Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf

 A few months ago I purchased a Groupon to Putting Edge in Festival Bay Mall on International Drive. For $10, I got 18 holes of glow-in-the-dark mini golf for two. This weekend I finally got a chance to go for the first time, and it was a lot of fun! Putting Edge offers indoor putt-putt (great for hot Florida days) featuring 18 holes lit by black-light and decorated with bright characters and obstacles. This location also hosts birthday parties and has a small arcade.

The course wasn't very difficult, and there were no moving parts that you might see at other mini golf courses, but the music was good and there were fun little games to play at certain holes that made it more interesting. For instance, one hole insisted that you hit the ball using only your foot. Another said that everyone must be touching the putter while you make your shot. With two people, we finished all 18 holes in about an hour. It was a lot more fun than I had expected. Thanks, Groupon, for introducing me to a fun new experience in Orlando!

My Vinylmation Collection

Disney Vinylmation is a recent craze that involves collecting artistically decorated Mickey figures that come in a huge variety of colors and designs. People have been collecting pins at Disney for years (see a previous blog post about my pins here, and another here), and Vinylmation provides Disney fans with another fun way to collect and trade with one another. Vinylmation.net is a great website that provides more information about Vinylmation is, as well as info about the artists and upcoming series.

Each figure comes in a blind box, meaning you don't know which one you'll get until you open it. There are different themes for each series, like Urban, Park, Muppets, Cutesters, Star Wars, Holiday, Toy Story, Sports, and more. If you don't like the one you got, you can trade it at multiple retail locations all over Disney. Besides the excitement of not knowing which figure you'll get, trading is the best part! Sometimes the Vinylmations available for trade are displayed in a clear box near the register, and other times you can do a mystery trade from a numbered blind box. Just pick a number, and you'll get whatever figure is hiding behind the door!

The photos in this post represent my current Vinylmation collection. However, my collection will definitely change as I trade and collect new figures. Disney releases new sets pretty often, and it's fun trying to chase after the one you really want. I'm trying to collect figures that represent different experiences and memories I've made at Disney. I won't have my Disney annual passes forever, so these small toys will always serve as a reminder of all the fun I've had at the Disney parks.  :)

Another (Busy!) Weekend in Orlando

This blog is about sharing all the fun stuff I do in Orlando, so here it is!

My weekend started early (since I decided to take the day off of work on Friday and spend some time with my mama). She drove down early Friday morning from Gainesville, which is about 2 hours north of Orlando. We ran a few errands, then headed over to Bahama Breeze on International Drive for lunch. We ate out on the patio, enjoying the gorgeous weather while sipping on our tropical beverages.

After lunch, we went straight to the Premium Outlets on International Drive. We shopped at Kenneth Cole, Gap, Banana Republic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor, and more! I think my mom only likes to visit me when shopping is involved.  :)

Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early to run a 5k in College Park. After the race and a little nap back at home, we went to Panera Bread for lunch before heading off to the Mall at Millenia. We didn't stick around for long, though, because I was eager to go to Epcot to check out the International Flower & Garden Festival. We spent a few hours walking around the World Showcase, admiring all the beautiful flowers and topiaries. (You can find more photos on my Facebook page).

Sounds like a pretty busy Saturday already, right? But oh no, that is not the end of it! After Epcot, we went to Universal Studios to check out Mardi Gras (going on now through April 23rd). We ate jambalaya, grabbed a beer, and snagged a spot near the concert stage so we wouldn't miss the show after the parade. After catching beads from the parade floats as they passed by, we stuck around for an amazing concert by The Roots (check out a short video clip from the concert below). Your Mardi Gras ticket gets you in free to the clubs at CityWalk, so we made a stop at the Red Coconut Club before heading home for the night.  

On Sunday, we decided to make a visit to the 52nd Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. I love visiting the city of Winter Park, and it was a perfect day for walking around and admiring all the different types of art that was on display. While we were there, we noticed that the Morse Museum on Park Avenue was having a free open house. The museum boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of Tiffany windows, lamps, jewelry, pottery, paintings, and more. We really enjoyed exploring the museum for the first time. It was a great way to unwind from the busy weekend.

So, there you have it! Just another weekend in Orlando! A lot of activities crammed into one busy (and fun!) weekend.  :)

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Winter Park

 

It was a lazy Sunday. My husband and I had both slept in, and were lounging around the apartment when we decided to go to Winter Park for lunch. I love spending an afternoon on Park Avenue, strolling the shops and people-watching in the park. There is always something to see or do. This Sunday was no exception! After parking the car and walking over to Park Avenue, we realized we had arrived just in time to catch the 32nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade (even though St. Patrick's Day was really almost 2 weeks away). What a surprise! Apparently it is the only St. Patrick's Day parade in Central Florida, and there were tons of people lining the streets to celebrate. The parade lasted about an hour, and included floats, dancers, marching bands, fire engines, and even a Storm Trooper in a kilt. There was also Irish music and step-dancing on the main stage. Lots of fun for all!  :)

 

After the parade, we were really starving and walked over to Pannullo's to have lunch on the patio. The lunch prices are very reasonable, and we enjoyed a nice meal in the cool breeze as we watched people walking by on Park Avenue. All in all, a great way to spend a lazy Sunday!

Lunch at Hollywood Studios

My husband and I were in the area of the Disney parks last weekend, and when we got hungry we decided to head over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for lunch. One of the many perks of having a Disney annual pass is being able to go to the parks whenever we feel like it, even if its just for a quick visit! We chose Hollywood Studios because we like the variety and quality of their restaurants. My husband likes the buffalo chicken wrap from the Studios Catering Co., and I'm a fan of the fish & chips or chicken curry from the ABC Commissary. There's also Pizza Planet, the 50's Prime Time Cafe, the Hollywood Brown Derby, and more. On this particular visit, we decided to try out the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for the first time (but not before running past the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to pick up some fast passes for later).

When you first walk into the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, there's not much to see. You're behind the movie screen, and the restaurant is on the other side of a large wall. They told us we would have to wait 15 to 20 minutes, but they called our name after 5. Once you walk down the long hallway and into the restaurant, its like you've been transported to another time. The large room is filled with cars converted into tables and booths. On one side is the movie screen, and at the back is the large concession stand/kitchen. It really feels like you're in a fenced-in lot, sitting under a beautiful star-filled night sky. Its pretty dark in the restaurant, so it was difficult to take any good photos. We were seated at a car with three rows of seats. A family of four took up the first two rows, so my husband and I sat side-by-side in the backseat. He ordered a cheeseburger, and I had the chicken sandwich. The food wasn't incredible, but it wasn't horrible either. The portions were very large, which meant no room for dessert. On the big screen, they were showing previews of 50's and 60's sci-fi monster flicks. No feature films here, like I had thought. Just quick, and entertaining, clips from various B-movies. It was a fun experience, and I'm glad we tried it.

We left the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater just in time to catch the beginning of the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun parade. I love a good parade!

(check out my Facebook page for more pictures from the parade)

After walking around a little bit, we used our fast passes at Tower of Terror and headed back home. Just another fun and relaxing afternoon in Orlando!

Main Street in Motion

 Main Street in Motion was a special event hosted by General Motors, held in Epcot's parking lot on February 11th - 13th. During this event, visitors were invited to test drive Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles, and compare them side-by-side to their competitors. There were over 70 vehicles to choose from, including performance vehicles, sedans, truck, and SUVs. One of the biggest draws was the brand-new Chevy Volt electric car. The entire event was free, including free parking, entertainment, and snacks and sodas. There were salespeople available to answer any questions, but overall it was a no-pressure environment where you could test drive as many cars as you wanted all day long.

There were 6 different tracks available, the longest one being just a little over a mile long (for the Chevy Volt). You had to have a ride-along employee passenger with you for the Volt and the performance vehicles, but besides that you could drive any other car you wanted all by yourself or with your friends and family. There were even car seats available for kids (I saw a lot of families testing out the SUVs).

My husband had an absolute BLAST at this event. I mean, when else can you test out so many different vehicles in one day? And who knows when I'll get the chance to drive a Corvette again! By the end of the event, we had test-driven the Chevy Volt, Chevy Cruse, GMC Sierra, GMC Terrain, Nissan Murano, Lexus ES, Buick Regal, Buick Lacrosse, Acura TL, Chevy Camaro, Chevy Corvette, Chevy Silverado, Honda CR-V, and more! It's really cool when special events like this come to Orlando, and I'm glad we had the chance to check it out!

    
Visit my Facebook page for more photos!
And follow me on Twitter for info on other Orlando events - www.twitter.com/funlifeorlando

Snack Shopping in Japan

Japan is probably my favorite of all the countries in Epcot. First of all, I love the yummy beef sukiyaki and teriyaki chicken from the Yakitori House. But the best part of visiting Japan, in my opinion, is browsing the massive Mitsukoshi Department Store. Stretching nearly the entire length of the Japan pavilion, the store sells Japanese clothing, toys, bowls and plates, tea pots, bonsai trees, pearls, kimonos, clocks, purses, books, collectibles, swords, and MORE. On this particular visit, however, I was interested in the food and snacks.

My husband loves the Japanese gummy candy, while I prefer rice crackers and Pocky sticks. This time, we both agreed on the "Hello Panda" chocolate-filled cookies. Most of the snacks are reasonably priced, usually between $2 and $4 each. Stocking up on goodies from Mitsukoshi is a MUST every time we visit Epcot. You can always find something new to try, and they are all delicious!