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

- Magic Kingdom Morning Touring, Gaston’s Tavern and Pinocchio Village Haus
  
  Posted at 12:22 pm by taryngirl, on September 12, 2018
  Our morning started with breakfast at Captain Cook’s. This is my favorite breakfast in all of Disney! MICKEY WAFFLES! And, I always get the kid’s meal that comes with 2 sides and a drink. My total for everything pictured was $6.70. My daughter had a plain croissant, which she destroyed before I could get a good picture!
  
  Check out her cute shirt:
  
  A fellow travel agent at my agency made this for me!
  
  We met my cousin at the monorail at 8:15 a.m. and made our way to MAGIC KINGDOM! We generally do the same touring plan when we visit Magic Kingdom. It only varies based on our FP+ times. Posted hours were 9 a.m.-11 p.m. We arrived sometime after 8:30 a.m. Because we went through bag check prior to getting on monorail, we didn’t have to go through it again. The gates were already open because they now allow you onto Main Street prior to the official opening time. Super smart on their part…more people shopping before park opens, time to get coffee and then stand in hub waiting for rope drop, less of a stampede trying to get to the first attraction.
  
  Since we had some time before the official “rope drop,” we had some PhotoPass pictures taken near the hub.
  
  She spent a lot of time with us! One of the best Photopass experiences I have had. Because I’m an Annual Passholder, Memory Maker is FREE! So we take advantage of as many of these shots as we can, as long as there is not a long line.
  
  Now it was time to get serious…the opening show in front of the castle was starting soon, so we had to get into position. We were heading to Peter Pan to ride standby so we stayed to the left of the castle. We hit these rides standby:
  - Peter Pan
  - Pooh
  - Little Mermaid
  It was SO HOT, so we took a quick snack break. My cousin headed to Starbucks for coffee, and Kinsey and I headed to Gaston’s Tavern for some LeFou’s Brew! Gaston’s is a cute little tavern taken right out of the movie. It has a good variety of snacks and drinks.
  
  I wanted to point out the water station they had set up inside.
  
  This was a fabulous site, because we were so hot and thirsty! They don’t want you filling up your own personal water bottles. You must use the cups provided for sanitary reasons. I love this idea and heard it was located at other quick service locations as well!
  
  Sorry for the quality of this picture. This is a refrigerated case and the hot, humid air from outside, coming in the front doors caused some foggy glass! These are the Macarons and the Chocolate Croissants.
  
  And here she is in all of her glory…the LeFou’s Brew! This is one of my must-have snacks, especially when the weather is warm! It’s frozen apple juice with toasted marshmallow and topped with passion fruit-mango foam. So refreshing!
  
  After our quick snack, we headed to It’s a Small World.
  
  Our original plan was to go to Haunted Mansion and/or Pirates of the Caribbean, but the wait times were 20 minutes or more. We never stand in line for anything longer than 20 minutes! Instead, we headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to use our Fastpass+.
  
  We had a FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coming up from 12:45-1:45 p.m. But prior to that we hit Mickey’s Philharmagic and then went to lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus, a quick service restaurant with tons of indoor seating. Here’s a snapshot of the current menu (September 2018) taken directly from Disney’s website.
  
  You can see they offer something other than the typical hot dog, hamburger, chicken options.
  
  My daughter ordered the Cheese Flatbread kid’s meal that came with a drink and 2 sides. She loved this and ate the entire thing.
  
  I ordered the Caprese Flatbread. This was delicious and a nice, light change!
  
  After lunch we rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with our FastPass+. We headed back to the resort for our afternoon break!
  Posted in Disney, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Captain Cook's, Disney, Gaston's Tavern, Magic Kingdom, PhotoPass, Pinocchio Village Haus, Quick Service, Snacks
- Grandeur of the Seas – Day at Sea
  
  Posted at 2:45 pm by taryngirl, on September 5, 2018
  
  Today was our first sea day. I must have been excited because I was awake at 6:15 a.m.! Here’s the Cruise Compass for today:
  
  Once the kids woke up, we headed to the Windjammer for the buffet breakfast. Imagine my delight to see FRIED RICE on the buffet!
  
  And it was DELICIOUS! I would have this same thing every single morning (except when it was shrimp fried rice).
  
  Kinsey had her normal doughnut:
  
  After breakfast, we headed straight for the pool deck. The weather was perfect! Sunny and warm. Apparently we were finished eating by 8:51 a.m.!
  
  There were tons of open chairs available. There are always horror stories about people saving rows of chairs from the crack of dawn, and not actually sitting in them. I didn’t experience this at all on this cruise! I was always able to find a chair with no problem.
  
  My bathing beauties! Around 11:30 a.m. the girls came to me with some new found friends, and wanted to go try the rock climbing wall. We headed to the back of the ship, and it was currently closed because it was too wet.
  
  We kept checking back and finally they were open with a semi-long line already!
  
  These are the special shoes they have you wear:
  
  We did have our own socks on with them.
  
  My oldest daughter went first, and she was a champ!
  
  My daughter is on the left in the white. The dad next to me was super excited for his daughter who was next to mine!
  
  I want to mention. It was HOT this day! Almost too hot to be comfortable doing this. My youngest daughter was a bit grumpy once it got to be her turn.
  
  We headed to lunch at the Windjammer.
  
  They had a very good selection and everyone found something they liked.
  
  We stayed at the pool until about 2:30 p.m., and by then we had enough of the hot sun. We headed back to the cabin to relax and shower before dinner.
  
  Posted in Cruise, Cruise Compass, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged At Sea, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Windjammer
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Contempo Cafe and BVG Shopping
  
  Posted at 8:02 pm by taryngirl, on September 3, 2018
  
  Continuing on with our first day…our plan was to hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios this evening. We had a Fastpass+ for Toy Story Midway Mania. However, right about 5:30 p.m. or so, it started thunderstorming. (Usual occurrence pretty much all summer through Octoberish!) We were prepared and had ponchos. Butttttt, neither of us were really feeling it. We were tired from getting up so early to debark the cruise and the long travel day. But it was too early for us to go to bed. So we decided to hop on the monorail and head over to one of my Top 3 Quick Service locations!
  
  From the Polynesian, we hopped on the monorail and got off at the third stop, which is the Contemporary Resort. Check out these clouds! (Incidentally, this is the bridge to Bay Lake Tower, which is where we own our Disney Vacation Club, and where we stay later on in the trip.)
  
  CONTEMPO CAFE DINNER MENU:
  
  So ordering here works the same as Captain Cook’s. When you walk in, you will first see the menu boards pictured above. Keep going into the order area and you will see the AMAZING DESSERT CASE! These hands down are the best resort quick service desserts that I’ve ever experienced! I seriously drool just deciding what I want.
  
  My daughter chose the cookie sandwich:
  
  She enjoyed this and couldn’t eat the whole thing. It was so rich! We took half back to the room for later.
  
  And I chose the Peanut Butter Pie:
  
  This was DIVINE! First of all, it’s huge. So it can definitely be shared! I couldn’t eat the whole thing, so I took half back to the room. You can see it has some vanilla pudding on the bottom. (This was so good, I came back for another on our last day!)
  
  As you continue in the register area, you will see the cold cases. I didn’t get pics of these because my arms were full! Drinks, salads, sandwiches, etc. were located there.
  
  Once you get to the registers, that is where you order your food. They will give you a number to put on your table, and once ready someone will bring you your food.
  
  We weren’t super hungry, so opted for the kid’s chicken nugget meal. We chose apples and fries for our sides, and a bottle of water for our drink.
  
  Disney chicken nuggets are some of our favorites! This was good and hit the spot followed by our dessert.
  
  From here we headed to the two shops located on this same floor.
  
  B.V.G is one of my favorites anywhere! They always have a great selection, as well as a variety of goodies to choose from.
  
  Up Next…Day 2!
  
  Posted in Contempo Cafe, Contemporary Resort, Dining Review, Disney, Quick Service, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Contempo Cafe, Contemporary Resort, Dessert, Disney, Foodie, Menu Picture, Merchandise, Shop, Snacks
- Grandeur of the Seas – Bridges, Main Dining Room Dinner Night #1
  
  Posted at 7:28 pm by taryngirl, on August 30, 2018
  After checking out our room, we headed back up to the deck to check some things out. First stop…the ice cream machine! We stopped here no less than twice a day…
  
  We checked out some other areas of the ship:
  
  The stairs in the Centrum:
  
  A Porthole:
  
  We headed to the muster drill. We were supposed to be on Deck 5 outside, but major storms were rolling in. So instead we were inside the theater. It was a little bit chaotic since multiple stations were located inside, but at lease we could sit down!
  
  From following different message boards and researching, I knew that we were going to:
  - Pass under the Key Bridge (and be able to see a red, white and blue buoy, which is the location where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner)
  - Pass under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
  - Pass over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (which we drive ON every summer to go to the beach!)
  I also had seen different times when these were supposed to be happening. I knew the Key Bridge was coming up soon, so we headed outside on deck 5 and could see it coming in the distance! It was perfect timing. Just off camera here to the left is where the red, white and blue buoy is.
  
  It was also perfect timing for us to head back and get ready for dinner. Our luggage up to this point had not been delivered yet. Once we got back to the room, our little suitcase was there, but not our big one! I talked to our room steward and he said I should have had it by now, and said to go down to deck 1, which I knew was the “naughty room.” A few different things can make you end up in the naughty room…alcohol, power strips, irons, crock pots…anything on the banned item list. I knew I had none of these, so at this point I was just hoping my suitcase WAS there!
  
  Yep. It was. I was too scared to take a picture because there was security…and luggage, everywhere! I was amazed at some of the items that were being pulled out of the suitcases. I claimed my suitcase and they told me I couldn’t have a power strip. I didn’t have one and tried explaining. They opened the suitcase and then ran it through the machine again. I was fine! So away we went with the suitcase to get ready for dinner.
  
  Dining on Royal Caribbean
  - There are 3 different dinner options when booking your cruise.
    - Assigned time of 5:30 p.m.–This is located in the Main Dining Room on the Grandeur, Deck 4–Great Gatsby. You will have the same wait staff for the length of the cruise.
    - Assigned time of 8:00 p.m.–Also located in the Main Dining Room on the Grandeur, Deck 4–Great Gatsby. You will have the same wait staff for the length of the cruise.
    - My Time Dining–This is a great option if you don’t want to be tied to a set time. If you want more flexibility with your evenings and days when you are in port, this will work great for you. You CAN make reservations through your Cruise Planner online, or you can just show up during dinner hours posted in the Cruise Compass. By just showing up, you may have a wait depending upon how many other people are doing the same thing as you! This is located in the Main Dining Room Balcony on the Grandeur, Deck 5–Great Gatsby. You may have different wait staff throughout the cruise.
  - Another option is to eat in the Windjammer buffet up on deck 9. You can choose to do this any evening you wish, even if you choose one of the above three choices. It’s a courtesy to alert your main dining room wait staff so they know not to expect you.
  - There are also a few dining locations on the Grandeur that you can pay an upcharge to eat in. I didn’t eat in any of these so can not share any tips or advice! I will say, I didn’t really want to pay additional to eat when the Main Dining Room is included in your cruise fare!
  We arrived at about 5:25 p.m. on deck 4 (just one above where our cabin is…super convenient!) The entrance to the Main Dining Room is next to the main “hub” of action…the Centrum. This is where they play live music, and have other entertainment. This area was PACKED! And there was a line that wrapped around to get into the Dining Room doors. I think this happens on the first night on almost any ship because no one knows where their table is! After the first night, it’s a breeze.
  
  We were escorted to our table, and to my surprise, we were seated with 2 other groups! I thought for sure we would have our own table because there were 5 of us. But we were at a table for 11! A family of 4 from Australia, and 2 friends from England (1 lives in US now). We absolutely loved meeting these people!
  
  I had already browsed some menus prior to getting on the ship. There was a big hubbub a few months ago when Royal changed their menus!
  
  Night 1 Menu:
  
  You can see the Starters, Main Courses, and Desserts. Some of these were standard on the menu and served every single night.At the bottom are a few “Premium Selections” that you can order and be charged the amount shown next to the entree.
  
  Kid’s Menu (same every night):
  
  We met our waiter, Austin from India, and our assistant waiter, Kevin from the Philippines. They both were very good and very efficient. They did expect our entire order, including dessert, right off the bat.
  
  I mentioned earlier that during the muster drill we were having thunderstorms. Well they didn’t stop! They continued the entire way down the Chesapeake! I was glad we were wayyyyyy out to sea yet. The lightning was non-stop! This was the Chesapeake Bridge while we were eating.
  
  I ordered the Caesar Salad and the Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup.
  
  The Caesar Salad was okay. Not the greatest, not the worst. I particularly liked the shaved Parmesan cheese. The soup was amazing! And I don’t really love mushrooms.
  
  My daughters both had the Seasonal Fruit Plate. My youngest only eats watermelon, and my oldest eats everything except cantaloupe.
  
  The fruit was very fresh! And between the 3 of us we ordered at least 2 plates each evening.
  
  Chicken Waldorf Salad:
  
  Shrimp Cocktail:
  
  These were eaten by others at our table. I’m assuming they were good because no one complained!
  
  Kid’s Pizza with French Fries:
  
  She deemed this one of the best pizzas she ever had! And she would continue to have. Every.single.night.
  
  Spaghetti Bolognese:
  
  My oldest daughter ordered this. And she ate every single last noodle. We were supposed to share, and I had one bite. I LOVED the sauce! It was so good that I would order this later in the week for myself.
  
  New York Strip Loin:
  
  I realllllly wanted to love this steak. But it was just okay. I prefer Filet Mignon so this was just eh. I’m glad I got it cooked medium. The potato and vegetables were great!
  
  Here are a few dishes others at our table ordered:
  
  (This may have been the fish of the day?? Or the Horseradish Crusted Salmon?)
  
  Aged Prime Rib of Beef:
  
  Next up was dessert!
  
  Warm Hazelnut Chocolate Cake:
  
  If you like hazelnut, you will love this! It was so delicious! Very warm, and perfect with the whipped cream.
  
  Royal Cheesecake:
  
  My oldest daughter got this every single night! It was SO GOOD. I’m picky about cheesecake! And the strawberries were perfect with this.
  
  Royal Chocolate Cake:
  
  I think this was very good, because there was none left!
  
  Overall we loved our experience in the Main Dining Room, and were stuffed to the gills when we left.
  Posted in Cruise, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged Food Picture, Foodie, Grandeur of the Seas, Great Gatsby, Main Dining Room, Menu Picture
- Disney’s Polynesian Villa Deluxe Studio Lake View
  
  Posted at 3:46 pm by taryngirl, on August 29, 2018
  After a quick lunch at Captain Cook’s we headed directly to our room. We didn’t have to stop at the front desk in the lobby because they had both emailed and texted our room number to us. We were using our Disney Vacation Club points, and reserved a Deluxe Studio–Lake View. Here’s a quick video tour:
  
  The Deluxe Studios here at the Polynesian have two bathrooms. One with a regular shower/tub, toilet and sink:
  
  The second bathroom has a really awesome shower and a sink:
  
  The kitchenette is a nice feature. It includes a microwave, toaster, coffee pot, and mini-fridge. Also provided are some paper products including a roll of paper towels, paper plates and paper bowls.
  
  The bedroom and living area include a Queen size bed, a pull out sofa, and a murphy style bed that pulls down under the television.
  
  We had an amazing view from our patio:
  
  Pros of staying at this resort:
  - Location! You are two monorail stops away from Magic Kingdom. You can walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center to get on the monorail for Epcot. You can take a boat to Magic Kingdom also if you prefer.
  - Atmosphere. This resort really makes you feel like you are on an island somewhere. If you love tropical, Hawaii type feel, then this is the resort for you.
  - Restaurants. I love every single restaurant here. Kona Cafe has great breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also serve really good sushi (so I’ve been told…I don’t eat it!). Ohana is my favorite restaurant anywhere on Disney property. The food is SO GOOD! It’s served family style. They also have the Pineapple Lanai that served Dole Whip!
  - Cast Members. The people that work at this resort are super friendly. Every single one that we crossed paths with said “Aloha” to us!
  - Pool! The pool here has undergone some renovations and now includes a splash area. There’s also a water slide. If you prefer something more relaxed there is a quiet pool as well.
  Cons of staying at this resort:
  - Price. This is an expensive resort. The average price per night on the smallest room type is $525. That’s the average!
  If we get the opportunity, we will definitely stay at this resort again!
  Posted in Deluxe Studio, Disney, Polynesian Villa, Polynesian Village Resort, Room Review, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Deluxe Studio, Disney, Lake View, Polynesian, Polynesian Villa, Polynesian Village Resort
- Captain Cook’s Lunch
  
  Posted at 11:37 am by taryngirl, on August 28, 2018
  
  When we arrived to the Polynesian, I was starving. So we headed directly to Captain Cook’s, which is the quick service location there. I hadn’t stayed at this resort for 5 years, and this location had undergone some renovations since then. Here’s the lunch/dinner menu posted (August 2018):
  
  Each quick service location seems to operate differently. For this particular one, there was a queue set up and 3 registers. You order at the register and they give you pager. You can order “for here” or “to go.” If eating here, you simply go to your table and sit putting the pager on the table. If taking it to go, there’s a to go counter just to the left of the registers. If you are ordering a kid’s meal, be sure to note what all comes with it! It’s usually 2 “sides” and a drink. The sides may be carrots, grapes, apples, a cookie, fries, etc. At this location you have to go to the refrigerators and retrieve any of the cold items, including the kid’s drink.
  
  Another random note…if you are on the Quick Service Dining Plan, or the Standard Dining Plan, as your beverage you can get a single serve alcoholic drink. Pictured here you can see some beer. This would count as your beverage if you don’t want a soda, etc!
  
  The buzzer:
  
  And my choice for lunch, Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Chicken:
  
  Being the planner I am, I already had a list of all of the food I wanted to try on this trip! I had googled menus, pictures, review, etc. I knew I had to have these noodles!
  
  My review: They were just okay. Boo. I was expecting more flavor! I did eat almost all of it, and it was a good portion size. Good mix of vegetables, chicken and noodles. I don’t think I’d order it again here though! I might try the Pork Fried Rice or the Hot Beef and Cheddar (which looked amazing!).
  
  Stay tuned for more reviews from here! We did have a few more meals here for breakfast and lunch.
  
  Posted in Captain Cook's, Dining Review, Disney, Polynesian Village Resort, Quick Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Captain Cook's, Disney, Foodie, Polynesian, Polynesian Village Resort, Quick Service
- Grandeur of the Seas Cabin 3061
  
  Posted at 1:27 pm by taryngirl, on August 27, 2018
  
  It’s time to take a tour of our stateroom! Since we had two separate staterooms, we wanted them to be connecting. Options were somewhat limited for this for the exact category we wanted. We knew we wanted to be on a low deck mid-ship due to some motion sickness issues. The 4th, 5th, and 6th decks had all of the action, so we opted for the 3rd deck knowing we could walk up a few flights of stairs if the elevators were full. Elevators were not an issue for us except on embarkation day when EVERYONE is trying to get up to deck 9! Also, I always check the deck plans of the ship so I can see what’s below us and what’s above us.
  
  I was able to find cabins 3059 (Inside–Category 2V), and 3061 (Inside–Category 1V). Both were 136 square feet. Just a little blurb on Inside vs. Oceanview vs. Verandah vs. Suite…we prefer an Inside cabin. I like it to be dark, and I like to save some money so we can do more excursions. The price difference is just too much for me to justify it based on how much time we actually spend IN the cabin! We are basically there to shower and sleep! Now, when we do an Alaskan cruise or Panama Canal, then I would consider a balcony/verandah.
  
  Another word of warning before you watch this video…cruise cabins are SMALL! Not like normal sized hotel rooms. My filming seems very CLOSE…well it was! There’s only room for 1 person to stand in the bathroom. I promise I will get better at videos!
  
  The sleeping area:
  
  The desk area and closet:
  
  Inside the cabinets and the safe:
  
  These are the ONLY 2 plugs in the entire cabin! Surge protectors are not permitted and they are very strict with this on this ship! They confiscated a large number of these from people’s luggage. I may or may not have had to go to the naughty room myself! To be discussed in a later post…
  
  Inside the closet:
  
  The bathroom:
  
  Posted in Cruise, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Cruise Cabins, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Trip Report
- Mother/Daughter Disney Trip! August 2018
  
  Posted at 10:40 pm by taryngirl, on August 25, 2018
  I know I’m in the middle of writing my August Grandeur of the Seas trip report, but I have to also start my DISNEY WORLD trip report! So I’ll probably be alternating, but to read straight through either report, be sure to check my Trip Reports tab where I will have links so you can follow in order.
  
  THE PLAN:
  - Who–myself, my two daughters, my cousin, her two daughters
  - What–all girl cousin trip!
  - When–August 11-18th
  - Where–Polynesian/Bay Lake Tower
  - Why–one last hurrah before school and soccer start, to use our DVC points, we all have an annual pass, and WHY NOT?!
  So we knew we wanted to go in August, but had to plan around school and soccer schedules, and other family vacations. Also, because I am a Disney Vacation Club Member, my new points came available August 1st. So I had to plan for some time after that. My cousin, Alex, had already made her reservation at Polynesian Village Resort, by renting DVC points. She planned to arrive 3 days before us. We had gone once in August before and I swore NEVER AGAIN! It’s so dang hot, and it rained every day. But alas, August it was! After several changes of resort for us, we decided on Polynesian Village Resort and Bay Lake Tower. I wanted to do the split stay so I could experience more than one resort to share with my Disney clients.
  
  About a month ago, we made the decision that my oldest daughter would not be able to make the trip. She is on a premier soccer team and we had gotten the schedule. You guessed it…a tournament! It’s her first year on this team and we just didn’t think it was a good idea to miss several practices and then a tournament. So it would just be my youngest daughter and I making the trip.
  
  We had been cruising from August 2-11th from Baltimore. Upon return to Baltimore, we had flights booked leaving at 1:30 p.m. ish. After researching, I saw there was a flight that left at 11:05 a.m., and there were varying times you could depart the ship. So I called Southwest and made the switch and canceled my oldest daughter’s ticket! It was super easy, and we now have a credit for her to use.
  
  We departed the ship around 8:15 a.m., got our luggage, went through customs and met my husband in the parking lot by 8:40 a.m. We headed directly for the airport. He dropped us right around 9:00 a.m. There was a flight leaving at 9:45 a.m. ish that I inquired about at the counter, but it was too late because our luggage still had to be checked. It would not have made the plane! So we could leisurely make our way to our gate. One note at security…we had to take out any electronics that were larger than a cell phone. I’ve never had to take my iPad out before. Also, all food/snacks had to be taken out and put in a separate bin. (This was the moment I found the huge zip loc bag my mother had given my daughter in case she got hungry. It was filled with chocolate twizzlers and caramel creams…)
  
  We made it through security and headed to our gate. We weren’t hungry because we had eaten breakfast on the ship before we got off. I caught up on some work things and Kinsey caught up on her YouTube. By the way…I LOVE MY NEW AMERICAN TOURISTER MICKEY LUGGAGE!
  
  We had a great flight, and once in Orlando, made our way over to the B side to head to the Magical Express transportation area. I noticed a new sign! AND hand sanitizer! That was a definite difference I noticed on this trip. Hand sanitizer dispensers near or in most restaurants on Disney property. I am a fan!
  
  This was about 1:45 p.m. on a Saturday. Look how empty it is! The Polynesian was lane 2 and we were the only ones in it!
  
  A few people did eventually come in behind us before we were able to board a bus. But it was still very empty in this whole area!
  
  If you are brand new to Disney World, or have never used Disney’s Magical Express, GO HERE to read all about it! It really is so convenient. In summary:
  - Disney will send you luggage tags in the mail once you register with Magical Express. They are yellow, and you attach them to any luggage you are checking at your airport.
  - You get to the airport and make your way to the B side of Orlando Airport and head down to the Magical Express. Watch for signs! And there’s a map they will send you with your luggage tags. DO NOT GO TO BAGGAGE CLAIM if you put the yellow tags on your luggage!
  - You scan your Magic Band at the check in area, and they tell you which lane number to get in.
  - You board the bus and they drop you directly at your resort!
  - Your luggage will be delivered to your room…normally within 4 hours of arrival at the airport.
  WHAT I PACK IN MY CARRY ON! Since it can take up to 4 hours to receive your luggage, pack your carry on with any essentials you think you might need in that time frame. For me: Wallet, electronics, chargers, medication, deodorant, bathing suits if I think we will swim, MagicBands, a brush. This is all in case the luggage does not show up before we head to a park or to dinner, etc.
  
  I spy! This particular bus was stopping at three different resorts. We were lucky, and drew the first stop! Taken through the bus window because we were very near the front seat.
  
  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RESORT! This is 100% my decor and atmosphere. We actually had professional pictures taken here at this resort when the girls were 3 and 5. This was one of the spots!
  
  UP NEXT…another piece of my cruise trip report!
  Posted in Disney, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged August, Disney, Disney's Magical Express, Magical Express, Planning, Polynesian, Polynesian Village Resort, Trip Report
- Grandeur of the Seas, Windjammer and Deck Pictures
  
  Posted at 7:54 am by taryngirl, on August 23, 2018
  
  Continuing on with embarkation day…
  
  We headed straight up to the pool deck, deck 9, and went to the Windjammer for lunch. It was about 11:45 a.m. at this point. The Windjammer is the buffet restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has several different “stations.” There’s a Kid’s Corner, Healthy Corner, Dessert area, Bread/Soup area, Beverage station (lemonade, mango water, iced tea, water, coffee, hot tea), and regular hot choices, salad bar, etc. When we arrived it wasn’t full yet, but by the time we left, people were looking for tables!
  
  Here are some pictures of some of the food offerings during this lunch:
  
  And this is what I decided on!
  
  I wasn’t super hungry at this point, so I just nibbled on a few different things. I personally LOVED the bolognese sauce and would eat this several more times throughout the cruise!
  
  After lunch, I walked around and took some pictures of decks 9 and 10.
  
  This is where we spent a majority of our time! This is the Main Pool. There are also 4 hot tubs all around the pool.
  
  Shot from the 10th deck.
  
  This is the Solarium. Also on the 9th deck, and exclusive for adults only.
  
  A hidden gem on this ship is the Park Cafe. It’s located in the Solarium on deck 9, and offers some good eats! Sandwiches, salads, nachos, cookies, etc. etc. It’s a great place to grab a quick snack. Just not the serving hours in the Cruise Compass! Even though this is located in the “adult only” Solarium, children are permitted to go here to eat.
  
  Not shown are a bunch of tables and chairs, where people will sit and play all kinds of games they bring onboard. I even saw someone painting on a canvas! It’s super quiet compared to the outside main pool area. It’s also a little bit warmer and stuffier in my opinion, because there is no outside air coming in. I did hear from someone that while in port, they did open the roof.
  
  Also located in the back of the Solarium is the spa. I personally did not spend any time here on this cruise!
  
  Up Next…Our cabin and some inside pictures!
  
  Posted in Cruise, Dining Review, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Baltimore, Buffet, Cruise, Park Cafe, Pool Deck, Royal Caribbean, Solarium, Windjammer
- Grandeur of the Seas, Embarkation Day, Baltimore Cruise Maryland Terminal, Check In
  
  Posted at 9:28 pm by taryngirl, on August 21, 2018
  
  Our adventure began bright and early in the morning. My husband was driving us and dropping us directly at the port. It was about a two hour drive and our boarding time was anytime after 11 a.m. I like to budget in time for traffic, accidents, etc. and I like to be EARLY! So my goal was to be in the at 8:30 a.m. SUCCESS! We managed to fit 6 people and alllllll of our luggage and carry-on bags in my Sorento.
  
  The drive was very easy and we didn’t really hit any traffic. We were to the port by 10:45 a.m. I didn’t get any really good pictures of the Baltimore Port drop off area as we were very rushed! Since we were being dropped off, we were in a line of cars, and the porters were waiting to take our luggage right away. One note…porters generally do not work for the cruise line, but rather the port itself. I always tip them $1 per bag that I’m checking with them. They load the bags on carts that are driven to the ship. They are then delivered to your stateroom sometime throughout the afternoon.
  
  Once our luggage was taken care of, we took our carry-ons with us into the terminal. What do I pack in my carry-on for a cruise? Normally, a bathing suit, deodorant, prescription meds, passport, wallet, ID, any valuables and electronics. We then got into the security line. This is where they check your ID and booking information. The carry-ons do go through a scanner. We were able to bring a 12 pack of bottled water with no problems at this specific port. After security, we headed to the cruise check-in line.
  
  Here are a few pics from inside the terminal.
  
  At the counter, they gave us our first CRUISE COMPASS! This had all of the general information we needed for our boarding day.
  
  We also received a paper with all of the Officers onboard and other useful information.
  
  We also received information about the various Adventure Ocean Kid Clubs onboard.
  
  MUCH MORE TO COME!
  
  Up next…Grandeur of the Seas, Windjammer Buffet, and more!
  
  Posted in Adventure Ocean, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Adventure Ocean, Baltimore, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Embarkation, Kid Clubs, Royal Caribbean, Terminal
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