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My Favorite Movie Musicals

With the Tony Awards coming up in just a couple of months, I thought I’d start a new series of posts about musicals to gear up for the awards ceremony. You may have seen me mention in the past my love of musical theater. I performed some as a kid in school and camp, but never anything serious. I have always had a love of Broadway and show tunes and wanted to share some of my favorites on film.

A while back I was having a discussion across multiple social media platforms about what are some of people’s favorite movie musicals. I thought I’d compile a listing of my collection of movie adaptations of musicals that I own on DVD and Blu Ray to start. To try to keep this list from being never-ending, I will exclude things like Disney animated films, and focus on the more traditional incarnations of movie musical and shows.

1776 – This 70s classic about the founding of America, and specifically the writing of the Declaration of Independence, was a staple in school history class for me. Favorite songs: But, Mr. Adams and Sit Down, John

Annie – I have both the 1982 Aileen Quinn version I grew up with, and the 1999 Disney/ABC remake of the story of the lovable orphan. Favorite songs: Maybe, It’s A Hard Knock Life, and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

Chicago – The 2002 film about murderesses during the Jazz Age has some seriously catchy tunes. I especially enjoy Queen Latifah as Mama Morton. Favorite songs: Cell Block Tango, All That Jazz, and Razzle Dazzle

Grease – This is 1978 classic first entered my life in second grade when the fifth graders at my elementary school performed We Go Together at the school concert. I have seen this movie literally dozens upon dozens of times. You may say I’m hopelessly devoted to it. Favorite songs: We Go Together, Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee, Summer Nights, and You’re the One That I Want

Les Miserables – I was first intrigued by the 2012 version when I heard about how the singing was being recorded for this film on set with music as opposed to in a studio. Throw in Hugh Jackman, and Samantha Barks and her amazing performance and I was sold, despite Russell Crowe’s singing. Favorite songs: Master of the House and On My Own

Mamma Mia! – Gorgeous setting in the Greek Isles, Christine Baranski, and ABBA? This was a no brainer for me. I remember laughing incessantly the first time I saw this musical, and on subsequent viewings with friends and family, despite Pierce Brosnan’s singing. Favorite songs: Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, and Take A Chance On Me

Moulin Rouge! – This tale of love in turn of the 19th into 20th century Paris was not adapted from an existing stage show before being made into a movie musical. I will say that I hesitated to include it because it doesn’t consist of original songs, but rather regurgitates (albeit in often very unique ways) familiar songs with a twist. Favorite songs: Elephant Love Medley, Complainte de la Butte, and Sparkling Diamonds

The Music Man – Although I’ve seen and enjoy the Matthew Broderick version of this musical, I tend to favor the original Robert Preston film from 1962 with Shirley Jones, despite the song Shipoopi existing. Favorite songs: Lida Rose, Marian the Librarian, and Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little

My Fair Lady – I remember seeing a high school performance of this while in middle school and falling in love with it before I saw the film. Then I fell deeper in love with Audrey Hepburn’s charming portrayal of Eliza Doolittle. Favorite songs: Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, I Could Have Danced All Night, and On the Street Where You Live

Newsies – Despite my friends Traci and Carrie professing their love for this movie musical throughout middle and high school, I am ashamed to say I didn’t actually see this movie until about three and a half years ago when our friends at the Disney Film Project Podcast covered it in one of their episodes. This is an instance of the film as the predecessor to the hit Broadway musical, but I’m including it. Favorite songs: Carrying the Banner, Seize the Day, and King of New York

The Phantom of the Opera – Quite possibly the quintessential example of musical theater, this classic from Andrew Lloyd Webber was made into a rather enjoyable film adaptation. Emmy Rossum stars and shines brightly, despite Gerard Butler’s tendency to overly growl through his songs. Favorite songs: Think of Me, All I Ask of You, and Masquerade

The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Even though I was admittedly introduced to this too early at the age of 12, it remains a favorite musical of mine and a cult classic for 40 years now. Second Tim Curry appearance on the list. 😉 Favorite songs: Dammit Janet, The Time Warp, and Sweet Transvestite

Singin’ in the Rain – What can I say? They just don’t make stars like Gene Kelly anymore it seems. He was a triple threat who could sing, act, and dance, but still be masculine and a great romantic lead. This story of the transition from silent films to talkies is definitely towards the top of my list of the best of the best movie musicals. Favorite songs: Singin’ in the Rain, Good Morning, and Make ‘Em Laugh

The Sound of Music – I don’t know if there’s a way to improve on this musical, other than maybe make the Baroness Elsa Schrader less scheming, but it’s fun to hate her. Julie Andrews is practically perfect in every way. 😉 Favorite songs: Sixteen Going on Seventeen, My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, So Long, Farewell, and Something Good

West Side Story – Remake Romeo and Juliet and set it in the early 1960s on the West Side of New York and you’ve got the Jets vs. the Sharks instead of the Montagues and Capulets. The musical is no less tragic, but beautiful with moments of levity. Favorite songs: Tonight, I Feel Pretty, Somewhere, and America

White Christmas – I remember singing along to so many of these songs on repeat viewings even well outside the regular Christmas season. Favorite songs: Sisters, The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing, Snow, Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me, and Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – Although the tunnel scene used to scare the living daylights out of me, I will gladly stop and watch this movie musical almost any time I find it on tv. Favorite songs: The Candy Man Can, Cheer Up, Charlie, I’ve Got a Golden Ticket, and I Want It Now

The Wizard of Oz – From what is arguably the best year in film history, this 1939 classic musical even spawned one of the most interesting sci-fi films in my collection (Zardoz – see this film if for nothing else than Sean Connery running around in the equivalent of a red cloth diaper and red suspenders). Favorite songs: Over the Rainbow, If I Only Had a Brain, and We’re Off to See the Wizard

Did I miss any of your favorite movie musicals? I know there are dozens more out there, but these are just some of my favorites that I like enough to go out and buy. I will continue my musicals series by talking about some of my favorite shows I’ve seen on stage. All images courtesy of IMDb.com.

Visiting the Straz Center

This past weekend I took a tour of the Straz Center in Tampa with our friend Shane. We’ve discussed looking into subscriptions to the Broadway series at several venues in the central Florida area for the upcoming 2015-2016 season. Before we decide on tickets for individual shows or packages, we wanted to visit the Straz Center since neither of us had been there before and they are offering a variety of shows that differ from Orlando.

Being that we are both big fans of musical theater in particular, Shane and I were very excited to take an hour to tour the Straz Center and see the fantastic facilities. I did not know prior to arriving that the Straz Center is one of the largest performing arts center in the southeast. According to our tour guide, Debbie (a real life retired rocket scientist by the way), Straz has the greatest number of seats combined between the five theaters south of Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, but not necessarily the largest individual theater or greatest square footage. The theaters range in size from being able to accommodate just 130 in the blackbox Shimberg Playhouse, to the 268 seat Jaeb Theater with cabaret seating, to 1,042 in Ferguson Hall, all the way up to 2,610 in Carol Morsani Hall. On our tour we were able to see each of these four venues, as well as the Rehearsal Hall and several backstage areas. The only theater we did not see due to ongoing setup and rehearsals at the time was the TECO Theater that is a 3,500 square foot open space with no permanent seating or stage, offering versatility in capacity and configuration.

The Straz Center has a beautiful location situated in downtown Tampa right on the Hillsborough River with indoor and outdoor facilities for dining and events. A variety of shows ranging from Broadway hits like Newsies and Once can be seen here, as well as opera, dance, stand up acts, to shows like MythBusters – Jamie & Adam Unleashed! There are several dining options on the complex including Maestro’s Restaurant for dinner on nights of Broadway shows and select other performances. Maestro’s Cafe is a buffet also open on Broadway show nights and is in the lobby of the Carol Morsani Hall. Maestro’s On The River offers outdoor seating with quick bites and beverages along the river. If you’re looking for a pastry, sandwich, salad, or just a good dose of caffeine, SteamHeat Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am until 11pm.

Parking for the Straz Center can be found in public lots and garages within a few minutes walk if you wish to self park. These range in price from approximately $5-10, valet parking is available for around $20 as well. There are also limited spaces available on the street, which are metered during the day and free after 6pm. The Straz Center is conveniently located just off of 275 and Ashley Drive in Tampa, making it very accessible from I4, 75, or 275.

My favorite part of the tour was going on stage in the Morsani Hall. The sheer size of the stage was amazing! It was so cool to be able to look out to all the seats and to imagine yourself performing in front of a full house. Shane and I were both impressed by the ginormous loading doors to backstage which can open to accommodate four semis full of sets and costumes. These door must have been a good 60 feet tall at least. Backstage there is a really cool wall with stencils from many of the shows that have been performed at the Straz Center. I would love to have something like this in artwork form in my house!

If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out the amazing Straz Center in Tampa. I cannot wait to catch my first show here. Shane already saw his this past weekend and is also looking forward to returning. Have you been to the Straz Center? What did you see there? If not, check out their upcoming schedule and I’m sure there is something for everyone between the concerts, plays and performances.

Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows: Bora Bora Bungalows

I got the chance to tour an amazing new Bora Bora Bungalow the other day and wanted to share some of the pictures, as well as some of my favorite details. These fantastic two bedroom accommodations are unlike any other at Walt Disney World, perched over the water with spectacular views.

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The 20 Bora Bora Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows sit on the Seven Seas Lagoon, and at 1,093 square feet have room for up to eight guests.

The Bora Bora Bungalows feature one king-size bed, one queen size bed, one queen-size sleeper sofa, and two pull down bunk-sized beds.

Additionally, the master bathroom offers an in-mirror TV, a whirlpool tub, and walk-in shower with rain shower head.

The second bathroom is separated into two sections – one with a tub/shower and vanity, the other with a toilet and vanity.

The full kitchen includes a refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, microwave, and everything you would need.

Each Bora Bora Bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows has a laundry area featuring a stacked washer and dryer.

The private deck of each Bora Bora Bungalow features a plunge pool, lounge furniture, hanging chairs, and absolutely amazing views of Magic Kingdom Park.

The plunge pool is a unique way to cool off if you need a quick dip with the water temperature at a nice 72 degrees.

At night guests staying in the Bungalows will enjoy the Electrical Water Pageant and nightly fireworks from the privacy of their deck with the accompanying music on the Bora Bora Bungalow’s personal sound system. Can you imagine how cool it would be to be that close to the Electrical Water Pageant?

Some of my favorite touches are the surfboard-inspired coffee table trunk and headboards. I also really love the artwork and decor throughout the bungalow. I especially enjoy the cover from Annette Funicello’s Hawaiiannette album, and the hula dancer on the guest bath shelf. If you ever get to stay in the Bora Bora Bungalow, make sure you have someone ring your doorbell and listen closely!

We are going to continue sharing tons of pictures and even more information about Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, so make sure you keep up with the fun by following us onTwitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

You can find my post about my visit to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto here and a Photo Tour of the Deluxe Studio Villa – Lake View here.

Also, we will be posting videos on our YouTube channel so make sure you subscribe today!

Many thanks to Morgan Crutchfield and Cynthia Larrison for the additional pictures for this post!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Tiki Shrug

Wordless Wednesday: April 1, 2015

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto Soft Opening Visit

This past weekend, a few friends and I were lucky enough to experience the soft opening of the brand new Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

We were in the first group to enter this tiki bar located in the Great Ceremonial House next to Captain Cook’s. For those of you familiar with Disneyland, this lounge is the counterpart to Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar.

The atmosphere at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto draws inspiration from a great combination of Disney classic attractions like the Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Imagineers have hidden lots of great references to these rides as well as many other Disney characters and films. If you keep a keen eye open, you may find the Orange Bird, a nod to the Rocketeer, and even my favorite nefarious Toad, J. Thaddeus.

Also, be on the look out for fun audio animatronics like a tentacle swinging from above the bar with a tight grip on a bottle, Uh Oa, the tiki goddess of disaster on the opposite wall, and tons of fantastic blacklight effects.

Once you’ve marveled over the fabulous decor and theming inside Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, it is time to decide which beverages and food you want to experience. Similar to the vibe of the lounge, the small plates and drinks offered have a South Seas flair, heavy on the seafood and rum. We sampled all of the appetizers between our group and found everything to be quite tasty.

I definitely had a favorite in the Headhunter Sushi Roll, which if I recall is a beet rice roll with tuna, salmon, cucumber with an awesome hibiscus sauce. This roll was so good we killed it within just a couple of minutes between a few of us. I highly recommend it as a great combination of flavors that is different from any other roll I’ve had before.

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows — Headhunter Sushi Roll

Other popular choices in our group were the Chicken Lettuce Cups that you assembled yourself, which were really nice with the kimchi, and the Kalua Pork Tacos.

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows Lettuce Wraps — Chicken Lettuce Cups

As far as what I didn’t particular care for, or feel I will order again in the near future, I’d say skip the Corn-Battered Portuguese Sausages. To me, these tasted kind of like corn dogs with a ketchup infused with curry.

Corn-Battered Portuguese Sausages Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows — Corn-Battered Portuguese Sausages

The other items that we felt left a bit to be desired were the Pan-Fried Dumplings with soy-sesame dipping sauce. These were pork and shrimp combined, but seemed a bit light on the filling as far proportionally to the dumpling dough. I’d say the Salmon Oshizushi, Chicken and Pork Bahn Mi, and the Hawaiian Poke fall in the middle. I’d get them again, but maybe not as frequently as the Headhunter Roll or Lettuce Cups.

Hippopotomai-Tai Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows — Hippopotomai-Tai

I took one for the team and was pretty much the designated drinker, ordering the Hippopotomai-Tai since it came with a new souvenir glass specific to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. This was a really good Mai Tai, with the obligatory “two shots of rum” offering a special effect.

Another in our group tried the Polynesian Pearl, which is a signature drink new for the Grog Grotto. It comes in a plastic “pearl” with a fun presentation from the bartenders each time one is ordered. This drink, which I just tasted, came across like a creamy version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in beverage form.

For the non-alcoholic folks out there, we also sampled the Schweitzer Fall, which mostly tasted like pineapple juice and sprite, and the Skipper Sipper, a bit more refreshing and slightly less sweet combo of tropical juice with mint and lime.

Several of the alcoholic beverages at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto can be purchased in souvenir glasses, which you can pick up on your way out already wrapped up for you. This is really nice to not have to wait for your used glass to be cleaned out and brought back to you. Our server simply highlighted my receipt, then I showed it to the Cast Members at the door where the glasses are on display. The Polynesian Pearl is plastic, which they will rinse out for you to take if you’d like. The Hippopotomai-Tai souvenir and the Kona beer flight are glass, and the others offered are all ceramic.

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows Nautilus — Nautilus

As of this time, the only souvenir glass not available is for the Nautilus, which will run approximately $52, but is currently around $34 for just the alcoholic drink. According to the Food and Beverage Cast Member with whom I spoke, they said it may be months before those arrive. I also asked, and souvenir drink glasses are not for sale independently of the alcohol.

Here are a few quick things to keep in mind for your visit to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto:

All prices, menu items, and drinks are subject to change as Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is still in soft opening.
No discounts are available currently at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.
The lounge can hold about 50 inside, and the Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace outside can seat an additional 80 guests.
If you are looking to sit inside the Grog Grotto, there is a pager system since seating is so limited. There are a limited amount a pagers available, and wait times did go up to 4-5 hours on the first day of soft openings. Also, your wait time will depend on the size of your party.
The full menu is available both inside and out, with a nice area for musicians and a dancer on the terrace. I really enjoyed this additional entertainment aspect and can see myself spending lots of time here in the future, especially in the warmer summer evenings here.
Hours for Trader Sam’s, once they officially open in late April, will be from 4pm until 12am, with the lounge being 21 and up only from 8pm.

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto met and exceeded my expectations based on my experiences at the West Coast version of Trader Sam’s at Disneyland. The Imagineers have done very well to echo the feeling of the lounge in California, while still making it unique enough to make me want to visit both locations. Like Disneyland, I am sure over time I will be spending hours inspecting all the fun pictures and memorabilia adorning the walls, ceiling, and shelves. This lounge is a much needed addition to the nightlife at Walt Disney World.

Disney Cruise Line’s Halloween on the High Seas

I know Halloween was last week, but I wanted to share some of my experiences and pictures from my Disney Cruise last week. Halloween on the High Seas was a new celebration added this year by DCL to some of their fall itineraries. Having not been on a cruise before, I thought this was a cool added bonus to be able to experience Halloween on the Disney Dream.

When I boarded the ship I was so excited to see decorations right as we entered the atrium in the form of the Pumpkin Tree. I also noticed quite a few decorations on decks 3 and 4 in particular in the common areas. There were several activities spread out over the four day cruise to the Bahamas for Halloween that I wanted to see. As much as I wanted to, I could not get to them all, but the ones I went to were quite fun.

The characters were featured in Halloween costumes in the atrium for Mickey’s Mousequerade Party, which was great fun. Kids and parents alike participated as well, dressing up in costumes, trick or treating, and playing fun games and having a dance party. I also got to see the first part of the story of the Pumpkin Tree, which was quite a fun addition. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to make it back to see the second half of the story due to a conflict with show schedules, but was able to see the Pumpkin Tree in bloom. Also, each of the three rotational restaurants had really cool pumpkins carved and Halloween decorations at their entrances.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend booking a cruise for next year over the fall season with the hopes that Halloween on the High Seas will occur again on the Disney Cruise Line ships. As always, things are subject to change, but I hope they will bring back this fun celebration in the future.

Mall at University Town Center Opens in Sarasota

Last week the new Mall at University Town Center opened in Sarasota as a new location for upscale shopping and dining. I had the chance to check it out this past weekend and thought I’d share a few pictures. My mom and I had seen the location last as a dirt patch before construction started, so it was quite impressive to see the change. The grand opening was last Thursday, with celebrities like our friend David Bromstad in attendance to celebrate the opening of the mall at their Macy’s location. Some of the stores are still not open yet, but I would say a good 80-90% are currently open.

The retail center has a range of stores throughout with anchor stores like Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s. High end offerings also include Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and more traditional mall mainstays like the Gap, Express, Banana Republic, and Victoria’s Secret. One of my favorite aspects of the Mall at University Town Center is the collection of home, kitchen and housewares stores like Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and Williams-Sonoma. I could get lost in these stores along for hours checking out all the fun gadgets and gizmos as well as great decor.

For the opening weekend they had quite a bit of entertainment going on throughout the Mall. I don’t know if this will continue on a regular basis, but it definitely made this feel unlike any mall I’ve ever been to. There were living statues similar to those that used to appear in Epcot. Multiple musicians were spread out throughout the Mall at University Town Center playing music ranging from steel drums, to Celtic violins, to solo guitar players, and even some singing Jack Johnson. In addition to this there were a couple of gymnastic troupes performing in different locations. It made this much more than just your typical shopping experience. I even got to meet Hello Kitty!

Hello Kitty in Dillard's — Hello Kitty in Dillard’s

Setting itself further apart from most malls, the Mall at UTC for short, doesn’t offer a food court per se. There are tons of places to eat, but most of them are table service restaurants, with a few counter service locations with seating mixed in here and there. There are also counter location like Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Starbucks, and Cold Stone Creamery where you just walk up to the counter and order. We opted for lunch at Seasons 52, a restaurant that was first mentioned to me by our own Gail a while back when talking about their fantastic meals on twitter.

Being that this was the opening weekend at the mall, we decided it might be a good idea to get there not long after the mall opened at 11am on Sunday. This was definitely a good call because parking was even scarce when we arrived a little before 11:30. We also had the good sense to make a reservation ahead of time for lunch at Seasons 52 using the Open Table website. We actually checked in about half an hour before our reservation time since neither of us had eaten breakfast, and thankfully they were able to seat us right away. Others were being told the wait was about 45 minutes unless they could find a seat at the bar, so we were very happy to get in early.

I will say the service was a bit slow, and also our server wasn’t as familiar with the menu as we were from just looking at it online ahead of time, but I will give them a pass since it was only four days after opening. The food was all fantastic. We thought we’d prefer to try several small things, so instead of ordering any entrees, my mom and I split several appetizers.

We started off with one of the recommended flights and flatbreads, where you can choose from several flatbread options and three wine flights for either $15 or $20 for three tastes of different wines and then a full glass of your favorite of the three. This would be a great lunch in and of itself for future reference. We tried the blackened steak & blue cheese flatbread with the Acclaimed wine flight, which consisted of reds that were all rated 90 points or above by Wine Spectator, the Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast or International Wine Cellar. We liked the cabernet the best, but none of the wines were as full bodied as we’d hoped, so we probably wouldn’t choose that flight again. The flatbread was quite tasty as long as you like blue cheese.

Flight ... full disclaimer this was after several sips, so you get more than pictured here — Flight … full disclaimer this was after several sips, so you get more than pictured here

Next up we tried some of the seasonal appetizers on the Autumn menu. One that had caught my eye was the cider-glazed chicken skewers. They were served over a fuji apple slaw with sun-dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds. This was our favorite selection we tried. Mom didn’t care for the slaw as much as I did, but still enjoyed the dish overall. We tried a cup of the porcini mushroom bisque in hopes that it might be similiar to the Portabella mushroom soup at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, but it was different. Good, but not as creamy as I’d hoped. I liked dipping the small garlic breadstick that came with it in the bisque to combine the flavors. Mom also ordered the carmelized brussel sprouts with crispy bacon, garlic and a parmesan crust. I’m not usually a fan of brussel sprouts, but paired with the bacon and cheese worked really well. We also ordered the organic baby spinach and carmelized pear salad with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola, and a sherry walnut vinaigrette. The salad was very good too, as long as you like blue cheese. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of blue cheese, in case you hadn’t guessed, but I did like what we had.

Last up was our dessert. Seasons 52 has a tray of mini desserts called mini indulgences that are about shot glass size and very affordable at only $2.75 each. These do change seasonally, so the offerings may very, but there were several intriguing choices. We opted to split the lemon and blueberry curd, and the pumpkin pie with a ginger snap cookie. We enjoyed both desserts, but mom and I both agreed we liked the pumpkin pie the best.

The food at Seasons 52 is all 475 calories or less per menu item, which is nice to know. They use seasonal and fresh ingredients to mix up the selections every few months. Their name, in case you were wondering where the 52 comes from, refers to the 52 different wines that are available by the glass. The food pictured above was enough for two adults to get two full meals each out of it and it was very reasonably priced coming to less than $60 before tip. The leftovers were even great the next day! I really enjoyed this restaurant at the Mall at UTC, and it will definitely be one of the reasons I come back. I’d also like to try their Kona Grill, The Capital Grill, and Brio restaurants. Friends have also recommended the Rise pizza restaurant here, which offers gluten free and traditional pies with your choice of toppings.

If you are looking for a different place to get some of your shopping done, the Mall at University Town Center offers a unique sense of style, mixed with Florida casual fun. This will now be my go to location for the Apple store, which cuts my drive time in half to the next closest location, and it is more than twice the size of the one in Brandon. I also like I can now go here for my Cheesecake Factory fix when I need one. Check this new mall out when you get a chance and let me know what you think.

First Time Disney Cruise Planning

Photo Oct 15, 6 21 01 PM As some of you may know, I am planning my first Disney Cruise coming up in a couple weeks. This was a very last minute trip, but I had kind of set aside the time off from the beginning of the year in hopes I’d be able to snag a cruise deal. I have literally dozens of friends and family members who have been on Disney and other cruises, but my mom and I have never been. The internet and friends have been a great source of knowledge, but I still feel like a fish out of water.

For someone who considers themself somewhat of a Walt Disney World expert, it is more than a little humbling realizing how different cruising is and how much I don’t know. What kind of cruise should I book? What stateroom type should I reserve? Should I start out with a shorter cruise since I’ve not been before? What is rotational dining? How much should I expect to spend above and beyond the cost of the cruise, taxes, tips, etc.? What are the absolute must dos on a Disney Cruise (where is Stacey when I need her)? These are just a fraction of the questions that are flying through my mind with under two weeks left to go before my cruise.

We decided on a four night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream that leaves on 10/27. I am so stoked to be going over the Halloween on the High Seas celebration to see what kind of fun extras are going to be added to the ship. I think the one tip that has been more prevalent than any other is to not miss out on brunch at Palo on my sea day. It isn’t available to book online since we booked so last minute, but we are hoping to get the chance to book it as soon as we board the Dream. I’ve found the FAQs on the Disney Cruise website to be helpful in answering a lot of my questions, but I’m still undecided on some things like whether to drive and park nearby or to have a friend drop us off and pick us up at the Port. I have been told not to bother getting off the ship in the Bahamas, but I’ve never been out of the country, so I want to go and explore at least for a few hours before heading back to the almost empty ship to explore.

I’ve looked at sample Personal Navigators from recent sailings on the Dream, so I at least have some idea of what to expect for onboard entertainment and such. One of the cooler things that is brand new that I’m looking forward to checking out is the Navigator App for Apple or Android devices using the ship’s complimentary wifi for the exclusive use of this app. They have just added new functionality where guests can use the app for messaging, I’m assuming similar to texting, to be able to communicate with others in their party while on the ship. I can’t wait to sit on our verandah with a book, or a glass of wine, watching the sun setting over the horizon.

There is so much I want to see and do on the cruise, like the stage shows, catching first run movies, pirates night, riding the Aquaduck, checking out the Rainforest Room in the spa, enjoying fantastic food, checking out activities like wine tastings, relaxing in the hot tub, and much more. It will be interesting as this is my first real vacation not going to a theme park or specifically to visit family or friends. I will try to balance my desire to do it all with the need to relax above all else. Do you have any tips for this first time cruiser? What do you wish you had known before taking your first Disney Cruise?

GlowBash 5K Tampa Race Recap

This past weekend my mom and I participated in the GlowBash 5K in Tampa. This race/scavenger hunt kicks off “race season” for me. I try not to run between April and September as the weather here in Florida is typically ungodly hot and humid. The other six months of the year I attempt to do a race a month. This season is going to be a little different. It started with registering for the Avengers 5K in Disneyland for the second weekend in November back about six months or so ago. Then my mom found a zombie run in Sarasota she thought sounded kind of fun on Groupon. We’ve both decided we’d like to do races, but want to focus on some that are more affordable than the runDisney races tend to be. After researching the fact the race was a little more off road than either one of us wanted to deal with since we’ve both had knee surgeries, I found a Living Social coupon for the GlowBash.

The race is typically around eighty dollars per person with a t-shirt, post race refreshments, some glow paraphernalia, and a finisher’s medal. We looked at the GlowBash website and learned it was more of a scavenger hunt around downtown Tampa than a traditional race, and this appealed to my mom. So after finding the deal for half off the race, we registered and then tried to find out more about the race. Not much information was out there as far as race recaps, other than one from several years ago, but it ended up being a bit different.

Packet pickup was the two days prior to the race at two Sports Authority locations in the Tampa area. Any team member could pickup the packets with either a copy of the other teammate’s photo ids or a picture of their ids on a smartphone. This made it relatively easy for one person to get the whole team’s packets and t-shirts instead of each individual having to go. The day of the race an email was sent out from GlowBash warning that there was a Tampa Bay Lightning preseason hockey game at the old Ice Palace (I never can keep up with the changing sponsorship names, so forgive me, it is still the Ice Palace), and that there was a possibility of rain, so come early.

Living about an hour away in Bradenton, we decided to leave at 5pm, two hours prior to the race start so we would have plenty of time to find a paid parking spot with race participants now competing with hockey fans for limited space downtown. We arrived at Ferg’s Live, the bar sponsoring the race, right about 6pm, and splurged for parking paying $20 to literally park next door to the start and finish line for the race. This made life so much easier when we were done, it was well worth the price. We could have showed up about half an hour later, but it was fine getting there early since the weather was actually quite nice. The rain held out, the temps dropped into the mid 70s and there was a gorgeous breeze making it one of the nicest evenings in months weatherwise.

About five minutes before start time, each team captain went to the announcer’s table to pick up the race clues for the scavenger hunt. We were instructed not to look at them and were told we would have two hours to complete 10 out of the 11 clues and come back with proof. Some clues required we take pictures, others we had to get a stamp, a coupon, or a wristband from certain locations all over downtown Tampa. We were warned we were not able to used any motorized mode of transportation. Foot travel only was permitted, and we had to adhere to any traffic laws, meaning no jaywalking and only crossing on the walk signal. This proved to be quite interesting, but also provided a nice rest sometimes in between spots.

Photo Oct 04, 6 15 27 PM

At 7pm we were on our way! Since neither of us was in any shape to train recently, we both decided before the race we were not running at all, only walking. We had some experience in the race/scavenger hunt area since we had both done runDisney’s Expedition Everest Challenge before, so at least it wasn’t completely foreign to us. Mom had done some homework, looking at maps and points of interest of Tampa that afternoon, and I used my Google Fu as smartphone use was strongly encouraged, as was the use of GPS and maps. We figured out all the clues first, then decided to map out the locations and go in an order that made sense geographically because we had been told the course could be anywhere from 3 to 7 miles depending on the order in which you did the clues. We were not doing seven miles.

We were unsure of the location of one of the clues exactly, but found that talking to people as we were going around the course helped. Contestants were helping each other with clues and even asking strangers on the street. Part of the scavenger hunt required you to talk to strangers. We even had to quack like a duck for one of the clues. It was a lot of fun, but we were honestly worried at first we wouldn’t finish in the allotted time. We ended up finishing the race in about an hour and a half and exactly at 3.1 miles, so we were happy considering at least half an hour of that was waiting for traffic lights and crosswalks. Mom really enjoyed it and she said it was even more fun than a regular race because it didn’t feel like a race just running in a big circle looking a the same thing.

As the name indicates, GlowBash is in the evening with glow necklaces, bracelets, glasses, etc. for the participants to wear, which was cool to see at night all around the city. Folks in Tampa were entertained by us and supportive of us at the same time. There were no road closures or anything, so almost the whole race was completed on sidewalks and crosswalks. It was a different, but fun way to get out, get some exercise and see the city. There’s another one coming up in St. Pete in the spring, and I think we may check that one out too. Have you ever done a scavenger race or other non-traditional race like GlowBash? What were your thoughts?

Fireworks Flashback

Yesterday marked the anniversary for both Walt Disney World‘s Magic Kingdom (43rd) and Epcot (32nd). I had the great fortune to be able to celebrate these parks’ respective 40th and 30th fireworks celebrations. For the 40th Anniversary of the Magic Kingdom in 2011, a group of friends and I had a spectacular experience renting out the Grand 1 Yacht from the Grand Floridian for a unique perspective of these special fireworks. In 2012, I also had a great view of the fireworks at Epcot thanks to friends from the upper level of the Japan pavilion. To commemorate these two great parks and their anniversaries, I’d like to share some of the fantastic fireworks pictures I was able to capture.

First, a few shots of the Grand 1. If you aren’t familiar with this beautiful yacht, it is docked at the Grand Floridian and guests may reserve it for a fee for a specialty cruise scheduled in the evening for the fireworks, for a private lunch with a butler, or just a cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. The yacht can accommodate up to 18 guests plus the captain and deckhand. If you get a chance to do this at any time, but especially for a special fireworks occasion like Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, I highly recommend getting a group together to experience this awesome vessel. We had the yacht for a couple hours before the fireworks, so we cruised back and forth around Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, the Contemporary, Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian before settling in to watch the Electrical Water Pageant just feet in front of us. We then were positioned almost directly in front of the train station for the fireworks with some slight drifting with the current it was a magnificent view!

Epcot’s 30th was a fantastic combination of Illuminations and then paying homage to classic Epcot attractions and music with gorgeous fireworks.