This year we decided to take the kids to Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Florida. It was our first visit and it was just as magical as I had hoped. Before we left I did some research and talked with some friends and family to ensure we made the most of our trip since we were only visiting the park for one day (note, one day is doable but you'll inevitably leave wanting more). In doing my research I got a bit overwhelmed so I thought I'd distill it down and share my top 10 tips for your first visit to Disney World (specifically from a boy mom).


1. Ask Guest Services for a "First Visit" Button
When you arrive, be sure to ask Guest Services for a “First Visit” button. This will let the cast know it's your first visit when they see you in the park and they will do their best to make sure it’s extra special. Plus, the button makes a great souvenir. You can also get a "celebration" button if you're celebrating a birthday or other occasion.


2. Wear your Disney Gear
This is a tip from sister-in-law, thank goodness she reminded me. Everyone wears something Disney related and it really feels like part of the magic. Remember to pack your Disney gear or purchase it as soon as you get on site. Especially the ears!


3. Bring an Autograph Book
Characters are walking around all day or have scheduled meet and greets specifically for photos and autographs. The autographs are special because the are usually specific to the character. For example, we got “Shakey’s” signature and it was all wobbly. One thing we wish we would have done is to book a character dinner at one of the restaurants, this is the best way to get a lot of autographs in a short amount of time plus you need to eat anyway.


4. Download the "My Disney Experience" App
The My Disney Experience app is such a great tool for organizing your day. You can book your fast passes, restaurant reservations, receive notification, see wait times and magic hours (certain days some parks open early or close late). The best thing about the app is the mobile ordering at quick serve restaurants, you can order and pay for your food while enjoying the rides at the park and pick up your food without waiting. Such a great time saver. Download the app ahead of time so you can familiarize yourself with it and plan your day ahead of time.


5. Book your Fast Passes but Don't Panic
We were such rookies at this and it made us feel behind the ball. If this is you all I can say is don't panic. Every guest receives 3 Fast Passes that you book within the app or on park kiosks. If you're staying at a resort you can book them 60 days in advance. We booked our fast passes the morning of our visit because we bought tickets onsight. Once we figured out the Fast Pass booking process there weren't many rides left. This had us feeling a little worried that we wouldn't ride anything but that wasn't the case. The Fast Pass availability changes throughout the day and even if you don't get a Fast Pass on the ride you want the line ups aren't too bad. Disney World does such a great job of crowd management that you never feel like you're wasting your day in line-ups. I suggest booking your Fast Passes for the afternoon of your visit and ride as many rides as you can in the morning before it gets too busy. At Magic Kingdom, my boys (age 4 and 6) enjoyed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Speedway, Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean. Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are also great as well but my little guy wasn't tall enough. (PS - my kids were too scared for the haunted mansion, despite the pic below).



6. Get to the Parade Early and Secure a Good Spot
This one comes from my son's JK teacher and I'm so glad she told me about it. Head down to Main Street early approx 45 min before the parade. Cobb a squat on the curb and get your kids an ice cream while you wait. Aim to get a spot on the right side so you're in the shade. Trust me. The parade is amazing and it's just not the same if your kids can't see. My boys loved the Maleficent dragon.




7. Quick Serve Restaurants have Healthy Options and are Affordable
I was pleasantly surprised that the quick serve restaurants were reasonably priced and offered healthy options like salads. If your kids are like mine and only eat pizza be sure to go to PinocchioVillage Haus in Fantasyland for some delicious flat bread.  If you go during off-hours, hold onto your receipt, sometimes it offers 20% off at souvenir shops. Don't forget you can bring snacks into the park and you can ask for free ice water at almost any quick serve restaurant so bring a water bottle.


8. Phone Charging
Bring your charging cord. You will be taking a lot of photos and video and you don't want to run out of battery. If you need a charge there are outlets in the stumps near the Tangled restrooms in Fantasyland (or you can use any outlet you find in the park).

9. Bring Pennies and Quarters
There are a numerous penny press machines all over Magic Kingdom (locations here) each with their own design and story. These pressed coins make great souvenirs and my kids love it. Each one cost $0.51 so be sure to bring your quarters and pennies.

10. Watch the Fireworks on the Second Floor of the Entrance
The fireworks are hands down the best thing I have ever seen. It gets very crowded and when the fireworks begin many people put their kids on their shoulders so your view might get obstructed. To avoid this head down to the entrance and go to the second level to watch the show. Be sure to leave a few minutes early to avoid a wait at the monorail.


On this trip we only visited the Magic Kingdom as we didn't want to rush it and we also needed to squeeze in a visit to the grand-parents while we were in Florida. While Magic Kingdom is totally doable in one day I highly recommend planning a few days to allow you to visit all the parks and have enough time for down time. I'm already planning our trip back to see Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

If you're following along on our family road trip to Florida series you probably caught our first stop in Ellicottville. Our second stop was in Washington D.C. however it was a quick overnight because my husband was eager to get to two night stay in Myrtle Beach at the ocean front Captain's Quarters Resort.

We checked into our hotel around 3pm. Our suite was on the ninth floor and newly renovated. The views of the ocean and beach were spectacular. The suite was huge with two large bedrooms separated by a fully functional kitchen. There was a lovely package waiting for us on the bed when we arrived, it included some goodies from Wee-R-Sweetz, a fun beach bag and two balloons which my kids were crazy about - the little one exclaimed "Charlie, it's for your birthday!"



Captain's Quarters Resort is part of Vacation Myrtle Beach, offering the lowest rates on over 14 resorts in Myrtle Beach. Vacation Myrtle Beach's hotels and resorts have a wide variety of accommodation choices and amenities that include indoor and outdoor pools, lazy rivers, a mini-golf course and even a bowling alley! Plus, they often have a Canadian Discount during the spring and fall.


We ate at Loco Gecko attached to our hotel. It was family friendly and the food was good. We also ate at a new restaurant called Rip Tydz on Pier 14. It had a great atmosphere and good food (I recommend the arugula salad). My kids also enjoyed the food and views at Vista Nine oceanfront breakfast buffet (also attached to our hotel).



A popular surf-side pastime in Myrtle Beach is Cornhole (I think we call it bean-bag toss back in Canada). My boys loved learning to play almost as much as they loved walking the endless beach.



We also visited the outdoor splash pad which consisted of a giant pirate ship surrounded by a 1.5ft heated pool, fun for kids and great for this helicopter mom.


Even though it was a bit cold and rainy for most of our stay we definitely had a great time and we really got a feel for what Myrtle Beach is all about. Really no matter the weather the view is always beautiful and the beach goes on forever. My kids had a blast.


Thank you to the crew at Captain's Quarters and Vacation Myrtle Beach for hosting our family. We had a lovely time and we can't wait to go back someday soon!

We recently just got back from an epic road trip to Florida. We booked a family cruise out of Miami for March break and since we booked it last minute the cost of flights were outrageous (not to mention I'm a horrible flyer so I'm always looking for an out). After some discussion with my husband we decided to drive to Florida, stop in some really cool places along the way and make an adventure of it.

Our first stop was The Inn at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville NY, a beautiful chalet type hotel at the bottom of the Holiday Valley ski hill. Easily accessible from the high-way and cozy enough to feel like home. While we didn't have enough time to ski this time around it was certainly worth the stop.



Our room was clean and comfortable. We had an adorable balcony off the back that look like it belonged in the Swiss alps. The room had tons of space for our two boys to play/wrestle (ugh, seriously my little one is always saying "I'm going to take you down" in a little Hulk Hogan-type voice).



The best part about The Inn at Holiday Valley was the indoor/outdoor pool. It was heated enough for us to swim outside literally right beside the ski hill. Our boys thought this was the coolest thing ever.


After a nice casual dinner across the road we settled in for the night.  The next morning we packed up and headed to the main building for breakfast. The continental breakfast was hot and felt like it was homemade, so yummy. We mapped out our route to reach our next destination somewhere near Washington D.C. and headed on our way.


Thank you to The Inn at Holiday Valley for hosting our family it was a great start to our family road trip to Florida!

When it’s the coldest day of the year it’s hard to keep the kids entertained without succumbing to cabin fever. We just got back from a quick family getaway to the Deerhurst Resort over the holidays. Deerhurst packs their schedule with activities for the family during the holidays and March Break. Everything from snowshoeing to bouncy castles so we almost didn't even noticed the cold.

It was the coldest two days of the year. I guess that’s not saying much considering it was only January 4th but in any case it was too cold for this Canadian girl. What better way to spend time inside than at Deerhurst? First of all the landscape is gorgeous so cuddling up with a good cup of coffee and staring out the window could have been enough for me... well it could have been if the kids weren’t constantly pulling at my arm to go do something.



We arrived just in time for Splash and Boots (included with our stay). My kids aren’t big dancers but when splash and boots came out my kids rushed the stage like a 90’s mosh pit and danced the whole time.


The next day we had the buffet breakfast. It’s important to note, this was no ordinary buffet. We’re talking eggs benny, waffles and omlettes. The food was good and the service was lovely. It was a great start to our day.





 Next, we decided to try the ice skating trail at Arrowhead National park. I grew up figure skating so this was a bucket list kind of thing. Unfortunately it was so cold we were only able to stay out long enough to snap a pick and jump back in the car.


When we got back to the hotel we decided to go swimming (and hot tub to warm up). Our room was in the main building so we didn’t need to go outside to access the pool which was nice.


Next, we hit up the Arcade and Fun Zone. Basically, Deerhurst filled their giant conference room with 5 bouncy castles! I was so happy when I saw these I almost cried. My husband and I were able to sit back and relax while our kids played until they couldn’t keep their eyes open. PSA - This Fun Zone is at Deerhurst during the holidays and March Break - Just saying.

Have you ever experienced something extraordinary and immediately knew it would be with you forever? Well that was me last Thursday night when I attended the Mastercard Priceless Table event. If you're not familiar with these events, they are once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the most unexpected and unique places available to any Mastercard cardholder! Yep, you heard right any Mastercard cardholder.


The night was a delight for all the senses from the decor, to the entertainment and of course the food. Hosted at the lovely Galerie de Bellefeuille in Toronto. It was the first of it's kind where Mastercard worked with a designer, Andrew Pike, to focus on the table setting, bringing design to the forefront. Beautiful hydrangeas adorned the tables and poured out of the tall centerpieces. The table setting was equally as gorgeous from the crystal stemware to the muted gold cutlery. Andrew Pike really outdid himself.



The meal was equally as wonderful for the taste buds. Chef Lynn Crawford (Ruby Watchco) developed the delicious menu based on her new book Farm to Chef. Each bite was better than the last.


Finally, not to be outdone, the entertainment was outstanding. The Willows Trio sang carols throughout the night, accompanied by Adam Sherkin on piano, while sugar plum ballerinas and nutcrackers from Hit and Run Dance Productions danced between courses. The evening was topped off with a beautiful version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" where four tenors and a musical quartet unexpectedly joined the song bringing it up to a whole other level - along with my goosebumps.





The Mastercard Priceless Table event was magical. And while this was a culinary event there are a variety of Priceless experiences on the cities site. If you are a Mastercard cardholder be sure to check them out and take advantage of these extraordinary experiences - because after all they are open to all cardholders (I know, I still can't believe this either).


A huge thank you to the Mastercard Canada team for inviting me to this incredible night. I’ll never forget it! For more information on Mastercard’s Priceless program in Toronto, please click HERE.