Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

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

    • Morning at Magic Kingdom, Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch!

      Posted at 9:30 am by taryngirl, on October 11, 2023

      9/12/23

      This short trip had been in the works for months. My travel agency owner called an informal meet up to help celebrate the agency’s 10th birthday!

      I left my house at 2:30 a.m. to drive to the Philadelphia Airport. I picked up my travel bestie since she lives about 15 minutes from the airport. Our flight was earlyyyyyyyy on Frontier. We met up with another agent who was flying down just for the day.

      We landed, got our luggage, ordered an Uber, and went to our resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs. We changed, freshened up in the bathroom of the lobby, gave our luggage to bell services, and headed off to the bus stop for Magic Kingdom. We were inside the gates at 9:30 a.m.! Today was a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event, which meant the park was going to close to regular guests at 6:00 p.m. Those who purchased the event tickets were permitted to enter at 4:00 p.m., while everyone else had to leave by 6:00 p.m.

      I was excited to see everything decorated for fall and halloween!

      We didn’t really have a plan at all for the morning and afternoon. We checked wait times and decided to go directly to Haunted Mansion. It had a 20 minute posted wait time. From there we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. That was down for the entire morning until now. It had just reopened and we only had a 5 minute wait.

      My travel partner got a return time for Tron. So we went over to Tomorrowland. I had a drink break and went on the People Mover while I waited for her. I also decided spur of the moment to make a lunch reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern, which is in my top 3 meals at Disney! There was plenty availability the day of, which is unusual.

      In fact, look at the wait times for the rides at 11:00 a.m.:

      I’ve been saying this for years…Not So Scary Halloween Party dates are GREAT days to visit Magic Kingdom as a park day! Enter at park opening, and be finished sometime between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. You should be able to hit a majority of the rides, and have some table service dining options if you did not plan ahead.

      It was EMPTY!

      Our lunch reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern was at 12:30 p.m.

      Liberty Tree Tavern is served family style, all-you-care-to-enjoy. Current pricing is $39 per adult, $21 per child, plus tax and gratuity. All serving sizes shown were for two of us.

      We started off the meal with the delicious rolls. These are served warm, and were slightly different than what I remembered from the last time I ate here. These have some kind of butter mixture on top. Regardless, they were soft and delicious!

      Next was the Declaration Salad–Mixed greens, Apples, Cranberries, and Cheese tossed with Housemade Dressing

      This salad was also different than I remember. It was good though. The dressing had a good flavor and was very light. I’m not a huge fan of cranberries, and these were a non-factor really.

      After a short while, the main platter and sides came out.

      House-made Macaroni & Cheese

      This was very good! I like it so much better than the Stouffer’s that they used to serve!

      Seasonal Vegetables (Green Beans! I have never seen them serve a vegetable that wasn’t green beans…) and Mashed Potatoes

      These were yummy! We did get more of the potatoes. They really are so creamy and good! I personally like to eat the pot roast with them…

      Roasted Turkey, Pot Roast, Oven Roasted Pork, Herb Stuffing

      The turkey and pot roast are AMAZING! I don’t know that I even tried the pork because I love the other two so much! We did get more pot roast. The stuffing was okay, but I love the mashed potatoes so much that I don’t waste my time with the stuffing. 🙂

      House-made Gravy is also served.

      The grand finale course here is the Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake–Vanilla Toffee Cake, Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream

      This is my favorite dessert in alllllll of the land! The cookie part is warm. IT’S SO DANG GOOD!

      We were done eating around 1:30 p.m. We had some plans for the evening non-Disney related, and we still had some time before we had to go back to the resort.

      We went to Fantasyland and went on It’s a Small World and Little Mermaid. We walked through the shops on the way out to the bus.

      We were back to the resort before 4:00 p.m. I had received a text that our room was ready. So we went to Bell Services to get our luggage. They gave us three options. We could take our luggage and walk to our room. (Saratoga Springs is HUGE so that was a definite no!) We could go to the room and call for our bags. Or they could drive us on a golf cart with our luggage. Of course we opted for the golf cart! I did tip the cast member who drove us, as he carried our bags to the room for us.

      We were staying in a 1 bedroom villa. Here’s a little room tour!

      I absolutely love this resort. It’s been renovated, and I love the pull down bed in the living room vs. the old sofa beds that were not very comfortable. I also love the full kitchen in the villas. It’s nice to have the option for drinks and snacks.

      My friend had scheduled someone to come to the room to give us henna tattoos.

      We loved the final products!

      After our tattoos, we jumped in an Uber and went to dinner with some friends that live in Windermere. It was a fun night! And we were ready to hit the ground running the next day at Hollywood Studios!

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom, Room Tour, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Table Service
    • Rodeo Roundup Barbecue

      Posted at 11:42 am by taryngirl, on September 22, 2023

      9/13/23

      Part of my trip with my travel agent friends celebrating our agency’s 10th birthday!

      I was soooooo excited to find a reservation for Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is the newest restaurant at this theme park, and I couldn’t wait to try it!

      Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a western-themed restaurant where you can see the world through the eyes of Andy’s toys. It is SO COOL!

      We had a reservation for 2:15 p.m., and when we checked in, they were running about a half hour behind.

      Here is the view of them walking us to our table:

      The meal here is served family style.

      Each table is given the biscuits, all 3 salads, a platter of the smoked meats, and then a choice of 4 of the sides. For desserts you can choose one per guest. Certain beverages also come along with the meal. Alcoholic drinks were extra.

      These BBQ sauces are on the table.

      The biscuits were yummy! They reminded me of the Red Lobster ones slightly. The sweet pepper jelly was very good.

      The salads were:

      Rootin’ Tootin Tomato Salad–cucumbers, pickled red onion, white balsamic vinaigrette

      Rex’s Romaine and Kale Salad–apples, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, green goddess dressing

      Wheezy’s Watermelon Salad–fresh torn mint

      All three of the salads were very good. The kale was my least favorite, but I don’t love cranberries, so the combo was weird to me. They will bring refills of any of these that you would like!

      The meats were:

      Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs

      Buttercup’s Beef Brisket

      There’s a Sausage in my Boot-Fire Grilled Pork Sausage

      BBQ Chicken

      The chicken was very good. I also had the ribs which were good, and a piece of the sausage which was also good! I’m funny about meat, and these were all tasty.

      They bring you any extra meats that you would like.

      The sides we could choose from were:

      Mean Old Potato Salad–homestyle red-skinned potatoes

      The Married Spuds–loaded potato barrels

      The Claw! Veggie Slaw

      Force Field Fried Pickles

      Campfire Roasted Vegetables

      Slinky Dooooooooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese

      Buckin’ Baked Beans

      Cowpoke Corn on the Cob

      With our group we had a hard time narrowing it down to four. Our waitress explained that we should order four, and then refills could be ANY of the menu items so we could try the others. You didn’t have to get refills for just that one item that you already had. Whew!

      My reviews of the sides above:

      Corn–eh. Wasn’t my favorite and I probably would not get it again.

      Potato Barrels–Surprisingly liked these! Normally I don’t really liked “loaded” anything because it’s just too much. But these were good!

      Baked Beans–I had one bite of these. I’m not a bean lover. But these were also good!

      Mac & Cheese–This was really good!

      I had to try the Potato Salad because I love it! It was okay. Nothing beats my mother-in-law’s though and it didn’t compare!

      The Roasted Vegetables were very good and I would get these over the corn next time.

      We were all stuffed to the max, but we still had to eat dessert!

      Our dessert choices were:

      Bo’s Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake

      Billy’s Chocolate Silk Pie

      Goat’s Apple Pie

      Gruff’s Peach-Strawberry Pie

      Cupcake a la Forky

      Somehow we each ordered a different one!

      I had the Chocolate Silk Pie and it was DELICIOUS!

      I also tasted the Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake and that was also very good.

      Here are some pics from inside the restaurant:

      I also checked out the bathroom and it was super cute!

      Overall I LOVED this dining experience! The restaurant itself was so cute, and the food was very good in my opinion. I will defnitely be back!

      Posted in Dining Review, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Hollywood Studios, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Table Service, Toy Story Land
    • Cape May Cafe Breakfast

      Posted at 7:35 pm by taryngirl, on May 7, 2022

      5/1/22

      My Annual Pass expires on May 14th…so I knew I had to take one last, quick trip to Disney! My good friend and fellow travel agent, Chrissy, joined me. I was able to find one night with my DVC points, and a travel agent rate for the next two nights at a different Disney Resort. Our flight left Philadelphia at 5:30 a.m., and once we landed, another fellow travel agent texted and asked if we wanted her to pick us up from the airport and stop for breakfast.

      We checked My Disney Experience for dining availability and landed on Cape May Cafe, which is located at the Beach Club, where we were staying for the night. This used to be a character dining experience, but that has not yet returned.

      Disney’s Beach Club Resort

      The restaurant is located right off the main lobby of the resort.

      Right inside the entrance to the restaurant is an omelette station.

      They have returned to a regular buffet style meal. There are four different sides with food. This side had the fresh sliced ham and rolls.

      It also had fresh fruit, yogurt, and oatmeal with toppings.

      The first dish on the left was a steak and egg scramble, then regular scambled eggs, bacon, and sausage.

      Also on this side was a poached egg on top of hash, asparagus, breakfast potatoes, and something with tofu/vegetables.

      The third side featured the kid section…Mickey waffles, chocolate chip pancakes, and tater tots.

      And CREPES! There were also a few toppings for the crepes that are not pictured here.

      The fourth side has eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits with sausage gravy.

      My FAVORITE item at this buffet were the Salted Caramel Beach Buns that were brought to our table. This was also served with a vanilla sauce not pictured. This was like cinnamon roll texture. Super soft and squishy on the inside!

      Overall, we all loved the meal and would definitely return. It was $25 per person for an adult. Our waitress was great!

      Posted in Cape May Cafe, Dining Review, Disney, Disney' Beach Club, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Cape May Cafe, Dining Review, Disney, Disney's Beach Club, Foodie, Table Service, Walt Disney World
    • Dinner at The Cowfish…Sushi-Burger-Bar, City Walk Orlando

      Posted at 5:10 pm by taryngirl, on April 6, 2022

      3/29/2022

      This night we wanted to make reservations for a restaurant so we could check out City Walk. My traveling partner chose The Cowfish! I have walked past this restaurant every single time I’ve entered City Walk or either of the theme parks, and have never eaten here. Probably because I don’t eat any type of seafood, so the “sushi” part was throwing me off!

      We arrived right on time for our reservation, and there was a long line waiting to check in. If you didn’t have reservations, the wait was two hours. I strongly encourage you to make reservations for any of the table service restaurants at City Walk. If they aren’t available on the Universal website, you can look for them on Open Table or try calling the restaurant directly.

      The inside of the restaurant was open and airy, and consisted of 3?? floors I think?!

      The weather was really nice, and we were happily led to this table overlooking City Walk. (It was open…no window!)

      We started off with some drinks. I had the Ruby Panther–Deep Eddy Ruby Vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice, pink lemonade, and raspberries–$14.00. It was delicious! I love fruity and this was perfect.

      Megan had the Hokkaido Nights–44 North Nectarine Vodka, lemongrass syrup, fresh basil and mint, cucumber–$14.00.

      We wanted an appetizer, so we chose the Crispy Brussels–Flash fried Brussels sprouts, wasabi yuzu vinaigrette, rice noodles, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, with a jalapeno citrus aioli dipping sauce–$8.00. These were SO GOOD! They were bigger than any brussels sprouts I’ve ever seen, and the flavor was amazing. I loved the dipping sauce!

      We also got a side order of Sweet Potato Fries, and these were good as well.

      I originally went in with the idea that I would be getting a burger…but I didn’t know they had CHEESEBURGER SUSHI! So I decided to go with The All-American Bacon Double Cheeseburgooshi–Seasoned premium black angus beef, yellow cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, and applewood bacon wrapped in soy paper and potato strings then flash fried. Topped with dill pickle, red onion, roma tomato, served over housemade Cowfish sauce, topped with ketchup and mustard–$19.00. THIS.WAS.AMAZING! And my favorite food from the entire trip! The flash fried potatoes on the outside made this meal. It was like eating fries and a burger in one bite. The flavors were all so good together. I would 100% go back to just order this!

      Megan ordered the Dion’s OMG! Roll–Tempura coconut shrimp, kani, and English cucumber inside, coated in tempura flakes. Topped with fresh mango, avocado, spicy honey marmalade and coconut flakes–$18.00. She really liked this!

      I was actually reluctant to eat here, but am so happy we did! It was my favorite meal as I said. I would definitely return!

      Posted in City Walk, Table Service, Universal Orlando | 0 Comments | Tagged City Walk, Dining Review, Table Service, The Cowfish, Universal Orlando
    • Breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace

      Posted at 2:13 pm by taryngirl, on March 24, 2022

      1/3/22

      As my luck would have it for this trip…I was also able to score a reservation for 4 to Topolino’s Terrace, which has been on my bucket list for the last several trips! There was so much going on this day with food, so people had to pick and choose what was important to them. This was first on my list!

      Topolino’s is located at Disney’s Riviera Resort. The easiest way for us to get there for breakfast was to take a Lyft from our resort.

      This resort is absolutely gorgeous! It kind of reminds me of a mini Grand Floridian in its style and decor.

      The lobby is kind of on the smaller side.

      This is one view out the back from the lobby area.

      We took the elevator up to Topolino’s Terrace.

      We were seated promptly right in the middle of the restaurant, which was busy, but not too busy.

      We were brought this delicious basket of pastries, and condiments. Crossaints, muffins, and fabulous maple?? turnovers. All of it was SO GOOD!

      I had read many different reviews while deciding if I truly wanted to eat here. A majority of them said that they would do this meal again hands down. It also varied on what you could order. Because you are paying a set price per person, it was assumed that you could get one entree, however that is not true. You can order one entree and then ask for sides or small orders of other things if you wish.

      I knew for sure I wanted the Fruit Plate–Seasonal Fruits, Honey Yogurt, Seed Granola, Toasted Sunflower Butter. It arrived and it was fantastic!

      My daughter chose the Sour Cream Waffle–Roasted Apple, Chantilly, Orange-Maple Syrup, and served with Sausage. I was also torn between this and what I ordered. Luckily I was able to try this, and it was SO GOOD! I would order this again for sure!

      My niece ordered the Quiche Gruyere–House-Made Pancetta, Roasted Potatoes, Gruyere, Lemon Vinaigrette, Sausage. She really liked this, especially the potatoes.

      I went with the Two Eggs Any Style–Roasted Potatoes served with Sausage. This was your standard (real) scrambled eggs. The potatoes were really good! I knew I was going to be tasting my daughter’s waffles, so I wanted something somewhat “healthy.”

      While we were eating, the characters took turns coming around. They did make an announcement with music so you knew someone was coming. They did not get close to the tables, but did stop next to us so we could get pictures or videos. I loved Minnie’s outfit!

      A look inside the restaurant:

      When we were finished eating, we were able to go outside on the terrace to have a look around. The views were amazing! It was pretty windy, but the weather besides that was perfect.

      I would 100% do this breakfast again, even for the cost. It’s a character meal, with delicious food, a gorgeous resort, and spectacular views. I would try to align it with a Hollywood Studios or Epcot day so you can take the Skyliner after eating.

      Our server here was meh. She wasn’t very personable and didn’t ask if we wanted anything extra. She was also nonexistent for a majority of the time.

      Posted in Breakfast, Dining Review, Disney, Table Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Dining Review, Disney, Disney's Riviera Resort, Foodie, Table Service, Topolino's Terrace, Walt Disney World
    • Space 220 Dinner Review – Epcot

      Posted at 10:53 am by taryngirl, on February 18, 2022

      1/3/22

      By some miracle, I was able to score a reservation to the brand new restaurant in Epcot…Space 220! It was only for 4 people, so our group of 14 had to draw straws. Kidding, kidding!

      I had read reviews, looked at food pictures, checked the menu, and reallllllllly wanted to have this experience! So I was very excited that I was one of the “chosen ones.”

      The restaurant is located right near Mission Space. The entrance is kind of tucked away on the right hand side of the building. Once you check in at that desk, they send you through the doors to another check in desk.

      This is where we received our boarding pass for our visit to the Centauri Space Station.

      We lined up with another party against the wall, waiting for someone to escort us to the elevator.

      Everyone stood around the center and looked down. We were blasting off and heading to space!

      Once we made it to the Space Station, we walked down a very neat hallway.

      The restaurant itself is amazing! When you walk in, to the right is the “lounge” where you can also order food. It’s a separate menu, and the seating area is small. You CAN make reservations for this area now, or you can wait in line for a walk up. Note, the full dinner menu is not available in this area.

      All throughout dinner, things would go flying across…astronauts, shuttles, satellites, etc. It was neat!

      Lunch and dinner here are a little bit different. For dinner you get to choose one appetizer, one entree and one dessert for $79 per person.

      Here’s a look at the dinner menu:

      One thing I forgot to get a photo of was the incredible drink menu! The drink menu was great and we all had a hard time deciding what we wanted.

      You can’t tell by this photo, but my drink was bubbling like crazy!

      Someone else ordered this one…that is cotton candy!

      First appetizer:

      Centauri Caesar Salad–Miniature Romaine, Classic Caesar Dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano

      Next appetizer:

      Blue Moon Cauliflower–Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese Dust

      This was my appetizer and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I want to try to recreate it at home in my air fryer! It was perfectly cooked and the sauce was not TOO spicy for me. I would 100% order this again.

      Next appetizer:

      Neptuna Tartare–Yellowfin Tuna, Yuzu Ginger Miso, Soy, Avocado, Radish, Apple, Sesame Crackers

      I didn’t taste this but was told it was very good.

      Next appetizer:

      Starry Calamari–Fried Calamari, Italian Cherry Peppers, Spicy Marinara, Roasted Pepper Citrus Aioli

      I didn’t taste this either since I don’t eat seafood, but was told it was good. Just your normal calamari. The tuna was better than this according to my group.

      Next up were our entrees.

      Entree #1:

      8 oz. Filet Mignon–Cabernet Butter, Potato Leek Croquette (I substituted with mashed potatoes!), Haricots Verts

      This was amazing! And I’ve very glad I subbed for the mashed potatoes, because they were excellent!

      Entree #2:

      Florida Red Snapper–San Marzano Tomato Broth, Fingerling Potatoes, Broccolini, Sicilian Tapenade

      Two people ordered this and they both liked it!

      Entree #3:

      Slow Rotation Short Rib–Braised Short Rib, Cheddar Grits, Bacon, Haricots Verts

      This was reported to be very tender and delicious!

      The next course was our yummy desserts!

      Dessert #1:

      Chocolate Cheesecake–Whipped Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Sauce, White Chocolate Crunchy Pearls, Cookie Crumbs, Dark Chocolate Shards

      The presentation of this was amazing! I did get to taste it and it was excellent. If you are a chocolate lover, this is definitely for you!

      Dessert #2:

      Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake–Dark Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Crunchy Pearls, Salted Toffee Drizzle

      This also had a great presentation. I didn’t taste this one, but it was reported to be good.

      Dessert #3:

      Lemon Mousse–Lemon Mousse Sphere adorned with White Chocolate Rings, Lemon Custard, Marinated Blueberries, Lemon Curd

      This is what I ordered. I LOVE lemon! So I was excited to try this. It was very good! (I did prefer the chocolate cheesecake to this though.)

      Dessert #4:

      Chocolate Gelato

      This was a giant serving! And very good.

      Overall, we really loved our experience here. Yes, it’s pricey at $79 per person. But that includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It’s really not THAT much more than a two credit Disney table service restaurant. The atmosphere was really cool, and the service was great. I definitely would come again for lunch or to sit in the lounge area!

      Posted in Dining Review, Epcot, Space 220, Table Service, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Foodie, Space 220, Table Service, Walt Disney World
    • Steakhouse 71 Lunch Review

      Posted at 11:22 am by taryngirl, on November 11, 2021

      10/1/21

      Somehow I was able to score a lunch reservation at the BRAND NEW restaurant, Steakhouse 71, located at the Contemporary Resort where The Wave used to be. This was the grand opening day and we were very excited!

      We left Magic Kingdom and took the monorail to The Contemporary Resort. We checked in at 11:40 a.m. and they told us they were running a little bit behind from breakfast. At 12:15 p.m. we were paged.

      Compared to The Wave (the restaurant this used to be), I thought the decor was much brighter, which made the dining area look much bigger.

      Like I said before, this was opening day, so I knew there may be some hiccups. We sat, and waited and waited for our server to come. She did not, but a manager did. He took our drink order and then our food order as well. Our drinks came and we had ordered appetizers, and those eventually came as well. (We still didn’t see our server!)

      I ordered the Fork & Knife Caesar Salad $10. This was delicious and possibly one of the best salads I’ve had!

      My friend ordered the Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad (house-made bleu cheese dressing, toy box tomatoes, pickled red onions, bacon, hard cooked egg) $11.

      At some point during appetizers, our waitress appeared. She explained her last table (during breakfast service) was super complicated and had a bunch of different payments. We also noticed that they had random people bringing out food and managers were busing tables. Nothing seemed organized and it seemed like they were struggling!

      At one point, someone else brought us two more salads, and we told them we were already served.

      For entrees, my friend ordered the Crab Cake Sliders (lump crab cakes, old bay remoulade, tomato, pickled slaw on a brioche bun, served with parmesan fries). You could also choose a petite wedge salad or pasta salad as your side. $19. She really liked these. She smashed them down so she could fit them in her mouth.

      I ordered the Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger (signature blend of beef, American cheese, lemon aioli, red onion, house-made pickles, on a brioche bun served with parmesan fries) $20. This was amazing! I asked for the lemon aioli on the side because I wasn’t sure I would like it, but it was really good.

      Overall, the service was not that great. We didn’t get out of here until 2:00 p.m. But the food more than made up for it. The staff was very apologetic and friendly, they were just overwhelmed. I will 100% be back here again. I think this is a great alternative to a table service in Magic Kingdom, especially at lunch time.

      Posted in Contemporary Resort, Dining Review, Steakhouse 71, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Foodie, Steakhouse 71, Table Service, The Contemporary Resort, Walt Disney World
    • Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano Dinner Review

      Posted at 12:37 pm by taryngirl, on October 21, 2021

      9/30/21

      It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten at Mama Melrose in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I wanted to check it out! The last time we ate there, I really wanted to try the famous steak and JUST THAT WEEK they removed it from the menu. After lots of customer complaints, they brought it back, so I was anxious to try it, and honestly, by the time we made reservations, our choices were limited with both location and times.

      We got to Hollywood Studios at around 3:30 p.m. Our reservation was at 4:45 p.m.

      We walk through some of the shops on the way in, then checked wait times on the rides. Toy Story Midway Mania only had a 20 minute wait, so we went on that. Once we came out of there, we made our way over to Mama Melrose right on time.

      The decor and atmosphere are super cozy and cute inside this restaurant. To access the menu at the table, you scan a barcode and it pops up on your phone.

      To start, they brought us some amazing bread. It was warm and had a great olive oil dip. I also asked for straight up butter.

      Jamie ordered the Mama’s Caesar Salad–Fresh Romaine Lettuce, Housemade Caesar Dressing, Herb Croutons, and Parmesan. $11.00.

      For her main dish, she ordered the Oven-Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana–Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti $25.00.

      I ordered the Charred Strip Steak–Four Cheese Macaroni with Pancetta, Aged Balsamic Shallot Butter, and Chianti Wine Reduction $33.00. At Italian restaurants I always order some type of pasta, just because I feel like I should! But I’ve heard so many amazing things about this steak, that I had to give it a try. I LOVED IT! Both the steak and mac and cheese were so good! If I come back here, I 100% will be ordering this again.

      We were so full there was no way we could do dessert here. Plus, I still had Gideon’s cookies back in the room!

      After we left here, we went and stood in the standby line for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which had a posted time of 30 minutes I think. We were pretty beat at this point from traveling, so we took some photos and then headed back to the resort.

      Up next…Magic Kingdom for the 50th Anniversary Celebration!

      Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Hollywood Studios, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Disney, Foodie, Hollywood Studios, Mama Melrose, Table Service
    • Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch Dining Review

      Posted at 4:21 pm by taryngirl, on January 26, 2021

      11/15/2021

      Liberty Tree Tavern is my favorite table service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom.  The setting is a colonial style inn, featuring traditional New England inspired cuisine. Lunch used to be ala carte ordering off of a menu, (pre-Covid times), but currently they are offering the same style dining as they do for dinner.  It’s brought out family style for everyone to share.  You can see the current menu HERE.

      Our reservation was for 12:05 p.m.  We checked in through the My Disney Experience app at 11:45 a.m., and were called 5 minutes later.  Inside there used to be places to sit and even places for kids to color while you waited.  Now there are spaces on the floor for you to stand socially distanced.  

      We started with some salad and warm rolls.

      Declaration Salad, tossed mixed greens with homemade dressing

      This salad is always very refreshing! The dressing is super light, but full of flavor. It’s one of my faves!

      These rolls are always served warm, and are so soft! Also one of my faves!

      The Patriot’s Platter includes Roasted Turkey Breast, Pot Roast (my favorite of the meats!), Oven Roasted Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Herb Stuffing, and House-Made Macaroni and Cheese.

      The meats and the stuffing
      The vegetables, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese

      One thing I want to note is the change in the macaroni and cheese since the last time I ate here! I think it used to be a Stouffer’s type, but now it’s listed as homemade. It definitely looked and tasted different. I much preferred this version!

      Our lunch was amazing! It’s so much food!  My personal favorites are the pot roast, mashed potatoes, and salad. You can order individual refills on any of the dishes you would like. We got a little bit more pot roast and mashed potatoes since we didn’t eat much of the pork.

      Our waitress was very attentive. She brought refills for our drinks before we were even finished with the first one.  It was kind of ridiculous the amount of glasses we had on our table at one time!

      This restaurant has my favorite dessert out of any restaurant in all of Disney.  OOEY GOOEY TOFFEE CAKE!  

      We were finished eating and out the door by 12:45 p.m.  I for sure would eat here again and definitely recommend it if you haven’t tried it yet!

      Posted in Dining Review, Magic Kingdom | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom, Table Service
    • An Afternoon at Epcot, Dinner at Coral Reef

      Posted at 12:36 pm by taryngirl, on December 8, 2020

      Continuing on with our day at Epcot, we finished up our Germany snacks and headed toward Mouse Gears to do some shopping. The entire center where the fountain used to be, is all blocked off and under construction at the moment. They are redoing things in there. That means that Mouse Gears is now moved to a different location. It’s still in Future World East, just a different building. The selection is still really good!

      From there we headed to Spaceship Earth. Wait time posted was 20 minutes. We waited 25 minutes. Once exiting there are no games anymore. It’s completely silent! I’m assuming this is because of Covid, and the fact that they don’t want people touching the games and crowding. We went over to Journey Into Imagination with Figment, which had a 20 minute wait time posted. We waited 5 minutes. Also, at the end of this attraction there are no games or anything interactive!

      Here you can see they are only seating every other row on this attraction for now.
      It’s empty and quiet!

      Of course at the end of this, we went and enjoyed the DVC Lounge which is upstairs in this building. We sat for about an hour and enjoyed some drinks and snacks while recharging our phones and resting our feet.

      While there are no character meet and greets available at the moment, there are characters out and about. We were able to see Joy and Pooh right outside of the Figment attraction.

      We headed into The Land and went directly to Living With the Land. Wait time posted was 10 minutes, but we walked right on.

      Plexiglass barriers up in between the queue rows.
      Only sitting every other row on this attraction. But you can also see the dividers up between seats.

      After this, Alex went to ride Soarin’. The wait time posted was 35 minutes. She was on and off in 35 minutes.

      Barriers up between the rows.

      Here’s a picture of Garden Grill. The characters are there, but walking in the row of tables behind the patrons.

      From there, we went to The Seas with Nemo and Friends, where there was no wait. We also stayed to explore the SeaBase since we had some time to kill before our dinner reservation at Coral Reef.

      It was finally time for our dining reservation at Coral Reef! I hadn’t eaten here since my husband and I went for our anniversary many, many years ago…pre kids I think.

      The entrance may be hard to find. If you are standing facing the entrance to the Nemo ride, go right around to the side of the building.

      You can see the one way enter/exit, as well as markers on the ground.

      There are (for the most part) no paper menus anymore. You have to scan the QR code at the table or outside of the restaurant to see the menu. The menus have all been paired down for sure! Offering less selections than normal.

      Note…I don’t eat any seafood! At all!

      Warm rolls with butter. SO GOOD!
      Side Caesar Salad
      Seared Mahi Mahi (Alex’s meal). She has a shellfish allergy, that’s why there’s an allergy pick.
      My meal! I ordered the Caesar Salad with Chicken as my meal. It was delicious!
      Of course we had to get the Chocolate Wave for dessert to share!
      View of the restaurant
      View from our table! We were right next to the gigantic tank.

      Our reservation was for 7:15 p.m. We were in and out and at the bus stop to the resort by 8:25 p.m.

      I would definitely eat here again, and would recommend anyone who needs a break from the countries to give it a whirl! When I travel with our big family, we always eat in the countries. This was a nice break from that since we had all of the food booths in the afternoon. The staff here was very friendly and accommodating.

      Up next…our day at Magic Kingdom!

      Posted in Coral Reef, Dining Review, Disney, Epcot | 0 Comments | Tagged Coral Reef Restaurant, Dining Review, Epcot, Table Service
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