Orlando Gateway Hotel

Orlando Gateway Hotel 7299 Universal Boulevard After having sticker shock over the exorbitant amount our first hotel stay was in Orlando, on-site at Universal at the Royal Pacific Hotel, we decided that since we were planning on just taking off the next morning, it made more sense for us to find a different, cheaper hotel for our second night. We have frequently stayed at Best Western hotels so we usually check those out first before moving on to something else. That's when we came across the Orlando Gateway Hotel. This really seeemed to meet our needs for the night.

We checked in around 10:15pm after our full day at Universal. The room didn't really seem that special, but it wasn't bad in any way. It was exactly what we needed. We were so exhausted we just wanted to go to bed.

About ½ hour after we woke up, our toilet broke and started spewing water from the tank so Tom had to turn the water off and call the front desk. Luckily, we were checking out soon.

I wouldn't say there's anything super special about this hotel, but it definitely gets the job done. And it felt clean. I feel like that's the most important thing when it comes to hotels.

Universal Studio Resort as a Plus-Size Woman

3 years ago, I had trouble on a couple rides. And by trouble, I mean that I couldn't ride some of them. It didn't bum me out too bad because I knew that was a big possibility. And I wanted to let everyone know about my experience, but I quickly forgot about it because I was a little embarrased. Well, I don't care that much anymore. I'm roughly the same size now that I was then. And in case you were wondering, I do eat healthy and I do work out. I'm just fat. Oh well!

Here are my stats:
Height: 5 foot 6 inches
Weight: 324 pounds
Bust: 53 inches
Hips: 57 inches
Thighs: 50 inches
Pant Size: 24
And here's a picture of me in all my fat glory!

Rides that we rode:
Universal Studios –
1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
I wasn't able to ride this. I feel like it was close, but I just couldn't get it to close. I mostly have troubles with the ones that close over your head.
2. MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
I fit on this one just fine. No problems!
3. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
I didn't have any troubles fitting on this one, but it definitely felt safer to ride it by myself and to have my son sit with my husband instead.
4. E.T. Adventure
So, I was able to fit on this, but not comfortably at all! This ride squeezed my hips so bad, I almost couldn't make it through the whole thing!
5. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
I had zero issues fitting on this ride.
6. TRANSFORMERS: The Ride 3-D
Again, this ride is pretty easy to fit in. I love those bench seats!

Islands of Adventure –
7. Skull Island: Reign of Kong
There are no kinds of restraints on this one and it's a bench seat so there were no fit issues.
8. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
This is another bench seat that I had no problems with.
9. Jurassic Park River Adventure
No fit issues on this bench seat.
10. Flight of the Hippogriff
This one fit exactly like Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. I fit fine, but I'm more comfortable with my son riding with his father.
11. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
I tried the test seat outside of this one and just couldn't make it. I tried, but it didn't close to the point that I could ride.
12. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
No fit issues on this one either.

Now, there are plenty more rides that we didn't go on. But this is my personal experience from our most recent trip. On our last trip, I also rode Cat in the Hat, Pteranodon Flyers, and the Simpson's Ride. You shouldn't have any problems with those. Basically, the rule for me is: if there's a test seat, I probably won't fit. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is right now.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Ok, this is going to be a long one, but it has a lot of information! I just love the wizarding world because you truly feel like you've stepped inside J.K. Rowling's brain when she was envisioning what she was writing. So, without further adieu:

Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure

Attractions:
1. Flight of the Hippogriff – Vekoma Junior Coaster – Over 48” or over 36” with adult
The posted time for this ride was 45 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 12 minutes. I love this coaster. It's so much fun! And perfectly themed. I love seeing Hagrid's Hut and Hedgwig.
Side Note: How great is it that there's a water fountain in this line?

2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – RoboCoaster G2 – Over 48”
I couldn't ride this (didn't fit in the test seat out front), but my husband and son had a great time. They thought it was awesome! Owen wanted to ride it again. The posted time for this ride was 60 minutes, but with our Express Passes, we only waited 15 minutes. It's a continuous loading ride, which I thought was pretty cool.

3. Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station – Park Connector – Over 48” or with an adult
Our wait time on this one was only 10 minutes with our Express Passes. I just LOVE the Hogwarts Express.
Side Note: There is an awesome photo op with the Hogwarts Express (not the one that moves, but a permanent feature) and frequently, a conductor! It's located just inside Hogsmeade near Honeydukes.

I have some grievances with this ride and it has nothing to do with the ride itself. First, we rode the Hogwarts Express 4 times before finally being able to sit next to the window. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but when you have adults leaning forward, not paying attention to the window, and blocking half of it, it DOES become a big deal to a sweet little 8 year old that just wants to see what's happening. Second, during one of our trips, there was a family in the same compartment as us and the adults spent half the time yelling at each other. We were very uncomfortable and I just felt bad for their kids. Please don't do this. Third, I overheard a woman saying that the Hogwarts Express wasn't a ride, it was just transportation (“but at least it was better than the monorail”). Really? If you truly feel that way, please just make sure you don't ruin it for the people that really feel the magic and see it as a fun ride in itself!

Dining:
1. Hog's Head – located in the back of Three Broomsticks – Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, beers, specialty drinks, wine, spirits, and mixed drinks

2. Three Broomsticks – 'Great Feast Platter', Fish and Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Beef Pasties, Turkey Legs, and fresh vegetables
We ate here the last time we visited in 2015 and it was delicious, but that line can get pretty long at peak eating times.

Shows:
1. Frog Choir – vocal stylings of this small choir of Hogwarts students, accompanied by the smooth bass rumbles of their giant croaking frogs

2. Triwizard Spirit Rally – cheer on students from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang as they lead the excitement for the Triwizard Tournament.

Entertainment:
1. Ollivanders – 1 person (usually a child with a birthday button) is chosen to choose their own wand

2. The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts
We got so lucky when it came to watching this! First of all, it was SO crowded for the first showing. I just can't emphasize this enough. We chose to skip the first showing and ride Forbidden Journey instead. That turned out to be the best decision we could have made because as we were exiting the gift shop, the lights started. We quickly started walking to the bridge toward Jurassic Park and what do you know, it wasn't too busy! We weren't right up against the railing, but honestly, that wasn't necessary. It was truly amazing. I almost started to tear up. You HAVE to see the lights. It truly goes through every house and then ties them all together.

Shopping:
1. Dervish and Banges – Sneakoscopes, Sectrespecs, omnioculars, quidditch needs, clothes

2. Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods – apparel, house crest banners, stationary, toys
This shop is located at the end of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. We bought a Marauder's Map here for a friend's son and I got an awesome Hogwarts frame. It's very cool because it really seems like you're in the basement where Filch would keep confiscated goods.

3. Honeydukes – acid pops, exploding bonbons, cauldron cakes, fizzing whizzbees, chocolate frogs

4. Ollivanders – wands

5. Owl Post – stationary, quills, seals, ink, stamps, and owl-related toys and gifts – mail your letters complete with a special Hogsmeade postmark here
We bought a fun Hufflepuff lanyard, postcards, and some stamps here. Make sure you go out the door by the covered area with benches to get them stamped and mailed. Everyone we sent one to really loved them! We also sent some to ourselves to keep as souvenirs.



Diagon Alley in Universal Studios

Attractions:
1. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – Roller Coaster & 4D dark ride – Over 48” or over 42” with adult
I personally couldn't ride this one (didn't fit in the test seat out front), but my husband and 8-year-old son rode it. This was our first ride of the day during Early Admission so we only waited about 5 minutes. They said it was really neat and they truly felt like a side character in the movie.

2. Hogwarts Express: King's Cross Station – Park Connector – 48” or with an adult
We ended up riding this twice: once in the morning and then once at night. And neither time we rode it, did we wait very long. Granted, we had Express Passes, but they didn't really seem necessary either time. The first time, we waited 5 minutes. The second time, we waited 10 minutes. Please see grievances above!
All of that being said, have a great attitude, and definitely ride it going both ways. It's a little different each way which makes it just that much more fun!

Dining:
1. Eternelle's Elixir of Refreshment – small beverage kiosk with Gillywater and specialty elixirs

2. Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour – soft-serve with fantastic flavors like Butterbeer, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Earl Grey and Lavender, etc. plus pastries, crumble cake, and shortbread.

3. Leaky Couldron – Bangers and Mash, Fisherman's Pie, Toad in the Hole, Ploughman's Platter
We ate here the last time we visited in 2015 for breakfast and it was awesome! I definitely recommend it.

4. The Fountain of Fair Fortune – serves beer

5. The Hopping Pot – walk-up counter serving beer and other drinks

Shows:
1. Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees – singing sensation of the wizarding world

2. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – trunk show of wizarding fairytales

Entertainment:
1. Gringotts Money Exchange – ask a Gringotts goblin any question you want, and trade your currency for Gringotts bank notes

2. Knight Bus – talkative shrunken head and driver
Make sure you walk around to the back of the bus to take a look inside

3. Ollivanders – 1 person (usually a child with a birthday button) is chosen to choose their own wand
I was hoping that my little man (8) with his Birthday button was going to be chosen, but there was a slightly older girl (probably 12) also with a Birthday button so she was chosen instead. He was a little sad, but maybe next time (fingers crossed)! Anyway, it was still a great show. This was our second time here and it just never gets old! Whether child or adult, I totally recommend waiting for this show. We ended up waiting 15 minutes from the moment we got in line to the moment we were brought into the wand room. I really enjoyed how they made sure to have the shorter people in your party (kids) in front with everyone else filing in behind them.

Shopping:
1. Borgin and Burkes – Death Eater masks, skulls, costume replicas, apparel, accessories, jewelry, and collectibles.

2. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions – hats, authentic Hogwarts uniforms, ties, scarves, sweaters, as well as jewelry

3. Magical Menagerie – Crookshanks, Fang, Buckbeak, Scabbers, owls

4. Ollivanders – wands
It is always super crowded every time we've been in here so you really have to hold on to your loved ones and maneuver around all the people. And the lines to buy a wand a usually pretty long.

5. Quality Quidditch Supplies – sweaters, brooms, Golden Snitches, Bludgers, Quaffles, and more

6. Scrubbulus – writing supplies, ink, inkwells, feather quills, parchment, notebooks, journals, bookmarks, backpacks, stationary sets and seals, envelopes and postcards

7. Sugarplum's Sweetshop – candies, fudge, Every Flavor Beans

8. Wands by Gregorovitch – wands

9. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes – novelty joke shop, Pygmy Puffs, U-No-Poo pills, Skiving Snackboxes, Puking Pastilles
My son bought an awesome pink Pygmy Puff here! He just treasures this thing and while I'm not a huge fan of stuffed animals (because they just don't get played with in our house), it just seems like a completely different story when it's a cute little Pygmy Puff.

10. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment – crystal balls, telescopes, hourglasses
This is where we bought our Hufflepuff stein! I love it! I think it's adorable and I can't wait to find a spot to display it!

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Feast Kitchen

We didn't spend very long at CityWalk. It was literally enough to time to take 1 picture with the Universal globe and eat dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Feast Kitchen. Then, we went back to our hotel to rest up for our entire day at Universal that was sure to be exhausting. So first, here's our review of Toothsome:

First of all, this building is amazing! And if you can see it at night all lit up from the water, it's even cooler. It really looks like the chocolate factory of my dreams. When we walked in, they said it would be a 1 hour wait, but since we had preferred seating (which we got by staying at Royal Pacific), it ended up being only a 30 minute wait. To pass the time, we did some shopping in their gift shop. I got a candy jar and Owen got a chocolate bar and a jar of cotton candy. The inside of this restaurant is themed even better than the outside! It's truly amazing and definitely something to see.
For starters, we got the warm chocolate almond bread with salted caramel butter. I only knew to get this because of the recommendations from others and I'm so glad we did! It was delicious! We received the bread almost immediately after ordering.
For dinner (which we got within 30 minutes of being seated), Tom ordered the short ribs with cheesy grits and a chocolate gremolade. This was seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. When we return, I want to come back to Toothsome just so I can order this again. It was that good. The short ribs in the gremolade were so juicy and buttery that they melted in my mouth. And the grits. Wow. I have literally never had good grits before I ate these bites of heaven. I know, dramatic, but really, it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

I got the wild mushroom, chicken risotto. It was really good too. But it just didn't compare to my husband's dish.
Owen ate really well (a rarity for him). He just got the chicken fingers and fries with applesauce, but he said it was quite good.
For dessert, we got the chocolate bread pudding and a cookie jar milkshake. Both were amazing. Again, we only knew to get the bread pudding based on other's recommendations. Apparently, these people really know what they're talking about because it was amazing! And the milkshake was great! I especially liked how it was in a plastic jar that you get to take home so when we couldn't finish it all right there, we just took it back with us to sip on slowly during our water taxi back to the hotel.

Overall, we had an amazing meal and we wouldn't hesitate to come back on our next trip to Universal.

Now, like I said, we didn't do anything else at CityWalk while we were there, but here's a list of all the things you can find in this area.

Dining
1. Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
2. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
3. Emeril's Restaurant Orlando
4. Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food – made from scratch mexican street faire, live mariachi music on select nights
5. Starbucks
6. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company – restaurant and market/shrimp and other favorites
7. Cinnabon
8. Pat O'Brien's Bar
9. BK Whopper Bar
10. Panda Express
11. Moe's Southwest Grill
12. Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom – jamaican influenced
13. Red Oven Pizza Bakery – neapolitan style pizza, stone oven, fast cooking
14. Cold Stone Creamery
15. Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
16. Vivo Italian Kitchen – classic Italian food with open expo kitchen
17. Hot Dog Hall of Fame – hot dogs and sausages from all over the US
18. Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches – soup, salad, sandwich, sweet treats
19. The Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar – custom designed burger or sushi or a combo, spiked milkshakes, premium saki
20. NBC Sports Grill & Brew – upscale sports bar
21. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen – steak and seafood, all day brunch, gourmet chocolates, one of a kind desserts – milkshakes!, steampunk theme
22. Voodoo Doughnut – sinfully delicious, delightfully weird line-up of creations
23. Lone Palm Airport – fly by for island eats and outdoor drinks
24. Red Coconut Club – vintage vegas with a tropical twist
25. Fusion Bistro Sushi & Saki Bar
26. Fat Tuesday

Entertainment
1. AMC Theatres Universal Cineplex 20 and IMAX
2. Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom
3. CityWalk's Rising Star (Karaoke Club featuring Live Band and Backup Singers & Dancers)
4. The Groove
5. Hard Rock Live, a separate performance venue adjacent to the Hard Rock Cafe
6. Red Coconut Club
7. Blue Man Group Sharp Aquos Theatre
8. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, live bands take to the restaurant's stage to perform every evening
9. Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf – a mini golf course harkening back to 50's era drive-in movies. The facility has two different and intricately themed courses: “The Haunting of Ghostly Greens” and “Invaders from Planet Putt-Putt”

Shopping
1. Tommy Bahama
2. BMG Gear
3. Fossil, Inc.
4. Fresh Produce
5. Quiet Flight Surf Shop
6. Universal Studios Store
7. Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company Element Skateboards

Universal Orlando Resort Hotel

Royal Pacific Hotel 6300 Hollywood Way

We arrived around 4:30pm. There was a line for check-in but it seemed to move pretty fast. Our room wasn't ready yet so they gave us a couple free drink/dessert tickets to use at one of the hotel restaurants. They also gave Owen a birthday button and a card with a free dessert ticket. We were also welcomed with some leis. That was a fun polynesian touch. We picked up our Universal tickets from the kiosk.
We also decided to go ahead and use our free drink and dessert tickets so we went to Jake's American Bar. It took a while and we didn't end up leaving until almost 6pm. I got a Blue Crush and Tom got a Ginger Crush. They were pretty good. They definitely give you that island feel. We shared a Jumbo Dark Chocolate cupcake with Nutella inside and cream cheese frosting. I felt like it was almost a little dry, but really good. And it was huge! Owen got brownies and a root beer float. Even though it took us a while to get out of there, at the end of the day, we only payed $4 so we made sure to tip well.
We did eventually get a text saying that our room was ready so we dropped some stuff off before going to CityWalk.
Our room was beautiful and clean. It was spacious and everything I could ask for from a hotel room. We had a great view of the pool. Plus, we were on the 3rd floor which was actually the lobby floor so it was very convenient.
The next morning, we had to check out very early so that we could get to the parks before early admission. Apparently, there are many ways to check out. I thought it was very cool that you could check out from your TV, but that wasn't available while we were there so we ended up calling. You just leave a message with your name and room number and that's it! You're checked out.
We will 100% be staying here again in the future! I just loved it! And next time, maybe we can stay even longer.

Hilton Head Lighthouse

We ended up only having 1 morning in Hilton Head so we used that morning to visit the lighthouse. One thing that I never read anywhere was that the lighthouse was located in a community called Sea Pines. And in order to get into Sea Pines, you have to pay $6 per vehicle. I mean, this won't break the bank or anything, but it was a surprise and I definitely didn't budget for it.
Then, when we finally arrived at the lighthouse, it was a little before 10am so we sat on some red rockers that are placed around the base of the lighthouse facing the basin and waited. Well, apparently we also weren't told that they play fast and loose with their hours of operation, because they did NOT open at 10. We decided to walk around and saw that there was a pier we could walk down. As we got closer to the pier, there was a small beach that had a TON of shells so Owen took that time to collect some. We took some pictures and then headed over to the information booth to ask when the lighthouse would open. They said it would probably open some time between 10:30 and 11. We decided to walk past and it was open.
We entered around 10:15-10:20. It cost $4.25 per person. We walked up the 114 steps to the top stopping to look at pictures and random facts and to get some pressed pennies. It's pretty tight in there so if it's busy, I'd imagine it's not too easy to navigate past people.
When we got to the top, there was a cute little gift shop. You could go outside to see the views on a deck that wrapped around the entire top. After we did that, we came inside and Owen bought a lighthouse snowglobe.
And that was our trip to the lighthouse! We really enjoyed it, but definitely wish we had known a couple of these things before visiting.

Hilton Head Island, SC Hotel

Holiday Inn Resort Beach House 1 South Forest Beach Drive

For our second destination, we chose Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I looked at a couple of places and decided it would be worth the money to stay on the beach to save time. Since we were only planning to stay for one night, it just made sense so that we could wake up and head straight out to the beach and then come back to wash up with plenty of time before check-out. After looking at pricing, we finally settled on the Holiday Inn Resort Beach House.

We check in around 5:30pm. My husband got a text after checking in to inform him that he could text the front desk with any requests or issues. I think this is a great feature that a lot of resorts are adopting.
The room was nice. It was your typical hotel room; nothing special. Unfortunately, there was a problem with a pipe or something so they had to turn off the water for quite a long time to fix it. It was very inconvenient for us. However, we understood there wasn't much they could do about it.
The bar next to the pool was very active the night we were there. Plus, outdoors there is a firepit (only 1, but it's a big one). You can probably fit a good 6-10 chair around it depending how close you sit.
When we woke up in the morning, it was a very cloudy day so we weren't able to see the sunrise like we had hoped. Luckily, we brought our own breakfast items since it's not included with this hotel. We made our way down to the beach after we packed everything up. It was unseasonably cold that morning so there was no way we were getting in the water. However, we were still able to take some pictures and play in the sand a little before we left.
Unfortunately, our stay at this hotel wasn't what we were expecting, but we could tell it was still a great hotel that we wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Dayton, OH Hotel

TownePlace Suites Dayton North 3642 Maxton Rd

We didn't stay here very long. It was basically just a stop on our way to our next location. We checked-in around 8:30pm. The room itself was great with it's kitchenette when you first walk in and the large open living space by the couch! I wish we could have taken this room around with us to every hotel we stayed at. There is tons of storage in the desk area and in the closet that connects the entry and the bathroom.
The breakfast selection was okay, but there was no meat or any hot items other than the gravy to go with the biscuits (which were cold). In fact, we took the biscuits back to our room to microwave them first before adding the gravy. There was also 1 waffle station which caused quite the backup. There was a long line for that one. Plus, all the tables were taken because there was a large group of college kids talking (not eating).
We checked out and left around 8:30am. Our 12 hours in this hotel were decent. If we ever stay in Dayton, OH again, we'll definitely stay here.

Review: The Original Pancake House

For Valentine's Day, we had the great pleasure of attending the soft opening of Normal's very first Original Pancake House. And it was great! I've been able to attend a couple different soft openings, and this was by far the best! The food was amazing. I mean, I've never had such a great omelet! I was so full after eating it. There were a couple hiccups: the main one being that our food didn't come out all at the same time. It didn't really matter to me, but for my husband, he's convinced that his meal would have been much better had it all come out at the same time. The potato pancakes just aren't that great in my opinion, but I'm sure with corned beef hash on top and some eggs on top, they taste much better. My build-your-own omelet with cheddar cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and bacon was amazing. And of course, the pancakes were great. But really, how do you screw up pancakes? And every employee we interacted with was very pleasant and helpful. Oh and the fresh squeezed orange juice is my definite go-to drink here from now on! They officially opened on Monday, February 19th, 2018. So if you get the pleasure of visiting, just know, you'll have a great experience in Normal, IL.

Disney World Vacation Round Up

Today, I will be sharing with you all the links to my previous posts about our trip to Disney World in October. Hopefully, they will be helpful to you. We had such a great time. It completely baffles me the people that don't have fun at the happiest place on Earth. Go in with the right expectations and all the right information.

Well, here they are! Enjoy!

Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom Day 1
Magic Kingdom Day 2
Epcot
and a special one where we Ate Our Way Around the World!

Again, I hope you find these informative and helpful.

Vacation: Eating our way around the World in Epcot

Then we started our journey to eat ourselves around the world.

Our first stop was New Zealand where we had a lamb meatball with spicy tomato chutney and Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir. The meatball was moist but there was too much chutney and it wasn't very spicy.

Then we went to Mexico where we ate a barbacoa enchilada (corn tortilla filled with beef barbacoa and covered with oaxaca mole). The mole was very spicy. The enchilada was well seasoned.

Then we went to China where we ate chicken pot stickers. The sauce was a little sweet for my taste, but overall, it was good.

Then we went to South Korea where we ate Korean-style BBQ beef with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi. The cucumber kimchi had a very mild taste so even I, who does not like kimchi, enjoyed it. The acid from the kimchi complimented the meat well. The meat was tender and flavorful.

Then we went to Africa where we ate berbere-style beef tenderloin tips with onions, jalapenos, tomato and pap. I don't really like pap. It's bland. The jalapenos made the dish very spicy. It seemed like there wasn't a lot of meat compared to the number of other things in the dish.

Then we went to Germany where we ate an apple strudel with vanilla sauce. It was great. It is exactly what I would expect from any German bakery. It wasn't too sweet like some desserts tend to be.

Then we went to Poland where we ate kielbasa and a potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream. Everything was very flavorful. The kielbasa had good caramelization. The pierogi tasted great. There were just too many onions for the size of dish.

Then we went to Italy where we ate cannolis al cioccolata (chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta). I absolutely adore cannolis. They were so good. We ended up buying 2 because there was no way I splitting one of those small cannolis amongst 4 people.

Then we went to Japan where we ate a spicy sushi roll (tuna and salmon with kazan volcano sauce). I personally did not eat any of it because I don't like sushi, but my mom and husband really seamed to enjoy it. My husband said the sauce wasn't as spicy as he was expecting it to be.

Then we went to Morocco where we ate chocolate baklava (rolled phyllo dough with toasted almonds and dark chocolate sauce). This is one of my husband's favorite dishes. We were not disappointed. It wasn't too sweet. There was good spice to it. I would eat it again.

Then we went to Belgium where we ate beer-braised beef served with smoked gouda mashed potatoes. I love a good mashed potato and these were seriously good. The beef was pretty good too, but I will rant and rave about these potatoes.

Then we went to France where we ate crème brulee caramel chocolat (caramel and chocolate crème brulee topped with caramelized sugar). The chocolate in this dish was a little on the bitter side for me, but I enjoyed it.

Then we went to Scotland where we ate a traditional Scottish lamb stew with neeps and tatties. I don't really like neeps, but the tatties were good. The lamb was tender. We enjoyed it.

Then we went to Canada where we ate a wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle-butter sauce and Neige premiere 'apple ice wine'. My husband had a really large complaint with this one and I have to agree with him. It was too small. The steak was so good. If you go to Le Cellier, order the full-sized portion of this dish. It was that good. The apple ice wine was really good as well. Again, the only complaint was the size. The cup we got was easily 1/3 the size of the glass of wine mom got earlier in the day.

And finally, we went to the Refreshment Port where we ate a croissant doughnut with cinnamon sugar and a pineapple Dole whip soft-serve ice cream. The croissant doughnut was seriously flaky, covered in cinnamon sugar, and amazing to eat. I think my son ate like half of it. I have a major complaint with all the people that write blog posts. I tried the Dole whip and it wasn't good. I didn't love it. I only ate it because I felt like I had to. I don't care how much of a staple it is, don't get it. It was just bad (but that's just my opinion).

Vacation: Epcot

We got to Epcot about 8:15am and they started letting everyone in at 8:45am.

The first thing we did was The Seas with Nemo & Friends over in Future World. You will board your shell and go through the story of Finding Nemo. It was alright. It's a little boring, but still fun.

While we were there, we checked out Bruce's Shark World. My son enjoyed taking the little touch screen quiz and playing in the shark, maze-like area. It's a great photo op with your child inside Bruce's mouth.

Then, to finish this area, we went to Turtle Talk with Crush. That was pretty cool. Owen was the first kid he talked to. Crush taught him how to talk like a turtle. It was great and I'm so glad he wasn't too shy to talk to him. Crush was very entertaining. The kids get to sit up front while the parents sit on benches. The room is really small so clearly you can't fit a ton of people in there. There was no wait when we went, but I can see how it could take a while.

We had a FP+ to Soarin'. It was a very cool ride. I would say the part I liked the least was going through The Land to get to it. That was horrible. There are way too many people there. I love how you're suspended in the air above a huge dome-like screen, sailing through the air all over the world. This experience is so submerssive that they even pump in amazing smells to really take you to all of these locations. When it was all over, my son asked if we went through that screen to get there when we were leaving. It felt so real to him. I say this is a must-ride. We all felt like we were way in the air and it was a little freaky to feel like we could fall out at any moment.

We met Baymax. That was pretty cool. He is an inflatable character and they do such a good job about making him feel like he's the real deal. When he needs to go on a break, he starts to deflate a little and stumble around like he has a low battery just like in the movie.

Our next FP+ was for Spaceship Earth. Even the FP+ line was very long. That was kind of annoying. And to be entirely honest, the ride was boring. I think the big selling point for this ride was that it was inside the ball. That's probably the only thing that made it super cool. You go around in circles hearing about technology throughout history until you reach the top of the ball. Then, you go down backwards back to the bottom of the ball while you create your own possible future.

We had a free FP+ to use on anything except Frozen Ever After, so we chose to use it on Test Track. Designing your own car beforehand is a pretty cool way to get you involved in something while waiting to actually ride the ride. Then, since there are so many people in one car, you go through all these tests and they show you how your car stacked up against everyone else in your car. Clearly, the highlight is when you get to go fast around the track. That was fun.

We had a FP+ for Mission: Space. My husband, son, and I decided to go on the more intense ride rather than the less intense ride that my mom decided to go on. I can tell you for sure that the more intense ride has a longer wait time. It was so much fun though. Everyone gets a job (Navigator, Pilot, Commander, and Engineer). We were only 3 people and my son was very concerned that we would crash if we didn't have an engineer so I ended up hitting the buttons for that job as well as the ones for Commander. My son clearly wanted to be the Pilot. We actually switched places after the jobs were handed out so that he would get this spot. The G-forces are pretty intense so be aware of that when choosing the more intense ride. They're not kidding when they say you may feel disoriented and there is even a barf bag, but we still had a lot of fun.

We made our way over to the World Showcase for our lunch reservation at Akershus Royal Dining Hall. Your reservation time is a joke though. There was a huge line just to check in so it took forever to get through it. Then you stand in another line to be called for your table. Then you stand in another line to get your picture taken with Belle before you are finally escorted to your table. Our server took our order for our main entree course. The first course is an appetizer buffet bar with salads, meats, cheeses, and seafood. There is something for most people. While we were eating our first course, the princesses came out to parade around the dining rooms. The kids were invited to go too. Our son started to go, but then got a little upset. While my husband was trying to get him to get in the parade, their handler asked what was wrong (he thought maybe my son missed his favorite princess). Apparently, my son only saw girls in the parade with the princesses so he thought it was only for girls and he wasn't supposed to be there. Well, the guy took pity on him and let him help collect the baskets at the end of the parade that the princesses carry. It made him feel special and he still got to be a part of something. After my son and husband got back to the table to continue eating, the guy came to check on him and ask if he felt better. He said yes. Then, he came back with a viking helmet for my son from the gift shop in Norway. It was so sweet. They did a great job to make him feel special. He just loved it. And while he didn't want to wear it during the whole lunch, he did insist on putting it on every time a princess came to our table. To eat, I had the Fylt Pasta (house-made potato-cheese and herb ravioli with wild mushrooms, leek cream sauce, tomato jam, and balsamic-onion reduction). It was very tasty. I definitely recommend it. My husband and mom both had the Svinekotelett (char-grilled center cut pork chop with jarlsberg potato gratin and port jus). I tasted it and it was also quite delicious. I know most people go to this restaurant for the princesses, but the food was surprisingly amazing! For dessert, there was a plate to share of rice cream with strawberry sauce, apple cake, and chocolate mousse. All were good. The rice cream was just a little weird for me. It was definitely the texture. I didn't love it. The apple cake was super good. I would love the recipe for this one! Please! And of course you can never go wrong with a good chocolate mousse. Now, for the princesses. We saw Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. They came around one at a time to each table and spent lots of time talking to each child. They were absolutely fantastic. I just love all the characters that they have. They're always so friendly. I mean, I know you have to be a special kind of person to work at Disney World and I am just so thankful that those special people exist to be kind to my sweet little boy.

The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros is located at the back of the Mexican Temple. When you enter, go down the left ramp. We made the mistake of going down the right ramp and ended up walking in a large circle. The ride is on a boat and it was pretty entertaining. There is a great atmosphere in the temple. If you're short on time, I say skip it. But if you have the time, it's a cute little ride.
We made a FP+ reservation for the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival even though it was completely unnecessary. There was no line for it. It was cute though. It was nice to sit and watch the 4D shorts. It lasts about 18 minutes. I'm not sure if the ones they show ever change, but there is a sign out front telling you which shorts are being featured. While we were there, we saw 'Get A Horse!', 'La Luna', and 'For The Birds'.

We then waited in a very long line to meet Joy & Sadness. The one biggest problem while we were there was the woman in charge of the line. She really needed to take some pointers from Joy. Seriously. I mean, mostly everyone we encountered at Disney was more than pleasant except for this woman. She seemed very sour. She spent her entire time yelling at everyone. 'Move forward' 'Fill in all available space' (we were told this a lot during lines that got full a lot, but this one was not) 'Don't touch the chains with your hands, mouth, and bodies. They will pinch' 'Don't sit on the ground' I mean seriously? Have you ever met a child? Calm down. Oh well. We had a great time with Joy and Sadness. They were great. They can't talk because they're not face characters, but they really communicated. They made gestures toward my husband's shirt (it had Anger on it). Joy was always dancing around. We just loved it.

We noticed that Frozen Ever After was temporarily closed and there was a line standing outside the doors waiting to re-enter. We decided to go ahead and get in that line. The employees suggested that we not wait, but we of course didn't listen. Our game plan was to have someone stand in line while other parts of our party were elsewhere. At first, I went to the Norway gift shop and then brought Owen with me to take a picture and let him color Duffy. We did that for about 10 minutes. Then, we went back to the line and about 2 minutes later, they opened the doors. It had been closed for about an hour before that so we actually got very lucky. The most annoying part was when we were in the first 100 people in line, but they let so many FP+ people through (most likely the ones that missed their reservation while the ride was closed) that we ended up waiting in line for about 45 minutes. Altogether, we waited about an hour which compared to the 2-3 hour waits that were more likely, we were still very lucky. The line was very well themed and you even get to go through Oaken's Trading Post where you see him in the sauna. The ride itself was adorable. I really enjoyed it. There were scenes from the movie and the short. It was great. Even though we sat in the front, it was only a slight misting that we received so while it might be possible that you'll get wet, it's very unlikely. We really enjoyed the ride.

We also ate our way around the world, but that's a whole different post.
We finally got back to the resort pretty late and pretty much went straight to bed.

Vacation: Magic Kingdom Day 2

Our reservations for the Be Our Guest Breakfast were at 8:30am. When we got to Magic Kingdom, there was a special line off to the far left for people with early morning reservations. We were let in around 7:45am. They didn't care what time our reservation was for as long as it was before the park opened. We were able to take some pictures with not too many people in them. That was great. Just a tip though. To get to Be Our Guest, you will have to go through Cinderella's castle to get to that side of the park. We were not expecting this so we were a little lost for a couple minutes when all the ways to that side of the park were blocked off. We got to our reservation early, but we were let right in. That was nice. We had pre-ordered our food so we got to skip that step. You're allowed to pick your own seat so we chose to go to the west wing. It's definitely the most dramatic room of them all. There is the rose in the corner, the fireplace with the torn portrait over it, and there's even thunder and lightning throughout your meal. The west wing was a little dark (but I think that's the point). Just know that if you plan on taking pictures of your food, you will have a little trouble in this room without using your flash. You get your own drinks (coffee and fountain drinks) and silverware once you choose your table. If you got milk, they bring that with your food. Now to the food. My son got eggs and bacon. The scrambled eggs were very creamy. My husband got the Feast A La Gaston (scrambled eggs, herb-roasted potatoes, apple smoked bacon, chicken sausage, and fruit). The chicken sausage was sweet which was unexpected, but nice. The potatoes were amazing. I got the Croqhe Madame (open-faced ham sandwich topped with a fried egg, gruyere cheese, and bechamel served with fresh fruit). The bechamel was amazing. I wanted to just spread it on everything. The fried egg was over hard which was fine. Overall, everything everyone ordered was really good. Everything is served with a pastry plate for the table. They were amazing. I think we got a croissant, an apple pastry, a chocolate pastry, a mini blueberry muffin, a mini banana nut golden raisin muffin, and a cinnamon roll. Everything that we ate was super good. We definitely didn't leave hungry. That's for sure.

We immediately headed to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train after we left breakfast. That was the best decision we made because we saw the wait time for Standby go up to 210 minutes the day before. We were actually the first people in line by mere seconds! It was amazing. We were walked through the line by an employee to the front (I believe to ensure that everyone actually walked through the line instead of taking shortcuts or running) where we were in the very front of the first car of the day. That ride was fun! I can't say that I would wait 3 hours to ride it, but I am so excited that we did get to enjoy it.

We followed that up with Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Due to the early morning, there was no line. This is a constant loading ride. It was very cute. It felt like a 5-minute Little Mermaid's greatest hits. I really enjoyed it. We didn't really stop in the line because there wasn't one, but had we needed to stop, the line was pretty cool. There were a lot of things to look at.

Right next door, we met Ariel at Her Grotto. This was so cool. I just love that she was in her fins. I mean, I guess Ariel with her legs is okay, but it's so much better to meet her in her fins. She was so nice.

The line at Peter Pan's Flight was interesting. This is definitely one of those instances where Disney really fools you with all the rooms. Every time you think you're at the end of the line, you're wrong. But they do a great job of keeping you entertained with things to look at in these rooms. The ride itself was pretty good. You fly around in a boat looking at all the different scenes you would see in Peter Pan. It was great. It was very dark though.

The Barnstormer was a very very fast ride. And by that, I mean that it felt like it lasted no more than 30 seconds. It was definitely fun while we were on it though. It's a great starter coaster for small kids. We really enjoyed it.

We happened upon the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party by accident. It just so happened to start while we were walking in front of the castle on our way to the other side of the park. I highly recommend it though. We saw Chip n' Dale, Mickey, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, Phineas and Ferb, Baloo and King Louie, and Woody and Jessie. Once they surround the circle in front of the castle, they stop and the characters get down to dance. Then, they invite everyone to come dance with them. I totally suggest going by the Zootopia characters because this is probably the only time you will ever see them. It was a fun little dance break. Keep an eye on your child though because there are a lot of people there and it's easy to get lost in all the chaos.

We had a FP+ for Jungle Cruise so we headed over to it. It was pretty good. Don't try to compare this to Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom. It won't even come close to adding up to it. But for me, that's not the point of this ride. First of all, you're on a boat ride so it's a completely different feel. But second of all, the whole ride is filled with your guide telling horrible, terrible jokes filled with the worst puns I've ever heard. It was great. We loved it. The fake animals looked very cool. Had they been moving, I would have expected them to be real. We enjoyed our time aboard the Amazon Annie visiting jungles all over the world.

Our next FP+ was at the Haunted Mansion. It was a fun little ride with ghosts. Disney does a great job of making these ghosts feel real. I think that's the whole point of this ride. With that being said, don't think that it's scary. It's not funny or silly like I've heard others say, but it's definitely not scary. We really enjoyed the end of the ride when it showed our faces in the 'mirror' as ghosts with our names under them. That was super cool.

We met Anastasia and Drizella in Fantasyland. They were hilarious. They definitely weren't mean. But they were ridiculous. It was great. We really enjoyed them.

We decided to get a snack at Gaston's Tavern. We got a ham and cheese-stuffed pretzel and a chocolate croissant to eat and LeFou's Brew (frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow and topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam) served in a souvenir stein to drink. It was all really tasty and it definitely hit the spot.

We had to stand in line for a while to meet Gaston, but that's okay because his handler, Michael, was very entertaining. Gaston himself was great. He and Owen showed off their muscles for a picture. He was very entertaining.

We went to Mickey's Philharmagic because we had some time to kill and I'm so glad we did. I actually really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend you go to this show. It wasn't all that busy so you should easily find a seat. We didn't have very high hopes for it. I really thought it would be boring, but it turned out to be great. It's about Donald stealing Mickey's magic hat and he ends up going through a bunch of Disney movies trying to get it back. We loved it!

We decided to go shopping at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe where we bought some ornaments. They had a great selection.

Then we decided to get another snack. My husband and I got a turkey leg to share and my mom and son got some Mickey ice cream sandwiches. We all really enjoyed our food and we sat until it was time to go to our last FP+ of the day.

I'm so glad we had a FP+ to Enchanted Tales with Belle. We ended up waiting for 5 minutes before our show. We really ended our day on a high note with this one. There weren't a lot of boys, especially ones that wanted to participate so my son was the lucky one chosen to be the beast and he was absolutely adorable! I'm telling you right now, if you have a son, you want him to be the beast. It's the best role in the whole show. It was so cute, I almost got teary-eyed. If you're child was in the show (if you're child wants to be in it, they can be), you'll get a PhotoPass card to look at the pictures taken during the show.

When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go swimming at the pirate pool one last time. It was fun swimming in the dark with just the pool lights to light our way. Mom and I decided to try out the slide. It was fun! Then we got Dominoes for dinner.

Vacation: Magic Kingdom Day 1

We started our day off with a bit of confusion. My recommendation is to check the hours of the park you're visiting the night before you go! They are always subject to change. I had checked the hours a while before we visited to make our schedule and it had said the hours were 9am-10pm. However, what we didn't realize until after we got there was that the hours had changed to 8am-12am. When we arrived at 8:15am, the park was already open. Luckily, it wasn't too busy so we were able to go to a couple of rides before the lines got super long. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed for refurbishment so I have no comments on this ride. Also, Stitch's Great Escape was down while we were there so I have no comments on this ride either.

We started off with Astro Orbiter. I will tell you this. Owen and I sat very comfortably in this ride. My husband and Mom did not. It was definitely a tight fit for the two of them. It was pretty fun though. This ride is your typical up and down, round and round ride.

We saw that the Tomorrowland Speedway had a short line so we jumped over there. The cars don't go very fast and you can't actually drive them too much because there is a bar in the middle to keep you on the track. However, this means that our little 6yo son was able to drive the car. It seemed like it was nearly impossible to control the car. Even as a decent adult driver, it felt like I was bouncing all over the place. And while little kids may be able to drive, they may not be able to reach the pedal. Luckily, the pedal is in the middle of the car so an adult can easily press the pedal while the little one drives. It was a fun little way to waste time.

We had a FP+ for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and it was so much fun. It was similar to Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios, but it's also different and has it's own little story. This one actually has a gun that you shoot and you're able to control which way the car spins to choose what you're shooting at. However, it is a little difficult to tell what you're shooting at. There are all these little red dots to show where you're shooting, but it's hard to tell which one is yours. We had so much fun though.

Then we headed over to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. My tip is, if you're horribly afraid of being singled out in front of a crowd, don't go to this. Seriously! Most people are great sports, but my husband wasn't expecting this and was completely extatic at the end when he wasn't chosen. If you embarrass easily, beware! Despite all of this, I will tell you that I actually laughed quite a bit. Normally, I'm pretty hard to make laugh. A lot of things that kids find funny, I'm not impressed by. This was funny!

We decided to ride the teacups at Mad Tea Party next. We loved spinning. It's just like all your usual spinning rides. You sit in a teacup and spin the circle in the middle to make yourself go. This means you can spin as fast or as slow as you would like.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was fun. It felt like we waited in line forever for this one though. Luckily, the line was pretty entertaining. The kids are free to play in one part of it while the adults stand in line. The ride is fine. While sitting in your honey pot, you go along on a story with Winnie the Pooh and all his friends. It's definitely a great ride for little kids. Our 6yo enjoyed it, but I think in a year or 2, it will be a little young for him.

We ate lunch at The Friar's Nook where we got pot roast mac and cheese and BBQ chicken mac and cheese. It was really good and really filling. Personally, I liked the pot roast better. I think it was because the BBQ chicken was a little sweet for me and had cole slaw on top (which would have been nice to know beforehand).

We got to meet Merida. When we first got there, kids got to try archery after they met her. However, a couple groups before us, one of the kids broke the bow so we didn't get to do it. That was pretty disappointing for our son. But that's not why we were there. Merida was so nice! She told Owen he reminded her of her brothers and she taught Owen the correct stance for archery. He really enjoyed meeting her.

We had a FP+ for Space Mountain so we went there. I was a little concerned that my son wouldn't like it because the whole ride is in the dark, but he loved it! It goes fast around in circles in the dark. That's pretty much the whole ride. You feel like you're going a lot faster than you actually are because it's so dark. That being said, it's a lot more fun than it sounds.

We decided to take a little break on the Walt Disney World Railroad around the park. There are 3 stops and you could seriously ride that thing all day because they never make you get off. That being said, we boarded in Fantasyland, went to Main Street U.S.A., then to Fantasyland, and finally got off when we got back to Fantasyland. There is a nice breeze while the train is moving. If you have your own stroller, you can take it with you if you fold it up.

My mom convinced us to go on “it's a small world” and that line was quite the pain. Part of that was because the outside part was all in the sun. Part of that was because the line was long. But I think the biggest reason that line was a pain was because the family behind us just refused to watch their daughter (2-3 years old) and she was out of control. She kept bumping into us, touching us, swinging the chains, going ahead of us, yelling, and pretty much just all around being annoying. Now, I work with kids so I'm not just sour toward them. However, I do believe in watching your children and correcting inappropriate behavior. Now, after we got on the boat (thankfully, not even the same one as the other people) we realized one thing. There is absolutely no leg room! Or at least, there isn't any in the front row. I mean, it's great to be in front and it looked like there may have been more room in other rows, but we definitely were uncomfortable. Oh, and have you heard the joke about getting stuck on this ride? Well, it may have only been for 10 minutes, but we were definitely stuck and the song just kept playing!

We watched the Princess Elena Royal Welcome by accident! We got to the castle early to watch the Friendship Faire and it turned out that they were welcoming Elena of Avalor right before that. It was pretty cool. She sang a song. I got a picture of Cinderella and Prince Charming in front of the castle so that was nice.

While we were waiting, we ate some Mickey bars, which are basically just dilly bars in the shape of Mickey.

So then, we stuck around and watched Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire. What a cute little show on the castle stage. There are SO many characters involved in this. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Tiana, Prince Naveen, Rapunzel, Flynn, Olaf, Elsa, and Anna are all involved. There are 4 songs and we all thoroughly enjoyed watching. We were really close to the stage so I was concerned at first that we wouldn't be able to see that well, but that wasn't the case at all. Plus, there were fireworks at the end of the performance. It was great! It seemed like they were lip-syncing to the original voices which we really enjoyed because the songs sounded really authentic.

We had a FP+ for Splash Mountain and I'm glad we did. That line was long. It was really fun! There are 4 rows and our party was in the last 2. It seemed like the front row got the most wet and sitting in the back, we just got a light mist to the face. That was actually kind of nice because it cooled us down a bit, but we didn't get soaked so it was still fine to walk around for a while after that. Usually, Splash Mountain is all about that 50 foot drop, but there is a nice little story that goes along with the ride involving Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox going after Br'er Rabbit.

Pirates of the Caribbean didn't have a very long line so we went on that. It was ok. You ride a boat through scenes from the movies. It was kind of fun looking for Jack Sparrow. In some of the scenes he's kind of hidden so you have to pay attention.

My family was not interested in going to The Hall of President's, but my mom was so she went by herself.

We went to meet Pooh and Tigger. That line was deceptively long. Pooh and Tigger kept having to take a break every 20 minutes so we were there for about an hour. They were great though.

We just had to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant. It's an iconic ride after all. This is the ride that everyone thinks of when thinking of all the ABC shows in the 90s when the families would go to Disney World and there was always that clip of them riding the Dumbo elephants. We used a FP+ for it after we used our original 3. It was just like the ride we rode first. You know, your typical up and down ride that goes round and round.

We then booked another FP+ for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. It was the same as Dumbo and Astro Orbiter with one small difference. It had a spitting camel. If you want to get wet, you need to gauge the height of the spit and aim for that and hope that he spits right when you're going by. If you don't want to get wet, you need to go either high or low when he spits to avoid the water.

We decided to call it quits after this ride and make our way back to the resort. After all, we had to get up super early for our breakfast reservations.