On The Road Travel

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Space 220 is one of Walt Disney World’s newest table service restaurants and one of the most anticipated WDW openings of 2021. Space 220 opened its doors on September 20, 2021. It’s located near Mission Space in the World Discovery area of Epcot. Because it’s in Epcot, you will need valid park admission and a park reservation in order to dine here. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, serving a prix fixe menu for both meal times. The cost is $55 for a 2-course lunch and $79 for a 3-course dinner. Kids eat for $29 for both lunch and dinner. Alcoholic beverages are not included in the prix fixe menu pricing. The restaurant is owned and operated by the Patina Group, find the full menu here - the lunch and dinner menus are a little bit different. The main seating area can be booked via Advanced...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Tapas and steak and seafood! Toledo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has just that! Guests can dine on tapas, seafood, and steak at this Spanish haven inspired by surrealist art and the 1930s avant-garde. This dining location offers the perfect spaces to enjoy some time away from the parks. Once inside, the ambiance and decor is reminiscent of the Enchanted Garden restaurant on the Disney Cruise Line---with the lush indoor garden and changing mood lighting above. It has a lovely serene vibe given what a large, bustling space it is---a nice stop away from the hustle of the Disney parks. Toledo serves dinner Wednesday-Sunday from 5:00PM until 10:00PM. Reservations are highly recommended, especially in the evening and on the weekend. It is truly a unique experience and feel within the world of Disney. Sav...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is located at the Landing in Disney Springs in Florida. This is a non-character, casual dining option, and the comfort food they serve will make you feel right at home! At this location, you will find that Chef Art Smith has used his experience working with Floridan governors including Bob Graham and Jeb Bush, as well as his personal chef position with Oprah Winfrey to share his passion with food and Southern cuisine with Florida charm! Whether you are traveling to Disney Springs by car, bus, or ride service---it is a lovely stop to enjoy on your Orlando visit. The simplest way to get there is a ride from your onsite Disney Hotel by motorcoach! If you are driving---From I4 take Exit 67 toward EPCOT/Disney Springs. Then stay in the right lane and follow the signs. We highly reco...

Do you LOVE amusement parks? Do you dislike lines? Do you love to feel like a VIP? Universal Express passes are the PERFECT way to experience Islands of Adventure and Universal---without the long waits! You can achieve this in a few ways! The first and best option is to stay at an onsite Universal Hotel. 3 of the onsite hotels provide UNLIMITED turns in the express lines, simply because you are a guest of that hotel. These hotels include: Loews Royal Pacific Resort Loews Hard Rock Hotel Loews Portofino Bay Resort The 2nd way is to purchase an express pass to work with your ticket for an added cost. Universal Express Passes allow guests to skip the regular standby line – and use a special Express Pass line – at most of the attractions in the 2 park system. Express Passes provide you a “cut the line” sort of VIP experience with around a 15 minute wait time. (In my experience, I have never waited over 10 minutes while in the Express Line.) There are basic Express Passes where you get 1 ...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. For those unfamiliar with this super fun restaurant find, Beaches and Cream is located near the pool at Disney’s Beach Club Resort within the Boardwalk district of Disney World in Florida. While it is a non character, casual dining option, it is a must to check out the experience for yourself!  The restaurant has been recently refurbished. Some will say, when you order the “Kitchen Sink” you get a miniature show when it is delivered to the table!  My family and I will never forget our first experience at Beaches and Cream when we stayed at the Beach Club Resort. We ordered the ultimate menu item - The Kitchen Sink sundae - with 8 scoops of various flavors of ice cream smothered in every topping imaginable! YEP, it is a thing and it was pretty memorable!  Now that you KNOW you want to go, de...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Spice Road Table is a tapas restaurant located within the World Showcase at Epcot as part of the Morocco Pavilion. For that reason, you will need valid park admission to dine here, as well as a park reservation. You can use Disney Transportation to get here. If you're entering from the front gate, head all the way to the back of the park to reach the World Showcase and then head around to the right. If you're entering from the International Gateway, take a right and walk through France to reach Morocco. For those unfamiliar with tapas restaurants, Spice Road Table offers small portions that are meant for sharing. You will find options such as spicy shrimp, fried calamari, naan spreads, and the Spice Road Table sampler—all while enjoying decor inspired by the outdoor cafés that are reminiscent of the seasi...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. The 50s Prime Time Cafe is located inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park at Walt Disney World in Florida. This is a full service restaurant and provides a terrific, nostalgia themed overall experience but does NOT have characters present. You may just feel like you have walked into Great Grandma’s house when you walk into this 50’s era, good old fashioned restaurant serving up comfort foods from Momma, who’s back in the kitchen! At this time, lunch and dinners are being served from 10:45 AM to 3:55pm and 4:00pm is the start of dinner. Dinner hours vary around park closing. My favorite time to dine here currently, is just prior to park closing. When the nighttime spectaculars are in production, I prefer to dine here around 4:30 PM prior to night fall and in time to get a seat or spot for the show, s...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. The California Grill is located atop the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World in Florida. It has superb “Californian” cooking such as seafood and sushi--while also offering American offerings like beef tenderloin, all while you get to view out over the Seven Seas Lagoon, as well as Magic Kingdom park!   At this time, dinner is the only offering--starting at 5 p.m. each evening, but do check back as there are brunch options and also other special meal offerings, such as fireworks meals that have been offered in the recent past! While this dining experience will NOT include characters---the ambience and view around sunset are spectacular! My favorite part of this restaurant is the VIEW with the meal! If a dining reservation is before fireworks---no problem! Your receipt from dining there will allow ...

Updated 6/16/22 For the most up-to-date information about the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the   Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Ohana is a special and unique dining experience found at the Polynesian Hotel at Disney World in Florida. Not staying at the Polynesian Hotel—NO problem! You can still dine at Ohana! Breakfast and Dinner are available at Ohana, and you can pay out of pocket or use one credit per person on the Disney dining plan, Disney plus dining plan, or the Deluxe dining plan (when available). Please note that the Quick Service credits are NOT an option to use at this dining location. As of this writing, breakfast will cost $45/Adult and $29/Child plus gratuities. Dinner will cost $59/Adult and $38/Child plus gratuities and any adult beverages (soft drinks are included). If you save room or arrive early, maybe stop at the Pineapple Lanai for an infamous Dole Whip---located just outside the lobby at this hotel! A gre...

Greetings! Let’s chat today about Memory Maker--- It is ever changing and such a great add on to your Disney vacation package. Advance pricing as of January of 2020 is $169. However, if you wait until 3 days or less from your trip, the cost raises to $199. There is SO much value to the Memory Maker! One of the hidden gems of memory maker is that you can go into the photo booths across Disney World and have fun photos taken and link those photos to your memory maker! All with no added cost! Next time you see a photo booth at Disney World--- STOP and give it try---   Look for them around these locations: The gift shop outside of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom Near Primeval Whirl in Dinoland at Animal Kingdom The Boardwalk at the Boardwalk resort We even found one in the gift shop as we exited the Figment ride at Epcot. Note: While you can find photo booths in some resort arcades, these usually don’t link to the memory maker PhotoPass, as of yet. Be sure to check ou...

Updated 3/29/2022  Be sure to request a Resort Guide at the front desk so that you can have the most up-to-date information about resort happenings and schedules.  For the most up-to-date information about the phased re-opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the  Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Beach Club, a deluxe resort located in the Epcot resort area, provides guests the feel of a beach vacation, mixed with pure Disney charm, a fabulous pool, and great access to two of the four Disney parks! Beach Club is a sure bet for any mix of Disney travelers. From honeymooners to babymooners,  from young families to multigenerational families, empty nesters to grandparents - this hotel is perfect for ALL! Disney's Beach Club Resort 1800 Epcot Resorts Blvd Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 The Beach Club has 576 guest rooms. It faces the 25 acre Crescent Lake and is within walking distance of the Boardwalk entertainment district. Most rooms have a ba...

Update 3/23/2022   Be sure to request a Resort Guide at the front desk so that you can have the most up-to-date information about resort happenings and schedules.  For the most up-to-date information about the phased re-opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit the  Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. This week’s feature is on Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, formerly known as Dixie Landings. It underwent this name change in 2001. This is a moderate category hotel. It is expansive and features a lovely river with that “rolling down the bayou” theme. Disney’s theming is sensational and gives guests a feeling of an old Southern Mississippi river community. It is a sure bet for families up to 5, or multigenerational family groups, that look to maximize their budget and sleep up to 5 guests in one room. Port Orleans Riverside's GPS address and location are: Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort 1251 Riverside Dr Lake Buena Vista, FL 32...

Updated 2/3/2022 Be sure to request a Resort Guide at the front desk so that you can have the most up-to-date information about resort happenings and schedules. Some offerings may be discontinued during the phased re-opening of the Walt Disney World Resort. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Walt Disney World Know Before You Go Guide. Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort and Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort will delight all ages--- the young and young at heart! All 3 All-Star hotels have gigantic icons celebrating the fun and excitement of movies, sports or music. This week’s feature is All-Star Movies. It is a value resort and can be a great choice for your pocket book---while providing a comfortable stay with a REALLY fun vibe that provides MANY great photo opportunities, at the hotel! The address and GPS location if you want to check it out online: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort 1901 West Buena Vista Drive Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 L...

So your Magical Disney Park Day is over and you need to leave the park! Let’s talk about what COULD be the least magical time of day at Disney. Leaving when it is time for bed! You have options: Leave the park early and beat the rush---(For die hards like me and so many others--that is NOT an option!) OR Stay enjoy the FULL day and all it entails!~ Regardless of which park you are at, the end of the night is full of magic! My suggestion is stay, enjoy every moment of the end of the day! That said, there are a few choices of how to handle the end of the day crowds! You will see people leaving the park - as if there is a fire - trying to beat the crowds to the busses, the boats, the monorail, to personal vehicles...There WILL be a line for transportation no matter what you choose, but there are LOTS of transportation options and offerings! However, instead of rushing out to to a line---Chill on the bench with a delicious Disney treat. My family and I have learned that it is...