Photo of the Day

Elephants on Parade.

The topiaries at the entrance to Epcot. This was for the Flower and Garden Festival and it was stunning!

Some Things I've Learned

I am in the middle of planning my first ever trip to Disneyland CA, and my first time in California. I will be going in August with one of my best friends for the D23 Expo. (Expect a bunch of fun updates). We are doing 2 days at the Expo and 3 park days. I wanted to get the most out of the parks since I do not know when I will get there again.

Here are some of the biggest differences I have seen so far:
(all photos found on Google)


1. You can only ride the Monorail if you have park tickets! This is because the Monorail has a stop in Tomorrowland.

2. You have to get a Fastpass to get a seat for The World of Color. That is just crazy, so we will be getting that first thing! Not to mention, it is standing only. 

www.disneytouristblog.com

3. In my guidebook, they label the food as, Table Service, Fast Food and Snacks. Walt Disney World labels are Table Service, Quick Service and Snacks. The fast food part is confusing because it could be a sit down place or a quick service place.

4. Everything is so compact that you can see everything right next to each other. If you stand in the middle of the map (below, on compass) you see, Disneyland on your left, Californian Adventure on your right and Downtown Disney behind you. It's crazy to me that you really don't have to travel much to get everywhere like Disney World. 

5. The last point is that I am learning just how different the two parks are. There are a lot of the rides that are the same but even more that a very different. I can not wait to go on everything!

Photo of the Day

This mural is located in Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney. It is a life-size Monopoly board and I think the balloon counts as a hidden Mickey ;-)

My Favorite Hidden Mickeys

One of my more recent favorite activities is finding Hidden Mickeys. I bought the book a few years ago and now I have updated to the newest addition. I have used it on the last 3 trips to Disney. Here are some of my favorites.

This one was found in Test Track. I took this the day before it closed. That means, this Mickey will be gone when the new ride is revealed in December.

This one is found on Spaceship Earth in the Renaissance section. 

On the mural of the Star Traders shop in the Magic Kingdom. There are a few more on the mural, but I did not find them all.

This one is my favorite. This is right outside the Morocco pavilion, in a little gift shop.

On the ground in Animal Kingdom. This is right outside the entrance to Primeval Whirl. It is between that entrance and the character meet and greet spot.

This one is found inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You have to walk right past it (down the stairs) in order to get to the Boma restaurant. 

Photo of the Day

Parades! This was taken during the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade back in January of 2011.

Princess Meet & Greet (Magic Kingdom)

The busiest meet and greet is located in Magic Kingdom in the firehouse building. Mickey is also there too!

The Princess line is always the longest! When I waited it was later at night, after dinners hours. The line was probably about 20 minutes. It can vary a lot, so the time posted really does not matter. I would add 5 or 10 minutes to whatever is posted. This is only because, these are real people and its more unpredictable as to how they will interact with you.

I went on this trip by myself so it was a little weird waiting for the princesses by myself. Oh well, you can only meet the princesses at Disney and you are never to old! The CMs will take pictures with your personal camera. Since I do not buy the photopass packages, this is great.

The princesses were so sweet and they all commented on my birthday button. It was nice to get all that attention. Belle was the best character, she is my favorite so I'm being biased. I would check this out if the line is shorter than 30 minutes. There is a fastpass available though I'm not sure how fast they run out. If anything I would go later at night when families with little kids aren't as present.

It is well worth the wait though. I loved it and it brought back lots of memories and now I have new ones. 

Below are my pictures with the princesses.

Restaurant Review: The Coral Reef

The Coral Reef is located in Epcot, to the right of the Finding Nemo seagull statues. It is tucked away in the corner, which is kind of nice. It is one of the more expensive restaurants, which is why we decided to do it while we were on the dining plan.

This is the decor inside the lobby area. I felt like we waiting a little while for our table. Maybe 30 minutes or so. There were a few groups that went in before us while we were still sitting around.

Our table was perfect! We were sitting in front of two windows to see into the tank. There is a card at your table that lists all of the fish in the tank. It also gives facts about the tank, which is huge!

For dinner, my brother and dad got steaks. My mom, sister and I got the lobster mac and cheese. The steaks had really good reviews. The lobster mac and cheese was amazing, but it was kind of a small portion size for the price. 

The desserts were amazing! The one bellow is a Baileys and Jack Daniels mousse. The Jack Daniels was kind of strong but really good. 

Below is the "Chocolate Wave". It was a molten lava cake and raspberry sorbet. Amazing! 

I tried a little bit ;-)

Here is the family. 

I really loved the Coral Reef. Everyone agreed that it was the best non-buffet place we ate at. I would only do it on the dining plan. I can't see myself walking in there and paying the full prices right out of pocket. Looking at the fish and the sharks while eating is really cool too. I really am happy that a card was left so that we could identify the animals. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone! The food is very good without being too fancy and the atmosphere has to be the most entertaining and interesting in all of Disney.

Here is the dinner menu that I found on allears.net

Coral Reef
Living Seas
Epcot
Dinner

Menu Date: March 2012

One of the most unique Disney Dining experiences, the Coral Reef restaurant allows you to dine with the fishes.  Among those you might see include:  Brown Shark, Stingray, Grouper, Tarpon, and the Green Sea Turtle.

Appetizers

Appetizer for Two - Crab Cakes with tropical fruit salsa, tequila aioli; Crispy-fried shrimp with Jicama slaw and spiced remoulade; and a taste of our Creamy Lobster Soup $16.99

Crispy-fried Shrimp - with Jicama slaw and spiced remoulade $11.99

Crab Cakes - with tropical fruit salsa and tequila aioli $11.99

Steamed Mussels - with cilantro sofrito, fennel, tomatoes, and toasted ciabatta $11.99

Creamy Lobster Soup - tarragon and brandy $7.99

Seasonal Soup - Chef Inspired creation $6.99

Caesar Salad - with shredded parmesan and croutons $7.49

Winter Green Salad - blue cheese, fresh pears, candied walnuts and blood orange vinaigrette $6.99

Fish Tostadas - with Napa Cabbage, avocado-cilantro cream and fresh lime $8.99

Entrées

Pan-seared Sustainable Seasonal Catch - on mushroom risotto with bay scallops and celery root nage and parsley-truffle oil Market Price

Lobster Ravioli - with Rock Shrimp, fresh Tarragon, and Lobster Cream $26.49

Seared Rainbow Trout - with warm salad of white beans, arugula, tomatoes, crispy bacon, aged balsamic vinegar and brown butter $19.99

Seared Chicken Breast - served over spaetzle finished with Applewood smoked bacon - chicken broth $21.99

Vegetable Potato Strudel - with a tomato compote and basil oil $18.99

Grilled New York Strip Steak - served with horseradish smashed potatoes, and marketfresh vegetables $31.99

Seared Scottish Salmon - with black rice, fennel, and Cardamom-Cashew Butter $22.99

Grilled Mahi Mahi - with rock shrimp, heats of palm, jasmine rice and a coconut lime sauce $24.99

Shiraz-braised Pork Shank - with rainbow chard and a spiced butternut squash puree $25.99

Desserts

The Chocolate Wave* - served with raspberries $7.99

Key-Lime Mousse - with roasted pineapple, mango glaze, and chocolate pearls $7.99

Cheesecake Napoleon - with berry compote (no sugar added) $7.99

Baileys and Jack Daniel's Mousse* - topped with caramel crisp $7.99

Classic Vanilla Cremé Brulée $7.99

*contains alcohol