Sunday, August 2, 2009
Walt Disney World Souvenirs are Cheaper at Wal-Mart
On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, we rented a car so that we could eat offsite and visit other attractions in the Orlando area. One of the best cost savings opportunities we found was on a visit to a nearby Wal-Mart. We had looked at Disney souvenirs at Downtown Disney but had not yet bought anything. Good thing we didn't. Wal-Mart had a large selection of Disney frames, tshirts, beach towels, and other knick knacks for a fraction of the price offered onsite at Disney. The quality of these items was just as good or near as good as those offered on-site at Disney but were significantly cheaper. So it does pay to venture outside of Walt Disney World if you have a car and are interested in saving a few dollars!
Disney's All Star Resort is a winner for Families!
We picked the Disney All Star Resort for our stay at Walt Disney World. It is one of the economy or value resorts and it was really worth it. The hotel rooms were large enough with 2 double beds, a small table, drawers and TV and small but manageable bathroom. We also rented a small refrigerator for drinks and snacks.
Our room was near to the main pool area which was very nice and clean. There were more than enough chaise lounges and restroom facilities nearby. Lifeguards kept a watchful eye over the pool to ensure safety first.
The snack bar restaurant area was much better than expected with a large menu at reasonable prices. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and ice cream are offered most of the day. I recommend that people eat breakfast at the hotel before heading to the park.
The Disney transportation buses offer a ride to and from all of the parks, Downtown Disney, etc. They do not go to every hotel though. So if you are planning a visit to another hotel you will need to transfer buses at Downtown Disney. So plan enough time if you a booked a reservation for a character breakfast at another hotel. The concierge can provide assistance on gettting to another location via the transportation system.
Although the higher priced Disneyworld hotels are beautiful and offer upgraded amenities, if you are on a budget the All Star Resort is a great choice!
Our room was near to the main pool area which was very nice and clean. There were more than enough chaise lounges and restroom facilities nearby. Lifeguards kept a watchful eye over the pool to ensure safety first.
The snack bar restaurant area was much better than expected with a large menu at reasonable prices. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and ice cream are offered most of the day. I recommend that people eat breakfast at the hotel before heading to the park.
The Disney transportation buses offer a ride to and from all of the parks, Downtown Disney, etc. They do not go to every hotel though. So if you are planning a visit to another hotel you will need to transfer buses at Downtown Disney. So plan enough time if you a booked a reservation for a character breakfast at another hotel. The concierge can provide assistance on gettting to another location via the transportation system.
Although the higher priced Disneyworld hotels are beautiful and offer upgraded amenities, if you are on a budget the All Star Resort is a great choice!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Headed to Disneyworld for Family Trip This Week
My niece, Nicole, is a Flag Girl in the Bethlehem Catholic High School Band and they are appearing at Walt Disney World this week. This provided us with a great opportunity for an extended family trip to land of Mickey Mouse!
My youngest sister, Donna who is Nicole's mom, is traveling with the High School Band as a chaperone. I wish her luck having to account for all of those teenagers! Thank God they are flying to Florida and not going by bus.
My sister, Diane, my nephew James (Nicole's brother), our parents and I are meeting up in Florida on Tuesday. This is two days ahead of the band but we wanted to take advantage of lower air fares and have some time to hang by the pool before the high school kids arrive. We are staying the Disney All Sports Resort. It is one of the lower end resorts at Disney and I had stayed there on a previous visit. It just so happens that this is the same hotel that the band is staying at. Since we will be spending money on multi day tickets, we tried to save some money on the hotel since we wouln't be in the room that often.
I can't believe the price of admission tickets in to the Disney parks. They seem to go up every year despite there being economy issues. The more days you purchase tickets for the lower cost per day. However, a one day pass is roughly $75. Now I know why families save for years for a trip like this! I can remember when a one day pass cost $35. I guess I am showing my age.
My nephew James is 10 and has never been to Disney. He is really looking forward to this trip and also being away from school for a couple of days. My sister and I have to keep our energy up for him while also looking out for our parents. Multi-generation trips are fun but also present unique challenges in everyone staying together. This is another reason we are staying onsite so that my parents could head back to the hotel if they need a break. It may be me needing the break though!
I will providing updates on our trip during the week.
My youngest sister, Donna who is Nicole's mom, is traveling with the High School Band as a chaperone. I wish her luck having to account for all of those teenagers! Thank God they are flying to Florida and not going by bus.
My sister, Diane, my nephew James (Nicole's brother), our parents and I are meeting up in Florida on Tuesday. This is two days ahead of the band but we wanted to take advantage of lower air fares and have some time to hang by the pool before the high school kids arrive. We are staying the Disney All Sports Resort. It is one of the lower end resorts at Disney and I had stayed there on a previous visit. It just so happens that this is the same hotel that the band is staying at. Since we will be spending money on multi day tickets, we tried to save some money on the hotel since we wouln't be in the room that often.
I can't believe the price of admission tickets in to the Disney parks. They seem to go up every year despite there being economy issues. The more days you purchase tickets for the lower cost per day. However, a one day pass is roughly $75. Now I know why families save for years for a trip like this! I can remember when a one day pass cost $35. I guess I am showing my age.
My nephew James is 10 and has never been to Disney. He is really looking forward to this trip and also being away from school for a couple of days. My sister and I have to keep our energy up for him while also looking out for our parents. Multi-generation trips are fun but also present unique challenges in everyone staying together. This is another reason we are staying onsite so that my parents could head back to the hotel if they need a break. It may be me needing the break though!
I will providing updates on our trip during the week.
I bought my first Garmin GPS unit today!
I don't know about you but I hate getting lost. Mapquest is great in providing directions but you need to plan ahead to ensure you have all the directions you will need. However, I got hooked on the Garmin GPS system while traveling on business and renting cars along with a GPS unit.
The Garmin was so easy to use in providing directions in cities that I did not know very well. I consider it to also being a security blanket that will hopefully keep me out of "bad" areas. In addition, it is preloaded with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment spots so in many cases you don't even need to have the exact address in order to get directions. If you make a mistake and don't follow the directions, you will receive a "recalculating" message. This could be annoying but in the end the Garmin will get you headed back in the right direction.
Next week I am traveling to Orlando for a family trip and I had planned on renting a Garmin with my Avis rental car. The rental cost was $12 a day and would total around $70 for the time I needed it.
Rather than rent a unit every time I rent a car, I decided that the $179 sale at Best Buy today was a good one and one for which I would get return and safety many times in the future. I can also use it when I am home and trying to locate an address I am not familiar with.
My challenge now is to figure out how to change the female voice to a male voice on my Garmin!
The Garmin was so easy to use in providing directions in cities that I did not know very well. I consider it to also being a security blanket that will hopefully keep me out of "bad" areas. In addition, it is preloaded with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment spots so in many cases you don't even need to have the exact address in order to get directions. If you make a mistake and don't follow the directions, you will receive a "recalculating" message. This could be annoying but in the end the Garmin will get you headed back in the right direction.
Next week I am traveling to Orlando for a family trip and I had planned on renting a Garmin with my Avis rental car. The rental cost was $12 a day and would total around $70 for the time I needed it.
Rather than rent a unit every time I rent a car, I decided that the $179 sale at Best Buy today was a good one and one for which I would get return and safety many times in the future. I can also use it when I am home and trying to locate an address I am not familiar with.
My challenge now is to figure out how to change the female voice to a male voice on my Garmin!
Zin Zen Wine Bar, McKinney, TX
Last night my husband and I headed over to the Zin Zen Wine Bar located in Adriatica Village on Virginia Parkway in McKinney, TX. We had been there a few times before and we wanted a low key evening. Zin Zen offers a pretty broad wine selection and also a good menu for a light dinner and or snacks.
Zin Zen also had a singer last night named "Buzz" who played some great ballads from the 70's and 80's while playing guitar. On a previous visit, we had the pleasure of hearing a jazz singer who was also very good.
Zin Zen offers comfortable indoor seating consisting of couches, chairs and tables. There is also a very nice patio outside with tables. There are also several stools available at the bar.
This is a great place to share a special romantic date or to hang out with friends. The mix of great wine, good food, and entertainment offer a wonderful evening.
Zin Zen also had a singer last night named "Buzz" who played some great ballads from the 70's and 80's while playing guitar. On a previous visit, we had the pleasure of hearing a jazz singer who was also very good.
Zin Zen offers comfortable indoor seating consisting of couches, chairs and tables. There is also a very nice patio outside with tables. There are also several stools available at the bar.
This is a great place to share a special romantic date or to hang out with friends. The mix of great wine, good food, and entertainment offer a wonderful evening.
Amato's Restaurant in McKinney, TX has reopened!
Amato's Restaurant located in McKinney, TX has reopened after being closed for several months. Amato's is our favorite local Italian restaurant. Scott Amato is the owner and chef. He cooks up delicious food that is served by a very attentive staff. The menu includes everything from Pizza, Salads, appetizers to pasta offerings, chicken and meat entrees and wonderful seafood entrees.
The restuarant is a great place to take families for a night out or for sharing lunch with friends or for having a special dinner with your special someone. They also can handle private parties.
Amato's still doesn't have their liquor license reinstated so you can Break Your Own Bottle of wine and save a few dollars as well.
Amato's is located on Virginia Parkway and Stonebridge Parkway in the Albertson's shopping center. I highly recommend that you head over to Amato's for a wonderful experience and delicious food!
The restuarant is a great place to take families for a night out or for sharing lunch with friends or for having a special dinner with your special someone. They also can handle private parties.
Amato's still doesn't have their liquor license reinstated so you can Break Your Own Bottle of wine and save a few dollars as well.
Amato's is located on Virginia Parkway and Stonebridge Parkway in the Albertson's shopping center. I highly recommend that you head over to Amato's for a wonderful experience and delicious food!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Mezzaluna Pizza and Restaurant, Palm Coast, Florida
My favorite place to eat in Palm Coast, FL is a little Italian restaurant called Mezzaluna. It is located in the European Village near the Intercoastal Waterway. It is owned by family headed by Mike who moved to Florida from NY. He is a great guy and he has built an awesome business.
http://www.palmcoast.biz/portal/show_entry.asp?TYP=1&EntryID=2598
The menu includes pizza, pasta, calzones, salads, meat, poultry and fish dishes. The garlic knots are to die for. The portions are fairly large usually good for splitting with someone or taking home for leftovers. I have never had a bad meal at this restaurant. It is so delicious and very affordable. The atmosphere is family oriented and there is great people watching. You can sit inside our outside on the patio.
I highly recommend that you check out Mezzaluna when you are in or driving through Palm Coast. It is definitely worth it. You will not be disappointed!
http://www.palmcoast.biz/portal/show_entry.asp?TYP=1&EntryID=2598
The menu includes pizza, pasta, calzones, salads, meat, poultry and fish dishes. The garlic knots are to die for. The portions are fairly large usually good for splitting with someone or taking home for leftovers. I have never had a bad meal at this restaurant. It is so delicious and very affordable. The atmosphere is family oriented and there is great people watching. You can sit inside our outside on the patio.
I highly recommend that you check out Mezzaluna when you are in or driving through Palm Coast. It is definitely worth it. You will not be disappointed!
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