When you think about Disney World, drinking around the world is probably not one of the first things that pops into mind, but this has been something that’s been on my bucket list for a while. It seemed like serendipity when I had a conference scheduled in Orlando just right after my birthday. After a bit of convincing, one of my besties and I decided to tackle on the challenge! Based on our experience, I’ve put together a list a tips and tricks on how to survive your first Epcot bar crawl.

So if you are over the age of 21, here’s a guide on “How to drink around the world at Epcot”. Let me know how it goes!

Cucumber Margarita – Tequila, orange liqueur, caramel iced pineapple juice, fresh basil, cucumber and agave nectar, served on the rocks.

How to drink around the world at Epcot

Do your research

Do your research and get a feel for the different drink options and prices. Drinking around the world is not an easy task. We’re talking about 11 countries where you have the option to stop and drink (more if you go during the food and wine festival). Doing your research ahead of time will help you to better prepare your liver and your wallet. Also, don’t forget to research the park hours. Park hours are seasonal and vary by day. This challenge is a full day event so you will want to pick a day with longer park hours (maybe even extra magic hours) to fully take advantage of the time.

Be prepared to pay

Prepare your wallet! Admission to the park is currently set at $97 USD/per person (plus taxes) and drinks run an average of around $12 USD /per drink. These are average drink prices in California, but they may not be typical prices where you are from! Don’t forget that even though this is a bar crawl, it is a full day event so you need to eat throughout the day. So make sure to prepare for the various expenses in addition to extra spending money for snacks and souvenirs.

Map out your game plan

Map out your game plan taking into consideration the park hours and how many countries you plan to visit. The most important decision will be where to start your day. Some people like to start outside the park, while others suggest starting at the Tequila Cavern in Mexico. I found this article from Thrillist to be very helpful when mapping out our strategy: Epcot Bar Crawl. We pretty much started in Mexico, and skipped every other country, doing two full loops from there.

Team Gear

I am telling you, people do not take this challenge lightly. The only reason I became aware of the bar crawl at Epcot, was from observing groups of people wearing team shirts referencing the challenge. Depending on the size of your group, you may either want to coordinate outfits or order custom shirts. Since it was just myself and the bestie, we opted for coordinating shirts. That seemed to suffice. 🙂

#squadgoals

Day of Gear

Pack a hat, sunscreen, snack bars, camera, and most importantly a water bottle. A small messenger bag or backpack is perfect for carrying all of your essentials plus any souvenirs you may buy.

Celebratory Button

Don’t forget to pick up your celebratory button when you arrive at the park! Birthday Button, Anniversary, Celebration, whatever the occasion, celebratory buttons are an easy conversation piece.

Have fun!

Just remember to pace yourself and have fun. Don’t feel pressured to complete the 11 country challenge. Eleven countries is a daunting task, especially if you are not used to drinking that much. Just go with a plan in mind and an objection of having fun. When else are you going to have an opportunity to drink in more that one country on the same day?

Have you ever taken on the challenge?

XOXO

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In my previous Brazilian blowout post, I explained my obsession and gave a few tips on how to maintain and expand the life of your blowout. Now I’d like to dive a bit deeper into Brazilian blowout maintenance and give you a glimpse as to just how easy it is. My routine is a simple four step process: 1) shampoo, 2) condition, 3) deep condition, and 4) moisturize. The most important thing you can do to expand the life of your Brazilian blowout is to use products that are sulfate-free. I have experimented with a variety of expensive and less costly products and found that the price does not necessarily make a big difference. The key is to keep it simple and invest in a few key pieces that will elevate your hair game to the next level!

Air dried hair with moisturizers noted in Step 4. This is month 3 of the Brazilian blowout.

STEP 1: SHAMPOO

Shampoo your hair once every 2-3 days (or wait longer if possible). Choose a shampoo that is sulfate-free and contains keratin. Shampoo strips your hair strands of their protein, so you want to pick a product that will be as gentle as possible. The purpose of choosing a shampoo with keratin is to add back the protein that the shampoo may be stripping in an effort to extend the life of your blowout. My favorite shampoo is “Keratin Color Care Shampoo” by Keratin Complex. It is both sulfate and sodium chloride free which is perfect for colored hair maintenance. STEP 2: CONDITION

Condition your hair after every shampoo. Choose a conditioner that contains keratin and leave the product in your hair for at least 3 minutes before rinsing. Try to divide your hair in half when applying to penetrate as much hair as possible. My favorite conditioner is “Keratin Color Care Conditioner” by Keratin Complex. STEP 3: DEEP CONDITION

At least once a week, deep condition your hair in place of Step 2 after you shampoo. Choose a deep conditioner that contains keratin and leave the product in your hair for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Focus the deep conditioner on your ends, as this is where the hair is the most dry. I like to rub regular conditioner on the upper part of my strands after putting deep conditioner on my ends. I then wrap my hair in a bun and let that sit on the top of my head. My favorite deep conditioner is “Vanilla Bean Deep Conditioner” by Keratin Complex. This conditioner leaves my hair feeling silky soft and smells like vanilla bean frosting. You can even see the vanilla specks in the product.

STEP 4: MOISTURIZE

Step four is broken up into a two-part step; a) moisturize the hair when wet, and b) moisturize the hair when semi-dry. For those of you that have very dry hair, this two-part step is very important in extending the life of your blowout. Use a styling serum when wet to tame frizz as your hair air dries. A serum is a very concentrated product which you want to use sparingly. After washing and conditioning, towel dry your hair and add between one to two pumps of product (depending on your length and thickness), massaging the product into your hair and focusing on the tips. You can either blow dry your hair on a low setting or let it air dry after applying the serum. Because I like to keep a low maintenance routine, I will usually let my hair air dry unless I am in a rush. Once your hair is semi-dry, add a moisturizing heat protection product prior to utilizing a flat-iron or high heat. I find that moisturizing in this two-part step leaves my hair very soft and manageable. My favorite products are “K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil” by Joico and “Keratin Dry Oil Mist” by Ion.

K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil

To say that I have thick hair would be an understatement. As you can see from my photos, my hair is extremely thick, dry, and curly. It basically does whatever it wants when given the opportunity. That’s why feel it’s so important to maintain a regular maintenance routine in order to tame the hair beast!

After following my regular maintenance routine and using a 2-inch ceramic flat-iron to straighten. This photo was taken the day after the photo of my hair above.

What are your tips and tricks to keep your hair under control? 😉