Disney | Taryn Travels | Page 6

Category: Disney
- Disney Springs – Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
  
  Posted at 10:01 am by taryngirl, on December 13, 2018
  
  After our crazy, early morning at Hollywood Studios, we needed a definite afternoon break. We rested until about 6 p.m., at which time we headed to the bus stop to head to Disney Springs. We had a dining reservation at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’! This was not a new restaurant for us. I had eaten here twice before and it is now a must-do favorite for me!
  
  If you haven’t been to Disney Springs since it’s been redone, it’s definitely something to see. There are tons of shops and eateries ranging from 2 credit table service to counter service and snacks. It’s huge. I rarely make it over to Goofy’s Candy Company anymore because it’s so far from the bus stop!
  
  I love the decor and theming in this southern style place. It goes well with the comfort foods they serve!
  
  I already had an idea what I wanted. The past two times I ordered the same chicken sandwich, and knew I wanted to try something different. There are SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS! Appetizers themselves are delicious!
  
  Of course we had to have the deviled eggs, and my all-time favorite the hush puppies!
  
  SO SO GOOD! I could have just eaten this and been full and content.
  
  For my main meal, I ordered the Chopped Pork Barbecue Plate. Served with Mac and cheese and a biscuit.
  
  This was very good! I would order it again. It was a nice change from the chicken, and a huge portion that could easily be shared.
  
  Alex ordered the meatloaf. I think this was a special not listed on the regular menu! It was also super tasty!
  
  Of the kids ordered the Fried Chicken & Donuts. Again, so good, and so much food!
  
  Another of the kids ordered the Kitchen Plate, which allows you to choose three different sides. All of these were great! And a good option if you aren’t in the mood for meat, or want to share someone else’s.
  
  This was a meal off of the kid’s menu. Good portion sizes for little ones!
  
  Sadly we were too full for dessert! The list here is amazing! I have in the past had the Hummingbird Cake and it was huge and delicious! There was no way I could eat anything else tonight.
  
  If you are looking for something at Disney Springs, I highly encourage you to give Homecomin’ a try! If you are a fan of Moonshine, they have an entire menu dedicated to those drinks. They have both porch and indoor seating, and seating at the bar.
  
  Up next…Typhoon Lagoon!
  
  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Chef Art Smith's Homecomin', Dining Review, Disney Springs, Table Service
- 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!
  
  One thing on her bucket list this trip, was to meet BB8. Mission accomplished! We pretty much walked right in with no wait.
  
  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:
  
  This is just one of several different rooms offering seating:
  
  Here are some menu pics. They have a great variety and amazing milkshakes!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.)
  
  Alex had the Caesar Salad with Salmon.
  
  One of her daughter’s had a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.
  
  Her other daughter had the Caesar Salad with Chicken.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  Even arriving as early as we did, there was still a small crowd of people ahead of us.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  (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.
  
  This is following the exit from Midway Mania.
  
  The Popsicle Stick Wall!
  
  The fun bathrooms!
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  We did the standby line for this and the wait was about 20ish minutes.
  
  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).
  
  We shared this amongst us. They were bigger than I thought they would be! And they were delicious. Definitely a good, sweet snack option.
  
  As we were heading out to our Rock N Roller coaster FP+ (which was 8:40-9:40 a.m.), tons of people were just pouring in. We were so glad we hit it right at official park opening time!
  
  Up next…the rest of Hollywood Studios Touring
  Posted in Disney, Hollywood Studios, Touring Plan, Toy Story Land, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Disney, Hollywood Studios, Touring Plan, Toy Story Land
- Epcot Dinner at Via Napoli
  
  Posted at 2:45 pm by taryngirl, on November 17, 2018
  
  We headed back to Epcot for the evening after a small afternoon break. Having hit most of what we wanted in the morning, we didn’t have to rush around to get anywhere specific. We made our way leisurely through the countries to our reservation in Italy at Via Napoli. This is Kinsey’s FAVORITE restaurant in Epcot! Pizza is probably her favorite food.
  I never have seen this lobby/restaurant in a calm state. It’s always buzzing with activity and there’s usually a line at the hostess stand waiting to check in.
  We come here specifically for the pizza!
  Normally our service here is very good, but tonight our waiter did not impress me. First of all, he was more worried about his tip from the surrounding tables as people were leaving than he was about taking our order and getting it correct. He messed up the order and did not bring us the correct thing. Ultimately we ended up with Margherita and Carciofi pizzas. I cannot even explain how good the Carciofi is! I think it’s the truffle oil they drizzle on the top. I silently wish they had a pizza window where they sold this. I would get it for my lunch every time!
  One thing to note…we were seated in this newer area. They expanded the seating area inside. This was much quieter than being in the main dining room area.
  After dinner, we made our way to the front of the park to do some shopping at Mouse Gears. (One of my favorite places to shop! I find they have a bigger selection than most other locations.) We hit Spaceship Earth as our final attraction.
  Up next…Disney’s Hollywood Studios–Toy Story Land!
  
  Posted in Dining Review, Disney, Epcot, Uncategorized, Via Napoli | 0 Comments | Tagged Dining Review, Epcot, Via Napoli
- 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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  It was another gorgeous day…but HOT!
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  I love this! Every single thing is so good. Especially the French toast bread pudding. I grabbed Kinsey a croissant, which is her usual!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  After 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.
  
  Now you get a Ziploc bag, and collect cards and stickers to put in the
  
  m. The cards have some facts on them.
  
  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.
  
  Next stop…Germany! My favorite snack place is here!
  
  I present to you…Karamell-Kuche! I can never decide because there are so many delicious goodies here!
  
  This was also our favorite Kidcot Stop! He was super interactive and even sang to her.
  
  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!
  
  (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!
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  Of course we had to stop and get a picture at one of the famous “Walls of Disney!”
  
  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!
  
  Check out her cute shirt:
  
  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.
  
  Since we had some time before the official “rope drop,” we had some PhotoPass pictures taken near the hub.
  
  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.
  
  I wanted to point out the water station they had set up inside.
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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+.
  
  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.
  
  You can see they offer something other than the typical hot dog, hamburger, chicken options.
  
  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.
  
  I ordered the Caprese Flatbread. This was delicious and a nice, light change!
  
  After lunch we rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with our FastPass+. We headed back to the resort for our afternoon break!
  Posted in Disney, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged Breakfast, Captain Cook's, Disney, Gaston's Tavern, Magic Kingdom, PhotoPass, Pinocchio Village Haus, Quick Service, Snacks
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Contempo Cafe and BVG Shopping
  
  Posted at 8:02 pm by taryngirl, on September 3, 2018
  
  Continuing on with our first day…our plan was to hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios this evening. We had a Fastpass+ for Toy Story Midway Mania. However, right about 5:30 p.m. or so, it started thunderstorming. (Usual occurrence pretty much all summer through Octoberish!) We were prepared and had ponchos. Butttttt, neither of us were really feeling it. We were tired from getting up so early to debark the cruise and the long travel day. But it was too early for us to go to bed. So we decided to hop on the monorail and head over to one of my Top 3 Quick Service locations!
  
  From the Polynesian, we hopped on the monorail and got off at the third stop, which is the Contemporary Resort. Check out these clouds! (Incidentally, this is the bridge to Bay Lake Tower, which is where we own our Disney Vacation Club, and where we stay later on in the trip.)
  
  CONTEMPO CAFE DINNER MENU:
  
  So ordering here works the same as Captain Cook’s. When you walk in, you will first see the menu boards pictured above. Keep going into the order area and you will see the AMAZING DESSERT CASE! These hands down are the best resort quick service desserts that I’ve ever experienced! I seriously drool just deciding what I want.
  
  My daughter chose the cookie sandwich:
  
  She enjoyed this and couldn’t eat the whole thing. It was so rich! We took half back to the room for later.
  
  And I chose the Peanut Butter Pie:
  
  This was DIVINE! First of all, it’s huge. So it can definitely be shared! I couldn’t eat the whole thing, so I took half back to the room. You can see it has some vanilla pudding on the bottom. (This was so good, I came back for another on our last day!)
  
  As you continue in the register area, you will see the cold cases. I didn’t get pics of these because my arms were full! Drinks, salads, sandwiches, etc. were located there.
  
  Once you get to the registers, that is where you order your food. They will give you a number to put on your table, and once ready someone will bring you your food.
  
  We weren’t super hungry, so opted for the kid’s chicken nugget meal. We chose apples and fries for our sides, and a bottle of water for our drink.
  
  Disney chicken nuggets are some of our favorites! This was good and hit the spot followed by our dessert.
  
  From here we headed to the two shops located on this same floor.
  
  B.V.G is one of my favorites anywhere! They always have a great selection, as well as a variety of goodies to choose from.
  
  Up Next…Day 2!
  
  Posted in Contempo Cafe, Contemporary Resort, Dining Review, Disney, Quick Service, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Contempo Cafe, Contemporary Resort, Dessert, Disney, Foodie, Menu Picture, Merchandise, Shop, Snacks
- Disney’s Polynesian Villa Deluxe Studio Lake View
  
  Posted at 3:46 pm by taryngirl, on August 29, 2018
  After a quick lunch at Captain Cook’s we headed directly to our room. We didn’t have to stop at the front desk in the lobby because they had both emailed and texted our room number to us. We were using our Disney Vacation Club points, and reserved a Deluxe Studio–Lake View. Here’s a quick video tour:
  
  The Deluxe Studios here at the Polynesian have two bathrooms. One with a regular shower/tub, toilet and sink:
  
  The second bathroom has a really awesome shower and a sink:
  
  The kitchenette is a nice feature. It includes a microwave, toaster, coffee pot, and mini-fridge. Also provided are some paper products including a roll of paper towels, paper plates and paper bowls.
  
  The bedroom and living area include a Queen size bed, a pull out sofa, and a murphy style bed that pulls down under the television.
  
  We had an amazing view from our patio:
  
  Pros of staying at this resort:
  - Location! You are two monorail stops away from Magic Kingdom. You can walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center to get on the monorail for Epcot. You can take a boat to Magic Kingdom also if you prefer.
  - Atmosphere. This resort really makes you feel like you are on an island somewhere. If you love tropical, Hawaii type feel, then this is the resort for you.
  - Restaurants. I love every single restaurant here. Kona Cafe has great breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also serve really good sushi (so I’ve been told…I don’t eat it!). Ohana is my favorite restaurant anywhere on Disney property. The food is SO GOOD! It’s served family style. They also have the Pineapple Lanai that served Dole Whip!
  - Cast Members. The people that work at this resort are super friendly. Every single one that we crossed paths with said “Aloha” to us!
  - Pool! The pool here has undergone some renovations and now includes a splash area. There’s also a water slide. If you prefer something more relaxed there is a quiet pool as well.
  Cons of staying at this resort:
  - Price. This is an expensive resort. The average price per night on the smallest room type is $525. That’s the average!
  If we get the opportunity, we will definitely stay at this resort again!
  Posted in Deluxe Studio, Disney, Polynesian Villa, Polynesian Village Resort, Room Review, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged Deluxe Studio, Disney, Lake View, Polynesian, Polynesian Villa, Polynesian Village Resort
- 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):
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  The buzzer:
  
  And my choice for lunch, Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Chicken:
  
  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
- Mother/Daughter Disney Trip! August 2018
  
  Posted at 10:40 pm by taryngirl, on August 25, 2018
  I know I’m in the middle of writing my August Grandeur of the Seas trip report, but I have to also start my DISNEY WORLD trip report! So I’ll probably be alternating, but to read straight through either report, be sure to check my Trip Reports tab where I will have links so you can follow in order.
  
  THE PLAN:
  - Who–myself, my two daughters, my cousin, her two daughters
  - What–all girl cousin trip!
  - When–August 11-18th
  - Where–Polynesian/Bay Lake Tower
  - Why–one last hurrah before school and soccer start, to use our DVC points, we all have an annual pass, and WHY NOT?!
  So we knew we wanted to go in August, but had to plan around school and soccer schedules, and other family vacations. Also, because I am a Disney Vacation Club Member, my new points came available August 1st. So I had to plan for some time after that. My cousin, Alex, had already made her reservation at Polynesian Village Resort, by renting DVC points. She planned to arrive 3 days before us. We had gone once in August before and I swore NEVER AGAIN! It’s so dang hot, and it rained every day. But alas, August it was! After several changes of resort for us, we decided on Polynesian Village Resort and Bay Lake Tower. I wanted to do the split stay so I could experience more than one resort to share with my Disney clients.
  
  About a month ago, we made the decision that my oldest daughter would not be able to make the trip. She is on a premier soccer team and we had gotten the schedule. You guessed it…a tournament! It’s her first year on this team and we just didn’t think it was a good idea to miss several practices and then a tournament. So it would just be my youngest daughter and I making the trip.
  
  We had been cruising from August 2-11th from Baltimore. Upon return to Baltimore, we had flights booked leaving at 1:30 p.m. ish. After researching, I saw there was a flight that left at 11:05 a.m., and there were varying times you could depart the ship. So I called Southwest and made the switch and canceled my oldest daughter’s ticket! It was super easy, and we now have a credit for her to use.
  
  We departed the ship around 8:15 a.m., got our luggage, went through customs and met my husband in the parking lot by 8:40 a.m. We headed directly for the airport. He dropped us right around 9:00 a.m. There was a flight leaving at 9:45 a.m. ish that I inquired about at the counter, but it was too late because our luggage still had to be checked. It would not have made the plane! So we could leisurely make our way to our gate. One note at security…we had to take out any electronics that were larger than a cell phone. I’ve never had to take my iPad out before. Also, all food/snacks had to be taken out and put in a separate bin. (This was the moment I found the huge zip loc bag my mother had given my daughter in case she got hungry. It was filled with chocolate twizzlers and caramel creams…)
  
  We made it through security and headed to our gate. We weren’t hungry because we had eaten breakfast on the ship before we got off. I caught up on some work things and Kinsey caught up on her YouTube. By the way…I LOVE MY NEW AMERICAN TOURISTER MICKEY LUGGAGE!
  
  We had a great flight, and once in Orlando, made our way over to the B side to head to the Magical Express transportation area. I noticed a new sign! AND hand sanitizer! That was a definite difference I noticed on this trip. Hand sanitizer dispensers near or in most restaurants on Disney property. I am a fan!
  
  This was about 1:45 p.m. on a Saturday. Look how empty it is! The Polynesian was lane 2 and we were the only ones in it!
  
  A few people did eventually come in behind us before we were able to board a bus. But it was still very empty in this whole area!
  
  If you are brand new to Disney World, or have never used Disney’s Magical Express, GO HERE to read all about it! It really is so convenient. In summary:
  - Disney will send you luggage tags in the mail once you register with Magical Express. They are yellow, and you attach them to any luggage you are checking at your airport.
  - You get to the airport and make your way to the B side of Orlando Airport and head down to the Magical Express. Watch for signs! And there’s a map they will send you with your luggage tags. DO NOT GO TO BAGGAGE CLAIM if you put the yellow tags on your luggage!
  - You scan your Magic Band at the check in area, and they tell you which lane number to get in.
  - You board the bus and they drop you directly at your resort!
  - Your luggage will be delivered to your room…normally within 4 hours of arrival at the airport.
  WHAT I PACK IN MY CARRY ON! Since it can take up to 4 hours to receive your luggage, pack your carry on with any essentials you think you might need in that time frame. For me: Wallet, electronics, chargers, medication, deodorant, bathing suits if I think we will swim, MagicBands, a brush. This is all in case the luggage does not show up before we head to a park or to dinner, etc.
  
  I spy! This particular bus was stopping at three different resorts. We were lucky, and drew the first stop! Taken through the bus window because we were very near the front seat.
  
  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RESORT! This is 100% my decor and atmosphere. We actually had professional pictures taken here at this resort when the girls were 3 and 5. This was one of the spots!
  
  UP NEXT…another piece of my cruise trip report!
  Posted in Disney, Uncategorized, Vacation, Walt Disney World Resort | 0 Comments | Tagged August, Disney, Disney's Magical Express, Magical Express, Planning, Polynesian, Polynesian Village Resort, Trip Report
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