My first time in Disney World will be something I’ll remember for while. My husband and I had a deal if I went to Star Wars Celebration we would also spend a few days in Disney World. Of course I ended up loving celebration so it was a win for the both of us. Since we tend to go to Disneyland here in California we wanted the experience to be unique to Florida so we choose both Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Keep reading for some highlights of our trip.
I’m totally obsessed with the new DuckTales cartoon so I am so glad I took this picture! There were  dozens of really cool Disney character topiaries all over Epcot which were fun to discover.
I’m a huge fan of Hawaii, Tiki, all things tropical and adorable so visiting the Polynesian Hotel was a must. I wished I was there during the day to take in all the hotel’s splendor but even at night the lobby is enchanting. I spent a moment in their shop BouTiki and bought a cute tropical top for myself and treats for loved ones at home.  Next we made our way to Trader Sam’s Grog Gotto downstairs for a pre-dinner drink. As a fan of Anaheim’s cute Tiki bar Trader Sam’s I made sure we had time to enjoy the much hyped Polynesian Pearl. This drink comes in a cute pearl cup from a clam at the bar! Plus I heard there are magical Black pearls that you can get if you are lucky! The drink is a blend of RumChata, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, and tropical juices. Trader Sam’s Grotto in Florida had all the same magic as the California location much more space it was awesome not having to wait outside to get in!
I heard a lot of hype about the restaurant Ohana from everyone I spoke with so we booked a dinner the only spot we could secure at 10pm one night. Maybe it was because we had a late dinner but the pineapple bread was only OK. (The hype was real online for this item!) The bread pudding was quite good and thoroughly enjoyed the family style salad and chicken. Also we were treated to seeing the fireworks from the magic kingdom with piped in music when we arrived and a ukulele sing-along after. I loved the Tiki ambiance but might pass on this next time. Plus I heard you can get many items al la carte at other places in the hotel.
My sister in law  and I hit up Disney Springs while my husband spent an additional day at Star Wars Celebration. Disney Springs is like Downtown Disney on steroids, much bigger and a lot more things to do. One unique thing at Disney Springs is that you can ride amphicars, which is a guided tour in a car that rides on land and floats in the water. These are beautiful and really neat to watch but with the price tag of $125, a bit too rich for my blood.  As we walked around we took in all the shopping which varied from chain stores to more unique Disney specific shops. I discovered they had the store Basin which is popular for soaps and bath bombs. I personally love their chamomile solid shampoo bars. They are perfect for travel when you don’t have a ton of space. This store actually used to be at Downtown Disney in California but since went out of business.
For lunch I knew we had to try Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar which is a Indiana Jones themed bar based on Jock  who was a pilot in the movies. The decor and theme is almost overwhelming with clutter from Jock’s life as pilot inside. We decided to eat on the patio which had a amazing view of the water. I’d been hearing about the famous drink the hovito mojtio which was a pisco drink with fresh lime juice, mint, simple syrup topped with soda water. We also enjoyed some pork belly buns as a snack. One thing I should have kept in mind was keeping hydrated (especially with afternoon beverage) as I think I got overly dehydrated walking around and while Jock Lindsey’s food/beverages were great I went back to the hotel that day with a migraine.
One of the highlights of being at Epcot during the Flower & Garden Festival was some of the cool limited time activities at the park and one of those was a free tea tour put on by Twinings. You meet at the Tea Caddy shop in the U.K. Pavilion to put your name on the list and they give you a couple of laminated cards. The tour is about twenty minutes which guides you through their traditional Tea garden where there are tea cups set up with different ingredients grown for tea. Certainly you could do this on your own but we found the tour delightful. During the tour we learned that the company is 300 plus years old and started in 1706. Some other tea facts below:
- Twinings made it through Boston tea party
- Our guide was from Wales and noted that while Pumpkin Chai is huge here it is not popular at all in the U.K., in fact before she come to the US she had never had a pumpkin!
- Twining forget to copyright Earl grey flavor, so you see it everywhere
- Nyle from One Direction likes lemon and ginger flavor
- Berry Fusion is their latest tea that has sangria base which is hibiscus flowers that make the pink color
- Green Jasmine has no jasmine in it. The green tea leaves absorbs the smell
- You can put tea bags in shoes to help absorb any bad smells (our tour guide admitted that stuffing shoes with tea bags is common practice for her back home)
As the tour ended back at the Tea Caddy we were able to try samples of iced tea and bring home a few packets of tea!
Disney is known for magic and I had no idea we’d be picked for a magical experience while at the Animal Kingdom. We only had a half day at this park but since Pandora wasn’t open yet we knew we could get through most of the rides and get back to the hotel in time for our flight. As we were about to end our day we saw that there was a performance available for their live version of the Lion King. We walked in the gates a women saw our buttons that said “1st visit” so she asked us if we wanted a special experience for the Lion King. Of course we said yes and found ourselves front row center to enjoy the show. I was very impressed with this show it’s Broadway level production and the actor/actresses are fantastic. There a few sections of acrobatics that were really entertaining as well. It was bizarre to have no one in front of us during the show and there were moments where the actors were so close I felt like they were singing right to me. If you make it to Animal Kingdom be sure not to miss this show, who knows maybe you’ll get picked to be in the front row too!
Overall, for only two days I thought we saw and experienced many unique things to Disneyworld. I can’t wait to go back and spend more time and possibly stay at Polynesian hotel which is now on my bucket list.
I love your adventure! I’m a big disney fan too and totally loves anything disney! 😉
What a magical experience! I have never been to Disney and your review is tempting me.
It’s so fun!
This looks like so much fun! I hope to visit one day!
That’s a fun fact about Twinnings and the Boston Tea Party. Never knew that was their tea. As much as I hate to admit it, Disneyworld does look fun, though it’d be funner if those weren’t virgin mojitos…
Lol, there was booze in there for sure!
Wow! From your photographs this place looks like a dream! I love your in depth review and photographs, it makes me want to pack my bags and visit myself!
beautiful place!! im saving for disney already. I would love to see pandora
Jane @ http://www.thismamablogs.com
I blog about my journey to financial freedom and into meaningful living
I live in Florida and I never go to Disney. When I do I it is like once a year and I always have a good time.
We recently went to disneyland paris and we totally had a blast. We did visit disney world there as well, but couldn’t spend much time. On the next disney visit – where ever it is – we plan to spend more time in disney world
Ooh I’d love to go to Disneyland Paris!
Great post. I’ve never been to Disney Land but it seems like a great time!
Epcot at Disney is my all time favorite park. All the different countries, food and way everyone dresses makes you feel like you are really in that country.
Cool!!! Especially since I have only been to Disneyland Hong Kong! Kids can’t have all the fun, right? 🙂
Looks like you have a wonder day in Disneyland.. 🙂 I think if you visit any Disneyland in the world you will enjoy the place and flashback all the childhood memories..lol