Just one Week...

In 7 days I'm heading to Walt Disney World by myself... yep, you read that right... BY MYSELF!! Yes, I know I have 3 kids and yes, I know I have a husband and friends and family members that could be coming with me but they aren't. I am going to take pictures and taste food that the kids wouldn't want to eat in restaurants that ::GASP!!:: have NO characters! I'm not planning in doing a lot of rides and meet a ton of characters... I'm walking around and taking in the 'street-mosphere' and getting tons of pictures to share with you here and on my Facebook page.

Part of the draw for me going this time of year is that I can spend a lot of time in Epcot. I happen to LOVE Epcot. While I do enjoy the attractions in Future World I miss World Showcase. Having kids too young to appreciate it and my middle guy having sun sensitivity and other health issues has prevented us from spending a whole lot of time in World Showcase the past 2 times we've been to WDW. My kids love the rides... I mean LOVE them... to the point that when we come home from Disney they act out the rides in the living room. They would rather spend the time on Peter Pan, Dumbo, Nemo, Test Track, Splash Mountain, Toy Story Mania than in the World Showcase. When they are with me, I go with it. Next week however...this is MY trip! :)

While Food and Wine Festival is my favorite time to be in Epcot, Flower and Garden Festival comes in a close second!! I can't wait to share all of the pictures of Disney Topiary that the Imagineering Team have created! I have seen so many amazing pictures from other Fairytale Journeys agents and other Disney blogs and sites that I follow so I'm even more excited than I was when I was planning my trip... and making changes... and planning some more! :) This week, I'm all about solidifying my dining reservations and making sure my tour times are all set! Don't worry, I'll fill you in on all my plans this week before I go! :)

If there's a Disney topiary that you would like a picture of please leave a comment here or go to my Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacation Facebook page by clicking HERE and let me know WHO or WHAT you would like to see in greenery!! Also, I've got reservations at Hollywood Brown Derby, Le Cellier, Les Chefs de France, Via Napoli, 'Ohana and Kona for an early morning Tonga Toast... is there a restaurant that you would like reviewed in that group? Is there a restaurant that I don't have a reservation for that I can try to get into and review for you?

Oh, and not to worry... I'll get all the scoop on the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland Expansion for you too!! :)

Can't wait to share my MAGICAL vacation with you!! :)

~~Chrissie

Foodie Fridays Disney Style... Birthday Cakes!!

While I will go into greater details about celebrations at Disney at a later time, today it's all about being Foodie Friday so we're going to talk about birthday cakes at Disney!! :) 


Birthdays are special days for everyone! They are days to celebrate us as individuals... and NO ONE does celebrations like Disney does!! See that cake? Yes, that yummy looking chocolate cake with my favorite Mouse on it wishing my daughter a happy birthday :) That's a 6 inch celebration cake! We had this cake sent to our table for her 7th birthday celebration at Cinderella's Royal Table a few years ago. It was delicious and she LOVED the fact that everything (except the candles) was edible! Yep... she ate that chocolate screen printed disc with Mickey's picture wishing her a Happy Birthday with her name written in CHOCOLATE FUDGE icing!! lol 


Did you know that six-inch cakes just like this are available at most Disney full serve restaurants for birthdays and anniversaries?? The six inch celebration cake comes in either chocolate or vanilla and costs $21.00 (plus tax and gratuity.) These do not require advance notice! Yep... if you want to make sure this is the cake for you and not pre-order it you can request one at the podium of the full serve restaurant when you check in for your ADR and the cost will be added to your bill! 


If the 6-inch celebration cake isn't doing it for you, other cakes are also available and must be ordered in advance. I've seen pictures of some of the cakes that the Disney Pastry chefs have made for friends of mine and they do AMAZING work!! You can order these custom made personalized cake by calling the Cake Hotline: 407-827-2253. This requires 48 hours advance notice.


If you don't have advance dining reservations on your birthday and you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can order a Celebration Cake to be delivered to your room through room service or through the resort guest services. 


Even if you have a birthday cake to celebrate your special day in Disney, don't forget the Disney Celebration buttons!! They are a great way to celebrate all day long!! 


If you have pictures of a personalized Disney cake and you wouldn't mind sharing please send them to me at piratesandpixiedustvacations@gmail.com :) 


Have a MAGICAL day!! :) And if today is your special birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :) 

Surprise!! We're Going to Disney!

If your kids are anything like my kids you can’t tell them ANYTHING a long time in advance. The number of times you may hear, ‘Is it time yet?’, ‘Are we going today?’, ‘Is it time to go to Disney yet?’ and other equally annoying variations of these questions can be as grating to a parent’s nerves as nails on a chalkboard to a kid in school!

Last year my husband and I decided to surprise our kids with a trip. We thought of different ways to drop hints along the way and other things to do to make ‘the big reveal’ something that we would remember for a LONG time. As the time got closer and we were planning our dining, itinerary for park touring and all of our other ‘magical touches’ we decided to just wait until the morning of our departure, wake the kids EARLY for our flight and surprise them with packed bags waiting for them with all sorts of Disney touches. Yes, those are all dolls that our kiddies have had at home that we had to sneak out of rooms in the middle of the night and thanks to a friend, those Mickey Ears hats were all embroidered with our names! 

We knew that our oldest daughter, who was 9 at the time, had pretty much figured it out by about  a week before the trip and our youngest son (who was just about 17 months old) didn’t really get it. You know who did get it? Our 5 year old! He LOVED it and was so thrilled that we put his Muppet Friends and his Disney friends with the bags that we had to pack them all and bring them with us! lol To be honest, I was surprised he was so excited… I expected a little hesitation given how he reacts to change! That’s always something to keep in mind if you decide to surprise your kids with a ‘same day Disney vacation’!

Here are a few other ways to SURPRISE your kiddies (or anyone!) with a trip to one of Disney’s MAGICAL Destinations!!

**Have a friend, relative, co-worker that’s going to a Disney Destination before you pick up a postcard, write a note about how excited everyone is to have you visit,  have it autographed by a favorite character and drop it in the mail in Disney so that the postmark is Lake Buena Vista, FL!  If they are going a REALLY long time in advance of your trip and you don’t want to share the secret that early just make sure you collect the mail so that you get to it first and hide it until you’re ready to share! Drop it in that day’s mail pile and SURPRISE! 

**This next one can take a lot of planning but can be SO much fun! When you’re ready for the kids to find out, set up a scavenger hunt! Set up clues that all lead to a hidden Mickey Mouse doll, a Disney Autograph book a packed suitcase or some other Disney surprise with a sign saying “We’re going to Disney on…. “

**Order the FREE Disney Vacation Planning DVD!  This is a simple, free way to let the person you are trying to surprise in on the MAGICAL secret! 

**Get a Mickey Mouse Balloon, a Tinkerbell balloon or any other Disney balloons from a local party store. Have them inflated and when you get home tape a sign that says, ‘We’re going to Disney on (the date you’re traveling)!’ and put them in a box. Seal the box! (For even more fun, put that sealed box in another sealed box and then in another sealed box… you know what I mean… lol It’s fun for them to open and even more fun for you to watch their anticipation as they open box after box!! )  When your kids open the box the balloon and sign announcing your trip will fly to the ceiling! 

Those are my ‘Surprise! We’re going to Disney!’ ideas!! I hope you get to use them to surprise someone you love!

Have a MAGICAL day!
~~Chrissie

Welcome to my MAGICAL world!

Good Morning!

Welcome to the Magical world of Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations! My name is Chrissie! I live in NYC, I am a wife, mom to 3 (one of which is a special needs child) and a lover of all things Disney!

I became an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and created Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations (an affiliate of Fairytale Journeys) because I LOVE planning Disney vacations. Whether they are my own, a member of my family’s or a friend’s trips, I LOVE planning them! There is so much to see and do in ALL of the Disney Destinations that it can be overwhelming to some people. I really do enjoy taking that stress away and  helping everyone have an amazing time in some of the most MAGICAL places in the world!

This blog is a place for me to share my love of Disney. Some days I may just post random Disney trivia, other days I may review a dining location or attraction, others maybe just a Disney picture and others I may post upcoming events in all of the Disney Destinations!

If you are thinking about going to any of the Disney Destinations… Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani in Hawaii, sailing on the Disney Cruise Line, or taking an Adventure by Disney… I’m your one-stop planning and booking place! 

You will never pay any booking fees with Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations because, as an affiliate of Fairytale Journeys, ALL of my services are free! I can take care of all of your dining and special events booking AND answer all of your questions about Disney as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner!

And best of all…
You will never miss out on any promotion or discount when booking with me. If a promotion comes out after you have booked, I will take care of making sure the promotion is added to your reservation. No hassles for you, just peace of mind not having to worry!

So, sit back, relax and enjoy my MAGICAL blog! 

I hope you have a MAGICAL day,

Chrissie