A Grand Birthday! TR June 2018 *UPDATED x2 8/1 Breakfast at GFC and Incredible Expo*

[mindylee847]

Great update! The coco-jito looks cute - if you want a drink that has a hint of coconut but doesn't have an overpowering coconut flavor - try the Malibu Baybreeze (it's a splash of Malibu coconut rum, cranberry and pineapple juice , it's amazing.)

The flatbread looked yummy - my favorite flatbreads used to be over at Roaring Forks, the quick service at WL, but after they refurbished it, they changed the flatbreads and they were not the same. It was a case of so not broken, why try to fix it!

Looking forward to hearing about Victoria & Alberts!

Thank you @oceanmarina! I'm definitely going to take you up on that suggestion for the Malibu Baybreeze! It sounds so tasty.

We are staying at Wilderness Lodge for a portion of our November trip. I wonder if they have the Daiya cheese shreds there and if we can try the flatbreads out there! Sad that they've changed them over though and don't taste as good as they used to.

Joining in. The easter eggs look fab.

Thank you for following along!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a relaxing afternoon at the spa and the pool! Perfect start to the trip!

 

[disneyguy4life]

we decided to wander for a bit before heading to Senses Spa for our couple's massage.

It was kind of weird not being able to actually be with Mike for that part as we had chosen the couple's experience but I guess at Saratoga's Spa, the lounges are connected so that's something to keep in mind.

Trish and I loved doing the couples massage. It was a wonderful experience with a very professional staff. We thought about going to The Grand's spa but decided to go with Saratoga Springs instead. It was closer to our hotel, Port Orleans Riverside.

You are correct, the lounge does allow you to be together as a couple. Afterall that is the idea. I'm with you, they should have an area for couples at The Grand. I'm just going to say this, as a dude that doesn't normally go for robes I freakin loved the robe they give you to wear. I loved the experience. It is very peaceful and relaxing. We went with the additional foot massage and it made a difference for a few days after.

It sounds like a great start to your trip! I hope you two get to go again in the future. I look forward to your Victoria and Albert's experience.

 

[mindylee847]

Day One - Part 5: Victoria and Albert's

After our relaxing afternoon, it was finally time to get ready to go to dinner at Victoria and Albert's. We wanted to stop at Mizner's first so we got all dressed up and made our way to the lounge.





I ordered the Grand 30 which was... strong. Very strong. I thought it would be fun since it was my last night as a 30 year old.



We listened to the band play while we had our drinks and it was really wonderful.



We made our way over to V&As right about time for our reservation at 7 PM. We were seated in the Queen's Room and Mike told me not to take a lot/if any pictures. He thought it was too fancy of a place for my shenanigans.

We were introduced to two men who were going to be our servers for the night. They let us look over the menus to see what was in store for us.



I asked if the wines listed were all vegan as I had asked in advance to be offered a vegan wine - not necessarily a pairing, but at least one or two choices. He came back and told me that they "weren't sure" which wine was vegan as using egg yolks and things is an old practice that isn't used that much anymore. From my experience, a lot of wines are not vegan as listed on Barnivore but I figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity so we chose to go with the pairing regardless.

Foreshadowing: I should have not. I am quite lactose intolerant with a latent egg allergy.

We were also given water menus. Yes - water menus! I honestly should have just made my own water pairing for the evening. I didn't take any pictures but one side was still and the other was sparkling. It listed where the water was from and the pH level and all these extra details. I thought it was fascinating. I absolutely LOVE water so this was right up my alley. Over the course of our meal, we had three different types of water.

I'm not going to pretend I can talk all that well about food, so here are the pictures of the food we received.





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Our main entree is that last picture there. So we made it through three pieces of bread, an amuse bouche, five appetizers, and then received our main course. Maybe this is our fault, but by about our fourth plate, I jokingly asked them for some French fries on the side because this light of food with the wine pairing was a MISTAKE. I know we're from Wisconsin and should be able to handle it well, but being vegan and given about a veggie a plate (no potatoes or anything filling) was just a recipe for disaster.

I should note too, that at about this point, they sent over the fancy French speaking manager to basically tell us that it was okay to be drunk - but he said it in a nice elegant way and something along the lines of "It's okay to enjoy yourselves tonight."

So, I eventually received the entree which was an endive and I'm not sure if you've ever had one but the texture is... something else. It is something that I personally cannot fathom trying to eat while drunk. It's thicker and crunchier and... I could not. I took one bite and I looked at Mike and told him I had to leave. Especially knowing that all I was getting next was dessert, I knew I couldn't get through it.

While I staggered back to the room, Mike closed out the check. They so graciously had us only pay for the seven courses we ate instead of the ten courses that were in store for us. They packed him up with a vegan dessert bread and a rose for me and they felt really horrible that I had fallen so ill. With being drunk, not enough food, and the likelihood of having some egg... blerg.

Mike was also quite toasty and forgot how he got back to the room. There was the smallest knock on the door and I received a text that just said "Please help. I can't get in."

So overall, yikes. Everyone around us definitely enjoyed their night. With having meats and dairy, it's a lot easier to have the wine pairing. I wish I had known what I was really getting myself into. I get that I received the menu and kind of "knew" but I really didn't know. We are not used to these types of meals in any way.

I'm really glad we got to have this experience. If we ever do it again, I'll just pull out my Barnivore app and look up what vegan red they have on their list and stick with a glass while I make my way through. We were there for almost four hours and the services was PHENOMENAL.

Needless to say, we passed out immediately following that dinner. Coming up - MY BIRTHDAY!!

Edited to add: What I really did love about this experience, if you are considering doing it but the price seems too hefty, is it's really like a special kind of tour with foods and drinks. With everything that was brought out to us, they described why the chef chose it or where it came from or how it was made. It was incredibly fascinating. Definitely worth the price when you consider it as if it is a tour.​

 

[missangelalexis]

You both look so lovely all dolled up!

I'm sorry the wine was a little too much. But I'm glad you don't regret the experience!

 

[mindylee847]

You both look so lovely all dolled up!

I'm sorry the wine was a little too much. But I'm glad you don't regret the experience!

Thank you @missangelalexis!

 

[mindylee847]

Day 2 - Part 1: Grand Floridian Cafe Breakfast

We woke up and it was my BIRTHDAY!!

I was really excited about today. It has been years since I was looking forward to celebrating my day for complicated family reasons. Luckily, we also weren't completely hungover or still trashed from the night before at V&As. I was just STARVING!! I had made a breakfast reservation at The Grand Floridian Cafe for this morning so we made our way over.

When we initially checked in, we were given the regular menu but quickly mentioned that we were vegan and were handed the allergy menus. I also requested to be sat near a window rather than in the middle of the room. I love looking out over the courtyard at the Grand while having breakfast here. I wish there was a small patio, outdoor option to dine.





We told our server when he came by that we were vegan and he obviously had no idea what we were saying. I suggested that perhaps we need to talk to the chef instead but he said he wanted to figure it out and will discuss with the chef for us as sort of a learning experience for him. I wasn't exactly in the best mood for dealing with that because I was so hungry from last night but it was so great that he wanted to really try and learn what the heck vegan even means.

We put our orders in for the press pot of coffee and a Tropical Splash (non-alcoholic) drink which was orange juice with strawberries.



Our server also came by with allergy rolls and some Earth Balance "butter" for us.



These were fine and helped hold me over while we waited for our actual meals.

I ordered the allergy pancakes and with a server who was still learning... he asked me if I wanted bacon with them. I requested some hashbrowns instead on the side. I had seen that other vegans have gotten some really incredible fruit infused pancakes here but when I asked about it he pretty much said "We don't do that." Sooo... perhaps I should have asked to speak with a chef but I wasn't going to be pushy about it. I was too hungry!



The pancakes were fine. Allergy pancakes and waffles are weird. I'm still trying to get used to the texture. They were cooked through though and did the job. I really loved the hashbrowns here though!

Mike requested a tofu scramble. Dude did not know how to respond to this. He asked about three or four times what the heck Mike was even talking about, lol. We tried to explain but said that the chef will likely know what it means if he just writes it down as they serve a tofu scramble for breakfast at Gasparilla. He also ordered his with a side of hashbrowns.



The scramble turned out really well and Mike really enjoyed his meal here overall.

I'm on the fence about this place. Vegan breakfasts are so hit or miss. I'm going to try it again in October when we go. I love that the server tried to learn more about vegan but I wish he would have talked more with the chef about our options. I love the windows here but it honestly just feels old. I think many of the parts of the Grand could do with a really good refurbishment. I still love it regardless!

After we settled our check (Tables in Wonderland can be used here), we went back to the room to grab our things and get ready for our day at the Magic Kingdom! We decided to take the monorail over as it is quicker than taking the ferry.



I really love that the security lines are now when you board the monorail. It makes it so much quicker to scoot into the park when you arrive.

Also, check out our neat buttons that we had on Mike's backpack through the trip!



That's all for today! Next up, we start our day in Magic Kingdom!
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[mindylee847]

Day 2 - Part 2: An Incredible Expo

When we arrived at Magic Kingdom, I wanted to take my time strolling down Main Street. I wasn't sure which way we were going to go first because I really wanted to quick hop on Pirates but I also wanted to go check out all the Incredible stuff over in Tomorrowland.

But first - pictures!





We stopped to listen to the Dapper Dans for a bit.



Mike pointed out a window filled with Mary Poppins stuff and told me I needed all of it. I didn't disagree!



Obligatory castle pic.



Then we made our way over to Tomorrowland. Mike suggested we go there first as it would just get hotter and busier later in the day.



He had a great idea where I quick take a purple wall pic too before I got all sweaty and gross because it was HOT that weekend.





There were a lot of really fun photo spots set up for the Incredible expo so we obviously had to stop at them as we came across them.





We made our way over to one of my very favorite rides - Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin! Neither of us became Galactic Heros this time around but it was still as fun as ever.





We came across a really fun Frozone photo opp next and... Mike knew what he was doing much more than me, lol.





We ended up seeing some of the expo cosplayers walking around.



We really wanted to meet the Brick cosplayer as Brick is from Wisconsin so we stalked around for a bit but didn't find her so we figured we would circle back later in the day. But first, we hopped on Space Mountain since the posted wait was only 20 minutes. We had a fastpass for later in the day but figured we could use that for something else.

It had been over three years since I last went on Space Mountain because it was always a bit too much for me with my TMJ and back issues. I started working out last July though and I seem to have built up a lot more muscle to help support my body so I can actually go back on coasters!! That's why I look like I'm filled with so much glee in this picture.



I was able to snag a fastpass for the Little Mermaid ride later in the day. We took another quick peek around for Brick. We had no luck so we made our way out of Tomorrowland for the time being. I honestly don't remember where we went next???... I think we went to go check out the store near Haunted Mansion and just walk around for a while and be there. I should have taken notes or something!

Next up - more Tomorrowland!! and some other mountains!

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[missangelalexis]

So many great PP pics! SOunds like a great start to the day!

 

[disneyguy4life]

Hooray for Space Mountain! I am so glad you were able to go on it. I love the photos. I hope you are able to post more soon.

 

[petals]

Luvin your mouse ears.