Taryn Travels

Tales from my travels around the world!
Taryn Travels
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  • Category: Walt Disney World Resort

    • Magic Kingdom V.I.Passholder Event

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

      2/26/19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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      Footlong Chili Cheese Dog (Also AMAZING!)

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

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

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

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

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

       

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

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

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

      2/26/19

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

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

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      We made our way towards Tomorrowland.  We originally were going to ride the Peoplemover, but the line was ridiculously long!  So we skipped it and hit Carousel of Progress instead.  IMG_4035

      Next we hit Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin with our first FP+. IMG_4036

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

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

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      ALOHA ISLE

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

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

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      I had a bite and it was really delicious.

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

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

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

      Onto our third FP+…the Haunted Mansion.

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

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

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      I had to check out the shop that has tons of ears!  I love these Small World ones!IMG_4049

      A good option for boys!IMG_4050

      And a good option for those that prefer Villains.

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      Super cute graduation ears!

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      Up next…Magic Kingdom PM Touring!

      Posted in Disney, Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Magic Kingdom, Touring Plan, Walt Disney World
    • Disney’s All Star Movies Resort

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

      2/26/19-Part 2

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

      This was the Love Bug section:

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

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

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      The beverage center.

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

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      Separate toilet and shower area with another sliding door.

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      Some other pictures from around the resort.

      The Fantasia section

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      The pool

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      The pool bar

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      The arcadeIMG_4026

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

       

      Posted in All Star Movies, Disney, Room Review, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged All Star Movies, Disney, Resort, Room Review, Standard, Value, Walt Disney World
    • A Quick Getaway – All Star Movies!

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

      2/26/19 Part One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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      This surprised me!  A wine display!

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      (Dining Plan Eligible)

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      We both decided to order from here!  I honestly couldn’t decide.  I get too overwhelmed with too many choices.  I was running around from bay to bay trying to narrow it down.IMG_3996IMG_3997IMG_3998IMG_3999IMG_4001

      I opted for the Meatball Sandwich and it came with 2 sides.  I could pick from chips, a roll or a side salad.  This was actually a lot of food for the cost I though!  The chips were amazing and the meatballs were really good.  The castmember was also very friendly and talkative. IMG_4002

      My friend ordered the Spinach Artichoke Pasta and also got two sides.  I’m assuming it was good because she ate it all!IMG_4003IMG_4004IMG_4005

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

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

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

      Posted in All Star Movies, Dining Review, Disney, Quick Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged All Star Movies, Disney, Disney's Magical Express, Food Court, Food Picture, Foodie, Magical Express, Walt Disney World
    • Pete’s Silly Sideshow Character Meet – Storybook Circus

      Posted at 10:02 am by taryngirl, on February 12, 2019

      8/16/18

      We decided to head towards Storybook Circus.  There was a PhotoPass photographer right outside of The Little Mermaid ride, and there was no line!  So we took advantage of that!

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      We were lucky enough to get a magic shot with Sebastian!

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      We made our way to Big Top Souvenirs, which is one of my favorite stores!  The second you walk in, all you can smell is SUGAR.  They have so many good snacks here!  Outside and to the right of the Big Top, is Pete’s Silly Sideshow.  Here you can meet some characters.  We decided to check it out because the wait was only 10 minutes.

      Our first character was Goofy.

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      This was hands down one of our favorite character meetings EVER!  There were so many good Memory Maker pictures, that I couldn’t pick just one.  So sorry…

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      This was seriously the best!  I’m not sure how Donald could compete…he was up next!

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      This was so funny.  You will notice that Donald makes everyone put up the number 1 finger.  This is because he thinks he is #1 and not Mickey!  I never knew this.  He made everyone in front of us do the same thing.  So Kinsey was watching this and said, “I’m going to do #2 instead.”  She tried!  But they didn’t let her!  Hahahahaha

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      At the end, the PhotoPass photographer took my phone and started taking selfies with it.

      There are two more characters at a separate entrance…Minnie and Daisy.  We didn’t have time to hit them up.

      If you haven’t checked out this character greet, I highly encourage it!  This was the second time we’ve had a great experience here.

       

       

      Posted in Character Meet, Disney, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Donald Duck, Goofy, Magic Kingdom, Memory Maker, Pete's Silly Sideshow, PhotoPass, Storybook Circus
    • 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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      2018-08-15 17.08.42

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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.

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      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
    • 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
    • Captain Cook’s Lunch

      Posted at 11:37 am by taryngirl, on August 28, 2018

      When we arrived to the Polynesian, I was starving.  So we headed directly to Captain Cook’s, which is the quick service location there.  I hadn’t stayed at this resort for 5 years, and this location had undergone some renovations since then.  Here’s the lunch/dinner menu posted (August 2018):2018-08-25 11.07.12

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      Each quick service location seems to operate differently.  For this particular one, there was a queue set up and 3 registers.  You order at the register and they give you pager.  You can order “for here” or “to go.”  If eating here, you simply go to your table and sit putting the pager on the table.  If taking it to go, there’s a to go counter just to the left of the registers.  If you are ordering a kid’s meal, be sure to note what all comes with it!  It’s usually 2 “sides” and a drink.  The sides may be carrots, grapes, apples, a cookie, fries, etc.  At this location you have to go to the refrigerators and retrieve any of the cold items, including the kid’s drink.

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      Another random note…if you are on the Quick Service Dining Plan, or the Standard Dining Plan, as your beverage you can get a single serve alcoholic drink.  Pictured here you can see some beer.  This would count as your beverage if you don’t want a soda, etc!

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      The buzzer:

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      And my choice for lunch, Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Chicken:

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      Being the planner I am, I already had a list of all of the food I wanted to try on this trip!  I had googled menus, pictures, review, etc.  I knew I had to have these noodles!

      My review:  They were just okay.  Boo.  I was expecting more flavor!  I did eat almost all of it, and it was a good portion size.  Good mix of vegetables, chicken and noodles.  I don’t think I’d order it again here though!  I might try the Pork Fried Rice or the Hot Beef and Cheddar (which looked amazing!).

      Stay tuned for more reviews from here!  We did have a few more meals here for breakfast and lunch.

      Posted in Captain Cook's, Dining Review, Disney, Polynesian Village Resort, Quick Service, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Captain Cook's, Disney, Foodie, Polynesian, Polynesian Village Resort, Quick Service
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