Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Author Archives: taryngirl

• An Evening at Magic Kingdom

  Posted at 12:10 pm by taryngirl, on September 21, 2020

  1/29/20

  From Disney Springs, we took the bus to the Grand Floridian and then the monorail to Magic Kingdom. I think it’s super important to know your options for transportation ahead of time. Sometimes there is more than one option, sometimes things are not operating, etc. Also, don’t underestimate how long it will actually take you!

  

  

  

  

  I can honestly say in all of my trips to Magic Kingdom, I have never seen the Main Street Philharmonic band performing! This was quite a treat. Maybe because we always hit rope drop at Magic Kingdom, and they don’t perform until the afternoon? We are usually heading back to room at this time or busy on rides. This was a pleasant surprise!

  

  We had a FP+ for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so headed there first thing. That’s my favorite ride in Magic Kingdom! From there we headed to Country Bear Jamboree since we had to wait a little bit for our next FP+ at Pirates of the Caribbean.

  

  

  When we exited the show, these characters were all out on the street having a dance party! I have never seen this happening, but have seen just random bear characters walking down the street.

  Our next stop was the Enchanted Tiki Room. Also a Disney classic! A great spot during a rain shower or a super hot day!

  

  

  Have I mentioned that I LOVE my iPhone 11? These pics were taken in very dark conditions with no flash. From there we headed to our Pirates of the Caribbean FP+. After leaving Pirates, we made our way toward Tomorrowland. The Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party was going on.

  

  

  We had a FP+ at Peter Pan, so I think we rode on the People Mover then made our way to Fantasyland. After Peter Pan, we went to the Haunted Mansion. I just LOVE how my pictures turned out here!

  

  

  

  

  After that, it was time to make our way to a spot to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks. Of course we had to walk past the Tangled bathrooms! This area is so gorgeous at night!

  

  

  Fireworks tip…to start, people seem to stay on the sidewalks and out of the streets. You CAN stand in the street. My tip is to stand either to the right or left of the castle on the street about mid-hub. Make yourself big, because people will start filling in and you don’t want to be squished! (Although with Covid right now we don’t really have to worry about this…but when things return to normal!). If you know you want to go to a ride in Tomorrowland, stand to the right. If you want to go to Adventureland stand to the left. It’s a complete mob scene right when they are over. We tend to stand still for a little bit until the crowd starts to disperse.

  

  

  After this amazing display, we did head back to our resort. We were checking out from All Star Movies and heading to the Contemporary Club Level! <—————–Up Next!

  Posted in Disney, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Happily Ever After, Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Walt Disney World

• Lunch at Enzo’s Hideaway – Disney Springs

  Posted at 4:55 pm by taryngirl, on September 10, 2020

  1/29/20

  Upon leaving Animal Kingdom, we hopped on a bus to Old Key West so we could get to Disney Springs for our highly anticipated lunch at Enzo’s Hideaway. Usually when I go to Disney Springs, I like to eat at the same places because I have my favorites! Before the huge expansion, my favorite place was Wolfgang Puck Express. Then I tried Raglan Road and that was yummy and entertaining. And then I tried Morimoto and that was super delicious and just beautiful inside. And finally Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, which has become my #1 favorite restaurant at Disney Springs. The appetizers, main courses, and desserts are SO GOOD!

  For this trip, I was traveling with my cousin. We decided to try something brand new! Enzo’s Hideaway was available, so we grabbed a reservation for it. But first…transportation! There is no direct transportation from a Disney park to Disney Springs before 4:00 p.m. You have to take a bus to a resort for a transfer. We decided to take the bus to Old Key West and then enjoy a boat ride over.

  

  

  Some views on our ride:

  

  

  

  

  We made our way towards Enzo’s. Now, it was slightly confusing because there are actually two different Enzo restaurants. There’s Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, which features authentic Italian cuisine set in a transformed airline terminal. And then there’s Enzo’s Hideaway, which is set underground in a tunnel bar, with a speakeasy vibe! This one was down the steps, and almost hidden. Here are some pictures of the inside:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  The atmosphere was AMAZING! Really, really AMAZING! I would love to come back on a busy night just to see the difference. There were so many details that were perfect for the speakeasy vibe.

  

  

  

  As usual, I checked out the menu before we arrived. Of course I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted, so made a decision on the fly! One word about the wait staff…very good and attentive. Almost too attentive, I think because there were so few tables. They had nothing else to do but check on us repeatedly!

  

  Of course the bread was warm and perfect.

  

  I knew I had to have some wine, because…how could you not in this setting?! I went with my favorite, which is Moscato.

  

  I ordered the Bucatini Bolognese. This was absolutely delicious! The meat sauce was so tasty. The portion size was normal. The pasta was actually not just your average spaghetti. It was like a thick spaghetti with a big hole running through the center. It is pricey at $25, but alas, we are in Disney at a table service meal. I would definitely order this again!

  

  My cousin ordered the Classic Lasagna. This was also delicious. Super rich and a big portion! I don’t think she finished it.

  Needless to say, we were way too stuffed for dessert. Overall, we really liked it here. It was a nice change from what we are used to at Disney Springs. I would definitely return in the future!

  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Disney Springs, Enzo's Hideaway | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney Springs, Enzo's Hideaway

• A Morning at Animal Kingdom

  Posted at 4:33 pm by taryngirl, on August 31, 2020

  January 29, 2020

  We arrived to Animal Kingdom in the morning, but not right at rope drop. The first thing I noticed once we exited the bus area, was the construction going on near the tram stop.

  

  

  

  Our plan was to go directly to Navi River and ride that. We went from there over to Kiliminjaro Safari. There are so many amazing photo opportunities! Here are a few I took on the way over.

  

  

  

  Our Safari experience was entertaining. We were riding this standby since our FP+ were in the afternoon for Magic Kingdom. I can’t tell you the last time I stood in this line! It was probably 45 minutes. All I will say is there was a family in front of us with children that were running all over the place…climbing over barriers that they weren’t supposed to, and at one point even sitting in the window ledge over one of the bridges. It was crazy! Anyway, here are some pictures from our ride:

  

  

  

  

  I always hit Zuri’s Sweets Shop for a snack. This time was no exception!

  

  

  We made our way over to Dinosaur, which is one of my personal favorites! Again, more beautiful scenery along the way.

  

  

  After Dinosaur, we took a little break near the stage. While sitting there, Kevin appeared!

  

  We had lunch reservations at Disney Springs, so we decided to take a bus so we could get a transfer since there were no direct buses to Disney Springs. We did wait a longgggg time for a bus here, but once he showed up, we were happy and he was fun!

  

  Overall, a great morning at Animal Kingdom! Up next, Disney Springs Enzo’s Hideaway!

  Posted in Animal Kingdom, Disney, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Animal Kingdom

• La Hacienda de San Angel Dining Review

  Posted at 2:39 pm by taryngirl, on April 9, 2020

  January 28, 2020

  After our jaunt on the Skyliner, we rode it back to the Epcot Station and entered through the International Gateway.  We had dinner reservations in Mexico at La Hacienda de San Angel, but before that, we made our way through the countries a little bit.

  It’s always a joy to listen to Mariachi Cobre located just outside the Mexico Pavilion!  They sound really good and are super talented!

  

  There are two table service restaurants in Mexico.  San Angel Inn is located INSIDE the pavilion.

  

  (By the way, I love my iPhone 11 Pro!  This pic was taken with it.   No flash!)

  

  We took a quick ride on the Gran Fiesta Tour before our dinner.

  

  From there, we headed outside of the pavilion and across the walk to the second table service restaurant…La Hacienda de San Angel.

  

  The view from our table (Yes we are inside!  We just had a window seat.):

  

  The menu:

  (A side note…I have only eaten at this restaurant one other time in my life, and it was several years ago.  I absolutely did not find the menu appealing at all, but my cousin wanted to try it.  It ended up being my favorite meal of the trip!  So I couldn’t wait to get back here.)

  

  Chips and Salsa come complimentary.  The salsa was really good!

  

  I ordered the Pollo al Pastor, which was adobe marinated chicken breast with vegetables.  It was spicy but delicious!

  

  My cousin ordered the Enchiladas de Vegetales.

  

  All entrees come with family style rice and beans.

  

  Overall thoughts…our server was a little crazy, but efficient.  One example, when filling my water, he basically dumped the pitcher onto me and my plate of rice.  The meal was so good, and I love the setting right on the lake.  If you have dined inside at San Angel Inn, give this a try!  I prefer the food here!  They only serve during dinner.

  

  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Epcot, La Hacienda de San Angel, Mexico Pavilion, Table Service

• Disney Skyliner and Riviera Resort

  Posted at 3:23 pm by taryngirl, on April 1, 2020

  January 28, 2020

  From the Beach Club, we walked to the Epcot Skyliner Station.  We wanted to take a ride and check it out, as we hadn’t gotten to take a ride yet.  This station is located outside of the International Gateway, which is the back entrance to Epcot.  Our plan was to ride it to Disney’s Riviera Resort so we could also check that out!  That is Disney’s newest resort.

  You can see the Skyliner routes in the maps below.  These are not my pictures, but I love the satellite aerial view!  For our route, we took it straight to Riviera Resort without having to get off in between.

  

  

  Here you can see the Epcot Station.

  

  (Here’s France in the background, and you can see where they are building the new Remy attraction.)

  

  Once up in the Skyliner, you can really see some “behind the scenes!”  This is the construction of the new Remy attraction in France.

  

  Once we land at Riviera Resort, there are signs directing you where to go.

  Walking through this area, there are two AMAZING mosaic walls!

  

  The grounds are beautiful here!  It’s a very quiet, less bustling atmosphere.  You almost forget it’s a Disney Resort.

  

  I thought I took more pictures of the inside, but I guess not!  We walked into the lobby and checked out the store there.  It came across as a little more upscale than a regular Deluxe level resort.  Kind of like a mini Grand Floridian as far as “feel” goes.

  If you have an extra half hour or so, check it out!

  Up next…La Hacienda de San Angel Dining Review!

  Posted in Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Riviera Resort, Skyliner

• Beaches and Cream Lunch Review

  Posted at 2:51 pm by taryngirl, on March 31, 2020

  January 28, 2020

  After the craziness of riding Rise of the Resistance, we headed out the gates and to the boat.  We took the boat to the Beach Club for our reservation at Beaches and Cream.

  Beaches and Cream had a makeover!  The seating area was expanded and the menu received a small makeover.  We couldn’t wait to check it out!

  

  The check in podium is located outside the restaurant.  Generally to dine here, you must have a reservation.  There is some counter seating that may be open for walk ins, but it’s tough to get in here!

  The menu:

  

  I can never decide what I want here, because I love this kind of food.  It’s usually a toss up between the burger or the chili cheese dog (which by the way is not on the regular menu anymore), and then a dessert decision is also a struggle!

  Here you can see he expanded seating area inside the restaurant:

  

  I ordered the chili cheese dog, even though it wasn’t listed on the menu!

  

  Alex ordered the Reuben.

  

  Both were delicious!

  And for dessert, we went with the no fail No Way Jose to share.

  

  This is probably my favorite ice cream sundae in Disney!  I love peanut butter and chocolate together.

  If you are staying in the area of Beach Club, Yacht Club or Boardwalk, this is a great lunch spot.  Or even if you are going between Hollywood Studios and Epcot as we were.  It’s reasonably priced for a table service, and the desserts available are fabulous!

  Next up…the Sky Liner and Riviera Resort!

  Posted in Beaches and Cream, Dining Review, Disney, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Beach Club, Beaches and Cream, Dining Review, Food Picture, Foodie, Table Service

• Rise of the Resistance!

  Posted at 9:06 am by taryngirl, on February 19, 2020

  1/28/20

  The time had finally come!  If you recall, we were boarding group #70.  We had been watching the app to see the groups being called.  We were in Frozen when our time had come. So upon exiting, we went directly to Galaxy’s Edge!  It was 12 noon by the way.

  There were cast members scanning people in with iPads.  The queue moved quickly, and we barely even stood still.  Here are some pictures from inside the queue:

  

  There were so many parts to the ride!  We all boarded this next:

  

  After a thrilling transport, we entered here:

  

  

  Next we were taken to the actual queue for the real ride.  The cast members here were amazing.  Everyone stayed in character!

  

  Here are just a few quick snippets from different parts of the ride:

   

   

  Now, I am no super Star Wars fan, but this ride really was amazing from start to finish!  I would definitely do it again, and I would definitely do the whole “try to get a boarding group” process again too.  It’s worth it!

  Up next…Beaches and Cream lunch!

   

  Posted in Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance

• Exploring Galaxy’s Edge and Breakfast at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

  Posted at 4:02 pm by taryngirl, on February 13, 2020

  1/28/20

  After Alex’s breakfast at Woody’s, we headed to Galaxy’s Edge through the entrance in Toy Story Land.  The sun was finally shining after being cloudy all morning!

  The attention to detail and theming all throughout the land are amazing!

  

  I had done some breakfast research prior to arriving, and decided I wanted to either eat at Ronto Roasters or Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo.  Since Docking Bay 7 was newer and had more options, I opted for that.

  This is the lunch menu:

  

  I’m just noticing this menu says Breakfast available until 9 a.m., but online I’ve seen 10 a.m.  I have no idea what time we got there, but there was a line and I MOBILE ORDERED!

  

  I’m also noticing the lunch entrees say available from 9 a.m. until close.  I did not see anyone with these entrees!  Only breakfast, soooo, I don’t know?

  

  The inside of the restaurant was really neat.  There were various seating options…high tables, low tables, etc.

  

  I chose the Bright Suns Breakfast Platter–three cheese egg bite, pork sausage, purple potato hash, mini mustafarian lava roll. $10.99

  

  This was really good!  And I liked the variety.  I’m funny about eggs, but this was great.  I also love Disney sausage!  The mini roll was actually like a cinnamon roll with frosting and cookie crumbs.  I would definitely get this again!

  We exited out a side door and found some outdoor seating as well.

  

  We looked for the Rise of the Resistance entrance so we knew where to go when we came back.

  

  Overall, if you are a Star Wars fan, there is more to check out than what we did.  We kind of whipped through quickly.  There were Storm Troopers walking around interacting with people, and you can also make a reservation to make your own light saber or droid.

  Up next…the rest of Hollywood Studios and riding Rise of the Resistance!

  Posted in Dining Review, Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Woody’s Lunch Box Breakfast, and Rise of the Resistance Madness!

  Posted at 12:02 pm by taryngirl, on February 12, 2020

  1/28/20

  One of the main goals of this trip of mine, was to check out the process of securing a boarding group and ride Rise of the Resistance!  Park opening was 7 a.m., so our goal was to be at the park by 6:30 a.m. at the latest.  At the moment, you have to be through the gates before 7 a.m. (park opening) so that you can be on the app to secure your spot.

  Everyone in the party must be scanned into the park.  You cannot send one person to the park to secure for everyone.

  We planned to take a Lyft from All Star Movies to Hollywood Studios.  We were in the lobby by 6 a.m. summoning our pick up.  I do want to note that the whole time we were sitting there waiting, we did not see one bus come to pick anyone up.  So we were happy with our decision to Lyft!  Apparently we were not the only ones…this whole line of cars are Lyft/Uber drop offs!  (Lyft/Uber drop off is closer than the buses.  It’s a short walk to the entrance.)

  

  There was no real line at security, so we got right in.

  

  This is the line before scanning into the gates.

  This is behind me.

  Once onto Hollywood Boulevard, they don’t stop you at the end anymore.  You can go in the shops, get coffee, or proceed to either the Galaxy’s Edge area, or Toy Story Land area.  I walked by so fast that I don’t even know what was happening on Sunset Boulevard on the way to Rock N Roller Coaster!  You may be able to line up there too??

  

  We headed directly to Toy Story Land.  They stopped people from entering the actual land, but had us gathered down the whole lane leading to it.  They were telling people, DO NOT GO THIS WAY FOR GALAXY’S EDGE!  (There is an entrance to Galaxy’s Edge through Toy Story Land.). That entrance was closed off, so don’t try to take a shortcut or avoid the Galaxy’s Edge crowd through the normal entrance!  We had about a half hour to wait until 7 a.m.

  

  At 7 a.m. on the nose, you could hear the murmurs of the crowds and gradually cheering as people secured their boarding group!  On this particular day, in order to get a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance, which is the only way to ride this new ride, you have to log onto the My Disney Experience app at posted park opening time.  Smack dab in the middle of the screen is Star Wars: RISE OF THE RESISTANCE–ACCESS BY BOARDING GROUP.  You click on that and then JOIN BOARDING GROUP.  Here you will select those in your party and then it will hopefully generate your boarding group number.

  

  

  You can check the land status throughout the day.  Just click on the FIND OUT MORE again and it will tell you what groups are currently boarding.  We were able to enjoy most of the rest of the park until our group was called, including our 3 FP+.

  Simultaneously, the line started moving for the opening of the park.  We were rope dropping Slinky Dog Dash since we couldn’t get a FP+ for it.  This is my favorite ride in this park!

  

  After getting off, we checked the wait time for Toy Story Mania, and it was already long, so we bailed on that and Alex got some breakfast at Woody’s Lunch Box.  She chose the kid’s meal:  S’more French Toast Sandwich–Sandwich Half with Marshmallow and Chocolate Ganache stuffed in Grilled Custard soaked Brioche encrusted with Graham Cracker Crumbs served with a Cuties® Mandarin and Potato Barrels with your choice of Beverage $6.19.

  

  She liked it!  Kid’s meals are so underrated.  It’s the perfect portion size, especially for breakfast, and it comes with the two sides AND a drink.

  I also want to mention Mobile Ordering.  I encourage you to use it!  Below you can see the line just to order your food.  You can skip that by ordering on the My Disney Experience app.  It’s very user friendly, you can see pictures of the food when you order, and you can customize things.  You skip the ordering line and head to the Mobile Ordering Pick Up Window once you arrive at the location.

  This is especially helpful during super busy meal times.  You can order when you are on the other side of the park, away from the location, and just select that you are here when you get closer.  When using Mobile Ordering, you pay directly through the app with the credit card on file or add a new card, or use your Disney Dining Plan.

  

  Once finished with her breakfast, we used our Toy Story Mania FP+ before heading into Galaxy’s Edge for my breakfast.

  

  Up next…Galaxy’s Edge!

   

  Posted in Dining Review, Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged Dining Review, Galaxy's Edge, Hollywood Studios, Quick Service, Rise of the Resistance, Woody's Lunch Box

• Yacht Club and Ale & Compass Dinner Review

  Posted at 6:04 pm by taryngirl, on February 11, 2020

  November 2018

  On our arrival day, we only had dinner planned and no parks.  Since the trip was planned well within 180 days, we had slim pickings for a dinner reservation!  We didn’t want to use a park day, so were limited to resorts or Disney Springs.

  Ale & Compass was available and since we were staying at the Boardwalk, it was very convenient.  To get to the Yacht Club, you can either take a short walk, or take the boat.  Either way, it’s super easy!

  All of the Christmas decorations were up, and it was really beautiful at night!

  

  We arrived and checked in at the podium and they informed us they were running about an hour behind.  WE WERE STARVING!  So this was not good news for us.  But we stuck it out.  We walked around the lobby and to the store.

  

  A quick stop at the Market to check out the menu.  This is the Yacht Club’s quick service option.  Just a note the menu is super limited and there are limited tables to sit here to eat!

  

  Some of the holiday items at the store:

  

  They finally buzzed us and our waiter was apologetic about the wait.  They had an extensive wine list:

  

  I had read so much about the Parker House Rolls and Spreads, so I had to order them!

  

  They were reallllyyyy good, and all of the spreads were good in their own way too!

  Megan ordered the Catch of the Day:

  

  The rest of us ordered the Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Burger.  This was also really good!

  

  I would definitely eat here again!

  After dinner, we walked over to the Beach Club lobby to look at the gingerbread display.  It really is amazing!  It’s carousel that actually moves.  There are hidden Mickey’s on it also, so you can look for them!

  

  And Megan wasn’t really leaving until she found them all…

  

  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort, Yacht Club | 0 Comments | Tagged Ale & Compass, Dining Review, Table Service, Yacht Club

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