traveling with my bwuhs

Some of my favorite moments at Walt Disney World are the completely unplanned ones.

I get stressed out when I plan something down to the minute and then it doesn’t go according to plan. Anyone else? For our family, winging it is usually the way to go. I think flexibility is especially important when traveling with a special needs kiddo—or really, any kiddo. We generally set out with an idea of what we want to do and maybe one or two can’t-miss things, but otherwise, we leave ourselves plenty of room to change course. It saves us from a lot of disappointment and, honestly, has led to some pretty great experiences.

On our most recent trip, I really wanted to have dinner at Topolino’s Terrace, located on the top floor of Disney’s Riviera Resort, late enough that we could see the EPCOT fireworks. This experience has been on my Disney top 10 list for a while, but somehow I always bump it in favor of something else.

I thought maybe we could finally make it happen when we visited Disney’s BoardWalk. But Topolino’s requires some planning—and usually a reservation—and I was hesitant to commit in case we decided we wanted to do something else. I love having that flexibility.

Instead, we found ourselves at Flying Fish, and it was such a happy turn of events.

The food was delicious, the theming was subtle and elegant, and, as usual with Disney dining, the service was great.

Hubs and I started with the Seasonal Gazpacho, which featured melons, and the Slow-Roasted Pork Belly. Boy1 ordered a Romaine Salad, and Boy2 had Chicken Noodle Soup. This was actually the first time our guys ordered their own appetizers instead of just snacking off our plates. A little milestone, but a fun one!

For dinner, the boys had Grilled Steak and Red Snapper, and they both really enjoyed their meals. One of their sides of fresh fruit even included a Hidden Mickey! If you know my guys, you know that was probably the best part of the whole meal.

Hubs had the Potato-Wrapped Red Snapper with potato gratin, and I had the Plancha-Seared Scallops with grits. It was all so good.

We skipped dessert at Flying Fish, but not because we weren’t in the mood for something sweet. Earlier that day, we had bought one of each dessert from Landscape of Flavors at Art of Animation—including a Mermaid Tail Cupcake, I’m Nemo Cheesecake, and four other sweet treats—and had our own little family taste test.

I can’t tell you how much I love seeing my picky little guy willingly participate in something like a taste test. It’s one of those things that might seem small to someone else but feels pretty huge to us.

And speaking of Disney snacks, I forgot to mention one of our must-dos from our quick Magic Kingdom visit in my last post: the Watermelon, Cucumber, and Pineapple Cup. It’s topped with sweet chili sauce and furikake, and it was SO good. Sweet, savory, a little spicy, and incredibly refreshing on a hot Florida day. I am determined to figure out a copycat version to make at home.

The boys, meanwhile, stuck with their Blue Coconut Slushies.

So, no, we didn’t make it to Topolino’s Terrace this time. It remains on the list for another trip. But we discovered Flying Fish instead, enjoyed a fantastic meal, found a Hidden Mickey in a bowl of fruit (and one in the lobby), taste-tested way too many desserts, and added another Disney snack to my must-recreate-at-home list.

Sometimes the best Disney plans are the ones you don’t make.

Are you a Disney planner, or do you prefer to wing it—and has a change of plans ever led to one of your favorite Disney memories?

❤ Jen