MikeAidanEoinMom
Mom to Three Sons
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2006
my friend is a lurker and asked that I post her food report. I keep telling her to join....I am the other people in the report !!LMAO
I added DDP at the last moment, after I really thought about how much money it could save me. I was one person at dinner, except for Boma, where I joined my friends that I traveled with. I had scoffed at all the other comments about having too much food and credits left over. I figured because they were families was the only way this could happen. But I have to apologize because it happened to me as well, however, I think this was further complicated by the fact that I had pre arranged to have snacks and breakfast goodies in my room. I most certainly never went hungry.
I arrived on Wednesday November the 8th and left Monday the 13th. Yes, it was Jersey Week and Im from Jersey, what of it? J Prior to arrival I had smartly made all my ADRs and loosely planned where I might eat my CS based on where I was going to be in the parks but in the end found my CSs and snacks not at all where I thought I would be.
Lets get to the report for more clarification:
Monday
Arrived via ME at ASMo at about 11am. Got a room, dropped my bags, and went to get something from the food court as I had left for the airport at 4am and was Starvin like Marvin. I never thought I would get breakfast for my CS credits, but thats what they were serving and thats what I ate! I got the breakfast platter that was way more food for me to eat (and if youve seen me, you know thats a lot) When I gave my card over at the register, my DDP was not on my card. Thankfully (pixie dust was all around) the cashier put it through and just told me Honey, you put a good meal in you first and then you go to the concierge desk and they will fix you up. The DDP was listed on my card and she could see that I just checked in, but still, she could have given me a hard time. Im just glad that she didnt. The food was, I was starving, it was food, it was gone. But, like I said, there was a lot and I didnt finish it.
Then, I did stuff that im sure is interested, but doesnt belong in a dinning report, so lets skip to dinner. I scheduled my dinner for Mama Melrose for 3:50, to coincide with the MGM parade ending. It was the last meal that I picked and a hard decision based on the mixed reviews heard here. I showed up slightly early and they sat me within a few minutes. My waiter must have been on break but another one was covering for him (I saved all my receipts for the names and amounts of meals, but theyre at home in a box so ) took care of me until the original one came back. Ok, strange fact about me, I drink a lot during my meals. Water, juice, soda, whatever, as long as its non alcoholic. I dont know why, I just do. So, a sign of a good server, to me, is that they recognize this and keep up appropriately. Unfortunately, this waiter did not. He was ok, but I went thirsty often. I ordered the Caesar salad and was surprised it looked pretty small. I did enjoy it but it was over dressed. I would rather it be over than under, so it was ok for me, but others should be forewarned. I didnt like the bread they offered or the dipping oil. It tasted too pesto-y, if that makes sense. Then the chicken parm came. It looked ok, not much pasta under it, however. It was really tasty and I finished most of it. I wouldnt have been able to finish the pasta no matter how much was there, I was full from the salad and chicken. Then it was dessert time. I was stuffed but it comes with it so, you have to get it. I chose the hazelnut cheesecake. Not a big fan, but I didnt plan on eating any of it. Well, I ate the whole thing except the hazelnut part in the center. Yum-me. But I was so stuffed, I was rolling myself out. Definitely could not use my fast pass for RnR, so I gave it away to a nice couple walking through the entrance.
Thursday
I grabbed some pop tarts and hopped on the bus to MK for early opening. I had planned on having an early CS meal since Boma was on schedule tonight with my friends. We got so busy on rides left and right, that never happened. They were able to have a nice, quick breakfast at Main Street Bakery, but I wasnt hungry yet and thought I would be having lunch soon. No worries, though. I did use a snack credit sometime in the early afternoon for an ice cream sandwich by the vender near PotC. Good stuff.
We got to AKL and while getting there we learned that Disney Germs apparently only happen to those who cant afford the deluxe rates, but that is another story for another time. We were early for Boma, which doesnt open until 5, when our ADRs were scheduled, but we roamed the AKL to see what it was like in the interim. The lobby is very quiet and sedate to relax after a nice day of park touring, just the thing to get you in the mood for a nice dinner.
They sat us when the restaurant opened, at a really nice table carved out of wood, with an unusual shape. We were all starving and couldnt wait to see if we would like this place. Some back story, I and my friend are very picky eaters. I didnt think that I would like eating here and had to be convincingly talked into coming here. Of course, after leaving, its now one of my favorite places, but I think its from the overall experience than just the food. Its fantastic!
So, I knew ahead of time that they would have potato soup on our night and I headed right for that. It was really creamy and had very fine pieces of bacon in it. Mom mom was sitting next to me and kept saying oh my god, theres so much cream in this soup but for me, that was kind of a selling point, it was so yummy, very flavorful. I had two bowls. I also had the African Tomato Salad which was greens, tomatoes, some sort of cheese (like a goat cheese consistency and taste) along with something that looked like nacho chips but were actually thins layers of a potato like something. Too hard to describe, anyway, and it had a vinaigrette dressing. I really like it after I tried it but others did not. I thought it was great. Then, I took a little from the kids section and had some chicken fingers and mac and cheese as the meat stations were scaring me a bit. The chicken and M&C was normal but not the best Ive ever had. Im sure that kids love it. After looking around at my table and asking questions about what were on my friends plates and if they liked it, I ventured up to the carving section. I was able to get a nice well done piece of the beef (I think it was filet, but not really sure. It was a nice cut). I also got the potatoes with afritute that was not as spicy as I thought it was going to be. Beware of the way that you want your meat cooked. My friend likes well done meat and was only a few steps behind me and received very rare, red beef but we found if you tell them what kind of cut you want, they will be more than happy to get you what you want. Also, a note, they do not have any chicken that is not off the bone. Excuse all the negatives, plain and simple, you have to like chicken on the bone here, which I do not. You could, however, ask your friends husband to de-bone it, but I was already very full at this point and did not. But I was not full enough to pass up the dessert area. First I loaded up on the watermelon, as its my favorite. It was so nice to have good tasting fruit in November. Then I tried the famous zebra domes and found them to be just ok. Wasnt in love with them. I also tried the cookies and something else that were pretty good. I really liked the fruit tartlet, after taking the blueberries off. It was very tasty and I could have had a few more of them, if I had room in the tummy.
Friday
Another day that started out with pop tarts. I headed out to MK for regular opening to do a couple of things that I missed while touring with my friends and their kids. Met up with them again after they completed the Family Magic Tour. They continued on with their day and I went to Concourse Steakhouse for my late lunch. I scheduled my lunch for 130 in order to make sure I saw as much as I could at MK before stopping since we were going to DD later that night. I took a tour around the resorts on the monorail and then arrived at the Contemporary. I was seated right away and the place was pretty deserted, only two other tables and myself. Those who dont want to make ADRs might want to consider this place for this time of day as it looks like they would be able to fit you in as a walk up. I have eaten here before for lunch in 2003 and enjoyed it so I knew I would be happy. I started with the French onion soup, which was really yummy, and then moved on to the New York Strip. I ordered it with French fries instead of the onion rings. My waitress, again measuring how good they are by the attentiveness to my beverages, was just ok. I attribute this to most likely getting her sidework completed since I was her only table. The food runner brought out my steak and it was over the onion rings. As I opened my mouth to ask him about it, my waitress came by and took the plate before he could put it down saying this is wrong, I will have them fix it, I am so sorry. I just smiled and continued to finish my delicious soup. When she brought it out, the steak was over the fries and some of the fries were laying in the steaks juices. Again, I am strange, but I dont like soggy fries. And I dont mix foods (Those of you who know what this mean, know the issue with my plate) She must have seen my face and said I can get you a separate plate for the fries But I said no, as I just separated the two quick enough for the soggy not to set in. Yes, I am weird, but my friends love me this way! After making a good dent in the steak and fries, it was time to order dessert. I wasnt sure what I was going to have. No, wait, I was pretty sure I was going to have the brownie sundae on the kids menu, dont let me lead you astray and think I wasnt fully prepared on my menu selections, obsessive planner that I am. This changed, however, when I asked my waitress what the seasonal cheesecake was. She told me it was Butterfinger cheesecake. I was salivating as I told her that sounds wonderful. And not only did it sound wonderful, it was. Every little piece of it. Yum, yum, yum. It had Butterfinger pieces all over it as well as throughout the cheesecake. I almost licked the plate but figured that would be in bad form (a la Captain Hook). Such a delicious meal, its a shame that Concourse doesnt get more fanfare.
I neglected to mention that at Boma I also enjoyed a nice cocktail. It was their version of a Margarita (over rocks) and it was very tasty. Our waiter Pedro also kept my soda glass full and clear away plates quickly.
From here I met my friends with the intention of telling them I couldnt continue at MK but they had the same idea and we all went to the hotel to rest. We had plans at DD that I went earlier to since I wanted to get in some shopping that they had completed before I arrived in FL.
We planned on eating at Wolfgang Pucks Express. At this point, we added more friends and were now a party of 11, which included 4 adults and 2 kids in strollers. A large group. Which might be trouble if you take this large group on a Friday night around 6pm to eat dinner at WPE. However, Jiminy was looking out for us in the form of the food runners. Between Mom mom and these guys, we were able to sit outside, in the back, all at the same table. Being on the DDP I was not able to order the new ravioli and something else I had no intention of getting (meatloaf or something??) Kinda bummed about the ravioli as it sounded heavenly but settled for instead with the Linguini with Chicken Bolognese. I say settled, but really I didnt. It was so good, and so much, and so filling! I couldnt even finish it. Yum. Others in my party got, from what my bad memory tells me, a quesadilla, some salad, a pizza, the mac and cheese, and my pasta as well. Everyone loved everything they got and there was food left over. We had one teenage dissenter that went to Earls and brought back either The Full Montagu or the Club. Either way, after he picked up what he lost by unwrapping it wrong and into his lap, he enjoyed it thoroughly. We found long lines in both places but noticed that they moved considerably fast. For my dessert I could have had crème brule but choose the cookies instead to give to the kids since I was planning on Ghirardellis later.
Skipping to later, after some shopping and walking around, I found myself and some of our group at the ice cream shop. It was crowded but we were only about fourth in line. I think I ordered from the menu but basically it came out to this: an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream, no nuts or cherry. I really dont know how much this cost, maybe in the $6-8 range, but I can tell you that it was worth every penny. It was so yummy. (Can you tell that I like the word yummy, but really, what better word is out there when describing good, yummy food?) The hot fudge was hot and had a dark fudg-ie taste to it. The caramel added to the mix. I had to sit down to enjoy it because I couldnt walk and eat at the same time, I concentrated so much on getting each taste on every spoonful. It was heaven. And actually, too much for me to eat, so when I couldnt finish, the teenager took over.
Some time later, we got to Epcot for one of the last days of Food and Wine. We arrived about 930pm-ish and our party was whittled down to four adults. Now, I must admit, I am not much of a beer or wine drinker so I was planning on enjoying a frozen margarita from Mexico and spending the majority of the time until midnight with that. Additionally, as you have read, I am not much of an adventurous eater, so I knew that my pocketbook was going to stay pretty much closed (If I carried a pocketbook, that is) in regards to trying new foods at the booths. So, we arrived at the WS and decided to start on the Mexico side since thats what we all wanted first. Yeah, the marg stand was closed, but those of you who are smart already knew this and are now smiling at yourselves. Well, you go girl, you trumped me. But that didnt stop us. My friends gathered various beers and wines, those names I do not know nor care to know. I, however, got a Plum Wine Green Tea Wine Cooler from the Japan booth. While it was fruity, etcetera, which is just up my alley, it was just ok. I didnt throw it out, but I wouldnt highly recommend it either. It was very daring for me. We then passed the Morocco stand and it had frozen margs. We ordered 3. They were messy and frozen and had tequila in them. Thats about all I can say. But really, when comparing it to what I know the ones at Mexico to be, nothing would have come up roses. Later in our travels, my friend and I shared a tartlet. It was at the booth that sold the Sam Adams beers, I dont remember what the official name was. We dug into the onion and bacon tartlet and it was the best tartlet weve ever eaten. We talk about it daily, how good that tartlet was and how much we miss it. Lots of winks in that last sentence or two but really, a good pastry. Two thumbs up. It was right past here that the lights came down from God. The trumpets soared and the choir sang. We came upon the France stand. I had read about these, I had seen pictures, but my hopes were downgraded because of the marg debacle. There, at the stand, not the F&W cart, was the best thing ever invented. The Grey Goose Citron Lemon Slushie Machine. Moment of silence, please. Thank you. They also offered a Grand Marnier orange slushie, and I like my orange slushie, but I had my heart set on lemon and knew that grey goose was supposed to be smooth. We had three lemons and one orange. All yummy. I dont think I will be able to sufficiently articulate how wonderful these were so you will just have to try them yourself. They come in a martini glass and seem never ending. When you make a wish for more, it doesnt come true, or maybe we didnt have enough Disney Magic going, or maybe the stand was closed by this point. The point is that they are fantastic. We had to hastily finish our margs in order to start these. If you know me, you know this is strange, because I am a light weight and believe in moderation, but it was oh so worth it. Oh, so. After sitting and enjoying them, we also sampled the chocolate crème brule that the france cart was offering. It was good, it would have been good if they served them warm, and I understand why they dont, but it was good (look for another sampling of these later in my trip). We traveled through the rest of Epcot, missed the last ride on Soarin and made our way to the busses by 1230. A good time was had by all.
Saturday
Yeah, had some pop tarts again. Got to Epcot for opening (had to stay away from MGM since it was Super Soap) and hit all the rides in FW except for Ellen, HISTK, and Figment. Even did some twice. Met up with said friends for the remainder of the morning and very early afternoon. (Soap fans can take note that as I waited for some of our people to get finished MS/Orange that I saw Tony Geary walk by with an escort, no fans, no fanfare, nothing. Of course, my mouth was hanging open wide. So, sometimes, even if you go to MGM for S/S, the best places to see stars are in the other parks. Just a thought) My friends were leaving for home that day, so they stayed in Epcot while I returned to the hotel for a much, much needed nap. On my way to the nap, I stopped by the food court at Movies for, well, food. I used a CS for the Chicken Penne Alfredo. It came with a breadstick and they really gave you a lot. I also got a fountain drink and a piece of chocolate cake. It was a nice meal before I took my nap.
After the nap, it was time to head back to Epcot for my ADRs to Le Cellier. Again, I have eaten here before, and my friends ate here earlier in the week, so I knew what I was in for. Let me make one comment on eating by myself for those of you contemplating a solo trip. I never based my dining choices on whether I thought I would feel comfortable by myself because I believe that you make yourself feel that way. In each instance, I was looking around at the décor or the patrons, reading my maps or other things I had picked up along the way, was text messaging home, or editing my pictures. Most times, I chatted with the servers and the like. Never felt stared at or out of place at all (except for this night, which I will get to) but that might partly be from the fact that I really dont care what other people think, who really is going to see these people again to value their opinion so much? A very good experience all around, eating alone, and I would recommend anyone feeling timid to just go for it.
So, walked up to the hostess stand and there was a few people in front of me. I am full of delight to tell you that none of them had ADRs and were all turned away. Some of them were rude to the young ladies. I felt bad and greeted them with a big smile and said I wouldnt be giving them any gruff as I had an ADR, they looked SO relieved! They brought me right in and seated me. The waitress I had was fantastic and I really have to look up her name later. I thought she was so good that I stopped and talked to supervisors about her on my way out. When she came to get my order, I asked about any alcoholic beverages she could recommend and I settled on the Year of a Million Dreams blue martini. She brought my bread and cheese soup. Now, I am not on board with the huge fan club of the cheese soup. As I have stated before, I really dont like beer, which the soup tastes like. I am, however, a big fan of cheese, which overrides my dont get that sensor button. I had the soup in 2003 and it was very beer-y, which surprised me. I really didnt like it that much. But the pictures I have seen lately have showed a different looking one and they are using a different beer now, from what I remember. So, it tried it. And I liked it more than I thought from last time. Right in the middle of enjoying it, the whole restaurant in my area takes notice of a sudden blue glow. Everyone stares at it. Those same people who knew that I wouldnt be getting margs in Mexico probably know what the next sentences hold. Yes, that blue glow was coming towards me, since Le Cellier, THE CELLER, is pretty dark, and every looked in my direction as she put my blue martini, with a glow cube, down. At this point, the lights in the glow cube started to strobe and I thought I was in a bad John Travolta movie. I asked her how to turn it off and she laughed and said this happens all the time. After it was turned off, I had a great time enjoying the YOAMD drink. Very tasty, I highly recommend. Then, my filet came out. I ordered the mushroom filet over the cream cheese mashed potatoes rather than the risotto because I wasnt sure if I would like it. The steak was perfect, it was all yummy (I didnt eat the parsnips) and I was in steak and potato heaven. For dessert, because I had to have dessert, I choose the Chocolate Moose, since nothing on the adult menu grabbed me. It was a great choice. The moose gave its life for me and it was well worth it. Had a pleasant conversation with the couple next to me and they said that there were tons of people outside looking to get in with no ADR. We chatted about how everyone knows you need to make ADRs and how great a deal the DDP was. Very enjoyable evening.
My friends told me about how the Saturday previous, WS was full of drunken people but I didnt find that to really be true. I honestly thought it would be more crowded since it was Veterans Day and the last weekend of F&W, but it wasnt bad, or I just didnt pay attention. Either could be the case. I wandered from ride to ride with really no wait in FW until it was time to get a good place for Illuminations, which I have never seen before. During this time, I got set up with another of the fantastically yummy grey goose lemon slushies. Seriously, people, run, dont walk, to the stand in France for these. Knock down the children, trip those princesses, and make your way as quickly as possible as soon as you can. I also used a snack credit on another chocolate crème brule. Very nice to have both while waiting an hour or so for the fireworks. It was also nice to leave a voicemail on my friends cell, since they were on their plane back towards home, about how I was having the slushie and they werent. Yes, I am evil and have a Disney pin to prove it.
I will finish up with Tonys, the rest of my CS and snack credits, and an overview of how I felt about the plan in the next part. Have a great day everyone!
I added DDP at the last moment, after I really thought about how much money it could save me. I was one person at dinner, except for Boma, where I joined my friends that I traveled with. I had scoffed at all the other comments about having too much food and credits left over. I figured because they were families was the only way this could happen. But I have to apologize because it happened to me as well, however, I think this was further complicated by the fact that I had pre arranged to have snacks and breakfast goodies in my room. I most certainly never went hungry.
I arrived on Wednesday November the 8th and left Monday the 13th. Yes, it was Jersey Week and Im from Jersey, what of it? J Prior to arrival I had smartly made all my ADRs and loosely planned where I might eat my CS based on where I was going to be in the parks but in the end found my CSs and snacks not at all where I thought I would be.
Lets get to the report for more clarification:
Monday
Arrived via ME at ASMo at about 11am. Got a room, dropped my bags, and went to get something from the food court as I had left for the airport at 4am and was Starvin like Marvin. I never thought I would get breakfast for my CS credits, but thats what they were serving and thats what I ate! I got the breakfast platter that was way more food for me to eat (and if youve seen me, you know thats a lot) When I gave my card over at the register, my DDP was not on my card. Thankfully (pixie dust was all around) the cashier put it through and just told me Honey, you put a good meal in you first and then you go to the concierge desk and they will fix you up. The DDP was listed on my card and she could see that I just checked in, but still, she could have given me a hard time. Im just glad that she didnt. The food was, I was starving, it was food, it was gone. But, like I said, there was a lot and I didnt finish it.
Then, I did stuff that im sure is interested, but doesnt belong in a dinning report, so lets skip to dinner. I scheduled my dinner for Mama Melrose for 3:50, to coincide with the MGM parade ending. It was the last meal that I picked and a hard decision based on the mixed reviews heard here. I showed up slightly early and they sat me within a few minutes. My waiter must have been on break but another one was covering for him (I saved all my receipts for the names and amounts of meals, but theyre at home in a box so ) took care of me until the original one came back. Ok, strange fact about me, I drink a lot during my meals. Water, juice, soda, whatever, as long as its non alcoholic. I dont know why, I just do. So, a sign of a good server, to me, is that they recognize this and keep up appropriately. Unfortunately, this waiter did not. He was ok, but I went thirsty often. I ordered the Caesar salad and was surprised it looked pretty small. I did enjoy it but it was over dressed. I would rather it be over than under, so it was ok for me, but others should be forewarned. I didnt like the bread they offered or the dipping oil. It tasted too pesto-y, if that makes sense. Then the chicken parm came. It looked ok, not much pasta under it, however. It was really tasty and I finished most of it. I wouldnt have been able to finish the pasta no matter how much was there, I was full from the salad and chicken. Then it was dessert time. I was stuffed but it comes with it so, you have to get it. I chose the hazelnut cheesecake. Not a big fan, but I didnt plan on eating any of it. Well, I ate the whole thing except the hazelnut part in the center. Yum-me. But I was so stuffed, I was rolling myself out. Definitely could not use my fast pass for RnR, so I gave it away to a nice couple walking through the entrance.
Thursday
I grabbed some pop tarts and hopped on the bus to MK for early opening. I had planned on having an early CS meal since Boma was on schedule tonight with my friends. We got so busy on rides left and right, that never happened. They were able to have a nice, quick breakfast at Main Street Bakery, but I wasnt hungry yet and thought I would be having lunch soon. No worries, though. I did use a snack credit sometime in the early afternoon for an ice cream sandwich by the vender near PotC. Good stuff.
We got to AKL and while getting there we learned that Disney Germs apparently only happen to those who cant afford the deluxe rates, but that is another story for another time. We were early for Boma, which doesnt open until 5, when our ADRs were scheduled, but we roamed the AKL to see what it was like in the interim. The lobby is very quiet and sedate to relax after a nice day of park touring, just the thing to get you in the mood for a nice dinner.
They sat us when the restaurant opened, at a really nice table carved out of wood, with an unusual shape. We were all starving and couldnt wait to see if we would like this place. Some back story, I and my friend are very picky eaters. I didnt think that I would like eating here and had to be convincingly talked into coming here. Of course, after leaving, its now one of my favorite places, but I think its from the overall experience than just the food. Its fantastic!
So, I knew ahead of time that they would have potato soup on our night and I headed right for that. It was really creamy and had very fine pieces of bacon in it. Mom mom was sitting next to me and kept saying oh my god, theres so much cream in this soup but for me, that was kind of a selling point, it was so yummy, very flavorful. I had two bowls. I also had the African Tomato Salad which was greens, tomatoes, some sort of cheese (like a goat cheese consistency and taste) along with something that looked like nacho chips but were actually thins layers of a potato like something. Too hard to describe, anyway, and it had a vinaigrette dressing. I really like it after I tried it but others did not. I thought it was great. Then, I took a little from the kids section and had some chicken fingers and mac and cheese as the meat stations were scaring me a bit. The chicken and M&C was normal but not the best Ive ever had. Im sure that kids love it. After looking around at my table and asking questions about what were on my friends plates and if they liked it, I ventured up to the carving section. I was able to get a nice well done piece of the beef (I think it was filet, but not really sure. It was a nice cut). I also got the potatoes with afritute that was not as spicy as I thought it was going to be. Beware of the way that you want your meat cooked. My friend likes well done meat and was only a few steps behind me and received very rare, red beef but we found if you tell them what kind of cut you want, they will be more than happy to get you what you want. Also, a note, they do not have any chicken that is not off the bone. Excuse all the negatives, plain and simple, you have to like chicken on the bone here, which I do not. You could, however, ask your friends husband to de-bone it, but I was already very full at this point and did not. But I was not full enough to pass up the dessert area. First I loaded up on the watermelon, as its my favorite. It was so nice to have good tasting fruit in November. Then I tried the famous zebra domes and found them to be just ok. Wasnt in love with them. I also tried the cookies and something else that were pretty good. I really liked the fruit tartlet, after taking the blueberries off. It was very tasty and I could have had a few more of them, if I had room in the tummy.
Friday
Another day that started out with pop tarts. I headed out to MK for regular opening to do a couple of things that I missed while touring with my friends and their kids. Met up with them again after they completed the Family Magic Tour. They continued on with their day and I went to Concourse Steakhouse for my late lunch. I scheduled my lunch for 130 in order to make sure I saw as much as I could at MK before stopping since we were going to DD later that night. I took a tour around the resorts on the monorail and then arrived at the Contemporary. I was seated right away and the place was pretty deserted, only two other tables and myself. Those who dont want to make ADRs might want to consider this place for this time of day as it looks like they would be able to fit you in as a walk up. I have eaten here before for lunch in 2003 and enjoyed it so I knew I would be happy. I started with the French onion soup, which was really yummy, and then moved on to the New York Strip. I ordered it with French fries instead of the onion rings. My waitress, again measuring how good they are by the attentiveness to my beverages, was just ok. I attribute this to most likely getting her sidework completed since I was her only table. The food runner brought out my steak and it was over the onion rings. As I opened my mouth to ask him about it, my waitress came by and took the plate before he could put it down saying this is wrong, I will have them fix it, I am so sorry. I just smiled and continued to finish my delicious soup. When she brought it out, the steak was over the fries and some of the fries were laying in the steaks juices. Again, I am strange, but I dont like soggy fries. And I dont mix foods (Those of you who know what this mean, know the issue with my plate) She must have seen my face and said I can get you a separate plate for the fries But I said no, as I just separated the two quick enough for the soggy not to set in. Yes, I am weird, but my friends love me this way! After making a good dent in the steak and fries, it was time to order dessert. I wasnt sure what I was going to have. No, wait, I was pretty sure I was going to have the brownie sundae on the kids menu, dont let me lead you astray and think I wasnt fully prepared on my menu selections, obsessive planner that I am. This changed, however, when I asked my waitress what the seasonal cheesecake was. She told me it was Butterfinger cheesecake. I was salivating as I told her that sounds wonderful. And not only did it sound wonderful, it was. Every little piece of it. Yum, yum, yum. It had Butterfinger pieces all over it as well as throughout the cheesecake. I almost licked the plate but figured that would be in bad form (a la Captain Hook). Such a delicious meal, its a shame that Concourse doesnt get more fanfare.
I neglected to mention that at Boma I also enjoyed a nice cocktail. It was their version of a Margarita (over rocks) and it was very tasty. Our waiter Pedro also kept my soda glass full and clear away plates quickly.
From here I met my friends with the intention of telling them I couldnt continue at MK but they had the same idea and we all went to the hotel to rest. We had plans at DD that I went earlier to since I wanted to get in some shopping that they had completed before I arrived in FL.
We planned on eating at Wolfgang Pucks Express. At this point, we added more friends and were now a party of 11, which included 4 adults and 2 kids in strollers. A large group. Which might be trouble if you take this large group on a Friday night around 6pm to eat dinner at WPE. However, Jiminy was looking out for us in the form of the food runners. Between Mom mom and these guys, we were able to sit outside, in the back, all at the same table. Being on the DDP I was not able to order the new ravioli and something else I had no intention of getting (meatloaf or something??) Kinda bummed about the ravioli as it sounded heavenly but settled for instead with the Linguini with Chicken Bolognese. I say settled, but really I didnt. It was so good, and so much, and so filling! I couldnt even finish it. Yum. Others in my party got, from what my bad memory tells me, a quesadilla, some salad, a pizza, the mac and cheese, and my pasta as well. Everyone loved everything they got and there was food left over. We had one teenage dissenter that went to Earls and brought back either The Full Montagu or the Club. Either way, after he picked up what he lost by unwrapping it wrong and into his lap, he enjoyed it thoroughly. We found long lines in both places but noticed that they moved considerably fast. For my dessert I could have had crème brule but choose the cookies instead to give to the kids since I was planning on Ghirardellis later.
Skipping to later, after some shopping and walking around, I found myself and some of our group at the ice cream shop. It was crowded but we were only about fourth in line. I think I ordered from the menu but basically it came out to this: an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream, no nuts or cherry. I really dont know how much this cost, maybe in the $6-8 range, but I can tell you that it was worth every penny. It was so yummy. (Can you tell that I like the word yummy, but really, what better word is out there when describing good, yummy food?) The hot fudge was hot and had a dark fudg-ie taste to it. The caramel added to the mix. I had to sit down to enjoy it because I couldnt walk and eat at the same time, I concentrated so much on getting each taste on every spoonful. It was heaven. And actually, too much for me to eat, so when I couldnt finish, the teenager took over.
Some time later, we got to Epcot for one of the last days of Food and Wine. We arrived about 930pm-ish and our party was whittled down to four adults. Now, I must admit, I am not much of a beer or wine drinker so I was planning on enjoying a frozen margarita from Mexico and spending the majority of the time until midnight with that. Additionally, as you have read, I am not much of an adventurous eater, so I knew that my pocketbook was going to stay pretty much closed (If I carried a pocketbook, that is) in regards to trying new foods at the booths. So, we arrived at the WS and decided to start on the Mexico side since thats what we all wanted first. Yeah, the marg stand was closed, but those of you who are smart already knew this and are now smiling at yourselves. Well, you go girl, you trumped me. But that didnt stop us. My friends gathered various beers and wines, those names I do not know nor care to know. I, however, got a Plum Wine Green Tea Wine Cooler from the Japan booth. While it was fruity, etcetera, which is just up my alley, it was just ok. I didnt throw it out, but I wouldnt highly recommend it either. It was very daring for me. We then passed the Morocco stand and it had frozen margs. We ordered 3. They were messy and frozen and had tequila in them. Thats about all I can say. But really, when comparing it to what I know the ones at Mexico to be, nothing would have come up roses. Later in our travels, my friend and I shared a tartlet. It was at the booth that sold the Sam Adams beers, I dont remember what the official name was. We dug into the onion and bacon tartlet and it was the best tartlet weve ever eaten. We talk about it daily, how good that tartlet was and how much we miss it. Lots of winks in that last sentence or two but really, a good pastry. Two thumbs up. It was right past here that the lights came down from God. The trumpets soared and the choir sang. We came upon the France stand. I had read about these, I had seen pictures, but my hopes were downgraded because of the marg debacle. There, at the stand, not the F&W cart, was the best thing ever invented. The Grey Goose Citron Lemon Slushie Machine. Moment of silence, please. Thank you. They also offered a Grand Marnier orange slushie, and I like my orange slushie, but I had my heart set on lemon and knew that grey goose was supposed to be smooth. We had three lemons and one orange. All yummy. I dont think I will be able to sufficiently articulate how wonderful these were so you will just have to try them yourself. They come in a martini glass and seem never ending. When you make a wish for more, it doesnt come true, or maybe we didnt have enough Disney Magic going, or maybe the stand was closed by this point. The point is that they are fantastic. We had to hastily finish our margs in order to start these. If you know me, you know this is strange, because I am a light weight and believe in moderation, but it was oh so worth it. Oh, so. After sitting and enjoying them, we also sampled the chocolate crème brule that the france cart was offering. It was good, it would have been good if they served them warm, and I understand why they dont, but it was good (look for another sampling of these later in my trip). We traveled through the rest of Epcot, missed the last ride on Soarin and made our way to the busses by 1230. A good time was had by all.
Saturday
Yeah, had some pop tarts again. Got to Epcot for opening (had to stay away from MGM since it was Super Soap) and hit all the rides in FW except for Ellen, HISTK, and Figment. Even did some twice. Met up with said friends for the remainder of the morning and very early afternoon. (Soap fans can take note that as I waited for some of our people to get finished MS/Orange that I saw Tony Geary walk by with an escort, no fans, no fanfare, nothing. Of course, my mouth was hanging open wide. So, sometimes, even if you go to MGM for S/S, the best places to see stars are in the other parks. Just a thought) My friends were leaving for home that day, so they stayed in Epcot while I returned to the hotel for a much, much needed nap. On my way to the nap, I stopped by the food court at Movies for, well, food. I used a CS for the Chicken Penne Alfredo. It came with a breadstick and they really gave you a lot. I also got a fountain drink and a piece of chocolate cake. It was a nice meal before I took my nap.
After the nap, it was time to head back to Epcot for my ADRs to Le Cellier. Again, I have eaten here before, and my friends ate here earlier in the week, so I knew what I was in for. Let me make one comment on eating by myself for those of you contemplating a solo trip. I never based my dining choices on whether I thought I would feel comfortable by myself because I believe that you make yourself feel that way. In each instance, I was looking around at the décor or the patrons, reading my maps or other things I had picked up along the way, was text messaging home, or editing my pictures. Most times, I chatted with the servers and the like. Never felt stared at or out of place at all (except for this night, which I will get to) but that might partly be from the fact that I really dont care what other people think, who really is going to see these people again to value their opinion so much? A very good experience all around, eating alone, and I would recommend anyone feeling timid to just go for it.
So, walked up to the hostess stand and there was a few people in front of me. I am full of delight to tell you that none of them had ADRs and were all turned away. Some of them were rude to the young ladies. I felt bad and greeted them with a big smile and said I wouldnt be giving them any gruff as I had an ADR, they looked SO relieved! They brought me right in and seated me. The waitress I had was fantastic and I really have to look up her name later. I thought she was so good that I stopped and talked to supervisors about her on my way out. When she came to get my order, I asked about any alcoholic beverages she could recommend and I settled on the Year of a Million Dreams blue martini. She brought my bread and cheese soup. Now, I am not on board with the huge fan club of the cheese soup. As I have stated before, I really dont like beer, which the soup tastes like. I am, however, a big fan of cheese, which overrides my dont get that sensor button. I had the soup in 2003 and it was very beer-y, which surprised me. I really didnt like it that much. But the pictures I have seen lately have showed a different looking one and they are using a different beer now, from what I remember. So, it tried it. And I liked it more than I thought from last time. Right in the middle of enjoying it, the whole restaurant in my area takes notice of a sudden blue glow. Everyone stares at it. Those same people who knew that I wouldnt be getting margs in Mexico probably know what the next sentences hold. Yes, that blue glow was coming towards me, since Le Cellier, THE CELLER, is pretty dark, and every looked in my direction as she put my blue martini, with a glow cube, down. At this point, the lights in the glow cube started to strobe and I thought I was in a bad John Travolta movie. I asked her how to turn it off and she laughed and said this happens all the time. After it was turned off, I had a great time enjoying the YOAMD drink. Very tasty, I highly recommend. Then, my filet came out. I ordered the mushroom filet over the cream cheese mashed potatoes rather than the risotto because I wasnt sure if I would like it. The steak was perfect, it was all yummy (I didnt eat the parsnips) and I was in steak and potato heaven. For dessert, because I had to have dessert, I choose the Chocolate Moose, since nothing on the adult menu grabbed me. It was a great choice. The moose gave its life for me and it was well worth it. Had a pleasant conversation with the couple next to me and they said that there were tons of people outside looking to get in with no ADR. We chatted about how everyone knows you need to make ADRs and how great a deal the DDP was. Very enjoyable evening.
My friends told me about how the Saturday previous, WS was full of drunken people but I didnt find that to really be true. I honestly thought it would be more crowded since it was Veterans Day and the last weekend of F&W, but it wasnt bad, or I just didnt pay attention. Either could be the case. I wandered from ride to ride with really no wait in FW until it was time to get a good place for Illuminations, which I have never seen before. During this time, I got set up with another of the fantastically yummy grey goose lemon slushies. Seriously, people, run, dont walk, to the stand in France for these. Knock down the children, trip those princesses, and make your way as quickly as possible as soon as you can. I also used a snack credit on another chocolate crème brule. Very nice to have both while waiting an hour or so for the fireworks. It was also nice to leave a voicemail on my friends cell, since they were on their plane back towards home, about how I was having the slushie and they werent. Yes, I am evil and have a Disney pin to prove it.
I will finish up with Tonys, the rest of my CS and snack credits, and an overview of how I felt about the plan in the next part. Have a great day everyone!
