DisneyDining Disney Dining Plan and Reviews
I’m PaulaK and I grew up in Western Massachusetts. When I was nine my family went to Disneyland and I was hooked. I grew up, attended New England College in Henniker, NH and eventually moved to Virginia. I worked as a disc jockey, married and became a full time mom when our daughter was born. Fast forward several years. In 2010 we moved to Central Florida and my Disney obsession grew. I now work as a freelance writer and spend my spare time in the parks. Under the name Paula Brown I penned the novels Dream Wanderers and The Coffee Cruiser. I also am a co-author of Dining at Walt Disney World: The Definitive Guide. I’m obsessed with Star Wars, so this is a good time to live in Central Florida. I’ve been a vegetarian for well over a decade, a choice that my daughter eventually made as well. While my husband still hasn’t joined us fully he has given up most meats except for seafood. I was relieved to find that vegetarian dining is not difficult at Walt Disney World.
My name is Sarah Chapman and I’m a long time Disney fan since I was hooked on Walt Disney World with my first trip in 1987. Since that time I’ve tried experiencing everything I can in the parks, with a total of 30 visits and counting (I’m always planning my next trip) to Walt Disney World—not to mention Disney Cruise Line and even (shhh!) Universal Orlando and Sea World. I’ve turned my Disney obsession into a profession helping others plan their magical vacations as a Dream Vacation Maker at LBAC Travel. I am a work at home mom to three wonderful boys, and each one has been properly indoctrinated with all things Disney. Walt Disney World is definitely our “Laughing Place.” Look for me on Facebook at Facebook.com/SarahLBAC for updates, discount announcements, tips, tricks and planning advice for your next vacation. You can also find me on Instagram (sarahdreamvacationmaker) and Pinterest (sarahlbactravel).
Caitlin Corsello first visited Walt Disney World when she was two years old, and despite spending most of the trip quarantined with the chicken pox she managed to fall in love with the place. Visiting WDW every year since, she especially loves learning about the history and small details of the parks, enjoying a Lapu Lapu, and eating/drinking her way through the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. When she’s not in Disney, Caitlin lives in New York teaching preschool and spending her time counting down the days to her next trip.
Hello, my name is Alexandra Blazevich and I am a 21 year old aspiring journalist. Put quite simply, I am a Disney addict. I am originally from Cary, North Carolina, a small town just outside of Raleigh. In 2013, I made the big decision to move to Orlando, Florida to dance with The Orlando Ballet, pursuing my dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer- but I spent all my free time either in Disney World or thinking about Disney World. Since then, I have moved back to North Carolina to attend UNC-Chapel Hill and pursue my dreams in writing and photography, but Disney World will always be my favorite vacation and second home!
Molly Elias has been a dedicated Disney fan since she was 18-months old. She has grown up with and learned from Disney her whole life. As her family’s main vacation spot, Disney World is a place of love and laughter and magic for her. Her family also prides themselves on their Disney Cruise Line knowledge and would rather be on the high seas with Mickey than anywhere else in the world. Molly plans to keep Disney in her life forever, while also pursuing a writing career. She recently completed a master’s program in creative writing in the hopes that someday she will be able to be a writer for the Happiest Company on Earth. Molly keeps Walt’s famous quote at the forefront of her life: “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
D.W. Noonan was blindsided by the magical universe of Walt Disney when he married a dedicated Disneyphile in 1994. His wonderful wife dragged him into countless days of binge-watching great Disney films. As children began showing up in the Noonan home, D.W.’s growing passion for all things Disney led him to vacationing with his family in Walt Disney World each year and taking a journey to visit Disneyland. He is especially proud of his two teenage daughters, who danced for Disney Performing Arts at Walt Disney World in 2015. Though D.W. lives in Maryland, he longs to hear these familiar words when he returns to the resort: “Welcome home.”
Lauren Repei lives in Hamilton Ontario, but dreams of one day moving to Orlando to be closer to the Magic Kingdom. She loves the atmosphere, the history, the magic of the parks and Dole Whips, so she’s always in the midst of planning her next vacation. In the meantime, she spends her days working for the family business as a barista and baker, being active in the independent theatre scene and working part-time as a professional personal assistant to a writer. Lauren’s most memorable Disney moment is by far when she became engaged in front of Cinderella’s Castle making it her best Disney vacation to date.
Ryan Miller loves all things Disney: from the smallest details to the biggest surprises and all of the magic in between. He loves the fireworks of Wishes, the thrill of Tower of Terror and of course, the dining at Disney Restaurants. As of yet, however, he has been unable to replicate his favourite dishes and snacks at home. In between trips, you can usually find him reading about the history of the parks and attractions when he’s not at work for his local public library in Burlington Ontario. Ryan’s favourite Disney moment was proposing in front of Cinderella’s Castle to his (now) fiancée, Lauren (see above).
Jordan Hamons first visited Disney when she was 3 years old and has been back every year since. She’s visited Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Aulani but hopes to make it to every Disney property in her lifetime. While she used to plan her trips around character autographs, she’s now more focused on the food. Jordan lives in Cincinnati where she works as a chef, cooking teacher, food and travel writer, and blogger. She studied marketing and international business at the University of Cincinnati and received her culinary training at the Midwest Culinary Institute. Jordan is a seasoned traveler and has spent time eating and cooking in Europe and Asia. A passionate baker and dessert eater, Jordan loves teaching classic techniques and international flavors. You can visit her culinary travel blog at www.TheHungryTravelerBlog.com.
Brandon Blanchard has been married for 14 years and has 5 children. All 7 Blanchards are infatuated with Disney World! Their Disney Infatuation started after his wife, Esme, convinced him to take their then four children (7 and under) to Disney in December of 2010. She had grown up going to Disney and wanted her own children to experience the magic! He told her that they could go once, but he didn’t know why on earth he needed to use a whole week of his vacation time. There were only 4 parks! After walking down Main Street for the first time, Brandon looked at his wife and he started the next sentence with the most magical four words: “When we come back…” Disney World has become their happy place and can make everything right! After a series of corporate relocations, Brandon jumped on one that would move his family to Central Florida permanently in 2015. Professionally, Brandon is a manager for a Technical Support Company. Esme homeschools their 5 children who think it is SO COOL that they have the freedom and flexibility to visit theme parks weekly!
I’m Tim Forgette and I grew up in southeast Michigan. I took my first trip to Walt Disney World in 1986 when I was just three years old. I am blessed to be the husband of 11 years to my beautiful wife, Rachel and father of four precious children, Lily (7), Elijah (5), Grace (4) and Josiah (3). We have always enjoyed doing things as a family which is why, when we moved to Florida, one of the first things we did was buy Disney annual passes. I enjoy everything Florida has to offer, but absolutely love watching my kids light up when it’s time to go to Disney! We visit the Disney parks on average about once a week. When not at Disney, I enjoy participating with my church and community, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
When describing Brooke Fleming to people who haven’t met her, her best friend says, “Have you ever seen Enchanted? Because that’s basically Brooke.” Though flattery was not the intention of this comment, Brooke maintains it was the best compliment she has ever received. Naturally, she would feel right at home in the land of The Mouse and is always down for a Disney sing along. Still hasn’t tried the grey stuff, though she’s heard it’s delicious. Stay tuned, as that story develops. Check out her blog, Whatever is Lovely, at brookefleming.com for more stories about food, travel, and yes, a bit of Disney.
Shari Davis fell in love with Walt Disney World on her first trip in 1992 at the age of 6. Her most vivid memory of that trip is being secretly excited that she could ride Splash Mountain and her younger sister wasn’t tall enough. Shari now has an almost one year old daughter, Colette, and she can’t wait to see the look on her daughter’s face when she sees Cinderella Castle for the first time and meets her first Disney Princess. You can find her riding the Tower of Terror over and over, enjoying a margarita at the La Cava del Tequila, or obsessively trying to make a reservation at Be Our Guest. Additionally, Shari is seeking to instill the same passion she has for Disney in her husband. Updates to come.
Rick Killingsworth is the Founder of RKA Media, which includes DisneyDining.com, DisneyQuestions.com, DisneyTips.com, and other Disney fan websites. Rick visited the Magic Kingdom in 1971 for the first Christmas parade in their history. At nine years old, he was bitten by the Disney Bug. He can still remember the sights, the smells, and the sounds. It truly was magical. It would be twenty years before he could afford to take his young family back to “The World.” It was the vacation of a lifetime, and they have been fortunate to go hundreds of times since. His daughters, now grown, still tear up when they see the castle (as does he).
