Elisa's Daily Scoop Disney BookingsHAPPY TUESDAY! And I bet it's a most happy day for Tanya as she departs for her Magical Anniversary Trip today. Her first stop will be London and I'll be right there beside her (or should I say, above her, if you are reading this from a cell phone) to feature lots of great information and fun facts about the exciting European cities she will be visiting!!  As for me, I want to share with you some bookings I took care of this week, for our Family Reunion Disney Trip this Fall. It's definitely been a while since Tanya's gang and mine have been together on a travel excursion. Last trip we took together was our amazing Yellowstone -Grand Teton National Parks Road Trip in April 2015. Definitely one of the funnest cousins adventures we've had together! But we are due for another, and this time it will be in Orlando! That's right folks - it's going to be a bit of a family reunion and during my most favorite month of the year to visit Disney World - October!! Our two gangs are going to be romping through the parks and eating our way through the annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Additionally, it happens to be the birthday month for two of us cousins - your's truly and Cosette! So, there will be lots of excuses to celebrate.  This trip is going to be a little different. First of all, we will be together on and off, whereas our other travels have pretty much had us together 24/7. My girlies and I will be getting in later and leaving earlier than our west-coast based family members and throughout our few day getaway, we will be sharing 2-full days together. You see, Tanya's gang will be making two local visits that my gang has passed on - The Kennedy Space Center and Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios. My dear daughters were less interested in leaving Disney World and considering we ventured to Universal in February of 2015, we opted to create an itinerary solely based in and around the Disney parks and our hotel.  Cinderella's Castle, Walt Disney World (Feb 2015) (c)travelincousins.com On all of our prior trips to Disney World, we've always managed to hit all four parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. However, we decided that we are only going to two of them this time - Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Both of these we will be enjoying with our beloved cousins.  February 2015 (c)travelincousins.com Additionally, we decided that we will spend two days "around" the parks in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and at the Boardwalk of the Disney Boardwalk Villas to ride bikes, have some great food and watch the Epcot Fireworks across the lake.  Boardwalk at the Disney Boardwalk Villas (c)orlandoattractions.com Of course, my girls are always into a relaxing day set aside for pool time and no agenda - so we will have one of those days as well. As of today, we have our airline tickets, and tickets to a new special event at Disney Parks as of 2016, Wishes Fireworks Dessert Display.  Gianna and Mom on Speedway - Feb. 2015 (c)travelincousins.com My kids were totally stoked for this!! This special event takes place on the Tomorrowland Terrace and provides an unforgettable view of fireworks over Cinderella's Castle while indulging in a decadent dessert experience. Lots of themed desserts are there for the taking, prepared daily by the Disney pastry chef, as well as a variety of seasonal fruits and cheeses.  Disney Fireworks & Dessert (c) disneyworld.disney.go.com) The bountiful buffet of tempting treats includes such favorites as: Chocolate-dipped strawberries Disney character-themed cupcakes Chocolate mousse Ice cream YUM!!!!!!!! Speaking of food, we had a great lunch yesterday with my Aunt Ro in Astoria at MP Taverna.  MP Taverna, Astoria, Queens (c)travelincousins.com)  At MP Taverna in Astoria I really enjoyed our meal! This place was a great find on the part of Aunt Ro - I'll be doing a Foodie Friday review in the weeks to come. What I can say now is...I have lost a great deal of weight in the past few months and this picture does me NO JUSTICE. Unfortunately, it's the only picture that we had of all 4 of us. Secondly, the food was DEELISH!!!! Here's a preview of the good eats we had...  Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Salad with Grilled Chicken (c)travelincousins.com  Walnut & Parsnip Cake with Maple-Walnut Ice Cream (c)travelincousins.com It was another HOT day, but it was good to get out and have a nice lunch. I was truly shocked to find out that my kids and Aunt Ro had a major LIKE in common -- they are both serious Big Brother fans!! I sat through a good portion of lunch listening to them thoroughly enjoy a deep discussion about this television show, the specific characters, and the rules and regulations, while I had no idea what it all meant. lol Fortunately, my aunt was kind enough to explain to me what the show was really about and why it has such intrigue and is addicting to those who watch it. I'm not sure I will watch it, but, at least I get it now. So, while Tanya is leaving on her trip today, I'll be heading out to the barn so the kiddies can ride today. Here's to a great one - Cheers! -E xoxo  | Tanya's Daily Scoop |
