Fun, Sun & Strong Water Rum...*Yo-Ho*...23 Nights @ Sapphire Falls...A May 2022 TR

[erinch]

My username!
I joined the dis in 2001!
so I made my username what I always use as my abbreviation, which is Erin C-H, for Erin Cox- Holmes.

as the dis grew, all the names became more fanciful, RedHairDreamin, or MoonlightMuser, or, ahem, schumigirl. But I am stuck with plain ol’ erinc-h. Without the hyphen.

along erinch........I always want to spell your name by swapping positions of the r and the n for some reason!!

Glad to see you and happy you have your trip organised, and an anniversary trip too.....how lovely!! A year does fly past doesn`t it!

Hope you enjoy this one too and happy you`re here......

 

[schumigirl]

On the list so far...
Jake's ✔
Strongwater ✔
Confisco Grille✔

Why on earth did they get rid of Tchoup Chop? It was lovely!

lol......well, it`s a good list for sure!!

We did like Tchoup Chop......it was a lovely place, service was excellent and the food was top notch. Our first visit way back wasn`t so good, but after that we always enjoyed it immensely. I think it was an Emeril decision to close it. But, yes, we miss it.

 

[schumigirl]

Oh my took a brief look at Copper’s Hawk may have to put them on our list

It looks so good!

We did mean to go on our last trip, but along with so many others we just didn`t make it there, but it`s on the definite list for May. I think I already know what I`m having......lol.......

 

[schumigirl]

My username!
I joined the dis in 2001!
so I made my username what I always use as my abbreviation, which is Erin C-H, for Erin Cox- Holmes.

as the dis grew, all the names became more fanciful, RedHairDreamin, or MoonlightMuser, or, ahem, schumgirl. But I am stuck with plain ol’ erinc-h. Without the hyphen.

lol....I see, that makes sense.

I really liked the name MotherFletcher, but someone had it already.......and my other choice was also gone......might be a bit old to have girl in my username now, but until the Dis allows name changes I have to keep it. I do like the schumi part though as he is still my favourite driver of all time.

There are some fabulous usernames on here though........

 

[Cara]

I never had a clue your use name had something to do with a race car driver! LOL. My name is Carol, and I have no clue why I ever used Cara. I must have tried versions of my name to find one that wasn't taken.

 

[schumigirl]

I never had a clue your use name had something to do with a race car driver! LOL. My name is Carol, and I have no clue why I ever used Cara. I must have tried versions of my name to find one that wasn't taken.

You`re a Carol too!! Legally, I`m a Carol....but, always have used the e at the end as it was supposed to be on my birth certificate......dad blamed too many celebratory drinks as the reason he made the error......lol.....

Yes, Michael Schumacher was a driver we saw race in Germany several times before he went into Formula 1 and became ultra famous, and he was simply the best! He was known as schumi among other nicknames, but I liked that one best.

His son is now in F1.

But, have to admit some usernames are quite unique and clever at times and it`s usually interesting to see where they came from. I did think your name was Cara though.......

 

[schumigirl]

​

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

But, have to admit some usernames are quite unique and clever at times and it`s usually interesting to see where they came from.

Ha, mine is so-o-o long and pretty boring. A throwback to my childhood in the 60's and my favorite Disney record album. I don't know if anyone remembers the Disney albums that were a combination record and story book. I had a Sleeping Beauty one narrated and sung by Mary Martin (who also played Peter Pan in the TV adaptation around the same time). I had that thing memorized at an early age and used to do impromptu performances for my family. I still love hearing "Once Upon a Dream" but I now prefer the more "can do" attitude of the modern Disney princesses.

I just realized I have passed the 2 month mark until my trip and should probably start a PTR. I think I'll wait until after the update is finished.

 

[schumigirl]

Ha, mine is so-o-o long and pretty boring. A throwback to my childhood in the 60's and my favorite Disney record album. I don't know if anyone remembers the Disney albums that were a combination record and story book. I had a Sleeping Beauty one narrated and sung by Mary Martin (who also played Peter Pan in the TV adaptation around the same time). I had that thing memorized at an early age and used to do impromptu performances for my family. I still love hearing "Once Upon a Dream" but I now prefer the more "can do" attitude of the modern Disney princesses.

I just realized I have passed the 2 month mark until my trip and should probably start a PTR. I think I'll wait until after the update is finished.

I didn`t know that`s what your username was from, I do love the name Aurora too.......I do know who Mary Martin is though. It`s a lovely memory to have though of singing to your family.

I couldn`t even think when I last saw a Disney movie......and I`ve never seen Peter Pan in my whole life. I did love reading Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as a childrens book when I was young and I did watch Snow White and so on, but in the last 25 years I don`t think I`ve seen a single Disney made animated movie.

 

[schumigirl]

SAL`S MARKET DELI​

We like pizza!

But, we like good pizza and in Universal Orlando, for us, the best pizza without a shadow of a doubt is from Sal`s in the PBH.

It is very casual and a small counter service option tucked away under some very pretty balconies and almost hidden by the shade of the awnings, but don`t be fooled by the simple look of this little Pizzeria....it is outstanding.

PBH is very pretty, it can be a little like a ghost town during the day, we have gone many times and looking across the piazza, we haven`t seen a soul. But, at night it does come to life with more people enjoying the evening doing their own thing. Some enjoy the Opera singers.......being honest, we avoid it like the plague as I ahd to suffer opera visits when I went to school, I developed a very simple dislike of it, so while many enjoy it, it`s not for us.

It is very lovely all lit up at night and impressive when you arrive on the boats, when you turn that last corner, it is beautiful. Not my favourite hotel at all, it lacks something for us, but we do visit most trips, for Sal`s and their pizza options.

Light and airy, it does try to emulate that local pizzeria feel, and for the most part it works.......the decor is a little in need of an update now, but it`s nice enough. Also you can pick up breakfast items here as well as the usual chips and snack items, but the star is the pizza.

​

We have tried the sandwiches on one occasion and tried the salads, and they are very nice, they also have pre packaged fruit plates and some simple desserts too.

My favourite fridges.

I am quite boring with pizzas.....and it would horrify my Italian relatives if they ever knew I ordered a pizza with a bbq sauce base and anything other than tomato or basil on top........but I love a BBQ chicken pizza, it`s my favourite of all pizzas.....and I always add jalapeno`s as I like it spicy, also pineapple, just because I love pineapple!

The 10" is big enough for us to share, so poor Tom never gets his old classic, just pepperoni with tomato base........oops. But, he`s happy enough and always enjoys it.

Kyle is easy to please with pizza.......plain cheese, nothing else....no toppings or anything fancy.....except, he also loves a BBQ sauce base, and this is one of his favourite pizza`s and one of the places he looks forward to visiting when he does come with us.

Same pizza as before, but it just looks so good I had to post!!!

For lunch one day, we decided to try the sanwiches.....and they were very nice, although the chips they serve them with were without doubt the worst chips we have ever tasted.......would never order them again.

I had the Toscana, which had turkey, fontina cheese and mustard mayo, which I think they forgot, but it was very fresh and tasty.

Tom had the sausage and peppers, which included spicy Italian link, roasted pepper and onions and he loved this sandwich, Tom is more of a sandwich fan than I am. He really enjoyed the bread and found it to be tasty, whereas I just thought the breads were just ok.

​

So, this is somewhere that is absolutely worth a visit or two when at Universal. It`s a short 15 minute walk or a boat ride away from the parks.....day or night, you`ll love the food from here.

 

[lebeau]

It's been such a long time! Our last Universal trip was in 2019. We had intended to take a year off even before Covid hit. But I ended up pulling away from Orlando theme park discussions/community during 2020 because of some of the unpleasant discourse going on at the time. Seemed like people just wanted to fight. It was easier to stay away from sites like this one until we were serious about traveling again.

I am happy to say we have a trip planned for December of this year! (Fingers crossed we don't get plunged into another wave of disease and madness before then). I am allowing myself to get excited again. And the first thing I wanted to do was come here and see what you were up to. Your reports are always so fun and informative. I'm along for the ride on this one and I am going to go back and see if I have missed any reports from you in the two years I was away.

 

[schumigirl]

It's been such a long time! Our last Universal trip was in 2019. We had intended to take a year off even before Covid hit. But I ended up pulling away from Orlando theme park discussions/community during 2020 because of some of the unpleasant discourse going on at the time. Seemed like people just wanted to fight. It was easier to stay away from sites like this one until we were serious about traveling again.

I am happy to say we have a trip planned for December of this year! (Fingers crossed we don't get plunged into another wave of disease and madness before then). I am allowing myself to get excited again. And the first thing I wanted to do was come here and see what you were up to. Your reports are always so fun and informative. I'm along for the ride on this one and I am going to go back and see if I have missed any reports from you in the two years I was away.

back lebeau....

It is good to see you again, yes, it has been a while.....

I have to agree there was some serious nastiness around, best ignored of course. But, can`t say I blame you for avoiding boards, there was a lot going on for sure with one thing and another. I actually used the "ignore" button for the first time during the last couple of years.....never felt the need before.

Congratulations on the trip planned!! It is exciting to be travelling again and no.....there will be no more travel bans or craziness to stop us travelling again......I`ve decided.....and I always get what I want apparently.......lol......

We only travelled to the States for the first time in the crazy 2 years in November and believe me that was so exciting!!

And thank you, that`s kind of you to say.....I do hope you enjoy this one, and it is good to see you back.......

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Sal's is a hidden treasure! We discovered their antipasti and have become big fans of that as well. The pizza is very good, definitely the best we've tasted at UOR, although I will admit I've never tried the pizza place on CityWalk. Your favorite pizza would not appeal to me, but how wonderful you can get it in multiple locations on vacation! One other nice Sal's tidbit is they have a good selection of GF treats, if you have a need for that -- I think really better than in the Parks. We aren't GF but do notice as we have friends who are. I agree with about the best refrigerator cases

 

[schumigirl]

Sal's is a hidden treasure! We discovered their antipasti and have become big fans of that as well. The pizza is very good, definitely the best we've tasted at UOR, although I will admit I've never tried the pizza place on CityWalk. Your favorite pizza would not appeal to me, but how wonderful you can get it in multiple locations on vacation! One other nice Sal's tidbit is they have a good selection of GF treats, if you have a need for that -- I think really better than in the Parks. We aren't GF but do notice as we have friends who are. I agree with about the best refrigerator cases

I don`t think my favourite pizza appeals to many folks being honest.......lol......yes, I think Sal`s is indeed a hidden treasure, folks know it`s there, but don`t know how good it can be!

Red Oven Pizza in Citywalk has never appealed to us so we`ve never tried it, but many seem to enjoy it.

That`s good to know there are some good GF options around in there, yes, it`s not something I notice but again if someone asks, it`s a handy tidbit to know.

I will look to try the antipasti next time we go too.......

 

[schumigirl]

MILLER`S ALE HOUSE​

One offsite place that gets mixed thoughts from some, is the Ale House on Kirkman.

Yes, it`s a chain, but it`s not a bad chain as far as they go.....I`m somtimes bemused when folks say they never eat in a chain restaurant, we eat in Eddie V`s, The Palm, Ocean Prime and Oceannaire which are all chains, but very, very good. So, we`re not averse to eating somewhere that some may frown on.

It`s so close to RP/Sapphire that it`s tempting to go more often than we do, but it`s one of those places we enjoy every time we visit. The menu is large and absolutely anyone can find something to eat here, unless they`re excessively fussy of course, but food has never disappointed us and it is a fun, very casual place with a relaxed atmosphere.

We do like to sit at the bar and eat most of the time, but it can get busy so we`re happy with a booth if that`s the case. And it is one of those places where everyone chats to you if you`re sat beside them, one of the advantages of sitting at a bar I guess.....any bar is usually like that, but this one can get loud if you`re not fond of noise.

The fried potstickers are our go to appetiser here......I think it`s the only app we have ever ordered as the others don`t appeal so much.

We don`t like them steamed and although it says fried, they aren`t the slightest bit greasy and they are so tasty, we always get them to share as the food here comes in quite large portions.

Fried jalapenos were nice as a side, but as is always the way, they weren`t as spicy as they were supposed to be and how you can dull down jalapenos was a surprise to me, but I would get them again.

The steaks here are as cheap as chips....they really are, but....they are really well cooked. No, they`re not Ocean Prime or Eddie V`s quality, but for the price they are a real bargain. I always ask for medium rare and that`s exactly what I have always received here. The spicy boom boom shrimp side for some reason is off the menu now, but it was a quite nice addition to the steak.

And can I just add, the coleslaw is beautiful too. I know I can ramble on about how good coleslaw is in so many places, but in the UK coleslaw is always filled with onions and usually not as good as what we get in America, even in the best places here, so yes, it is a real treat for me to get lovely coleslaw in so many places.

Mahi Sandwich for Tom. He actually ordered something else, completely different......but she misheard and he got that.......he loved it!! Fish was lightly cooked and so tasty.

I had read about the zinger salad and so many folks had told me I had to order it.....well, it was just ok. I`m not a huge fan of chicken tenders as a meal when I`m out, and this was really all it was when I got it. Wouldn`t order it again, but I tried it. I did ask for the chicken to be coated in the second hottest of the sauces they offer and that was spicy!

Cobb salad was excellent for Tom, although he asked for it without blue cheese which we both hate.....they did take it back and bring him another but there are a good mix of flavours in this salad and it was filling. One of Tom`s favourite dishes here.

Although I don`t really like a lot of cheese, the Big Red sandwich was delicious...the chicken is thick and tasty and the addition of choosing your sauce it`s coated in was ideal for me....yes, I chose the second spiciest sauce they have to have it coated in and yes.....it was spicy......very, very spicy!!! I loved it......and it is big enough to share......huge sandwich! I do pull off most of the cheese to the bemusement of whoever is looking after us.

On certain nights they do specials, and one of them is another of Tom`s favourite chices anywhere including at home.....prime rib.

Hard to cook it badly of course, but for the bargain price it`s served for here, it is amazing. Usually he`d opt for a slightly rarer piece, but it was still so tasty and there was barely a piece of food left on the plate after he had finished. And it does sell out at times, so it`s worth going early.

Another steak with a side pot of the hottest sauce on their list......yep, even I didn`t eat too much of it, but their hot sauces are hot at least!!

Pork Osso buco was something that didn`t appeal to me at all.......a little like a lamb shank which I love, but with pork....obviously. Tom again, loved it and has spoke of ordering it next time we go....if he can see past the Cobb salad, ribs or fish sandwich!!! lol....he`s so funny.

I know ribs are usually good anywhere in America, but for us coming from the UK, even bad ribs can be better than what some restaurants serve up.....hence we never really order them over here.

This full rack was so filling, but so tasty and the sauce was a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, well mild spice. We both ordered this dish last time and we struggled to finish them, very filling dish and one of their specials on a certain night.

I think the Shrimp Alfredo is also off the menu now too......my goodness, this dish was so full of shrimp it was ridiculous!! Not usually a complaint but it was chock full of shrimp.......not too garlic flavoured which we liked and although I don`t usually like pasta dishes, this was ok, however the sauce was lovely.

It`s offsite, but so close to the hotels, it`s in an ideal position for stopping in for lunch or dinner.

We love the casual feel of the place and we keep saying we`ll go for drinks and stay really late.....although really late for us now is around 10.30pm!!!

​

It`s so true though!!!

So, that`s the old recap of the Ale House on Kirkman.......I should say we have tried another Ale House a few years back, but we weren`t as keen on it....I think there were too many tourists (I know) but this place has a very local feel about it, yes, there are still tourists, but not as many......we like it anyway.



More to come........

​

 

[SCDizFan]

Yay! Another trip report!

Took your recommendation and booked Virgin Premium for our trip to Greece this summer! Miami to Heathrow, two nights in London, RyanAir Stansted to Santorini, two nights there, ferry to Mykonos, five nights there, WizzAir back to Gatwick, one last night in London, and Virgin Premium back to Miami.

It's a lot of travel but we have a black tie wedding in Mykonos. The reception doesn't even start until 9PM.

We are planning Disney/Universal when they finish the Brightline Train in early 2023. We can almost walk to the Fort Lauderdale Station.

Thanks for taking the time to write such fantastic trip reports!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

The food all looks like such a great value! The exterior seems quite plain but inside is clearly warm and welcoming.

The one thing I will say is I wouldn’t assume BBQ anywhere in the U.S. is good. I’ve found it’s just not quite as delicious in New England…

Everything really does look delicious You always find the nice places

 

[keishashadow]

A Ceviche that again is not on the menu anymore.

Was my fav there, sad to see it go

I think it might be Keishashadow that was the first to mention how good they were, maybe one day we`ll get round to it, but it is one of their more popular items on the menu.

Yep, their pretzels are the best we’ve tried in the area

I’m wondering if it might be a bit buggy with all the lush vegetation nearby? In any case I do plan to wander that walkway as I’ve never managed it.

everywhere sprays to keep the critters at bay there

We did say we`d like to go back to Boathouse

My fav DS venue

but for the bargain price it`s served for here, it is amazing.

If it’s Thursday night, it’s miller’s for prime rib

Pork Osso buco was something that didn`t appeal to me at all.

They take great pride in their prep of that dish. worst I’ve had, perhaps it’s a regional preparation Thing?

So, that`s the old recap of the Ale House on Kirkman

Nice review. admittedly, not a fan of that location in general, Seemed to be getting a bit sketchy in that specific area our Last few visits in the evenings.

Partial to the one in LBV. fun to look around & mentally guess where people work by their uniforms. Kissimmee is good, usually mostly older retirees that live east of there.

Carole - you are really doing these venues a solid via this thread. Talk about word of mouth. now, I’m compelled to go & grab a snack after looking at all the food porn!

 

[schumigirl]

Yay! Another trip report!

Took your recommendation and booked Virgin Premium for our trip to Greece this summer! Miami to Heathrow, two nights in London, RyanAir Stansted to Santorini, two nights there, ferry to Mykonos, five nights there, WizzAir back to Gatwick, one last night in London, and Virgin Premium back to Miami.

It's a lot of travel but we have a black tie wedding in Mykonos. The reception doesn't even start until 9PM.

We are planning Disney/Universal when they finish the Brightline Train in early 2023. We can almost walk to the Fort Lauderdale Station.

Thanks for taking the time to write such fantastic trip reports!

back SCDizfan.......good to see you again!!

Oh wow that is quite a trip isn`t it.......yes European receptions are a little different for sure.....but sounds like a wonderful occasion and you`ll see some lovely places along the way.

Glad you have VA booked and Premium too. We have flown BA Premium, but we weren`t impressed to be honest, but VA have always been decent and we do enjoy flying with them. I`ve heard of WizzAir, but never flown them.

I`m kinda envious of how close you are to get the train soon.....that will be a game changer for many folks, that train will do very well when it starts up.

And thank you......I appreciate that.....hope you enjoy joining in with this one too and hope all is well

 

[schumigirl]

The food all looks like such a great value! The exterior seems quite plain but inside is clearly warm and welcoming.

The one thing I will say is I wouldn’t assume BBQ anywhere in the U.S. is good. I’ve found it’s just not quite as delicious in New England…

Everything really does look delicious You always find the nice places

Thanks Maria......yes, they do look very plain, but always felt very welcome there and enjoyed every meal we`ve had there. And cocktails are very nice too!!!

Oh I can imagine.....I`m being too generic I think and spoke of places we`ve eaten, even if they were poor, they`d still be better than most UK offerings.....they try is all I can say!

Finding new places is something we do enjoy, but there are the old favourites we keep going back to every visit.