Day 2 part 3
After a swim we got the kids back up to the room and changed for our group dinner at Rose and Crown. My dad is from England originally and my mom met him backpacking through Europe (so cute!) so we're kinda obsessed with all things British. When we were growing up and went to Disney, my parents NEVER took us to a sit-down restaurant. But I do remember two or three times we were lucky enough to eat at Rose and Crown and I always remember how special that was. It holds a special place for me, and I always try and have dinner there on every trip.
We were all walking through the International Gateway and had just passed the little gift shop on the right when I look over, and Alice in Wonderland is standing right next to me. So I start shouting to my husband and sister "Alice! Alice!" and they're like "We have her up here with us!" taking about MY Alice. And I was like "NO! I AM WALKING WITH ALICE IN WONDERLAND RIGHT NOW!". It was really funny! I explained that I have an Alice and she took all the kids by the hand and led them through the gardens and was like skipping with them. It was uber cute.
I mean...could you just die???
We got checked in to R&C and had a slight wait. We went to the bar and got a couple drinks. My sister and I both got the English Rose in the souvenir glass.
Ain't she a beaute? Beefeater gin, apricot brandy, sweet vermouth, pineapple juice, orange juice and cranberry juice served in a souvenir cup $11.75. This is actually a different mug than what I got last time and you guys....I LEFT IT THERE!!!!! Ugh. So annoyed about that. But it was a delicious drink. Don't be scared off by the ingredients. It really just tastes like a fruit juice punch. I did catch a buzz from it, so I don't think it's a particularly weak drink...but it doesn't taste like alcohol.
Our buzzer went off, and were led to THE BEST TABLE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a nice long table facing World Showcase Lagoon. Our reservation was at 6:45 and Illuminations started at 8 I think. So we could actually keep the table for the fireworks. I was super pumped.
Our waiter was Mike and he was as adorable as all the R&C servers. Polite, fun and very efficient. We explained that we were NOT in a hurry and were hoping to catch the fireworks from our table. We never felt rushed and had great service. The pace of the meal was perfect.
For appetizers I ordered the potato leek soup as it was a bit chilly as the sun was setting. This warmed me right up. The consistency of this soup is very smooth, which I don't love for my potato soups. I like it to have a bit of texture. It was very tasty nonetheless. Scott ordered the scotch egg which was delicious as always. A scotch egg is a hard boiled egg, wrapped in ground sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. What's not to like really. The price is a bit steep for ONE egg but they do garnish it with a lovely mustard sauce.
My sister ordered the UK Cheese Platter with Stilton, McCall's Irish cheddar and Cotswold Cheese. I didn't get a picture, but here is one from allears.net
It was delicious. I especially liked the cheddar with the caramelized onions. I wrote in my notes that I wish there was more accoutrements with the cheese board. Maybe a few extra crackers, some honeycomb?
Scott ordered the Corned Beef and Cabbage entree, which I don't recall seeing before. Maybe it was a special item for St. Patrick's Day? Anyway, it was DELICIOUS. Two very large portions of corned beef with that same yummy mustard sauce over a carrot and cabbage hash. He was nice enough to share before he completely devoured it.
The kids each ordered the children's fish and chips and I ordered the grown up version:
So, this was also absolutely amazing. Hot and perfectly crispy and fresh tasting all at the same time. I threw some malt vinegar on that bad boy and went to town.
For dessert, the kids got the english trifle which they did not enjoy and I don't blame them. It was a frozen cake/pudding thing with some strawberry sauce. The kids desserts are really garbage property wide. I would rather NOT have dessert for my kids included than have them take one bite and it go to waste. Don't bother, ya know? I ordered a coffee and a banoffee tart and my sister ordered a cup of tea.
My coffee came out hot but my sister's tea water was luke warm at best. So she flagged Mike down who was very apologetic and ran and got her another pot of hot water. He came back and it was still tepid water. Now...as an english themed restaurant, you kinda need to have the whole tea thing down. We flagged him back over and off he went in search of hot water. He came back panting from running and said he had to go next door to Yorkshire for their hot water. Bless. It was finally a hot cup of tea! Which was perfect timing for Illuminations.
It was a fantastic dinner with amazing company! The disappointment from running through World Showcase earlier that day was a distant memory and I was just feeling really happy and thankful to be there. Disney is awesome like that sometimes.Dinner with tip was $132.21 plus the $25 from the bar.
Day 3 is Magic Kingdom and HOMECOMING!!!!!!!!! Whoop whoop! Stay tuned
it's become one of my new go-to wines after I learned I liked Sauvignon blanc at Victoria & Albert's 
As you can see, I've also found all the smileys and emojis. I like how this smiley is swingin' on a pole.
