Jaime's Illustrative Sojourn of Gastronomical Endeavors 6 (Pics of Food I Ate) [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:39 PM

We head down to the lobby because it’s about 20 to 2, almost time for tea!

Which actually is our lunch today, so we’re all pretty hungry by this point. We sit in front of the Garden View Lounge at the back of the lobby, waiting for them to open.

It’s a much smaller space than I imagined it to be (I had never paid any attention to it before…) and the entrances to the 2 ends are roped off.

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I wasn’t sure what time they would start the seating. The check in desk is on the right side of the lounge. There were a couple other groups sitting around, some with luggage (obviously leaving) but some that might have been waiting for the tea to begin.

About 10 to 2, Cheryl and Sandy head to the bathroom – people, we have found someone who goes to the bathroom more than me!!! I know, I didn’t think it was possible either…

About 5 minutes to 2, someone came from inside and opened the rope by the check in desk. Suddenly, there were several cast members there and a small line formed at check in. We get in line and are shown to a table quickly, well actually 2 small tables pushed together, 2 chairs and a couch. Cheryl and Sandy don’t want to sit here because of the couch (they think it’ll be too low), but Rhonda and I take it and are fine.

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Something I noticed at a lot of the Disney restaurants this time around, the hostess or wait staff asks if you’ve ever dined there before. Then they “Welcome” the newcomers and “Welcome Back” the returning guests. I don’t know why exactly, but I really liked it.

We are given menus and, let’s face it; I have known for 11 months that I am getting the Grand Tea.

The Grand Tea - The classic English tradition of Afternoon Tea, Grand Floridian style. We offer you a variety of tea sandwiches, scones and jam tarts, followed by your choice of our freshly baked tea pastries or English trifle, accompanied by a glass of Domaine Ste.-Michelle sparkling wine and your choice of tea. $25.50 per guest (Example of tea sandwiches may include: cucumber with watercress, shrimp salad with dill, chicken salad with almonds, grilled pear with gorgonzola, and egg salad, each on a different bread.)

What this doesn’t tell you is that, instead of the wine, you can get sparkling cider. I felt just like Erica Kane!!! (that was for you, smidgy) It also doesn’t say that you get a piece of pate on your plate, too.

CIDER ON LEFT, SPARKLING WINE ON RIGHT:

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All 4 of us got the Grand Tea, Rhonda and Sandy chose the Eros tea - Medium bodied Ceylon: Sweet Mandarin orange with warm vanilla for a sweet, smooth and creamy finish.

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Cheryl got Vanilla Rooibos - Rich and full bodied with creamy vanilla finish. And I went with Jamaican Spice - A zesty herbal infusion with red liquor and a bouquet of flavors, tartness of hibiscus and sweetness of cinnamon for a sweet, tangy, and spicy finish.

JAMAICAN SPICE ON LEFT, VANILLA ROOIBOS ON RIGHT:

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Which reminds me, I’m supposed to go online and find the Eros tea for Rhonda… here you go:

http://www.tealeaves.com/tea/product.aspx?prodid=100 (http://www.tealeaves.com/tea/product.aspx?prodid=100)

It’s very relaxing to sit and wait for our food in this lounge. It’s very small – holds a maximum of 50 people. Our tea is brought first, Cheryl’s and mine in pressed pots, Rhonda and Sandy get the Eros in a teapot – complete with Pope Hat, I mean, tea cozy. FACT: Black tea is done in the teapots with the cozies, all the others are pressed pots – also, black tea is the only tea you put milk in… I did NOT know that!

The first course is brought out – none of the pictures on the boards prepared me for how tiny all this food was!!! Don’t get me wrong, you leave stuffed (trust me on that one!) but it looked (in the pictures) like the sandwiches were “half sandwiches”. They were probably ¼ of a sandwich – and then the crust was cut off, too.

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In the picture: let’s start in the bottom left hand corner, onion tart. Wow! Teeny, tiny, delicious!!!

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I was never so glad in my life that Rhonda doesn’t like onions! Top left, lying down, is the gorgonzola/pear sandwich. Shrimp salad, tuna salad, egg salad, cucumber with watercress.

SIDE VIEW:

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Cheryl loved these all – Cheryl ate everyone’s pate, too, though, so don’t get too excited about this. We will come to find out this week – Cheryl will eat anything. I thought the bread was dry, and out of all the sandwiches the only one I liked was the egg salad – but I’m not a fan of dark breads either. Cheryl finished off half of each of my sandwiches (other than the egg salad, everyone’s pate (minus the bites we each took to try it), and Sandy’s onion tart.

If I was to ever do the tea again, I decided, I’d try something other than the Grand Tea.

Next course: scones and jam tarts with Devonshire cream.

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Kill me, kill me now… I have been to heaven and nothing in life will ever be this good again. I wish my pictures came with sound – of course, all you’d hear is the 4 of us moaning!!! It was really disgraceful! It was so good; I was licking the jar of raspberry preserves!!!

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OH, YEAH, I'M CLASSY!

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By this point, we’re starting to get full – the tea is mostly gone and we still have another course.

Last course: Your choice of English trifle, strawberries and cream, or 2 pastries. Where we were sitting, the trifle and strawberries and cream were right behind Cheryl’s and Sandy’s chairs – the strawberries looked so good, that’s what I had planned on having. But when the pastry tray came around, the swan of the day was coconut cream… and that won. As did a chocolate covered strawberry.

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Rhonda picks the swan and a key lime tart (so did Sandy)

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– and (something I did not know about my sister) she does not like chocolate covered strawberries. Chocolate? Yes. Strawberries? Yes. Just not together.

Cheryl and Sandy also are not big fans of the chocolate covered strawberry. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?

Cheryl requested ½ trifle and ½ strawberries and cream. Disney acquiesced.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:48 PM

I think this is gone because it was there while the restaurant weas closed and for the Food & Wine Festival...

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It’s now starting to get dark and we head back to Nine Dragons for dinner. Although we stopped at Lotus Blossom to see if they had the honey sesame chicken, and they did not. We did come back over here with our food, so we could eat at a table!

The plan this trip is to share counter service credits to make them last longer and provide us with more opportunities to snack along the way. Table service credits are your own – no splitting (but you can order 2 and share both meals).

Rhonda and I split the honey sesame chicken – which is better than in the restaurant!!! The honey sauce was really HONEY! Not a sauce!

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Sandy and Cheryl split the sesame chicken salad. They were impressed with the ginger dressing and the amount of chicken in the salad.

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2 bottles of water and 2 ginger ice creams for dessert.

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Ginger ice cream is one of my favorite ice cream flavors. Rhonda took one bite and remembered she didn’t like it – Yea, me!!!! I think I was given the ends of Cheryl and Sandy’s ice cream, too… I seem to recall something about giving the lactose intolerant girl all the ice cream!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:49 PM

We get back to the room, Rhonda in front, and I hear her say, “Oh my God!”

I get around the 3 of them to see what they are gaping at and – oh yeah! I forgot!

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Months ago, I ordered chocolate-covered strawberries to be delivered tonight for the 3 women who, earlier at the tea, were all talking about how they don’t like chocolate-covered strawberries!!!!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:50 PM

We walk down Main Street, taking in the Halloween decorations, and stop at the Main Street Bakery. Time to share a couple CS credits! At the bakery, they let you have 1 hot item, 1 cold item, and 1 beverage OR 2 cold items and 2 beverages.

DINING PLAN TIP: When eating at a counter service location, always ask a cast member what you get for the CS credit first – it saves scrambling at the last minute for forgotten or mixed up items.

Cheryl and I split a credit – she got the ham, egg, and cheese sandwich and I got the banana bread and an orange juice.

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Rhonda and Sandy split a credit – Rhonda got milk and a cherry turnover and Sandy got coffee and a sesame bagel.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:52 PM

I take a few artsy shots while waiting for the rest of the group to get out of the bathroom.

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None of them have ever eaten here before, and I only ate here once in 2004 with Steph & Meg… I had a burger. That time we were seated right near the front, so I’m thrilled when we are now taken all the way through the restaurant!

OK – dining plan: entrée, beverage, dessert…

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Sandy had the tilapia - Fish of the Day - $15.99

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Rhonda had the New York strip steak - with Mashed Potatoes and seasonal Vegetables $20.99

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Cheryl and I shared 2 meals - Grand Floridian Burger - Angus Chuck Burger, Lobster, Asparagus and Horseradish-Chive Hollandaise served with Tomato Salad $17.99 – which she got all taken apart, lobster and asparagus on the side

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And I had The Grand Sandwich - Open-faced hot Turkey, Ham, Bacon and Tomato, with a rich Boursin Cheese Sauce and Fried Onion Straws $11.99

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Everything was just delicious! Service was phenomenal! I believe our server was Tia.

Desserts were:

Jaime: Chocolate Fondue - Dark Chocolate Ganache with Fruit $6.99

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Rhonda: New York-style Lemon Cheesecake - $3.29 (see the Hidden Mickey?)

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Cheryl: Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse Cake - topped with more Chocolate $3.29

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Sandy: Tiramisu - Lady Fingers and Mascarpone $3.29

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Add a Coke and 3 iced teas and lunch would have cost $98.60 plus tip!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 04:53 PM

Columbia Harbour House – an old favorite! I believe we split 2 Anchors Aweigh sandwiches and chips between the 4 of us (which probably explains why there’s only half a sandwich is my picture!)

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:05 PM

we got to the room right before midnight, where…

I hear Rhonda again say, “Oh my God!” and all 3 of them turn to me! “Did you…?”

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It wasn’t me this time, guys, honest! Look there’s a note – it’s from the staff at the Grand Floridian! We each grab a truffle… mmmmmmmmmmmm……… ooh! Liquor! We’ll sleep well tonight!

But first, I throw a fit – I DON’T EVER WANT TO LEAVE THIS HOTEL!!!

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natalielongstaff

01-12-2009, 05:08 PM

Wow !!! what a fab review ( must not read this board whilst dieting :lmao: )

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:11 PM

Today went pretty much according to plan… for a change! We headed out in Rhonda’s car at an ungodly hour of the morning to Boatwright’s at Port Orleans Riverside for breakfast.

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We had a great server, Claire, who was originally from England and started her Disney career in EPCOT. She’s now living here, is married, and her 2nd child should be here around the end of the year!

But back to us! We tell Claire we are on the dining plan and she says we get 2 beverages! I get orange juice and a cappuccino. Cheryl gets hot tea & grapefruit juice. Rhonda gets milk. Sandy gets hot tea.

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We were here for one reason and one reason only – SO RHONDA COULD GET HER SWEET POTATO PANCAKES!

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However, Cheryl’s clever ordering showed us something interesting – when you order this: Breakfast Combo - two eggs with pancakes or French toast and choice of bacon, sausage or ham $11.99, they let you substitute the sweet potato pancakes for the regular pancakes! Good to know, huh?

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I got it with the French toast, having read that it’s a slice of baguette bread. I didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded better than normal French toast… and it was!

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Sandy did the Eggs Benedict - poached eggs with Canadian bacon, English muffin, home-style potatoes and Hollandaise sauce $9.99 – sauce on the side, please.

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Total = $65.07 plus Claire got a very good tip, too.

lyndrajo3

01-12-2009, 05:12 PM

The Reubin Sandwich is very good too. I liked it.

But for the life of me I can not remember what I had for dessert though. All I can remember is I had a difficult time deciding what I wanted. I remmebr narrowing it down to the cheesecake or the tiramasu. Humm. Or was it the key lime? I just can not remember.

Great Pics Gals!! Looks like you had fun.

Maybe we will have to try the tea time when we go in June. That onion tart looks very yummy.

Oh yummy Tiggerbell,

Boatwright's was very yummy when we went too. I LOVE the potatoes--heck I loved it all. Smoothies were GREAT!!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:18 PM

We wander over to the Sci-Fi for dinner.

I know a lot of people aren’t fans, but we hit this restaurant almost every single trip!!! It’s the whole experience – and really, I’ve never… well, wait I can’t say that… ONCE I was disappointed with my food – the bar-b-q sauce was smoky and I don’t like that.

Let’s start off with a Space Invader for me - A premium blue margarita $9.50 (it was HUGE and tasted like a margarita… I barely made a dent in it)

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and a Marsha's Martian - chocolate and vanilla shakes mixed with Bailey's Irish Cream and Kahlua $9.50 for Rhonda.

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The waitress offers to take our picture and gets creative with her shots. My bangs decide to get creative too.

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I decide to get a salad tonight… I don’t know why… Beef and Blue Salad -- Sliced butcher-tender steak with a Wedge of Iceberg Lettuce with Blue Cheese Dressing, Tomatoes and Bacon $14.99

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Rhonda gets the Shrimp Pasta - Bow tie pasta and sautéed shrimp tossed with artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, baby spinach and feta cheese $18.99

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Cheryl and Sandy both order the Butcher Steak - with a red wine glaze, seasonal vegetables and potato $20.99

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Sandy likes hers well done and when it comes, she can’t cut the meat. So she sends it back and gets the same salad as me.

I make sure to take pictures of my favorite movie moments -

You have to love the 80 foot man – I DON’T WANT TO GROW ANY MORE!!!

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And pictures of the Ed Wood film

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Plan 9 from Outer Space for Meg (DD18) – she was randomly putting Johnny Depp moving in our Netflix queue and I made her add Ed Wood. She was confused by it but also amused. And slightly off topic – she recently got Nightmare on Elm Street in the mail and I commented…

JAIME: Nightmare? Really?

MEG: [starry eyed] Johnny’s in it.

JAIME: I know. I’ve seen it. You don’t like scary movies.

MEG: [starry eyed] I don’t know what it is. Johnny’s in it.

JAIME: Ever hear of Freddy Kruger?

MEG: [totally horrified] Nooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m sending it back – unwatched.

Desserts – 2 of us got apple crisp and 2 of us got the cheesecake. Total = $136.51 minus the drinks $20.24 = $116.27

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:26 PM

So, we’re up bright and early again. Rhonda is especially thrilled, I’m sure – it’s TONGA TOAST DAY!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

We walk out to the car and drive, well basically around the corner, to the Polynesian.

RHONDA: We are here to eat at Kona.

SECURITY GUARD: [pointing at a bend in the road] Which corna’? There’s a corna’ right there!

RHONDA: Kona! Corner! I get it - funny! I want Tonga toast.

SECURITY GUARD: Oh, Tonga toast.Sorry, they’re all out. Good-bye.

I still can’t believe she didn’t deck him. :sad2:

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It is really cold in this restaurant – if you’re Sandy and Cheryl!

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Dining plan breakfast – 2 beverages and an entrée.

I had heard that the pressed pot of Kona coffee counted as one of your beverages, so I asked, “Does the pressed pot of Kona coffee counted as one of your beverages?” and was told yes! Score! I’ve never gotten one of these before.

100% Kona Coffee French Press Pot$7.49

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CHECK OUT THE HIDDEN MICKEY IN THE BUBBLES!!!

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Lilikoi Juice - Passion fruit, orange and guava blend - $3.99

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Big Kahuna - French toast, Macadamia-Pineapple pancakes, eggs, home fried potatoes, ham, bacon, and sausage $11.99

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Tonga Toast - banana stuffed sourdough bread, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with Strawberry Compote and your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage $10.99

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Cheryl got hot tea and Lilikoi Juice, Sandy had decaf and Lilikoi Juice, and Rhonda just had pineapple juice.

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Bill came to $78.38 – that’s a lot for breakfast! – yeah, Dining Plan!!!

When we're sure Rhonda's done -

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we can leave.

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:29 PM

Lunch: Flame Tree Bar-B-q – yup, I finally made it here! It was pretty good. We got 3 meals and split them:

1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs served with baked beans and corn muffin - $8.99

Smoked 1/2 Chicken served with baked beans and corn muffin - $7.99

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Pork Sandwich served with baked beans $7.79

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2 Key Lime Pie - $3.59

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1 Chocolate Cake - $3.59

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Rhonda and Sandy went and grabbed a table – fantastic view – but they were so far back, and I had never been here before, so I was starting to think Cheryl and I should just sit down somewhere and eat, when we finally found them!

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Cheryl is the only one who liked the beans – I thought they were too hard. They were tasty, but needed to cook a little longer.
Sandy tried to kill me by putting chocolate cake and key lime pie in the same dish – I hate when food touches!!!

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:31 PM

We walked over to the Polynesian for dinner and drinks. We wandered around the grounds and pool area out to the beach to look around. We decided to go back in the hotel and eat at Captain Cook’s because tonight we needed to use Counter Service credits.

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Oh, look! They have the Order it Yourself Kiosks! Cool!

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We split an adult grilled cheese sandwich – that came with Asian Veggie Slaw or Polynesian Chips – we went with the chips. In fact, the chips looked so good – we got another side order of them!

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A chicken Caesar salad.

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And a Hawaiian flatbread pizza – oh this was sooooo good!!!

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We somehow used 3 credits – I don’t think she charged us for the extra chips – got 3 bottles of water and 3 desserts. 2 rice crispy treats and a Dole Whip. They give you the Dole Whip cup at the cash register and you can come back after your food and get the Dole Whip.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:34 PM

We canceled lunch in the Magic Kingdom and snagged another Afternoon Tea ADR later in the week:

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Pinkies up, not “hang loose, mongoose”! Idiot.

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I haven’t mentioned this yet, but Cheryl figures out today that she’s got a cold. Ugh, poor thing. Getting sick on vacation!

So she is going to order the Lemon Verbena tea - Naturally caffeine-free, a refreshing infusion of lemon verbena, lemongrass, lemon balm, and lemon peel; a favorite during the summertime.

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I think I hear Sandy say she wants the same, so when the waitress asks, “Was that 2?”, I tell her it is.

Then I hear Sandy say she’s getting the Eros again… huh? Oops, my bad. So I take the 2nd lemon tea. It was really very good!

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Rhonda and Sandy both got the Eros again – getting their own pots this time.

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We look over the menu – but let’s face it – SCONES!!!!!

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Unfortunately, our eyes prove to be bigger than our stomachs yet again, as we order way too much food!

I decided to go with the Sally Lunn Tea - Sally Lunn bread dates back to the 18th century where it was baked fresh, then sold on the streets of Bath England by the creator. Here at the Grand Floridian, we have carried on this tradition of this sweet yeast bread served lightly toasted with apricot preserves. This is followed by a choice of either trifle or strawberries and cream, along with your choice of tea. $13.50 per guest.

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I did this and an order of scones. I figured it was still 3 courses and the tea was included and I’d get to try the strawberries! I forgot how I rolled out of there after 3 courses last time.

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Sandy ordered the English Blue Stilton Cheese - served with walnuts and marinated berries $6.95. It was HUGE!!! It took her, me, and Cheryl and we still didn’t finish it! It was so good though! And she ordered scones, too. She also had ordered strawberries and cream, but cancelled that part!

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Rhonda ordered 2 orders of Freshly Baked Scones with Devonshire Cream and Preserves - $3.50. But when it came, she only got 2 scones, so we were confused. Then when the bill came, we saw that she only got 1 order – good thing, too, she ate half of one of mine and half of one of Sandy’s, and she was totally stuffed and cancelled her order of strawberries and cream.

I don’t remember what Cheryl ordered, but I know it involved scones because we have got a LOT of Devonshire cream on the table!

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:35 PM

Goodness, it’s time to head down to the Wave – is anyone hungry yet? We get our buzzer and head over to the bar. We get buzzed – by the buzzer – before we can even order!

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This turns out to be a good thing – there’s something on the menu that I don’t remember seeing on the generic bar menu – a Tropi-Glow Cocktail. Hmmm… multi-color glow cube? I’m in! :thumbsup2

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Oh, it was wonderful! Sandy got one too. Rhonda orders the Pirate’s Punch with a Tinkerbell clip-on. Poor Cheryl is really feeling her cold, but she still orders a glass of wine.

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Our server’s name is Ali and he was wonderful! We told him we were meeting someone at 7:30, so we needed to eat – not too fast – but at a decent pace. He agreed to get us out of there on time. I suppose I should have told him we were meeting them in Toontown, but I didn’t.

I did have the foresight to write Angela’s cell phone number on a lime green Mickey head paint chip before leaving home and tuck it into my wallet! So I borrowed Sandy’s cell phone and left Angela a message that we were at the Wave and we’d probably be late.

Cheryl ordered tea with dinner and Ali brought out a box of choices.

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I got a Coke, Sandy got an iced tea.

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Ali recommended the Grilled Beef Tenderloin - with oven-dried tomatoes, roasted fingerling potatoes, cabernet sauce and local greens $28.99.

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The 3 of them got it with the sauce on the side; I got it the way it came. Yup – 4 beef tenderloins.

Ali was RIGHT!!! 4 people who had a huge lunch 3 hours ago did THIS to their dinners:

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For dessert, the Wave has sets of desserts. It’s 3 little desserts in each set – Crispy & Crunchy, Creamy Indulgence, Decadent Flavors, or Sorbets.

We decided to get one of each since there were 4 of us. Rhonda and I would take our bites first, then Sandy and Cheryl – I haven’t mentioned this yet, but this afternoon, Sandy decided she was getting a cold too. Ugh, poor thing. Sick on vacation. :sick:

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When all the desserts were put in the center of the table, we looked a little piggy, I think!

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After dessert, Ali asked Rhonda if, since she hadn’t used her real drink credit, would she like a bottle of water to take with her?

How nice! How sweet!

HOW HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Dinner would have been $171.04. We have now officially used all of our table service credits for this leg of the trip – we are thrilled with The Wave, having a wonderful trip, eating like royalty! And I have a new favorite restaurant!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:38 PM

Day Off. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? Not if you’re with me! :laughing:

It started out relaxing – we don’t have to be anywhere until 10am. At the Contemporary. For parasailing.

Cheryl is not going with – between the fear of heights and the motion-sickness, she’s staying in bed. So Rhonda, Sandy, and I head over to Gasparilla Grill & Games for breakfast.

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This is basically the Grand Floridian food court. I was actually very disappointed – not so much with the food court, but with its location… you never walk past it! It’s kind of tucked in a corner. This (our last day) is the only time we went there, and we had to make a point of going there!

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Sandy and I both wanted the mini Mickey waffles, but there were only 5 waffles ready, and an adult platter has 3 on it. So I had them give me the kids’ meal (knowing Sandy would only eat 2 waffles anyway).

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I got grapes with mine!

Rhonda got the egg & bacon croissant.

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We took our food outside and sat at a table with a pretty bad view…

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:40 PM

We are going to have lunch and do laundry! We change into our bathing suits and grab our laundry bags. After putting our stuff into machines, we trek up to the food court on the other side of the resort. We still have counter services left over from the Grand Floridian leg of the trip – 3 as a matter of fact.

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We decide to split a chicken quesadilla, a pepperoni pizza, and an order of nachos. I believe I sent Cheryl to pick out 3 desserts… she came back with cheesecake swirl, carrot cake, and chocolate cake. 3 bottles of water and we have officially used all our GF counter service credits!

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We sat outside the food court and had a really good meal – the food here was, well, good.

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:43 PM

On to Boma for dinner - Cheryl and Sandy now have colds.

Rhonda gets an iced tea, I get a coke, and the Sniffle Twins order hot tea.

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Everyone heads up to the buffet. I make a beeline for the falafels. They were spicy this time – did they change or do I need more sauce?

I’ll find out in December! I talked Meg into talking her friends into trying Boma!

At some point, I look up –

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not that far up! I look at what Cheryl’s got in front of her to see how she’s enjoying the restaurant, and I see…

5 bowls of soup!!! :lmao:

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She was sick, remember, so she said soup sounded really good. Well, ok… but 5 different soups??? All at once??? :rotfl2:

To say Cheryl enjoyed this restaurant is an understatement… I don’t think I’d have any trouble getting her back here!

Let’s go through some of my plates –

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starting with the 4 falafels in the top, left corner and going clockwise… we come to – yup, that’s mac and cheese. One of the restaurants I’ve never gotten to, but really want to, is Jiko. They are supposed to have this amazing filet mignon served on a mac and cheese – everyone raves about this dish. So I can’t get close to the Animal Kingdom Lodge without grabbing some mac and cheese, thinking it brings me a little closer to Jiko heaven each time. I know it’s not the same. Corn bread, chicken leg (their chicken is fantastic), and coconut rice (also fantastic).

Plate 2:

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I went hummus on this trip – all 3 kinds. And a salad with apple vinaigrette – WHICH IS SEEPING INTO MY HUMMUS!!! :scared1: Apparently, I built the pita wall in the wrong location. Get it off!!! And more coconut rice.

A dessert plate:

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on the left is the famous zebra dome, above that is a little pyramid thing I had seen a lot of pictures of… very dry… not worth it. Above that, chocolate liquor mousse… mmmmmmmmmmm……. The white lump was pineapple upside-down cheesecake, also good. Cherry cobbler, not bad. Bread pudding – you could do vanilla sauce or rum sauce. Last year, I only remember there being vanilla and I did not like this dessert; this year, I used the rum sauce and ate the whole thing. But we’re saving the best for last – that white, fluffy mound at the bottom? Doesn’t look like much, does it? Taste it. Everyone’s eyes rolled up in their heads at the first bite… it was coconut tiramisu. And the best item on the entire menu. So far on this trip, it wins for best dessert! :cloud9:

I didn’t make my goal of 12 falafels or 12 zebra domes, but we tried a lot of stuff and really enjoyed several of the items. Boma is definitely a place we will return! Dinner for the 4 of us would have cost $114.98.

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:45 PM

We have a 1:00 ADR at Yak & Yeti!!!

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I’m very excited about this: 1.) It’s new and I love new Disney stuff, 2.) I have earned enough points from mypoints.com that I hold in my hot little hand $100.00 in Landry gift cards – they own the Rainforest Café and Yak & Yeti, and 3.) I might have had too much coffee this morning. :banana:

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We are seated immediately (2nd window from the left). I snap a couple of pictures of the restaurant and our view outside and then turn my attention to the menu.

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Drinks were 2 waters and 2 iced teas…

2 Crispy Honey Chicken - tempura chicken, broccoli, carrots, honey sauce $15.99 (Cheryl & Rhonda)

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1Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli - flank steak, broccoli, brown sauce $16.99 (Sandy)

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And I got the Duck with Anandapur Glaze - roasted half duckling, orange wasabi glaze, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables $21.99

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We all agreed the food was excellent and Rhonda proves it once again!

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I think it was Cheryl who ordered theSorbet - Mango, lemon, raspberry $5.99

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for dessert and I was not leaving without trying the Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey vanilla drizzle $7.99

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I had heard bad things about these, but I’m going back to my mini-rant that some people just have to complain about everything – I ate every bite!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:47 PM

I have my receipt for an All American sandwich - roast turkey, buttermilk ranch, cranberries, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato, buttermilk Ranch -and tomato soup ($9.27)

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Oh, have I mentioned yet that I’m getting a cold? Son-of-a-Seabiscuit! Sick on vacation! :sick: http://disboards.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

Cheryl got a salad and soup (I have no idea what kinds) and I have no idea what kinds of sandwiches Rhonda and Sandy are chomping on either – I’M SICK!!!

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After dinner, they want ice cream. I head over to a – could have been sorbet? I don’t know – let’s go “sorbet” stand and get something that won’t make me cough.

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You should know something by now – there are 2 foods I could sit and eat forever – ice cream and pasta (no, not together!) There’s a restaurant near work that holds “All You Can Eat for $4.99” spaghetti nights… they lose their shirts with me! Cathy says I eat $10 in parmesan cheese alone! And my theory on ice cream is this: if you can wrap a dishcloth around the container and hold it in one hand, it’s a serving!

But I’m not Cheryl either – see, Sandy ordered her Strike It Rich sundae with nuts and whipped cream on the side and it came with the nuts on it. Sandy sends it back and, well, here:

SANDY: I ordered that with no nuts.
SERVER: I’m sorry, I’ll go get another one.
CHERYL [grabbing the server’s arm]: What are you going to do with that one?
SERVER: Huh?
CHERYL: Are you just going to throw that sundae away?
SERVER: Um, yeah, I guess.
CHERYL: Well, then leave it here with me. I’ll take it.

And they did! And she ate it! AND her mint chocolate chip ice cream. Color me impressed!

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So after dessert, we head over to Goofy’s Candy Company because Cheryl was going to get a caramel apple made and I had decided days before to get something, too. The caramel apple costs too much, so you have to pay for that, but the pretzels, marshmallows, and rice crispy treats are all considered snack credits!

Cheryl buys an apple covered in caramel and pecans. Rhonda gets pretzel rods covered in white chocolate and sprinkles.

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I make everyone sick… I order marshmallows dipped in white chocolate and covered with mini dark chocolate chips, mini M&Ms, milk chocolate and caramel drizzles.

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It was quite obnoxious! And dumb – I have a cough… I can’t eat this!

It was lots of fun to watch him make mine!

We drive back to the room and we put our goodies in Zip-locs for later… maybe in the morning?

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:49 PM

I was too sick to eat my marshmallow treat this morning – I hate that tickle in the back of your throat cough! I know we ate in the food court. I know Cheryl had some kind of omelet and Rhonda had a Mickey waffle. I can assume there was tea and coffee involved. But I don’t even know what I ate! There’s no picture of it, so we can also assume that it was a duplicate of something else on the table… I don’t like omelets, so I would be willing to bet I had a Mickey waffle.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:50 PM

We have a 12:00 ADR at Teppan Edo in Japan for lunch. None of us have eaten here before, but based on a nebo report, I thought it would be okay to try. I don’t even know for sure which door we are supposed to go in!

We get to the Japan pavilion and check things out. I believe we are supposed to go up the stairs. We do that a few minutes before noon, and the doors are locked. Huh.

I grab a seat at the top of the stairs because there are other people milling about, so I’m fairly certain we’re in the right place (and let’s face facts – if it is right, I don’t want to have to climb the stairs again!).

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Right before noon, the doors are unlocked. We all file inside, check in, and are seated on a bench waiting to be called. There are 2 restaurants up here – Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining. Tokyo Dining is in front of you and to the right – you can see the whole dining room from the bench you wait on.

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Teppan Edo is to your left behind a wall.

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At noon, the entire staff comes out, lines up in front of us, and performs a small welcoming ceremony. I did not take any pictures of this – it seemed very solemn and traditional. It was beautiful.

As we sit on the bench waiting for our buzzer, I sneak a picture of the uniform the staff wears.

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I just read Memoirs of a Geisha so I was very intrigued by this costume and wondered about the difference between these and real kimonos and obis (which, if I read right, is the belt around their middle). I soon figured out that these obis held children’s menus! That wasn’t in the book!

I love Wikipedia! - Kimono are T-shaped, straight-lined robes that fall to the ankle, with collars and wide, full-length sleeves. Kimono are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial) and secured by a wide belt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_(clothing)) called an obi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)), which is usually tied at the back. Kimono are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially zōri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C5%8Dri) or geta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear))) and split-toe socks (tabi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabi)).

I checked out the split-toed socks in the store there but it was 90 degrees, so I didn’t buy any. Now that I’m home, I really wish I had – I miss my Crocs Athens and Capri flip flops – they are the most comfortable of all the Crocs styles!

In a few moments, our buzzer goes off and we head back towards Teppan Edo. They take us down a small hallway to a room with 4 hibachi tables, each seating 8 people. We are seated with a family of 4 who had been there several times. They told us we’d be hooked before the meal was over.

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Drinks were ordered – diet coke (me), hot green tea (the other 3) – and our orders placed. This was all taken by a girl who I learned had only been in the country 2 months. Every time she came to the table, she repeated the same phrase in Japanese and then in English – Thank you for your patience. I loved the ritual of it all, but I kept wanting to say, “Honey, relax – you were gone 15 seconds!”

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Once we had our drinks, the chef came out and was introduced. Someone at the table said, “Dude? You’re Japanese?”

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We had an English speaking chef! Excellent! I say this after years of trying to communicate with the waiters over in Nine Dragons…

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And he apparently was ½ Japanese, which Disney decided qualified him to cook here. He went over the orders that were taken and began his show. He was very funny and talented – the man started with the udon noodles – a thick wheat based noodle. I had never had these and he mixed in onion and zucchini and some other chopped up veggies…

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Anyone who has ever eaten with me has seen the pile of veggies I can leave behind. Especially zucchini.

He made the smoking onion volcano and turned it into a Hidden Mickey before slicing it up.

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He made a shrimp dance.

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We are served these udon noodles first and the girl brings out bowls of white rice for everyone while the meat is being cooked.

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I was surprised that the meal was served up like this – actually I was surprised he didn’t start cooking the meat sooner. But the meats cooked quickly (I watched, nebo, to make sure none of the steaks got mixed up!) and were on our plates before the udon was gone…

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:51 PM

But the meats cooked quickly and were on our plates before the udon was gone…

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Asakusa - sirloin steak and large shrimp $29.00

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This one was Rhonda’s. I can tell by the pile of onion on the side of the plate. Rhonda does not eat onion and she actually did eat a few from the udon noodles.

Hotate - cold water sea scallops $20.00

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I believe I went with the scallops. Cheryl and I might have split our 2 meals, but I can’t remember.

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Filet Mignon $29.00

Cheryl and Sandy had this and I don’t have a picture of it for whatever reason.

The food was incredible. The presentation was great. The other family at our table was right – we’ll be back!

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Dessert wasn’t as spectacular – my chocolate-ginger cake was better than the ones they serve in China tho’.

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Cheryl and Sandy each had the green tea pudding.

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Rhonda had the fruit tart. Peach or pear? I think peach.

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Lunch would have been $130.00. Yeah – for lunch! I love you, dining plan. :love:

I introduced the group to a little something called kaki-gori. It’s like a snowcone, but the ice is shaved differently… almost smoothly. They’re very good. And they photograph nicely.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:51 PM

I now want to try something new, so we head into the bakery where I use a snack credit to get us a schoolbread. I can’t believe I only got ¼ of this!!! In December, I shall have a whole one to myself! It was very, very good!

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:53 PM

We make our way over to dinner at the Coral Reef – another first!

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I’m really excited because this is where I have the last of the surprises planned for the trip. And it’s been so long since the last one, I’m sure no one suspects anything! Rhonda and Cheryl were both told at some point about half the surprise, but… well, you’ll see.

We check in and sit down around the corner from the podium. I have the buzzer. Months ago, I arranged a couple of things with the manager of the Coral Reef, Debbi, and was told that I didn’t even have to ask, the Magic would all just happen.

But, being the Uber-Planner I am, when the buzzer went off, I said, “Be right back.” and whipped around the corner to turn in the buzzer and to ask if all was set. The girl at the desk smiled and said, “Are you Jaime? There are all kinds of surprises!”

Huh, odd comment.

She seats us right up front of the aquarium and everyone is marveling at the view we have. She starts out by handing us the menus and the fish-spotting guide and then says that:

The Dream Team was by a few minutes ago and left something (she holds up a small Disney bag). Who gets to open it?

And the 3 lovely ladies I’m with all point to me. I’m more than happy to oblige. I had completely forgotten about our meeting with Sarah 10 hours ago!!! The wonderful hostess asks for my camera. I pull out a yellow piece of cardstock (upside down, of course!) with some pins attached and start to read:

Please join us tonight for a…

And I burst into tears!

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Rhonda has to read it out loud for me.

Please join us tonight for a VIP viewing of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.

Check in with the Guest Relations host or hostess stationed by the World Showcase Lagoon at Italy at 8:30pm.

Enjoy and have a great night!

From the EPCOT Dream Squad

Holy cow! Sarah did it! She remembered! By this point in the day, I had forgotten all about this morning’s chat! She surprised me!!! We won a Dream!!! We won a Dream!!! We won a Dream!!!

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But we’re not done – this was not the surprise(s) I had planned! The hostess now hands the other 3 girls the personalized menus I had made for them! Inside are 6 photos of the 4 of us – the only photos I had of Cheryl were from our Disney Trip senior year of high school! They couldn’t believe what they were seeing!

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And, there was a song in it, which Meg and I wrote. Parodies are a specialty in our family. The hostess asked if I wrote it and she said the staff thought it was great.

It went to the tune of Part of your World from the Little Mermaid:

Look at this place, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think they've got so much to eat?
Wouldn't you think that this place,
This place just has everything.

Look at this tank. Creatures untold.
How many wonders can one aquarium hold?
Looking around here, you'd think,
"Sure, I'd eat anything."

They've got crab legs and mussels aplenty.
They've got catfish and what's that? galore...
You want salmon or steak?
They've got twenty...

But who cares... no big deal... where's dessert?????

I want to be away from these sharks
I want to eat while they're not staring...
Looking at me like a... (whad'ya call it?)... oh! Feast!

Flippin' their fins, they won't get too far.
Thank God there's 6 inches of glass between us.
Enough about that, let's... (What's that word again?)... eat!!!

When's it my turn?
What will I have?
Can I try a bite of your food?
Out of the sea
Onto my plate
Part of my meal.

DON'T STRAIN YOUR EYES - I WILL SCAN A BETTER COPY INTO THE COMPUTER AT WORK TODAY AND POST IT TONIGHT!

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So we’re left alone as the hostess runs off to find our server to tell her we need to be across EPCOT in 90 minutes!!! AND eat dinner!!! I look at the Dream and say that we need to split up the 4 pins. All 3 of them said, no. It was mine. It shouldn’t be taken apart. I was so touched! I tell them I’ll get a shadowbox frame and hang it.

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While we wait, I sing the song to the group and decide Scott and Theresa need to come out and play with the fishies!

But when I pull Scott out of my bag, he catches on something and I rip his arm off. Uh-oh. So I try to hide that by placing Theresa close to him… then I try to blame the loss of limb on the wildlife in the tank.

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So we’re looking at the menus when a couple of divers swim over and start goofing around.

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The hostess told us that the ones in the shorts are the instructors and the ones in long pants are people taking tours. So the instructors are playing around with us and Rhonda notices a student off to the side playing with the rocks on the bottom of the tank. I see him, too, but I know he’s not playing with rocks.

He has our sign.

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See, I hadn’t booked the diver, I just booked the menus. But in my phone call with Debbi, she asked what the occasion was. I told her it was our last trip to Disneyworld (well, I thought so at the time!). She said, “WHAT?!?!?!?!” And I told her about the move next year. She insisted we get the diver and wrote a little rhyme on the spot. I managed to not tell Rhonda about this part!

This is just all too much – and we haven’t even eaten yet!!!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:54 PM

Here are the close ups of the menu they made for us:

FRONT
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BACK
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INSIDES
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The pictures of Cheryl and I are from our high school senior trip when Mia chaperoned Cheryl, Scott, a guy named Dave, and me on a 3 night Disney cruise and 4 days in the parks.

1 Diet Coke (me) and 3 hot teas later (did I mention yet that Rhonda now also has the cold? Poor baby, sick on vacation!)

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Bread and dipping sauce.

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Sandy got the Grilled Pork Chop - served with caramelized shallots and sweet onion mashed potatoes topped with wild mushroom sauce $22.99

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Cheryl got the Seafood Linguini with sautéed shrimp, mahi mahi, salmon, mussels, andouille sausage and slow-roasted tomatoes $23.99

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Rhonda got the Seared Sterling Salmon with ratatouille $23.99

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And I got the Grilled Mahi Mahi - served with cashew-jasmine rice topped with a spicy pineapple chutney finished with a malibu rum beurre blanc $25.99

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This was really, really good!!! I would like to return when I actually have time to taste what I’m eating!

I really want to go back so I can savor my dessert. Sandy and I both got the Chocolate Wave - with brandied cherries $7.99

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There are no words to describe this dessert – it is the single best dessert I’ve ever had at Disney… huh, I guess there are words!

Cheryl got the Baileys and Jack Daniel's Mousse - topped with a ganache and chocolate cigar $7.99 – she raved about this!!!

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And Rhonda went with the Key Lime Tart - served with a mango sauce $7.99

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After a wonderful, but quick, dinner ($148.00), we hightail it all the way to the opposite end of EPCOT! Stopping at a bathroom or 2, of course!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:55 PM

So we get to Hollywood Studios a little late. And head straight to Starring Rolls for breakfast. I had never eaten there before and couldn’t believe how SMALL this place was! And crowded!

Cheryl and I grabbed garlic bagels, she bought a side dish of stuff for her bagel. I thought a banana and some orange juice would help. And tea. We drank so much tea on this trip…

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:56 PM

Anyone ready for lunch?

Today we are headed for the 50s Prime Time Café. We are seated and I think you can tell by our faces – we are all sick.

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We were just not up for the antics in this restaurant. My brain felt like it was a minute or 2 behind the rest of the world. Luckily, we pulled a waitress who wasn’t really into the play either, so we had a nice quiet lunch here.

Our table did not have a television, but there was one at the tables to our left and right. So when I Married Joan came on, I was able to get shots of my favorite episode! She’s on a diet and ends up dusting a ham just to be near it!

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While I’ve never resorted to “dusting a ham”, I can sympathize with her plight!

Sandy: Chicken Pot Pie - creamy mixture of chicken, mushrooms, carrots, celery, peas, and onions topped with a flaky pastry $16.99

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Cheryl: Old-Fashioned Pot Roast - slow-cooked until fork tender served with mashed potatoes, carrots, celery and onions $16.99

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Jaime & Rhonda: Fish Sandwich - fried beer-battered haddock on a crusty roll, with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce, served with a house salad or french fries $12.49

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Despite the colds, we all enjoyed our food very much. It was comfort food, which was something we were in desperate need of!

For dessert, I had the smores for the first time – apparently, I really, really liked them!

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Sandy got an apple cobbler that did not taste as blurry as this picture!

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Rhonda got the angel food cake.

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Cheryl: bread pudding.

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Lunch for the 4 of us would have come to $96.37.

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:57 PM

So now it’s 5:00 and we’re at French Quarter for dinner.

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I have been looking forward to this meatball sub for months!!! They have the best meatball subs!!!

Wanna see a picture? :banana: :banana:

Well, you can’t! I was sick and I lost my appetite!!! That never, ever happens to me!

I did use a snack credit – just so I wouldn’t be starving later – but a counter service credit would have been a huge waste of food right now.

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I think it was Rhonda who got the chicken Caesar salad and beignets.

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Sandy got a cheeseburger basket and an orange.

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And Cheryl got a muffaletta - New Orleans hero-sandwich with the famous olive salad (which she says her parents always order at some place and rave about) and beignets.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:58 PM

We see Good’s to Go behind us. I ask a cast member if this is the only counter service location here and she says yes. Wow. Not even an indoor food court? I think I prefer the cheaper hotels with their easy access food courts…

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So, Rhonda gets a hot dog and fruit salad with an orange juice and key lime pie. She’s a grown woman – don’t judge.

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Cheryl gets the cheeseburger combo with lemon tea and the key lime pie.

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And I’m still not super hungry, so I talk Sandy into splitting the tuna sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie, and one of us took the bottle of water.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 05:59 PM

It’s finally 6:30 and time for dinner. Trails’ End. It’s a buffet that shares a kitchen with the Hoop-De-Doo Review next door. They are famous for their chicken and ribs. Except, I forgot, the last time I ate at the Hoop-De-Doo Review, I hated the food!

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And, based on the empty space on this plate, I am not real impressed here. Let’s see – sausage, chicken, green beans, rice, corn… all okay.

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Pizza, mostaccioli, tiny piece of salmon: yuck, yuck, and yuck! More sausage and potatoes.

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Good Lord – I resorted to salad?!?!?!?!

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Dessert was apple cobbler off the dessert bar covered with soft-serve vanilla from the machine built into the wall.

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Of course, Cheryl gets soup – or is that chili or beef stew?!?!?! I think it’s chili and Cheryl told me later it was not very good. In fact, when we were discussing restaurants for next year, this was the one place she said she does not want to go back to!

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Tea, of course, comes in a box.

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:01 PM

We stop in the bakery in France and grab a couple of pastries to split – whoa – for a second I thought I didn’t have a picture of them! Whew!

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2 snack credits – coming up! The receipt calls them “Raspberry Schuss” and “Pithivier”… According to allears, the raspberry thing was $3.95 – yup, that’s a snack credit… no arguing!

For the other, I once again bow to Wikipedia:

A Pithivier (Pithiviers in French) is a round, enclosed pie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pie) usually made with puff pastry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puff_pastry).

The pie is traditionally finished with a distinct shine to the top of the crust, either by egg-washing or by the caramelizing of a thin layer of sugar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar) at the end of the cooking process.

Whilst the filling of the Pithivier is often a sweet frangipane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangipane) (optionally combined with fruit such as cherry or plum), savoury (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoury) pies with a meat or cheese filling can also be labeled as Pithivier.

It is commonly assumed that the dish originates from the town of Pithiviers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pithiviers), France (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France).

Ours was almond. Both were phenomenal!!!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:02 PM

Wander, wander – we’re finally in China for lunch at 2:50!!! Wow! They all got the honey sesame chicken and I got the Mongolian beef – I think it was Rhonda and I that split them… or Cheryl and I? You are all starting to look alike to me!

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Yumm-o!!!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:03 PM

We get to LeCellier and check in at the podium. I stay nearby and chat to the girl manning the desk. She was so funny (well, to those of us who made ADRs 180 days ago, she was!) telling everyone that she was sorry and they were booked solid. She catches my smile and we talk about that part of her job – she says it used to be hard for her to turn people down, but now she kinda liked it!

I didn’t tell her that we almost didn’t keep this ADR – there was a chef change a few months ago and the reports I was hearing were not good! We held onto it and things seemed to improve. Shall we see?

OK – my menu pictures came out horribly, so we won’t put those up…

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Disney has changed this menu to include “Chef’s Specials” – these are a group of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that can be mixed and matched for a set price. No substitutions. Dining plan accepted. $36.99.

Appetizers
Mixed Field Greens
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage

Entrées
Pan-seared King Salmon
Herb-crusted Prime Rib
Porcini Mushroom Ravioli
Mustard-basted All Natural Chicken

Desserts
Maple Crème Brulee
Canadian Chocolate Moose
Seasonal Sorbet

I believe it was Rhonda and Cheryl who did this – all the receipt shows is 2 PF Adult Dinners…

All 3 of them went with hot tea and I got iced tea. Cheryl has the Mustard-basted All Natural Chicken – which she said was excellent.

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And Rhonda got the Herb-crusted Prime Rib – which she always gets and loves.

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I believe they both had salads.

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JAIME: New York Strip Steak - with bercy butter, balsamic red onions, watercress, and roasted Yukon potatoes, $34.99 but I substituted the Yukon potatoes for mashed potatoes. Looks boring, but it was very good!

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SANDY: Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - with wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce $34.99

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Sandy got the S’mores.

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The rest of us got the crème brulee, I believe.

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And I decided to finally follow TyRy through the Rabbit Hole and order a glass of Ice Wine. It’s a dessert wine – there are 2 brands – I got the Riesling and it was too sweet – even for me! Still finished it, though! At $17.00 for a little over half a glass – I’m finishing a glass of turpentine! Taking that off, dinner would have been $172.00 plus tip.

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Dinner was wonderful – my concerns over this restaurant were unfounded and I shall return!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:04 PM

Before the trip began, Rhonda and I had several debates about today’s transportation. Normally, we do not drive to the Magic Kingdom – we use Disney transportation. The reason for this is that getting OUT of the Magic Kingdom, at night, with the crowds, and having to take #1: the monorail or ferry and #2: the tram, with all those other people leaving the park, is an absolute nightmare.

However, my argument for driving today and parking at the TTC is that dinner will be at Kona Café (another first) and we can walk over to the TTC, thus eliminating a lot of the crowds! (And Jaime can grab a lapu-lapu to go?)

And, we are now in the car driving to the TTC, so apparently we know who won that debate.

JAIME: Rhonda, I’ve been thinking…

RHONDA: [sound of head beating against the dashboard]

JAIME: How about we just drive to the Poly and have another breakfast at Kona?

RHONDA: [sound of gas pedal being stomped on!]

And that’s how we ended up parked at the Poly!

This time, instead of the Big Kahuna, I went with ALL pineapple macadamia nut pancakes – I love these things! (It’s Sunday morning as I type this, and in exactly 3 weeks from this moment, I will be sitting in front of a big plate of these!!!)

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Sandy got the Big Kahuna and Cheryl got the eggs your way… I’m willing to bet Cheryl helped Sandy out with hers!

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And do I really need to tell you what was in front of Rhonda?

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Breakfast actually cost us $59.03 – no dining credits for this one – but it was totally worth it!

tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:05 PM

We head over to Liberty Square and Columbia Harbour House for lunch.

SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME HOW 4 PEOPLE – WITH 2 ROOMS – HAVE TURNED IN 5 LUNCH RECEIPTS?????

Seriously – and I can’t even tell how many counter service credits we have left because I can’t tell whose cards were used… out of the 5 receipts there are 3 different card numbers!

I pose my tuna sandwich artfully in the light from the window…

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I believe Rhonda also got the tuna.

Cheryl is hungry. And we have plenty of credits left (I knew back then how many, but it was a lot – especially since we are leaving tomorrow!), so she asks if she can order more food – knock yourself out!

So Sandy and Cheryl split a tuna sandwich, a harvest salad, and a fish basket!!!

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All with drinks and desserts!

I’ve always wondered what the “strawberry yogurt” under the desserts was… wonder no more!

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tiggerbell

01-12-2009, 06:06 PM

We finally get out of the Magic Kingdom and get on the monorail to the TTC. We are going to stroll over to the Polynesian for dinner!

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We wander nice and slow through the grounds of the Polynesian. Sandy and Cheryl suddenly get in the same mood they were in while dancing on the bus the other night… they start chanting about tikis and bathrooms… if memory serves, it was “tiki-peepee” and falling all over themselves laughing. It was pretty funny.

So we get to the Grand Ceremonial house and point them to the bathroom. I head over to the coffee bar and take a picture of the sushi.

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I don’t know why.

We check in and are seated right by the walkway, in front of O’Hana’s. At first I thought, oh great – put the fat girl eating on display – but it was never an issue and I didn’t even notice if anyone was passing by – or stopping, staring, and pointing with their mouths hanging open!

First up – the requisite tea box. 3 hot teas and an iced tea, please.

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We put on the last glow necklace I had put in my goodie bags – this one was a red glowing heart.

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And I take the only picture of the menu that matters – desserts!

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We are given bread and macadamia nut butter – WOW!!! This bread was so dense – it was really good.

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When we first made this reservation, they had a filet on the menu. It was dropped right before our vacation, so I was hesitant. The only other steak was Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini $24.99 – which sounded great, except for the fact that I don’t like teriyaki sauce!

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Turns out, you can have it prepared without the sauce, thus making it just a steak! It was wonderful!

Cheryl and Rhonda got it with the sauce – I will admit, it looks good… but I know from experience that I don’t like teriyaki… have I mentioned I don't like teriyaki?

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Sandy gotPan Asian Noodles - Asian egg noodles with sliced chicken, pineapple, seasonal vegetables, and a housemade sweet and sour sauce $16.99.

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For dessert, Cheryl and Rhonda continued to think alike with matching Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee $5.99

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Sandy got the Chocolate Fondue $5.99

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And I went with the Kilauea Torte - $5.49 – thinking of the Wave dessert at Coral Reef. It looked promising –

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But it was really dry – no where near as good as Coral Reef!

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Dinner would have been $132.26 – and we finish up the last 4 table service credits!