Kingdom Konsultant Travel Blog

Hello wizards, witches and muggles!  Today let's take a little photo journey through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. First, as any new Hogwarts student would do, let's head to Diagon Alley located in Universal Studios Florida for some school supplies and to explore.  The Knight Bus and Grimmauld Place indicate that you might be getting warmer.  Upon a closer inspection between a book store and a record shop, you see a sign that looks old to the unassuming passerby, but indicates that the Leaky Cauldron is on the other side. Upon entering through the secret courtyard, you are greeted with fun stores of all colors and magical mystery.  Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is hard to miss with their larger than life mascot tipping his hat to you.  Here you will also find Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and Shutterbutton's Studio among other shops.  When you look overhead, you might just catch a glimpse of a fire-breathing dragon gu

Paradiso 37 is one of the many restaurants in Disney Springs.  It is located in The Landing on the water and has some lovely views of the lake and Aerophile (formerly Characters in Flight).  The restaurant is described as "taste of the Americas" so there's a little bit of everything to please any appetite!  We stopped by for lunch on a weekend and had no problem getting a table for four without a reservation. The area we sat in was light and airy with some fun decor on the walls. Perfect for a lunch break.  A snapshot of the menu. Tables and decor View from our table. We started off with a pitcher of margaritas for the adults to share. These margaritas were very typical, nothing special but the price point was right! Nice and refreshing as well with the fresh squeeze of lime.  We all ordered something a little different for our entrees.  The food came out nicely paced and everything was good. Southwest Fajita Salad Crisp tortilla bowl, mi

Hello Epcot Festival fans!  Disney has recently announced the 2020 Outdoor Kitchen menus for the International Flower and Garden Festival. This year's festival runs from March 4th through June 1st 2020. This post is meant to be informative only, if you are looking for our take on some of the food and drink offerings from 2019, look here:  Flower and Garden Festival: Treats and Eats  Part One  |  Part Two .  Those posts are also full of yummy photos of some of the returning favorites.  As a little teaser, two of my personal favorite returning booths are Florida Fresh and the Honey Bee-stro. A lot of the Outdoor Kitchens will seem familiar as we have a lot of returning favorites this year, with one new addition coming - Magnolia Terrace.  KA means the dishes are Kid Approved and GF indicates the dish is Gluten Free. Read on to find out more about this year's Outdoor Kitchens and menus and let us know what you are excited to try in the comments! Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Marke

Get to know Agent Ashley in this week's Agent Spotlight Name: Ashley Lehman Kingdom Konsultant Travel Find me on Facebook: @ashleykingdomkonsultant Instagram: @vacationsbyashley I specialize in...  Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Disneyland Resort, Universal Orlando Resort Where do you call home? Cary, North Carolina but I’m originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland What was your dream job when you were 10 years old? Art Teacher Ashley and family Why did you become a travel agent? I’m a planner by nature and love everything Disney. When I realized that I could share my passion for planning Disney vacations, I knew I needed to become a travel agent! Favorite vacation destination? Walt Disney World but Disney Cruise Line is a very close second. This or that: Monorail or Skyliner: Monorail Mickey pretzel or Mickey ice cream: Mickey pretzel Star Wars or Avatar: Star Wars Rollercoaster or dark ride: Rollercoa

Big Fire is, in my opinion, a great addition to Universal CityWalk at the Universal Orlando Resort. Having been a huge fan of Emeril's which was previously in this location, I was skeptic, but quickly put at ease once we were inside and met our server.   After a full day in the parks, we had a pretty late dinner on the agenda so we started in the lounge attached to the restaurant.  The cocktail selection is quite extensive, with bourbon drinks being the star here. My Manhattan was delicious and set the tone for a great meal ahead!  The open kitchen is a great feature as you enter the dining room.  The decor is modern yet cozy with touches of plaid throughout. We started the meal with some wine and some mussels, which came out steaming hot and was quite impressive to see. Skillet Roasted Mussels - Herb broth, white wine, chives, grilled bread After that delightful start, it was time for some entrees. The menu had something for everyone, with the food being

Character dining at Walt Disney World is incredibly popular and for good reason. The characters make their way around the room and stop at each table to mingle with the guests. The whole family can take pictures with the characters, get an autograph or just chat it up with their favorite characters. It’s a great way to meet characters without having to stand in line and you get to enjoy a meal while you do it! Talk about an excellent use of multitasking! Below is a list of all of the character dining restaurants, their locations, type of food offered, which meals offer a character dining experience, and which characters you can expect to see at the restaurant. Please note that this list was accurate at the time of posting but character appearances are subject to change. Tigger at The Crystal Palace Magic Kingdom   The Crystal Palace Type of Food: American, Buffet Meals with characters: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Characters: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, an