What Not To Wear ~ at Disney

Disney is a great place to people watch.  Sitting on a bench, drinking a water is an awesome past time at the parks ~ especially if your feet need a rest and its 95 + degrees outside!  You see all kinds of outrageous outfits walking past you.  So here is my version of What Not To Wear.

Princess dresses are super cute...but your little princess will soon be scratching and complaining wearing that dress with all the tulle.  She needs extra clothes to change into after she meets Cinderella or Prince Charming.  And there is absolutely no place in walking the park for those little plastic, high heel princess shoes.  That will make a miserable, cranky princess and will ruin your magical day.  Go for comfort, my princess always wore tennis shoes.  And if your little princess is riding in a stroller and wearing a dress ~ please put bloomers, bike shorts or something similar on her.  Its hard to sit like a little lady in a stroller.

Please wear clothes that cover....I am not talking look like a nun.  But if your shorts don't cover your backside....they are not appropriate.  Saw this several times on our last trip.  Daisy Duke shorts really have no place in a theme park ~ just look at the practicality ~ your legs will not be comfortable sticking to every ride seat and every park bench...and the rest of us don't want that view.  If you wear a skirt all the time (my Preference) then you need something on under it....shorts, boxers, whatever ~ chafing happens and its not comfortable.  I recently bought some skorts with built in shorts, the skirt part comes to the knee.  Those are comfortable.  I ordered 3 over a couple of months ~ navy, black, and gray ~ basic colors, they match all my shirts.

There are a couple of days when Disney has a dress up day....Dapper Days.  People come in cute flouncy dresses, heels, suits and ties etc.  Think like the Mary Poppins movie style clothing.  But wearing that clothing all day, any other day is just plain silly.  Since you can easily log 4-6 miles a day of walking, your high heels will get uncomfortable.  Yes, we've seen this too.  

A bathing suit top has no place at Disney.  It used to be against the dress code and may still be, but I think people walk thru security appropriately dressed and then shed the shirts.  Wear a sleeveless top or tank top instead.

Makeup ~ keep it basic. Your makeup will melt off your face, especially in the summer months.  On our last trip, I saw several ladies reapplying their makeup....foundation, powder, checking their false eyelashes, lipstick, etc.  If your makeup is more important that taking your kids to get in line for Pirates of the Caribean, then your priorities are screwed up.  And your make up will melt off anyway.  You are there to make memories.

Don't wear shoes with no support....I don't care how cute those sandals are.  Your feet will suffer and you will have a miserable day.  Sandals with support, tennis shoes and socks ~ comfortable footwear.  I usually take 2 pair of shoes and flip which ones I am wearing every other day.  One pair is New Balance that lace up and the other pair is Easy Spirit which slip on.  Save the sandals for restaurants or Disney Springs shopping.

Wear sunscreen.  Its sunny, its hot, you will get burned.  Sunglasses and a hat help also.  

There are loads of cute shirts out there, to buy at the parks or buy before you go.  Amy made us some great shirts for Mothers Day and Fathers Day that we wore.  And we get inspiration for new shirts each time we go. My Mothers Day shirt was purple and said "my favorite Disney prince is my Husband", And Gregs shirts were "I Don't do matching shirts with a silhouette of Grumpy" and "I work to support my wifes Disney addiction".  All got lots of compliments.  Amy did a great job with her cricut and software!

Have fun, make memories!  Relax!  Be as comfortable as possible!!

I forgot something....unless you are tall and skinny ~ leggings are not attractive.  I will just leave it at that!

Disney ~ Carousel of Progress

Carousel of Progress is a often overlooked attraction at the Magic Kingdom.  It was one of Walt Disneys entry into the Worlds Fair.  It is a wonderful look into one family thru the decades ~ going from a wood burning stove for cooking to a voice activated oven.  Introduces the home radio and tv and ends with a virtual reality video game you wear over your face/eyes.

This ride is near Buzz Lightyear and across from the entrance to the people mover.

This presentation is a great way to leave the hustle and bustle of the park and sit down in an air conditioned theater and view history and Disneys view of the future.

Don't miss it next time ya go!

(The picture quality isn't fantastic ~ I took them with my cell phone with no flash in a darkened theater.)

Lets Eat at Disney!

Food is something we all eat....everyday....multiple times a day!  And going on vacation is no exception.

Here are some options while eating at Disney!

1.  Buy as you go....there are lots of food choices at Disney World and they vary from park to park.  You can buy snacks, hot dog/ hamburger meals, sit down restaurant meals or character dining meals/buffets.  Over the years we have done all of these.  We usually buy a treat/snack a day ~ my favorites are the mickey ice cream sandwiches and the cinnamon rolls at Gastons Tavern in the Magic Kindgom (these cinnamon rolls are amazingly delicious ~ when we went in April we were disappointed, the quality wasn't up to par).  My favorite at Epcot is the Chocolate Mousse at France.  The hot dog/ hamburger meals come with fries, you may be able to substitute fruit for the fries.  The sit down meals are good ~ At the Magic Kingdom our favorite is the Beauty and the Beast castle ~ the food is yummy and the décor is spectacular....straight out of the movie.  We have eaten breakfast and lunch there ~ I prefer lunch!  The  character dining is pricey and truly magical.  We have done 2 different ones.  When Amy was about 7 or 8, we did breakfast at the Castle ~ yummy food and Pricess overload for Amy and my niece Bethany.  We did a girls morning there with my mom, me, Amy, my sister, and niece.  We all thoroughly enjoyed it.  We have also done Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Resort.  The breakfast buffet is outstanding with lots of choices ~ mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, biscuits, lots of fruit, drink choices, etc.  Its set up really well to eliminate long lines for waffles or whatever.  The characters at both walk around to each table so you have time for pictures and your own personal meet n greet.  This meal featured....Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy ~ maybe Donald Duck also.

2. Disney Meal Plan ~ This is a length of stay meal plan that is for 2 meals and 1 snack a day.  Can either be used at the on property hotels and/or at the parks or Disney Springs.  My opinion is this is pretty pricey per person.  We tend to do less expensive meals on vacation unless is something really spectacular like fresh seafood or ethnic foods on our travels.  But, cost aside, this is a tremendous stress reliever in that its already paid for ahead of time (and I think this plan can be loaded onto your magic band for even more convenience). We did have this once when we stayed on property, as it was a freebie for the time we were there.  We took breakfast stuff, ate lunch at the parks and then dinner either at the Parks or at Disney Springs.  This is a lot of food ~ drinks (tea, coffee, or soft drink) were provided with every meal plus dessert.  Lots of places honor these meals so we had fun with this.  By the end of the week, we still had credits, so we got snacks to go.

3.  Take your own.  YES, you can take food into the Disney parks.  You can take a soft sided cooler with freezer packs (no hard coolers or anything on wheels that you pull).  Each park has lockers that you can rent and put your bag in there....or tote it.  This was really easy when we had a stroller or mom had a wheelchair.  We just hung it on the handles or but it in the stroller basket.  We do peanut butter and jelly, pretzels (chips will crush to dust), granola bars, unmeltable candy etc.  Greg and I are doing this next time.  Then go out to eat or eat at the condo for dinner.

You can carry in drinks (NO glass allowed, we take the plastic soft drink bottles or water bottles).  We usually are holding one and have a spare in my bag.  At any counter service restaurant you can get FREE ice water.  They will gladly give you free water, even if you don't buy anything.  This is an awesome thing, especially in the hot months.  Take a bottle you can pour your ice water into ~ one that can be closed and stuck in a bag.  Then you don't have to dump it out when you get on a ride.  This time we are carrying the little koolaid type mix in packets to flavor the water.  Last time, we also had a cooler bag in the car with drinks on ice and a snack for after the long day.

Every fall is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival ~ the countries represented in the World Showcase and many extra countries will have food kiosks set up around World Showcase Lagoon.  These little bites of food costs between $4-7.  We usually go multiple days.  Our strategy is to buy one little plate of each we want to try ~ and split it 4 or 5 ways depending on how many folks we have.  If we know its really yummy, we will buy 2 so everyone gets a bigger taste.  The 2nd time back ~ everyone picks their favorite and gets their own that they don't have to share.  My favorite has always been the steak and sweet potato dish at the Africa kiosk.  2 years ago they changed it and I didn't think it was as good.  Will always gets the escargot in France ~ I don't know if he really likes it or if he just likes to see me gross out as he eats it....but I think he likes it.  Weekend nights at the Festival are jam packed and lots of folks have enjoyed the wine/beer part of the offerings....a little too much.  Weekends also have concerts.  We are going back in November to see one of Gregs favorite jazz bands, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (they sing some of the songs in Nightmare Before Christmas).

Here are a few pictures of food from different trips in the past ~ these are all from Epcot.  The 2nd one down is the steak and sweet potato dish from Africa!

Where to Stay at Disney?

There are lots of "where to stay" at Disney, both on property and in the surrounding areas.

My dad was a State Farm agent when I was growing up, and SF hosted a number of conventions at Disney.  The first was the year it opened and we got to go.  We stayed at the Contemporary Resort and loved riding the monorail to the Magic Kingdom (the only park at the time).

Since then I have stayed at Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century Resort and RV camped.  All were wonderful and the RV camping was so quiet and peaceful!

There are lots of hotels and timeshare options in the areas surrounding the park.  We have been able to stay at timeshare condos which for us are great.  You can get a lot of folks into the condo (several families) and have multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry facilities and a kitchen.  Until recently we had "bought" on of my sisters timeshare weeks but now we have our own and can utilize it.

Advantages of staying on property ~ you can park your car when you get there and not drive again till your vacation is over.  Your on property hotel includes your parking and all the Disney transportation system....monorails and buses. And at different times of the years, you can get extra hours in the park that are only for Disney guests.  Downside~this is usually a pricier option.  There are a variety of hotel choices on property but none are really a "value" resort anymore.

Advantages of staying off property ~ its cheaper, especially if you need more than one room to accommodate your family//friends.  You can have larger accomodations and a kitchen to help with meal costs.  Downside~ driving to the park and paying parking (but with the annual pass parking is included).

We love both options.  Since we now have a timeshare ~ we will be using it to the fullest.  Hopefully in the future, we can treat some grandboys to a magical adventure.

Next post is about Eating!  Something we all do everyday!

Disney Tickets

Last year I was cleaning out a drawer and found a neat bit of Disney History ~ I had one of the old coupon ticket books with some tickets still in it.  My tickets include an A, 2 D's and an E.  E tickets were highly sought after, so I don't know how we have one all these years later!  

But so much has changed~

Wading thru the options of Disney tickets is not as daunting as it sounds.  For Walt Disney World, a one day ticket gets you into one park for the day ~ either Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, or Epcot.  My opinion ~ if you only had one day, and you had children with you...go to Magic Kingdom.  Your children will be able to ride, see a parade or two, meet a character and have a magical day.

Ticket price breakdowns are 1. under 3 years old is free (all 3 of my original kids have been for free ~ Amy was the youngest, the week she turned a year old), 3-9 is the next price, then 10 and up.  I personally think there should be a fourth one for older folks who may not or will not ride the crazy stuff but no one has taken me up on this suggestion yet.

You can buy tickets for the length of your stay for each member of your party.  1-however many days.  You can add the option of park hopper, where you go to more than one park in a day.  You can add a water park option.  With each day over one added to your ticket, the per price day goes down.  And I believe Florida residents have a whole different price structure.

There are also different annual passes. The pass Greg and I bought is able to be used from the day we first used it, to 364 days later.  The year doesn't start counting down until you use it for the first time.  Ours is for all 4 parks, the memory maker photo pass, new magic bands, parking pass (now $22 per day) and includes a discount in select restaurants and shopping.  I am excited to see at the end of the year, how many days we actually used it and then see our cost per day (I am such a nerd that way).  

We also found out there is a price break when you renew your annual pass ~ I think this applies 60 days before your expiration date and 30 days afterwards.  The discount is 15%.  Which is a significant savings for 2 adults. AND there is an annual passholder gate at each park, you don't have to stand in the lines.  A detail we didn't know until our next to the last day.  

We had to order our magic bands and they came in the mail quickly.  These are already linked to our account.

And what is a magic band?  The magic band takes the place of the plastic, credit card sized, admission card to the parks.  You get in the gates by placing your magic band on the scanner and your finger for your finger print.  If you lose your band, no one else can use it for admission as its linked to your finger print.  Setting up a My Disney Experience account (there is an app for that), allows you to link all to your magic band ~ you can get fast passes for rides or shows, link a credit card if you are staying on property, link your photo pass for character shots, photographers on the streets or pictures during rides.  

I am just writing this for information for anyone who needs it.  We are in no way affiliated with Disney World or any travel agent.  Just sharing tips for trips to the Happiest Place on Earth!

Life is Good!

Its me again!

My recovery is almost complete.  The Lord has blessed me with most of my strength and endurance returned.  Greg and I even went to Disney a couple of weeks ago and I didn't have any real issues.  More on that later.

Will has been a big help getting the garden planted.  He did all the tilling and helped me plant.  We have squash, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, cucumbers, corn, and sunflowers.  I have a couple of pots of marigolds and have divided my mint and chocolate mint into little pots as gifts.  The yard has been mowed a couple of times.  We have peaches and nectarines on their trees.  The apples don't seem to have done much.  My blueberry bushes (or booberry as Aiden calls them) are loaded.  And our muscadine vines are growing.

The weather here is GA has been so weird.  We were still using our fireplace into April some.  One day would be 80 and the next would be 50.  It looks like the warm weather is here to stay now.

Our newlyweds are doing great.  I love having them 15 minutes away.  They have been married for 6 1/2 months now!  Time flies.

The grandboys are all getting bigger.  Robert is almost 6, Thomas just turned 4, Aiden will be 4 in August, and Alvin will be 3 in September.  We don't have babies anymore!  I love their sweet hugs and kisses.  They love to get together and play.

Back to Disney,  we have been reminded a number of times thru the years, that each day together is a precious gift.  In Dec.  that hit us upside the head again.  (Back history, we both lost our first spouses thru death, my husband in 1996 and his wife in 2004.)  We've worked and saved for years, put kids thru college, had a major part in our 4 married kids weddings, etc.  We decided to indulge our Disney love and buy an annual pass.  We live 8 hours away, so we can easily do 4 or 5 days and get home.  When we went to Disney in April, it was my first time in 34 years with no kids.  It was fantastic.  We've told everyone we were going to do the old folks trip.  Walk, people watch, snack, watch shows, ride some rides, take it easy.  And that's what we did.  This is the first time I have come home, ready to go back again.  I could go tomorrow.  We are planning more trips in the near future.

We thought up a series of blog posts for "Disney for Seniors" or "Disney just the 2 of us" or something similar.  Stay tuned!

Blessed Beyond Words

I have been greatly blessed by family and friends while I recouperate.

We had 3 weeks of delicious meals delivered to our home for dinner ~ by mom, my sister, and our church family.

Greg, Will and Amy did loads of extra stuff ~ while I just sat on the couch. Grocery shopping, errand running, laundry,cleaning, and cooking.  Amy came one day and took down the holiday decorations, packed it all up and Will hauled it to the basement.

I've had loads of messages on facebook, email and Instagram praying for me and encouraging me.

A church friend came twice to spend the afternoon and brought lunch both times.

And thanks to the willingness of Amy, Katie, Jennifer and Mom ~ we had a birthday party for Greg the end of Jan.  They did everything ~ cooking, cleaning up, etc.

So here is the update ~

I am getting out some ~ but super paranoid about germs ~ carts, handles, people coughing, etc.
My energy is coming back, I am not fast but I can walk around a store.
I have taken back over cooking duties and laundry detail.
I have been off oxygen for 12 days ~ that is awesome!

Accomplishments ~

I have found loads of pins on pinterest for my instapot.
I cross stitched 6 ornaments for Amy and Austin for Christmas 2018.
Our new bible study at church starts tomorrow night ~ I am on week 3 in the book.
Have crocheted some dishcloths using the scrubby yarn from JoAnns.
Have sewed a tablerunner, and 3 quilt tops for our local Pregnancy Resource center.
Have quilted a bunch of sets of potholders.( I  was so excited to sew again)
Greg and I bought the tv series JAG and we have been watching it at night.

Thankful for ~

the blessings of friends and family
returning health
fabric scraps
my personal shoppers
my husbands care
answered prayers
laughter and mischevious-ness of my grandsons