Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tag: Disney

• 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

• Disney Fantasy – Palo Brunch Review

  Posted at 12:38 pm by taryngirl, on October 9, 2019

  Combining from my June and September 2019 cruises!

  Palo is a specialty restaurant serving brunch on sea days, and nightly dinners for guests ages 18 and older only.  You must have reservations to dine here, and those can be made online during your check-in process for the cruise itself.  I’m not going to lie…these reservations sell out quickly and are hard to get!  But are TOTALLY worth it!  (If you cannot make a reservation online, upon embarking, you can head directly to Palo and try to make reservations then.  I’ve done this twice successfully.). There is a dress code, as this is more upscale than the main dining rooms.  Be sure to check that when you are packing for the cruise!

  

  The view!

  

  Included are mimosas or a glass of champagne.

  

  

  After being led to our table, the waiter explained the dining process.  There is a menu to order from, as well as a “buffet” style set up.  The meal is slowwwwww.  You are not rushed and can spend as much time as you need.

  Here’s my first plate from the buffet section:

  

  The cinnamon roll was SO GOOD!  Warm and gooey.  And the parmesan cheese…I couldn’t get enough of it!

  The first table…filled with delicious fruit, breads and pastries.  The almond croissant was one of my favorites!

  

  The next table was full of seafood offerings, caviar, vegetables, and more!

  

  The third table had a variety of cheeses, olives, meats, etc.

  

  You may make as many trips up to these tables as you wish!

  Here is the menu we ordered from for made to order items:

  

  Heirloom Tomato and Basil Soup:

  

  Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast:  This is my favorite food on any of the Disney Cruise ships!  It’s SO GOOD!  And the Risotto is perfect with this.  This is 80% why I schedule this brunch on every cruise.

  

  Celery Soup:

  

  Roasted Red Snapper Filet:

  

  Lasagna Bolognaise:  I also was able to taste this.  It was good but I feel like since we were one of the last tables for the day, it was sitting for awhile maybe??  It’s a good shareable option though!

  

  The dessert table:

  

  I love that the portions are small so we can try a bunch of different things!

  June cruise:

  

  Our waiter also brought us several of these lava cakes to share.  They were good but we were SO FULL!

  

  September cruise:

  

  (Apparently I have my favorites!)

  It was my niece’s graduation celebration on this cruise and they brought here this:

  

  If I didn’t comment on the food, that means it was someone else’s but I just took a picture to share!

  This is hands down one of my favorite parts of the cruise!  It’s $40 per person, and that is charged to your stateroom account.  I highly suggest trying it at least once!

  Posted in Cruise, Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Palo Brunch, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Palo Brunch

• A Glimpse Inside Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

  Posted at 1:57 pm by taryngirl, on July 9, 2019

  Arrival at this resort was very easy.  There is a guard to enter the parking lot.  We parked at lobby area to unload and to check in.  Parking spots for those staying in the Inn building are underneath this building.

  Here is the check-in desk.  (I was able to get pictures of a nearly deserted lobby when my daughter and I woke up super early to walk on the beach.)

  

  These are the doors to exit out the back of the property.  This can lead to the pool or beach, or the Villa buildings.  Above the doors you can see the Green Cabin Room where they serve cocktails and lighter snacks.  This was closed for a private event the night that we were here.

  

  More of the waiting area and Island Grove Packing Company, which is the shop.  They also have DVD movies here that you can borrow, which we did because it rained during the afternoon!

  

  This is a fun area for the kids!  There are video games, tablets, tv, and smaller chairs.

  

  This little area dedicated to Disney Vacation Club (we are members) is nice!

  

  Inside the glass containers are shells past guests have found on the beach.  You can write on them and stick them in the jars!

  

  Looking up from the lobby.

  

  From the 3rd floor balcony.

  

  They have this fun photo opp. near the entrance to the restaurant.  (I told my kids to act like they were on the beach…apparently this is what they do??!!)

  

  This sign was also posted in the lobby.  And it is in fact true!  We ended up with a few bites from our morning walk on the beach but didn’t see them until the next day.

  

  Another thing I LOVE about this resort, is how it caters to families!  This area is through the lobby and on the way to the spa.  It has a lending library, where you can take/leave a book, puzzles, and tables with game boards on them.  To play the games, just visit the front desk for the pieces!

  

  I worked on a puzzle, while my family played Jenga and made some new friends.  There were several other families hanging out in this area.

  Inside the shop, and in the quick service food area, they had boards like this for pin trading like you can do in the parks!

  

  Also snapped a quick pic of the Little Mermaid Dooney & Bourke that were available here.

  Onto the beach!  There are chair/umbrella rentals, as well as some water sport rentals.

  

  We spent most of our time during this trip at the pool.

  

  It has a really fun slide that is the same as the one at Old Key West!

  

  I’ll say it again…WE LOVE IT HERE!  And I can’t wait to get back with some family and friends!

  Posted in Disney, Disney's Vero Beach, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Resort, Vero Beach

• 13th Birthday Getaway! Boardwalk Villas Studio

  Posted at 8:01 pm by taryngirl, on May 29, 2019

  Back during our August trip, my oldest could not go along with us due to her soccer schedule.  I felt terrible about it!  Sooooo, we had some DVC points left and I scheduled a quick Friday through Monday trip with her best friend for her 13th birthday in November.  It was a total surprise!  Here is the reveal:

  I should have kept taping, they were crying tears of joy!

  11/23/18

  Our flight was the day after Thanksgiving.  We were staying at the Boardwalk Villas in a Studio the first night, and then a 1 Bedroom for the next two nights.  A quick trip on the Magical Express…

  

  We arrived around 6:30 p.m. to our resort.  We had dinner reservations at Ale & Compass, so the plan was to drop things off in the room and freshen up some.

  I have a subscription to Touring Plans, and through that had requested a specific room.  I requested 4055 and we got:

  

  All Studio Villas have a small kitchenette area that includes a coffee maker, microwave, small fridge, toaster and sink.  This is super convenient for quick breakfasts in the room.

  

  One Queen bed with a pull out sofa.

  

  And a twin size bed pulls down underneath the t.v.  The table collapses.  This is big enough for a small adult to sleep on!

  

  Here’s a quick video of the view from our balcony!

  

  I love this view!  This is considered a Garden/Pool View, but as you can see, we can see the boardwalk and the lake.  We also could see the fireworks perfectly from here which you will see in a future post!

   

   

  Posted in Boardwalk Villas, Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Boardwalk Villas, Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Walt Disney World Resort

• An Afternoon at Hollywood Studios–The Incredibles at Pixar Place, Baseline Tap House

  Posted at 12:00 pm by taryngirl, on April 12, 2019

  2/27/19

  Because we were near the front of Epcot, we opted for the bus to take us to Hollywood Studios vs. walking to the back of Epcot and getting on the boat to DHS.  So we waited, and waited, and waited.  A bus finally came!  It was also raining at this point.  BUT…we were headed to ride Slinky Dog!

  Here you can see the Disney Skyliner system that is under construction.  It is scheduled to open this fall!

  

  Once inside we headed directly to Slinky Dog Dash to use our FP+.    From there, we stood in line for 20-30 minutes so I could do Toy Story Midway Mania!  On the way out of Toy Story Land, we stopped to check out The Incredibles at Pixar Place.  This is set to be in place on Pixar Place until September 30th.  There’s a dance party, character meet and greets including Edna Mode, and some special treats for purchase.  They also have a really awesome “Wall of Disney!”

  You can see they do have some items that are snacks on the Dining Plan.

  

  Chrissy was getting hungry, so we made our way to Baseline Tap House.  Neither of us had ever been here!

  (The currently closed ride.)

  

  They have a limited food menu here.  But all options that pair nicely with beer!

  

  Chrissy ordered a beer flight.  And I ordered the Black Cherry Soda, which apparently I forgot to take a picture of!

  This was all REALLY GOOD!  And I would definitely come here for a quick snack and drink.  The outdoor seating is really nice and the atmosphere cozy.

  There was one more show for the Frozen Sing Along, and we decided to hit it on the way out!  We were almost in the front row and the show was less than half full.  Our favorite actor was there so that definitely made it fun!

  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Hollywood Studios, Snacks, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Baseline Tap House, Disney, Hollywood Studios, Pixar Place, Snacks, The Incredibles

• Breakfast at Disney’s All Star Movies

  Posted at 2:42 pm by taryngirl, on March 19, 2019

  2/27/19

  I really try to eat Mickey waffles every time I go to Disney.  This trip was no different!  I checked the online menus before staying here and was super happy to see them listed!

  We were heading to Epcot today and weren’t in a super hurry.  We had some FP+, but they were for later and we weren’t planning on rope dropping anything.

  We stopped at the food court on the way to the bus stop.

  Here are the various menus for the different “windows.”

  

  There really is something for everyone.  They also have the grab and go cases available, cereal, bagels, pastries, etc.

  Chrissy opted for one of the Breakfast Flatbread Pizzas and a side of Potato Barrels.  I tried a bite and it was yummy!  

  This is my go-to meal.  Mickey Waffles with Sausage (no bacon, so extra sausage) and Breakfast Potatoes.  SO GOOD!  I don’t know what it is about Disney sausage, but it’s my absolute favorite.  Especially with the waffles.

  

  I would also have this the next day for breakfast…

  Posted in All Star Movies, Dining Review, Disney, Quick Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged All Star Movies, Dining Review, Disney, Foodie, Quick, Walt Disney World

• Magic Kingdom V.I.Passholder Event

  Posted at 9:29 am by taryngirl, on March 12, 2019

  2/26/19

  The V.I.Passholder Event is the entire reason we took this quick trip!  It was advertised we could check in from 6:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.  However, we noticed this set up in Fantasyland and had a chat with the Cast Members.  They said we could check in starting at 5:00 p.m.  So we did!  There were a few different check in areas around the park so we didn’t have to go all the way out to the entrance to get our wristbands.

  

  They actually were having technical difficulties with the iPads that were scanning our Annual Passes or MagicBands.  She ended up having to manually input our numbers.

  

  You can see the time of the even was 10:00 p.m. until midnight officially.

  

  After we got our wristbands, we headed to use our next FP+ that Chrissy secured immediately after Winnie the Pooh.  This would make FP+ #5 for the day.  It’s a Small World!

  

  I swear I see something different every time I ride this!

  Right after we scanned in to the ride, my friend secured our 6th FP+…Pirates of the Caribbean.

  We were getting hungry for dinner, and we had discussed previously that neither of us had ever eaten at Casey’s Corner!  So that’s where we decided to go.  It’s located on the corner at the end of Main Street, and you can definitely smell it when you walk past!  We knew we were going to share something and decided on…

  

  Buffalo Chicken Loaded Fries (These were AMAZING!  I loved them!)

  

  Footlong Chili Cheese Dog (Also AMAZING!)

  

  The fries were so good.  I can’t imagine Buffalo chicken on a hot dog though!  I despise the yellow squeeze cheese.  So was super happy that this was shredded cheese on the top!  This was plenty of food for two of us.  They did allow us to upgrade from regular fries that come with the meal, to the specialty fries for a slight uncharge.

  From dinner we headed to Adventureland.  We had a little bit of time to kill before our FP+ at Pirates, so we went into Tortuga Tavern to have a seat and do some work on our phones.  It was starting to become a more regular rain so we had to poncho up!  (I never take a Disney vacation without a poncho.)

  

  After Pirates, we hit our 7th FP+ Splash Mountain.  It had started raining and we were wet anyway, and we had ponchos to wear the entire time!  So off we went.

  

  After Splash Mountain, we headed towards the castle.  We had reservations for the After Fireworks Dessert Party, so we had to check in first at Tomorrowland Terrace.

  We received our wristbands and were escorted to one of the grassy areas.

   

  

  Even though it was raining, the fireworks were still amazing!

  Posted in Disney, Magic Kingdom, Quick Service, Touring Plan, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Annual Passholder, Casey's Corner, Disney, Event, Magic Kingdom, Quick Service, Touring Plan, Walt Disney World

• Magic Kingdom Afternoon Touring

  Posted at 9:42 pm by taryngirl, on March 5, 2019

  2/26/19

  After checking out the room, we headed to the bus stop.  There were only 2 other people in the bus line for Magic Kingdom.

  We arrived around 1:30 p.m.  The weather was perfect!  A little overcast, not raining yet!

  

  We made our way towards Tomorrowland.  We originally were going to ride the Peoplemover, but the line was ridiculously long!  So we skipped it and hit Carousel of Progress instead.  

  Next we hit Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin with our first FP+. 

  We both hit some great targets!  And got stuck in the Zurg room.

  From there we decided to get a snack on the way to our next FP+.  I had been eyeing some new ice cream cones that were announced!

  

  ALOHA ISLE

  They had just added a new cone here called the Hei Hei cone, which I just had to have.  My friend opted for this masterpiece, which has also been on my snack list forever!

  Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Dole Whip!  You can pick vanilla, pineapple or swirl.

  

  I had a bite and it was really delicious.

  Hei Hei Cone–pineapple dole whip with raspberry soft serve in a blue cone.

  

  This was good.  It was a little more sour than I was expecting!  But it was still good.  We found a spot in Frontierland to watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade that was going on.

  

  After the parade, we headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to use our FP+.  Then, for the first time since the new presidency, we checked out the Hall of Presidents.  My friend, who is a history lover had never seen it and she was excited!

  Onto our third FP+…the Haunted Mansion.

  

  Right after we scanned through with our FP+, we secured a 4th FP+.

  We took a quick jaunt through Fantasyland and went straight for Pooh to use our 4th FP+.

  

  I had to check out the shop that has tons of ears!  I love these Small World ones!

  A good option for boys!

  And a good option for those that prefer Villains.

  

  Super cute graduation ears!

  

  Up next…Magic Kingdom PM Touring!

  Posted in Disney, Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Walt Disney World

• Disney’s All Star Movies Resort

  Posted at 9:35 pm by taryngirl, on March 2, 2019

  2/26/19-Part 2

  We made our way to the room after lunch, so we could drop off some stuff from our backpacks, and to get good pictures and videos of the room!  Prior to the trip, I had requested a specific room through Touring Plans.  I really wanted a refurbished room and had read that they for sure were finished with the Love Bug section, so I chose one there facing the “garden” area vs. the parking lot.

  This was the Love Bug section:

  

  Our room was in this specific section, but not facing this courtyard area, rather we were facing the parking lot.  It was no big deal at all though…WE GOT A REFURBED ROOM!

  The sleeping area.  The table folds down when you pull the queen sized Murphy bed down.  It’s a regular mattress!

  

  The beverage center.

  

  That door slides closed to section off the bathroom sink area.

  

  Separate toilet and shower area with another sliding door.

  

  Property map

  Some other pictures from around the resort.

  The Fantasia section

  

  The pool

  

  The pool bar

  

  The arcade

  Overall I was very pleased with this resort!  I’ve never stayed at any of the All Stars.  I was expecting it to be completely crowded with people and noisy.  It was the opposite!  I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again in the off season, or for a quick trip!

   

  Posted in All Star Movies, Disney, Room Review, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged All Star Movies, Disney, Resort, Room Review, Standard, Value, Walt Disney World

• A Quick Getaway – All Star Movies!

  Posted at 2:57 pm by taryngirl, on March 1, 2019

  2/26/19 Part One

  I received an email invitation for a Disney Annual Passholder after hours event.  In checking my calendar…I was free. In checking flight prices…they were dirt cheap!  In checking with a travel buddy…she was free to attend also!  What start out as a 1 day trip, ended up being 2 days. 

  The first step was getting reservations for the event.  They are extremely limited in number and it’s first come first served.   Success for us both! 

  The next step was booking a resort.  I was able to find a room at All Star Movies with an Annual Passholder (AP) rate.  Total cost…$238 including tax for 2 nights in a Standard room.  And finally, I had to book my airfare.  I fiddled around with Philadelphia and Harrisburg.  I was able to get good pricing on way down to Orlando from Philly with my friend.  But my return flight would be to Harrisburg. Total cost for airfare was about $90 TOTAL on Frontier.  (I usually fly Southwest form Philadelphia.  Just last August Frontier began service from Harrisburg.  I also recently became a Den Club Member.  Harrisburg is actually closer to me and an easier drive, so I was excited to try it!). We also realized this would be a birthday trip for both of us!  

  I was up at out the door at 4 a.m. for the drive.  Our flight was smooth and we arrived a half hour early into Orlando.  Since we were only coming for two park days, we packed everything in a backpack to use as our personal item.  With Frontier Airlines, the flight is usually cheaper but you pay for each “add on”.  Carry on baggage, checked baggage, choosing a seat…these all have costs.  See HERE for full information on Frontier’s policies.  

  We headed for the Magical Express which is located on the B side of the airport.  From landing until arrival at our resort, it was about an hour.  Our Magical Express had stops at Coronado Springs, All Star Sports, All Star Music and finally our resort, All Star Movies.  It was a packed bus!

  

  Our plan was to check in at the desk even though we had the room number texted to us.  We wanted to get our birthday buttons, decline mousekeeping so we could get a gift card, and make sure my Magicband worked since it didn’t at the airport.  (I had completed online check in and got the text that our room was ready while we were on the Magical Express.). We also wanted to get lunch at the food court and then head to the room to drop things off.  

  Here are some pictures of the food court!  We made it there at about 12:45 p.m. which is prime lunchtime and it was surprisingly EMPTY!  The food court has several different “bays” that you can order from.  Here is an overall menu featuring all of the bays:

  

  Grab and Go section

  This surprised me!  A wine display!

  

  (Dining Plan Eligible)

  

  We both decided to order from here!  I honestly couldn’t decide.  I get too overwhelmed with too many choices.  I was running around from bay to bay trying to narrow it down.

  I opted for the Meatball Sandwich and it came with 2 sides.  I could pick from chips, a roll or a side salad.  This was actually a lot of food for the cost I though!  The chips were amazing and the meatballs were really good.  The castmember was also very friendly and talkative. 

  My friend ordered the Spinach Artichoke Pasta and also got two sides.  I’m assuming it was good because she ate it all!

  Overall I really liked the variety and the quality for it being a “value’s” food court!

  My friend decided she really wanted dessert so she went back up for this Cookie Dough.  Since she was wearing her birthday button, they gave it to her for free!  It was also very good!

  

  Part 2 up next…the actual resort and our room!

  Posted in All Star Movies, Dining Review, Disney, Quick Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged All Star Movies, Disney, Disney's Magical Express, Food Court, Food Picture, Foodie, Magical Express, Walt Disney World

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