10 Cups of Coffee: 1 Day!

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Elrods Go...

Today we are celebrating our last day at home before Disney with Mickey waffles!Well, if I’m being honest with you, these really turn out more like pancakes than waffles…but tomorrow we will be living it up in the place that sells the real deal.

And for all of you Disney gurus that like to bash the quality of the official Mickey waffle, the Elrods happen to love the crunchy-outside, chewy-inside, almost-flavorless-until-covered-in-syrup face of the mouse behind the magic. They’re nostalgic. They’re classic. They’re gonna be in my belly in just a couple of days!

And just so you know, I don’t always eat the ears first.

With love, Malorie

10 Cups of Coffee Countdown: 9 Days!

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Elrods Go...

Goooooood morning, Disney goers! We Elrods have nine days until our next Disney vacation!

As you know, we also make a countdown chain for each trip. Every time we tear off a link, we do a silly little song and dance. We then take turns saying what we are most excited about that day and sing separate verses in the same tune about that day’s Disney happy thought. For example:

[tears off link]

All [skipping]: We’re gonna go to Disney World,

Disney World,

Disney World!

We’re gonna go to Disney World,

When all our chains are gone…

Me: Cole, what are you excited about today?

Cole: Pirates!

All: We’re gonna ride on Pirates,

Pirates,

Pirates!

We’re gonna ride on Pirates,

When all our chains are gone…

Told you it was silly.

Today, my Disney happy thoughts are waking up to Mickey waffles and bacon at the Contempo Cafe, and snagging a front car of the People Mover and kicking my feet up for a relaxing ride with Lorelai on my lap.

What are you most excited about for your next Disney trip? I’d be glad to sing a verse for you.

With love, Malorie

Here’s What We Think: Dates in Disney, A California Grill Review

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Elrods Go...

I think I’ve said this before, but Tim and I are huge supporters of dating your spouse. Where is one of our favorite places to go on a date?

You guessed it. Disney World.

Luckily, we usually have Grandma and Grandaddy with us on our trips, so we can barter with them for a date night on one night of our trip. In the past, we’ve had dates at Narcoossee’s, Ohana {followed by couple of hours alone in Magic Kingdom!}, and Chefs de France in Epcot. This past September of 2013 was definitely my favorite date night we’ve had, by far. It was at the newly refurbished and grand re-opening of the California Grill at the tip-top of the Contemporary Resort!

After a lengthy refurbishment, the California Grill was set to re-open the week of our vacation and after trying to book a table the day they started taking reservations, Tim came home frustrated because every single reservation for that week had been booked up within just a few hours. However, after a strange turn of events while on our trip {I swear, this Disney magic stuff is the real deal}, a fellow Disney guru that we follow on Twitter tweeted that he was canceling his reservation for the Cali Grill that night and that someone had better move fast if they wanted it. We were back at our resort when Tim saw the tweet, so he jetted to the front desk to try to snag the reservation. Lo and behold, an hour later Tim and I were putting on our fanciest outfits and getting ready for our 5:30 reservation at the California Grill!

I’m obsessed with these pictures that Tim took while we were waiting on our boat to the Contemporary. I was 26ish weeks pregnant with Lorelai.

We had an amazing captain as we sailed the calm waters of Bay Lake. He was knowledgeable and talkative and he said that he had given up a pretty prestigious job to drive boats in Disney World and that he has never regretted it a minute; that being out on the Disney World waters was the best job you could ask for. I think I believe him. We arrived early, but went ahead and went up to the restaurant because we wanted to have a look around before being seated.

We loved the new decor of the restaurant, and I geeked out for a bit over the Mary Blair art inspired design and framed photos of her sketching.

On either side of the restaurant, you can walk out on to a breeze way that overlooks Magic Kingdom, Bay Lake and the parks and resorts beyond it, and the Seven Seas Lagoon and it’s inhabiting resorts. The views are magnificent, really. California Grill, in addition to being a nice sit-down, has a lounge and bar area and sushi bar. Unfortunately, I am not a lover of sushi, so this does not appeal to me. However, I have heard it is amazing from those who do love sushi. We were seated in the back room that was once the wine cellar. It was small and quiet so it was right up my alley. Tim on the other hand is the kind of guy that likes to be in the middle of the action, so he would have preferred we were sat in the main dining room. I’m introverted and don’t like strangers, so this suited me nicely. Plus, we had a window seat with a great view of our beloved Wilderness Lodge. Our waitress was fantastic and informative. She recommended the oven-dried tomato flatbread for an appetizer, so we took her up on that while she brought out some bread in the meantime.

Y’all, that bread. Those wheat rolls with the unsalted butter sprinkled with coarse sea salt and a sprig of rosemary?…I could have just eaten ten baskets of that and been fine. Seriously. Although I was pregnant, so maybe that had to do with it too. Either way, the bread was my jam that night. Here’s proof: The flatbread was pretty amazing, itself. A great recommendation.For his entrée, Tim ordered oak-fired fillet of beef. It was so delicious. The sauce was fantastic and it was cooked perfectly; I was definitely wishing I had ordered it, as well. I ordered a dish that doesn’t seem to be on the menu anymore. It was a chicken breast in some sort of cherry barbecue sauce, I believe, with two chicken sausage links, corn succotash and green beans, with a mac ‘n cheese au gratin…or something like that. I’m a sophisticated foodie, can’t you tell? It was a good dish, but although it doesn’t look this way in the picture, I felt there was far too much of that sauce on my plate and it was really over powering. And as good as the mac ‘n cheese looks, it was a bit dry. Of course, no good date night goes without dessert, so we ordered the sundae sampler. I knew I wanted it from the moment we sat down. We had seen it on the menu prior to arriving and I was so in love with it’s whimsically sweet presentation that I couldn’t pass it up. I basically giggled my way through dessert. I mean, c’mon! Just look at it! The coke float was…well, a coke float, so the caramel corn and strawberry and basil were the flavor-stars of the dish. We finished it very satisfied and with a smile on our face. Besides my chicken dish {which has been taken off of the menu for obvious reasons, I suppose}, we have nothing but good things to say about the California Grill. We have recommended it to many people in the past year and talk often of booking it again on an upcoming trip.

So here’s what we think: Although amazing restaurants with breath-taking views and mouth-watering eats make any date night a magical and memorable experience, spending time with the love of your life is always the best part of dating in Disney. Here’s to us, Timothy Elrod, and many more magnificent nights at the Happiest Place on Earth.

With love, Malorie

VIDEO: WDW Trip 03.14

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Elrods Go...

Now that it is almost May, I’ve finally gotten around to putting together some of the video we took while on our trip to WDW this March! It was Lorelai’s first trip {at a whopping three-months-old, just like her big brother, Jack}, our second stay at Bay Lake Tower, and our second trip as DVC Members. It was a lot of fun, but also contained a lot of shuffle, being our first trip with three kids, and without the grandparents for that matter! Luckily, a Magic Kingdom morning cut short and the ride home were our only two rough spots in the trip. We’re looking forward to our trip this September, with Lorelai being more alert and aware of what’s going on.

Without further ado, our March 2014 video. I don’t love it as much as the last montage, but it still contains lots of great Elrods Go Disney memories!

Trip Report: Our Mornings in Magic Kingdom

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Elrods Go...

On this trip, we spent many mornings at Magic Kingdom. At the ages and stages of our kids, this is our favorite park to be in, hands down. With meet ‘n greets of their favorite characters and gads of attractions they can enjoy, it is no mystery that when our kids think Disney World, they think Magic Kingdom.

This year we found a great groove for our rope drops {rope drop meaning arriving at park opening}, and were able to get tons accomplished before nap time. I made a map to show you our route. The yellow and blue routes were done on separate days.

Yellow Route: Fantasyland/Attraction Knock-Out

1. Peter Pan

2. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

3. Dumbo

4. The Barnstormer

5. Mad Tea Party

6. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

7. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

8. Mickey’s Philharmagic

9. It’s a Small World

10. Haunted Mansion

11. Splash Mountain

12. Pirates of the Caribbean

13. Lunch at Casey’s Corner

NAP TIME!

Get there at park open, catch the opening performance, then hit the trail. We were able to knock out all of Fantasyland in just over an hour, but even during busy times, I can guarantee that if you get there on time and don’t lolly-gag in between, you can knock out these rides in swift order. We hit up potty breaks with our toddlers near Gaston’s Tavern after Peter Pan, and in the Tangled restrooms after It’s a Small World.

Teal Route: Meet ‘n Greets

1a. Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater

1b. Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall

2. Enchanted Tales with Belle

3. Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald at Pete’s Silly Sideshow

The teal route knocked out our meet ‘n greets. Number 1 has an a. and a b. because we typically don’t see the princesses {although that will change with the arrival of our sweet Lorelai!}, so I would suggest doing either/or. However, doing both is always an option too! After meeting the characters we would suggest seeing Dream Along with Mickey. Otherwise, move along to some other attractions that you haven’t crossed off your list yet in Adventureland and Tomorrowland. By the end of our trip we had gotten to do everything we wanted several times. Jack’s favorite ride was Haunted Mansion and Cole’s was…well just about everything. We were bummed that he was still too short to ride The Barnstormer, so our fingers are crossed for our trip in March.

Just this morning, Jack said to us {again!} at the breakfast table, “I wish we was in Disney World. I love Disney World. I thought we lived there.”

Ha! Someday he will realize that in the grand scheme of things, the fact that we have been blessed with the opportunity to go so often and make such wonderful family memories there is very rare, indeed. I am so incredibly thankful for that. With that in mind, I say to Jack, “We do live there, Buddy. We do.”

With love, Malorie

Photo Report: Villas at the Wilderness Lodge

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Elrods Go...

I thought I’d start out our string of trip reports by sharing where we stayed on our most recent trip to WDW. As fresh-faced DVC members, we spent our first trip at our home resort, The Villas at Disney Wilderness Lodge. Since there are so many things we loved about our stay, I will keep it simple and less wordy by just listing out a few:

~ How cozy the Lodge, especially the lobby of the Villas, feels. It really feels like a home away from home the moment you arrive. With it’s scaled back Disney character theming {as opposed to the All-Star Resorts}, it definitely feels like a relaxing retreat, especially after a busy and loud morning in the parks. It makes for great naps times!

~ Our room! We had the perfect room, and plan to request it in the future if it’s available. It was near the elevators and had the perfect view of Bay Lake and the DVC pool. At 9:30 each night, we could sit out on our balcony and watch the Electrical Water Pageant peeking through the trees, gliding by on it’s way to the Camp Grounds and Contemporary. We’d probably say our least favorite thing about the room was the decor. We’re looking forward to updates in that regard.

~ The size of our Villa. It was our first time staying in a studio, so the extra space was needed and felt.

~ The kitchenette. The refrigerator was even more spacious than we anticipated and we loved having a separate sink to be able to wash dishes and mugs in, in addition to the bathroom sink. In regular rooms, it always felt slightly gross washing baby bottles in the same sink I just brushed my teeth in. Gag.

~ The pools. They are so great, and we love having the option of resort pool towels and returns. It’s nice not having to deal with finding places to hang wet towels in the room.

~ Having the option of boat transportation. The larger boats that go directly between the Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom have wide enough doors and aisles that we can roll our fat double stroller right on, kids buckled in. This is a life saver with sleeping kids. It is a pain and a half having to fold that thing up and keep tabs on two roaming toddlers on small boats or buses. We loving having that easier, stress-free option.

~ All of the cozy little nooks the VWL offers to those seeking just a few minutes of serenity. During one of the boys’ nap times, I walked around the lobby of the Villas and captured some silent and comfy spots to share. It makes me long for a cup of coffee or hot tea and a good book right now!

~ The restaurants. The Wildnress Lodge offers three spots to get your fill; for counter service, the Roaring Fork and Trout Pass Pool Bar, and for table service, the Whispering Canyon Cafe and the signature dining spot, Artist Point, which includes the Territory Lounge.

~ We also love the grounds. Just gorgeous.

{The top corner balcony was ours.}

{Boat transportation: the large boats go directly to the entrance of Magic Kingdom, while smaller boats make stops at the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness Camp Grounds, and the Contemporary Resort. Pictured is one of the larger boats.}

Ahhh, the Wilderness Lodge. How we love you. Have you ever stayed at the Wilderness Lodge or the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge? If so, what were your thoughts on your stay there?

With love, Malorie

VIDEO: WDW Trip 2013

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Elrods Go...

We’ve officially been home from WDW for a week, and I have only had one day where I wanted to cry.

I think that’s a success, yes?

Part of the reason I haven’t slunk into deep PDD {Post-Disney Depression} is because we are already planning and booking meal reservations for our trip in March. The other part is because I have been working on a video montage of our trip, and being able to look back on all of our fun times and live vicariously through our memories captured via iPhone has somehow curbed the pains of withdrawal. I finished it a couple of days ago, but because I am not very computer program and technology savvy, I had to seek help from Tim in figuring out how to export it. He finally found the time today, and I am so excited to share it with you.

I know it’s amateur, but I am still quite proud, considering this was my first time ever attempting a project such as this. I pretty obsessed with it and plan on making one for each trip now. So get ready for that.

Without further ado and rambling {for which I am infamous}, here is our WDW Trip 2013.

With love, Malorie

Here’s What We Think: Rapid Fill? No Big Deal.

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Elrods Go...

I hereby promise this is my last post on Rapid Fill. On our trip this past week, I was able to experience it first hand, and the official Elrod opinion is that Rapid Fill is no big deal.

Although, Rapid Fill was not in use at the Wilderness Lodge during our stay, the pricing for the mugs was, since they could be used at other resorts that already had Rapid Fill in place while resort hopping. The drink machines at Roaring Fork where already Rapid Fill machines, they were just not turned on to that capacity. We were able to use our Rapid Fill mugs just like the old mugs. Any refill, anytime. To experience the system for ourselves, we took a boat over for dinner at the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary to try it out.

Basically, nothing was different. Set your cup down under your drink of choice and press the button. An image of a cup filling up will appear, to let you know how much more you have available in that refill, along with the expiration date of your mug. Next I wanted to see what would happen when I “ran out” of my current refill. With ice in my mug, I could fill it all the way up to the top and the cup on the screen indicating the amount of refill that I used would only be about halfway full. In order to reach the max amount, I literally had to empty my mug of all ice, fill it up, dump about half of it out, then fill it up again, at which time I received this message. When I tried to get more drink at this point, this screen appeared. 2 minutes and 14 seconds. That’s it. Then I could start again. And if I can drink a cup and a half of soda and desperately need more in under 2 minutes and 14 seconds…I may need to seek medical help…or just drink water, which is free and unlimited on the Rapid Fill machines.

See? No. Big. Deal.

The coffee, tea, and hot chocolate machines are not Rapid Fill machines, so they are unlimited just as they always were. Although, even if they weren’t, I can’t imagine it being wise to guzzle a whole hot beverage in under 2 minutes and 14 seconds, either!

As for re-using your mug, they can be reactivated on a separate trip, but I am unaware of any pricing discount in doing so. In which case, I’d just prefer the new mug.

So have any of you used the new Rapid Fill system? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Especially any from folks who have stayed at the value resorts where the system has been in place a bit longer.

With love, Malorie

Derailed by DVC: Bringing Food from Home

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Elrods Go...

Any entries posted between September 5th – 12th were composed prior to our trip. To follow along with us in our current WDW adventures, follow us on Twitter: malyourpal and timelrod or on Instagram: malyourpal.

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So, as you know, this is our first trip as DVC members. We are so, so excited and hopefully having an amazing time right now as you read this. But I have to admit, preparing and packing as DVC members has really been a switch in gears for us. We have been derailed by DVC, when it comes to meal planning in WDW.

For the past five years, we have been riding the free dining plan promo that Disney has offered each fall. Initially, our dining plan {even when we were staying at the All-Star resorts} included one table service meal {which included an appetizer, entree, dessert, and non-alcholic beverage}, one counter service meal {which included an entree, dessert, and drink} and a snack {almost anything $5 and under} a day. PLUS a free refillable mug, PLUS gratuity was included!

Y’all that is what you call a free dining plan.

Over the years, Disney has been slowly trimming back what is included in the free dining plan. First, gratuity and appetizers were no longer included. Next, they scaled back the dining plans based on resorts, so value resorts were no longer offered the basic dining plan, but the quick service plan. In that plan, you get two counter service meals and one snack a day, along with a free refillable mug. To get the plan that included sit down meals, you had to be staying in a moderate or deluxe resort.

When Tim and I realized that becoming DVC members we would no longer be getting the free dining plan, we were a little bummed, but not much. We are grateful for the opportunity to have had it for the past five years because it allowed us to try restaurants we would have never have considered if we were paying out of pocket, and it essentially turned us into WDW foodies that love to try new restaurants and cuisines. However, we are also looking forward to a new world of being able to think outside of the “meal credits” and see what else Disney has to offer.

That being said, this trip we are trying to budget hard, so we knew splurging on a ton of meals just wasn’t going to happen. After all, we are still on the making-our-money-back end of the DVC buy-in {we just wrote that hefty check in April}, and we have a baby coming in just three months!

Crunch time!

So we hit Walmart hard last week, and tried to find some cheaper meal options that we can make and enjoy right in our DVC room. Here are some things we came up with. For breakfasts we plan on oatmeal {my boys love it and could eat it every day, thank goodness}, fruit, toast, and croissants. Lunches, and on a rare occasion dinners, are going to consist of microwavable meals, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, or yes, even a Lunchable or two by the pool. For snacks, we have both healthy and unhealthy options like mini rice cakes, fruit chews, chips, cheese and more fruit, and even the occasional gummy worm.

We plan on eating quick service meals to supplement and we have dining reservations at Via Napoli for lunch {which you’ve hopefully already read about!}, Whispering Canyon Cafe for breakfast, and Hollywood and Vine for lunch.

Honestly, we have no idea if we are doing this right. Please, any current DVC members, give us advice on how you dine in WDW! We may like the way we are doing things this year, or we may look back on this trip and think, “We were crazy. We had no idea what we were doing.”

Either way, I know that there is no chance of us starving in WDW. Busting the budget? Maybe. Starving? No.

I can’t wait to get back and share all of our stories and what we’ve learned!

With love, Malorie

Here’s What We Think: Via Napoli Review

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Elrods Go...

~~~

Have you ever enjoyed a meal at Via Napoli in the World Showcase at EPCOT? We have. Twice. And as a matter of fact, we are eating there for our third time today! [insert giddy girl dance] Via Napoli is tucked into the very back of the Italy pavilion and is in my humble, untravelled opinion, a very attractive facade. Inside the atmosphere is nice without feeling fancy, and I like that. I’m a dress-for-the-occasion kind of girl, so I always feel awkward dining in really nice places in shorts and a tank top with my hair in a sweaty ponytail. Via Napoli definitely doesn’t give off that vibe. My favorite part of the restaurant is the wall of three wood burning fireplaces where they cook their authentic Italian pizzas. They are named after the three active volcanoes in Italy; Stromboli, Vesuvio, and Etna.

On top of having really great food, we have to admit that one of the main reasons we keep returning to Via Napoli time after time is because of the wonderful service. Both times we have dined there, we have had amazing waiters that were willing to take the time to explain menu items, tell us about their homeland {yes, the waitstaff is comprised of Italian citizens working for a stint in America}, and go above and beyond to meet our needs. When Cole was still taking a bottle, our waiter brought us hot water to heat it and asked many times throughout the meal if I needed anything else for my baby.

Even though we have visited twice, pizza was what we ordered off the menu both times. Why not? It is made from authentic Italian ingredients, including water and flour flown in from Italy for the dough! Tim loves the piccante, while I’ve had both the pepperoni and quattro formaggi. I mean, look at that! That is a pizza! Yum-my!For dessert we have sampled pretty much everything on the menu; perks of riding on the free dining plan. We all order something different and then share. Tim is a fan of the Tiramisu. I love the Coppa dii Brutti Ma Buon and my parents had only good things to say about the Zeppole di Caterina. And the coffee? Well, you know the Elrods love a good cup of coffee and Via Napoli did not let us down. Over all, the Elrods rate Via Napoli: We have never {in our whopping two times} walked away hungry or disappointed. We are not anticipating today to be any different, but if it is, you are sure to hear about it. [wink wink]