Mama Monday : Disney's Days of Christmas!

Hi Mamas and Daddies! There is one store that is a must stop for me any time we go to Downtown Disney-Disney's Days of Christmas! It is no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday. This store makes it Christmas all year long at Disney. You can buy stockings, ornaments, tree skirts, Christmas treats, and other collectibles there. We have quite a few Disney ornaments and I love those the most. Even though the store is the Days of Christmas, you will find Hanukah items here too to help you celebrate the Festival of Lights. Here's a few pictures for you to give you a peek of the awesomeness of this store.

Walls and walls of ornaments!

Who doesn't need a Mickey nutcracker?

Stockings for every character can be found!

This is what your ornament will look like once you take it home and place it on your tree. This store provides great souvenirs to remember your Disney vacation every year for years to come.

Mama Monday : All about water!

Hi Mamas, It's summer and it's HOT at Disney this time of year, actually most of the year it is hot at Disney. I can't stress the importance of making sure you and the kiddos stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to stomach issues, heat exhaustion, headaches, and GRUMPINESS! None of which are fun to deal with on a regular day but you definitely don't want to deal with this on your magical vacation.

So where can you find water at Disney? EVERYWHERE!

You can buy bottled water at every restaurant and snack place. You can also get a bottle of water with your dining plan also. I prefer to bring our water into the park, which is totally allowed!

If you've rented a stroller from our friends over at Kingdom Strollers, you can order a case of water for $9 through them and they include a cooler bag free of charge with their strollers. This is our preferred method of taking waters in. Every room at Disney has a mini fridge so we are able to keep the waters cold then put four in the cooler bag for the day.  If you have ordered groceries, you can also order water by the case that way. Our family goes through a case easily. Plus Disney has a way to recycle the bottles.

There are water fountains near every bathroom. A lot of people refill the water bottles there.  You can also go into the Baby Centers and use their sinks too for the kids.(and you)

And for those of you creative people, you can make your own custom Disney Water bottle like these or you can order them all over etsy!

As much as I love sodas, they don't keep you hydrated. Water is the best solution. Don't wait for your kids to say they are thirsty. We keep our kids' sippy water cups attached to their stroller and every time they hop in the stroller, they take a drink.

Keep everyone healthy and hydrated with water throughout all of the parks!

Mama Monday : Speciality Cruises at Walt Disney World

Hi Disney friends, Today we are going on a speciality cruise at Disney. You have the option to do one near the Magic Kingdom or near Epcot. I have clients who have done both but I have only done the one near Magic Kingdom personally. These are a great option to book for a special celebration or just as a way to do something fun without the crowds. Disney's fine print will say that the fireworks are not guaranteed to be seen from the boat. They have to say that because they can't control the weather, clouds, etc and there are rare cases where there's no fireworks at Disney for a night.(I've never experienced that personally). In most cases, you will see Wishes(pictured below on the left compliments of www.allears.net )or Illuminations(pictured below on the right).

Here's the nitty gritty. You will be on a 21 foot to 25 foot pontoon Suntracker depending upon the number of people.

You can depart from The Contemporary, The Grand Floridian, The Polynesian, or The Wilderness Lodge for the one that will see Wishes. You depart from the Yacht and Beach Club for the Illuminations Cruise.

If fireworks are scheduled for 9pm, you will meet at the boat dock at 8pm and be ready to depart at 8:30pm. You are usually on the boat for about an hour or so. Included in the price is your boat captain and snacks, sodas, and waters. You can order extra snacks/beverages like beer and wine from Private Dining at each of the resorts. It has been my experience that the boat captain is a wealth of information. If you are into Disney trivia or wanting to know how things like the Lagoon were made, etc, your captain will share all of this with you. You can also ask questions. It is really a cool experience just for that aspect alone. Then your captain positions the boat just right and you have the most incredible view of Wishes or Illuminations. It's amazing. You do not have the Wishes music piped in but you can usually hear the Illuminations music from your boat.

These cruises can be romantic for a party of two or family oriented with up to ten people. It is good for all ages. Life jackets are provided for the children. We did ours in December which is why we are bundled up. It was definitely cold the night we went out but it was still a great time.

For the Wishes departures the price is going to range from $292 - $346 plus tax. For the Illuminations departure it is going to be $325 plus tax.  These prices do change periodically. Gratuity is not included and I would strongly recommend that you tip your captain. They really do go above and beyond in my opinion. To book one of these you call 407-WDW-PLAY OR if you are booked with me, I can take care of this for you.

Mama, that was so cool! Please take me on a fireworks cruise again!

Mama Monday : Biergarten Review

Willkommen im Biergarten  Mamas and Papas! The Biergarten in Germany at Epcot is one of our family’s favorite spots. It is  German food buffet and it includes the Oompah Band as entertainment and it is Octoberfest year round there! What more could a German girl want?

First the food: The Spaetzel is my favorite thing on the buffet(picture above courtesy of our friends at Disney Food Blog). The kids love it too! It is so delicious I could eat an entire plate of it! It is so buttery! There’s also an incredible salad buffet. The beet salad and the cucumber salad are my top picks there. There was so much meat on the buffet: Schnitzel,  Salmon, Brats, carving stations, and more!  And of course the sauerkraut is a must try. There’s a huge dessert area. Blackforest cake, vanilla pudding with chocolate chips,  and freshly baked apple strudel to name a few of my favorites.

This is one of the heaviest meals you will have at Disney. They do serve a lunch and a dinner option but the buffet is the same for both. We went for lunch when I was pregnant and it was still way too much food for a lunch! Definitely opt for dinner.

One of my favorite times of year to do the Biergarten is at the holidays. It is one of the Candlelight Processional package restaurants. Something about that combo really strikes at my nostalgia.

The Atmosphere and Entertainment: You are likely going to be seated with other families. The inside of the restaurant is meant to feel just like a Biergarten in Germany would. Community tables are part of the charm and fun. You can get to know your table mates while you enjoy dinner. It is also a great place for large groups. The Oompah Band Plays about once an hour. It is definitely a must see show. It lasts 25 minutes a set. I encourage you to get on the dance floor and have fun with this. Kids love it!

Beer and Wine: Of course there’s beer at the Biergarten! I love the beer flights. I am not a big fan of German wine but I drink it in small amounts. For the sizing of the beers, remember a German large is much larger than our large here! My husband always goes for the large one-it is one liter. He likes the Hovels and the Altenmunster Octoberfest.

The Biergarten is one table service credit on the dining plan except for the Candlelight Processional package then it is two.  It is one of our frequent locations to choose.