Showing posts with label B: Stay Here. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B: Stay Here. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

What's New Wednesday: FastPasses, Horses, and Dragons, Oh My!

As usual, we have lots of news coming your way on this What's New Wednesday.

At Disney World:
First, there are now officially NO "Legacy" FastPasses in the Disney World parks! For my travelers who were able to "double dip" during the initial testing phase - yay for you! FastPass+ has now been expanded to all four parks and the paper (Legacy FASTPASS)

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

New Disney World Sale Released for Late Summer...


Eenie Meenie, Miney Mo. To Which Disney Resort Should I Go? Not sure which Disney Resort is right for you this Fall? Will certain specials steer you one way or another? Here's a little insight to help you decide.  Disney has released their Disney-Visa-Cardholder-Only discount for hotel rooms for the late summer.  Need details? Here you go: Save up to 30% on Walt Disney World Resort hotel stays, most nights 8/15/13 – 9/28/13. Discounts off basic room-only rates vary based on the resort. 

  • 5% off – all Deluxe suites, All-Star Movies, Animal Kingdom Lodge (savannah view and Club Level), Animal Kingdom
  • 15% off - Art of Animation (all room types except the Little Mermaid rooms), All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century
  • 20% off - Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans-Riverside, and Ft. Wilderness Cabins as well as Wilderness Lodge
  • 30% off – Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard/pool view rooms), Yacht and Beach Club, Beach Club Resort Villas, Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Contemporary resort and Bay Lake Tower.  
The fine print: Ft. Wilderness campground, some 3-bedroom villas and the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation Resort are not included in this offer. Some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. If you don't have a Disney Visa, don't worry. Non cardholders can have these sale rates in just a few days. 
Now I know what you're thinking. "Karen, I want an entire package. not just a room." No worries! I can add tickets and your choice of dining plan, which will still save you money overall.  
More fine print: You have to book by 7/31/13.  If you're choosing room-only, you need only pay for one night's room and tax up front, and the rest is due upon arrival. If you choose to do a full vacation including tickets and dining, the full balance is due 45 days prior to arrival. Still confused? Just contact me and I'll help you choose the right resort for your family. See ya real soon!
°o° ~ Karen

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Best Hot Chocolate Ever (aka, How You Can Consume 27,000 Caloriesin a Weekend While Staying at a Disney Resort's Concierge Level)

I don't know about you, but every Disney trip I've been on is the best diet ever! I go, eat pretty much whatever I want, and then *poof* come back from my vacation 10 lbs lighter. It's amazing! Well, that is, until my last visit, when I came back a pound worse. How does that even happen?

You see, I am a self-proclaimed hot chocolate connoisseur. I love it. I can tell you what brand it is while drinking blindfolded. I have tasted everything from Swiss Miss to Starbucks, to locally-made $12 hot chocolate. On a recent visit however, I discovered the creme de la creme of all hot chocolates. The best cocoa cocktail I've ever tasted!

Staying on the concierge level has many perks, like the time I forgot to pack a toothbrush, and one was there waiting on me, along with toothpaste, which has an amazingly light minty flavor.


Not so overpowering that it knocks you out, and oddly, makes you brush for even longer than usual because it's so mild and refreshing. ((Where was I? Oh yes, hot chocolate.)  Part of the concierge level perks include turndown service, and your own resting place - a locked, limited access lounge area with televisions, refreshments, maps, and a personal concierge available to plan any missed details. In the morning, you'll find breakfast foods on the buffet bar, and in the afternoon you'll find snacks and munchies.




It was there I made what shall forever be known as "the best hot chocolate ever".  The recipe is simple: Take the provided paper pup. Pour in one packet of hot chocolate, plus a tiny bit more from a second packet. Save packet in your purse for your next cup. Go to hot water machine and begin filling cup with hot water. Notice that next to the hot water is a frothy steamed milk spout. Hmmm. Stop water. Start adding frothy steamed milk instead of water. Notice hazelnut syrup bottle. Nuts and chocolate go well together, don't they, Self? Yes, I think they do. Add a splash of hazelnut syrup. Stir. Blow off to cool. Sip. Faint.



Yes, it was that good. I am certain the cocoa itself was rich, but adding the cappuccino milk made it light and fluffy, while the hazelnut syrup adding a different taste altogether. I could have skipped the parks and just made cup after cup of cocoa all day. Just kidding. Who would do that? But I did find myself making a cup each morning before going to the parks, as well as one for the road on the day I left. So there you have it. An alternate reason to stay at the concierge level: the ability to make simply the best hot chocolate ever. Don't say I didn't warn you.

°o° ~ Karen