"One Step Ahead of the Slowpokes!"- A Dec '10/Jan '11 Trip Report! FINISHED 3/9 pg 38

[Nermel9]

OMG!!! Artist Point looks SO good...seriously...like I might need to go and mess with my ADR's AGAIN and add it in. I know I said I'd wait til next May to go, but...it just looks so good!

I knew this was going to happen when I read your review! How long would you say you were there? It seems like it takes at least an hour and half to eat there, would you say that's about right?

 

[resol37]

I've just started reading this TR (we're still on Christmas Day and you've just left early because of the snow), but I had to comment.

North Carolina represent! I'd love to say I had some sort of clue where you guys are based on your picture of I-77 South's sign, but I almost never use 77...it scares me. I live in the Steele Creek area of Charlotte down by Carowinds.

And my GPS has a name, too. Judy (because it's a Garmin...as in Judy Garmin/Garland). She speaks in a female British accent.

Looking forward to reading more!

ETA: Ha! I just got to the part where you don't like Charlotte or Carowinds. Eh, I don't care for Carowinds at all. Charlotte's not all bad, though.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Wow at your Artist Point review!! I loved reading it and can't wait to eat here in September!

The atmosphere sounds great and I love your cheese selection starter - it looks yummy!

I will not be ordering the main you guys did (dietary reasons) but have heard how the sides that come with them are quite filling.

Then I read about your dessert and was practically drooling! I can't wait to try the cobbler and icecream when we eat at WL

 

[DisneyFirefly]

You know, I have the recipe for the Artist Point berry cobbler... I've been wanting to make it for a long time Do you want me to send it to you?

I honestly don't think I'd have dinner at AP, but I KNOW my dad would love it. He's very into eating different things like venison and bison and buffalo... Meanwhile I prefer cow and pig and chicken

 

[sbprincess]

Yea! Glad you liked AP. I really do want to eat there one day. The food almost always sounds amazing in trip reports. I don't know about the berry cobbler though. I'm usually just a fan of fresh fruit. For some reason cooked fruit isn't as appealing to me. I like apple pie, but that's about all I can think of. Are you guys going back on your June trip?

 

[Disneyfreak616]

OMG, I missed two updates!!!

I have been SOOO busy this week!

I agree. I Earl of Sandwich!! Yesterday Jess and I were on a field trip with our choir and we passed by this building that had the exact font of Earl of Sandwich in the exact placement and I screamed "Oh my gosh it looks like Earl of Samdwich!" And Jess was like "Oh yeah it does!!" And everyone around us just burst out laughing. Ohhh the Disney freaks...

That is too cute that you guys saw a movie, I've done that before. At least twice. My dad used to live about an hour from WDW so we used to drive to DTD and go to a movie and eat dinner somewhere. It was soo fun!

I think if I EVER get to Disney at Christmastime, I HAVE to stay at WL. It is GORGEOUS. Those decorations are my favorite. Plus, it just has a magical wintry feel, ya know?

I am so glad you guys enjoyed your first-ever signature! I always feel so fancy at those meals, although I've only ever been to three, if you even count CRT or Le Cellier.

LOVE the deer family!

Can't wait to hear about your sleigh ride! Tehehe.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Artist Point sounds so romantic! It looks so pretty and serene inside, too. I'll be honest - I've always been a little scared of their menu (I guess I'm afraid it would be too gamey???) but your meal sounds so good! Does buffalo have a really distinctive taste? Or is it pretty similar to beef? I think I would enjoy that meal, especially since I love macaroni and cheese!

I can't wait to hear about the sleigh ride! I love this romantic evening!

 

[Cat0727]

All caught up! I have to try the All-American next time I go to EoS. It looks yummy!

Wow, I love your pictures of WL- it's SO pretty at Christmas time!They just remind me of how I need to make time to visit there next trip. I still haven't been!

It sounds like you picked the perfect restaurant for your first signature. Their berry cobbler sounds insanely good!

 

[dancin_princess]

Sorry you ended up canceling your ADR at Le Cellier, but maybe you'll get to go next month and you know you'll be able to enjoy your meal. So sweet of John for cheering you up.

I love that tie-dye cheesecake, so tasty and colorful.

Glad to read you woke up feeling better the next morning. Looking at your pictures of Pop breakfast made me want breakfast at 9:55pm! lol

I didn't get into Harry Potter until...last year. I have now read all the books and seen all the movies. I can't wait for Deathly Hallows Pt 2.

(I have a random question, when you go next month could you text me pictures of Disney and Hogwarts? Do you still have my number?)

Madrake cures everyone who was petrified by Tom Riddle's diary?

I have the obessive desire to try Butterbeer. I tried making my own at home, and I'm sure its not nearly as good as the authentic drink at WWoHP.

I love how comfy the seats are at AMC @ DTD.

I love gouda cheese. I'm glad you enjoyed your nice romantic dinner at Artist Point.

 

[wahoostampingirl]

Great review of Artists Point. We've never eaten there, but that buffalo steak looks like a meal my dh would love. I'll have to put Artists Point on the ever expanding list of restaurants to try.

 

[therussells08]

OMG!!! Artist Point looks SO good...seriously...like I might need to go and mess with my ADR's AGAIN and add it in. I know I said I'd wait til next May to go, but...it just looks so good!

I knew this was going to happen when I read your review! How long would you say you were there? It seems like it takes at least an hour and half to eat there, would you say that's about right?

I'm so glad you made an ADR for Artist Point! You won't regret it!

I think an hour and a half is about right. We really took our time and enjoyed our meal but I think that was about how long we were there!

I've just started reading this TR (we're still on Christmas Day and you've just left early because of the snow), but I had to comment.

North Carolina represent! I'd love to say I had some sort of clue where you guys are based on your picture of I-77 South's sign, but I almost never use 77...it scares me. I live in the Steele Creek area of Charlotte down by Carowinds.

And my GPS has a name, too. Judy (because it's a Garmin...as in Judy Garmin/Garland). She speaks in a female British accent.

Looking forward to reading more!

ETA: Ha! I just got to the part where you don't like Charlotte or Carowinds. Eh, I don't care for Carowinds at all. Charlotte's not all bad, though.

Thanks for joining in!

That's so cool that you are from NC too! I'm sorry I insulted Charlotte, you're right, it's really not bad. I am just not good with bigger cities. The biggest city I live near is Winston Salem, which is way smaller than Charlotte. Charlotte and Raleigh always overwhelm me!

Wow at your Artist Point review!! I loved reading it and can't wait to eat here in September!

The atmosphere sounds great and I love your cheese selection starter - it looks yummy!

I will not be ordering the main you guys did (dietary reasons) but have heard how the sides that come with them are quite filling.

Then I read about your dessert and was practically drooling! I can't wait to try the cobbler and icecream when we eat at WL

I'm so excited for you to try it! I think you will love it!

The cobbler is AMAZING! I wish I had some right now!

You know, I have the recipe for the Artist Point berry cobbler... I've been wanting to make it for a long time Do you want me to send it to you?

I honestly don't think I'd have dinner at AP, but I KNOW my dad would love it. He's very into eating different things like venison and bison and buffalo... Meanwhile I prefer cow and pig and chicken

YES! Please send it to me! That would be awesome!

We eat a lot of venison regularly here. John and my dad are both big hunters, so we usually eat whatever they get. Bison, on the other hand, was pretty new to me!

Yea! Glad you liked AP. I really do want to eat there one day. The food almost always sounds amazing in trip reports. I don't know about the berry cobbler though. I'm usually just a fan of fresh fruit. For some reason cooked fruit isn't as appealing to me. I like apple pie, but that's about all I can think of. Are you guys going back on your June trip?

I highly recommend AP! You should really try it someday! Ooh, I love cooked fruit! We are not going back in June, unfortunately. We are eating alot cheaper this trip!

 

[therussells08]

OMG, I missed two updates!!!

I have been SOOO busy this week!

I agree. I Earl of Sandwich!! Yesterday Jess and I were on a field trip with our choir and we passed by this building that had the exact font of Earl of Sandwich in the exact placement and I screamed "Oh my gosh it looks like Earl of Samdwich!" And Jess was like "Oh yeah it does!!" And everyone around us just burst out laughing. Ohhh the Disney freaks...

That is too cute that you guys saw a movie, I've done that before. At least twice. My dad used to live about an hour from WDW so we used to drive to DTD and go to a movie and eat dinner somewhere. It was soo fun!

I think if I EVER get to Disney at Christmastime, I HAVE to stay at WL. It is GORGEOUS. Those decorations are my favorite. Plus, it just has a magical wintry feel, ya know?

I am so glad you guys enjoyed your first-ever signature! I always feel so fancy at those meals, although I've only ever been to three, if you even count CRT or Le Cellier.

LOVE the deer family!

Can't wait to hear about your sleigh ride! Tehehe.

I completely understand! The end of the school year is so crazy for students and teachers!

I would've done the same thing with EoS! I love seeing things that remind me of Disney!

Wow, dinner and a movie in DTD sounds like a blast! I would love to be able to do that on a regular basis!

I agree about WL at Christmas. We had originally planned to stay at WL on thi strip since it was Christmastime but it was just too expensive! All of the rooms are so high this time of year and they usually don't have any military discounts.

Our first signature was definitely a wonderful experience! I won't forget it!

Artist Point sounds so romantic! It looks so pretty and serene inside, too. I'll be honest - I've always been a little scared of their menu (I guess I'm afraid it would be too gamey???) but your meal sounds so good! Does buffalo have a really distinctive taste? Or is it pretty similar to beef? I think I would enjoy that meal, especially since I love macaroni and cheese!

I can't wait to hear about the sleigh ride! I love this romantic evening!

I understand what you mean about the menu. It can be a little intimidating! John and I eat a lot of game, so it wasn't that big of a leap for us, but I think you would be able to find something that would appeal to you. They have a great selection of fish and things like that.

It was a great evening! I loved the sleigh ride!

All caught up! I have to try the All-American next time I go to EoS. It looks yummy!

Wow, I love your pictures of WL- it's SO pretty at Christmas time!They just remind me of how I need to make time to visit there next trip. I still haven't been!

It sounds like you picked the perfect restaurant for your first signature. Their berry cobbler sounds insanely good!

YES! The All American is the best sandwich at EoS!

I'm glad you like the pictures! It really was beautiful there!

The berry cobbler was amazing! It was a great dining experience!

Sorry you ended up canceling your ADR at Le Cellier, but maybe you'll get to go next month and you know you'll be able to enjoy your meal. So sweet of John for cheering you up.

I love that tie-dye cheesecake, so tasty and colorful.

Glad to read you woke up feeling better the next morning. Looking at your pictures of Pop breakfast made me want breakfast at 9:55pm! lol

I didn't get into Harry Potter until...last year. I have now read all the books and seen all the movies. I can't wait for Deathly Hallows Pt 2.

(I have a random question, when you go next month could you text me pictures of Disney and Hogwarts? Do you still have my number?)

Madrake cures everyone who was petrified by Tom Riddle's diary?

I have the obessive desire to try Butterbeer. I tried making my own at home, and I'm sure its not nearly as good as the authentic drink at WWoHP.

I love how comfy the seats are at AMC @ DTD.

I love gouda cheese. I'm glad you enjoyed your nice romantic dinner at Artist Point.

I was bummed about cancelling Le Cellier but in the end I was glad I did! John was really great about the whole thing!

I am SO ready for Deathly Hallows Part 2 also! Although it will be bittersweet! I don't know what I'll do without any new Harry Potter movies or books!

I would be glad to send you pictures! I still have your number!

I understand your obsession with Butterbeer. I was the same way and it didn't disappoint!

Great review of Artists Point. We've never eaten there, but that buffalo steak looks like a meal my dh would love. I'll have to put Artists Point on the ever expanding list of restaurants to try.

Thanks! I'm glad you liked the review. The buffalo steak was incredible! I definitely recommend you try it someday!

 

[therussells08]

After our fabulous dinner it was time to go to Fort Wilderness for our private sleigh ride! I had only been to Fort Wilderness one other time before this and that was for the haunted hayride in 2007. It had been a lot of fun, so I was really looking forward to this!

When we got to Fort Wilderness we took the very confusing bus ride that took us to where we needed to be. We were directed to a little round about area where our sleigh was waiting! We ended up being about half an hour early, but I think since it was so late we were the last appointment for the evening, because our horse and driver were waiting.

As we approached I took a picture of the pretty Christmas tree.

Our driver was a very nice older lady named Phyllis. She introduced us to the horse, Luke. She let me pet his nose and take a picture of him before we loaded in the sleigh for our ride.

The sleigh was so cozy! It was just the two of us so we sat on the same seat, but there were rear facing seats across from us that could have held two more people. There was a really soft and warm blanket inside so we covered our laps with that. It really felt like a perfect little sleigh ride!

I wondered what exactly we would be seeing as we started our journey. It was so dark out, it was hard to imagine having much of a view! However, within just a few seconds I caught a glimpse of some lights in the distance!

It seemed as though we were going to be enjoying the Christmas decorations that campers at Fort Wilderness had put up! How cool! I remember when we went on the hayride in 2007 we saw lots of Halloween decorations, but they were nothing like what we saw now!

As we rode along Phyllis chatted with us about Luke and Disney in general. The poor horse was tired and cranky so he kept being a little difficult, but Phyllis was really sweet to him and you could tell she cared a lot about him. He had to stop to relieve himself (twice) and each time she was very patient. Then she got mad at the people riding by in golf carts because they laughed at him doing his business. She went on to talk for about ten minutes about how immature people can be about animals.

We really could not believe the Christmas decorations we were seeing that WDW guests had put up!

I thought this was appropriate, since we were on a sleigh ride!

Phyllis told us that a lot of people come to Fort Wilderness and stay for months on end without leaving. She said there are several people who come in September and stay through New Years. That way they are able to go all out with both Halloween and Christmas decorations! I couldn't help but think that would be an amazing way to spend a quarter of the year!

We saw a lot of really neat Christmas decorations, but nothing could compare to what we saw right before we finished our ride. It was an entire model of WDW!

In this picture you can see Cinderella Castle and the Contemporary in the bottom left corner.

Here's a shot of the other WDW icons: The Tree of Life, Spaceship Earth, and the sorcerer's cap!

I can't imagine how much time (and money) these people must have put into this!

After we saw that amazing sight we had made it back to the beginning and it was time for our sleigh ride to end. Overall it had been about a half hour ride. There was a big sign inside the sleigh that said the drivers could not accept tips, so we said thanks to Phyllis and Luke and headed on our way. Overall I am really glad we had this experience! It was very romantic and it really helped us stay in the Christmas spirit!

We went back to the FW buses so we could make our way back to our car. When we got on the bus we were the only people there because it was after 10:30. The bus ride seemed to take forever, but before long we were back to the parking lot and our warm car. We headed back to POP discussing how we would love to stay at Fort Wilderness for months on end when we retire!

Once we got back to the room I took a hot bath and got into my PJs. Before I went to bed, however, I had one more thing on my mind!

My caramel apple from Karamell Kuche! Honestly I don't know how I possibly had room for it, but how can you resist this?!

I gobbled it up while watching Stacey and then went to bed! I fell asleep dreaming of sleigh rides and models of WDW!

Up Next: A free day full of fun, food, and...fighting strangers?! Stay tuned!

 

[dancin_princess]

Sweet, I look forward to getting a few pics.

The sleigh ride looks so much fun, I would love to do that one day with my honey.

Could you just imagine, staying on Disney property for a quarter of a year?! That's like a (very expensive) dream.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Love the pic of the Christmas tree and Luke! Makes me want to plan a trip to Disney World at Christmas time!

Wow at the Christmas decorations, especially the one of the entire model of WDW! I can't believe the effort that has gone into that - someone must be a very proud owner of it.

Mmm at the caramel apple - looks yummy! Of course you couldn't say no to that!

 

[Nermel9]

Yay, the sleigh ride sounds like so much fun! I can't wait for the Haunted carriage ride!

I wanted to check out Fort Wilderness when I stayed at WL, since it's right next door, but never had time! Those Christmas decorations look awesome!

Poor Luke, it has to be tiring pulling a carriage around all day! That made me sad, reading about people laughing at him while he was uh, using the restroom.

Spending lots of time at Fort Wilderness after retiring sounds like a great idea! And that caramel apple looks sooo yummy!

 

[therussells08]

Sweet, I look forward to getting a few pics.

The sleigh ride looks so much fun, I would love to do that one day with my honey.

Could you just imagine, staying on Disney property for a quarter of a year?! That's like a (very expensive) dream.

You should definitely do the sleigh ride someday! It is so romantic! I would LOVE to stay at Disney that long...it would be like living there! That's our retirement goal now!

Love the pic of the Christmas tree and Luke! Makes me want to plan a trip to Disney World at Christmas time!

Wow at the Christmas decorations, especially the one of the entire model of WDW! I can't believe the effort that has gone into that - someone must be a very proud owner of it.

Mmm at the caramel apple - looks yummy! Of course you couldn't say no to that!

I was so blown away by all of the Christmas decorations at FW! It makes me wonder how they store all that stuff in their campers!

Yay, the sleigh ride sounds like so much fun! I can't wait for the Haunted carriage ride!

I wanted to check out Fort Wilderness when I stayed at WL, since it's right next door, but never had time! Those Christmas decorations look awesome!

Poor Luke, it has to be tiring pulling a carriage around all day! That made me sad, reading about people laughing at him while he was uh, using the restroom.

Spending lots of time at Fort Wilderness after retiring sounds like a great idea! And that caramel apple looks sooo yummy!

I can't wait to hear what you think of the carriage ride!

FW is cool, but it's also really confusing. I've only been there twice and I got lost both times.

I know, he was pitiful. I felt bad for him because he was tired, but Phyllis was very sweet to him and you could tell he was well taken care of!

That has become our retirement goal!

 

[therussells08]

On day five of our fabulous vacation we "slept in" a bit and got up at 8:00. We got ready quickly and set off for another deluxe resort where we had reservations for breakfast! I had always wanted to go to the Polynesian Resort, so I was thrilled that we would be dining at Kona this morning!

When we arrived at the Polynesian I fell in love with the atmosphere before we even got out of the car!

This next picture is kind of blurry, but I think I took it as we were approaching the entrance to the Poly. I can't be sure though. Either way, it's pretty!

When we entered the lobby I noticed a very cute Christmas tree.

And behind that cute Christmas tree I saw a gorgeous fountain! I instantly fell in love with this. It was so beautiful!

Here is a less blurry picture.

I made the executive decision that the Polynesian was now my "holy grail" resort. Someday I am going to come and stay here for a week and enjoy this tropical environment!

We went upstairs and made our way over to our breakfast location, Kona!

Before we went in I took another picture of the gorgeous fountain in the middle of the lobby from upstairs.

After I finished obsessing over the beautiful decor we checked in at Kona and were seated instantly. While we eagerly awaited our server I took a picture of John.

Our waitress came over to take our drink order at this point. I can't remember her name, but I remember that she was crabby! She didn't seem to be capable of smiling, and she was really rushing us with our orders. John got coffee and I ordered Lilikoi Juice.

Oh my goodness, this stuff was good! It was a mixture of orange, passion fruit, and guava juice. It was so sweet and had a wonderful tropical taste!
Next the Grinch was ready to take our meal orders. I had one thing and one thing only on my mind: Tonga Toast! John decided to go with the Steak with Eggs.

While we waited for our breakfast John got bored and started playing with camera. This is where the title of this update comes in to play.

He took one picture of me, and I was amused.

Now here I am saying, "Really? You're taking another one?"

That is followed closely by, "Okay, that's enough. You can stop now!"

Up next we have, "Oh you changed to the Sepia setting. How nice."

And finally, we end with, "I see you've changed to the 1970's setting. This better be your last picture or I'm going to hit you so hard you'll wake up in the 1970's."

By the time I finally managed to wrestle the camera out of John's hand our breakfast arrived!

John's steak looked a little wimpy to me, but he said it was very good. His eggs were great as well, and he loved the potatoes that came with the meal. The biscuit wasn't his favorite. He said it was kind of hard, and I don't think he ate much of it.

What can I say about the Tonga Toast? It lived up to everything I had read on the DIS and then some! It was SO amazing! I loved the strawberry compote that came with it! I could have just drank that stuff! I ordered sausage with mine, but I barely touched it because the Tonga Toast was so filling!

After we finished our yummy breakfast we left a tip and bid our grouchy waitress farewell. Overall Kona's breakfast was very good. The service was less than ideal, but the food made up for it. I would recommend getting the Tonga Toast if you go, though. That's the famous dish there for a reason!
We left Kona and I took this picture. I'm not sure where it was in the Poly, but I liked it.

We went in the gift shop for a few minutes, but didn't see anything we liked. I did take this cool/creepy picture though.

After we wandered around a little more we were ready to say "aloha" to the Polynesian. We would be back again the next day for an Ohana dinner!

Up Next: Adventures in Downtown Disney! Stay tuned!

 

[QuirkyButterfly]

I am glad that you enjoyed Kona Cafe, I can't wait to try Tonga Toast, I am dreaming about it now , I hope it lives up to expectations. You remind me so much of me and my DBF, he will take photos like that of me when he is bored. They are funny because afterwards you can see me getting progressively more uncomfortable as they go on. Usually I get to my limit and make a grab for the camera . I am glad that you are having such a good time. I have just caught up reading through your previous posts, Can't wait to read more.

 

[Patriotic_Duck]

I love your report so far! I've been to Hollywood Studios a few times and have never seen that place where you did the drawings! I am definitely putting that in the itinerary for my October trip with my dad =]