I'm Going to Disney World!

Vacation - “a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation.”

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary

Every time I tell someone where I'm going on vacation this year, I feel like I just won the Super Bowl.  But honestly, this will be my twelfth trip to Disney World on vacation so I get this feeling a lot.  I just love Disney World and am so glad my parents indulge my desires to go.  Every year I celebrate my birthday there since it's in the summer, but this year I also get to celebrate being done with my first year of law school and being 1/3 of a lawyer!

Because of my love for all things Walt Disney World, I thought I'd share my experiences there this summer on my blog.  And I know what probably everyone is thinking, “What does a 20-something do while on vacation at Disney World?”  Well, I plan on sharing that with you on here, as well as my reviews about some of the new experiences that opened recently.  Also, for some health reasons, I eat a gluten free diet, but this is the first time I'm going to Disney World since I started a gluten free diet so I'll also be including my reviews of those dining options and snack options as well from my experience there.  I can't wait to tell you guys all about my trip and what I thought about everything.  Feel free to reach out and let me know if there's anything you would like to see me try and I will definitely attempt to do it.

This trip, I'm lucky enough to be staying at my all-time favorite resort at Disney World, the Grand Floridian.  It's probably the most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed at, and the amenities are amazing.  It's one of the most expensive hotels there, and there's definitely a reason for that.  My parents and I love the grounds of the hotel too and could definitely spend an entire day relaxing around the resort.  And the restaurants there have some of the best food on property.

We aren't really big Universal people, so we haven’t been there since I was three but it’s really okay with me.  That means we spend our time visiting the four Disney parks, going to Downtown Disney (now called Disney Springs), and relaxing at our hotel.  So many new things have opened since I was there last (two years ago) and I really would love to see as many of them as I can.  Some of those experiences include:

• -- Pandora:  World of Avatar (we have a FastPass for Flight of Passage and I absolutely cannot wait for the new counter service restaurant, which seems like it’s very similar to Chipotle)
• -- The Music of Disney/Pixar Live – this limited time show is a compilation of songs from Pixar movies being performed by a live orchestra, accompanies by visits from some of the movies’ stars!
• -- Geyser Point Bar and Grill – this new counter service restaurant is located at my second favorite hotel at Disney World, the Wilderness Lodge.  It just opened in February and I’ve been not so patiently waiting for their grilled shrimp since I first saw the menu.  And since it sits right on Bay Lake, the views are amazing!
• -- Soarin’ Around the World – I went on the original Soarin’ Over California right after it opened in 2005 and it instantly became one of my favorite rides so I’m super excited to see the new film and hopefully it lives up to the original film.
• -- Frozen Ever After – So as a hardcore Disney World fan, the overlay of IP in Epcot is not my favorite thing, but I’m giving this ride a chance since I have heard it is a pretty cute ride.
• -- Meet Olaf, Joy, and Sadness – Seeing characters is definitely something people think only children enjoy, but that’s not the case for me!  I love getting to see the new characters at Disney World and I haven’t seen Olaf or Joy and Sadness (from Inside Out) yet so I’m so excited.

I know that seems like a lot of things to see, but I would definitely be happy if I see about half of them.  And I’ve been to Disney so many times before that it’s okay if I don’t see everything I have before.  Confession time:  I've never actually had a Dole Whip so that is also a must-do for me this trip!

If you’ve been to Disney World before, what are your favorite must sees?