Disney Mom at Home

Living Life with a Little Magic

A Disney December Trip Report

So many of my readers ask me the same thing: “What does a typical Disney trip look like for you guys.” Something I make sure to express over and over is that every Disney trip is different, and every family does Disney a little differently! I’ve talked about some of the things we’ve done and how we do Disney with little kids, but wanted to give my adult-only or adults with grown children readers a look into how fun Disney can be for adults! 

It’s been a long time (almost 7 years) since Kevin and I have done adult Disney (man I miss it!!!), so I’ve teamed up with my friend Cindy to give you a glimpse into an adult Disney trip report! Not only does Cindy get to do Disney different than we do, she is a DVC owner and annual pass holder. Couple that with her semi-retired professional life (hello flexibility!), and her trips are something even I covet! I think you’ll really enjoy reading about her adventures!

A DISNEY DECEMBER TRIP!

Day 1

We scheduled a trip to Disney in December 2018 for 2 reasons. First, we “had” to go to initiate our annual passes I purchased with a significant DVC discount in January of 2018. The stipulation was the first day of use had to be before December 30th. The other reason was my son, Seth who is a freshman in college would be off then.

There were 4 of us, My husband Gary, myself, my son Seth and his friend Em. Our other usual traveling companions, my daughter and her boyfriend would be unable to join us as they were going to Egypt for the holidays and couldn’t take more time off of work. I was unable to get one hotel for the 4 nights of our stay using DVC points, and so for the first time “in forever’ (sorry couldn’t resist), we had a split stay between Animal Kingdom Kidani Village and Bay Lake Tower. (More to follow on our experiences with a split stay).

We only live 20 minutes from the airport but with a 7:30 am Southwest flight, we had to leave the house by 5:30! Ugh! But since this was my first trip since I retired, I wore my new favorite Disney shirt and carried my new Mickey suitcase that my colleagues bought as a retirement gift! Much better than a gold watch, and that made it all good!

We got to the airport with plenty of time, had a little breakfast at the airport, our flight was on time and we got into Orlando a little after 10. We used Disney’s Magical Express to travel to our first hotel, AKL. (Regarding photos, the teenagers have learned resistance is futile, just stop and smile and the pain will be over quicker)!

Our plans for day one were to check into the hotel and then head for Hollywood Studios. We got the most coveted of text messages on the way to the hotel, telling us our room was ready! We went directly there passing through the magnificent lobby and admiring the very tall tree. (Sorry the picture for the tree does not do it justice because the sun was behind it).

 

We had requested a Savanna-facing, one-bedroom villa near the lobby. The reason for requesting close to the lobby is my husband has terrible knees and I try everything I can to reduce the distance he has to walk while we are at Disney. We arrived to find a wonderful room facing the Savanna as requested. I apologize I didn’t get a picture of the view, but it was great.  We purchased groceries from Garden Grocer and we waited for bell services to bring them up, and then we were on our way to HS.

 

HS has been undergoing construction recently, prepping for the new Disney Skyliner, and the buses drop people off a huge distance from the front entrance. We learned that car share services are able to drop people much closer to the entrance so we took an Uber instead of the Disney bus. (It got us there much quicker, is cheap and much closer to the main entrance).  We had time to shop before our first FastPass (Tower of Terror), so shop we did!  We then rode ToT and then Seth and Em used the single rider lane and rode Rock’n’Roller Coaster. After those 2 exciting rides, we couldn’t resist stopping at a popcorn stand and bought a BB8 drink for Seth, the Pluto popcorn bucket for me, and Em got the Toy Story Green Alien bucket.  While Seth and Em used our next scheduled FP on Star Tours, Gary decided the “kids” needed a lecture!

I do most of the planning for our Disney trips and have learned along the way that the happiest of trips involves everyone getting something on their wish list. So, prior to planning I ask what restaurants they would like, and what Fast Passes they want. If they have any special requests, I try to build them in also. Seth’s request for dining was “anything Italian,” so today was Seth’s day. Up next was an early dinner at Mama Melrose’s Italian restaurant. We were using the Disney Dining Plan, so this was a perfect one credit table service meal where we all enjoyed a pasta dish!

And now, in my humble opinion the most fun part of this day, we were headed to Toy story Land for our next scheduled FP — Slinky Dog Dash! (We ran into these amazing guys on our way in!)

 

I have to divert here for a moment to tell how I came to obtain this most coveted FP. On my day to be able to reserve Fast Passes I happened to be visiting my daughter in Sacramento (of course) and since the FP window opens at 7 am EST, I was up and at my computer at 3:45 am with the 3 hour time difference!!! And, much to my dismay, did not get one stinkin FP that I wanted that day.  No SDD, no 7DMT, and no FOP! I was verrryy disappointed, but how I obtained SDD and the other ones I wanted, was to haunt the My Disney Experience App about 18 hours a day repeatedly refreshing. Over the next few weeks I got them all with a bit of effort. Go me!

 

Anyway, back to the SDD ride. We got there and the stand by line wrapped all the way out of the ride area, back to the character meet and greets! (So glad we had those Fast Passes!!). The ride was absolutely awesome, and we all agreed a great time!

By then we were all tired from our 5 am start, so headed out of the park back to our hotel. When we got back to the room, there was a wonderful treat waiting for us (sent to us by our good friend Meagan who happens to own this excellent blog) — a beautiful cooler bag with a Mickey emblem on the front and filled with tasty treats!

Well, we had an excellent first day at Disney. Tomorrow’s Magic Kingdom day!

 

The Butcher: A Cheaper and Healthier Way to Shop

One place in our budget we struggle with the most is groceries. I am very particular about what I am feeding my family, and big name stores with cheap food freak me out. I just don’t feel comfortable about buying more than the staple foods there. So what happens? I find myself spending a lot of money buying produce and meat from expensive grocery stores.

I’ve learned over the years how to manage the produce costs – by shopping in-season produce only, or by visiting our local farmer’s markets through the summer to score the best deals, but meat was still something I had a hard time with. I only liked to buy my meat from the butcher counter, which was expensive.

In researching ways to keep my grocery costs low, I had quite a few people tell me that I am missing out by not using a butcher. I knew nothing about what a butcher could offer and thought I could only get fresh meat by the truckload there and only what they had available. What I didn’t know was that yes, you can buy large quantities, but they are cut to your liking, and packaged the way you want them.

While it is nice to have a bulk of fresh meat to choose from when you are ready to prepare dinner, I needed a little more convincing that the butcher was a good idea. While it can save hundreds of dollars on fresh meatin the long run, it is a little more expensive up front.

Something I wasn’t even considering was that you know what you are getting when you are buying from a butcher. When you go to places like Butcher’s Mark, you can see exactly what farms each type of meat comes from. Whether you prefer ground beef, steak, pork, veil, or chicken, there are no questions about what has been fed to or done to the animals prior to you purchasing the meat.

Another big thing you have control over is the cuts of meat you are getting from your butcher. There are cuts that are expensive and cuts that are a little less expensive. Unlike a grocery store, when you go in, you are able to control your costs a little better and still walk out with a great selection of fresh meat– not whatever was on the grocery store clearance rack!

Going to the butcher is a whole experience! The best part is that although they obviously focus on meats, they sell other things that you need to go along with your meat, like homemade marinades for the perfect compliment to you meal. The little extras you can purchase along with the feeling of community and supporting a small business was enough to turn me into a loyal customer of our local butcher. Now when I go in, not only do I know I am getting the best food for my family, the best bang for my buck, but I am also met with a familiar smiling face who knows exactly how I like my steak to be cut and my ribs to be packaged!

How We Did Toy Story Land in ONLY 90 Minutes!

With so many amazing stories and pictures already circulating, I absolutely couldn’t wait to experience Toy Story Land! While my kids were also excited, I was clearly the most excited member of my family. I spent hours looking at other blogs and seeing what people wrote. One commonality among everything I read was you aren’t going to experience this without a long wait.

I was lucky enough to score a Slinky Dog Dash fastpass for our family at the 60 day mark. The most important thing you can do is to book your fast passes at 7 am when the fast passes open at your 60 day mark. Seriously, it could mean the difference of walking onto a ride or waiting for hours in line! When we got to Toy Story Land during extra magic hours, the wait was already 175 minutes for Slinky. That’s one I don’t think I could get my kids to wait in.

Another thing we did was utilize our extra magic hours. Sure, it was a pain to get up at 5:30 to be heading to the bus stop around 6:30 to get to the park by 7, but it was definitely worth it! In fact, we were even running a little late, so we didn’t get into the park until about 730!

Once in the park, we bee-lined it straight to Toy Story Land! I will admit it’s been a few years since we have been to Hollywood Studios, so I legit had to ask a few cast members where in the world I was going! Between them and my map on the app, we made it. We walked straight back to Alien Swirling Saucers. The wait said 20 minutes, but it was much closer to 10. The ride was awesome!!! My girls had a blast on this ride! It’s so much fun!

After the Saucers, we walked over to Toy Story Mania. Previously being the best ride in the park, we anticipated a long wait. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes! Totally worth it! So here we are, in the park for about 45 minutes and we had already done two rides! Our Slinky Dog Dash fast passes weren’t until 4:30, so we knew we would just be watching it in the morning.

Knowing Toy Story Land was about to get crowded with summer guests, we decided it was as good a time as ever to grab some breakfast! S’more French toast anyone?  Yes, I thought so too, so we grabbed some at Woody’s Lunch box. The menu here it total fun. Nothing plain and normal. Breakfast so early is not my favorite so I just had a banana split yogurt. It was vanilla yogurt with fresh strawberries and bananas in the middle and granola and chocolate chips for on top! Everything is fun at Woody’s!

When all was said and done, we were able to do all of Toy Story Land in an hour and a half!

My tips for having the best time while still making the most of your time:

  1. Stay on property and use your Extra Magic Hours (even if they are sooooo early!)
  2. Go to the back first!! Everyone was waiting in line to see Woody and Jessie or trying to get on Slinky. We hardly waited for Alien Swirling Saucers!
  3. Move quickly from attraction to attraction. Get the rides out of the way first
  4. Use a fast pass for one of the rides. That way you’re only waiting in 2 lines!
  5. When you’re done riding, stop and look around! Green Army men are everywhere and there’s a parade every so often! It’s a whole land of fun!
  6. Grab a bite to eat at Woody’s Lunch Box. While there’s not much shade, the food is fun and imaginative. Something you won’t find anywhere else in any of the parks!

Have you been to Toy Story Land? Do you have any must-do tips that made your vacation so much better? Please share!

Staying at Old Key West – My Honest Review

During our recent Disney cruise vacation, we had the pleasure of staying at Disney’s Old Key West for the third time. Our dear friend Cara was amazing and treated us with her DVC points to two nights in the Grand Villa!  This is the SECOND time Cara has asked us to join her in a grand villa – the first time was Bay Lake Tower.  Guys, these places are amazing!!!!! Seriously, it’s bigger than my house!

Our villa had a full-size kitchen, laundry room, dining area, living room, balcony, three bedrooms and four bathrooms! It was crazy huge! It would be a great place to spend an extended period of time at Disney World! For our short trip, we didn’t get to really enjoy it for long, but there were 10 of us that were able to stay together, so that was incredible!

Here are a few photos from the downstairs area of the room:

As for the resort itself, there are some things that are incredible and some things I didn’t love. A lot of people call Old Key West home, as it was Disney’s original vacation club resort, and they love it so much. I think a lot of that is the nostalgia is brings. Don’t get me wrong, it has a lot of cool things, but it’s not my favorite Disney resort, mostly because of the way we do Disney.

Reasons it is a great resort:

  1. First and foremost, ROOM SIZE. Every room on property is considered a villa, so even their smallest room has a lot of room in it. It is also offers the only studios to have two queen beds instead of one queen and a sleeper sofa. That makes sharing a room so much easier, particularly if you’re sharing with other adults!
  2. The boat to Disney Springs. It’s a quick 15 minute boat ride over to Disney Springs, where you can enjoy shopping and dining, along with other activities! It’s so much more convenient than waiting for a bus, or even driving if you have a car.
  3. Atmosphere. It is by far the most “Florida” you will feel at a resort. It really has that laid-back Key West ambiance to it! And the Gurgling Suitcase bar – the perfect place to end (or start?) every day!

Things I didn’t Love:

  1. The Size – this is a huge resort, so there are many bus stops. We were near the main building area so we waited there for a bus — for almost an hour — before realizing that all the buses were full before getting to us so they were skipping us. We had to walk to another stop in order to get on a bus!
  2. Lack of “Disney” – this is by far the most important to me. While you feel like you’re in Florida, you definitely feel like you’re in the keys, not in Disney! Even the rooms don’t feel “themed” and “Disney” since the theme is Florida! It loses just a little bit of magic for me!
  3. Dining options. The other deluxe resorts offer some of the best restaurants in all of Disney World. Olivia’s at OKW is definitely lacking. While the food is OK at best, the prices are still on par with other restaurants and it is nowhere near as good. Even staying there, I would just head to the quick service and save yourself the money!

All in all, Old Key West offers Florida nostalgia that you can’t find anywhere else on Disney property. The room size and easy access to Disney Springs make it a great choice for larger families. For our party of 10, it was great! It’s also one of the cheapest deluxe resorts, so you can usually get a really great deal!  Would I stay here again? Absolutely!! Would I stay there if I had the choice between this and a few other deluxe resorts, probably not!

Have you ever stayed at Old Key West?  What do you think?

3 Must-Do Things When Preparing for a Mortgage

Are you thinking about buying a house but don’t know where to start? We were there! I’ve talked about our journey and how we buckled down to pay off our debt and save for a down payment, but there are some very specific things we did to make sure we were really ready to take that next step.

Whether you are looking at conventional mortgages, First-time homebuyer lending, or self-employed loans, the way to get there is the same.

1. Know your credit score. We used Credit Karma religiously to see our credit score without having to pay for it. Your score updates every week and it shows you real-time how much you owe to which creditors. Many credit card companies, like Capital One, also have free credit monitoring that will give you your score and your report.

2. Scour your credit report and dispute all transactions that are incorrect. You would be shocked about how many are actually wrong and are sitting on your credit report, which is ultimately dropping your score. To dispute them, all you have to do is write a letter to the reporting agency with any documentation showing the debt was resolved. There’s also the possibility of the debt being reported twice if the original debtor sells the loan. These definitely need reported!

3. Save every penny. Seriously. The bigger your down payment, the easier it is for the bank to approve the loan. They also want to see the money in the account 30 days leading up to closing. We didn’t realize this and had planned to use our paychecks up until closing day to pay the down payment, since it was substantial (for us!) If we hadn’t been well advised by our realtor, we could have had quite a few headaches leading up to closing. Luckily, she told us up front and we had the money available for the bank to see and we were good to go.

Buying a home for a lot of people is hard. If you haven’t had pristine credit, it can be hard to get it back where it needs to be. If you’ve been working on it and it seems hopeless, don’t despair. There are programs available for those with less-than-perfect credit that can also help you out. VA loans, special mortgage programs and hard money loans are a few of the programs that can help you purchase the time.

Whatever way you go about it and whatever program you use, purchasing a home is a big step! Making it easier on yourself is the best thing you can do to have a wonderful experience!