Alice in Wonderland Haunted Tea

This summer, Marina and I tried a new tea room for their Cinderella Tea. Marina really wanted to go back for their Alice in Wonderland Haunted Tea scheduled for this weekend. Our friend Christiane, who hasn’t seen Marina in a while, loves Alice in Wonderland and decided to join us.

We all decided to dress up for the tea. Marina wore her new Alice costume, Christiane dressed in the Cheshire Cat tutu with ears and I was the Queen of Hearts. It was a snowy day, but fortunately the roads were clear. I was able to find a parking place close by and we arrived a bit early for tea.

The “haunted library” created for the tea was outside. So, unfortunately we didn’t get to have tea there. Instead we were taken to a table inside the tea room on the second floor. We were served by staff dressed as Alice characters. Many of the other guests were also dressed up. We had a great time taking photos with each other.

The tea was a special blend with a berry flavor. We had to wait a while for our food, but it was worth it when it arrived. We each had four mini sandwiches – roast beef, turkey, egg salad and cucumber – and a whole bunch of sweets including brownies, lemon bars, cream puffs, macarons and caramels. We were full pretty quickly.

Before we left, we went outside to look at the “haunted library” set up. It was really cool and we would have loved to sit there, but we’d had a fun time inside as well.

Exploring Wonderland

About six months ago, a new hotel opened not too far from our house. This summer, they were having a Summerfest featuring Alice in Wonderland. Marina and I were interested in checking it out. Marina decided to wear her Alice costume.

We had to get up early this morning for Breakfast in Wonderland. We arrived at the hotel and found the restaurant easily. It featured a buffet breakfast with Alice, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit. We filled our plates and sat down. Shortly after we did, the White Rabbit came by our table. Marina had a nice interaction with him and at one point he ran off with her purse causing her to chase him. Alice and the Mad Hatter also stopped by to visit.

After breakfast, we found the pool area to take part in the Cheshire Cat’s Scavenger Hunt. We found a few of the clues along the way. The hotel is huge and some of the clues we got help from the employees to find. Once we got them all, Marina received a prize – a fun light up necklace.

We were signed up for the Mad Hatter’s Escape Room at 2:00 pm, so we found a quiet place to sit for a while. We ate at the sports bar for lunch and then waited for our time I the escape room. We were the first to arrive but soon we were joined by two families.

The escape room was set up like a tea party with hats everywhere and clocks all over the wall. The Mad Hatter joined us and set us looking for puzzle pieces to solve a riddle. Marina and two girls found three keys and used them to open a complex lock. That produced a blacklight, which she used to look for the riddle. It took about half an hour to solve the riddle.

After we escaped the room, we were ready to go home.

Alice in Wonderland Tea and Potion Party

In the late afternoon we got ready to go to the Alice in Wonderland Tea and Potion Party at the Lumber Baron Inn. We had been there for a play last year and were looking forward to going back. Marina is fascinated by the stories that it is haunted.

Marina decided to dress as Alice today while I wore my Queen of Hearts costume. We ran into some traffic along the way but still arrived early. The first groups of people we saw were not is costume, but as we parked we saw two women dressed in amazing Queen of Hearts and White Queen costumes. We also spotted a Tweedle Dee.

We were seated right away. We had a table for two in a spot where we could see many of the other people there. We loved looking at the costumes.

Marina and I decided to try a cinnamon flavored tea which we both liked. We also ordered potions – Marina’s was called “the Alice” which was lemonade with a special color changing effect. A short while later our food arrived. We each had three little sandwiches, including egg salad, which made Marian happy. We also each got a blueberry scone and a crumpet. The sweets were a coconut macaroon, a cheesecake cookie and a raspberry tart. Marina’s scone was huge so once she finished it she was full.

Throughout the tea we had a few chances to talk with one of the owners. Marina spoke to him several times on our first visit to the Lumber Baron Inn. Marina was happy that he shared a few ghost stories with us. She said at times she felt cold and wondered if one was nearby.

After we finished eating, there wasn’t much more to do. Marina had hoped there would be tarot card readings, but they weren’t offering them as advertised. So we took photos with the people in our favorite costumes before we headed home.

Unicorn Festival

Today was the annual Unicorn Festival. This year, we invited Ainsley to join us. After considering many options, Ainsley wore her Belle costume. Marina was excited to wear her new Anastasia costume.  I offered the girls capes to wear over their dresses instead of jackets since it was chilly today.

We arrived at the Unicorn Festival early. We found a really good parking spot and checked in quickly. We had to wait for about 15 minutes until the festival opened. While we waited a little girl asked if she could have her picture taken with Ainsley and Marina.

When the festival opened we went first to the Princess Palace. A friend of ours was dressed as Mary Poppins. We visited with her for a few moments. We also knew the actress playing Moana, so we took photos with her as well.

Next we went to the Mermaid Lagoon. Last year it had a long line all day. We arrived before it opened and had a short wait for our turn. We took photos with two mermaids before meeting Ariel. We got some nice photos there as well.

When we exited the Mermaid Lagoon, we were at the Mad Hatter Tea Party. We planned to wait for the show but it was taking a bit longer than usual, so we browsed some of the booths. We went back for the show and after we got photos with Alice and the Mad Hatter, we stopped for lunch. I also bought fancy cupcakes for dessert.

After lunch, we decide to wander around the festival. The girls loved shopping the various vendors. Marina insisted that we stop by the Harry Potter Sorting Hat. She was pleased that both she and Ainsley were sorted into Hufflepuff. We ran into Peter Pan and Tinkerbell along the way.

We headed back to the Princess Palace where we took photos with Tiana and Jasmine. Cinderella arrived as we were there but her line was pretty long, so we decided to come back to see her.

We did a little more shopping. At one booth both Marina and Ainsley found necklaces they loved, so I bought them. By this time, Cinderella’s line had shortened, so we took photos with her.

We checked out more booths and the petting zoo, which both girls loved. They also went through the castle maze. By this point it was starting to sprinkle. Because of that, the line to sit on a “unicorn” was as short as we had seen it, so we waited for Marina and Ainsley to have their photos taken on the larger “unicorn.”

By this time, it was starting to rain. At the Princess Palace, Anna and Elsa were there. Since there wasn’t much else to do, we waited in the line. It was pretty cold by then so we teased Elsa that she must have brought in the bad weather.

We were all ready to go home but since Rapunzel was due in 15 minutes, we decided to take a photo with her and then go home. Unfortunately the waited ended up being nearly and hour. Marina got a bit grumpy. Eventually she went over to the Storytime Cottage and talked with the drag queen there. Apparently she was asking for makeup tips.

Eventually, Rapunzel arrived and we quickly took a photo with her. After the long, cold wait, we were all pretty miserable. We headed to the gate, stopping along the way to pet more “unicorns.” So we left the festival and stopped for dinner.

Family Enchantment

Marina and I have been going to Disney on Ice shows for years. This year, her aunt and cousin wanted to join us. So we arranged to go together this afternoon.

Marina is not allowed to dress up for the shows anymore, so she wore her Alice in Wonderland dress. We left early to avoid the crowds. We got a good parking spot and easily got into the building. We picked up drinks and went to our seats.

When the show started, both girls were drawn in by the show. We saw a long Toy Story segment followed by The Little Mermaid. The second part started with a short scene from Cars and ended with Frozen. When the show was over, we took a few photos near the ice before walking out to the parking lot.

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Marina and I love having high tea. I saw advertising for a Mad Hatter Tea at a place I hadn’t heard of before. I decided to make reservation. We invited a friend to join with us. Marina decided to dress up as the Cheshire Cat. I wore a Queen of Hearts costume.

We arrived a bit early and waited in the lobby for a while. Most of the other women were dressed up for tea but there was one girl dressed as Alice and her sister was the White Rabbit. Before we sat down to tea, we had a short tour of the castle. It is a bed and breakfast and we got to check out some of the rooms.

After the tour we sat down to tea. We drank rose tea which we all enjoyed. We started with a broccoli cheese soup. The next course was a salad with a turkey and cheese crepe and mini sandwiches. Next we were served cinnamon chocolate chip scones with lemon curd, homemade jam and whipped cream. We finished off with four mini sweets. By then we were all stuffed.

After we ate, we looked around a bit and took some photos before heading home. It was a lovely tea.

Alice in Wonderland Circus

Alice in Wonderland has been a favorite character for Marina this year. So when I heard about the Alice in Wonderland Circus Adventure, I knew Marina would want to go. Angie made the suggestion and we all went together. Marina decided to wear a dress with Alice on it.

Angie met us at the theater. Marina had a cookie while we waited for her. The show was similar to Cirque du Soleil, filled with acrobats and stunt performers. Marina loved the Cheshire cars and Alice. The Queen of Hearts was hilarious. We all enjoyed the performance.  At intermission, Marina went with Angie who bought her M&Ms.

After the show was over, Marina was thrilled that the performers came into the lobby in their costumes. Our first photo was with the Cheshire cats. We also took pictures with the Mad Hatter and Alice. Alice loved Marina’s dress!

 

We were in high spirits after the show. It has been a wonderful visit to Wonderland!

Birthday in Wonderland

An escape room near our home offers a game called “Alice’s Magical Wonderland.” Marina wanted to try it for her birthday this year. Marina wore her Alice costume, of course, and Ainsley was the White Queen. We arrived early and looked around the place as we waited for Marina’s friends.

We were all excited for the game. We were searching for the crown of the Queen of Hearts. It took us a while to get our first clue unlocked. As the game went on, everyone contributed to moving us along. At times we got stuck and we asked for clues. With 15 minutes left, I was concerned we wouldn’t figure it out in time.

However, the last 10 minutes we made some good progress and I knew we were close to finding it but we were running out of time. When we were offered an additional five minutes we took it. And with two minutes left, we unlocked a trunk by the door and the girls screamed as Marina pulled the crown out. She wore it as the host took our photo.

After our adventure we went to a sandwich shop nearby for lunch. I had preordered a sandwich platter which was ready when we arrived. They had a semi private room in the back so we went there and I quickly set up for the party.

After lunch we sang “Happy Birthday” to Marina and had cupcakes. Then she opened her presents. Then everyone hugged and left.

Easter with Alice

Easter is coming up in a week and a half and we went to a party with the Easter Bunny and Alice in Wonderland. So, after school Marina changed into her Alice costume and we went after dinner.

There weren’t many people there for this party and, of course, Marina was the oldest one there. But that didn’t bother her at all this time. Alice told a story while the Easter Bunny played a long. After the party was over, the girls looked for Easter Eggs hidden in the space.

Since we knew both Alice and the Easter Bunny, we spent extra time talking with them after the party.

Follow Your Heart

Being the Disney fans we are, Marina and I never miss a chance to see Disney on Ice shows when they come to town. We had tickets to see the show Follow Your Heart this evening. Marina wore a dress with Alice in Wonderland on it to school today, so I thought she would wear it to the show. Instead, she surprised me by putting on her Alice in Wonderland costume when we got home.

We hit rush hour traffic on our way to the show. There was also a little bit of snow. But arrived with a bit of time to spare. We picked up drinks and Marina picked out some caramel corn to snack on during the show.

We had good seats although the people around us were rather unsettled. Marina was pleased that characters from the movie Inside Out were included in this show. She also got excited to see that Mulan was included in the princess montage.

During intermission, she had fun talking to the kids who were seated around us. She admired their costumes and they liked hers as well.

In the second act, Marina loved the Finding Dory segment. She told me it was her favorite set of the show. During the Frozen segment that closed the show, she happily sang along with the songs, so did much of the audience.

We didn’t hurry out as so many people did. Still, we were able to get to our car quickly and the trip home seemed to take no time at all.

Princess ParTEA

Last month at the Spring Fling Marina and I heard about a Princess ParTEA that was coming up. I talked to the organizer who told me it would be “a princess party on steroids.” Of course, we wanted to go.

The party was this afternoon. Marina decided she wanted to dress as Princess Aurora. I was a bit surprised at her choice. We arrived a bit early and we had to wait in line until it started. We enjoyed seeing how the other girls were dressed while we waited.

Once inside we saw many princesses with meet and greet stations. We started on the opposite side from the crowds in an attempt to avoid long lines. We started with Belle. Then we saw Tiana, Moana and Ariel. We spent a bit of time with Ariel because she remembered us from other events.

Marina was a bit disappointed that Princess Aurora was in her blue dress but the two of them spent a while talking together. We also saw Rapunzel, Snow White and the Fairy Godmother. The line for Anna and Elsa was huge, so we left it for last. As we were waiting, the princesses gathered for a sing along. While that was going on some of the other princesses were left alone, so we visited with them and got some great group pictures. After the sing along, the Anna and Elsa line was much shorter we finally got our photos with them.

We went outside and Marina got a chance to paint a small canvas. She painted a rose, paying a lot of attention to the details. After she was done, she gave it to me.

The other part of the event was a tea party with Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. Marina changed into her Alice costume before we went in. The room had crazy decorations and the animated film was playing on a huge screen. The tea party offered a huge array of food. Marina and I were pretty hungry by this time, so we both filled our plates a few times, We also had some fun interactions with Alice and the Mad Hatter.

When the party was over we were both tired, but we’d had a lot of fun. We always enjoy our time with Princesses!

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

 Marina had a case of the Mondays today, but I gave her some incentive to get her work done. A local library was having a Mad Hatter Tea party this evening and I offered to take her to it. She got her homework done after school. Then she changed into her Alice in Wonderland costume.

Marina started by trying some of the crafts that were set up. First, she made a man out of a playing card. Then she decorated a mini Mad Hatter hat. She liked it so much she put it on and wore it for the rest of the event.

The last part of the party was a performance of Alice in Wonderland. Marina chose a Cheshire Cat cookie and sat on the floor with the rest of the kids. Clearly she enjoyed the performance. She especially liked that at one point Alice tried to hide from the Queen of Hearts behind her.

After the show, she wanted to meet the actors. There were only three performers and they were happy to talk with Marina. One even put his costume back on to pose for a photo. Despite being the oldest child there, Marina really enjoyed the evening.