Walt Disney World

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World Secrets! Beyond the Birthday Basics: Grown-ups Like to Celebrate at Disney too!

Published April 5, 2013 by Disneyways.com

Alicia is a Disneyways subscriber and avid reader who has a WONDERFUL “predicament”. She is celebrating her 27th birthday in Walt Disney World this year. This is her first time ever to blow out her candles in the most magical place on earth. Alicia was so sweet and persistent in asking me for some tips that might help her to make the day extra wonderful.

So…Alicia…this one’s for you…and everyone else reading this post who has wondered the same thing!

Thanks for your great question!

Alicia

Can you tell Alicia is just a kid at heart?

This is definitely one of our longer posts, and I want to respect your time. If you are too busy to read all this – stop right here and call my friend Ramon from ThemeParkConcierges.com. (407-257-9973)

Ramon has been helping families and individuals create magical Disney birthday moments for years and he is VERY affordable for the amazing value he provides. Like some sort of Disney wish granter – Ramon has access to special meet and greet opportunities, VIP seating, holiday tours, and all sorts of things that he can customize just for you, and that are probably not even listed here. He can save you a ton of time and make your birthday celebrations a breeze!

Now let’s get the ball rolling and think out side the box for a little inspiration! We’ve got free, cheap and pricey ideas for grown-up birthdays!

Drinking or Snacking Around World Showcase

Planning is crucial here – so be sure to check out THIS LINK before you attempting this idea. Now take it a step further. Create something tangible before you leave for yourself or the person who is celebrating their birthday. Look up the drink and food menus at the World Showcase pavilions and think about the items you or they would most prefer. Print a map of Epcot and write your choices on each country to represent your plan of action. Create t-shirts with the countries and all the drinks or snacks listed. Bring a sharpie to mark each one off as you go! You can buy alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and food at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom if you like those parks better – or do a snack crawl around Magic Kingdom!

Wear a HAT!

Any silly or customized hat can also be a great way to celebrate your birthday trip around the world, or any occasion really. Check out this photo my hubby took of Mike from MikeandTheMouse.com (and me!) from our last Disneyways meetup. Nothing beats a fashionable set of Mickey ears.

By the way…if you weren’t at the meetup these are the sort of shenanigans you missed. You need to come to the next one. The details will be revealed soon! 🙂

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Watch the Fireworks during Dinner 

Again, some planning ahead is important here. You’re going to need a list of restaurants where this is possible. Stay tuned to Disneyways for those. Better yet subscribe to get updates by email so you’ll never miss a post! Advanced dining reservations are also crucial! The good news is – fireworks viewing won’t cost you any extra if you are lucky enough to be seated for dinner in a good spot.

Take a Specialty Cruise 

Check out the options for specialty cruises at Walt Disney World here. Check out this page for the phone numbers to call. Don’t want to sit on hold? Hire Ramon to do this for you.

Pick the Plan

Here’s one that won’t add any expense at all. You or  the person celebrating their birthday gets to pick the general schedule for the day and maybe even invite a surprise guest.  The attraction and show choices are endless, and giving or having this kind of power is fuel for some wonderful birthday memories.

Set up a Small Private Event

There are a couple of ways to set up a small private event at Walt Disney World.

One is to call Private Dining at the Grand Floridian (407-824-2474) and arrange to have dinner somewhere in the hotel or at the marina during the Wishes fireworks. If you are staying in some other Disney resort – then the way to do a small private event at Walt Disney World is to work with Disney Catered Events (321-939-7278). My recommendation? Use a travel agent or hire Ramon to do all of this for you.

Beyond Birthday Cake

Sure you can get cake at Disney, if you prefer. But I hope you will go to Norway for School Bread. Get Zebra Domes from Boma or Mara in Animal Kingdom Lodge. Order Crepes from Chefs de France, ‘Smores from the ’50s Prime Time Diner, or the Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe. Bring your own birthday candle and your server will bring it out singing. Try to conquer the Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream. Have Dole Whip or Mickey Bar at breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Sample every kind of fudge at the Main Street Confectionery. The more off-the-wall your sweet treat is, the more you or your special someone will remember the celebration.

Book some Extra Birthday Fun

Take the Characters in Flight balloon ride at Downtown Disney. Spend a day at the Saratoga Springs Resort spa or the new Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian. Take a backstage tour at the Magic Kingdom. Book a suite or stay in a different or nicer resort than usual. Plan a shopping spree. Stay at the park until it closes. Go parasailing or waterskiing at the Contemporary. Get tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba at Downtown Disney.

Decorate Your Room

A great way to add oomph to your celebration is to decorate your hotel room. You can do this with streamers and balloons brought from home. Don’t want to do it yourself? Enlist the help of the Disney Floral and Gift Basket team. Find them online or give them a call at 407-WDW-GIFT. They have a bunch of room decorating packages available. They can also customize a basket for you. If you have something very specific in mind, get on the phone and speak to someone directly. OR save time and money by…you guessed it…hiring Ramon to do it all for you. Do I sound like a broken record yet?

Another Freebie

Grab a blanket or extra towels and watch the Wishes fireworks presentation from the beach at the Polynesian.

Do the “Usual” but still Pretty Fantastic Disney Celebration Stuff

Of course Disney has their own official ways to make birthdays a little more magical in the World. Click here for more on that. Just don’t forget to come back to this page to reference all the cool extra stuff we’ve mentioned already.

I hope one or more of these ideas will help you get started. Let’s face it, you actually may not need to jump through any magical hoops to make a Disney celebration special. A trip to Walt Disney World is pretty special all by itself. Life really can’t get much better than feeling the wind in your hair on Test Track –  or getting a hug from Mickey Mouse. I promise, you aren’t the only one who gets sentimental at Disney.

Please send me your ideas, dreams and memories of your favorite Disney birthdays! We would LOVE to hear from you!

Happy Anniversary!!

Published March 28, 2013 by Disneyways.com

One year ago I sat down and decided to learn how to build a site in WordPress. I had never even READ a blog in my life. I knew nothing about Twitter, Pinterest, SEO, – let alone web design! I never thought of myself as a writer, although that hasn’t really changed.

Being born and raised in Orlando, I felt a little alone in my passion for Disney. I know it’s hard to believe, but some of us who live here take Disney World for granted.

My friends and family encouraged me to start this blog – perhaps because they were ready for me to share this enthusiasm with someone ELSE for a change! Now many of them subscribe to the blog and are constantly cheering me on. They are awesome!

One year ago with their support and encouragement, I embarked on an almost entirely self-taught crash course in web design.

Despite my fears and insecurities – you all are here.

Reading my stuff, interacting with me on social media, sharing a lot of laughs – and being more of an encouragement to me than you will ever know.

I have made precious and wonderful friends and I’ve joyfully reconnected with some from my past.

I’ve made hundreds, maybe thousands of connections to others on-line, some of whom I have never met in person (yet!)- but you certainly hold a place in my heart.

I wake up each day feeling like it’s Christmas morning. I had no idea what a wonderful thing this little Disneyways blog would become in my life.

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I am so excited about what the future is bringing our way! I think I’m getting better at giving you the information you are looking for through the blog…and now…I’m learning a ton about podcasting, video production, e-book publishing and so much more! Year two is going to ROCK.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this journey with me. I look forward to many, many more anniversaries of sharing the Disney love with you.

In looking back…I wanted to share one of my posts from that first week. It still makes me laugh. I hope it does the same for you. Have a magical day!!

Click here to read about My Love for a 5 Legged Goat…

Photo and Video Tour – Switching our Annual Passes to RFID Cards – MagicBands and More

Published March 26, 2013 by Disneyways.com

March 20, 2013 Walt Disney World began MyMagic+ upgrade for annual passholders with hard plastic cards, RFID, and a MagicBand preview.

Now through May 19, Walt Disney World annual passholders can take existing paper passes to the Odyssey Center at Epcot, located between Test Track and the Mexico pavilion, and update them to hard plastic cards embedded with technology that allows access to the newest features.

My husband and I headed to change our passes over on the evening of March 21st.

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I was amazed at how easy it was. It really just took place almost instantly after presenting our existing pass and photo ID. We got to  choose from four character designs: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, or Donald.

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Once converted, passholders have access to the new turnstile-free entry areas at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Mickey-head adorned posts replace turnstiles presenting guests a chance to simply touch their passes against the glowing circle and place a finger on the security reader to gain access, as demonstrated in the video below.

Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests can also currently use the touch-to-enter system as the “Key to the World” cards also have the necessary MyMagic+ RFID technology already built in.

In addition to touch-to-enter, these new hard plastic cards work with the existing FastPass system and will ultimately work with the FastPass+ system, once it officially begins. These cards will also soon be able to used for PhotoPass+, allowing passholders to simply touch their cards against PhotoPass readers instead of having them scanned.

But according to the cast members in the upgrade center, passholders looking to use the touch-to-pay feature that’s now available at most registers across Walt Disney World will have to use MagicBands.

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These lightweight, flexible wristbands will effortlessly connect you to all the vacation plans you make using the My Disney Experience app or from your PC. MagicBands can be used to enter Walt Disney World parks, access FastPass+ attractions and more. Wearing a MagicBand helps make everything super easy, so you can relax and enjoy the fun.

MagicBands will be provided to Passholders whose passes provide admission to Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We’ll let you know more about MagicBands in the coming months. Linking a credit card to an annual pass for touch-to-pay access will not be possible. Each passholder will receive one in the mail some time within the next few months, though Disney isn’t saying when just yet.

The MagicBand is on display at the Odyssey, packaged in multiple colors, arriving to guests in the mail with names assigned:

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In addition to the MagicBands, we also got to take a look at a  few bonus pieces of theme park history in the Odyssey, including  Figment and Kitchen Kabaret figures, Tom Morrow 2.0, an “it’s a small world” doll, a remote control jungle cruise boat (that you will no longer find in the Magic Kingdom), and more:

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The Odyssey Center is currently the only location where existing annual passholders can receive the new cards, open during regular park hours. Those who need new passes or renewals will be able to get the new pass at any ticket window. After May 19, other ways will be made available to exchange passes as well.

Click here to read our frequently asked questions on the subject of these RFID cards and MagicBands.

Annual Passholders – Day One Photos of MyMagic+ Upgrade Process

Published March 21, 2013 by Disneyways.com

March 20th 2013, Disney Annual Passholders Began Pickups for the New Touch to Enter Cards.

Since so many Passholders love to visit during Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, going on now through May 19, Walt Disney World is offering a convenient way to exchange your current paper annual Pass for a new card.

Why should you switch?

The new entrances will eliminate the need for turnstiles. Running that paper card through the machine will be a thing of the past. Just touch your new plastic card to the Mickey head, scan your finger, wait for the green light – and you’re in!

Got a stroller or a wheelchair? You will no longer have to wait for someone to open the gate! The folks that choose to have these cards will have a much faster wait time to enter the parks.

During your next visit, you can bring your paper Pass and valid ID to the Odyssey Center, located between Test Track and the Mexico pavilion, to get your new card. Obviously, cards must be used by the same person who originally used the paper pass. You will see a sign outside the Odyssey Center that looks like this:

At this time, the Odyssey Center is the only location where Passholders can receive the new cards. The Odyssey Center is open during regular park hours, and the best time to visit is Monday through Friday after 12:00 noon. Main Entrance ticket windows are unable to exchange Passes for the new cards.

In the coming months, we’ll provide more information here on other ways you’ll be able to exchange your Pass for a new card, (no worries if you can’t get here before May 12th!) as well as more information on MyMagic+ and when MagicBands will be available to Passholders. Disney has not released info on the timing of these yet.

Our Disneyways Man-on-the-Scene reporter Ramon Rodriguez, was the very first one in line- on the very first day – to get his new RFID card!!

Perhaps the first EVER guest at Walt Disney World to pick up his new (tap to enter) annual pass. Ramon Rodriguez of ThemeParkConcierges.com

Ramon was able to get these terrific photos from Day One – to give us an idea of how the process works. We will have answers to your questions and more photos for you tomorrow! Send your questions to Disneyways@Disneyways.com or leave them in the comments below and we will answer them in the next blog on this subject.

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“SAWT-EM-KAY” and Contest Winner Announcement

Published March 21, 2013 by Disneyways.com

I was sitting at a little table near Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland with my friend. She began talking about something called “SAWT-EM-KAY.”

I listened in amazement as she told me more and more about “SAWT-EM-KAY” and how it is a super cool interactive game that has grown very popular in the last year or so.

I quickly realized that she was using the special insider lingo for (what I know by it’s long drawn out name) – “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.” (SOTMK)

Honestly I hadn’t paid much attention before now. I don’t know about you, but wow…I had a LOT of misconceptions about this game. I was really missing out!

We aren’t going to miss out any more.

Beginning very soon, we will be starting a new series on this amazing interactive game that has taken the Magic Kingdom by storm. Come along with Disneyways as we take this magical journey into the world of the Master Sorcerers. Even if you can’t be here to play along in person, you will be able to amaze your friends with what you know!

Get equipped with the knowledge to be a  part of this seemingly “underground” movement – if you choose!

“What is SOTMK ?”

“How do I get started with the game?”

“Is SOTMK really for me ?” and

“What are some cool insider tips for advanced players?”

All of these questions and more will be covered in the series.

You won’t want to miss a single post!

Yesterday we had a facebook sweepstakes of sorts. I want to thank everyone who participated! The winner of the random drawing is Katrina Marie!

Katrina – please send me your address and I will mail you your unopened pack of 5 Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards that came direct from Walt Disney World.

Congratulations!

We will be giving away more SOTMK prizes on facebook, twitter, and here on the blog! Who will be our next winner? Why not you?

Leave your burning SOTMK questions in the comments below and if your question is chosen – YOU will win a pack of 5 unopened SOTMK cards!

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Are you as excited as we are about the upcoming series?

World Secret – How to get a free sandwich in Downtown Disney

Published March 19, 2013 by Disneyways.com

UPDATE DECEMBER 21ST 2015…THIS YEAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY I WAS SENT A COUPON FOR A FREE BROWNIE – WITH PURCHASE! BOO EARL OF SANDWICH!!! BRING BACK THE FREE SANDWICH PROMOS!!!

 

Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? ME. I am one of those people who looks for the fine print and thinks there always has to be a catch.

There are some great posts and articles all over the internet about cheap eats at Walt Disney World – but how often do you hear about anything being completely free?

Today I found a World Secret that I thought was pretty special – an offer for a FREE sandwich. The catch – it’s only good during the month of your birthday.

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Earl of Sandwich is located in Downtown Disney Marketplace. The very first store was opened here in Orlando by a direct descendant of the actual guy who invented what we now know as sandwiches – back in 1762. Carrying on the family tradition, The Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney is dedicated to bringing you “the world’s greatest hot sandwich.”

You may have heard the sound of rejoicing when Disney food lovers every where got the news that the Earl in Downtown Disney began offering the Holiday Turkey Sandwich year round. Some have said it really is the “world’s greatest” or more specifically as holiday heaven on a bun. To us rookies who haven’t yet tried it, it is basically turkey, stuffing, cranberry, and a little mayo served toasted on a freshly baked roll.

Sounds AWESOME to me, but maybe it doesn’t sound like your favorite?

No problem, Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney’s Marketplace offers a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, ice cream, smoothies, lemonade, boxed lunches, and prepared “Grab & Go” items. Breakfast offerings include several cold items as well as hot breakfast sandwiches.

Already a pretty great value, most sandwiches here are right around $6.99. But enough of that – let’s get on with the FREE part!

All you need to do to get your FREE sandwich from Earl is sign up for The eClub. Once you do that, you get a printable voucher a few weeks before your birthday. You have your entire birthday month to print and use it. Just like all of their sandwiches, your birthday sandwich will come wrapped in gold foil – like some sort of wonderful smelling currency.

Here is the fine print, in case you are little skeptical like me, and don’t want to have to squint later:

“We (Earl of Sandwich) respect your privacy and will not rent or sell your information. By providing your email address you are opting-in to receive emails from Earl of Sandwich and all other restaurant concepts under the Earl of Sandwich (USA), LLC brand of companies. You may opt out of this list at any time.”

Click HERE to sign up for your free birthday sandwich!

Oh, and if you can’t come to Downtown Disney during your birthday month – Earl has places all over the country where you can get your free birthday sandwich. Hopefully there is one near you.

My friend Heidi is celebrating her birthday today and she just so happened to post about Earl too! You can read her blog here!
Hers has lots of yummy food descriptions and photos. Mmmmm….I am hungry.

So what are your thoughts? Have you gotten a free sandwich from Earl or was this the first time you heard about this particular World Secret?

 

World Secrets – Best Burgers and More Near Raglan Road

Published March 17, 2013 by Disneyways.com

First – the food part of today’s World Secret. Raglan Road is THE place to go for Irish food and entertainment in the Downtown Disney area. The menu comes complete with Bangers and Mash (that’s a fancy Irish name for sausage and mashed potatoes) – but did you know you will also find some of the absolute BEST burgers on property here? It’s true.

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Photo credit: nutfreefam.blogspot.com

You can enjoy all that Raglan Road offers from a comfy table – or if you prefer – belly up to their 130 year old bar. It’s imported all the way from Ireland!

Cooke’s of Dublin is a quick service restaurant located right next to Raglan Road, and it offers a selection of the exact same food that Raglan Road serves – at a much lower price! The secret (inside the secret) of Cooke’s – is the “Doh-Bars” which are donut battered Snickers and Mars bars.

Yeah.

It’s enough to make me want to move to Ireland. But, don’t worry, one can cancel out the calories from your Doh-Bar with a healthy salad, because Cooke’s has those too.

Before you enter Raglan Road, look for a replica bronze statue of the famous Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, sitting on his bronze park bench.

Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, Patrick Kavanagh’s best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and of course the poem Raglan Road.

Folks in Dublin often saw Patrick relaxing alone on a park bench by the Grand canal. When he passed away in 1967 after a long struggle with lung cancer, he was commemorated with the original statue in Ireland. To this day, after every St. Patrick’s Day parade you’ll find his friends gathering at that bench.

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Here is the actual statue in Ireland. Photo credit Flickr.com

Raglan Road pub’s replica of this statue is the only one you will find outside of Ireland. This version has a shorter bench, so there is no room to sit next to poor old Patrick, and perhaps he would prefer it that way.  I think it is rather fitting, and symbolic of his original poem. I have added a copy here so you can decide for yourself.

Read carefully and you will see that he explains how, despite his best judgement, he fell for a girl that he knew would break his heart.

On Raglan Road

“On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew

That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;

I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,

And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.

On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge

Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion’s pledge,

The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay –

O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.

I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that’s known

To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone

And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say.

With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now

Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow

That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay –

When the angel woos the clay he’d lose his wings at the dawn of day.”

~Patrick Kavanagh

World Secrets – The Blue Fairy Wish Book

Published March 16, 2013 by Disneyways.com

March 12th 2013 I was walking through Fantasyland in Walt Disney World. You might be familiar with Pinocchio’s Village Haus, it can be found near the “It’s a Small World” attraction. It is a lovely, newly refurbished counter service restaurant. Ever since the updates have been completed – I tend to walk by this place and stare. It is really, really cool. I like everything about it, including the rainy day activities they have there…but that’s a blog post for another day.

This particular evening though, it was already dark out, and as my friend and I walked by we noticed a strange glow coming from the inside. If you are familiar with the portals that you interact with while playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – this is the sort of glow we saw. In fact we thought maybe it WAS a new portal – but we just couldn’t tell from where we were standing.

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We decided we HAD to make our way inside to investigate. Once inside…this is what we saw:

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If you have read the Disneyways post about The Blue Fairy – you are up to speed on my feelings about her. I am definitely a fan, so I was pretty thrilled to find this little hidden gem.

I know it’s a bit hard to tell from the photos, but this is a wish book. It appears to be available to all guests who would like to write down a wish for The Blue Fairy.

I hope to have more photos for you soon if you are interested in seeing them.

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I guess because most families are probably in a hurry to eat their flat bread pizza and move on to the next ride, there wasn’t much written down, as you can see. When my friend and I flipped through the pages however, we doubled over laughing at this particular wish.

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Look carefully and you will see that a child has written “I wish parents were not alive.”

Which in itself is awful, and not really funny.

Once the child wrote it however, you can see he or she changed his or her mind quickly – and did a pretty good job of scribbling it out!! That is what was funny to us, just picturing this probably over-tired, grumpy kid scratching that out so nobody would see it. I don’t think he or she really meant it. Perhaps the child took a look around and realized how such a terrible thought really didn’t belong in the middle of the happiest place on earth? Maybe.

I am just glad the child changed his or her mind about the whole thing! I’m a parent who is obviously alive and well – so I now have a renewed belief that scribbling out your Blue Fairy wish makes it null and void. No litigation is required.

Have you seen this book before? As this post goes to publish – there doesn’t seem to be information on The Blue Fairy wish book anywhere.

I don’t know if it’s new or if I just never noticed it before. Anyway – kind of a cool little secret – don’t you think?

World Secrets – The Lucky Combo!

Published March 15, 2013 by Disneyways.com

What comes to mind when you think of the gorgeous China Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase?

Sure, China has lots to offer. The pavilion is decorated with serene ponds, crossed by fantastic bridges, and is dominated by a replica of the Temple of Heaven. Here you will also find Reflections of China, a Circle-Vision 360° movie – and  there is a museum containing several ancient Chinese artifacts. You don’t see that every day.

China’s Nine Dragons is one of the most beautiful restaurants in all of World Showcase, and the Lotus Blossom Cafe has some of the best orange chicken in town. Shopping at Good Fortune Gifts and House of Good Fortune is a wonderful air-conditioned past time in the hot Florida summers.

Agent P World Showcase Adventure? Check. Dragon Legend Acrobats? Yep – China has those too – and what visit to China would be complete without actually meeting Mulan and Mushu? Speaking of Mulan, did you know Epcot’s China Pavilion served as a backdrop for the music video “Reflection,” performed by Christina Aguilera? You may recall that “Reflection” was from Mulan’s 1998 film – and nobody knew who Christina Aguilera was back then.

But what is China’s BEST kept secret?

To me, it is a wonderful little thing called the Lucky Combo – located right here at the Joy of Tea kiosk – only found at Epcot’s China pavilion.

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It’s not new – it’s just that the The Lucky Combo has been hiding from me

(in plain sight).

For just $9.98, The Lucky Combo includes a Chinese BBQ Pork Bun, a Curry Chicken Pocket and an Egg Roll with your choice of a canned soft drink and a pretty generous serving of ice cream.

No…for real…this is an actual thing.

I had to take a picture because I couldn’t believe my own eyes. 

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The extra ice cream you see pictured here belonged to my dining companion. We got one of each option – Strawberry Red Bean and Caramel Ginger.

Trust me – you need to try them BOTH.

But wait – there’s more!

Tea here comes in all forms – hot, iced, spiked or slushie –  and it is the only location in Epcot that carries real brewed tea instead of pre-made tea beverages. 

Not a fan of hot tea? Here’s another little secret:

The extremely friendly cast members that staff this location will gladly provide you a cup of ice to make your own iced version. They will also offer you a tasting of any (non-spiked) beverage, if you want to try before you buy.

Even though it’s hard for me to look past the Lucky Combo, here are more details on the menu, in case you want to plan ahead:

Sweetened Iced Teas: Peach Oolong and Mango Green (both $4.25 or one snack credit)
Hot Teas: Ginseng Oolong, Jasmine, Dragon Well, Green (all $3.19 or one snack credit)
Soft Drinks: Soda ($1.59 or one snack credit); Bottled Water ($2.50 or one snack credit)
Alcoholic Beverages: Mango Gingerita w/vodka and rum ($7.50); Canto Loopy w/vodka and cantaloupe juice ($7.50); Peach Snap w/Schnapps ($7.50); Green Tea Plum Slush w/plum wine ($7.50); Tsing Tao Beer and Tsing Tao Pure Draft Beer (both $5.75); Plum Wine ($4.99); Tipsy Ducks in Love ($8.50 or non-alcoholic $5.50)
Ice Cream: Strawberry Red Bean or Caramel Ginger (both $3.25 or one snack credit)
Snacks: Chinese BBQ Pork Buns ($4.50); Curry Chicken Pockets ($3.99 or one snack credit); Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls ($3.99 or one snack credit)

So what are your thoughts? Do you agree that the Lucky Combo might be one of Epcot’s best kept secrets?

Disney Function and Fabulosity – this bag has it all.

Published March 9, 2013 by Disneyways.com

My wonderful sister-in-law Karen recently gave me a Vera Bradley bag for my birthday. It is the cross-body style and it is by far the best bag I have ever used to carry what I need around the Disney parks. Hands free, machine washable,  and just the right size. What’s not to like?

Here is a photo of the one I have:

Check out the Little Hipster! It is 9.75 x 6.5 x 1.75 and it retails for $45. It has a zip around pocket in the front with card pockets, ID window and a bill pocket and then a zip main compartment and a slip pocket with a magnet on the back. Photo credit OhMyVera.com

Have you heard about the new Disney-inspired handbags and accessories by Vera Bradley?

They are coming in the fall of 2013. Cathy Dawson, merchandiser for accessories at Disney Parks says, “We are thrilled to introduce Vera Bradley to our accessories assortment. In recent years, we’ve seen several guests in our parks and resorts sporting fun, colorful bags by Vera Bradley. Even our Disney Cruise Line team recently added some items by Vera Bradley to the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. We thought it would be wonderful to add a splash of Disney to these popular and colorful accessory items.”

Vera Bradley names all of her patterns and these are no exception. The black pattern is called “Midnight with Mickey,” while the pink pattern is named “Just Mousing Around.” These patterns will be seen on duffel bags, totes, cosmetic bags and more.

When released this fall, we will be able to buy these items at select locations in Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. They will also be sold via the Disney Parks online store at a future date.

Recently I visited the  Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival  Festival Center, located between Mission: SPACE and Universe of Energy in Future World, to get these photos for you of the bags on display. Needless to say, I am in love with these new bags, and I hope you are too!

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