Newsletter GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ONLINE ORDER BY SIGNING UP FOR OUR EMAILS Email AddressA blog and a dream.  That's how it started for me five years ago this week.  Mind you, DIStherapy did not start as a "Disney" blog.  It was to be a roundup of my life's loves; my time with the DISability community, what I have learned as the wife of a restaurateur (DISsert), running as a Baby Boomer (Boomer DISh), and my half-century relationship with the Disney brand.  I wrote and shared as therapy.  Mind you, I am no Silly Symphonies delicate flower, but a series of unexpected personal tragedies had pulled the proverbial magic carpet from beneath me.  My midlife crisis came not only with an empty nest, but with crushing financial consequences and a son on medical leave from college.   Enter an invite to the very first round of Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" in 2012.  Yup, magic just when you need it.All those Twitter handles I had collected came with beautiful faces and warm hugs.  

Social media mentors, such as Maria Bailey, made us feel as though anything is possible as long as you believe.  I (start to) believe! Top 5 Takeaways From the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" 2013:  (New York City) Tools of the trade.  So that's how this is supposed to work?!  (I find myself saying that on a regular basis.)  We are introduced to apps that can supplement our storytelling.  Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.  I tinker with Disney Story, which is a stepping stone to what Victoria Lim (Managing Editor of Walt Disney World Public Relations) will introduce us to in following years; Videolicious and Magisto downloaded! My Disney Story~ "On-The-Road" Why are our Disney Parks memories so enduring?  When it comes to Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road", JOY comes to mind. Emotions Run High at Disney Parks and Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" 2015:  (New York City) You ain't never seen a conference like this!  

Held on the stage of Broadway's Aladdin, the New Amsterdam Theatre was the perfect backdrop to the previews of the annual "What's New" at Disney Parks.  (I was so inspired by what I saw, I booked my trip to Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration the next day!) I was struck by the power of the past 60 years.  Walt, just look at the empire you have created!! Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" Lights Up the Great White Way 2016:  New York CityI'm merely the Pixie Dust vehicle!! And yes, through the past five years I do find myself writing about Disney more and more.  Thanks to Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" I have found my happy.  In many ways, I think Disney saved my family; Disney Parks and runDisney transported us through some very dark days.  I am more grateful than I can fully explain.  No, I have never been invited to the "big" conference, and I have fallen short of that spot on the Disney Parks Moms Panel, but if I have learned anything at all, I hope that what I share on DIStherapy inspires happily ever after in others.  

Five years and counting... I received magical invitations to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration "On-The-Road" events and was admitted free of charge.  chandeliers en fer forg� mariageThis magical re-creation comes purely from the heart!candelabra hire devon It's beginning to look a lot like Easter at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.  chandelier that turns room into forest for sale amazonI was hopping up and down when we entered the lobby yesterday and saw the team of white coats at work.  (And what a year it's been, as I was present for November's Gingerbread House assembly as well!) Approximately twenty eggs dot the hotel lobby, meticulously hand-decorated with cocoa butter scenes from Disney movies young and old.  

Let me take you eager bunnies on a tour of this, the 5th year of this eggstravaganza! And oh, the chocolatey aroma!  As described, each egg is a hollow chocolate form, decorated with fondant, royal icing, and sugar art. Some of my movie favorites: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beauty and the Beast Of course, there are sentimantal pics (Mickey Mouse and Cinderella's coach) and artistic masterpieces scattered throughout. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to thank one of the bakers, Danie, for her talent, imagination, and dedication.  The Easter Egg Display at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was for me yet another example of the unexpected magic that awaits Guests every day.  If you are planning a Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World Resort, do not overlook this enchanted art gallery; it is absolutely UNFORGETTABLE. What's new at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in 2016?  Let's take a stroll! Fresh Food, Fun, & Flowers topiary

Ranger Mickey & Friends topiary La Isla Fresca~ World Showcase Promenade Cider House~ United Kingdom The Jungle Book sand sculpture "Discover the 'roots' of your favorite musical instruments!" Fresh food, fun, and flowers indeed!! Welcome to this month's Blogorail Green Loop. Today we are taking you on a virtual tour of Epcot's World Showcase.How many of you have strolled along Epcot's World Showcase, glanced in at the Italy Pavilion courtyard, and continued meandering?  I often hear grumblings that there are no attractions or films in this locale, and therefore it is not a worthy stop.  However, if you know and love this Southern European country, or dream of visiting the real Venice, Florence, or Rome in the future, allow the authentic details of Italia transport you.  Welcome to la dolce vita... One of the nine original World Showcase Pavilions that opened in 1982, this stop on our tour is modeled after the coastal city of Venice.  The pink and white "marble" buildings surrounding Plaza del Teatro are as authentic and committed to detail as you would expect from a Disney endeavor;

it was not until our second trip to Italy that I fully appreciated the Walt Disney World "primer." Elements of Rome are present in the plaza's "Fontana de Netunno", which is fashioned after Bernini's masterpiece in the Trevi Fountain, and Florentine style is evident in the newest restaurant, Via Napoli. Designed by Florence's architects Stefano Nardini and Raffaella Melucci for the Patina Restaurant Group, its wood-burning pizza ovens are named for the three active Italian volcanoes and designed to portay the gods they are named for: Etna, Vesuvio, and Stromboli.That's all I need to say.  Sit outside on the patio, inside in the main dining room, or in between in the "sun room" for this table service lunch or dinner.  And DO NOT forget to make your Advance Dining Reservations. The pizza here is as authentic as you will find in the States, and to guarantee that fact, the water used to make the dough is shipped in from... (Evidently, testing shows that it mimics the water found in Naples.)  

San Marzano tomatoes and hand-rolled mozzerella complete the product, and a dozen other toppings are available.  The menu includes salads and pasta dishes, but the pizza is delicioso! Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar Epcot World Showcase Wine Walk Il Belle Christallo (Murano glassware and Venetian glass jewelry, acceessories, perfumes- it's where my family buys its cologne.   La Bottega Italiano (Apparel, Venetian masks, Italian foods) IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth The Flag Wavers of Sansepolcro  (A tradition from the Middle Ages) Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Holidays Around the World For a touch of amore, a Renaissance history lesson, a good chianti, and a GREAT meal, be sure to wander into the piazza on your next loop around World Showcase.  It's an offer you can't (shouldn't) refuse!! For more info on Epcot's World Showcase, check out the other great posts from the Blogorail!