be served Irish brown bread with an amazing Guinness reduction. (My mouth is watering as I type)
Raglan Road Irish Brown Bread
While the appetizers are not included on the dining plan I do have to recommend two appetizers because they’re just too good not to mention. Smokie City (as I mentioned before) and the Mighty Mussels. Smokie City is creamy smoked haddock & Dubliner cheese dip with potatoes, tomatoes & crostinis. Don’t let the fact that it has smoked fish throw you for a loop, it’s totally cheesy and totally worth it. It’s definitely big enough to share too! The Mighty Mussels are 1/2 lb. of fresh Blue Hill Bay mussels in a coconut infused curry broth, and are absolutely amazing. The coconut curry broth really has a unique flavor that will leave you craving more!
Smokie City
Now for the entrees, I don’t even know where to begin as far as making a recommendation. The entree menu is quite large. Generally in the restaurants they offer 6-8 entree options. Raglan Road offers 21 entree options as well as 6 entree sized salads. The average price for an entree is between $16 and $30, depending on what you’re in the mood for.
The Disney Dining plan is accepted here, and counts as a table service credit (includes a beverage, entree, and dessert).
The last WONDERFUL thing that I will mention about Raglan Road is the live entertainment! You may catch a live band while you’re there like we did during our first experience, or perhaps an Irish dance performance!
There are lots of amazing restaurants to choose from at Downtown Disney, but Raglan Road is definitely worth the time!
For help planning your own Disney trip be sure to contact Ashley with Charming Travels LLC. She can help you with all your planning needs and dining reservations! Email ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com for your free quote today!
If you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida, it is pretty hard to miss the GIANT balloon that is soaring 400 feet into the air nearby. Downtown Disney is home to “Character’s in Flight,” operated by Aerophile.
Today’s tip was something that I found out accidentally on our trip this past summer! Each trip my husband and I try to plan a special event or experience and this summer we planned to ride “Character’s in Flight.” Much to our surprise and amazement, when we were buying our tickets, the attendant in the booth told us the price, and we were shocked and excited to find out that if you ride in the morning hours there is a BIG discount!
Tip- If you’re looking to save a little money, ride Characters in Flight before noon! The normal price for the ride is $18 but if you ride before noon it’s only $10!
White Logot
If you’re interested in booking a magical disney vacation, contact Ashley with Charming Travels LLC – ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com
Hello Mouskaholics! I apologize that I haven’t blogged lately! It is certainly NOT because I haven’t been thinking about Disney… I still love Disney and I love sharing my Disney experiences, life has just been on the busy side lately.
Today I want to share with you one of my favorite Disney traditions that my husband and I have. While we have never been to the Disney parks at Christmas time (trust me, it’s on my bucket list!), that doesn’t mean that we don’t incorporate Disney into our personal Christmas traditions! The living room in our home is painted with two maroon walls, and two white walls. The decor in the room is all black and white photos, and silver trims. When we put up our first Christmas tree as a married couple we decided that the tree should match the room, so our tree is decked out with ornaments that are maroon, black, white, and silver. We started with a lot of generic ornaments and in the past seven years we’ve added a lot of unique ornaments to the collection. Our favorite ornaments that we’ve acquired are the ones that we’ve purchased on our Disney trips!
Even though we’ve never been to the parks at Christmas, there is a special store located in Downtown Disney called “Disney’s Days of Christmas.”
Disney’s Days of Christmas- Located at Downtown Disney
It is open year round and you can shop for Christmas specialty items on any trip! We make it a point to stop at this store on each trip and add a new ornament to our collection. While there are MANY beautiful ornaments in the shop we are quite selective as we search each year for the perfect ornament to fit the theming of our tree. The ornaments that we’ve collected over the past 7 trips are all unique. Usually we go for a Mickey ornament, but on our most recent trip my husband specifically wanted a Jack Skellington ornament. So now our tree has 6 Mickey’s and 1 Jack 🙂
Alright, so in my Four Parks – One World post, we discussed the four main theme parks that Disney has to offer, but there are also golf courses, spas, a massive sports complex, a shopping district, and 2 water parks. Today and Monday we will take a look at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
Blizzard Beach
There is no doubt that Disney goes all out whenever it develops a new attraction. The theming is always incredible, and there is always a story. The story that accompanies Blizzard Beach goes something like this. There was a freak snow storm in Florida, so they decided to open Florida’s first ski resort. (Perhaps they had a huge polar vortex like we had in Ohio this year, who knows!) Of course though, with it being Florida and all, the snow didn’t last long. The developers were ready to walk away and abandon the project when they heard the excited cries of “Ice Gator” racing down the hill on an inner tube (Ice Gator is the parks mascot). The developers of the ski resort then saw the potential and converted the park into a water park rather than a ski resort.
The park includes many water slides for the whole family, and its biggest attraction is Summit Plummet, which is 120 feet high, and can reach speeds of 60 mph as you race down. My favorite part is relaxing in the massive lazy river that completely circles the park.
In my mind there is no better way to relax and take a day off from the hustle and bustle of the Disney parks than chilling at the water park! Just like any of the Disney parks, you can pack a lunch and spend the day. There are lockers for rent ($10 for the entire day PLUS you get $5 of that back when you return the key!), so I recommend getting a locker. There are also several quick service locations where you can purchase lunch. Disney Dining Plan is accepted at the quick service locations.
On hot summer days the parks will fill up quickly, so I recommend going in the morning before the park gets really busy. Enjoy a few hours in the morning, head back to the resort to clean up, and spend your afternoon and evening at Downtown Disney!
Confessions of a Mouskaholic 