Flower and Garden, frisky giraffes, four kids and food galore! Spring 2019 Updated 8/25

lauraleh

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 20, 2014
Here goes my first ever dining report... wish me luck! I will admit at the onset, sometimes my kids (and I) attack food before I remember to take a picture so there will be some missing photos. Sorry in advance!

Meet us!

Me (Laura): Wife, mom of 4, Disney planner, outfit coordinator, rider swap mastermind. Favorites: Flight of Passage, Epcot festivals, meet and greets, rope drop, Mickey rice krispies.
Justin: Husband, dad, Disney fan who does whatever I plan! Favorites: Thrill rides, pool time, fireworks, Dole Whips.
Evelyn: 8 years old, little mommy (aka huge helper), mini Disney planner. Favorites: Rock N' Roller Coaster, 'Ohana, Tsum Tsums, ice cream, Ariel, Merida, Moana.
Jude: 5 years old, best brother to ALL the girls! Favorites: Splash Mountain, Mickey waffles, Star Wars, super heroes, candy.
Penelope: 3 years old, little firecracker, wants to be one of the big kids so bad! Favorites: Princesses, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, "treats".
Anne Violet: 7 months (at the time of the trip), sweetest little sister who puts up with ALL THE LOVE from the bigs. Favorites: Mommy.

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Schedule for this trip:

Day 1: Arrival Day, Epcot

  • Flower and Garden Booths
  • Epcot Quick Service
Day 2: Magic Kingdom
  • Be Our Guest lunch
  • 'Ohana dinner
Day 3: Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs
  • Yak and Yeti lunch
  • D-Lux dinner
Day 4: Magic Kingdom
  • Be Our Guest breakfast
  • Storybook at Artist Point dinner
Day 5: Hollywood Studios
  • Bon Voyage brunch
  • Backlot Express dinner
Day 6: Epcot
  • Garden Grill breakfast
  • Polite Pig dinner
Day 7: Magic Kingdom
  • Port Orleans lunch
  • Columbia Harbor House dinner
Day 8: Animal Kingdom, Departure Day
  • Satuli Canteen

Up Next: Arrival Day...
 
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Arrival Day

We go to Disney every year and I always involve my children in the planning. This year my oldest asked that I surprise them with the trip. It ended up being a few late nights for me to pack after they went to bed but I think she loved being surprised! We woke them up at 5:00 AM, dressed them in Disney shirts and loaded them in the car seats! It was fairly obvious where we were headed.


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At the airport, we began our day with Chick Fil A. As usual CFA had a long line so this ended up being eaten on the plane. Someone was a liiiittttttle grouchy....

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But we were heading to Walt Disney World, so who can stay in a bad mood?? We arrived, took the Magical Express and checked in at Caribbean Beach Resort. Justin and I had several trips planned (Wine and Dine half marathon, another family trip, possible work trip in January) so we upgraded our tickets to Annual Passes! Glad I got that done before the crazy price increase.

Next stop, Epcot! Remember the bad mood? Nothing a little Dole Whip can't cure. This was from the Pineapple Promenade booth. We also had a Violet Lemonade, which we all loved!


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I also had the Lobster Tail and the Crispy Citrus Chicken from the Citrus Blossom booth and really liked them both but totally forgot to take a picture. From the Flavor Full Kitchen booth, I had the Poached Salmon and the Mickey Peanut Butter and Strawberry Tart. Loved the salmon! It was cooked very well and the veggies under it were very fresh and tasty. The peanut butter tart was a fun treat. You can't really tell in the picture but it was so sparkly. It pretty much tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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I am obsessed with Epcot in the spring. It's so beautiful.

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We went into the butterfly garden and they loaded us up with Go Go Squeeze apple sauce pouches. Those really came in handy for the next few days when someone HAD to have a snack while we were in line for something. Next was Test Track, topiaries, and more food. Mommy also needed a La Vie En Rose frozen martini. It was wonderful although I may prefer the Food and Wine La Passion slushy.

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I ended my tour of the food booths with the Shrimp and Grits and the Key Lime Tart from Florida Fresh. I swear I took a picture of the shrimp and grits but I can't find it in my album. It was pretty good but I would pick any of the other dishes from earlier over it. It was actually kind of spicy to me and I'm from Louisiana and love spice. The Key Lime Tart was ok too. I'm sure if you love key lime, you would love this.

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My husband and kids rounded out their tour de food with the Shawarma Chicken and Lamb platter from Tangierine Cafe at Epcot. It is a ton of food and always pretty yummy especially for a quick service meal.

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Thus ends our wonderful first day at Walt Disney World. We headed back to Caribbean Beach and went to bed to prepare for a fun Magic day tomorrow.

Up Next: Magic Kingdom...
 
Great start! Your kids are adorable! Spring is my favorite time at Epcot too. So many flowers! Can’t wait for more reviews!
 


Wife, mom of 4, Disney planner, outfit coordinator, rider swap mastermind.

Officially getting business cards made up with this EXACT title! lol

What a big lovely family you have :) Can't wait to follow along!
 
Your family is adorable! Sounds like a perfect first day of your trip. Can't wait to hear about the rest :)
 
Following along! I have 4 kids too (all grown now) and those trips we took to Disney when they were little were so much fun. Love see all that yummy food you all had! And I agree...Disney in the spring during Flower and Garden is my favorite time of year to go :)
 


Following! What a great start to your report. We are staying at CBR for the first time in September and also surprising our kids with the trip - I can't wait to see their reactions!

Excited to hear more of your trip!
 
Great start! Your kids are adorable! Spring is my favorite time at Epcot too. So many flowers! Can’t wait for more reviews!
Thank you! It was our first spring trip and we are sold!

So fun to follow along on your Dining Adventures! :mickeybar
Thanks for joining in!

Officially getting business cards made up with this EXACT title! lol

What a big lovely family you have :) Can't wait to follow along!
Ha! I definitely wear many hats! Thank you!

Your family is adorable! Sounds like a perfect first day of your trip. Can't wait to hear about the rest :)
Thanks! It was a great start!

Following along! I have 4 kids too (all grown now) and those trips we took to Disney when they were little were so much fun. Love see all that yummy food you all had! And I agree...Disney in the spring during Flower and Garden is my favorite time of year to go :)
I'm sure you know it's a circus sometimes but so fun!

Following! What a great start to your report. We are staying at CBR for the first time in September and also surprising our kids with the trip - I can't wait to see their reactions!

Excited to hear more of your trip!
Welcome! We really enjoyed CBR! It was big but the whole area was beautiful! The surprise was fun! I hope yours goes great!
 
Day 2

It's Magic Kingdom day!! There's something about walking down Main Street for the first time every trip. You just feel like you've finally arrived! Justin, Jude and Evelyn kicked off their day with some thrill rides, while the little girls and I took a more leisurely approach.


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Nothing like rope dropping the carousel. Lol

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After swimming under the sea and giving Ariel the side eye, we headed to Be Our Guest for lunch.

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Here's where I'm going to disappoint. This is pretty much the only picture I got in the castle...


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I had the Braised Pork which is now a chicken dish. Justin had the French Dip and the kids split the Carved Turkey Sandwich. These were all pretty good. Jude especially liked the turkey and I do agree it was a nice thick slice and not dry at all. Honestly though, we go to Be Our Guest for the atmosphere and ability to sit down in a relatively stress free environment. I like that it's a quick service credit on the dining plan but if I were paying out of pocket I would probably be more inclined to visit Liberty Tree Tavern or The Plaza. The prices are pretty similar. I do LOVE the strawberry cupcake. It's my favorite cupcake on property.

**I should mention we were doing a split stay between Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside. Switching for 2 nights saved $500. We decided to do the dining plan and stack our expensive meals during the first 6 days of the trip.**

After lunch we headed over to Agrabah, I mean Adventureland, and Penelope was charmed by Jasmine and her jewels.


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Because Aloha Isle was SO CLOSE, we stopped for a Dole Whip. The float version is by far Justin's favorite. We really wanted to try the Hei Hei cone but it wasn't available on Mobile Ordering and the line for the regular register was ridiculous at that point, so no Hei Hei for us.

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I'm the mom that makes them share. This was gone in .2 seconds.

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We spent the afternoon spinning and meeting friends and I finally got to ride something that went faster than 1 mph.

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Next up...Evelyn's pick for dinner with actual pictures of food!
 
'Ohana Dinner

Whenever I ask my kids where they want to eat on our Disney trips, 'Ohana is always Evelyn's answer. I'm not sure if it's the bread pudding or the leis or what pulls her here but it's a fun experience and as long as we are on the dining plan, I don't say no. Justin and I have had the discussion several times about whether it would be worth it out of pocket. Still undecided but probably no.

Moving on! Drinks...Justin had the Lapu Lapu minus the pineapple. It's good but packs a punch.

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I had the Backscratcher. The description says it has 2 kinds of rum, whiskey and passion fruit juice. I really liked it. It was not too strong despite the 3 types of alcohol. I'm usually a wine drinker but don't mind something fruity now and then. This also came with a literal backscratcher which my kids proceeded to argue over. 😬


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Evelyn had something green. She was a fan of the umbrella. ⛱ Jude always takes the opportunity to order chocolate milk.

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The food. See the bread in the above photo, which I hate because I can only taste the coconut. It's fine though. It saves room for the coming courses. The salad used to be one of my favorite things but I feel like they've changed it a lot. A few years ago, it had edamame, wonton strips, peppers and lots of other stuff. The only thing I'm remembering about this year was kale. Pass.

The appetizer portion of the meal is where I feel 'Ohana really shines. I could pretty much eat our entire serving of the noodles. The chicken wings and pork dumplings are both great and I'm always a fan of getting veggies into my kids.


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I don't have pictures of the meats but this is how I usually feel it goes (based on 4 years experience). Chicken-great. Steak-tough and overcooked. Shrimp-messy.

Hula lessons!

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Baby approves!

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Finally we arrive at dessert. The 'Ohana bread pudding. It really is great and somehow I don't taste the coconut at all in it. Could be the ice cream and caramel sauce. 🤷‍♀️


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Kid's dessert although they always steal the ice cream from the bread pudding.

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We have had some great times at 'Ohana and it's become a tradition for us after our first Magic Kingdom day. We may branch out and try something new next trip.
 
Any place there is dole whip I am there. Awesome trip and food so far!
 
'Ohana Dinner

Whenever I ask my kids where they want to eat on our Disney trips, 'Ohana is always Evelyn's answer. I'm not sure if it's the bread pudding or the leis or what pulls her here but it's a fun experience and as long as we are on the dining plan, I don't say no. Justin and I have had the discussion several times about whether it would be worth it out of pocket. Still undecided but probably no.

Moving on! Drinks...Justin had the Lapu Lapu minus the pineapple. It's good but packs a punch.

View attachment 422446

I had the Backscratcher. The description says it has 2 kinds of rum, whiskey and passion fruit juice. I really liked it. It was not too strong despite the 3 types of alcohol. I'm usually a wine drinker but don't mind something fruity now and then. This also came with a literal backscratcher which my kids proceeded to argue over. 😬


View attachment 422450

Evelyn had something green. She was a fan of the umbrella. ⛱ Jude always takes the opportunity to order chocolate milk.

View attachment 422453

The food. See the bread in the above photo, which I hate because I can only taste the coconut. It's fine though. It saves room for the coming courses. The salad used to be one of my favorite things but I feel like they've changed it a lot. A few years ago, it had edamame, wonton strips, peppers and lots of other stuff. The only thing I'm remembering about this year was kale. Pass.

The appetizer portion of the meal is where I feel 'Ohana really shines. I could pretty much eat our entire serving of the noodles. The chicken wings and pork dumplings are both great and I'm always a fan of getting veggies into my kids.


View attachment 422455

I don't have pictures of the meats but this is how I usually feel it goes (based on 4 years experience). Chicken-great. Steak-tough and overcooked. Shrimp-messy.

Hula lessons!

View attachment 422461

Baby approves!

View attachment 422464

Finally we arrive at dessert. The 'Ohana bread pudding. It really is great and somehow I don't taste the coconut at all in it. Could be the ice cream and caramel sauce. 🤷‍♀️


View attachment 422467

Kid's dessert although they always steal the ice cream from the bread pudding.

View attachment 422473

We have had some great times at 'Ohana and it's become a tradition for us after our first Magic Kingdom day. We may branch out and try something new next trip.

Ohana is my husband's favorite place to eat. We all love the food though. I agree with you on the meal - my favorites are the noodles and the potstickers. I can give or take the meat most times. And that bread pudding is amazing!!
 
Day 3: Animal Kingdom!

Hi Pandora!

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We started our day taking a journey through the River of the Na'vi. Animal Kingdom had extra magic hours that morning so it was a walk on. After that more thrilling things were calling our names like Expedition Everest and Dinosaur for the big kids and Triceratop Spin for the little ones. We also had a Kevin spotting!

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Enough already...The Boneyard was calling my kids names. It might literally be their favorite place on property.

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Next up, the safari and a particularly frisky giraffe. I almost had to have the birds and bees talk with my kids after this ride. Zoom in at your own risk. 🙈

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How about some lunch???? 🤣

Animal Kingdom is blessed with food options. Satuli, Tusker House, Flametree, Tiffins, Nomad....all good. We are also fans of Yak and Yeti and that's where we ended up today. The atmosphere and food are both great.

Justin had the Chicken Tikka Masala. It was very yummy according to him. He said it had the right amount of spice and lot of flavor.

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Because I like to maximize the dining plan, I had the Lobster Garlic Noodles. Menu Description: Lobster, shrimp, scallops, baby spinach, red peppers, shiitake mushrooms, tossed in zesty garlic stir-fry sauce. I really enjoyed this dish. It had wonderful flavor and lots of seafood.

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For dessert, Justin had the Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

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I went with the Fried Wontons.

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Both were yummy. I kept making him swap desserts with me so I could have some of both. Wife of the year. 😂

After that we were ready for some pool time....:sunny:

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We had plans to go back to Animal Kingdom that evening but once we got to the pool, it was all over for them. We did manage to head to Disney Springs where we grabbed a quick dinner at D-Lux.

Up Next: Magic Kingdom and ice cream for lunch!
 

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