Enchanted Adventures With Ashton

01/11/2024

Ahhhh I just knew we’d get some big holiday news today! I am loving all these announcements!

01/11/2024

New holiday festivities at Epcot- can’t wait to check them out!

New festival experiences! 🎉🎄 Come see why the holidays are bright at EPCOT ⭐ http://di.sn/6189SVPn7

01/11/2024

THEY’RE BACK!

31/10/2024

It’s the last day of the month- Happy Halloween! 🎃

So let’s finish up Art of Animation with the Cars Family Suites. We stayed in a Cars suite last summer & I have never felt so immersed in a Disney movie! I truly felt like we were in Radiator Springs.

These family suites are laid out just like the others- a living room with sofa bed + dining room with a Murphy bed, 2 full baths, & a separate bedroom with a queen bed. There is also the small kitchenette area as well.

This section is right next to Nemo, so just a short walk to Animation Hall, the skyliner, and the buses.

The Cozy Cone Pool is one of my favorite features! The pool is smaller & considered a “quiet pool” so it’s typically less busy than the Big Blue Pool but it’s lined in “cabanas” that look like traffic cones. The best part is that they are completely free!

Make sure you walk around & check out all of the life size models of the Cars characters. If you have a Cars fan, this is the perfect place to stay!

22/10/2024

Let’s talk about the Nemo Family Suites at Art of Animation Resort 🐟

The Nemo Suites are the most conveniently located rooms! As soon as you walk out of Animation Hall, you will see the 2 Nemo buildings. These provide the shortest walking distance to both the bus stops & skyliner station, which is why you will notice a slightly higher price on these rooms than the Lion King & Cars suites. But after being at the parks for 12+ hours, it’s worth the extra! Not only are you closer to transportation, you’re also right at the biggest pool on property- the Big Blue Pool. This zero entry pool is so much fun! The theming is phenomenal. Behind the Big Blue Pool is the Schoolyard Water Playground which is a fun splash pad for the kiddos & Righteous Reef Playground is behind that & is a Nemo themed playground.

Like the Lion King Family Suites, these also feature a dining area which folds down to a full size Murphy bed. There’s a small kitchenette with a mini fridge, sink, plates, utensils, & a microwave. The living room offers a small open closet, a spacious dresser below the huge tv, and the couch pulls out into a full size sleeper sofa. There’s also a bathroom with a skink, toilet , & tub/shower combo. There’s a separate bedroom with a queen bed & ANOTHER bathroom with a sink, walk in shower, & toilet. These suites sleep up to 6. These are internal entry rooms so you will enter the building & walk down the hallways to your room. Our room was located in Building 4, at the end of the hall, & we had the perfect view of the playground + we could walk right down the stairs & were just steps away from the skyliner station- it was perfect!

If this looks like a resort that your family would love, I’d love to help you book it! It’s so convenient & cute for families. Even if you don’t plan to stay here, take a ride over on the skyliner to check it out.

Follow along my stories for some short videos of the pool area.

15/10/2024

I’m not sure how we will pack in all the fun in 3 days but I’m hoping we can get as much in as possible. It’s going to be a great holiday season at Disney! 🎅🏼

15/10/2024

Last week I talked about the Little Mermaid at Art of Animation . Now we will start talking about the Family Suites starting with the Lion King themed rooms. These are amazing for families! While the prices run similar to a deluxe resort, you can’t beat the amount of space you will get & Disney absolutely went above & beyond on theming! Our first stay in the Family Suites was back in 2020 in a Lion King suite. We loved it so much that we stayed in a Nemo suite in 2021 and a Cars suite in 2023.

The Lion King rooms are located to the left of Animation Hall. There are 2 buildings in this section & you truly feel immersed in the movie. This section doesn’t have a pool but you are extremely close to the Big Blue Pool (main pool) and the Flippin Fins pool (Little Mermaid section) also is a short walk for quieter swim time. The rooms aren’t far from transportation either & there are also walkways that can get you to the bus stop & skyliner pretty quickly depending on where your room is located. We ended up in a room overlooking Hourglass Lake & my son loved watching the skyliner from the room!

These rooms feature a dining area which folds down to a full size Murphy bed. There’s a small kitchenette with a mini fridge, sink, plates, utensils, & a microwave. The living room offers a small open closet, a spacious dresser below the huge tv, and the couch pulls out into a full size sleeper sofa. There’s also a bathroom with a skink, toilet , & tub/shower combo. There’s a separate bedroom with a queen bed & ANOTHER bathroom with a sink, walk in shower, & toilet. These suites sleep up to 6. Having 2 bathrooms is always a plus! These are internal entry rooms so you will enter the building & walk down the hallways to your room.

We love all the character statues in the area! Typically our first day of the trip is spent checking out the resort & riding the skyliner.

If you have a big family or you just have someone in your party that loves Lion King, these rooms are such a perfect fit!

07/10/2024

The Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation sleep 4 & contain 2 full beds (some rooms have just 1 king). These are around 277 sq ft but the beds are raised to help store luggage & there’s a small closet in the bathroom with an ironing board & iron. There is also a coffee maker & beverage cooler. As you can see in photos, the theming is amazing! These are the most themed value rooms you will find on property. The rooms are slightly more expensive than other values but having the skyliner as a transportation option is a huge benefit.

The rooms have external entry, which is on par with the other value & moderate resorts but is different from the Family Suites that are indoor entry.

The biggest downside of these rooms is their location. It’s about a 10 minute walk to Animation Hall to grab food, shop, & catch the bus, and about the same distance to get to the skyliner station. The walk isn’t too bad since going to Animation Hall & the buses you will be walking through the Lion King section & the walk to the skyliner is right along the lake. There is a pool in this section & it’s not nearly as busy as the Big Blue Pool plus there’s also a laundry facility.

If you are looking to stay at a value with multiple transportation options, this is a great pick! You will spend slightly more than you will on other value resorts but the theming is so immersive, the food court & shopping are great, and the skyliner is such a great option for transportation.

05/10/2024

03/10/2024

Art of Animation deserves an award for best theming! This is the resort of the month & a resort we visit each trip, regardless if we are staying there or not (although we have stayed here 3 times in the past 4 years!).

Art of Animation is themed to some of Disney's most popular animated movies- Little Mermaid, Lion King, Finding Nemo, & Cars. The resort is divided into 4 sections by these themes so i'll post about each themed portion of the hotel weekly.

Art of Animation is located closest to Hollywood Studios & Epcot, and right across Hourglass Lake from Pop Century. Transportation here includes the bus to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, & Disney Springs. The big draw of this resort is transportation to Hollywood Studios & Epcot via the skyliner! If you are afraid of heights, this means of transportation may not be for you (it’s basically a gondola that takes you over roads & water to get you to the parks), but it's very popular & honestly feels like a ride in itself.

While Art of Animation is a value resort, pricing varies greatly due to the types of rooms. The Little Mermaid rooms are all standard value rooms that sleep 4 with 2 full beds while the Lion King, Cars, & Nemo buildings consist of Family Suites. These run close to the cost of a deluxe resort but they are perfect for families & sleep up 6. These have a bedroom with a queen bed, 2 full bathrooms, a kitchenette, a living area that turns into a sofa bed, & a dining table that turns into a Murphy bed. This financially makes more sense for bigger families instead of purchasing 2 seperate rooms & splitting everyone up. We have stayed in all the suites & I can't wait to cover each one!

Animation Hall is the main building- this is where you will arrive & check in. You will also find dining, shopping, & the arcade here. Right outside is where the bus stops are located for the parks.

The only dining at Art of Animation consists of Landscape of Flavors, the food court, & the Drop Off Pool Bar. Landscape of Flavors serves breakfast, lunch, & dinner and has a huge variety for everyone. Breakfast options include waffles (these are character waffles featuring your favorites from all the Disney movies featured here - such a fun touch!), omelets, breakfast bowls, & breakfast sandwiches. Lunch & dinner options range from sandwiches, salads, burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizza, pasta, & hot dogs. You can also purchase your refillable mug here & refill it here and at the Drop Off Pool Bar. The Drop Off Pool Bar does have snacks & light entrees like sandwiches & salads. While there are no table service restaurants here, the skyliner does allow for easy access to other resorts including the Riviera, Boardwalk Inn, Beach Club, Yacht Club, & Caribbean Beach Resort.

Ink & Paint Shop is one of my favorite shops on property. Not only is it huge, but they have so many items unique to the resort plus you can find all things Lion King, Cars, Little Mermaid, & Nemo themed. We love to look around while waiting on our mobile orders from Landscape of Flavors since they are connected.

There are 3 pools on property themed to each section of the resort (except Lion King does NOT contain a pool). The Big Blue Pool is the featured pool. It’s a HUGE zero entry pool themed to Nemo…it’s actually the biggest pool at Disney! Schoolyard Sprayground is a splash pad for kids by the pool & Squirt’s Righteous Reef is a Nemo themed playground behind the splash pad. Cozy Cone Pool is located in the Cars section & the Flippin Fins Pool is located in the Little Mermaid section. These are smaller pools but the theming is so well done.

Other recreation includes nightly campfires, Movie Under the Stars, Pixel Play Arcade, & a jogging trail around the lake.

I can’t wait to talk about this resort! Follow along for an overview each week of each section. We’ll start with Little Mermaid rooms next week!

01/10/2024

Big news!! Disney dropped some great early 2025 promos today 🙌

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Packages may be available for longer lengths of stay.

2. Save Up to 25% on Rooms at Select Disney Resort Hotels in Early 2025
Stay in the magic in early 2025 with this special offer on rooms at select Disney
Resort hotels!

• Save up to 25% on rooms for stays most nights from February 23 to April 30, 2025
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3. Florida Residents: Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Select Disney Resort
Hotels in Early 2025
Stay in the magic and save with this special offer for Florida residents, valid on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels in early 2025.

• Save up to 30% on rooms for stays most nights from February 23 to April 30, 2025
• Save up to 25% on rooms for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from January 1 to February 20, 2025

4. There is also an Annual Passholder offer available during these travel dates.

Message me for a quote today 🌟

28/09/2024

Now for some snacks at Polynesian!

Pineapple Lanai is the spot to grab a pineapple Dole Whip without entering the parks. Also keep an eye out for specialty Dole Whips offered seasonally.

Kona Island is one of my favorites at Polynesian! This coffee bar is located next to Kona Cafe & just before heading to the monorail stop. They serve coffee, lattes, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and so many other baked goods. It’s the perfect stop for some coffee & a quick breakfast before starting your day.

27/09/2024

Ohana isn’t just a character meal! Dinner is a great time to enjoy a Polynesian themed dinner without characters. Dinner is served family style & is always a favorite!

First, enjoy a salad with a citrus vinaigrette & signature Ohana bread with honey butter. Next comes sides of honey coriander chicken wings & pork dumplings in a garlic sauce. The Ohana dinner skillet includes grilled teriyaki beef, peel n eat shrimp, grilled chicken with a pineapple glaze, Ohana noodles, stir fry vegetables. Everything is delicious! Our favorites were the potstickers & Ohana noodles 🍜 And the best part- you can always ask for more of your favorites!

Can’t forget about dessert! To end your meal, you’re served Ohana bread pudding with vanilla ice cream & a delicious caramel sauce 🤤

If you’re worried about picky eaters, they were more than happy to bring out regular chicken tenders & fries.

This meal is currently $40 for children ages 3-9 & $62 for adults.

If you time it right you may be able to catch the MK fireworks from your table 😉

19/09/2024

All Disney resorts have so many fun activities, which is why a resort day is always great to have. When we stayed at Polynesian Village we had the chance to make our own Kukui Nut Leis.

This was such a fun activity! Cast members set up in the lobby on the 1st floor of the Great Ceremonial House (main building housing dining + shopping). Child size leis are $15 & adult size leis are $20. Cast Members give a demonstration on how to make the leis then you pick your color ribbon & Kukui nuts and go make your own.

The activity takes around 30 minutes between cast member demonstration & placing the Kukui nuts. We loved it & still have ours displayed at home. It’s such a fun, authentic experience to commemorate your stay at Polynesian Village resort 🌴

17/09/2024

Let’s talk about breakfast at Ohana!

Ohana is located on the 2nd floor of Polynesian Village Resort. Breakfast is a family style character meal featuring Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, & Stitch. This is the ONLY character meal at Disney where you can meet Lilo & Stitch. Family style means the food is brought to your table & you can always ask for more food! I love family style meals because you never have to worry about watching for characters & potentially missing them due to going up to the buffet.

First up is a cup of POG juice (orange, guava, & passion fruit juice combo- it’s so good!) followed by your beverage of choice (coffee, tea, etc). The waiter then brings out a bowl of fresh fruit & pineapple coconut breakfast bread.

The main entree includes a breakfast skillet featuring scrambled eggs, sausage links, ham topped with a pineapple compote, fried potatoes, Mickey AND stitch waffles, & biscuits. Everything is delicious! The ham with pineapple compote- don’t sleep on it! It’s one of my favorite parts of the meal.

I have food allergies so I received a separate skillet with allergy friendly options (basically the same options as everyone else but with no cross contamination, gluten free waffles, and an allergy friendly donut instead of the bread). It was all delicious & I’ll make a post soon about allergies at Disney - they are the best & always so accommodating!

Let’s not forget the characters in their tropical attire! There’s even a fun little parade around the restaurant for kids as well.

This is the perfect spot to grab a great breakfast before your day at Magic Kingdom. Then just ride the monorail over for a magical day 🌟

12/09/2024

Favorite hotel room view

09/09/2024

Polynesian Village Resort has some of the best food on Disney property! Today let’s talk about Kona Cafe. It’s located on the 2nd floor of the Great Ceremonial Hall (main building) at Polynesian & is a quick walk from the monorail. We have never had dinner here but breakfast is always top notch! Let’s look at some of our faves from past trips…

🍳 The Breakfast Platter is the perfect meal for someone who can’t decide between all the delicious options on the menu. This includes 2 eggs with ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, French toast, & mini pancakes topped with macadamia nut butter & pineapple

🍞 Tonga toast is a banana stuffed sourdough French toast rolled in cinnamon sugar & served with a side of strawberry compote & a choice of ham, bacon, or sausage

🥞 Macadamia Nut Pancakes are pancakes served with a macadamia nut butter, pineapple compote, & a side of ham, bacon, or sausage

☕️ Kona Sourced coffee isn’t pictured but is a must for coffee lovers! It’s a Joffrey’s blend served in a French press pot.

Other menu items - French toast with a caramel banana sauce, ham & cheese omelet, seasonal pancakes, Polynesian egg platter

Kids menu includes oatmeal, French toast, eggs, & Mickey shaped pancakes

There’s also a to go option (you can order on the MDE app) if you want to take your meal back to your room or find a place on the beach to eat & take in the gorgeous views of Magic Kingdom 🏰