Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts
Happy Tuesday friends! I am so excited to share more about our trip to Florida and our amazing cruise that we took last month! Today I am specifically excited to share about our breakfast at the Kona Cafe that is located at the Disney World's Polynesian Village Resort.
As a bit of background before I share this- there was a mixup with our reservation. We had booked Ohana originally (or so we thought) and instead when we arrived found out we had been assigned to Kona Cafe. I am sure the mix up was ours somehow, but it was definitely different then we had thought we were going to eat. I would say that for what we were looking for (a really nice sit down restaurant for the morning) Ohana would have been the better fit. Another bit of something was in regards to allergies- which I explain later in the post. I wouldn't say that it was our favorite meal in anyway, but the grounds were beautiful and the best part was being together. *smiles*
I think that if you are traveling with kiddos, want a quick service meal, or are trying to catch a flight or head to the parks for the day- I would recommend Kona Cafe. I would also recommend if you do not have food allergies. But- if you have serious food allergies, are wanting a full sit down meal and want to relax and take your time and have a leisurely day in front of you (like we did) then check out Ohana.
One of our favorite things about our experience was the beautiful grounds of the Polynesian Resort. Our drive up to the entrance of the resort (which I had never visited before) was beautiful!
The oasis of tropical palms, lush vegetation and beautiful flowers was simply gorgeous. There was a feeling of outdoor island ambience everywhere you looked and for my ocean loving heart it was so beautiful!
If you know me well then you know one of my dreams is to visit Hawaii, so it felt like a taste of what I have imagined a visit to there would be like!
As you arrive you are greeted with so many beautiful details!
Walking into the open aired lobby was so gorgeous!
I am always amazed at the detail that Disney gives to everything- even to the light fixtures.
After dropping my sister and mom off at the front, I parked the car and headed into the lobby to make my way to the second floor where the Kona Cafe is located.
Haha! Look who was waving to me from outside the restaurant!
Kona Cafe provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is open to the public each day and reservations are recommended, but to be honest, I saw a lot of people walk in without reservations. If you are coming to visit Disney and use the Disney app you can arrange your reservations through the app for Kona Cafe.
For those who have food allergies like myself, one of the things that was delightful to discover was the options that Kona Cafe had for food allergies. When the reservations were made with the Disney app I had the opportunity to "forewarn" the kitchen of my allergies. I do have to admit though that this was the ONLY restaurant that I have ever been to on a Disney property where a waiter did not go over the restrictions I had. In fact- when I mentioned my allergies our waiter seemed a bit annoyed which I thought was just odd.
It was fine, and I had no issues with the food that I received, but one of the things about Disney restaurants is that typically the waiters go over these things at any sit down restaurant and usually it is never even a second thought about allergies. I was a bit surprised by this so as a warning this might happen for you or maybe the waiter was having an off day. Either way- the food was fine, but as someone who has health issues it is nice to know that Disney typically takes this type of thing more seriously than I experienced. If you have serious food allergies like myself than you know how it feels to enjoy a meal with no worries of cross-contamination. I admit, I wasn't as relaxed about my meal at this Disney property as I typically am, which I think changed my perspective of the experience and why I can't totally recommend this restaurant.
One fun thing about the property is that the Monorail stops right at this resort. After our breakfast we headed out for a fun ride around Disney on the monorail which you can read about HERE!
Happy Tuesday friends - I hope you have a wonderful day!
Happy Tuesday friends! I am so excited to share more about our trip to Florida and our amazing cruise that we took last month! Today I am specifically excited to share about Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort!
After blogging for more than a decade I am still surprised sometimes about what I have not written about here on the blog, and this resort is one of those things. I have referenced it in many different posts and yet, because it has incredibly precious memories held with this place, I was sure that I had written about it several times. Imagine my surprise when I realized that was not true! So today I am excited to share about our stay!
A couple of quick things:
1. Coronado Holds Deeply Personal Full Circle moments for Me.
As I mentioned above, this resort has special memories tied with it for me. As I shared in this post HERE, during my last senior trip (before I got sick) we stayed at Coronado Springs Resort. That resort has held many full circle moments for me. In 2018 when I was returning, I stood on the same bridge at Coronado Springs resort that I had in 2012, touching a beautiful gift that had been given to me (along with a gorgeous luggage tag for traveling adventures), crying because I knew I was saying goodbye to the life that I knew and loved. At the time I had no idea that I was extremely sick with Advanced Late Stage Lyme, Cancer and a few additional health issues, that the journey of healing would take so many years, or the way that healing and restoration would encompass every single area of my life. Returning back and standing in the same spot I cried again, just like I had in 2012 and 2018 ...a bit from grief over so much time lost in this health journey, but more because of being so grateful for where things are at now. Returning back to this hotel has been a sweet full circle moment. I remember the girl standing there in 2012, fearful of what was to come, the woman in 2018 healing and yet still unsure of so many things to now being humbly grateful for where I have been brought.
FCS Class of 2012, thank you. I love and miss y'all. I remember the night these gifts were given and one of you sweetly hugging me whispering, "isn't it wonderful to know that no matter where we all go and where life will take us, that God is there Ms.V?" Oh yes dear one. Oh yes.
2. Coronado Springs is a Resort that I recommend to stay at if you are struggling with a Chronic Illness.
You can read all about why HERE, but I whole-heartedly (non sponsored!) stand by this!
So in saying ALL of that... when my sister surprised us with staying at this resort for a few days before our cruise it was a beautiful gift beyond words. So let me share just a few things about the resort!
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is considered a "moderate Disney resort" and yet, I believe that it lends itself to being one of the more luxury ones with its tranquil nature, the beautiful architecture and the ambience that makes you feel like you have entered into a different country. Some of the benefits of this resort is that it has free parking at the hotel (some resorts do not have this), free shuttle service to the parks (buses is the mode of transportation), several swimming pools, free wifi, and delicious dining onsite.
The atmosphere (as mentioned above) is simply beautiful and the flowers, lighting, and architecture do give a feel that you have entered into an oasis. The Spanish influence throughout the property (whether staying in the main hotel or in a villa) are beautifully decorated and give a glimpse of another world feel.
The walking paths are abundant at this hotel - as you can see from the picture above taken from our room, and lead around the resort and around the beautiful lake. The lake is also the home of the Three Bridges Bar and Grille (which I wrote about HERE!).
One of the best things is that this resort is perfect for a romantic getaway, a girls weekend, or a family vacation.
Our view from our room was beautiful in the daytime... and in the evening!
We arrived at the resort in the evening and after checking in, we met my sister and then as I shared before we went and grabbed dinner. After dinner we slowly walked along the beautiful pathways back to our room and it was so gorgeous. We had such a wonderful night of sleep and then were excited to go out for our day of exploring Disney Springs. Each time we walked through the property we knew that there were a lot of people staying there, but y'all we hardly ran into anyone. It felt like we had the entire place to ourselves in many ways making it even more lovely.
I mention that last point because I think often times you go to Disney and in many ways you can escape for a bit in the "disney bubble" which is sweet. If you're looking for other great places to stay while in Orlando, take a look at Westgate's Orlando hotels — they offer comfortable rooms for families and couples and are close to all the excitement of the parks.This resort definitely adds to that feel and ability to truly just relax and enjoy your time- no matter what you are doing while you are in Orlando.
Our stay at Coronado Springs was absolutely wonderful. Even a couple of weeks later I continue to talk about how restful and rejuvenating the property is and how welcoming everyone on staff was. You could tell that there is a closeness and a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is throughout the community. It truly welcomes you in and is wonderful and I can't wait to go back again in the future!
I truly hope that y'all have the opportunity to go and stay at Coronado Springs. You will truly enjoy it!
three bridges bar and grill at villa del lago // disney's coronado springs resort // orlando, florida
April 1, 2024
*picture is property of Disney's Coronado Springs Resort*
Happy Tuesday friends! I am so excited to share more about our trip to Florida and our amazing cruise that we took last month! Today I am specifically excited to share about Three Bridges Bar and Grill at Villa del Lago that is located at the Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort.
Three Bridges at the Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort is located literally at the intersection of three bridges on the lake and is absolutely beautiful. Opening in July of 2019, this beautiful open air restaurant was the perfect first night meal after we arrived late in the evening on Wednesday night. The restaurant describes itself as the perfect place to unwind, and I couldn't have agreed more with that description.
After traveling the day before to NYC, then having appointments for my mom prior to our flight on Wednesday, the flight to Orlando, and then driving from the hotel to the resort, we were tired but it was SO beautiful to arrive here at this resort.
If you have been around this blog for any length of time then you know that this resort holds very special memories for me and when my sister surprised me with booking it, I literally had tears. I will share more about our stay in a different post, but suffice it to say, as I stood looking over the balcony this amazing view above was delightful in so many ways.
My mom and I also arrived hungry and were so glad to know that this restaurant was still open and so we took a beautiful walk around the paths to arrive at this beautiful place!
When we arrived we were told it would be about a 20 minute wait and it was such a beautiful evening that we opted to wait on the bridge, reveling in the beauty!
We were immediately impressed with the lovely welcome that we received and also the restaurant itself. Everyone was delightful and you truly felt like you had stepped into a different country with the water, the lights and the ambience.
*picture is property of Disney's Coronado Springs Resort*
Three Bridges provides dinner and is open to the public each day. It is my understanding that they do not take any reservations, but you will love the beautiful surroundings as you wait. and y'all the food was amazing. You can find the menus HERE!
It took us some time to decide on what we wanted (because everything looked delicious!) but we were all so excited with what we chose. Y'all. It was AMAZING. It was delicious and so yummy!! We started with the guacamole (and ended up ordering a second order because it was so yummy) and then split an order of the tacos (made allergy friendly). My mom and sister enjoyed some drinks and dessert and it was one of my favorite times of our entire trip.
Our table was right on the water and it was beautiful in everyway.
The views from the restaurant are so beautiful and so relaxing. While we hadn't been to the park that day, this space would be the perfect quiet space to unwind after a long day in the park!
We had the best time just sitting and chatting and talking as we were so excited to begin our adventure! We ended up spending two hours just relaxing there and it was one of my favorite meals that I ever had a Disney property!
For those who have food allergies like myself, one of the things that was delightful to discover was how much Three Bridges catered to my food allergies. When we sat down one of the first things that our waiter did was go over the restrictions anyone had. The waiter quickly and competently shared the items that would be best for me and also about the different items that could be tailored (including the the amazing tacos we shared!!) to be gluten free. As someone who has health issues it was nice to know that these options were available at the restaurant. It was refreshing to know that so much precautions were taken and I could enjoy my meal with no worries of cross-contamination.
After our meal we slowly walked back on the beautiful pathways and headed to our room!
I truly hope that y'all have the opportunity to go and eat at Three Bridges. You will truly enjoy it!
Happy Tuesday friends! I am so excited to share more about the trip to Florida that I took last week! Today I am specifically excited to share about Whispering Canyon Cafe that is located at the Disney World's Wilderness Lodge.
Whispering Canyon Cafe is one of the signature restaurants at the Disney World's Wilderness Lodge which is located in the heart of "the most magical place on earth". Our drive up to the entrance of the lodge (which I had never visited before) was beautiful! The rustic inspired majesty of the America's Great Northwest and National Park Lodges truly give a feeling of great outdoors while keeping the service that is fully Disney and yet a bit removed. We did not stay there, but loved the opportunity to use the My Disney App to book our breakfast there to start off our day.
Our reservation was for 9:25am and we arrived a few minutes early and it was so fun to see the beginning part of the resort. After we ate we took a walk around, which I will show pictures of a little bit later on in this post.
We were immediately impressed with the lovely welcome that we received and also the restaurant itself. It was fun. The energy inside the restaurant created such a fun atmosphere from beginning to end that it was the perfect beginning to our Saturday.
Whispering Canyon Cafe provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is open to the public each day and reservations are highly recommended. If you are coming to visit Disney and use the Disney app you can arrange your reservations through the app for Whispering Canyon Cafe. The menu for the restaurant is limited in its selections, but with lots of different options. You can find the menus HERE!
It took us some time to decide on what we wanted (because everything looked delicious!) but we were all so excited with what we chose. Y'all. It was AMAZING. It was delicious and so yummy!!
The restaurant is a lot of fun and there tons of laughter. There different quirks with things and you can even end up in "jail". The laughter in the room provided such a fun beginning to our day. We had the best time just sitting and chatting and talking! We ended up spending two hours just relaxing there and it was one of my favorite meals that I ever had a Disney property.
For those who have food allergies like myself, one of the things that was delightful to discover was how much Whispering Canyon Cafe catered to my food allergies. When the reservations were made with the Disney app I had the opportunity to "forewarn" the kitchen of my allergies. and when we sat down one of the first things that our waiter did was go over the restrictions I had. The waiter quickly and competently shared the items that would be best for me and also about the different items that could be tailored (including the the amazing waffles I had!!) to be gluten free. As someone who has health issues it was nice to know that these options were available at the restaurant even before we arrived. It was refreshing to know that so much precautions were taken and I could enjoy my meal with no worries of cross-contamination.
After our meal we had some time before our next adventure and so we decided to walk around the grounds and it was so pretty!
.jpg "whispering canyon cafe // disney world's wilderness lodge")
I truly hope that y'all have the opportunity to go and eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe. You will have so much fun!!
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.webp "hyatt place across from universal orlando resort // orlando, florida")
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week so far! Today I am excited to share a bit about our stay at the Hyatt Place Across from Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida that I recently stayed at for my work conference. When searching for a hotel for my work conference, I wanted something that was a great price, safe and of course, clean. Due to the timing of this conference (Spring Break time had officially arrived in Florida) the choices of hotels were limited and the prices were extremely high. I was excited to see that the Hyatt Place Across from Universal Orlando Resort was a very fair price and booked our room!
If you have been around the blog for a while then you know that I have worked with Hyatt in the past and have stayed at different Hyatt properties around the world. We stayed for a total of 4 nights and for the brief time we were there it definitely fit our needs. I booked a room that had 2 queen beds and one pull out sofa bed which was actually cheaper than just a king bed room. Overall the staff were incredibly nice and welcoming and while I do have a few reservations about our time, I would recommend the property if you are in the area.
Hyatt Place Across from Universal Orlando Resort is conveniently located to numerous places that made it convenient for us to travel to and from the airport (approximately 20 minutes away), get on I-4 to go to different destinations, to travel to the conference, go on some outings over the weekend with my sister who came to visit, and also not sit in traffic all the time. We definitely found this to be absolutely true. And of course while we were not going to Universal, they did have a free shuttle back and forth to the park which would have been convenient.
Overall our stay was very nice, but there were a few things that made it a bit interesting. First, it was not clearly stated on the website that you had to pay for parking, which was very pricey. For the record it was $25 a night which I found to be a bit high compared to other places I have stayed in Orlando. I do believe that they should do a better job of making this clear on the website that you will have to pay for parking as I was not aware of this and heard others in line checking in express the same thing.
Second, when I checked in I was told that I could arrange a cleaning each day or one for every other day. I asked for the every other day option and unfortunately, despite asking at the front desk with two different people, never received any type of cleaning. This included our trash not being taken out nor receiving clean towels. I finally chased down one of the women in the hallway who was working and asked for towels but she was confused (sweet but confused) as she said a not had been made that we didn't want a cleaning. It was odd, and I attempted for a third time to talk to the front desk about this but nothing was done about it. Had we been there longer, it would have been a bit concerning.
Third, this was definitely not a quiet hotel. Honestly it was one of the loudest that we have ever stayed in. I wouldn't call it a place to get rest or relaxation, but just to sleep and make sure to have some kind of noise machine to help block out the constant noise. I am not sure why it was so loud, but it seemed like the walls were very thin and it was just loud.
For those who are traveling to the Orlando area the Hyatt Place Across from Universal Orlando Resort might be an option. All of the Hyatt Hotels are smoke free and I found the hotel staff to be pleasant and helpful (with the exception of the odd cleaning situation). I hope that y'all have found this review of the Hyatt Place Across from Universal Orlando Resort helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this hotel! I would be happy to answer them!
*This is not a sponsored post*
(picture found on internet- could not find original source, not the property of caravan sonnet)
Happy Monday friends! We arrived home from Florida last night and we had the most lovely trip! I had a work conference this past week and my mom came with me and we were able to spend some time with my sister who lives in Florida! It was such a sweet time and we explored some different places in Florida that I had never been to and I am excited to recap those in the coming days!
For those who are connected on social media I will be posting pictures over there also - I just was fully present in the moment and creating so many special memories that I didn't even post anything! I know y'all understand!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend and have a wonderful beginning to your week!
Happy Monday!
At the same time though, I have traveled enough while I have been fighting for my health to know that you don't "leave" your sick body and automatically get a "new one" so it is important to understand and prepare ahead of time for any trip when you are chronically ill. Traveling takes a risk and a courage- especially when you don't feel well, but when I was sick I wanted to live as fully as possible despite being sick. I wanted to grab onto life and experience it and live bigger than my world of illness allowed.
I have never regretted this for one moment and know that it is a large part of the reason that I still love traveling today and going on adventures near and far away!
So if you are taking that risk... if you are stepping out and grabbing onto life in a new way and are going for a visit to DisneyWorld while you are ill I applaud you. I applaud you for any small or big steps you are taking as you heal.
If you are looking for extra tips for your trip I shared a post a couple of years ago entitled 10 Tips for Enjoying Disneyworld with a Chronic Illness that may be helpful to read. Today I wanted to share 4 Tips specifically related to enjoying Animal Kingdom with a chronic illness and hope that these will help you in your next adventure!
1. Plan your Meal Times Ahead of Time
If you are looking for extra tips for your trip I shared a post a couple of years ago entitled 10 Tips for Enjoying Disneyworld with a Chronic Illness that may be helpful to read. Today I wanted to share 4 Tips specifically related to enjoying Animal Kingdom with a chronic illness and hope that these will help you in your next adventure!
If part of your Chronic Illness includes a special diet (like myself) you will want to research ahead of time which restaurants are allergen friendly. One of the great things about Animal Kingdom is the choices of "allergen friendly" restaurants and options that they have. One of my favorites in the park is Satu'li' Canteen which I shared a bit about in my post HERE, but it was definitely a great pick for those who have a chronic illness for a few specific reasons:
1. Many "spoonies" like myself try to eat a healthy diet and this place offers tons of different and yummy health options. You can see the menu HERE.
2. For those who have lots of dietary restrictions like myself, this place is a perfect solution for everyone. One of the things that I most appreciated about our experience here was that when I asked one of the staff members a question about one of my allergies she immediately pulled out an allergy friendly map that explained in detail every menu item and if it would be "dietary appropriate" for those who have a myriad of allergies (including dairy, corn, wheat, egg, etc.). This made it incredibly easy to choose something yummy and safe within my dietary restrictions without making a big production of anything.
3. I have to say that one of the things that I mentioned in my post, 10 Tips for enjoying Disney With a Chronic Illness, was the weather and heat factor. For some that are struggling with a chronic illness heat is extremely difficult and Satu'li' Canteen is a sit-down air conditioned restaurant (something that is typically only reserved for the more expensive restaurants in the Disney parks). Satu'li' Canteen offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options and is located in the new Pandora section of Animal Kingdom.
If you are needing special assistance with figuring out dietary issues within animal kingdom you can call ahead of time or place your order on-line. You can find out more about this by clicking HERE. If you have questions and want to discuss several things you can email the Special Dietary staff who will be happy to help you. You can find out their contact information by clicking HERE.
2. Plan a Route
One of the best tips if you are trying to conserve energy to enjoy as much as you can is to plan out a route using the "My Disney Experience App" or just by studying a map. The "My Disney Experience App" can is a huge help with planning out a route for your time in Animal Kingdom and helps keep you up-to-date on wait times and fast pass information. You can find out more about the app by clicking HERE.
3. Stay with Your Group as Much as Possible
One of the things that I really enjoyed at Animal Kingdom was having the opportunity to hang out with my friends up till the moment that they got on a ride that I couldn't ride. When we arrived in Asia in Animal Kingdom we waited in line for Everst which my friends rode and really enjoyed. I wasn't able to ride due to health reasons, but this didn't make me wait outside. I see this happen a lot, but Animal Kingdom is really great about this. They encourage you to spend time with your loved ones and you can easily exit (without having to go back through the whole line) when your party goes to get on a ride. I know that at some theme parks this isn't an option, but at Animal Kingdom it is, and is wonderful that you don't miss out on time with people.
4. Enjoy the Shows and Presentations
One of the unique parts of Animal Kingdom is the plethora of shows and presentations that are available to the visitor. From Broadway caliber shows like The Lion King to talks about different animals there are numerous things to see and learn. For a lot of "spoonies" this can be a wonderful gift as it can give you a chance to sit down and rest a bit while you and your group are still enjoying the park!
If you are looking for additional tips for enjoying Disney with a Chronic Illness you can find my post 10 Tips for Enjoying Disneyworld with a Chronic Illness by clicking HERE and my post 11 Priceless Reasons You Should Stay at a Disney Resort if you are traveling to Disney World with a Chronic Illness by clicking HERE.
One of the things that I really enjoyed at Animal Kingdom was having the opportunity to hang out with my friends up till the moment that they got on a ride that I couldn't ride. When we arrived in Asia in Animal Kingdom we waited in line for Everst which my friends rode and really enjoyed. I wasn't able to ride due to health reasons, but this didn't make me wait outside. I see this happen a lot, but Animal Kingdom is really great about this. They encourage you to spend time with your loved ones and you can easily exit (without having to go back through the whole line) when your party goes to get on a ride. I know that at some theme parks this isn't an option, but at Animal Kingdom it is, and is wonderful that you don't miss out on time with people.
One of the unique parts of Animal Kingdom is the plethora of shows and presentations that are available to the visitor. From Broadway caliber shows like The Lion King to talks about different animals there are numerous things to see and learn. For a lot of "spoonies" this can be a wonderful gift as it can give you a chance to sit down and rest a bit while you and your group are still enjoying the park!
If you are looking for additional tips for enjoying Disney with a Chronic Illness you can find my post 10 Tips for Enjoying Disneyworld with a Chronic Illness by clicking HERE and my post 11 Priceless Reasons You Should Stay at a Disney Resort if you are traveling to Disney World with a Chronic Illness by clicking HERE.
Again, a huge thank you to Disney for making this trip possible. You truly gave a day of perfection and magic and inspiration. I can't wait to go back to Disney again. Thank you again so very much. If you are interested in reading more about the trip you can click on one of the links below:
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A huge thank you to Disneyworld for the tickets for us to enjoy the park and for me to have the opportunity to write about my different experiences. It was a gift that was beyond beautiful!
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