Feb ‘24 edition: SEMI-LIVE solo dining adventures *Update 3/24 COMPLETE*
- Thread starter elaine amj
- Start date
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
I am so glad you're back and writing another review
Glad to have you both along again
I am super behind on actual trip reporting as I have been reading a book in the parks instead. But still faithfully taking photos.
disneyfav4ever
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
Enjoying your report so far!
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
olliesmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2015
You've just had me look up Mary Balogh and grab one of her ebooks from the library!
Have you found any particularly good reading nooks? I'm imagining an MK or WL rocking chair, a Poly beach hammock or maybe even a nice bench around the WS lagoon!
Looking forward to your food updates!
Have you found any particularly good reading nooks? I'm imagining an MK or WL rocking chair, a Poly beach hammock or maybe even a nice bench around the WS lagoon!
Looking forward to your food updates!
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
Wifi still bad. I gave up on it a long time ago and always make sure we have data lol. Didn’t eat in zimmies though.
I think the biggest change is the addition of so many more fitness classes.
Mary Balogh’s Simply series is the best. I have reread them so many times. I love them just as much as Julia Quinn’s famous Bridgerton series.
Favourite reading nooks:
AK: beside the little water feature at the tables behind Flame Tree BBQ
Or the tables across from Feathered Friends in Flight overlooking the Tree of Life. Or the old smoking pavilion in a little trail across from Mr Kamals.
Epcot: the very back of the Moroccan pavilion. There are benches outside the old Restaurant Marrakesh. Or the little tables in the pavilion that’s meant for the QS.
The new central area across from the Creations shop is gorgeous. And there’s a set of tables, benches, and bar tables set off to the side (on the left when facing the ball) that people often don’t notice. Sat there for a bit tonight at park close.
MK: Can’t really think of much off-hand. Oh yeah - there’s some little tables across from the flying carpets that isn’t busy other than mealtimes.
And tons of tables and a little courtyard across from Pirates.
Also Tom Sawyer’s Island is nice.
DHS has basically nothing. I usually sit on a ledge in Star Wars land hoping to see one of the mini shows. I have seen people sit in the queue for the Little Mermaid. Sometimes I sit in the exit area of the Mickey vacation show as it has AC and is quiet.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
Ok - I have blathered on forever. But you guys are here for the FOOD. So time to get back to it as it’s been over a week now 
My next meal was at Whispering Canyon Cafe where I decided to book a last minute breakfast. It wasn’t very busy so I got a large table at the back with a view of the trees outside and a little away from the shenanigans going on in another section.
Such a GREAT deal!
Just $26 for an all you care to enjoy signature skillet.
I was originally going to go with the meat skillet and beg for a Mickey waffle, but ended up really craving waffles so got the heritage skillet which has biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon, eggs, potatoes and Mickey waffles. My server brought me a side of brisket too
I ended up also getting an extra biscuit, another sausage, and 2 more Mickey waffles. As a solo, they brought the extras in tiny portions, just one Mickey waffle at a time.
I enjoyed the Mickey waffle . I remember us getting it several times from Pop Century many years ago and we never liked them much and so gave up on them. Recently I tried them again at Sleepy Hollow and loved it. So obviously I had gotten blah old ones all those years ago. WCC did them well and brought me a fresh waffle every time.
The brisket was decent - but I like juicy, moist (i.e. fatty) brisket and these were lean with no sauce.
Overall, a really nice meal that filled me up so much I didn’t eat again until late that night.
That night, I decided to take Mom and D out for a skyliner tour. They were reluctant to go themselves (D hasn’t been too keen on bumbling around occasionally getting lost). They happily said yes to my offer. I wanted to visit some resort gift shops anyway as I was on the search for an original magic band for my niece who doesn’t want to spend the extra for Magic Band + for her upcoming trip.
They found the skyliner pretty thrilling lol. We started at DHS and our first stop was the Riviera where I wanted a treat from Le Petit Cafe. A big reason I came here was for the cozy seating.
Just so comfy and inviting.
I have also heard a lot about the quality of the pastries here and have been wanting to try them out. I got a lemon cheesecake tart and D got a berry tart.
D said her berry tart was good but she did not like how hard the pastry shell was. Too hard to cut with a fork. Mine was the same - basically a hard cookie-like shell.
My lemon cheesecake was delightful. Fluffy texture with a light lemony flavour throughout. So different from a typical heavy cheesecake. More of a whipped cheesecake that danced on my tongue.
I forgot to take a pic of the receipt but it wasn’t cheap. Maybe $7? I would go back.
Also discovered doors out to the balcony overlooking the main gardens with two chairs. Super cozy and private seating area. And then of course there are two sets of swings in the main gardens where we sat for a few mins. Very relaxing feel to this resort. Bar Riva is also on my list for the future.
We continued on our skyliner tour but sadly the whole boardwalk area was dead. Still a pretty walk though. Many good areas to watch the Epcot fireworks.
After we got back to DHS, I decided to take the ladies to Coronado Springs Resort - I have been longing to try out the Dahlia Lounge. Unfortunately, like every single time I come to CSR, it was a cold night. Too cold to sit outdoors.
The lounge was packed and we perched on some bar stools. A prime table was taken up my a couple of backpacks that happily sat for 20+ mins. We asked a server but they were reluctant to move a guest’s property (The owners did return to enjoy their prime seats). Eventually, a decent spot opened up and our server moved us.
D ordered a Tortilla Espanola with spinach, white beans and tomato relish for $9. Quite a hearty portion!
Mom ordered a ham and cheese bocadillo (Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese, Roasted Garlic Aïoli, Honey, Toasted Baguette) for $14. I forgot to take a photo.
It was large and very filling. About the size of a QS entree for the same price. Great value as all the ingredients are a step above and it was delicious.
I ordered a Shrimp Pil Pil (Ají Amarillo, Garlic, Albariño) for $16.25.
The shrimp was large and the sauce was good - the server kept encouraging us to dip the bread in. She also brought us another round of bread (no extra charge) to “finish sopping up that sauce”. For the portion size and quality of ingredients, I again felt this was a good value.
I enjoyed the Dahlia Lounge but found the drunk convention crowd a little too noisy. Wish we could have sat outside. And of course, we still spent $20 each which is quite a bit for a light meal.
I still love CSR though and we wandered for a bit. I’d totally love to stay here some day when I am in the mood to splurge. It’s a bit pricey for what you get though - I’m so spoiled with timeshare condos for $100/night. And when I stay onsite, I cheap out on a value.
My next meal was at Whispering Canyon Cafe where I decided to book a last minute breakfast. It wasn’t very busy so I got a large table at the back with a view of the trees outside and a little away from the shenanigans going on in another section.
Such a GREAT deal!
Just $26 for an all you care to enjoy signature skillet.
I was originally going to go with the meat skillet and beg for a Mickey waffle, but ended up really craving waffles so got the heritage skillet which has biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon, eggs, potatoes and Mickey waffles. My server brought me a side of brisket too
I ended up also getting an extra biscuit, another sausage, and 2 more Mickey waffles. As a solo, they brought the extras in tiny portions, just one Mickey waffle at a time.
I enjoyed the Mickey waffle . I remember us getting it several times from Pop Century many years ago and we never liked them much and so gave up on them. Recently I tried them again at Sleepy Hollow and loved it. So obviously I had gotten blah old ones all those years ago. WCC did them well and brought me a fresh waffle every time.
The brisket was decent - but I like juicy, moist (i.e. fatty) brisket and these were lean with no sauce.
Overall, a really nice meal that filled me up so much I didn’t eat again until late that night.
That night, I decided to take Mom and D out for a skyliner tour. They were reluctant to go themselves (D hasn’t been too keen on bumbling around occasionally getting lost). They happily said yes to my offer. I wanted to visit some resort gift shops anyway as I was on the search for an original magic band for my niece who doesn’t want to spend the extra for Magic Band + for her upcoming trip.
They found the skyliner pretty thrilling lol. We started at DHS and our first stop was the Riviera where I wanted a treat from Le Petit Cafe. A big reason I came here was for the cozy seating.
Just so comfy and inviting.
I have also heard a lot about the quality of the pastries here and have been wanting to try them out. I got a lemon cheesecake tart and D got a berry tart.
D said her berry tart was good but she did not like how hard the pastry shell was. Too hard to cut with a fork. Mine was the same - basically a hard cookie-like shell.
My lemon cheesecake was delightful. Fluffy texture with a light lemony flavour throughout. So different from a typical heavy cheesecake. More of a whipped cheesecake that danced on my tongue.
I forgot to take a pic of the receipt but it wasn’t cheap. Maybe $7? I would go back.
Also discovered doors out to the balcony overlooking the main gardens with two chairs. Super cozy and private seating area. And then of course there are two sets of swings in the main gardens where we sat for a few mins. Very relaxing feel to this resort. Bar Riva is also on my list for the future.
We continued on our skyliner tour but sadly the whole boardwalk area was dead. Still a pretty walk though. Many good areas to watch the Epcot fireworks.
After we got back to DHS, I decided to take the ladies to Coronado Springs Resort - I have been longing to try out the Dahlia Lounge. Unfortunately, like every single time I come to CSR, it was a cold night. Too cold to sit outdoors.
The lounge was packed and we perched on some bar stools. A prime table was taken up my a couple of backpacks that happily sat for 20+ mins. We asked a server but they were reluctant to move a guest’s property (The owners did return to enjoy their prime seats). Eventually, a decent spot opened up and our server moved us.
D ordered a Tortilla Espanola with spinach, white beans and tomato relish for $9. Quite a hearty portion!
Mom ordered a ham and cheese bocadillo (Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese, Roasted Garlic Aïoli, Honey, Toasted Baguette) for $14. I forgot to take a photo.
It was large and very filling. About the size of a QS entree for the same price. Great value as all the ingredients are a step above and it was delicious.
I ordered a Shrimp Pil Pil (Ají Amarillo, Garlic, Albariño) for $16.25.
The shrimp was large and the sauce was good - the server kept encouraging us to dip the bread in. She also brought us another round of bread (no extra charge) to “finish sopping up that sauce”. For the portion size and quality of ingredients, I again felt this was a good value.
I enjoyed the Dahlia Lounge but found the drunk convention crowd a little too noisy. Wish we could have sat outside. And of course, we still spent $20 each which is quite a bit for a light meal.
I still love CSR though and we wandered for a bit. I’d totally love to stay here some day when I am in the mood to splurge. It’s a bit pricey for what you get though - I’m so spoiled with timeshare condos for $100/night. And when I stay onsite, I cheap out on a value.
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erinch
Parsing the same ee cummings poem for 20 years
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2001
I have wanted to visit Dahlia Lounge ever since I read a write-up on the boccadillo, which they thought was the best sandwich in Disney.
At DHS the best place I have found to sit is in the large shady outdoor area at backlot express. And baseline and HBD lounges, of course.
At DHS the best place I have found to sit is in the large shady outdoor area at backlot express. And baseline and HBD lounges, of course.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
Oh yeah, I’ve had lunch in the outdoor seating area at Backlot Express before. Pleasant area but often busy.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
I am pretty obsessed with the overall vibe of CSR. I think Dahlia is beautiful. Busy, hopping scene when the convention crowd is in - those peeps stay and drink for a LONG time. We didn’t see people leave much through the whole time we were there. I’d personally prefer it when it’s quieter but that’s just me. It did have a lively vibe with the crowds.
2xcited2sleep
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
Dahlia Lounge is definitely on my to-do list. Sounds great other than the people taking up a prime table with backpacks - so rude! And, I agree, convention crowds can be unnecessarily rowdy and annoying. Thanks, also, for the tips on reading nooks -- I am often solo and usually bring my kindle with me so great to have some more ideas about where I can sit for a bit!
mickey916
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
We love the whole vibe of CSR as well. We often stop there just to walk around at night. We're like you and prefer the quieter vibe. We're always just too full by the time we stop by at night even to get the churros. On our upcoming trip we're having an early dinner (4:00) and then dropping our adult sons off at the airport so I'm hoping we have time for some churros at Dahlia after that.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
I’ve definitely been enjoying finding pretty reading nooks around the parks.
This trip felt more crammed with just 2 weeks. I missed a lot of rides and didn’t have quite as much time for reading as I like. But I also spent many evenings chilling quietly with candles in my room. BTW - Aldi’s has the best smelling candles for $5!
I did also buy a dole whip candle from the Disney character warehouse for $12. It’s packed up in the van…smells so pineapple-y and delicious.
Have had to force myself not to cram more in as I’ve been exhausting myself. I leave tomorrow morning for 2 nights in Nashville, then home. So a lot of driving still ahead of me and I have to pace myself.
That sounds like a lovely plan
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
The next day I was back at Animal Kingdom, this time for one of my fave meals. A pulled pork jelly doughnut sandwich from Eight Spoons for $7.44 and a side of onion rings from Flame Tree BBQ (via Mobile Order) for $5.31.
I like how quick it is to do mobile order with a physical gift card. Sooo fast to scan the barcode with my phone. However, you can’t do modifications like asking for an entree without a side for a dollar or two less. Eg a hot dog comes with fries. If you go up to the counter, you can request the hot dog only and it is cheaper. You can’t do that with mobile order.
I sat in one of my favourite areas - next to the water feature behind Flame Tree BBQ. It’s a windy path to get down here but I somehow find it even more peaceful than the tables next to the lake. (Although by the lake you get a great view of the characters floating by on boats).
I couldn’t stay long though as I wanted to make it to 12pm Nemo and I finally sat down about 11:40am.
It turned out to be a super quiet day at AK and when I made it to the theatre at 11:55am for the noon show, there were still empty seats and I got my best seat yet - right in the corner next to the stage runway. I was sitting right across from the girl in Mickey ears. Fantastic view - I love being close enough to see actor’s faces closely. Totally fine giving up the broad view of the entire stage.
So I really prefer these benches up front. The last row is perfect - close and yet set back enough for a great view of the whole stage.
I like how quick it is to do mobile order with a physical gift card. Sooo fast to scan the barcode with my phone. However, you can’t do modifications like asking for an entree without a side for a dollar or two less. Eg a hot dog comes with fries. If you go up to the counter, you can request the hot dog only and it is cheaper. You can’t do that with mobile order.
I sat in one of my favourite areas - next to the water feature behind Flame Tree BBQ. It’s a windy path to get down here but I somehow find it even more peaceful than the tables next to the lake. (Although by the lake you get a great view of the characters floating by on boats).
I couldn’t stay long though as I wanted to make it to 12pm Nemo and I finally sat down about 11:40am.
It turned out to be a super quiet day at AK and when I made it to the theatre at 11:55am for the noon show, there were still empty seats and I got my best seat yet - right in the corner next to the stage runway. I was sitting right across from the girl in Mickey ears. Fantastic view - I love being close enough to see actor’s faces closely. Totally fine giving up the broad view of the entire stage.
So I really prefer these benches up front. The last row is perfect - close and yet set back enough for a great view of the whole stage.
mickey916
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
This is genius! We had the pulled pork jelly doughnut for the first time in December and loved it. We got it with a side of mac n cheese which was just okay...onion rings from Flame Tree BBQ instead is a great idea!
olliesmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2015
I need to know more about the pulled pork jelly donut! Is the pork the “jelly” or is there a jam-like jelly in addition to the pork? I think I’m going to put this on my list for April!
I love all your reading nooks! Someday when it works with our work schedules I would to travel for more than a week at a time, stay offsite and just slow down. I tell myself we will stay off property when it doesn’t mean flying with multiple car seats!
I love all your reading nooks! Someday when it works with our work schedules I would to travel for more than a week at a time, stay offsite and just slow down. I tell myself we will stay off property when it doesn’t mean flying with multiple car seats!
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
Basically the top is a jelly doughnut and the bottom is the same doughnut with no jelly. Filling is pulled pork and coleslaw. When you take bites, the jelly oozes out giving you the sweetness while the coleslaw adds freshness. I really like it.
Years ago I had a krispy kreme burger at the Kentucky State Fair and my brain just couldn’t process it and I just felt confused eating it. My brain happily processes this combination haha! I do really like sweet food too
Plus easy to get with short lines.
And yes @mickey916 Flame Tree’s beautifully fried, delightfully battered, sweet onion rings is just the right accompaniment!
Years ago I had a krispy kreme burger at the Kentucky State Fair and my brain just couldn’t process it and I just felt confused eating it. My brain happily processes this combination haha! I do really like sweet food too
Plus easy to get with short lines.
And yes @mickey916 Flame Tree’s beautifully fried, delightfully battered, sweet onion rings is just the right accompaniment!
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