Vacation | Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Category: Vacation
- 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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  It was another gorgeous day…but HOT!
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  I love this! Every single thing is so good. Especially the French toast bread pudding. I grabbed Kinsey a croissant, which is her usual!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  After 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.
  
  Now you get a Ziploc bag, and collect cards and stickers to put in the
  
  m. The cards have some facts on them.
  
  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.
  
  Next stop…Germany! My favorite snack place is here!
  
  I present to you…Karamell-Kuche! I can never decide because there are so many delicious goodies here!
  
  This was also our favorite Kidcot Stop! He was super interactive and even sang to her.
  
  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!
  
  (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!
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  Of course we had to stop and get a picture at one of the famous “Walls of Disney!”
  
  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
- 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
- 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
- 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