Happy Wednesday! It's time for another Disney World trivia challenge...
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There are lots and lots and lots of places to take pictures at Disney, and sometimes you can find some photography hints in the signage. Do you know where to spot this arrow and what it's pointing to?
Take your best shot at an answer and post it in the comments! :)
There were some good guesses on instagram for last week's Where in WDW photo, but KJ got it - that Coca Cola sign can be found outside Test Track at the Cool Wash station.
I'm about to tell you a Disney Snob secret, so listen up everybody...
You don't have to be staying at Disney Resort to really enjoy it.
The Disney World resort hotels are basically like mini theme parks, and day guests are welcome to visit and explore the lobby, grounds, shops, and restaurants. Today we're looking at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, which has savanna overlooks with animal guides to answer any questions, fun activities like cookie decorating and and animal viewing with night vision goggles, beautiful displays of African art, delicious dining (BOMA), zebras, zebra domes - there's plenty to do here. But my favorite way to do a resort day is to just relax.
We're taking a tour of this gorgeous resort by looking at five gorgeous places to take it easy AKL-style - for resort guests or day guests!
These spots are all at Jambo House, the original Animal Kingdom Lodge building - although there are lots of beautiful spaces over in the DVC building, Kidani Village, too.
This time last year I was just returning from an amazing family trip to California and Disneyland. We had a great time exploring Los Angeles and museums and the beach and experiencing Disney West-Coast style! When we got home, I was so excited to get started editing the videos I had taken but daunted too - there were hundreds of files.
Yesterday I uploaded the fifteenth and final episode in my "California Vlogs" series, and to celebrate, I thought I'd collect the whole set together here:
It all started with an early flight and finding some California PALM TREES.
...we headed to La Brea tar pits to visit mammoths and giant ground sloths and dire wolfs.
The next morning began with brioche and was followed by dinosaurs...
...and more dinosaurs...
...and then arriving at DISNEYLAND and checking into the Paradise Pier...
...and then CARSLAND! I'm *still* not over how cool Carsland is.
We also explored A Bug's Land and the Paradise Pier area...
...used our fastpasses to ride the coolest Disney ride ever, Radiator Springs racers...
...and had some fun on the Red Car Trolley.
We headed back to Disney California Adventure that evening for two not-to-miss sights: Carsland at night and World of Color!
The next day it was time for Disneyland park!!
SO. MUCH. FUN.
Their Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the coolest thing.
For our last few days in California, we stayed at the beach near Oxnard, visited the San Buenaventura Mission, attended a family wedding, and stopped by as many epic California burger joints as we possibly could.
Reliving the trip by sharing it has been so much fun. Thanks for following along! :)
As many of you guessed last Wednesday, that ice cream cone table can be found outside Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort! Ready for some new Disney World trivia?
Look closely, and you'll realize this is no ordinary street sign - it's a Coca Cola crossing! Do you know where at Disney to find it?
currently listening to...I'm not normally into a lot of Christian radio, but I heard Greater by MercyMe while scanning through the channels the other day, and I kinda love it. :)
currently reading...Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker. I bought this book last fall and pick it up every now and again to try another story. "The Waltz" has me chuckling at the moment. So much snark.
currently geeking out about (along with everyone else in the world)...THE NEW STAR WARS TRAILER. Ahhhhhh....Han and Chewie! And the crashed star destroyer! I so so so hope the new movie is good...I can't wait to check it out.
currently blog browsing...these pretty photos from Root Weddings. Love the bride's dress and the pop of purple in the flowers - and that venue is so gorgeous!
currently excited for...props to Corinne for giving me the heads up on this one...Lauren Conrad had a Cinderella collection out this spring at Kohl's, and now she has a new Minnie Mouse collection on its way! The polka-dotted pieces look so cute - it comes out May 10th.
currently watching on YouTube...an improbable recipe for strawberry pie with the Kids Snippets crew.
currently watching on tv...Tuesday nights are my favorite because DUGGARS. I just love 19 Kids and Counting - Jill's new baby was just born, and there's another Duggar courting!
Don't forget to catch up on all this week's pixie dust...
Today I've got a brand new post series that combines two of my favorite things: fashionable ensembles and Disney World trips! Get ready for some pixie-dusted style tips, because this isn't just just any outfit of the day, it's a WDW outfit of the day:
There can be something sort-of sophisticated and international about the right striped top. It makes you think of gondoliers in Venice or a Parisian cyclist with a baguette tucked under her arm. So when planning my Disney World wardrobe for a trip last year, I thought stripes would be a nice look for a World Showcase afternoon and some Via Napoli lunch...
I've got some new Disney World trivia for you all today...
You can't help but smile when you walk by a table shaped like an ice cream cone! It's even got sprinkles. Have you ever passed this somewhere at Walt Disney World?
Mondays are better with something tasty, don't you think?
A few weeks ago my family went on a day trip to Princeton, NJ. We went to Mass at the beautiful St. Paul's Church and then had some time for brunch before our next stop. Strolling through the downtown area, we ended up at a place called Agricola.
Agricola means farmer in Latin, and Dart is learning Latin, so that may have influenced our decision! I got to meet up with some lovely friends later in the afternoon and was told we had inadvertently picked the trendiest place in Princeton for breakfast. ;)
It did feel very trendy but also very fun! They call themselves a "community eatery" rather than a restaurant, and the menu was full of interesting dishes made with fresh, local produce. I was tempted by the Breakfast Flatbread, but in the end I couldn't pass up the Blueberry Ricotta Silver Dollar Pancakes.
We sat in one of the windows and were greatly entertained by watching all the passersby...and hopefully provided some entertainment for them too. ;)
We're checking into another amazing Disney hotel at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with today's post...
This time it's a Lion King family suite at Art of Animation Resort!
Art of Animation is classified a "value plus" resort, which puts in a similar category to Pop Century and the All Star Resorts. To me it feels newer, fresher, and more detailed than the older values in many ways, and it offers family suites which will accommodate larger parties.
Unlike the other three sections of the resort (Finding Nemo, Cars, and Little Mermaid), the Lion King portion doesn't have it's own pool. But it does still have some pretty cool scenes to take in...
My family has an unofficial Easter tradition - we like to go exploring and find a new church to visit for the holiday. This is especially fun when we're travelling and can attend Mass somewhere entirely different...
Last year, for instance, we were on our California trip over Easter weekend, so we looked up a beautiful mission church in Ventura, CA to visit...
We're heading to the West Coast to visit the San Buenavantura Mission (and take in some fun California eats!) in today's post.
This time two years ago I had just returned from an amazing three week trip to France and England. I was sad to see the European adventures end, but by blogging about it and sharing all the details on here, I've been able to keep the trip alive for that much longer. :)
We have now reached the last installment of the Emma in Europe 2013 trip report - the flight home! Sad face...
I woke up very early and left my hotel and Big Ben behind to get to Paddington Station and catch the Heathrow Express train to the airport. I caught one of the first trains of the day - I think they start around 6:00 am, and there's one every fifteen minutes.
In the animated version of Walt Disney's Cinderella, there's a scene (this one), in which the King is planning the Prince's marriage. He knocks his books off the table to push together two statuette bookends of a shepherd and shepherdess...
...and you can find those two figurines in real life somewhere at Walt Disney World! I'm making this an optional Where in WDW trivia post - find the answer after the break.
As for last week's trivia photo, that cheerful Mickey pillow is from the rooms at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Also can we just pause for a moment to appreciate the fact that Prince Charming's father reads Plato and Homer? Love it. :)