Travel with the Whitakers

Another year has come to an end. It has been a year of ups and downs for everyone, I'm sure. As 2021 moved on, the world of travel saw progress, and that includes Disney (Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and the non-U.S. Disney Parks.) So, before we look ahead to the year to come, let's take a look back at the world of Disney in 2021.  Disneyland Paris  Reopened following closure for covid-19. Hong Kong Disneyland Celebrated its 16th Anniversary!  Shanghai Disney Resort Celebrated its 5th Anniversary!  Disneyland  Reopened after extended covid-19 closure.  Disney Genie and Genie+ came to Disneyland.  Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise ships returned to sailing with passengers in the summer! Walt Disney World All of the remaining Resort Hotels, except All-Star Sports, reopened this year!  The 50th Anniversary Celebration began October 1.  KiteTails came to Animal Kingdom.  The new section of the France Pavilion, including Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and La Creper

This year has been a bit of a bounce-back year for travel. We all know that 2020 was not what anyone had hoped for - and for the world of travel it was a major bummer.  We did do a little traveling last year, but this year was a really good year for traveling for the Whitaker family.  Our first big trip of the year came in May, we moved from Texas to South Carolina. Along the way we made stops in Shreveport, Louisiana and Birningham, Alabama.  We've also taken four road trips to Pittsburgh since we moved. It's been great to be close enough to be able to drive to see family in only one day instead of three. During our trips we stopped at the New River Gorge Bridge three times.  The kids got to visit Chimney Rock in North Carolina with my parents in July!  We've also been lucky enough to be so close to Disney World! In June we took our first family trip to Disney World since before covid. The kids and I went to experience the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in July

The Holidays are in full swing at Walt Disney World! All four parks are decorated, and have a sense of holiday spirit in the air. We experienced this at the beginning of November when we visited the parks, but there was one park that wasn’t quite ready for the holidays then. That park was Epcot. That’s not the case anymore, though. November 26 the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays began, and now Epcot is a park wide celebration of the holidays. Like the name says, Festival of the Holidays is a celebration of holidays from around the world. Each of Epcot’s pavilions are decorated in a way that represents how that nation celebrates their winter holidays. Each pavilion also has storytellers that share about the history and traditions of their holiday. Just like at all of the Epcot’s festivals, there are festival kitchens. This time they have dishes and drinks from holiday celebrations! To stick with the holiday theme, the festival has the Festival of the Holidays Cookie Str

Sorry for not posting for a couple of weeks! Things were a little crazy for a bit. After two years, covid finally found a member of our household, so we had that to deal with. After that, we were out of town for our first Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. Well, it was the first Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh for Howard and the kids, and my first Thanksgiving back there since 2008. I finally have a new post for you, though! And it’s all about Disney World Annual Passes. For a year or two before we moved, we talked about how if we ended up being somewhere that was close enough to Disney, we would get annual passes. When we found out we were moving to South Carolina, only six hours from Disney, we said that as soon as annual passes sales resumed, we’d be getting them. At the end of August, Disney World finally announced that annual passes were coming back, and even though Howard was deployed, we purchased annual passes on the first day that they were available for purchase again.* How has b

It has been almost two years since the last time we set foot on a Disney Cruise ship, and the next time we do sail, things will be a lot different. So, what will be different on our next Disney Cruise? The kids don’t know yet. We have a cruise booked for a few months from now, and for the first time ever, the kids were not part of the planning and booking process. I’m excited to tell them, and see their reaction when we do. Vaccine requirements . Covid vaccine requirements are popping up all over the place, and the cruise world is definitely one place where they are required for everyone that is old enough to get them. At this point, that means that everyone 5 and older will need to be fully vaccinated for sailings starting on January 13, 2022. Covid testing. Prior to sailing, those that are not old enough to have received the vaccine are required to be tested 1-3 days prior to arriving at their departure port. Once at the port, before being allowed to board the ship, EVERYONE

Just last week we were at the Walt Disney World Resort enjoying the sights, sounds, and treats from the World’s Most Magical Celebration! We found all of the 50 th Anniversary statues, we saw the new Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade, I watched Disney Enchantment on Main Street U.S.A., and we tried a few on the new 50 th Anniversary Celebration eats and treats. Throughout the celebration, there will be 150 food and beverage items to celebrated the 50 th Anniversary of Magic Kingdom. During our most recent trip we tried six Celebration exclusive treats, and today we’re going to rank them in order from our favorite, to our least favorite.   50 th Celebration Ice Cream Sandwich (Dino-Bites) – Vanilla soft-serve ice cream sandwiched between two giant, fudgy chocolate cookies, all rolled in EARidescent sprinkles, and topped with a 50 th medallion. The cookies were rich and chocolatey, and just firm enough to hold the sandwich together without crumbling. This was the overall favorite.

The World’s Most Magical Celebration, also known as Disney World’s 50 th Anniversary Celebration, began on October 1, 2021. We are officially one month into the 18-month long celebration! When Disney celebrates, they celebrate big. This celebration includes so much to see, do, eat, and experience. It’s not possible to experience everything in one trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, so we’re glad that we have annual passes, and don’t live very far away, so that we can experience everything that we want to before the end of the celebration. What are we looking forward to experiencing on our first trip during this celebration?! Our last trip to Disney World wasn’t that long ago, just over a month ago. We left the Walt Disney World Resort two days before the anniversary celebration officially started. The decorations throughout the parks, especially on the castle, and the golden statues were all in place during our last trip. The official celebration festivities had not begun, though.

Disney World is a place where people of all ages can experience fun, imagination, and magic. It is a place where families, groups, couples, and even solo travelers can escape from reality, even if only for a little while. The Walt Disney World Resort offers the opportunity to step into new worlds, especially at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It is also a place where kids, and kids at heart, can see their favorite characters in person. The parks and resorts can certainly be enjoyed without any Disney movie or TV show knowledge, but it is even better when you, and/or your kids, step into a world that they’ve seen on the screen, and feel like they’re really there! Five years ago, we wrote about movies and shows that you should watch to make your next Walt Disney World vacation even better. A LOT has changed at Disney World in the last five years, so we thought it was time to write a new post. Lands Based on Movies At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can step into Pandora – The

There were two main reasons for our trip to Universal Orlando last month. The first of those reasons was that we were already going to be in the Orlando area, and we wanted to make the most of our Universal Freedom Pass. The second reason was to actually experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter since we didn’t really get to experience much in June. One of the things we were looking forward to after entering Harry Potter World was the food. We decided to have lunch at The Leaky Cauldron since we had heard so many good things about it. Howard, Christian, and I have all also ready the books, and we thought it would be fun to experience a place that the characters experience in the books and movies. You’ll find The Leaky Cauldron just after you pass through the brick wall to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios. Most of the time there will be at least a short line once you make your way inside. Once it is your turn, a witch or wizard will ask how many are in your party, and you’ll b

A few weeks ago, we shared that we were going to be Universal Orlando during our trip to Florida. We were there just over a week ago, and unlike our first experience in June, we had a good time this time. We learned from our trip in June that we needed to arrive early so that we didn’t have a HUGE line to get off of I-4 and into the parking garage. Universal Studios opened for early admission at 7:00AM, and we were starting out with Islands of Adventure, so when we arrived at the parking lot at around 8:20AM there was no one ahead of us to pay to park. Security went much more smoothly than in June, there was no one in front of us. And when we got to the park entrance, it took us about five minutes to get into the park once it opened. Once in the park, we headed straight to Hogsmead, and Christian and I went on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I had A LOT of fun on the ride. It was fast, it was fun, it was cool to see all of the different parts of the ride. I look f

  We’re going to Disney World! I know, we were there in July, which wasn’t that long ago, but EVERY SINGLE trip we take to Disney is special and magical. We love Disney food, and we love experiencing as much of it as we can – so we like to talk as a family about what we’re going to eat on our trips. This is especially true when it comes to snacks. We love Disney snacks. On this trip we’re heading to my favorite of the four theme parks, Epcot! The last time I was at Epcot was during my work trip, and the time before that was just with the kids. This time, we’re so happy that Howard is able to go with us! When the kids and I took our quick trip in July we enjoyed a day at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. We took a lunchbox with containers, and brought home a little bit of some of the dishes we tried so that Howard could try them as well. This time, though, he’ll get to try them fresh! So, what are we planning on sampling at the Food and Wine Festival this time?    

  We’re going to Universal Studios Orlando in a couple of weeks, and we’re starting to prepare. What are we doing to get ready for our trip? Back in June, as part of our week-long trip to Florida, we went to Universal Studios for part of our last full day in Orlando. Before moving to South Carolina, we purchased the Universal Freedom Pass (a military annual pass for Universal Studios Orlando), because none of us had ever been, and we wanted to check it out. We picked the Freedom Pass because it was almost the same in price as getting a one-day park-to-park ticket for the four of us. Our experience on that June day was not a magical one, but it involved LOTS of waiting, and none of that waiting was even to get on a ride. Now back to the present time, we’re planning our next short trip to Orlando, mostly to get the first use of our Disney World Annual Passes! But we’re also going to give Universal Studios another try. We’re optimistic for this trip. What’s different from the last

I f you know us, you know that we LOVE a good road trip. Well, we just got back from spending a week back in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On the way up to Pennsylvania from South Carolina we stopped at the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. It rained for about seven hours of the nine-hour drive, including while we were at the bridge. It was nice to get out of the car for a little bit and to stretch our legs. The bridge looked really cool with the fog as well. After we left the bridge we ate our lunch in the car and finished the drive to my parents’ house! That’s where the fun really started. While we were in Pittsburgh, we went to Fall Run Park to see the waterfall. The waterfall was REALLY flowing thanks to the rain the day before we saw it. It was nice to get out for a little hike, too. The kids spent A LOT of time playing in the treehouse and the sandbox. On one day alone Christian spent four hours playing in the sandbox. We also we to see Hell’s Hollow F

We are just a couple of days away from September, which means that each day the 50 th Anniversary Celebration at Walt Disney World draws closer! If you know us, then you know that we love Disney World, and we’re excited to celebrate it’s birthday at least a few times during the 18 month long celebration. The 50 th Anniversary Celebration begins on October 1, 2021, and changes are coming to the Walt Disney World Resort on that day as well. Starting October 1, guests staying at an on-property resort hotel, and select other hotels, can enjoy a 30-minute earlier start to their day! Early Theme Park Entry is available at all four theme parks everyday. Guests will need park admission, a park pass reservation for their first park*, and be staying at one of the included hotels. Extended Evening Hours will also begin in October for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels and Disney Deluxe Villas. This benefit will be for select parks on select nights. A calendar, showing which park

We’ve been talking about where to get sweet snacks at the Disney Parks! We’ve talked about Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Today we’re wrapping up our snack posts with Where to Find Sweet Snacks at Magic Kingdom!   Adventureland Aloha Isle – Satisfy your sweet tooth, and cool off, with a Dole Whip or Dole Whip Float in the heart of Adventureland. Here you can choose from flavors like pineapple, pineapple swirl, coconut, raspberry, and vamilla. Sunshine Tree Terrace – This iconic Adventureland location offers a variety of frozen treats like floats, soft-serve, Orange Cream, and Citrus Swirls.   Fantasyland Cheshire Café – Enjoy a Cheshire Cat inspired sweet treat after a spin on the Mad Tea Party. Gaston’s Tavern – This Beauty and the Beast, well Gaston, inspired location is home to one of my all-time favorite Disney World treats – the Warm Cinnamon Roll! You can also satisfy your sweet tooth with the Grey Stuff Cupcake or a LeFou’s Brew. Pinocchio’s Vil