Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog Private Reception

On September 27, 2013, we were invited to Discover a World of Flavor with the Exceptional Cranberry at a Private Reception at Ocean Spray’s Cranberry Bog Exhibit at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Not only did we experience wonderful foods and drinks created with Ocean Spray cranberries and craisins, but we also had a chance to get into the Bog during the reception! Donning our Ocean Spray waders, we hoped into the bog and had a chance to speak with cranberry growers to learn about the growing and harvesting process.

Visit the Cranberry Bog

The  Epcot International Food & Wine Festival runs now through November 11, 2013. Be sure to visit the Cranberry Bog exhibit and talk with the fine folks from Ocean Spray to learn more.Don’t forget to pick up a free sample pouch of Craisins while you are visiting the Cranberry Bog Exhibit at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival! Yum!

More About the  Discover a World of Flavor with the Exceptional Cranberry Event

The versatility of the cranberry was impeccably demonstrated in the wide variety of recipes from around the world including:

Canada

• Cranberry & Sea Salt Cured Wild Salmon with Maple Sugar Crystals  (Recipe)
• Craisin Glazed Pork Belly with White Cheddar Maple Grits

France

• Artisan Cheese Stuffed Mini Craisin Brioche
• Craisin, Bacon and Brie Potatoes Gratin (Recipe)

Japan

• Craisin Infused Five Spice Char Kobe Beef with Sriracha
• Craisin Vegetable Fried Rice

Mexico

• Mole Shrimp Quesadilla (Recipe) with Cranberry Salsa (Recipe)
• Pulled Chicken Craisin Tamales

United Kingdom

• English Mustard Dusted Scotch Egg with Cranberry Marmalade
• Beef and Craisin Shepherd’s Pie

United States

• Seared Free Range Chicken with Craisin Moonshine Pearls
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Craisin Ketchup

Thank you, Ocean Spray for this wonderful event! We were so impressed by the Cranberry Bog exhibit and so happy that it has returned to the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival again this year! We are thrilled you are a sponsor of this event and hope to continue to see your wonderful contributions here year after year!

 

Written by Leah Emmanouilidis on behalf of Destinations in Florida Travel

Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzaria is located in the very back of the Italy Pavilion at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World.  As you stroll through this area of World Showcase, you will feel immersed in Italian culture.  The menu features authentic Italian dishes, including incredible pastas, tiramisu, fresh salads, unique drinks and mouth-watering pizzas baked to order in wood-burning ovens.

 

Upon entering Via Napoli you will notice is that it is huge!  The main dining room is cavernous, featuring ultra-high ceilings and large windows.  This creates a lot of echoing, so it can be pretty loud. Via Napoli may not the best place to come for a quiet, romantic meal but it’s great for families!  There is a long table in the center that stretches across the whole room.  If you are seated there, you’ll be right next to other parties.  This idea stems from the Italian tradition of family dining.  It might seem a little strange, but it works!  The staff is very friendly and the period costumes add greatly to the cultural experience of dining here.

Although there are tons of exciting menu choices that are inspired by the cuisine in Southern Italy, pizza is the biggest hit of all.  The wood-burning brick pizza ovens have giant stone faces on them named after the 3 active volcanoes in Italy—Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli. It’s great fun to watch the action in the open kitchen. The thin-crust pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella cheese, San Marzano tomatoes and real Caputo flour imported from Southern Italy. Even the water for the dough comes from a spring similar to Italy’s Campania region. Although the price per pizza may sound high, it’s actually a good value for families compared to other dining choices in the park.

Don’t forget to make a reservation for Via Napoli for an authentic taste of Italy on your next family vacation to Walt Disney World!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris” — Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Calling all princes and princesses!  Disney Cruise Line is inviting all princes and princesses ages 3 and up to the Royal Court for Royal High Tea with three of your favorite Disney princesses. Lady Chamomile and Chef Brulee host the Royal Court Royal Tea on the Disney Fantasy.  Each child is formally announced as they enter Royal Court.  The Royal Court Royal Tea begins with a meet and greet with Lady Chamomile where each little girl is given her Princess crown.  There are several gifts waiting for each child as they arrive at their table.  Princesses receive a Princess jewelry box containing a charm bracelet and coordinating necklace, a Cinderella doll (12-14”), Princess pen, and cookie with her name on it.  Princes are given Duffy the Disney Bear, Disney Cruise Line Autograph book and pen, 3 Disney pins, sword and shield.  All guests are given time to enjoy some chamomile tea, sandwiches, and sweet treats.  Chef Brulee and Lady Chamomile introduce each of the Disney princesses to the dining room.  The princesses come in one at a time and chat with each guest.  Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana are usually the Disney princesses a the Royal Court Royal Tea.  Each princess signs the autograph books and takes a photo with each child and they are given a charm to add to their bracelet.  After all of the Disney princesses have met with each guest, Lady Chamomile invites all of the kids to the center of the room to dance.  The kids are given one final cupcake at the end and they get pictures with all three princesses as they leave.  Disney photographers take pictures throughout the event and a photo package is included as a part of the experience.  The Royal Court Royal Tea is only available on the Disney Fantasy.  In order to book this experience you will need to go to Guest Services on Deck 3 once you are onboard.  The price for one adult and one child is $279.  An additional adult can be added for $69 and an additional child would cost $210.  

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with ten cruises taken on the Disney Dream, Disney Wonder, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.

Here are some fun facts to help you with your next Disney Cruise Line trivia contest:

On average, Disney Cruise Line dining room staff represents 86 different nationalities.  On an average 7 night sailing on the Disney Magic the staff serves 10,000 pounds of chicken, 71,500 eggs, and 12, 385 bottles/cans of beer.

The Sorcerer Mickey Mouse on the Disney Dream’s stern is 14 feet long and weighs 2,500 pounds.

The horns on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder play the first seven notes of “When You Wish Upon a Star”.  The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy both have seven different horns, all from classic Disney tunes.

The upscale Italian restaurant, Palo, is named after the poles that line the canals of Venice.

Stateroom 5148 ½ on the Disney Fantasy belongs to Muppet Pepe the King Prawn. The door to the stateroom has some clues that may help you solve The Case of the Stolen Show after you visit the Midship Detective Agency.

Even if it’s a little chilly outside guests can always enjoy the pools onboard.  If the temperature drops below 75 degrees, Disney will turn on the heat.

Disney ships are the only cruise ships that have four captains onboard at the same time.  Can you name all four?

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over eight cruises taken on the Disney Dream, Disney Wonder, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.

Trivia Tink is very excited that The Little Mermaid will be released for the FIRST time on Blu-Ray on October 1st, 2013, especially since they don’t have mermaids in Pixie Hollow. Our trivia will revolve around our good friend Ariel.

What are the names that Prince Eric called her while trying to guess her name?

Think you know the answer? Email the answer to me at ErinBenge@DestinationsinFlorida.com by Sunday, Oct 6, 2013 12:00pm Eastern Time. A winner will be chosen at random from all correct responses.  The winner will receive this authentic “Mickey diving at Castaway Cay” Lithograph

It was a long week here in Pixie Hollow, getting caught up from our travels to Walt Disney World. So we spent the week watching classic movies and you were asked..

What movie is this first line from?

 “In a far away land, long ago, lived a king and his fair queen.”

The answer was Sleeping Beauty !

Congratulations Barry Shepherd, I will be emailing you !

Here’s some fun facts about Sleeping Beauty..

• Sleeping Beauty spent nearly the entire decade of the 1950s in production
• The last Disney animated film to use hand-inked cels
• Based on these two fairy tales“La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault and “Little Briar Rose” by The Brothers Grimm
• It was the 16th film in Walt Disney Animated Classics series
•  It was the last fairy tale produced by Disney for some years, thanks to its initial disappointing box office gross; the studio did not return to the genre until years after Disney’s death with the release of The Little Mermaid (1989)
• Sleeping Beauty was the first animated film to be photographed in the Technirama widescreen process

Thanks for playing, don’t forget we have an all new one starting. Check it out and see if you can answer Trivia Tink.

Written by Erin Benge, also known as “TriviaTink” — Erin is an expert in planning Disney & Orlando vacations.  She specializes in traveling with toddlers and multiple generations.  Book your next Disney & Orlando vacation with Erin at ErinBenge@DestinationsinFlorida.com!

Splash Mountain is one of the most popular attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park. It’s a thrilling log flume ride in Frontierland where guests step into a hollow log and float through different scenes of the 1946 Disney film, “Song of the South”.  This happy adventure is fun for all ages although children must be 40” tall to ride.

Everyone will enjoy over 100 colorful audio-animatronics that tell the story of B’rer Rabbit who leaves his home in search of adventure and fortune.  Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear continually try to catch him but they’re always tricked into letting him go free! Among the twists, turns and dips through swamps, bayous and creepy caves (some are dark), you will pass through:

• Critter Cave
• the Fishing Place
• the Old Swimming Hole
• Br’er Fox’s Lair
• Br’er Rabbit’s home in the Briar Patch

One of the best parts of this ride is the music!  It draws you into the whole story line.  Songs include “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”, “How Do You Do?” and “Ev’rybody’s Got a Laughing Place”.

Be prepared to get wet, especially if you’re seated in the front or on the right.  There are 950,000 gallons of water!  It’s wise to bring plastic bags to protect your electronic devices and rain ponchos to keep you dry, if desired. The ride ends with a celebration of Br’er Rabbit’s homecoming and a 5-story waterfall down Chickapin Hill into the Briar Patch at the speed of 40 miles per hour. However, it looks and sounds scarier than it really is. Non-riders can view the splashdown, take photos and get a little wet on a nearby bridge.  There’s also a small playground for the little ones near the exit.

Due to the huge popularity of this attraction, visit early in the day or use a FastPass to experience Splash Mountain, one of the best log flume rides ever…Disney Style!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris” — Sheri is a proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Experience the Allure of the South Pacific when you stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort located on-site at Universal Orlando. Offering 1,000 guest-rooms and suites you will feel as if you have been transported from Florida to Polynesia.

From the sparkling waterfalls and exquisite wood carvings, to the pristine white sand of the lagoon-style swimming pool, it’s an island of tropical pleasures set in the midst of a universe of excitement.

Plus, as a guest of a deluxe on-site hotel you’ll stay in the heart of the excitement at Universal Orlando Resort^® and receive exclusive theme park benefits you won’t get staying anywhere else including:

• Universal Express Unlimited ride access* to SKIP THE REGULAR LINES in both theme parks all day – a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day (valid theme park admission required)
• Early Park Admission to Universal’s Islands of Adventure, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required
• Free on-site transportation to Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure

Features and Highlights

• 1,000 guest rooms including 51 suites offering the warm and charm of the islands
• Lagoon-style pool and sandy beach with Royal Bali interactive children’s water play area
• 6 restaurants and lounges including Emeril’s Tchoup Chop and Orchid Court Sushi Bar
• 24-hour in-room dining
• Universal Orlando^® character dining on select nights at Islands Dining Room
• Enjoy a musical journey through the islands at Loews Royal Pacific Resort’s weekly Wantilan Luau
• World-class, full-service Mandara Spa nearby at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
• 5,000 square foot fitness center
• Resort Kids Camp – supervised children’s activity center (reservations required)
• On-site shopping at three on-site stores
• Pet friendly accommodations including pet welcome amenities, walking areas and more
• Scheduled transportation to SeaWorld^® Orlando, Wet ‘n Wild^® and Aquatica™
• Complimentary WiFi available in public areas (available in-room for a nominal fee)
• On-site Business Center
• On-site Hertz Car Rental Desk open daily from 8am-5pm

With so many things to offer why would you want to stay anywhere else on your next visit to Universal Orlando Resort? During the day you can play in the parks and in the evenings return to the calm setting of the islands. The guest rooms are large and some even offer views of Universal Theme Parks!  This is by far my favorite resort at Universal Orlando. You are transported to a calm, tranquil place and certainly able to relax your cares away.

If you are ready for your Island Getaway at Loews Royal Pacific contact me today for a FREE quote, jenniferg@destinationsinflorida.com

Jennifer Greene is a Universal Parks and Resort Specialist with Destinations in Florida Travel. 

The Disney Dream set sail in January 2011 and then in March 2012 guests were introduced to the Disney Fantasy.  The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are sister ships.  As sister ships the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have a lot in common, but they also have some differences.  Let’s examine some of those differences.

1. Itinerary:  The biggest difference in my opinion is the itinerary.  The Disney Dream currently has 3 and 4 night sailings to the Bahamas while the Disney Fantasy has 7 night sailings to the Caribbean.
2. Adult Spaces:  There are uniquely themed lounges and bars on each ship including the popular Skyline Bar.  The District on the Disney encompasses 687 Lounge, District Lounge, Pink, and Evolution. Europa on the Disney Fantasy includes La Piazza, Ooh La La, O’Gill’s Pub, and The Tube.  The Disney Fantasy also has the addition of Satellite Falls (a heated pool and waterfall) on the adult pool deck.
3. Dining:  Guests on the Disney Fantasy get to experience Animation Magic during their second dinner at Animator’s Palate.
4. Kid Spaces:  The Disney Fantasy has two additional kid spaces onboard.  The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is on Deck 5 and the Aqua Lab on Deck 12.
5. Design:   The Disney Dream is art deco while the Fantasy is art nouveau.

The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are both amazing ships, but which do you prefer?

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over eight cruises taken on the Disney Dream, Disney Wonder, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.

Located on the shores of Bay Lake, not far from the Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  This Deluxe resort is themed after turn-of-the-century National Park Lodges.  It has a rustic feel as it is built as a giant log cabin with exposed timber columns but by no means is it less than incredible!

As you enter the Lobby of this resort, you’ll be amazed at the sheer size of it.  It is 7 stories high, with an 82-foot fireplace where you can relax in a nice leather chair!  The 55-foot totem poles that flank each side took over a year to complete and were crafted by Native American historians and totem pole artists. In the rear of the lobby, there’s a little bridge that covers a simulated hot spring.

Many different lodging options with various views are available at this resort.  The standard rooms are 340 square feet, a little less than the other deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.  They can accommodate four guests, plus one child under 3.  Rooms have two queen-size beds, or one queen and bunk beds, or one king bed and private patio or balcony.  Club level rooms and suites are also available for those desiring extra personalized service including the Old Faithful Club, offering continental breakfast, snacks and beverages throughout the day.

Two heated swimming pools with a 67-foot waterslide top the long list of amenities.  The bubbling spring in the lobby flows over a waterfall into a creek that empties into the main pool. Fire Rock Geyser sends a giant plume of water high into the air every hour! There is also a leisure pool and whirlpool spas. Fun activities include Disney movies under the stars, arcade, watercraft rental and daily activities for the kids.

Three restaurants are onsite. Artist Point offers a Signature Dining experience.  Whispering Canyon Café features family-style Canyon Skillets. Roaring Fork and a poolside snack-bar have quick-service options.  Transportation is convenient to the parks via boats and buses.

Treat your family to a splendid vacation at one of the best themed Disney properties, Wilderness Lodge.  You’ll take away TONS of happy memories!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris” — Sheri is a proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.