Dessert before Dinner: a trifecta of dining reports? Update 9/22 LTT COMPLETE!

[ariane37]

Your trip is so close have a wonderful time

We leave in the morning, can't wait! Of course I was hoping to have this done so I could get started on a new TR as soon as we got back but I guess I'm trying to drag this on for a year lol.
How's Kathy doing in Bermuda???

I just read this entire review from page 1. Never really looked at DS restaurants much. But after your Morimoto Review - I went and made an ADR for our July trip. We usually leave our last day open to do whatever - so made it for lunch that day since it is only 1TS at lunch. So excited. I am one who usually goes to the same places. Excited to try something new. It looks awesome!!

Hello and ! Thank you so much for reading, this is like the never ending dining report lol. I wanted to finish before we go back to Disney TOMORROW but of course not happening!
We rarely used to eat in DS but lately it's growing on us! I know we'll be back to Morimoto in Sept. and I hate that we missed Jock Lindsay's in May so hoping to get there this week. I think it's a combination of having tried the majority of park/resort restaurants and so many new places opening in DS tha has us trying to eat there more! I hope you like Morimoto as much as we did! We're in Disney tomorrow through the 8th, when do you go?

 

[LynnTH]

Hello and ! Thank you so much for reading, this is like the never ending dining report lol. I wanted to finish before we go back to Disney TOMORROW but of course not happening!
We rarely used to eat in DS but lately it's growing on us! I know we'll be back to Morimoto in Sept. and I hate that we missed Jock Lindsay's in May so hoping to get there this week. I think it's a combination of having tried the majority of park/resort restaurants and so many new places opening in DS tha has us trying to eat there more! I hope you like Morimoto as much as we did! We're in Disney tomorrow through the 8th, when do you go?
[/QUOTE]

We will be there July 20th - 27th. Staying at BWV (our favorite). Cannot wait to be there. Going with DS20 and DD18. DH doesn't like Disney as much as we do so he is staying home with the dog.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I hope you are having a great time at the CR. I want to go back there for a 4th of July trip next year. Disney knows how to do fireworks.

 

[ariane37]

(tap tap) Hello, anyone there? It's me, Ariane, the one who used to be on these boards ALL the time? And now has no free DIS time at all? Well I'm still here, drowning in work and sorrow over not having as much free time as I used to I know, first world problems, but I miss writing these reports and reading all of yours! So I'm determined to finish this and my current, long standing TR and then eventually start a TR for our July 4th trip we returned from a few days ago; thanks for sticking with me this long!

Speaking of the 4th we had a great time and there are truly no July 4th fireworks like 4th of July Disney fireworks. Not even Macy's beats them! Truth be told Steve and I preferred the holiday tag on Illuminations over the holiday fireworks at MK but sadly it won't be the same there next year with the new show. Very happy we got to see it this once!

Well when I left off way way a long time ago we'd spent the early afternoon eating some festival treats and were then off to spend some time at AK. Before using any fastpasses we had a late lunch/very early dinner reservation at a restaurant we'd kind of never eaten at - Rainforest Cafe. We'd eaten at the one in DS a few years ago but not this one and it was NOT my choice! One of the boys requested it but I can't remember which one, but I do remember I figured what the heck it might make someone happy. We were seated and right away Steve and I ordered drinks:

Blue Nile served in a Souvenir Glass
Cruzan Mango Rum, DeKuyper Blue Curaçao Liqueur, Finest Call Blood Orange Sour with sweet and sour



I didn't get the souvenir glass but this was pretty good; a little TOO sweet for me which is rare but I'd get it again. In a surprising turn of events Steve also ordered a specialty drink:

Moscow Mule
New Amsterdam Vodka, fresh lime juice, ginger beer (Not available in souvenir glass)



Hey, a mule! He was happy although he prefers his mules with Grey Goose Vodka. The kids had water I think and Chris a lemonade.
We were hungry but not starving after our around the world snacks so no apps; we went right to entrees. I got a wrap:

Jungle Turkey Wrap
Shaved Turkey Breast, Tomatoes, Bacon, Lettuce, Caesar Dressing, Flour Tortilla, and served with choice of a Side



It was good! Really good actually, one of the better wraps that I've had. Fresh turkey as well as fresh lettuce inside and the fries were thin and crispy, just the way I Like them.

Steve and Ricky got the same thing:

Rainforest Burger
Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, Cheese, Onion, choice of a side. Add bacon or sautéed mushrooms




This is a pic of Steve's as he added a side of the mushrooms. They both loved it and declared it one of the better WDW burgers? OK! I mean yeah, totally understand it beating most QS other than maybe a specialty burger QS such as D-Lux but there are great burgers at a # of TS places. But glad they loved it; we were 3 for 3!

And that brings us to Chris; will he or wont' he? The question begins with this:

Mojo Bones
Pork Spareribs, Smokin' Mojo BBQ Sauce, Coleslaw, Safari Fries



The verdict? He CLEANED his plate FYI this became a theme on our recent July 4th trip with him cleaning his plate and we have no problem with that. Anyway he generally loves ribs but is hesitant to order them that often so we were surprised he did here; pleasantly surprised when he declared them delicious.

I have to say, we were pretty darn impressed with RC! With all the great dining options in the World it's not someplace I was dying to eat or excited to try; I was kind of bummed to be "wasting" stomach space eating here. Now I'm not in a rush to eat here again simply because the food is basic and I rather go with more interesting places but it's a solid place to eat if you have picky eaters, can't get a reservation at any other AK TS or are in the mood for good burgers or ribs I guess!

The interior is really neat also; I didn't take many pics and most suck but here are a couple:






After our "Linner" we used some FP's including an after dark ride on EE for Ricky and I




watched Donald's dance party for the first time and ended with a great view of the lit up Tree of Life:



We had to have gotten some type of snacks later since dinner was 3:30 but alas, no pictures. I do remember getting popcorn in Africa at one point but there had to be more because no way 3 boy-men would be happy not eating again until the morning!

 

[ariane37]

I hope you are having a great time at the CR. I want to go back there for a 4th of July trip next year. Disney knows how to do fireworks.

Hi Sue, hope you enjoyed your 4th! We had a good time and you are correct about their fireworks. As I said in my update we did prefer the ones at Epcot which I know isn't the popular opinion lol but both were amazing. Looking forward to finally seeing the NYE fireworks there too!

 

[ariane37]

We will be there July 20th - 27th. Staying at BWV (our favorite). Cannot wait to be there. Going with DS20 and DD18. DH doesn't like Disney as much as we do so he is staying home with the dog.

You're almost there We like BWV also although it's been a few years since we've stayed there; our more recent stays over there have been at the YC and BC. The location can't be beat! DH sounds like my Chris lol. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Wow! Who would have thought that Rainforest Cafe would be a hit!? That's great!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Welcome back!
I hate to say this, but we have always had good food ar RFC. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, but if someone requested it, I wouldn't say no. Joe and I were thinking about taking Gia in September just for the animals...

Steve got a Mule? Really? That is VERY surprising. LOL!

 

[kastoney]

Hello, anyone there? It's me, Ariane, the one who used to be on these boards ALL the time? And now has no free DIS time at all?

Who dis? Not sure I recall an Ariane from these parts

One of the boys requested it but I can't remember which one, but I do remember I figured what the heck it might make someone happy. We were seated and right away Steve and I ordered drinks:

Ok you had me worried there for a minute when you were headed to Rain Forest. But the things we do for the kiddos (insert Whispering Canyon here for me). Shocked to hear it was good though!

It was good! Really good actually, one of the better wraps that I've had. Fresh turkey as well as fresh lettuce inside and the fries were thin and crispy, just the way I Like them.

Glad to hear this was good. Though it does look like something you'd get more from a counter service place

The verdict? He CLEANED his plate FYI this became a theme on our recent July 4th trip with him cleaning his plate and we have no problem with that. Anyway he generally loves ribs but is hesitant to order them that often so we were surprised he did here; pleasantly surprised when he declared them delicious.

Glad to see Chris was a happy camper!

 

[Tracy161]

Welcome back - I've been anxious to hear how your 4th of July trip, so I'll be looking forward to that. How were the crowds?

One of the boys requested it but I can't remember which one, but I do remember I figured what the heck it might make someone happy.

Don't know why, but this sentence nearly brought me to church giggles

I have to say, we were pretty darn impressed with RC!

Sounds like it made everyone happy! Who knew!? I actually kinda forget it's even there unless I walk by that side of the entrance/exit. So glad it was a pleasant surprise!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Ok, where is my gorgeous face??? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess a magic bar is a good replacement...

 

[wdwnut61]

How's Kathy doing in Bermuda???

She had an amazing time and can't wait to return.

Beautiful pic
I feel the same way about RFC but Kathy loves it.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I didn't get the souvenir glass but this was pretty good; a little TOO sweet for me which is rare but I'd get it again. In a surprising turn of events Steve also ordered a specialty drink:

I was going to say... that is the worst souveigner glass EVER! Ha!

Hey, a mule! He was happy although he prefers his mules with Grey Goose Vodka. The kids had water I think and Chris a lemonade.

It looks like water! I find mules taste different when they are in a regular glass like that. Probably just mind tricks on my part. They just don't taste as good this way to me.

3 boy-men

Ha! 3 boy-men... I find this funny for some reason...

 

[MinnieWebster]

Before using any fastpasses we had a late lunch/very early dinner reservation at a restaurant we'd kind of never eaten at - Rainforest Cafe.

We are planning on eating here once during our next trip.

Jungle Turkey Wrap
Shaved Turkey Breast, Tomatoes, Bacon, Lettuce, Caesar Dressing, Flour Tortilla, and served with choice of a Side

Rainforest Burger
Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, Cheese, Onion, choice of a side. Add bacon

Mojo Bones
Pork Spareribs, Smokin' Mojo BBQ Sauce, Coleslaw, Safari Fries

These all sound so good!! Making me hungry, and I still have an hour and a half before lunch

 

[ariane37]

Wow! Who would have thought that Rainforest Cafe would be a hit!? That's great!

I was pleasantly surprised! I really dislike eating food I feel I can get anywhere when we're there but you do what ya gotta do and if you're lucky it works out

Steve got a Mule? Really? That is VERY surprising. LOL!

I don't know who he is anymore

Who dis? Not sure I recall an Ariane from these parts

I'm not from these parts, I'm from the sunny sanitation parts of New Yawk

Ok you had me worried there for a minute when you were headed to Rain Forest. But the things we do for the kiddos (insert Whispering Canyon here for me). Shocked to hear it was good though!

Never would that be my choice when in AK but yup it's what you have to do. I will say I was also happy with our WCC dinner in May when I went with Billie and Sarah so again I would go to Territory Lounge or GP first but if I had to do WCC I wouldn't cry lol

Glad to see Chris was a happy camper!

It's a rare occurance!

Welcome back - I've been anxious to hear how your 4th of July trip, so I'll be looking forward to that. How were the crowds?

Thanks! Hoping to be able to finish this and my TR soon and start that one by the end of August! The crowds actually weren't that bad outside of MK as it got later on the 4th. I feel the crowds during MLK weekend were much worse.

Sounds like it made everyone happy! Who knew!? I actually kinda forget it's even there unless I walk by that side of the entrance/exit. So glad it was a pleasant surprise!

Same with me and I would never have booked it if one of the boys hadn't asked but it turned out better than we thought so it was a win! Well I guess not a lose lol I still would have rather eaten at Tiffins or Nomad Lounge!

Ok, where is my gorgeous face??? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess a magic bar is a good replacement...

I got too jealous when I looked at my Avatar you beautiful princess you So I decided to use something else that makes me drool but is a bit more appropriate

She had an amazing time and can't wait to return.

'Excellent to hear!

I feel the same way about RFC but Kathy loves it.

Yeah, I guess no matter how hard we try they just like basic food sometimes. As long as they eat I suppose we should be happy!

It looks like water! I find mules taste different when they are in a regular glass like that. Probably just mind tricks on my part. They just don't taste as good this way to me.

Steve says the same thing! He's always bummed when they say they don't have copper mugs but he doesn't turn it down

We are planning on eating here once during our next trip.

Not as bad a choice as I though prior to eating there! It's loud which was probably the one negative but lots of better quality Disney restaurants are too; hope you enjoy it there!

 

[ariane37]

My next update brings us to the day before Thanksgiving, which was also going to be our last day at SSR before switching to my home away from home, the WL We were up super duper early because I had booked EMM at HS for us! The kids hadn't ridden SDD yet and I thought they'd really enjoy it plus Chris' favorite ride in the park is TSM. Why not try to do TWO things on this trip to make them happy - Rainforest and this?? Yeah right, I should have stopped while I was ahead.....

We had to be to the park by 7:15 so we really were up early and tried getting the boys up; Ricky was excited to go but as I mentioned a bit earlier in the report he hadn't been feeling his best off and on with what ended up being a sinus infection. Well, he woke up feeling HORRIBLE - head pounding and upset stomach so he reluctantly decided not to go. I was disappointed but not mad. We then were trying to get Chris up and when he noticed Ricky not up he said, "Ricky's not going? I'm not going!" And there went the $$ we paid for both of them

Not letting our spirits be dampened we headed out and were let in at 7:30 on the dot! The crowds were similar to what we'll see when SWGE opens:



Ha! I jest. To make a long story short we really enjoyed it and I'd do it again even though my beloved TOT isn't part of it; oh and for any of you that have been living under a rock for the past 8 months and haven't seen pics of the holiday decor in TSL, here:



We waited until about 10 minutes before EMM ended to go to breakfast as I feel this is how you get the most out of your time! Breakfast was in ABC Commissary:







Love Speechless BTW! It was cute the way it was all decorated. We went up and ordered our entrees. I got the

Fried Chicken And Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
Crispy Chicken tenderloins paired with sweet potato barrels, cinnamon sugar french donuts, and maple glaze



I admit I wasn't really in the mood for chicken at 8:50 in the morning as I'm a huge breakfast food person but the potato barrels, donuts and yes even the chicken were all delicious! I mean it was like being at RFC all over again with the surprise lol. Steve ordered this:

Shrimp and Southern Grits Bowl
Cheesy cheddar cheese white corn grits, sauteed shrimp, yellow red and green bell peppers, and andouille sausage:



I have tried grits once and never will again (sorry southerners!) but he likes them, loved these, and as a side note Chris tried grits for the first time in Disney earlier this month and is now a fan too.

I admit that since this was 8 months ago I have no idea if these entrees are still currently on the menu; I also admit I did not realize when we were there that you could order MORE than one entree WHAT???? YES! You can order yourself two of those if you want! No worries though because we had enough to eat: in addition to our entrees we grabbed a decent amount of food from the small buffet area:




We'll say I was trying to be artsy but really I was too lazy to straighten this out! Fruit was good and those pastries were Disney-licious (yes I did). I am all for sweets in the am - and mid day - and pm - so pastries make me happy. The powdered ones happen to be raspberry which is my fave fruit jelly filling so I had 3 or 4 but who's counting? And I was thrilled to find them this month at Cape May Cafe breakfast! Here are a few shots of the buffet area:



Yogurt and lots of toppings to mix in if you're weird and want to be healthy and eat that and fruit instead of fruit and yummy pastries:



CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[ariane37]

CONTINUED FROM LAST POST

One more shot of the buffet:



I love the quotes they've been putting on the cups for awhile now!



By the time we finished it was about 9:10 and the park was officially open. We wandered around Echo Lake looking at the holiday decor - I think HS has the best. Here's one of my favorite pictures:



Hi Gertie! I had wanted to get on TOT and RNR before leaving but since we wandered, the lines were already over 40 minutes by 9:20 when we were ready so we called it a morning and went back to SSR.

The kids were awake and Ricky was feeling better. They both showered and so did I (that's right, I jumped out of bed and hit HS dirty!) and went to DS as our park plans weren't for later that evening. After doing some shopping we were hungry again and of course the boys were so we hit our favorite DS lounge, Jock Lindsay's!



I got my Jock's go-to:

Cool-headed Monkey
Starr African Rum, Van Der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, fresh Lime Juice, Watermelon, and Pineapple Juice

I don't think I need to tell you what Steve got..........
I LOVE the cool headed monkey and told Steve next time we go I want to buy the cup! But now I also want to try the Reggie's Revenge:

Reggie's Revenge
Florida Cane 'Orlando Orange' Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice

So Mamma's going to have to get both when we hopefully get there in Sept

We had been here before but the boys hadn't, we gave them suggestions for a couple things we'd enjoyed in the past including these:



Sadly they are no longer on the menu; on our last visit we asked why they were taken off and our server laughed and said every person who had ever ordered them and returns asks the same thing! These are basically the wonderful Disney potato barrels (or tater tots as they are more affectionately known) and fried cheese curds which are equally delicious to their lighter colored counter parts. In fact Steve and I would fight over the cheese curds because inevitably they would be gone first and that's what happened on this day so we ended up getting a 2nd order!

All 3 guys got these which Steve had gotten on previous visits:

Snakebite Sliders
Gourmet Beef Sliders with Tomato-Bacon Jam, House-made Pickles, Shredded Lettuce, and Cheese



Nice! Had no idea that would be upside-down, sorry! I had these for the first time in February of this year and I agree with their thoughts on this day: some of the smoothest, most melt in your mouth sliders I've ever tasted. The tomato bacon jam is to DIE for, seriously. Thank goodness these are still on the menu!

Chris and I also shared an order of something else not currently on the menu:



OMG why???? Anyway I can't find a full description but these were Nang Tao popcorn chicken bites with spicy popcorn and boy, if anything spicy ever stood up to its name it's these things, including the popcorn! Chris and I love spicy but our mouths were BURNING. Luckily I had that cool headed monkey to help.............................

These few small plates hit the spot and the kids enjoyed their first visit to Jocks; we sat outside as we have on all visits so you can watch some water craft and some amphicars too. We had a TS dinner later so we didn't want to be too full but it didn't stop the boys from doing something else new to all of us before we returned to our resort:







I'd talked about making your own treats at Goofy's Candy Company forever but we never seemed to get there, and after me bringing back the the rice krispie treat I'd made there earlier in the trip they were bent on doing it. It's fun to watch your creation being made and even more fun to eat them! Ricky ended up finishing his that night but we had to leave half of Chris's behind when we moved resorts the next day. But they were happy to have done it and I'm always happy to give them something new to do in Disney!

 

[MinnieWebster]

The crowds were similar to what we'll see when SWGE opens:

Fried Chicken And Cinnamon Sugar French Donut Bowl
Crispy Chicken tenderloins paired with sweet potato barrels, cinnamon sugar french donuts, and maple glaze

That sounds like a good breakfast!

 

[angelmav]

Yay a new update! I used to love RFC, but then ate at the one at Paris Disney and it was terrible, which put me off on it. Glad that it worked out for your trip though.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

so we hit our favorite DS lounge, Jock Lindsay's!

Oh yeah!!! You already know I'm a HUGE fan of this establishment...

I don't think I need to tell you what Steve got..........

Umm, no, no need...

Reggie's Revenge
Florida Cane 'Orlando Orange' Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice

So Mamma's going to have to get both when we hopefully get there in Sept

OMG! I too am a huge fan.

The only thing I don't get about our beloved JL, is WHY do they keep taking everything I love off the menu????? I sure do miss those nachos...They better not take them off the menu at Territory Lounge as those are pretty delish too.