Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review

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Having recently given my opinion on the Gran Destino Tower, I thought I would do an overall review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort!

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

As a quick refresher, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is a sprawling moderate resort at Walt Disney World. Its decor has touches of Spanish, Mexican, and Southwest American flair. There’s even a conference center here! It also boasts a surprising number of restaurants!

Standard Room

On my very first trip to Walt Disney World in 2014, my mom and I stayed in a standard room here. I loved the pretty turquoise color used in 2014, but the current theme is nice as well. The rooms here are comfortable and lovely. They are perfect for an adults only trip.

Pros

  • Lovely theme – This resort has a romantic theme that would be great for a couples getaway.
  • Recently refurbished – You know the rooms should be nice here as they have been refurbished in the past several years.
  • Lots of food options – Since this resort hosts conventions, it has more than the average number of food options on site. So, you don’t have to leave the resort to eat.
  • Awesome pool – I know lots of people love the main pool here with its gigantic pyramid!
  • Quieter – If you aren’t staying during a convention or sports event, it tends to be a quiet place.
  • On-site perks – I love the free park transportation and 60 days advance dining reservations that staying on-site provides.

Cons

  • Large layout – This is my biggest gripe about most of the moderate resorts at Walt Disney World. They are huge! This can make for a long walk at the end of a long day.
  • Multiple bus stops – There’s only bus transportation available here and there’s multiple bus stops around the resort. So, pack your patience when you stay here.
  • Simple theme – While I think the theme is beautiful, it’s not too exciting for kids. There aren’t many Disney touches around this resort.
  • Crowds – I urge you to consult crowd calendars for sports events and/or conventions before booking here. We got lucky because we were staying in between cheer and dance competitions. However, we got to see big crowds leaving on our arrival day and big ones arriving when we were departing.

Is Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort worth it?

While I love the Gran Destino tower here, I don’t intend on spending money to stay in a regular part of the resort again unless I get a good deal. I love the Skyliner access at Pop Century or the small size of the French Quarter. However, it is a good resort. It would really come down to preferences and price for me.

So, have you ever stayed here? What did you think?

Crystal Palace Character Breakfast Review

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Back in October, my husband and I enjoyed the Crystal Palace character breakfast in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World! Today, I am sharing our review of that experience.

Crystal Palace Character Breakfast

Crystal Palace Character Breakfast

My husband and I grew up watching Winnie the Pooh cartoons and movies. I’ve been lucky enough to meet Pooh and friends a couple of times. However, my husband hasn’t been with me on those prior trips to Disney. We initially had this meal booked for a March 2020 trip. However, that trip was cancelled due to Covid when the resort shut down. We’ve been slowly making up reservations from that trip with each return visit, including trying Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast on this trip as well. So, I was tickled to finally check off Crystal Palace with my husband so he could meet these characters!

For those who don’t know, Crystal Palace is a greenhouse-inspired with Victorian touches restaurant right off Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. It features a buffet and Winnie the Pooh characters!

Breakfast Food

I booked a late breakfast reservation for 10:15 AM. Breakfast is cheaper than lunch and dinner, at $48/adult vs $61/adult. However, as with my Tusker House Breakfast Review, they start switching out the food from breakfast to lunch around 10:45 AM. So, we got to enjoy a little bit of both meals for the price of breakfast!

The one item they are known for here during breakfast is the churro Mickey waffles! I made sure to grab one as soon as I hit up the buffet to make sure I didn’t miss it. It’s a sweet, cinnamon waffle that’s unique as most other locations only serve regular Mickey waffles. So, if you are looking for a character meal with a little bit different menu, this may be a good spot. You can view more of my food in the Instagram post below.

The Characters

Being two grown adults, my husband and I try not to take too much of the characters’ time. This was a pretty fast character meal though. First up was Piglet. He’s so pink and cute! Next up, it was Tigger who is a brighter orange than you would think. Then, it was Eeyore! He was extra cute as he came up behind my seated husband and played a bit of peek-a-boo with him. Haha! That was probably the stand out memory from this meal. I loved the pictures I managed to get of my husband and Eeyore.

Currently, Winnie the Pooh does not come around to the tables to meet you. You get in line to meet him at the end of your meal, before you leave the restaurant. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait too long to meet him. There’s a cast member there to take photos, which made it the only character photo we got together. I thought it was a nice touch.

Is Crystal Palace character breakfast worth it?

As with any character meal, it’s an expensive meal. Aside from the much hyped churro waffles, I wouldn’t say any of the food stood out. However, you don’t really go here for the food. Besides, the food options in Magic Kingdom can be lackluster anyways. If you are a fan of Pooh and friends, then this is a great option. If you are looking for a sit down breakfast at MK, then it’s also not a bad idea. I wouldn’t recommend this place for someone on a tight budget though.

So, have you enjoyed the Crystal Palace character breakfast?

Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie Recipe

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Now that it’s officially spring, I thought I would share a family recipe! I’m sharing my grandma’s rhubarb pie recipe!

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

For those unfamiliar with rhubarb, it’s a tart vegetable that can be found in spring and early summer. That’s why I mentioned making it in my favorite spring activities post. It can be difficult to find the vegetable for sale. In fact, my grandmother used to grow her own to ensure she had some to make pies with every year! If it wasn’t for wildlife, I would probably grow my own too.

This particular recipe has an extra special meaning to me. After my grandma died, my dad went on and on about this special rhubarb pie. However, no one knew her recipe. So, my dad never got to have this pie after my grandma died. Then, one time I was visiting my grandfather a few years after my dad died and I happened to find a handwritten recipe for rhubarb pie stuffed in an old photo album! I asked my grandpa if it was grandma’s recipe and handwriting. He verified that it was, so it was nice to finally find the recipe after all of those years!

I never had the nerve to try making the pie until last summer. My family had a little get together that I was baking for. We just happened to go to a different Kroger in a different town and I spotted some rhubarb! So, I grabbed several stalks of it and decided to surprise everyone with the pie! I will admit, I was a little embarrassed by how watery this pie turned out. However, my aunt told me that grandma’s was watery too. I think if I ever make it again, I will try adding cornstarch to the mix. Thankfully, it did not make a soggy bottom!

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Rhubarb Pie

An easy recipe for rhubarb pie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 9'' Deep Dish Pie Shell (Pie Bottom)
  • 1 8 or 9" Regular Pie Shell or Crust Dough (Pie Top)
  • 4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • 1 Egg
  • 1.5 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Flour
  • 1-2 Teaspoons Cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Wash and chop the rhubarb into small pieces.
    4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • Allow the rhubarb to sit and dry for about an hour.
    4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix egg, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Add in rhubarb. Stir to coat the pieces. Pour into the large (deep dish) pie shell.
    1 9'' Deep Dish Pie Shell (Pie Bottom), 4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb, 1 Egg, 1.5 Cups Sugar, 2 Teaspoons Flour, 1-2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
  • Cover with the smaller pie shell or pie dough. Cut a couple of slits in the top to allow heat to escape.
    1 8 or 9" Regular Pie Shell or Crust Dough (Pie Top)
  • Bake until the crust is well browned. (~45 minutes?)
Keyword Easy, Pie

Tips

My grandmother’s original recipe wasn’t very detailed. No exact amount of rhubarb or baking time was given. So, you can use more or less rhubarb. Also, keep an eye on the pie for browning. I used a pie crust dough for my top as I felt like it was easier to position and mold than a pie shell. However, both are usable.

In the future, I will add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch to thicken up the liquid more. I will also allow the rhubarb to sit and dry for longer before putting it in the pie. Maybe an hour?

Let me know if you try this recipe!

My Favorite Spring Activities

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Happy first day of spring! I thought I would celebrate the new season with a list of my favorite spring activities!

Favorite Spring Activities

Favorite Spring Activities

I feel like I just shared my post with activities for winter, but today is the first day of spring! So, I thought I would share a new list of things that you can do to celebrate this season!

  • Decorate the house – I have a few spring and a few Easter specific decorations that I enjoy displaying during this time of the year.
  • Fun crafts – Over the past couple of years, I have gotten into painting some seasonal door hangers and knick-knacks to display. I painted some flowers this year and decorated a bunny cookie house I found at Target! You can see last year’s crafts in the Instagram post below!
  • Baking – I love to bake. I will be making a carrot cake here soon to celebrate my husband’s birthday (his request) and it feels downright springy! I also might try to make my grandma’s rhubarb pie again.
  • Make/color eggs – I’m too old to color eggs. However, I used to enjoy it as a kid. Now, I like to make peanut butter/chocolate and coconut/dark chocolate eggs to eat with family and friends!
  • Spring clean – I can’t stand a cluttered mess. Spring is the perfect time to get rid of stuff you don’t use and to get organized. I also don’t mind doing a little cleaning around the house.
  • Embrace pastels – I love changing up my clothing to match the holidays and seasons. So, it’s nice to begin thinking about wearing lighter clothes and brighter colors.
  • Travel – You have to research school/college calendars and avoid spring breaks to travel during this season. However, a late spring/early Summer trip after Easter and before Memorial Day is usually a good idea.

Spring Can Be Fun

I think spring is pretty with the pastels and flowers. However, you have to dodge the spring break crowds and deal with pollen. So, what are your favorite spring activities?

You can view my favorite summer, fall, and winter activities here.

Gran Destino Tower – Disney Coronado Springs Resort Review

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On my most recent visit to Walt Disney World, I stayed in the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort with my mom. Here’s a look at that experience.

Gran Destino Tower

Gran Destino Tower

Back in 2014, my mom and I visited Walt Disney World for the first time. While there, we attended a blogging conference held at the Coronado Springs Resort. We disliked how big and spread out everything was there, so we hadn’t returned in the decade since. However, back in 2019 Disney opened the Gran Destino Tower at this resort. So, when we spotted a deal on a room in the tower for our early February trip, we decided to try the resort again.

The Coronado Springs Resort celebrates Spanish, Mexican, and South American cultures. It’s a sprawling resort built around a beautiful body of water. Its size and resort classification (moderate) remind me of Disney Port Orleans Riverside Resort. Both resorts feature a lovely/romantic vibe but have totally different theming.

Standard Room

We stayed in a standard view room with two queen beds. Our room was on the front of the building and we had a view looking out at Hollywood Studios as well as the parking lots. I thought it was a nice view.

My mom and I were immediately impressed with the room upon entering it. In fact, I pulled up my email from when we booked to double check the price. Ha! We paid $220/night for the room and we definitely thought it was worth it! Everything still looks shiny and new. The room has modern upscale touches that make it easy to relax. In fact, we had a non-park day this trip and found this to be the perfect place to just chill.

Also, worth noting is how quiet this resort was. We didn’t have an adjoining room and rarely heard other people.

Pros

  • Park Transportation – It is only via bus, but it is still a great perk of staying on-site.
  • Close to bus stop – The bus stop for this area is right in front of the tower. This is a huge improvement over the last time we stayed here!
  • New – The tower is new, so everything looks sleek and pretty!
  • Close to food – This resort has lots of food options. There’s a restaurant at the top of the tower (Toledo). Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to try many of the foods here. However, I’d love to go back to explore those options.
  • Quiet – This was one of the quietest resort stays I’ve had. I loved it.

Cons

  • Multiple bus stops – The tower doesn’t change the fact that the resort is large and spread out. Sitting through multiple bus stops at the end of the night isn’t ideal.
  • Convention crowds – Since this is the only moderate to have a convention center attached, it can be a busy resort. The center probably increases the amenities available but it can also lead to crowds and higher prices during certain times of the year.
  • Bus only transportation – There’s no access to the Skyliner here or monorail. So, if you want to go somewhere, you have to take a bus. Also, this resort is kind of removed from several of the parks.
  • Not overly Disney themed – There are some nice touches, like a picture of Walt in the lobby and some Mickey’s in the wallpaper pattern in the room. However, this is definitely a more adult-themed resort. I enjoyed it, but if you have children, you may want to look elsewhere.
  • Few tubs – We had a lovely shower. However, I know people with children prefer tubs. I’m not sure how many rooms have tubs but that is something to request or inquire with the hotel about if it’s important to you.

Would I stay in Gran Destino Tower Again?

As I stated above, I hadn’t stayed at Coronado Springs Resort in a decade. However, I was very impressed with the tower. Since my trips are all adults only, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in the tower again. Have you ever stayed in the tower?