In honor of Epcot's upcoming birthday, I'm sharing photos of two recipes recently posted on the Disney Parks Blog. Directly from those magical kitchens, you can recreate some of your favorite dishes at home!! If you'd like to read the original blog article to get the recipes, just click on the photo and it will take you right there. Since you'll need something sweet to finish it off, why not this?
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EPCOT is celebrating it’s 35th birthday October 1st! Walt Disney Imagineering’s Gary Lundrum said, “World Showcase brings to life Walt’s belief that our cultural differences enrich us, while the things we have in common connect us.” Epcot is definitely the place where culture, creativity and education combine in an amazingly enjoyable wa. In honor of that we’ve put together 10 fun facts about EPCOT!
Have any fun Epcot facts to share? Want a free Epcot touring plan? Click here to do 9 (or 10!) attractions in just 3 hours with NO fastpasses! This past Friday when Disney did a live stream of the Mickey's Boo To You parade, we were all very excited. We cut the last of the Disney rice krispy treats we brought back this summer. Since the cotton candy stash we have is good for another year, we are all set for the next few live streams, and Disney treats. It seemed the parade was a little short, though that could have been because we are always sad to see anything Disney end, but it definitely got us into the mood for Halloween! That catchy little song wasn't stuck in my head right away, but this morning, there it was and it's stayed all day! Didn't get a chance to see it? You can watch it here on Youtube, until they take it down. I'm wondering what they will stream next...!! I can't wait to find out! Disney is expensive, and it's only natural that you want to find ways to cut your expenses. For some families, it's the only way that they can go, for others, they might not care about staying at a Disney resort, maybe they visit often, or they just want a place to rest, and some, there are just so many in the group, it makes more sense to rent a house. No matter which way you do it, there will be good things, and a few uhhhhhs. It's best to think carefully about what is best for YOU before you decide. In order to help you decide which way is going to work best, we've outlined a few of the things to think about Breakfast On Property, you'll have a choice of either a restaurant/food court breakfast that you'll need to buy, or else a quick meal in your room, or on the way to the bus stop. Off Property, if you've managed to find a place with free breakfast, that might just help out with the overall budget! No matter if you like a big meal, or just a snack, it's already included in the price of your room! Rental: You'll have access to a few more kitchen tools and perhaps even a larger refrigerator to make meals, be it sit down or on the go. Parking at your hotel/resort/rental When you stay at a Disney Property, parking is always free. It's free to park at the resort, and it's free to park at the Parks if you take your own car. Of course, you can always use the free Disney transportation too. Off property visitors are going to need to pay for parking, possibly at their off property resort, AND at the theme parks. When planning your trip, be sure to calculate that into the number of days you plan to stay. For an example, the BLAH LAG charges $ a night to park your car, .That's quite a huge chunk out of the vacation budget when you think about how you're going to have to pay to park at the theme parks as well! It's definitely sneaky to charge these extra fees. The Orlando Sentinal did a report back in 2016, saying 129 hotels were charging “resort fees” to cover things like WiFi and parking. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-orlando-highest-resort-fees-20160212-story.html Parking at the Disney Parks If you stay On Property at a Disney Resort, you will not have to pay to park at any of their theme parks. If you are staying off property, you'll have to pay $20 for a standard parking spot, per day, or $40 for a preferred parking spot. Some other hotels do offer shuttles to the parks, but the time you wait can vary wildly, and there's not always the frequency of pick ups. If you rent a house, of course, it's likely you will need to take your own vehicle. Lunch/Dinner Meals don't have to be eaten at the parks, and honestly, there's nothing easier than heading back mid afternoon for a snack or a late meal. At a Disney property, it's pretty easy and convinient to grab something, but the same goes as you are leaving in your own vehicle and passing by numberous places. There's not really a savings one way of the other, it's just your personal preference. Meals inside of the parks really aren't as expensive as you would think, there's a wide variety of things to get in the $10 or less range. Resting While you can rest anywhere, with your own transportation you do have the luxury of driving yourself back whenever you want, without waiting for a shuttle to pick you up. I find though, that I like to rest a bit on the Disney bus, and that restores me enough it's an easier walk from the bus stop to my room, and even back again to the food court to fill my mug. We personally find it restful to let someone else do the driving in an unfamiliar area, but those of you with huge strollers, large families or not staying close by really might perfer to drive. Pools The pool will vary at Disney Properties depending on what level resort you are staying at. Value resports have no water slides, for example. If a deluxe pool is something that is important to your family, you might want to check out the pool at the place you are thinking of staying at first, to make sure it's going to fit your needs. We've found that the pools at the Value on property resorts are more than wonderful, with huge splash pads or splash pools, multiple pools per resort, (Pop Century has 3, and a splash pag, for example) and have poolside games and movies but some friends of ours refuse to stay anywhere that doesn't have a waterslide. That's important to them, so they make sure to check for it. Theming If you want your resort to scream I'M AT DISNEY!!! (at least on the outside) then you'll want to stay on property. If you just want a place to rest your head, or maybe a more spa like surrounding, well, you also might want to stay at Disney, in one of the moderate or deluxe resorts, or you might be fine staying off property. Off property, you are unlikly to get any Disney themeing, however, if you are renting a house, it's possible that you could get some thememing, to help you stay in The Bubble. The Bubble The Bubble is the experience of being at Disney and not leaving it once until your trip is over. Many people enjoy that, myself included. Even though the inside of our resort doesn't scream DISNEY WOOO the theming is still fun, and we really enjoy the touches of Disney everywhere we look, plus going to the gift shop or food court whenever we want. You might not like that though. Maybe you go so often you just don't care, or maybe you don't want to be staring at a giant mouse everywhere you turn, that's totally fine! I would suggest though, if you have NEVER stayed on property, AND if you have small kids, just try it, at least once. There really is something special to be said for staying in The Bubble. So there's a few things to think about when you are choosing where to stay. Run the numbers, take into consideration your meal needs, but also parking and resort fees. There's nothing to ruin a vacation like the shock of added expenses on your first day. Do a little research ahead of time, and be prepared! While there is no bad time at all to visit a Disney Park, without a doubt one of the most popular times to visit is a holiday. There’s something special about holiday decorations, whether it’s for a Patriotic holiday, Halloween of Christmas. It adds a little extra Pixie Dust to that already magical experience. If you are one of those planning out your visit to the Magic Kingdom or any other park for an upcoming holiday, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. Going to Disney during a holiday does mean more magic, but it also means higher crowds. In order to get the most magic, and the least frustration out of your trip, there’s a few things you’ll want to take into consideration! Parking If you are driving your own car, be prepared for a much longer walk to and from your parking space. Arrive as early as you can for the best parking space possible. There will also be longer lines or wait times to take the parking tram. Park Capacity Because holidays, New Years, Thanksgiving and Christmas especially, are such popular times to visit, Magic Kingdom can reach capacity. What does this mean? A holiday at capacity happens in stages, so knowing those stages can make sure YOU get inside. Disney can change the way they do things at any time, but this is generally how it happens when it starts getting closer to capacity. Usually you’ll only need to worry about this a few days before, and after Christmas. First Stage: Guests with one day, single park tickets or those using cast member passes will not be allowed to park, they will be turned away at the toll plazas. Any guest staying at a Disney Resort, even if they drive themselves, is allowed in. Also, anyone with a multi day ticket, or park hopper tickets, annual passholders, someone hopping in from another park, anyone arriving by Disney transportation or anyone with an existing in park reservation. Second Stage: When the second stage occurs, the only ones allowed into the parking lots, or through the ticket turnstiles are: Those staying at a Disney resort, annual passholders, those re-entering the park from earlier that day, those hopping from another park, those with in park reservations or those coming by Disney transportation. Third Stage: Once it reaches the third stage (which isn’t too often, the second stage it the most common) the only ones allowed into the turnstiles, or the parking lot are: Those staying at a Disney Resort, annual passholders, those with in park reservations. Fourth Stage: The fourth stage, the park is entirely shut down, to all visitors. This has only happened once though, so it’s unlikely you will need to worry about it. HOWEVER! If you are visiting during a holiday, and NOT staying on property, you need to arrive at least an hour and a half early in order to make sure you get into the park. Remember, with the new opening procedure for the park, the hub is open an hour, sometimes earlier, than actual park opening. Once that is filled, and it will fill on a holiday, people will be stuck between the gates and the turnsiles, backing up to to the arrival areas and it will take much much longer to get inside of the park and get where you want to go. Holiday are NOT a time to get there late. Crowds There will be crowds, but like any Disney crowd, common sense will see you through. If you’ve small children, keep them in the stroller or tightly hold their hands so they don’t get lost, or knocked over. It only takes the blink of an eye for your group to be separated when another group pushes past you, so something like matching hats or shirts can go a long way towards spotting each others. First-timers- please note! You will NOT be able to hear your cell phone ringing, and the person you are trying to call will not be able to hear theirs! Even on a regular park day, it’s just too loud in the park to hear it, so plan to take frequent breaks to look to see if you’ve missed a call or text from another in your group. Reservations If there was a sit down place you wanted to eat, or if your little princess wanted a makeover, I hope you’ve already got reservations. You can start booking your preferred restaurant 6 months in advance. Didn’t do that yet? It’s okay, and you might still be able to get a reservation, but the sooner you start checking, the better. As time draws closer to your trip, if you haven't been able to score a table, don’t give up. Things happen sometimes with the others who hold those reservations, and it’s not unlikely, or impossible to get the restaurant you’ve been longing for, a few days before your trip. The trick is to keep trying, and not stop. Check the odd times too. It doesn’t matter if it’s quick service or not, tables are filled more from 11:30am-1pm. Longer lines This really goes along with the crowds, but you know there will already be some longer crowds. While it’s a little harder to beat the crowds on a holiday, it’s not impossible to minimize your wait time if you have a plan. If you don’t know what you want to do, where you want to go and where you want to eat, the lines are going to get longer and longer and you are going to start feeling frustrated. Disney is such a great place to visit, don’t let your magical trip be ruined by something so small like an hour per park that you’ve made at least a general outline of what order you are going to do things. Packages Take advantage of the great service Disney offers that’s totally free! Have the shop send your purchases to the front of the park for pickup on your way out, or even better, back to your resort! Keep in mind though, if you are sending back to your resort, don’t send anything back in the last 24 hours of your trip because it might not get to you in time. Photo Ops Holidays at Disney have some extra special photo opportunities, so be sure to take advantage! You’ll find Mickey and his friends in seasonal costumes, as well as characters you might not get to see during the rest of the year. There will be special parades, music, shows and of course, lot sof special treats to sample that you can only get during these special occasions. Seasonal Events Disney also offers special seasonal events, such as the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These have special things like trick or treating, or cookie and cocoa stations throughout the park as well as other fun surprises. Keep in mind that if you are visiting the park on a day where one of these parties is held, the park does close early to those who do not have tickets for these events. Tickets can sell out quickly, so it’s best to get yours the moment you know you will be there during a holiday. It is very unlikely that you will be able to buy a ticket the day of the event. Patience, patience, patience While this is a top tip, other than planning, for any Disney vacation, it’s needed more than ever during a Disney holiday. Have patience. Patience with the family who just cut in front of you, patience with that REALLY annoying family remember who keeps slowing you down, patience with your kid who had to stop for the 11th bathroom/pretzel/pin trading moment in the last hour and a half. Don’t forget to have patience with yourself, too. You might not get to do everything you want. That’s okay. Enjoy what you can! Remember, a little prep, a little planning will go a long way towards making the most out of your vacation. It can be a little overwhelming to plan a Disney trip, but it’s far worse to be standing there in a panic as the lines get longer and longer and you’ve no idea what anyone wants to ride! Like the old adage, an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure. Stay sane, and have fun during your Disney holiday! Want some more ideas? Click here for a way to save HUNDREDS during your Disney vacation in just minutes Click here for tips to maximize your Disney Dining Plan credits Click here for a FREE touring plan to do 10 rides in just 3 hours at a Disney Park! |
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