{What I Like Wednesday} Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

When two of my favorite things in the world {Disney and Halloween} come together, you have a winning combination.  This is most evident in the annual Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  This separate, hard-ticketed event takes place this year on select nights from September 1 - October 31.  Guests of MNSSHP can wear their most creative Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat throughout the Magic Kingdom, while enjoying unique character interactions, special "HalloWishes" fireworks spectacular and the fun, surprise-filled "Boo To You" Parade.

Why do we like MNSSHP so much?  Candy, Costumes and Characters.

photo source: disneyworld.com

Candy.  Oh, the candy.  Word of advice, bring your own trick-or-treat sack.  Disney will provide you with a bag, but it is tiny.  Just not enough room to hold the mounds and mounds of goodies you are going to get.  Adults AND kiddos alike.  Somebody you're traveling with have a food allergy/intolerance?  Not to worry...stop by City Hall and they will take good care of you.

Costumes...EVERYONE can wear costumes to MNSSHP.  From Disney's website itself, "Guests of all ages may wear costumes only to the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party event; otherwise, costumes are only permitted at Magic Kingdom park for Guests ages 9 and under. All costumes must adhere to any guidelines as determined solely by Disney. Please choose costumes that are not obstructive, offensive or violent. Guests' eyes must be visible at all times."  Just Google or look up on Pinterest "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Costume Ideas" and be amazed at what you can find!

Characters.  This is the best opportunity for Guests to see many characters that are tucked away most of the time.  Want to see all Seven Dwarfs at once?  You can at MNSSHP.  The Headless Horseman?  Yep.  He's in the "Boo to You" Parade.  So many of the Villains {mine and Big Daddy's favorites} come out to play during the party.

Some advice/tips/tricks that we have learned over the years...

1) Bring your own trick-or-treat sack {see above}  We didn't think about this, so we bought one in the MK when Little Man was younger.  Thankfully, he was still in a stroller so we were able to keep dumping the smaller bags into a larger shopping bag.  Yes.  That is how much candy we received.  Kept filling even the bag we purchased!

photo source: Disney Parks Blog

2) Dress up!  I always have grand plans for the whole family {you know, all three of us} to dress up in some sort of match-themed costume.  Yeah.  Hasn't happened.  Little Man always wears a costume...Big Daddy and me, not so much.  Now that Little Man is a bit older, I can see us all dressing in themed t-shirts...not so much his full-on Michaelangelo {new movie version} costume complete with nunchucks.  Kind of leads to tip #3...

3) Keep your costume light and comfortable.  One of our most memorable visits to MNSSHP was five years ago, when Florida {being Florida} had a mid-October heat wave.  Weather in Central FL in mid-October can be unpredictable...the night we had dressed Little Man up as Captain Hook.  Complete with {darling little} red fake-velvet jacket and big pimpin' hat.  Little Man being Little Man, refused to take the costume off...event though he was sweating (red) bullets.  The little white cotton shirt ruffle was soaked and a pink tint {from the red fake-velvet}.  Sweating or not, it was memorable because Captain Hook himself singled Little Man out...and Little Man still talks about it to this day. 

photo source: Disney Parks Blog

4) The party starts promptly at...4 pm?  Yes, the party officially kicks off at 7 pm...but party guests are allowed to enter after 4 pm.  To the best of my recollection, I don't know if this is officially posted anywhere, but it has always been done.  We have always worked it as one of our "non-park" days.  Enjoy the pool or shopping at Downtown Disney, rest up a bit and then head over to the festivities.  *keep in mind that FastPass+ is not valid at the party*  Getting in early allows you to visit a few attractions, have dinner...all before the party starts!  This helps us "justify" the cost of the separate ticket!

5) Make sure to see the characters.  This is a no-brainer for ANY Disney trip, but definitely make the time to see the characters at MNSSHP.  This is when Disney pulls out all the stops when it comes to the baddies.  You can expect to see Jafar {Big Daddy's favorite} The Queen of Hearts, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella,  Lotso, Judge Claude Frollo {MY favorite}, Captain Hook and Smee, Cruella DeVil, Mickey, Minnie and the Winnie-the-Pooh gang dressed in not-so-scary costumes, and the ever-popular Jack Skellington and Sally from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.  I recommend seeing the more popular characters either right as the party starts, or at the end of the night.  The villains alone are super-popular, so plan accordingly. 

source: Disney Parks Blog

*remember characters are always subject to change without notice!*

for 2014 Disney is offering a separate ticketed event for this ticketed event (got that?)  called the Villains Sinister Soiree.  This $99 (plus tax) ticket offers you preferred viewing of Mickey's "Boo to You" parade and HalloWishes.  After, you head to Cinderella's Royal Table for a "devilish desserts and wicked entertainment"  I have not heard how this affects the characters that are at MNSSHP for meet-and-greets.  Yes, this is a $99 ticket on top of your $65+ ticket to MNSSHP, that does NOT include regular park admission.  Wow.

6) Get a great spot for the parade.  Again, no-brainer for any Disney trip, but snagging a good spot for Mickey's "Boo to You" parade isn't hard to do.  For more popular spots, you want to give yourself about a half an hour before parade start.  Other spots, only need about five minutes before the start of the parade.  It is surreal...you almost feel like you have the park to yourself...no crazy crowds fighting for space.  Definitely make the time to see this parade, for no other reason than The Headless Horseman leads the way.  

source: Disney Parks Blog

7) Special entertainment offerings...and awesome perimeter fireworks.  Be sure to check out the "Villain's Mix and Mingle - Live on Stage" show at Cinderella Castle, and get your groove on at Club Villain (in the Diamond Horseshoe in Liberty Square).  Mike and Sulley host their own "Scraem-O-Ween" ball in Tomorrowland.  The icing on the {devil's food} cake is HalloWishes.  Quite possibly the best fireworks show at Disney.  Snag a spot straight out on Main Street USA for the best view.

photo source: ilovecfl.com

Anything I forgot?  I am sure there is.  Have you experienced Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party?  What was your favorite part?  Do you plan on visiting this year {sadly, our plans this year had to change!} 

Be sure to follow my Pinterest board specializing in Disney's Special Events.  I love scouring Pinterest for the best tips and tricks!

{Love to All}

{Travel Tip Tuesday} ...Staying Offsite While Visiting Walt Disney World? Why You Might Want to Reconsider...

It has been years.  YEARS.  Since I have stayed offsite when visiting the Walt Disney World Resort.  We find there is so much value when we stay onsite, which is funny because the first thing travelers are wary of is the cost of staying at a Disney Resort Hotel.  Here are ten of my favorite *perks* of staying onsite.

photo credit: disneyworld.com

   

1. Disney's Magical Express
If you are flying, Disney will pick you up at the airport and transport you {and your luggage} via motorcoach to your Disney resort.  Free of charge.  Free.  Once at the resort, you can use Disney's transportation to get around...no need to rent a car, and face the driving that IS Central Florida driving. Believe me, I lived there and never got used to it!

photo credit: disneyworld.com

2. Complimentary Disney transportation
Disney offers complimentary transportation throughout the resort, including to and from Disney Theme Parks and Disney Water Parks.  You can avoid the hassle of driving and parking, and save time and money.  Once at your resort, you really don't have to use your car for the duration of your stay!  Disney offers air-conditioned busses, relaxing boat rides and their world-famous Monorail.

3. Free Parking
Because we have family and friends all over Florida, we have driven a rental car from MCO to Disney before.  We have also driven the rental car from our resort to the theme parks or to another resort to catch a dining reservation.  Disney gives a parking pass to display on your dashboard.  Parking is $17 a day for everyone expect Walt Disney World Resort guests or annual pass holders.  $17 a day adds up quickly, so if you are pricing offsite accommodations, definitely take parking into consideration.

photo credit: disneyworld.com

4. Extra. Magic. Hours
Every day one of the theme parks opens either an hour early or stays open three hours later. This can  make a huge difference in getting to experience some of the more popular attractions.  We love the evening EMH.  When Little Man was a little Little Man, we would plan a pretty leisurely morning/early afternoon and hit the parks {especially the Magic Kingdom} late at night.  You practically have the park to yourself.

source: Disney Parks Blog

5. Disney Dining Plan
We love the DDP.  We love to eat.  We love not having to worry about our dining budget because the DDP was paid for {or we got it during FREE DINING!} when we paid for the trip as a whole.  If you aren't a guest at a Disney Resort Hotel, you aren’t eligible for the Dining Plan...free or not.

source: Disney Parks Blog

6.  The Disney Magic Band
Yes, Magic Bands are available to everyone...but when you are a guest at a Disney Resort Hotel, your Magic Band is truly your "Key to the World".  With your Magic Band you can...

 - Unlock the door of your Disney Resort hotel room.
 - Enter theme and water parks (with valid admission).
 - Check in at FastPass+ entrances.
 - Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account.
 - Charge food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room during your hotel stay

7. Package Delivery

I remember the days where Package Delivery actually delivered the packages to your Resort Room.  Oh, they joy of coming back to the villa at Old Key West after a day of fun and sun {and shopping} in the parks.  With charging privileges to the room.  It was like Christmas morning every day.  Oh, the memories of Daddy getting the bill on the day of checkout and promising that "you five kids will never have charging privileges again".  Oh knowing that the next trip, we'd be able to have fun, sun and shopping all over again WITH charging privileges.  *sigh*  those were the days.  I digress.  Bottom line, if you buy anything at Disney in any of the parks, other resorts, Downtown Disney, etc, you can have it delivered free of charge to your resort.  Pickup varies by resort, but is usually at the gift shop {hey, let's get you into a store in case there is something your forgot!}

source: disneycareers.com

8. Disney's Undeniable Service

Disney's Cast Members are world-renowned for the excellence in service.  There is someone there for you 24/7 to help make your vacation experience as memorable and carefree as possible.  How do I know?  I used to be one...going above and beyond is just second nature to them.  They are there to help!

9. Disney's Unbeatable Magic.
There is something absolutely, well, magical about never having to enter ‘real world’ once you arrive at Disney. Each Disney Resort Hotel is uniquely themed and immerses you in the magic.  Even if you take a day off from the parks, your resort will have experiences that are like no other...character dining, outdoor activities, movies and themed pools are just some of the offerings.

10. The Gift of Time
You can't get any closer to the Disney Magic.  Everything you need is withing 43 square miles; no need to figure out where you are going, driving or parking.  Want a mid-afternoon nap?  Hop on Disney transportation and you are a short drive {ride?} away.  Part of a large family with varying interests?  Split up and meet later for dinner.  There is just no beating the convenience.


What are your favorite reasons to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel?  Planning a trip?  Needing advice on which hotel is right for you?  Let me know, I love to help!  Check out my Facebook page or zip me an email {chrissy@destinationsinflorida.com}  The magic is my specialty!

{Love to All}

...Meal Plan Monday...Slow Cooker Cheesy Rice and Chicken

Okay.  Pretty random, right?  Here it is...September.  I haven't actively blogged since May.  May.  I have no words.

Well, not really.  I do have words.  I just haven't sat down to get them out.

I finally get a few extra minutes to sit and get the words out, and what do I write about?

My dinner.

My dinner?  Seriously?

Well, yes.  Write about what you know, they say.

So I will start with what I know best.

Food.

Sure.  I know a lot about a whole lot of other {seemingly unimportant} things, but I am going to start out with food.

My goal {and we all know how good I am at sticking to GOALS} is to meal plan each and every Monday.

Thus, the title of today's post...Meal Plan Monday.

{duh}

So, I will go over my plan and what were hits and misses each and every week.

Hold back your excitement.

Of course, I will still get the words out about all sorts of things...my love of all things Disney, Disney travel advice and announcements, Origami Owl doings, my struggles {with just about everything under the sun}, my triumphs, my family, my son, my work, and all of the other stuff that make up just another day in my little world.  I am also trying to use prompts when I am stuck, take more personal photos and be more ACCOUNTABLE for what is going on.

Without further ado...here is the first "Meal Plan Monday" post...

 So, I took two months off this summer.

I did not work the extended school year program in preschool.  I took the summer off.

I am an hourly employee of the school district, so this meant that I went two months off without pay.

I watched Little Man's best friend and best friend's little sister {have I mentioned them before?  I can't remember.  I will have to check} so I brought in a little bit of income while I took the summer off, but that income barely covered the extra money that I spent on groceries to feed two extra children, and the extra money that I spent to entertain two extra children.

I kept telling myself that I didn't do it for the money, because I really didn't.  I did it so Little Man would have a close friend to bond with over the summer.  All in all, the summer was a success...Little Man is still friends with his BFF...but that is for another post.  I am supposed to be writing about food.

Long story short, I had no idea how much of a difference my income made in the grand scheme of things...until I didn't have it.  We did okay for the summer, but things started to get tight right about back-to-school time {August 6th in these parts}  I traveled to Phoenix for the second Origami Owl "O2 Experience" {more on that in another post} and just the general expenses associated with BTS.  Supplies {oh, the supplies!} and Cub Scout fees and soccer fees and new clothes, and on and on and on...oh, and Big Daddy was out of work for two weeks early August.  He took some vacation/personal time from the district {we are both employed by the same school district} but he was completely out-of-commission from his part-time job.  I didn't realize just how much we relied on that little bit of money each week {more the consistency of a weekly check, as opposed to a twice-monthly check}

So, here it is September, and I feel like I am playing catch-up.  Not to worry, there is money in savings...the lights are on...the water is running...the fridge is full...

Kind of.

I realized that we are kind of food hoarders.  Like a full fridge and freezer of "nothing to eat".  So, while making a dollar stretch, I used what I had and made do.

I began to meal plan, and let me tell you.  It is kind of liberating.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate, hate, hate to cook.  Hate it.  I find no joy in cooking.  I do it because I have to.  I have to cook because I have to feed my son.  If it were just me, I would exist on chocolate Teddy Grahams and Diet Cherry Coke.

I know this, because when I lived on my own, this was exactly what I had on hand in my kitchen when I met Big Daddy.  I ate *one* McDonald's Cheeseburger (.89 Cast Member rate at the time) for dinner every night on my lunch break.  I slept through breakfast {I didn't get home until around 1am from work, since I worked until midnight} and grazed for lunch {hence, the Teddy Grahams}

Again, I digress.

Since I have been watching money, I didn't want to stop at a Drive-Thru when we didn't have to.  We managed to eat a lot of what we had on hand.  Since then, I find meal planning easy.

Heck, with Pinterest, it is even easier than easy {is there such a thing?}

So, I sat down on Thursday evening {since I try to shop on Friday when Big Daddy gets that part-time paycheck} and planned out meals for the week...I got a lot of inspiration from www.getcrocked.com.  I stumbled upon the site from Pinterest.  Here is what the week looked/looks like...

Friday - cheesy chicken pasta {frozen from a bag, that I had on hand}  We actually had Pizza Rolls.  I have no shame in admitting this.  I was tired, and we had soccer practice.  We were hungry, and they were quick.

Saturday - Slow Cooker Bean and Corn Chili.  I have all of the ingredients for this, but we had cheesy chicken pasta {see above} instead.  I was gone most of the day, and didn't get the Crock Pot ready.

Sunday - Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta.  We had spaghetti and meatballs, instead.

Monday - Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli.  We had Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice, instead {recipe to follow}

Tuesday - Slow Cooker Spaghetti Pie.

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie.

Thursday - Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice.  I made this today.  Huge hit.

What meal planning has taught me is to be flexible.  As you can see, we might not eat what I planned on the night I planned it.  I have things like chicken tenders, spaghetti {and pizza rolls} on hand at all times.  Might not be the healthiest, most balanced meal...but sometimes, I just want quick.

It doesn't have to be perfect!!!

Today, I made a variation of Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice. I had all of the ingredients on hand {thanks to my meal planning, I had shopped for everything on Friday}.

I used...

four *frozen* boneless, skinless chicken breasts
one cup frozen, chopped onion {I HATE chopping/cutting/dealing with onions!}
one can cream of chicken soup
one box Zatarin's Yellow Rice mix {I had "Family Size" on hand...do NOT use one this big!}
about half a box of chicken broth
about three tablespoons *real* butter
one bag frozen broccoli florets
a whole buncha shredded cheddar {pretty exact there, right?}

My variation: I sprayed the bottom and sides of my Crock-Pot with cooking spray {HATE the stuff, but we had it on hand and I was in a hurry} and placed the chicken in, completely frozen.  I added the onion and spread the soup on top.  Here is where I deviated from the recipe as posted.  I poured the box of *dry* Zatarain's on top of the soup.  I added about half the box of broth after that.  I figured the moisture from the chicken, onion, soup and broth would keep the rice soft.  I added the butter for good measure.  The rice DID stay soft, but there was SO much of it {because it was a "Family Size" box}  Next time, I will stick with a regular size box.  I set the Crock-Pot on low for eight hours and let it be.

Well, I went to work so I had no choice but to let it be.

I set it at about 10 am, so it would be wrapped up at 6 pm, which was perfect because I am off work around that time.

Except for today.  Both of my kiddos {I work as an assistant for two special needs preschoolers} left before 4:30!  Unheard of!

We got home about 4:40, and I checked on the deliciousness {it smelled divine!}  All looked good, I gave it a little stir {mainly to moisten the excess rice} added the frozen broccoli and enough cheese to cover it all.  I put the lid back on, and let it cook, figuring it had about an hour and twenty minutes left.  I ended up letting it cook for about an hour.  I left the chicken whole, and served it in bowls.

I am NOT a photographer, so I am using the photo from www.getcrocked.com.  Gives you the idea.

photo source: www.getcrocked.com

This made a LOT of food.  Little Man and I each had a nice sized bowl, with plenty left over for Big Daddy.  I will definitely add this to our regular rotation.  It is pinned on my "...it's what's for dinner..." board on Pinterest.  It is little, but still growing!  Are you on Pinterest?  If so, give me a follow...almost 3,000 followers can't be wrong!

{I just *adore* Pinterest!}

Love to All.