Travel Talk With Marilyn

Downtown Disney's Holiday Wishes - Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T11:08:00.001-06:00

Downtown Disney!

May your Holidays be Merry!

Disney's Days Of Christmas - Downtown Disney

2011-12-12T11:25:00.002-06:00

The next time you are in Downtown Disney make sure you visit the Disney's Days Of Christmas Store. Disney and Christmas decorations just seem to go together!

Before you go inside take some time to enjoy some of the decor around the building.

When you walk in you will be amazed at what is waiting for you. It doesn't matter what time of the year you walk into this store, you will feel like it is Christmas by the time you walk out!

Each year they have dated ornaments just waiting to be placed upon your

Christmas tree.

Talk about the perfect plate and cup for Santa's milk

and cookies!

What child wouldn't be happy with a Woody and Buzz Lightyear stocking hanging

on the mantel?

Or how about a Minnie stocking instead? If you look closely you will see that there are other Disney Character stockings available too, but for some reason Minnie always catches my eye first. Please don't tell Mickey I said that okay? :)

Have you been to Walt Disney World during the Holidays? Tell us about it! :)

Finding Nemo - The Musical Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T16:55:00.002-06:00

Finding Nemo - The Musical at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom

Sidewalk Art at Disney's Hollywood Studios - Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T09:28:00.001-05:00

Sidewalk art at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Tow Mater Cupcakes Inspired by Disney's Cars

2011-10-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

Ready for some more Disney inspired cupcakes? This time I made some Tow Mater cupcakes. Tow Mater is an adorable character from the Disney's Cars movies. (Check out my other posts for the Alien from Toy Story Cupcakes and Lightning McQueen Cupcakes!)

Many of the techniques that I used in the making of these cupcakes were also used in the making of the Lightning McQueen cupcakes so check out that post if you would like more details. I started by icing the cupcakes with chocolate icing. I have to admit I liked making this cupcake because I didn't have to color any of the icing with food color. I used the icing right out of the containers from the store. What could be easier? Next I placed the little miniature candy bars that I had iced with white icing on the cupcake for the windshield.

I then piped the chocolate icing around the windshield and added black eyes with some decorating Gel icing. Want to know an easy trick for piping icing on the cupcakes? I used a freezer zip lock bag and cut a tiny hole in one corner. It was then easy to put the details on and I was able to throw the whole thing away when I was finished. I like easy clean up!

The teeth came next. I piped them on using the white icing. Remember, Tow Mater has one tooth that is shorter then the other! I added a cookie for the tire in the middle of his hood...

and glued four more cookies onto the sides of the cupcakes with icing. The Keebler Right Bites cookies were perfect tires!

There you go! Tow Mater cupcakes that any child or adult for that matter will love to eat. If you make some of these cupcakes for yourself I would love to hear from you!

Disney's Magic Kingdom Scarecrows

2011-10-17T16:12:00.001-05:00

On my recent visit to Walt Disney World I totally enjoyed soaking up the extra magical touches that Disney adds to the Magic Kingdom Park during the Fall Season. As I walked into the park one of the first things I noticed were the scarecrows welcoming me.

Such a Divia!

The Mayor was very friendly.

The Drum Major was great at keeping everyone together

and marching at the correct pace.

The drummer was a little too enthusiastic if you ask me!

Her hair style is just divine!

Way to catch that ball!

Fall Decor At Walt Disney World

2011-10-15T11:26:00.001-05:00

Walt Disney World knows how to decorate for the Fall Season! This Giant Jack-O-Lantern can be found outside of the Magic Kingdom.

Check out City Hall in the Magic Kingdom!

Please excuse the poor quality of this photo but I really wanted to share the adorable Carmel Apples that I found one evening in Downtown Disney at the Candy Cauldron. They were just too cute not to share with you!

Adorable Mickey inspired Carmel Apple Jack-O-Lanterns and Minnie inspired Carmel Apple Witches. Yes, they are adorable!

Phineas & Ferb At Disney's Hollywood Studios - Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T15:32:00.001-05:00

Phineas & Ferb at Disney's Hollywood Studio

Disney's Lightning McQueen Cupcakes

2011-10-10T15:41:00.001-05:00

It was time to make some Disney inspired cupcakes again! In a previous post I showed how to make the Alien cupcakes from the Toy Story Movies. I was in a baking mood again and since I had so much fun making the Alien cupcakes I headed over to the Disney Family.com site to find a Character cupcake to make. The Lightning McQueen cupcakes from Cars caught my eye. I made a few small changes to their suggested way of making them, so here is my version!

Lightning McQueen needed a windshield of course, so I took Hershey's Miniatures candy bars and put a thin layer of white icing on the back. I then popped them into the freezer to harden up and make them easier to handle when it came time to put them on the cupcake. The directions said to use a white candy bar for the windshield but I could not find anything that I thought would work at the store so I used the Hershey's Miniatures instead. I think I like the little candy bars better!

I iced the cupcakes with red icing and added the candy bar windshield. Make sure you push the candy bar down far enough into the icing as it can tilt and fall out if you don't.

Next, I put some of the red icing into a zip lock bag and snipped a little of the corner off of the bag with some scissors. I then piped the red icing around the edge of the windshield and added black eyes with some decorating Gel icing. The directions called for using mini chocolate chips for the eyes but I thought this was easier.

When it came time for the mouth once again I did my own thing. I just piped some white icing on for a fun mouth. Two yellow M&M's were used for the headlights, and four brown M&M's made up the tires.You may find it necessary to "glue" the brown M&M's on with some added frosting just to make sure they stick.

There you go...Lightning McQueen to the rescue!

I think they turned out great! They were fun to make and the boys that I gave them to that evening thought they were fun to eat too!

If you make some Lightning McQueen Cupcakes of your own I would love to hear about them!

Halloween Decor at Walt Disney World

2011-09-24T11:43:00.001-05:00

I promised to show more of the Fall decorations and items that I recently found in the gift shops at Walt Disney World here so...here you go! I love the way Disney puts their own spin on Halloween. Disney knows how to make Halloween fun!

Cookies that too cute to even think about eating!

Adorable stuffed Disney Characters dressed up for the occasion.

Some Mickey inspired Jack O' Lanterns to add a special kind of fun to Halloween. Yes, fun is definitely available at the Walt Disney World gifts shops right now.

The Disney Wonder - Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T07:30:00.002-05:00

The Elevator floor indicator on The Disney Wonder.

Relaxing at Disney's Polynesian Resort - Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T07:30:00.002-05:00

Relaxing at Disney's Polynesian Resort

The Disney Wonder - Mickey's Pool

2011-09-07T07:30:00.002-05:00

The Disney Wonder - Mickey's Pool

Fall Merchandise at Walt Disney World

2011-09-02T20:31:00.001-05:00

Look at what I saw at Walt Disney World - Fall merchandise. Yes, it is that time of year again!

Mickey Mouse Jack-O-Lanterns, Rice Krispie Treats that look like candy corn and Mickey Mouse head shapes dipped in White and Orange Chocolate....the list can go on and on. Stay tuned for more Fall decorations at Walt Disney World!

Wishes at Walt Disney Worlds's Magic Kingdom

2011-08-31T07:30:00.002-05:00

Cinderella's Castle at The Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World

The Disney Wonder - Surprise Encounters

2011-08-28T15:39:00.001-05:00

You never know who you will brush shoulders with on The Disney Wonder! Our first surprise encounter with Disney Characters was when we were walking to dinner one night. Coming down the hallway were Mickey and Minnie Mouse! They were all dressed up in their finery for the Golden Mickey's Night.

Another night we were walking down the hallway and there was Cinderella! Do you think she was on her way to meet Prince Charming? :) I like to think so!

I learned to always have your camera ready as you just never know when an opportunity will crop up for a close encounter with a Disney Character aboard The Disney Wonder!

Sights At Cabo San Lucas - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T12:32:00.002-05:00

Sights at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Disney Cruise Line - Mexican Rivera Cruise

Goofy's Candy Company at Downtown Disney

2011-08-18T17:15:00.001-05:00

Candy, fudge, caramel apples, cookies, chocolate covered marshmallows...what do they all have in common? You can find them here at Goofy's Candy Company in Downtown Disney!

This is one yummy store let me tell you! The smell of caramel and chocolate greet you as you walk in the door. In fact, you are surrounded by yummy goodness everywhere you look! There is candy that you can buy by the pound, fudge, cookies, and chocolate covered marshmallows just to name a few. Just look at this display case of sweet goodness!

The different kinds of caramel and chocolate covered apples are so much fun! It is hard to decide just which one to try.

And if choosing a yummy treat wasn't hard enough, they will even let you customize your own! All you have to do is let them know if you want your apple, marshmallows, pretzel rods or other treats dipped into milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate. Then, do you want them dipped into toppings such as sprinkles, mini M&M's, mini chocolate chips, assorted nuts...and oh the the list goes on here too! Just when you think you have figured out you have to decide if you want it drizzled with even more chocolate! You know, it is a hard decision, but someone has to do it so it might as well be you! :) Here is a cast member making a chocolate covered apple here. I wonder what else she was going to put on it!

I also saw these giant Minnie and Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treat Cakes just waiting for someone to buy. Wouldn't this make an ideal birthday cake? I think so!

How about a lolly pop that is as big as your head (or almost)?

Goofy's Candy Company is always on my list of places that I have to go to in Downtown Disney. How about you?

Sights At Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T07:30:00.011-05:00

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Disney's Animation Academy at Disney's Hollywood Studios

2011-08-11T18:49:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things to do while visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios is to visit the Animation Academy in the Magic of Disney Animation. It is an experience that many pass by because they don't realize what it is all about.

At the Animation Academy you can get a glimpse of what it takes to draw a Disney Character, and you get to try your hand at it too!

It is like a private drawing lesson with a real, live Disney Animator/Artist. You may be thinking, I don't know how to draw! Or, I can't even draw a stick figure let alone and Disney Character! No worries! You are supplied a piece of paper and a pencil. The pencil has no eraser by the way, but don't worry, this is a sketching process and you really won't need one! Really! The fact that the paper fits over pegs on a Mickey Mouse shaped drawing board only adds to the fun.

The Animator's drawing is projected up on a screen in the middle of the room. You usually start out with a lightly drawn circle, put some guide lines in it and you go on from there. The Animator will draw the Disney Character shape by shape, explaining the process as you go along. Often they will tell you a little background information about the Character that you are drawing or talk about something interesting that they have seen or done. Before you know it, you have a Disney Character on your own piece of paper!

I wish I could say this is my drawing, but I can't. This was the Disney Animator's drawing. She was kind enough to allow me to photograph it after the class. I will admit to peeking at the other class member's drawings and you know what...everyone had a recognizable Mickey Mouse on their paper! Sure, some were better then others but everyone had a smile on their face because they enjoyed the class, and that is what matters after all. The class took about 20 minutes to complete. Much to my delight the Cast Members do not mind if you go back and get in line again right after your class for the next one. Yes, I did that very thing, but I was careful. I kept an eye out for anyone walking up to join the class after I got in line. I was more then willing to allow someone who had not drawn a character yet to take my place. I was not willing to deny anyone the chance of drawing a character just because I enjoyed the experience so much!

Let The Magic Begin - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T15:48:00.001-05:00

"Let The Magic Begin" show on The Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder And Mr. Toad's Wild Race

2011-08-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

I was strolling through the Atrium one day aboard the Disney Wonder and I heard a lot of noise down on the lower level. There was cheering and voices yelling, "Go! Go!" Well, of course I had to look down....way down into the Atrium. A race was going on. It was Mr. Toad's Wild Race to be exact.

I decided that this was worth checking out since so many families seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were two Crew Members who were dressed like they were going to the horse races, long ropes with colorful toads attached, and children at the end of the ropes. Yes, this was worth checking out!.

The children would pull and lift the rope in order to make the toad hop along. The child that had their toad cross the finish line first would be the winner. The boy in the yellow hat was impatient. He would pull hard and lift the rope high. When the toad would get stuck the Crew Member would patiently lean down to adjust the toad and the boy would start pulling and tugging again. He really wanted to beat the girl who was racing against him. I wonder if that was his sister?

The families cheered, the children tugged and pulled....guess who won? Much to the disappointment of the boy in the yellow hat it was the girl who won. Are you wondering why I didn't get a photo of the toad crossing the finish line? Well, I was too busy having fun and cheering them on!

The Disney Cruise Line provides many fun filled activities to keep children and adults busy and happy during their cruises. They know how to treat their cruisers well!

Dining At The Crystal Palace In The Magic Kingdon

2011-07-29T13:43:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite places to dine at the Magic Kingdom is at the Crystal Palace.

The fact that it is a Character Meal with Winnie the Pooh and his friends just makes it that much more special!

It doesn't matter if you are there for breakfast, lunch or dinner you will find something at the buffet that everyone enjoys.

Not only is the food wonderful, but the details in the building are fun too. You always need to remember to look up when you are in Walt Disney World because you never know what you might see. There are Disney details and magic to be found everywhere. Look up inside the Crystal Palace and this is what you will see.

While you are eating Winnie the Pooh and his friends come around to your table and stop to greet you and for a photo. Tigger is always fun, but be careful as you never know what he is going to do. He can be a little mischievous at times!

Pigglet is just sweet!

And of course a photo opportunity with Winnie The Pooh is always the highlight of the meal.

Great food and Disney friends is always a perfect combination!

Towel Animal At Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort - Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T11:09:00.001-05:00

This is the towel animal that we found in our room one night in the Port Orleans Riverside Resort at Walt Disney World. Cute!

Towel Animals On The Disney Cruise Line Ship The Wonder

2011-07-21T18:52:00.002-05:00

When you cruise with the Disney Cruise Line you are surrounded by special touches that just make your experience aboard ship even more fun. Each night when we would return to our stateroom on The Disney Wonder our bed would be turned down, a towel animal would be waiting for us, and some yummy chocolate would be close by.

A swan waited for us on the first night.

How about a dinosaur? Next to the chocolate is a note that reminded all cruisers to set their clock back an hour that night. Disney Cruise Line is great at keeping
their cruisers informed.

We found our nightly chocolate as they eyes of this cute little money! Our Stateroom host told us that if we didn't talk to the monkey every once in a while the monkey would become very mischievous. Guess we talked to it enough, as we always found our stateroom in pristine condition.

A bunny greeted us one night, but I must have eaten the chocolate before I took the photo!

Talk about puppy dog eyes!

Lobster anyone?

I spied these towel swans one day on the deck.
For some reason I love towel animals. How about you?