the Magikrull Life

Happy Friday! The time has come for another week’s round-up. I must admit this is my favorite week of the series. The bound came out exactly as I imagined; Art of Animation is one of my favorite Disney resorts, AND I found another creative play option for our Wishables collection, which is just always such a bonus {and enabling} for my Wishables addiction. So without further ado, let’s dive in! 🙂

1. The Look

This week is all about the 60s, and who better to showcase than our peace-loving, eco-conscious Cars friend Fillmore?! I had so much fun pulling together this bound. I knew I wanted to showcase Fillmore for 60s week, but my closet lacked the necessary pieces, which meant I got to shop for my exact vision {yay!}. I wanted to make sure to portray that 60s vibe, which to me meant a flowy skirt and crocheted crop top.

I started with this green, flowy skirt from Amazon. I was a little nervous based on the reviews, but once I got it on, it was PERFECT. It is just so flowy and made these twirly pictures look so organic and just plain fun {which they were to shoot to 🙂 }.

Next, came the crop top. Hollister had exactly what I was envisioning. This cutie little crocheted top, and it even had daisies on the bottom!! Unfortunately, this item has been extremely popular, so most of the sizes are gone. However, I found a cute alternative that was actually my second choice while creating the outfit.

For the shoes, I used my trusty, tan Rainbows. If you know me, you know I live in my Rainbows {literally have a flip flop tan from them haha}, and they went perfectly with the vibe I was trying to achieve.

I finished off the look with this daisy crown. It was the perfect {& affordable}, final touch to the bound. This was a spontaneous, last minute purchase, but I’m so glad I clicked “Add to Cart”. It just goes to show that the perfect accessory can tie an entire outfit together beautifully.

2. The Location

Okay, so let’s talk about Art of Animation. First off, if you haven’t stayed at AoA {or at least visited}, you need to put it on the top of your Disney to-do list, especially if you have kids {or are a Disney-loving, big kid-at-heart}. The theming there is SO FUN and simply incredible. I’m blown away each time we visit and always have a fantastic time.

Theme. Let’s talk about the theme. It’s centered around {you guessed it} the art of animation. It brings to life the animation process behind creating four of our favorite Disney stories, specifically The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, and Cars. These four areas each showcase their story through the designs of the buildings, the pools, and, my personal favorite, larger-than-life icons. Normally, I would just give the highlights of the resort for a general picture, but I love this resort so much that we are going to talk about {& show pictures} of each.

The Little Mermaid. This area is considered the “value” area of the resort. Here you will find the traditional, hotel-style room but with a Disney touch. The rooms transport you to a magical stay under the sea with showers filled with thing-a-ma-bobs, shell beds complete with bubble lights, and underwater fish and friends found throughout. This underwater feel continues as you step into the area and are immediately greeted by a pool. And to make it even more magical, the entire area is filled with larger-than-life icons of your favorite Little Mermaid characters: Ursula, King Triton, Sebastian, and, of course, Ariel!

The Little Mermaid Standard Room:

The Lion King. Here starts the family-style suite that this resort is best known for. The rest of the areas offer suite-style rooms, and let me tell you, they are a young family’s DREAM. I think they are the perfect place to stay if are a family of four, especially if you have young kids. The suites are set up with a small kitchen, a separate bedroom {private room for mom & dad!}, two bathrooms, a pull out bed {over the table}, and a pull out couch. AND on top of just a great layout, the entire suite is expertly themed. I love staying in these rooms SO MUCH. Cannot recommend it enough. You should book the stay. Haha. Okay, I’m done. Rant over. Back to the fun {aka theming}.

Lion King Family Suites:

This area is really fun. As you walk in, you are greeted by Rafiki and then immediately meet Mufasa on Pride rock.

Timon, Pumba, and Simba make an Hakuna Mata appearance…

And then…you can play in an elephant graveyard! Some hyenas may come lurking, but it’s a pretty fun place to play 🙂

Make sure to be prepared because Scar may be lurking in the shadows, but don’t worry, Zazu’s keeping an eye on him. 😉

Cars. If you are a Radiator Springs fan, this is the spot for you. The Cars area immediately immerses you into the world of Disney Pixar Cars. As you venture through, you’ll see all your favorite characters and some of the famous storefronts from RS.

Sheriff, Doc, Flo, and Ramone welcome you to the area {on a sidewalk road, of course – how fun is that?!}

The buildings are themed as different RS storefronts, specifically Luigi’s Casa Della Tires, Tow Mater’s, and Wagon Wheel Motel.

And then my personal favorite, the center hub is the Cozy Cone Motel, which is this area’s pool expertly themed as the hotel. The cone cabanas are my favorite touch.

This area also houses the family-style suite with the rooms that exude RS vibes. We are actually staying in this suite style later this year and cannot wait to see the kids’ expressions when we walk into the room!

Cars Family Suites:

Finding Nemo. Lastly, but certainly not least, the Finding Nemo area! This is the center of the resort and the theming is top notch. First, the Big Blue Pool is the larges on property and a fabulous place to play. There is a pool for the big kids, splash pad for the littles {or little at heart}, and playground for those not feeling the water {& a pool side bar for the biggest kids 😉 }.

Similar to the other areas, Nemo and all of his friends can be found in this area in the best, larger-than-life way.

And all the rooms are family-style suites with the best ocean touches.

Finding Nemo Family Suites:

Other Amenities. Some other amenities that can be found at Art of Animation are:

• Walking/Running path with Animation trivia/tidbits
• Movie Under the Stars
• Pool Activities
• Tie Dye {at PopCentury – can walk}
• Landscape of Flavors: Mess Hall Quick Serve {mobile order available | only restaurant at this resort}
• Animation Classes {currently suspended due to COVID}
• Dog Friendly {information linked}
• Pixel Play Arcade
• Skyliner Access

3. The Activity

So…about this activity…I started off with an extremely manageable, easy-to-create craft: parking space car matching.

I saw this number matching car parking craft on Instagram {@cintaandco} and decided to create parking spaces for the new Pixar Cars Wishables {Cars were the June Wishables release and I LOVE them, as does Wally 🙂 }. Instead of number matching, I did color matching so both L {3} and W {almost 2} could play.

Supplies:

• Cardboard
• Paint
• Cars Wishables {or some other toy cars}

It’s Sunday night. The craft is complete {finished in an evening}. I’m ready for the week.

Then…I start looking at the activity and decide it’s not big enough. So I decided to go bigger…

My vision takes on a life of its own, and here we are four days later, extremely sleep deprived, and with a full-blown cardboard recreation of the Art of Animation rendition of Radiator Springs.

Do I have some regrets on this one? I could have used some more sleep….Haha. But the kids got so excited to play with it this morning, which was rewarding to watch, and quite honestly, I’m proud of how it turned out. I will say that I will probably stick with the simple play the first time around in the future and recommend you do the same if you are crunched for time all the time like me. Haha. But until then, enjoy this Radiator Springs cardboard play!

That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed the second week of the Disney Decades series! Be sure to check back next week for the 70s theme!

Until Next Time…

Stay Magical!

Jasmine

*Disclaimer: All opinions shared are in no way affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. They are completely my own and shared from a Disney guest perspective.

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s been awhile, but I’m so excited to share all about this week’s theme: Peter Pan!

If you’ve been following along on my Instagram account {@the_magikrull_life}, you’ve seen the bound {Wendy}, the resort {Riviera}, and the play {Treasure Map}. Today {& every weekly blog post for this month}, we are going to dig a little deeper on those posts to give more details and fun. So let’s get started!

1. The Look

This week’s DisneyBound is a 50s-style Wendy bound. This is one of my all-time favorite bounds {as you could probably guess since we even had family pictures with this look 😉 }. It combines my two favorite pieces from my wardrobe – a polyester blend periwinkle dress {The Limited} and long, white pea coat {Banana Republic}. Both have been since college, so unfortunately no exact links, but I found some nice alternatives.

The shoes are black, vintage Mary Janes that I borrowed from a friend {thanks, Karin! 🙂 } that I think add a nice, dapper touch and really sell the 50s look. Again, no exact link, but I found some great look-a-likes.

The background is part of the AMAZING mosaic tile murals at Disney’s Riviera Resort. There is this Peter Pan inspired creation, along with a Tangled mural. Both can be found walking from the main lobby to Riviera’s Skyliner station.

Speaking of Riviera…let’s talk about the resort!

2. The Location

Disney’s Riviera Resort is the newest Disney resort on WDW property. It’s theming leans into the traditional French Riviera feel with some Mediterranean touches. While I have yet to stay at this resort {it’s definitely on my list!}, I have had the chance to enjoy visiting as well as experience some of the dining options and want to share some of the amazing offerings this resort provides.

Dining. We have to talk about the food first, of course. The noms. They are the important factor. Always.

So let’s talk about the different dining options first:

• Topolino’s Terrace {Table Service | Character Breakfast}
• Le Petit Café {Lobby Café}
• Bar Riva {Pool Bar}
• Primo Piatto {Quick Service}

Topolino’s is one of my FAVORITE character breakfasts. It’s styled with an “artist’s flair” and that can be seen from the characters’ costumes to the food presentation. At this breakfast, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Donald make appearances in their Riviera attire {Please note: Right now, COVID protocols are in place, so the characters wave from a distance, not come up to your table. However, this is one of the few character dining options actually open right now}. The menu is French-inspired cuisine, and my favorite dishes are the Sour Cream Waffle {for me}, the Mickey Waffle Dippers {for the kids – it’s like a Mickey Waffle lollipop 🙂 }, and the pastries and bread for the table {one looks like a paint brush, and all are DELICIOUS}.

Since it is one of the few character dining offerings currently available, reservations are vital and can be hard to come by. If you have your heart set on eating here, highly recommend booking as soon as opens.

The dinner offering is still French-inspired cuisine, however, it’s definitely a fancier dinner dining option. There is a dress code, and I probably wouldn’t take my young kids. Think more of mom and dad {or just couple or couple of friends 😉 } occasion for a nice night out.

Le Petit Café is this adorable coffee/pastry bar set up in the lobby. The café is right next to the Voyageurs’ Lounge, which gives the sweetest Beauty & the Beast library vibes with it’s cozy lounging options and extensive book collection. It’s one of my favorite places to grab a cup of coffee and snack.

Bar Riva and Primo Piatto are the two quick serve locations found in the lower lobby area. Primo Piatto offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as mobile ordering {hooray!}. The menu has something for everyone from the adventurous adult looking for something different at Disney to the picky toddler. While I haven’t had a meal here {yet}, I have been wanting to try their breakfast for a loooongg time. It looks so good, and I have heard nothing but great things.

Bar Riva is a lounge bar by the pool and offers a few meal options, along with drinks. It opens around lunch and stays open through the dinner and drink hours.

Pools & Recreation. Okay, let’s talk about the grounds. First, the pools. The pools, and specifically the splash pad, are top notch here. The Splash pad is Fantasia themed and is so stinkin’ cute. It is a huge draw for me wanting to stay with the kids here.

I mean LOOK AT IT. So cute. Okay, that is all on that.

The pool attached to the splash pad is Mediterranean themed with this fun slide and cute picturesque area. And then there is another more “classic French Riviera” themed pool in the main lawn space.

As for the recreation, the resort itself is U-shaped and in the center is this huge green space that has a bocce ball court and chess lawn. I love this space so much! It is perfect to just let the kids go and run out all that energy. There are also porch swings in this area, which is exactly where I park myself while the kids run free.

Beyond the lawn, there are paths to walk around the resort that have beautiful water and Skyliner views, a beach space, and the Rapunzel and Peter Pan mosiac murals. These paths connect to the resort’s Skyliner station as well as the Carribbean Beach Resort, which has an awesome playground {so great for littles}.

Skyliner Access. Speaking of the Skyliner, another huge plus of staying at Riviera is the Skyliner access. Riviera has a station right on the grounds that connects to Epcot and the Caribbean Beach Resort {main hub}. It has quickly become one of our kids’ and my favorite mode of Disney transportation. The kids even treat a trip on the Skyliner as a ride, which is a major bonus for us.

Another noteworthy aspect of the Riviera station is ambiance. The the walk from the lobby to the gondolas is simply magical due to these beauties:

The Imagineers outdid themselves when they dreamed up the Tangled and Peter Pan mosaic murals. They are truly stunning and one of my favorite photo spots on property.

3. The Activity

Last, but certainly not least, THE PLAY. This week’s activity was a Peter Pan Inspired Treasure Hunt. I created a treasure map that identified icons from around our home and each location held a different musical instrument {some actual, some “home made” | ex: a pan with a large wooden spoon}. Once all collected, the search ended outside, where we had a “follow the leader” parade.

This was an easy activity to throw together, and L {3.5} absolutely LOVED it. She wanted to continue doing more scavenger hunts, so I started using different Wishables and alien figurines for her to find. I think she did it 3 or 4 times. haha. W {almost 2} was a little indifferent, but it may have been the time of day we chose to play {right after breakfast}.

To create this activity at home, you’ll need:

• Treasure Map
• Searchable Items
• Adventurous Spirit

The beauty of this play is that there are so many possible variations. I want to touch on each a little bit to help you find your vibe.

Treasure Map. I drew ours to customize it to our home. However, I fully acknowledge that drawing is not everyone’s thing, or even if it is, you may just not have the time {kids, they are a handful haha}. Some other alternatives to a hand-drawn map are:

• Riddles {forgo the entire map and just do riddles}
• Printable Map with Stickers or pictures {print out a Neverland map from online and just use stickers or actual snapshots of different areas of your home}
• String {use string to connect the Searchable Items that the littles follow to find all the hidden pieces}

These are just a few that I thought would be faster to create but still keep the fun and flavor.

Searchable Items. I began with musical instruments because I wanted to end with a parade. However, I quickly turned to stuffies {specifically Wishables – another fun use!} and figurines {specifically Toy Story aliens} when L wanted additional search & find options. These items truly can be anything. Scavenge your home and find what works for you.

Another option is also to just do riddles at each station or potentially even keys or trinkets that would later open a treasure chest with goodies. The ending could have a real treasure chest with prizes {or even pixie dust! – if you are a glitter friendly home…haha} instead of ending with a parade. So many possibilities!

Adventurous Spirit. Well, you could have a playful spirit, childlike spirit, spirit filled with wonder…but I recommend the spirit part. Because how else would you venture to Neverland!

That’s all for today! Thanks for stopping by and following along all week long! I hope you enjoyed the Peter Pan theme this week, and next week will be a brand new week to celebrate the 60s! Any guesses…???

Until Next Time…

Stay Magical!

Jasmine

*Disclaimer: All opinions shared are in no way affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. They are completely my own and shared from a Disney guest perspective.

Happy Earth Day, y’all! In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to talk about my favorite Walt Disney World theme park: Animal Kingdom.

I know. You’re probably saying, “Really, Jasmine? Animal Kingdom? But you have kids. Aren’t you Magic Kingdom all day, everyday?”

Don’t get me wrong, Magic Kingdom is great, but Animal Kingdom will always have my heart and is one of my favorite places to take the kids! I think it gets a bad rep sometimes, but today, we change all that….

1. The Rides

Animal Kingdom is first and foremost a Disney theme parks, so we HAVE to talk about the rides! As far as kid-rides are concerned, Animal Kingdom does have fewer than the other parks. However, they are great rides, and it just leaves more time for all the other fantastic attractions and adventures available!

The kid-friendly rides include:

• Na’vi River Journey*
• Kilimanjaro Safaris* {Note: Pregnant women are advised against riding this attraction}
• TriceraTop Spin

Those three are the “ride rides” that do not have a height requirement. I put an asterisk on Na’vi River Journey and Kilimanjaro Safaris because both are extremely popular and are “rope drop activities” in my opinion, so I recommend choosing which one is the priority for your group and do that first. We always prioritize Kilimanjaro Safaris because it’s a longer attraction; the kids love the animals, and it’s wait time rarely ebbs and flows during the day {usually only gets longer}. Na’vi River Journey, on the other hand, has more of an ebb and flow during the day, so if you watch the wait times, you can often find this one down to a 30{ish}-minute wait time.

2. The Trails

Honestly, this is my favorite part about Animal Kingdom: the animal trails. The trails make it the most unique Disney park and gives you two awesome kid-friendly activities {theme park + zoo} for the price of one.

The main animal trails include:

• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Discovery Island Trails

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Gorilla Falls can be found next to {or at the exit of} Kilimanjaro Safaris. It’s a great addition to see more animals right after riding Kilmanjaro Safaris, or the perfect alternative for those wanting to skip the bumpy truck ride. Here, the main attraction is the Gorilla Falls area {obviously haha}, but you can also spot Meercats, Zebras, African birds, Invertebrates, and other animals indigenous to Africa.

Maharajah Jungle Trek. This is my favorite trail. I love visiting the bats {specifically the Malayan Flying Fox} and the tigers, especially when there are babies out and about! This area is really beautiful and such a fun place for kids {and adults!} to explore and experience the animals, and if you’re like me, it is also a FANTASTIC spot to snap a few pictures. 😉

Side Note: This area was actually one of the photos stops during our wedding photos at Animal Kingdom {And yes, I chose Animal Kingdom as the park for our wedding photos. I wasn’t kidding that Animal Kingdom is my favorite park. haha}.

Discovery Island Trails. Okay, talk about photo spots…this is the place to go. These trails are dab smack in the center of the park at the Tree of Life. The paths wind in and around the tree, with animals tucked into the nooks and crannies {large one, don’t worry}. The roots of the tree that curve and branch through the area are beautifully carved with animals from the entire Animal Kingdom. Exploring the tree alone is such a fun and rewarding activity with the kids. Beyond the tree, the animals there are so fun! There is an otter grotto, a flamingo flamboyance, vulture committee, fish friends, kangaroo mob, and so much more. Highly recommend visiting this area and just letting the kids run free {Added bonus: this area is usually pretty quiet on the crowd front}.

Side Note: This area is where we took pictures to announce that I was pregnant with W. 🙂

3. The Secrets

Well, these aren’t so much secrets as they are areas/experiences that often get missed or skipped, and it’s such a shame {they deserve more credit}! The three that I want to highlight are Wilderness Explorers, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and Fossil Fun Games {additional cost}.

Wilderness Explorers. This is a must do for us when we go. It is based on the Wilderness Explorers {similar to Boy/Girl Scouts} from the Pixar movie Up. For this experience, you to take the oath of the Wilderness Explorer and then go out and explore that Wilderness! The concept is that you are given a Wilderness Explorer guide book at Headquarters {at the front of the park}, and throughout the park, you can stop at Wilderness Explorer stations {there are signs to signify a location and all are searchable in the mobile app} to learn about animals and the wilderness in general and earn badges {i.e. stickers} to place in your handbook. We always grab one {or bring the ones from previous trips} and earn a couple of badges each trip. The kids enjoy learning and earning those stickers, and again, it’s another option that is a little less crowded, which I appreciate.

Side Note: Our littles are young {3 and 1}, but I will say the CMs do a great job of gauging their audience and will adjust the lesson based on the age of the kids.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch. I kind of get why this one gets skipped; I used to be a skeptic too. It can take a good amount of time to get there and back and seems like little gain. BUT after having kids, it is one of our go-tos. First, there’s a train ride {Bonus ride!}, which both of my kids absolutely love. Next, once you arrive, there’s room to explore, Wilderness Explorer badges to earn, and more animals to see {usually a petting zoo but the petting aspect has been closed during the pandemic}. And then lastly {but far from last}, Conservation Station. Conservation Station is part lab/veterinary facility {have seen a surgery on a turtle there before!} and then part drawing fun! The Animation Experience at Conservation Station is one of my favorite Disney experiences ever. I love learning to draw different Disney characters, and the animators do such a great job that it is rare to leave with an unsatisfactory drawing. I will admit, I have not taken the kids there before. It’s usually a treat for myself, but they do set aside a couple of smaller tables for the younger artists to keep them more engaged.

Fossil Fun Games. Unpopular opinion alert: I love Dinoland. I think it’s so fun, and I just love the old-timey carnival feel and all the dinosaurs. And I love spending time with my kids there. I enjoy bouncing between TriceraTop Spin and the Fossil Fun Games and will be the first to admit that I have spent way too much money on the Fossil Fun Games {#noregrets}. The Games are typical carnival games and for years I never paid them any mind, but with the reopening in 2020 during the pandemic, the prizes were updated to these SUPER CUTE dinosaurs, and now, I’m obsessed {as are my kids}. There are 3 games – one is complete chance {toss a ball – L has won as much as I have on this one haha}, one is a group game {the classic water gun game}, and the last requires skill {basketball}. The first is perfect for littles, and our kids love playing. Bonus: it’s really great practice for working with kids on how to handle not winning a prize. The one downside is that it is an extra cost. It’s $5/ticket, but, especially if you win, I think it’s a fair price.

4. The Shows

Normally, this would be at the top of my list. However, with COVID, some of the shows were suspended until they could reopen safely, and while the remaining shows are great, they aren’t as phenomenal as the closed ones {looking at you Lion King & Nemo}. However, Festival of the Lion King is slated to reopen in May {hooray!}, so I wanted to touch on these since more will be an option soon!

The Shows:

• Feathered Friends in Flight*
• It’s Tough to be a Bug*
• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo – The Musical

*currently available

Starting with the two currently available: Feathered Friends in Flight and It’s Tough to be a Bug. Feathered Friends in Flight is an exotic bird show and a great way to see, learn, and experience our bird friends strutting their stuff. It’s Tough to be a Bug takes you into the world of insects, where you adventure with Flik and his friends {and possibly some of his enemies}. {I personally hate It’s Tough to be a Bug, but that is from a traumatizing experience when I was younger}.

Now for the two currently unavailable {and the best shows on property, in my opinion}: Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo – The Musical. Both are pretty self-explanatory on their content {one is about Lion King and the other Finding Nemo}, and they are amazing. Both have outstanding performers, unforgettable musical numbers, amazing theatrical puppets {and special effects, in general}, and are just spectacular overall. They are on the longer side {30 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively}, but we’ve never had an issue with the kids sitting through it. They stay engaged the entire time.

5. The {Loose} Schedule

I wanted to end with sharing what our typical Animal Kingdom day looks like to give an idea of how to easily hit all the highlights with littles. First off, Animal Kingdom has the earliest opening time, which is GREAT for the kids. The park opens at 8AM, but Disney has been letting Guests in up to an hour early so recommend getting there at 7AM. Early time means we can do more before nap time hits, and we peace out. haha. Anyway, here is our loose Animal Kingdom schedule:

• 7-8: Enter the park and head straight to Kilimanjaro Safari
• 8-9: Either hit some trails or ride TriceraTop Spin, depending on what the kids are feeling
• 9-10: Rafiki’s Planet Watch {train time!}
• 10-11: Wilderness Explorer badges
• 11: Eat lunch
• 11:30 – 12:30: Either ride TricerTop Spin again, play a Fossil Fuel Game, or explore some trails
• 12:30: Head home for nap time 🙂

Side Note: Don’t forget the character appearances! Characters ride around Discovery River in boats so make sure to keep an eye out as you travel the park!

That’s all for today! Thanks for reading and hope you have a spectacular Earth Day!

Until next time…

Stay Magical!

Jasmine

*Disclaimer: All opinions shared are in no way affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. They are completely my own and shared from a Disney guest perspective.