Omg folks!!!! 5 more days until we are hitting up Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!!! Literally one of my favorite events ever!! I always joke and say if I had one day to live, I would want to hit up Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival and then chill with Mickey and his pals at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!

since I can’t hold back my excitement, I thought I would make Halloween Mickey Mouse Cinnamon Rolls! You can find similar ones during Mickey’s Halloween party!! Enjoy!!

You can’t think about Disney without thinking of Dole Whips! At least I can’t. One of the most iconic Disney treats if you ask me!!!! Since we won’t be heading back to see Mickey for at least a few more month, I figured it was time to break out the blender and make our own Dole Whips at home. This way we can satisfy our cravings while counting down the days until our next Disney trip. Enjoy!!!

Who else is ridiculously excited for the new Toy Story movie hitting theaters this June?!?! Last year Disney World gave us Slinky Dog Dash & Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land! This year we are getting a new film!!!

​Can.Not.Wait!!!!!
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To get extra hyped for Toy Story, my daughter wanted to make Toy Story Alien Cookies! Safe to say she nailed them! Enjoy!!!

Serve & Enjoy!!!

Disney water parks!! I swear so many people forget they even exist! Honestly, we were that family for many years as well. I lived in Orlando FOREVER, so once I moved away, I never thought about hitting up Disney’s Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon when visiting my old stomping grounds. I always had my eyes set on Cinderella’s Castle and eating and drinking around the world!

Now that my daughter is slightly older and has literally done EVERYTHING in the main parks, we decided to check out Blizzard Beach! She has been craving something new and Blizzard Beach was exactly that!!!

Now that I have been to Blizzard Beach with and without my child, I feel I can give you legit tips to help you plan your next trip to Disney’s Blizzard Beach!

Need a block of chairs?! Looking for prime seating at the “beach”? Driving yourself to the park?! You will definitely want to arrive early. The parking lot is pretty small, so the good spots get taken instantly. Also, those awesome lounge chairs right on the beach? Those will be taken within the first 20 minutes the park opens. If you do however show up later in the day, take a stroll down the lazy river. You will find additional seating. It’s just not a glam as sitting beachside.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach is actually a pretty fabulous looking park! So many cute photo opportunities!!!! Make sure you have a camera or have your smart phone fully charged!!! You may even want to splurge on one of those waterproof plastic phone cases you can scoop up at Walmart if you want more adventurous ride shots! You won’t want to miss the many Insta-worthy photo opportunities throughout Disney’s Blizzard Beach!

This is the question I’ve been asked for years! Even though this was my daughters first time hitting up a Disney water park, I would still urge my friends to hit up Blizzard Beach if you have little ones in tow. Blizzard Beach is known for it’s family rides where Typhoon Lagoon is more adventurous! My super honest opinion would be to skip the water parks all together until your kids are at least 5. The kiddie areas are pretty sweet, but not paying THAT much for a park ticket sweet. Unless there are older kids enjoying the park in your party, just don’t waste the money.

Yes, you can rent a locker, but on days when I hit up a park with the bare minimum, I usually decide against it. Lockers can be expensive and when all I have is towels, smart phones and sunscreen in my Beach bag, I don’t find a locker worth it.

Blizzard Beach is bigger than you would think! You will be doing A LOT of walking!!!! Taking flip flops on and off all day gets pretty old! Next time we hit up Blizzard Beach you best believe I’m going to Walmart or getting a pair of water shoes Primed to me so I can just keep those suckers on the entire day without taking them on and off in between rides!

Disney Waterparks DO NOT offer free towels to use! However, you can “rent” a towel for the day for $2 a towel. I would just pack your own towels, even if they are the plain ole white hotel towels! Better than paying for a towel if you ask me!

Disney is usually fantastic when it comes to food. Over priced , YES! Delicious, YES! However, Disney’s Blizzard Beach doesn’t offer killer food. For $10 I had a basic chicken stir fry. I wasn’t too impressed since I can make a better stir fry at home. I would definitely bring my own snacks next time. Yes, you can do that! And wait to eat our main meal later in the day. For the prices we paid for food in the park, we could have had a culinary experience somewhere fabulous at Disney Springs!

This is the one thing that is worth every penny!!!!! You can purchase refillable cups when you enter the park. The best $11.99 you will spend since you can get unlimited non-alcoholic beverages!!!! We purchased one and my daughter and I shared. I would get a drink and then she would get a drink!

I made a set of Mickey Mouse Cupcakes about a month ago and y’all went totally nuts for them!!! Such an easy peasy D.I.Y project using store bought cupcakes and everyone’s favorite cookies, OREO!!!

I couldn’t let Mickey be without his beloved Minnie, so the other day my daughter and I decided to give Mickey his other half. Wilton Bows and Wilton Polka Dot Cupcake Wraps from Hobby Lobby and we had ourselves the cutest Minnie Mouse Cupcakes EVER!!!

Enjoy!!!

Ta-Da!!! Just like that you have Minnie Mouse Cupcakes!!! So easy to make even your kiddos can do it themselves!!!

Rainforest Cafe!!! One of my childhood favorite restaurants!!! I swear this an OG staple. Rainforest Cafe has survived all of the Disney changes of the years. It was there during the Pleasure Island Days, Downtown Disney and now the Disney Springs Era! Love that one of the restaurants I looked forward to on Disney trips as a child is there for my very own daughter to experience.

You can make reservations on the Disney Reservations website!!! Just make sure to do this in advance. It is included in the Disney Dining Plan, so it does book quickly!

​No reservation?! My tip would be to get to the restaurant on the early-side for dinner. We arrived a little before 5pm on a weekday during February Break and walked right in with zero reservation. When we left however, there was a line to even talk to the hostess to put your name on the list.

The good old news is, Rainforest Cafe gives you a wait time and you can go wander Disney Springs while waiting for your table. Just head back to the hostess stand at your “call time.” Perfect opportunity to do that last minute shopping you were holding off doing!

The food at The Rainforest Cafe reminds me of every other chain restaurant since the menu includes items like salads, pasta, sandwiches, seafood, burgers and poultry dishes, as well as a variety of vegetarian selections!

The food is exactly what you would expect from a chain restaurant. Yummy, but nothing out of this world! My steak was delicious, but not steak house delicious. We were there more for the atmosphere anyways, so I wasn’t expecting a culinary masterpiece.

However, Rainforest Cafe does get two thumbs up on the kids menu. My daughter is an extremely picky eater. So picky she wont even eat chicken nuggets. So it was nice to see other kid-friendly items such as pizza and apple sauce.

Also expect to pay a tad bit more to eat at this specific location. You are on Disney Property, so everything is a tad bit more pricey!

The main criticisms that The Rainforest Cafe gets is the steep pricing for a restaurant you can find in malls around the country. I guess this all depends on where you live. We live in a small town in NY where the Rainforest Cafe is a special treat. We would have to drive a few hours and cross the Canadian boarder to dine at one.

My opinion is if you have small children, the Rainforest Cafe is an absolute must! So much entertainment while you eat. How can you not love a meal where you don’t have to come up with ways to keep the kids entertained while you try to finish your meal? Older kids will get a kick out of the gift shop. So much cool memorabilia!!!!

The Rainforest Cafe also has fun drinks that come in adorable reusable mugs. My daughter always gets a kick out of these. She feels so special getting to order a “fancy” drink off of the menu.

Rainforest Cafe will always get two thumbs up from our family! I will continue to dine there as long as my daughter finds it “cool”. Heck, I may even drag her there as a teen because I myself will always be a fan. #KidAtHeart

Ahhhhh Chef Mickey’s!!!! One of the Walt Disney World cult restaurants. I swear even non-Disney fans have heard of Chef Mickey’s. It’s all the rage for Disney nuts! The question I get asked by EVERYONE going to Disney for the first time is “is it worth it?” Does Chef Mickey’s live up to all the hype? I figured since this is a VERY popular topic, I would give you all the details you could ever want and my own opinion! That way you can make your own decision!

Chef Mickey’s is located inside the Disney Contemporary Resort! You will have to take an elevator to get to the restaurant, so be prepared to do some walking. If you’re staying at one of the Disney monorail hotels, you can easily access Chef Mickey’s by hoping on the monorail and heading to Contemporary Resort. If you’re staying somewhere else, you can drive on over since parking is free or take a Minnie Van or Lyft!

The food is served buffet style, which I’m always a fan of. Perfect to hit up right before heading to the parks. Stuff your face so you won’t be hungry and want to splurge on expensive park food!

​The quality of the food is exactly what you would expect for a buffet that caters to kids. You get the famous Mickey Waffles. Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, sausage etc.... Don’t expect a 5 star meal, but it’s definitely a tasty one!!! I love Disney buffet breakfasts!!! So yum!!!

• If you can’t get a reservation, start checking the Disney dining website the week before your trip. You will most likely score a reservation due to others canceling theirs!

• Bring entertainment for little ones. Just because you have a reservation for a certain time, doesn’t mean your reservation will be ready. You will most likely have a good 20 minute wait before being seated. Having a tablet or toy on hand will come in handy!

​• Be ready for a chaotic meal. Eating at Chef Mickey’s is not relaxing and since the characters visit you at your table, you have to constantly watch for them and get up so you can take pictures. In addition, it is always crowded and loud.

​• Make sure you budget your time good! Chef Mickey’s is not a restaurant you can easily get in and out of. Expect to spend around two hours for the whole waiting for your table, dining and photo experience.

In all honesty, I have a love-hate relationship with Chef Mickey’s. It is very loud! Just because a character is at your table does not mean other kids and their parents with cameras will not raid your table for a picture. So many Disney newbies in one place that there is no such thing as etiquette! It’s literally everyone for themselves. I get so much anxiety just thinking about Chef Mickey’s.

However, the characters are wearing the cutest outfits ever!!! The location is pretty sweet as well. The monorail runs right threw Contempoy Resort, which takes you right to Magic Kingdom! You also do not need a park ticket to dine since the character dining experience is located outside the park. Perfect for larger parties where half the group is headed to the Park after breakfast and the other half back to the resort or maybe to the golf course!

I will most likely never be heading back to Chef Mickey’s. I have been a handful of times and my daughter finally went where she will be forever old enough to remember the experience. I will be dining at one of the other, more relaxed character dining options such as Minnie’s Beach Bash at Cape May on future Disney trips! My anxiety just can’t take the chaos.

If you’re a Disney newbie however, I don’t want my opinion to totally sway you from going. If it’s literally a dream dining location, check it out! The photos will be fabulous. If you’re on the fence however, I would choose a different dining experience since you need to be a die-hard fan of Chef Mickey’s to enjoy the meal! I’m Disney obsessed!!! I have a whole Disney section on my website & the only time you will hear me talk crap about something Disney is when it comes to Chef Mickey’s Lol... sorry Disney ;-)