Disney | The Chadd & Kristi Morning Show

So Long, Summer! L-A, Disneyland, The Oregon Coast & More!

Posted on September 15, 2025 by The Chadd & Kristi Morning Show

It is time to say “goodbye” to another summer. We had lots of adventures, including a trip up to the Lavender & Dahlia Festivals in the Portland area, a trip to Cannon Beach, many trips to Portland & Bend for concerts & a family getaway to Cali, including stops at Disneyland/California Adventure Park for the 70th Anniversary Celebration. We ate our way through both parks! We also hit a lot of spots around Los Angeles, including the Museum of Motion Pictures (the Barbie exhibit was amazing), the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, Universal Studios Hollywood & even some viral spots–Chamberlain Coffee & Erewhon, we’re looking at you!

We wrapped up our summer fun with a trip to Cannon Beach. So many awesome things to see. Of course, you have Haystack Rock. On our walk back to town, we were surprised to come upon some of the Cannon Beach Elks perusing someone’s yard. They were just living their best lives. We gave them their space while watching them meander through the neighborhood. We also made a stop by the Elk Flats Trailhead that overlooks Devil’s Cauldron. The photos truly don’t capture the magnificence of standing on the edge of that cliff & feeling the ocean breeze blowing around you.

Here are some of the pics we captured along the way!

Food, Flowers, Fun & Family at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2025

Posted on April 2, 2025 by The Chadd & Kristi Morning Show

We gathered the whole crew & headed to Orlando for a food journey through EPCOT at Walt Disney World. So much fun! The topiaries and garden displays are gorgeous. There’s tasty food from the outdoor kitchens, plus beverages of all kinds. (The Key Lime Wine Slushy was a favorite!) Relax and listen to some tunes with their live concert series featuring different performers throughout the run of the festival (former Chicago lead singer Jason Scheff was the performer when we were there.) And there are fun activities like a pollination trail and Easter egg scavenger hunt on select days. Just grab a little festival passport to see all there is to offer and get ready to have a blast! This year’s EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival goes through June 2nd.

Spring Break 2024 Fun–Disney’s Epcot & Hollywood Studios

Posted on April 10, 2024 by The Chadd & Kristi Morning Show

Looking for a delightful getaway full of fun, sun & magical entertainment & food? Then it’s time to head to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. That was our Spring Break destination this year. We got to spend time with our son Brendan, his girlfriend Paige & my sister Jane. It’s one of our favorite times of year to visit Orlando because the weather is perfect & the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is going on with so many beautiful topiary displays & concerts to go along with all the rides & attractions. Plus, you can indulge in all the seasonal tasty foods around the park & Epcot’s World Showcase. They have a variety of outdoor kitchens featuring tapas-sized creative, tasty morsels –some savory, some sweet–but all creative & delectable! Not to mention, there are a variety of alcoholic & non-alcoholic seasonal beverages to sip on. The best part is there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It’s a definite must-do if you can escape to Orlando for a few days. The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is going on through May 27th.

One of the great things about Walt Disney World in Orlando is that there are 4 theme parks to enjoy, plus 2 water parks–and you can add the “Park Hopper” option to your tickets so you can conveniently visit multiple parks on the same day. After we’d stuffed ourselves at Epcot, we decided that we were going to hop on the Disney Skyliner gondolas to pop over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to take a stroll through Toy Story Land. Dude, the TACHOS are the real deal–very tasty!

We also traveled to a galaxy far, far away to the Star Wars fanatic’s favorite destination–Galaxy’s Edge where we rode the Rise of the Resistance attraction that immerses you in Star Wars.

Then it was back to Epcot to finish our trek around the countries in the World Showcase to enjoy some more tasty bites. What a day filled with memories to last a lifetime!

Walt Disney World Spring Break Dreams

Posted on April 10, 2024 by The Chadd & Kristi Morning Show

Spring Break is the perfect time for a getaway to the sun and fun of Florida–and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. We chose to stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. It is a beautiful resort connected to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort. Between the two resorts, there are two food courts, plus multiple restaurants to choose from, including Scat Cat Club’s Cafe where you can indulge in the most delicious beignets that I imagine came straight from Princess Tiana’s kitchen.

After settling in, it was time to embark on an adventure to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park to experience Pandora where the world of Avatar comes to life. The Na’vi River Journey is a relaxing ride through a captivating, bioluminescent rainforest. At the same time, Avatar Flight Of Passage is a thrilling, breathtaking flight atop a banshee that immerses you in the world of Avatar. Both are a must to experience!

While we like to arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when the park first opens because there are so many attractions to experience, including the Kilimanjaro Safari–it is also a fantastic way to cap off your day by having dinner and a drink at the end of the day. We always make a beeline to Pandora to enjoy a tasty meal at Satu’li Canteen. (This time, I chose the Ocean Moon Bowl) This is definitely our favorite dining spot in Animal Kingdom.

Then, it was off to ride “Dinosaur” in Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. This attraction holds a special place in our hearts because our son Brendan has been a dinosaur fan since he was 2 years old & has been riding this attraction since he finally hit the height requirement. While we were on that side of the park, we also took in a showing of the live stage show “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!” (Marlin is a family favorite!)

And if that wasn’t enough, we once again took advantage of our Park Hopper tickets and popped over to Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park to ride the Tron Light Cycle Run for the first time. It was exhilarating! Then we grabbed an enormous cinnamon bun at Gaston’s Tavern in the Fantasyland area of Magic Kingdom. It was amazing! Magic Kingdom has soooo many places to dine depending on what you’re family is craving. There are many options where you can just walk up on the day of your visit. However, more planning will be necessary if you’d like a table service dining experience or a beloved Disney Character dining experience. You’ll need to make your reservations much further in advance, as they fill up very quickly. If the restaurant you had your heart set on happens to be full, don’t despair. There are many times that reservations open up when other guests cancel, so be sure to check back often.

A couple of the other things we did on our trip that we really enjoyed included having brunch at Chef Mickey’s at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort. In addition to being an “all you care to eat” experience, it is taken to the next level by featuring visits to your table by Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck. Not to mention THE Disney bacon and Mickey waffles brighten your day!

After brunch, we took the monorail to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to see their annual Chocolate Easter Egg display from artisans who’ve designed these amazing masterpieces. It’s definitely a site to see!

We capped the day off with dinner at Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village. Sanaa features African cooking with Indian flavors–a wonderful dining experience! We started with the must-do Indian Style Bread Service, then split a few entrees, so we could all try different things. After dinner, we went out to see all the animals leisurely grazing along the savannah and were also surprised by a visit from Daisy Duck and Chip and Dale. It was the perfect end to the perfect evening! What are you waiting for?!? Your Walt Disney World vacation in Orlando is just one click away!