Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tales from my (mostly Disney) travels!
Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures
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    • Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic at Epcot

      Posted at 9:55 am by taryngirl, on February 5, 2019

      8/15/18

      Being a Disney Vacation Club Member does have some perks!  There are some special events held throughout the year for us.  We were lucky that one was happening while we were there!  I also was luckily able to get tickets…these events sell out quickly!  It’s a free event, but they limit the number of people.

      The event time was 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., however attendees could start entering at 6 p.m.  Upon arrival, we were given our food vouchers (a quick service meal was included), a wristband and a map/schedule of events through a special check in line.

       

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      Each person was given a voucher for a quick service meal available at one of the locations listed above.

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      We headed straight for Sunshine Seasons!

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      Mongolian Beef–Mongolian Beef and Vegetables served with Rice (You can pick from fried or white rice). $13.49

      This was my meal.  I never really get to eat lunch here.  Usually only breakfast because I am waiting while people are riding Soarin’.  This was good!  The dessert was the Key Lime Tart, and one of my favorites!  I did pay out of pocket for the dessert here.

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      (I have no idea which this is!)

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      This was a special for the evening I believe, as I can’t find it on the regular menu!

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      Slow Roasted Pork Loin–Slow Roasted with Mashed Potatoes, Barbecue Sauce (she got it without) and Corn on the Cob $13.99

      I think this was just okay.  A little bit dry if I recall.

      When we were finished eating, we headed towards Spaceship Earth.  (We had FP+ for this evening!  We were able to make them for regular park hours before the official party started.)

      After our Spaceship Earth FP+, we headed to our Test Track FP+.

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      It was really hot and muggy this evening.  Another perk for the party was unlimited fountain beverages.  We stopped in Electric Umbrella for some drinks and for Kinsey’s meal of Chicken Nuggets.

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      Mousegears is one of my favorite stores!  So of course I had to check it out and see what seasonal merchandise they had.

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      They have really stepped up their game!  It used to just be a few t-shirts.  If you happen to come unprepared for the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, don’t worry!  They have plenty you can choose from!

      From here, my cousin and her family wanted to meet Sebastian.  He had one of the longest lines!  Kinsey and I rode Nemo while they waited.  There was a steel drum band for entertainment while waiting in the line!

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      We went from there to the dance party that was happening with a live DJ.  Kinsey couldn’t get enough!

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      It was soon time for the fireworks, so we walked to the edge of the World Showcase.

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      After that, we were pretty tired, so we headed back to the resort.

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      Overall, it was a really fun time!  There were other rare characters to meet but that wasn’t our focus.  We just wanted to have a good time and hit a few rides.  Oh, and have a Mickey Bar!  I would definitely do this again if we happened to be there during these special events.

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Quick Service, Sunshine Seasons, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Epcot, Moonlight Magic, Quick Service, Sunshine Seasons
    • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

      Posted at 2:11 pm by taryngirl, on January 27, 2019

      August 15, 2018

      We arrived without incident about 4 p.m. using Lyft.  I had gotten the text around 11:30 a.m. that our room was ready!  So we headed immediately up the elevator to our room.  Scan my Magic Band…anddddd, the room was not clean.  The sofa bed was unmade, there were dirty towels on the floor in the bathroom, etc.  So we headed back down to the front desk.  I let them know the situation, and it was almost as if the girl didn’t believe me!  She offered us a FastPass.  Sure, why not!  It had to be for the next day though, which was our Magic Kingdom day.  She asked my daughter what she would like to ride, and Kinsey couldn’t decide between Splash Mountain or Space Mountain, so she gave us both!  We were so tired and hot and I just wanted to lay down.  But we had to sit.  And wait.  And wait.  For them to go clean it.  We sat outside for awhile in the back courtyard area:fullsizeoutput_207c

      We were so hot, so we went back into the lobby to wait.  My phone rang and it was the front desk.  I told them I was sitting right there and could see them!  She came over again and apologized for the room not being ready and that they were crediting my account $125 for the trouble.  About 15 minutes later, she came back again and said, “It’s ready!”  She personally went up with us to our room.  Guess what…THEY WERE STILL CLEANING.  She was mortified!  I told her it was fine and we were just going to sit in the hall until it was ready.  It was after 5 p.m. now!

      The two housekeepers finally exited.  We FINALLY got into the room around 5:30 p.m.  At least we knew it was really clean!

      We were staying in a Deluxe Studio, Standard View.  Here’s our room tour:

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      You can’t beat the location of this resort!  It’s a quick walk to the entrance of Magic Kingdom.  The security/bag check is on the walkway from here to the Magic Kingdom.  So you can avoid the longer lines at the monorail if you choose to walk.  It’s also faster than taking the monorail!  Contempt Cafe is one of my favorite resort quick service locations.  And the view of the fireworks from this resort is amazing.

      Now…we were laying down resting before the DVC Moonlight Magic Event at Epcot, and the phone rings.  I answer it and someone asked if we would be in the room because Private Dining had a delivery for us.  I told them I didn’t order anything, and they said they knew that.  5 seconds later there was a knock on the door.  He brought a tray in with 6 gigantic Mickey shaped chocolate chip cookies and a 12 inch tall (at least) white chocolate Tinker Bell along with a note.  I completely forgot to get a picture because I was stunned!  They went above and beyond any expectation I had as far as making things right.  I NEVER got nasty or complained and begged for things.  The Disney magic was just offered!

      This is our home DVC resort and I absolutely would book here again!

       

      Posted in Bay Lake Tower, Contemporary Resort, Deluxe Studio, Disney, Room Review, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Bay Lake Tower, Contemporary Resort, Disney, Resort, Room Review, Walt Disney World
    • Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

      Posted at 1:20 pm by taryngirl, on January 20, 2019

      I was lucky enough to enjoy the latest character meal being offered in Walt Disney World!  Storybook Dining with Snow White!  I was in Orlando for a travel agent training, so I joined several other agents at Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge on January 10, 2019.

      We took Lyft from Animal Kingdom Lodge where we were staying.  We got Lyft XL as there were 6 of us, and the cost was about $3 per person once we split it up with tip.  There is no direct bus from resort to resort.  So we would have had to bus to Magic Kingdom, then get on a boat or another bus to Wilderness Lodge.  It was just easier to do Lyft and we were there in a jiffy!

      Wilderness Lodge is GORGEOUS!   The lobby is stunning.  I personally have never stayed here but I would love to!  I felt like I was in a cabin in the mountains somewhere.  Here are a couple of shots of the lobby.

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      Check in for Artist Point is through the lobby and to the left.  At the check-in desk, the hostess was sure to tell us to enjoy our “60 minute dining experience.”  She sent us up the ramp where another hostess sat us at our table immediately.  She also said, “Enjoy your 60 minute dining experience.”

      Artist Point has been magically transformed into an enchanted forest for this special character dining experience.  It used to house a different restaurant, and the switch excited half the people, and upset the other half.  Now, you can dine with Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy, who come to visit you at your table, and the Evil Queen who is stationed in the center of the dining room and you go to her to get your picture taken.  Kind of like the Beast at Be Our Guest for dinner.

      Also noting, we were staying 1 night at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and we all had the Disney Dining Plan for this 1 night stay.  This dinner is $55 plus tax for an adult.  The Dining Plan costs $75.49 per adult.  Dinner also comes with a drink, which can be an alcoholic drink, and we all know those cost more than a soda!  So besides this meal, we still had 1 Quick Service Meal (also comes with an alcoholic drink if you wish), 2 Snacks, and the Refillable Mug.  We more than made out by using the Dining Plan this night.. You can read more about the different Dining Plans HERE.

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      We were seated and greeted by our waiter.  He welcomed us to our “60 minute dining experience.”  (What the heck!  They really want you in and out!). He took our drink orders and explained the menu.  We all opted for an alcoholic drink, as this came with the Dining Plan.  This dinner is a little bit different, as everyone receives the appetizers and desserts automatically.  You don’t get a choice.  You DO get to choose your main course though.

      Almost immediately, Snow White stopped by our table.  One of our agents was FaceTiming her daughter so she could see the restaurant, and just then Snow White stopped by!  She had a really cool interaction with her…asking her if she was in a magic mirror!

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      We wanted a group picture with her, which was impossible at our table.  So we had to move to out to the hostess stand.

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      She was really great and stayed in character the entire time!

      The Menu:

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      This is the “allergy” menu they provided us when asked.

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      I opted for the “A Brew of Peaches.”  It sounded like it was going to be sweet and fruity!  Peach, raspberry, sugar and bourbon.  How bad could it be?

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      Well…it was SO STRONG!  All I could taste was bourbon.  I actually thought it wasn’t my drink and he made a mistake.  We passed it all around the table!  But alas, this was the drink I ordered.  I ended up giving it to my friend and just had water.  Notice the drippings down the side of the glass.  I think that was the sugar!  I think everyone else enjoyed their drinks.  Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures.

      These were our place settings.

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      The characters here do not sign autographs.  Instead you receive this apple with signatures attached to your napkin.

      While we were waiting for appetizers, Grumpy found us.

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      His character was great!  He “happily” took a picture with each of us.

      Our appetizers arrived.  They are placed on this spinning “tree” that is attached to the center of the table.  Our party of six had two tables pushed together.  So three were on this table and three on the other, except they had all 6 shrimp in this one jar.

      These are shared and are one per person.2019-01-12 07.31.07

      Up first is the Winter Squash Bisque.  Caramel Loli, Granola.  The white thing on the stick is actually marshmallow that is meant to be stirred into the soup.

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      This was my favorite of the three items given to us.  It was smooth and creamy and tasted really good.  It was maybe 4-5 spoonfuls.

      Next, is the Hunter’s Pie.  Chicken, black truffle, stone fruit preserve.

      2019-01-12 07.32.39These were just okay.  The center of the pastry part…the chicken was actually hard.  Like a solid disc.  I dipped it into the preserves which tasted ok.  I personally didn’t love this!  Maybe 1.5 inch in diameter.

      Last was the Wicked Shrimp Cocktail.  Soy, Miso, Avocado, Thai Chili, Greens.

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      I don’t eat shrimp so didn’t taste this.  I’m not allergic, I just don’t like it.  Two others in our group also don’t eat it.  So at the start of our ordering, one person mentioned it.  He brought here this next picture…a Tomato Salad.

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      She also doesn’t eat tomatoes!  So she gave it to me.  This was delicious!  Fresh and really good flavor.

      Overall, my opinion on the appetizers…not my favorite!  Really small portions and I would prefer to choose what I would like to eat and not have a preset menu.

      While waiting for our main course, Dopey found us.

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      He was super cute and playful compared to Grumpy!

      Our main courses had finally arrived!

      I ordered the Brother’s Grimm Roasted Chicken.  Confit Potatoes, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Apples and Chestnut Butter (Two views below!)

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      This was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!  The chicken (yes there is a bone) was so moist and flavorful with the sauce.  The Brussel sprouts were cooked perfectly and tasted great with the sauce and potatoes.  I would definitely order this again if I ever went back!

      My friend ordered the Magic Mirror Slow-Braised Veal Shank.

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      Three others ordered the Royal Prime Rib Roast.  Horseradish Mashed Potato, Hay-Smoked Carrots, Popover, Jus

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      Some ordered with regular mashed potatoes.  This had mixed reviews!  One person commented that they wished they kept the horseradish mashed potatoes instead of regular.

      The below picture is the Brother’s Grimm Chicken with Broccolini substituted for Brussel Sprouts.

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      Every now and then, music came over for all to hear, and the characters danced around the dining room.

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      While we were waiting for our dessert, someone came to our table to tell us the Evil Queen would be leaving soon, so we might want to go see her now.

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      She was REALLLLLLLY good!  She was not friendly, and not nice.  Haha!

      Our dessert was brought soon after we got back to our table.  These were also shared and were 1 per person.

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      Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie–Meringue, Gooseberry

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      This tasted kind of like apple pie!  It was tasty, and small.  Maybe 3 spoonfuls??

      “Poison” Apple–White Chocolate-Apple Mouse, Sour Center

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      This was super cute and tasted just ok.  Gone in two bites!

      Miner’s Treasures–Sponge Cake, Chocolate Gems, and Buttercream Icing

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      This was my favorite of the three!  I loved the addition of the chocolate gems, and the buttercream frosting was really good!

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      Just when we thought we were finished (we were way past 60 minutes here by the way!), our waiter showed up with this:

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      He explained that this was The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen.  Cracked Maple Popcorn, Ganache Heart.

      To me it was a little strange!  He scooped it out of the box with a spoon and put it on the plate.

      Overall Impression:

      This is a great deal if you have the Disney Dining Plan.  The character interactions were great.  I loved my main course.  The decor in the restaurant was neat.  There is a photo pass photographer at the Evil Queen.

      I thought the appetizer and dessert portions were small.  I don’t like not having a choice! If you are a particularly picky eater, I don’t know if this is the restaurant for you.

      I would eat here again, but only if on the Dining Plan.

      I would love to hear any comments or questions you may have!  Have you eaten here?  What was your favorite part of the dining experience?

      Posted in Artist Point, Dining Review, Disney, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort, Wilderness Lodge | 0 Comments | Tagged Artist Point, Dinner, Disney, Disney Dining Plan, Foodie, Resort, Seven Dwarves, Snow White, Storybook Dining, Table Service, Walt Disney World, Wilderness Lodge
    • Tickets Now Available for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

      Posted at 9:43 am by taryngirl, on January 16, 2019

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      This year, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will transform Magic Kingdom® Park into a spook-tacular celebration for a total of 36 nights!  That’s right, two additional nights have been added to the event, extending it to Nov. 1, 2019.

      Here are the dates for 2019:

      • Aug. 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
      • Sept. 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29
      • Oct. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
      • Nov. 1

      Returning to the event will be spooky fun for everyone, including devilish Halloween décor, special entertainment such as fireworks, a parade and character greetings, as well as trick-or-treating throughout the park! In addition, you will have access to dozens of popular attractions and may even encounter some bewitching surprises along the way.

      If you are interested in adding tickets to this special event, please contact me at Taryn@MadHatterAdv.com!  Pricing starts at $79 and varies depending upon date.

      Posted in Disney, Holidays at Disney, Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged Announcement, Disney, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, MNSSHP
    • 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’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
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Toy Story Land!

      Posted at 10:51 am by taryngirl, on November 18, 2018

      The day was finally here!  Toy Story Land!  (I’ll be combining the pictures from our morning and afternoon visit!)

      The posted hours were 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m.  Our plan was to “rope drop” so we could ride Slinky Dog, beat a lot of people, and ride things multiple times if able.  So this meant…be on the bus by 6 a.m. at the latest, which meant wake up at 5:15 a.m.  (I am not a morning person and this is way too early for me!  But I spring out of bed in Disney!). It was 0-dark thirty:

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      The walk to the bus stop was so quiet!  There were only a few handfuls of people on our bus.  It was so strange walking into the park and it was still semi-dark!

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      Even arriving as early as we did, there was still a small crowd of people ahead of us.

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      Tips:  Stay to the right and get as far to the front as possible.  Do not stop and shop or to get a coffee from the longggggg Starbucks line!  You can do all of that after you hit the three rides in TSL.

      Our morning touring PLAN:

      • Ride Slinky Dog
      • Ride Alien Swirling Saucers
      • Ride Toy Story Midway Mania
      • Eat breakfast
      • Ride Rock N Roller Coaster with FP+
      • Ride Star Tours with FP+
      • Eat lunch.
      • Afternoon break.

      From the second you enter the Land, the details are amazing!

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      We headed directly to Slinky Dog to get in the stand by line.  We had FP+ for later, but for sure wanted to ride it more than once!  It is crucial that you get here at rope drop if you want to do this!  Minimize time standing in line, and maximize touring time.

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      We waited in line maybe 20 minutes at the most?  This ride is SO MUCH FUN!  I loved it.  In my opinion, it’s 10 times better than Mine Train.  I couldn’t wait to ride it again!

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      From there, Kinsey and I went to Toy Story Midway Mania and walked right on.  Alex and her family got in line to meet Woody /Jessie I think!  The line for the characters was longer than TSMM.  They were just getting their picture taken as we were walking off the ride.  There was still no line for Midway Mania, so we rode it again with Alex’s crew.

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      (My goal is always 200,000!  And to beat my husband.  But alas, he was not on this trip!). Another fun wall as you are walking out of Midway Mania.

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      This is following the exit from Midway Mania.

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      The Popsicle Stick Wall!

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      The fun bathrooms!

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      It was about this point that I was getting hungry.  And Alex wanted Starbucks.  So Kinsey and I headed to the Joffrey’s stand just outside of Toy Story Land so I could get a DONUT! One of those huge, frosted, sprinkled DONUTS!

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      It was heavenly.  Everything I dreamed of and more!  After this quick breakfast break we headed to Alien Swirling Saucers.  From here you could see the construction going on for the new Star Wars area.

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      We did the standby line for this and the wait was about 20ish minutes.

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      This was a fun little ride, but nothing I would stand in line longer than 20 minutes for.

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      Of course we had to try the Lunch Box Tarts from Woody’s Lunch Box (the quick service location in Toy Story Land).

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      We shared this amongst us.  They were bigger than I thought they would be!  And they were delicious.  Definitely a good, sweet snack option.

      As we were heading out to our Rock N Roller coaster FP+ (which was 8:40-9:40 a.m.), tons of people were just pouring in.  We were so glad we hit it right at official park opening time!

      Up next…the rest of Hollywood Studios Touring

       

      Posted in Disney, Hollywood Studios, Touring Plan, Toy Story Land, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Hollywood Studios, Touring Plan, Toy Story Land
    • 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
    • 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!

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      Check out her cute shirt:

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      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.

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      Since we had some time before the official “rope drop,” we had some PhotoPass pictures taken near the hub.

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      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.

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      I wanted to point out the water station they had set up inside.

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      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!

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      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.

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      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.

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      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+.

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      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.

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      You can see they offer something other than the typical hot dog, hamburger, chicken options.

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      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.

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      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
    • 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
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