YouTube Channels I Watch

I watch YouTube more than I watch TV. I basically have 3 categories of channels I watch and one of them is Disney-related. These are the ones I subscribe to and watch regularly. Each name has a link to the YouTube channel if you want to check it out.

The Dis Unplugged Network

 

I listen to the podcats and watch the videos on the DisUnplugged and WDW Info channels. They post video editions of their weeky podcasts along with vlogs and ride throughs. I especially love anything with Craig Williams. He's my favorite and as the producer is often in a lot of the videos.

See Ya Reel Soon

Joe and Ashley no longer make videos, but their old videos are still up. I love re-watching them. Most of their videos are long and detailed and are vlogs of their vacations. They also have some videos from home where they cook or talk about things like Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom (or whatever it's called)

Disney At Heart

This is another young couple who vlog their regular Disney World vacations. They are a little sickly-sweet but I don't mind. They'll also do hauls. which I love especially when I'm planning a vacation.

The Miss Allie Cakes

Allison does more than Disney videos but she has a ton of Disney videos. She often has Disney Pinterest recipes or crafts. She also does monthly Disney unboxing. Who knew there were so many Disney subscription boxes out there?!

The Tim Tracker

I'm obsessed with their channel-especially Jenn. I'm always sad when she doesn't show up. This couple is just so positive and "normal" which I love watching. Tim and Jenn film more than Disney stuff, too. They're very good at showing Disney, Unviersal, Sea World, and Florida in general. They are actually daily vloggers so their videos will often just be their everyday life which I enjoy.

These aren't the only Disney channels I watch but they are the ones at the front of my mind that I watch regularly. Are there any Disney YouTube channels you think I should check out? I'm always looking for more.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Mama Melrose's Review

I've been to Mama Melrose's twice and enjoyed the experience. It's a restaurant I don't often hear a lot about. That's part of the reason I didn't go for a long time. My family only made our first trip when we decided to try new and different things. And during our most recent trip, we did the Fantasmic Dinner Package there.

First, I'll mention the atmosphere. It's a VERY loud restaurant. A lot of Disney restaurants are crowded but this one always seems louder than the others. It's full of film memorabilia and knick-knacks. We have some small family-owned Italian restaurants near me and even though this isn't small that is the feel to it.

Now, let's talk about the important stuff-the food.

The appetizers came with the dinner package. My parents got the tuna and mussels while I got the tomatoes and mozzarella. I enjoyed mine. It's a nice light, but flavorful way to start a meal. My parents didn't like there's at all.

There was also a bread service of breadsticks and seasoned olive oil. Personally, I don't like olive oil on my bread, but it has nothing to do with its quality. The bread was warm and had a nice texture, but was a little bland. A basic bread doesn't have to be bland if done right.

I got the four-cheese pasta with chicken both times. And I love it. It's so rich and creamy. It's a fairly basic dish, but I've had it before where it's bland and watery. So, it can be messed up. This last trip my parents got the charred strip steak. I'm not a steak person so I didn't try it. But they both praised it. My dad actually said it was the best steak he ever had.

 The dinner package was the first time we tried dessert and it was a combination platter. The platter included tiramisu, chocolate cannoli cake, and an amaretto cheesecake.

My parents ate all of their tiramisus and enjoyed it, but I don't like coffee so I only ate the cream which was good. The chocolate cannoli cake was just ok. The cheesecake was the best dessert and wasn't rich. They were each like small samples which I prefer in a dessert.

Mama Melrose's is not my favorite restaurant or a must-do, but it's certainly a good option. I'm not eating there the next time I go, but I would in the future.

Have you eaten here? What did you think about it?

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Disney Planning 101

So You Want to Go to Disney World?

So, you've decided to go to Disney World. Whether you're an uber-planner like me or not you have to do some planning. Without basic planning, your vacation will be stressful and you won't get as much out of it.

This planning, series will be a five-part series. And they will be mostly in chronological order. I've also included a basic timeline at the bottom of this post. It includes when I believe you should do things.

Also, this series assumes you have six or more months before you go. I've never taken a last-minute trip so I can't comment on them.

I. When to Go

Now, the first two things you have to decide are related. But something has to come first.

So, how do you decide when to go?

There are several factors to consider. I believe they can be divided into three categories: personal, events, and weather.

A) Personal
  1) Do you have kids? Can you take them out of school? What are the school holidays?
  2) Your work's vacation policy. Does your job have a black-out period?
  3) Are there other events or vacations like a wedding or birthday you can't miss?

B) Events
   I, personally, wouldn't put too much emphasis on these if it's your first trip. But it is still good to know. This list doesn't cover everything, but a lot of the bigger things.

   1) Marathon Weekend (Early January)
   2) Flower and Garden (March-May)
   3) Fourth of July
   4) Halloween (September-October)
   5) Food and Wine (September-November)
   6) Christmas (November-December)

Exact dates will vary year-to-year. Instead of going into detail about each event I've linked to some information about them.

C) Weather

Never underestimate Florida weather! It can be quite a shock especially if you come from a different climate. It can be hot and oppressively humid. But it can also get quite chilly in the winter months.

It is typically less humid in the winter and early spring months. Afternoon rain/thunderstorms are very common in the summer but can happen all year long.

Then, there are hurricanes. Hurricane season is June to November. Disney World is in central Florida so it's rarely directly impacted by them. But they can always impact flights down or home.

II. How Long to Stay

Your budget or vacation options will probably be a big factor here. I'm not going to discuss budgets because everyone feels differently about how much money should be spent on a vacation. But if it's your first trip I suggest a 6 or 7-night stay. You'll never see everything, but this will allow you to do a lot so you aren't feeling rushed. You'll also have the opportunity for some rest time without feeling like you are missing out.

My family would go every three years for 6 or 7 nights. So, it certainly is possible.

In the next post of this series, I will discuss where to stay.

Below is the timeline/guide I created.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

My Disney Bucket List

This list could have a hundred things on it and not be complete, but I didn't want to go crazy. So, I narrowed it down to 10. Some are kind of over the top and others are very reasonable. Either way, I certainly want to do all of these things.

1) Stay concierge at the Grand Floridian

     I've never stayed concierge at any hotel so anything would be great but The Grand is my favorite hotel so of course, that's where I would love to stay.

2) 2 Coasts, 1 Day
     Why do I want to do this? I don't know. It just seems like fun and I know people have done it before like during a 24-hour event.

3) Do a Disney Cruise to Alaska
     Now, cruises freak me out, but I still want to do one. And Alaskan cruises just seem so beautiful and awe-inspiring.

4) Adventures by Disney (Anywhere out of North America)
     I've never heard someone complain about an ABD trip. I've always wanted to travel outside of North America but do find it very scary.* ABD is a safe way (in my opinion) to explore another country and culture.

* I want to say, I don't think all other countries are dangerous. But I have anxiety and this is something that causes a lot of anxiety. I do plan on talking about Disney and anxiety at some point.

5) 4 Parks, 1 Day
    I've done 3, but never 4.

6) Eat Around the "World"
    I don't really drink and am a picky eater but I still want to eat around World Showcase. To me, this means eating/drinking a unique item in each country.

7) Visit every Disney Park
    I've only been to Disney World so this one would take a lot of effort (and money). But I want to experience the magic all around the world.

8) Meet Figment

    He's awesome. Who wouldn't want to meet him?

9) Visit at Christmas
    That's right I've never been to Disney during the Christmas holiday. It's my favorite time of year and Disney is my favorite place so it's a match made in heaven. Plus, that would mean I could be there on or close to my birthday.

10) See the Kiss Goodnight
    This is probably the easiest one to accomplish. There's really no reason I haven't experienced the Kiss Goodnight. But I plan on checking this one off on my next trip.

What's on your Disney Bucket List?

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Beauty and the Beast Movie Review

I recently saw Beauty and the Beast with my family. This included my cousin's 3-year-old daughter who loves Belle. She really enjoyed the movie. When asked she said she liked this the same as the original. Generally, I agree with her.

Leading up to this movie I avoided it as much as I could. No trailers. No interviews. I'm really glad I did this because it allowed me to go in with fresh eyes and an open mind.

The characters are where I'm the most conflicted. Luke Evans as Gaston was spectacular. He was Gaston. This Gaston was a truly great villain with just a dash of humanity. Every scene he was in hooked me. Emma Watson did a good job as Belle but fell a little flat. Part of it is that the other characters stand out more. Josh Gad has an amazing voice and fantastic comedic timing as Le Fou. But there was something that just didn't feel right. Maybe it's that his over-the-top character didn't translate well to live-action. The Beast was a compelling character and I appreciate the additional backstory.

Then, there are the side characters. One of my favorite things was that Maurice wasn't a bumbling fool. He actually has depth and I became attached to him easily. Cogsworth was my favorite of the servants. But the others were decent. The CGI, however, didn't work for me on most of them (and the Beast). I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but the style doesn't appeal to me.

Next is the music and choreography. As a former dancer of musicals, I'm a sucker for a big dance sequence. "Belle" was beautifully done, but that's expected since it practically opened the movie.

In the cartoon, "Be Our Guest" is my favorite sequence, but with this one, it was the Mob song. It was mesmerizing. However, I didn't particularly like the new songs. They lacked the emotion and magic of the original songs. This is made worse by the fact that the Broadway musical has beautiful music they should've used.

I've already mentioned parts of the plot, but I have some more to say. For the most part, it's the same story. They added backstory or depth to some of the characters. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I liked most of these additions.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie and thought it was shot beautifully. I would watch this again without much thought. And I would like to own it, but wouldn't spend 30 of my dollars on it. And nothing beats the look on my cousin's daughter's face when she looked at the credits rolling with her chin in her hands.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Be Our Guest Review

Location: Magic Kingdom
Type: Counter Service
Rating: 5 Stars

This trip I made my second visit to Be Our Guest. I don't really like french cuisine so I don't have much interest in eating there for dinner. Back in 2013, we had to wait in line for 30-45 minutes to eat lunch.

It was actually the reservation we had the hardest time getting. It does suck having to make reservations for a counter service restaurant but it was worth it. We checked in and walked right on into the Beast's castle. Several people were trying to get in without reservations and were basically being turned away.

The ordering process was very easy and my food arrived fairly quickly. I got the carved turkey sandwich with pomme frites and the Master's cupcake for dessert. I don't normally get dessert at a counter service restaurant, but I needed to try the gray stuff.

Obviously.

My dad got the Croque monsieur with pomme frites and the Master's cupcake. My step-mom got the roast beef sandwich with greens and the eclair a l'orange for dessert. Unfortunately, I didn't ask about their food, but they did say they really liked it.

I loved my sandwich. Why else would I get it again? The turkey is moist and flavorful. The dijonaise and onions add a nice kick. I could use more of both, but I'm a huge fan of raw onion and mustard.

Then, there's dessert.

Denise got the eclaire a l'orange which she enjoyed, but that doesn't matter. What's really important is the grey stuff. Dad and I both got the Master's cupcake which is topped with the gray stuff. This cupcake was fantastic. The actual cake part was fluffy and just chocolatey enough. And the gray stuff was light but flavorful enough. They worked together and separately.

The theming in this restaurant is probably some of the best. It really feels like you stepped into Beauty and the Beast the movie. We've eaten in the West Wing before and it is very well done. I recommend checking it out, but it is kind of dark in there. It makes sense with the theming, but I personally don't like dark restaurants.

This time we ate in the room with the music box. The theming in here is more subtle but equally beautiful. I've never eaten in the ballroom. It's a very awe-inspiring room and I would like to eat there someday, but I'm always afraid it will be super loud.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

All-Star Movies Review

During my last trip to Disney, I stayed at All-Star Movies. My family was more of a Moderate or Deluxe group growing up because we were a family of 5.

I picked Movies because it was cheapest and has the most appeal to me. I stayed in a standard room and requested a king bed in the Mighty Ducks' section. My requests were granted.

My room was in the back of the building. It wasn't anything special to look at, but that is fine by me. Plus, it was really quiet. I was maybe a five-minute walk from the food court and busses. That isn't bad and I wouldn't pay for a preferred room because it isn't worth it. I was also really close to the food court for All-Star Music. Some nights I took advantage of this and would ride the Music bus if it came first.

I can't speak to the size of the room if it had two beds, but it was perfect with the one king. There was enough room for me to stretch if needed. And there was a decent amount of storage. I especially like the little peg hooks on the wall.

The room was in great condition. It's also a little bland, but all I was doing was sleep so that doesn't bother me.

And the bed. It was probably the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. It was soft but not too soft. I got some great nights of sleep in that bed.

The theming is very dramatic, but that's what appeals to kids. And me. I loved seeing massive hockey masks or dalmatians. They even extend the themeing to the sidewalks in the different areas.

The food court was pretty standard. I usually just got a drink with my refillable mug and a cheese danish. That's because I didn't want to wait for a hot meal and I really like cheese danishes. Most of the time it was hopping with people and they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I was happy with my stay at All-Star Movies and I would gladly visit again.

Have you ever stayed here? What was your experience?

Thanks for reading!
Holly