Welcome Home Wednesday!

Welcome Home Wednesday!

I love going home and at Walt Disney World, home for my family is Disney's Old Key West Resort! Old Key West opened on December 20, 1991 as Disney's Vacation Club Resort. Then in 1996 it was renamed to Disney's Old Key West Resort and has the largest rooms out of all the DVC (short for Disney Vacation Club) Resorts, which is fantastic!

Every single one of the hotels on Disney property have a theme, so what is the theme of OKW? The setting of OKW is turn-of-the-century Key West. As soon as you get there your ears get filled with the sounds of steel drums, Jimmy Buffet songs and you feel as if you are in the Florida Keys on a tropical getaway. You instantly feel the weight of the real world lift off your shoulders and the relaxation vacations begins.

One of the really cool things I love about OKW is that it itself is a community called Conch Flats. They even have their own general store called Conch Flats General Store, a restaurant called Olivia’s Café and a little bar called the Gurgling Suitcase. If you’re looking for a bite to eat, but don’t feel like cooking something in your room or going to the park then definitely try out Olivia’s its delicious and the staff is wonderful!

If you’re DVC members like my family and I are, then you’ll get what I’m talking about next. Like I said before, OKW is its own little community and if you go back every year you get to know the people who work there. You get so used to seeing them and you even become friends with the cast members that work there. One cast member that stands out to me is Robert from the Gurgling Suitcase. Every night when we’d get back from a long day at the park, my dad would head off and go get a Bloody Mary and he did this pretty much every night. Well over the course of the week, my dad and Robert learned quite a bit about each other,  became best friends and after our trip their friendship became “Facebook Official” (you ALL know what I mean by that lol). So it really is a home away from home and those who work there truly do become your second family and it gives you something else to look forward to. Let me tell you that that, is just another example of Disney magic!

Main Street, U.S.A Fun Fact

You may or may not have noticed, that the entire length of main Street, U.S.A is bordered by red pavement, almost as if the red carpet had been rolled out for you. Well it has been, when creating Main Street, Disney consulted Kodak and they determined that one particular shade of red would enhance guest photographs. So thank you Disney and Kodak for making sure our vacation photos look fantastic!!

Storybook Circus Fun Fact

As I mentioned in my last post. Disney is very good at paying attention to detail. Whether you notice it or not, the details are there. This next fun fact is in Storybook Circus at Barnstormer and is a hidden nod to what was previously there beforehand. Just after you enter the queue for Barnstormer, all you need to do to find this, is turn around and look up at the back of the attraction’s sign. You might notice that it looks pretty chopped up. That is because it was previously the original sign for Wiseacre Farm when Storybook Circus was still called Mickey’s Toontown.

My Dad's Top 5 Disney World Snacks

Alright, let's get this thing started!! Here are my dad's top five favorite Disney World snacks!

Turkey Leg

Itzakadoozies

Mickey shaped rice crispy

Salmon and Egg Sandwich (from Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT)

Coconut Macaron (from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in the France pavilion in EPCOT)

Mom's Top 5 Favorite Disney World Snacks

Mickey shaped rice crispy

Salted caramel fudge brownie (from Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT)

Chip & Dale trail mix (found everywhere on Disney property)

Assorted Fudge (from Main Street Confectionery in the Magic Kingdom)

Crème Brûlée (from Sunshine Seasons in the The Land pavilion at EPCOT)

Introduction to Making The Madness Magical

                Every Disney movie pretty much starts out the same way. You hear the magical sound of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, the chills go down your spine, you get that knot in the pit of your stomach (you know the one you get when you’re really excited about something and you feel like you could burst at any moment) and then you can just feel the magic in the air floating all around you and it’s AMAZING!!!! Well I hope this blog can give you that exact same feeling!

               Maybe I should introduce myself. Hi my names Terra!! I am a Disney addict, lover, connoisseur and not ashamed to say it or show it! I’ve been going to Walt Disney World since the ripe old age of five. My first trip to WDW was in the year 2000 and let me tell you I will never ever forget it. That first walk down Main Street U.S.A holding my mom’s hand while my dad was behind us taking pictures. Since then we have been back multiple times and even decided that DVC was a perfect fit for us since we are all Disney addicts and let me tell you what, it was the best decision we as a family have ever made!!

           What is the point of this blog you ask? Well let me tell you, the point of Making The Madness Magical is to help make the entire planning process easier! Like I said before I’ve been to Walt Disney World multiple times, it’s literally my second home, and I know it like the back of my hand. Not only am I here to help make the planning process easier, but I’m also going to help keep you all up-to-date on all the latest Disney World happenings and with all the recent announcements, updates and changes it sounds like our beloved second home will become a little unfamiliar to us all until we figure out the new lay of the land.

 See Ya Real Soon,

Terra Kay