A Newcomer's Guide to Disney

Today's post derived inspiration from an ordinary daily event that occurred this morning. My husband, Patrick, and I were walking our dogs and we opened our casual conversation with a discussion of our next Disney trip. As we were comparing our notes of past trips and plans for future trips, I realized that my relatively-newbie husband had some really great tips! He's a very intelligent guy and picks things up quickly but vacation planning has never been his strength, and he usually leaves those details to me. I am very proud of the tips he shared and I thought it would be a great topic for today's blog post.

Without further delay, I present to you "A Newcomer's Guide to Disney" as delivered by my newcomer husband and summarized by yours truly.

1. Plan a Resort Day

I was very surprised to hear that this was Patrick's number one tip but it made perfect sense after he explained it. Anyone new to Disney or theme parks in general will probably be exhausted after the first day and the top complaint is "do we REALLY have to wake up at 7am again tomorrow?" I recall hearing these words uttered by Patrick on our first trip together although he loved every minute of it. The truth is that most newbies are completely unaware of the amount of walking that is required to enjoy a day at any Disney park (we logged 10-12 miles every day on our last trip!) The best way to combat the exhaustion is to plan lots of breaks each day but also be sure to take a full day off whenever possible. Disney resorts provide a great escape because the pools are always the perfect temperature, there are plenty of food options at each property, and the resort transportation will take you anywhere you need to go. Turn off the alarm and sleep in one day, kick off your shoes and head to the pool, spend an hour in the arcade, and grab a fruity drink at the bar (or all of the above!) How many times have you said to yourself, "I spent $XX on this hotel room and only used it to sleep!" Get your money's worth and take at least one day to enjoy the surroundings. Your body will thank you for it when the alarm is ringing at 7am the next day!

2. Marry a Vacation Planner (or use a concierge service)

This tip started as a joke but it's not one to take lightly! Most families plan a trip to Disney to take a break from the stress of life but it's no secret that Disney is stressful in its own way. The best approach for eliminating undue stress is to have the trip planned out - arrival and departure, lodging, transportation, food, and souvenirs - in advance. If you don't have a type-A vacation planner in your family, then search for a concierge service that will handle the heavy lifting for you. There are some things that can't be planned, such as emergencies and last-minute issues, but most of the Disney stress can be handled months ahead of arrival. -- FYI you can always message me with questions or to ask for assistance. I'm a Disney-certified travel agent but I will never charge a dime to provide help or take a commission. I want everyone to love Disney as much as I do!

3. Try at Least One New Restaurant Each Trip

We love food! If we're not eating then we are thinking about our next meal (no shame!) Our fondest memories from each trip revolve around food and we actively plan our vacations to coincide with festivals where we can try new dishes. In fact, we'll be headed to the Lunar Festival at Disney's California Adventure next January and we can't wait to try all of the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese delicacies! Our favorite way to get in the Disney spirit is to look up menus for new restaurants and discuss which ones we'd like to try someday. We often take it a step further and find videos on YouTube so we can see the food up close! You don't have to take it to our level, but actively researching and preparing for both the cost and selection of food at Disney is a great way to avoid sticker shock when you make it to the parks.

4. Keep an Open Mind

This tip is a little vague but Patrick specifically meant that keeping an open mind is the only way he's been able to push himself out of his comfort zone to enjoy new experiences and handle unforeseen circumstances. For example, we went to a Disney water park for the first time last May and we were dropped off at the wrong location (our mistake, we wanted Blizzard Beach and ended up at Typhoon Lagoon). Instead of catching the first bus out of there, we decided to stick around and see what Typhoon Lagoon had in store for us. It was the best mistake we've ever made! We really enjoyed the lazy river and all of the water slides. This tip also extends to rides and restaurants; don't avoid a ride just because it's "for kids"- jump on and see if you like it! Disney is very adult-friendly and size-friendly for nearly all experiences so try it once and if you hate it then you'll never have to do it again :) 

5. Research and Use Packing Lists

This tip follows #2 pretty closely, but the cost of sundries at Disney is understandably expensive and you don't want to be caught on vacation without the necessities! Patrick's requirements include sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, blister band-aids (as well as regular band-aids), a fan or mister, and LOTS of water. In his words, "Drink lots of water. Even if you think you aren't thirsty, drink it anyway!" The average temperature in Orlando is much warmer than most areas of the United States and the added crowds don't make things any easier. Stay hydrated to keep yourself cool, ward away headaches, and keep muscles and joints pumping while you're walking all of those miles at the park.

I hope you've found this list useful; I know I've added a few of these tips to my own list! The best advice is to stay positive and have fun; take time to enjoy the little things as much as the big things and recount your memories often!

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2017

Festival fever is a real thing, and Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival (F&G) definitely delivered on the hype! We were so excited to visit in May because it was Patrick's first F&G experience and I just knew he would love it. You may recall my touring plan from this post and I am happy to report that it worked perfectly!! The map came in really handy when we were in a hurry and we were able to try sooo many more foods than expected.

The Epcot F&G Festival is full of culinary and horticulture delights, with lots of interactive adventures for the family. We enjoyed a full three day tour of Epcot on this trip and still didn't see everything on the agenda. It's definitely worth visiting every year because the food kiosks and displays are always changing.

It's no secret that Patrick and I love food; we usually stay awake for hours at the end of each vacation day just talking about the meals we had that day and the snacks we enjoyed. We like to rank our options so we know what we "must" order again someday and what can wait. This year's F&G Festival had a lot of winners! There were so many great options that we had to divide our options between *sweet* and *savory*. So here we go:

Sweet

Lacey's pick goes to the Freshly Baked Lemon Scone from Cider House. There were many dessert options that claimed to be "fresh" or "warm" but this is the only option that actually delivered on that promise. The powdered sugar melted into the scone and the berries were the perfect complement.

Patrick chose the Warm Wild Berry Buckle from The Berry Basket. It wasn't very warm but the flavor was unbelievably vibrant and the gelato had a wonderful creamy texture. It was a great option for a warm summer day!

Savory

Our final day at Epcot was the real winner because we tried a few things we really wish we had picked up sooner. The Beef Tenderloin Tips from Northern Bloom was a steal because at only $6.50 it ate like a meal and tasted like it came straight from a five-star kitchen! We had trouble sharing because we both wanted more of that amazing Bordelaise sauce.

The runner-up completely surprised us both. We had moved this option to the bottom of the list because we just weren't sure how much we would like it but I wish we had been more adventurous sooner! Tarte a l'Onion-Alsacienne is unlike anything else you'll find at any Disney park. It has a crispy onion top with a gooey caramelized onion filling on top of a puff pastry. Divine!

And you can't go to F&G without admiring the topiaries. They certainly are beautiful! We loved grabbing a snack and walking between the displays.

The PhotoPass lines weren't too long but we found that the best time to get pictures was between 9am and 11am before World Showcase opened. Grab breakfast at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in France and enjoy the peace and quiet before the crowds rush in!

Key takeaways from this year's festival: have a plan, schedule more than one day to enjoy the fun, and beat the crowd with early morning photo ops! Did you make it to F&G this year? Let me know your tips and tricks!

Disney World Resort Review - Boardwalk Inn

It's been a busy couple of months! Many apologies for being MIA. A quick catch-up: I've accepted a new position and our little family will be moving to Seattle this week! It's quite a change for us and while it means that we'll be farther from Disney World, it will take us closer to our beloved Disneyland and that's exactly where we aim to vacation next January. More details soon!

This post is about our most recent trip to Disney World in May 2017 and will focus on our accommodations: Disney's Boardwalk Inn. This is our second foray into Disney's Deluxe resorts, and I hate to admit that we weren't exactly impressed. Perhaps the excitement of Contemporary Resort was still fresh in our minds but our expectations of Boardwalk Inn were squashed from the moment we arrived at the lobby and found that bell services could not find our Amazon Prime Pantry order. Allow me to set the scene for you....

The day started as all Disney arrival days do, with lots of anticipation and eagerness. Our flight was on-time, no delays with Magical Express, and we were very happy to find that we were the first stop from the airport. We nearly galloped with joy from the Magical Express to the beautiful entryway of Boardwalk Inn with roller suitcase and carry-ons galore. Our plan was to check with bell services for our groceries, grab some celebration buttons from the front desk, and ask the concierge to confirm our reservation for the Wishes Dessert Party at Magic Kingdom. We made it to the hotel around 2:15pm, still no room text, and waited in the lobby for 45 minutes after retrieving our celebration buttons. I also met with the concierge desk during this time and, after many confused questions from the Cast Member about the location of Wishes (really? she doesn't know?), finally determined that I was better off just finding my own answers. About 3pm we decided to walk down to the Boardwalk and grab some ice cream and at 3:15pm our room text arrived - not the exact room or view we had requested but it was close. King bed is all that really mattered anyway.

Upon arriving at our room, we found it to be quite spacious and relaxing. The bathroom and vanity area are separated enough from the room to make it feel like more than just a standard room. The balcony faced Hollywood Studios and the front of Boardwalk Inn so we had a birds-eye view of the action (and Hollywood Studios' Star Wars fireworks later that night!) I had almost forgotten the stress of the day when I realized I needed to call down to bell services for an update on the Great Grocery Goose Chase of 2017. The poor girl on the other end of the line had no idea what had transpired and said she would send a Cast Member to our room to discuss. The Cast Member showed up about 10 minutes later and he was the most unsympathetic, uncaring individual I have ever met. He proceeded to explain that the Boardwalk Inn is "not good" with packages and that bell services doesn't hold grocery packages so they probably sent them back to Amazon. He then proposed a solution to call Amazon and ask for a refund. This, folks, is an unacceptable response and definitely not the Disney way. First of all, I've not heard of any issues with bell services holding packages (groceries that need refrigerated, maybe, but not a boxed package without any markings on it). This is the very reason why some people choose to send their luggage ahead of them instead of taking it on the flight so that they can arrive to the parks directly instead of taking luggage to the hotel first. But I digress. I thanked the Cast Member for his help and stewed in our room a few more minutes. Finally, we received a call from bell services and they had found our package - 10 more minutes and it was delivered to our room without issue. Hallelujah!

The remainder of our stay at Boardwalk Inn was mostly pleasant although the hordes of wedding parties and photographers made the hallways and common areas quite crowded. We didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the pool but walked through the area and appreciated how serene it seemed. It's tucked away from the action on the Boardwalk so it doesn't feel quite so busy. There were a lot of activities held out in the courtyard area every day and the biggest perk of all is, of course, the proximity to the Boardwalk and Epcot. We really enjoyed the ability to walk down and grab ice cream or a drink, or stop by Big River Grille & Brewing without a reservation. If we ever stay at Boardwalk Inn again, it will be for its location alone.

I haven't stuck by a star or rating system throughout these review posts but I would give Boardwalk Inn a firm 4 out of 10. Service was terrible, food options are slim unless you want to walk down to the Boardwalk, and the crowded common areas were a nuisance. Let me know how you fared if you've experienced this resort! I welcome any opinions that could help us make the decision to give it another try.

We're Back! A Quick Review of Disney World May 2017 Trip

Apologies for the delay; we've been battling head colds that put us both down with a fever and the need for lots of rest. My plan to stay healthy this trip (mostly) worked but we were no match for the climate change and the larger-than-expected crowds that descended upon the parks during our vacation. I'll do my best to provide a summary of our experience in this post and write more detailed reviews in the near future.

Vacation Dates
You may recall that we chose the first week of May for its historically low crowd levels, pleasant weather, and access to Flower & Garden Festival. If this year was any indication, the days of low crowds are gone. We knew there would be a cheerleading competition on-site for some of the days during out trip but we weren't prepared for the families that would plan their vacations with it. Of the few cheerleading families I know through various Disney planning sites, I was under the impression that the cheerleading competition had a strict schedule that would not allow for much park time. I must have been mistaken because there were large school-age groups in all parks during our visit and, like with most children's groups, there were a few bad apples in the bunch that largely affected our overall opinion of this visit. While I won't completely mark May off the list of vacation options, I will be looking to plan our next Disney World trip the second week of December or sometime in late January in an effort to avoid large athletic groups.

Boardwalk Inn
We did not get the exact room we requested but we were assigned to a King bed room with a decent view so there are no complaints on this point. The resort was beautiful and impeccably maintained but there was a wedding scheduled almost every day of our trip and that usually caused traffic jams in the common areas as photographers tried to get wedding parties organized for pictures. We loved this resort's proximity to the Boardwalk (duh) and it's probably the only reason we would return for another stay.

Dining
There aren't any downright negative reviews for the dining options we selected this trip but we certainly had our favorites:

Best - Via Napoli, Rosie's All-American Cafe, PizzeRizzo, Ample Hills Creamery, Lowtide Lou's
Worst - Big River Grille and Brewery

We will go into more detail on these locations in a future post.

DVC
A memorable moment on this trip was signing up for Disney Vacation Club! We are now Disney property owners! While this wasn't a planned purchase, we are very happy with the decision and are already calculating how to use our points for the next trip. I will be sure to make a dedicated post for DVC to explain how it works so that you can make an informed decision on how this timeshare option could work for you! (hint: it's a lot cheaper than paying for a deluxe resort every year!)

Final Thoughts
We finally unlocked the secret to avoiding blisters (switch to different shoes midday) and realized that we enjoyed some quick service dining options just as much, if not more, than some table service locations. We had a lot of 'firsts' on this trip - using Disney's Magical Express to/from the airport, experiencing a Disney water park, getting magic shots from PhotoPass photographers, and ordering a cake from the private dining service - and I can't wait to share it all with you! Stay tuned :)

Flower & Garden Festival Plan of Attack

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival (F&G) just happens to be my most favorite event at Disney World. I've only been to F&G once before and was inadequately prepared, to say the least. Although many people would consider it to be the younger sibling to Epcot's Food and Wine Festival (F&W) in the fall, it still has its merits and should be given proper consideration.

Just a couple of reasons to visit F&G:

1. Low crowds: avoid spring break, Easter, and Memorial Day but the rest of the dates are golden!
2. Mild weather: less heat, lower humidity - overall better weather than summer and even fall!
3. Family fun and education: F&W is still fun, but the seminars and learning activities are somewhat more adult-themed. F&G offers tons of gardening seminars and facts, a play area for kids, and a butterfly house!
4. Food: there are specialty kiosks set up around World Showcase and offer food that is often only available during F&G. While the total number of food kiosks is less than F&W, I would argue that the quality of the food is a little better.

Once we decided on a date to visit Disney World this year, I realized that I had to bring my "A" game to be prepared for F&G. The entirety of our trip is planned around this festival and I can't wait to see how much more I can enjoy this go 'round! 

Location

Our resort for this trip is Boardwalk Inn. It's a short walk to the International Gateway and will offer prime access to the festival while also allowing us to shut the park down at night and quickly escape to our room. If you want to know how you can make the most of your visit to F&G, just take a look at the Epcot resort area map:

(map courtesy of Robo from disboards forums)

Epcot's World Showcase is displayed in the upper right corner of the map with the Epcot International Gateway prominently marked. Crescent Lake is positioned to the left of the park with three deluxe Disney resorts surrounding it: Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk Inn. Slightly farther to the left is Swan & Dolphin, which are both only part-owned by Disney and do not offer amenities such as MagicBand usage. However, these properties are typically MUCH more affordable than any Disney deluxe resort and they are amazingly themed with an abundance of dining options! There are several pros and cons to weigh when staying at Swan or Dolphin but they are certainly contenders as far as location to Epcot is concerned. 

The best part about being close to the International Gateway entrance is that it puts you right in the middle of the F&G action - wedged between the UK and France pavilions, the entrance provides immediate access to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in France which opens at 9am for breakfast instead of the World Showcase standard of 11am. We definitely intend to make at least one stop at this location for breakfast! Also, there are lots of tours and seminars available during F&G. One of the free tours offered is for the English Tea Garden but it requires an early sign-up at the Tea Caddy Shop in the UK pavilion. We plan to make this a priority for our full Epcot day!

Budget

Arguably the most important part of any vacation is to determine exactly how much to spend. We've discussed this a bit with the resorts located near Epcot, but sometimes it's a difficult choice to spend extra on the resort and sacrifice a few dining reservations or settle for a moderate/value resort and allot extra transportation time to the parks. For us, the answer was clear because location was the most important factor for this trip. But the great thing about life is that we all have different priorities and preferences! You will have a great time at F&G regardless of your budget.

Dining

There are two approaches to food at F&G: schedule dining reservations and sample just a few F&G food kiosk items or forego the reservations and snack all day at the kiosks. From my experience in multiple Disney forums and groups, most families opt for the second option but there isn't a right or wrong answer! This is the one detail of our trip that brings me the most anxiety because we are a foodie couple and we want to try everything. In order to limit our indulgences, I've schedule three days at Epcot to spread out the fun and also scheduled (for the most part) just one dining reservation per day to help us slow down a bit. It's always nice to get out of the crowd for an hour or two and a dining reservation is a good way to escape. 

The easiest way to decide which option to pursue is to take a look at the F&G food kiosk options and determine how many items will interest you and your family. Don't be afraid to prioritize selections into a Good/Better/Best list to keep track of how interesting each menu looks. The 40 food and drink items on our list are divided among the three days we have scheduled at Epcot so that we can rush to the kiosks that are most interesting and save the less interesting options for another day.

The map above is my own personal creation - click to zoom in if you like. I've taken the current Epcot park map for F&G and highlighted the food kiosk locations around World Showcase. Next, I typed up the items we want to try from each kiosk along with the priority/day (1, 2, or 3) of when to try them. This map corresponds with my touring plan for the park and will hopefully help us to stay organized. This is A LOT of food so we are planning to order just one of each item to share until we determine our favorites.

There's plenty of inspiration out there to get excited about F&G! If you're still on-the-fence about visiting Disney World at this time of year, check out a few vlogs on YouTube for a lively approach, read reviews on Disney Food Blog, or join a Disney forum (disboards) to interact with other fans.

It's time to start packing but I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from the last F&G I attended in 2015!

Frushi from Hanami in Japan

Lion King topiary

Beijing-style Candied Strawberries from Lotus House in China

I've heard Captain Hook is no longer on display this year :(

Final Trip Update for Disney World May 2017!

I told you our plans were semi-permanent in the last trip update but I should know by now that Disney plans are never etched in stone. Something always comes up! Fret not, it's all good news. But if you learn anything from my ramblings, let it be this: plan as much as you like but stay as flexible as possible. In the end, just going to Disney - or on any vacation - is a blessing and we should always give thanks for the opportunities we have!

Now it's time to get down to business. I've been a busy bee the past few weeks and a lot has changed. I'm glad I didn't write an update post before now because I would have needed to revise it anyway. But here we are - just 14 days from the main event! I am going to cross my fingers that we keep this itinerary because I'm pretty fond of the plans we have now.

Changes to Original Itinerary
Exciting news tops this list and this is a change that I was very happy to make! Disney announced an Enchanted Evening special offer for guests March 21 - May 10 and of course I had to pounce on this opportunity because 1) it's limited time only and 2) this is our honeymoon trip! The package is $160 for two special edition MagicBands, two special edition luggage tags, two entries to the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party on select nights, and a gift from The Ganachery. We were especially excited for the MagicBands because these will likely become collector's items and will be a great souvenir from the trip!

Unfortunately, the select nights available for the dessert party were limited to a few days that we didn't have planned for Magic Kingdom so we had to move some things around. I wanted to cry because I had to let go of a Be Our Guest lunch reservation and I was afraid I wouldn't get another one! But the Touring Plans Reservation Finder came through for me in the end and we secured a new BoG reservation shortly thereafter. 

Other changes include a few meal updates; we were super excited to try Yachtsman on this trip but it just wasn't in the cards. We've got money stashed away for other goodies and two signature meals in one week will have to wait for next time. Another addition to this trip is a secret (shhh!) cake that I ordered to celebrate Patrick's birthday! Boardwalk Bakery is going to create a Star Wars themed mini cake and have it delivered to our room after the surprise Teppan Edo dinner that I also booked! I know this is our honeymoon trip but his birthday is later in May and I couldn't let this trip pass without honoring him! 

New Itinerary

Some things are the same, some things are different, but here's where we are:

• Tuesday May 2 - Arrive 12:30pm, Epcot, Tokyo Dining dinner (changed from Via Napoli)
• Wednesday May 3 - Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest lunch, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner, Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party (changed from Animal Kingdom)
• Thursday May 4 - Animal Kingdom, Tiffins Rivers of Light dining package for dinner (changed from Hollywood Studios)
• Friday May 5 - Water parks, dinner at Big River Grille and Brewing Works (changed from Yachtsman)
• Saturday May 6 - Kona Cafe brunch, Epcot, Teppan Edo dinner (added Teppan Edo)
• Sunday May 7 - Hollywood Studios, PizzeRizzo and Rosie's All American Diner quick service meals (changed from Magic Kingdom)
• Monday May 8 - Epcot, Via Napoli dinner (removed San Angel Inn lunch)
• Tuesday May 9 - departure 6:00am

I've got lots of ideas for Flower & Garden Festival and I am hoping to get another post published before we leave on the trip but if the next two weeks move more quickly than anticipated then I'll leave you with 'au revoir!' and check in when we return!

Staying Healthy for Disney

Nobody wants to be sick while on vacation but it's a tough task to accomplish when you're exposed to thousands of people in the parks everyday. I've got some tips to help you prepare for your trip and avoid the icky sickness while you're at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Let's face it, Disney may be a vacation but it's also an everyday workout and puts major stress on your body! Of course it's a friendly place for folks from all walks of life and in every size, shape, and color so don't let your lack of physical fitness keep you from going (and for those wondering, there aren't many rides that have size requirements - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Disney World can be a tight squeeze for anyone that is really tall but it's still doable). We usually log anywhere from 8-12 miles in a typical day at a Disney park, and that's going from 9am to park close. We take breaks for lunch, dinner, and usually two more times throughout the day to ensure we are staying cool and hydrated (more on that later!) We haven't had much time to prepare this year, but we usually take our dogs out for walks every day in anticipation of our trip. We like to start with just a mile a day and then gradually increase to 3 or more miles per day. We don't want to stress our pups with super long walks so we avoid the 8-12 miles that are expected at Disney but you get the idea. Just getting in the habit of walking can loosen up those joints and get your feet ready for what lies ahead. It's also a great time to break in any new shoes you plan to wear to the parks so you can avoid blisters later!

Hydration is key any time of year, but especially in hot and humid Florida. Remember, cups of water are free at most food service locations in the park and you can bring your own water bottles for refills at drinking fountains and some soft drink fountains. Drink more than you're comfortable with - every time you pull your phone out of your park bag, grab the water and take a drink, too.

If you don't currently take vitamins or supplements, consider adding a multivitamin and some extra Vitamin C to your daily routine at least 2-4 weeks before heading to Disney. Specialty immuno-boosts are handy, as well (think Emergen-C, Airborne, etc). You will want to keep these items with you on the trip and try to remember to take them while you're on vacation, as well.

You may follow all of this advice and STILL manage to get sick. Trust me, I know what it's like. It's frustrating to put so much effort into keeping yourself healthy and then come down with a cold on the second day (speaking from experience here...) The sundries shops in each resort offer remedies for all kinds of ailments but they're quite expensive compared to Walmart or Target's prices. Pack these items and then cross your fingers that you won't need them! It's better to be safe than sorry and your wallet will thank you later. - As a side note, PrimeNow is offered for most Disney resort locations and can deliver a variety of items to your resort if necessary. There are a few other delivery services, as well, so Google around if you need them.

Dieting to Disney - this is a pretty common phrase I've heard from a lot of people and I have to say I'm one of those people that gets suckered into it every year. To be honest, I'm always on a diet and it's the same story each time: diet, lose weight, go to Disney, end diet. I have no shame in admitting my habit because I don't regret it one bit. Disney offers a lot of great dining options and I will enjoy them for as long as I am able! However, I'm making a conscious effort to jump back on my diet when we return home from Disney World this year and I have a really good feeling this time because we successfully returned to our diet after Disneyland a month ago. If you don't think you can jump back on the wagon after a trip to Disney then you may be thinking that you'd prefer to stick with it while you're there - no problem! Disney chefs are incredibly accommodating of food requests, including special diets and allergies. Also, there are plenty of healthy options around the parks and lots of good snack choices. You can almost always swap the fries in your meal for apples and choose low-sugar dessert options! Take a look at the menus before you travel and create a plan of attack. Being armed with the knowledge of what you can eat and where to find it is the hardest part of the diet battle!

And if you're anything like me then a little visual reinforcement is helpful. Here's an example of the countdown tracker and weight loss visual I made for myself a couple years ago:

I kept this paper on my fridge so I could remind myself to make good choices anytime I was in the kitchen! It helped me to stay mindful of my goal while also being reminded of my reward!

Do you have any tips for getting healthy before a trip or staying healthy while you're at Disney? Share them with us!