Disney Blog ( News & Travel Guides) Polka Dots & Pixie Dust

Welcome to Polka Dots and Pixie Dust, A Magical Disney Blog focused on Vacation Destinations that includes Theme Parks, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruises, and Universal Studios. Here you’ll find everything you need to help plan your Disney Parks Vacation, plan your Disney Cruise, and add more Disney to your Lifestyle. With Book Reviews, Movie Nights, Copycat Recipes, and Gift Guides, there is plenty to learn here. We are sisters, Rochelle and Melanie, with a passion for all things Disney and Harry Potter. Not to mention holidays, food, and movies, all of which you’ll find here at Polka Dots and Pixie Dust. From blogging about vacations to the best copycat recipes from the Parks, we’re always ready to add a little more Disney in your Day.

Sharing our travels to Vacation Destinations we write about our trips to Theme Parks like Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal Studios. As well as share all our best tips for visiting Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii, and exploring the world on Disney Cruises. On our Disney Blog, you’ll find everything you need to help plan your Disney Parks Vacation, plan your Disney Cruise, and add more Disney to your Life. Plus you’ll get an inside look at Disney resorts, Disney restaurants, all the newest Disney snacks and even Disney Cruise Ships. If you’re planning a Disney Cruise, you can find guides for each Disney Cruise Ship, and Cruise Destination Reviews. Because we love sharing our personal travel experiences to help you craft your perfect vacation.

So whether we’re reviewing Epcot Festivals at Disney World, or the newest Disney Cruise Ship Lounge, we’re here to help you plan your best Vacation ever, magic included! Do you need a list of everything you’ll find in each park? You can grab our Free Disney E-Book with Visitor Guides for each Disney World Park by signing up for our newsletter. We promise to share everything you could hope for from a WDW Tourist Blog, and maybe some other Disney stuff just for fun! Our goal is to add more faith, trust and pixie dust to the everyday.

Disney Blog Lifestyle

And of course, no lifestyle Disney blog would be complete without Disney Recipes, Book Reviews, Movie Nights, and Gift Guides to get you inspired. Did we mention we’re Harry Potter fans too? Yep! As such, you can count on lots of Butterbeer Recipes, Vacation Tips for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and even a Harry Potter Movie Marathon Weekend. If you’re ready for some extra magic, here’s a quick look at everything you find on your blog. You can find it all separated by category in our drop down menus on this page!

Walt Disney World

A WDW tourist blog just wouldn’t be complete with reviews of resorts, restaurants, planning, and parties. If you’re traveling to Disney World in 2024, be sure to look at the Walt Disney World Calendar of Events 2024 so you know what to expect when you visit. From holidays, to special events, runDisney Events and EPCOT festivals there are plenty of things that can affect your trip. Luckily, we’ve collected about 15 years of Disney travel experience to create this Disney Blog, so there is plenty to learn here. Let’s get started.

Planning

Planning a Disney World Vacation can get complicated. Thankfully, we’ve done a round-up of all the information you need. If you’re ready to dive in, we have tips on how to plan a Disney Vacation and everything you need to know about the Parks. On this Disney Blog we share everything you need to know about Disney World’s four theme parks; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Grab our Disney Checklists so you know what to see, do, and eat in all four parks. Or check out our Disney Tips to start planning the details.

Plan Your Vacation with tips, guides, and checklists.
Figure out which Disney Parks to visit.
Decide where to stay with our Disney Resorts Reviews.
Book your Advanced Dining Reservations at our favorite Disney Restaurants
Plan a Disney Halloween Trip
Get ready for Disney Holidays with all our holiday posts
Browse the New Disney Snacks you can look forward to
And don’t forget to check out the fun & free Disney Games

Festivals and Parties EPCOT Festivals are included with your park ticket, while other parties and after-hours events are available at an extra cost. Check out all details in the planning guide for the Festivals, Parties and Events at Walt Disney World that happen throughout the year.

Walt Disney World 2024

One of our favorite things to write about on this Disney Blog is all the Disney News; from new rides, and restaurants to shows and events. And with each year, Disney brings more and more fun and magical things to do. In 2024, things at Walt Disney World are looking up. With the main opening being Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, construction projects may be on a break, helping the parks get back to “normal.” With a completed EPCOT World Celebration and new restaurants, the main projects will be resort renovations. A New Little Mermaid Show at Hollywood Studios, an Updated Country Bears Jamboree in Magic Kingdom, and the brand new nighttime spectacular Luminous at EPCOT Park are all things you can experience this year.

The biggest Disney Vacation Tips we can offer is to review the Walt Disney World Calendar of Events 2024 so you know what to expect when you visit. Whether it’s larger traveling groups at Disney that may take over your hotel, or clog up lines at Disney World, we share dates and details in the post. And if you’re visiting to run your next race, check out the runDisney Events to get a handle on registration dates and themes. As a Disney Parks Blog, it’s one of our goals to always help you have the best vacation, with cheaper costs, and lower crowds, so everything we write, is with you in mind.

Parks

Just like all Disney Blogs, we have loads of info to help you plan your visit to the parks. Walt Disney World has 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, the Disney Boardwalk, over 25 resorts, and Disney Springs. That’s a lot to fit into any Disney Vacation. Below, you can check out our pages on all the Walt Disney World Parks.

Animal Kingdom: Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Walt Disney World’s largest park and features animal habitats and themed rides, restaurants and spaces honoring Africa, Asia, and Pandora.
EPCOT: Walt Disney’s favorite project for a city of tomorrow can be found at EPCOT Park, home to Spaceship Earth, and the World Showcase, offering a variety of restaurants and rides themed to different cultures.
Hollywood Studios: Featuring old-school Hollywood, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios is all about film. Home to the Tower of Terror and Rise of the Resistance.
Magic Kingdom: Home to Cinderella’s Castle Magic Kingdom is Disney World’s smallest park, and most popular. With over 25 rides, if you love classic Disney films and characters, you can find them here.

Free Places to Visit at Disney World

Disney’s BoardWalk: Found just outside EPCOT Park, you can visit the Disney Boardwalk for free to explore the Boardwalk Resorts, restaurants, and Entertainment available.
Disney Springs Shopping Center: Disney Springs is Walt Disney World’s free, public shopping center, filled with restaurants and shops to browse, and explore. Perfect for finding your next Disney Gift.
Disney Resorts: Walt Disney World has over 25 Disney Resorts, across all categories. While some feature characters, others are simply themed to Walt’s favorite things. Disney Resorts are free to visit and make for the perfect non-park ticket day.

Things to Do at Disney World

Our favorite parts of any Disney Vacation often have nothing to do with the rides. In fact, most of the content on this Disney Blog, is about festivals, parties, Disney lounges, resort days, and Disney food. We love the extra special things that you can find when you’re not just checking off your Disney checklist. From the fun free Disney Games we’ve found in the parks and all our favorite Disney Snacks in each park. If you’re visiting EPCOT, chances are you will visit during one of the EPCOT festivals. Check out our Best times to visit Walt Disney World post for which months each festival happens. And if you’re visiting during the holidays you can grab tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom. These are the best parties at Disney World and completely worth the cost of the ticket, ( when you skip your day ticket that is.)

WDW Festivals and Parties

No matter what time of year you visit Walt Disney World there is always something fun going on. On our Disney Blog, we write about these things a lot; from the Boo To You Parade lyrics to the Food and Wine Festival Menus, there is so much to share when these events arrive each year. EPCOT Festivals are included with your park ticket, while other parties and after-hours events are available at an extra cost. Check out all the Festivals, Parties and Events at Walt Disney World that happen throughout the year.

Disney Vacation Planning

Okay, let’s be clear, Disney is EXPENSIVE, like really expensive. As such, on this Disney Blog we have a whole Disney Budget section committed to deals on how to save money at Disney. And sometimes it’s as easy as just choosing the right time of year. While many people will be up against work, school, and family schedules, choosing WHEN to visit Walt Disney World is your first step. Consider what you’re hoping to do when you go. Are you planning on visiting an EPCOT festival? During Halloween or Christmas? Once you’ve decided which dates you will be visiting, then you can decide where to stay. Here’s a quick look at what happens each season at Disney World.

Disney Cruises

By far one of the best ways to travel, a Disney Cruise is unlike any other! With award winning service, these elaborate ships are decked to the nines with beautiful details honoring the history of cruising, and Disney details you won’t want to miss. We’d say about half of our Disney Blog is about Disney Cruises. From how to Save Money on a Disney Cruise to our favorite Disney Cruise Lounges, we’re writing about it all. And if you’re planning your first Disney Cruise, be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Tips for Beginners post, filled with tips from what to pack, to when to board, and all the activities onboard. Our Disney Cruise Vacation Guides are packed with room tours, restaurant reviews, activities onboard and more, for everything you need to know about sailing with Disney Cruise Line. From departure ports to destinations to coffee places on each Disney Cruise Ship, we share it all in our Disney cruise section here on the blog.

If you’re Planning a Disney Cruise be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Tips for Beginners post, filled with tips from what to pack, to when to board, and all the activities onboard. And if you’re looking to save some money, check out everything we recommend for a Disney Cruise On a Budget. As an all-inclusive Disney Vacation, you get more than you think included in your cruise package. And if you’re hoping to travel on a Holiday Disney Cruise, check out our posts for Halloween on the High Seas and Disney’s Very Merrytime Cruise.

Disneyland Park

Are you heading to Walt Disney’s original park in Anaheim, California? We’ve rounded up everything to know before you go to Disneyland Resort. From the 15 Best Hotels within Walking Distance of Disneyland to the Ultimate Disneyland Bucket List Challenge. As the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland Resort includes two parks- Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. You can also visit it’s 3 Signature Disney Resorts on property and the Downtown Disney shopping area too. Be sure to check out our resort reviews, and the amazing Halloween and Holiday seasons at Disneyland. You’ll see one of our favorite things to write about on this Disney blog is the Holidays. And Disneyland hosts some of the best Halloweentime and Christmastime fun.

Disney Aulani Resort

Another thing we write about on this Disney Blog are Disney Destinations, not just the parks. And Disney Aulani is one of them. If you’re hoping to travel to Hawaii and take your dream Disney Aulani Vacation, then check out the posts we’ve written so far! From the 5 Things to Do on an Oahu Road Trip to how to afford Disney Aulani on a Budget you can find everything you need from packing lists to an Aulani Day Trip. The Disney Aulani Resort is truly a magical place, featuring authentic Hawaiian culture, food, and shows. And you can even take a Disney Aulani Day trip if you’re not staying there. Check out all our Disney Blog posts on Disney Aulani Resort in Oahu, Hawaii, so far.

Disney At Home

Since we can’t travel all of the time, we LOVE adding more Disney at Home to this Disney Blog. We share Disney Recipes to help bring a little of the parks back home with you. Check out Tiana’s Beignets for your next Disney Movie Night or if you’re hosting a Disney Party. We love all things Disney Lifestyle, so you’ll also find Disney Quotes and things to inspire here too.

Or perhaps you’re planning your next Princess Tea Party and need Disney Party Ideas or just looking for some great Disney Books to add to your collection. We have them all here on this Disney blog just for you. And if you’re anything like us, as you build your #disneylife you’ll be looking for Disney Gifts and Things to Buy for your Disney home, wardrobe, and more. Take a look around the blog, there’s a lot happening here!

Disney Movies and Disney+ Plus

One of our favorite parts of being Disney fans, is getting the chance to dive into our favorite stories over and over again. From classic Disney movies to Disney Plus originals, there is a lot of storytelling going on! Check New Disney Shows and Movies on Disney+ Plus in 2024, and All the New Disney Movies for 2024 and Beyond! Continued stories for Star Wars, Marvel and National Geographic, join new specials featuring Mickey and Minnie, Disney Princesses and the Disney Channel.

Disney Shopping

Are you looking for the perfect Disney Gifts or Everything you Need to Buy for your Disney Trip? We have cute Disney Family Shirts over at Polka Dot Pixie Shop. And a slew of Disney Shopping Lists for Travel, Birthdays Holidays, and more here on the blog.

Shop Polka Dot Pixie Shop Disney Outfits
Shop Polka Dot Pixie Shop on ETSY
Shop Disney on Amazon

Universal Studios Wizarding World Guides

Universal Studios Orlando & The Wizarding World

If you’re adding Universal Studios Orlando to your vacation plans, be sure to check out our top posts. Having visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter we know it can get confusing. From making your trip a little easier to just indulging in all the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter Movies, to all our info on Universal Studios. From early park passes to annual passes, we’re sharing tips along the way. This can help you get a lay of the land. Universal Studios in Orlando Florida consists of 4 theme parks; Islands of Adventure, Universal Florida, Volcano Bay and Epic Universe. Themes include Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Minions, Universal Monsters, Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Mario. Since Universal Studios Orlando is quickly become a multi-day theme park vacation be sure to check out Universal Studios Resorts within walking distance to make things easy.

Harry Potter

Quite often we find fans of Disney are also fans of Harry Potter. Us included!!! As a result, we’ve added even more Harry Potter at Home posts. Filled with Butterbeer and everything. We’ve even rounded up recipes, activities and all the movies for a Harry Potter Movie Marathon Weekend. Perfect for a cozy weekend at home. And of course, since we love the holidays, we also have a Harry Potter Christmas Tree DIY if you’re looking to add more Hogwarts and Hedwig to your holidays this year.

A Disney Blog with a Little More Pixie Dust

There you have it! If you’re ready for a little more Pixie Dust in your week, sign up for our Polka Dots and Pixie Dust Newsletter to get a discount code to Polka Dot Pixie Shop and a FREE Walt Disney World Planning Guide. Every Friday we share new posts on this Disney Blog about all things Disney. Plus, new design releases from Polka Dot Pixie Shop and you’ll be on the list for special Disney News, all our Holiday fun, and exclusive access to sales! Thanks for being here….and Have a Magical Day!