Ice Cream at Disney World

January 25, 2013

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

If you’re like me then the first thing you do when you get to Walt Disney World Resort is well “scream for ice cream” ok well maybe not literally scream but I do make it a priority on my arrival day. Now I know what you’re thinking… you can have ice cream any day you want. TRUE! But there is just something about the way Walt Disney World does ice cream that makes it a one of a kind treat. With that being said I have comprised a list of my “Top 5 Must Have Ice Cream Treats” now this list could have easily been much longer but for the sake of our growling stomachs we will keep it short.

5. Original Banana Split at the Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom Park:

Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream topped with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry. How can something so classic be so amazingly delicious and unique to Walt Disney World? I am not sure but then again I just eat it, and don’t ask questions!

4. The peanut butter and jelly shake from the 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Let’s be honest, we could all easily have this for dinner! The shakes here are all fabulous but the PB&J just steals the show! If food was this good in the 1950’s then build me an ice cream time machine because I am going back!

3. The Old-fashioned root beer float at Camp Mickey-Minnie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The smooth vanilla soft serve ice cream melted with root beer will take you back to your childhood all while keeping you cool and refreshed after a hot day in the Savannah of the Africa.

2. The Dole Whip in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom & Captain Cook’s at the Polynesian Resort.

The Dole Whip is arguably the most famous food item sold at the Walt Disney World Resort. You may have your favorites but NO sweet treat has a greater following then this delicious pineapple soft serve awesomeness. And an added bonus you can get a Dole Whip Float with even more pineapple goodness!

1 . The Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

ANY treat that requires more than one person to eat it is at the top of my list! This sink of pure heaven is eight scoops of ice cream, every topping imaginable and a whole can of whipped cream. I don’t think there is anything more to write about this, just keep drooling at the picture, better yet let’s start planning your Disney Vacation so you can enjoy one!

Contact me to learn more and for all my FREE Disney vacation planning services!

Rachel Woodal
MickeyTravels, LLC
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
MickeyTravels, LLC
1-888-863-2436 (direct)
1-610-751-1635 (cell)
rachel@mickeytravels.com

Making Magic One Vacation at a Time…

The Benefit of Disney Gift Cards

January 24, 2013

When we announced to our kids that we would be going to Disney this fall they had a lot of questions:

Will we see Cinderella’s Castle? (yes!)
Will we ride the Tower of Terror? (as long as you’re tall enough!)
Will I be able to turn in to a real princess at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique? (long pause)

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a salon where little girls can get a princess makeover by a “Fairy Godmother in Training”. It is something I would like to do myself! But since makeovers are limited to guests aged 3-12, I was out of luck. The next best thing was to see my 9-year-old daughter have her magical moment.

But before I made promises I couldn’t keep, I had to check the pricing. I hate to say no to my kids in the place where dreams come true. But I had to be realistic too.

According to Disney’s website, packages at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique range from $54.95 to $189.95. And my daughter had visions of grandeur. She wanted the Castle Package which included the princess gown. So in other words, the most expensive one.

How could her dreams come true without breaking the bank? And then it came to me! Her dreams could come true… and she could learn something valuable at the same time!

I explained that if she could save up the money herself, we would make the reservations. I would start her off with $10 and if she saved the money her grandparents gave her for special occasions, she would be off to a great start. Whatever she had saved by the time we went to Disney would determine the package she would be able to purchase.

Not to be outdone, her 6-year-old brother decided that he wanted to save up for a big experience too. He started saving before he even knew what he wanted to do. We spent lots of time exploring options: Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage? The Pirates League? Wild Africa Trek? None of them seemed to be “the one”.

Then he heard about parasailing.

I knew parasailing was offered at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and in fact it is on my Bucket List! But the thought of my 6-year-old taking flight made my heart stop. But he REALLY wanted to do it. When I got more info I realized he would need to ride tandem with a parent. So then I got super excited! Of course he picked his dad to go with him. But with that choice decided, the saving really picked up.

To make sure the kids didn’t spend their Disney money on a whim, we went to the Disney Store and had them each pick out a Disney Gift Card. Then we talked about other ways they could earn money and made a list.

Whenever they earned/received any cash they would ask to go to the Disney Store to charge their cards. Maybe it was an excuse to go to one of their favorite places (with me as their mother, they never really need an excuse!). But they enjoyed seeing their gift card totals go up.

They had so much fun dreaming up ways to earn more money for their gift cards, they suggested that we get one for their little brother. He just turned 2, and on his birthday my daughter gave him $1 for his gift card.

We leave in just a few weeks. And guess what? They have earned enough for their experiences and then some! So in addition to their makeover and parasailing, they have their spending money all set aside on their Disney gift card.

Our Disney Gift Card system has really helped add magic to our 2012 trip itinerary and it will become a vacation tradition in our family from here on out. In fact, I have one now too! I’ll let you now on our next trip what I decided to save for!

Visit www.mickeytravels.com for all you Disney Vacation Planning tips and our FREE vacation planning services!

Making Magic One Vacation at a Time..
Thanks to Devene Godau, our MickeyTravels guest blogger!

A Disney Babymoon- Part 1- Dining

January 23, 2013

So the new trend for modern moms is to jet off to a “babymoon” with their partner sometime in their second trimester. A babymoon is kind of like another honeymoon or one last trip alone before the bambino arrives. I decided to travel to Walt Disney World for my babymoon and it was amazing! I would like to share some highlights and why I chose Disney. There is too much information for one post, so I will break it down. This post will focus on food!

FOOD! What Prego doesn’t love good food? My husband and I wanted to travel in the second trimester once my morning sickness was gone and before the discomfort of the third trimester kicked in. Well luckily my second trimester coincided with a “Free Dining” promotion at Disney! We stayed at a moderate resort where we were able to get the “plus dining” plan for FREE. Since it was our babymoon, we splurged and paid to upgrade to the “deluxe dining” plan. It was amazing! We each got 3 meal credits per day to mix and match at quick service and table service locations and 2 snacks per day which worked great since I needed more beverages than I normally would. Disney food is just amazing and here are some of our favorite meals from our long weekend:

The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian– All you can eat meal and live entertainment!