MeghaMom

   The best $125 we spent in Disney Springs (including 3 irresistible pair of Havaianas): The Amphicar Tour experience. You hop in a car, it turns into a boat, and then your skipper "drives" you around the lake while telling you some of Disney's little-known secrets. Like BIRDS. Birds are the reason your dining experience remains bug-less. That was a lame example of a secret, but it stuck with me mostly because I'm fascinated by Disney's food-rich, bug-free environments. Anyway, there's cooler things to know, and your Amphicar captain will tell you all about them. Check out the full Amphicar launch .  Grab lunch at the can't-miss Boathouse restaurant , then swing through the gift shop to book your tour. And don't miss the resilient rubber duckies .

  MERCH: 25th Anniversary Candy Castle Mug LOCATION: Emporium on Main Street PARK: Disney's Magic Kingdom DATE: June 2023 I don't know if that's accurate - the 25 sips. I'm just going to note that this mug is ginormous and holds all the coffee you need to power through your meetings until lunch time. Naturally, the braided handle sucked me in, and spoke real, actual sweet-nothings to me until I purchased it on Main Street in Disney's Magic Kingdom . ZERO of us are surprised; I'm a sucker for a practical Disney merchandise item, and mugs fit the bill. Speaking of bills, this one was around $20. Worth every delicious penny. Because I can top-rack wash this giant pour right in the dishwasher, and it comes out as delicious looking as ever.       

Look, no one's proud of the mother I've become. The mother of four children who tuckers out by the fourth one and makes ridiculous purchases just to exit a store without having to stifle a tantrum. For my 4-year-old, basically every day is her "Yes Day." Our first day of vacation in her 3rd year of life was no different; except that when we rolled up to the counter of the shop in the   Boat House restaurant at Disney Springs   with a rubber ducky, I did not anticipate the $20 price tag they quoted me. Alas, I paid it. I was admittedly fearful of the fit that would follow, and our family of five was about to squeeze into a tiny car-boat together; this was just part of guaranteeing our safety. Yes, we were about to embark on the   Amphicar tours , and I'm a sucker for a souvenir that captures a memory.  So, we'll save the bit on the amphicar tours for another post, but this ducky... this skipper ducky in an amphicar... I'mma tell you what. This thing is TWO...

MERCH: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure Children's Top PURCHASE LOCATION: La Maison Du Vin / Les Vins de France in France, World Showcase PARK: Epcot, Disney World DATE: June 2023 Ob.Sessed. By our last day at Disney World, our 4-year-old was completely obSESSED with Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT. But it didn't start that way. On Day One, it started with her "I CHANGE MY MIND!" announcement at the ride's Genie+ check-in. Fast-resulting baby swap. Here's how we slowly alleviated her fears day over day.   😍😍😍😍 Disney tools we leveraged: 1) Park Hopper tickets every day of our vacation 2) Disney's Yacht Club Resort reservation within walking distance of Epcot 3) Visiting Epcot nearly every day (sorry, not sorry - cheers) Day 1: "I changed my mind!" No go.  Day 2: Ride between mom & dad - just skip the glasses, and don't look if you don't want. We told her what was happening during the ride throughout every scene whether s...

MERCH: Peter Pan 70th Anniversary Coffee Mug PURCHASE LOCATION: Disney's Yacht Club Resort Marketplace DATE: June 2023 Bit of a mug hoarder over here. Specifically Disney mugs, because of their quality (not paid by Disney to say that, just stating facts) -- we've literally had the same Disney mugs for 12 years, dishwasher-washed the heck out of them, and they're still showing all their colors. ( If it says dishwasher-safe, these folks mean it.) And, of course, they're practical - we have at least 8 mug occasions across any given day for our family of six. So when we're trying to rationalize leaving clothing behind in exchange for fitting another mug into your suitcase, I feel like I'm making a strong choice. We saw this Peter Pan 70th Anniversary mug in multiple locations in May/June of 2023 at Disney World, but officially purchased it from the marketplace inside the Yacht Club resort . (Our littlest kiddo has a particular taste for warm milk in the morning, an...

 So maybe you've JUST HEARD about all the delectable, can't-miss goodness at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop , but (*gasp*) you don't have a reservation. This resort-side Disney dining reservation is a hot spot thanks to its simple, consistently delicious, kid-friendly, diner-like menu and its extensive offering of ice cream delights. Despite its late-night operating hours (open past 10pm), it's near impossible to grab a seat on short notice. This casual dining spot is located just outside the Disney World Resort Yacht Club / Beach Club pools . Well, I'd heard about the marvels of Mouse Watcher before, and we really wanted to grab a killer milkshake (and onion rings, because obviously). So I literally googled Mouse Watcher, headed over to the site and risked the $5 spend to set up an alert for Beaches & Cream during a certain time . And... photo evidence would show you, it freaking worked. It WORKED . I got a notification during the time frame I was targeting, ...

MERCH: Walt Disney's Dumbo Classic Coffee Mug With Lid PURCHASE LOCATION: Emporium on Main Street PARK: Magic Kingdom, Disney World DATE: June 2023 What in the what, Disney. Imagine you're cruising down Main Street with a super ornery toddler, so obviously you stop in a store to buy her a toy because that's just where you are in your 4th-child parenting journey. Now, I'm a practical person. I have a tendency to drop irrational dollars at Disney, but the dollar-dropping is always and only on items with a practical use and a high likelihood of being well-loved. Enter: THIS MUG.  Listen. I approached the Disney coffee mug wall with a discerning eye and a list of required attributes: 1) Speaks to my heart 2) Makes mornings suck less as it transports me back to my Disney vacation 3) Doesn't break the bank 4) Is DISHWASHER SAFE (no time for hand-washing dishes in my cray house) 5) Something I didn't even know I needed: THE LID BEHOLD: The lid. THE LID.  Listen, I deep...

I'm sort of obsessed with the resort experience. I work hard at my 9 to 5, fiercely prioritize my kids for all things, spend five days a week on the soccer fields, take on freelance projects to satisfy my creative soul... Basically, that meme that says "my kids are living their best life, and I'm their ride"... that's about us. Me. That's 100% about me. I only have about enough PTO to take one super meaningful vacation each year, and when I take a vacation, I want to feel as pampered as the rest of my family. I'm not a particular fanatic of rides, so I find my vacation vibes in an incredibly immersive resort experience and crazy-delicious table service dining. We also enjoy adult beverages.  So with all of that in mind, here's why we tend to drift back to the Yacht Club year over year.  Vacationers choose the Disney's Yacht Club Resort at Disney World for several reasons: 1. Location: The Yacht Club Resort is situated in a prime location within th...

Here's the deal. We're a family of six with kids ranging in age from 4 years old to 21 years old. There are very few destinations that meet all of our vacay needs. It's taken us a few years to get the hang of it, but we've absolutely come to realize Disney is it -- especially with their addition of rides that serve our more daring kids with Rise of the Resistance, Everest, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy.  That said, Disney is like its own entirely separate ecosystem. There's so much to know, so much to consider and it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. So, if you're planning your first trip to Disney World, or your first trip in years, avoid the overwhelm by simplifying your planning strategy.  Single most important decision to make first: PLANNING STEP #1: Where should you stay? That's it. That's all you need to think about right now. Don't get sucked into the matrix; stay on the surface with exclus...