Travel with the Whitakers

Start your Walt Disney World vacation in the most magical way possible – abroad Disney’s Magical Express! Today we’re going to answer all of your questions about Magical Express. What is Magical Express? Disney’s Magical Express is a FREE motorcoach transportation option from the Orlando International Airport to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel at the start of your trip and return service to the Orlando Airport at the end of your trip. You don’t have to worry about your luggage! A few weeks before your trip you’ll receive yellow luggage tags in the mail. These tags have your resort, confirmation number, and the name of the lead guest on the reservation. On the day of your trip be sure to place these tags on your checked bags before checking them at your departure airport. Once you get to Orlando there’s no need to go to baggage claim, just head to the Magical Express check in area and later on your tagged bags will meet you in your resort hotel room. What if I don’...

Rotational dining - each night trying a different restaurant and a different menu, all with the same service team – is one of our favorite parts of a Disney Cruise. There are three main dining restaurants, and even though you eat at each restaurant at least twice on a seven night sailing, and one three times, you won’t see the same menu offerings twice! (Well, unless you’re like us and take back to back sailings.) Today we have for you the menu items that we tried from the two Animator’s Palate exclusive menus. Enjoy! As with all main dining dinners each of the menus feature a delicious bread and dip combination to hold you over until your appetizers arrive. Six Grain Country Bread with Caramelized Onions Sun-died Tomato Dip and Garlic and Herb Focaccia with Roasted Garlic Dip are both quite satisfying. The bread and dips pair nicely together and these two dips are two of our favorites on the ship – we had to ask for more of both. We sampled two appetizers from each menu....

Step back in time when you step into 50’s Prime Time Café at Hollywood Studios. 50’s Prime Time Café is located in the Echo Lake section of Hollywood Studios, between Hollywood and Vine Restaurant and the Indiana Jones Outpost. When you step inside you’re transported back to the 1950s. Period décor, a TV at some tables playing videos from the time period, and a wait-staff that treat you like family await you! After you check in take a seat on one of the couches while you wait for your table. Once your table is ready you’ll be called for by your cousin – after all everyone is family here. We’ve eaten here on quite a few of our trips and have always had a great experience. This past trip was no different for the “Whitaker kids,” and the food that game from mom’s kitchen was delicious. As the other three locations that we dined at on this last trip were, the staff at 50s was amazing with the allergy restrictions that our party had. Once you’re seated be sure to set the table...

The Disney Cruise Line ships offer a variety of dining options at each of the three standard meals of the day, and during times in between as well. Normally for breakfast we make our way to Cabanas, the buffet on the pool deck, where guest will mind a huge variety of choices for both breakfast and lunch. We enjoyed a meal at Cabanas on quite a few occasions on during our back to back sailings in November and December, but we also tried something new. There were a few days that only one side of the buffet was open when we arrived and the line to get in was out the doors. Christian ate the same thing for breakfast every day on both cruises, and it was something that could only from Cabanas, so on the days that we were not all getting something from inside one of us would stand in line to get his breakfast while the other got us a table outside and delicious eats from Daisy’s. Daisy’s Delites is a quick service location just outside of the doors that go into Cabanas. It is known...

A Walt Disney World vacation can certainly be pricey, we know, we’ve taken a lot of them. So, after all that saving, once you’re finally there at the Walt Disney World Resort you want something that you don’t have to spend more money on. Believe it or not there are actually free goodies and experiences at Disney World and today we’re here to tell you about them! Magical Express – Disney’s Magical Express is a motorcoach service that will take you from the Orlando airport to your resort, and at the end of your stay from your resort to the airport all for FREE! You also don’t have to worry about your bags when you arrive in Orlando. Just put the yellow luggage tags on your bags before you check them at your departure airport and they’ll arrive in your resort hotel room later in the day! Park Maps – Park maps are available the entrance to each park, at some snack carts throughout the parks and in resort hotel lobbies. They’re great for helping you find your way around the park...

A Disney Cruise Line vacation offers fun for everyone – there’s no doubt about that. If you’re looking for something for your little one, to make their cruise a bit more memorable, DCL has that covered as well. Look no further than Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and, on Pirate Night, the Pirates League. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is available on all four ships and offers the chance for your littles ones ages 3-12 to be transformed through a magical makeover. Just like the locations on land the DCL BBB’s offer a variety of makeover packages and they are available for both girls and boys. A majority of the outfits and packages feature make-up and princess dresses, but moms and dads of little men have no fear! During the first of our back to back sailings this fall Christian took part in the Captain’s package. He received a white captain’s outfit and hat, a captain Mickey plush toy, and hair styling. He didn’t like the idea of glitter or Mickey heads in his hair, so he passed on thos...

We all know that rain is important, especially in California where rain can sometimes be sparse. (Believe me, I lived in California for a big portion of the last drought.) While rain it’s incredibly common most of the year in California it can be an almost daily thing in Florida. While the weather can be unpredictable at both US Disney parks you shouldn’t let a little, or sometimes even a lot of rain, ruin your day or your trip. So, here are some our tips for what to do when it rains at Disney. Rain Gear – The first step is to be prepared for the chance of rain, especially if you’re visiting Disney World. A poncho, whether re-useable or a cheap throwaway one, or a small umbrella, or a light but water resistant jacket that can easily be stored in your park day bag is a must if you want to enjoy your day in the rain without getting soaked and soggy. If you’re traveling with a stroller something to cover the stroller and keep it dry is a must, too. We personally use a cheap $1 ponch...