77 Days: #5ThingsINeverDidAtWDW

This hashtag has been floating around Twitter this week and I figured I'd take a stab at it as a blog post. I'm thinking the caveat is that it should include things I haven't done but want to do, so that's how I'm coming at it. These are in the order as they come to me :-)

#1--Kali River Rapids-- We've tried to ride a few times, but the line was longer than we wanted to wait. Also, the lovely Lisa is hesitant to hit this too early as she doesn't want to wander around in wet clothes all day. I'm going to make a concerted effort to fit this in on this trip because I really do love this kind of ride, and I think John would really enjoy it.

#2--Wilderness Lodge-- I hadn't even been to visit the place before our anniversary trip last September, and now that I have it's on my list of have-to-do's. It doesn't enjoy monorail service to the Magic Kingdom, but it the alternative is a BOAT ride!!! I love that, and it reminds me of the Fort Wilderness trips with my family growing up. The resort is absolutely beautiful, too, and seems really tucked away. I think it would make a perfect home base.

I totally want to stay here

#3-- Amphibicar--I mean if I'm going to drive one as my Dream Disney Job someday, I had better ride one first, right?

rest

Amphibicars!!!!

#4-- Victoria and Albert's Chef's Table-- This is quite pricey. We're talking over $200 per person with an additional $100 for wine pairings (and how could you not do the wine pairings?). But this is one of the very best restaurants in Florida if not the nation and with up to 13 courses prepared just for you right in front of you by some of he best chef's in the business, we're really and truly planning to indulge in the experience. Disney Food Blog has a mouth-watering review. 

#5-- Treehouse Villas-- I remember seeing these when they were brand new and they captured the imagination of our family. I had about forgotten them until John and I chanced upon them while cruising the Sassagoula River in a rented boat. If you haven't ever seen these, they are built like treehouses, with the living area in a round, second story space. It's soooo cool. They've apparently been refurbished and are ready to rent as part of the Saratoga Springs resort and Spa. They sleep up to 9, so I'm thinking maybe a trip with my sister and brother-in-law and the kiddos someday....

The best way to tour the Sassgagoula River

94 Days: Pizzerizzo!

There are lots of changes happening at Hollywood Studios with Star Wars Land and the new Toy Story area on there way. I'm happy about these plans, but in the meantime the park is in a bit of a transitional phase and I gotta admit it's the one I'm least excited about this trip. The announcement of the new Pizzerizzo opening in the old Pizza Planet building has helped, though.

We love the Muppets, especially the lovely and talented Miss Lisa. And we enjoyed Pizza Planet, but the re-imagining as Rizzo the Rat's hang-out sounds like an improvement on an already fun space. We're not looking for a gourmet experience, just eating passable pizza amongst the Muppets will be just fine :-)

I love that logo. It looks like every single pizza box in America. Perfect. 

Refuting The Top 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney, Part 5

So I'm happily looking at my Facebook newsfeed the other day and one of those "Sponsored" things is up there. It's from a site called Viral Travel (which sounds like a bad idea on the face of it) and is entitled 13 Reasons Not To Go To Disney. Of course I bite. Sue me. So its about what I expect, the same things we Disney fans expect from you non-Disney fans-- crowds, expense, capitalism, yadda yadda yadda. The thing is, many of these criticisms are true to a large extent, but avoidable. I hate to see people get spoiled on the Disney I love because they go about the whole experience unprepared logistically or mentally for the realities of the place. I figured just for kicks to take the 13 reasons one by one (or two by two) and try to explain why they don't keep ME from the Magic. This part four, part one is here, two here, three here, and four here.

6. The Food Is Insanely Expensive

You know it’s bad when movie theater concessions look like a bargain in comparison. Have you ever paid $8 for a hot dog? At Disneyland you can have that privilege.

Anyone else notice a trend here? Everything is "insane" it seems. I wonder about that...

And just for the record, hot dogs are $7.79 with fries at Casey's Corner in the Magic Kingdom or $5.25 from a cart in either Storybrook Circus or Frontierland. Been to a ball game lately? I challenge you to find a cheaper hot dog at a major league ballpark.

Yes, food in the Disney parks is not as inexpensive as you could find outside the parks. But ALL theme parks are like that. And the circus. And the fair. And concerts. And sporting events. Anywhere you are a captive audience, you will be charged more for food. Welcome to capitalism.

The Lapu Lapu

One of the reasons we love Disney, though, is the food. Sure you can get burgers and dogs and mac-n-cheese, but you can also eat sushi and baklava and dole whips and Hawaiian barbeque and wiener schnitzel and creme brulee and pretty much anything else you can imagine. You can eat these things in a pagoda or a fish tank or with Winnie the Pooh or Cinderella. You can listen to your wedding song played on a ukulele while drinking a fruity rum concoction from a pineapple then watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from your table while you finish your meal with bread pudding.

I'll just say that our last trip both the Lapu Lapu (the aforementioned pineapple drink) and breakfast lasagna
were life-changing experiences. 

Disney isn't about an $8 hotdog, even if that was the price. It's about having experiences you can't have in the real world, and for our family many of these experiences involve food.

Oh, and if you love food as much as we do, look into the Disney Dining Plan. This is basically pre-paying for your meals during your trip. You get, with our favorite option, a snack (we use this for breakfast usually), a counter service meal and a table service meal for each day of your trip.  It's a good deal if you are foodies and tend to clean your plate. But it is worth a whole post, or series of posts, on its own.