Before going on this trip I researched some Disney outlets and Kristen and I stopped by the 2 near Disney on the first couple days of our trip. They are located on International Drive and Vineland Avenue for those of you that are interested. The outlets carry merchandise exclusive to the Disney parks, even items from Shanghai Disney! I actually had a gift card for the outlet chain so I was able to buy myself some souvenirs for free! SCORE! I picked up this tank top for $7.99 and it's regularly $32.99 in the parks. INSANE!
I wore it on our second day at Magic Kingdom. We got to go into the park an hour and 15 minutes early because we had 8am breakfast reservations. Pro-tip: get early reservations if you can because you'll get to a enjoy pretty empty park for a few minutes before you head back to the restaurant of your choice! I almost had some photos with no one in the background but there was one family dilly-dallying near the photopass spot. GRR!
On this day there were also extra magic hours for families staying at Disney hotels so we could have stayed until midnight. We left around 11:30 since we had been up for way too long already and couldn't make it the extra half hour.
Mickey Tank Top: Disney Character Warehouse, Shorts: Madewell, Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Alethea' (bought in Greece), Bag: Disney x Coach 'Patricia' with Mickey ears, Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika', Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)
I wore it on our second day at Magic Kingdom. We got to go into the park an hour and 15 minutes early because we had 8am breakfast reservations. Pro-tip: get early reservations if you can because you'll get to a enjoy pretty empty park for a few minutes before you head back to the restaurant of your choice! I almost had some photos with no one in the background but there was one family dilly-dallying near the photopass spot. GRR!
On this day there were also extra magic hours for families staying at Disney hotels so we could have stayed until midnight. We left around 11:30 since we had been up for way too long already and couldn't make it the extra half hour.
Mickey Tank Top: Disney Character Warehouse, Shorts: Madewell, Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Alethea' (bought in Greece), Bag: Disney x Coach 'Patricia' with Mickey ears, Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika', Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)
Food
Be Our Guest
For our early morning breakfast, we went to our favorite - Be Our Guest for some French Toast (off the kid's menu!) I also had my favorite dessert, The Grey Stuff. Unfortunately it wasn't very good this trip so I wasted my $6 on it since they wouldn't refund me. Blegh. I guess having so many good ones I was bound to get a dud (or two since they brought me a second one that had the same issue as the first...stale and no flavor.) Luckily you also get a plate of pastries with your breakfast so I still had plenty of tasty food to eat.
Casey's Corner
On this trip we tried to visit new-to-us locations for food. For a late lunch we decided to try out Casey's for hot dogs. Kristen loved her chili dog but I wasn't as happy with my regular hot dog. If I didn't added relish I wouldn't have enjoyed it at all. For the price - $10.50 - I wouldn't go again.
Meeting Characters
Since we've ridden all the rides so many times, we decided to wait in character photo lines that we normally wouldn't wait in because we go to the parks with people who aren't into character pictures or long lines. It was a nice, different way, to spend the day in the park. We also made sure to enjoy our favorite rides as well thanks to fast passes and short lines.Gaston
Who doesn't love to hate Gaston? He's such a smug, guy and makes it known that you're lucky to be taking photos with him. It's quite amusing.
Mickey Mouse
We were actually very lucky with the timing of this trip. This particular Mickey Mouse talked to visitors taking photos with him up until Saturday May 12th. We saw him on May 7th so we juuuust squeezed in getting to chat with him. He showed us one of his magic tricks before posing for photos. I got the whole thing on video and it's adorable.
Pooh and Tigger
Winnie the Pooh has always been one of my favorites so we waited in line to meet him and Tigger. So soft and cuddly!
Chip & Dale
Chip & Dale were one of my favorite photo ops. They were just so funny, they loved the gold chain I hold my sunglasses on and then fought over hugging Kristen and I at the end.
Rapunzel & Tiana
Rapunzel and Tiana are in the same line so it's not as bad as waiting for single characters. You get to wait in line in a beautiful castle full of portraits of princesses. 
Disney Character Warehouse
Below are my buys from the Disney outlet! (The Merlin and Sorcerer Mickey pins are not from the outlet) All of this was under $50 and I paid $0 thanks to a gift card! The purple tee was $0.99! It's a kid's small but I love Sorcerer Mickey so I figured I'd turn it into a pillow or tote bag!
Since we were at Disney to celebrate Kristen's birthday we decided to do something really special on the day. We did the Keys to the Kingdom Tour in the morning into early afternoon and then finished the evening with a very special dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is a 5 hour walking tour of the park where you learn some fun hidden secrets behind the making of the park. A couple of rides are also included, we went on the Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion, I'm not sure if they do any others. You do get to go inside the secret Disney "tunnels" and backstage areas but the majority of the tour is out in the park. It includes lunch and you also get a keepsake key to take home with you! It was a rainy morning so I had to buy an $8 poncho to keep dry.
Unfortunately no photos are allowed on the tour so no pictures there. I do HIGHLY recommend this guide if you're a huge Disney fan and want to learn more about the history of the parks. Our tour guide, Iyar (spelling?) was amazing, he really had a love for Disney and the parks. Even though it was raining for a bunch of our tour he still kept it fun and upbeat. I would do it again (even in the rain) in a heartbeat.
Dress: Elle (Kohl's), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' (Moda Operandi), Bag: Disney x Coach 'Patricia' with Mickey ears, Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika', Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)
We had lunch at Pescos Bill during our tour. I got the chicken tacos and grabbed a corn medley as well. SOOO good!
On to dinner! We had previously done Cinderella's Royal Table with my sister back in December but one day I was randomly checking for reservations and saw one for the night of Kristen's birthday, it was a no brainer! The meal was amazing, as expected and we had some pretty great princesses to take photos with. We were there for the fireworks and unfortunately didn't have the best view to see them, but it was still really cool seeing the lights from inside the castle.
Kristen had the Charcuterie Plate and Beef Tenderloin Salad with The Clock Strikes Twelve. Since it was her birthday I also ordered a special signature dessert from the special events department. It included a dark chocolate slipper (you could also get white chocolate) filled with a chocolate mousse, a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse covered with a chocolate ganache and finished with a Happy Birthday chocolate piece. You can also get one that says Happy Anniversary or Congratulations.
You can see a video of the fireworks in my Instagram post:
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is a 5 hour walking tour of the park where you learn some fun hidden secrets behind the making of the park. A couple of rides are also included, we went on the Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion, I'm not sure if they do any others. You do get to go inside the secret Disney "tunnels" and backstage areas but the majority of the tour is out in the park. It includes lunch and you also get a keepsake key to take home with you! It was a rainy morning so I had to buy an $8 poncho to keep dry.
Unfortunately no photos are allowed on the tour so no pictures there. I do HIGHLY recommend this guide if you're a huge Disney fan and want to learn more about the history of the parks. Our tour guide, Iyar (spelling?) was amazing, he really had a love for Disney and the parks. Even though it was raining for a bunch of our tour he still kept it fun and upbeat. I would do it again (even in the rain) in a heartbeat.
Dress: Elle (Kohl's), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' (Moda Operandi), Bag: Disney x Coach 'Patricia' with Mickey ears, Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika', Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)
Food
Pescos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
We had lunch at Pescos Bill during our tour. I got the chicken tacos and grabbed a corn medley as well. SOOO good!
Liberty Square Market
In between our tour and dinner we were a bit hungry so we stopped for one of my favorite Mickey shaped treats, a pretzel! YUMMM!!
Cinderella's Royal Table
On to dinner! We had previously done Cinderella's Royal Table with my sister back in December but one day I was randomly checking for reservations and saw one for the night of Kristen's birthday, it was a no brainer! The meal was amazing, as expected and we had some pretty great princesses to take photos with. We were there for the fireworks and unfortunately didn't have the best view to see them, but it was still really cool seeing the lights from inside the castle.
(The photo above is from when we moved to the center of the room to see the fireworks, our view was of one of the side windows)
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| Princesses normally get wands, but Kristen and I asked for swords because they're cooler (and we already had wands from last time) |
Food
The menu had changed slightly since our last visit where I had the starter salad, Pan-Seared All Natural Chicken and "The Clock Strikes Twelve." This time I got the Castle Salad and "The Clock Strikes Twelve" again but tried the Beef and Shrimp as my entree. It was DELICIOUS. The steak was perfectly cooked and the shrimp were delicious. I'm not normally a huge fan of mashed potatoes but I ate them all. Super smooth and tasty.Kristen had the Charcuterie Plate and Beef Tenderloin Salad with The Clock Strikes Twelve. Since it was her birthday I also ordered a special signature dessert from the special events department. It included a dark chocolate slipper (you could also get white chocolate) filled with a chocolate mousse, a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse covered with a chocolate ganache and finished with a Happy Birthday chocolate piece. You can also get one that says Happy Anniversary or Congratulations.
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| Castle Salad |
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| Charcuterie Plate - A Selection of Cured Meats, Cheese, and other specialty selections of the Castle |
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| Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Sautéed Shrimp in a Shallot-Butter Sauce, and Potatoes Au Gratin with Braised Rapini |
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| Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Mixed Greens, Roasted Marinated Mushrooms, Blue Cheese Crumbles, and Fried Leeks in a Balsamic Vinaigrette |
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| The Clock Strikes Twelve - Dark Chocolate Mousse with a Dark Chocolate Ganache served with a Raspberry Coulis |
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| This royal dessert features a dark chocolate slipper or a white chocolate slipper, filled with a chocolate mousse. This is presented with a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, covered with a chocolate ganache. |
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| This royal dessert features a dark chocolate slipper or a white chocolate slipper, filled with a chocolate mousse. This is presented with a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, covered with a chocolate ganache. |
Princess Photos
It's always fun taking pictures with the Princesses. Before dinner you take a photo with Cinderella, and while you eat Snow White, Princess Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine come around to your tables. The Cinderella photo is done by a professional but you take the other Princesses on your own. My one complaint about this experience is the fact that the lighting is dark in the room so the photos you take with the other princesses are never as good as Cinderella. For the price you pay for the meal there should be a photographer with each princess to take professional photos. 
You can see a video of the fireworks in my Instagram post:
This is a continuation of Tuesday's post but I thought I would separate it out since there are so many photos. In the evening on Cinco de Mayo Kristen and I got tickets for the Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert Party.
Since we bought our annual passes in December it makes each day in the park less expensive the more we go (right now I'm at $55 per day,) so we decided to take advantage of that and add in a few extra things this trip. The Frozen dessert party being one of them!
The party includes unlimited drinks, buffet style desserts, fruits and fondue. I ate about 20 pieces of the grilled flatbread, SO SO SO good. We also went back up for at least four courses of dessert. If we had another hour I'm sure we could have rested a bit and ate a ton more. Definitely worth it if you want to add a bit of extra fun to your trip and love dessert.
What's really nice about the party is you get to sit during the fireworks with a pretty unobstructed view. No need to stand for an hour before the fireworks to get a good spot. Plus you get really fun glasses that turn the fireworks into snowflakes!
A full list of desserts:
You can see a video of the fireworks in my Instagram post:
Since we bought our annual passes in December it makes each day in the park less expensive the more we go (right now I'm at $55 per day,) so we decided to take advantage of that and add in a few extra things this trip. The Frozen dessert party being one of them!
The party includes unlimited drinks, buffet style desserts, fruits and fondue. I ate about 20 pieces of the grilled flatbread, SO SO SO good. We also went back up for at least four courses of dessert. If we had another hour I'm sure we could have rested a bit and ate a ton more. Definitely worth it if you want to add a bit of extra fun to your trip and love dessert.
What's really nice about the party is you get to sit during the fireworks with a pretty unobstructed view. No need to stand for an hour before the fireworks to get a good spot. Plus you get really fun glasses that turn the fireworks into snowflakes!
A full list of desserts:
- Kristoff's Kransekake Almond Cookie (YUM!)
- Wandering Oaken's Eclairons (REALLY YUM!)
- Hans' Key Lime Tarts with Orange Glitter Glaze
- Troll Rock Crispy Bon Bons
- Elsa's Blue Velvet Cupcakes (DELISH!)
- Kristoff's No Sugar Added Lemon Curd with Blueberry
- Freeze Fried Salted Caramel Popcorn
- Olaf's Warm Double Chocolate S'mores Pudding Cake (SOOOO GOOD)
- Anna's Warm Cottage Pudding with Salted Caramel Glaze
- Hand Dipped Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Sven's Fresh Fruits with Berries
- Grand Pabbie's Mystical Winter Spiced Snack Mix
- Duke of Weselton's Cheese Fondue—served with country bread cubes, broccoli, and grilled flatbread (couldn't get enough of the grilled flatbread)
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| One of the pillars welcoming us to the party |
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| The view from our table - number 27! |
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| Some of the alcoholic beverage options. I stuck with water and coke (and a couple sips of a margarita since it was Cinco de Mayo. It was too strong for me so I didn't drink much.) |
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| Some of the alcoholic beverage options |
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| Sven wants some of Olaf's Warm Double Chocolate S'mores Pudding Cake and Anna's Warm Cottage Pudding with Salted Caramel Glaze. The pudding cake was AMAZING! (I didn't try the other) |
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| Dessert is my favorite food group |
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| So many tasty treats to sample! |
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| A fruit and bread break in between dessert courses |
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| Look at all that tasty dessert! |
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| Kristoff's No Sugar Added Lemon Curd with Blueberry (notice the hidden Mickeys?) |
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| Hans' Key Lime Tarts with Orange Glitter Glaze |
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| Elsa's Blue Velvet Cupcakes - sooo tasty! I limited myself to one of these but I could have eaten so many more |
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| On my third or fourth helping of dessert |
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| Wandering Oaken's Eclairons were delicious! They're basically eclair shaped french macarons. |
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| Sven REALLY wants some of Olaf's Warm Double Chocolate S'mores Pudding Cake |
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| What the fireworks show looked like through our special Frozen glasses |
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| On the Frozen Ever After ride once fireworks were over. We walked right on to the ride thanks to the park being closed. It was so nice not having to wait in a huge line for the ride and afterward we just slowly walked out of the park which had emptied out by then. Plus, no need to waste one of your precious fast passes on the ride! |
You can see a video of the fireworks in my Instagram post:
