Adventure In The Great Wide Somewhere

We hit the pool deck right before the Mickey Pool opened for the day. <<< Waddle This Way As the cast member finished clearing away the net over the Mickey pool, Pumbaa and Timon helped us remember how important it is to be "Wild About Safety." Watching Pumbaa pay homage to Ariel, the little mermaid is worth watching the safety video. The pool opened and the kids flocked in with several of their new best buds. The AquaDuck didn't open for another half hour so I huddled under a towel as there was quite a high wind blowing about the deck. Watching the crew prepare the AquaDuck while keeping an eye on our kids, they set out several "beware high winds" notices and a sign that said that no single riders would be allowed on the AquaDuck. Five minutes before the 'Duck was set to open, Kylee could not wait another second, so we decided to begin the queue. After passing the height check with flying colors, Kylee and I mounted the stairs up into the ...

Welcome Foodie Friday Blog Hoppers! Chocolate Chip Pecan Mickey Pancakes (GF and Vegan) Location: My Kitchen! Cost: The Cleanliness of My Kitchen Magical breakfast for one! My kids love making pancakes at home because they get to be in charge of creating their very own culinary magic. The chocolate chips may have something to do with it, too. I love mixing up our own pancake batter at home because it's easier to mix our own than to find gluten free vegan pancakes anywhere outside of Disney. Honestly, there is no telling how much milk or vegetable oil went into these. They seemed to taste pretty awesome regardless of exact measurements! Ingredients: 1 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix 1 cup almond milk 1 egg substitute (your choice. We like 1 TBSP Chia Seed to 3 TBSP hot water.) 2 tsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup pecan chips 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Vegan and GF)        or blueberries Earth Balance ...

Welcome Foodie Friday Blog Hoppers! Dark Side Gingerbread Cookies Location: My Kitchen, Texas, y'all Cost: Time, love and a couple Imperial Credits In honor of National Cookie Day, we spent an afternoon earlier this week making some gingerbread cookies. As I tweeted on Wednesday, #ThanksToStarWars my children prefer their gingerbread a little bit on the dark side. Thankfully, I've adapted a lovely gingerbread man recipe that is both Gluten Free and vegan, since that's how the Sith roll these days. Dark Side Gingerbread Cookies - GF, Vegan, Dairy, Nut, Egg Free Ingredients 3/4 cup vegan margarine, softened (we use Earth Balance) 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup black-strap molasses 1 Tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer and 1/4 cup warm water 2 3/4 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix (we like Bob's Red Mill) 2 teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or a smidge more if you like spice.) Extra flour ...

Welcome Foodie Friday Blog Hoppers! Ocean Spray Craisins Location: Popcorn Stand, Future World West, Epcot Cost: $2.25   Sometimes we encourage our children to try new and foreign cuisine to expand our palates. Sometimes we go for gourmet and unusual tastes on vacation. After touring all morning, when  Kylee goes through a rare grumpy spell is not one of those times. This is when I am glad that the popcorn in all of Walt Disney World is vegan (coated in a lovely "butter flavor" oil). My nondairy princess would usually partake, but as the afternoon proved to become a bit warm and muggy, hydration and a cool snack was in order.   Craisins even make being to short to ride Mission: SPACE a happy event. I did not want to ply her with sugar (a quick route toward a crash later in the afternoon). Inspiration struck in the form of one of her favorite sweet snacks from home that are easily available at many of the snack stands around Walt ...

Welcome Foodie Friday Blog Hoppers! Better than a what? Better Than a Mickey Bar Location: Room Service, Disney Magic Cost: Included in Cruise Fare I know, I know. What on earth is better than a Mickey Bar? Aside from the iconic nature of this snack, which has featured on t-shirts, magnets, pins antenna toppers and even air fresheners, it also is big in the allergy free community. This prepackaged frozen treat is relatively safe for kids without severe allergies. The bars are (per Disney) free of egg and soy but may contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten or wheat from possible line contamination. As always, check with Nestle for the latest on allergens in their products. Now let's make some magic!  Nothing is better than a Mickey's Premium Ice Cream Bar! Except This. I'm not going to debate Mickey Bars v. Dole Whips v. Churros. I'm merely letting you in on a little plus it up action that we on the cruise boards tend to keep on the quiet,...

Welcome Favorite Food Friday Blog Hoppers! Mushroom Risotto served in a rustic bread bowl Location: Palo, The Disney Magic Cost: $20 per person for the meal plus cruise fare After Sylvester presented this lovely family style serving of risotto, Chef Silvio dropped by to let us know that this particular dish is how he would serve risotto at his home for his daughter. Ben and I found it delectable.  Warm, homey, vegan comfort food. Warm, chewy basil bread baked to a pleasant crunch on the outside housed a beautiful (nondairy) risotto. The sharp crisp counterpoint of the celery greens played beautifully with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and the richness of the Chianti reduction over the creamy risotto. Basically Ben and I polished this off in it's entirety in under ten minutes. Delicious in every sense of the word. If you aren't vegan or special ordering for allergies, I believe the wild mushroom risotto is usually served as a single serving ...

A vegan mom, a dairy allergic preschooler, and a gluten intolerant kindergartner step onto a cruise ship ... No, this isn't the setup to a joke, but rather my life last November. Would we starve? Would we enjoy any of the allergy-free offerings? Would we all live on steamed vegetables for seven days straight? If there is one thing Disney does exceptionally well, it is their world-renowned customer service and nowhere does this Disney service shine more than in the instance of special needs. Given our various diets, going out to eat is a bit hazardous at best. When cruising hundreds of miles off shore, I had to go with a company I trusted to make that experience not only safe but downright magical. I had cruised with Disney Cruise Line (DCL) sans kids prior to becoming vegan, but after three allergy-free cruises, I've learned a thing or ten… My Tips for a Safe and Sound Allergy-Free Cruise 1.) Make the cruise line take note. I make sure each of our dining differenc...

So I woke up ridiculously early and indulged in two of my favorite hobbies, a quick run around the decks and some nearly empty ship photography. Self Portrait pre-run. One of the over 20,000 pieces of signage on board, this being the sign in deck 5 forward to the port of the stairwells. Stairwell between five and four forward Stairwell with a map of Castaway Cay... I promise I'm going back soon! Because why wouldn't the hallway need a traffic light. Beat Street Lobby Helmsman Mickey Even after three cruises on the Magic and only one on the Wonder, I still keep expecting it to be Ariel in the lobby rather than Helmsman Mickey. Anyone else notice that they expect things to be the same as on whichever ship was their first cruise ship? That's just me? My usual stretching spot. First time I’d noticed the portholes forward on the deck four walking track. what’s up there? The portholes on deck 4 aft show the Animator’s Palate galley area...