Walt Disney World in Florida isn’t necessarily a place most solo travelers think about visiting but why not? Sure, it seems “the most magical place on Earth” is crawling either with families with overly-excited kids in tow or with couples permanently joined hand-in-hand. Then there are the solo travelers who plan our own day and do what we want when we want to do it. And secretly, we have to be the envy of tired parents. (By the way, I’ve written an article on “Five Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World Alone” on Yahoo!)
It Was a Blogging Thing at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Over the weekend I attended the SheCon 2012, the New Media Expo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (If you’re a blogger, you really should look at attending – the content and networking is amazing.) In addition to educational sessions, there was free time Saturday night and I opted to visit Magic Kingdom and embraced some of what I learned from Robin & Ashley Reeve, a husband and wife Disney insider team who now live in Central Florida and each have a Disney-related blog. They also host Pirate Radio, a look inside the Disney community, live every Thursday night, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT.
Experiencing Disney World as a Foodie: A Cup of Disney
Ashley’s blog called A Cup of Disney (Adorable name, isn’t it?) focuses on Disney’s culinary treats. She and her family were living in Connecticut when she launched the blog as a way to share how she recreates Disney dining recipes to enjoy the flavors and memories from the theme parks all year long.
Some of the tips she shared during the conference included visiting Cocoa-Cola’s Club Cool at EPCOT – it’s a FREE (with admission into EPCOT) tasting station of different sodas from around the globe.
Did you know some of the Disney resorts offer free culinary tours? I didn’t and it sounds so cool! For instance, Animal Kingdom Lodge offers a free 30-minute tour of restaurants Boma and Jiko for guests. It sounds like a great way to learn about African culture, too.
If planning a Disney vacation, be sure to visit A Cup of Disney (www.acupofdisney.com) for delicious culinary tips and a different way to experience the theme parks.
So what culinary treat did I experience during this trip to the Magic Kingdom? Although tempted to munch on a smoky turkey leg, I opted for something new, the Nutella, Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich at the Sleepy Hollow food stand in Liberty Square. It was made fresh meaning the waffle was warm, the Nutella was slightly melted and the fruit was sweet. O-M-G! Totally delish and a party of happiness in my mouth. Definitely worth the wait. (And no, I didn’t eat the whole thing.)
Experiencing Disney from a Guy’s View: The Walt Disney World Dads: The Man-Cave of Disney
Robin’s blog is called The Walt Disney World Dads: The Man-Cave of Disney which focuses on everything Disney from a guy’s perspective, specifically from a dad.
Vroom! Ever want to drive a $200,000+ exotic car such as a Ferrari or Lamborghini? You can do it for a few hundred dollars at the Walt Disney World Speedway.
Just like A Cup of Disney, be sure to check out The Walt Disney World Dads (www.thewdwdads.com) blog before visiting these Central Florida theme parks.
What advice did I use from Robin? I paid attention to the magic spectacle show on Cinderella’s Castle and saw the hundreds (maybe thousands?) of photos taken throughout the day by Disney photographers and projected onto the castle. Yeah, pretty cool! (My iPhone ran out of juice so I don’t have any photos of it.)
My quick Magic Kingdom visit reminded me of Disney’s awesomeness and important for me, the escapism it offers. I’m seriously considering getting another annual pass (I haven’t had one in a couple of years.) Are you a Disney fan? What are your favorite things to do in the Disney parks?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links with hopes of supporting my traveling habit.
Your words are too kind, and we had a blast at Shecon Expo this year. Hopefully we got enough of our passion across to ensure the readers we take it very seriously. Hobby? For us, Disney is a way of life. Spending quality time with family, friends, having fun. It’s what it is all about! The memories!
SheCon was fun and I’m looking forward to 2013. You both definitely got your passion across which made your presentation all the more interesting and exciting, keep it up! 🙂