Blog - Page 9 of 11 - Buster and the Banshee

Ranking the Countries of Epcot’s World Showcase

Archiveepcot, parks, walt disney world, world showcase

The World Showcase at Epcot is one of our favorite areas in all of Walt Disney World. The country pavilions give you a taste (pun intended) of the culture of each country, especially when they are staffed by natives of those countries. Yes, we know that it isn't the same as actually traveling to said country. However, it does give you some perspective on the variety of peoples, foods, customs that makes us each unique. More importantly, it allows us to celebrate our similarities, as human beings aren't defined by arbitrary lines on a map. Of course, Banshee and I…

Tips For Saving Money at Walt Disney World, Part One

Trip Planningmoney saving tips, trip planning, walt disney world

We all know that a Walt Disney World vacation is not cheap. Between the travel, the park tickets, the food, the souvenirs, your vacation bill can add up quickly. However, over the years, we have learned ways to help soften the blow to our wallet/pocketbook. In this article, I will be sharing some of our favorite strategies for saving a few bucks. Enjoy! General: Disney Gift Cards From Target This strategy requires a little bit of work, but the effort is definitely worth it! The key to this strategy is using the Target RED Card. This is Target's in-house credit…

Banshee: Flower and Garden Festival Foods Must Tries

Archivedining, flower and garden fesitval, walt disney world

Not to be outdone by Buster, I have my must-try list for Flower and Garden. I followed the same rules as Buster in that these are items that I didn't try during our trip last year. Also, I noticed that Buster had a drink item on his list. Therefore, I included a bunch of drinks on my list. Drinks Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company: Melonade This is the only item that both Buster and I chose. Unlike Buster, I might take this with the Grey Goose Vodka! BAUERNMARKT: Apfelschaumwein This is a combo of sparkling wine and apple liqueur. Sounds…

Buster: Flower and Garden Festival Foods Must Tries

Archivedining, flower and garden fesitval, walt disney world

This week Disney finally announced the food booth menu for this year's Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. We were lucky enough to sample a few items during one day visit to WDW last year. Spending one day there was nice but it only left us wanting more. Fortunately, our yearly two week WDW trip happens to coincide with the tail end of the festival, so we will get a much longer bite at the apple, so to speak. In anticipation of our upcoming trip, both Banshee and I are putting together a list of the top food items that…

WDW Park Reservation Update: Feb 25, 2023

Archivepark reservations, parks, walt disney world

Welcome to the latest installment of our WDW Park Reservation update. As you may recall from last month, WDW Park Reservations dates were pretty much wide open, with the exception April 4th at the Magic Kingdom specifically for Annual Passholders. As we explained, this likely is due to the fact that this is the opening day for Tron Lightcycle Run, so it makes sense that a lot of locals want to be among the first to experience this ride. What Does Park Reservation Availability Look Like Today? The good news is that Park Reservation availability is still pretty much wide…

Why Walt Disney World Is Great For Our Special Needs Daughter

WDW With Disabilitiesautism, rides, walt disney world

If you have read our About Us page, you will know that our daughter Little Banshee has Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Like others with this condition, she has autism, intellectual development delays, low muscle tone, and impaired fine motor skills. The upshot of all this is that she experiences life much differently than the rest of us. It is an understatement to say that this makes choosing vacation destinations very challenging. We have to select activities in which she can participate, but also things that appeal to three others who also have their own preferences. Normal sightseeing vacations are pretty much lost…

Genie+ and WDW: Strategies

Archivegenie+, walt disney world

In our introduction to Genie+, we talked about what Genie+ is and how it works. In this installment of our series on Genie+, we will discuss some strategies to make the most of your Genie+ purchase. But First, Disclaimers Obviously, it is difficult, if not impossible, to come up with a park strategy that will work for everyone in every situation. There are so many variables that could disrupt even the best laid plans of the Mouse and men (and women): Changes to what rides are and are not eligible for Genie+ Ride closures Time of year Weather Changes to…

Banshee’s Walt Disney World Shopping Favorites

Archiveshopping, walt disney world

WDW is a magical place. Foods, rides, entertainment, characters... and shopping! I love shopping at WDW. Not only do they obviously have the best Disney selections, but there are some places that are unique and not particularly Disney, but I can only get them while we are in the Sunshine State. This is not a complete list, or even a favorites, must do list. This is just a few of my faves, and hopefully you will share a few with me. I am always up to a new shopping adventure! So if I am out for Disney merch, here are a few of…

Genie+ at WDW: An Introduction

Archivegenie+, parks, trip planning, walt disney world

In this article, we will talk about Genie+ (also known as Genie Plus, if you prefer to spell out the "+"): What is it? How does it work? Should I use it? What is Genie+? Genie+ is a paid service that allows ticket holders to reserve their ride times. When your reservation time comes, you can enter through what is known as the "Lightning Lane" which has a much shorter wait that the regular standby line. You can think of it as an advanced dining reservation, except for rides and attractions. If this sounds familiar, it is! Back in the…

Trip Planning Summer 2023: What We Are Looking Forward to Doing at WDW

Archivedining, parks, rides, trip planning, walt disney world

Buster and the Banshee thought that it would be interesting to walk through our trip planning process with our audience. As part of this series, we will address many of the aspects of WDW trip planning that all families go through. In our last installment of this series, we talked about how we planned out our park reservations. Today, we will discuss a much more fun topic: what we are looking forward to doing on our next Walt Disney World trip. Sometimes I feel like we can divide the year into two categories: the two weeks we go to WDW,…