disneyAndi14
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2014
Enjoyed the reviews, love your engagement picture, Congratulations!
What, its not like you have a wedding to plan or anything So glad to see you back, but seriously can you take the updates down a notch or two. I can't keep upI don't have any idea why I thought that I would have time to finish another dining report when I started in December. As the lack of posts has proven, it's been a really busy few months for me. I am down to 77 days until wedding day (WHAT) and a mere 25 days until my next Disney trip.
Strong and tasty, what else do us girls need
But I got sidetracked by the China booth and R and I picked up some cocktails to start the day properly. R had the Happy Peach with DeKuyper Peach Liqueur and Myers’s Dark Rum – $8.95 and I had the BaiJoe Punch with Chinese Bai Jui Spirit, Lychee, Coconut and Pineapple Juice – $10.50.
These were strong and tasty
Yum! This looks so up my alley and I don't think I've ever even seen or read about it.
Our next stop was the Africa booth for an item I had been coveting, which I ordered post haste. The Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket with Mint Raita – $4.00 was a nice portion size for the price and was packed with delicious spicy flavors. The mint raita was a nice cool complement to the unique spice flavors that had a little bit of hot-spice as well as curry type spice. I really enjoyed this and would definitely get it again.
You had me at salty and cheese but beefy crisps just puts it over the edgeSmoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes, Pickled Onions and Blonde Ale Beer Fondue featuring BelGioioso Romano and America Grana Cheeses – $5.00, a better serving than we'd had on our previous visit. What possible accolades can I add to the fact that these were salty, cheesy, beefy crisps?
Oh, one of my favorites. And totally a necessity when you are passing through the Poly. Thanks bus driver!Of course, I needed to stop for sustenance to get us through that many dozens of yard walk!
Captain Cook's really is a gem of a QS, so we love grabbing food from there and the ability to walk back to our room was just the icing on the cake. Or the queso on the nacho, as it were...
Two of my favorite things come together. Sign me up for the next in room party. BTW have you seen these? Got my cousin them for XmasHilariously, we were just in a studio, but we did have wine and Golden Girls on tv, so I mean... who could resist our invitation to come join us in the room for a drink?
Wow, this looks and sounds amazing. Because a. who doesn't wanna eat Florida sunshine and b. buratta is life!
If you have not had burrata, it is a soft, fresh mozzarella usually made in house where it is served. This one was absolutely delectable. The tomatoes were incredibly fresh and had a very strong, vibrant tomato flavor - like Florida sunshine, imagine that! The mix of textures and flavors worked very well and I liked this dish a lot, though I do think $18 is a bit on the high side for a tomato appetizer.
Wow. Drop. The. Mic.
NO ONE at all in the Grand lobby! We closed down the Grand!
So first I thought why is she ordering wine when free booze and then I realized how did I not know you could do this? I had contemplated doing the same thing, then I saw they had them premade so I figured you couldn't. Totally going all champs, all day next timeWe have been able to ask for them to hold the OJ on our mimosas each time we've been. Orange juice tends to give me heartburn, so they are usually very accomodating.
I have no idea what is wrong with you because this wast the best dang french toast I'd ever had. GFC might as well have been KFC in this case
Vanilla bean french toast - Parker House Bread, creme brulee custard, caramelized bananas, walnuts. This was very good, but left me longing for the Grand Floridian Cafe vanilla bean french toast. What is wrong with me?!
Wow, I so wish we'd tried this. It sounded so good, but for some reason I thought ordering chicken wasn't a good value. But if its good dang chicken I guess that shouldn't have even mattered.
99% sure this was my choice - Crispy Fried Chicken Thigh with Korean sweet and spicy sauce, house made kimchi, and cilantro. YALL. I can taste this now. It had just the right amount of heat with a sweet and smoky flavor to it.
Wow, if this outshone the french toast than that is saying a lot. Cali Grill is just brunch perfection.
For the table: carrot cake pancakes, with cream cheese cream, maple bourbon syrup, and pecans. We were really glad we ordered this! It outshone the French toast for me. I loved the flavors in this and it was a lovely sweet breakfast treat.
Perfection!!! Love the casual retro vibe.
Just the bright spot in my week. Back to your regularly scheduled food pics...
Oh how the mighty have fallenIt had apparently rained on us at some point. Going from one end of the spectrum to the other, we followed fancy brunch with Pecos Bill's for dinner.
Got my engagement photos back and I absolutely love them.
R and I shared kid's corn dog nuggets and nachos with tons of fixins.
The warm chocolate pudding is also always a favorite for us and it was again this year.
My other favorite dish, also from the Islands of the Caribbean booth: Quesito: Puff Pastry with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Guava Sauce – $3.75
Okay I meant to quote this in multiple parts but that did not work out for me. Oh well, here have a couple paragraphs!
Your weight loss is amazing, you look so great in the photos you posted! I am sure it has been a challenge "training" your body what to eat and when... I definitely struggle with either wanting to eat all day long or getting overwhelmed and stressed and not remembering meal times until I'm HANGRY!! Speaking of which, I did not eat my afternoon snack... scuttling off to get that now... low carb/keto is the only diet I have ever been able to stick to. I have added back in a few things (yogurt, berries) after reading Julia Ross' "The Diet Cure" and started taking a lot of vitamins/supplements. I honestly feel like a different person. Clearly I have enough energy to be back on the boards, so I guess that's a win?! haha. Recipes welcome for sure!
Your son seems so sweet. He definitely looks like an amazing travel buddy and I love that he watches food vlogs and is open to trying different things at least some of the time! With all the festivals going on throughout the year I am sure y'all will hit one together after skipping F&W. I love that description of your son's love of the lodges... I haven't met him but can almost hear the inflection! hahaha. That wilderness plan you hatched sounds like so much fun! If I wasn't allergic to horses I would love to do a trail ride there. Trail's End continues to be a favorite for us. I think I have a report coming on that, not sure which trip we did it on (oh waah wah I know, what a problem )
We have only stayed in a regular Inn room at Boardwalk and for some reason netiher of us cared for it much. The DVC rooms look much more our style but they certainly are hard to get! I have a friend that seems to always have extra points and she's a BWV owner so maybe she can hook me up one day with the 11 month window so we can give it another shot. The reason why you love Boardwalk sounds like the reasons we love the Swolphin so much!
My wedding planning has been totally offline, we are not doing a disney wedding with the exception of throwing in a few disney songs (mostly from the Dave Digs Disney album and Lava). We are going low key at a local restaurant here in Atlanta, trying to keep things on the smaller/more chill side. No attendants, no walking down the aisle, ceremony and reception all in one place, etc. R's mom seems to be kinda struggling with the non-traditional elements but otherwise it has been almost completely stress free ever since we booked our venue. 74 days...
Real life update:
Got my engagement photos back and I absolutely love them.
Thank you!!!Enjoyed the reviews, love your engagement picture, Congratulations!
Sorry!!! Trying to knock these reviews out before I disappear again... hahaWhat, its not like you have a wedding to plan or anything So glad to see you back, but seriously can you take the updates down a notch or two. I can't keep up
Every few booths you gotta hit a strong one to counteract the weak pre-mixed items, ya know?!Strong and tasty, what else do us girls need
Oh my gosh, I wish it was a permanent thing! They really need to add something like this to one of the permanent kiosks - maybe it would fit at the African outpost since some of the Northern African countries have Indian-flair going on in their culinary inspirations.Yum! This looks so up my alley and I don't think I've ever even seen or read about it.
I NEED THESE! Except I would totally break them, I'm only allowed to have stemless as I tend to lose my center of gravity with the second glass of wine...Two of my favorite things come together. Sign me up for the next in room party. BTW have you seen these? Got my cousin them for Xmas
Oh yeah girl! They are all over it with hooking you up on that as more champs = bigger tip!So first I thought why is she ordering wine when free booze and then I realized how did I not know you could do this? I had contemplated doing the same thing, then I saw they had them premade so I figured you couldn't. Totally going all champs, all day next time
Okay maybe my taste buds were off or maybe I was just full of other tasty stuff? Guess I need to go do a re-review! You know, for science. Statistical standard deviations or something.I have no idea what is wrong with you because this wast the best dang french toast I'd ever had. GFC might as well have been KFC in this case
Okay I am certain we must have something like this in Atlanta and now I feel compelled to go find it. I don't really have anything against even regular fried chicken but KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN?! Nom!!!Wow, I so wish we'd tried this. It sounded so good, but for some reason I thought ordering chicken wasn't a good value. But if its good dang chicken I guess that shouldn't have even mattered.
Aside, my best friend and I took Casey to NYC for her birthday and we got to have Korean Fried Chicken from a David Chang restaurant. So good.
Thank you!!!I love them!
Yes they are! lolThe 2 best things at Peco Bill's
Thank you so much! I make them, and I have an etsy shop but have not had time to open it since the fall. My etsy and insta handle is mindiemouseshop
That slow experience is definitely my favorite kind of trip! I am interested to see how this bachelorette thing works out - whether being with lots of people will encourage me to stop and smell the roses or hustle me back into "once in a lifetime" mode.I do love my little guy. I cherish the "just us" time when there's no one else bugging me for attention and I'm so glad I can take him to Disney! We will be there next during the festival of the arts and since I'm kind of artsy myself I am looking forward to it. We also are going to slow WAY down from our last trip and just enjoy being there, enjoy the resorts and some of the extra activities.
Go Lisa! Go Lisa! Go Lisa! (that's my best happy dance... oh wait also this one )Oh wow, allergic? that's poopy. I think it will be a lot of fun and it's a triumph for me that I can consider it now that I am under (way) the weight limit. It was something I couldn't consider before!
Trail's End is like $25 or something, so I would do that without hesitation even on a tiny tummy... but the $80 adult price at California Grill with no real opportunity for leftovers would probably make me think twice, as it is you. The real positive is that since so much of it is self-serve, you could just serve yourself one bite of everything! But I am not sure if it would be worth it. It's so hard to say! Do you have a separate cruise report or is it coming up in your DR? I can't keep anything straight anymore.. hahaI can't wait for your trail's end report, I have never been (but have been to hoop dee doo). Brunch is my favorite meal and we'll do that at least, but considering CA Grill even though we're talking a couple hundred $$ for the both of us and I can't eat much. I am imagining sitting there like at dinner on the cruise and ordering a bunch of stuff and taking one or two bites of each. I enjoyed it but did send back a lot of food! More on that on my cruise report though! The CA Grill brunch reviews are making me wish it was worth it... I may go crazy and do it anyway. We'll see when it comes time to book. I'd have to move trails end to Saturday then but that would be fine I'm sure.
Did I tell you that our wedding is lightly tiki themed? I would love it if everyone wore a tiki dress to mine... but I am all for any special occasion to get a nice new outfit!!Your wedding sounds lovely. We are attending one in Arizona that sounds very similar, low key, ceremony and reception at what appear to be a rented home, catered by a taco truck, backyard games and live music. Wondering if I can get away with wearing my tiki dress to it but kind of wanted to buy something new. we'll see I guess!
Thank youLOVELY!!! you both look so happy and so in love. So happy for you!
Thank you Amber!!Love your engagement photo!!!
I'll have to check it out! Your engagement picture is gorgeous, btw!
The event was moved indoors to the Dolphin ballrooms due to inclement weather. It seems obvious that we should have known from the number of empty tents on the causeway between the Swan and Dolphin that the event had been moved, but there was absolutely NO signage reflecting this anywhere. We had indicated we'd pick up our tickets via will-call when we purchased them, and we interacted with no fewer than 5 staff members in checking in. None of them mentioned that the event would be held indoors or where. Thankfully we were early so after walking around for a while trying to figure out where we were supposed to be, we noticed a group who'd just checked in going down an escalator to the convention space and followed them to the event.
I took this photo for the sole purpose of my review, just to show that I wasn't being overly harsh for no good reason. This was common throughout the event - plates of discards and trash everywhere. There was not a lack of seating but I guess there was a lack of staffing for the discards to have built up like this.
Overall, I do think we got our money's worth from this, but I am in no rush to repeat it. I would rather load the cost of the event onto a disney gift card and spend the same amount of time eating around Epcot's food and wine festival, or doing a "crawl" through the Swan and Dolphin lounges and just selecting menu items that appeal to me.
I am not rushing back to this event, but I wouldn't rule it out either if I am there during that weekend. I do want to experience it in its regular format outside on the causeway. If I do this event again, I will approach it as a wine tasting (a really EXPANSIVE wine tasting with lots of options) that offers small bites on the side. I would also pour out more of the wine or ask for smaller pours since I did not feel my best the next day, to say the least...
This looks amazing! Glad you guys liked it.And I went with the Brisket Sandwich - with Pimento Cheese, Lil' John's BBQ, Picked Jalapeños and Crispy Onions. Served with a Pickle Spear $14.
Though tempted, neither of us opted for a s
Too funny as I sit here drinking from a stemless glass. I tend to have the same issue. Also our dogs have not once, but twice, swiped a glass with their tail and took the stem clean off.I NEED THESE! Except I would totally break them, I'm only allowed to have stemless as I tend to lose my center of gravity with the second glass of wine...
Yes, you must do this in the name of science alone!Okay maybe my taste buds were off or maybe I was just full of other tasty stuff? Guess I need to go do a re-review! You know, for science. Statistical standard deviations or something.
Do you all not have Korean Fried Chicken down there? I love good ole American fried chicken, but somehow the Koreans are truly the masters. We live in a town that has a huge Korean population so we have not 1, not 2, but 3 within about 5 minutes from our house. Not dangerous at all!Okay I am certain we must have something like this in Atlanta and now I feel compelled to go find it. I don't really have anything against even regular fried chicken but KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN?! Nom!!!
Well at least you apologized. I guess I'll accept your roseSo, I have a #sorrynotsorry for you guys as I am really trying to power through these updates so I can crank through as much as possible prior to my next trip, as I am afraid I will get really busy again ahead of the wedding. So with that non-apology, I present a couple more updates
1. Love Mom. While you all look alike, she definitely does not skew old enough to be Mom andSo, later the same month my next trip occurred because I had decided to ask for Swan & Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Causeway Tickets for my birthday (which had been in August) and my other Disney buddy and partner in crime, my mom, happily obliged. Here we are:
Love how you all vacay!
#vacaymodeENGAGE!
Wow, those sandwiches look and sound amazing. Will definitely need to be polite and give the pig a chanceWell it's a good dang thing we didn't order sides, because these sandwiches were absolutely massive. We weren't even able to finish them! Despite hearing warnings when it opened that this place is not a good value, I believe it absolutely was. We got an annual pass discount on the sandwiches and the beers weren't expensive for the size (in Disney prices, at least).
We attended the Saturday evening portion of the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic (10/28/17). This was my first Food and Wine Classic and (spoiler alert) I was very disappointed, mostly with the event organization.
That is ridiculous. Was the weather not bad that you wouldn't' have known it was moved organically?We had indicated we'd pick up our tickets via will-call when we purchased them, and we interacted with no fewer than 5 staff members in checking in. None of them mentioned that the event would be held indoors or where.
Not dumb at all. Clearly they were not prepared to take an outdoor event and move it indoors and they should have been.
(it's like letter size or maybe a smidge larger)
So you had to go up to each one to actually see what they were pouring, and then I felt guilty if I just read the sign and walked away. I know that's dumb, but I just wanted some semblance of organization.
We almost did this last year - and it would have been the sole purpose of the trip - so glad we didn't now.I would be open to trying this event in the future if I am already going to be at Walt Disney World on a weekend when it will be held. The food offerings seem to change every year so I would try again, hoping for a better menu.
Though i totally when have been all over this
China Town area - if I recall the offerings were a duck bun and a pork dumpling. The dumpling was run of the mill but the duck bun was pretty good!
This does look awesome! Oddly we are sitting here watching Andrew Zimmerman and he is in Portland Maine eating a lobster roll twice that size for $25. So it sounds like a good deal.
The lobster roll was a stand-out, with tons of lobster and this would have been a high dollar item elsewhere.
Yikes! That is just unacceptable!
I took this photo for the sole purpose of my review, just to show that I wasn't being overly harsh for no good reason. This was common throughout the event - plates of discards and trash everywhere. There was not a lack of seating but I guess there was a lack of staffing for the discards to have built up like this.
Finally on a computer so I could properly respond, Lisa.
That slow experience is definitely my favorite kind of trip! I am interested to see how this bachelorette thing works out - whether being with lots of people will encourage me to stop and smell the roses or hustle me back into "once in a lifetime" mode.
Go Lisa! Go Lisa! Go Lisa! (that's my best happy dance... oh wait also this one )
yeah I am being stupid even considering it, lol. I would only consider it if I could somehow work out a good use of the DDP and blow the rest of the credits on high priced character meals I would not do otherwise.Trail's End is like $25 or something, so I would do that without hesitation even on a tiny tummy... but the $80 adult price at California Grill with no real opportunity for leftovers would probably make me think twice, as it is you. The real positive is that since so much of it is self-serve, you could just serve yourself one bite of everything! But I am not sure if it would be worth it. It's so hard to say! Do you have a separate cruise report or is it coming up in your DR? I can't keep anything straight anymore.. haha
Did I tell you that our wedding is lightly tiki themed? I would love it if everyone wore a tiki dress to mine... but I am all for any special occasion to get a nice new outfit!!
Hunky Tuna Toastada was a line from the Tiki Room under new management... it was Iago's failed attempt at repeating "Hakuna Matata" when Zazu says it.Hi there! I'll admit I was intrigued with your dining report name because I had no idea what it meant. Before I knew it, I was sucked into your review.
I love your ears (so unique!), and also the way you described the pizza at Via Napoli inspired me to make an ADR for our September trip.
Ray makes fun of me because I actually don't like the Tiki Room and we haven't done it the last few trips.Hunky Tuna Toastada was a line from the Tiki Room under new management... it was Iago's failed attempt at repeating "Hakuna Matata" when Zazu says it.
Obviously I am way too much of a tiki room fan That's why I NEEDED the dress!!!!
Our next stop was the Africa booth for an item I had been coveting, which I ordered post haste. The Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket with Mint Raita – $4.00 was a nice portion size for the price and was packed with delicious spicy flavors. The mint raita was a nice cool complement to the unique spice flavors that had a little bit of hot-spice as well as curry type spice. I really enjoyed this and would definitely get it again.
Smoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes, Pickled Onions and Blonde Ale Beer Fondue featuring BelGioioso Romano and America Grana Cheeses – $5.00, a better serving than we'd had on our previous visit. What possible accolades can I add to the fact that these were salty, cheesy, beefy crisps?
These are the pork nachos - Pulled Pork Nachos topped with Onions, Cheese, Spicy Mayo, Tomatoes, and Pineapple Salsa (ours were ordered with pineapple salsa on the side). $7.92 after our 20% annual pass discount. You can't tell from the photo but this was a massive portion! They are made on kettle chips and are so flavorful and perfect for snacking. Both R and I ate all we could and we still had some to put in the refrigerator. I am not a fan of pineapple on savory things, but the pineapple salsa that came with these was actually pretty good. I'm still glad it wasn't covering the entire serving though.
That looks freaking amazing. We have not really hit anything at the monorail resorts except Cali Grill for dinner on night. I need more! It's so hard to choose!First up, we have my two favorite Citricos selections - the arancini and the cheese plate. The menu describes the arancini as crispy risotto, mascarpone, and zesty garlic poma rosa sauce. ($13). Citricos makes arancini like I've never had it elsewhere. I'm sure y'all are tired of me reviewing this dish, but I cannot resist it. When I'm at home, I crave it. I try to order it other places, cross my fingers, and wish, but it's never *this* arancini. It's incredibly moist - maybe due to the mascarpone? While it is flavorful and cheesy, it still manages to be light. And the tomato sauce is fresh, flavorful, and slightly spicy without being overly acidic. It's simply perfection. Did I mention fried? Because it is. NOM!
Ok, we really need to hit more food/etc on the monorail loop. I actually started planning a Memorial Day weekend trip, based around resort food and the waterparks (which we like but we haven't done any in Florida), and then I remembered my cousin is getting married that weekend.Debacle sorted out, we went to the Tambu Lounge over at the Poly for a nightcap, but of course I didn't take any photos. Just picture a tropical drink. In a pineapple.
What better end to a night could you ask for? Looks and sounds amazing to me!Tiramisu with Italian Sorella Mascarpone and Chocolate Sauce $12.00. Maybe it's something in the mascarpone at Citricos, but this was another gem. I absolutely love tiramisu and have a hard time resisting it anywhere, but it's certainly hard to say no to tiramisu in bed with the monorail whooshing quietly by outside your patio. And with that, another heavenly night at the Grand Floridian was complete.
Everything is better with monorails!Okay, that's better and definitely better than our view from home. Which never has monorails, for some reason!
Eeeeee it's fabulous! I need to fb stalk to see if there are moreGot my engagement photos back and I absolutely love them.
I want this cup...Mai-tais! Which is the answer, of course, to "How do you get a hippo out of a tree?" (TWO SHOTS OF RUM!)
Our last trip we split the nachos and taco platter, but I wish we'd gotten corn dog nuggets! I didn't even notice them on the menu. It must have been because I was too busy trying to talk Zack into ordering the Country Bears Jug, because I won't drink anything you can get in it...R and I shared kid's corn dog nuggets and nachos with tons of fixins.
Delicious!And what's a visit to the France booth without Passion slushes?