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Credit: Disney Cruise Line Blog

Credit: Disney Cruise Line Blog

Star Wars Day at Sea on the Disney Fantasy (2021 Review): Was the Force Strong?

January 30, 2021

As we approached the main lobby of the Disney Fantasy, we could feel the excitement building in the crowd. The usually bright, multilevel atrium we’d come to recognize had been transformed. Long banners with Galactic insignia hung from above, and red light permeated the space. A familiar melody started to play—the Imperial March—as Stormtroopers armed with blasters lined up to announce the arrival of their leader. The iconic breathing echoed through the air as Darth Vader took his place front and center. “We have intercepted a transmission sent from this area by a rebel spy,” he warned. “Anyone with ties to the Rebel Alliance will be considered a traitor.” It was official. Imperial Troops had infiltrated our ship, and for the next 24 hours, they were on the hunt for rebel spies. Read on to learn more about our Star Wars Day at Sea aboard Disney Cruise Lines…

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In Cruise, Foods & Drinks Tags Star Wars, Day at Sea, Disney Cruise Line (DCL)
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Star wars movie cover photo.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review – An Epic End to the Saga?

December 18, 2019

Growing up we both were intimately familiar with Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI and practically wore out the VHS tapes. While we wouldn’t call ourselves super fans, Star Wars has always been enjoyable and held a special place in our hearts; when the franchise was acquired by Disney it just felt right to us. We recently went on a Star Wars movie marathon (thanks Disney+!) to gear up for the last installment. It was so enjoyable to watch films we hadn’t see in years and really get clear on characters and details. We were also reminded how “The Last Jedi” felt a bit mediocre to us. With plot holes and silly moments it felt a little fluffy, but it also felt like it was building for the final chapter.

We were excited to hear that for “The Rise of Skywalker” J.J. Abrams was back at the helm. But we knew he had his hands full to not only include nostalgia from all the movies previously, but also bring in new exciting moments, and tie up a lot of loose ends. When we were invited to an early screening of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker we felt a big build up of excitement and nerves. This could be the final goodbye to many beloved characters (including ones that had been around since before we were even born!) Read on for our spoiler free review… We were excited to hear that for “The Rise of Skywalker” J.J. Abrams was back at the helm. But we knew he had his hands full to not only include nostalgia from all the movies previously, but also bring in new exciting moments, and tie up a lot of loose ends. When we were invited to an early screening of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker we felt a big build up of excitement and nerves. This could be the final goodbye to many beloved characters (including ones that had been around since before we were even born!) Read on for our spoiler free review…

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In Movies Tags Movie Review, Star Wars, Walt Disney Studios
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A Review of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

Yes, this is the article you’re looking for….

Explore a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Our Full Review of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Hollywood Studios (Plus Top Tips!)

August 20, 2019

If you haven’t heard already, a brand new land is opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios later this month: Star War’s Galaxy Edge! This past weekend we were lucky enough to be able to explore this new world before the official opening on the 29th as part of Annual Passholders preview days. We scored a reservation on the very first day for a 1-5pm time slot to be able to enjoy the area with lower crowds. So come along as we give an overview of the new land as well as share five tips to help you enjoy your first trip to Batuu…

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In Parks, Foods & Drinks Tags Walt Disney World, Star Wars, Galaxy's Edge, Attractions, Restaurant Review
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Retro style poster art for this film.

We loved all of the retro style poster art for this film.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review – Is This Han Solo Origin Worth the Hype?

May 23, 2018

A new Star Wars story begins...just in time for the holiday weekend! Earlier this week we were invited to an advanced screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Now while we wouldn't consider ourselves die hard fans, we do love the Star Wars franchise having grown up with the original movies. We have also been enjoying the latest chapters released in the last few years. We were intrigued to get a little more back story on the famous smuggler and scroundel Han Solo (and Chewy of course, because who doesn't love his furry sidekick?). 

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In Movies Tags Movie Review, Star Wars, Walt Disney Studios
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Update: Why We Changed Our Name to The Orlando DINKs

Yup, you read that correctly, after 6 years of being known as The Disney DINKs, we are officially changing our name to The Orlando DINKs.

While changing one word doesn’t seem like a huge change, it feels pretty huge to us since this has been our identity for so long. There are a few reasons why we decided to make the change, some of which are directly related to Disney and some that aren’t. Before we really get into it, we want to be very clear that this article isn’t an intent to bash Disney by any means. We have had amazing experiences related to Disney, from our wedding, multiple Anniversary trips on both coasts, and Disneyland Paris. Being Disney Vacation Club members has allowed us to experience some amazing destinations including Hawaii, Hilton Head Island, and Vero Beach. None of these would have been possible without DVC. We have also had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with friends and family throughout the years. So while it may seem like we are quitting Disney, we certainly are not (and please note we are even keeping our fun mouse ear branding!) Read on to learn more…

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Moving Near the Mouse: Moving to Orlando to be a Disney Local
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Setting Sail on a Disney Specialty Cruise with a Private Fireworks View

With the July 4th fireworks at Walt Disney World canceled this year, we figured it was the perfect time to reminisce about a special fireworks experience we had last fall. We are always amazed at the amount of special activities and tours available at Disney and booking a private specialty fireworks cruise was one awesome time. Technically our friends Max and Niki had booked the experience for their honeymoon, but they let us crash the party and come along (how nice are they right?). One night last fall our group of four enjoyed some drinks at the Top of the World then set sail on our private pontoon. Read on to hear all about our enchanted evening sailing.

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Is Disney Vacation Club Worth It? A DVC Review & Guide
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If you have read some of our resort reviews before, you may have figured out that we are Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members. We have been blue card holders since 2013 and have used our membership in various ways. We find that we get a lot of questions about DVC, with the most frequent being “Is DVC worth it?” It can be a bit confusing at first to figure out how the membership exactly works so we wanted to break it down for our readers. With this article we will be covering…

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Our Story: Why We Started The Disney DINKs Blog (Dual Income, No Kids & Disney Travel!)
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We were recently asked to participate in a “Disney Friends Blog Hop” for people to discover other Disney blogs in the community. (You can learn a little more about that at the the bottom of this post!) We also realized with many new visitors recently it may be a good time to share a bit more about the two authors behind the posts. There are two things we tend to get asked pretty frequently. Many people are curious of how we decided to launch a Disney based blog geared towards an adult crowd. Many people are also curious about the term “DINKs” (Dual Income No Kids) and we wanted to touch a bit on our journey to decide to be childfree. So here is a little peek into the world of Julie and Andrew…

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🐾 Saying goodbye to our sweet little James… 

We brought James (and his brother Jesse) home as tiny kittens on Valentine’s weekend in 2010. We were lucky enough to raise both of them from playful little kittens into old, delicate gentle
I lava you… 🫶

Loved that @disneyphotopass was able to capture some beach photos for us on our recent trip to @disneyaulani. We always have such magical memories thanks to @disneyvacationclub, and Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii is one

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