to infinity, and beyond!

we just got back from pixar fest at disneyland!  and thankfully, due to some lovely social media posting, I was able to pinpoint this incredible new buzz wall.  we made a special walk back into california adventure at sunset just to take some photos here and at the new pixar pier. 

and of course, there was a small constant line of people with cameras and phones boomeranging their way to instagram happiness.

here was everly's shot at some buzzworthy fun...

she wasn't too into any 'posed' photo ops - but she did give me a few jumps.  I'll take it!

and for those of you wondering, this wall is located to the right of the monsters inc. ride and to the left of the restrooms at the end of the main drag of hollywood land!

celebrating five [mini-film]

last weekend we celebrated everly's golden birthday with our take on 'it's a small world christmas'!  kids in the morning, big kids in the evening.  the rain moved the party all indoors, but we made the best of things.

turns out, the 'small world' coloring pages were a hit for all ages.  speaking of age, now that everly is the big FIVE she was given so many amazing games from our friends...which they decided to show her how to play at her party too.  cannot get much better than that!

oh, and no more balance bike for this little lady - big girl bike happened too!

here's our day celebrating five...
Everly is Five! from Lyndsay Lewis on Vimeo.

everly's dress is from target - we were lucky stumbling on the perfect dress months ago when she picked her birthday theme

that amazing sparkler five candle is from nothing bundt cakes - not sure they have them at all of their locations, seemed like a little specialty item they had at ours

disney's animal kingdom [mini film]

when getting the chance to visit disney world, something I never thought would happen, I quickly realized I needed to do a lot of research before getting off the plane.  I knew that we were going to have an extremely limited time in the parks, so we decided on a two day, single park ticket.  deciding on magic kingdom was a no brainer for me, but the second park was a little tricky.  so after spending some time on the disney world app, looking at the attraction listings, I decided on animal kingdom for the shear differences.  I knew that a day in this park would be unlike anything we have here in disneyland. 

we did enjoy our time in this park, and had one of the best meals I've had at a quick service at any disney park, however, I'm pretty sure that I'm having this be a one and done type of trip.  [that best meal was at the flame tree bbq by the way] animal kingdom just didn't have enough disney for me.  I guess I wanted more ears so to say.  it really was an animal park, and I guess I should have gotten that from the name, right?!?  but I just wanted a little more magic, something that would have got me dreaming of how in the world I was getting back to florida.


highlights really included the safari ride and the moment I got to sneak away and ride expedition everest in ten minutes through the single rider line.  that roller coaster would be the one attraction I would love to have back here in california, even though no one in my family would ride it with me!!! everly had a great time, and it was nice to have a pretty relaxed day.  even so, I really could have done with more rides.


this is her flamingo pose by the way, there's a glimpse of it in the mini-film too!


before going, ev and I spent time looking through different photos and videos of rides, especially 40" attractions.  we decided that 'dinosaur' sounded like a good idea, and I knew that it was going to be a little intense, but she was all in for the experience.  when getting into the vehicle, I quickly realized the ride had the same platform as indiana jones in disneyland.  however, unlike indiana jones where there are some dark and scary scenes, there are also some pretty amazing ride moments and views. however, on dinosaur, it is just dark and scary.  I couldn't see any real scenes, just blackness, and then a dinosaur head lurching out at you.  even if I wasn't having to be the concerned parent, I would not have enjoyed this attraction, it just didn't have the finished feel of indiana jones.


thankfully, one scary ride didn't stop everly from trying many other new experiences the next day in magic kingdom, including two big roller coasters!!!  so that was a relief, I was afraid I had possibly limited her experience in these new parks, but she was a trooper.  apparently, the covering of her eyes was enough to save the day!

here's our day...
Animal Kingdom from Lyndsay Lewis on Vimeo.

music from epidemic sound

our day touring the Magic Kingdom Hotels [mini film]

Our first day in Florida we took some time to explore the hotels of Magic Kingdom.  Having ever only visiting Disneyland Resort, I knew that I knew nothing about Disney World.  All I knew was it was huge, and that I had been memorizing my Disney World app since I found out I was getting the opportunity to attend the IB Global Conference in Orlando.  Our hotel had a shuttle that dropped us off right in front of the security checkpoint for Magic Kingdom.  I always see those friendly cast members at different information stands and booths, but I never actually talk to them.  This trip has been very different.  If I see you are a cast member, I will surely be asking you a slew of new questions that just popped into my head.  After speaking to the nice man at the bus and transportation window, he let us know we were just a five minute walk from the Polynesian Resort.  Perfection, just hearing that really set my day in the right trajectory.  I had a semi-plan, and it seemed like it was semi-working.  After exploring the Polynesian Resort, we ended up taking a boat around the lagoon, stopping at Magic Kingdom, and getting off at the Grand Floridian.  After walking the grounds, we hopped on the monorail and took a ride to the Contemporary Resort.  Oh holy Mary Blair mosaic!!!  I marveled at this beauty for a bit, and Ev found her way through yet another gift store.  I must say, my four year old handled this hotel tour very well, considering she really thought the plane was going to land in the middle of Disney World, she's tolerated the wait until we officially visit the parks tomorrow!

Here's a look at our day exploring the hotels in the Magic Kingdom Resort area.  The Polynesian was clearly my favorite!  Scroll all the way down to find the mini film at the bottom!

and here's our mini film from the day...
Magic Kingdom Hotel Tour from Lyndsay Lewis on Vimeo.

shot on our Sony a6000
music from Epidemic Sound - Hawaiian Conquistador by Martin Gauffin

dapper day spring - disneyland [mini-film]

this past weekend we spent the last three days of our annual passes in the parks, and with it being spring dapper day, we knew it was meant to be!  here's a little look at our time there.  photos to come!

Disneyland April 2017 from Lyndsay Lewis on Vimeo.

my favorite parts of this mini-film, and the weekend:

*skipping, so much skipping
*my kid is way cooler than me
*she insisted on peace signs, because apparently they are 'pizza' signs, and she was eating pizza
*talk about hamming it up to the camera
*looking away from the camera for photos, ultimate #babyhipster
*tiara & 'flight glasses'

all music from epidemic sound
shot on our sony a6000

the enchanted rose [red rose taverne - Disneyland]

As I mentioned before, we were lucky enough to see the unveiling of the Red Rose Taverne at Disneyland last week.  The second day we visited, I caught a glimpse of the new souvenir cup selling for a limited time in celebration of the new live action Beauty and the Beast movie.  However, they were literally unboxing the cups as I had already ordered, so I figured, no big deal, I don't really need another cup.  About an hour after leaving the park, we started getting text messages asking us to pick up one of the enchanted rose cups, and then we realized - these cups were a thing, like a crazy disney fanatic thing.

Due to some scheduling conflicts, Everly and I found ourselves with nothing to do on the last day of vacation, so what better thing to do that to go to Disneyland for another day, and try to snag one of the infamous cups.  And so we did.  It was not easy, let me tell you.  First off, people, please hear me out, if you have never been to Disneyland, DO NOT GO on a Saturday.  It was craziness - like out of control busy, and I've been to the parks when they were at max capacity!  I decided that we would pick up a fastpass for star tours and then line up at the Red Rose Taverne before it opened.  Turns out, everyone else had the same idea.  Thankfully, somehow my daughter was just in a magical space, and even though we had literally done nothing in the park but get a fastpass for a later time, she had no problem just hanging out in a line of crazy disneyland fans, for over an hour and a half!  We never wait in line for a ride that long - let alone a restaurant to buy a cup - but we did.  It was a fun fan experience to talk with other disney fanatics - and the sun was shining, and we were lined up with plenty of seating options, so we were good.

So, here are a few photos of my little date with my daughter in Disneyland this past Saturday as we got ourselves a few of these gorgeous little souvenir cups! I'm pretty sure this is one of those moments I will hold on to for some time.

try the grey stuff- it's delicious [the red rose taverne]

I knew it was coming, but I had no idea that our latest trip to Disneyland was going to perfectly align with the opening of The Red Rose Taverne.  Not only did we get to try the grey stuff, we were able to eat many of the menu items during the soft opening before things got CRAZY!  We also were there to see the nightly transformations of the Village Haus into The Red Rose Taverne.  Apparently, as of right now it is a 'limited time only' experience, but I'm not sure I believe it.  It would be lovely to keep this gem around for some time, because, Pinocchio, you already have a ride.  And really, it's Belle!

As a child who lived during an amazing time in Disney animation - Beauty and the Beast is, and has always been, a pretty big deal for me.  Getting to experience the excitement over the new movie with my daughter and the magic of Disneyland has been just too much for me to try to articulate.  So here are a few images of The Red Rose Taverne, and of course, the grey stuff! Mostly, the grey stuff.


we got to try it twice, once during the soft opening, before they were selling out!!!

here's the Village Haus before its transformation

and after...

one half is decorated for Belle with her friends Mrs. Potts and Luminere, the other half for Gaston.



she only likes the outside part of this treat, which means it is perfect for sharing!
she likes stealing the little candies first

treats we tried:

Enchanted Cauli-Flower Sandwich 

Grilled Cauliflower Steak, Spicy Lime Aïoli, Tempura-battered Green Beans, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Toasted Roll, served with Pommes Frites or sliced Apples

*AMAZING - must try, even if you aren't a vegetarian.  My meat loving husband loved it too, however, we highly suggest you ask for extra aioli on the side - you won't regret it!

Chicken Sandwich à la Lumière 

Grilled Chicken Breast, Apple Slaw, Onion-Bacon Jam, and fried Cherry Peppers on a Toasted Roll, served with Pommes Frites or sliced Apples

*YES! But ask for an extra side of the slaw - they were a little stingy with it, but didn't charge for the extra.  Just ask at the counter - no button on their cash registers ;)

Chef's Chopped Salad 

Cabbage, Romaine,  Iceberg Lettuce, Smoked Bacon, Apples, Hard-cooked Eggs, Blue Cheese crumbles, and Apple Vinaigrette, topped with Garlic Croutons

*a nice light option - good if you have eaten too much in the park already!  I tried it during the soft opening right after I had devoured a very large breadstick at Maurice's Treats Cart, so it worked for that moment.  

Grey Stuff Gâteau 

White Chocolate Mousse and Red Velvet Cake with a Raspberry Center

*OUTSTANDING - Will get it every time we can - and I'm more of a frozen dessert kind of girl.  It was fun having a dessert option our whole family enjoyed sharing together.

Gaston's Famous Brew 

Apple-Mango Punch topped with Passion Fruit Foam

*not our favorite, but it looked like a beer, which was fun for the theme - just a little too sweet for our liking.