Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tales from my (mostly Disney) travels!
Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures
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    • A Morning at Magic Kingdom Touring Plan

      Posted at 12:33 pm by taryngirl, on January 7, 2021

      11/15/2020

      Our plan for this day was to check out of Bay Lake Tower, giving our luggage to Bell Services to transfer over to Boulder Ridge Villas, and then head to Magic Kingdom. We woke up at 6 a.m., dropped luggage at 6:45 a.m., and went to Contempo Cafe to Mobile Order our breakfast. All orders had to be mobile ordered. There was no walk up. They had a cast member sitting at the entrance who checked for your name on the list and then directed you to pick up your order based on a numbered spot.

      Anyway, we had planned to walk to Magic Kingdom, but decided to take the monorail instead since we were right there. We arrived at Magic Kingdom at 7:45 a.m. The gates were open already.

      Here you can see the markers on the ground and signage with virus precautions.
      Everything decorated for Christmas!
      They also had Cast Members standing around the hub with signs.
      The castle has had a makeover since I’ve been there last!

      Since there were no Fastpasses, we had to prioritize what we really wanted to ride since we had no idea how crowds and lines would be. We went directly to 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. We were in line by 7:55 a.m. with a 40 minute wait time posted. We got on the ride at 8:28 a.m., so it went slightly faster than what was posted. I have only ever stood in the standby line for this ride one other time! We ALWAYS have a Fastpass. So imagine my surprise when the end of the line was all the way back near Dumbo!

      End of the line for Mine Train!

      Because the markers on the ground are every 6 feet, this greatly stretched out the line. We basically kept moving the entire time without stopping.

      Plexiglass barriers up within the queue.

      Next up was Peter Pan! We were in line by 8:32 a.m. with a 15 minute wait posted. (Which is crazy low!). We got on the ride at 8:44 a.m., so below the time posted. Look how empty Fantasyland was!

      From there we went to Haunted Mansion. It was a walk-on with a 5 minute wait posted. We had the walk to ourselves on the way over!

      One of my favorite areas!

      I wanted to note…there was currently no stretching room for Haunted Mansion. You walked through it to get on the ride, but no stopping and gathering for the pre-show.

      We went back to It’s a Small World which had a 10 minute wait posted. We were on in 8 minutes.

      They were only seating every other row on the boat due to social distancing.

      After every ride, we checked the app for wait times. We decided to go to Pooh next since that line tends to get long quickly. We got in line with a 10 minute wait posted, and actual wait time was 8 minutes. There were constant announcements about no eating and drinking in line! Next was Little Mermaid which was a walk on.

      From there, we went to Dumbo, which is a ride I rarely go on! We were on in 5 minutes.

      Up next was Buzz with a 20 minute wait posted which was accurate.

      Of course we had to see the Carousel of Progress, and we had a 5 minute wait there. You can see by my picture that seats were blocked off due to social distancing. Some entire rows were also roped off.

      Up next, an afternoon/evening at Magic Kingdom, along with lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern!

      Posted in Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Magic Kingdom, Post-Covid, Touring Plan
    • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Deluxe Studio

      Posted at 1:02 pm by taryngirl, on December 17, 2020

      11/14/2020

      We are DVC owners at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. When we were first deciding whether or not we wanted to buy in, this is where we toured. We love the location the most, which offers a quick walk to Magic Kingdom, and the monorail to Epcot. The views of Magic Kingdom and the lake are great!

      View from the bridge connecting the Contemporary Resort to Bay Lake Tower

      Since there were only two of us, I booked a Deluxe Studio, Standard View. The Deluxe Studio offers spacious accommodations including a kitchenette with small fridge, microwave, toaster, sink and a balcony. It features one queen bed and a double size sleeper sofa.

      The queen bed and pullout sofa
      Seating area and dresser/tv
      The kitchenette area, right side
      The kitchenette area, left side
      All paper products are now individually wrapped
      Back to single serve toiletries
      Sanitized and wrapped remote control
      Storage on the dresser
      Closet with safe and extra bedding for the pull out sofa
      Supplies in the kitchen
      View into the kitchenette area with the pantry pulled out
      Enhanced cleaning protocols

      For two people this Villa is perfect. It would also be fine for a family of 3 or 4. There are some other Villas that offer a split bath or 2 bathrooms which is better for a family of 4. Our room was clean, and everything was fine! I’d definitely stay here again.

      View from our balcony
      Another view from our balcony

      We also checked out some of the shops on the Contemporary side. Everything was decorated for Christmas!

      Wall in the huge atrium right outside of the quick service location, Contempo Cafe
      Entrance to the monorail

      We absolutely love it here and would definitely stay again!

      Posted in Bay Lake Tower, Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Bay Lake Tower, Contemporary Resort, Room Tour
    • An Afternoon at Epcot, Dinner at Coral Reef

      Posted at 12:36 pm by taryngirl, on December 8, 2020

      Continuing on with our day at Epcot, we finished up our Germany snacks and headed toward Mouse Gears to do some shopping. The entire center where the fountain used to be, is all blocked off and under construction at the moment. They are redoing things in there. That means that Mouse Gears is now moved to a different location. It’s still in Future World East, just a different building. The selection is still really good!

      From there we headed to Spaceship Earth. Wait time posted was 20 minutes. We waited 25 minutes. Once exiting there are no games anymore. It’s completely silent! I’m assuming this is because of Covid, and the fact that they don’t want people touching the games and crowding. We went over to Journey Into Imagination with Figment, which had a 20 minute wait time posted. We waited 5 minutes. Also, at the end of this attraction there are no games or anything interactive!

      Here you can see they are only seating every other row on this attraction for now.
      It’s empty and quiet!

      Of course at the end of this, we went and enjoyed the DVC Lounge which is upstairs in this building. We sat for about an hour and enjoyed some drinks and snacks while recharging our phones and resting our feet.

      While there are no character meet and greets available at the moment, there are characters out and about. We were able to see Joy and Pooh right outside of the Figment attraction.

      We headed into The Land and went directly to Living With the Land. Wait time posted was 10 minutes, but we walked right on.

      Plexiglass barriers up in between the queue rows.
      Only sitting every other row on this attraction. But you can also see the dividers up between seats.

      After this, Alex went to ride Soarin’. The wait time posted was 35 minutes. She was on and off in 35 minutes.

      Barriers up between the rows.

      Here’s a picture of Garden Grill. The characters are there, but walking in the row of tables behind the patrons.

      From there, we went to The Seas with Nemo and Friends, where there was no wait. We also stayed to explore the SeaBase since we had some time to kill before our dinner reservation at Coral Reef.

      It was finally time for our dining reservation at Coral Reef! I hadn’t eaten here since my husband and I went for our anniversary many, many years ago…pre kids I think.

      The entrance may be hard to find. If you are standing facing the entrance to the Nemo ride, go right around to the side of the building.

      You can see the one way enter/exit, as well as markers on the ground.

      There are (for the most part) no paper menus anymore. You have to scan the QR code at the table or outside of the restaurant to see the menu. The menus have all been paired down for sure! Offering less selections than normal.

      Note…I don’t eat any seafood! At all!

      Warm rolls with butter. SO GOOD!
      Side Caesar Salad
      Seared Mahi Mahi (Alex’s meal). She has a shellfish allergy, that’s why there’s an allergy pick.
      My meal! I ordered the Caesar Salad with Chicken as my meal. It was delicious!
      Of course we had to get the Chocolate Wave for dessert to share!
      View of the restaurant
      View from our table! We were right next to the gigantic tank.

      Our reservation was for 7:15 p.m. We were in and out and at the bus stop to the resort by 8:25 p.m.

      I would definitely eat here again, and would recommend anyone who needs a break from the countries to give it a whirl! When I travel with our big family, we always eat in the countries. This was a nice break from that since we had all of the food booths in the afternoon. The staff here was very friendly and accommodating.

      Up next…our day at Magic Kingdom!

      Posted in Coral Reef, Dining Review, Disney, Epcot | 0 Comments | Tagged Coral Reef Restaurant, Dining Review, Epcot, Table Service
    • A Day at Epcot – Part 1

      Posted at 9:46 am by taryngirl, on December 1, 2020

      11/14/2020

      Recapping a little bit from my previous post, Disney After Covid (which focused mostly on safety and Covid procedures)…

      I was presented an amazing opportunity to visit both Disney World and Universal Orlando. I am a Disney Vacation Club member and had several points available to use thanks to a canceled trip back in May, I’m an Annual Passholder, and had a free flight thanks to Southwest Airlines points. That covered the Disney portion of my trip. Universal Orlando invited me to stay on property and experience the parks for a few days, so I could see how they are keeping guests safe while still having loads of fun!

      My travel day started off with a 2:50 a.m. alarm to wake up. (I am NOT a morning person unless I’m traveling!). My cousin Alex was my travel partner. We left around 3:40 a.m., and drove to the Philadelphia Airport, arriving around 5:10 a.m. at our parking lot. We went with Smart Park on this trip. I really just look around to see who is cheapest! Upon arriving at the parking lot, we were picked up in a shuttle with two other travel parties. We felt very safe. Everyone was wearing masks and the driver was wearing gloves.

      Once at the airport, security was a breeze. Everything is still normal…shoes and coats off, everything on the belt and through the scanner. Everyone in the seating area was social distancing. Our flight was scheduled for 7:05 a.m. and we landed and had our luggage by 9:45 a.m. A note about Disney’s Magical Express…it is not the same! They no longer send you yellow tags in the mail or get your luggage and deliver it to the resort. YOU must get your own luggage from Baggage Claim and take it to the Magical Express with you. We flew Southwest, so our terminal was the A Terminal. We had to get our luggage from there and head over to the B Terminal to get on the Magical Express.

      A fun thing I overheard at the Magical Express desk while we were heading to check in…they were expecting 6,458 passengers on the Magical Express on this particular day. The supervisor I guess?? was filling in the workers behind the desk so they knew what to expect. We got in line at 9:57 a.m. Be aware that they are using assigned seating from back to front, and using only every other row. The person checking us in told us where to sit. We were on the bus by 10:08 a.m. and departed at 10:20 a.m.

      We arrived at Bay Lake Tower at 10:48 a.m. and were the first stop. We may have actually been the only stop as it seems everyone got off here… We headed into the lobby. We wanted to check our luggage with Bell Services and head to Epcot. We also wanted to change into our shorts because it was hot!

      This is one thing I did comment on the survey they gave me. Because there is no luggage delivery anymore, Bell Services is CRAZY! Be prepared for longer than usual waits to actually check the luggage with them.

      Bell Services line

      We finished changing and got organized, checked our luggage, and then were at the bus stop at 11:35 a.m. There is no monorail to Epcot at the moment. The bus arrived at 11:45 a.m., and we made it to Epcot at 11:55 a.m. We were hungry for lunch and decided to start with some food booths! We decided to go counter-clockwise starting in Canada because we knew we wanted to eat something from there!

      One of my favorite restaurants is Le Cellier (in Canada), but it’s on the pricey side. The items at this food booth are some of my favorites!

      These did not disappoint and were tasty as usual. I absolutely LOVE the soup with the pretzel bread dipper! We continued on and our next stop was the World Showplace Events Pavilion, located between Canada and the UK. I have never seen this open for this particular event, but they do have other events there. I was interested to check it out, and it housed several food booths!

      The Liquid Nitro Cake Pops came highly recommended to me from friends who had already been there, so of course I had to try one! I went with the Twix version.

      This was really good and different! By this point I was already full, but I still had some items on my list that I wanted to try. Here are some pics from along our way.

      France
      View from between France and Morocco
      Morocco

      Our next stop was in Germany at the little caramel store, Karamell-Kuche. This is a must do for me every trip! It has some of the best snacks. There were some new offerings this trip, possibly just seasonal? I had to have the Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich!

      IT WAS AMAZING! My favorite snack from anywhere in the world. And possibly the single best thing I have ever tasted! The cookie was soft, but had a crispyish layer outside. It was perfect. The buttercream and caramel was so good together! I wished I would have bought more to bring home. We found a table next to Mexico in the area where the band usually performs so we could stand and eat our snacks.

      What you can see in this picture is the line just to get inside the Mexico pavilion. The man holding the sign actually had to cut off the line because it was too long. The wait from here was about a half hour. I think they cut it off because they didn’t want too big of a crowd blocking the sidewalk.

      While we were standing there, some cast members came rushing by telling everyone to get to the side, and that a horse and carriage were coming. We had no idea what was going on! All of a sudden, this went by:

      It was brief, but exciting to see! We decided that they do not announce times for these little cavalcades because they don’t want people gathering and lining up. We were just out of Mexico when this one came by:

      Short and sweet! It was nice to see the characters out and about since there are no real meet and greet experiences at the moment.

      Next up will be the rest of our day at Epcot with dinner at Coral Reef!

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Food & Wine, Karamell-Kuche, Uncategorized, World Showcase | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Epcot, Food & Wine, Karamell-Kuche, Walt Disney World
    • Disney After Covid–Safety Precautions

      Posted at 8:08 pm by taryngirl, on November 23, 2020

      11/14/20

      An opportunity arose for me to do a quick trip to Florida to visit both Disney World and Universal Orlando, and I couldn’t resist! Several things fell into place…I had DVC points to use from a canceled trip in May, my Annual Pass was expiring on November 17th, and Universal Orlando offered me an amazing deal that I couldn’t pass up! Throw in the free flight I was able to get with my Southwest points, and that was just the cherry on top. I was excited to check out how things are running post-Covid since I have clients scheduled to travel within the next couple of months.

      This post is going to deal with everything specific to Disney World and the protocols in place at the resorts, the parks and the restaurants, as far as my personal trip is concerned. My cousin Alex traveled with me.

      We started off with a a 7:00 a.m. flight on Southwest from the Philadelphia Airport. We booked offsite airport parking at Smart Park. Starting there, the attendant at the booth was wearing a mask. The shuttle bus driver was wearing gloves and a mask. There were two other parties on the shuttle with us.

      Once at the airport, we did the self-service check in. The workers behind the counters were wearing masks. All security workers were also wearing masks. They still are doing regular security. Shoes off, coats off, and everything goes on the belt through the scanner. Once we got to our gate, people were definitely social distancing and not sitting next to one another. There were constant announcements about mandatory mask wearing, and what types of masks were permitted. They did have some available if needed. Southwest is currently not utilizing the middle seats on their planes, unless there are family members that sit right next to each other. They are seating every row.

      As always (pre-Covid I did these things!), I had my Clorox wipes to wipe down my seat, tray, etc., and my hand sanitizer. The only beverage available on the flight was water, and they had prepackaged snacks.

      In summary, I felt super safe in the airport and on the flight! Everyone was being respectful, wearing masks and social distancing.

      Once in Orlando, we were using Disney’s Magical Express transportation from the airport to our resort. This service has changed! They no longer send you the yellow tags in the mail to attach to your luggage. You are responsible for getting your own luggage from baggage claim and taking it with you to the Magical Express bus! They do not deliver the luggage to your room anymore! Since we flew on Southwest, we arrived on the A side. The Magical Express is located on the B side. This means that we had to go to baggage claim on the A side, then go back up and across the entire airport to the B side and downstairs to the Magical Express location. (They also are not doing airline check in at the resorts. So you also bring your luggage with you when leaving the resort and getting on the Magical Express.)

      Here you can see the plexiglass up at the counters, as well as some signage.

      The lanes are numbered and the cast member will tell you which lane to enter. There are signs all along the lanes with these social distance markers.

      The cast member scanning our bands to enter the bus assigned us specific seat numbers. He had a map of the bus with a dry erase marker, and was marking off the seats he assigned. They are utilizing only every other row and are filling the bus from back to front. We were first in line so got the very last seats! (As a side not, there was a girl next to us who was assigned to another bus. She asked if she could sit near the front, and the cast member told her she could sit on a bench until the bus filled up and then could sit in the front. She didn’t like that answer and proceeded to the bus.)

      The Magical Express delivered us to Bay Lake Tower with our luggage. The lobby is small and it was chaotic! This was mostly due to Bell Services and luggage. People who did not have a room ready or were checking out but not yet leaving the resort had to check their luggage with Bell Services. Our room was not ready (as indicated by the text we had received while at the airport). So our plan was to check our luggage with Bell Services and then head to Epcot. A note! The monorail to Epcot was not running at the time so we had to take a bus.

      We waited for a bus and once it arrived, the bus driver assigned us seats using a seat number. He was wearing a mask.

      There are dividers up between seat numbers.

      Standing is not permitted so the handles were zip tied up.

      None of our buses were ever even nearly full. I felt very safe on the Disney bus transportation!

      Once we arrived at Epcot, signs were everywhere!

      Everyone has to pass through a temperature screening.

      They used handheld thermometers.

      Everyone also has to pass through security which is very different! They no longer go through your bags. You walk through a metal detector with your bag on you.

      These signs on the ground are EVERYWHERE! Spaced 6 feet apart! Every ride, every kiosk, every store check out, EVERYWHERE!

      Up next are attraction queues. The above signs are all along the ground/floor. Also, they are not using every seat/row! This is Journey Into Imagination with Figment. They did only one row per car. This was the same for Pirates, Mine Train and Small World as well.

      You know the fun area once you exit the Figment ride? It’s CLOSED! It was so quiet. Normally it’s chaotic with people everywhere. We found this to be a trend for every interactive attraction. (At the end of Spaceship Earth, all activities closed. Pretty much any interactive piece at any attraction is inaccessible.)

      This is the queue for Living with the Land. Barriers are up between the rows of the queue.

      On the boats, you can see the dividers up between seats. They also were not seating every row on this ride, but there was no line so they were spacing us out.

      Here you can see Soarin’.

      These signs are all around the popular photo taking areas. There are also cast members carrying handheld signs that say this same thing. They were approaching people who were removing masks for pictures.

      Moving onto dining now…

      This is Coral Reef Restaurant, which is a table service location. Everything is one way in, one way out. Every dining location, shopping location, etc. Doors are specifically marked ENTER or EXIT only. They have limited indoor seating and are not using every table. If you want a table service meal, it’s very important that you have a reservation! I saw them turning people away if they didn’t have a reservation.

      Another very important note, all quick service locations are MOBILE ORDER ONLY! This includes resorts and parks. Even if you only want a muffin or an orange juice. It’s all on the My Disney Experience app, or you scan a bar code located at the location.

      There is no grab and go section that is self-serve at the moment. Drinks are not self-serve either. Once you scan the QR code, it takes you right to the menu for the dining location. Here you choose your pick up time. You do not have to be AT the location to order. You can be in your room, somewhere around the resort, in a ride line, etc.

      After that, the menu will pop up and you can scroll through and click on what you would like. You pay right through the app with either you credit card on file or you can add a different card.

      Once you arrive at the location you can click that you are here and they will begin preparing your food. Just a note…we found that it took a good 10 minutes or longer for the food to be ready once we clicked we are here. So we began clicking it as we were walking on our way before we got there. Once the food is ready for pick up, the notification changes and it tells you what number table to go to to pick it up. They have multiple stations so people aren’t picking up at the same station at the same time. They are marked with big numbers on the floor.

      After you pick up your food, if you ordered a drink, you move to a different station, and someone will get it for you. This is the Contempo Cafe drink station area:

      The food is served in bags that are sealed, and packaging that is sealed. I removed my sticker before I remembered to take a picture!

      Next up is the resorts. This was in our Villa at Bay Lake Tower.

      You will notice that they are back to individual serving sizes of the toiletry items.

      The remotes are packaged in plastic stating that they have been sanitized.

      One last picture I took was at the monorail located inside the Contemporary Resort.

      We did have our temperature screening and security done here on our way to the Magic Kingdom. This allowed us to bypass those things at the Magic Kingdom.

      Overall, we felt very safe during our entire stay. There are hand sanitizer stations everywhere for use at your discretion. No one is spraying it on you. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone was complying with the mask mandate and social distancing. The only time you could remove your mask was if you were stationary off to the side eating or drinking. If a cast member saw someone walking and eating or drinking, they did remind them of the rule.

      Capacity at the moment is maybe 1/4 of what it is normally. So there were so many less people. Many of the ride queues went way out onto the walkways. Adding to capacity will definitely affect this. What seems like a crowded area really isn’t, because the line is continuously moving. It will be interesting to see what happens once they expand the capacity!

      Posted in Disney, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Bay Lake Tower, Covid, Disney, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort
    • A Day Trip to Disney Part 1

      Posted at 11:21 am by taryngirl, on October 29, 2020

      March 10, 2020

      Call us crazy, but everything fell into place perfectly for a day trip to Disney! Super cheap flights on Frontier Airlines out of Philadelphia, an existing Annual Pass for the Disney parks, a fun group of agents that also can fly by the seat of their travel pants, great weather, and MY BIRTHDAY! all led to the booking of a quick day trip. I drove to our office which is kind of close to the airport, and we all drove to the airport in one car.

      My flight was $60 total, but had I booked sooner, it would have been cheaper! Our flight down was 5:50 a.m., which had us landing at 8:30 a.m. (Traveling is probably the only reason I ever set my alarm!)

      I also want to note, it was around this time that Covid was starting to explode around the country. There weren’t restrictions in place yet for anything, so we felt completely safe going.

      We met up with a few other agents at the airport, and upon landing in Orlando, we rented a car to drive directly to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

      Because we had an Annual Pass, parking was free at the theme park.

      Our goal as soon as we got there was to meet up with a few agents that live in Florida. One of the main reasons we were taking this trip was to check out the new Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway attraction that had replaced The Great Movie Ride. Everyone was hungry so the first thing we did was find some food!

      The Baseline Taphouse is one of my favorite places to grab a snack and just sit. The outdoor seating atmosphere is really neat. It was close to opening time there, so we grabbed a seat and waited, then ordered this!

      I have to add this because it was so funny to me! My daughter was messaging me on Snapchat and wanted to know everything I was doing. She does not look thrilled that she was missing this trip!

      This is my true partner and crime! This is the last day I’ve seen her because of the virus and quarantining, etc.

      It was finally time to check out the ride! I was a little bit cautious, because to me, The Great Movie Ride was iconic for this park. I don’t like change, so I didn’t know how to feel!

      My opinion…it was fantastic! I was pleasantly surprised! It was so much fun!

      We also decided to meet Darth Vader since there was little to no wait time.

      From there, we headed out to Epcot to check out the Flower and Garden Festival. On the way out of Hollywood Studios, this sign was already out.

      Up next, Epcot!

      Posted in Disney, Hollywood Studios | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Hollywood Studios, Minnie and Mickey's Runaway Railway, Walt Disney World
    • Kona Cafe Breakfast Review

      Posted at 10:31 am by taryngirl, on October 21, 2020

      January 2020

      I took this quick trip with my cousin Alex. One of the doctors where she works was also going to be in Disney at the same time, and he wanted to meet up for breakfast. We found ourselves at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Kona Cafe with a reservation.

      I’ve written about this resort a few times, and I always take this picture! I absolutely love this resort and all it has to offer.

      The theming is my favorite, as I love tropical places. And the restaurants are some of my favorites! The location is also amazing. It’s a quick monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom, and walking distance to TTC to catch a monorail to Epcot.

      The menu in January 2020
      The menu in January 2020
      The ceiling!

      We started off sharing the Tropical Fruit Plate $10. This had fresh fruit, boba balls, and some really good kind of honey type drizzle.

      One of us had the French Toast $13. It came with a really good caramel banana sauce and your choice of bacon, sausage or ham. It was standard French toast, but the caramel banana sauce made the dish!

      We also had the Polynesian Egg Platter $16. Also delicious!

      Overall we enjoyed our meal and time together. The prices compared to a quick service location are more. The food quality is a little bit better than counter service. If you want a relaxing atmosphere and have time to sit, try this table service breakfast! If you are in a rush to get to the parks or on more of a budget, skip the table service and go quick service.

      Posted in Breakfast, Dining Review, Polynesian Village Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Dining Review, Kona Cafe, Polynesian Village Resort
    • Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort

      Posted at 9:45 am by taryngirl, on October 15, 2020

      January 2019

      I am using some of my free time to catch up on past trips! In January 2019, I was fortunate enough to receive training directly at Universal Orlando.

      We were able to tour a few different resorts on Universal Orlando property. This one is Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort. This resort is set in the exotic South Seas with a tropical vibe. It’s a Premier level hotel that includes Universal Express Unlimited, which allows you to skip the regular lines (a value of $129.99 per person, per day). This is a HUGE advantage! They offer standard rooms, club level rooms, and suites.

      With 1000 guest rooms and suites available, there is a type of accommodation for everyone!

      Two queen beds that sleep up to five with a rollaway

      Besides looking at the rooms, we were able to tour around the beautiful grounds. This courtyard was amazing! And yes, there were people just sitting out there relaxing.

      There are several different dining/beverage options at this resort. I didn’t take many pictures though because there were a lot of people sitting and eating! I didn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable if they saw me…

      Overall I loved this resort! Of the three Premier level hotels available at Universal Orlando, Royal Pacific is the most affordable in terms of cost. The biggest benefit, as I mentioned before, is the fact that Universal Express Unlimited is included in the cost. If you are comparing pricing between the Value and Prime level hotels, factor in the cost of the Express pass. This allows you to skip the regular line on participating rides.

      Posted in Royal Pacific Resort, Uncategorized, Universal Orlando | 0 Comments | Tagged Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Orlando
    • Grand Floridian Cafe Breakfast Review

      Posted at 11:07 am by taryngirl, on October 2, 2020

      1/30/2020

      I am writing this post Covid closure. This is from my trip in January! In looking at the current menu, it seems they have taken several things off of the menu for now. Boo! Hopefully they will be back!

      After briefly checking out the Club Level area at the Contemporary Resort, we hopped on the monorail, which is conveniently located right inside the resort, and headed to the Grand Floridian. Our breakfast reservation at the Grand Floridian Cafe was at 9:00 a.m.

      This is the glorious site when you are dropped off from the monorail and head inside the doors to the resort. It’s amazing!

      Looking down into the lobby area

      I wanted to get a glimpse of the new Enchanted Rose Lounge that opened just a few months prior.

      The entrance was roped off, so I couldn’t get inside to take any pictures, but here are a few from outside the rope.

      You can click my link above to check out the details and menu. It’s definitely on the pricier side, with just a few food items available, but lots of beverages.

      From there, we just walked down the steps to the Grand Floridian Cafe. Neither of us had ever eaten here, so it was on our list to check out. The menu was a brunch menu and looked really good!

      I started with a cup of hot tea, and Alex started with coffee.

      They brought her a whole pot, so that was nice!

      A view of some of the dining room

      Complimentary biscuits with an orange butter were served. They were warm and good.

      Alex ordered the Brioche French Toast–Madagascar vanilla bean scented brioche French toast with bacon–$17

      Fun fact…if you ordered pancakes, waffles, or French toast, you could also order an “add-on.” We chose: Fresh blueberries, granola, lemon curd and blueberry sauce $3.50

      This was a fabulous addition and we were really happy we got it!

      A side of French toast

      I ordered the Steak and Eggs–sirloin steak, cheesy hash brown casserole, 2 eggs, housemade steak sauce $20

      This was so good! I would definitely order this again. All of it was wonderful.

      Overall, I give this breakfast/brunch a 10/10! I had a reservation set for May, but that trip was canceled due to Covid…and then I made a reservation for August, and that trip was also canceled. I will return! There was too much on the menu I wanted to try.

      Posted in Breakfast, Dining Review, Grand Floridian, Grand Floridian Cafe, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Brunch, Dining Review, Grand Floridian, Grand Floridian Cafe
    • Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Theme Park View Atrium Club Level

      Posted at 11:45 am by taryngirl, on September 28, 2020

      1/30/2020

      Picking up where we last left off…

      We had been staying at All Star Movies, but were making a move to another resort. We woke up this morning pretty early, packed up and took a Lyft to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We had breakfast reservations at a new-to-me restaurant, the Grand Floridian Cafe at 9:00 a.m. We wanted to get to the resort, check in if possible, drop our luggage, and head to breakfast.

      I had stayed in this resort previously in the Main Tower–Theme Park View. I personally love this resort! I love that the monorail goes through it, I love that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom, and I love the quick service Contempo Cafe! This time, because I’m a travel agent, I was able to secure a Theme Park View– Atrium Club Level room for an amazing deal. I have NEVER stayed Club Level at Disney, so was super excited to experience it!

      Walking into the lobby. You can see a little quick coffee counter there.
      A view of the check in area

      I had done some research and googling about what to expect when checking in, and kept reading to just go directly up to the Club Level check in desk. However, we were arriving here super early, and wanted them to hold our luggage while we went to breakfast, so I wanted to be sure. We checked in at the regular check in desk to make sure our MagicBands were working correctly and then she sent us on our way upstairs.

      To get to Club Level, we had to tap our MagicBands on the Mickey. Notice there is no floor 13!

      There are small check in desks as soon as you exit the elevator, so we stopped in there. They gave us some information and then told us to enjoy! Of course we had to check out the lounge before going to breakfast.

      The Lounge schedule was as follows:

      • Coffee 6:30-7:00 a.m.
      • Continental Breakfast 7:00-10:30 a.m.
      • Afternoon Refreshments 12:00-4:00 p.m.
      • Contemporary Flavors 5:00-7:00 p.m.
      • Desserts and Cordials 8:00-10:00 p.m.

      The view from this lounge is amazing, as you can see Magic Kingdom!

      The view from the Club Level floor

      I thought the selection for a continental breakfast was very good!

      We didn’t have a lot of time before we had to get on the monorail to head to the Grand Floridian for our breakfast reservation. That’s up next!

      Posted in Club Level, Contemporary Resort, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Club Level, Contemporary Resort, Theme Park View
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