5. Ride the Mountains Three of four WDW Mountain rides are located in Magic Kingdom. Big Thunder and Splash Mountain are right next to each in Frontierland. So when you are done riding one, you can hop in line for the other! Space Mountain is on the opposite side of the park in Tomorrowland. Every time I go to Magic Kingdom with a group of friends, we always ride at least one mountain. Between the classic Splash Mountain photo op, screaming on the wildest ride in the wilderness or goofing off of the moving sidewalk exit, memories can easily be made on these rides. The mountains are some of the most popular rides in Magic Kingdom, so the wait times are long. See if you can fit in all three in one day. Don't forget to visit Animal Kingdom to ride the fourth mountain: Expedition Everest. 4. Mickey's Philharmagic This is one of my favorite attractions in Magic Kingdom and what I consider to be a hidden gem. It is not the most popular ride, so I had no idea what to expec...

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers! When I first heard about the movie Zootopia , I was a little apprehensive. The idea of anthropomorphic animals has been done countless times, even by Disney themselves.  I knew that in order for this movie to be successful, it's story needed to be unique to set it apart from all of the other anthropomorphic animal movies. I had high expectations of the movie from the very start. I was not disappointed. One of the first things I noticed about the movie was how contemporary it was. There are CDs, cell phones, cars, voice recorders, apps, pop stars and the DMV. It reminded me of one of my personal favorite Disney movies, 101 Dalmatians. 101 Dalmatians was really the first contemporary Disney movie. It was set in the year it was released (1961) and featured technology of the time such as TV, radio and cars. Even the style of animation was based on contemporary art. While some people critized this movie for not feeling "Disne...

  My biggest tip for Disney during Christmas week is: don't. Don't do it. It is tempting because the kids will have off school and there will be special events going on all over the park, but do NOT do it. Christmas is absolutely insane. It is the busiest time of the year at the busiest place in the entire world. So that adds up to a lot of crowds. Crowds so thick that it will take you 2 hours to walk from the castle to the exit, a journey that normally takes 5 minutes. Attractions people detest, like the Barnstormer will have hour long waits. And that means the rides you'll actually want to go on will be a 2 or even 3 hour wait.  The line to even get into the park will be an hour long. The parks will not let people in after a certain time because of capacity. You'll feel claustrophobic. You won't get to do much. And it's more expensive to go during Christmas. DO NOT DO IT. You can still experience what the parks have to offer during the Chri...

A  Disney trip can be expensive. Luckily, Disney Darling Blog has some tips and tricks to save money at Walt Disney World:  1. Get H2O for 0 Most of the quick service food stands will give you a free cup of water if you just ask for it! I usually do this instead of bringing a water bottle because water bottles take up room in bags, on rides and can easily be lost. Once you finish your free cup of water, you can throw it away. If you are thirsty later, you can always get another one. A water bottle costs $3.50.  Say you have a family of four and you each buy 2 plastic bottles of water every day and you're staying for four days. $3.50 x 4 x 2 x 4 = $112. If you chose to get free cups of ice water, you could be saving over $100! 2. Skip the stroller Instead of renting a stroller from the parks or outside companies, just have your kids walk. This is good for several reasons. Your kids will get exercise and burn off some energy before having to stand in half-an-hour lon...

5. Festivals/ Holidays EPCOT has two main events every year. If you visit WDW in the fall, you have to go to Food and Wine Festival. Tour the World Showcase and sample food from each country. Not only do the pavilions such as Canada, China and Mexico have their own stands, but countries not featured in the World Showcase such as Scotland, Korea and Greece have their own stands. There's also fun activities like the Eat to the Beat concert series.  If you visit WDW in the spring, you'll get the opportunity to go to the Flower and Garden Festival.  I have personally never attended, but it's on my bucket list! All throughout EPCOT are topiaries of Disney characters. And for aspiring gardeners, there are information sessions. There's also a butterfly garden featuring Tinkerbell and her fairy friends. Like Food and Wine, there is a concert series. For kids, there are interactive playgrounds.  I also have to mention EPCOT during the winter holidays. You can explore the...

Let's be real: Florida gets HOT. And MUGGY. This can make visiting the Walt Disney World parks a miserable experience if you are not careful. You can be outside for 4 minutes and already feel the sweat on your face. Most of the time, you're too distracted by all the wonders around you to notice. But, if the heat ever does get to you, here are some things you can do: TIP: Try to avoid the parks during the hottest part of the day, which is the afternoon. If you can, plan to visit the park in the morning, go back the hotel for a break in the afternoon, and return to the parks in the evening. Check the day's weather forecast (hour by hour) so you know exactly when to leave and when to return. TIP: Do Disney at night! Not only is it cooler, but the lines are shorter! This is a great option if you are visiting with a group whose bedtime is after 9. Check out the parks' schedules before making plans. You may even want to consider purchasing an After Hours event ticke...

In honor of Valentine's Day, I complied a list of my favorite Disney love songs. Here is the complete list: Love Is A Song - from Bambi I'm Wishing/ One Song - from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Someday My Prince Will Come - from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Part Of Your World (Reprise) - from The Little Mermaid Bella Notte - from Lady and The Tramp Can You Feel The Love Tonight - from The Lion King (both the movie version and Elton John's version are beautiful!) So This Is Love - from Cinderella I Wonder/Once Upon A Dream - from Sleeping Beauty Ki ss The Girl - from The Little Mermaid If I Never Knew You - from Pocahontas I Won't Say I'm In Love - from Hercules I Can't Help Falling In Love With You - from Lilo And Stitch Something There - from Beauty And The Beast A Whole New World - from Aladdin Ma Belle Evangeline - from The Princess And The Frog I See The Light - from Tangled Beauty And The Beast - from Beauty And The Beast ...

5. Toy Story Land Toy Story is a Disney franchise close to my heart, so I adore that there is an entire land dedicated to it! Shirnk down to the size of a toy and visit Andy's backyard. This land has some great attractions like Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Midway Mania. There are some great eats like the totchos (tater tots with nacho toppings) and lunchbox tarts. The land even offers some great photo ops with all of its props and theming.  4. Time Travel For a Meal Two of the most highly suggested restaurants at WDW are in Studios. They are Sci-Fi Diner and 50's Prime Time Diner. Both will take you back in time to the nifty fifties. Sci-Fi is themed after a drive-in movie theater. The tables look like cars and you are able to watch movie clips as you eat! 50's Prime Time is themed after a typical 50's house with pastel colors and knick knacks galore. The best part about Prime Time is the Cast Members that work it! The waiters were all into the theme, big time....

What to expect for Animal Kingdom in 2016 Mickey wants you to visit DAK!          For more info on planning your 2016 WDW trip, check out these articles: Top 5 Things to do at Animal Kingdom Quick Tips to Save Money What Should I Bring With Me To The Parks?      Disney World is always growing. And no park will experience more growth in the year of 2016 than Animal Kingdom. The company is working hard to make sure this hidden gem gets to sparkle in the limelight. And as someone who used to call DAK their home, I’m very excited about what lies in store for my often overlooked park! 1. Later Hours! Now you can spend more time in the best park of them all! Most people believe that the park closes a 5 every evening. This is false, and has been for months! One afternoon while working, I encountered a little boy slumping. “Why do we have to leave so early?” he whined to his mother. The mother replies, “Because this park closes ...

The best way to visit the parks is travel light. Whenever I go to the parks I usually either bring a small clutch with my debit card, cell phone, and sunglasses inside. This saves me time having to go though bag check. This also saves me energy as I do not have to lug around a heavy backpack all day long. And it saves the frustration of trying to jam all of my stuff into the tiny compartments on the rides. Here is a list of things you may want to bring with you to the parks: Cell phone  Camera (can be skipped if you use your phone or photo pass photographers) Sunscreen Small fan (can be a good idea for kids) Water bottle (you can get free cups of water throughout the parks, but you may prefer your own water bottle) Umbrella/poncho (check the weather first) Autograph book/ pen (if meeting characters) Trading Pins (if a pin trader) Snacks (if you plan to bring some for kids) Sunglasses Hat If you plan on bringing more, I suggest renting a locker. These are great,...