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Candlelight Processional Dining Package at Epcot Review

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If you ever plan a trip to Epcot during the holidays, you will immediately discover that many people recommend booking the Candlelight Processional Dining Package. After dealing with site glitches and trying again closer to our trip, I secured us a breakfast reservation at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall! Here’s my review of that experience to help you decide if it’s worth it.

Candlelight Processional Dining Package

Candlelight Processional Dining Package

As I stated above, when the advance dining reservations initially opened up, the site was very glitchy. So I wasn’t able to secure the exact restaurant and exact time we wanted. However, I grabbed a lunch at Garden Grill with a seat for the 7 PM show with John Stamos! Then, a few days out breakfast reservations with the princesses started popping up. So, my first tip is: keep trying! Set up a reservation finder and be quick!

The Food

We had a breakfast reservation at Akershus. One of the reasons I switched it is because we had just eaten and done a Garden Grill dinner review earlier this year. So, we wanted to try something different this time. However, I will say that we enjoyed ourselves. It was also the fastest character meal I’ve ever had. All 5 princesses had visited our table and we had all our food within 30 minutes! So, don’t go into this expecting a leisurely meal. Ha!

I also enjoyed that each of the princesses had a little extra something added to their outfit for the holidays. Ariel had a golden starfish hair bow, Snow White had some greenery/berries added to her headband. Little touches that added to the holiday feeling without being over the top were nice.

The Show

We already had our Epcot day picked out when the schedule of celebrity narrators was announced. So, we were both tickled to discover our day was John Stamos. I grew up watching him on “Full House” and my mom also watched some of those episodes. So, it seemed like something we should really try to see. It would appear that lots of other people had the same thoughts as there was quite the line to see the show. We lined up a little under one hour ahead of the show as there was already a pretty long line to get in.

I had previously watched a different celebrity narrator online a few years ago and thought it was ok. However, the show was so much better in person! My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed this show. In fact, I had meant to record some of the show but I found myself so wrapped up in it that I didn’t get to. It is a beautiful way to get into the holiday spirit.

Of course, I expect that the narrator brings a lot the experience as well. I choked up when John Stamos mentioned losing Bob Saget and that pretty much set the tone of the show for me personally. It made me appreciate being there all that much more. So, I’m not sure that I would have enjoyed the show as much if there had been a different narrator.

Tips

  • Keep trying – if you can’t get the exact reservation time or restaurant you want, then keep checking back. About a week out is when I started noticing more cancellations.
  • Get there early – We went to the 7 PM show and got in line a little after 6. There was already a pretty long line at this point. So, get in line early for a good seat. If you can’t get a package reservation, you will need to line up hours in advance for a chance to see the show.
  • Wear layers – I wore a long sleeve shirt and ended up putting on my jacket while we waited in line. We felt a chilly breeze coming off the water. So, I recommend wearing layers for this nighttime event.
  • Get a reservation hours out – I wondered why I couldn’t book a dinner for the package. However, having done it now I understand why breakfast and lunch were offered. You have to arrive early to get a good seat and you don’t want to feel rushed at the meal. So, a lunch reservation might be ideal.

Is the Candlelight Processional Dining Package worth it?

All of the restaurants are expensive for the dining package. However, I think it’s worth it. This is the only way to guarantee you get a seat for one of the shows. Plus, you are going to have to eat anyways. I think it’s a splurge worth making if you are interested in the show and/or a specific narrator.

Have you ever booked one of these packages? Did you think it was worth it?

Mickey’s Very Merry Dessert Party Review

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You already know about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which I reviewed last year. However, did you know that you can also book a Very Merry Dessert Party for a seated view of the fireworks and a dessert buffet? My mom and I booked this add-on experience on my most recent trip, so I thought I would do a review in case anyone else is considering it.

Very Merry Dessert Party

Very Merry Dessert Party

Anyone who has ever visited the Magic Kingdom knows how crowded it gets for the fireworks. It’s not unusual at these special events to stake out a spot for the parade and/or fireworks 40 minutes or more in advance. In fact, that’s what my mom and I did last year. So, this year we decided to spring for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Dessert Party! Basically, you get a reserved seated fireworks viewing area and a tasty spread of sweets!

Party Food

Unlike at the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party where you are given a plate of food, at this one there’s a whole buffet to select from! My mom remarked that she really liked this one since she wasn’t limited to eating whatever items they gave everyone. There was an apple caramel crepe that was tasty! I also enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries and some cinnamon doughnuts! There was a mini key lime tart that surprised me as I don’t typically think of key limes for Christmas, but it was a nice reminder that I was in Florida.

There was also a variety of beverages to enjoy! They had a nice sparkling apple cider as well as some hydrating water. I tried the sparkling wine as I typically like champagne, but it was just ok. My mom got some juice and water. They had plenty of beverage options.

The only complaint I can come up with is the fact that there are so few savory/salty items. They had some cheese and crackers, but everything else was sweet. So, this is definitely for the folks with a sweet tooth!

The View

We headed over to the Tomorrowland Terrace after waiting over an hour to meet the Seven Dwarfs. So, having a seat for the fireworks show was amazing after that! We checked in early, around 8:40 to ensure we got a table by the railing and we got an amazing view! Everyone is seated at the Tomorrowland Terrace with a view of the castle, but those who arrive early get the prime spots. So, I encourage you to arrive 20-ish minutes earlier than they tell you to for the best spots. You are free to come and go, so you could pick out your table and come back later.

I also have to say how nice it was to just sit and take in the show/view without a bunch of people pushing up on me. I was reminded just how nice this was when we left the terrace to get a spot for the second parade and was surrounded by pushy people.

Is the Very Merry Dessert Party worth it?

The Christmas Party is already an expensive separately ticketed event. Then, you add another $100+ for this dessert party. So, it’s a very expensive evening. It also takes time away from the party to sit and enjoy your treats. It also doesn’t leave any stomach space for the party exclusive treats. However, you can see an obstructed view of the parade and castle stage show from this area. Plus, the cookies they give out at the party come individually wrapped, so you can take some with you. My mom and I really enjoyed this experience and highly recommend it if you like desserts and want to sit down.

Have you ever done the Very Merry Dessert Party? What did you think?

Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios Review

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I’ve just returned from a trip to Orlando to celebrate the holidays. One of the special events I was able to experience was the new Disney Jollywood Nights held at Hollywood Studios.

Disney Jollywood Nights

Disney Jollywood Nights

For years, Walt Disney World has had one Christmas themed add-on event: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. You can read my review of last year’s event at that link. Then, this summer they announced that Hollywood Studios was getting its own special event for the holidays! It was sold as a glam holiday themed after hours event, so it’s shorter than the other party in duration but also includes small crowds.

I purchased tickets for my mom and I as soon as they went on sale. Then, I eagerly awaited the event, until I saw the meltdown on social media from the first event. I was hesitant to go after seeing reviews, but decided to go ahead with the plan since we already had the tickets. Thankfully, Disney made a few changes after the first night and subsequent nights didn’t sell out. So, this is my experience of the December 4th event.

Rides

One of the reasons we were content to attend the party after the negative reviews was the low wait times for rides. We ended up riding only ride, however it was the best one. A virtual queue opens up at 8 PM for Rise of the Resistance. So, I joined right at 8 and got group number 5! My mom had never been on this ride, so I was very excited to be able to get us on this ride. While she’s not a Star Wars fan, she really enjoyed the ride. So, that was a nice way to kick-off the party.

I periodically checked the app throughout the night and noticed that most rides had low wait times. However, it was chilly and I wasn’t too interested in riding rides at that point. Plus, we had other things we wanted to do.

Characters

Initially, there was only a handful of special character meet and greets. The lines for those meets were really long. So, for the second event and onwards, Disney added some additional characters to the line-up. While at the party, my mom and I were tickled to meet a few rare characters!

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket switch out during the party. So, we got in line first to see Jiminy, but then he switched out with Pinocchio. I was equally excited to meet both characters, so I was happy to meet Pinocchio. We came back later in the night and got in line again while Pinocchio was meeting and he switched out with Jiminy. So, we ended up being able to meet both of them during the party! I’d say we waited about 20 minutes each time and felt it was a good use of party time since you can’t currently meet either character in the US parks.

We also attempted to see Donald Duck in his special outfit, but he switched out and we saw Daisy instead. While I appreciate the short waits between character breaks, it was mildly annoying to get in line and not know for sure who we were going to meet.

I did appreciate the fact that the event came with free picture downloads. So, we didn’t have to worry about how my cell phone would perform in the low lighting or draining the battery.

Jollywood Nights Shows

Disney made and put on two special shows just for the event. We were lucky enough to catch both of them! We watched the second showing of the night of Disney Holidays in Hollywood. It was a cute little show that we both enjoyed. My mom remarked that it appeared that most of the budget went towards making this show and she might be right.

We caught the last show of the night of What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing Along. This show appeared to have a much smaller budget. I applaud the actors in the show as they did a great job. It was neat seeing the big Jack puppet on stage. However, no one in the crowd was singing along and it came across a little awkward.

Holiday Entertainment

Just for the event the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! nighttime show returned. I had seen this show previously when it was offered to regular park guests years ago. So, it was neat to see it again. However, it would have been nice to see it with a regular park ticket. It was nice to end the event with a nighttime fireworks show, like a regular park day.

Room for Improvement

Given the public backlash on this event and the inability to sell out the event, I wonder if it will return next year. If it should return, I imagine it will need to change drastically. For starters, it would be nice to have beverages and some food included, like other parties. Additionally, there needs to be more stuff going on around the park. Parts of the park were crowded while other parts had nothing going on and were empty.

Is Disney Jollywood Nights worth it?

If you have already purchased tickets to this year’s event, I say go for it! My mom and I had a good time at this event. We enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing the shows. It was also really nice to see everyone’s glamorous outfits for the event. It seemed like it would make a good date night activity for couples.

So, have you attended this event? What was your experience like?

Grandma’s Zucchini Bread Recipe

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I tend to share recipes from time to time, like my Pumpkin Fluff Pie Recipe. Today, I thought I would share my grandma’s zucchini bread recipe!

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

It’s a tradition in my family to make this zucchini bread around the holidays. I believe its use of cinnamon along with a brown sugar/nuts topping make it the perfect addition to our Christmas spread! Now that we host the holidays, I know that it’s Christmas-time when I make the bread! It makes the whole house smell delicious!

I initially made two big loaves of this bread. However, after hosting a few years, I moved to making several smaller loaves. This allows our guests to take one home with them to enjoy later. Plus, it gives me a chance to make some with the topping and some without nuts. Personally, I prefer the bread with the topping as I think it gives it more flavor and texture with the nuts. However, I know that not everyone can enjoy nuts.

Additionally, I found these adorable holiday themed mini loaf pans at our local Walmart (not a sponsored link, just trying to help). So, if you intend to make mini loaves for gifts or want an extra holiday touch, keep an eye out at Walmart and Target for special loaf pans.

Note: my grandmother’s recipe didn’t specify which type of nuts. However, I use chopped pecans. You are free to experiment as you wish.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

My grandma's recipe for zucchini bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Eggs, beaten
  • 2 Cups Grated Zucchini
  • 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 2.5 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup Oil
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 Cup Raisins

Optional Topping

  • 1/2 Cup Nuts
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans.
  • Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon into a bowl.
    2 Cups Granulated Sugar, 3 Cups Flour, 1 Tsp Baking Soda, 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder, 2.5 Tsp Cinnamon, 1 Tsp Salt
  • Add beaten eggs and oil. Beat.
    3 Eggs, beaten, 1 Cup Oil
  • Add zucchini, vanilla, and raisins. Mix well.
    2 Cups Grated Zucchini, 2 Tsp Vanilla, 1/2 Cup Raisins
  • Pour batter into two greased pans.
  • Optional: Combine nuts and brown sugar. Sprinkle over top of the loaves.
    1/2 Cup Nuts, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • Bake for 1 hour.

Notes

This makes 2 regular loaves or 4-5 small loaves. Smaller loaves should bake around 40-50 minutes, but check on the bread as you know your oven. 
Keyword Bread

Please leave a comment below if you decide to try my grandma’s zucchini bread recipe! Do you have a family recipe that you make every Christmas?

Christmas in Orlando Theme Parks Guide

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It’s hard to believe but it’s already time to discuss Christmas in Orlando theme parks! I feel like I just did my Fall in the theme parks post, but the parks tend to kick-off the holiday season immediately after Halloween. So, it’s time to breakdown what you can expect if you visit between now and the end of the year.

Christmas in Orlando

Christmas in Orlando

It goes without saying that the theme parks go all out for the holiday season! I love visiting during this time of the year as I’m a huge Christmas fan (who isn’t?). I also enjoy the typically cooler temperatures that can be found in November and December. So, here’s a look at what you can expect at each theme park.

Christmas at Walt Disney World

You can expect to see holiday decor at every theme park and resort on property. I love seeing the uniquely themed trees around the property. Disney Springs also has some amazing trees!

You can experience the holidays at Animal Kingdom and Epcot with a regular park ticket. Animal Kingdom has a menagerie of animal puppets that I hope to see this year! Beginning November 24th, Epcot has the Festival of the Holidays with food booths and special holiday storytelling in select country pavilions. Additionally, they have the massively popular Candlelight Processional with celebrity narrators each night. A dining package may also be purchased to guarantee a seat at the show.

Magic Kingdom has decorations up. However, there’s also a separately ticketed event called Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which I reviewed last year. The first party of the year is tomorrow night, November 9th. I love eating cookies and seeing the toy soldiers march down Main Street.

New in 2023, Hollywood Studios is hosting Jollywood Nights. Its first night is November 11th. Not much is known about this event. However, it seems like a highly themed after hours event. I will be attending next month and will know more about it after that.

Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando was late in announcing their holiday plans this year. However, I wrote an entire guide to the holidays at Universal Orlando last year. The highlights include a parade with balloons like the ones seen in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Additionally, there’s the highly sought after breakfast with the Grinch and Universal Holidays Tour. Don’t miss the holiday tribute store or themed trees at the resorts! The holidays kick-off at UO on November 17th and end December 31st.

Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando

Last, but certainly not least is SeaWorld Orlando. I posted a Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando Review last year outlining what you can expect here. Once again, you can partake in the festive activities with a regular park day ticket with special food booths and entertainment. The Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld begins November 10th and is mainly available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the season.

Where are you headed?

As you can see, there’s not a bad place to experience the holidays in Orlando. So, where are you headed?

You can view my other seasonal theme park guides here: