City ❀ Country ❀ Beach
This bakery beat Bobby Flay with their empanadas on the Food Network! When I found out they had a location in my hometown, I just had to try it for myself. This is the view from the street when I arrived. I wasn’t expecting the …
Nestled in a thriving downtown community is Largo Central Park located in Largo, Florida. This park has something for everyone. It has an expanse playground, water features, shelter rentals for special occasions, beautiful landscaping with year-round blooming flowers, walking/running trails, and large grassy fields big …
Did you know that it is possible to have Disney fun without the price tag? Take it from me. I have lived near both Disneyland®, CA and Walt Disney World®, FL most of my life. I can assure you that there are many fun activities you can do that you don’t need to pay a dime for. Since I now live only 1.5 hours away from Walt Disney World®, FL this is my list of free things to do at Disney.
You may have visited here already and know that there is no fee to park , but did you know you can veer off to visit many Disney resorts from Disney Springs? First, let me be clear. Visiting Disney Springs can take you an entire day in and of itself. There is so much to do here. You can shop, eat, and enjoy some entertainment depending on the time of day you go. Make sure you bring some comfortable walking shoes.
My top three favorite places to shop at Disney Springs is the World of Disney store because they have everything that you could possible want under one roof. My next favorite store is Star Wars Galactic Outpost because in our household we are huge Star Wars fans. And, my other favorite store is The Art of Disney because there are just so much beautiful artwork there and we own a cell from the Snow White movie.
* Post-Covid policy of day guests visiting has changed in which they must have a confirmed resort stay or dining reservation in order to visit any Disney resort. This may change back in the future. Check with each resort prior to visiting for up-to-date information.
I mentioned that you can veer off to visit many Disney resorts from Disney Springs. Well, this is the beginning of your journey. After you have parked the car at Disney Springs, catch one of the busses that goes to a Disney resort. Now, if you want to ride the monorail make sure you catch a bus that will take you to a monorail location because not all Disney resorts have a monorail stop. The only resorts that have a monorail stop are Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. You can ride a bus to a different resort, but you’ll have to keep getting on and off busses, which is just fine as well.
The monorail is a fantastic way to get around to three of the most popular and beautiful Disney resorts. One of the best times to visit the Disney resorts, well Disney in general, is at Christmastime! I can’t tell you enough how beautifully decorated all the resorts are during this time. It’s great to compare all of them and make sure you take plenty of photos.
The Grand Floridian is super elegant. When we got off the monorail and entered this resort, we were greeted by an attendant that reminded me of a butler. He was so friendly and gave us a lot of history behind the resort.
The Contemporary resort is the one most people are familiar with because if you ever take the monorail to get to Magic Kingdom, this is the resort the monorail passes right through it.
It’s shaped kind of like an upside down V. This resort has recently added another building behind it specifically for their vacation club members. However, there are shops and dining areas for anyone to use at this resort, like all the other resorts. To clarify, you don’t need to be staying at any of the resorts in order to enjoy the shops, dining, and even some on-site activities. As an added bonus, we found a special spot to view Magic Kingdom and would also make a fantastic spot to view the fireworks! This is just one of the spots we found for free that you can view Magic Kingdom fireworks!
If you’re into all tropical things and are basically a tropical gal like me, you will love this resort. Even if you’re not staying here, an employee at the front entrance will give you a lei. They treat ALL visitors like ohana (family), not just those who are staying here. And, if you love Dole Whip floats at Magic Kingdom, you can find them here as well. The grounds of this resort are stunning and you can also enjoy great FREE views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks! You can literally buy a Dole Whip float, have a seat and watch the spectacular fireworks. This resort makes for a beautiful evening.
There is a Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, but I’m not talking about the resort part here I’m talking about the boardwalk itself. The boardwalk makes for a great afternoon or evening spot to explore. Evenings are best because you’ll have better luck spotting some entertainment acts. If you didn’t get enough fireworks, you’ll get some great views of Epcot’s fireworks from the boardwalk. The boardwalk happens to be the “other” entrance to Epcot if you have tickets or if you’re staying at the Boardwalk Resort and you have Epcot tickets, this would be the perfect entrance. It is a lot less crowded!
Pre-Covid we were allowed to just drive up to the resort and tell them we were visiting the boardwalk and they were good with that. Post-Covid when we drove up, they only wanted resort guests to park there. If you want to visit the boardwalk now, I suggest you park at Disney Springs and take a bus directly to that resort, get off, and enjoy the boardwalk.
The aerial gondola’s of Disney’s newest transportation system, the Skyliner, is a fantastic way to get a bird’s eye view of Disney in general. It is also absolutely free and makes stops at other Disney resorts you can visit! The stops are Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’re headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you might as well make it a fun ride to & from and ride the Skyliner. The easiest, and free, ways to catch the Skyliner is to park at Disney Springs and then take a bus to one of the Skyliner resorts I just mentioned. The water taxi transportation is great as well and it stops at many locations. For more info on this click here.
Want a Disney zoo experience for free? Drive over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and check out the safari animals. I will honestly say that we have not visited this lodge, but we have had friends tell us you can visit as a day guest and see the animals without staying overnight. It might be worth a phone call to the resort if this is something you are interested in.
If you have other Disney free things to do that I have not mentioned, please comment below! I would love to hear them.
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Wow! That’s the only way I can describe this resort by Hilton Grand Vacations. If you want a clean, beautiful, centrally located hotel in Orlando, you must check out Cypress Pointe Resort. With the Covid pandemic, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a hotel’s …
Step back into a time that we all have heard about. It was a tragedy in history that permeates the walls and artifacts of this building. Titanic | The Artifact Exhibition is a wonderful place to learn and experience a glimpse of what happened on …
Do you have a passion for movies, TV, or media & production? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step inside the world of cinematic effects? Located close to our home in Tampa Bay, Florida is the video production studio Diamond View which has recently launched Vū. Vū is one of the world’s few & largest XR (extended reality) wraparound LED screen.
Our family was recently privileged to meet with CEO Tim Moore, a three time Emmy award-winning director. This technology is fascinating to anyone who loves media, but for an intern or college student studying in this field it is a dream to see up close. Our two sons, both in college studying in this field, were able to see first hand a glimpse of what it takes behind the scenes. In fact, the popular Star Wars series “The Mandalorian,” has been using this type of LED screen technology. To be able to connect to the show as fans with how it’s made truly gives you a wonderful perspective to the innovative technology and how far production/staging has come in filming.
Diamond View is quickly expanding in Tampa Bay with new clients and is not stopping with their creative skills and technology. This company takes you from beginning of concept to final cut. If you’re a business and are looking for a studio, THIS is your place. If you’re a student in high school or college wanting a career in production, editing, virtual reality, camera work, directing, etc, let me tell you that the future looks bright in this business. Florida is quickly becoming the new “Hollywood.”
When I asked Tim Moore for the best piece of advice that he had for someone wanting to get into this type of field it was this: build your portfolio. It doesn’t matter what it is or how good/bad you may think your video is, save all your work and build your portfolio this way. And if I may give you one piece of advice, it is this: network. You never know where your career will take you or how high it will take you when you’re surrounded by the right people. There used to be an NBC public service announcement (PSA) “The More You Know.” Take this to heart because it truly is about the more you know and the people you know.
I want to thank Erin Cullaro (Chief of Staff), Zoe Seroky (Director of Communications), and of course Tim Moore (CEO) for making it possible for our family to tour the Vū studio.
I’ll leave you with one of Diamond View’s favorite commercials depicting storytelling & emotion. And, I have to say, it’s one of my favorite’s too! https://youtu.be/2zwMWLE9fBU
Take a look at our visit to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
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This historic hotel is the epitome of elegance and romance from the moment you pass the security guard entrance. For the first time ever, I was able to surprise my husband with a hotel stay to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. If the photos alone …
Grande Villas Resort is the perfect place to stay in Orlando while visiting the theme parks. Owned by Hilton Grand Vacations, it is ranked as a 3-star hotel with an almost 5-star review by guests. It is conveniently located about 10 minutes from all the …
Choosing the right location on South Beach can be daunting. However, that’s why I’m here to help! Crescent Resort is at a prime location because it is literally across the street from South Beach.
To start off let’s talk beach. Wow! As you head out to the beach the first thing you’ll notice is how wide the beach is! Also, you can rent the beach chairs and umbrellas for the entire day.
The water was absolutely the perfect temperature. And that’s saying a lot because when it comes to beach or pool water, it needs to be at least 90 degrees F in order for me to even dip in.
If you’re into shopping make sure to check out the freestanding markets along the boardwalk.
Parking is limited at the resort, but there is a parking garage not too far within walking distance. The only reason why you should park right in front of the resort is to unload your luggage.
The resort is beautiful during the day, but at night it is lit up with neon lights that it stands out and looks so cool. Everything you need is located on this street, Ocean Drive. There are some wonderful restaurants just a few doors down. I met a friend here and we had lunch at La Cerveceria Del Barrio On Ocean Drive. It was delicious!
We found the lobby to be clean and welcoming.
Our room was also clean, comfortable, and everything we needed was in it, such as extra blankets and toiletries.
Our room was absolutely beautiful and chic!
Overall, we had a very pleasant stay at Crescent Resort and nothing beats the convenience of having the beach and restaurants nearby!
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