After Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021, we opted to take a short break from visiting the Orlando resort. This came in the midst of moving to Southern California and living just a short walk away from Disneyland. Between the lack of growth at certain parks and the crowd levels bogging the experiences down, I had grown a little frustrated with WDW. There’s only so much money to go around. Despite many experts predicting this website would make millions, it does not! So when it came time to return to Walt Disney World earlier this year, Melissa and I were eager to go experience a few ..read more

There’s no sweeter way to top off a full day at Disneyland than with fireworks. Some (ahem Disney) would call it magical. I prefer to think of it as the emotional finale to a day filled with action and adventure. That might be just as cheesy! Whatever you think of it as, there are a variety of options on where to watch them from. In this post we’ll cover the different places where you can watch Disneyland fireworks. In recent years, nighttime spectaculars have become even more involved with projection mapping coming to the forefront of the show. Not only does the castle feature projections but ..read more

With Disneyland and Walt Disney World trips becoming more and more expensive, theme park fans might be tempted to look elsewhere. Many might assume that a trip overseas wouldn’t solve those issues. Au contraire! Should have saved that phrase for a Disneyland Paris post. Tokyo Disney Resort, home to two of our favorite theme parks, is significantly cheaper than you might expect. In this post, we’ll cover seven different ways that a Tokyo Disney Resort trip is cheaper than the US Disney Parks. I’ve previously given a rough estimate on what a trip to Tokyo Disney might cost. I won’t rehash that ..read more

Kilimanjaro Club is the club (concierge) level at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. All deluxe resorts at WDW include a club level, as does Coronado Springs, but Animal Kingdom Lodge is the only one that is bookable via DVC points. In this post, we’ll review Kilimanjaro Club Level at Animal Kingdom Lodge, sharing our thoughts on the value and what’s offered for those staying there. Animal Kingdom Lodge remains one of the best resorts in all of Walt Disney World. Between viewing the animals outside the hotel’s windows, eating at the impressive collection of restaurants and enjoying the uniqu ..read more

California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival is back, running until April 22nd. Along with Soarin’ Over California’s return and live entertainment, there are plenty of specialty foods to eat. And eat we did! In this post, I’ll rank all of the items I’ve tried and will continue to update the post throughout the month as I eat more and more, all in the name of research! All of the items I’ve tried are eligible as part of the Sip & Savor Pass. Guests pay a flat rate ($61 or $56 with a Magic Key or Cast Member discount) for a pass that will have 8 dishes included. Those 8 can be used on Fe ..read more

Columbia Harbor House is a counter-service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Residing in Liberty Square, Columbia Harbor House serves American fare and specializes in seafood. The restaurant does take part in the Disney Dining Plan as a counter-service credit but doesn’t accept any other discounts. In this post, we’ll review Columbia Harbor House’s atmosphere, cuisine and value. Magic Kingdom’s dining options have historically been a sore spot for an otherwise strong park. Counter-service dining is especially poor with very few interesting options and a lack of quality. Th ..read more

La Cantina de San Angel is a counter-service restaurant in Epcot’s World Showcase. The restaurant specializes in Mexican food including tacos, nachos, empanadas, salads and, of course, margaritas. La Cantina de San Angel is a part of the Disney Dining Plan as a counter-service credit. This review will cover our experiences at the restaurant, along with photos and thoughts on the value offered. Few experiences at Walt Disney World can top sitting along the World Showcase Lagoon and enjoying a nice meal. La Cantina de San Angel offers just that. On the downside, this limits the restaurant from ..read more

Disney announced today that the second gate at Disneyland Paris will be changing names in the near future. A host of updates came along with the announcement that Walt Disney Studios Park will be renamed Disney Adventure World. In this post, we’ll share the news and updates about the park before adding our commentary about the name change. Get ready to experience beloved Disney characters and stories like never before as Walt Disney Studios Park, the second park at Disneyland Paris, continues its transformation and expansion on a never-before-seen scale — starting with a brand-new name fo ..read more

STK is a table-service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs. Located in The Landing section, the restaurant is a high end steakhouse with other locations across major US cities. At lunch, there are some incredible deals with one in particular that we were eager to try. In this post, we’ll review STK’s lunch offering as well as the restaurant’s atmosphere. When STK opened in Disney Springs in 2016 the reviews were mixed. The menu was one of the most expensive in all of Disney World and the restaurant seemed out of place. STK was a big city restaurant unlike anything Disney Springs ..read more

If you missed parts 1, 2 or 3 of our Japan Trip Report or parts 1, 2 or 3 of the Tokyo Disney Resort section, click on the corresponding number to catch up! On our previous trip to Japan we had squeezed in a few days running around Tokyo before going to Tokyo Disney Resort. It felt rushed and overwhelming. On this trip, we decided to flip things around by doing a few days in Tokyo after our time in TDR. Now, having done both, I’m not sure which one I’d prefer. Being in Tokyo after our time at the theme parks was less of a culture shock and a tad more relaxing, if that’s possible in the world’s ..read more