Rainforest Cafe outside of Animal Kingdom

The Rainforest Cafe outside of Animal Kingdom, was the first place we ate at while at Disney. It actually was my favorite. When you walk in, there are big fish tanks and a little store area. The bar was really cool with themed seating stools. There was a monkey near our table. It was just far enough that the girls weren't scared. Every half hour there was a thunderstorm where it rained, thundered, and lightninged. The animals went crazy too. We walked around while waiting for our food and saw some elephants, monkeys, birds, fish, a waterfall, and all sorts of other neat things. Our food was great. My husband and I both got steaks and they were cooked perfect. The girls got kids meals with animal shaped nuggets. They seemed to enjoy the food. The lighting wasn't the greatest but after all, you are in the rainforest. Not much light penetrates the canopy. As for noise, most reviews say it's rather loud. If you don't like loud, don't go to Disney! Hello, bands, loudspeakers, parades, fireworks, rides, people, did I sum it up? Really, it's like as loud as a sports bar or Buffalo Wild Wings or something like that.  At the end, we all shared the volcano dessert. It was bigger than I thought and soooo good. There was plenty for all of us. We even left some because we were too full. Overall, the Rainforest Cafe outside of Animal Kingdom was the best place we ate at.

All Star Movies Resort Review

So the Super 8 was a bit gross and the breakfast was the worst ever, but after a long day of driving 13 hours I just wanted to sleep and so did the husband and kids. When we got to the All Star Movies Resort, I was amazed compared to the Super 8 we just stayed at. I didn't think I would be impressed, but I was. The lobby was immaculate and so huge. I was so exited from then on. Even the severe cold day didn't put much damper on things. At least it didn't rain. Check in seemed to take a while but when we got to the counter, it was in and out. It always seems like that. The room was awesome. Yea it was very standard, but clean clean clean. I was surprised at the cleanliness of the place considering how large the grounds are. The room itself is small, but we weren't staying there much. We were up in the morning and out by 8am and back there at 10pm to sleep. There were 2 double beds not queens. We are used to that anyhow so it didn't bother us. Of course we would have liked a bigger bed. They were very soft and had no backaches (I have one every morning with my bed) considering all the walking we did. The pool was amazingly huge even though we didn't swim. Next time we stay, we are going longer and staying poolside for a day. The food court has some really great food. We ate there twice. I ordered the taco salad for lunch on check out day. It is really awesome. Just like the ones at the Tortuga Tavern at the Magic Kingdom. The lady behind the counter serving was really rude and told me to go to the end of the huge line. I had been standing there at the front for 30 mins while they were switching menus. They told me they weren't ready for the taco salads yet and told me to wait over by them which is where you exit after getting your food. Then a guy that was behind me ordered one too and I said "excuse me I was in line and was told to wait because they weren't ready yet". Could I get mine before you serve him. She told me to go to the end of the line and it didn't start there. I told her what the other server had told me and she decided she was going to get a bit feisty and tell me to go to the end of the line again. Then I let loose at her and finally got served. Other than that, the hotel was amazing!! Andy's room was spectacular!!! There are many lots for parking your car around the grounds and they do have elevators. I only saw one bug. It was one of those large tree roaches outside on my walkway near my room. Not to worry, they are everywhere down there. The little ones are the nasty ones to watch out for. The rooms just have been renovated as well. One really unfortunate thing that happened is that the shower did not hang right and it kept falling down and sprayed at the wall. I did eventually rig it up to a tolerable spray direction. It used to be a handicap accessible bathroom with the bars and stuff and hand sprayer. I would rate that worst shower I have ever used. There was plenty of lighting and everything besides the shower hook up worked great. I would rate the All Star Movies Resort an A. I would visit there again over all the other resorts there. The cost is low, the statues are awesome for the kids, the buildings are fun themed, the food is great, the rooms are clean, wonderful housekeepers, close to the parks, free parking everywhere on all Disney property, magic hours, pin trading, arcade, playground, laundry, Disney Store, and best of all meal plans. Yummmm. If your interested, check out my other blog post of the movies resort with pictures.

The lazy Gourmet cookbook and two more reviews by Viva Editions

Last week I received three books in the mail by Viva Editions to review. They are The Lazy Gourmet, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook, and Fix it Make it Grow it Bake it. All three books are really great.
The first book is The Lazy Gourmet, a cookbook about great meals that you can make easy by Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin.  The first part talks about basics in your pantry and how they compare. Next is a chapter for tips (which are really great tips by the way). There are some things in there that I never thought to think about. For example, how to heat your oil, get the most zestiness from your citrus, and all the differences between your pots and pans. I love it!  The chapters that follow are for the food. First is starters and snacks. Then you have your salads, soups, sandwiches, main dishes, sides, extras, and finally your desserts. There are also some measurement conversion charts in the back. There is a dessert recipe in the end of the book called Bananas Bread Pudding Foster. I haven't made it yet but plan to next week after we go grocery shopping. I am really exited to make it and can't wait to taste it. Overall, this book is really great. It's not just a cookbook, it's an awesome tool.
Next is The Frugal Foodie Cookbook by Lara Starr with Lynette Shirk.  This book shows how to cleverly create inexpensive wonderful meals using ingredients and leftovers. It has a chapter for breakfasts, brunches, lunch, snacks, and dinners made for less $. Chapter 6 talks about inexpensive party food. This kind of stuff always comes in handy because when I have a party, it adds up fast. Chapter 7 is my ultimate favorite. It talks about clever kids meals. We all know once kids turn that age (mine is 4), they don't eat. I wonder how she survives. Now I don't have to worry. I love this chapter. Example, they have a great chicken nugget recipe, amazing mac and cheese recipe, a really cool colorful popcorn recipe, edible play dough, and finger paint. OMG I love it! In the next chapter, they have midnight snack ideas! Oh the list goes on. The last chapter has great gift ides like hot chocolate on a spoon! The tips throughout the book are great also. Remember people, all these things made inexpensive and easy!
Fix it Make it Grow it Bake it by Billee Sharp is a great book about living an easy simple life by using less and creating more. This a great book because it focuses on learning how to become more aware of what you have and what do to with it and if you don't have much, rethink and budget your lives. Be thrifty like shop online and use coupons. There is a lot of free stuff online. There is a really great page for money saving tips too. There is a really great section in the book for the body. It talks about using oils to help common problems like athlete's foot, headache, and heartburn. It talks about getting things for free like free entertainment and schooling online. I love the eco cleaning tips in the book. We all know as we have children in the house, cleaning is hard to keep away from the little ones. That's a good reason for using eco friendly cleaning. I don't want my babies or the world breathing in harmful fumes. It also has great fix it tips like what to do when your cell phone gets wet. The section on growing your own food and composting is very interesting.  Next in the book is a cooking part. They talk about making your own soups and canning. I really like the fact that in chapter 7 they talk about holiday foods. I love it because they break it up into different foods for the seasons and holidays. Again, in this book the tips are great. This book is a great life changing book for anyone who wants to take simple steps to living a better life. If you would like to learn more about these books and others form Viva Editions, go here.

I received hard copies of  The Lazy Gourmet by Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, The Frugal Foodie Cookbook by Lara Starr with Lynette Shirk, and Fix it Make it Grow it Bake it by Billee Sharp to review from www.vivaeditions.com.

My honest opinion has been expressed in this post. Life with Tootsabella and the Rose has not received monetary compensation for this post. 

Summer Bay Resort near Disney World

If you plan on staying on Disney property, stay off site the first night. Why pay the big bucks when you are arriving later and cannot take full advantage of the benefits.

Staying at a Disney property can be pricey. I have looked into staying on property and for our family it doesn't work even with the dining plan and discounts they give. I will share my experiences and future plans with you. The first time I ever went to Disney World was with my family when I was a child. We stayed in hotels throughout the week. We got free breakfast and a pool. We were kids so we were happy with whatever. The downside is that it didn't have a shuttle service.

The next two times we went, my husband, daughter, and I stayed in a Villa at Summer Bay resort in Clermont. It  offers complimentary transportation and tons of activities including water sports on their own lake. Visit Summer Bay Resort to learn more. We got an incredible discount because we were part of the Armed Forces Vacation Club (AFVC) We payed a total of 379.00 for 7 nights before taxes. I absolutely loved the villa. It was clean and spacious with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It had a full kitchen and had great views. I felt very safe there with a gated entrance to the resort. I loved all the activities and the other amenities that came along with it. We even went to shades of green at Disney to score some deep discounted tickets for the husband.