A Fantasy of Food and Wine: A tale of two trips

[jedijill]

Welcome all!

I thought I would do a report of my 2 upcoming trips. I will be sailing on the Disney Fantasy on a 7 night Eastern cruise in October and then I'll be headed back to WDW for a special F&W trip to help my friend celebrate her 50th birthday! (Plus jabead shamed me into it! )

I am not the wittiest writer (please see Nebo, Glenbo, Pondzi, jabead, DonaldDolewhip, Monymony3471, and many many many more!) but I will try to do an all in one dining and trip report (but mostly dining!).

Me: My name is Jill and I love food and wine (Hi Jill!...oh, wrong room!) I live in Denver, CO (although from Missouri!) and have loved visiting Disney especially after I discovered the adult side of Disney! I am single and have a very spoiled dachshund named Bailey (she made me talk about her....she is barking at me now..wait...she just wanted to eat some of my dinner.)

Trips: I rebooked a dummy date on my DCL Med cruise in May, 2010. I had intended to book a sailing for my birthday but a good friend of mine and her family were planning to sail on 10/6. I hadn't sailed with them since 2007 so I had my TA rebook my cruise and I was set.

In the meantime, I started talking to my BFF from KC who I don't see often enough. This year is her 50th birthday and she wanted to do F&W and invited me to stay with her. I was short of DVC points so she invited me to stay on the pull out of her villa. I love her!

So I have ended up with 2 trips in just over a month and I cannot wait. I haven't been to Disney since October 2011 where I used 2 years of DVC points in order to take my niece and nephew (and their parents!) to WDW for their first time!

Trip 1: October 5-October 14

Airfare to Orlando from Denver is horrible this year and I was able to cash miles on Frontier. Whoo hoo! That's more eating and drinking and spa money!

The Plan:

Oct 5: Fly from Denver to MCO arriving at about 12:30. Take the ME bus to BLT (my first stay!) I plan to grab lunch at the Contempo Cafe and maybe a delicious cupcake.

I'm hoping to meet an Internet friend from Japan before she goes home and then I'm meeting up with my cruise friends for drink at Top of the World Lounge and Hallowishes then dinner at California Grill. I love California Grill and am glad to have a chance to eat there again prior to the renovation.

Oct 6: Up early for a group breakfast at Kona! Time for some macadamia nut pancakes and lillikoi juice!

After breakfast, a quick drive to the coast and the DISNEY FANTASY for an awesome 7 night cruise.

Continued in next post.

Jill in CO

 

[jabead]

Woohoo...I'm in!!! Thanks, Jill.


ETA: Your dog is adorable!

 

[jedijill]

October 6, Day 2: Board Disney Fantasy

First order of business will be to get Palo brunch reservations fixed so our group can have brunch at the same time then scope out Remy champagne lunch reservations for myself! I've been dying to try this as soon as I heard about it. Then off to the Aquaduck and the first of MANY drink of the days!

October 7, Day 3: Day at Sea and Palo Brunch

No pictures but let me tell you it is AMAZING! I love the stollen bread, crab legs, all the deserts, and some of the best chicken parm I have ever had! You will have to roll me out of there!

October 8, Day 4: Day at Sea UPDATE! I just booked Remy brunch at 12:10

No special plans today and I won't know the dining rotation until we are on the ship.

October 9, Day 5: St Maartin and Pirate Night

We will be on a Tiki Bar Tour and a stop at Maho Beach to watch the planes land. Once back on board, its dinner at REMY! I fell in love with Victoria and Albert's at WDW so I really cannot wait to try dinner at Remy. Still debating the wine pairing but I will probably go with it. Heck, I don't have to drive anywhere! Hopefully I will be done with dinner in time to watch the fireworks.

October 10, Day 6: St Thomas

No plans today.

October 11, Day 7: Day at Sea

Starting today off with a Bamboo massage and then dinner at Palo. I can taste the chocolate souffle now!

October 12, Day 8: Castaway Cay

I am going to try parasailing and then the first of several Konk Koolers!

October 13, Day 9: Forcibly removed from the Fantasy and back to WDW

After they pry me off the ship, I am headed back to spend the night at VWL. I have a reservation for afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian and then dinner at Artist Point. I am debating Artist Point after reading DonaldDoleWhip's review of Narcoosee's. I am craving that almond cheesecake but I do love AP too. I'm waiting to see more current menus before making my final decision.

October 13, Day 10: Forcibly removed from my villa at VWL on the the Magical Depress (copyright Nebo) and a flight back to Denver at an ungodly hour.

19 long days until I'm back at WDW!

Jill in CO

 

[jedijill]

Woohoo...I'm in!!! Thanks, Jill.


ETA: Your dog is adorable!

Thanks!

Bailey says thanks too. She is very polite unless you have food...then you are on your own!

Jill in CO

 

[jedijill]

Trip #2 November 2-12 (or maybe the 11th!)

Thanks to a very kind person on the Budget board, I find a flight down on SW for $99 from Denver to MCO which these days is a bargain! SW's scheduled wasn't open for the return so I guess I will just stay in WDW forever.

This trip is different than the last...I'm not really doing the planning! This trip is for LeeAnn and since its her birthday she gets to make all the plans! We are staying at AKV-Kidani. She and her husband are coming down a day before me and she is bringing a friend of her's down to stay for a few days as well.

Day 1, November 2:

I arrive in WDW at about 1pm. We have a reservation a The Plaza at the MK for dinner before MNSSHP. I've never eaten at The Plaza but it looks great.

Day 2, November 3:

Planning on having breakfast at Wolfgang Puck Express (thanks Karin!) and then a late lunch at Le Cellier. We are spending the evening eating around the world in Epcot at F&W.

Day 3, November 4:

Starting the day off with a little TSM and lunch at Sci Fi Dine In. Headed back to Epcot to continue eating and drinking around the World.

Adding the Culinary Deminar Shanna Hornmer O'Hea and Brian O'Hea chicken

Day 4, November 5:

LeeAnn's birthday. Breakfast at The Wave (Sweet Potato Pancakes!!!) and then dinner at Tokyo Dining.

Banfi wine deminar! Rosa Regale!

Day 5, November 6:

Rainforest Cafe for Breakfast and then Kona for dinner.

Buddy Valastro, Carlo's Bakery, Hoboken NJ Deminar

Day 6, November 7:

Headed to Universal to see Harry Potter (Free tickets from work!) and then dinner a La Hacienda.

Wendy Brazilian and Jon Ashton presented by Driscoll's Onlt the Finest Berries Deminar

Day 7, November 8:

Breakfast at Kouzzina and then more F&W!!!

Ty Ku Sake & Spirits Deminar

Day 8, November 9:

Possible backstage tour at MK, Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian, and then MVMCP.

Day 9, November 10:

Olivia's for breakfast, Le Chef's for late lunch, and dinner at La Hacienda then Big Bad Voodoo Daddy! I love these guys...great show!

Warren Brown, CakeLove Deminar

Day 10, November 11: UPDATE I decided to go on my business trip via Orlando. I will fly to Philadelphia on the evening of the 11th and then work until the 16th and then finally fly back to Denver.

LeeAnn and her husband are headed home but I couldn't find a decent plane ticket until Monday. Right now, my plans are up in the air. I will either find a hotel and fly home Monday or combine this with a business trip and fly to Philadelphia on Sunday and then fly home to Denver.

Plans subject to change.

Jill in CO

 

[deenbrad]

Both of your trips sound like so much fun! I promised DH next trip will be a cruise so I'm really looking forward to your review of that!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Count me in for fun and food!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Two trips - awesome! How cool that your BFF invited you, and I hope you have two great trips!

 

[jedijill]

Both of your trips sound like so much fun! I promised DH next trip will be a cruise so I'm really looking forward to your review of that!

Count me in for fun and food!

Two trips - awesome! How cool that your BFF invited you, and I hope you have two great trips!

Welcome everyone! I hope I don't disappoint!

I dropped my suitcase off at the luggage repair store today....all the zippers got broken after my last business trip to Philly. It's supposed to be fixed by next Wednesday so I can start packing next weekend.

Jill in CO

 

[jecskc]

Joining in !!! What an exciting couple of trips you have planned!! I can't wait to read all about them. Make sure your camera is charged and that you take tons of photos so we can live vicariously !! You have some amazing meals planned !!

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Sounds like a fantastic vacation!

 

[smile4stamps]

Joining in!!

I know all about those airfares from Denver to MCO! I tracked them daily till I got my hubby's flights booked! I ironically was able to book his return flight before his departure flight to WDW! I booked both flights in June just a few days apart from each other on southwest. I've not seen the rates at the prices I booked them since then so I was thankful for my OCD in that regard!

Can't wait to hear all about your trips! They sandwich mine lol!

 

[Tracerr00]

Two trips? Lucky!! How exciting and you bet I'm signing on for these! My cruise isn't until June of next year so I'll have to live vicariously through you to read about all of the cruise food. I've never been to Palo before but I plan to go for it this time! Looking forward to updates!

 

[emmebear]

i'm in!!!

i can't wait to read about your cruise. i have puerto rico as a port city but it's essentially still the same cruise. you must be so excited!!

i hope you have great weather & smooth sailing. i can't wait for palo brunch. i get to schedule activities on sept. 28!

 

[MrsB1228]

Woohoo, two trips to look forward to!! I love cruising but have never tried a Disney cruise ... we'll do it one day! I hope you have an amazing time and I can't wait to read all about it!

 

[MrsB1228]

BTW, Bailey's a sweetheart!

 

[jedijill]

Joining in !!! What an exciting couple of trips you have planned!! I can't wait to read all about them. Make sure your camera is charged and that you take tons of photos so we can live vicariously !! You have some amazing meals planned !!

Sounds like a fantastic vacation!

Joining in!!

I know all about those airfares from Denver to MCO! I tracked them daily till I got my hubby's flights booked! I ironically was able to book his return flight before his departure flight to WDW! I booked both flights in June just a few days apart from each other on southwest. I've not seen the rates at the prices I booked them since then so I was thankful for my OCD in that regard!

Can't wait to hear all about your trips! They sandwich mine lol!

Two trips? Lucky!! How exciting and you bet I'm signing on for these! My cruise isn't until June of next year so I'll have to live vicariously through you to read about all of the cruise food. I've never been to Palo before but I plan to go for it this time! Looking forward to updates!

i'm in!!!

i can't wait to read about your cruise. i have puerto rico as a port city but it's essentially still the same cruise. you must be so excited!!

i hope you have great weather & smooth sailing. i can't wait for palo brunch. i get to schedule activities on sept. 28!

Woohoo, two trips to look forward to!! I love cruising but have never tried a Disney cruise ... we'll do it one day! I hope you have an amazing time and I can't wait to read all about it!

to all my new readers!

The first trip is getting closer and I'm so excited! I have all my FE gifts made and I need to get them ready to ship down to BLT ahead of time. I just need the next 9 working days to go by quickly!

Jill in CO

 

[jedijill]

BTW, Bailey's a sweetheart!

Thank you! She's my little buddy. One of my co-workers loves doxies and his two kids LOVE her...last time they watched her Bailey immediately ditched me and ran off with the kids. They fight over who gets to sleep with her. So nice to have a great (and free!) place for her to stay when I'm gone.

Jill in CO

 

[jedijill]

Update:

Trip #1

I read the threads about online booking for Remy brunch and I logged in and checked my cruise. I was able to snag a 12:10 brunch on the 2nd Sea Day. I am seriously considering doing the champagne pairings as well.

I was also able to find a rental car to get from the port back to WDW for the same price as DCL transportation. I'm excited as this will give me some more flexibility and hopefully some extra time back at the resort.

Jill in CO

 

[jedijill]

Trip #2

I decided to combine the trip to WDW with a business trip so I will be flying from Orlando to Philadelphia on Sunday night and then working in Philly until Thursday night when its time to head back to Denver.

We booked several deminars (I've updated the original plan post!) Here is what we decided to do:

Deminars:

Culinary Shanna Hornmer O'Hea and Brian O'Hea chicken
Banfi Wine
Buddy Valastro, Carlo's Bakery, Hoboken NJ
Wendy Brazilian and Jon Ashton presented by Driscoll's Onlt the Finest Berries Turkey
Ty Ku Sake & Spirits
Warren Brown, CakeLove

Very excited. I enjoy the deminars...they are fun and way less expensive than other F&W events.

Jill in CO