"When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake..." Liberty Square

Liberty Square is our next stop on our tour of the Magic Kingdom. This is the smallest of the lands of Magic Kingdom, with only 3 attractions and a show. This land has one of my most favorite attentions to detail. Throughout the middle of the walkways there is a brown part of pavement. This signifies the raw sewage that would flow through the streets of colonial America.

photo taken April 2015

Entering Liberty Square from the Hub, the first attraction you will come to is the Hall of the Presidents. This attraction was inspired by the '64 World's Fair Attraction 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln', an attraction that still lives on at Disneyland in Anaheim. This attraction was the fulfillment of Walt's wish for a full presidents attraction, after the success of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the World's Fair. The attraction opens with a film narrated by Morgan Freeman, then the curtains open up to show animatronic version of the 44 Presidents to date (currently the attraction is under refurbishment to add in an animatronic of the 45th President). Since 1993, the sitting President has lended his voice to the attraction. Another fun detail about this attraction: in the waiting area prior to going into the theater, there is an exact copy of the Seal of the United States. This is the only location, other than the Oval Office, that you can see this Seal. It took an act of Congress in order to have the Seal in the Hall of the Presidents.

photo taken April 2015

A new show recently debuted in Liberty Square, featuring the Muppets! It is called 'The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History'. This show is featured just to the right of the Hall of the Presidents. A town cryer announces the beginning of the show, which is then featured in the windows of the second level of the Heritage House and of the Hall of the Presidents. While I have not personally seen this show, I can only imagine the hi jinx that ensues with the Muppets. 

The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History

The Liberty Belle Riverboat hold origins to Walt's first plans for his first amusement park that was planned for across from the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. While these plans were changed into what is now Disneyland in Anaheim, the plans for the riverboat stayed. This attraction is very mellow, taking guests around Tom Sawyer Island on a leisurely riverboat ride. 

The final attraction on our tour of Liberty Square is a fan favorite. It is the home of 999 happy haunts: The Haunted Mansion. In the Walt Disney World rendition, guests weave through the courtyard prior to entering the mansion, which has recently added interactive features, making the wait in the queue not seem as long. Once you get to the door, you are let into the foyer by a sullen-looking cast member. There you begin to learn the story behind the Mansion, in a room that has no doors and no windows. But as your "ghost host" says..."there's always my way..." You then exit the preshow area into the loading area. The Haunted Mansion has an omnimover ride system: meaning that the ride is a continuously loading ride. It can be slowed or stopped to load people who need extra assistance in loading. Once you are loaded, you begin moving through the Mansion, passing through the corridors, the attic, Madame Leota's seance and into the iconic ballroom dance scene. Once you enter the graveyard, your ears are delighted with the tune 'Grim Grinning Ghosts'. You then move into an area where, through Disney magic, a couple of hitchhiking ghosts try to join you. And with that, you have completed your journey through the Haunted Mansion. The Haunted Mansion inspired a film in 2003 starring Eddie Murphy.

some of the details within the courtyard queue area of the Haunted Mansion

That completes your tour of Liberty Square. While this land is one of the smallest lands in Magic Kingdom, it has some of the most historical and educational pieces of all of Magic Kingdom. I leave you with the Barenaked Ladies singing 'Grim Grinning Ghosts', which was used in the film The Haunted Mansion.

Grim Grinning Ghosts

Let's Eat! Disney Treats Edition

Time for another Let's Eat post! This past weekend I made 3 Disney treats for the youth at my church. We had the classic Mickey Rice Krispie treat, "the Grey Stuff" from Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Dole Whip.

photo from July 2017

For the Mickey Rice Krispie treat, you will need a Mickey-shaped pan. I had purchased my pan during our last trip to Walt Disney World in 2016. This followed the traditional Rice Krispie treat recipe. After mixing the cereal in with the butter and marshmallows, I scooped the mixture into the silicone Mickey pan. The pan will fit the standard recipe. After filling the pan I flipped it onto a lined cookie sheet and set the entire thing in the refrigerator (be sure to not remove the Mickey pan), and let it set overnight. In the morning I removed the pan and Mickey came out perfectly. 

there were candles as it was used for someone's birthday

Next up, we have "the Grey Stuff". You should try it; it's delicious. This item is typically served at Be Our Guest Restaurant, atop the Master's Cupcake. For the recipe you will need:

1 (3.4 ounce) package Instant Vanilla Pudding

1.5 cups whole or 2% milk

12 Oreos*

1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip

1-1.5 tablespoons of Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix**

Edible pearls or silver sprinkles (optional)

*trust me when I say you want Regular Oreos...not double stuff or thins. The first time I made this I used the thins and it didn't turn out as good as it could have been

**for a double batch I used barely 2 tablespoons of mix

Mix together the box of instant vanilla pudding and milk. Place the mixture into the refrigerator. 

Crush your Oreos. This can be done in a food processor. Since I don't have a food processor, I chose to scrape out the filling, smash the cookie halves, then melt down and mix the filling in with the vanilla pudding. It turned out well this way. 

Mix the crushed Oreos into the vanilla pudding, then fold in the Cool Whip. Once this has been mixed, add in the dry chocolate pudding mix. You'll want to add the mix in spurts, as to not darken your "Grey Stuff". 

Add edible pearls or sprinkles as you like. 

"Try the Grey Stuff. It's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!"

The final recipe is the Dole Whip. The Dole Whip is an exclusive item, only found in one park location in Walt Disney World. For this recipe, you will need: 

2 cups frozen pineapple

1 cup vanilla ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt (I used the frozen yogurt-turned out great)

Orange or Pineapple Juice

In a blender, combine the 2 cups frozen pineapple with the 1 cup of ice cream or yogurt. Add a splash of your juice choice and blend until smooth. 

You can then serve it one of two ways. You can dish it up in a bowl, or put some into a glass and pour your juice choice over it to make a float. 

These Disney treats are quite delicious, and fairly simple to make. A great way to transport yourself back to the Parks. 

"Dead Men Tell No Tales"....Adventureland

Our next stop on our tour of the Magic Kingdom brings us to Adventureland. Adventureland is home to five attractions, three of which are opening day attractions.

The first attraction you come to is the Swiss Family Treehouse. Based on the old film Swiss Family Robinson, this walk-through attraction brings the family home created on the deserted island. This is one of the original attractions to Magic Kingdom.

We next come to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The newest attraction in Adventureland, this attraction is modeled after Fantasyland's Dumbo attraction. Guests fly around in Magic Carpets...but beware of the spitting camels! This is a favorite of kids and families.

The next attraction we come to is a classic. The Jungle Cruise is a Walt original concept. This attraction is not only a Walt Disney World opening day attraction, but a Disneyland opening day attraction. Walt wanted an attraction with real animals, however when planning, it was discovered that the real animals they would have used would have been asleep during a majority of the attractions' operating hours. So the imagineers turned to audio animatronics to create this attraction. This attraction has stood the test of time. Part of the appeal of the Jungle Cruise are the corny jokes that the skippers tell throughout the cruise.

Weird Al's Skipper Dan

We then come to another MK original...the Enchanted Tiki Room. This attraction has gone through a couple of renditions throughout the years, however it is currently back to its original state. Just thinking about it puts the song back into my head. "In the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room, in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room, all the birds sing words and the flowers croon in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room."

Our final stop in Adventureland brings us to Pirates of the Caribbean. This attraction first opened in Disneyland in 1967. Imagineers didn't want to add it to the Magic Kingdom because of its close proximity to the Caribbean. However guests loved the attraction and so Pirates of the Caribbean was eventually added to Adventureland in 1973. Pirates of the Caribbean has thrilled audiences for many years. It even inspired a film franchise, introducing us to the character of Jack Sparrow. Because of the films successes, they then in turn inspired the attraction. In 2006, the attraction underwent refurbishment to add in characters from the film. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favorite attractions.

Before we finish our tour of Adventureland, I want to share one of the best Disney snacks there are: The Dole Whip.

The Dole Whip is an elusive snack that is only served in 2 locations in all of Walt Disney World: at the Polynesian Village Resort and at Aloha Isle in Adventureland. There are two versions that you can get: the Dole Whip cup, which is soft serve pineapple ice cream, or the Dole Whip float, which is the pineapple ice cream with pineapple juice. I am not a huge pineapple fan, but I sure love the Dole Whip. 

This brings us to the end of our tour of Adventureland. Be sure to check out all the fun details as you wander around (and watch out for the Tiki statues). 

Disney's Memory Maker

About a week ago, a friend posted about her upcoming Disney trip. I found myself commenting and raving about Disney's Memory Maker.

When on a family vacation, it's always hard to get that perfect group shot. More often than not, one person is always out of the picture. Throughout the years, Disney has done different photo things for their guests. Attractions had photos you could purchase. Select character meet and greets had photos you could purchase. After your photo was taken, you were given a slip and had to go to one of the shops in the park to see said photo. Over recent years, Disney has evolved this system into its current rendition, the Memory Maker.

Prior to your trip, you can opt to purchase the Memory Maker (currently, the prior to trip cost is $149, while the cost if you purchase on your trip is $169). While on your trip, anywhere you spot a PhotoPass photographer, you can stop and have your picture taken. Depending on how long of a line they have, you could get multiple shots in one location. After your photos are taken, the cast member will scan your Magic Band, which loads the photos to your account. You can then immediately view these photos on your My Disney Experience App. Also, any attraction that offers a ride photo will automatically load your photo to your Magic Band (thank you RFID technology!); sometimes there's even a video of you on that attraction. Sometimes, photographers will also do what's called a "magic shot". They will pose you a particular way and take your picture, and then, thanks to some Disney magic, when you see your picture, there will be a character there.

 taken October 2016

 taken April 2015

taken October 2016

Once you return home, you can log into your Disney account (the same one linked to your My Disney Experience App) to then view and download your photos. This is where the fun begins. You can then also add fun borders and stickers to the photos. There are different borders for different times of year, different events, and even different attractions.

I absolutely love Disney's Memory Maker. Last October, my husband and I went on our honeymoon to Walt Disney World. I knew from the beginning I would have Memory Maker on our trip. Almost every photographer I spotted, we stopped for a picture. They have photographers placed all over the parks (multiple in high-photo locations, such as the landmarks of each park). There are also photographers at every character meet and greet. Wanting a picture on your device (phone, camera, etc)? Don't worry-the cast member will take ones for you with your device. They may even snap one of you taking a selfie with Mickey

We ended up with over 300 photos on our Memory Maker. And that was before I started adding borders and stickers. 

Memory Maker is definitely worth the cost. If you just added together the cost of attraction pictures alone, it's paid for itself. The photos taken are some of the best souvenirs from a magical Disney vacation. (bonus tip: if you have a celebration button on, sometimes you end up with even more photos) 

Below are more examples of some of the different things you can add to photos. 

 year border 

 attraction border (they also have attraction stickers)

 character signature (not every character has a signature option)

seasonal border 

 Park-specific border (there are also park-specific stickers)

Special Event Border (there are also special event stickers) 

different sticker options (the ones shown here are more location-specific) 

 more sticker options (these ones are more generic options)

Walt Disney World border

The Crystal Palace

One of my favorite places to dine in the Magic Kingdom...really in all of Walt Disney World...is the Crystal Palace. Located at the end of Main Street, with a stunning view of Cinderella Castle, the Crystal Palace is an all you care to eat buffet. It is also a character dining experience, where you can meet Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.

The Crystal Palace is always one of the "must do's" I have when going to Disney. I love the design, the food, the atmosphere. While I have dined there for lunch, I have to say that their breakfast is my favorite. Their breakfast includes your classic Mickey waffles, breakfast potatoes, meats, eggs, fruit, pastries, and other breakfast goodies. But my favorite thing, the item that I always get at the Crystal Palace, is Pooh's Puffed French Toast. It is so delicious. They take toast, dip it in batter, fry it, them roll it in cinnamon and sugar. You can find it on the kid's buffet.
(and if you want to make it at home, you can find the recipe here: Pooh's Puffed French Toast)

doesn't that look delicious?

Because the Crystal Palace is a buffet and a character meal, it does have a higher price tag to it. These prices vary between meals (breakfast is less expensive than lunch, lunch is less expensive than dinner), and time of year. Most recently, breakfast for adults ranged in price from $24.99 to $32.00 and for children 3-9 $13.99 to $19.00. A way to get the most "bang for your buck" would be to make the Crystal Palace count for 2 meals...consider making a brunch reservation or a late lunch reservation. Not only are you dining at an "off time", you could potentially be saving your family a little bit of money.

The Crystal Palace is a beautiful place to dine. It's also the only place to meet Pooh and Friends. Consider it when making your future dining reservations.

Let's Eat! Buttered Chicken Edition

Welcome to a special food edition of the blog. This evening we were transported back to the Food and Wine festival. My husband made buttered chicken. This dish was featured in the Africa Marketplace during the 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Buttered Chicken from the Food and Wine Festival, shown with naan bread and Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz

When I first read "buttered chicken", this wasn't what I pictured. I hadn't envisioned this chili-like dish. Quite flavorful, with a little bit of zing to it (or for me more zing, but I don't take spicy well). 

This dish is also served regularly at Sanaa, a restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.  

Here's what you'll need to make your very own Butter Chicken. This recipe serves 6. 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup water

3 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2/3 cup tikka masala*

3 tablespoons red chili paste

1 tomato, diced

1 tablespoon canola oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3-4 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

* we weren't able to find tikka masala, so my husband made his own, using the spices that are generally included in tikka masala

Remove fat from chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is soft. Stir in water. Add garam masala, paprika, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, tikka masala, red chili paste, and tomato. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear it on all sides; continue to cook until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat, drain juices, and season with salt and pepper. 

Add chicken to sauce over medium heat. Stir in cilantro and cream, then remaining butter, cut in cubes. Stir in lemon juice. 

Serve with warm basmati rice. 

Tonight's final product

One bite and I was transported right back to that picnic table along the World Showcase Promenade. It was divine. 

I hope you enjoy!

Recipe found in the book Kitchen Magic with Mickey, page 79. 

"I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street USA"

Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA

Photo taken October 2016

We'll continue our tour of the Magic Kingdom with a stop at the first "land" you encounter: Main Street USA. Main Street USA in both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park are modeled after Walt Disney's childhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri. The feeling I get on Main Street is that of nostalgia. The design of the buildings. The costumes of the cast members. The carriages and streetcars that travel up and down Main Street throughout the day.

Another Disney factoid for you: the windows of Main Street USA feature different names. According to Disney legend Marty Sklar (one of my favorite Disney Imagineers), there are requirements for a name to appear on a Main Street window...namely retirement, a high level of achievement, and an agreement between the park management and Disney Imagineering*. The windows appear as fictitious businesses that typically relate to the persons interests or what they did. (For example: one of Walt Disney's windows refers to him as the Chief Engineer at the Walt Disney World Railroad Office-due to his love of trains).

Main Street USA is where you can meet the Big Cheese himself: Mickey Mouse. His meet and greet is quite unique in the Magic Kingdom because he actually talks to you! When I met him in 2015, he told my mother, sister and I all about the hitchhiking ghosts from the Haunted Mansion, then posed us as hitchhikers for our photo.

photo taken April 2015 with Disney's Memory Maker

Main Street USA is lined with shops, featuring everything from baked good to fine jewelry. The largest shop featured is the Emporium. There is also a barber shop, where guests can get their hair cut. There is also Main Street Bakery, featuring Starbucks coffee. At the end of Main Street there is the Plaza Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, and Casey's Corner. Down from Casey's Corner, with a stunning view of Cinderella Castle, is the Crystal Palace (which I will be giving a more in-depth review of in the future).

Main Street USA is a great welcome into the Magic Kingdom. It sets the stage for a magical day.

* while I had previously read this information, I did reference Wikipedia and its sources to garner more details for your reading pleasure. Here's a link to their page of all the windows throughout Disney properties. Main Street Window Honors

"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy"

Magic Kingdom. The quintessential Disney experience. When most think of Walt Disney World, they think of Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom is divided up into 6 different themed lands: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Each land is connected to the central hub-Cinderella Castle. These lands are rich with theming. And so much attention to detail. Example: throughout Liberty Square, you see a wave of brown concrete that runs through the center of the main walkways. This signifies the sewage that was in the streets in Colonial America.

*photo taken in April 2015 

For me, Magic Kingdom marks the beginning. In most of my Disney trips that I can recall, this is the first park we have gone to on our first full day. I love walking in under the train station, seeing the old attraction posters, then walking around the square in Main Street to see the Castle. Every time it is just so magical. On my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, my husband and I had early morning reservations for the Crystal Palace, which granted us early entrance into Magic Kingdom. Being able to stroll down Main Street with barely anyone around us was absolutely amazing. They even had a PhotoPass photographer out near the Castle Hub. A picture with the Castle with not a lot of people in the background? Yes please! 

*photo taken October 2016

In planning for a day at Magic Kingdom, the best advice I can give is to plan to be there for what is known as "Rope Drop". This marks the beginning of the day at Magic Kingdom. Previously, this took place at the Main Street train station, with guests waiting right at the park entrance. It was recently changed to take place at the Cinderella Castle stage. Because of this move, guests are able to be in the park prior to opening, which may make images like the one above harder to come by. Magic Kingdom has by far the most attractions of any Walt Disney World park, so I recommend a full day's worth of time for Magic Kingdom if you are wanting to experience as much of the park as you can. 

There's so much more that can (and eventually will) be talked about when it comes to Magic Kingdom. Stay tuned for more. For now I will leave you with "Kiss Goodnight". 

The Kiss Goodnight

"It was all started by a mouse"...

...well not exactly.

In the summer of 1996, my dad was working in Plant City, Florida, just outside of Tampa. What was originally supposed to be a short job turned into months. After the first month, we flew down to see him. I was 6, my sister was 2. We were only an hour away, so my mom insisted we go to Walt Disney World. And so it began.

Anyone who has met me knows that I love Disney, especially Walt Disney World. For years I have talked about writing about my Disney experiences and giving Disney advice. With the encouragement of my husband, here I am. The name of my blog comes from my nickname, 2Bug. My great-grandmother gave it to me when I was a baby. It's very much a part of my being.

So here it is. I will be blogging about Disney: past experiences, opinions, pretty much anything. This will be my Disney outlet. Follow me along on this journey.