Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
Hey everyone.
I'm leaving for Disney on Thursday (technically Wednesday night after work to drive up to the airport) and rather than working, I'm reading food reviews. So I decided to get mine started. My last one was long and very detailed but I lost steam on the end of it after photobucket ate all of my photos and hard work. This trip is half parks/half cruise, so it will be a lot shorter. I will probably not review cruise food just because I don't think that many people are interested but if anyone is I'm sure I'll have some food porn in my phone from the cruise too.
If any of you remember me from before, I'm a single mom who travels solo with her son, who will be 9 at the time of this trip... which will be his last trip as a Disney kid. His dad and I bought into DVC in 1999 and are amicable enough to share the membership, and the even numbered years are mine, so here we go again! This is us from the first day of our last trip in December 2016:
My son is on the spectrum and because of that, has many food peculiarities. It can be a challenge to find meals that satisfy both of us as I tend to be anything BUT a plain eater, but I think I did a great job last time as we were both very happy with most of our choices.
Our trips to Disney have really expanded my son's palate a bit. My only regret is that filet mignon was the big addition last year and it's going to cost me a fortune this year. Oh well, not the first time I've regretted exposing him to something. It's good to see him enjoying food so much. He is very picky, but not picky in the "eats only kid food" way, so that helps. I'll comment more about that along the way and hope the parents of other picky kids get something out of it... but let's just say that I am now known at the mini golf place as the mom of the kid who asked for "smoked gouda" when he was asked what kind of cheese he wanted on his grilled cheese. Hey, she left it open ended!
He LOVES character meals as character lines are particularly challenging for him so we tend to do a lot of them. I like to stick to breakfast because it's less expensive and I prefer breakfast buffets to dinner buffets in general... even more now than ever because....
I had sleeve gastrectomy surgery back in July. Which, if you're keeping track, put my ADR booking time smack in the middle of the misery of recovery. It's been a great decision for me as I've lost 110 lbs (some before surgery) and feel better than I have in decades. But I won't lie... I still love food. If possible, I love food MORE now than before (I asked my surgeon if that was supposed to happen and he said it happens more than you'd think because people learn to slow down and savor their food.) I cook a ton at home (all kinds of delicious things!) and rarely eat out because I can't eat much and I am pretty careful about what I eat on a daily basis and can control what goes into it at home. But I eat delicious food every day and enjoy every bite and I plan to do that on vacation as well.
It is my sincere hope that other people who are considering the surgery or have had it will read this review and get something out of it. It is a HUGE adjustment and I'll admit that making my ADRs 6 months out were kind of emotional for me because I was in a world of misery post surgery and having a hard time seeing how I was going to ever enjoy food again. But now that I'm mostly adjusted, I'm glad I stuck with my plan and made my ADRs because I think it will be great!
I plan to employ 4 strategies during my trip:
1) order a kid meal when there is a small version of the adult meal I would have wanted available.
2) order an appetizer when it appeals
3) order a full size meal and just eat what I can and be ok with discarding the rest
4) go to the damn buffet and remember, it cost me $32 to be full and satisfied on breakfast before, it will cost me $32 to be full and satisfied on breakfast now, and no one really eats a true $32 worth of food at those things anyway so it's all really a matter of degree. I AM sticking with breakfast since they are less expensive and also have the most protein heavy choices.
Our trip is whirlwind and we are planning to go ppo or rope drop to close during a very busy time so we'll see how that goes... but I have nice long TS breaks built in. Here's our plan. Anything with an ** is new to us! My parents are joining us on our last night before our 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream when we'll move from the Poly to a 2br at Copper Creek (hence WCC x2) and also so mom can do our laundry (I am so not too proud to let her do that!) before getting on the cruise. It is sure helping with the packing as well!
CLICKABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Thursday: fly in at the crack of dawn
AK for a few hours (was originally just lunch and FoP but then I was able to move my SW flight 2.5 hours earlier so also Festival of the Lion King and Safari)
Lunch: Satu'li Canteen **
Snack: Tamu Tamu Refreshments **
Dinner: CA Grill (the kid's favorite)
Dessert: Tambu Lounge **
Friday: Epcot Day
Breakfast: PPO Garden Grill
Snacks: Popcorn Cart & L'Artisan des Glaces
Dinner: Le Cellier (kid's first time, old favorite of mine, haven't been in years)
Saturday: MK Day
Breakfast:Polynesian Private Dining
Snack:Aloha Isle
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern
Dinner: BoG **
Dessert: HEA Fireworks Dessert Party w/Plaza Viewing
Sunday: Half MK Day
Breakfast: Crystal Palace PPO Breakfast
Lunch: Columbia Harbor House
Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe **
HEA Fireworks Cruise with parents, will include some comments on that here as well
Monday:
Breakfast: Whispering Canyon Cafe **
then depart for CRUISE!
Monday - Friday is Disney Dream!
Friday: Epcot
we have decided to cancel our ADRs and just try out some of the F&G Booths. Pray for me.
Saturday: Departure day
Breakfast: 'Ohana
As you see, we have 3 character meals in like 2 full and 4 partial days, so we're a fan. Can't wait!
I'm leaving for Disney on Thursday (technically Wednesday night after work to drive up to the airport) and rather than working, I'm reading food reviews. So I decided to get mine started. My last one was long and very detailed but I lost steam on the end of it after photobucket ate all of my photos and hard work. This trip is half parks/half cruise, so it will be a lot shorter. I will probably not review cruise food just because I don't think that many people are interested but if anyone is I'm sure I'll have some food porn in my phone from the cruise too.
If any of you remember me from before, I'm a single mom who travels solo with her son, who will be 9 at the time of this trip... which will be his last trip as a Disney kid. His dad and I bought into DVC in 1999 and are amicable enough to share the membership, and the even numbered years are mine, so here we go again! This is us from the first day of our last trip in December 2016:
My son is on the spectrum and because of that, has many food peculiarities. It can be a challenge to find meals that satisfy both of us as I tend to be anything BUT a plain eater, but I think I did a great job last time as we were both very happy with most of our choices.
Our trips to Disney have really expanded my son's palate a bit. My only regret is that filet mignon was the big addition last year and it's going to cost me a fortune this year. Oh well, not the first time I've regretted exposing him to something. It's good to see him enjoying food so much. He is very picky, but not picky in the "eats only kid food" way, so that helps. I'll comment more about that along the way and hope the parents of other picky kids get something out of it... but let's just say that I am now known at the mini golf place as the mom of the kid who asked for "smoked gouda" when he was asked what kind of cheese he wanted on his grilled cheese. Hey, she left it open ended!
He LOVES character meals as character lines are particularly challenging for him so we tend to do a lot of them. I like to stick to breakfast because it's less expensive and I prefer breakfast buffets to dinner buffets in general... even more now than ever because....
I had sleeve gastrectomy surgery back in July. Which, if you're keeping track, put my ADR booking time smack in the middle of the misery of recovery. It's been a great decision for me as I've lost 110 lbs (some before surgery) and feel better than I have in decades. But I won't lie... I still love food. If possible, I love food MORE now than before (I asked my surgeon if that was supposed to happen and he said it happens more than you'd think because people learn to slow down and savor their food.) I cook a ton at home (all kinds of delicious things!) and rarely eat out because I can't eat much and I am pretty careful about what I eat on a daily basis and can control what goes into it at home. But I eat delicious food every day and enjoy every bite and I plan to do that on vacation as well.
It is my sincere hope that other people who are considering the surgery or have had it will read this review and get something out of it. It is a HUGE adjustment and I'll admit that making my ADRs 6 months out were kind of emotional for me because I was in a world of misery post surgery and having a hard time seeing how I was going to ever enjoy food again. But now that I'm mostly adjusted, I'm glad I stuck with my plan and made my ADRs because I think it will be great!
I plan to employ 4 strategies during my trip:
1) order a kid meal when there is a small version of the adult meal I would have wanted available.
2) order an appetizer when it appeals
3) order a full size meal and just eat what I can and be ok with discarding the rest
4) go to the damn buffet and remember, it cost me $32 to be full and satisfied on breakfast before, it will cost me $32 to be full and satisfied on breakfast now, and no one really eats a true $32 worth of food at those things anyway so it's all really a matter of degree. I AM sticking with breakfast since they are less expensive and also have the most protein heavy choices.
Our trip is whirlwind and we are planning to go ppo or rope drop to close during a very busy time so we'll see how that goes... but I have nice long TS breaks built in. Here's our plan. Anything with an ** is new to us! My parents are joining us on our last night before our 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream when we'll move from the Poly to a 2br at Copper Creek (hence WCC x2) and also so mom can do our laundry (I am so not too proud to let her do that!) before getting on the cruise. It is sure helping with the packing as well!
CLICKABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Thursday: fly in at the crack of dawn
AK for a few hours (was originally just lunch and FoP but then I was able to move my SW flight 2.5 hours earlier so also Festival of the Lion King and Safari)
Lunch: Satu'li Canteen **
Snack: Tamu Tamu Refreshments **
Dinner: CA Grill (the kid's favorite)
Dessert: Tambu Lounge **
Friday: Epcot Day
Breakfast: PPO Garden Grill
Snacks: Popcorn Cart & L'Artisan des Glaces
Dinner: Le Cellier (kid's first time, old favorite of mine, haven't been in years)
Saturday: MK Day
Breakfast:Polynesian Private Dining
Snack:Aloha Isle
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern
Dinner: BoG **
Dessert: HEA Fireworks Dessert Party w/Plaza Viewing
Sunday: Half MK Day
Breakfast: Crystal Palace PPO Breakfast
Lunch: Columbia Harbor House
Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe **
HEA Fireworks Cruise with parents, will include some comments on that here as well
Monday:
Breakfast: Whispering Canyon Cafe **
then depart for CRUISE!
Monday - Friday is Disney Dream!
Friday: Epcot
we have decided to cancel our ADRs and just try out some of the F&G Booths. Pray for me.
Saturday: Departure day
Breakfast: 'Ohana
As you see, we have 3 character meals in like 2 full and 4 partial days, so we're a fan. Can't wait!
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