I'm a sucker for those "National Day" designations. They're silly and fun and we could all use a little more of that in our lives. Who is your favorite comic book hero? I took a totally scientific poll (in our house) and these were our favorites:
Welcome to the Club Friends!
Welcome to Kim Kulture Club Musings! I'm so happy that you've decided to join me on this journey. We're going to explore a lot ...
Is It Too Soon To Plan A Disney Trip?
I think I woke up this morning with a little bit of a bug. No, no, no...not the one that’s been all over the news for the first 712 months of this year...I woke up with a TRAVEL BUG!!!
So how early do you think is too early to start planning our next trip? Early in the year we were planning a trip to Disney to celebrate my parent’s 50th Anniversary. The plan was originally Disneyland for Halloween, but the kids worked on them and they agreed to Disney World & the cross-country trip that came with it. Enter the pandemic and the whole world shut down. I won’t get into the ins & outs of the decisions around the pandemic because that’s not relevant and this isn’t the place for it. Here we are many, many months later and I would love to start planning again. I’m, quite frankly, going a little stir crazy. Is it too soon to plan? Does anyone really know?
As you can imagine, I’ve been watching Disney World super close and from my perception it looks like they’ve gone above and beyond implementing safety measures. I’ve heard great things from people that have gone and had a wonderful experience. And I have to admit, I would LOVE to be in the parks when they’re less crowded than they usually are.
Our friends at Disney Food Blog are absolutely the epitome of knowledge when it comes to what’s happening at Disney World and right now is no different. If you’re even considering a trip, spend some time on their website or link into their youtube channel and watch some super fun videos. They sell some of the most amazing and THOROUGH travel guides (plus they’re super reasonably priced). Check them out here:
Even if you’re not planning a trip right away, it’s a lot of fun to read their books. And if you’re planning something “at some point” it’s never too early to start researching.
Ready to jump in and go? Awesome! Need a referral to do some price comparisons? Going direct through Disney is great, but I totally understand that’s not always an option and our friends at Undercover Tourist are a great alternative. They have some awesome deals and discounts.
Of course you can buy all sorts of souvenirs at the park, but I also like to over-plan things so I tend to pre-purchase some of the essentials to take with me. There are tons of options out there. Literally tons. Here's a few to get you started:
If there's even the slightest chance of rain, take a poncho!
Need just a little more inspiration? Check out my amazing recipe that was inspired by everyone's favorite churros.
Kim's Kitchen Churros
Deep Dish Fresh Peach Pie
Ever had one of those weeks where life just throws things at you in unexpected ways? Well that's been this week around here. Life is absolutely unpredictable and I've been reminded of that ten-fold this week. So....
Yesterday, my youngest son and I ended up helping my parents a little and one of the things we helped with was picking peaches that were literally falling off the tree they were so ripe. We brought a small bag of them home with us for eating. As we were leaving my dad was teasing me saying that they were going to end up in a pie as soon as my husband saw them.
Well...guess what happened? Ha ha! Yes, my dad was right. The absolute kicker though was that my mom hooked me up with some tapioca granules (my secret weapon for thickening my pies).
Let me tell you a story about tapioca. If you go into a store near you and find a box of small tapioca granules on the shelf, it's akin to finding a dinosaur bone right now! Tapioca is nowhere to be seen. I found some of the large tapioca pearls at a small specialty store, but not the small ones. They told me they had been unable to get tapioca (organic or non-organic) from any of their suppliers for months and they didn't anticipate that changing anytime in the foreseeable future. What??? I mean it IS 2020, but really? Tapioca. Toilet paper shortage, disinfectant shortage, hand sanitizer shortage, flour shortage, egg shortage...why not granulated tapioca too, right? Seriously though - I found some on Amazon but I've not seen it in the store in months. If you find some, buy it!
Rough week, gorgeous sweet peaches, a box of tapioca...how could I say no?
Here is my recipe for Deep Dish Fresh Peach Pie. As you make it, please bear in mind that working with fresh fruit can be a challenge because sometimes you have to adjust ingredients. These peaches are incredibly juicy and sweet. If your peaches are a little more tart, add more sugar. If they don't have much juice for some reason, use less tapioca. Don't like Cinnamon? Don't have a deep dish pie plate? Cut down on the amount of peaches. The biggest lesson here is if you get the crust right, you can adjust the filling to your personal tastes. Trust your gut!
After the recipe, I'll also include a handy dandy list with some links to some of my favorite helpers on Amazon.
- CRUST:
- 2/3 C. Shortening (not butter)
- 2 C. Flour
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/3 C. Water (more or less)
Using a pastry cutter combine Shortening, Flour & Salt until they work together into a crumbly mixture. Add water a little at a time and work dough together. I use 1/3 cup as a base and add a little if I need to in order to get it to stick together. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375
FILLING:
8 C. Fresh Peeled, Sliced Peaches
3/4 C. Sugar
3 T. Tapioca Granules
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
Dash of Ground Cloves (no more than 1/8 tsp)In a bowl, toss Sliced Peaches with 3/4 C. Sugar, Tapioca, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Cloves. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out a little over half of the dough until it's large enough cover the bottom and sides of your pie plate. Put bottom dough in pie plate with edges over hanging. The easiest way I've found to get the crust into the plate is to gently fold it in half and just lift it. You can loosely fold again (into 1/4ths) if you need to. Gently form into pie plate.
Put peach filling into pie plate. Set aside.
On your lightly floured surface, roll out top crust. Before putting top crust on filled bottom crust, run a thin layer of water over the edges of bottom crust. (The water acts as the glue that holds the top & bottom crust together.) Place top crust on filled base and crimp edges to seal.
Trim excess crust from edges of pie. I like to take the extra crust, roll it out and use a small cookie cutter (like a leaf or a heart or a star) and make shapes that I "glue" onto the top of the pie with a little water. Cut slits in top crust to allow for venting while it bakes.
TOP:
1 Egg
1 T. Water
SugarIn a small bowl or cup, whisk together Egg & 1 T. Water. Using a pastry brush or a clean paint brush, brush the egg wash all over the top crust and edges of pie. Sprinkle top lightly with sugar.
Bake for 50-55 minutes until filling is bubbling up through slits in the pie. You might want to bake it on a cookie sheet to catch any potential overflow. (It happens sometimes)
As hard as it will be, you have to wait for it to cool. I know...the smell is intoxicating and your mouth is watering. I get it. Here's what happens though if you don't let it cool, the tapioca needs a little time to set after it's out of the oven. That's the magic glue that holds the pie together and you have to give it a chance to make the magic happen. I mean, let's be honest. Sometimes you just can't help yourself and you "accidentally" cut into it when it's hot. Whoops...it'll still taste amazing, it'll just be runny. Cover it up with ice cream - problem solved.
Here's a list for you of helpful resources:
And in case you need to see it one more time...
Vanilla Latte Sugar Scrub
It’s starting to feel an awful lot like Fall outside and that means weather changes. It’s crazy how much the weather can impact our skin, but it sure does. I’ve got a recipe for a super easy, super cleansing, super yummy scrub that can help with those colder weather issues. Plus, it’s a great way to wake up all of your senses in the morning!
Vanilla Latte Sugar Scrub
That’s seriously all there is to it. Mix all your ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Store in an airtight container. Use daily. If it solidifies while being stored (that happens sometimes) just use a fork in the container to break it up and stir.
Easy Bath Salts
The following recipe is one of my favorites for bath salts. It’s simple and as versatile as it gets. It’s a “basic” recipe that leaves a lot of room for interpretation, experimenting and trying new things. This is one you’ll definitely want to keep in your vault!
1 C. Epsom Salts
½ C. Baking Soda
5-10 Drops Essential Oils
Colorant of Choice (add a few drops, mix and add as needed to get the desired color)
1 T. Oil of Choice (I prefer Coconut, but you can use jojoba, almond or any carrier oil)
Spices, Herbs, Dried Flowers, Colored Sea Salt (all optional)
Mix everything together and store in an airtight container.
Use your imagination and test your boundaries. This is a FANTASTIC palette to try new things with. I’d love to hear what combinations you came up with!
Pumpkin Spice Latte Scrub
Pumpkin Spice...love it or hate it? No matter which side of the fence you find yourself when it comes to the Great Pumpkin Debate, there is no debating the fact that there is nothing more quintessentially Fall than Pumpkin and all the yummy spices that go along with it.
In an effort to appeal to both sides, check out this sugar scrub recipe. It’s pumpkin, but there’s no pumpkin in it. (I mean, let’s be honest – is there anyone out there that thinks the idea of raw pumpkin on their skin is appealing? Yuck!)
Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub
1 ½ C. Brown Sugar, loosely packed
½ C. White Sugar
1 T. Ground Coffee (not used)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground Cloves
½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp. Ground Ginger
½ C. Coconut Oil
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container. Use daily for best results.
Re-purposing Done Right
We have some of the most incredible Hummingbirds in our back yard. It's funny how the more time you spend watching them, the more you start to notice their personalities. It's fun. They aren't "pets" by the standard use of the term, but in a way they become like pets. One of our favorite things to do (and if this makes us old farts, so be it) is sit outside and watch them at the feeder. It was a sad, sad day when the feeder we had up died. We were discussing needing to get a new one and debating on where to go or whether to order it online and then I saw it. Sitting on the counter was a very cool, empty rum bottle. Guess what? The base fit so WALLAH! You recycle or re-purpose your way, we'll do it our way. Ha ha!
Yes, the bottle was thoroughly cleaned and the birds are perfectly happy with it.
Pick a Peck of Pickled...Beets?
Harvest continues today! Yesterday I "channeled" my paternal grandma, but today was my maternal grandpa's turn. Yes, you read that right. Grandpa grew this huge garden every year and made sure his cellar was as full as he could get it so his kids and grandkids always knew where to go for food. He didn't have a lot, but what he had he shared. I learned a lot from him about a whole lot of things and I have nothing but the happiest of memories with him.
Grandpa knew pickles. He did. He was the authority on all things pickled. You knew if he was smacking his lips, it was a winner. I am so lucky because he, like me, scribbled notes on things. I have his old canning book with his notes and changes written in it and I cherish that book. So today, even though I didn't get to my pickles, his book got pulled out of the cupboard for pickled beets and pickled peppers.
When I'm canning and working in the kitchen, I can't help but wonder what those that have gone before that I learned so much from would think. I swear there are time when I can feel my grandma looking over my shoulder or hear grandpa smacking his lips saying "You're doing good Little Doll". I don't believe for a second that's my imagination. I think it's one of those tender mercies that help us remember there's much more to this life than just this life. Sure thankful for the influence they've had on my life.
Canning Tomatoes
Harvest season has begun. Today, fresh from the garden, TWENTY pints & ONE 1.5 pint jar of tomatoes. So tired, but so very grateful for the harvest, the ability to do this and my Dad's help.
Can't tell you how happy my grandma would have been to see us working together canning. This time of year always makes me feel like even though she's gone, she's not really that far away.
For way too long I was intimidated by the thought of canning tomatoes. In my head I was thinking you had to pressure can them, but you don't. Not sure why I thought that, but I'm glad I've seen the error of my ways. Canning tomatoes can be time consuming, but it's not difficult at all. And there is nothing quite as good on a cold winter day as being able to grab a jar of tomatoes (that still taste fresh from the garden) and whip up a stew, a soup or some goulash. It makes a difference.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
As we're nearing the end of summer, there is NOTHING better than a great big salad with produce from the garden (especially fresh tomatoes)!!! What goes better than homemade Ranch Dressing on it? Not that icky store bought stuff or the stuff from a packet you add milk & mayo to, but real honest to goodness Ranch. You'll never go back once you whip this super simple dressing up.
In a bowl, whisk together until smooth:
1/2 C. Mayo
1/2 C. Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt)
2 tsp. Dried Chives
1 tsp. Dried Dill
1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp. Granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 C. Milk
Yes, it's that easy. Try it...
Oh, but be warned...Once you go down this homemade road, you'll never be able to eat the other stuff again. It's a good thing though.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
How many recipes have you read that claim that this is the BEST recipe for chocolate chip cookies you'll ever try? Seriously - I think everyone makes that claim. No offense to any of them, but they're all wrong. For real. THIS is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the entire world.
- 10 T. Salted Butter, Softened
- 1 C. Packed Brown Sugar
- 3/4 C. Powdered Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp. Butterscotch Extract*
- 2 1/2 C. Flour
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 C. Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 335F. (Not a typo!)
Combine Butter, Brown Sugar & Powdered Sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until creamed and fluffy. Add Eggs, Vanilla & Butterscotch Extract until well combined.
Slowly add Flour, Salt and Baking Soda until mixed well. Stir in Chocolate Chips. (I prefer to use a mix of Semi-Sweet, White & Milk Chocolate)
Scoop using an ice cream scoop onto ungreased baking sheet. (If you prefer, use a Tablespoon to scoop dough.)
Bake about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
*So a funny thing happened the last time I made these. I ran out of Butterscotch Extract so I used Almond Extract instead. Know what? They were still amazing! Let me know if you experiment and how it turns out.
Beignets
Yes, I said Beignets. If you have never had a beignet before, you truly don't know what you're missing. Not just any beignet, but a GOOD beignet. Oh yes, there's a difference.
So what is a Beignet? It's basically a sweet, light fried dough covered in powdered sugar. What makes a beignet different than a doughnut? I don't know what science or the experts would say, but my answer? It just is.
How in the world does a girl from Idaho manage to find a love for these delicious southern treats? Check out my travel musings - one trip to the south and I was hooked. After that trip, I made it a mission in life to go home and try to recreate some of the amazingness I tasted in Louisiana and Disney World.
- 1/2 tsp. Yeast
- 1/4 C. Warm Water
- 1/4 C. Sugar
- 2 T. Shortening, melted
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
- 1 Egg
- 4 C. Flour
- 1/2 C. Hot Water
- Oil for Frying
- Powdered Sugar
- Strawberry or Raspberry Jam, Optional
In a small bowl, sprinkle Yeast over Warm Water and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In large bowl (or stand mixer) combine Sugar, Shortening, Salt, Cream, Egg, Flour & Hot Water. Stir in yeast. Mix dough until combined and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and roll to about 1/4". Cut into desired shapes (you can also use a cookie cutter to make shapes) and set on cookie sheets or just leave on counter. Once all the dough is cut, cover with a dish towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size. (Takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
In a deep pot over medium high heat, warm your oil to 350' (at least 3" deep works best). Carefully fry beignets until golden brown, turning as needed (about 3 minutes). Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
Dust your warm beignets with powdered sugar. They can be served with Strawberry or Raspberry Jam for an added treat.
Angel Berry Roll
One of the greatest things about baking is that sometimes it's perfectly acceptable to take a shortcut. This is definitely one of those recipes. I mean, if you have this overwhelming urge to bake an angel food cake from scratch, far be it for me to dissuade you, but I know which one I'm choosing. :) 
- 1 Box Angel Food Cake Mix
- 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
- 8oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 8oz Tub of Whipped Cream, thawed
- 2/3 C. Powdered Sugar
- 8oz Strawberries, Sliced
- 8oz Blueberries
Remove cake from oven and gently loosen edges from sides of pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar, cover with a kitchen towel and turn upside down so cake falls out. If you used parchment or wax paper, peel off. While cake is still warm, roll loosely with sugar covered towel inside roll. Let cool this way for 1-2 hours.
In a bowl, beat Cream Cheese, Whipped Cream and 2/3 C. Powdered Sugar until smooth.
Gently unroll cake & remove towel. (Don't panic if you get a crack or break in it, you can cover that up and no one will know the difference.) Spread 2/3 of the filling inside of cake. Top with 2/3 of the Strawberries and Blueberries.
Carefully roll cake back up and place on serving dish. Spread remaining filling and berries on top of roll. Refrigerated until ready to serve.
I love the versatility with this recipe! No matter what kind of berry you have access to, it works with this. Add some coconut to kick it up if you want. Heck, drizzle with chocolate...okay...I know...maybe that's too far, but you get the point. Use what you have. It will be delicious no matter what.
Hemp My Pet Saved Kashi
Sometimes you're lucky enough to find a product that is so amazing and truly is a life-changer that you can't help but love it; want to share it with the world. Let me share one such product with you and the difference that it made for our family.
When our kids were little we'd talked off and on about getting a dog but we never did. We moved into a new house, we had a good back yard and my husband ended up taking a job that put him away from home for sometimes weeks at a time, the time to find the dog was right.
We weren't actively looking, but we were 'kind of' looking for the right dog and one day, as I was reading the newspaper I looked at the pets section. There wasn't usually anything listed there unless it was from a breeder wanting a crazy amount of money for a dog, but this summer day in 2011 would turn out to be different. I found an ad from someone that was only about 10 miles away looking to rehome a dog. He needed a family, a yard, kids; we had those things. And there was just something so compelling about his picture. I called to see if we could come meet him and within 30 minutes we were there.
We weren't sure at first, he did what dogs do when a stranger comes; he barked a lot and tried to come at us. Once he saw our young boys and they said something to him, his tail started wagging and his whole demeanor changed. The lady that was looking to rehome him had taken him from her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend because the boyfriend didn't like him and they didn't want him. As we visited outside her RV, it became apparent there was a lot more to the story than that. She and her husband (who just grumbled about him being more trouble than he was worth and expensive from inside, never once did he poke his head out) couldn't keep him and she didn't have the heart to take him to the pound.
My husband and I walked away to talk about it and looking back at how sweet and gentle he was with the kids, there was no doubt he was coming home with us that night. He needed rescued and we needed to rescue him. When you take on an animal in that way, knowing he was unwanted, you never really know what you're getting into or what the whole story is. He came to be a member of this family in the summer of 2011 and it took a long time to unfold what we know. And yes, we had some moments along the way when we wondered if we did the right thing but we knew he belonged with us. (Even after we had a vet tell us we needed to have him put down because he was mean and would end up attacking one of our kids. True story. He's never ever tried to hurt either of them.)
One of the first things we learned about him is that he was petrified of men in leather work boots. Not just afraid, but downright petrified. He'd get aggressive (growling, barking and nipping at them) and then end up cowering and wetting himself in fear. Couple that with the fact that he had a bad hip, it wasn't too hard to figure out the sad connection. He was barely 6 months old when he came to live with that if that gives you any idea of what his earliest days must have been like.
We've never regretted bringing him home with us. He's been a good and loyal companion. Even as the kids have become teenagers, he's fiercely protective of them and our home. He's very much a part of this family. Like every living being, as age comes on so do aches and pains and slowing down. It's an unavoidable part of the life cycle. Our guy's bad hip continued to get worse over the years and there were days you could see the cringe on his face as he'd try to find a comfortable way to lay on it. It was heartbreaking. He has given us so many good years that is was well past time to try and find a way to make his senior years the reward he deserved. We've seen first-hand the healing properties of CBD in our lives so why wouldn't it work for animals too? We tried a couple of different products with him and they were just okay. They made a little difference, but not significantly. He didn't care for the flavor and it was hard to get him to take them (which is funny when you consider some of the weird things he eats). By happenchance, I came across Hemp My Pet.
I had a few conversations with the founder, asked a lot of questions and learned a tremendous amount from her. The more I talked to her, the more convinced I was that her products would be different. To solidify that, she sent me a box of samples to try. What company does that? That said more to me about her belief in her products than anything else could have.
I do not exaggerate when I say that one treat was a life changer. Within days of treating him with both the treats and the 1000mg Tincture, he was acting like a puppy. He was able to run and jump and play in a way that was pain-free. Something he'd gone nearly his whole life without being able to do. In days he went from being a &senior& dog to being an older dog with an entirely new lease on life.
It wasn't just the physical change, but his attitude changed too. Until you've seen it first-hand it's hard to really appreciate; his whole demeanor changed. He was happy. He had been happy before, but this was a different kind of happy. He wasn't hurting and grumpy (like anyone who has chronic pain) anymore. He was genuinely happy, peaceful and pain-free. Heck, he was even more patient with the ornery cat!
Is it inexpensive? No, we've tried some that were and we got what we paid for. Is it worth the money? Every single penny. I won't buy anything else for him anymore. He's given so many loyal, faithful years to us that it isn't hard to do the right thing for him. I wish I'd found the products sooner honestly.
If you have an older fur baby or one that has health issues of any kind, I cannot recommend these products enough. They changed his life. However many years we have left with him (he's nearly 10 years old now) I intend to do all that I can to make sure he's happy and comfortable. He's earned that.
Epcot In A Heatwave
Let me preface this post by saying that Florida heat and Idaho heat? Not even close to the same beast! 102 in Idaho is hot and miserable, but mildly tolerable. The same 102 in Florida with around 50% humidity? UGH!!!!!!!
Tuesday finds us at Epcot. It’s hot & miserable, the crowds are pretty big and some crazy person picked the largest park to do on the first day. (Whoops…)
Epcot is HUGE!!! Holy cow – there is no way in the world we’re going to get through everything we want to do here in this crazy heat, but we’ll do what we can.
Lots of pictures of the amazing topiaries. We’re here during the International Flower & Garden Festival and my husband is such a nerd about plants and flowers – he’s loving this! It’s beautiful for sure.
Our first ride (which we have a Fast Pass for) is Soarin' so off to “Future World West” we go! After we got off that one, we made a beeline for our second Fast Pass, The Seas with Nemo & Friends. The Manatees and the Coral Reefs in the Nemo area were really awesome!
After that ride, we did a few other things in that area of the park and waited in line for a crazy long time to meet Baymax. When the kids were about 5th or 6th in wait line, it was time for Baymax to take a 30 minute break. UGH!!!!!! It was at that moment that I fully grasped why some families choose to use their Fast Pass options to do character meets. If you have a child that just HAS to meet a character, it might be worth booking the Fast Pass for it. That was super frustrating, but it happens.
Picking Fast Pass options at Epcot is overly complicated. Options are done in tiers so there’s no way you’ll get Fast Passes to all of the ones you really want, but after standing in a few of those lines I’m still grateful for the ones we had. That being said, we weren’t too far away from the allotted time for our next Fast Pass so it was time to head towards World Showcase.
We had a little bit of time so we took our time to appreciate the topiaries and the magnificent flowers everywhere. I can only imagine how much time and work goes into making everything look so perfect! We stopped for drinks and donuts from a food cart along the way (ehhh…not the greatest) and we got to meet Daisy Duck. (Apparently she’s a coffee drinker too! Ha ha!)
On the way to Norway, we spent some time in Mexico. I loved that portion of World Showcase! The music, the costumes, the Mariachi Cobre with Coco dancing in the streets – so much fun! Then we went into the pyramid of El Castillo. What we didn’t realize is what a completely immersive, vibrant Mexican street scene was kept secret in there! It was absolutely other-worldly. We escaped into there out of curiosity and for the air conditioning, but discovered a beautiful escape. The Three Caballeros ride was a well done ride reminiscent of many of Disney’s Dark Water rides too.
After begrudgingly heading back out into the heat, we made our way to Norway and our last Fast Pass: Frozen Ever After. (Yes, I’m sure you can imagine how super excited my 12 & 13 year old boys were at this one, but I didn’t give them a choice!) This was one of those moments when I was so happy we had a Fast Pass – that line was insane! If you have any inkling at all that this is a ride you’ll want to do, get a Fast Pass. No way would I have stood in that line otherwise. It was a lot of fun and very well done.
After this ride, we have a family meeting to re-evaluate the rest of our plans. The plan was to keep going around World Showcase then go back and finish in Future World East. There was no way – it was too dang hot and humid. The hope was that we would do part of it, go back to the resort and rest a little, then come back.
So off to Future World East and Spaceship Earth, Mission Space & Test Track it was! The kids had a blast, but I was, admittedly, kind of an “old fart” and didn’t do everything with them. Not only was I miserable from the heat and humidity, but my new shoes were not working out so well. (My feet had to have been swollen when I bought them and as I wore them, they stretched out and by the end of the day would be easily a size too big.) The kids had a great time and I loved seeing all of the amazing things in that corner of the park.
The kids weren’t thrilled we were going back to the hotel, but by the time we got there and got some food in us and relaxed a little, it was obvious we weren’t going back. We were all over-heated, sunburned and suffering from heat exhaustion. We had reservations that night for dinner and to watch Illuminations, but I called Disney and told them what had happened and we just didn’t have it in us to go back. They were so nice about canceling our reservations and they didn’t have to be. We were well past the time to cancel, but they canceled and refunded the money for the reservations. That was a pretty great surprise.
That evening consisted of hanging out at the pool (after the sun went down), food at the resort and watching movies in the air conditioning. Not the end to the day we’d envisioned, but it was a great day regardless.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
I can’t even begin to tell you how much time and work went into studying the layout of Disney World. None of it could even come close to preparing us for the absolute enormity of this place! It’s not a theme park, it’s not a few blocks, it’s not a one-stop destination. When they say Disney World is a destination, that’s no exaggeration. As we passed under the welcome to Disney World sign, I was completely overwhelmed by the size of this place! Thank heavens for Google Maps, the My Disney Experience App (a MUST have!) and lots of signs.
We followed the simple and concise directions straight to the building we were staying in at the Caribbean Beach Resort (naturally we’d pick one of the most spread out, massive resorts). One of the absolute coolest things about how Disney makes the magic happen? Between the app and our Magic Bands, we had everything we needed right there. We didn’t have to go to the lobby to check in, we didn’t have to wait for our room, as soon as we parked, I clicked on “check in” and boom! We were able to scan the door lock with our magic bands and we were in. It seemed too good to be true, too easy, but honestly the entire trip was like that. They really do take the worry out of keeping track of things. As long as I could find one of our magic bands or my phone, I had everything I needed.
Our room was so awesome! We stayed in the Trinidad building which was really far away from the lobby and main pool, but it was right next to the Spyglass Grill, the bus stop and the Trinidad Village Pool which we utilized frequently. Why so far away from the center of the action? Duh…Pirate Rooms!
Not just a pirate shower curtain or picture on the wall, but full-blown Disney Style Pirate decorating! The beds were pirate ships, the lights were lanterns, the carpet was a world map, the curtain separating the bathroom was a skull and crossbones, mini fridge was a whiskey barrel, TV stand was a crate, the table top was Jack Sparrow’s compass, pirate ships on the shower curtain, pictures…wow! Only Disney could pull something this amazing off. Honestly, the only complaint I can muster is that I wish the beds had been Queen beds instead of Double beds. That is the very reason I only booked 2 nights here. I knew after a couple of days in the park we’d need a little more space.
Long drive, need to stretch and relax…hmmm…let’s go to Old Port Royale (aka the lobby, giant pool and center of the action)!
Again, no one does scene setting and decorating like Disney. No one in the entire world that ever lived can do what they can do and this pool was no exception. Not one, but two water slides (one through a dark tunnel), cannons, forts, hammocks, palm trees, sandy beaches, a light house and a gigantic pirate ship play area. I’m not a kid, but even I got a little giddy at the sight!
The kids hit the pool and Dad & I meandered on over to the oh so conveniently adjacent Banana Cabana. (Thank you Disney for thinking of the parents too!) I don’t remember what my husband had (other than they were out of Kraken Rum so the bartender more than compensated with something else) but I had their signature drink, the Banana Cabana, and it was out of this world good! Kids can have the pool –let me soak in a pool of this stuff and mama will be happy! Ha ha!
Everyone that we talked to was so friendly and nice – it was such a change from other places we’ve traveled. It took literally minutes to realize we were in a totally different world here and it was an amazing world. One of the neatest things happened to us here. We paid for our drinks with a Disney Rewards Redemption Card (Chase gives you a kickback from all of your purchases if you use a Disney Visa and you can roll that onto a rewards card to spend in the park – highly recommend!) and somewhere between the bar and our lounge chairs, we dropped it without realizing it. There was about $300 on it so someone could have really had fun with it. Someone found it, picked it and returned it to the bar. The bartender left her post to come find us and return it to us. Not even kidding – does that kind of honestly really exist still? Apparently here it does.
After swimming, it’s getting late so we head into the lobby to grab something to eat at the Centertown Market. Food was good, not spectacular, but good (burgers, Cuban & turkey sandwiches) but the best thing we purchased was refillable mugs for all of us. I flinched at nearly $20 each, but I guarantee you that they will pay for themselves over and over!
During the remainder of our stay, we utilized the pool right outside our building a couple of times but we made good friends out of the folks working at the Spyglass Grill! It was super convenient, the food was good and fast, plus they had a refill station for our mugs! Oh and those Magic Bands? My oldest son discovered a deep, deep fondness for non-alcoholic Pina Colada’s, the Grill had those and he could just swipe his Magic Band to pay for them. Over and over and over and over….but that’s another story! Ha ha! My food picks for the Grill? The Taco Trio (especially the fish taco!) and the Chorizo Burger with the side of Plantains & Yuca. Different, but really good.
We stayed here two nights and it was such a neat experience. Truly was a good introduction to the Magic that IS Disney World, but I’m glad that we did a split stay. If we could have done it, I’d love to stay 2 or 3 days at every resort. Maybe after I win the lottery!
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