To the Line Cutters.....

 Most every single Disney memory that I have is a fun one. Even with standing in long lines, working our way through crowds, it still usually works out to the good. There was one time where it wasn't fun and didn't end well. Na'vi River Journey. It was something that I was really looking forward to. As I wanted to walk off the ride and see everything glowing, we saved it for later in the day. The line was still long. We knew it would be a long wait so we pulled out the phone to Play Disney for a while. We were constantly interrupted, sometimes by groups of people, by line cutters. There were literally people walking through the woods, climbing over rocks, and weaving their way through the queue to get further ahead. We gave up playing and were just standing in line, when another line breaker came through. Someone a few people back commented to the guy about breaking. The guy turned around to respond and came barreling into my back. I stumbled but didn't fall. I didn't say anything to the guy but he proceeded to turn and yell at me as he was making his way further up the line. I'm still confused by his anger towards me. He wasn't paying attention. He ran into me. So strange for him to yell at me. I finally decided that maybe he was embarrassed. Maybe? I still don't know. There's a lot of talk about line breakers lately. Supposedly, Disney is cracking down on the line breakers. I do know that after this incident, they did start making announcements that you had to keep your party together. I have heard Cast Members mention the same when entering lines. I've seen signs with the message as well. I don't know that there is anyway to prevent line breaking but please don't contribute. The wait times are clearly marked on all of the rides. If it is a long line, go to the bathroom first. Wait for your entire party to be present before you get in line. Don't let your lack of preparation intrude on someone else's experience. These are quite simple things that don't really impact your day but your line breaking could put quite a wrinkle in someone else's day. Some families get a once in a life time visit to Disney Parks. It is pretty simple, common courtesy to NOT break in line. It is one of the things we teach toddlers. I think you can handle it.   

Disney Dining Favorites

 When it comes to Dining at Disney, there are so many options. We rarely eat at the same place twice but we developed a couple of favorites that we've broken that rule for. Here are our family favorites that we recommend: 

5. San Angel Inn Restaurante - We love the food and the atmosphere at this one. Inside the big pyramid so don't forget to jump on Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the in famous Three Caballeros . It is fun for the whole family as it is a gentle boat ride.

4.  Akershus Royal Table - This is a great experience for any Disney Princess-Loving Princess. A Norwegian inspired feast in a medieval castle with a Royal Promenade of Princesses. The food is great and this is a fantastic way to see all the princesses (or at least most of them) in one place. They come to your table and walk your  children throughout the entire restaurant and back. A great, fun experience overall! 

3. 1900 Park Fare - Unfortunately, 1900 Park Fare is still closed, post Covid. It is so good though that it still makes the list. By far, my absolute favorite breakfast anywhere, ever! The added bonus is that it is hosted by classic Disney characters like Mary Poppins. 

2. Tusker House -We have been to Tusker House multiple times now and it never disappoints. A Safari themed dining experience with classic characters. Really good food with an African flair and Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald and more. We love to pair character sightings with meals and this is a great one! 

1.'Ohana - The beautiful, peaceful Hawaiian themed atmosphere and always courteous Cast Members are part of what makes this one top on the list. Oh, the noodles, THE NOODLES. What magical process do they use to create these legendary noodles? They are justifiably famous noodles but they aren't even my favorite part. The chicken was SO GOOD! And to top it all off, make your reservation for the late evening hours and you'll possibly get to see Magic Kingdom fireworks during your meal!

Comment below with your favorites!

My Ultimate Tip for Planning a Disney Family Vacation...Keep it a Secret!

 There is nothing quite like a surprise vacation to Disney. We've done it many times now and though it can be tricky, it is absolutely my favorite way to do it because....it. is. easier! I'm serious. There's no better way. No one argues, no one complains, no one feels like they aren't getting their way, no one else worries about packing lists and road bags, and which toys and blankets to bring. Everyone is so excited they just grab and go! No one asks 10,000 times what time we are leaving or which restaurants we will be dining at, can we stay at xyz resort, none of that. They are all just excited and we talk about plans on the way. We tell them what we are doing each day. We give them the park and meal(s) and let each of them pick a ride or attraction for the day. Plan at night when the kids are in bed or in the morning before they wake up. You can even ask them questions without them know. We watch a lot of Disney vloggers to get new ideas and spark discussion and always ask them what they want to do next time we go. So, we still get to give them their wants as much as possible. 

Not only is it easier for us, it's also just more fun! There's nothing quite like being completely packed and ready to go, looking at your kids and saying, "Hey, do you want to go to Disney?" and just doing it. We've done 'surprise reveals' in multiple ways. scavengers hunts, opening Christmas presents, etc. This las time was absolutely the simplest and my favorite reaction of them all. We literally just asked them if they wanted to go to Disney and go right now. I think their shock is what got me. All those other times, they knew something was coming. It was obvious something was happening. This time there was no lead up, just a casual question and sheer joy!

Don't overthink your surprise reveal. Simple really can be the best!

Writing in my Dreams

     As we approach our next departure to Disney World (another surprise trip), I realize how long it has been since I posted. Job change, family and health issues piled up for a while and my time and energy were overwhelmed so that habit was lost. I literally had a dream the other night that I was a published author, a legitimate published author, and woke up ready to write my novel! It did make me realize how much I have missed writing. It is time consuming sometimes. Life happens and writing gets pushed to the side because it isn't a requirement. My family isn't dependent on writing, it isn't my job and I don't HAVE to do it. I realize though that maybe I NEED to do it. Maybe I need to prioritize writing. It helps me in so many ways. Writing for myself feels somewhat selfish, I guess that's why I feel like it isn't required. 

It is May though, which is always an overly busy time of year.  I told my coworkers that May is busier than Christmas for me. They didn't understand, they don't have children yet. ;) May is awards day, graduations, parties, Mother's Day, field trips, birthdays, we have lots of (April and) May birthdays, Dance Recital Rehearsal and the Recital itself, tryouts for next year's activities and everything getting crammed into the end of the school year. There's just a lot going on in May. All that to say, May is crazy enough on its own but I am crazy enough to cap it off with a surprise trip to Disney World. Our first trip as Annual Passholders and I can't wait! 

Countdown to Disney.....We did it!

 We did it. We actually managed to make it to Disney without the children figuring it out. It was a LONG rainy drive from Atlanta to Orlando and every one of us was pretty tired but we got lots of renewed energy when the kids saw that famous sign! There was a lot of squealing and disbelief and a whole lot of happy smiles and laughter. That moment made it all worth it to me. The sheer joy in that vehicle made everything worth it and it still makes me smile just thinking about it. 

It was such a wonderful vacation. Everyone had the best time. We did almost all of the things that we wanted to do. We did things we hadn't even planned. We wore all of the shirts. We ate all of the food. We rode all of the rides. We did new attractions and old favorites. We even went antiquing! It was definitely one of our very best family vacations ever and we brought home some great souvenirs but most importantly....fantastic memories! I can't wait to dig in to each day's event and document those memories right here.

From the beautiful immersive Van Gogh Experience that was such a hit with all of us to the Lakeland Antique Mall that we stopped at on the way back home, the entire trip was full of fun and new adventures.