Hunky Tuna Tostada - Fall 2017 DR - completed 7/12 - Animal Kingdom Snacks

pepperandchips

[melinda]
Joined
Mar 16, 2014
Hey, nice to meet ya! I'm Melinda.

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This is me, living my best life, actually wearing lipstick and lanyarded-out in front of the bubblegum wall outside of Spaceship Earth. Don't let this trendy photo fool you, check out the messy hair and set your expectations lower. I love all things Disney, the Canada Beer Cart, the Country Bears, podcasts, Burudika Band, signature restaurants, the Peoplemover, Animal Kingdom, tiki culture, Spaceship Earth, and cannot resist the siren song of a food kiosk in Epcot.

I am back and am starting fresh with a brand new dining funanza. I expect this DR to cover my annual fall food and wine pilgrimage (extended cut, featuring a new-to-y'all character added to the cast, my friend Sarah), a trip for my first food and wine classic with my mom (remember that bit about lowering your expectations?), and an upcoming two day stopover at Disney on our way down to R's family's for Christmas.

Speak of the devil, introductions are in order.

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Pictured with me above is R, my fiance (which is still weird to say). He's been part of the regular cast over the last few years, and we love to travel and eat together. We are getting married in May.

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This is Sarah, my friend and fellow Disney fan. We met in 2012 and have made and cancelled Disney plans together a few times since then. This time the plans were hatched over cocktails... well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's just say the trip worked out. She'll feature in the October part of this dining report.

Since 2014 I've visited WDW for a "longer" stay during Food and Wine, as I normally just make quick weekend jaunts down from Atlanta. This year was no different and I booked a stay during R's fall break at my home DVC resort, the Grand Floridian Villas. This was my first stay at my home resort on my own DVC points and so that was extra cool. I have a really small contract that will either let me take a longer trip every 3 years via banking and borrowing or I can take a long weekend every year. This was a banking and borrowing trip, and I really liked staying at VGF. I may not plan to use my VGF points for Epcot-centric trips in the future due to the necessity of two monorail segments to get there, but overall I love my home resort and was happy to stay in my "place" there.

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Just after I got back from my previous Disney trip, I got in a minor fender bender on my way to work and was so frustrated and frazzled that day that I cashed in some Skymiles for R and I to fly to WDW this time. We stay offsite pretty regularly, but since we knew we had no plans to go offsite and could get Magical Express to the Grand Floridian, it was an easy choice. We took a 7:55 pm flight from Atlanta and were on the ground in Orlando by 9:15 pm. Unlike my previous experiences with DME, this time we had apparently just missed the prior bus and so we were first in line, first on the bus, and waiting a long time watching the trivia videos. No worries, I was just happy to be in Orlando! If you haven't had the pleasure of watching the full trivia loop, this is where the report title comes from, as the trivia video gives comically bad "incorrect options" for the trivia questions, one of which is "Hunky Tuna Tostada", a horrible quote from Iago back when the Tiki Room was the abominable Under New Management version.

Magical Express dropped off at the Poly and CR before dropping us at the Grand. We schlepped our stuff to our room and passed out for the night.

Well, I think that's enough background. Now pour yourself a beverage and settle in for the food pics!

Next installment: What's our view like? Did we make it to our much-anticipated first meal at Disney? Will we ever meet up with Sarah?
 
Thursday, October 5: (trip one)

Morning dawned overcast the next day, but nevertheless I ripped open the curtains looking forward to our gorgeous Grand view!

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(hey Poly, I see you over there gurl)

Oh wait, this wasn't at all what I requested. In fact, it was entirely the opposite. Oh well, can't win 'em all. I've got better pictures of our gorgeous full roof view coming from later in the trip... Still, it was cool to sit back and watch the monorails pass.

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We took a little time enjoying coffee and being at the most magical place on earth before embarking on the first of several dopey transportation decisions we'd make that day.

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Where were we off on the monorail to? Why, Animal Kingdom Lodge of course! Doesn't that make sense?

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I'd had this recent burning desire for Boma brunch. It's no secret that I love a Disney breakfast buffet, and Boma had never been on the rotation for me so I was looking forward to trying out something new. We waited for just a few minutes after our reservation before being seated in the area of the restaurant near the windows. We had great service and wasted no time filling our plates.

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This one was mine, which I can easily identify because I'm a genius and put the praline sauce that's served with the bread pudding on my Mickey Waffle (I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything :rolleyes2 but do it!). Also pictured are a pecan sticky bun, sausage link, turkey bobotie, corned beef hash (this is topped with a cornbread-like layer, which is all you can see really in this photo), roast turkey with mustard sauce, and potato barrels "with afritude". Very few potatoes made it all the way back to the table as they were THAT good. I actually ate almost everything from this plate except the bobotie which was too bland for me.

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This was one of my second plates. I was sneaking in some vitamins with the grilled asparagus, but balanced out any positive health benefits with more potato barrels, a biscuit and sausage gravy, and goat cheese and herb scrambled eggs.

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The last of my plates featured french toast bread pudding with both sauces, banana bread, and another bit of sausage.

I know this is blasphemy but I don't really like the french toast bread pudding. It's just too sweet for me. However I LOVE the sauces, especially on Mickey Waffles so I hope they never take away the bread pudding!

Here is one of R's plates with a better look at the corned beef hash:

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I tasted his pap and chakalaka - not for me, I just don't like stewed tomatoes very much.

The coffee was very good and R really enjoyed the fresh made eggs you can order from the omelette station. We also had jungle juice and both absolutely loved this breakfast. With TIW discount and 18% gratuity incuded, the bill came to $55.73. I think it was worth every penny and wish I could have Boma breakfast on every trip. Mickey Waffles with praline sauce... :lovestruc

It was sprinkling a bit when we finished up with our brunch so we took in some animal viewing from inside and under porch roofs.

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Sarah's flight had landed but she was making her way to a solo BOG lunch reservation, so we made another poor transportation decision and went back to our room by way of Animal Kingdom so that we could get our rain gear. We finally met up with Sarah outside Pirates around 1:30, when we took a raucous ride on the high seas and marveled at the short wait.

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I'm sorry, this ride photo is ridiculous. R talking to me is still cracking me up to this day.

For this trip I had a goal of experiencing attractions and restaurants that I'd never done before. I had some success (Boma breakfast was already one new thing!) and asked R and Sarah if we could do another:

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Needless to say, they obliged.

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This was cute but not something I'd need to do every trip and certainly never when it's hot! The weather was perfect for it this day, though. We took advantage of the low crowds to experience Buzz, the Peoplemover, Carousel of Progress, Teacups, greeted my favorite boo Sonny Eclipse, and rode the train around Magic Kingdom prior to departing Magic Kingdom for greener pastures...

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Up next: We tackle another park! And get back to the food pictures, I promise....
 


Joining in, looking forward to following along. I adore Boma breakfast, it is still my all time favorite breakfast at WDW. Glad to see it’s still great, I haven’t been there for a few years.
 
FOLLOWING ALONG because I can already tell you're bundles of fun and report aesthetic #goals. And your Boma plate looks M A G I C A L
 


Hunky Tuna Tostada that's a great start Iago! Congrats on the DVC and glad to see you checked Boma off the breakfast list! We really enjoy it too. Have you tried The Wave yet? I think it may be my favorite breakfast
 
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Oh, did you get the room view right in the front of the building? I got the one with a view even worse than that once. I was with mother so we didn't care too much.

Looks like you are off to a great start!
 
Hey Melinda!

several dopey transportation decisions we'd make that day.
:laughing: This sounds just like us

I know this is blasphemy but I don't really like the french toast bread pudding.
:snooty:
I LOVE Boma breakfast! Steve and I ate there for the first time last year and I've been craving it ever since, but he isn't a big breakfast guy and doesn't want to go out of our way. However, I'm still considering going with everyone on our March trip. I always regret NOT going when we're back home!
 
Haven't been to Boma in a few years, but we enjoyed it quite a bit, I recall. We go often to AKL for dining; however, it's usually for Sanaa at lunch or Jiko for dinner. We'll have to get back to Boma.
 
:welcome: friends! Thank you for returning and putting up with my shenanigans.

Jumping over from your last report. Looking forward to reading the new one.
So glad to have you back! I'll be updating soon with even more yummy adventures.

Yay, your new report! Can't wait to read along :-)
It would not be the same without you! :drinking1 Glad to have you along for the ride!

Joining in, looking forward to following along. I adore Boma breakfast, it is still my all time favorite breakfast at WDW. Glad to see it’s still great, I haven’t been there for a few years.
Yay! :flower3: Glad to having you reading along with the adventure. Boma is probably my favorite breakfast right now... or the Wave... or... okay, fine. I just love breakfast at Disney!

Staying at VGF in Sept so Im here to read along as well!
Well I am glad you are here! VGF is what got me hooked on Disney again as an adult. The Grand is just beyond gorgeous and the Villas are so beautifully and tastefully decorated. Here's a little GF eye candy from a few years ago

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FOLLOWING ALONG because I can already tell you're bundles of fun and report aesthetic #goals. And your Boma plate looks M A G I C A L
Aw shucks :flower3: so glad to have you here! I am bundles of something... we can definitely go with fun! :rotfl:

Hunky Tuna Tostada that's a great start Iago! Congrats on the DVC and glad to see you checked Boma off the breakfast list! We really enjoy it too. Have you tried The Wave yet? I think it may be my favorite breakfast
Yay! Kari is here for the festivity. We have had the Wave a couple of times and it is neck-and-neck with Boma for favorite. For some reason R doesn't love the Wave as much but... he's wrong. I mean come on, sweet potato pancakes? Those tillamook grits?! Yeah, I even like the fruit cups there. I am going to have to make a point to head back there since it's been a few trips for us on that one.

Oh, did you get the room view right in the front of the building? I got the one with a view even worse than that once. I was with mother so we didn't care too much.

Looks like you are off to a great start!
Yeeeeaaaah a direct line of sight into the porte cochere roof. Ugh! I am 3/3 on "diametric opposite of what I requested" room locations lately so I may stop putting in requests with member services. Roulette seems to work better for me lately. We didn't really spend too much time out there anyway but I might have if it had been a little nicer to look out from. I guess in positive news, it was private? :rotfl2:

Hey Melinda!


:laughing: This sounds just like us


:snooty:
I LOVE Boma breakfast! Steve and I ate there for the first time last year and I've been craving it ever since, but he isn't a big breakfast guy and doesn't want to go out of our way. However, I'm still considering going with everyone on our March trip. I always regret NOT going when we're back home!
Ariane! Yay, you're here!!!!

Yeah Boma is absolutely worth the trip over to the lodge to enjoy! It's funny, the more I go to WDW the less I care how far out of the way things are... maybe because we are using Uber more and more. It's okay, Steve can be wrong as a great brunch is worth the hassle! :laughing: My only issue is getting everything I want done in the parks in the morning before brunch or being comfortable with a sleep in day. Loving that Trail's End serves breakfast until 12:00!!!

Haven't been to Boma in a few years, but we enjoyed it quite a bit, I recall. We go often to AKL for dining; however, it's usually for Sanaa at lunch or Jiko for dinner. We'll have to get back to Boma.
You'll have to get back and test it out and let us know how it stacks up compared to DisneyLAND breakfast options :thumbsup2 Glad to have you here reading along!
I'm back and following along! :wave:
I would expect nothing less, lady! :wave2: *scuttles off to subscribe on your reports for your December trip* okay, back now!

This fountain is so cute. I've seen pictures and always wondered where it was since I never saw it in the main building.
The grounds are so pretty, if you find yourself with a few extra minutes sometime you should walk over and see the Villas lobby. There's not much to it but it's usually pretty quiet and relaxing in there, plus you get to enjoy the beautiful views of the resort... and the wedding chapel??? :hyper:

Your Mickey waffle looks amazing. I never would have thought to put anything but syrup on it I'm going to have to try this next time.
Oh yes, I am devoted to adding the bread pudding sauce now. However, a naked Mickey waffle is perfectly tasty on its own!

You're a great writer! Great start, I'm in!
Oh shoot :blush: you're too kind. So glad to have you here! More updates coming soon!

Joining in, love your reports
So glad to have you here, Caroline! That feeling is mutual!!

Fun report so far!

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip. :)
Thanks, Janice! Glad to have you along. My friend Sarah stayed at the Swan on this trip and fell in love. We are slowly winning the people over! On second thought, maybe we should keep the secret :scratchin

Joining in! I love your reports.

Thank you so much! Glad to have you back!!!
 
The grounds are so pretty, if you find yourself with a few extra minutes sometime you should walk over and see the Villas lobby. There's not much to it but it's usually pretty quiet and relaxing in there, plus you get to enjoy the beautiful views of the resort... and the wedding chapel??? :hyper:
I should :) And I'll be at the wedding chapel in about ten months
 

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