runDisney Playlist Part II

Ready for some more Disney music inspiration for your runDisney or Disney themed playlist?  Well look no further!  Here is part II with a new list of upbeat and fun songs to help pass the time while you are training or just doing some exercising.

 

  1. One Little Spark- Journey into Imagination with Figment
  2. I Just Can’t Wait to be King-The Lion King
  3. Kiss the Girl- The Little Mermaid
  4. You’re Welcome- Moana
  5. I’ll Make a Man Out of You- Mulan
  6. Prince Ali- Aladdin
  7. Sugar Rush- Wreck-It Ralph
  8. Topsy Turvy- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
  9. It’s A Small World- It’s a Small World attraction
  10. Be Our Guest- Beauty and the Beast
  11. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride- Lilo and Stitch
  12. Monsters Inc- Monsters Inc
  13. The Best Time of your Life- Carousel of Progress
  14. Dig a Little Deeper- Princess and the Frog
  15. Three Caballeros- Gran Fiesta Tour
  16. Trashin’ the Camp- Tarzan
  17. Fixer Upper- Frozen
  18. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo- Cinderella
  19. The Bear Band Serenade- Country Bears Jamboree
  20. I’ve Got a Dream- Tangled
  21. One Step Ahead- Aladdin
  22. Zero to Hero- Hercules
  23. You Can Fly- Peter Pan
  24. Almost There- Princess and the Frog
  25. We Know the Way- Moana

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed adding some new music to your playlist!  Happy Trails runners!

Did you miss Part I?  No problem, check it out here.

 

Podcast Episode 126: Best Walt Disney World Queues

Nobody likes to stand in line when they’re on vacation, neither do we.  We understand that frustration so we’ve compiled our list of the best attraction queues at Walt Disney World!

Happy listening!

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Club Level Series: Wilderness Lodge

Did I save the best for last with the Club Level Series and Wilderness Lodge? Well, you will have to try them all yourself to see because the one thing I know to be a fact is everyone has a favorite and no two people can agree! So, the good news is to find out which is your favorite you will need to stay club level at all the deluxe resorts and then let me know which you love the best!

Wilderness Lodge Resort is a deluxe resort that is considered a Magic Kingdom resort. It is not on the monorail but does have a nice, quick boat ride to and from Magic Kingdom that makes it desirable. Though currently under a massive renovation so if you are staying here make sure you are aware of what the renovations will impact during your dates. But, moving on to the club.

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First, a note about a change that is happening with all club levels and this is in the Itinerary Planning Office (“IPO”). Prior to this post, each club level guest received an email from the IPO at their resort and it was where you could get help planning, get reservations made for you prior to your stay, ask questions, etc. This service is being changed and is currently not available – so we are hearing. There has been no official announcements, just rumors, so we will not address those but as soon as we hear we will let you know! But, if you are staying club level and do not receive this email – this is why. If you do receive it or are reached out to by the IPO – let us know! We are investigating what all is going on in this department!

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The lounge at Wilderness Lodge is called the Old Faithful Club and is located on the Seventh Floor and you will need to be staying club level to access the floor via the elevator. So, sadly no sneaking in or just wandering around! It is private and exclusive to those that have paid for the extra perks!

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Club level extra perks at Wilderness Lodge are the same as all other club level perks at the other Deluxe resorts. These include plush bathrobes in room, turn-down service with chocolates on your pillow, lounge access with complimentary food and drinks, spa quality toiletries (favorite of mine!), and private check-in.

Room types that you can get if you are staying club level at Wilderness Lodge include 2 queen beds, 1 queen bed with a set of bunk beds or a king bed. Also, if you are in a suite at Wilderness Lodge you will automatically have club level included in your reservation.

ofc-infoThe food – yes, it always comes down to the food! Here is a schedule and a sample of what is offered at Old Faithful Club at Wilderness Lodge:

Breakfast 7am-10am (coffee service starts at 6:30am) – Continental breakfast with pastries, muffins, bagels, yogurt, fruit, and cereal.

 

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Excellent way to start the day!

Refreshments 11:30am-4pm – small snack foods. They will have crudite, cookies and chips (homemade chips!) with dipping sauce, candies and nuts.

Wine and Cheese Selections 5pm-7pm – Cheese platter, salads, Antipasti platter, BBQ Chicken Skewers, Venison Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce, then these amazing Peanut Butter and Jelly Shooters with a Puff Pastry.

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BBQ Chicken Skewers

BBQ Chicken Skewers

Cordials and Desserts 8pm-10pm – Apple Crisp, Cookies (several varieties), and Magic Bars. This is also when they broke out some of their fine liqueurs to taste or a glass of wine if you prefer.

They always have soda, water, milk and non-alcoholic options as well!

 

 

Trip Report Day 4: Second Day at Sea with More Waves and More Fun

015de0749fdaa818ef121ace7b752ce807ed4ab852So, yes this is the most drawn out trip report ever but it is keeping the memory and magic alive for me as I revisit each day we had on one of my favorite vacations ever. I hope the anticipation for each new day is not too much for all of you readers! I would love to hear from you about your trip or about your questions and how you are enjoying reading this trip report. You can comment or email me at dolewhipped@gmail.com (just think I may be able to write quicker with a bit of cheerleading!)

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Okay, so now on to day 4 of this trip which is our second full day and another full day at sea. If you remember from Day 3 (or want to remind yourself click HERE) we were going around a tropical depression and the seas were a bit rougher than normal. So, today the 01db60955c588ca699a92207ee53a17fd26a53d611_00001ship was rocky. I did not mind it. It was not crazy rocky and did not disturb walking or anything just made you feel like you were being rocked in your sleep type thing. I would say 99% of the guests had no issues with it and the 1% that did were maybe a tad dramatic (I heard stories afterwards on our cruise Facebook page that someone who had an interior room on a lower deck had slept on a lounge chair by the pool). Now, that is a bit non-productive as the higher you go the more it rocks but if it makes you feel better and they let you – why not sleep by the pool? So, it was a tad overcast but that did not stop the fun. We actually had one of the best days on the ship.

First, we started off with some room service for breakfast. We had decided with our friends the night before since the weather was not going to be as good as it was the rest of the week this would be the perfect day to sleep in, have room service and all huddle up in one room and watch a movie. It was the perfect morning.

Since we had built up an appetite (sea air and all) we headed to Cabanas for lunch and had a vast array of choices as always at Cabanas, along with several glasses of POG
juice. Excellent way to kick off the afternoon.01ed5e7e03650d8ced6764d4afe0c9d77cc2491f7f_00001

When we finally decided to join the rest of the ship we did something I had never done on a cruise ship in the past. We played BINGO! Bingo was in the D Lounge (though note the Navigator schedule had a mistake and said the Buena Vista Theatre so note to everyone if you are somewhere and no crew is around it may be a printed mistake). We figured it out though and we had a blast playing BINGO. Now, couple of BINGO things to note, the crew that runs it makes it fun. BINGO is not free and there are a few packages to choose from and you can do 0132759c33e725450fa4d4870285c1b448c4d7d9ab_00001one card or many and you can do it electronically or the old fashion where you poke the chad out. We decided to save our money and do it the old fashion way and bought two cards (one for each of us because on the first day we played BINGO only myself and one other companion thought it was worth it – this quickly changed and by the end of the week the whole group was playing!) So two cards were $40 and they had six games on each card. The ball scrambling machine is named Betty and when someone is having bad BINGO luck they yell out “SHAKE IT UP BETTY” and all the kids laugh (and a few adults). So, you hear “SHAKE IT UP BETTY” a lot. Oh, by the way, BINGO is open to all ages but because actual money is won if your kid is under 18 and wins you, as the adult, gets to take the winnings. If you want to give it to your child or if you want to keep it, well that is up to you. They also will randomly between games do a random name draw for prizes and though we did not win BINGO we DID win the random name. All of a sudden on the screen was my sailing companion and BINGO partner’s name! He graciously gave me most of the prize because I was more excited than probably I should have been. It was a tote bag that had several branded Disney Cruise Line gifts such as a hat, pen, lip gloss, and a phone charger. I never win anything so even though I did not win, I got the winnings and felt like a true champion.

The main show in the Walt Disney Theatre that evening was “Wishes” and I was looking forward to it and it did not disappoint. It was about three best friends that were graduating and each going their own way in life and before they do they go on a magical journey down a wishing well. Very cute and had a great message for everyone.

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Dinner that evening was at Animator’s Palate and I was looking forward to it because though we were assigned there twice during the week, I knew the second time we were scheduled there we would be eating at Palo’s – so this was my one time at AP. I started my meal with the Baked Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup and one of their specialty drinks a Bora Shake (Piña Colada, fresh Bananas and Blue Ocean). For my entree I had Ginger-Teriyaki dusted Angus beef Tenderloin with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes with 014bea22c2aab625799283d2f14002210198c5d4c0Bok Choy and a Tamarind–Barbecue Reduction. I can not recommend this dish more if I tried. I challenge you to not love it. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned and nothing like anyone expects from meals on a cruise ship. Bravo Disney. For dessert I went with a classic Mickey Bar. The entertainment and interaction was great and I enjoyed almost every moment. The moments I did not enjoy were unfortunately we were seated next to a large family of about 15 people and several small children. We choose late dinner, on purpose, as early dinner is usually better for the little ones. These little children were definitely tired and cranky and were throwing a fit. There were 3 or 4 that were throwing things off the table and screaming and running around and into the servers and it was quite the scene. But, luckily for the parents and grandparents of these kids, they were able to ignore it and continue their good time without worrying about anything or anyone else. For the rest of us seated near them it was not as easy. I felt really bad for the little ones because they were just tired, so you know, note to self maybe try early dinner if you have lots of little ones in your group or rotate one adult to watch them sleep each night. I am sure there is a better option for them and everyone else. SIGH. Moving on, but you all know what I am saying.

Next, we went to an adults only show! Ooh La La. No, nothing like that as this is Disney but it was in The Tube and it was the Ventriloquist and she was great. It was very crowded and hard to hear and see at points as it is an active bar but we got to see her again later that week as well and highlight of the week was her act.

So, though the day started slow and lazy it definitely got going and we did a lot that day! We did lots of new stuff like BINGO and adults only late shows (as usually I am zzzz’ing pretty early on cruises – again the sea air) but had a great time doing it all! Tomorrow Tortola and another GREAT day on the Disney Fantasy.

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Want to catch up?

Check Out

Day 1: The Who, What, Whens and Hows of our Disney Extravaganza Trip

Day 2: It Begins…With a Bang and a New Restaurant Experience

Day 3: First Day at Sea and It Was Filled with Fun, Food and Some Waves

 

 

Podcast Episode 125: Club Level Overview

Have you been curious about what club level is and what it has to offer?  This week we give you the low down on what you can expect if you stay club level at a Disney resort.  From the rooms, amenities, and food offerings, staying club level offers you a special something extra for your next Disney vacation.

Happy listening!

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Cafe Orleans Review

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During my visit to Disneyland in August 2016, I made a dinner reservation for myself and my roommate.  It was a toss up for me where I was going to choose since I’d heard great things about Cafe Orleans, but also as well as Blue Bayou.  I’d heard that Cafe Orleans had the better food but Blue Bayou had the better atmosphere, overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and all. In the end, I went with Cafe Orleans because I’m all about the food.

First of all, being that I’m from Louisiana and a frequent visitor to New Orleans, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of authenticity for the decor.  I will say that it’s very nice and homey feeling to me, which is good.  It doesn’t look unlike a cafe in New Orleans so I guess that’s saying something.

Appetizer course:

img_20160822_173627-copyTo start, my roommate and I shared an order of Pommes Frites served with a remoulade dipping sauce.  These start out as your basic Disney Parks french fries, but then they’re coated with parmesan and garlic and let me just say, all fries really should be coated with garlic and cheese.  We couldn’t stop eating them!

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Next, we thought we should probably have something green so we shared La Salade de Maison, or the house salad.  It had a raspberry vinaigrette with goat cheese and caramelized pecans.  It was delicious but I’m a huge fan of fruit dressings and candied nuts on my salad.

Entree:

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For our entree, we shared a famous Monte Cristo sandwich.  This is a ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich that’s battered and fried then topped with powdered sugar and served with berry puree.  There’s also some fruit on the side in case you care about being healthy, but let’s face it, you’re eating a fried sandwich.  You’re not being healthy.

This sandwich is obviously delicious, but it’s a very large portion.  Granted, we had fries and a salad, but my roommate and I couldn’t finish this one sandwich.  So we got dessert, of course.

Dessert:

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That is a Mickey shaped beignet with a dollop of vanilla frosting on the side.  If you don’t know what a beignet is, it’s basically a French doughnut.  Fried dough.  Because everything we eat should be fried.  In my defense, I did not order this.  Our waitperson brought this out to me (free of charge) because I was wearing my birthday button.  But me, being the kind person that I am, didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I ate it.  I’m quite familiar with beignets due to where I live, and this one did not disappoint.  It was hot, flaky, and covered in powdered sugar, just like a beignet ought to be.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my experience at Cafe Orleans.  The food was great and the atmosphere fun and laid back, just like New Orleans itself.

Podcast Episode 124: Epcot Quick Service Locations

Continuing on in our series, we discuss all your quick service dining locations within Epcot.  There are plenty of really great options both in Future World and World Showcase so be sure to give some of these a try on your next trip!

Happy listening!

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runDisney Playlist – Part I

If you’ve signed up for a runDisney race chances are good you are a Disney fan.  So the perfect choice to get you moving and running is some Disney music!  I am a big fan of Disney music and I listen to it frequently at home, in the car and yes while running.

 

Here is a playlist of Disney music to get you through the miles.

  1. Go the Distance- Hercules
  2. Under the Sea- The Little Mermaid
  3. I’ve Got Not Strings- Pinocchio
  4. Hakuna Matata- The Lion King
  5. I Wan’na Be Like You – The Jungle Book
  6. How Far I’ll Go –Moana
  7. Try Everything- Zootopia
  8. When Can I See You Again- Wreck-It Ralph
  9. The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers- Winnie the Pooh
  10. Gaston-Beauty and the Beast
  11. A Spoonful of Sugar-Mary Poppins
  12. Down in New Orleans-Princess and the Frog
  13. Life is a Highway- Cars
  14. Ha Mele No Lilo- Lilo and Stitch
  15. Love is an Open Door- Frozen
  16. Immortals- Big Hero 6
  17. Friend Like Me- Aladdin
  18. The Scare Floor- Monsters Inc
  19. The Bear Necessities- The Jungle Book
  20. Shiny- Moana
  21. Touch the Sky- Brave
  22. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah- Song of the South
  23. Give a Little Whistle- Pinocchio
  24. Heigh Ho- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  25. There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow- Carousel of Progress

 

I hope you can find some motivation from these songs!  Happy trails!  Don’t forget to check back for Part II of the runDisney playlist!

Roller Coasters at Walt Disney World: A Personal Ranking

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If you’ve listened to our podcast even once, you know that I am, in fact, a giant chicken.  Bok bok.  I do not like roller coasters.  They scare me.  I’m not much for thrill rides in general, but sometimes I can convince myself I need to experience something awesome and I need to prepare in advance for that.  I’m going to give you a ranking of the roller coaster rides at Walt Disney World so that you can see in advance what appeals to you and what you’d rather avoid.

We’ll start with the most intense and go down the list from there.

1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

Location: Hollywood Studios

Max Speed: 57 mph

Height Restriction: 48″

Ok, so it has “roller coaster” right there in the title.  It’s fast.  It has big drops and inversions.  This is a Level NOPE on my chicken meter.

2.  Expedition Everest

Location: Animal Kingdom

Max Speed: 50 mph

Height Restriction: 44″

This one’s a little tamer than the previous but it is fast.  There are some big drops. Probably the most terrifying part of this coaster is that it heads up the mountain at one point, looks like it’s going to plummet over the edge (it’s not, of course), and then sends you screaming back down the mountain backwards.

3.  Primeval Whirl

Location: Animal Kingdom

Max Speed: 29 mph

Height Restriction: 48″

This is not a particularly scary coaster, but there is the added spinning aspect of the car that makes it more than just a standard coaster.  If you’re familiar with Goofy’s Sky School at Disneyland, this is the same track.

4.  Space Mountain

Location: Magic Kingdom

Max Speed: 28 mph

Height Restriction: 44″

It’s not the fastest coaster at Walt Disney World but it is the darkest.  The gimmick here is not speed or drops but that it’s totally dark so you don’t know what’s coming.

5.  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Location: Magic Kingdom

Max Speed: 35 mph

Height Restriction: 40″

This one’s pretty tame as far as coasters go.  Little bit fast, only a couple of small drops.  Rates as a Pretty Fun on my chicken meter.

6. Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

Location: Magic Kingdom

Max Speed: 34 mph

Height Restriction: 38″

Having just experienced this one for the first time, I have to say that this coaster is FUN.  Personally, I didn’t find it scary at all, but I did find the seats to very cramped and legroom almost non-existent.

7.  The Barnstormer

Location: Magic Kingdom

Max Speed: 25 mph

Height Restriction: 38″

A fun kiddie coaster.  Very tame, no drops. Also, the ride is quite short so if your little one does get a bit spooked, it’s over very quickly.

Of course, the ranking here is totally subjective, but since you have the info, you can decide in what order you would rank them!  If it’s different from mine, I’d love to hear it!  Post it in the comments!

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review

On our last vacation we booked as part of our split stay a night at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  We had booked a standard room in the Atrium (the main building).  Our room was 4722 located on the tenth floor with a gorgeous view of Bay Lake!

The room is 394 square feet, and we felt we had plenty of room to move around and contain all of our items.  Upon entering, to the right there is a small bar with the coffee maker, cups and ice bucket.  There are two closets in this area as well.  The closets contain a luggage rack, ironing board, iron, safe, and two drawers and of course plenty of space to hang up your clothing.

To the left is the bathroom. This features a separate room with a toilet and hamper, as well as double sinks, and a full shower/tub.  The best features in here are the awesome shower head, double sinks and clean lines.  The bathroom has really great lighting too if you need to see to get ready.  Included are towels that are a bit nicer and some really nice and decent sized toiletries, including lotion and body wash.


Walking further into the room to the left is a long desk with a chair and a small rolling table.  There are two queen sized beds that are very comfortable.  You can really tell the difference from the Moderates and Values in the beds at the Deluxe resorts.  The mattresses are more comfortable, the sheets, pillows and blankets are much nicer here as well.  To round out the sleeping area on the opposite wall there is a couch that folds down into a bed.  It did take us some time to figure out how to turn the couch into the bed (you pull top part down towards you) but we managed!  On the same wall as the couch was a large screen television.

The icing on the cake is the amazing balcony with two chairs and a small table.  This view was just beautiful and I could have sat all day overlooking the pool, grounds and Bay Lake.  Going back to the entrance you could look out your “front door” and get an amazing view of the Magic Kingdom!

Jillian: I was so excited to stay here!  This is the one resort that I had always wanted to stay at growing up.  It did not disappoint.  I thought the room was spacious and clean and I love a modern look, so this was perfect for me.  I also think this is a great option for someone who isn’t into Disney because this resort does feel grown up.  I thought the beds and furniture were comfortable, the views were spectacular.  We had a great experience with bell services so no complaints there.

The not so good: I did find check in to be slow but maybe because we were so excited to see our room. We also found that there were issues with food trays being left in the halls for hours, over 12 hours to be exact!  That is pretty bad for a Deluxe resort.  Next was our issue with the monorail.  This did not run for more than 30 minutes after park closing and the only other option is to walk.  I can handle the walk, but I can see families with little ones or those with disabilities having issues with this.  Literally the only option to get to the Contemporary is the monorail or to walk.  The walk is probably 12 minutes when you are going at a decent clip.

I really enjoyed using the monorail services (when they were running) and even the walk to the Magic Kingdom.  I think this resort offers great dining options from quick snacks to extra fancy meals!  I loved exploring the shops and amazing views from the decks.  The layout of the resort can be a little tricky, just trying to figure out which floor you have to go to get on the monorail or different restaurants took a little work, but mostly we had Tara as our guide since she is most familiar with the resort.

Tara: I had not stayed at Contemporary since I was a wee lass and really have no memory of it. I was thrilled to check it off the list since had recently stayed in Bay Lake Tower it was nice to compare. I love how convenient staying in the Tower is to everything. It is such a quick trip to stores, restaurants, and the monorail. You can not beat the convenience of everything. The room was nice but not Disney enough for many people. It is not “special” but more like an upscale Hilton or Marriott. I LOVED the bathroom though and found it more than special and comfortable. One thing that was nice is at night when you walk into the bathroom it has a sensor and a dim light comes on to help you maneuver. This was a great perk since I did not want to wake up the other girls! The beds were very comfortable and the view was great. I enjoyed it and would stay again, but it is at the bottom of the three monorail resorts for me with Polynesian and Grand Floridian taking the top spots.

Jamie: Walking into the Contemporary for our stay felt so much different from the previous visits I’d made to the resort. We took the elevator up to our room and when we stepped out there was a huge glass wall… and Space Mountain. How cool, to open the door to your hotel room every morning and there is Space Mountain! It’s an experience I’m glad I was able to have. The room was very nice. I especially loved the balcony and our view of Bay Lake. My main “cons” are the ones that Jillian has already mentioned, from the food in the hallway to the lack of transportation at the end of the night. Overall I think the resort is pretty great, but it still wasn’t able to knock the Polynesian off of my top monorail resort spot!

If you haven’t yet given the Contemporary Resort a try you may want to add it to your list of resorts.  You can’t beat the location, views, and dining at the Contemporary!