Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tales from my (mostly Disney) travels!
Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures
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  • Tag: Hollywood Studios

    • 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:

      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.

      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
    • Joy Through the World! Holidays at Walt Disney World Resort Return November 8!

      Posted at 7:55 pm by taryngirl, on July 9, 2018

      July 9 page 1

      Taken directly from Disney Parks Blog:

      It’s Christmas in July! Today we are announcing the return of the holiday season to Walt Disney World Resort. Starting November 8, you will be able to celebrate this magical season with festive parties, captivating holiday décor, delicious treats, spectacular entertainment and enchanting experiences that make this season one of the most wonderful times to visit our theme parks, resorts and more!

      A Flurry of Fun comes back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the return of Sunset Seasons Greetings. Featuring impressive new laser effects and “snow,” holiday magic transforms the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel with spectacular projections of beloved Disney Characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Olaf sharing their favorite seasonal stories.

      Another returning favorite is the nighttime spectacular Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! The new Toy Story Land also gets special seasonal fun including holiday songs on Alien Swirling Saucers and more!

      Magic Kingdom Park will transform into a world of holiday enchantment that includes the specially ticketed event Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, offered during select nights in November and December.

      At Epcot you will discover joyous holiday traditions of 11 World Showcase nations during Epcot International Festival of the Holidays beginning Nov. 18. One of our favorite holiday traditions at Epcot is the Candlelight Processional and this year it starts performances on Nov. 22

      New this year at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the magic of nature will receive a holiday touch with the inclusion of Diwali, the holiday Festival of Lights in India, as part of the new live show UP! A Great Bird Adventure.

      There is even more holiday fun at the resorts across Walt Disney World with festive seasonal décor as well as life-sized edible creations. And at Disney Springs you will find the perfect destination for holiday shopping, dining and entertainment, with the chance to experience holiday magic along the way.

      You can find everything holidays at disneyworld.com/holidays.

      Now is the time to play big and start planning your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World Resort!

      Posted in Breaking Disney News!, Holidays at Disney, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Animal Kingdom, Announcement, Disney, Epcot, Holidays, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
    • March Disney World AEP Trip {Day 3}!

      Posted at 1:59 pm by taryngirl, on May 31, 2018

      Thursday was a team building day for our agency.  We were split into scavenger hunt groups of three to four people, and were given a list of things to find.  My group, “The Poor Unfortunate Souls,” teamed up with another group, in hopes to be able to get pictures of most of the things on the list.  We just had to photograph things and then upload them into albums on Facebook.  Our strategy was to park hop.  The group decided to begin at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I however, had to remain back in the room while still trying to book these Disney Cruises!  I had been unsuccessful with getting through thus far.  I met up with somewhere around 10 a.m. in the area of Rock N Roller Coaster.  While I was waiting for them to come off the ride, I walked back to Sweet Spells for one of my favorite snacks!  Which in this case doubled as my breakfast.  The Carrot Cake Cookie.  {Just a heads up, Sweet Spells has recently closed.  This snack IS still available though at The Trolley Car Cafe.}  I can never eat this whole thing in one sitting.  Ever.  So I shared with my teammates.IMG_0675

      We then ran into these fine people while making our way back to the front of the park.

      They are some of the Citizens of Hollywood!  And you can see them up and down Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard.  They also sign autographs and they NEVER break character!

      Here’s my fabulous team, “The Poor Unfortunate Souls.”  Rachel was so gracious enough to create these fun ears for us!  This pic is one taken by a PhotoPass photographer.

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      From this park, we went to Animal Kingdom.  Upon exiting DHS, we went to the bus depot.  You CAN get a bus directly to the other parks from here.  So we stood in the AK line.  And we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And one never came!  People queued in front of us were waiting 45 minutes already.  So we checked Uber.  They could be there in 5 minutes.  We walked over to the “Ride Share” area.  Yes, this is labeled, and certain parking spots are set aside for it.  We had such a large group that we took two different Ubers to get there.  One note about DHS parking lot….it was all jacked up on this day.  They were doing construction on the Skyliner Transportation System and everything is rerouted.  So multiple lanes were funneling into one, etc. etc.  I felt like we were riding on the bus forever through the parking lot!  Uber drops you off at AK right at the sidewalk leading to the gates, near where the tram picks up/drops off.

      We made our way to the Tree of Life, and got the GREATEST PhotoPass photographer!  She spent so much time with us and gave us all a “Magic Shot.”  Here’s some info in case you are interested:  https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/07/a-new-way-to-find-magic-shots-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

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      Here is my Magic Shot!

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      Our next park was Epcot.  We hopped on a bus to go directly from AK to Epcot.  We were lucky to not have to wait very long.  One was pulling up as we were getting in line.

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      Did you know that there are some “famous” walls within the World?  Here we are at the Bubble Gum Wall!

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      We made our way in, and once again hit some Flower & Garden food booths as we made our way around the countries.  I decided to wait, as I wanted to try a new quick service meal!  But first…we needed a picture with a viking!  This was another FUN PhotoPass photographer.  We did many poses, and she declared me the most “viking like.”  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad??!!

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      We finally made it around to Morocco.  And Tangierine Cafe, which is the quick service restaurant in that country.  I have read report after report saying how good the Shawarma Platters are.  I had this on my list for this trip, and this was the perfect time.  I went with the Chicken Shawarma Platter, which is thinly sliced chicken served with a side of Hummus, Tabouleh, and Tangierine Couscous Salad with fresh Moroccan Bread.  This was SO GOOD.  And so much food, it is an easily shared meal.  I will definitely be getting this again!

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      Next we made our way to France to see if we could catch some more of our agents.  While sitting on the wall, these two delightful men said Happy Birthday to me because I was wearing my pin.  (My birthday was Friday.)  They then asked me if I ever had anyone sing to me backwards, to which my response was no!

      I LOVE DISNEY PEOPLE!  Seriously.  These weren’t Cast Members, they were just park guests!  And we saw them on our way through Canada again with their wives enjoying the live entertainment.

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      A quick stop in a phone booth…

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      It was time for us to make our way to the Magic Kingdom now.  So we hopped on the monorail and headed over there.  I had plans to meet up with my roommates here as well.  I had to handle some more “cruise business” as I STILL hadn’t gotten through to make these reservations! So I sat on a rocking chair right outside of Tony’s Town Square Restaurant while I waited on hold and people watched.  My team went ahead without me.  I FINALLY GOT THROUGH!  And got all 4 cruises booked for my clients!  I also finally met up with my roommates.

      At this point, my feet were needing a little bit of rest.  So I hit up one of my favorites to do during a down time…the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover!  In fact, we got off, and got right back on.  I love the views when on this ride!

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      Next, we made our way to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.  My family LOVES this show!  It’s different every single time we go.  If you haven’t been yet, put it on your list.

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      We made our way to the Happily Ever After fireworks show.

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      Next Up…{Day 4}

       

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged AEP, Animal Kingdom, Disney, Epcot, Foodie, Happily Ever After, Hollywood Studios, Magic Shots, Tangierine Cafe
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