Building LEGO's Disney Castle

Okay, this is going to take some time to build. The LEGO Disney Castle has 4837 pieces and is 32" high! The instructions are easy to follow and, if you take your time, you should have no problems. We built ours over several days and absolutely love the results. There are lots of details, some of which you will never see after building the entire castle. 

LEGO's Disney Castle

NC Arboretum's Winter Lights

A trip to the North Carolina Arboretum is becoming one of our yearly holiday destinations. While the lights are not a large display, they are pretty and the event makes for a relaxing walk.  Joining us this year were my sister and her friend. Pile everyone in the car since the entry fee is based on vehicle not how many individual people go with you. 

NC Arboretum's Winter Lights

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas Photos

Gather up your family, friends, and loved ones to enjoy a Smoky Mountain Christmas as only Dollywood can deliver. Peg, my sister Terry, our friend Lisa, and myself spent a day enjoying all the festivities that Dollywood had to offer. Good food, good entertainment, and great company made for a perfect day. 

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

Disney World Resorts Gingerbread Crawl

Did you know with a bit of planning you can explore all Disney World resorts for free? We decided to do just that on a recent trip. Even though it was still early November, we figured we would see if we could visit the major resorts' gingerbread displays and see if their Christmas decorations were up. Our starting point was the Drury Plaza Hotel. After a decent complementary breakfast, we used the free shuttle bus to first go to Hollywood Studios. 

Mickey Waffle from Drury Plaza Hotel

Photos from the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs

We got an early start to the Christmas holiday at Disney Springs by participating in the Christmas Tree Stroll.  The stroll is scavenger hunt of sorts. Get your sticker sheet and stroll Disney Springs to find the locations of all the Christmas trees. Match the sticker to the proper location and get a collectible button. It's a fun way to kill some time.

Disney Springs at Christmas

Riding the Amphicars at Disney Springs

We like cars. We like boats. So when we had the opportunity to combine the two, we took it! We strolled over to the Boathouse Boutique in Disney Springs to reserve a ride in one of their 1960's Amphicars. The 20-minute Vintage Amphicar Tour takes you around the sites of Disney Springs. Our captain, Captain Larry, pointed out different locations along our tour and was quite knowledgeable with regards to the waterfowl we encountered. The Vintage Amphicar Tours are a wonderful and unique experience that you should try while visiting Disney World.

Amphicar Ride at Disney Springs

What is Amorette's Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience

We decided to do a couple's event and bake Peg a birthday cake at Amorette's Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience in Disney Springs. The space for the class is very limited so you must get reservations early through the Disney Experience App or online.  The morning class teaches you how to make a Mickey or Minnie dome cake. All the decorating items are provided for you and the cakes are pre-baked.

Amorette's Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience

Visiting Disney Springs

We decided to do a short notice trip to Disney Springs to celebrate Peg's birthday. The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando in the Disney Springs area was the perfect stay for our basecamp. 

Disney Springs