I'm Just Here For Brunch: A 16 Day DR *Update 8/3

[jerseytinkerbell]

We took the bus from our resort to MK and then took the monorail from MK over to Grand Floridian for afternoon tea!





Afternoon tea has become a favorite for Rob and I. He really enjoys it as well, which is awesome that this isn't something I end up only being able to do on a girls trip. This was Lindsay's first time at tea here. She and I and my other SIL do tea time at a local place back at home every Christmas, so I was excited for her to be able to have tea time here and compare the two.

We headed down to the Garden View Lounge on the first floor.



Mrs. Potts and Chip on the floor outside the tea room is just the cutest touch.





We were seated right away at a lovely table by the window and we had some time to make our selections from the menu.



There are three different packages to choose from at tea. Each one comes with tea and desserts, so you need to pick your package you want and of course which tea you want and which dessert option you want.









We all opted for the Bedfordshire package. The Cheshire Tea is $15 more and comes with some cheese and fruit is good, but just isn't worth the extra $15 IMHO.

First they brought out our tea.



Rob opted to the Castleton Moonlight Oolong, Lindsay got the Fig & Rose White Tea and I got the Summer Berry. I love the Summer Berry because it is very fruity. I tried some of Lindsay's tea and it was also very very good. I would get that in the future.

They have sugar cubes on the table, which I much prefer for my tea over granulated sugar.



They also add these warmers over your tea pot to help keep your tea piping hot.



Each of of got our own plate of tea sandwiches. Clockwise from the top we have Poached Pear and Gorgonzola Cream Cheese, Traditional Egg Salad, Onion Tart, Fire Roasted Tomato with Oregano-Goat Cheese, Cucumber, and Sweet Curry Chicken.



I enjoy them all but the egg salad and curry chicken are my favorites and the pear and gorgonzola is my least favorite. I like that the egg salad doesn't have onions or celery or olives or any other cozy thing that people love to put in egg salad. It's just egg salad. Rob hates egg salad so I can usually score his egg salad sandwich as well.

Then they brought out the dessert tray and scones. We all opted for the House-made Pastries with Mousse-filled Swan, French Macaron, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry.



First I ate my olden Raisin Scone with Devonshire Clotted Cream, Lemon Crud, and Strawberry Jam, Served with a Strawberry Preserve Tart.



Yum! The scone is my favorite part. Especially with all of the lovely accompaniments. I just wish they gave you about twice the amount of Devonshire Cream.

Then there were all the lovely desserts. They brought out mine and my SIL's on the same tray.



We split up the macarons took one swan and one strawberry each. I ended up with the vanilla and raspberry macarons. Sadly there were no pistachio ones, which are my second favorite to the vanilla.



The mousse filling flavor in the swan changes seasonally. Today it was chocolate caramel.



The macarons were fantastic, the strawberry was very tasty and the Sean was just okay. That flavor sounded amazing but it was a little bland. I enjoyed the vanilla one I had last year much better.

Our server here was super friendly and the food was all delicious! My SIL was a big fan as well. Tea time was a success. I just love coming here. It's so relaxing and enjoyable. Perfect for a time when you aren't feeling the rush of the park crowds.



No TiW accepted here, but they do take AP so we got 10% off our bill. After we settled up we walked around GF for a bit because you can't come here and not soak up the atmosphere.





We made our way out to the bus stop so that we could head to AK. I never get pressed pennies, but this particular one was calling to me.



Animal Kingdom here we come!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

The food at Tutto Gusto looks so good. I keep forgetting about it but will have to have it on the radar on our next trip.
Looks like someone at Goods forgot what toasted means .

It was excellent! I hope you get a chance to go there on your next trip.

They did indeed forget!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

We arrived at AK around 2:30pm and I was excited to see that they still had their tree up as well!





We got right down to business since this would be Lindsay's only time at AK while she was here this trip. We did the safari and both walking trails where we got up close with the momma tiger.



Then we rode Everest and Dinosaur.





Lindsay and I also had the cutest meet and greet experience with Launchpad McQuack.





Then we did ITTBAB and rode Navii River Journey since I couldn't manage a FoP Faspass this day.

See ya Pandora!



We got all of that done in 3 1/2 hours and as we left AK we caught a bus to Disney Springs right as it was leaving thanks to a little running from Rob to catch it for us.

Once we arrived at DS we went straight to Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar to catch their happy hour specials that were about to end at 6:30pm.



It was a bit chilly but there were no seats inside so we sat out by the water and froze a little bit.



There was a bit of a misunderstanding on my SIL's drink order and I felt bad so I ended up taking her Hovito Mojito. I also couldn't decide what I wanted and hadn't had this before, so why not. This drink is Barsol Quebranta Pisco, fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Simple Syrup topped with Soda Water.



Ick! I did not like it. It was way too strong for me. I will just stick to my rum drinks from here on out.

I did get an appetizer of Satipo's Empanadas. Crispy-fried empanadas hand-stuffed with beef, onions, peppers, potatoes, olives, cheese, herbs, and spices served with a side of chimichurri aioli.



Now these were delightful! There was a lot of flavor and I loved the chimichurri dipping sauce.

The specialty drink that was cheaper for happy hour was the Reggie's Revenge. Florida Cane Orange Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice. Rob got this and I have no clue why because this was way too sweet for him. Afterwards we were questioning why we didn't just switch drinks with each other.

After that he got his usual favorite here, The Wrong Island. Siesta Key Silver Rum, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Tamiami Gin, Tippler's Orange Liqueur, and Sweet-and-Sour with a splash of Coca-Cola.



He also got the Nang Tao Spicy Popcorn Chicken. Crispy chicken chunks with Korean pepper sauce and popcorn tossed in a spicy Togarashi seasoning.



He very much enjoyed these. The actual popcorn was a nice touch. Their food selection here has gotten much better over the past few years.

With the new food options, the happy hour specials and the atmosphere, this place is a nice spot for a drink. They do not have my favorite drinks and the seating isn't plentiful at busier times which stinks. I would like to see them change up a few of the drinks on the menu in the near future.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

After drinks we headed to the movie theater for what looked to be like a possible cheesy classic with Keanu Reeves. Replicas!



This was seriously just what we wanted. I love a good bad movie and this was it.

After the movie we headed over to Blaze Pizza to build our first ones of the trip. The great thing was that unlike every other time we have come here, it wasn't insanely busy. The line was just barely out the door. Success!

If you have never been to Blaze let me break it down for you. It is just under $10 and you can build a pizza with as many toppings as you want. It is one flat price! It is even cheaper if you just want cheese pizza or just one topping. They also have signature pizzas you can chose from if you don't want to pick your own topping. It's $2 more if you want high rise dough or gluten free dough. We just do the regular build your own every time.

You go through the line and tell them everything you want to add to your pizza from the sauce to the cheese to the toppings. And if you want more of anything you can tell them. I always ask for more cheese than what they put on. This is what the toppings line looks like.



Once your pizza comes out of the oven you can ask for a to-go box and you can also get one of the drizzles they have like BBQ, olive oil or buffalo.

We each got our own build your own pizza. I tried something a little different for a change too. It was too late for the boat back to OKW and too cold anyway. We got to the bus stop and there was a decent line so we figured there should be a bus coming soon. Ummmmmm no. We waited FOREVER for a bus while us and our pizzas got very cold. Then once the bus finally came they waited for another driver who was late. It was unpleasant. Everyone on the bus, especially the people that were there before us, were not happy. It took over an hour from the time we got to the bus until we were back at the room. Ugh I hate Disney buses sometimes. We were on a decent run this trip before that happened too.

Oh well, pizza! Finally!

Rob got spicy sauce, tons of different cheese, ham, chicken, tomatoes, mushroom, red pepper and probably even more than that.



I got no sauce, but a BBQ drizzle and chicken, pineapple, lots of mozzarella cheese and black olives.



This was delicious! I asked for extra pineapple and it was a bit of a sweetness overload, but it was very good.

With full bellies and happy Disney hearts we went to sleep.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Just caught up on your report, Jeri! I had started it before we went on our trip a few weeks ago, and your Tutto Gusto review was stuck in my head. I really, really wanted to go there, as we had never been, but we never found the time to fit it in, darn it. Maybe next trip. We also ate at Homecoming for the first time, for breakfast, as well as Storybook Dining. Our experiences there were slightly different from yours, as I'll fill in when I get to those days on my dining report. I had no idea Bongo's had an outside window! What a great tip! I'm definitely going to keep that in mind next time we're at WDW. My sis and I did the tea at the GF this past trip. We've also done it in the past, and we enjoyed it as much this time as before. One of these times we have to pop into Jock Lindsey's. Those empanadas look so so good! I really need to take a non-park WDW trip just so I can have more time to eat at all of the new Disney Springs restaurants!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Blaze Pizza looks so good. I will be eating dinner there for the first time THIS Wednesday!!! I am so excited for this trip!

 

[goofy78]

Hi Jeri! I love all of your reviews! Your teacup earrings are adorable! Did you purchase them at DW? One of my daughters and I did the tea at GF a few years ago and loved it. Looking forward to more reviews!

 

[evre13]

Tea at the Grand looks so lovely! You all got so much done for a low-key day!

 

[kastoney]

Tea looks like such a fun and relaxing experience. I always think about taking my daughter here when I read reports like yours and then always forget once we get on the trip. One of these days.

Glad to see you all are Jocks fans too. Though I like Rob made the mistake of trying to keep to happy hour specials and the Reggies Revenge was way too sweet for me too. But at least they do happy hour. Wish there was more of that iin WDW.

Sorry to hear about all the bus troubles!!! We've taken to using uber most of the time just so it is not left to Disney bus fate. Glad to see the pizzas were good thought. We got a Blaze here we went to try a few weeks back only to realize it was on a college campus and closed on the weekend.. Oops!

 

[Haygar2]

My daughter is graduating from college this Sunday. **sniff** I might see if I can fit in a Tea into our trip. I don't know where I would put it, but I am going to try. LOL It looks fun. Maybe my husband and son can go do a guy thing. Or see if they want to do the tea time, too.

 

[bostondisneygirl]

Just was able to catch up. I'll definitely be adding Tutto Gusto to the list for our next trip. Can't wait to see where you're heading next!

 

[Patio]

Blaze looks amazing, need to try it in June. Loving your trip report!

 

[partofthatworld]

I'm so happy to "tag along" on your dining reviews! You and Rob are the reason we tried our new favorite, Homecomin' this past summer & Blaze and Amorette's didn't disappoint either. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[GrantDB]

I just knew you were going for afternoon tea when I saw those earrings, but I guess I'm cheating as a Brit, me and my partner have it regularly aha.

We have the GV Afternoon Tea booked up for August and we can't wait.

Loving your dining report Jeri!

 

[wed100105]

I love your dining reports. I enjoy living vicariously through you and seeing all the cool places you visit. Can’t wait to see how the rest of your trip went! TFS!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Just caught up on your report, Jeri! I had started it before we went on our trip a few weeks ago, and your Tutto Gusto review was stuck in my head. I really, really wanted to go there, as we had never been, but we never found the time to fit it in, darn it. Maybe next trip. We also ate at Homecoming for the first time, for breakfast, as well as Storybook Dining. Our experiences there were slightly different from yours, as I'll fill in when I get to those days on my dining report. I had no idea Bongo's had an outside window! What a great tip! I'm definitely going to keep that in mind next time we're at WDW. My sis and I did the tea at the GF this past trip. We've also done it in the past, and we enjoyed it as much this time as before. One of these times we have to pop into Jock Lindsey's. Those empanadas look so so good! I really need to take a non-park WDW trip just so I can have more time to eat at all of the new Disney Springs restaurants!

There's always next trip! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in your DR. So sad that Bongos is closing soon though. What a bummer! Glad you enjoyed your tea experience. I always love it there. You could easily make a whole trip out of just Disney Springs and resort eating. There's so much good food in DS!

Blaze Pizza looks so good. I will be eating dinner there for the first time THIS Wednesday!!! I am so excited for this trip!

What did you think of Blaze?

Hi Jeri! I love all of your reviews! Your teacup earrings are adorable! Did you purchase them at DW? One of my daughters and I did the tea at GF a few years ago and loved it. Looking forward to more reviews!

Thank you so much! I did get them at the UK pavilion actually. They had a matching necklace as well. I got them a few years ago but I think they still carry them.

Tea at the Grand looks so lovely! You all got so much done for a low-key day!

Their tea time is so relaxing and enjoyable. We really did do a lot for more of a down time type of day. Those are my favorite days for sure.

Tea looks like such a fun and relaxing experience. I always think about taking my daughter here when I read reports like yours and then always forget once we get on the trip. One of these days.

Glad to see you all are Jocks fans too. Though I like Rob made the mistake of trying to keep to happy hour specials and the Reggies Revenge was way too sweet for me too. But at least they do happy hour. Wish there was more of that iin WDW.

Sorry to hear about all the bus troubles!!! We've taken to using uber most of the time just so it is not left to Disney bus fate. Glad to see the pizzas were good thought. We got a Blaze here we went to try a few weeks back only to realize it was on a college campus and closed on the weekend.. Oops!

You definitely should plan this with her for a future trip. You'll both love it. WDW really does need more happy hours. I just saw that the outside bar at Planet Hollywood has a decent happy hour special. I need to check that out next trip! I really do prefer to drive most places while in WDW. The time waste with the bus stresses me out sometimes.

My daughter is graduating from college this Sunday. **sniff** I might see if I can fit in a Tea into our trip. I don't know where I would put it, but I am going to try. LOL It looks fun. Maybe my husband and son can go do a guy thing. Or see if they want to do the tea time, too.

Congrats to your daughter! I hope all went well and it was a lovely weekend for you. I hope you all gt to try tea time. The guys definitely might enjoy it as well. Worth a try!

Just was able to catch up. I'll definitely be adding Tutto Gusto to the list for our next trip. Can't wait to see where you're heading next!

Awesome! I hope you get to try it!

Blaze looks amazing, need to try it in June. Loving your trip report!

Most definitely! Blaze is amazing. I need one closer to me at home!

I'm so happy to "tag along" on your dining reviews! You and Rob are the reason we tried our new favorite, Homecomin' this past summer & Blaze and Amorette's didn't disappoint either. Can't wait to hear more!

That is so awesome! Yay! I'm happy you enjoyed Homecomin'.

I just knew you were going for afternoon tea when I saw those earrings, but I guess I'm cheating as a Brit, me and my partner have it regularly aha.

We have the GV Afternoon Tea booked up for August and we can't wait.

Loving your dining report Jeri!

Hahaha nice! Taking a break from the heat to enjoy tea time sounds perfect! I hope its as good as your legit tea experiences you normally get to have at home.

I love your dining reports. I enjoy living vicariously through you and seeing all the cool places you visit. Can’t wait to see how the rest of your trip went! TFS!

Thank you so much! More updates coming up!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

For my SIL's final day in WDW we were headed to HS for the morning/afternoon before her flight home. We got a slightly later start so I left my bag at the room today which proved to be very wise as we missed a gigantic bag check line. We ended up int he park around 9:30am, which wasn't too bad.

First up we were headed back to Toy Story Land. I couldn't get a FP for Slinky Dog, so we did TSMM instead. I loved the new queue! It's weird that it's the same ride because it seems so different with the way you go in from the other side now. And I loved the exit area. Many pics were taken.







The only problem is that this area fills up so fast! It's kill or be killed in Toy Story Land.

After that we did Star Tours and my SIL was the Rebel Spy. So cool! Then we did RnRC and since Rob won't do ToT but my SIL will I got to ride that which was a bonus for me. Then it was time for lunch at one of our favorites. Mama Melrose!



We were seated right away and we had an excellent server who was from Rehoboth Delaware which isn't far from us and is an area we all frequent. She was super sweet and chatted with us throughout the meal.

They started us out with rolls and dipping oil.



I am a sucker for bread service and their rolls here and delicious. I tried not to eat too much bread and save room though.

Rob was the only one who got an appetizer. He went with the Mushroom Flatbread. Roasted cremini and button mushrooms with a roasted vidalia onion spread topped with fontina and asiago cheese finished with balsamic reduction and fresh herbs.



I had a slice and it was excellent. So much flavor in this flatbread. Rob loved it! He was incredibly full though because then he had his favorite entree that he gets every time here without fail. The Saltimbocca. Pork Tenderloin topped with Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Tuscan Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Lemon Caper Sauce.



Not at all the best pic, but he is a big fan of this dish.

I usually stay away from the chicken parm here because I can get good chicken parm at home, but the last time I was here I saw it on so many tables and it looked gigantic and amazing, so I decided to try it here for the first time.



This picture does not show you how massive it is, but trust me when I tell you that this is a very large helping. My SIL got the same thing and we both really enjoyed it.

After lunch we sat through Muppets 3D and did a little shopping and then it was time to head back to the room.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

We had a little time together to relax back in the room before my SIL had to head out on the Tragic Express.

Once she left we decided to head to a movie for the evening. We unfortunately saw Vice, but we did get a massive popcorn and soda so it wasn't all bad.



After the movie we hit up Blaze Pizza once again for dinner. Here are our pizza creations this evening.





Rob went his usual route of spicy sauce, meats, mushrooms and tomatoes. I went back to one of my standbys of traditional sauce, pineapple, bacon, red pepper, black olives and oregano.

Fortunately it wasn't a long wait for a bus tonight and we got to enjoy our pizzas back in the room for the night. Room pizza for the win!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Get ready, because I am about to tell you about a hidden gem in WDW. Are you ready?

The next morning Rob and I got up and I drove us over to our breakfast destination that I was very excited to try. Our destination this morning is a place we have only been to one time, which was also the first night of our honeymoon. Coronado Springs!

We headed through the lobby and to the food area in the resort and then made our way to Rix Sports Bar & Grill.





We had a reservation but it definitely was not needed as we were literally the only two people in the place.



Crazy right?

This is their breakfast menu.



Rob loves French Press Coffee, so that his his beverage choice this morning.



I went basic and had an apple juice.



Rob went with the Eggs Benedict for his entree. Soft corn arepas, seared pork belly, soft poached eggs and roasted poblano hollandaise, served with chilaquiles.



He also asked for the pork belly to be well done which he was glad he did. He really enjoyed this and it was a tone of food. The roasted poblano hollandaise was a nice touch as well.

I knew exactly what I wanted. I went with the Huevos Divorciados. Two eggs any style served over a cheese quesadilla with black beans, salsa roja, salsa verde and queso fresco.



This was delicious! I got my eggs runny which was a good choice with this dish. I only wished this came with more chips because the black beans and the salsas were so good and I wanted to dip more chips in them. Yummmmm!!!!

I also got a side of peppered bacon, which was so good!



My hubby also loved all of the Cholula options already on the table as the man will put hot sauce on anything!



This place was so good! I was really glad I heard about it before our trip. If I was staying at this resort I would be eating here for breakfast almost every day. The options were great and the price was decent. It was also nice and quiet in there. At least, it was for us anyway. Not sure if it's always that quiet for breakfast. We will totally come back here again next trip!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

What did you think of Blaze?

I absolutely loved it!!!! And, you can't beat the cost!!!