Marathon Weekend Dining Adventures (updated 4/13 - The End)

[jessily]

Well, I just returned from the World yesterday, and I'm already looking for any way possible to prolong the experience. Lots of my dining choices in the past have been based on reviews I read here, so I thought I would share my experiences and hopefully help out someone else.

Who: Myself (25) and DBF (24)
http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4311-1.jpg
When: Thursday 1/8 - Wednesday 1/14 (I was solo Thurs. and Fri.)
Why: I was in town to run the half marathon on Saturday... and celebrate accordingly afterward:thumbsup2
Where we stayed: Dolphin Resort and Beach Club Villas (rented DVC points)
Where we ate:

Safari Pretzel Cart (L)
Studio Catering Company (D)
Earl of Sandwich (L)
Pop Century Food Court (D)
Le Cellier (L)
Tangerine Cafe (D)
50s Prime Time Cafe - ate at Tune In Lounge (L)
Min and Bill's Dockside Diner (S)
California Grill (D)
Biergarten (L)
Cantina de San Angel (S)
Boulangerie Patisserie (S)
Crepes des Chefs de France (S)
Main Street Bakery (B)
Wolfgang Puck Express (D)
Beach Club Marketplace (B)

On my past few trips I've tried to make ADRs at a few new restaurants each time. I worked in Disney World for 4 months back in 2005 and never ate at a single table service restaurant:eek: Just didn't have the extra time or money. Now I really wish I had taken advantage of the discount while I had the chance! On our last trip we tried Ohana, Jiko and Biergarten. New on this trip were Le Cellier and Cali Grill.

I tried to remember to take pictures, but sometimes forgot. We had a great trip, and lots of great food. I hope a few of you will join me as I relive our travels! First review coming right up...

[jessily]

Thursday January 8th - Safari Pretzel Cart
I may as well get my Spicy Cheese Pretzel fixation out in the open right now. I'm addicted:rotfl2: It's a soft pretzel filled with melted jalapeno cheese. On our last trip we only visited Epcot and MK. I only knew of 2 places that sold Spicy Cheese Pretzels (The Launching Pad at MK and Min and Bill's Dockside Diner at DHS). Imagine my horror when I found out they no longer sell them at MK:eek: Well I posted on the Restaurant Board and much to my delight found out that they now sell them at the Safari Pretzel Cart in AK:yay:

My flight landed at 9:05 am on Thursday, and by 12:30 I was in AK enjoying the much awaited Spicy Cheese Pretzel. I was so excited I took a bite before I remembered to pull out the camera:
http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_3805.jpg

If you haven't tried one of these beauties yet, I highly recommend it! and I'm not as crazy as I sound (well, not quite as crazy anyway):) Now that I've got that confession out of the way... on to the rest of the reviews.

[merrybee]

I'm in

[TigerKat]

I'm in too!popcorn::

[jessily]

I'm in

I'm in too!popcorn::

Thanks for joining in!

[christinou]

OK, now I want a spicy chessy pretzel, great start.

[jessily]

OK, now I want a spicy chessy pretzel, great start.

mmmm me too! Thanks for reading!

[PrincessTrisha]

Great start - and can I just say - you two are just the cutest couple! :flower3:

[jlcd]

No more spicy cheese pretzels in MK??!! They are my favorite snack there!! When did they go away?? Looking forward to the rest of your reviews.

[danalee]

sounds good ::yes::

[MickeyNicki]

Count me in!

[jessily]

Great start - and can I just say - you two are just the cutest couple! :flower3:

aw, thanks:blush: Thanks for reading!

No more spicy cheese pretzels in MK??!! They are my favorite snack there!! When did they go away?? Looking forward to the rest of your reviews.

Sometime between last December and September:sad: I'm glad they're still in DHS and AK though!

sounds good ::yes::

Thanks for joining in:thumbsup2

Next review coming up...

[jessily]

Thursday 1/8 - Studio Catering Company

So I kept the food and drink options pretty boring in the days leading up the Half Marathon. Since Thursday was one of the only 2 nights Fantasmic was being shown that week at DHS, the park was pretty busy when I showed up. I was hoping to see One Man's Dream, but it closes at 3 pm these days so I decided to just grab some dinner and wait around for Fantasmic.

DHS holds a special place in my heart since I worked there for a few months on the Disney College Program back in '05. I love just wandering around that park. My wandering led me to the Studio Catering Company (located back next to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground) and the menu had changed significantly since the last time I was there. I remember it being a lot more interesting and now it's pretty standard chicken, hot dogs, salads, etc.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_3881.jpg

I was feeling not so hungry, and cheap, so I went with the Kid's Macaroni and Cheese with sides of grapes and applesauce ($4.49). This was tasty, but really really HOT! I had to wait quite a while to eat it and while I'm not about to complain about my food being hot, I was surprised since it was a kid's dish.

After Fantasmic I headed back to the Dolphin Resort and got majorly lost looking for a late night snack. That place is huge! I eventually found Picabu's (open 24 hrs) and ended up with some kid's chicken fingers which were quite tasty. The ketchup packets were adorable:

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_3951.jpg

Up next: Lunch at Earl of Sandwich

[natalielongstaff]

great start :thumbsup2

[bonnielynn]

i'm in

[MichelleTO]

Only a runner would drool over the thought of pretzels with spicy cheese, I had a pretzels in Fantasy land with a pot of cheese but wanted a cheese filled, I will look at the Studios next trip! Keep the report coming!!
Fellow Dis 1/2 Marathoner

[Tricia7]

Can't wait for more!

[jpmom97]

Sounds great so far! Can't wait for more!

[jessily]

great start :thumbsup2

Thanks!

i'm in

Can't wait for more!

Sounds great so far! Can't wait for more!

Thanks all for joining in:thumbsup2

Only a runner would drool over the thought of pretzels with spicy cheese, I had a pretzels in Fantasy land with a pot of cheese but wanted a cheese filled, I will look at the Studios next trip! Keep the report coming!!
Fellow Dis 1/2 Marathoner

Congrats on finishing the 1/2! It was a great weekend wasn't it?

[jessily]

Friday 1/9 - Earl of Sandwich

Earl of Sandwich is a favorite and I try to make it there at least once per trip. After going to the race expo on Friday I headed to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. I really should have paid more attention to what I was eating and how much I was walking the day before the half marathon... but I didn't do a very good job of that.

I showed up at Earl around 11:15 so the crowds weren't too bad yet. Earl of Sandwich tends to get pretty crowded:crowded: They really keep the line moving along though:thumbsup2 I went with the Italian: salami, capicola, roasted ham, mortadella, mozzarella cheese, roma tomato and Zesty Italian dressing.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_3997.jpg

It was a beautiful day so I opted to sit outside and started out by the main entrance, but after a fight nearly broke out over a 3 year old having a temper tamtrum I decided to move over to the other side of the building. I never noticed this seating was here before. Right around the corner from the main entrace to Earl (by the store that sells cooking stuff) is a nice seating area and it was much quieter. Plus I enjoyed watching the carousel while I ate.

The sandwich was great as always! The bread is very good, the fillings are hot, and at $5.75 it's an affordable meal. I also like that you serve yourself drinks here so you can grab a refill to go. Lunch of course was followed by a chocolate sample at Ghirardelli. Yum!

Up next: Dinner at the Pop Century Food Court

[dvc4life]

I'm in. Everything looks great and now I'm hungry. My family loves those cheese filled pretzels. Thanks for the heads up about them not being at MK anymore! :flower3:

[jessily]

I'm in. Everything looks great and now I'm hungry. My family loves those cheese filled pretzels. Thanks for the heads up about them not being at MK anymore! :flower3:

I don't know why they removed them from MK:confused3 Seems they had a lot of fans:) Thanks for joining in!

[jessily]

Friday 1/9 - Pop Century Food Court

Friday evening I was headed over to Pop Century to meet up with a group of runners from disneyrunning.com who I had talked to over the year while training.
I was a little nervous as I always am when meeting new people, but it was a great group and we had a good time. The food court wasn't too busy yet at 4:30, so we took over one corner and all got in line for food.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4052.jpg

This is the only picture I took. Felt a little silly taking pictures of my food with people I had never met before:rotfl: Looking around at the different food stations I was worried about the options. Nothing was looking promising for a pre-half marathon meal. I was hoping for some simple pasta with chicken, but the only thing they had was fettachini alfredo with fried chicken:scared: Normally I'd be all for it, but not the night before a long run. Luckily as we got closer to the counter we saw that they had a "Marathon Weekend Special." Baked ziti with salad and a breadstick. I think the food court has 4 or 5 different food stations and this line had about 40 people in it. Not a single person in the other lines. I felt bad for the cast members, but they handled it pretty well. The baked ziti was great. The salad and breadstick were meh. They didn't really have any flavor. Overall I found the Pop Century food court very similar to the All Star Resort food courts.

[aladdinsgirl]

Congrats on running the half marathon! :donald: Enjoying your reviews.

[natalielongstaff]

ooh i love earl of sandwich :cool1: (why im reading food reviews before i go to Weightwatchers tho i don't know !!!)

[msce2]

Who knew they had jalapeno cheese soft pretzels? Well this will definitely be on our list for May!

Thanks for the awesome reviews, and congrats on the marathon!!!!

[MinnieMom]

Great reports . . . I'm in!!

[jessily]

Congrats on running the half marathon! :donald: Enjoying your reviews.

Thanks! Looks like you've run more than a few yourself. Did you run the Disney Half this year?

ooh i love earl of sandwich :cool1: (why im reading food reviews before i go to Weightwatchers tho i don't know !!!)

:rotfl2: Living vicariously through dining reports?... I do it all the time!

Who knew they had jalapeno cheese soft pretzels? Well this will definitely be on our list for May!

Thanks for the awesome reviews, and congrats on the marathon!!!!

Thanks!

Great reports . . . I'm in!!

Welcome!

Le Cellier Review coming up...

[Pirate's Princess]

I'm in! I see orange!!!! Yay for DR! I'm also on there, same name. I'm planning on running the full in 2010. I'm so happy to read some food reviews because I'm a total foodie, want to indulge (and plan cause I'm cool like that ;-) ) and have been nervous about the trip and food!

Congrats on the 1/2.

[jessily]

Saturday 1/10 - Le Cellier

After the race we strolled through Epcot back to the Dolphin.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/epcot.jpg

and after a short break headed back to Epcot through the World Showcase for our much anticipated lunch at

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4200.jpg

I had been wanting to eat here for a long time after reading reviews on the Dis. Would it live up to our expectations?

Our ADR was for 1:05, and I think we showed up a few minutes early. When we checked in at the counter the cast members were discussing amongst themselves how things were pretty slow and they couldn't believe they were actually taking walk-ins. We waited down by the restaurant for a few minutes before being seated, not long at all. I think the Canada pavilion is beautiful!

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4202.jpg

I really liked the whole atmosphere of the restaurant. I've read reviews saying it's crowded and the tables are too close together, but since it was fairly quiet when we were there we didn't notice. Our waitress chatted with us about the race for a long time and I guess forgot the normal spiel that they're supposed to give. It was kind of cute as she kept returning to our table throughout the meal and giving us bits and pieces of information ("I was supposed to tell you...").

We started with some celebratory drinks (the first of many on this trip). I went with a martini (love the olives!) and DBF went with one of the Canadian beers. I wasn't very hungry (I'm usually not right after I run... I saved the real eating for the next day) so I decided to just get a bowl of the Cheddar Cheese Soup that I've heard so much about ($6.99).

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4205.jpg

It wasn't as cheesy as I expected, but I loved it. That, along with the breadsticks, was the perfect lunch. DBF had the Maple Barbecued Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($13.99) with oven-roasted mushrooms ($4.29:eek:) on the side. He thought it was great! I didn't remember to snap a picture of his sandwich, but here's one that gives an idea of the atmosphere inside the restaurant.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4204.jpg

I really wasn't hungry for dessert, but wasn't going to leave without trying this guy:

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4207.jpg

Yum! Very good. Overall, we though Le Cellier was great! It's not first on our list, but we will definitely return someday soon. I'm glad we went for lunch. We're not huge steak eaters, so the lunch options were better for us. Our waitress was wonderful and I didn't feel pressured to order more than the soup. Le Cellier gets 2 thumbs up from us:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

Thanks to everyone for reading along!

Up next: Tangerine Cafe

[jessily]

I'm in! I see orange!!!! Yay for DR! I'm also on there, same name. I'm planning on running the full in 2010. I'm so happy to read some food reviews because I'm a total foodie, want to indulge (and plan cause I'm cool like that ;-) ) and have been nervous about the trip and food!

Congrats on the 1/2.

Hello fellow DR! It was really cool seeing the sea of orange around Disney World all weekend:) I'm thinking about training for the full in 2010 too, but haven't completely made up my mind yet. Running in Disney was awesome and I can't wait to do it again! Have you run any Disney races before?

[wdwfanatic316]

Great reviews! Keep them coming!:thumbsup2

[monkeyhouse]

I really want to try the Spicy Cheese Pretzel now.

[Pirate's Princess]

Hello fellow DR! It was really cool seeing the sea of orange around Disney World all weekend:) I'm thinking about training for the full in 2010 too, but haven't completely made up my mind yet. Running in Disney was awesome and I can't wait to do it again! Have you run any Disney races before?

I haven't. I haven't even ran a race before. I'm sure I'll be :crazy2: afterward. DF and I went down in Jan. 07 and 08, not knowing about the races, but we saw everyone, and everyone who ran it, and we felt like massive bums. It made us feel awful so we set our sites on 2010. I'm excited and I know it's the best place to run your first one. If you can afford it, you should totally do it. I love DR!

Congrats on finishing the half, it's a great accomplishment. I'm such a slow runner, but my goal is to just finish it.

[jessily]

Great reviews! Keep them coming!:thumbsup2

Thanks!

I really want to try the Spicy Cheese Pretzel now.

:thumbsup2

I haven't. I haven't even ran a race before. I'm sure I'll be :crazy2: afterward. DF and I went down in Jan. 07 and 08, not knowing about the races, but we saw everyone, and everyone who ran it, and we felt like massive bums. It made us feel awful so we set our sites on 2010. I'm excited and I know it's the best place to run your first one. If you can afford it, you should totally do it. I love DR!

Congrats on finishing the half, it's a great accomplishment. I'm such a slow runner, but my goal is to just finish it.

Disney is definitely a great place to run your first race. I'm a slow runner as well! That's another reason is a great place to run... there are many walkers and run/walkers at Disney events so as a slow runner I was in the middle of the pack. I'm thinking about using a run/walk schedule for the full marathon.

Best of luck with your training!

[jessily]

Saturday 1/10 - Tangerine Cafe

After lunch at Le Cellier we spent the afternoon wandering around Epcot. I should have been resting more, but I wasn't, and soon regretted it. I had only slept 2 hrs the night before due to nerves and having to be up at 2:30 for the race. Around 4:30 we were in Japan because DBF wanted to see the drummers and I just couldn't take it anymore. I told him to stick around as long as he wanted. He said after the drummers he would find us some dinner and meet me back at the hotel. He asked what I wanted and I said to surprise me... at that point all I could think about was getting in bed.

I didn't take any pictures of dinner as I ended up eating it in bed, but here's a nice shot I took on the way back to the Dolphin Resort. The moon was very cool looking that weekend.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4234.jpg

Awhile later DBF showed up with dinner from Tangerine Cafe (Morocco Counter Service). He got the Shawarma Chicken Platter for me and the Lamb Platter for himself ($11.95 each). Wow! I couldn't believe how much food was in each of these! So much meat and in my opinion too much. You definitely get your money's worth, but this would be an excellent counter service entree to share with someone else. The meat came with hummus, tabouleh and a tangierine couscous salad. It also came with a dinner roll that was stale and not very good, but again, huge! The meat was perfectly cooked and we thought everything was delicious. We will definitely be eating there again, but next time we'll split an entree.

After dinner I did something I thought I would never do in Disneyworld...
I fell asleep before 7 pm:sad: I guess I really needed it though. Slept until 7 the next morning and was ready to take on the World.

Up next: lunch and drinks at the Tune In Lounge (50's Prime Time)

[mrsturtle]

thanks for the reviews! we're thinking about tangierine cafe for the vegetarians in our group. heard they have some veggie options. seems like lots of people really like this place. hope you we're able to rest up for more disney. enjoy!!:upsidedow

[skellingtonfreak]

Love the reviews so far! Can't wait for the rest.

[jessily]

thanks for the reviews! we're thinking about tangierine cafe for the vegetarians in our group. heard they have some veggie options. seems like lots of people really like this place. hope you we're able to rest up for more disney. enjoy!!:upsidedow

You should definitely check it out. I didn't actually go in, so I didn't see the menu, but the salads and hummus that came with the meal were delicious!

Love the reviews so far! Can't wait for the rest.

Thanks for joining in!

[jessily]

Sunday 1/11 - Tune In Lounge (50s Prime Time)

Sunday we found ourselves perusing the menu outside 50s Prime Time. I think it was around 11:45 and there was no one sitting at the bar yet, so we grabbed 2 seats. The full 50s Prime Time menu is served at the bar, which is a good option if you can't get an ADR or aren't interested in the antics inside the restaurant. The bar does get crowded around lunchtime though and in my experience stays crowded all day (especially if it's raining), so it's best to show up early.

We both ordered a drink (I think mine was called Dad's Electric Lemonade and DBF had a beer). I love the glow cubes! I decided to order Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie ($16.99) and DBF went with Mom's Old Fasioned Pot Roast ($16.99).

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4265.jpg

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4266.jpg

The chicken pot pie was not at all what I expected. The picture isn't great, but you can see that it's not actually pie, but the filling topped with a flakey pastry (although now that I read the menu, that's exactly how it's described... I must not have been paying attention). I thought it was delicious! DBF also really enjoyed his pot roast. He was resistant to eating there at first, but was glad that we went. I should add that the food came out FAST! Really fast. Less than 5 minutes after we ordered it fast. It definitely wasn't a cheap lunch, but we really enjoyed relaxing at the bar and taking our time.

After a few rides and wandering the park for a few hours we decided to stop at the Backlot Canteen. This is located next to the Studio Catering Company in the back of DHS.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4276.jpg

I had the 180 Spin (Margarita) and DBF had the High Octane (Long Island Iced Tea). Both drinks were very good and we always enjoy this little, out of the way bar. I've never found it to be crowded (except during the Osbourne Lights).

Up Next: Dinner at California Grill!

[Krissalee]

Ooohhh! I've never been to the Backlot Canteen - din't realize there was a bar in there. Good to know!:thumbsup2

[wdwfanatic316]

Tangeriene (sp) Cafe sounds great! Can't wait to hear about California Grill!

[MTW]

Thanks!



:thumbsup2



Disney is definitely a great place to run your first race. I'm a slow runner as well! That's another reason is a great place to run... there are many walkers and run/walkers at Disney events so as a slow runner I was in the middle of the pack. I'm thinking about using a run/walk schedule for the full marathon.

Best of luck with your training!


Enjoying your reviews!
I second that - Disney is the best for running your first race. After my second child I decided it was time to get in shape (last January) so I signed up for the full, thinking that I would have to train once I laid out $125. I had never run more than a 5K. I ran a 10 miler, 10K an 1/2 marathon in the latter part of last year and I finished pretty close to the back of the pack in all of them. I finished the Disney marathon in the first half of the pack - barely but who's counting right? BTW, I'm a DR poster too! Love that site.

Also, your picture of the moon on Sat night is great. It was amazing!

OT - I played field hockey for Drexel in the late 90's...I saw your DBF's sweatshirt in your post-race pics. Go Dragons!

[sarehm]

Ooooh that chicken pot pie looks delish! I've been tossing the idea of that or the pot roast and I think you sold me!

[momofdbsdc]

Great reviews Jessica! Congratulations on the marathon!!!!

Thanks for sharing!
Kim
momofdbsdca

[fterie4u]

I can't wait to hear about California Grill, that is our favorite!

[jessily]

Enjoying your reviews!
I second that - Disney is the best for running your first race. After my second child I decided it was time to get in shape (last January) so I signed up for the full, thinking that I would have to train once I laid out $125. I had never run more than a 5K. I ran a 10 miler, 10K an 1/2 marathon in the latter part of last year and I finished pretty close to the back of the pack in all of them. I finished the Disney marathon in the first half of the pack - barely but who's counting right? BTW, I'm a DR poster too! Love that site.

Also, your picture of the moon on Sat night is great. It was amazing!

OT - I played field hockey for Drexel in the late 90's...I saw your DBF's sweatshirt in your post-race pics. Go Dragons!

Congrats on finishing the marathon! Your time is very impressive to me:) Are you going back next year?

We loved Drexel! Are you still in the Philadelphia area?

Ooooh that chicken pot pie looks delish! I've been tossing the idea of that or the pot roast and I think you sold me!

Both were delicious, but I preferred the chicken pot pie:thumbsup2

Great reviews Jessica! Congratulations on the marathon!!!!

Thanks for sharing!
Kim
momofdbsdca

Thanks!

I can't wait to hear about California Grill, that is our favorite!

It's now one of our favorites too:) Review coming up...

[jessily]

Sunday 1/11 - California Grill

Sunday evening we had a 6:05 reservation for California Grill and Wishes was scheduled for 8. We planned to head to MK EMH after dinner, so we were just going to see where we ended up watching Wishes.

We checked in at the desk around 5:55 and asked if we could wait for a table by the window (we said that we didn't mind waiting for as long as necessary). They said it was noted on my reservation that we were celebrating my birthday (my bday was a few days before) and gave me a birthday button. We took the elevator up to the restaurant and settled in at the bar just as our buzzer went off. That was fast! The restaurant was still pretty empty at this point. We were led over to a table by one of the managers who said, "as you requested, a MK view." We had to laugh at that one as we were as far from the windows as you could get, but if we stood up and stood on our tippy toes, we could in fact see the top of the castle:lmao: We didn't mind as we weren't planning to hang out at the table for Wishes, but the view sure would have been nice. The view was spectacular! I could have stayed up there all night just looking over at the MK. Our table was decorated with Mickey confetti, so that explains the 5 second wait:)

I can't say enough good things about the service here. Our waiter was wonderful and really encouraged us to take our time (one of my biggest pet peeves is being rushed at restaurants, especially expensive ones). We order the Cheese Plate to start with and some drinks:

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4304.jpg

The cheese plate had 5 kinds of cheese and we really enjoyed it. I think I preferred the one we had at Jiko on our last trip, but there was nothing wrong with this one. Just a preference thing. We love trying the cheese plate wherever we go. Our waiter gave us time to finish the cheese plate while reading over the menus before coming to get our order (again, love the slow, but attentive, service). I ordered the Pan-roasted Grouper Fillet with olive oil crushed potatoes, cipollini onions and red wine butter sauce ($34):

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4306.jpg

and DBF ordered the Seared Scallops with fregola pasta, bacon, almonds, cauliflower puree, wild mushrooms and cider reduction ($36):

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4307.jpg

Sorry for the dark photos. Our entrees were amazing! I'm not a huge fan of scallops, but everything else on that plate was to die for. I don't usually like cauliflower or mushrooms, but I couldn't get enough of it. The red wine butter sauce with the potatoes on my dish was also great. I only wish I had a bigger appetite so I could have eaten more at this meal!

Our waiter brought the dessert menu and we just couldn't decide what to get. I was really stuffed and didn't want to over do it since we were headed to MK after the fireworks. We decided no dessert and ordered one last drink to take outside with us. A few minutes later he showed up with a piece of chocolate cake saying "I can't let you celebrate your birthday without cake. It's not as good as our other desserts, but it's still really good." He also brought out a card:

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4316.jpg

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4311-1.jpg

The cake was delicious (it had a raspberry sauce on it:goodvibes), but we were still stuffed and could only manage a few bites. This was a surprise that made our night really special.

Once the bill was settled we headed out to the balcony to watch Wishes. It was filling up fast, but we managed to get a spot near the railing. Now whenever people have talked about this in trip reports before, I always imagined it to be a really small balcony:crowded: It was huge! A looooong walkway. There was also a second one, but that was further from MK and not many people were over there.

I still can't get over the view. It was beautiful! Like I said earlier, I could have stayed up there all night. I've seen Wishes more times than I can count, and this experience is definitely up there on the list.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4382.jpg

We will definitely be back to California Grill on future trips. We're torn whether we like this or Jiko better. I guess we'll just have to keep experimenting;) I think next time we will consider getting there when the restaurant opens and trying to get a seat in the lounge/bar area or getting sushi from the counter instead of going for a whole meal at a table. I've read reports of people saying California Grill is loud and chaotic with kids everywhere. We didn't find this to be the case. There were a few well behaved kids around, and the restaurant was bustling, but generally pretty quiet. It was a great experience and we can't wait to return!

Up Next: Lunch at the Biergarten

[msce2]

What an amazing view! The dinner looked spectacular as well! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[cmfranklyn]

Thanks for sharing! This is making me hungry!

[MickeyNicki]

Cali Grill looks and sounds great! Cannot wait to try it in Oct

[TigerKat]

We also love the Cali Grill "experience", it is truly magical!:thumbsup2

[jessily]

Wow, I fell off the bandwagon on this dining report. Sorry about that! Lets see if I can finish this up.

Monday 1/12 - Biergarten

We considered going to MK Monday morning for breakfast, but after EMH there on Sunday we were exhausted and decided to sleep in (or rather, slept right through our alarm:headache:)

At noon we were meeting up with a group from the Disney Running community for lunch at Biergarten. We had dinner there on our last trip and were lucky to be seated with a great family who we had a blast with. We were excited to go back (and excited that lunch was cheaper than dinner!).

We strolled from the BC through the International Gateway and started making our way toward Germany. We stopped in the UK for a beer at Rose and Crown. The place was empty (at 11:30 in the morning :rolleyes1).

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Upon arrival in Germany we were faced with a sea of orange

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4477.jpg

They got us all in and seated very quickly. Considering the number of us that showed up at one time they really did a great job getting our drinks out quickly. Then a few dozen hungry runners hit the buffet at once.

I didn't take any food pictures here, but we really enjoyed everything. As far as buffets go, we love Biergarten. Even more than the food, I really enjoy the atmosphere. It has the same kind of outdoors at night theme that the Mexico pavilion does. Here are some pictures:

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The band came out to play and everyone had a ball. Biergarten is a great time!

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Up Next: Snacking around the world

[wilma-bride]

Glad you cam back to finish your reviews - Biergarten always sounds as though it's a lot of fun.

[jessily]

Glad you cam back to finish your reviews - Biergarten always sounds as though it's a lot of fun.

Hi Joh:wave2: Thanks for reading!

[Busymom85]

Enjoyed your reviews. Thanks.

[jessily]

Monday 1/12 - Snacking around the World

After a buffet lunch at Biergarten we spent the rest of the day wandering Epcot. One of our favorite things to do is spend the day at Epcot and snack around the World Showcase as we go. This edition of the dining review covers about 8 hours, so we weren't eating and drinking quite as much as it might seem:rolleyes1

First up were margaritas from the Margarita Stand in Mexico. Always a favorite. We usually both go with lime, but this time I got the fiesta margarita which is 4 flavors (lime, strawberry, mango and kiwi). It looked delicious... it tasted awful:eek: Something was off with it and looking back I should have asked for a replacement, but I didn't, and DBF and I shared his lime margarita which was delicious:thumbsup2

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4541.jpg

After visiting Norway and riding Maelstrom, we stopped in Germany for a beer on our way to see Miyuki. She's amazing!

Sometime around nightfall we found ourselves back in Mexico and ran into the Disney Running gang who had been enjoying quite a few beverages in World Showcase all afternoon. We grabbed an order of nachos from Cantina de San Angel ($7.95) and 2 more lime margaritas and joined them. These nachos are nothing special, but boy do they taste good when you're tired and hungry. They're purely junk food (think nacho cheese, sour cream and refried beans) but we always seem to end up sharing a plate (or rather styrofoam container) at least once per trip.

After watching a few movies in World Showcase we ended up at the Boulangerie Patisserie in France. On past trips I had seen a cheese plate here that looked good. This night it looked very very bad so we ended up getting some sort of pizza looking thing to share. This was a huge disappointment and we wouldn't get it again:sad2:

Last but not least we settled into our usual spot for Illuminations right next to Crepes des Chefs de France. We ordered 2 chocolate crepes ($3.76 each) and 2 Grey Goose Citron Slushes:love:

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A perfect way to end a wonderful day in Epcot.

Up Next: my first (and last:sad1:) French Toast Loaf

[tweetylori]

Great report...I love to get my thrills vicariously, and yours is a great way to do it...thanks!:yay:

[wdwfanatic316]

Welcome back! :goodvibes

Thanks for the great pics of Biergarten. It makes me want to ty it just for the atmosphere!

[maslex]

Thursday January 8th - Safari Pretzel Cart
I may as well get my Spicy Cheese Pretzel fixation out in the open right now. I'm addicted:rotfl2: It's a soft pretzel filled with melted jalapeno cheese. On our last trip we only visited Epcot and MK. I only knew of 2 places that sold Spicy Cheese Pretzels (The Launching Pad at MK and Min and Bill's Dockside Diner at DHS). Imagine my horror when I found out they no longer sell them at MK:eek: Well I posted on the Restaurant Board and much to my delight found out that they now sell them at the Safari Pretzel Cart in AK:yay:

My flight landed at 9:05 am on Thursday, and by 12:30 I was in AK enjoying the much awaited Spicy Cheese Pretzel. I was so excited I took a bite before I remembered to pull out the camera:
http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_3805.jpg

If you haven't tried one of these beauties yet, I highly recommend it! and I'm not as crazy as I sound (well, not quite as crazy anyway):) Now that I've got that confession out of the way... on to the rest of the reviews.

This sounds like something right up my alley!!!! Do you know if this in on the dining plan as a snack? If so, :yay:

[jessily]

Enjoyed your reviews. Thanks.

Thanks!

Great report...I love to get my thrills vicariously, and yours is a great way to do it...thanks!:yay:

I do the same thing:) Thanks for reading!

Welcome back! :goodvibes

Thanks for the great pics of Biergarten. It makes me want to ty it just for the atmosphere!

The atmosphere at Biergarten is great! Probably better than the food, but the food is pretty good too.

This sounds like something right up my alley!!!! Do you know if this in on the dining plan as a snack? If so, :yay:

It was when we were there last:thumbsup2

[jessily]

Tuesday 1/13 - Main Street Bakery

Since we overslept on Monday, I was determined to get to Main Street Bakery to try the french toast loaf on Tuesday morning. We arrived at MK just after opening and there were only about 5 people in line at the Bakery:thumbsup2

We decided to split a slice of french toast loaf and a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll was HUGE! I couldn't believe it. Both were very good. We were disappointed to hear that the french toast loaf has recently been taken off the menu. I wonder why:confused3 The only reason we went there for breakfast was to try it, and I'm sure it attracts a lot of other people as well.

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4607.jpg

Up Next: best lunch ever

[TigerKat]

I'm so sad they took the french toast loaf off before I had a chance to try it.:sad2:

[jessily]

I'm so sad they took the french toast loaf off before I had a chance to try it.:sad2:

me too:sad:

[vettegirl]

Your pics of the Biergarten are great, I hope to see the entertainment when we go in a few weeks.

[jessily]

Tuesday 1/13 - The End

After hanging out at the MK for a few hours we headed over to DHS. We didn't really have any plans and were just enjoying out last day of vacation. Neither of us was all that hungry and we decided to get one last spicy cheese pretzel as a snack/lunch from Min and Bills Dockside Diner.:love:

We also picked up some margaritas from the Tune In Lounge which we got to go. We settled into a table just as it was starting to rain. Both the pretzels and margaritas get :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/jbh26/IMG_4652.jpg

We were going to see Cirque that night so we headed to DTD for dinner and ended up at Wolfgang Puck Express where we split 2 pizzas. This place had changed a lot since the last time I was there and I liked the new layout better. There is now a room seperate from where you order. You can sit wherever you want and someone brings you your food when it's ready.

It was really cold this night so on our way over to Cirque we stopped at the Ghiradelli Store and got a large hot chocolate to split. They made us a small by accident so they gave it to us for free and we had 2 drinks. Yum! This was really good. I never think to get hot chocolate in Disney World because I've never been cold there before, but this really hit the spot on a chilly night.

The next day we headed home:sad2: We had a wonderful trip and really enjoyed being there in January. Everything seemed a little more manageable with the lower crowds and lower temperatures. The restaurants weren't crowded, and even though we had ADRs, we probably could have just walked up to most of them (including Le Cellier:eek:).

Thanks to everyone for reading along! I'm thinking about starting a Trip Report, so if people are interested I can post the link here when I do. :wave2:

[jessily]

Your pics of the Biergarten are great, I hope to see the entertainment when we go in a few weeks.

Thanks! Enjoy your trip:)