My Dreams of Disney

Exploring Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond!

Coming Soon: Remembering your #DisneyMemory

by

 

#DisneyMemory
When is comes to Disney, we all have memories if you’ve gone. What is your #DisneyMemory?

Coming Soon: Remembering your #DisneyMemory

Disney Memories.  Certainly not a new topic here at My Dreams of Disney — but it isn’t one that we focus on as much as we used to.  Well, my friends, that is about to change.  Starting on Monday, we’re going to be taking a look at a special something at Disney, and I’m going to share with you my #DisneyMemory in that post.  It could be a picture of an attraction, a resort, some food, whatever strikes me on that day, but it will have a Disney focus.  Better yet, though, I’d love for my post to trigger your own Memory — your own #DisneyMemory — that you would share with all of us.  That’s the purpose of this blog, you know — to take My Dreams of Disney and to help you make them Your Dreams of Disney.  So who’s up for the challenge?  Who’s ready to get started? Come join in the fun, and follow along online with the hashtag #DisneyMemory!  I’ll see you online, and I’ll see you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram too!

Our first memory comes to us from the Walt Disney World sign on World Drive.  I remember as a punky 11 year old kid in 1979 riding to the Magic Kingdom with my grandparents and my Mom and Sister and seeing that sign.  Back then, the only park was the Magic Kingdom, so when you saw the sign, you still drove for about 3 miles until you actually got near the Transportation and Ticketing Center, and to this 11 year old, that drive felt like driving out of Florida and into an entirely new world.  That, of course, is exactly what Disney wanted — for you to leave your life behind, even for just a short while, and to remember what it was like to be a kid again.  I’ll touch on this theme a bit more in future posts, but for me, on that summer day in 1979, seeing that incredible sign was just the first #DisneyMemory.  Tell us about your first Disney Memory online here in the comments, or on any of our social media platforms!  Thanks for sharing, and thanks for visiting!

Sophie’s Favorite Disney Character Meals

by

Disney Dining Reviews

Hi guys! It’s me, Sophie, and today I’m discussing my favorite Disney character meals!!! (I have five so I’m making it into a countdown.)

5) Epcot’s Akershus. It’s a restaurant in the Norway Pavilion. The characters there are Disney Princesses, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle. By the way, did you hear that the Imagineers have taken out the ride in Norway? They’re going to replace it with a Frozen-themed ride. The Frozen ride had BETTER be at least twice as good. Or I’m going to be very disappointed in Disney.

Me, my parents, and my cousin with belle
Me, my parents, and my cousin with Belle

4)The Beach Club’s Cape May Café. It was a long time ago, but I remember when we went to the Cape May Café for breakfast. It features Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. The food was delicious. Best cinnamon bun EVER! It was covered in icing, and warm. Just like the doughboy one’s we made at home, only bigger. Oh man, just typing about it’s making my mouth water. And I’m not kidding.

the Mickey-shaped thing was my "b-day desert" Mom did NOT approve :)
the Mickey-shaped thing was my b-day post-breakfast-desert. Mommy did NOT approve :)

3)Magic Kingdom’s Crystal Palace. It’s nice to just walk into a giant Victorian-style green-house-like building. The Crystal Palace is home to the Winnie the Pooh characters. Every 15-20 minutes or so, they’ll host a parade. It’s not a sit-and-order restaurant. It’s more of a sit-and-wait-for-a-turn-to-go-to-the-buffet restaurant. That’s a mouth full. Try saying it five times fast.

My favorite Winnie the Pooh character!

2) Epcot’s Garden Grill Restaurant. The Garden Grill is probably, the best built restaurant in Disney, at least in my opinion. Name another restaurant that spins, allowing you to look at a jungle, desert, prairie and more. The Garden Grill is built on top of a ride known as Living With the Land. This ride goes through the hydroponic gardens, where they grow all the fruits and veggies that are used, cooked and eaten in the Garden Grill.

The Garden Grill Restaurant
The Garden Grill Restaurant

1) Contemporary’s Chef Mickey’s. If you ask me, there is no better place to eat breakfast than at Chef Mickey’s. The buffet includes original breakfasts in a disney style. Mickey-shaped waffles, disney brand jam and the cinnamon role shaped like a hidden Mickey. I personally think this is the best of all character restaurants!

Minnie Mouse make a superior waitress
Minnie Mouse makes a superior waitress!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now — why not comment on what your favorite character dining is? Ta ta! :)

5 Facts about Pirates of the Caribbean that will Impress Your Friends.

by

Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean – 5 Facts to Impress Your Friends!

If you are reading this post, chances are that you are already a Disney fan — some of you may even be Disney Addicts!  If that’s the case, the five facts I’ve got for you may not be anything you haven’t heard before, but it may be something that you can use to explain how cool Pirates of the Caribbean is to your friends, co-workers, family, anyone that isn’t as big a Disney fan as you are!  So, without further ado, here are five facts about Pirates of the Caribbean that will impress your friends!

Pirates of the Caribbean

For Pirates fans, there are a lot of great tidbits that do a great job of adding a bit of intrigue to the attraction.  Here are my top five facts that I find fascinating about this great attraction!

  1. When Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, Pirates of the Caribbean was not one of the original opening day attractions.  The thought was that because Florida was so close to the Caribbean, the Florida residents would not be interested in pirates.  Well, people were amazed that Pirates wasn’t part of the Magic Kingdom, and they petitioned Disney to open it in Florida like it was in California.  Disney listened, and Pirates opened to the general public on December 15, 1973 — exactly 7 years after Walt Disney passed away.
  2. Pirates opened originally at Disneyland, in New Orleans Square.  The attraction was the last one that Walt Disney worked on before he passed away, and it opened 3 months after his passing.  The Disneyland version starts with a slow ride through the Blue Bayou restaurant.  If you are eating there, you can see the boats pass by from your table.  It’s really cool.  Personally, the scene reminds me of the bayou of Louisiana (hence New Orleans Square) scenes from The Princess and the Frog movie.
  3. At the Magic Kingdom, there are two skeletons playing a game of chess in one of the dungeons — you can see them as you walk through the loading queue.  Interestingly, though, the pieces on the chessboard form a stalemate, with no winner possible.  As a result, the two skeletons have been playing the same game of chess since 1973!  This part of the attraction was the brainchild of Marc Davis, one of the Disney Legends and one of Walt’s Nine Old Men.
  4. Back at Disneyland, did you know that there are two drops as part of the attraction, while at the Magic Kingdom, there is only one?
  5. Lastly, did you know that the drop at the Magic Kingdom was done in order to navigate under the Walt Disney World Railroad?

I hope that you have found these facts to be fun and enjoyable!  Leave me a comment and let me know what facts you have to share also.  Thanks, and make it a Disney day everyone!

34 Days til Disneyland – Ariel’s Grotto!

by

Image ©Disney Parks
Image ©Disney Parks

By Mike Ellis.  Ariel’s Grotto is a character dining restaurant located in Disney’s California Adventure park.  This restaurant is our choice for day 34 in our Countdown to Disneyland series!

This dining location is a princess dining location for breakfast and lunch, and features Ariel (obviously) and other Disney princesses as you enjoy a great meal!  We have reservations for lunch here during our trip!  I’ll be sure and let you know how the restaurant was, and give you an in-depth review when we return!

How about you — have you ever eaten at Ariel’s Grotto?  Do you like it? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for stopping by!

Related articles

45 Days til Disneyland – Rapunzel and Flynn Rider!

by

Image ©Disney Parks
Image ©Disney Parks

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider have become crowd favorites because of the roles they played in the movie Tangled.  They are our selection for Day 45 in our Countdown to Disneyland series.  Located in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park, this meet and greet is sure to be a hit with your Princess and Prince as you meet the heroes from the movie!

I would imagine that this meet and greet fills up fast, so you’ll want to progress over to Rapunzel’s Room (located between Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and the Village Haus) early if your little one or you are interested in seeing them with as short a line as possible!

Related articles

Disclaimer

My Dreams of Disney is a Disney Fan Blog, and is not in any way affiliated with Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney, or the Walt Disney Company. In it's purest form, My Dreams of Disney is a site showcasing the love I and my family have for Walt Disney's creative genius and the legacy he has left behind. If it weren't for Walt Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, the other Disney parks spread across the world, and this site would not exist. Click to view our Privacy Policy.

Archives

%d bloggers like this: