Laughing Lindsay

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Christmas in Orlando Theme Parks Guide

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It’s hard to believe but it’s already time to discuss Christmas in Orlando theme parks! I feel like I just did my Fall in the theme parks post, but the parks tend to kick-off the holiday season immediately after Halloween. So, it’s time to breakdown what you can expect if you visit between now and the end of the year.

Christmas in Orlando

Christmas in Orlando

It goes without saying that the theme parks go all out for the holiday season! I love visiting during this time of the year as I’m a huge Christmas fan (who isn’t?). I also enjoy the typically cooler temperatures that can be found in November and December. So, here’s a look at what you can expect at each theme park.

Christmas at Walt Disney World

You can expect to see holiday decor at every theme park and resort on property. I love seeing the uniquely themed trees around the property. Disney Springs also has some amazing trees!

You can experience the holidays at Animal Kingdom and Epcot with a regular park ticket. Animal Kingdom has a menagerie of animal puppets that I hope to see this year! Beginning November 24th, Epcot has the Festival of the Holidays with food booths and special holiday storytelling in select country pavilions. Additionally, they have the massively popular Candlelight Processional with celebrity narrators each night. A dining package may also be purchased to guarantee a seat at the show.

Magic Kingdom has decorations up. However, there’s also a separately ticketed event called Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which I reviewed last year. The first party of the year is tomorrow night, November 9th. I love eating cookies and seeing the toy soldiers march down Main Street.

New in 2023, Hollywood Studios is hosting Jollywood Nights. Its first night is November 11th. Not much is known about this event. However, it seems like a highly themed after hours event. I will be attending next month and will know more about it after that.

Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando was late in announcing their holiday plans this year. However, I wrote an entire guide to the holidays at Universal Orlando last year. The highlights include a parade with balloons like the ones seen in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Additionally, there’s the highly sought after breakfast with the Grinch and Universal Holidays Tour. Don’t miss the holiday tribute store or themed trees at the resorts! The holidays kick-off at UO on November 17th and end December 31st.

Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando

Last, but certainly not least is SeaWorld Orlando. I posted a Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando Review last year outlining what you can expect here. Once again, you can partake in the festive activities with a regular park day ticket with special food booths and entertainment. The Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld begins November 10th and is mainly available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the season.

Where are you headed?

As you can see, there’s not a bad place to experience the holidays in Orlando. So, where are you headed?

You can view my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Fantasmic Dining Package Review at Sci-Fi Dine-In

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I’ve just returned from a short trip to Walt Disney World with my husband. We decided to book a Fantasmic Dining Package on our Hollywood Studios night. I’m doing a review to help others determine if this is a good option for their trip.

Fantasmic Dining Package

Fantasmic Dining Package

For those who don’t know, Fantasmic is a night-time show at Hollywood Studios. It’s been very popular since its return following the pandemic. I hadn’t seen the show in years, but was afraid of crowds given that we were visiting on a Saturday night. So, I booked one of these packages to ensure us a good seat for the show as well as a good meal. As you might have noticed, I’m a bit of a sucker for reserved show seating with food as I’ve reviewed World of Color – One Dessert Party and Oogie Boogie Dessert Party. This package though is for a whole meal prior to the show.

There are 5 restaurants to choose from when you book this package. Initially, I selected The Hollywood Brown Derby. However, when I glanced over the menu, I realized that it was too fancy for my palate and too expensive. So, a few days out from our trip, I switched us to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. I had eaten here previously once before with my mom, but this was my husband’s first time.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

As a part of our special, we were able to select an entree, either an appetizer or dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage for our meals. We both elected to get appetizers since those seemed more appealing and worth more money. I got the onion rings, which were pretty good. Then again, I haven’t had many bad onion rings. Ha! My husband got the wings and they were tasty as well.

I had wanted to order the chicken salad sandwich for my entree, however they are unable to remove the cilantro from the mix. Sidenote to anyone from WDW reading: Please stop adding cilantro to everything. Some of us think it tastes like soap.

I ended up going with the plant based Impossible burger. While it tasted ok, it was dry as heck. My husband ordered the citrus chicken salad. His chicken was also dry, but he enjoyed the rest of the salad. Unfortunately, I can’t give the food here a glowing review. I wish it wasn’t just a bunch of burgers on the menu with 1 pasta dish. There needs to be more variety. Also, the foods we opted for that weren’t burgers weren’t amazing. So, I guess stick with the burgers or don’t eat here.

I have to say the theme is pretty cool here! My husband enjoyed seeing the sci-fi clips on the big screen. I like sitting in the cars and looking around the “drive-in”.

Fantasmic! Seating

After dinner, we headed over to the stadium to get in line for the show. Once we entered the stadium and saw the roped off area, I realized the benefit of booking this package. The prime view or middle of the stadium is reserved for these dining packages. So, if you want a great view of the show, this is how you get it.

We both really enjoyed the show and were pleased with our seats. Fantasmic is a must-do if you are visiting Hollywood Studios at night. The dining package allowed us to see the performers straight on instead of from the side.

Is it worth it?

The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is one of the cheapest restaurants available for this package. However, it’s still $51/adult and $23/children. So, it’s still a pretty expensive meal. Personally, I don’t think the food is worth the prices Disney is charging for the regular menu at Sci-Fi. The addition of the reserved seating area at Fantasmic though is worth a lot. My meal would normally cost $35 and my husband’s was $34. So, essentially we paid $17/18 for the seats. For the view, it’s worth it at least once. If I book the package again, it will be at a different restaurant. Have you ever eaten here or booked a Fantasmic dining package?

Solo Disneyland: Tips for Going Alone

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Earlier this year, I took a solo Disneyland trip to experience the Disney100 at Disneyland Resort. So, I thought I would share a few tips for anyone considering visiting the resort alone.

Solo Disneyland

Solo Disneyland

I know that most people think of theme parks, particularly Disney parks, as places for children and/or families to enjoy. However, I am a prime example of why there are so much more than that. If you ever get the chance to visit Disneyland alone, I highly recommend it. You are free to come and go as you please (as long as you have park reservations).

Tips

Here are some tips for making the most of a solo Disneyland trip:

  • Have a list of things to do/see/eat – You are free to do exactly what you want. However, I think it’s best if you know which things you actually want to experience. Then, you have an idea of which direction you would like to head in when you arrive.
  • Utilize the Single Rider Line – Several rides have a Single Rider Line, which means you can ride a favorite ride quicker if you are willing to be added to another group. This would happen anyways as a single person, so you might as well cut down on the wait time. I rope dropped and then entered the Single Rider Line for Radiator Springs Racers at DCA. It was a blast! You can see a full list of attractions with this special line at the link above.
  • Change your mind – The beauty of being alone is that you can have a plan and then change it if your mood changes. Want to run across the park to get in line for a ride and then realize you’d rather do something else? Do it!
  • Relax – I enjoyed people watching on this trip and just taking in the ambiance of being at Disneyland. I rode lots of rides, but I also tried to make time to just chill.
  • Speed walk – I also ran around the park riding rides with Genie+. I took a much slower approach when my mom went with me in September. Not having to worry about losing or tiring another person means you can travel at your own pace.
  • Book a meal or two – I really enjoyed dining by myself at Cafe Orleans. I highly recommend taking a breather with a nice meal if you visit by yourself. I also liked sitting outside at Plaza Inn while the band played nearby.

So, do you have any tips for a solo Disneyland trip?

Garden Grill Dinner Epcot Character Meal Review

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Back in February, I booked the Garden Grill dinner at Epcot for me and my mom. This is a review of that experience.

Garden Grill Dinner

Garden Grill Dinner

There are a plethora of dining places to chose from at Epcot. In fact, it can be difficult to choose which restaurant to eat at. However, I know my mom prefers more classic or simple dishes. With that in mind, I booked the Garden Grill dinner on our Epcot day.

Technically, Disney calls this the Chip ‘n’ Dale Harvest Feast. It’s $55/adult and $36/child. The unique thing about this meal is that the restaurant rotates to give you views inside the Living with the Land ride! So, your view is constantly changing and giving you something new to look at.

The Characters

While dining here, you can expect to meet Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale! Mickey is adorable in his farmer outfit! The rest of the characters are in their normal attire. Each one comes to your table separately to take pictures and visit briefly. You are also given a card with their signatures on it (seen in my Instagram post below). They are all friendly, but move pretty quickly.

The Food

Most character meals, like in my Cape May Cafe Character Breakfast review, at Walt Disney World are a buffet. However, this one is a sit-down meal served family style. Due to that, I think the food is better. It’s not necessarily fancy food, but it’s consistently good. We also enjoy this variation because it’s less stressful than trying to grab a plate from the buffet while keeping an eye out for characters.

You begin the meal with a salad and rolls. The salad was ok, but I’m not a fan of dressing, so I wasn’t super into it. The rolls were good though.

Then, you are served a big pan of mains and sides. We received BBQ chicken, grilled beef with chimichurri, mashed potatoes, green beans, spoon bread, and a corn mixture. We also got a bowl of macaroni and cheese. We really enjoyed the chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.

You finish the meal with a serving of berry short cake with whipped cream for dessert. My mom is super picky about fruits, but she likes most berries. So, this was the perfect ending to this meal. It was sweet without being too sweet.

Everything here tasted fresh. The quality of food was certainly better than what you would find on a buffet. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is tasty.

Is Garden Grill dinner worth it?

As always it’s difficult to determine somethings value. If you are looking for a character meal with better food, this is a great choice! If you have a picky eater, then again this is perfect! On the other hand, there are loads of more unique and interesting places to eat at in Epcot. So, if you want to try some new foods, I’d recommend looking elsewhere. Also, if you are on a tight budget, you should probably consider a quick service at Epcot or perhaps eat at a festival booth. Overall, it’s a fun character meal with good yet simple food.

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland Guide

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Having just returned from a trip to celebrate Halloween 2023 at Disneyland, I thought I would do an overview post about all of the fun happenings taking place this year. I will provide reviews and tips of anything I actually did or if I think something might be worth the money.

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland

Personally, I found planning a trip to Disneyland for Halloween a little annoying. They don’t really announce much in advance, so it’s hard to plan a trip to visit from across the country. For instance, they initially announced that Halloween time would kick-off at the resort in early September. Then, in August they announced a special Halloween themed meal that didn’t start until September 21st. Unfortunately, by then I already had my trip booked and couldn’t change it to accommodate a meal. Ha! So, here’s a rundown of everything I know about celebrating spooky season at the resort.

Halloween at Disneyland Park

Disneyland became fully decorated in early September. You can see characters in their special costumes as well as a special fireworks show “Halloween Screams” with regular park admission. Unfortunately, we only met Minnie in her costume as the line for Mickey was too long. Also, I was very surprised to discover people staking out spots for the fireworks 2+ hours in advance!

In mid-August they announced and started selling tickets for the Happiest Haunts Tour as well as the Plaza Inn Dining Package. I didn’t book either of these add-ons for a couple of reasons. For one, we visit the park so infrequently that a tour eating up hours of our day didn’t make sense. I decided against the dining package due to the timing (we are east coasters) who don’t eat dinner at 10 PM ET. However, if we ever go back at Halloweentime, I will look into booking something with reserved seating since people started lining up hours in advance to see the fireworks.

Halloween at Disney California Adventure Park

DCA also has some decor that can be seen during a regular park day. However, the real fun comes during the separately ticketed Oogie Boogie Bash event. I just published a full review of this party in addition to the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party that you can read by clicking those links.

Halloween at Downtown Disney

Individual businesses in Downtown Disney celebrate the fall season with seasonal foods. Additionally, guests can pay $10 to do Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt to look for character-inspired pumpkins. You can also look for pumpkins without paying for the scavenger hunt, but you receive a prize of a small character sipper for completing the hunt.

Halloween at Disneyland Hotels

The one late addition to the offerings that annoyed me is the Goofy’s Kitchen Halloween meal. It didn’t start until September 21st! I would have loved to have done this, but we were there too early. Nonetheless, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel had a nice display for spooky season. Unfortunately, the treat stand doesn’t open until later in the day so we didn’t get to sample any of those goodies either.

Is Fall a Good Time to Visit Disneyland?

While I encountered some frustration with DL releasing special events too close to the dates, I still enjoyed my trip. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back during this time of the year. My biggest complaint was the heat. If I go back in fall, I will probably aim for a late September date just to avoid the heat and ensure maximum Halloween event enjoyment.