Julie Diefenbaugh - Best Day Ever Vacation Travel Agent

08/19/2026

Menu's for EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival have been released and I am EXCITED! This runs August 27th - November 21st. This is a must-see event for any Disney loving foodie. This is the festival's 30th year, so 30 dishes have returned or been reimagined from previous years. These are just a sampling of some of the dishes you can expect.

I'll be attending in November and will definitely be sharing everything we try!

08/18/2026

WDW Park Spotlight: Magic Kingdom 🏰

Magic Kingdom is the oldest and smallest of the 4 parks. It's made up of 6 themed lands (Frontier Land, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Main Street, USA) and the iconic Cinderella Castle. If you could only visit one WDW park, it should be this one. Magic Kingdom is exactly what it sounds like, magic. From the first time I walked down Main Street and got that first look of the castle, I was hooked. It even smells amazing (they seriously pump in scents like vanilla and freshly baked cookies.)

Pro's: The whole park, seriously. I love the theming. It's great for kids and adults who don't take life too seriously. I've never felt stressed while walking around with my Joffrey's coffee and churro in hand. The rides are great here, there's a good mix for kids and adults. MK also has tons of dining options from sit down restaurants to quick service meals. I recommend dining in Cinderella Castle at least once if you can. It can be pricey, but it's the only way to really go inside the castle & you can meet some of the princesses. MK also has the best fireworks shows and daily parades.

Con's: It's busy. Even on the slowest days, MK is still crowded. Exiting the parks especially after fireworks can be very crowded and exits get bottlenecked. I recommend waiting a while to let the crowds thin out. Bring your patience, find a nice place to sit or do some shopping. The other issue is the parking. You cannot park right outside of MK, you have to park at the TTC (Transportation & Ticket Center) and take the monorail. If you use Disney transportation, you can get dropped off much closer than if you drive.

Rides 🎢
Tron Lightcycle / Run
Space Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribbean
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan's Flight
It's a Small World
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Astro Orbiter
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Mad Tea Party Spinning Teacups
Tomorrowland Speedway
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Prince Charming Regal Carousel
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Barnstormer
Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid
Carousel of Progress

Characters 🐭
Mickey, Minnie, Donald & Daisy
Buzz Lightyear
Stitch
Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel & Aurora
Goofy & Pluto
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger & Piglet
Gaston
Aladdin & Jasmine
Captain Jack Sparrow
Ariel & Merida
Alice & the Mad Hatter
Peter Pan & Tinker Bell
Lady Tremaine, Anastasia & Drizella
Chip 'n' Dale
Mary Poppins

08/17/2026

WDW Park Spotlight - Epcot 🔮

Epcot is home to the giant ball, also known as Spaceship Earth. If I'm being honest, I didn't love Epcot the first time I visited. I missed so many things this park has to offer, and now, it's definitley a favorite. I could spend the whole day there from park open to close. Epcot is home to 11 countries, go explore them! Disney has a Cultural Representative Program where individuals come here for 12 months on a visa program to represent their home country. Go to the France pavilion, they know French, and so on. These cast members are great to interact with and have a ton of knowledge. Each country showcases specialty food and drinks. Epcot also features multiple festivals throughout the year including The International Flower & Garden Festival, The Food & Wine Festival and The International Festival of the Arts.

Pro's: The food & drinks. Epcot is known for it's food & drink options and festivals. Come hungry. There is something for everyone. It is also home to Gaurdian's of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, this ride is amazing. It's my favorite ride and I'm not even a thrill ride person, but I love it. Another big perk is the characters, if you want to see Disney Princesses, this is your park. They are scattered throughout the World Showcase & other meet and great areas.

Con's: The rides here are great, but it doesn't have as many rides as some of the other parks. It's also a big park, like 300 acres big. I get a lot of steps in at Disney, but they are always the highest on Epcot Days. Try to plan your day a bit so you are going in the circle of the park, vs. back and fourth and all over. Your feet will thank me! Small kids may not love this park if you don't see / do the right things. There are characters, play areas, Moana's Journey of Water, but if you don't know where these things are, you can miss them.

Rides 🎢
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Test Track
Mission: SPACE (do not do Orange🤢)
Spaceship Earth
Soarin' Around the World
Living with the Land
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Frozen Ever After
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Characters 🐭
Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald & Daisy
Figment
Moana
Joy from Inside Out
Winnie the Pooh
Elsa & Anna
Belle & Aurora
Snow White
Mulan
Jasmine
Alice & Mary Poppins

08/14/2026

WDW Park Spotlight - Hollywood Studios🎥

Hollywood Studios immerses you in 1930's Hollywood Glamour. It used to be a working production studio and features some very cool buildings, theming and palm trees. As one of my favorite parks, this is a must see for any Star Wars or Toy Story fan.

Pros: HS has some of the best rides in my opinion and the theming is top notch. The amount of detail in Galaxy's Edge is amazing. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, it is a fully immersive experience and worth visiting. Toy Story land is also a must see, especially for your little ones. This park has great character meet & greats and shows. Fantasmic! is one of the most popular shows in all of Disney, along with Beauty & the Beast Live on Stage, For the First Time in Forever - A Frozen Sing Along, the new Villains-Unfairly Ever After show and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. HS is also accessible via the Skyliner which is my personal favorite mode of disney transportation.

Cons: It's a busy park, wait times can be long so I highly recommend lightning lanes. It also seems HOTTER than the other parks. Sounds odd, but there's a lot of hot concrete and not a lot of shade so be prepared, especially in the summer months. There are also a ton of add on things to do here like building a lightsaber or a droid. Those are definitely pro's, but they need to be reserved in advance and prepare your wallet. These extra's can add up, but are totally worth it in my opinion (even if you only do it one time).

Rides 🎢
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
The Twilight Zone Tower or Terror
Rock 'n Roll Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Alien Swirling Saucers
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Mania!

Characters 🐭
Olaf
Mickey & Minnie
Tons of Star Wars Characters, chewbacca, Rey, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren & the Storm Troopers just to name a few
Buzz Lightyear, Jessie & Woody
Goofy & Max
James P. Sullivan
Mrs. Incredible, Edna Mode & Frozone
Joy from Inside Out

08/13/2026

WDW Park Spotlight - Animal Kingdom 🐅
Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park, though some people consider it a half day park. There is definitely a lot to see here if you take the time to explore all this park has to offer.

Pro's: the animals and shows. Festival of the Lion King is a GREAT show along with Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond! (Great to take a little indoor air conditioning break) The animals at Animal Kingdom are definitely worth seeing.(I recommend going in the morning when they are more active.) If you're an Avatar fan, don't miss this park. Pandora is breathtaking, especially at night (mostly visible in the fall / winter months when the sun sets earlier.) Floating mountains and bioluminescent plants and decor make this a must see for me. AK also has great food options for quick service and sit down. Sanaa is one of the best restaurants in all of the parks and overlooks the animals at the Sunset Savana. Characters here are awesome as well.

Con's: Animal Kingdom has the shortest park hours of all 4 parks. They close earlier in the day for the animals. They also do not offer a fireworks show (also due to the animals) but the Tree of Life does put on a cool show at night before park closing. There are also fewer rides, especially for little ones, but don't let that deter you. There is a lot to see and do here if you do a little research and don't overlook all this park has to offer.

Rides 🎢
Avatar Flight of Passage
Na'vi River Journey
Kali River Rapids
Expedition Everest
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Wildlife Express Train

Characters 🐭
Dug, Russell, & Kevin from UP🎈
Bingo & Bluey
Pocahontas & Moana
Mickey, Minnie, Donald & Daisy
Rafiki & Timon 🦁
Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde from Zootopia

08/11/2026

Science 👩🏻‍🔬

08/06/2026

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party kicks off tomorrow night!

What's so special about this event?

🍬Trick-or-Treat throughout the park
🎃Fall theming throughout the park and special enhancements on several rides
👻Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade (featuring the very popular headless horseman & fire breathing Maleficant dragon)
🎆Special Halloween spectacular fireworks show
🍂 Hocus Pocus stage show put on by the Sanderson Sisters
🏰Special Halloween character experiences & dance parties
🧟‍♀️Wear your costumes (adults and kids)
🍦 And my personal favorite, specialty food & drinks

The parties are a great opportunity to enjoy the parks at night, in a less crowded atmosphere and typically much lower wait times on rides and some freebies.

Disney World dates are open for booking through October 2027

07/27/2026

07/27/2026

I don’t know, I always feel like it’s hotter at Hollywood Studios 🥵

07/22/2026

Best places for castle photos? These two circled spots. The bridge location allows for stunning reflection shots and the other area is great for close castle photos, with minimal people. Works great for day or night 🏰