We Went to Disney World and Here's Our Top Picks and Tips!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Bags unpacked, laundry completed and groceries purchased, all signs that we are officially back from Walt Disney World. My husband and I are beat but have to admit we are still reminiscing with our kids about our favorite rides, shows and meals. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was just the remedy for our daily jaunts to the various parks. We splashed in the water, played in the cascading waterfalls, and slid down the winding waterslide at the beachside pool. Even better, a monorail off the second floor of the lobby zipped us to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center.

We learned very soon that our ideal day consisted of arriving at a park around 9 a.m. and departing by 3 p.m., which left us time for the pool, showers, and a relaxing dinner. At the San Angel Inn at the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot Center, we enjoyed a boat ride and then dined under the stars listening to marimba music filling the air. I started with the Ensalada de la Casa (mixed greens with jicama, spicy pumpkin seeds, orange wedges, cilantro and mint) and then moved on to the Filete Motuleno (grilled beef tenderloin over black beans, ranchero sauce, poblano pepper strips and fried plantains). My husband enjoyed the “kick” of the Tostados de Jaiba (fried corn tortillas topped with shredded crab meat, mixed with chipolte mayo, red onions, cilantro, and lime juice), but found the Camarones al Ajillo (crispy shrimp with Guajillo sauce over potato salad) not so memorable. Feeling a tad full, we skipped dessert to walk over to the France Pavilion for crepes (yummy!) and to watch IllumiNations, a fireworks, laser and water show over the World Showcase Lagoon.

On our last night, we savored the fusion of French and Mediterranean cuisine with a Florida twist at Grand Floridian’s Citricos (the closest you can get to fine dining with kids in tow). I started with the Goat Cheese Truffles (tomato, cracked pepper and sesame "truffles" with arugula, frisee, Nueske applewood smoked bacon and peaches), but the sesame truffles were a little overpowering. For my entrée, the oven-roasted grouper with couscous, mushrooms and spinach was rich and well-portioned. And from our table, we took in the view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks at 9 p.m. while enjoying dessert (the Warm Chocolate Banana Tart with vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas rocked my world).

The “magical” tip to visiting any of the major parks is to arrive when the gates open. Within the first two hours, you can enjoy about 4 to 5 rides and shows with no more than a 5 to 10 minute wait. By 11 a.m., the parks get busy, the temperature rises, and it is time to use the no-charge FASTPASS. Disney’s FASTPASS allows guests to make “reservations” for certain popular rides to avoid waiting in long lines. At a FASTPASS attraction, enter the FASTPASS distribution line to get your FASTPASS ticket with a designated return time. The assigned time will give you a 1 hour window to return. Keep in mind that there are restrictions as to how many passes you can have at once. Your FASTPASS will have the time that you can get your next FASTPASS printed on the ticket.

On our kids’ first trip to Disney World, we visited the 4 major parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Our 6 year-old and 4 year-old still cherish the pool, so we did not push the schedule. The most planning we did was every morning at breakfast we would mark the popular attractions and try to hit these first and then FASTPASS the ones we could not make before the crowds converged. So without further ado, here are our top picks:

· Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan's Flight, Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Space Mountain should have been on this list, but the ride is currently closed for refurbishment.

· Epcot: Mission: SPACE, Test Track, Maelstrom, Soarin'

· Hollywood Studios: Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Star Tours, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Toy Story Midway Mania (New!)

· Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, It's Tough to be a Bug, Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest

As for the Disney Dining Plan, we found tracking our meals and snacks confusing and annoying. The plan is exclusive to guests staying at Disney resort hotels and allows you to pre-pay for most or all of your meals. For each night of your package stay you will enjoy 1 Table-Service meal, 1 Quick-Service meal, and 1 Snack. Note that alcoholic beverages and tips are not included in the plan. While the dining plan may be a good deal, we found that any savings did not outweigh the benefit to us of convenience – eating what we want, where we want, when we want.

Finally, for you non-planners, trying to make dining reservations after you reach Disney World will be tough. I strongly suggest that, in particular for some of the more popular sit-down restaurants and character dining experiences, you make reservations up to 90 days in advance. As for the noted character meals, we met Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet at Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. We tried to reserve at Chef Mickey’s (featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofey and Pluto), but we could only get an 8 p.m. slot (ummm, no thanks). We could not get a reservation to Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, but my daughter was more than ecstatic to see Belle, Arielle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty at Princess Storybook Dining in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot Center. We did reserve at 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian with Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatter on our last morning, but we ended up cancelling. At that point, all my kids wanted to eat was cereal,, and all we wanted to do was go to Magic Kingdom for the last few rides and then hop on the Magical Express to head home.

Living La Pura Vida!

I just returned from a week in Costa Rica and am already trying to figure out when I can go back, and if moving there is actually feasible. As soon as I'm done with this post I am going to the newsstand to buy a lottery ticket. I am then going to purchase Spanish Rosetta Stone, as my French was pretty useless in Costa Rica, except for chatting with the obnoxious French waiter/maitre d'/busboy at Voodoo Lounge in Tamarindo. Do not eat there even if every other restaurant in Tamarindo is closed for some bizarre reason. It was the worst food I ate on my vacation, and when I expressed my dismay, Monsieur simply responded, "That's why we're full." If only there was some way to not pay the automatically applied 10% service charge. Fortunately, that was my only bad dining experience in Tamarindo. Excellent fish and wicked strong caprihanias at Seasons, decent sushi, nachos as big as your a_s, and delicious frozen margaritas at Eat at Joe's, and outstanding $6 (5900 colones) casado (typical Costa Rican plate of meat, poultry or fish served with rice, beans, plantains, and salad) at FT's, directly across the street from Witch's Rock Surf Camp (WRSC).

As for WRSC, I can't say enough good things about this operation. The highest praises go to Joe Walsh for having the dream and the drive to buy a school bus and travel from San Diego to Costa Rica with his dad, friend and girlfriend (now wife) surfing along the way. Eight years later, he has a surf school, 18-room oceanfront hotel, restaurant and bar and employs 60 people, including surf instructor extraordinaire, Edgar Sanchez. My son and I took 2 lessons with Edgar. Robbie stood up on his first try (see pic). It took this girl several attempts, but after Edgar suggested I might need to return to the very hot beach to practice on land a bit more, I quickly got my act together and voila - I was up! WRSC offers a 1-week surf school with accommodations, breakfast, board rental, instruction, trips all for around $900. Check out the WRSC website and Joe Walsh's blog for more info.

While in Tamarindo, we stayed at the Hotel Cala Luna, which is actually considered Playa Langosta, which is just below, Playa Tamarindo. I say below, but it was actually an uphill drive on an unpaved, rocky road, which is par for the course in Costa Rica. You'd be foolish to rent anything other than an SUV with manual transmission, as down shifting to first gear was often required to get where we were going. Plus, there are no guardrails, so the prospect of driving into a roadside ditch is very good. Fortunately, we were able to avoid any such disasters. Also with regard to renting a car in Costa Rica, opt for the GPS. We did not. Bad move. We never got lost, but we either over or undershot every destination. There are signs, sometimes, but they are usually grouped together in no discernible order and it's practically impossible to read them all without coming to a complete stop. And, the distances provided in Pauline Frommer's guidebook and the locals' estimates of distances were all off. And be sure your vehicle is adequately stocked with barf bags. While I managed OK on the trip from San Jose to Arenal, the road around Lake Arenal to get to Tamarindo was awful. Incredibly beautiful, but the constant winding up and down narrow mountain roads was enough to make me want to toss my cookies. Meanwhile, Robbie read Diary of a Wimpy Kid in the backseat. Aren't kids amazing?!

Before heading to Tamarindo, we spent 3 days in Arenal, which was pure outdoor adventure. We stayed at the Hotel Mountain Paradise for the bargain price of $99/night, which I was able to snag on BookIt.com, which was offering a one-day 50% off sale. We had a spacious room with a large bathroom and a gorgeous view of the volcano out our back door (see pic). Breakfast was included. This was no lame continental breakfast, but rather a full spread consisting of made to order eggs, french toast, pancakes, sausage, rice, beans, fresh fruit, juices, coffee - by far one of the best hotel breakfasts I've ever had. We filled our days, which usually started at 6 a.m., with hiking up and around the Arenal Observatory, touring the Hanging Bridges of Arenal (plant lovers' paradise), ziplining through the trees at Arenal Paraiso, and crawling through muddy water and small spaces in Venado Caves.

If you make the trip to Venado, just keep driving through town until you go right off the paved road and onto a rocky unpaved winding uphill road that seems to be leading nowhere. Don't bother looking for a sign. You'll eventually get there. And be sure to eat lunch first. We were starving when we got there, and there were only small snacks and drinks. This was Robbie's favorite activity as he loved squirming and climbing through tight, dark spaces. This is not for the claustrophobic, arthritic or really out of shape. This adventure requires some serious bending, shimmying, crawling, sliding and climbing. The food in and around Arenal was not memorable, and frankly none of the restaurant names come to mind right now. There is, however, a restaurant just past the volcano park entrance heading toward La Fortuna that has a giant fake cow in front. Very good casatos and rice with chicken. There is also a Mexican restaurant in La Fortuna just past the Burger King, which was fair at best. If anyone has any good suggestions for when I head back to Costa Rica, please let me know. Pura vida!

Beer Lover's Airport Guide - I'll Drink to That (in Moderation)

The good folks at Cheapflights.com have done it again. First we hailed them for their outstanding Kids' Airport Diversion Guide, which gives a rundown of cool diversions, activities and play areas for kids at major domestic and international airports. My personal favorite is the Kids on the Fly play area in Terminal 2 (after security) at Chicago O'Hare. My son spent a good hour loading and unloading the cargo plane and luggage station and playing in the air traffic control tower and helicopter. It truly is an indoor playground. While there isn't a lot of room to run around, every kid in there, including my own, seemed to burn a lot of energy, which made for a much quieter flight home.

And now. . . something for the grown ups! In addition to the dozens of general information airport guides that Cheapflights.com offers, there is now the 2009 Beer Lover's Airport Guide. Grab the guide and find out where you can raise a pint on St. Patrick's Day. Depending on where your travels take you, you might find yourself at Reilley's Daughter at Chicago Midway, Harpoon Brewery Tap Room at Logan, Three Irish Pub at Detroit Metro, or at one of the three Sam Adams Pubs in Newark Liberty where my mom and I spent some quality time during a 3-hour delay.

Cheers!

We're Going to Disney World! So, Where Should We Stay?

Yes, Hana beat me to Disney. Her son, Robbie, at Disney in 2005. So cute!

After much deliberation, my husband and I made the leap (gulp!) and are planning our first trip to Walt Disney World in April with our 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter. Shhhh, don't tell our kids. We are keeping it a secret and unveiling the surprise in about a month. Otherwise, every day I will have to remind my kids that "today is not the day we are going to Disney" and ask them to "please unpack their rolling suitcases."

The last time I was at Disney World was over 20 years ago. There are now 32 resorts hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Twenty-two of these resorts hotels are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. In addition to saving on car rental and parking fees, we decided to stay at a Disney resort hotel because this is our children's first trip to Disney and the Disney resort hotel guests have the unique opportunity to enjoy the following benefits:

• Extended Theme Park Hours: Also known as Extra Magic Hours, Disney guests may enjoy additional time in the Disney Theme Park, beyond the standard operating schedule, at no additional charge.


• Complimentary Airport Transportation: Disney's Magical Express Transportation offers free round trip airport transportation and baggage delivery to and from Orlando International Airport.


• Complimentary Resort Transportation: transportation throughout Walt Disney World Resort is available via bus, boat or monorail.


• Disney Dining Plan: Guests can save up to 30% per adult on dining by purchasing a Disney Dining Plan.


• Key to the World Card: An all-in-one card that operates as a hotel room key, credit card, and Disney Theme Park ticket.


• Package Delivery: Guests can have packages or souvenirs purchased throughout Walt Disney World Resort delivered directly to their hotel.


• Disney Service: Disney cast members are available 24 hours a day.

Certain benefits are also available to guests staying at the Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel and select Downtown Disney Area hotels.

Now that we decided to stay at a Disney resort hotel, Disney offers accommodations, generally based on price and room size, in five categories: Deluxe, Deluxe Villa, Moderate, Value, and Campground. Once we found the category that fit our budget, we had to think about location, amenities, dining, transportation and recreation. I read reviews and articles posted at Frommers.com, Fodors.com, and Tripadvisor.com and WeJustGotBack.com. We pored over this decision for two days. Painful, I know.

We all know that where you stay is just icing on the super sized, super sweet, Disney World cake. But, this is my vacation too, so we decided on Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa because of a good package deal, the proximity to Magic Kingdom (the resort is on the monorail), the pools, on-site character meals, and (I cannot tell a lie) the full-service spa (only to be enjoyed when my husband and kids go down for a late afternoon nap). The Grand Floridian also offers two special cooking programs for children and boasts one of the best restaurants in the area, Victoria and Albert's.

With that said, research the vacation packages and special offers that make certain resort hotels more affordable than you might think. Recently, I received a promotional mailing offering seven-night packages at one of the 23 on-site hotels for the price of four including admission to the park itself. While the promotion has listed blackout dates, Disney is extending the offer until August 15. Also keep in mind that children under the age of 3 do not need to purchase theme park tickets. We selected our package based on our length of stay, theme park tickets, and meals and snacks. We forewent the upgrade options for the park hopper and water park fun this time around. Maybe we will consider upgrades in another 3 to 5 years. Because we are visiting family in Miami first and driving up to Orlando, we did not review deals that also included flights.

I'll keep you posted on my planning. And remember, make the journey as fun as the destination!

Toy Fair 2009

Taking a Short Break in Lego Land

Last week Nisha and I ventured to the 106th American International Toy Fair at the Javits Center in New York in search of the latest and greatest travel toys, games and accessories among 1,100+ exhibitors, more than 361,000 square feet of exhibit space, and over 100,000 products. Yes, it was totally exhausting, but, thankfully, quite fruitful. Little Jet Set was awarded the Zoobies Retailer of the Year Award (see 2/19/09 post) and we got to see the new additions to the Zoobie Pets family – the Wildlife Collection and the Bugs Collection. Unfortunately, we got there too late to see the Zoobies staff in their animal costumes. They got busted by the Toy Fair police for not paying extra to play dress up.

I also paid a visit to the Busquets booth where I was blown away by the new travel and back to school accessories. Founded in Barcelona, Spain in 1922, Busquets combines quality and design to produce beautiful and functional children’s bags and travel accessories with distinctive European style. This year’s collections are even more gorgeous than last year’s which I would not have thought possible. Busquets was brand new to the U.S. last year, and we carried backpacks, rolling duffels, pencil cases, lunch bags and wash bags in four designs. This year, we will be carrying eleven designs, and have added messenger bags, duffel bags, and an additional lunch box style. The first group of accessories will be available in mid-April, and the remainder by mid-July. I will definitely keep you posted.

My other favorite find was Sand-Goh, an innovative beach toy developed by Jerry Taufield, a fellow New Jersey attorney. The product launched late last summer, but has been upgraded for this year – the plastic is sturdier, yet lighter, making for easier transport to the beach. Sand-Goh is a unique alternative to classic sand castle building. The toy consists of plastic molds that interlock and can be combined, stacked and mixed and matched to create various three-dimensional sea creatures and a boy.

Nisha and I also stopped to see our amazingly talented friend, Peiling, who owns The Piggy Story. Every year she adds a new design to her lineup – this year Piggy Mermaids join Piggy Pirates, who were a late addition last year. These two may just be the cutest of her designs yet. She also introduced a new product – Chalk N Doodle, which is perfect for travel. With a built in lap cushion, the flexible chalk board also doubles as a mini desk. It has elastics that keep a doodle pad or coordinating activity book secure. It comes with chalk that conveniently stows in two side pockets as well as an eraser. And the whole things folds up with a closeable flap and is small enough to throw in a purse or carry-on.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t wish Barbie a happy 50th birthday. You look good girl!

A Big Roar for Little Jet Set

Co-Founder Nisha Cordero Receives R.O.T.Y. Award

Zoobies, the amazing company behind Zoobie Pets, the innovative 3-in-1 travel blanket, pillow and plush, awarded Little Jet Set its 2008 Retailer of the Year Award "for excellence in sales, spokesmanship & Zoobie love." Really, it says it on our beautiful blue plexiglass trophy that I am proudly displaying in the office alongside our iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Website and Micro to Millions Award. (Hey, we started the blog after we received those awards so had to get it in here somehow). I can't say enough good things about Zoobie Pets and the entire staff (incredibly young staff - VP of Marketing is Utah class of '06!) at Zoobies. Since launching at Toy Fair in 2007, Zoobies has grown to over 1,400 US outlets (high end boutiques and toy stores) and is distributed in over 40 countries. According to the young VP of Marketing, Ryan Treft, Zoobies looked at sales numbers, but also its retailers’ branding and marketing efforts. According to Ryan, "Little Jet Set stood out in all three areas.” He also aptly noted that "Little Jet Set is the go-to place for kid's travel items.”

In addition to the Zoo and Jungle Collections, in a few short weeks, Little Jet Set will be carrying the new Bug Collection, which will include Bing the Bubble Bee, Sada the Snail, and Lily the Ladybug, as well as the Wildlife Collection consisting of Bubba the Black Bear, Boone the Buffalo and Mudd the Moose.

SAVE ON ZOOBIE PETS!! To celebrate our award, Little Jet Set is offering a discount of 20% off any Zoobie Pet or Zoobie Baby through March 1, 2009. Enter Coupon Code ZOOBIE20 at checkout.

O! Kemo

After a 15 year hiatus from skiing, my family and I recently headed to Ludlow, VT for a long weekend of fresh powder and groomed trails at Okemo. While my skiing had a lot to be desired, I could not have asked for a better weekend from the lodging to the conditions, to the quality of instruction at the ski school. I enrolled my son in Snow Stars for two full days of group instruction. By the end of the second day, my 6-year old was skiing blue trails from the top of the mountain and wanting to try black diamonds. An added bonus - kids 6 and under ski for free. All 119 trails were open and all 19 lifts were operating. The longest I waited in a lift line was 10 minutes. Sadly, I didn't' hit the Waffle House - it was just too cold. If you've never experienced the on slope delight of a sugared waffle (also available dipped in chocolate), you don't know what you're missing. It's worth every penny of the $4 you pay for this crispy and sweet treat that with hot chocolate makes for the ultimate winter snack. And while on the topic of food - hats off to Smokey Joe's for providing something different than the usual cup of chili and chowder in a bread bowl. Go for the pulled pork sandwich and cheese steak. My girlfriend said her portobello burger was way too salty, but what do you expect ordering a vegetarian sandwich from a BBQ stand. Our accommodations were perfect too. We stayed at the Andrie Rose Inn, sort of. The inn includes a first floor condo across the street that sleeps up to 12. We were 4 adults and 3 children. With 4 bedrooms, a living room with cable TV, kitchen, dining room and 3 full baths, we could not have been happier. Plus, the free Okemo shuttle operated by a lovely gentleman named Larry stops right in front of the inn making for easy and quick trips to and from the mountain. While there are several restaurants in Ludlow, all within walking distance of the inn, we did not experience any as we took advantage of having our own kitchen. However, according to my husband's uncle, the Shell Station makes a killer breakfast sandwich (he called it a "bomb") with eggs and corned beef hash. Sorry I missed it being a big fan of corned beef hash. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention our stop at Cracker Barrel in Holyoke, MA. Our party of 7 dined for $65. Ridiculous! The fried okra was bland and the turnip greens more bitter than I like, but the chicken and dumplings and baked apples did not disappoint. Country ham and chicken fried steak also got two thumbs up. I think we spent more on candy in the country store (brilliant sales & marketing) than on our entrees. For complete information about Okemo including ski school, special events (fun stuff for kids on weekends and during holidays including fireworks) and lodging, go to Okemo.com. And if you decide to stay at the Andrie Rose, tell Michael and Irene that Hana Wolf sent you.

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