Guide to Disney World, Pt. I: Arrival

I just got back from an eight-day vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios.  Eight days of eating the best food, doing the most fun things, and spending my money on the coolest souvenirs.  This is going to be an eight-day series to allow me to share every little detail, so maybe you will even take some of my advice for your next trip to the Happiest Place On Earth!

We arrived in Disney World at around 5 in the evening, so a super long day filled with packing, delayed flights, and a rainy drive to the hotel.  We stayed at the Dolphin for our Disney World portion of the vacation, and they had recently renovated the place so it felt nice and new and clean.

The past two times we went, we stayed at the BoardWalk and the Port Orleans Riverside.  Out of the three places now that I have stayed at, I think the BoardWalk is still my favorite.  Located in the same area as the Dolphin, the Swan, the Yacht Club, and Beach Club, these hotels all have boat access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, which is my favorite way to get from hotel to park.  My only knockoff Disney World is the BUS SYSTEM!!  The buses do not run as often as they should, and the buses get so full, I feel like I'm on the morning commute A train in New York City.

So TIP #1:  If you can stay at one of those hotels, definitely do it!

Prepare for take off! 

Magic bands!  Also, who LOVES my Mickey Mouse nails?!

The lobby of the Dolphin!

Sneaked a picture of myself in my parents' room!

After getting settled in our rooms, we walked out of the hotel and crossed over the bridge to get over to the BoardWalk side of the water.  There, you can do some shopping, treat yourself to a snack (which I will talk about on my Hollywood Studios post!), or play BoardWalk games.  My dad wanted an easy dinner, so we decided on Big River Grille and Brewing Works  Located on the BoardWalk, this place offers an amazing view of the water and neighboring Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts.

Big River Grille and Brewing Works has so many great bar foods, such as sandwiches, burgers, nachos, and even handcrafted beers that are brewed right on the premises with views of a process through a glass window right when you walk in.  This restaurant is also kid-friendly, so all ages can enjoy a bite here!

Blueberry Lemonade--So refreshing!!! (Would anyone be interested in an at-home version of this? Drop a comment down below if "yes"!)

Chips with guacamole and salsa.  The guac was out of this world!!

California Chicken Sandwich:  grilled chicken, swiss cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo, and kettle chips!  It was soooooo good!

California Chicken Sandwich:  grilled chicken, swiss cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo, and kettle chips!  It was soooooo good!

After dinner, we had plans to walk over to the Beach Club and go to Beaches and Cream Soda Shop for a legendary dessert, but I'll get to that in just a minute!

We walked along the boardwalk and took in the beautiful scenery that was just beginning our vacation.  Everything in that whole area is so beautiful!

My brother and me!  You can see part of the BoardWalk Resort behind us!

Entering the BoardWalk area

A club on the boardwalk

Overlooking the Yacht Club and Beach Club from the BoardWalk!

The BoardWalk

The Beach Club

The next time we go, I really want to stay at either the Yacht Club or Beach Club.  Those resorts are so beautiful and have so many great restaurants.  There's sand outside of the hotels, allowing you to sit in a beach chair as the sun rises -- it actually feels like you're at the beach!

Standing on the boardwalk in front of the Yacht Club, with he BoardWalk Resort behind us!

Part of the Yacht Club

The boardwalk in front of the Yacht Club

The sand in front of the Beach Club, overlooking the BoardWalk Resort

My brother and me at the Beach Club

The Beach Club

The Beach Club

View of the BoardWalk Resort

In front of the Beach Club

In front of the Beach Club

After walking around and taking in everything there was to see, we headed over to Beaches and Cream Soda Shop, which is located outside at the Beach Club.  If you are going to go here, I highly recommend either making a reservation by calling, or set aside plenty of time to wait.  We decided to wing it and just show up (which is out of character for us), and we almost had to wait an hour.  Instead of waiting, we agreed to sit in the bar seats, which was still fun!

So let's get into what makes this place absolutely AMAZING.  When you walk inside, you feel like you are in a colorful ice cream shop from the 1950s.  There's a jukebox, diner stools, and staff that really know how to ensure that you have the time of your life.  

Now, this place doesn't have only ice cream.  You can go and get sandwiches, burgers, chili-cheese fries, milkshakes, floats, and sundaes.  But since we already had dinner, we were there for the dessert, but not just any dessert.... the WORLD.  FAMOUS.  KITCHEN SINK!!

Yes, you heard the correctly.  Served in an actual KITCHEN SINK, this unbelievable treat serves four and includes scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, and mint chocolate chip, and is topped with every topping they have.  Pound cake.  Brownies.  Whipped cream.  Bananas.  Cherries.  Sprinkles.  You name it, they got it.

As if the dessert itself wasn't over-the-top enough, when they bring it to the table, the lights in the restaurant go dark and red, signal-type lights start spinning.  The staff then begins reciting a statement about how someone ordered the famous Kitchen Sink, and then place it right in front of you.  Most people wouldn't like that kind of attention, but I was loving every second of it!

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

"The Kitchen Sink" at Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

"The Kitchen Sink" at Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

If you're staying in or visiting this general area during your next trip to Disney World, I highly recommend both of these places!  The Kitchen Sink serves four, but if you haven't eaten in a few hours, I think two people could definitely finish this.  Even if you don't want to finish it, it's one of those treats that you just don't want to put your spoon down!!

Over the next few posts, I am going to be going through our days and will be recommending some of my new favorite restaurants, but for now, pour yourself a glass of bubbly and start planning your next Walt Disney World vacation.

CLINK!

Jordan xx

Ultimate Pool Party: How to Make a Playlist

We're nearing the end of Summer, but that's not stopping people from having pool parties!  The celebrations call for sunbathing, cannonballs, tropical cocktails, burgers and dogs, and an amazing playlist.  Over the next few days, I am going to give you all of the tips you need to make your next party a huge success.  Today, I am going to help you make a playlist that will alone make your party one of highlights of the entire Summer.

Making a playlist for your pool party is probably at the bottom of your list, unless you are someone like my dad.  For my entire life, every Saturday my dad would curate a playlist (usually with some sort of theme) to listen to while cooking dinner and relaxing.  For a while, these playlists were around 4 hours, but now they've gone to about only an hour.  That hasn't changed his talents, though!  I have to admit, I always look forward to hearing the 6-hour long music session he puts together for our parties.  I learned my tricks from him, so I want to pass them to all of you!

A big key to making everyone love your music is to play a little bit for everyone.  My dad throws in some Frank Sinatra for my grandparents, country and show tunes for my aunt, and a wide variety of music across the past few decades.  From the '50s to modern day, your playlist should incorporate some of the biggest hits, along with even some unknown tracks by KNOWN artists.  This is important because you may hear someone say, "Oh, this sounds like Electric Light Orchestra," and when you respond with a "Yes," they will have been introduced to a song they would have never heard otherwise.  You want to keep people involved in the playlist you make, so playing only artists you like will bore your guests, no matter the age range.

You're probably thinking that those tips did NOTHING!  Don't fret, I am going to walk you through it step-by-step with an example.  You're having a family party.  It's you, your spouse, your children (ages 2-12), your siblings and their kids (5-17), your parents (50s-70s), and your in-laws.  While you think it is difficult to put together a playlist to satisfy all of these, it's actually quite simple.  Let's conquer by each age group, and then later we can work on putting it all in one place. *NOTE* Make sure your playlist is as long as your party is going to be. Nothing is worse than hearing the same songs on a loop during your time at someone’s house.

The Kids:
So the children range from ages 2 to 17.  The younger ones love Disney, and while the older ones do, too, they love popular music.  One of the best things to do is to throw in Disney songs from recent movies like Frozen, as well as classics that the adults (and older kids) would know too, like The Jungle Book or even The Lion King (because who doesn't know "Circle of Life"???).  This tactic is great for when you're ready for your guests to feel a little nostalgic, which let's be honest, is very easy to do when everyone is four glasses of wine deep.
As for the older kids, figure out what they like, even if you aren't too familiar with it!  If your nephew loves Green Day, play something that's even their most popular songs, like "Wake Me Up When September Ends."  Since that song had lots of radio time, the adults may know it, and even the younger kids may have heard it being played before.  This method applies for any artists, whether it be Ariana Grande, Dan+Shay, Selena Gomez--playing a hit will always resonate well.  Just make sure you are aware of any explicits, that way you aren't playing anything inappropriate around the little ones!

The 30-Somethings:
My older brother is the oldest "kid" in the family and is in his late-30s (don't worry, I won't admit your age to the entire web!), and my sister-in-law is in her mid-30s.  For this age group, playing anything '90s will always go over very well.  The Backstreet Boys, No Doubt, Britney Spears, Third-Eye Blind--grunge, pop, pretty much anything that screams the '90s vibe.  And since these guys were born in the '80s, even some MTV classics will work.  The great thing about '80s music in the present day is that the 20- and 30-somethings have parents who are in their 50s or 60s, so they were in their teens and 20s during this decade.  Play some Van Halen or Huey Lewis and the News and they'll be dreaming of tanning in baby oil and driving their Mustang convertibles.

The Parents:
To me, this is the easiest group to please because I am an old soul.  I can tell you anything you would need to know about any band or musician from the 1950s to the 1970s.  Music meant so much during these decades.  With only vinyl, cassettes, and radio, people relied on these to give them the music they wanted.  My mom has told me that she would sit outside with her car radio playing waiting to hear the new Don Henley song, so would end up listening to everything on the charts before that one was played.  Everyone knew every songs out at the time.  Playing The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Fleetwood Mac are all very safe bets because everyone knows at least ONE of their songs (all of them).  And if you're throwing in '50s and '60s music, go for the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Kinks, and Chuck Berry.

With all of this information in mind, I know your brain is probably spinning.  That's okay, because I have taken the liberty of creating a sample playlist that you can feel free to use at your next bash.  I have a few other playlists on my page that can be used as references to specific decades and genres.
 The playlist can be found in the sidebar.