Walk to the exit. Leave the park. Hike to the bus stop. Wait for a bus. Ride to Disney Springs. Find your restaurant. Whew, if you are a Walt Disney World regular, you know it’s kind of a pain in the rear to leave the park to eat at Disney Springs! This is one (of many areas) where Disneyland has a leg up on Walt Disney World! Disneyland, California Adventure Park, and Downtown Disney (Disneyland’s version of Disney Springs) are basically within a football field’s length away from each other, so leaving the parks to dine is as easy as it gets. Our preference is to take a lunch break at Downtown Disney; it gives us a chance to rest our feet, relax in the A/C, and fuel up for several more hours in the parks!

Downtown Disney has something for pretty much everyone. If you are looking for a yummy snack, look no further than Sprinkles for cupcakes, Salt and Straw for ice cream, and my husband’s favorite: Jamba for smoothies. If you need a quick meal, give Black...

Welcome to Pin Trading 101!

If you have made any trips to Walt Disney World since around 2000, you have likely noticed Cast Members and guests wearing lanyards containing pins, pin boards placed around the parks and stores, or kiosks set up with hundreds of pins available to purchase. Welcome to the world of Disney pins and pin trading!  I started collecting Disney pins in 2000 when I was 17 years old.  I was at the age where I was too old for toys or stuffed animals, and I THOUGHT I was too old for Disney clothes (17 year old Brianna should take a look at 39 year old Brianna’s Disney wardrobe!).  That was the trip when I first noticed a few kiosks of pins.  I thought these would make good souvenirs, so I bought my first pins: Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.  Can you guess my favorite Disney movie?!  Since that trip in 2000, I have collected over 400 pins, and they are proudly displayed in shadow boxes that I look at...