Grand Gatherings & more! 1 year of Disney Dining! Illuminations Grand Gathering 5/26

[OneTreeHillAddict]

If those pictures appear montrous right now they wont for long. I resized them. LOL Sorry about that. Wont happen again. Not in the next 10 minutes anyway. :rotfl:

[OneTreeHillAddict]

This is a qucikie update! Ya ready!? I don't remember what all we did this day. Didn't kee notes on this trip and well, its been a few weeks now. Just call me DORY! Enough said.

Earlier in the day we had some counter service at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Same ol' thing like always...

Paw Print Brownie ~

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Some Watermelon ~

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Zebra Domes ~

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+ the fried shrimp, chicken tenders, etc. All GREAT as usual.

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For dinner we went to O'Hana. Another joint I have seen come increasingly popular as of lately. Amazingly enough Tiana scored an ADR there for December for all 12 of us!? WTH? I tried to get one for just my 5 and finally gave up. Who cares. We'll be eating there again this time! Yay!

Since we eat here a lot I didn't take many pictures. I will next time. I rarely used the D300 on this trip. Not sure why. I guess because its such a big hugemongus camera and such a pain to get in and out...plus I'm constantly worried something will spill or fall on the stupid thing. It cost as much as a small car so I try to be careful. Okay, maybe I DO know WHY. Hmm. Anyway, here are the few pics I did take at O'Hana!

Mmmmm meat!

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Mmmmmm the sauces are delish!

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The bread

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Where they cook the meat

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Bread Pudding....Ahhh.

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Sidney likes it!

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The kids late night snack from Pops food court...

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And that is it for the days food intake! I happened to notice somewhere we went too!

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You all know what ride that is right!? ;)

Next up ALL NEW STUFF!!!! The GRAND GATHERING ~ Oh yeah! Here it comes. Get ready folks!

[joy13]

Love all the dining reviews Tammy! So this trip with your friend - is it in December? If so - yay that that trip is back on!

(The picture of you and Sydney in the above post is still big)

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Love all the dining reviews Tammy! So this trip with your friend - is it in December? If so - yay that that trip is back on!

(The picture of you and Sydney in the above post is still big)

They'll prob stay big for a while.

Yep! We're going in December! We took 3 days off our trip but we'll have plenty of time I'm sure!

I plan to read TR's all night 'til I fall asleep. Trying my best to catch up. I am so far behind.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

August 27th, 2009 ~ Part 1

What a fun day this was! We entered the Animal Kingdom before they opened. We had an 8:30 ADR at Tusker House. We normally love this place and eat here on every visit but I have to say...this time was not so great. It was good, but not like it has been in the past.

The AK is so peaceful in the early morning. I love it!

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We arrived at TH right around 8:30. Usually with an ADR that early you walk right in but this time we waited about 25 minutes. We didn't mind. It was a beautiful morning and the kids were having fun watching the creatures play out in the woods.

I was a little disappointed in the food this time around and I wont even disgust you all with server details. We had a terrible server last time. Again, a first for Tusker House. This place usually gets an A+ from my group but this time breakfast got a B-. Still not bad but not as good as usual.

The only pictures I took inside are those of my kids with the characters. I have tons of food pics coming up from lunch and dinner though! The Grand Gathering is tonight! You'll want to see that one for sure! Seeing that I've been an absentee here lately I want to go ahead and out this up. Tomorrow I will add lunch, the rest of our day at AK, and of course the Grand Gathering!!! Until next time....

[teekee2]

As I was saying in the last post...I was out most of last week. Caught an awful cold, ick. Then we started a new program for school this week and I'm still getting all of that together. So far its going great! I'm finally getting back on track. I'm not just ignoring Dis. I'm ignoring everyone other than my kiddos and I apologize for that. (Tell them Tiana....its true isn't it!?) She was ignoring EVERYONE and was super sick. Poor thing! Glad she is better!:thumbsup2

So...anyway. I have some new pictures if I can find them. I came across my current favorite picture of myself. Ya'll wanna see? I thought it was kind of funny.

I just went to load in the pics from Tiana's party but they disappeared. I get it. It's all good. We do things like that sometimes. Not a problem. Uploading them again. It'll only take a second.

TeeKee (aka Tiana) is one of my best friends. We've known one another since we were really bad girls and have stayed in touch through motherhood, boys, and all that good stuff. Our daughters are now the best of friends and our two youngest already made plans to marry at Disney. Todd and Tiana can pay for that one! :laughing: Did you guys see on the SAM'S club website where they are selling a wedding package!? It's almost $200,000. :eek: WOW! You are a funny, funny girl Mrs. Thing!:rotfl: However, I guess it is customary for the bride's folks to pay right? I wouldn't know.:confused3 :rotfl2:

Anyway, Tiana and I have not been to FL together since the early 90's. She knows the date. I forget. She and I went down years ago to south Florida (way down in the Everglades) to this Pow Wow Rodeo Festival. This thing was so cool! The Indians there lived in teepees and had the long braids. They were gorgeous! I would LOVE to go again some day! The main reason we went was to see Joe Nichols. The country music star. He wasn;t so much a star back then but he had that "Wal-Mart" song out on the radio and when I saw him in the video I thought he was hot. (Which sparked the trip!) He was only 19 at the time and so darn cute! Not so much now. We did other stuff too...stayed at the Omni, went shopping, went to Universal Studios and got drunk with our Hard Rock friends. Point is ~ THIS IS OUR FIRST TRIP BACK TOGETHER SINCE THEN!!!!! We are gonna have some F U N! Oh yeah! GOT MYSELF A FLASK YESTERDAY! :laughing: I guess that's how you spell it. Woo Hoo! Remind me to bring mine too.

We leave in:


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(http://www.mickeypath.com/)

:banana::cool1::banana::cool1::woohoo::yay::woohoo ::yay::banana::cool1::woohoo::yay:

I don't really have a PTR or TR going on right now so I figured I'd add in some of our recent pictures right here. Hope you guys don't mind. There are 12 of us in all.


Of course our 5 kiddos are coming too but I decided from here on out no more pics of them go on here. Ya I know...why now? I watch too much Nancy Grace. So no more of them!

So friends, stalkers, and Disney lovers...that's where I've been and what I'm up to now! We're all caught up! Now back to my delicious food report...

FYI, I'm laughing hysterically just thinking about that past trip. I am super excited about this trip as you know! This will definately be a trip to remember!!

Tammy, I am LOVING all of your pictures. I can't wait to eat at Ohana and AK looks so beautiful in the pictures you took!

[jenseib]

Yummy pics
Who is Nancy Grace?

[WrightFamily06]

:rotfl: you are too funny Tammy ! Love all the new pictures ! Nancy Grace is going to your head too , I always say I'll be the mom walking my kids to there classroom clear up through High School , u have to be so careful nowadays. The Fried Shrimp from the Mara looked super yummy . Dinner at Ohana looked delicious as usual . Great pictures of an empty AK in the morning . Can't wait to read about your GG .popcorn::popcorn::

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Yeah, an update! Glad you are feeling better! Can't wait for the grand gathering. Sounds interesting.

We leave in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

FYI, I'm laughing hysterically just thinking about that past trip. I am super excited about this trip as you know! This will definately be a trip to remember!!

Tammy, I am LOVING all of your pictures. I can't wait to eat at Ohana and AK looks so beautiful in the pictures you took!

I'm also excited about the big meal. We'll have us a Lapu Lapu too! :woohoo:I wish I had ~ OMG wait a minute!!!! I DO have video from that trip. I have to find it! OMGosh!

Yummy pics
Who is Nancy Grace?

Thanks Jen. Nanvy Grace is on CNN Headline News. She has a show and she pretty much sticks to helping missing kids and crime victims. I LOVE that woman. She is so much like me its unreal. I wish she were our President! :goodvibes

:rotfl: you are too funny Tammy ! Love all the new pictures ! Nancy Grace is going to your head too , I always say I'll be the mom walking my kids to there classroom clear up through High School , u have to be so careful nowadays. The Fried Shrimp from the Mara looked super yummy . Dinner at Ohana looked delicious as usual . Great pictures of an empty AK in the morning . Can't wait to read about your GG .popcorn::popcorn::

I love Ms Nancy! She and I see eye to eye. I would love to have coffee with her one day and discuss how the death penalty really should operate. Punishment in this country never fits the crime and it's long overdue that it does once again.

You think you're bad walking them to HIGH School!? I chose to teach mine here at home to avoid school all together. You never know who waits there lurking after our kids. You saw the news last week where the 15 year old psychopath girl killed the little 9 year old right? You never know....

O'Hana ~ yum! That sounds so good right now! ;)

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Yeah, an update! Glad you are feeling better! Can't wait for the grand gathering. Sounds interesting.

We leave in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll have some of it on tonight. (I hope) :goodvibes 3 days!? OMGosh girl. YOU better get to packing if you haven't already!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I left off at Tusker House. One of our favorite eateries that happened to be having an off day. It happens to everyone at some point so I wont hold it against them. If it happens again, then maybe. I don't remember the events exactly as they happened but I'm guessing we went on Safari following breakfast. That's usually what we do. I have a few pictures from that...

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We go back again later ~ twice. So more pics to come.

We went walking around a bit and met some friends in the wooded trails...

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I was happy to see them moved away from the area up by close to Tusker House and put along the wilderness trails. This worked out so much better. No crowds. Beautiful pictures. Great idea!

We walked on towards Expedition Everest and met up with some friends. We rode that a couple of times. (Also Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids, and a few other rides.) It was nearing lunch time but we wanted to go see the Tigers first. Out of all our visits to the AK this was our first visit to see the bats and tigers. What a gorgeous trail! Never again will we miss out on this!

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We were having so much fun but now it was time for lunch! Lunch today was at Yak n' Yeti! We LOVE this place! It's part of the Landry's chain so the food is gonna be good!

This time I tried the sweet and sour chicken and it was fantastic!

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Sidney had his regular meal ~ steak and shrimp!

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Our food was cooked to perfection! Way too much food for one person though. If you're doing lunch you can split one meal and be fine. We both ordered the same dessert. The fried won tons of course. This is the most amazing, most delicious dessert in all of Disney World! We split this amongst the five of us and nothing was left in the end.

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We had an ADR here but you probably could have done a walk in and been seated instantly. As for the service....we had an incredible waiter. He was so attentive and a pleasure to get to know. I felt like he was family by the end of the meal. It was probably the best service we had during the entire stay!

Next meal!? The Safari Grand Gathering!

What is a Grand Gathering? A GG is when you have a group of 8 or more people. These eight people must be age 3 or older to be counted as part of the 8. Of course kids 2 and under are welcome and best of all FREE but you must have 8 paying guests to participate.

I have done this twice now and what I am writing here is the way I did things. When I called the GG hotline I was told everyone in my group must be staying on Disney property. (I didn't question it so maybe if you pay in advance you can add locals or whatever....don't really know. My eight were all on WDW property so this is how I handled things.)

To be a GG I had to know everyone's reservation #. The GG hotline needed it to group us together as one gathering. Each family can probably do this. Again, not sure. (Colleen gave me her information so I handled it all) They do need every bit of the info. Your email. Your address, name, res #, resort....the works. In the beginning of this most recent trip we had Christine on our GG. She booked through a travel agent so her TA had to make all the calls to WDW. If the ressie is made outside of WDW reservation system that place must handle the GG. Make sense so far? Once they grouped us together they assigned us a GG #. You also get a special # (it's not toll free) to call to book tours, dining, whatever. If you make any changes in your resort info at all you have to go through the GG people once you become part of a GG. This does not include dining UNLESS it is a GG experience or something you all book as one group. So if each family in the GG wants different dining other than the GG exp that's fine. Just call Disney Dining or go online. All GG exp must be made through the GG line though!

You can assign your GG a name. I did not know this because they ended up sending Colleen the information and I never got it. (They ended up calling us by my last name...didn't even spell it right.) LOL I would have called something different for sure. Anyway, make sure you give it a cute name. :)

There are three GG meals offered:

Tony's Town Square offers a Good Morning GG breakfast. This is a lot of fun. You can find pictures here. We did this one back in December with some very cool Disfriends. It was a lot of fun but my least favorite of the three. The food is just okay. This one only takes 1 dining credit. The dinners each take two.

* All GG exp include your gratuity and a GG pin!

Dinner is offered at both Animal Kingdom & Epcot. Both are awesome! In my next post we will experience the Safari Grand Gathering at the Animal Kingdom. I just wanted to let everyone know what the GG is all about. I know it was extremely hard for us to find anything on the one over at Epcot. Well, it wont be anymore! Detailed reviews coming soon!

[Lynn5700]

Tammy, I cannot wait to eat at Yak & Yeti! We are going there for the first time in Jan.

I can't wait to try that dessert!!! YUM!

[joy13]

Those wontons look divine!

We did Tusker House for a late lunch on our trip and we all really liked the food! So I'm guessing they were just having a bad day.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Tammy, I cannot wait to eat at Yak & Yeti! We are going there for the first time in Jan.

I can't wait to try that dessert!!! YUM!

You are going to LOVE it! The sorbet over there is really good too but this I've never seen anywhere else.

Those wontons look divine!

We did Tusker House for a late lunch on our trip and we all really liked the food! So I'm guessing they were just having a bad day.

They are as yummy as they look too!

I think TH was just out of it that morning. We eat there all the time, inluding later this night and everything has always been wonderful!

[WrightFamily06]

Yak & Yeti food looks so yummy ! The Fried Wontons look like they are to die for , if anything we will have to stop by and eat those on our next trip . Thanks for all the GG information , can't wait to hear more details on how the meals actually work out .

[jenseib]

Great update. I think the Grand gatherings sound really fun. I have yet to eat at Yak and Yeti. Did you do the CS or TS for lunch that day? I think I would like it, but not sure if DH would. he changes his mind on that kind of food daily. LOL! And I know Claire wouldn't. Maybe when she gets older.:confused3

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Yak & Yeti food looks so yummy ! The Fried Wontons look like they are to die for , if anything we will have to stop by and eat those on our next trip . Thanks for all the GG information , can't wait to hear more details on how the meals actually work out .

It is!!! I agree....even if we don't have a full meal here dessert will do us good!

Great update. I think the Grand gatherings sound really fun. I have yet to eat at Yak and Yeti. Did you do the CS or TS for lunch that day? I think I would like it, but not sure if DH would. he changes his mind on that kind of food daily. LOL! And I know Claire wouldn't. Maybe when she gets older.:confused3

They are! We've only had table service ay Y & Y. The CS is served outside. The menu is a lot more limited but I'm sure its just as tasty! They have a lot to choose from. Seafood, ribs. steak, chicken....salad. I'm sure he could find something on it. ;)

[sherry8253]

Great reviews and pics. Thanks for taking the time to post your reviews.

[outlander]

I can't wait to hear about the safari dinner!:thumbsup2

[Maureenmouse]

OK. So I've been gone so long off here that I didn't know you were actually taking a trip this Winter!!! Hooray for you! I love your food updates and will try to keep up this time!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Hi everyone! It's me....OneTreeHillAddict. I keep getting these emails asking me where I have been. I've just been super busy. I still hop on and read posts from time to time. If you ever have questions or need to get in touch with me you can find me via my photography studio on facebook. Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Myrtle-Beach-SC/CNC-Photography-of-Myrtle-Beach-SC/115025225195617
You can search CNC Photography of Myrtle Beach, SC. Please let me know when you Dis'ers come aboard. I miss ya'll! Hope to see you soon at Disney! XOXO

[smillerguy]

Tammy

Hi from a fellow DIs myrtle Beach girl. i was waiting for your grand gathering report. I am going in may and know it would be rare to get but was hoping to find out some inside scoop about the experience. Is it covered in another trip report?

Also you said you love yak and Yeti and you use to like the salmon at Chef Mickeys. the Miso Salmon is wonderful at Yak and Yeti. it is a must for my DH every trip.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Tammy

Hi from a fellow DIs myrtle Beach girl. i was waiting for your grand gathering report. I am going in may and know it would be rare to get but was hoping to find out some inside scoop about the experience. Is it covered in another trip report?

Also you said you love yak and Yeti and you use to like the salmon at Chef Mickeys. the Miso Salmon is wonderful at Yak and Yeti. it is a must for my DH every trip.

I'd be happy to talk to you about all of it. PM me your name and info and I'll give ya a call.

[WrightFamily06]

Hi everyone! It's me....OneTreeHillAddict. I keep getting these emails asking me where I have been. I've just been super busy. I still hop on and read posts from time to time. If you ever have questions or need to get in touch with me you can find me via my photography studio on facebook. Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Myrtle-Beach-SC/CNC-Photography-of-Myrtle-Beach-SC/115025225195617
You can search CNC Photography of Myrtle Beach, SC. Please let me know when you Dis'ers come aboard. I miss ya'll! Hope to see you soon at Disney! XOXO

I already am friends with you on both FB pages but I do have to say we miss all your funny vacation stories over here and all the great advice !:grouphug:

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I already am friends with you on both FB pages but I do have to say we miss all your funny vacation stories over here and all the great advice !:grouphug:

I really need to come back and add the Grand Gathering stuff. I just don't have the time. I miss everyone over here though. Not everyone is part of our lil Disney FB group. ;) Maybe Colleen will want to do something together. We're meeting up again in August.

[hlrababy]

I really need to come back and add the Grand Gathering stuff. I just don't have the time. I miss everyone over here though. Not everyone is part of our lil Disney FB group. ;) Maybe Colleen will want to do something together. We're meeting up again in August.

Yeah you do!!!!!! :)

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Okay okay you guys....I'm going to do it! I'm going to finish this baby up right. I promised you Grand Gatherings and a year of Disney dining so here ya go! I'm not real sure where I left off in here, but we're going to start back up with the Animal Kingdom's GRAND GATHERING experience!

We attended this event with our DIS friends out of New Jersey. This trip was the first time we had met this family in real life! Colleen had been following my trip reports here on Dis for a while and this time we'd be vacationing at the same time. Turns out we all got along great, and I think it's safe to say we'll be lifelong friends. Thank you Disboards! :thumbsup2

This was the second (maybe third, it's been a while so I may have the dates mixed up) Grand Gathering I attended at WDW. The first was the Good Morning Breakfast that's held at Tony's in the Magic Kingdom. I forget how to add links at the moment but it can be found earlier in this dining report.

This is how it all went down...

When we booked this meal park hours were later than they were by the time vacation rolled around. This made for some excitement within itself. We were able to tour the Animal Kingdom a couple of extra hours while we waited for the party to start. Extra time inside the AK? Sure! Bring it on! At a certain time we were told to meet at Flights of Wonder. There we would sign in and wait for our group to be called. The wait wasn't too bad. Next cast members made the rounds handing out GG safari pins to all of the guests. (Even the little kids under 3 were given a pin) We had a lady, whose name escapes me now, come out and talk to us.

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After the pep talk we were called out by our animal named groups. Seems like we were first to be called. Maybe Colleen remembers. I asked her to come on later and fill in anything I may have missed. Anyway, we were called back out and our tour guide led us to our Safari tour. This takes place in the regular trucks like the ones used in the ride. You are seated with other groups you don't know unless you have enough people in your group to fill your own truck. Not sure why I expected to be in a different type of truck with just our little group but I thought this at first. Unfortunately you are not. Same ol' truck w/ people you don't know sitting behind ya! Anyway...

It's pretty much the same tour you get any other time but it's almost dark out and there's no track playing over the loud speaker. You have two tour guides and one person sits there and answers whatever questions you may have. It's a little more laid back than the regular ride but you don't do anything special. I was a little disappointed in this part of the gathering. I just expected more in my head. As you can see from these pictures it was very close to dark out so that was different than what we had seen before.

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You don't always see these hippos out running around and on this night they were very active!

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After the safari was over our tour guide gathered us up and took us back over to Tusker House. Once inside we were taken to a table filled with yummy breads, appetizers, etc. We had a wonderful server who took great care of us. There was plenty of food. Wanna see?

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2771.jpg

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Our boys were like velcro. We couldn't tear them apart!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2774.jpg

Yeah, yeah. I know....more food pictures!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2775.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2776.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2777.jpg

Con't in next post....

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Our server came by and took drinks orders and told us all about the buffet. I'm not much on African cuisine but the kids table food was delish! LOL Nah, I tried a few things but I will admit, most of this stuff I didn't try. It's just not my cup of tea but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Even a picky eater like me would be stuffed after this gathering!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2778.jpg

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I do love salmon and this one was pretty tasty!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2787.jpg

While we ate dinner we were entertained by these guys, and they were amazing!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2788.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2789.jpg

There was a lot of dancing and some special guests came out to dance with the crowd!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2794.jpg

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I wanted a picture of our group pigging out so I asked them all to look up for a second. This is the picture I got!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2795.jpg

One more time you all!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2796.jpg

Much better!

It's almost dessert time!!! Part 3 coming right up!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Now it was time for the best part! CHOCOLATE CAKE! Nah, there was a lot more than that but believe me when I say it...this cake was DELICIOUS! OMGosh, so yummy! I don't even like chocolate cake but this one, man oh man! Good eatin'.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2797.jpg

It was so good Jim wanted to take the whole thing for himself!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27100.jpg

Luckily for him he had a change of heart and shared it with everyone. :laughing:

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27101.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27104.jpg

They also brought out a huge tray of other sweet treats, actually two huge trays!

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Oh, and the fruit bowl!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug2799.jpg

Next it was time to go meet the special guests!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27109.jpg

SOMEBODY was really showing their...

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27113.jpg

Uh huh. Rafiki was nothing but trouble on this night! He kept rubbing up all over everyone. He had us laughing so hard we could barely catch our breath. Somehow we managed to get a group picture.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27108.jpg

And one with the boys

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August27/Aug27112.jpg

Prior to booking this event I did as much research as I could. I would read in places about how they brought out exotic animals for people to see and touch but I never saw anything like that. Just crazy Rafiki!

Overall we had a great time and I would do this again in an instant! This takes two table services when using the Disney dining plan but this includes gratuity! You get a free collector pin as well. Food was yummy, entertainment was excellent, and the memories ~ priceless!

:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

[Goofy22]

Haha ! Good fun! Tammy I think you covered it pretty good is the best pic ever coming up in part three? That was hysterical it has to be! This was definitely really a good time! I haven't been on PB in so long I have to try to remember my password so I can go see if my pics are on there. Lmao I must have posted this right after you did part three lol!


I think if you could only do one of the 2 ! I would definitely pick this one looking back now it was definitely a blast. Illuminations was amazing to but the entertainment here alone wins it if you like to have a good time and join in. :)

The Rafiki moment was definitely priceless I swear we never laughed so hard then the guys sat back because the baby was sleeping and you shouldve been there when we tried to explain to them you wanna talk about hysterical lmao!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Haha ! Good fun! Tammy I think you covered it pretty good is the best pic ever coming up in part three? That was hysterical it has to be! This was definitely really a good time! I haven't been on PB in so long I have to try to remember my password so I can go see if my pics are on there. Lmao I must have posted this right after you did part three lol!


I think if you could only do one of the 2 ! I would definitely pick this one looking back now it was definitely a blast. Illuminations was amazing to but the entertainment here alone wins it if you like to have a good time and join in. :)

Was it? :confused3

I never noticed before how odd that kids leg looks positioned in the Rafiki picture. :eek:

I agree. I liked this one out of the three the best! If you guys want to do the breakfast one morning I will! Set it up. As late as it is now it may be full though. I like your new ticker. I should make one. I don't have room in my signature though. :headache:

[OneTreeHillAddict]

http://distickers.com/ticker/tickers/njlwq8nrl0nvog6k.png (http://distickers.com/ticker/)

[Goofy22]

Was it? :confused3

I never noticed before how odd that kids leg looks positioned in the Rafiki picture. :eek:

I agree. I liked this one out of the three the best! If you guys want to do the breakfast one morning I will! Set it up. As late as it is now it may be full though. I like your new ticker. I should make one. I don't have room in my signature though. :headache:

LOL!If you wanna try we could do it anytime after te 22nd because idk what time we will get there.We could even try for Maybe the morning of the 28th since we're doing HDDMR and thats not til 9:30pm so a nice breakfast would wrk well that day! LMK anyday but the 26th since were doing a big lunch that day at TE! :banana: I know the ticker is pretty cool! you need to delete some of those old links !lol


BTW the way fellow Disers the desserts here were some of the Best i've had on Disney grounds! I thinks the desserts alone were worth the 2 ts's! And Tammys youngest slept through dinner aqnd they were more than happy to give us some cups aka containers thats all they had ! To stuff some eatings in there to go for him!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Yep. They let us bring whatever we wanted home w/ us so he could eat later. We must have worn him out. He missed the entire thing! The chocolate cake was worth 2 table services on its own! :rotfl: I totally agree!

[Goofy22]

[QUOTE=OneTreeHillAddict;36729083]Yep. They let us bring whatever we wanted home w/ us so he could eat later. We must have worn him out. He missed the entire thing! The chocolate cake was worth 2 table services on its own! :rotfl: I totally agree![/QUOTE

Yes, The choc cake definitely was! Btw I have a pretty funny question? It makes me laugh everytime. Wasn't this the day that my camera went flying into the Bat cage?? :lmao:and I didn't get pics? or was that a diff day we were at AK? I haven't gotten in to PB yet.

[jenseib]

Yay! I missed you girls so much.
I love Disney Choclate cake. I never hardly like choc. cake ever, but at Disney I LOVE it. I think part of it is the fugdy frosting! MMMMM!
Colleen, you are are stasying at Riverside now this trip? I didn;t know that.
Where are you staying Tammy?

[thunderbird1]

This does look like a lot of fun! Thanks for coming back to finish it, lol. Can't wait to see you all in August!

[Goofy22]

Yay! I missed you girls so much.
I love Disney Choclate cake. I never hardly like choc. cake ever, but at Disney I LOVE it. I think part of it is the fugdy frosting! MMMMM!
Colleen, you are are stasying at Riverside now this trip? I didn;t know that.
Where are you staying Tammy?

I dont know what it is but it was delicious!!
Jen, I had all intentions of staying at POP! and getting A REFURBED ROOM!!
Then a few nights ago my mother called me to tell me she defiinitely wanted to come with us! I was like eeekkk!!!:eek: What to do!!??? So the only thing available that would accomdate all of us with my bb offer was POR! I'm glad my mom is coming she usually don't and she hasn't been there in 4 or 5 yrs so it should be fun! My son is happy he was getting tired of POP! lolAnd he's really excited about Ole man island!:thumbsup2 My dd got a summer job so we had to shorten the trip by a week anyways so it all worked out! Im hoping we arent disappointed in POR it gets really mixed reviews!

This does look like a lot of fun! Thanks for coming back to finish it, lol. Can't wait to see you all in August!

Jenn, I can't wait to see everyone again it will be real fun! Maybe we need to have 2 pool parties now 1 at Pop and 1 at POR!! or just 1 at POP would work to whatever works lol!! I definitely wanna check out those refurbed rooms and see if any construction is underway!:thumbsup2

[WrightFamily06]

I really need to come back and add the Grand Gathering stuff. I just don't have the time. I miss everyone over here though. Not everyone is part of our lil Disney FB group. ;) Maybe Colleen will want to do something together. We're meeting up again in August.

Thanks for coming back and posting the GG stuff , we have missed you so much & your stories are always so fun !

::yes:: you need to do something together for August , your fans miss u !

Nice pictures of the Safari Animals :thumbsup2 Sorry it wasn't more than the everyday Safari , seems they should have done special with it since it was a GG.

Love the food pictures , it all looked soo good !

I remember from your FB pictures that Rafiki was really showing himself off :lmao:

I'm doing a pre-trip report if you want to take a look it's in my signature , were going September 16-22

[Lynn5700]

Tammy!! WOW. That Grand Gathering looked like soooo much fun! I would love to do it. You took awesome pics. How have you been? I finally have time to come on here more often. Hope all is well.:hug:

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Yes, The choc cake definitely was! Btw I have a pretty funny question? It makes me laugh everytime. Wasn't this the day that my camera went flying into the Bat cage?? :lmao:and I didn't get pics? or was that a diff day we were at AK? I haven't gotten in to PB yet.

Yes this was the day! I took pics of the camera laying in the cage! I will have to add them when I finish working. Maybe later tonight since we have a birthday party at 6pm. Anyway....I will post some. Does this mean you didn't have any pictures of the GG? I know you took a bunch at the Epcot GG.

Yay! I missed you girls so much.
I love Disney Choclate cake. I never hardly like choc. cake ever, but at Disney I LOVE it. I think part of it is the fugdy frosting! MMMMM!
Colleen, you are are stasying at Riverside now this trip? I didn;t know that.
Where are you staying Tammy?

Aww. Thanks J. This chocolate cake is different than all of the chocolate cake I've tried at Disney! You have to do this GG and see for yourself! I am at the same ol' same ol'. I love it but after this trip it's probably time to go elsewhere. This year we had to get two rooms. Might do AK next time for free dining. I didn't much care for the WL.

This does look like a lot of fun! Thanks for coming back to finish it, lol. Can't wait to see you all in August!

It really was. We're all very excited about August. These kids are about to go crazy! OMGosh I am such a bad mommy for not going for six weeks this year! Shame on me! :headache:

Thanks for coming back and posting the GG stuff , we have missed you so much & your stories are always so fun !

::yes:: you need to do something together for August , your fans miss u !

Nice pictures of the Safari Animals :thumbsup2 Sorry it wasn't more than the everyday Safari , seems they should have done special with it since it was a GG.

Love the food pictures , it all looked soo good !

I remember from your FB pictures that Rafiki was really showing himself off :lmao:

I'm doing a pre-trip report if you want to take a look it's in my signature , were going September 16-22

Well thank you Ang. BTW you all I was able to meet Angela a few weeks ago! Those sweet little kids of hers are so precious and well behaved. I wish we could have spent more time together so it would wear off on mine! :laughing:

Rafiki was a trip I tell ya! He could get in trouble for his antics. :rotfl:

Tammy!! WOW. That Grand Gathering looked like soooo much fun! I would love to do it. You took awesome pics. How have you been? I finally have time to come on here more often. Hope all is well.:hug:

Lynn, you guys have to do all three! You are like me when it comes to wanting to try everything at least once! These are must dos! I know you know a bunch of people going at the same time. Just find a group of 6 or more to add to you guys and make it a GG! Every GG we've done we've shared with Dis friends!

[WrightFamily06]

Well thank you Ang. BTW you all I was able to meet Angela a few weeks ago! Those sweet little kids of hers are so precious and well behaved. I wish we could have spent more time together so it would wear off on mine! :laughing:

Rafiki was a trip I tell ya! He could get in trouble for his antics. :rotfl:

Your very welcome & Thank You, your soo sweet ! The kiddies are def not always so well behaved lol

Shame on you !lol Your kids are all soo cute & well behaved also but I do wish we could have spent more time together too :goodvibes

To bad you guys won't be at WDW in September when we will be , the kiddies would have a blast together !

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Your very welcome & Thank You, your soo sweet ! The kiddies are def not always so well behaved lol

Shame on you !lol Your kids are all soo cute & well behaved also but I do wish we could have spent more time together too :goodvibes

To bad you guys won't be at WDW in September when we will be , the kiddies would have a blast together !

Yes they would! If a BB is offered again I will book it late in the season next year. Whatever the last booking is so we will be there in the Fall instead of Summer. I feel sure something will be offered.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I will be telling you guys all about the Illuminations Grand Gathering soon but first we must hit the earlier meals in the day. That is, IF I can remember what we had. :laughing:

We met up w/ Colleen's family and spent most of the day together, or heck, it may have been after the meal but who cares. We're going to make up a new story. Ya ready? Here's Ms Colleen having herself a dandy time in Mexico!

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Here are our boys, the little ones, playing vikings!

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Here are our boys, the big ones, doing God knows what. :scared1:

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Here I am on Mission Space.

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Colleen rode too.

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We did NOT spin. ;)

We saw some creatures here and there...

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Looks like lunch was at Sunshine Seasons that day! I totally recognize the salmon. They have YUMMYLICIOUS salmon! I had mine with double mashed potatoes. Also very good at SS.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/eight283.jpg

My boys do not care for SS so we stopped and picked them up some nuggets on our way over.

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Oooh. Memory! This was the day Ashley, Chimere, and Tabatha drove down to FL to join us. We were not with Colleen just yet cause I remember calling to see if they wanted some of this chocolate cake. We ended up w/ extra cake because they were out of the delicious coffee cake that day. None of us were in the mood for chocolate. I know...WEIRD! I'd slap someone for that slice of cake right now!

My daughter wanted her salmon without the dill sauce.

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Sidney wanted the Salad...

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More desserts and some kind of soup.

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No complaints here. SS is always a fun place to eat. I hate it when they run out of coffee crumb cake but hey...it's good and people eat it up! Salmon is my first choice. Sidney has tried about everything at one time or another, all yummy! Two thumbs up here! :thumbsup2

[OneTreeHillAddict]

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/eight28.jpg

[OneTreeHillAddict]

This was an event I could barely find anything on. I searched all over and found one negative review with little detail. Not knowing how all of this worked we decided to show up early. No need to do this. Doesn't matter when you check in, they randomly call people out by name. There's really nowhere to wait and the sun will beat you down, in August anyway. Enjoy your park time and show up about 5-10 minutes before it starts 'cause you will NOT get in early!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/eight2811.jpg

About 10-15 minutes before opening a lady comes out and does this spill. She's our hostess and her name escapes me now. She's a fun lady and sticks around for most of inside meal.



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This event is held inside the old Odyssey restaurant. This is located on the bridge that connects Test Track with World Showcase. First Aid is along this same path. The restaurant itself is a hidden gem. Very well kept and set up nicely. This dinner looked more formal than the one over at the Animal Kingdom. It was set up like a wedding or banquet hall.

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When you walk in the music is playing and excitement fills the air! Each table has its own center piece on the table, there's a huge dance floor/stage at the front center, and lights flash onto the walls making flashy pictures. It is done up right!

Here are a couple of pictures of our little group ~

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We were of the first people called in. Of course Colleen and I ran up by the food and started taking pictures before it was hit. Doing this in a big hurry made for some icky pictures on my part. Sorry about that but at least you can see what's offered. I know Colleen took a bunch too.

There are tables set up, also banquet style. They have some sort of selection from each country around World Showcase. For example Canada offers its famous soup while the UK serves up fried fish! There is also a pasta station, compliments of Italy, where you can have your own special pasta cooked up. For those children and non adventurous adult eaters like myself there is a kids buffet.

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Colleen and I were away doing the picture thing for about 10-15 minutes. We came back to the table and still, no server. The guys were getting fed up. After all we had been standing out in the hot sun for over an hour and everyone was thirsty.

Some guy had stopped by the table to drop off the Grand Gathering pins.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2830.jpg

Another 10 minutes probably passed before the server showed up. Poor thing, she was nice, but terrible at her job. We noticed that the service wasn't very good at any of the tables. Maybe they don't care since gratuity is included but whose to say you wouldn't leave more money for a job well done? I was a server for a few years and I treated my grat tables just the same, if not better, and I always earned extra. Anyway, like I said, very nice lady but not very good at waiting tables. That about covers the service end.

Here are the kids having fun...

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2831.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2837.jpg

Towards the end of the meal the hostess came back out. Couples celebrating were called up to dance. The GG's were recognized. The children were called up to dance in the end and they loved this!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2824.jpg

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2827.jpg

Then these guys showed up for the party!!!

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p398/MrsGavinDeGraw/DISNEY-SUMMER2009/August28/Aug2834.jpg

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At the end there was a little meet and greet with the characters. This was a little rushed, but it's a cute photo-op and there are photopass people on hand as well.

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This part of the GG was coming to an end, but the best was just about to start! Stay tuned for part 2!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

After the meet and greet we all exited the building with our guides. We had to put on out Grand Gathering pin and follow the human with the red flashing wand. If you ever saw these flashing wands and wondered what the heck is that now you know! They take us in groups over to our gathering spot. This one you want to line up for first! There are no seats! If you want the best spot to stand and watch Illuminations skip the meet and greet or make sure you hit it first.

Once we're escorted out by the water you will find a few stations loaded down with all kinds of desserts and beverages. Nothing alcoholic. :guilty:

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Everything we tried was very good! There is one big problem though. The cups have open tops so when the fireworks go off your drink fills with ash or paper....whatever the debris is...and this is gross! I suggest you bring your own cup with a lid. Maybe the restaurant has them, not sure since they served in glass, but I'd definitely try to find a covered cup. After the fireworks are over you can sit, mingle, and wait for the crowds to clear out. Our GG happened to fall on an EMH night. Perfect for us. We waited a little bit, then sat out for a trip around the World!

After trying out all three Grand Gathering I have to say my favorite is...



















































ALL THREE! :laughing: Why do I say this? Well, the BEST meal was at the Animal Kingdom Safari GG. The BEST dessert selection was at the Illuminations party. Hello!? Yummy dessert while watching fireworks!? Duh. Yes, the chocolate cake at the Safari meal was the bomb but overall...Illuminations wins out. The BEST Entertainment ~ hands down Tony's wins this. The Good Morning Grand Gathering at Tony's Town Square was by far the best! Tony himself was a trip. He is the same guy who plays a part in the HDDMR show. Funny guy. There were also a bunch of characters that spent a lot of time with the tables and the main man in the house was Mickey Mouse! Each family got one on one time with M I C K E Y ! I covered this GMGG earlier in the trip report. Anyway, I will be back soon with more yummy food. (50's Prime Time) If you have any questions about these GG's feel free to ask.

[John's Mom]

Great reviews and pictures! Thanks for sharing! :goodvibes

[WrightFamily06]

Yes they would! If a BB is offered again I will book it late in the season next year. Whatever the last booking is so we will be there in the Fall instead of Summer. I feel sure something will be offered.

I think next year we are gonna try and do the Christmas Party & activies next year ! Hoping that they may offer another military deal in 2011 , if not we will still be on the lookout for a great deal durning Nov. or Dec. . Keeping my fingers crossed that we both find great deals for 2011 !

We love SS also ! Can't believe the boys didn't like anything there, they have such a selection :confused3

Great Illuminations GG pictures , that restaurant def looks like a hidden gem . Wish they still used it for regular dinning, I bet it would get a lot more use that way :)

Can't wait to hear about 50's Prime Time popcorn::popcorn::

Once again so glad to have you back doing a little reporting :goodvibes

[disneyfanlaura]

Really love the reviews - thanks!! :goodvibes

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Great reviews and pictures! Thanks for sharing! :goodvibes

Thank you for stopping by. :)

I think next year we are gonna try and do the Christmas Party & activies next year ! Hoping that they may offer another military deal in 2011 , if not we will still be on the lookout for a great deal durning Nov. or Dec. . Keeping my fingers crossed that we both find great deals for 2011 !

We love SS also ! Can't believe the boys didn't like anything there, they have such a selection :confused3

Great Illuminations GG pictures , that restaurant def looks like a hidden gem . Wish they still used it for regular dinning, I bet it would get a lot more use that way :)

Can't wait to hear about 50's Prime Time popcorn::popcorn::

Once again so glad to have you back doing a little reporting :goodvibes

My boys like junk food...but DD on the other hand, she will eat steak w/ veggies over chicken nuggets any day of the week! It would be cool if the Odyssey was open for business again all the time.

Really love the reviews - thanks!! :goodvibes

Thanks. Plenty more coming. :thumbsup2

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Today was a busy one for our little group. Some Dis friends of ours were trying out for the American Idol experience, and Lou WON!!! I promised his sweet other half I'd post these for her. Sorry it has taken forever but better late than never right? This was our first time at the AIE. I'm not an American Idol by any means but this was a fun show to watch. Here's our friend Lou.

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Oh and you gotta check this out...they went around the crowd before the show and filmed the people in line. Front and center is Colleen's crowd! Love these pictures.

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My first 50's PT experience was awful. I said then I'd never go again. We had a horrible server, well, actually I can't say that. She was so MIA the whole time I should say WE DID NOT HAVE A SERVER! Anyway, my hubby loves the food and atmosphere so I gave it another run. This time we had a great lady wait on us. I don't remember her name but she had short blonde hair and was probably 35-40 years old.

Once again I ordered the huge serving of fried chicken and shared it with my boys. There was plenty to go around!

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Sidney ordered his favorite...

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And I'm pretty sure he liked it!

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For dessert we split one of these...cracker jacks on a brownie, odd, but good.

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I will say this place is hit or miss. The food has been pretty consistent all three times I dined here. The service has went from awful/nonexistent to great and then just okay. We love anything retro and the food isn't bad at all. If you're going for that reason you will have a good time, but if you're going for entertainment you may not be so lucky.

Next we head to the Magic Kingdom! Lunch at Tony's and dinner at Kona!

[WrightFamily06]

Nice 50's Prime Time review :thumbsup2

Glad to hear you had a better experience the second time around :thumbsup2

We also had a similar experience to yours the 1st time we ate there and haven't been back since :( Now I know there is hope for a better service !

The Fried Chicken looks soo yummy , I would def have to order that & the Dessert for myself !

[danalee]

I wonder if we had the same server...ours was MIA as well! we had to ask other servers for silverware, drinks...so it kinda runied our group from wanting to go back :sad2: but we all liked our dinners, maybe someday we will give another try :rolleyes1 thanks for the info! great reviews!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Nice 50's Prime Time review :thumbsup2

Glad to hear you had a better experience the second time around :thumbsup2

We also had a similar experience to yours the 1st time we ate there and haven't been back since :( Now I know there is hope for a better service !

The Fried Chicken looks soo yummy , I would def have to order that & the Dessert for myself !

I always order double mash no beans and I've yet to have any of them say a word about it. I must have one of those don't mess with me faces. :rotfl: The plan, for now, is to again this next trip. It's always an adventure at 50's Prime Time.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I wonder if we had the same server...ours was MIA as well! we had to ask other servers for silverware, drinks...so it kinda runied our group from wanting to go back :sad2: but we all liked our dinners, maybe someday we will give another try :rolleyes1 thanks for the info! great reviews!

She's an older woman, prob 5'4-5'5, a little chunky, dirty blond hair, and rough sounding voice. We had to ask other servers for everything. Finally at the end of the meal my husband went and got a manager. He apologized for her behavior. I know she's still there though. We saw her last time we ate in there. Once again everyone else was doing everything for her tables. Back when I waited tables I would have been scared to do this, for the fear that my tables would walk out and leave me with their bill.

The food though, always consistent.

[danalee]

the description fits, but I cant remember her voice....she didnt talk to us much :lmao:

we have an upcoming trip in September and when I mentioned 50's my family all kinda gave me the "are you freakin kidding me" look, so its safe to say a return trip may be awhile :rolleyes: sad cause I really liked the chicken, lol!

[ZeroToHero]

Thanks for the photos! They look great!

I forgot we both went to 50s Prime Time on the same day - and we both got fried chicken! :rotfl:

[OneTreeHillAddict]

the description fits, but I cant remember her voice....she didnt talk to us much :lmao:

we have an upcoming trip in September and when I mentioned 50's my family all kinda gave me the "are you freakin kidding me" look, so its safe to say a return trip may be awhile :rolleyes: sad cause I really liked the chicken, lol!

Ha ha. Sounds like me when my hubby suggested it again. I don't mind it though. At least there's a bar. If I get really thirsty I can make them refill my drink. :rotfl:

Thanks for the photos! They look great!

I forgot we both went to 50s Prime Time on the same day - and we both got fried chicken! :rotfl:

I forgot too. If I didn't have the pictures uploaded with the dates already I'd be clueless. I need to keep journals again like I used to.

[ChaMakay1923]

subbing.. mental note... page 14.. need to finish reading, lol.

Thanks for giving me GREAT ideas on where to eat with my trip... I have been tossing a few places in the air but after reading your report so far...I've mad my decisions. I'd love to eat at a few of the rare places, but unfortunately I have picky eaters going with me and have to make sure we eat at places that satisfy them. Be back to continue reading another time..until then....