Ask Angie: Tips for a Disney Trip

Ask Angie:
I want to take my 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter to Disney world for three days in October. Where is a good place to stay on the property? How should I plan the 3 days?


Thanks!

Since we live so close to Disney, we go there quite a bit and have picked up some tips over that last couple years. I am happy to share!
NOTE: All the links highlighted in this post will take you to the section of the Disney website that corresponds to what I am discussing.

Accommodations

Disney All Star Resorts - Movies

There are a lot of options for places to stay. On the value end, we really like the All Star Resorts - Music, Movies, or Sports.   It has a couple great pools, good food court, pool activities and movies in the afternoon and we have had good experiences with taking buses to all the parks. The rooms are on the level of a Super 8 - a little dated, polyester bedspreads, but clean and everything you need. Make sure you let them know it's the first visit because you will get a special button at check in.



The Parks

With kids aged 2 and 4 and only 3 days, I would stick to the Magic Kingdom. Depending on the days of the week you are going, you can get "extra" hours at the park using your room key. There are a ton of activities and meet and greets every day so be sure to check the schedule. If you are hoping to go to a meal with characters or princesses, you need to make reservations now. They fill up very quickly.

You call the Disney dining number and say that you want to eat in the Magic Kingdom or one of the hotels for a character meal. Fort Wilderness has a Hoop De Doo Revue too that is fun and you don't need park admission for that.  Also - If you log onto the Disney website you can order park maps in advance.


Magic Kingdom
I would start as early as you can in the morning or go in the afternoon. Most families go to the parks in the morning and then leave after lunch to go swim and rest and then come back at night. If it is raining – GO! GO! GO! The lines will be much shorter, you’ll be able to run from one place to another and did I mention the lines will be MUCH shorter?

As for navigating the parks, get a map and pick a “land” to concentrate on for that day. Fantasy Land, Mickey’s Toon Town, AdventureLand will be popular. There’s a train that goes from the front of the Park to the back so it may be good one day to start in the back and work your way forward. Don’t try to navigate using the map – it is nearly impossible; just ask all the smiling Disney faces all around. They will offer the best directions.

The Rides
Some rides have very long lines: Buzz Lightyear's Ride, the race cars, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Pirates of the Caribbean to name a few. These are rides you are going to want to secure a Fast Pass for as soon as possible. A Fast Pass basically saves your place in line for a given attraction. The rides that have Fast Pass are noted on the map. You go to the special Fast Pass station, you put in your admission card, and then a ticket spits out with a return time. They prefer you come back during that window, but they will usually let you get in line after that time period as well. When you come back, look for the special line marked “Fast Pass”.

You can only get one Fast Pass per admission ticket until the end time on your pass expired or if you have a very long wait until the time period, the pass will indicate a time “Your Next Fast Pass will be available.” If this is confusing, you can always try to get another Fast Pass and a blank ticket will print out indicating when you can get another Fast Pass. Every rider will need their own pass – except if the 2 year old got in free. She won’t have a ticket so she won’t need a Fast Pass.

Breaks
Tom Sawyer's Island is a good spot if you need a place to run around. American Presidents is good if you need an air-conditioned nap. There is also a train that runs around the park, a tram in Tomorrowland, and the Dixieland Ferry are good breaks.


Good luck! I would love to hear if other readers have good Disney advice.

Here's also a couple books:

Whatcha Reading? Not Ready for Mom Jeans and I was told there'd be cake

I picked up two more books that focus on short vignettes that pull together to tell a full story.




Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski
Not being a mom, I find it so interesting what “thing” women pick as a physical representation of losing themselves to motherhood. For some it is a minivan, for others – it is fashion. For Lipinski – it was “mom” jeans. Through this book, Lipinski struggles with her decision to go to work after the birth of her child. As I was reading this book, I thought of at least ten friends who are moms who could relate to many of her stories. I often laughed out loud.



I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley 
My general reaction to this book was mediocre. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood or that I had read many novels in this genre of book that knocked it out of the park. It gives the feel of a girlfriend telling you funny stories over cocktails, but some of the stories just fell flat for me. The book has some bright spots. She opens with “I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during the day.” I have had those thoughts – even going so far as to give my apartment one last fleeting glance through the eye of who ever would have to be the one to enter postmortem.

The Brewing Report: Creme Brulee Stout and Ginger Ales

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout

I recently learned that these beers are called Imperial Stouts because they were originally brewed in London for the Russian court of Catherine II. It needed to have a higher alcohol content to avoid freezing during transport. The term “imperial” is used much more loosely in modern day, but it’s still fun to think about how the beers – India Pale Ale and Imperial Stouts - we enjoy today were conceived basically to survive transport.

The Crème Brulee Imperial Milk Stout from Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood, New York is amazing. I first tried it at Bukowski’s in Boston on tap. Because of the high alcohol content, it is served in a goblet. I was estastic to find it in my local liquor store. It is brewed seasonally so you’ll have to look right now to find it. It is worth the search. The stout is so smooth that I can actually use the term luxurious. It has that burnt sweetness associated with a crème brulee dessert due to the dark caramel malts and vanilla beans used in the brewing process. This is a must –try. I also made a beer sorbet out of it and that was delicious as well.

Magic Hat's Odd Notion Series Magic Hat’s Odd Notion Series is an unique way for Magic Hat to encourage its brewmasters to try new types of beers.

The Summer ’10 iteration is a riff on a Belgian ale – a ginger ale. It has a great blend of malts and hops with the sweet/spicy complement of ginger. Served very cold, it has a dry, almost nutmeg taste. As it comes to room temperature, the ginger flavor comes more the forefront. We think this beer would pair well with Indian food.

At Home: Go to Kitchen Utensils

Today, I wanted to feature three of my kitchen must-haves: a strainer spoon, a pastry scraper and a nylon whisk:





WMF Profi Plus Fine Mesh Strainer is perfect. I hate having to pull out the big, in the sink strainer when making pasta. With this little gadget, I just dip into the pot, and the strain and transfer the noodles into the sauce right there on the stove.  I have also used it strain meat and bacon. It is great for blanching vegetables. It has a larger surface area than a traditional slotted spoon so you can move a lot more food around.





Oxo Good Grips Nylon Balloon Whisk is the savior for my nonstick pans. We have a lot of non-stick pans. Recently, I noticed I was scratching them with my regular whisk as I made sauces, soups, ice creams, etc. This was the perfect solution. A solid whisk that is safe for non-stick pans.







Oxo 73281 OXO Good Grips Pastry Scraper is so handy. If you have ever found yourself unsuccessfully trying to shove all your chopped vegetables into your hands to transfer to the pot, then this is for you. I love being able to load up the scraper and then transfer everything to the bowl. It is really good for tomatoes. Now, I don't think this is really what you are supposed to use this for, but it works for me!

Are You Watching? Hoarding: Buried Alive

Season 2 of Hoarding Buried Alive on TLC rights many of the wrongs of Season One. The standard for a show on Hoarding is A&E’s Hoarding. However, I just can’t figure out if that show is continuing. There hasn’t been a new episode in a long time. In the meantime, TLC has tried to join the Hoarding Band Wagon. The first season was frustrating as the show focused too much on the problem and not as much on the solution. Several of the first season episodes ended with the hoarder in a room with a “professional organizer” going through a box at a time. It was so frustrating. While Season 2 seems to correct some of these frustrations, I still think there is too much time spent on the problem. We see the person go through the space, the children go through the space and then the therapist go through the space. At least with this season a team is involved so that by the end of the episode we at least begin to see some floor space if not an entirely cleaned abode.


I think A&E struck gold by highlighting the Hoarding issue because I believe that the majority of people hang on to useless things so therefore can relate minimally to the hoarder experience. I have a box of letters from my teen through college years. I don’t look through them but they have made every move and I just like knowing they are there. I hold onto projects that I may finish. I buy things on sale just because they are on sale which leads to bulging drawers and closets. This genre of tv really strikes home for me in ways that many other genres do not. TLC is starting to get the right balance. I just wish A&E would show up with longer seasons of Hoarding because TLC’s version just isn’t as satisfying.

Hey Good Lookin'! What You Got Cooking? Chicken/Spinach Calzones

Chicken and Spinach Calzone

This recipe turned out to be super easy and really tasty. It definitely is going to be a go-to dish that could easily accommodate leftovers. The pizza dough was much easier to make than I had anticipated. And it is another one of those recipes where I can shop for items on sale and just have them on hand. So, here you go:

WARNING:   THIS RECIPE TAKES ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES TO PREP AND 30 MINUTES TO COOK SO GET IT STARTED WAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY EAT IT. (It’s worth it).

Pizza dough:

1 package of yeast (2 and ¼ tsp)

1 tsp honey

1 cup lukewarm water

Combine all these ingredients in a bowl. Leave for about 10 minutes until a foam over the top of the yeast. If this does not happen, dump out the mixture and try changing the temperature of the water and mix again. The first time I did it – the water was too hot so it didn’t foam. After I lowered the water temp, it foamed quite well after 10 minutes.

To this mixture, add:

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 TBSP olive oil

Once combined, knead for about 5 minutes until you form an elastic ball. Rub a light layer of olive oil around the dough ball. Place in bowl, cover with a dish towel and leave to rise for an hour.

FILLING:

1 chicken breast

1 box of frozen chopped spinach

1 small onion, diced

1 cup of grated sharp cheddar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Oil for cooking

Place a pizza pan in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Heat some oil in a pan to cook the chicken breast. Salt and Pepper the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side over medium to high heat. You want it to be slightly undercooked because it will continue to cook in the oven.

Remove the chicken breast from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add more oil and then add the onions, spinach and red pepper flakes. Saute until heated through. Set aside.

Take out the dough and roll out. I found it easier to roll out into a square, but you may be able to accomplish the elusive circle. You want the dough to be about 1/8th thick if you can manage.

Chop up the chicken breast. In a bowl, stir together the chopped chicken breast, spinach/onion mixture, and shredded cheese. Spread this mixture on one side of the rolled out dough. Fold over the other half of the dough. Pinch the sides together. Brush a little bit of water over the top and cut three small holes in the top to vent.

Using a pizza peel coated with cornstarch or an extra set of hands, transfer the calzone to the preheated pizza pan.

Cook for 25 minutes or until a nice golden color.

 Let the calzone rest for a couple minutes. This made four servings.  We served ours with a BBQ sauce for dipping. Yum!!

Hot Topics: The Florida Primary

Yesterday's Florida Primary send a strong signal to the Republican Party of Florida: Shape Up or Ship Out. Rick Scott upset the Republican establishment by beating their candidate and current Attorney General Bill McCollum. Scott spent $40 million of his money to do it. The most shocking issue to me is that Rick Scott's company was convicted of one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in history - and no one cared. In fact, one person said "All politicians are corrupt - at least his transgressions are out on the table." Scott won on a strong message of being a party outsider and "Let's Get to Work."  That theme easily resonated with people who have faced all types of corruption within the Republican Party over that last 24 months. The $40 million didn't hurt as Scott purchased lots of air time and our mailbox filled with his glossy brochures. He dominated. I can't even tell you what McCollum's message was. McCollum basically drowned in Scott's millions.

The general election will be very interesting. Scott positioned himself to the right of McCollum for primary - pro-Arizona immigration legislation, anti health care reform. I am curious to see if he sticks to that message and draws Sink (the Democratic) contender to the middle. Or if Sink is able to hold her ground and those voters who are truly centrists are the ones facing the stark choice. As with most Florida elections - this will be one to watch.