Disney Pin-Trading....fun for big kids too!

When I first got my Disney annual pass over a year ago, I had no intention of being a pin-trader. Sure, I admired the collections strung around the necks of tourists....and yes, I was curious as to how anyone could trade with any cast member...but I was not interested enough to get into it.  That is, until I got my first pin....

Soon after we got our Disney passes, my husband presented me with the gift of a lanyard and a Minnie Mouse pin. I laughed, telling him that there was no way I would feel comfortable walking up to random cast members and asking them to trade with me. But then I saw it....a baby-Mickey pin. I had to have it. So I walked up to the Disney cashier (feeling like a child) and timidly asked if he would trade with me. And just like that, the pin was mine! It was so fun! The next weekend, I went to Disney's Character Warehouse at the outlet mall and picked out some of the cheapest pins I could use to trade (around $2.99 each). Now I take my lanyard and pins with me almost every time I visit one of the Disney parks, looking around for any pins that catch my eye. I've decided that I like Mickey Mouse pins the best.  :)

You don't have to be a die-hard pin collector to share in the fun of Disney pin-trading. I don't have albums and albums of pins...I only have 13 on my lanyard right now (although I am thinking about getting another lanyard to fill up with new pins). Every time I find a new pin I like, the act of trading for it creates an experience and a memory that I will carry with me long after my Disney passes expire.  

Via Napoli, Epcot

I was eager to try Epcot's new pizzeria, Via Napoli, which officially
opened the first week of August. It's located in the Italy pavilion at
Epcot's World Showcase. Our waitress, a lovely young Italian woman
named Rossena, was great. I took a few minutes to look over the menu,
which offered both pizza and other traditional Italian pasta dishes. I knew,
however, that I really wanted to try the pizza. They had a variety of different
pizza options, priced at around $16 for an individual pizza, $27 for a large
pie, and $36 for the extra-large 1/2 meter. My husband and I ordered a large
Piccante pizza, which was definitely big enough for the both of us. It was
topped with Italian sausage, broccoli, tomatoes, and mozzarella, and
came straight from the wood-fired oven.

I have to be honest; I don't think I'll be eating here again. Don't get me wrong...the atmosphere was nice, the service was good, and the pizza was decent. But there is other food in Epcot that I'd much rather eat instead. The pizza was thin and crispy, which I normally like, but some of it was a bit burnt and the ends got soggy pretty quick. The flavor was good, but not great. As I said, I'd rather get lamb and tabouleh in Morocco, orange chicken and fried rice in China, beef and noodles in Japan, or fish and chips in England. I'm glad I gave it a shot, but Via Napoli is unfortunately not one of my top dining choices at Epcot.

 Via Napoli, Epcot

Saturday, August 21st

A friend of mine from South Florida drove up to Orlando for the weekend with her sister and kids. I decided to meet up with them at downtown Disney, where they were having lunch at the T-Rex cafe. The weather was really overcast and cloudy, which meant less heat (a good thing!) and a high chance of rain (not a good thing!). Luckily, summer rain showers in Florida don't usually last too long.

After wandering Downtown Disney for an hour or so, I said goodbye to my friend and headed over to Epcot for lunch (my friend and her family were going to Sea World, and I didn't really feel like paying for that today). I have an annual pass to all 4 Disney parks, so I try to drop in as often as I can. Today I wanted to eat at Epcot's newest pizzeria, Via Napoli, in Italy. Check out my next post for a review.  :)

After lunch, I strolled through China, Norway, and Germany before the rain started coming down. I had been hoping to make a quick stop at the outlets after Epcot, but the rain had me heading home instead (I did manage to stop for some frozen yogurt, however. Yum!).  I spent the rest of my evening relaxing on the couch with my husband and a Netflix movie.  Just another day in my (fun!) life in Orlando.


@FunLifeOrlando insider tip:  Next time you're at Downtown Disney, make sure
to stop in at the Ghirardelli chocolate shop....there's almost ALWAYS someone
there with a basket giving away free samples of their yummy chocolate squares.

Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World

Outlet Shopping

I spent both days this past weekend shopping at Orlando's 2 main outlet malls: Prime Outlets on the north end of International Drive, and Premium Outlets on Vineland Avenue off of south I-Drive. The Premium Outlets used to be my favorite place to shop, but the recently remodeled and expanded Prime Outlets have quickly become my new favorite. They both offer a lot of the same stores, with some exceptions. For example, you can only find Burberry, Armani Exchange, Diesel, Puma, and Nine West at the Premium Outlets. On the other hand, only Prime Outlets has Victoria's Secret, Esprit, Aeropostale, Betsy Johnson, Ed Hardy, Forever 21, Neiman Marcus, and White House/Black Market. Prime Outlets also has better food: Five Guys, Haagen-Daz, Kafe Kalik, Red Brick Pizza, and Vinito Ristorante. Yum!

While shopping at both outlet malls, we made purchases at Kenneth Cole, Esprit, Banana Republic, Oakley, Nike, Lacoste, Diesel, and Puma.  Yes, we did a lot of shopping!  But after doing the math, we spent around $240 and saved over $350 off retail prices. And we did all this while shopping during Florida's tax-free back-to-school shopping weekend.  Score!!

Prime Outlets - Orlando
Orlando Premium Outlets

@FunLifeOrlando Insider Tip: The outlet malls are open late (till 11pm Mon-Sat and 9pm Sun) so visit in the evenings when it's less crowded and not as hot.

WWOHP Videos

 

These first two videos are of performances by the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrangs, rival schools participating in the Triwizard Tournament as described in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

This last video caught the end of a performance by the Hogwart's Frog Choir.

All three videos were taken on June 12, 2010

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I've already visited the WWOHP at least half a dozen times, and I still can't get enough.  Maybe it's the thrill of something new, maybe it's the excitement of having access to an attraction that is so popular right now, or maybe it's just the fact that the WWOHP is just so freakin' cool!  Either way, I love going and always look forward to my next visit. 

Hogwart's Castle

Right now, during the busy summer season, the WWOHP is packed-full of people every single day.  I even tried going later at night to beat the crowds, but the line to get into Ollivander's wand shop was still nearly 2 hours long.  Lucky for me, I was able to visit WWOHP back in May before the official grand opening.  During that first visit, I drank Butterbeer at the Hog's Head, chose a wand at Ollivander's, browsed the merchandise at Zonko's and Dervish & Banges, bought a chocolate frog at Honeydukes, sent a postcard from the Owl Post, ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks, and flew with Harry Potter on the Forbidden Journey ride.  Since then, I've battled dragons on the Dragon Challenge, visited Hagrid's hut on Flight of the Hippogriff, watched performances by Durmstrangs and Beauxbatons, listened to the Frog Choir, and tasted the Hog's Head brew.  I still haven't tried the Pumpkin Juice, but that is next on my WWOHP to-do list.

On days when the park is too crowded to go into the shops or ride the rides, I like to buy a frozen Butterbeer and just stroll the streets of Hogsmeade watching the muggles as they explore all the wonders of the Wizarding World.

Hogsmeade Village

inside Honeydukes

the Hog's Head

inside Ollivander's wand shop

the Hogwart's Express

@FunLifeOrlando Insider Tip - If the lines at the outdoor Butterbeer carts are too long (which they usually are), go inside the Hog's Head instead.  The lines move fast, you get refuge from the heat and/or rain, AND annual passholders get a 10% discount.