Magic Kingom - Day 2

We had to get up super early for our Be Our Guest breakfast. We were so lucky that Sasha was able to snag that reservation, because I keep hearing how impossible it is. Watching Marlena frolic on Main Street in front of the castle with no crowds was a highlight of our entire trip!

Breakfast was good - food was mediocre, but enjoying the empty park before Rope Drop was worth every penny.

Check out this empty street in Fantasyland. It was insane to see it completely empty.

We rode rides all morning, had another relaxing lunch at Pinocchio's Village Haus (Sasha and I brought some rotisserie chicken and veggies,) and basically just enjoyed all the little delightful sights we don't often slow down to enjoy.

We all stayed for the Festival of Fantasy Parade, and Sasha was right: it was incredible! Every character waved and/or talked to Marlena.

We met a college program cast member who's from the town where I work, and visited with her before the Electrical Parade. Such a sweet girl, and so knowledgeable about Disney pins and merch. Marlena and Sasha get really into pin trading as our trips progress.

After the Electrical Parade, we did a little Main Street shopping, then took the ferry back to the parking lots. We timed it exactly right, so we saw the Wishes fireworks from the ferry. Seeing the fireworks reflected in the lagoon was truly magical. We decided we liked that experience so much more than being packed in with tens of thousands of people on Main Street - just a beautiful experience!

Steps this day: 22,762. 

My sore foot was pretty much done by this day. I was reduced to wearing my oldest, most scuffed-up Dansko clogs, because they were the only shoes that didn't kill my foot.

Epcot

Today was exactly two years from our last visit to Epcot. I don't know why we wind up there on Cinco de Mayo - probably something to do with the Touring Plans Crowd Calendar. We love going during the Epcot Flower and Garden Show. The Disney-themed topiaries are beautiful, as are all the gorgeous plantings and landscaping. We had absolutely perfect weather. Perfect strangers kept remarking to each other, "Can you believe this weather?" Balmy, mid-80s with no humidity, beautiful breeze, oh it was heavenly!

We rode Test Track, the main ride we like at Epcot.

We really visit Epcot for the World Showcase.

We walked around World Showcase a couple of times, just shopping and visiting with people. Here's Sasha with Grumpy, his all-time favorite Disney character.

Marlena got a henna tattoo - it's Hidden Mickeys-themed. The artist who drew it is from Casablanca, and did a beautiful job.

Marlena's favorite pavilion is Japan. I really can't say which is mine - my favorite thing in World Showcase is probably all the different lovely views of the lagoon from each pavilion, along with all the beautiful flowers.

We took our usual mid-afternoon break and I cooked chicken and quinoa for dinner. We went back to watch Illuminations. While waiting, I had the one vacation treat I regret: a beignet from the bakery in France. It's been literally years since I tried a donut, and my tummy has decided it no longer accepts donuts, even if they have a French name, ha!

A vacation treat Sasha didn't regret. He was so happy to find this beer at a local store once we returned home.

For Disney evening fireworks/shows, it seems there are three groups of people: 1) those who stake out a good spot hours early, 2) those who arrive at the last minute and try to stand in front of the people who've been staking out their spot, and 3) those who keep on enjoying the parks without much attention to the fireworks. We're Group #1. Honestly, after going to Rope Drop every morning, we're all ready to sit for a couple hours and enjoy the evening before the fireworks. It's an amazing opportunity to people-watch, and we always meet the most interesting people from all over the world. 

Total steps for this day: 20,045!

Universal Studios

I had read to allow for life-ending traffic jams on the interstate between Disney and Universal, so we allowed extra commute time. Luckily, we encountered very little traffic, so we made it to Universal Studios an hour before the park opened to the general public. We were planning to wait patiently, but some kind employees looked at our tickets and waved us on in 45 minutes early. Yippee!

We thus immediately rode Forbidden Journey with very little wait, and I so enjoyed being in the Harry Potter Hogsmeade section with no crowds. We had some breathing room in the shops. I'm not a candy eater, but I really enjoy looking at all the fun colors/containers in the candy shop.

This was the first trip Marlena rode everything I did and loved it. She was so gung-ho. Sasha still wasn't up for the upside-down roller coasters, but he loved the Mummy.

We were so excited to ride the new Hogwarts Express and explore Diagon Alley. I would probably have never found Diagon Alley if Marlena hadn't showed me.

We ate lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, the new restaurant in Diagon Alley. I had Bangers and Mash with vegetables, and it was pretty good. I had the Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert, and it was absolutely awesome!

Spent a long time shopping and casting spells in Diagon Alley with Marlena's new magic wand.

Rode the Hulk in the front row with Marlena - we loved it!

I met Spider Man, and thought he was an animatronic figure. Pretty embarrassing moment that my family will never let me live down. Marlena even changed my phone screen saver photo to remind me!

Hit the Whole Foods salad bar for dinner - Sasha called it the "Third Most Magical Place On Earth!" We never miss hitting the Whole Foods in Orlando - it really is amazing.

Went to Downtown Disney for ice cream and shopping. Oh man, the dark chocolate Ghirardelli sundae is such a "worth-it" treat every couple of years. I savored mine forever, and finished every last drop.

This was probably our longest walking day: 22,803 steps. It's also the day my bum foot cried mercy.

Magic Kingdom

Our second day in Orlando, we went to Magic Kingdom. We arrived super early, in time to be at the very front for the Good Morning show. Oh my goodness, it was wonderful! I am a completely sentimental sap, and seeing all the characters wave at Marlena, and how happy she was, just undid me. It was beautiful. 

Immediately after the Good Morning show and rope drop, we beat it for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It is kind of like the Running of the Bulls to get to that line! We stood in line behind a petite gal (I believe she said she was 4'11") who had run the Expedition Everest Challenge the night before. It was a 10pm-2am 5k obstacle course through Animal Kingdom. Then she had the endurance to tour Magic Kingdom all day until her 7pm flight. Diva!! Marlena struck up a conversation with her because of all her unique pins - turns out she is a diehard Run Disney person. She ran the first Dopey Challenge: a 5k, 10k, half, and full-marathon in four days! We had the best time visiting with her and hearing all about her races. 

We rode rides all morning until the park started feeling crowded at lunchtime. I'd read that Pinocchio Village Haus had an upstairs veranda that was a shady, calm oasis during the day, so we headed there. Marlena ordered a meal, while  Sasha and I ate our packed lunches, and we all shared veggies and hummus. For an introvert like me, it was a godsend to find someplace quiet and out of the way to recharge for a half hour. And look at our awesome view:

For dessert, I absolutely had to check out the Cake Cups at the Cheshire Cafe. It was kind of like a parfait, with layers of cake and frosting. I loved it, but Marlena didn't think it was all that. To me, it was a solution to one of life's problems: how to get the perfect bite of cupcake and frosting with each spoonful. 

Marlena was cracking me up, taking these funny photos "measuring" the landmarks. She even taught the joke to a little girl we met from Brazil.

Once again, Marlena and I went back to the condo for some pool time. We stayed in the exact same condo as our last trip, and it is wonderful. Literally 15 minutes door-to-door from the parks, and no waiting for buses! Sasha stayed for the 3pm Festival of Fantasy Parade, which he absolutely loved. 

Marlena and I came back in time for our dinner reservation at the Liberty Tree Tavern. We were celebrating her 13th birthday, as well as Sasha's recent promotion, so this was our "splurge" park dinner. It was delicious! We had turkey, roast, veggies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and some delicious bread. Sasha and I had bread pudding for dessert, while Marlena had a birthday brownie. 

After dinner, we found our viewing spots for the Main Street Electrical Parade, pretty much always our favorite part of a Magic Kingdom day. Marlena loves waving to all the characters, so we sit right up front. It paid off, because every single character waved to her, and some of them even spoke to her - it was thrilling! We watched the Wishes fireworks from Main Street, then rode the ferry back. 

Steps for the day? 20,941!

Hollywood Studios

We've been back from our Orlando vacation for a few days now, and I'm just now getting a chance to go through photos. Oh my goodness, we had so much fun! It was really as close to perfect as a family vacation can be. Absolutely perfect weather, fun times, and uninterrupted family time. 

We took so many photos/videos, but I'll just share a few. Best of all, my amazingly creative daughter took a lot of video, and I love how she edits. She would love it if you'd check out her YouTube channel: 

We got to Orlando just 30 minutes before the Publix closed - yikes! Quick run through the grocery store for milk, eggs, etc, and several bags of pre-cup veggies and some hummus. After getting in at 11:30pm, we slept in a little bit then hit Disney Hollywood Studios.  We were so casual with our touring, which we all loved. Our normal lunchtime routine is this: Marlena and Sasha usually order a Quick Service lunch, and I eat my packed lunch with them. This trip, my usual lunch was boiled eggs, veggies & hummus, and a homemade power bar. (I'll try to remember to post my recipe in the Recipes section - it's pretty yummy.) We had dessert at The Writer's Stop, a very cool bookstore/coffee shop. I ordered the legendary Carrot Cake Cookie, while Marlena ordered a macaron. She didn't love it, so when Sasha went up to buy her a Carrot Cake Cookie, the lovely cast members gave it to her for free. Oh man, was it delicious! Marlena said it was the best thing we ate on our trip.

We rode several rides, but mostly walked around sightseeing and shopping.

By 3pm, the sun was getting to me, so we went back to the condo to relax by the pool and enjoy some A/C. I made some chicken breasts and salads for dinner, then we went back to Hollywood Studios to get in the front of the line for Fantasmic.

The best part of the day was when we were picked to be the Magical Moments Family who opened Fantasmic. We were escorted into the Fantasmic viewing area, were introduced to the whole crowd, and got to sit in the very front row in the reserved seating area. It was really cool - we felt like celebrities. A manager even walked me to the front of the Rock & Roller Coaster line to ride with no wait - my favorite Disney ride, probably! 

Overall, a really lovely day and a great beginning to our vacation!

It was definitely our day of least walking: 13,945 steps:

Orlando Here We Come!

I am so excited to report that I booked our family vacation to Orlando! We're visiting both Disney and Universal, and I cannot wait! We've visited both before: Universal in 2012 and Disney in 2013. We're going this May, and I have so much planning to do!

One of the things I plan is vacation food. I came back from Disney last time having lost 2.4 pounds, so I need to spend some time analyzing what worked and what, if anything, to change.

We have never stayed on-property, and probably never will. We stayed at the Windsor Hills condominiums, which are 10 minutes door-to-door from all the Disney parks. Disney is not a cheap vacation, but we try to do it as cheaply as possible and save our $$$ for the priority items. We love Windsor Hills, and we're so excited to stay in the same condo this trip!

We meal-planned and grocery-shopped, and cooked quite a few meals at the condo. I love cooking, so it's not a chore I avoid on vacation. We ate breakfast at the condo every day: overnight fridge oats for me, and organic pancakes for my family. I actually packed an insulated lunch bag to the parks most days, and would eat it with my family while they got a counter service lunch. I was nervous that Security would give me a hard time, but the guard couldn't have been nicer when they searched my lunch bag. Frankly, my digestion is so finicky that I knew I needed to stick to clean food on vacation. I took things like boiled eggs, homemade power bars, string cheese, and fruit. We love turkey legs, so a couple of times, all three of us would split one for lunch.

We also took mid-afternoon breaks most days to relax in the A/C at the condo for a couple of hours. We'd throw together a salad and protein, then head back to the parks for evening activities, parades, and fireworks. Using all these strategies, we saved an absolute fortune on food: I think we came in $250 under budget for our food costs. Don't ask me how badly we blew through our merch budget, however! 

Another vacation strategy is planned treats. I really don't feel deprived on vacation - I plan at least one treat every day, but the trick is it has to be completely worth it. Usually it's the darkest chocolate treat I see!

Before our last trip, I did a ton of research on where to find healthy food at Disney. I really like this blog: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/02/04/eating-healthy-in-walt-disney-world/
and plan to do more research on any recent additions. After having been once, I feel a little more confident in my ability to find healthy choices. Honestly, the hardest thing for me was the lack of vegetables. So I really tried to cram as many veggies as possible into my condo dinners.

We had one character dinner last trip, at the Garden Grille in Epcot. It was absolutely delicious! It all tasted really fresh and homemade.


Lastly, it was during our 2013 trip that I realized how underrated walking is as an exercise. I really did not deprive myself of food, and with all the daily treats, I figured I would gain. But the lack of stress and cortisol, coupled with miles and miles of walking every day, was amazing. It was when we returned home that I tried to increase my pleasure walking.

Stay tuned, and I'll post more vacation tips/tricks as I remember them.