Only 62 days until we go to Florida. Two months from tomorrow. It’s so exciting!
Today we continue to visit with U.P. family. But in the midst of it all we FaceTimed with Emi and Ida. Check it out:
Sweet cousins chatting via FaceTime. I love it!
More Dis-news soon. For today I’m in family heaven. š
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
Day two in the U.P. Tonight we had a scrumptious meal at a restaurant called Mama Mia’s. Their specialty meal (to me) is a seven ounce steak, with lasagne, garlic bread and a side salad. Because I’m trying to eat more carefully, I gave up the steak for grilled white fish. I gave up the lasagne for steamed vegetables. I kept the salad. Then I hit the wall and could not give up the garlic bread. This garlic bread is like manna from God. This bread is saturated in garlic butter with salt. Oh, My Goodness!
So while I’ve had a pretty good food day, the garlic bread was my Achilles heel. Oh, sweet downfall. Better luck to me tomorrow.
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
Just 64 days until we head to Florida for vacation. Woo hoo!
Today we headed north to spend some time with family in northern Michigan. It’s so nice to see these familiar, family faces! There’s nothing quite like surrounding yourself with people you know and love, people you grew up with, people you don’t get to see nearly enough. It’s lovely to catch up with everyone and then to remember when…
Feeling particularly blessed and grateful tonight.
Back to Kingdom news soon. Meet me at the Kingdom.
Donna
We head to Walt Disney World in just 65 days. This means I’m just five days away from scheduling our FastPass+es. We are choosing kid friendly rides so the grandkids can go on them. Rides/attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan’s Flight, Na’vi River Journey and Festival of the Lion King, Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Toy Story Mania and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
I sure hope we get them all. Although my favorite thing for this trip will be sitting in the same general area as Mike, the kids, their spouses and the grandkids. What a joy it will be! I’m especially looking forward to hanging out at the pool together at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Ahh… Instant stress relief.
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
With 66 days to go until our Disney vacation, I worked on a little surprise for the grandkids. I just love a company called Pixie Dust Delivery Service. I have ordered Walt Disney World treats from them many times. I always receive the items in top shape and very quickly. So when I saw the ad below on the Pixie Dust Blog, I couldn’t resist ordering:
“Pixie Dust Delivery Service-It’s time to think FALL! Visiting WDW late August through October? I can deliver extra special HALLOWEEN Pixie Dust fit for any ghoul or boy! Everything is custom designed – from Jack and Sally, to the Haunted Mansion, to those dastardly Disney Villains, and even your favorite mice – the only limit is your imagination (or mine)Ā 
“
Fun, right? So tonight I perused what is on offer and placed my request with Amy from Pixie Dust Delivery Service. She will put my order together and deliver it to Disney’s Old Key West Resort when we are there.
Happy Halloween, Dear Grandbabies!
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Grandma…Donna
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In just 67 days, we leave for Walt Disney World. I’ll be so excited to get to Disney’s Old Key West for eight nights. Hereās whatās on the agenda for the first day:
Wow! What a delightful day it will be!
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
Since itās only 68 days until our trip to Walt Disney World in October, Iāve decided to investigate the 2018 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival offerings. I ordered the Disney Food Blogās DFB Guide to the 2018 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival by AJ Wolfe and the DFB Team. I cannot recommend this resource enough! It is so comprehensive and contains more information than one can possibly need. Two thumbs up, for sure!!
After much investigation and elimination, (I mean, how much food can one person take in at one festival?) Iāve come up with the follow list for Mike and me. We will share all plates, which are quite small in general.
If we choose to attend the festival more than one day, than weāll save some of the above for the second day and perhaps add:
Thatās a lot of choices, but like I said portions are small, and Mike and I will split everything. Itāll be just enough to get a taste of each item.
I also found in the DFB Guide to the 2018 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival a Vegetarian Crawl. We have three vegetarians in the family so I thought it was worth a look. Hereās what they suggest:
Not bad, if I do say so myself.
We are going to have a lot of fun at the 2018 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival!
Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
Just 69 days until our trip to Walt Disney World. Woo hoo! By the time we go, it will have been three years for me, Mike, Jake and Eliza. It will have been six years for Emi and James. And this will be the first time for Ida and Elinor. We’ll have to get them their free “First Time Visitor” buttonsĀ when we get there. š
Today I made a few dining changes to our schedule. It turns out that Minnie’s Halloween Dine is happening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios while we’re there. According to the Disney website: “Visit Minnieās favorite happy haunt for a spooktacular Halloween feast thatās frightfully delightful.” Minnie Mouse just happens to be one of Ida’s favorites, so I booked us in and canceled our reservation at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. Then since we have more than enough character dining experiences, I canceled our Donald’s Safari Buffet at Tusker House in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In its place I booked us in at Yak & Yeti Restaurant. (They have an amazing Mango Pie with shortbread cookie crust, whipped topping and raspberry sauce. And I hear delicious things about their Fried Wontons, which are skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream with honey-vanilla drizzle.) Yum!
I haven’t been eating sugar, so I am looking forward to a few sugary treats when we are on vacation. But we tend to order just two desserts and six forks/spoons. Just a taste is plenty and so satisfying when you’ve been sugar-free. My weight is back to just below my lowest point since my stroke. Now to just keep eating well and taking my daily walks.
Meet you at the Kingdom!
Donna
Just 70 days until our journey to Walt Disney World. It’s so exciting to think about it!
Hotel reservation made. Airline reservations made. Magical Express bus booked. Dining reservations made. Tickets to parks purchased. Tickets to Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party purchased. FastPass+es picked out (keeping my fingers crossed on those). Whew! That’s a lot!
All of that business taken care of and yet the thing I am looking forward to the most is just have our family together, Mike and I, the kids, their spouses, and…tah dah…the grandbabies! I look forward to lounging at the pool, and looking around at all their precious faces. Lord, may it be so, please. It will truly be my Happy Place. I can feel my sigh of contentment now.
Here’s hoping… Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
Hiya all,
Just 71 days to go until our trip to Florida. On August 21st, we can book our FastPass+es. These passes let you skip the long lines and ride/take part in three attractions much more quickly. Only so many Fastpass+es are available per day. Our travel agent will attempt to schedule our Fastpass+es for us. Better her than me! The last time I scheduled, them my palms were all sweaty and my heart was racing by the time I was done.
I picked Fastpasses that the grandbabies can take part in. These are the ones we hope to get:
Sunday, October 21-Magic Kingdom– FastPassesāThe Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Panās Flight,Ā Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
Tuesday, October 23-Animal Kingdom– FastPassesāNaāvi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King
Wednesday, October 24-EPCOT– FastPasses–Frozen Ever After, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush
Thursday, October 25-Hollywood Studios– FastPasses–Toy Story Mania, Frozen Sing-Along, Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Saturday, October 27-Magic Kingdom– FastPassesāDumbo the Flying Elephant,Ā Jungle Cruise, Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
Wish us luck. Meet you at the Kingdom.
Donna
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