Disney Trip - February 2014 - Day 4

Disney day 4 was another Magic Kingdom day and we had big plans for Jocelyn....an appointment with a Fairy Godmother in Training at the Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique!  It was a total surprise for her and she was so excited.  The salon is so cute (of course it is, this is Disney World) and Jocelyn was so patient and did so well while her Fairy Godmother worked her magic and transformed her into a princess.  We bought her a dress from JCPenny before we left and I brought it with me to the park.  She changed into it right before the appointment (at the Rapunzel bathrooms in Fantasyland - that area is so cute - she wanted to dance and dance). 

After the BBB, we had lunch with the Princesses in Cinderella's Castle!  This was Jocelyn's first time here (we usually would go to Akershus for the Princess interaction...but we changed it up this year) and she had so much fun.  The Princesses loved the babies and gave them lots of kisses!

After lunch, John and Melanie went over to Ft. Wilderness and checked us in to our new home for the next few days.  Mom and I stayed with the kiddos at the Magic Kingdom and went on some rides and did some attractions.  The best one that afternoon was Enchanted Tales with Belle!  Jocelyn got picked to be the Beast in the story because she gave the best growl.  It was the cutest thing ever.  I wasn't sure if she'd do it or not, but she was awesome and the star of the show.

Baby Shower and Diaper Cakes

I had the wonderful opportunity to throw a baby shower (really a sprinkle) for a dear friend and really just wanted to share some of the fun decorations I did for the party.  My favorite part was the diaper cake that I thought turned out so cute.  

The baby boy's nursery was a jungle theme - but I wanted to do a hybrid of "little gentleman" with some jungle theme references.  So, that is why you see the jungle animals with mustaches.  I thought it turned out cute and I hope she enjoyed her shower.  

I also did a diaper cake for another friend's baby shower which was "bee" themed - so I'll throw a picture of that in here.

For Liam and Lizzie's first birthday I decided to do a Survivor Themed party.  Since most of the kids that were coming to the party are older (ages 3 and up), we had each select a team - either Tribe Lizzie or Tribe Liam - and they got different colored bandannas.   Then we did some obstacle course and team games - tribe versus tribe.  I think the kids had a lot of fun.  After the games was a free-for-all play in the backyard.  We had hamburgers and hot dogs.  I went for some island themed decorations - not sure if you can tell but I attempted to make a volcano stand for the fruit ka-bobs.  

Here are some shots of the kids playing the games:

Then it was cake time!  Liam loved the cake - he couldn't get enough of the icing!  Lizzie was a little apprehensive about the whole cake thing and didn't quite like it as much as her brother.  They both looked so cute eating their cake!

We love you Liam and Lizzie!  Happy First Birthday! 

Photo booth fun!

Jocelyn's Dance Recital

Jocelyn had her first dance recital on May 17th and it was so cute to see her up on stage.  The dance lessons she took were given at her school and so it was not some big dance company that has a huge end of the year dance recital.  This was very low key with just 6 or 7 groups doing 2 dances each.  Jocelyn's group was only 4 girls (there were 7 in her class but only 4 opted to do the recital).  She did a tap number to Blue Suede Shoes and a ballet routine to Beauty and the Beast.  Of course the girls don't remember any of the moves so they spend the whole time looking to the side stage at their instructor.  Jocelyn did great and I think she had a lot of fun! 

Disney Favorites - Where to Eat

I'll pause from giving a day to day report of our February trip and give a short list of my go-to favorite places to eat in Walt Disney World! 

In Disney World there are Table Service (TS) restaurants and Quick Service (QS) restaurants - and these distinctions are important for purposes of the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) and so I'll give a list of my favorites of each.  Plus, there are some Table Service restaurants that "cost" more on the Disney Dining Plan than others (i.e., some are 2 credits versus just 1 credit for regular table service places).

Top 10 Table Service Restaurants:


10. Chef Mickey's - Contemporary - see Mickey & friends without waiting in line and enjoy a
      plentiful buffet of food.
9.  Le Cellier - Epcot, Canada Pavilion - steak, cheese soup & bread!  (2 TS credits - but worth it).
8.  Crystal Palace - Magic Kingdom - you get to visit with Winnie the Pooh & friends and enjoy a
     delicious buffet with lots of choices.
7.  Be Our Guest - Magic Kingdom - amazing atmosphere, delicious food and wine!
6.  Yak & Yeti - Animal Kingdom - 2 words, Fried Wontons!  Food is delicious and I've never had to
     wait very long for a table.
5.  50's Prime Time Café - Hollywood Studios - yummy, home-style cooked food and hilarious server
     antics to make you feel like you're in mom's kitchen at home
4.  Via Napoli - Epcot, Italy Pavilion - huge portions and delicious!
3.  Akershus - Epcot, Norway Pavilion - awesome Princess interaction, unique menu and only 1 TS
     credit (the Castle is 2)
2.  'Ohana - Polynesian Resort - family style, Hawaiian food. Great atmosphere!  
1.  Hoop Dee Doo Revue - Ft. Wilderness Camp Ground - dinner show with all you can eat ribs, 
     chicken & sides - plus drinks!  (2 TS credits on the DDP)

Of course you may have reasons other than what's on the menu for why you want to dine at a particular restaurant (i.e., dining with the Princesses or other characters) and the interaction alone is worth the money.  It is tough to narrow it down to just 10 - I wish I can do 2 table service meals a day while in Disney (and sometimes we do) but that takes a lot of time away from the parks and it can get pricey.  The Deluxe DDP gets you 3 sit down meals a day - which is great for a couple of days - but after a few it just gets to be too much food!

Top 10 Quick Service Restaurants:

10. Be Our Guest - Magic Kingdom - very busy (so the wait is long) but the food is good and it's a

      unique menu for QS.

9.  Yak & Yeti - Animal Kingdom - just outside the restaurant - same type of food (no Fried Wontons

     though) and delicious

8.  Wolfgang Puck Express - Downtown Disney - great food, big portions and great value for your

     credits on the DDP

7.  Katsura Grill - Epcot, Japan Pavilion - I like Sushi and it's pretty darn good here.

6.  La Cantina de San Angel - Epcot, Mexico Pavilion - delicious Mexican food, margaritas!

5.  Sunshine Seasons - Epcot, Future World - great food court with lots of selections and delicious

     desserts. 

4.  Yorkshire County Fish Shop - Epcot, United Kingdom Pavilion - Fish & Chips!

3.  Columbia Harbor House - Magic Kingdom - good variety of food, lots of space to find a table.

2.  Flame Tree BBQ - Animal Kingdom - huge portions (big enough to share) and delicious!

1.  Earl of Sandwich - Downtown Disney - specialty sandwiches that will fill you up!

These are just a few of my favorites - there is plenty of food to choose from all over the Disney parks.  Snacks are a whole separate list - carrot cake cookie sandwiches, red velvet cupcakes, ice cream sandwiches - I could go on and on!  I always wish I could live in Disney World and go there all the time - but if I did I'd probably weigh 500 lbs because of all the yummy food!