Magical Blogorail: Time Away From The Parks

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard.  I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.

This month, we were asked to write about how we spend a day at Walt Disney World without visiting one of the theme parks. Well, I almost never do this. I usually buy an annual pass and with that burning a hole in my pocket, I will pass through the turnstiles of a park every day. However, I am a big fan of spending time out of the parks. Whether it be a long lunch or an evening of miniature golf, there is much to do at the Walt Disney World resort that doesn't require a park ticket.

DINE: All levels of dining are available away from the parks in the resorts and surrounding area. A couple of casual favorites are Wolfgang Puck Express and Chevy's. WPE has two locations at Downtown Disney but my current favorite is in the Marketplace. Patio, evening breeze, excellent pizza and a glass of wine. Need I go on? Or shall I just meet you there? Chevy's is a Tex-Mex restaurant located in the Crossroads shopping center just off of Disney property on 535. They have very good chips and salsa but the star is the freshly made tortillas. Their flautas with pepper jelly have also been a past favorite.

SHOP: I usually visit World of Disney at Downtown Disney to buy most of the souvenirs that I take home for family and friends. TIP: always ask about discounts. They are offered for annual pass holders, DVC members, Disney Visa cardholders and more. I also love to visit the Basin stores at DTD and Grand Floridian. I don't always make a purchase from these fancy bath product stores but they are great to browse.

My mom with ANOTHER hole in one

PLAY: My family loves the miniature golf courses at Winter Summerland, located near Blizzard Beach. Again ask for discounts and remember that some vacation packages include a round of golf. These courses are delightfully themed as if the elves have moved south and feature Santa and the elves in cute vacation themes. World-class golf, horseback riding, fishing, fantastic resort pools and boat rentals are other recreation options available at WDW; I don't tend to slow down enough to take advantage of those. On some trip, I am going to ride the hot air balloon at DTD, known as Characters in Fight.

RESORT FUN: My home resort is Old Key West and they offer activities most days. From crafts to scavenger hunts to special tours, check your resort to see what is available. OKW also has basketball and volleyball courts, playgrounds, and I think shuffleboard for a little outdoor activity. Since I am always rushing off to a park, I miss these but I have a feeling I will see more of the playgrounds and pools in the coming years. I do enjoy going out for a morning run from OKW. The grounds themselves make for a nice workout or hitting the trail to Saratoga Springs and then on to Downtown Disney is even better. I almost always see DTD in the evening so it's nice to see it wake up as I jog past.

From my pre-wedding tea party

RELAX: I treated myself to a massage at the Grand Floridian Spa after the marathon. Fab-u-lous. However, my FAVORITE way to relax at WDW is with tea at the Grand Floridian. Mom and I go almost every trip. Sometimes we have other friends join us and other times the two of us just enjoy a break from the crowds and noise of the parks and of life in general.

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Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Disney Donna Kay.


Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1^st Stop ~ Makin’ Memories

2^nd Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

3^rd Stop ~ A World View
4^th Stop ~ Growing Up Disney
Final Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

Eversave Review and Giveaway

We are all looking for ways to save money at home and on vacation in the Orlando area.  I've found a terrific source for both.  Eversave.com is a deal a day site offering a wide variety of "Saves."

Whether you are a local or just a regular visitor to the Orlando area, Eversave Orlando will have a deal for you.  I've seen them recently offer everything from discounted spa treatments to inexpensive car washes to reduced price meals to cute kids clothes on the cheap.  Add to that Saves on flowers, photobooks, and admission to local attractions.  I think 50% off is the lowest discount since I've been watching and I have seen up to 80% off on some items.  And don't think that you wouldn't be interested if you aren't a local; you have up to a year to redeem many of the Saves so you can stock up prior to your travels.  Personally, I am getting emails from both Eversave Orlando and Eversave Raleigh-Durham.  I've really been impressed by the variety and quality of products and services offered.  There is a main Save of the day but check your email or the site itself for additional bonus Saves.  I love that most Saves are available for 2-3 days to allow you to come back later on those busy days.

I was given credits on my Eversave account to use for this review.  I've bought three Saves so far and redeemed two of them with online merchants.  The purchase process is quick and easy.  Redemption generally works like a gift certificate but just check the voucher for the particular vendors' rules.

Saves can also be given as gifts, so check soon and you just might find something for Mom.  (Don't forget that Mother's Day is this Sunday.)

Eversave also gives you easy ways to "earn" free "Save Rewards" on their site.  Once you complete a purchase, you are given $2 to tweet, Facebook or email the deal to your friends.  I've done this twice and added to my account.  On today's email from Eversave Orlando, I received a pleasant surprise, $5 added to my "Save Rewards" account for Mother's Day.  Hmmm, what to buy next?


Ready to enter to win one of two $25 vouchers to Eversave?

You get one entry for each of the following. Please note each as a separate comment below so you receive your maximum number of entries. (If you are already following us through any of these channels, just note that. Hey, free entry!)

REQUIRED ENTRY: Visit Eversave Orlando and comment below on which Save is most appealing to you today.

Additional (optional) entries:
~Like Eversave Orlando on Facebook
~Like Growing Up Disney on Facebook
~Follow Eversave Orlando on Twitter
~Follow Growing Up Disney on Twitter
~Tweet about this giveaway, one entry per day
~Blog about this giveaway
~Follow Growing Up Disney publicly on Google Friend Connect. See widget at right.

This contest ends at midnight Eastern time on Friday, May 13, 2011 and is limited to US residents. The two winners will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. You'll be notified via email (so make sure I can reach you!) and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received credit on Eversave.com for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was received or offered. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts on these products/services.


The winning comment #s (determined by random number generator) were #4 and #1.  Congrats!