Tag Archives: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Dining at Disney World in October

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Day 250 in my anticipation of all things Disney and my friend Mickey

Today’s plan was to lock down our choices for dining reservations in October.  TOMORROW WE ARE 180 DAYS OUT!!  Now any Disneyphile knows that at if you’re staying on Walt Disney World property, you can make your dining reservations 180 days out.  So after work today I quarantined myself at the computer, did some last minute research and put things in place.  Here is the plan:

Day 1 Dinner at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort (Travel day)

Day 2 Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom (And I want to meet up with Mickey for  photo later in the day!)

Day 3 Dinner at Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom

Day 4 Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort and   Dinner at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Day 5 Lunch at San Angel Inn at EPCOT and Dinner at 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Day 6 Lunch at Yak and Yeti Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Day 7 Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort and Dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney

Day 8 Lunch at Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Dinner at Tony’s Town Square at the Magic Kingdom

Day 9 Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort (Travel day)

And, as if that’s not enough the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is happening while we’re there.  I hope to spend one morning and one afternoon there to check it out.  So excited now!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Ahhh…Spring

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Day 236 in my traipse toward talking with Mickey

Yay!  I don’t see any doctors today.  I don’t have any tests today.  Yay!  So my plan for today is to prepare a lovely, healthy dinner for my man and me.  I’m thinking maybe a chicken and bean stew.  It will be a new recipe for me.

It’s a beautiful spring day in the neighborhood, and I have a case of Spring Fever.  I wish I was at Disney’s Animal Kingdom today.  I would love to be on Kilimanjaro Safari right now, with plans to ride Kali River Rapids next.  I get so excited when I think that our trip is only 6 months and 12 days away.

My “Happy Place” right now, is hanging out on the boardwalk at Old Key West, sharing a basket of Conch Fritters and sipping on a drink with an umbrella in it!  Ahh…that is the life!  And my “Happy Thought” right now is that my surgery will be behind me and I will be well on my way to and through recovery.  Life is good, my friends, and God is even better!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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October Game Plan

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Day 228 in thinking about hanging with Mickey in October

Today’s plan is to think about what I definitely want to experience at the parks in October.

Magic Kingdom (My absolute favorite park!)

  1. Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
  2. 7 Dwarves Mine Train
  3. Peter Pan’s Flight
  4. Mad Tea Party
  5. Splash Mountain
  6. Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road
  7. Pirates of the Caribbean
  8. The Haunted Mansion
  9. Carousel of Progress
  10. And the best ride ever-It’s a Small World

EPCOT

  1. Soarin’
  2. Spaceship Earth
  3. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  4. Universe of Energy
  5. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
  6. France’s Movie

Disney Hollywood Studios

  1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  2. The Great Movie Ride
  3. Muppet Vision 3D
  4. Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  5. Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
  6. Toy Story Midway Mania
  7. Voyage of the Little Mermaid
  8. The Magic of Disney Animation

Animal Kingdom

  1. Dinosaur
  2. Festival of the Lion King
  3. Finding Nemo-The Musical
  4. Kali River Rapids
  5. Kilimanjaro Safari
  6. Primeval Whirl

I get so jacked up thinking about it that I can hardly stand it.  And there’s even something that I am more excited about than all of the above: shaking Mickey’s hand and having my picture taken with him.  Woo hoo!

Meet you the Kingdom!

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Disney Love

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Day 118 in my current love affair with Walt Disney World and Mickey

Things I adore about a Walt Disney World Vacation:

  1. Family together time away from the stresses and pressures of daily life and work.
  2. Old Key West-I literally exhale and all my stress drifts away when I get there.  Whether  it’s hanging out in our room or relaxing by the pool or sharing a meal at Olivia’s, this place is just my happy place.
  3. The Magic Kingdom–this is the place that I become that little girl again, the one who always wanted to go to “Disneyland” but never got to go, because it was too far and too expensive.  Disneyland and I are both 59 years old this year, and for me it’s been a 56 year love affair with all things Disney.  (That’s about when I have my first memories of Disney.)
  4. EPCOT, Disney Hollywood Studios, The Animal Kingdom–Each park is so unique and so interesting.  I love to see the changes every time we go, even though I sometimes miss the attractions that have gone away.  (I still miss the original “Journey Into the Imagination” ride, and don’t even get me started on “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”!)  But this time we will see the New Fantasyland and the first stage of the changes at Disney’s Marketplace.
  5. I love the fact that you walk about 5 miles a day, and it doesn’t feel like torture.
  6. I love some serious pool time.  I expect to do miles of pool walking in October just because I can.  🙂
  7. Amazing gourmet meals.  We make it a point to schedule one sit-down meal together for each day that we are there.  Favorites include Olivia’s, The San Angel Inn Restaurante and Tony’s Town Square.  And this year we will be there for the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT for the first time.  Looking forward to that!

My plan for today is to think on these wonderful “loves”, so that my zeal will be renewed, and I will put some extra active-ities into my day.  I finished setting up for the Womens’ Cookie Exchange this morning.  I will grocery shop on the way home from work today.  And tonight I will take a more active role in decorating the tree and the house for Christmas.  The kids will come over (Yay!) and we will have “The Dip” while we decorate and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  And you know what?  It is a wonderful life!  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: The Dip is not a diet friendly dish.  We have it twice a year, (1) when we put up the Christmas Tree and (2) on Oscars night.  (A) In a pie pan you spread 8 oz. of cream cheese. (B) Top with 6 chopped green onions. (C) Top with a can of No Bean Chili. (We do one pan with no beans and one pan with beans) (D) Top with 8 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese.  You can either microwave for 5 minutes, or you can heat it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  We prefer the oven, as it stays hot longer.  Serve with your favorite chips.  Mike and I prefer Ruffles; Jake and Eliza (aka The Kids) like blue corn chips.  Tonight we’ll also have veggies on the side.  For me: more veggies, less chips.  🙂

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Whistling While I Work (Around the Soreness)

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Day 49 in my moves toward meeting Mickey

When I spoke with my Mayo Clinic Health Coach on Wednesday, we decided on a two step goal for the next three weeks.  1) I would attempt to walk for 20 minutes three days a week, and 2) I would dance while listening to my iPod for five minutes every hour on my days off while I putz around the house.

Since I’m off today, my plan was going to be a 20 minute walk and some dancing. However, I think I hurt myself yesterday with my rather vigorous trek at the mall.  My back and side are very sore today.  (Although the side might be my diverticulitis kicking in.)  So instead, I will cook Mike and myself a primo turkey breast dinner tonight with baked sweet potato and steamed green beans, with plenty of fresh veggies and hummus dip.  And I will research a menu for this next week with at least two new, healthy recipes.  Thanks to Eliza, I have found some new recipes in “I Quit Sugar” by Sarah Wilson.  I hope to make a “Breakfast Casserole” for dinner one evening this week.  The recipe has rutabaga in it, should be interesting.

I’m off to research, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: The Destination Channel is playing shows about Walt Disney World today.  Woo hoo!  I’m loving seeing some of the new things to see and do on our trip!  Instant inspiration!  And a great reminder of why I’m on this quest.  🙂

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Resources for Disney Research

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Day 45 in my travels toward all things Theme Park, but especially Mickey

Today’s plan was to do some more research.  There was a really interesting post on Facebook today by TouringPlans, called “A Guide to Walt Disney World Attraction Vehicles and Seating: Magic Kingdom.”  It describes all the seating at all the attractions in the Magic Kingdom Park.  It makes it easier to decide which attractions to try and which to pass.

I highly recommend TouringPlans.  It costs to subscribe, however, you can check on historical attendance dates.  So say I want to go to EPCOT on the 5th of October.  It will show how busy EPCOT has been on October 5th for several years back.  And it shows the same info for the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  And there is a lot more information there, too.

Also, Disneyphiles, I super-highly recommend WDW Magazine which is available as an app.  Again there is a subscription fee, but it is amazing!  I just watched the entire train ride for Hogwarts Express at Universal Studios, and the Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Parade.  Just the best!

That’s is for today.  But I am still off sugar, moving more and making the best, healthiest food choices that I can.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Nothing new or fancy

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Day 18 on my way to rendezvous with Mickey.  🙂

Well, folks, the title says it all.  Here’s the plan: nothing new or fancy today.  I will eat healthy today.  I will avoid sugar today.  I will move more at work today.

You know, moving this much weight through space is no small task.  (Please, excuse the pun.)  My former work partner once told me, “They say you should do some sort of weight bearing exercise each day.  Well, moving this body through space is weight bearing exercise.”  I laughed out loud.  But it makes you think.  I know I have to move more to get the energy to move more to get the energy to move more.  Wait…what?  It’s an odd thing really.  When we move more, we draw oxygen deeper into our bodies/systems, and it gives us more energy, more oomph.  I WANT more oomph.

I want enough oomph to stroll the trails at Old Key West, to walk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom without being immediately exhausted, to walk all the way from the bus, to and through, Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.  Maybe even straight to It’s a Small World.  Do not pass go; do not collect $200.  I love this big Disney dreaming.  I’m willing to work as hard as I have to, to make these dreams/visions come true.

Thank you, Mouse-fans, Disneyphiles and Donna supporters, for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom!