Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

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One Day More

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Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya. Tomorrow, you’re only a day away…

So today is crazy, busy getting ready to go day. As I sit here watching “The Real”, I am sipping my Airborne which I hope will help to boost my immune system. I don’t want to pick up any nasty germs on the plane tomorrow.

Tomorrow afternoon, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I will be sipping a Diet Coke and sharing an order of Conch Fritters on the small boardwalk at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Jake, Eliza and Linnie are scheduled to arrive in Orlando within a minute of our arrival, so there’s a good chance that we will ride the same Magical Express bus to the resort. That would be a little extra magical, right?

I’m packing a swimsuit in my carry on, so if our room isn’t ready when we arrive, I may just take a dip in the main pool. It’s a very nice zero entry (beach entry) pool that I can walk right into. No ladder to climb, nor even steps. My kinda pool!

I can hardly believe it’s here at last. Three years of waiting is down to one day more. I won’t lie to you; I’m feeling blessed!

Meet me at the Kingdom. Tomorrow!

Donna

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Two Days!

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In two days I am going to Walt Disney World! I can hardly believe it’s so soon.

Yesterday, in the nick of time, the rest of our luggage tags for Magical Express came in the mail. We have to attach these tags to our luggage to have it delivered to our room by Disney. Jake’s, Eliza’s and Linnie’s tags had not yet arrived, but they finally showed up. And since today was one of my days watching Linnie for a few hours, Eliza slipped the tags into the diaper bag so they would be sure to make it home with them.

Whew! That is calling it close.

Tomorrow I finish up my packing. My whole day will be dedicated to finishing up with my suitcase, organizing my Disney purse, and filling up my carry-on.

Every vacation I over plan and over pack. And this time will be no different. Every vacation I over think all of this. Too much planning, too much plotting. Too much, period. When all that really matters is occupying the same space as some of my favorite people on the planet. That is what this reunion is all about. Sharing time with those we love. What a blessing!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Final Vacation Itinerary

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Gosh! There are only five days now until we head for Walt Disney World. Our itinerary (see below) looks very busy, but actually it gives us plenty of time to chill out by the pool at Old Key West, or head to Disney Springs to wander and shop and nosh. Today I will do laundry, so I can get my clothes into the suitcase and be mostly packed to go. I have so much stuff in my huge suitcase, that Mike may need to pack some of my clothes. But that means I’ll have plenty of room once I unload everything at our villa. My suitcase will be much lighter on the way home. 🙂

Final Plans for Walt Disney World

Day 1

  • Travel to Florida
  • Eat at Good’s Food to Go

Day 2-Magic Kingdom

  • Breakfast at Crystal Palace
  • FastPasses-
  1. Peter Pan’s Flight
  2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  3. Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Dinner at Olivia’s Café

Day 3

  • Dinner at Artist’s Point

Day 4-Animal Kingdom

  • Lunch at Yak and Yeti’s in Animal Kingdom
  • FastPasses-
  1. Na’vi River Journey
  2. Kilimanjaro Safari
  3. Festival of the Lion King

Wednesday, October 24-EPCOT

  • EPCOT-take advantage of the Food and Wine Festival for lunch
  • FastPasses-
  1. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  2. Turtle Talk with Crush
  3. Frozen Ever After

Thursday, October 25-Hollywood Studios

  • Dinner at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine
  • FastPasses-
  1. Toy Story Mania!
  2. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-along Celebration
  3. Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Friday, October 26

  • Breakfast at Olivia’s Café
  • This evening we will attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
  • Dinner at Be Our Guest

Saturday, October 27-Magic Kingdom

  • Lunch at Tony’s Town Square
  • FastPasses-
  1. Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
  2. Jungle Cruise
  3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Sunday, October 28

  • Breakfast at Olivia’s
  • Travel home

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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What to Pack

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There are only six days until I leave for Walt Disney World. I am flipping out on my way to seeing Mickey.

SIX days to go!!!!  Today I will be digging through closets, finishing up laundry, checking and rechecking suggestions online for packing for Disney World (Thank you to wdwprepschool.com!), chasing down luggage tags, making a list of what I need to pick up from the store tomorrow and adding things to my suitcase.  What an exciting and nerve-wracking day it will be!  What goes into my checked luggage? What do I need to fit in my carry on? What will fit in my purse?

Carry on: swimsuit, extra underwear (always, in case my checked luggage goes missing), meds and vitamins, book for the airplane, laptop and charger, itinerary

Purse: wallet, MagicBands, all Disney cards (Disney Vacation Club Membership, Disney PhotoPass, 5-day Park Hoppers, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween), photo ID, cell phone and charger, insurance cards, taxi confirmation to the airport

Checked luggage: everything else…clothes (including matching family tee shirts), sunscreen, vegetarian chili, aloe, toiletries, taxi confirmation from the airport, day-by-day planner, pain medicine, blister pads, wet wipes.

And on and on and on… I will see my beautiful children and their beautiful spouses and their beautiful daughters AND my beautiful spouse all in the same room in just six days. What a blessing that will be!

Readers, thank you so-o-o-o much for following me on this journey.  Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Freaking Out

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In only seven days I am on vacation and headed to Walt Disney World! Seven freaking days!!!

And speaking of freaking, I AM FREAKING OUT! When I was a little girl, my parents couldn’t tell me that we we’re going on vacation, because I would get so excited that I would throw up, or get diarrhea, and be sick with excitement. If they sprung the vacation on me last minute, then I didn’t have time to work myself up.

I have been planning this vacation for three years now. And just today I woke up with the butterflies in my stomach. That same queasy, unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach. I blame part of it on the fact that I’m flying n a week. I am not a great flyer. It makes me nervous every single time. But the rest of this queasiness comes from vacation excitement. I am so jacked!!!

Today I go to shop for a few last minute items, suntan lotion, bug spray, razors, deodorant, mole skin for blisters, Advil, Airborne, etc… I will make sure to walk around a lot at the store, to work off some of this negative energy.

And so, I go. Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

PS Happiest of birthdays to our dear friend Wayno!!! Love and blessings to you today!

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Anker – My iPhone Anchor

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In eight days I am on vacation with my family! Eight days a week, I lo-o-o-o-ove you! Thank you, Beatles, for that little nugget!

Today is all about the business of getting ready. I just ordered a portable phone charger and will pick it up later today while I am having my phone battery replaced. I have an iPhone7 and am finally getting my free replacement battery installed today. My closest location for this job is a Best Buy, so I thought while I’m there I’ll pick up a portable battery charger. I know I will use my phone a lot on my Walt Disney World vacation, so I thought a charger would be a good idea. After a bit of research, here’s what I’m getting:

Anker - PowerCore 20,000 mAh Portable Charger for Most USB-Enabled Devices - Black - Larger Front
Anker – PowerCore 20,000 mAh Portable Charger for Most USB-Enabled Devices – Black
Model: A1272H11
Sku: 5948567
Quantity: 1

It ranks pretty high in the Best Portable Chargers for 2018 articles. And the personal reviews look good, too. So here’s hoping it will get me through my Disney days. Days of checking My Disney Experience App, playing Play Disney Park Mobile App, and taking tons of photos.

You guys/gals, I am so excited about my trip now! I reserved our taxis to and from the airport yesterday. This stuff is getting real now! Bring it on!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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WDW Magazine and Disney Files Magazine

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Ten days from now my vacation to Walt Disney World begins! Whoopee!!

Today I received my October issue of WDW Magazine (see featured photo) and my fall issue of Disney Files Magazine, which is the magazine for Disney Vacation Club Members. Talk about timing, right? As I’m looking through the magazines, I am getting all kinds of jacked up for my holiday!

Reading Taste the World at the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival in WDW Magazine has me drooling as I contemplate making my way around World Showcase Lagoon sampling what is on offer, both food and drink. A nibble of this, a sip of that and on to the next booth. Mike and I will be over the moon sharing the small plates and drinks of the festival. Yummy!

Perusing Halloween’s Not-So-Scary at Walt Disney World also from WDW Magazine, I can hardly wait to watch Happy Hallowishes again. There’s something about the colors of these Halloween themed fireworks that draw me in. And I am so excited to watch Mickey’s Boo to You! Halloween Parade again. It’s so fun to see all of the Disney characters in their Halloween costumes. And the Disney villains are out and about, too. But my favorite part of the parade is the gravediggers from the Haunted Mansion as they drag their shovels along the pavement. And this time, for the first time, I want to go through a few candy lines to add some goodies to my trick-or-treat bag. Then I’ll top off the evening by sharing a Not-So-Poison Apple cupcake.

This will be an overwhelmingly exciting week, and it cannot come soon enough!

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Once in Awhile Life Just Feels Right

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Only thirteen days now until my Walt Disney World vacation. Whoop, whoop!

I have now lost all the weight I had put back on and am down to my lowest weight in years. Since my stroke in 2017, I have lost sixty-five+ pounds. I notice it everyday. I notice it when I get in the car and buckle up my seat belt. I notice it when I slide into a booth at a restaurant, and I don’t have to move the table out. I notice it when I go to bed at night, because I can turn over much easier, and I am sleeping better. I notice more energy when I take my daily walk. And I notice it when I put on my clothes in the morning, because I’m two sizes down.

So my thanks to Diabetic Living Magazine for great tips on managing my blood sugar and for the delicious, nutritious recipes that are expanding my horizons. And I am thankful for Southmead Hospital in Bristol, England, and to Advocate Condell in Libertyville, IL, USA, for education about managing life with my limitations, and for encouraging me to reach beyond my limitations. I am thankful for Noom for helping to get my metabolism kick-started and for providing such helpful coaching and behavior modification methods. (Thanks to Emi, my beautiful daughter, for getting me excited about Noom.)

I’m happy to be in my saggy, lumpy, sixty-two year old body. This is the best that I can be for now, and I am very pleased to be here. Here’s to tomorrow and the next long walk and the next healthy meal and to staying the course.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Play Disney Park Mobile App

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With only fourteen days until my Walt Disney World vacation, I researched the new Play Disney Parks app. This app looks like so much fun! It only works when you are at a Disney Park. And apparently it works at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The article below explains how it all works. (Edited for content that applies to WDW)

Play Disney Parks App Debuts at Walt Disney World Resort on June 30

Thomas Smithby , Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

 

We’re so excited to share this news with you! The all-new Play Disney Parks mobile app will make its official debut at Walt Disney World Resort on June 30. The app will be free to download, and guests can pre-order today on the App Store and Google Play to have the app automatically downloaded on their device.

As we previously shared, the #PlayDisneyParks app was designed for families and guests to enjoy together. With group play that enables everyone to join in on the fun, guests will turn wait time into play time with all-new interactive experiences and activities created for select attraction queues, including: “Playset Party” at Toy Story Mania! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “Off to Neverland” at Peter Pan’s Flight at Magic Kingdom, “Rocket Race” at Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom, and “Andy’s Boardgame Blast!” at the new Slinky Dog Dash coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And there’s even more to explore in the app!

Guests signed into their Disney account (available to guests 13 and over) can also earn, collect and share uniquely themed achievements, rewarded for playing games, answering trivia, completing challenges and experiencing select attractions across Walt Disney World Resort. And with the Disney trivia feature, there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy as guests can discover fun facts about their favorite theme parks.

This first-of-its-kind Disney app will also allow guests to celebrate the songs of Disney in a whole new way. Access Apple Music®* from within the app to tap into a curated audio experience featuring official playlists inspired by beloved theme park lands, attractions and characters – and some favorite memories too. Apple Music subscribers will even be able to add favorite Disney tracks direct to their Apple Music library allowing them to live and re-live the magic of Disney parks music at home.

And this is just the beginning. The Play Disney Parks app will evolve over time with new experiences and offerings, including the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, coming to Walt Disney World Resort in late fall 2019.

For the latest information and updates, follow the dedicated Play Disney Parks pages –Walt Disney World Resort – and be sure to order the app.

Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Some features require separate theme park admission.

*Some features require Apple Music subscription and are only available on iOS devices. Separate terms and conditions apply.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC.

This will be a great way to pass the time while waiting in line for attractions. I’ll let you know how it all works out.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

PS-Thank you to Disney for today’s featured photo.

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My “Magic of Tomorrow” Prize

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There are only 16 days now until my Walt Disney World Family Reunion. Woo hoo!

A couple weeks back I won a competition on magicoftmrw blog, (magicoftomorrow.info). I received my prize package this week. It was so much fun to open the box and see what I had won. Here’s a rundown of what I won:

  1. A beautiful, yellow Belle mug, from Beauty and the Beast. There’s a pretty picture of Belle on one side, and the other side says, “It’s hard to be a Beauty when mornings are a Beast.”
  2. A cute keychain shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. In the middle there is a die (one dice? One side has Cinderella’s castle with the words “Disney Parks”, the other side have, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald. I just the cutest! I put it straight on my keychain.
  3. A pretty lei from Disney’s Polynesian Resort. It’s colors, pink, lilac, yellow, orange, light green, and white add a festive decoration to the lamp by my favorite chair.
  4. A bag of Disney’s Halloween Candy Corn Popcorn. It looks so yummy! It has orange and yellow popcorn in the bag with a few actual candy corns thrown in. I had already decided to try this popcorn while in Florida. Now, I will save it to share with Mike, my main squeeze, on Halloween night as we watch “Hocus Pocus.”
  5. A very cute Mickey Mouse thank you card.

It was wonderful timing to get me all juiced up for my vacation. So thank you to Magic of Tomorrow!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

 

Pilgrimage to better health to meet Mickey. A 14 month Quest.