Lindsay, Author at Laughing Lindsay

Break Day at Disney World Guide

July 24, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

When you are planning a trip to Disney parks, you may be wondering should I build in a break day at Disney World? Also, what activities are available for a non-park day? If that’s you, this post is for you.

Should you have a non-park day?

A theme park trip can be pricey. So, the idea of taking a break day may sound weird. So, I thought I would start this post with a list of pros and cons of taking a break day.

Pros

Time to relax – Most theme park days at Disney are go, go, go! So, it can be nice to sleep in and not worry about rope dropping the park or an early restaurant reservation.
Can enjoy non-park activities – There’s so much to do at Disney World and in Orlando that a non-park day doesn’t have to be boring.
Feel better – Taking a rest day can help you feel better when you return to the parks the next day or when you return home.
Can save money – This sounds counter-intuitive, but you are paying for one less day in the parks. Note, this wouldn’t mean anything for passholders.

Cons

Added expense – You will have to pay for another night at a hotel and a whole day’s worth of food and possibly entertainment.
Longer trip – I know how difficult it can be to schedule time off of work or to leave things at home. So, another day may be too much.
Some people may get bored – If you prefer to constantly be moving, then maybe you don’t need a break day.

What to do on a break day at Disney World

Here are some ideas for things to do outside the parks!

Go swimming – Most resorts have nice pools and a break day is a wonderful day to take full advantage of them! I’ve heard good things about the pools at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and the main one at Coronado Springs is pretty.
Go shopping – My mom loves to hit up the local outlet malls. We prefer the one near Universal but they are both good.
Watch tv – I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but it can feel refreshing to just catch up on a favorite show or watch an old Disney cartoon on tv.
Enjoy the resort – Lots of resorts have fantastic restaurants to enjoy. Plus, some deluxe resorts have great entertainment options. For instance, Fort Wilderness has the Tri-Circle-D Ranch that anyone can visit. I keep thinking I will visit someday, but never have time. You can even book a carriage ride at certain resorts!
Go fishing – Yes, there are several resorts on property where you can go fishing!
Play golf – There are two mini golf courses as well as three full golf courses on property!
Visit Disney Springs – There’s lots to see and eat at Disney Springs!
Visit a water park – There are two water parks on property, with one being open at a time.
Visit Orlando – You could visit Kennedy Space Center or another theme park! There’s lots to do in Orlando besides Disney or other theme parks. There’s even a Medieval Times in Orlando!

What do you do on a break day at Disney?

Do you take break days at Disney? If so, what do you do on those non-park days?

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Tips

July 17, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Since I always like to do a guide for every theme park I visit, here’s my Busch Gardens Williamsburg tips post.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

For those who don’t know, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a SeaWorld, now known as United Parks & Resorts theme park in Virginia. SeaWorld acquired both this park and Busch Gardens Tampa in Florida years ago. Tampa’s park is themed to Africa whereas this one is themed to different European countries.

If you have visited another United Parks & Resorts theme park recently, then you probably know what to expect here since most policies are resort wide. However, there were some updates since the last time I visited one in early 2023. So, here are my tips and suggestions for visiting this particular park.

Tips

Arrive early – The earlier you arrive, the closer you get to park to the actual park. In fact, we didn’t even need the upgraded parking on the Sunday in May that we visited to have a close parking space.
Have a card – Since my last visit to a United Park, they have all gone cashless. Personally, I find that to be a nuisance. They do have atm’s and machines to convert cash to a Visa gift card. However, the Visa card begins charging a $3.95/month inactivity fee after just 92 days without a transaction! So, I would advise going with a low amount to avoid forgetting and losing money.
Know prices are 5% higher than advertised – A few years back, United Parks & Resorts instituted a 5% surcharge on all purchases. Unfortunately, this surcharge remains. So, be prepared to pay an additional 5% over the advertised prices. Also, note that this kind of ruins the passholder discount.
Download the app – Similar to the other parks in the family, they did away with paper maps. So, you must use the app to navigate the park. I highly suggest having the app downloaded on your device prior to your arrival.
Slow down – This park has received numerous awards for being the most beautiful theme park. It’s a very nice and peaceful park to walk around. Be sure to make time to notice the differences between countries, but wear a hat and sunscreen as there’s not much shade here.
Consult the park calendar – The park hosts several limited time events throughout the year. So, you might want to plan a trip around them. Also, the hours vary from day to day. So, be sure to check the hours before heading over.
Keep an eye out for deals – Once again, I recommend doing the math on an annual pass or fun card. I purchased an annual pass and used a bring a friend free pass for my husband. I plan on returning later this year and using my second bring a friend pass on my mom. So, it was cheaper to buy this pass and get entry for all four of us than buying four separate one day tickets. In fact, they had a special that made the two park pass cheaper than the single park when we went, so I got that one.

Other Suggestions?

Have you ever visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg? Do you have any tips for visiting?

Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts Guide

July 10, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Continuing with my posts about accommodations at WDW, I’m posting the Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts guide!

Disney World Moderate Resorts

The mid-tier hotels at Disney are more expensive than the value resorts, but cheaper than the deluxe ones. However, they also tend to have more elaborate and classier themes than the values. For whatever reason, many of these places are sprawling and spread out with multiple internal bus stops. There are four hotels in the category, although Disney likes to classify the cabins at Fort Wilderness as moderate accommodations even though the resort itself is a deluxe. With that in mind, I will attempt to tell you which resort is best for which groups of people.

Best Resort for Quick Transportation

There’s only one moderate on the Skyliner and it’s actually the main connecting hub for both lines: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort! It’s a large resort with several sandy beach areas. Depending on your room’s location, you may be close to the Skyliner, the lobby, or even closer to the deluxe next door at Riviera Resort. You can ride the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and Epcot here. However, you will have multi-stop bus rides to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. The convenience of the Skyliner is wonderful though.

Smallest Moderate Resort

If you want a smaller resort without a lot of walking, then you need to stay at Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort. It has just one bus stop and is very walkable. Plus, there’s beignets! When the water level is high enough, you can even take a boat ride over to Disney Springs. It’s a romantic and relaxing resort. In fact, it’s one of my favorites!

Best Tower for Foodies

As I stated in my Gran Destino Tower – Disney Coronado Springs Resort Review, I really enjoyed staying in the tower here. It has a bus stop right outside the building and is near the restaurants. Personally, I don’t care for the large footprint of the rest of the resort. However, the theme is nice and relaxing. Just watch out for conventions and sports teams staying here. Also, take note of all of the food options here!

Best for Princess Fans

If you have a princess fan, then you will love the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside resort. I stayed in those rooms once and they are lovely. It was so neat to look for the little bits of magic throughout the room. We disliked the long walks to everything, but the resort is peaceful. The parks transportation is limited to multi-stop bus rides here, but there’s a boat to Disney Springs when the water levels are high enough.

Best Disney World Moderate Resort Overall

Prior to the addition of the Skyliner, I would say French Quarter without hesitation. Now, I would weigh the price of it to Caribbean Beach since it has the Skyliner. Disney has made improvements in this category in recent years and once again, it comes down to preferences. What is your favorite resort in this category?

Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom Review

July 3, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Seeing as how tomorrow is July 4th, I thought I would finally post a Liberty Tree Tavern review!

Liberty Tree Tavern

I have had the pleasure of eating at this restaurant twice. The first time I went was a solo trip pre-pandemic. Then, I went again last year with my mom. I’ve enjoyed it both times. So, here’s a look at what you can expect at this table service (1 table service credit on the dining plan) restaurant in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World!

The Theme

For those who don’t know or can’t tell by the name, Liberty Tree Tavern is a colonial themed restaurant. It is located in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom and fits right in with the theme of the area. It feels very similar to Colonial Williamsburg. In fact, each of the six dining rooms are themed after a founding father! This includes: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, and George Washington. It’s fun to look around the room for little nods to each person.

The Food

The menu has been simplified post-pandemic. Now, when you dine here, the only option is the all you care to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner that is served family style. Although, they do have a plant-based version of this meal as well as allergy-friendly versions as well. Thankfully, everything here is good. Granted, it is not anything groundbreaking or fancy. However, it will please lots of different folks.

First, you are served the Declaration Salad along with rolls. The rolls are very basic. I’m not big on salad dressings, but this one is pretty good. I also like the addition of the apples and cranberries in the salad. Next up is the Patriot’s Platter or the main meal. It consists of roasted turkey (it’s Thanksgiving, after all), pot roast, and oven-roasted pork. I really liked the turkey and pork.

The sides include mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herbed stuffing, and macaroni and cheese. Honestly, I really liked all of the sides. We received green beans as the seasonal vegetable and they were ok. The other three sides were delicious though.

Lastly, we have the real star of this meal, the dessert! The Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake is amazing! It’s served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. While the whole meal is all you care to enjoy, you have to save room for this dessert! In fact, it’s so good that I used my picture of it as the image for this blog post seen above!

Should you eat at Liberty Tree Tavern?

While the food here is consistently good (which is saying something for theme parks), it’s not anything truly unique. Also, the price is $42/person. While that is expensive, it’s still not a good use of a table service dining credit. However, the food is good and there’s probably something for everyone to enjoy. It’s also a good place for history buffs to check out. If you are on a tight budget or don’t want much to eat, then you are better off skipping this one.

Have you ever dined at Liberty Tree? What did you think?

Virginia’s Historic Triangle Tips for Visiting

June 26, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Last month, my husband and I took a trip to explore Virginia’s Historic Triangle. So, I thought I would create a post with tips to help other people avoid making the same mistakes we did.

Virginia’s Historic Triangle

For those who don’t know, the historic sites of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg make up Virginia’s Historic Triangle. All three are relatively close to one another, which makes visiting all three in one trip super easy. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I didn’t realize this triangle existed or how close things were until our first trip last year. We saw signs about it and were surprised to discover how close the sites were to one another. So, when we made a return trip to Williamsburg this year, I knew we had to complete the triangle.

I already posted Tips for Visiting Colonial Williamsburg, a Jamestown Settlement Guide and an American Revolution Museum at Yorktown Guide filled with tips for visiting those individual things. So, feel free to check those out for more tips. This post is going to focus on the overall picture of planning a trip to this area.

Tips

Stay in Williamsburg – Williamsburg is the central location and is the first one you come to. Plus, staying on-site gives you free tickets to Colonial Williamsburg. Previously, we have stayed in a tavern room but I will look into staying in a hotel in the future.
Plan at least one day per town – We crammed Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum into one day. I wish we had spent one whole day in Jamestown and visited the Historic Jamestowne. Then, another full day in Yorktown with the addition of the battleground would have been ideal, I think. Depending on your level of interest, you can probably spend 1-3 days in Colonial Williamsburg. Plan another day if you plan on visiting Busch Gardens.
Examine all ticket deals closely – There are several ticket options for visiting this area and each one requires you to do some math. Since we are Virginia residents, we took advantage of a deal that gave us an annual pass to the Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum for the price of a one day ticket! I don’t know if we will return in the next 11 months, but it’s nice to have the option. I also got an annual pass to Busch Gardens, which comes with free bring a friend passes and discounts.
Keep an eye out for special events – I didn’t realize it when we planned our trip, but there were special events happening in Yorktown and at Jamestown on the Saturday we visited. The event in Yorktown had roads blocked off and made navigating the town for the first time for dinner stressful.
Watch out for the Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation Project – Several roads are currently closed for construction and it makes getting around a little more difficult. It looks like there are 3 phases planned with full completion projected for 2026. So, if you are visiting in the next two years, plan to take a detour.
Pack comfortable clothes and shoes – You will be doing a lot of walking here. Wear sunscreen and a hat too.

Other Suggestions

Visiting Virginia’s Historic Triangle is a fun and informative trip. However, it can be a lot to take in. I could see taking a break day at a hotel to enjoy a pool. I can also see some folks only wanting to visit one town and maybe Busch Gardens. You know your crew. Plan what you think you can do and have fun!

Do you have any other tips for visiting this area?