The Dirty Dozen – 12 Days of Disney, Drinks & Dining - Updated 2/26

[buzzrelly]

Surprise!!! It's Disney Day again.

Yay!

we've been monitoring Florida and Orange County covid rates and thankfully everything is on a significant decline.

That's good to hear…I've been afraid to look!

Plus this is a quick trip focused on relaxing and pool time at our beloved Wilderness Lodge

Sounds heavenly

Only park time we have planned is for the Boo Bash. Casey planned our matching costumes so stay tuned for that.

Can't wait to see what you have planned!

Eventually we did get to use our FP for Mickey and Minnie and I gotta say we loved it much more than I ever thought we would.

Oh good! I love it too!

For our entrees we were very boring and got two Cobb Salads to share.

Not boring at all..the best salad down there

But have you seen it tossed by a professional.

Or how about eaten by one

Make note he available for hire for your next salad experience.

I didn't know that was missing from my salad experience!

This was a super quick lunch but the delicious salads and drinks certainly hit the spot. I wish they would open the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge back up because that is my preferred spot here, but we were happy to sit and escape the heat for a bit.

I've only ever been to the lounge, I didn't realize it wasn't open yet. I really need to get that salad again soon!

 

[Tracy161]

Surprise!!! It's Disney Day again.

YAY!!! Oh, I'm so excited to hear this, Kari! I hope you're having a wonderful time! Well, right now it's 6:30am or so, so hopefully right now you're actually sleeping... I saw your aforementioned note about waking up on vacation at 7am after all

I'm sure everyone has seen the deliciousness that is the famous brown derby salad made of Spit-roasted Turkey, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Classic Dressing.

I have, though I've never actually had it myself. And normally I'd never waste a Disney meal on a salad, but this one actually looks like it'd be worth it according to all the pics and reviews I've read

Casey is such a well-rounded young lady. I love that she has sushi in one hand and a bonafide kid drink in another. She's the perfect kid!

 

[HangWithMerida]

Soon enough we were seated and Casey commented that she loves that you always feel comfortable in a Disney restaurant even if its fancy or you haven’t been there before.
​

​

So true! I have never been to a Disney restaurant that wasn’t immediately cozy and welcoming!

We had heard that there was a secret 10th sauce you could order so of course we had to go that route. I didn’t catch what it was called so we’ll go with Valley of Death.

This looks suspiciously like that spicy red pepper paste you get with Thai or Korean food. If it’s anywhere close to that spice level that stuff will definitely make you cry!

 

[Princess Madeleine]

So just before dawn I mean at 7am (which is my favorite time to wake up on vacation) Jason and I were at the ready and....

Success!

I'm surprised they don't skip group 66 with the Star Wars implications of the number. I hope your experience on the ride went smoothly- my normally unsuperstitious self would've felt nervous about the ride all day if I got that boarding group. Lol!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I LOOOOVE Sanaa. I could eat that entire bread service myself.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I LOOOOVE Sanaa. I could eat that entire bread service myself.

And both of those Cobb salads. OK, now I am starving!

 

[princessmocha]

Surprise!!! It's Disney Day again. In approximately 5 hours we will be wheels up leaving DC and heading to our own personal Mecca. I'm a little more nervous about covid this time around but we've been monitoring Florida and Orange County covid rates and thankfully everything is on a significant decline. Plus this is a quick trip focused on relaxing and pool time at our beloved Wilderness Lodge (props to @CruellaNY for hooking us up).

Only park time we have planned is for the Boo Bash. Casey planned our matching costumes so stay tuned for that. Here's a hint they are an ode to one of her favorite attractions and its thankfully not the pooper I don't plan on doing a dining report but will post a quick recap when we get back. Until then here's a little more from our June trip..

Hooray for Hollywood

Day 3 of the trip was the first of 3 planned days in MGM. It is not a big surprise that I do not love this park, but we had yet to ride rise of the resistance and wanted to make sure we had plenty of chances to get a boarding group.

So just before dawn I mean at 7am (which is my favorite time to wake up on vacation) Jason and I were at the ready and....

Success!

Eventually we got moving and walked to MGM. I'd say it was about a mile or so and just about every time walking was faster than a boat.

Someone was excited to ride Mickey and Minnie's Railway for the first time, though she is still bitter about the loss of her beloved shooting lady ride.


But wouldn't ya know it after we waited about 30 minutes and were just about to go in the dang ride broke down. We wanted to just wait for it to come back up but they wouldn't let us because it's a fire hazard But they did give us a FP to come back later.

So instead we flew through a galatic galaxy, traveled back in time to 1990 with a frog and a pig, and did some shopping because wait times at MGM were NOT what we'd encountered the day prior. Eventually we did get to use our FP for Mickey and Minnie and I gotta say we loved it much more than I ever thought we would. I mean its no Sigourney Weaver saving the world, but a pretty fun experience nonetheless.

After that it was time for reservation #1,013 of the trip - Hollywood Brown Derby. I couldn't get a reservation at Jason's beloved SciFi and this was the only alternative we could settle on.

The restaurant had just opened so we were seated quickly and before too long drinks were at the table.


I got some kind of Pear Cocktail that I cannot find on the menu now, but I recall it had pear vodka, tequila, cilantro, and strawberries which sounds like a terrible combination but it was really, really good.

Jason went a safer direction and had a Jai Lai, which is his go to WDW beer.


And last, but certainly not least, Casey got a watermelon and sprite cocktail that she loved.

And of course her father commented how much better it would be with some rum in it!

As we sipped our cocktails, Casey requested we start with the Tuna Carpacio appetizer because this girl was jonesing for some serious sushi. I apparently forgot to take a photo so thank you to random Trip Advisor user for your contribution to my dining report.
View attachment 605218
I don' think this is exactly what we had as ours was served nicoise style with Kalamata olive toast, quail egg, and peppercorn aioli. This was decent but not great. The olives over powered the tuna a bit and the tuna itself was definitely under seasoned. And like every other side of toast known to man there wasn't enough of that to go around.

For our entrees we were very boring and got two Cobb Salads to share.

I'm sure everyone has seen the deliciousness that is the famous brown derby salad made of Spit-roasted Turkey, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Classic Dressing.

But have you seen it tossed by a professional.

Or how about eaten by one

Make note he available for hire for your next salad experience.

This was a super quick lunch but the delicious salads and drinks certainly hit the spot. I wish they would open the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge back up because that is my preferred spot here, but we were happy to sit and escape the heat for a bit.

Up next we finally rise and another big surprise ​

Can't wait to see the matching costumes! I'm with Casey, I miss the shooting lady too, but Runaway Railway is a nice replacement. Oh and the beloved Cobb Salad. Brown Derby isn't on our list for our trip in our 51 days (not that I'm counting) but I do love it there!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Hope you're having a fantastic trip! Can't wait to see your costumes for Boo Bash! That cocktail sounds so unique. I would never put those ingredients together but I love them all individually and you've never steered me wrong on drink recommendations. I hope they still have it next time I visit. By the way, the lounge is back to serving food - hurrah!! - but it is a very limited menu.

 

[ZeeWP]

We are most definitely very lucky. As much as we love food I have no idea what we'd do if we had a picky kid.

It is AWFUL. My husband and I both like to eat all kinds of cuisine and my kids will only eat raw fruits and veggies. and the occasional chicken nuggets and pizza lol

 

[evilstep]

Sooo...only 5 pages behind, but wanted to desperately catch up. Not my fault, really. Boss went on vacation and the other 2 supervisors decided to leave in the middle of their shifts for reasons best left undiscussed. DIS time as been at a premium!
Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the Boathouse. Was unimpressed with what I read, but we are boat enthusiasts and hubby is a mechanic, so the discount on the amphicar was appealing. Not appealing enough to justify a less than appealing dinner, though. I'll suck up the extra $ and eat elsewhere.
Jaleo is DEFINITELY on our must do list though! Can hardly wait for that one!

 

[suse66]

Speaking of said child in the beverage department she ordered a No Jito which is Lime Juice, Pure Cane Sugar, and Mint topped with Soda Water.

I love to grab a NoJito if I am driving or just not in the mood for a drink drink.

And for anyone keeping score at home Casey’s favorite was the Tamarind Chutney.​

Mine too along with the garlic pickle.

Like my dish Jason said he didn’t even need the chicken because the rice was the real star. He of course ate said chicken, which was a bit dry, but he didn’t care because the aromatic and flavorful rice was perfect.

Love a good biryani!

Surprise!!! It's Disney Day again. In approximately 5 hours we will be wheels up leaving DC and heading to our own personal Mecca. I'm a little more nervous about covid this time around but we've been monitoring Florida and Orange County covid rates and thankfully everything is on a significant decline. Plus this is a quick trip focused on relaxing and pool time at our beloved Wilderness Lodge (props to @CruellaNY for hooking us up).

Hope you have had a fabulous trip!

After that it was time for reservation #1,013 of the trip - Hollywood Brown Derby. I couldn't get a reservation at Jason's beloved SciFi and this was the only alternative we could settle on.

I can't believe you got Jason back into HBD! I thought he would never go back after your last meal there.

I'm sure everyone has seen the deliciousness that is the famous brown derby salad made of Spit-roasted Turkey, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Classic Dressing.

I love that salad SO much!

 

[kastoney]

It's funny reading your review of your meals, and how both you and your husband felt the stars of the dishes were the non meat parts. That's how I felt for years before I started just eating vegetarian. If you are at a good restaurant, the "sides" can actually be the tastiest parts.

This is so true. There are so many places where we've found that the vegetarian dishes are better than the meat ones and Sanaa is definitely in that category.

Sanaa is one of our family's favourites as well. We have meat eaters and veggies in our family and everyone loves their meals here. AND we always feel like we are going to explode, and get dessert to go. Next time we are going to try the secret 10th sauce, my son loves to test his spice meter. Can't wait to go back.

It really is a Disney gem. There are so many good restaurants in Disney but Sanna is so different and unique it definitely stands out from the rest.

Jimmy shares Casey's sentiment! He was a big fan of the Great Movie Ride, and insists he won't ride MMRR when we are there in December. I told him it was that or Rock'n Rollercoaster. We'll see who wins

Casey did love it, but none of us can figure out why they didn't use all of their available land to build a new ride vs. messing with a classic. They have so few rides there they really didn't need one less. Of course Casey won't get near Rock N Roller Coaster so that would be an easy choice for her

I'm bummed we'll be missing you guys in December, too, but someday we will have our Dis Meet and introduce our kids Have a terrific trip! I'm super jealous today is a Disney Day for you!!! Lounging poolside sounds like perfection at the moment!

One of these days our stars just have to align so we can shotgun some Millers together

Ugh what a bummer!! So glad you got to go back later and ride. I still have yet to see this one in action.

It's a really cute ride. I went in all prepared to be annoyed that it wasn't GMR but it really is well done.

At least you could do it in your room and not in the park. I am REALLY glad that got rid of that!

That is definitely true. And now it looks like they are getting rid of the virtual queue all together. Gotta make sure they are primed and ready to rake in the lightening lane cash

Love Casey for this! I am working on Gwen and every time I think I make a break thru she regresses! She will eat Guacamole now... baby steps.

Guacamole sounds like a pretty big step to me. She'll be eating that avocado in sushi before you know it!

Have a brilliant trip. So kind of you to celebrate my birthday in Disney for me. I on the other hand will celebrate here in rainy Belfast by praying to the sun gods to at least make it dry up so we can walk to the restaurant for dinner tonight so that all the adults can enjoy cocktails and I won’t feel like such a lonely lush

Hope you got some of your sunshine. But it was my pleasure to do my part to ensure I could celebrate with ya

In saying that the boy turns 24 today and assured me at 6.30 am this morning that he would be cocktailing with me so the party is on
Seriously though, have a great time lounging and eating and I am so happy for Casey that the Boo Bash is a go! Safe travels

I hope you had a wonderful birthday. So fun you and your son share a birthday and he's old enough that you can celebrate with some adult beverages.

 

[kastoney]

That's good to hear…I've been afraid to look!

I was monitoring it daily and even reading sites that were projecting cases. Sadly it looks like Florida has literally just started running out of people to infect.

Can't wait to see what you have planned!

Hope you enjoyed even if you had no clue who we were

Not boring at all..the best salad down there

Better not let Peco's Bills hear ya say that

I've only ever been to the lounge, I didn't realize it wasn't open yet. I really need to get that salad again soon!

Looks like it is back open I'm just ill informed. But I much prefer the lounge to the restaurant

YAY!!! Oh, I'm so excited to hear this, Kari! I hope you're having a wonderful time! Well, right now it's 6:30am or so, so hopefully right now you're actually sleeping... I saw your aforementioned note about waking up on vacation at 7am after all

Thankfully I was still sleeping and we had a wonderful time. I love long trips so you feel like you can get everything done but then a short trip like this just keeps you longing for more

I have, though I've never actually had it myself. And normally I'd never waste a Disney meal on a salad, but this one actually looks like it'd be worth it according to all the pics and reviews I've read

It never seems right to waste that stomach space on a salad but sometimes that salad can make sure you can keep going

Casey is such a well-rounded young lady. I love that she has sushi in one hand and a bonafide kid drink in another. She's the perfect kid!

You are so sweet, thank you. We kinda like her, but we're just a wee bit biased ❤

So true! I have never been to a Disney restaurant that wasn’t immediately cozy and welcoming!

So true. You could put so many of those restaurants elsewhere and they may feel a bit off putting, but in Disney even the signature restaurant feels accessible

This looks suspiciously like that spicy red pepper paste you get with Thai or Korean food. If it’s anywhere close to that spice level that stuff will definitely make you cry!

Are you thinking of Gochujang? If so I'm pretty sure it wasn't that. We eat it pretty frequently (our town has a ton of Korean restaurants) and the Sanaa stuff was even spicer than tht

I'm surprised they don't skip group 66 with the Star Wars implications of the number. I hope your experience on the ride went smoothly- my normally unsuperstitious self would've felt nervous about the ride all day if I got that boarding group. Lol!

Gonna be honest I had to google what this even met because Star Wars beyond the obvious is not my strong suit. Though that said our experience did not go smoothly so I think you are on to something.

I LOOOOVE Sanaa. I could eat that entire bread service myself.

You and me both. So sad when we have to share with our families.

Can't wait to see the matching costumes! I'm with Casey, I miss the shooting lady too, but Runaway Railway is a nice replacement. Oh and the beloved Cobb Salad. Brown Derby isn't on our list for our trip in our 51 days (not that I'm counting) but I do love it there!

Costumes hopefully coming up later tonight. Though now that I think about it I'm surprised Casey didn't pick the shooting ladies for us

Hope you're having a fantastic trip! Can't wait to see your costumes for Boo Bash! That cocktail sounds so unique. I would never put those ingredients together but I love them all individually and you've never steered me wrong on drink recommendations. I hope they still have it next time I visit. By the way, the lounge is back to serving food - hurrah!! - but it is a very limited menu.

Thank you. We did have a wonderful time.

The pear cocktail was a great find. Sadly no drinks on this last trip even came close to it, and I did my fair share of research, so that certainly says a lot. And good to know the lounge is open though I cannot imagine what a limited menu there means. It was always small to begin with.

It is AWFUL. My husband and I both like to eat all kinds of cuisine and my kids will only eat raw fruits and veggies. and the occasional chicken nuggets and pizza lol

Well at least they are eating fruits and veggies so there is something, right

Sooo...only 5 pages behind, but wanted to desperately catch up. Not my fault, really. Boss went on vacation and the other 2 supervisors decided to leave in the middle of their shifts for reasons best left undiscussed. DIS time as been at a premium!

Hope that things are getting better. Gotta love "supervisors" and their non-supervisor actions

Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the Boathouse. Was unimpressed with what I read, but we are boat enthusiasts and hubby is a mechanic, so the discount on the amphicar was appealing. Not appealing enough to justify a less than appealing dinner, though. I'll suck up the extra $ and eat elsewhere.

There are so many other good places to eat and you can still do the amphibicar. I'd definitely do Wine Bar George, Homecoming, or Jaleo

Jaleo is DEFINITELY on our must do list though! Can hardly wait for that one!

You will not be disappointed. We were just in DC the week before last and ate at another Jose Andres place. This one is tapas too but a mix of Asian and South American flavors. Very unique and very good.

I love to grab a NoJito if I am driving or just not in the mood for a drink drin

What a great idea. Though pretty sure there is no time when I'm not in the mood for a drink drink

I can't believe you got Jason back into HBD! I thought he would never go back after your last meal there.

I know, right? Though when its HBD or a quick service or Mama Melrose or 50's the choice was "easy"

 

[kastoney]

And we are back...

Happy Wednesday Everyone! We got back on Monday from our wonderful whirlwind of a long weekend in Disney and I wanted to share a few highlights.

First and foremost we got to stay at our beloved Wilderness Lodge and it was as amazing as we'd remembered.

I can think of no where else where you can be in the middle of the action but feel miles away from everything from at the same time.

We spent copious amounts of time at Geyser Point and enjoying their drinks both at the bar and poolside.

We even got to catch a special midnight preview of the 50th anniversary fireworks show which was an unexpected treat.

Made all the more special while sipping some cocktails courtesy of a birthday gift from my wonderful friend @CruellaNY.


Jason surprised Casey and I with a day in Epcot where we got our Food and Wine on.

I sadly have to say that we may be festivaled out as the food has gotten more and more expensive but the quality is certainly trending in the other direction. We didn't love most of what we had, but the stand-out was the Pig Ear Salad from the Swanky Saucy Swine (say that 3 times fast).


But there were some other clear winners in the food department. We had dinner at Topolinos where we had one of the best Disney desserts we've ever had, the Pumpkin Mousse.

This had so many different flavors and textures you could mix and match to your pumpkin hearts desire.

We also tried brunch at Wine Bar George and it was fantastic. Everything was delicious, but the stand-out was their marscapone french toast.

I don't care for sweet things in the morning so that is really saying something.

And clearly I'm also a big fat liar because I partook of the Dole Whip Frozcato and loved every minute of it.


We also ate at the redesigned Citricos for the first time and all I can say is WOW! From the decor to the service to the food, it was like an entirely different restaurant.

Their hamachi appetizer was my absolute favorite. Fresh hamachi served with a funky sauce of citrus and fish sauce. It's not for everyone but to me it was like being transported to a seaside Vietnamese village.


We also ordered a side of their Truffle Mac and Cheese which I did not know was laden with the dreaded mushrooms. After debating our server that truffles were indeed not mushrooms and they should have warned my poor defenseless palate of its impending fungi-doom, I actually ate it and....

I didn't die. Now I couldn't eat an actual mushroom but the flavor with the truffles and creamy gnocchi disguised as "macaroni" was fantastic.

Casey also won the Citricos Drink Olympics with this perfect Purple Penguin "Zero Proof" Cocktail with pineapple, peach, lavender, lemon, and seltzer.

Seriously this mocktail was one of the best things we drank all week.

Speaking of drinks, we also finally got up to the rooftop bar at the Coke store where Jason was reunited with his beloved Beverly.

Think she may be the only woman he'd leave me for.

And last but not least we got our Boo Bash on. And who were we....

No not, dentists or rabbits or brown nosers as @buzzrelly guessed ( Kelly) Nope Casey did her old Disney soul proud by styling us all as Country Bears.


I proudly present Teddi Barra, Bubbles, and Henry.




Lots of guests seemed confused by Mae West walking around with Abe Lincoln and an Amish girl, but cast members went wild for it.

So there ya have it. 96 wonderful hours of glorious gluttony in Disney.

Up next, back to our regularly scheduled programming.​

 

[disneyAndi14]

What an awesome long weekend trip. I love your Country Bears costumes! I was guessing that when I saw the picture but I wasn’t 100% sure!
You really experienced so many dining options in a short time! Love it

 

[igrsod]

Your costumes were perfect. How wonderful and unique.

 

[missjackiemcg]

One of these days our stars just have to align so we can shotgun some Millers together

YES. This is the stuff my dreams are made of!

We even got to catch a special midnight preview of the 50th anniversary fireworks show which was an unexpected treat.

How awesome!! I was so attached to Wishes that I never let myself fall in love with Happily Ever After, so I am really looking forward to the new fireworks show!! Let's be honest, any fireworks at all will have me bursting into tears on Main Street at this point.

Jason surprised Casey and I with a day in Epcot where we got our Food and Wine on.

I love this so much!! Rob wouldn't even know where to begin to surprise me with anything Disney!! ...now that I think of it, I should make sure he has @CruellaNY 's number, so she can just do it for him if the mood ever strikes!

Lots of guests seemed confused by Mae West walking around with Abe Lincoln and an Amish girl, but cast members went wild for it.

OMG I love that description!! Seriously though, Casey nailed this costume idea!! You guys look terrific!!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

First and foremost we got to stay at our beloved Wilderness Lodge and it was as amazing as we'd remembered.

We will be checking into the WL on Sunday and looking forward to everything, especially Geyser Point. What did you think of the remodeled resort rooms?

We even got to catch a special midnight preview of the 50th anniversary fireworks show which was an unexpected treat.

That was lucky. We check out on Sept 30th so I don't think they will have the new fireworks while we're there.

the stand-out was the Pig Ear Salad from the Swanky Saucy Swine (say that 3 times fast).

What did this taste like? It has a very unappealing name.

Casey also won the Citricos Drink Olympics with this perfect Purple Penguin "Zero Proof" Cocktail with pineapple, peach, lavender, lemon, and seltzer.

This drink looks good and the Penguin is cute. Did it come with the drink?

And last but not least we got our Boo Bash on. And who were we....

I'm glad to hear that the Cast members loved your costume, because it is brilliant.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Hope you got some of your sunshine. But it was my pleasure to do my part to ensure I could celebrate with ya

Your birthday toast made my day!

I hope you had a wonderful birthday. So fun you and your son share a birthday and he's old enough that you can celebrate with some adult beverages.

We had a blast and then when we got home said son made more cocktails because Santa was kind enough to buy him a cocktail making set and his lovely, intelligent, loves a drink or two mum was even kinder and bought the ingredients needed for just about every cocktail in the book

Casey did her old Disney soul proud by styling us all as Country Bears.

LOVE the costumes! Brilliant job Casey

 

[Avery&Todd]

EEKKK!! that sounded like a FABULOUS trip to the WL - which I agree is the best resort!! (Even tho I might be a little bias since we own at CCV)...

I have 48 days until our next trip!