This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Let’s talk about my 3 most favorite words of the summer: Toy. Story. LAND! Have you been to experience it all yet? I haven’t, but I’ve definitely enjoyed all of the coverage online.
On June 30th, opening day of Toy Story Land, Disney’s Hollywood Studios actually reached capacity and closed. I don’t think Hollywood Studios had seen that much traffic in a very long time and although I’m not a fan of big crowds, I had total F.O.M.O…you know, Fear of Missing Out. My upcoming visit to Walt Disney World Resort can’t come soon enough! Here are my 5 Toy Story Land Must-Dos for my trip:
- Ride Slinky Dog Dash
- Ride Alien Swirling Saucers
- Find Woody, Jessie, and Buzz and hug them!
- Eat one of everything at Woody’s Lunch Box.
- Take photos at the Toy Story Land Block Wall and the Popsicle Stick Wall
In honor of those of us that haven’t gotten to Toy Story Land, but are planning to get there soon, I’ve got a great giveaway! I mean, even if you have already been there, you can enter too! Who couldn’t use a little extra Disney money for your visit to Andy’s backyard? To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. But first, take a look over the giveaway rules.
The Rules:
- One winner will be awarded a $250 Disney Gift Card (e-gift card to be delivered via email)
- Winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen
- All winning entries will be verified
- Must be 18 years of age or older to participate
- Open to residents of the United States and Canada
- Giveaway starts on July 5 and ends at midnight on July 21
Over the Top Mommy has teamed up with 9 other Disney-loving bloggers to bring you this magical giveaway:
- Post 50 RX
- The Creative Stay at Home Mom
- Redhead Baby Mama
- Motherhood & Beyond
- Oh Sweet Disney
- The Farm Girl Gabs
- Adventures in Familyhood
- An Open Suitcase
- A New Dawnn
Good Luck, Everyone! Thanks again for reading!
Our family recently experienced
Now, this additional, new offering allows park guests to save their dessert for last. First, guests can arrive at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant starting 90 minutes prior to Happily Ever After—the most spectacular fireworks showcase in Magic Kingdom history. As showtime nears, Cast Members escort guests to a prime location in the Plaza Garden for priority fireworks viewing. Watch in amazement as the skies ignite and Cinderella Castle glows with enchanting illuminations.
After the fireworks, guests are escorted back to Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, where they can feast on freshly prepared treats, seasonal fruits and flavorful cheeses. This bountiful buffet may also include such favorites as:
Raise a glass of your favorite beverage to toast your day of theme park adventures—and the enchantment to come. Drink selections at the dessert party include:
Admission for this special offering is $69 per adult and $41 per child (ages 3 to 9) including tax. (Gratuity is not included or required.) A separate Magic Kingdom park admission is also required. For more information about the After-Fireworks Dessert Party at Magic Kingdom or to make a reservation, please go 
On our most recent family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort, our family was invited to attend the “Happily Ever After” Fireworks Dessert Party in Magic Kingdom. Upon arrival at Tomorrowland Terrace, my emotions were already at an all-time high! I was completely elated!
There was a PhotoPass photographer at the event who snapped some family photos of us. You can access the photos on the app and if you’ve already 
During our most recent trip to Walt Disney World Resort, we headed over to Splitsville Orlando for some family time. It was a welcomed change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the parks and is a great opportunity for your family members to bring out their competitive sides. 
You’re going to love the retro decor of the place! It features brightly colored accents, hand-painted murals and other fun touches.
They even have Minnie and Mickey details on the bowling balls! You can bet I grabbed the hot pink Minnie Mouse ball right away! It just doesn’t get any better than that!
Once you’re checked in and your bowling shoes are ready, you are shown to your lane, where you have unlimited bowling for the duration of your reservation. 
You can sit comfortably at your lane-side dining table while you wait for your next turn to bowl and your friendly Splitsville server will keep any food and drinks coming that you order from their amazing menu. (Keep reading for more about the food.)
Dining at Splitsville is like nothing you’ve experienced at a bowling alley before! You have the option of dining inside or outside at Splitsville and don’t even have to be there for bowling to dine there. However, eating and bowling is like the ultimate way to make yourself feel like a kingpin!
Splitsville has taken “typical” bowling alley food and turned it up about 10 notches, to offer things such as:
Other dining offerings at Splitsville include appetizers, desserts, and a Kids Menu.
The drink menu at Splitsville Luxury Lanes is as extensive as the food menu and includes Frozen Drinks, Bowl Drinks, and Specialty Cocktails, as well as draft beer, bottle beer, and wine. There are also non-alcoholic options including 130+ varieties of sodas and teas. Any drink, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, can be ordered and served in a 28 oz. Splitsville Pin Sipper Souvenir for an extra charge, Sounds like the perfect souvenir to me, which is why we brought home 2 of them! 
Here’s a short video showing some of our fun day out at Splitsville.
Walk-ins are always welcome but you can also make a reservation at Splitsville for either a lane or a party. Some fun party ideas for Splitsville include: birthday parties, office team building, and even corporate events. To make your reservation, please go 
I had no idea I was going to love Splitsville so much. I don’t think I can go back to “regular” bowling again! It’s definitely true what they say…“Fine dining 
So…, are you ready to “Roll in and Rock Out” at Splitsville Orlando? We can’t wait to go back! To find a location closest to you, go
Connect with Splitsville on 
A brand-new Epcot front-entrance topiary garden will set the milestone anniversary scene with a kaleidoscope of blooming color where topiary icons Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy will greet festival guests. What began in 1994 as a 38-day celebration of Disney-style gardens and topiaries has grown over the years to a 90-day spring extravaganza with something for every generation. We can’t wait to experience it in person! 
The 2018 festival will take place during the 35th anniversary of Epcot and will showcase millions of brilliant blossoms.The 90-day festival will open with an irresistible array of sights, sounds, tastes, aromas and tactile discoveries and here are some of the offerings guests can explore:
Each Outdoor Kitchen will feature its own raised-bed or in-ground garden of herbs and produce that can inspire the growing numbers of guests who want to learn to grow what they eat.
Disney Topiary Stars
Among the nearly 100 festival topiaries will be returning favorites like the pandas and Bromeliad dragon at the China pavilion, The Three Caballeros at the Mexico pavilion, Disney-Pixar’s Woody at the American Adventure pavilion and Buzz Lightyear in Future World. The back-by-demand Figment topiary garden between Future World and World Showcase will offer the perfect selfie backdrop and family photo opportunity. Dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms will transform the park’s landscape. At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, 220 mini-gardens will be set afloat.
Garden Rocks Concert Series
Interactive Play Gardens
The Royal Tea Garden Tour will return for a second year each festival morning at the United Kingdom pavilion. For a small fee, guests can follow a knowledgeable guide through the tranquil tea garden setting to learn the history and artistry behind growing and blending tea. A post-tour treat of tea and scones is included. The shorter, complimentary English Tea Garden Tour also will be offered on select days. For more information or to book your Royal Tea Garden Tour, visit 
For more information about the 25th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, please visit 
Guests in Toy Story Land will feel like they have shrunk to the size of a toy as Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Slinky Dog, the Aliens, Green Army Men and other fun-loving Toy Story characters come to life in the larger-than-life outdoor setting of Andy’s backyard. And what a backyard! In a rich and colorful landscape straight from his vivid imagination, Andy has set up his toys for the best playtime ever. Guests will be surrounded by giant building blocks, game board pieces and more.
Across eleven fun-filled acres, Toy Story Land will include two all-new attractions and one expanded favorite. Guests will whoosh along on a family-friendly roller coaster behind Slinky Dog, take a spin with flying saucers in toy spaceships and score high on the midway. Toy Story Land will also celebrate what once defined entertainment for a generation. Crayons, Rubik’s Cubes, Cooties, Green Army Men and other toys and games will pour on the nostalgia for park-goers. Even the lampposts will be shaped like Tinkertoys.
Let’s take a closer look at the two brand-new attractions: 
Alien Swirling Saucers – Brace yourself for out-of-this-world thrills because the aliens have powered up their flying saucers! Alien Swirling Saucers will immerse guests in the playful world of Andy’s toys. This galactic space toy is designed as a play set that Andy won at the Pizza Planet restaurant. Adorable little Toy Story green Aliens swirl about in their flying saucers with guests in tow in their rocket-ship toys, while “The Claw” hangs overhead. This space adventure is bathed in music reimagined for intergalactic fun, dappled with multi-color lighting and sound effects from throughout galaxies.
Toy Story Mania! will be expanded. While Andy’s away, the toys will play. One of the most beloved attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania!, gets an all-new colorful toy carnival game box entrance when the new land opens. In fact, this is the box that the Toy Story Mania! game came in. Recently updated with a third track, the popular attraction will put even more guests in the carnival playset action taking aim at 3D objects, using everything from baseballs to cream pies, in a variety of whimsical, fast-paced games. To the high-scorer go bragging rights.
Get a Sneak Peek at Toy Story Land
Have you been to Walt Disney World before? Well, it’s one of my most favorite places to travel with my family and on our last visit there, our family stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. 
Staying at a Disney Resort Hotel is a “must” for us on our trips because there are so many 
Disney’s Pop Century Resort is one of 
If you have any connection with these decades you’ll definitely appreciate the exterior of the property, as well as the decor throughout the lobby area with its timeless fashions, catch phrases, toys and dances that captivated the world through these decades. If you’re too young to remember any of those decades, don’t worry, you’ll still smile as you take a tour of “the olden days”. (as my daughter referred to them.) 
During our stay, the Pop Century was in the middle of renovating many of the guest rooms. We were fortunate enough to stay in the “80s” section of the hotel (a nod to my own childhood and genius inventions such as Rubik’s Cube®) and our particular room had already been renovated. Our room was adorable! 
We opted for a Standard Room and it was the perfect size for our family of 3. When you enter the room, there’s one double bed and a small table with 2 chairs that is easy to slide over so you can pull down a (second) Murphy bed from the wall. We just stuck the table and chairs over by the window. 
The room features light wood floors and bright Mickey Mouse decor. It’s super cute! The furniture is modern and there’s plenty of room for 4 guests to stay in one room. The bathroom is super modern 
You also have the option to order Disney pizza delivery to your room. There are also beverages available at the Petals Pool Bar, located adjacent to the Petals Pool. If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, this is a perfect place to eat at. (To learn more about Disney Dining Plans, go 
Bus service begins about an hour before the first Extra Magic Hours of each day and continues until about an hour after the last park closes. Buses seem to run about every 20 minutes to each of the parks. You can also ask Concierge for more information about the transportation at the Pop Century Resort.
Overall, we loved staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort so much. It truly is a great hotel to book a stay at and I don’t think there was anything about it we didn’t like. 
One of character dining experiences to go to is The Crystal Palace inside Magic Kingdom Park. It’s where you’ll find Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore. 
Located on Main Street, U.S.A., The Crystal Palace is the perfect place to start your day off, as well as a great place to grab some dinner after a day of exploring. 
As you walk through the front door of The Crystal Palace, you’ll notice how light and bright everything is, as the decor was inspired by the Victorian greenhouses of the late 1800’s. With topiaries and tropical palms galore, It’s the perfect setting to have a “Friendship Day Celebrashun”, which is what Winnie the Pooh and his friends do there every single day! 
Guests have the option to dine at The Crystal Palace for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on what time of day they visit. The food is served as an All-You-Care-to-Enjoy buffet. Since Mickey waffles seem to be one of our family’s favorites, we usually opt to dine there for breakfast, following Extra Magic Hours in Magic Kingdom Park.
Guests will be delighted to choose from a bountiful selection of breakfast items including:
While you’re enjoying your meal, Winnie the Pooh and his friends walk around and visit each table to sign autograph books and take photos, allowing you to capture those special moments to look back on and smile about for years to come! Helpful tip: Have your camera and/or phone ready to go before they get to your table. 
Our family hasn’t had the chance to try the lunch or dinner option yet at The Crystal Palace but I will tell you that the breakfast is fabulous! 
To view the menu, pricing, and to check table availability, go 
To view the entire list of character dining experiences at Walt Disney World, go 
Let’s talk about about my “other favorite subject” though: Walt Disney World Resort! Up until a few years ago, I’d never traveled to Orlando nor visited Walt Disney World. Fast forward to present day, we’ve been there 4 times now!
Walt Disney World is literally my new favorite place to travel and every time we return from one trip, I start looking at our calendar to see when we can sneak away to Florida again. Can you relate?
With over 25 different resorts to choose from at Walt Disney World Resort, you’re going to find at least one that fits within your family’s budget. Whether you choose a Value, Moderate, or Deluxe Resort to stay at, you’ll be enamored by all of the magical touches and thematic decor around your resort and inside your room. You’ll can scroll through an entire list of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
As a busy mom, I truly appreciate how easy it is to make your hotel reservations, once you’re narrowed your choices down. You can either make reservations on the official
On each of our 4 trips to Orlando, our family has stayed at a different Disney World Resort and I’ve found that there are tons of benefits for guests who stay at one, they just won’t get when you stay “off property” (a.k.a. a non-Disney World hotel). To be honest, I’d probably still stay at a Disney World hotel even if there weren’t benefits because I’m that Disney Mom who never wants to miss out on anything! Today I want to share 10 great benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel with you, in hopes of helping you plan your next trip to Walt Disney World. Check them out! 
Complimentary MagicBands 
Early FastPass+ Scheduling
That’s 30 days earlier than guests who don’t have a reservation “on property”. This allows you to secure highly sough after attractions early on so you can have those in place and rest assured. We felt so lucky to grab FastPass+ selections this past trip for Pandora – World of Avatar, which is absolutely breathtaking, by the way! To learn more about FastPass+, go 
Disney’s Magical Express
Extra Magic Hours
Transportation to Disney Theme Parks, Disney Water Parks & Disney Springs
Disney Dining Plan
Ship Your Purchases Directly from the Parks to your Hotel
Airline Check-In at your resort
Resort Activities 
In addition to all of these key benefits, there are also other perks you’ll get once you’ve booked your stay at a Disney World Resort, such as special mailers and email reminders about different options to add onto your vacation. The whole experience is a magical one and for our family, there’s just no reason to ever stay anywhere besides a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel when we visit Walt Disney World!