Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts

Around the World in 5 Hours 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 -
After a great cruise, hubs and I made our way back to Orlando for our final days of vacation. Leaving Port Canaveral that morning, we had pretty much all of Friday to spend at Hollywood Studios. It was crazy busy because it was also Star Wars weekend. Some great costumes, that is for sure. We didn't last long - rode a few rides here and there, but we ended up leaving early to get some rest at our hotel, the Marriott World Center.



We ended back at the Boardwalk for some dinner that night only to head back to Hollywood to ride a few more rides before heading home. If you haven't seen the show Fantasmic! in the Studios, I insist you see it soon. Great show!


On Saturday, we took our time getting ready by laying out at the pool and relaxing. We grabbed some lunch at the Polynesian resort and then headed over to Epcot to drink our way around the world with one of my great friends, Stacy, and her friend, Matt.


We had a great time beginning in the United Kingdom, only to end in France for the fireworks.


It was a great vacation, ending with a quick lunch at The Wilderness Lodge before saying goodbye on Sunday. Couldn't have done it without Stacy. I always look forward to seeing her at least once a year. This girl can give a hub, let me tell you. She's so friendly, so giving, so caring. A great, true friend that I met back in 2009. Glad to have her in my life.

Now, we have been back in Indy for a bit. Am I missing The Mouse? Absolutely. After all, this is a place that is magical. Hubs and I got engaged there, and we've returned with friends and by ourselves many times always enjoying every minute. Lots of great memories, and I'm happy to say we had another fantastic vacation once again!

'Our' rock where we become an engaged couple in 2006

Muah - love you hubs. Thanks for a great 30th birthday vacation!

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Happiness at Sea 

Friday, June 1, 2012 -
After our first couple days in the Disney parks, hubs and I made our way towards the ocean. Towards a ship that I was extremely jealous of during our last cruise for hubs 30th birthday.

I may or may not have tried to get on this boat rather than the one we were really on. Okay, I thought about it though I didn't act on it. I really wanted to, trust me on this.

Beyond the fact that I adore The Mouse, there are man other reasons why I advocate for this cruise line. Disney Cruise Line (DCL) knows what they are doing. People scoffed and said "you are going on a Disney cruise? There are going to be so many kids..."

Well, everyone. I am happy to report that though there were children, there were no more children on this boat than there was on the other. If anything, I'd say I saw less children on the boat because Disney gets it.

They have a variety of different areas just for children of all ages. A nursery, a tween area, an area for teenagers. And you guessed it, that also means there is a variety of areas that are adult only. Plus, a lot of family friendly areas too - like the movie theater (called the Buena Vista Theater) where we saw "The Avengers" and "John Carter", or the Walt Disney Theater where we saw two Broadway style shows (The Villians was absolutely fantastic) and a comedy show.



We stopped in Nassau and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, where we spent time on an adult only beach - Serenity Bay. Talk about a quiet place - it was beautiful.


That evening, we also got to experience fireworks at sea. There is only one cruise line that does fireworks at sea and I was happy to on board. They call it 'Pirates IN the Caribbean' - cute. One of my favorite moments was sitting under the stars on deck, watching Pirates while literally being in the Caribbean with a drink in hand. Love it.



Five days and our nights were perfect. We were never bored, we ate well, and we saw great entertainment. We had such a great time, we even booked another cruise! Alaska 2013 here we come - who's in?

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Happiest Place on Earth 

Monday, May 28, 2012 -
I know, I know. After the last time, I promised I would be around more. I guess life got away from me once again. With a trip to Vegas for work, followed by long days of playing catch up at work before leaving again for vacation, time got away from me.

When time gets away from you, sometimes one just needs to get away themselves. And this vacation that hubs and I had planned to continue the 30th celebration couldn't have come at a better time. We had scheduled a great vacation of a few casual days on Disney property, followed by our first ever Disney cruise aboard the Magic ship, then a few more days at the parks before heading back home.

Not that I need to tell you that I adore Disney. But I was really looking forward to this for a variety of reasons. Those first few days really were just what I needed. We spent our first day flying to Orlando (hubs worked in the am) and picking up our rental before checking into the hotel. We really wanted a casual night to kick off our vacation. Plus, a movie that I had been wanting to see, Dark Shadows, just opened in the theaters. We made our way to Downtown Disney and had a casual movie date night, while taking in the sights and sounds of the vacation destination.

The next day, we spent sometime in Magic Kingdom, with a quick jaunt to Fort Wilderness for lunch at Trail's End (you can read more about that over at City Nom Noms).


A relaxing afternoon followed by dinner in Epcot was just the day I needed to kick start our vacation. We were lucky to see the Flower & Garden Festival once again this year. It amazes me to what they can do with all the flowers, not to mention the great photo spots that become available.


The next day, we got up and started to casually make our way to Port Canaveral to board our cruise. More to come on that. Here's a hint - it was amazing!

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We've Got a Gator 

Monday, April 9, 2012 -

As promised, day 5 brought gifts! Yes, I did buy these for myself, but when they got delivered I couldn't have been more surprised. You see, Vinylmation is usually a surprise. And though I knew I was going to receive the Hawaii and Japan Vinylmation, but the Ice Gator was a surprise (I was hoping for the bride from Haunted Mansion). That is what makes Vinylmation hunting so intense...you really never know what you may get. Sometimes, the anxiety is pretty intense...let's leave it at that.

Day 6 - more bubbles! I like this sparking wine thing that I've got going on. It works for me. Plus, I was able to share with friends after over a campfire and s'mores.

Pizza from Toppers for day 7. Normally, I wouldn't chalk that up to be a fun part of birthday month, but staying in and being lazy without any plans in the world is unique. Quiet and precious. I couldn't help to love the Downton Abbey marathon and the cheesy breadsticks. If you read my other blog, you'll receive more information soon.

And of course, day 8 was a holiday. Friends, lots of food, and furry costume made it complete. I'm looking forward to a new week!

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Three Weeks. But Who's Counting? 

Sunday, March 25, 2012 -
Convo that happened today.

Hubs: "How come I haven't see anything on your blog lately?"
Me: "I'm blogging today, I have some reviews to post."
Hubs: "Nope, I mean on Entertaining."
Me: "Oh. Well, um...I guess I'm entertaining life daily rather than writing?"

Sometimes it happens to all of us who blog. I'd like to say I haven't had the time. But I've been keeping up with one of my New Year's goals. The one where I said I wouldn't over-program myself. The one where I would try to only do a few things a week, 3 max. I've been pretty successful I might say. By successful, I mean I haven't strayed at all. Yup. Go me.

So with that said, I have been Entertaining Life Daily, but I haven't been the best at recapping these events or all the new kitchen creations that hubs and I have noshed on throughout the year.

Like this past weekend, hubs and I went to Clowes Hall (on Butler's campus) for great show with two friends. We went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. You may think, "Angie. You are a Disney fan. You are a Pirates fan. What is special about it this time?"

Photo Credit
Well, the answer is that it wasn't JUST the movie. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played all the music in the movie. So while the moving was showing, live music brought it to life in perfect synchronization. A choir sang the music so well that I sometimes forgot that there was a live performance happening while the screen was playing the movie. It was an amazing performance and I'd go in a heartbeat for any other movie they would like to perform. Congrats ISO, it was a beautiful show! Not to mention, we got sippy cups again.

And today, a Sunday brunch rather than a dinner. But that my friends, a recap later this week.

I promise.

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Super Disney?! 

Sunday, January 22, 2012 -
Part of the amazing experience of volunteering for the Super Bowl means the volunteers are given a great opportunity to be part of some great training programs. Yesterday, the NFL hosted the first ever Fans First pep rally. With a friend and two new friends with me, hubs and I headed downtown to be part of this first ever experience.

There was a lot of enthusiasm in the area, from both the staff and volunteers in the area. Blue, the Colt's mascot, was present and taking photos as were the Colt's cheerleaders. A few of the Colt's players were there as well to share some stories and their experiences this past season. But I wasn't there for those reasons. I was there to be part of the experience.

And for the Disney Institute.

My love of Disney has been incorporated into my volunteer experience and I couldn't be happier. We had great conversations on why the Super Bowl experience was special for each one of us, as well as how we could serve the visitors of Indianapolis to showcase the city and entertainment that is being offered, with safety first of course.


Disney has it figured out. Guest service is what it is all about. That includes safety, enthusiasm, experience and memories. It was really a great experience to learn and listen to all of the facilitators present, as well as from my fellow volunteers.

Volunteering for the Super Bowl and having Disney be part of that? I'm one lucky girl.

To make me even luckier? This girl and her hubs are owners of Super Bowl tickets! A good friend helped us out and we are now proud owners of these two tickets to memories!


Happy Super Bowl season!

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Beauty & the Beast the Musical 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 -
Hubs is awesome.  Why you may ask?  Well, lots of reasons.  One is because he goes to musicals with me.  From 101 Dalmatians to Legally Blonde, he is awesome.  But note, he'd be lying to you if he said he didn't like him.  He'll admit to liking them - I think.

This past weekend, we went and saw Beauty & the Beast at Clowes Hall.  I was really excited for it, but kind of let down.  Belle's costume just wasn't right.  Both the blue dress and the gold dress, it just wasn't what I expected.  And there seemed to be a lot of production in other areas which left me confused.  How could you not get a classic dress right, but have an extravagant stage floor?

However, the classic Be Our Guest had me singing along with enthusiasm (and the little girl in front waving enthusiastically) and Lumiere was by far my favorite actor of the evening.  So comical and extravagant in his gestures made a human as a candlestick believable.  The Beast was a slightly lackluster, more comedic in areas than I expected, but the audience seemed to eat this up.  Belle was beautiful and her acting good, as were all the other characters, but nothing that shined over the top for me.  But the child who played Chip - adorable.

Besides the show, we did learn that Clowes (which is on Butler's campus) now has these ingenious sippy cups for adults. 

You can take your drink into the theatre and sip your beer or wine throughout the show.  Lovely, just lovely.

Lots of hugs to hubs - you are the best!

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Our New Addition: Remy! 

Wednesday, August 17, 2011 -
For those of you who follow me on twitter or facebook, you may have already seen our new family addition.  On Sunday, a pup names Remy came home with us and is happy to be in our home (well, we think so at least!)


We had been discussing getting a second pup for quite sometime.  As many of you may know, Nala, is a ball full of energy.  We wanted her to have a playmate, so we began our quest.  I was all about getting a rescue dog or a pup from the humane society, so we kept our eyes pealed.  Fortunately, it all worked out!


We made our way to the Tri-State Shiba Rescue in Ohio this past Sunday.  We learned that Remy (who was then being called Nelly) had been found wandering the streets by the dog warden.  The pound had her for a few weeks, but Remy kept escaping.  By escaping, this means she was jumping 7 foot fences.  Yup, we have a climber on our hands.  They couldn't keep utilizing their resources for the same dog, so they asked the rescue to take her (rather than the sad alternative).  Once the rescue posted her photos, we called immediately and within 24-hours, Remy was on her way to her new home.


Something you may not know, her full name.  Nala's full name is Nala Alice De Vil.  Yup, like Nala from Lion King, Alice from Alice in Wonderland and of course (my fave), Cruella from 101 Dalmations.

I'm sure you guessed already that Remy is named after Disney as well...Good guess, cause you are right.  Her full name is Remy Kanga Malificent.  Remy from Ratatouille, Kanga from Winnie the Pooh, and Malificent from Sleeping Beauty.  I'm a villain lover, so villains had to be part of the name.

Nala is getting used to her (slowly), but Remy has embraced home and all the love she is being showered with.  We affectionately call our house 'the circus' now, as I'm sure walking two Shiba's down the street can look quite amusing.

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Disney Photo Recap 

Friday, August 12, 2011 -
As previously mentioned, I was in Orlando for a conference.  However, I also was able to indulge in a little 'me & Mouse' time while I was there.  But not my typical time.  I really did a lot of things that I never do when I'm on Disney property.  The one day that I really spent in the parks, I spent by myself. 

I always though, what would it be like to spend a day in a park by myself.  Well, now I 'kind of' know.  I say kind of, because it was so incredibly hot, that I think I would have modified my plan quite a bit.  This time around, I...

1. Only  rode two rides the entire visit.  Yup, only two - the Great Movie Ride and Toy Story Mania.  Everything else was a show or attraction.  For instance, the Voyage of the Little Mermaid.  A 30 minute broadway type show - I was impressed and couldn't believe I hadn't seen it before!




2. I didn't snack on my normal food.  I had a banana and iced coffee for breakfast at Starring Rolls cafe (which is where these deliciously looking cupcakes were), ate some pizza at Pizza Planet (with a side of Caesar salad), had Moroccan sliders in Morocco and snacked at a few other places.  No Dole whips, no Mickey bars.  All new foods for this gal!





3. Enjoying the beach - I have to admit, I've never been to a resort pool before.  AND I had never walked around the Polynesian Resort.  I did both this time around (and got a great tan doing so!)


 


4. Watching all the country videos in Epcot.  I've seen all of these at one point in time, but I normally skip these as I am usually drinking or eating my way around the world.  However, the air conditioned theaters allowed me a break from the heat, plus another opportunity to see things I hadn't been able to see in quite sometime.



5. Took in the artwork.  I've always known there are great shops with fantastic artwork, but I really took my time taking it all in.  What I would do for a shopping spree in some of these stores - I just love all of it.  Some day, when I have my Disney themed room (yup, hubs knows about this already) I'll decorate to my hearts content!

6. Cried.  Well, this isn't the first time I've cried at Disney, but I walked around Walt's Dream and just took it all in.  How could one man bring so much joy to all these people?  Utterly amazing.  And I found my new motto to live each day with:

One day, I'll only search for hidden Mickey's.  Just sayin'...

Thanks for allowing me to share!  And Stacy, thanks again for a great time!

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Where Have I Been?! 

Thursday, August 4, 2011 -
If you didn't know already, here's a hint...

Yup, I made my way to Orlando once again this year.  But, this time it was both professionally and personally.  I attended the Meeting Professional International World Education Conference - I know, a mouthful, which is why it is lovingly abbreviated MPI WEC.  I began by taking my Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exam which was a huge weight off my shoulders.  The studying had taken over my life for the past few months and it was great to finally be able to wash my hands of it.  I don't hear results for 8 weeks, so I can't really tell you how I did quite yet.  More to come on that - cross your fingers for me!

Attending a conference for meeting planners organized by meeting professionals, you know it is going to be amazing.  The opening reception was at Epcot - unbelievable.  My favorite place in the world closes for me?!  Amazing.  Yes, I understand it wasn't for just me but I can pretend. The theme was Epcot Alive!, which focused on sustainability, the earth and all that it encompasses.  Three areas were utilized - The Seas pavilion, The Land pavilion and Innoventions. Each area had food and drinks that were themed around the area, as well as cast members who were performing within the theme as well.  Amazing - best opening reception I think I will ever attend.  Here are some photos for The Seas:


The Land pavilion I think was the most amazing to me.  The whole area was decked out in green - live trees, live plants, you name it.  No line for Soarin', and we walked right onto the boat for the Living the Land attraction.  Amazing.  Here is a short video of a performance - a cast member was portraying a tree through the seasons.  I hate that I only got the end, but you can imagine...
Crowd control was perfect, directing people between all three in the beginning to allow for a good crowd flow.  So our last stop to Innoventions wasn't very busy. 
Amazing music - I saw these musicians a few times while I was in the parks, but I love the costumes this time around!

And of course, it ended with IllumniNations - a firework spectacular (yes, I did get engaged at this park during this show, so I'm partial!)

The conference was full of programming and great networking opportunities.  I saw Kelly Cutrone from People's Revolution speak twice - an open honest conversation that would inspire anyone to really move forward professionally.  Speaker Simon Sinek was one of the best professional speakers I have ever seen.  He had a great presentation on the 'why' of what we do - I encourage you to youtube him or visit the WEC website for details.  Amazing. Though the food at the banquet was not very good, they even had an Iron Chef competition at a banquet.  St. Louis, the next host city for 2012, had a luncheon as well where we enjoyed comedian Kathleen Madigan - hilarious!

After all the educational sessions, the conference ended with a closing reception at Universal Studio's City Walk and the Hard Rock Cafe.  Once again, a great event full of food and drinks and a lot of entertainment!

Next up - how I unwound after the exam and conference - a vacay at Disney of course!

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Then & Now 

Saturday, July 23, 2011 -
Where have I been? Well, I've been around. Cooking, working, entertaining life daily with a busy schedule.

Sometimes, life happens.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a lot of time to write to all of you. I hope you don't hold this against me.

Today I took a test. The Certified Meeting Professional exam. I didn't get to study as much as I would have liked, but enough that it became my life for the month of July. But, I think it went well - thank you to all those who sent well wishes!

So, that is where I've been.

And where am I now? Orlando - yes, again. For a conference followed by play time. So I'll be out of commission blog wise for another week or so. But don't worry (that is, if you are), I'll be back soon.

Be prepared for more Disney love, delicious food and events! We still have a lot planned for this summer!

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Disney World Continued... 

Monday, June 13, 2011 -
This post is extremely delayed.  As I mentioned, work is extremely busy right now.  Sometimes life gets busy.  It just happens.  With work, I've been working at home in the evenings as well to ensure all is set for our upcoming event.  That means, not as much time for blogging.  But alas, I'm slowly getting back into it (though I can guarantee I'll be better in July).

Just wanted to share a few more photos from Disney.  We really had a great time with our close friends Sean and Melinda.  We visited Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach and, my favorite, Epcot.  Lots of great food (which you can ready about over at City Nom Noms), entertaining rides and amusing shows - building on memories and making new ones.  I love Disney, I can't help it, it is the happiest place on earth after all!





We also went to Universal Studios for some Harry Potter love.




It was really hard to come back - I'm still having withdrawals.  For some reason, it was really hard to come back.  Not the normal "I don't want vacation to end" but different - like what's next?  I guess we'll see...

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