the picky kid and his foodie mom (with tiny tummy) ride again... NEW! 3/21 CP PPO, CHH & WCC
- Thread starter Lisa F
- Start date
Niki Andiokno
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2003
Looking forward to another report. I really enjoyed your last one.
Congratulations on the weight loss.
Congratulations on the weight loss.
DLo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
Following along. My younger DS was picky at same age. He is now in college and trying all different kinds of food. He still has texture issues but I do too . Luckily he still doesn’t like steak. ( he orders hamburgers when we go to steakhouses ) looking forward to your report. Hope you have a magical trip
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
Jealous! Going to be an amazing trip! Trust me I get it! This is a short trip for us (they usually are) and I’m already dreading check out day!
it was an amazing trip! Back to work today and I am saaaaaaaaaad
I will get started tonight! I'm hoping it will counteract the horrible withdrawals!
I will definitely post about that aspect. Spoiler alert? I was very active, ate whatever I wanted (well I tried to make better choices whenever I could but when I wanted something "bad" I ate it) and I weighed in today exactly the same as when I left. Which I consider a huge win, because I have gained up to 12 lbs on a Disney vacation before eating what I wanted before! I am so thrilled to be able to have had wine, cocktails, dessert and come back with zero weight gain!
I can imagine that's a whole other level of complication. My child is a carb addict, if I had to do that it would be a huge challenge too!
Yay! Glad to see you
Looking forward to all (and I mean all!) the details! Your dining reviews are always so much fun to read!
Hope you’re having a great time!
We had an amazing time! I thought last time was the best trip ever but this might have topped that!
Not late at all. I jumped the gun a bit because I was so excited to be going, but will be getting started tonight.
Welcome!!!!
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
Welcome!
Thanks. it was truly a game changer at the parks. Last time I was popping aleve like candy and doing blister care on my feet every night (bottom of my feet!) but we did everything we wanted. This time we walked over 50 miles and I had zero pain, and only one tiny little blister on my pinkie toe. I will say that I crashed hard when I got home though! More details in the report but never have I been so happy with my decision!
I did take lots of pics and notes on the cruise portion, so will definitely include that! I will say overall the food was way better than mass prepared food has any right to be, I was kind of blown over!
lol my child ate steak/beef I think every single dinner.. will have to doublecheck but I am pretty sure that is the case. oh well! It is my hope that if I continue to be low key about it, he will expand his tastes. There are so many things I like now that I didn't like as a kid, I think many adults are that way!
Thanks! I did take lots of pics so be prepared!
right on time! now I can get started!!!
The older than you mommy in me wants to know if you are wearing socks with your footwear (sandals not included)
. They go a long way towards ensuring feet don't hurt. Also if you've lost a bit of weight recently have your feet re-measured since you may not wear the same length or width you did in the past.
I was ill a few months back and lost a half a foot size; bad for my much loved shoes and great for my over all body.
. They go a long way towards ensuring feet don't hurt. Also if you've lost a bit of weight recently have your feet re-measured since you may not wear the same length or width you did in the past.I was ill a few months back and lost a half a foot size; bad for my much loved shoes and great for my over all body
.
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
The older than you mommy in me wants to know if you are wearing socks with your footwear (sandals not included)
I was ill a few months back and lost a half a foot size; bad for my much loved shoes and great for my over all body
I had bad blisters last year, none this year. I do wear socks (I didn't on the cruise much but I didn't walk as much!) My feet have shrank but mostly in width, not so much in length so all of my shoes just feel better!
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
okay so here we go!
I'm going to include a bonus food review of the Best Western at Providence airport free breakfast. They start serving breakfast at 4am which was great because we wanted to leave for the airport at 5:15. That said, it was pretty not good. But hey, it was free and put some protein in my belly and I took the photos. so here we are!
The kid had 1/4 of this waffle (what a waste but that's the size they make) smeared with an individual package of peanut butter. I think it was pretty ok actually, I didn't taste it, but it's about the size of a single eggo that he usually has for breakfast so 1/4 was enough:
and I had scrambled eggs and sausage. I will say, anyone who complains about the eggs at any of the Disney family style has not stayed at a Best Western. Of course they are free there and not $30+ but hey. Even sriracha could not save these but I needed some protein in my belly (was wishing I had brought a protein shake)
this was totally as bad as it looks. I'd already bitten off both ends of the sausage. Not sure why but I eat the ends first.
haha. well that was just a tease and a test embedding images. Now onto the good stuff!!!!
I'm going to include a bonus food review of the Best Western at Providence airport free breakfast. They start serving breakfast at 4am which was great because we wanted to leave for the airport at 5:15. That said, it was pretty not good. But hey, it was free and put some protein in my belly and I took the photos. so here we are!
The kid had 1/4 of this waffle (what a waste but that's the size they make) smeared with an individual package of peanut butter. I think it was pretty ok actually, I didn't taste it, but it's about the size of a single eggo that he usually has for breakfast so 1/4 was enough:
and I had scrambled eggs and sausage. I will say, anyone who complains about the eggs at any of the Disney family style has not stayed at a Best Western. Of course they are free there and not $30+ but hey. Even sriracha could not save these but I needed some protein in my belly (was wishing I had brought a protein shake)
this was totally as bad as it looks. I'd already bitten off both ends of the sausage. Not sure why but I eat the ends first.
haha. well that was just a tease and a test embedding images. Now onto the good stuff!!!!
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
Day 1: Animal Kingdom
Satu'li Canteen Lunch!
So the flight went smoothly, grabbed our luggage, grabbed the rental, activated our APs and by 11:45 or so we were in the park. I had an 11:30-11:45 FP+ for festival of the lion king, planning to do that and safari first and then lunch at Satu'li Canteen and then FoP. Well, as you can perhaps surmise from our breakfast situation, we were both on the verge of HANGRY when we got to AK so we decided to head straight to Satu'li Canteen rather than trying to run to FotLK and get there before noon. That turned out to be a good decision.
Now remember, I am the girl who completely avoids QS restaurants. In 2014 it was hell on earth trying to manage my whirling child in a series of long lines then balancing a tray trying to look for a table that wasn't too dirty while managing the whirling child simultaneously. In 2016 we didn't do a single QS because it was so stressful and exhausting. But this was our first foray into QS with the new magic of mobile ordering.
I tend to figure out in advance what I'm going to order at a given place (because I'm like that, nothing related to the surgery!) and really struggled over what to order here. I considered the kid meal bowl, but no boba balls or sauce and limited bases to fit into the Mickey Check guidelines. I might have been able to make modifications but I also REALLY wanted to try mobile ordering and I wasn't sure if I could make modifications at the pickup window or what the whole situation was. I also really wanted to try the potato hash base, which is not a Mickey check option. So eventually I just decided to suck up and pay the extra $4 for the adult meal vs. kid meal because I decided I was stressing out way too much over $4, it wasn't worth it.
At the last minute I decided to get the kale salad base ANYWAY because there was going to be so much yummy food coming up and I decided to try to be a little good for as long as I could. Also since changing my way of eating, I actually crave salads pretty often now and it was warm and the kale salad base sounded better. So I got on my phone and ordered up lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how empty Satu'li Canteen was right at noon... walked right up, got our food, plenty of empty tables. It was nowhere near the hell of QS past.
In fact, here we are looking happy and unstressed in a QS restaurant! YAY! Also wearing our christmas tie dye shirts, which got a TON of comments everywhere we went... way more than when we wore them to the christmas party. We are also sporting our spiffy Disneyland Paris 25th anniversary ears.
So I got myself:
Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl
Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef marinated in a blend of Garlic, Herbs, Red Pepper Spice, and Red Wine Vinegar topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce.
I got the romaine and kale salad base and the charred onion chimichurri, both of which appear to have been replaced by "hearty salad" and "charred green onion viniagrette." I am wondering if they are the same thing with different names... just checked the app that is what is there.
here is what I got. It was, as we like to say in our household, DELISHBALLS. The meat was nice and medium (ie not overcooked), the salad was fresh and crunchy and I actually found myself picking out the kale and leaving the boring romaine behind. The slaw was wonderful as well, it seemed to be pretty carrot heavy (all colors, purple and yellow and orange) and was sweet and crunchy. The boba balls were good but I would probably not pay $4 extra for them again. The chimichurri was AMAZING and now i'm sad they changed it to a boring vinaigrette but maybe it will be good also. I gave the kid some of the steak too but he was not so interested in it, I think he didn't like the seasoning.
Here is what my plate looked like when I was done eating.
Some of the meat had made it to the kid's plate. It was a very LARGE serving. Yeah, that's a lot of waste, but it also felt like the endless salad, no matter how many pieces of kale I shoved into my mouth, there always seemed to be a full bowl of salad.
Like I said, next time I will definitely try the mickey check option and hit them up for some sauce on the side at the pickup area. If waste bothers you then stop reading here because waste is going to happen! At home I plan so I don't waste much but when I'm out I'm at the mercy of restaurant portions and I can't eat more than I do so it is what it is.
The kid got the:
Cheeseburger Steamed Pod - steamed cheeseburger pod stuffed with ground beef, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and cheddar cheese served with vegetable chips and grapes, and choice of small water or lowfat milk
I wasn't sure how he would like it so I got him the kid meal but turns out he LOVED it... which pretty much confirms my gut feeling that for him it's most often the texture rather than the flavor because he will not eat pickles or most condiments... but all blended together he liked it. He asked me to get him the adult version next time (with 2 pods). I had a bite and thought it was alright, exactly what I expected but not really my thing. He didn't much care for the chips though, except for the blue ones (which were probably blue potato chips). I tried an orange one and had read reviews they are stale... they are not stale but sweet potatoes and yucca and whatever the heck else it was do NOT fry up like white potatoes. I've had veggie chips before and it tasted exactly like what I expected it to. He got a chocolate milk with it and I stuck the grapes in my backpack for later.
Overall we give Satu'li Canteen 2 thumbs up: would return. The food was as reviewed by everyone else...fresh and yummy with healthy options and slightly more interesting flavors if that's your thing. It's mine but not the kid's and we got stuff to satisfy both of us here.
Satu'li Canteen Lunch!
So the flight went smoothly, grabbed our luggage, grabbed the rental, activated our APs and by 11:45 or so we were in the park. I had an 11:30-11:45 FP+ for festival of the lion king, planning to do that and safari first and then lunch at Satu'li Canteen and then FoP. Well, as you can perhaps surmise from our breakfast situation, we were both on the verge of HANGRY when we got to AK so we decided to head straight to Satu'li Canteen rather than trying to run to FotLK and get there before noon. That turned out to be a good decision.
Now remember, I am the girl who completely avoids QS restaurants. In 2014 it was hell on earth trying to manage my whirling child in a series of long lines then balancing a tray trying to look for a table that wasn't too dirty while managing the whirling child simultaneously. In 2016 we didn't do a single QS because it was so stressful and exhausting. But this was our first foray into QS with the new magic of mobile ordering.
I tend to figure out in advance what I'm going to order at a given place (because I'm like that, nothing related to the surgery!) and really struggled over what to order here. I considered the kid meal bowl, but no boba balls or sauce and limited bases to fit into the Mickey Check guidelines. I might have been able to make modifications but I also REALLY wanted to try mobile ordering and I wasn't sure if I could make modifications at the pickup window or what the whole situation was. I also really wanted to try the potato hash base, which is not a Mickey check option. So eventually I just decided to suck up and pay the extra $4 for the adult meal vs. kid meal because I decided I was stressing out way too much over $4, it wasn't worth it.
At the last minute I decided to get the kale salad base ANYWAY because there was going to be so much yummy food coming up and I decided to try to be a little good for as long as I could. Also since changing my way of eating, I actually crave salads pretty often now and it was warm and the kale salad base sounded better. So I got on my phone and ordered up lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how empty Satu'li Canteen was right at noon... walked right up, got our food, plenty of empty tables. It was nowhere near the hell of QS past.
In fact, here we are looking happy and unstressed in a QS restaurant! YAY! Also wearing our christmas tie dye shirts, which got a TON of comments everywhere we went... way more than when we wore them to the christmas party. We are also sporting our spiffy Disneyland Paris 25th anniversary ears.
So I got myself:
Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl
Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef marinated in a blend of Garlic, Herbs, Red Pepper Spice, and Red Wine Vinegar topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce.
I got the romaine and kale salad base and the charred onion chimichurri, both of which appear to have been replaced by "hearty salad" and "charred green onion viniagrette." I am wondering if they are the same thing with different names... just checked the app that is what is there.
here is what I got. It was, as we like to say in our household, DELISHBALLS. The meat was nice and medium (ie not overcooked), the salad was fresh and crunchy and I actually found myself picking out the kale and leaving the boring romaine behind. The slaw was wonderful as well, it seemed to be pretty carrot heavy (all colors, purple and yellow and orange) and was sweet and crunchy. The boba balls were good but I would probably not pay $4 extra for them again. The chimichurri was AMAZING and now i'm sad they changed it to a boring vinaigrette but maybe it will be good also. I gave the kid some of the steak too but he was not so interested in it, I think he didn't like the seasoning.
Here is what my plate looked like when I was done eating.
Some of the meat had made it to the kid's plate. It was a very LARGE serving. Yeah, that's a lot of waste, but it also felt like the endless salad, no matter how many pieces of kale I shoved into my mouth, there always seemed to be a full bowl of salad.
Like I said, next time I will definitely try the mickey check option and hit them up for some sauce on the side at the pickup area. If waste bothers you then stop reading here because waste is going to happen! At home I plan so I don't waste much but when I'm out I'm at the mercy of restaurant portions and I can't eat more than I do so it is what it is.
The kid got the:
Cheeseburger Steamed Pod - steamed cheeseburger pod stuffed with ground beef, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and cheddar cheese served with vegetable chips and grapes, and choice of small water or lowfat milk
I wasn't sure how he would like it so I got him the kid meal but turns out he LOVED it... which pretty much confirms my gut feeling that for him it's most often the texture rather than the flavor because he will not eat pickles or most condiments... but all blended together he liked it. He asked me to get him the adult version next time (with 2 pods). I had a bite and thought it was alright, exactly what I expected but not really my thing. He didn't much care for the chips though, except for the blue ones (which were probably blue potato chips). I tried an orange one and had read reviews they are stale... they are not stale but sweet potatoes and yucca and whatever the heck else it was do NOT fry up like white potatoes. I've had veggie chips before and it tasted exactly like what I expected it to. He got a chocolate milk with it and I stuck the grapes in my backpack for later.
Overall we give Satu'li Canteen 2 thumbs up: would return. The food was as reviewed by everyone else...fresh and yummy with healthy options and slightly more interesting flavors if that's your thing. It's mine but not the kid's and we got stuff to satisfy both of us here.
Last edited:
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
Day 1: AK Snacks - Tamu Tamu Refreshments!
So as I told the kid, one of the benefits to eating a few QS meals is that they are not as filling or expensive as TS meals and we can have some snacks. Well after our hot safari, the kid declared that he needed one of those snacks and he'd prefer that snack to be ice cream so I opened up the app and searched around and found the Tamu Tamu Refreshments, where I don't think I've ever stopped before. I figured he'd go for the chocolate waffle with ice cream for sure but he went for the:
Double Chocolate-Chip Ice Cream Sandwich - hand-dipped vanilla ice cream with two chocolate-chip cookies $5.79
I had to have a bite or two of this... for research purposes of course!!!! Purely for research!
It is absolutely delicious. The cookies are kind of like chewy yet crispy fudgy brownie cookies LOADED with chocolate chips surrounding vanilla bean ice cream with flecks of vanilla (the kid noticed that, I didn't). I liked this much better than the sandwiches on the regular chocolate chip cookies, but I love chocolate. Note, I'm not really a dessert person and I won't mess with mediocre dessert (even before surgery, not worth the calories) but if I were not still trying to take off the last 35 pounds or so I'd definitely be filling my tiny tummy with this stuff!
This thing is huge... here it is in scale with my 9 year old's face, at least 3/4 of the size of his head!
alas it was too much for us to finish and this is what we left, but I think two adults with normal stomach capacity could probably polish this off.
I was a little sad to leave it behind, but with obesity in the family we have NEVER been part of the clean plate club and I regularly congratulate my child for stopping when he is full and not eating mindlessly just because it's there. I think it's a good habit to have. So into the trash it went and we took off to ride FoP, which was completely awesome! I will say that reading all of the reports of plus sized guests having trouble fitting even knowing I lost so much weight, my stomach dropped when the restraints closed... but no one had to shove me into the ride, it closed on its own! So that was an awesome feeling.
Next up: We head over to the Poly to check in and freshen up for my child's #1 non-negotiable request: CA Grill dinner!
So as I told the kid, one of the benefits to eating a few QS meals is that they are not as filling or expensive as TS meals and we can have some snacks. Well after our hot safari, the kid declared that he needed one of those snacks and he'd prefer that snack to be ice cream so I opened up the app and searched around and found the Tamu Tamu Refreshments, where I don't think I've ever stopped before. I figured he'd go for the chocolate waffle with ice cream for sure but he went for the:
Double Chocolate-Chip Ice Cream Sandwich - hand-dipped vanilla ice cream with two chocolate-chip cookies $5.79
I had to have a bite or two of this... for research purposes of course!!!! Purely for research!
It is absolutely delicious. The cookies are kind of like chewy yet crispy fudgy brownie cookies LOADED with chocolate chips surrounding vanilla bean ice cream with flecks of vanilla (the kid noticed that, I didn't). I liked this much better than the sandwiches on the regular chocolate chip cookies, but I love chocolate. Note, I'm not really a dessert person and I won't mess with mediocre dessert (even before surgery, not worth the calories) but if I were not still trying to take off the last 35 pounds or so I'd definitely be filling my tiny tummy with this stuff!
This thing is huge... here it is in scale with my 9 year old's face, at least 3/4 of the size of his head!
alas it was too much for us to finish and this is what we left, but I think two adults with normal stomach capacity could probably polish this off.
I was a little sad to leave it behind, but with obesity in the family we have NEVER been part of the clean plate club and I regularly congratulate my child for stopping when he is full and not eating mindlessly just because it's there. I think it's a good habit to have. So into the trash it went and we took off to ride FoP, which was completely awesome! I will say that reading all of the reports of plus sized guests having trouble fitting even knowing I lost so much weight, my stomach dropped when the restraints closed... but no one had to shove me into the ride, it closed on its own! So that was an awesome feeling.
Next up: We head over to the Poly to check in and freshen up for my child's #1 non-negotiable request: CA Grill dinner!
Last edited:
Christi0909
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2017
If waste is likely to offend people (I know I hate wasting), just take a picture of your meal before you eat and don’t show them how much you threw away
Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
If waste is likely to offend people (I know I hate wasting), just take a picture of your meal before you eat and don’t show them how much you threw away
waste is my life on vacation and it took me like 6 months to get used to being ok with it so that I actually enjoyed my vacation and could make the food choices I wanted rather than what was most efficient or economical (because sometimes that's NOT what I feel like eating!) and not worry about it.
I think it would be helpful for people who have had the surgery but are afraid to order anything but a kid meal or go out to eat or anyone who is considering the surgery to see what the real deal is with "life after." It used to really stress me out to waste and feel like I was throwing not only food but also money away, but I worked hard to accept that my health and happiness is truly more important than shoving everything on my plate into my pie hole
And that on vacation it's okay for me to indulge in what I WANT still, that having the surgery is not a punishment for being overweight and I can live my life "80/20" like my surgeon says... 80% on the straight and narrow and then treat yourself on vacation and special occasions. I don't show what is left for everything but I did show it for a few things so people can get an idea of what to expect and just how huge the portions are at WDW. You don't realize it when you have a normal sized stomach that can stretch from there but the sheer amount of food can be quite overwhelming when you are only eating 4oz portions.
I would have found this information very comforting while planning my trip right after surgery but all I could find on the boards were endless fights about whether people who have had the surgery should be able to pay kids prices at buffets
not useful! or comforting! So I am being extremely open and frank about my experiences hoping it helps someone who was where I was a year ago... thinking my enjoyment of food at WDW would be over. It's clearly not. But back to protein shakes and salads with grilled chicken and roasted veggies and seafood for dinner now!
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Texans_loyal
Operation Disney is Underway!
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2016
Loving the Paris ears 
SaintsManiac
Wait for it.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2014
I am usually a dining review lurker, but I have to comment here! The Tamu Tamu ice cream sandwiches is one of my favorite snacks of all time. My family of 3 shared one and we all loved it. Another great tip I learned about here on the DIS!
Looking forward to the rest of your review.
Looking forward to the rest of your review.
momma2ethan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2014
I'm so glad he enjoyed it. Well, that you BOTH enjoyed your meals there. I know you agonized over this meal for quite some time DS10 and I shared a bowl and it was my favorite meal of our entire trip. I didn't know that they'd changed up the menu options so I'll have to peruse it again to see if I'll be back in May. I AM surprised that you didn't indulge in a boozy dole whip at Tamu Tamu. They are So yummy
Hettie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
I'm so glad you enjoyed the bowl at Satu'li, that is exactly the one that I ordered when there and I loved it! If they have taken the kale salad off the menu I will be so angry. And the chimmichurri was the best part, surely the vinaigrette is just another name for the same? I also LOVED mobile ordering there, it made a QS experience so much more streamlined didn't it? I mean, it's practically luxurious.
The portion sizes at WDW are frustrating, especially QS and treats/snacks. The food waste bothers me more from a financial perspective anymore because I always says to myself "Well, something will eat it" when I have to throw out food. Because it's true, food doesn't technically waste on the planet with so many organisms that will enjoy it. That's what I tell myself anyway...lol.
That cookie ice cream sandwich looks incredible. Not something I would normally think to indulge in, but you may have just changed that. Can't wait to hear more!
The portion sizes at WDW are frustrating, especially QS and treats/snacks. The food waste bothers me more from a financial perspective anymore because I always says to myself "Well, something will eat it" when I have to throw out food. Because it's true, food doesn't technically waste on the planet with so many organisms that will enjoy it. That's what I tell myself anyway...lol.
That cookie ice cream sandwich looks incredible. Not something I would normally think to indulge in, but you may have just changed that. Can't wait to hear more!
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