It's Official - Vacation Began!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - 
It is no secret.  I'm a Disney brat.  Love everything that Mr. Walt gave us.  So when the organization I work for selected and held their national convention in Orlando, it only made sense to plan a vacay around it!  And since some of my closest friends (yes, they also work for Sigma Kappa) were around, we already had the crew ready for some great times together!

Convention ended on July 11, and that is when the vacation began.  During what we (those who experience convention as a staff member) like to call "convention coma," we decided to kick off the vacation with dinner and a stroll at Downtown Disney after lounging at the pool the following day.

Side note, have you seen the Marriott World Center's pool?  It is just one reason to visit this amazing property...

Really, the photo doesn't do it justice.  Photo is compliments of the Marriott World, though this is what I looked out at every morning!

One of the many reasons I love Disney is their attention to detail.  And when they take that detail and apply it to food, well, it is almost like a match made in heaven (personal opinion of course.)  Some of the adorable food items that I found while strolling the stores:


After a stroll, we decided to dine at Raglan Road Irish Pub.  Decked out to replicate an Irish pub (which I miss so much!) you instantly want to indulge in a beverage and authentic Irish food.  The dark carved wood and accents of deep green around the leather booths - it just feels right to sit back and relax.  And of course, a dancing Irish man helps too.

 

For dinner, I had ordered the wild mushroom and chicken pot pie.  As they call it "Pie in the Sky," the pot pie was served with a lightly dressed "Rocket" salad.

The pie was lacking in flavor and mushrooms, but was a great creamy chicken mixture under the flaky crust.  Of course, the puff pastry was wonderful and crispy, so my excitement to indulge in the Irish fare with a twist was slightly shattered when I actually had it. It was just lacking in flavor overall, leaving me with a bland cream sauce.  Now, I don't think this is normal, as I have other items at the restaurant before and have always been pleased.  I still recommend the restaurant if you are wondering where to eat and are at Downtown Disney (though the Wolfgang Puck's restaurant has this pumpkin ravioli which is just beyond amazing....)

Other things you see while walking around Downtown Disney:





 Overall, day one was a success!  Next up, Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Here is a preview...


Cause, as you can tell, we sure are!

**Thank you to my friend RN for letting me steal some photos - dancing man, lego dragon, clock crock and our excitement**