Walt Disney World for GrownUPs

[trip style = food + wine + spa]

Right now I'm at Walt Disney World for the second time in six months. The irony is, I don't have kids {though I still sing songs from The Little Mermaid in the car, if that counts}?!?

Known to most kiddies as The Happiest Place on Earth, when I was at WDW in October for one of North America's top 15 Food and Wine Festivals, I discovered there's not only a place for adults, there's a secret stash of sips, spas and spectacles for those pining after youth {and its glow}.

Taken by Disney's sophisticated side, I returned home after my first trip and told everyone this: Whether you go as a multi-gen family, a group of friends or with your young kids, there's a ton of fairytale ways to indulge in Walt's lesser-known burrows starting with a glass of sauvignon blanc and ending with a steam bath.    

Here's a peek into Walt's grownUP world, cheers.

Spa
First things first, adult Disney has several spas, sans a Mickey silhouette in sight. There are two full-service spas at WDW; the first I recommend is Senses - a Disney Spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, an oasis of calm layered in earthy tones and textures. Contemplating the spa pre-visit, I half expected to be met by a Mouseketeer masseur for my massage. My assumption was totally off. In reality, my attendant was as calm as the cucumbers covering my eyes, and his movements akin to lapping waves. Arrive early or stay late to extend the treatment in a heated chaise, whirlpool or steam room. A similar concept and design sensibility abounds at Senses - A Disney Spa at the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, though here, there's an added glitz in the form of Murano glass chandeliers and silver-toned mirrors. I visited this spa yesterday with my mom for a mani-pedi, and we were luxuriating a total of four hours between our detail-oriented and indulgent nail work, and the steam-whirlpool-lounge relaxation area.

Lounging atop a heated chaise at Senses - A Disney Spa

Haute Dining
While I'm a huge fan of DOLE Whip, and Mr. Trip Styler can't get enough of Disney corn dogs, neither we nor our waistlines can survive on these park staples alone. Enter a world of upscale dining tucked behind the parks' buffets and concessions. My premier pick is Monsieur Paul in France at Epcot. Entering near the foot of the Eiffel Tower coupled with views over the Seine only adds to the haute couture and cuisine. My other top picks include: La Cantina de San Angel in Mexico, Spice Road Table in Morocco and the Rose & Crown Pub in England.

Dining at Monsieur Paul

Imbibing
As a Disneyland gal—a mostly dry park—drinking at Walt Disney World was an EPCOT-sized revelation. I could NOT believe you could drink at Disney, to the point where I asked several insiders the question 20 different ways to make sure I understood Walt's alcohol policy correctly. Case in point, the first thing I did when I arrived in October is wander out from my hotel to Disney's BoardWalk and order a cold brew at 11pm. When the park opened the next day, I hightailed it over to Epcot's World Showcase and sipped a flute of Champagne from the France Pavilion {a mini version of the City of Lights}, followed by a shot of tequila in Mexico, and so on. 

Trip Styler Tip: Epcot has 11 mini countries from Canada to Morocco in the World Showcase, each offering their own local bevs and bites. These mini cities are my Disney happy place {and a way to teleport yourself around the world in minutes}. 

Sipping Champagne in France

Spectacles 
Fireworks, usually reserved for special occasions, come standard at WDW. Every night the sky erupts in bright bursts with shows taking place at both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. There's even a Disney outpost of Cirque du Soleil {La Nouba} if you'd prefer to pair the circus with your Cinderella experience.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show at Epcot

Festivals 
Throughout the year WDW hosts a bevy of adult-oriented events ranging from world-class food and wine events to an annual marathon every January {WDW is the size of San Francisco}. I'm with Mickey and my mom right now for one of the parks' largest undertakings, the 21st annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival {Mar 5 - May 18, 2014}. To give you an idea of the scale, this event boasts 30 million blooms and carries a staff of 24,000 who work year-round to grow, trim and prepare the florals and finger-sized, garden-fresh fare, some of which is grown in Epcot's greenhouses. 

21st annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Quiet Pools
Some WDW resorts such as the Beach Club and the Yacht Club have quiet pools, meaning you can break in bliss. 

[photos by @tripstyler taken as a guest of Walter E. Disney]

Jetset Style :: Spring Fashion

In nature, a sure sign of Spring is an Instagram feed jammed with cherry blossoms {#notcomplaining}. In fashion, Spring trends don't stray too far from the blooms. Think of this season's floral trend as a form of urban camouflage amidst the blossoms. Spring also gives you permission to trade in black for white and boots for classic slip-ons {aka the fastest shoe for clearing airport security!}. To top off your Spring look, grab a pair of mirrored sunglasses, which I've seen popping up everywhere from the streets of Stockholm to the beaches of the North Shore. These four key styles will have you looking fresh this season, whether your plans include jetting off to Jakarta, road tripping around Reykjavik or pub crawling through Portland.

Men: Acne Studios roc satin trouser, Nudie Jeans fairtrade organic t-shirt
Women: Gap 1969 legging skimmer jeans, Acne Studios patti blouse

Men {left side}: Illesteva leonard round frame sunglasses, Oakley frogskins
Women {right side}: Acne Studios sunglasses, Wildfox classic fox deluxe sunglasses

Women: Creatures of Comfort tomlin dress, Zara floral sweatshirt
Men: Engineered Garments pocket square, Beams Plus linen popover

Women {left side}: Sam Edelman becker slip-on, Givenchy skate shoes
Men {right side}: Vans brushed twill slip-on 59, YMC slip-on plimsoles

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Weekend in Palm Springs

[trip style = sun + food + luxe + spa + active]

When I’m in need of a major dose of Vitamin D, I retreat into Palm Springs’ sunny embrace. Steeped in enough swagger and style to outlast the coolest cats in town—just about every big-name celeb has had a brush with Hollywood's first love, including the newest recruit, Leonardo Dicaprio—its effortless cool delivers from dawn till dusk. Here's where to lounge like an A-lister in the desert sun.

Trip Styler Tip: For full details, check out my styled suggestions in 48 hours in Palm Springs for the Expedia Viewfinder.

Day One

Breakfast

• Norma's for alfresco dining fuelled by complimentary smoothie shooters
• King's Highway order an iconic date shake with vanilla bean gelato in the former and upstyled Denny’s
• Cheeky's for the bacon flight alone {and the owner’s fave: crispy buttermilk waffles doused in salted butter and syrup}

Mid-morn
Stroll along North Palm Canyon Drive into the Uptown Design District to browse furniture stores akin to midcentury museums, and while you're in the place that popularized poolside cocktail parties, play the part in a scene-stealing dress or striped seersucker suit from desert-based designer Trina Turk---a shop so legit, you're offered a chilled mimosa upon entering.

Noon
Check into Korakia Pensione, and if your room isn't prepped—check-in is technically in the later afternoon—cool off under the shade of an umbrella beside one of two saltwater pools at the Mediterranean-inspired retreat.

Mid-aft 
Replenish your sun-scorched electrolytes at the Lemonade Stand deep in the citrus grove at The Parker Palm Springs. Sit and sip a muddled lemon bev of your choosing at the chic white marble bar, or under the shade of a tangerine and yellow umbrella. And since you’re on vacation, head a few steps leeward to PSYC {Palm Springs Yacht Club}, a nautical-themed spa offering a co-ed dipping pool and boozy pre-treatment shots.

Drinks
Since you’re already at The Parker, saddle up to the six-seat Mini Bar for a tipple.

Dinner
Satisfy your stomach at Birba, an alfresco pizza and pasta place warmed by the wood-burning pizza oven and a bevy of outdoor fireplaces. Birba is my first dinner stop every single time I lollygag in Palm Springs.

Day Two

Breakfast
Korakia Pensione includes breakfast in one of the most gorgeous settings in the Coachella Valley: a spot next to a fountain under the shade of orange trees. Bite into a rotating menu of dishes like rustic potatoes paired with eggs and multigrain toast.

Mid-morn
Since Palm Springs and modernism mingle in the same circles---it's home to the country's largest concentration of the throwback structures and style---check out some of the homes that have helped to make the city famous. Look up Robert Imber at Palm Springs Modern Tours or stop by the Palm Springs Visitors Center for a $5 map of Modern Palm Springs. Both the DIY and hosted tours are excellent; choose one based on how much time you want to spend drooling over design.

Early-aft
The San Jacinto Mountains, visible from nearly every sun-scorched vantage point, beg to be conquered. Rev your heartbeat and score a killer view of the Coachella Valley hiking one of the many trails that start along the edge of town. Talk to your hotel concierge for a list of nearby trailheads.

Mid-aft
You're in Palm Springs, so spending time by your hotel pool is not only encouraged, but expected.

Dinner
Toast your last night of desert decadence at one of Palm Springs’ most iconic addresses, the ever-hip Purple Palm Restaurant and Bar. Named in a nod to the hotel’s original owner—a mob boss and member of the Purple Gang—the elegant eatery is perched next to the Colony Palms Hotel pool.

[photos by @tripstyler, except mini bar via Parker Palm]

Enroute

[trip style = luxury]

A week ago today, I sipped a flute of brut at 2am (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere) as my Cathay Pacific flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong pulled away from the gate. My getaway, hovering sky-high in dream trip territory, saw me eating dim sum in China’s first three-star Michelin restaurant, followed by a deep dive into Thailand’s rice-terraced and elephant-rich North.

While I have so much to tell you about e-v-e-r-y detail of the trip style = luxe trip that took me to three Four Seasons properties, I’m currently somewhere over the Pacific enroute home. Circle back for a ton of coverage starting soon. In the meantime, I’ve chronicled my urban-meets-remote adventure on Instagram, so flip through my photos there.

Four Seasons Hong Kong

Four Seasons Chiang Mai

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

[photos by @tripstyler, taken as a guest of Cathay Pacific and Four Seasons]

Roam+Board :: Korakia Pensione

[trip style = luxe + sun]

What
Hitting the Palm Springs hotel scene in the late ‘80s, Korakia Pensione is the darling of design bloggers who can’t help but snap its eye-catching vignettes. Two restored villas—next door neighbors in the 1930s—dressed in a Morocco and Mediterranean cues host 29 guest rooms at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains.

Korakia is more haven than hotel. Moroccan daybeds and fuchsia bougainvillea accessorize property, palms pop up in clusters and narrow pathways beg you to explore every corner of the 1.5-acre grounds. Knowing the original hoteliers were a model-photog duo, I understand why every glance looks like a magazine spread.

Rooms vary in size from petite perch to patio suite, each dressed in timeless touches such as stone floors, white walls, rustic antiques and exposed wood-beam ceilings. True to its retreat physique, board games replace in-room TVs and fireside chats sit in for a thumping hotel bar.

At breakfast—Korakia is a bed and breakfast—I sit beside a three-tiered fountain at a wooden table decorated with rustic place settings and a bowl of oranges. Completely taken by the scene, including the palate-cleansing scent, I look up and realize I’m in a citrus grove.

As the day progresses, I roam the grounds eating oranges and photographing every desert detail. While the property is a few blocks from downtown Palm Springs, I can’t tear myself away from the living magazine pages, and hold out for the sunset when the sky turns 50 shades of pink, the lanterns are lit and vintage movies play under a starry sky. At Korakia, staying in is the new going out. Trip Styler approved.

Trip Styler Tip: Ready for more boutique hotel bliss in Palm Springs? Check out my top five picks in an article I penned for the Expedia Viewfinder. 

Where
Ten minutes from the Palm Springs Airport or two hours---three in traffic---from LAX.

When
Palm Springs receives 360 days of sun per year; there's no bad time to go. The winter months are a desert dichotomy of warm days and frosty nights, spring and fall are perfection and summer is desert-hot.

Who/Why
Palm Springs' health retreat beginnings bring out your inner vitamin D-loving bohemian {and desire to direct a DIY photoshoot}.

Cost
Winter rates start at $289/night and include breakfast, parking, nightly outdoor movie nights and WiFi. Summer rates hover around $180/night. 

Photos

Korakia Pensione from the outside

Mediterranean villa saltwater pool {all guests can use it}

Walking around at Korakia

Lounge

Roaming the grounds

Breakfast scene in the orange tree-covered courtyard

Orange juice in the orange grove

Breakfast views

Hearty breakfast

One of many outdoor courtyards

Suite patio

Room details

Al fresco corner

Poolside warmth

Outdoor screening room for vintage flicks a laCasablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany's

More Roam+Board
La Gazelle d'Or – Morocco
Mandarin Oriental – Las Vegas
Hotel Lone – Croatia
Templar Hotel – Toronto
Encuentro Guadalupe – Mexico
The Viceroy Palm Springs
Parker Palm Springs
Alcazar Palm Springs

[photos by @tripstyler taken as a guest of Korakia, a place I've been pining after for-evah]