Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures | Tales from my (mostly Disney) travels!

- Royal Court Dinner Review
  
  Posted at 2:32 pm by taryngirl, on October 18, 2019
  
  6/16/19
  
  For dinner on our second night, we were scheduled in Royal Court. This was also our formal night. I requested a specific dining rotation so we would be all dressed up in this dining room! This was in the most formal in my opinion. It’s all about the princesses in here.
  
  I loved the special touch with the way the napkins were folded into shirts! And the bread basket is my favorite.
  
  Thinking back now, I did not get any pictures of the kid’s menu!
  
  Kid’s spaghetti:
  
  Kid’s pizza:
  
  Gaston’s Escargot Gratinee:
  
  Farmhouse Salad:
  
  This was mine and I loved every bite of it. The dressing is super light, and I like the addition of the sliced fingerling potatoes and goat cheese crouton.
  
  Wild Mushroom Stuffed Pasta in a Vegetable Broth:
  
  Chateaubriand-Roasted Filet Steak:
  
  This was mine and it was super tender and delicious. It was really good dipped in the sauce. It was the perfect portion size!
  
  I don’t have a picture of the dessert menu, but this was some flavor of Creme Brûlée and some kind of soufflé.
  
  This was an apple dessert and very good!
  
  The chandelier in the Atrium, just outside of the restaurant:
  
  Grandparents with grandchildren:
  
  Overall the meal was fantastic and the dining room was perfect!
  
  Posted in Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Royal Court, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Main Dining Room, Royal Court
- Disney Fantasy – Palo Brunch Review
  
  Posted at 12:38 pm by taryngirl, on October 9, 2019
  
  Combining from my June and September 2019 cruises!
  
  Palo is a specialty restaurant serving brunch on sea days, and nightly dinners for guests ages 18 and older only. You must have reservations to dine here, and those can be made online during your check-in process for the cruise itself. I’m not going to lie…these reservations sell out quickly and are hard to get! But are TOTALLY worth it! (If you cannot make a reservation online, upon embarking, you can head directly to Palo and try to make reservations then. I’ve done this twice successfully.). There is a dress code, as this is more upscale than the main dining rooms. Be sure to check that when you are packing for the cruise!
  
  The view!
  
  Included are mimosas or a glass of champagne.
  
  After being led to our table, the waiter explained the dining process. There is a menu to order from, as well as a “buffet” style set up. The meal is slowwwwww. You are not rushed and can spend as much time as you need.
  
  Here’s my first plate from the buffet section:
  
  The cinnamon roll was SO GOOD! Warm and gooey. And the parmesan cheese…I couldn’t get enough of it!
  
  The first table…filled with delicious fruit, breads and pastries. The almond croissant was one of my favorites!
  
  The next table was full of seafood offerings, caviar, vegetables, and more!
  
  The third table had a variety of cheeses, olives, meats, etc.
  
  You may make as many trips up to these tables as you wish!
  
  Here is the menu we ordered from for made to order items:
  
  Heirloom Tomato and Basil Soup:
  
  Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast: This is my favorite food on any of the Disney Cruise ships! It’s SO GOOD! And the Risotto is perfect with this. This is 80% why I schedule this brunch on every cruise.
  
  Celery Soup:
  
  Roasted Red Snapper Filet:
  
  Lasagna Bolognaise: I also was able to taste this. It was good but I feel like since we were one of the last tables for the day, it was sitting for awhile maybe?? It’s a good shareable option though!
  
  The dessert table:
  
  I love that the portions are small so we can try a bunch of different things!
  
  June cruise:
  
  Our waiter also brought us several of these lava cakes to share. They were good but we were SO FULL!
  
  September cruise:
  
  (Apparently I have my favorites!)
  
  It was my niece’s graduation celebration on this cruise and they brought here this:
  
  If I didn’t comment on the food, that means it was someone else’s but I just took a picture to share!
  
  This is hands down one of my favorite parts of the cruise! It’s $40 per person, and that is charged to your stateroom account. I highly suggest trying it at least once!
  
  Posted in Cruise, Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Palo Brunch, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Palo Brunch
- Disney Fantasy, Enchanted Garden Dinner
  
  Posted at 2:15 pm by taryngirl, on August 29, 2019
  
  6/15/19
  
  Our first night’s dinner was in Enchanted Garden. I enjoy the theming in this dining room!
  
  Here’s a look at the menu:
  
  Chickpea Garlic Puree for bread dipping
  
  This was yummy!
  
  Cucumber Garden Roll
  
  I ordered this. It was very light and refreshing!
  
  Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower
  
  Romaine Wedge
  
  I also had this. It was good, but could have used a little bit more dressing.
  
  Kid’s Chicken Fingers and Fries
  
  My daughter had this every other night. She alternated with pizza! I love Disney chicken fingers…
  
  Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions
  
  I’ve had this before with different potatoes. The pork was really good! I will probably asked for mashed potatoes next time. The potatoes underneath were a little crunch.
  
  Pan-Seared Sea Bass
  
  Caramelized Sea Scallops
  
  Chocolate Garden Torte
  
  This was soooo good. I surprisingly liked the coffee cream on the side!
  
  Southern Style Pecan Tart
  
  The inside of the restaurant
  
  Our group minus 1 who wasn’t feeling great.
  
  Overall I loved my food here! And I love the ambiance and atmosphere of this dining room. Our cabin was on the same deck as this so it was super easy to get to. On a 7 night cruise, I put in a request for Enchanted Garden for the first night, because that will put us in Royal Court for formal night. To me, that’s the “fanciest” of the dining rooms. Just a personal preference!
  
  Posted in Cruise, Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Enchanted Garden
- Disney Fantasy – Around the Ship
  
  Posted at 12:34 pm by taryngirl, on August 11, 2019
  
  I was able to capture some pictures of general areas on the ship.
  
  First up is the pool deck, which is Deck 11. On this deck you can find the Salon and Spa, Fitness Area, Quiet Cove Adult Pool, Cove Cafe, quick service dining options, Donald’s Family Pool, Mickey’s Family Pool, and Cabanas buffet.
  
  We spent a lot of time at Donald’s Pool and watching the Funnel Vision movies!
  
  One thing that sets Disney Cruise Line apart from other cruise lines is the soft drink situation. There are Beverage Stations on Deck 11, offering complimentary soft drinks, hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and Powerade. On other cruise lines, you either have to buy a beverage package, or pay as you go for each soda.
  
  There’s no need to bring your water vest, as DCL provides them for you on the pool deck. They are also provided on Castaway Cay.
  
  Nemo’s Reef offers an interactive splash play area for kids 8 years of age or younger. As a reminder, kids who are not toilet trained and are wearing swim diapers are NOT permitted in the regular pools! This is a great alternative for those kids.
  
  The Aqua Lab is another fun water zone for guests under the age of 16.
  
  Located on deck 12, the entrance to Palo and Remy is pretty spectacular.
  
  If you didn’t know, the Cove Cafe on deck 11 offers some nibbles throughout the day. In the morning, they usually have muffins and pastries, but in the afternoon and evening, they have more finger foods that are a great snack for in between meals. (Also at the Vista Cafe on deck 4 they offer this!). It’s free! You just have to ask them to serve you. Beverages at these places will cost you though.
  
  More to come!
  
  Posted in Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line
- Disney Fantasy Cruise Line – Embarkation Day and Cabin Tour
  
  Posted at 2:11 pm by taryngirl, on August 3, 2019
  June 15, 2019
  
  The day had finally come! The day we embarked on the Disney Fantasy Cruise Line, for an Eastern Caribbean cruise! We had been preparing for this for over a year for my niece’s graduation.
  
  (We had rented a car through Hertz from MCO, and returned it the night prior to leaving for the cruise. Hertz was right in the parking lot of our hotel. My husband spoke with them when returning the car and explained we were going on the cruise in the morning. They told him we could come back and take the shuttle the morning of the cruise.)
  
  Here we are at Hertz waiting for the shuttle to the port.
  
  And here we are with the rest of our travel party! They had rented cars from another place, so we just met once inside the terminal.
  
  Priority upon embarking for our family:
  - Head straight up to the pool deck and secure some seats near the pool.
  - Ride the Aquaduck.
  - Eat some lunch.
  - Head to Palo to secure brunch if unable prior.
  - 1:30 p.m. Head to our cabin to drop off carry ons and unpack a little bit.
  - Go to the DVC Member party.
  - Go to the Facebook meet up.
  - Check out kid club open houses.
  - Head to the sail away party.
  Here is a tour of our Stateroom #2550 which is a Deluxe Oceanview:
  
  (I forgot to snap a picture, but the couch flips down to a twin sized bed and the other bed comes down from the ceiling.)
  
  These extra goodies can be ordered through DCL, except for the sling bag. That is a gift from DCL for returning cruisers. The owner of my travel agency, Mad Hatter Adventures, had sent us these goodies!
  
  After checking out our room, we went to the DVC Member party. They usually have a character of some sort, and this time it was Princess Tiana!
  
  One plus is you get a free drink and some bottled water.
  
  The spillway party is always fun! We go to deck 12 so we can look down on the party and also look over the railing as we are sailing out.
  
  The DCL terminal.
  
  This area is full of restaurants! We ate here the night before sailing.
  
  More to come!
  Posted in Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Port Canaveral, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Eastern Caribbean, Port Canaveral
- A Glimpse Inside Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
  
  Posted at 1:57 pm by taryngirl, on July 9, 2019
  
  Arrival at this resort was very easy. There is a guard to enter the parking lot. We parked at lobby area to unload and to check in. Parking spots for those staying in the Inn building are underneath this building.
  
  Here is the check-in desk. (I was able to get pictures of a nearly deserted lobby when my daughter and I woke up super early to walk on the beach.)
  
  These are the doors to exit out the back of the property. This can lead to the pool or beach, or the Villa buildings. Above the doors you can see the Green Cabin Room where they serve cocktails and lighter snacks. This was closed for a private event the night that we were here.
  
  More of the waiting area and Island Grove Packing Company, which is the shop. They also have DVD movies here that you can borrow, which we did because it rained during the afternoon!
  
  This is a fun area for the kids! There are video games, tablets, tv, and smaller chairs.
  
  This little area dedicated to Disney Vacation Club (we are members) is nice!
  
  Inside the glass containers are shells past guests have found on the beach. You can write on them and stick them in the jars!
  
  Looking up from the lobby.
  
  From the 3rd floor balcony.
  
  They have this fun photo opp. near the entrance to the restaurant. (I told my kids to act like they were on the beach…apparently this is what they do??!!)
  
  This sign was also posted in the lobby. And it is in fact true! We ended up with a few bites from our morning walk on the beach but didn’t see them until the next day.
  
  Another thing I LOVE about this resort, is how it caters to families! This area is through the lobby and on the way to the spa. It has a lending library, where you can take/leave a book, puzzles, and tables with game boards on them. To play the games, just visit the front desk for the pieces!
  
  I worked on a puzzle, while my family played Jenga and made some new friends. There were several other families hanging out in this area.
  
  Inside the shop, and in the quick service food area, they had boards like this for pin trading like you can do in the parks!
  
  Also snapped a quick pic of the Little Mermaid Dooney & Bourke that were available here.
  
  Onto the beach! There are chair/umbrella rentals, as well as some water sport rentals.
  
  We spent most of our time during this trip at the pool.
  
  It has a really fun slide that is the same as the one at Old Key West!
  
  I’ll say it again…WE LOVE IT HERE! And I can’t wait to get back with some family and friends!
  
  Posted in Disney, Disney's Vero Beach, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Resort, Vero Beach
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
  
  Posted at 10:58 am by taryngirl, on July 4, 2019
  
  We had a big summer vacation planned, that included a Disney Cruise on the Fantasy, followed by 5 days at Disney World. However, I had exactly 14 DVC points to burn, and what better place to spend it than Disney’s Vero Beach Resort!
  
  My family absolutely loves this resort. The beach, the pool, the activities, the feel, the staff… It’s all AMAZING!
  
  For the first time I did not book a Villa, but instead a room at the Inn. Typically these are regular hotel rooms with a kitchenette. (sink, toaster, microwave…). Since it was only one night, I just wanted to be as close to the action as possible.
  
  I was able to link our reservation in My Disney Experience, and learned that we could indeed use our MagicBands to open the door. I logged in and found our room was ready. (We had spent the night before close to the Orlando Airport, and were on our way to Vero Beach by 11:00 a.m.). The ride was about an hour and a half.
  
  When we got to the room, we were pleasantly surprised with how spacious it was! It was an accessible room with tons of space!
  
  The area upon entering:
  
  The hall leading to the bathroom and sleeping area.
  
  We had a standard view but could still see some of the ocean.
  
  A quick video tour:
  
  More to come with pics from around the resort!
  
  We were sad we only had one night to spend here. It’s definitely on our list to return with some friends and family for a longer time period.
  
  Posted in Disney's Vero Beach, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged Room Review, Vero Beach
- 13th Birthday Getaway! Boardwalk Villas Studio
  
  Posted at 8:01 pm by taryngirl, on May 29, 2019
  
  Back during our August trip, my oldest could not go along with us due to her soccer schedule. I felt terrible about it! Sooooo, we had some DVC points left and I scheduled a quick Friday through Monday trip with her best friend for her 13th birthday in November. It was a total surprise! Here is the reveal:
  
  I should have kept taping, they were crying tears of joy!
  
  11/23/18
  
  Our flight was the day after Thanksgiving. We were staying at the Boardwalk Villas in a Studio the first night, and then a 1 Bedroom for the next two nights. A quick trip on the Magical Express…
  
  We arrived around 6:30 p.m. to our resort. We had dinner reservations at Ale & Compass, so the plan was to drop things off in the room and freshen up some.
  
  I have a subscription to Touring Plans, and through that had requested a specific room. I requested 4055 and we got:
  
  All Studio Villas have a small kitchenette area that includes a coffee maker, microwave, small fridge, toaster and sink. This is super convenient for quick breakfasts in the room.
  
  One Queen bed with a pull out sofa.
  
  And a twin size bed pulls down underneath the t.v. The table collapses. This is big enough for a small adult to sleep on!
  
  Here’s a quick video of the view from our balcony!
  
  I love this view! This is considered a Garden/Pool View, but as you can see, we can see the boardwalk and the lake. We also could see the fireworks perfectly from here which you will see in a future post!
  
  Posted in Boardwalk Villas, Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Boardwalk Villas, Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Walt Disney World Resort
- Universal’s Aventura Hotel
  
  Posted at 9:38 am by taryngirl, on May 3, 2019
  
  1/8/19
  
  As part of our training with Universal Orlando, we had a few on-site hotel tours planned. The first stop was Universal’s Aventura Hotel. Incidentally, we were checking out from the Hard Rock Hotel and checking in here! So we were able to have someone drive us with our luggage in a van. You also have the option of them transferring your luggage for you if you wish instead.
  
  Aventura is one of the newest hotels on-site, opening in 2018. It’s in the Prime Value category, meaning it is economically friendly, and it’s a short walk to Volcano Bay (the waterpark). The theming is very modern.
  
  This small bar is located just inside the front doors.
  
  There’s a Starbucks in the lobby as well.
  
  The food court area called the Urban Pantry offers a good variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
  We then headed out towards the pool area. These rooms overlook the pool area (and it’s actually where our room was located!)
  
  The pool bar.
  
  Next up, we checked out some of the different room types.
  
  KIDS SUITE
  
  This 575 square foot room sleeps 5 and features a special interior area for the kids that includes two twin beds. You can put the little ones to sleep securely while you enjoy a few hours of downtime in a separate area that offers a king bed and a couch that converts into a deluxe, foam bed. Upgrade to a Skyline View for sweeping views from the highest floors of this sleek tower. (Taken from Universal website.)
  
  Just beyond that curtain to the right is where you can find the area with two twin beds.
  
  And then beyond that is a little sitting area separate from both sleeping areas.
  
  These next photos are kind of standard in all of the rooms.
  
  Each room comes with an iPad for in-room controls. There are so many things you can do with this! Control the television, air conditioning, request items from front desk or housekeeping, check park hours, restaurant menus from the parks, etc. etc. etc.
  
  The next room was a Standard Double Queen Room.
  
  The view from the room! That’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort…another Universal hotel, and just beyond that where the volcano can be seen, is Volcano Bay, the waterpark.
  
  From there, we went up to Bar 17 Bistro. This is a rooftop bar with spectacular views!
  
  Overall I loved this resort. It’s new, fresh, clean, and inexpensive! I would definitely return in the future. One thing of note, they do not bring luggage up to your room. You are responsible for your own. However, they do store luggage for you at Bell Services if you need to. To get to the theme parks or City Walk, you can take a bus located just outside of the hotel, or walk over to take the boat from another hotel.
  
  Posted in Aventura Hotel, Uncategorized, Universal Orlando | 0 Comments | Tagged Aventura Hotel, Hotel Room, Universal, Universal Orlando
- Another Stroll Through Diagon Alley (Universal Orlando)
  
  Posted at 1:42 pm by taryngirl, on April 17, 2019
  
  1/7/19
  
  It was time to head back to the Universal side, and to do this, we took Hogwarts Express. If you want to do this ride, you must have a Park-to-Park ticket! Otherwise, you will not be permitted to ride the train. IT IS SO COOL!
  
  I seriously could not get enough of Diagon Alley! It was so realistic. I loved looking at every detail of the buildings. Here you can see The Hopping Pot, where you can buy some Butterbeer, or regular beer.
  
  In this same area (Carkitt Market) is where you can see The Tales of Beedle the Bard or Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees do live performances throughout the day.
  
  Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshments is a small beverage kiosk also located in Carkitt Market. here you can find elixirs that you combine with water, and it transforms into a colorful beverage.
  
  This cute little shop is the Magical Menagerie. All kinds of stuffed animals and creatures can be found here. In the side window on the outside of the shop you can try out your Parseltongue and peek at the snake.
  
  Possibly the most exciting part is the fire breathing dragon on top of Gringott’s Wizarding Bank. Hang around for a little bit because he usually breathes fire every 10-15 minutes or so.
  
  Many thanks to my friend Jason for these close up amazing photos!
  
  Some others in my group were talking about how good the ice cream was at Florean Forescue’s Ice Cream Parlour. Well….ice cream is one of my favorite things ever, so I knew I wanted to try it! And I had a snack credit left that I could use. Everyone was rattling off their favorite flavors and I honestly couldn’t decide.
  
  I ended up with Strawberry Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chili. Both were SO GOOD! The Chocolate Chili had a little bit of a kick to it, but it was yummy! As soon as I was done eating it, I remembered that I forgot to take a picture of it. Boo!
  
  I did actually ride Escape from Gringotts! I have really bad motion sickness. Especially with rides that are simulators. I knew this had some screen action, but I HAD to try it and just close my eyes at certain parts. It was really cool and I’m glad I did it!
  
  Gringott’s Money Exchange is a neat little place where you can interact with a goblin and exchange Muggle money for Gringott’s Bank Notes to use at participating locations throughout Universal.
  
  Knockturn Alley! Don’t miss this. It’s kind of hidden but definitely neat to walk through.
  
  One last picture on my way out of Diagon Alley. This statue and fountain are located just outside of the secret entrance.
  
  Posted in Diagon Alley, Uncategorized, Universal Orlando | 0 Comments | Tagged Diagon Alley, Universal, Universal Orlando
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