Disney in December

Hello Everyone. A couple of weeks ago, I explored Magic Kingdom and enjoyed the sites and sounds of Disney. Going to Disney during the holidays is very magical. Disney decks out in Christmas decorations from top to bottom. Christmas trees can be found inside every Disney resort and park, surrounded with garland and ornaments.

This year, I was invited by a family to go to Disney as their nanny. As far as childcare goes, I am typically the extra set of hands. This means the parents are usually present and I am just there to help. I do tasks such as taking the girls to the bathroom or taking the older one on a ride while the younger one stays with the parents.  I would also watch the girls in the evening so the parents can have a date night.

As the Nanny, I have the privilege to experience the sit-down restaurants at Disney. These restaurants are significantly better than any quick service place and are worth the difference in price. We went to many sit-down places, most of them had excellent food.

Chocolate Mousse

For the first time, the girls and I ate at the very prestigious restaurant, Cinderella's Royal Table. This fine establishment is inside the castle itself at Magic Kingdom.

This restaurant offers a character dinning experience.  As far as price goes, it is roughly about $60 per person, or two dinning points on the meal plan. (I didn't pay for the food.)

As we walked in, we were greeted by Cinderella as we waited for our table. As soon as we were seated, we were given a menu listed with french cuisine. I could pick my own appetizer, entree and dessert. Anyone who dines here will receive three courses, as it is included in the meal. 

For the appetizer, I had the shrimp and grits. It was a tasty, small serving that was perfect for me. The entree I ordered was rotisserie chicken with mac and cheese. I didn't care for the chicken and the mac and cheese seemed dry. The dessert however, was amazing; white chocolate mousse covered by dark chocolate mousse. Yum! It was the perfect consistency of light and fluffy. 

A visit with Pocahontas at Animal Kingdom.

During our meal, we had a visit from Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine and Ariel. The girls were given a magic wand and wishing star that they could keep. Towards the end of our dinner, the lights dimmed and the room lit up like a bunch of stars. The girls were advised by Princess Jasmine to make a wish with their wishing star. 

After our meal, we headed downstairs to leave the restaurant and Snow White popped out from above the stairs and played peekaboo with the girls. The girls really enjoyed that.

We had a great dinning experience at Cinderella's Royal Table. The entree could have tasted better for the price, but overall the experience was lovely.

My personal favorite restaurant was the T-Rex Cafe in Downtown Disney. They offer wide variety of food, from gorgonzola salad to bruschetta (my personal favorite) to steak. This place has something for everyone. The restaurant itself has several rooms open to one another. I spotted an aquarium, ice cave, and jungle in this Dino-Themed restaurant. Unfortunately, I was having such a great meal, I forgot to take pictures!

Some other things we did at Disney included: Frozen The Sing Along Musical, a visit with Tinkerbell, Mickey and Pocahontas, and a fancy lunch at Le Cellier at Epcot. 

The Frozen Sing Along at Hollywood Studios.

We were at Disney for seven days and stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. This is an on-property Disney Resort with a New Orleans theme. We have stayed here before and keep coming back. We usually book the princess room, which consist of disney princess decor. We decided to stay in a standard room this time, and noticed the beds were not as comfortable. We all stayed in the same room. It's a great resort with a ton of amenities, but the important factor is to get a good night's sleep.

For those of you who are wondering,  I purchased my own adult beverages or souvenirs. I did not pay for the food or the hotel, as the parents took care of that.

Overall, we had a great trip. I established with the family the time I had off and the time worked. (It's important for the nanny to get a break too.)  It was tiring after a long week at Disney, but we had fun and it was well worth it. I would definitely go back with the same family again.

Me with Tinkerbell

                                         A visit with Mickey Mouse at Animal Kingdom.

Berlin Street Fashion

Hello from Germany!

I have the amazing experience of being an international journalist. I arrived at Berlin on Sunday and will be leaving this Sunday to fly back home in Florida.

I wanted to see if the U.S. and Germany had  a different take on fashion. I went around and asked several people on the street if I could take their picture in their well-dressed outfits. I really like some of the outfits here.

Do you think there is a major difference between the U.S. and Germany when it comes to fashion?

I went to Norway! Sort Of...

On Saturday I left for the Orlando airport and had to fly out late in the evening at 10pm Florida time travel to Berlin.

My four classmates and I, along with my professor had an eight hour flight to Oslo, Norway through Norwegian Airlines. Our layover in the Oslo airport was an enjoyable six hours.

I was super excited to be in the country where Elsa and Anna are from. Flying into Norway was beautiful. It was very green with lush hills and mountains, and vibrant red barns.

Overview of Oslo, Norway

Inside the Oslo Airport

I did some research and would love to fly to Norway "for real" one day. Currently a roundtrip flight from Orlando to Berlin for November would cost $403 including taxes. I am very tempted to fly to Norway and spend some time there for this reason.

A rotating Japanese Sushi bar. Very Cool!

The #ZündenMedia Team

What I was not crazy about was how expensive it is to convert US Dollars to Norwegian Krones (Nok). It takes 1 US Dollar to make 6.5 Nok. Although this may sound like a deal, it takes approximately $3.80 in US dollars (24 Nok) to buy a bag of gummy bears that would cost 1 US dollar elsewhere. I spent $40 US dollars in the Oslo airport on 2 small sandwiches, 2 bottles of water, 1 bag of gummy bears, a chocolate bar, and 4 small boxes of Läkerol Pastilles. I would probably spend about $20-25 in the US instead of $40.

The Oslo Airport had plenty of shopping and things to do during our layover.

The. Best. Chocolate. Ever.

Flying to Norway may be cheap, but staying in the country will be rather expensive, so plan ahead. On a side note, the $40 I spent in food tasted amazing.

A Very Special Evening With The Dave Matthews Band

Back in Mid-July, I had one of the best evenings of my life. I bought tickets back in February for a Dave Matthews Band concert in Jacksonville, Fla. This was my first time going to a DMB concert and also the first time DMB has been in Jacksonville.

That night was absolutely amazing! My best friend and I drove there early and ate yummy tacos and explored the venue. We started to head toward the stage an hour before the show started. It was fun; talking to different people who have been to previous DMB shows. We met a couple who went to 15 DMB shows. There was a person who had a poster up saying it was their "60th" Show. Wow, that is dedication, and after having one of the best nights of my life, I can see why they kept coming back.

My best friend and I had ground floor tickets near the stage. It was amazing on how close we were! The show was sold out and consisted of two segments. DMB performed an acoustic set opening with "Bartender" featuring Tim Reynolds. The band also performed their famous songs "What Would You Say," "Tripping Billies," and "Two Step." The second set of songs  included "Warehouse," "Everyday," and "Grey Street" and was full-blown instrumental.

Overall, we had an amazing night! I would do this again in a heartbeat. :) 

I Graduated College, Now What?

After six years of college, I finally graduated with my Bachelor's Degree! Although this may sound very exciting, (and it is) the transitional stage is very puzzling. It's hard having to accept I have been in school most of my life, and now it is finally over. I've been told this is normal, but I am very anxious and excited to see what is ahead.

I am taking this fall off and traveling to Europe, Disney World and out west to visit family. My brother and sister-in-law are having their third baby, so it will be exciting meeting my new nephew. 

I had a wonderful graduation party with family and a few close friends at the neighborhood pool. I am very grateful and enjoyed everyone who was there.

I also have the incredible opportunity of being able to report on One Start START Berlin this September. I will keep everyone posted with pictures and videos of my European travel. :)

Disney World February 2014

Hello everyone. Back in February, I went to Walt Disney World in Orlando on a "Nanny Work Trip." The weather was perfect; cloudy and 80 degrees. Luckily, there was no rain when we were at the parks.

The “in-between ” day we did not attend Disney. I do love a dark and dramatic Florida sky.

I had the chance to try out the new FastPass system. We did not get a MagicBand since we did not stay on property. People can use their day or yearly pass as an alternative if they do not have a MagicBand.

How this works: After I went into Epcot, I grabbed my own, and my party's annual passes and found a FastPass+ Kiosk. (There are about three in the park, from what I saw). I had to wait in line for about 10 minutes, and once it was my turn, I walked up to a touchscreen station.

All the stations have a Disney Employee to help people make their ride or show selections. People will need to "tap" their passes on the Mickey Mouse face which is at the station.

You are given three Fastpasses for the day, and can only choose one park to use them at. The downside of the new system, is you can't choose any three rides. For example, since Test Track and Soarin' are both very popular at Disney, you have to choose between Test Track or Soarin' (Selection One) but not both. The other two rides you can pick, (Selection Two) have to be less popular, such as Finding Nemo, Captain EO, or Turtle Talk with Crush.

If you pick Test Track as you Fastpass, then you can't pick Soarin' or vice versa.

Sorry kids, it looks like you will have to wait in at least one long line if you want to go all the most popular rides in the parks.

My Advice: Go to the parks right before they open, or go about 2-3 hours before they close.

After you make your selections, (you somewhat get to choose the times), you are all set to use your Fastpasses at the designated times. Just "tap" your card in the Fastpass line. If you show up in the correct window you are given, Mickey Mouse will light up green, if you missed your time window or it is too early, Mickey Mouse will appear blue.

I hope this answers everyones questions. Feel free to comment below!

Aladdin and Jasmine character meet and greet and the Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot.

Time to kickback and relax at the Vista Cay resort in Orlando.