Garden Grill at Epcot

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Garden Grill is a character dining family style restaurant located inside Walt Disney World’s (WDW) Land Pavilion inside the Epcot Theme Park. Once you enter The Land Pavilion simply walk to the back of the top level and you will see the restaurant. There are also benches and bathrooms just outside in case you need them.

Garden Grill serves American food in a family style, meaning food is served in large plates with small plates for each person. You’ll be greeted upon arrival by a cute Mickey Mouse table setting!

Once seated you will notice the restaurant is actually moving! The tables slowly rotate in a circle and allow you to see scenes from The Land ride including homesteads, rain forests and prairies. Don’t worry it goes very slow. In fact, we did not make a complete circle before we were done eating. The food is great!!! They also serve mac and cheese for the kids (even though I particularly love WDW mac and cheese) and finish the meal off with a fruit cobbler.

While eating you will be visited by Mickey, Chip, Dale and Pluto so have your autograph books and cameras ready and on the table. Our family loves character dining because it saves us from standing in character lines in the park. Garden Grill also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also all the veggies served during meals at Garden Grill are grown inside The Land Pavilion!

We love Garden Grill! The food is delicious, the characters are fun and the restaurant rotates! Definitely one to add to your trip. Prices range from $35 for children to $60 for adults. This restaurant also has the option of Candlelight Processional tickets during the Holiday season.

Want to add this dining to your WDW vacation? Ask me how! You can message me at Callie@wanderkeep.com or you can find me on Facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel. As always my services are complimentary!

Disney’s Magical Express

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Disney’s Magical Express is a shuttle system that offers transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World (WDW) Resort for guests staying on Disney property.

Once you have booked a reservation and WDW and have obtained flight information and tickets you can simply message your travel agent the details of your flight or sign up online for this included service. Roughly a month before your trip you will receive, in the mail, an envelope with yellow luggage tags and directions for how to attach your tags  to your luggage and how to reach the Magical Express bus transport, run by Mears at the Orlando International Airport. You will also receive paperwork with a map telling you which terminal to find your Magical Express bus. Your Magical Express reservation has been loaded onto your Magic Band so feel free to put them on once you board your flight.

 

The yellow tags are not in place of checking your bags at the baggage check before you board your flight but are merely for Disney Cast Members to know where you and your party are staying on Disney property. Simply check your bags upon arriving for you flight as you normally would. Once you reach Orlando no need to grab your bags at baggage claim, simply go straight to the Magical Express terminal. Bring your carry ons and any items you think you may need for the day-if you’re hoping to swim on arrival pack your swimsuit in your carry on. You will be off on your motor coach to WDW and Disney cast members will get your bags for you, transport them to your resort and bring them to your room. No need to wait around! If you have plans that day simply go and come back to your room to find your bags are already there. It usually takes about 2-3 hours. How amazing is that!

If you are traveling with a service animal or pet you are welcome to bring them on the motor coach with you. Children will not need car seats for the ride but you are welcome to bring them. There are 2 restrooms on the same level with the Magical Express and also one on the motor coach ride to WDW. You can expect about a 45 minute ride and you will stop at several resorts. There is not a ton of storage on the bus so make sure you store any larger carry ons beneath the motor coach, especially strollers and luggage. Magical Express runs non stop through out the day. The baggage claim portion of Magical Express runs from 5am-10pm so if you arrive before or after those times you will need to get your luggage at baggage claim and bring it to the motor coach with you.

 

The day before your check out of your Disney Resort you will get an envelope with all the information you need about Magical Express on your door. Do not loose this. It will have luggage tags and a paper ticket for your return to Orlando International Airport. This ticket must be given to the driver before entering the motor coach. The paperwork will also give you a specific time that your motor coach will pick you up. Simply check your luggage in the morning at the airline check in at your resort. The cast members will automatically check your bags for your flights and deliver them to the airport for you. You are welcome to leave any carry on items at bell check, usually right by airline check in at your resort. I recommend coming back at least an hour before your designated Magical Express time. You are also welcome to bring your luggage with your on the motor coach and go to baggage check at the airport. Bell services are available to help but usually take about an hour. We often grab our bags and walk down in both Deluxe and Value resorts-if you are staying at a Moderate resort you can hop on the resort bus and ride up to the lobby with your luggage.

 

The Magical Express is just one more way the Disney does vacationing right! Let me make all your vacation drems come true. You can fins me on Facebook at Callie at Fairy Godmother Travel or email me at Callie@fairygodmothertravel.com  my services are included when you book with me!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

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Disney World,Fl

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party (MVMCP) is a hard ticket event that happens from the first week in November through Christmas at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Hard ticket means this event is separate from a regular park ticket and must be ordered specifically for this event. If you’re lucky enough to visit WDW during this time of year this is an event that’s not to be missed!

 

MVMCP starts at 7pm and ends at 12am. WDW closes Magic Kingdom at 6pm on party dates to regular guests. If you have a MVMCP ticket then you are able to get into the park starting at 4pm. This is a great way to save money on purchasing a full day ticket. Simply purchase a MVMCP ticket and come into the park at 4pm. The day of the party spend your day at Disney Springs or at your resort (it’s a great pool day!).

 

Once you enter Magic Kingdom simply scan you magic band or ticket on your smartphone. It holds your MVMCP ticket. You can also have a hard copy sent to your home (I always do this for myself and clients). You will then receive a special event party bracelet. This is how cast members keep track of who has MVMCP tickets and who are just regular day ticket holders. After 7pm you will not be able to get on rides, shop, get treats, etc without your MVMCP bracelet on. Make sure you pick up a map/events flyer as you enter the park! You will then be directed to the side of main street where you will get a sugar cookie, have photo pass opportunities and also be able to buy merchandise for the event. If you happen to already be in the park before the 4 pm bracelet distributions you will find several other spots-such as Fantasyland where you can grab your bracelet and cookie as well! Just ask any Cast Member where to go.

 

The MVMCP event will have rides open, snacks to grab, special character meet and greets and shows. YOU MUST PLAN! You won’t be able to get to everything but make a plan. The holiday parades are some of the most amazing parades and are not to be missed. Here’s a list of all the events.

  • A Frozen Holiday Wish – 6:15 p.m., 8:15 p.m.
  • Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration – 7:40 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:55 p.m.
  • Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade – 8:30 p.m., 11 p.m.
  • Holiday Wishes—Celebrate the Spirit of the Season – 10 p.m.
  • A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas – 7:45 p.m., 8:35 p.m., 9:25 p.m., 10:45 p.m., 11:35 p.m.
  • The Edge Effect – 8:10 p.m., 9 p.m., 10:20 p.m., 11:10 p.m.
  • Club Tinsel – 7 p.m.-12 a.m.
  • Snowfall on Main Street – intermittently

It’s a good idea to make a family plan as to which events, rides, snacks and meet and greets each person is hoping to do. Our family has each person pick their top thing and plan on hitting those events. Everything else is icing on the cake! People will start sitting down in front if the castle immediately for good seats. Don’t be alarmed by this-there will be plenty of good spots later. Make sure you line up for parades a minimum if 40 minutes before. We ended up getting a spot right in front of the castle an hour before and were able to stay for the castle show, parade and fireworks!

 

Rare character meet and greets are available at this special event. People will start lining up at 6pm to get pictures with their favorite pals. Characters special to the event will not make their appearance until 7pm. Plan on a wait time of at least an hour per character. Characters often do not sign autographs at this time but will hand out a special pre signed card. Lines for characters will always be shorter during parade and fireworks times.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade is a popular event. It is by far one of our families favorite things. There are plenty of spots throughout the park to check the parade route. If you sit early enough you can grab a spot on Main Street where “snow” will fall! Take a seat and grab a snack! The marching toy soldiers are amazing. Make sure you wave to Santa as he rounds out the end of the parade. There are always spots in front of the train station by the front entrance. This is also great if you intend on leaving right after the parade.

 

A Frozen Holiday Wish is where Elsa performs her stage show in front of the castle culminating in “freezing” the castle. Breathtaking! Make sure you stop at a photpass location to get a picture in front of the lighted castle.

 

Holiday Wishes is the final fireworks show of the night. Tinkerbell will fly weather permitting in Christmas attire from the castle into Tomorrowland. Fireworks will literally be all over the park!

Cookies and hot chocolate will be available throughout the park at special snack stations designated by lighted candy cane poles and found on your event map. This is included in your price ticket. This year they also had a snowman soft pretzel and a snow cone. Make sure you stop by Pinocchio House to grab a handful of cookies-this location hands out multiple cookies at once! Families dress up for the event in a variety of ways from matching shirts, costumes for children and even matching pajamas!

Let me help you add this event to your Magical Walt Disney World Vacation! You can find me on Facebook at Callie at Wanderkeep Travel or feel free to email me at callie@wanderkeep.com. My services are complimentary!