Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Ale and Compass Breakfast Review at Walt Disney World

By Leave a Comment

When I took a quick 48 hours trip to Walt Disney World late last year, I decided to eat breakfast at Ale and Compass at Yacht Club Resort. I’d heard many people online call it the best breakfast value on property. So, I thought I would check it out for myself.

Ale and Compass

Ale and Compass

Prior to this trip, I had seen several Youtubers eat at Ale and Compass. They all gushed over the value of the buffet here. So, it had been on my list of places to try for a little while. Then, I booked this trip to enjoy the holidays at Disney and it seemed like the perfect time to try it. I wanted to see the gingerbread carousel at Beach Club, which is directly beside Yacht Club.

I stayed at All Star Sports (review to come) on this trip. I could have taken a Lyft directly to this resort. However, I had extra time and didn’t want to spend the money. So, I rode a bus to Hollywood Studios. Then, I took the Skyliner over to Epcot. Finally, it was a short walk over to the Yacht Club.

Breakfast

At Ale and Compass during breakfast, you can order an entree or a “continental enhancement” buffet with an entree. Given the rave reviews on the buffet’s value, I opted to try it this time. For $28, you get an entree, the buffet, and a drink! Everything on the buffet looked good and fresh. I loved the fruit available. The pineapple was juicy. The grapes were fresh as were the strawberries. I really enjoyed the deviled egg. The biscuit and gravy was surprisingly good as well. Not the best I’ve ever had, but it was some of the best I’ve had in Orlando. The pastry I selected was pretty good too. Unfortunately, the cinnamon roll didn’t wow me. I found it to be dried out and lacking much flavor.

For my entree, I went with the Dark Chocolate Waffles. It comes with dried cherry compote, espresso-mascarpone cream, and chocolate shavings. My waitress highly recommended it and I’d seen several people online like it. Admittedly, I’m not usually a cherry fan. However, these waffles were delicious! The combination of all of the flavors went together really well! I figured I’d end up removing the compote, but I didn’t. I truly enjoyed this dish. In fact, I don’t think you need the provided syrup. I also selected turkey bacon for my meat. It doesn’t look all that appetizing, but it was good too.

Is the Ale and Compass Breakfast a good value?

At $28, this is easily the cheapest buffet on property. However, as with all buffets, it can be a lot of food. I think it’s an excellent value for hungry folks. If I return again, I’ll probably just get those tasty dark chocolate waffles since I didn’t have the stomach space to eat them all. Then again, the waffles alone are $16, so an extra $12 for a plethora more options seems worth it. The biggest “minus” of eating here is the location. It would make a great breakfast on a Hollywood Studios or Epcot day. Plus, it fueled my resort decor sightseeing day.

So, have you ever eaten here?

Disney World Epcot Festivals Guide

By Leave a Comment

Now that we have started a new year, I thought I would make a guide to the various Epcot festivals that happen during the year!

Epcot Festivals

Epcot Festivals

Are you planning or considering a trip to Walt Disney World this year? If so, you may be wondering if there is a seasonal event taking place at Epcot. Unless you are travelling during the summer or other lulls at the park, then chances are you will be able to experience a special event at Epcot! I’m going to look at each of the festivals that take place over the course of a year at Epcot, beginning in January and ending in December.

Festival of the Arts

The first seasonal event at Epcot typically begins in mid-January and ends sometime around mid/late February. It’s called Festival of the Arts. It’s the newest festival at Epcot and I have a whole Epcot Festival of the Arts review from a few years ago that goes more in-depth with the various activities and some of the food you can find. In 2025, the festival will take place from January 17th to February 24th. I recommend participating in the paint by numbers mural at the front of the park and the Japan booth is always good to me. Also, I know lots of people enjoy the Disney on Broadway Concert Series that takes place at night.

Flower and Garden Festival

Around springtime, there’s a beautiful Flower and Garden Festival. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like I’ve had good luck with timing this festival right. It’s always too hot or I’m too busy with other things during a trip to really get into this festival. While I love the topiaries around the park, the weather or timing always messes with me trying the food. Sadly, I’ve also never experienced the Garden Rocks Concert Series either. Disney recently announced the dates for this festival for 2025: March 5th to June 2nd.

Food and Wine Festival

The fall time at Epcot is all about the International Food and Wine Festival. Once again, the weather and timing often interrupt my plans for enjoying this festival. It’s typically held late August/early September (begins around Labor Day) and lasts until mid/late November (ends prior to Thanksgiving). So, that’s prime hurricane season, which means that it can be hot or stormy. The one time I really got to enjoy this festival, it was late October. So, my advice for enjoy this one is to aim for later in the season for it.

Festival of the Holidays

Lastly, there’s the Festival of the Holidays. I wrote a Festival of the Holidays guide last year, which takes a closer look at the various things to do here. Additionally, I posted a Candlelight Processional dinner package review for this festival. Again, since this one is held during a cooler time of the year, I find it much easier to enjoy this one. Plus, I love Christmas! The Storytellers around the park make it fun to learn different countries holiday traditions. It’s typically held from the Friday after Thanksgiving until near the end of the year.

Things to Know About Epcot Festivals

  • Food – Look out for the food booths located around the park for limited food offerings to match each festival. They typically release the menus a few weeks in advance of the festival. I suggest looking it over and getting an idea of things you may want to sample before you arrive.
  • Night time concerts – Each of the festivals will have some sort of night time concert/entertainment with special guest (sometimes celebrity) appearances. There’s also typically some sort of dining package that includes guaranteed (not reserved) seating at the show. Again, keep an eye out for the schedule of appearances a few months to weeks in advance.
  • Scavenger hunts – Each festival has its own scavenger hunt that you can purchase for around $10 to complete and turn in for a special prize.
  • Special entertainment – Each festival will also have its own decor and feature some fun day time activities to enjoy.
  • Unique merchandise – It wouldn’t be a theme park event without specialty merch. Sometimes, the festival merch is really cute though.

Which Epcot festival is the best?

I’ve probably attended the Festival of the Arts the most, so it probably is the best to me. However, that’s because it’s held in January/February when it’s actually cool enough to enjoy walking and eating around the world. I love the topiaries of the Flower and Garden Festival. The Food & Wine is an institution in its own right. Who doesn’t love a good holiday themed festival? I don’t think there’s a bad one. It really just depends on what fits your schedule, in my opinion. So, which festival is your favorite?

Epcot Festival of the Holidays Guide

By Leave a Comment

The Epcot Festival of the Holidays begins on Friday! So, here’s a little guide to help anyone planning a trip there!

Epcot Festival of the Holidays

Epcot Festival of the Holidays

This limited time event held at Walt Disney World usually begins on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and lasts until near the end of the year. In 2024, that’s November 29th to December 30th. During this time, you can expect to encounter special holiday entertainment and food booths scattered around World Showcase. Here’s a closer look at what you can expect.

Holiday Kitchens

Personally, one of the biggest draws of any festival held at Epcot is the addition of the food booths. This festival refers to them as Holiday Kitchens. The kitchens are mostly themed after specific countries and reflect their holiday food traditions. Last year, I enjoyed the Japan booth with the sushi tree and the potato latkes at the L’Chaim booth.

Additionally, there’s always a Cookie Stroll you can participate in. There are several cookies available for purchase at the booths. If you purchase select ones, you can complete the challenge and earn a free reward! The prize is typically a special cookie and maybe some milk!

Entertainment

During this festival, there’s lots of special entertainment to enjoy. Several of the countries have their own Holiday Storytellers or cast members from their respective countries telling the stories and traditions of the holidays in their home countries. It’s so neat to walk around the park and hear festive stories from different countries!

There’s also JOYFUL!, a show that celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa. You can also meet and get your picture taken with Santa at the Odyssey Pavilion this year.

Lastly, there’s also the holiday scavenger hunt around the park. This year’s Olaf Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt involves purchasing a hunt map for $9.99, going around the park to identify the holiday traditions and placing the sticker in the corresponding spot on your map. Then, you return the completed map for a prize!

Candlelight Processional

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Candlelight Processional offering. It’s one of the most popular seasonal entertainment offerings at Epcot. I wrote a whole post last year on the Candlelight Processional Dining Package at Epcot Review. While it was an expensive evening, it was delightful to have a good meal at a restaurant at Epcot and guaranteed seating for the show with a celebrity narrator. My mom and I were lucky enough to see John Stamos on the night we went.

Festival of the Holidays Tips

  • Plan for at least one full day – We spent an entire day in Epcot last year and still didn’t see everything at the festival. I could see popping over to Epcot if you have a Park Hopper ticket to enjoy some evening entertainment or to grab some food.
  • Space out the meals – We ate breakfast for the dining package, skipped lunch, and ate dinner from the booths. That worked well for us.
  • Get a gift card – Personally, I always purchase a Disney gift card to use at the festivals so I don’t have to keep track of receipts after visiting the booths. Also, those gift cards are a good way to earn fuel points at Kroger. Alternatively, Epcot usually has a special themed gift card on a bracelet for each festival that’s especially handy.
  • Check the schedule – It’s good to go in with a rough idea of things you like to see and their times. However, I also recommend just leisurely strolling World Showcase for the holiday vibes.

So, have you ever visited the Epcot Festival of the Holidays? What are your tips?

Holidays at Walt Disney World Guide

By Leave a Comment

I know it seems early, but the holidays at Walt Disney World start early! In fact, the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is on Friday! So, I thought I would do a little guide to the Christmas season at the resort!

Holidays at Walt Disney World

Holidays at Walt Disney World

I’ve been lucky enough to visit the resort during the Christmas season multiple times. There’s so much to do here that I never feel like I have enough time to see everything. That being said, I will try to highlight what you can expect to see at each of the four theme parks, Disney Springs, and the resorts! Disney has said that the holiday season officially kicks-off on November 12th in 2024. So, you can expect to see special decor and entertainment after that date.

Christmas in the Magic Kingdom

I figure I’ll start with the one that kicks off the holiday season the earliest: Magic Kingdom. The park begins changing out the decor as soon as the Halloween party is over! You can enjoy the decor from early November until early/mid-January with a regular park ticket. However, if you want the full experience prior to December 21st, you will need to purchase a ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! I linked to my review of the party above. It’s a good time with a festive parade and fireworks! In fact, I even did the Mickey’s Very Merry Dessert Party last year.

If you are visiting after the 21st, you should be able to see the parade and fireworks during the regular park hours. However, you won’t get free cookies or see the special characters. Plus, the park will be even more crowded.

Christmas at Animal Kingdom

Next up is the other kingdom, Animal Kingdom! I got to experience some of this for the first time last year and loved it! The Merry Menagerie is awesome! My mom really enjoyed interacting with the animal puppets! They are gorgeous and fun to watch. The Tree of Life gets a special holiday light show, which I’ve never seen but it sounds cool. Also, you can meet Mickey and Minnie in some special holiday clothing at Adventures Outpost.

Christmas at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has some fantastic retro decor for the holidays that’s fun to look at. There’s also the great Sunset Seasons Greetings nighttime projection show at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Toy Story Land gets a few additional decor pieces as do the characters. You can also eat at the only seasonal character dining experience on property at Hollywood & Vine here. I haven’t done it since before the pandemic, but it was a fun time.

Additionally, there’s also Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. I attended the first year of it last year and enjoyed myself. I think they are even adding an ice skating show in 2024, so that should be fun!

Epcot Festival of the Holidays

Christmastime brings another fun festival to Epcot, the Festival of the Holidays. For whatever reason though, it doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving. Beginning November 29th in 2024, it’s a fun festival filled with holiday traditions from the represented countries with Holiday Storytellers. There’s also the festival food booths! You also can’t forget the fan favorite Candlelight Processional show with celebrity narrators. I was lucky enough to do the Candlelight Processional Dining Package last year with John Stamos.

Disney Springs Christmas

Disney Springs is the separate shopping and dining destination at Disney World. It, of course, gets its own decor for the holidays. However, there’s also the Christmas Tree Stroll! They used to have the themed trees all in one spot but it was really crowded. So, now they are spread out across Disney Springs.

Christmas at the Resorts

As you would expect, each of the resorts gets specially themed decor matching each resorts theme. However, some of the resorts have gingerbread displays too! The Grand Floridian gets a huge gingerbread house that’s worth the trip over to see. Plus, it smells amazing and you can purchase little goodies. The Contemporary usually gets a gingerbread display as well. The Beach Club typically has a gingerbread carousel with a new theme each year. The Yacht Club has gotten a gingerbread lighthouse in recent years as well. Last year, Animal Kingdom Lodge even got some huge gingerbread animals!

Holidays at Walt Disney World: So much to see!

Shew! That’s a lot! Now, you understand why I have taken multiple trips and still haven’t seen everything. So, have you ever visited Disney World during the holidays? If so, what is your favorite thing to experience?

Epcot Biergarten Restaurant Review

By Leave a Comment

October is quickly approaching and that means many people will celebrate Oktoberfest soon! Did you know that there is a buffet in Epcot where you can celebrate it all year long? I’m talking about Biergarten Restaurant! If you like lively entertainment and unique food, then keep reading for my review of this experience!

Biergarten Restaurant

Biergarten Restaurant

For a long time, my husband and I talked about trying this place out. However, it never worked out. Last October, we finally decided to make it happen! Biergarten Restaurant is the table service restaurant in the Germany pavilion at Epcot at Walt Disney World. It would be one table service credit to eat here. It’s currently $49/adult and $27/child to eat here. However, that price includes an all you care to enjoy buffet and some entertainment!

The Food

This was a completely new experience for us both since neither of us had tried German cuisine. So, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. The buffet featured a selection of sausages and other meats, making it a great option for meat lovers. There was also sauerkraut, as is mandatory for a German place. There was also a tasty beer cheese soup that paired well with pretzel rolls. I really liked the Nudel Gratin or macaroni and cheese! I also enjoyed the apple strudel! I tried the Black Forest Cake and discovered it wasn’t for me. My husband was thrilled to discover the fresh pineapple!

We aren’t big drinkers, but there appeared to be a good selection of alcoholic beverages to choose from. I thought it was a nice touch that our water was served in glass steins too.

The Entertainment

As I mentioned above, this place is always celebrating Oktoberfest! I really enjoyed the theme since it’s meant to look like you are eating in the middle of a Bavarian village! It was like being outside while enjoying the cool air conditioning (something that is vital in Orlando).

The tables surround a stage where a group of men come out periodically to perform! It was nice to have some live entertainment during our meal. We enjoyed seeing other people get up to dance. This is truly a lively meal. It’s not a quiet experience.

Is Biergarten Restaurant worth it?

Personally, this may have been a one and done for me. It wasn’t bad by any means. However, if I’m trying to get the most bang for my buck on the dining plan, I’m probably going to Garden Grill. Also, seeing as how we aren’t big drinkers, I think a quieter sit down meal would be more appropriate for me and my husband going forward. However, I think this place is perfect for lots of other folks.

Have you eaten here? Do you like it?