How Do I Love Thee, WDW...COMPLETE- 3/8/2018-Post 157&158-So Long, Farewell, Sanaasee You Later!

@TeresaNJ We will be there from December 7th to 13th--currently at CBR, but trying to get to POFQ or POR--it's so crazy, all the resorts appear to be booked. I will keep an eye out for you! Last year we randomly ran into friends from our town at Epcot, so, you never know!

How fun to go with grandkids!
 
Teresa!!!! How have I missed this?!?!?! I suppose because I never come to this forum, haha.

What a fabulous report. And the pictures....stunning!!!! What are you using for a camera? And the perspectives, angles, lighting, and all!!! I love it!!!! And you and Harry!!!! What a great looking couple, such great smiles! So good to see you guys smiling. :hug:'s

Thanks for sharing, hope to see more.
 


Love your reviews and great pictures too!!

Thanks, Finkerbell!


Glad I could be a little bit of inspiration. Usually I just make people want to drink :drinking1

Haha, Kari! As you know, I'm a non-drinker for the most part, not for any religious or moral reason, but because I don't care for wine or beer (except for the grapefruit Schofferhoffer which your & Ashley's descriptions of convinced me to try), and I don't like alcoholey (is that a word) tasting drinks! It's true, though, after reading your reports, you look like you're having so much fun, and make some drinks sound so delicious. re the Schofferhoffer, that you did make me want to drink!

This is a great picture. I don't think I've ever taken the time to stop and appreciate the Canada pavilion for how pretty it really is.

You have to really go through the pavilion. Years ago when you went up the second level of steps, there was a little shop that sold all types of Anne of Green Gables merchandise. I loved that store, and I loved Anne of Green Gables, as did my daughter at the time. I bought her an Anne doll there, and all the books. The shop has been closed for a while, but it is an adorble little quiet & pretty spot to visit. I love the shops there, too! I love everything about that pavilion!

My hubby too. This is why we bring then to disney, right? :P

Of course!

I'm right there with ya, I've never tried it either. I'm generally not a fan of frozen drinks so we've never even stopped.

One of these days I may try it! On the other hand, the Frozen Elephant at the Refreshment Coolpost at the African Outpost in Epcot is very yummy! I love Amarula, so I new I'd love this! Have you ever tried it?
Frozen Elephant - frozen Coca-Cola and Amarula Cream Liqueur $11.00


Oh man, sorry this was a total bust. We've only been there once too and I got the salted caramel that ended up tasting like burnt caramel. Such a disappointment that we haven't been back. Seems like they are certainly heavy on the flavors.

Live & learn, haha!

Thank you for taking one for the team and trying this on my behalf. This sounds like something I'd be all over, but now I know to stay far, far away

I may be brave and try it one more time in a few weeks. We'll see. For some reason, it doesn't look appetizing to me, either.

What a sweet story, thanks for sharing. May we all grow old and continue to love Disney like Uncle Leo

Thank you. He was a darling, and I really miss him. I swear I feel him with me when I walk through the Poly. He stayed there for a total of 14 times by himself, and then twice with us. After that I made him try the Grand Floridian and the Beach Club. I feel bad he never got to stay at the Poly again before passing away.

This is certainly saying something. We've never tried it, cause you I'm Italian and Jason once owned an Italian restaurant so we generally just do it at home. Definitely going to need to try this one day

You should! Like I said, it's not amazing Italian food, but it's good, the atmosphere is nice, and the price is right!

@TeresaNJ We will be there from December 7th to 13th--currently at CBR, but trying to get to POFQ or POR--it's so crazy, all the resorts appear to be booked. I will keep an eye out for you! Last year we randomly ran into friends from our town at Epcot, so, you never know!

Good luck with trying to get POFQ or POR!

How fun to go with grandkids!

We are excited! The two oldest grandkids got to go four years ago, but they were only 9 months old, and 16 months old, and the youngest wasn't even born yet. We're going with the oldest & youngest, who are brothers, and they'll be 5 1/2 & 3 1/2 at the time of the trip. Our middle grandson, who is 4 1/2 right now won't get to go with us until next December 2018. I feel bad going without him this December, and I would take him, but his parents can't go until next year, and they don't want him to go on what would be essentially his first trip, since he doesn't remember anything from the first one, being only 9 months old at the time, without them being there. I understand, but still feel bad because he is the one who is actually the most excited about WDW, watches videos & movies with me, and talks all the time about Mom Mom taking him to WDW. :sad:

You got some really beautiful pictures at HS that evening!

Thank you!


I just caught up on your report. It's been a great read so far! Can't wait to continue along!

:welcome:


Teresa!!!! How have I missed this?!?!?! I suppose because I never come to this forum, haha.

What a fabulous report. And the pictures....stunning!!!! What are you using for a camera? And the perspectives, angles, lighting, and all!!! I love it!!!! And you and Harry!!!! What a great looking couple, such great smiles! So good to see you guys smiling. :hug:'s

Thanks for sharing, hope to see more.

Hi Dan!!! :wave2: So glad to hear from you! Thank you so much. Believe it or not, I was using an iphone 6s Plus. This upcoming trip I'll have my iphone 7 Plus, so I'll see if the pics come out even better. Wish we were having a coinciding trip coming up. Would love to catch up with you at WDW again. Hopefully in the near future!
 
Day 6, November 3, 2016-Part 1- It's Christmas!!!
Lunch at Crystal Palace & I was very bad in Epcot!


This morning we woke up very excited to get to the Magic Kingdom. I heard a rumor that the MK had left Halloween behind, and was now dressed for Christmas! I was anxious to get going, but DH, aka Harry, had some work to do for work. It's slightly annoying that even though it's supposed to be vacation, Harry always has emails he has to answer, and fires to put out. I guess that comes with the territory of his position at work, but still. So it was another in-room Weight Watcher's smoothie for me, and yogurt for him for breakfast. I brought a coloring book and colored pencils along for circumstances such as this, so was happily coloring away while he worked. Anyone else like to color? I LOVE doing many many crafts, always have. I have a craft obsession, that is only second to my WDW vacationing obsession. Actually, the crafting might be first considering I can't always get to WDW. I think I've done it all, but currently my favorites are quilting, card making & paper crafting, digital scrapbooking, decorative painting, and coloring. Oh yea, I've also just started doing hand lettering and calligraphy. That's pretty fun. Our double car garage is my craft room, and one of our upstairs bedrooms is my sewing room. I have stashes of fabric that I've been collecting since 2011 when I really got into quilting, and knitting (forgot about that one, :o, I have a stash of really amazing yarns, too). I have stashes of scrapbooking supplies from when I was into regular scrapbooking as opposed to digital. I can now use those supplies for card making! I think I could open my own craft store! Want to take a peak at my craft rooms?

This is the first year I've been able to let my little grandsons into my craft room without having to worry that they'd either destroy something, or get hurt! They were very excited to be let into Mom Mom's room.
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The kids even have their own little table to craft at!
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Eating lunch and watching Angry Birds. I usually have the Hallmark Channel on when I'm in here by myself!
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Some day in the near future I hope to be able to finish this room into a real room. Get rid of the garage doors and install windows or french doors, and sheet rock and insulate the whole garage. Right now I sweat to death in the really hot days of summer, thank goodness for the dehumidifier that runs 24/7, and I freeze my fingers off in the very cold days of winter. I run a portable heater that blows right on me, and wear fingerless gloves if I have to work out here on the coldest days. Otherwise, I just bring what I need inside the warmth of the house!
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My sewing room which also doubles as my Disney collectibles room. I have the majority of my Disney treasures in this room.
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And just because they're so cute, the grandkids!

Wesley
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Gavin
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Lucas
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Okay, sorry for that real life interruption! Back to our happy place!

Around 10:30 it was finally time to hop the bus to the MK! Yay!! !pixiedust: We arrived right around 11:30, and yep, it was Christmas!
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I think the sun was in our eyes.
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This pic makes me think I'm going to need a chin lift sooner rather than later! :rotfl2:
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I don't know which I prefer, the MK decorated for Halloween or Christmas. I love them both!
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To be continued in next post...

 
Day 6, November 3, 2016-Part 2- It's Christmas!!!
Lunch at Crystal Palace & I was very bad in Epcot!


I think we eat at the Crystal Palace about once every other trip. I like it, but I don't love it. I really wish there were more table service options at MK. We tried Skipper Canteen on our trip previous to this, and I liked it a lot, but again, didn't love it, but like it more than all the other table service restaurants in the MK. I think I eat at these places more for the atmosphere rather than the food. I use to try to book Tony's during the parade and request a table on the patio, but the food there doesn't thrill me either. We eat at LTT usually on a MNSSHP or Christmas party night when there is a group of us, around 5pm, before the party starts, and that's always fun. Other than that, I don't usually have a burning desire to eat there either. I do have it scheduled for our MNSSHP day on September 17th. That leaves BOG. I've had breakfast, lunch and dinner there. The hassle of trying to book a reservation just isn't worth it to me to do more than every other trip also. We have a lunch scheduled at BOG on our upcoming trip. Whether I keep it remains to be seen. When I went to WDW in May with my sister and my bff, we took the boat over to Wilderness Lodge in the late afternoon after spending time at the MK. We wanted to try Geyser Point Bar & Grill. That was a great decision, and we weren't disappointed. I have it planned for dinner one evening before heading to the MK to see the new fireworks on our trip in a few weeks. I think Harry will really enjoy it.

The Crystal Palace
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Aren't they cute?
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Eeyore is a snuggle bug!
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Well helloooo there!
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I didn't take many food pics at the Crystal Palace on this trip. I think I was too distracted. I know it's a loud place, but for this meal it was exceptionally loud. Kids screaming & running around all over the place. This is my first plate. I know it's mine because of how aesthetically pleasing the food is arranged. :rotfl:
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This is DH's plate. I know it's his because he clearly took the photo since it's all out of focus, and it's slightly sloppy looking. ;)
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This must also be Harry's because there are beets on it, and I do not eat beets unless they're golden ones and roasted. I'm impressed at how pretty this plate is though. :laughing:
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Not sure who's plate this is. Prob Harry's because I normally wouldn't get the chicken.
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I couldn't tell you how the food tasted, as I don't remember because it really isn't memorable. I think I'll try to take notes on my phone on my next trip. I think the price of this meal is steep for the quality of food, but I guess you're paying for the characters. I never ever do character meet and greets, so this is the only time I have an opportunity to have a character photo op, but I don't book these character dining meals for that. It's nice to have the photos, but I find it to be more annoying than anything. I think I book them because of the nostalgic feelings I get when I am there, & the timing fits in my plans. It reminds me of past trips when my kids were little, when we ate there with my Uncle Leo. That alone makes the price worth it. Total cost: 2 Adult Lunches $90, minus 20% TIW discount of $18, plus tip, for a grand total of $94.88 Nostalgia or no, that's a LOT of money for this lunch.

My oldest son, Joe, when he was 5, with Uncle Leo, at the Crystal Palace. 1985
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After finishing eating, we strolled around the MK and rode a few old favorites. Do you have a favorite land in the MK? Mine are Liberty Square and Frontierland. I think in my past life I must have worn sun bonnets or churned butter or something. I'm fascinated with movies and books set in the pioneer era, such as the Janette Oke books & movies, Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and I love the When Calls The Heart series on the Hallmark Channel. So Frontierland and Liberty Square call to me. One of my favorite sights in Liberty Square is the Liberty Tree. I love seeing all the lanterns hanging from it lit up at night. We even named our little farm Liberty Tree Farm.

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks
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I ran into an old friend. He hasn't aged a day!
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Took a ride on a space ship. Haha, look at Harry's expression. He doesn't seem to be concentrating on the ride. I think he's thinking about what we're having for dinner later!
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Then we stopped by to see dad. We try to visit him every trip. It just wouldn't be right not to.
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Last but not least, one of my favorite things to do in the MK! Do you call it the TTA or the People Mover? It's People Mover for me. Does anyone remember when it was called the Wedway People Mover? Why can I remember that, but I can't remember why I walked into the next room?
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According to my receipts, it was time for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Stopping at the Main Street Bakery, aka Starbucks, Harry got his regular black coffee, of course, and I had an iced chai latte with almond milk. I have to say, I really love these. According to my receipt, which is pretty much faded into nothingness, it looks like someone had a banana for $1.99! :confused: That is ridiculous! Must have been Harry. I would never pay 2 bucks for a freaking banana, unless it was frozen and chocolate and nut coated. All Ears says a single banana is $1.69, but looking at my receipt with a magnifying glass, it clearly says $1.99. Geeze. The coffee was $2.99 and the iced chai latte $4.49. Holy! With tax it was a total of $10.71.
Photo courtesy of the internet.
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At this point we headed back to POFQ for a little chill time before heading to Epcot.

To be continued...

 


Great posts! Your grandkids are SOOOO CUTE! And your craft room and sewing room are awesome and inspiring. Can't wait to see what happens in Epcot!
 
Day 6, November 3, 2016-Part 1- It's Christmas!!!
Lunch at Crystal Palace & I was very bad in Epcot!
You have me so excited for our November trip, because we leave November 3rd of this year. Just seeing that date in writing got me all giddy!!!

This is the first year I've been able to let my little grandsons into my craft room without having to worry that they'd either destroy something, or get hurt! They were very excited to be let into Mom Mom's room.
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Wow, holy craft room batman!!!!!! Sadly for poor Casey I don't have a crafty bone in my body.

Around 10:30 it was finally time to hop the bus to the MK! Yay!! !pixiedust: We arrived right around 11:30, and yep, it was Christmas!
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Ok, now you have me doubly, triply excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never experienced Christmas in the Kingdom and so can't wait. Even if Christmas is coming in November!

I didn't take many food pics at the Crystal Palace on this trip. I think I was too distracted. I know it's a loud place, but for this meal it was exceptionally loud. Kids screaming & running around all over the place. This is my first plate. I know it's mine because of how aesthetically pleasing the food is arranged. :rotfl:
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That is a very aesthetically pleasing plate. I usually just pile as much crap as I can on the plate and call it a day

I couldn't tell you how the food tasted, as I don't remember because it really isn't memorable. I think I'll try to take notes on my phone on my next trip. I think the price of this meal is steep for the quality of food, but I guess you're paying for the characters. I never ever do character meet and greets, so this is the only time I have an opportunity to have a character photo op, but I don't book these character dining meals for that. It's nice to have the photos, but I find it to be more annoying than anything. I think I book them because of the nostalgic feelings I get when I am there, & the timing fits in my plans. It reminds me of past trips when my kids were little, when we ate there with my Uncle Leo. That alone makes the price worth it. Total cost: 2 Adult Lunches $90, minus 20% TIW discount of $18, plus tip, for a grand total of $94.88 Nostalgia or no, that's a LOT of money for this lunch.
I could not agree with you more. We rarely do any of the buffets, but when we do its generally breakfast since its cheaper and the food tends to hold up better. I love a good character meet and greet too, but I think I'd rather just seem them in the parks than pay $100 for lunch.

My oldest son, Joe, when he was 5, with Uncle Leo, at the Crystal Palace. 1985
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Great photo! Your Uncle was a pretty cool dude!

Last but not least, one of my favorite things to do in the MK! Do you call it the TTA or the People Mover? It's People Mover for me. Does anyone remember when it was called the Wedway People Mover? Why can I remember that, but I can't remember why I walked into the next room?
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I don't recall this at all and I've been going to the world since the 70's.
 
Day 6, November 3, 2016-Part 3- I'm sorry, so sorry, please accept my apology....

I'm so so sorry, so sorry. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I did this when I swore I wasn't going to. I am beyond embarrassed! :blush: Five whole months since I've updated. :sad2: I'm truly hanging my head in shame. Please forgive me. :flower3: Since I last posted I've been back to WDW twice. The first trip was September 13th-21st, just my husband & I, for Food & Wine, and the second was just a few weeks ago, December 8th-16th, with my son, his wife, and their two little guys, as well as my daughter & her husband. I thought about slinking away and never posting again on the Dining Review forum, or going incognito and making a whole new profile, :crazy: but that's no way to start off a new year, right? It's not just this forum that I haven't visited; I pretty much wasn't on the entire DIS for months. I've only just recently been back reading and posting here and there, all the while, avoiding coming here. I missed my Dining Review buddies though, :lovestruc and that's what brought me back, that, and I'm not a quitter, gosh darn it! I wasn't comfortable reading others DRs though, benefiting from their experiences, without finishing my review and offering the same. I'm going to try to complete this review today, so here goes! Okay, not really today, lol, but soon! I'm going to at least finish a couple more days today!!!

We headed to Epcot after our earlier adventures in the MK, with dreams of artichokes in our heads! I mean, doesn't everyone dream of artichokes? I seriously love them, and don't get to eat them nearly enough, mainly because they are a real PIA to prepare, in my opinion. My mom does this awesome stuffed artichoke dish with breadcrumbs and parmesan. She's Italian, spoke Italian before she spoke English, and I think this is some kind of Sicilian artichoke dish. She also made fresh sliced artichokes and eggs, which I love! Sounds gross, I know, but it truly is great. Here is a recipe I found online that is somewhat similar, minus the mint and lemon, and,of course, my mom adds parmesan to her recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/228775/lemon-artichokes-and-eggs/

We stopped at the Festival Center first to check out things there. Have you been? We used to do a few of the food demos in years past, as they were very inexpensive, and well worth it. We saw some pretty famous chefs, too, Robert Irvine being one. Over the last year or so, the "famous" chefs now only do the very expensive demos and dinners, while unknowns do the cheap versions, lol. I'm sure they're great chefs, too, but I heard they've skimped on the meal sample, and I didn't see anything that was really interesting, so we skipped the demos this year. We always enjoy seeing the chocolate sculptures, and checking out the F&W merchandise area, especially the featured chefs cookbooks.

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Apparently we stopped in China for a Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce – $6.50 I'm sure this was my husband's choice, as I don't eat duck, or bao buns, lol. If I remember correctly, I don't think he was very impressed, and thought the bun was kind of dry. I'm guessing this is the case, as he didn't want to get it on our most recent F&W trip this past September 2017.

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I see our destination in the distance!!!

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I started out being good. I can't find my receipt for this meal, but I'm pretty positive it is the Family Style House Salad - Served Exclusively with Pizza - $7 per person, minimum 2 people; leaf lettuces, diced tomato, peppers, marinated mushrooms, olives, peperoncini, red wine vinaigrette $7 per person.
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And I ended up being bad, because, this... Carciofi Signature Pie - white pizza, artichoke, fontina, mozzarella, truffle oil $22-Individual, $35-Large (serves 2 - 3), $45- Mezzo Metro (serves 3 - 5)
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Not my best food pic, sorry, I should have focused on the pizza, but this pizza, oh my goodness, it is amazing, and worth getting sick for! I was very bad because I avoid gluten as much as possible because in my experience it makes the pain I have from my auto-immune disorder much worse, in an inflammatory way. I was super strict for years when my disease was flaring constantly, but recently it has been a lot better, and I'm not sure why. I experimented with lots of vitamins and supplements, and really watched what I ate, and not eating gluten, along with my vitamin/supplement regimen seemed to work. I guess because I'd been feeling pretty good I decided it was worth the risk to eat this glorious pizza. Sometimes it backfires on me, and I'll be pretty sick within 24-36 hours of eating gluten. If I've been under a lot of stress, and doing an unusual amount of activity, the pain and yuk feeling will be worse, and the only thing that makes it better is rest and lots of water. Fortunately, I didn't notice too much difference in my discomfort level after this meal. I already had increased pain due to all the walking/activity, and I made sure to drink lots and lots of water. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that in my opinion, getting to eat this Carciofi pizza once or twice a year is worth whatever discomfort I have to go through!

We headed out of Epcot, happy & full! Good Night Spaceship Earth!
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Up next... Sushi, really really good sushi! In the most unexpected of places!
 
Day 7, November 4th, 2016- More Sushi Please! It's a Disney Springs & hot tub kind of day!

After six fun-filled magical days, today was more for relaxing & recharging. As I've said many times, I love sushi and could eat it every day. We decided to head to Disney Springs to have sushi for lunch at one of our favorite places to eat sushi. Morimoto Asia, right? Nope, wrong. It's Splitsville!

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Yes, Splitsville does have very good sushi. Very good! Is it my number one sushi spot at the world? No. It's not even second. It is third though out of the places I've had sushi at WDW, and honestly, number one and two are very hard to beat. They are California Grill and Yak & Yeti, but since we weren't going to either of those places today, and I was craving sushi, and we just wanted to have a chill day, Splitsville it is! Really though, the sushi is that good! We had...

the Spicy Tuna - Fresh tuna, spicy mayo, cucumber drizzled with sriracha hot chili sauce; gluten-free $13
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the Crouching Dragon - Tempura shrimp, asparagus and avocado topped with spicy krab mix and drizzled with eel sauce, spicy mayo and sriracha $16
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and the The Alberto - No rice, just lean protein and veggies. Spicy tuna, cream cheese and avocado rolled in thinly sliced cucumber and served with lemon ponzu sauce and drizzled with srirarcha sauce; gluten-free $13
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Best of all, two out of the three were gluten free! Yay!!! Oh my gosh, so so good! My mouth is watering right now thinking about this!
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We also shared the Loaded Fries - Fries smothered with queso blanco, bacon, ranch, scallions and love $12.
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Considering how large the menu is at Splitsville, I'm really impressed with the quality and value of their food. We've yet to be disappointed. After our lunch we walked around for a bit, stopping at T-Rex to buy some presents for the grandkids at home.

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They have a cute dig site for the kids!
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I'm not crazy about the revamping of Downtown Disney, now Disney Springs. It's just not Disney enough for me, and way too many high end stores. Even if I had the cash to throw around, how the heck do you get all that stuff home? I guess it was done more with locals in mind, maybe those high fallutin folks who live at Golden Oak! Just kidding. I'd love to be one of them! I do like all the new restaurants they're adding though. Can't have too many good places to eat at WDW. I hate the new bus stop drop location though. Horrible! You have to walk a mile before even getting to Disney Springs, and we always have to wait forever for a bus back to the resort during the afternoon. I think it makes staying at Saratoga Springs a premium though, with it being in walking distance, if Disney Springs is a place you like to frequent.

After walking around for a while I felt like something sweet, and Harry was needing a caffeine boost, so we stopped at Starbucks and I got this decadent beauty!

A Mammoth Pecan Pattie $4.99, but I got it for $3.99, as it was 20% off with my AP discount! This was sooooo good!!! It took me a while to eat it throughout the day. Yum! I want one of these right now, too, but considering I've gained a total of 8lbs since my September Disney trip, I'm on a mission to lose it before our F&G trip coming up in April, so no pecan patties for me! Not sure what I was drinking, as I can only find the receipt for the pecan pattie. It looks like some kind of iced beverage. Also not sure why the drinks are on a separate receipt. I must have decided I wanted the pecan pattie after buying the coffee and delicious looking whipped cream topped beverage.
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We spent the evening back at the resort, first at the hot tub, which was so conveniently right across from our room, then had dinner at the replacement Sassagoula Floatworks, as the newly refurbished Floatworks hadn't opened yet. Even though we're DVC owners at Animal Kingdom Villas, I do truly love POFQ, and miss it. I may have to tack on a few days there on an upcoming trip.

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My honey with his farmer's tan, all relaxed!
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The view looking up. So peaceful.
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Dinner! Harry had the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, $11.29. I don't see it on the menu anymore. Now there's a Bacon Cheeseburger for $12.99 or a Smokehouse BBQ Cheeseburger for $13.49. He def got the better deal, the best of both worlds and cheaper! I had the Meatball Sandwich, for $9.49, which also doesn't appear to be on the menu anymore either. Hmmm. And of course, gluten free beignets! These three were $2.99 at the time, but I now see they're up to $3.99! Wow, that's quite the price jump in a little over year. Still well worth it though. Since I don't have celiac disease, and choose to eat gluten free as much as possible, and don't have to worry about cross-contamination, I just didn't eat the roll. Small amounts of gluten don't seem to bother me, like bread crumbs in meatballs. It's when I eat doughy things like pizza crust and bread that I really feel the effects. The fries were crispy and delicious!
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Next up: Bring on the Mimosas!!! Parisian Breakfast at Epcot!

 
:hug: SO glad you are back!

Since I last posted I've been back to WDW twice
That's awesome! Hope you will consider sharing highlights of those trips too :flower3:

I pretty much wasn't on the entire DIS for months.
It's okay, welcome back!

My mom does this awesome stuffed artichoke dish with breadcrumbs and parmesan.
R's family makes that too! They are also Sicilian so I think you might be right about the roots of the dish. It's sooooo good!

Not my best food pic, sorry, I should have focused on the pizza, but this pizza, oh my goodness, it is amazing, and worth getting sick for!
Um I'm just in awe that you got a photo without digging in to the pizza prior to taking the picture! I've only managed it once... the truffle oil aroma is just too heavenly to hold off!

Considering how large the menu is at Splitsville, I'm really impressed with the quality and value of their food
Omg those fries!!! I can't believe they were only $12. I've actually heard before that Splitsville has good sushi so I am glad to hear the quality is still up to snuff!

I hate the new bus stop drop location though. Horrible! You have to walk a mile before even getting to Disney Springs,
See I feel like the bus drop is much more centrally located - I hated when it was over on the marketplace by Earl of Sandwich. You REALLY had to walk a long way if you weren't headed to the marketplace!

Can't wait to read more!
 
Great update, Teresa. Happy New Year!

Love your photos, especially those of your grandsons. They are so precious. :cloud9:
 
Teresa glad to see you back. I am with you about the stores in DS . When walking through on our last trip, multiple times, DH kept commenting on how many shops will still be here next visit. The new restaurants are great additions . We haven't hit Splitsville but may have to look at it whenever the next trip happens. Of course getting past Puck Express ( & the new TS), Polite Pig and Homecomin' will be tough
 
I was just looking at the Splitsville menu today for my May trip. The sushi looks delicious!

It really is, frannie! If you can squeeze it in, do it!

:hug: SO glad you are back!

Thank you! I missed you too!

That's awesome! Hope you will consider sharing highlights of those trips too :flower3:

I will! I better get cracking, as I also wanted to do a quick report on the trip I took after this one I'm writing about now, which was last May 2017, when I went with my sister & my bff during F&G. I felt like I was on a trip with Lucy & Ethel! :crazy2::rotfl2:

It's okay, welcome back!

:hug:


R's family makes that too! They are also Sicilian so I think you might be right about the roots of the dish. It's sooooo good!


Um I'm just in awe that you got a photo without digging in to the pizza prior to taking the picture! I've only managed it once... the truffle oil aroma is just too heavenly to hold off!

As you can see, I wasn't that patient, as the photo was awful. Normally I take my time positioning the dishes to the best photo advantage, lol!


Omg those fries!!! I can't believe they were only $12. I've actually heard before that Splitsville has good sushi so I am glad to hear the quality is still up to snuff!

Splitsville even has gluten free pizza, and I've had it, and it was okay, but not Splitsville's fault that it was just okay. It's impossible to find great gluten free pizza crust. Gluten is what makes pizza crust so amazing. In fact, Via Napoli refuses to make gluten free pizza for that very reason. They told me it wouldn't live up to their standards. Most gluten free pasta is very good though.

See I feel like the bus drop is much more centrally located - I hated when it was over on the marketplace by Earl of Sandwich. You REALLY had to walk a long way if you weren't headed to the marketplace!

I like the location of the bus drop for the reason you stated, I just hate that once you get to the location, it takes forever and a day for a bus to arrive, at least that's been our experience. Haven't tried it in the evening though since the new location. Maybe the buses are more frequent then. Plus, we were at AKV the last two trips, and of course, that bus pick-up spot was in outer Siberia, lol.

Can't wait to read more!

Great pictures, Teresa!!!! Thanks.

Thank you, Dan!

Hi Teresa! Admitting your problem is the first step :-) Looks like a great couple of meals. Welcome back!

Haha, Kari, see, this is what I missed! I was thinking to myself the last several months, I wonder what Kari, Pepper, & Ariana have been up too.:goodvibes

Great update, Teresa. Happy New Year!

Love your photos, especially those of your grandsons. They are so precious. :cloud9:

Aww, thanks so much! Happy New Year to you, too. They are pretty adorable! They keep me smiling when life gets me down.

Teresa glad to see you back. I am with you about the stores in DS . When walking through on our last trip, multiple times, DH kept commenting on how many shops will still be here next visit. The new restaurants are great additions . We haven't hit Splitsville but may have to look at it whenever the next trip happens. Of course getting past Puck Express ( & the new TS), Polite Pig and Homecomin' will be tough

So true! We've done D-Luxe Burger, which we really really liked, the Daily Poutine, which was ehh, and most recently The Polite Pig, which was pretty good. Still haven't done Homecomin, Frontera Cocina, or any of the other newbies. I always want to try them, but how many days can one spend at DS while at WDW, plus I always want my old favorites. It's such a dilemma! :laughing:
 
Day 8, November 5th, 2016
Oui, Oui, S'il vous plaît! Mimosas & Chocolat Chaud! I'm in heaven!


This morning we both hopped out of bed so excited!!! It was the day of our Parisian Breakfast at Chefs de France! I really love this special event that is held during the F&W Festival. In fact, I love it so much I hesitate to write about it here, because then more people will know about it and tell their friends :chat: making it harder to get a reservation. Nah, just kidding, I want all my friends to know. I first discovered this event a few years ago when I was checking out all the F&W events, seeing if there was anything that would fit into our budget. I thought I was seeing things when I saw the price for the Parisian Breakfast! What? Bottomless mimosas & chocolat chaud! Awesome! Wait, what's chocolat chaud? Oh, hot chocolate, hahaha. Under $50 per person! Hurry up and book that baby! I think we paid around $35 each the first time we went, and now it's up to about $40pp, but still, it is an amazing price for what you get, in my opinion. We missed it on our most recent F&W trip this past September, because it didn't start until the week after we went, even though the F&W Festival was going on, and I was so sad. :sad: By the time I was able to book the event, of course, my resort reservations and airfare had been long since booked, so I couldn't change them. I was seriously bummed about this, and it will NOT happen again!!! I don't have many of my own food photos of this event, as I always feel weird about taking photos of buffets when there are so many people trying to get their food, and at this event there is rarely a break in the food lines, like there may be at other regular buffets, so I'm going to be using photos I found on the net, in addition to my own, and I'll give credit as to who's photos they are.

We set out for Epcot bright and early. The event starts at 9am, and it's recommended you get to the park around 8:15. You're let in via the pre-park breakfast reservation line, and then you make your way to the International Gateway where you're held like cattle along with the guests coming from the IG entrance to Epcot, until a little before 9, when they let us get in yet another line outside of Chefs de France. Have to say, this is the BEST line I've ever waited in at WDW, as they serve you mimosas while people are being checked in! :drinking1 For real! Oh, I forgot to mention, this Parisian Breakfast event is only held on Saturday mornings through out the F&W Festival, except for the first few weeks of September. Once you're let into the restaurant, you're led to your table by one of the Chefs de France wait staff, who welcomes you in very heavily accented English, and you pretend that you understand what they said. :blush: Bonjour! Now, for those who do not like sitting with strangers, you may want to avoid this event, because if there are only two of you, most likely you'll be sitting with others. Out of the three times we've gone, twice we've been with another couple. The first time we went that couple was lovely. Very friendly, but not overly chatty or intrusive. The second time we went, that couple was NOT comfortable sitting with people they didn't know, clearly. In fact, I think they thought they'd be sitting alone. It was not comfortable, but being the friendly outgoing person that I am, I let it roll over me and had a wonderful time anyway. Who has time to talk when there's all that delicious food to stuff in your mouth, right? Who cares if they looked at us like "how dare you sit at our table!" I never saw two people eat so fast and leave. Their loss. Our third time we scored our own table by the window! Who cares if I couldn't see what I was eating due to the blinding sun shining through. People probably thought "who's that weirdo saluting everyone", when really, I was just trying to keep the sun out of my eyes! My sweet husband offered to switch seats with me, as I guess he doesn't mind permanent retinal damage.


The way this breakfast works is your server fills your Mimosa glass, then asks if you'd like coffee, tea, or chocolat chaud. At that point you're free to go to the buffet, of which there are two sides, and both are the same. On the first trip up the line is basically as slow as escargot. Haha, did you get my French reference? It takes a while to check out the offerings, and decide what you want. Trying to eat gluten free is not easy at this event, and there is no gluten free menu, so if you're celiac, go at your own risk. There is plenty of cheeses and meats to partake of though, for those who avoid gluten. I have always found plenty to fill me, but again, if you don't eat gluten, you're definitely missing the best they have to offer. Of course, if you're happy with unending Mimosas, hot chocolate, meats and cheeses, you're golden! After the meal, you're presented with a cute little gift bag on the way out!


We really enjoyed our peaceful walk over to France.

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Endless Mimosas!
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Following Photos Courtesy of Disney Food Blog


Chocolat Chaud!
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Following Photos Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog


This is basically what I ate.
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Goodie Bag!
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Our breakfast was amazing, as usual, and I was still standing, so didn't over indulge on the Mimosas. We continued our morning walking around World Showcase, and then we were meeting someone in person, for the first time, who is now a good friend of mine, and I met right here on the DR forum. We decided to meet at Ample Hills Creamery on the Boardwalk. It was her birthday, so we wanted to get together and celebrate for a bit, before we headed back to our room and then Disney Springs for the evening, and she was heading to Club Villian at Hollywood Studios! Sadly, I don't have any pics of our Ample Hills Creamery treats. What is wrong with me? I guess I was so excited to meet my friend that I forgot to take pics! Ugh! My stupid receipt doesn't say what we had either, other than cake cone and waffle cone, but I do remember that it was really good. After getting our ice cream, we sat eating them and talking on a bench on the Boardwalk, getting to know each other & enjoying each other's company, while appreciating the beauty of Crescent Lake. We definitely didn't have enough time together. We would have planned better had we known our trips were going to coincide, so that we could have spent even more time together. Our MNSSHPs were on different nights, too. She went the night before Halloween, and we went on Halloween. We were going to be spending time together the next day at an awesome brunch buffet though! So who is this friend? You'll just have to wait for my next installment!

The rest of our day was uneventful. We went over to Disney Springs to do a little shopping. We needed more habanero sugar from the Spice & Tea Exchange, and we also bought some black truffle salt. Have you ever put a little habanero sugar in your hot chocolate? No? You should! It gives it a little heat, as well as sweetness, and turns your ordinary hot chocolate into Mexican hot chocolate! Add some whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and yum! You only need a little bit of the habanero sugar though, maybe between a 1/4 and 1/2 a teaspoon, depending on how spicy you like things. As far as the black truffle salt goes, it smelled awesome, and really adds a little something to things like tuna salad, but it really lost it's potency quickly. After a few months I couldn't even smell the black truffle, and I kept it in an airtight container. I guess you have to use it really quickly. For dinner we headed over to the Riverside Mill Food Court, and according to my receipt, someone had a meatlover's flatbread, and someone had a shrimp po boy. I don't remember having either of these things, and unless the flatbread was gluten free, I can't imagine I ate it, but maybe I did. The po boy definitely wouldn't have been gluten free. I don't have any pics of these items either. What a fail. Sorry! We had an early night, as DH was running his first half marathon in the morning, and I think the bus picks the runners up around 3:30am! Needless to say, I wasn't there cheering him on, lol!



Up next: DH runs his first half marathon, and brunch at the Contemporary!
 
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Wow, what an amazing breakfast. I vaguely recall reading about someone else doing this a few years back but I'd forgotten how wonderful it looked. You really make me want to tell everyone I know to do it :P Seriously though, if we are ever down there at the same time as the French Breakfast that is definitely in my future. Question for you, were there any kids there? I've never been sure on bringing kids to these events so we've just never done them
 

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