Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tales from my (mostly Disney) travels!
Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures
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  • Category: Dining Review

    • Typhoon Lagoon Review

      Posted at 11:26 am by taryngirl, on January 5, 2019

      It was on this day that we were checking out of the Poly and into Bay Lake Tower.  Disney makes it very easy to switch resorts.  You can give any luggage you wish to Bell Services to transfer for you.  The only stipulation is it may not arrive until after 1 p.m.  So if you need anything from your luggage, it may not be available until after that time.  Also, it will not be delivered automatically to you.  Once you check in to new resort, you can retrieve from Bell Services, or call down to them and they will bring it up.

      I handed off our luggage and we met my cousin in the lobby.  This lobby is in my top 3 favorites!  I love the theming!  I am slightly sad they took the waterfall away, but it’s still great.  There’s tons of comfortable seating here if you need a rest.  Our plan was to catch Lyft/Uber around 9:30 a.m.  But alas…we decided to splurge on the Minnie Van for the experience!

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      I particularly like this option because there is no direct bus to Typhoon Lagoon at the moment.  You have to take a bus to Disney Springs and then transfer to a different shuttle.

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      I had done a little bit of research regarding lockers, seating, food, etc.  I did know that I wanted to rent a locker to put our valuables in, because I didn’t want to put things at our chairs and then go off on a slide or in the wave pool where it was out of my view.  This area was extremely busy!  Everyone had the same idea.  I also want to say that right at opening it was a madhouse.

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      The bathrooms and changing area/showers were right near the lockers.

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      There were plenty of these available at this location.

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      After getting our locker and finding the bathroom, we headed for seats.  There are lots of chairs all over.  Not all of them are in the shade though.  So if you require that, you definitely want to get there at opening or a little bit before!  Look at the map of Typhoon Lagoon and have a plan for which direction you want to go.

      Our seats were right next to the wave pool, which is where I figured I’d spend most of my time.  Alex took the girls to water slides immediately before lines got too long.  I stayed with our stuff and hit the wave pool.

      Here’s a picture from later in the day.  You can see how many people were just in this area!  (Within an hour, every seat in our area was taken…)

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      Here’s a view of the lazy river.  This was my second favorite thing!

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      They DO have life jackets for kids, so no need to bring your own.

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      We were getting hungry and decided to find something for lunch.  We decided on Leaning Palms.  It was close and had something that my picky child would eat!

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      There were a bunch of seats, most were filled.  But we were lucky to snag one as people were leaving!  Kinsey opted for the cheese pizza and I opted for the chicken fingers and fries.  Both were good, standard quick service options.  fullsizeoutput_206f

      One thing I want to mention is the bees.  There were SO.MANY.BEES.  Flying around us, landing on our food/drink.  The table next to us actually had an “incident” with a freaked out kid that sent a drink flying across the way.  (I also got stung by a bee while in the wave pool!). So yes, we were on edge as we tried to hurry and eat and get out of there!

      Some other sights along the way:

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      THIS!  Was my favorite though.  I only got a half dozen, but next time will get more!!

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      This little donuts were OUTSTANDING!  Warm, soft, sugary, and perfect when dipped in the chocolate!

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      It was late afternoon and it was hot!  We were getting tired of being in the sun, so packed up and headed out.  As we were leaving, we saw Stitch!  There were only a few people in line, so Kinsey got a few pics.  She loves Stitch!

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      Alex and I left separately since we were now at a different resort.  We each ordered a Lyft ride!

      Up next…checking into Bay Lake Tower!

       

       

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Typhoon Lagoon, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney, Leaning Palms, Stitch, Typhoon Lagoon
    • Disney Springs – Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’

      Posted at 10:01 am by taryngirl, on December 13, 2018

      After our crazy, early morning at Hollywood Studios, we needed a definite afternoon break.  We rested until about 6 p.m., at which time we headed to the bus stop to head to Disney Springs.  We had a dining reservation at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’!  This was not a new restaurant for us.  I had eaten here twice before and it is now a must-do favorite for me!

      If you haven’t been to Disney Springs since it’s been redone, it’s definitely something to see.  There are tons of shops and eateries ranging from 2 credit table service to counter service and snacks.  It’s huge.  I rarely make it over to Goofy’s Candy Company anymore because it’s so far from the bus stop!

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      I love the decor and theming in this southern style place.  It goes well with the comfort foods they serve!

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      I already had an idea what I wanted.  The past two times I ordered the same chicken sandwich, and knew I wanted to try something different.  There are SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS!  Appetizers themselves are delicious!

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      Of course we had to have the deviled eggs, and my all-time favorite the hush puppies!

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      SO SO GOOD!  I could have just eaten this and been full and content.

      For my main meal, I ordered the Chopped Pork Barbecue Plate.  Served with Mac and cheese and a biscuit.

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      This was very good!  I would order it again.  It was a nice change from the chicken, and a huge portion that could easily be shared.

      Alex ordered the meatloaf.  I think this was a special not listed on the regular menu!  It was also super tasty!

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      Of the kids ordered the Fried Chicken & Donuts.  Again, so good, and so much food!

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      Another of the kids ordered the Kitchen Plate, which allows you to choose three different sides.  All of these were great!  And a good option if you aren’t in the mood for meat, or want to share someone else’s.

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      This was a meal off of the kid’s menu.  Good portion sizes for little ones!

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      Sadly we were too full for dessert!  The list here is amazing!  I have in the past had the Hummingbird Cake and it was huge and delicious!  There was no way I could eat anything else tonight.

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      If you are looking for something at Disney Springs, I highly encourage you to give Homecomin’ a try!  If you are a fan of Moonshine, they have an entire menu dedicated to those drinks.  They have both porch and indoor seating, and seating at the bar.

      Up next…Typhoon Lagoon!

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Chef Art Smith's Homecomin', Dining Review, Disney Springs, Table Service
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 50’s Prime Time Cafe

      Posted at 2:27 pm by taryngirl, on December 5, 2018

      Welcome back!  We continued on with our touring in Hollywood Studios.  We had to check out the new store that replaced Sweet Spells, and Kinsey found this cute headband!

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      One thing on her bucket list this trip, was to meet BB8.  Mission accomplished!  We pretty much walked right in with no wait.

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      We knew we would be hungry for lunch early because we were up so early, so we had a reservation for 50’s Prime Time Cafe at 11:05 a.m.  This table service restaurant serves classic American comfort food in a setting reminiscent of the family’s house in “Leave it to Beaver.”  The theming is really neat!  The staff here might joke around a little bit…”no elbows on the table,” “eat your dinner before you eat dessert,” etc.  Or they might throw straws at you.  Just be prepared if you eat here!

      Here’s Kinsey in the waiting area:

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      This is just one of several different rooms offering seating:

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      Here are some menu pics.  They have a great variety and amazing milkshakes!

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      It was hot outside and I didn’t want to eat anything too heavy.  I opted for the appetizer Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese, which is served with a raspberry sauce, grapes and apples.  It also came with a breadstick.

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      This cheese was really good with the fruit and raspberry sauce.  The breadstick however, was gross.

      We also had some Beer-Battered Onion Rings to share.

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      These were really good!  And there were tons of them.  Between all of us we didn’t even finish them.

      Kinsey ordered the kid’s chicken fingers.  (They let her order off of the kid’s menu even though she was 10.)

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      Alex had the Caesar Salad with Salmon.

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      One of her daughter’s had a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.

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      Her other daughter had the Caesar Salad with Chicken.

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      I think the food here was just fine.  But if I had the choice I would probably pick Mama Melrose or Sci Fi.

      After lunch we had a FP+ to use in Toy Story Land and then we headed back to the resort.  Of course we had to stop for some PhotoPass pics!

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      I took some pics of the new Skyliner that is coming to connect Hollywood Studios with a few different resorts.

      This first picture is taken where the old bus stops used to be.  They have been moved….far, far away!  I talked to a security guard who said this just closed 2 days before we got there.  And that they were redoing and pushing back where the bus stops would be located.

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      Let me tell you my story about the current bus stop situation here.  Warning…it is not a pleasant one!  First of all, the walk to the actual bus stops from the gate is a good 10 minutes (as of August 2018).  It was afternoon, hot, humid, and we were tired from getting up so early.  So we trudged to the bus stops.  There were maybe 4 people in our line in front of us, who had already been waiting 20 minutes.  There was NO SHADE!  I seriously thought Kinsey was going to pass out.  We waited 45 minutes for a bus.  It finally comes and we all get on.  And the driver doesn’t leave.  She’s waiting for her replacement for a shift change.  And he’s late.  Very late.  We sat another 30 minutes on the bus without moving, and the driver just told us to call and complain to Disney.  Meanwhile another bus came and pulled up further down from us.  So the people who didn’t fit on our bus and were still out in the queue were able to board that bus and leave!  Our bus was jam packed full, standing room only.  Finally the new driver comes and takes his time inspecting the bus for damage, etc.  Then he gets on.  And sits there.  Without driving.  People started chanting “MOVE THIS BUS!  MOVE THIS BUS!”  It was bad.  It was a bad experience all around and one that I’ve never had prior or since!  A few days later, I stopped in at the front desk of the Polynesian to let them know what happened.  I was way too tired and hot to do it the day we came back.  The cast member I spoke with knew exactly what I was talking about because several other guests also complained.  I wasn’t looking for any form of compensation, but rather alerting them to the issue.  Did the driver realize how far away the bus stops now were?  Was there a miscommunication?  I have no idea, but I wanted them to be aware.  She offered us 3 FastPasses for the following day which was very nice.

      And this ends our Hollywood Studios day!

      Up next…Disney Springs and Homecomin’

       

       

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged 50's Prime Time Cafe, Dining Review, Disney, Food Picture, Foodie, Hollywood Studios
    • Epcot Dinner at Via Napoli

      Posted at 2:45 pm by taryngirl, on November 17, 2018

      We headed back to Epcot for the evening after a small afternoon break.  Having hit most of what we wanted in the morning, we didn’t have to rush around to get anywhere specific.  We made our way leisurely through the countries to our reservation in Italy at Via Napoli.  This is Kinsey’s FAVORITE restaurant in Epcot!  Pizza is probably her favorite food.

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      I never have seen this lobby/restaurant in a calm state.  It’s always buzzing with activity and there’s usually a line at the hostess stand waiting to check in.

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      We come here specifically for the pizza! 

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      Normally our service here is very good, but tonight our waiter did not impress me.  First of all, he was more worried about his tip from the surrounding tables as people were leaving than he was about taking our order and getting it correct.  He messed up the order and did not bring us the correct thing.  Ultimately we ended up with Margherita and Carciofi pizzas.  I cannot even explain how good the Carciofi is!  I think it’s the truffle oil they drizzle on the top.  I silently wish they had a pizza window where they sold this.  I would get it for my lunch every time!

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      One thing to note…we were seated in this newer area.  They expanded the seating area inside.  This was much quieter than being in the main dining room area.

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      After dinner, we made our way to the front of the park to do some shopping at Mouse Gears.  (One of my favorite places to shop!  I find they have a bigger selection than most other locations.)  We hit Spaceship Earth as our final attraction.

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      Up next…Disney’s Hollywood Studios–Toy Story Land!

       

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Uncategorized, Via Napoli | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Epcot, Via Napoli
    • Epcot Morning Touring

      Posted at 3:51 pm by taryngirl, on November 16, 2018

      I’m SO SORRY for the delay in getting up my next blog post!  Once back to school hit, so did SOCCER SEASON!  I’m slowly reclaiming my life back…

      Continuing on with my trip report from August…

      Today was Epcot day.  We were at a very convenient location to walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center, and hop directly on the monorail to Epcot.

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      Here you can see where they are building the new Guardians of the Galaxy indoor roller coaster.  When facing Spaceship Earth, this is on the left hand side.

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      A perk of having an Annual Pass, is there is a separate Annual Pass line which usually moves much faster.  We always arrive here by 8:30 a.m.

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      It was another gorgeous day…but HOT!

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      We were doing our usual AM Touring Plan:

      • Ride Soarin’
      • Ride Living with the Land
      • Ride Finding Nemo
      • Zip through the Living Seas
      • Ride FP+ Journey Into Imagination with Figment
      • Ride Gran Fiesta Tour
      • Ride FP+ Frozen Ever After

      We always rope drop Soarin’ and save our Tier 1 Fastpass for Test Track or Frozen Ever After.  We headed directly towards the Land Pavilion.  I personally do not ride Soarin’!  I can make it about half way before I have to close my eyes.  It messes with my head… While everyone else rides, I usually check out Sunshine Seasons.  I love the variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Look at these GORGEOUS cupcakes that were available this day!

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      My plan was to get breakfast while I was waiting.  I went with the Breakfast Platter, which included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, and cinnamon French toast bread pudding.  I don’t like Disney bacon, and LOVE Disney sausage, so asked to sub and they happily did.

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      I love this!  Every single thing is so good.  Especially the French toast bread pudding.  I grabbed Kinsey a croissant, which is her usual!

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      After riding Living With the Land, we headed over to the Seas Pavilion.  I have never in my life waited in a line for the Seas with Nemo ride.  The queue is soooooooo long.  Here’s a view from our walk over there.

       

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      The Nemo ride ends inside The Living Seas Pavilion.  Here you can wander around (as time permits!) and check out all kinds of cool creatures.

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      fullsizeoutput_153cAfter we explored The Seas, we headed to our next FP+ at Journey into Imagination with Figment.  The ride was down, so we headed to the DVC Lounge for a quick drink and snack.  We checked again and the ride was up!

      From there we headed back to the countries.  Mexico was our first stop.  We wanted to check out the new Kidcot Fun Stops since they had recently changed.

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      Now you get a Ziploc bag, and collect cards and stickers to put in the

      m.  The cards have some facts on them.

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      You can find these stops at each country.  Just look for a table with a cast member to collect a card from each country.

      From Mexico, we headed to Norway to use our FP+ at Frozen Ever After.  A FP+ here is a must if you want to ride!

      Next was China…one of my favorite pavilions!  I love the shop here.

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      Next stop…Germany!  My favorite snack place is here!

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      I present to you…Karamell-Kuche!  I can never decide because there are so many delicious goodies here!

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      This was also our favorite Kidcot Stop!  He was super interactive and even sang to her.

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      Next stop was Japan.  This is my #1 favorite country to visit!  I love the store here, and the overall vibe.  Kinsey also loves this because they have a huge Kawaii display set up…which she loves!

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      (They also have an entire display of Gudetama, which she found awhile ago somewhere on YouTube.).  It means Lazy Egg, and for some reason she loves it!

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      Our next stop was Morocco, which is where I grabbed lunch.  Tangierine Cafe is the quick service location in this country.  There isn’t much seating inside, but there are some extra tables outside.

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      If you are on the Disney Dining Plan or Quick Service Plan, this is a great value for your credit.  I love the Chicken Shawarma Platter.  It’s served with a side of Hummus, Tabouleh, and Tangierine Couscous Salad with fresh Moroccan Bread.  It’s super filling and delicious!

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      From there, we decided to hop on the Friendship boat to take us back to the opposite side of the World Showcase, so we could head back to the resort for our afternoon break.

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      Of course we had to stop and get a picture at one of the famous “Walls of Disney!”

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      Up next, continuing our Evening Touring in Epcot.

       

       

       

       

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Karamell-Kuche, Kidcot Fun Stop, Quick Service, Snacks, Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine Cafe, The Living Seas, Touring Plan, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort, World Showcase | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Cupcakes, Disney, Epcot, Karamell-Kuche, Kidcot Fun Stop, Snacks, Sunshine Seasons, Tangierine Cafe, The Living Seas, Touring Plan, World Showcase
    • 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.)

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      CONTEMPO CAFE DINNER MENU:

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      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.

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      My daughter chose the cookie sandwich:

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      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:

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      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.

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      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.

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      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
    • 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):2018-08-25 11.07.12

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      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.

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      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!

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      The buzzer:

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      And my choice for lunch, Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Chicken:

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      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, 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:

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      And this is what I decided on!

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      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.

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      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.

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      Shot from the 10th deck.

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      This is the Solarium.  Also on the 9th deck, and exclusive for adults only.

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      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. 

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      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!

      2018-08-21 19.45.09

      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
    • March Disney World AEP Trip {Day 5}! Part 2–Satu’li Canteen and Mobile Ordering

      Posted at 7:57 pm by taryngirl, on August 1, 2018

      DID YOU KNOW…that for some Quick Service restaurants throughout Walt Disney World, you can order ahead?  This fantastic service is called MOBILE FOOD AND BEVERAGE ORDERING!  (You can read all about it directly through that link that takes you to Disney’s official page.)

      Basically, instead of waiting in line, you can go onto your My Disney Experience App,

      This is the menu shown outside of the restaurant:

      IMG_2338

      The restaurant itself does have both indoor and outdoor seating.  One note, there are signs on the tables stating you must be a patron of the restaurant in order to use the tables.  So don’t plan on getting a table and sitting there while you wait for the rest of your party who is riding Flight of Passage.

      We stood outside the restaurant and used the My Disney Experience App to order our food. We walked in immediately.  When entering, just look for the separate Mobile Order Pick Up window.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT IN THE REGULAR LINE!  There was only one person in front of us in this line.

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      If you didn’t order ahead, this is what the line looked like:

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      What you can’t see is that the line snaked and then went out into the foyer area of the restaurant.  SO WORTH ORDERING AHEAD!  You can save so much time.

      Confession time…I was skeptical.  I always have modifications, no this, extra this, etc. etc.  You can still modify with the app! 

      Now to the good stuff…the delicious food!  I ordered the Chopped Wood-Grilled Chicken Bowl with Rice and Creamy Herb Dressing and NO Boba Balls!  This is also served with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw.  I also asked for all three sauces on the side when I got up to the window.  The other two sauces are the Black Bean Vinaigrette, and the Charred Onion Chimichurri.  I mixed all three together in the bowl and it was SO GOOD.  I will definitely eat here again and I will definitely order this exact same thing!

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      My friend ordered the Kid’s Meal–Cheeseburger Steamed Pod which is served with Chips and a drink.IMG_0595

      My other friend ordered the Combination Bowl:  Grilled Beef and Chicken with Rice base and the Chimichurri Sauce.

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      They each also ordered a dessert.  This is the Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake with a crunchy cookie layer and banana cream topping).  We all tasted it.  It was really good and super rich!

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      The other dessert was the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse.  (blueberry cream cheese mousse with passion fruit curd)  I didn’t try this one, but they said it was good!

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      I have eaten here on a past trip as well.  These are some pictures of food my group ordered during that trip. 

      Chopped Wood-Grilled Chicken with Romaine and Kale Salad Base.

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      Regular order of the Cheeseburger Pods served with Chips.

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      Overall, this quick service restaurant is one of my favorites!  Be sure to give it a try at least once.

      Up next…Cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas!

      Posted in AEP, Animal Kingdom, Dining Review, Quick Service, Satu'li Canteen, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Animal Kingdom, Avatar, Disney, Foodie, Mobile Ordering, Pandora, Quick Service, Satu'li Canteen, Walt Disney World
    • March Disney World AEP Trip {Day 4}–Part 3! My birthday! (Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review and Magic Kingdom)

      Posted at 12:16 am by taryngirl, on June 26, 2018

      This day was so jam packed, that I have to dedicate a third blog post to it.  I think I forgot to mention that today was my birthday!  Right before we disembarked the ship, we were treated to lunch at Cabana’s, which is the ship’s buffet.  The variety of food that is available here is amazing!  There’s something for everyone.  After lunch, we sadly had to get off the ship, and head back to our resort.  My roommates and I had plans for tonight, so we all took a little rest before grabbing an Uber to Fort Wilderness.

      I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Ubering is SO EASY in Disney!  Our destination was Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness, which is where the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is located.  Using Disney transportation, we would have had to board a bus to Magic Kingdom, then taken a boat to Fort Wilderness.  This would have easily taken 45 minutes to an hour.  Instead…we Ubered and were at Fort Wilderness in about 7 minutes.  Now, Fort Wilderness is tricky because it’s a campground.  There’s a front gate and the bus depot.  In order to get back to Pioneer Hall, you have to change buses and take the internal bus.  Uber drivers cannot drive beyond the original bus depot.  So we got out and hopped on the internal bus.  Now I have heard the Minnie Vans CAN drive all the way back.  (Minnie Vans are $25 flat fee no matter where you go on Disney property.  Uber is standard Uber pricing.)  This was not a big deal for us, and the internal buses are frequent, at least in my experience.

      IMG_2305

      We made it!!

      If you are not familiar with the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, let me give you a little summary. 

      • It’s a dinner show with three available seating times available.
      • Prepayment is required.  Tickets may be picked up at any Walt Disney World Resort Concierge or Pioneer Hall.
      • You can make reservations online or by calling.
      • Here is the current (June 2018) seating chart with corresponding pricing.  (snipped directly from official WDW site)  The balcony goes all along the perimeter of the seating area below.
      • If you have an Annual Pass, you can get 10% off (as of June 2018).  They also accept Tables in Wonderland.
      • It’s a 2 hour singing, dancing, comedy show that is somewhat corny, but we love it!  This is the 4th time I’ve been here.
      • Did I mention that unlimited beer, wine and sangria are included?

      hoopdd

      Before going into the restaurant, we had some time to browse around the grounds.  There really is so much to see here!  There’s a really awesome playground right next to the building.  And plenty of horses to see.

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      There are also Photopass photographers here to take pictures for you!

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      It was time to enter!  To enter, you will check in at a “hostess stand” located in the middle of the walkway.  They will tell you where to line up.  There are two different doors you can enter.  The tables are numbered and assigned, and your number will be on your ticket.  You will know by what category you purchased, the general area you will need to head towards. 

      IMG_2310

      As soon as you sit down, your waiter/waitress will come over to greet you and take your drink order.  Then the food starts coming!

      IMG_2309

      I love this meal!  The salad is very good, with dressing that is super light.  The cornbread is AMAZING.  So amazing that I could eat both of these loaves by myself…but I didn’t.

      Food is served in buckets.  Yes buckets people!  You are at a hoe down of sorts.

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      IMG_2317

      Reallllllly good fried chicken and mashed potatoes!

      IMG_2318

      ss.jpg

      Your food will be served in between show parts.

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      There are some surprises for a grand finale, and some audience participation.  After the show, when we were stuffed to the gills, we headed outside and found our way to the boat dock to Magic Kingdom.

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      I love, love, love being in the Magic Kingdom at night!  We still worked on some of our scavenger hunt pictures, and just hopped on some quick rides that had no wait.

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      Up Next…Day 5!

       

      Posted in AEP, Dining Review | 2 Comments | Tagged AEP, Dining Review, Disney, Fort Wilderness, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Magic Kingdom, Pioneer Hall, Walt Disney World
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