Lindsay, Author at Laughing Lindsay

The Best Things in Universal Studios Florida

January 28, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I want to highlight the best things in Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort!

The Best Things in Universal Studios Florida

In 2025, I posted my favorite things in each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. So, in 2026, I thought I would do the same thing with a look at each of the three theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort. I figured I’d start with the OG theme park at UO – Universal Studios Florida! Opened in 1990, it’s the park that started the resort! The park’s premise is bringing your favorite TV shows and movies to life! There’s currently 8 themed lands in the park with something for everyone!

Best Quick Service Restaurants

The place I find myself returning to the most in this park for a bite to eat is Today Cafe! The I Heart Vegan sandwich is a good way to get some more vegetables in my diet when I’m visiting. I also love that they have a rotation of seasonal desserts here. I sometimes think about the butternut squash tart and peanut caramel bar I got during the Halloween Horror Nights Daytime Tour back in 2023. It was a tasty meal that allowed me to eat in a hurry! Yummy!

I have also enjoyed the addition of the Illumination’s Minion Cafe to this park. Otto’s Pet Rock is tasty for peanut butter and jelly fans!

Best Full Service Restaurant

I’ve previously reviewed two of the full service restaurants in this park: Lombard’s Seafood Grille Review and Finnegan’s Bar and Grill at Universal Orlando Review. My mom and I weren’t overly impressed with Finnegan’s. However, it’s currently closed for refurbishment. So, I’m interested to see what it’s like afterwards. We enjoyed Lombard’s though. It had relaxing vibes and tasty key lime pie.

Best Ride

I think the title of best ride in any theme park can be controversial. Also, I’m not super into roller coasters, believe it or not. However, I grew up with Harry Potter and enjoy the highly themed area. So, I’m going to say the best ride in this park is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts!

Seasonal Events

My absolute favorite thing about Universal Studios Florida is the seasonal events! It’s the location for Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights, and the Holiday Parade! It’s hard to decide if HHN or Mardi Gras is my favorite though. Mardi Gras is included with park ticket, not scary just fun, and is carefree. HHN is separately ticketed, crowded, and high energy. Either way, these are fun events that no other theme park can rival yet.

The Best Things In Universal Studios Florida

Well, those are my favorite things in the original UO park. What are some of yours?

Crystal Palace Character Dinner Review

January 21, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Back in December, my mom and I enjoyed Crystal Palace character dinner prior to the start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. So, I thought I would review that experience.

Crystal Palace Character Dinner

Two years ago, my husband and I enjoyed eating here for breakfast. In fact, if you click that link, you can read my review of that experience. On this trip, my mom and I had another character meal booked. However, my mom has started having mobility issues. So, at the least minute I switched from a resort meal to the only character dinner inside the Magic Kingdom – The Crystal Palace!

For those who don’t know, this is a Winnie the Pooh and friends character buffet meal! It takes place in a greenhouse-inspired restaurant featuring Victorian touches!

Dinner Food

Given that I last visited for breakfast, it was nice to enjoy a different menu this time. While the food here isn’t anything fancy, I think there’s a good variety. There’s definitely something for everyone. I really enjoyed the salmon! The shrimp and grits were pretty good too. The chicken was basic but tasty. I also like trying the pretzel roll (with a too big dollop of butter – haha!). Everything seemed fresh and tasted pretty good. I think Disney has definitely improved their buffet food.

The desserts were extra fun! I loved that most of the desserts were themed after characters! I don’t recall a particularly stand out dessert flavor wise though. They weren’t bad, but some were more fun to look at than to eat. It was a tad artificial in the flavor department.

Typically, I order plain water. However, since we were on the dining plan, I ordered the Pink Spritzer mocktail. It was a fun and fruity drink that had way more flavor than plain water. Plus, it helped increase the value of our meal.

Pooh and Friends

The first character we encountered in the restaurant was Tigger! Our server had us go meet him first thing since there wasn’t a line. Plus, she informed us that we were lucky enough to have Rabbit coming for a meet and greet! Since it’s winter, he’s come in from the garden to meet folks! I was excited to hear that as he was in the garden the last time I ate here.

After grabbing some food, Eeyore showed up at the table! He was fun! Then, Winnie the Pooh showed up! My mom told him that I liked honey too. I informed him that I do my stoutness exercises too. So, it was a great bonding moment.

The last character to come to our table was Piglet. He was as cute as ever! Finally, we got in a very short line to meet Rabbit prior to leaving the restaurant.

Overall, these were quick character interactions, but they were fun. We got several pictures with the characters and enjoyed ourselves.

Is The Crystal Palace Dinner worth it?

This meal is currently $64/adult and $44/child. We ate here because we were on the dining plan and a character meal is a great use of a dining credit. Plus, my mom really enjoys meeting the characters. However, if we weren’t on the dining plan, we probably would have grabbed something from a quick service restaurant. It’s a pricey meal but it is great for the dining plan and/or Winnie the Pooh fans. The food isn’t necessarily the star of the show, but it’s certainly not bad either. Plus, it was a pretty convenient meal for us since we were visiting the park for the Christmas party.

Have you eaten here for dinner?

Magic Kingdom Table Service Restaurants Guide

January 14, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I’ve been meaning to write a Magic Kingdom Table Service Restaurants guide for sometime now. So, here it finally is!

Magic Kingdom Table Service Restaurants

Magic Kingdom is one of my favorite theme parks. As such, I’ve spent the most time in this park and have eaten here lots of times. However, I will admit that this park is somewhat lacking in the food department. I’ve often left this park and gone to a nearby resort to enjoy a meal rather than eat in the park. The low number of sit down or table service restaurants makes it easy to visit each location and review. So, here’s a look at what your choices are at MK!

Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

I’m going to start with the first sit down restaurant you encounter when you enter the Magic Kingdom – Tony’s Town Square! It’s a Lady and the Tramp themed Italian restaurant! It’s a cute theme for any fan of the movies or dogs in general. I did a Tony’s Town Square Review back in 2023 and I think it’s fair to say that not much has changed since then. It’s very basic Italian food that sometimes lacks seasoning. It’s not as bad as much of the Internet would have you believe, but I can get better quality Italian food at home. You can use 1 dining plan credit here for 1 drink, 1 entree, and a dessert. However, I’d probably use it somewhere else.

The Plaza Restaurant

The next table service restaurant you come to in this park is The Plaza Restaurant. It’s on the right towards the end of Main Street. I’ve eaten here twice, but never done a full review of it. It has a great view of the castle. Although, it’s a small space and can feel cramped. Also, the menu rotates some items pretty regularly. However, it tends to be pretty basic stuff. The food is good, but I’ve just never felt like I had something here that warranted its own review. I mean there’s only so much you can say about a Triple Decker Turkey Club Sandwich. It’s fresh. It tastes good. It’s filling. Ha! Anyways, the food is good but I typically wouldn’t use my table service credit here just because I can’t imagine using 1 for a sandwich or salad.

The Crystal Palace

The next table service restaurant is on the left (and up from Main Street). I’m talking about The Crystal Palace! This is a Winnie the Pooh and Friends character buffet dining! I posted a review of the breakfast my husband and I ate here a few years ago. Back in December, my mom and I ate here for dinner. This is a fun one for any fans of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, or Eeyore! Plus, the buffet features a variety of foods to please many palates. It’s a good use of a dining credit, especially if you pick out a special beverage.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Technically, Cinderella’s Royal Table is considered a signature dining experience. As such, it costs 2 dining credits to eat here. So, I’ve never used the dining plan to eat here. In fact, I’ve eaten here only once! It was back in 2021 when there was a modified experience following Covid. My husband and I enjoyed breakfast here just so that we could say that we’d done it. Plus, it was a slightly lower price back then since it was a modified experience (the princesses didn’t do any meet and greets.). I know lots of people enjoy eating in the castle and meeting the princesses. It’s perfect for little princesses or anyone wanting a nicer meal in this park. My blog image above was taken from inside CRT and is looking out at the park.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

The other signature dining restaurant in Magic Kingdom is Be Our Guest. I haven’t eaten here since before the pandemic, when it offered a terrific quick service value for breakfast! There’s three separate highly themed Beauty and the Beast rooms here. However, it now offers a prix fixe menu with a hefty $72/adult or 2 dining credits price tag! While the food is certainly elevated over the other table service options in this park, I don’t think it’s worth 2 dining credits. It would be good for Beauty and the Beast fans to do once or maybe for a date night.

Liberty Tree Tavern

Over in Liberty Square, there’s the consistently good Liberty Tree Tavern. I wrote a Liberty Tree Tavern review the other year and assume it’s mostly the same as it was then. It’s a colonial themed restaurant with different rooms being themed after founding fathers. What people really like though is the food. If you are craving some Thanksgiving food, then this is the place for you. Just save room for the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake that’s served for dessert! This makes for an ok use of a dining credit if you pick an expensive drink.

The Diamond Horseshoe

Are you craving the tasty menu from Liberty Tree Tavern but can’t grab a reservation? Well, I’ve got good news for you! The Diamond Horseshoe located nearby is serving the exact same menu as Liberty Tree! I’ve actually never eaten here. However, I assume the food is just as good as it is at Liberty Tree. Although, I imagine it feels different to eat it in an Old West themed music hall.

Skipper Canteen

Last but not least is Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen. I’ve eaten here exactly once. It was with my husband and we actually enjoyed what we had. We enjoyed how different the menu was with its unique flavor pairings. Unfortunately, my husband ended up not feeling well later on. It probably wasn’t related to eating here, but we just haven’t felt like going back here. So, if you have some adventurous eaters, this is probably a good option for you. It would also be a pretty good use of a 1 table service credit, depending on the exact options you chose.

Magic Kingdom Table Service

There you have it! That’s all of the restaurants in the Magic Kingdom that accepts table service credits! Which one is your go-to?

Drury Plaza Pigeon Forge Hotel Review

January 7, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Back in November, my mom and I stayed a few nights at the Drury Plaza Pigeon Forge Hotel. Seeing as how it’s a newer place, I wanted to be sure to review it.

Drury Plaza Pigeon Forge

Back in November, my mom and I took a last minute long weekend trip to Pigeon Forge to see Dollywood for Christmas. While researching hotels in the area, I came across the newly opened Drury Hotel in Pigeon Forge. With an ideal location that is off the main road but close to everything we wanted to do, we decided to try it out.

Free Food

I feel the biggest perk of staying at Drury Plaza Hotels is the free food. There’s free breakfast every morning and a free “kickback” in the evening! We eyed the kickback on arrival day, but decided to go out to eat instead. However, it was nice to have the option of eating something for free from the hotel. We did eat breakfast on the morning of our park visit since we didn’t want to waste time going out to get breakfast. I’d rate it as an average free breakfast. Nothing particularly stood out as amazing, but it certainly wasn’t bad either. I think the free food is a fantastic benefit if you don’t have picky eaters or dietary restrictions.

Two Queen Room

Given that the hotel had been open for just a few months, the room was still in immaculuate shape! We were certainly pleased with the large size of the room. We had ample space to spread out in the room and to sort out our outlet mall purchases! I enjoyed the tree wallpaper behind the beds given we were in the Smoky Mountains.

I will say that we found the room a little dark and lacking lighting. Also, my mom wasn’t wild about the shower since it doesn’t have a door that closes. Rather, it’s open and can allow a breeze to flow into the shower. I also didn’t care for the shower gel as it’s a thin blue liquid. Thankfully, I brought some from home to use.

I was a little surprised by the lack of outlets. I’m used to that in old hotels, but given how new this one is, I expected more outlets. They do have a clock that has additional outlets. However, there weren’t many in the room overall. Additionally, we found the number of elevators a little lacking. We had to wait several minutes to catch one around breakfast time both mornings.

Pros

Newly built – Staying at a newly built (or refurbished) hotel eliminates lots of issues and concerns around hotel stays. Everything was in great working order and the place was clean.
Good size rooms – Our room was spacious, particularly compared to some other, older hotels.
Great location – We were close to Dollywood and other places in Pigeon Forge, but enjoyed being off of the main road.
Free food – I think this is probably the biggest perk of staying here. It’s a great thing for families to save some money!
Budget friendly – We paid $353.56 (including tax) for our two night stay here. That’s very reasonable!

Cons

Dark rooms – There wasn’t an overhead light in the bedroom. That made it a little dark in the room and would make it difficult for anyone with limited sight.
No shower door – It can make the shower a little breezy and chilly if you stand by the open space.
Few electrical outlets – If you have several people staying in the room with multiple devices, you may not have enough outlets.
Morning elevator waits – Leave earlier than you need to if you are leaving during the busy morning hours as you will probably find yourself waiting to get on a crowded elevator.

Should you stay at the Drury Plaza Pigeon Forge Hotel?

I think this hotel is ideal for families on a tight budget. The included food can really stretch your dollars. If you want more upscale accommodations or plan on eating out, then you will probably enjoy staying somewhere a little pricier.

A Look Back at 2025

December 31, 2025 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Since it’s the last day of the year, I thought I’d post a look back at 2025!

A Look Back at 2025

Well, back in 2024, I said that I wasn’t sure where 2025 would take me. However, I hinted at a bucket list trip to kick off the new year. That trip was to New York City with my husband! From there on, the year was filled with several last minute trips. I don’t particularly care for last minute trips and prefer to be more intentional with my trips. However, that’s just how some years go! In 2025, I managed to take 9 trips! Granted, several of those were quick 24-48 hour weekend trips. Nonetheless, I felt like I traveled too much in the first half of the year (6 trips) and slowed way down in the second half (3 trips). I also got sick in October and that lasted until late November (Covid that turned into bronchitis). So, that also slowed me down. I’m currently looking to plan some trips in 2026, just trying to narrow down my options. Here’s a look at where I’ve been in 2025 though.

New York at Christmas

My 2025 started with a bang! My husband and I visited NYC in early January to experience it at Christmas! I finally got to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in person! I also go to see the Rockettes perform! It was a quick 48 hours trip, but it’s one I think about often. I hope I get to return to NYC at Christmastime again someday.

Dollywood by Myself

In March, I made a real last minute trip to Dollywood… by myself! You see, I’m not much of a driver. It tends to cause me a lot of stress. So, this was the first trip I’ve taken where I drove myself! I knew if I made a plan too far in advance, then I might chicken out. I booked my room a week or so out and then didn’t tell anyone except for my husband just in case I didn’t do it. Ha! I surprised my mom by sending her pictures of my room and she was absolutely shocked that I drove myself. It sounds crazy, but I am proud of the progress I’ve made to overcome my driving anxiety.

The Beach

The first trip my mom and I ever took after my dad died was to Myrtle Beach. That was in 2013. However, we hadn’t returned to the beach since then. When we were attempting to nail down a spring trip, I suggested returning to MB and my mom liked the idea. We ended up spending a few days in Myrtle and then a night in Charleston. It was a nice trip that I’m glad we took together.

Epic Universe

Yet another last minute trip happened at the beginning of May. I got to visit Epic Universe for park previews before its official opening! I can’t believe I got to experience a park before it officially opened to the public. It’s a real pinch me moment. It was so surreal and I’m glad I had the time and funds to make it happen.

Return to Tweetsie

The first theme park I ever visited was Tweetsie Railroad! I visited with my aunt and cousins as a child, but hadn’t returned. I kept talking about returning as an adult, but it wasn’t until May of this year that I finally did it. My husband and I took a real last minute weekend trip down to Boone, NC and visited this park. It was neat to re-create photos from my childhood and to see how things are going now. I hope I can return someday to experience its Halloween and Christmas events.

I Met Bob Gurr

In September, I took a whirlwind trip to California. While there, I got to meet former Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend, Bob Gurr! Talk about another pinch me moment. I still can’t believe that happened either. However, I am so thankful I was able to meet him and see his home. During that trip, I also got to eat at Tam O’Shanter, a Walt Disney favorite. Then, I went down to Anaheim to visit Disneyland for Halloween again. It was a tiring trip made worse by a flight diversion to Charlotte at the end. Anyways, I’m not sure I have it in me for another West Coast trip anytime soon.

Looking Ahead to 2026

I always like to give a little preview of what’s to come in the new year in these posts. However, as of this writing, I don’t have it figured out yet. Traveling has gotten much harder for my mom. She now requires lots of breaks and we will probably stick to driving distance trips. It’s all pretty new, so we are still figuring it out.

Although, I did renew my Dollywood pass for 2026 and upgraded to a Diamond pass for the first time! So, there should be at least 1 or 2 trips there next year.

Where do you plan on visiting in 2026? Where do you think I should go?