Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida 2023 Jambo House- Resort Layout & Rooms With Frontier Airlines flights for $50/per person direct from Norfolk, we couldn’t resist a trip to Walt Disney World in Orland for our late November 3-day weekend. We booked two nights at the moderate-level Coronado Resort followed by… Continue reading 24 Hours at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, 2023
Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 Gran Destino Tower, Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 Resort Layout & Rooms From Coronado it is a short bus ride to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom sometimes feels like a bit of a hike by… Continue reading Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
With Frontier Airlines flights for less than $50/per person roundtrip and direct from Norfolk, we couldn’t resist a trip to Walt Disney World in Orland for our late November 3-day weekend. We booked two nights at the moderate level Coronado Resort followed by one night at the deluxe tier Animal Kingdom Lodge. On Saturday, October… Continue reading Epcot in a Day- The International Food & Wine Festival Edition, 2023
With two hours of unexpected down time during a training at the Boardwalk Resort Conference Center, I decided to walk to the Skyliner at the Epcot World Showcase gate and head to the Art of Animation resort to check out the larger than life character décor. The "Disney Bubble" Resort (but not pool)… Continue reading WDW Resort Hopping by Skyliner: Art of Animation
The Itinerary There are multiple versions of the 4-parks-in-one-day challenge; some people choose to try to ride the most popular attraction at each park; others put more emphasis on photo ops and snacks. My goal in May of 2023 was to use the App and Disney Genie+ to focus on my favorite rides… Continue reading Walt Disney World 2023- Four Parks in One Day Challenge
The photos on this post are from my spring 2023 trip to Walt Disney World for an Agent Education Program. Because I was traveling solo and looking to spend down time in a quieter setting, Port Orleans Riverside was a great option. Resort Layout The neighboring Port Orleans French Quarter Resort is just… Continue reading Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts: Port Orleans Riverside
With character topiaries, themed gardens, food kiosks, and educational signage, EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival easily wins as my favorite of the four festivals (with the Holiday Festival in second, the Festival of the Arts in third, and Food & Wine in fourth). This year seemed even more lush and colorful… Continue reading 2023 Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort
The two resorts are connected physically but distinct in theming. The Yacht Club is more “sailor sporty” and it sometimes hosts conventions. This can make it feel a little less kid-oriented than some other resorts, but on our trip we liked the break from the chaos when we returned in the evenings. Both resorts have… Continue reading Yacht & Beach Club Resorts at Walt Disney World in Florida (Featuring the Famous “Kitchen Sink”)
With just three days to visit parks on this trip, we spent less time at Animal Kingdom than other trips. We were able to experience nearly all of the major attractions in just half a day, but with more time we would have watched the shows and spent some time at Conservation Station. 7am- We… Continue reading Animal Kingdom with Disney Genie+, 2023
Blizzard Beach Waterpark, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 Blizzard Beach Water Park, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 We arrived at opening, and by the end of the first hour there were still more Cast Members than visitors in the park. All of the slides had little to no wait the entire… Continue reading One Day in Blizzard Beach Waterpark, 2023
Port Orleans French Quarter, Walt Disney World, 2022 Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest of the Moderate WDW resorts, and the size is the biggest benefit. Bus transportation only includes one stop, so getting to the parks can be a much shorter trip. The pool is slightly smaller than the other moderate resorts, but… Continue reading Walt Disney World Resort: Port Orleans French Quarter
Caribbean Beach Resort, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 We chose Caribbean Beach Resort for our January 2023 vacation for a few reasons. Because we intended to spend most of the trip in the park, a moderate level hotel felt like the best value. Often on these types of trips we have opted for… Continue reading Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 Day 1: Sunday, January 29 Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort, 2023 With Park Hopper we divided our visit over two days; the first on a Sunday evening. Because Passholders cannot go to the parks on weekends, we found this one to… Continue reading Hollywood Studios with Disney Genie+, 2023
My top reason for this visiting Epcot his year was to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for the first time, and I splurged for individual Lightning Lane instead of chancing it with the Virtual Queue. "With a three-day ticket, we used our park hopper to divide our Epcot visits over two days. This… Continue reading Epcot: Park Itinerary, Festival of the Arts & Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, 2023
This was our second year at Walt Disney World during the 50th anniversary celebration, and our second time using the new Disney Genie+ system. Some of the decorations and photo filters will expire in a few months, as the parks return to pre-anniversary operations. At 7am, we chose Haunted Mansion for our first Lighting Lane… Continue reading Back in Magic Kingdom, Winter 2023
When we travel to Walt Disney World, we often choose a moderate resort for the portion of the trip that we plan to spend most of our time in the parks, and hop to a deluxe resort for some more relaxing down time. In general, Deluxe Resorts have the benefits of interior room entry, private… Continue reading Where Should We Stay? Breaking Down the Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts
The Ervings Return to WDW Day 4- Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane & Park Opening Park opening still had a line for Flight of Passage snaked all the way to the land’s entrance, and we were glad we had secured the paid Lighting Lane for later that day. We used our first Genie+… Continue reading Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, January 2022
The Ervings Return to WDW- Epcot Epcot was divided over two days using our Park Hopper tickets. The first day was a short visit hop between Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner, with the main destination being Space 220. After dining we took some time to walk through the World Showcase. On this busy Saturday night… Continue reading Epcot at Walt Disney World, January 2022
The Ervings Return to WDW- Day 3 Lightning Lane & Park Opening Prior to 2020, I loved the challenge of securing as many attractions as possible in one day using the FastPass System (17 was my record), so I was anxious to give the new Genie+ a try. Jungle Cruise was our… Continue reading Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, January 2022
See a timeline of how we tackled Disney Genie+ for the first time.
We spent three Christmas breaks at the Walt Disney World Resorts. Disney changes its event and attraction offerings every year for the holidays. No matter when you go, you can always expect world-class decorations and entertainment, as well as no shortage of themed merchandise. Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom offers ticketed after-hours parties through the holiday… Continue reading The Holiday Season at Walt Disney World
Almost any time of year Epcot is hosting a themed festival. For more info, check out My Previous Blog. NOTE: Due to COVID, many of the experiences in Epcot are currently suspended, including character meet and greets and much of the live entertainment. I’ve still included them in the blog; some specific acts will be… Continue reading World Showcase Pavilions In Epcot
Make a reservation in advance for any of the Table Service restaurants at Magic Kingdom and take some of the stress out of your busy park day! These themed dining options each give you a chance to relax (in air conditioning) and enjoy some time away from the walking and the crowds. And as a… Continue reading Table Service Dining at Magic Kingdom
Animal Kingdom Lodge- Rooms & Activities Animal Kingdom Lodge is the resort that our family could visit for a week, never leave, and never get bored. With two sections, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Disney Vacation Club's Kidani Village, guests have access to two pools and multiple onsite family activities.Disney has taken great care to… Continue reading Animal Kingdom Lodge & Kidani Village at Walt Disney World Resort
When they announced that Disney World's next expansion would be based on a more than a decade old R-rated movie, I think we were all a little skeptical. It doesn't hurt to watch the movie in advance and to show the milder scenes to your kids. However, you can also have an immersive experience on… Continue reading Animal Kingdom’s Pandora: The World of Avatar
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, 2023 Instead of lining up for character meet and greets, Cast Members act out the story; Rey and Chewie work on their spacecrafts and the Stormtroopers try to keep law and order. Shopping Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World 2022 Galaxy's Edge… Continue reading Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios
Coronado Resort holds a special place in our hearts as the very first Disney property we ever visited. We've stayed at the resort on five of our trips, most recently in the new Gran Destino tower. Coronado Resort at Walt Disney World From Coronado it is a short bus ride to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and… Continue reading Coronado Resort at Walt Disney World
