Disney Resorts I Want to Stay At

Hello, Disney friends! It’s been a little while since I last blogged, but life has been busy! I got done with school about two weeks ago, and now, I’m on summer break. Anyway, there are many resorts at Walt Disney World I would love to stay at someday. I have only stayed on property once at the Caribbean Beach, so I definitely want to stay at more!

• The Polynesian: Staying at the Polynesian has always been a dream of mine. I love the vibe that the resort gives off, and it is my number one resort I would love to stay at someday. It would be amazing to watch the fireworks from the beach at The Polynesian. Also, it’s on the monorail, so you could just take a monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

(burnsland.com)

• The Grand Floridian: This resort is so pretty! It’s also on the monorail, and it’s one of my favorite resorts!

(buildabettermousetrip.com)

• Animal Kingdom Lodge: I think it’s so cool that if you go outside on the patio of your room, you can see wild animals.

(tripsavvy.com)

• Art of Animation: My family was going to stay at this resort a few years ago, but we sadly were not able to. Although I would not want to stay at other value resorts, I would love to stay at this one because they have a Little Mermaid room.

(mickeyworldoftravel.com)

• Boardwalk Villas: This is another gorgeous resort! It would be such a fun experience to stay here!

(disneyworld.disney.go.com)

Which Disney resort would you would love to stay at?

Have a magical day!

Natalie

Happily Ever After Review

The new firework show in the Magic Kingdom, Happily Ever After, has been around for a year now, and two months ago, I finally got to see it. Many Disney fans who grieved Wishes have actually said that Happily Ever After is much better than the former firework show in Magic Kingdom. I have some thoughts as well…

While Wishes was about making a wish, Happily Ever After is about your journey making that wish come true and finding your happily ever after. Happily Ever is not only a firework show, but it’s a projection firework show. It also includes laser lights.

Throughout the show, you see multiple Disney characters’ journey finding their happily ever after. Part of Your World” (Little Mermaid), “Out There” (Hunchback of Notre Dame), “Touch the Sky”(Brave), “How Far I’ll Go” (Moana), and “I See the Light” (Tangled) are just a few songs of the many songs that are featured in the firework show. Also, applause to Disney for including “Love is in Open Door” and not “Let It Go”(I really appreciate that). One of my favorite parts of the show was when the instrumental of “Go to Distance” came on because it was a nice remembrance of Wishes.

The soundtrack of Happily Ever is not doubt very inspirational and powerful. It inspires you to reach for your dreams and to leave all your fears behind. It tells us we all have the “courage to fly.” We all have the ability to make our dreams come true. Here are some of the lyrics from the firework show…

“Ready to begin, let the wonder take hold. Feel it draw you in, watch the moment unfold. Spark a dream that we’re meant to follow. Setting off for a new tomorrow.”

Happily Ever After is inspirational. It truly inspires me. I think it’s a very impressive show, and I adore the soundtrack. Although it’s amazing, I still don’t agree with the people who think it’s better than Wishes. Wishes will always have a special place in my heart, and I think it is much better than Happily Ever After. Even though I’m still upset that they took away Wishes, Happily Ever does not fail to impress.

What are your thoughts? Is Happily Ever After or Wishes better?

March 2018 Disney World Trip: Part 3

Hello, Disney friends! How is already May? This school year has gone by so fast, and I’m so glad about that because summer break is just around the corner! Today, I’m going to be finishing my Disney World trip report of March 2018!

Day 6 

This today was spent at Hollywood Studios! When we first got there, we grabbed some Starbucks and watched the First Order march. From there, we headed to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. The show never gets old!

It was time for our first FastPass of the day: Tower of Terror. Right after that, we went to Star Wars Launch Bay to meet Kylo Ren. I had never met him before, and it was so much fun and kind of scary, too! Next up, we went to our other FastPass, Star Tours, followed by lunch at Backlot Express.

We stopped to watch the Jedi training show by Star Tours for a little bit, and then headed to our third FastPass of the day, Toy Story Mania. Afterwards, we went through Walt Disney Presents, which includes, One Man’s Dream, motels of Toy Story Land and Star Wars land, and a meet-and-greet of Star Lord and baby Groot. We aren’t big fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, so we skipped that. After we went through, there was a 20 minute show of Walt Disney’s life at the end.

Then, we went to go get some Coke slushies to watch the Star Wars show by the Chinese Theatre. Since we had one more FastPass from the Disney Vacation Club previews, we used that on Rock n Roller Coaster. Next up, we went to the Frozen Sing-Along. As much as I pretend to hate Frozen, it is actually a really fun show!

We had dinner at ABC, and then, went to meet Chewbacca at Star Wars Launch Bay. While waiting in line, we booked a FastPass for Fantasmic. Meeting Chewbacca was so much fun! Right after we came out from meeting him, there were Stormtroopers meeting people. The Stormtroopers would choose who would come up to them, and it was really funny.

We grabbed some dessert, and then, went to Fantasmic. I finally got to see it for the first time, and it was a really good show! After Fanatasmic, we got to see a little bit of the Star Wars fireworks on the Chinese Theatre and left the park.

Day 6

We slept in, and then, my mom, my sisters, and I went to Disney Springs. I am not sure what is called, but there is a sit down Mexican restaurant that also has quick service in Disney Springs . We got quick service, and it was really good! We looked around the shops, did some shopping, and got Ghirardelli ice cream. We also watched a band play. Then, we went back to the resort and stayed at the pool for the rest of the day.

Day 7

Our flight wasn’t until 4 or 5, so we did not have much time today. We checked out of our resort at 10 and spent about an hour or two at Disney Springs. We had lunch at this fish and chips place, and I did some last minute shopping(I came on this trip with a good amount of money but left broke). Then, sadly, it was time to head to the airport. Our flight was delayed, but eventually, we were on our way home.

I really hope you have enjoyed reading all about my latest Disney adventures! Posts will be coming soon about all the new things I got to while in Disney, and I’m planning on doing a haul post, too!

Have a magical day!

Natalie

March 2018 Disney World Trip: Part 2

Hello, Disney friends! Happy Monday, and I hope everyone had a great weekend! Today, I’m going to be continuing my trip report from my latest Disney vacation! If you have not read part one, and if you want to read the it before reading this post, click here!

Day Four

This day was spent at the Magic Kingdom! We went straight to Tomorrowland for our first FastPass of the day, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I don’t know why, but I never seem to do that good on this ride. After that, we went to Fantasyland for PhilharMagic. Then, it was time for our lunch reservation at Be Our Guest!

After lunch, we headed to Splash Mountain for our second FastPass of the day! We headed back to Fantasyland for some LeFou’s Brew aka my favorite thing ever. Sadly, our Peter Pan’s Flight FastPass was during the Festival of Fantasy parade, and I was really disappointed that we missed the parade.

We got an additional FastPass for Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor since it had a long line. (Pretty much everything had a really long line this, even the People Mover!) After that FastPass, we got additional FastPass for It’s a Small World for later in the evening. That was the last FastPass we could make on the My Disney Experience App since five is the limit.

If you read part one of my trip report, you would know that we got three FastPasses from going to the Disney Vacation Club presentations. We did not even have to book the FastPasses, but we just could go up and scan our MagicBands at an attraction in the FastPass line. We decided to use one of the extra FastPasses on Space Mountain. After Space Mountain, we had to force my dad to go on Carousel of Progress with us because he does not like it. When we came out of the show, there was Tomorrowland’s dance party going on. Currently, they don’t have the Incredibles’ Dance Party, but it is coming back this summer. The dance party was so much even without the Incredibles!

We used another one of our FastPasses from the DVC for Tomorrowland Speedway, which is definitely not my favorite, but it was still fun. We decided to save the other extra FastPass for Hollywood Studios. After that, we headed to Fantasyland to eat dinner at Pinocchio Village Haus, and then, it was time for It’s a Small World FastPass!

Then, we headed to Main Street to get some Starbucks and watch Happily Ever After followed by Once Upon a Time, the projection show that replaced Celebrate the Magic(RIP). I will be sharing my thoughts on Happily Ever After later if you are wondering. And that was the end to our day at Magic Kingdom!

Day Five

Today, we slept in and spent the day at the resort. The last few days had been really busy, and we just needed a little break. The pools at Wyndham Bonnet Creek are amazing, and they have two lazy rivers and a water slide. We decided to go to Disney Springs for the evening since we had not been yet during this trip. It was the weekend, spring break, and St. Patrick’s Day, so it was SO packed! It was probably the busiest I have ever seen Disney Springs. It took us awhile to find something to eat, and since it was such a short line, we got food from this stand thingy(Wow, I’m GREAT at describing things). It was not really a stand, but it had an inside for the Cast Members, but you couldn’t go inside if that makes senses. Okay, Natalie, stop. Anyway, we got nachos and popcorn. Everything else was so busy, so that was our only option. Then, we got some dessert at Ghiradelli’s. We did a little shopping, and GUYS, I FOUND ROSE GOLD EARS. I was so excited because I didn’t think I would be able to buy them because they are so popular! After that, on our way out, there was this gold man statue, who is actually a real person, and people were going up to him. He acted liked a statue, but when you weren’t looking, he would mess with you. I went up to him, and it was really funny!

There will be a part three to my Disney trip report. Part three of my trip report will be my final post for my trip report series, but more posts will be coming about new experiences that I got to do during my vacation!

Have a magical day!

Natalie

How The Greatest Showman Compares to Walt Disney’s Life

I’ll be honest… When my best friend suggested we go the Greatest Showman, I wasn’t excited, but when I left the theater, I was so surprised. I ended up loving it so much that I went to see the movie again and again, and I rarely go a movie again in theaters. In my eyes, it was the best movie of 2017. Since I have seen it several times, I have come to realize that the movie is kind of similar to Walt’s Disney life. I know it’s not a Disney movie, but since it is comparable to his life, I thought I would do a post on it.

The Song: A Million Dreams

” Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake. I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it’s gonna take. A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make.”

Just like Walt Disney, P.T. Barnum was a dreamer. They both had a vision of what they could make of the world, and that’s exactly what they did. They impacted the world. (Side note: P.T. Barnum was a real person if you didn’t already know.)

“They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy. They can say, they can I’ve lost my mind. I don’t care, I don’t care so call me crazy. We can live in a world that we design.”

Barnum changed the world of the circus forever, and Disney changed the world of animation and amusement parks forever. In the beginning, people found them odd, but they truly believed that they could “live in a world that we design.”

Poverty

Walt Disney and P.T. Barnum were both extremely poor growing up and for some of their adult years, but that was until their success. They started out with no money, but then, they ended up with not living in poverty anymore because of their success.

“This is the greatest show!”

Disney and Barnum both put on a great show for the world. Although it was very different, it is actually kind of similar since they provided amazing entertainment for this world.

The Greatest Showman is about dreams and identifying what is most important in your life. It’s an amazing movie that is comparable to Walt Disney’s life. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely go see because you won’t regret it!

March 2018 Disney World Trip: Part 1

Hello, Disney friends! It’s been awhile, but I’m back! I just got back from a week-long vacation at Disney World, and I’m excited to blog about my trip! I’m going to try to talk about my trip in at least two posts because I don’t want it getting very long.

Day 1

There’s really not much to talk about for this day since it was our travel day. Our flight was good, and then we went to our resort and checked in. Our favorite resort is Wyndham Bonnet Creek, and that’s where stayed this time. Although it’s not owned by Disney, you actually have to drive under the Disney sign to get to it. It’s very close to the Parks. (You can see Epcot fireworks from some places at the resort). It was late by the time we got unpacked, so we went to bed since we had a busy day in the Parks the next day!

Day 2

We had not been to Animal Kingdom since 2010! Yes, you read that right… I know it’s a little crazy since I go to Disney a lot, but it’s true. We had an 8:40 reservation for breakfast at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom, so we went straight to that. It’s a character buffet, and you can meet Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy. We had never eaten there before, and it was really good! Also, the jungle juice they have is AMAZING, and I definitely recommend it!

Then, we went to It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and just as I remembered it from last time, I really did not like it. After that, we headed to Dinoland and rode a dinosaur version of Dumbo followed by Finding Nemo the Musical. Afterwards, we had a FastPass for DINOSAUR, which was my first time riding it, and I loved it.

Since we had a lot to eat for breakfast, we just brought snacks into the Park to eat for lunch, and it did help save money after spending a lot on breakfast. Next, it was time for our Kilimanjaro Safaris. After that, we got Mickey ice cream bars and Starbucks and just sat down for a bit. A Disney Vacation Club Cast Member somehow convinced us to sign up for a presentation of the DVC the next day.

We went Asia for our FastPass for Expedition Everest, and it was my first riding it. It was probably my favorite ride of the day. We rode in again after the FastPass, and it was a really fun ride. Then, we had dinner at Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes, and the food was good but not amazing. Then, we went to the Festival of the Lion King, and then went to Avatar land to look around. I was really disappointed because we were not able to get FastPasses for the Avatar rides, and we didn’t feel like waiting in line for three hours. We got the Night Blossom drink at a drink at Pongu Pongu in Avatar land. It just tasted like a bunch of Sour Patch Kids were combined. I didn’t love it, but it was not bad.

We got another FastPass for DINOSAUR, so we went back to Dinoland. It was 8 o’clock by the time we left the park because there was nothing else that we wanted to do.

Day Three

Surprisingly, for a non-park day, it was a really fun day. We woke up, went to the pool for a bit, and then, went to Saratoga Springs for the Disney Vacation Club preview. It was really interesting, and after the 30 minute presentation, you could talk one on one with another Cast Member about it in this private room if you wanted, so that’s what we did. Before we did the additional presentation, we got free drinks, including jungle juice, and we got free desserts. The Cast Member was very helpful and answered our questions. He took to this building where you can actually see what a few of the Disney Vacation Club timeshare rooms look like in inside. It was really cool. Afterwards, there was this place to get free ice cream, and it was really a fun experience to learn about the Disney Vacation Club. I definitely recommend to go to a preview of the Disney Vacation Club! We may become apart of the DVC, but we are unsure at the moment.

Since we went to the preview of the DVC, we got a 100 dollar Disney gift card, and since we went to an additional preview, we got three FastPasses to use wherever we want for the rest of our vacation.

After that, we went back to the resort to get ready for our dinner reservation at Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. The food was amazing, as always, and we went on the monorail to look around at the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary.

And that’s the end to part one! I hope my trip reports are somewhat entertaining, but I really enjoy writing about them! More posts will hopefully be coming soon. I’m going back to school Monday, and I’m hoping that I will be able to do some more blogging before I start the fourth quarter! You should follow my Disney Instagram account @pixiedusteddineyfreak for more photos of my Disney adventures!

Have a magical day!

Natalie

Countdown to Disney World 2018: Merch Wishlist

Hello, Disney Friends! I seriously have no idea where the time has gone because in about two months, I will going back to my happy place! It’s been way too long since my last trip, and there are so many new things to see and do! I’m so excited, as you can probably tell! Today, I am going to be making a merchandise wishlist of the things I know I want to buy while I down in Disney!

• Happily Ever After Princess Mug: I don’t think it surprised you that I started off with a mug. If I just bought one thing while I was there, just having a mug would make me happy. I have been eyeing this mug since last year, so I hope it is there when I go! This mug is so pretty! It has the princess castles all around the mug.

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• Rose Gold Ears: You have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of these rose gold ears that everyone is obsessed with at the moment. I’m not expecting that I will go home with a pair of these since they are go out of stock really quickly, but it would nice if I could get a pair.

popsugar.com

• Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney Shirt: I’ve seen a few people with this shirt, and I think it’s so cute! It has Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse at Disneyland on it, so of course, I want it.

shopdisney.com

• Marie Tsum Tsum: Last year, I started collecting Tsum Tsums, so I think it would be fun to add this to my collection. I think this Tsum Tsum is so cute!

shopdisney.com

I’m not sure what else I want at the moment. I might get a phone case, but so far, this all I know I want to buy at the moment. I’m sure I will see other things I want during my vacation, but I thought this would be a fun post!

Have a magical day!

Natalie

Important Things Happening for Disney-2018

Happy New Year! This post seems like it is becoming an annual post every year for my blog. This is my third year doing this post, and I like to talk about the movies and things coming to the Parks in the year. 2017 didn’t have many Disney movies I was excited for, so I’m hoping 2018 will be a better year of movies.

Movies:

• Black Panther (February 26): I’m not going to lie. Marvel movies usually bore me. I just don’t do Marvel movies. I can’t think of many Marvel movies I have actually seen because the number is so small.

• A Wrinkle in Time(March 9): I saw the trailer, and honestly, this movie just doesn’t appeal to me.

• Avengers: Infinity War(May 4): Once again, I don’t do Marvel movies, so of course, I’m not excited for this.

• Solo: A Star Wars Story(May 25): I don’t know much about this film, but I love Han Solo, so I think I will enjoy this film!

• Incredibles 2(June 15): Incredibles is one of my favorite Pixar movies. I have been waiting for this movie for a long time now, and it’s finally coming to theaters in a few months!

• Ant-Man and the Wasp(July 6): Another Marvel movie… You know my thoughts.

• Christopher Robin(August 3): I really hope that they don’t put a live-action Winnie the Pooh in this because I think it would be the closet Disney could actually get to a horror movie.

• The Nutcracker and the Four Realms(November 2): This movie actually looks kind of good, so I think I will be looking forward to it.

• Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2(November 21): I enjoyed the first one, so I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel.

• Mary Poppins Returns(December 25): At first, I thought that it was going to be remake of Mary Poppins, and I had mixed feelings. Now, since I know it won’t be a remake, I think I will enjoy it!

Disney Parks:

• Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios (Summer): I will sadly be missing this by a couple months since I’m going to Disney World in March, and this land is opening in the summer. I think this land will be really cool, and maybe I will have another chance to visit the Parks sometime this year, so I may get to see it!

• Pixar Pier in California Adventure (Summer): All I know about this land is that the current Paradise Pier in California Adventure is becoming Pixar Pier. I really enjoyed Paradise Pier when I visited Disneyland a few years ago, so I’m kind of disappointed its going away.

There are a few movies coming to theaters this year that I’m looking forward to, but there really isn’t much coming to the Parks.

What are your thoughts on everything new coming to the Walt Disney Company this year?

Disney Quotes for Finals Week

Finals are coming up fast, and a lot of high school and college students are starting to stress. Many nights are spent studying and preparing for the upcoming finals, and then, it comes time to take the long, stressful, difficult finals. If you are like me and stressing over your upcoming finals, here are some inspiring Disney quotes for surviving finals week.

• “I know every mile will be worth my while.” Hercules

Finals week seems like it drags on forever, but if you remind yourself that it will be worth it in the end, you will have a lot more motivation.

• “If I go, there’s just no telling how far I’ll go.” -Moana

I love this quote because it reminds you if you try something that is difficult or maybe a little out of your comfort zone, you never know how far you could go. Finals are an example of this. Yes, they are difficult, but obviously, doing good on finals is just one less step away from achieving your dreams.

• “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”-Christopher Robin(Winnie the Pooh)

If you keep telling yourself you are not smart enough, it will definitely increase your stress of taking your finals. Like Christopher Robin said, you ARE smarter than you think.

• “It’ll turn out all right in the end. You’ll see.”-Mrs. Potts(Beauty and the Beast)

I always stress about stuff that usually turns out okay in the end, and finals is something that always turn out okay.

• “The difference in winning and losing is most often often quitting.”- Walt Disney

I don’t think there’s a better quote to end this post than from Walt Disney himself. Getting a good grade on your finals or any test for that matter is so rewarding. If you don’t put that much effort into studying, then, it is basically like you are quitting.

Whether you have finals this week or next week, I wish you good luck!

Disney World Weekend Trip-November 2016

I really have no idea why I’m now just writing this post because this trip was a little more than a year ago. My next Disney trip is about three months away, and I haven’t even written about my last trip. I’m going to try my best to remember what we did during this vacation, but I’m excited to write about it.

Day 1: Friday, November 11, 2016- Arrival

The day started out with me going to my morning classes, and then, going home for a bit to pick up my luggage. Then, my dad dropped my mom and me my off at the airport. I don’t remember the exact time our flight was, but we got some lunch at the airport and headed through security. The flight was good, and finally, we were in Disney. This was my first time staying on Disney property, so I was really excited. We got on the Magical Express, and it took awhile for us to get there since we were the last resort being dropped out.

We got to Caribbean Resort, checked in, and by the time we got to our room, I think it was 6 or 7ish. Next, we headed to the food court, Old Port Royale Menu. After dinner, we looked around the resort gift shop and headed back to the room. The luggage didn’t get dropped off at our room until 10, but it was a relaxing night, overall.

Day 2: Saturday, November 12, 2016- Magic Kingdom

We slept until 8ish or 9ish, and it took awhile for us to wait for a bus to Magic Kingdom. Right when got to the Magic Kingdom, we headed to get some Starbucks and then we went to enjoy it at an outside seating where we could see the castle. We had a FastPass for Peter Pan’s Flight, so right after breakfast, we headed to Fantasyland. I think we did Mickey’s PhilharMagic afterwards.

Next, it was time for our lunch reservation at Be Our Guest. The food was amazing, as always. After dining in the master’s castle, we met Gaston. I had never met him before, so of course, I was really excited.

Then, we got some LeFou’s Brew and headed to Frontierland for our Splash Mountain FastPass. After that, I’m pretty sure we headed to Monsters Inc Floor, followed by Pirates, which took a long time. Next, we headed back to Fantasyland for our last FastPass of the day, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We rode Buzz Lightyear, followed by the People Mover(I feel like I might be missing an attraction somewhere throughout the day, but that’s what I can remember). After charging our phones for a bit in the Space Mountain gift shop, we headed to Columbia Habour House for a late dinner.
We are in the very front.

The last thing we did that day was watch Wishes(The last Wishes we ever saw). If I had known it was going to my last Wishes, I think I would have gotten very emotional.

We didn’t get in many rides this day because it was surprisingly extra busy, but this day was fun!

Day 3: Sunday, November 13, 2016: Relaxing and Disney Springs

Today was just spent relaxing. We slept in, got some breakfast at the food court, and then, we went to relax in the hammocks for a little at the resort. Then, we ate a late lunch at the food court, and next, we went to relax at the pool. It was a nice pool and had a fun water slide. Later, we went to go get ready to head to Disney Spring for the evening. We ate at Earl of Sandwich and then, looked around the stores.

Day 4: Monday, November 14: Traveling Back Home

We once again had breakfast at the food court, did a bit of shopping at the resort, and then, had to get on the (Not-So) Magical Express.

Overall, I had a fun weekend trip to Disney World! If you want to see what I thought of Disney property, I have two posts about it! Click here for part one, and click here for part two. If you want to see my mini Disney haul from the trip, click here. I hope you enjoyed my trip report!