Pandora is One Hot Planet FINAL UPDATE 8/31 Morimoto Asia'

Bummer about Captains Grill. We have had breakfast and dinner there on past trips and had good food and service both times.
We had breakfast at Captain's Grill as well. Mike lived the buffet, and I really liked the lobster omelet. Dinner was great too. I am sad to see it go.
Really enjoying your reviews so far! Bluezoo is definitely on my list to try as I know my DH would love it as well. I am trying BOG for the first time on my upcoming trip but for lunch. How do you find ordering mostly apps at the California Grill? I chose a salad, sushi and dessert when I had dinner there last year and noticed a significant decline in service when I didn't order an entree. Did that ever happen to you? Maybe it was because I was a solo diner that evening as well.

Glad to see a good review of the tea. I love afternoon tea although I am really disappointed to see they took the berries and cheese away from the Berfordshire. I had the impression they were just renovating Captains Grille not replacing it. A brew pub doesn't seem to fit with the theme of the YC, especially when Big River Grille and ESPN club are a short walk away. Such a bad decision on Disney's part.

That dark chocolate Mickey head you enjoyed.....did you mention it had chili as well? I love dark chocolate with chili! Was that at Zuri's sweet shop? Will definitely have to check that out. Looking forward to the rest of your reviews! :)
I originally thought Captain's Grill was getting a rehab, but no. Besides Big River Grille and ESPN, you are walking distance to Rose & Crown and the new Brewpub going in at Hollywood Studios. I like beer sometimes. I think it is a trend right now. I am not sure it has the saying power. Plus, pub food is, well, pub food.

That chocolates from Zuri's Sweet Shop. The chili in the chocolate was fantastic. The piece was huge too. If you like that flavor profile, definately go there. You will love it too.
 
I have always had great service ordering apps at California Grill. We usually get an app and sushi for Mike and I. I think we make up for our lack of food in alcohol. Normally we have at least 5 people, all ordering liquor. That night I think we drank two bottles of wine and two martinis. We also go late at night. Our most memorable servers were Billie Ray, the self proclaimed sole hillbilly sommelier, and Stephanie, a stunningly beautiful lady of Asian heritage from Downers Grove, Illinois WOOT WOOT!! (My aunt lives there) They were both very warm people, knew the menu and totally rocked the wine choices. Both even brought us free desserts at the end of the meal even if we had no celebrations. Ask to be served by either. Neither were available for our last trip, but our server was still ok.
 
The next day was a second trip to Pandora. Again hot as H-E- double hockey sticks!! We arrived shortly before our FP for Flight of Passage. I was a bit nervous, as I do not have a small bottom and I heard "far bottom girls" were being thrown off the ride. I was ok,no problems at all thank goodness, but I was worried. Waiting I the heat, stressing, I needed something to distract me. What better than Night Blossom - non-alcoholic mixture of limeade with apple and desert pear flavors topped with passion fruit boba balls. Also available in a souvenir Pongu Pongu mug with a glow cube, I chose to go without. This was huge, and fantastic. Sweet and tart. Plus I love the Boba balls. A little party in my mouth. We all shared it. Honestly, it was perfect for the six of us. I couldn't imagine one or two people splitting it.20170531_101934-2241x2988.jpgAfter our wonderful ride on a Banshee (most awesome ride and visuals ever) it was time for lunch. Again we couldn't decide on what to eat. Mike had a bit of vertigo and needed something in his stomach quick. We went to Santu'uli Canteen. Mike and I split Vegetable Steamed Curry Pod - steamed vegetable curry pod with eggplant, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, and shallot cilantro cream served with crunchy vegetable slaw and vegetable chips. This was fantastic. The slaw was good. Mike liked the chips. I am not a chip eater but these were ok. The buns were excellent!! I am so happy to see a true Siopao style bun rather than the taco type buns you see at Epcot. The bread was slightly sweet. The veggies were plentiful and the curry taste was fantastic. We totally didn't miss the meat. We can't wait to go back for these again and try a bowl next time too.
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We ate the slaw and chips there in a hurry because our buddies were waiting outside. We took our Bao to eat on the way to our next stop Eight Spoon Cafe.

At Eight Spoon Cafe Mike and I split a macaroni & cheese with shrimp and sweet chili sauce. The Mac n cheese was really good. The shrimp in chili sauce were really good. I am just not sure they go together. But I am a mac n cheese purist. Don't listen to me. I enjoyed this dish very much. I just didn't eat the components together. I was jealous of Z who had the plain Mac n cheese. I will totally go there again, but when it isn't so hot. Mac wasn't great on the stomach when it is that hot.
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I can't find the pics but here are some from Disney Food Blog.
 
Sorry Captains Grill was a bit of a bust, but I'm totally drooling over your BlueZoo meal. I love, love, love seafood so I'm not sure why we don't get over there often. Definitely have to fix that
 


So happy to see a review of the vegetable curry pods! I am still debating between these and the chili fried tofu bowl. Everything looks so yummy at Satu'li. :)
 
Sorry Captains Grill was a bit of a bust, but I'm totally drooling over your BlueZoo meal. I love, love, love seafood so I'm not sure why we don't get over there often. Definitely have to fix that
The food was still good, so it wasn't a total bust. I just hate to see it go downhill so quickly because they're closing it. Why move it to the new location then? They should have just closed it and left me with my memories of great service and excellent food. You really need to go to Blue Zoo. It is the best seafood I have had anywhere. They always have interesting specials too, as well as a different dancing fish.
So happy to see a review of the vegetable curry pods! I am still debating between these and the chili fried tofu bowl. Everything looks so yummy at Satu'li. :)
You can't go go wrong with the curry pods. They were absolutely delicious. The chili fried tofu Bowl sounds good too. Our local farmer's market in Daley Plaza has a booth that sells tofu. We love chili fried tofu.
 
So this was Wednesday, perfect for wine Wednesdays at Jiko. Basically, this is a wine class featuring South African wines and a super cheese plate. Mike and I have been so many times that we're starting to Tire of the Class part of it. We took Z for the first time as part of his graduation present. Every wine we have had here has been excellent. We have found some of our favorites, like black pearl, Graham Beck Rose a brute and DMZ Rose. I am posting pictures of two cheese plates, as I had to substitute mine out. I have a weird coffee allergy. One of the Cheese's had rind that was soaked in coffee. Once I mentioned to Shelly that I was allergic to coffee, she had a fresh new cheese plate brought to me. She told me to pass my other cheese plate over to Mike, which had already been partially eaten. I received a whole new cheese plate with free new cheeses including a replacement for the coffee she is. This was very good and we had a great time.20170531_150117-2988x2241.jpg 20170531_150117-2988x2241.jpg 20170531_140241-2988x2241.jpg 20170531_142425-2988x2241.jpgAfter the wine class, we immediately went for The Culinary tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is a free tour where you get to try some tasty snacks from BOTH BOMA and JIKO. We had soup from the buffet and bread service from the restaurant. Both were excellent. I forgot to take photographs. I can't tell you how much fun The Culinary court is. You get to meet people who work at the restaurant and like to talk about their homes in Africa. We then went to Maura and picked up some zebra domes. Can you say yum!
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So this was Wednesday, perfect for wine Wednesdays at Jiko. Basically, this is a wine class featuring South African wines and a super cheese plate. Mike and I have been so many times that we're starting to Tire of the Class part of it. We took Z for the first time as part of his graduation present. Every wine we have had here has been excellent. We have found some of our favorites, like black pearl, Graham Beck Rose a brute and DMZ Rose. I am posting pictures of two cheese plates, as I had to substitute mine out. I have a weird coffee allergy. One of the Cheese's had rind that was soaked in coffee. Once I mentioned to Shelly that I was allergic to coffee, she had a fresh new cheese plate brought to me. She told me to pass my other cheese plate over to Mike, which had already been partially eaten. I received a whole new cheese plate with free new cheeses including a replacement for the coffee one. We all had a great time.View attachment 263611 View attachment 263612
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For the culinary tour, how do you sign up for it? I'm interested in the wine class and the culinary tour but haven't figured out how to secure them!
 
That night we went to Fort Wilderness for dinner at Trails End Buffet. I know this is a really popular spot, but I am not a fan. Last October we had breakfast. While the price is right, the food was mediocre at best. The only highlight was the fried chicken. That prompted me to go back for dinner. Who doesn't like down home cooking right? Just like Grandma used to make? My Grandma was a bad cook, so the food here was like Grandma's. Most of what we had was bad.

I started out with a bowl of chili. It was edible, but the meat tasted like soy burger (not a good one) and the smell was a bit like body odor. I know cumin can have this smell, and chili has cumin in it, but this was pretty heavy. I ate only a couple bites. My first plate was salads, which were pretty good. There was a kale edemame salad, tomato feta salad, pickled mushrooms, peel and eat shrimp and house salad with French dressing. 20170531_175336-2241x2988.jpg

About 15 minutes after I began eating I started hearing rumbles in my tummy. I eat pretty slow because I have a big mouth and talk all the time. I had finished a bite or two of everything. Well I had to go to the bathroom asap. Unfortunately, the bathroom is outside and past the Hoop De Doo Review entrance, which was packed with people. So was the bathroom. That was a very uncomfortable wait, I tell you. Afterwards I felt fine. I figured maybe all the wine at Jiko had done me in.

Crazy me, I went back to the restaurant and got more food. I was going to try some of my favorite foods dammit. My second plate included fried chicken, Mac n' cheese and corn. I know it's like a kids plate, but that is comfort food for me. The chicken tasted like it was fried in stale oil, the Mac n cheese had little or no taste and the corn was, we'll, canned corn. Again 15 minutes later I felt that rumble again. At least this time the bathroom line wasn't bad. Here is a pic of plate two.
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By the time I came back the servers had come out with Strawberry Shortcake and sang happy birthday, though to whom I don't know because it was my birthday and I wasn't there. Anyway, the Shortcake was a hard biscuit and the strawberries glazed. No one liked it. The brought our table 3, so a lot went to waste.
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The best part of the meal was A's dessert, chocolate ice cream that looks just like the poo emoji.
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One final bathroom break and we were headed he back to the villa. This was so disappointing. We will not go back.
 
The next day was really hot, and I slept in to recover from the night before. Rather than rush to the park, Mike and I decided to hang out at Disney Springs. I am not a big fan of the new Disney Springs. It reminds me too much of the upscale outdoor malls near home. I feel the charm is gone.

We decided to have lunch at Homecomin'. We went into the carryout area to place an order. I didn't feel like a cocktail, as my tummy tum needed to recover, but I wanted one. These moonshine look crazy awesome.
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The menu at the carry out is not as large as in the restaurant.
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Mike and I each got a chicken sandwich with a basket of fries to share. The fries were awesome!! I typically do not like skin on, but these were great. Mike loved them because he loves the skin on potatoes. They were fluffy potato goodness. The chicken sandwiches were okay. The chicken inside was good, but didn't really fit on the bun very well. I didn't really care for the bun, but I'm not a bread person. Mike really liked the bun, so there you go. The chicken was a huge breast. It was crispy outside and moist inside other than being a good piece of fried chicken, I can't Rave about it like chicken in the basket is much better than a mere chicken sandwich. We did wait a very long time for it though. We waited about 45 minutes. In the bar area where the carryout is located there is no air conditioning and it was very hot waiting. The bartender gave us fresh glasses of water. We will certainly come back to try a real dinner here.20170601_125810-2988x2241.jpg 20170601_125805-2241x2988.jpg 20170601_125830-2988x2241.jpg
For the culinary tour, how do you sign up for it? I'm interested in the wine class and the culinary tour but haven't figured out how to secure them!
The wine class is like any other reservation. I start calling at the 180-day Mark to Disney dining. They don't always have it available by then, but I check every couple of weeks until it is. Some cast members don't know about it, so you have to tell them it's at jiko every Wednesday at 3 p.m. You have to pay in advance, but there is a three-day cancellation policy. I recently cancelled one for my upcoming trip, and my money was back in my account within 48 hours. As far as the culinary tour, it is free. No Reservations are required. Ask at the front desk. One time, the tour started at the front desk. Last May, the tour started at Boma. We just went to Boma at 4:15 p.m. and they began the tour. Good luck. I think you will enjoy both.
Oh my god, that chocolate dessert is just shaped way too funny!
I know right?
 
Oh man, I got SO far behind, I apologize! I read all the way through and started quoting things but it was so much it overwhelmed me lol, so I just stuck to thsi page :o

Plus I love the Boba balls. A little party in my mouth. We all shared it.
:laughing: I've gotten the Mo'ara margarita on our last 2 trips and I love it. The first time the Boba balls didn't bother me but this last time they kept getting stuck in the bottom of the straw! Very annoying :headache:

I received a whole new cheese plate with free new cheeses i
Awesome

Just like Grandma used to make? My Grandma was a bad cook, so the food here was like Grandma's. Most of what we had was bad.
Aw, that sucks! We've had brunch there and then Thanksgiving dinner last year and enjoyed both meals, but the nice thing about Disney is that there's something for everyone :) However stomach issues so soon after eating would totally signal to me that something is wrong....

he best part of the meal was A's dessert, chocolate ice cream that looks just like the poo emoji.
lmao it does :P

I am not a big fan of the new Disney Springs. It reminds me too much of the upscale outdoor malls near home. I feel the charm is gone.
I agree. I suppose it's nice for the locals, and tourists who WANT to do lots of non-souvenir shopping while on vacation. But I preferred the old Downtown Disney. The only thing I like better now are the new food options.
 
Ariane, I'm just happy you didn't forget about me and posted. I am so bad about posting even though I love the reviews. I am a lurker at heart.

I love Boba Balls. I need to try that margarita out in October.

I really wanted to live Trails End for dinner. I really liked the chicken the first time at breakfast. Maybe my stomach issues made everything else taste bad. The timing was suspect too. I blame the chili. I will just have to keep searching for good fried chicken at WDW.

There is something for everyone. The new restaurants at DD are a good addition. I miss Pleasure Island though.
 
I know Trails End gets a lot of love, but I've never understood it either. It looks like Golden Corral! :laughing:
 
Your Jiko wine experience and tour afterwards looks like a ton of fun. Do they do the wine thing at Jiko every Wednesday? How much does it cost?

Sorry to hear Trails End was such a bust for you. We did breakfast once a few trips back and enjoyed it, but there are others (The Wave and Tusker House) that we much prefer.

Glad to hear you all loved Homecoming despite the heat. It was one of our favs on our lat trip and I can't wait to go back again!
 
Your Jiko wine experience and tour afterwards looks like a ton of fun. Do they do the wine thing at Jiko every Wednesday? How much does it cost?

Sorry to hear Trails End was such a bust for you. We did breakfast once a few trips back and enjoyed it, but there are others (The Wave and Tusker House) that we much prefer.

Glad to hear you all loved Homecoming despite the heat. It was one of our favs on our lat trip and I can't wait to go back again!
Wine Wednesday's is a lot of fun.
 

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